Friday, May 30, 2014

Sasha Hibbs' BLACK ABADDON Book Tour



             

Black Abaddon
(The Vulcan Legacies)
by Sasha Hibbs 
 Release Date: 02/20/14
 Evernight Teen

 Summary from Goodreads:
Ally Watson struggles to live with the choices she made, the worst of which resulted in her soul mate's death. Michael’s sacrifice to save the girl he loved may have reversed the Apocalypse, but not the permanent damage inflicted by living with his loss.

Ally begins a journey where she soon discovers that death is not always the end, but sometimes the very beginning. With old friends, she journeys to the Nosferatu Nation where she meets with new alliances willing to help her in her quest to defeat the Devourer. At every turn, Ally unearths secrets that threaten to destroy those she loves.

The second installment of The Vulcan Legacies series will put Ally to the ultimate test, forcing her to face her fears and the true destiny she will fulfill as Azrael, the Seraph of Death.

Excerpt:

Ally rubbed her hands in circular motions over the blanket. It

was like if she rubbed the blanket enough times, Michael would

appear in the doorway, smiling at her. He would be alive. Her chest

throbbed and ached, like there was a cavity in her heart, the tissue

slowly eroding, exposing something that was meant to stay protected

because otherwise the bareness was too painful.

Ally eased herself back, laying her head down on Michael’s

pillow. The Ravenscraft sisters must have slept in the other bedrooms

because Ally could still smell his cologne. Tears migrated to the

corners of her eyes, their warmth spilling over her lids and traveling

down her cheeks. Her tears fell on his pillow. Through the haze in her

eyes, she caught a shimmer on his nightstand, the glass in a picture

frame gleaming in the moonlight stealing through Michael’s curtain.

Ally wiped at her eyes and sat up. She took the frame in her

hands and her heart sank in agony. The picture of her former self

staring back at her from within the frame was cruel. He had kept a

picture of her close to him, right where he slept. The photo was black

and white, a close-up of Ally, eyes cast down, a hand reaching up to

tuck a strand of dark hair behind her ear.

Agony soon turned to anger as Ally grasped the wooden frame

in her fingers. She began rocking herself back and forth, her pain and

anger swelling so high she finally threw the picture against the

adjacent wall. Glass shattered and rained down, the frame broken.

Ally stood up, but quickly sank to her knees, shards of glass

cutting into her. She sobbed and cried until there was nothing left. She

picked up the broken frame and brushed off the remaining slivers of

glass. As her fingers moved over the picture, she could feel carvings

on the side of the frame. Removing her photo and setting it off to the

side, she turned the frame over.

“Please, if anyone is listening, if anyone can hear me, let me

die,” Ally whispered through trembling lips as she rubbed her fingers

over the letters carved undoubtedly with Michael’s pocket knife that

said, “Ally Watson Blackwell.” He had cared deeply enough for her

that he secretly gave her his name. She set the broken frame down and

jumped a little at the feel of something downy brushing against her

fingertips.

Ally picked up a black feather, the tip between her fingers.

Suddenly she heard the soft tune of a harmonica. Her flesh erupted in

goosebumps. With one hand clutching the black feather and her other

hand on the floor, she pushed herself up. Navigating her way through

Michael’s house quietly, Ally followed the music. She had heard the

tune before.

She halted at the front door. Whoever was playing the

harmonica was outside on the porch. The music stopped. She froze.

The door swung open as a familiar voice said, “Come on out,

child.”

That voice. It triggered a memory. That tune. A mix of

Southern soul drifting through metal reeds. She recognized it.

Stepping out onto the porch, she glanced over at the man

relaxing in Grandma Blackwell’s rocking chair.

“You….” Ally said in a whisper as she stared at the old man,

the same one from Lou’s House of Blues.

At once Miss Elma came running up the stairs, skidding to a

stop at the old man’s feet.

“Miss Elma! It’s good to see you again, girl,” he said, his

fingers gliding through her black fur. “Guards from the Gates, such

loyal beings.”

“Who are you?” Ally asked.

“I am what I am,’ he said, his gaze sliding over and resting

directly on Ally.

Ally jumped. There were no irises, only pools of blazing white

fire where eyes should have been. “You were the man from

Brunswick, at the bar. Why are you here? What are you?” A torrent of

questions spilled from her mouth. She looked at the old man, his aged

features covering up what lay under his skin.

“His blood cried out to me. The balance has shifted,” he said,

his voice now a deep baritone.

Ally fell, her face down, nose to the porch. She trembled. “Are

you the Authority?”

“My dear child, lift your eyes to mine. Do not be afraid,” he

said.

Ally lifted her head. She felt a warm wet trickle at the corner

of her mouth. She brushed her finger over her bottom lip. She stared

down at her finger, its tip smeared with a trace of blood.

“I’m dying,” Ally said, slowly standing erect.


Book One in this series:

Available from:


About the Author
By age 5, Sasha Hibbs' favorite movie was Gone With the Wind. By age 12, she completed her 7th grade book report on the sequel, Scarlett. By 18, she met and married her very own Mr. Rhett Butler and as it turns out, she never had to worry about going back to Tara to win the love of her life back. Fortunately, he stuck with her.  
With a love of all things paranormal, the ambiance of the South with its gigantic antebellum mansions and canopies of Spanish moss, and a love for her husband’s rich storytelling of blacksmiths and the mythology surrounding their origins, it wasn’t long until the world of her debut novel, Black Amaranth, was born.
When not working her day job as a nurse, you can find Sasha dreaming of her next beach trip, reading the latest YA novel, and drinking more white chocolate mocha than she should.  
Sasha lives in mountainous West Virginia with her husband, Tim, and their two daughters, Aeliza and Ava. She is currently hard at work on book two in The Vulcan Legacies series.

***Author Links***
Tuesday, May 27, 2014

Kelsey Ketch's SON OF SET Book Tour

YA Bound Book Tours is organizing a Blog Tour for: Son of Set 

Son of Set 
(Descendants of Isis #2)
Release Date: 05/02/14

Summary from Goodreads:
“. . . the Sons would never just let him go—alive.”
Seth O’Keefe has broken the laws of his god. He never thought he would sacrifice his own future to protect a Daughter of Isis. But when the Sons of Set discovered Natti is the Secret Keeper, he had no choice. Now, Seth and Natti are on the run from his father, who wants nothing more than to see Seth dead. With no allies, Seth turns to the Daughters of Isis for help, hoping they would protect Natti. But when they meet the Daughters, he discovers a secret that puts both their lives in more danger. Low on options, Seth sees only one possibility for survival. He must help Natti solve an ancient puzzle and find the secret name of Ra.

Natara “Natti” Stone is having a hard time swallowing the truth. She can’t believe what she has learned in the past twenty-four hours: Seth is a Son of Set blessed with charm; she is a Daughter of Isis blessed with a sliver of Ma ‘at; the locket her grandmother gave her holds an ancient Egyptian secret linking to Osiris and Isis. That along with being tortured and brutalized by the Sons of Set, she can hardly hold herself together. Thank God for Seth’s touch! That warm, tingling sensation that drowns it all out. Yet her heart struggles to stay focused. She must quickly embrace her destiny before the secret name of Ra falls into the wrong hands.
Amazon           B&N           Kobo           Smashwords


Excerpt:
Seth scratched the stubble on his cheek and collapsed on the bench across from her. His fatigue made him even shakier from the scare she gave him. “Natara Stone, you are a lot of trouble.” Natti snickered at his comment, her lack of consideration fueling his rage. “You have any idea how much of a panic I was in when I found—?”
“Can I get you something to drink?” a young waitress interrupted, tapping her pad.
Seth glanced up at the beautiful brunette before him. “Coffee.”
The waitress gave him a flirty smile. “I’ll also get you a menu. You look ravenous.”
He skimmed her name tag. “Thanks, Renee.” When she disappeared from sight, he turned back to Natti. His eyes bore down on her while he scowled. “Care to explain your reason for that little disappearing act you pulled?”
“Sorry, mate,” Natti said in a light tone. She took a bite of egg covered toast and swallowed before continuing. “I only wanted to get out and have a real breakfast. I didn’t think you would mind, considering. Besides, I was suddenly starving. That’s a good sign, right?”
“You could have at least left me a note or a text letting me know where you are,” he snarled, hurt slightly that she didn’t seem to care to think of him.
“Oh, like the note you left when you disappeared last night?” she snapped back, her cheerful mask slipping to reveal her displeasure. “Real considerate of you, by the way. Leaving a girl in the middle of the night while she’s sleeping. Tell me, is that how you juggled your multiple girlfriends?”
Seth face heated up. His guilt pressed against his chest, the weight inciting his anger. “That was different. I planned to be back before you woke up, but I got held up unexpectedly.”
“So I noticed by your appearance.” Her voice weakened slightly. “You could’ve at least taken your mobile with you instead of leaving it behind for me to find.”
Seth was about to fire back when Renee slipped his coffee and a menu in front of him. He forced a smile, trying to be polite.
Natti rolled her eyes at him, becoming completely silent until Renee left. “Where were you anyway?” she asked. Her fork danced across her plate to scoop up another bite of eggs and piled it on her toast.
Seth took a sip of his coffee to recharge his energy while his mind weaved through all the possible answers he could give without exposing the whole truth. Unfortunately, with the anxiety and the lack of caffeine running through his system, the gears turned too slowly.
“I got frustrated, all right? So I decided to take a ride to cool off,” he finally said.
Natti’s attention flickered to the Eclipse still sitting in the parking lot. By the pain reflected in her expression, he knew she understood his true meaning. Seth avoided her gaze and opened the menu, trying to act causal. Yet, the more he thought on it, the more his stomach twisted into knots. Her expression made him feel more like puking than eating. He shoved the menu aside and put his mug to his lips.
Natti suddenly spoke up, a little more chipper than he expected, “You should try the bangers here. They’re really good.”
The word “bangers” tripped him up so badly he choked on the hot liquid he was just about to swallow. His mind flashed to an image of Cynthia lying in her bed. “Wh-What? ‘Bangers’?”
She snorted a laugh, though her eyes were tinted with ice. “Oh, what do you Yanks call them?” She jabbed her fork toward her plate. “Sausages! That’s right! They’re good, honestly. I’ll be happy to give you a taste.”
“Oh.” Seth shook his head. “Thanks, but no. I’m not that hungry.”
A snarky smile crossed her lips. “Says the boy who consumed a family-size bag of chips and a large can of tuna in one evening.” She sniggered, and in one fell swoop, it was like she was a different person. Her eyes brightened, her smile shifted into one that was sweet, and her cheeks flushed with color. How could she remain so calm even knowing the truth of where he was? “That could be one reason for your sudden lack of appetite, I guess.”


*Note: Content for Upper YA*

Book One in this series:
(linked to Goodreads)
(On sale for $.99 during the week of the tour)
Amazon     B&N       Kobo       Smashwords

About the Author
During her high school years, Kelsey Ketch could always be found tucked away in a little corner of the hall or classroom, writing her fantasy worlds and creating illustrations and maps. Today is no different, except now she’s writing in the break room at her office building or at the tables of the Barnes and Noble Café in Cary, North Carolina. She is also an avid reader, a part-time book blogger at Ketch’s Book Nook, and lives with her two orange tabbies and awesome and humorous flat-mate.Daughter of Isis is her debut novel.
For more information, please visit her site at kelseyketch.com.
Tour Schedule HERE
Author Links:
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***GIVEAWAY***
One lucky winner will get a was scepter pendant (created specially by SilverspotStudio), a hieroglyphic tote bag, and a Son of Set journal (INT)
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Sunday, May 25, 2014

SHADOW FIRE SALE BLAST



Shadow Fire
Favorite Quotes

The villagers will be awaiting my return, skulking in the shadows, desperate to catch a glimpse of the walking dead girl. ~Ashlyn

After all, love conquers nothing but fools. ~Delistaire

Perhaps you shouldn’t have chased the poor pirate all over the ship shooting light daggers at him. ~Zane

How would you like a tour of this grand vessel, my angelic beauty? I’ll show you my favorite trysting spots. ~Taranis

Praise for shadow Fire

"Shadow Fire has something for everyone: suspense, love, action, adventure…all woven together perfectly making this debut novel a winner." ~ BTS Book Reviews

"I thought the writing was strong; it had me turning the pages quickly to see what would happen next. The characters were engaging and the dialogue well-written." Lisa Temple ~ Author of Illuminating Gracie

"Oh, I truly loved this one! Shadow Fire, by Kimber Leigh Wheaton, is a snappy, sassy, sweet, all-that-kind-of-awesome-and-then-some YA read. I couldn't put it down." Sasha Hibbs ~ Author of Black Amaranth

"It is a beautiful love story surrounded by mystery, adventure, and magic." Christy ~ Amazon Reviewer

“I have to say that this is one of the best books I've read this year… From a breathtaking cover to a Must Read story. This is one book you won't put down!” ~ Crossroad Reviews

Shadow Fire
Light Chronicles Book 1
Kimber Leigh Wheaton
YA Fantasy Romance


$0.99 May 25 - May 30

Ashlyn – a free-spirited teenager whose peaceful life is shattered when the village elders honor her with a perilous quest to recover a stolen relic.

Zane – a jaded mercenary, torn by his undeniable desire for Ashlyn and the dark secret that could make her hate him forever.

Delistaire – a malevolent sorcerer driven by an insatiable lust for power.
All three are bound together by an ancient relic supposedly infused with the power of a Goddess.

Shadow Fire – adventure, passion, secrets, and betrayal

As Ashlyn and Zane race to stay one step ahead of the evil lurking in the shadows, their passions are ignited and their bond strengthens. But will they find the relic before Delistaire? Or has their entire quest been orchestrated from the very beginning by a madman in pursuit of ultimate power?

Each installment of the Light Chronicles is a standalone story.


Kimber Leigh Wheaton is a YA/NA author with a soft spot for sweet romance and is a member of Romance Writers of America.
She is married to her soul mate, has a teenage son, and shares her home with three dogs and four cats. No, she doesn’t live on a farm, she just loves animals. Her house is filled with dragons, though she does lament that they are the porcelain, non-flying variety.
Kimber Leigh is addicted to romance, videogames, superheroes, villains, and chocolate—not necessarily in that order. (If she has to choose, she’ll take a chocolate covered superhero!)
Her debut novel, Shadow Fire, is the first book in the Light Chronicles series. Watch for book two, Stolen Moon, a standalone sequel, coming August 2014. Also watch for Tortured Souls, a YA paranormal romance, coming July 14, 2014.

Author Links: Website ~ Twitter Goodreads ~ Facebook 


Giveaway!!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Friday, May 23, 2014

The Beast of Callaire by Saruuh Kelsey Blog Tour


















The Beast of Callaire 
by Saruuh Kelsey
Published May 20th, 2014
Genre: YA Fantasy/Mythology



Yasmin is a descendant of the Manticore. A creature of Persian mythology. A Legendary.
But she doesn’t want to be. Unlike the Legendaries in The Red, Yasmin wants nothing more than an ordinary life. She tries to fool herself into believing that she doesn’t change into a beast every full moon and savagely kill innocent people.
But when Yasmin starts hearing a voice in her head and is drawn into dreams that aren’t her own, she is led to Fray—a girl who once saved Yasmin from hunters, who has shadowy memories that hint at her having Legendary magic—and Yasmin is catapulted into a life of Majick and malevolence.
Despite the danger around her and Fray, Yasmin might finally have a chance at being a normal girl with a normal girlfriend. But with Legendaries being killed, a war between the Gods brewing, and the beast inside Yasmin becoming stronger each moon, her mundane life is little more than a dream.

Amazon     B&N     Amazon UK     Smashwords  

   Excerpt:     The wood is beautiful through these eyes, but I wish I could choose what they looked at. The edges of the leaves are crisp, the flat green my human eyes would see is brought into bright relief. But I only see what the beast wants to see, so I can’t focus on each brilliant new thing because I’m wary and paranoid of what the beast will be drawn to next. A squirrel—a rabbit—a stray human wandering along the trail.
I could kill someone and I wouldn’t be able to stop it. My jaws would rip flesh from bone and I’d be paralysed in my mind, watching the horror as it happens. I know because it’s happened. Six times. Thankfully, four of those people got away with only claw welts or bite marks. But two of them are dead because of me.
One was a girl no older than nine. I killed her when I was fourteen, before I’d become used to the Change, before the beast had settled into its control of my body. Now it only kills for sport, not by accident, and mostly it hunts small animals. Easy prey. Even in Manticore form, I’m a coward. I’m glad of it.
The second person I killed was a middle aged man last year. He had a gun pointed at my friend Willa as she lounged in the pool of Almery Wood. I’m not sure whether he meant to kill her for spoils or just for the hell of it, but I don’t regret killing him as much as the young girl. It still haunts my nightmares sometimes, though, his glazed green eyes and slack, wrinkled face.
I still don’t know why the beast killed to save my friend. Maybe there’s the smallest connection between the two of us, between girl and monster. But as the leaves are ripped beneath large, golden paws I’m not so sure. The Manticore is a creature made of bloodlust and vicious intentions. I doubt there’s any part of it that cares about anyone other than itself.
The beast steps into a clearing lit by moonlight and shakes out its fur, the feathers of its wings tickling my ears—its ears. I shake my head instinctively to get rid of the irritation but the beast’s head stays still. It doesn’t care about what aggravates me. I doubt it even knows what aggravates me. I might have thoughts but this creature is mindless.
The beast turns suddenly, my head spinning with the motion, and it regards the trees, all tall and close together, their braches reaching out and speckled with leaves. My hearing strains for a noise—I’m not sure what startled the beast.
A low, guttural growl comes from the depths of the beast’s stomach and I finally see what the Manticore heard. A middle aged man comes from behind a wide trunked service tree, the vibrant leaves contrasting against the intentionally dark brown of his jacket. He meant to blend in, whoever this man is. I futilely try to urge the beast away, to turn and run, but the Manticore will never back down.
I can tell by the rumble coming from its mouth—my mouth—and the way its claws are ripping up the earth that it’s going to attack. I’m going to kill another person. The terror and dread wants to churn my stomach but my body is no longer mine. It poisons my mind instead, fills me with visions of bloody limbs and skin torn open.
By the time the man has produced a gun from behind his back it’s too late for me to realise he’s a hunter and too late for the beast to react to the threat. The hunter fires his shotgun and absolute, blinding agony shocks through me, uniting Yasmin and the Manticore for one second in merciless pain.
But then the beat is lumbering to its feet, paws gripping for purchase, and I’m reminded that I don’t decide what happens with my body. It’s a detached, lonely feeling, and at the same time the worst terror imaginable. For something to decide where you go, what you do, what you see …
The beast races out of the clearing and around tree trunks, its usual speed affected by the gunshot wound in its shoulder. The pain seems to pulse louder in my head, becoming something dark and large and demanding. I’m not sure how much longer I can stand this.
I’m sure, suddenly, that I’m going to die. And in this moment, dying as the beast is the worst thing I can think of.
The beast’s ears prick to the sound of footsteps but by now it can’t move at all. All it can do is raise its large head, pull downy wings around itself as a flimsy, useless shield, and watch as the owner of the footsteps nears us.
Wide, green eyes are right in front of my eyes, bushy brown eyebrows drawn low and accompanied by a frown. A girl. A girl in the woods. Thank you, I think at this stranger but I have no Majick in this form so she doesn’t hear my gratitude. This is an angel come to deliver me a swift death, to save me from this excruciating feeling.
I relinquish my grip on consciousness and let the waiting blackness swallow me.




About the Author:  
Saruuh Kelsey is the author of the Lux Guardians series.
Her debut and the first in series, THE FORGOTTEN, a YA science fiction set in Victorian London and London 25 years in the future, is out now for free. Book two, THE REVELATION, releases October 7th. THE BEAST OF CALLAIRE, the first novel of a new YA fantasy series, with a same sex paranormal romance, is out May 20th.

Website ~ Twitter ~ Tumblr ~ Blog






Top ten quotes from The Beast of Callaire


1
“Minnie had a premonition,” he says, over his shoulder. “From Apollo himself. Three coffins. Three moons. The hunters will kill three of us before the Quarter is over.”


2
He glowers. “I’m a catch. She doesn’t know I’m a Selkie yet but I’m sure it’ll be fine.”
“Oh yeah. You turn into a seal on the Crea moon, no big deal. Everyone expects that bombshell on the first date.”


3
He holds up a silver cord necklace, a pendant spinning on it. A glass ball is suspended inside a gold ring, Akasha clearly visible inside it. I stare at the combination of the five elements—earth, fire, air, water, and spirit. It looks like a tempest in a marble, black smoke constantly in movement with slivers of fire like lightning bolts running through it.


4
How can Fray be the Voice in my head? That’s not possible. It can’t be possible.


5
They’re carefully placed words like knife blades, delicate fantasies of something I will never have, can never have because I am not an ordinary girl. I am not a normal, angsty teenager. And I am not a Pure human. I’m a beast and I can never know love.


6
“I haven’t known Yasmin long, that’s all. And I couldn’t be her date because I don’t know if—”
“Oh, don’t worry about that.” Minnie makes a grand gesture with her arm. “Yasmin’s a lesbian, and she’s definitely attracted to you so there’s nothing to worry about there.”
I hate you. I hate you so so much. I am actually going to kill you, Minnie Ex Apolle. Slowly, with lots of pain.
You’re welcome, she thinks back gleefully.


7
As I cross the threshold she presses her palm into mine, halting me. She leans forward on her toes and kisses my cheek, a tiny point of heat that spreads over my face. “Come back soon.”
I walk away in a daze.


8
The truth is that love—being bound to someone by your heart and soul and thoughts and needs—terrifies me. My life has conditioned me to expect to lose people. I can’t love someone, and I cannot have someone love me, because there will be no way out for me if I do.


9
Another firework screeches a lament and Fray’s head comes up. She grins slyly and takes my hand, dashing across the room and toward the sound without warning.


10

I press my body against her, heat in all the places we align, and let her kisses encase my fear.



GIVEAWAY!
2 Beast of Callaire paperbacks and one swag pack consisting of a paperback, postcards, stickers, and a tote bag open Internationally.
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