Showcase: The Return by Carter Vance

The Return is an action thriller that challenges us with the possibility that Jesus Christ is returning now. “The world currently in a state of upheaval and getting more chaotic everyday,” states Carter Vance, author of The Return. “Many of the prophesized signs of the end times are here, now, and are an indication of the possible return of Christ.”

What if the Knights Templar never disbanded and have amassed, over the centuries, virtually unlimited resources in anticipation of His return?

Aided by the manpower and financial, technological, and military resources of the Knights Templar, the parents and their unborn son face challenges from the most evil of the dark forces in society.

“The grail will be found in the thistles, but it’s not there./If you break it, victory is yours./Else, you battle the first son for 27 revolutions for the prize of a thousand years.” 

Their nemesis races to solve this riddle for the prize, but where the answer lies is a mystery to him and his minions. Always aware and on the move, the First Family never rests until the ultimate battle is waged with fleets of the most advanced vehicles and armaments known to man. Who will be left when the battle ends and who will know it ever happened? 

bio:
Carter Vance is a financial executive who has extensive knowledge of prophecies, religions, relics, and the esoteric.

Drawing from actual rare, ancient, secret prophetic records in his possession, and the work of his staff astrologer, Carter has written his debut novel, The Return. The story is a spellbinding account of how the prophecies may be fulfilled in the return of Christ to our modern day world.

Q.  What inspires your writing?

A. The mystery of the Continuum.

Q.  What is your favorite thing about being an author?

A.  Being able to tell stories that I would like to hear.

Q.  What is the toughest part of being an author?

A.  Keeping track of everything and getting people to become aware of my books.

Q.  If you could not be author, what would you do/be?

A. A bond trader and an architect

Q.  What would the story of your life be entitled?

A. Up until now, Fractured Fairytales.

Q.  What is your favorite book of all time?

A. Too many to single out, but Time Enough for Love by Heinlein is one of them.

Q.  Which character from ANY book are you most like?

A. Probably none as each of us are unique.

Q.  What character from all of your book are you most like?

A. probably Geoff

Q.  What is your favorite season?

A. Summer

Q.  What inspired your book cover(s)?  Or what is your favorite book cover and why?

A. The Templar sword aiding the blinding light of God.

Q.  Tell me something funny that happened while on a book tour or while promoting your book.

A. nothing funny has ever happened

Q.  Are you working on something new?

A. Yes, book two in the series. It is about Laz growing up.

Q.  Anything you want to say to followers of this blog or those that are just stopping by?

A.  Read my books and I hope you enjoy them.

BUY THE BOOK:

barnes & noble

Young Adult Blog Hop

I am giving away 3 great books:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

WINNER is Sally Johnson @jsally224@*****.com

Welcome to Elsewhere. It is warm, with a breeze, and the beaches are marvelous. It’s quiet and peaceful. You can’t get sick or any older. Curious to see new paintings by Picasso? Swing by one of Elsewhere’s museums. Need to talk to someone about your problems? Stop by Marilyn Monroe’s psychiatric practice.

Elsewhere is where fifteen-year-old Liz Hall ends up, after she has died. It is a place so like Earth, yet completely different. Here Liz will age backward from the day of her death until she becomes a baby again and returns to Earth. But Liz wants to turn sixteen, not fourteen again. She wants to get her driver’s license. She wants to graduate from high school and go to college. And now that she’s dead, Liz is being forced to live a life she doesn’t want with a grandmother she has only just met. And it is not going well. How can Liz let go of the only life she has ever known and embrace a new one? Is it possible that a life lived in reverse is no different from a life lived forward?

This moving, often funny book about grief, death, and loss will stay with the reader long after the last page is turned.

Melinda Sordino busted an end-of-summer party by calling the cops. Now her old friends won't talk to her, and people she doesn't even know hate her from a distance. The safest place to be is alone, inside her own head. But even that's not safe. Because there's something she's trying not to think about, something about the night of the party that, if she let it in, would blow her carefully constructed disguise to smithereens. And then she would have to speak the truth. This extraordinary first novel has captured the imaginations of teenagers and adults across the country.

It’s just a small story really, about among other things: a girl, some words, an accordionist, some fanatical Germans, a Jewish fist-fighter, and quite a lot of thievery....

Narrated by Death, Markus Zusak’s groundbreaking new novel is the story of Liesel Meminger, a young foster girl living outside of Munich in Nazi Germany. Liesel scratches out a meager existence for herself by stealing when she encounters something she can’t resist – books. Soon she is stealing books from Nazi book-burnings, the mayor's wife's library, wherever they are to be found.

With the help of her accordion-playing foster father, Liesel learns to read and shares her stolen books with her neighbors during bombing raids, as well as with the Jewish man hidden in her basement.

This is an unforgettable story about the ability of books to feed the soul.

Have fun hopping over to other blogs! Each of these blog is hosting a giveaway for a young adult book.  The linky will be accurate on Tuesday morning.  

Showcase: Extreme Measures by Rachel Carrington

Four years ago Erin’s life changed drastically. Her drug-addicted brother killed her parents, and her marriage disintegrated. Her husband, Matt, an FBI agent, had done his duty when he’d arrested Stuart, but she’d been too caught up in her own grief to allow him to help her move through the shadows of pain. 

Now Matt is back, but it isn’t to attempt reconciliation. Her brother has escaped from Attica, and Erin is his next target. Matt will stop Stuart by any means necessary. But Stuart is a desperate man, and desperate men will do anything to get what they want.

Thrown together by treacherous circumstances, Matt and Erin fight a battle to stay alive and possibly figure out how to put the pieces of their destroyed lives back together again.

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

About the author:  Rachel Carrington...I started writing years ago, and my first attempt was a contemporary romance that will never see the light of day. I think I may even have thrown it away by now. It was absolutely horrific as I knew nothing about well...anything to do with writing.

After that, I started writing fantasy romances about wizards and wizards, and once those took off, I segued to paranormal romances (hello, vampires and ghosts) and romantic suspense. I also write articles for various magazines, including The Writer's Journal, Writer's Magazine, Writer's Weekly, Writing for Dollars, Absolute Write, and Funds for Writers.

I'm fortunate to make my home in historical Charleston, South Carolina. Beautiful city. Beautiful people. When I'm not writing, I love to read paranormal romance, romantic suspense, young adult fantasy and paranormal, create videos, shop, cross-stitch, cook, and drink lots of coffee.

Q. What inspires your writing?

A. The world around me. I draw inspiration from life. It helps that I have a really overactive imagination, too!

Q. What is your favorite thing about being an author?

A.  I love the creative process itself. When I'm writing, the world around me ceases to exist. I get lost in the characters, the plot, and the dialogue.  And when I finish the book and realize my imagination has created a story that people will read, it's very fulfilling.

Q. What is the toughest part of being an author?

A.  I think any part of this career can be tough, depending upon the situation. Nothing about being an author is easy, and I've had days where the marketing has been the toughest. Other times, the editing nearly ran me ragged. So I believe it has a lot to do with what else is going on in my life.

Q. If you could not be author, what would you do/be?

A. I think I would have loved to be a doctor. My good friend is also my family doctor, and I've been able to watch her interact with patients, to calm frayed nerves, and to be a sounding board. She's so much more than just a doctor, and I know if I could help so many people in so many different ways, I'd love the opportunity.

Q. What would the story of your life be entitled?

A. Leaving the past behind.

Q. What is your favorite book of all time?

A. I go back and forth on this one because it's always a toss-up between Jane Eyre and Pride and Prejudice. I love both of the books so much!

Q. Which character from ANY book are you most like?

A.  Probably Bridget Jones from Bridget Jones' Diary with the exception of the vices. I don't have struggles with alcohol or cigarettes, but my friends are my surrogate family, and I can relate to Bridget's struggles.

Q. What character from all of your books are you most like?

A. I couldn't just pick which one because every character that I write is a part of me. I have a very sarcastic sense of humor so that's prevalent in all my heroines. I don't always include every one of my characteristics, but there are a lot in each lady I write.

Q. What is your favorite season?

A. Definitely winter. I'd love it if I lived in a place where I could look out my window and see snow. And I've always wanted to own a home in the mountains that I could live in just during the winter.

Q. What inspired your book cover(s)? Or what is your favorite book cover and why?

A. For me to pick a favorite of anything I write or related to my books is so difficult. I've been fortunate to have so many book covers that I've loved. Burning Reflections comes to mind because it really does set up the story.

Q. Are you working on something new?

A. I'm always working on something new. I usually have at least four or five books going at once. Right now, it's another romantic thriller (thanks to my real estate agent who sparked the idea), the sequel to Waking Up Immortal, a spin-off from Vampire Forgotten, a love story for fifty-something adults, and a paranormal series about shapeshifting demons.

Q. Anything you want to say to followers of this blog or those that are just stopping by?

A.  Thank you for stopping by today! I'm always grateful when someone spends time learning more about me and my books.

I'm all over the internet and to help you track me down, I'm providing the links below:

My website: www.dawnrachel.com

Twitter@rcarrington2004

Facebook: rachelcarringtonwrites

Pinterest: rcarrington2004

Goodreads: rcarrington2004

Wattpad: http://wattpad.com/RachelCarrington

My latest book release is a romantic thriller, Extreme Measures, which released on January 20th. You can find it at Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble.com, and soon at All Romance Ebooks and Smashwords. 

Review: A Land More Kind Than Home by Wiley Cash

Book Description

Release date: January 22, 2013

For a curious boy like Jess Hall, growing up in Marshall means trouble when you get caught spying on grown-ups. Adventurous and precocious, Jess is protective of his older brother, Christopher, a mute whom everyone calls Stump. Though their mother has warned them not to snoop, Stump can't help sneaking a look at something he's not supposed to—an act that will have repercussions. It's a wrenching event that thrusts Jess into an adulthood for which he's not prepared. He now knows that a new understanding can bring not only danger and evil—but also the possibility of freedom and deliverance.

Told by resonant and evocative characters, A Land More Kind Than Home is a haunting tale of courage in the face of cruelty and the power of love to overcome the darkness that lives in us all.

4.5 Stars

This is a story about a midwife, preacher and 2 boys – one of which is autistic.  Secrets start a chain reaction of tragedy that leaves a family and a town changed forever. 

This book was told from multiple points of view which provided many different perspectives and made the reader feel as if they were living the story along side the characters. The author did a fabulous job relaying the emotions that each characters felt throughout the story.  This is a novel filled with so many emotions.  Sadness, evil, love...you name it and it was in the story.  

I really liked this book and cannot wait for his next book.  This book pulled me in and I could not put it down.  I wanted to know the results of the investigation. If you read this book you are sure to be sucked in and to become part of an amazing story.

Review: Heart of Steel by Jennifer Probst

 

Chandler Santell avoids men--especially the rich and powerful ones who believe more in money than in people. Desperate to save her struggling Yoga and Arts Center, her last hope is the most powerful man in the finance industry, a man reputed to have a "Heart of Steel."

Logan Grant knew he was in trouble the moment Chandler Santell walked into his office. He agrees to her crazy deal only when she risks all and guarantees him a profit. Behind the scenes, a dangerous game of love, power, and greed begin to play out--a game Chandler knows nothing about. The payoff is worth millions to the man who can win Chandler's heart. But is love worth the price?

I am a huge fan of Jennifer Probst, she rocks as an author.  In Heart of Steel you have Logan the business mogul and Chandler the who left the business world to strike out on her own.  The two join in a business partnership that soon becomes romantic.  The story was well written to bring the characters to life and make you feel a part of their lives. It makes you think about what really matters in your life - and its not about money and power.  I loved this book and would recommend this to everyone.  I give it 4 stars and a heat rating of 2 1/2.  

Review: The Booby Trap by Anne Browning Walker

 The Booby Trap, A Pixel Entertainment Brand, is a romance novel based in The Booby Trap, a seedy bar where waitresses' skirts are high, necklines are low, and customers show up for the eye candy. When brainy, beautiful, Harvard Ph.D. candidate Bambi Benson wants to study the women of the Booby Trap for her dissertation, she goes undercover and joins them. All is going well for Bambi until handsome local celebrity Trip Whitley enters the scene. Hoping to shock his high-society family by dating a bimbo, Trip offers to pay Bambi to pretend to be his girlfriend. She accepts his offer and bides her time, waiting for the right moment to reveal her true identity and teach Trip not to judge based on appearances. After a series of dates carefully orchestrated for their publicity value, Bambi's trap is set. But there's one problem: the predator might have fallen in love with her prey.

This book was great read.  I loved the interaction between Bambi and Trip.  The book was well written, keeps you entertained and makes you think about judging a "book" by its cover.  I would highly recommend this book to anyone.  I give it 3 stars.

Showcase/Review: Thou Shall Not by Tina Glasneck

Bodies are piling up in Richmond, Virginia, mutilated, and tagged. A serial killer metes out justice to those that have escaped it, and Alexandria Xandy Caras is on the list. Two years have passed since the workplace massacre; six months since the day her charge of murder was dismissed. When innocent “fan” letters become aggressive acts, Xandy finds herself seeking help from Police Captain, Victor Hawthorne. He doesn’t believe in coincidences. Can he keep her safe when all signs point to her as being the killer’s ultimate target? Only Xandy’s death can make it all stop, silencing the deranged killer, who wants more than revenge, but true repentance. Some things are worth KILLING for.

Tina standing with her book, THOU SHALL NOT

Tina Glasneck is the author of THOU SHALL NOT, a gritty suspense, set in Richmond, Virginia, where a serial killer is seeking recompense for justice’s failure. As one reviewer on Amazon said, “This is definitely NOT just another cozy mystery. Gritty, with authentic dialogue, the author builds a serial killer as if she knows them from the inside-out.” Thou Shall Not is available in Trade Paperback and in Kindle edition.

The second story in the series, ANGELS CRY, is scheduled for release in March 2013. Connect with Tina through Facebook, on Twitter or at her website at tinaglasneck.com.

A Writer That Loves To READ

January 2013 marked nine months since I’d jumped into the hot soup of being an Indie author. The past few months have been filled with appearances, signings, and being creative, but what I’ve learned the most is the importance of reading!

I sort of equate this to being a food lover and watching culinary shows on the Food Network. Sometimes the genius of creativity can spark one’s own creativity. I often find my creativity through doing other creative things, such as painting, drawing, photographing or even creating a culinary masterpiece. Yet, it is in finding that spark that makes my heart sing, and prompts me continuously to type.  Writing is not a hobby or a job; it is my passion!

Can you imagine a world where your passion didn’t exist? For me, writing is that way. I love it, and nothing compares to truly being able to put pen to paper (or rather fingertips to keyboard). Almost on par with that is my love for a great story, to not only create them, but to also read them.  When a story transports you to faraway places, it somehow enriches your life and those quiet moments become even more special.

Be forewarned though because I genre hop! It depends on my mood on what I am looking forward to reading. It is sort of like having a taste for Italian or spicy Thai. My reading pleasure is derived from variety.

Through my Kindle, I discovered great new authors, and was able to read old favorites. This year, I’ve enjoyed several great books (new and old). One that always freaks me out, is RED DRAGON by Thomas Harris. This book was one of the first thriller/suspense novels that I had the pleasure of reading, when I was younger. It introduced me to the great Hannibal Lector and made me have a visceral response.  Re-reading it in 2012, it still gave me the chills. That story transported me to another time and place, and introduced me to an evil personified.

But, I also read great romances, such as A LITTLE BIT OF DÉJÀ VU by Laurie Kellog, where I couldn’t help but fall in love with a story about second chances at first love; or the great women’s fiction by Sarka-Jonae Miller called IN BETWEEN BOYFRIENDS, about a woman looking for herself and true love.

By giving other genres a chance, I’ve grown so much in understanding the beauty of story and it made me think about me as a writer. Since I enjoy reading in so many different directions, maybe I would enjoy writing in different genres. I’m not sure where that thought will lead me, but I know that because I love words, I’m sure I will continue to write the stories I enjoy to read, regardless of genres, word counts or settings.

I am currently working on book 3 of the  Xandy Caras series, and am already plotting to discover what tales lay in my imagination. Who knows, maybe it will still be a suspense, but with a paranormal element, or maybe it will be a heartfelt sweet romance, or even an outright horror story. I hope you will join me in this adventurous journey, because what I promise you is a great story!

What stories did you read in 2012 that you would recommend? I’m always looking for another wonderful story to devour.

I love a book that keeps me turning pages and holds me all the way to the very last page.  To top it off I love a book that surprises me at the end.  THOU SHALL NOT was an engaging read that was not only interesting, but had great characters, great dialogue and a fantastic quick paced, well plotted story.  A hit overall...cannot wait to see where this author takes us next.  4 stars.

Read my Q&A with Tina HERE

Showcase/Review: In the Fools Footsteps by Karen Hoffman

Book Description

Publication Date: May 17, 2012

You’re in a used bookstore when you find a filthy old notebook. You smell the mildew and feel the aged mushiness of the remaining pages, about to disintegrate in your fingertips, and stained with mud, coffee, tears, who knows what else. Further inspection reveals that it’s a diary. Do you read it? Who wouldn’t? Then you notice that it has passed through several hands since 1928 when a teenaged runaway named Clara started the whole thing. Now it’s in your hands. Do you add your own story to this odd message-in-a-bottle collection? This is the question Kal Winters is avoiding. Seventy-six years after Clara dropped her diary on the steps of Union Station, Kal finds it in a used bookstore and sets out to trace its path, hoping to learn the secret of Clara’s identity. During this surreal journey that draws from folklore, legend and tarot, Kal encounters a cast of weird and wonderful players in a story about alienation and the human need to connect.

There are books that come to you by chance and when you read the back cover you hope the book can meet the high expectations you set for it.  In the Fool's Footsteps did not disappoint.  It was an extremely engaging and well weaved story of the travel of a journal through many years 

and many hands.  It illustrates how our lives feed into others and how the power of the written word can become a mystery in and of itself!  I really enjoyed this novel and rate it 4 stars!

Karen Hoffman grew up in a small town in southwestern Ontario, but moved to Toronto in 1995. She lives in a tiny, old house with her husband, young son and parrot. Aside from In the Fool's Footsteps, she has also written a play called It Just Is that was produced in 2007 at the Junction Arts Festival in Toronto.

Karen is happiest when she's being creative, whether it's writing, acting, sewing or painting. She is also a sporadic blogger and avid hatcher of plans. (Her friends and family tend to run into hiding whenever she says, "Hey, you know what would be cool?")

To learn what is currently incubating in her writing life, follow Karen on Twitter at @foolsfootsteps or visit www.prosperocious.wordpress.com. Personal observations and other projects can be found at www.simplecityliving.wordpress.com.

Q.  What inspires your writing?

A. Inspiration comes to me from real-life observations catalogued in my brain over the years. I rarely write that stuff down right away because, frankly, I lose scraps of paper. If it’s a good idea, my subconscious will tuck it away for later. When I need a detail for a setting or a character, they tend to pop into my head as I’m writing. It sometimes feels more like channeling than writing – accessing almost-forgotten moments, strange details with no context, snippets of conversation. That may sound crazy, and I often joke with my friends about the voices in my head, but I think many writers are a touch insane.

Q.  What is your favorite thing about being an author? 

A.  I appreciate the escapism creative writing offers – the opportunity to meander around in my own world for a couple of hours. In whatever setting I have invented, with whatever characters, it’s therapeutic to fictionalize real-life snags and work them out on the page. I find the whole process immensely gratifying, from puzzling out the structure and outline to crafting a scene and choosing the absolute best combination of words.

Q.  What is the toughest part of being an author? 

A.  As with any creative endeavour, those deep, dark moments of self-doubt are the toughest for me. (Fortunately, they are getting less deep and dark as I learn to ignore it and just get on with it.)  

 Q.  If you could not be author, what would you do/be? 

A. Writing has always been my dream and filled my spare time while paying the bills with ‘regular’ jobs. If writing were out of the picture, I would probably pursue an acting career. It comes back to my favourite thing about writing – getting lost in another world, another character. I’ve done a bit of acting, and adore the liberation and adventure of being able to say and do things on a stage that I would never do in real life.

Q.  What would the story of your life be entitled? 

A.  I'm Starting to Think It's Me 

Q.  What is your favorite book of all time? 

A.  The World’s Best Fairy Tales, specifically the Reader’s Digest anthology published in 1967. My grandmother used to read to me from that book and I still have it. The stories are uncensored, with all the violence left in there. I’ve carried that book from city to city my whole life and now it sits on my headboard.

In high school, I read Bruno Bettelheim's Uses of Enchantment, a Jungian interpretation of classical fairy tales, and the stories were all suddenly very new to me. Sex and violence. That was a catalyst for a life-long fascination with archetypes and, to a certain extent, ancient spirituality. I based all of the main players in my book on tarot cards and shaped the plot to parallel the experiential journey the Fool card represents as he learns the lessons of the other cards. So, that book from my childhood had and still has a huge impact.

Q.  Which character from ANY book are you most like? 

A.  Sissy Hankshaw from Even Cowgirls Get the Blues. While my thumbs are normal size and I’ve never hitchhiked, she follows her own path and draws her own conclusions rather than relying on what she’s been told by authority figures.

Q.  What character from all of your book are you most like? 

A. That’s a tricky question because all the characters have elements of me. Cherise, however, is probably closest to my personality, or at least the way I would like others to see me. She’s loving and graceful, but with a bit of an edge. She’s also slightly domesticated, enjoying cooking, crocheting and gardening, but knows how to handle power tools. She also likes to party and laugh.

Q.  What is your favorite season?

A. Sprummerall. (That’s a season, right?) From the first warm rays to the crisp ending. From planting the first of the peas to harvesting the carrots, my garden is my favourite place to be. I read in my garden. I relax there with a cocktail and my best friend. I play with my son. We have parties and barbeques. I write in my garden. 

Q.  What inspired your book cover(s)?  Or what is your favorite book cover and why? 

A. The cover, which was photographed and designed by Matthew Marigold [www.matthewmarigold.com], is based on the Fool card from the tarot. In the traditional tarot deck, the fool is walking along a mountain path with a sack tied to a stick. He is about to step off a cliff into an entirely new and unexpected situation. The cover is the same composition, but placed in an urban setting.

 

Q.  Tell me something funny that happened while on a book tour or while promoting your book. 

A.  For my book launch party, I wanted to be able to sign ebooks for those who preferred that format. So, I designed a special cover to fit a Kindle, which then needed to be printed, cut out and glued together. There was a misunderstanding between myself and the printer about the paper size – the result was that we could only fit one per page rather than two. When I got the print job home and sat down to work on assembling the covers, I realized that he had printed double the number without charging me. I was really touched by that.

I went back to the same printer some time later to get posters done for an upcoming reading and took the opportunity to thank him for the kindness. He had no recollection of the first encounter, and most certainly didn’t recognize me. After I left, questioning my own sanity, I remembered that I had all my hair cut off.

Oh, and almost nobody at the launch bought the electronic version. So I have a whack of these things to give away for those who have purchased the ebook and would like a signed cover. 

[link to: http://prosperocious.wordpress.com/2012/07/25/how-did-the-e-author-sign-her-e-books/] Just drop me a note in the comments section of my blog.

Q.  Are you working on something new? 

A.  I’m just now putting the finishing touches on the concept and outline for my next novel and beginning to write the first draft.

I’ve also had some feedback from readers that they would like more In the Fool’s Footsteps, so I may do some independent pieces on my blog that will expand some of the characters more and switch perspectives away from the story’s unreliable narrator.

I’ve also been presented with a couple of blogging opportunities that I am considering.

Q.  Anything you want to say to followers of this blog or those that are just stopping by? 

A. I’d like to say thank you for supporting indie authors. Shortly before I launched my book, I started having anxiety dreams that the internet shut down. That, of course, would be devastating for self-published authors because it would cut us off from our audience (not to mention the resulting world-wide chaos and destruction, but this is my dream and I don’t write in the post-apocalyptic genre). It’s amazing to me that so many book lovers have embraced new technology in a way that enables writers to just put it out there and let the chips fall where they may. 

FIND THE BOOK AT THE FOLLOWING PLACES:

Smashwords

ProsperoCity

Goodreads

Facebook

@foolsfootsteps