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Monday, February 16, 2015

BOOK BLITZ: Disisnegration by Jenna Newell Hiott


Disintegration: The Todor Trilogy, Book Two
By Jenna Newell Hiott
Genre: Epic Fantasy, Metaphysical Fantasy, Visionary Fiction

Book Summary

Aerie has fallen and the land of Todor is on the brink of war. Famine and decay have touched every corner of the land. If Todor is to survive, Gemynd, Numa and Soman must fully embrace their powers, even as they continue to uncover more secrets and lies. Can Soman survive the aftermath of his role in the destruction of Aerie? Will Numa’s love for Gemynd endure even after she sees the horrors of the Iturtian pit? And is Gemynd his father’s puppet or his protégé? The betrayals of the past weigh heavy, but can the three move beyond them in order to work for the good of Todor? Or will their inability to forgive propel them into war? Thundering toward an epic conclusion, Disintegration is the second book in the Todor trilogy. In it, author Jenna Newell Hiott paints a stunning portrait of humanity at its rawest, giving a revealing glimpse of how it fares when everything teeters on the brink of destruction.



Author Bio:

Author, healer, all-around kook, Jenna Newell Hiott boasts of having a limitless imagination, unless it’s nap time. While many of us had an imaginary friend as children, Jenna had an entire imaginary family—complete with a second set of parents and three siblings—all of whom lived in a make-believe world of Jenna’s own creation. One could say she’s been writing fantasy fiction since she was old enough to use words. And she never outgrew it. Out of this hyperactive imagination, Jenna created the land of Todor: a world of magic, intrigue, and power plays.








Links:

Thursday, February 12, 2015

BOOK SPOTLIGHT: The Frailty Of Things by Tamsen Schultz

The Frailty of Things
By Tamsen Schultz
Genre: Romantic Suspense



Book Blurb:

Independence. Kit Forrester is a woman who wears her independence like armor. Despite keeping secrets and hiding her past, she’s built a life she loves and is accountable to no one. Until, that is, one of the world’s most wanted war criminals sets his sights on her and she must weigh the risk to one against the chance of justice and closure for many—a decision Kit couldn't make on her own even if she wanted to.

Certainty. As a man who makes his living in the shadows of governments and wars, certainty isn’t a part of Garret Cantona’s vocabulary, and he’s just fine with that. But when Kit walks into his life, he realizes he’s never before been so sure about anything or anyone. Suddenly, he finds he’s looking at the world, his world, in a different light. And now that he is, he’s determined to protect it, and her, in whatever ways he can.

Frailty. No one knows better than Kit and Garret that an appreciation for what is, or what was, or what might be, can be born from the uncertainty and fragility of life. But when a hunt for a killer leaves Garret no choice but to throw Kit back into her broken and damaged past, even his unshakable faith in what they have together might not be enough to keep it from shattering into a million pieces.



Author Bio:

Tamsen Schultz is the author of several romantic suspense novels and  American Kin (a short story published in Line Zero Magazine).  In addition to being a writer, she has a background in the field of international conflict resolution,  has co-founded a non-profit, and currently works in corporate America. Like most lawyers, she spends a  disproportionate amount of time thinking (and writing) about what it might be like to do  something else. She lives in Northern California in a house full of males including her husband, two sons, four cats, a dog, and a gender-neutral, but well-stocked, wine rack.



Links:

Twitter: @tamsenschultz



The author is giving away 3 $10 Amazon Gift Cards to 3 lucky readers!

Sunday, February 8, 2015

BOOK SPOTLIGHT: Fiction at my Fingertips by CS Reid

Fiction At My Fingertips
By CS Reid
Genre: Middle Grade/Young Adult/Fiction

Publication Date: December 19, 2014


Book's Synopsis: 

Lois is a voracious writer. To say that she is a budding writer, would be the understatement of the millennium. Recounts about her family vacations, ooze out the very pores of her skin before becoming transplanted in the pages of her trusty journal.

When her language arts teacher, Ms. Williams, informs the class that they will be participating in The Hillcrest Young Adult Golden Quill Contest for Fiction, Lois is catapulted into the stratosphere. However, an unfortunate mishap could derail Lois’ literary debut.









About The Author

CS Reid holds a MFA in Writing & Critical Theory from Otis College of Art & Design and a M.Ed. in Cross-Cultural Teaching/English from National University.  Her work has appeared in diverse publications/anthologies—most notably are: Shadowtrain, Monkeybicycle, Blue Fifth Review, and Burner Magazine; chapbooks, Walking Near the Precipice (Lily Press 2007) and Intonations Heard in the Desert (Gold Wake Press 2008); YA book, Plucking Poetry from the Air (Paraguas Books, 2010).

Reid is a freelance writer, educator, and Jazz composer/musician in Los Angeles, CA.







Links:



The author is giving away a $25 Amazon GC to one lucky reader!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Saturday, February 7, 2015

BOOK SPOTLIGHT & REVIEW: Stolen Sharpie Revolution by Alex Wrekk

Stolen Sharpie Revolution
By Alex Wrekk
Genre: Art, Graphic Design, How-To




Book Synopsis

Since 2002, Stolen Sharpie Revolution: a DIY Resource for Zines and Zine Culture has been the go-to guide for all things zine-related. This little red book is stuffed with information about zines. Things you may know, stuff you don't know and even stuff you didn’t know you didn’t know! 

Stolen Sharpie Revolution contains a cornucopia of information about zines and zine culture for everyone from the zine newbie to the experienced zinester to the academic researcher. Stolen Sharpie Revolution consists of thoughtful lists and step-by-step how-to guides on everything from definitions of a “zine,” where to find zines, why they are important, how to make them and how to participate in zine culture. 

This book has everything you need to get started creating your own zine, or to figure out what to do with the zine you just made. Stolen Sharpie Revolution serves as both an introduction into the wide world of zine culture and as a guide to taking the next step to become a part of it. 


My Review

I love this little book! Being relatively new to the world of zines, I wasn't aware that there was such an incredibly developed and diverse community of creative people making these self-published works of art. This book is an unbelievably complete guide that'll teach you everything you need to know to create your own home-grown DIY masterpiece, on any subject you want. and I guarantee it also includes many things that you would never think of.  Alex has compiled all this into one easy to navigate guidebook, featuring articles from a whole bevy of the zine communities heavy hitters. The complexity of folding and cutting a 1/4 page size zine absolutely defied logic for me, but a quick consult of Alex's STOLEN SHARPIE REVOLUTION and I had a concise diagram on this subject right at my fingertips. And this invaluable book is even travel size! With this book in hand, you are only limited by your imagination in creating and sharing any DIY book project and no library is complete without it! thanks Alex!




Bio

Alex Wrekk’s life revolves around making things; primarily zines, custom pinback buttons(badges), vegan food, travel plans, and space for a cat in her bed.

Alex Wrekk has lived in Portland, Oregon since 1999 and has been creating the zine Brainscan since 1997. Brainscan zine has grown and changed with Alex over the years with stories ranging from travel, reproductive health, love and loss, emotional abuse recovery, zine culture, and even fiction all wrapped up in text and photocopier art. She also wrote the book Stolen Sharpie Revolution: A DIY guide for zines and zine culture that is now entering its 5th edition.

When Alex isn't doing zine things she is doing other zine things like organizing the Portland Zine Symposium, establishing July as International Zine Month, commiserating with Zine Event Organizers around the world, updating the zine event listings on StolenSharpieRevolution.org, hosting the podcast Nobody Cares About Your Stupid Zine Podcast, fidgeting with her Risograph printer, reading from her zines out loud on zine tours or singing in a zine themed pop-punk band called The Copy Scams.

Alex has been making custom pinback buttons since 2000 under various business names. In 2012 Alex opened Portland Button Works and zine distro, an online and brick and mortar shop in Portland, Oregon selling zines and books and making custom buttons, bottle openers, and magnets in 4 different sizes. She also maintains an Etsy shop with the same name.


Links

Alex Wrekk twitter http://twitter.com/alexwrekk
Stolen Sharpie Revolution Facebook https://www.facebook.com/stolensharpierevolution
Stolen Sharpie Revolution.org http://www.stolensharpierevolution.org
Portland Button Works Website www.portlandbuttonworks.com



GIVEAWAY INFO:
Alex is giving away 5 print copies of Stolen Sharpie Revolution + a Custom Stolen Sharpie with each one. This is an international giveaway!



Friday, February 6, 2015

BOOK BLITZ: The Narrow Path ~ Dangerous Men #1 by Alex Abbott

















The Narrow Path
By Alex Abbott
Genre: Romantic Suspense


Inspired by true events

Angela is celebrating a successful heist, when the last person in the world she wanted to see waltzed back into her life.
Years ago, Jamal ripped her heart out and tossed it on the ground. But he's back, beefed up from prison and wanting to make amends for dumping her.

He's still the same dominant man she'd fallen in love with, but with a calmer head on his shoulders. He promises to protect her from her bad decisions and wild past, and with the mob indebted to him over his time, she believes him.

When he offers her the chance to manage his strip club and answer to nobody but him, the temptation is more than she can ignore. But can they get over all of the secrets and lies they've told one another while avoiding being sucked back into a life of crime?

The Narrow Path is currently available for FREE on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00SY2AVZK?tag=thke00-20

Author Bio:

Alex Abbott is a former defense attorney who moonlights as an author of romantic suspense and erotic thrillers. Alex focuses on giving fans tastes of darkness, pushing them to the limits while exploring criminal underbellies, corrupt billionaires, and the women who get wrapped up in events they don’t want to control.

Make sure to sign up for the newsletter for previews, review copies, and special surprises.


Links:

Wednesday, February 4, 2015

BOOK SPOTLIGHT: Songs of the Maniacs by Mickey J. Corrigan

When the real you is someone you don't know, 
then you sing the songs of the maniacs.


Songs of the Maniacs
By Mickey J. Corrigan
Genre: New Adult urban crime, romantic suspense, psychological thriller


Book Synopsis:

Who are we when we lose everything, including our personalities? From her office at a mental health institute in the tropics, a troubled young woman counsels deeply disturbed clients while coping with her own heightening concerns. These include frightening consciousness lapses, violent memories of a high school sexual relationship, a menacing stalker, and an annoyingly arousing visitor who may or may not be insane. All this on a single stormy day at a time when a new mental health disorder has become epidemic and is threatening to distort memory and identity, unmooring the validity of reality itself.


A seductive and chilling novella, Songs of the Maniacs takes readers on a fascinating descent into the abyss beneath the lush surfaces of contemporary American paradise.


Author Bio:

Mickey J. Corrigan lives and writes and gets into trouble in South Florida. She publishes with pulpy presses with names like Breathless, Champagne and Bottom Drawer. Recent books include the edgy novellas in The Hard Stuff series from The Wild Rose Press (Whiskey Sour Noir, Vodka Warrior, Tequila Dirty); and the thriller Sugar Babies. Salt Publishing recently released the neo-noir novel Songs of the Maniacs.

Tuesday, February 3, 2015

BOOK SPOTLIGHT: Amaranthine by Nina R Schluntz

Amaranthine
The Heart of Decompose
By Nina Schluntz
Genre:Fantasy, Science Fiction, Horror, Romance


Synopsis

Dragons, unicorns, fairies, zombies… and Santa.
At the center of it all stands Dee, a man immortalized in legend as Decompose. An ongoing war between unicorns and dragons has led to the creation of a plague… a deadly infection Dee is the host for. Not quite human, but not a unicorn either, Dee and the plague form a symbiotic relationship, resulting in immortality of the undead kind.
Every ruling Empire has desired control of Decompose. Controlling the infection means control of the people. An intervention of an old rival, Santa, results in Dee going missing. When he resurfaces decades later, Dee has one goal: locate the mythical cure to his plague.

However, complications of the heart force Dee to decide whether he truly wants to find the cure and give up being Decompose.





Author Bio

Nina Schluntz is a native to rural Nebraska. In her youth, she often wrote short stories to entertain her friends. Those ideas evolved into the novels she creates today.

Her husband continues to ensure her stories maintain a touch of realism as she delves in the science fiction and fantasy realm. And their kitty, a rescued Abyssinian, is always willing to stay up late to provide inspiration.

Visit her blog; mizner13.wordpress.com for information regarding previous and upcoming publications. She also posts book and movie reviews for a wide variety of genres. 




Links: