Showing posts with label fantasy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fantasy. Show all posts
Thursday, 23 November 2017
Tuesday, 24 October 2017
Sunday, 27 August 2017
Friday, 25 August 2017
Monday, 24 July 2017
Friday, 7 July 2017
Wednesday, 5 April 2017
Friday, 6 January 2017
Thursday, 22 December 2016
Friday, 25 November 2016
Thursday, 17 November 2016
Monday, 26 September 2016
Thursday, 15 September 2016
Thursday, 25 August 2016
Author Interview & Giveaway: Fish Wielder by J.R.R. R. (Jim) Hardison
Fish Wielder is J.R.R.R. (Jim) Hardison's first novel novel (He wrote a graphic novel, The Helm, for Dark Horse Comics). Jim has worked as a writer, screen writer, animator and film director. He started his professional career by producing a low-budget direct-to-video feature film, The Creature From Lake Michigan. Making a bad movie can be a crash course in the essential elements of good character and story, and The Creature From Lake Michigan was a tremendously bad movie. Shifting his focus entirely to animation, Jim joined Will Vinton Studios where he directed animated commercials for M&M’s and on the stop-motion TV series Gary and Mike. While working at Vinton, he also co-wrote the television special Popeye's Voyage: The Quest for Pappy with actor Paul Reiser.
Jim has appeared on NBC's The Apprentice as an expert advisor on brand characters, developed characters and wrote the pilot episode for the PBS children's television series SeeMore's Playhouse and authored the previously mentioned graphic novel, The Helm, named one of 2010's top ten Great Graphic Novels for Teens by YALSA, a branch of the American Library Association. These days, Jim is the creative director and co-owner of Character LLC, a company that does story-analysis for brands and entertainment properties. He lives in Portland, Oregon with his lovely wife, two amazing kids, one smart dog and one stupid dog.
http://www.fishwielder.com/index.html
http://www.jimhardison.com/
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2893010.Jim_Hardison
https://www.facebook.com/fishwielder
https://twitter.com/FishWielder
Do you plan everything or just let the story flow?
Both really. I usually start with an idea that just comes to me and I try to write as much of it as I can in a single streak (until I’m interrupted or pass out from lack of sleep). After that, I’ll noodle the idea around for a long time, thinking about how to turn it into a proper story. Once I figure out where it’s going in a general way, then I’ll start thinking about what meaning it might convey and what structure would be suited to best put that meaning across. After that, I’ll work out a skeleton narrative outline for the whole story. Then I dive in and start writing. I go at it linearly, from beginning to end. I won’t skip ahead, although I’ll frequently loop back to adjust and polish stuff I’ve already written as new things suggest themselves.
Do your characters ever want to take over the story?
Characters will try to get away with murder, if you let them and the secondary characters are the worst. They are always trying to steal scenes and make whole chapters about themselves, or sometimes even hijack the whole story. You really have to keep an eye on characters.
What is your favourite food?
Thin crust cheese pizza, light on the sauce. My wife says my idea of a perfect pizza is that you take a cracker, show it a tomato, sprinkle it lightly with cheese and then burn it.
Are you a morning person or a night owl?
I am a night owl. When I am writing in the morning, it is usually because I have been writing all night long.
Where do you dream of travelling to and why?
I’m not a great lover of travel. I travel a lot for my work, often to exotic, lovely places that other folks might kill to go to, and I always complain about it. For me, the best thing is a comfortable seat, an apple (cold from the refrigerator) and a book.
Do distant places feature in your books?
As distant as you can get. My Fish Wielder trilogy is set on the mystical world of Grome.
Do you listen to music while writing?
Often, yes. Sometimes I’ll find a song that fits a particular scene or helps me stay in a specific mood and I’ll listen to it over and over as I write a section of the narrative. Other times, I’ll stick on some thematically correct playlist to run in the background while I work. And then, other times, I need it dead silent. Go figure.
Could you tell us a bit about your latest release?
My book is called Fish Wielder and it is an epically silly epic fantasy novel. It’s about a muscle-bound barbarian warrior and his talking fish who stumble their way into a quest to recover the lost Pudding of Power and destroy it before the forces of evil can use it to take over the magical world of Grome. There’s a bit more to it than that, but that’s the general idea. It’s the first in an epically silly epic trilogy. You see, when you are writing epically silly epic fantasy, it’s a legal requirement that you write a trilogy. That’s just how it is. And I’m particularly bound by those kinds of regulations because I have three Rs in my name. I might have been about to get away with just a single book if I had only one R—like E.R. Eddison and The Worm Ouroboros. On the other hand, if I’d had two Rs, like J.R.R. Tolkien or George R.R. Martin, I might have had two write seven books. So, I think I dodged a bullet there.
What have you learned about writing and publishing since you first started?
A. It always takes a lot longer than I think it will—both in the writing and in the publishing stage. When I’m writing, and it’s going well, I often think, “Ah! Splendid! This will be done in no time!” and then it takes another six drafts and a year or something. And then, when a publisher says they’re interested, I often think, “Excellent! This will be on the shelf shortly!” and then, of course, it takes another year. Two other things: less adverbs and less adverbs.
Is there anything you would do differently?
No. It kind of goes how it goes. It’s a bit like riding a crazed buffalo, if you’ve ever tried that. You can kind of point it in a direction, but you’re going to go where the buffalo wants.
Who, or what, if anything has influenced your writing?
A. I started off (at about 10-years-old) reading the classics of epic fantasy. There was The Hobbit and The Chronicles of Narnia and The Lord of the Rings and The Barsoom Chronicles (and even The Dream Quest of Unknown Kadath). But when I turned thirteen, I stumbled across A Spell for Chameleon by Piers Anthony and I remember thinking, “Wait a second! This stuff can be funny? And still be good?!” And then I saw Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Between those two, it kind of changed my trajectory with fantasy. After that, I added books by L. Sprauge DeCamp, Fritz Leiber, Robert Asprin, Terry Pratchett and the Harvard Lampoon to the reading list. Of course, I continued with the classics like Conan, and I read the White Gold Wielder stuff by Stephen R. Donaldson (only one R in his name) and the Dragon Riders of Pern, and everything by Ursula K. Le Guin, and the Chronicles of Prydain and... you know, this is going to get unwieldy pretty fast. I read basically all the fantasy I could get my hands on and I augmented it with movies like Big Trouble in Little China and The BeastMaster. Maybe I’m just super impressionable, but they all left their mark and I hope bits of all of them can be felt in Fish Wielder.
Anything you would say to those just starting out in the craft?
Write. Just write a bunch. And write to amuse or entertain yourself first and worry about audience second. I know some folks who are very analytical about their approach and try to figure out who their reader is before they start and what kind of voice they need to write in to reach those folks. There’s something to be said for that, but it’s not how I like to do it. I always hope to write the kind of story I’d like to read, and that keeps it fun. Keeping it fun is important because writing can sometimes be a difficult and even painful process similar to extracting your own teeth. So, write a bunch and make sure it’s something you want to read so that you’ll keep at it.
What are three words that describe you?
Lazy control freak.
What's your favourite book or who is your favourite writer?
Oh, that’s not fair. There are just too many good ones to choose from and too many I love too much. I will say that the book I have read most often is The Dream Quest of Unknown Kadath by H.P. Lovecraft. I read that book about once a year.
Blurb of your latest release or coming soon book
"This is one wild romp! I suspect some smarter reader than I could do a doctoral dissertation just fathoming the fantasy genre's famous legends that are parodied here. I'm not sure I've seen such preposterously determined critic-baiting parody since Xanth or Asprin's Myth-begotten series. I recommend it to anyone."
—Piers Anthony, New York Times Bestselling Author of the Xanth series
List of previous books if any
A. The Helm (which is actually a graphic novel released by Dark Horse comics). It was named one of the Top Ten Great Graphic Novels for Teens by YALSA in 2010.
Any websites/places readers can find you on the web.
http://www.fishwielder.com
http://www.jimhardison.com
http://www.thehelmcomic.com
I started my professional career by co-writing and producing a low-budget direct-to-video feature, "The Creature From Lake Michigan". Making a bad film can be a crash course in the essential elements of good character and story, and "The Creature From Lake Michigan" was a tremendously bad film. I like to think that I learned my lesson well, and after a brief stint recuperating as a freelance writer and film editor, I founded my own production company.
During its seven-year run, I wrote, directed and edited live-action and animation productions, including educational films, television commercials and television pilots. Shifting my focus entirely to animation, I joined Will Vinton Studios in 1997. There I directed animated commercial and entertainment projects, including episodic television (the UPN series Gary & Mike).
While working at Vinton, I also co-wrote the television special "Popeye's Voyage: The Quest for Pappy" with actor Paul Reiser. I co-founded Character LLC in 2000--a company that advises brands and entertainment properties on their stories. While working at Character I have given story advice to many of the world's largest brands including Discovery Networks, Target, Verizon, Amazon and Microsoft. I even appeared on NBC's "The Apprentice" as an expert adviser on brand characters.
In addition, I've done character development work and wrote for the PBS children's television series "SeeMore's Playhouse". After 21 years, I finally completed "The Creature from Lake Michigan" to glowingly positive reviews from lovers of questionable cinema. These days, I live in Portland, Oregon with my lovely wife, two amazing kids, one smart dog and one stupid dog.
***
Fish Wielder
by Jim Hardison
Humour/Fantasy
In ancient times, the Dark Lord Mauron cooked the most powerful magic chocolate dessert ever made, the Pudding of Power.
One thousand and two years later, the evil leader of the Bad Religion, the Heartless One, is trying to recover the lost pudding in order to enslave the peoples of Grome. Only the depressed barbarian warrior Thoral Might Fist and his best friend, Brad the talking Koi fish, have a chance to save the world of Grome from destruction, but that's going to take a ridiculous amount of magic and mayhem.
Thus begins the epically silly epic fantasy of epic proportions, Fish Wielder—book one of the Fish Wielder Trilogy.
Praise for Fish Wielder:
"Fast, fun, fantastic! Fish Wielder is hilarious and unpredictable, like a drunk bear playing whack-a-mole." ―Logan J. Hunder, author of Witches Be Crazy
"A great time. Fast and funny, it races along in a self-aware tone that should appeal to anyone who loves fantasy but has ever found themselves thinking, huh, that was a little melodramatic." ―Clay Johnson, author of OFF TO SEE THE WIZARD (Ravenswood Publishing, 2016)
Book Videos:
https://youtu.be/C2t5JXmhTlg
https://youtu.be/8QQOiB8YssI
Buy Links
Amazon | Kobo | iTunes | BN
***
Tour Giveaway:
5 ebook copies of Fish Wielder
1 paperback (US only) copy of Fish Wielder
1 hardback (US only) copy of Fish Wielder
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Wednesday, 22 June 2016
Fun Book Publicity by Annette Gisby
Ten Ways to Get Publicity for Your Book
So you've written your masterpiece, had it published and now you're waiting for all those sales to roll in. But they haven't? No-one's buying? The bookstores don't want to know? There are millions of books, how can you get people to notice yours?
Just for some fun, here are ten things you can think on to make sure that the bookstores will come to you, just begging you to let them stock your book. :-)
1. Change your name to Stephen King/Nora Roberts/John Grisham/James Patterson by deed poll.
2. Have an affair with the president/prime minister/king/queen/prince of your country. (delete as appropriate)
3. Buy a million copies yourself to get in the Best Seller Lists.
4. Fail at Pop Idol
5. Get evicted from the Big Brother House.
6. Streak at a popular sporting event.
7. Do a naked skydive with only a copy of your book to hide your modesty. :-)
8. Become a supermodel/actor/sports person.
9. Buy thousands of your books and have them delivered to the pavement outside the New York's Times office.
10. Become a recluse, don't give interviews and watch them coming to you.
These are just for fun, not an instruction manual. :-)
Tuesday, 7 June 2016
Author Interview: Pages of the Mind by Jeffe Kennedy
About the Author:
Jeffe Kennedy is an
award-winning author whose works include non-fiction, poetry, short
fiction, and novels. She has been a Ucross Foundation Fellow,
received the Wyoming Arts Council Fellowship for Poetry, and was
awarded a Frank Nelson Doubleday Memorial Award. Her essays have
appeared in many publications, including Redbook.
Her
most recent works include a number of fiction series: the fantasy
romance novels of A
Covenant of Thorns; the contemporary BDSM novellas
of the Facets
of Passion, and an erotic contemporary serial
novel, Master
of the Opera. A fourth series, the fantasy trilogy
The
Twelve Kingdoms, hit the shelves starting in May
2014 and book 1, The
Mark of the Tala, received a starred Library
Journal review was nominated for the RT
Book of the Year while the sequel, The
Tears of the Rose was nominated for the
RT Reviewers’ Choice Best Fantasy Romance of 2014
and the third book, The
Talon of the Hawk, won the
RT Reviewers’ Choice Best Fantasy Romance of 2015.
Two more books will follow in this world, beginning with The
Pages of the Mind May 2016. A fifth series, the erotic
romance trilogy, Falling
Under, started with Going
Under, and was followed by Under
His Touch and Under
Contract.
She lives in Santa Fe,
New Mexico, with two Maine coon cats, plentiful free-range lizards
and a very handsome Doctor of Oriental Medicine.
Jeffe can be found
online at her website:
JeffeKennedy.com, every Sunday at the popular Word
Whores blog, on Facebook,
on Goodreads
and pretty much constantly on Twitter @jeffekennedy.
She is represented by Connor Goldsmith of Fuse
Literary.
***
Do you plan everything or just let the story flow?
I plan really nothing at all. Even when I have an idea of where the overall story is going, I don’t feel like I am deciding it. It’s more like life—what happens, happens.
Do your characters ever want to take over the story?
I think when authors say this, they mean that they have a plan and the characters wrest it away. I feel like when I write that I’m riding around in the characters’ heads, so they’re always in charge of the story.
What is your favourite food?
Does wine count?
Are you a morning person or a night owl?
More morning person these days. I used to be more of a night owl, but I do my best writing in the morning, so I retrained myself to get up early.
Where do you dream of travelling to and why?
Lord Howe Island – because I love to snorkel and I’d love to see the wildlife in that part of the world.
Do distant places feature in your books?
Definitely! I often make them up that way, too.
Do you listen to music while writing?
No. I did when I was first starting out, as a way of creating a writing ritual. Now I prefer total silence.
Could you tell us a bit about your latest release?
I have two books coming out on May 31. One is a novella, THE CROWN OF THE QUEEN, that will be in a duology with Grace Draven called FOR CROWN AND KINGDOM. That story takes place in the immediate aftermath of THE TALON OF THE HAWK, which concluded The Twelve Kingdoms trilogy. It’s told from the point of view of Dafne, the librarian who accompanied all three of the princesses in the original trilogy on their journeys. This one relates a short, but necessary tale of picking up the pieces of the end of one reign and establishing a new one. The other release, a novel called THE PAGES OF THE MIND, kicks off the next stage of the story, in a series called The Uncharted Realms. In that Dafne goes on an adventure of her own, along with Jepp, best scout in the Hawks, and Zynda, a Tala shapeshifter and sorceress.
What have you learned about writing and publishing since you first started?
I’m much better at writing consistently and at trusting the revision process. The ways I’ve improved my craft would taka book to detail! As far as publishing, I’ve learned that trends come and go. I don’t get too worked up about the latest crisis or the most recent fad. Whenever events threaten to distract me, the best thing I can do every time is put my head back in my own work.
Is there anything you would do differently?
I’d say that I wished I’d developed more diligent writing habits sooner and followed up on books I had out there. But I also believe we do things as we can. I wasn’t capable of doing those things at the time, for many reasons.
Who, or what, if anything has influenced your writing?
Everything has! I’m a lifelong reader and have an extensive education. I’m a big stew of influences, which is how it should be, I think.
Anything you would say to those just starting out in the craft?
It really does work to write every day in a way that nothing else does. Build the habit of generating words. Write regularly.
What are three words that describe you?
Driven, enthusiastic, positive.
What's your favourite book or who is your favourite writer?
I don’t have one favorite. I read widely across many genres. Two books I’ve re-read more than any others—for different reasons at different times—are J.D. Robb’s NAKED IN DEATH and Anne McCaffrey’s DRAGONFLIGHT.
Blurb of your latest release or coming soon book
The Pages of the Mind
AN ORPHAN’S THRONE
Magic has broken free over the Twelve Kingdoms. The population is beset by shapeshifters and portents, landscapes that migrate, uncanny allies who are not quite human…and enemies eager to take advantage of the chaos.
Dafne Mailloux is no adventurer—she’s a librarian. But the High Queen trusts Dafne’s ability with languages, her way of winnowing the useful facts from a dusty scroll, and even more important, the subtlety and guile that three decades under the thumb of a tyrant taught her.
Dafne never thought to need those skills again. But she accepts her duty. Until her journey drops her into the arms of a barbarian king. He speaks no tongue she knows but that of power, yet he recognizes his captive as a valuable pawn. Dafne must submit to a wedding of alliance, becoming a prisoner-queen in a court she does not understand. If she is to save herself and her country, she will have to learn to read the heart of a wild stranger. And there are more secrets written there than even Dafne could suspect…
List of previous books if any
Negotiation: A Twelve Kingdoms Novella
The Mark of the Tala
The Tears of the Rose
The Talon of the Hawk
Heart’s Blood
(This is a spinoff novella that stands alone but takes place in the Twelve Kingdoms. The characters in this make a cameo appearance in THE CROWN OF THE QUEEN.)
THE CROWN OF THE QUEEN
The Pages of the Mind
THE EDGE OF THE BLADE (out December 27, 2016)
Tuesday, 10 May 2016
Guest Post: The Crown of the Queen by Jeffe Kennedy
Guest Post
by Jeffe Kennedy
One of the most exciting aspects of THE CROWN OF THE QUEEN and THE PAGES OF THE MIND coming out, is that they are both from Dafne the librarian’s point of view. And she is easily the most universally beloved character. Sure, readers pick others as their favorites, but everyone seems to love Dafne. One reader told me “Ursula is my friend, but I am Dafne.”
And I recently realized why. Dafne is a bookworm.
Just like all of us.
I don’t care if you’re a reader or a reader and writer both – if you’re a writer who doesn’t read, I can’t even with you – then the joy of books and reading is a deep and passionate one. And as we grow older, perhaps with the increasing competition of all the flashy streaming Things, it seems like get less time to read. Or, let’s be honest, we don’t make the time to read because we prioritize other activities, a lot of them required by adulting.
But remember being a kid and spending an entire weekend reading books?? Those are some of my fondest memories of childhood.
I remembered something else recently. It was a social even that triggered this memory, because I had to put down a book I was loving and go talk to people. I like those people and enjoy talking to them, but I had the fleeting wish that I could do both – take my book to read and be with those people I like.
And the memory hit me that I totally used to do that!
As a kid I’d invite my friends over to read. Did anyone else do this? My two best friends in elementary school, Linda Ceriello and Monique LaForce, loved to read also. They’d bring over whatever they were reading (sometimes an extra book for back up) and we’d lie around on my bedroom floor and read. Sometimes we played elaborate games of pretend, too. We had a great version of bicycle Nancy Drew, which involved seeding and then discovering clues. But we’d also read for hours.
Somewhere along the way, this became an unacceptable practice. I blame the extroverts and the non-readers. It turns out that it’s rude to read when other people are in the room! You’re supposed to put down your book (or, who are we kidding? Your eReader) and pay attention to them.
I really want to know who made up this rule, though we know the answer. They did.
Well, I propose a revolution. We can call it Dafne’s Law! It would state that it’s perfectly acceptable to socialize by reading together. We could have quiet reading rooms at conferences, where you can go in, wave at people and soak up that lovely reader atmosphere. There could be a room adjacent for emergency conversations and book-squeeing.
Who’s with me?
***
A Twelve Kingdoms Novella
by Jeffe Kennedy
Dafne Mailloux, librarian and temporary babysitter to the heirs to the High Throne of the Twelve – now Thirteen – Kingdoms, finds it difficult to leave the paradise of Annfwn behind.
Particularly that trove of rare books in temptingly unfamiliar languages. But duty calls, and hers is to the crown. It’s not like her heart belongs elsewhere. But how can she crown a queen who hesitates to take the throne?
This novella will be part of a duology called For Crown and Kingdom, which will also contain a novella by Grace Draven called The Undying King
For Crown and Kingdom (The Crown of the Queen) will release on May 31, 2016 and will be available in digital format and print.
Buy links will be added to the bookpage once available:
http://www.jeffekennedy.com/for-crown-and-kingdom/
***
About the Author:
Her most recent works include a number of fiction series: the fantasy romance novels of A Covenant of Thorns; the contemporary BDSM novellas of the Facets of Passion, and an erotic contemporary serial novel, Master of the Opera. A fourth series, the fantasy trilogy The Twelve Kingdoms, hit the shelves starting in May 2014 and book 1, The Mark of the Tala, received a starred Library Journal review was nominated for the RT Book of the Year while the sequel, The Tears of the Rose was nominated for the RT Reviewers’ Choice Best Fantasy Romance of 2014 and the third book, The Talon of the Hawk, won the RT Reviewers’ Choice Best Fantasy Romance of 2015. Two more books will follow in this world, beginning with The Pages of the Mind May 2016. A fifth series, the erotic romance trilogy, Falling Under, started with Going Under, and was followed by Under His Touch and Under Contract.
She lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico, with two Maine coon cats, plentiful free-range lizards and a very handsome Doctor of Oriental Medicine.
Jeffe can be found online at her website: JeffeKennedy.com, every Sunday at the popular Word Whores blog, on Facebook, on Goodreads and pretty much constantly on Twitter @jeffekennedy. She is represented by Connor Goldsmith of Fuse Literary.
Tuesday, 26 April 2016
Guest Post & Giveaway: Dragons Among Them by Kyra Jacobs
Hi, everyone. Kyra Jacobs here celebrating the release of my latest novel, DRAGONS AMONG THEM. While romance is nothing new to me, writing in a fantasy world and being able to bend rules to my will certainly was prior to the start of this series. And oh, did I have fun with that!
In DRAGONS (Book 1 in the Kingdoms of Fire and Ice trilogy) the hero Zayne Godfrey is a dragon-shifting prince living in a hidden, medieval-ish realm. The heroine Adelaide (Addie) Miller, however, is a simple, independent gal who grew up in Indiana. When their worlds collide, age-old secrets slowly surface.
“You do understand that if I answer your questions honestly today, you may never look at me the same again, don’t you? It’ll be like I’ve grown horns on my head or something.”
“As a man who routinely dons scales and talons, horns would do little to scare me.”
Upon discovering I had written a book about shifters, for today’s post I was asked this question: If I was a shifter, what animal would I be?
Which, honestly, is a pretty tough question. I mean, Zayne had to be a dragon-shifter—that was the story that called me to write. But if a wizard showed up on my doorstep tomorrow saying I could shift into anything I wanted to be, what would I choose?
As indecisive as I can be about choosing where to go out for dinner or what to watch on TV, something tells me the wizard might well give up and leave before I could make up my mind! Lol But for the sake of this blog I’ll choose a Great Horned Owl.
Photo: Canstockphoto/cgardinerphotos
This way I could fly, I’d travel in silent stealth mode all the time, my head could swivel most of the way around so I could keep an eye on my kids from just about anywhere, and…here’s the best part…those “horns” on their head? They’re tufts of feathers that to me look like eyebrows. As a writer who not only writes often about brow activities but also employs the use of them frequently herself, these brows would totally rock.
And come on—who’s gonna mess with a Great Horned Owl? They’re intimidating as all get out!
Okay, so that’s one of many of the creatures I’d pick. How about you? If you could shift into any creature, what would it be? While you think about that, here’s a little teaser from
Dragons Among Them, where men truly do shift into dragons to save the women they love. Happy daydreaming, everyone!
***
About the Book:
by Krya Jacobs
Kingdoms of Fire and Ice Book 1
Paranormal/Fantasy/Romance/Shifters
Samhain Publishing
Date of Publication: April 19th 2016
Prince Zayne Godfrey, heir to Edana’s throne, is betrothed to the lone princess of rival kingdom Forath. While his heart is not in the arranged marriage, he will do his royal duty.
When he finds a beautiful stranger cornered by a pack of wolves, he doesn’t hesitate to shift into his golden dragon form to save her. She thanks him by taking one look at him and fainting dead away.
Photographer Adelaide Miller is in England for a career-making shoot when a bizarre jogging mishap lands her in a dangerous, medieval-like world of royals, wizards and dragon-shifting men. Her first instinct is to find her way back, but the fire-breathing prince intent on protecting her threatens to melt her heart.
Zayne’s burning passion for Adelaide not only jeopardizes the fragile peace between two kingdoms, it uncovers a ruthless plot to destroy his family.
Remaining together may change Adelaide’s very definition of home—and expose one searing secret that could forever shift the balance of power in Zayne’s world.
Goodreads | Samhain | Amazon | BN | iTunes | Kobo
***
Excerpt:
“Are you sure this is really such a good idea—”
Addie stopped in midsentence as the prince turned from her, dropped trou, and moved to tuck those into his pack as well. He detached it from Will’s saddle and tossed it toward her. She had but a moment to enjoy the view before the air around them began to swirl. The wind swallowed Zayne in a mini tornado, then faded to reveal him in his giant, golden-scaled form. He stretched his wings, shook out his neck in the same manner Addie had seen Will do countless times now, and then turned his golden, glowing eyes her way.
She stared at him in awe. As a man, he was chiseled like a Greek god. As a dragon, well, he was spectacular. One golden brow rose as he stared back at her.
“Right. We fly.” She swung his pack over her shoulder and stepped forward while trying to tell herself this was all perfectly normal. Her, mounting a mythical creature to go for a spin in this fairy-tale world.
All. Perfectly. Normal.
Zayne’s head snaked downward, his warm breath washing steam over her as it drew close.
“Oh, nuh-uh. Don’t you even think about picking me up by your teeth and dropping me onto your back like some giant mama cat.” She shoved his muzzle away. “Just kneel down or something. I can climb.”
Zayne snorted but complied. Spreading his long, golden talons wide, he lowered himself to the ground, then used his nose to give her a careful nudge onto his back. The golden scales looked smooth as glass but had enough texture to offer her a foothold. She hiked up the skirt of her dress—Lord, she missed her jeans back home—and shimmied forward so she sat ahead of his wings. In place of a mane, Zayne had a row of golden, jagged spikes. With no reins, they would have to do. She took hold of the nearest two and cast his watchful eyes a worried look.
“I’m…I’m not hurting you, am I?”
Zayne snorted, louder this time, then rose to his feet. Addie gripped the spikes as tightly as possible, sure she’d slip right off, but found herself surprisingly stable on his broad, sleek back. She drew in a deep breath and reminded herself that no matter how scary this might get, one way or another Zayne would keep her safe. Hadn’t he proven that enough times by now?
The dragon beneath her stepped toward the center of the clearing, turned his face skyward, and spread his wings.
“I sure hope you know what you’re doing,” she whispered as she clamped her eyes shut and braced herself for whatever would come next.
***
Kyra Jacobs is an extroverted introvert who writes of love, humor and mystery in the Midwest and beyond. When this Hoosier native isn’t pounding out scenes for her next book, she’s likely outside, elbow-deep in snapdragons or spending quality time with her sports-loving family. Kyra also loves to read, tries to golf, and is an avid college football fan.
Be sure to stop by her website www.KyraJacobs.wordpress.com to learn more about her novels and ways connect with her on social media.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KyraJacobsBooks
Twitter: https://twitter.com/KyraJacobsBooks
Website: http://www.KyraJacobs.wordpress.com
Blog: http://www.IndianaWonderer.wordpress.com
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/Kyra_Jacobs
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Tour giveaway
$40 Amazon gift card
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Friday, 15 April 2016
Book Spotlight: The Dragon in the Garden by Erika Gardner
Title: The Dragon in the Garden
Author: Erika Gardner
Genre: Fantasy
There is magic beneath the mundane and in The Dragon in the Garden, Siobhan Orsini witnesses it all. No lie can fool her, no glamour or illusion can cloud her Sight. She sees through them all and wishes she could close her eyes. Returning to face her past, Siobhan inherits her grandparents’ house in California’s wine country. She encounters a talking dragon, a hot fallen angel, a demon lord, a Valkyrie, and, oh yes, her ex-boyfriend. And that is just in the first twenty-four hours.
It’s time to find out why she has this power.
Siobhan seeks out the Oracle and learns that only her Sight can help mankind navigate the travails of an ancient war. Our world is the prize in a battle between the dragons, who would defend us, and Lucifer’s fallen angels, who seek to take the Earth for themselves. Using her gift, she will have to make a choice that will decide humanity’s future.
Author Bio
Erika is a sixth generation San Franciscan of Irish descent. She attended the University of California at Davis and completed degrees in Medieval History and Biological Sciences. A lifelong lover of books and a scribbler of many tales from a young age (her first story was completed at age five) she turned to writing full-time in 2011.
Erika resides in Northern California with her incredibly hot husband, their three amazing kids, and their chocolate Labrador named Selkie. To reach Erika regarding her books, wine recommendations, or to debate which Iron Maiden album is the best (clearly, it’s Brave New World), you can find her online at www.erikagardner.com.
Links
Author Website - http://erikagardner.com/
Kindle US
Kindle UK
Smashwords
Apple
Kobo-
Nook-
Thursday, 14 April 2016
Cover Reveal: Crown of the Queen by Jeffe Kennedy
The Crown of the Queen
A Twelve Kingdoms Novella
by Jeffe Kennedy
Fantasy
Dafne Mailloux, librarian and temporary babysitter to the heirs to the High Throne of the Twelve – now Thirteen – Kingdoms, finds it difficult to leave the paradise of Annfwn behind. Particularly that trove of rare books in temptingly unfamiliar languages. But duty calls, and hers is to the crown. It’s not like her heart belongs elsewhere. But how can she crown a queen who hesitates to take the throne?
This novella will be part of a duology called For Crown and Kingdom, which will also contain a novella by Grace Draven.
For Crown and Kingdom (The Crown of the Queen) will release on May 24, 2016 and will be available in digital format and print.
Buy links will be added to the bookpage once available:
http://www.jeffekennedy.com/for-crown-and-kingdom/
***
About the Author:
Her most recent works include a number of fiction series: the fantasy romance novels of A Covenant of Thorns; the contemporary BDSM novellas of the Facets of Passion, and an erotic contemporary serial novel, Master of the Opera. A fourth series, the fantasy trilogy The Twelve Kingdoms, hit the shelves starting in May 2014 and book 1, The Mark of the Tala, received a starred Library Journal review was nominated for the RT Book of the Year while the sequel, The Tears of the Rose was nominated for the RT Reviewers’ Choice Best Fantasy Romance of 2014 and the third book, The Talon of the Hawk, won the RT Reviewers’ Choice Best Fantasy Romance of 2015. Two more books will follow in this world, beginning with The Pages of the Mind May 2016. A fifth series, the erotic romance trilogy, Falling Under, started with Going Under, and was followed by Under His Touch and Under Contract.
She lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico, with two Maine coon cats, plentiful free-range lizards and a very handsome Doctor of Oriental Medicine.
Jeffe can be found online at her website: JeffeKennedy.com, every Sunday at the popular Word Whores blog, on Facebook, on Goodreads and pretty much constantly on Twitter @jeffekennedy. She is represented by Connor Goldsmith of Fuse Literary.
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