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Wednesday, August 31, 2016

Cover Reveal for A Generation of Vipers by Margo Bond Collins



Welcome to my stop on the Cover Reveal Tour, presented by Bridging the Gap Promotions, for A Generation of Vipers by Margo Bond Collins.  Please leave a comment or question for Margo to let her know you stopped by.  

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A Generation of Vipers
A Shifter Shield Novella

Capturing the killer who was stalking the shapeshifter community s
hould have earned weresnake Lindi Parker and her new boyfriend,
mongoose-shifter Kade Nevala, a vacation.

Instead it earned them a basket of baby lamias and a whole heap
of trouble. Someone in the shifter community doesn’t want those
infants—or Lindi—to survive.

Not knowing who or what they can trust, Kade and Lindi must use
every skill they have to stop a killer—again.

Available for pre-order on Kindle: http://amzn.to/2bwhl2c

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Excerpt

"Don't panic," Kade said that evening as he stirred a pot of his homemade spaghetti sauce. "It's not like you're bringing all these new lamia babies home to live in your house. We're going to set up a group home for them, with a live-in staff. You're their counselor, Lindi, not their mother."
I poured a glass of Chianti and settled in on a barstool at the island in the middle of his large kitchen. "That's the thing. I'm not sure a group home is the right way to go with these kids."
"You signed off on it when we came up with the idea." He narrowed his eyes at me and tasted the sauce, then added something to it. "Janice thinks it's the best option we have," he added, knowing that the leader of the shifters' Council had been tutoring me in all things shapeshifter recently, and that her endorsement mattered to me.
"Yeah, but…" I trailed off, trying to find the words to explain what I was trying to say.
As usual, I didn't have to find the exact phrase for Kade to understand. Or any words at all. "You're worried that without a stable home-life, you won't be able to give these children the same kind of emotional training that your parents gave you."
I nodded and took a long drink.
"We can provide stability. Everyone wants this to work."
"Not quite everyone," I muttered darkly.
"Everyone who is directly involved wants this to work. You cannot be completely responsible for the entirety of the lamia race."
"It's more than that." I considered what to say, how much to share of my own recent insights. "We will have plenty of other weres stepping in to help raise these kids, lots of people to teach them how to be solid shifter citizens. But until they're grown, I will be the only adult lamia in their lives. I will be the only weresnake they can model themselves on. That feels like a lot more responsibility than simply being their counselor. In that sense, I am kind of responsible for the entire lamia race."
"Your parents did fine with you, and they're not shifters at all," he pointed out.
"But they managed it by encouraging me to focus almost entirely on my human side. I would like to give these children even more."
Turning down the heat under the sauce, Kade put the wooden spoon down and made his way around to my side of the counter, where he spun the seat of my barstool around until I faced him. Then he took my face in his hands and leaned his forehead against mine. "You'll do a great job with them."
Then he pressed his lips against my mouth.
As usual, his kiss almost took my breath away. We hadn't been together long enough for the sense of wonder at his touch to fade. The sheer heat of our connection didn't show any signs of abating, either. The brush of his tongue against mine sent sparks shooting through my veins to pool in the pit of my stomach. It wouldn't take much to stoke that heat into a raging fire.
But if we did that, his lovely dinner would be ruined.
Not that I was sure I cared.

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Join the Shifter Shield Star Newsletter

Love this Shifter Shield story? Be sure to sign up for the Shifter Shield Star to get all the latest about Lindi and Kade, along with all the other shifters in their world!  And if you haven't read it yet, be sure to download a copy of Lindi and Kade's first story, Under Her Skin.

You can also sign up for Margo's newsletter for news about all her new releases and great book deals and goodies!


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Join The Vampirarchy, Margo's Street Team

Want to hang out with the author, win book prizes, see the stuff covers first, and support Margo's books on social media? Join The Vampirarchy, Margo's street team on Facebook!
 

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About the Author

Margo Bond Collins is addicted to coffee (mmm...caffeine) and SF/F television, especially Supernatural (mmm...Winchesters). She writes paranormal and contemporary romance, urban fantasy, and paranormal mystery. She lives in Texas with her daughter and several spoiled pets. Although she teaches college-level English courses online, writing fiction is her first love. She enjoys reading urban fantasy and paranormal fiction of any genre and spends most of her free time daydreaming about heroes, vampires, ghosts, werewolves, and the women who love (and sometimes fight) them.

You can learn more about her at http://www.MargoBondCollins.net and follow her on all the usual social media outlets (listed below).

For updates about publications, free fiction, and other goodies, be sure to subscribe to her newsletter: http://eepurl.com/caUeyr

Twitter  @MargoBondCollin

Spotight & #Giveaway for Days of Sun and Glory by Anna Belfrage

Days of Sun and Glory by Anna Belfrage
The King’s Greatest Enemy #2
Publisher: Matador
Publication Date: July 4, 2016
Genre: Historical Fiction
Format: eBook & Paperback
Length: 418 Pages




   

About the book:

Adam de Guirande has barely survived the aftermath of Roger Mortimer’s rebellion in 1321. When Mortimer manages to escape the Tower and flee to France, anyone who has ever served Mortimer becomes a potential traitor – at least in the eyes of King Edward II and his royal chancellor, Hugh Despenser. Adam must conduct a careful balancing act to keep himself and his family alive. Fortunately, he has two formidable allies: Queen Isabella and his wife, Kit.

England late in 1323 is a place afflicted by fear. Now that the king’s greatest traitor, Roger Mortimer, has managed to evade royal justice, the king and his beloved Despenser see dissidents and rebels everywhere – among Mortimer’s former men, but also in the queen, Isabella of France. Their suspicions are not unfounded. Tired of being relegated to the background by the king’s grasping favourite, Isabella has decided it is time to act – to safeguard her own position, but also that of her son, Edward of Windsor.

As Adam de Guirande has pledged himself to Prince Edward he is automatically drawn into the queen’s plans – whether he likes it or not. Yet again, Kit and Adam are forced to take part in a complicated game of intrigue and politics. Yet again, they risk their lives – and that of those they hold dear – as the king and Mortimer face off. Once again, England is plunged into war – and this time it will not end until either Despenser or Mortimer is dead.


Days of Sun and Glory is the second in Anna Belfrage’s series, The King’s Greatest Enemy, the story of a man torn apart by his loyalties to his lord, his king, and his wife.

Amazon US | Amazon UK | Barnes & Noble | IndieBound


About the Author


Had Anna been allowed to choose, she’d have become a professional time-traveller. As such a profession does as yet not exists, she settled for second best and became a financial professional with two absorbing interests, namely history and writing. These days, Anna combines an exciting day-job with a large family and her writing endeavours.

When Anna fell in love with her future husband, she got Scotland as an extra, not because her husband is Scottish or has a predilection for kilts, but because his family fled Scotland due to religious persecution in the 17th century – and were related to the Stuarts. For a history buff like Anna, these little details made Future Husband all the more desirable, and sparked a permanent interest in the Scottish Covenanters, which is how Matthew Graham, protagonist of the acclaimed The Graham Saga, began to take shape. Set in 17th century Scotland and Virginia/Maryland, the series tells the story of Matthew and Alex, two people who should never have met – not when she was born three hundred years after him. With this heady blend of romance, adventure, high drama and historical accuracy, Anna hopes to entertain and captivate, and is more than thrilled when readers tell her just how much they love her books and her characters.

Presently, Anna is hard at work with her next project, a series set in the 1320s featuring Adam de Guirande, his wife Kit, and their adventures and misfortunes in connection with Roger Mortimer’s rise to power. The King’s Greatest Enemy is a series where passion and drama play out against a complex political situation, where today’s traitor may be tomorrow’s hero, and the Wheel of Life never stops rolling. The first installment in the Adam and Kit story, In the Shadow of the Storm, was published in 2015. The second book, Days of Sun and Glory, will be published in July 2016.

Other than on her website, www.annabelfrage.com, Anna can mostly be found on her blog, http://annabelfrage.wordpress.com – unless, of course, she is submerged in writing her next novel. You can also connect with Anna on Facebook, Twitter and 



Blog Tour Schedule

Monday, August 29
Kick Off at Passages to the Past
Spotlight at What Is That Book About

Tuesday, August 30
Review at Beth’s Book Nook Blog
Review at Historical Fiction Obsession

Wednesday, August 31
Review at A Chick Who Reads
Spotlight at Queen of All She Reads

Thursday, September 1
Review at Lampshade Reader
Review at Oh, for the Hook of a Book!

Friday, September 2
Review at Book Nerd

Monday, September 5
Review at Just One More Chapter

Tuesday, September 6
Guest Post at Oh, for the Hook of a Book!

Wednesday, September 7
Review at Flashlight Commentary
Guest Post at A Literary Vacation

Thursday, September 8
Interview at Books and Benches
Character Interview at Flashlight Commentary

Friday, September 9
Review at A Holland Reads

Monday, September 12
Review at Broken Teepee

Tuesday, September 13
Review at Let Them Read Books
Interview at Oh, for the Hook of a Book!

Wednesday, September 14
Review at So Many Books, So Little Time

Thursday, September 15
Review at Seize the Words: Books in Review

Monday, September 19
Review at A Book Drunkard

Tuesday, September 20
Review at CelticLady’s Reviews

Wednesday, September 21
Review at It’s a Mad Mad World

Friday, September 23
Review at The True Book Addict
Spotlight at The Reading Queen

Monday, September 26
Review at Diana’s Book Reviews

Tuesday, September 27
Guest Post at Passages to the Past

Thursday, September 29
Review at Bookramblings

Giveaway
To win a copy of Days of Sun & Glory by Anna Belfrage, please enter via the Gleam form below. 

Rules 
– Giveaway ends at 11:59pm EST on September 29th. You must be 18 or older to enter.
– Giveaway is open INTERNATIONALLY.
– Only one entry per household.
– All giveaway entrants agree to be honest and not cheat the systems; any suspect of fraud is decided upon by blog/site owner and the sponsor, and entrants may be disqualified at our discretion
 – Winner has 48 hours to claim prize or new winner is chosen. 

Days of Sun and Glory

Book Blast & #Giveaway for Prodigal Son by Lisa Beth Darling

Welcome to my stop on the Book Blast, presented by Goddess Fish Promotions, for Prodigal Son by Lisa Beth Darling.  Please leave a comment or question for Lisa to let her know you stopped by.  You may enter her tour wide giveaway, where three (3) randomly chosen commenters will be awarded a digital copy of her book, by filling out the Rafflecopter form below.  You may follow all of the stops on the tour by clicking on the banner above.  Good Luck!

Prodigal Son
By Lisa Beth Darling
Sister Christian, Book 4

Publisher: Moon Mistress Publishing
Release Date: August 30, 2016
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Length: 534 Pages
ISBN: 978-1536970333
ASIN: B01HSD5NTE





About the book:


In the final installment of the Sister Christian Series, the Court has demanded a hearing regarding Hannah's capacity. 

Hannah and Nick are falling deeper and deeper in love. Looking forward to a bright future together they begin planning their life together. 

A shadowy stranger from the past has set his sights on Hannah and her 3.5 million dollar trust fund. 

Is he really Rick MacNeill, the son Hannah thought died in the terrible fire at Saint Anne's? Is he someone sinister? 

The last of the family secrets come to light in this roller coaster ride of suspense, love, betrayal, and faith.


EXCERPT

"Me? No, ma'am, I went to school at Saint Mary's Orphanage, that's where I grew up. But I was born at Saint Anne's." He'd been anticipating a reaction but when her eyes welled with tears and the hot cup between them spilled its contents over her hands it was more than he'd hoped, "Ma'am? Are you ok? Here let me take that."

Letting go of the cup she picked up a nearby dishrag to wipe the hot broth from her hands, "Clumsy sometimes, I'm sorry, did you get…did you get burned?" Even as she handed over the dishrag for him to clean his hands, Hannah shook her head slightly admonishing herself. Of course he'd been burned, what a stupid thing to say.

Settling the cup of soup down on his tray he gave her a smile as he held up his hands for her to get a really good look, "They don't feel anything. I got burned a long time ago all the way to the bone."

A bolt of ice shot down Hannah's spine as she wavered on her feet with her knees suddenly threatening to give out from under her. "I'm-I'm sorry about that."

"Why? You didn't do it, did'ja?"

With her throat threatening to swell so much it cut off her air supply and her knees growing weaker, Hannah grabbed her side of the counter to keep steady as she choked out a question, "What's your name?"

"Richard, my friends call me Ricky." Without waiting for her to reply, he slid the tray down the line where the nun was waiting to give him French fries and a chicken salad sandwich.  Taking his customary seat where he could see Hannah serving people from behind the line he watched her excuse herself and run off into the kitchen.  

 AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Lisa Beth Darling is 49 years-old, lives in her hometown of New London, CT with her husband of 30 years, Roy and is mother to their two daughters.  She is the author of more than fifteen novels along with several short stories and non-fiction books. When she’s not writing she likes to garden and is an avid movie buff.

Author web links:

Twitter: @lb_darling



a Rafflecopter giveaway

Spotlight for Remembrance of Blue Roses by Yorker Keith



Welcome to my stop on the Virtual Tour, presented by Reading Addiction Virtual Book Tours, for Remembrance of Blue Roses by Yorker Keith.  Please leave a comment or question for Yorker to let him know you stopped by.  

Literary Fiction
Date Published: April 2016

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Remembrance of Blue Roses follows a man and a married couple in New York City, whose intricate relationship oscillates among friendship, love, love-triangle, and even obsession. Its romantic ambience is interwoven with classical music, opera, art, family legend, and international affairs, illuminating the lives of international civil servants at the United Nations and the UN peacekeeping mission in Sarajevo, and those with direct experience of the Israel-Palestinian conflict and the Holocaust.

Mark, the narrator and an American, works for the United Nations in New York as a personnel officer; his friend, Hans, German, also works for the UN as an economist; and Yukari, Japanese and Hans’s wife, is a professional violinist. One day Mark encounters Hans and Yukari in a museum. As Hans enjoys opera singing and Mark is into painting, the three foster their friendship through classical music, opera, and art. Mark resists feeling drawn to his friend’s wife. One evening over dinner, they discover that their families were acquainted generations ago. This bonds them together. During the summer, inspired by the beauty of Yukari in her light blue dress at the UN garden, Hans and Mark secretly plant blue roses there for Yukari. The blue roses later blossom sumptuously. The three enjoy their blue roses, the symbol of their friendship and bond.

The story becomes complicated by the involvement of two other women: Mark’s ex-wife, Francine, a Swiss, who is remarried to another of Mark’s friends in the UN, Shem Tov, an Israeli; and Mark’s high school sweetheart, Jane, to whom he was briefly engaged. Francine encourages Mark to be happy with Yukari, while Jane now wants to marry Mark. Yukari becomes pregnant with Hans’s child and happily settles into her role as expectant mother. Mark, Hans, and Yukari celebrate New Year’s Eve at the height of their friendship and happiness. … Then a series of tragedies shatters their joy and alters their future forever.

Then a series of tragedies shatters their joy and alters their future forever.

Praise for Remembrance of Blue Roses:

"A skillful tale that explores relationship nuances and redemption." -- Kirkus Reviews

"Yorker Keith’s Remembrance of Blue Roses is a slow-burning, passionate literary novel that speaks to the romantic in all of us. ... A precisely-written, well-crafted literary work that illuminates the many facets of love, obsession and, ultimately, redemption." -- Chanticleer Book Reviews

"A deftly crafted, multi-layered, compelling read from beginning to end, Remembrance of Blue Roses establishes novelist Yorker Keith as an extraordinarily gifted storyteller." -- Midwest Book Review

"Readers who enjoy a sophisticated and well-written book about the complexity of human relationship will definitely enjoy Remembrance of Blue Roses." -- Readers' Favorite


Excerpt
I have heard a wise man say that love is a form of friendship, and friendship a form of love; the line between the two is misty. I happen to know that this holds true because I have roamed that misty line. Time has passed since then, but I cherish the memory of the blue roses in grace and perpetuity — our blue roses. It all began with a fortuitous encounter.

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On a fine day in early April 1999, I was sketching in the sculpture court at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. I felt hesitant working in such a public space, but this was a homework assignment for the art class I was taking. The object of my sketch was a sculpture of an adorable young woman, a nude, reclining on a moss-covered rock surrounded by an abundance of flowers. The smooth texture of the white marble sensually expressed her lively body, which shone with bright sunlight beneath the glass ceiling of the court.

My drawing materials were simple, just a number 2 pencil, an eraser, and a sheet of heavy white drawing paper. The assignment was to capture the skin of a figure in as much detail as possible. I had almost completed sketching the woman’s body and was working on the rock and flowers. I was not doing badly, I thought, for a small crowd of museum visitors had gathered around me, showing approving faces and nods.

“Ah, this is excellent!” one man exclaimed.

I recognized the voice and turned to see Hans Schmidt, standing amid the crowd wearing a big grin.

“What a surprise!” he continued. “I didn’t know you had such an artistic talent, Mark. How are you?” He came forward and firmly shook my hand.

I greeted him, then pointed to my drawing. “I’ve been working on this for a while. I wasn’t sure how it would come out. But it’s coming along all right, I guess.”

“I don’t know much about drawing, but this looks great.” He gestured enthusiastically to a young woman next to him. “What do you think?”

“It’s pretty.” Her voice sounded like a bell.

“This is Yukari, my wife.” He guided her toward me, his hand lingering at the small of her back.

I swallowed. I knew Hans was married, but this was my first time to meet his wife. Hans’s wife is Japanese? How lovely she is. Hans, you devil, you’re a lucky man!

“Pleased to meet you.” I gently shook her small refined hand. “I’m Mark Sanders. Hans and I are good friends.”

Hans’s wife appeared to be in her late thirties, or late twenties? I could hardly tell, because Japanese women often looked much younger than their age. She was willowy, of medium height, with a fine complexion, dark eyes, straight nose, and shiny dark brown hair that hung to her shoulders. For a Japanese woman, she had a touch of a Western woman’s body, the round breasts and a curvy waist.

Despite her conservative dress, she reminded me of the nude I was sketching — though I quickly banished the thought.

She gazed directly into my eyes with keen curiosity. “Do you come here often to sketch? It’s really nice.”\

“Well, yes,” I answered, “I visit this museum often. But to sketch? No, this is the first time. You know what? It’s so embarrassing.”

I dabbed some sweat from my forehead. We three burst out laughing.

“Hans, I’m almost done. Can you come back in ten minutes or so?” I said. “Then we could go to the terrace for a cup of coffee.”\

“Sounds terrific,” said Hans. “We’ll be walking around the sculpture court. When you’re done, just join us.”

Hans took Yukari’s arm and started moving leisurely toward other sculptures. She smiled at me and went along with him. Hans tried to hold her closely at her waist, but she discretely slipped away. I didn’t understand what it meant. I presumed that as a Japanese woman she was timid to show open affection.

I hastily added finishing touches to the figure, rock, and flowers. Since the figure had been almost completed, the rest went quickly and easily — or so I felt after having seen Hans and Yukari.

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            I had known Hans for some time because both he and I worked at the United Nations New York Headquarters as international civil servants. He was German, aged forty-two, tall and slim, with blond hair, high forehead, and grey eyes. He had a Ph.D. in economics from the University of California at Berkeley, and worked as an Economic Affairs Officer in the Department of Economic and Social Affairs of the Secretariat, which was the administrative body of the UN. His job there was to maintain and operate a global econometric modeling system, called EGlobe.

            We had originally met in a French language class. Being at the UN, we were required to be proficient in at least two of its six official languages: Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian, and Spanish. In my case, I added French to my native English. My French was hardly adequate, though, so I was working my way through the seven-level French program.

            In level six I met Hans, who had just started the program from that level. We ate lunch often together in the cafeteria and practiced our French. His grasp of the language was much better than mine. Also, since he used computers heavily for his work, and since I had a good friend, Shem Tov Lancry, an Israeli, in the Information Technology Services Division of the Department of Management, I introduced them, so Hans was able to receive technical advice from Shem Tov.

            I packed up my drawing materials, and we three went to the balcony above the Great Hall of the museum, where drinks and desserts were served while musicians played chamber music. We each ordered a glass of red wine.

About the Author

Yorker Keith lives in Manhattan, New York City. He loves literature, theatre, classical music, opera, and art. He holds an MFA in creative writing from The New School. His literary works have been recognized four times in the William Faulkner - William Wisdom Creative Writing Competition as a finalist or a semifinalist.


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