Friday, September 29, 2017

Happy Release Day ~ Stella Maris (The Legendary Rosaries, Book One) by Marita A. Hansen YA Fantasy, PNR


Stella Maris
The Legendary Rosaries
Book One
Marita A. Hansen

Genre: YA Fantasy, PNR

Date of Publication: September 29, 2017.

ISBN: 9781548606749
ASIN: B073R5DB6J

Number of pages: 320 pdf
Word Count: 117342

Cover Artist: We Got You Covered Book Design.

About the Book:

At her first Confirmation lesson, Catherine Lovich is given a beautiful rosary known as the Stella Maris. Unaware of the danger attached to it, she accepts the gift, soon discovering that each bead on the rosary holds a unique power, powers that only Merges can use. Descended from angels and demons, Merges have the innate ability to manipulate the elements as well as bring the past to the present through dreams.

After meeting Christopher Laboure on her first day back at Agnaru High, Catherine learns that the arrogant but heavenly-looking boy is a Merge—like herself. But unlike Catherine, Christopher is a Seraph, a Merge who controls the fire beads.

When a heated kiss goes wrong, Christopher finds out that Catherine is wearing the Stella Maris—the water rosary his grandfather wants to destroy.

Along with its owner.

STELLA MARIS will transport you into a realm where nothing is what it seems and everything holds hidden danger.

For More Information:




Read a Teaser Excerpt:

Her eyes widened. She quickly backed up into the locker, fear colouring her expression. I knew why. The fire inside of me had lit up my eyes, turning them from brown to red. I clenched my hands into fists, willing them to change back, the flames already trying to burst forth. But it wouldn’t stop, my panic and hers now fueling the fire. ~Chris.


SOME FACTS ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

NATIONALITY: I am a New Zealander with Croatian heritage.

SPORTS: As a teenager my favourite sports were karate, badmington, and running. I also did unarmed combat and played in a touch rugby team (my gym teacher made me do the last one!) Now, I stick to coaching soccer and running. I have completed two marathons, numerous half-marathons and one 30K run.

CAREER PATH: I started off as a Graphic Designer, then went to Auckland University, where I got a BA degree in Art History and Italian Studies and a post-graduate Honours degree in Art History. I worked in the Art History field, then became a full-time artist, doing commissions. I eventually lost all of my senses and gave it up to be a writer :)

BAD HABITS: I'm a major procrastinator, I stay up way too late writing, and I get distracted easily unless it's doing something I love.

STATUS: Married to my high school sweetheart (which he hates me calling him). We have two kids.






Twitter: https://twitter.com/MaritaAHansen

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Blog Tour ~ The Divine Heart by Danielle R. Mani #YA #Paranormal ~ @DanielleRMani











The Divine Heart
by Danielle R. Mani
Genre: YA Paranormal
Release Date: September 27th 2017

About the Book:

Seventeen-year-old Elle Collins spent most her life waiting for someone else to die…

When a heart donor is found, Elle awakes from surgery gifted with more than just a new heart—clairaudient messages and spiritual apparitions haunt her until she is convinced that she must be insane. Either that, or her donor is sending a message.

Desperate for answers the medical community can’t provide, Elle’s divination leads her to the family of her donor—a young girl named, Cas. With the help of her best friend, Rob—the guy who’s a testament that her new heart is capable of love, Elle must make sense of the clues Cas is sending. As pieces of Cas’s life and death emerge, Elle will discover that she and Cas share more than just a heart.



Purchase Link:  http://amzn.to/2eTjU1a

Meet the Author:

Danielle R. Mani is a fan of the paranormal in both print and film. In her first book, The Divine One, Ms. Mani combines supernatural fiction with the everyday dramas of young adulthood. Her newest YA paranormal novel, The Divine Heart, is scheduled to be released later this year. Ms. Mani holds a Bachelor of Arts in education and a Master of Science in communications. She is currently a doctoral student studying parapsychology. She resides in Westchester, New York, with her husband, four children, two dogs, and two rescue cats.

Author Links:

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YA Bound Book Tours

Book Tour Spotlight ~ Love and Other Hazards by Claudia Riess ~ Romance


Singles stumbling toward fulfillment in odyssey of sex, love and parenting

Love and Other Hazards
Claudia Riess

Genre: Romance

Publisher: River Grove Books

Date of Publication: June 6, 2017

ISBN: 978-1-63299-122-5
ASIN:  B071P4FLK2

Number of pages: 230 Pages
Word Count: 70,000+

Cover Artist: River Grove Books

About the Book:

Love and Other Hazards is a novel about urban singles stumbling toward fulfillment in an odyssey of sex, love, and parenting.

Glenda Fieldston is at the Metropolitan Museum of Art with her seven-year-old daughter, Astrid, when Eugene Lerman comes walking by with his eight-year-old daughter, Meredith, a schoolmate of Astrid’s. The families spot each other, Glenda and Eugene engage in long-range cursory assessments, and then they go their separate ways.

But not for long. Glenda and Eugene cross paths professionally soon after, and circumstances at work bring them into close association. So begins a friendship fraught with complications. Glenda’s independence is self-imposed and fierce. Eugene’s was foisted on him by a wife who left him. Although Glenda’s and Eugene’s personal demons are incompatible, their longings are, confoundedly, in harmony. Their cautious friendship is further inhibited by past and present relationships, and it remains to be seen if they can break out of their set ways to make a break for uncharted love. 

Purchase Link:


Meet the Author:

Love and Other Hazards is Claudia’s fourth novel. Her fifth, a sequel to her art suspense, Stolen Light, is in the works. The author divides her time between the Hamptons and Manhattan with her husband, Bob.

For reviews of her books and to see what she’s up to, visit her website:




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Book Spotlight ~ Unorthodox (A Kendra Spark Novel, Book One) by S. Peters-Davis



Unorthodox
A Kendra Spark Novel
Book One
S. Peters-Davis

Genre: Paranormal Suspense-Thriller Romance
with a good dollop of Supernatural

Publisher: Books We Love Publishing

Date of Publication: September 15, 2017

ISBN 978-1-77362-303-0
ISBN 978-1-77362-304-7
EPUB 978-1-77362-300-9
Kindle 978-1-77362-301-6
WEB 978-1-77362-302-3

Number of pages: 153 pages
Word Count: 63,000

Cover Artist: CoverUp.Net

Book Tagline:  Kendra’s ability of communicating with the dead is requested by her FBI criminal analyst friend to stop a killer from murdering agents.

Series Tagline: Kendra sees ghosts, and then her BFF, Jenna, becomes one. The two friends and FBI agent Derek Knight fight for justice to the victims of heinous crimes.

About the Book:

Kendra Spark, suspense-mystery romance author and communicator with the dead, is requested to hop on the first flight to D.C.

Jenna Powers, FBI criminal analyst and estranged best friend of Kendra, gets ghosticized in a fatal accident before relaying all the details of the FBI killer case.

Derek Knight, a dedicated FBI Special Task Force agent, takes lead on the case.

The investigation into the FBI agent killings continues as Kendra, Jenna – yes, even after death – and Derek work together on the case before Director of the Special Task Force Jackson Powers’ number is up. He’s Jenna’s father and the end-game of the killer’s target list.

Somehow the elusive killer remains undetected, until Kendra’s unique ability produces results and a final possibility at stopping his killing spree before it’s too late.



Read an Excerpt:

From the Author Review Copy: The scene – Derek has Kendra in a casual interrogation room inside the FBI building – D.C. location

The door opened and Jackson Powers entered before I could respond.
He glanced around the room stopping when he saw me; his red rimmed eyes spoke volumes. I clearly remembered his presence, a straightforward man, full of confidence and direction, but in this moment he appeared like a man broken. I rose and reached for a hand shake. Instead, he grabbed my hand and pulled me into a big bear hug.
“I’m so very sorry about Jenna. Sorry for your loss, for my loss…” Muscles tensed around my vocals and cut off the words.
Tears spilled from both of us. Derek stepped out of the room, clicking the door closed.
“Jenna told me she was meeting with you today, going to show you the city sights.” Jackson held me for a few more minutes, patting my back and telling me it wasn’t my fault.
The thought of the accident initially being my fault had never entered my mind. Why would that thought cross his? I stepped back. Obviously he hadn’t received the latest details of the accident, but even so why would he consider that I’d feel responsible. Even if I questioned that maybe I could have done something to stop her in some way, she did save that boy. “Not sure what you mean…in thinking it could be my fault?”
His eyes widened, maybe a little startled at my blatant question. “I assumed Jenna ran after a little culprit that grabbed your purse or something much worse. She must have gotten caught up in the chase to run in front of on-coming traffic.” His face softened. “Kendra, I know Jenna, there was nothing you could have done to stop her. She’s always been head-strong…was always head-strong,” he corrected himself, then his voice cracked, and suddenly something occurred to me.
Jackson isn’t privy to Jenna and Derek’s manhunt for the FBI killer, nor the reason I’m here. Of course. Jenna had tagged along to certain crime scenes while she was still in college, but from all that I remembered, Jackson wanted her profiling cases strictly inside the building. She had access to all the crime scenes from pictures and files on her laptop. At least she always used to complain about his restrictions, and I couldn’t imagine he would allow her in the field on a serial killer task force, unless things had changed in the last couple years.
There’d been a few close calls on other cases, some of the agent’s family members being abducted or being used for negotiation, leverage. While in college, Jenna told me all the rules her father had enforced if she were to join in any of the FBI cases. He protected her, and now she had returned the favor…to her demise.
Jenna and Derek were hunting the serial killer behind Jackson’s back.
There was a tap on the door and Derek stepped in. His brows were drawn close, eyes narrowed, perhaps his expression of concern. “Sir, I thought Kendra might be hungry. She hasn’t eaten all day.” He smiled at me, and then looked back at Jackson. “I’m headed out for a late lunch and thought I’d take her with me.”
Jackson’s lips pressed together. He finally lifted his chin toward me. “Well, of course. We certainly wouldn’t want anyone going hungry now, would we,” more of a statement than a question. He patted my shoulder. “Go on, Kendra. We can continue our talk later. I’d like to hear exactly what happened to my daughter from someone who was there to witness it.”
Derek grasped my elbow and led me toward the door.
Instead of following, Jackson released a long breathy sigh and sat on the couch. “Shut the door behind you, Derek. And tell Darla I don’t wish to be disturbed.”
My heart swelled huge behind my ribcage, again the confining weight pressing in on my ability to breathe. I couldn’t imagine the emotional maelstrom Jackson was going through. I knew only my own turbulent ride. Now I needed to get some facts straight; it was my turn to interrogate Derek.

Meet the Author:

S. Peters-Davis writes multi-genre stories, but loves penning a good page-turning suspense-thriller, especially when it’s a ghost story and a romance. When she’s not writing, editing, or reading, she’s hiking, RV’ing, fishing, playing with grandchildren, or enjoying time with her favorite muse (her husband) in Southwest Michigan.

She also writes YA paranormal, supernatural novels as DK Davis.


Twitter – https://twitter.com/spdavis788   


BWL Author Page – http://bookswelove.net/authors/peters-davis-s/

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Book Tour & #Giveaway ~ Heart of Time (Ruined Heart, Book 1) by Sky MacKinnon



Heart of Time

Ruined Heart, Book 1

Sky MacKinnon


Genre: Fantasy, Lesbian Romance


For Eona, manipulating time is second nature. It gives her an edge in her dramatic circus performances, but it also separates her from the other artists in her troupe. She has always known that her unique kind of magic could make her a target, but she couldn’t have prepared for being kidnapped, manipulated and imprisoned by a megalomaniac sorcerer.

In order to figure out what he wants from her, she needs to explore her own magic, the bond she feels with a mythical creature, and the feelings she has for a certain beautiful elven woman.

There are about twenty illustrations in the book, drawn by artists from all over the world. 

Add to your shelf on Goodreads

Purchase your copy from Amazon * Apple * B&N * Kobo * Google







Skye MacKinnon is a bestselling author who tells stories about science for a living - but at night she writes fiction, mainly fantasy. When she's not writing, she's out and about with her camera, or spends time with mythical creatures and the odd vampire living in her kindle. Usually, there's tea and cake involved. 

She lives in Scotland with her two overly spoilt house rabbits and a few hundred self-obsessed characters constantly asking her to tell their stories. One day she will. Promise.

Visit the Author Online:


Follow the tour HERE for exclusive excerpts, guest posts and a giveaway!



Thursday, September 28, 2017

Play Vampire MadLibs with Juliet Lyons, Author of Drop Dead Gorgeous! #Giveaway


Let's Play Vampire MadLibs with Juliet Lyons, Author of Drop Dead Gorgeous!

A Madlib by Juliet Lyons

Please choose the following and insert below:

Verb
Body part
Emotion
Verb ending in ing
Color
Noun
Body part
Color
Adjective ending in ing
Time of day
Adjective
Adjective
Noun
Body part
Noun
Liquid
Place
Verb
A woman’s name
Adjective
Adjective
Noun
Verb
Noun
Body part
Verb

You ________ up with a pounding headache, an unbearable thirst burning at the back of your __________. It dawns on you that you’re not alone in bed. Slowly, you open your eyes and turn your head. You are pleasantly _________ to find that a very handsome man is _______ beside you. Pale skin, hair as _______as _______—if it wasn’t for the fangs you would give yourself a pat yourself on the _______. His eyes flip open. They are _______and oddly _______and as he stares, a slow smile unfurls at the corners of his lips. At once you’re thrust into a memory of the _______ before—a _______ figure in the graveyard, a _______ kiss and the promise of a better _______. Tentatively, you probe at your _______, gasping in horror as you feel teeth as sharp as _______. At once you know what you’re thirsting for—and it isn’t a glass of _______and an Advil. Blood is the only thing that will satisfy you now. After telling your new friend you’re off to the _______ to ‘freshen up’, you _______ into the hallway. The sunlight streaming in through the blind sears your skin and you scream, flinging yourself into the room of your housemate, _______. She is sound asleep, as _______and _______as a  _______in the dull light of the room. Your thirst is at once unbearable. Just a little taste, you tell yourself as you _______ across the room toward her. But before you even brush the _______ from her throat, see a pulse hammering in her _______, you know there isn’t a hope in hell you’ll be able to _______…
Title: Drop Dead Gorgeous
Author: Juliet Lyons

Series: Bite Nights, #2

Pub Date: October 3, 2017

Genre: Paranormal Romance

About the Book:

SWIPE RIGHT FOR MR. BITE

Mila Hart's first experience with the hot new vampire dating site is a complete disaster. Turns out, her date is wanted for murder! But things turn around when she's rescued by dashing vampire cop Vincent Ferrer. Dangerous and drop dead gorgeous, he's just the vampire hottie Mila was hoping for.

Haunted by his past, Vincent can't risk falling in love again, even if Mila charms him more than anyone he's ever met. But when the killer from Mila's first date seeks her out, Vincent is the only one who can protect her. Protecting his heart is a different story...

Mee the Author:

JULIET LYONS is a paranormal romance author from the UK. She holds a degree in Spanish and Latin American studies and works part-time in a local primary school where she spends far too much time discussing Harry Potter. Since joining global storytelling site Wattpad in 2014, her work has received millions of hits online and gained a legion of fans from all over the world. When she is not writing, Juliet enjoys reading and spending time with her family.

Find Juliet Online:

Website: https://www.julietlyons.co.uk/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WriterJLyons/

Wattpad: https://www.wattpad.com/user/julietlyons

Twitter: @WriterJLyons

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15118466.Juliet_Lyons

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New Release ~ A TASTE OF PARIS: A History of the Parisian Love Affair with Food by David Downie


Book Information:
A Taste of Paris
David Downie

Print Length: 304 pages
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Publication Date: September 26, 2017
Sold by: Macmillan
ASIN: B06XFL61GX

About the Book:

In his trademark witty and informative style, David Downie embarks on a quest to discover “What is it about the history of Paris that has made it a food lover’s paradise?” Long before Marie Antoinette said, “Let them eat cake!” (actually, it was brioche), the Romans of Paris devoured foie gras, and live oysters rushed in from the Atlantic; one Medieval cookbook describes a thirty-two part meal featuring hare stew, eel soup, and honeyed wine; during the last great banquet at Versailles a year before the Revolution the gourmand Louis XVI savored thirty-two main dishes and sixteen desserts; yet, in 1812, Grimod de la Reynière, the father of French gastronomy, regaled guests with fifty-two courses, fifteen wines, three types of coffee, and seventeen liqueurs.

Following the contours of history and the geography of the city, Downie sweeps readers on an insider’s gourmet walking tour of Paris and its environs in A Taste of Paris, revealing the locations of Roman butcher shops, classic Belle Epoque bistros serving diners today and Marie Antoinette’s exquisite vegetable garden that still supplies produce, no longer to the unfortunate queen, but to the legendary Alain Ducasse and his stylish restaurant inside the palace of Versailles. Along the way, readers learn why the rich culinary heritage of France still makes Paris the ultimate arbiter in the world of food.

Praise for the Book:

“A zesty, entertaining romp through the landscape of French food.” – Kirkus

“Truly epic, encompassing history, flavor, and passion. Bravo for a comprehensive look at eating and dining in Paris!” —David Lebovitz, author of My Paris Kitchen and The Sweet Life in Paris

“In recent years David Downie has become the go-to-guy for all matters Parisienne. In A Taste of Paris he combines his love of history, his affection for his adopted city and his passion for French gastronomy. Anyone who loves Paris (who doesn't?) and adores French cooking (who can resist it?) will cherish this authoritative book.” —Paula Wolfert, James Beard Award Winning author of The Food of Morocco and The Cooking of the Eastern Mediterranean

“A veritable encyclopedia of everything you ever wanted to know about the Parisians and their victuals. This literary tour de force turns received wisdom on its head, sprinkling the serious subject of what, when, where and how the French have eaten throughout history with many a great moment of humor and irreverence. I loved it!”—Harriet Welty Rochefort, author of Joie de Vivre

In A TASTE OF PARIS Downie asks and answers:

** The modern restaurant was “invented” in Paris, but how many people know when, exactly where, why and how le restaurant came into being?

** Was Chef Auguste Escoffier really the worst thing that ever happened to French cooking? Where did he come from, what’s his heritage is and why’s he part of the problem with French food today?

** France in general and Paris in particular pride themselves on their culinary culture—for good reason. But how much of “French” cooking came from elsewhere, was adopted and adapted then rebranded as French or Parisian?

** For centuries, Paris was the unrivaled food city of the western world. Is it still?

** When was French cuisine born? When did it emerge from the other European court cuisines, why, where and how?

** Are the French somehow naturally endowed with excellent taste and the ability to cook? Some French people seem to think so. A TASTE OF PARIS debunks received wisdom about the “innate talents” of the French and Parisians when it comes to things culinary and oenological.

** What’s the difference between a café, bistro, brasserie and restaurant and when did each arise—and why?

** Everyone knows foie gras is French, right? Right and wrong: it’s French now (though often produced not in France but in Hungary) but sure wasn’t originally. A TASTE OF PARIS gives the lowdown on this controversial delicacy from its Egyptian, Roman and Jewish roots to the present.

** Frog’s legs and snails? French? Guess again and learn the back stories on two more cult foods whose nationality might surprise you.

** Everyone loves Parisian cafes but why is Paris’ café—meaning coffee—so execrable?

** When did food, wine and sex—romance if you prefer—become the holy trinity of the Parisians?

** How did food, wine, and entertaining become highbrow activities in Paris?

** When, where, how and why did culinary criticism and restaurant reviewing come into being? In Paris, naturally. A TASTE OF PARIS takes you by the hand and leads you to the places—some still in existence—where the genres were born.

** Ever wonder why service is often brisk and persnickety in Paris? Have you squirmed upon the altars of haute cuisine in a temple of gastronomy? A TASTE OF PARIS does not excuse but rather explains where Parisian attitude comes from—and suggests why it’s on the wane.

** A TASTE OF PARIS maps out the historical progression of culinary culture through history, creating a “gastronomic topography.” Discover where ancient and medieval vineyards were, where mustard was perfected 1,000 years ago, where the first restaurant opened for business—and at the same time enjoy an irreverent insider’s guide to Paris today.

Add to your shelf on Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33574122-a-taste-of-paris

Purchase your copy from Amazon:  http://amzn.to/2xC7jV0

Meet the Author:

DAVID DOWNIE, a native San Franciscan, lived in New York, Providence, Rome and Milan before moving to Paris in the mid-80s. He divides his time between France and Italy. His travel, food and arts features have appeared in leading print and on-line publications including Bon Appétit, Gourmet, Saveur, Epicurious.com, and Gault & Millau, the premier French food guide. He is the author of over a dozen nonfiction books, including the highly acclaimed Paris, Paris and A Passion for Paris.

Haunted Halloween Spooktacular & #Giveaway ~ Meeting a Monster -A True Story by Laura C. Cantu, Author or Xandria Drake: Ancient Rising (Xandria Drake, Book 1) ~ Young Adult, Paranormal Fantasy


When you learn your life is a lie, who do you trust?

Xandria Drake: Ancient Rising
Xandria Drake, Book 1
Laura C. Cantu

Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal Fantasy

Publisher: Serendipity Digital Media KC

Date of Publication: November 13, 2013

ISBN: 978-0988585102
ASIN: B00BMBMF90

Number of pages: 448
Word Count: 131,357

Cover Artist: Laura C. Cantu

About the Book:

“When an unusual carnival pulls into town, Xandria Drake has no clue this mystical fairground will thrust her into a thrilling world of mystery, deception, and danger. Her predictable existence will soon be transformed into a turbulent reality where magic reigns, and creatures of fantasy are just as tangible as her ballroom dancing trophies. New revelations will send Xandria on a quest in which she is forced to question everything and everyone, including the man of her dreams, Viktor.

When Viktor confesses his interest in Xandria, she couldn’t be happier. Her joy quickly fades, however, when Viktor reveals he is a vampire. Xandria is soon forced to face shadowy and obscure dangers she never knew existed, and on the coattails of the impending darkness rides Viktor’s greatest rival andXandria’s ultimate temptation, Sebastian Vespera.

Will Xandria’s love for Viktor be enough? Or will Sebastian’s seductions ensnare Xandria in a fierce and powerful romance? How will Xandria cope with the forbidden knowledge she gains? Mysterious, magical, and compelling, Xandria Drake: Ancient Rising is witty when you want it to be and serious when it needs to be. This paranormal fantasy novel will capture you from the beginning and won’t let you go until long after the story is finished.”

Watch the Book Trailer: https://youtu.be/NlmAQNJozlk



Meeting a Monster -A True Story

When I was younger, a group of newly acquired friends and I tried to think of something eerie to do on Halloween night. Little did we know, that we would see something truly terrifying that would change our lives forever.
Like many teenagers, we decided that visiting a cemetery was just about the perfect way to give ourselves a good scare. I had just moved to town, and my new friends insisted that there was a glowing tombstone in an old, run down graveyard off a gravel road about thirty miles outside of town. So, we piled in a small, two-door car and drove, excited about the prospects of having some good ghost stories to tell on the way.
The road we were driving on was a narrow, two-lane service road with lots of potholes, hills, and curves. The locals had spread rumors that “devil-worshipers” often held ceremonies along that road, and one of the girls, who was sitting in the back seat, seemed to be enjoying herself as she recounted the spooky stories. She spoke of how the Satanists skinned animals alive, and how there were strange sightings in the area. Her last story was about the glowing gravestone; she claimed it was cursed.
We drove farther and farther from town, well over thirty miles, and I fidgeted in my seat. I was beginning to have second thoughts about going so far out into the night, especially since I hadn’t let my mother know where I was going. Back then, we didn’t have mobile phones. If something unexpected or dreadful happened, there would’ve been no one around to help, and my mother wouldn’t have even known where to look.
I shook my head, trying to shake off my growing apprehension as silence suddenly fell over the car like a soft, suffocating blanket. I cleared my throat to speak up but thought better of it. I didn’t want to be the one who chickened out and insist on turning back.
The car’s headlights pierced the darkness of the night and bugs thumped into the windshield as we continued to drive along. That’s when it happened.
The car came to a screeching halt.
There, in the middle of the road, sat a coyote. The driver of the car, a sixteen-year-old girl with short curly hair named Angie (her name has been changed to protect her identity), honked at the coyote. To our amazement, it didn’t move. Instead, it lazily looked in our direction as if it had nothing better to do than sit in the middle of the road, blocking our way.
She honked again.
The coyote blinked. The lights of the car reflected on its retina, causing its eyes to glow a dull shade of red.
When it did not budge this time, Angie yelled and honked again, but this time she held her hand down so that the horn blared into the night air.
It was then that the coyote stood on its two hind legs and turned toward us, a tall looming monster with sharp teeth and penetrating eyes.
Angie’s hand slid from the steering wheel as we all sat in amazement at this towering beast. It seemed to be looking us over, mulling over what it would do next.  Was he contemplating eating us?
I couldn’t find my voice. All I could do was sit there, slack-jawed and bewildered.
Just when I thought we were going to have to flee for our lives, the creature turned and ran away, its movements akin to that of a running human.
Everyone in the car finally found their voices to scream! Angie whipped a U-turn, and we hightailed it back to town.
Even today, over twenty years later, the vision of that creature is still clearly etched upon my memory. That was the day that I began questioning how magical and mysterious our world truly is.  -Laura C. Cantu
Meet the Author:

Laura C. Cantu is a multitalented artist, visionary, and humanitarian. Throughout her life, she has felt an overwhelming desire explore the mysteries of the unknown and to expand her awareness and experiences. By allowing her perspective to shift and change, Laura has learned to unleash her imagination and use it to guide her through creative processes. She passionately follows her dreams and has achieved high levels of success in her various careers. As a professional dancer, Laura won six national titles and placed fourth in the Professional Argentine Tango World Championships. She also stretched her creative muscles as a visual artist with drawings that toured across the globe. Adding to her diverse accomplishments, Laura earned her master’s degree in Oriental Medicine in 2012, which has afforded her opportunities to assist many along their journeys to realizing wellness.

Despite her already jeweled career, there is another passion Laura delights in—the art of storytelling. Her first young adult fantasy novel, Xandria Drake: Ancient Rising, earned rave reviews and a Goodreads' book of the month award. Currently working on The Vathylite Realms, Laura is harnessing and focusing her energies to craft engaging stories that are meant to bring joy, inspiration, and awareness to all who read them.

Laura is on a mission to live a life of inspiration, truth, and empowerment. With future books pending release, she continues to dance as a hobby, study energetics and wellness, and explore her imagination. Laura also enjoys drawing and creating 3D art and animations, hiking, meditation, playing guitar, and spending time with her family, friends, and pets. 

Visit the Author:







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Book Spotlight & #Giveaway ~ The Reminisce by H.L. Cherryholmes #PNR





The Reminisce
H.L. Cherryholmes

Genre: Paranormal

Date of Publication: June 7, 2017

ISBN: 1545307628
ASIN: B072QL4S46

Number of pages: 340
Word Count: 122,743

Cover Artist: Keri Knutson

Tagline: A detour down memory lane wakes up the ghosts.

About the Book:

Curtis Aisling has literally dodged a bullet. At least he thinks he has. But he wonders whether that bullet still has it out for him when he leaves his ex-fiancé and Los Angeles behind for Coronado, New Mexico to borrow some much-needed money from his sister.

The small dilapidated desert town of Coronado has exactly one mansion, belonging to 92-year-old Veronica Meeks. Curtis’s sister, Dia, and her partner, Araceli, are Veronica’s live-in caretakers and while they are delighted to have a visitor, Veronica doesn’t even know he’s there.

In the final stages of what the locals call “the reminisce,” she is no longer aware of her surroundings. But when Curtis starts seeing things that no one else does, he’s not convinced that the old, unresponsive woman is as disconnected as everyone thinks. At times what should be empty rooms within the huge house appear filled with furniture, and music emanates from a dusty radio that has been packed away for ages. Tales of Veronica’s associations and connections with the occult lead Curtis to believe she is causing the ghostly occurrences.

But when people begin to appear in those phantom rooms—people from her past including Veronica herself—he’s no longer certain it is her doing. Each vision pulls Curtis further and further back, each one detailing a consequential moment in Veronica’s long life, until he begins to fear he could become lost in her past. And then there’s that bullet…

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Dia returned her attention to the old woman and took her bony, veiny hand. “Veronica, honey, this is my brother Curtis. You’ve seen his picture in our bedroom, remember? He came for a visit.” She looked up at Curtis. “Veronica was quite smitten with you the first time she saw your picture. Couldn’t take her eyes off it and she would just smile and smile.”
Curtis knelt next to his sister. Greeting the old woman seemed pointless, since it was obvious by her vacant stare that she wasn’t aware of her surroundings. But his sister was right; introducing himself was the proper way to behave regardless of her condition. “Hello, Miss Meeks. I’m Curtis Aisling.”
The old woman’s wispy gray hair was short and pulled back by small butterfly barrettes. Her thin face was pinkish-white, wrinkled, and haloed with brown age spots. The eyes that seemed to be looking at something no one else could see were a cloudy gray-blue. Her small frame was covered in a clean pink nightgown and she wore blue slippers.
“How old is she?” Curtis asked.
Dia stood up to help Araceli gather the tray with Veronica’s barely touched lunch on it. “Ninety-two.”
Remaining crouched before her, Curtis continued to look at the old woman. He found it difficult to imagine that the slack face in front of him had once been young, but he searched for signs of it anyhow. If there was life in her dull gaze, Curtis was sure he would find it there. A strong hot breeze rattling the palm fronds behind the gazebo hit him in the back. That’s when Veronica blinked and looked right at him.
“Finally,” she whispered.

Meet the Author:

H.L. Cherryholmes, author of The Lizard Queen Series, The Reminisce, Come Back for Me, and A Slight Touch was born and raised in Albuquerque, New Mexico but has spent most of his adult life in California. He has a BFA from University of New Mexico and a Master's degree in Playwriting from the University of California, Los Angeles. Currently, he lives in SoCal with his husband, Ron Cogan.




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