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Albert Camus

Don't walk behind me; I may not lead. Don't walk in front of me; I may not follow. Just walk beside me and be my friend.

Friday, May 31, 2013

Concurs la Sfarsit de saptamana - Porcul de Andrew Cowan

Descriere editura:

BETTY TRASK AWARD 1993
AUTHORS' CLUB FIRST NOVEL AWARD 1994
SUNDAY TIMES YOUNG WRITER OF THE YEAR AWARD 1994
SCOTTISH ARTS COUNCIL BOOK AWARD 1995
ARTS COUNCIL WRITERS’ AWARD 2004
RUTH HADDEN MEMORIAL AWARD 1994

Când bunica îi moare, iar bunicul este trimis la un cămin de bătrâni, Danny, un adolescent de cincisprezece ani, se hotărăște să aiba grijă de porcul și de casa acestora rămasă în paragină. La periferia unui oraș industrial, pierdut undeva prin Anglia, Danny și Surinder, prietena lui din India, creează un paradis fragil în mijlocul lumii sufocante din jur, populate de vecini rasiști și familii nepăsătoare. Pentru o vară, ei își găsesc aici refugiul, departe de precaritatea unui viitor nesigur.

"Scrisa cu hotarare, concizie si forta - romanul unuii scriitor autentic" - Time Out
"Minunat povestita... Cowan scrie cu o simplitate amagitoare." The Times

Happy Release Day The Edge of Darkness by Melissa Andrea

Expected publication: May 31st, 2013

Description:

After a tragic accident, Araya Noelle is left with a constant reminder that nothing is forever.

She is forced to give up her chance to be the youngest dancer accepted into Julliard & taking over their high society school by a graceful storm of determination is no longer an option. Instead of dwelling over her loss, she accepts the new future she’s been dealt. In a world as black as hers, there's no room for bitterness, no time for regret. Sheltered from the outside world, Araya has become suffocated by a life she has no control over. Until Ryland Dare comes crashing into her life.

You don’t know true darkness until you've felt light…

Like a firecracker, showering her with colorful sparks of freedom, Ryland quickly sweeps Araya away from her grey existence. For the first time since the accident, living in darkness is no longer something Araya wants to do willingly. Unleashed by the shadows of her reminder, being with Ryland, Araya touches light. Together they will learn what it’s like to feel alive for the first time.
At the edge of darkness, a ray of light, will dare them both to HOPE.

DARE them to LOVE
DARE them to LIVE

Excerpt:
I brushed my lips across her neck again and watched as the world around us, spun. Her fingers twisted in my shirt and she pulled my body closer. “I didn’t expect you Araya.” I rasped against her ear and my fingers tangled in her hair, bringing her lips up to mine. Her breath was warm and sweet against my lips and I wanted to taste her so bad it hurt.


About the author:
Melissa started reading in high school when she found her mom's romance book collection and has been hooked on books every since. She became a complete book-a-holic, starting her own collection and improving her reading skills. Most of the time she could finish a book walking around the store, while her mom shopped.

She wrote her first short story in high school for a competition in her writing class. It was a child's book called 'Arnold' - it was about an ant who believed he could do anything. Oh by the way, she won!

She has written many stories since then, but this will be her first YA paranormal/fantasy and the first book she will have published.

She lived in Mesa, Arizona with her husband of six years, and her 3 beautiful daughters. They are her biggest fans and they inspire her everyday. She enjoys spending time with her family, weekend dates with her mom & taking vacations. Hawaii anyone??


Event organized by Lady Amber's Book Tours

Excerpt and Giveaway Tunuftol's Fortress of Light (Tunuftol, #1) by Ann Snizek

Published on January 29, 2013

Description:
Krissa and her little brother, Micah, have been pushed around the foster system until they find themselves in the care of "Grandma" Athey. Krissa begins having unusual dreams and her brother knows more than she thinks. Their new friends, Pin, and her twin brother, Khevin, join forces to unravel Krissa's questions. Krissa has become The Chosen One and is drawn into a mission against an evil faction that usurped the throne from Khevin's family. With a group of friends accumulated from school, Krissa learns to control her new found powers and follow her dreams back to the world they all fled from as small children…

 Excerpt:

"What's in a name?" Krissa thought of Shakespeare as she got to her feet and lugged on her bag.

"You know that even if you didn't call a rose, a rose… they all have those thorns that can bite into you if you aren't careful," Sealey answered her. "You should know about that… isn't it somewhere in Shakespeare, or something? You and Khevin are the English nuts." He tried to lighten the mood.

"What did you say?" she demanded, her eyes bore into him.

"What? That you are an English nut?" he said, shrugging into his straps.

"No, about thorns."

"Oh, well… It's clearly not the real quote. It said something about roses smelling sweet, even if you call them something else. I thought, for our purposes, that thorns applied better. After all, we have to use different names so that we can be safe. However, even if no one calls you the Chosen One, or Micah the Light Bearer, or me the Champion," and he winked at her again, "we are still going to stop them, or at least put a thorn in their plans, if you will."

"So, you're pretty sure we're going to win?" Krissa asked. She noticed that he matched her pace instead of making her match his.

"Well, you might want to ask your brother that. He is the Seer. He's actually much, much more than that…a Prophet. He carries a lot in that little package we call Micah…sorry it's Leander now. I'm sure glad I get to be part of his team." Sealey grinned and shook his head in amazement.

Get 25% off using this code: SRZGVSQW  Print Books at Createspace
About the author:
I grew up in Vermont mostly and now live in Virginia with my family (those still at home). My husband and I have a blended family of seven kids. My childhood was spent moving around a lot. (non-military) About five years ago, we started home-schooling our youngest children.

Now there are only two remaining in home-school. I have tried to nurture the love of books in our children and now our grandchildren -- always nurturing their imaginations. Recently, I have become active in our community with literacy, starting a local (and online) creative writing club and volunteer tutoring at the Adult Learning Center.

I struggle with Fibromyalgia and PTSD. So, have to be careful not to overdo things... I don't always listen to my own advice. I have a dry, sarcastic and corny sense of humor and always try to look at things optimistically. (again not always successful) However, I feel that if I don't give up -- for long -- then things will work out for the best eventually.


Author's Giveaway
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Event organized by As You Wish Tours

Change of Heart by Scarlett Edwards, S.E. Edwards

Description:
Persevere.

That's how I've gotten through nineteen years of life. It's what I do every single day—no matter how badly the odds are stacked against me.

Persevere, and survive.

Those are my two guiding words. I never knew either of my parents. I have no family and no home. The only person I could ever rely on was myself. In this cruel world, that's about as much as I could ask for.

Love? Hah. Don't talk to me about love. I stopped believing in it the day my first boyfriend ripped out my heart three years ago.

That's why love is the last thing on my mind when I leave a packed college bar with a captivating stranger. Yet everything changes when I'm awakened in the middle of the night by a pounding at the door. Suddenly, an arrangement meant for just one night threatens to become something much deeper.

All expectations are thrown to the wind as I'm tangled in a dangerous world unlike anything I can believe. The man I met has secrets swirling around him like a dark cape. I'm about to become his biggest one...
Excerpt:

Together, we stumble toward the elevator. Rich breaks away for a second to hit the button. The light doesn’t come on.

“Damn,” he growls, “it’s busted again.”

I’m one step ahead of him. I’d spotted the stairs when we entered. I grab his hand and pull him after me with no hesitation. I start up the cement stairwell, determined to get to his room as fast as possible.

“Penny, wait.”

I look back, confused. “What?”

A devilish smile plays on his lips. “Only this.” Without warning his hands wrap around my waist, and I’m being lifted up as easily as if I were a doll. He turns to the side and presses my body against the wall, suspending me between him and the concrete.

His mouth crashes down on mine again. I curl my legs around his torso, locking my ankles together, and kiss him back with the passion reserved for a lover after ten long years apart. I didn’t think it was possible, but I’m getting even more turned on. Rich’s hands move down to grasp the outside of my thighs, and I moan into his kiss as the muscles of my core clench in sinful fashion. I want him so badly. If we don’t get somewhere private soon, I won’t be wholly opposed to jumping him in public.

I gasp as he steps away, freeing me from the wall. I start to fall, but one of his hands darts down to catch me just beneath the knees. The other one cradles my shoulders. Before I know it, I’m slung across his arms like a bride on her wedding night.

“I’ve always wanted to carry a girl up these stairs,” Rich admits.

I laugh, and wrap my arm around his neck. “Oh, you are just the best type of romantic.”

Four flights of stairs later, Rich pushes open the fire door to a dimly-lit hallway. He carries me down the hall and stops in front of an entrance on the right. He sets me down, then fishes around in his jeans for the key. When the door creaks open, he sweeps a hand out in front of him. “Welcome to my humble abode.”

I walk in, curious about his apartment. I tend to side with the camp of people who believe that a person’s living arrangements can reveal a lot about his personality. But, I don’t find much to work with here.

The apartment is sparse and dark. Pale moonlight filters in through the balcony window, shining down on the only piece of furniture present: a queen size mattress lying on the floor of the living room. The red brick walls are totally empty—no girly posters or other things I might expect in a bachelor’s apartment. There are no lamps, no chairs, no couches.

After a moment, I notice a second piece of furniture: a small, old-school CRT TV camped in one corner of the studio apartment.

Rich switches on the light. “So?” he asks, “what do you think?”

I walk past the entrance. There’s one hall leading away from the room. It is filled with brown cardboard boxes. Lots and lots of boxes. “Did you just move in or something?”

Rich laughs behind me. “Yeah, something like that. You want a drink?”

“A drink?” I say. “No, I—”

The words catch in my throat as he grabs my hips and spins me around. I had no idea he’d come so close. He’d moved from the door to me without making a sound. His fingers lock together against my lower back, and he tugs me into him, pressing my belly to his waist. I feel his growing erection right away, and a diabolical excitement builds inside me.

Nothing happens.

For a long moment, Richard just holds me like that, staring into my eyes as I’m left dangling off his arms. His irises are the color of sea mist. I’m hypnotized by the deep intensity I see brewing just beneath the surface. I have no doubt that that type of intensity is mirrored in my eyes.

Then, moving slowly, as if restraining himself, Richard lowers his mouth to cover mine. This time, his kiss is sweet and gentle. Subtle and caring. He explores my upper lip first, then traces the line going to the corner of my mouth. His lips form a perfect mold over mine.

I was wrong before. This is the kiss reserved for a lover you haven’t seen in ten years.

About the author:
I'm Scarlett Edwards. I'm a full-time student (2nd year, undergrad) and part-time writer. I hope to switch those around soon!

I'm kind of old fashioned. I write all my stories using paper and ink. At the end of the day, I transcribe them on my laptop. It takes a bit longer, but writing in a notebook really focuses my thoughts.

I love vintage photography. I have an old-school film camera that was my mom's from before I was born. I use it to take pictures almost every day. Yours to Savor is the first full book I worked on. It went through six drafts, and took me ten months to complete. In the two months since getting it done, I finished two drafts of brand new stories. I'm getting faster!

I love hearing from my readers. I love getting feedback about my books. I'm just getting started, and plan on doing this writing gig for a long, long time. I take inspiration from all the indie romance authors. Addison Moore, Samantha Young, Colleen Hoover, Jessica Sorensen, and everyone else…. you girls rock!


I love hearing from readers! If you read my book and want to share your thoughts, good or bad, email me! Scarlett@ScarlettEdwards.com. I'll be sure to reply!!

Author's Giveaway
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Event organized by Good Choice Reading 

Why My Love Life Sucks (The Legend of Gilbert the Fixer) by Shevi Arnold

Description:

Seventeen-year-old Gilbert Garfinkle is the ultimate tech geek. He likes to take apart, figure out, and fix things, and he dreams of someday fixing the world. But now his own life has been taken apart by the one thing he'll never be able to figure out. Her name is Amber, and she's a gorgeous girl with a killer smile who wants to turn him into her platonic BFF--literally forever! It's the ultimate geek's ultimate nightmare, and it leaves Gilbert asking life's ultimate question: "Why me?"
Why My Love Life Sucks is a funny novel about geeks, girls, gadgets, vampires, and the start of a most unlikely friendship. It's the first book in The Legend of Gilbert the Fixer, the series that proves it takes the ultimate geek to be the ultimate hero.

Excerpt:

The night after Amber bites Gilbert, he wakes up in pain and confusion in a hospital. He wants answers, so he escapes and heads to the arcade where they first met.
“Where to?” the driver asks.
“Bucky Bee’s on Broadway.”
Everything seems mercifully quiet the moment I close the door of the cab, but I’m noticing some extremely unpleasant odors. There’s the smell of cigarettes, the musky odor of sweat, and something that smells like grungy gym socks. The lights outside on the streets of New York are so bright and colorful. It’s like I’m Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz, when everything goes from black-and-white to Technicolor. I have a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore, Toto.
The people remind me of television commercials for fruit-flavored breakfast cereals. So many flavors, and all so yummy. This is so wrong. It’s like I’m that damn shark from Finding Nemo. I have to keep telling myself that people are people, not food. I tie my sneakers, and try to spend the rest of the ride just staring at my feet.
The driver lets me off. After paying the fare, I’m left with thirty-four dollars from the money Uncle Ian gave me, and I still have the other thirteen in my wallet, or rather Amber does.
“Hi, Alex,” I say as I walk into Bucky Bee’s. “Anything broken tonight?” I don’t know why I said that. Force of habit I guess.
“Gilbert?”
“Yeah?”
“You look different.”
“I've had a really bad day.” Oh, wait, he’s probably talking about my glasses. “Oh, and I . . . got laser eye-surgery.” Okay, stupid thing to say. I’m pretty sure you have to wear goggles for weeks after eye surgery.
“Really, that fast?”
“Oh, yeah.” I should have said contact lenses.
“Looks good on you. Maybe I should get laser eye-surgery too.”
He informs me that all the machines are in working order, so my services aren’t needed tonight. Still he lets me in.
I scan the tables. Amber isn't at one. So what do I do now?
Oh, wait, there she is, leaning against the wall next to the game I fixed last night. She’s still wearing her bright red dress, and the navy-blue jacket she borrowed from me is draped over her shoulders. She sees me, and she comes over. I find an empty booth and sit down. She sits opposite me. Bucky Bee’s looks like a rainbow threw up in it, the colors are so damn bright.
“I hardly recognized you,” Amber says, with a wide smile. “You look great.”
“Great like a corpse at an open-casket funeral?”
“No, silly, great as in you're no longer wearing those nerdy glasses, your zits are gone, your hair and skin look terrific, and you have this really sexy brooding stare.”
“Brooding stare?”
“Mmm . . .” Amber is looking at me and making a yummy sound. I can't help but twitch, knowing how she thinks I taste and what part of me she’s tasted. “It’s very sexy.”
“This is not a brooding stare. This is my I'm-so-mad-I-could-kill-you face.”
“Well, whatever it is, it's working for you.”
That’s it. I can't keep my anger inside any longer. “How could you do this to me??”
Wait a minute . . . Did I just yell in Bucky Bee's?
Fortunately the noise level is so high I don't think anyone’s noticed. Oh, I’m wrong. Alex is staring at Amber, so he’s noticed, and he probably thinks I'm nuts to be yelling at a girl who is way out of my league. Wish I didn't know what you don't know, Alex. And Chloe, who is working at the counter tonight, is also staring at me. And some guy or girl dressed as Bucky Bee may or may not be staring at me. It’s hard to tell with the costume on.
Amber’s looking around too. We have to wait until no one seems to be staring at us anymore. It takes several excruciatingly long minutes.
She sighs. “Look, Gil, I know you're scared.”
“That's putting it mildly.”
“But the truth is being a vampire—”
“Please don't say that word.”
She raises an eyebrow. “Vampire?”
“Please don't say it.”
She laughs and shakes her head. “Sounds like someone is in denial.”
She’s right. I am in denial. But what else can I do? How the hell am I supposed to accept this? “I. Am. So. Screwed.”
“No, you're not.” She has this huge smile on her face, and I want to believe her, but . . . “Listen to me, Gil. In a few days after the pain has worn off, you're going to see this is the best thing that ever happened to you.”

you can start to read for free on Freado


About the author:
I've always been super geeky about comedy, fantasy and science fiction.

When I was little, I'd take them apart and analyze them, kind of like what Gilbert Garfinkle--the hero of Why My Love Life Sucks--does with electronics. This continued into my college years, when I majored in English Literature and Theater Studies.

For twelve years I worked in magazines and newspapers as an editorial cartoonist, illustrator, editor, arts-and-entertainment writer (specializing in children's entertainment and, of course, comedy), and a consumer columnist.

My last job was at the Jerusalem Post, but I had to quit when my family decided to move to New Jersey to pursue better education options for my autistic son.

This was in February 2001. Since then I've written 40 picture books and seven novels for kids and teens, four of which I've indie published. I was an ABNA quarterfinalist with Why My Love Life Sucks, and I won third place in SmartWriter's Write It Now contest in the the YA category (which was judged by Alex Flinn, the author of Beastly) for my romantic, YA ghost story, Ride of Your Life.


Author's Giveaway:
3 ebook copies of Why My Love Life Sucks by Shevi Arnold -open internationally
1 paperback copy of Why My Love Life Sucks by Shevi Arnold- US only5 signed bookmarks-US ONLY
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Thursday, May 30, 2013

Castigator Concurs de Sfintii Constantin si Elena

Castigatorul este:

Alyna Galavan Stephany AKA Stephany 07

Ai 7 zile sa ne trimiti adresa si numele complet, precum si ce carte iti alegi: E usor sa te iubesc sau Predestinare
Regulile le gasiti la pagina lor
Castigatorul in formularul raffle il puteti vedea aici

Felicitari!

Review Feeling Death (Death Trilogy #1) by D.T. Dyllin

“The one who dies has it easy, you know. The one who’s left behind is the one who truly suffers.” 
I personally chose the book for the feeling given to me by its cover (suitable to subject) and for its title. If I would have not liked it, I would not write the review. That would have been easy. Now it’s more difficult for me to tell you my opinion without revealing anything. Secrecy is important because Feeling Death is that kind of book that is based on a game of lights and shadows. Better say it’s a game of memories personal or others, thoughts and bits of feelings, personal or of others'. In fact it's a difficult maze to be navigated, and without knowing if it has an emergency exit or even a hole through it which you can peek and gives you the hope that there is still a chance for you.

This time the book’s description will be misleading you. If you want an "erotica" it’s likely that you’ll be disappointed. But if you want a book in which the intimate scenes are well used and only emphasize the existence and dimensions of feelings and states, then there are good chances for you to like Feeling Death.

There is the love story, but as much as tortuous is its road, no matter how profound it is or how insurmountable are the obstacles in its way, the love story is just the background color, that element which emphasizes the enormity and monstrosity that must be stopped. That does not mean to ignore the importance of this background. Like in a painting this is an important element for creating the atmosphere, and for characters’ motivation and directly participate in the transmission of feelings to the viewer. What I meant to say is that the author gives us a lot more.

In Feeling Death the paranormal abilities of the characters become weapons that are used against their owners. Advantages prove to be in the same time and measure disadvantages, handling could go in both directions.
„An education isn’t how much you have committed to memory, or even how much you know. It’s being able to differentiate between what you do know and what you don’t.” ~Anatole France
It's about revenge, the loss of control over what you are and crossing the line between good and evil ... It's about stopping of a (or more - you'll see) serial criminal(s). It is about using paranormal abilities for good or bad causes, about repercussions, about the suffering caused to those who love the person that is not for them, even about "no good deed goes unpunished."

I liked how the author blends the past with the present, and how she’s not indulged in a sweet mixture, in which everything is resolved, the targets are saved and everything turns pink. Most times life is not like this, and Feeling Death remains in the "real" world.

Until the last moment you do not know who is right, who is wrong or who is guiltier. There are several leads and some memories pulled out of context can mislead, however you will be intrigued from the beginning and you will not know how time and pages fly.
Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment.” —Siddhārtha Gautama, the Historical Buddha
I received the book for review as part of Book Tour - Thank you!

Romanian:
“The one who dies has it easy, you know. The one who’s left behind is the one who truly suffers.”

Personal am ales cartea după senzația dată de copertă (potrivită subiectului) şi titlu. Dacă nu mi-ar fi plăcut nu aş fi scris recenzia. Asta ar fi fost simplu. Mai greu este ca acum să vă spun părerea mea fără a dezvălui ceva. Păstrarea secretului este importantă pentru că Feeling Death este acel tip de carte ce se bazează pe un joc de lumini şi umbre. Sau mai bine zis pe un joc de amintiri personale sau ale altora, gânduri şi frânturi de sentimente personale sau ale altora, în fapt un labirint greu de străbătut şi care nici nu se ştie dacă are o ieşire de urgență sau măcar o spărtură prin care poți să tragi cu ochiul şi care să-ți dea speranța că mai există o şansă.

De data asta descrierea cărții te va induce în eroare. Dacă doreşti o „erotica” ai toate şansele să fii dezamăgit. Dacă însă vei vrea o carte în care scenele intime sunt bine utilizate şi doar subliniază existența şi dimensiunile unor sentimente şi stări, atunci sunt mari şanse să-ți placă Feeling Death.

Există povestea de dragoste, dar oricât de sinuos este drumul pe care îl parcurge aceasta, oricât de profundă ar fi sau cât de insurmontabile sunt piedicile de care are parte, aceasta este doar culoarea de fond, acel element care subliniază enormitatea şi monstruozitatea celor ce trebuie oprite. Asta nu înseamnă că trebuie să ignorăm importanța acestui fond. Ca şi într-un tablou este un element determinant pentru crearea atmosferei şi motivației personajelor şi participă direct în transmiterea sentimentelor. Ce am vrut să spun este că autoarea ne oferă mult mai mult.

În Feeling Death capacitățile paranormale ale personajelor devin arme ce sunt utilizate chiar împotriva posesorilor lor. Avantajele se dovedesc a fi în mare măsură şi dezavantaje, manipularea putând merge în ambele direcții.
„An education isn’t how much you have committed to memory, or even how much you know. It’s being able to differentiate between what you do know and what you don’t.” ~Anatole France
Este vorba de răzbunare, de pierderea controlului asupra ceea ce eşti şi prin trecerea pragului dintre bine şi rău... Este vorba de oprirea unui (sau a mai multor – veți vedea voi) criminal(i) în serie. Este vorba de folosirea în scopuri bune sau rele a unor capacități paranormale, despre repercusiuni, despre suferința provocată celor ce iubesc persoana nedestinată lor, chiar şi despre vorba „nicio faptă bună nu rămâne nepedepsită”.

Mi-a plăcut modul cum autoarea îmbină trecutul cu prezentul şi cum nu se complace într-un dulceag melanj, în care totul se rezolvă, în care țintele sunt salvate şi totul se colorează în roz. De cele mai multe ori viața nu este aşa, iar Feeling Death se păstrează în lumea „reală”.

Până în ultimul moment nu vei şti cine are dreptate, cine este mai rău sau cine este mai vinovat. Există mai multe piste şi scoaterea din context a unor amintiri pot duce în eroare, oricum vei fi intrigat de la bun început şi nu vei ştii cum zboară paginile şi timpul.
Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment.” —Siddhārtha Gautama, the Historical Buddha 
About the author and to WIN AN E-COPY OF Feeling Death HERE

The Long Way by Aaron Redfern


Description:

In a move that defies all logic and likelihood, a young boy named Spiff is called upon to carry out the most important quest that has ever been undertaken. His mission drags him headlong across the face of the world, through a veritable pantheon of hardships and threats that are at once chilling and baffling. Along the way he meets dragons and madmen, and learns that the lovable and the monstrous are two sides of the same coin.

Conceived as a darkly whimsical loose retelling of the Tolkien saga, The Long Way poses the question that high fantasy rarely cares to ask: Why?


Excerpt:

The ground was moving.

Spiff was slung across the blond warrior’s shoulder, arms dangling limply across the man’s back, tapping against the leather armor in time with the feet that were passing out from behind the warrior’s buttocks directly in front of him. It was a disorienting view.

“Awake, little thrall?” the blond one said. “We have not been introduced. I am Eyjolf, second most warlike among men.”

“I’m Spiff,” said Spiff. He wasn’t sure Eyjolf heard him.

The warrior set him down and set beefy hands on each of his shoulders. “Awake so soon! That’s what I like to see. You’ve got some real spirit.” The world was right side up again, and the rest of Eyjolf’s men were there, plodding along. “This is my warband. Remember who they are. You’re our thrall. But really, it’s not so bad. There are plenty of bands in the hall, but none of them has half as good a time as us.”

Spiff didn’t know what a thrall was, but he was already getting the feeling that they were not going to let him go. Where was Euclid?

They hadn’t gone very far by the time they reached the warriors’ home. Like so many things that Spiff had seen since leaving his small town, it was inconceivably, unreasonably huge. The whole structure was made of iron, and its walls rose hundreds of feet straight into the air. The triangular roof was made of what looked like thousands of overlapping golden shields. The double doors at the entrance were made of gold as well, and were wide enough for Eyjolf’s entire warband to walk through abreast, with room to spare. As they came closer, Spiff saw that the iron walls were covered in bas relief carvings of battle scenes. One carving depicted a man charging into a row of spears, and another showed a dragon with a pair of legs protruding from its mouth, and a handful of other men hacking futilely at its feet with axes. The carving was large enough for the grins on their faces to be quite unmistakable.

Another wing was being built off of the side of the main hall, but was incomplete. Squares of iron wall had been erected in patches, and behind them were a skeletal layer of vertical beams. It looked like it would be every bit as large as the existing building when it was finished.

“Welcome to Nornheim, home of the Nornmen,” said Eyjolf, sweeping his hands out before him. “And welcome to the Hall.”

“The wildest place on earth,” one of the warriors chimed in. There was a unanimous cheer of assent.

A man was standing in the center of the doorway, and even the high doors of the hall could not make him appear dwarfed. He was the biggest man Spiff had ever seen. He was a full head taller than Eyjolf and half again as broad, and formed from pure muscle, though his stature was so great that he could have been one of the iron carvings superficially clothed in flesh. Everything about him bulged. His blocky shoulders bulged out of the sides of his iron breastplate, and his arms bulged down from there. His legs bulged up from leather boots that could have crushed a thousand insects in a single prodigious step. His face was hidden beneath a black helm; steel ram’s horns curled around the sides of it. A shaggy brown beard bulged out beneath the lip of the helm. He hefted a warhammer in one hand that Spiff could not have dragged with two.

“Only one, Eyjolf?” said the man. He chuckled, and Spiff felt his chest shake. “The great raider returns, with one thrall to show! Perhaps you followed in my wake by mistake, and took only what remained.”

“Anyone can collect women and children,” said Eyjolf. “I slew a wizard today.”

The big man pounded his chest with a fist. “I have been the bane of a hundred hundred men. I have rid the Gollsfjall mountains of trolls. I have broken the backs of bears. The gods—”

“—Hear your name and tremble,” Eyjolf finished.

“Aye,” said the big man. He laughed and strode into the hall.

“That’s the Smitemaester,” said Eyjolf. “Greatest champion of the Hall.”

“He has never been killed,” one of the Nornmen said reverently, looking after the receding figure with a look of mixed envy and awe. “Not even once.”

“Keep away from him, if you know what’s good for you,” Eyjolf told Spiff.



About the author:
Aaron Redfern has been reading and writing fantasy since a time when he could count his age on his fingers. He went to Williams College and studied English, a language in which he was already proficient, and although he learned almost nothing from the English professors, dead poets and novelists taught him a great deal. While at college, he fell thoroughly in love with New England. He has decided never to leave and currently resides near Northampton, Massachusetts.

Aaron has written three novels, including The Long Way and its sequel, The Forgotten Way. His short-fiction titles include Stories About the Rain and Crawl.

Book #2

Two years after the events of The Long Way, Spiff still bears his scars both outside and in. Haunted by his memories, he is compelled to leave the peaceful existence he has known and set out on the second great journey of his life, accompanied by his friend, the Merai girl Miriel. Together they strike out, knowing only that they travel south--to the end of the world if they must.

Stories never really end. The Forgotten Way is about what happens after the world is saved and everyone else has gone home.

Wednesday, May 29, 2013

Concurs Mostenirea (Ciclul Mostenirea vol. #4) de Christopher Paolini


Descriere editura:

A început cu Eragon... Şi se încheie cu Moştenirea. Nu cu mult timp în urmă, Eragon, Biruitorul Umbrei, Călăreţul Dragonului, nu era decât un biet băiat de fermier, iar dragonul său, Saphira, doar o piatră albastră în pădure. Acum, soarta unei întregi civilizaţii se află pe umerii lor. Lungi perioade de antrenament şi lupte au adus cu ele victorii şi speranţă, dar şi pierderi îngrozitor de dureroase. Şi, cu toate acestea, adevărata luptă încă nu a început: trebuie să-l înfrunte pe Galbatorix. Iar când o vor face, vor trebui să fie suficient de puternici pentru a-l învinge. Şi dacă ei nu vor reuşi, nu va mai exista altcineva. Nu va mai exista o a doua şansă. Călăreţul şi dragonul său au ajuns mai departe decât ar fi îndrăznit cineva să spere. Dar vor reuşi ei să-l răstoarne pe maleficul rege şi să reinstaureze dreptatea în Alagaesia? Şi, dacă da, cu ce preţ?

Release The Crimson Key (The Visitor's Series #2) by Christy Sloat

Description:

The truth can be deadly.

Brylee Branson’s best friend and boyfriend have fallen victim to a horrible curse that haunts her home. With the witches who cast it dead she has no choice but to rely on the ghosts inside the Brown house to help her find a cure. But time is not on her side, because Lynley's illness is spreading rapidly.

Confused and scared, seventeen-year-old Brylee must confront a new ghost in the house she has never spoken to before. This spirit is not a Brown relative and makes no promises to help them … unless she can re-unite her with a loved one.

The fate of those she loves now rests on her. Can Brylee put the pieces of this puzzle together in time to save them? Or will the Brown house claim another victim?

The Visitor’s Series continues to scare and entice its readers with this gripping second book.


Book #1
Description:

Some secrets should never be revealed…
Brylee Branson begrudgingly made the excruciating move with her family from the warm sandy beaches of California to small town living in New Jersey. As if she wasn’t miserable enough, they’ve moved into a creepy old house that everyone in the area claims is haunted. Brylee dismisses the idea of ghosts and hauntings, until she begins to see and hear things that can’t be explained…

Brylee has no choice but to seek the help of new friends to unlock the secrets of this place she now calls home. But some secrets should never be revealed. Can the teens find a way to release the spirits imprisoned within the walls? Or will the curse claim them, too?



About the author:
Christy Sloat is a Southern California native who now lives in New Jersey with her husband and two daughters. She believes that reading is a passion and it should be embraced. She is literally obsessed with reading and tries to fit as many books in as possible. She has a very active imagination and she encourages her daughters to find theirs. Christy hopes to inspire them and others to use their creativity for the use of good. When she is not writing, reading or being Mommy, you might be able to find her at a bookstore scouring the shelves.Look for her recent titles The Many Lives of Avery Snow, Ianni, The Unraveling of Avery Snow and The Brown House.

  
 

Excerpt and Giveaway Escaping Darkness by Theresa McClinton

escaping darkness
 She may have spent years in an asylum, but that didn’t make her crazy–just fearless. Dropped in Moscow with her friends on an impossible mission against underworld forces, Tara is left to her feelings of overwhelming inadequacy. Her boyfriend is a healer, her best friend is “the Guardian,” and everyone else is a powerhouse of awesome strengths. The only thing she has been able to contribute are her memories, which has left her with nightmares of her time spent at the mercy of the evil Sarian–who everyone has gone to fight. Alone with her emotions, Tara finds herself falling into a city of depravity and corruption. And amidst all this evil is a young man with an agenda of his own, who leads her down a road that will either prove she is a hero at heart, or drag her into a world she’s always feared. He wants revenge, she wants redemption. And in an underground rings of missing girls and bloody sacrifices, only the fearless can survive…

Excerpt:

Tara’s eyes shot open. She quickly sat up, finding her arms tied in front of her with thin rope. A streak of terror arched in her chest, only to slightly dim when she realized she wasn’t bound to the chair anymore.

Unfortunately, her position hadn’t greatly improved. She stared into a dark basement—or what she assumed was a basement—considering the scent of mold and other foul odors.

“Hello?” She managed to push herself to her feet. “Is anyone in here?

“Shh!” Fingers fumbled against her leg and tugged on her pants. “Sit down,” a girl whispered. “Before they come back and see you’re standing up.”

Tara lowered herself to the floor. “Where are we?”

“Shut the fuck up,” snapped another older sounding voice from somewhere to her right.

Tara startled and scanned the pitch-black space. She inhaled the smell of sweat and urine, and what she could only identify as old food. The sounds of scratching, coughs, and gentle whimpers came from every direction. “How many people are here? Where are we?”

The younger voice beside her whispered. “I’m Amy. There are lots of people here, so shut up before you get them mad at all of us cuz you’re talking.”

Tara stayed quiet, if for no other reason than to process what had happened.

She must have missed the transportation stage while she was passed out. And she wasn’t at all in control of the situation, unlike the plan. She ground her teeth.

Malachi. He stabbed her in the back. She pulled her knees to her chest. It was her fault for falling for his story. She thought she could trust him when she saw the raw pain in his eyes. Being all too familiar with that same feeling, she jumped at the chance to get these girls out of here.

Someone coughed, and from the other side of the room she heard a sob. There must have been a dozen girls around her, but it was impossible to tell without any light. With her hands tied together, she managed to search her pockets one at a time. Shit. Malachi had taken her phone.

She hung her head. There had to be someone who knew more than she did. “Does anyone in here know where we are?” Tara asked in a hushed voice.

“Shh.”

Tara glanced around. “We have to try to get out of here.”

“They’ll kill us,” someone from the far end of the room said with more conviction than Tara expected. “Some of the girls have already gone missing.”

“Missing isn’t the right word,” another girl said. “Jesus. Their screams...”

 
Goodreads ** Amazon
 
The Stone Guardian When myth becomes reality, reality becomes a nightmare. Like any other teenager in America, Ashley just wants a normal life. But growing up in an orphanage for the insane is anything but normal. After endless therapy and increasing medication, her nightmares have only gotten worse. Probably because they’re not nightmares. When Ashley’s mysteriously abducted, she finds a reality even less normal than the orphanage. And she discovers something else—she’s no ordinary orphan. Faced with enemies thought to only exist in fairy tales, Ashley discovers she possesses a powerful Maya bloodline. She’s the daughter of an ancient Maya Guardian, whose duty is to protect the Stone of Muuk’ich, an enchanted relic blessed by the gods. But first she must get it back from Sarian, a power-hungry demigod who slaughtered the last guardian—Ashley’s mother. Without the stone, all will be lost. When she meets Arwan, a hot Belizean time bender, his delicious olive skin and dark eyes make her feel a little less alone. But his gentle whispers and reassuring touch might not be all they seem. How can she balance love and duty when it’s up to her to prevent the rising of the underworld? Especially when the guy she loves might be its crown prince…



About the author:
A long time enthusiast of things that go bump in the night, Theresa started her writing career as a journalism intern—possibly the least creative writing field out there. After her first semester at a local newspaper, she washed her hands of press releases and features articles to delve into the whimsical world of young adult paranormal romance. Since then, Theresa has gotten married, had three terrific kids, moved to central Ohio, and was repeatedly guilt tripped into adopting a menagerie of animals that are now members of the family. But don’t be fooled by her domesticated appearance. Her greatest love is travel. Having stepped foot on the soil of over a dozen countries, traveled to sixteen U.S. states—including an extended seven-year stay in Kodiak, Alaska—she is anything but settled down. But wherever life brings her, she will continue to weave tales of adventure and love with the hope her stories will bring joy and inspiration to her readers. 


Tour Giveaway $25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash Ends 6/11/13 a Rafflecopter giveaway

Cover Reveal Dawn's Early Light: A Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences Novel (Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences #3) by Pip Ballantine, Tee Morris, Philippa Ballantine

Description:

Working for the Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences, one sees innumerable technological wonders. But even veteran agents Braun and Books are unprepared for what the electrifying future holds…

After being ignominiously shipped out of England following their participation in the Janus affair, Braun and Books are ready to prove their worth as agents. But what starts as a simple mission in the States—intended to keep them out of trouble—suddenly turns into a scandalous and convoluted case that has connections reaching as far as Her Majesty the Queen.

Even with the help of two American agents from the Office of the Supernatural and the Metaphysical, Braun and Books have their work cut out for them as their chief suspect in a rash of nautical and aerial disasters is none other than Thomas Edison. Between the fantastic electric machines of Edison, the eccentricities of MoPO consultant Nikola Tesla, and the mysterious machinations of a new threat known only as the Maestro, they may find themselves in far worse danger than they ever have been in before….

Books #1 and #2


About the authors:
Born in Wellington, New Zealand, Philippa (Pip) Ballantine has always had her head in a book. For this she blames her father who thought Lord of the Rings was suitable bedtime reading for an eight year old. At the age of thirteen she began writing fantasy stories for herself.

She first earned a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature and Political Science and then a Bachelor of Applied Science in Library and Information Science. So soon enough she found herself working in the magical world of libraries where she stayed for over a decade

Her first professional sale was in 1997, and since then she has gone on to produce mostly novel length fiction. In 2006 she became New Zealand’s first podcast novelist, and she has voiced and produced Weaver’s Web, Chasing the Bard, Weather Child and Digital Magic as podiobooks. Her podcasts have been short listed for the Parsec Awards, and won a Sir Julius Vogel award.

Philippa is the author of the Books of the Order series with Ace- Geist and Spectyr and Wrayth out now, and Harbinger to follow. She is also the co-author of the Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences series with Tee Morris. Phoenix Rising debuted in May 2011 and The Janus Affair came out in May 2012. She also has the Shifted World series with Pyr Books, with the first book Hunter and Fox out now.

When not writing or podcasting, Philippa loves reading, gardening, and whenever possible traveling. With her husband, Tee and her daughter, she is looked after by a mighty clowder of three cats.

Tee Morris began his writing career with his 2002 historical epic fantasy, MOREVI The Chronicles of Rafe & Askana. In 2005 Tee took MOREVI into the then-unknown podosphere, making his novel the first book podcast in its entirety.

That experience led to the founding of Podiobooks.com and collaborating with Evo Terra and Chuck Tomasi on Podcasting for Dummies and its follow-up, Expert Podcasting Practices for Dummies.

He won acclaim and accolades for his cross-genre fantasy-detective Billibub Baddings Mysteries, the podcast of The Case of the Singing Swordwinning him the 2008 Parsec Award for Best Audio Drama. Along with those titles, Tee has written articles and short stories for BenBella Books’s Farscape Forever: Sex, Drugs, and Killer Muppets, the podcast anthology VOICES: New Media Fiction, BenBella Books’ So Say We All: Collected Thoughts and Opinions of Battlestar Galactica, and Dragon Moon Press’ Podthology: The Pod Complex.

Tee bought all these skills to the award-winning Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences series which he wrote with his wife, Pip Ballantine. When he is not writing, Tee enjoys life in Virginia alongside Philippa Ballantine, his daughter, and three cats. 

Right now Pip and Tee are also running a Kickstarter for a brand new anthology and a roleplaying game set in the world of the Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences. Check out the project HERE 


 Event organized by Bewitching Book Tours