Winter Sparrow Blog Tour

I am excited to be participating in this blog tour. Estevan has given some great excerpts. But before we read them let's get to know more about Estevn and his book Winter Sparrow.

ESTEVAN VEGA FELL IN LOVE WITH STORYTELLING IN THE FIFTH GRADE WHEN HE WAS FORCED TO WRITE SHORT STORIES EVERY DAY FOR ENGLISH CLASS. THAT’S RIGHT, FORCED. BUT WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM HIS FATHER, HE REALIZED, HE ACTUALLY LIKED WRITING AND LOVED PEOPLE’S REACTION TO HIS WORK. NOW, AFTER MANY, MANY MOONS, EVEGA HAS AUTHORED 6 BOOKS AND SEVERAL SHORT STORIES ALL READY TO BE CONSUMED BY YOU. HIS HOBBIES INCLUDE SINGING IN THE SHOWER, GOING TO CONCERTS, AND TRYING TO ALWAYS EMULATE OPTIMUS PRIME. HE LOVES MINT CHOCOLATE CHIP ICE CREAM, WRITING PECULIAR TALES, AND STILL HASN’T LEARNED HOW TO WHISTLE. 

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“I’ll grow wings all by myself.”

Mary is a young artist about to enter a new chapter in her life. After years of waiting and searching, she has finally found true love. She’s also just discovered that her fiancé Joshua has inherited his father’s rundown countryside mansion. To add to the rising pressure, her wedding day is so close she can practically hear the music. All she has to do is accept what the future holds. Accept…and be happy.

But something’s missing.

As the seasons change, her doubts turn to fears, and her fears become reality. Through struggle and loss, the love she once possessed for Joshua transforms into contempt. When Mary is confronted with a magical escape, the life she has and the life she dreams of will collide, awakening a mysterious change within. But no choice comes without cost, and each one will draw her closer to the truth.

At times both beautiful and haunting, Winter Sparrow dares you to step into a world where eternity is a moment and every breath is a second chance. The fantasy begins….

Excerpt:

Mary was taken from the porch for a moment. Her eyes drifted to the willow tree planted on the front lawn. Its roots stretched across the dirt-and-pebble driveway and a number of other spots around its formidable trunk. At first, Mary squinted to see what was carved at the center. She walked down the porch steps to get a clearer look. Joshua didn’t notice. He was busy jangling his keys and trying to break in out of frustration because the lock now refused to budge.

As she edged closer, the carving in the willow tree became clearer. It was a solitary word no one would raise a question about. A forgettable something, really. Nothing elaborate or poetic. Just simple, scratched into the bark. It read, Once.

Who put it here? she wondered.

Just then, Mary glimpsed a shadow from the road that led to their future driveway, which she could see herself pressuring Joshua to get paved as soon as humanly possible. The shadow captured her glance when she touched the tree, felt the cut-up pieces that comprised the fragile, infant word. She swore she saw a face too with the shadow. It was a man with a soft complexion and a beard. A black hat kept his long hair neat and tucked. He had on a lengthy coat as well, and his teeth appeared yellow, glistening in the moonlight as he smiled at her from the road.

But then he was gone. Suddenly, a fog drifted in from the woods, and the chill forced her to blink. And shudder a little. She turned on the spot and saw Joshua coming closer.

She reached for his arm.

“What’s got you all jumpy?” he asked.

“It’s awful dark out here.”

“Yeah. Looks like we’ll have to get used to that,” Joshua said. “Hmm, did you notice our voices echo out here too?” Without awaiting a response, he repeated, “Echo!”

“Stop it,” she demanded.

“Why?”

“Because you never know who could be out this time of night.”

Tell him, Mary. Tell him what you saw. Tell him you saw

a man, well, what looked like a man, with long hair and a beard and a black hat and….

That is what you saw, isn’t it?

“I got cold all of a sudden, Joshua. I want to head back now.”

“Okay,” he said, embracing her. “Let’s get you warm.” He unlocked the car with the keyless entry device.

Mary immediately went for the passenger door and sank into her seat, fastening her belt as tight as it would go. Joshua walked slowly, however, intensifying the tension inside her.

Just tell him what you saw.

Mary shut her eyes and pictured the garden. Maybe her mind had invented the man in black. Her mind had invented things and ideas before, so it wasn’t all that strange, was it? An imagination could be a dangerous thing, a very dangerous thing, the years had taught her.

Joshua opened the driver’s side door and slipped into his seat. He started the car and backed out. Mary looked out the window as a branch scraped the front hood. She couldn’t help but feel saddened by the carving there in the heart of the wil¬low tree. In a matter of seconds, they were backing out of the driveway, leaving the property of the mansion, and heading back to the city.

Excerpt 2:

By the end of September, dawn resembled dark poetry. A spellbound earth sat behind the hills and clouds and dim but rising light. It was made new by irregular colors. The trees on the south end of the mansion flexed rebelliously out of the black dirt womb and created skinny branches. The shades of leaves faded. Mary imagined mutinous veins charging up the bark of its tree—the very same wires that showed the lifeline of every leaf that would soon slip off to die—as a nearly invisible force that plagued the world. The world was so unbalanced. When would she be able to explain the mystery of death? The mystery of change? Or perhaps no clean answer existed for why things were lost. Perhaps only the fallow grounds of the earth displayed the questions with similar unfinished lines.

Mary blinked and realized the sunrise had already come, and she had missed its final movement. She turned her gaze from the strange reality of nature to her still canvas—a pale, man-made thing desperate to come alive again with a fresh soul. Her paint¬ing had no beginning and no end. Where was her inspiration?

The light reaching down from a sky with no conviction seemed like a curse. There was no common ground in her, she knew that now more than ever. Maybe there had never been. She was purgatory, if such a wretched place could be conceived while wives were left empty.

The sounds of her husband hammering in the hallway less than fifty feet away encompassed her. Every time he swung against that drywall, she felt her brain brush up against her skull, wondering if ever he’d hit it hard enough to render her unconscious.

The center of her quivered at the thought of being reunited with him. He didn’t deserve to have her. Nor did the sky, with all of its apathy and neglect. Stuck in this spot. Stuck in this house. Stuck in this body with no life. Her roots had been planted deep, with no true comprehension that these grounds would seek to contain her for eternities no dream could compose.

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Thank you to Estevan and RBTL for letting me participate in this blog tour.

~Sabrina

Love Curse Blog Tour

Synopsis of Love Curse:

What would you do if you woke up one day and was able to do things you couldn’t explain? Would you think there was something wrong, perhaps that you were crazy? This is the life of Sidney. A teenager in high school, struggling with the adjustment of transferring schools, her life takes a turn for the strange. Fearing the idea of uttering the words to any one, Sidney holds her secret close to her heart. To add  to the drama she struggles like most young women dealing with boys. Will Sidney crumble from the pressure of school? Or check in to a luny bin for thinking she was imagining the weird occurrences around her?

On the opposite side of time Joan is immersed in the world of Witchcraft, her powers begin to grow stronger after she is inducted into the coven her maternal line belongs to. But Joan finds herself conflicted when she is ripped from all she knows. Her new environment doesnt lend to her mastering her powers and whats worse, she is forbidden to use them. Joan’s deepest desire goes against what her mother and grandmother have commanded of her. Will Joan make the right decision and abide by their wishes, or will she rip the family apart with the plan she is putting together?

Author Bio:

Nadia grew up in the suburbs of Washington DC. Her childhood was hard and her teenage years even harder. She faced challenges that molded the person she is today and provided good dramatic material for her novels. 

Aside from writing Nadia had one other aspiration, to marry and have children. She is now married with three children. In her spare time she plays with her children, spends time as a family, plays softball and likes to watch movies and TV shows. 

Nadia is of mixed heritage, her mother comes from a long maternal line of women who were born and raised in bondage and children of slave owners. Her father was from an aristocratic family in Syria. Both her parents have enriched her life by surrounding her with people of different diversities, religions, ethnic backgrounds. 

As a child Nadia spent her time aspiring to be a writer and an actor. She took many acting classes and was part of many plays over the years. She also studied Kung Fu for six years during her teens and was a national champion.

Having spent many time writing short stories most of her life, Nadia finnaly realized her dream of becoming a published author earlier this year. Her first novel Reflection was inspired by a series of events where she met someone who seemed to live a parallel life to her own. 

She recently began to study Kabbalah which has had the biggest positive impact in her life. The changes have led her down a path to happiness. Nadia continues to write and has more stories to come. 
Stay tuned

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The Coven: Fire and Ice Blog Tour

When I got asked to participate in this blog tour I was so excited. I had been wanting to read this book for awhile and Verdell did not disappoint me at all. On this stop there is an excerpt, interview, and my review. So let's get started with meeting Verdell and learning more about her and her book.

 Verdell Walker is the author of THE COVEN series. Born and raised in the South, writing has been her escape from reality for many years.

Verdell is an avid sports fan and absolutely devoted to the Green Bay Packers. A gifted cook and baker, few things make her happier than making a meal for her family and friends. Except maybe writing about her favorite boys.

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This or That:

Night or Day?

I can’t choose one here, because it totally depends on the season, day of the week, activity, and so many other variables.

Theater or Rent?

I’d rather rent a movie – thank God for Netflix. There are very few films that I’ll pay $13.50 for a ticket to go see. I’d rather just wait and see it in the comfort of my apartment!

Fall or Summer?

Even though my birthday’s in July, I have to say fall is my favorite season. It’s just so glorious. The leaves turn beautiful shades of orange, gold, and red. You can wear (and knit!) cute scarves and pumpkin spice lattes come out. And with the weather being a little chilly, I get to make a lot of my favorite comfort food recipes.

Music or Reading?

Definitely reading. While I love all kinds of music, I don’t think I could live without books.

Pet Dragon or Pet Gargoyle?

A dragon, clearly. Bonus points if it flies, breathes fire, and talks!

Flip flops or Tennis shoes?

Tennis shoes. That way, you’re ready for anything that comes your way. Plus flip flops have no support!

Coffee or Tea?

Tea. I’m one of those weird people who don’t drink coffee. I love the way it smells, but in order to drink it I need a ton of milk and sugar. 

After her clique's bullying causes a classmate's suicide, Kat Grey trades the vicious world of the California "in crowd" for the chance to become a better person in Massachusetts. But when she steps in to protect a classmate from being bullied, Kat sparks a war with Hannah, Milton Academy's resident Queen Bee.

Kat's courage and compassion attract the attention of Blaze Ward, Hannah's ex-boyfriend. As they fall in love, Kat discovers that Blaze is more than the boy next door. He's a warlock. He is also the leader of an in-crowd like no other - the Brotherhood, five young warlocks charged with defending witches and humanity from a demonic adversary named Seth.

Kat challenges Blaze to become a better man and leader while he helps her find redemption as she makes it her mission to stop bullying at Milton. But when Hannah teams up with Seth to destroy her, Kat becomes a hostage in the age-old war between the Brotherhood and their greatest enemy. Saving Kat will require more than Blaze's strength and skill; it will mean breaking one of his kind's most sacred laws. Blaze will have to make a choice: his honor or Kat's life.

Excerpt:

The body had left a spider web of cracks in Kat’s windshield. Still wrapped in her seatbelt, Kat clutched the sides of her seat, stricken with shock and fear.  A rational voice in the back of her head screamed at her to move, someone was injured, maybe even dead. Trembling, she forced herself to get out of the car. On wobbly legs she rounded the front of the Prius and scanned the area for the body. Spotting a large, still lump lying in the grass, Kat sprinted over to the person’s side. Kneeling, Kat placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. She couldn’t detect any signs of blood; there was also no blood on her windshield. Whoever he was, he smelled awful. Maybe it was a homeless person.

“Hello? Can you hear me?”

The man moved faster than the blink of an eye. One minute he was lying immobile on the ground, the next he had his hand clamped on her mouth and an arm around her throat. A shot of cold fear zoomed down Kat’s spine as she felt herself being hoisted up. She kicked and thrashed in a desperate attempt to get away, but the arm on her throat was like steel. Her cries were muffled by the foul-smelling hand, and the stench of the grave enveloped her. Kat thought she was going to faint until adrenaline and her fighting spirit came to her rescue. She bit down on the stony fingers and used all her weight when she stamped her foot on her attacker’s instep. The taste erupting in her mouth was worse than the smell and made her want to vomit, but she concentrated on wrenching herself free. The thing made no sound but jerked its hand back from her sharp teeth. Kat used the opportunity to let out an ear piercing shriek. Before it could silence her again, she tipped them both forward and sent them sprawling toward the ground in a heap. Kat aimed another kick at its stomach and managed to escape. It reached out and grabbed her foot but only pulled off her sneaker.

Kat shot off into the night, racing back to her car. She paid no attention to the gravel jabbing her shoeless foot as she ran. As she ran she continued to scream, hoping someone, anyone, would hear her. Her thighs burned as they ate up the distance, and she could hear her attacker gaining on her from behind. Fear and a desire to live propelled her onward despite the pain in her foot and throat, and tears ran down her cheeks from the biting wind. Soon the Prius was in sight, but her attacker had almost closed the gap between them. She could feel those disgusting fingers reaching out and trying to grab her. Kat pressed on, even though every muscle in her body screamed to stop.

Suddenly, a thick mist rolled in and enveloped the area, blanketing everything. Because of it, Kat couldn’t see the exposed root sticking up in her path. She tripped over it and pitched forward. As she fell, the attacker’s hand grasped her hair, yanking it violently. Kat thought her neck was going to break. She hoped it would, and that it would kill her before this person, this thing could. She thought of the mother she was just getting to know again, and felt sick. Then something hot streaked past her face, and the ground beneath her shook.

“Kill the mist, Q! I need to see!”

Kat’s heart lifted – was someone coming to help her? She didn’t want to believe, but then she heard another gruff, masculine voice.

“It’s not alone! Hold back till I clear this place!”

The mist receded, like water draining from a bathtub. Kat was on the ground, and through her watery vision she could see two pairs of boots racing toward her. Her attacker’s fist was still wound tightly in her hair and she could hardly breathe for the stench. She tilted her face upward and relief fled when she saw her saviors’ eyes cast an unearthly light in the darkness, the color of the glowing embers of a fire.

“Oh my God,” Kat breathed.

Another shot – of lightning?! – whizzed past her. The tension on her hair slackened. She heard a dull thud behind her as the blast of whatever-it-was nailed her attacker in the chest and sent him flying backwards. Her rescuers ran past her in a blur. One of them was a tall blond boy, the other African American with close-cropped black hair. Her attacker tried to crawl away from them but they surrounded him. The black boy brought his boot down on his ankle, pinning him to the ground. The blond kicked him savagely in the ribs, his body flipping over onto his back. He brought a knee down onto the attacker’s scorched chest and placed his hands on either side of its head. The blond boy’s hands glowed brightly as he twisted the attacker’s neck 180 degrees. A blinding white light filled the night, and the attacker’s body was gone.

If Kat thought she was scared before, she was absolutely terrified now. She pushed herself off the ground and tried to run away, but a sharp pain in her ankle brought her back down. She must have sprained her ankle when she tripped. Kat gritted her teeth against the pain and rose again. She would crawl the last few feet to her Prius if need be, but come hell or high water she was getting out of there.

“Hey, stop!”

Kat didn’t look back as she half ran, half hopped away. She was almost to the Prius. Impossibly, the blond boy was right next to her in an instant, blocking her path.

“Stop,” he commanded in a voice accustomed to being obeyed.

“Go to hell,” Kat spat back as she moved around him. She tried to evade the long, powerful arms that reached out for her, but she was too slow. Or rather he was unbelievably fast. On instinct, Kat fired her elbow into his ribs. The blond let out a grunt and she slipped halfway out of his grasp. He tried to regain his hold, but Kat reared back and scraped her nails across his cheek. This made him angry, but she didn’t care. She was pissed. If he took her, it wouldn’t be without a fight.

“Get away from me!” she screamed. Despite her best efforts, he caught her again. His arms were like stone pinions around her.

“Relax,” he said into her ear in a deep, rich bass. “I’m not going to hurt you.”

“You expect me to believe that! You just broke someone’s neck!”

“You’re welcome, miss. It was a pleasure saving your life.”

Without thinking, Kat spat in his face.

A low whistle sounded behind him. It was the other boy.

“A girl who is immune to Blaze Ward’s charms – I do believe this is a first.”

The one called Blaze lifted his right hand to wipe her spit away, while still keeping her imprisoned in his left arm. She struggled against his hard body uselessly.

“Do me a favor and hold onto her while I call Etienne.”

Oh no, there are more of them, Kat thought as she was passed like a ragdoll between the two of them. The other boy held her just as tightly. Her ankle throbbed. She thought about screaming again, but figured it was impractical as there was no one else around.

Her captor leaned down to her ear and spoke to her in a calm voice. “Don’t be afraid. We won’t hurt you. Just keep still and quiet. And please keep your saliva to yourself.”

Blaze stepped away from them and closed his eyes. He made no sound or movement, but he seemed to be reaching out to something or someone. Moments later, another huge blond appeared with eyes as green as hers. Out of thin air.

“Oh, good Lord,” Kat said aloud.

The new blond turned to look at her. “Crap – a norm. What’s she doing here?”

“Dark One had her,” Blaze replied. “We rescued her.”

“And she thanked Blaze with a nice, big loogie,” Kat’s captor said gleefully.

Mirth twinkled in the new blond’s eyes. “Did she see anything?”

“Too much. Which is why I called you,” Blaze said.

“You need me to wipe her?”

“Please.”

Kat stiffened with terror. Her captor felt the change, and rubbed her arm soothingly. “Calm down – he’s not talking about killing you.”

The new blond moved toward her. “No, baby. I promise this won’t hurt, and you won’t remember any of this.”

“Get away from me,” Kat said in a hard, angry voice. He said nothing, bringing his face closer to hers. Kat could make out the individual hairs of his prickly stubble. His green eyes flashed gold.

Something pricked at Kat’s consciousness. She closed her eyes and shook her head. The pricking continued, and some force deep within her mind resisted. Kat squeezed her eyes and opened them again. The pricking stopped, and she fixed him with a glare.

The blond frowned. “This one’s mind is strong. Most norms would be drooling wrecks by now.”

“Try harder,” the first blond said.

Suddenly, a feeling of tremendous calm washed over Kat. Her muscles relaxed, and the pain in her ankle drifted away. Those golden eyes mesmerized her, held her in their sway. If her captor hadn’t been holding her, she was sure she would have fallen to the ground. Her mind tried to fight back, but this time it was impossible.

“You’re calm,” he whispered. “You’re safe, and warm.”

“Safe and warm,” Kat repeated drowsily, in spite of herself.

“Give her to me,” the first blond said. His voice sounded far away and she nearly collapsed into his arms. He wrapped her arms around his neck. Reaching down, he slipped an arm behind her knees and lifted her off the ground. Cradling her to his chest, he turned to the others.

“Etienne, do something about her car. Q, conjure up another shoe for her, will you?”

If she had been alert, she would have thought their conversation was insane. But now all she could think of was sleep.

The one called Q stepped forward with her white and pink Puma sneaker. Kat wondered idly where he had found it.

“I wonder who she is, and where she lives?” Blaze asked Q.

“Never seen her before. Probe her mind for it,” Q suggested.

“No need,” Etienne shouted. “Got her license here. Katherine Grey, lives at 223 Shady Oak Lane.”

“Pretty sure she’s breaking curfew now,” Q said. “We should get her home before she’s grounded for life.”

A thought occurred to Kat. “Text Mom,” she murmured.

Blaze shushed her. “Etienne, is there a phone over there?”

“Yup. Texting her mom now. Man, there are like 10 messages from Momma Bear on this thing.”

“Q, go back to the others and make sure there are no more Dark Ones roaming around. Etienne, drive her car back to her house. I’m going to run ahead with her.”

Kat looked up at the young man holding her in his arms. His handsome face was angular and sculpted, with high cheekbones and a strong, masculine jaw. He must have felt her looking at him, because he peered down at her. His narrowed eyes were a translucent, shimmering blue. She breathed deeply, inhaling his scent. He smelled of sweat, dark spice, and pine. In spite of herself, she felt completely safe and taken care of. He stared at her for another second, and his eyes were inscrutable. The next thing Kat knew they were moving, the night rushing past them at incredible speed.

My Review:

I loved this book. With witches, warlocks, and action packed fight scenes high school just got a lot harder.

Kat is a queen bee who changes her way from one terrible incident that her clique caused at school. She moves from California to Massachusetts to start over. She meets Blaze and a whole new world she never knew existed. But with a jealous ex-girlfriend and minion out to destroy her Blaze has to make the hardest decision of his life to protect Kat. Can Blaze break his kind’s most sacred rule to get back the girl he loves?

 This book will grab you from paragraph one and have you staying up late into the night causing you to get no sleep so you can see what happens next. Kat is a heroine I found myself  loving immediately she feels remorse for what her friends have done and vows to change herself for the better and to eliminate bullying so that terrible incident never happens again. Blaze is just a hero you will love from the moment he comes into the story. He just has that kind of charisma that draws people to him. I love the chemistry between Kat and Blaze. Oh and Blaze’s friends are just plain awesome. I loved them all and can’t wait to know more about them.

 This story does have witches and warlocks in it but The Coven also deals with bullying and suicide. Verdell handles this heart breaking topic just right. With a story that has so much going on Verdell is able to keep it all well balanced and not let the reader get lost or confused. I am looking forward to reading more about this world and the characters that live in it. 5/5 Bloody Fangs 

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I wanna say Thank you to Verdell for letting me review her book and Thank you to Bewitching Book Tours for letting me participate in this blog tour.

~Sabrina

The Odin Blood Series Blog Tour

I am so excited to be participating in this tour. I have heard such wonderful things about Ronnell's books and those covers are gorgeous. There is an excerpt, guest post, and amazing giveaway. But first let's get to know more about Ronnell and his books.

Ronnell D. Porter was raised in Ogden, Utah, and now resides in Denver, Colorado. During his free time he plays the violin, dabbles in graphic design, and, of course, thoroughly enjoys writing stories. He believes that a novel written simply to entertain does its readers a disservice; instead, a book's narrative should always change the way we perceive the world around us, and grant us a little more wisdom than we had when starting the story.

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Content Warning: It does contain some graphic fantasy violence as there is a sequence wherein an army of undead invades the heroine's homeland, and a Tolkien-ish battle ensues. 16+ recommended

Note: Dagger Heart is currently FREE on Amazon!

Synopsis:

Norway, 704 A.D.

The valiant King Ulfur defeated the evil that swept the seaside village of Nornör into despair; Morgan, the demon witch, has been dead for nearly twenty years. The truce between King Úlfur and the Queen of the Fae has remained intact since the day that Morgan’s dark curses vanished. It seemed that peace had finally come to the wounded souls of the village.

But this peace is shaken when three curses that Morgan promised with her dying breath are placed upon the Norwegian village: who among them has cast the spell?

Seventeen-year-old Erica finds herself trapped in the middle of a witch’s deadly revenge scheme with no way out but to fight for survival. On top of trying to end the curses devouring her village like a savage beast she finds herself at the center of attention when it comes to Viking King Úlfur’s three sons: Kriger, Paul, and Finn.

Three of them will fight alongside her.

Two of them want to marry her.

One of them could be the son of King Úlfur… and Morgan.

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Sequel to 'Dagger Heart'.

"You know not of King Bersek, Lord of Berserkers... The Berserkers are men of darkness; heartless and unyielding. They know no fear, they know no pain – and the sound of them ripping and slashing and tearing people apart by their limbs: chaos incarnate."

One year after triumphing over the events surrounding the cursed Blackthorn Dagger, Queen 'Dagger Heart' Erica receives an ominous warning from a group of survivors that arrives in her village of Nornör: an army like no other, steeped in dark necromancy, heads for her Norwegian shores. With the winter solstice quickly approaching and no sign of the black wolf that used to roam the woods of her lands, she races against time to uncover the mystery of The Necromancer, as well as the absence of her dear friend and love, Finn.

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Excerpt:

The soft candlelight lit her room with hot yellow flickers of flame as she held a black iron jewelry box in her lap. It was so intricate, so lovely, and it allowed her to not only read Finn’s words of love, but to run her fingers across them so that she knew that he was real, that the feeling of his love wasn’t just the fading dream of a naïve girl. When she closed her eyes and held the jewelry box close to her, she could almost see his round face, his dark hair, brows, and lashes contrasted against the pallor of his skin, and those eyes that always seemed to catch whatever light was near to make them glow, even with the faintest of rays in the night. They were the eyes of the Fae blood within him, eyes that held an ancient magic and natural wisdom pooled in shades of forest green.

Finn rolled onto his side and took her hand into his. He left soft kisses along her hand, her wrist, and slid his body against hers.

"I want you to know that I'd decided never to leave your side again," he said. He looked suddenly uncomfortable, his brow strewn together and his jaw clenched tightly. Then he finally drew in a deep breath through his nose and nodded to himself.

"Before I returned here, I think I was starting to forget what it was like to be human... To be me. Emotions were starting we feel dulled, and something like a memory. Suddenly what was important in my like didn't seem to matter much; my old life, the death of my brothers, my mother, my father... Even you. I almost didn't return to Nornör at all, but something inside of me - maybe the last little piece of humanity inside of me - urged me back here. And suddenly, when I saw you again, all of the parts of me that got lost inside of that wolf's body began to come back together. Suddenly I felt fire again, and passion, and I felt that there was something that gave my life meaning again. When I held you for the first time, I felt whole again."

Finn grew bolder, and nodded to himself.

"I can't risk forgetting who I am again - but more importantly, I can't risk forgetting what you mean to me."

"I don't think you ever would have forgotten who you are," Erica said.

"I very nearly forgot you - that's bad enough. I wouldn't want to live with myself if I'd forgotten your name, your face, your voice, your scent..."

"You won't," Erica whispered. She cradled his head against her chest and let him rest there as she tangled her fingers into his thick black hair. "I promise that you'll never have to go another day of your life without me there to remind you of who you are. You are Finn Úlfurson, the man that I have loved since the first time we ran through the woods and howled together like maniacs."

Finn chuckled against her, and lifted his head.

"And you are Erica, great leader to the people of Nornör, and the woman I have loved since you struck me over the head with a rock."

Guest Post:

What would you like your readers to take away from your book?

Dagger Heart was more or less written for a female readership. Even if this book is deemed a passing cursory tale of violent Vikings, if readers walk away with but one message, it would be to the women who have read it, both the young and wise, and that message would be to protect your rights. A right is defined as that which is morally correct, just, and honorable. And unfortunately, even today, in 2013, there exists no human society where every right is given and protected. But many of us have the fortune of living in a society where most of them are granted and lawfully protected. A great many of the individuals who can sit down and read this blog post have more protected privileges than hundreds of millions of women around the world have. And in the past these rights have had to be debated for, fought for, and voted for, until they were effectively given. This is not a job that is finished, it is not something that should be taken for granted, nor do I think any free, independent woman reading this takes them for granted. But silent appreciation tends to lead to a certain comfort-zone, and that's when things usually begin to come under question by those who would set the human race back a few decades. So it does need to be said now and then to remind us all that rights must be consistently brought up, openly spoken for, and openly appreciated to remind everyone that they are, by their definition, the moral, just, and honorable way. Therefore if someone takes anything away from Dagger Heart and Ebon Heart, I would like it to be speak out for, fight for, and protect your right to be a free woman, and the rights of other men and women to live as they wish.

Giveaway:

·         Grand Prize: A Kindle Touch, pre-loaded with 5 books by Ronnell D. Porter

·         10 eBook copies of Ebon Heart

The grand prize is available to the US only! The eBooks are worldwide.

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Wombstone Blog Tour

I am so excited to be a part of this blog tour. I loved this book so much and I can't wait to tell you all about it in my review. But first let's get to know more about the author Jessica first.

Jessica Roscoe is the author of Wombstone, a Young Adult paranormal novel. From a young age, she delighted in the written word and would often scare her poor parents with outlandish stories filled with the supernatural and macabre.

Jessica studied film and screenwriting at university before deciding that novels were her calling. The setting for Wombstone was inspired by a six-month stint in the U.S. where she worked as a lifeguard at a summer camp in Mt Freedom, New Jersey. She is currently working on the next book in the Vampireland series. Her other loves in life include good quality tea, delicious wine, reading and hanging out with her husband and baby girl.

Stalker Links:

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Website

Mia Blake wasn’t the first girl that was taken by the vampires.

She had heard all about the girls who were missing, and even though they were only “missing”, she knew in her heart that those girls were dead.

She felt sad for them, sure. But more than that, she felt glad that they had been strangers – not someone she knew, and certainly not her. Things like that didn’t happen to girls like her.

They always happened to someone else, and that’s why she barely blinked as she made her way across an empty football field, through a deserted parking lot, to meet a fate she had arrogantly assumed was reserved for other people.

She was a stupid girl.

She paid for it.

Excerpt:

Wake up.

Those were the first words I ever heard.

I opened my eyes. Naked save for a bloodied white sheet, my tender skin covered in sticky red blood. My broken body somehow – impossibly – repairing itself.

I tried to turn my head to the side, to see where I was, and groaned in pain. Staying still felt better. I was sticky and bruised. My body was fighting hard to mend all the deep gashes and crushed bones. I lifted an arm and gently felt my eye where I had taken the impact of the unforgiving ground. It was excruciatingly painful to the touch – but it wasn't shattered anymore. It was in one unbroken piece, as if my fall had been a terrible dream. The oddly comforting metallic taste in my mouth told me otherwise, though.

I reached out with my hands, touching stiff sheets. I was hot, but I was shivering, goosebumps lining my arms.

It was so hard to keep my eyes open, but I fought to stay awake. I wasn't dead. I still had something left inside of me. I couldn't give up yet.

A face appeared above me. Something warm and coppery touched my lips.

“Drink.”

I did.

My Review:

What a fresh new spin on vampire folklore. I was sucked in from page one and forgot about everything else until the very last page.

 Mia is just your average everyday normal girl. She has heard all about the girls who got taken but she never thought that would happen to her. That is until one night she was the girl who was taken. But her abduction is different with vampires Caleb and Ryan both having plans for her but one decision changes Mia’s whole world. Now she has to make a choice accept the help from the bad guy Ryan to learn all she can or take her chances with the biggest and meanest bad vampire of them all Caleb.

 I loved Mia she is so snarky and just plain awesome. She is defiantly a girl I could see myself friends with. Ryan is the bad guy we all love to hate. But is he really the bad guy? I found myself starting to route for him and wanting Mia to see there is more to him then just the guy who ruined her life. I won’t tell you much more except the ending broke my heart and I am impatiently waiting for book two now.

 With characters you will come to love and find yourself thinking of them as your friends Jessica has written a world  where you will get sucked in and enjoy every minute of it. 5/5 Bloody Fangs

Book Links:

Goodreads

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Thank you to Jessica for letting me review your book and Thank you to RBTL for letting me participate in this blog tour.

~Sabrina