Release Blitz - Hold Me Closer by Hilary Storm

Synopsis

Holden Walker has put his personal life on hold to help Rebel Walking with security on tour. His ‘all work and no play’ attitude has him in trouble with some of the new female family members in his life.

Lainey Douglas couldn't pick a good man if her life depended on it. She’s been burnt one too many times and isn't thrilled at all when she's tricked into a date. Her attempt to run him off almost works—until he has to save her from danger.

What happens when Holden meets the most frustrating woman in his life? Will Lainey stop pushing him away long enough to see that he's not like all the other guys? Can she open her heart after everything she's been through?

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The Rebel Walking Series

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About the Author

Hilary Storm lives with her high school sweetheart and three children in Enid, Oklahoma. She drives her husband crazy talking about book characters everyday like they are real people. She graduated from Southwestern Oklahoma State University with an MBA in Accounting and has a full time job as an accountant. Her passions include being a mom, writing, reading, photography, music, mocha coffee, and spending time with friends and family. She is the author of the International Best Selling 'Rebel Walking' series. Book one: 'In a Heartbeat' was released June 2013, Book two: 'Heaven Sent' was released in September 2013. Book 2.5: 'Banded Together' released Jan 2014. Book 3: 'No Strings Attached' released March 2014. Book 4: 'Hold Me Closer' is due out beginning of May.

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Fractured Truth Tour by Rachel McClellan - Giveaway, Excerpt & Guest Post

Fractured Truth

(Fractured Light #3)

Llona is determined to end the fight with the Vykens once and for all. All she needs is to find and destroy the Shadow–the ultimate source of dark power. But when she makes a startling discovery about someone she loves, Llona has to fight the toughest battle yet in this exciting conclusion to the Fractured Light series.

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Fractured Light

(Fractured Light #1)

Llona Reese is used to living on the run. After the Vykens killed her parents, she knew they would eventually come for her too. She can’t take any chances. But when she starts to make friends for the first time in her life, she gets careless and lets her guard down. Big mistake.

As an Aura, Llona can manipulate light and harness its energy. But if she wants to survive, Llona will have to defy the Auran Council and learn to use her power as a weapon against the Vyken whose sole desire is to take her light. Now she’s caught in something even bigger than she can understand, with a power she can’t wield, and no one she can trust, except, just maybe, a mysterious stranger.

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Fractured Soul

(Fractured Light #2)

Llona will do whatever it takes to protect her new found friends and home, but the dark plot threatening Lucent Academy, a school that’s supposed to be a safe place for Auras, may be too powerful for even Llona to defeat.

This fast-paced tale of love, loyalty, and overcoming the darkness will keep you on the edge of your seat until the last page!

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Guest Post

Why I Write

There are a select few who claim to see dead people. I’m not one of them, but I do see characters, and, honestly, some of them are just as scary. The other day I reached for a hanger that had slid partially beneath an attic door in the back of my son’s closet. Just as my fingers touched the hard, white plastic, something, or someone, sucked the hanger into the attic. It was only a moment later that I realized the thing in my attic is the ghost of a seriously pissed-off, murdered woman.

None of this happened, of course. It was only in my imagination, but now the woman is there. Stuck inside my head as much as she’s stuck in my attic. She joins the countless others who are just waiting for their story to be told. I listen best I can, and when I have time I write down their stories. The sooner the better.

It wasn’t always this way. There was a time when I could look at an oddly-shaped tree and keep walking; the deep hole in its side was merely a squirrel’s home and not an entrance to a world where humans hide at night and travel at day to avoid the growing number of Junks (those who have had their humanity turned off by the Authorities).

At first I tried ignoring the characters, pretended they didn’t exist. But this only made them louder. When their cries started to contend with that of my children’s, I knew I had to listen. It took some time, but eventually I found a way to balance my own life with that of theirs.

Llona wasn’t the first character I wrote about, but she was the loudest, and, gratefully, wasn’t as scary as the others. I like writing about her. She makes me laugh so I’m glad she has more to say in the sequel of Fractured Light.

Those of you interested in writing, listen to characters. They’re all around us desperately waiting to be heard. Help them find their voice. Work hard. Stay focused. And most importantly don’t give up on them. They only want to exist.

Excerpt:

Chapter One

“You have four minutes, Llona,” Liam said through a microphone in my ear. His voice, like the ringing of a great bell, pounded my already aching head.

The small plane’s engine shrieked, a high-pitched sound different from the steady hum of the last twenty minutes. Everyone had boarded a while ago. It was a silent crowd, not one likely to converse with each other.

I shifted my weight in the plane’s cramped closet. I could’ve come out as I’d just turned invisible, but I wanted to wait until the speed of the plane increased, covering any sounds the closet door might make when opened.

It was shortly after Cyrus kidnapped my aunt Sophie from Lucent academy that I taught myself to turn invisible. I’d practiced every day, sometimes for hours, until I could do it without the accompanying paralyzing weakness. And although the pain hadn’t gotten any better, I was able to increase the time I could maintain invisibility to several minutes. I’d accomplished all this in just the few short months since Christian’s death.

Just then the plane lurched forward, picking up speed on the runway. I opened the door and peered into the plane’s small kitchen. Empty. Perfect. I quietly slipped out and closed the door behind me.

The front wheels of the plane bounced. The cabin, as I suspected, was full of Vykens sitting in their seats, their backs to me, as if they were regular passengers. Most of them looked like normal humans, which meant they’d fed on Auran blood recently, but a few were in their purest form— facial features deformed and gray with moldy skin peeling back from their faces.

There was only one different from the rest. Jackson. He sat three rows up to the right of the center aisle.

With the Deific’s help, Liam had finally received a tip on Jackson’s whereabouts. It was the closest we’d come to finding out where Cyrus was keeping Sophie. I glanced to my left, to the emergency exit. By the way the plane was vibrating, it was close to taking off.

A Vyken stood and slid into the aisle. I pressed myself against a seat to keep him from bumping into me. I had yet to learn how to let matter pass through me. That may be a trick only my mother knew.

After the Vyken passed by, I went to Jackson. He was looking down at his bloodied knuckles. How did that happen? Jackson used to be a guardian. He (and a bunch of others who had followed him) had joined the Vykens against the Auras months ago. I’d been training harder than ever to stop them all and restore the Auras to their former strength. The strength only a few knew about.

The plane lifted. Still plenty of time to make my move.


I reached down, careful to avoid touching Jackson, and undid his seat belt. He glanced to his lap, brow twisted together. I smacked the back of his head, hard. He turned around and stared at the Vyken behind him.

“What’s your problem?” Jackson asked. 

The Vyken ignored him.

Jackson stood and confronted the Vyken again. “Hey, I’m talking to you!”

The Vyken lifted his gaze from the sports magazine in his hand. “I know Cyrus said we can’t kill you, but he didn’t say we couldn’t hurt you. Sit down, guardian.”

Liam’s voice spoke again in my ear. “Hurry up.”

Several Vykens looked around. His voice, this close to so many of them, must have drawn attention.

Time to pay for your crimes, Jackson.

I drew my fist back and punched Jackson in the face. His hand came up to his bloodied nose. “What the . . . ?”

A few Vykens stood up.

I punched him again. He stumbled back toward the exit, arms outstretched as though to steady himself. Blood ran onto his chin.

“What’s going on?” he yelled.


I answered with a swift kick to his chest. It took just a second for him to recover before he started blindly throwing punches. “Someone help me!”

Vykens looked around as if they didn’t know what to do.

I dodged Jackson’s fist and punched him again. He was in position. I took hold of the emergency latch and pulled it as hard as I could. The door flew open, sucking air from the cabin.

Papers and all kinds of debris flew past me. Jackson scrambled backward, his eyes darting around until he was pressed against the wall separating the kitchen from the cabin.

The others stood alert, some in a fight-ready stance. But who were they going to fight? They couldn’t see me. No one could.

Grabbing Jackson, I spun him around until he was facing the open door; his clothes and hair whipped around violently. He stuttered.

His fear excited me, sending a wave of adrenaline through my blood stream.

I was about to reveal myself to him, just so I could see the surprise in his eyes, but Liam’s voice sounded in my ear. “Get out of there—now!”

Jerking into action, I wrapped my arms around Jackson’s chest and jumped from the plane, spiraling into a black abyss.

Chapter Two

I fell through the darkness, slicing through it like a knife in water. Cold air burned my face, and the force of it made it difficult to breathe. 

Jackson’s body was torn from my grip, and he was twisting and writhing as if he could somehow climb his way back into the airplane. He was probably screaming too, but I couldn’t hear over the deafening sound of the wind rushing over me. 

I glanced around, my eyes wet from the air. What appeared to be streetlights were growing closer. I’d never done this before, jumped from an airplane, but I wasn’t nervous, although I should be. I wasn’t wearing a parachute.

I squinted my eyes to try to see Jackson, but he wasn’t spread eagle like me so was probably falling faster. The tree line of the forest came into view against the night sky. I was really close now. Maybe fifteen seconds before impact. I began to count.

At twelve, my body jerked as if I had been sucked into a tornado, and I had a difficult time controlling which way my body was twisting. It was like no other sensation I’d ever experienced before, and my lungs tightened and pressure built up in my ear- drums until I thought they might burst. But in no time at all, I was on the ground, my legs unsteady from the whirlwind.

Liam appeared next to me, having shifted back to his human form. It still amazed me whenever he did that. 

“You okay?” he asked.

I inhaled deeply. “I think so. What a rush.”


“Sorry it took me longer than usual to catch you, but Jackson was fighting against me so I had to knock him out. I hope you weren’t scared.”

Jackson was nearby, lying on the ground, his brown hair drenched in sweat. “I wasn’t worried at all.”

“You weren’t?”

“I knew you would catch me.” I went to Jackson and nudged him. “Let’s get him back before he wakes up.”

When Liam didn’t answer, I looked back at him. He was staring at me, his green eyes illuminated by the moonlight. For just a moment I was reminded of his age, over two centuries old. I often forgot this because on the outside he didn’t look much older than me, but in the right light his eyes would betray him, revealing years of inner torment.

“What’s wrong?” I asked.

“You shouldn’t put so much trust in me.” 

“Why? You’ve never let me down.”

He walked over to Jackson, picked him up, and threw him over his shoulder. “Because one day I may not be there for you.”

Rachel McClellan

Rachel McClellan was born and raised in Idaho, a place secretly known for its supernatural creatures. When she’s not in her writing lair, she’s partying with her husband and four crazy, yet lovable, children. Rachel’s love for storytelling began as a child when the moon first possessed the night. For when the lights went out, her imagination painted a whole new world. And what a scary world it was…

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Hot Bodies Boxed Set - Book Blitz

Fresh off her bestselling launch of her last boxed set (Knights and Kink Romance Boxed Set), indie author Jill Elaine Hughes is releasing another 99-cent boxed set: HOT BODIES: THE COMPLETE VITAL SIGNS EROTIC ROMANCE TRILOGY.

Unlike some other boxed sets, this one will ALWAYS be priced at just 99 cents. This isn't a short-term promo sale that will disappear, this is a PERMANENT hot deal! Over 165,000 words of reading pleasure for less than a buck!

About HOT BODIES BOXED SET:

THREE FULL-LENGTH, LINKED NOVELS FOR ONLY 99 cents! Hot, Sexy Southern Romance!

Tagline: Nurses and doctors find the high-pressure hospital environment a perfect breeding ground for hot sex and romance.

Joanna, a nurse at Covington Community Hospital falls for the new surgeon, Dr. Wilkinson. Joanna’s colleague Shirley has her eyes set on Dr. Wilkinson, too. The romantic rival lands Joanna in sticky situations. The hospital’s new stud and first male nurse Billy falls for the shy, virginal nurse Dana. Each book in the VITAL SIGNS trilogy is based on characters that work together at Covington Community Hospital in rural North Carolina and in its big-city rival hospital, University Hospital in Raleigh, NC. Hot surgeons, hotter nurses, secret pregnancies, backstabbing exes, high-drama divorce battles, and lots of jockeying for power and position at a small-town hospital. GRAY'S ANATOMY meets DALLAS! Alpha males and sultry heroines galore.

Hot Medicine (Book 1)

Sex in Southern City (Book 2)

Prescription for Passion (Book 3)

Buy Links:

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AllRomanceEbooks 

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Alabaster Nights by Elle J Rossi - Review Tour

Alabaster Nights

(A Josie Hawk Companion Novella)



Book Description:

A Vampire with a soul. A Huntress with a knife.

In Nashville, Blood equals Power. Will one taste of Josie Hawk cost Keller everything?

Amazon

Add Alabaster Nights to your Goodreads list!

Read more of Josie and Keller in Crimson Beat (Josie Hawk Chronicles #0.6) and Indigo Dawn (Josie Hawk Chronicles #1)

My Review:

Alabaster Nights (The Josie Hawk Chronicles, #0.5) by Elle J Rossi

Elle J Rossi has given us a view into The Josie Hawk Chronicles titled Alabaster Nights.

We get to meet Josie and Keller, Josie is a huntress and Keller is a vampire.

Keller has had a hard transition as a vampire he still to this day cannot control his desires for blood. Josie who is a huntress and has some sort of magical blood has a few demons after her.

But meanwhile Keller knows that Josie is someone important to him and she may be his answer to help him calm his blood lust.

This is a short novel of opposites attract and it was a great prequel to a start of what I think will be a great series and a great romance.

I would recommend Alabaster Nights to anyone who loves the paranormal genre. The story is well written, the author has done a fantastic job in making me want to read the next book in this series.

I have rated Alabaster Night a 4 star rating. Fantastic Read!!

About the Author:

Elle J Rossi grew up in rural Indiana surrounded by great people, a huge family and more animals than she could count. But the sites and sounds of the world beckoned, so she left her small town to escape into a creative world full of music. As a full time singer she was able to lose herself in a thousand different songs in a hundred different places. After meeting the love of her life and settling down, she yearned to find a new and fulfilling creative outlet. Overly fond of the happily ever after, she wondered what it would be like to have her own characters lead her down dark and twisted paths. The very first word on the very first page sealed her fate. She’d found a new love. She’d found her escape. Now along with weaving haunting tales about the journey to love, she’s creating cover art for authors around the world and loving every second of it. For fun, she cranks country music to take her back to her roots, and sings karaoke anytime she gets a chance. Her husband, two children, and a cat that rules the roost keep her company along the way and guarantee she doesn’t get lost in the enchanted forest. She wouldn’t have it any other way.

Contact Info:

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Alternate Hilarities - Editor Giovanni Francesco Valentino - Blog Tour & Giveaway!!

Title: Alternate Hilarities

Author: an Anthology

Genre: Science Fiction / Horror / Humor

Book Description:

A collection of Alien Invasions and Abductions, Time Travel, Ghost Ships, Demonic Possessions, Flatulent Clowns, Body Switching, Talking Monkeys and Feghoots.  

That's right, Feghoots. 

Google it.  

Science Fiction, Fantasy, Horror and Hilarities for all! 

Some of the stories in Alternate Hilarities:

Attack of Ye Olde Zombies by Cathy Greco

And, thus, the world ends… not with a bang… not with a whimper… but with the mournful cry of an off-key bagpipe playing an undead reel, and the sad, sad sight of deflated codpieces never to be filled.

1-800-CALL-GOD by Chuck Rothman

Help is just a phone call away...

Adrift by Dan Doerflein

In life, he sailed the high seas with his pirate crew. All he wanted in death was to sail the seas again. Before he can escape his situation and obtain the afterlife he dreamed of, he must first defeat a pirate’s worst enemy: a bureaucrat.

The Princess and the Witch by Isabel Sterling

Marisa only wanted one thing for Halloween: the ancient magic she possessed in a past life. She’d prepared for this ritual for years, and nothing could get in her way. Except, perhaps, her sorority girl roommate.

The Muse and the Psychiatrist by M. Kelly Peach

She was divinely beautiful, a daughter of Zeus with a serious problem. She needed a qualified and caring psychiatrist, with talent and experience, to help her. Little did she know he had his own agenda…

Upgrades by Daniel McPherson

Software updates. Sometimes they install cool new features. Other times they screw up your entire system. Which really sucks when the software is running inside your head.

The Great Abyss Disjunction by Danielle N. Gales

When Gregory Artifex became lighthouse keeper of the multiverse's loneliest dark corner, all he wanted was a little peace and quiet. The triggerfish, however, had different ideas. Gregory is about to have a very bad day.

The Bombastic Adventure of Bob from Planet 9 by Jaimie M. Engle

Bob and Melvin sit at Flo’s Intergalactic Greasy Spoon on the Tuesday the joint is held-up by two symmetrical beings called ‘humans’. Melvin accidentally disintegrates and Bob seeks revenge. But a visit to His Greatness on Planet 9 may change everything.

Do Flatulent Clowns Smell Funny by John H. Dromey

“Emission Possible” at the circus. The gastric suspense is intense. Will there be comic relief?

Dead Right, Dead Wrong By Ronald Friedman

The active Dead are not much different than the rest of us, although they can bore you to tears with stories about how they died. As the number of Dead increased they emerged from the shadows and became politically active. Their party, Dead Americans Mobilizing for National Integration and Tolerance (DAMNIT), was ready to field a candidate for the office of President of the United States.

Language Barrier by Steve Esling

"Mit-choo "Mitch" Maru is Tenerelli and Associate's first Titanian accountant! But his progress in breaking social barriers and becoming more than just a "token alien" comes to a halt after a sticky situation in the bathroom with a coworker. Will the skills he learned in his college English courses be enough to tell others about this unfortunate close encounter?"

Small Change by Steven Grassie

Miserable and almost broke, as per usual Paul’s in the pub drowning his sorrows. His evening takes a strange turn, however, when he encounters an interesting, if rather implausible, individual… who might just have the answer to his problems.

Cash on Delivery by Laura Thurston

When you absolutely, positively have to have had it already call Einstein Express, where hindsight is the same as foresight.

Overdue by Jay Fuller

When the librarian can flay your mind as easily as she can gut you, very little will stand between her and an overdue library book – even a powerful (and generally disagreeable) wizard. And what if the book wants a say in the matter?

Diary of an Overlord by Clay Sheldon

Villagers are terrified, heroes quake in their boots, and the world fears his very name. Witness the origin of a terrifying(ish) demon lord. But be warned:not everything is as it seems...

Thorkwald and the Cherub by Day Al-Mohamed

The adventures of a misfit demon and his struggle to succeed, or at least not get fired (literally) in Hell’s corporate world. With the help of his trusty minion, an eight-legged llama, and his Ctrl-Alt-Smite button, what could go wrong?

Chicken Soup for the Demonically Possessed Soul by Felicia Lee

In this heartwarming tale of loss, redemption, and best practices for web design, we follow Al, a promising young man in the prime of his life, as he faces down the demons of unethical competitors and, well, actual demons.

Buy the Book:

Amazon | Smashwords 
Or Add to Your Goodreads Shelf

About the Editor: 

Giovanni Francesco Valentino has struggled at the art of writing for four decades against many demons like self-doubt, chronic depression, OCD and severe dyslexia. He has written a few memoir pieces about his life struggles going undiagnosed for more the half his life. He hopes one day to be a famous published science fiction and fantasy author.

He is a member of the CNY Writers Haven, a critique and writer support group. He is the editor of the upcoming humorous anthology, Alternate Hilarities.

Website  |  Goodreads  |  Twitter  |  Facebook

Blurb:

Along time ago in a city in central New York ....

Alternate Hilarities

Episode 1

Back from the Dead

In the early nineties, a man had a dream. A dream of funny stories in his favorite genres, Science fiction, Fantasy and Horror. Not just a joke at the end of the episode like the original Star Trek or the occasional gem from Douglas Adams, but all the time.

So the small press fan-zine, Alternate Hilarities was born. Six issues were produced against his ex-wife's express wishes.

And they were terrible!

Just Terrible!

The first issue was a simple photocopy print job. He moved up offset printing by the second issue, 11 by 17 paper, folded over and saddle stitched with glossy cover. It looked semi professional but proofing was not his strong suit. He had no funds to hire a proof reader and let's face it, volunteers suck.

But the stories were great. Many talented authors sent in great funny stories. With concepts like games show in the afterlife, the last man alive and the secret life of a teenaged mad scientist.

But in the end, the cost of publishing his pet project became too much and the zine was retired.

Now, two decades later, the overhead and distribution issues of the small press have almost disappeared with the advent of eBooks. With a new partner in crime who can do line edits, with a professional level understanding of spelling, grammar and punctuation, the man decided to give his old love a second shot.

So, here it is, The New and Improved Alternate Hilarities. We have Alien invasions and Abductions, Time Travel, Ghost Ships, Demonic Possessions, Flatulent Clowns, Body Switching, Talking Monkeys and Feghoots.

That's right, I said Feghoots.

Google it.

So off we go. With Science Fiction, Fantasy, Horror and Halitosis for all!

Halitosis? WTF? I mean Polarity?

Not Again! I mean H I l a r I t y?

Damn AutoCorrect!

Here are something people may or may not have said about Alternate Hilarities:

“The Funniest Thing I’ve Ever Eaten!”

- Unnamed Member of Book Eaters Anonymous

“Not a book I would ever read”

- The New York Times

“Will you please mow your lawn? Please”

- My Next Door Neighbor (on both sides)

“I can’t read!”

- President of the SHITTER, the Society Helping illiterates with Technology, Tolerance and Extra Resources.

“I hate Sauerkraut!”

- ‘Weird Al’ Yankovic

With Stories by ….

Aaron Austin - Adam Millard - Brenda Anderson

Cathy Greco - Christine Edwards - Dan Doerflein - Daniel McPherson

Danielle Gales - Doug Engstrom - Evan Dicken - Felicia Lee

Gavin Cruickshank - Giovanni Valentino - Jaimie M. Engle - James E. Guin

Jason Bougger - Jay Fuller - Jez Patterson - John H. Dromey

Josh Strnad - Lance Manion - M. Kelly Peach - Ronald Friedman

Sam Adams - Shari L Klase - Steve Esling - Steven Grassie

And Leader of the Roman Catholic Church, Pope Frances I *

• This story is only included in the version you don’t have right now.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

About the Publisher:

Strange Musings Press

We are a small publisher founded and run by two authors with a variety of skills and talents. Visit ourStaff page for more information about who we are.

Currently, Strange Musings Press is strictly an e-publisher of anthologies: 

Alternate Hilarities , Romantic Ruckus, and Alternate Hilarities 2 - Vampires Suck .  We DO NOT accept or publish stand alone stories, novels, or novellas at this time so please don't query us for those. We'll send you a humorous and snarky rejection letter.

The goal of these anthologies is to help aspiring authors get published and to have fun. Everything we do here is in the spirit of humor. If we offend you in any way, well, we probably don't care =)

Take a moment to look around and submit a story or two if you'd like. Got questions? Got a joke you want to tell us? Want to tell us how awesome we are? Stand in line and send us an email at: strangemusings.editor@verizon.net.

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Click here for your chance to win a $50, $25, or $10 Amazon Giftcard!!!

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Now...go check out all the other AWESOME BLOGS that are participating in this Blog Tour!!!

*This blog tour is sponsored by Making Connections.*