Book Tour: The Familial Witch by Bri Clark

The Familial Witch
By Bri Clark

Blurb:
Lucien Lemione the clan leader of the feared and revered Eternals is faced with the ultimate betrayal. His second in command for two centuries has not only created the most grievous of offenses but also commissioned the creation of liquid silver. When poisoned by this toxin, an immortal suffers a fate much worse than death, frozen in an internal prison. After being wounded when found spying, he hides deep within the eerie woods that encircle the Triad Mountains. Desperate and in pain, he prays to an offended mother goddess for help. Her answer: a woman, but not just any woman. A witch.

After losing her entire coven at the hands of the Eternals, Aisleen is the last of her kind. She retreats from the world to Trinity Forest where she is giving the opportunity of a lifetime, or perhaps a test of principles. It’s there she discovers the man she heals is the Eternal that wiped out her people. Although she is bound as a healer, she could be creative in her revenge. Aisleen knows who and what Lucien his…but does not speak of it. There can be no future with Lucien for she can only be with a mortal man. Even if she wanted to be with him, can she forgive the man that caused the genocide of her people?

Lucien must act quickly for the survival of his clan is at stake. However, Aisleen’s ethereal beauty and emerald eyes keep pushing those thoughts far from his mind. Determined to find out what secret she hides, he prolongs his time with her. When his people need him most what will he choose…duty, desire, or will he make his own fate?

You can choose love but you can’t choose destiny.

Amazon Buy Link B&N Buy Link Publisher Buy Link

About the Author:

Bri Clark is a real example of redemption and renewal. Growing penniless in the South, Bri learned street smarts while caring for her brother in a broken home. She watched her mother work several jobs to care for their small family. Once her brother could fend for himself, Bri moved on to a series of bad choices including leaving school and living on her own.

Rebelliousness was a strong understatement to describe those formative years. As a teenager, her wakeup call came from a fight with brass knuckles and a judge that gave her a choice of shaping up or spending time in jail. She took that opportunity and found a way to moved up from the streets. She ended up co-owning an extremely successful construction business. She lived the high life until the real estate crash when she lost everything.

She moved west and found herself living with her husband and 4 kids in a 900 square foot apartment. She now fills her time, writing, blogging, leading a group of frugal shoppers and sharing her southern culture. Her unique background gives her writing a raw sensibility. She understands what it takes to overcome life’s obstacles. She often tells friends, “I can do poor. I’m good at poor. It’s prosperity that I’m not used to.”

Bri and her husband Chris live in Boise. Bri is known as the Belle of Boise for her true southern accent, bold demeanor and hospitable nature.

Bri boasts several positions in the publishing industry. An author, professional reviewer, blogger, and literary strategist she enjoys all aspects of her career from the creation of story to the branding and marketing needed to make her books successful.

Bri Contact Links

Twitter, Facebook, G+, Goodreads, Blog

Jeffrey Archer is doing a book tour in South Africa

Pan MacMillan South Africa has announced that Jeffrey Archer will be visiting South Africa to promote his new book.  How exciting is that!!

Blurb:
New York, 1939. Tom Bradshaw is arrested for first degree murder. He stands accused of killing his brother. When Sefton Jelks, a top Manhattan lawyer, offers his services for nothing, penniless Tom has little choice but to accept his assurance of a lighter sentence. After Tom is tried, found guilty and sentenced, Jelks disappears, and the only way for him to prove his innocence would be to reveal his true identity – something that he has sworn never to do in order to protect the woman he loves.
Meanwhile, the young woman in question travels to New York, leaving their son behind in England, having decided she'll do whatever it takes to find the man she was to marry – unwilling to believe that he died at sea. The only proof she has is a letter. A letter that has remained unopened on a mantelpiece in Bristol for over a year.
In Jeffrey Archer's epic novel, family loyalties are stretched to their limits as secrets unravel, and the story moves from the backstreets of Bristol to the boardrooms of Manhattan.

The events are as follows:

Sunday 15 April 2012

17h00   Open event, free of charge, at Skoobs book store in Monte Casino, JHB

Monday, 16 April 2012

07h30-09h00      Sheba breakfast at the Hyatt Hotel in Rosebank.  This is open to the public but they have to book and pay through Joy Simpson at jsimpson@netactive.co.za

18h30    Sunday Times Exclusive Books Reader’s Event.  Open to the public but will have to be booked and paid for.  Adverts for these events will be found in the Sunday Times and The Times.

Wednesday, 18 April 2012

19h00       Durban Country Club.  Will have to be booked and paid for through Janine O Connor at Janine@booksandbooks.co.za

Book Tour: Eve Eden vs The Zombie Horde by Suz Korb

You guys know that I cannot resist a zombie book and with the title like this one, you can image that it is definately on my TBR pile!!

Eve Eden Vs The Zombie Horde By Suz Korb
Genre: Paranormal YA
Book Description:

Kidnapped by a vampire, epically farted on by a pug and dragged through the pits of Hell. Welcome to Eve Eden’s world in the small and strange town of Twin Forest.
Eve has goals. She has dreams and ambitions that don’t involve staying in this weird, podunk town. When supernatural forces collide, dropping her into the heart of England, she’s not pleased. When Eve said she wanted to get the heck out of dodge, she didn’t mean getting transported into a castle dungeon.
A hellish incident turns Eve’s hair white. She can’t explain a slight attraction to a vampire who’s been sent to kill her. Can life get any worse? Apparently it can, because just around the corner at Twin Forest’s cemetery… waits the zombie horde.






An excerpt from Eve Eden vs. the Zombie Horde starring Thunderbug: the epic farting pug. After everything I've seen. After everything I've been subjected to over the past... however many days, this has got to be the most confounding experience of all.
As Nathan's lips gently (gently!) touch my own, my face burns. My eyes start to water and I don't have a clue what I should do. So I just shut my heavy lids.
I've never been kissed.
Least of all by a blood-sucking vampire!
I'm so panicked and confused my brain wanders off to the random thought of dogs. In fact, I can actually hear a dog barking in my imagination right now.
Nathan pulls away from me.
There's a rush of air between our faces now, it immediately cools my cheeks.
"Bark! Bark! Bark!"
Bark, bark, bark?
"Where did that dog come from?" Nathan says.
My eyes fly open. I whip my head around to see none other than Thunderbug bounding towards us on his little pug paws.
"That pup belongs to Bubbles!" I say with a smile. I've never been more happy to see someone else's dog in my entire life.
Turning my whole body toward the racing pug, I go down on one knee and reach my arms forward. I'm ready to catch him. At the rate he's running though, he might succeed in knocking me back.
Thunderbug leaps over a stalagmite on the floor of the cave. Then he jumps over an even higher one. Impossibly, the flat faced little scamp next flies over a ten foot stalagmite. He heads toward me, jumps in an arch over my head and I watch as if in slow motion as he crashes into Nathan's chest.
If I expected the pug to bounce off and crash to the floor, I'd be wrong.
Thunderbug totally takes Nathan down.
I barely have time to register the look of surprise on his face, before he vanishes. What's more is, Thunderbug disappears too.
No wait! Nathan's over there, in the far corner of the cave. There's Thunderbug too! How is it possible for a doggy to move as fast as a vampire? I don't know, but Thunderbug is doing so.
Actually, the pug is now flashing around the room in locations different to where Nathan is appearing. During the last flash of re-appearance, Nathan blinks into the place just behind Thunderbug's rear end.
Uh oh...
Yep. Thunderbug, lets out a gaseous explosion from his butt that is so epic, I swear I see a mushroom-cloud blast into Nathan.
He goes down. The vampire has just been farted into submission by a super flatulent pug.




 

Author Bio:
Author Suz Korb writes supernatural comedy-horror novels with a splash of paranormal romance. The first novel in her Bedeviled trilogy, Eve Eden vs. the Zombie Horde, is a young adult adventure tale of hellish proportions.

Visit Suz at her website http://www.suzkorb.com

 The author is giving away an eBook in the format of your choice to one lucky commenter.  So leave a message for Suz and I will draw a winner on Saturday 31 March 2012.  PLEASE NOTE that the book is still in editing and will only be send to the winner after publication.

Wishlist: Amped by Daniel H Wilson

I loved Robopocalypse, so I am eager to try another futuristic novel by Daniel H Wilson.

Goodreads blurb:
Technology makes them superhuman. But mere mortals want them kept in their place. The New York Times bestselling author of Robopocalypse creates a stunning, near-future world where technology and humanity clash in surprising ways. The result? The perfect summer blockbuster.

As he did in Robopocalypse, Daniel Wilson masterfully envisions a frightening near-future world. In Amped, people are implanted with a device that makes them capable of superhuman feats. The powerful technology has profound consequences for society, and soon a set of laws is passed that restricts the abilities—and rights—of "amplified" humans. On the day that the Supreme Court passes the first of these laws, twenty-nine-year-old Owen Gray joins the ranks of a new persecuted underclass known as "amps." Owen is forced to go on the run, desperate to reach an outpost in Oklahoma where, it is rumored, a group of the most enhanced amps may be about to change the world—or destroy it.

Once again, Daniel H. Wilson's background as a scientist serves him well in this technologically savvy thriller that delivers first-rate entertainment, as Wilson takes the "what if" question in entirely unexpected directions. Fans of Robopocalypse are sure to be delighted, and legions of new fans will want to get "amped" this summer.

Book Tour: Rise from the Darkness by Ciara Knight

Rise From Darkness
Book One: Battle of the Souls

Publisher: Turquoise Morning Press
Young Adult Paranormal

Blurb:
Alexander Lorre gives new meaning to the term “tormented teen”. He’s a newly fallen angel, which means he has the self-control of a three-year-old, the hormones of a teenager and the strength of an angel. When he rescues Gaby Moore from drowning, the chemistry between them is undeniable. With a local demon threatening Gaby’s life, he struggles to find a balance between remaining close enough to protect her but distant enough to control his desires.

As danger draws closer, Gaby uncovers shattering secrets that will lead to an ultimate choice. Will she fight alongside her father, an earthbound hunter killing fallen angels and demons, give into the demon blood coursing through her veins and join the demon world, or save the man she loves from both? The first two choices damn her, but the last one could destroy them all.

About The Author:

Ciara Knight always had a passion for storytelling. At an early age, she wrote several short stories and poems, and in college she started work on her first novel. It wasn’t until late 2008 that she returned to her true passion of writing. Over the past few years she has penned five novels and joined several professional writing organizations to better her craft.

When not writing, she enjoys reading all types of fiction. Some great literary influences in her life include Edgar Allen Poe, Shakespeare, Francine Rivers and J K Rowling.

Ciara is happily married and enjoys family time. She has learned to embrace chaos, which is a requirement when raising three boys, and utilizes the insanity to create stories not of this world including, Fantasy, Paranormal, Sci-Fi, and Young Adult Dystopian.

Her first love, besides her family, reading, and writing, is travel. She’s backpacked through Europe, visited orphanages in China, and landed in a helicopter on a glacier in Alaska.

Website: www.ciaraknight.com

Facebook Fan Page: http://www.facebook.com/Ciaraknightwrites

Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/ciaratknight

 

Wish List: Once (Eve Book 2) by Anna Carey

I read Eve, the first in the series last year and loved it (see my review).  Here is the sequel, being released later this year.

Title: Once
Series:  Eve #2
Author: Anna Carey
Genre: Dystopian Fiction
Publication date: 03 July 2012

Goodreads blurb:
Sixteen years have passed since a deadly virus wiped out most of the Earth’s population. After learning of the terrifying part she and her classmates were fated to play in the rebuilding of New America, eighteen-year-old Eve fled to the wilds and Califia, a haven for women determined to live outside the oppressive rule of the king of New America. However, her freedom came at a price: she was forced to leave Caleb, the boy she loves, wounded and alone at the city gates. Eve quickly learns that Califia may not be as safe as it seems and soon finds herself in the City of Sand and the palace of the king. There she uncovers the real reason he was so intent on her capture, and the unbelievable role he intends her to fill. When she is finally reunited with Caleb, they will enact a plan as daring as it is dangerous. But will Eve once again risk everything—her freedom, her life—for love?
Brimming with danger and star-crossed romance, and featuring a vivid dystopian landscape, this electrifying follow-up to Eve, which bestselling author Lauren Kate called “a gripping, unforgettable adventure—and a fresh look at what it means to love” is sure to appeal to fans who crave the high-stakes adventure of The Hunger Games and the irresistible love story of Romeo and Juliet.

Book Tour: The Zombie Story and Dead Relatives by MM Shelley

These covers are just amazing, don’t you think?

The Zombie Story
By M.M. Shelley

The Zombie Story is the first novella in a young adult series.

Unfolding on the streets of Los Angeles is a new breed of monster...

Orlando, fresh from the mid west, arrives at his new high school on his Harley Davidson.

All he wants is to make it through the day, and begin his training as a Zombie Hunter.

But someone has different plans for him.

 

 

Dead Relatives
Book 2

After discovering what was hidden in Mexico and having to sneak back across the border Orlando returns to Los Angeles, but is unable to return to his home.

Instead of hunting Zombies he is now hunted.

Betrayed by those he thought he could trust, Orlando must keep the truth of what he knows to himself.

That is until dead relatives return with dire warnings.

About the Author:

M.M. Shelley is a storyteller, word smith and dreamer. MISHAP AND MAYHEM, a captivating story of faerie's and magic, is her debut novel. She has traveled the world extensively in search of the magic which is often overlooked in everyday life. M.M. Shelley is a native of southern California, and a student of mythology from which she gets much inspiration.

Visit M.M. Shelley at her blog: www.mmshelley.blogspot.com

Anniversary Party at THE ROMANCE REVIEWS

I am a reviewer at THE ROMANCE REVIEWS website!  We are having our first anniversary and there is LOADS of prizes to be won!  Come take a look – here. 

Book Review: Ashfall by Mike Mullin

Title: Ashfall
Author: Mike Mullin
Genre: Dystopian Young Adult
Publication date: 14 October 2011
Author’s website: http://www.mikemullinauthor.com/
Source: eCopy received from NetGalley

Goodreads blurb:
Under the bubbling hot springs and geysers of Yellowstone National Park is a supervolcano. Most people don't know it's there. The caldera is so large that it can only be seen from a plane or satellite. It just could be overdue for an eruption, which would change the landscape and climate of our planet.

Ashfall is the story of Alex, a teenage boy left alone for the weekend while his parents visit relatives. When the Yellowstone supervolcano erupts unexpectedly, Alex is determined to reach his parents. He must travel over a hundred miles in a landscape transformed by a foot of ash and the destruction of every modern convenience that he has ever known, and through a new world in which disaster has brought out both the best and worst in people desperate for food, water, and warmth. With a combination of nonstop action, a little romance, and very real science, this is a story that is difficult to stop reading and even more difficult to forget.

My thoughts:
We are so lucky to have so many dystopian novels to choose from these days and choosing ASHFALL will be a good choice!  I loved this book from the first page and Alex immediately crawled into my heart.

Alex is home alone for the weekend, playing his favourite computer game when a huge roar signals the end of civilisation.   Before he knows what is happening, his home is caving in on him – literally.  A huge volcano has erupted and soon ash is falling down on everything and blocking out the sun.  Alex is trapped in a hazy world where people are turning against each other in a desperate fight for food and life!

But Alex is not one to sit trapped with his neighbours and wait for things to get back to normal – he wants to get to his family.  So begins the long and often scary journey across the country to find home.  This new world is filled with mad men, desperate people that will do anything to protect themselves or take what you have.

Along the way, Alex finds Darla.  She is a strong willed girl used to fending for herself and her family.  Darla and her mom take Alex in and nurses him back to health.  It was fun having a female character who could literally teach Alex a thing or two (and often did!). 

The love story between Alex and Darla grows slowly throughout the book and it made is feel more real for me.  I cannot image going through what this couple has to endure but they face each new day heroically.

I am looking forward to the second in this trilogy.

Book Tour: Return of the Legacy by KH LeMoyne

A Take on Writer’s / Reader’s Slump

Thank you to All The Days Of for having me and challenging me with such an interesting post topic!

Let me first say that I do have an approach for both of these, at least one that works for me. And my definition for ‘slump’ = not wanting to bother, feeling unsatisfied.

Let me take the reader’s slump first. Like many people, I have my go-to list of favorite authors and they range across several genres. I’ve loved to read since I was young and my major regret as a full-time writer is that I no longer have the time to read as much as I would like. But there are still new books coming out and wonderful deals on new authors on Kindle and Nook and other sites, so my to-be-read pile is huge. And it’s not all romance.

Don’t get me wrong, I love that wonderful high of finishing a great romance. And I love finding an author who has a series so I can just keep right on reading in their fictional world. But that’s not always possible. I also typically read other genres than what I’m writing. So, if my latest story was more high fantasy—I tend to read suspense, urban fantasy or even thrillers. If I’m writing urban fantasy—I tend to read suspense, comedy, and lately, I’ve added young adult to the mix and sometimes non-fiction.

So my first recommendation for a reader slump is get outside of the box of what you normally read. Try another genre. Sometimes your favorite authors actually write in other genres. Try those. Or if you have a character type that you tend to like, such as a strong alpha male or female, look for stories that headline those types of characters, whether it’s romance or not.

For writer’s slump, hmm. I don’t have the problem of not knowing what to write. I have more than enough stories planned for all my series to keep me busy. By that, I mean I have actual plots and characters with snippets and actions waiting in files to be put on paper. Characters hounding me to finish the book I’m working on and give them some satisfaction.

What I do run into is the sluggish feeling that can accompany the writing of a scene. As a little background, I’m a plotter. My stories already have the character arcs developed and an outline of forty to sixty scenes before I start writing the book. I know where the story starts and where it will end before I begin. And I know the major incidents that will have to take place to get from here to there. Some bits of those scene details have snippets of dialog, others will just have the major plot points that are covered in that scene. I’ve done this for Return of the Legacy as well as a general overview of the Portals of Destiny series arc. It help me stay on track with the point of the series and each book.

However, there is still a great deal of flexibility in the actually writing and the brain kicks in with its own creative influence as the process evolves. So pantsers, don’t write off the benefit to doing some outline and structure first! When a scene just isn’t working and I get that sluggish “I don’t want to write this” feeling, for me, it is actually a sign that I need to go back. I’ve learned that the hesitation and reluctance is associated with the need to flush out something more, develop the excitement for that scene, or consider some reconstruction. Sometimes all that is required is a change in the POV for the scene. Other times it may require scrapping the scene in favor of a stronger delivery for the plot points and character growth required.

I hope both of these are of help to someone out there, reader or writer. I would also love to hear about your approaches and successes dealing with these issues so please don’t hesitate to comment or send me an email.

Best Wishes

~Kate

KH LeMoyne

Thank you so much for your hints, Kate.  I am in a bit of a reader’s slump at the moment, so I might try some of your suggestions :)

Return of the Legacy
by KH LeMoyne

BLURB:
Three magical dimensions…Two mystical bloodlines…One undeniable destiny.

Born a magical empath, Logan MacKenzie has spent his life protecting his family from discovery. Evil has found them anyway. What begins as Logan’s search for answers on Earth becomes a race for survival in the magical dimension of Loci.

The battle to save those he cares about will reveal his true lineage—the bloodline of the Makir, one half of a pair of sentinels chosen to guard the mystical portals between dimensions. The price of his acceptance: a love he never imagined possible and a heartbreaking choice.

Her family attacked, her home destroyed, and now stranded on Loci, Briallen of Tir Thar, descendant of a magical race, has only to summon the power within her to return to her own dimension—or so she had hoped. Unfortunately, her powers aren’t cooperating, and the sorcerer bent on her family’s destruction will stop at nothing to possess her.

Raised without knowledge of the portals, the Makir guardians, or her own destiny, Bri takes a leap of faith in an alliance with Logan. Embracing an uncertain power and accepting his goals as hers offers her the only way home. If they fail, the consequences of allowing the portals to fall to evil are unthinkable—the destruction of every magical dimension throughout space.

Warning: This is a fantasy romance, containing magic, love, and courage. The omission of vampires and shapeshifters is intentional.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

EXCERPT
A glint of steel flickered in the shadowed dusk.

“What’s your business here?”

Logan shifted his eyes to make out the owner of the deep rasping voice. He slid his hand higher to palm the child’s head and shield her.

The sword was fisted in the hands of one short, but solid, old man. White hair was plastered to his head. Fierce eyes challenged Logan’s, urging him to make a wrong move. Logan had no doubt a mistake now would end his life. Practiced calm seeped through him and froze him in place.

“Logan.” Robert moved closer, but a sword blade from a second person motioned him silent. Robert sank to his knees beside Logan, hands raised in submission in an attempt to defuse the aggression and take the brunt of the attention.

The position would make no difference. Robert was as deadly on his knees as he was on his feet. So was Logan if the protection of the fragile child hadn’t come first.

“There’s no need to hurt anybody.” Logan’s voice stayed calm and low. “We’re no threat.”

“That’s not for you to determine,” the older man rasped.

He moved his second hand from the rock to the sling.

“Hefin, there’s a child.”

The deep, sultry voice drew Logan’s gaze to the woman’s face. His eyes narrowed. He moved back as she reached toward him, but the sword stopped his movement. Slender long fingers touched the sling with a gentle touch. They paused to cover Logan’s hand on the child’s head, and then retreated. Beneath her hood, he saw the outline of full lips and high cheekbones. Recognition struck a blaze through his body in spite of the wet and cold.

“Stay back from them, Briallen. They’re likely Vandals. Or scouts.”

Her hood feel back. Almond shaped eyes widened before her delicate brows drew together in puzzlement. “No, they are not.”

Ignoring the rivulets from rain that streamed down his face and the sword at his neck Logan met her gaze. “The girl is very sick. She needs a dry, warm place and some medical attention.”

The hand gently pushed aside the blade at Logan’s throat. “Hefin, there is no harm here.”

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

A former technology specialist, KH LeMoyne now writes romance fulltime with series in urban fantasy, high fantasy, and scifi/futuristic. She lives in Maryland with her wonderful husband and corgi. Much to her dismay, she rarely encounters supernatural beings other than on paper. Visit her website: http://www.khlemoyne.com/  or blog: http://fantasypoweredbylove.com/

Links:
Website – www.khlemoyne.com
Purchase locations - Available in ebook & paperback from: Black Opals Books, Amazon, B&N, All Romance/OmniLit, Smashwords
facebook - http://www.facebook.com/kh.lemoyne
twitter –  https://twitter.com/#!/khlemoyne  or  @khlemoyne

The author will be giving away a $25 Amazon or Barnes & Noble GC to one randomly drawn commenter during the tour as well as to the host with the most comments (excluding the author's and the host's). Additionally, she'll choose two randomly drawn winners of The Dragon Rider’s Gift eBook (A Portal Tale), due for release May 1, 2012.

Wishlist: After the Snow by SD Crockett

 

Blurb:
It is 2060 and the new ice age has brought with it fear, uncertainty and political disquiet. Society as we know it has begun to fall apart and outside interests have assumed control of amenities in the West.

Born after the snows, fifteen-year-old Willo lives with his family in the Welsh hills, until his family disappears without trace and Willo is forced to set out into the icy, barren landscape in search of them. Thus begins a journey of survival, betrayal, friendship and ultimately self-discovery. Willo’s is a voice that will stay with you long after you have turned the final page.

It would be easy to place this book in the dystopian genre, but Willo’s is a world not so very far-removed from our own. It is a future as plausible as it is disturbing, which will ignite lively debate amongst its readership.

AFTER THE SNOW was acquired by Macmillan Children’s Books in one of the most hotly contested YA auctions of 2010. Sophie Crockett is an astounding new voice, who will sit alongside Michelle Paver, Patrick Ness and David Almond.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sophie Crockett was brought up on a yacht as her parents circumnavigated the globe. After graduating from London University’s Royal Holloway with a degree in Drama and Theatre Studies, she travelled to Russia as a timber buyer in the Caucasus Mountains. After the birth of her first son in 1996, she returned to the east coast of Suffolk, where she spent five years restoring a derelict Ancient Scheduled Monument – a Martello Tower on the mouth of the River Deben. Other jobs have included trainee car mechanic, landscape gardener and portrait painter. She speaks Russian and French and currently divides her time between the beech forests of the Montagne Noir of Southern France, and Notting Hill, and still travels to Armenia to buy timber. Her experiences in far-flung places inform much of her writing. Sophie is married to the artist Timothy Shepard and has two children.

Book Review: Dark Inside by Jeyn Roberts

 

 

Title: Dark Inside
Series:  Dark Inside #1
Author: Jeyn Roberts
Genre: Dystopian YA Fiction
Publication date: 02 September 2011
Source: Book received from PanMacMillan SA for review

Goodreads blurb:
Four teenagers on the same road in a world gone mad. Struggling to survive, clinging on to love and meaning wherever it can be found. THE DARK INSIDE is a stunning, cinematic thriller: 28 DAYS LATER meets THE ROAD.

Since mankind began, civilizations have always fallen: the Romans, the Greeks, the Aztecs…. Now it’s our turn.

Huge earthquakes rock the world. Cities are destroyed. But something even worse is happening. An ancient evil has been unleashed, hooking on to weakness, turning the unwary into hunters, killers, crazies.

Mason: His mother is dying after a terrible car accident. As he endures a last vigil at her hospital bed, his school is bombed and razed to the ground. Everyone he knows is killed.

Aries: A school bus, an aftershock and a crash. Pulled out of the wreckage by a mysterious stranger, she’s about to discover a world changed forever.

Clementine: An emergency meeting at the town hall that descends into murderous chaos. Outside the rest of their community encircle with weapons. How can those you trust turn into savage strangers?

Michael: A brutal road rage incident. When the police arrive on the scene they gun down the guilty and turn on the by-standing crowd. Where do you go for justice when even the lawmakers have turned bad?

My thoughts:
I am a big fan of dystopian/zombie books and Dark Inside did not disappoint!  I took it along on a little mini holiday in December and when I starting reading, I found myself stealing moments where I could go sit in a corner and read.  I loved this book. 

The story starts with an earthquake which unleashes all kinds of evil when life as we know it, ends.  Most people are turned by this evil and starts murdering people without any reason.  They are not really zombies – zombies can be identified immediately and are usually out to bite you :)  These “baggers” look very normal . . .  until they turn on you.

Dark Inside is told from the different points of view of our main characters which are all very likeable.  The mysterious Daniel who only occasionally drops in to save the day, was especially intriguing and I hope to see lots more of him in the second book.  This book ends with many loose ends and I kind of felt that it was just an introduction to where the real story is going to start.   I cannot wait for the second book in the series to be published.

Thank you to Kelly from PAN MacMillan South Africa!

Author Info:
Jeyn Roberts (pronounced Jen - the Y is silent)grew up in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, and started writing at an early age, having her first story published when she was 16 in a middle-grade anthology called LET ME TELL YOU.
When she was 21, she moved to Vancouver with dreams of being a rock star, graduating from the University of British Columbia with a degree in Writing and Psychology. For the next few years she played in an alternative/punk band called Missing Mile before moving to England where she received her MA from the prestigious Creative Writing graduate course at Bath Spa University. Jeyn is a former singer, songwriter, actress, bicycle courier and tree planter.
An avid traveller, she’s been around the world, most recently, teaching high school in South Korea.
A lover of animals, Jeyn volunteers regularly with helping abandoned and abused animals, especially cats.

Book Tour: A Sliver of Shadow by Allison Pang

A Sliver of Shadow
Book 2 Abby Sinclair Series
By Allison Pang

A Sliver of Shadow Blurb:
Just when her new life as a TouchStone – a mortal bound to help OtherFolk cross between Faery and human worlds – seems to be settling down, Abby Sinclair is left in charge when the Protectorate, Moira, leaves for the Faery Court. And when the Protectorate’s away…let’s just say things spiral out of control when a spell on Abby backfires and the Faery Queen declares the Doors between their worlds officially closed.

The results are disastrous for both sides: OtherFolk trapped in the mortal world are beginning to fade, while Faerie is on the brink of war with the daemons of Hell. Along with her brooding eleven prince Talivar and sexy incubus Brystion, Abby ventures to the CrossRoads in an attempt to override the Queen’s magic. But nothing in this beautiful, dangerous realm will compare to the discoveries she’s making about her past, her destiny, and what she will sacrifice for those she loves.

Buy Links:

Amazon Kindle B&N Nook BAM Powells Indiebound Chapters

A Sliver of Shadow Excerpt:
“Who’s my little man?” The unicorn crooned at Benjamin and then winced when a hank of beard became the baby’s newest form of entertainment.

“Keep that up and you’ll be a baldy chin,” I retorted. “And I don’t recall asking your opinion. Not that that’s ever stopped you before. Talivar around?”

“Nope, burned the coffee again. Ran out to get more.” A snort escaped him. “He’s even worse at it then you are.”

“Probably something about being a prince and not having to actually cook for himself. At least he’s trying. More than I can say for you.” I stooped to search for my Crocs, pushing through dust bunnies and clumps of what suspiciously looked like unicorn droppings. “Christ, Phin, use the toilet or go outside or something.” I snatched my hand away.

“That’s not me. I think you’ve got mice.” His tone became wheedling.

“I’ll bet. Just clean it up.”

“With what? Gonna turn my tail into a broom?” The furred tuft in question flicked as if to make the point.

“I’m sure you’ll come up with something. Besides, aren’t unicorn horns proof against poison? Purifying water, that sort of thing? Surely something that can bring a dead man back to life can disinfect like Lysol?”

Here is a little something about Book 1 in the series:
A Brush of Darkness
Book 1 Abby Sinclair Series

The man of her dreams might be the cause of her nightmares.

Six months ago, Abby Sinclair was struggling to pick up the pieces of her shattered life. Now, she has an enchanted iPod, a miniature unicorn living in her underwear drawer, and a magical marketplace to manage. But despite her growing knowledge of the OtherWorld, Abby isn’t at all prepared for Brystion, the dark, mysterious, and sexy-as- sin incubus searching for his sister, convinced Abby has the key to the succubus’s whereabouts.

Abby has enough problems without having this seductive shape-shifter literally invade her dreams to get information. But when her Faery boss and some of her friends vanish, as well, Abby and Brystion must form an uneasy alliance. As she is sucked deeper and deeper into this perilous world of faeries, angels, and daemons, Abby realizes her life is in as much danger as her heart—and there’s no one she can trust to save her.

About the Author:

A marine biologist in a former life, Allison Pang turned to a life of crime to finance her wild spending habits and need to collect Faberge eggs. A cat thief of notable repute, she spends her days sleeping and nights scaling walls and wooing dancing boys….Well, at least the marine biology part is true. But she was taloned by a hawk once.  She also loves Hello Kitty, sparkly shoes, and gorgeous violinists.

She spends her days in Northern Virginia working as a cube grunt and her nights waiting on her kids and cats, punctuated by the occasional husbandly serenade. Sometimes she even manages to write. Mostly she just makes it up as she goes.

Author Links:

Official site: http://www.heartofthedreaming.com

Borrowing Heaven, Subletting Hell Blog: http://mynfel.blogspot.com

Word Whores Blog: http://word-whores.blogspot.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/apang

Facebook Author page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Allison-Pang/154530877925333

Twitter: @allison_pang (also @phintheunicorn)

Tumblr: http://ionsfolly.tumblr.com

 

In my Mailbox (34)

In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi over at The Story Siren every Sunday. It is a weekly meme that lets everyone see what books you have received in the mail or bought that week.

It is March already and I have not finished a single book.  Oh goodness – what is happening!  I have read a few pages here and a few pages there but nothing has fully grabbed me.  I have tried to find a few books this week that will jumpstart my reading again.  I am finished (rather abruptly) with my assignment, so I hope things will get back to normal again.

I got the following books from NETGALLEY :)

   

What is in your mailbox this week?

Wish List: Earthseed by Pamela Sargent

The ship hurtles through space. Deep within its core, it carries the seed of humankind. Launched by the people of a dying Earth over a century ago, its mission is to find a habitable world for the children—fifteen-year-old Zoheret and her shipmates—whom it has created from its genetic banks.

To Zoheret and her shipmates, Ship has been mother, father, and loving teacher, preparing them for their biggest challenge: to survive on their own, on an uninhabited planet, without Ship’s protection. Now that day is almost upon them...but are they ready to leave Ship? Ship devises a test. And suddenly, instincts that have been latent for over a hundred years take over. Zoheret watches as friends become strangers—and enemies. Can Zoheret and her companions overcome the biggest obstacle to the survival of the human race—themselves?