Sunday, March 31, 2019
Saturday, March 30, 2019
What It’s Like to Adopt a Dog, As Told Through a 14-Part Comic
Moscow-based comic artist Bird Born explains why adopting a dog
changed his life.
changed his life.
(Click for larger pictures.)
Friday, March 29, 2019
Please Welcome Tobie Easton as She Tells Us About Her Fantasy Romance, Immerse, Mer Chronicles, Book 3
Mer Chronicles, Book 3
by Tobie Easton
Genre: Fantasy
Publisher: Month9Books
Date of Publication: March 19th
ISBN: 978-1-948671-23-1
ASIN: 1948671239
Number of pages: 396
Cover Artist: Beetiful Book Covers
Book Description:
Immerse is the spellbinding and breathless final installment of the Mer Chronicles series where descendants of the Little Mermaid must face deadly magic, shifting alliances, and the dangers of forbidden love.
Lia can’t wait for her parents’ coronation. Now living in the sparkling palace beneath the waves, she sneaks off to Malibu whenever possible to see Clay. Tucked away in an abandoned seaside mansion, Lia and Clay devise a plan to ensure they can stay together forever.
But when an old enemy resurfaces and Lia is restricted to the palace for the safety of all Merkind, she and Clay are ripped apart once more.
She fears not only for Clay, but for her best friend Caspian, who seems to be swimming down a dangerous path. He has invited the conniving Melusine to the coronation ball, convinced she’s capable of change. And no matter how hard Lia fights it, showing up on Caspian’s arm is just the start of Melusine’s insidious return to her life.
With threats Below growing more ominous by the day and a powerful ancient ritual looming, soon the two girls can’t escape each other. As their fates grow increasingly intertwined, Melusine might be the only one who can help Lia find the answers she desperately needs to save everyone she loves and to achieve her happily ever after. But can Lia trust her?
Excerpt:
I wish Clay were
here to see this. The thought flits through my mind again and again. When my
family and I swim through the sparkling entrance of the palace, I wish I could
grab his hand. As we’re greeted by hundreds of nobles swishing their tails in
applause, I imagine the excited words he’d whisper in my ear. And as we start
down the center aisle toward the thrones at the other end of the cavernous
chamber, I yearn to show him how beautifully this room has been restored since
he and I were last here.
Approaching the
thrones, we process over an exquisite mosaic made up of abalone, mother of
pearl, and troca shell pieces. It takes everything in me to keep my face
neutral, to keep my head lifted and my sunbeam crown upright. This is the spot
where, not so long ago, Clay risked his life to save mine. I glance around me
at the splendor and the celebration. Clay’s sacrifice made today possible, and
he’s not even here to see it.
What is it about this book that makes it special?
My series, the
Mer Chronicles, offers a peek into a world where Mermaids aren’t just real but
live secretly among us on land.
The first
book in the series, Emerge takes
place 200 years after Hans Christian Andersen’s The Little Mermaid. It adds on to the end of his story—by
explaining that the Little Mermaid unleashed a curse on all Merkind. That curse has led many modern-day Mermaids
to live on land in Malibu, California, keeping their true identities
secret. Lia, a descendant of the Little
Mermaid, lives in this secret Community.
Lia’s story and is filled with magic, danger, and romance that I hope readers
will really enjoy.
When I’m writing, I start the
world-building by asking a series of questions and using logic to flesh out the
world. The question that sparked this entire
series for me was “What if Mermaids lived on land?” That led to, “Where would they live?” Well,
in beach houses with secret, underground grottos and sea caves where they could
use their tails. “How would they keep
their secret?”, “How would they get legs?”, “What would the rules of their
Community be?”, “What would human school be like for them?”, “What language
would they speak and what expressions would they use?”, “What would their
culture be like, from its history, to its food, to its thoughts on marriage and
love?” Moving through those kinds of questions one by one helped me figure out
what a Mer society in the human world would be like. And the answers to those questions are what
readers can learn from the Mer Chronicles series.
In the third
book specifically, I wanted to go even deeper and explore facets of the Mer
world that readers hadn’t seen yet in the earlier books. One way to do that, aside from spending even
more time under the waves than we had in the previous books, was to add a
second perspective to Immerse. Melusine, the villain from Emerge, was raised in the ocean instead
of in the land-dwelling Mer community in Malibu like Lia was, so adding her as
a point of view character meant that the third book in the trilogy could give
readers an even deeper understanding of Mer life and culture. And the interplay
between the two perspectives means readers get more insight into both
characters and the moral gray area that often surrounds their decisions,
especially when ancient magic is involved.
The Mer Chronicles allows readers to time
amongst the Merfolk.
About the Author:
Tobie Easton was born and raised in Los Angeles, California, where she’s grown from a little girl who dreamed about magic to a twenty-something who writes about it. A summa cum laude graduate of the University of Southern California, Tobie hosts book clubs for tweens and teens (so she’s lucky enough to spend her days gabbing about books). She and her very kissable husband enjoy traveling the globe and fostering packs of rescue puppies.
Thursday, March 28, 2019
Wednesday, March 27, 2019
Tuesday, March 26, 2019
Monday, March 25, 2019
Please Welcome Kellie M Davies as She Tells Us About Her Paranormal Romance, Mabon, The Clandestine Chronicles, Book One
Mabon
The Clandestine Chronicles
Book One
by Kellie M Davies
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Publisher: Aurora House Publishing
Date of Publication: September 2018
ISBN: 978-0-6481851-7-8
ASIN: B07HF18BY5
Number of pages: 227
Cover Artist: Simon Critchell
Tagline: Let the Magick in.
Book Description:
Magick or Love.
If both ran deep in your blood, which would you choose?
On her sixteenth birthday, introvert Lucy DeBane can’t shake the memory of her father’s death, or the possibility that by day’s end a life altering ancestral truth will blow apart the world she knows. Lucy is sure of one thing, her feelings for Gil ... tall, dark and hot ... her first real love.
So when she hears the chiming of ancient bells and her family’s secret is revealed, Lucy must make a decision ... become a DeBane witch, or walk away from family for love.
Is there a way she can have both?
‘Davies weaves together a complex tale of magic and romance in this sweeping adventure.’ ~ Fiona Horne
Teaser
Excerpt:
All three
witches took their places. Dana stood in the north quarter in front of the
alter stretching her hands out for the twins to take in theirs. She pressed on
their hands and they all smiled at each other. Abi winked in my direction and
my pulse quickened.
The ritual, my
initiation ritual, was about to begin.
What is it about this book that makes it
special?
Mabon book one of The Clandestine
Chronicles is as much about first love as it is about dark ancestral
mysteries and the magickal world of Witchcraft. It offers a fresh twist on the
YA paranormal romance genre with standings firmly in magical realism. Mabon provides the reader with the
protagonist’s dilemma in a relatable manner that hooks them from the first page
with complex and 3-dimensional characters, all whom are effected by Lucy’s
final decision.
Personally, I love the discussions that
surround my book, the analysis my readers put forward. They really are an
intelligent bunch – highlighting certain points and situations that have arisen
because of the character interaction. I’m always in awe of their reviews (good
and bad) and they have so many differing opinions. One reviewer was fascinated
by the mountain lion attack, another the Witchcraft initiation ritual but all
have loved the characters, one even saying with such a distinctive voice Lucy
(the protagonist) is an easy character to cheer on in every aspect.
As the author, I feel a little biased when
responding to questions like this, so I tend to let reader reviews speak for my
book – you can find them on Goodreads, Amazon and Netgalley.
A fully developed story grabs me and Mabon is book one of a four book series
with Yule to follow. It’s just the beginning of Lucy’s fantastical story … Come
on along for the ride!
Mabon is available through Amazon … grab a
copy, have a read then drop me a ‘g’day’ (course I’m Australian) by visiting my
website www.kelliemdavies.com
and join my Reading Coven for book excerpts, bonus material and giveaways. I’m
also on the usual social media culprits but favor Instagram where I post about
everything … not just my writing life.
Thanks so much for having me.
Hope you enjoy the read …
…
and let the magick in!
About the Author:
Kellie M Davies was born and lives in Sydney, Australia with her husband and two children. After University and a long period away from writing, she began to dabble with words again. Stories flowed and from the mess of manuscripts that cluttered her computer files, Lucy’s story rose.
Sunday, March 24, 2019
Six on Sunday - HIS BATTLE LORD'S CURSE, The Battle Lord Saga, Book 8
Six paragraphs from HIS BATTLE LORD'S CURSE, The Battle Lord Saga, Book 8.
1. Instead of answering, he bent his head toward her again, but instead of kissing her, he nuzzled her cheek. His body stiffened for a second. The next instant, his mouth took full possession of hers. Overwhelmed by his sudden passion, she melted against him, her head whirling from the power of his kiss. When they finally broke apart, both of them were gasping for breath.
2. The hairs went up on the back of Yulen’s neck. “Julepto’s right. No one travels between compounds without a weapon. Not even Mutah. They always have a hunter or two with them for protection, and to bring down prey along the way to eat, so they can stretch their stores a bit farther. And hunters never put their weapons out of sight.” He had Atty to thank for that last bit of wisdom. Even when she wasn’t using her bow or knife, they were always within easy reach, just in case.
3. Seeing the effect his declaration had on the two Mutah, Flay nodded, his smile widening. “If you lay a hand on me, I will place a curse upon your heads. Harm me, and I will bring illness to everyone you hold dear.” Staring directly at Yulen, he finished with one more prediction. “Deny me what I demand, and I will bring death to your door.”
4. Atty grabbed her reins with one hand and urged her mare to follow, when something slammed into both her and the horse. She went flying across the clearing, hitting the ground on her side before rolling to a stop. She barely had the chance to get to her feet as a monstrous, larger third bear came charging toward her from the opposite side of the clearing. The horse bolted in stark fear, barely missing being struck again by those massive paws.
5. “Before we go any further, I’m letting you know the man who calls himself Flay is currently here in the compound.” Their reaction was immediate as their fear took hold of them. A couple got up, as if to flee the room, but they were detained by others who grabbed them by the arm or jacket. Holding up his hands, Yulen quickly added, “You have no reason to worry. He’s in custody where he can’t escape. Not him or any of his men.”
6. The battle lord gathered up the map, folding it before stuffing it back into the saddlebag. “That makes more sense to me. The foretelling part. And if that’s the case, we need to find that son of a bitch and make him tell us what else he’s foreseen. And after he does, we kill him. No mercy, no quarter. If he foresaw all those innocent deaths and did nothing to warn us, but instead chose to take credit for them, then he deserves the same fate.”
Excerpt and Buy Links
Saturday, March 23, 2019
Friday, March 22, 2019
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)