Book & Author Details:
 
Duty Bound 
by Christina Bauer 
(Angelbound Origins 0.5 - prequel novella)
Published by: Monster House Books
Publication date: February 27th 2018
Genres: Young Adult, Paranormal Romance

Synopsis:

An Angelbound Prequel Novella by Christina Bauer
As the High Prince of the demon-fighting thrax, Lincoln knows he must marry for political gain. Not that he minds. For all of his eighteen years, Lincoln’s been bound to his duty. Fighting demons is his life, and he’s never given romance a second thought. Instead, the High Prince lives for the days when he leaves his hidden realm to fight demons on Earth.
Then, everything changes.
Lincoln and his nobles become forced to visit Purgatory, the home of quasi-demons (who are mostly human with a bit of demonic DNA). Here Lincoln spies Myla Lewis, a lady warrior who enflames his heart, ignites his interest, and inspires his respect. Trouble is, Myla’s also a quasi. By thrax law, Lincoln must kill anything demonic—not date them. For the first time in his life, Lincoln wonders if he’ll follow his duty…or heed the demands of his heart.
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Book 1 - Angelbound is currently FREE: 
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​DUTY BOUND
Chapter One

I am ​​Lincoln Vidar Osric Aquilus, High Prince of the Thrax. My people are renowned as the greatest demon hunters across Heaven, Hell, Earth, Purgatory, and the Dark Lands. At eighteen years old, I’ve killed precisely one thousand four hundred and thirty-seven demons in hand-to-hand combat, more than any other thrax in history. All of which leads to a single inescapable conclusion.
I can make it through this breakfast with my mother.
At least, I think I can.
“You haven’t touched your eggs, my son.” Mother spears a strawberry off her plate. After many years of maternal encounters, I’ve learned to keep my mouth closed in situations like this one. Mother will bring up her true concerns when she’s good and ready.
In reply, I merely maintain her stare. We’ve an odd relationship, but a close one. We’re both natural schemers, so neither wants to pass up a test of intelligence and charm.
“Perhaps you dislike formal breakfasts,” says Mother as she gestures to my tunic.
“I’m fine with wearing royal garb to meals. Rest assured, all my Batman costumes are safely packed away.” As a child, I fought hard to dress as a human superhero. Unlike demon killing, that was one battle I ultimately lost.
“So you say.” A small smile rounds Mother’s mouth. “Those tunics hide quite a lot.”
“True. I’ve a Bohemian Rhapsody T-shirt on under this thing.”
“I have no idea what that is, but I’m pleased to see you turned out so well.”
This morning, I’m dressed in a velvet tunic, leather pants, and tall boots. Meanwhile, Mother looks regal and lethal in her black velvet gown. She has porcelain skin, delicate features, and an all-knowing glare that reduces hardened warriors to mush.
Needless to say, I’m pleased that her glare has softened. I must remember to work Batman into our conversations more often.
For a few minutes, Mother and I continue our breakfast in silence. It would be pleasant, except for the setting. Our new feasting hall is located in Purgatory.
Yes, Purgatory.
This place combines the worst of a rundown human suburb with the best of a rotting Dumpster. The sky is constantly cloudy with two types of weather: rainy and about to rain. It’s part of the magic of this realm that the weather is always dreary. Plus, the sky never reveals the sun or moon, and even if it did, those celestial bodies follow different patterns than they do in other realms.
Closing my eyes, I let my thoughts return to the glittering caverns of my homeland. As a rule, thrax live underground on Earth in the realm of Antrum. For some reason, the oracle angel, Verus, has demanded the royal family—and our noble entourage—move to Purgatory for a short period of time. This wasn’t a popular idea, but the oracle’s word is law, so we arrived here three months ago. Until Verus sets us loose, our days will be spent in tents and wooden halls like this one.
I scan the empty benches around me and sigh. It’s hard being separated from the bulk of my people. Quiet breakfasts like this only make things worse. Usually our feasting hall is packed with thrax sharing breakfast at communal tables. However, today Mother insisted on having a family-only morning meal, which in this case translates into me, Mother, and a half-dozen terrified workers. Father should get here any minute now. I can only hope he arrives before Mother’s temper returns.
As if in reply to my thoughts, Mother spears another wilted strawberry with a vengeance. Looks like her temper will resurface before Father does. Bugger.
“You never answered my question,” says Mother. “You haven’t touched your food.” She spears a grape with such force the entire table wobbles.
“Careful there,” I say. “You’ll bring down the roof down.”
“One perk of being queen. I can bring down roofs and no one says a thing.”
At those words, the half-dozen servants in the room visibly shiver.
There’s no question about the general topic of Mother’s angst, either. It’s always the same issue: the House of Acca. That tribe is the largest and most troublesome of all thrax.
At this point, problems with Acca could fall into one of two categories.
One, Mother might be worried about my impending marriage contract with Acca’s most eligible noblewoman, Lady Adair. If Mother thinks there are problems on that front, she would be sorely mistaken. It’s a business arrangement, nothing more. I’d regret that, but I’m a prince. I always knew I’d never marry for love.
Two—and far more worrisome—would be if Mother discovered my ongoing scheme against Aldred, the dreaded Earl of Acca himself. I’ve many issues with the Earl, but my largest is how Aldred keeps leading his warriors into ill-planned demon attacks on the Earth’s surface. Thanks to the Earl of Acca, hundreds of good thrax meet bad ends every week. I meet with the families of the fallen, trying to provide comfort as their worlds fall apart. So many tears and ruined lives…and all so the Earl can prove his so-called prowess in battle.
It’s outrageous.
Even worse, my parents have forbidden me from doing anything to stop Aldred’s bloodshed. Per some ancient treaty, if I interfere with Aldred’s rights to lead his troops, then the Earl has the unmitigated right to execute me on the spot.
And as every royal knows, execution threats and breakfast do not mix well.

—End Of Excerpt-

​GIVEAWAY
Blitz-wide giveaway (INTL)

• THRAX earrings
• personalized bookmark
• cute tote bag
• an electronic copy of DUTY BOUND

This grand prize giveaway is set up and managed by author, not Xpresso Book Tours):

Book & Author Details:
 The History of Hilary Hambrushina  by Marnie Lamb 
Publication date: May 31st 2017
Genres: Contemporary, Young Adult
Synopsis:
Hilary has one goal for her first year in junior high: to become popular. But her plans are turned upside down when her best friend leaves for the summer and a quirky girl named Kallie moves in next door. Kallie paints constellations on her ceiling, sleeps in a hammock, and enacts fantastical plays in front of cute boys on the beach. Yet despite Kallie’s lack of interest in being -cool, – Hilary and Kallie find themselves becoming friends. That summer friendship, however, is put to the test when school begins, reigniting Hilary’s obsession with climbing the social ladder. As Hilary discovers the dark side to popularity, she must decide who she wants to be before she loses everything.
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GUEST POST:
Bullying: A Multiple Retrospective

Bullying is one of the main themes of my young adult novel, The History of Hilary Hambrushina. To coincide with Pink Shirt Day, a Canadian anti-bullying initiative, I recently asked several people about their experiences with bullying. Their honest, thoughtful responses broadened my understanding of bullying and several key issues surrounding it. (All names used here are pseudonyms.)
I was struck by the range of ages at which my respondents experienced bullying, which is often thought of as a teen problem. Many people did indeed recall being bullied by classmates in junior high school. Yet bullying begins at a young age and continues into adulthood. Stacey’s daughter was picked on by a classmate in junior kindergarten, and Vanessa and Bonita in elementary school. Ingrid was targeted by her colleagues and Bert by his boss in the workplace. Respondents were taunted for various reasons, including physical characteristics: Rick for his “big nose,” Bonita her “dirty ears,” and Gabrielle her pale skin. As an immigrant new to Canada, Carmen was mocked by her classmates for her clothing and lunches. She attributes this jeering to cultural and class differences between her and her peers.
I also wondered about the level of support provided to the bullied by individuals and institutions in whom the bullied confided. Most respondents did ultimately tell someone, usually a family member or friend, about their ordeal. While most confidants were supportive, Nicole recalls a different experience with her parents: “[My mother] would also tell me I needed to try better to fit in—and not be so strange.” Stacey had a positive experience with institutional support. When she spoke to her daughter’s teacher about the teasing, the teacher offered to look out for any bullying and invited Stacey’s daughter to speak to her (the teacher) about any incidents. This support empowered Stacey’s daughter, giving her “the confidence she needed to deal with the situation better herself so she never did go to the teacher about it.”
For most people, however, institutional support was lacking. Several respondents indicated that while individual teachers were sympathetic and would try to stop bullying, these on-the-spot interventions resulted in only a pause in the taunting. Sadly, some educators simply ignore or refuse to deal with bullying. According to Gabrielle, “[the vice-principal] said that the school couldn’t really do much since kids would always be kids.” Vanessa was pushed into a wall in full view of her principal, who did nothing to help. She says, “Whenever I went to talk to my teacher about [the bullying], he would put up his hand and say, ‘I don’t want to hear about it!’” The situation had to escalate to an extreme level—the bullies threatening to shoot Vanessa—before the school finally took action. The only support Bert received in the workplace was a meeting in which Human Resources told his boss not to call Bert names. The boss agreed, then promptly broke his promise as soon as the meeting had ended. Nicole was even berated by her principal for defending herself against a group of classmates who were physically attacking her. Her daughter has fared better: When she is bullied, the school allows her “to leave her classroom (or any area of the school) immediately without having to ask permission and enter the office where she [can] sit on the couch.”
Respondents were also lukewarm about the effectiveness of anti-bullying programs in schools. While several felt that schools’ handling of bullying has improved in recent years, others emphasize that much more needs to be done. “I don’t think celebrating one day [Pink Shirt Day] helps,” says Vanessa. Carmen feels that even with anti-bullying programs in place, “unless the parents are big advocates and can demonstrate a level of assertiveness, not much is done.” Ingrid has an interesting take on such programs: “Current efforts place the power to stop the bullying with the bully.” Instead, she argues, programs should focus on “empowering those who are being bullied to respond in socially appropriate and effective ways using real world examples.” Bonita, a teacher, laments, “Since I am an occasional teacher, I don’t have the opportunity for extended periods of time to help children who bully and children who are bullied. I feel like I provide more of a Band-Aid response.” And even the best school anti-bullying programs can’t protect children outside of school, as Nicole’s daughter discovered. Once her bullies knew that the principal was powerless to punish them for bullying that didn’t occur on school property, they simply moved their tormenting off the playground and into the street.
For my respondents, the impact of bullying has been profound and long-lasting. psychological wounds such as low self-esteem, high self-doubt, and wariness of others are common, even years after the tormenting ended. Rick admits that being bullied has resulted in “a narrative of self-loathing that continues until today…. It's like sharing headspace with both Siskel and Ebert; every [Rick] review is two thumbs down.” Ingrid confesses that “it’s been a long road to feel like an equal to my peers.” After Bert quit the job at which he was being bullied, his experience with workplace harassment caused him anxiety in his subsequent jobs.
Yet bullying has also resulted in positive self-growth for many respondents. Stacey believes that her daughter is now “more empathetic, faith-filled, and has a stronger sense of self.” Surviving bullying has emboldened Gabrielle “to take more risks in life.” Rick extends compassion to everyone he meets and stands up for those being bullied. Carmen has harnessed her experience “to support others who don’t feel that they have a voice.” Perhaps the words of twelve-year-old Vanessa, the youngest questionnaire respondent, offer the most hope to those currently suffering through this trauma: “For others out there that are bullied, keep your chin up and know that you ARE strong, you ARE good, you ARE beautiful, and you ARE smart! And most important, you ARE worth it!”

AUTHOR BIO:
A Journey Prize nominee, Marnie Lamb earned a master’s degree in creative writing from the University of Windsor. Her short stories have appeared in various Canadian literary journals. Her first novel, a YA book named The History of Hilary Hambrushina, is forthcoming from Iguana Books. When she is not writing fiction or running her freelance editing business, she can be found cooking recipes with eggplant or scouting out colourful fashions at the One of a Kind Show.
Author links: Website | Facebook | Goodreads |

GIVEAWAY
Blitz-wide giveaway (INTL)

• $25 Amazon gift card

This grand prize giveaway - March 8th:

Mercury Rises by Scarlett Kol
Publication Date: February 13, 2018 | Publisher:: Inkspell Publishing

A girl looking for a way out.

Being the daughter of New America’s leader, Mercury Masters has everything a girl could want. A glamorous life full of beautiful people, and the power to have anything she wants, except for one thing—to escape. Because Mercury’s perfect life comes with secrets to keep. Dangerous secrets that if made public would destroy her, her family, and her father’s reign. Then she meets Hawk.

A boy looking to be a hero.

Hawk, a handsome prep school dropout turned vigilante, has his own family secrets. Deadly secrets that have haunted him since he was fifteen. But instead of fighting the ghosts of his past, Hawk has assembled a group of misfit hackers and thieves to save the future from the corrupt government of New America and the mysterious virus that is killing off its citizens. But trying to do the right thing is tough when the person you really want to save is your enemy’s daughter.
A love that could kill them both.

Powerful forces keep them apart, but coming together could be the key to saving New America from destruction—even though it may cost both their lives.

A near-future YA biopunk retelling of Robin Hood.
Link: Goodreads | ~ Purchase Links ~ Amazon | Kobo | Itunes | B&N  

Mercury Rises  -   Scarlett Kol              
This is a really good book.  I really like the story line.  As you read you begin to understand the characters actions more fully.
The characters are well-developed.  It is easy to feel their emotions. The more I read the more I found myself really liking the characters.
The book cover fits well and the title is perfect for the story.
I recommend this book to those who like romance, crime and a variety of other actions that are included in this story.
I give this book a literary rating of  5/5
written by vickie

ABOUT the AUTHOR:
Scarlett Kol grew up in Northern Manitoba reading books and writing stories about creatures that make you want to sleep with the lights on. As an adult, she's still a little afraid of the dark. Scarlett now lives just outside Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada with her husband and two boys, but if you need to find her she's likely freezing at the hockey rink.
Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads 
​

Giveaway Info:

• One (1) winner will receive a Stella and Dot "On the Mark" Arrow Necklace and a $20 Amazon gift card (INT)
  

Book & Author Details:
 Fire and Bone (Otherborn #1) by Rachel A. Marks 
Publication date: February 20th 2018
Genres: Urban Fantasy, Young Adult
Synopsis:“Gossip Girl meets Percy Jackson in the glitz and grit of L.A….”
In Hollywood’s underworld of demigods, druids, and ancient bonds, one girl has a dangerous future.
Sage is eighteen, down on her luck, and struggling to survive on the streets of Los Angeles. Everything changes the night she’s invited to a party—one that turns out to be a trap.
Thrust into a magical world hidden within the City of Angels, Sage discovers that she’s the daughter of a Celtic goddess, with powers that are only in their infancy. Now that she is of age, she’s asked to pledge her service to one of the five deities, all keen on winning her favor by any means possible. She has to admit that she’s tempted—especially when this new life comes with spells, Hollywood glam, and a bodyguard with secrets of his own. Not to mention a prince whose proposal could boost her rank in the Otherworld.
As loyalties shift, and as the two men vie for her attention, Sage tries to figure out who to trust in a realm she doesn’t understand. One thing’s for sure: the trap she’s in has bigger claws than she thought. And it’s going to take a lot more than magic for this Celtic demigoddess to make it out alive.

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Be sure to enter the Giveaway at the end of this posting for chances to WIN!

Rachel is also having a free book promo of a novella (Winter Rose: ) and her other series is discounted for $1.99 ea. (The Dark Cycle: )

AUTHOR BIO:
Rachel A. Marks is a cancer survivor, a writer and artist, a surfer and dirt-bike rider, chocolate lover and keeper of faerie secrets. Her four kids and amazing hubby put up with her nerdiness with tremendous grace, even when she makes them watch Buffy or Smallville re-runs for days on end. She was voted: Most Likely To Survive A Zombie Apocalypse, but hopes she'll never have to test the theory.

Author links: Website | Twitter | Facebook |Pinterest |Goodreads |

GIVEAWAY
Blitz-wide giveaway (INTL)

• $20 Amazon gift card + print copy of Fire and Bone

This grand prize giveaway - ends March 1st:

My Apologies to ALL of you and to Author Nathan Smith Jones! I had a mishap with my Rafflecopter and lost ALL the entries, plus prevented more from entering!! It was just a very weird glitch. Pleas, enter the Rafflecopter Giveaway for this awesome YA book, even if you already entered the first time. I really am very sorry!

WELCOME TO THIS INTERVIEW/GIVEAWAY by Outstanding Author, Nathan Smith Jones!

Website:|ABOUT the AUTHOR:
Nathan Smith Jones has always loved teaching and writing. Yes, his book was dedicated to his children, Ilona, Alina, Richard, Evelynn, and Dmitrii, but he was also inspired to write the book for his many students at Renaissance Academy and Freedom Academy (yes, that includes you, Mr. Jacob Cano!)
He graduated from the University of Utah with a degree in English Literature in 1997 and a Masters Degree in Secondary Education from Utah State University in 2008.
Nathan believes in the power of stories, and in the power of The Vibe, the energy source that gives power to and connects all dragonkyn.
Website | Twitter |Facebook | Goodreads | Amazon | Instagram |

SYNOPSIS:
Marc used to think he was pretty ordinary, but he also used to think ice cream trucks didn't sell ice cream and dragons were just fairy tales. Now he knows better. With skin that can't be burned and strange powers he can't explain, Marc soon discovers the truth: he is part dragon. And as he joins his fellow dragonkyn, his closest friends could quickly become his greatest enemies.

Below is our "Live" Interview! (I want to thank the brilliant Porter Coates for his outstanding editing... which keeps getting better!)

Be Sure to enter the Giveaway by completing the Rafflecopter below!

Something of Substance By: Tia Souders
Releasing March 28th, 2018
Blurb

Seventeen-year-old Grace Michaels is determined to be thin, even if she dies trying.

Part of the in-crowd at Providence High, she is steps away from being asked out by the most desired guy at school, winning a prom queen nomination, and her parents’ approval. If she can just get skinny enough, be pretty enough, and popular enough.

But Grace is thin on the outside and fat on the inside. No amount of weight-loss ever seems enough. Convinced the melting pounds will solve her problems, every pound lost brings her closer to her goals. But flesh and bone can only hide the weight of her secret for so long before it kills her.

Fans of the emotional and thought-provoking contemporary YA fiction, such as Before I Fall, Tell Me Three Things, and All The Bright Places will fall in love with Souder’s heart-wrenching novel, SOMETHING OF SUBSTANCE.
…Coming March 28th, 2018!
Be notified when SOMETHING OF SUBSTANCE releases – Subscribe to Tia’s mailing list: http://eepurl.com/deIqg5

Excerpt
I count the days until prom like I count calories. Ninety-eight days. Thirteen hundred calories.
I almost puke at the number.
Thirteen hundred. Maybe. I’m not even sure, which scares me more than the weight of the number.
How could I not keep track? And how could I go over? Do I really have no self-control? If I keep this up, I’ll be right back where I started—fat and unpopular.
My forehead beads with sweat and my fingers twitch, as I glance at my alarm clock—only three a.m. I turn on my side, then get up, knowing there’s no falling back asleep now. Not with all the numbers running through my head. Not with the fat I must’ve stored throughout the night resettling on my thighs like it found its way back home.
I tip-toe away, out of bed, afraid someone might hear me, which is unrealistic since my mother’s snore rivals a bass drum and my father sleeps like the dead. As for my sister, Kelly, she couldn’t care less what I do.
When I come to a stop in front of the full-length mirror on my bedroom door, I don’t even take the time to assess my silhouette in the moonlight. Instead, I lift the soft cotton of my t-shirt. My eyes home in on my ribs, barely visible under a layer of fat, then move to the paunch above the drawstring of my pajama bottoms. I poke at the skin there and grimace at the cushion I find. All I see are the two cookies I ate at Cara’s house last night and I wonder how many calories were in each bite. Fifty? Twenty-five? I have no idea and my ignorance scares me. I had fun and felt too safe, too included. I let those feelings cloud my judgment and lull me, blanket me into false security, where I allowed myself to lose control.
Stupid.
As I lower my shirt, I silently berate myself, then drop to the floor and lie on my back. With closed eyes, I cross my arms over my chest and start sit-ups. I count as I go. One. Two. Three. I do this until the memory of the cookie fades and my abdomen aches. When I can do no more, I stand back up and bend forward in a deep lunge. I ensure my knee touches the ground each time, my legs at perfect ninety-degree angles. Ten laps around my room, I tell myself, then I’ll try and go back to sleep.
I once read sleep burns more calories than lying awake, something about your body recalibrating your metabolism. I don’t buy it. Regardless, there’s no way sleep burns more than lunging, so as my thighs begin to burn and catch fire, I allow the sensation to ease the fluttering in my chest and the rise of bile in my throat.
Right lunge. It will be okay. Left lunge. I’ll be okay.
I won’t gain ten pounds from two cookies.
But I could gain one.
When I finish, slightly sweat-damp and out of breath, but feeling a tiny bit better, I get back under the covers of my bed. Though I’m too hot with the thick comforter pulled up tight under my chin, I leave it there because it will make me sweat. And while perspiring won’t burn excess fat, it might help me lose water weight, giving me the tiniest bit of peace to help me relax into the mattress and slip off into a light slumber.

Author Info
Tia Souders is the author of bestselling women’s fiction novel, Waiting On Hope and the upcoming award-winning young adult novel Better Than This (formerly titled Freedom Road). When she isn’t writing, she’s likely renovating their century home. She’s a wine-loving, coffeeholic, with a sweet tooth and resides on a farm in rural Ohio with her husband and children.
Author Links:  Website | Facebook | FB Street Team| Instagram

Book & Author Details:
The Viking’s Chosen by Quinn Loftis 
Published by: Clean Teen Publishing  |  Publication date: February 12th 2018
Genres: Historical, Romance, Young Adult
Synopsis:
His orders are clear: launch a raid against England and bring home the spoils of war. But the prophecy is also clear: General Torben will take a foreign bride—one who is a seer and healer just like his mother. The eldest princess of England is said to be just that…a beautiful, charming, and headstrong woman. But he’s a Viking army general and she’s an English princess—and one who is already promised to the king of Tara.
Two worlds collide in this epic historical fiction centered on an undeniable chemistry that smolders against the odds. Richly written and injected with moments of humor, this action-packed romantic tale will leave you breathless.
Quinn Loftis is the author of twenty novels, including the USA Today Bestseller Fate and Fury.
Goodreads | 
Purchase: Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Walmart | TheBookDepository: 

GUEST POST:
Quinn’s Top Ten

1. Favorite food: Spaghetti
   
2. Favorite Color: Green
   
3. Favorite Snack: Homemade popcorn
   
4. Favorite Candy: M&M’s
   
5. Favorite Music Group: Alabama
   
6. Favorite Fiction Book Series: Captive Series by Erica Stevens
   
7. Favorite Fairy Tale: Beauty and the Beast
   
8. Favorite Flavor: Grape
   
9. Favorite smell: Christmas Tree
   
10. Favorite animal: Wolf
    

10 Things Readers would be Surprised to know about Me.

1. I love the smell of scotch tape, it reminds me of Christmas
   
2. I married my best friend at 19 after knowing him for 4 months.
   
3. I never finished college
   
4. I was a soccer player in high school and had a scholarship to play in college
   
5. My father was from Puerto Rico, he adopted me when I was 1 year old and as I grew older I would tell people I was half Puerto Rican. It was totally believable with my red hair, fair skin and freckles.
   
6. I have siblings I’ve never met.
   
7. When I was a nurse my favorite thing to do was wound care.
   
8. I’ve never been to Europe
   
9. I love to crochet
   
10. I am a real person, with real problems and I put my pants legs on two at a time (okay not really but I bet you were trying to figure out how I managed that.
    

AUTHOR BIO:
Quinn is an award winning author who lives in beautiful Western Arkansas with her husband, two sons, Nora the Doberman, and Chewy the Cat who thinks he's a dog. She is the author of 17 novels, and 2 novellas, including the USA Today bestseller, Fate and Fury. Quinn is beyond thankful that she has been blessed to be able to write full time and hopes the readers know how much all of their support means to her. Some of her hobbies include reading, exercising, crochet, and spending time with family and friends. She gives all credit of her success to God because he gave her the creative spirit and vivid imagination it takes to write.
Author Links:
Website | Twitter | Facebook |Goodreads |

GIVEAWAY
Blitz-wide giveaway (INTL)

• Clean Teen Publishing Mystery Box (Intl winner would get eBook prizes)​

This grand prize giveaway - ends Feb 22nd:

 What Time Is It There? by Christine Potter 
Just over a year ago, Bean and Zak headed for colleges two thousand miles apart, promising to write, but to see other people … until Bean fell for the wrong guy and Zak fell off the planet.

Now, Bean’s got two weeks’ worth of Zak’s year-old letters that she still can’t bear to open—and a broken heart. Her new best friend, a guy named Amp, wants her to read the letters and be done with it, but he may have his own reasons for that.

When Sam shows up at Bean’s school unexpectedly and Bean tumbles into the 19th century from the cellar of a ruined church, things start making a bizarre kind of sense. That is, if she can just fit all the pieces together again…let's see--there's a cult...and the Flying Singing Angel With No Feet...and of course, The Grateful Dead...
Purchase Links: BAM | Chapters | Indies | Amazon | B&N | Kobo | TBD | iBooks |  GOODREADS |

Vickie's Reviews of Time Runs Away With Her & of What Time is it There? 
Time Runs Away With Her    -    Christine Potter                   
Quite a fun book to read.  I liked all the reminders of the 70's.  It was fun to think back to that time when I myself was a teenager.  It's amazing how much you forget over the years.
The characters were awesome in this story and were well-developed.  It is easy to feel their emotions.  I liked the closeness they share.  It is a great thing to have close friends who are there for you in everything.
The story flowed well from chapter to chapter.  There was so much going on in the story that it was hard to put down.  
The cover of the book is perfect for the story as well as the title being a perfect fit.
I would highly recommend this book to other readers who like romance and suspense and lots of excitement.
I give this book a literary rating of  5/5
written by vickie

​What Time Is It There? - Christine Potter
Again, as with the first two books in this series, this one is a fun book to read.  I liked all the reminders of the 70's.  It was fun to think back to that time when I myself was a teenager.  It's amazing how much you forget over the years. Great memories of bands and music.
The characters were awesome in this story and were well-developed.  It is easy to feel their emotions. I loved getting to know the characters more with each book.  They were dedicated to each other and were great friends.
The story flowed well from chapter to chapter.  There was so much going on in the story that it was hard to put down.  Each of the three books had something big in the storyline and was fun to follow it to the end.
The cover of the book is perfect for the story as well as the title being a perfect fit.
I would highly recommend this book to other readers who like romance and suspense and lots of excitement.
I give this book a literary rating of  5/5
written by vickie

OTHER BOOKS IN THE SERIES:

GOODREADS |

GUEST POST:

• Out of all the characters in your book, which one(s) do you relate to most? In what ways? Where does the inspiration for your character development come from? How do you decide which is the best fit for this particular story?

This is a hard question to answer honestly!  
    Of course, Bean Donohue, the main character, has the eyes I’m looking through in all three of the Bean Books: Time Runs Away With Her, In Her Own Time, and What Time Is It There? Set in the early 1970’s, the books are about what it’s like to be able to visit other times, but not quite be able to control how or when that happens.  The triology is Bean’s story, and to some extent mine.
    No, I couldn’t time travel when I was a teenager, but I was a nerdy kid, and often wished I could.  Like Bean, I played guitar and dulcimer, and like Bean, I got involved DJing the amazing music that was everywhere in the early 1970’s.  But I didn’t have her pluck (or her patience with Joni Mitchell-esque open guitar tunings)!  Like Bean, I loved love, and fell very hard for the guys I was involved with—and had solid, supportive relationships with my girlfriends.  Like Bean, I had a brilliant mother who could come across as chilly and removed—but who did the right thing when it really mattered.
    But as much as What Time Is It There? is Bean’s book, it was very influenced by what was happening around me in the late summer of 2016 and the beginning of 2017.  Yes, the book is set in 1972, but I was thinking very much about what had turned into the Me Too movement by the time the book went to press.  I wanted to write what we’d call an ally today: a good man.  In What Time Is It There? Bean is in college, and her best friend—not her boyfriend, although there’s a story there, too—is a guy named Amp.  Amp is based on an old friend of mine from college days.  He’s smart, a fellow rock and roll DJ, and obsessed with God—but not in a Jesus-freaky way.  Since the book gets into some pretty dark and scary territory, Amp’s belief and his quest is necessary.    
    Writing Amp’s story as well as Bean’s (and let’s not forget about Zak, her high school true love), was core to this book.  Amp’s funny, smart, and twists the plot in some places I’d never have gone without him.  When I write, I tend to create my characters first and let them talk to one another.  When I started listening to what Amp was saying, I knew I had a book—and I knew it was going to make the point I wanted to make about being nineteen and learning to love, not just in the romantic way (although there’s plenty of that in the book).  Because as Zak says—and it’s the motto of all three books—love really is the heaviest energy of all.

ABOUT the AUTHOR:
Christine Potter is a writer and poet who lives in a very old (haunted) house on a creek in Rockland County. She has an organist/choirdirector husband (Ken) and two spoiled tom cats. One of the house's two ghosts lives in the room behind her office.

Christine's newest book is a YA time travel novel, What Time Is It There? (The Bean Books, Book 3), newly released by Evernight Teen. The first book in the series is Time Runs Away With Her, and the second is In Her Own Time. 

Her two poetry collections are Zero Degrees at First Light (2006) and Sheltering in Place (2013). She has also had poems published in Rattle, Fugue, The Irish Examiner, HOOT, Eclectica, and The Pedestal, among other magazines. Her third book of poems, Unforgetting, is due out this spring from Kelsay Books.
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GIVEAWAY DETAILS:

*One Winner will receive a paperback copy of all 3 books in the series and a tie-dyed scarf(INTI
*Two Winners will receive digital copies of all three books in the series (INT)

JUST CLICK ON AND FILL OUT THE RAFFLECOPTER BELOW!

Review by LAWonder10:
This is a captivating, well-written story based on actual events. It begins in the year 1906 in Poland.

The story begins in 1906. Stefania (Stella) Marzewska, lived in a small village in Poland. Her parents had both died by her 12th birthday. She lived with her eldest brother, his wife ond three children. 

This story tells of her difficult life in Poland, in spite of a few precious relationships. She is able to escape to America to join her elder Brother, 
 
Her determination, strength,  and challenges are truly inspirational and, at times, heartbreaking.  

This is a great reminder of the struggles and perseverance of the early pioneers of living in and building America.

This book was definitely  a "page turner" and difficult to put down.

The characters were very well portrayed and "became real". The scenes were described well and   easily visualized. The cover would not attract most "browsers" but the Title was fitting.

I offer a Five Stars rating for this book.
* This was gifted me with no request for a positive review. This is my honest review.

Assassin of Truths (Library Jumpers #3) By Brenda Drake
Publication Date: February 6, 2018  |  Publisher: Entangled Teen

The gateways linking the great libraries of the world don’t require a library card, but they do harbor incredible dangers.
And it’s not your normal bump-in- the- night kind. The threats Gia Kearns faces are the kind with sharp teeth and
knifelike claws. The kind that include an evil wizard hell-bent on taking her down.
Gia can end his devious plan, but only if she recovers seven keys hidden throughout the world’s most beautiful libraries.
And then figures out exactly what to do with them.
The last thing she needs is a distraction in the form of falling in love. But when an impossible evil is unleashed, love
might be the only thing left to help Gia save the world.

Link to Goodreads |  

Purchase Links: Amazon | Amazon.com.au | Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.ca | B&N | iBooks | Kobo | Entangled

OTHER BOOKS IN THE SERIES:

GUEST POST:

Where does the inspiration for your character development come from? How do you decide which is the best fit for this particular story?

Authors are sort of voyeurs. We watch things going on around us. Steal traits and quirks from people we know or see in coffee houses. We binge watch shows and study actors. Just living our lives and being aware helps fill our inspiration coffers. It’s how I come up with my characters.

The inspiration for Gia, the heroine of the Library Jumpers series, came from my nieces. One is a bookworm and the other an athlete, and Gia has both those traits. Both of my nieces have brown hair. One has green eyes and wears a ponytail like Gia. They’re part Italian and Irish like Gia, and like me. Her personality is a mesh of both girls.

Nick’s character I got from my son, Jacob. They’re both grumpy at times, humorous at other times, but always loyal and care about those they’re close to. Arik is strong and silent like my son, Eric. And Bastien, is a mix of some of the guys I knew in my past and some of the actors I’ve admired. Gia’s best friend, Afton, gets many of her traits from a close friend of mine—fashionista, blunt at times, but always there for Gia.

Demos is modeled after a friend. He has the same fun personality. Kale, Jaran, and Lei I got from watching people at our local Barnes and Noble while writing. Pop is my idea of the perfect father. Carrig is strong and caring like my husband. Uncle Philip is from role models from my youth—uncles, family friends, and teachers—that I admired. Veronique is a portrayal of all the mean girls in my life.

The characters in Library Jumpers came to me as I was writing. I know who the heroine, hero, and antagonist will be before I start writing the story, but I never decide on other characters until I’m writing the story.

Who is your favorite character from all the books you’ve read? I won’t pick one of mine characters. My favorite is Four from the Divergent series. It could because Theo James played him, though. *grins*

Brenda Drake grew up the youngest of three children, an Air Force brat, and the continual new kid at school. Her fondest memories growing up is of her eccentric, Irish grandmother's animated tales, which gave her a strong love for storytelling. With kids of all ages populating Brenda's world, it was only fitting that she would choose to write stories with a bend toward the fantastical for both younger readers and the young at heart. And because she married her prince charming, there's always a romance warming the pages. Her favorite books are The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis, Kings Row by Henry Bellamann, and Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins. When she's not writing, she hosts workshops and contests for writers such as Pitch Wars and Pitch Madness on her blog, and holds Twitter pitch parties on the hashtag, #PitMad. In her free time, Brenda enjoys hanging out with her family, haunting libraries, bookstores, and coffee shops, or just reading someplace quiet and not at all exotic (much to her disappointment).
​Website | Twitter | Facebook | Pinterest | Goodreads 

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Giveaway Info:
 $50 Amazon Gift Card (INT)

The Forgotten Girl by Heather Chapman
Paperback, 185 pages |  Publication: February 13th 2018 by Sweetwater Books
ISBN; 1462120644 (ISBN13: 9781462120642)
It is 1906, and sixteen-year-old Stella's life in Durliosy, Poland, is bleak. Her only hope of surviving is to travel to America, a land of freedom and opportunity, and reunite with her brother in Baltimore. There she'll find new challenges, and perhaps, if she can put her painful past behind her, a new chance for love and lasting happiness.
Goodreads
Purchase: Amazon

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Being the youngest of four sisters (and one very tolerant older brother), Heather grew up on a steady diet of chocolate, Anne of Green Gables, Audrey Hepburn, Jane Austen, and the other staples of female moviedom. These stories inspired Heather to begin writing at an early age. After meeting and marrying her husband Mark, Heather graduated magna cum laude from Brigham Young University and finally settled down in a small farming community in southeastern Idaho with her husband and four children. In her spare time, Heather enjoys time spent with family, volleyball, piano, the outdoors, and almost anything creative.
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Upper YA Gothic Romance
Paperback & ebook, 180 pages
December 30th 2017 by Mirror Press

From USA Today bestselling author Jane Redd, comes MISTRESS GRIM:

The Grim Reaper has been collecting souls of the dead for hundreds of years, but even the Master of Death has to pass on his reign. Unfortunately, his progeny is not quite ready to replace him.

Cora Grim, daughter of the Grim Reaper, is suddenly thrust into her father’s role. Leaving the Underworld on her own to bring back the dead souls, she discovers that the Master of Death neglected to tell her one thing. She can still fall in love.

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Excerpt

Chapter One

I have known from the day of my seventh birthday that I was in training as the harbinger of death. For you see, my father is the Grim Reaper.

“Cora,” he told me when I was but a child of seven. “One day, you will rule the Underworld. One day, you will replace me.”

I stared up at him, my giant of a father with his broad shoulders, powerful arms, and elegant fingers with their black nails. He wore his long, dark hair tied back from his angular face so that his black, black eyes seemed like hollow things against his pale face.

How could I replace my father? In any task? He ruled the Underworld as king. He held the lives of all mortals in his grasp. He could take away the breath of the living with a single touch.

He was called Lord of Death, God of the Underworld, Hades, the Grim Reaper . . .

But to me, he was Father.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Writing under Jane Redd, Heather B. Moore is the USA Today bestselling and award-winning author of more than a dozen historical novels set in ancient Arabia and Mesoamerica. She attended the Cairo American College in Egypt and the Anglican International School in Jerusalem and received her Bachelor of Science degree from Brigham Young University. She writes historical thrillers under the pen name H.B. Moore, and romance and women’s fiction under the name Heather B. Moore. It can be confusing, so her kids just call her Mom.

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BLITZ GIVEAWAY:

1 winner will receive a copy of SOLSTICE by Jane Redd (ebook or print - print to US only)
Open internationally
Ends February 2nd ​