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Tuesday, September 30, 2014

Requiem by T.G. Ayer Release Day Blitz ~Kami


Requiem (Chronicles of the Irin, #2)
T.G. Ayer
Release Date: September 30th 2014
Publisher: Infinite Ink Books
Add To Goodreads
Pre-Order Links: iTunes | Amazon

Her name is Evangeline and she is Nephilim.

Evie is stuck in the Underworld until she can find a way to be released from her newfound role as Hades. And the longer she remains in Hades the more secrets are revealed about her true origins. A confrontation with a Dark Angel brings two revelations to the Evie - the true identity of Daniel, the Master of the Irin's assistant, and who is he to Evie herself.

While a trip into the depths of Hades leads Evie into the fiery depths of Tartarus and eventually to the eternal peace of Elysium, will Evie find the peace she seeks? And what about the smoking hot Julian, god of Hades? How far is he willing to go to keep Evie at his side?

Chapter 1 

Two weeks to the Ascension Ceremony



Evie stared at her hands and wondered, not for the first time, why they didn't shine with the blood she'd spilled a few days ago. She flexed her fingers, turning her hands over to study them in the light of the blazing fire. Long lean fingers, neatly manicured nails. Elegant hands for a cold-blooded killer. Only the slightly darker calluses on the inside of her fingers hinted at the hours of weapons-practice, hours of using weapons to kill.

She was used to being the executioner, although never guilty of ending an undeserving life. Not until the insidiously evil Marcellus Bactor had taken over as the Master of the Brotherhood of the Irin. As a warrior under the Brotherhood she'd performed missions of charity, missions of freedom, and of course missions of death. But under Marcellus death had become the sole function of the Irin.

Breakfast had not appealed to her at all. She hadn't expected to feel so strange after dispatching Marcellus. He'd been running the Brotherhood, his own needs more important than those of the humans whom they were all meant to protect. And, now she knew he'd killed her guardian, Patrick, and robbed her of the only father she'd ever known.

And yet here she was, feeling as though she ought to receive some sort of punishment for murdering the Master of the Irin. And for the first time she wondered what the Brotherhood and all her fellow Nephilim were doing right now. Choosing another Master? Perhaps Daniel? She shuddered at the thought. What was that saying? Frying pan and fire.

She sighed and shifted in the sofa, moving her cheek away from the warm flames of the fire. Julian's study was warm and cozy, and modern. Unlike anything she'd ever expected to see deep within the bowels of the earth. Dark wood shelves covered the walls filled to overflowing with books from every age, in every language. Comfortable sofas in earthy tones were scattered around the space, convenient spots for curling up with an interesting read. She tossed her dark hair over her shoulder and away from the heat from the fireplace.

She smiled at the memory of Castor's reaction to Marcellus' death just hours ago. He'd barely blinked on seeing the bloody remains of their old Master. Not that she should have expected tears considering Castor had borne the brunt of Marcellus's fury when Evie had left Greylock Estate in search of the Underworld. Evie's stomach tightened when she thought of Castor's little home on the grounds of the estate. A place the half demon had loved, a place now burnt to ash. But Castor's woes didn't seem to worry him too much right now. He was being well entertained by Pollo and his eclectic band of servants.

Julian had gone off on an errand in a bit of a hurry; something about a volcanic eruption in the South Pacific. That left Evie to her own devices, which wouldn't have been so bad if she had not needed to worry about Persephone. Evie was constantly on guard where the cold-hearted goddess was concerned, what with Persephone having already tried once to kill her. But so far she didn't seem to want to repeat the attempt. Maybe she was concerned about what Julian would do to her should she succeed. Evie snorted. No chance she'd let her guard down though.

Evie's skin tingled and she glanced at the shifting letters tattooed into her skin. They seemed alive, twisting and writhing beneath the surface of her pale skin like living things. Something Evie was yet to get accustomed to. She studied the markings then returned her attention to the pages of the ancient book lying open on her lap.

A book of dead languages, scripts from a time long gone. Perhaps a source of information, perhaps a way to undo this curse that she'd brought upon herself. Twelve seals to make a god. Not a bad way to turn an angel into the King of the Underworld.

She suppressed another sigh and rubbed her forehead. Suddenly the room seemed to close in on her and she felt desperate to leave the confining comfort of the study. She'd been on edge for hours now. What she probably needed was a sparring session. Something she wasn't likely to get down here.

She shut the book and left it on the sofa, heading for the door on feet that seemed to think she was in a hurry to be somewhere. Outside, the cool air from the shadowed tunnels teased her overly warm cheeks. She glanced up and down the passage listening for the sounds of approaching feet or hooves. Nothing. Torches shone at both ends of the tunnel, their flickering yellow light dancing and reflecting against the ominous jagged black stone of the tunnel walls.

Evie let her feet guide her, although part of her knew exactly where they were leading her.



SHORT EXCERPTS



She felt awkward standing there in front of him. Until he rested his hand on her arm. The touch of his skin to hers set off a million tiny sparks, sending a shiver of anticipation up and down her spine.

***



She moved forward and so did Julian, until their lips were a hairs-breadth from meeting. Electricity sizzled between them and for a moment Evie's legs wobbled. She tipped forward toward him, reaching for Julian's shoulder to help steady her. Only touching his hard, muscled arm didn't help to steady her in any way.

***


Touching him set her body on fire, and she felt him shift, move toward her. He cupped the back of her head, tilting her face, giving him access to her lips.

And then he kissed her.

This time his exploration was not tentative. He kissed her hard, with a pent-up passion that felt dangerous and delicious all at the same time. Evie's heart thundered against her ribs as she kissed him back. She curled her arm around his neck and pulled him closer.
***



RETRIBUTION (Chronicles of the Irin, #1)
  Release Date:
14th March 2014
Publisher:
Infinite Ink Books
Add To Goodreads

PURCHASE LINK
Her name is Evangeline and she is Nephilim.

Evie belongs to the Brotherhood Irin and together with all the other Nephilim of the world she is protector to humanity, protector against evil. But evil has found its way into the Brotherhood. Someone has murdered her guardian and Marcellus, the New Master makes demands of the warriors that go against all they stand for. Demands Evie just can’t carry out.

Evie uncovers Marcellus’ plan to collect a set of special seals, but when a high-level demon reveals the truth behind the Seals of Hades, Evie know there is no way she can allow the Master of the Irin to get his hands on them. But will keeping the Seals from Marcellus cause her to sacrifice more that she should? Will vengeance for her guardian’s death be enough or will she need more to satisfy her Immortal soul?



 I have been a writer from the time I was old enough to recognize that reading was a doorway into my imagination. Poetry was my first foray into the art of the written word. Books were my best friends, my escape, my haven. I am essentially a recluse but this part of my personality is impossible to practice given I have two teenage daughters, who are actually my friends, my tea-makers, my confidantes… I am blessed with a husband who has left me for golf. It’s a fair trade as I have left him for writing. We are both passionate supporters of each others loves – it works wonderfully…

My heart is currently broken in two. One half resides in South Africa where my old roots still remain, and my heart still longs for the endless beaches and the smell of moist soil after a summer downpour. My love for Ma Afrika will never fade. The other half of me has been transplanted to the Land of the Long White Cloud. The land of the Taniwha, beautiful Maraes, and volcanoes. The land of green, pure beauty that truly inspires. And because I am so torn between these two lands – I shall forever remain cross-eyed.

Website | Blog | Facebook | Facebook Page |Twitter | Amazon | Goodreads | Shelfari
 


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Monday, September 29, 2014

Cover RevealAn Unexpected Love (Love, #1) by Kylie J ~Kami

Cover RevealAn Unexpected Love (Love, #1) by Kylie J
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About the Author


Hey Y’all, My name’s Kylie J. I’m 26 and a single momma to a 7 year old princess. I was born and raised in Kentucky. I help run a boutique with my momma and I own a modeling business. I started actually writing about a year ago. However I’ve been telling stories since I was a kid. I love to read, listen to music and watch movies with my little lady when I get free time to do so. I was inspired by so many Authors such as A.M. Willard, Alice Clayton, M. Leighton, Jamie McGuire, Jodi Ellen Malpas, and so many others.

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Synopsis


Ten years ago tragedy struck Kyler, leaving her pregnant and alone. She did what she had to do to survive. But that's all she was doing. That is until he crashed into her life.
Caleb Hudson was always destined to be the playboy and never settle down. Walking into the studio that day, he wasn't expecting to find her.
Fate decided she had another plan for them.
When they both least expected it, a bond between them was formed. The bond that may end up saving their lives.

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Where to find Kylie J 


Street Team (Ky’s Lovelies) ~ https://www.facebook.com/groups/647509965329511/
Want to help out with Kylie J’s Street Team? Make sure and fill out this questionnaire so she can get to know you a bit better ~


Where to find An Unexpected Love



Teasers


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Tour Hosted By:



Kris Austen Radcliffe Cover Reveal ~Kami

Love dragons? Check out the new cover art for Kris Austen Radcliffe's Activation: The Complete Fate - Fire - Shifter - Dragon First Trilogy.

Kris worked with artist Joseph Garcia to create the special features of one of the series' most beloved characters: Ladon-Dragon.  Some of the questions they dealt with were:

How do we showcase the beast's opalescent hide?
His six taloned hands?
How do we represent the romance aspect of the story?

But we think Kris and Joseph did an excellent job!  Kudos to the artist, Joseph Garcia.  Plus,

Activation: The Complete Fate - Fire - Shifter - Dragon First Trilogy 
is on EARLY BIRD sale for $3.99 until October 17th. 
Save $7.00!
See below for buy links.

Now, on to the cover art:

Joe’s pencils.  He suggested the double ring design to represent the romantic side of the stories.

Joe’s first round of colors, including the pallet he picked up off the single title covers.

Joe added the “burning world” aspect of the stories to the rings.

Final Trilogy cover.

3D cover box set cover.

Print edition cover.

And so there you have it, from pencil drawing to final covers.  Also, here is a technical drawing that Joseph did to show the intricate physiology of dragon hands. 


Also, if you'd like to learn more about the real-life young woman who inspired the character of Rysa, check out this blog post:

Now on to the book blurb:

Rysa Torres: The Fate who will burn the world.

Ladon Drake: The only man capable of stopping the inevitable rain of fire.

Ghouls called Burners see Rysa as their savior. The past-, present-, and future-seeing Fates see her as the ultimate weapon against the coming apocalypse. And the Shifters just want her dead.

But Rysa is much more than the overwhelmed young woman Ladon and his companion beast, Dragon, find. She sees beyond the weight of the burdens he carries: She’s his key to forgiveness.

Trilogy One of the Fate – Fire – Shifter – Dragon series pits Rysa, Ladon, and Dragon against the worst Burners, Fates, and Shifters on Earth—and their own demons. Will their love be enough to keep them alive?

The Fate Fire Shifter Dragon series begins with the Activation Trilogy:

Games of Fate: Rysa Torres stumbles through life as she fights against her ADHD. But when monsters activate a hidden power, Rysa becomes the Fate at the center of an epic battle against a terrifying future—and a world consumed by fire.

When Ladon and Dragon find Rysa, they see the hell a young Fate might unleash. But Ladon quickly realizes Rysa is much more than the daughter of an old enemy—she is his key to forgiveness.

Will they accept the future, or will they break the bonds of fate?

Conpulsio: 79 AD: Rome presses outward. Vesuvius smokes. Ladon exacts a terrible vengeance for an unthinkable act—and sets in motion the unavoidable collision of four people:

Two Fates bound by the rigidity of the past and the arrogance of the future.

One Shifter with a gift too vile to use.

And a man and a dragon who must save them from the mountain’s smoldering anger—and the weight of their souls’ ashes.

Flux of Skin: Century after century, the need to do battle with with malicious Fates, Shifters, and Burners always won. The world needed Ladon. So he fought. But now he’s left his past, and his violence, behind. He found a new way: A quiet, modern life with his beloved Rysa.

When a vicious group of Shifters rains death down onto everyone he loves, Rysa’s developing abilities turn into a raging cyclone. Her body—and his mind—rip apart. Violence edges back in. But Ladon needs to find the strength to save his family before his rupturing soul destroys everything….

Pop Rocks, a Texas tale of horror: Billy Bare attempts his rock star comeback. Fire, though, has other ideas.

Fifth of Blood: An insane Shifter stole Rysa’s talisman, jacked her body, and caused her abilities to nova. Now, she wastes away in front of Ladon’s eyes and he can’t stop the power that’s eating her alive.

Watching her anguish triggers flashbacks. When Ladon’s soul ruptures, only Rysa holds the cure he needs. But she’s too far away to stop what’s eating him alive.

With the help of the newly-healed, newly-invincible Derek, Rysa runs from the worst Fates and Burners on the planet as she desperately tries to heal Ladon—and herself.  Can she solve their problems—and recover her talisman—before the long immortal find their prey?

More in the Fate – Fire – Shifter – Dragon universe:
Bonds
Daisy Reynolds might be taller and more athletic than the average seventeen-year-old, but she doesn’t make waves. Hiding from her klepto mom’s terrifying Shifter ex-boss makes an invisible life necessary. But when a Burner—a chaos ghoul—gets a whiff of Daisy, hiding turns into running for her life.

Daisy soon realizes the conflicts around her run deeper than nasty ghouls and mean Shifters looking to beat up her mom. Future-seeing Fates want a piece of her, too.

But some fates cannot be escaped unless you have courage… and an unlikely ally.

Bonds, Episode One of The Silence Cycle, introduces Daisy Reynolds Pavlovich, an important new character to the Fate – Fire – Shifter – Dragon universe. Join Daisy as she navigates a landscape punctuated by unfamiliar creatures:

Fates with the ability to see past, present, and future.
Ghouls called Burners who devour with fire and acid.
Shifters who shape much more than their bodies.
And two dragons who speak with color and pattern.

Broken
After Daisy Reynolds’s friend and protector vanishes into the desert, she realizes one option remains: Leave San Diego for Branson, Missouri, and ask for help at the bar favored by the dragons.

The Shifters at The Land of Milk and Honey hold the key to finding her missing father, but they also have the power to compel her to spill her secrets. When threatened with an enthralling, Daisy runs.

But bad people take advantage of the threatened and the vulnerable—and escaping a very bad person soon becomes Daisy’s only option for survival…
Warning: While not graphic, the situations depicted in Broken are at times difficult and brutal, and for adult readers only.

Watch for Silent, 
Episode Three of the Silence Cycle, 
available November, 2014. 


Join Rysa, Ladon, Daisy, 
and all the characters of the Fate – Fire – Shifter – Dragon universe 
in Book Four, 
All But Human
available in early 2015. 

Where to get The Activation Trilogy:

Links for the author - Kris Austen Radcliffe

Links for the artist, Joseph Garcia

Variables of Love by MK Schiller review with giveaway ~Kami






Title: Variables of Love
Author: MK Schiller 
Genre: NA Multicultural Novel
Hosted by: Lady Amber's Tours
             

MY REVIEW: This is a really cute story. The writing and pacing are really good. Meena is an Indian who believes in arranged marriages. Ethan is the cute mathematics major who's interested in dating her. I really liked this nerdy love story. It is also sad and poignant. There are a lot of topics touched upon in this book that are so timely in this star crossed lovers tale. It is so sad that there are still so many people in the world who aren't allowed to be with those they love because of their family or their culture. Reading this book, a lot of the time I was on the verge of tears. 5 stars. 

Blurb:
Meena Kapoor knows what life has in store for her. She’s in her senior year at Stanford where she’ll graduate summa cum laude, and then she'll begin her interviews…her marriage interviews
. Meena is Indian, and she’s never questioned that she’ll have an arranged marriage like all the generations before her. Not until she meets gorgeous math major Ethan Callahan. Ethan’s sense of humor and free spirit stir feelings in Meena she didn’t know were possible outside of Bollywood movies. It doesn’t hurt that he’s charming and has the uncanny ability to make math sound like poetry, but Meena knows their equation makes no sense in the real world.

Ethan finds himself intrigued by the mysterious, beautiful girl, whose big, brown eyes reflect great pain. His goals are small at first—to make her smile and then to laugh. But he soon wants more, and though Meena is adamant they have no future, he convinces her to share the present. Ethan believes every problem has a solution, but with cultural expectations and family duty among the variables, they will struggle to solve the ultimate equation to find happiness.



Author Bio:
I am a hopeless romantic in a hopelessly pragmatic world. I have a full time life and two busy teenagers, but in the dark of night, I sit by the warm glow of my computer monitor, reading or writing, usually with some tasty Italian…the food that is!
I started imagining stories in my head at a very young age. In fact, I got so good at it that friends asked me to create plots featuring them as the heroine and the object of their affection as the hero. You've heard of fan fiction... this was friend fiction.
I hope you enjoy my stories and always find The Happily Ever After in every endeavor.
I love hearing from readers so please write to me!

Excerpts:

Excerpt 1
“Goodbye, girl-who-bumps-into-strangers. I only call you that because I don’t know your name.” Yes, and I won’t give it because hearing it said out loud by your deep, sexy voice will make me loose whatever dignity I have left.
I smiled at his description, feeling more myself as each step carried me farther away from his beautiful face, sculpted muscles, and boyish grin.
“See you later, gorgeous-boy-who-picks-up-and-arranges-clumsy-girls’-essays,” I uttered under my breath when I was out of earshot.
Of course, I knew who he was. Ethan Callahan, the boy who sat in the back row of Advanced Statistics. The same boy who made frequent cameos in my daydreams. I hated that he sat in the back of the lecture hall. I only saw him enter and exit the classroom. I wanted to see him enter and exit other things…like me.

Excerpt 2
“It is kind of cool…the mating for life thing. There are so few species that mate for life.”
I turned and stared at him, feeling my heart flutter by his very close presence. His hand twitched a bit, like it wanted to grab mine. Was he feeling the same charge of electricity I was? I wanted to be honest with him. After I told him, he would probably rather hang out with a swan.
“That’s why I love them. They are just like me.”
He didn’t seem frazzled by what I’d said. He was quiet, soaking in my words. Rachael told me statements like this were the fastest way to get a guy to leave you alone, but Ethan didn’t even seem surprised. “You mate for life, Meena?”
“My people do”
“Economists?” he asked with an amused grin.
“Very funny.”
“Are you saying there are no Indian divorces?” His question sounded genuine.
“There are exceptions to every rule, but we do have the lowest divorce rate in the world.”
“Why do you think that is?”
“It’s culturally discouraged.”
He nodded. “Maybe, it should be here too. But is that really the only reason? It makes it sound like it’s very difficult to get yourself out of a bad situation.”
“It’s difficult, but usually not impossible. That’s not the only reason. I think the marriages, in general, are stronger and more stable.”
“What makes them stronger? Religion? Culture?” I was quiet for a moment, contemplating my response. “Come on, the answer to the Western woes of wedlock could be solved by this very conversation. Surely, you have a theory.”
“Two words—arranged marriage.”
His eyebrows shot up. I had finally surprised him, but he didn’t hesitate with his next question. “People still do that?”
“It’s not as common as it was, but it’s not uncommon either. Most Hindu marriages are the result of an arrangement.”
“I don’t know anyone who would want to get married like that.”
I sucked in a deep breath, but didn’t let my eyes waver from his. “Yes, you do.”

Teaser 1
I could feel myself growing hard as my name spilled from her sexy mouth. It sounded flirty, but her posture was too stiff to support that idea. She pressed her lips together, like she was trying to keep them in place, although the corners of her mouth bent up just a tiny bit. Come on, baby, smile for me.

Teaser 2
“Meena is an interesting name. How do you spell it?” Darren asked.
M-I-N-E, I wanted to say, but I kept my mouth shut while she answered.

Teaser 3
He tried tofurkey and did his best not to gag. I tried to give him a blowjob with similar results.

Teaser 4
Ethan—I want to see you tonight.
Meena—Me 2. Cant.
Ethan—Why? Also, please write out your messages. I hate text short hand.
Meena—Seriously? You write out your texts and also use punctuation? That’s very anal.
Ethan—We’re talking about anal…already?



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