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The Busy Person's Guide To Everyday Enlightenment

1/9/2016

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EDE - fb banner The Busy Person’s Guide to Everyday Enlightenment v2 (1)The Busy Person’s Guide to Everyday Enlightenment is the perfect antidote to the strains of modern living. Featuring easy-to-follow meditations, yoga sequences, techniques and holistic advice that you can apply to even the busiest of lifestyles. What makes this book different is that it is tailored to recognise in this time of hectic living that we all have the need to nurture, care and centre ourselves, yet we don’t always have the time for long practices to achieve this. Ironically, the very thing we have convinced ourselves we don’t have time to do - looking after ourselves - is what can lead to better health and a sense of inner calm. Within these pages, you will find easy-to-follow sequences. This book is a helping hand to those who wish to fit in some me-time self-care even into the most time-starved of lifestyles. You can learn to… • Develop techniques in as little as 5 minutes a day that can help you deal with stress • Turn everyday stressful situations into meditation just by shifting your perspective • Nourish your body with simple yoga schedules that can help target specific areas or states of mind, no matter how busy you are • Bring the holistic into the hectic and learn to Zen out when the rest of the world is rushing • Improve and progress with the help of handy tips • Enjoy guilt-free self-nurturing  

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20151119-REL-Jane_Bowyer-1179About the author: I grew up on a hill in the north of England. From a young age, I wanted to live in London. As a child, during the depths of night, I'd often listen to the hum of passing trains. Sometimes I'd run to my bedroom window hoping to catch a glimpse so that I could pretend that I too was travelling on one, speeding along, London bound, like the rest of the world was sleeping.

So one day in my late teens, I bought a one-way ticket and travelled to London with just £30.00 in my pocket and a bit of blind faith.

In my novel The Last Days of Lisa, (that I’m still writing), the main character Lisa mirrors how overwhelming it was for me to see London for the first time through the eyes of a teenager travelling alone….

‘London never rests, she thinks. It’s on speed. A vortex, absorbing everything. Running from its own stench but also basking in it. Seemingly superficial and plastic to those not enchanted by its ambivalent charms. London has a soul; a ravenous appetite that feeds on the egos of the thousands that flock here each day to get closer to their dreams. ‘

Not long after moving to London, yoga and writing graced my life. I think they both saved me. On the writing front the spark came after reading the book, Catcher in the Rye. I’d not had the opportunity to study much as a child but that didn’t matter now as this book blew me away. “If you really want to hear about it, the first thing you’ll probably want to know is where I was born, and what my lousy childhood was like, and how my parents were occupied and all before they had me, and all that David Copperfield kind of c—p, but I don’t feel like going into it, if you want to know the truth.” J.D Salinger As for yoga, another book in the form of a second-hand yoga book written back in the 1960’s made its way into my mitts via a second-hand bookstore. As I’d said earlier, to start with I wasn’t very good at either. Dyslexia and lack of flexibility and poor posture were my obstacles. I could see beyond that though as both yoga and writing offered me hope and possibilities that before this I hadn’t ever thought possible. Before yoga and writing I believed I was useless and had nothing to offer the world. So I worked hard at studying for more than a decade. The author John Harding was the first teacher to believe in me. After studying writing under his inspiring tuition, I even managed to get a few novels published along the way. On the yoga side, I studied both Hatha and later Kundalini yoga and despite not being naturally flexible nor a person who liked to sit still. It was in India back in 2004 that I had my first awakening experience. During all this time, I also managed over the years to work my way up from an office junior job to a finally a supervisor position, having worked for most of my life in a string of unfulfilling office jobs. The good news that in October 2015 I left office work to become The Word Sprite full time! The silver lining in all of this is through my personal experience of having to be creative with my time I came up with the concept of yoga and holistic solutions for modern day living. Hence, this is how The Word Sprite was born! Read Janey's awesome article How to Manifest Real, Lasting Love on MindBodyGreen.  

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The Ghost Chronicles Grand Finale

1/9/2016

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On tour with Prism Book Tours.

Book Tour Grand Finale for
The Ghost Chronicles
By Marlo Berliner

We've delved into what it would be like to be a ghost in the afterlife, met Michael and Sarah, and learned more about the book's setting. If you missed any of the stops, feel free to go check them out now...

Launch - Interview

What is your motivation behind The Ghost Chronicles? What do you hope readers take with them after they’ve read it?

The best stories lie at the intersection of truth and imagination. The Ghost Chronicles began this way, as well. I had my ‘eureka’ moment one day while sitting on the beach in the Outerbanks of North Carolina (for those of you who don’t know where that is, I urge you to find out and go visit). At the time, I was reading Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. Chapter Eight, The Deathday Party, deals with ghosts and what it might be like to ‘live’ in the afterlife, so that provided the spark that ignited the fire to write The Ghost Chronicles. As a flood of ideas filled my head, I scribbled down a rough outline and the book quickly took shape.

Teatime and Books - The Characters

My hero, Michael Andrews, is very much drawn from my own two boys, Michael and Andrew. Both of them are tall, handsome and athletic. In my story, Michael Andrews is an eighteen year old basketball star with a promising future, set to play for University of Pittsburgh after graduation. He has an impressive build and more importantly, a strong character.

Since Sarah is supposed to be Irish, I decided she would have long, wavy red hair and emerald green eyes. I wanted her to be a character as full of life as Michael. Her spirit is said to be playful and mischievous, so that’s the kind of character I was aiming for.

Life as Leels - Review

I am not one who typically reads books more than once, but this one will remain on my Kindle to read again in the future. That doesn’t happen often, but when I find a book like this, it’s a treasure to hang on to!

deal sharing aunt - The Setting

The Angel of the Sea is one of the most recognized Victorian structures in the United States. Legend has it that in the late 1960’s, a girl fell to her death at the Angel of the Sea and did at one time, haunt the inn. The story of the girl has been included in several non-fiction books about ghosts in Cape May. My heroine in THE GHOST CHRONICLES, Sarah McConnell, was inspired by this legend.


Buried Under Books - Excerpt

As he opened his eyes, his vision blurred. After a few seconds, the inside of his car came into focus and his mind flashed through the last scenes in his memory. I was driving…there was a bend in the road…and sunlight reflecting off the grill of a truck…

Becky on Books - Excerpt

No matter how he tried to joke about it though, he couldn’t shake the feeling someone, or something, was watching him from the darkness. He stopped and stood stock-still, listening.

Wishful Endings - Ghost Stories

To me, the best ghost stories are those that portray spirits in a realistic, believable way. In order to get past the suspension of disbelief, we need to be able to see ourselves in their shoes and buy into the possibility that there may be something beyond this earthly existence.

100 Pages A Day - Review

"I was pulled right into this story about Michael’s trials and learning about how to be a ghost. It was really interesting to see his struggles with leaving his family and girlfriend behind, especially in the absence of his father. . . . I will definitely be reading the second book!"

Mel's Shelves - Romance in The Ghost Chronicles

To me, the best stories are those that forge an emotional connection with the reader. And what forges a better connection than a romance? In writing THE GHOST CHRONICLES, I realized about a quarter of the way through that it was missing something. This was Michael’s story of being stuck in the afterlife, but it needed more. The story really came together when I had the epiphany of adding Michael’s romance with another ghost, Sarah.

Rockin' Book Reviews - Review

This was a well written, steadily moving, paranormal tale. . . . The characters are well defined and very realistic. The scenes are easily visualized. The Title and Book Cover are more than “fitting”.

The Ghost Chronicles
by Marlo Berliner
YA/Adult Crossover Paranormal
Paperbook & ebook, 298 Pages
November 2015 by Teddy Blue Books


Can Michael get to heaven before the devil gets him first, and if it means leaving Sarah is he sure he still wants to go?

Michael Andrews had everything – a loving family, a great girlfriend and a promising basketball career. That was before the accident that took his life. Now, he’s a ghost, wandering among the living, struggling to understand why he’s stuck. All he wants is to move on.

That is until he meets Sarah, an attractive young girl who died just as tragically as he did. The only trouble is falling in love and binding oneself to another soul is forbidden, for it may keep one or both of the souls bound to earth for longer than they should be.

To make matters worse, there’s also a danger in going too far with Sarah, because the “joining” of two souls in the afterlife is also strictly forbidden and they don’t know what will happen if they do go that far. Each time they touch they can feel the boundaries of their energies slipping perilously into one another.

Things get even more complicated as Michael learns he’s being pursued. Demons are after him because he’s a marked soul, a soul the devil wants very badly for some unknown reason.

So, maybe falling in love in the afterlife isn’t such a good idea.

Amazon

marlo berliner
About Marlo Berliner

Formerly an accounting manager for a Fortune 500 company, Marlo is currently an intern with a literary agency based in New York City, as well as, an editor at Chimera Editing. Marlo writes young adult, women’s fiction, and short stories. She is currently working on her third novel.

When she's not writing or editing, Marlo loves reading, relaxing at the beach, watching movies, and rooting for the Penn State Nittany Lions. After having spent some wonderful time in Pittsburgh and Houston, she’s now back in her home state of New Jersey where she resides with her husband and two sons. This is her first novel.

Website - Goodreads - Facebook - Twitter - Instagram

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Blood, Milk and Chocolate Part 2

1/7/2016

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Blood, Milk & Chocolate – Part 2
Cameron Jace
(The Grimm Diaries, #4)
Publication date: January 4th 2016
Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy, Fairy Tales

Carmilla Karnstein’s journey through the Seven Seas, trying to find the Tower of Tales and meet Lady Shallot so she can help her and Angel to escape from Night Von Sorrow’s wrath. Lady Shallot finds them an island on the back of whale. They call it Sorrow and begin a journey of most heart wrenching secrets. What and where Sorrow really is. Who the Lost Seven are. And most of all who Carmilla and her new born daughter really are.

In the fourth installments of this epic tale, nothing is like it seems, some of the favorite character dies, and the thin line between good and evil blurs even more.

Goodreads / Amazon

EXCERPT:

Life in the Seven Seas didn’t promise a happily ever after for Angel and me. Sailing in our small boat, I didn’t know what was worse. The nights or the days.

The days were gloomy. Looms of mist surmounted our boat, and we could hardly see the horizon. Angel liked to call it the sea’s edge, as if there was an imaginary waterfall at the end where all ship’s fell off into oblivion. The apple trader I fell in love with surely had a dark imagination.
The nights in the Seven Seas were the embodiment of scare. The fear of the unknown. Because we still couldn’t see ahead. The hope of finding the Tale of Towers and meeting Lady Shallot to help us escape Night Von Sorrow were diminishing tide by tide. The Seven Seas were a slow death. Day after day, I began to realize we may have fooled ourselves, thinking we could really escape and find a place we could call our home.

And there was more.

By day we sometimes saw other ships looming beyond the mist which draped like curtains before our eyes. The mist blurred our destinations. And the thing we thought we glimpsed behind may have been illusions.

“Do you see them, Angel.” I said.

“See what?”

“The ships looming behind the mist. The silhouettes of sailors. Their red eyes.”

“I see nothing, Carmilla. You’re imaging things. The sea does that sometimes.”

I turned back to him. He was standing at the farther side of the boat, trying to catch some fish. He had been like that since I’d sold my soul to fate. Nothing mattered to him but food.

Angel spend half of the days catching an incredible amount of fish. To me, the fish saved me from starving. But to Angel, the fish he caught meant nothing but blood.

I had seen him ripg a large fish with his teeth and sucking out the its red guts with insatiable hunger. He had to drink fast before its blood clotted. One after the other. Someday when he couldn’t catch the fish, he jumped into the water, disappeared for hours and then reappeared with a big fish between his teeth.

“You breath under water?” I remember asking.

“I guess so,” He didn’t even care that he began acquiring incredible vampire powers. “I can only do it when I am really hungry.”

We’d sit next to each other. I ate fish. He drank its insides. The rest of the day he’d sleep, tired of hunting for blood. This wasn’t the love stories I had imagined when I first met him.

But I wasn’t surprised. I, Carmilla Karnstein, was bound for sorrow by Captain Hook, Fate of the Seven Seas. And Angel was risking his full transformation into a vampire like his father.

One night, I realized we we were two survivors unable to love each other, but couldn’t. Survival took most of our time, and the bond between us thinned with every passing wave rocking our boat of life in the Seven Seas.

That night was the first time I thought about having a child. Angel and I needed something we both cared about to keep our bond from fraying. And it was a strange thought. Because somehow I knew, deep inside my soul, that I will not only have one child. But two.

Something told me I will have two girls. Twins.


Author Bio:

Cameron Jace is the bestselling author of the Grimm Diaries and Insanity series. A graduate of the college of Architecture, collector of out-of-print books, he is obsessed with the origins of folk tales and the mysterious storytellers who spread them. Three of his books made Amazon's Top 100 Customer Favorites in Kindle 2013 & Amazon's Top 100 kindle list. Cameron lives in California with his girlfriend. When he isn't writing or collecting books, he is playing music.

Sign up for his mailing list here: http://bit.ly/1sxp3p1

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter


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The Good, The Bad and the Vampire

1/5/2016

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12373366_776179509153727_565840443102452634_n.jpg
The Good, The Bad, The Vampire
Dead in the City Series; Book 4
By: Sara Humphreys
Pages: 320
Published: January 5, 2015
Published By: Sourcebooks Casablanca


Blurb:
He wants eternity?

Dakota Shelton is a vampire cowboy with a penchant for cinnamon lollipops and Johnny Cash. Though highly skilled and deadly dangerous to his enemies, he's still a Texas good ol' boy at heart. And he has that heart set on wooing Trixie LaRoux-the most badass punk rock chick in town-the old-fashioned way.

Over her undead body…

Trixie is tough as nails and sharp as a silver stake-the last thing she wants is a man to sit on a porch and not grow old with. So it'll take going to hell and back fighting a new threat to vampires before she admits Dakota's courtship makes her blood hum. Turns out chivalry's not dead after all.


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Buy Links:
Amazon US : CA : UK  
Barnes & Noble : iBooks  


Excerpt:
Trixie couldn’t remember the last time she went to a little girl’s birthday party but it certainly wasn’t since becoming a vampire.

Olivia and Doug might have been two of the world’s most powerful vampires, but they had also become the first vampire parents in recorded history. Today was their daughter Emily’s second birthday and they were throwing her a big old party, complete with birthday cake and balloons.

Trixie had gone back and forth all day long about whether or not to attend.

Being around little Emily was bittersweet on a regular day and the birthday celebration would only heighten Trixie’s struggle. But choosing not to go would have been selfish. Trixie’s personal drama wasn’t Emily’s fault, and she didn’t want to disappoint the adorable little red headed cherub. Not only that, Emily was Olivia’s daughter and since Olivia was Trixie’s maker, that made her family.

Not showing up would have been rotten.

Olivia would have understood if Trixie bailed out; she knew her better than anyone else. But Olivia’s Bloodmate, Doug, wouldn’t understand her absence from such a celebrated event. Neither would the other members of the coven.

Nope. Trixie decided to do what she always did. She’d put on a smile, make a wise-ass comment or two, and act like nothing and nobody bothered her.

A familiar voice pulled her from her thoughts as she strode down the stone hallways of the Presidium’s underground facility, buried deep beneath Fort Tryon Park and The Cloisters in New York City, “Well, smack my ass and call me Sally.”

The deep southern drawl echoed around her, stopping Trixie dead in her tracks. A shiver of lust whispered beneath her skin as it usually did whenever he was nearby, but she swiftly shoved it aside.

“Okay, Sally.” Trixie rolled her shoulder and fought the buzz of attraction. “But you can smack your own ass.”

“What’s the matter, darlin’?” The rumbling baritone of his voice soaked with that southern twang, drifted over her shoulder but she didn’t spare him a glance. Trixie continued toward Olivia and Doug’s apartment door, forcing herself to put one foot in front of the other. “Don’t I even get a hello?”

“Hello, Dakota,” she said, with a roll of her eyes.

Coming to this little gathering for Emily was difficult enough and his arrival only ratcheted her anxiety up a notch. Damn it. Why wasn’t he out on patrol? Over the past few months, the cocky and admittedly gorgeous sentry, had become more and more present in her little corner of the universe.

Trixie fiddled with the box in her hands, the one she’d wrapped carefully with the pink and white skull and crossbones paper. She didn’t even bother to put a card with it. Everyone would know who’d brought it. She was the only coven member with bright pink hair and a penchant for skulls and crossbones, after all.

“That your present for little Emily?” He asked. “You wrapped it real nice.”

He got closer by the second.

“No,” Trixie snorted. “I just like carrying around a gift wrapped box for the hell of it. You know, for shits and giggles.”

She was being a snot but she couldn’t help herself.

Trixie kept her gaze pinned to the mammoth mahogany door at the end of the hallway and tried not to notice that he’d sidled up next to her, his stride matching hers.

Dakota Shelton, the newest sentry for the Presidium, the vampire government, was not an easy man to ignore.

His six foot two inch broad shouldered frame towered over her easily but there was something else about him that set her on edge. It was the way he carried himself. He moved effortlessly and casually, as if he was just the good-old boy from Texas he claimed to be.

But Trixie knew better.


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Praise for The Good, the Bad, and the Vampire....
"Sara Humphreys combines vampire and cowboy into a devastatingly sexy hero! The Good, the Bad, and the Vampire is a compelling, pulse-pounding, titillating adventure that grabs you from the first page, tosses you down, and steals your breath. Humphreys is a must-read in the paranormal genre!"--NYT Bestselling Author, Rebecca Zanetti



11223481_770348749736803_629214090244889513_n.jpg
About the Author:
Sara Humphreys is the award-winning author of the Amoveo Legend series. The third book in the series, UNTAMED, won two PRISM awards--Dark Paranormal and Best of the Best. The first two novels from her Dead in the City series have been nominated for the National Readers Choice Award. Sara was also a professional actress. Some of her television credits include, A&E Biography, Guiding Light, Another World, As the World Turns and Rescue Me.

She loves writing hot heroes and heroines with moxie but above all, Sara adores a satisfying happily-ever-after. She lives in New York with Mr. H., their four amazing sons, and two adorable pups. When she's not writing or hanging out with the men in her life, she can be found working out with Shaun T in her living room or chatting with readers on Facebook. 

For a full list of Sara's books and reading order, please visit her website. www.sarahumphreys.com


Facebook : Goodreads Author Page : Pinterest : Twitter : YouTube : Amazon Author Page


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Wolfbane's Daughter

1/5/2016

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On Tour with Prism Book Tours.

Welcome to the Cover Reveal for
Wolfsbane's Daughter
By Jennifer Silverwood
(A Wylder Tale Novella)
YA Dark Fantasy
ebook, 52 Pages


Wolfsbane and his daughter Resha are on a never ending quest in the Wylder Mountains, to wipe out the wolves who destroyed their village. Before their enemies stole everything she loved, Resha cared for little beyond learning how to be a hunter. After, she learned a hunter must be prepared to fight as well as flee. Now she cares for nothing but revenge.

Until she discovers two majikal humans half frozen in the forest. Resha has a choice, to follow her instincts and leave the strangers to the wolves, or save them. Yet the enemy is on the prowl and there is little time for Wolfsbane's daughter to find safe haven before they are discovered.

Goodreads

The First Book in the Series

Craving Beauty
(A Wylder Tale, #1)
Paperback & ebook, 239 pages
October 31st 2015

Vynasha has spent the last four years tending her mother's roses and looking after her nephew. The fire that killed their family has left her scarred and put Wyll on the brink of death. Soon the first frost will come down from the mountains and she knows this winter will be his last.

Until a strange beggar appears on the road, telling her of the majikal Source that can heal her Wyll. With nothing left to lose, Vynasha braves the forbidden Wylder Mountains to seek out a cure and her fate.

A lost kingdom is uncovered by an equally lost girl, but the castle is not abandoned as she believes. Shadows cloaking unseen eyes watch. Tapestries whisper from the hidden corners, wondering if the one to break their curse has come. And a hungry beast waits, ready to devour her soul.

Goodreads - Amazon - Barnes & Noble - Book Depository



Jennifer Silverwood
Jennifer Silverwood was raised deep in the heart of Texas and has been spinning yarns a mile high since childhood. In her spare time she reads and writes and tries to sustain her wanderlust, whether it’s the Carpathian Mountains in Transylvania, the highlands of Ecuador or a road trip to the next town. Always on the lookout for her next adventure, in print or reality, she dreams of one day proving to the masses that everything really is better in Texas. She is the author of the Heaven’s Edge series, Stay and Silver Hollow.

Website - Blog - Goodreads - Facebook - Twitter - Tumblr

Other Books by the Author
Silver Hollow Qeya (Heaven's Edge #1) Ohre (Heaven's Edge, #2) Stay

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Dark Deeds

1/4/2016

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On Tour with Prism Book Tours.

Welcome to the Release Celebration for
Dark Deeds
By Michelle Diener

Dark Deeds is book two in the Class 5 Series. If you missed Michelle's release-day message, go read it HERE, if you missed learning more about the characters from the series, go HERE, and don't forget to grab your copy of Dark Horse, book one, while it's on SALE for 99¢! There's a fabulous Amazon eGift Card giveaway as well. Enjoy the exclusive excerpt below...

Dark Deeds (Class 5, #2)Dark Deeds
(Class 5 #2)
by Michelle Diener
Adult Sci-Fi
Paperback & ebook, 340 Pages
June 4th 2016

Far from home . . . 

Fiona Russell has been snatched from Earth, imprisoned and used as slave labor, but nothing about her abduction makes sense. When she's rescued by the Grih, she realizes there's a much bigger game in play than she could ever have imagined, and she's right in the middle of it.

Far from safe . . . 

Battleship captain Hal Vakeri is chasing down pirates when he stumbles across a woman abducted from Earth. She's the second one the Grih have found in two months, and her presence is potentially explosive in the Grih's ongoing negotiations with their enemies, the Tecran. The Tecran and the Grih are on the cusp of war, and Fiona might just tip the balance.

Far from done . . . 

Fiona has had to bide her time while she's been a prisoner, pretending to be less than she is, but when the chance comes for her to forge her own destiny in this new world she grabs it with both hands. After all, actions speak louder than words.

Stacking heavy boxes in the launch bay, Fiona heard a ship come through the gel wall. Hard.
There was a harsh grinding of metal on metal.
The smell of burning, the hot scent of friction, blew over her a moment before the smoke. Black and choking, it engulfed her before being sucked out through the air filters.
She crouched down behind the crates, grateful for the first time for the hood Captain Tak had forced her to wear for the last four weeks. It fitted tightly over her head, with strange, protruding ears, like a child's whimsical winter hat, and the bottom half covered her mouth, ending just below her nose. It helped filter out the noxious fumes.
The loud grating sound ended with a shrieking crash that cut off abruptly, and in the sudden silence she heard a loud clang. She guessed the ship's ramp had just hit the launch bay floor.
She'd never been allowed in the bay when one of the smaller merchant vessels entered to do business with the Garmman trading ship she was on. Hury always came and dragged her back to her cell long before they arrived, only letting her out when they were gone.
So, this wasn't a scheduled arrival. And she didn't think every landing was quite so hard, or the launch bay would look a little worse for wear.
She peered around the high stack of containers and froze.
The ship that had come through was badly damaged, but she hardly noticed that.
It was the occupants who had her unwavering attention.
They came cautiously down the ramp, shockguns raised. They were slender, almost willowy, with hair that grew long and thick. Some had grown it to their shoulders or lower, others had cut it level with their ears. The pearl white of it contrasted with the delicate peach of their skin.
They moved like a slick, well-trained team, and there was something predatory about them. They were in a sort of uniform, not identical, but close enough. Dark pants and shirt, boots that ended well above their ankles. The contrast of the dark color with their pastel skin and hair made them all the more astonishing.
The launch bay door opened to her left and she turned to see Hecta and Nark stop dead in the doorway, mouths open at the smoldering ship, the damage to the bay.
Without any sign of hesitation, two of the peach people lifted their shockguns and fired.
Hecta and Nark went down, and two other interlopers ran over to them, pushed them clear of the doors and hit the button to close them again.
One signaled to another of the group, and he ran over, took out a tiny silver rectangle and pressed it to the keypad next to the door. She heard the locks engage, locking the Garmman crew on the other side of the launch bay.
Well.
Fiona bent her head for a moment, sucking in a breath through the thick fabric of her hood.
They could kill her.
But she was going to die here anyway.
It would be drawn out for a little longer, as some of the crew got up their courage to follow Captain Tak's unspoken request, but they would beat her to death sooner or later.
She rubbed her hip where Hury had kicked her yesterday, and knew it was true.
These people might kill her right now, but it was well worth the risk.
She started to rise, and felt the hard plastic-like ears built into her hood wobble. She crouched back down.
Captain Tak wanted her to wear the hood to hide what she was, and also to make her look like something she wasn't. It had become really important to him that she not be seen without it.
And anything that Tak wanted, she was determined to do the opposite.
She wasn't sure who the aliens in front of her were, but for all she knew, people who wore hoods like hers were their worst enemy. Whereas they couldn't have any negative history with a human.
She got a good grip and pulled the hood off her head, and just to make sure, slid it between two of the containers, completely out of sight.
The lingering smoke caught immediately at her throat, and as she stood and took a step out from behind the stack, she couldn't help coughing a little.
Ten shockguns turned in her direction, and her heart gave a jump as they bared their teeth.
They had incisors, their lips pulling back over their gums to expose them fully.
It brought baboons from nature documentaries to mind.
She slowly raised her hands to show she was unarmed. Then held her breath as they watched her, and she watched them right back.
The pupils of their eyes were red, and she pushed down her rising panic at their very interested gaze.
She may have made a mistake.
One of them cocked his head to the side, and gestured for her to come closer.
Before she'd seen the teeth, the eyes, she'd been willing enough to take the chance. Now she had to force herself to step slowly out of the shadows and into the harsh light of the landing area.
“Grih?” The one who'd motioned her forward asked.
She nodded, relieved. “I do speak Grih. And Garmman. And a little Bukari.” Fitali was too strange for her, she hadn't come close to working it out yet, and Tecran made her uneasy, made her heart beat faster and her hands shake. She had skipped over all the Tecran language lessons.
“I mean, are you Grihan?” He spoke Garmman, his voice sibilant, his sharp incisors peeking out as he spoke.
She frowned. He thought she looked Grihan? “No.”
One of the team circled behind her, and she turned her head to keep him in sight.
She flinched when he suddenly moved right in front of her.
“Too short. And the ears.” The finger he reached out had too many joints and he touched the tip of her ear, shockgun resting directly against her chest as he did it.
She shuddered, forcing herself to keep still.
They weren't that much taller than she was, although close up she saw that while their limbs were slender, every muscle was defined.
“Pity. We have a Grihan battleship chasing us and it would have been good to use you as a hostage.” The leader stared at her, and she saw there was a sly and calculating look in his eye. “What are you, then?”
“I'm a prisoner.” She took a breath when the gun lifted slightly off her chest. “I wanted to ask if you'd take me with you? Help me escape?”
The leader barked out a laugh. “No.” He looked back at his still-smoking ship. “How can we get out of here?”
Suddenly, the shockgun was back on her chest, and she could hear the whine as it got to full strength.
If a Grihan battleship was chasing them, then the Grih would come here to look for them, surely? That meant another group to appeal to for help.
All wasn't lost. 

Amazon

Exclusive Excerpt from Dark Deeds

I am so thrilled that Dark Deeds, book 2 in the Class 5 series, is out, and to share some of the love, I have part of the first chapter as an excerpt for you today! Dark Deeds is the sequel to Dark Horse, which is on sale for 99c at the moment, until January 9th, when it goes back to its usual price of $4.99.

— Michelle Diener

Chapter One

Stacking heavy boxes in the launch bay, Fiona heard a ship come through the gel wall. Hard.
There was a harsh grinding of metal on metal.
The smell of burning, the hot scent of friction, blew over her a moment before the smoke. Black and choking, it engulfed her before being sucked out through the air filters.
She crouched down behind the crates, grateful for the first time for the hood Captain Tak had forced her to wear for the last four weeks. It fitted tightly over her head, with strange, protruding ears, like a child's whimsical winter hat, and the bottom half covered her mouth, ending just below her nose. It helped filter out the noxious fumes.
The loud grating sound ended with a shrieking crash that cut off abruptly, and in the sudden silence she heard a loud clang. She guessed the ship's ramp had just hit the launch bay floor.
She'd never been allowed in the bay when one of the smaller merchant vessels entered to do business with the Garmman trading ship she was on. Hury always came and dragged her back to her cell long before they arrived, only letting her out when they were gone.
So, this wasn't a scheduled arrival. And she didn't think every landing was quite so hard, or the launch bay would look a little worse for wear.
She peered around the high stack of containers and froze.
The ship that had come through was badly damaged, but she hardly noticed that.
It was the occupants who had her unwavering attention.
They came cautiously down the ramp, shockguns raised. They were slender, almost willowy, with hair that grew long and thick. Some had grown it to their shoulders or lower, others had cut it level with their ears. The pearl white of it contrasted with the delicate peach of their skin.
They moved like a slick, well-trained team, and there was something predatory about them. They were in a sort of uniform, not identical, but close enough. Dark pants and shirt, boots that ended well above their ankles. The contrast of the dark color with their pastel skin and hair made them all the more astonishing.
The launch bay door opened to her left and she turned to see Hecta and Nark stop dead in the doorway, mouths open at the smoldering ship, the damage to the bay.
Without any sign of hesitation, two of the peach people lifted their shockguns and fired.
Hecta and Nark went down, and two other interlopers ran over to them, pushed them clear of the doors and hit the button to close them again.
One signaled to another of the group, and he ran over, took out a tiny silver rectangle and pressed it to the keypad next to the door. She heard the locks engage, locking the Garmman crew on the other side of the launch bay.
Well.
Fiona bent her head for a moment, sucking in a breath through the thick fabric of her hood.
They could kill her.
But she was going to die here anyway.
It would be drawn out for a little longer, as some of the crew got up their courage to follow Captain Tak's unspoken request, but they would beat her to death sooner or later.
She rubbed her hip where Hury had kicked her yesterday, and knew it was true.
These people might kill her right now, but it was well worth the risk.
She started to rise, and felt the hard plastic-like ears built into her hood wobble. She crouched back down.
Captain Tak wanted her to wear the hood to hide what she was, and also to make her look like something she wasn't. It had become really important to him that she not be seen without it.
And anything that Tak wanted, she was determined to do the opposite.
She wasn't sure who the aliens in front of her were, but for all she knew, people who wore hoods like hers were their worst enemy. Whereas they couldn't have any negative history with a human.
She got a good grip and pulled the hood off her head, and just to make sure, slid it between two of the containers, completely out of sight.
The lingering smoke caught immediately at her throat, and as she stood and took a step out from behind the stack, she couldn't help coughing a little.
Ten shockguns turned in her direction, and her heart gave a jump as they bared their teeth.
They had incisors, their lips pulling back over their gums to expose them fully.
It brought baboons from nature documentaries to mind.
She slowly raised her hands to show she was unarmed. Then held her breath as they watched her, and she watched them right back.
The pupils of their eyes were red, and she pushed down her rising panic at their very interested gaze.
She may have made a mistake.
One of them cocked his head to the side, and gestured for her to come closer.
Before she'd seen the teeth, the eyes, she'd been willing enough to take the chance. Now she had to force herself to step slowly out of the shadows and into the harsh light of the landing area.
“Grih?” The one who'd motioned her forward asked.
She nodded, relieved. “I do speak Grih. And Garmman. And a little Bukari.” Fitali was too strange for her, she hadn't come close to working it out yet, and Tecran made her uneasy, made her heart beat faster and her hands shake. She had skipped over all the Tecran language lessons.
“I mean, are you Grihan?” He spoke Garmman, his voice sibilant, his sharp incisors peeking out as he spoke.
She frowned. He thought she looked Grihan? “No.”
One of the team circled behind her, and she turned her head to keep him in sight.
She flinched when he suddenly moved right in front of her.
“Too short. And the ears.” The finger he reached out had too many joints and he touched the tip of her ear, shockgun resting directly against her chest as he did it.
She shuddered, forcing herself to keep still.
They weren't that much taller than she was, although close up she saw that while their limbs were slender, every muscle was defined.
“Pity. We have a Grihan battleship chasing us and it would have been good to use you as a hostage.” The leader stared at her, and she saw there was a sly and calculating look in his eye. “What are you, then?”
“I'm a prisoner.” She took a breath when the gun lifted slightly off her chest. “I wanted to ask if you'd take me with you? Help me escape?”
The leader barked out a laugh. “No.” He looked back at his still-smoking ship. “How can we get out of here?”
Suddenly, the shockgun was back on her chest, and she could hear the whine as it got to full strength.
If a Grihan battleship was chasing them, then the Grih would come here to look for them, surely? That meant another group to appeal to for help.
All wasn't lost. 


Dark HorseDark Horse
(Class 5 #1)
by Michelle Diener
Adult Sci-Fi
Paperback & ebook, 381 Pages
June 15th 2015

Some secrets carry the weight of the world.

Rose McKenzie may be far from Earth with no way back, but she's made a powerful ally--a fellow prisoner with whom she's formed a strong bond. Sazo's an artificial intelligence. He's saved her from captivity and torture, but he's also put her in the middle of a conflict, leaving Rose with her loyalties divided.

Captain Dav Jallan doesn't know why he and his crew have stumbled across an almost legendary Class 5 battleship, but he's not going to complain. The only problem is, all its crew are dead, all except for one strange, new alien being.

She calls herself Rose. She seems small and harmless, but less and less about her story is adding up, and Dav has a bad feeling his crew, and maybe even the four planets, are in jeopardy. The Class 5's owners, the Tecran, look set to start a war to get it back and Dav suspects Rose isn't the only alien being who survived what happened on the Class 5. And whatever else is out there is playing its own games.

In this race for the truth, he's going to have to go against his leaders and trust the dark horse.

Amazon

Image of Michelle Diener

Michelle Diener writes historical fiction, fantasy and science fiction. Having worked in publishing and IT, she’s now very happy crafting new worlds and interesting characters and wondering which part of the world she can travel to next.

Michelle was born in London, grew up in South Africa and currently lives in Australia with her husband and two children.

When she’s not writing, or driving her kids from activity to activity, you can find her blogging at Magical Musings. or online at Twitter, at Google+ and Facebook.

Website - Goodreads - Facebook - Twitter

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The Howling Heart

1/3/2016

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On Tour with Prism Book Tours.

Book Tour Grand Finale for
The Howling Heart
By April Bostic

Did you enjoy diving into a world with mythical werewolves? If you missed any of the posts about this paranormal story-book world, go back and check them out now...

Launch - Interview with the Author

1. What is your motivation behind The Howling Heart? Why did you want to write it?

I was inspired from watching the unfortunately cancelled TV series Wolf Lake and the movie Blood and Chocolate. I enjoyed both of them immensely and I liked how the werewolves were portrayed. I’m a big fan of werewolf movies and shows, and these are two of my favorites. I decided to write my own werewolf-themed story and give my werewolves a unique origin that I’d never read or seen before, including the addition of Norse mythology. I also liked the idea of wolves turning into humans instead of vice versa.

Cherry Mischievous - To love a werewolf, you must love the wolf.

Werewolves take center stage in my aptly titled paranormal romance novel The Howling Heart. I think my werewolves are unique, because they’re descended from a 13th century Scandinavian wolf that was blessed with the ability to shapeshift into a human by Máni, the Norse god of the moon, and Freya, the Norse goddess of love...
Wishful Endings - The History of Varulv

Riley Gray is the hero in my paranormal romance novel The Howling Heart, and is somewhat of a storyteller. I thought it would be fun to quote him when he shared the magical story of his werewolf ancestry with Paige, the love of his life and heroine in the book. The history has been passed down from generation to generation....

Becky on Books - Excerpt

I blushed under his steady gaze and looked away in an attempt to ignore him. For some reason, I couldn’t control myself. My gaze kept finding his. A smirk played on his lips—the color of a summer peach—and I wondered if they tasted as sweet.

Harlie's Books - Wolves and Research & 5-Star Review

When writing fiction, there is no limit to the author’s imagination. Oftentimes, we ask our readers to suspend disbelief. But being a book reader as well, I know sometimes there is a limit to the suspension before the story is just too unbelievable. Some readers want to be grounded in a little reality, so I think it’s ideal for an author to find a balance between the two.

"Plus there is a touch of the Viking in here too and oh man…I loved it!"
Singing Librarian Books - Excerpt

"No worries. I don't mind," he soothed. "You can borrow whatever you want. What's mine is yours, love."

Cover2Cover - The Howling Heart Main Character Spotlights

Today I’d like to shine the spotlight on the main characters in The Howling Heart. First, I’ll introduce Paige Donovan, the heroine and story narrator. She has provided the following hand-written list on a piece of loose-leaf notebook paper. She revealed to me that she wished she could’ve typed the list on a tablet, but is no longer afforded such a technological luxury...

underneath the covers - Excerpt

I didn’t sleep peacefully, because the sound of whimpering awakened me. I opened my eyes to see Riley suffering a nightmare. He panted rapidly. His wolf body twitched, and his head jerked against the pillow. I propped myself on my elbow and touched him gently to rouse him.

Colorimetry - Meet Riley as told by Paige

Hello Everyone! I’d like to introduce you to Riley Gray, the hero in my paranormal romance novel The Howling Heart, as told by Paige, the heroine and narrator. These are just some fun facts about him which makes him an interesting man---I mean, an interesting werewolf.

The Howling HeartThe Howling Heart
by April Bostic
Adult Paranormal Romance
Paperback & ebook, 220 pages
August 8th 2013

Paige Donovan is an ambitious college graduate who aspires to reach the top of the corporate ladder. She’s climbing fast when given the promotion of a lifetime at a prestigious fashion magazine in New York City. Her bright future comes to an unexpected halt after news of her father’s death. She inherits his old cabin in the Colorado Rockies, and just when she thinks her luck couldn’t get any worse, she has a car accident in the mountains and awakens in the small, remote community of Black River.

Soon, she’s engulfed in the mystical world of Varulv---wolves descended from 13th century Scandinavia and blessed by Norse gods with the ability to appear human. Paige is desperate to return home, but never expects to fall for her rescuer, Riley Gray, a charming young werewolf from England who offers her an alternate future with his pack.

Now, she must choose between the career she’s always wanted and the love she’s always dreamed.

Amazon - Barnes & Noble

April Bostic is a New Jersey-based, Adult Romance author who enjoys unleashing her creativity and letting her imagination run wild. Her love of romance books inspired her to become not just a reader, but also a writer. In December 2008, she self-published her first novel, a contemporary romance with a supernatural twist entitled A Rose to the Fallen. 

Her first short story, Right Here, Right Now, released in January 2012, is an erotic romance with a dash of S&M. The following year, she released two more short stories--a romantic urban fantasy inspired by the Greek myth of Eros and Psyche entitled Eros, My Love, and a sexy romantic comedy entitled Love Addiction. 

After five years, she released her second novel, The Howling Heart, a paranormal romance that delves into the mystical world of werewolves and Norse gods. To end her busiest year in publishing, April also released her fourth short story in December 2013, a historical paranormal romance entitled A Dark Scandal.

Goodreads

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$25 Amazon eGift Card & ebook of The Howling Heart
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