Happy Friday, good people of the blogosphere! Today, I bring you yet another giveaway and set of announcements from the lovely ladies of UtopYA Con. Tickets for the event are on sale now! You can grab yours by clicking on the name. Without further ado, I give you this week's Fall Into UtopYA releases post and giveaways!
Rivulet by Jamie Magee
Description:
Unfathomable forces have always contested Genevieve Indiana Falcon, known as Indie. The curse of her cold touch entraps her just as the grief ignited in her past torments her. Yet, her mysterious ability to dream while awake saturates her in the belief that she was not always anguished. There is hope that one day a true peace in her soul can be found.
Foolishly, Indie assumes she has contained her life in an odd balance, and she cherishes the visions she sees of the enigmatic boy that held her in a lost time, but can never reach. She grieves for a life she fears she'll never possess, and that grief is a weapon she uses against her aunt who stands between her and her inheritance.Weeks away from her twenty-first birthday, the date where she would assume control over her family legacy, a night terror robs Indie of the balance she was clinging to. Like the dream she had before she lost her family, it predicts a fatal catastrophe on the horizon. The fight between life and death, good and evil, began the moment her thundering heart awoke her.
Everything changed after that dream. The one thing that keeps her curse at bay is stolen, and then the enigmatic boy arrives in the flesh. Face to face with her fiery born-again lover Indie realizes that the only way she can prevent the tragedy before her is to surrender everything she was, is, and could be.
Can she bend the laws of nature and fight the improbability that fire and ice could ever be one? As far as Indie is concerned, there is not a myth, spoken fate, or curse that is stronger than her stubborn desire to have it all ... including him.
About the author:
Jamie Magee has always believed that each of us have a defining gift that sets us apart from the rest of the world, she has always envied those who have known from their first breath what their gift was. Not knowing hers, she began a career in the fast paced world of business. Raising a young family, and competing to rise higher in that field would drive some to the point of insanity, but she always found a moment of escape in a passing daydream. Her imagination would take her to places she’d never been, introduce her to people she’s never known. Insight, her debuting novel, is a result of that powerful imagination. Today, she is grateful that not knowing what defined her, led her on a path of discovery that would always be a part of her.
Author Contact Links:
Semester Aboard by Elizabeth Kirke
Semester Aboard, the first book in the YA urban fantasy series More than Magic has a brand new cover! If you haven't read Semester Aboard yet, here's a quick summary and a little peek for you!
Description:
College student Jen Maddox is a few days into her summer study abroad program and has loved every moment. She just left Mexico and is back on her cruise ship campus, ready to sail to Panama. Everyone tells her that the experience will change her life, but none of them realize just how right they really are.
One night Jen goes out on deck and encounters five other students. She knows Charlie from one of her classes and he's a funny, friendly, regular guy. Picture-perfect Dani and his gorgeous wife Mariana live right down the hall from Jen. And she has seen TS, who's built like a truck, around the ship and recognizes the cute, but quiet Thomas as well.
Then Jen sees something that isn't humanly possible. Jen would have thought that it was all a dream, if not for the fact that Charlie, Dani, Mariana, TS, and Thomas are making every effort to cover it up. Suddenly, the five of them are everything but normal and Jen is determined to figure out what they're hiding.
When she does, her life really does change. Jen expected to spend her summer studying the cultures of Latin America, she never dreamed she'd learn about a magical culture instead.
But Jen's childhood fantasy come true is about to turn into a nightmare; there's something on the ship. Something dangerous. Suddenly, everyone on board is threatened by a creature that Jen never even believed existed. Jen and her new friends might be the only people who can stop it! Now Jen has to learn everything she can about her new world before it kills her. And her friends. And maybe everyone on the entire ship!
The More than Magic series is written by Elizabeth Kirke.
Sneak Peek:
It started raining early in the afternoon and was a bad storm by the time I went to bed. I woke up in the middle of the night and stumbled over to our bathroom, feeling awful. A bit of quality time bent over the toilet didn’t help at all and I decided to try for some fresh air. I pulled a sweater on over my pajamas, hung my ID card strap around my neck, and slipped out of the room. I made my way down the corridor to the door that led outside. For the first time since getting on the ship I had to keep one hand on the railing. The halls were well lit, even though it was the middle of the night, and it was almost disconcerting to step outside into the darkness. But the moment the cool, damp wind hit my face I felt better. I hadn’t been seasick since our first night, but sometimes I felt nauseous if I stayed in our room too long. Being out on the deck always helped.
I had assumed that I’d be the only one crazy enough to go out in the rain in the middle of the night, but to my surprise I wasn’t. There were people on the other side of the deck. It was too dark to see them well, but the lights from the deck above us illuminated them a little. One of them was Charlie. He was standing under the overhang where Deck Five extended out above Deck Four. He was just wearing a t-shirt and jeans and I shivered in sympathy. A guy I recognized, not surprising since we all lived on a ship, was sitting on the bottom steps of the outdoor stairway that led to Deck Five. He was probably a football player back home or something. He had shaggy, dark brown hair and a fairly large nose. I’d heard a few girls giggling about him, but I didn’t think he was that good looking. I wasn’t sure what his name was. Another guy was sitting in a chair, probably pilfered from Deck Five, with his back to me and his feet up on the rails. Mariana was near him, wearing only a bikini top and a short skirt. I couldn't believe she wasn't cold.
"I didn’t scream!" she said.
"You totally did! You freaked out!" Dani laughed.
It had been too dark to notice Dani until he spoke. My jaw dropped in shock. Dani was sitting on the railing of the ship. Messing around on the rails was one of the first things they’d told us not to do when we got on board. Even sitting on them in the middle of a calm day was suicidal at best. But to sit there in the middle of a stormy night was nothing short of a death wish.
"I was not!" Mariana cried.
"You were all like, 'Oh, Danio, save me Danio!'"
"Well, I...I-don’t be such a jerk!"
As Mariana spoke she spun to face Dani and shoved him hard. Dani’s laugh turned into a yell of surprise and he tumbled backward off of the railing! I gasped in horror. Every second now was critical. If someone went overboard we were supposed to immediately throw them a life preserver and then run and tell a crew member. But not a single one of them did anything! The one in the chair uncrossed his legs and recrossed them with a different one on top. The guy on the stairs threw back his head and laughed! Charlie quickly stuck his head over the railing and then pulled back and shivered. It was as if Dani hadn't gone overboard at all.
"Oh my god!" I gasped. They must have been in shock. That was the only reason they weren't rushing to save Dani. I ran across the deck, at the very least, I could throw the life preserver in and hope he was still alive to use it.
They all jerked around to look at me. They acted more surprised to see me than they were about Dani falling overboard. Mariana gasped and backed against the rail. Charlie stepped to the edge of the overhang and Football Guy jumped off of the stairs to his feet. The guy in the chair was on his feet in an instant. I hardly even saw him move; one second he was sitting and the next he was up. He stepped in front of the others, almost protectively.
"That's Jennifer." Charlie spoke softly like he didn't want me to hear, but the wind carried his words right to me. "She's in one of my classes."
The guy in front smiled. "You're up late."
They were acting like nothing had happened! This was insane!
"What's the matter with you?" I cried. "We have to do something!"
"Do something?" He almost looked genuinely confused. "About what?"
"She just..." I gestured to Mariana. "She just pushed Dani overboard!"
He had the audacity to laugh. "It's raining, you know. And dark. You're mistaken."
Hungry for more? Find the first four chapters on Elizabeth's blog...
And now, what you came for, the new cover!
In addition to the new cover, courtesy of the amazing Strong Image Editing, a bonus chapter, from a different POV as been added to Semester Aboard, along with a glossary! It has also been edited one more time, just for good measure! It's available from Amazon and Smashwords!
Drowning in Fire by Arielle Caldwell
Once again, Marya with Strong Image Editing, has done an amazing job with a cover! She had done each one for The Nerita Torlan Trilogy by Arielle. “Drowning in Fire” is book two in the series.
The Nerita Torlan Trilogy, Book Two
Synopsis:
Nerita is tortured and put through more pain than she ever imagined could happen. Ahlic has captured her and locked her in a room where there’s no chance of escape on her own. He forces her to watch the murder of a friend. She strikes a deal to try and save lives but Ahlic is not the bargaining type.
After escaping, Ahlic forces her to endure a traumatic loss and haunts her in her dreams. More powers emerge from her, shocking everyone and leaving them slightly afraid. While on her own, a witch shows her the future and tells her grave news. A battle rages in her heart; unsure of how to handle the revelation.
She seeks Ahlic...but not to destroy him. Feelings she can’t control drive her to insanity and lust. Will Nerita give in and fall for what she’s been trying so hard to destroy?
About Arielle:
Arielle Caldwell began writing in grade school but never pursued a career in it until early 2012. She started writing poetry in middle school and progressed to books a few years later. She is a proud Cajun from Louisiana but was raised in Pensacola, Florida. Shortly after graduating high school, she joined the US Navy where she met her husband and became the mother of two wonderfully crazy little boys. After separating from the military, she decided to go to college in Texas. A year later, she moved back to Pensacola when offered a job at the naval base as a civilian contractor. She is currently juggling college, work, family, writing, managing her website, Arc Indie Reviews, and being a columnist for APSS, the new Small Publishers of America newsletter. She loves going to the river with her family and friends or to the water park for a few hours. Her Kindle is overflowing with books, she loves rock music the most, and she loves to sing and dance with her children around the house. Her first series, The Nerita Torlan Trilogy, has two books currently released. “Burning in Water” is her debut book, also being book one in the series with “Drowning in Fire” book two, released as well. Book three is “The Awakening” and in the works. “After-Ending” is her dystopian novel that has a planned release of beginning to mid 2014. She resides in Pensacola with her husband, two kids, and their Great Dane, Scooby.
Contact Arielle:
Facebook: AFCaldwellsBooks
Twitter: @ArielleCaldwell
Publisher: Nevermore Press
Halo City by Mary Ting
Synopsis:
When a massive group of angels known as nephilim—half human, half angel—had been found by the Royal Council, they were taken to Halo City. Instead of cleansing the Earth with a flood, which had been done before, the Royal Council created a place just for this group of angels. While they were being taken, one of the Twelve, named Aden, rebelled and convinced many alkins to join his cause—to live freely among the humans and take over Crossroads.
After the fall of Aden and his followers, Michael was taken to Halo City to heal. Not only did Michael had a difficult time settling into his new environment, he had conflicting issues regarding his past. Upon meeting the alkins, a particular one by the name of Davin refused to give up on helping him deal with his struggles. Together, they discovered a strange being that would appear at the Crossroads at unexpected times. Souls wandering there is nothing new, but this one aged as time passed. Mystified, they both searched for answers while refraining from telling the Twelve about her. Who is this being that had enraptured Michael’s attention? And will Michael finally forgive himself and find the happiness that he yearned to have?
About Mary Ting:
M. Clarke also known as Mary Ting resides in Southern California with her husband and two children. She enjoys oil painting and making jewelry. Writing her first novel, Crossroads Saga, happened by chance. It was a way to grieve the death of her beloved grandmother, and inspired by a dream she once had as a young girl. When she started reading new adult novels, she fell in love with the genre. It was the reason she had to write one-Something Great. Why the pen name, M Clarke? She tours with Magic Johnson Foundation to promote literacy and her children's chapter book-No Bullies Allowed.
Author Contact Links:
Synopsis:
"Do you want me to be dangerous?" he asked, his voice husky and low.
I gulped, and for a moment I was incapable of speech. But he was quiet, waiting. "No. I don't."
"Then I'm not dangerous at all," he murmured. His gaze moved from my eyes to my mouth. "You've never been safer than you are at this moment." I shivered as his breath tickled my skin. Our lips were mere millimeters apart when the sky shattered in a kaleidoscope of colored light.
We didn’t know how much we had to lose until we were infected with magic. Sam was in love, Juliette was the main caretaker for her siblings, and Ana and her dad planned the best parties in New York. But we lost it all when we were shipped to Chebeague, an exclusive school for newly infected mages.
Everyone knows about the mages, those who survive the infection and end up with magical abilities. We’ve seen the power of magic, the high-paying jobs, and the world fame. But we never saw the cost. We didn’t know we’d be forced to give up everything: sanity, family, even the right to talk on the phone.
We didn’t know mage was just another word for prisoner.
or
About the Authors:
Sabrina West, Sheena Boekweg and Melanie Crouse never dreamed they would actually create a book worth publishing when they started writing together. Alchemy was merely supposed to be an exercise in flexibility. And it has been that, but it is so much more. Friendships that span the American continent have been forged, and unforgettable characters have been created.
Writing this first book in the Prophecy Breakers was a fun-filled adventure, and we hope that reading it is just as fun for you...
Sheena Boekweg (writing as Sam) is the author of the award winning novel, Funny Tragic Crazy Magic. Look for her next novel, Waxling, this January. She is a mom of three living in West Jordan, Utah. facebook.com/SheenaBoekwegYAAuthor @SheenaBoekweg BoekwegBooks.com.
Sheena Boekweg is a staff member at Flash Fiction Online. She has received an Honorable Mention in the Writers of the Future Contest, and The New Era Magazine accepted her work for publication. Sheena is a mom of three living in West Jordan, Utah.
Melanie Crouse (writing as Ana) lives in the gorgeous state of Maine with her (usually) delightful family. She is the CEO of the craziest household in the Western Hemisphere. Lately, both of those full-time jobs have collided, creating chaos on a colossal scale. Which is just the way she likes it.
In her spare time, Melanie likes to play the piano, swim, hike and teach preschool. Whether she has spare time or not, she manages to read prolifically, which probably explains more than it doesn't.
She loves her family dearly, and wishes with all her heart that her teenage children weren't so embarrassed that their mom writes "kissing scenes."
Look for her next novel, Hidden Magic, coming soon.
Sabrina West (writing as Juliette) is a writer and wildlife biologist living in San Diego, California. There, she wanders the streets searching for rare shorebirds, quality espresso, and elusive snippets of dialogue and imagery. Her short fiction has appeared in markets such as the Santa Clara Review, Cover of Darkness, and Strange, Weird and Wonderful Magazine. She also has a story upcoming in Kayelle Press's Night Terrors Anthology.
I hope you've all enjoyed meeting these ladies and reading about their books! Don't forget to enter the Rafflecopter giveaway!
Make sure you come back Monday for an author interview with Ms. Allyson Gottlieb, one of the ladies planning to attend UtopYA Con 2014. For another great author attending the con, visit
Felicia Tatum's guest post from Monday and enter to win her books!
Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!
Jo
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