ALTERED by Amy Stearman

Unassuming law student Sadie Pratt leads a quiet life immersing herself in her books; outside of school, her only real form of excitement is researching the local flour mill and her link to its terrible history. That all changes one fateful night when her employer requests she meet with a mysterious client who will change her life in an unthinkable way.

Vincent Strickland has toured the country attempting to regain his holdings after serving a punishing sentence for his violent past. He is out for revenge when his path unexpectedly crosses Sadie's, who he believes is his former lover reborn. He will stop at nothing to possess her.

Fallen deity Thayer Aubade has dedicated his life to The Creed, a secret sect charged with protecting the innocent from monsters like Strickland. When his team is dispatched to rescue Strickland’s latest victim, the scene he discovers feels all too familiar and he vows he won't play by the rules this time.

Desire, possession, and treachery lead Sadie down a crooked path to redemption. She must rely on her intellect and inner strength for her survival... and for that of the man she loves.

Altered
by Amy Stearman

Series
Chronicles of the Creed #1

Genre
Adult
Paranormal Romance
Urban Fantasy

Publisher
Independent

Publication Date
December 2014

  

About Amy Stearman

Amy Stearman is an avid reader and writer of stories, hailing from the Midwest. She lives in the liberal mecca of Kansas with her husband, young son, and ornery Sheltie.

Amy holds her bachelors degrees in Human Services and Victim Studies, and a Masters degree in Social Work. That might sound pretty cool, but she accidentally ended up in marketing.

When she's not chasing her five year old or attempting DIY home improvement, she's jotting down story ideas and dreaming big.

Amy's Links

Safe at Home (Warm Springs Trilogy #1) by Christina Kirby Book Blitz

Book Title: Safe at Home (Book One in The Warm Springs Trilogy) 

Author: Christina Kirby 

Genre: Romantic Suspense 

Release Date: February 15, 2015 

Hosted by: Book Enthusiast Promotions

Driven by fear and desperate to protect her family, Samantha is forced to leave Chicago and everything she’s worked to achieve, only to start over by tossing a dart-at-the-map. The Georgia townsfolk’s true Southern charm is the unexpected prescription needed to heal her soul, and the sexy carpenter who touches her heart are distractions she didn’t plan on, but they might offer her a chance at a new life, if she can let go of her past.

Town heartbreaker Spencer Malloy isn’t looking for anything serious. His days are perfect working as a contractor, attending his nephew’s baseball games, or taking him fishing. He never expects to fall for the big city girl, Samantha. She’s not his type, timid and closed off, but in her unguarded moments, he’s intrigued by the woman he can’t get out of his mind. The urge to get closer to her grows stronger each day, and when the shadow of evil resurfaces, he vows to protect Samantha, even if it means abandoning his home and joining her on the run.

When confronted by the man who’s bent on revenge, Samantha must choose between running again to save the people she loves, or, if she has the strength, to stay and fight for her new life.

“Here it is.” Jenny announced. She stopped the car in front of an old white house with peeling paint and looked over at Sam whose eyes began to fill with tears.

“Like I said, it needs some work. When Pete got sick, no one really paid much attention to the house. It’s been sitting here idle for a while. His boys just couldn’t bring themselves to sell it at first, and then...”

“No, it’s perfect,” Sam’s voice sounded watery. “It’s the first house I’ve ever owned.”

After fighting off the foolish tears, Sam climbed out of the car, strolled through the freshly cut grass, and up to what could be a beautiful porch. Jenny unlocked the door as she chattered away about the house, but Sam wasn’t listening. This was it, her new home.

Entering through the wood and glass front door, Sam stepped into a little hallway and felt her heart swell. The inside was small and cozy. The perfect place to sit and feel safe from the outside world.

“Excuse me, earth to Sam. Do you want to see the rest of the house?”

Sam turned, face warm. “Yes, sorry. Lead the way.”

Jenny led her down the hall to show her the kitchen, which had a wonderful view of the backyard, they moved through the dining room and then the upstairs before returning to the den. It was a wonderful little house, so much more than what she imagined for herself.

A car backfired out on the main road and Sam jumped.

“Are you okay?” Jenny’s blue eyes widened, her voice threaded with concern.

“Fine.” Sam let out a shaky breath and waited for her heart rate to return to normal. “I must’ve been so lost in all my plans for the house that I was in another world.”

Jenny gave her a warm smile, but continued to watch her with a crease between her perfect eyebrows.

“Should we be off to your office now?” Sam tried to sound relaxed.

Jenny beamed. “The papers are ready for you.”

Relief washed through Sam as the thrill of the sale seemed to distract Jenny from Sam’s nervous behavior. She led the way out the door and took a deep breath of country air. It was going to be okay here. No one knew where she was. Not her family. Not her best friend. No one. She glanced over her shoulder at the little white house, which for her, symbolized so much more than a new house. She was home.

Christina Kirby holds a degree in Public Relations from Auburn University (War Eagle!). She worked in banking for four and a half years before deciding to become a stay at home mom to her two sons. Moving every couple of years because of her husband’s job, Christina has had the opportunity to meet all kinds of people and to live in many different states. Fortunately, writing is something she can take with her no matter where she lives. She loves chocolate and all things pop culture so if you love to talk movies, favorite TV shows, or books, she’d love to hear from you.

Other titles by this author include:
Running Home (#2 in the Warm Springs Trilogy)
Protecting Home (#3 in the Warm Springs Trilogy)
A Face In the Crowd

 a Rafflecopter giveaway

Benny the Jumping Bull Color Bouncy Horse: Red by WALIKI

Super Benny is an adorable red bull bouncer. It is kind of like the hopper ball but he has legs. He works just the same though. My 2 year old Grand Son loves his bouncer. I love that while he is having a great time playing he is also getting exercise. My 4 year old Grand Daughter can also bounce on Benny. This is great for outside but can be played with inside. It comes with a hand pump to blow Benny up. It also came with 2 extra plastic plugs to keep the air in. This is easy to deflate by pulling the plug out and rolling the air out. Great for storing or taking on the go. The rubber is super strong. We have a lot of trees in the back yard so small sticks are all over, Benny received not punctures or cuts from the sticks.

I received this product for free but am not required to post a review for it. But it just so cute I cannot help myself.

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3 Pack Mini Sports Stress Balls Set by Perfect Life Ideas

I had surgery on my hand a couple of months ago and need all the help I can get to get my hand back to the way it should be. My doctor has suggested stress balls in order to work my hand with low impact. These balls are a little big for my hand though, but the kids are in love with them. My Grand Son who is 2 has a thing for balls especially sports balls. When he saw these he thought he was in Heaven. He has been playing with them for days now and even sleeps with them. The balls are soft and squishy. These would work as they are supposed to for say my husbands hands, which I guess being sports balls they are more geared towards men. But for the kids they are great. I don't have to worry if they do toss them in the house about breaking things like a regular ball.

I received this product during a promotion free for my honest review and they are 100% my own opinions. I received no compensation for this review and I am not required to give a good review. I am also not associated with the seller in any way.

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Zeznia Multi-function Backpack for Laptop SLR/DSLR Camera and Accessories

My son In Law and his Father own a entertainment business. They are hired for private events like weddings and parties. They have a DJ set, do magic, have a traveling casino and things like that. My Daughter is their photographer. She has a ton of equipment for her camera she has to carry with her to these events. She has been using backpacks and a cardboard box. She has a few thousand dollars in equipment between tripods, lenses, backdrops, her camera and more. When I saw this backpack I knew it would be perfect for her. She can safely put all of her smaller equipment in this back pack and go. This backpack has several layers to it and is cushioned inside. It also has cushioned slots for things like her camera and her assortment of lenses. There is even sports for her extra batteries, chargers, and SD Cards. Her tripods even fits inside. I thought she was going to cry when she saw it, she was so thrilled. The backpack is comfortable to wear with the padding on the straps and all. This really is great for anyone who has a lot of camera equipment even if you don't take it on the go a lot like she does, but also makes a great and safe storage area to keep all of your equipment when you are not using it and its all together in one place.

I received this product during a promotion at a discount for my honest review and they are 100% my own opinions. I received no compensation for this review and I am not required to give a good review. I am also not associated with the seller in any way.

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WALIKI TOYS Blue Jumping Hop Hopper Hoppity Ball, Ages 7-9

Yesterday was one of my Grand Sons 5th birthday party. I was at a loss as to whet to get him. I have an older bouncer ball out in the yards the kids love to play with when they come over, and he loves elephants and the color blue. So when I ran across this bouncer I knew he would love it. I was not wrong at all. He is kind of small so the ball is a little big for him but he didn't care. The ball is made of very strong rubber. It comes with a hand pump to blow it up with. It has a really cute elephant on the front a the rear end of an elephant on the back. He bounced around all over at the park with it and had no problems with the sticks on the ground popping holes in it or even leaving cuts on the rubber. It comes with a plastic stopper which can be removed to either add more air or to deflate it and put it in storage. We live in Florida so do not have to worry about storing it over the winter, but up north you may want to put it up. This is a great way for kids to have fun and to exercise at the same time.

I received this product during a promotion free but am not required to leave a review. I have chosen to review this though and this is 100% my own opinions.  I am also not associated with the seller in any way.

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AUDIOBOOK TOUR: The Murders at Astaire Castle by Lauren Carr

​

Book Details:

Book Title: The Murders at Astaire Castle by Lauren Carr

Category: Adult Fiction / 8 hours

Genre: Mystery / Crime

Publisher: Acorn Book Services

Release date: Sept 5, 2014

Format available for review:  Audible download 

Tour dates: Oct 3 to 14, 2016

Content Rating: PG-13 (This is murder mystery. There are no sex scenes, but some, very little, foul language. No f-bombs.)

Book Description:

Never tell Mac Faraday not to do something.

Spencer's police chief, David O'Callaghan, learns this lesson the hard way when he orders Mac Faraday to stay away from the south end of Spencer's mountaintop - even though he owns the property. It doesn't take long for Mac to find out what lies on the other side of the stone wall and locked gate, on which hangs a sign warning visitors to Keep Out!

Topping the list of the 10 top haunted places in America, Astaire Castle is associated with two suicides, three mysterious disappearances, and four murders since it was built almost a century ago - and Mac Faraday owns it!

In spite of David's warning, Mac can't resist unlocking the gate to see the castle that supposedly hasn't seen a living soul since his late mother had ordered it closed up after the double homicide and disappearance of Damian Wagner, a world-famous master of horror novels.

​

What starts out as a quick tour of a dusty old castle turns into another Mac Faraday adventure when Astaire Castle becomes the scene of even more murders. Mac is going to need to put all of his investigative talents to work to sort out this case that involves the strangest characters he has run into yet - including a wolf man. No, we're not talking about Gnarly.

My Review:
In this book Mac Faraday has inherited all of his late mothers possessions. Including a Hotel and a castle. He knew nothing about the castle until a conversation came up about murders at the castle some years before and a missing man. He decided to go see his castle. While there he finds the remains of his favorite author and they run into the man who has been missing for years. The man believes he is a wolf man. After his visit to the castle the body count starts to build again. 

The story line was great. Lauren Carr done a great job with this book. The Audio book would of been more enjoyable for me if Dan Lawson the narrator had of used a more conversational tone and did not over enunciate so much. He was definitely reading I felt like if he would speed up a bit I would of enjoyed the audio book a lot more. The narrator can make a break a great book for me. 

Meet the Author:

Lauren Carr is the international best-selling author of the Mac Faraday, Lovers in Crime, and Thorny Rose Mysteries. The twelfth installment in the Mac Faraday Mystery series, Candidate for Murder will be released June 2016.

Lauren is a popular speaker who has made appearances at schools, youth groups, and on author panels at conventions. She lives with her husband, son, and four dogs (including the real Gnarly) on a mountain in Harpers Ferry, WV. 

Connect with Lauren: Website  ~  Twitter  ~  Facebook

Book Trailer:

The Murder at Astaire Castle Tour:

Interview with Gnarly, of the Mac Faraday Mysteries

 
1) Thank you so much for joining me today, Gnarly! Can you tell us a little about yourself and how you came to live with Mac?

Well, I started out in the Army, though they refuse to talk about me. I don’t have much nice to say about them either. Do you know they actually gave me—ME—a dishonorable discharge? But we won’t talk about that.

Then, I went into the private security field. I ended up living with Katrina Singleton, this rich lady in Spencer, Maryland. She was being stalked. But would she listen to me when I said someone was outside watching her? No. She kept locking me in the garage because she thought I was a nuisance. But the lady who lived next door was real nice to me. She was a mystery writer. Her name was Robin Spencer. When I ended up almost dying trying to save Katrina’s life, Robin Spencer saved me. Sadly, she died a couple of months later and her son, Mac Faraday, a retired homicide detective, moved into her mansion. (see It’s Murder, My Son) It’s taken me a while to break Mac in with how I run things at Spencer Manor, but he’s coming along.
 

2) What's a typical day like for you?

There is no typical day at Spencer Manor. But I’ll try.

I like to get up at the crack of dawn. First thing I do is stomp on Mac’s chest to wake him up. The lazy slug doesn’t understand that perpetrators like squirrels and birds never take a day off. After I check the perimeter to make sure all is clear, I come in, and Mac serves breakfast and tries to go back to bed.

For some odd reason, Mac thinks that because he’s a multi-millionaire that he should have a life of privilege. I don’t think so. But it does work out. Sometimes, if he’s not fully awake yet, I manage to get some of his breakfast, too. Then, I go back outside to do my dog thing. Then, I come back in for my mid-morning nap. Then, I need lunch and go on another check of the perimeter—Mac really needs to invest in a dog door.

If I’m lucky, Mac will catch a case with the Spencer Police Department and take me for a ride along. But it isn’t just fun and games living among the rich and famous. I have a job to do and I’m always on-duty. My job is to watch Mac’s and Archie’s backs. Archie Monday is Mac’s lovely wife. She’s wonderful.

In Shades of Murder, a burglar broke in and I played tag with him all night long. It was great. Of course, he was a bad loser, on account that he lost in our game of tag. It’s been my experience that, generally, burglars are poor losers. This guy actually told David O’Callaghan, the chief of police, that I cheated and didn’t obey the dog rules. He threatened to sue. The nerve!

4) How do you feel about cats?

Cats are like politicians—manipulative and self-centered. Only cats have more common sense.

5) What's the biggest trouble you've ever gotten into?

That’s a hard question to answer. There’s so many incidents to choose from.

There was that time we went on a tour of Astaire Castle, which is one of the most haunted places in America. There were so many noises and smells and dark corners to investigate. Wouldn’t you know I found an honest to goodness wolf man! And he bit me! Do you know what happens to you when you get bitten by a wolf man?

 
6) Can you tell us about The Murders at Astaire Castle?

In The Murders at Astaire Castle, I meet the Wolf Man. Honest to God, I’m serious. Mac and I watch all those vampire/werewolf movies, but I never dreamed they were real. But sure enough, I met one and he didn’t like me at all. He almost killed me—ME! I’m not easy to kill.

It all started when Mac found out that he owned Astaire Castle, which is associated with two suicides, three mysterious disappearances, and four murders since it was built almost a century ago. Mac owns this place! Of course, he can’t resist unlocking the gate to see the castle that supposedly hasn’t seen a living soul since his late mother, Robin Spencer had ordered it closed up after the double homicide and disappearance of Damian Wagner, a world-famous master of horror novels.

But, as always when it comes to Mac, what starts out as a quick tour of a dusty old castle turns into another mystery when it becomes the scene of even more murders.

7) Final thoughts for your adoring public?
 
Sure! You can read all about my adventures with Mac, Archie, and all of my friends in the Mac Faraday Mysteries. Visit best-selling mystery author Lauren Carr’s websites and blog at:

E-Mail: writerlaurencarr@gmail.net

Website: http://acornbookservices.com/

                http://mysterylady.net/

Blog: Literary Wealth: http://literarywealth.wordpress.com/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/lauren.carr.984991

Gnarly’s Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/GnarlyofMacFaradayMysteries

Lovers in Crime Facebook Page:

http://www.facebook.com/LoversInCrimeMysteries?ref=ts&fref=ts

Acorn Book Services Facebook Page:

https://www.facebook.com/AcornBookServices?ref=hl

Twitter: @TheMysteryLadie

Giveaway:​

Prizes: ​

Win an audiobook copy of The Murders at Astaire Castle by Lauren Carr (2 winners - open int’l)

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