Clarissa Johal: July 2015

Friday, July 31, 2015

Cover Reveal & Excerpt THE ISLAND by Clarissa Johal #paranormal #horror #Booktrope #forsaken

Book Details:

Title: THE ISLAND 
Genre: Paranormal Horror 
Author: Clarissa Johal 
Editor: Marisa Chenery
Booktrope, Forsaken Imprint (2015)
ISBN-13: 978-1-5137-0161-5 
ASIN: B010TE7W1G
Number of Pages: 210


Exploring a remote island can get you into trouble.
Especially when you stumble upon a cave and awaken two demons.


Rumors and superstition.
That’s what Emma thinks about local gossip concerning her grandmother’s “cursed” private island. Emma journeys to the island to ready it for sale. While out exploring, she unearths a hidden cave–a cave which holds answers to the island’s dark past.
There may be more to the rumors than she thought.

Excerpt from THE ISLAND:

She was jarred awake by a cry. The vestiges of her nightmare dissipated as she orientated herself. Nightmare. Emma let out a sigh of relief. The cry sounded again. A distant sound, high and wailing. A baby’s cry. Her heart quickened. Good god, surely that can’t be a baby?
The fire in the stove had burned down, its embers lending a glow to the living room. Emma looked out the front window. The yard was still. She unlocked the door and opened it a crack. The cry drifted in with the breeze, faint but unmistakable. She ran through her mind what possible bird or animal could make the sound and came up with nothing. Characteristically, the island was blanketed with silence, almost like a vacuum. She stood, uncertain. After several minutes, the sound started again—the unmistakable high wail of a baby. She slipped on her boots and parka.
Fog trailed like cobwebs in her wake. The mournful cry threaded through the trees and came from the direction of the house ruins. In spite of a growing anxiety at what she’d find, she quickened her pace. If that is a baby, it’s still alive, and I need to get to it. If it’s not a baby… She blocked out the possibilities of what else it could be.
She approached the ruins and the sound stopped. Her heart raced. I know it was coming from here. The area held an unnatural heaviness. A branch cracked behind her and she turned with a start. Something dark darted through the trees.
“Hello?” Her voice sounded muffled in the fog. Emma’s attention snapped to the left. The dark figure ducked out of sight. She took one step backward, and fled.
Heavy footsteps echoed from behind as she plunged through the trees. They were catching up with her. Emma pushed herself to run faster, terrified she’d lose her footing on the uneven ground. The cabin loomed large, a haven in the thick fog. Stumbling across the cabin’s porch, she hurdled through the door and slammed it shut, locking it.
Emma rooted her feet to keep from running around in circles. Straining to hear, she was greeted with eerie silence. Several moments passed before the baby’s cry started again. And this time, it sounded from right outside the door.

***

Pre-Order 
(Coming soon in paperback) 



Monday, July 27, 2015

Guest Author & #Giveaway - Paradise Rot by Larry Weiner #satire #darkcomedy #Booktrope

IT’S 5:00 A.M. SOMEWHERE
Larry Weiner


In the kingdom of sleep I wear the royal robes. I consider sleep a sport, a hobby and a calling. So on the rare occasion I can't sleep its usually one of three things:

1. The drugs wore off

2. I slept too much the previous day (which in my case I did because of a nasty virus brought on by auto-immune disease)

3. I'm not writing

1. The drugs wore off - unlikely. I take Klonopin to combat anxiety and to help with sleep. This shit works and it works well. I wake up somewhat zombiefied (you can purchase my zombie book Paradise Rot and that's how you whore) but it wears off quickly. So that's off the table.

2. Slept too much. I have psoriatic arthritis, and you're right - it's the same disease that Rush guitarist Alex Lifeson has - anyway it's brought on by eating poorly and I blame that on that fucking all-day roller hockey event I attended because my son is a rink rat and insists on watching all of the games. I don't blame hockey per se, but I do blame the tasty burgers, M&Ms, Fritos and Cokes I consumed which is like lighting a match in front of the hairspray Donald Trump uses. Thus I get viral and sleep all day. Could be that.

3. I'm not writing. Well shit. It's true. I sort of have an excuse. Shark Week. Did you catch the shark attack footage? How about the one where they put tourists in a cage, then lure great white sharks with meat, then pull the meat out of the water so the shark rams right through the cage trying to eat the tourists? You can't get shit done thinking about that. It's also partly true that I've been doing a lot of promo work on the re-release of my first novel Paradise Rot (somebody stop me) and it's taken up a lotta my time filling out seven interview questionnaires for a blog tour, tweeting the living shit out of the book, Facebooking, wearing a sandwich board outside of my loca bookstore and just me, me, me in general,

Who has time to write when you got that going on? I mean, I can bang out at least 1k words in a couple of hours, but who has time to spare? I'm also a house Dad. I'm driving kids all over creation, bringing cars in to get serviced, the dishwasher doesn't empty itself, laundry? Okay my wife has been doing the laundry because she doesn't trust me ever since I shrunk her bras.

I have 5k words of a new book down. I'm using index cards and a bulletin board and have standing desk, so maybe I'm getting used to all of that. It's a good idea, this book and a departure from the paranormal (so far). But I've found every excuse not to write it. WTF? I went to the wisdom of a writer I admire, Chuck Wendig and reread his blog "Writer's Block Might Be:" The first thing he says is:

"I don’t believe in writer’s block anymore than I believe in, say, Bigfoot, the Loch Ness monster, or a UFO-load of butt-probing, almond-eyed, macrocephalic aliens."

I agree. He writes a laundry list of problems and solutions ranging from lack of confidence:

"Recognize that sucking during a first draft means that later you can come up behind your own shitty manuscript like a motherfucking editorial ninja and snap its neck and then use its blood to redline the work to make it better."

To laziness:

"Stop fucking around. Stop lying to yourself and others. Super-glue your derriere to that overturned bucket you call an office chair and refuse to stand until you’ve written. Full stop. Game over. The only thing you get to quit is quit making excuses."

Okay. I might be a subscriber to the second one. I read about writers who bang out 7-10k words A DAY. To borrow a phrase, "This is some fucked up, repugnant shit," I don't know why it happened. I banged through the first three novels (i use the word "bang" a lot, "I banged out," "she banged out, "They banged out." Note to my therapist, whose sessions we bang out).

It might be that my schedule is on summer time which means it's a constant mutating thing, like Orphan Black - i swear to god that show has me exhausted, but i love it, particularly Cosima, I digress. I do think it's important to keep schedules because ADD and because I'm also watching Peaky Blinders which has an awesome soundtrack.

Okay. Okay. I have trouble with focus. And I'm lazy. And there is just too much excellent content floating around me.

But this new novel has all the makings of a decadent and depraved piece of work - I should be all over that shit. I mean I have the Ypsilanti flasher and arsonist in this book. How bad could it be? (Larry, here's how bad it could be.) See? Now I'm pumped. I'm feeling tight and frosty. My shit is together. I'm ready to bang it out.

I just had to get up at 5:00 a.m. and write through the problem. Bang!

All errors, i mean allllll errors, are intentional, LarryCo.2015©



Paradise Rot
The Island Trilogy
Book One
Larry Weiner


Genre: Satire/Dark Comedy
Publisher: Booktrope
Date of Publication: May 30, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-5137-0031-1
ASIN: B00YLDWX66
Number of pages: 211
Cover Artist: Larry Weiner

Book Description:

Kyle Brightman—late of the advertising industry and soon-to-be-late of the 5th floor psych ward—has a job offer he can’t refuse. A new resort in the Caribbean is looking for an art director.

Kyle soon finds himself on the Isle of St. Agrippina working alongside a beautiful copywriter with an icy handshake. Questions arise: Why does the resort management team sport spray-on tans in the Bahamas? How can the resort offer such cheap vacation packages? What does one do with vats of Astroglide?

To get the answers, Kyle must first navigate a series of wildly unpredictable events with a cast of even more wildly unpredictable characters, including a seductress jungle assassin, her partially paralyzed talking Chihuahua, an Ivy League Rastafarian seaplane captain, Kyle’s ex-psych ward roommate, a former Haliburton mercenary, and a French tavern owner with a fondness for goats, all set to the greatest hits of the 70’s. Pablo Cruise never felt so right.



***
About the Author:

Larry Weiner is the author of PARADISE ROT (BOOK ONE), ONCE AGAIN, WITH BLOOD (BOOK TWO) and the forthcoming HINDU SEX ALIENS (BOOK THREE) that make up the Island Trilogy. Larry earned a degree in film from CSULA and was an award-winning art director. He lives on an island in the Pacific Northwest with his wife, two kids and a gaggle of animals. He plays bass and thus has poor hearing.

Visit his site
Join his Twitter feed at: @LarryNWeiner
Like him on Facebook
Goodreads


Tour giveaway 

2 ebook copies of Paradise Rot
2 paperback copies of Paradise Rot

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Thursday, July 23, 2015

Thoughtful Thursday - Salem: A Town Cursed

Old Burying Point Cemetery
I've been holding off writing about my recent trip to Salem, Massachusetts because I have so many conflicting feelings. I was quite excited to have the opportunity to visit. Salem has been on my bucket list since I was a kid. I have to say, I was disappointed. As an author, I was looking forward to spending time in a town steeped in history. History triggers stories for me--especially of the paranormal genre. What I found was indeed, a town with a lot of history. What I also found, were people willing to exploit it.
It felt like I had stumbled into a carnival, and I was its mark.

When you think of Salem, most think of a the 1692 witch hysteria: hearings and prosecutions of those accused of witchcraft resulting in the executions of twenty people, most of them women. Oddly, any Wiccan worth their salt will tell you that Salem is on their bucket list of places to visit. It's almost become a mecca--a place where one can come out of the broom closet with no fear of persecution. So, what can you expect from that mecca? Clairvoyants and palmists "certified by the town of Salem" (whatever that means), T-shirts: "I got stoned in Salem!" (there's so many things wrong with that--where do I begin?), and shops that sell pre-made spells (here's a tip: intent is everything, and it has to be your intent, not someone else's). One shop even sold coyote claws. How unfortunate for the coyotes. I don't recall any Wiccan spell that requires animal body parts, perhaps we're entering voodoo territory. Maybe not even that. But shoot, it makes for a "witchy" souvenir to sell to the tourists, doesn't it? I will say there were some interesting shops that didn't leave a bad taste in my mouth. But they were few and far between--and mostly on the outskirts of downtown.

Onto the history. Or not. There's the Salem Witch Museum (complete with giftshop!), the Pirate Museum (with giftshop!), Wax Museum, Nightmare Gallery (giftshop! giftshop!). Are you seeing a pattern here? Admission prices were high and space/exhibits were low. If you're planning to visit, check out Yelp and read through the reviews. Some of the "museums" and attractions take all of 10 minutes to peruse and aren't worth the $10-20 a person. I was disheartened to see that the Old Burying Point Cemetery, which contain the remains of the original townsfolk of Salem, was in serious disrepair. Aside from the garbage scattered throughout, the gravestones were weathered and falling apart. It would take so little to keep the cemetery looking as if the town respected the original inhabitants they are making money off.  It's a shame they don't seem to care. Once I saw the state of this graveyard, I was pretty much done with Salem.

If these sound like harsh words, they are meant to be. Salem has some beautiful scenery and quaint homes. It's a town steeped in American history, good and bad. Our kids learn about the Colonial time period in school. They learn about the hysteria and mob mentality of Salem witch trials. They learn how Puritans merely had to accuse a fellow townsperson of witchcraft, and if it stuck, they could take their money and property. Ironic that the very event that made history, one centered around people exploiting one another for money, is what the town seems to struggle with today. Perhaps the town of Salem is cursed to repeat itself.

Tuesday, July 21, 2015

It's My Birthday! #paranormal #gothichorror #donation #royalties #animalshelter @SafeHaven4Cats

♫♫ Happy birthday to me, happy birthday to me! ♫♫

To celebrate my birthday, I'll be donating all July royalties from the sales of BETWEEN and STRUCK to my local non-profit animal shelter SAFE Haven for Cats
@SafeHaven4Cats
and another non-profit shelter, Safe Have 4 Cats  located in Myrtle Beach, SC
Safe Haven 4 Cats is working hard at being able to build/afford a sanctuary for strays in that area.
Please support these organisations any way you can!

Enjoy your summer!

Stay tuned for the release of my new paranormal horror novel THE ISLAND
Coming August 5, 2015 from Booktrope

***

How far would you go to redeem yourself?

After a devastating accident, Lucinda moves to a small town in an attempt to start over. Unable to escape her grief, she is plagued by haunting nightmares. Just as she fears she’s spiraling out of control, two newcomers move into the coastal town. Lucas is protective and caring, and she feels an immediate connection. The other stranger is more of a worry. Though everything about Cronan warns her to keep her distance, Lucinda is attracted to him in a way she can’t ignore.


Drawn into a bitter tug-of-war, Lucinda is pulled into a dangerous twist of past and present events. She discovers the two men are locked in not only a battle for her life...but a battle for salvation.

Barnes and Noble


Struck by lightning...claimed by shadows


After a painful breakup, Gwynneth Reese moves in with her best friend and takes a job at a retirement home. She grows especially close to one resident, who dies alone the night of a terrific storm. On the way home from paying her last respects, Gwynneth is caught in another storm and is struck by lightning. She wakes in the hospital with a vague memory of being rescued by a mysterious stranger. Following her release from the hospital, the stranger visits her at will and offers Gwynneth a gift--one that will stay the hands of death. Gwynneth is uncertain whether Julian is a savior or something more sinister... for as he shares more and more of this gift, his price becomes more and more deadly.



Monday, July 20, 2015

#MeatlessMonday - Tempeh Paprikas & Rice #vegetarian #vegan

Unprepared tempeh 
Photo courtesy of FotoosVanRobin via Wikipedia
We're going to venture into the Land of Tempeh today. I rarely use tempeh and lean towards tofu, if only because tofu is easier to find at my grocers. Tempeh is a nice soybean alternative and has a nutty flavor and texture. It's low in fat, high in protein, calcium, and has beneficial isoflavones.

Here's a super-simple recipe--because nobody wants to be in the kitchen when it's a raging inferno outside.

Tempeh Paprikas & Rice

2 T sesame oil
2 onions, chopped
2 T paprika
2 cups vegetable stock
2 T dark miso
1 pound tempeh, cut into strips
1 cup chopped spinach
1 tsp soy sauce
1 T apple cider vinegar
4 T tahini
Cooked rice

Heat oil in skillet, cook onions and paprika until onions are golden.
Bring 1-1/2 cups vegetable stock to boil, remove from heat and add miso, stirring to dissolve.
Add tempeh and chopped spinach. Simmer for 30-45 minutes.

Blend soy sauce, vinegar, and tahini with remaining 1/2 cup vegetable stock.
Add mixture to skillet, stirring until thickened (do not boil).
Ladle onto rice and enjoy!

Guest Author and #Giveaway - Love Spell by Mia Kerick #comedy #romance #YA #LGBTQ

Hello Clarissa and friends! I am so happy to be here today as I promote the release of my new YA LGBTQ Contemporary Romantic Comedy, Love Spell.

Who am I? Every teen wants to know the answer to this question, which may seem so simple, but for many young people, it is not.

English 4 Honors: Sample Model College Essay
Answer in 500 words: Who am I?

Hmmm….
I will start with my ethnicity and move on to my religion. Then I will delve into my physical characteristics. Aspects of my personality—my moods and temperament, passions and preferences—must also be detailed. And of course, part of who I am includes my aspirations, so I will create a brief outline of my life’s goals, as well.
And that should just about cover it.
Right?

Maybe that covers it for you. And for your brother and your BFF, and it might tell the whole story for the captain of the football team, even.  But maybe one thing is missing—one enormous, overwhelming, astronomical aspect of identity that many of us take for granted is missing from the above equation.

Gender identity. Yes, that’s what I said. Gender identity.

Am I a boy? A girl? An eclectic blend of both?
Or am I something else entirely?

Most young people grow up with the inner knowledge that they are a boy or a girl. It is a matter of such a fundamentally basic fact that it is often taken for granted.  But not for everybody.

"Sometimes your feelings about your gender aren't clear, and you can’t identify with either sex. Sometimes people question their gender if their interests and socializing don’t fit with their birth gender… Some people feel that they're both male and female. Others have a strong sense of being the opposite gender. Perhaps they've felt trapped in the wrong body since early childhood,” suggests Doctor Ady Davis, in her role as a psychosexual therapist with the North-East Gender Dysphoria Service.

So, what is gender identity, anyway? Gender identity can be defined as one’s private sense of his/her own gender. And yes, most people’s gender identity matches with their body’s physical sex, but there are many who experience a sense that they are more truly a member of the opposite sex. And there are still others who experience gender identities that fall somewhere in between male and female. Because maybe gender is a spectrum and human beings do not fall strictly at one end or the other. (Keep in mind that gender identity is not the same as sexual orientation.)

Children begin to express their gender identity when they are just toddlers, and those who experience unique gender identities begin to sense that something about them is different by an early age. The manner in which their parents respond to these expressions of gender identity is critical to the mental health and development of the children.

We, as parents, children, and members of society, live under the tyranny of gender expectations:

Boys should be strong, stoic, and determined. They should wear pants and T-shirts, never in pastel shades, and play with toy trucks. The only dolls they should have are better called action figures. And it is perfectly fine if they are boisterous and rowdy.

Girls should be soft, sweet, and delicate. They should care a great deal about what they wear, as personal style is a major aspect of their self-expression. They should play with dolls and like to bake cookies. And they should know that they are to be consistently polite and respectful.

Those who challenge and break out of these traditional gender roles are often criticized, ostracized, and ridiculed by society at large; very often this happens to gender-confused children and teens in school settings. Supportive and accepting families are critical to vulnerable teens’ self-image. Parents should hold back from pressuring a child to be more feminine or masculine in order to fulfill societal expectations, and should never show that they are ashamed of him or her. Parents need to support their teens’ nontraditional gender expressions by continuing to be communicative and affectionate with them, and requiring extended family to follow suit.

According to the National Center for Cultural Competence at Georgetown University gender identity is not a choice nor is it a phase. It is proven that prejudice toward LGBTQ issues leads these rejected teens to higher incidences of depression, drug use, unprotected sex, and suicide. Accepting family attitudes in regard to their LGBTQ children show a significantly decreased risk of these behaviors. Advocating for LGBTQ children is the compassionate, humane, and effective way to improve their overall health in adulthood.

“Good thing I’m the kind of guy who chooses to focus on the positive. I can walk around the house in full female stripper garb, and nobody bats an eyelash. If I conjure up any reaction at all, it might be that my mother asks me where I bought my sexy stretch-lace naughty knickers, as she’s been looking for ones in that color. And speaking of color choices, neither Mom nor Dad said a single word when I showed up with my hair dyed the flamboyant shade of a Cheez Doodle. Not only do I have complete freedom with how I express my personal style, but when I go all drama-queen mode on their asses, my parents just look at each other and shrug. In fact, I try—and I try fucker-nelly hard—but I just can’t shock these people.
I can barely get them to notice me.”
In Love Spell, Chance César struggles with gender identity issues from an extremely young age. His earliest memories involve sneaking into his mother’s closet to sample her perfume and try on her high-heeled shoes. His grade school friends were primarily girls and he longed to play dolls with them, but he still forces himself to act like a boy, fulfilling society’s traditional gender expectations. As a teen, he is less susceptible to caving in to pressure to behave as a typical boy would, but he still searches for a label for his atypical gender identity.

A large part of Chance’s suffering is derived from his family’s apathetic attitude toward him as a person. They are not condemning of his gender expressions, but neither are they supportive. He and what they see as his “peculiar habits” are tolerated rather than encouraged. Had Chance’s family advocated for and supported him in his struggle to identify his gender, Chance would have been relieved of a great deal of his loneliness, isolation, and pain.

  ***

Love Spell
by Mia Kerick

Genre: YA LGBTQ
Contemporary Romantic Comedy
Publisher: CoolDudes Publishing
Date of Publication: June 1, 2015
ISBN: 978-1511831857
Number of pages: 123
Word Count: 44,300
Cover Artist: Louis C Harris

Book Description: 

Strutting his stuff on the catwalk in black patent leather pumps and a snug orange tuxedo as this year’s Miss (ter) Harvest Moon feels so very right to Chance César, and yet he knows it should feel so very wrong.

As far back as he can remember, Chance has been “caught between genders.” (It’s quite a touchy subject; so don’t ask him about it.) However, he does not question his sexual orientation. Chance has no doubt about his gayness—he is very much out of the closet at his rural New Hampshire high school, where the other students avoid the kid they refer to as “girl-boy.”

But at the local Harvest Moon Festival, when Chance, the Pumpkin Pageant Queen, meets Jasper Donahue, the Pumpkin Carving King, sparks fly. So Chance sets out, with the help of his BFF, Emily, to make “Jazz” Donahue his man.

An article in an online women’s magazine, Ten Scientifically Proven Ways to Make a Man Fall in Love with You (and a bonus love spell thrown in for good measure), becomes the basis of their strategy to capture Jazz’s heart.

Quirky, comical, definitely flamboyant, and with an inner core of poignancy, Love Spell celebrates the diversity of a gender-fluid teen.


Available at Amazon


About the Author

Mia Kerick is the mother of four exceptional children—all named after saints—and five nonpedigreed cats—all named after the next best thing to saints, Boston Red Sox players. Her husband of twenty-two years has been told by many that he has the patience of Job, but don’t ask Mia about that, as it is a sensitive subject.

Mia focuses her stories on the emotional growth of troubled young people and their relationships, and she believes that physical intimacy has a place in a love story, but not until it is firmly established as a love story. As a teen, Mia filled spiral-bound notebooks with romantic tales of tortured heroes (most of whom happened to strongly resemble lead vocalists of 1980s big-hair bands) and stuffed them under her mattress for safekeeping. She is thankful to Dreamspinner Press, Harmony Ink Press, CoolDudes Publishing, and CreateSpace for providing her with alternate places to stash her stories.

Mia is a social liberal and cheers for each and every victory made in the name of human rights, especially marital equality. Her only major regret: never having taken typing or computer class in school, destining her to a life consumed with two-fingered pecking and constant prayer to the Gods of Technology.


Tour giveaway

The Red Sheet ebook and Love Spell Charm made by Bewitching Book Swag
Intervention ebook and Love Spell Charm made by Bewitching Book Swag
Not Broken Just Bent ebook and Love Spell Charm made by Bewitching Book Swag






Tuesday, July 7, 2015

Guest Author and #Giveaway - Royals by Michelle C Reilly #scifi #paranormal #romance

ROYALS
The Anathergians Trilogy, Book 3

Michelle C. Reilly

A Quick Chat with Leah, The Anathergian Queen

Hey readers! I’m Leah McCoy—or, rather, my last name is Ratharian now… I think. I’m part witch and Anathergian. What is an Anathergian, you ask? Well, sit down and grab a bag of popcorn… Haha Just kidding. Short story: Anathergians are powerful immortal beings that came to Earth over five thousand years ago. I, myself, am only twenty, but I went through V’nurch and became immortal just a few short months ago.

You’d think being immortal and powerful would be a good thing. I suppose it is. Or it could be. You know how the saying goes: With great power comes great… Yeah, yeah, yeah… Whatever.

How would you feel if you were “all powerful,” but you could do nothing about your crazy father—who happens to be just as powerful, if not more than, you are—that wants to kill your Lifemate along with all humans? Pretty darn frustrating, if you ask me.

I’ve been training day and night to become strong enough so I, along with Auden, my Lifemate and the Anathergian king, could beat this man—along with his lunatic Zonatair aliens who he’s in cahoots with—into the ground. Or out into space… Whichever proves most effective, I personally don’t care.

I guess I can compare it to someone who has a lot of money. Just because someone is rich, it doesn’t mean they have everything they want. Life has challenges. So, do we sit on our tushes and let it keep us there? No way, no how! This man is going down!

After the trash is taken out, then I’ll have some fun. Maybe a jaunt or two up and down Mount Everest. Why don’t you come and join me? Oh! You’re bringing the waffles!

***


Royals
The Anathergians Trilogy
Book Three
by Michelle C Reilly

Genre: SciFi/Paranormal Romance
Date of Publication: June 29, 2015
Word Count: 100k
Cover Artist: Michelle C Reilly

Book Description:

The highly anticipated last book in the Anathergians Trilogy is here at long last!
Together They Can Prevent the Destruction of the World



The King

Variants, humans whose altered DNA turn them into blood ravaging killers, are attacking en masse around the world. Their leader, Travik, is gathering a force from space to kill every last human.

Auden, king of the Anathergians, has the fate of the world in his hands. His hold is slipping as the threats multiply each day.

Then there’s Auden’s Lifemate, Leah, whom he loves above all others. He struggles to do what he can to ensure her safety while also protecting her from herself.

The Queen

J'ashidah, the Anathergian gathering, is upon them. There Leah will be introduced to thousands of her people and crowned as the Anathergian queen.

But Leah wants nothing more than to use her newfound Anathergian strength, along with her witch powers, to remove the threat of the Variants and their leader. It doesn’t matter that the villain is her father. She’s had enough of his continual harassment and attacks, especially to those she loves. She will do whatever it takes, including lies and deception, to end this threat.

The Royal

Travik, one of the last living Anathergian royals, wants to take Auden’s place with his daughter at his side. He will destroy everything, including every precious life on this world, to get what he wants, no matter the cost. First, however, he must convince Leah to agree with his way of thinking. And if she doesn’t… Well, he has no problem hurting, maiming, or killing those she cares for.

About the Author:

Michelle C. Reilly is a science fiction romance writer. She's a single mom of two wonderful boys. She spent ten years in the U.S. Navy as a Hospital Corpsman Preventive Medicine Technician, which meant she was actually attached to or stationed with the U.S. Marine Corps. She has a Masters in Science in Public Health, but she is generally an IT geek and a geek of many other things as well. She currently resides in Las Vegas, NV, with her two cats, Meowdy and Moose, and her dog, Katie aka "The Old Lady."

Make sure to visit her website for more information about her and her upcoming books.
Feel free to visit, ask her questions, and hang out with her on Facebook 

And if you're a tweet-a-holic (or even if you're not), follow her on Twitter 

Website
Facebook
Twitter @MichelleCReilly
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Pinterest
YouTube

Tour Giveaway

4 – eBooks of Anathergians Trilogy Books 1 and 2
1 - $20 Amazon gift card
2 - $10 Amazon gift card
1 – Swag bag with handmade hook bookmark
1 – Swag bag with handmade bracelet

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Monday, July 6, 2015

Guest Author and #Giveaway - No Rest for the Wicked by Dane Cobain #supernatural #thriller

Author’s Note: Hi! My name’s Dane Cobain, and I’m the author of a supernatural thriller called No Rest for the Wicked. What you’re about to read was originally envisaged as the ending of the novel, but then I decided to cut it and to save it for some of the stops on my blog tour. I hope you guys enjoy it! Find out more about No Rest for the Wicked here, or follow me on Facebook and Twitter if you want to see further updates.

Epilogue: Divine
Sunday January 10th, 2010

The puppy’s tail beat a happy fandango on the crisp air as he explored the bushes with his father. The master was in bed, and they had the whole garden as a playground. He hiccoughed with delight at each new experience – the sweet taste of forbidden fruit, the frightened chirps of the songbirds, and the touch of winter frost. If puppies could laugh, he would’ve giggled at the simple beauty of existence.
The Angels swooped down on the animals from above, enclosing them in a circle. The puppy’s canine father growled apprehensively, but his son bounded towards them before being driven back by the ferocious heat.
The Angels frowned, as one. “You, who have no names – we are here to judge.”
The dogs whined and covered their ears with their paws as the Angels’ intelligent understanding washed over them.
“What do you have to say in your defence?” they asked.
The dogs barked, cautious and confused, and the Angels considered their response. At last, they spoke again.
“Your answer is satisfactory. Your existence will continue.” There was an eerie quality to the wind, like nature sighing with relief. “We will leave you in peace.”
The Angels departed, ascending through the sky like rockets. The dogs nibbled the undergrowth and wagged their tails in a complicated shrug, then walked back towards their comfortable beds in the dark house.
In the north, a storm was brewing.

 *****

No Rest for the Wicked
Dane Cobain

Genre: Supernatural Thriller
Publisher: Booktrope/Forsaken
Cover Artist: Ashley Ruggirello

Book Description:

When the Angels attack, there’s NO REST FOR THE WICKED.
Father Montgomery, an elderly priest with a secret past, begins to investigate after his parishioners come under attack, and with the help of Jones, a young businessman with an estranged child, Montgomery begins to track down the origin of the Angels.
The Angels are naked and androgynous. They speak in a dreadful harmony with no clear leader. These aren’t biblical cherubs tasked with the protection of the righteous – these are deadly creatures of light that have the power to completely eradicate.
When Jones himself is attacked, Father Montgomery knows he has to act fast. He speaks to the Angels and organises a final showdown where he’s asked to make the ultimate sacrifice.



About the Author:
Dane Cobain is a writer and poet from a place you've probably never heard of, somewhere in England. His debut novella, a supernatural thriller called 'No Rest for the Wicked', will be released by Forsaken in the summer of 2015. When he's not writing books, he's reading and reviewing them on his book blog, SocialBookshelves.com - Charles Bukowski, Graham Greene and Phillip Pullman are favourites.


Twitter  @DaneCobain

Tour giveaway

$5 Amazon GC
$10 Amazon GC
$15 Amazon GC





July 6 Guest blog

July 6 Interview

July 7 Spotlight

July 8 Spotlight

July 8 Spotlight

July 9 Review

July 10 Guest Post

July 13 Spotlight (review later)

July 13 Spotlight

July 14 Spotlight

July 14 Spotlight

July 15 Review

July 16 Guest blog

July 17 Spotlight

July 17 Interview

July 20 Interview

July 20 Spotlight


#MeatlessMonday - Summer Lemon Cake Topped w/ Raspberry Compote #dessert

My daughter and I made this lemon cake the other day. It was really good--but what made it even better, was a dollop of raspberry compote on top. Enjoy!


Photo courtesy of Susy Morris via Flickr
Summer Lemon Cake

2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup butter at room temperature
1-1/2 cups white sugar
2 large eggs
3 large egg yolks
1 cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons lemon juice

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Mix flour, lemon zest, salt, baking powder, and baking soda together in a bowl.
Beat butter and sugar in a large bowl using an electric mixer until light and fluffy.
Beat in eggs and egg yolks, 1 at a time, into creamed butter mixture on low speed, beating well after each addition.
Beat lemon juice into butter mixture.
Beat in flour mixture, alternating with buttermilk, into butter mixture until batter is just combined.
Bake 8x10 glass dish, coated with cooking spray, for 30 to 35 minutes. Cake is done when inserted knife comes out clean.

Top warm cake with raspberry compote, if desired.

Raspberry Compote

1 pint raspberries
1 quart water
1 cup sugar

Bring water to boil.
Add raspberries and sugar.
Allow to boil until desired thickness, 25-45 minutes. Cool