Guest Blog & Giveaway: Blood of the Dark Moon by Adrianne Brennan

I would like to welcome Adrianne Brennan to My Paranormal Book Review.  Today, Adrianne is guest blogging about her next writing project.  

Giveaway!!

Adrianne will be awarding a $25 E-gift card to Amazon to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour. Click here for a list of participating tour stops.  To increase your chance of winning comment on each tour stop!

BLURB: 

 A dark flame of passion ignites between Amanda, a devoted follower of the Greek god Apollo, and Jesse, a handsome scholar who shares her love of both the classics and the occult. But little does Amanda know she is destined to fulfill a legacy that began long ago and ended in tragedy. Together, she and Jesse embark on a journey down a shadowy path that delivers Amanda into Jesse’s scintillating underworld of vampires, magick, and secret societies. Will she learn her true identity in time to help those she has grown to care for, and find happiness in her new life with Jesse? And will destiny finally be fulfilled?

Guest Blog:

My Next Writing Project

It's the final book in the Oath series entitled "Union". I'm in the midst of edits for it and will be the very next book of mine to come out. It’s the conclusion of the tale of a young woman named Lila in the process of self-discovery, empowerment, and mastery through an intensely erotic series of rituals. It’s a fantasy work featuring magick, demons, and all sorts of supernatural events. Once finished I plan to have a sequel to the series in the form of a novella, something a bit longer for my readers to sink their teeth into.

 I have a few struggles with getting this particular work done. This series has chronicled the personal journey and evolution in an intense, sexual way. I’m not sure what to leave off with in a way that would close out the series and do the character justice. Her tale won’t end, and for that I have a sequel planned, but it’s the “end-that’s-a-beginning” and fitting it as a short chapter work which is the challenge.

 Interestingly, I find longer works easier to finish than shorter works. You would think that something that’s only 2-4k in length would be easy to write but it seems that my comfort zone is more at the 10-15k length and higher. As a result, I may have to have the last chapter longer than what would be preferable.

 Writers: what sorts of obstacles do you typically find in ending a series? Readers: what type of series’ endings do you enjoy the best, and why? Do you believe a story can ever truly end, and do you feel comfortable with “open” endings, knowing that in the end, a story can never really be over? Or do you find more comfort in total closure?

Author Info.

Adrianne Brennan stumbled into her love of writing by accident at the age of ten with a creative writing assignment for her science class. The end result was a science fiction comedy featuring numerous puns regarding vegetables. Adrianne's works were previously published through Aphrodite's Apples Press and are now published through Freya's Bower, Love You Divine, Running Press/Constable & Robinson, and Torquere Press. In addition, she is a member of EPIC, Infinite Worlds of Fantasy Authors, the Midnight Seductions Authors group, and an alumnus member of Kappa Gamma Psi, a co-ed national professional performing arts fraternity. The author resides in Boston, Massachusetts with two cats and a car she has aptly named "the TARDIS." She assures her readers that people tell her it looks bigger on the inside.

TWITTER                         FACEBOOK                        WEBSITE                           BLOG

Blurb Blitz & Giveaway: See Me by Natalie Nicole Bates

GIVEAWAY!!

Natalie will be awarding a $25 Amazon gift card to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour.  

Increase your changes of winning by following the tour and leave a comment on all the blogs

BLURB: 

Carly Anders is hearing voices in her head. Another one of her kind is trying to contact her. She knows of the malevolent freaks—others who are eternal like her and seek out the weak to inflict pain upon. For years, Carly has held up huge protective walls to keep herself and her secrets safe. Now, physically and mentally exhausted, Carly needs protection and rest. She accepts the invitation to visit an internet friend who needs help appraising a collection of antique photographs. The situation is not ideal, but Carly hopes a male presence in her life will deter the determined suitor who haunts her thoughts and dreams. Daniel Tremont is not what Carly is expecting. The former funeral director has a secret of his own. Not only is he eternal like Carly, he is her creation from all those years before—her abomination she thought she killed. Daniel has been searching for Carly for years. He knows she is the piece of his life that he has been missing for so long. Now that he has found her, he has no intentions of letting her go.

Excerpt:

A flicker of life ignited in her eyes. Her hands came up to his face, and to Daniel’s surprise, tears bubbled from his own eyes. He was releasing the pain and fear he had absorbed from his beloved.

 “I’m so sorry, Daniel, so sorry,” she murmured. 

 “There’s nothing to be sorry for, my love. It’s over. It’s time to move forward now.” 

 “You don’t understand what I am, Daniel.”

 “I do understand, Carly. I am what you are. See me for what I am.” 

 In his mind, he could see the moving clockwork gears of her thoughts once again as she tried to process what he was telling her to be true.

 “Just accept it, and let’s move forward.” 

 She drew his face to hers and her lips parted beneath his. Time blurred and he drank in the essence of his Carly. Her soft, barely covered curves molded themselves against his the hard planes of his body. Her hands were under his t-shirt, her fingers stroking him.

 If he pressed on, he knew she wouldn’t refuse him. But in her vulnerable state, he wouldn’t let anything progress further that night. Carly needed time to process everything that happened. There was plenty of time to pursue a physical relationship. They weren’t going any where…he hoped.

BUY LINK:

Author Info:

Natalie-Nicole Bates is a book reviewer and author. Her passions in life include books and hockey along with Victorian and Edwardian era photography and antique poison bottles. Natalie contributes her uncharacteristic love of hockey to being born in Russia. She currently resides in the UK where she is working on her next book and adding to her collection of 19th century post-mortem photos.

Author Links:

WEBSITE                           TWITTER                          FACEBOOK

Young Adult Giveaway Hop

Welcome to the Young Adult Giveaway Hop!

Hosted by I Am A Reader, Not A Writer & BookLove101

For this hop, I'm giving one lucky follower their choice of a Young Adult book (up to $10 US) from the book depository.  REMEMBER: The book depository must ship free to your country to be eligible. 
Be sure to check out all the amazing blogs participating in this hop. The linky list is below the rafflecopter. 
 Good luck!!

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The Vampire Collection Blog Tour & Giveaway

I'd like to welcome The Vampire Collection Tour and Giveaway! 

 Be sure to enter the rafflecopter at the end of this post for a chance to win some amazing prizes!

THE VAMPIRE COLLECTION

 Two vampire novellas from two very different series, in the same ebook called: THE VAMPIRE COLLECTION.

 The first novella, BRINK OF ETERNITY, belongs to the Guardians of Ascension series featuring winged vampires in a world of ascending dimensional earths. The second novella, EMBRACE THE DARK, is the first story in my Blood Rose series. Both novellas explore the sexy mystique of the warrior vampire, each over-burdened by the responsibilities of his job and in need of the love of a good woman

Cover Blurb:

BRINK OF ETERNITY

 Discover powerful winged vampire warriors, the Guardians of Ascension, and the women they’re sworn to protect! 
Gideon swore he would never see Elise Jordan again even though they’d been passionate lovers for two years. Her human nature couldn’t survive in his ascended vampire world; she would be vulnerable to attack on every front if he tried to continue a relationship with her. But when Elise starts having visions of the future of Gideon’s sister hunted by death vampires, Gideon can no longer ignore that Elise is in her Call to Ascension, her call to become a vampire. Though determined to keep her at bay, the infamous breh-hedden, an all-consuming vampire bonding ritual, wraps him up tight and demands that he protect Elise. As he strives to keep her alive during her Rite of Ascension, love threatens to overwhelm his carefully ordered, war-weary world.

EMBRACE THE DARK

 Enter a world of blood-starved mastyr vampires and the rare women who can satisfy their deepest needs… 
Gerrod, mastyr vampire of the Merhaine Realm, never thought to have his blood-needs satisfied by a mere human. But Abigail of Arizona is no ordinary woman. She stuns him with her telepathy as well as the richness of her blood. However, her human DNA makes her an unacceptable mate. Yet how can Gerrod turn her away when she alone has satisfied his blood-starvation for the first time in a hundred-and-fifty-years? When the dreaded enemy of all realm-folk, the Invictus, attacks at a fae wedding, Abigail’s simple human life gets turned upside down. She doesn’t know if she has the courage to pursue a path that means giving herself body and soul to a mastyr vampire. Will she return to her normal existence in Flagstaff, Arizona? Or will she embrace the dark…

My Review

The Guardians of Ascension is an amazing series!  The Brink of Eternity is a novella  focusing on a militia warrior, Gideon, and his breh, Jordan.  This is different as the other books in the series focus on the Warriors of the Blood.  Caris' writing style is descriptive and enthralls the reader into the world of Second Earth.

Both Gideon and Jordan express reasons to not love another.  Gideon is afraid to love due to his dangerous job and his need to protect those he cares about.  Jordan grew up with a single mom, who showed her little affection.  She is use to being alone and never allowed anyone to breakdown the walls to her heart.  When faced with losing each other for eternity, both must recognize their destiny.  It's amazing how our thoughts can interfere with our heart's desire.

What would a review be without mentioning the steamy sex scenes between Gideon and Jordan?  Hot, Hot, Hot...I'm fanning myself just thinking about those scenes.

Overall, I highly recommend this book.  I'm looking forward to reading more books about the Warriors on Second Earth.

The author provided me with a copy of the book for an honest review.

Buy Links 

Everyone who purchases The Vampire Collection: The Brink of Eternity and Embrace the Dark will receive a free arc of the next book in the series "The Darkening"! " Simply email your Proof of purchase of "Vampire Collection: Brink of Eternity and Embrace the Dark" to Caris and she will send you a free arc of "The Darkening". Here is her E-mail carisroane@gmail.com . Caris would love to see your reviews posted on Amazon for both "Vampire Collection: Brink of Eternity and Embrace the Dark" and "The Darkening" once you have a chance to enjoy them.


                      Barnes & Noble

Author Info

I was ten when I first watched an old movie version of PRIDE AND PREJUDICE and loved it! Movies led to books, which led to writing and after a good long while, publishing. I wrote sweet Regency romance for Kensington for 19 years and recently fell in love with paranormal, although I’ve always had a thing for vampires. I currently write paranormal romance for St. Martin’s Press but I self-publish as well. Building an online platform has been an enormous but rewarding challenge. I think all the changes in publishing will alter how authors approach the business going forward and I for one am thrilled to have so many options. Caris Roane has published over fifty Regency romance novels and novellas under the pen name, Valerie King. In 2005, Romantic Times gave her a Career Achievement award in Regency Romance. Having had a long-time love affair with vampires, Caris tackled the paranormal genre and built a unique vampire world based on ascending dimensional earths. Her series is called Guardians of Ascension. Her most recent self-published project, The Blood Rose Novella Series, launched in May of 2012 with the first title: Embrace the Dark. Currently, Caris is working on a new vampire series set to launch in the Fall of 2013: WARRIORS IN CHAINS with the first novel, BORN IN CHAINS. Caris lives in Phoenix, Arizona, with her two cats, Sebastien and Gizzy.

WEBSITE          BLOG         FACEBOOK           TWITTER           GOODREADS




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Book Tour Review & Giveaway: The Vrykolakas Deviation by Sherri Lackey

I'd like to thank Sherri Lackey for her guest post today! I'm so excited to learn about your writing goals for this year.

After reading the guest post, please check out the book blurb, review & author information.

GIVEAWAY!!

Sherri will be awarding a $25 Amazon gift card to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour, and a $15 Amazon gift card to a randomly drawn host.

Writing Goals for 2013

My first priority for 2013 is publishing the second book in my Narcissus Legacy series which is titled The Darkness Below. It introduces a new character named Kaie, Keeva and Severin’s daughter. The story begins approximately twenty years after the closing scene of The Vrykolakas Deviation. Kaie becomes trapped in a dark realm known as Subtenna which is inhabited by dark elves, carnivorous creatures, and something long hidden in the depths below the surface. One particular phrase haunts her - What is born or brought to the Belows must stay.

I have two more books planned for the series. The third is tentatively titled The Darkness Within and I don’t have a title for the fourth book yet. The third book will pick up with the story of Connor, Keeva and Severin’s son, who is introduced in the first book as a baby. Connor changes into something which is entirely a weapon of destruction. Saving him from himself will take an enormous effort on the part of his family. The fourth book will introduce Lyric, Kaie’s daughter, who is a nymph - I think. It’s still very much a work in progress. Lyric is probably the most well adjusted character in the entire series. She takes everything in stride even when the situation is looking bleak.

My plan is to publish the second book, The Darkness Below, no later than August. I will continue to work on the two remaining books, but I intend to take a short detour after the second book is out. I have another book that I want to introduce which has nothing to do with the Narcissus Legacy series. The book is titled The Architects of Paradise and I plan to have it out by 2014. It is science fiction instead of fantasy like the Narcissus Legacy series. It will tell the story of a young girl named Adina who appears to be like any other ten year old girl until the day Earth is invaded by a hostile alien group known as the Architects. All the inhabitants of Earth become enslaved to the Architects, except for Adina, the Architects have other plans for her. She is taken to the planet known as Paradise. She is the first non-Paradesian ever allowed to live on the planet. For that reason she is disliked by many. As she approaches adulthood, the Architects try to exert more control over her destiny. She tries to resist them as best she can, but is unable to in the end. Or does she?

Those are my writing goals for 2013. I think they will keep me busy the entire year and probably a few years to come. Thanks for having me here today! 

BLURB:

Keeva lives her life on the run, changing identities and personas. She is running from monsters she has never seen - vrykolakes, vampire creatures her father, Sandor, has told her stories about all her life. She had almost convinced herself that these monsters had all died in a volcano eruption on the island of Strongili long ago. But when a vrykolakas named Severin kills Mandy, her best friend, she discovers the vrykolakes are alive and well. Keeva knows about Severin from her father’s stories, and her first impulse is to kill him and rid the world of the evil vrykolakas. She feels drawn to him however, and takes him prisoner. She hopes to better understand the vrykolakes and perhaps better understand herself. She is over two thousand years old. She doesn't know who or what she is, but she wants to find out. In order to do that, she has to discover her past. Severin might be the place to start looking for a connection to the past. Or, he could be the worst mistake Keeva has ever made.

My Review:

The Vrykolakas Deviation is the first book in the Narcissus Legacy Series. The book describes the life of Keeva, who is over 2000 years old.  Keeva's character struggles with depressive episodes associated with her feelings of emptiness.  She is reluctant to form attachments to humans as she knows she will outlive them.  One night, she meet Severin and everything changes.

Lackey takes the reader into the heart of the Vrykolakas culture.  I really enjoyed learning the details about Keeva's family's past and ancestry.  I do wish to know more about Keeva's emerging powers.   My only criticism is The Vrykolakas Deviation is written as a journal.  I prefer a writing style with more dialogue between characters.  I do hope others take the opportunity to read this book.  I think you will enjoy the journey.

I was provided a copy of the book from the author for an honest review.

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Sherri Lackey, born in Carlsbad, New Mexico, now lives in Montana where the cold northern climate inspires her to write. She writes science fiction and fantasy with dashes of speculative fiction, a pinch of steampunk, and a touch of urban fantasy. She lives with her husband, Paul, and their three children. She also has a faithful dog named Raymond who likes to sit by her side while she writes.

http://sherrilackey.com                       TWITTER

AMAZON (Kindle version)                   AMAZON (Paperback)