Book Tour & Review with Giveaway: RUNES by Ednah Walters

Runes by Ednah Walters
Publication date: May 20th 2013
Genre: YA Paranormal Romance
Length: 245 pages

Edition: Ebook and Print

Synopsis:
Seventeen-year-old Raine Cooper has enough on her plate dealing with her father’s disappearance, her mother’s erratic behavior and the possibility of her boyfriend relocating. The last thing she needs is Torin St. James—a mysterious new neighbor with a wicked smile and uncanny way of reading her.

Raine is drawn to Torin’s dark sexiness against her better judgment, until he saves her life with weird marks and she realizes he is different. But by healing her, Torin changes something inside Raine. Now she can’t stop thinking about him. Half the time, she’s not sure whether to fall into his arms or run.

Scared, she sets out to find out what Torin is. But the closer she gets to the truth the more she uncovers something sinister about Torin. What Torin is goes back to an ancient mythology and Raine is somehow part of it. Not only is she and her friends in danger, she must choose a side, but the wrong choice will cost Raine her life.

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A_TiffyFit's Review -

Where do I begin? Okay, I have to begin with the ending. My reaction to the ending was an astounding: WHAAAAAAAAAAT?!! I scanned back a few lines and read it again.

That is one HELL of an ending, Ednah Walters! Cliffhanger indeed, please give me book two NOW!

Okay...now to the review: Raine is a high school swim champ whose father has gone missing in an airplane crash. Her mother swears he is still alive, but Raine is starting to doubt as weeks turn into months. Luckily Raine has her two BFFs, Eirik and Cora to keep her company and mind occupied. Raine has feelings for Eirik and is hoping that their relationship will finally progress into MORE. Enter the new neighbor: hot with bad boy vibes (well just because of the Harley), despite Raine's insistence she wants Eirik she can't help but to keep looking at Torin St. James....

And there are weird things afoot in her house: she is constantly hearing her mother talk to herself while looking in the mirror, her mom mutters something near her birthday about not being able to tell her alone, Torin makes strange allusions to something, even referring to her and her friends as Mortals. And Raine sees Andris covered in what can only be described as strange tattoos that get stronger and then fade. WHAT IS GOING ON?

Cora and Raine's friendship was incredibly realistic - their banter, the way they act towards one another, etc. I liked Cora a lot - sweet, spunky, steadfast friend. I liked Eirik as well, but despite his good boy persona and sweet attendance on Raine, it seemed like passion just wasn't there. They are much too buddy buddy and with Torin tossed in the mix, I was rooting for Raine to go for Torin. "Break it off cleanly and go to Torin!" Many of the interactions between Raine and Torin were attraction charged, intense, fluttery, and then left her as torn as I would've been.

I spent much of the book trying to guess the mythology, what they were, etc., and I'm pretty sure Raine felt the same way I did:

I loved this book. It kept me gripped and wanting to read more. It kept me in Reader Zone and then I started to panic as I'm watching the percentage on my kindle dwindle, the minutes counting down to how much time until I reach the end of the book, and then the ending...THE ENDING! GAH! I hope it comes out soon. 

Highly recommended!

About the Author:

EDNAH WALTERS grew up reading Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys and dreaming of one day writing her own stories. She is a stay-at-home mother of five humans and two American short-hair cats (one of which has ADHD) and a husband. When she is not writing, she’s at the gym doing Zumba or doing things with her family, reading, traveling or online chatting with fans.

Ednah is the author of The Guardian Legacy series, a YA fantasy series about children of the fallen angels, who fight demons and protect mankind. AWAKENED, the prequel was released by Pill Hill Press in September 2010 with rave reviews. BETRAYED, book one in the series was released by her new publisher Spencer Hill Press in June 2012 and HUNTED, the third installment, will be released April 2013. She’s working on the next book in the series, FORGOTTEN.

Ednah also writes New Adult paranormal romance. RUNES is the first book in her new series. She is presently working on book 2, IMMORTALS.

Under the pseudonym E. B. Walters, Ednah writes contemporary romance. SLOW BURN, the first contemporary romance with suspense, was released in April 2011. It is the first book in the Fitzgerald family series. Since then she has published four more books in this series. She's presently working on book six. You can visit her online at www.ednahwalters.com or www.ebwalters.com.

Ednah Walters Website
Goodreads Author Page
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@EdnahWalters

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Book Tour: Full Moon Bites presents WRITERS WORKSHOP OF SCIENCE FICTION AND FANTASY with giveaway!

Title: Writers Workshop of Science Fiction and Fantasy

Editor: Michael Knost

Page Count: 210 pages

Genre: Speculative Fiction

Published: April 18th, 2013

Publisher: Seventh Star Press

Synopsis:

Writers Workshop of Science Fiction and Fantasy is a collection of essays and interviews by and with many of the movers-and-shakers in the industry. Each contributor covers the specific element of craft he or she excels in. Expect to find varying perspectives and viewpoints, which is why you many find differing opinions on any particular subject.

This is, after all, a collection of advice from professional storytellers. And no two writers have made it to the stage via the same journey-each has made his or her own path to success. And that's one of the strengths of this book. The reader is afforded the luxury of discovering various approaches and then is allowed to choose what works best for him or her.

Featuring essays and interviews with:

Neil Gaiman

Orson Scott Card

Ursula K. Le Guin

Alan Dean Foster

James Gunn

Tim Powers

Harry Turtledove

Larry Niven

Joe Haldeman

Kevin J. Anderson

Elizabeth Bear

Jay Lake

Nancy Kress

George Zebrowski

Pamela Sargent

Mike Resnick

Ellen Datlow

James Patrick Kelly

Jo Fletcher

Stanley Schmidt

Gordon Van Gelder

Lou Anders

Peter Crowther

Ann VanderMeer

John Joseph Adams

Nick Mamatas

Lucy A. Snyder

Alethea Kontis

Nisi Shawl

Jude-Marie Green

Nayad A. Monroe

G. Cameron Fuller

Jackie Gamber

Amanda DeBord

Max Miller

Jason Sizemore

This edition also includes several full page illustrations from award-winning artists Matthew Perry and Bonnie Wasson.

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~ About the Editor ~

Michael Knost is an award-winning author, editor, and columnist in the Science Fiction, Fantasy, Horror and Supernatural Thriller genres.

He has written several books and dozens of short stories, edited a number of anthologies, including the Legends of the Mountain State series, and he currently writes a column for Shroud Magazine.

He recently won the Bram Stoker Award in the United Kingdom for his book Writers Workshop of Horror, a collection of articles and interviews on the craft of writing.

He is currently working on a Mothman novel due to hit bookshelves later this year.

Michael has worked in the radio, television, and newspaper industries, and currently lives in Chapmanville, West Virginia with his beautiful wife and daughter.

~ About the Publisher ~

Seventh Star Press is a small press publisher located in Lexington, KY.  SSP specializes in speculative fiction (fantasy, science fiction, and horror).  The company was established in October of 2008.

Facebook | Twitter | Website | Blog | Seventh Star Soundoff

A_TiffyFit's Review:
A Writer's Workshop indeed! I really have no idea how to review this book as it's a collection of essays geared at provoking thought and offering advice to a writer of science fiction/fantasy. It opens with an essay from one of my most favorite authors, Neil Gaiman answering the question every author on the planet is asked: Where do you get your ideas? Mr Gaiman says he used to use trite answers until visiting his (then) 7 year old daughter's classroom and decided those kids need an answer. The end answer? "I make them up." It made me laugh; there is more of course to his answer, but I will let you discover that on your own. 

From there the next essay discusses subgenre within scifi/fantasy and as a blogger and reader, I really LOVED this essay! It helped to pinpoint things I'm reading that I don't quite know how to label for genre. Sword & Sorcery vs High/Epic vs Dark/Urban etc. And then we move on to beginnings, middles, endings, emotions, dialogues, etc. 

Seriously...this is an invaluable resource for writers in my opinion. It has wonderful advice in it from authors and editors and contributors. If I were ever to try and take those ideas and attempt to write, I would have this at my side. From Ursula Le Guin to Neil Gaiman to James Gunn, these essays cover the spectrum and provide references to other works as examples. 

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BOOK BLITZ with Giveaway & Excerpt: Tragic by J.A. Huss

I'm so excited to be part of the released day blitz direct from the author! I'm part of the book tour next month, so check back again then, but for now...CHECK OUT TRAGIC!!!!

TRAGIC: Rook and Ronin, #1
By J. A. Huss
New Adult Contemporary Romance
Published May 15, 2013
Science Future Press

Rook Walsh is TRAGIC

Because life so far – just sucks. Some girls get parents. Rook got the foster care system. Some girls get Prince Charming. Rook got an abusive frog. Some girls get lucky…

Rook got a second chance.

And she took it. Because when fate throws you a bone – you grab it with both hands and run.

Antoine Chaput knows the minute he spies Rook in his photography studio that she’s got The Look. The dark and desperate look he must have to land the exclusive TRAGIC media contract.

Rook is paired up with top model, Ronin, and he’s everything her abusive ex-boyfriend wasn’t. Patient, gentle, happy, attentive, and sexy! He knows exactly what to do to make Rook blush for Antoine’s camera.

Rook’s luck changes in an instant and suddenly she’s the darling of the modeling world. It’s a dream job to go with a dream guy and all she has to do is look pretty and follow directions. But there’s always a price to pay – and Rook is about to get the bill.

New Adult Contemporary Romance *Mature Content* Recommended for ages 17+ due to sexual situations and language usage
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
J. A. Huss likes to write new adult books that make you think and keep you guessing. Her favorite genre to read is space opera, but since practically no one reads those books, she writes new adult science fiction, paranormal romance, contemporary romance, urban fantasy, and books about Junco (who refuses to be saddled with a label).

She has an undergraduate degree in horses, (yes, really–Thank you, Colorado State University) and a master’s degree in forensic toxicology from the University of Florida. She used to have a job driving around Colorado doing pretty much nothing but shooting the breeze with farmers, but now she just writes, runs the New Adult Addiction and Clean Teen Reads Book Blogs, and runs an online science classroom for homeschoolers.

J.A. Huss on Goodreads
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@JAHuss
JA Huss's Blog New Adult Addiction

EXCERPT

Antoine's camera is on Ronin's left, so Ronin's left hand begins to caress my foot with small circles, a touch so light it actually makes me squirm because my feet are totally ticklish. He takes the hint and slowly sweeps up my calf, which is just about the most sensual feeling I've ever experienced. I moan out a little and his bruising kisses are back, crushing against my mouth.


Just as Antoine takes his attention to our lips Ronin's right hand also begins at my foot, swirling his fingertips around the soft pad of my arch. I laugh into his mouth and he pulls me close, my hair hiding our faces for a moment, and says, "Shhhh, now. Be good, Gidge." And then his right hand sweeps up my leg and under my dress, caressing the same small circles along my inner thigh.


"Oh, shit," I whimper as I bury myself in his neck. Just a few more inches and I'm going to come undone. My neck tilts back as the sensations all crash together and he takes his kisses to my plunging neckline, his left hand, the one still out in the open, slips up to my breast just as the hidden hand drops down a little farther, just a flutter of a touch against my crease.


He reaches over, not with the hidden hand, and picks up a glass of wine and hands it to me.


My fingertips barely understand what to do with the glass because the only thing on my mind is where his other hand is. We each take a sip and then he bites into a cherry, taking half of it in his mouth, and spits out the pit.


Antoine barks something harsh in French and Ronin laughs. "It's a fucking pit, Antoine, it's not litter." He rolls his eyes at me. "Sit still now, Rook, and keep your mouth closed for a moment."


My mind is still on his fingers as they caress my inner thigh, but I do my best not to squirm.


He brings the cherry to my lips and I keep my mouth closed. This makes him smile and then he traces my lips, dripping juice as he paints them. I'm just about to let my tongue dart out and get the juice when Ronin's mouth reaches up and licks it off, stopping to suck on my bottom lip, and then gives it a little nibble that makes me cry out.


He bites into another cherry and again, to Antoine's disgust, woofs out the pit into the grass. Spitting is a skill only boys really acquire. They are so good at it. It might gross out Antoine, but not me. I think just about everything Ronin is doing with his mouth is astonishing right now. The secret hand under my dress appears again. He lifts my left hand and paints each fingertip pad with cherry juice, then sucks it off, nibbling them one by one, just like he did my lips.


I just stare at him and his eyes never leave mine. "What?" he finally asks.


"You—" I say.


He raises his eyebrows.


"—are bad."


He laughs. "If you were naked right now I'd drip this juice all down your belly and let my tongue—"


"OK, that's enough," Antoine says. "Excellent job, Rook."


Fucking Antoine.


I bite my lip as Ronin licks my fingertips one more time and then grins up at me like an idiot. "Want to come over and watch a movie, Gidget?"


I nod enthusiastically as Elise helps me up, and then Ronin bounces to his feet and puts his arm around me protectively. "You fell asleep pretty quick last time, are you sure you're up for a movie?"


I'm not sure if a movie is the code word for sex or not right now, but either way, I'm definitely up for it.

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Book Tour! Review & Giveaway of SCENT OF DARKNESS by Margot Berwin

Scent of Darkness

Margot Berwin
Genre: New Adult / Paranormal
Publisher: Pantheon
Date of Publication: January 29th 2013
ISBN-10: 030790752X
ISBN-13: 978-0307907523
ASIN: B008WONVHU

Number of pages: 240

Amazon Print Amazon Kindle Random House BN

Book Description: 

When Evangeline's grandmother dies she leaves behind a ruby-red vial of perfume with the instructions: Don't pull out the stopper, Evangeline, unless you want everything in your life to change.

From the moment Eva places a drop on her neck, she becomes the object of intense desire for everyone around her. Soon she's torn between Gabriel, a quiet medical student, and Michael, a beautiful and self-absorbed artist.

Scent of Darkness is about loving someone who is evil, tarot, New Orleans, and of course perfume.

Excerpt

~1~ 

My name is Eva from the longer and more beautiful Evangeline. I had something very special once, something that I took for granted and lost. I set out to find it again, and as so often happens, it was right there in front of me. Or should I say it was right there inside of me, running through my veins like a blessing, or a plague.

* 

Jasmine smells like human flesh. Mix it with Cumin, which smells like sweat, and you have the scent of sex. If you spread it on your body, watch out, you’ll have sycophants all over the place-people crawling out of the woodwork to be close to you.

Human beings are defenseless against scent. They can’t hide from it because they can’t see it, or touch it, or hold it. All by itself it crawls into their brains, and by the time they’re in love with it, or the person it’s coming from, it’s too late. They’re tied to it forever, through the long, tight leash of memory.

I suppose what I’m trying to say is that a great scent, like a great love, can crash onto the shore of your life like a wave, creating either damage or change, or in my case, both.

What happened when I came across a scent like that was that I fell in love with two men at the same time, and one was pure evil, and one was good. It was an old-fashioned love triangle. A classic tale that came up roses, and jasmine, and of course, tears.

So my name is Eva from the longer, and more beautiful Evangeline. And for me, the scent I found held my past, present, and future in its ethereal little hand.

* 

I don’t mean to be morbid and mostly I’m not, but it is possible to love someone evil. I know that for a fact. I wish I didn’t, but wishing isn’t going to change my story.

It happened during my 18th year when I was too young to know that there are events and relationships that never go away. That you can never take back. That change you in ways over which you have no control.

My grandmother Louise, the person I was closest to in the world, would say that none of that mattered anyway. That who we love isn’t a question of good or evil, but one of scent.

“Scent can do crazy things to the mind,” she said. “It can make us love people we shouldn’t and turn away those we should. It can make us desire the child of a criminal and shun the overtures of a saint. Never open your legs for a man whose mind you love but only for the man whose scent you can’t live without. That’s the one you’ll stay with forever.”

I’d spent every summer of my childhood with Louise but it was the summer of my 18th year that changed everything. That was the beginning of all the danger and the beauty and the blood.

About the Author:

Margot Berwin earned her MFA from the New School in 2005. Her stories have appeared on Nerve.com, in the New York Press, and in the anthology The Future of Misbehavior.

Her first novel Hot House Flower and the Nine Plants of Desire was published in 2009 by Pantheon. Her new novel, SCENT OF DARKNESS, also by Pantheon is coming out on January 29, 2013.

Margot Lives in New York City.

Twitter: @MargotBerwin  Amazon Author Page
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/margot.berwin 

A_TiffyFit's Review:

First, I should say that I won this book in a giveaway back near its release date. It was my very first time winning something from a book tour! So, I didn't receive a copy in order to review it. I asked to be on this tour because I already had the book and wanted to participate!

This is such an interesting tale - a very different take on all things preternatural and magical: the scent!

The protagonist  Eva (Evangeline) searches for the secret and mysterious ingredient in the vial of "potion" that her grandmother left for her to discover after her death. What Eva will discover is that the answer is something that has been there all along, right in front of her, and within her.

The journey Eva inadvertently takes - which she believed was a necessary step to learning what is in the mysterious vial of potion- isn't necessary at all. Or...was it?

Her grandmother's "gift", the secret she had kept from Eva in the white room for so many years isn't some magical and complex formulation, but rather something that is innately part of Eva and has been with her always. In the confines of her travels to the grandmother's hometown of New Orleans and its vicinities into the Bayou, Eva learns, experiences, and meets characters who help her discover the formula's secrets.

Although there are some positives to its magic, Eva learns the life lesson that with good always comes bad, pluses and minuses to all things in life, including possessing "magic." The old adage that everything one needs is in one's own backyard is the theme here; it's what Eva discovers after going on this long journey of self-discovery.

I found the plot to be a bit jumpy/disconnected at times, but not horribly so. As Eva is in the throes of "adulthood," I'd say the target audience is definitely new adult. A very enjoyable read that will have you daydreaming about different scents, trying to imagine what this smells like for you!


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FREE KINDLE BOOK! Stranger at the Hell Gate by Ash Krafton

CURRENTLY FREE ON KINDLE AT AMAZON.COM!

Stranger at the Hell Gate

Ash Krafton 
Genre: urban fantasy Publisher: The Wild Rose Press 
Date of Publication: March 2013 
ASIN: B00C14X6SG 
Word Count: 20000 
Cover Artist: Debbie Taylor 
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Book Description: 


Jagger Sintallon, a half-demon warrior, has dedicated his existence to fighting demons who enter the world through Hell gates. A loner of conflicting ideals, he offers shelter to a troubled woman but knows he is too rough, too dangerous, and too cocky for her delicate nature. 


Dedicated to Divine Will, Sonya Camael, a Seraph, is determined to discover why she is drawn to Jagger's doorstep and the reason behind her mission. She needs the demon's help but fears he may get himself killed before she can figure it out and the world slips into Hell's dominion.

Sonya faces grave danger with evil stalking her every move, and Jagger shouldn't care but realizes he cares more than he'd likely admit. Sonya knows Jagger cannot win this war alone, but will her divine intervention mean his imminent end? Or will just the right combination of Heaven and Hell set the world right once again?

Excerpt:

Jagger hung his head, looking very much out of patience. With an exasperated huff, he turned in place, his boots clomping. Cocky stance, head back, and eyes daring her to say something. But these things she only partially registered because when he turned to face her, his entire upper body—chest, face, arms—glowed with the marks of past insult and injury. And that sickle shape burned into the skin over his heart— 

She whimpered, heart-sick to see him in this way. Her mother's blood cried out at the thought of what agony he must have endured to stand here now, so marred and wounded. Covering her eyes, she dispelled the Seraph sight and fought the tears.

"Hey." He was in front of her within moments, pulling her hands down and leaning to peer at her downturned face. "Hey, what's wrong?"

"You. You've been through so much. Just look at you."

"I'd rather not. I'm not a pretty guy."

"Jagger. These scars. You have countless hurts. I can't see a part of you that isn't injured." She raised her eyes, tears brimming on her lower lashes. "Let me help you."

"What, you're a plastic surgeon?"

She swallowed and regained part of her composure. "Better."

He looked alarmed and rocked back on his heels. "You don't mean—"

"Yes, I do." She held onto his hands and kept him from backing away. This felt right, this decision.

His eyes shifted. "Ah, I don't think it's a good idea, doll. Our kinds don't mix well."

About the Author:
Ash Krafton writes from the heart…of the Pennsylvania coal region, that is.

She is the author of the Books of the Demimonde (Pink Narcissus Press).

BLEEDING HEARTS (Demimonde #1) is a six-time RWA finalist and was voted "Reviewer Top Pick" by Gravetells.com. Ash continues the story of Sophie and her Demivampires in her latest release BLOOD RUSH (Demimonde #2). She's hard at work (when she isn't watching Doctor Who) writing the third book, WOLF'S BANE. 

Ash Krafton's poetry and short fiction has appeared in several journals, including Niteblade, Bete Noire, Abandoned Towers, and Silver Blade. She's a member of Pennwriters, RWA, and Maryland Writers Association. She lurks near her blog and contributes to the QueryTracker blog.


Ash lives with her family and their German Shepherd dog deep in the Pennsylvania wilds, awaiting the day the TARDIS appears in the driveway (the dog most likely keeps the Doctor away. What a beast.) 


Until then, she writes.

Find Ash at:
The Demimonde blog
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