Bound by Birthright
by Janeal Falor
Genre: YA Fantasy
Release Date: June 6th 2016
Summary:
Elven princess Arabella is set to marry the human Prince Phillip but her countrymen do not hesitate to express their anger with her parents’ attempt to improve relations with the humans. With death threats plaguing her, Arabella is forced into hiding.
When her sanctuary is usurped by pirates, Arabella goes on the run with humans who vow to help and keep her safe. She finds herself drawn to one of the humans, the dashing Robert, who steals her heart.
Arabella would like nothing more than time to get to know Robert better, but with pirates attacking and her wedding date approaching, time is one thing she doesn’t have. Arabella’s on a flight for her life and must reconcile with the truth—she can never be with the one she wants.
My breath becomes shallow and
catches in my throat. A flame kindles in my heart. It’s small at first, but
then bursts into a blaze coursing through my body. I tilt my face toward his,
and time ceases to exist asI’maware of nothing but him.
My own breathing matches the rapid
rise and fall of his chest. I can’t help but take him in, from his chiseled jaw
line all the way to his distinguished brow. From his angular nose to a small
scar above his mouth—a sharp line that cuts across a portion of his upper right
lip. I’d noticed it before, but never paid much attention to it.
Now it consumes me. My fingers
want to touch it. My lips want to brush against it.
We stay locked in a halfway
almost-there-but-not-quite kiss. With his strong arms, he pulls mein closer. The warmth of his body fills me, fighting
against the chill in the air. His lips hover just above mine. He reaches up and
strokes my face.
As we gaze into each other’s eyes,
I melt into him, losing myself. The spell I cast on my eyes falters, and they
change to their true hue.
Stiffing a cry of pain, I bend my
head down and reactivate the spell. My eyes fill with tears from the stinging,
but they’ll no longer appear as my own. The crushing ache is much worse in my
chest, though I can’t tell if it’s from not kissing him or almost doing so.
About the Author
Amazon best selling author Janeal Falor lives in Utah with her husband and three children. In her non-writing time she teaches her kids to make silly faces, cooks whatever strikes her fancy, and attempts to cultivate a garden even when half the things she plants die. When it’s time for a break she can be found taking a scenic drive with her family or drinking hot chocolate. Author Links:
NO OTHER WILL DO by Karen Witemeyer Genre: Historical Western Romance / Inspirational
Publisher: Bethany House Publishers
Date of Publication: June 7, 2016
Number of Pages: 368
Scroll down for Giveaway!
Men are optional. That was the credo Emma Chandler’s suffragette aunts taught her and why she established Harper’s Station, a women’s colony that offers a fresh start to females in need. But when a dangerous and shadowy assailant tries repeatedly to drive the women out, Emma is forced to admit they might need a man after all. One who can fight. And there is only one man she trusts enough to ask.
Malachi Shaw has finally earned the respect he’s always craved by becoming an explosives expert for the railroad. Yet when Emma’s telegram arrives, he rushes back to Texas to repay the girl who once saved his life. Only she’s not a girl any longer. She’s a woman with a mind of her own and a smile that makes a man imagine a future he doesn’t deserve.
As the danger intensifies, Emma, Mal, and the ladies of Harper’s Station must choose between safety or risking everything to fight for their future.
PRAISE FOR THE BOOK:
“Witemeyer’s latest is an entertaining read with plenty of drama and action, a smidgen of suspense and two main characters with perfect chemistry . . . And of course, the romance is tender and sigh-worthy—a key reason why her readers keep coming back for more.”
Mal slowed his mount and took stock of the rest of Harper’s Station. A tight cluster of businesses lined one side of the road. A handful of other buildings scattered beyond. Not much there to covet that he could see.
A creak of a door focused his attention back on the station house. A young woman emerged from inside and stepped onto the covered porch. A sophisticated woman with dark hair pulled back from her face and wound into an intricate bun at her nape. A grown-up woman of means and mission.
Mal’s heart thudded in his chest as he halted his mount. After all the letters they’d exchanged over the years, he’d thought he’d been prepared to see her again. He’d been wrong.
She curled her fingers around the railing post and leaned forward to look at him. Her brows arched slightly. “Malachi?”
The name fell from her lips so softly, he doubted he’d actually heard it. Must’ve just read the shape of it on her mouth. A mouth within a face achingly familiar yet changed.
Mal stared. He couldn’t help it. His little Emma had grown into a handsome, well-put-together woman.
The long tan skirt she wore swept the porch steps as she slowly descended. Her ivory blouse puffed up slightly at the shoulders, nipped in nicely at her tiny waist, and swelled over curves he hadn’t remembered being quite so . . . pronounced in the thirteen-year-old girl he last saw.
His collar seemed to tighten around his throat. “Malachi? Is that you?” She’d reached the bottom stair, her hand falling away from the post.
“Yep.” The short, scratchy croak of an answer wasn’t much of a howdy after ten years, but it was all he could manage.
Then she smiled. No, it was more than a smile. Her entire face lit up with such joy it nearly knocked him from his horse.
He’d forgotten. Forgotten what it felt like to have someone look at him like that. Like the world had suddenly gotten better because he’d arrived.
Unable to withstand her beaming a moment longer, Mal jerked his attention down to his saddle and concentrated on dismounting without doing something stupid like falling on his rear. He hoped his impassiveness would dim her enthusiasm enough for him to get a grip on his sputtering brain and allow him to think of something slightly intelligent to say.
He should have known better.
The instant his boots hit the dirt, she hit him. In a full-on, no-room-to-breathe hug.
Winner of the HOLT Medallion and the Carol Award and a finalist for the RITA and Christy Award, bestselling author Karen Witemeyer writes historical romance to give the world more happily-ever-afters. Karen makes her home in Texas, with her husband and three children.
Withering Rose (Once Upon a Curse #2)
by Kaitlyn Davis
Genre: YA Fantasy/Fairy Tale Retelling
Release Date: May 17th 2016
Summary:
What if Beauty was cursed, and the Beast was the only one who could save her? Don’t miss WITHERING ROSE, a dystopian romance from bestselling author Kaitlyn Davis that reimagines the classic fairy tale of Beauty & The Beast. This is the second book in Once Upon A Curse, a series of interconnected stand-alone novels all set in the same fantasy universe.
“As the heat finally disappeared, I felt the bloom blossom in the very core of my soul, a rose just like my name—a ticking clock hidden behind a façade of beauty. From that moment on, my life would become a countdown, and all I could do was wait and watch as the petals of time slowly started to fall.”
Omorose Bouchene has a secret—magic. There’s only one problem. At the age of seven, an earthquake struck, catapulting her into a new world. A land made of skyscrapers and cell phones. Fast cars and fluorescent lights. A land where magic isn’t supposed to exist and anyone who wields it is the enemy.
But after ten years of hiding, she’s desperate to find a place where she can be free. Because all magic comes with a curse, and her curse is time—every ounce of power she uses strips days off of her life. The clock is winding down, and the only option left is to escape to the realm ruled by a man known only as the Beast. But the king of monsters isn’t what he seems. And the more Omorose opens her heart, the more she comes to realize that the only person she may need to fear is herself.
“My favorite thing about this book is the action. Jade isn’t a sleeping princess. She’s the best fighter and so fierce in her “empty” state. I felt like this was an urban fantasy with all the steam of a romance, and it was almost perfect for me.” – Jessie Potts, USA TODAY Happy Ever After Blog
“Davis writes with confidence and poise, and the story’s many twists and turns stave off predictability and allow readers to become immersed in a starkly magical world filled with last hopes.” – Publisher’s Weekly
“Gathering Frost is just awesome in every way. Beautiful prose, lots of heart-wrenching emotion, action and romance, a great, unstoppable villain, and a smart, tough heroine who will fight for what she wants.” – Geeks in High School
“The writing is flawless as always and I must say, way to take a classic and make such a creative and wonderful twist to it…It’s well thought out and it unbelievably magnificent. I seriously couldn’t put it down. Wait I never actually put it down. I started and finished in one sitting because it’s just that good. This one is a MUST READ.” – Happy Tails and Tales Blog
Bestselling author Kaitlyn Davis writes young adult fantasy novels under the name Kaitlyn Davis and contemporary romance novels under the name Kay Marie.
Always blessed with an overactive imagination, Kaitlyn has been writing ever since she picked up her first crayon and is overjoyed to share her work with the world. When she’s not daydreaming, typing stories, or getting lost in fictional worlds, Kaitlyn can be found indulging in some puppy videos, watching a little too much television, or spending time with her family. If you have any questions for her–about her books, about scheduling an event, or just in general–you may contact her at: KaitlynDavisBooks@gmail.com
To stay up-to-date with all of Kaitlyn’s new releases, sign up for her new release newsletter here: TinyLetter.com/KaitlynDavisBooks
Five Reasons Why I Write YA!
I write young adult fiction and I’m proud of it! No shame. No struggle to admit the truth. Nothing but pride in my craft and in all the other books next to mine on the shelves!
Readers and writers of YA are often met with derision, a fact I really can’t wrap my head around. I’ve had people ask if I write YA because writing for adults is too difficult. I mean, really? There are so many stereotypes surrounding YA—that it’s poorly written, not great literature, easy to read, dumbed down, simplistic, trashy, and the list goes on and on.
So today, on the last promo post of this blog tour, I wanted to celebrate this genre and the reasons I LOVE writing it 🙂
1) Coming of age characters! Teenage years are the most emotionally charged years of anyone’s life! More dramatic! More passionate! More intense! And I love writing characters who are in the thick of self-discovery and are still struggling through the highs and lows of becoming the person they are meant to be.
2) Fast-paced plots! Personally, I prefer writing an arresting tale over a beautiful sentence any day of the week. YA novels tend to focus more heavily on enthralling plots and intriguing characters, and less on flowery prose. Whereas many adult novels have left me dragging to get to the end, I fly through most YA books. Do I want beautiful writing no matter what I read? Yes, absolutely! But I want that writing to come with an unputdownable story.
3) No need for explicit anything! Okay, I’m a total prude—I’ll admit it! I don’t think I could write an explicit sex scene even if an enraged fan put a gun to my head! It’s just not my personality. So I love that with YA there is no pressure to do so. I write a little bit of contemporary romance in addition to my YA, and this is a huge problem I struggle with in those novels that I don’t even have to think about with my YA work.
4) Genre Blending is Encouraged! Take my new release, Withering Rose, for example—this series is a mash up of the romance, fantasy, fairy tale, and dystopian genres. And that’s what makes it so much fun to write! Walk into any book store and it’s obvious that adult literature is very strictly categorized—romance over here, sci-fi over here, thrillers here, and literature here. But with YA, everything is mixed and there are no rules, allowing for much more creative freedom!
5) Constantly Evolving Trends! Similar to the above, the major trends in YA fiction are always changing and adapting. One year it is paranormal romance, and then the next gritty dystopian, then realistic contemporary. While I don’t write in order to follow trends, I do find them incredibly inspiring, pushing me to find a new way to look at a story or a genre!
What are your favorite things about reading or writing YA fiction?
$250 in Paypal Cash or a $250 Amazon.com eGift Card
Ends 6/20/16
Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use money sent via Paypal. 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 and sponsored by the authors, bloggers and publishers on the sponsor list. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.
Fascinated with ancient civilizations, seventeen-year-old Mia Crawford dreams of becoming an archaeologist. She also dreams of wings—soft and silent like snow—and somebody trying to steal them.
When a horrible creature appears out of thin air and attacks her, she knows Michael Fontaine is involved, though he claims to know nothing about it. Secretive and aloof, Michael evokes feelings in Mia that she doesn’t understand. Images of another time and place haunt her. She recognizes them—but not from any textbook.
In search of the truth, Mia discovers a past life of forbidden love, jealousy and revenge that tore an angel from Heaven and sent her to an early grave. Now that her soul has returned, does she have a chance at loving that angel again? Or will an age-old nemesis destroy them both?
Now that she’s found him again, all Mia Crawford wants is some downtime with her fallen angel boyfriend, Michael. But the call of duty keeps him away—from school and from her—with more demons to smite than ever.
When Michael is mortally wounded by a cursed sword, Mia must perform an ancient blood ritual to save him. But the spell exacts a price. Haunted by visions of war, torture, and despair, Mia discovers the world is in more danger than she ever imagined. Behind the scenes, an evil adversary pulls all the strings.
What about character development? I’m always interested in hearing about that! Or World Building would be cool! Would either of those topics work?
Three Tips for Character Development
1. Do a Character Questionnaire
The first thing I do with characters is get to know them. I do this by asking questions. I start with a name, and where they live, something they carry in their pockets. Even though I don’ necessarily mention all the details I find out, they do inform my sense of the character, which then affects my writing. There are many great resources for character questionnaires out there. Here’s one of them: https://www.writingclasses.com/toolbox/character-questionnaire/gotham.
2. Consider Setting
All characters exist within a world or setting of some sort. They have a home, a favorite place to hang out, or a place they go just to think. As I ask questions about your character, I start to get an idea about how their direct surroundings have affected them. If they have been to war, it would have an impact on them. If they have are wealthy or poor, that can affect their world view. Perhaps they live in another realm or dimension. All these things come into play when I’m creating a character.
Once I have a character in a world, I also consider the people around them. They have friends, family, a social hierarchy, or social order of some kind, that they exist within. Who are the characters friends? Do they have any enemies? I make them care about something, or someone, that fuels their motivation.
3. Flaws and Challenges
In order for a character to seem real, they need emotions, weaknesses and vulnerabilities. In a fantasy world, these weaknesses can be almost anything. What would challenge them? In The Watcher Saga, the angels have a risk of being infected with sin, which affects angels like a disease. Michael was once infected with lust and is recovering. He’s recovered from a terrible past but it still affects him. He’s also half-human, so he’s subject to human emotions more than his angelic colleagues. So he reacts to things more like a person would, which isn’t always ideal.
In any type of fiction, it’s the challenges the character must face that makes them compelling and relatable. The more flawed a character is, the more real they seem. Their flaws make them relatable. If the reader relates to the characters and the characters grow and evolve as the story progresses, then they will feel real to the reader.
A Canadian-born author, Lisa Voisin spent her childhood daydreaming and making up stories, but it was her love of reading and writing in her teens that drew her to Young Adult fiction.
Lisa is also a technical writer, a meditation teacher with the Training in Power Academy, and the leader of the Young Writer’s Club, a local writing group for teens in her home town. A self-proclaimed coffee lover, she can usually be found writing in a local café. When she’s not writing, you’ll find her meditating or hiking in the mountains to counteract the side effects of drinking too much caffeine!
Though she’s lived in several cities across Canada, she currently lives in Vancouver, B.C. with her fiancé and their two cats.
Terrapin by A.C. Troyer
(Nordic Airre, #1)
Publication date: May 30th 2016
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult
Synopsis:
Eighteen-year-old Charlotte (Jinx), fights her past to chase her dream of becoming an Elite Nordic Airre pilot, yet her rebellious attitude hinders her hard-earned lead status. Overcoming a string of life-altering events and the unwanted advances of Ghost Allen, a smooth talking pilot, is one thing, evading death at the hands of two comrades is another.
When Jinx comes face-to-face with an unlikely ally, she is forced to trust him in order to escape the clutches of those who want to silence her. Can a once broken girl transform her past into an iron will, or will she ultimately crumble under the destruction?
Excerpt:
“Hold still,” he said.
I froze. My thoughts instantly drew a large coiling snake at my feet, but then a gentle wipe of his thumb swept across my cheek. I jerked away in response. “What are you doing?” I covered his path with my hand, as if the man-germs burned me.
“Hold still. You made it worse. And don’t look at me like I’m your favorite dessert, it’s not helping the situation any.”
There was a tease in his tone. “What situation?” I asked. “And I’m not. Trust me.” I displayed the most repulsed expression I could. The hem of his shirt pulled up over his crossed arms and cleared his head. “Whoa.” My palms few up. “You’re reading the signs all wrong. Put your shirt back on,” I pleaded to him. My eyes widened, soaking up the definition of his stomach. Holy abs.
“You like what you see?” He laughed, waggling his eyebrows.
I gained my composure and mocked a laugh. “I was just thinking you’re almost as toned as I am. Close, but not quite there yet, big guy,” I said, patting his stomach.
His closed lipped dimpled smile awakened something inside of me. The same smile I saw the morning on Senders Rock, the one that sent tingles through my body. I wanted to pull my eyes away. But he was beautiful.
A.C. grew up climbing trees and spying on her siblings. When not writing, A.C. can be found cheering on her favorite girls at a softball field or sitting in her car reading at practices and eating her hidden stash of chocolate. She enjoys family time, traveling, random road trips, watching movies, decorating, and trying new cocktails. She lives in the mitten state with her husband, two daughters, and their furbabies. Terrapin is her first novel.
LOST PATH TO SOLITUDE (A Follow-Up to Dogs With Bagels) by Maria Elena Sandovici Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Date of Publication: February 12, 2016
# of pages: 315
Scroll down for Giveaway!
Once you leave home, can you ever return? Two characters, mother and daughter, contemplate this question in Lost Path to Solitude. Twenty-five years after leaving Romania in order to follow the man she loves to New York, Maria Pop still struggles with accepting her decision. She is determined to go back and recapture the poetry and joy of life in Bucharest, even at the expense of risking her marriage. Meanwhile, her daughter, Liliana, second-guesses her own choice of moving to a small town in Southeast Texas, ironically called Solitude, where she finds herself lonely, bored, and nostalgic for the fast pace of life in New York City. Facing the claustrophobic social climate of a town that goes to bed early, as well as the constrictions of her emerging academic career, Liliana longs for something that would give her existence meaning. The parallel soul-searching and the frustration they experience does little to bring mother and daughter closer. Instead, as each struggles with finding her own place in the world, they become increasingly critical of each other. Will their relationship survive the growing pains they each must suffer in their quest for self-fulfillment?
Since I was eight. My first book was cringe-worthy. My mother kept it until I seized and destroyed it. I’m not sorry.
What did you find most useful in learning to write? What was least useful or most destructive?
Two books helped a lot: Stephen King’s On Writing, and the classic Elements of Style by Strunk and White. I recommend these to all writers.
I can’t say anything was destructive. We all have inner demons that hold us back, make us question ourselves, and keep us from writing. Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way can help overcome such impediments. Other than internal factors, such as being stuck, anything one gets exposed to can help. Even reading bad writing can hone one’s aesthetic sensibility. Especially reading one’s own bad writing, armed with a will to improve it, and with the knowledge that persistent editing will make it better.
What cultural value do you see in writing/reading/storytelling/etc.?
Is entertainment a cultural value? I hope so. Beyond entertainment, though, stories are about emotions. A good story should help us put ourselves in someone else’s shoes and feel what they feel with such intensity that it leaves us changed, capable of greater understanding and empathy for the human species.
Who are some of your favorite authors you feel were influential in your work? What impact have they had on your writing?
I love Jane Smiley. There’s a simplicity about her writing that I adore. But ultimately as we grow as writers, we become more and more ourselves
What do you like to read in your free time?
I like to read fiction. I must read every day. I prefer novels written by women where the characters are female. I like complex characters, characters that are flawed, and therefore make interesting mistakes. I can’t read books where everybody’s virtuous and behaves as they should.
What literary character is most like you?
Scarlett O’Hara
Do you have any strange writing habits you’d like to share with your readers?
In a pinch, I’ll write on the Notes app in my phone. I’ve written entire chapters of novels that way.
Where is one place you want to visit that you haven’t been before?
Big Bend!
What do your plans for future projects include?
I want to publish a book of poetry in my dog’s voice. I love thinking of the ways in which she perceives the world.
Maria Elena Sandovici moved to Texas on a Greyhound bus in the summer of 2005. It would be the beginning of a great adventure. Born in Bucharest, Romania, a place she loves and where she returns often, she’d spend the requisite time in Manhattan to call herself a New Yorker, but also to know she was looking for something else. Her debut novel, Dogs with Bagels, is very much a New York story: the story of an immigrant family forging new identities for themselves in the city that never sleeps.
Her second novel, Stray Dogs and Lonely Beaches, is the story of a young woman traveling the world in search of herself. This theme persists in Lost Path to Solitude, her third novel, in which characters suffering an identity crisis are caught in a search for the ideal place to call home. Three locales dominate the story: New York City, Bucharest, and an imaginary, caricaturized town in Southeast Texas, called Solitude.
In addition to writing fiction, Maria Elena Sandovici paints every day. She has a studio at Hardy and Nance Studios in Houston, and also shows her daily watercolors on her blog, Have Watercolors Will Travel, accompanied by essays about whatever inspires or obsesses her at any given moment.
To support her art and writing, she teaches Political Science at Lamar University. She is also the well-behaved human of a feisty little dog.
Her favorite places in Texas are Houston and Galveston.
Another Delightful Romance from the Queen of Romantic Comedy
Katie Fisher is ecstatic. Pro basketball star Brady James has proposed, and she can’t wait to start planning their life together. She’s confident she’ll make it down the aisle this time– but it still may be easier said than done. A high-society Houston bride has Katie and the Cosmopolitan Bridal team scrambling to get the perfect dress done in time for her spectacular wedding. Meanwhile, Katie finds herself bombarded with everyone’s competing visions regarding her own special day– and she’s beginning to worry that her own ideas will get lost in the crossfire. Will she ever manage to settle all of the details for her perfect day? Or will bridal shop chaos and overzealous friends and family make a mess of everything? Fan favorite Janice Thompson gives readers what they’ve been clamoring for: another funny, romantic romp with a Texas twang.
PRAISE FOR THE BRIDES WITH STYLE SERIES:
“Readers will fall in love with Katie.”–Library Journal
“A feel-good romantic comedy of subverted expectations. . . . Readers will laugh and sigh along with Katie as she comes into her own, discovering a life and love beyond her dreams.”–Booklist
“Romantic comedy at its best. I highly recommend it!”–Cara Putman, award-winning author of Shadowed by Grace and Where Treetops Glisten
“A delightful mix of romance, inspiration, and humor.”–Judy Christie, author of Wreath, A Girl in the Wreath Willis series
Every Bride Has Her Day is the third addition to the series. While I didn’t read the first two, it was still fairly easy to jump right into the rambunctious mood of Katie’s life. This book is so quirky and down to earth. I throughly enjoyed it. Katie’s excitement shines through when her boyfriend Brady proposes to her. It isn’t long, though, before everyone in her life suddenly has an opinion and wants to ‘help’ her plan the wedding. I honestly had flashbacks of my own family drama when reading Katie’s struggles with taking control of her own wedding. I too have been experiencing wedding roulette and it made it all the more hilarious and easy to connect to these characters. A big family with even bigger opinions can be difficult, but in the end they have big hearts that only want a happy ending.
I loved Katie’s relationship with Brady and their strength in each other. In fact, all of the couples in this book had their own uniquely wonderful and strong relationships and it was refreshing to read a romance book with conflict between something other than the couples.
I loved the moments where Texas truly shined through this book. Having lived in different parts of Texas, it was really easy to fall into the style and laugh at the Texan quirks of the book. I rated this book so well because I genuinely laughed out loud at parts. Any book that has me smiling and reading pages at lightning speed will definitely get top marks.
Janice Thompson is an expert at pulling the humor from the situations we get ourselves into and offers an inside look at the wedding business, drawing on her own experiences as a wedding planner. She is the author of the hugely popular Weddings by Bella series, the Backstage Pass series, and the Weddings by Design series, as well as Every Bride Needs a Groom and Every Girl Gets Confused. She lives in Texas.
WEBSITE FACEBOOK
TWITTER PINTEREST
GIVEAWAY! THREE PRIZES!
Prize 1: Box of Texas Treats & Signed Book
Prize 2: $10 Starbucks Gift Card & Signed Book
Prize 3: $25 Barnes & Noble Gift Card & Signed Book
In the remote, eastern European town of Borslav there is St. Sebastian orphanage, a place where people discard their unwanted children. For the American, Blaire Baker, it’s the perfect place to volunteer her services. Paired with a cheerful volunteer nurse, Blaire is enthusiastic about the possibilities, but is quickly discouraged when she encounters the nefarious nature of the staff and the deplorable conditions of the facility and the children. Upon arrival, one of the children informs Blaire, “There’s something in the basement.” It isn’t long before strange things begin happening, including Blaire’s flashbacks of the accident that killed her parents. The children soon suffer injuries that Blaire, first, fears may be the deeds of the callous workers but she soon thinks the abuse may originate from a source that is less than human, something unwanted. The unwanted is coming but in order for Blaire to fight it, she must dig into St. Sebastian and herself in search of truth. Blaire wants nothing more than to help the children, but when she discovers the tragedy that happened in the basement and learns that the same evil forces are still at work, it will be Blaire who needs help…There’s something in the basement.
Interview
Tell us a little about yourself. How did you begin writing? What inspires you to write?
I have always loved to write, even as a child and I always aspired to become a writer, but the fact is, that like many of us, in my younger years, I lacked the true passion and discipline that was necessary to make that dream a reality.
I find inspiration in the curious and ever changing life that is unfolding around me constantly. I watch and I listen to people, their body language, and their tone of voice. Sometimes the most subtle actions are motivated by the deepest emotions and I never allow those small things to go unnoticed.
Who is your intended audience and why should they read your book?
Though I welcome all to read my books, my intended audience is female horror/thriller/paranormal lovers from ages 16-30. These readers should get my books because they aren’t going to find many like them. I wrote the kind of books that I loved and that I wanted to read, but often had trouble finding.
How did you come up with the title of your book or series?
Trial and error. I knew that I wanted the series to be named after the fictional town that connects all of the stories, but it took me months of mulling over different names and running them by friends and family members who often responded with sour faces. Finally, I came up with the name, Black Water.
Tell us a little bit about your cover art. Who designed it? Why did you go with that particular image/artwork?
I was just discussing cover art with someone the other day and its undeniable importance. For Black Water Tales: The Unwanted, my second novel, I chose a single image of a headless baby doll, Dolly, who belongs to one of the characters. Not only does the doll appear in the book several times, but her image makes the reader curious about the obscure world of the unwanted children of St. Sebastian orphanage.
Who is your favorite character from your book and why?
The main character, Blaire. I love her because her heart is pure despite the fact that it has been marred by darkness in the past. She wants nothing more than to help the children of St. Sebastian orphanage, but soon realizes that her good heart may get her killed.
How about your least favorite character? What makes them less appealing to you?
Tough question. Despite the fact that some of my characters are cold, uncaring and even murderous, there aren’t any that dislike. It’s hard to dislike a character that you created. It is also difficult to dislike them because I know that despite some of their less than savory characteristics, they are human and their unique personalities evolve from some struggle in their history. If I must choose, I will say, Marko, the Director of St. Sebastian orphanage. In Marko’s business, he has developed quite a thick skin and has become slightly insensitive to the needs of the children in his ward and must be viscerally brought back into the fold in order to understand the depth of what is taking place inside of his facility.
If you could change ONE thing about your novel, what would it be? Why?
I can’t think of one thing that I would change about my novel. It isn’t perfect, but nothing is.
Give us an interesting fun fact or a few about your book or series:
The town of Black Water is based on my very real, tiny hometown of Centralia, IL, where every holiday from Christmas to May Fete is celebrated grandly, but you must always keep a watchful eye on your neighbor.
What other books are similar to your own? What makes them alike?
The type of writing that I do is very similar to Dean Koontz and Stephen King. They are alike in the type of horror that they offer. I am not a big fan of jump scares and in my stories, I prefer to give to give the kind of scares that chill one to the core and makes you question, not what’s in the closet but what’s in the mirror.
How can we contact you or find out more about your books?
You can expect many more short and flash fiction stories that can be found on my website and I am currently editing my third novel, The Sandman (working title).
What can readers who enjoy your book do to help make it successful?
Reviews! Authors love reviews because it gives other readers the confidence to make the purchase. Also, just sharing your enjoyment of the book with friends and family through word of mouth and social media is an excellent way to join the movement.
Do you have any tips for readers or advice for other writers trying to get published?
My only advice is to keep writing, everything else will come with time.
Is there anything else you’d like to say?
Read, learn, love!
And now, before you go, how about a snippet from your book that is meant to intrigue and tantalize us:
The last student filtered out of the classroom as Blaire sat to make notes. A spirited game of Ring Around the Rosie began outside, not too far from Blaire’s open window, the euphoric play filled her with a joy reminiscent to that of being a young child again. She scribbled a few more lines on her notepad before she got up and crossed to the back window where the children were outside frolicking in merriment. Up and down each side of the building she searched for children that were not there.
Blaire listened closely, and she could still hear the game, but it was not outside as she originally thought, it was inside, right here inside of her classroom. Blaire swung her pencil between her fingers nervously as she scanned the room allowing her ears to lead the way. They homed in on the vent in the floor along the wall. The soft singing of the children grew faint, but it was coming from inside of the vent, as she was sure of that. Blaire got down on her knees and peered into the blackness.
“Hello,” Blaire called into the vent. She jumped at the giddy laughter that responded, and suddenly there was a scattering sound, as if a group of people were discovered in a secret hiding place, who then ran for cover. A sound rose up through the opening and into her ears. It was the desperate, undecipherable whispers of hundreds of little voices all moving about, intertwining in and out of one another like snakes in mating. She put her ear closer, trying to make out the words.
There’s suffering in the pavement?
What were they saying? Blaire thought to herself.
Growing louder in each new moment, they all but peaked into a schizophrenic static that felt like it was inside of Blaire, choking up her ability to reason. She felt something moving closer to her and heard whispers that were not just senseless jabbering, but were providing, something tangible, a ladder for something terrible that was crawling toward her, up from the bowels of the building, through the dark vent on the backs of the wicked whispers. The evil was moving quickly up out of the darkness like electricity through a wire, and Blaire couldn’t tear herself away.
There’s suffering in the pavement. The jumbled whispers were closer now. There’s suffering in the pavement. Closer. There’s suffering in the pavement. Here it comes. THERE’S SOMETHING IN THE BASEMENT! It screamed and the words were clear now. JUMP! It belched.
Book Trailer:
About the Author:
Jean Nicole Rivers is a great lover of reading and writing. Though she loves varied genres, horror/thriller is her favorite. Jean Nicole has been writing poetry and short stories since she was a child, but has always aspired to master the art of storytelling through novels. TheUnwanted is the second story in her series of Black Water Tales, following The Secret Keepers.
Jean Nicole was awarded 3rd place in the National Black Book Festival’s 2013 Best New Author competition and she enjoys the honor of having written featured articles for popular reader websites and blogs, such as Digital Book Today and The Masquerade Crew.
Jean Nicole Rivers graduated from Florida International University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy and lives in Houston, Texas.
Flying Blind
Caroline A. Gill
(The Flykeeper Chronicles, #2)
Publication date: May 21st 2016
Genres: Dystopia, Paranormal, Young Adult
Synopsis:
In a broken America, seventeen-year old Iolani Bearse encounters a world full of wonder and danger.
Lani discovers a secret: houseflies have magic.
Stealers have no mercy.
Armed with memory-draining lanterns, the stone-cold hunters relentlessly follow catastrophes, laying traps, preying on the weak.
Together with her father, Eleanor, Sam, and Mango, her beloved pinto mare, Lani rescues victims from the grasp of Memory Stealers. One by one, she saves whomever she can, looking for any path that leads to safety. When her family’s farmhouse is attacked, Lani must act quickly to save those she loves.
Can Lani unmask their powerful, hidden enemies before the flies’ magic fails and everything burns to ashes?
Will the loss of one of her greatest friends become her downfall?
Can Lani overcome the evil that is tearing her world apart, flying blind?
Give us an interesting fun fact or a few about your book or series.
Who Knew Houseflies Could Be Heroes?
I certainly didn’t. When I started writing Iolani Bearse’s story, there was an image in my mind of a girl, orphaned by war and tragedy, staring out an upper story window, lost, adrift. And then a house fly flew past my computer, and I realized even then, Lani wouldn’t be truly alone. There is always something listening, something living near us, we just have to look. Wonder opens doors of imagination and magic.
That is what Lani needed: loyal friends. And in those tiny buzzing, pestering insects, Lani found a relationship so strange and wonderful at the same moment. And in turn, they saved her when men came in the dark of night wielding technology as a weapon, stealing memories, harvesting amino acids more precious than gold.
Lani didn’t remember it, but she was drained by those merciless hunters. Only the flymagic protected something within her, restoring her mind when everyone around her fell, emptied, dying.
There are no such things as coincidences. And Lani finds the courage to run from an enemy so powerful it would only be death to stand against it. She is weak, carrying her drained cousin, homeless, near starvation, stumbling onward toward the only person she can remember being important to her: Malcolm St. John.
Lani doesn’t even know why she cares about Mal. She hasn’t seen him for five years. And over and over, she tells herself that she is better off alone. That healing her injured cousin is all that matters. But it isn’t true.
There is more to life than just what is in front of us. There is more to be saved by courage and friendship than only your own heart. That is the journey of Lani and the houseflies.
AUTHOR BIO:
Unusual stories attract me, ones in which the reader cannot easily see the ending or most of the journey. Visiting Rome during university studies, I found a simple truth sitting on buses, traveling all over the ancient city: the joy is in the Journey, in the people I meet, not in the destination. So, I write for you. I write for sanity. I write for chocolate and really good pizza.
The Page Unbound 