Dead Dreams by Emma Right ~Giveaway & Review~

  Dead Dreams

Author:   Emma Right

Published:  September 2013

Word Count:  approx. 50,000

Genre: YA Psychological Mystery

Recommended Age:  11+

Synopsis: Eighteen-year-old Brie O’Mara has so much going for her: a loving family in the sidelines,  an heiress for a roommate, and dreams that might just come true. Big dreams--of going to acting school, finishing college and making a name for herself. She is about to be the envy of everyone she knew. What more could she hope for? Except her dreams are about to lead her down the road to nightmares. Nightmares that could turn into a deadly reality.

Amazon | GoodReads

    

MY THOUGHTS
I think it's funny how kids think they know it all.
This story falls along that line.
Brie is a teenager or young adult ( 18 years old) living on her own in the nice neighborhood her parents approved of. She however needed to take a roommate. Brie being that carefree, nothing can harm me, head strong character goes forward full force.
She has a few calls and one, Sarah, that she really clicks with.
Sarah is a character like no other. Rich, beautiful, wants to have a no strings- no paper trail, invisible life.
She says one thing but is that really the truth???
This story keeps you on your toes. You crave the twist and turns. Even sometimes wanting to smack Brie upside the head. Things that you think you've figured out aren't.....
Brie's dreams signal something just isn't right....Yet, instead of asking for help from older wiser people.....She goes at it alone, determined to find out what is what.
Brie's decision and decisions made afterword bring a lot of undue trouble for her.

A wonderful read for young and old.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Emma Right is a happy wife and homeschool mother of five living in the Pacific Coast of the USA. Besides running a busy home, and looking after too many pets, she also writes stories for her children. When she doesn't have her nose in a book, she is telling her kids to get theirs in one.

Right worked as a copywriter for two major advertising agencies and won several awards, including the prestigious Clio Award for her ads, before having children.

Visit Emma Right at her home site and sign for her blog feed and newsletter @ http://www.emmaright.com and blog for tips and ideas about books, homeschooling, bible devotions, and author helps from self-publishing to book marketing. Follow Emma Right on Facebook and "like" her Facebook Fan Page for the latest events. Follow Google Plus , and Twitter .

She'd love to hear from her readers.

Amazon Author Page | Facebook | Twitter | GoodReads | Website | Blog | Google+ | Pinterest

GIVEAWAY

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Prologue from Dead Dreams

They say each dead body, a human corpse, has a scent all of its own, a sweet-sour smell. A cadaver dog picks up the scent as clearly as a mother would recognize the photo of her child. Of course, I wouldn’t know, for I am no dog. I might as well have been, the way I’d stooped to yield to my basic instincts. My mind wandered to her, what her unique smell would be when, and if, they ever were to find her.

After what happened, I decided to write out the events that led to that day and details that might help, in case I’d missed something, or might need it for defense, or in case they found me dead. My relatives might need to piece together the things that had spiraled out of control, if they wanted closure to put me to rest, to forget me altogether. That would be least painful for them. I nodded to myself as I sat in the car. I thought of my most favorite girl in the world: Lilly. At least Lilly’d have my dog, Holly, to remember me by.

My friends used to call me Brie, short for Brianna. But, I could hardly count anyone a friend any more. I’d have to resort to back-watching if I wanted to survive.

Suddenly Tamed by Sandra Sookoo ~Promo~

Suddenly Tamed - PROMO Blitz

By Sandra Sookoo

Sweet Regency

Date to be Published: 10/10/2013

Only when the heart finds its true match can the soul truly fly.

Because of her… he believes in romance again. Captain Alan Tame is wrapping up the tail end of his commission in India. Just as he's convinced himself to return home to England and resume his life in Brighton, his gaze falls on an enchanting woman. He's captivated by one glance and the pursuit begins no matter that it's a crazy idea.

Because of him… her hope for the future is restored.  Devi Derbyshire is the daughter of an English military man and his Indian housekeeper. She knows exactly what she wants from life—a home, a family and the love of a good man. But her mixed heritage has clouded her options. One accidental glance across a ballroom gives her heart wings and her belly flutters.

Because of the magic of love… Alan cajoles Devi into a dance, and that one twirl about the floor leads to so much more. On a perfumed balcony, plans are made for an assignation in the courtyard, but before Devi can meet him, she’s waylaid and locked in a tiny room, leading Alan to assume the worst. Only the belief in true love will see them through.

EXCERPT

At the end of a hallway that fed from the ballroom, a dark-haired woman stood, staring back at him. The sheen of her green silk gown glimmered in the soft candlelight, but it was her creamy, mulatto skin and glittering dark eyes that arrested his attention and sent his heart thumping back into painful life.

“Robert, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve just seen someone I must speak with.” He didn’t wait for an answer, but dashed around his big friend and tore down the hall as if he’d lost his mind.

Her eyes widened as he approached, but she turned and scurried off, deeper into the bowels of the house, away from the noise and congestion of the main party. The whisper of her skirts echoed in the passage.

“Miss, wait! I would like to talk with you,” Alan implored as he followed her. When she paused at the entrance of a study, he took advantage of the delay, caught up to her and grasped her elbow. “Please, tell me you name.” Though, what exactly he’d do with that information once he gained it, he didn’t know.

“I beg you, my lord.” Her voice was low and as lyrical as any of her countrymen’s. “Let me go and return to the party. I’m of no interest to you.” She attempted to pry his hand from her arm, but he refused to relinquish his grip. “Please.”

The soft-spoken plea, combined with the fear in her brown eyes, worked as a dash of cold water to his face. Alan let her go, but didn’t step away. “I apologize for the rough handling.” He trained his gaze onto her bare arm beneath the fluttering capped sleeve, hoping his over-eager grip didn’t leave marks on her smooth skin. “And by no means am I a lord.”

She blinked and the thick black fringe of her lashes brought his attention back to her glorious eyes. Those were eyes a man could easily fall into and drown. “Forgive my trespass. Nearly everyone I’ve met this evening is a titled Peer.” A tiny smile tugged at her full lips, lips that were stained dusky rose and invited either a bigger smile or a kiss.

The latter he couldn’t, in all good conscience, give—at least until they’d been introduced and alone—and even then it would push the bounds of propriety.

“Have a care, mysterious miss. Not all men are who they say they are, and many will invent a title to further a connection with an unsuspecting lady.” Though Alan wished to linger ever closer to her and breathe in the exotic floral scent she wore, he stepped back and put enough space between them to remain proper. Not that anyone had followed them to the study, but if he didn’t, he might give into the urge to sweep her into his embrace.

“Ah.” She crossed her arms loosely over her chest, and the silver and emerald beads along the bodice and sleeves twinkled in the low light. “Who do you tell people you are?” Her question, born on the wings of slightly accented English, wrapped around him as gently as being caressed with satin.

Warmth spread into his veins. She wished to linger in the hall with him instead of flee. Perhaps he wasn’t willing to quit the party so soon. “My name is Alan Tame—Captain Tame that is. I hail from Brighton, England.”

She swept her gaze over his uniform before holding his once more. “In the service of His Majesty?”

“For a few weeks more, yes. Then I plan to return to England and…” And what? He shook his head. “Well, it would seem my plans are not quite firm at the moment.”

“Perhaps that is a good thing, Captain Tame.” Her giggle sent waves of heat into every extremity. “A man who plans every second of his life cheats himself of the adventure he might find otherwise.”

Sandra Sookoo

Author Bio

Sandra is a writer of romantic fiction. In the past couple of years she’s concentrated on funny contemporary romance as well as Regency-era romance, but she will, on occasion, write paranormal or sci-fi. Whether you like sweet or erotic heat levels, there’s something for everyone to fall in love with.

When not immersed in creating new worlds and engaging characters, Sandra likes to read, bake, taste new teas, watch The Big Bang Theory and Psych as well as Finding Bigfoot, and travel. Her favorite place to spend vacation hours is Walt Disney World: it’s where dreams come true and the soul can play. When she’s not writing or inventing new recipes, she spends time with her husband—goofing off and making moments count.

Sandra loves to hear from her readers. You can write to her at sandrasookoo@yahoo.com, visit her website at www.sandrasookoo.com, or look her up on Facebook and Twitter. 

Author Links

Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

This blitz is brought to you by Reading Addiction Blog Tours

Scott Eder's Knight of Flame ~Spotlight~

Title: Knight of Flame

Author: Scott Eder

Publisher: Twilight Times Books (September 14, 2013)

Genre: Romantic Fantasy

Pages: 355

Language: English

ASIN: B00F7SXQ8I

Purchase at AMAZON

Fire. The most chaotic of the primal elements. When wielded properly by the Knight of Flame, it burns like the sun. Otherwise, it slowly consumes the Knight, burning away his control, driving him towards dark deeds.

Stationed in Tampa, FL, Develore Quinteele, sixth Knight of Flame, waits impatiently for the predicted emergence of the last Gray Lord, his Order’s ancient enemy. Hampered by a centuries-old tragedy, Dev knows of only one way to control his elemental power—rage. It broils just below his surface, waiting for the slightest provocation to set it alight.

Anticipating Dev’s transition from asset to liability, his commander assigns a young guardian, Wren, to report on Dev’s actions. Torn between duty and love, Wren struggles to save her Knight; but, after a brutal attack by the Gray Lord’s minions for which Dev is wrongly blamed, he’s stripped of his freedom until he regains control.

With the help of his fellow Knights, can Dev regain his balance and unlock his full elemental potential in time to prevent the destruction of all life in Tampa?

Book Excerpt:

CHAPTER ONE

    Knights don't dance, thought Develor Quinteele.  Knuckles white, he wrung the leather-wrapped steering wheel and swallowed hard.  The muted roar of the rented Jag's high-performance engine and smooth-as-silk ride did nothing to dispel his apprehension.  Wren could have picked anything, but she chose dancing.  He jammed a finger under the rigid collar of his first modern suit and yanked it away from his skin.

    Great. Just great.   

    Dev stretched to adjust the rear-view mirror and ripped the seam of his jacket.  Armani stretch wool, my ass.  A growl rumbled in his chest and he glared at Wren, but she seemed oblivious to his distress.

    "How much farther?"  Wren's excitement tumbled out with each word.  The sun's last rays reflected off the silver sequins of her micro-dress, sparkling across the car's dark chocolate interior.  She shifted position, adjusted her dress, and crossed her legs.  Despite her fidgeting, her

head remained still, focused on the distant horizon, straining to get her first look at Club Mastodon.

 

    Dev smiled through his growing unease.  Though somewhere in her early twenties, Wren reminded him of a small child driving up to the gates of Disney World for the first time.  Her usually tense and critical Asian features, soft, eager and innocent.  Seeing her excitement helped steady his nerves…a little.

    

    "Just a few more minutes.  You know I'm missing a 'Three Stooges' marathon for this, don't you?"  Dev checked his mirrors, vision in constant motion, and raked the hair out of his eyes.  The thin, wavy strands felt foreign to his calloused fingers.  He couldn't remember the last time he had more than a dark prickly shadow on top of his head, let alone mussed brown locks.   

    With a careless wave of his hand, he grazed the new bruise over his left eye.  Damn, forgot about that.  He prodded the tender skin, trying to gauge the size of the purpling evidence.  So far, he'd managed to keep his fights at work from Wren.  If she found out, he'd never hear the end of it.  The last time she went on and on about him being reckless and not following Stillman's order to keep a low profile.  Whatever.  He brushed his hair forward, trying to cover the injured area, and hoped for the best.    

  

     "This place won't be crowded, will it?"  Dev asked.  "You know crowds and I don't mix."

   

    "Mmhm."  Wren's arm shot out, pointed ahead and to the right.  "There it is."  The rest of her words blurred together, "I can't believe you got us on the list.  I mean, like, I've never been to a place like this."  She turned her sparkling green eyes on Dev.  "Do you think a lot of movie stars will be here?"  

    "Breathe, Wren."  Dev took the exit off I-275 south, just in sight of the Sunshine Skyway Bridge, and stopped at the traffic light across from the club.  When Club Mastodon first opened he'd read about the local business leaders raising an uproar over how quickly the permits, zoning   and associated building minutia were pushed through.  But, when the club was bank-rolled by Alexander Gray, one of the head honchos at Daegon Gray, the normal red-tape covered bullshit disappeared.  

 

About the Author

Since he was a kid, Scott wanted to be an author and explored many genres through high school and college. Fantasy, though, captivated his soul. Tales of Knights and magic, dragons and elves filled his dreams. After greasing the gears of the corporate machine for many years, he escaped the Information Technology vortex to focus full-time on writing. The stories he’d envisioned years ago—of nobility and strife, honor and chaos—demanded they be brought to life.

Scott lives with his wife, two children, and a giant Chihuahua on the west coast of Florida.

VISIT SCOTT AT:

 http://www.scotteder.net/

Flattenme Personalized Book ~Giveaway & Review~

Omg!!! This was totally not what I was expecting. I grew up in the age where every mall ( you remember those things long ago..lol) had a booth to add your child's name to a cheaply made paperback book. Well....

 Flattenme  takes that even further!!!!

(Yes, that's my minion you see there.)

Flattenme adds their picture!!! That's not even all of it....

You can have it made in either paperback or like the one above HARDBACK!!!

Being a book lover I totally jumped at the chance to have a book made for my daughter. It's something she can keep and maybe one day show her kids. I was pleasantly surprised at the quality of the book.

It wasn't just some paperback stapled together, it was bounded in a hard cover and as you can see above they even put her picture on the cover which to me is AWESOME!!!

Each page is different and imaginative. They use your child's name and picture on every page.

 Of course my favorite pages were...

And....

Totally Priceless!

I personally am thinking about getting another book made. Since they have 9 different books to choose from I can't help but want another.

I think the next will be the Fairy Book or the Pirate Book....oh man...LOL

I recommend anyone to visit Flattenme and see all the different products they offer, it's not just books!!!

T-Shirts, Wall Art (which looks amazing!), Cards , and Even WATER BOTTLES!!!

For my experience with this company I can't help but give them 5 stars!

The company is amazing and even the staff is wonderful.

A little about Flattenme

(As stated in "Our Story" on the Flattenme website)

Our Story

All stories have a beginning. This is ours.

Years ago, my husband caught our daughter on film eating a gobstopper – 15 photos taken over 24 minutes and 10 seconds. The photos were arranged in a book and given to my daughter as a special gift. It was love at first sight. My daughter slept with it, ate with it, took it on road trips. Love-worn and long-admired, the book slowly fell apart, just like the fur on the Velveteen Rabbit.

Our lives are defined by stories – stories of childhood, of triumph, of loss. Even wild stories of the imagination. When a child pretends to be a pirate or a princess or a fairy, she truly believes she has changed, become part of a different world for that moment in time. She has invented a new story of her own.

It is in this world – one of imagination, inspiration and gifts of the heart – in which flattenme was born. We seek not only to spark the imagination of a child, but to take a story which starts as a moment in time – a photograph – and then becomes something entirely new.

So, storytelling first. And then, what? Wonderment and delight is not the sole domain of children. We all have the chance to find magic within ourselves, allowing our own stories to unfold. As Arthur Clarke once said, "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic." Stay tuned.

                                                Margo Redfern

CEO & Founder, flattenme

Connect with Flattenme

Website    Facebook   Pinterest  Twitter  Blog

a Rafflecopter giveaway GIVEAWAY

Flattenme has been so wonderful to offer a FREE book (Shipping NOT included) to one of my readers.

That's a value of $39.95....Shipping is $3.99 for US and about $9 to $10 in Canada.

However, if you've read this post and visited their site, you know.....

IT'S WORTH IT!!!!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Forever Angel by January Bain

Book #4 in the Forever Series

Paranormal Romance

Date Published: October 7, 2013

Will the blood be enough to save the Vampire Clans from certain annihilation?

As prophesied by Lord RA, a Dhampyre has been born to a woman of the Fae. Having coupled with a recently turned vampire, Sunday Rose St. Clair bore this special child she named Jax at much risk to her own life and to all that came to her aid.

The newly formed Forever Clan, also created by Lord RA to protect the gifted offspring from all who bore him ill, are sworn to protect the new Dhampyre. Will the now grown up Jax be the one to save all the ancients from certain death? Or will the evil Lucifer Clan that searches for him find him first and end all hope for the vampires…

About the Author

January Bain

Author Bio

January Bain is first and foremost a storyteller. She lives inside her imagination with so many characters clamoring to be set free that she is constantly working on two or three books. A visual artist, a teacher, a writer, January does not think there is enough hours in the day to capture all the magic that flows forth in our amazing world. A lover of research, she is drawn to world-building like a moth to a flame! She enjoys hearing from readers and writers alike. She is published by Champagne Book Group for her Forever Series of books. You can find January at www.januarybain.ca

Contact Links

Website

Guest Post

Biggest Fear of Creative People

By January Bain

A fellow teacher and I were talking in the staff room just last week and the subject of creativity came up. His wife had just recently had a new baby and he was very happy about the event, but not unexpectedly, found himself very busy. Between school and being a new dad, he was exhausted most the time and wondered when he would finally get back to having time for “projects”. And more importantly, would his creativity still be there when his life resumed something close to normal? And that struck to the heart of the matter. Sure, we creative types can use a wee break from being creative, but what if it goes on too long. Does it go away entirely? That was his worry, that like a muscle that atrophies when you don’t use it, would his creative mojo be lost if he took too much time off.

I quickly reassured him; of course, that it would be there for him when time permitted, but in the back of my mind I was remembering the times this very worry has kept me up at nights.  I can remember two very distinctive times in my life when I worried that my deep well of creativity was gone. The first was when I lost two dear brothers to cancer. At the time my creativity was expressing itself in wildlife painting. I remember the day so clearly when my first brother died: I packed up my paints and canvases, sensing that time was over. I went out into the world and got a job teaching English to high school students and it worked by giving me a new focus. The change was healthy and soon I was feeling creative again. Then the writing bug hit hard for I had wanted to write all my life and had dabbled in it before. But this time was different as I made up my mind to take it as serious as any calling I had ever had.

The second time I was hit hard was this past fall with the horrendous tragedy at Sandy Hock. I just quit being creative and lived in shock and despair that such a thing could happen. I despaired of every feeling I would write again. That all my mojo had gone away and this time for good. And then one day this past February I found myself again. And the creative juices were as alive as ever when a new idea for a series took hold. A sweeter moment did not exist except when I found my husband and true mate Don, but that is another tale.

So, my school pal, I think you will definitely come back to the light when time permits. I told him I think that are two types of people in the world: Those that create and those that destroy. Keep up the creating fellow writers, painters, sculptors, bloggers, architects, and readers for you make our world a far, far better place. 

Best,

January Bain  

STORYTELLER

Forever Man

Forever Woman

Forever Clan

Forever Angel

www.ChampagneBooks.com

jbain@xplornet.com

www.JanuaryBain.ca

The Juice by Herve Bebele

Title: The Juice

Genre: Erotic Paranormal

Author: Herve Bebele

Publisher: A View of the World (July 26, 2013)

Pages: 71

Language: English

ASIN: B00EP1ZZ96

The Juice is the second book in the trilogy “The Senses”. In the first book “The Scent” we met Herve and his avatar Richard. They were unaware they had been selected by the African queen to assist her in the production of the Pokako juice and to its safe keeping. The Scent detailed the story of how Richard discovered the women who had the ability to squirt their orgasmic fluid and responded only to Richard and the Pokako juice. And then how to gather the juice and preserve it. In The Scent they realized that the juice in its Aerosol form was a very powerful pheromone .Women found the fragrance sexually irresistible. The Pokako juice perfume insured that Richards’ sexual appetite was satisfied every night he went out wearing the pokako perfume.

In The Juice we follow the journey of the queen and her assistant Lilliana along with Richard to keep the Juice safe and out of the hands of the queen’s enemy.

It shows how the juice changed the physicality and personality of everyone involved in its safety and production. If not prepared properly the Pokako juice is deadly. It has the ability to alter the shape of the red blood cells which mutate into the sickle cell. There is no cure for the mutated sickle cell, which in the human body steals the oxygen from the red blood cells. The result being a slow painful organ death. The mutation of the cell becomes genetic and is passed down from mother to daughter. Until the family line is wiped out.

The queen is no ordinary queen as we see her use the power of the ancient African medicine men and we learn of the origin of the bad juice and how she and Lilliana will ultimately change the world once they learn to control the juice.

You will meet all of the people who help the queen succeed in implementing the baby steps to a more rational world. How Richard’s sexual appetite, with the help of the juice, continues to make many women very happy.

ABOUT HERVE BEBELE

He was born in New York and raised in New York. He attended private elementary and middle school, and went to a public high school, city college, and then to university, all located in New York. I guess you could call him a “New Yorker.”

His views about life were shaped by life in New York City. He learned to eat fast, walk fast, talk fast, think fast, and live fast. To him, New York is the most cosmopolitan city in the world. It has the most diverse amalgam of languages, ethnicities, and foods. Life is unpredictable. Before I started my business, I decided to take a vacation to the island of Jamaica. It was wintertime and the ads for Jamaica showing beautiful women bathing in waterfalls just caught my imagination.

He stayed in Kingston and had a great time. On the flight back he was seated next to a Jamaican girl whom he fell in love with immediately. And she fell in love with him. They stayed together for four years. During that time he learned about the culture and their commitment to family and all things Jamaican. Unfortunately, their families had very strong opinions about marrying outside of your race and your religion. Those were the times, we soon drifted apart.

Our unfilled dreams had a permanent home in my mind. I never forgot her. So, I guess I wrote this fantasy to make up for all those years without her. With the help of Richard, my Avatar, we have begun to look for her. Take care, Margery.

http://www.thejuice-hervebebele.com/

Excerpt

Lilliana laughed and looked rather incredulously at me and said, “he is the only black man I know with blue eyes and a permanently bald head. He never shaves. This was a complete surprise to me. “When did he turn black”, I asked. He started to turn black the day you started using the juice. Right at the beginning, I saw the changes. You were changing, your avatar Richard was changing, and I was changing. The changes came from you, specifically, your DNA. Your DNA interacts with the Pokako juice which allows the changes to Richard’s body. Your body cannot make these changes.

The women that Richard meets can see him as a white man or a black man. This makes Richard the perfect instrument to collect the Pokako juice. He can induce the women to squirt. The orgasm required for the woman to squirt must be very energetic and intense. She will need all her energy both mental and physical to focus on the task at hand. She cannot have any distractions. By presenting himself in the shape his squirter desires, he conserves her energy that might be used to remake Richard so to speak “in her image”.  Richard, of course, did not care what he looked like. He was an alpha male and almost always got what he wanted