{Reveal} Stone of Destiny by @laurahoward78 @nereydag1003

Stone of Destiny (The Danaan Trilogy #2)

by Laura Howard

Release Date: 12/31/13

Cover is designed by Najla Qamber Designs

Summary from Goodreads:

Allison thought it was crazy enough when she found out her father, Liam, wasn't entirely human. But now she has to join his magical allies to unravel his former mistress's plans. Aoife wants to keep Allison's parents apart forever.

Despite Allison's efforts to keep Ethan, the only guy she's ever cared about, out of this supernatural mess, fate keeps throwing him back into the mix.

Will Allison be able to find the amulet that holds the enchantment Aoife placed on Liam and destroy it? Are Ethan' s feelings for Allison strong enough to endure the magic of the Tuatha De Danaan?

Book One:
(linked to Goodreads)

About the Author

Laura Howard lives in New Hampshire with her husband and four children. Her obsession with books began at the age of 6 when she got her first library card. Nancy Drew, Sweet Valley High and other girly novels were routinely devoured in single sittings. Books took a backseat to diapers when she had her first child. It wasn’t until the release of a little novel called Twilight, 8 years later, that she rediscovered her love of fiction. Soon after, her own characters began to make themselves known. The Forgotten Ones is her first published novel.

Author Links:

   

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{Author Fest} Beth Fantaskey @bethfantaskey

1. My favorite hobby is traveling the world - but my biggest fear is flying.
2. My second-biggest fear is public speaking… but I’m a college professor (who sometimes teaches public speaking!)
3. I have two 8-year-old kids - who AREN’T twins.
4. My weirdest work experience was helping to “tan” deer hides using cow brains. (I was actually writing a magazine story about it.)
5. I’ve only been fired once, from a job as a bookstore clerk.
6. My best educational experience was doing research in India on the Dalit (“untouchable”) struggle for human rights. (See maarpu.org)
7. My worst experience, ever, was getting food poisoning while riding my bike from the Missouri River to the Mississippi. (My friend told me the chicken tasted strange…)
8. Whenever I visit a new country, I try as many ketchups as I can. (Best: Poland, Worst: China)
9. I am an uncommonly bad volleyball player…ask the team that ALMOST won a championship.
10. I also suffer from mild “ichthyphobia,” or “fear or fish.” I don’t bother trying to overcome that one!

bethfantaskey.com

facebook.com/bethfantaskey

twitter.com/bethfantaskey

goodreads.com/bethfantaskey

Seventeen-year-old Millie joins forces with her classmate, gorgeous but mysterious Chase Colton, to try to uncover who murdered head football coach "Hollerin' Hank" Killdare--and why.

 How did you get interested in writing this particular genre?

I have always loved both romance and mystery and never understood why there was such a sharp line between the two. Why not combine two great things - just like Reese's did with peanut butter chocolate? It's a win-win!

What kind of research did you do for this book?

I had to study up on old Nancy Drew stories and learn about football - finally!

What is the hardest part of writing for you?

Getting the first draft done. There's always a part I call "the murky middle," where I'm not sure how things will turn out. It's unnerving.

What’s the best thing about being an author?

Meeting people who like my books. That's always an amazing experience. It's fun to know that you've created something that resonates with even a few people

What are you working on now?

I am just finishing my doctoral dissertation on female crime reporters of the 1920s. I hope to graduate with my Ph.D. in December. Writing academically has been a big switch for me, but I really wanted to finish my degree.

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{Review} {Giveaway} TO KNOW YOU | Win a Personal Coaching Session with Shannon Ethridge and $100 to Lisa Leonard Designs!

Julia Whittaker’s rocky past yielded two daughters, both given up for adoption as infants. Now she must find them to try to save her son.

Julia and Matt Whittaker’s son has beaten the odds for thirteen years only to have the odds—and his liver—crash precipitously. The only hope for his survival is a “living liver” transplant, but the transplant list is long and Dillon’s time is short. His two older half-sisters, born eighteen months apart to two different fathers, offer his only hope for survival.

But can Julia ask a young woman—someone she surrendered to strangers long ago and has never spoken with—to make such a sacrifice to save a brother she’s never known? Can she muster the courage to journey back into a shame-filled season of her life, face her choices and their consequences, and find any hope of healing?

And what if she discovers in her own daughters’ lives that a history of foolish choices threatens to repeat itself? Julia knows she’s probably embarking on a fool’s errand—searching for the daughters she abandoned only now that she needs something from them. But love compels Julia to take this journey. Can grace and forgiveness compel her daughters to join her?

In To Know You, Shannon Ethridge and Kathryn Mackel explore how the past creates the present . . . and how even the most shattered lives can be redeemed.

Purchase a copy here.

Learn more at Shannon’s website.

*Shannon Ethridge* is a best-selling author, speaker, and certified life coach with a master’s degree in counseling/human relations from Liberty University. She has spoken to college students and adults since 1989 and is the author of 21 books, including the million-copy best-selling Every Woman's Battle series. She is a frequent guest on TV and radio programs and mentors aspiring writers and speakers through her BLAST Program (Building Leaders, Authors, Speakers & Teachers.) *Kathryn Mackel* is a best-selling author and acclaimed screenwriter for Disney and Fox. She was on the screenwriting team for Left Behind: The Movie, and Frank Peretti's Hangman's Curse. She is the acclaimed author of "The Surrogate", "The Departed", and "The Hidden" and resides in Boston, Massachusetts, with her husband.

This book is a story of true family, love, and the courage of what you will do for your children.  This was a wonderful book about dealing with the after math of giving up your children.  As well as trying to save the one you have.  I found it to be a gripping novel about consequences and choices as well as about courage.  I was so happy to find out that there will be a second book to this one!

"*I received a copy of this book for free to review, this in no way influenced my review, all opinions are 100% honest and my own."

Shannon Ethridge is celebrating the release of  To Know You (co-written by Kathryn Mackel), by giving away a $100 gift certificate to Lisa Leonard Designs and a personal coaching session, as well as throwing a Facebook Author Chat Party!

One winner will receive:

• A $100 gift certificate to Lisa Leonard Designs
• To Know You by Shannon Ethridge

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on November 19th. Winner will be announced at the "To Know You" Facebook Author Chat Party on the 19th. Connect with Shannon and friends for an encouraging evening of fun chat, book club discussion, giveaways, and a chance to win a PERSONAL COACHING SESSION WITH SHANNON!

So grab your copy of To Know You and join Shannon on the evening of November 19th for a chance to connect and make some new friends. (If you haven't read the book, don't let that stop you from coming!)

Don't miss a moment of the fun; RSVP today by clicking JOIN at the event page. Spread the word — tell your friends about the giveaway and party via FACEBOOK or TWITTER or Pinterest and increase your chances of winning. Hope to see you on 11/19!

{Reveal} Beyond @spvanderlee @nereydag1003

Beyond (Beyond, #1)

by S.P. van der Lee

Release date: November 25th 2013

Summary from Goodreads:
Sixteen-year-old Raven desperately wants to fit in, but after using a Ouija Board, her already overwhelming hallucinations take a turn for the worse. A ghostly figure named Sam begins to haunt Raven and seems eager to kill her.

She’s saved by a reclusive biker named Damian who goes to the same school and appears to have an interest in her. Raven can’t help but feel drawn to him. Determined to uncover Damian’s connection to the ghost, Raven sets out to discover his secret and the reason Sam started haunting her. However, there’s more at stake than just her reputation. Raven’s choice between unveiling Damian’s true intentions, and living a normal life will put everyone she cares about at risk. To save them, she'll have to go beyond.

Lives are ruined.

Hearts are shattered.

Death lurks at every corner.

About the Author

I am a writer and reader of YA Paranormal novels and aspire to be a well known author. In my spare time I like to enjoy games such as MMO's and RPG's.

Author Links:

    

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{Release Day} {Giveaway} Effortless With You @lizzycharles_ @swoonromance @nereydag1003

Effortless With You
by Lizzy Charles
Release Date: 11/05/13
From Swoon Romance

Summary from Goodreads:
School is out and Lucy is ready for the perfect summer: lazy days at the pool, invitations to the most exclusive parties, and romantic dates with her hot new boyfriend. That is, until she lands in trouble one too many times and her parents issue the ultimate punishment: a summer job. Suddenly, the summer can't end fast enough.

To make matters worse, the job is painting houses with Justin, the most popular, egotistical guy in school. Spending all summer with Justin might be other girls' dreams, but definitely not Lucy's. After all, Justin is cocky, annoying, and a jerk. So what if he's the most beautiful jerk Lucy's ever seen? Or that his grin makes her forget she’s mad at the world? Or that maybe, just maybe, there's more to Justin than Lucy realizes. Only one thing is certain: it won’t be the summer she wanted, but it might be exactly the one she needs.

Available from:

  

About the Author

When Lizzy Charles isn’t scrambling to raise her two spunky toddlers or caring for premature and sick babies as a neonatal intensive care nurse, she’s in a quiet corner writing or snuggled up with a novel and a few squares of dark chocolate. Black tea keeps her constant and she loves guacamole. She married her high school sweet heart, a heart-melting musician, so it’s no surprise she’s fallen in love with writing contemporary YA romance novels.

Author Links:

   

*GIVEAWAY*

$10 iTunes Gift Card (INT)

2 signed print book of Effortless With You (US only)

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Book Blitz hosted by:

{Author Fest} Ashelyn Drake @AshelynDrake

Ashelyn Drake is a New Adult and Young Adult romance author. While it’s rare for her not to have either a book in hand or her fingers flying across a laptop, she also enjoys spending time with her family. She believes you are never too old to enjoy a good swing set and there’s never a bad time for some dark chocolate.

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Noelle Buckman is looking forward to making a fresh start in college, one that doesn’t involve immature high school boys. The second she steps on campus for freshman orientation, she can sense the possibilities. Especially when she spots Andy, a resident advisor who’s not just hot but also thoughtful enough to open doors for a girl. 

And Andy has his eye on Noelle. Even when her nerves take control and she thinks she comes off as a hillbilly with no direction, Andy can see what she’s really like and he’s more than a little interested.

But orientation is less than two full days and there’s an entire summer between Noelle and Andy. Will her attempt to romance the R.A. be as short-lived as college orientation?

Interview 


Tell me about your book. How did you come up with that (story, angle, idea)?
My college experience was a great one, and it had it's share of crushes. That time in a person's life is so surreal because you're discovering yourself and opening yourself up to the possibility of love. I knew I wanted my first New Adult series to be about campus crushes and how they can shape your future.
What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating your books? No matter how much I try to keep my own experiences out of my writing, they pop up in some way or another. I'll change them slightly to fit my characters instead of me, but I can't help taking a trip down memory lane when I write.

How did you get interested in writing this particular genre?
New Adult is hot right now. There's no denying that. And I can see why. 18-25 just might encompass the best years in a person's life because so many changes are happening. You're finding your place in the world and you're old enough to truly experience love.

What do you like to do when you're not writing?
When I'm not writing, I'm playing with my daughter, usually on her swing set if the weather permits because you are never too old for swings.
Do you have any favorite authors or favorite books?
I love Simone Elkeles's Wild Cards. She won me over with that book. I also devoured Easy by Tammara Webber.

 

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{Author Fest} Andrea R. Cooper @AndreaRCooper

Growing up in Houston, Texas, Andrea has always enjoyed creating characters and stories. But it wasn't until she was in her late twenties that she started writing novels. 

What happened that ignited the writing flame in her fingers? Divorced, and disillusioned by love songs and stories. They exaggerate. She thought. Love and Romance are not like that in the real world. Then she met her husband and realized, yes love and romance are exactly like the songs and stories say. She is now a happy wife, and a mom to thre
e kids (two boys and a girl).

Once she heard about a writer who never let her characters deviate from the script. If they did, she just killed them. How sad, she thought. For her one of the best parts of being a writer is letting the characters have a mind of their own and seeing where the story takes them. 

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Forbidden to cross the Elvin barrier into human lands, Brock cannot sate his curiosity. Cursed by a vampyre bite that forces him to feed on the life-essence of others, he is unable to touch another without taking their life. Chained by prophesy, he must find a witch, pierce her heart, and draw her blood for his cure. 

Celeste must escape the monks who have held her prisoner for years. Her magic has been kept dormant by her captors. An ancient powerful Warloc craves her powers. If he succeeds in devouring her magic, she and the world will die.

When Brock falls in love with Celeste before realizing her demise is his cure, will love triumph over his desire to be healed? Will he risk everything to save her from a Warloc, an oath breaker, who also wants her dead?

Interview with Andrea R. CooperTell me about your book. How did you come up with that (story, angle, idea)?
Everyone knows what happens when a vampire bites a human...but what if the victim is Elvin? This is the question that came to me after watching the first Underworld in the movie theaters. I loved it and the narrative voice as well. The movie sparked a series of questions that ended up as The Garnet Dagger.
What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating your books? When I first started writing, I had no idea the characters would take off. I had a story in my mind and thought I'd just write it. However, often the characters will come up with dialogue, plot, etc. that was not planned at all. I love it when that happens-it reminds me of the Robert Frost quote, "No tears for the writer, no tears for the reader; no surprise for the writer, no surprise for the reader."

How long did it take you to write this book?
This book took me about ten months to write. The second book in this series, Son of Dragons, took me less than two months.

Who would play the cast?
The Garnet Dagger cast would be:

Brock - Eduardo Verastegui (if you haven't heard of him, look him up-you'll be glad you did ;)
Celeste - Elisha Cuthbert

Do you have any favorite authors or favorite books?
Tons. My top favorites are: Terry Goodkind's Sword of Truth series, Anne Bishop's Black Jewels series, House of Night series (yes I know it's YA, but I still am addicted), Yasmine Galenorn's Indigo Court series, and Kim Harrison's The Hollows series.

 

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