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Wednesday, June 8, 2016

NBTM: Bound by Oath and Honour by Debbie Peterson


Bound by Oath and Honour
by Debbie Peterson

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GENRE: Paranormal/fantasy romance

BLURB:

Fresh from her photo shoot in Northern England, wildlife photographer Tala Westbrook makes a promised stop at the family manor in Staffordshire, desperately in need of renovation. Though she didn’t plan to stay longer than it took to find a contractor, she is caught up in an ancient paranormal war. Despite the danger all around, she finds herself falling for the handsome, enigmatic man assigned to protect her.

Micah Berrington, elite guardian from the realm of the Bewitan Fierd, is used to protecting men of strength in the greatest of peril, not a female looking for someone to repair her home. Yet the assignment is far more than it seems and so is the beautiful woman destined to capture his heart, regardless of the cost.

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Excerpt Three:

After he chambered a round in his rifle, he placed a finger against the trigger. He faced Tala with lifted hand and palm out. “Wait here while I check out the second floor.”

She gazed at him for several moments as if he had quite lost his mind. “I think not. In case you have forgotten, this house belongs to my family, Micah, not yours.”

“I will not debate the issue with you right now. Either you can wait here as directed, or I will throw you over my shoulder and carry you back to the cottage. I’ll then lock you inside for the remainder of the night. The choice is yours.”

She sucked in a breath while her mouth dropped another notch. “You wouldn’t—”

“Oh, but I would,” he whispered as he leaned in close to her face.

In evidence of his staunch determination, she gritted her teeth. She turned her head to the side. Once again, she refused to meet his gaze. “Fine.”

The dreaded “fine” escaped her lips for the second time in less than ten minutes. This one had a bit more oomph and resentment behind it than did the first. He ignored it. Instead, Micah turned his attention away from her little snit fit and focused on the task ahead.

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Debbie is an author of paranormal and fantasy romance because she has a soft spot for fairy tales, the joy of falling in love, making an impossible love possible, and happily ever after endings. She loves animals of every persuasion, music, art, beautiful sunrises, sunsets, the smell of rain, and thunder storms.

When she is not busy conjuring her latest novel, Debbie spends time with the members of her very large family in the lovely, arid deserts of southern Nevada, where some of those spectacular sunsets occur. She also pursues her interests in genealogy—which she also teaches—mythology, and history.

Connect with Debbie:

Buy Links:


Interview with Debbie Peterson

As a kid did you write or make up stories?


Oh, absolutely!

Although I never wrote anything down, I made up stories every single day. Lots of them. Every now and again I could get my friends to act them out—but darn it—most of the time they didn’t say and do what I wanted them to day and do. I had some pretty good stuff for them to act out, if I do say so myself. Do you think maybe it was because I wanted to be the heroine or the character with the most special powers? Oh well…

Where does most of your Character inspiration come from?

Now that’s an interesting question and I’m not really sure how to answer it. I know when I have the basic plot in mind; I already know the attributes and weaknesses of my main characters. I can see them as well as I do their faces. Maybe it’s from one of those amazing powers I just spoke of. ☺

Do some qualities of your characters come from real people?

Yes, indeed! For me, a lifetime of observation and experience with people I know well and maybe not so well is the greatest teacher of all. Traits I admire in family and friends always make it into my books in some way or another.

What was the inspiration for your book?

I came across an article about a man named Frank Beck, who fought as a captain during World War I. According to what some consider nothing more than a myth, he fought his last battle at Gallipoli. As the battle waged on, Captain Beck and his company lost ground. At that point—according to witnesses—he and his company of men advanced into a thick mist and disappeared without a trace. Several searches ensued. Yet, they never found any trace of the men whatsoever, with one single exception. They found the watch that belonged to Captain Beck.

I found the story intriguing. Whether fact or fiction, my imagination took off. What if select men were taken off the field before death could claim them? Where would they go and why? Well, they were taken to the realm of the guardians of course. Consequently, Bound by Oath and Honour was born.

What is your favorite spot to write?

In front of a window whenever possible, and I’m not above taking my laptop outside when so inspired to do so. The beauty and wildness of nature can inspire all sorts of things.
What advice would you give budding writers?

Read. Read something every single day. Especially read the stories in your chosen genre. You must write every day as well, even if just a paragraph or two. I believe the only way to improve any skill is to practice it daily.
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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION

Debbie Peterson will be awarding a $15 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.



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Blurb Blitz: Descended From Dragons by Tricia Owens


Descended From Dragons
by Tricia Owens

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GENRE: Urban Fantasy/PNR (sweet, sensual)

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BLURB:
Beneath the glitz and glamour of Las Vegas lies another city. A secret city in plain sight, full of warlocks and demons, shape-shifters and golems. A city that feeds off the chance magick that is generated by gamblers and which is ruled by mysterious beings called the Oddsmakers.

It is in this strange underbelly of the occult that Anne Moody runs a cursed pawn shop for the desperate, the curious, and the magickally inclined. Though the job is boring, it keeps her under the radar. None of her customers have any inkling that she is a dragon sorceress with a power that's been feared throughout history. However dragons are no help when a stone statue ends up in her shop that is more than it appears. The statue is a gargoyle named Vale, who is shrouded in mystery and secrets. When she learns that Vale is possessed, and that the person responsible for cursing him plans to take over Las Vegas with a horde of demons from Hell, Anne realizes it is up to her to defy the Oddsmakers and save the city, and possibly the world.

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Excerpt One:

After silently parting the bead curtain I paused just at the threshold, listening. The shop was spooky enough without the lights on thanks to all the strange silhouettes, but knowing that half the objects were also cursed gave me another reason to shiver as I panned my gaze over the place.

Tick tick tick

I sent Lucky toward the sound. My dragon flew a loose circle around the left side of the room. That narrowed it down a bit, not that I felt comfortable putting my back to everything that was on the other side of the room. I displayed a few katanas and items that could be used as weapons there, but thankfully none of them were cursed with movement. At least, I hoped not. I guess I'd find out for certain when a spear pierced my back.

A fluttering sound, like the flapping of thick canvas, made me instinctively drop into a crouch. Lucky reared up, ready to attack. But nothing flew overhead. Breathing shallowly, I crawled toward the counter. I'd feel safer behind it and with the wall at my back.

As I rounded the counter, I realized I knew what had had made the noise. The only new thing in my inventory was the gargoyle statue. When I raised my eyes above the countertop, the gargoyle was gone from where it had sat. The cameos were quick to offer their opinions.

"You met the love of your life today…"

"…he'll try to kill you, Anne Moody."

"The cursed shall pay, Anne Moody!"

Yep, the damn gargoyle statue had come to life and was flying around Moonlight. Definitely a way to make me remember you, Christian.


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AUTHOR Bio and Links:


Tricia Owens wants you to know that Las Vegas is actually a pretty cool place and you won't be eaten by a troll there. Probably. A former casino games dealer and cruise ship editor, Tricia has traveled extensively, visiting over 70 countries. She writes full time in several genres including urban fantasy and romance. Her favorite setting is her home town, the city of sin.


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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION and RAFFLECOPTER CODE

Tricia Owens will be awarding a $75 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

RAFFLECOPTER CODE:



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Colore High Quality Oil Paint Set




This set of oil paints by Colore Art is amazing. The colors are so rich and vibrant. I love the color assortment as well. The colors are very easily mixed to make new colors. There are 24 tubes of pain in the set.  Each tube is 0,4 ounces/12 ml. The paints go on smooth, with no bumpy sand looking particles like with some cheaper paints. The paints can be thinned down some as well to make them stretch further or to use with some projects. I am by no means an artist, but I do a lot of crafts that include painting. This pain is very easy to use and clean up and it is non toxic to boot. The smell if the pain is not real strong either. This paint is great for us crafters and for artists alike from beginners to professionals.

I received this product free in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.
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Kid Essentials® 5 Pairs 8-36 Months Mary Jane Anti Slip Skid Sock





Absolutely adorable little socks and hair bands. These little socks look like Mary Jane's with the strap over the foot. I want some to fit me they are so cute. I got these for my 4 year old Grand Daughter and they fit her perfectly. These socks have the non skid bottoms on them which is great for her. Most of their floors are tiles and when wearing plain socks she has fallen and slipped a lot. Now we don't have to worry about her getting hurt falling down. The non skid part cover most of the bottom of the sock in small little dots. They seem very comfortable not like standing on pebbles. I put a sock on my hand and pushed on it to see. These socks have been run through the washer and dryer as well, there has been no color bleed, the dot's have not come loose, and there has been no shrinkage, The sets comes with 5 pairs of socks and 5 matching hair bands. The colors are very vibrant and bright on both the socks and hair bands.

I received this product free in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

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Tuesday, June 7, 2016

Tour: Rise of the Temple Gods: Heir to Kale by K.L. Bone


HeirToKale_Tour
Rise of the Temple Gods: Heir to Kale
by K.L. Bone
Map illustrated by Raven Quinn
Genre: High Fantasy, Epic Fantasy, YA Fantasy
HeirtoKale-Kindle

Purchase: Amazon | Amazon Print (with map) |Barnes & Noble | Kobo | iBooks
“Fear to the fearless. Hope to the hopeless. Mercy to those who hate you. Death to those who love you. That is your destiny, Princess of Kale, Princess of Koloso, heir to both.” – Prophecy of the Kalian Twins
In the land of Kale there lies a delicate balance between the powerful Temples and the rulers from an ancient, royal bloodline. The Temples are ruled through combat, determined by a series of tournaments. Of these tournament champions, sixty are chosen to become Defendants, an elite team charged with protecting the realm from all enemies. Selection to this team is considered the highest of honours and leadership of the team is decided only once every thirteen years.
Princesses Mariana and Ameria, twin daughters of two such champions, are taken as children to separate, yet equally powerful Temples. Through years of rigorous training both are educated in the arts of combat, swordplay, and the ancient traditions of the Temple Gods. Both eventually obtain the rank of Kalian Champions with the expectation of one day serving upon the coveted Defendant Team.
Then, not long after their seventeenth birthday, the childless King declares that one of the sisters must succeed him as the future Queen. As the race for the throne begins, the sister’s long standing rivalry intensifies, leading both upon a dangerous path that threatens not only their lives, but the fate of the very kingdom.
Unbeknownst to the twins, this treacherous path to the throne is the elaborate collaboration of an ancient prophecy and two creatures charged by the Gods themselves ensure it comes to pass. As primeval powers awaken, the two sisters must struggle to learn the truth behind the prophesy and search for a way to change their inevitable fate.
Except from:
Rise of the Temple Gods: Heir to Kale
Chapter IV
The two equally ranked princesses entered the private section to find Mary’s longtime partner standing in the middle of the gold and silver mat on the left side of the room. Dressed in robes of silver, Marcus had served as the silver member of Kale for as long as Mary had served as gold. He was taller than the twins, standing over six feet. He was handsome with dark brown eyes and tawny blond hair. His skin, always pale, appeared even lighter within the silver robes. He was a descendent from the Kalian bloodline and the nephew of Master Leo, the Temple Master of Kale and a former Golden Defendant.
Seeing the two princesses, Marcus walked towards the center of the room to greet them. When he reached them, he gave a slight bow in acknowledgement of their royal status.
“Welcome back, Mary,” he said with a smile. “Greetings, Princess Ameria.”
“Hello, Marcus.”
“How was the palace?”
“Terrible,” Ameria replied. “Our uncle was his usual, ‘I’m the king so nothing else matters’ self.”
“Aw,” Marcus said. “What did he do this time?”
“Declared that she would marry some non-temple lord from a neighboring kingdom.”
Marcus’ face failed to hide his surprise. “And you said, no?”
“Of course I said no!” Mary exclaimed. “Then I invoked the oath of Blood and Arms.”
“Clever,” Marcus replied, “promising to marry the Champion of Kale.” He gave a sly smile. “So since I am planning to win that tournament, would you prefer a spring or summer wedding?”
“Strange,” Ameria interjected. “My partner, Kyle, said to ask you the same question.”
“A Kolosian king?” Marcus asked with a smirk. “Sure, that will be the day! Now seriously, Mary,” he turned to the elder of the twins, “spring or summer?”
Mary rolled her eyes at her longtime partner while Ameria moved to the side of the golden ring. “Care to put it to the test?” Ameria asked the silver clad Kalian. “I can’t remember the last time I had you in a round, Marcus.”
Marcus moved to meet her. “Are you challenging me, princess?”
“Unless you’re not up for it?” Ameria said in a teasing tone.
“As long as your sister doesn’t mind,” Marcus replied with a wink at Mary. “I wouldn’t want my future bride getting jealous.”
Mary groaned. “I know this breaks tradition, but,” she shifted her gaze to her sister, “kick his ass, Ameria.”
Marcus made a soft clicking sound with his tongue and shook his head playfully. “Cheering for a Kolosian. What will Leo think?”
“That someone finally taught you a lesson.” Ameria answered for her. “Shall we do this?”
“Let’s,” Marcus replied.
The two champions walked to the center of the gold and silver mat. Then turned to face each other. They exchanged soft smiles before entering into their respective bows, bending at the waist, heads down, trusting the other not to attack before they had risen. When they rose, Marcus, as the lower-ranked of the two, would be allowed to make the first offensive move.
Marcus raised his head in perfect unison with his golden opponent and immediately launched into a kick with his left leg towards Ameria’s right side. Ameria saw the movement and quickly moved to avoid the blow. Marcus hit only air.
Ameria spun around with a round kick of her own. Marcus raised his left arm and blocked, but was pushed several steps backwards from the strength of the blow. Ameria followed the kick with a series of three punches. Marcus blocked the first two with the sides of his arms, then summersaulted to his left to avoid the third altogether.
When Marcus stood on the far side of the ring, he drew a deep breath as he again turned to face the golden Kolosian.
Marcus threw two round kicks towards Ameria, neither of which came close to touching the ever-evading princess. He moved several steps forward, closing the distance between himself and Ameria.
Ameria switched to a defensive stance, raising both of her arms towards her upper body and transferring most of her weight to the back leg while slightly bending her knees. Marcus advanced closer. Ameria held her ground.
Marcus threw a powerful kick toward Ameria’s left hip. Ameria’s arm swept down, knocking away the blow with her left arm while throwing a punch with her right. She hit Marcus square in the stomach, knocking the breath from his lungs and causing him to take several steps back. Ameria used the moment to her advantage, following Marcus’ backwards movement. She twisted her right hip as she spun into a kick. Her leg crashed into Marcus’ side. His body twisted from the force of Ameria’s movement and he collapsed to the floor.
Ameria took another step forward in an attempt to further her advantage. Marcus recovered more quickly than she expected, flipping onto his back and jumping to his feet. He threw a punch towards Ameria which she easily avoided. Marcus then stepped back from the princess. Switching his weight to his back leg and bending his knee slightly, Marcus threw another kick towards Ameria’s right side. Ameria twisted to the side and brought her arm down on Marcus’ leg and drove him to the ground, forcing her weight down upon him.
There was a loud crack. Marcus screamed as his body collided with the floor. His hands flew to his leg, which was twisted beneath him, the bone broken cleanly in two. Marcus grit his teeth, managing to suppress his second scream into a moan. “Sutis!” he cursed in Kalian.
“That should teach you,” Ameria said. Marcus still lay on the floor, both hands clutched around his broken leg. Ameria gave a soft laugh then moved towards Marcus. “Come on, my friend. Let’s get you out of this ring.”
Mary moved into the ring. Together, the two sisters helped Marcus to stand, allowing him to put an arm around each of them. Balancing his weight between them, Marcus hobbled painfully towards the outer edge of the ring. “You know,” Marcus said through gritted teeth. “Under other circumstances I would consider myself a lucky guy standing here between the two of you.”
Both girls gave a soft laugh. “Don’t tell me that you can’t handle a little pain.”
“Yeah, Marcus.” Mary laughed. “Don’t complain in front of the Kolosian. You’ll ruin our reputation.”
Mary moved to unhook the silver ropes on the side of the ring. Marcus hissed at the jarring movement. “Sorry,” Mary said. She then moved back to Marcus, allowing him to re-balance himself between them. They hobbled forward and then stepped out of the ring.
Light surrounded the three fighters. At first, it seemed they were surrounded by tiny sparkles that danced in the light as though from a dozen crystals moving slowly in the air. The three stood still as the sparkles quickly became more clustered, moving past the two princesses to surround the injured fighter between them. The light lined Marcus’ skin, outlining his form until he was wearing a thin sheet of light. As the light surrounded him, it grew brighter until it filled the entire room with a blinding flash that forced all three to close their eyes.
When the light finally faded and the twins opened their eyes, it was to find Marcus standing tall between them, his leg completely healed. “Gods,” he said softly. “Sometimes I hate that we have to get all the way out of the ring for the healing power to work.”
“Don’t be a baby,” Ameria teased. “You should have seen what I did to Kyle a few weeks ago. His arm was torn to the point where the only thing keeping it attached to his body was a few thin threads of skin. A light gust of wind in the wrong direction and it would have been lying on the ground next to him. All you had was a little bone showing.”
“I hate how bright it gets,” Mary commented. “One of these days that flash is going to seriously destroy my vision.”
“I’m just grateful it works,” Marcus said.
“I second that,” Mary replied. Ameria nodded in agreement.
“Well, in the future I think I’ll stick with Kyle.” He motioned to Mary. “I’ll let my future bride take care of you.”

Mary rolled her eyes. Ameria said, “Deal.”


About K.L. Bone

book signing b & w
K.L. Bone is the author of the dark fantasy series, Tales of the Black Rose Guard. The Rise of the Temple Gods fantasy series. And a stand-alone sci-fi novel, The Indoctrination.
Bone has a master’s degree in modern literary cultures. An American, she is currently living in Europe working toward her PhD in Gothic literature. She wrote her first short story at the age of fifteen and grew up with an equally great love of both classical literature and speculative fiction. Bone has spent the last few years as a bit of a world traveler, living in California, London, and most recently, Dublin. When not immersed in words, of her own creation or studies, you’ll find her traveling to mythical sites and Game of Thrones filming locations.


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