Friday, August 30, 2013

DiSemblance Book Blast Tour & Giveaway

  DiSemblance  

DiSemblance
Tanner’s life has always been different from the ordinary citizen’s. It started when he was an infant and his parents were only teenagers. A computer science prodigy, Lloyd attended MIT but left a pariah in the eyes of the school’s dean—but a computer physics genius in the eyes of his primary investor. Then his theories and ideas created a holographic machine and their world shrunk as contact with the outside world became less and less frequent. A computer prodigy now himself, Jason is about to learn that the world never waits for you if you have the ability to change it: it will come for you. Detective Bruce Durante has been handed the case of the Comfort Killer, a serial killer so named because he appears to abduct terminally ill patients before returning their corpses to their families in refrigerated coffins. When he picks up the trail, it leads straight to the home of Lloyd Tanner. Jason has been living life through the world of Lloyd’s invention and wishing he could carry on a relationship with Boston, the beautiful girl next door. When his father is murdered and framed as the Comfort Killer, he is brought back to reality in a hurry. He is forced to destroy all of the planted evidence—and finds he is being targeted as the killer’s new fall guy. But the secrets of his father’s invention run deep and Jason, his brother Isaac,Boston, the Comfort Killer, and Detective Durante hurtle towards one another on a deadly collision course that leaves everyone’s life hanging in the balance.


Shanae  

Author Shanae Branham I am a professional writer with a bachelor’s degree in creative writing and a minor in grammar. I have also attended several years of classes and workshops in screenplay writing at the Los Angeles Screenplay writer’s Expo. I love suspense thrillers and am a master at plot and character development. I enjoy stories with happy endings. I promise all my readers that when they put one of my books down or walk away from one of my movies, they will be enthused with excitement and joy. This does not mean there will not be some sad parts, because you have to feel the bitter in order to understand the sweet. In fact, I have struggled with Dyslexia my whole life, so you can imagine how overjoyed I was when DiSemblance won a Silver metal in the fantasy/science fiction category at the eLit awards in 2012.  


 
disemblance tour 

   

BookBlast Giveaway
$50 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash Ends 9/13/13 Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer http://iamareader.com and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.
  
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Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Book Promo, Excerpt & Giveaway - The Big Empty by Ritch Gaiti





Book: The Big Empty
Author: Ritch Gaiti
Publisher: Sedona Editions
Published: May 2013
ISBN (ebook):   978-0-9833837-3-4
Available in paperback and ebook.
Author website: www.RitchGaiti.com


Some Reviews

“…masterfully conceived, exquisitely written, dramatically atmospheric…Highly recommended.”  Grady Harp, Literary Aficionado/Amazon Hall of Fame Reviewer

 “…a home run with fiction lovers, conspiracy theorists and anyone who likes a fast-paced mystery that keeps the reader guessing until the very end.” Pacific Book Review

“…characters are detailed, realistic, and incredibly three dimensional…you are never exactly sure who is trustworthy.” Laurie Love, AGoddessofLiterature.com

“…a great slow-burning mystery thriller.” James Goulding

“…well-paced mystery sets up a surprisingly poignant climax.” David Clarke

The Big Empty -summary

A gritty lawyer uncovers an ancient conspiracy and the betrayal of a man and a nation. A thriller mystery of treachery, trust and redemption.
 . . .
Every instinct I had told me to get out but I couldn’t, not now. This simple case would trigger repercussions that would unnerve the city, maybe the country. I was about to open doors that had been nailed shut for a lifetime. And the only path to the truth was through a labyrinth of deceit. I trusted no one, not even myself. My stomach tightened.
The ten years had slipped by like a century.  I never thought I’d see New York again and now I find myself buried in its bowels, unsure of what I was after—but I knew I had to find it. I snaked through the city bureaucracy, historical landmarks and some of the most prominent properties in the city, all intricately linked. Nothing fit, yet everything connected and answers only bred more questions. Somehow it had all been mysteriously tied back to me.
I ventured into the darkest tunnel of all, my own.  I realized then why I was chosen—why I had been the only one that could find this elusive document.  Deep within a maze of deceptions and betrayals, I uncovered a massive conspiracy among the most esteemed organizations in the world—and the truth that had sent my life into a tailspin ten years ago was far from true. Suddenly, this seemingly routine assignment suddenly had enormous stakes and consequences. Now it was up to me to mend an ancient injustice and the fate of an entire culture.


Excerpt:

Caught somewhere in a fold of time between now and never, I had no escape. The past had become clearer than the present. A cool breeze ran through me as I looked towards the basement door. The cool subterranean cavern bid me to descend. As much as I resisted, I had only one path, one way out. I looked down the dark staircase – a long descending tunnel drew me in. The basement seemed to glow from the cold blue light emanating from a single casement window. I had no choice – I had to go deeper into the darkness to get out of it. This was why I was here – this moment, this place. I had to venture into the darkest tunnel of all – my own.
I had been hiding from this for all these years. I slowly stepped onto the stairs and into my unconscious. I released my protection, my walls, my layers of callous. The first step creaked under as I proceeded slowly.  Defenseless, I descended, to the growing intensity of the drums.
Suddenly, everything blended, as if by osmosis, into a single mind, a single memory. Time did not exist. The walls, which had stood for so long, had fallen. The smell, the sounds, the light flooded my senses. I crossed into the past as I descended the same stairs ten years ago.


Ritch Gaiti –bio

Ritch Gaiti is an author, an artist and a former Wall Street Executive. He focuses on a wide range of subjects and genres: from drama to suspense to humor; from fiction to non-fiction. His first book, Points, Women Have Them, Men Need Them, was a humorous relationship book. Afterwards, sticking with humor, he wrote Tweet, a fictional satire on consumerism and the advertising industry. Recently, Tweet has been optioned for a feature film. His last book, Dutching the Book, a fictional drama based on real people and events, delivers an absorbing story about horse racing and gambling in 1960’s Brooklyn.
Ritch has also written articles for magazines, including Private Wealth, Tango and Balance magazines and has been featured on national TV and radio, including a guest appearance on the Today Show, opposite Joan Rivers.
In addition to writing, Ritch is a recognized artist who exhibits regularly in galleries and museums across the country. His portfolio can be viewed on: www.Gaiti.com. He is also recreational pilot and enjoys tennis and skiing.

Giveaway:
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Monday, August 26, 2013

Review - The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

The Raven Boys (Raven Cycle, #1)The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Paperback, UK, 454 pages
Published September 19th 2012 by Scholastic
Source: Own copy
Challenges: Mt TBR Challenge, A-Z Title Challenge

Synopsis:
'Blue has spent the majority of her sixteen years being told that if she kisses her true love, he will die. When Blue meets Gansey’s spirit on the corpse road she knows there is only one reason why – either he is her true love or she has killed him.

Determined to find out the truth, Blue becomes involved with the Raven Boys, four boys from the local private school (lead by Gansey) who are on a quest to discover Glendower – a lost ancient Welsh King who is buried somewhere along the Virginia ley line. Whoever finds him will be granted a supernatural favour.

Never before has Blue felt such magic around her. But is Gansey her true love? She can’t imagine a time she would feel like that, and she is adamant not to be the reason for his death. Where will fate lead them?'


My Thoughts:
The Raven Boys is an interesting book which centres around a small group of boys trying to find the whereabouts of a mystical 'Ley Line' and a girl who befriends them and eventually gets caught up in their search.
The main female character, Blue, has been told all her life that if she kisses her true love he will die. Blue has grown up in a household full of psychics and I thought she was a very likeable and strong young woman mainly because of the hurdles she has had to overcome by growing up in the environment she has, and also not ever knowing anything at all about her father.
Blue has a very bad opinion on any boys that go to the local private school who everyone calls 'Raven Boys'. When Blue ends up meeting a group of them and eventually gets to know them she realises that she shouldn't be so judgemental because they aren't all like she thought. For example, Gansey is your typical rich and popular young man, but doesn't let it go to his head or is selfish because of it. He's thoughtful and really sticks up for his close friends. Adam, on the other hand comes from a very poor background and is only attending the school on a scholarship.
The story that follows the search for the 'Ley Line' and the grave of the ancient Glendower was really intriguing. You don't really get much in the way of a wrap up of this story at the end (obviously to get you to read the second instalment) so I am keen to see the outcome in the second book.
Unfortunately I thought the ending of this book seemed a little messy and disjointed and I was left feeling a bit annoyed by how little was revealed in the story overall.
Overall, while I did end up liking The Raven Boys once I got to the end, I didn't find myself loving it as much as I thought I would compared to other readers. It had a very slow start in my opinion but did contain a few interesting twists and turns to keep the reader wanting more.

Important Links:
Amazon
The Book Depository

Sunday, August 25, 2013

Book Spotlight - Mondays With Mephistopheles by Dan O'Brien


Welcome to the last day of the Mondays with Mephistopheles: 9am - Rhys blog tour. It will run until August 9th and will feature excerpts and new author interviews each day. But first, here is the obligatory blurb about the novel to settle you into this strange world:

Abraham Rogers has an unusual psychotherapy practice: monsters. This first installment is a session with Rhys, the IT vampire who can’t quite connect with the modern world the way he would like.


A few questions for the author:


If you could clone yourself, which of your characteristics wouldn’t you want to be cloned?

Perhaps my tendency to be emotionally unavailable when something is on the line. 


What’s the difference between you and most other people?

A propensity for organization and motor that gets things done. 


Are you making some influences on the world or constantly being influenced by the world?

I would like to believe that what I am doing influences the world, but the reality is there is give and take between influencing and being influenced upon. 


The thing you cried for last time, does it matter to you now or will it matter to you 5 years later?

I cry rarely. When I do, it matters.


Here be an excerpt for your enjoyment:


Rhys shifted in his seat and folded his arms closer to his body. “I could smell incense even before we entered the room. The lights were turned down low and I could hear groaning and whispered voices. Do not confuse me with a prude, good doctor. I have been a party to many orgies in my time. This was something substantially more perverse.”

Abe resisted the urge to comment on the use of good doctor once more. “What exactly happened, Rhys?”

“The lights had been turned down low and there was paraphernalia littering the walls depicting….”

“Depicting what?”

Rhys sighed. “Your usual macabre and vampire fare, though I am dismayed at the very notion. Men painted in white and the worst music to which I have ever been exposed. And I survived Disco and this Bieber craze.”

“They were roleplaying then?”

Making a few circles with hands, the vampire seemed disenchanted with the word usage. “When I imagine roleplaying, I get the image of overweight men with terrible facial hair rolling multi-sided di. Some of these goths had fang implants, ceramic molds made to look like a child of the night.”

“What about the woman who brought you there?”

“They were having some kind of orgy. There was a fair amount of pig’s blood by the smell of it. Magnificent drapes were cast across the windows, obfuscating the light. That part I found quite useful. Otherwise, it was a sordid and ridiculous moment.”

Resituating himself on the couch with only the slightest of movements, the vampire continued. “Another of the socially inept approached me and asked if I wished to join their covenant. A meat sack asking this of me would have thrown me into a rage a century early, but, alas, I found his particular brand of melancholia amusing.”

“Amusing?”

“Very much so. I asked him how long he had been a child of the night, expecting the very pinnacle of overwrought acting and facial pinching to get the right mix of anxiety and despair. He did not disappoint. His voice deepened and he looked off into the distance. Another of the painted children changed the music to something more somber. It reminded of The Cure, a band that I quite enjoyed….”




Bio: A psychologist, author, editor, philosopher, martial artist, and skeptic, he has published several novels and currently has many in print, including: The End of the World Playlist, Bitten, The Journey, The Ocean and the Hourglass, The Path of the Fallen, The Portent, and Cerulean Dreams. Follow him on Twitter (@AuthorDanOBrien) or visit his blog http://thedanobrienproject.blogspot.com. He recently started a consultation business. You can find more information about it here: http://www.amalgamconsulting.com/.




All of his books are only 99 cents on Kindle right now!


Download Mondays with Mephistopheles for free on Kindle from 8/21 until 8/25!


Would you like to win a Kindle Fire?

Visit http://thedanobrienproject.blogspot.com/ and follow the blog for a chance to win a Kindle Fire!


Tuesday, August 20, 2013

Book Spotlight - Soul In Present Condition by Mary E. Merrell


By Mary E. Merrell

Book One: House Haunting

Description: 

Rosemary Fernandes is a divorced, naïve woman, determined to make it in the tough world of real estate. Keith Laumer is a ghost, eager to leave his earthly haunt. As a real estate agent and a womanizer in life, Keith is the perfect partner to teach Rosemary the ins and outs of the real estate business, and he’s perfectly willing to teach her anything else she wants to know.

Frank Perez is a tough guy tattoo artist with ah-so-wide shoulders, and a chest Rosemary can’t wait to get her hands on. He thinks she’s a tease, jerking him around with this ghost story. And it won’t bother the ghost if the tattoo artist just disappears.
  
Can there be a love triangle between a goodie two-shoes, a tough guy, and a ghost? And how long will Rosemary remain naïve and alive when her less-than-subtle sleuthing drops her and her friends into a sinister years-old plot?

Book Two: Curve Appeal

Description:

That’s what real estate agent Rosemary Fernandes thought until the day she started hearing them...the voices of lost souls. When Rosemary encounters the ghost of a murdered stripper, she feels compelled to help, but what happens when the ghost’s secret brings Rosemary to the attention of a serial killer?

Vampires are creatures of legend.

The dead are drawn to Rosemary like magnets, but must it attract all the kooks as well? Marcus Lyon’s thinks he’s a vampire, and he wants Rosemary to be his personal assistant, his human servant. Rosemary ignores his crazy proposition until Marcus gives her an offer she can’t refuse. Can she work her business, run errands for the vampire and help the lost souls while staying ahead of a killer out for revenge? 

Book Three: Soul in Present Condition

Description

Divorced. Check. Ghost Whisperer. Check. Human Servant. Check. Great. Check.

Real estate agent Rosemary Fernandes never expected to inherit the ability to communicate with spirits, and she certainly didn’t expect her gift to attract the undead as well. Now Rosemary finds herself ghost whisperer to the lost souls stuck at their haunts and human servant to a gorgeous but aloof vampire Marcus Lyons.

Benito Cruz died with a dangerous secret, a secret that connects the ghost to Rosemary. Can Rosemary send the spirit to his final resting place before his past catches up with them, and can she convince the vampire helping spirits like Benito is her destiny?

When real estate and the supernatural come together it is murder.

Author Info
Mary E. Merrell writes Paranormal Mysteries and Young Adult Urban Fantasy. She has worked many jobs, but always had stories in her head. It wasn’t until she went into real estate and walked into that old, vacant home that The Real Estate Paranormal Mystery Series came to life. Fortunately, nothing spooky happened at the furniture store, or the first book might have been, “The Haunted Sofa." 

Mary E. Merrell’s plots are smooth and slightly dark, and her characters sinfully sweet. Try a little guilty pleasure with House Haunting, the first book in The Real Estate Paranormal Mystery Series. One reviewer called it “A good start to a new series.”

Her Young Adult series, Affinity is also humorous but deals with very real life themes. A reviewer said, “Love it. So different. A fun read.” 

Mary E. Merrell lives in the Central Valley of California with her husband, two dogs, and five cats. She has two grown sons. When she’s not writing, she’s gardening or playing soccer.

Links
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MaryMerrell7
Website: http://www.maryemerrell.com/



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