The Shadow Of Hope

Release Blitz

Title: The Shadow of Hope

 Selene's Pass Trilogy Book 2

Author: Courtney Shockey

Release Date: April 16th

BLURB:

The lone survivor of her family, Kayla Night yearns for companionship and a sense of belonging. She roams from town to town, looking to fill the void. When she unexpectedly finds the perfect place in Selene's Pass, she settles into a comfortable routine.

That is, until Adam Sharp knocks her off her feet. Literally.

This captivating man helps Kayla open her eyes to a new way of life. Slowly, happiness and hope flourish within her once more.

Little did Kayla know that she had already caught the eye of another man who wanted her all to himself. A man with more than pure intentions.

As strange events unfold, their paths will cross in unlikely ways. Fate will twist everything around, leaving them exposed and hopeless. But hope was never meant to be in this story. Just its shadow.

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PREORDER LINKS:

Amazon

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AUTHOR BIO:

Courtney Shockey was born and raised on the outskirts of Houston, Texas. Though she, her husband, and two kids moved many times, they always end up back in their home town. When she's not working or on call, Courtney enjoys spending time with her family, watching movies, or experiencing something new. She enjoys writing stories that capture the reader, and make them walk beside the characters of her worlds. Her debut novella released Halloween 2015 as a Paranormal Horror, and she has a few others planned to release 2016. Keep up with her on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter!

WEBSITE:

https://courtneytheauthor.wix.com/ShockeyWrites

SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS:

Facebook @Courtneytheauthor

Twitter @ShockeyWrites

Instagram @courtneytheauthor

Goodreads @ShockeyWrites

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Spring Clean Reads Countdown Day 12

"Aislin is cursed. A regular college student at night and a swan during the day, Aislin can only break the curse by finding her true love. But when her beloved discovers the truth, will his fear override their love? This modern adaptation of Swan Lake will help you discover what love really means."

~ AMAZON ~

Kaki Olsen is always on the brink of another adventure. If she couldn't be a writer, she'd be a full-time musician or travel guide and she would take her lunch breaks at Fenway Park. Until that happens, she speaks both Spanish and English at her every-day office job, but she has vacationed enthusiastically in such places as Istanbul and Ireland. She has lived in five states, but will always refer to Boston as home.

She regularly contributes academic papers on zombies or wizards to Life, the Universe and Everything, a sci-fi/fantasy symposium originated at her alma mater, Brigham Young University. Her published works have appeared in such magazines as Voices and AuthorsPublish.

She is a doting aunt and librarian of two bulging bookshelves.

Q & A with the Author:

5.      When did you start writing, and was there a specific event or person who influenced you to become an author?  I started writing when I was 7 and still have the crappy little fairy tale that I wrote then--The Princess Who Never Smiled.  In 9th grade, I had a teacher who was so frustrated by my work that she told me I was never going to be intelligent enough to understand literature.  The next paper I wrote was on Elie Wiesel's Night.  I read that book in the corner of a train station in Boston and cried for the last half of it.  When I got my paper back, that same teacher had given me an A.  I never got anything else in the rest of my classes with her and she left for a new job the same year that I transferred schools.  When it came for me to apply to schools, she told Brigham Young University that I was the most talented writer she'd taught and that if they didn't want me, she would convince me to apply to Harvard where she taught.  They let me in.

6.      Are you currently working on a project, and if so, can you tell us anything about it?   I'm currently working on a million.  I have 55 plots running around in my head and am usually actively researching or developing at least 5.  The novels I'm writing are The Matchmaker's Apprentice (The third son of a royal family finds himself suddenly heir to the throne and has to find a bride with the help of local matchmakers) and Scions and Saints (A girl is orphaned at eight and grows up determined to join the war against her parents' murderers; meanwhile, her mother is the unwilling leader of the revolution that her husband started ten years ago before he faked their deaths).  I'm writing a novella called Check-in about a possessed phone whose ghost tries to save a kidnapped girl's life.  I have two short stories--Just One Chance (A dragon-smuggling android discovers that she miscalculated the flight time to the destination when her cargo starts to hatch) and Birdsong From A Forgotten World (A 15-year-old French girl joins her family on a ship heading to a new colony world as the only violinist going into space).  I'm also editing The Deserter, which is best described as what would happen if Harry Potter disappeared, the Death Eaters and the Order of the Phoenix were tracking him down and the last person to see him alive was Hermione, who has forgotten that he ever existed.  Like I said, I have a million things to wrap up.

Connect with the Author:

~ TWITTER ~ FACEBOOK ~

Excerpt #2

I think it's inevitable that every high school student read Kafka's The Metamorphosis.  Gregor Samsa, a traveling salesman, wakes up one day as a giant cockroach.  He tries to normal life, even when everything's changed.  He can't work or go out.  He can't find joy in things that used to make him happy.  He overhears conversations about what a burden he is to the rest of the family.  Eventually, he allows himself to die to put an end to that.

In all of Aislin's years of homeschooling, I only asked to change the curriculum once.  When Mom mentally replaced Gregor with Aislin, she removed it from the planned reading list without further argument  

It may be just a story, but I've seen some of the guilt Aislin feels for the circumstances she didn't ask for.  If anyone in this world knew what it was to wake up one day with a different life, it would be her.

Aislin has always said that I try to compensate for her lack of a life with my own activities.  She scoffs at my attempts to keep her life normal, but I would rather risk her scorn than let her believe that she has nothing to contribute to our lives.

As far as I know, Aislin has never read that novella, but I'm sure that she knows the story too well.

Check out all the great blogs that are a part of this event by following along on the Facebook page.

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Secret Father w/Review

Title: Secret Father

Author: Suz deMello

Publication Date: Feb. 15, 2016

Genre: Sweet Romance

 Secret Father: A Sweet Romance by renowned storyteller Suz deMello. When Linda Travers was fourteen, Dave Madsen, then age seventeen, rescued her from a snowy death. They later met at an end-of-term party at their college and lost their virginities to each other before Dave left the country.

And now...Despite spending her teenage years mooning over Dave, Linda Travers has moved on with her life. Being left pregnant and alone will force that on a gal. Age twenty-five, she lives in their hometown with their six-year-old, Mac. Then Dr. Dave Madsen reappears. He's spent the last years exploring in the Amazon, searching for new plants and medications. A vicious snakebite has left him needing rehab from the only physical therapist around—Linda.

Their college lovemaking was the first time for both, so Linda and Dave remember each other. She’s amazed to feel the same old anger, hurt, and need. Less emotional, Dave’s curious about Linda, wondering why she didn't leave her address and phone number for him when what they’d shared had been so good. Neither totally believes the explanations the other offers.

Since the rescue, Dave was always Linda’s hero, but she doesn’t know him anymore. Is he worthy of fathering their son? And what of their love? Can they create a future…together as a family?

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1SOFlqP

4/5 *

What a sweet romantic read! I enjoyed the ending I must admit.

OK so Dave Madsen suddenly, and literally overnight comes face to face with the woman he never stopped thinking about, left wondering why she didnt leave her address. AND his 6 year old son Mac. One injury leaves him on a maybe permanent leave form the life he loves. But opens up a whole new list of options. Mac will slowly become every thing he never knew he needed.

Linda couldnt believe her eyes! Was it really him? Theres no way she could possibly mistake those eyes. She had been staring at the mini version for years now. How to tell him?

I had a little issue with Linda's state of mind. She was so beyond back and forth. She was angry with Dave (even if it was only surface), when she had herself to blame. She spent so much time blaming him for things, losing her job, gossip around town, etc. When in truth it was her own fault. On one hand as we all know small towns talk. How no one ever put 2 and 2 together in those 6 years is beyond me. Then she gets put on leave from work (still confused about this) and she goes home and packs?! Why not fight, or commute, or something. Shes worried about her sons life being disrupted by "daddy" coming home, yet shes gonna uproot his whole life? There were just little things like this that were a bug to me. 

On the other hand, I LOVED the hero's take on biology and such. I also enjoyed that the author was able to make Linda and Mac appreciative of nature without needing to make them biologists or such. Dave is a naturalist, so it was nice to not feel Linda and Mac as forced into appreciating nature. I didnt quite feel the heroine as much as I would have liked, but the other characters were really easy to love, and feel aligned with.

Best-selling, award-winning author Suz deMello, a.k.a Sue Swift, has written seventeen romance novels in several subgenres, including erotica, comedy, historical, paranormal, mystery and suspense, plus a number of short stories and non-fiction articles on writing. A freelance editor, she’s held the positions of managing editor and senior editor, working for such firms as Totally Bound and Ai Press. She also takes private clients. Her books have been favorably reviewed in Publishers Weekly, Kirkus and Booklist, won a contest or two, attained the finals of the RITA and hit several bestseller lists. A former trial attorney, her passion is world travel. She’s left the US over a dozen times, including lengthy stints working overseas. She’s now writing a vampire tale and planning her next trip.

--Find her books at http://www.suzdemello.com

--For editing services, email her at suzdemello@gmail.com

--Befriend her on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/SuzDeMello

 --She tweets @Suzdemello

--Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/suzdemello/

--Goodreads: http://bit.ly/SuzATGoodreads

--Her current blog is http://www.TheVelvetLair.comhttp://www.TheVelvetLair.com

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http://wtmowordsturnmeon.blogspot.com/

Tarragon: Key Keeper w/review

For hundreds of years, the gates of Tarragon have been sealed from the outside. Prophecy speaks of the day the last Key Keeper will return and wake the dragons from their spell-cast slumber, returning them to their rightful home.

Seeking to fulfill her father's dying wish, Anwen Porter travels to the Drakonii Mountains where she meets Tyler, a mysterious local with a secret. With his help, she learns more about her clouded past and her own abilities. But when Courtney, a lovesick mage, tries to insert herself into their plans, things begin to go horribly wrong. 

With death threatening at every turn, Anwen must learn to rely on her newfound friends to survive. But how can she unravel the mystery of her heritage when everything is trying to kill her?

~ Amazon ~ Smashwords ~
~ B & N ~ Amazon UK ~ 

~ Amazon Canada ~ Amazon Australia ~

Karlie Lucas is a preschool teacher by day and a writer/artist by night.

A graduate of Southern Utah University, Karlie received a B.A. in Creative Writing, with a minor in art. She is a member of Sigma Tau Delta, The International English Honor Society, as well as ANWA, the American Night Writers Association.

Karlie is interested in all things magical and mysterious, especially elves and dragons. She is an avid fan of J.R.R. Tolkien and J.K. Rowling.

When not writing, Karlie can often be found drawing, baking, watching her favorite old school shows, or just spending time with her family.

She currently resides in Dallas, Texas with her husband and a cat named Kally

Connect with the Author here: 

~ Facebook ~ Website ~ Amazon ~ Goodreads ~

Written by our own Karen McKown

4/5 * I would have given this book 5 stars except it seemed to stop in the middle of the story. There is an end-of-season type cliffhanger instead of a first-book-in-a-series type ending. Besides that little problem it is a delightful, exciting read. We follow Anwen as she travels to the village that her many times great-grandfather was banished from. Her father's last wish before he died was that she would receive his pendant necklace and wedding ring on her 16th birthday and return to their family's homeland. On the last leg of her journey she meets a young man named Tyler. She slips and tells him her real name. He makes himself available to show her the sights around the village. As they travel to the ruins of the old city, their traveling companions are not all benign. One of the village girls is very interested in Tyler and doesn't mind if Anwen is jeopardized along the way. Anwen has no idea who she can trust or even what is really going on. Is Tyler a friend or does he have his own agenda as it seems? Why must she hide her identity? And why is it that everything seems to trigger her phobias and fears? As Anwen comes closer to discovering her family's legacy, she must also discover her own strengths and weaknesses. The dragons are awakening and Anwen must be ready soon.

To view our blog schedule and follow along with this tour visit our Official Event page 

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Rustic Moment

Title: Rustic Moment

Series: Rustic #3

Author: Nic Starr

Genre: M/M Romance

Release Date: April 15, 2016

Betrayal, heartbreak, and financial ruin are only the beginning. The last few months have been tough on Grant Parnell. He discovered his boyfriend was having an affair and it’s taken its toll, both emotionally and financially. With his business facing ruin, Grant could lose everything.
Dave Monroe is excited to start a new phase of his life. He’s following his dream and pursuing an exciting career opportunity. When Grant visits his friends in the country and finds out Dave might be moving to Melbourne, he offers him a place to stay. For Dave, life’s looking good.
Dave had only met Grant a couple of times before moving in with him, but the simmering sexual attraction is undeniable. As he settles into Grant’s home, deeper feelings develop. It’s hard not to fall for Grant’s gorgeous exterior, but it’s the strong man underneath who captures Dave’s heart.
Grant always craved success. His business and his home are testament to just how far he’s come, proving his family wrong and making something of himself—or he had. Now everything is falling apart. As Grant’s world spirals out of control, Dave is the one sure thing in his life.
But if they are to have any chance at happiness, Dave will need to teach Grant what’s really important.

 

“I said no.”

Grant’s voice was loud enough to travel down the hall. Dave immediately tensed at the tone. He couldn’t tell if Grant was angry or just being firm, but his words were clear. “This is the last time I want to have this conversation. You aren’t welcome here anymore.”

“I just want to know what you said to Douglas.” The answering voice was menacing, and Dave’s hackles rose.

Who on earth is that?

Dave placed the milk bottle on the benchtop and edged closer to the doorway. Grant could no doubt take care of himself, but Dave wanted to be close at hand. Just in case.

In case of what?

It didn’t matter what, it only mattered that Dave make sure Grant was okay, and the stranger’s voice didn’t sound anywhere near okay.

“What are you talking about? I haven’t spoken to Doug in weeks. In fact, if you know how to contact him, maybe you can tell him to call, and that I need to speak to him and sort out some crap.”

“I know you’ve said something. He told me you were trying to shaft him and get rid of him from the business. Then he went overseas, and now he’s come back and doesn’t want to see me.”

“So he’s back, then?”

“Don’t pretend you don’t already know.”

“I’m not pretending anything. How many times do I have to tell you I haven’t seen or spoken to Doug? We haven’t exchanged so much as an email. Okay, well, maybe that’s not quite true. I’ve sent him emails and letters, but he hasn’t replied. If he doesn’t want to see you, John, that’s between you and him. It has nothing to do with me. I’ve told you before—you’re welcome to each other.”

“Don’t you dare—”

“Get your hands off me.”

Dave didn’t wait to hear any more. Before he was even conscious of moving, he was striding down the hallway, and was bloody glad he’d done it. Grant was shoved up against the wall. A guy—John, the ex-boyfriend?—gripped him by the upper arms and yelled in his face.

“Hold it right there. Get your fucking hands off him,” Dave growled.

Shocked eyes met his as John looked his way and instinctively dropped his hands. “I… ah….”

“Step away. Now.”

John hesitated for a moment, looking between Grant and Dave.

Dave didn’t take his eyes off John, watching the man’s every move. “I said now.”

Nic Starr lives in Australia where she tries to squeeze as much into her busy life as possible. Balancing the demands of a corporate career with raising a family and writing can be challenging but she wouldn't give it up for the world.

Always a reader, the lure of m/m romance was strong and she devoured hundreds of wonderful m/m romance books before eventually realising she had some stories of her own that needed to be told!

When not writing or reading, she loves to spend time with her family-an understanding husband and two beautiful daughters, and is often found indulging in her love of cooking and planning her dream home in the country.

You can find Nic on Facebook, Twitter and her blog. She'd love it if you stopped by to say hi.

 

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