Virtual Tour: Black Cats and Ballet Shoes - Iva Valentino

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. The author will be awarding a $25 Amazon gift card to one randomly drawn commenter via Rafflecopter. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Gemma Mayfield feels like middle school is a lot to bite off and chew. School, ballet classes, and planning on how to get Trevor Davis to ask her to the Halloween Dance are a tough balancing act. On top of that, Gemma is convinced that her science teacher, Ms. Pruett, is a witch.

When things start getting fishy at school, Gemma knows that Ms. Pruett is behind it all! Students are getting spells placed on them and start to go missing. Gemma and her best friend, Izzie, vow to stop Ms. Pruett from doing any more damage. Will they be able to save Middleton Middle School from witchcraft?

Enjoy an excerpt:

I am convinced that my teacher is a witch. I’m not saying that she acts witchy, like she’s mean or anything. Completely the opposite, as far as I’m concerned. Ms. Pruett is so nice that she’s TOO nice.

Ms. Pruett is the kind of teacher that masquerades as your grandma. I’m not kidding! She shuffles around the classroom with her white frizzy hair poking up all over the place out of her bun. She calls the kids “dearie,” like ALL THE TIME. She also passes out candy a lot, although I’ve never eaten any. (I’ve been too scared, but no one’s keeled over or turned into a spider yet.)

I think there’s something really creepy about her.

Like, for instance, I was sitting in Ms. Pruett’s science class today. Ms. Pruett was at the front of the room, droning on about the respiratory system of frogs. Blah, blah, blah. Every once in a while she would come down one of the rows in the classroom, gripping her frog model and pointing to some frog part. And then she’d stop, make eye contact with a kid or two, and smile this sweet, sickening smile. It was sort of mesmerizing.

I always find myself unable to stop staring at the wart on her face. Izzie says it’s a mole, not a wart. I prefer to think otherwise. Sometimes it surprises me that we’re best friends since we disagree on this very important matter.

I don’t think that Izzie in general is as convinced as I am that Ms. Pruett is a witch. What’s not to believe? Wart on nose, the fact that she must be over a hundred years old, and the spooky room that we have class in every day. Ms. Pruett calls her classroom the “Science Laboratory”. Yikes! How much more creepy can you get?

About the Author:

Iva Valentino lives in Arizona with her husband and their dog, Lupo. She graduated from the University of Arizona with a Bachelor’s degree in Biology and a Master’s degree in Education. She loves living year- round in the warm desert.

Iva spent many years as a middle school teacher, where she enjoyed doing fun science experiments with her students. She currently works as a science editor at an educational publishing company. She loves travel, yoga, and photography. There is nothing that brings her more happiness than a good dance class!

Website: www.IvaValentino.com
Blog: www.ivavalentino.com/blog Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ ivaavalentino

Buy the book at MuseItUp Publishing, Amazon, or Barnes and Noble. (on sale for $1.35 at publisher and Amazon)

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Virtual Book Tour and Giveaway: PROJECT FIREBIRD by NICK GREEN

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Nick will be awarding a $20 Amazon GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Don’t ask Leo Lloyd-Jones. Ask him how to steal a car, or why he got excluded from every school in Salford, but don’t come to him for help. This whole thing must be a daft mistake – and if anyone finds out, he’s done for.

Earth is on a deadly collision course that nothing can prevent. The only real hope is Project Firebird, deep inside a blast-proof bunker that shelters the brightest and bravest young people. Leo has got mixed up with the likes of Rhys Carnarvon, the celebrated teenage polar explorer, and other child prodigies chosen to keep the flame of civilisation.

Among them is the streetwise Paige Harris, a girl Leo likes a lot (but not in that way). Paige is desperate to rescue her little sister from London before the catastrophe strikes. But no-one is crazy enough to try that. Almost no-one.

 

‘Some of the brightest young people on the planet. Yet not one of you can make a cup of tea.’

Paige twitched into life.

‘That ain’t true! We’re not all useless around the house. I’ll do it.’

‘Thank you,’ said David. ‘One cup of tea, please. But you must make it all by yourself. No-one can help.’

Paige rolled her eyes – as if! David called after her.

‘I do mean no-one, Paige. No-one at all. Anywhere or anywhen.’

She turned. ‘You what?’

‘Tea,’ said David. ‘Let’s go. First you’ll need water. Clean water. I don’t want to get diarrhoea. So find some. Remember, no help. Not from water companies, or plumbers, or bottle manufacturers. Just you. There’s a lake a few miles away, but streams might be safer. Either way, you’d better start walking now. Maybe take some food along.’

A few uneasy sniggers trailed off. Paige stopped halfway to the door, her face daring David to make fun of her. He continued, counting on his fingers.

‘Something to carry the water in, you’ll need that. A sturdy vessel to boil it in. Pottery is good. Hunt for some clay while you’re out. Enough for a water pot, a teapot and a cup. Plus fuel of course. Wood for the fire. A bow-and-drill, or some other way of lighting it –’

‘This ain’t fair!’ Paige exploded. David held up a hand. Now his smile was kind.

‘It’s all right, Paige. You can sit down. Sorry to put you on the spot.’

About the Author: Nick Green lives in the UK. He is the author of seven fiction books to date, including the middle-grade CAT KIN trilogy published by Strident. His other books include THE STORM BOTTLE, a fantasy adventure about the dolphins of Bermuda, and most recently the FIREBIRD trilogy, a YA science fiction epic.

www.nickgreenbooks.com
https://www.goodreads.com/ nickgreen_catkin

Buy the book at Amazon.

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Gemini Rising: Ethereal Fury by Jessica O'Gorek - Virtual Tour and Giveaway

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. One randomly chosen winner via rafflecopter will win a $50 Amazon/BN.com gift card. One randomly chosen host will receive a $25 Amazon/BN.com gift card. The Rafflecopter is at the end of the post; click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

What did you do on your last birthday?
I went to en exotic island in the Caribbean. Just kidding. Nothing exciting. Dinner and a movie.

Do you have any tattoos? Where? When did you get it/them? Where are they on your body?
No. I did get my belly pierced when I was drunk and twenty.

What are you working on right now?
I am half way through writing Gemini Rising Book Four!

What do you think you’re really good at?
Writing, reading, listening, running, signing, drawing, painting, being a mom.

What do you think you’re really bad at?
Caring about people who have betrayed my trust over and over, being sensitive to people who can’t take jokes, keeping my car clean and washing the dishes.

Angry at the human race and its methodical destruction of her resources, Mother Earth recruits souls who have just left their bodies to serve Her, and turns them against humanity.

Gemini, a clan of paranormal beings, picked from these possessed humans, emerges. A powerful, rising force proceeds to carry out Mother Nature’s plan to systematically destroy towns, cities, states... and eventually, the world.

Amidst the chaos, a forbidden relationship between a human girl, Violette, and Onyx, a lead Gemini, begins.

They will both find themselves in the middle of a revolutionary war that will either save, or destroy our world.

Onyx was hovering right beside the little stone adjacent to the swings. He tried to single out the perfect girl. Innocent and naïve is what he was going for. He located the one he thought might work. She was swinging; she was older, maybe fifteen or so. She had one girl on each side of her and a few nuns were standing near, giving her glances of adoration. She was cute and gentle looking, the perfect disguise for the likes of him. He moved in a little closer to his prey. Over the wall and around the thick maple tree, he paused, making sure he disturbed no air. He waited to hear her name. This would come in handy.

"Eleanor, come seesaw with me!" A cute redhead gestured to his target as she hopped off the swing. Now was his chance.

“Eleanor...” he whispered her name and she stopped. She turned towards the sound that she couldn’t locate.

“Over here.” He guided her with his hand from behind the craggy trunk, allowing it to be just visible enough to make her curious as to who its owner might be. At this point, an adult might run, scream, or faint at the sight of a translucent hand gesturing mysteriously. But Eleanor was an insightful little girl and wanted to know more. The redhead on the seesaw looked dismayed and repeated her plea. This annoyed him considerably; he was tempted to go shut her up, but her attention was now steady on the phantom arm that beckoned her. He controlled his visibility simply with his mind. If he thought it, it became a reality for him.

Eleanor's little blonde curls shook a little as she seemed to be attempting to clear her head. He could start to feel the gravitational pull from within her. It started to pull on his energy, almost gripping him and pulling him piece by piece, atom by atom, and ever closer to her.

"Come a little closer Sweetheart. How many fingers am I holding up?" If he distracted her with the game or a challenge, it would be that much easier. Anticipation started to build within him, like the sweet pressure of an inevitable release. Trance-like now, unable to resist the lure of his sugary voice, she walked right into his arm and it was over.

"Hey," he said. She jerked her head to the left and saw only his spiraling eyes. Before she could utter a scream he was in through her surprised mouth, busily working into her muscles, connecting with her spinal cord to coordinate her movements. Her sensory organs were pliable, and the tendrils that were extensions of his personality easily wrapped around every bone, every nerve ending. She was stunned into silence by the complete and sudden hostile takeover. He felt strong and empowered. It had been weeks since he felt a young, healthy host take him to dizzying heights of euphoria.

This was where Geminis were meant to be, where they felt the most in control and in touch with their true ability. To connive and manipulate, ruin and plunder the society around them was only justice. They were so weak and puny, murderers and thieves, liars, and rapists. They all took what they wanted from each other, and the earth, then sucked any generosity right out of the atmosphere. He always thought he was helping them shorten the time frame of their journey. They would all eventually die anyway; he just hurried along the process. He felt the need to justify himself after entering someone. He knew there was some deep hidden morsel of doubt that what he was doing was right, that every human should be annihilated from existence. He would never divulge these doubts to himself or anyone else. It was a hidden monster within him and he would never lend it credit.

I was born in Chesapeake, Virginia on April 19th, 1979. I was raised within the American Indian religion and was taught great respect for the earth and all its living beings. Powwows, sweat lodges, vision quests, you name it, I’ve done it. I was the weird kid who would confront kids on the playground in elementary school when they squished a bug. I would very sincerely tell them what they were doing was morally wrong and then I would pray for the bug to come back as a butterfly in its next life.

I grew up admiring my father, Barry Weinstock, as an author. He took me around the country to different places so he could research and write his Wilderness Survival books. One of his greatest works, “The Path of Power,” was written with a great medicine man, Sunbear. When I was twelve I started hand writing novels. My first one was two thousand pages. My dad always encouraged me and would rave about my writing. He gave me the confidence I needed to keep writing and follow my dream. My daughter, who is twelve, is currently working on her first novel. I hope to continue the legacy.

https://twitter.com/GeminiRising1
  https://www.facebook.com/pages/Jessica-OGorek/306913389429972
http://geminirising1.blogspot.com
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17977415-ethereal-fury
  Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/gemini-rising-jessica-ogorek/1116142763
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Gemini-Rising-Ethereal-Jessica-OGorek/dp/0925776254

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Sleeping in the Mourge by Jennifer Tressen - Blurb Blitz and Giveaway

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Enter to win $25 Bath and Body Works gift certificate. The Rafflecopter is at the end of the post; click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Paige Thorton, a sweet overachieving high school senior only has one month to come up with ten thousand dollars to pay for college, but her family mortuary has no business. Desperate to escape her little town and go to her dream school, she decides to take matters into her own hands and drum up some clients.

Soon "accidents" begin happening to local residents.

However when her boyfriend, Brock Harrington, the rookie hotshot cop begins to investigate, things get hairy. Will Paige be able to pull it off in time or will she be doomed to forever sleep in the morgue?

“So I heard you got a corpse the other day,” Brock said as he drove his large pick-up. “Old man? He’ll likely be one of the last, huh?”

Paige twiddled her fingers and tried to figure out how to answer the question. “Yeah, some old man. Not sure how he died....he just sort of...”

Keep your cool.

She held her breath and looked at Brock.

“Old people just die. Happens all the time.” He chuckled. “Just not around here much anymore.”

“Yeah, he just died,” Paige said.

That was easy. No need for explanation. He just died. Why didn’t I think of that? It’s not like I killed him or anything. I just...helped him. Yeah, I helped him. There’s nothing wrong with helping people, right?

“Any more ideas on how to make the cash?”

Paige shook her head, “Your dad’s giving me a scholarship.”

“Oh is he?”

“Well, the town is. And it’s not official, so don’t quote me or anything; but he said he would. Three thousand dollars.”

Still not enough.

“That’s a good start.”

Paige nodded, still lost in her own thoughts. She was trying to avoid letting the guilt of what she had helped the kind old man do get to her.

“I really wish I could pay for school for you--”

“Brock, don’t.”

“But my rookie salary is barely enough to cover the bills and put a couple bucks away for you know, ‘someday.’”

“Brock...” She couldn’t help but smile. His sincerity was sweet. He would do anything for her and she knew that. But she didn’t want him to. She wanted to do this on her own, the best she could that is.

Jennifer Tressen is a wife, mother and writer. A former actor, she spent nearly ten years in the entertainment industry appearing in commercials, print ads and television shows. It was her love of storytelling that pushed her to the other side of the camera and sent her to film school at Chapman University. Although she entered as a Cinematography major, Jennifer graduated with a degree in Screenwriting after a single required screenwriting class forever changed her path. She found a passion for writing she had forgotten in her childhood. Everything she learned about screenwriting and especially storytelling she attributes to her mentor, the late Blake Snyder.

After several years of writing and editing for producers and other screenwriters her curiosity led her into writing novels. As a huge fan of Young Adult and New Adult literature this is where her pen tends to lead her. However, she does have plans to release a few middle grade fiction and adult novels in the future. Jennifer attributes her love of reading and writing to her mother who always reminded her of the power of literacy. Besides telling her and her siblings that they could do anything they wanted if they knew how to read and write, she said, “You can go anywhere in a book. You can be anyone.”

Links:
http://jennifertressen.net/blog/
https://twitter.com/JenniferTressen
https://www.facebook.com/jennifertressenauthor
http://www.amazon.com/Sleeping-Morgue-Jennifer-Tressen-ebook/dp/B00D69LFTM/ref=sr_1_1?
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/sleeping-in-the-morgue-jennifer-tressen/1117116981

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Ocean of Dust by Graeme Ing - Blurb Blitz and Giveaway

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Graeme will be awarding a $20 Amazon GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour, and a $20 Amazon GC to a randomly drawn host. Please click the banner to visit other stops on the tour and increase your chances of winning!

Fourteen-year old Lissa is snatched from her home and finds herself a slave on a trading ship traveling on a waterless ocean of nothing but gray dust. A feisty, curious and intelligent girl, her desire to explore the ship earns her the hatred of the cruel first officer, Farq.

Fascinated by the ocean of dust, Lissa becomes embroiled in its mysteries, sensing things that the crew cannot, while cryptic whispers in her head are leading her toward a destiny linked to the dust itself. Only one man aboard can help her make sense of her new talent, but can she trust him? All is not as it seems, and she must unravel the clues before it’s too late.

When a sinister plot casts her adrift on the barren ocean, her best friend is left in the hands of the treacherous crew. Everything hinges upon her courage, quick wits, and her ability to master her new talent.

... she spotted a brown conical shape lodged on a fallen stump between a pair of trees. Dozens of bugs with red striped abdomens swarmed above it - War-blits. She couldn’t keep up the pace for much longer, and her lungs felt ready to burst. Her hastily formed plan might be her only chance to escape the feline snapping at her heels. She sucked in air and urged her aching body forward. Up close, the bugs were as large as her thumb, with wicked, black stingers on their rear-ends.

Now she was caught between a swarm of spiteful bugs and an animal about to bite her in half. It was now or never. Screaming for courage, she launched herself at the War-blit mound, praying her timing was right. She clenched every muscle, waiting for the stings to stab all over her body. The furious buzzing engulfed her as she flew through the air and over the mound.

Her shoulders hit the ground on the other side, and she tumbled over and over, smashing into a tree. Something stabbed her leg. Agony ripped through her body. Then a sharp pain on her right arm. She flailed her limbs in all directions trying to keep the bugs from her face.

The feline had landed atop the stump and crushed the mound. The air turned black as a cloud of War-blits sprayed from a hole in the stump, buzzing angrily and covering the creature like a cloak.

Graeme is a writer of speculative fiction. He probably won't fall into existing pigeonholes, but hang around and you'll get to read tales of fantasy, science-fiction, paranormal, cyberpunk, steampunk and who knows what.

Born in England, Graeme now lives in San Diego, California. His career as a software engineer and development manager spans 30 years, including the development of a dozen computer games for consoles, home computers and online. Graeme is also an avid armchair mountaineer, astronomer, mapmaker, pilot and general geek. He and his wife, Tamara, share their house with six crazy cats.

Website: http://www.graemeing.com/
Blog: http://www.graemeing.com/blog/
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/GraemeIngAuthor
Twitter: @GraemeIng https://twitter.com/GraemeIng
Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/106761802400693987858/about
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6571955.Graeme_Ing
Buy Links
Amazon (Kindle/paperback/audiobook): http://www.amazon.com/Ocean-of-Dust-ebook/dp/B00A1FYJX8
Audible: http://www.audible.com/pd/Sci-Fi-Fantasy/Ocean-of-Dust-Audiobook/B00K0SBSCQ

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