~ ALLEGORIES OF THE TAROT ~ Ananthology of symbols and human experience based on the Major Arcana cards of the Tarot

Get the Allegories of the Tarot Anthology in on Amazon and Smashwords. Add the Allegories of the Tarot Anthology to your Goodreads to-read shelf!

Swing by the Allegories of the Tarot Facebook page and enter the release-day giveaway of a custom Tarot box--complete with Tarot deck!

Who hasn't been fascinated by the mysterious Tarot, writer and reader alike? For centuries, fortune-telling by the Tarot has caught many an imagination, but nothing like what will be presented here. 22 cards... each an individual splinter of the human psyche. 22 writers... honing each splinter into a story of triumph and decay, arrogance and humility. Stories of the brightest lights and the darkest corners of the weirdest minds. 22 cross-genre worlds. 22 portals into the Universal. Only one way to get there. Come with us. Cross the portals. The Universal awaits.

About the book

Once upon a time, there was an editor with a fascination for the Tarot. She was struck one day by a crazy idea. "Hey," she said. "What if twenty-two writers each wrote a story about the twenty-two cards of the Major Arcana of the Tarot and were fashioned into an anthology?" The idea would not leave her alone. And thus, the Allegories of the Tarot was born. Crowdfunded by a campaign on Indiegogo with the help and support of an amazing group of writers, twenty-two stories were crafted around the mysteries of the Tarot. The group includes a Pushcart Prize nominee, a Pulp Ark nominee, a former Bigfoot researcher, a journalist, an award-winning YA author, and a Rhysling Award winner. Professional writers, new talent, and a range of genres boggling the mind: Horror, Speculative Fiction, Bizarro Fiction, Erotica, Mystery, Humor, Paranormal, Epic Fantasy, Literary, Romance, and Historical Fantasy. What has emerged is an outstanding collection of fiction, unique and mysterious. Stories that will make you cry, make you laugh, and make you think. Stories that make you feel the touch of the Universe. Dare to step through the portal to shadowy realms and emotional journeys.

Early readers have fallen in love with the Allegories of the Tarot

"Allegories of the Tarot Anthology is a magical book. Magic that will keep you turning the pages. There are muses, demons,  psychics, evil,and more! I shivered, I laughed and I even cried. Magic, I tell you. Magic." -Julie Affleck "Reviewing an anthology is slightly more difficult than discussing a book or comic because the tone varies from author to author. However, Allegories somehow flowed together as a well-matched whole.

The project ended up feeling like several beads strung together to form a beautiful necklace that were more amazing for being paired together." -Jodi Scaife "All twenty-two stories in this volume are, in a word, superb. I found myself scouring the Internet as I read it; every story made me want to go find more work by its author. The ultimate compliment I can give Allegories is to say that when I finished it, I thought how I envy those who haven’t read it yet." -Lisa Millraney

Get the book!

Allegories of the Tarot is available in e-book and paperback format on Amazon, and in multiple e-book formats on Smashwords. Don't forget to add Allegories of the Tarot to your to-read shelf on Goodreads. Connect with the Allegories of the Tarot Anthology on its website, Facebook, and Twitter.

The Most Powerful Women in the Middle Ages: Queens, Saints, and Viking Slayers, From Empress Theodora to Elizabeth of Tudor by Michael & Melissa Rank

About The Authors

Melissa Rank writes extensively on intercultural communication and health on her blog http://hungaryforturkey.wordpress.com. An avid traveler, she has taught English as a Second Language in many countries, including Indonesia, Turkey, Hungary and Rwanda.

She is currently enjoying taking care of her young daughter and navigating the terrain of motherhood, and unlike many of the women in this book, has no plans of taking over the country or the world any time soon.

Michael Rank is a doctoral candidate in Middle East history. He has studied Turkish, Arabic,

Persian, Armenian, and French but can still pull out a backwater Midwestern accent if need be. He also worked as a journalist in Istanbul for nearly a decade and reported on religion and human rights.

He does his best to help out Melissa raise their daughter, whom he secretly hopes can one day be in a book like this. But he would like her to seize power without having to go through all those marriages to surly men, of course. Michael is also the author of the #1 Amazon best-seller “From Muhammed to Burj Khalifa: A Crash Course in 2,000 Years of Middle East History,” and “History's Worst Dictators: A Short Guide to the Most Brutal Leaders, From Emperor Nero to Ivan the Terrible.”

Website | Twitter | Amazon

About The Book

Genre: History | Women's Studies

Publisher: Five Minute Books

Release Date: August 13, 2013

Buy: Amazon

The idea of a powerful woman in the Middle Ages seems like an oxymoron. Females in this time are imagined to be damsels in distress, trapped in a high tower, and waiting for knights to rescue them, all while wearing traffic-cones for a hat. After rescue, their lives improved little. Their career choices were to be a docile queen, housewife, or be burned at the stake for witchcraft.
But what if this image of medieval women is a complete fiction?
It turns out that it is. Powerful female rulers fill the Middle Ages. Anglo-Saxon queen Aethelflaed personally led armies into direct combat with Vikings in the 900s and saved England from foreign invasion. Byzantine Empress Theodora kept the empire from falling apart during the Nika Revolts and stopped her husband Justinian from fleeing Constantinople. Catherine of Siena almost single-handedly restored the papacy to Rome in the 1300s and navigated the brutal and male-dominated world of Italian politics. Joan of Arc completely reversed the fortunes of France in the Hundred Years War and commanded assaults on English fortresses despite being an illiterate 17-year-old peasant.
This book will look at the lives of the ten most powerful women in the Middle Ages. Whether it is the famed scholar Anna Komnene, who wrote the first narrative history, or Ottoman Queen Mother Kösem Sultan, who ruled the Islamic empire through three of her sons – all these women held extraordinary levels of power at a time when women were thought to not have any.
It will explore how they managed to ascend the throne, what made their accomplishments so notable, and the impact they had on their respective societies after their deaths. It will also describe the historical background of these women, their cultures, and what about it helped or hindered their rise.
Their stories still echo down to today. They are a testimony to the resiliency of individuals to accomplish extraordinary things, even if society puts on them enormous constraints.

Excerpts

part 1 excerpt

Lady Aethelflaed of the Mercians (872-918): Midwife of England, Viking Slayer

The story of Lady Aethelflaed is literally one of epic proportions. She led England's two southern kingdoms against the Danish Vikings, crushing their armies due to her bravery and tactical brilliance, and creating a united England. When J.R.R. Tolkien was a professor of Anglo Saxon studies at Oxford University, he likely used her life as an inspiration for Eowyn, Lady of Rohan, in “The Lord of the Rings.”

If so, Tolkien could not have paid a higher compliment to a historical figure. It was Eowyn who slew the Lord of the Nazgul, among the fiercest enemies in his series. Other similarities between the two women are numerous. Both faced down terrifying enemies at a time of doom. Both led battle charges on horseback into pitched battles. And both left behind a better society than the one they ruled.

Born in 870, Aethelflaed was the eldest child of King Alfred the Great of Wessex and Queen Ealhswith. Her father was a widely respected commander who won a battle in Edington against the Vikings in 862, freeing western Mercia from their control. As she grew up, Alfred kept his daughter at his side and gave her military instruction that was usually only reserved for men. He taught Aethelflaed the use of weapons, military strategy, and the forming of legal and economic policies. She watched him assemble a navy, collect taxes, promote trade, and protect the church.

Her father put Aethelflaed into an arranged marriage to consolidate his domains, but matrimony did not temper her martial spirit. During a journey from Wessex to Mercia, Aethelflaed and her wedding party were attacked by Vikings. The assault was likely done to prevent an alliance between Wessex and Mercia. Whatever the reason, the Vikings suffered the fierce wrath of interfering with a bride while preparing for her wedding. Her military upbringing did not leave her unprepared during the surprise attack.

She fought alongside her bodyguards, protecting the maids and dowry. When the battle turned against them, Aethelflaed and her men retreated into a castle, which by then most of her attendants had been killed and her dowry looted. Despite being outnumbered, they eventually struck down every last one of their assailants. Only she, her maidservant, and a bodyguard survived. This episode perhaps ranks her as the most lethal Bridezilla in history.

Follow The Tour Here

a Rafflecopter giveaway

GEORGINA MORALES ~ PERPETUAL NIGHT ~ GIVEAWAY

VISIT HERE and LEAVE a comment to win a copy of PERPETUAL NIGHTS

 

~ ONE ~

 

SHADOWS IN THE DARK

 

 

T

 

he shining moonlight covered every inch of the forest. Lilibeth looked up through the leafless branches and admired the deep blackness of the sky as the perfect backdrop to hundreds of tiny immaculate stars enclosing the full moon. It was a poet’s night. Surrounded by trees, all she could see were woods; breaking the silence, the running water of the Howling River gave up her location. She knew where she was, she had been here many times before; it was the forest behind the White Church’s cemetery, but the real question was how she had gotten here. A cold November breeze blew, and Lilibeth realized with a shiver that she was only wearing her red flannel pajamas.

An owl hoot echoed, and with it came the feeling of not being alone. The hair on the back of her neck rose. Lilibeth imagined eyes on every crook and cranny out of the silvery light reach, and she realized her shivers were not caused by the falling temperature anymore. What had appeared like a peaceful night was changing into a creepy nightmare and hard as she tried to fight it, a foreboding feeling came over her.

Close by, a howl reverberated in the night, scurrying noises of animals became loud, and soon she became aware of how populated the forest was, but it didn’t feel innocent or happy: instead it was menacing and unnatural. Branches snapped under an unseen foot and rustling on the bushes announced a presence to her left. The temperature dropped several degrees and Lilibeth knew it wasn’t because of the season. Whatever it was behind the bushes filled her with a sense of dread. It had no soul and it reeked of despair.

The young girl heard movement once again, and with the corner of her eye she caught a glimpse of a figure blacker than the night. Scared, she spun in the direction of the noise willing her eyes to see in the dark. The shadow darted from an orchard to a tree closer to her; overcome by fear, she prepared to run in the opposite direction. When she turned around, the face of a young woman took her aback. She was so close Lilibeth could feel her breath.

Her terror grew when she closed in on the woman’s features. It was like watching her own reflection: same pale skin, long dark hair and violet eyes, but this other girl was older, and out of her every pore undiluted evil gushed. She opened her mouth to scream, only to see the one in front of her move in flawless synchronization. Lilibeth felt consciousness slip through her fingers. The images started to blur from the edges when two hard objects like rocks hit both her forearms, preventing her from falling. The last thing she saw was that mouth wide enough to disjoint any human jaw.

A loud scream pierced through the veil of night, and she jumped out of bed. It took her a second to realize that the blood-curling scream was hers. To Lilibeth it was like the scream of someone dying; she didn’t even feel it coming out of her mouth. She had never been that terrified before. Come to me, echoed a voice in her mind, beautiful, feminine, like a chant. A cold drop of sweat ran along her spine, and the ominous feeling came back.

Her mother opened the door in a hurry, making her jump once again. The girl was covered in sweat and completely confused. “Are you ok? Was it another nightmare?” asked Mrs. Royster while turning the light on.

 

 

 

AMAZON

FACEBOOK  

BLOG   

 

GOODREADS 

 

 

 

 

THE BOOK OF PAUL by RICHARD LONG "Mind-Blowing." according to Stephen King

"Everything you've ever believed about yourself...about the description of reality you've
clung to so stubbornly all your life...all of it...every bit of it...is an illusion." 

 In the rubble-strewn wasteland of Alphabet City, a squalid tenement conceals a treasure "beyond all imagining"-- an immaculately preserved, fifth century codex. The sole repository of ancient Hermetic lore, it contains the alchemical rituals for transforming thought into substance, transmuting matter at will...and attaining eternal life.

When Rose, a sex and pain addicted East Village tattoo artist has a torrid encounter with Martin, a battle-hardened loner, they discover they are unwitting pawns on opposing sides of a battle that has shaped the course of human history. At the center of the conflict is Paul, the villainous overlord of an underground feudal society, who guards the book's occult secrets in preparation for the fulfillment of an apocalyptic prophecy.

 The action is relentless as Rose and Martin fight to escape Paul's clutches and Martin's destiny as the chosen recipient of Paul's sinister legacy.  Science and magic, mythology and technology converge in a monumental battle where the stakes couldn't be higher: control of the ultimate power in the universe--the Maelstrom.

The Book of Paul is the first of seven volumes in a sweeping mythological narrative tracing the mystical connections between Hermes Trismegistus in ancient Egypt, Sophia, the female counterpart of Christ, and the Celtic druids of Clan Kelly.

 

BUY ON AMAZON

 

"Richard Long intertwined a bag of genres while creating this intriguing and enchanting story...it's mind-blowing." - Stephen King

 
"Long's prose is deft and clear, transporting the reader from one character's psyche to the next...this tale is a compelling one. A psychological thriller for readers who are bored with run-of-the-mill horror...Those who embrace the genre will eagerly anticipate a second installment in the series." - Kirkus Reviews
 
"Intelligent, self-aware, and often amusing...hitting all the markers for sadistic, salacious, and scary. Long is doubtless going to build a large and loyal fan base composed of people just like him: literate folks with a bizarre sense of humor who prefer a bucket of blood to a bath filled with rose petals." - ForeWord Clarion Reviews
 
"Totally absorbing! The Book of Paul is moving, profound, funny, terrifying and never lets you go. The prose is swift and sharp...at times, even poetic. Masterful storytelling. Hats off!!" - Henry Bean, writer/director of The Believer
 
"Completely outstanding...an ingenious mixture of all things intriguing! The Book of Paul is truly an enchanting tale that will leave you spellbound. I can't wait to read more of this series! The only thing I can say is...wow! Hats of to Richard Long for creating a truly worthy and delightful read." -- Close Encounters with the Night Kind

 

Emma Jane Holloway The Baskerville Affair trilogy AN INTERVIEW ~ Featuring ~ A Study in Silks by EMMA JANE HOLLOWAY

Ever since childhood, Emma Jane Holloway refused to accept that history was nothing but facts prisoned behind the closed door of time. Why waste a perfectly good playground coloring within the timelines? Accordingly, her novels are filled with whimsical impossibilities and the occasional eye-blinking impertinence—but always in the service of grand adventure.
Struggling between the practical and the artistic—a family tradition, along with ghosts and a belief in the curative powers of shortbread—Emma Jane has a degree in literature and job in finance. She lives in the Pacific Northwest in a house crammed with books, musical instruments, and half-finished sewing projects. In the meantime, she’s published articles, essays, short stories, and enough novels to build a fort for her stuffed hedgehog.

Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Pinterest

 

• A Study in Silks
• A Study in Darkness
• A Study in Ashes

• Describe your writing in three words.

Steampunk. Magic. Revolution.

• Do you have specific techniques you use to develop the plot and stay on track?

I’m more of a plot-weaver than a straight-line plotter, with a number of character arcs intersecting and influencing each other. My books are more a full meal deal than a snack. To keep this all in line I do keep extensive notes and sometimes I’ll pin a big piece of newsprint on the wall and scribble it all out there. With all the great writing software in the universe, I still like pen and paper. I really do belong in the Victorian era!

• Was there any research involved in your work?

Absolutely. I’m writing historical fiction and also science fiction. I find the history easier than the science and spend a lot of time looking up all the wonderful ways nineteenth-century boilers could explode.

• Are your characters in the book based on anyone you know?

There are aspects of people I know in the characters, but never an entire person. Even if an author meant it in the best way, I think replicating someone in fiction would lead to no end of trouble. I can just see my friends asking, “Does this adverb make me look fat?” or “What do you mean the villain just shot me! It should take me at least three paragraphs to die!” It’s just not worth the angry emails.

• Once a character is fully developed do
  you set them free or do they still dance around your mind?

Characters stay with me. They are the worst nags and messy houseguests, cluttering up the inside of my head with newspapers and dirty laundry. Sometimes they’ll be quiet for a long time and then pop out of nowhere to pester me with a new storyline.

• Do you need visual media to describe people or places?

For reference, certainly, if it’s a specific image I need to get right. I travelled for three weeks in London and Dartmoor for this series and I came back with a lot of photographs. Otherwise, I don’t usually have pictures in front of me while I’m writing. At the same time, steampunk is very visual and the clothes and contraptions are part of the fantasy. I keep a folder of images I browse through sometimes to get me in the right mood.

• Do you have a Muse?

If so, she has some explaining to do!



A Study in Silks
September 2013
Evelina Cooper, the niece of the great Sherlock Holmes, is poised to enjoy her first Season in London’s high society, but there’s a murderer to deal with—not to mention missing automatons, a sorcerer, and a talking mouse …
In a Victorian era ruled by a Council of ruthless steam barons, mechanical power is the real monarch, and sorcery the demon enemy of the Empire. Nevertheless, the most coveted weapon is magic that can run machines—something Evelina has secretly mastered. But rather than making her fortune, her special talents could mean death or an eternity as a guest of Her Majesty’s secret laboratories. What’s a polite young lady to do but mind her manners and pray she’s never found out?
But then there’s that murder. As Sherlock Holmes’s niece, Evelina should be able to find the answers, but she has a lot to learn. And the first decision she has to make is whether to trust the handsome, clever rake who makes her breath come faster, or the dashing trick rider who would dare anything for her if she would only just ask …
A Study in Darkness
October 2013
When a bomb goes off at 221B Baker Street, Evelina Cooper is thrown into her Uncle Sherlock’s world of mystery and murder. But just when she thought it was safe to return to the ballroom, old, new, and even dead enemies are clamoring for a place on her dance card.
Before Evelina’s even unpacked her gowns for a country house party, an indiscretion puts her in the power of the ruthless Gold King, who recruits her as his spy. He knows her disreputable past and exiles her to the rank alleyways of Whitechapel with orders to unmask his foe.
As danger mounts, Evelina struggles between hiding her illegal magic and succumbing to the darker aspects of her power. One path keeps her secure; the other keeps her alive. For rebellion is brewing, a sorcerer wants her soul, and no one can protect her in the hunting ground of Jack the Ripper.

Visit my web page: http://www.emmajaneholloway.com/
Like me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EmmaJaneHollowayAuthor
Read the first 50 pages of A Study in Silks here: http://sf-fantasy.suvudu.com/2013/09/50-page-fridays-emma-jane-holloway.html
Read the prequel short story here: http://sf-fantasy.suvudu.com/2013/09/steampunk-and-sorcery-read-the-adventure-of-the-wollaston-ritual-here.html
Watch the book trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1wq2oLLtmV0
Emma Jane Holloway
Ever since childhood, Emma Jane Holloway refused to accept that history was nothing but facts prisoned behind the closed door of time. Why waste a perfectly good playground coloring within the timelines? Accordingly, her novels are filled with whimsical impossibilities and the occasional eye-blinking impertinence—but always in the service of grand adventure.
Struggling between the practical and the artistic—a family tradition, along with ghosts and a belief in the curative powers of shortbread—Emma Jane has a degree in literature and job in finance. She lives in the Pacific Northwest in a house crammed with books, musical instruments, and half-finished sewing projects. In the meantime, she’s published articles, essays, short stories, and enough novels to build a fort for her stuffed hedgehog.

FAMILY FLAWS by T.S.Castle

For the soldiers of SAINT, going to war is about more than a struggle for land or power: It’s a fight between good and evil. Theirs is a life spent on the fringes of a society oblivious to the horrors of the darkness. With no family apart from their brothers and sisters borne of battle, their bonds are as indestructible as the blood ties they left behind.

On the night of the Ritz’ven Massacre, Peter Stone lost everything. The centuries’ old spell should have granted the vampires in his Clan immunity from every weakness; sunlight, silver, and holy items. Instead it left him cursed to an eternity alone.

Aidan James has seen monsters. He was raised by one.  Trying to survive is all he can manage for himself most days, but for the last of his family, for Cote, he cannot surrender. Little does he know, survival is about to get much more difficult for them both. And for everyone else around them.

FIND FAMILY FLAWS on AMAZON

VISIT T.S. Castle @ Books and Bitching

in T.S. Castle 's own words .......

Let me just say that I am probably one of the least social people using social media at this very moment. Not the least social, not since I moved out from under my rock, but alas, my inner-hermit likes her privacy. For my immediate purposes, this is a way to advertise my new book: "Family Flaws" which we will get to in a bit.

Who am I? T.S. Castle, nerd extraordinaire, pleased to meet you. I have a few months until I finish college. Although I enjoy learning pretty much anything new I am ready to be done with school for a while. I enjoy video games, science fiction, and the like. Comedies, horror movies, action, yes sir. Not a big fan of chick flicks or anything that might introduce that dreaded emotional stuff into my brain. If it’s crying, baby or adult, you can bet I will be shifting uncomfortably from foot to foot and trying to find the nearest exit.

My book is called “Family Flaws” and I must say of all the things I have created this is my pride and joy. Writing has always been my number one passion and this book is an accumulation of my love. My writing style is a kaleidoscope of nonlinear storytelling, but everything ties together in the end. I promise. At long last, “Family Flaws” is ready for other people to see. If you’re curious, feel free to read it. I won’t stop you. 

 

 

 

CLARK, NEW JERSEY AREA ? Author Meet & Greet on Saturday, October 26 from 2-4pm

 

Clark Public Library will be hosting an Author Meet & Greet on Saturday, October 26 from 2-4pm

This relaxed, casual setting will offer readers, fans and book lovers alike time to meet and greet some of New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania’s very own authors.

Grab a snack, a drink and chat all things books. Delve into the mind of an author who may just become a new favorite!

Authors range in all genres from YA to Adult.

This event is free to attend and open to the public. The authors will have signed books for sale so be sure to bring cash if you’d like to purchase one. Attendees will have a chance to win prize packs containing books and bookmarks.

Please Register >>here<<

Authors attending:

Adult Authors

Jill Prand

Melissa Collins

Stephanie Lehmann

S. J. Pajonas

Eric Nierstedt

Steven Donahue & Dawn M. Donahue

Mary A Wasowski

T.H. Snyder

Alice Montalvo-Tribue

Melinda Sutherland

Milly Taiden

Young Adult Authors

Amy Evans

Nadège Richards

Lisa Amowitz

Charlotte Bennardo 

Kim Purcell

Kit Grindstaff

Christy Sloat

BJ Sheldon

Where: Clark Public Library

               303 Westfield Ave.

              Clark, NJ 07065

              732-388-5999

When:  Saturday, October 26 from 2-4 pm

Please send any questions to the event organizer at lthorne@clarklibrary.org

https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Clark-Public-Library/133919253304008

Clarklibrary.org

ANTI ~ THEIST And This Is Why ~ By Christopher Mallard A VIRTUAL BOOK TOUR CAFE

Anti-Theist

by Christopher Mallard

Author Bio

The majority of my adult life was spent working in the oilfields of west Texas. In my spare time I taught myself how to work on computers and eventually turned it into a small business which I work from home. What does any of this have to do with religion? Nothing. Where are my degrees in theology, biology, astronomy and philosophy? I don’t have any. I am your common average Joe and that’s exactly the type of reader I’m trying to reach. Does it take a degree in theology to open the bible and see the stories told within as being immoral and violent? Can the common man not see how the religions of the world have done and are still doing immeasurable harm to society?

Author on Face BOOK 

Genre: Religion, Philosophy

Publisher: Amazon Digital Services

Release Date: 5/15/2013

Purchase On Amazon

Synopsis:

This book is the first in a series essentially arguing about the lack of abject morality of religion and its dangers. It’s broken down so each chapter is a topic on its own covering a variety subjects.

Excerpt #1

From Chapter 3 – Disproving God

“It’s God’s lack of action, not his actions that disprove his existence. If prayer really worked there would be groups of theists (nuns, priests, imams, whatever) going from bed to bed in every hospital healing the sick. Of course there are religious people in hospitals going along praying for people but a doctor washing his hand before seeing his patients will do more for their survival rates than the prayers offered by their holy men. The evil God monster of Abraham is an all-powerful God and can do absolutely anything except give any type of viable proof of his existence.

Often times a theist will counter with the old ‘God works in mysterious ways’ or stammer on about how he’s not there for us to boss around and do our bidding in vain attempts to get him to prove himself to us but in reality it’s just a bunch of crap. Studies have shown that when sick people are prayed for by fervent believers they are more likely to be healed. Other, more scientific studies have shown that when you allow religious nutbags to carry out their own studies they tend to be skewed towards their religious beliefs. I’m absolutely confident that a prayer method of healing can never stand up to the simple rigors of repeatability.

It is absolutely amazing the wealth of proof to disprove God you can come up with when turning a keen eye upon the absence of God's presence. The millions of children who starve to death, are beaten to death or who are being raped throughout the world is each and every one a testament to the non-existence of a personal God, especially if those children and/ or their parents believe in one of the Abrahamic death cults. And to counter with the idea that God is calling those children who die such horrible deaths to heaven to be with him because he for whatever reason has suddenly decided heaven needs more children is disgusting and vile. If your God is able to ‘see all’ and watch these children die slow agonizing deaths over months or years due to starvation, malnutrition, rape and outright murder and do nothing or to be able to watch children be repeatedly raped by gangs of men and not smite the men on the spot then your God is either not real or quite malevolent. If you the reader were ever attacked by an adult as a child and an invisible hand didn’t swoop in to protect you then you know exactly what I mean. Many victims have often asked, ‘Where was god when x happened to me?’”

Follow The Tour Here

a Rafflecopter giveaway

JUNE LUNDGREN'S ~*~ A MEDIUM'S GUIDE TO THE PARANORMAL ~*~

 

Available in print

 ebook @AMAZON.com

 

www.smashwords.com

  Do angels, ghosts and demons really exist, or are they a figment of our over active imagination? Can ghosts, demons and spirits harm you? If you don't believe in them they can't bother you right? How can you protect yourself against the paranormal? Do we live once and it's all over or do we come back time and again to live new lives? In this book you will gain information about the paranormal from a psychic-mediums perspective. She relates her own personal paranormal encounters interspersed with information about the paranormal. 

Anyone who is interested in the paranormal including ghosts, demons, orbs and hauntings will enjoy the many topics covered in this book. Those interested in spiritualism, new age topics and metaphysics will find many of the chapters such as past lives, possession and death and the soul connection. People who are experiencing their own paranormal occurrences such as hauntings and spirit attachments will find help and information to help them. People of all ages, walks of life and many religions will find something of interest in the book. Even those who do not believe in the paranormal will enjoy many of the thought provoking topics covered in this book.

My book is intended to help those who have questions about or are interested in the paranormal, spiritual or new age field. Unlike other mediums and psychics writings, my book is for people who have little to no knowledge about the world of the spiritual or paranormal. It is written in a very simple, relaxed, easy to understand manner. Even those who are knowledgeable in the field of the paranormal will learn something new from this book.

June Lundgren

I have been a psychic medium all my life. I am descended from a long line of light workers, women with both psychic and spiritual gifts. We are of Scottish, Irish and American Indian descent. These gifts have always been prevalent in the females in our family. My grandmother, Edith, was a wonderful woman with an open mind, patience, plenty of love, and spiritual gifts.

As a young child, I communicated my angels, guides and guardians. My grandmother encouraged me to keep communicating with these spiritual beings. Edith had a strong Irish/Scottish background and an open mind. I will always remember and cherish her words of advice: “Always keep an open mind, question everything and never take anything for granted. There is more within this world and the next than either you or I can know in this lifetime”. TO READ MORE CLICK HERE

AMBER SKYE FORBES and ~ WHEN STARS DIE ~

                                                                
·        What is your book about?

When Amelia discovers witch blood in her family, she joins a convent to cleanse that taint. However, when she discovers redemption is not possible, she unites with the dangerously attractive priest, Oliver Cromwell, to fight for a place in Paradise.









·        What inspired you to write this particular story (and/or series)?

There really is no one point of inspiration for me. All I knew is that I wanted to write about witches and convents, and everything else just sprang from there. I knew I wanted to make my witches different, like why some people are witches and others are not, and I knew I wanted to say something about religion and the human condition.

·        Describe your writing in three words.

Emotional, descriptive, dark

·        Do you have specific techniques you use to develop the plot and stay on track?

I just outline to keep everything in order. It really helps in pointing out potential plot holes, and then preventing them in later drafts.

·        Are your characters in the book based on anyone you know?

Amelia in When Stars Die isn't really based off anyone I know. Her look was originally based off Wednesday Addams, because I had a nightmare involving Wednesday Addams, but she was a slightly different girl. I decided to take that girl and create Amelia, but Amelia's appearance has changed since the inception of When Stars Die eight years ago.

·        Was there any research involved in your work?

Yes. I had to research the Victorian era and convents. Even though my book is in an alternate universe, I wanted to include the Victorian era, nonetheless, because it was a difficult time for women. It's even worse if you are a woman and a witch. And it was an interesting thought to me to have a witch aspiring to be a nun.

·        What authors inspire or influence your work?

Libba Bray and John Green are two authors that come to mind.

·        Do you need visual media to describe people or places? (Some authors use pics. out of magazines)

I've used pics to help me describe places, but I don't need visual media to describe people.

·        Favorite snack when writing.

I don't have a favorite snack for writing. I try not to get distracted by anything, including food, so I can meet my goal for that day.

·        Do you have a Muse?

I don't have a Muse. Writing is my job now, so I have to do it whether or not inspiration is present.

·        Once a character is fully developed do you set them free or do they still dance around your mind?

They still dance around in my mind, especially if it's a rough draft. My characters don't become fully developed or realized until the day that manuscript is published. And even then they may not be fully developed.

·        Is the Thesaurus one of your best writing friends?

Yes, it is, but I also try not to get too thesaurus happy.

·        Who gets to read your drafts before they're published?

My assistant, Mariah Wilson, gets to read them. I also hire an affordable freelance editor to go over part of the manuscript, and I use those comments to help out with the rest of the book.

·        Share with us your biggest hurdles in the writing process?

I guess my biggest hurdle in the writing process is getting to a point where I'm satisfied enough with the story to send it off to my assistant to be read. I always listen to my gut, and when my gut goes off and I can't figure out what's wrong, then I either take a break from the story or sometimes just send it off to be read if I don't have the time to take a break.

·        Share the biggest hurdles in the marketing process.

The biggest hurdles are just getting people to notice that my book exists. Thus far, I have had to spend some money on doing that, like money on giveaways and blog tours because it's difficult trying to gather a street team who will do things for you without expecting a whole lot in return. But I know that is about to change because I have two social media moguls from AEC Stellar Publishing who are putting together a list of people to do blog tours, so I won't have to do so much work in the future.

·        What project(s) are you working on now?

I am working on the sequel to When Stars Die called Stars Will Rise. I am also working on a contemporary fantasy and am in the process of outlining a YA contemporary literary novel. I also have a short story coming out in an anthology AEC Stellar is putting together about two mentally ill teens trying to make an unstable relationship work.

·        Is there anything else you would like to say to your readers?

When Stars Die will be released on October 22nd, first in print at Amazon and Barnes and Noble, then in e-book format.

·        Thank you!!!

·       Where can readers find you and your book(s) online?
 

Amber Skye Forbes is a dancing writer who prefers pointe shoes over street shoes, leotards over skirts, and ballet buns over hairstyles. She loves striped tights and bows and will edit your face with a Sharpie if she doesn't like your attitude. She lives in Augusta, Georgia where she writes dark fiction that will one day put her in a psychiatric ward...again. But she doesn't care because her cat is a super hero who will break her out.  

Facebook

Twitter

Blog    &  Webpage

You can always add  WHEN STARS DIE to your Goodreads TBR List !