Blog Tour: Kinley Baker

This virtual book tour is presented by Bewitching Book Tours.
Click here to see the entire tour schedule.
Welcome to The Wormhole and my day on the tour!

It is my pleasure to feature Kinley Baker and 

The Shadowed Love Series!

About the Author:

Kinley Baker is the author of the fantasy romance novel, Ruined. She read her first romance at the age of thirteen and immediately fell in love with the hero and the genre. She lives with her husband and her dog, Joker, in the Pacific Northwest. As a firm supporter of all supernatural lifestyles, she writes fantasy romance, paranormal romance, and urban fantasy.

You can find Kinley at www.kinleybaker.com

http://authorkinleybaker.blogspot.com

www.twitter.com/kinleybaker

www.facebook.com/kinleybaker

http://www.goodreads.com/kinleybaker

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kinley-Baker/196649877015210

RUINED: Shadowed Love Book One

By Kinley Baker

Genre: Fantasy Romance

Publisher: Crescent Moon Press

BLURB:

Jessa is one healing away from death. Under the thrall of her gift, the Court's Senior Healer risks giving her life in exchange for her patient's.

Vale is a rebel ruler. When his brother is killed, he's given the throne and the decree from the Court to produce an heir or lose his family's hold on the land--and his deceiving advisors aren't afraid to use murder as a weapon if their directive to stay away from the Senior Healer goes unheeded.

But Vale burns to possess Jessa. The heat between them leaves a wake of smoke, and even the powerful forces above want to bind them in a union that lasts forever. Vale taking another would be a betrayal neither could survive.

Their enemies fear a child born of such a powerful Healer and Warrior, but the true threat lies in the bond forged in shadows and fused in fire.

Barnes and Noble                 Kindle        Amazon Paperback  

book trailer on YouTube: http://youtu.be/aG2oSaUZeJM

EXCERPT RUINED:

"You." Fury burned hot under Jessa's skin as she glared at Vale. "Who do you think you are, demanding I come live in this castle? You can't just order your guards to enter a woman's home and pack up her things."

"Well, I did." Vale came around the desk and propped one hip against it, more of a threatening than casual movement.

"Someone tried to kill me. It makes sense that I have my Healer close by."

She released a pent-up breath. "Why couldn't you have explained that instead of mandating?" Silly. Her imagination had run away with her. The king needed his Healer. But the realization he didn't want her made her angrier.

"Because I didn't want to give you the option of saying no."

She most definitely would have said no.

"If you would have explained your reasoning, I would have complied. Your safety and health come first, even if I-"

"Even if you what?"

"Loathe you." She bunched her fingers into two fists, seriously tempted to hit him. For all the nonexistent pain it would inflict upon him.

"Do you?" His tone deadened with calm. "Because I can't stop thinking about you."

"That's normal." She brushed off the claim. "I saved your life."

He moved in a blur. A true Shadow Shifter. One second he stood near his desk, the next he had her in his arms, one locked around her waist and one hand tangled in her hair. Their lips almost brushed.

"I can't stop thinking about you." His murmur played down her spine, leaving a tingling trail. His scent invaded her. His voice embraced her like bare skin against satin sheets.

Her heart beat fast, her pulse jumped.

She disliked him, but didn't want him to let her go.

"Have you been thinking about me?" His soft tone feathered over her flesh.

"Only how much I dislike you." Lust pulsed in her belly.

He pulled her head back gently by her hair, so they looked straight into each other's eyes. Their bodies pressed tightly together. "Liar."

DENIED  

SHADOWED LOVE, BOOK TWO 

By Kinley Baker

Genre: Fantasy Romance

Publisher: Crescent Moon Press

When invaders brutally massacred the women and children of the Varner, Caleb witnessed loss and destruction on a scale few can comprehend. As the leader of a race on the brink of extinction, his only hope for survival is gaining acceptance into the Shadow Shifter Kingdom. Struggling with new customs, he meets Tabitha, a woman who challenges his limits. 

Refused the right to join the king’s guard because of her gender, Tabitha must be stronger than the men to prove she deserves to be the first accepted female Warrior in the kingdom. She believes Caleb will help improve her abilities, until she learns her goals conflict with the foundation of his culture. 

When the realm is attacked, Tabitha and Caleb must come together not only to fight, but to find the strength to win against an evil with the potential to destroy everything they revere most--including each other. 

Add DENIED as To-Read on GoodReads! 

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13646204-denied 

Blog Tour - Art Feature: Michelle Monique

This blog tour is presented by Rachel Corliss @ Rachel Reads.

Welcome to The Wormhole and my day on the tour!

Today it is my great pleasure to feature the artwork of 

Michelle Monique!

 

Michelle Monique is a self-taught award winning photographer and digital artist. She began her journey when she was fourteen as more of an experiment rather than a dream. From there, her mediocre portraits blossomed into what she does today. Motivated by her desire to continuously pursue more intricate and believable artworks, she has branched out to creating elements of her pieces by hand including but not exclusively, makeup, costuming, set design, and sculpture. Monique photographs her models and works in post production stitching together her imagined worlds out of pictures.

You can find more about Michelle Monique at these links:

Website:  http://michellemoniquephoto.com/ 
Deviantart:  http://michellemonique.deviantart.com/ 
Youtube:  http://www.youtube.com/user/michellemoniquephoto
Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/michellemoniquephoto 

This one is my favorite ~ it's called "Temptation"

"Banshee"

"Kiss of Death"

 
"Sucker Punch: Babydoll"


"Lili Rochefort"

Here are some book covers she has done too:

Thanks for stopping by The Wormhole!

Be sure to check out the rest of the tour ~ for additional cover art, interviews, and more!

Review: The More I See by Lisa Mondello

The More I See by Lisa Mondello
Book 3 Texas Hearts (Contemporary Romance Western) 

Amazon Product Description:
As a top-notch cutting horse trainer, Cody Gentry was riding high until he lost his eyesight after a freak chemical accident. Unable to see the hand in front of his face, never mind the horse or cattle he trained, he knows his life is over and slips deep into depression. His whole future hinges on the success of an eye surgery that could give him his old life back.

When guide dog trainer, Lyssa McElhannon, arrives on his ranch like Florence Nightingale coming to save him, he wants no part of her or her guide dog. But something about Lyssa's musical laugh coupled with her tenacity digs under his skin and won't let go. Having been blind most of her life, Lyssa understands the paralyzing fear Cody feels after losing his vision. But she refuses to let the stubborn cowboy waste his life away sitting in a chair when she knows first-hand that a good guide dog can change his world. She just needs one month to prove it to him.

Falling in love with Cody was not part of Lyssa's plan, nor was having him open her eyes to see that there was a whole lot of living she'd been missing.

My Thoughts:

I fell in love with Lisa Mondello's characters in book one of this series and was thrilled to have the opportunity to continue reading her books.  Each book has different main characters, but we are given glimpses of everyone which is fun.  

This book was as good as the first two.  I was intrigued from start and was fully invested before I knew it.  The struggle that Cody is going through is heart breaking and Lyssa's determination is uplifting.  Lisa Mondello takes the reader on a wild ride with emotions that are all across the map.  Another fantastic installment to the series.  This one will pull your heart strings. 

EXCERPT:
"I was told I could find Cody Gentry out here by the pool," she finally said.

His face twitched slightly. "Who's looking?"

The timbre of his voice was deep, with a faintly ominous edge that reminded Lyssa of the voices she'd heard as a child when she and Kim would sneak downstairs in the middle of the night and watch old horror flicks on cable. She couldn't see the movies, she'd only heard the voices, and that added to the mystery, raised the level of anticipation, sending shivers racing up her spine.
Cody wasn't anything out of a horror flick. She ignored the swell of apprehension that had her confidence faltering. 

She knew better than to extend her hand in a normal greeting for her introduction. It'd be rude since Cody couldn't see her. Instead, she hoped her voice sounded pleasant. "I'm Alyssandra McElhannon."

He didn't move. "What do you want?" 

"I brought Otis," she said cheerfully.

"What's Otis?"

"Otis is a who, not a what."

Cody's whole body stiffened. His voice was controlled, but edgy enough to send shivers chasing over her skin. "Apparently someone failed to give you adequate information. I'm not training cuttin' horses anymore."

"Otis isn't a horse. He's a dog. Your guide dog. I'm here to train the two of you to work as a team." Otis, like many dogs trained as seeing aids for the vision impaired, were a lifeline to independence. 

He sat still, unaffected. It wasn't at all the reaction she'd been expecting. 

"Not interested."

"And you would be Cody Gentry, I take it?" she asked.

"I just said I'm not interested."

"And I heard you. My job is to make you interested." 

"Says who?"

She said, "Mike Gentry for one." 

He groaned and straightened up in his chair. "My father sent you?"

"That's right. He didn't tell you I was coming?"

"Did he already pay you for your troubles?"

"Well, yes, a portion is--"

"Then you're fired. I'll make sure you get the rest of the money you're owed. I'm sorry he wasted your time."

Cody was as difficult as Mike Gentry had warned but in a totally different way than Lyssa had prepared for. 

"In the first place, the school pays my salary. Second, training my dogs and students is never a waste of my time. Furthermore, you aren't the one who hired me, your father did. In fact, he asked me to stay on at the ranch until you and Otis were working well together. So, you can't fire me, no matter how much you squawk."

He made a face that made her laugh. "Squawk?"

Crossing her arms across her chest. "I call it like I see it."

Release Day Blitz! Serafina and the Silent Vampire by Marie Treanor

This release day blitz is presented by Bewitching Book Tours.

Welcome to The Wormhole and my stop on the blitz!

It is my pleasure to feature:

Marie Treanor and Serafina and the Silent Vampire.

Marie Treanor lives in Scotland with her eccentric husband and three much-too-smart children. Having grown bored with city life, she resides these days in a picturesque village by the sea where she is lucky enough to enjoy herself avoiding housework and writing sensual stories of paranormal romance and fantasy.

Marie Treanor has published more than twenty ebooks with small presses, (Samhain Publishing, Ellora’s Cave, Changeling Press and The Wild Rose Press), including a former Kindle bestseller, Killing Joe. Blood on Silk: an Awakened by Blood novel, was her New York debut with NAL.

Website: www.MarieTreanor.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Marie-Treanor-Paranormal-Romance/105866982782360
Newsletter: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/marietreanornewsletter
Blog: Marie Treanor's Romantic Theme Party: http://romanticthemeparty.blogspot.com/

SERAFINA AND THE SILENT VAMPIRE: Serafina’s Book One
By Marie Treanor

Silence has never been so sinful…
Welcome to Edinburgh's unique psychic investigation agency, Serafina's.

Serafina MacBride is psychic - but not strictly honest. While staging a hilarious vampire attack at a client's party, Sera is stunned to encounter a real vampire - annoying, gorgeous and inaudible to everyone but her. When her client's son is found dead with puncture wounds in his neck, she tracks the silent vampire to his lair.

But the amoral and seductive  Blair is also on a mission - to find and kill a nest of young vampires who've invaded his territory. Soon Sera is drawn into the bizarre world of the undead, where danger lurks in the shadows along with forbidden sensual delights - and a murderous conspiracy to flood the world with financially astute vampires who talk.

Supported and hindered by Blair's eccentric, undead friends, and by her own motley crew from Serafina's, Sera and Blair uncover surprising truths about each other and about the mysterious Founder from whom all vampires are descended.
In the end, Sera draws on powers she never knew she had in a frantic fight to defeat the forces of evil and preserve the strange, complicated being  she's trying so hard not to love.


To feed your need to get a little taste...here is an excerpt:

She felt her way around two intertwining apple trees and found Tam.

She stopped dead with shock. His large frame was unmistakable in the flashlight beam, but she’d never before seen it slumped in the brutal hold of an attacker who seemed to be strangling him or squeezing him to death. Which would be quite an achievement considering the size of Tam’s muscular body. And the fact that his opponent, although about equal in height, was far lighter and leaner in weight. And wearing a kilt, as if he was, or was pretending to be, one of the Bells’ guests. Tam’s arms flailed as if trying feebly to fly free. That was terrifying in itself: Tam the Tank physically helpless.

Sera’s hand wavered, and the beam from her flashlight shifted over a shock of dark chestnut hair. There was a tiny instant when she imagined she’d steeped herself too deeply in this vampire nonsense, because it almost looked as if the stranger had his face buried in Tam’s throat. It sent a weird, almost sensual shiver down her spine before she yanked her brain back into line.

Who the hell was this? Ferdy’s stalker? Sera didn’t wait to find out. As he began to turn his head, granting her a glimpse of his shadowed face and gleaming eyes, she hurled herself at him feetfirst. Both her boots connected jarringly with hard flesh; her whole being jolted as if she’d been shot.

It took an instant to realize that she lay on the ground on her back, winded, while Tam’s attacker, and Tam himself, remained upright. Jesus, she couldn’t have lost her touch to that degree! She’d slammed into him. She should at least have knocked him off balance! But then, she should have landed on her feet, not her back, and been ready to jump him before he recovered.

As she struggled to rise, her blurred vision cleared enough to show her, by the crazily waving beam of the torch, that the kilted thug had released Tam, who leaned one massive shoulder against the tree, shaking his head as if to clear it. Thank God, at least the bastard hadn’t killed him. And now they were two against one, however strong this maniac was.

“Tam! Now!” she commanded in an urgent stage whisper and ran at the curiously still figure of the enemy.

Tam muttered something that might have been, “Don’t, Sera.”

Her quarry sidestepped her with a blur that surely spoke more for the intensity of her previous winding than for his genuine speed. Whatever the cause, it was enough to unbalance Sera. Fortunately, Tam leapt and caught her in his muscled arm—all that prevented her from falling over again.

She whirled around, poised to face a counterattack, snatching the only weaponry she carried in her pocket—one of the ridiculous pointy sticks—and for the first time looked into the shadowed face of her enemy. Remembering belatedly about her flashlight still clutched in her bruised left land, she shone it directly into his face. The eerie crisscrossing of shadows on his skin disappeared in the golden glow, but he made no effort to hide from the light. Two large, dark brown eyes stared at her from a lean, still face. There was no doubt he was good-looking enough to turn heads, with a high forehead, long, thin nose, and full, expressive lips, all framed by a shock of thick, dark hair streaked with auburn. The combination of high, broad cheekbones and leanness gave him a slightly cadaverous look that somehow didn’t detract in the slightest from his male beauty.

All these jumbled impressions Sera absorbed in an instant. But chiefly what caught and held her attention was the trickle of red blood running from the corner of his mouth and down the side of his chin.

Book Release Day! The Landing by John Herrick

The Landing by John Herrick

 The power of a song: It can ignite a heart, heal a soul-or for Danny Bale, resurrect a destiny. When songwriter Danny escaped to the Atlantic coast seven years ago, he laid to rest his unrequited affection for childhood friend Meghan Harting. Now Danny, haunted by an inner stronghold and determined to win Meghan back, must create a masterpiece and battle for the heart of the only woman who understands his music. As memories resurface, Danny and Meghan embark on parallel journeys of self-discovery-and a collision course to seal their mutual fate.

You can buy a copy HERE.

Author website: www.JohnHerrick.net

When he decided to become a novelist, John Herrick did not expect to invest the next twenty years in what would seem a grueling, disconnected process.

A native of St. Louis, Herrick fell in love with writing fiction at eight years old, and by eleven, his goal shifted from short stories to a novel--and turning a hobby into a career. Challenged with a constant flow of fresh ideas and lack of patience to complete such long-term projects, he merged the written word with another love: music. Herrick spent fifteen years developing his songwriting and lent several songs to benefit recordings by nonprofit entities.

Herrick attended his first year of college at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. He completed his studies at University of Missouri--Columbia, where he graduated cum laude with a B.A. in mass communication.

Blog Tour: Emerald Isle by Kate Hinderer

This blog tour is presented by the author - Kate Hinderer.

You can see the entire tour schedule by clicking HERE.

Welcome to The Wormhole and my day on the tour.

It is my pleasure to feature:

Kate Hinderer and The Emerald Isle. 

Kate is a journalist by profession. Her work has appeared in a variety of publications such as The New York Times, The Chicago Tribune special sections, The Milwaukee Business Journal, RelateMag, The SuperMelon, MercatorNet's Tiger Print blog, Sadie Magazine...
She started writing stories and novels in 7th grade. Her teachers thought she was copiously taking notes, but really she was penning stories about her classmates. That passion only increased in high school. The stories became longer and the passion for writing was deeply ingrained. As a junior she resurrected her school's student-run newspaper and opted to pursue a journalism career to harness her love for writing into a payable profession. Still the stories never stopped flowing.

Emerald Isle by Kate Hinderer

Amazon Product Description:
To escape a bad break-up and fighting parents Audyn takes a job as a lifeguard at Fascination Island. The posh five-star resort lives up to its name in every way, including the strange rules the owner has about entering the water at night. Despite declaring it a boy-free summer, it isn’t long before the shy, endearing Levi and the mysterious, tattooed Tristan begin vying for her attention. When Levi tries to push his advantage and Tristan comes to the rescue, Audyn realizes there is more to both these boys and the island they inhabit. Suddenly, she’s forced to acknowledge a reality she’d never considered and to pick a side in the conflict that has been waging for decades.

You can buy a copy of The Emerald Isle by clicking HERE or HERE.

Aurora Undefined by Kate Hinderer

Amazon Product Description:
Aurora is entering her senior year and everything around her seems to be falling apart. Her best friend has joined the cool crowd and she struggles to grapple with the loss. But when tragedy strikes, Aurora realizes what loss is really all about and how moving on becomes a fight of the will, mind and heart.

You can get a copy of  ~ Aurora Undefined ~ by clicking HERE.

Blog Tour: Rebels by Accident by Patricia Dunn

This blog tour is presented by JKS Communications.

Learn more about the tour HERE.

Welcome to The Wormhole and my day on the tour.

It is my pleasure to feature Patricia Dunn's book 

Rebels By Accident.

A coming-of-age tale of an Egyptian-American teen looking for love and adventure
When my first party ends in jail, I think things can’t possibly get worse. But then my parents send me to my grandmother in Cairo, and I’m sure my life is over. My sittu is Darth Vader’s evil sister, and the only sites I’ll get to see in Egypt are the rooms in her apartment.
But then she’s not so bad; we go riding camels by the pyramids and ice-skating at a mall!
As Sittu says, “Sometimes a moment can change your life.” But it can change the life of a country, too. Asmaa calls a nation to protest and before I know it, I’m in the middle of a revolution and running from tear gas and guns.
Oh yeah, and I meet the cutest guy I’ve ever seen. Fall in love for the first time. And have my first kiss.

My thoughts:

I enjoyed this book from the start.  I was impressed with the development of the characters and the descriptive and insightful writing.  The author brings the characters to life in a way that holds the reader.  She has captured so many aspects of being a teen, but also those of a parent/loved one.  I have been on both sides of the parent/child coin now and know how tough being both a teen and a parent can be.  I hope to someday be that wise grandmother.  Culturally new to me, I was thrilled with the chance to read this novel.  This is a wonderful coming of age story ~ original, realistic, inspiring.  

Review: The Light and Fallen by Anna White

The Light and Fallen by Anna White

*** I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

Amazon Product Description:
Lucian isn't sure what to expect when he steps over the banister separating Heaven from Earth. He opens his eyes in a new body, one with no wings, no knowledge of the future, and no special powers. All he remembers is his mission: to find a mysterious key. When he meets a human girl that he can't ignore he is forced, for the first time in eternity, to choose between duty and the pull of his heart. The future hangs on his decision, but he's fallen into a world where nothing is just what it seems. 
*100% of the proceeds of this novel will be donated to The Water Project.
http://www.thewaterproject.org

My thoughts:
     This is a fast read.  The writing is smooth, nicely paced and easy to read.  The characters drew me in and kept me turning the pages.  The author has done a good job of setting the stage for more books, and has created a story that leaves the reader wanting to know more.  
     The characters are well written.  Lucian is an angel so it's not so surprising that he is amazing, but I enjoyed his personality and appreciated his desire to make sure the world was safe.  Samara is interesting.  Although she is human and a high school student she seems to feel the weight of the world too, with her missing father and her mother's inability to cope.  Jack is the hot shot bad guy who appears to be the all around high school boy, but is so much more.  Even the supporting characters have been created wholly enough to leave an impression on the reader, my favorites being Lucian's "guardians."
     I am anxious to find out more about how Samara's father and his disappearance fits into the story.  I have some lingering questions about parts of the book, but am sure that the information will come in future books.
     The end has an unexpected twist that is the perfect lead in for another book.  I can't wait to find out what happens from here.  

Author Interview: Anna White

Welcome to The Wormhole.

Today it is my pleasure to feature an interview with Anna White, author of The Light and Fallen.

Anna is an author and counselor. She lives in Louisiana with her husband and two daughters, and can usually be found reading or writing something with a cup of tea nearby. She is currently at work on Divide the Darkness, the next book in the Chronicles of the Nephilim series. Proceeds from The Light and Fallen support The Water Project, a nonprofit organization.

Anna White:

When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

     When I was in elementary school I wanted to be a writer, but I also wanted to be a missionary and an astronaut. I wrote poems about nature and one rambling story about talking cats. As an adult writing kept creeping onto my to-do list year after year, but I never got around to it. After I got the idea for The Light and Fallen I couldn’t stop thinking about the story, and I realized writing it was something I really wanted to do.

How many jobs did you have before you became a writer?

Eight. My worst job was working in the shoe department at K-Mart. I love kids, and have worked in various social service jobs with children since college. I don’t see myself leaving my day job any time soon.

How long does it take you to write a book?

     I planned out the entire Chronicles of the Nephilim series before I began the first book, and that took me about 18 months. I wrote the first draft in six weeks, writing full time through the summer. The editing process took another ten months. I’m working on the second book now, and I’m hoping that the process will go more quickly.

What would you say is your most interesting writing quirk?

     I wish I could say I have a daily writing practice, but I don’t. I write in obsessive spurts, then go days (or weeks) without working at all. When I’m actively writing, I take my netbook with me and work anytime I have to wait longer than ten minutes. I wrote parts of The Light and Fallen in the doctor’s office, in the car, at church. I get a lot of weird looks, but I’m a working mom so I have to seize every moment I can.

Where do you get your ideas or inspiration for your characters?

     I draw traits from characters that I’ve found especially memorable in other books. I also think a lot about the plot of the story, and what each character’s perspective would be on the events. I have a MA in Psychology, so I try to apply some of those principles as I think about what motivates each characters and why they each make the choices that they do.

How do you decide what you want to write about?

     I write about whatever takes hold of me and won’t let go. I do have a list of ideas for the future, some outlined more than others, but I only let myself work on one project at a time. As long as I keep dreaming about Jack and Lucian, I’ll keep working on the Chronicles of the Nephilim.

What books have most influenced your life?
     This is so hard to answer, because I’ve always read whatever I could get my hands on, and I believe that each of those books has taught me something. A few that come to mind are:
In elementary school: The Wizard of Oz series. We had a whole set up early editions and I read and reread those. I loved the magic of that world. One of the books had a word, that if said correctly, would transport you to Oz, and I remember laying on the couch trying to say it 100 different ways.
As a teenager: Gone with the Wind. This books has its flaws, but there’s a lot to love there too. It gives such insight into the southern way of life, and Scarlett and Rhett are the definition of dark, complicated characters.
Inspired me to start writing: Twilight. I didn’t like this series at first, but it really grew on me. My favorite thing, though, is that Meyer wrote this while her kids were at swim practice or at night while they were sleeping. She make me believe that I could be a mom and an author.
Remind me what a gift life is: Poetry by Mary Oliver. She writes so wonderfully. I have one of her poems taped to my desk at work, and it always reminds me to focus on what is good and true.


What are you reading right now?
     Right this minute I’m reading Catching Fire and Looking for Alaska.


What do you like to do when you are not writing?
     Read, of course. I also like doing digital scrapbooking and going to the park with my family.


What is your favorite comfort food?
     I love creamy onion soup on a cold day. And my husband doesn’t like it, so when I make a pot it’s all for me!


What do you think makes a good story?
     I like to get to the end of the story and see a web of connections stretching from beginning to end. I also like for all of the characters be well developed and believable. I personally think no one is all good or all bad, and no one makes the right choice all the time, even if they can figure out what the right choice is. I like to see characters that reflect that.


Who would you consider your favorite author and why?
     J.K. Rowling. I really think the Harry Potter series is one of the greatest YA series ever written. I’ve read each of the books at least ten times, and the world building is so complex and the characters are so layered that each time I still discover something new.


Fun random questions:
• dogs or cats? Dogs
• Coffee or tea? Tea
• Dark or milk chocolate? Dark
Rocks or flowers? Flowers
Night or day? Day
Favorite color? Fuschia
Crayons or markers? Markers
Pens or pencils? Pencils

Amazon Product Description:
Lucian isn't sure what to expect when he steps over the banister separating Heaven from Earth. He opens his eyes in a new body, one with no wings, no knowledge of the future, and no special powers. All he remembers is his mission: to find a mysterious key. When he meets a human girl that he can't ignore he is forced, for the first time in eternity, to choose between duty and the pull of his heart. The future hangs on his decision, but he's fallen into a world where nothing is just what it seems. 
*100% of the proceeds of this novel will be donated to The Water Project.
http://www.thewaterproject.org

Blog Tour: Frozen Heart by Annabelle Blume - giveaway too!

This virtual book tour is presented by Bewitching Book Tours.

The schedule is HERE.

Another stop today ~ August 23 Guest blog: www.coffeeaddictedwriter.com

Tomorrow's stop ~ August 24 Guest blog: Katrina @ Kindred Dreamheart

Welcome to The Wormhole and my day on the tour.
It is my pleasure to feature 
AnnaBelle Blume and Frozen Heart.

About the Author:

Annabelle is a Science Fiction and Urban Fantasy Romance author, that is, when she's not checking homework or begrudgingly cooking dinner. Wife, mother, and creator of alternate worlds, Annabelle has a penchant for that which is outside the norm.

Her Sociology degree did nothing to progress her writing skills, but has given her the ability to construct worlds that exist only in her head and translate them passionately to the page. The time spent studying individuals, interpersonal relationships, and particularly, women, within the constraints of our society led to Annabelle's unabashed ability to talk about sex as it fits into our modern lives.

She's also the author/personality of The Bombshell Mommy at Vitacost.com, where she expounds her knowledge of being a vixen clad in sweatpants.

Facebook: www.facebook.com/

AnnabelleBlumeAuthor 

Twitter: @AnnabelleBlume

Web Site: www.AnnabelleBlume.com

Amazon Product Description:

A decade surviving on her own. Three days with the enemy. Can love conquer all? Cressenda knows how to survive. With her sled dogs as her only companions, she’s spent the past ten years hiding in the snow covered wilderness from the oppressive regime of the Affinity. When a routine trip to civilization takes a turn for the worst, Cressenda is forced to take refuge with the enemy or lose her life to the frozen countryside. But Beckett, a Guard of the Affinity, is more than a man in uniform. His desperate need to help Cressenda escape both- the blizzard and the Affinity- makes her feelings for him all the more troubling. Will Beckett be true to his word and set Cressenda free? Will her heart let her leave after all they’ve shared?

a Rafflecopter giveaway

My Thoughts:
     Annabelle Blume has created a cold, hard, lonely world for Cressenda and Beckett.  Cold, hard and lonely on a variety of levels.  The world has changed and they live in an ice-age.  The government has created an existence that would challenge the hardiest of people.  It is in this world that both Cressenda and Becket live, one on each side of the rules.  Each of them believing that they are doing the best they can to live as free as possible.  
     The characters are dramatic and desperate.  We are introduced only to a few people, but they all seem to live on the edge of despair and longing for a better life.  The struggles they face are profound and we live them through the words.  
     This is a heartfelt story of what it means to live free.  Reading this story leaves the reader wondering what is freedom, what would you give or do for love, and what would you be willing to do or do without to ensure your freedom and happiness.  
     

Review: Lost by Pandora Richardson

Lost by Pandora Richardson

Amazon Product Description:
     Amelia Jones is a 25 year-old virgin, werewolf and Private Detective who is prone to make rash decisions. Amelia has been lying to her parents about her finances and now has a mountain of bills and is facing eviction.
     After a chance encounter with a wealthy heiress, Amelia is hired to go undercover to catch her client's attractive, much younger husband cheating. Unfortunately, being a virgin with primal passions on a mission to seduce a man isn't necessarily the best way to maintain emotional stability and Amelia must remain in control. Amelia has to decide whether the allure of money and risking her secrets is better than asking her parents for help.

My thoughts:
     I enjoyed this story.  My first by Pandora Richardson.  Interesting characters and intrigue fill the pages of this book.  The storyline has enough twists to make a corkscrew jealous.  The author's choice of parentage for our main character is endearing as well as daring, but I felt as if it were just thrown at the reader.  I would have liked a little more closure in the story.  There seem to be just a few too many loose ends, but perhaps that is the author's way of building for the next book in the series.  I am hoping that it was building because I really want to know what happens next!!!!!  
     The characters and their interactions are great.  Amelia waffles between being a tough shifter woman and being a young, vulnerable virgin.  I am excited to see which side of her personality wins out in the next book.  I am also looking forward to some explanations to things from the first book, and of course to seeing how Matthew fits into Amelia's life.
  Although not flawless, definitely well worth a read.  I will be waiting impatiently for more from Pandora Richardson and Amelia Jones! 
     

Blog Tour: Back to Bataan by Jerome Charyn

This virtual book tour is presented by Tribute Books.

You can see the entire tour schedule HERE.

Welcome to The Wormhole and my day on the tour!

It is my pleasure to feature:

Jerome Charyn and Back to Bataan.

Jerome Charyn (born May 13, 1937) is an award-winning American author. With nearly 50 published works, Charyn has earned a long-standing reputation as an inventive and prolific chronicler of real and imagined American life. Michael Chabon calls him “one of the most important writers in American literature.”

New York Newsday hailed Charyn as “a contemporary American Balzac,” and the Los Angeles Times described him as “absolutely unique among American writers.”

Since 1964, he has published 30 novels, three memoirs, eight graphic novels, two books about film, short stories, plays and works of non-fiction. Two of his memoirs were named New York Times Book of the Year. Charyn has been a finalist for the PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction. He received the Rosenthal Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters and has been named Commander of Arts and Letters by the French Minister of Culture.  Charyn lives in Paris and New York City.

Author Generated Interview:

What are your thoughts on the explosion of popularity concerning the YA genre?

I think it might very well be that it started with Harry Potter, that young adult writers are trying to tell good stories and adults have moved into that kind of dream.

       You are the master of writing across a realm of different genres, what excites you about connecting with different audiences?

I’m not so sure that these are different audiences, I think we all love stories, whether we’re children or great-grand grandfathers and when you move from genre to genre you are still telling a story like Scheherazade and the king is always waiting for the next tale.

  

       Your writing is so precise, yet evocative - how do you work at crafting your unique style of prose?

Everything begins and ends with the word, with the music of the sentence and as Tolstoy once said, “I’m always composing.”

       Being a published author for nearly 50 years, what do you think of eBooks?

I think that this is a kind of logical step as we move from the internet into eBooks. 

Publishing is changing even as we speak. I think there now will be a more complicated dance between the eBook and the printed book, and as we’ve seen recently, successes in eBooks allow the author to move into print.

       What would be your advice to young people who aspire to a literary career?

It’s not worth the money – only write if you’re absolutely in love with it.

       How much of your life is in Back to Bataan? How did you personally experience New York during World War II?

I think so much of the source of my writing comes from my childhood, I grew up during the War  - so many of the terrors and the magic of certain films have remained with me.  And all of this appears in the character of Jack.

       Your older brother was a detective. Did your experiences with him influence the plot?

Not really, I think all writing is crime writing. And Back to Bataan is a crime novel with a very original twist.

       Why did you decide to include the fascination with the famous as a theme - Gary Cooper, Eleanor Roosevelt, etc.?

These people were heroes to me as a child, particularly Eleanor Roosevelt, who was one of the most extraordinary women who ever lived, and of course as a child I fell in love with Gary Cooper’s face and with his very slow drawl, that seemed so exotic to me.

       Jack finds acclaim through his writing, yet feels guilty for exploiting other people (Mrs. Fink). How does a writer starting out work to bridge this gap?

You’re always cannibalizing other people and writers when you start to write, so it’s natural that Jack should be a young cannibal.

       How important is the New York Times in your own life? Why did you decide to make it a form of connection between Jack and the Leader?

As a child, I didn’t even know that the Times existed – I grew up in a neighborhood without newspapers and books, so that when I first fell upon the New York Times, I was very very greedy, and wanted to include it in Jack’s middle-class life.

Back to Bataan Summary

New York City, 1943. War is raging in Europe and the Pacific, while Jack Dalton is stuck attending Dutch Masters Day School. What Jack really wants is to enlist in the army, to fight...

Everything changes when Coco, Jack's "fiancee," throws him over for one of his classmates. Jack sees red and does something drastic. Then he runs away. Hiding out in a nearby park, Jack joins ranks with a group of vagrants and is soon under the sway of a man called the Leader, an ex-convict who is as articulate and charismatic as he is dangerous. The Leader turns Jack's world upside down. To put things right, Jack must prove himself a braver soldier than he ever imagined.

Links for this tour:

Back to Bataan web site:
http://backtobataan.blogspot.com/  
Back to Bataan Twitter hashtag:
#BackToBataanBack to Bataan GoodReads page:
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13613896-back-to-bataanJerome Charyn's Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/jerome.charynJerome Charyn's Twitter:
http://twitter.com/jeromecharynJerome Charyn's Website:
http://www.jeromecharyn.com/Jerome Charyn's GoodReads:
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/53408.Jerome_Charyn
Tribute Books website:
http://www.tribute-books.com

Tribute Books Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Archbald-PA/Tribute-Books/171628704176

Tribute Books Twitter:
http://www.twitter.com/TributeBooks

Tribute Books Blog Tours Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Tribute-Books-Blog-Tours/242431245775186

Kindle buy link - $2.99
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008DYK6C2?tag=tributebooks-20

Nook buy link - $4.95
http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=dcSBhG3Rj8w&offerid=239662.2940014699372&type=2&subid=0iBookstore buy link - $4.99
http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/stat?id=dcSBhG3Rj8w&offerid=146261&type=3&subid=0&tmpid=1826&RD_PARM1=http%253A%252F%252Fitunes.apple.com%252Fus%252Fbook%252Fback-to-bataan%252Fid538421758%253Fmt%253D11%2526uo%253D4%2526partnerId%253D30Google buy link - $3.79
http://books.google.com/books?printsec=frontcover&id=Kw5nn24MCu8C#v=onepage&q&f=false

Smashwords buy link - $4.99
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/174347?ref=tributebooks
PDF buy link - $4.95
https://www.payloadz.com/go/sip?id=1619939