Archive for the ‘rafflecopter’ Category

Girl Divided
by Willow Rose
Genre: Post-Apocalyptic Fantasy

They think she’s a monster, but she’s their only hope…

In a divided nation, 14-year-old Jetta belongs nowhere. Her face is
split right down the middle: half-black and half-white. The non-white
residents of her New Orleans camp call her a demon. The white
oppressors who took over during the 2nd American Civil War have
called her much worse…
After years as an outcast, Jetta uncovers her true heritage as the daughter
of an African storm god and a Finnish death goddess. As she attempts
to harness her terrible new abilities to turn the tide in the war,
trouble comes to those she tries to help. Only Jetta has the power to
heal her divided homeland… or destroy everything in her path…
Girl Divided is a post-apocalyptic sci-fi novel infused
with magical forces. If you like immersive worlds, strong characters,
and a tale that reads like Neil Gaiman and Stephen King combined,
then you’ll love Willow Rose’s provocative story.
**On Sale for .99 cents!**
The Queen of Scream aka Willow Rose is a #1 Amazon Best-selling Author
and an Amazon ALL-star Author of more than 40 novels. She writes
Mystery, Suspense, Horror, Supernatural thrillers, and Fantasy.

 

She lives on Florida’s Space Coast with her husband and two daughters.
When she is not writing or reading, you will find her surfing and
watch the dolphins play in the waves of the Atlantic
Ocean.
Willow’s books are fast-paced, nail-biting pageturners.
Several of her books have reached the Kindle top 20 of ALL books in the US,
UK, and Canada.
She has sold more than two million books.

 


GUEST POST

What is it that draws you to mystery, horror and paranormal thrillers?

I love the supernatural and you can feel it even in my mysteries and thrillers. I like the creepy and my books are often gritty and scary. That’s why they named me the Queen of Scream I guess.

How difficult is it to maintain the suspense and intrigue in your books while still building up to a satisfying ending?

That’s actually my favorite part. The plot. In my books you’ll meet several people whose stories don’t seem to have anything to do with each other, but at the end you’ll realize it is all connected somehow and I make sure you’ll be surprised when you realize how. That is a lot of fun.

You have a knack for creating characters who readers care about. What is your secret for creating compelling characters?

Oh wow. Thank you. I am happy to hear that. I think that I care a lot about them myself. And I try to make them have more than one side to them. Especially the bad guys. There is always a very good reason for them to be the way they are and I take my time to explain what happened to them. Their motives are important. And even my heroes mess up now and then. Just like the rest of us. I am also not afraid to make them be emotional. I spend more time writing about their emotions than describing what they look like or what the place they’re at looks like.

Tell us a bit about your writing habits. Do you plan out the plots of your books before you start writing?

It is very different, actually. Sometimes I dream something, other times it’s just something that comes to me and I think, Hmm that’s interesting or scary, maybe my readers will find it interesting or scary too. I always try to go places where I frighten myself, where there is pain or fear. Like recently I read a post on Facebook about a woman warning other mothers that she and her daughter were being approached by this man in Target and then afterwards in the parking lot outside and she had heard about this trafficking ring that targeted mothers and their children. Reading that post scared me like crazy so I knew I had to write about it. It turned out it was a hoax, but the idea was planted and soon it became a book.

What do you do when you are busy writing a book and the next idea is nagging at the back of your mind? Are you one of those authors who writes multiple books at a time?

I don’t write multiple books at a time, but I do get ideas all the time even while writing. I have a document, actually several where I write these things down, so when I get to the time when I need to write it, all the ideas are there. Right now I have the next four books planned out. I used to worry that the ideas would stop coming, but I don’t anymore. It’s like the more I write, the more ideas I get.

Besides being a best-selling author, what other secret skills do you have?

I surf. That’s my biggest passion besides writing and reading. I get the best ideas while being in the ocean.

Follow the tour HERE
for exclusive excerpts, guest posts and a giveaway!
The Man From Rome
by Dylan James Quarles
Genre: Urban Fantasy
323 pages
From the author of the highly rated Ruins Of Mars Trilogy:
Romeis a city like no other, protected by a man like no other.
He is the unnamed Immortal, the Man from Rome, and he is
under attack.
An agent of his secret order has been murdered, her tongue ripped out,
her throat coated in molten silver. The killing is meant to be a
message, a warning that old enemies have resurfaced to punish the Man
for the sins of his past.
Forced to retaliate, the Man sets in motion a sequence of events which pit
an American thief, a Roman policewoman, a heartless mercenary, and a
fallen Olympian against one another in all-out war. The streets of
Rome become a battleground where the supernatural clash with the
mortal, and the Eternal City bears witness to yet another chapter in
its storied history of violence.
Vengeance reigns supreme in this, the newest Novel from Dylan James Quarles.
Dylan was born in Portland OR but moved to Washington state as a young boy.
Growing up in a small town on the Olympic Peninsula, he spent most of
his youth involved in various creative projects.
With a passion for films, music and writing, Dylan even had the honor of
being featured in the Port Townsend Film Festival for his short film
“La Niut Des Vampires”.
After high school, he attended The Evergreen State College in Olympia where
he directed two more films, “Resurrected”, and “House
On The Borderland”.
Graduating a year early with a BA in film, he moved to South Korea and taught
English in an after school academy. Deeply impacted by the
experience, he returned to the States a much different person than
when he left.
Shortly there after, work began on The Ruins Of Mars Trilogy and the next
chapter of Dylan’s life opened wide.

GUEST POST 

 

What are your top 10 favorite books/authors?

A: That is a very hard question to answer. Off the top of my head, I suppose my list would look something like this:

The Shadow of the Wind (Carlos Ruiz Zafon)

The Subtle Knife (Philip Pullman)

Rendezvous with Rama (Arthur C. Clarke)

The Iliad (Homer)

The Count of Monte Cristo (Alexandre Dumas)

Shane (Jack Schaefer)

Quo Vadis: A Narrative of the Time of Nero (Henryk Sienkiewicz)

Blood Meridian (Cormac McCarthy)

The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (Ron Hansen)

In Search of Lost Time (Marcel Proust)

What book do you think everyone should read?

A: Fahrenheit 451. Just look at the state of the world today, the outright rejection of intelligence and intellectualism. People tune in to tune out, preferring to consume entertainment and news that conforms to what they already think and believe. Books force you to live inside another human being, see the world through their eyes, feel what they feel. It’s hard to hate someone you understand and empathize with on a deep level. I think the world needs a refresher on the importance of that lesson, and books are the best teacher.

How long have you been writing?

A: I’ve been writing since I was a kid, but I only started to write seriously around 2011/2012. Before that, I wrote several screenplays, short stories, and graphic novels—none of which survived to the present.

What kind of research do you do before you begin writing a book?

A: I typically do extensive research both before and during the writing process. That said, I feel that too much research in the beginning can stunt creativity later on. You get hemmed in by the sense that you should be using all that research, rather than allowing yourself to explore new avenues of thought that might require additional research.

What do you think about the current publishing market?

A: The current publishing market is very strange. Not to take shots at anyone in particular, but there is still so much nepotism in the industry. The children of famous authors get book deals based solely on that fact alone. TV personalities have best sellers, as if they really need another platform to spread their ‘message’. I don’t want to sound bitter, but I haven’t got much faith in traditional publishing these days. It’s simply too much of a business. Indie authors are taking bigger risks than the big publishers. They’re telling stories that don’t necessarily have a clear commercial angle, and I find that really emboldening.

Do you read yourself and if so what is your favorite genre?

A: I read like I eat—every day with as wide a variety as possible.

Do you write one book at a time or do you have several going at a time?

A: When I’m working on a book, I’m all in with that story. I don’t jump between books because I think it’s an easy way to procrastinate when you’re stuck. I see a lot of procrastination among new authors. Just being creative isn’t enough. You have to finish/publish books to be an author. However, if your constantly jumping around between stories, your chances of finishing any one will go down.

If you could have been the author of any book ever written, which book would you choose?

A: The Bible. I’d either be rich, or God—depending on what you believe.

Pen or type writer or computer?

A: It’s 2017—computer.

A day in the life of the author?

A: Wake up feeling like you didn’t get enough done the day before. Check sales/downloads/reviews. Get to work. Think about writing all day long, somehow juggling your other responsibilities in the process. Get through the workday, the drive home, and the rest of the day-to-day bs. Get home. Post up in front of your laptop. Start writing like a fiend. Don’t stop until your eyelids droop. Rise, wash, and repeat.

Advice they would give new authors?

A: Don’t give up. Stay focused. Write every day. Put your smart phone down. Facebook is the devil. Read lots and lots of books by people smarter, and more successful than you. Copy them.

What are they currently reading?

A: I am currently re-reading Don Quixote by Cervantes. It’s a newer translation done by Edith Grossman and it is very, very good.

What is your writing process? For instance do you do an outline first? Do you do the chapters first?

A: I do a bit of outlining in the beginning, but I view the outline as more of treasure map than an explicit set of directions. I like to have a few big scenes already planned out. How I connect the scenes, what happens in between them—that’s where my freeform creativity comes into play.


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Spark of Defiance
Games of Fire Trilogy Book 1
by Autumn M. Birt
Genre: Epic Fantasy
352 pages
Six months after a tragic war, the world of Myrrah has found peace.
But many of the heroes have not.
Wandering to avoid memories of lost friends and past actions, Zhao
reluctantly returns home to fulfill a promise to his sister. And to proclaim to
the elders of his people that their treatment of Air Elementals is
wrong. His homecoming is met with hostility but not for the reason he
expects. It is far worse.
To protect his gifted niece from a life of hardship and subjugation like
the one he endured, Zhao must rescue his sister. Even if she doesn’t
wish it. Quickly caught once again in events greater than he can
handle alone, Zhao struggles to prevent a personal conflict from
erupting into a larger battle. But friends are distant, and more than
a few are wrestling with new problems of their own.
Welcome BACK to the world of Myrrah full of elemental magic and epic
fantasy adventure!
A new trilogy begins in Games of Fire with book 1, Spark of Defiance.
Gates of Fire and Earth
Games of Fire Trilogy Book 2
415 pages
Success will destroy elemental magic.
Failure condemns this world and the next.
Named Guardian of the Elemental Spheres, Lavinia seeks the lost gates to
the spirit realm and their ancient guardians. But some of the
guardians have left their duties and those that have stayed may prove
as dangerous as her enemy, whose wrath threatens the world. To end an
ancient punishment inflicted on them by the Goddess for their role in
a forgotten war, the Ashanti will conquer this world and that of
spirit to gain power over death.
Lavinia must close the gates to stop the Ashanti, even though by doing so she
risks ending all elemental powers.
And the act has consequences greater than the ancient guardians imagine.
But one gate has a new guardian as
well as the old, and the last time he saw Lavinia, he tried to kill
her before she stole his power. And he’s been seeking revenge
…

Continue this epic fantasy journey begun in book 1 of the Games of Fire trilogy,

Spark of Defiance.
Friendships are tested as what is sacrificed is more than some are
willing to give. Welcome back to the world of Myrrah and meet the
Elementals of Fire, Earth, Water, Air, and Spirit who shape it. Pick
up book 2 of the Games of Fire trilogy, the
Gates of Fire & Earth,
today!

A New Goddess
Games of Fire Trilogy Book 3

The time has come to end their punishment or the world.

For nearly destroying the world in an ancient war, the Ashanti were
cursed by the Goddess Mhyrah with lifespans of less than a decade. To
regain normal lives for his people, Beh’kana, the Ashanti King,
will conquer death by gaining control of the source of all elemental
magic: the spirit realm. Even if he must burn the world to do so.
After all, he already killed his closest friend to gain the Ashanti
throne.
But his defeat at the Earth Gate nearly cost him his life.
Lavinia did not seek to be named Guardian of the Spheres when she touched
each to gain control of elemental power. But now that choice has
propelled her to being the key to stop the Ashanti. She controls the
gates that allow magic into the world. And she must close them or the
Ashanti will cross into the spirit realm and gain power beyond
imagination, enough to enslave or destroy the world they once sought
to rule.
But with the closure of each gate, an elemental power is lost.
Only two gates remain open. Magic is faint. Just when the fight grows the
most desperate. To win needed help, Lavinia has promised a man who
once tried to kill her best friend that she would open the gates and
restore magic again.
It might give them the power to fight the Ashanti or it will give their
enemy the world.
Discover the end to the epic fantasy journey begun in book 1 of the
Games of Fire trilogy, Spark of Defiance, and continued through book 2,
Gates of Fire & Earth. The
struggle for the power over life and death as well as all the
elements comes to a dramatic conclusion. Can a cruel ancient
punishment be ended without destroying magic or the world? Welcome
back to the world of Myrrah and meet the Elementals of Fire, Earth,
Water, Air, and Spirit who shape it. Pick up book 3 of the Games of
Fire trilogy,
A New Goddess, today!
Discover
the world of Myrrah- full of elemental magic and epic fantasy
adventure with the Rise of the Fifth Order trilogy!
Find them on Amazon!
Autumn is a best selling author in fantasy, epic fantasy, and war – not all
on the same series though! She is the author of the epic fantasy,
adventure trilogy on elemental magic, the Rise of the Fifth Order.
Her newest series is Friends of my Enemy, a military dystopian/ dark
fantasy tale laced with romance. Friends of my Enemy was released in
full in 2015 and is quite the story full of strong characters, tight
plots, and lots of action. Meanwhile, she is working on a new epic
fantasy trilogy, Games of Fire, set in the same world as the Rise of
the Fifth Order. The first book was released in March of 2016.

Author Q & A

Should you read the Rise of the Fifth Order trilogy before reading Games of Fire?

You should definitely read Spark of Defiance, book 1 of Games of Fire, before reading the Gates of Fire & Earth. I did my best to lightly explain some of the pertinent events from the first trilogy, the Rise of the Fifth Order, in this new epic fantasy trilogy, Games of Fire so that you could start with Spark of Defiance.

But a few readers have said they got a lot more depth for having read the Rise of the Fifth Order first. They suggest you start there! It is certainly a great introduction to the world of Myrrah and the characters by starting with Born of Water, which is free to pick up. But I won’t say you absolutely have to.

Is Games of Fire a continuation of the Rise of the Fifth Order trilogy?

The Games of Fire and the Rise of the Fifth Order trilogies are related in that they are set in the same world of Myrrah, utilize many of the same characters, and are full of elemental magic. Games of Fire begins with Spark of Defiance, which is set six months after the final book, Spirit of Life, of the Rise of the Fifth Order trilogy ends.

New problems have developed, so the Games of Fire story line is stand alone trilogy with the same heroes from the first story. However a few events that happened in the Rise of the Fifth Order are the cause of the new challenges rising in Games of Fire. So the two series are linked, but each consists of a different set of adventures and issues to solve.

I’ve only ever heard of four elements, but these books have five even though it is based on elemental magic?

This is true! Five elements, air, earth, water, fire, and spirit is actually an eastern philosophy. I wish I could say I invented it. Lol. The difference really comes with the element of earth. Only dead things and soil can be controlled by an Earth Elemental, while plants or anything living (like the ability to change into another living creature) is something that a Spirit Elemental controls. Spirit Elementals are also able to control the other four elements, at least to some degree.

Part of the discovery in the Rise of the Fifth Order series is that the ability to control one element might indicate latent gifts in any element. However, it is always difficult to learn to control the element opposing your own. So a Water Elemental might learn to control fire, but only with difficulty! AND a few of the heroes have discovered that if you can learn to control fire, earth, air, and water then no matter what element you are born with, you can unlock some of the gifts of spirit.

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