Tag Archives: fairy tales and folklore

Giveaway – The Gingerbread Curse by April Marcom @AprilMarcom @GoddessFish

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The colors on the cover for The Gingerbread Curse by April Marcom sure caught my eye and made me curious…and Run, run as fast as you can. The moment you stop, you’re a dead man…what the hell is that all about? LOL

Amazon

The Gingerbread Curse by April Marcom

GENRE:   Fantasy/Fairy Tale

BLURB

All her life, Falon’s grandfather told her the age-old tale of ‘The Gingerbread Man’. Even as a teenager, she’d fallen asleep to his favorite bedtime story, a special tradition she knew she’d never outgrow.  However, when he makes a dying wish, asking her to visit a secret underground world of magic to rescue the best friend he left behind fifty years ago, the tale begins to come to life.

Setting out with her self-obsessed cousin and a cure for the magicked man with skin like gingerbread, she finds herself tangled within an adventure nothing like the story her grandfather always told.

Once having found the long lost man of her grandfather’s youth, her only hope of ever returning home, or even surviving his world, lies in the talons of a deadly hybrid she scarcely trusts. Together they must face the animals taken from the children’s tale and magicked into monsters, a man who can move mountains who is bent on killing them all, and a labyrinth rumored to have never allowed a survivor.

AUTHOR GUEST POST

I am usually attracted to a book, first and foremost, by its cover. So, whenever I get the chance to have an author share firsthand their thoughts, and here is what April Marcom had to say:

Topic: Discuss your cover — how it came to be, what it represents, what you love or don’t love about it, etc.  Anything you’d like to share about it.

It’s been so many years, it’s hard to remember exactly what ideas or descriptions I sent to 5 Prince Publishing in the book cover request form. I’m sure I described the magical underground world and the poisonous, deadly maze Falon has to travel through for most of the story. But the cover came out great. It’s an underground image with Falon running toward the gold pool of immortality, taken from a scene early in the story. I love the ‘catch phrase’ of sorts printed across the top of the cover: “Run, run as fast as you can. The moment you stop, you’re a dead man.” My favorite part has got to be the beautiful gold lettering of the book’s title, though. 5 Prince Publishing always makes amazing book covers! They capture the story in one shot beautifully. 

A thrill shot through me as I approached the spectacular tree. Something wonderful was about to happen, or something I might very well regret for the rest of my life. Either way, I was simply too hungry, and there was too much time ahead of me with no food, to have a choice in eating it or not…

I stared at all the tear drops. None stood out especially. The ones closer to the trunk of the tree were the biggest. My appetite was pushing me in their direction. I followed one of the branches inward, wondering if a larger crystal meant a stronger ability. No amount of time trying to decide which one would make any difference. And part of me was terribly excited to discover which of Sierra’s ‘gifts’ I was about to inherit.

The leaves twinkled and sparkled against one another. I reached out for the largest one in sight, wondering if it might give me fearlessness or musical ability or wisdom beyond my years, but stopped at the last moment when I noticed the one hanging just above it. Frost-like patterns etched over the higher crystal created a perfect calligraphy F. It was as if my name was written on it. This was the one.

I reached out with both hands and cupped them around the leaf, catching nearly every purple petal. They had a chill to them, and felt damp as if they’d been painted with fresh morning dew. The rest liquefied, one by one, as they hit the ground.

Cautiously, I ate one petal. The sweet burst that erupted like grape juice inside my mouth was so delightful, I ate the rest without restraint.

AUTHOR Bio and Links

April Marcom works as a Pre-K teacher’s assistant, but her true passion is writing. When she’s not teaching or creating stories, she’s enjoying the country life with her car-obsessed husband and three fabulous children. She also enjoys rainy days, traveling, and her very rowdy dogs. April grew up a southern bell in Mississippi, but is now a proud Oklahoman.

Website / Twitter

Buy links: Amazon / B&N / Kobo / Apple

The book will be $0.99.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Follow the tour and comment. The more you comment, the better your chances of winning. Follow the tour HERE.

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Giveaway – Red by Kate Serine @CaffeinatedPR #KateSerine

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Today I am excited to be a part of the Transplanted Tales 10-Year Anniversary Blog Tour. The year long event kicks off today with Red by Kate SeRine. Kensington is giving the series a fresh new look and Kate is hosting a year long giveaway in addition to tours for each book. Come check it this fantastic paranormal romance series featuring Tess “Red” Little. 

Red by Kate SeRine

Amazon | B&N | Kobo | iBooks | Goodreads

Fairytale characters meet the mean streets of Chicago in this gritty paranormal romance featuring Little Red Riding Hood as a tough-as-nails detective.

Once upon a time, a spell went awry, stranding Make Believe characters in the ordinary world. Since then, Tess “Red” Little has worked as an Enforcer for the Chicago branch of the Fairytale Management Authority. All grown up and with nothing to lose, she’s not some waif with a basket of goodies. Guns and combat boots are more her style now. And on her latest assignment, no one’s living happily ever after.

Someone is viciously murdering transplanted Tales, and the list of characters capable of such grisly violence includes more than one of Red’s old flames. To make matters worse, she’ll be working alongside sexy, enigmatic Nate Grimm, the FMA’s lead detective and part-time Reaper. Red normally prefers playing the lone wolf, but Nate’s dark side makes him perfect for this case. That is, if she can trust him. As she learned long ago, believing in the wrong person can have big, bad consequences.

Transplanted Tale Series

Read an Excerpt

I threw the covers back and stormed down the stairs, brushing past Gran in my fury. I charged into the kitchen, fully expecting to light into Nate about barging into my house—okay, well, not technically my house, but still—but when I saw him I slid to a halt, briefly wondering if I’d wandered into a parallel dimension.

            Nate had discarded his omnipresent suit jacket and fedora in exchange for one of Gran’s pink frilly aprons with a creepily cheery gingerbread man embroidered on the front. His shirt sleeves were rolled up to the elbow, revealing muscled forearms and intricately drawn tribal-style tattoos that were completely out of sorts with the girly cooking attire.

            When he heard me come in, he turned away from where he was scrambling eggs with peppers and onions and offered me a wide smile. “Good morning, sunshine,” he called over his shoulder.

            I intended to stun him with a witty comeback that started with Piss and ended with Off, but before I got the chance, he added, “Breakfast will be ready in a sec. I hope you like your eggs loaded. I didn’t figure you for a cinnamon roll kind of girl, but Gran insisted I whip some up when she heard my recipe.”

            I blinked at him, now certain about my alternate reality theory. “What the hell are you doing here?”

            Nate added some shredded cheese to his concoction and gently folded the eggs a couple of times before responding, “Thought we’d get an early start.”

            I hopped up onto one of the stools nestled around the kitchen bar and gave him a wary look. “Start on what exactly?”

            “I figured we’d drop in on Wolf,” he said. “Get it out of the way.”

I felt my stomach flop ominously. Probably just the hangover. “He’s nocturnal,” I muttered. “Maybe we should wait until later in the day.”

“Or we can catch him unawares so he doesn’t run,” he rejoined.

I bristled a little at his tone. “Seth won’t run.”

Nate shrugged. “Because he has a history of sticking it out when things get rough?”

“Fine,” I snapped, having to admit he had a point. “But he’s not the guy.”

“So you keep saying. As soon as he’s cleared, we’ll move on to Caliban.”

Nate scooped the eggs onto a plate and arranged a few slices of crisp bacon, perfectly toasted sourdough, and a sprig of parsley around them before setting the lot in front of me.

            I stared down at the beautifully arranged food before me and wondered if I should eat it or take a picture of it. My stomach grumbled in spite of its queasiness, which really left only one option. I shoveled a bite of eggs into my mouth and had to stop myself from moaning with delight as Nate set out a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice.

            “So what do you think?” he asked, studying me in that über-intense way of his.

            “I think Caliban can be an arrogant, foul-tempered asshole,” I mumbled around my eggs, “but I don’t think he’s your perp either.”

            Nate laughed. “Not what I meant. The breakfast—do you like it?”

            I swallowed, lifting my face from the trough—uh, plate—and meeting his gaze. “Yeah, it’s great. Thanks.”

            He gave me a wink and went back to the stove, gathering up the frying pans and utensils and loading them into the dishwasher. Bemused by the decidedly surreal experience, I continued eating and was just polishing off the last of the most delicious cinnamon roll I’d ever consumed when Gran came bustling in.

            “Well, I’m off!” she cried cheerily, her cheeks aglow with excitement. “Wish me luck, my darlings!”

            Darlings? Plural?

            Nate hastily dried his hands on the edge of his apron and shook Gran’s hand warmly. “Best of luck, Tilly—”

            Tilly?

            “—I’m sure your interview will go swell.”

            Swell?

            Gran tittered like a schoolgirl, blushing at Nate’s encouragement, then good-naturedly batted at his shoulder. “Oh, Detective, if all my audience was as kind as you, I would never worry about ratings!”

Dear God, it was a morning person conspiracy.

 

About the Author

Kate SeRine (pronounced “serene”) is a hopeless romantic who firmly believes in true love that lasts forever. So it’s no surprise that when she began writing her own stories, Kate vowed her characters would always have a happily ever after. She’s the author of the award-winning TRANSPLANTED TALES paranormal romance series as well as two romantic suspense series: PROTECT AND SERVE and DARK ALLIANCE.

Kate lives in a smallish, quintessentially Midwestern town with her husband and two sons, who share her love of storytelling. She never tires of creating new worlds to share and is even now working on her next project — probably while consuming way too much coffee.

Website | Instagram | Twitter | Newsletter

Giveaways

Red Blog Tour Giveaway

Enter to win a $25.00 eGift card from retailer of your choice (Amazon, Apple, B&N or Kobo). Ends March 10th.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

10-Year Anniversary of the Transplanted Tales Giveaway



Join Kate SeRine’s newsletter for the chance to win a US Amazon eGift Card. Winner will be selected at random from active subscriber list on December 16, 2022. 

Enter here:  https://www.subscribepage.com/w8n0q1


  • You can see my Giveaways HERE.
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    • Cover Reveal Giveaway – Transplanted Tales by Kate SeRine @KateSeRine @CaffeinatedPR

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    It’s the 10-Year Anniversary of Kate SeRine’s Transplanted Tales series and Kensington is giving them a fresh new look. Today I am delighted to share the brand new cover for The Better to See You, book two in the series. Check it out, read an excerpt, and be sure to subscribe to Kate’s newsletter for the chance to win a hundred dollar Amazon gift card!

    The Better To See You

    Amazon | iBooks | Kobo | B&N

    A fallen fairy godmother finds refuge in the arms of a wolf—until a series of murders threatens to break the spell—in this gritty paranormal romance.

    Thanks to a spell mis-cast by Lavender Seelie, Cinderella’s former fairy godmother, Make Believe characters have been cast into the ordinary world. Now that the Tales are flesh and blood, their storybook lives aren’t so simple. But fortunately for Lavender, she’s about to get a second chance at a happy ending.

    The Refuge, a sanctuary for wayward Tales, seems like the perfect place for Lavender to start a new life—especially when she discovers an unexpected ally in Seth, the brooding werewolf who’s been typecast as a villain ever since his run in with Little Red Riding Hood. But when humans from nearby towns start turning up dead, their bodies mutilated with archaic Tale symbols, Lavender wonders if Seth’s deep sensuality has blinded her to a deadly reality.

    Read an Excerpt

    It was over.

    I was going to be torn apart here in the middle of nowhere by some winged demon dog. I’d never get the chance to start over. I’d never get the chance to prove I was more than just a colossal failure in every regard—as a daughter, as a woman, as a fairy.

    I couldn’t believe my unbelievably shitty luck.

    Shaking violently from the pain wracking my body, I lay there, the raindrops mixing with my tears as I sobbed and watched helplessly as pine needles gathered together, creating a thick rope that wound itself around my arms and torso, pinning me to the ground.

    Briefly, I wondered how people would remember me after I was gone. Would they speak the name Lavender Seelie and think of the fairy godmother who’d once wielded almost unparalleled power and skill? Or would they remember only the screwed-up fairy who’d ruined their lives when that same power had betrayed her?

                After several agonizing moments, I finally heard the creature leap across the ravine and snapped out of my last-minute pity party, fear and panic once more flooding my veins.

    There was no point in trying to summon my magic now—it had deserted me, that was pretty freaking clear. I just hoped like hell my death would be quick.

                The creature prowled toward me, its massive bulk a mercifully indistinct silhouette, and I swear I thought I heard it chuckle, the sound sending chills down my spine. Then from behind me came the whisper-soft padding of paws on the underbrush. In the next instant, a great white wolf leaped over me and slammed into the shadow-creature. The two rolled end-over-end in a tangle of claws and teeth, coming to rest with the wolf on top, its lips peeled back in a vicious snarl.

                I turned my head to get a better look just in time to see the wolf grab the creature’s throat in its teeth. The beast’s howl ended abruptly as the wolf gave a powerful shake of its head, tearing out a large section of demon dog’s throat.

    The wolf flung the chunk of flesh into the underbrush then cautiously padded toward me, its head down between its shoulders, sizing me up. As it came closer, I realized it wasn’t an ordinary timber wolf. This animal was easily twice the size of any wolf I’d ever seen and had a distinctly human intelligence shining in its eyes.

    I didn’t stand a chance.

    It bit through the pine needle rope and shook its head, scattering the needles all over the ground. The rest of the needles instantly fell away, and the trees halted their brutal assault.

    I raised a bloody, trembling hand, not sure if I’d just exchanged one predator for another. “Please,” I managed to gasp between the quick, shallow breathes that were all my punctured lung would now allow. “Please…”

    In response, a soft shimmering light encased the wolf, and where the beautiful creature had stood, now crouched a man, his ice-green eyes still glowing. As he gently lifted me into his arms, I cried out, pain engulfing me.

    “It’s all right,” he said softly, cradling me against him. “You’re safe now.”

    I looked up into the grim face of my rescuer, now recognizing him. How could I not when I’d seen his face on Wanted posters and in the Tale news so often over the centuries?

    As pain and nausea sent me careening toward a dark abyss, his name drifted to me:

    Seth Wolf.


    Transplanted Tales Series

    Red

    Grimm Consequences

    The Better to See You

    Along Came A Spider

    Ever After

    Better Watch Out (Fall 2022)

    About Author

    Kate SeRine (pronounced “serene”) is a hopeless romantic who firmly believes in true love that lasts forever. So it’s no surprise that when she began writing her own stories, Kate vowed her characters would always have a happily ever after. She’s the author of the award-winning TRANSPLANTED TALES paranormal romance series as well as two romantic suspense series: PROTECT AND SERVE and DARK ALLIANCE.

    Kate lives in a smallish, quintessentially Midwestern town with her husband and two sons, who share her love of storytelling. She never tires of creating new worlds to share and is even now working on her next project — probably while consuming way too much coffee.

    Website | Instagram | Twitter | Newsletter

    10-Year Anniversary Of The Transplanted Tales Giveaway

    Join Kate SeRine’s newsletter for the chance to win a US Amazon eGift Card. Winner will be selected at random from her active subscriber list on December 16, 2022. Enter here ➡️ https://www.subscribepage.com/w8n0q1


    Isn’t the cover gorgeous?


    • You can see my Giveaways HERE.
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    Giveaway – The Winged Child by Henry Mitchell @GoddessFish

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    The Winged Child by Henry Mitchell

    GENRE: Fantasy

    BLURB

    An adult fairytale about a girl who might know how to fly, a neurobotanist who might be a dragon, an innkeeper who might be a machine and a politician who might be the antichrist.

    Millicent McTeer grows to adulthood in Ashton, an Appalachian tourist town, convinced she knows how to fly. With a new president in power, the life Millicent knew changes. The government has spies on every corner, coercing citizens to follow the new order. As the country descends into anarchy, Millicent is drawn into political activism by her professor and becomes an exile.

    In the Laurel Creek Containment District, separated from the chaos of the Atlantic American Republic, she finds a new life. As she develops her unique abilities and leads the exiles, incursions from the outside world threaten to destroy the tranquil life they have built together. Will Millicent reclaim her reality and discover the peace that has eluded her?

    EXCERPT

    “Dragon,” she blurted.

    “Millicent,” he said. “Our trails cross again at last. I’ve been looking forward to it.” Ryder unfolded long legs and exited his hammock with reptilian grace, gestured at two large pillows on the floor beside a tray overflowing with papers weighted under what Millicent thought was a satellite phone of some sort. “Sit down. Rest from the world. Let’s talk about what trouble we might get into together next term.”

    Millicent sat, rather awkwardly, she feared. Ryder, already comfortably settled upon his cushion, his legs folded beneath him as compactly as the pinioned wings of a bat, opened her student profile before she could arrange herself. He’d obviously studied her data previously because he flipped only a page or two before he nailed her with his gaze. She saw now that his eyes were deep deep blue, like the sky over Hillhaven after a rain.

    “What made you want to study forest management, Millicent? There isn’t a lot of money to be made in that, so you’re not trying to get rich.”

    Looking into this young/old face, she felt twelve years old again, incapable of anything less than the simple truth as she knew it, “Because … Because trees have been my best friends.”

    AUTHOR Bio and Links

    Henry Mitchell reads and writes in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina.

    He has written five novels and two collections of short stories.

    Buy links: Amazon / B&N

    a Rafflecopter giveaway

    Follow the tour and comment. The more you comment, the better your chances of winning. Follow the tour HERE.

    • You can see my Giveaways HERE.
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    • If you like what you see, why don’t you follow me?
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    • Leave your link in the comments and I will drop by to see what’s shakin’.
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    Giveaway – Bruce the Spruce by A A Cristi @BruceSpruceBook @iReadBookTours

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    Join Us for This Tour from November 22 to December 10
     
    Book Details:

    Book Title:  Bruce the Spruce: A New York City Fairytale About the True Meaning of Christmas Trees by A. A. Cristi
    Category:  Children’s Fiction (ages 3 to 7), 56 pages
    Genre:  Children’s Picture Book
    Publisher:  Mascot
    Release date:   November 2021
    Content Rating:  G.  Suitable for everyone.

    Book Description:

    Bruce the Spruce has Christmas all wrong.
     
    Thanks to his fancy decorations and adoring admirers, this artificial spruce tree doesn’t just wear a star at Christmas, he IS the star. But when his longtime family gets a new tree, it sends Bruce on a holiday adventure through New York City.
     
    From a party in Brooklyn, to a run-in with rats, to a revelatory visit to Rockefeller Center, Bruce the Spruce takes an unforgettable journey to discover the true meaning of Christmas trees!

    Buy the Book:
    Mascot
    Amazon ~  Barnes and Noble
     
    Meet the Author:

    A.A. Cristi was born and raised in the world capital of Christmas trees and musicals – New York City. By no small miracle, she has managed to make a living writing about both topics. When she is not dreaming up fantastic adventures for inanimate objects, she is covering the Broadway industry as a journalist and editor at BroadwayWorld.com. Though writing is her calling, her true passion is playing mother to a neurotic wiener dog named Jack and Aunt Rah Rah to two truly remarkable kids.

    Connect with the Author:  Author’s Website ~ Twitter ~ Facebook ~ Instagram
     
    Tour Schedule:

    Nov 22 – Cover Lover Book Review – book review / giveaway
    Nov 22 – Laura’s Interests – book review / giveaway
    Nov 23 – fundinmental – book spotlight / giveaway
    Nov 23 – Splashes of Joy – book review / giveaway
    Nov 24 –     Rockin’ Book Reviews – book review / guest post / giveaway
    Nov 24 – Bigreadersite – book review / giveaway
    Nov 24 – The Pen and Muse Book Reviews – book review / giveaway
    Nov 26 –A Mama’s Corner of the World – book review / giveaway
    Nov 26 – The Momma Spot – book review / giveaway
    Nov 26 – Sefina Hawke’s Books – book spotlight
    Nov 29 – Older & Smarter? – book review / giveaway
    Nov 29 – Pick a Good Book – book review / author interview / giveaway
    Nov 30 – Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting – book review / guest post / giveaway
    Nov 30 – Westveil Publishing – book review / giveaway
    Dec 1 – Kam’s Place – book review
    Dec 1 – icefairy’s Treasure Chest – book review / giveaway
    Dec 2 – Gina Rae Mitchell – book review / author interview / giveaway
    Dec 2 – Lisa’s Reading – book review / giveaway
    Dec 3 – @twilight_reader – book review
    Dec 6 – I’m Into Books – book review / giveaway
    Dec 6 – Bound 4 Escape – book review / giveaway
    Dec 6 –     Writer with Wanderlust – book review / guest post / giveaway
    Dec 7 – The Phantom Paragrapher – book review
    Dec 8 – Sandra’s Book Club – book review
    Dec 8 – Locks, Hooks and Books – book review / giveaway
    Dec 9 – Chit Chat with Charity – book review / author interview / giveaway
    Dec 9 – Literary Flits – book spotlight / giveaway
    Dec 10 – Jazzy Book Reviews – book review / giveaway

    Enter the Giveaway:

    BRUCE THE SPRUCE Book Tour Giveaway

     


     

    • You can see my Giveaways HERE.
    • You can see my Reviews HERE.
    • If you like what you see, why don’t you follow me?
    • Look on the right sidebar and let’ talk.
    • Leave your link in the comments and I will drop by to see what’s shakin’.
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    Giveaway – Beast by Cambria Hebert @cambriahebert @XpressoTours

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    Beast
    Cambria Hebert
    (House of Misfits, #4)
    Publication date: November 12th 2021
    Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Fairy Tales, Retelling, Romance

    A tale as old as time…

    A charismatic man cannot see beyond his own
    brilliant reflection, never learning that true beauty lies within.
    His selfish behavior draws the ire of a witch with enchantment on her wicked tongue.
    A fiery curse is unleashed, engulfing the self-centered man’s entire existence.
    When at last the flames are extinguished,
    he gazes upon his reflection to discover he is no longer breathtakingly handsome
    but condemned with scorched flesh and twisted scars.
    He is no longer a man at all… but a beast.
    While the ferocious beast rages, alienating everyone far and wide,
    a woman whose beauty is far more than skin-deep
    dwells in a world much simpler than his.

    The beauty’s quiet life is disrupted when she is ambushed, threatened,
    and boldly steps in the path of her father’s debt.
    However, it’s not the thugs on her tail or the roaring beast
    testing her patience that threatens to be this sassy beauty’s downfall.
    It’s the way her heart flutters whenever he is near.

    But some curses just can’t be broken, and really…
    How can she truly ever love a beast?

    Goodreads / Amazon

    —

    EXCERPT:

    “How long has it been since you’ve had a shower?”

    “Are you saying I stink?” I yelled.

    “Yes,” she deadpanned.

    I drew back, shock rendering me silent.

    “Damn. Is that all I had to do to get you to shut up all this time? Just tell you, you stink?”

    I low growl vibrated my throat. It hurt, but I didn’t stop.

    Her eyes rolled. Their color was beautiful, reminding me of roasted chestnuts from street vendors around the holidays.

    I wondered if I’d even be able to walk the street this year. My face would probably scare everyone.

    “I’m asking because now that your bandages and stitches are removed, it would be a good time to shower off before I re-cover it all.”

    “I haven’t had a shower since before. Only a couple sponge baths.” Then a piece of the old me slipped out, a piece I’d thought had been gone for good. Leaning in with a slight smirk and naughty whisper, I asked, “You offering to give me a sponge bath?”

    Without missing a beat, she also leaned in. “I guess I am.”

    The messy room fell away, and for a moment, I forgot I was a hideous, exposed beast overwhelmed with discomfort and cast aside by the people I’d trusted. All that remained was a pair of hickory eyes regarding me with sassy mirth. Her crimson-stained lips pursed, and my eyes lingered upon them, suddenly so incredibly hungry. Unlike mine, her skin was flawless, smooth, and richly pigmented.

    She’s beautiful.

    The long column of her neck was graceful and always exposed because the curls on her head were short and wild. My fingers itched to wrap around it, gripping with just enough force to possess her while my mouth devoured hers.

    “What’s the matter, Ander? Not used to someone calling your bluff?” Her voice was amused but hushed, and something deep inside me howled in delight that she might not be as composed as she portrayed.

    I leaned closer, noting the way her nostrils flared. We were so close now we shared the same breath. Hers smelled faintly of mint and was more rapid than before. “Who said I was bluffing?” I whispered.

    Her cheeks turned slightly reflective, taking on a glossy sheen, and she pulled back, eyes flaring just a bit. She was flustered.

    Author Bio:

    Cambria Hebert is an award winning, bestselling novelist of more than twenty books. She went to college for a bachelor’s degree, couldn’t pick a major, and ended up with a degree in cosmetology. So rest assured her characters will always have good hair.

    Besides writing, Cambria loves a caramel latte, staying up late, sleeping in, and watching movies. She considers math human torture and has an irrational fear of chickens (yes, chickens). You can often find her running on the treadmill (she’d rather be eating a donut), painting her toenails (because she bites her fingernails), or walking her chorkie (the real boss of the house).

    Cambria has written within the young adult and new adult genres, penning many paranormal and contemporary titles. Her favorite genre to read and write is romantic suspense. A few of her most recognized titles are: The Hashtag Series, Text, Torch, and Tattoo.

    Cambria Hebert owns and operates Cambria Hebert Books, LLC.

    Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Instagram / Pinterest / Twitter


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    • You can see my Giveaways HERE.
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    • If you like what you see, why don’t you follow me?
    • Look on the right sidebar and let’ talk.
    • Leave your link in the comments and I will drop by to see what’s shakin’.
    • I am an Amazon affiliate/product images are linked.
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    Books From The Backlog – Dragon Stones by Kristian Alva #KristianAlva #booksfromthebacklog

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    Books from the Backlog is a fun way to feature some of those neglected books sitting on your bookshelf unread.  If you are anything like me, you might be surprised by some of the unread books hiding in your stacks.

    If you would like to join in, swing by Carole’s Random Life in Books.

    Dragon Stones (Dragon Stone Saga #1)

    Amazon / Audiobook / Goodreads

    GOODREADS BLURB

    Series Bestsellers! Over 200,000 copies sold! Sequestered deep in the capital, the tyrannical Emperor Vosper weaves a plan to destroy all the dragons. He succeeds in driving them to the very brink of extinction. Only a handful of dragons and riders remain; living in exile in the desert. When young Elias Dorgumir finds a carved dragon stone in the forest, it brings empire soldiers to his doorstep, and puts Elias on the run with a bounty on his head. Is Elias strong enough to halt the evil that is spreading across the land?

    Goodreads Ratings: 3.62  · 1,202 ratings  · 67 reviews

    I added Dragon Stones by Kristian Alva to my TBR on 1.10.13. I LOVE dragons and found that I also have the complete trilogy on my Kindle. I look forward to binging the series. The series has sold over 200,000 copies, so don’t let the small review numbers throw you. I find that very impressive, seeing books can easily get lost in the shuffle. Do you have a favorite mythological or supernatural critter?

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    Review: The Third Note by Virginia King @selkiemoonbooks

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    This year I have finished more series than usual and am proud of that. A lot of times, I start a series, read the first book, and never continue. Not so here and I am happy I took the time to get the entire story of Selkie Moon.

    The Third Note (Selkie Moon Mystery, #3)

    Amazon / Goodreads

    MY REVIEW

    The Third Note by Virginia King picks up where The Second Path, Book II, left off. I highly recommend reading this series in order.

    A package arrives from Selkie’s long dead grandmother. It was supposed to be delivered on her eighteenth birthday, but it was seventeen years late. Stella, her step mother begs her not to open it and it just makes Selkie more curious about what’s inside. I knowsecrets have been kept and I want her to find them out.

    “What if you could heal the past?” That is what Selkie has been trying to do since her move to Hawaii.

    Soooooo, it’s off to Ireland with Davina, who believes Selkie is a psychic detective. They both have pasts that will confront while there. She’s on a mission to discover what happened to her twin relatives. Supposedly, one was murdered and the other sent away.

    Psychic visions, myths and legends, fairies, ghosts, magic, superstitions, secrets, and Selkie is determined to unveil them.

    The Third Note is heavy on the mystery and the suspense is subtle, yet there are urgent and dangerous moments as Selkie and Davina visit their roots in Ireland. So many pieces to the puzzle, it took Selkie spelling it out for me, piece by piece, to see how the puzzle came together. The romance is sweet and develops over time.

    I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of the Third Note by Virginia King.

    Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
    4 Stars

    GOODREADS BLURB

    A mysterious parcel. An unsolved crime. A spell from beyond the grave.

    After returning from her last strange quest, Selkie Moon is more than ready to settle down. So when she receives a parcel from her great grandmother 35 years after her death, opening it seems like such a bad idea.

    But curiosity wins and the objects it contains plunge Selkie into long-buried family secrets. Suddenly an old mystery begins to echo with the present and she’s wrapped in a spell that won’t let go: frightening visions, deadly encounters and a pull from the past that she can’t ignore. What happened down by the old stone well in 1896 – and why does it matter to Selkie after more than a hundred years? Armed with only her wits and psychic twinges that are hardly reliable, Selkie is drawn into a web of cryptic clues that delve deep into the folklore of Ireland where superstition still weaves a powerful – and fatal – spell.

    If you love mysteries with lightning pace, twists and turns you never see coming, quirky clues and a sprinkling of the supernatural, then you’ll love The Third Note.

    Join Selkie Moon on a quest that will threaten not only her sanity, but her life.

    ABOUT VIRGINIA KING

    Virginia King

    When a voice wakes you up in the middle of the night and tells you to write a mystery series, what’s a writer to do? That’s how I came to create Selkie Moon, after a massage from a strange woman with gifted hands was followed by this nocturnal message. I sat down at the keyboard until Selkie Moon turned up — a modern woman with a mythical name. Soon I was hooked, exploring far-flung places full of secrets where Selkie delves into psychological clues tangled up in the local mythology.

    Before Selkie Moon invaded my life, I’d been a teacher, an unemployed ex-teacher, the author of over 50 children’s books, an audio-book producer, a workshop presenter and a prize-winning publisher. These days I live in the Blue Mountains west of Sydney with my husband, where I disappear each day into Selkie Moon’s latest mystery. Bliss.

    Website

    MY VIRGINIA KING REVIEWS

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    Gingerman: In Search of the Toymaker by Tony Bertauski @tonybertauski

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    I have been reading the Claus series by Tony Bertauski since the first one, Claus, Legend of the Fat Man. I have missed one or two, and hope to catch up on them. The series is unique and fun to read.

    Gingerman: In Search of the Toymaker (Claus #8)

    Amazon / Goodreads

    MY REVIEW

    Gingerman is not my first foray into the world of Claus by Tony Bertauski and it won’t be my last. I have been loving this quirky series since the beginning, with Claus, Legend of the Fat Man.

    Christmas White Blizzard, better known as Chris, is off to school. His mother loved Christmas so much, she names him and his sister, Yuletide. He is terrified of going off to school, but his desire to learn overrides his fears.

    The Institute of Creative Minds is the ultimate dichotomy:

    “Be creative and free. But follow the rules or go home.”

    The Institute is unlike any school I have ever heard of before. It is Christmas all the time.

    When he meets Joli, she decides to be his introduction to the school. I love her feisty, independent personality. She’s a rebel.

    Gingerman….well, I don’t want to spoil your introduction to him, so you will need to discover everything about him yourself. I will tell you…he is…unusual. Whether he is good or bad, we will have to wait and see. The verdict is still out, but I do have my thoughts.

    The magic of Christmas comes alive through Tony Bertauski’s descriptive words. So, come along with me, Chris, and the Gingerman to solve the mystery of the Institute. It is a wild ride and I think you may enjoy it. It is delightful, unique and mysterious.

    I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Gingerman by Tony Bertauski.

    Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
    4 Stars

    GOODREADS BLURB

    His real name is Christmas. It’s embarrassing.

    He’s been accepted into the Institute of Creative Mind, a prestigious institute for eccentrics, outliers, and gifted students. A school located in the middle of nowhere with two-hundred-year-old castles and a formidable stone wall. A school where Christmas is celebrated the entire year.

    Christmas trees, ornaments, and lights decorate the castles. Presents are given out every month, and students are pitted against each other in creative challenges. Chris soon finds out, however, the stakes are high.

    The losers are expelled.

    He spends sleepless nights keeping up with his homework to not disappoint his parents and to keep a cruel guidance counsellor off his back. But this place is more than a demanding school for gifted students. Chris finds a clue in a textbook his first night, written in code.

    Run, run as fast as you can.

    When he’s presented with an impossibility that defies all laws of physics and biology, anything becomes possible. Chris discovers students aren’t chosen for their artistic abilities but because of a DNA test. He doesn’t know what the school is really after. If he doesn’t stop them, Christmas will end forever. Everything depends on his courage.

    And a strange little friend.

    ABOUT TONY BERTAUSKI

    Tony Bertauski

    Get my books FREE. Tell me where to send them at http://bertauski.com

    My grandpa never graduated high school. He retired from a steel mill in the mid-70s. He was uneducated, but he was a voracious reader. I remember going through his bookshelves of paperback sci-fi novels, smelling musty old paper, pulling Piers Anthony and Isaac Asimov off shelf and promising to bring them back. I was fascinated by robots that could think and act like people. What happened when they died?

    I’ve written textbooks on landscape design, but that was straightforward, informational writing; the kind of stuff that helps most people get to sleep. I’ve also been writing a gardening column with a humorous slant. That takes a little more finesse, but still informational for the most part.

    I’m a cynical reader. I demand the writer sweep me into his/her story and carry me to the end. I’d rather sail a boat than climb a mountain. That’s the sort of stuff I wanted to write, not the assigned reading we used to get in high school. I wanted to create stories that kept you up late.

    Fiction, GOOD fiction, is hard to write. Having a story unfold inside your head is an experience different than reading. You connect with characters in a deeper, more meaningful way. You feel them, empathize with them, cheer for them and even mourn. The challenge is to get the reader to experience the same thing, even if it’s only a fraction of what the writer feels. Not so easy.

    MY TONY BERTAUSKI REVIEWS

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    Books From The Backlog – Soul Kissed by Courtney Cole @Court_Writes #booksfromthebacklog

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    .

    Books from the Backlog is a fun way to feature some of those neglected books sitting on your bookshelf unread.  If you are anything like me, you might be surprised by some of the unread books hiding in your stacks.

    If you would like to join in, swing by Carole’s Random Life in Books.

    Soul Kissed (Moonstone Saga, #1)

    Amazon / Goodreads

    GOODREADS BLURB

    Question: When your mother is a powerful witch and your father is a soul-sucking vampire, what does that make you? Answer: Cursed. With all the beauty and charm of a Siren, but cursed as a blood-sucking succubus, Empusa longs for love and a normal life. Neither of these can ever be hers, because the only thing she brings to anyone she loves is death. Em lingers in the mortal world, hiding from her father and existing in a lonely life. Until she meets Brennan. With golden hair and a radiant smile, he captures her heart and awakens it from slumber. But Brennan is more than he seems. And in a relationship where life itself hangs in the balance, is love ever really enough?

    Goodreads rating: 3.91 – Rating Details: 411 ratings  ·  42 reviews

    I added Soul Kissed, Moonstone Saga #1 by Courtney Cole to my TBR on 9.26.12. I do love a good paranormal story and we have vampires and witches on the agenda today. Do you have a favorite supernatural creature?

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