Choose Your Own Death by Marianna Shek - Virtual tour and Giveaway

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Marianna Shek will be awarding 1 Choose Your Own Death book mark and 4 postcards by the illustrator Tara Brown (can be sent internationally) 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 think all writers have a natural ‘voice’. It’s like slipping into a pair of comfy pajamas. I’ve always written in a young adult voice. I worry as I get older, my writer voice will change but so far, this hasn’t happened. Having said that, I always try to challenge myself by writing in other styles. I also love writing speculative fiction and chick lit.

What books were your favorite as a youth and why?

I was the biggest Babysitters Club fan. And my favourite babysitter was Kristy because I thought she was the smartest but I knew it wasn’t cool to like Kristy so I always pretended to like Stacey.

Growing up as a Chinese migrant, I was always encouraged to read. My mum took me down to the bookstore all the time and just let me pick out a new book every week. I’d buy a new babysitter’s club or Sweet Valley High or another of the ongoing series. I read all the Roald Dahl, RL Stine and Robin Klein books. I loved the front cover of Klein’s Hating Alison Ashley and spent many lunch hours drawing it. BRB…

I just drew this from memory!

I also just realized Robin Klein may not be as popular in other countries so your readers may not have a clue what I’m talking about but trust me, growing up in Australia, her books were compulsory reading in every school.

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

I wanted to be a writer or an artist but it mattered because my parents were very traditional Chinese and insisted I could only be a doctor, pharmacist or lawyer. I ended up being a pharmacist. The most fun I had working in pharmacy was when a drug rep left a two metre tall dragon plushie as a marketing gimmick for one of their drugs. I drew the dragon and turned it into a colouring competition for all the kids. The best picture got to keep the dragon plushie. After that, I knew it was time to quit pharmacy and pursue my own dreams.

What superpower would you love to have? Why?

This is possibly not a superpower but I always imagined I was the most amazing sharpshooter. I’d be able to turn three quarter, do that squinty thing with my eye, draw back the bow and drill a five cent piece into a tree from fifty metres away. I would of course look very cool and attractive while doing this.

What book is on your nightstand currently?

Hhhm – I have both physical books and my Kindle on my nightstand table. Ursula LeGuin’s The Earthsea quartet has been gathering dust for about a year now. I’m finding it really difficult to get into despite it being a classic. On my Kindle, I must have over three hundred books but the one I’ve just finished reading is Lois Lowry The Giver. (it was wonderful – I stayed up over two nights to finish reading it)

Hunger Games or Twilight? Why?

Hunger Games, of course! I have a thing for bow and arrow. (See response regarding superpower)

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

Amelia. She’s a zombie orphan. ‘Nuff said.

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

Dobby or any house elf because they would cook and clean.
Anoia, God of things stuck in drawers because I have a few drawers I need help cleaning out.
Inigo Montoya because he’s the coolest character ever written.
Sirius Black but only if he’s in his animagus dog shape because I love dogs.

Goultown. The sort of place where kids could walk down the street in the middle of the night. Or accept sweets from strangers because strangers were just friends you hadn’t met yet. A place where grown-ups got tattoos of smiley faces and if kids graffitied, they were sure to do smiley faces too.

That was before the murders began. After Sally Ellerson drowns at the chocolate factory, you know there’s something weird going on. It’s time to take charge.

Choose Your Own Death is a path-picking adventure where every wrong turn unleashes an eldritch evil. If you don’t solve the mystery soon, the next death could be yours.

Enjoy an excerpt: ‘Wicker witches!’ She rummages through her backpack, pulls out a peg and clamps it over her nose making her sound like she’s blocked up from a cold. ‘I’ve read all about them in Scented Supernatural. They lull you into a sense of dullness and kill you.’

‘Sandalwood and lavender. My favourite.’ Angus seems to have forgotten Tammy lying stiffly at his feet.

The trees are closing in. Shuffling like old people. Dribbling waxy secretions onto the ground with every step. The wax drips and curls into crevices forming eyes, mouths and noses. They look and smell like giant scented figurines from a candle shop.

Jessica pulls out two more pegs and places them on you and Angus. The spell breaks.

‘Wicker witches?’ Angus howls. ‘Let’s get out of here!’ He grabs the torch, scoops up Tammy’s stiffened form and flees.

‘Come on, Drew!’ Jessica takes off. She’s the fastest runner on the track team at school. She used to try and get you to train with her but you always laughed and asked what was so great about being sporty.

You stagger after her but the wax on your jeans has set hard. You hold out your hands to break your fall.

‘Wait for me,’ you cry, but the words come out muffled. The wax has coated your lips shut. You try yelling out some swear words but realise you’re wasting time. You upturn your knapsack looking for a weapon. Rock. Paper. Scissors. What the? You will never let Tammy pack the survival kit again!

Marianna Shek is a writer, reader and ideal eater. She took a ridiculously arduous route to get there, dabbling in pharmacy before switching to animation and finally settling down as a writer. She has a wonderful day job as a researcher and producer. You can follow some of her crazy art and film projects at: www.theunreliablenarrator.com.au She rambles specifically about books and creative writing at: www.rockonkitty.com.au

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13726368.Marianna_Shek
http://www.amazon.com/Marianna-Shek/e/B00VACIMCA
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/c/marianna-shek
http://www.amazon.com/Choose-Your-Death-Marianna-Shek/dp/099426660X/
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/choose-your-own-death-marianna-shek/1121412493

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Ashes That Remain by AM Griffin - Spotlight and Giveaway

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. The author will be awarding a $20 Amazon gift card to one randomly drawn winner and a $10 Amazon gift card to another randomly drawn winner via the rafflecopter at the end of this post. Please click the banner to visit other stops on the tour and increase your chances of winning!

We’re at war against the aliens that have invaded Earth, fighting the only way we can—by surviving. I have more than most people do, but although I know it’s stupid to hold on, I can’t let go of what might have been—can’t help dreaming of something more. No matter how I tell myself it would be easier to do what everyone else wants me to, there’s a part of me that can’t give in. Making the best of the situation is one thing. Settling, even to make other people happy, is something else.

Then we hear the alien mother ships have disappeared. Of course we have to go and investigate. What we find lands us in a huge mess that we somehow have to clean up and, as our little enclave is rocked to the core with even more changes, I’m learning a hard lesson.

The more things change—for the better or the worse—there’s no fighting human nature, and building on the ashes that remain will take everything we have. And maybe more.

Now enjoy an excerpt:
I can hear Dave talking from down the hall. As he thunders on I cringe. To be late for a meeting Dave called is a big no-no unless you want the evil stink-eye. And since I can hear him talking adamantly about something, I’m preparing for his wrath.

Mia moves behind Ian, pushing him in front of her. “You go in first.”

Not missing out on my opportunity for protection, I hide behind Mia. Maybe by the time Dave gets through chewing out Ian then Mia he’ll be too tired to cut into me.

“Mia, I sent you to get everyone over thirty minutes ago,” Dave says.

So he’s skipping right over Ian to Mia. I could either throw her under the bus or help her out.

Loyalty makes me step from behind her. “I’m sorry, Dave. I held her up.”

Dave glares at me. He’s an older man with grey hair and a big build and, although he’s usually good natured, he’s serious when it comes to Arrowwood community business.

I shuffle on my feet and feel the odd need to explain myself further. “I…um…needed her help with something.”

With a shake of his head he dismisses us, leaving Ian, Mia and I to take some open seats. Glancing around I can tell everyone is here. My mom is sitting up front next to Rocky and Rocky’s ten year-old daughter Brooklynn. Wade waves to me from where he’s sitting at a table on the other side of the room. He has an empty seat next to him and when he indicates to it I shrug. “Sorry,” I mouth to him. I want to take the closest seat. Moving across the room would probably only irk Dave even more.

“As I was saying,” Dave says, after we’ve found our seats, “Since the mother ship has left Detroit, we’re going to investigate to find out what’s going on.”

It’s gone?

My breath seems to leave me.

“Wait, back-up,” Ian says. “The big spaceship is gone?”

“Are all of them gone?” I add. The last news report we’d seen said there were one hundred mother ships hovering over the largest cities of the world. That had been last May while we were still at band camp in Tallahassee. None of us knew if that number had grown less or more since then.

Dave shakes his head. “Unfortunately we don’t know. All we know is that the one over Detroit is gone, Jorin saw it take off while he was in one of the trees using his Ham radio. We don’t know if it’s gone for just a little while or gone for good. We’re forming a team to leave tomorrow at 1800 hours. Rocky will lead, MJ, Wade and Jorin are in.” Then he glances over to Ian. “How about you? Can we count on you as well?”

Ian glances at Mia before answering. If she had a problem with him leaving I’d expect him not to go. But she gives him a nod. Ian reaches out to hold her hand before he turns to Dave. “I’m in.”

“Good, we’ll find out—” “I’m going too,” I blurt out.

A. M. Griffin is a wife who rarely cooks, mother of three, dog owner (and sometimes dog owned), a daughter, sister, aunt and friend. She’s a hard worker whose two favorite outlets are reading and writing. She enjoys reading everything from mystery novels to historical romances and of course fantasy romance. She is a believer in the unbelievable, open to all possibilities from mermaids in our oceans and seas, angels in the skies and intelligent life forms in distant galaxies.

Where you can find me:

Website: http://www.amgriffinbooks.com/

Subscribe to my Amazon page: http://www.amazon.com/A.M.-Griffin/e/B00APK4V4G/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1

Email: amgriffinbooks@gmail.com

Like me at: www.facebook.com/amgriffinbooks

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/amgriffinbooks

Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AMGriffinbooks

Follow me on Instagram: amgriffinbooks

Subscribe my newsletter for updates giveaways: http://eepurl.com/TZzXv

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-ashes-that-remain-am-griffin/1119611794?ean=2940045964494

Buy Links for Against The Darkness

Kindle: http://amzn.com/B00IVUGYYW

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/417204

B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/against-the-darkness-am-griffin/1118904089?ean=2940045756440

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Protostar by Braxton Cosby - Virtual tour and giveaway

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. One randomly chosen winner will receive a signed copy of PROTOSTAR (US Shipping Only) via the Rafflecopter at the end of the post.

Why YA (or Middle Grade) fiction? What draws you to it?

Young Adult! I love to read a good series that takes you into another world and gives you characters that you can fall in love with. It’s what first got me into writing. My love for young people also drove me. There is so much potential in encouraging and inspiring young people to do great things. The more we are able to poor into one another, the better off the entire planet will be. I also got a lot of my inspiration to write from God. He is the voice in my head that keeps me going. He supplied the base for The Star-Crossed Saga series from its conception and now I have been able to take it forward with the trilogy and the screenplay for movie adaptation. It has become more than just a book, but now it is a franchise.

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

William will see a picture of Sydney, some bounty hunter hand gun, a comb, and a timer. The timer is the critical piece that you’ll have to read Protostar to find out why.

 What books were your favorite as a youth and why?

I loved those Choose Your Own Adventure books. They were very cool. Although, I must admit that I was the type that skimmed to the end to peek and cheat if the decision was the wrong one.

What’s your favorite sweet treat?

Cheesecake. I bake them from scratch. I am very tough on restaurants that make them. Oftentimes, they cut way too many corners on good cheesecaking.

What candy do you give out at Halloween?

I’m a Snicker’s fan, but I give out M&Ms. Who can pass up chocolate.

What superpower would you love to have? Why?

Make me invisible. Some days I’d go without clothes, just to feel the sun on my skin. Then of course is the nice notion that I can escape from work when I want to.

What book is on your nightstand currently?

I’m reading The Maze Runner right now. It’s a pretty good story and he world building is engaging.

Hunger Games or Twilight? Why?

Easily Hunger Games. I respect what Meyers did, but Collins really laid out an impressive story that focuses on the importance of decision and accountability of young people in the face of despair.

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

StarCrossed lovers, sci-fi romance you can feel, see, and touch. Protostar is the Readers Favorite YA book of the year.

Playlist for your current book.

Anything Maroon 5, John Mayer, John Legend, or Bruno Mars.

Protostar
The Star-Crossed Saga
Book 1
Braxton A. Cosby

Genre: Young Adult/Sci-fi Romance

Publisher: Winter Goose Publishing
Date of Publication: April 16th, 2014

ISBN: 978-1-941058-01-5
ASIN: 1941058019

Number of pages:346
Word Count: 99k

Cover Artist: Winter Goose Publishing

Book Description:

On the brink of civil war, the Torrian Alliance continues with its mission to obliterate Star-children across the universe in order to suppress an intergalactic evil. Following the recommendations of his council, King Gregorio Derry reluctantly agrees to send his only son William on a mission to restore honor to his family name.

William seeks to complete his assignment, the elimination of a Star-child named Sydney on planet Earth, but when the assassination is delayed he begins to realize an emotional connection with his target.

With conspiracy threatening his home planet, and a hidden menace on Earth seeking to secure a vested interest, William finds himself torn between irrevocable duty and sacrificing everything he stands for to defend Sydney.

As William and Sydney struggle to overcome their impossible circumstances, they start to wonder if the connection of two Star-Crossed lovers will be enough to save them from certain doom.

Available at Amazon

Now enjoy an excerpt:

Sarah stood atop the mountainside looking out into the sky. The expanse of rich darkness and scattered stars reminded her of home. She desired to return there someday, but knew that she couldn’t. Things had been set in motion. There was no way to turn back now, even if she tried.

Still, something within her body felt wrong.

Is this the right place, right time? she thought.

Maybe the details got skewed, blended together, lost amongst all the immaculate planning. Even they were known to be wrong sometimes. She hoped against all hope that they weren’t. But stars never lie. She gazed into the sky. Their configuration—constellation after constellation, linked like a chain, with the Star of David perched in the center—was picture perfect. This had to be it. All she had to do now . . . was wait.

And wait she did.

Hours passed as the moon slid by. Just as her mind began to fill with doubt, it finally happened. The ground underneath her shifted, rocking her from side to side, up and down, as the stars burned brightly. She braced herself, running down from the mountain the best she could. Her old bony legs wobbled, struggling to keep her upright as she negotiated the uneven layers of rock and grass. A loud crashing noise like the banging of cymbals lit her ears on fire as the sky parted, sending a tiny bright shard screaming across the black canvas, growing larger as it drew near.

Her eyes snapped to the road—the projected point of impact. But one detail had been missed.

Unaccounted for.

Someone else was there.

A vehicle sped down the dusty road, on a straight collision course with the object, which continued to grow larger and larger as time ticked on. Sarah waved her hands as wildly as she could screaming, “Hey, you have to stop!”

But her screams went unnoticed. She gasped as the object crashed to the earth, tearing the car into pieces. She squinted, filtering the heat from the explosion as she moved in closer to examine the wreckage.

A gaping hole where the roof used to be greeted her, revealing the charred remains of the female passenger. She scanned the rest of the vehicle for survivors, finding only the shell of the driver white-knuckled to the steering wheel.

Her heart dropped.

The muffled sound of a baby crying tickled her ears, urging her to examine the object in the passenger seat more closely. It resembled a meteor, covered in craters and black ash that sent her into a coughing panic. A small crack in the outer shell provided just enough space for her to look inside. Reaching out for the door handle, she grabbed it with both hands—wrinkled fingers trembling as she ripped the car door free—tossing it by the wayside. With a sigh of relief, she peeled back the shell. Black smoke stung her eyes as her hands burned from the heat. But Sarah ignored them both, pressing forward with her mission. Nothing would stop her now. With wet eyes she smiled, finally finding what she was so desperately looking for—a baby girl.

About the Author:

Braxton A. Cosby is a dreamer with a passion for inspiring others to love, in spite of circumstance and convenience.

His calling to pen a young-adult series that is smart, witty, and thought provoking, has challenged readers to answer the question: What would you choose, love or irrevocable duty?

Braxton lives in Atlanta, GA, where he co-hosts a local radio show on WAOK which is a mash-up of current events and health and wellness. He also has a blog where he discusses everything from health and entertainment to spirituality and relationships.

Website: www.braxtoncosby.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DrBraxtonCosby

Twitter:@BraxtonACosby

Blog: www.braxtoncosby.com

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4987409.Braxton_A_Cosby

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review: Sylo by D.J. MacHale

Sylo by D.J. MacHale
Sci-Fi (Middle Grade/YA)
415 pages
Rated: 5 stars

THEY CAME FROM THE SKY parachuting out of military helicopters to invade Tucker Pierce’s idyllic hometown on Pemberwick Island, Maine.

They call themselves SYLO and they are a secret branch of the U.S. Navy. SYLO’s commander, Captain Granger, informs Pemberwick residents that the island has been hit by a lethal virus and must be quarantined. Now Pemberwick is cut off from the outside world.

Tucker believes there’s more to SYLO’s story. He was on the sidelines when the high school running back dropped dead with no warning. He saw the bizarre midnight explosion over the ocean, and the mysterious singing aircraft that travel like shadows through the night sky. He tasted the Ruby—and experienced the powers it gave him—for himself.

What all this means, SYLO isn’t saying. Only Tucker holds the clues that can solve this deadly mystery.

LOOK TO THE SKY because Pemberwick is only the first stop.

My Review:

This book was very good, and the ending left me with my mouth agape. It was one of the best books I've read so far, and I can't wait to read the next.

The plot, characters and the resolution was all very well situated and thought out, and I had no trouble reading and understanding the book at all. I could easily identify with the characters and their pain and suffering as they went through this traumatic section in their lives. I really liked how they were able to pick themselves up and work out their problems in order to save others or even their own lives. They weren't weak, stupid, sometimes argumentative, but everything usually worked itself out in the end.

 I honesty cannot say that it has any  issues or problems with the text or plot, and it is perfect for Sci-Fi lovers, and those who like books about warfare and battle.

Falling Sky by James Patrick Riser -- Book Review and Giveaway

This post is part of a review tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions for James Patrick Riser's YA SF book Falling Sky. James will be awarding a $10 GC to Wild Child Publishing to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Falling Sky by James Patrick Riser
Sci-Fi YA
4 Stars

Following a devastating world war, the surface of the planet has been covered in a substance called Dust, a weapon that can break down the physical make up of entire cities, reducing them to rubble and preventing citizens from rebuilding their lost metropolises for several years. In order to survive, humanity has taken refuge in crowded, underground cities.

Ian Blum is a 15 year old boy living in one such city. His crippling social anxiety confines him to a solitary life at home, while his parents are away at their jobs. The person he interacts with the most is his home school professor, Michael Wasley. One night, Ian is visited by a mysterious figure in a dream. The man warns Ian of a great earthquake that will destroy the cities, killing all of the inhabitants. The man charges Ian with the task of getting everyone out.

Soon after, Ian finds out that he isn't the only one who has had this dream and reluctantly joins a group of rebels who has made it their mission to drive everyone from the cities for their own safety, however, no one believes in the stranger's prophecy. Ian and the rebels must find a way to get the people to safety at any cost.

My Review:

There's a lot of punch in this short novel from James Patrick Riser. It's just twenty years in the future.. but a lot has changed. The entire population of earth has had to move underground. Most people have adapted, but not Ian Blum. Even though he was born underground,he can't stand being around groups of people--leaving him with only one person he can talk to once he starts having odd dreams.

That person turns out to be the one person who can really help him--and Ian is off on the adventure of his life.

With only around 70 pages, there's not a lot of room for character development and, if I had a complaint, that would be my only one. I would have liked to have gotten to know the characters better. That being said, I really liked Ian and Michael, and I hope the author is planning a sequel to this book. There are a few questions left unanswered at the end of Falling Sky that I hope were on purpose.

Kudos, Mr. Riser!

Now enjoy an excerpt:

He dreamed of being in a box barely large enough to accommodate him. He scratched at the walls in hopes of liberating himself from the oppressive darkness, but couldn’t. After what seemed like hours, a deep rumbling shook the ground underneath him. The vibrations grew more powerful by the moment and light began to pour in through numerous spider web cracks that quickly spread over the surface of his prison. Eventually, the powerful disturbance reached a peak and Ian found himself with his hands braced against the quickly crumbling walls as they gave way with a violent burst. The explosion left him in field of wild grass. Not like the even, neatly trimmed grass he found in the city’s parks, usually full of children chasing each other during simple games with made up rules. This grass was tall and uneven. Each blade swayed in unison as they were blown this way and that by a sharp, biting wind. He knew that this could only be the surface, even though he’d never been there himself. There was no wind underground, for a sophisticated temperature regulation system mimicked the weather of a warm spring day.

Sometimes, Ian lay in the uniform grass and stared at the clouds to see if he could spot any gaps in the illusion; many times he did. A pitch black ceiling would quickly reveal itself before being replaced by a deep, picturesque blue sky.

About the Author:

James Patrick Riser is the author of Syndrome and Falling Sky, two novellas published by Wild Child Publishing. His short fiction has appeared in the, now defunct, online horror fiction magazine, Necrotic Tissue, and his poetry has appeared in the online poetry journals, Pif magazine, Dead Beats and Four and Twenty Poetry. He lives in Colton, California.

Connect with James on his website and Twitter. His publisher is Wild Child Publishing and Falling Sky can be bought at Amazon.

Gethyon by Pippa Jay -- Virtual Book Tour and Giveaway

This post is part of a Virtual Book Tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Pippa is giving away two prizes (both are open internationally). One commenter on this stop will receive four bookmarks as well as a $5 Amazon or BN.com gift card. Oe commenter during the entire tour will receive a green crystal pendant charm. Please see the Rafflecopter at the end of the post. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Abandoned by his mother after his father’s death, Gethyon Rees feels at odds with his world and longs to travel the stars. But discovering he has the power to do so leaves him scarred for life. Worse, it alerts the Siah-dhu—a dark entity that seeks his kind for their special abilities—to his existence, and sets a bounty hunter on his trail.

When those same alien powers lead Gethyon to commit a terrible act, they also aid his escape. Marooned on the sea-world of Ulto Marinos, Gethyon and his twin sister must work off their debt to the Seagrafter captain who rescued them while Gethyon puzzles over their transportation. How has he done this? And what more is he capable of?

Before he can learn any answers, the Wardens arrive to arrest him for his crime. Can his powers save him now? And where will he end up next?

Now enjoy an excerpt:

He couldn’t move. His feet seemed pinned to the floor, his muscles locked into rigid immobility. The Siah-dhu howled at him, their voice leeching all will and all power from him. Despite the sparks of power within him, the darkness writhed through his gut, gnawing with jagged teeth as it twisted though his mind. It was hunger magnified a thousand times, as if the vacuum of space had opened up inside him. He fell to his knees.

Gethyon. Not quite a voice, not quite any sound he had ever heard, the Siah-dhu called his name. The roiling mass drew closer. A chill gale blasted over him and snatched all the breath and warmth from him, sucking the life out of him.

“No.” The single word snatched him back from the edge. He hadn’t come so far or lost so much to surrender. As the Siah-dhu pulsed toward him intent on his consumption, he forced himself up again and turned his back on the shadows. It was the hardest thing he had ever done, to resist that pull into oblivion. The edges of the black cloud twined around him, incorporeal fingers striving to grasp him, seething forward to swallow him…

The world disappeared.

A stay-at-home mum of three who spent twelve years working as an Analytical Chemist in a Metals and Minerals laboratory, Pippa Jay bases her stories on a lifetime addiction to science-fiction books and films. Somewhere along the line a touch of romance crept into her work and refused to leave. Between torturing her characters, she spends the odd free moments trying to learn guitar, indulging in freestyle street dance and drinking high-caffeine coffee. Although happily settled in historical Colchester in the UK with her husband of 20 years, she continues to roam the rest of the Universe in her head.

Website

Blog

Goodreads

Twitter

Facebook

Google+

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Range by J. A. Huss - Super Book Blast with Giveaway!

Today we're spotlighting J. A. Huss on her tour with Goddess Fish Promotions for the New Adult Science Fiction/Dark Fantasy, "Range", book for in the "I Am Not Junco" series.

J.A. will be awarding a $25 gift card to Amazon or PayPal cash, winner's choice, plus a custom angel necklace, plus swag (Book marks, stickers, postcards) to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour (USA ONLY), so comment today AND follow her tour--here's a list of her stops! The more you read and comment, the better your odds of winning. You could be introduced to a great new author AND win a prize!

Two years have passed since Inanna stole Junco away from Lucan. Two years of unimaginable pain. Two years of isolation, mutilation and torture. Two years of fear and loneliness in a morph tank. And that’s not something you just get over, even if you are psycho-assassin, Junco Coot.

Now Junco has to learn to live with the consequences. Her Siblings are suspicious and angry, half her team is dead, Tier is wreaking death and destruction, Lucan is holding his secrets close, and she is spiraling out of control.

There is only one partnership that matters anymore – only one person she will trust and take direction from – and only one way out of the Hell she’s been sentenced to.

Junco is tired fighting and death. She’s had enough and this time she means to end it – once and for all.

Excerpt:

Letting HOUSE choose our clothes from the sphere was a mistake waiting to happen, but I turned on the screen and saw myself leaving the suborbital station in Dallas wearing Selia’s bustier and my jeans.

So.

A disguise was in order.

I just never thought she’d choose a sundress. With girly flowers in shades of pink and tangerine. Not orange, HOUSE corrected me. Tangerine.

And we match because she made herself an outfit just like it. If it wasn’t so freaking funny to look at the two of us standing in the mirror, I’d cry.

She got me a purse too, a big one like that Cora chick was hauling around with her on Sargassum. And this is lime green. “Ya know,” I turn to look down at her standing next to me. Her smile is big and I almost forgive her. “This whole let’s-stick-out-to-blend-in disguise never works. I mean, you do understand that, right? I’m the freaking master of this stealth crap and I’m telling you, the lime green bag will not hide us in plain sight.”

She shrugs and messes with her hair, pushing it off to the side, then tilts her head to look at herself.

“Who the hell are you?”

This pulls her back to me. “HOUSE. I’m HOUSE.”

“Well, you’re not acting like HOUSE. You’re acting like a child.”

She stuffs a small straw hat on her head. “I am a child.” Her eyes never even bother to look away from the mirror.

“You,” I pause for emphasis, “are an AI. Living inside me. You’re not a child.”

She shrugs and I grab my lime green bag of weapons and we head out the door.

J.A. Huss writes new adult speculative fiction, contemporary romances, and an entire line of science non-fiction textbooks that cater to home learners. She also runs the New Adult Addiction and Clean Teen Reads book Blogs. She has an undergraduate degree in equine science and a graduate degree in forensic toxicology. She adores everything science and considers herself a major geek! Her first series is called I Am Just Junco.

Website: http://www.iamjustjunco.com/

Author Blog: http://jahuss.com/

Book Blog: http://newadultaddiction.blogspot.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IAmJustJunco

Twitter: https://twitter.com/JAHuss

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6446815.J_A_Huss

CLUTCH – Book One: http://www.amazon.com/CLUTCH-Am-Just-Junco-ebook/dp/B009BIOJTU/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1362700731&sr=8-2&keywords=clutch+junco

Goodreads for CLUTCH: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15763262-clutch

Book trailer for CLUTCH: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iz0PWDGoTJY

FLEDGE – Book Two: http://www.amazon.com/FLEDGE-Just-Junco-Dot-ebook/dp/B009D0U6LQ

Goodreads for FLEDGE: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15764009-fledge

Book trailer for FLEDGE: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_LYS0N1OAY

FLIGHT – Book Three: http://www.amazon.com/FLIGHT-Just-Junco-Dot-ebook/dp/B009E9MMWM

Goodreads for FLIGHT: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15781131-flight

Book trailer for FLIGHT: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_-uY4NnamM

Debris Dreams by David Colby - Virtual Book Tour

Please welcome author David Colby on his tour with Bewitching Book Tours today for his SFF YA "Debris Dreams".

Debris Dreams by David Colby

Genre: YA science fiction
Publisher: Candlemark & Gleam
Number of pages: 294
Book Trailer: http://youtu.be/CJnnk8jX2g8
Book Description:

2068 1.5 million kilometers above the surface of the Earth Drusilla Xao has only seen a tree in movies and vid-games. She has never breathed air that wasn’t recycled, re-filtered, and re-used a hundred times over again. She has never set foot on the Earth.

And now she never will.

When a terrorist attack by a radical separatist group on Luna destroys the space elevator that had called so many – including her parents – to live permanently in space, Dru is cut off from any hope of ever reaching Earth and her beloved girlfriend, Sarah. The Chinese-American Alliance declares immediate war on the rebels and conscripts everyone they can get their hands on…including Dru.

Cast adrift, forced to become a soldier, trapped in a nightmare of vacuum and loneliness, Dru’s training will help her survive, but only Sarah will be able to bring her home.

Author Bio:

Heavily influenced by George Romero movies and bad, poorly dubbed anime, David Colby decided to start writing almost twelve years ago. It went poorly. But, despite these early setbacks, David continued to work and write and send out submissions until someone was mad enough to accept him. Currently living in Rohnert Park, California, while working on his English Bachelor, David Colby continues to be fascinated by George Romero movies and has realized that animes have subtitles.

http://debrisdreams.candlemarkandgleam.com
http://quantumspinplates.com
Twitter: @therealzoombie
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6439863.David_Colby

Book Character Twitters:
@druofnight
@cayerbear22
@caa_news

Relocated by Margaret Fieland

Please welcome author Margaret Fieland on her tour with Bewitching Book Tours today. We're featuring information about her book, "Relocated" and she's shared a diary entry from the protagonist from her book.

Relocated by Margaret Fieland
Genre: Tween/YA sci fi
Publisher: MuseItUp Publishing

Book Description:

When fourteen-year-old Keth's dad is transferred to planet Aleyne, he doesn't know what to expect. Certainly not to discover Dad grew up here, and studied with Ardaval, a noted Aleyni scholar. On Aleyne, Keth’s psi ability develops. However, psi is illegal in the Terran Federation. After a dangerous encounter with two Terran teenagers conflict erupts between Keth and his father. Keth seeks sanctuary with Ardaval. Studying with the Aleyne scholar Keth learns the truth about his own heritage. After Keth's friend's father, Mazos, is kidnapped, Keth ignores the risks and attempts to free him. Little does he realize who will pay the cost as he becomes involved with terrorists.

Dear Diary:

Today was my first day at the school on the base, and I wish I were back with Ardaval and the Aleyni kids. Shaffa is nice, and even Darus is up-front about disliking Terrans. The kids on the base, all except maybe one, pretend to b friendly but secretly would happy to see me wander off and die. Okay, maybe not quite that bad, but they're not nice. Dad won't give in, though. He wants me to go to school with Terrans.

We had an Aleyni language lesson. I'm the only one who speaks Aleyni, except maybe the teacher, John. Practically none of the Terrans here speaks the language. I swear that John, the teacher, only knows enough to stay ahead of the class lessons.

Why did Dad make me learn to speak Aleyni? I haven't bothered to ask him. He'd just put me off with some blather about how it's good to learn other languages, or how it made the exchange students who hung out at our apartment back home more comfortable when they could speak their own language with us. He's keeping secrets, but I don't know how to pry them out of him. It makes me feel like he's some stranger I barely know, and that I barely know myself, too.

Excerpt:

“What do you mean I must undergo a psi exam? The Terran Federation legislates against any use of psi." The speaker, a human woman with wild gray hair, glared at the immigration official.

I gazed at the official. Like most Aleyni, he stood over six feet, slender, with extra wide hands, and thumbs able to bend all the way back. His head appeared more oval than humans, too, and he showed almost no external ears. His skin appeared almost black, like Dad’s and mine, and hers appeared pale. His dark skin provided a welcome spot of color against the general gray of the space port interior. The temperature felt pleasant enough, though; nicely warm instead of the chill of the Terran Federation space station circling above Aleyne.

He could have been reading a laundry list. “Madam, Aleyne is a sovereign planet, not part of the Terran Federation, and if you want to clear immigration you must undergo a psi exam.” He pushed a data cube toward her. “Either sign the consent form and undergo the exam, or go back up to the space station.” He added, “Take it or leave it,” in Aleyni. No one else noticed.

She threw the data cube on the floor, stomped, and it shattered into fragments. “I won’t do it. I don’t want any aliens screwing around in my head.”

The official stared at her for a moment. “It’s against our ethics to screw around.”

The woman crossed her arms. “I don’t believe you.”

“You can return to the space station and take the next ship out.” The official’s face revealed nothing, and his gray eyes stared straight at her. His hands hung loose at his side. I considered him a model of polite behavior, considering. I would have punched her.

The woman stared at him. Her head tilted up, because she barely made five feet. Her face, which wore a ferocious frown, turned bright red. Maybe she disliked dark skin, or maybe she simply hated Aleynis.

“I’m going.” She spat the words, turned, glared at us, and marched down the corridor. I glanced back and noticed her arguing with a Space Force officer. The expression on his face would have curdled milk.

Dad prodded me. “Keth, come on.” He grabbed two data cubes, scanned them, and signed both. The official passed both of them through his reader and put one through a slot. “How old is the boy?”

“I’m fourteen Terran standard years. That makes me sixteen in Aleyni years. The Aleyni year is shorter than ours.”

“You need to consent for yourself.” He passed me a new cube and I signed.

The official threw it away and handed me another. “Read first and then sign.” I sighed loudly and read the whole thing, both the top half, in Aleyni, and the bottom, in English Common Speech. I started to compare the two, noticing how much clearer informed consent appeared in the Aleyni version, when Dad prodded me. I signed the form and returned the cube to the official. “Okay, I read it.”

The official smiled and pushed it through the slot after Dad’s.

I wasn’t scared, since Dad told me about the need to take a psi exam. The Aleyni checked for any kind of plant or animal, or whether we planned a terrorist attack. Dad said Federation anti-psi fanatics attacked a couple of times recently, so I understood why they checked carefully.

The examiner set me in a chair. He asked me again if I consented to the exam. When I said yes, the examiner put his hands on the sides of my face, looking into my eyes. His hands burned hot against my skin. A thousand ants chewed through my brain and a voice whispered questions I couldn’t quite make out. I tried to take a breath, but my throat tightened, and I gasped aloud. I squeezed my eyes shut and tried to stop shaking. I shook my head, trying to make the voices go away, and the examiner removed his hands and stared into my eyes for a moment. The buzzing voices stopped, leaving my head feeling as though it would burst open. The examiner smiled at me and passed me through the checkpoint. A couple of minutes went by before my stomach stopped heaving, but hammers still pounded inside my head.

Born and raised in New York City, Margaret Fieland has been around art and music all her life. Daughter of a painter, she is the mother of three grown sons and an accomplished flute and piccolo player. She is an avid science fiction fan, and selected Robert A. Heinlein's “Farmer in the Sky” for her tenth birthday, now long past. She lives in the suburbs west of Boston, MA with her partner and a large number of dogs. Her poems, articles and stories have appeared in journals and anthologies such as Melusine, Front Range Review, Umbrella Journal and All Rights Reserved. In spite of making her living as a computer software engineer, she turned to one of her sons to format the initial version of her website, a clear illustration of the computer generation gap. Her book, "Relocated," was released by MuseItUp Publishing in July, 2012. The Angry Little Boy," will be published by 4RV publishing in early 2013.

http://www.margaretfieland.com

http://poetic-muselings.net/

http://www.margaretfieland.com/

http://www.facebook.com/margaret.fieland

https://twitter.com/madcapmaggie

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4417476.Margaret_Fieland