Release Day: SPARK (Book 4 in The Bionics Series) by Alicia Michaels

New Release in The Bionics Series by Alicia Michaels

(To celebrate, Titanium and Secrets is being reduced from $2.99 to $.99 for 2 Weeks Only!) 

New Adult Dystopian Romance 

(Mature Content)

Published through: Crimson Tree Publishing

(The Adult Imprint of Clean teen Publishing.)

The year is 4010.

Nuclear war and the wasteful nature of humans have all but destroyed the United States. A new government regime rules the day with strict laws, rationed food, and careful control. When those injured in the nuclear blasts that rocked many of the nations largest cities are offered another chance by the Restoration Project, how could they refuse?

Little do they know that the robotic additions to their body will paint targets on their backs once the government decides that they are dangerous. At the forefront of the resistance is a girl with a bionic eye, Blythe Sol, who wants nothing more than to be a normal girl. Blythe has yet to realize that normal will never exist again for her, or anyone else.

The Revolution has begun...

NEW RELEASE:

SPARK (Book 4 in The Bionics Series) by Alicia Michaels

Most nineteen year-old girls are thinking about college, stretching the wings of newfound adulthood, and boys. Well, I’ll probably never go to college and all my dreams of the future are gone. I’ve been an adult for much longer than I should have been and my girlhood was stolen the minute the North Koreans dropped their nukes over the United States. As for boys … well, that’s pretty much out of the question now, too. My love life is too messy to even talk about.

I have nothing.

Except, maybe, my cause, my mission, The Resistance. It is the hope I have to cling to, I am counting on it to pave the way to my future. As things heat up and the terrorist sect known as The Rejects make themselves known opponents of society in this war, the choice to be on the side of good is harder than ever. My friends are broken; Olivia is a shell of her former self and Jenica is barely hanging on. Dax and Gage … well, we’re not talking about my love life, remember? 

The Rejects, the government, President Drummond; they are pressing in on us from all sides and the weight is tremendous. Still, when given the choice to crumble or stand, I’d rather stand. Times are dark, but we are here, a rebellion, a whisper in the dark, a spark that lights the flames of change.

The Bionics (Book 1) 

FREE

(New Adult or YA Mature) 

Titanium (Book 2) 

$2.99  On Sale for $.99 Through February 5th! 

(New Adult or YA Mature) 

Secrets (Book 3) 

$2.99  On Sale for $.99 Through February 5th! 

(New Adult or YA Mature) 

About Alicia Michaels:

Ever since she first read books like Chronicles of Narnia or Goosebumps, Alicia has been a lover of mind-bending fiction. Wherever imagination takes her, she is more than happy to call that place her home. The mother of two and wife to an Army sergeant loves chocolate, coffee, and of course good books. When not writing, you can usually find her with her nose in a book, shopping for shoes and fabulous jewelry, or spending time with her loving family.

Cover Reveal: Of Sea and Stone by Kate Avery Ellison

Of Sea and Stone by Kate Avery Ellison 
Publication date: February 2014
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult

Synopsis:

All her life, clever Aemi has been a slave in the Village of the Rocks, a place where the sea and sky meet. She’s heard the stories about the fabled People of the Sea, a people who possess unimaginable technology who live below the waves in the dark, secret places of the ocean. But she never dreamed those stories were true.

When a ship emerges from the ocean and men burn her village, Aemi is captured, and enslaved below the waves in Itlantis, a world filled with ancient cities of glass and metal, floating gardens, and wondrous devices that seem to work magic. To make matters worse, her village nemesis, the stuck-up mayor’s son Nol, was captured with her, and they are made servants in the same household beneath the sea.

Desperate to be free, Aemi plots her escape, even going so far as to work with Nol. But the sea holds more secrets than she realizes, and escape might not be as simple as leaving…

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20456671-of-sea-and-stone

----

 

AUTHOR BIO

I've been making up stories since I was five years old, and now I'm thrilled to be able to do it as a full-time job. I have an obsession with dark fantasy, dystopian futures, and Pride and Prejudice-style love stories full of witty banter and sizzling, unspoken feelings. When I'm not writing, I'm creating digital art, reading funny blogs, or watching my favorite shows (which include TVD and BSG). I live with my geeky husband and our two bad cats in Atlanta, GA.

Author links:

http://thesouthernscrawl.blogspot.ca/

https://twitter.com/katiewriting

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4863270.Kate_Avery_Ellison

Book Blitz: The Skinwalker's Apprentice by Claribel Ortega & Giveaway

The Skinwalker's Apprentice

by Claribel Ortega

Release Date: 02/24/14

Summary from Goodreads:

“Welcome to The Empire State, where banshees, witches, and skinwalkers wait…”

Margo Pennyfeather is being hunted. The 16-year-old witch has always been an outcast, in her home back in England, and now in the village of East Hampton New York where her family has settled. No one but her family has ever cared for Margo, but now the most important witch in the magic world wants her as an apprentice, giving her a chance to bring her family out of poverty.
Before long, Margo realizes things aren't what they seem, least of all, what kind of witch she really is. Now, the young witch must face a terrifying monster on her own, and the reverberations will reach farther than she could have ever imagined.

More than three hundred years later, in 1984 Emerald Kipp is a high school senior in New York City. A troubled teen with a rebellious streak, Emerald can't seem to figure out what to do with her life, and unfortunately for her, “witch” isn’t one of the available career choices in her guidance counselor’s office. As she struggles to figure herself out, Emerald is faced with the threat of being stuck in school and missing her final summer with her three best friends. Her last year of high school is turning out to be the worst yet, and Emerald thinks it can’t possibly get any worse. Unfortunately for her, she’s dead wrong.
And there’s something else, something far more sinister stirring in Emerald’s world, and she’ll have to believe in herself if she wants to get through it alive.

Two witches, three hundred years apart, one inescapable fate.

The Skinwalker's Apprentice is a prequel to the upcoming novel, Emerald Kipp and The Riddle of The Timekeeper, a terrifying magical scavenger hunt through the gritty streets of 1980’s New York City,set to a killer soundtrack, and perfect for fans of Harry Potter and The Perks of Being a Wallflower. Part of The Empire Witches series.

*Available February 24th, 2014 on Smashwords,iBook, Amazon, Barnes & Nobles and more!
(Pre orders available Jan. 20th)

About the Author

Claribel Ortega is a graduate of the SUNY Purchase journalism program, and got her start writing for the school’s Independent Newspaper. There, she quickly rose the ranks from editing the student’s often times hilarious ads and ramblings on the back page of the paper to staff and feature writer.

After graduation, Claribel worked as a reporter for The Rivertowns Enterprise, a local paper in lower Westchester County, New York. As a reporter, she enjoyed going to board of education meetings and texting the town mayors about the line at Starbucks.

Today, Claribel works for The Combined Book Exhibit, a book marketing company in Westchester NY.

She lives in New York with her really awesome boyfriend, her suspiciously intelligent yorkie Pancho Villa and is surrounded by an impenetrable fort of books she gets from her job.

“The Skinwalker’s Apprentice” is her first book, and cheese is her favorite food.

Author Links:

   

Excerpt 

Jackson Darcantel was on his skateboard, heading towards the front entrance of Upperten High School, when he spotted a blue head of hair crawling out of the bushes.

“Emerald?”

She looked up as if it was perfectly normal to be crawling out of the shrubbery and smiled.

“Hey, Jackson, how’s it going?” Emerald popped up and wiped her jeans clean, patting the Walkman on the inside of her oversized army jacket for good measure.

“Are you sneaking out of Principal Grossman’s office already? Sheesh, Emerald, it’s only been THREE weeks.”

“Technically, I wasn’t sneaking out since I was never really inside,” she rationalized, squinting as she said the word “really.” “I was only sort of inside.”

“I’m not even gonna ask what that means. I just know it was something illegal and probably dangerous.”

Emerald smiled. Jackson was one of her oldest friends, and he was used to her getting into trouble at every turn. He was a smooth talker, which came in handy when she was trying to weasel her way out of something. Jackson picked his skateboard up and carried it under his arm, and the two friends walked together. He was much taller than Emerald, almost six feet to her barely five and a half. He wore a cap turned towards the side and a black windbreaker jacket over his dark blue tee shirt and jeans. He looked like a younger version of Denzel Washington. Even Emerald, who thought of him as brother, had to admit he was pretty good looking. She had no idea why Jackson hung around her. Aside from being nice to look at, Jackson was also incredibly smart. He was everybody’s favorite high school senior, and she was on a fast track towards juvie. But they had been friends since first grade, and Jackson saw a side of Emerald that her classmates never got to see. There was more to her than just being the school troublemaker.

***GIVEAWAY***

Prize pack: (US only)

Forever 21 Mint green Handbag 

Forever 21 Emerald glitter nail polish 

Forever 21 Cat charm bracelet 

Forever 21 Pink heart gold necklace 

iTunes Playlist of all the songs in "The Riddle of The Timekeeper" (Playlist attached) 

Bookmarks and ebook of The Skinwalker’s Apprentice

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Blitz Organized by:

Book Blitz: TAUT: The Ford Book by JA Huss & Giveaway

TAUT: The Ford Book by JA Huss
(Rook and Ronin Spin-off)
Published January 20, 2014

Contemporary, Erotic Romance, New-ish Adult

Synopsis:
TAUT IS A STANDALONE NOVEL - you do NOT have to read any of the Rook and Ronin books first.

Ford Aston is known for many things. Being an emotionless, messed up bastard, a freakishly smart social outcast, and a cold, domineering master who keeps "pets" instead of girlfriends.

And after Rook broke his heart, he plans to keep it that way.

Ashleigh is known for nothing, and that's exactly what she's got going for her. She's broke, stranded in the mountains with a three month old baby, and Ford Aston is screwing with her head.

Big. Time.

And she plans to mess with his right back.

It's a coy game at first, filled with flirting, and innuendo--but Ford soon realizes something is not quite right with Ashleigh. In fact, something is seriously, seriously wrong and the closer they get to their final destination, the closer Ford gets to the truth.

One night of devastation, self-loathing, and emptiness turns into the best thing that ever happened to Ford Aston. But one day of in-your-face reality threatens Ashleigh's whole existence.

******
Since A LOT of people have been asking here is the scoop on how this book fits in with my Rook & Ronin series:

Ford first appears in Rook and Ronin #2, Manic. He has a bigger role in Panic, R&R #3, and then he has a novella, called SLACK. This TAUT book is only FORD. It's not really part of the R&R series, as that plot has all been sidelined for this one romance book.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18807831-taut
AMAZON:  http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00HXZME1I
B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/taut-j-a-huss/1118067017?ean=2940148299080

TRAILER

AUTHOR BIO

J. A. Huss likes to write new adult books that make you think and keep you guessing. Her favorite genre to read is space opera, but since practically no one reads those books, she writes new adult science fiction, paranormal romance, contemporary romance, urban fantasy, and books about Junco (who refuses to be saddled with a label).

She has an undergraduate degree in horses, (yes, really–Thank you, Colorado State University) and a master’s degree in forensic toxicology from the University of Florida. She used to have a job driving around Colorado doing pretty much nothing but shooting the breeze with farmers, but now she just writes, runs the New Adult Addiction and Clean Teen Reads Book Blogs, and runs an online science classroom for homeschoolers.

Author Links:

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

GIVEAWAY

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Cover Reveal: The Queen of Swords by Nina Mason

 

The Queen of Swords by Nina Mason

When Graham Logan draws the Queen of Swords, he knows he’s about to meet the love of his life. For the third time. But surrendering his heart will mean risking her life…or making her what he is--two things his beliefs won’t allow him to do. Graham rages at God: Why give her back only to take her again?

Cat Fingal, the third coming of Graham’s beloved, won’t let him slip away so easily. A white witch, she casts a spell to summon him—for answers, among other things.

Graham has other problems, too. Like the seductress who wants him for herself and the dark wizard who cursed him and killed Cat the first two times.

Will she find a way to save him this time around?

Excerpt

Graham had just come upon the misplaced diaries—in the cupboard under the stairs—when he caught a whiff of something burning. Concerned, he stepped back into the foyer. A quick look around revealed nothing unusual. He sniffed the air, again detecting smoke, though none of the toxic undertones of a house fire. Neither did it smell of a choked chimney. It was, in fact, pleasantly herbal—like the juniper-laced bonfires of Beltane he knew in his youth. Was Branwen burning incense...or Benedict trying out a new pipe tobacco?

Shrugging it off, he grabbed the box of diaries and headed for the stairs. As he climbed, so did the smoke. A picture of Caitriona came into his mind. Or was it Catharine...or the new one? He couldn’t be sure as she was naked and her hair hung loose. As she reached for him, he saw something odd: a blue fire the size of a pilot light in the center of each palm.

Like moth to flame, you yearn for light. Come from shadow into my sight.

The words whispered. Caitriona disappeared. Desire blossomed. What was going on? At the top of the stairs, he was sweating and dizzy. Every nerve ending, every vein, burned like fire. He raced down the hall toward his bedchamber, dropping the box as he shot through the doorway. Bending to collect his spilled diaries, he startled at what he saw:

He had no hands. And no feet.

The smoke and ethers enveloped, pulling him apart cell by cell until he felt like the sands of time moving through an hourglass. The cosmos was silent except for a haunting echo—like the sound inside a seashell. He felt at once connected to everything and nothing. Adrift and yet highly attuned. He was blind yet all seeing; numb yet hypersensitive; defenseless yet omnipotent. Others were there, too—phantasmal energies blowing past and passing through like sleet.

The next thing he knew, he was on his back, winded and disoriented. The room was dark save for the flicker of a solitary candle. He could make out only two pale shapes. The larger one, he presumed, was a bed, the smaller one, by the window, his summoner. His nostrils flared, seeking her scent, but found only the spices of the smoke.

“I told ye to stay away from me,” he growled. “Why did ye not listen?”

*****

“Just so ye know, vampires don’t kill—except by accident, of course, or to commit deliberate murder.”

The sound of his deep, musical burr quickened Cat’s pulse. It could only be the good-looking Scot who’d been checking her out from the stacks for the past twenty minutes.

“Excuse me?” She raised her eyes from Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire, but did not turn around. There was no need. She’d already memorized every detail of his appearance while he skirted her gaze. Each time she looked his way, hoping to catch his eye, he was conveniently reading the book in his hand. Each time she returned to her work, the prickling hairs on the back of her neck gave away his game.

He seemed uncannily familiar too, though she couldn’t place him. The proud stance, powerful build, and thick copper hair all struck a chord—a sweet arpeggio that resonated somewhere deep inside.

“The average adult has five liters of blood,” he began to explain, “and the average stomach can hold fewer than two.” He paused to shift gears. “She’s also wrong about the coffins. And the impotence—though the book remains one of my favorites of the genre.”

“Mine too.” She set the gold-clad novel on the table beside her laptop. “Do you go here? You seem familiar.”

“Nay. I went to Saint Andrew’s ages ago.”

She still didn’t turn. “Oh? Then what brings you here?”

“I just moved to the village,” he said, “and heard the university had an impressive collection of vampire literature. So, I thought I’d see for myself—to kill a wee bit of time. But it seems ye’ve beaten me to it.”

“For my dissertation,” she offered quickly, pinging with guilt. She did not add that renewal of her faculty contract hinged on her finishing her Ph.D. before the term ended in three more weeks. Or that she was hopelessly behind. If she told him how under-the-gun she felt, he might leave. And she wanted to keep talking to him.

He was undeniably handsome. Bodice-ripper, book-cover handsome. Straight nose with a slight flare at the end; strong jaw and jutting chin; prominent brow and cheekbones; intense, deep-set eyes that turned down at the corners ever so slightly; and a sweet, kissable mouth whose tucked lower lip made it both boyish and sensual.

Apart from the biker jacket and boots, he might have stepped out of one of the Highlander romances she read every chance she got—a longstanding guilty pleasure. For some inexplicable reason, she’d been attracted to all things Scottish for as long as she could remember.

He reached past her, selected Dracula off her stack of reference material, and began looking through it. She could hear the pages turning behind her, but couldn’t bring herself to turn round. If she met his eyes, she would melt like butter.

“He was lucky to have no reflection to fuck with his head.”

His voice brought her back, but only partly. “Who?”

“Count Dracula.”

“Oh.” Embarrassment scorched her cheeks. “It was meant to symbolize that he had no soul.”

“I ken that. But is it true, do ye think?”

Cat knew from her Highlander romances the word “ken” meant “know” in Scots, but was otherwise confused by his question. Why did she find his closeness so discomposing? Men, even good-looking ones, rarely had this effect on her.

“Is what true?”

“That vampires have no souls,” he clarified. “That they’re eternally damned.”

“I don’t believe in—”

When she didn’t go on, he prodded. “Ye don’t believe in what?”

She was going to say “eternal damnation,” but remembered it was never a good idea to discuss religion—especially her religion—with any but like-minded practitioners of the craft. And even then, it could lead to heated disagreement.

Turning at last, she met his eyes, an astonishing shade of gold—like topazes or whisky backlit by the sun. They also were so gnawingly familiar she wanted to scream.

She tried to speak, to wrench her eyes away, but couldn’t seem to. Images of heather and bracken, of misty hills and crystal lochs, washed over her like a dream. What in the name of the goddess was happening to her?

Unable to bear his riveting gaze any longer, she turned back to the table, winded and shaken. She took a couple of breaths to slow her pulse and regain control. As he reached past her to return Dracula to its place, her eyes followed his hand—a sculptural marvel with long fingers tapering from furrowed knuckles to lustrous nails. She shivered as she imagined those fingers traveling over her flesh. He smelled good, too. Natural and earthy. Like a walk in the woods on a crisp autumn morning.

“How do I know you?” She had to force the words through her throat. “Have we met before?”

“Oh, aye.” His breath brushed her ear. “A couple of times.”

Author Bio

Nina Mason is a hopeless romantic with strong affinities for history, mythology, and the metaphysical. She strives to write the same kind of books she loves to read: those that entertain, edify, educate, and enlighten. Three of her books will be published in 2014: The Queen of Swords, a paranormal romance/urban fantasy from Vamptasy Publishing; The Knight of Wands, book one in the Knights of Avalon Series from Soul Mate Publishing; and The Tin Man, a thriller from Crushing Hearts and Black Butterfly Publishing. When not writing, Nina works as a communications consultant, doll maker, and home stager. Born and raised in Southern California, Nina now lives in Woodstock, Georgia, with her husband, teenage daughter, two rescue cats, and a Westie who’s frightened of the dryer.

Author Links:
Website
Blog
Facebook
Twitter
Goodreads
Google+

Book Blitz: Cup of Life by Juliana Haygert

Cup of Life by Juliana Haygert
(Everlast #2.5)
Publication date: January 20th 2014
Genres: Fantasy, New Adult, Paranormal Romance

Synopsis:

His existence would mean nothing without her.

**New Adult Fantasy Novella**
**Novella between book #2 and #3, told on Micah’s POV**

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18301392-cup-of-life?ac=1

Purchase: 

http://www.amazon.com/Cup-Life-The-Everlast-Trilogy-ebook/dp/B00HSQFWCA

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/cup-of-life-juliana-haygert/1118037845?ean=2940148164265

AUTHOR BIO

While Juliana Haygert dreams of being Wonder Woman, Buffy, or a blood elf shadow priest, she settles for the less exciting—but equally gratifying—life of a wife, mother, and author. Thousands of miles away from her former home in Brazil, she now resides in Connecticut and spends her days writing about kick-ass heroines and the heroes who drive them crazy.

Author links:

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

GIVEAWAY

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Showcase Sunday #23

Inspired by Pop Culture Junkie and the Story Siren, the aim of Showcase Sunday is to highlight our newest books or book related swag and to see what everyone else received for review, borrowed from libraries, bought in bookshops and downloaded onto eReaders each week. For more information about how this feature works and how to join in, click here.

~Vicky @ Books Biscuits and Tea

Hello everyone! Welcome back to another SS. This past week I've been trying to get back to my old everyday rhythms, after Christmas. I think I have a Christmas hangover and I can't concentrate on anything else right now, which is really bad for work... Anyways, this week I bought some books, won one and also received another two for review. Here are the books.

Physical Books

Daughters of the Moon #1-6: Two huge bind-ups with the first six books in the Daughters of the Moon series. I love books that are about a group of people, not just one main character and these books have a witchy feeling which is always a plus. 

D.Gray-Man vol.1 & vol.3: Two more volumes for my collection. It feels so good re-reading them. I think I might watch the anime again (for the 5th time).

E-Books

Circle of Trust: The first book in the Lines that Bind series. I've been talking to the author for the past few months and finally I have time to review this book. Can't wait to see what it's about. If you go the goodreads page you will see a review saying that there are fake reviews and rates for this book but I know that the people reviewing it are just some of the students of the author who only made a goodreads account in order to review it. Anyways, I decided to see for myself how much I like this book and don't relay on anyone else's opinion.

Masked: The second book in the New World series by Janelle Stalder. There are no words to describe how much I love Janelle's writing. I am always waiting to see what she brings next. Also I loved the first book in the series and the ending was...just...OMG!!! I am immediately starting this one.

SALT: I've been eyeing this one ever since it came out. I've heard some mixed things about it but still it's about witches and I want to give it a try, especially after reading a post from the author saying that the inspiration for SALT came from Supernatural. It seems like Danielle Ellison and I have something in common, we are both huge fans of Supernatural. Anyways, I won this one and can't wait to read it.

That's all for me. Leave me links to your new book hauls in the comments and I'll make sure to stop by.