LORE Review Tour

Xpresso Book Tours is hosting a review tour this week for LORE: TALES OF MYTH AND LEGEND RETOLD. If you haven’t heard about this fantastic YA/NA anthology of myth retellings, check out this awesome tour. Be sure to click the link every day this week to see who’s reviewing LORE and what their impressions are.

THERE’S A GIVEAWAY TOO!!!!!! (You could win 1 of 2 B&N gift cards and swag from some of the authors.) 😉

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I’d also like to give a huge THANKS to all the folks who took the time to read and review LORE. *hugs*

My novella, SUNSET MOON is about a snarky delinquent, Eloise, and how she gets reacquainted with her Native American roots.

Description: Eloise doesn’t believe in Native American magic–until the dreamcatcher spiders spin her down an unknown path.

Here’s an excerpt:

Eloise doesn’t bother sneaking in. Her mom’s probably passed out from drinking anyway.

She pads to her room, flicks on the light, drags the duffle from her bed and lets it slam to the floor. The next nine months of her life are in there, reduced to a few bits of clothing. She kicks off her shoes and wanders to her desk, gaze locked on the photo of Micah and her. Her vision blurs with fresh tears. This was their last night together, and he’s being such an ass. He should be thanking her for what she is doing. So should Jimmy.

She picks up the frame and removes the picture, then carries it to the bathroom. The sour odor of beer clings to her like a heavy reminder of her fight with Micah. She tucks the photo into the wooden mirror frame on the medicine cabinet and turns on the tub faucet.

While the tub fills, she peels off her damp shirt and throws it in the hamper. She tugs off her jeans, then her underwear. Naked, she shivers, though the house is warm, stuffy even, from the mid-summer night’s air.

Her tremors aren’t from being cold. They are from a vacuous emptiness that hollows out her insides, turns her heart to ice, and chips away at her soul with each ragged breath.

She grips the sink with both hands and steadies herself. The gush of water echoes in her ears, sloshes in her skull, and drowns her mind. Her head pounds from the surge of blood coursing through her brain with the rapid beating of her heart. The row of bulbs blazing above the medicine cabinet stabs her in the eyes, coring out her orbits.

It’s too much. She needs something to take the edge off.

Now.

Here’s a couple reviews of SUNSET MOON:

“Sunset Moon: This was my favorite in the bunch. I really liked Eloise – and, of course, her sarcasm – and I was glad her character grew in the end and she strayed from such a destructive path.” ~Goodreads reviewer

“Sunset Moon by Laura Diamond is based off a Blackfeet Indian myth. I really wanted this story to be longer. Eloise, the main character, is a totally stupid twit who is putting up this fake attitude of indifference. She’s in an abusive relationship, just like her mother was years ago. Her mother is a drunk and doesn’t mother Eloise at all. Micah is a useless piece of trash as is Jimmy and here is Eloise taking the fall for two losers. She gets the choice: jail or group home. Her lawyer chose group home for her and she’s shipped off to Montana to her uncle’s house. There she recognizes little symbols from her grandmother who always tried to give her a piece of Blackfeet history/mythology with every present, every lesson. As Eloise begins her group home work of sitting with an elderly patient, she learns that her weird dream with the spiders cocooning her is actually a legend, a living legend. Again, this is one story I would LOVE to read more of and see the story fleshed out in more detail with what happens with Eloise, her mother, her loser of a boyfriend, etc. Sure, I disliked Eloise, but that intensity of dislike shows how well written she is!” ~Barnes and Noble review

 

LORE on Amazon

LORE on B&N

LORE on Goodreads

Book Review Witch Hunt of the Blood

Author Krista Walsh and I “met” when our stories were pubbed in the Day of Demons anthology by Anachron Press last spring. I was super excited for her when she shared that she was working with best-selling author Devin O’Branagan (along with a few other authors) to create a compilation of novellas based on Devin O’Branagan’s novel, Witch Hunt.

Devin was kind enough to give me a copy of Witch Hunt of the Blood to review.

Starting on page 1, I was sucked into a vivid historical world. Immersed in WWII England, I followed along the lives of the Hawthorne witches, sharing their joys, feeling their pain, and suffering their tragedies. The stories continue from there, and they are all just as strong.

When I read paranormal (and I read it a lot), the focus often becomes about the characters powers and how it impacts their lives. What I find different about this anthology is that I feel like I get to know the characters first. As a result, I get to know each person, well, as a person. The fact that they are witches isn’t necessarily secondary, but it’s part of the whole.

Another way to look at it is that most paranormal (at least the stuff I’ve read) focuses on the paranormal world and the characters become further drawn into it, leaving their original (and dare I say, normal?) world behind. In this anthology, we see the characters living in the “real world,” as it were, and their powers are a part of it.

I’m so glad I came across this anthology.

Here’s the blurb:

Five novellas based on Devin O’Branagan’s bestselling novel, Witch Hunt. 

The anthology begins with O’Branagan’s own novella about the Hawthorne matriarch, Vivian. She and her fellow British witches work together to prevent a Nazi invasion during World War II. Then there is Colonial maiden, Bridget, who struggles with the guilt of failing her family in Salem, 1692. Her younger sister, Prissy, mysteriously disappears and finds another magical world. Julia, torn by family loyalties, love, and her spiritual quest, pays a huge price to continue the bloodline. And Miranda uses her powers against the great influenza outbreak of 1918 – but finds the ultimate foe is prejudice against her kind.

Discover what was left out of Witch Hunt and revisit your favorite characters with these exciting novellas. The story isn’t done until the battle’s lost and won.

Witch Hunt of the Blood on Amazon

Witch Hunt of the Blood on Goodreads

Book Review Wolf Spell by MR Polish

MR Polish is a Young Adult Paranormal Romance author. Her debut novel, WOLF SPELL, is an action-packed, enjoyable read, with undpredictable twists.

The main character, Arabeth, has no idea that she’s a witch. A very special witch. After her mother dies, she’s taken to another country to learn about her true identity…and is taught how to control her powers. The pressure is on because an evil warlock wants her for himself. This warlock will do anything to capture her, including turning to vampires for help.

Thankfully, Arabeth–as Esmerelda–has a loyal guardian, Jarak (who gets his power from a spirit wolf).

And he’s totally hot.

She needs his help–and love–to fight an army of vampires.

Here’s the blurb:

With a death starts a new beginning…

Eighteen-year-old Esmerelda thinks she’s just a normal girl, but all of that changes the day of her mom’s funeral, when a warlock, intent on using her special powers, kidnaps her. Powers she didn’t know existed. Thrown in the middle of a magical battle, Es struggles to learn her magic while fleeing both vampires and warlocks, at the same time, hunting for the witches that can help defeat her adversary. The only problem is that they are dead.

Thankfully, she has the help of Jarak—her Guardian—who quickly captures her heart, but she wonders if she can win his? Just when she thinks Jarak is the one for her, Ian appears with daggers drawn to save Es from a vampire attack. Ian is cocky and rude, but there is something magnetic about him—something that attracts her to him. With her heart torn between two men, she faces the foes that are out for her blood. Can Es do the unthinkable and awaken them from their graves before time runs out?

Wolf Spell on Amazon

Wolf Spell on B&N

Wolf Spell on Goodreads

MR Polish Website

Book Review Darkness Comes This Way

I’m a sucker for vampires. I don’t care if they sparkle, if they are ugly, if they are moody, whiny, or even grumpy. I especially love ’em if they’re HOT, but that goes without saying, right?

I met author Pixie Lynn Whitfield on Twitter and we decided to exchange books for reviews. Here’s her take on Shifting Pride (it involves My Little Pony. WIN.).

Luck was in my favor because her book, Darkness Comes This Way, is about VAMPS! YAY!

Zarah is a Guardian vampire, part of a group of immortals who keep humans safe by killing Rogue vampires. (Let me tell you, I’d very much enjoy that job, LOL!) She’s a kick-ass heroine with a cold exterior. But she’s got a tender heart inside.

She’s paired up with Draven, another Guardian, and they’re both charged with redoubling their efforts, because the Rogues are becoming more powerful and more deadly.

What I love about this story is that Zarah and Draven dislike each other and that tension kept me interested. Despite their butting heads, they are able to form a strong partnership and they work really well together–something that’s difficult to create, IMHO.

Another bit I liked was that Zarah ends up having to face her past head on, and she risks exposing her secret as a result.

The action is non-stop, the twists frequent, and the tension high. All must haves in my book.

The downside: I’d like to see more editing for streamlining. That being said, Pixie Lynn is a strong writer and I fully expect her skills to grow. I’m gonna keep an eye on her for her next projects!

I give Darkness Comes This Way 4 out of 5 stars.

Pixie Lynn Whitfield’s Blog

Darkness Comes This Way on Amazon

Darkness Comes This Way on Goodreads

Being the Underdog…

I’m “taking over” Jessica Bell’s blog today, talking about what it’s like to be the Underdog. Please hop on over and share your thoughts!

~AND~

Reading To Penguins reviewed Shifting Pride yesterday. I hope you check it out! 🙂

Happy Writing!!!

Mental Health Monday–Periodic Reassessment

Anachron Press is hosting a pre-order special to the first 50 folks who pre-order the URBAN OCCULT anthology. Pre-order now and get a copy of Day of Demons for FREE! My story, City of Lights and Stone is in the Day of Demons anthology. 😉

Here are the deets:

Urban Occult Limited Pre-Order

Limited to 50.

Behind urban life, weird and horrific things fester. 

The whispers and chills of things long gone… the promise of power from the darkness… the seduction of those that lie in the shadows… the occult is all around us: in town houses, in mansions, and in your very own street.

Editor Colin F. Barnes collected together fifteen stories by a cast of critically acclaimed authors from around the globe who look into the stygian gloom, explore the dark corners of our houses, and peer into the abyss of human temptation.

Featuring stories by: Gary McMahon, Ren Warom, Gary Fry, Mark West, K.T. Davies, Nerine Dorman, Alan Baxter, Adam Millard, Julie Travis, Jason Andrew, James Brogden, A.A Garrison, Jennifer Williams, Sarah Anne Langton, and Chris Barnham.

Special Pre-Order Edition Limited to 50.

This pre-order edition means you will get the book at least a week to two weeks ahead of general release and:

A FREE ebook version (for any eReader)

and A FREE ebook of Day of Demons. (eBooks will be emailed to you on the 4th of March).

Just £9.99 (+£2.99 shipping anywhere in the world).

Pre-Order here: http://www.anachronpress.com/product/anthologies/urban-occult-limited-pre-order/

* * * * * * * * * *

Time is money and us spread-too-thin multi-taskers have to spend it wisely.

For me, I spend around 50 hours a week doing day job stuff, and sometimes work weekends (those 12 day stretches really exhaust me!).

That leaves nights and weekends for writerly stuff. Encompassed in that time is blogging, visiting blogs, social media-ing, marketing, reading, reviewing, critting, writing, and editing. I tend to reserve reading and critting for weeknight stuff and writing and blogging for weekends, when I’m fresher.

Note the placement of each item.

It’s quite scary that writing and editing are last.

I’m a writer who writes after everything else is done. Shouldn’t that be the other way around?

Gosh, admitting this makes me sad.

When I first started writing, that’s where most of my time went. Sure, I’d spend some time on forums (like QueryTracker), but for the most part, my brain was hyperfocused on writing and that’s what I did.

With time came critting.

Then I started this blog.

Then I joined Facebook and Twitter.

Marketing came after New Pride and Shifting Pride were published.

With each added item, writing got shoved further down the list.

I’ve been feeling the pain about this for a while, but now it’s time to admit I need to do something.

I need to reassess where I’m at.

My goal is to incorporate more writing and editing into my routine. I will continue blogging, but may do only two posts a week. There will be the odd week with the same M-W-F routine, based on previously scheduled posts. 😉

I’m getting back to basics.

What about you guys? Do you engage in periodic reassessment? What have you learned by checking in with your routine every so often?

Trust and Betrayal by Dani-Lyn Alexander

Shifting Pride is a nominee for fav read at GraveTells! Please vote!! http://gravetells.com/2013/01/29/january-2013-readers-choice-awards-vote-here/ Plz spread the word!

My pub sista, Dani-Lyn Alexander, has a new book out and here’s my review:

I love openings with action and that’s exactly what Dani-Lyn does with her paranormal romance, Trust and Betrayal. And the action doesn’t stop there. There’s danger, intrigue, mystery, and twists and turns that pull you in and don’t let go.

This story has a unique twist on spirit realms, which held my interest. The characters were also strong and easy to identify with.

The main drawback (for me) was the sheer number of characters, and some with similar names. I felt confused at times and had to think, “Now, who was this? Oh yeah, now I remember,” which caused a few hiccups while reading. On the other hand, the cast of characters and scope of settings gave this story a grand, almost epic, feel. If there’s going to be more (like sequels), then I think this is a fabulous set up and foundation. If not, then I have another world to daydream about if I want.

So, considering the pros and cons, I’d rate this book 4 out of 5 stars. Great job, Dani-Lyn!

Trust and Betrayal on Amazon.com

Trust and Betrayal on Goodreads

A Review of NEVERLOVE

Author Angela Brown reviews SHIFTING PRIDE on the Indie Elite today. Please check it out! 

I’ve reviewed her debut YA para rom NEVERLOVE.

There’s a lot of reapers out there in the YA paranormal romance genre and I like them. Neverlove has a unique spin on what I’ve seen so far—WIN!

The story starts with a bang and keeps going right until the epic conclusion. The alternating points of view between the three main characters allowed me to see more of the bigger picture while also seeing both sides of the story. It was fascinating, thought-provoking, and educating all in one.

In this world, there is conflict between the Cleansers (a group who fight to save souls) and Harvestors (a group who consume souls for the devil). And love is a luxury that no Cleanser or Harvestor can afford.

But love is so irresistible!

Chaos ensues as the characters struggle to maintain their values and ideals in the face of love. What’s most striking is the growth that the characters go through because of it.

I’d rate Neverlove 4 out of 5 stars.

Well done, Angela! Can’t wait to read more.

Neverlove on Amazon.com

Neverlove on Goodreads

Review of The Stone Guardian by Theresa McClinton

Author Theresa McClinton’s (and book trailer maker extraordinaire) debut novel, THE STONE GUARDIAN, has to be one of the most unique reads I’ve come across, like, EVER.

I’d classify it as YA paranormal romance, but it’s not your typical pararom. Instead of the “usual” vamps, werewolves, ghosts, reapers, and witches, we see time benders, mind readers, warriors, healers, and yes, as the title explains, a stone guardian. Based in Mayan folklore, The Stone Guardian takes us on a whirlwind tour of South America, and the WORLD–past and present.

In addition to the action and weaving in of fascinating legend, Theresa gives us a brilliant story of humanity. We start with a broken main character, Ashley, who was raised in a mental institution. She’s plagued by nightmares that her clinicians believe are psychosis. In a flash of horror an panic, she and her best friend, Tara, are whisked away to a beach-side mansion in South America. When she’s rescued by a man who knows her special power, her life takes a twist she never saw coming. With no warning and no reason to trust, she’s forced to decide whether or not to run away or find out what exactly is going on. I love rooting for the underdog. Especially when they are thrust into an epic battle and they are the one whom everyone else is depending on. And Ashley shows us a glimpse of her true colors when she agrees to stay and meet her destiny.

Then you add in the yummy hottie–a smokin hot guy who’s sensitive to her while being a total alpha male. Talk about a winning combination!

There’s lots of action and mystery in this book. There’s lots of Mayan folklore. There’s a sweet romance.

It all adds up to a fun, quick read, with a unique story line and epic characters.

As a matter of personal preference, I’d like to see emotions build and change over time and I think they happen a little too fast for Ashley at moments, but she makes solid decisions and chooses loyalty rather than the easy way out. And when she grows into her role, she’s a powerhouse! Therefore, I’d give The Stone Guardian 4 out of 5 stars.

I can’t wait for the sequel!!!!

The Stone Guardian on Amazon.com

The Stone Guardian on Barnes and Noble

Theresa McClinton’s website/blog

Merry Christmas!

For those of you who celebrate Christmas, I hope you’re enjoying your holiday. 😉

I’m leaving you with a review of Shifting Pride by Theresa McClinton, author extraordinaire and book trailer expert. She’s written a delicious YA, The Stone Guardian. I’ll be posting a review soon–it’s FAB peeps, so check it out!

Thanks, Theresa!!!! *hugs*