Tuesday, July 28, 2015

Learning to Love Again


Today on my blog I have the Learning to Love Again blog tour. On my stop there is a spotlight and excerpt. 

Title: Learning to Love Again
Author: Kelli Heneghan
Series: Currently a Stand Alone with Potential to be the first in a Series
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Self-Published
Release Date: July 2015
Edition/Formats: eBook & Print on Demand via Amazon
Blurb/Synopsis:



What do you do if Fate gives you a second chance at the love of your life?   Do you learn from past mistakes, or do you relive them?  Nicole Winters is about to find out.  After suffering severe injuries in a car accident, she is lucky to be alive.  She has to return to her home town to recover, only to discover her family has been withholding information and the doctor on her case is none other than her college sweetheart, Jason Marrow.  The man she dumped right before graduating from law school and leaving Texas.  Once back in her hometown, Nicole realizes that she has allowed the ghosts of her childhood to rule her life.  As she faces her past, and with the help of her family and friends, she realizes the love between her and Jason never faded.  Can they recapture what they had and build on it?  Can she move beyond the past and Learn to Love Again? 


Excerpt: 
Jack left the hospital and sat in his silent pickup truck, watching the traffic as it sped by.  There was a reason he’d elected not to practice law in a big city and traffic had been at the top of the list.  The constant backstabbing he’d seen as everyone tried to get ahead in the private practices hadn’t made him a fan of working in the city, either.  There was also the added benefit of being his own boss and getting to pick and choose his clients.  Small town law was where he belonged.
He hit the button on his phone, allowing it to dial the number he’d pulled up.
“Did you talk to her?”  Jason’s voice demanded to know as soon as he answered.
“And hello to you, too.”  Jack spat out a wry rebuttal.
“Sorry.  Hello.  How’s life?  Mine sucks.  Now, did you talk to Nicole?”  Jason repeated.
“God, Jason, are we still in junior high?  Should I try and pass her a note between classes next?”  Jack was kind of enjoying torturing his friend.  He’d never seen him this uptight about a woman before.  The fact that it was Nicole, well, he wasn’t sure how he felt about that quite yet.  After all, they had been raised as close as any other siblings, and they knew more secrets about each other than most best friends.
“Jack!  Are you listening?”  His friend’s impatient voice yelled in his ear.
“Yeah, sorry…zoned out for a minute.”  Jack smothered a yawn.  “Yes, Jason, I talked to Nicole.  She’s upset that decisions are being made about her life without any input from her, but for now she’s agreed to come back to Waketon.”  He heard a rush of breath that was released and almost chuckled.  “You need to start setting up the rehab for her and whatever else she’ll need.  I plan to stick around here for another day-or-so, and then I’ll head home.  That way I can get the ranch ready for her, have Maria set things up there.”
“And then maybe I can figure out what the hell happened ten years ago and why she kicked me to the curb.”  There was a resigned sigh over the line.  “Dude, I start call tomorrow, so if anything comes up, text me.  The way my luck has been running, every orthopedic emergency in ninety-seven counties will happen in the next seventy-two hours.
Jack chuckled and hung up the phone, shaking his head over the knots Nicole still had that poor guy in.

Book Links: 


Cocktails & Characters (for the main characters)
Choose 4 or 5 of your characters tell us what their favorite cocktail is and why.
Jason:  Beer—Shiner Bock—hometown brew for the hometown boy

Nicole:  Jack Daniels and Coke—she needs the whiskey to drown out the ghosts of the past

Jack:  Jack Daniels and Coke—he has his own ghosts

Mitch:  Beer—Shiner Bock—he may not be a hometown boy, but he’s from Texas.


Carly:  White wine:  but she’s pregnant, so she’s not drinking!

Kelli grew up all over the East Coast but her family finally settled in Cincinnati long enough for her to finish high school and college.  She has always loved to read books and write her own stories.  In high school, she used to pass around the latest chapter of the story she was writing for her friends to read.  There is more than one high school teacher out there that can probably remember telling her to put the book down and pay attention to the lectures. 

Graduating from the University of Cincinnati with her BS in Nursing, she left Ohio for Texas and the U.S. Army.  She received a medical discharge for a knee injury, but was able to meet the man she'd one day call her husband first--thanks to some mutual friends who insisted they would perfect together.  And what do you know--they are! 

She continued to read books by the dozens and write her own stories.  And then one day, a friend dared her to enter a contest.  She didn’t win, but the feedback she received from the judges convinced her that maybe people were interested in the stories she wanted to tell.

She still lives in Central Texas, with her husband, two children and 2 dogs.  


Stalker Links

Thanks for stopping by my blog today. I would also like to say Thank You to RBTL for letting me participate in this blog tour. 
~Sabrina

Thursday, July 23, 2015

The Night Of Elisa Blog Tour


Today on my blog I have The Night of Elisa blog tour. On my stop there is a spotlight, excpert, top ten post, and review.

Title: The Night of Elisa
Author: Isis Sousa
Series: Stand Alone
Genre: Victorian Gothic/Paranormal
Publisher: Tragic Books
Release Date: Sept 8 2014
Edition/Formats Available In: eBook & Print
Illustrations: Characters and Ornaments Pencil Sketches
Blurb/Synopsis:
.: A Gothic Novella :.

Sometimes, life and love can follow the most obscure paths, just as they did for Elisa.
Her life becomes a dark, cold, lonely cage the day the devil takes her as his wife. He robs her of almost everything she holds dear: her health, her wealth and what is left of her family.
Trapped between the nuances of life and beyond-life, Elisa finds herself struggling for a better tomorrow. With her health deteriorating, how will she summon the courage and strength to stand her ground? And how far will she go in the pursuit of a dream?

Embark with Elisa on this puzzling Gothic adventure set in the late Victorian era, between the world of the Living and the picturesque, melancholic Duskland. 

Excerpt: 
‘Elisa’ calmed and the struggle was over. How dare she speak of me like I’m already dead? I know these faces… Father Johannes was throwing holy water over her bed and chanting in Latin.
“E-l-i-s-a i-s b-a-c-k!” a loud voice echoed in the room for all to hear. Quentin was very surprised. “She is back! Father Johannes, how is it possible?”
Father Johannes’ voice was frail. He was a short, gibbous man with an aquiline nose and big, deep eyes. “God the almighty never betrays us, my son!” He raised the wooden cross with his right hand.  “Whatever evil was holding her from life – from death – is here no more!” He came closer to Quentin, reaching for his ear. “She is strong, my son! Keep pretending until the last moment. We don’t want it to happen, but if she survives we don’t want her to tell anyone about what we did.”
“If she survives it will be for a very short time. I will take care of her once and for all, Father!” Quentin pretended he was seeing a miracle from the seven heavens. His young wife back from the dead! How was it possible? We did everything we could, but you persisted… “Elisa, my dearest, you’re alive! You live! You have come back to us!” Quentin continued, admiring that she had endured so much. 

Review: 

I am seriously in love with this authors writing. Her writing is beautiful and gothic and then you add in the beautiful illustrations that Isis has done herself and you enter a world like no other. I usually like to envision the scenes myself but with Isis's books you get these beautiful drawings that take an already amazing book and turns it into a master piece that I will always come back to and re-read. And because I love this book so much it gets 10/10 Bloody Fangs 

Book Links: 
Amazon Illustrated Edition LITE {eBook}
Amazon Illustrated Edition {Hardcover}
Amazon Illustrated Edition {Paperback}
Lulu Illustrated Edition
Lulu Illustrated Edition LITE {eBook}
Lulu Illustrated Edition {Hardcover}
Lulu Illustrated Edition {Paperback}
Barnes and Noble Illustrated Edition {eBook} LITE
Barnes and Noble Illustrated Edition {Hardcover}
Books A Million (BAM) Illustrated Edition {Hardcover}
Books A Million (BAM) Illustrated Edition {Paperback}
Book Depository Illustrated Edition {Hardcover}
Book Depository Illustrated Edition {Paperback}
Google Play Illustrated Edition {eBook} LITE
iTunes/iBooks Illustrated Edition {eBook} LITE
Kobo Illustrated Edition {eBook} LITE
Smashwords Illustrated Edition {eBook} LITE



Top Ten Post: 
I know that you are an Artist as well as an Author who are your Top Ten Artists

Dear Sabrina, first of all, thank you so much for having my book tour in your blog, which by the way, looks very nice!!! :) Also, I am so delighted to make this blogpost, as you are the first to ask me about this…

I am very fond of art, specially classic paintings and sculptures of various eras, and CG ARTs in our modern times, such as digital painting. So with that said, I will divide the top 10 into two parts: Classic and Contemporary.
Because I love too many artists, I will add a few of those I enjoy most at the moment - not in any particular order.

The Classics
1- Konstantin Makovsky, Russian painter. (1839-1915)
I love the intricate storytelling of his paintings. He is also very good at working the lighting and his level of realism is astonishing. For me, his best works are those where he increments the Fantastic to tell a story. He has also a very special use of high, saturated chromas in some of his pieces, making them otherworldly.
2 – Adolf Tidemand, Norwegian nationalist. (1814–1876)
 He had this wonderful talent in telling on his paintings what happened in the daily life of the Norwegian people of his time. How did they dress, what did they do, the furniture at their homes and the moods of the landscapes, he could capture it all.
3 – Caravaggio, the Italian master. (1571-1610)
I like the complexity in which he composed some of his works. But what is most remarkable in his art, in my opinion, is the expressions he gave the human subjects. To paint an expression and to make it feel natural are two different things, and he mastered both. He had also a brief life, which means he became technically very good in short time of much dedication to the craft.
5 – John William Waterhouse, English painter, more known for the famous painting of Ophelia. (1849-1917)
I love the poetic and dreamy quality of his works. Also the way he worked his technique, mixing realism with something more impressionist in the brush strokes and palettes. Many of his paintings tell fantastical/mythological stories, something I really enjoy.

The Contemporaries
1 – Luis Royo, Spanish artist, loved by the Goths and Metalheads :)
I love his restricted palettes, the eroticism and fetish of his creations as well as the contrast between his beautiful, delicate characters in contrast with dark, destroyed worlds. There is detachment, abandon, decay, but also strength on them.
2 – Narcius (Corrado vanelli) from Italy.
I love the colors Corrado uses on his works. I love his esthetical choices when it comes to facial features and body types and nonetheless, the freshness of his lighting and expressions. I am a very big fan of his work.
3 – Pierangelo Boog, the master from Switzerland.
He is truly a contemporary master. Angelo can work in a variety of digital and traditional techniques, and he master different human aesthetics/ethnics. He can portray humans of any part of the globe with perfection. I love his technique and talent.
4 – Yayashin (Bruno Wagner), French traditional/digital painter.
His work is crispy, vibrant, bold and full of details. I also like the brush patterns he explores on his pieces. I’m very fond of his aesthetics for female characters and nonetheless, the complex way in which he composes each painting.
5 – Seth Siro Anton, digital alchemist from Greece.
He has the coolest artist name! Seth is more known for his digital photo-manipulation works, specially on heavy metal CD covers, he also masters traditional techniques. I am attracted to the grotesque, dark and obscure aspects of his works. Not only his work and name are interesting, but also his person…

Thank you so much for reading through :)

Writing sucks. Period.

That’s why I am an artist; illustrator and graphic designer who writes in a hobby basis. Oh, wait… That’s not the “why”… I was born artist, and there is nothing I can do to change it. But with all the imagination I have running lose, there came some stories… And there came some books!

When I’m not doing artwork and illustration for authors and bands, I’m doing woodcarving, painting ornaments, painting artworks for myself, writing articles for IT’S ART MAG, collaborating with other artists and so on. Love Arts, History and Heavy Metal.

Oh, and summer is a bitch! Always. Anywhere in the world. 


Stalker Links: 

Thank you so much for stopping by my blog today. I would also like to say Thank You to Isis for her top ten post and for letting me review your book and say Thank You to RBTL for letting me participate in this blog tour. 
~Sabrina 

Sunday, July 19, 2015

Few Are Angels Series Review Tour


Immortal Heart
Few Are Angels Book # 0.5
By-Inger Iversen
Publication Date- September 28th, 2013


More than a century after the tragedy of HélÚne's death and before Ella found Kale bruised and broken on her doorstep, Kale moved through the world in a haze of personal punishment allowing it to consume him. Until his friend, Detective Deacon, a newly infected ChorÜ calls on him for a favor.

In this prequel to the Few Are Angels series, Kale is thrown into a world of human blood trafficking and is introduced to a ChorÃœ that offers him a chance at happiness— in blood.


   

Sunday, July 12, 2015

Coral & Bone Blog Tour


Today on my blog I have the Coral & Bone blog tour. On my stop there is a spotlight, excerpt, review, and giveaway.

Title: Coral & Bone
Author: Tiffany Daune
Series: Coral & Bone (Book 1)
Genre: YA Urban Fantasy
Publisher: Jester Ink Press
Release Date: June 2014
Edition/Formats Available In: eBook & Print
Pages: Approximately 278
Blurb/Synopsis:
Halen knows the sparks igniting under her fingertips are dangerous. She has spent her entire life trying to quell the tingly feelings that make her destroy things, but now that she is back in Rockaway Beach, where she watched her father drown, the flames have become impossible to tame.

Halen is trying to hold on, but when she is thrust into a mysterious new world, the underwater realm of Elosia, she unravels the secrets of her past and can't help but ignite. As she explores Elosia, she realizes her life has been a lie. And when those who have deceived her come to her for help, Halen must choose—walk away or unleash the magick that could destroy them all. 

Excerpt: 
"See who you are," the mermaid whispered.
Halen's eyes clouded over and when the smoke cleared she found herself standing in an open field. She was dressed in a cotton dress which fell around her ankles. Soft grass tickled her toes. She took a step forward and a flower sprung from the ground beside her. She leaned down to pick the red poppy. As she took another step a flower sprang up from between the blades of grass. Halen smiled. She walked a little farther and with each step a new poppy sprouted and bloomed. She ran faster and the field blossomed under her feet, and when she waved her hand, the entire valley filled with red poppies. She inhaled their sweet scent and when she exhaled, the birds glided in the breeze of her breath through an endless blue sky.
Halen laughed when the wind caught her skirt and swept the fabric up over her head, but when she pushed it down, dark clouds rolled overhead. She took one step forward and the grass beneath her feet sizzled to a crisp. Taking another step, the poppies burst into flames. The fire licked the hem of her skirt and she gathered it up over her knees. Scanning the field, she spotted a boulder; if she could make it there, remove her feet from the ground, she could save the rest of the field.
She ran in long strides, and with each step, she scorched the ground with her fiery feet. Suddenly, she tripped. Her hands touched down and the ground combusted with a brilliant light. The fire raced through the field, spreading to the trees. The flames reached up, lassoing the birds from the sky, dragging them to the ground. Halen crawled to the rock and hoisted herself up. She stared out to the barren land. "No, no. What have I done?" She clawed the air and the clouds rumbled with thunder. The fire burned hotter and hotter under her flesh. The only way to extinguish the flames was to release them. Tilting her head back, she opened her mouth wide and screamed. What birds had not been burned turned now to black beasts swirling in the torrid sky. 

Review: 
I have never been much of a mermaid fan but this book has changed my mind. I absolutley loved the underwater world that Tiffany has created. I felt like I was there with the descriptions of this world and I loved it. There was so many twists and turns and I enjoyed all the characters. I can not wait for the next book in this series. 4/5 Bloody Fangs 

Book Links: 


I write stories about magick, love and dark creatures lurking in the shadows. When I'm not lost in Edit Land you can find me reading a book from my towering TBR pile or at the movie theater nibbling licorice. I don't have a lucky number, but my favorite time is 11:11. I completely believe that the fortunes found inside cookies will come true and that you must be careful when wishing on stars. I live on an island, so if you want to visit you'll need a boat, and if you want to survive the passage, be sure to bring candy for the mermaids. 

Stalker Links: 

Other Works by Tiffany Daune

Coral & Bone Series

Curses and Ash (2) Coming January 2016 

Thank you for stopping by my blog today. I would also like to say Thank You Tiffany for letting me review your book and say Thank You to RBTL for letting me participate in this blog tour. Don't forget to enter the giveaway below. 

Saturday, July 11, 2015

Silently Still Blog Tour


Today on my blog I have the Silently Still blog tour. On my stop there is a spotlight, excerpt, review, and guest post. 

Author: Julieanne Lynch
Series: Stand Alone
Genre: Young Adult Coming of Age
Publisher: Self-Published
Release Date: May 19 2015
Edition/Formats Available In: eBook & Print
Blurb/Synopsis:
Everyone is entitled to making their own choices in life, but a decision can make or break you. For Jacinta Kelly, hers came in the form of running away from everything that reminded her of her roots.
Living in rural Ireland was hard enough, but living with her mother’s mental illness and her obsession with her garden took its toll. One winter, the world as she knows it changes. Jacinta becomes aware of her own mortality, and how fragile her existence truly is.

Alone and frightened; to live or die, the choice is hers. 

Excerpt: 
The salty water coursed down her throat as she went under for the third time. Flailing her arms, she struggled to the surface, gasping for breath, trying to find something to grab a hold of.
It was pointless. The relentless current tugged at her legs, pulling her under. Wave after wave crashed down on her head, making her tread harder. Her heart resounded in her head. When she finally grew tired, her legs felt heavy and numb.
Thump.
Thump.
Thump.
This was it. That singular fleeting moment in her life when she felt at peace.
She felt nothing else. No pain. No anger. No grief. Just harmony.
An ethereal silence and warmth wrapped itself around her, a sensation like nothing she had experienced before. A weightless feeling, void of the burdens that had weighed her down, surrounded her.
It felt both heavenly and majestic. As if the sun’s rays radiated down on her, easing the chill of the night, setting her free from the hurt, the sorrow, and the taste of the sea.
It was then that everything became silently still. 

Review: 
I am a huge fan of Julieanne's and have devoured everyone of her books and just when I think she can't get any better she comes out with Silently Still and blows my mind and it has became my favorite book but I say that with each book she writes until her next one comes out. 

As much as I loved this book it was also hard to read due to everything that Jacinta has gone through in her life and the way she deals with the pain is hard. But the way Julieanne handles the emotion of her characters is done so well that she really makes you connect to them and everything they are going through. She  really dives into topics that a lot of people don't want to talk about and she does it with respect and passion and she opened up my eyes to somethings and made me start to think about how people handle heart break, pain, and mental disease. I am really impressed with Julieanne and have to give her the respect she deserves for the emotions she brought out in me while reading this book. I highly recommend this book to everyone. 5/5 Bloody Fangs 

Book Links: 
Amazon Kindle
Amazon Print

Julieanne Lynch is an author of urban fantasy books for both adults and teens. Julieanne lives in Northern Ireland, with her husband and five children, where she works on novels full-time. Before becoming a writer, she considered a few different career paths, a rock star being one of them. She studied English Literature and Creative Writing at The Open University, and considered journalism as a career path. However, she decided writing was the way for her and is thankful for each day she lives her dream. 

Guest Post: 
How does writing Paranormal differ from Contemporary? 

For me, I find the transition easy from writing in one genre to the other, simply because I am a storyteller. I enjoy creating worlds, characters, conflicting plots, whether they are in this world or somewhere far from here.

As a writer I don’t want my creativity to be restricted. Whilst I execute caution when creating something, I have to remember to be true to myself and my first love - writing.
But it is very true that writing my paranormal novels is different to my more contemporary fiction.

How?

Because you have to inject a little more realism into your plot and characters. In my more contemporary fiction, I use a lot of what I’ve experienced in my own life and in a way; my characters are a vessel telling my story. Not that I’ve been raised by abusive parents or anything like that, but more the inner turmoil, the angst, the frustration and sadness.

Contemporary fiction allows me to use everything that I’ve experienced in life and put it to use in real life situations. I like my storyline to be unique but also something that my readers can relate to. For me that is one of the most important factors when writing a more contemporary novel. I want my readers to feel the pain, the joy, the sadness, the anger - all the human emotions that make us who we are.
In my more paranormal works, there is a set structure, because let’s face it, our readers have certain expectations with regards to our hero or heroine, the love interests, the battles with hints of magical or fantastical elements. The otherworldly elements the driving force behind the book/story. And in paranormal works, the story tends to be plot driven, faster paced and full of adrenaline that it’s hard to stop writing because the excitement can be too much.

Whereas in my contemporary books, I tend to focus on my characters, their journey, their struggles and more often than not, the writing process becomes a journey of my own.

Why?

Because I take great care. My language/prose is much more different. It’s written in a way that can only be described as a slow dance; soft and beautiful, yet with enough edge to hurt the readers. Sounds bad, right?

Not at all.

I take my time when writing a more dramatic literary piece. I am careful with how I tell the story and am overly aware of how each line is a representation of my time and care.
There is never a real set structure to how I write my contemporary novels. I allow my love of storytelling to be the foundation of the book. It’s as simple as that.

For me, writing a contemporary novel can feel like I am dying inside (sounds painful but true), almost like I am baring my soul to the world, and I feel vulnerable. But I get a kick out of it. I enjoy torturing myself (I never admit that at the time) and I love the outcome.

Which do I prefer?

I adore one just as much as the other. I think I have found the balance right. Just as long as I have enough Kleenex, chocolate and Netflix, I shall be fine.

Stalker Links: 
Blog A Novelists Ramblings

Thank you for stopping by my blog today. I would also like to say Thank You to Julieanne for the guest post and say Thank You to RBTL for letting me participate in this blog tour. 
~Sabrina

Wednesday, July 8, 2015

Cover Reveal Crimson Shadow: Noir

CRIMSON SHADOW: NOIR
by
Nathan Squiers


COVER REVEAL





Synopsis:
Xander Stryker wants to die. Ever since witnessing his mother's murder at the hands of his abusive stepfather when he was a boy, he has spent every day trying to reach that goal. But every night he's denied the death he craves. As his eighteenth birthday approaches, a chance for change is offered when his life is plunged into a supernatural world of vampires and other creatures of darkness. Caught in the depths of this new reality, mysteries of his vampiric lineage begin to unravel and he's offered the ultimate choice: Continue on with his wretched human life or begin a new one as the vampire prodigy he was always meant to be. Unfortunately, the supernatural world can be just as unforgiving and brutal as any other and Xander's choice is met with disastrous consequences. Now, with little support and even less hope, the chaos of his new world collides with his torturous past and threatens to crush him once and for all.

3e85c5_5900ba63704a4f7faf06e933eb02f6f1.jpg_srz_p_274_479_75_22_0.50_1.20_0.jpgAuthor Bio:
Nathan Squiers (“The Literary Dark Emperor” and the author formally known as “Prince”) is a resident of Upstate New York. Living with his loving fiancé/fellow author, Megan J. Parker, and two incredibly demanding and out-of-control demon-cats, Nathan lives day-by-day on a steady diet of potentially lethal doses of caffeine and (of course) bacon. When not immersed in his writing, he often escapes reality through movie marathons, comics & anime, and gnarly tunes. While out-and-about, The Literary Dark Emperor can be found in the chair of a piercing studio/tattoo parlor, at the movies, or simply loving life with friends & loved ones.


Connect with Nathan:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/LitDark_Emperor

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