Book Promotion: Mysteries
Twelve Eyes on the Sky
Max Miller
YOU ARE AN OUTSIDER AND THE ONLY ONE FOR THE JOB.
You are tasked with exploring Inau—a humble backwater village situated inside an ancient meteorite crater. Through the eyes of Tiam, a recent hire of O.W.A.N. Security and Private Investigations, you must embrace the village’s community and culture while keeping your true intentions a secret. For Inau holds secrets of its own—the village is allegedly ravaged by a supernatural entity that manipulates the motives and actions of anyone it enthralls. You must collaborate with culprits of questionable and even illegal activities to challenge the orchestrators behind Inau’s plight. When you reach that coveted moment, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with twelve eyes on the sky, will you be filled with catharsis or dread?
THIS JOB IS YOUR FINAL HAIL MARY TO RECLAIM YOUR LOST LOVE.
Amazon
Goodreads
Twitter – @A_Miller_Away
Murder at the Dude Ranch
Texas-Sized Mysteries #4
Vickie Carroll
Abby is risking everything to reopen the family ranch, but she didn’t think she’d be risking her life! Read for FREE in Kindle Unlimited!
Abby knew opening the ranch wouldn’t be easy, but as one challenge after another comes up, she knows she’ll need help. And that help comes from an unlikely source, Bobby Johns, an old flame who is also back in town.
The only way to actually keep the land and hang onto the ranch is to finally have the big opening. But soon after the first guests arrive, there’s a bit of a problem. She and her crew have worked hard and prepared for everything—but a murder.
Amazon
Goodreads
Twitter – @vickiewriting71
Fantasy Friday: Sand and Smoke
Sand and Smoke: Dragon Destiny
Carl Cota-Robles
In the west, gunslingers and lawlessness reign. But dragon-riders have formed a peaceful country to the east.
15-year old Maya Samoralt feels destined to become one of the dragon-riders. She longs to soar on the back of a jade-scaled, teal-feathered, Sun dragon. And she won’t let anything stand in her way.
So when she is admitted to dragon-rider school, she grinds and she scrapes, sacrificing her sweat and self in a grueling set of trials to prove her worth.
But as she competes with determination and trains with a sword, a powerful weapon is being created. Something dark and of epic proportions.
Across the desert, in the sandy west, a 17-year old boy with a heart of gold and a mission to save lives hears of this terrifying creation. But with only a ragtag criminal crew and the magic to control the wind, can he pull off the ultimate heroic task and save more lives than he ever has before?
For many in his nation feel contempt for hers. And the weapon, if used, would decimate dragons and their riders.
Leaving just desert sand and ashen smoke.
An action-adventure, dragon-packed YA Epic Fantasy. Featuring themes of teamwork, equality, and perseverance.
Amazon
Goodreads
Twitter – @realwritercarl
Reviews
The book is very well written and formatted.
While I was reading it, it was like if I was watching a film, very good dialogues, and the characters are very good.
It is a page-turner book for me. – JPV
Fast paced. Great characters. Engaging plot. Very fun. Hope to see more in this series. – Jennifer McCurdy
With Sand and Smoke, Carl Cotas-Robles gave us a wonderfully detailed world of memorable characters. – Julie S. Porter
Book Promotions: ~Urban Fantasy
I’m not quite sure if Urban Fantasy is the correct category for these books, but I think it is close?
The Color of God’s Eyes
The Nameless #1
Christina Barr
Superhero
Charlotte was given her name the day she was purchased by Lady Cohen, a widow newly married to a plantation owner in Mississippi. Charlotte is tasked with taking care of her son, John, not realizing that he’s been tasked with observing her for any unique abilities. The two grow secretly in romance, but their future together is threatened when John’s loyalty to his father and the South is called into question.
Charlotte uses her blossoming gifts to escape a life of slavery and become the strong and adventurous woman that she was always meant to be, but she soon discovers a secret society of men willing to destroy her and her beloved for the gift that granted her freedom.
Amazon
Goodreads
Twitter – @ninjadustpub
Dead Heads
Gloomwood #1
Ross Young
Augustan Blunt is a washed out cop with a bad attitude, a drinking problem and a troubled past, oh, he’s also dead but that’s okay so is everyone else. Other than that things are just peachy.
Someone has stolen the Grim Reaper’s head and Blunt has been told to find it. In a new city where the rules of the living don’t apply Blunt’s up to his neck in the brown stuff and he’s never been much of a swimmer. With the aid of a woman who keeps turning involuntarily invisible, a journalist who hasn’t written an article since she died, and a bureaucrat who can’t say no to anyone, Blunt’s got to stop whoever is stealing the heads of the city’s elite.
As he begins his investigations he finds things aren’t all they seem. Who are the Gloomwood Youth Order? What do you call the murder of someone already dead? Why are people having their heads chopped off? And what is in the hot dogs? With time slipping away he needs to learn what makes the city tick before there’s no city left.
Amazon
Goodreads
Twitter – @InkDisregardit
Eyes of the Grave
Chelsea Callahan
When one of her would-be clients turns up dead, in the middle of Lafayette Cemetery, private detective Rebekah Devereaux must employ her unique abilities to find the killer. With one touch she can see how the living might die, and how the dead did die.
She’s never been wrong with the dead, so naturally problems arise when she touches her client’s corpse and sees herself as the killer. She doesn’t remember killing anyone, so with the help of her estranged husband; Rebekah sets off on the hunt for answers. She faces dark holes in her past and has to juggle some heavy questions about her future.
Killer or not, she has to find the answers, before someone else ends up dead.
Amazon
Goodreads
Twitter – @TheWritingDruid
Book Release: Rise Up by Brodie Whitburn
Rise Up
Brodie Whitburn
Rise up is a story of learning, philosophy, love and friendship. The inner strength we all have within us to overcome the demons we battle every day. Knowing that we have people around us who support and love us even in our hardest times. Never give up, like the sun; rise up to a brand new day.
Kara and Anna, 2 sisters full of life. Creating worlds of adventure with their imaginations. Everyone has a bad day, Anna battles her emotions day in and out. Using the adventures with her sister to help battle her emotions. Kara, always there to help inspire her younger sister. Soon she will have to face the hardest battle she has ever come to, to overcome those demons and rise up. The inspiration of fictional stories to help inspire the reality we live in.
Ebook preorder available now! – To be released on the 6th of May.
Paperback copy also available!
Read a free sample from chapter one!
I met Brodie through the Writing Community on Twitter and he is a really welcoming and friendly guy! Please help out a new author and share his work!
Follow Brodie Whitburn on Twitter – @BrodieWAuthor
He also started a Writers’ Community group on Facebook!
Fantasy Friday: Chronicles of Yarrowind
Chronicles of Yarrowind: The Age of Change
Iren Adams
Epic Fantasy
HE GODS ARE AWAKENING
Marehana is close. The three moons of Yarrowind are ready to eclipse the sun for a whole day.
War is coming down on the Allied Kingdoms. A destructive clan leaves only ruins at their passing through the Willinghurst Mountains.
The half-elf Alanna and the magician Reese have to leave on a quest to the uncharted lands. An ancient artifact is their only hope to save Yarrowind from the awakening Dark God.
Hidden enemies, deceptive plans, and unforeseen dangers await them at every turn.
Amazon
Goodreads
Twitter – @irenadamsblog
Reviews
The book is filled with incredible protagonists, which grow page by page, and which are guided by different motives and goals. Each of them has its own flaws and strengths. – Elisabetta Macchi
I absolutely loved this book.
It had a fresh way of telling a story that I haven’t seen anywhere before.
From the first pages, I fell in love with the characters.
I couldn’t stop reading until the last pages of the book. – Sandrine
A nice read for the lovers of fantasy. Full of twists and interesting characters. – Kristen
Terry 2020 Book Review: Jingo
Jingo
Discworld #21
Terry Pratchett
Rating 3.5/5
I found this book a little harder to follow than the previous books. It was difficult to tell where the plot was actually leading, but it did come together at the end. Terry Pratchett books tend to do that a lot anyway (as far as I have noticed) but I had a little more trouble keeping track with this one.
On a more positive note, I discovered how to edit some of the settings on my ereader to fix the formatting problem I was having. There was better spacing between different sections of the story.
The next book on my list is The Colour of Magic.
Book Promotions: Teen and Young Adult
The Broker
Meghan Rodela
Humorous Fantasy
In this fast-paced world even demons are into fast food. But what is the genuine cost of dealing in human souls? Jared Rice is about to find out.
Amazon
Goodreads
Twitter – @MeghanRodela
For Blood & Glory
Chronicles of the 13th Tribe #1
Cassandra Hendricks
Fantasy Horror
Sefira Carrington is no stranger to tragedy. The death of her father as well as the curious mental decline and subsequent imprisonment of her mother, have left her truly and utterly alone. Despite her misfortune, she has managed to carve out a decent life for herself. She’s found a good family, friends and at sixteen, she’s finally realizing a semblance of normalcy. That is, until she moves to Southern California. Strange things begin to happen. Things that become increasingly difficult for her to ignore. Suddenly, she finds herself thrust into a supernatural underworld that defies human comprehension. In this new world, a war is raging and in a cruel twist of fate, Sefira is somehow at the center of it. Something’s coming, and it will force her to reevaluate everything she’s ever been told and unearth the demons she thought she’d left behind. Once she travels down this road, there’s no turning back….
Amazon
Goodreads
Twitter – @thegildedland
Petals and Blades Anthology: Tragic Fantasy Tales
Dreaming Rabbit Press Anthologies Book #2
Xaneria Ann, Colby Beattley, A.P. Sessler, Katie Leonard, Russell Hemmell
Literary Anthologies & Collections
Join us in reading these five beautifully tragic fantasy stories and poems, by various authors, that lead you down a path of emotions, accompanied by dragons, Kings and Queens, Knights, and betrayal.
Amazon
Goodreads
Twitter – @VivianStCrow
Battle Ground
Battle Ground Series Book #1
Rachel Churcher
Dystopian
Sixteen-year-old Bex Ellman has been drafted into an army she doesn’t support and a cause she doesn’t believe in. Her plan is to keep her head down, and keep herself and her friends safe – until she witnesses an atrocity she can’t ignore, and a government conspiracy that threatens lives all over the UK. With her loyalties challenged, Bex must decide who to fight for – and who to leave behind.
Amazon
Goodreads
Twitter – @Rachel_Churcher
Blog Tour: Interview with Edale Lane
Explore an exciting new blog tour celebrating the first book in Edale Lane’s Night Flyer Trilogy, Merchants of Milan!
A story of a masked vigilante and two women in love that weaves history, action, romance, gadgets, and intrigue into a captivating literary tapestry, Merchants of Milan is a novel that will satisfy readers of historical fantasy and historical romance alike!
The blog tour runs from February 19-26 and features reviews, interviews, guest posts, top ten lists, and more!
Book Synopsis for Merchants of Milan
Three powerful merchants, two independent women in love, one masked vigilante.
Florentina, set on revenge for her father’s murder, creates an alter-ego known as the Night Flyer. Madelena, whose husband was also murdered, hires Florentina as a tutor for her children and love blossoms between them. However, Florentina’s vendetta is fraught with danger, and surprising developments threaten both women’s lives.
Merchants of Milan is the first book in Edale Lane’s Night Flyer Trilogy, a tale of power, passion, and payback in Renaissance Italy. If you like gadgets and gismos, rich historical background, three-dimensional characters, and fast-paced action with a slow-boil lesbian romance, then you are sure to love this series. Buy this one of a kind novel today and let the adventure begin!
Kindle
Amazon Print
Barnes and Noble
About the Author
Edale Lane is the author of an award winning 2019 debut novel, Heart of Sherwood. She is the alter-ego of author Melodie Romeo, (Vlad a Novel, Terror in Time, and others) who founded Past and Prologue Press. Both identities are qualified to write historical fiction by virtue of an MA in History and 24 years spent as a teacher, along with skill and dedication in regard to research. She is a successful author who also currently drives a tractor-trailer across the United States. A native of Vicksburg, MS, Edale (or Melodie as the case may be) is also a musician who loves animals, gardening, and nature. Please visit her website at: https://pastandprologuepress.lpages.co/
Twitter: @EdaleLane
Official Site
Interview with Edale Lane
Where are you from?
Vicksburg, MS with my current residence in the neighbouring rural community of Utica, MS.
Do you have a job away from writing?
I am a retired school teacher after 24 years and currently own a small business (Driving Edge Transport, LLC) as a contracted an over-the-road truck driver making more than twice what I did as a public school teacher with an MA and National Board Certification. Rather a shame, I think.
What is your favourite book?
I have a hard time choosing favorites because I like so many.
Are you inspired by particular authors?
On a personal level, I have been inspired by John Grisham because he had to work hard to get started, sold books out of the trunk of his car, but didn’t give up and realized his dream of becoming an author. There are many others whose careers had a similar beginning who inspire me as well.
When did you realise you wanted to become an author?
When I was in second grade, I wrote my first “book” about dinosaurs. I have been writing stories ever since. In 2000 I started working on my umpteenth novel only this time I was determined it would make it; after scores of ignores or rejections I self-published my first Historical Thriller, Vlad, a Novel, by Melodie Romeo in 2002. It got good reviews but practically no sales with no promotion or advertising and as a school teacher I couldn’t afford it. I gave up for a long time. But when I started driving the truck in 2014, I had time to write and became more and more motivated to succeed. No more giving up for me!
What do you do in your spare time?
LOL! Spare time? What is that? I enjoy playing my French horn, singing, composing, and arranging music, growing vegetables in my garden, and playing computer role-playing and strategy games but don’t have time for much of anything besides driving, writing, research, and learning how to promote and sell my books.
Do you have any advice for aspiring authors?
If this is something you have in you, stories that form in your mind and must be released into the world, then don’t give up. Take writing classes, get a proof-reader or editor, keep honing your craft and pounding on the door to be published. If all else fails, you can create your own small press like I did. It is so, so hard to break the barrier from obscurity to best seller, but it can happen. Just in case it doesn’t, I wouldn’t quit my day job. We write because we love it; if others read our works and love them too, we have made a contribution. Smile.
What inspired the storyline?
With the Night Flyer Trilogy I was trying to create something truly unique, which is a tricky process with so many creative works already on the shelves. Since few historical lesbian romances (or fiction novels in general) take place in Renaissance Italy, I thought that setting would fit the bill. Then I came up with this idea of a 16th century “super hero” with the concept of “Batwoman meets Leonardo da Vinci.” There had to be a catalyst for this intellectual woman to don a costume and fly through the night, and naturally she had to meet the woman of her dreams and fall in love. I have always admired Leonardo da Vinci and in the series I showcase some of his art and inventions as a tribute to one of history’s great minds.
Are any of the characters based on people you know in real life?
No, but I incorporated portions of myself into them. I have a sharp mind quick to learn and am good at building and fixing things like Florentina and was also a teacher. As with Florentina, I grew up middle class and am fearless in most things. Like Madelena, I had a husband die young leaving me with a little boy and girl who I am devoted to–even though they are now grown up with families of their own. Maddie is indecisive and I can be at times, too. I share a calm confidence, patience, and control over my temper like Alessandro, and I love the adventure of life as do little Betta and Matteo.
What are your writing plans for the future?
Book Two of the Night Flyer Trilogy, Secrets of Milan, is well underway, so expect that later in 2020. Then, naturally, I want to finish up the series as soon as possible. After that, I have a number of ideas, including one completed but never published novel, Viking Quest, and several unfinished manuscripts screaming for my attention. A reader also requested a historical lesbian romance set in Australia as she said she can’t find a single one.
What is your favourite movie or tv series?
I am a fan of both Star Wars and Star Trek, Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Xena Warrior Princess, Jurassic Park/World, Bones and most crime dramas; but if I had to choose one above the others, it has to be The Lord of the Rings Trilogy. For the story, magic, cinematography, music, and the heart of the characters, nothing tops it.
If you could create one invention that would make life easier/better what would it be?
For this, I turn to Star Trek. The replicator–a device you put garbage in and get usable products out–would essentially end poverty. Now, who’s going to help me with rearranging those atoms?
Tour Schedule and Activities
2/19 I Smell Sheep http://www.ismellsheep.com/ Guest Post
2/20 The Seventh Star Blog http://www.theseventhstarblog.com Guest Post
2/21 The Writing Process https://kimsprocess.wordpress.com Author Interview
2/22 jazzy Book Reviews https://bookreviewsbyjasmine.blogspot.com/ Guest Post
2/23 A Lot of Pages http://www.A-lotofpages.com Review
2/24 The Literary Underworld http://www.literaryunderworld.com Guest Post
2/24 Jorie Loves a Story http://www.jorielovesastory.com Review
2/24 Quirky Cat’s Fat Stacks (of Books) http://www.quirkycatsfatstacks.com Review
2/25 The Paperback Voyager http://thepaperbackvoyager.wordpress.com Review
2/26 Willow’s Thoughts and Book Obsessions https://willowwritesandreads.com/ Review
2/26 The Paperback Voyager http://thepaperbackvoyager.wordpress.com Interview
2/26 Jorie Loves a Story http://www.jorielovesastory.com Follow-up VLOG
Tour Page URL: http://www.tomorrowcomesmedia.com/edale-lane-merchants-of-milan-blog-tour-historical-fantasy-historical-lesbian-romance/
Fantasy Friday: Borderlands: Prelude
Borderlands: Prelude
Borderlands #0
Charles Gull
Military fantasy
Facing down the insanity of the Borderlands, Captain Ganse leads a handpicked team of Aether Guards on patrol.
Long trained and battled hardened, this band of heroes must forsake magic and hunt the vile Spawn with deadly determination, simple brutal weapons and obscure advice buried in an ancient book.
What starts as another routine sweep soon becomes a battle for survival as they are challenged by horrors powerful beyond record. Now, not even skill, experience and the Captain’s unique family legacy can guarantee the patrol’s survival. In a chain of battles where the soldiers must win every time but the enemy needs but a single victory, can the patrol triumph or will the Realm’s dark blood finally choke the bright heart of their homelands?
Grimmdark meets Bronzepunk in this action packed novella that launches a unique hard fantasy epic set in a deeply immersive character centred world.
Amazon
Goodreads
Twitter – @Auk_Word
Reviews
Holy smokes, this book took me for a ride. I initially picked it up because it was short, a rarity in a world of fantasy goat-gaggers. When I first started the adventure, I flinched because it was written in first person, not my favorite PoV. My dismay did not last long. This is an action story and the close and personal PoV had the affect of driving the action like a roller coaster. There were just enough breaks to allow some banter between the characters. – Lee Dunning
The magic and world building in Borderlands Prelude immerses you and keeps you under it’s spell long after it is over. Borderlands is filled with nuanced characters and battle scenes that play out like a movie. – JS
If you like science fantasy and a lot of action, this book will be great for you. The world is interesting and detailed, as is the endless battle and struggle of the characters. – Sahreth ‘Baphy’ Bowden
Author Interview: Deck Matthews and the Riven Realm series
How do you kill a shadow?
As a raging storm descends on the Blasted Coast, the crippled young rigger, Caleb Rusk, meets a stranger on the road. Little does he know that the encounter will pull him into a conflict that threatens everything he holds dear—and change the course of his life forever.
Meanwhile, in the Capital of Taralius, a string of inexplicable deaths have captured the attention of the Ember Throne. Second Corporal Avendor Tarcoth is tasked with uncovering the truth behind a danger that could threaten the very fabric of the Realm.
Amazon
Goodreads
Author Website
Twitter – @varkaschronicle
Author Interview
Where are you from?
I was born and raised in Ontario, Canada. I haven’t really ventured very far. I’m still living in the same province, though now I’m a resident of the nation’s capital, Ottawa!
Do you have a job away from writing?
I do. I am currently working as a front-end web developer, building websites and web applications for a wide range of clients.
What is your favourite book?
This is a difficult question, but these days I usually cite The Lies of Locke Lamora as my favourite book.
Are you inspired by particular authors?
Lots of different authors have inspired me over the years, but some of the biggest influences on me are: Terry Brooks, Brandon Sanderson, Jim Butcher, Joe Abercrombie, Weis and Hickman. Recently, I’d add Brian McLellan to that list.
When did you realise you wanted to become an author?
I generally point to the end of my eighth-grade year, when my teacher gave me a set of David Eddings’ series, The Belgariad. I devoured them over the summer, along with the follow-up series, The Mallorean. That’s when I fell in love with fantasy fiction. From there, I started playing with the creation of my own worlds and stories and discovered that writing was something I really loved.
What do you do in your spare time?
I spend a lot of time reading. I also enjoy playing video games and board games with my wife and kids, messing around on my guitar, and dabbling in drawing and digital painting.
Do you have any advice for aspiring authors?
Just keep writing. It can be an agonizing process, full of uncertainty and doubt, but the only way forward is to keep on writing. Try to learn how to embrace and enjoy the creative process while your in it and not worry about everything that surrounds publication.
I recognize that this is easier said than done. It’s a lesson I’m still trying (and often failing) to learn myself.
What inspired the storyline of your series?
I don’t know if I can really point to any singular source of inspiration. Instead, I tend to think of the story and the world of Varkas as an amalgam of various source materials. Of course, I draw on a lot of fantasy tropes playing on some directly and trying to put a new spin on some others. Some characters, like the blind old sage, Tiberius, were the product of creative exercises. Others came together through a process of exploratory writing, or simply appeared when required.
As noted, above there are also influences from the works of Terry Brooks, Brandon Sanderson and Joe Abercrombie. I can also trace different influences to various things like LOST, Chuck, Pirates of the Carribean, Dungeons and Dragons, Arthurian legends, and even a song or two.
Is there anything you learned during the writing or publishing process that you wish you knew earlier?
In all honesty, there’s still a lot that I don’t know—specifically surrounding promotion and marketing. Writing, editing and producing the book is the easy part. It’s self-promotion and convincing people to give a new, unproven author a chance that’s the real challenge. If I’d known how difficult it would be, I’d likely have started trying to build connections and relationships earlier.
What are your writing plans for the future?
I’m going to continue writing the novellas in The Riven Realm series. I’m in the midst of drafting books 4-6 and will release them as I’m able. I’m also working on a YA novel set in the same world. The target audience is my own kids. I’ve involved them in creating many of the characters and some of the basic plot structure. I’ll be releasing it later this year.
Beyond that, I have some rough concepts for standalone Varkas novels, which I’ll hopefully get around to writing within the next few years.
If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go and why?
New Zealand. I have family there, and it’s a place I’ve been interested in visiting since I was a kid. The landscape is stunning, and of course, it would be awesome to visit some of the locations where they filmed the Lord of the Rings movies.
What is your favourite movie or tv series?
Star Wars, minus episodes 1-3. I don’t really watch a lot of TV or movies these days, but the Star Wars films are ones I return to over and over again. I also enjoy reading the novels and comics (both official canon and the Legends books).
If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it still make a sound?
A falling tree will make vibrations. But if no ear is around to translate those vibrations into a brain stimulus, is it really a sound?
Reviews for The First of Shadows
It felt a bit like entering the world of a video game with all the stunning visuals and intriguing world-building including several magic systems, animal totems, flying ships, old scholars, mysterious drifters, and plenty of secrets. I’m excited to see where this story goes! – E.B. Dawson
Though Deck is a new and upcoming author, he writes with the confidence and experience of published authors like Michael J. Sullivan and Terry Brooks. This is so evident in the pages of FIrst of Shadows. Well crafted characters you care about and a rich, deep world you can’t wait to learn more of—this book has it all. – csf
Rich world-building, excellent pacing, action-packed plot and a great magic system! Do yourself a favor and discover (or revisit!) the world of Varkas today. I’m hooked. – Mia Moss
The Writing Process 