The Silver Sphere Book Blast

Merry New Year's Eve! Today, I'm hosting a Book Blast Tour stop for The Silver Sphere by Michael Dadich. Enjoy!

Michael is awarding a $75 gift card to a randomly selected commenter. Be sure to leave your email address!

BLURB:  

Shelby Pardow never imagined she could kill someone. All she wants to do is hide from her troubled father… when she is teleported to awaiting soldiers on the planet Azimuth. Here she is not a child, but Kin to one of the six Aulic Assembly members whom Malefic Cacoethes has drugged and imprisoned. He seeks to become dictator of this world (and then Earth by proxy).

His father, Biskara, is an evil celestial entity, tracked by the Assembly with an armillary device, The Silver Sphere. With the Assembly now deposed, Biskara directs Malefic and the Nightlanders to their strategic targets. Unless….

Can Shelby find the other Kin, and develop courage and combat skills? Can the Kin reassemble in time to release or replace the Assembly, overthrowing Malefic and restraining Biskara?

AUTHOR INFORMATION:

I’ve been writing since first setting pencil to steno pad at age 8. A year later, I began developing the world of my current series-in-progress, and even created its title, The Silver Sphere. Now, with the support of years of experience, those early maps and back stories have progressed into what I hope is a fresh and entertaining take on the classic young adult fantasy adventure.

Despite my frequent escapes into parallel worlds, I root myself firmly in my very real family and community. When not pacing the yard maniacally after every few pages of writing, I spend as much time as possible hanging out with my studly 9-year-old son, and my inspirational wife Jenna. I also coach several local youth sports teams in Beverly Hills, and alternate between yelling at my two crazy Corgis and hiking with my trained German Shepherd.

For more, join me in my favorite fantasy worlds, from Lord of the Rings to the creations of C.S. Lewis, Anne McCaffrey and Terry Brooks. Even more importantly, stop by and say hello on my Facebook page at AuthorMichaelDadich, tweet me at @MichaelDadich, and stalk my website at http://www.thesilversphere.org.org.

Ugly Socks Blog Hop!

I fibbed.

That wasn't my last post yesterday. Actually, I have this post for the weekend, and your chance to win several prizes from me. In the spirit of the holidays, I'm offering up an e-book from my backlist, of your choice, and a hand crocheted pair of booties to warm your feet in the cold, heartless winter months.

Speaking of cold, it's colder than I care for over here in Ohio. We got the tail end of the blizzard that swept through Wisconsin and those areas, and the wind chill is currently settled at 19. It's truly breathtaking to step out of a warm home or store and into the frigid wind.

What's everyone like to do for the holidays? My husband and I have two young-ish children, and so we spend the day assembling Lego's or taking the stupid threads out of Barbie's hair. (Special thanks to Mattel for that little security feature. It's always fun to break out the blowtorch to open a Barbie up.)

I think I'm going to start a few new traditions, though. Things like...open THIS gift Christmas Eve. Elf On The Shelf looks cute, too, and even though I'm about to have two non believers in the next year or so I'd love to start it up. I'll be snatching one up at the after Christmas sales at the mall. Let's call him Elvie McFiddlebum.

I figure I can set Elvie up in some awesome situations since my kids are almost eleven and eight. He can get caught in the hot tub with Barbie. He can binge on tequila and Vicodin. (Okay, I'll save that for high school days.) He might t.p. a room or three, or maybe a certain fancy pants car in the garage. Oh, oh! Since I have a deranged mind, I'll propose a new one. Let's drape Elvie from the ceiling on invisible line and drag a feather across the kid's cheek.

Guess I'd better start saving up for therapists bills later.

Christmas is my favorite time of year, except for the cold. I'll take summer over winter anytime. Here's some blurbs from the backlist so you can choose which one you'd like, Future Winner! Enjoy, and thanks for dropping by. Don't forget to check out the other blogs associated with the hop. Their links are below.

The Life And Times of Delila:


Delila has roamed the Earth for over one thousand years with her maker, Alaric. She has everything a vampire could want: Beauty, brains, a booming business, and an ability to read human emotions.

When a werewolf makes an imprint in her life, Delila feels she may have finally found the soul mate she has been seeking. But when everything goes terribly wrong Delila finds herself burdened with a young half breed child to protect from the evil forces of her world.

The Reign of Delila:

When you rule the vampires, you can expect a few hiccups here and there.

But Delila McAllister hardly expects to find newborn vampires wreaking havoc on her world. No one is sure where the little beasts are coming from, or why they’re not decimating unknowing human populations.

Even as she’s trying to figure out one problem, another arises. Her Alpha werewolf daughter, Ana, is torn between her loyalty to Delila and her pack’s desire for war.

Delila knows what she has to do. But can she save her race, herself, and her daughter?

By Blood, Bound:

Mel McIntyre thought she was all set in this life. She had a fabulous job, a cute apartment and a cat. But when her sister dies and her last living relative, her nephew Joey, disappears, Mel finds everything she knows turned upside down.

Unwillingly thrown into a world she never thought existed thanks to an almost fatal mistake made by Joey, Mel finds herself suddenly involved with a vampire named Levi. And she quickly discovers this relationship isn’t the good thing she thought it to be.

As Mel becomes a shell of her former self, can she find the strength to battle back? Or will she let the vampires win?

Siege of Shadows:

A neighbor, arrested, covered in his wife’s blood. A wolf stalking her. To top it all off, the new neighbor is trying to kill her—in her nightmares.

Billie is having one hell of a time with the new guy on the block. She can’t decide if she hates him or wants to take him to bed, for starters. And every time she dreams about him, she wakes up with dried blood on her body.

There’s only one explanation, but even Billie thinks she’s crazy for believing it. No way is her neighbor trying to kill her…

Right?

What I've Learned:

Abigail Jones is a former prostitute who buys her freedom from a Mexican cartel boss and forges a new life. Secure in the knowledge that she's escaped her past, Abigail's world falls apart when her brother's head is delivered to her in a brown paper box. And when the cartel boss sends an assassin to take her life, Abigail can't deny the danger she faces.

Encumbered with her brother's infant son and gripped by fear, Abby shares her story and the evidence her brother accumulated about the cartel to the police and finds herself abruptly thrust into Witness Protection.   Beginning a new life as Quinn, the recently divorced mother of little Paul and middle school guidance counselor, Abby is moved to a quiet neighborhood with quaint houses and white picket fences.

While Abby struggles to recreate herself and tries to focus on conforming to the rules of the program, not to mention life with a small child, the cartel continues their search for her.  And although life seems to slowly return to some form of normalcy, little does Abby know that her past is slowly closing in on her.

Buy Link!

Links to the other fantastic blogs:

Lee Brazil

Ali Wilde and Andy Slayde

Victoria Blisse

Gale Stanley

Anna Marie May

Barrage: Ryelee's Cowboy

Happy Thursday! Today I'm hosting a blog barrgae stop for Ryelee's Cowboy by Kathleen Ball. Enjoy, and Happy Holidays! This will be my last blog post until after the holidays.

Don't forget to enter for the giveaway!

Blurb:

Twenty-year-old Ryelee Snyder is pregnant and alone. Fortunately, she finds a job as a nanny to precocious four-year-old Rheenie Maloney. Life is perfect except for Horse Trainer, Clint Maloney. Ryelee feels his disapproval and is in constant fear of being fired.

Clint Maloney needs help with his daughter but he never bargained on Ryelee Snyder. The tall, gangly, girl is a menace. Clint spends too much of his time rescuing her from her latest mishap. Upon finding out about her pregnancy, Clint's feelings begin to change. He no longer views her as a nuisance but as a passionate woman with a generous heart.

Secrets, misunderstandings, and cattle rustling put an increasing strain on their relationship, until they finally turn from each other. Just as they seem to find their way back, Ryelee's part in the cattle rustling is unveiled. Ryelee fights unyieldingly to win the love of a lifetime.

Excerpt:

Ryelee sat on the edge of the seat, fearing the outcome of their conversation, but when she lifted her eyes to Clint, the tenderness in his brown eyes surprised her. She had always watched him from afar, too intimidated to look at him when he was close. She loved his rough, angular face and black curly hair. He usually kept it quite short, but it definitely needed a cut. Her eyes traveled downward to his strong, broad shoulders, and she wished she could lay her head on his shoulder and cry. She had a feeling that having his arms around her would make her feel protected. Suddenly, she realized she was staring and brought her gaze back up to his amused one.

“I’m sorry about this afternoon,” Ryelee started uneasily. “Rheenie asked about Texas history, and, well, the next thing I knew we were playing cowboys and Indians.” Not wanting to see the censure in his eyes, she looked down at her hands. “I didn’t know that Dottie would be here.”

“Ryelee, look at me,” Clint said, his voice gentle and coaxing. “This is your home too, and if you and Rheenie are having fun—safe fun—then so be it. The look of joy on her face when I drove up was priceless. That's what matter's. I heard some of what Dottie said to you, and it’s inexcusable.”

“It’s not true.”

“What’s not true?”

“I’m not ignorant. In fact, I’ve taken a few college classes,” she said with a tinge of defensiveness in her tone. It had been hard going but she did it. She completed each lesson and each assignment. Her grades had been good, but no one cared.

“Huh. Dottie said you dropped out of school.”

“I did only after she made it impossible for me to go to school without being ridiculed for being poor, having to get my clothes from the Church bin, and for being the town drunk's kid. Mrs. Steven the librarian took an interest in me. She helped me to get my GED and take a few on-line college classes.”

Clint got out of his chair, came around, and leaned against the front of his desk. Reaching down, he took Ryelee’s hand. “I’m sorry that you were bullied in school. It’s not right. But getting your GED and taking college courses are accomplishments that you should be proud of.”

Ryelee simply nodded her head. She didn’t feel proud. She knew she never would again, not after all the unspeakable things her father had done to her.

“Are the few clothes I’ve seen all that you have?”

Ryelee’s face flamed and she pulled her hand back. “Yes,” she whispered. There was never any money and…

“I pay you well enough, why don’t you go to town and get yourself a few new things?”

“I have to save every penny.” She turned away from him. “I need to have enough cash for when you throw me away, like my father did.”

“I don’t understand.”

“I know,” Ryelee said sadly. “I’ll get dinner going.” She stood.

“Wait a minute, Ryelee. Annie told me that you had nowhere to go. I guess I didn’t give it much thought.”

“There’s not much to tell. My father kicked me out. Noreen from the diner let me stay with her for a week or so. I waitressed to earn my keep. Then this job came up, and I jumped at it. I’ve always liked kids, and you have a good reputation in town.”

Clint nodded. “You’ve had a hard time of it. I’m sorry.”

Ryelee shrugged her shoulders. “Like I said, there’s not much to tell. I have to get dinner ready.” She didn’t wait for a reply. She wasn’t up to any more questions. She made a hasty escape.

Reviews:

 “I have read Rylee's cowboy (loved it) I went through every emotions one could. happiness, fear, angry, scared, frightened, cried, laughed got excited (blush)where was the hubby when reading this? lol this book was awesome i can't wait for the 4th book of Kathleen Ball's she is a great writer she makes those us that don't like to read WANT to read!!! they are books you can't just put down anytime cause the second your free you pick it back up again and read it. I highly recommend these books of Kathleens as a Must read!”-- Lisa Tompkins - ***** STAR

“Kathleen Ball pulled at my heartstrings once again. In her typical way, this author crafted a story that touched every one of my emotions and pulled me so far into her story that I felt I was part of it.

My heart ached for pregnant Ryelee as she tried to move past her heartbreaking upbringing and make a life for herself. Her relationship with little Rheenie was heartwarming, and her love for Clint was tender. And though at times my stomach hurt for the way Ryelee was treated, I knew Ms. Ball would give us a romantic hero we could be proud of.

This reader has become a lifelong fan of Kathleen Ball and her wonderful stories, and I cannot wait for more.”-- ClassDreamer'84 - 5 Star

About the Author:

Kathleen Ball has been writing a little over three years. She has four published novels: The Lasso Springs Series--Callie’s Heart and Lone Star Joy are available now.  Stetson’s Storm will be available in Feb 2013 all from Desert Breeze Publishing. She also has the Dawson Ranch Series from Secret Cravings Publishing. Those titles are Texas Haven and Ryelee’s Cowboy.

Kathleen lives in Texas and loves the fact that she can drive out of her subdivision and see cattle. She is a native New Yorker from Rochester, New York.

Kathleen is married and has one son who is a Marine. She started writing when she realized that she was facing an empty nest. Always an avid reader, she writes what she likes, Contemporary Western Romance.

Visit her at her website at www.kathleenballromance.com.

Barrage: Gem Stone

Happy Thursday! I'm hosting a blog barrage with CBLS Promotions for gem Stone, by Dale Mayer. Enjoy!

Prize giveaway! The author is giving away 1 e-book copy to 15 randomly drawn winners for this tour, so be sure to go here and enter!

Available at:

Amazon - http://amzn.com/B009QBRL4M

Blurb:

A juvie kid trying to stay on the right path stumbles into trouble...

Gemma takes her camera everywhere. From juvie hall to a halfway home, the new hobby gives her a focus she'd never had before and... hope in a future. Until she takes pictures of something that could get her killed.

And not just her...after she and another juvie girl are chased by a stranger to the halfway home that same night, the other girl goes missing and Gemma knows she needs help. But who can she trust?

Not the authorities that's for sure. Trusting them is impossible for a girl with her damaged history, and besides, who cares about a troubled kid...especially when trouble just naturally seems to find her.

Excerpt:

Damn Misty. Forcibly keeping her expression neutral, she struggled to match it to her voice. "I'm sorry to hear that, sir."

"I'm going to ask you once and once only. Did you cheat?"

"No, sir." She didn't need to cheat on exams. School was easy for her.

"Did you help anyone else cheat on their exams?"

At least she could answer honestly again. She looked him straight in the eye. "No, sir."

Silence.

"That's not what I'm hearing from other sources." He studied her intently as if hoping to read a different truth on her face. "I wouldn't want you involved in anything that would make me reconsider your placement here."

Shit. Misty was a bitch. The girl would do anything to avoid getting into trouble herself. Including throwing Gem into the mess to confuse the issue. Again.

"People will always talk, sir."

"Yes. They will, won't they? Well, we will leave it for the moment. As long as you realize, that if I receive one ounce of proof that you cheated, your permission to stay here will be rescinded. Got that?"

"Yes, sir." She dropped her gaze to her feet and the almost-too-short jeans. There were a lot of good things happening here. She didn't want to leave. She also didn't dare let him know how much this mattered.

Silence again.

Gemma risked a quick look at him. He was staring at a thick file open in front of him. Her file. Gemma groaned silently.

"I see you're still busy with that camera of yours…"

Was that a question? Gemma didn't know what she was supposed to say. "Yes, sir."

"You know better than to take pictures of people and situations that you aren't supposed to, right?" His pale gray eyes lifted from the desk, flicked to the field outside the window then back, catching hers.

Acid bubbled in her stomach. Did he know?

"We wouldn't want you ignoring other people's privacy now, would we? Even if the pictures don't turn out well, people might think you captured events you weren't entitled to see. Understand?"

A frisson of fear slid down her back. He couldn't know, could he? She didn't even know what she'd seen. She gulped and nodded once. "I'm very careful."

"Yes. Careful. That describes you very well. Careful in what you say. Careful in what you do. Careful in how you act. Always. What goes on behind those big brown eyes of yours, Gemma? You're always quiet. Deep. You've been here with the others for several months now and yet, you're still essentially a loner."

And what was she supposed to say to that? She remained silent.

"A word of warning, there will be several new girls arriving over the next few weeks, so expect to go back to sharing your room again." He studied her carefully for a reaction. "And still you stand there and say nothing." He closed the file before resting his interlocked fingers on top. He stared up at her, a frown creasing his forehead. "I'm not a big fan of mixing boys and girls at your age. Unleashed hormones and troubled kids make for a nasty mess." He narrowed his gaze and added, "Make sure you don't contribute to the problem."

 "No, sir. Are we done here, sir?" Gem stared down at her standard-issue running shoe. Like all her clothes. The home provided everything, slightly less institutionalized than at the center, but still generic. Soon she'd be allowed to get a job, then she could buy her own clothes.

He studied her bent head.

"Never an ounce of give in you, is there?"

"Sir?" She eyed him curiously.

"Never mind." He picked up her file and added it to the stack on the right. "Yes, we're done."

She took that as a dismissal. "Thank you, sir." Just before escaping down the hallway, she popped her head back in and said, "I don't cheat."

He looked up in surprise. "I know that. You don't bother reading the textbooks either, do you? But not everyone here has your IQ. Make sure you aren't helping the others cheat. It won't do either of you any good in the long run."

She nodded. She had no intention of helping anyone cheat, but that didn't stop them from cheating off her. Though it would have been easy to point the finger in the right direction, she wasn't Misty. She wasn't going to turn anyone in to make it easier for herself.

Life here hadn't changed the first rule, learned the hard way on the streets and reinforced in juvie. That rule was to keep your mouth shut – no matter what. Or else.

She bit her bottom lip as she raced down the hallway. She didn't want to miss dinner. She'd already outstripped most other girls her age, for height. She could only hope one day, she'd match them for curves. At least she had them all beat for brains.

It was a relief to get out of there, but she'd feel better if she understood what was going on by the creek. And why Creepers cared.

About the Author:

Dale Mayer is a prolific multi-published writer. She's best known for her Psychic Visions series. Besides her romantic suspense/thrillers, Dale also writes paranormal romance and crossover young adult books in several different genres.  To go with her fiction, she also writes nonfiction in many different fields with books available on resume writing, companion gardening and the US mortgage system. She has recently published her Career Essentials Series . All her books are available in print format as well.

Visit Dale online at:

Website - http://www.dalemayer.com

Twitter - http://www.twitter.com/dalemayer

Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/dalemayer.author

BOOKS BY DALE MAYER

Psychic Vision Series

Tuesday's Child

Hide'n Go Seek

Maddy's Floor

Garden of Sorrow - Out December 1, 2012

Single Title Romantic Suspense/thrillers

Touched by Death – out now!

Novellas

It's a Dog's Life- romantic comedy

Young Adult Books

In Cassie's Corner

Dangerous Designs – Book I

Deadly Designs – Book 2 – out now!

Vampire in Denial – Book I of Blood Ties

Vampire in Distress – Book 2!

Gem Stone Mystery Series- out now!

Non-Fiction Books

Career Essentials: The Resume

Career Essentials: The Cover Letter

Career Essentials: The Interview

Career Essentials: 3 in 1

Review: Whispers In Autumn

Happy Wednesday!

Today, I'm hosting a review stop of a Goddess Fish tour for Whispers in Autumn by Trisha Leigh. Enjoy!

OH! And the author is giving away a few Amazon gift cards to randomly drawn commenters. Don't forget to leave your email address in the comments!

Blurb:

In 2015, a race of alien Others conquered Earth. They enslaved humanity not by force, but through an aggressive mind control that turned people into contented, unquestioning robots.

Except sixteen-year-old Althea isn’t content at all, and she doesn’t need the mysterious note inside her locket to tell her she’s Something Else. It also warns her to trust no one, so she hides the pieces that make her different, even though it means being alone.

Then she meets Lucas, everything changes.

Althea and Lucas are immune to the alien mind control, and together they search for the reason why. What they uncover is a stunning truth the Others never anticipated, one with the potential to free the brainwashed human race.

It’s not who they are that makes them special, but what.

And what they are is a threat. One the Others are determined to eliminate for good.

Review:

Whispers in Autumn follows sixteen year old Althea and her friend, Lucas, as they struggle to understand what makes them so different from the humans that surround them with creepy smiles.

The opening of the first chapter hooked me, and I read this entire book in four hours. Althea is a traveler, which means she hops from season to season and never experiences summer. She moves between several major cities that exist under the control of the Others. When she meets Lucas, her carefully constructed facade begins to shake, and we are able to watch her grow and learn to love. But the Others are onto them, and Althea's life quickly becomes a struggle to survive.

It's written in present tense, which is off putting for some but this story flows well with it. I was deeply invested in Althea, and then Lucas as well. The setting is amazingly crafted, with what should be normal activities controlled by the Others. The school known as the Cell, the Wardens, everything fell into place during the story to provide an overall amazing piece. I do wish it hadn't ended so abruptly, but I highly recommend this read.

Excerpt:

It’s early morning. It always is. The sound of movement on the floor below forces my fists to unclench, releasing the garish orange comforter wrinkled inside them. Last night I fell asleep at the Hammond’s house, where the bedding is green and spring crept toward an end. I never get used to starting over like this, but as my travels grow more frequent, a kind of numbness settles in. My feet find their way out from under the heavy down and settle into the slippers beside the bed.

As if I never left.

           

I shuffle across the thick, brown carpet and kneel on the padded window seat to peer outside. The trees are bright splotches against the vivid blue sky—some crimson, others a sunny yellow—with a few fiery oranges scattered about. Their bold colors verify my suspicions.

           

It’s autumn now.

About The Author:

Raised by a family of ex-farmers and/or almost rock stars from Northeastern Iowa, I’ve always loved to tell stories. After graduating from Texas Christian University with a degree in Film, I began to search for a way to release the voices in my head. IWhen I attempted my first YA novel, which would become Whispers in Autumn, I was hooked. I knew then my heart lay with telling stories about and for young adults, and for anyone who loves to read and recapture those fleeting “first” moments.

My spare time is spent reviewing television and movies, spending time with my large, loud, loving family, reading any book that falls into my hands, and being dragged into the fresh air by my dogs Yoda and Jilly.

Links:

http://www.trishaleigh.com

@trishaleighkc

trishaleighkc.tumblr.com

http://pinterest.com/trishaleighkc/

Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/trisha.ziegenhorn

The Last Year – Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Last-Year/135691733234724

WHISPERS IN AUTUMN, my post-apocalyptic YA novel, is available for

 Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/Whispers-Autumn-Last-Year-ebook/dp/B008NFVDTQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1343871707&sr=8-1&keywords=whispers+in+autumn

Nook: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/whispers-in-autumn-trisha-leigh/1112185846?ean=9781475235944

 iBooks: http://itunes.apple.com/us/book/whispers-in-autumn/id547017689?ls=1

Kobo: http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/Whispers-in-Autumn/book-J98yTcHujkGR9kJkNbeM0A/page1.html?s=2W156r5aJUy25FwqT74Vcg&r=1

and in paperback!!

http://www.amazon.com/Whispers-In-Autumn-Book-Volume/dp/1475235941/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1343916972&sr=8-2&keywords=whispers+in+autumn