Cover Reveal and Giveaway: Smolder by Kelbian Noel

I'm excited to share the cover for Smolder, book three in The Witchbound series by Kelbian Noel.  This is a YA urban fantasy series and the first two books are Roots and Sprung.  Check out the gorgeous cover and then enter to win a $25 gift card!

Smolder (Witchbound #3) by Kelbian Noel

About Smolder:

Calida Cevallos has never been special. In fact, as far as she’s concerned, there isn’t an exceptional bone in her body. But, this summer, she’ll discover extraordinary literally runs through her veins.

I’ve always been a burden. The girl people put up with, the one they tolerated. When I finally found someone who actually wanted me around, I couldn’t have be happier. But lately something’s been bubbling at the surface. Something wants to break free…and I’m afraid it’s me.

I love him. And, for a time, I thought I needed him. Now I’m not so sure. These days, I get the feeling I’m the one who’s needed. By whom? I’m about to find out.

Goodreads 

Roots (Witchbound Book One) by Kelbian Noel

288 pages

Seventeen-year-old Baltimore Land just wants to be normal, but magic has other plans.

I don’t consider myself a witch, that’s my parents’ thing. I’ve never really believed in magic either. Sure, I tried it a few times. Fell for the whole “magic happens” thing. But it didn’t happen to me. No amount of rhyming stopped my parents from moving me halfway across the country. Not one spell stopped me from being labeled the town freak.

And worst of all, no matter how many times I begged the Universe to bring my twin back, I was ignored. Until now.

He’s back all right. And in a magical bind of his own. Not the magic-won’t-work-for-me kind either. In fact, it’s working a little too well. Too dark. Too deep.

It turns out our entire family’s magical roots run just as deep and my brother didn’t end up where he is by accident. So I’m going to help him. But magic isn’t really on my side. Nope. Once I finally get the craft under control, I’m expected to abandon the one person in the world who’s closest to me, just to save myself.

Amazon | Goodreads | Book Trailer

Sprung (Witchbound Book Two) by Kelbian Noel

336 pages

Since she discovered magic, seventeen-year-old Skye Jackson’s life is almost perfect. Almost. Even perfect has its glitches.

What happens when the one with all the power makes the biggest mistakes? Welcome to my life.

Four months ago, I couldn’t have been happier. When my parents got divorced, I wasn’t exactly thrilled. Especially when Mom married a guy half her age. But then I found out I wasn’t the average Joana. Discovering magic existed and, best of all, I could use it, made everything easier to deal with. That is until I got a little too spell happy. But what girl wouldn’t defend her best friend against a world-class creep? Now I’m stuck in a nightmare, forced to make life and death decisions I never dreamed I’d face.

Love the magic, hate the responsibility.

Book Trailer

Amazon | Goodreads

About the Author:

Kelbian Noel was born on a warm June night in Moncton, New Brunswick. From a very young age, she loved to read. She found herself engulfed in novels by Janette Oke and L.M. Montgomery, but never seemed to find herself in the pages. At the age of 11 she declared she would simply have to rewrite them, and become the youngest author in history. But life was full of baseball, homework, BFFs and boys. Decades later, having studied writing in college and pursued it as a career, she rediscovered her hobby. She is excited to introduce The Witchbound Series to the world with hopes someone will love this story as much as she does. Kelbian lives in Toronto, Ontario with her two children (where, thanks to a thick layer of smog, Junes are much warmer than they used to be).

She is the founder of www.diverse-pages.com and blogs there often, in the company of some pretty cool people.

Website | Goodreads Author Page | Amazon Author Page | Twitter | Facebook 

 Giveaway:

$25 Amazon Gift Card (INT)

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This event was organized by CBB Book Promotions

Promo Event and Giveaway- The Girl Who Believed in Fairy Tales by Heidi Garrett

The Girl Who Believed in Fairy Tales

Sub Genre: Magical Realism

Release Date: June 23, 2014

Heather Baker believes in fairy tales, and she turns to their timeless wisdom whenever life gets difficult.

Again and again, the playfulness, symbolism, and deeper meaning in fairy tales have filled Heather with hope, nurtured her spirit, and fired her imagination. Sometimes touching, and sometimes humorous, these tales capture the three most transformative experiences in her life:

—Heather reframes her childhood sorrow in “The Girl Who Watched for Elves”

—She embarks upon a life imbued with meaning in “The Girl Who Dreamed of Red Shoes”

—And after taking several wrong turns, she finds the place where she belongs in “The Girl Who Couldn’t Sing”

The Girl Who Believed in Fairy Tales chronicles the journey of someone who was willing to change the way she viewed the world... and never stopped believing.

Amazon | Amazon | GoodReads

The Archetypal Fairy Tale Journey

Many adults love fairy tales as much as children do. Why is this so? And why are fairy tales and their retellings so enduring?

In every fairy tale, five things always happen to the fairy tale character: She leaves home, she gets lost in the woods, she faces obstacles and/or tests, she overcomes these challenges, and she finds her happily ever after.

That journey, the fairy tale character’s journey, is archetypal because it involves the task of discovering and committing to the true Self. Since each of us yearns to connect with the true Self, the archetypal fairy tale journey is compelling in the tips and clues it offers about such an undertaking.

1.

Leaving Home

Fairy Tale Character’s (FTC’s) leave home. The impetus for the departure varies; curiosity, duplicity, parents who are invasive, stepparents who are envious, a call to duty and/or sacrifice—something—ousts the naive child from their secure, loving environment.

2.

Getting Lost in the Woods

The FTC always stumbles and falls psychologically, metaphorically, and literally in the first stage of her journey. Her naiveté, fear, and inexperience lead her to make poor choices that inevitably heighten her dire situation.

3.

Facing Obstacles and Tests

As more trouble is heaped upon the FTC, she is driven to experiment. She must embrace her innate strength, courage, and/or cleverness; and she must make wiser choices in regards to her relationships and who she trusts. Otherwise, she’ll be fated to eke out a meek/mean/meager/impoverished existence… or die.

4.

Overcoming the Challenges

Once the FTC comes into her own, i.e. once her consciousness has evolved to the point where she has become her own authority, she can achieve mastery over the trials that face her.

5.

Living Happily Ever After

Living in accordance with her true nature, and following her true path, is the FTC’s ultimate living happily ever after. Partnering with the beloved is a function of her matured Self.

Throughout our very real lives, we cycle through these phases again and again and again. Fairy tales, presumably the province of children, can be quite effective in spurring adults toward believing in themselves—and Happily Ever Afters—as well.

That is the enduring power of the archetypal fairy tale journey.

About The Girl Who Couldn’t Sing:

She began to meditate upon "The Ugly Duckling” for she'd always imagined herself as a misplaced swan. But with all the changes, and her sadness shedding like the skin of snake, she'd stare in the mirror and whisper, “Perhaps, you're not even a bird."

Heather Baker struggles to find the balance between fantasy and reality in her everyday life. Enticed by Neptune, the planet that rules everything hazy and glamourous--she's desperate to become the next indie singer/songwriter sensation. Dogged by Saturn, the planet that rules obstacles and everything practical--she's confronted with the limitations of her abilities and talent.

Which planet will win?

“The Girl Who Couldn’t Sing” is free on Amazon June 23rd-27th!

Author Bio

Heidi Garrett is the author of the contemporary fairy tale novella collection, Once Upon a Time Today. In these stand-alone retellings of popular and obscure fairy tales, adult characters navigate the deep woods of the modern landscape to find their Happily Ever Afters.

She's also the author of the Daughter of Light series, a fantasy about a young half-faerie, half-mortal searching for her place in the Whole. Heidi's latest project is a collaboration with Billie Limpin. They're cooking up a yummy paranormal romance!

Signup for Heidi's newsletter at: http://eepurl.com/wWKUj for discounts on all new releases!

Heidi was born in Texas, and in an attempt to reside in as many cities in that state as she could, made it to Houston, Lubbock, Austin, and El Paso. She now lives in Eastern Washington state with her husband, their two cats, her laptop, and her Kindle.

Being from the South, she often contemplates the magic of snow.

Website/Blog

Facebook for Heidi Garrett

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Giveaway:

5 lucky people get a signed copy of The Girl Who Believed in Fairy Tales & a happily every after bracelet

US only

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This event was organized by CBB Book Promotions

Teaser Tour and Giveaway- The Summer Sacrifice by Holly Hinton

Upper middle grade fantasy THE SUMMER SACRIFICE will be available to buy from major online retailers as of June 21st 2014. Available in ebook and paperback form. (Audiobook to follow.)

Click here to read Chapter One of The Summer Sacrifice. 
Click here to listen to the first chapter of The Summer Sacrifice’s audiobook.
  Click here to watch Holly visiting Dancing Ledge: the birthplace of The Summer Sacrifice.

Praise for The Summer Sacrifice

”The present world is often terrifying to a sensible adult. Hinton reflects its effect on youngsters in a powerfully imagined world that hums with poetry. In its pages, in the words of Yeats, a terrible beauty is born. Herein lies empathy, barreling adventure and an iconic heroine, Jamie Tuff.”

Charles Bane Jr., award winning author of The Chapbook, and Love Poems; creator of The Meaning Of Poetry series for The Gutenberg Project, and nominee as Poet Laureate of Florida.

Meet Jamie Tuff and her friends:

​Jamie Tuff”I just happen to drop into other people’s bodies now and then, but don’t worry, I can’t control it!”  

​Seveny Brown
 “Symbol my arse. That is a dead and stinking bird, attached to a dead and stinking snake!”

  George Button
“If I go to Askerwell I’ll be dragged down to hell! Can I take anyone with me?”

 ​Max Lively
“Did you see me smash it? Blake didn’t know what was coming when I wrestled him to the ground!”

​

Ella Rose Last
 “Transparent means being honest, rule-abiding, nice and good. I’m all those things, aren’t I?”

Join Jamie Tuff and friends on their adventures through land, sea and sky, in a world where stars walk and Halfhawks fly.

                                            Portraits and group painted by David Revoy.

Welcome to the Island

​

​Map designed by Joel Sams.

​ No Place
   Only the Island survived the Great Storm. It’s quite small and just a quarter of it is inhabited.  That quarter is called No Place.
  The Establishment  
The Establishment rule No Place. Here is what they have to say: “We in the Establishment save lives through the boundaries we create. Our boundaries are your protectors. And trespassers will be punished.”
  Pity Me
Pity Me is No Place’s largest settlement and its capital.
  The Perfects
   The Pity Me Perfects are students selected by the Establishment to help them rule, both in school and out. Officially, they are selected for their objectivity and fairness. Really, they are selected from the ranks of the wealthy. The Perfects do not live up to their name.
  The Tombland Gang
   The Tombland Gang are Pity Me School’s resident thugs.  As the Gang’s ranks have swollen, the number of orphans plummeting to their deaths has also grown. The Gang do live up to their name.
Funnella Fitzgerald 
“I am the Headmistress of Pity Me School and the Head of the Establishment. But you probably all know that. At least, you ought to. . . ”
  Phosphor-Jones, Head of History
 “Dreaming is of little use, and not to be cultivated.” 
  Miss Humfreeze, Head of English
  The English teacher’s eyes look like they could tell a thousand tales, and her wide mouth often tells them.  The manshu and juvenites love her for this, lapping up her words like they are delicious drops of non- fermented Honeydew.
  No Place’s Chief Doctor
   “What a wonderful specimen you are! You’ll look perfect sweating out your life in my Laboratory!”

  Illustrated Chapter Headings.
 I drew some pictures to accompany the chapter titles. Below is a sample. Hope you enjoy!  

Chapter 1. Dancing Ledge

Chapter 2. Pity Me School (for No Place Boys and Girls)

Chapter 13. Miss Mackadoo and the Brainticklers

​Chapter 30. Little Sea

​

Chapter 31. Fireforge    

AUDIOBOOK DRAMA

The actor in me wants to read everything out loud.

Reading The Summer Sacrifice aloud resulted in multiple revisions being made to the book. Voicing the text let me get close to my characters, see the world from outside of my own head, and it helped me gauge flow, pace and tone. Recording an audiobook seemed a natural conclusion to the publishing process. I looked forward to bringing The Summer Sacrifice to life in this way, and was excited about the potential the book would have to reach a broader audience.

When I was researching how to make and produce an audiobook, I found a podcast on The Creative Penn website, a great site for writers created by author Joanna Penn. During this podcast, acclaimed audiobook producer and author J. Daniel Sawyer talks prospective producers through the process of recording an audiobook, from preproduction to distribution.

Sawyer’s advice is fantastic. Though he stresses it’s a time-intensive and potentially expensive enterprise, he gives clear examples of how to go about creating your audiobook so that neither its quality nor your sanity is compromised.

On his list of things you need, I already had my voice, a good microphone, a basic knowledge of Audacity (an open source sound editing program), a wonderfully geeky boyfriend with a not-so-basic knowledge of Audacity, and a quiet room. I was so excited to commit the story to tape, but on the first day of recording, my preamp broke.

Luckily, my boyfriend gave me a Zoom sound recorder for my birthday.

The actual recording was a bit of a learning curve, and it took twice the time I had anticipated. I was much more adept at the process towards the end of recording the book. With the knowledge I had gained, I then rerecorded The Summer Sacrifice from the beginning.

The audiobook  has some sound effects and original music. A few of the sounds are sampled from Sound Jay.  Most of the sounds are recorded by me. For example my cat Max has a starring role. He can deliver up indignance, joy and “please feed me!” on a sixpence.

As soon as I know when the entire audiobook will be available to buy, I shall shout loudly about it here. Until then, I hope you enjoy Chapter One!

About the Author:

Holly grew up in a small, sleepy village in Suffolk. The acting bug hit her at age nine, when she was asked to play Baboushka in the school nativity. That same year she played the lead role of a naughty black poodle in a pet parlour themed ballet, and she thought she had made it. Years passed, but the acting bug didn’t. She went to Goldsmiths, University of London to study Drama, after which she completed her actor training at Arts Ed.

Writing a book was never part of the plan. But life’s full of swerves and surprises and ideas dropping into people’s heads. Holly had an idea drop into hers, and that idea became The Summer Sacrifice, and The Summer Sacrifice became the first book of the Master Game Series.

 For more information please visit: 
 http://www.hollyhinton.com/

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GIVEAWAY!!!

Holly Hinton is giving away one signed copy of The Summer Sacrifice (Paperback), and a bookmark illustrated by David Revoy. Open Worldwide!

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Cover Reveal and Giveaway: Lifer by Beck Nicholas

Welcome to the Cover Reveal for

Lifer by Beck Nicholas

presented by Month9Books!

Be sure to enter the giveaway found at the end of the post!

Asher is a Lifer, a slave aboard the spaceship Pelican. A member of the lowest rung of society, she must serve the ship’s Officials and Astronauts as punishment for her grandparents' crimes back on Earth. The one thing that made life bearable was her illicit relationship with Samuai, a Fishie boy, but he died alongside her brother in a freak training accident.

Still grieving for the loss of her loved ones, Asher is summoned to the upper levels to wait on Lady, the head Official’s wife and Samuai’s mother. It is the perfect opportunity to gather intel for the Lifer’s brewing rebellion. There’s just one problem—the last girl who went to the upper levels never came back.

On the other side of the universe, an alien attack has left Earth in shambles and a group called The Company has taken control. Blank wakes up in a pond completely naked and with no memory, not even his real name. So when a hot girl named Megs invites him to a black-market gaming warehouse where winning means information, he doesn’t think twice about playing. But sometimes the past is better left buried.

As Asher and Blank’s worlds collide, the truth comes out—everyone has been lied to. Bourne Identity meets Under the Never Sky in this intergalactic tale of love and deception from debut novelist Beck Nicholas.

Title: LIFER
Publication date: December 16, 2014
Publisher: Month9Books, LLC.
Author: Beck Nicholas

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Cover Reveal and Giveaway: The Not-So Innocuous Girl by Leigh Statham

Welcome to the Cover Reveal for

The Perilous Journey of the Not-So-Innocuous
Girl by Leigh Statham

presented by Month9Books!

Be sure to enter the giveaway found at the end of the post!

Lady Marguerite lives a life most 17th century French girls can only dream of: Money, designer dresses, suitors and a secure future. Except, she suspects her heart may be falling for her best friend Claude, a common smithie in the family's steam forge. When Claude leaves for New France in search of a better life, Marguerite decides to follow him and test her suspicions of love. Only the trip proves to be more harrowing than she anticipated. Love, adventure and restitution await her, if she can survive the voyage.

Title: THE PERILOUS JOURNEY OF
THE NOT-SO-INNOCUOUS GIRL
Publication date: 2015
Publisher: Month9Books, LLC.
Author: Leigh Statham

Leigh Statham was raised in the wilds of rural Idaho, but found her heart in New York City. She worked as a waitress, maid, artist, math teacher, nurse, web designer, art director, thirty-foot inflatable pig and mule wrangler before she settled down in the semi-quiet role of wife, mother and writer. She resides in North Carolina with her husband, four children, five chickens and two suspected serial killer cats. If the air is cool and the sun is just coming up over the horizon, you can find her running the streets of her small town, plotting her next novel with the sort of intensity that will one day get her hit by a car.

Connect with the Author: Website |Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Complete the Rafflecopter below for a chance to win!

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