COUNT DOWN TO DRAGON BABYEoin, Harbinger of Smoke and Darkness, and Angie, Angel Dragon of New Port are very pleased to announce they are expecting the birth of their first child in the Spring of 2019.The popular celebrity couple cannot wait to meet their newest addition. They were recently spotted at the premiere shifter obstetrician’s office looking upset.Stay tuned for updates.Warning: DO NOT approach couple, take pictures, or trespass on their land uninvited. Trust this reporter’s advice comes from firsthand experience.
☮ ღ ☼ Writers, Poets, Photographers, Musicians & Artists featured ☼ ღ ☮
Friday, May 31, 2019
Their Baby Dragon Annie Nicholas
A Shifting of Stars by Kathy Kimbray
by Kathy Kimbray
Genre: YA Fantasy
Release Date: May 28th 2019
Summary:
A squandering emperor. A handsome stranger. A reluctant heroine. And the ancient magic that will capsize a kingdom.
Seventeen-year-old Meadow Sircha watched her mother die from the wilting sickness. Tormented by the knowledge that the emperor failed to import the medicine that would have saved her, she speaks out at a gathering of villagers, inciting them to boycott his prized gladiator tournament.
But doing so comes at a steep cost.
Arrested as punishment for her impulsive tongue, Meadow finds herself caught up in the kind of danger she’s always tried to avoid. After a chance meeting with an enigmatic boy, she’s propelled on a perilous trek across the outer lands. But she soon unearths a staggering secret: one that will shift her world—and the kingdom—forever.
Filled with longing and heart, surprise and wonder, A SHIFTING OF STARS is the first book in Kathy Kimbray's gripping Of Stars trilogy.
AMAZON LINK: https://tinyurl.com/
CHAPTER ONE
I should not be here. I’m foreign to this village of broken rooftops and dull stone walls. I brush my fingers over a pillar. Its coldness burns my skin, makes me pause.
Go home.
The words sing loud like a taunt as moonlight slithers across my shoulders. The parchment digs like thorns in my palm. I imagine its shape, every fiber and ink blot.
Something moves near my feet and I jump. It’s just a rat, one of hordes from the city. They’ve grown bolder during these past few seasons, always darting out of alleys and running by arches, desperate—like us—to fill their bellies.
As it squeaks away, nails tapping in rhythm, I inspect the darkened street before me. Lamplight glows from a crooked post, but the shadows are still and the windows are empty. A leaf-strewn house looms in the distance, enticing me over the cobblestone ground. That house is the reason I’ve ventured so late into this weary part of town. Beside me, buildings cringe with moss. Walkways glisten with dirty puddles. Teetering balconies slouch from walls with garments strung between casements like cobwebs.
But that smell.
I halt to sniff the air. It wafts from the dwelling ahead of me. It winds from beneath its splintered panes—the pungent scent of broth and ale.
I wish it were stew.
Saliva brims on my tongue at the thought of meat cooked with spices and oils. The last time venison passed my lips, my mother was alive, my father smiled, and the future stretched before us, unending. Those were the days of Emperor Komran, a king who lived and bled for his people. I barely remember the white of his beard or how he limped through the fields during harvest. And it’s the same with my mother. I’m losing her, too. The curve of her cheek. The shade of her tresses. When she died, we set her afloat in the Geynes, and I sat on the bank with my toes in the water, not wanting to break that connection to her.
It’s a year tonight.
My chest starts to cave, but I fight and I fight to be still, to not cry. At least the dead are not hungry, not in turmoil. They do not see what Centriet has become.
I urge my feet toward the house. Komran would never have driven me here. When he reigned, our streets were routinely swept, and fountains dotted the well-kept pavements.
And medicine was—
A loose stone clacks. Forgetting my thoughts, I dart to an alcove. Since Komran’s son became our emperor, soldiers lurk where you’d least expect them.
In the dark, I steady my breaths, in and out. Not that I’m breaking any laws—that I know of. I listen to the night: crickets chirping, a soft breeze, and the whinny of a horse that’s so indistinct, perhaps it’s from Sledloe, the next village over.
I wait longer, just to be safe. Many of the soldiers are kind, though not all. Father says they’ve been granted more powers, but that we won’t know what it means for a while.
I hate not knowing. Just like tonight. I hate not knowing what awaits in the house. When the street remains silent, I rejoin the road, but my ankles wobble when I try to walk.
So I jog.
It soothes my jangled nerves, and I reach the house, breathless and flushed. Planks board the four square windows; rust from the nails seeps into the woodgrain. The stones are all different sizes and shapes, charred by the remnants of a long-ago fire. Ivy clings to the rutted surface, its end pieces curling like ribbon from the door.
You should leave, Meadow.
But I raise my fist. All I need to do is knock. I’ve already abandoned my stonebrick at dusk without letting Father know where I have gone. The loss of my mother hits me anew—the pain a reminder of why I have come here. That I’ve come to move on, to at last let her go. Even though I’m not sure what that means anymore.
Or if I can.
“Are you here for the Gathering?”
The question shatters the bracing air. Someone’s behind me and I spin to face him, shrouding myself with my long dark hair. But I’m wrong. There are two. One’s tall and strapping. The other is smaller in every way. As they chance another step, I notice that they’re young—about my age, seventeen.
“Why I’m here is not your concern,” I say.
“We do beg your pardon,” the smaller boy says. He has a scar on his brow like a cutlass. And another on his forearm, dark as molasses. He gestures to the vacant street behind him. “Have you ever visited Yahres before?”
“Yes,” I say, though my words are false. It’s safer to make them believe I’m a local.
“And your name?” asks the boy, but I shake my head at the same time his companion lets out a grunt.
“Don’t bother,” he snaps. “We leave tomorrow.”
The smaller boy nods, looking slightly embarrassed.
“We watched you for a bit,” he tells me.
“And what did you see?” I ask.
He smiles. One of his teeth is chipped. “We assumed you’d turn back many times.”
My pulse quickens at their presumption, especially since it’s mostly true. The slums of Yahres are outside the walls. My home lies inside in the village of Maytown. In Maytown we’re warned to always tread wisely in places like Yahres, Florian, and Sledloe. Perhaps that’s why I’d appeared so unsure. Yet neither of the pair looks remarkably dangerous.
“You proved us wrong,” the boy continues.
“No hard feelings,” I say.
He laughs. “Come inside with us.”
He holds out a hand, but I back away.
“Forgive me,” he says, withdrawing swiftly, color blotching his cheeks. “We lodge with the man who hosts these gatherings . . . and I noticed you had a parchment to read.”
“You saw?” I jolt, clutching it tightly, blood surging through my legs and arms. Since Mother’s passing, it happens quite often. My heart beats fast, and I need to run.
“You don’t have to read it,” he says.
I swallow.
“Although you can if you want to, of course. Unless you didn’t come here for the Gathering?”
“I doubt she’s here for anything else.”
It’s much too hard to read his expression, but the taller boy speaks with a dash of disdain. He sidesteps his friend with two no-nonsense strides.
“You don’t know my business,” I say.
“Oh, please.” He comes in close, reaching past me, and the scent of leather and steel is intense. It reminds me of sitting in my father’s workroom when he’s mending quivers for the elder archers. The boy raps on the door with his knuckles. Three times, then nothing. The way we’re supposed to. “Of course you’re here for the Gathering,” he says, as metal grinds and a peephole opens.
My need to bolt escalates.
“Get in. You’re the last,” says the face inside. The cumbersome timber shifts outward before us. It breaks the leaves and they flutter in spirals.
“After you,” the tall boy says.
The parchment feels like a stone in my hand. It dawns on me how stifled this is—this narrow black corridor, deep in the kingdom.
I brush the still-dangling leaves to one side. The passageway stretches a good twenty paces. I could perish in there and no one would find me.
“Are you waiting for something?”
“No,” I say.
Ignoring the boy, I stoop to enter, trying to focus my thoughts on the brickwork. The blocks have eroded from years of scuffing. They smell like lichen and tarnished copper. Light spills through the distant doorframe, and our guide clears his throat to urge us on. I double my pace, though the boys hang back. The weight of their presence behind me is strong.
About the AuthorKathy Kimbray is a YA author from Australia.
She loves summer, dancing and dreaming up big ideas. A SHIFTING OF STARS is the first book in her thrilling new YA fantasy series.
Thursday, May 30, 2019
Switchback by Danika Stone
An epic YA adventure story about two friends lost in the Canadian wilderness from Danika Stone, the author of All the Feels.Vale loves to hike, but kind of hates her classmates. Ash is okay with his classmates, but kind of hates the outdoors. So, needless to say they are both fairly certain that the overnight nature hike with their PE class is going to be a hellish experience. But when they get separated from the group during a storm, they have worse things to worry about than bullies and blisters.Lost in the Canadian wilderness with limited supplies, caught in dangerous weather conditions, and surrounded by deadly wildlife, it’s going to take every bit of strength, skill, and luck they can muster to survive.Praise for Danika Stone:
“An enjoyable, fast-paced read.” — School Library Journal on Internet Famous
“The book is a dream. I loved absolutely everything about it. … From the chapter headers to every mention of nerd culture, All the Feels is a blast!” —Seeking Book Boyfriends on All the Feels
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Danika Stone is an author, artist, and educator who discovered a passion for writing fiction while in the throes of her Masters thesis. A self-declared bibliophile, Danika now writes novels for both teens: INTERNET FAMOUS (Macmillan, 2017) and ALL THE FEELS (Macmillan, 2016); and adults THE DARK DIVIDE (Stonehouse, 2018) and EDGE OF WILD (Stonehouse, 2016).Ms. Stone’s work has received both recognition and literary praise. In 2017, Chapters included EDGE OF WILD in “Our Favourite Canadian Fiction”, and INTERNET FAMOUS was nominated for the R. Ross Annett Award for Children’s Literature (2018) as well as selected as one of Fierce Reads’ “9 Perfect Summertime Reads” (2017). EDGE OF WILD (previously entitled TATHAGATA) was a quarter-finalist in Amazon’s Breakthrough Novel of the Year Award (2013), a finalist in the Horatio Nelson Fiction Prize (2015), and took second place in the Publish or Perish contest (2015). ALL THE FEELS was selected for Swoon Reads’ fourth list (2015) and was nominated for YALSA’s Quick Picks for Reluctant Readers (2016), and for CYBILS’ Children’s and Young Adult Bloggers’ Literary Awards (2016).Ms. Stone’s books have been reviewed by VOYA, Teen Reads, and School Library Journal. Danika has also featured in the BN Teen Blog, Clash, Quillable, Fierce Reads, Lethbridge Living Magazine, CJSR’s Word, and on CBC’s Daybreak.When not writing, Danika can be found hiking in the Rockies, planning grand adventures, and spending far too much time online. She lives with her husband, three sons, and a houseful of imaginary characters in a windy corner of Alberta, Canada.Ms. Stone is represented by Morty Mint of Mint Literary Agency.
Wednesday, May 29, 2019
Dawn of the Hunters Hunters of Infinity #3 by Ryan Wieser
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Game of Revenge Francis Scott-Wren Series Book 2 by Charlotte Larsen
Game
of Revenge
Francis
Scott-Wren Series Book 2
by
Charlotte Larsen
Genre:
Crime Thriller
“Before you embark on a journey of revenge, dig two graves”— Confucius
Heart
crushing international thriller from a bestselling Scandinavian
author.
In
1944 a snitch denounced a couple and their eldest son for resistance
activities. The mother was separated from her husband and son and
sent to Bergen-Belsen. The husband and son sent to Dachau. None of
them returned.
Years
later, their grandson, James takes on a revenging role towards the
affluent descendants of the snitch. One by one he takes them down.
But
along the way, Francis Scott-Wren picks up the scent and sends in his
agent Jo Vermeer to stop the destructive rampage of James.
However,
the relationship between her and her target brings her a dilemma of
loyalty, that unstable her significantly.
As
we travel with the characters through Copenhagen, Marrakesh and into
a jungle monastery in Sri Lanka, we must ask ourselves: What are our
true values? And how far will we go to defend them?
Game
of Revenge is a nail biting standalone crime thriller and
a gripping exploration of human nature.
If
you like a passionate heroine, spine-chilling suspense, and a fight
for what is right, then you’ll love Charlotte Larsen’s fast-paced
thriller.
Buy
Game of Revenge to be captured in a brave fight against evil
today!
Charlotte
Larsen is a bestselling Scandinavian author of more than twelve
books, including the bestselling crime thriller GAME OF
GREED, and a series of management books.
A graduate of
Aarhus University and University of New South Wales, Charlotte is
highly recognized as a specialist in managerial issues. Besides
working on her next novel, she serves as a high-end management
consultant for high performing industries such as the legal
profession, finance, and defense.
Charlotte keeps a blog on
creativity, writes for a Danish broadsheet, and is generally an
opinion maker in the Danish business community.
She lives and
writes in the Danish countryside and keeps a closet full of business
suits in a flat in Copenhagen.
Follow
the tour HERE
for exclusive content and a giveaway!
Their Baby Dragon by Annie Nicholas
Their Baby Dragon
Annie Nicholas
(Not This #5.5)
Publication date: May 31st 2019
Genres: Adult, Comedy, Paranormal, Romance
COUNT DOWN TO DRAGON BABYEoin, Harbinger of Smoke and Darkness, and Angie, Angel Dragon of New Port are very pleased to announce they are expecting the birth of their first child in the Spring of 2019.The popular celebrity couple cannot wait to meet their newest addition. They were recently spotted at the premiere shifter obstetrician’s office looking upset.Stay tuned for updates.Warning: DO NOT approach couple, take pictures, or trespass on their land uninvited. Trust this reporter’s advice comes from firsthand experience.
Goodreads / Amazon
Excerpt One
“Wait.” Eoin
disappeared into their huge walk-in closet and returned with a pair of rubber
boots. “To keep your feet dry.”
“Why do you have a
pair of boots my size?” Eoin was not the type of dragon who planned ahead, but
he did own a lot of old crap.
He shrugged. “One
of my sisters, probably. I noticed them when I was looking for a robe to fit…”
He coughed and turned away.
“My belly,” she
finished for him then rubbed said roundness. “I look like a pumpkin.”
He spun around.
“You do and it’s so freaking cute.”
She held up a
finger. “Don’t. Just don’t. Not if you ever want to share my bed again.”
“Angie, you’ve
never been more beautiful.”
She shook her
finger, daring him to say more. “I’m not wearing this. I’ll change shape and
gather the wood myself.”
Eoin blew out a
breath of frustration. “Babe, I’ll do the work and carry everything to whatever
room you choose. I’ll even help you choose the trees if you let me.”
If she let him.
Cutting words. He had wanted to assist building the first nest and she’d almost
bitten off his head. Luckily, he had been in dragon form—his scales were too
hard for her teeth to penetrate. “I’ve been a terrible mate.” She caressed her
swollen abdomen. “I don’t want to be a terrible mother too.”
He paused in the
middle of donning a black T-shirt, then tugged it the rest of the way on so he
could glare. “You’re not terrible.” Tilting his head, he regarded her. “You’re
the kindest dragon I’ve met.” He pressed his lips to her forehead and murmured
against her skin. “You’ll be an awesome mother. Look at all you’ve done to
prepare for his birth.” He covered her hands with his.
“Or her.”
His wicked grin
brushed against her skin. “Or her. Or maybe both.”
She jerked out of
his arms and playfully slapped at his shoulder. “Don’t even joke about that.
You said dragons only develop one egg at a time.” Dear Lord, let that be true.
Angie shuddered. She grew terrified when anticipating the birth.
Author Bio:
Annie Nicholas writes paranormal romance with a twist. She has courted vampires, hunted with shifters, and slain a dragon's ego all with the might of her pen. Riding the wind of her imagination, she travels beyond the restraints of reality and shares them with anyone wanting to read her stories. Mother, daughter, and wife are some of the other hats she wears while hiking through the hills and dales of her adopted state of Vermont.
Annie writes for Samhain Publishing, Carina Press, and Lyrical Press.
Tuesday, May 28, 2019
His Red Eminence Armand-Jean du Plessis de Richelieu by Laurel A. Rockefeller Genre: Historical Fiction
His
Red Eminence
Armand-Jean
du Plessis de Richelieu
by
Laurel A. Rockefeller
Genre:
Historical Fiction
Priest.
Lover. Statesman.
From
the author of the best-selling “Legendary Women of World History”
series ...
Cardinal
Armand-Jean du Plessis, duc de Richelieu is one of the most famous --
or infamous politicians of all time. Made a villain in the popular
Dumas novel, "The Three Musketeers," the real man was a
dedicated public servant loyal to king and country. A man of logic
and reason, he transformed how we think about nations and
nationality. He secularized wars between countries, patronized the
arts for the sake of the public good, founded the first newspaper in
France, and created France as the modern country we know
today.
Filled
with period music, dance, and plenty of romance, "His Red
Eminence" transports you back to the court of King Louis XIII in
all its vibrant and living color.
Includes
eight period songs, plus prayers, a detailed timeline, and extensive
bibliography so you can keep learning.
Amazon
* B&N
* Kobo
* Smashwords
Born, raised, and educated in Lincoln, Nebraska USA Laurel A. Rockefeller is author of over twenty books published and self-published since August, 2012 and in languages ranging from Welsh to Spanish to Chinese and everything in between. A dedicated scholar and biographical historian, Ms. Rockefeller is passionate about education and improving history literacy worldwide.
With
her lyrical writing style, Laurel's books are as beautiful to read as
they are informative.
In
her spare time, Laurel enjoys spending time with her cockatiels,
attending living history activities, travelling to historic places in
both the United States and United Kingdom, and watching classic
motion pictures and classic television series.
Follow
the tour HERE
for exclusive excerpts, guest posts and a giveaway!
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