Wednesday, April 30, 2014

Release Day: Fighting for Infinity by Karen Amanda Hooper, a Facebook Party, and a Giveaway!

FIGHTING FOR INFINITY

the 3rd and final book in The Kindrily series 
by Karen Amanda Hooper has been released!


Every moment, every lifetime, every decision—including her choice to erase—has led Maryah to this.

Two outcomes are possible: an infinite happy-ever-after with her kindrily or the final severing of her relationship with Nathan.

Closer to the enemy than ever before, Maryah unravels the diabolical plan that Dedrick has been manipulating into place for centuries. Revelations, secrets, and lies surface faster than Maryah can process. She doesn’t know who to trust, what to believe, or how to save her loved ones from the desolate future Dedrick is so close to executing.

Guided by an enigmatic raven-haired prisoner, Maryah fights body and soul to save Nathan, her kindrily, and countless others. But is her love strong enough to alter a prophecy written in the stars?



Right now all Kindrily series ebooks are on sale in honor of the trilogy being complete. 

Book 1, GRASPING AT ETERNITY, is only $.99! 

But hurry and grab your copies now because the price will go back up soon.

All books can be purchased at

Karen is celebrating with a week-long Facebook party where many authors will be giving away free books and prizes. 


Karen will be giving away winner’s choice of a signed copy of any of The Kindrily books. 


You can enter using the Rafflecopter below, but she’ll also be giving away more prizes during her Facebook party running April 30-May 8th.



Be sure to check the sidebar for my current giveaways!


WWW Wednesdays April 30, 2014


WWW Wednesdays is hosted by Should Be Reading

To play along, just answer the following three questions…

• What are you currently reading?
• What did you recently finish reading?
• What do you think you’ll read next?

Clicking on the book covers will take you to Goodreads for more information about the books listed below.

What are you currently reading?

Spun by Catherine McKenzie
One of my fav authors - my stop on the Spun book tour is May 5th.

The Debt Collector by Susan Kaye Quinn (audiobook)
I've read a few of the episodes and I love listening to it. The narrator is perfect! 

Texasville by Larry McMurtry
Hoping to get back to this one soon.

What did you recently finish reading?

The Twelfth Child by Bette Lee Crosby
Another favorite author - another wonderful story!

Destination Wedding by Deanna Lynn Sletten
Another one of my must read authors - loved this story! 

A Perfect Fit by Heather Tullis (audio-book)
Liked the story - not so much the narrator. Not sure if I want to continue listening to the series.

Momnesia by Lori Verni-Fogarsi
This was read for my book club. I really liked it. Some of the members didn't. To each her own, right?

What do you think you will read next?

Breaking the Rules and Bending the Rules by L.K. Lewis
My stop on the Bending the Rules book tour is May 8th.

What's on your WWW this week?

Leave me a comment and
I'll stop by to check out your reads.



Be sure to check the sidebar for my current giveaways!

Monday, April 28, 2014

Cover Reveal: The Luthier's Apprentice by Mayra Calvani


 The Luthier's Apprentice 

This cover is absolutely beautiful!!!!


Releases on May 15th

Niccolò Paganini (1782-1840), one of the greatest violinists who ever lived and rumored to have made a pact with the devil, has somehow transferred unique powers to another…

When violinists around the world mysteriously vanish, 16-year-old Emma Braun takes notice. But when her beloved violin teacher disappears… Emma takes charge. With Sherlock Holmes fanatic, not to mention gorgeous Corey Fletcher, Emma discovers a parallel world ruled by an ex-violinist turned evil sorceress who wants to rule the music world on her own terms.

But why are only men violinists captured and not women? What is the connection between Emma's family, the sorceress, and the infamous Niccolò Paganini?

Emma must unravel the mystery in order to save her teacher from the fatal destiny that awaits him. And undo the curse that torments her family—before evil wins and she becomes the next luthier's apprentice…

About the author


Mayra Calvani writes fiction and nonfiction for children and adults and has authored over a dozen books, some of which have won awards. Her stories, reviews, interviews and articles have appeared on numerous publications such as The Writer, Writer’s Journal, Multicultural Review, and Bloomsbury Review, among many others. 

When she’s not writing, reading, editing or reviewing, she enjoys walking her dog, traveling, and spending time with her family. Represented by Serendipity Literary.

Connect with Mayra




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Sunday, April 27, 2014

Book Blitz: To Know Me by Marcy Blesy, an Excerpt and a Giveaway!


To Know Me


To Know Me by Marcy Blesy 
Series: To Know Me #1 
Publication date: August 21st 2013
Genres: Romance, Young Adult

To know me is to die.

Seventeen-year-old Mae is convinced that the consequences of her poor decisions have caused the untimely deaths of her dad, sister Laura, and grandma who all die within a year, no matter how ludicrous her thoughts seem to those she loves. The solution? Run away so no one else she cares for gets hurt (even if she has to keep a GPS tracker on her phone at all times).

Desperate to earn her diploma and salvage something of her life, she transfers schools when people get too close. After switching to Woodson Prep with only two months to go until graduation, Mae keeps her goals in sight. But when she meets Ty, the “perfect boy” with his own secrets and a relentless interest in Mae, she must decide if she can stop running from the past and still protect those she loves.

*****************************

TO KNOW ME is the first book in a new YA romance series that follows Mae from her senior year in high school through her first two years in college as she learns to accept the consequences of her past mistakes that keep impacting the relationships with those she loves...and those she shouldn't.      

Out now:  TO KNOW ME...TO LOVE ME...TO FORGIVE ME...and coming in summer 2014: TO CHOOSE ME.


 To Know Me is only $.99 right now from Amazon!!

Excerpt
To know me is to die. I mean, to really know me, like when you know I can run for hours without so much as a water break, or that cinnamon sugar doughnuts are my weakness, or that my dad gave me a whole different name. But I don’t let people get that close. I've learned the hard way. Too many people die in my life. Grandma said I was only unlucky. 
“It’s not your fault all those people you love die. It’s just bad luck that you've had to deal with grief so young. Not fair at all,” she’d said. That was right before she died on my seventeenth birthday and right after my sister Laura, my dad, and my dog Petie. 
I direct Mom Number 4 toward the front door of the high school. I always get a new mom when I transfer schools. I have yet to find a school that allows a seventeen-year-old to register herself. I wanted to graduate in Ohio, but too many people started asking questions. They weren't important questions. Just stuff like, “How come I can’t ever come over to your house?” or “Why won’t you ever talk about yourself?” or when I do, “That’s not what you told so-and-so.” I had to leave. To let people into my life isn't an option anymore. But, there’re no worries anyone will start to ask questions here. It’s already March. That diploma is as good as mine. Then I can enroll in online college and try to salvage something of my pathetic life.
About the author


Marcy Blesy is the author of several middle grade and young adult novels and short stories. Her picture book, Am I Like My Daddy?, helps children who experienced the loss of a parent when they were much younger. She has also been published in two Chicken Soup for the Soul books as well as various newspapers and magazines. By day she runs an elementary school library and enjoys spending time with her husband and two boys.

Marcy is a believer in love and enjoys nothing more than making her readers feel a book more than simply reading it. She likes to connect with her readers via twitter (@marcyblesy), email (mablesy(at)yahoo.com), or her blog(www.marcyblesy.com).

Connect with Marcy







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Saturday, April 26, 2014

Book Spotlight and a Giveaway! Sleepless by Cyn Balog


Sleepless


Sleepless by Cyn Balog
Paperback, 240 pages
Published July 12th 2011 by Ember 

Eron DeMarchelle isn't supposed to feel this connection. He is a Sandman, a supernatural being whose purpose is to seduce his human charges to sleep. Though he can communicate with his charges in their dreams, he isn't encouraged to do so. After all, becoming too involved in one human's life could prevent him from helping others get their needed rest.

But he can't deny that he feels something for Julia, a lonely girl with fiery red hair and sad dreams. Just weeks ago, her boyfriend died in a car accident, and Eron can tell that she feels more alone than ever. Eron was human once too, many years ago, and he remembers how it felt to lose the one he loved. In the past, Eron has broken rules to protect Julia, but now, when she seems to need him more than ever, he can't reach her. Eron's time as a Sandman is coming to a close, and his replacement doesn't seem to care about his charges. Worse, Julia is facing dangers she doesn't recognize, and Eron, as he transitions back to being human, may be the only one who can save her. . . .

Even once they've become human again, Sandmen are forbidden to communicate with their charges. But Eron knows he won't be able to forget Julia. Will he risk everything for a chance to be with the girl he loves?

Cyn Balog's follow-up to Fairy Tale has more wit, more supernatural delights, and more star-crossed romance! Teen girls will love this story of a Sandman who falls in love with his human charge.


About the author


Cyn Balog is a normal, everyday Jersey Girl who always believed magical things can happen to us when we least expect them. She is author of young adult paranormals FAIRY TALE (2009), SLEEPLESS(2010), STARSTRUCK (2011), TOUCHED (2012), and her most recent release: DEAD RIVER (2013).e. She lives outside Allentown, Pennsylvania with her husband and daughters.

She also writes under the pen name Nichola Reilly. Nichola Reilly is Cyn Balog's post-apocalyptic fantasy-writing alter-ego. The first book in her series, DROWNED, will be releasing from Harlequin TEEN sometime in 2014, followed by a sequel, BURIED, in 2015.

Connect with Cyn





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Friday, April 25, 2014

Release Day: Stone of Destiny by Laura Howard


Stone of Destiny (The Danaan Trilogy Book 2)
by Laura Howard
Genre: New Adult Paranormal Romance


Allison thought it was crazy enough when she found out her father, Liam, wasn't entirely human. But now she has to join his magical allies to unravel his former mistress's plans. Aoife wants to keep Allison's parents apart forever.

Despite Allison's efforts to keep Ethan, the only guy she's ever cared about, out of this supernatural mess, fate keeps throwing him back into the mix.

Will Allison be able to find the amulet that holds the enchantment Aoife placed on Liam and destroy it? Are Ethan' s feelings for Allison strong enough to endure the magic of the Tuatha De Danaan?

Purchase Stone of Destiny



The Forgotten Ones

Book One in The Danaan Trilogy


About Laura

Laura Howard lives in New Hampshire with her husband and four children. Her obsession with books began at the age of 6 when she got her first library card. Nancy Drew, Sweet Valley High and other girly novels were routinely devoured in single sittings.

Books took a backseat to diapers when she had her first child. It wasn't until the release of a little novel called Twilight, 8 years later, that she rediscovered her love of fiction. Soon after, her own characters began to make themselves known.



Be sure to check the sidebar for my current giveaways!

Thursday, April 24, 2014

On Tour: Love Illusion by Chineka Williams, Voices, and a Giveaway!


Visit other stops on the tour here


Love Illusion

Love Illusion by Chineka Williams
Kindle Edition, 149 pages
Published February 18th 2014

Lucy is a confident PR professional, who is fearful of her troubled ex-boyfriend Charles. He is in denial about their breakup. With issues of alcoholism and abandonment, he spirals out of control.

Meanwhile, Lucy’s best friend Jade has found love and is about to get married. She is a loyal friend who is there for Lucy every step of the way.

Feeling trapped, Lucy is determined to fight back against Charles, but it won’t be without complication. After great debate, she optimistically accepts a new job offer miles away. Lucy soon embarks on an uncertain journey all connected to love.


Purchase Love Illusion


My thoughts about Love Illusion ~~ 

I love this cover. The reader gets the impression from the cover that the main character is going in a trip and is going to experience new places and  new people. 

Love Illusion is a story that invoked strong emotions in me. First of all there is Lucy, someone I know I would like to know. She's a successful business woman and is just looking for someone to spend her life with. I really liked Lucy and wanted her to find happiness. 

And then there's Jade, Lucy's best friend. She is about to get married and Lucy is there for her, just like she is there for Lucy. What a great friend! I enjoyed seeing the interaction between these two best friends. Sometimes it was all about Jade but then sometimes it was about Lucy. 

Probably the character that I felt the strongest about was Charles. Seriously creepy. And he is a respected doctor. Really? He has some serious problems. 
'He wasn't as mature as she had wanted him to be and then there were his anger issues.'
Overall I enjoyed Love Illusions. Chineka is very good at setting up descriptive scenes, such as the tea party that Lucy organized for Angela. I was able to visualize the party just as if I had been there in person. 

I did find parts of the story a bit choppy though and wished the author had added more to the scenes to fill them out a little bit more. Sometimes it felt like we were just getting the facts, without much background or emotion. 

This was a great first book by an author I will be keeping my eye on. It will be interesting to watch her writing talent grow and develop with each new book.  

*********************************

Hi Chineka - Welcome to The Book Bag! I have heard other authors say that they 'hear voices in their head' and that is how they write their books: the characters are telling their stories. Not being a writer myself, that concept has always intrigued me.

When some people hear voices, we get them medical attention, others end up becoming writers. Does this happen to you? How do you come up with your stories?


I believe that all authors have voices in their mind. Whether it be from the characters of a work in progress or the many ideas that are constantly floating around concerning writing, the voices are always there. Like gears that always turn thoughts sometimes intersect and feed off of one another. For me, my mind rarely ever shuts off unless I am sleep.

Ideas about writing projects are always making themselves heard in my thoughts. With that being said I always have a mini notebook in my purse wherever I may be. With the use of dropbox I can also write the thoughts that I have in a note and they will sync to all of my other devices.

When I am out and about certain things that I see may evoke a thought about a work in progress. For instance, a steady rain may cause me to think of a character walking along the cobblestone streets on a rainy day in Paris.

Thoughts of all varieties can pop up at any time and as a writer I have to be ready to confront them and be willing to document them at a moments notice.

As writers we are not crazy with the thoughts in our heads, but creative. It is what makes us unique in our writing voices. We all have different ones, but are all writing for the love of the craft.

I am currently starting to outline the beginning of my second novel and the thoughts surrounding it are almost non-stop. I am getting fresh ideas about plot and character development almost every hour. With that being said, I have learned to separate  my thoughts and get them out of my head as soon as possible. This way not many of my thoughts concerning writing get jumbled up in my mind.

The last point that I want to make concerning the voices in an authors head is that as long as the voices are coming a writers outlook on the craft is healthy. When the voices are no longer heard then I would worry. 

About the author


Chineka Williams found a love of reading and writing early on as a child. She is a graduate of North Carolina Central University with a bachelor's degree in Journalism. Books and Stilettos is the blog that she maintains for all things women's fiction and writing updates. 

Outside of reading, her hobbies include baking, playing the clarinet, photography, and DIY. She can always be seen with a cup of tea close by. Love Illusion is her debut novel.

Connect with Chineka









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Wednesday, April 23, 2014

WWW Wednesdays April 23, 2014


WWW Wednesdays is hosted by Should Be Reading

To play along, just answer the following three questions…

• What are you currently reading?
• What did you recently finish reading?
• What do you think you’ll read next?

Clicking on the book covers will take you to Goodreads for more information about the books listed below.

What are you currently reading?

Momnesia by Lori Verni-Fogarsi
Book group meets on Thursday - hope I'm done by then!

A Perfect Fit by Heather Tullis (audio-book)
Just about done with this one!

Texasville by Larry McMurtry
Hoping to get back to this one soon.

What did you recently finish reading?

Love Illusion by Chineka Williams
Check back tomorrow for my thoughts and enter the giveaway!

The Last Original Wife by Dorothea Benton Frank
Check out my thoughts here and enter the giveaway!

What do you think you will read next?

Hidden by Catherine McKenzie
I can't wait to get started on this one!

What's on your WWW this week?

Leave me a comment and
I'll stop by to check out your reads.



Be sure to check the sidebar for my current giveaways!

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