1301 blog tour

Today I'm honoured to welcome Christine Rains as part of her blog tour for 1301 - The Marquis, the first in what looks like a really exciting series of supernatural novellas. She's here to talk about those characters we love to hate (or hate to love) - villains. So without any further ado, take it away, Christine!

Villains. Some of the most memorable characters in fiction are of the evil variety. Dracula, Voldemort, and Captain Hook. Their hypnotizing eyes and maniacal laughs. You know them as well as the heroes, and sometimes they're even more famous. It's been their sinister plan all along, of course.

In The Marquis, the hero Marc pits himself against a trickster demon named Vetis. Vetis isn't afraid to get his hands dirty, but he's not at all stupid. He's not bulging with supernatural muscle nor eager to crush everything into rubble. He has minions for that. What makes him so dangerous is his skill with illusions, his keen mind, and his vicious tongue. He could convince someone to hang herself and not lift a finger. Unless he's doing so through a text message.

Vetis is introduced as a mid-level demon forced to do boring work like tempting a vampire to sup upon a drugged teen. There's no fun in a job that offers no challenge. So when Marc steps in to save his vampire friend, Vetis sees his chance to torment one of his former comrades and rise up in the ranks of Hell by bringing back the head of the infamous Marquis.

It's easy enough to insult Marc's beard and bad wardrobe, but Vetis doesn't just want to kill him. He wants him to suffer before he takes his head. How to do that? Find out what matters to the old demon: his city, his friend, and his lady love.

There's nothing sacred to Vetis. Nothing is more terrifying than an enemy who has no conscience and likes to flaunt that fact. His wit is more deadly than a sword. He'll get what he wants in any way it takes. Vetis' plan might lead to the destruction of everything Marc holds dear and then Marc will welcome the fate Vetis has in store for him.

Villains like Vetis push heroes to their every limit and then beyond. Sometimes they even win. And the trickster demon believes he has his victory in hand.

Who are your favorite literary villains?

Title: 1301 – The Marquis

Author: Christine Rains

Genre: paranormal romance

Release date: December 13th, 2012

Blurb:

Life after Hell isn't more exciting than watching football and fixing a busted pipe. Once a powerful demon, Marc enjoys his quiet existence and a good cup of coffee. With big ambitions to gain his master's favor, a trickster demon named Vetis shatters Marc's peace and vows to deliver Marc's head to the fires of Hell. Not before he destroys everything Marc cares about, of course.

Marc's power has diminished over the years. Heaven will never grant him absolution, and he refuses to return to Hell. Running isn't an option. The city of Carmine is his territory. It's also home to his favorite cafe owner, Mae Hopkins. The dame has a lovely smile, but it's her heart and soul that shine bright.

While his city burns and his love is captured, Marc must decide to surrender or let hate and anger fuel him to become the fearsome beast he so loathes: The Marquis. If the Marquis rises, Vetis can be defeated and Mae saved, but Marc would be lost to his demon forever.

1301 - The Marquis on Goodreads

Purchase links:

Smashwords

Amazon

Kobo

B & N

Author Bio

Christine Rains is a writer, blogger, and geek mom. She has four degrees which help nothing with motherhood, but make her a great Jeopardy player. When she's not writing or reading, she having adventures with her son or watching cheesy movies on Syfy Channel. She's a member of S.C.I.F.I. The 13th Floor series is her first self-published series. She also has two novellas and sixteen short stories published.

Website 

Blog 

Facebook 

Twitter

Goodreads

Congratulations, Christine! I'm looking forward to reading this and the rest of the installments!

Fraction of Stone cover reveal

I'm here today to help with the cover reveal for Fraction of Stone, the debut novel by Kelley Lynn. Kelley is a positive and vibrant force in the blogosphere, who is enthusiastic about her work and giving back to others. Get excited, because her book looks and sounds fantastic! Congratulations, Kelley. And what's more, she's holding a giveaway for two ARCs too. Coolness!

Here's all the details you need...

Fraction of Stone by Kelley Lynn
Release Date: March 21st, 2013 by Sapphire Star Publishing
Genre: YA Fantasy

Book Description:

Wind tunnels, torrential rains and earthquakes tear apart Casden. The cause of the world’s imbalance is unknown, but the mounting occurrences suggest there’s little time before life ceases to exist.

Rydan Gale and Akara Nazreth are the only humans with the ability to wield magic. The tattoo on their necks and the discovery of an ancient book, dictate they are the key to the world’s survival.

But the greatest obstacle for saving mankind isn’t the bizarre creatures, extreme betrayals and magic-fearing men hunting them.

It’s that Akara doesn’t believe the world is worth saving. 

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16160501-fraction-of-stone

Book Trailer:

About the Author:

Eventually the day came when the voices in Kelley Lynn’s head were more insistent then her engineering professor’s. So instead of turning to her Thermodynamics book, Kelley brought up a blank page on her computer screen and wrote. Somewhere along the way she became a Young Adult author.

Kelley was born and raised a Midwestern girl. She’s not afraid to sweat and fills her free time with softball, soccer and volleyball. (Though you probably don’t want her on your volleyball team.) She occasionally makes guest appearances as a female vocalist for area bands.

You can find Kelley hanging out at her blog, titled in her name, as well as the group blog she shares with her fellow critique partners, Falling for Fiction. Kelley is a member of the Society of Children’s Books Writers and Illustrators.

Kelley Lynn's Links: Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

a Rafflecopter giveaway

"Blindsided" Blog Tour

Hello! Today I'm hosting the irrepressible Kyra Lennon as part of her Blindsided Blog Tour. There's some hair-raising fun in store, so strap yourself in! Without further ado, I'll hand you over to Jesse, Blindsided's MC.

Hey guys, Jesse here! Isabelle, Georgia and Willow dragged Hunter and me to this awesome place called Winter Wonderland. It’s in Hyde Park, but it’s only there in the lead up to Christmas. You’ll learn all about it in Blindsided, but I wanted to show you some photos from the park! Kyra is such an enormous dork, she re-created Winter Wonderland on her computer – here are some photos for ya!

Pretty cool, huh?

And to show you the insane rollercoaster Hunter and Willow took a ride on, this video:

Isabelle: Are you telling everyone how much of a total wuss you are for not going on the rollercoasters? *giggles*

Jesse: Well … you didn’t go on them either.

Isabelle: I’m a girl!

Jesse: So is Willow!

Isabelle: Yeah but … okay, you got me there. It was more fun to stay down here with you anyway.

Jesse: *hugs Isabelle* Okay, we don’t have time to be too sappy, we have to tell everyone about Kyra’s giveaway!

Isabelle: Oh yes! When Kyra released Game On in the summer, she did a very silly giveaway, offering one lucky winner a collection of Leah’s tacky souvenirs! It was so popular, Kyra has decided to do another silly giveaway this time around which relates to our time at Winter Wonderland.

Jesse: While we were at the park, Isabelle talked everyone into buying winter hats – totally uncool – but fun. So, Kyra would like to give two lucky winners a chance to win a winter hat! All you have to do is follow the instructions below! a Rafflecopter giveaway

Blindsided Synopsis: After a successful first soccer season in L.A, Jesse Shaw heads to London with his best buddy, Hunter, but his world is turned upside down when a dangerous prank threatens his career and his blossoming relationship with Hunter’s cousin, Isabelle. Isabelle Mills lives in Notting Hill with her parents and her twin sister, Georgia. When she finds out her cousin is coming to stay, along with his famous soccer player friend, her first instinct is to hibernate until they’ve gone. However, once she meets Jesse, everything changes. He’s everything she ever wanted, but with so many obstacles in their path, can she really risk putting her heart on the line?

Author Bio: Kyra Lennon was born on the South coast of England, and to this day, still lives by the sea. After years spent working in retail, where she met enough versatile characters to write hundreds of books, she finally took the plunge and quit her day job. Kyra's debut novel, Game On, was released in July 2012. While fiction writing has always been her passion, she also has numerous articles on a variety of topics published on prolific websites. 

Buy Links: 
Kyra Lennon on Amazon.com
Kyra Lennon on Amazon.co.uk

Find Kyra online
Blog
Twitter
Facebook
Goodreads

I highly recommend Blindsided whether you've read Game On or not! It takes a popular character from Game On - the sweet-natured Jesse - and introduces a great new bunch of characters who really jump off the page. I found myself quickly caught up in their lives and problems. It also makes for a nice festive read at this time of year. Congrats, Kyra!

Baby Faces blogfest

I almost forgot about this blogfest hosted by the very lovely Trisha at WORD + STUFF. But better late than never, eh?

1. Between December 2nd and 3rd, post a pic of yourself as a baby, and/or;
2. Tell us a story about when you were a baby (no doubt you can't quite remember it yourself, but you've probably heard some stories from other members of your family).

You can choose to do one or the other or both, depending on your mood on the day(s). ;)

Well, all my baby pictures are in my parents' house (the only one I can recall right now is of me in the bath, holding a rubber duck that is for some reason pink. I look surprised at having my picture taken), but I can share a story. I must have been two or three at the time this happened, so slightly more toddler than baby - hope that's OK!

We had just moved into a new house - the one that I grew up in until the age of fifteen. My parents' friends had come round with their two young daughters, and thanks to me, us three kids mysteriously disappeared. At the time the house was in somewhat of a state of disarray, with most floors having no carpets, antique wallpaper peeling off and so on. My dad took twelve years to get it perfect and then sold it. My sister's room was at the top of the house, up quite a narrow staircase, and was next to the attic, with a tiny door connecting the two (think Alice in Wonderland). I'm not sure I'd even been up in the room before. As you'd expect, us kids were allowed to wander off and play while the adults chatted. I ended up going up these narrow stairs, which were probably quite difficult for young kids, with the two young visitors in tow (they were twins, possibly). And then, of course, the "magic door" which seemed just the right size for us was extremely inviting. I got it open, and found a dark space beyond. I may or may not have found the light switch, but if not, my eyes must have adjusted, because I ended up at the other side of the attic having crossed a lot of wooden beams and taking care not to fall into the "yellow sea" (just as well, because this was foam insulation that I would have fallen straight through and into the room below). We played in there quite happily and quietly for a good while, but our absence was soon noted, and it probably took a good half an hour for the adults to find us and lift us out of the attic. Just as well none of us broke our necks! Of course, following the incident, my dad fitted a lock to that little door - spoilsport. It was childlike exploration, but there may also have been an element of showing off in front of two girls!

Well, there you have it. Sorry the details are a little vague... be sure to check out Trisha's blog to visit the other participants!

A quick note - sorry I'm still not getting around much to your blogs. My laptop has suffered a mishap, and until it can be fixed or replaced I'm using my stepdaughter's, so my online time is limited. Andrew still has his casts on, and I'm spending a lot of time with him. We've just had two inches of snow here, so it's debatable whether he'll get to school today - a shame, since his sister has her work experience there this week! I've got a few blog tour posts/cover reveals booked this month, and of course I'll honour those, but I miss you guys. Hope everyone's doing well!

"Make Believe" Anthology Launch

Today I'm helping to celebrate the launch of the Make Believe anthology from J. Taylor Publishing, featuring the story Birthright from one of my best blogging buddies, Lynda R. Young. Like many others, I can always rely on Lynda for sensible, straightforward advice and a positive and encouraging comment on anything I post. I was intrigued by what I read of her story and can't wait to read the rest! Congratulations Lynda!

Christa can mask the pain and hide the scars, but running from a birthright is impossible. 

She’s tried to escape her grief by fleeing to a small town in Florida. Much to her frustration, the locals think they recognize her even though she's never been there before. To make things worse, a man named Jack spouts outrageous theories about her. 

Both spur Christa to bolt, to start fresh yet again, but there’s something about Jack that intrigues her enough to stay. The only problem? Someone else wants her to leave, and they won’t stop until she’s dead.  


Blurbs from all the stories included in Make Believe can be found on the J. Taylor Publishing website HERE.

And an excerpt:

Palms rustled overhead as Mrs. Tinder shouldered open the rickety door of Christa’s new home.

“Here we are,” the landlady said. The dark space breathed Florida’s hot air. “It’s not usually so humid here in December, but never you mind about the unseasonal heat, dear. As soon as the air-conditioning kicks in she’ll be right as rain.” Mrs. Tinder toddled over to a control panel on the wall and pressed a few buttons. A hum emanated from the walls, the lights blinked on, and the air stirred.

Busying herself around the single room cabin, Mrs. Tinder spread the drapes, straightened the cushions and opened and closed the fridge. She turned her sharp gaze on Christa. “You have family in town?”

Christa gave her a tight smile. “No, I don’t.”

“Friends, perhaps?”

She shook her head.

Mrs. Tinder’s wrinkles deepened into a frown. “You’ll be alone over Christmas?” Her pinched lips broadcast her true thoughts. No one should be alone over Christmas. It’s not right. It’s not natural.

Christa’s smile wavered. “I’ll have plenty to keep me busy.” She tapped her camera case, still hanging from one shoulder.

“Ah, a photographer.” The woman’s nod turned to a slow shake.

Christa didn’t need pity, and she didn’t need more invitations to join random family gatherings, either. To prevent further discussion, she asked, “Are there any galleries in town? Or museums?”

The woman’s face didn’t brighten. “No galleries. There’s one museum. A shack run by a man named Jack.” She grunted. “But you don’t want to go there. His displays are a load of balderdash, if you don’t mind me saying.”

“Balderdash?” Christa asked in mock surprise. “A mighty strong word.”

Looking like a school principal about to pass judgment on a wayward child, Mrs. Tinder perched on a kitchen stool and leaned on the counter.

Christa regretted the tease, realizing the woman had taken it for an invitation to continue.

“Apologies for my language, dear.” Reprimand laced Mrs. Tinder’s tone. After a pause of awkward silence, she sniffed. “Mr. Jack fancies himself the town historian, but he wouldn’t know history if he fell into a dung pile of it. He snoops into family lore, delves into lost legends, and makes up stories when he can’t find nothing of no interest. Mark me, all of it’s nonsense.”

Christa nodded, though she didn’t understand at all.

“Don’t get me wrong. Jack’s a lovely boy, but he’s strayed from the path.” Mrs. Tinder peered at Christa with an appraising eye. “Perhaps a woman like you would do a young man like Jack some good.”

Christa stiffened. Matchmaking was one of the many reasons she’d left New York for the holiday season. She hadn’t expected to find it in a small town in Florida, as well.


You can find blurbs here and excerpts here for all the stories in the anthology.

Find it on Amazon UK, Amazon US and Goodreads.

A brief Author Bio:
Lynda R. Young lives in Sydney, Australia, with her sweetheart of a husband who is her rock, and a cat who believes world domination starts in the home. She writes speculative short stories and is currently writing novels for young adults. In her spare time she also dabbles in photography and all things creative. You can find her here: Blog, Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads.


I wish Lynda and her fellow writers all the best with this exciting anthology. Happy Monday, everyone!