Darlene's Book Nook

Saturday, June 8, 2013

Spotlight Saturday: Guest Post and Giveaway with S.W. Lothian, author of The Quest Series

Hi, everyone!

Welcome to another edition of Spotlight Saturday at Darlene's Book Nook, where we feature authors and their books!

We will be joined today by S.W. Lothian.

About S.W.:

S.W. Lothian is a funny and cool guy from Australia. His kids call him ‘Phil Dunphy’, because he reminds them of the dad from Modern Family. He isn’t sure whether this is a compliment or not, but he takes it as a compliment.

As an imaginative kid he dreamed of creating exciting worlds and funky characters, and thought he’d be the most famous person to ever do this. He loved to draw and was dux of Art in High School. Top of his dream list was to be an animator. Along with his friend (who went on to be a semi-regular in an Aussie TV Soapie) they would make their own comic books – it kept them entertained and out of trouble (most of the time).

He loved watching all those classic cartoons on TV - Scooby Doo, The Flintstones, The Jetsons, Road Runner (surely, Coyote would win one day), Wacky Races, the list goes on and on. All he wanted to do was to create cool characters and stories by hand. He was sure his animation dream would happen - It was to be the perfect career.

BOOM! Then reality hit. As weird as it may seem, there were not a lot of opportunities for world famous animators in his home city. The dreams were parked as reality and the corporate world beckoned. Then, 25 years later, the long-held dream to create erupted like a jam donut in a microwave and S.W. started writing children's fiction for kids. Perhaps his awesome stories will become so popular that they will be animated one day.

When he writes, it’s for his kids. He writes stories to excite them, inspire them and teach. Stories with awesome edge-of-your-seat action and adventure scattered with fun. Stories that let adults remember their own childhood dreams.

His dream has evolved over the years, from superstar cartoonist – to corporate soldier – to proud parent – to children’s writer. In his wildest dreams, his books will be extremely successful. However, it’s one step at a time. A waterfall starts with a trickle; he hopes his books are his waterfall. He’s building that waterfall – one book at a time.

CONNECT ONLINE WITH S.W.:
Subscribe to his NewsFlash to get the scoop on his latest news

Blog| Twitter | Goodreads | Facebook

Welcome to Darlene's Book Nook, S.W.!

S.W. has written a guest post, so I will now turn the floor over to him!

About the Quest Series
by S.W. Lothian

The Quest series is an exciting time-travel adventure like no other, which has won over fans from all ages. Kids love it because it takes them on an action-packed ride, and adults love it because it reminds them of their childhood dreams of adventure. It has been described as Harry Potter meets Percy Jackson meets Indiana Jones meets The Mummy.

The underlying essence that I have tried to inject into this series is maximum adventure, maximum action, amazing settings, awesome humour and relatable characters. I wanted my heroes to be just everyday kids, who find themselves in the most awesome adventure of their lives. These books are so vividly burnt into my mind, that I can see the settings, smell the air, and feel the emotions of the characters. It has taken me years to get the story to where it is now, and there are still a couple more books to come. My dream would be for the series to become loved enough to spawn a CG movie or two or more (A very wild dream, I know - but one that I'll hold onto - ya gotta have dreams.).

JJ, Linc and Rani are just three normal kids who have found themselves in adventures that none of them could ever have imagined. The series is an edge-of-your-seat tale of time-travel that spans from modern times to ancient Egypt. The past and present collide as our heroes are tasked with saving history (and the future) from turmoil. It's not an easy job, especially when their arch enemies have an army of living statues, known as Uberdiles at their side. Over the course of the quests, our heroes meet many wonderful characters and learn about their own strengths, the importance of teamwork and loyalty, and how to trust each other.

Last year I was fortunate enough to travel to Singapore and I visited Universal Studios (I'm a theme park fan). One of the key things that attracted me to visit the newest Universal theme park was that I knew there was an ancient Egypt zone, which housed one of my favourite rides, The Mummy. Well, as soon as I arrived in the zone I felt just like I had stepped through time and into my books. The ancient Egypt theming was awesome and the detail and scale were stunning. There were even some giant statues of one of my characters, Anubis. To read more about my visit, click here to jump to my blog post.

I'd be honoured if you would give the Quest series a go and read each of the exciting quests. I'm confident that you'll find that it will take you on an adventure that will knock your socks off.

Thanks so much for joining us today, S.W.!

About the Books:

TITLE: The Golden Scarab

SERIES: Quest, Book #1

AUTHOR: S.W. Lothian

PUBLISHER: CreateSpace

PUBLICATION DATE: April 4, 2012

FORMAT: Paperback, 326 pages

ISBN: 9781469989129

Warning: Those of you who read this book will travel through time. If you suffer from motion sickness, you may experience some uncomfortable symptoms as time-travel occurs. If you currently suffer from boredom, you will experience un-boredom while reading this book. If you have a tendency to laugh-out-loud, then you may annoy others sitting close by. If you like action and adventure, strap yourself in for the ride of your life.

JJ Sterling is a normal 12 year old, living in a normal house, with a normal family. That is, until a normal day turns his life upside down. One day, he’s visiting his dad at the museum, and the next thing he knows, he’s thrust back in time . . . and he’s battling against an army of living statues with his best friend. This definitely isn’t what he would usually call normal. It seems JJ was in the wrong place at the right time, and now he’s on the most awesome adventure of his life.

All is not well in Ancient Egypt and heroes are needed. An evil force threatens the peace, and JJ and his friends have no choice but to be those heroes. Guided by the King of the Gods, they embark on a desperate quest. They must overcome amazing and dangerous challenges, as they search for the only thing that can save Egypt. A magical amulet known as the Golden Scarab is the key to peace. It must not fall into the hands of evil or it will spell disaster.

Heroes take on villains in this action-packed race against time. Who will be first to find it? Only time will tell.

Join the Quest - become a Quester.

Buy Links:

Amazon Kindle / Amazon Paperback

TITLE: The Cursed Nile

SERIES: Quest, Book #2

AUTHOR: S.W. Lothian

PUBLISHER: CreateSpace

PUBLICATION DATE: September 28, 2012

FORMAT: Paperback, 276 pages

ISBN: 9781478232506

The tide has turned in a battle against the flow of time.

Life in Ancient Egypt couldn't be better. The statues now have freedom of movement and the people have comfort in knowing that the evil God Seth has been defeated. It is the Season of Ahket and celebrations are in full swing as they party towards its exciting climax. The annual flood of the Nile River will bring another year of prosperity. But, as day breaks the celebrations take a totally unexpected turn. Hapi, the Nile God, mysteriously disappears and with him so does the Nile. Egypt without the Nile spells disaster and to make things even worse, the mysterious events are already impacting the future.

Desperate to reverse the devastating curse that has been cast, the Alliance of the Gods call on the help of JJ, Linc and Rani. Having already saved Ancient Egypt once before, these heroes from the future must travel back in time to do it again. With help from new and old friends they embark on a new quest that is a frantic race against the flow of time, to conquer an evil force that has an old score to settle. Danger lurks at every turn as they try to solve the mystery and battle against those who want to see them fail. As time flows by it is running out fast. If they fail it will change history - if they succeed it will preserve it.

'The Cursed Nile’ is an epic battle where the past has the power to change the future, and the future has the power to change the past. Which one will triumph?

Buy Links:

Amazon Kindle / Amazon Paperback

TITLE: The Fallen Pharaoh

SERIES: Quest, Book #3

AUTHOR: S.W. Lothian

PUBLICATION DATE: June 1, 2013

FORMAT: Paperback

ISBN: 9781484946107

It's time to reunite without the burden of a perilous quest. Let's just sit back, relax and enjoy the moment. The idea is simple enough. What could possibly go wrong?

Tragedy sends a shockwave across the land, and rumours begin to surface and spread. Has the very thing that protects the Pharaoh gone missing? An ancient Egyptian legend foretells that without it, the safety of the Pharaoh is doomed. Khafre calls upon his trusted friends from the future to seek out the fabled Ankh of Life.

It's a quest to discover if the legend is true. If it is, our heroes need to find the ankh and return it to its rightful place. The awesome foursome from the future are in the race of their life - against the passage of time and mysterious forces that want them stopped.

This edge-of-your-seat adventure weaves its thrills and mystery through the very crossroads of time itself. From ancient Egypt, to the centre of time, to modern Paris. The gang of four must face their most amazing encounters so far.

The pressure is on. Who is trying to stop them? Will our heroes overcome the danger and challenges of their newest quest? Only time will tell.

The time has come for the legend to rise and protect.

Buy Link:

Amazon Kindle

Two winners will each win a complete set of all three books in The Quest Series (digital copies)!

To enter the giveaway, you must complete the Rafflecopter entry form below.

The giveaway is open worldwide until June 30, 2013.

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Friday, June 7, 2013

L. Andrew Cooper Virtual Tour: Guest Post and Giveaway

Hi, everyone!

I am pleased to participate in L. Andrew Cooper's Virtual Tour hosted by Tomorrow Comes Media.

About Andrew:

L. Andrew Cooper thinks the smartest people like horror, fantasy, and sci-fi. Early in life, he couldn’t handle the scary stuff–he’d sneak and watch horror films and then keep his parents up all night with his nightmares. In the third grade, he finally convinced his parents to let him read grownup horror novels: he started with Stephen King’s Firestarter, and by grade five, he was doing book reports on The Stand.

When his parents weren’t being kept up late by his nightmares, they worried that his fascination with horror fiction would keep him from experiencing more respectable culture. That all changed when he transitioned from his public high school in the suburbs of Atlanta, Georgia to uber-respectable Harvard University, where he studied English Literature. From there, he went on to get a Ph.D. in English from Princeton, turning his longstanding engagement with horror into a dissertation. The dissertation became the basis for his first book, Gothic Realities (2010). More recently, his obsession with horror movies turned into a book about one of his favorite directors, Dario Argento (2012). He also co-edited the textbook Monsters (2012), an attempt to infect others with the idea that scary things are worth people’s serious attention.
After living in Florida, South Carolina, Georgia, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and California, Andrew now lives in Louisville, Kentucky, where he teaches at the University of Louisville and chairs the board of the Louisville Film Society, the city’s premiere movie-buff institution. Burning the Middle Ground is his debut novel.

CONNECT ONLINE WITH ANDREW:

Website/Blog | Facebook | Twitter

Welcome to Darlene's Book Nook, Andrew!

Andrew has written a guest post, so I will now turn the floor over to him!

What’s Sex Got to Do with It? (where “It” is horror and dark fantasy)
by L. Andrew Cooper

As soon as I finished saying there’s no sex in my novel Burning the Middle Ground, I realized I was a complete liar, but the potential buyer had already moved on anyway. Well, dispensation: I didn’t mean to lie. In that moment I was thinking about how strong a warning to give about the violence, so I really did forget about the scene that, depending on how you look at it, is either just really immoral sex or really, really kinky and immoral sex. But there’s just that one scene. And it’s not like there are man-hammers slamming against the pulsing heat of need or anything. It’s not written to arouse, amuse, or do whatever that sort of prose is supposed to do. That sex scene isn’t a sex scene at all in my mind; rather, it is a scene that develops characters and charts the growing power of an antagonist. It just happens to involve hot banging in a cheap motel room in the middle of the day. Because that was the best way to advance the narrative.

So I’ve written a lot about how horror relates to sexuality (in my non-fiction books, Gothic Realities and Dario Argento), but that’s different from just plain sex, the cheap motel sort of thing I mentioned, people doing it being described by the words on the page. Just plain sex is so much more awkward. As a professor, I can talk about literature and film and “the phallus” all day. But it just feels different when I start writing about someone doing something with/for/to/by/around/on/because/inside…

No one has ever mentioned, by the way, whether that sex scene in Burning the Middle Ground is hot. I don’t really mean it to be, but if it is, hey, cool—you enjoy it; I get credit. But I do have trouble imagining trying to write a hot sex scene in a horror novel. The reservation makes me think of the oft-quoted moment when Peter Straub said of Stephen King, “Stevie hasn’t discovered sex yet.” Good to know an ubersuccess can be more reserved. The genre itself can go pretty far; I’ll sum it up with hoping I’m not the first to tell you that zombie porn means the number of orifices is almost beyond imagining.

I don’t know whether King’s reservation has anything to do with mine. For me, it’s a matter of affect. Horror is about reveling in icky feelings. Sure, I’ve got to give characters and readers alike some variety of emotions, but pages are rare real estate. Let’s say I can devote a page to details of two characters either having dinner or having sex. Which will afford me more opportunities to convey distinctive, important aspects of these people’s lives, particularly those aspects relevant to a horror story? Okay, the beast of the story can be a beast in bed or something, but assuming the sex is consensual, it’s a happy act, so it’s a distraction from the primary affect, horror. Whereas dinner is at least closer to value-neutral than sex. And the vocabulary of affect, of the feelings people can express and that I can narrate, over dinner is broader (even though the affect itself may be narrower). In short, I can say more with dinner than with sex, and what I say can develop more dimensions of the narrative while staying in the narrative’s spirit of horror rather than straying into the spirit of joyous eroticism.

But that may not be how I’m feeling the next time I draft a manuscript, because generally I think sex is good. Sex is good for marketing, fun to read and fun to write, subversive, and when done well, anything but the “copulation of clichés” Nabokov accused pornography of being. In horror as in any genre, a little explicit sex can deepen characterization, develop characters’ relationships, sustain readers’ engagement, and contribute to an emotional pattern that makes contrasting emotions (e.g., attraction and revulsion) more shocking, not to mention more meaningful. As for my stuff, I’ll use whatever and however much sex I need to tell my stories as my stories get told. Burning the Middle Ground just needs the one scene. Well, and a few hints at other sexy things happening. I mean, it all depends on how you define….

Thanks so much for joining us today, Andrew!

About the Book:

Burning the Middle Ground is a dark fantasy about small-town America that transforms readers’ fears about the country’s direction into a haunting tale of religious conspiracy and supernatural mind control. A character-driven sensibility like Stephen King’s and a flair for the bizarre like Bentley Little’s delivers as much appeal for dedicated fans of fantasy and horror as for mainstream readers looking for an exciting ride. Brian McCullough comes home from school and discovers that his ten-year-old sister Fran has murdered their parents. Five years later, a journalist, Ronald Glassner, finds Brian living at the same house in the small town of Kenning, Georgia. Planning a book on the McCullough Tragedy, Ronald stumbles into a struggle between Kenning’s First Church, run by the mysterious Reverend Michael Cox, and the New Church, run by the rebellious Jeanne Harper. At the same time, Kenning’s pets go berserk, and dead bodies, with the eyes and tongues removed from their heads, begin to appear.

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Tour Participants:

May 8 - Read 2 Review - Character Post

May 9 - readings Sunshine - Review

May 10 - Spellbindings - Guest Post

May 11 - Beagle Book Space - Promo/Spotlight

May 12 - SpecMusicMuse - Review

May 14 - Workaday Reads -Guest Post

May 15 - The FlipSide of Julianne - Interview

May 16 - Once Upon a Time - Guest Post

May 17 - Sheila Deeth - Character Post

May 18 - Azure Dwarf - Review

May 19 - MikesFilmTalk - Review

May 20 - Laurie’s Thoughts and Reviews - Interview

May 21 - Beauty in Ruins - Review

May 24 - Book Den - Guest Post

May 25 - Come Selahway With Me - Excerpt

May 28 - The Dan O’Brien Project - Promo/Excerpt

May 31 - Armand Rosamilla, Horror Author - Guest Post

June 1 - Bee’s Knees Reviews- Review

June 3 - Rachel Tsoumbako - Review

June 4 - Fictional Candy - Excerpt

June 5 - I Smell Sheep - Guest Post

June 7 - Darlene’s Book Nook - Guest Post

Wicked Wildfire Read-a-Thon: Starting Line #WWReadathon

The Wicked Wildfire Read-a-Thon has begun!

I have two books that I am currently reading that I hope to finish:

Another Little Piece

by Kate Karyus Quinn

[on my iPad]

Tuesday's Gone

(Frieda Klein, Book #2)
by Nicci French
[on my iPod]

Once I finish those, I hope to start on:

Absent
by Katie Williams

Last Kiss Goodnight
(Otherworld Assassin, Book #1)
by Gena Showalter
[on my iPod]

I hate doing daily updates, so I will just do a wrap-up at the end of the week to show how many pages I read and minutes listened!

Have fun, everyone!

If you want to join me in the read-a-thon, just click on the challenge badge at the beginning of this post to sign up at My Shelf Confessions!

Many thanks to My Shelf Confessions for hosting!

Thursday, June 6, 2013

Cathy Benedetto Virtual Tour: Book Spotlight and Giveaway

Hi, everyone!

I am pleased to participate in Cathy Benedetto's Virtual Tour hosted by Tomorrow Comes Media.

About Cathy:

Ms. Benedetto is a writer, artist and avid reader. Her love of science fiction and fantasy inspired her trilogy about the mystical race of warriors known as Shala. Her favorite authors, Anne McCaffrey, Robert Jordan, and Orson Scott Card, have spun stories that shifted Cathy’s imagination into high gear.

The former Vice Principal and education consultant, Cathy was also a five time softball All-American, and AAU basketball All-American. She was a member of the U.S. Women’s basketball team that played in the World University Games in Czechoslovakia and the Pan American Games in Canada. While coaching, she was published in the Women in Sports magazine and wrote a column for the Bellevue Journal American.

Originally from the Pacific Northwest, Cathy moved to Lexington, Kentucky in 2003. The former coach enjoys supporting the Kentucky Wildcats women’s basketball team, woodturning, lapidary arts, and loves fishing on her pontoon boat. A special joy is playing with David, Charlotte, Kendall, Lily, and Liz.

About the Books:

Like the Navi on Pandora, the exotic warrior race called Shala dominates the continent of Sandala. Over seven feet tall and as strong as three men, the dark-skinned Shala share a life-long bond with wild felines. The fierce fighters are blessed with telepathic powers, and have eyes that radiate a kaleidoscope of colors.

The Shala live apart from the humans of Sandala, dwelling inside the crater of an extinct volcano. But when invaders appear, they must obey the prophecy and rise to defend the land. It will take all the cunning and guile of their young leader, Tahjeen Tier, to contend with assassination and betrayal, and a massive army poised to attack.

Vigilance reader! There are more battles, more strategies, more Shala and Fels and most of all more mysteries! Many questions about the Shala from The Eyes of Sandala have been answered and many new ones arise. The most pressing question being who are the Dark Shala and what is their place in the war? But the mysteries do not end there, as new characters bring new questions and new prophecies as well. The back and forth battles cause each side to make adjustments in strategy which lead to more suspense and a strong desire to find how the future will unfold.

In the exciting conclusion to the Shala Trilogy, Latiga is under siege, travel mirrors are lost, lovers have been torn apart by the ravages of war, and the King of the Fels is dying. These are the challenges that Tahjeen Tier, leader of the Shala, contends with as he confronts the King of the Fels to find out why he must sacrifice his own people to save the Sandalese. Is there something special about these particular humans? While Tahjeen demands answers, the Surmese invaders are poised to launch their own final two battles — one in the heartland’s frontier, home of the fels, and the other at Latiga, the capital of Palaton. As humans and Shala gather for the final battle, Tahjeen learns the truth about his unborn son.

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Tour Participants:

May 13 - Writings, Musings, and Other Such Nonsense - Guest Post

May 14 - Sheila Deeth - Interview

May 15 -Read 2 Review - Guest Post

May 17 - Breath of Life - Review

May 19 - Sapphyria’s Book Reviews - Promo/Spotlight

May 20 - Spellbindings - Character Interview

May 21 – SpecMusicMuse - Review

May 22 - Beagle Book Space - Promo/Spotlight

May 23 - Pandragon Dan - Review

May 26 - Azure Dwarf - Review

May 27 –JeanzBookReadNReview - Interview

May 29 - Crossroads Reviews - Review

May 31 - Angela Meadon - Interview

June 1 - The FlipSide of Julianne - Guest Post

June 4 - The Dan O’Brien Project - Promo-Excerpt

June 6 - Darlene’s Book Nook - Guest Post

June 8 - Mom Cat’s Book Blog - Character Post

June 11 - Kayla’s Reads and Reviews - Guest Post

June 12 - Recent Reads - Review

Wednesday, June 5, 2013

Marlene Mitchell & Gary Yeagle Virtual Tour: Character Interview and Giveaway

Hi, everyone!

I am pleased to participate in Marlene Mitchell & Gary Yeagle's Virtual Tour hosted by Tomorrow Comes Media.

About Marlene:

Originally from St. Louis, Marlene makes her home in Kentucky now. A mother and grandmother, Marlene has a wide range of interests including watercolor and oil painting, yet writing has always been her passion. That comes through loud and clear in her wonderful novels!

These novels reflect a genuine sincerity with very strong characters to which her readers can relate. To quote Marlene: “It took me a long time to start writing, but now I can’t stop. The stories just keep on coming.”

About Gary:

Gary Yeagle was born and raised in Williamsport, Pa., the birthplace of Little League Baseball. He grew up living just down the street from the site of the very first Little League game, played in 1939.

He currently resides in Louisville, Kentucky, with his wife and four cats. He is the proud grandparent of three and is an active member of the Jeffersontown United Methodist Church. Gary is a Civil War buff, and enjoys swimming, spending time at the beach, model railroading, reading, and writing.

Welcome to Darlene's Book Nook, Marlene & Gary!

Marlene & Gary have written a guest post, so I will now turn the floor over to them!

Interview conducted between Bradley Miles, reporter for the Mountain Press and J.J. Pickler, owner of J.J.’s Junk Emporium.

Bradley Miles: “Mr. Pickler. It is our understanding that you have just recently turned yourself into the Sevierville Police after leaving town mysteriously following a brutal murder at the Junk Emporium, which you are the owner of.”

J.J. Pickler: “That’s correct. I’ve been gone for nearly two weeks.”

Miles: “You realize that during your unannounced absence, that you were considered a person of interest in the murder of Butch Miller.”

Pickler: “Yes, but after being questioned by the police I have been exonerated as a possible suspect. I can assure you, I’m not the Smoky Mountain Killer.”

Miles: “Let’s go back to that horrible morning if you will, when you discovered the mangled body of the victim. What can you tell us about the moment when you realized what had happened?”

Pickler: “I can’t actually tell you what happened. I can only tell you the way I felt at that moment when I stumbled across the body. It’s rather hard to explain Miller’s condition when I first saw it. It really didn’t even resemble a body. I guess the best way to explain what I saw was that it looked like a pile of raw meat.”

Miles: “We understand from the police report that the horrific condition of the body was from the attack of your three guard dogs.”

Pickler: “That is also correct. I have a lot of valuable auto parts in a large fenced in area of my business. The property is posted against trespassing and warning signs are posted as well letting intruders know that there are vicious dogs loose at night inside the fence.”

Miles: “Then the dogs did kill Miller?”

Pickler: “Yes, that’s true. The police, however have established from clues found at the scene, that Miller was bound and gagged and then placed inside the fencing. Now, whether he was conscious when the dogs pounced on him, they are not sure.”

Miles: “According to the police report, Miller’s fingers were amputated with some sort of a tool, just like the two previous murders we’ve had over in Blount County earlier this year. Do you think Miller’s death was the work of the Smoky Mountain Killer?”

Pickler: “Yes, I do.”

Miles: “Did you know either one of the first two victims?”

Pickler: “No, I didn’t know either one of them. Well, let me rephrase that. I did see from time to time the name of Mildred Henks, the second victim, on a number of real estate signs. I guess she was a real estate agent here in the area.”

Miles: “If you as you say, had nothing to do with the Miller’s murder, then why did you run off and disappear for two weeks?”

Pickler: “I was scared out of my wits! That’s why. Then police haven’t released all of the clues that were discovered at the crime scene. There was a note duct taped to the fence. The note said: Pickler. You’re next! I wasn’t about to hang around and become the next victim.”

Miles: “Now that the police have eliminated you as a suspect how has your life changed?”

Pickler: “I’m still scared. I have no idea why I’m be tagged as the killer’s next victim. That being said. I have a license to carry my 45 caliber revolver with him which I will continue to do until the killer is caught. Until the incident at my junkyard, Blount County seemed to be the area where the killer was operating. But now, these brutal murders have come over here to Sevier County. No one is safe, until this maniac is captured.”

Thanks so much for joining us today, Marlene & Gary!

About the Books:

In the fall of 1969 in the mountains of eastern Tennessee, a poor backwoods farmer and his wife were brutally shot and killed by four drunken hunters, along with their three dogs, horse and two fawns. The farmer’s two young sons managed to escape but were unable to identify the killers. Now decades later, the murders of the Pender family remain unsolved. In Townsend, Tennessee, in Blount County, someone has decided to take revenge.

It’s springtime in the Smokies and despite the four murders of the previous year, tourists from every corner of the country have made the journey to Townsend, Tennessee. The hiking trails are packed, the restaurants are jammed, and the campsites are full. Vacation season is in full swing in the peaceful side of the Smokies.

But then… there is another murder.

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Tour Participants:

May 15 - Bookishly Me - Promo/Spotlight

May 16 - Full Moon Bites - Interview

May 17 - Read 2 Review - Excerpt

May 18 - Pick of the Literate - Review

May 19 - Beagle Book Space - Promo/Spotlight

May 20 - Sheila Deeth - Guest Post

May 22 - A Daydreamer’s Thoughts - Interview

May 25 - The FlipSide of Julianne - Excerpt

May 26 - CelticLady’s Review - Promo/Spotlight/Excerpt

June 1 - Mochas, Mysteries, and More - Guest Post

June 3 - Crossroads Reviews - Review

June 4 - Shelley’s Book Case - Review

June 5 - Darlene’s Book Nook - Character Interview

June 6 - Breath of Life - Review

June 6 - Babs Book Bistro - Promo/Spotlight/Excerpt

June 8 – JeanzBookReadNReview - Interview

June 10 - Bee’s Knees Reviews - Review

June 11 - Mary’s Cup of Tea - Review

June 12 - The Dan O’Brien Project - Excerpt-Promo

June 13 - Mom Cat’s Book Blog - Character Post

June 14 - Fictional Candy - Review

Tuesday, June 4, 2013

Taking Back Forever Book Blitz: Book Excerpt and Giveaway with Karen Amanda Hooper

Hi, everyone!

I am pleased to participate in the Book Blitz hosted by Xpresso Book Tours for Karen Amanda Hooper's Taking Back Forever.

About Karen:

Karen was born and bred in Baltimore, frolicked and froze in Colorado for a couple of years and is currently sunning and splashing around Florida with her two beloved dogs. She's addicted to coffee, chocolate and complicated happily-ever-afters.

Karen has been making up stories for as long as she can remember. In high school she discovered her passion for putting her thoughts onto paper, but it wasn't until her late twenties that she wrote her first novel. Due to her strong Disney upbringing, she still believes in fairytales and will forever sprinkle magic throughout all of her novels.

CONNECT ONLINE WITH KAREN:

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

There are two giveaways! You can enter either one, or both!

One lucky winner will win an E-book Bundle of Books #1 and #2 in the Kindrily series, Grasping at Eternity and Taking Back Forever!

There is also a tour-wide giveaway for a Kindrily Prize Pack including signed paperbacks of Grasping at Eternity and Taking Back Forever with other Kindrily-themed gifts!

TITLE: Taking Back Forever

SERIES: Kindrily, Book #2
AUTHOR: Lauren Blakely

PUBLISHER: Starry Sky Publishing
PUBLICATION DATE: May 31, 2013

FORMAT: E-book, 372 pages

GENRE: Young Adult

Forever is worth the fight.

Maryah erased all memory of her past lives, but she couldn’t erase her soul mate Nathan, or his undying love. Now, Maryah and Nathan have a second chance at a future together, but first Maryah must remember the person she used to be and embrace her supernatural gifts—more than one kindrily member’s life depends on it.

Maryah’s power is Harmony’s best hope of finding her kidnapped soul mate, Gregory. But Harmony isn’t big on asking anyone for help, and she’s tired of waiting, so she’s taking matters into her own hands. Heaven help anyone who stands in her way.

Buy Link:

Amazon

Book Excerpt:

“Every lifetime,” he continued, “each body has been different. It’s always a challenge to relearn you, but I enjoy each and every drawn out moment of it, and in the past, you did too.” He kissed the crook of my arm and my breath caught. I didn’t even know people kissed each other there, but it should be on way more top ten lists.

As enchanting as Nathan’s words were, it was still hard for me to comprehend that I had lived in other bodies. He set my arm down and I forced my eyes to open. “What was your favorite version of me?”

“What do you mean?”

I spun my ring around my thumb, avoiding eye contact with him. For some reason it was easier to talk about it if I wasn’t looking at him. “I’m sure I was prettier and sexier in my other lives. Is there a past version of me that was your favorite?”

Nathan put the book on the nightstand and adjusted so he was sitting directly facing me. “Let me explain this again. It’s your soul I’m in love with. The package it comes in makes no difference to me. Your inner beauty and the energy of your being are what attract me to you.” He touched my cheek then his fingertips drifted down my neck and shoulders. “But to answer your question, this is my favorite version of you.”

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