Wednesday 31 July 2013

BOOK BLAST - PROMOTIONAL SPOTLIGHT & ABOUT THE AUTHOR - MADE TO FORGET BY SAMANTHA LAFANTASIE



ASIN: B00E70CTP8
Series: Nepherium Novella Series
Publisher: Self/Indie
Pages/File Size: 120pages/294KB
Formats Available: E-Book

BLURB supplied by Good Choice Reading Tours
There’s something that lies within my memory. Hidden in the dark. Something that can kill me and those that I love. But I was in an accident, covered in mystery and deception. And my memory…was lost. There are those who want me to remember. I don’t trust them. And those I do trust…are fighting for me to forget.

Elsabetha Ellery wants to get her memory back, even if it kills her.

After waking up in a hospital with no memory, Elsabetha quickly learns those who claim to be her friend are anything but. And those who are her true friends keep themselves unseen.

Stuck with piecing together her broken memories alone, Elsa struggles with having faith in those she trusts and heeding the warnings of the dangers in recovering her memory. Ignoring them, she faces heavy consequences. Ones she doesn’t see until it’s too late, and a life is lost.


PURCHASE LINK


ABOUT THE AUTHOR




A Kansas native, Samantha LaFantasie spends her free time with her husband and three kids. Writing has always been a passion of hers, forgoing all other desires to devote to this one obsession, even though she often finds herself arguing with her characters through much of the process. She’s primarily a fantasy writer but often feels pulled to genres such as sci-fi, romance, and others. 
Among her writing credentials, she’s a board member of the Kansas Writer’s Association and has founded her own critique group, lovingly named, The Fighting Hamsters. 
Samantha loves to take time to enjoy other activities such as photography and playing her favorite game of all time, Guild Wars 2.

Want more from Samantha? Keep up with her at any of her digital hangouts.


You can find Samantha . . . .

Also, author Samantha LaFantasie is celebrating the release of MADE TO FORGET on Facebook! She will be popping in and out all day talking about MADE TO FORGET and hosting some giveaways! Don't miss out! :)

JOIN GROUP HERE: https://www.facebook.com/groups/MADETOFORGETPARTY/



GIVEAWAY

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Tuesday 30 July 2013

COVER REVEAL - MORAI BY RUTH SILVER

Moirai (Aberrant )
Release Date: September 2013

Summary from Goodreads:
Olivia has been on the run from the government of Cabal since the marriage ceremony. Finally settling in and finding herself a place to call home, in Shadow, Olivia and Joshua are preparing for the uprising that they and the rebel alliance have been planning for months.

With new abilities and special talents, from Mindonsiphan, Olivia learns that she can do more than most ordinary eighteen year olds. Learning both to hide and perfect her skills will be one of the biggest challenges she'll be forced to face.

A constant rollercoaster of emotion and adventure await Olivia and Joshua, as they embark on a journey to the rebel city of Torv, and what was once home, Genesis.



MORTALITY - THE HITCHHIKER STRAIN BY KELLIE SHERIDAN

ISBN: 978-0991789719
ASIN:  B00BPEOS44
Series: The Hitchhiker Strain
Publisher: Patchwork Press
Pages/File Size: 254pages/472KB
Formats Available: Paperback, E-Book

BLURB from Goodreads
After surviving a deadly plague outbreak, sixteen-year-old Savannah thought she had lived through the very worst of human history. There was no way to know that the miracle vaccine would put everyone at risk for a fate worse than un-death. 

Now, two very different kinds of infected walk the Earth, intent on nothing but feeding and destroying what little remains of civilization. When the inoculated are bitten, infection means watching on in silent horror as self-control disappears and the idea of feasting on loved ones becomes increasingly hard to ignore. 

Starving and forced to live inside of the abandoned high school, all Savannah wants is the chance to fight back. When a strange boy arrives with a plan to set everything right, she gets her chance. Meeting Cole changes everything. Mere survival will never be enough.


MY REVIEW
I received an e-copy of this book directly from the Author, Kellie Sheridan in exchange for my honest review.
I was definitely attracted to the cover of this one, I think the two females on it represent Savannah and Zara. Which are the two points of view that the book is told from. I love the font style and placement of the book title, book series and author name, they do enhance the cover image rather than detract from it. The cover is quite dark, which also suits the book as the characters are going through a seriously dark time too.
Would I pick up this book on the strength of just the cover? Yes the cover would draw me in and the the blurb would totally hook me!
So the book is told from two points of view and also features the characters we met in the prequel End Dayz. Savannah, lost her parents when they were attacked by the infected, infected themselves and put out of their "living death" by a neighbour. Savannah has since learnt how to fight and look after herself becoming a valued member of the New Ravencrest community. Savannah is quited gung-ho and want to go out and fight the zombies, both old and new strains. Her relaxed slightly over confident attitude leads to trouble not just for herself and her group on the mission for supplies but for their community back in the Ravencrest School. Lots of things happen and Savannah ends up leaving her friends and community behind her, joining forces with a guy she's literally just met called Cole. Cole's father is a scientist who may have found the cure . . . Savannah manages to infiltrate another organisation in the hopes of rescuing her friend Zack and cole's brother Ethan. 
The other point of view is from Zarah's, being alone with her aunt. Then her Aunt whom she has been staying with, is bitten and knows she must leave Zarah to keep her safe. Zarah's boyfriend Liam turns up just in time to prevent Zarah from truly giving up. Zarah's point of view tell's us all about their escapades. They have to split up shortly after an incident that see's Zarah's life in the balance. Liam promises to come back....Will he come back? Will Zarah survive until then?
I could literally go on and on and on about this book, so much happens, I've tried to leave most of it for you to discover yourselves by reading the book. I'd say read End Dayz first as it gives you some relevant background on certain characters in the book. You would still enjoy Mortality without first reading End Dayz. But I think reading End Dayz first really enhances the reading experience.  I love the pace. the writing style, everything about the book!
So did I enjoy the book? Yes I totally loved it! every sentence, every word! Brilliant Book!   Would I recommend the book? Definitely yes to all my bookish friends, and already nagging Rachel to add it to her MUST read list! Would I want to read more in this series? Oh yes please as soon, as it's available please!  Definitely looking forward to more in this fantastic series.Would I read other books by this Author? I intend to as I have a couple of her other titles already on my kindle to be read. I'm really looking forward to reading them now even more than I was before having read anything by Kellie Sheridan.

PURCHASE LINKS

END DAYZ - THE HITCHHIKER STRAIN BK0.5 BY KELLIE SHERIDAN

ASIN:  B00AX2BICY
Series: The Hitchhiker Strain
Publisher: Patchwork Press
Pages/File Size: 39pages/187KB
Formats Available: E-Book

BLURB from Goodreads
It's month after the dead first began to walk. The miracle vaccine that was supposed to save us all has failed.

Now, four teens fight to stay alive as a stronger, smarter breed of zombie begins to appear, threatening to end humanity for good.

Four short stories, 11,000 words total.

Prequel to Mortality.


MY REVIEW
I was accepted to receive an e-copy of this prequel novella from Netgalley.
This prequel takes the form of four mini novellas concentrating on four main characters. Pierre, a young man from the UK over in America checking out different universities/colleges such as Yale and Harvard. 
Then there's Belle, the daughter of Mayor Paulson, protected from the awful incidents as much as possible by her father but it really hits home one day when one of her friends is literally orphaned by the infected killing both her parents.
Next is Alex, and finally Zack.
The mini novellas are either done in a letter from to a loved one or in a "keeping a diary" format talking about the horror's of the virus and those that become infected by it.
The mini novellas are like little individual stories setting the scene for the main novel Mortality, The Hitchhiker Strain BK#1.
So did I enjoy the novella? I totally loved it, what a fantastic introduction ans scene setting for the main book.  Would I recommend the novella? Yes, as it sets the scene perfectly and you learn about just four of the amazing characters from the main book. I'd recommend reading it before Bk#1, that way you have the background knowledge of those four characters going into BK#1. Will I go on to read BK#1?  I started it as soon as I finished the novella, I was seriously desperate to know much more! Would I read other books by this Author? I do have another book by Kellie Sheridan on my kindle so I guess the answer is yes!

PURCHASE LINKS

PROMOTIONAL SPOTLIGHT - THE HITCHHIKER STRAIN BY KELLIE SHERIDAN

ASIN:  B00AX2BICY
Series: The Hitchhiker Strain
Publisher: Patchwork Press
Pages/File Size: 39pages/187KB
Formats Available: E-Book

BLURB from Goodreads
It's month after the dead first began to walk. The miracle vaccine that was supposed to save us all has failed.

Now, four teens fight to stay alive as a stronger, smarter breed of zombie begins to appear, threatening to end humanity for good.

Four short stories, 11,000 words total.

Prequel to Mortality.



ISBN: 978-0991789719
ASIN:  B00BPEOS44
Series: The Hitchhiker Strain
Publisher: Patchwork Press
Pages/File Size: 254pages/472KB
Formats Available: Paperback, E-Book

BLURB from Goodreads
After surviving a deadly plague outbreak, sixteen-year-old Savannah thought she had lived through the very worst of human history. There was no way to know that the miracle vaccine would put everyone at risk for a fate worse than un-death. 

Now, two very different kinds of infected walk the Earth, intent on nothing but feeding and destroying what little remains of civilization. When the inoculated are bitten, infection means watching on in silent horror as self-control disappears and the idea of feasting on loved ones becomes increasingly hard to ignore. 

Starving and forced to live inside of the abandoned high school, all Savannah wants is the chance to fight back. When a strange boy arrives with a plan to set everything right, she gets her chance. Meeting Cole changes everything. Mere survival will never be enough.


COMING SOON
in this series is Duality Bk#3 The Hitchhiker Strain December 2013!

PURCHASE LINKS

Monday 29 July 2013

THE VITALITY SOUNDTRACK BY M.A. GEORGE

The ‘Vitality’ Soundtrack

        It’s no secret to those who know me that I’m a wee bit music-obsessed.  I pretty much don’t do anything without background tunes.  So of course I love the idea of giving Vitality its own soundtrack.  Many of the songs that come to mind are on my “writing playlist”…the tunes I listened to most often while churning out the chapters of Vitality.  Here are my top picks:
1. “Dare You To Move”, Switchfoot
        I like this one for the opening scene of Vitality, when Palta is having a little difficulty facing a ginormous crowd of onlookers.  (She’s not a big fan of audiences.)
2.  “Anything Could Happen”, Ellie Goulding
        This is a fun, lively song that fits perfectly with the cliff-diving scene.  Did I mention Palta has a thing for extreme sports?
3. “Be Calm”, Fun.
        This makes me think of the sequence where Palta is worrying about her friend Nangí.  She’s trying to stay calm but failing miserably.
4. “Nothing Left to Say”, Imagine Dragons
        There’s a stressful time at the palace when something happens that kind of throws everyone for a loop. (How’s that for dodging a spoiler?)  I don’t know what it is about this song, but it just evokes those feelings of tension and restlessness that remind me of that sequence.
5. “Daylight Robbery”, Imogen Heap
        This is an energetic, sort of futuristic song that seems to fit nicely with the time Palta spends with Nangí. There’s just way too much that happens during that time to sum it up…but “energetic and futuristic” fits the profile.
6. “I Won’t Let You Down”, Alex Clare
        This is a slower melody that brings to mind Aeron’s emotions when he makes a choice to do something for Palta.  As if there was ever really a doubt in his mind…
7. “Breath of Life”, Florence + The Machine
        Palta spends some time on board a ship in less-than-pleasant company.  As much as I love, love, love this song…there’s a darkness to it that fits that sequence nicely.
8. “The End”, My Chemical Romance
        There’s a moment (perhaps more than one moment) where Palta comes face-to-face with the end of the road.  “The End” just seems like a great match, both because of the title and the powerful music.  Love MCR.
9. “Matches”, The Format
        Forgive my spoiler-sparing vagueness…but there’s a little moment in Vitality where the reality train seems to have left the tracks.  The opening of this song reminds me of circus music…which is pretty much what was running through Palta’s head in that moment.
10. “Good Life”, One Republic
        This song just brings a smile to my face.  And it’s what I would imagine rolling with the closing credits for Vitality.

TEN SONGS THAT GET THE WRITING ENERGY FLOWING FOR M.A. GEORGE

Ten Songs That Get the Writing Energy Flowing

           Those who know me well will attest to the fact that I have a wee bit of an obsession with music.  Those who don’t know me from Eve can be brought up to speed with a quick glance over my spiffy author bio…Or if you happen to be standing outside my window right now (creepy, by the way), I’m the one with the netbook perched on my lap and ear buds permanently wedged in my ears, bobbing my head like a total dork as I rock out to tunes whilst I type up this riveting sentence.  (And quite the run-on sentence it turned out to be…Oopsie.)
           The point of all this rambling is…I *heart* tunes.  Not just while writing—but especially while writing.  I have amassed quite a stockpile of music in my iTunes library, and I thought it would be fun to play a game of “Let’s see what pops up next on the shuffle…”
           So, in no particular order, here are the first ten songs that came up on my writing playlist shuffle.  “What makes these your writing songs?” you ask.  My answer:  I haven’t the foggiest idea.  Yet here they are, sitting in my happy little playlist, just waiting to be shared with you…

1. “Madness”, Muse
2. “When Your Mind’s Made Up”, Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová
3. “Nothing Left to Say”, Imagine Dragons
4. “Love is Blindness”, Jack White (Covering the greatness that is U2)
5. “Poison and Wine”, The Civil Wars
6. “The End”, Kings of Leon
7. “Hear You Me”, Jimmy Eat World
8. “Six Weeks”, Of Monsters and Men
9. “Some Nights”, Fun.
10. “No Light, No Light”, Florence + The Machine

CHARACTER INTERVIEW

Meet the Proximity Series Cast of Characters

           With the third book in the series, Vitality, we have accumulated quite a cast of characters…and I’d love to give you a sneak peek into their lives outside the book.  I decided that a fun way to accomplish this might be a little impromptu meet-and-greet with the cast.  I’ll be mingling amongst the group with microphone in hand, asking random questions we might never otherwise know the answers to…Enjoy!

Me: “Palta, let’s start with you.  We hear most of this story from your perspective, and you seem to have a colorful take on things…but you don’t seem to like the spotlight.  We know you don’t much care for your hair or characteristically pointed Onontian ears.  But tell me, what’s your favorite trait about yourself?”
Palta: “Um…Jumping right to the egotistical side of me then, are we?”
Me: “I can always sing your praises for you—“
Palta:Not necessary…How about I say that I can laugh at just about anything?  Including myself.”
Me: “That’ll work.  And what about your least favorite trait about yourself?”
Palta: “My self-consciousness.  And thanks for bringing it to everyone’s attention, by the way.” *Taps on mike with a wink*
Me: “Always happy to help…I’ll quit torturing you Palta, and we’ll move on to the patiently-waiting gentleman at your side, your husband Aeron.  Or should I be saying Mintar Omuran?  Oh wait, most people here on Earth aren’t going to know what that means…maybe King Omuran would be more appropriate?”
Aeron (with a handshake and a smile that makes me go all goofy in the knees): “Just Aeron will do nicely, thanks.  What would you like to know about me?”
Me: “Well, we already know you have a superpowered brain—able to learn entire languages and complicated scientific stuff in the blink of an eye—but do you have any weird talent that few people would know about you?”
Aeron: “Hmm…I can speak backwards.”
Me: “Backwards, like putting sentences in reverse order—or actually pronouncing the words in reverse?”
Aeron (Wrinkling his forehead with a sheepish smile): “Both…And did I mention how completely useless that skill is?”
Me: “Useless, yes…but kind of cool, though.  Just one more question for you…What is your favorite thing about the love of your life?”
Aeron (Eyeing Palta with a dreamy green-eyed look): “Her ability to crack a joke, even when it feels like the entire world is going down in flames.”    
Me (Getting all gushy just watching the two of them): ”Thanks for the window into your lives…I think I’ll  move on along to Sabela and Dominick now.  Hi there, Sabela…As Palta’s sister, you probably know much more about her than we do.  But right now, we’re looking to hear more about you. Tell me…What’s it like being married to a human?”
Sabela (Sweetly, as always):  “Well, I’ve actually never really thought too much about it.  Dominick is my perfect match…It doesn’t seem to matter that we’re from different species.”
Me:  “I can see that you two are perfect together.  Palta seems to give you both a hard time for being science geeks…Especially you, Dominick.  Has the relocation to the Onontian solar system been an exciting journey for you?”
Dominick: “Absolutely…It’s been amazing.”
Me: “So, what would you say is your favorite thing about the planet Onontí?”
Dominick:   “It has a substantially longer rotation period, such that a mean solar day is quite a bit longer than on Earth.”
Me: “Um
Palta (Patting Dominick on the back): “You realize that just flew right over most of our heads, right?”
Sabela: “He means the days on Onontí are a lot longer than on Earth.”
Me (Nodding as the light bulb comes on): “Ahh…Good answer.  Thank you, Sabela and Dominick.  And next, we have Ewenami and Imai.  Such a pleasure to see you both.”
Ewenami (Flashing a flawlessly gracious smile): “Likewise…And yes, I love visiting Earth again.  Such a beautiful planet.”
Me: “Um…Thank you.  I’m sorry, did I actually ask you that question?”
Imai (Chiming in with a dimpled grin, as he wraps a strapping arm around Ewenami’s waist): “A little unsettling when she plucks the question right out of your brain, isn’t it?”
Me: “You say that as though you can’t pretty much do exactly the same thing, Imai…And now the two of you are having some secret conversation inside your heads, aren’t you?”
Palta (Whispering into my ear with a smirk): “You’ll get used to it…Everyone around here is insanely good-looking and freakishly gifted.  They can’t help it.”
Me (Raising a critical brow): “Says the 118-year-old woman who barely looks thirty, heals with the touch of a hand, and has the power to control minds?”
Palta (Shrugging it off with a little flush of color to her cheeks): “Okay, so I’m a freak too…but nobody holds a candle to that old man when it comes to freakish powers.” *Nods her head toward Nangí*
Me (Stammering a little nervously): “Yes, Nangí…I believe you’re the last person I have a question for today.  Um, Palta seems to get a kick out of ruffling your feathers.  I imagine—being over a millennium in age yourself—that the rest of us can seem a bit annoying at times.  So would you like to tell us what your greatest pet peeve is…Something that really gets under your skin?”
Nangí (Folding his arms with a flat-faced drone): “People.”
Me (With a timid grimace): “Anything specific about people?”
Nangí (Ever-so-slightly shaking his head): “Just people.”
Palta: “Don’t worry, he won’t zap you with a bolt of lightning or anything.  He knows I’d never let him hear the end of it…and he’d pretty much jab a stake through his eyes before voluntarily subjecting himself to my ranting.”
Me: “Good to know…Um, thank you for answering my question, Nangí.  Wait a second…Where did he go?”
Palta: “No telling…He’ll turn up eventually.  I’m famished…Where are the chips and dip?”
Me: “You’re not kidding when you say you’re easily distracted…but come to think of it, I’m starving too.  Sorry everyone, but I guess this concludes our little interview.  That guacamole is calling my name…”