Showing posts with label ya. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ya. Show all posts

Tuesday, April 10, 2018

New Release - The Blood King

Title: The Blood King (Book 1 of the Brighton Duology)
Author: Liz Long
Genre: Young Adult Dystopian
Cover Designer: Molly Phipps of We Got You Covered Book Design
Publication Date: April 10th, 2018
Hosted by: Lady Amber’s PR
Blurb: In the kingdom of Brighton, a President-turned-King offers poor teens the chance to join KEY, the King’s Education for Youth. Seventeen-year-old Reina Torres jumps at the chance to be of service to her country, wanting to learn more about Brighton’s history and future through the Media industry.
The King himself takes an interest in Reina, offering private interviews; he soon commands her to marry his cruel son. Reina, however, cannot ignore her growing feelings for Iris, a fellow KEY student, despite knowing the laws. Reina discovers refusal means punishment much worse than death, and why King Magnus hasn’t aged in decades, thanks to his KEY program.
Liz Long is a proud graduate of Longwood University and author of ten novels. Her inspiration comes from action and thriller genres and she spends entirely too much time watching superhero movies. Her day job as Associate Editor includes writing for a magazine publisher in Roanoke, VA. She is also the director of the Roanoke Regional Writers Conference and the annual Roanoke Author Invasion.
Comic book readers and fans of CW Network smash hits Arrow, The Flash, Legends of Tomorrow, and Netflix’s Daredevil will root for Liz Long’s bestselling YA summer series as the HoA’s gifted teen superheroes attempt to save their city from its impending demise. The Donovan Circus series has best been described as "X-Men meets the circus." Adult horror story Witch Hearts tells the tale of a serial killer hunting witches for their powers. New Adult PNR A Reaper Made is about a teen Reaper who gets caught between falling in love or saving her sister's soul. All titles are available for paperback or ebook on Amazon.
To learn more about Liz (including more information on her books, plus writing, marketing, and social media tips), visit her website: http://lizclong.com.
Author Links:
Newsletter signup (new subscribers get 2 free ebooks, including DC #1): http://www.subscribepage.com/lizlongauthornewsletter
                                                  
Buy Links:

ONE

My grandmother once told me our country used to be a democracy. Years ago, when she was a little girl, a man became president. He loved the power so much he kept it, killed his opponents and dared others to come forward. Those who did lost, and with it, our free will.
The man declared himself a King, vowing to take care of the people who best served him. And he did keep his word–those who were loyal to him stayed in their own places of power, content to take orders from a megalomaniac. There were parties and festivals, food and drink and no expense spared. The King remained on his throne of gold, the years turning into a decade, then two and three and four. Eventually, the people in his new kingdom grew complacent, adapting to their circumstances. They couldn’t flee because these were their homes, they said, and fighting was out of the question. Families stayed together this way, they said, and they’d surely be rewarded for their loyalty. Many people in the kingdom died waiting. Eventually people accepted things the way they were, forgot how life used to be. And so the King continued on ruling, content to keep his power over the country. He went to war with other countries who dared threaten us, subduing them thanks to his plans and weapons. Attacks decimated over half of our own country, leaving much of what was once green and fruitful now barren and brown. He won, thanks to the money he pumped into his military. It was the best in the world, and it only took three years for everyone else in the world to realize it. Over half of the human population, on the entire earth, blown to smithereens. He rebuilt the kingdom on top of our old ruins, promising a glorious new era. Other countries would bow to us and fear his name. He was the King of our country, not the world, but he might as well have been. The smaller battles that broke out across the years never amounted to anything. No one could truly spar with him because they knew he’d bomb their entire civilizations off the map. It was a folk tale, this story of King Magnus Brighton. Stories our grandparents made up to get through their days, to scare the younger generation into behaving. I knew better, could read the papers and listen to the media. They only had positive things to say about how our King had saved us all, and continued to fight for our prosperity. People had jobs and homes, food on their table, so why would we possibly complain about being able to live our lives? My own father fought for King Magnus, gave his life to protect his country in the last war.  When rebels attacked Brighton a little over a decade ago, my father volunteered, rather than be drafted. I remember the morning he left, the proud look on his face as he kissed my mother and me goodbye. He’d known exactly what he was walking into and still he’d kept a brave face. I hadn’t realized it at five years old, but at seventeen, I knew he’d been willing to die for his country that had given him so much. As soon as my mother received notice of my father’s death, she packed our things and we went all the way to the other side of what was left of the country. Mama said she couldn’t bear to be so close to the heart of the kingdom, but I knew there was something more. I had no idea what, of course, but I had been too devastated at the loss of my father to question it then and now it just seemed like a waste of time. Things were the way they were, and no amount of questioning or wondering would bring my dad back. I missed him everyday, as much as the day he’d left, but he was never coming back. My mother was the rule follower, hated it when I bent them by breaking curfew or grumbled about the overbearing soldiers. I couldn’t stand her smothering. The King probably couldn’t even be bothered to reach us way out here, but she didn’t want to take any chances.
I don’t know why she bothered. Everyone out here was too busy working to worry about breaking the rules. It’s not like anyone had any real technology, anyways. We had the newspapers and TV, but no one had those fancy phones city people flaunted in those strange commercials we saw on a staticky TV. The wars had taken technology out in most of the rest of the world, leaving King Magnus once again ahead of the curve in luxury. In our tiny part of the world, most of us felt lucky to have what little we did, and dared not ask for anything more.

Wednesday, March 30, 2016

Fantastic I, Zombie Review and a 99 Cent Sale!

Happy Wednesday! Oh my goodness! I'm cheesing so hard this morning over this review I just read. I have to share it, and I have to tell you all about my 48 hour flash sale!

Here's part of the review from Ethan Gregory over at One Guy's Guide to Good Reads:

"While I have read collaborative works from Michaels in the past, I, Zombie marks my first full-length read from her. I've heard incredible words of praise from her fans, so I was more than pumped to check out this read from Jo. As many of my readers will well-remember, zombies are one of my least favorite genres. I've read two series that to this day remain two of my all-time favorites (Nazarea Andrews' The World Without End and Rachel Aukes Deadland Saga), but I have been hard pressed to find any other novels in this specific genre that have held my attention as they have.

I am proud to say that through a truly original and unique plot and an elegant writing style that left me hanging onto every word, Jo Michaels has definitely earned her spot on my list of favorites in the zombie genre.

I, Zombie was everything I wanted, and more!

I'm not going to lie to you guys, this was a super quick read for me and I can't say too terribly much about the plot without giving away massive spoilers. Like other zombie-poc novels, this one follows the story of the supposed end of days, but this time, with a twist. It's told from the point of view of the infected through their decline and fight with the virus that cripples their lives and civilization. Truly imaginative storytelling..."

If you want to read the rest, go here.

Now, for information about the book!

TRAILER! Eep!



I, Zombie - Young Adult - Horror

Paperback
Hardcover
Kindle

Recommended for ages 13+ due to a mild amount of gore.

Blurb:
It's the end of the world as we know it.

Trixie Collins is a normal teen making her way through high school. One night at a party, a boy comes on to her and won't take no for an answer. As she jerks her arm away, his fingernails cut into her skin.

When she finds her dog's mutilated body and realizes she's to blame, she starts to think maybe the zombie apocalypse they've been screaming about on the news isn't a hoax after all.

Worse, she begins to think maybe she's one of the infected.

Now it's a fight for life as she joins together with her brethren to stop the humans intent on destroying them. Are zombies all bad, or is it just a huge misunderstanding?

~~~~

What are you waiting for? If you ever wanted to read this novel, it's on SALE right now for just $0.99!!

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Thursday, February 4, 2016

The Bound Series Omnibus by Stormy Smith


There’s a good chance you’ve seen posts about the Bound series before. It’s clean, new adult fantasy and series that’s been downloaded more than 100,000 times since the first book came out in July of 2014!
For the first time, Stormy Smith is offering the Bound series in a boxed set! You can get three full-length novels plus her bonus holiday novella for just $6.99! That’s a STEAL!


“These books are chock full of fabulous, complex characters and a beautifully-detailed world of magic like you've never read before.” – Reviewer

Bound by Duty, book one in the Bound series:
Amelia grew up in a world of half-truths. She knows she's an Elder, but has no idea what that means. Her father reminds her daily that she must maintain control, but he refuses to explain why. Even worse, she's betrothed to the prince of the Immortals and doesn't even know his name. 

Finally breaking free to live a few normal years at a community college, the last thing Amelia expects is to find her best friend in a cheeky southern girl, or fall for a self-assured human who sees her for who she is, not what she will become. 

As she learns more about herself, Amelia realizes the line between love and duty is a thin one. As her power continues to increase exponentially and her questions are slowly answered, Amelia must make the ultimate choice. The question is, will her head win the battle, or her heart?

Continue Amelia’s story in Bound by Spells and Bound by Prophecy. Then, enjoy the bonus novella, Bound Together.

“Each book keeps you guessing and will blow your mind with new revelations and twists you didn't see coming. A fantastic group of characters that are three-dimensional and grow as people throughout the series.” -- Reviewer

Here’s where to get your copy:

What have reviewers said?
“This is definitely a series that needs to be on your TBR pile! These books are chock full of fabulous and complex characters and a beautifully detailed world of magic like you've never read before.” – Lenore

“With love, magic and a little bit of mayhem you will not be able to put these books down! They are definitely a 'one-sitting' read!!! You will love to hate the villians...they are truly the worst of the worst. Even the secondary characters will manage to steal your heart!” – MissPhyre

“I highly recommend the Bound series. Smith delivers a unique twist on the usual magic and shapeshifter tale. There’s suspense, romance, action, and intrigue. The plot is great and will definitely give you a book hangover. But, it is so worth the trip!” – Amazon Customer

About the author
A word nerd from the very beginning, Stormy Smith has always had her nose in a book or a pen in her hand. From a journalism degree to a public relations career, manipulating words has always been her forte. She never expected her love of stories to translate into writing them, but one day the words were there and couldn’t be stopped.

Stormy lives in Iowa’s capital with her husband and two crazy cats. When she isn’t working on, or thinking about, her books, Stormy’s favorite places include bar patios, live music shows, her yoga mat or anywhere she can relax with her husband or girlfriends.

Twitter: @stormysmith

Go get it and enjoy! :)

What do you think? Awesome?

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Monday, June 22, 2015

Evanescent - Carlyle Labuschagne


A darker offering from award winning YA author 

Carlyle Labuschagne 


In a recent TV interview Carlyle was given the opportunity to answer some tough questions about why she felt she needed to go darker in this novel and what will the reader take away from that. Then  she gets emotional on the mention of her recent UtopYAcon nominations where the awards will be celebrated in Nashville June 20 2015









Title: Evanescent
Author: Carlyle Labuschagne
Series: The Broken Series #2
Publisher: Fire Quill Publishing
Release Date: 19th May 2015
ISBN: 978-0-9922446-4-4  
Back Blurb:
Her fall has just begun. Only his touch can save her from the shift that could destroy it all. 

Within my blood runs a thing our kind calls the Shadowing Disease. It shadows over, and bends everything to its will. 
When the first blood-shift came, it tore through flesh and blood, threatening to bend me, break bone, shatter my mind and entrap my heart with its honeyed, seductive poison. It came with vicious intent, moving my thoughts and altering me forever. 
The shift has caused a rift within me. No one was safe when it entrapped me in its claws of foul lust. But I have the only antidote against the evil that becomes me - his touch alone has the power to release the spurs of sweet darkness that clung on for deal life. 
I knew what I had to do; the desperation pulled my mind with the deep determination of a hungry predator. 
By the time the revelation raised me from the dark dungeon of my bounds - it might have been too late.

PURCHASE THE NOVEL








ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Carlyle is an South African award winning author, with a flair for mixing genres and adding loads of drama to every story she creates. For now she is happy to take over the world and convert non Sci-fi believers.
Her goal as an author is to touch people's lives, and help others love their differences and one another by delivering strong messages of faith, love and hope within every outrageous world she writes about.

"I love to swim, fight for the trees, and am a food lover who is driven by my passion for life. I dream that one day my stories will change the lives of countless teenagers and have them obsess over the world literacy can offer them instead of worrying about fitting in. Never sacrifice who you are, it’s in the dark times that the light comes to life."

Carlyle used writing as a healing tool and that is why she started her very own writers support event - SAIR bookfestival.

 "To be a helping hand for those who strive to become full times writers, editors, bloggers, readers and cover artists - it’s a crazy world out there you don’t have to go it alone!"

AUTHOR LINKS

Blog
Facebook Page
LinkedIn
Twitter
Website
Google +
Fire Quill Publishing


Pretty cool, huh? Carlyle rocks!

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Friday, June 12, 2015

New Release Info and Excerpt - Had a Great Fall by Shawn McGuire



Back Cover Blurb

Everyone deserves happiness. Is Robin the exception?
A cross-country move to a new state offers Robin Westmore the chance to get away from the relentless bullies and reinvent himself. But on the first day at his new high school Robin finds himself in front of Zane, the school’s star pitcher and chief tormentor, at the exact wrong moment and right back into the role of victim. Hopeless, he wishes for it all to stop.

When Desiree, the new leader of the genies, grants Robin’s wish he’s sure things are finally going his way. But problems in the magical realm have made Desiree equally hopeless and too distracted to give Robin the attention he needs.

As Desiree hides from her responsibilities, Robin disappears into the video game he’s created. There he finds excitement, adventure, and control. When the game presents him with a real escape from his tortured life, will he take it?


Excerpt

“You stayed up late again?” she asked as she took a box of tea from the back of the cabinet.
“Lots of homework,” I said. She knew I spent my summer developing the game. She didn’t know I spent at least two hours a night, after homework, still working on it.
She never protested when I said the dark circles under my eyes were studying related. Usually that was the case. Sometimes, though, Zane’s harassment got really intense and the circles came from lack of sleep due to nightmares.
There were days when he would stop in the middle of whatever he’d been doing and charge at me from across the lunchroom to slam into me or sneeze on my lunch. Once he even stood in front of me flapping his arms and making birdcalls. In the middle of the lunchroom. Why didn’t someone record that and put it up on the web? He looked ridiculous. Didn’t anyone else see that?
“Are you feeling all right?” Mom put the back of her hand to my forehead and I resisted the urge to swat it away. It was a caring touch. One of the few signs lately that someone gave a damn about me.
If I told her what was happening, would she do something? Maybe I could do online schooling. She knew I was a self-motivator and that she never had to check to see if I’d done my homework. Grades were everything to me. I’d never had less than a 3.8 GPA. The only reason it fell below a 4.0 was because of gym class. I could barely lift my backpack let alone do a pull-up. Maybe online school was the answer to my problems.
“Mom—”
Her phone rang just as I was about to ask.
“Hello… Oh, I’m so sorry.” She glanced at the clock on the microwave. “I was thinking there was a one hour time difference. Five months and I’m still adjusting to being in the Mountain Time Zone. Let me get to my office and I’ll call you right back.”
She was already heading out of the kitchen when I said, “Bye.”
“Oh, sweetie.” She came back and kissed my forehead. “If you’re not feeling well you can stay home. Or call if you need to come home early. I’ll give permission for you to leave.”
She knew I got motion sick on the bus. If I said I was nauseous, would she still make me ride the bus or would she take twenty minutes off of work to come and get me?
I toasted a piece of cinnamon-raisin bread and spread on a thick layer of butter. Then I tugged on my coat and headed out the door. With every step I thought of how Zane would be waiting for me and that single bite of toast turned into a little rock in my stomach. I paused at the garbage can next to the garage and lifted the lid to toss in the barely-eaten piece when someone came around the corner, making me jump.
“Are you Robin?” A girl with long dark hair that looked kind of like dreadlocks but kind of not stood at the corner of my garage. “Wait. You’re not throwing that out are you? That’s so wasteful. There are hungry people who would gladly eat that.”
I looked from her to the toast and then shoved it in my mouth. I couldn’t handle a lecture right then.
“Who are you?” I asked through the mouthful of bread-covered raisins.
She made a disgusted face. “Manners. Heard of them?”
I chewed, swallowed, and brushed the crumbs off my hand. “Sorry. Yes, I’m Robin. Who are you?”
She smiled then. She had a great smile, one that made her eyes crinkle at the corners. “I’m Dara.”
“Nice to meet you. Can I help you with something?”
“I don’t know. Possibly.” Dara put her hand to her mouth and tapped a navy blue-painted fingernail against her blindly-white teeth, like she was contemplating the question. “Teasing. Nothing you can do for me, thanks, but I can sure help you.”
I shook my head. “You’ve got the wrong person. I don’t need help.” At least none that she could give. I doubted she could take on Zane.
“You’re Robin Westmore.”
She knew my name. Whatever that meant.
“You just moved here from Wisconsin.”
“Five months ago. So not just but yes, I’m from Wisconsin.”
“You’re being bullied by some kid named Zane and you want it to stop.”
I stood there, next to my garbage can, wondering who this girl was and what she was up to. It was common knowledge that I was Zane’s favorite target. Of course I wanted his harassment to stop, anyone would, but what could she possibly do about it?
“Look, I don’t know who you are but if Zane sent you—”
“Zane didn’t send me.” She paused, just for a beat. “I guess you could say the universe did.”
I didn’t need this. I had enough drama in my life. I didn’t need this chick adding crazy to it as well. Marijuana was legal in Colorado. Maybe she’d been dining on pot gummies or something. The universe sent her. Yeah, right.
“I’ve got to get going,” I said. “I’m going to miss my bus.”
“Don’t worry about that,” Dara said. “I can take care of that.”
I started walking. I had to go six blocks in about two minutes. If I wasn’t there I’d have to either wait for the next bus, which wouldn’t be for half an hour, or beg my mom for a ride during which I’d have to listen to her chew me out about responsibility.
Dara followed, her arms wrapped tightly together. She wasn’t wearing a jacket.
“Let me try again,” she said. “This is my first time and I’m not sure how to do this.”
What was she saying? “Are you a prostitute?”
“What? God.” She made a face. “No, I’m not a prostitute. What kind of hooker comes up to someone by their garage first thing in the morning?”
“I wouldn’t know. I’m not privy to the methods of the, uh, working class.”
She said nothing for half a block and then started laughing. Probably at the thought of me soliciting a hooker.
“Let me try this again.” She cleared her throat and squared her shoulders. “Yesterday afternoon around three-forty-five you made a wish.”
“I did what?” Oh yeah, the dandelion. “Do you live next door or something? How could you know that?”
“I told you, the universe sent me. Your wish has been granted.”

Bio
 
Shawn McGuire is the author of young adult novels that blend contemporary settings and issues with a touch of fantasy and magic. She started writing after seeing the first Star Wars movie (that's episode IV) as a kid. She couldn't wait for the next movie to come out so wrote her own episodes. Sadly, those notebooks are long lost, but her desire to write is as strong now as it was then.
Her books deal with harder topics (death of a sibling, divorce, dating violence, bullying, and teen suicide) because she believes it is important to talk about these things. Those kinds of topics can be hard to handle and a bit overwhelming, so she infuses a bit of humor in her work as well because she also believes that a sense of humor can help you get through just about anything.

Shawn lives in Colorado with her family where she spends her time reading, cooking and baking, practicing yoga and meditation, and hiking and camping in the spectacular Rocky Mountains.


Author Links

Newsletter signup - http://eepurl.com/V21k1

Author’s Other Works

The Wish Makers Series

Buy Links:
Book 4 in The Wish Makers series will release in June 2015. Please go here to purchase your copy.

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo