My Mummy After Our Baby by Namita Mahanama

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Namita Mahanama will be awarding a $15 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Why do you write juvenile fiction? What draws you to it?

I was drawn to write this children’s book because I felt like there were no resources available for this particular life-condition.

When I fell ill with postnatal depression, I wished we had something to explain what was happening at home to my 4-year-old son at the time, in a gentle and soft way. We were so engrossed in our reality and the darkness, that we didn’t have the capacity to do it ourselves.

I vowed upon my recovery that I would make a book to fill this exact void, because I know how much our family would have benefitted from having this tool in our belt.

I did enjoy writing the book…and learned a lot about the process as a self-publisher, so I gained a lot from the experience!

What did you want to be when you grew up? Why?

I wanted to be a dentist! I always knew I wanted to be a health professional as I have always loved science and maths vs the arts.

As I grew older, I realised that I can’t handle blood so ended up becoming a pharmacist instead!

Ironically though, I must be the master at manifesting…as my husband is a dentist! I get to be involved within our dental businesses and the industry, without the blood…so I feel like I have actually realised my childhood dream without the dirty work!

What would you write in a letter to your teen self?

I would definitely write to her these main points (ironically, I am in the process of recording my latest THRIVE with Whole-istic Healing Co. podcast episode, about what 10 things I would tell my younger self!);

+ To have more fun and not take life too seriously!

+ To know just how worthy she is, how she does not need any external validation or approval from anyone or any circumstance…she always has been worthy and always will be!

+ To always make time to do the things that fuel, rejuvenate and allow me to feel rested…no matter how busy I am, as I will be a better mother, wife, daughter, sister and friend if I do carve out time for these things

+ I would tell her to shine her light on the world and to not dim her light for anyone…she deserves to take up space and have her place in the world!

+ I would tell her to live in her divine feminine more…of allowing more joy and flexibility, rather than only living in her divine masculine of ‘doing’.

+ I would really want her to know just how special she is and that she needs to believe it from an inner space of knowing…as it will save her so many years of time and energy!

I would tell all of these things to my boys too…so they know how deserving they are to be here, how worthy and to have the confidence in being exactly who they are right now and not waiting until they have ‘this, that or the other’ but to embody this knowing RIGHT NOW!

What superpower would you love to have? Why?

I always tell my husband that I would love to be a fly on the wall! I could watch how people lived, what they did in their spare time, listen to what they say! I have always found it fascinating knowing what people are like outside of their mask…it does sound creepy though now that I write it down!

What book is on your nightstand currently?

I currently have Dr Shefali Tsabary’s ‘The Conscious Parent’ that she signed and gave to me on her tour here to Sydney!

I have it on my nightstand, because she is my real-life hero and I felt so blessed and honoured to have met with her, to have volunteered and helped with her event here in Sydney and to have her autograph and picture!

I love her content and all of her books, as I always grow and learn from her teachings. Her ‘portal of pain’ theory or concept was what allowed me to hold on when I was fighting for my life with my postnatal depression…so her wisdom truly saved my life, and I will be forever indebted and grateful for her power of speech and knowledge.

Favorite hot beverage. Why?

Coffee…coffee and coffee! I have a caffeine addiction, so without it I am a headache riddled and tired mess!

I love instant coffee (Nescafe here in Australia), with a splash of milk…as it is lighter and easier to digest for me than barista made coffee (I am weird I know!)

Ideal summer vacation.

At a beautiful beach resort in Bali or Fiji or Hamilton Island…cocktails by the pool or beach…kids playing on the sand or in the pool…warm air on my body, whilst I sip my drink and read a book or journal!

Absolute BLISS!

Counting down to do this again…as we would go to Bali from Perth every 3 months pre-Covid, and have not done it in 2.5 years now…so itching to go to a resort ASAP!

You’re stranded on a desert island—which character from your book do you want with you? Why?

I would absolutely love to be stranded on a desert island with my hubby Chandi or eldest son Ari! I know that I would have so much fun with both of them, and that they would be brave and look after me if we saw any strange animals or had to embrace a challenge there.

They would just chill with me, talk, have quiet time together…and it would be absolute bliss!

I wouldn’t take my youngest Kaiyaan, who now at 3.5, is a terror of a toddler and I would be pulling my hair out…if he wasn’t doing that to me already! Maybe in a year or two, we could all go there together and it would be just divine!

You’ve just won a million dollars and you’re not allowed to save any of it. What do you spend it on?

I would spend it on staying at a luxury resort, having a multitude of massages and facials…I would spend it on a personal trainer there, any courses with coaches there at this retreat too…completely self-indulgent!

From a philanthropic point of view, I would spend some at the retreat, and then help to build a women’s health centre there with access to nurses and health facilities for pregnant and post-birth mothers to access all of the resources they needed in that township.

My desire to help women’s health during this perinatal period extends to all aspects and areas of the globe…and I truly want this to be my life’s mission to allow access to resources that ALL women need for their health and life…but also for their children and their family.

Mothers are the backbone of our next generation, and we need to support and hold them now…especially now that we have moved away from our ‘tribal’ living.

Playlist for your current book.

I currently am writing an Ayurvedic Ecookbook for pregnancy and post-birth for mothers and their families. As an Ayurvedic Yoga Teacher and soon to be Ayurvedic Lifestyle Consultant, this book is close to my heart as a way of being able to give back knowledge and information to help women best nourish and rejuvenate themselves during this journey from maiden to matrescence.

I am so excited to be bringing it into the world, together with MY Mum who helped me along my journey to recovery…as well as the Ayurvedic principles running through her veins with her Indian heritage. It is a real blessing to be bringing it all together with her, so this is a project that is close to my home and heart.

My Mummy After Our Baby: A Journey Of Hope and Healing is a beautifully written and illustrated story, about the reality of post-natal depression setting in after the birth of their perfect little baby. It is a gentle, soft, perfectly put together story, filled with an abundance of emotion and heart to explain what is happening at home, for all children who may be feeling lost and confused about what is happening to their Mummy after becoming unwell.

It is written by a mother who experienced this twice herself and vowed to create a beautiful explanation and tool, in order to provide hope, solace and strength for other families, that she wished was available for her children.

This beautiful book is written in the hope of educating, as well as to be a connective and bonding tool, at a time when a family needs it the most. It is gently and eloquently written, with the most amazing illustrations, that will form the basis of a vital healing tool in the home of everyone who is going through this harrowing chapter.

The author has brought the prospect of hope in a perfect package here and is her gift to you and your family, to navigate through this chapter with as much peace and lightness as possible.

Read an Excerpt

The next day when Aydan went to school, his Mummy went into the hospital and after six hours of having a really sore tummy ache, she welcomed their beautiful little boy Kameron into the world!

The sun shone brightly that day, the birds chirped happily and his Mummy and Daddy were crying with how grateful, happy and blessed they felt! Aydan had never seen his Mummy glow so brightly and he loved his brother instantly for giving that to her.

Aydan had to be brave for a few days whilst his Mummy stayed in the hospital with Kameron to rest her body…but was so excited to welcome them back home.

When his Mummy did come home, she was so happy to see Aydan that she cried and glowed all at the same time! Rupert was so excited too that he couldn’t stop wagging his tail and cuddling his Mummy. It was perfection!

The next morning, Aydan noticed his Mummy looked a bit tired and she wasn’t shining as brightly as he remembered. He cuddled her and told her just how much he loved and missed her.

As the Autumn leaves started to fall down heavily over the next few days, Aydan looked at his Mummy and noticed that today her light had almost completely gone. Her smile, her glowing eyes, the light in her heart had almost completely disappeared and he felt so sad not knowing where they had all gone.

About the Author:

Namita is a mother of two boys and draws upon her heart-wrenching first-hand experience of post-natal depression, after the birth of both of her children. She is creating a myriad of support tools for women and their families, to navigate through their journeys of PND with as much ease and grace as possible.

Namita is a registered pharmacist who has qualifications in Ayurveda and Ayurveda Yoga teaching, as well as being a PMC (paediatric massage consultant) and CIMI (certified infant massage instructor). She draws upon her professional knowledge as well as her own experience, to be the support lifeline at a time when families need it the most.

Her intention is that she can be a beacon of hope and shine much-needed light, on the road towards the mothers and the entire family's healing and recovery. She hopes to inspire and uplift you through this chapter in your life.

Connect with Namita Mahanama

WEBSITE http://wholeistichealingco.com/
INSTAGRAM https://www.instagram.com/whole_istichealingco/
GOODREADS https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/22118373.Namita_Mahanama

Get Your Copy of My Mummy After Our Baby

AMAZON.COM https://amazon.com/dp/0228862930
AMAZON.CA https://amazon.ca/dp/0228862930
INDIGO CHAPTERS https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/my-mummy-after-our-baby/9780228862932-item.html
BARNES & NOBLE https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/my-mummy-after-our-baby-namita-mahanama/1140827876
BOOK DEPOSITORY https://www.bookdepository.com/My-Mummy-After-Our-Baby-Namita-Mahanama/9780228862932

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Dance with Me by Judith Crow - Interview

This post is parto of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. The author will award a a $10 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly chosen winner via Rafflecopter. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

What would you write in a letter to your teen self?

This is a tricky one!

If it was Early Teen Judith, it would be something along the lines of: “hang on in there! School doesn’t last forever and things will get better from here. Stop thinking about running away because you’ll never be happier than you are with your family, and the misery at school is worth it when the reward is spending time with them.”

If it was Mid Teen Judith, it would be more like: “well done. You survived school. Admittedly, that was because you’re being home-tutored, but you’re doing really well. You won’t be able to recognize the person you were before soon! Also, your fashion sense rocks: there aren’t enough people who go around dressed like musketeers!”

If it was Late Teen Judith, it would have to be: “you’re living on your own and you’re surviving! Way to go! Admittedly, you’re living in one of the most beautiful places in the world, so I know that makes it easier. Make sure you read all your core texts so you don’t, say, end up writing an essay which is about completely the wrong thing!”

Favorite hot beverage. Why?

A really nice hot chocolate. I have to say, I make a mean hot chocolate. I use semi-skimmed milk and heat it nearly to boiling, then add Cadbury’s drinking chocolate. Once it’s all pale brown and smooth, I pour it into giant mugs and put in massive marshmallows and lots of squirty cream. Yummmmm….

Ideal summer vacation.

Ooh, very difficult! In an ideal world? A long trip around Ireland, with plenty of time spent in Dublin. It is my favourite city in the whole world, and I would love to spend more time there. My sisters and I have been, but this ideal summer vacation would have my parents there too.

Then, on the way back up to Caithness, we could call in and visit York (my second favourite city) and Whitby (what’s not to love?!), and then meander through Scotland until we get home.

I would love to take my parents to Rome (another adventure I’ve shared with my sisters) but not in summer. I could hardly stand the heat in February – I’m a true Scot!!

Which of your characters would you most like to meet IRL? Why?

Probably William. He was loosely based on a man I was desperately in love with but, as I’ve grown up (and William hasn’t), I’ve realised I was far too – let’s say – idealistic. But all the same, I would love to meet him and maybe have the chance to fall in love all over again!

You’re stranded on a desert island—which character from your book do you want with you? Why?

Well, that would have to be Ailric. He’s an outdoorsy, survivor type, so he’d be able to look after me and make sure that I don’t starve or get eaten by wild animals. Either that or Tam Lane, who could just whisk me away. But that would probably be cheating!

Favorite pizza toppings.

Mm… the spicier the better. My local pizzeria (an independent, family-run business called Devita’s) make a pizza called Mexicana. It’s heavy on the vegetables, pepperoni and chilies and, to make it even better, it has mushrooms too. Oh, it’s just too good for words! I always order a 12” because then I can have the leftovers for breakfast the following morning.

You’ve just won a million dollars and you’re not allowed to save any of it. What do you spend it on?

The little house in our local cemetery has just come up for sale, so the first thing I do is buy that and do it up. To be honest, that will probably be in the region of 200k by the time I’ve done everything I want to with it. I’ll then run it as a bespoke artists’ and writers’ retreat – perfect for anyone planning to enter the Crowvus Christmas Ghost Story competition! I love cemeteries and graveyards, so this would be perfect for me but, without that mystical million dollars, I’m not sure it will happen!

The rest of the money? I’d organize that ideal summer vacation and, when we got back, buy my little sister a smallholding – this is her long-term objective and would mean we would have a lovely little escape-place in the countryside!

Not that I’ve thought about all this or anything…

Who was your teenaged crush? Why?

When I was fourteen, I was absolutely obsessed with Charlie Sheen. We’d always loved the film of The Three Musketeers (the 1990s Disney version) and, just after I left school, we bought the DVD. I think, for me, it represented this new non-school life! Charlie Sheen was my first proper pinup, and I bought loads of DVDs with him in through the next year. Then I moved on to Johnny Depp (slightly more conventional for someone of my age) and took down my pictures of Charlie Sheen and replaced them all. I even sent back the DVD of Lucas I had ordered so that I could afford Edward Scissorhands.

I’ve still never seen Lucas. Perhaps that would just be too weird now.

Favorite class in high school. Why?

I suppose, probably, English Language. I had an amazing English teacher. He loved his subject and that love was contagious, so everyone enjoyed his classes. I remember I had to do resits of my first year exams if I wanted to get a high grade overall and, when they came back, he sought me out and said “a great wrong has been righted”. I still remember how that vote of confidence made me feel. What a guy!

Don’t tell anyone, but Kelli spends all her free time listening to folk music. Ok, it’s not what you’d expect from a popular fifteen-year-old, but that’s why she doesn’t want the whole world to know.

When Kelli follows the mysterious Tam Lane, she finds herself in a place where folk songs come to life. As she comes to terms with the world, she makes friends, uses her privilege to help others, and even falls in love.

But Kelli has forgotten the fates which await so many characters in the songs, and she soon finds herself surrounded by heartbreak. Determined to protect the people she has left, can Kelli change a fate which has been sung for centuries?

Read the Excerpt

They left the inn as the church clock began to chime midday and completed their journey in relative silence. As they neared Arlen Manor, Kelli began to feel a strange sensation of being watched, as though a hundred pairs of eyes were following her wherever she went. Looking carefully, she saw there were sculpted birds in many of the trees: great, black, hideous creatures with round eyes which stared unseeingly and followed her as she passed them by.

“They are crows,” William explained. “Centuries ago, before it was Arlen, the castle which stood here was called Corbie. That’s just another word for crow. According to family legend, when a disaster is about to befall the men of the family, the crows of Corbie Castle can be heard talking to one another.”

Kelli felt a shiver stalk down her spine, and she was grateful when they left the woods and moved up the long driveway to the house, which was a picture of gothic splendour in the late afternoon light. She immediately had the feeling that this was the place she had been meant to find, although she could not explain where the idea came from. Climbing down from the trap, Kelli followed William to the door, and stood behind him as he hammered his fist against it.

  About the Author:

Judith was born in Orkney, grew up in Lincolnshire and now lives in the far north of Scotland. Her writing is inspired by the experiences of her life so far and she loves picking up on quirks and immortalising them in fiction.

Judith’s new book, Dance With Me, combines her love of folk music and creative writing, and finds her main character in a world where folk songs come to life. Her debut book, The Backwater, was a finalist in the Wishing Shelf Book Awards 2019.

When she isn’t writing, Judith is a primary school teacher who enjoys crafting and music, as well as being a generally doting spaniel owner.

Website: http://www.judithcrow.co.uk
Publisher: http://www.crowvus.com
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/jayzed_kay

Buy link: https://www.amazon.com/Dance-Me-Judith-Crow-ebook/dp/B08GC86MG7

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Glimmer by Rayna Noire

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Rayna Noire will be awarding a Kindle Fire (U.S. only) or $50 Amazon Gift Certificate (International winner) to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour for more chances to win!

What books were your favorite as a youth and why?

I usually enjoyed adventure books as a child such as The Black Stallion.

What did you want to be when you grew up? Why?

A forest ranger because I love being out in nature

What would you write in a letter to your teen self?

Enjoy your current time. Accept yourself. You’re okay just the way you are.

What candy do you give out at Halloween?

Chocolate candy bars because I always hated it when I got the cheap stuff as a kid.

What superpower would you love to have? Why?

I would like to be able to speak and understand all languages. It would allow me to communicate with people all around the world.

Favorite TV show from your childhood?

The Jetsons

Which of your characters would you most like to meet IRL? Why?

Nana because she is so opinionated and colorful.

What four literary characters would you most like to have over for dinner?

I would invite Sherlock Holmes, Scarlett O’Hara, Count Dracula, and Bilbo Baggins.

Create an ice cream flavor. What’s it called?

Peanut butter, pecan and dark chocolate. I’d call it Perfection.

You’ve just won a million dollars and you’re not allowed to save any of it. What do you spend it on?

I would give part of it to the animal rescue shelter. The rest of it, I would make into college scholarships for average students.

Favorite class in high school. Why?

English class because I was able to read all these great stories.

For seventeen years, the convent walls kept Meara Cleary from the secret of her own parentage. A bearded stranger claims she’s his niece and promises to take her home. Before he can, a cataclysmic event thrusts her into a war-torn world.

Meara vows to journey to Ireland to find her uncle, unaware of how perilous a journey it will be. Her Druidic father guides her through dreams, explaining her magical heritage. Her dead parent can’t help her with the intricacies of village life, especially when she catches the eye of the very engaged Braeden.

A whirlwind composed of equal parts menace, romance, and revelation sweep Meara across the continent while gathering allies and enemies with equal speed. Her intent to return to her family turns into a fight to survive her own destiny.

Want a taste of the book? Try this excerpt:

Meara glanced back the way she had come realizing nothing looked familiar. How far had she’d wandered from the path. The rustle of movement and the snapping of nearby sticks sped up her heartbeat. A week ago, she’d panicked, sure, someone had followed her only to have a deer wander into the clearing, but this time two large shadows grew out of a nearby underbrush. People. She hadn’t expected this. Could they see her? One gestured in her direction and said something in a guttural language she couldn’t comprehend. The other answered in the same tongue. By the time, it took her to realize the men were after her, one had slipped behind her and grabbed her arm, pinning it painfully behind her back.

He spoke, as his companion reached out for her hair. "Kriegsbeute“

Meara twisted, knowing at an instinctual level she needed to get away from these strangers. The man holding her captive laughed, then muttered something before releasing her arm. She stumbled away recognizing an opportunity. A quick glance back showed the two of them being attacked by the bobbing lights. An occasional yelp assured her the attack was painful. They must be some type of glowing bees.

One hovered in front of her. Follow me. The musical voice sounded in her head. Besides the strangers behind her, there was no one else here. Certainly, no one with a voice as clear and bell-like that it reminded her of a raindrop or dew glistening on a flower. Somehow, this bobbing light placed the voice inside her own head. Her impulsive foray into the woods had landed her into a situation she didn‘t know how to handle. The shimmering light blinked, indicating a need to hurry.

Rayna Noire is an author and a historian. The desire to uncover the truth behind the original fear of witches led her to the surprising discovery that people believed in magick in some form up to 150 years ago. A world that believed the impossible could happen and often did must have been amazing. With this in mind, Ms. Noire taps into this dimension, shapes it into stories about Pagan families who really aren’t that different from most people. They do go on the occasional adventures and magick happens.

www.facebook.com/AuthorRaynaNoire
www.twitter.com/raynanoire
www.raynanoire.weebly.com
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Faerie-Lights-Glimmer-Magical-Historical-ebook/dp/B01IODFZAY/

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Two Brothers, One Redhead, and a Stolen Giraffe by Sarah Mandell

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Sarah Mandell will be awarding 5 of her handmade laser etched wooden pendants that she is launching as a new collection in conjunction with the release of the book to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

Welcome to Books in the Hall, and thanks for answering some of our questions. Why do you write juvenile fiction? What draws you to it?

The teen years are the best of times and the worst of times. There are ups and downs that only happen during that chapter of life, and you begin to figure out who you are and what you want for the very first time. You start to make choices for yourself (good, bad, or otherwise), and so much of the world is still unknown, so I like writing fiction that features young adult characters because there’s so much good emotional material to work with.

Pretend your protagonist is at school and opens his/her locker – what will we see inside?

Books, books, and more books. Nothing but the classics for Daniel McElroy! You’d find Ernest Hemmingway, and Joseph Conrad, all overdue from the library by several weeks.

What did you want to be when you grew up? Why?

I always wanted to be an interior designer. I remember constantly rearranging my dollhouse as a kid after I was supposed to be asleep at night. It was way more fun to move the furniture around and repaint the walls than it was to pretend dolls were living in the house. I enjoyed arranging the spaces, and filling them with beautiful colors and textures.

Funny story, I went to school for interior design and have worked in the field since 2005. It was the only job I could ever picture myself doing, and I didn’t have a back up plan so I’m glad it worked out!

What book is on your nightstand currently?

The Transformation of Bartholomew Fortuno by Ellen Bryson.

Hunger Games or Twilight? Why?

Hunger Games. Easy.
Katniss is badass, and whats-her-face is not.
The end.

Sum up your book for Twitter: 140 characters or less.

A quirky coming-of-age story about the complications of love, loss, and newfound independence.

You’re stranded on a desert island—which character from your book do you want with you? Why?

Josephine Larsen: she’s self-sufficient and clever, so I think having her there with me would triple my chances of survival. She can tell which way is north, start a fire, and gut a fish, definitely a girl who knows how to get by on practically nothing. I’m never really sure which way is north, the only fires I’ve started are by accident, and I would probably cry if I had to gut fish. I wouldn’t last very long on a desert island by myself!

Playlist for your current book.

So glad you asked! I’ve been working on this playlist for Two Brothers, One Redhead, and a Stolen Giraffe since 2011. I think…maybe…it’s finally ready to share. Writing this book actually changed my taste in music, and all of these artists (except Sam Beam and Doug Burr) are new to me since 2011. I had very specific background music in mind when I was writing and editing the book several years ago, but at the time I had very little to choose from that suited the story, so I listened to Iron and Wine and Doug Burr the entire time. From there, thanks to Pandora and Spotify’s suggestions, I discovered a brand new world of music and have become a huge fan of Noah Gunderson and Damien Jurado, just to name a few.

https://open.spotify.com/user/sarahmandell83/playlist/6mUaaKnDCX9cU8J33wnrW6

Who was your teenaged crush? Why?

Pretty much any guy in a rock band who wore eyeliner (Christopher Hall from Stabbing Westward, Trent Reznor from Nine Inch Nails, Dave Navarro from Red Hot Chili Peppers, etc.). I can’t even begin to explain this...

Favorite class in high school. Why?

Art: I absolutely love to work with my hands, and to this day, creating art is something I look forward to. Art classes in high school led to art school, which led to a creative career in interior design, which led to a little side hobby turned small business called Once Again Sam. So much of my life is what it is today because of those art classes in high school!

The McElroy brothers find trouble easily. Dylan plunges headfirst into it, while Daniel cleans up behind him. That’s the way it’s always been, ever since their mother left them to be bounced around the foster system, causing trouble wherever they went. The soon-to-be euthanized giraffe they just stole from the Northside Animal Park may be their biggest predicament yet, in more ways than one, but there's no undoing what's been done.

Lost in Nebraska without a plan, clueless how to care for the ornery old beast in the back of the trailer, the well-meaning brothers stop to rest at an abandoned-looking barn. A pretty redhead with a snappy temperament and a shotgun discovers the boys and their sixteen-foot stowaway. Her name is Josephine, she lives on this farm with her father who is spoken of, but never seen, and her root cellar has more locks than a bank vault. She’s got a way with animals and plenty of secrets, not to mention the interest of two brothers who swore they’d never let some girl come between them.

Enjoy an excerpt:

Daniel and Dylan McElroy snapped their eyes open only to be blinded by a billion-watt flashlight aimed in their faces. It might as well have been the sun. They scrambled to their feet, unable to see who or what was behind that blazing white light. They shielded their faces, begging for mercy.

A female voice came from behind the painful brightness. She managed to get out, “What in the hell…” before the beam of light shifted upward, illuminating Millie’s unimpressed face. The giraffe’s long eyelashes blinked downward, inspecting the people below. Her nubby horns cast strange shadows on the ceiling of the barn.

While the beam of light from the girl’s torch shown upward still, locking Millie in the spotlight, Daniel got a good look at the person holding it. She was a teenager with fiery red hair all mussed up from sleep that fell well below her shoulder blades. Her eyes were pale in color, but he couldn’t be sure if they were blue or hazel in this severe lighting. She had delicate features, a snobby little nose, and a pair of pink lips parted in astonishment as she gazed upward at the out-of-place creature. This girl, a member of the Larsen family perhaps, was a pretty thing, but she was not in good spirits being woken in the middle of the night only to find two strange young men and a reticulated giraffe in her family’s barn. She had a shotgun at her side, which she now raised up and aimed at Dylan.

Daniel cleared his throat, ready to say just the right words to save young Dylan from certain death. Again. “We didn’t mean to cause no trouble,” Daniel explained, palms open with vulnerability. Daniel had always been the spokesperson when trouble found them, or more likely, when Dylan found trouble. He was the explainer of the mischievous pair.

“Am I hallucinating, or is that a giraffe?” the girl demanded to know.

“That?” Daniel asked, glancing upward in hopes she was referring to something else. “Uh. Yeah. That would be Millie. Millie the giraffe.”

About the Author:

Sarah Mandell is a professionally trained artist with a background in commercial interior design. She's also the brains and busy hands behind a thriving indie craft business called Once Again Sam in Greenville, SC. Even with an ever-expanding collection of creative outlets, she's truly the happiest when she's writing. Two Brothers, One Redhead, and a Stolen Giraffe is Sarah’s second novel. Her debut novel was Celia on the Run (Untreed Reads, 2012).

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Interview with Jennifer Osborn

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Jennifer will be awarding digital copies of The Dawning of Scarlett via iBooks to 5 randomly drawn winners plus a $10 Starbucks GC to 3 other randomly drawn winners via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

What books have most influenced your life?

I have to say, SE Hinton’s books. I had a very turbulent childhood and teen years and when I discovered The Outsiders and felt Ponyboy’s angst and pain, I was mesmerized. I couldn’t get enough of her broken heroes and read everything she put out. Reading a book where someone understood my pain was transformative. I hope to be that for someone else in the future.

What are the best and worst pieces of writing advice you ever received?

Hmm. Everyone seems to have advice, even when you don’t ask for it. Even non-writers will offer writing advice. Keeping that in mind, the worst pieces of writing advice have been what I get almost every time I talk to a non-writer, “You should write a story about ‘insert title here’” or “I have a really great story idea, you should write it”. I know they mean well, but it’s almost a cliché now.

The best advice was to keep writing. No matter what, just keep writing and to write what I love.

How do you keep your writing different from all the others that write in this particular genre?

I try to keep my ideas original. I don’t like to keep to norms regarding any trope. So, if I want to write about something, I’ll try to figure out a way to present it that is new. That approach lead me to write “The Veiled”, book one of my Shilund Saga.

Where are you from and what do you love best about your hometown?

I am originally from Corbin Kentucky. What I love the most about it is the friendliness of everyone and the fact that everything is close together. I have plenty of friends and family who still live there.

When writing descriptions of your hero/ine, what feature do you start with?

Oddly enough, I start with hair. I never even thought about that until you asked this question. Somehow I see the character’s hair first.

How many books have you written? Which is your favorite?

I have written 7 books thus far. Admittedly, the most favorite is always the current one I’m working on. You have to love what you write, else how could you devote so much time and energy to it? Trying to define a favorite is trying to figure out which child is your favorite. :-)

As a pale revenant—the vampire faction believing all life is sacred—sixteen-year-old Scarlett Ellis has learned to hide in the human world. She goes to night-school, works at a coffee shop, and her uncle Chasem trains her in martial arts. No matter what, she has to be prepared, because when she turns seventeen, she’ll be of Dawning age—and her biological father Apollo vows to see her dead first.

Expecting her Dawning to be impossible, she accepts the fact that she will become a rogue, forever hunted by revenant renegades and outcast by her own people. Scarlett thinks she’s prepared for this—until the curly-haired Nicholas Lightener walks into her life and asks her out on a date.

Torn between her feelings for Nick and the danger of the revenant world, Scarlett’s strange life is turned inside-out when she’s kidnapped and forced to do the one thing she swore she’d never do. Plus, she has no idea whose memories keep appearing in her dreams, or if they can even help her. Determined to free herself from a death sentence, Scarlett must fight to become who she was born to be.

Enjoy an excerpt:

Suddenly, I’m standing in a field, illuminated by sunlight, but I'm not burning. It's warm and relaxing. I look down to the translucent skin of my hands and can see the blood coursing through my veins. I turn my hand over, staring at it.

A movement catches my eye and I look up. Before me is a beautiful woman with dark hair and clear eyes. At first, her gaze is loving, adoring almost, and then it fades into a bone-chilling shriek as she turns to run away in horror. I try to reassure her that it’s okay, but the words get stuck in my throat. Her skin burns and flakes away, and before I know it, her scream fades to a muffled shriek, abruptly cut off as she becomes a pile of ash. A maniacal laugh sounds beside me, and I turn to see a dark-headed man with a deviant grin.

"Wasn't that lovely?" he asks me, laughing right as I feel my skin start to burn.

About the Author:

After working in the legal and technical fields for many years, Jennifer Osborn took the plunge into full time writing in 2015. She is the award-winning author of The Shilund Saga and The Sentinel’s Insurgency. When not writing, she listens to a different muse and creates paintings and collages of all sorts.

She lives in the Cincinnati area with her husband, three dogs and two cats.

You can find out more about her at Website: www.jenniferosborn.org
Facebook: AuthorJenniferOsborn
Twitter: @hondagirljen
Instragram: hondagirljen
Amazon Author Page & Buy Links: http://www.amazon.com/Jennifer-Osborn/e/B00EMWYFX0/

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Q&A with Annette Oppenlander

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Annette Oppenlander will be awarding a $25 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Thanks so much for stopping by Books in the Hall. Why do you write juvenile fiction? What draws you to it?

I love a teen’s raw from your heart, often unfiltered approach to life and challenges. Maybe I never quite got over adolescence myself, but I find this age hugely entertaining, tough and funny at the same time. My characters get to do things and act in a way I would’ve only dreamed of. Of course, this is fiction and we need heroic acts which may not always be realistic.

What’s your favorite sweet treat?

From an early age I’ve been a chocoholic. I don’t remember too many days I haven’t eaten some form of chocolate. Not cookies or pudding or other sweets. No, it’s got to be chocolate. I particularly love European chocolates because I grew up in Germany. There are hundreds of choices in a German grocery store and it took me a long time to get used to the smallish candy aisles in the U.S.

What would you write in a letter to your teen self?

To relax and not worry so much about stuff. Life happens and no matter how we plan, there’ll be changes we can’t foresee. Most of what we worry about and blow out of proportion never happens anyway. I spent a lot of time planning and look where it got me. Had anybody told me I’d be living in the U.S. for nearly 30 years, I’d have considered it utterly ridiculous.

Coal or candy in your Christmas stocking? Why?

That depends on the year. I was quite a handful during by early teens so it would’ve been coal for sure.

What book is on your nightstand currently?

I’m reading “Fire in the Water” by James Alexander Thom and “Wool” by Hugh Howey. I typically read two or three books at the same time.

Hunger Games or Twilight? Why?

I’ve got to go with Hunger Games. Twilight while fascinating and love by many is not nearly as well written as the Hunger Games. Also I love a theme that affects many people and has huge stakes. I think the stakes in the Hunger Games are huge and the plot is clever. I admit I only read an occasional romance and several in a series are too many for me. Though it must be amazing to have a guy be so smitten with you that he overcomes all manners of opposition.

Sum up your book for Twitter: 140 characters or less.

Nerdy gamer tries out an experimental computer game and time-travels to medieval Germany where he must survive and find a way home.

Favorite hot beverage. Why?

It used to be coffee. I LOVE coffee, the smell, the taste, everything about it. Add some real cream and I’m in heaven. But my husband got sick and I gave up coffee with him. Now my favorite hot drink is tea. Luckily there are many flavors and other than black teas I like them all. At night we drink sleepy-time tea. It’s a great custom for fall and winter.

Ideal summer vacation.

You’re talking to a travel nut. I love traveling and until recently my time was quite restricted by the vacation time my husband and I received from our jobs. Now that he’s retired and I’m a fulltime author we get to travel a lot more. My ideal summer trip combines a week at a beautiful warm beach, a few days bike riding along a river in Germany, drinking wine and enjoying fabulous dishes and some time with my aging father.

Favorite pizza toppings.

I’m a vegetarian so I love all veggies and all kinds of cheese. My top choices are mushrooms, feta cheese, spinach and artichokes. Just the thought of that makes me hungry. Will take a break now and order a pizza.

Thank you very much for having me!

Annette

When fifteen-year old nerd and gamer Max Anderson thinks he’s sneaking a preview of an unpublished video game, he doesn’t realize that 1) He’s been secretly chosen as a beta, an experimental test player. 2) He’s playing the ultimate history game, transporting him into the actual past: anywhere and anytime. And 3) Survival is optional: To return home he must decipher the game’s rules and complete its missions—if he lives long enough. To fail means to stay in the past—forever.

Now Max is trapped in medieval Germany, unprepared and clueless. It is 1471 and he quickly learns that being an outcast may cost him his head. Especially after rescuing a beautiful peasant girl from a deadly infection and thus provoking sinister wannabe duke Ott. Overnight he is dragged into a hornet’s nest of feuding lords who will stop at nothing to bring down the conjuring stranger in their midst.

Enjoy an excerpt:

I heard more rustling. Louder now. Not from the men, but from the woods behind me. My knees buckled and I was vaguely aware of the thudding sound I’d made. I had to figure out what had just happened, retrace my steps. Where was my room? My mind churned as I scanned the ground for some sign of home, something familiar.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw the bearded thug turn his head. Ducking behind a hazelnut bush, I squinted through the leaves. The thug had raised his sword and stepped toward my hiding place.

I crouched lower, my ears filled with the pounding of my own heartbeat. Rough laughter came from the other two riders. Despite my panic I caught a glimpse of them poking their swords at the injured man’s shoulder. I smelled their stench—and the wounded man’s fear.

The bearded thug continued in my direction. Sunlight bounced off the edge of his blade. He took another step, scanning, listening. I forced my shaking body to be absolutely still. This had to be some kind of challenge in the game.

The man kept coming. Twenty feet. Everything about him looked menacing: his eyes the color of mud, his razor-sharp sword wide as a hand. Fifteen feet. I held my breath.

A scream rang out.

“Have mercy, My Lords,” the bleeding man cried. He was kneeling now, waiving his good arm in a pleading gesture. “I beg you,” he wailed.

I lowered my gaze. Somewhere I’d read that the white of a man’s eyes could give you away. Keeping my lids half-closed, I peeked through the leaves once more. The thug was ten feet away. Close up he looked worse, a brute with arms the size of my thighs, his chest covered in leather and wide as a barrel. Despite his size he had the soundless walk of a stalking animal. I watched with paralyzed fascination. Any second I’d be discovered, but all I managed was to shove my hands into my jeans pockets to keep them from trembling. It’s a computer game, my brain screamed. It’s real, my gut argued.

About the Author:

Annette Oppenlander writes historical fiction for young adults. When she isn’t in front of her computer, she loves indulging her dog, Mocha, and traveling around the U.S. and Europe to discover amazing histories.

“Nearly every place holds some kind of secret, something that makes history come alive. When we scrutinize people and places closely, history is no longer a number, it turns into a story.”

Website: http://www.annetteoppenlander.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/annetteoppenlanderauthor
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25322486-escape-from-the-past?from_search=true&search_version=service
Twitter: @aoppenlander
Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HN8EjprQZLU

Buy Links: Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Escape-Past-Dukes-Annette-Oppenlander/dp/1846949734/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1434917583&sr=8-1&keywords=escape+from+the+past
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/escape-from-the-past-annette-oppenlander/1121795814?ean=9781846949739
IndieBound: http://www.indiebound.org/book/9781846949739

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Q&A and Giveaway with A.J. Cosmo

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. A. J. Cosmo will be awarding a $75 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

1. Why do you write juvenile fiction? What draws you to it?

Katherine Applegate said that if a subject matter is too difficult for adults, write it for children. I think that Juvenile fiction presents a challenge in that you must write an engaging story without resorting to adult crutches such as erotic scenes, violence, or profanity. In other words, your scenes must be interesting because there is something interesting going on. Kids also get to have a bigger dose of truth in their fiction. It's odd, but adults are normally fed sanitized or overly dramatic narratives. Things are either saccharin sweet or falling apart at the seems. In the oddest sense, the most unrealistic genre is actually the closest to reality.

3. What books were your favorite as a youth and why?

My all time favorite kids book is "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie." I have no idea why, but it spoke to me. It still does. People will take what they can from you and you have to learn to be both giving and guarded.

4. What’s your favorite sweet treat?

Marshmallows. I'm not able to eat much due to some bizarre food intolerances I have, but I do get to have marshmallows and I adore them.

6. What would you write in a letter to your teen self?

Dear me,

You literally would not recognize yourself. You write for a living, you are half the size you are now, and a lot of things that you're scared would go wrong, will go wrong. You're not where you thought you’d be, but that's okay, because you’re in some place better. Don’t be so afraid of everything. Stop planning so much. Everything is going to be alright.

7. What candy do you give out at Halloween?

I live in Los Angeles so we never get any trick or treaters (parents take kids to Disneyland or malls.) However, if we did have trick or treaters we would be that awesome house that handed out full-sized candy bars. Getting those was like winning the lottery on Halloween.

8. Coal or candy in your Christmas stocking? Why?

I'm at that horrible adult point where no one knows what to get each other so Christmas devolves into half-guesses, practicality presents, and gift cards. My mom put up stockings last year but the only one of us who got anything was the cat. My favorite present was a bag full of fresh socks and a workout outfit because I really needed both. Sigh. Growing old is weird.

9. What superpower would you love to have? Why?

Telekinesis because I am extremely lazy and wish that I could grab coffee refills with my mind while having the keys on the computer press themselves. I always have so much more energy in my thoughts than I do in my body. ;)

10. What book is on your nightstand currently?

I rescued a copy of Where the Sidewalk Ends from a bargain bin and am re-reading it for the first time since I was ten.

11. Hunger Games or Twilight? Why?

Both? I don’t know. They both get a lot of hate from my generation but honestly you don’t become that popular without having something to offer. Hunger Games is one of the most well thought out world building in all of literature while Edward is the most lovingly described character in all of fiction. Writers listen up, pay attention to what does well, even if you think it's awful, everything has something to teach us.

13. Favorite TV show from your childhood?

Tiny Toon Adventures. The Spielberg trio (Tiny Toons, Freakazoid, and Animaniacs) are still some of the best cartoons ever produced for television. Rocko's Modern Life was another insane favorite that really should not have been aired. Same goes for Ren and Stimpy. Good gosh, did children's cartoons loose their edge or what? Spongebob still skirts the line, but I find a lot of modern cartoons grating, as they just seem terrified of short attention spans.

14. Sum up your book for Twitter: 140 characters or less.

All the kid's phones read "$500 Gamestop gift card to the kid that Brings me Aiden- Jacob" I'm Aiden, btw.

15. Favorite hot beverage. Why?

Coffee. Is there another answer? Tea maybe, but I'm assuming by the number of Starbucks in the world that I'm not alone in this. I like a regular sized drip or press coffee with a splash of soy milk. I'll drink it black if need be. I love the taste but lets not kid ourselves here, I'm after the caffeine.

16. Ideal summer vacation.

Taking one, lol. I would love to visit the Great Barrier Reef and all of New Zealand. I'd also like to go back to Disneyworld before I have children of my own. Camping would be nice, especially up in Northern California. I don't know!

20. Favorite pizza toppings.

I love supreme gluten free pizzas with vegan cheese. The individual favorite topping is sun-dried tomato, but that's a misnomer because I would refuse to eat them alone.

21. Create an ice cream flavor. What’s it called?

Toasted marshmallows. I can’t have ice cream, but I can have marshmallows, so everyone can eat ice cream based off of my favorite treat.

22. You’ve just won a million dollars and you’re not allowed to save any of it. What do you spend it on?

I'd open up a foundation where if you write them and ask it will send you $20. Anyone is eligible, they just need to contact and explain why they need the money. Why do this? Because most people simply don’t ask for what they want and even fewer have the gumption to go after things. Anyone alive is currently within your reach. I think it would be neat to teach 500,000 people that.

23. Playlist for your current book.

For some reason I've been writing a lot of children's books while listening to electronic dance music. I really hope that doesn't alter the writing too much. LOL

What a way to start summer… I should have never stood up to that bully Jacob. It was just a water balloon thrown to save my friend’s behind during recess. Now we’re on a bus heading home and everyone gets the same text: “$500 gift card and full immunity to the kid that brings me Aiden- Jacob.” I’m Aiden by the way, and the entire fourth grade is staring at me. Hopefully, with my friend’s help, we can get off at the next stop, three miles from my house, and make it home before the entire neighborhood finds us.

Soaked is the first middle-grade novel by author/illustrator A.J. Cosmo. Filled with humor and suspense, this surprising page turner is a tale of friendship, courage, and standing up for what’s right. For 3rd-5th grade readers.

Enjoy an excerpt:

I'm a coward.

That was the first thing that crossed my mind when the water balloon splattered on Jacob's face. Jacob, the boy who never needed a hall pass. Jacob, the kid who never ate his own lunch. Jacob, the one you cleared the bathroom for.

Cowards don't do this, I thought. Cowards run. Let everyone who has ears to hear know that I, Aiden Jones, am a coward.

Jacob let go of Ben's collar and let his victim join my side. Our classmates fell into a sick silence. No one knew what to do because no one had ever challenged Jacob before.

What about me though? What did Jacob have in store for me? Would he drag me into the bathroom and give me a swirly? Would he hold me under the water fountain? Would he stuff my pockets with water balloons and make me do jumping jacks?

Jacob just stared.

The summer sun pulled the water from his shirt, just as it soaked up the moisture from the plants and our skin. Since the drought began in the mid-west, our cozy little school had turned into a solar oven. The worst part was that the principal could have cranked up the air conditioning and given us all relief, but she didn't, not even on the last day of school. That's just the kind of lady she was.

"Jacob--I didn't mean to--I mean," I said.

"You almost got my phone wet," he growled.

About the Author:

A.J. Cosmo is the author and illustrator of over forty children’s books including the best-selling “The Monster That Ate My Socks”. He lives and works in Los Angeles, loves reading and video games, and is hard at work finishing the Monsters A to Z series. “Soaked” is A.J.’s first middle-grade novel.

Website: www.ajcosmo.com
Blog: www.ajcosmo.com/blog
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AJCosmokids
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ajcosmokids
Soaked Purchase page: http://www.amazon.com/Soaked-J-Cosmo/dp/0692424865/

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Funny Fruit by Grant and Gary Reed - Interview and Giveaway

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Grant and Gary Reed will be awarding a $15 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Grant joins us for an interview today. Welcome, Grant. Pretend your protagonist is at school and opens his/her locker – what will we see inside?

I’m sure his training equipment would be in there, sword armor etc. I also think there would be 3 red training balls (Fonn and Yarl will be looking for these), some puppy treats for Leadbelly, some scrawled notes from Azilda, and probably some books on astronomy -compliments of Professor Lacie.

There might be a list of chores to complete at the inn, but this will be old and it’s probably slipped down a crack at the bottom (Who cares anyway?)

If there’s a small remote device with blinking lights on it, this is okay, as long as all of the lights are green!

What’s your favorite sweet treat?

I have always liked raspberry pie. I’m not sure why, but when I was a kid, my grandmothers were always baking. I think people baked more back then. I remember going places and all of the older ladies always had baked goods in their house. As far as Raspberry being my favorite, I don’t know why…I just always preferred it to blueberry or strawberry.

What would you write in a letter to your teen self?

Enjoy life while you’re young and free. Do stupid things and have fun. Life won’t always be so care free. Don’t take people for granted, they may be gone in the blink of an eye. Always treat people with respect, even if it’s not the cool thing to do. Oh and FOR GOD”S SAKES, DO NOT FIRE YOUR AGENT after three weeks because you are impatient. The next twenty years will be a loooooooong struggle if you do.

What candy do you give out at Halloween?

We give out small bags of chips and small chocolate bars. I have had my share of battles over the Halloween candy. The less we have in the house the better, as I always seem to put on a few pounds around that time of year!

What superpower would you love to have? Why?

Time Travel would be awesome. I’d love to be able to go back in time and see some of the famous people and events. Can you imagine riding on the Titanic or meeting Jimmy Hendrix? The possibilities would be limitless.

What book is on your nightstand currently?

This is embarrassing, but I pulled out an old copy of Dragonlance Chronicles that I haven’t read in 20 years. It’s not as good as I remembered, but brings back a lot of memories.

Hunger Games or Twilight? Why?

Hunger games. Forty year old dudes are not the target audience for either of those books. There was a little more action and a better story in my opinion in the Hunger Games. I found Twilight to be sappy. (I’ve only watched the movies for both of these…)

Create an ice cream flavor. What’s it called?

Bud light. I’d elaborate, but I don’t think it’s necessary.

You’ve just won a million dollars and you’re not allowed to save any of it. What do you spend it on?

My mom’s house would be paid for and my entire extended family would be going on a cruise somewhere. I’d divvy up the remaining funds between my wife’s family and my own, making sure that some people were slighted and they knew it. Boy that would be fun!! That might start a gossip session that would last years!!

Favorite class in high school. Why?

I always liked art class. I guess it was the opportunity to express myself creatively in many different ways that appealed to me. It was always fun. Not like gym class where you might like football, but hate hockey.

After ninety years of warring, exploring, and saving the realm, brothers Yarl and Fonn, must take up the title of Master again. If they don’t, someone else will surely steal all the fame, glory, and fertile women. How will they ever train new apprentices, save the kingdom, and still find time to fit in that extra order of chicken wings? Make no mistake, the old Masters have a lot to pass on and only a short timeframe to do it.

Will young Garrett flourish as an apprentice Sworvei? Can his partner Azilda master the ‘Nesting Nightingale’? And who in hell invited the ogres?

Join this rag-tag group of ‘Protectors of the Realm’ to see if they can pull off the biggest upset of the Continental Games, by saving young King Renli from the clutches of the evil First General.

Enjoy an excerpt:

“His name is James Lacie. Once he was one of the top alchemists in Cassadia. He was highly sought after for his many time-saving inventions and numerous elixirs. At any given time his shop carried wart remover, air fresheners, love potions, and something closer to that which you seek.”

Miss Mia turned back to her mirror and dabbed at her rosy cheeks again, humming to herself. Milo reached to his belt and produced a small leather bag. Opening the pouch he emptied it into the palm of his left hand. A pair of opal earrings spilled forth. “Closer to that which I seek, you say?” he inquired.

“Yes, a chemical fruit that when eaten would unknowingly render the eater susceptible to suggestion. A great party favourite a few years back. The unsuspecting victim would eat the fruit and was then told to cluck like a chicken or act like a coconut. Its effects would sometimes last the duration of a good party.”

“Yes, the gag would be much funnier if the victim was unsuspecting,” mused Milo. “Tell me, where can I find this James Lacie’s shop?”

“He no longer has one,” replied Mia. “It had something to do with a potion mix up. The king’s cousin ended up falling in love with a sheep, as I recall. The royal family was not impressed, and you know how the Chronicle can be when it gets its hands on what it deems to be a front page story. Ruined the man’s career, or so I’m told. Anyway Mr. Lacie has been on the lam ever since.”

About the Authors:Grant Reed has a background in business management, computer programming, and computer networking. He would much rather be out fishing though, so he spends his time writing and exploring the lakes in his back yard of Canada. He lives in Lively Ontario, Canada with his wife Robin, and their two children Aidan and Megan.

Gary Reed, his wife Kerry and their two children, Hannah and Kailey also live in Lively Ontario, Canada. And yes, he spends his time exploring the countryside too. Photography, fishing, and playing with his girls are amongst his interests.

Website: www.grantreed.ca
Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/pages/Grant-T-Reed-Author/214710555231982
Buy the book on Amazon

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Beacon by Angela Brown - Virtual book tour and Giveaway

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Angela will be awarding a $75 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Pretend your protagonist is at school and opens his/her locker – what will we see inside? Students in New Festus, or any school in The Colony for that matter, don’t have to worry about lockers. All books, text or otherwise, are digital. So a student will have their personal holo-rod as well as a holo-pad for doing assignments and turning them in.

What would you write in a letter to your teen self? Dear Teen Me, You are one stubborn girl. But don’t let that stick-to-it-tive-ness go. You’re going to need it when your mother passes on and you make some crazy decisions feeling that your world is over. You’ll have to learn that starting over isn’t bad, new beginnings are good for the soul and for those story ideas you have bouncing around in your head, and that yes, you are worthy of being a writer.

What candy do you give out at Halloween? Chocolate! Mini-Snickers, mini-Twix, varieties of mini-Hershey bars, yeah, I love eating and giving chocolate. If you don’t like chocolate, we can still be friends, but if you see me looking at you all cock-eyed, it’s because I’m trying to figure out how it is humanly possible to NOT like chocolate lol!

What book is on your nightstand currently? I have my kindle set for Gears of Brass, a steampunk anthology with fairy tale re-tellings and more. I’m really excited to get into it.

Hunger Games or Twilight? Why? Definitely Hunger Games. It was the inspiration for Beacon, my YA urban fantasy dystopian, and the action throughout both the book and movie were awesome.

Favorite TV show from your childhood? I’m a Cosby Show kid. Loved crushing on Theo and Vanessa tended to be my fave with her antics and experiments, like trying to sew lol!!!

Sum up your book for Twitter: 140 characters or less. Life's norm slams to a halt when Macie is forced to the capital city of Biss, onto a path of self-discovery & the unraveling of all she knew. (I think the period makes it 141 characters)

Ideal summer vacation. It would be me and my siblings, along with our respective kiddos, doing a weeklong trip to an all-inclusive resort at some place along the west coast of Mexico. Fun in the sun. Sand in our toes. Pools for swimming. Adventures together and having the space to have comforting time alone getting a much needed massage.

You’re stranded on a desert island—which character from your book do you want with you? Why? I would so take Thane. As an unregistered, he knows how to hunt his food, clean his kills, cook meals without the luxury of a gas or electric stove, and can turn the nearest trees and cave into a functioning shelter. I’m still thinking about what I’d add to the situation lol!

Tsunamis reduced the USA into a shell of itself, called The Fold. Surviving humans and vampires joined forces to form The Colony, where registered citizens do as they're told. They donate blood quarterly and dream of being chosen as Attendees for the Jubilee celebrations, that is, everyone except Macie Breen. With high school graduation near, she’s anxious to ditch the rules in hopes of starting a new life with Thane, an unregistered and also her best friend.

Her hopes fizzle when Macie is selected as an Attendee, forever registered. Any future with Thane…impossible. Being chosen comes with another unexpected price.

Truths about The Colony blaze into ashes and lies when she discovers the vampires haven't kept their part of the bargain. Worst still, Macie’s life unravels as her stint in the city of Bliss forces her to face daunting truths about who, and what, she really is.

Enjoy an excerpt

"We’re not kids anymore, Macie. You’ve learned what little The Colony had to say about the vampeer, wights and devil spawn. There’s something else they’ve hidden from you. From all registered citizens. I’ve wanted to tell you for a long time why we met. Just how special you really are. But you won’t want to be my friend anymore once you know the truth. Losing you would be…”

Words trickled from my mouth unfiltered. “I, what do you mean I wouldn’t…”

He turned to me, chewing his bottom lip. The last time he did that was the day I broke first blood.

We were playing at knight warriors, a favorite of ours since we were kids. I thrust my wooden sword forward. It clattered to the ground as I doubled over from a sharp spasm in my stomach. I tried to shoo Thane away, deal with the pain on my own. But, noticing the grimace on my face – I really tried hard to be quiet, but I cried out anyway – he wouldn’t have it. When he glanced at my yellow cargo pants, he chewed his bottom lip, eyes wide. My gaze trailed down to the bloody mess I’d become. My face couldn’t have flashed hotter if I set it on fire.

Now he was doing it again, chewing his bottom lip. What could he possibly have to say? He opened his mouth to speak when the tent flap ripped away. We jerked our heads around to face a tall being covered in shaggy, brown fur from scalp to hoof. A shadowy glow encircled it like a dirty aura. Two arms protruded from both sides. Jagged teeth crowded its mouth. Drool leaked down its chin. Reptilian eyes shone bright white with a red slit down the middle. One set of eyelids blinked side to side as the second set followed up and down. It snarled, spat and drooled some more. My bladder felt one moment away from losing it.

“Frag me,” I whispered as my world collapsed into a nightmare.

About the Author

Born and raised in Little Rock, AR, Angela now calls Central Texas home. She's a lover of Wild Cherry Pepsi and chocolate/chocolate covered delicious-ness. Steampunk, fantasy and paranormal to contemporary - mostly young adult - fill her growing library of books. Mother to a rambunctious darling girl aptly nicknamed Chipmunk, life stays busy. Her favorite quote keeps her moving: "You may never know what results come of your action, but if you do nothing there will be no result." ~ Mahatma Gandhi

Goodreads author page: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6476148.Angela_Brown
Angela Brown in the Pursuit of Publishness blog: http://publishness.blogspot.com/
Amazon author page: http://www.amazon.com/Angela-Brown/e/B009JJEX60
Facebook author page: https://www.facebook.com/AngelaLBrownWrites
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ALBrownwrites
Buy Links:
Evernight: http://www.evernightteen.com/beacon-by-angela-brown/
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Beacon-Ripped-Ties-Book-1-ebook/dp/B00PXHHUX0

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Virtual Book Tour and Giveaway: Dealing with Devils by Pembroke Sinclair

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Pembroke will be awarding a $10 Amazon/BN GC to one randomly drawn winner, a paperback copy of Dealing with Devils (US Only) to another winner and an ebook copy of Dealing with Devils to 5 other winners. All prizes will be awarded via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Enjoy an interview

What books were your favorite as a youth and why?

My favorite books as a young adult were anything by Christopher Pike. I read everything he wrote. He was a huge inspiration in how I write my YA books now.

What’s your favorite sweet treat?

Oh, man! I love anything that doesn’t have nuts in it. But my favorite are cinnamon rolls, sugar cookies, chocolate chip cookies, and brownies with ice cream and caramel sauce. Mmmmmm.

What candy do you give out at Halloween?

I give out whatever my kids pick to give out. They usually pick candy that they want to eat, so we have Skittles, Tootsie Rolls, and various assortments of candy bars. Hey, I have to like/eat them too! What superpower would you love to have? Why?

I would love to be able to multiply myself. There’s always so much to get done in a day, and I’m only one person, so having some help would be awesome!

You’ve just won a million dollars and you’re not allowed to save any of it. What do you spend it on?

I’m pretty boring, but I would pay off my cars and loans, then go on a vacation. I’m not sure where I’d go, but Alaska and Iceland are high on my list to visit.

Favorite class in high school. Why?

I had two. One was biology and the other was English. They were my favorites because the teachers were awesome. They were both incredibly encouraging and inspired me to love science and English.

Dating a demon has its advantages, like helping deliver souls to Hell. Wait...what?

Katie’s world has been turned upside down. She's fallen for Josh—despite the fact that he’s a demon from Hell. Wes is finally out of her system and her life. Convinced she can change Josh, she sets out to make him a better person, only to find out things aren’t as simple as she’d originally thought. For one thing, Josh has Katie help him deliver souls to Hell, and she kind of likes it. And to top it off, other more powerful demons are battling for her soul, and revelations from the past could change the course of her life forever.

Enjoy an excerpt

Katie leaned against the railing, staring into the night. A warm breeze touched her face, bringing with it the scent of salt and fish. Every so often, droplets of water touched her skin as the waves lapped against the side of the boat. The bass from the music that played behind her vibrated through her feet and into her chest. Lights flashed at her back, throwing her shadow onto the waves below in spastic fashion. She took a deep breath and squinted her eyes. On the far horizon, just to her right, she could barely make out the lights of Liberty Island. She sighed again and leaned forward farther, resting her elbows on the railing.

She had always wanted to see New York. She and Deb had tentatively planned a trip for the summer after graduation, before going to college. Katie thought maybe it would be a trip to orient herself with the city—attending college in the city was high on her list of things she wanted to do—but she hadn’t decided where to go yet. In fact, it was the last thing on her mind at the moment. She needed to get her life back first before deciding what she was going to do with it. As usual, when Josh had showed up in her room earlier tonight and asked her to come with him, she couldn’t bring herself to say no. She knew the possibility existed that she would be involved in something unpleasant such as witnessing Josh taking a soul, but she told herself she was going to stop it this time. She wouldn’t stand idly by.

About the Author:

Pembroke Sinclair is a literary jack of all trades, playing her hand at multiple genres. She has written an eclectic mix of fiction ranging from horror to sci-fi and even some westerns. Born in Rock Springs, Wyoming--the home of 56 nationalities--it is no wonder Pembroke ended up so creatively diverse. Her fascination with the notions of good and evil, demons and angels, and how the lines blur have inspired her writing. Pembroke lives in Laramie, Wyoming, with her husband, two spirited boys, a black lab named Ryder, and a rescue kitty named Alia, who happens to be the sweetest, most adorable kitty in the world! She cannot say no to dessert, orange soda, or cinnamon. She loves rats and tatts and rock and roll and wants to be an alien queen when she grows up.

http://pembrokesinclair.blogspot.com/
https://www.facebook.com/jessicarobinsonauthor
https://twitter.com/PembrokeSinclai
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