Blog Tour: Everyone Dies In the Garden of Syn by Michael Seidelman

Blog Tour: Common Ground by Alice Rachel

Common Ground
by Alice Rachel
Genre: Upper YA Dystopian Romance
Release Date: October 2017

Summary: 

When Taylor Jones moved into the neighborhood, he didn't expect to fall for the feisty girl next door. His life was already complicated enough as it was. Between his difficult relationship with his father and his sister's wedding lurking on the horizon, Taylor had a lot on his mind. But his attraction to Kayla wasn't something he could resist, no matter the consequences.

Karen Jones had no desire to marry the man who had forced his way into her life. She had always liked girls, and pretending to be straight was never an option. But Jeff wasn't about to ignore his bruised ego and let her go that easily.

Kayla Haynes refused to fall for the handsome man next door. Her previous relationship had been a disaster, and she was done catering to men's needs. But soon, falling for Taylor would be the least of her concerns.

FREE on ALL platforms:
COMMON GROUND

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About the Author

Alice Rachel comes from France.
She now lives in the USA, where she teaches French and fosters guinea pigs.
When Alice doesn't write, she draws, reads, and drinks way too much coffee.
Her YA / NA Dystopian ROMANCE series focuses on feminism and LGBT issues.
She enjoys talking about books a LOT, so send her a message...

Author Links:

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Blog Tour: NeverHaven by Michael Garza @mwgarza

NeverHaven (Vision of the Elder #1)

by Michael W. Garza

Genre: YA Fiction/Occult & Supernatural

Release Date: October 8th 2018

NeverHaven Press

Summary:

The bond between twins can bend but never break.

Elizabeth is crazy, at least that’s what everyone believes. She sees things, terrible things no one wants to hear about. Her twin sister, Jessica, used to see things too, but she convinced herself long ago it was all in her head. The sixteen-year-old was left to drift through the chaos alone, abandoned by her other half. But now the darkness has come calling.

Vision of the Elder
This YA Paranormal Series follows the trail of those children forced to bear witness to the sacred rites of the Cult of the Elder. Their eyes are opened to the darkness beyond the void, and their lives are forever changed.

Book I: NeverHaven
Book II: Children of the Mark (Forthcoming)
Book III: The Crimson Door (Forthcoming)

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Excerpt:

Jessica’s eyes sprang open. It took her a moment to realize she was awake. Her room was dark, and only a thin line of light shone through the slit under her bedroom door. A haze of sleep clung to her mind, and she couldn’t understand the panic in her chest. She was shaking, and her heart thumped wildly in her ears.

She took a moment to gather her thoughts before sitting up in the bed. She couldn’t shake a strange sensation of pain in her hands and feet. For a moment she thought she might be having a heart attack. It took her another few seconds to recognize the connection she’d blocked out for so long. Something was wrong with Elizabeth.

Jessica threw back the covers and hopped onto the floor. The cold boards sent a shock through her body, but it was a sound that froze her in place. She was midway between her bed and the bedroom door when the panic increased tenfold. The pain in her limbs intensified, and the fear for her sister was the only thing that convinced her to move. Jessica reached the door, grabbed hold of the handle, and then pressed her ear to the wood.

A series of sounds echoed across the hall outside the room, ending with a muffled cry. Jessica clenched her teeth as she pressed down on the handle. The door slowly cracked, and she slid her eye to the opening. The entire floor was cloaked in darkness, but moonlight offered a view into Elizabeth’s room. Jessica pulled open the door enough to squeeze through. Her foot touched the floor out in the hall when a shadow crossed the light in Elizabeth’s room followed by a loud thump. Another muffled cry struck Jessica’s heart with terror.

She rushed across the open space and pressed her back against the wall outside Elizabeth’s doorway. The sounds of a struggle intensified, and Jessica tried to gather her courage. She was through the doorway before she knew what she was doing. The moonlight revealed several figures standing throughout the bedroom. The main struggle came from Elizabeth’s bed, where at least two people stood over the girl.

Jessica’s mind seized up as several figures lurched toward her. She managed to get out a scream before they grabbed hold of her. The initial impact flung Jessica onto the floor. The side of her head smacked the ground, and her vision blurred and then filled with sparkling lights.

She tried to yell again, but something was forced into her mouth the moment she opened it. Confusion erupted within the room as all of the shadows moved at once. Jessica made one last attempt to roll over when a vicious strike caught her on the back of the head and everything went dark.

Michael W. Garza often finds himself wondering where his inspiration will come from next and in what form his imagination will bring it to life. The outcomes regularly surprise him and it’s always his ambition to amaze those curious enough to follow him and take in those results. He hopes everyone will find something that frightens, surprises, or simply astonishes them.

Author Links:

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Book Blast: First Full Moon by Michelle Alstead @AlsteadMichelle

First Full Moon
Michelle Alstead
Publication date: August 28th 2018
Genres: Fantasy, Paranormal, Young Adult

More secrets. More lies. I’m going to die.
She wanted a car for her sixteenth birthday, not magical powers… Candy McGregor is a teenager living in Sequim Falls, a small East Coast town, where the McGregors own just about everything. While her grandmother grooms her to run the family business—a pharmaceutical empire—Candy dreams of a life where she’s known as more than just a last name. When the monthly family dinner turns into a horror show, Candy discovers the McGregors aren’t so much blessed as they are cursed. At midnight on her sixteenth birthday, Candy inherits both the ability to do magic and the destiny to become a wolf on the next full moon. There is hope of a life that doesn’t require being chained up once a month. If Candy can undo the original spell that created the curse, she can rid the world of werewolves and remain a witch. But there’s one really big problem. Not everyone hates being a wolf. With the next full moon looming, Candy must take on forces that will do anything to stop her. Will she break the curse or surrender to life as a monster?

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—

EXCERPT:

The windows are shut and the blinds drawn. A space heater warms my bedroom to a balmy eighty degrees. As I stand in the middle of the room, a cold draft blows past me, raising the hair on my arms and neck.
Someone is watching me.
Will it be my time soon? Will I be the next one taken?
“That creepy frown on your face is going to cause premature wrinkles,” Larkin says.
My cousin lies across my bed, her black combat boots dangling off the edge as she scrolls through her phone without pausing long enough to read anything. She chews gum and blows a bubble that pops, covering her mouth. Larkin doesn’t seem to mind that strands of her long, raven-black hair brush the gum she pries from her face.
“I’m fifteen and too young for wrinkles,” I reply, moving to the window and opening the blinds. From the third floor, I can see everything and everyone in front of the house. The driveway and yard are empty. Not a soul to be seen anywhere.
“You turn sixteen in like five hours.” Larkin’s only a little bitter I’m the oldest grandchild.
Even though I can’t see anyone, there’s someone watching me. I feel it.

Author Bio:
Michelle Alstead is a single, divorced mom of a child with Autism Spectrum Disorder, who tries to promote autism awareness and advocate for gender equality while raising Sheldon Cooper and searching for some semblance of a love life.
Michelle's novels are frequently available for free on Amazon Kindle. Sign up for her email list to receive notifications. http://michellealstead.com/sign-up-for-our-email-list/
All of Michelle's adult novels take place in the same universe. Characters cross over between novels, which makes for a more interesting world.
One Last Try will be released Feb. 2018.
The Full Moon Series (four young adult supernatural stories) will be published in time for Halloween 2018.

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Book Blast: The Witch of Willow Hall by Hester Fox

Blog Tour: After Always by Barbara J. Hancock

After Always

by Barbara J. Hancock
Genre: YA Mystery & Suspense
Release Date: October 1st 2018
Entangled Teen

Summary:

Lydia’s life felt like it ended when Tristan died. Sure, they had their problems and he could be a little…intense at times. But he’d promised to love her forever…

When her parents propose a summer across the country with a music teacher who runs an inn, Lydia agrees. But it’s different from what she expected. There’s a presence there she can’t quite reconcile—and it feels like it’s hunting her. It seems Tristan’s promise followed her…and may have graver consequences than she could have known.

Then there’s Michael Malone, the one light spot in an otherwise dark existence. Lydia can’t help but be drawn to him, and as they try to uncover the evil plaguing the inn, they grow closer. But guilt over Tristan’s death still consumes her. Can she and Michael uncover what evil lurks in the inn before it takes another victim?

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Purchase links can be found here: https://entangledpublishing.com/after-always.html

About the Author

Barbara J. Hancock lives in a cabin in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains with her many rescued pets and the guy who lured her into the wilderness with promises of lots of peace and quiet for writing. To this day, the Appalachian wildwood is the best gift she’s ever been given. Her favorite pastime (besides animal rescue) is bringing darkly romantic stories to life by firefly light.

Author Links:

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Cover Reveal: Blastaway by Melissa Landers @Melissa_Landers

Today Melissa Landers and Rockstar Book Tours are revealing the cover and an exclusive content for BLASTAWAY, her new Middle Grade Sci-Fi which releases Summer 2019! Check out the awesome cover and the excerpt!

On to the reveal! 

Title: BLASTAWAY

Author: Melissa Landers

Pub. Date: Summer 2019

Publisher: Disney-Hyperion

Formats: Hardcover, eBook

Pages: ?

Find it: Goodreads

Pitched as "Home Alone in space," a young science prodigy who runs away in his family spaceship must team up with a plucky mutant to save the Earth from destruction.

Scheduled for publication Summer 2019.

Exclusive Excerpt!

At some point, I must have fallen asleep.

I say that for two reasons. First, my chin was wet with drool, and I hardly ever slobber on myself when I’m awake. And second, I was no longer on Earth.

I sat bolt upright and stared out the window as distant stars whizzed past in a blur. There were no planets in sight, and judging by the swirling purple nebula ahead of me, this wasn’t the way to Nana’s house. I checked the navigation screen and felt my mouth drop open. The flashing beacon that represented my ship was halfway between Earth and Fasti.

(So you see, it is totally possible to steal a spaceship on accident.)

I guess my hand hit the EXECUTE button when I fell asleep. And because it would take just as long for me to turn around and go home as it would to finish my journey, it made sense to keep going, right? Either way, my parents would ground me into the afterlife, so I might as well earn the sentence, right?

Right.

An electric thrill rushed through my veins when I thought about the possibilities that lay ahead of me. Anything could happen on this trip. Literally anything. I could discover a brand-new element. Or meet a secret race of aliens. Or invent a new energy source. Or eat so much chocolate that I puked. Either way, I had complete freedom to make this journey into whatever I wanted, and once I realized that, there was no freaking way I could turn back. It was like the universe had dropped a gift in my lap, a gift I had no intention of returning.    

I wiped the drool off my chin and smiled.

“Hold onto your stars, Fasti. Here I come.”

About Melissa:

Melissa Landers is a former teacher who left the classroom to pursue other worlds. A proud sci-fi geek, she isn’t afraid to wear her Princess Leia costume in public—just ask her kids. She lives just outside Cincinnati in the town of Loveland, “Sweetheart of Ohio.”

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Blog Tour: The Dark Lans (Angelbound #5) by Christina Bauer @CB_Bauer

The Dark Lands
Christina Bauer
(Angelbound Origins #5)
Published by: Monster House Books
Publication date: September 1st 2018
Genres: Fantasy, Paranormal, Young Adult

“This YA paranormal fantasy series is cute, compulsively readable and above all fun.” – The Nocturnal Library Blog
Nineteen-year-old Myla Lewis is loving life–she’s now a wife, mother, and Queen of the Thrax. Oh yeah, and being a super-powerful demigoddess who moves souls into Heaven or Hell doesn’t suck, either. In fact, everything is pretty much awesome. Until something craptastic happens.
Her honorary older brother Walker enters the Dark Lands, home to the rule-loving ghouls, and vanishes without a trace.
Now it’s up to Myla to solve the mystery of Walker’s disappearance. Of course, Myla likes interacting with ghouls about as much as elective dental surgery. To make matters harder, everyone thinks that Walker is simply taking a well-deserved vacation. But Myla and her Angelbound love, Lincoln, both suspect that the ghoul Oligarchy took Walker in order to somehow release Lucifer, the ex-King of the Angels and an all around nut job who really needs to stay locked up.
Long story short, Myla and Lincoln have just two days to rescue their good friend and stop Lucifer from taking over the after-realms. Even for them, this may be a too-tall order, especially when Myla’s own father allows his past friendship with Lucifer to threaten Walker’s future.
“I loved jumping back into the world of Angelbound.” – Mean Who You Are Blog
Perfect for readers who love angels, devils, and demons but want a fresh take on their related fairy tales, myths, and legends. This series combines fierce females, paranormal romance and urban/contemporary fantasy. Enjoy!!

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As part of her launch tour for THE DARK LANDS, author Christina Bauer stopped by the Cover Contessa. Here’s the interview!

1. Did you always know you wanted to be a writer or did you want to be something else? 

I knew this was my goal since I was six years old. In fact, I used to stand up in class and spontaneously tell stories. The nuns loved that.

2. How long does it take you to write a book from start to finish?

I’ve gotten faster over time. This is now my 15^th book, and it took me about three months.

3. How do you come up with themes for your stories?

For me, my stories all start with questions. What would happen if? How can I make this character really uncomfortable? Basically, I’m a bitch to my characters and it grows from there.

4. Do you have a schedule of when you write? 

Every day for at least six hours. The time changes depending on other factors, but I’m pretty consistent.

5. How are you able to balance other aspects of your life with your writing?.

Not always too tell. It’s hard!!! Sometimes I tell my husband “I have to go into my writer hidey hole for a few days to hit a deadline.” He and my son deserve a medal.

6. What elements do you think make a great story line? 

At least one character needs to start off somewhere emotionally and then end up somewhere else. That sounds easy, but it’s super hard, especially when you’re writing series and the ‘fall in love’ arc is done!

7. What was the hardest thing about writing a book?

Having my characters get hurt or lose someone they love. I have to do it, but I hate it.

8. How many books have you written so far? Do you have a favorite? 

I’ve written 15 so far, and I think my favorite is still ANGELBOUND.

9. Do you have a favorite character?

Myla Lewis. BOOM.

10. Where do you write?  

Starbucks.

11. When deciding on how to publish, what directed you to the route you took? 

I tried traditional publishing and agents, and that wasn’t a fit. Mostly because they told me no!

12. Have you gotten feedback from family about your book(s)? What do they think?

My bets friend figured out that she was Cissy from ANGELBOUND. That was a hoot.

13. What kinds of things do you like to do outside of writing?

I like to read, follow politics, and hang with my husband and son. I did PR for the Women’s March back in 2017.

14. What kinds of advice would you give to someone who wants to start writing? 

Read. Be prepared to suck. Realize you are awesome for wanting to be a force for creativity and enlightenment.

15. What is your favorite book? favorite author? Do you have an author that inspired/inspires you to write? 

My favorite book/author is The Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkien. When I read LOTR, there were no other fantasy books out there. It opened my mind to an entirely new way of storytelling.

16. Do you have any go to people when writing a book that help you with your story lines as well as editing, beta reading and such? 

Sure! If you want to be part of the folks I consult and survey, please join my personal newsletter here: https://tinyurl.com/bauersbooks

17. Are you working on anything now? 

Next up is a sci-fi series called ALIEN MINDS!

18. Tell us 5 things that make you smile

My son, my husband, wind in the trees, a good book, a bad joke.

19. Tell us 5 things that make you sad

People who care more about themselves than anything else and the culture that makes that not only possible, but values it (times five.)

20. If you could travel anywhere in the world to visit a place so you could use it as a background for a book, where would it be?

Ancient Egypt as the female pharaoh Maatkare. That would rock.

Author Bio:
Christina Bauer knows how to tell stories about kick-ass women. In her best selling Angelbound series, the heroine is a part-demon girl who loves to fight in Purgatory’s Arena and falls in love with a part-angel prince. This young adult best seller has driven more than 500,000 ebook downloads and 9,000 reviews on Goodreads and retailers. The first three books in the series are now available as audiobooks on Audible and iTunes.
Bauer has also told the story of the Women’s March on Washington by leading PR efforts for the Massachusetts Chapter. Her pre-event press release—the only one sent out on a major wire service—resulted in more than 19,000 global impressions and redistribution by over 350 different media entities including the Associated Press.
Christina graduated from Syracuse University’s Newhouse School with BA’s in English along with Television, Radio, and Film Production. She lives in Newton, MA with her husband, son, and semi-insane golden retriever, Ruby.
Stalk Christina On Social Media – She Loves It!

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Cover Reveal: When Stars Come Out by Scarlett S. Clair @ScarlettStClai1

When Stars Come Out
Scarlett St. Clair
Publication date: October 31st 2018
Genres: Urban Fantasy, Young Adult

Anora Silby can see the dead and turn spirits into gold coins, two things she would prefer to keep secret as she tries to lead a normal life at her new school. After all, she didn’t change her identity for nothing.

As it turns out, hiding her weirdness is just one of many challenges. By the end of her first day, she’s claimed the soul of a dead girl on campus and lost the coin. Turns out, the coin gives others the ability to steal souls, and when a classmate ends up dead, there’s no mistaking the murder weapon.

Navigating the loss of her Poppa, her mother’s unpredictable behavior, and Roundtable, an anonymous student gossip app threatening to expose her, are hard enough. Now she must find the person who stole her coin before more lives are lost, but that means making herself a target for the Order, an organization that governs the dead on Earth–and they want Anora and her powers for themselves.

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Author Bio:
Scarlett St. Clair is a red-hot writer who writes stories for naughty women like her. Whether you're hiding beneath the sheets reading her stories or acting those fantasies out, she has something for you. She writes stories that combine emotional sparks with pleasure and pain, often focusing on the powerplay present in relationships - but that isn't all she likes to write! She dabbles in a little bit of everything sexy, and it can all be found on her author page.
When she isn't teasing the masses with hot smut, Scarlett is a student fantasizing about what it'd be like to have such hot professors. She also enjoys cooking, baking, and watching Netflix, but that usually isn't as dirty! Sign up for Scarlett's mailing list here to receive exclusive writing, information on upcoming stories, and other goodies: http://eepurl.com/bLf8nP

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Blog Tour: Magic Harvest by Mary Karlik @XpressoReads

Magic Harvest
Mary Karlik
Published by: Ink Monster LLC
Publication date: September 18th 2018
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult

Young fae girls are disappearing.
Layla has never belonged to the fairy realm – at least, half of her hasn’t. She’s never known anyone with human blood, not even her father. When she was three, the dragon Fauth attacked the fairy festival, murdering her fae mum & stepfather. Frankly, some fairies think she should’ve been eaten too.
As she grew, despite being called names like “fuman” for being a half-blood, she’s discovered that being half-human isn’t terrible. She may lack magic, but she is immune to iron sickness, and she can wield a sword with elven skill.
Magic in the human world is disastrous.
Sixteen years later, when Layla’s half-sister is kidnapped and taken through a portal to the forbidden human realm, Layla rushes to the rescue. She’s older and stronger, and she’s not about to let her last living family member be taken from her without a fight.
Only someone who belongs to both worlds can find the truth.
The portal spits her out in the Royal Mile in Edinburgh, but neither her sister or the kidnapper are anywhere to be found. Stuck in a world she only knows from school books, Layla forges unlikely alliances to find her sister. As she becomes tangled in the dark world of fairy trafficking, magic harvesting, and murder, Layla will have to find the strength within if she is to survive and save her sister.

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If I could have any magical power, what would it be?

I would love the power to to look at history in real time. Have you ever visited a place and wondered what it was like four hundred years ago, or what the first settlers thought as they traveled from the east coast of the US to the west? That’s what I want to see. I don’t want to visit—it would be too easy to mess things up. I just want to observe it. I’d love to see the expressions on the faces on those early settlers when they first saw the Grand Canyon. But I’d also like to see every day life around the world during different time periods. How cool would it be to see how they really lived and hear how they really spoke? But I think there is a danger in this too. I’d be tempted to look at the happiest memories, stay there, and forget to continue forward with my life.

And, what if someone had the ability to peak back into history and they fell in love with someone they were watching? That would be worse than reliving a happy memory because it would be aching for a memory you could never have. Maybe that power wouldn’t be great after all

So…I know it’s cheating—sort of like asking for three more wishes on the third wish—but…

If I couldn’t look at history how about if I had the ability to enter and exit any story I wanted to? Oh my, I could visit Narnia, Hogwarts, Bag End, Diagon Alley. I could talk to Charlotte. Follow Charlie through the chocolate factory. I could meet Mary Poppins. I could see the Secret Garden!

Yes. That’s it. I’ll take one magical power to pop in and out of whatever novel or story I’d like at any time.

The first story I’d pop into would have to be Harry Potter. I’ve been to the movie set and I’ve seen the Wizarding World of Harry Potter but to to be there, to actually walk down Diagon Alley, would be top on my list. Where would you go? 

Author Bio:
Mary Karlik has always been a dreamer. When she was a teen, she read The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe, and then sat in every wardrobe in her Nanna’s home, trying to open the door to Narnia. She didn’t find it, but she did discover her voice as an author: one filled with her young adult self, and grounded in her roots as a Texan and her Scottish heritage, nourished by obscure Scottish folklore.
You can find her Texas roots in her YA contemporary romance Hickville series , which has been described as “100% solid storytelling,” and begins with Welcome to Hickville High, a “lovely story about growing up.”
She digs deep into her Scottish roots – there is magic there, she just knows it – for the forthcoming YA epic fantasy Fairy Trafficking series, beginning with Magic Harvest.
She makes her home in the beautiful Sangre de Cristo mountains of Northern New Mexico where she is a certified professional ski instructor, but she also loves visiting Scotland where she is currently studying Scottish Gaelic at the University of Highlands and Islands in Skye. Mary also earned her MFA in Writing Popular Fiction from Seton Hill University, has a B.S. degree from Texas A&M University, and is a Registered Nurse.
Mary currently serves as the President of the Young Adult Chapter of Romance Writers of America and looks forward to raising a glass or two of gin and tonic with her fellow writers every year at RWA’s national convention.

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