Spellbound By Books: Guest Posts

Showing posts with label Guest Posts. Show all posts

Saturday, June 6, 2015

Guest Post: Danny and the Three Monsters - Andrew Joyce

My name is Andrew Joyce and I write books for a living. Melissa has been kind enough to allow me a little space on her blog to promote my latest book, MOLLY LEE. It’s averaging 4.9 stars on Amazon and for the next few days it will be priced at 0.99 cents. It is also available in paperback. Please check it out. Here’s the link . . . http://geni.us/molly

I would love to tell you all about it, but instead, I have to turn the writing duties over to my dog whose name is Danny. You see, he can be pretty insistent at times. We recently had some excitement in our lives and he can’t wait to tell you about it. For what it’s worth, this is a true story. And when you are finished reading it, please click on the link to my book and check it out. Danny is not the only genius in our household.

Danny and the Three Monsters

Hello dog fans, it is I, Danny the Dog! I haven’t been writing much lately because I’ve been helping my human, whose name is Andrew, look after three Labrador retrievers. What a nightmare! There is Chloe, who is fourteen months old, and then there is Beau and Hank. They are both four months old and they are holy terrors. They live on a boat down at the end of the dock. Their human was going out of town and he asked my human to look after them and Andrew, being the idiot that he is, said yes.

First of all, I want to say to Jeff, the human that lives with the three monsters, don’t ever leave them in Andrew’s care again. I wouldn’t trust him to look after a taco, much less three dogs.

The trouble started right away. Jeff had two crates (humans call them crates; I call them cages) for Beau and Hank because, as I’ve said, they are holy terrors. Andrew went over to take them for their first walk after Jeff left, and of course, he has to take me along to help out. Anyway, Andrew gets them out of the crates and is getting them off the boat when clumsy Hank falls into the water.

Let me paint the picture for you. It was nighttime. It was dark. The water was dark and Hank is black. Andrew and I could see nothing of Hank. We could only hear him splashing around. The dock is about five feet above the water so Andrew couldn’t get him out by standing on the dock. Being the genius that he is (just kidding), Andrew got on the swim platform, which—for you landlubbers—is attached to the back of a boat and is only a foot above the water.

Now this is where Andrew’s “genius” comes into play. He took off his glasses and placed them on the transom so they wouldn’t slip off while he was bending over to pull Hank out of the water. He called to Hank. Hank swam over and Andrew got him onto the boat. Then Andrew went to get his glasses and they were not there or anywhere else on the boat. It looked as though Beau knocked them into the water because he had his paws up in that general vicinity while he was watching Andrew rescue his brother (they’re twins). All this in the first five minutes of Andrew looking after the monsters. And it only got better, and by better, I mean worse. I had a ball watching Andrew trying to cope for four days.

On to the next disaster, but first a side note. For some reason Beau is enthralled with me. The damn dog wouldn’t leave me alone. He put his snoot in my face, ran around me, bounced around me; he was a royal pain in my rear end. Finally, I had to growl at him and give him a little nip on his snoot to get some peace.

Now back to Andrew’s genius. We got the dogs back on the boat without further mishaps. Andrew fed them and all was well. But then Andrew decided not to put Hank and Beau in their crates. He felt sorry for them being cooped up like that. Big mistake!

The next morning when we went to get them, there was poop everywhere. The whole floor was covered in it. The babies had gotten into the dog food bag, ripped it open and ate it all. Then they pooped everywhere and walked in it. They got it on the couch, on the sliding glass doors, on everything. I think even on the ceiling. Needless to say, after spending two hours cleaning it all up, Andrew changed his mind about the crates.

Last night we were hanging out. Andrew was staring into space because he did not have his glasses and could not read a book or see the computer screen. I was on the computer starting this story when Chloe came onto our boat. She’s always coming here and stealing my water bowl! To date, she has taken five. But she should have been locked up on her own boat! Andrew got up, looked out, saw Jeff, and said, “Thank God! Thank God!” I barked the same thing. Our days of taking care of the monsters were over. Thank God!

P.S. This morning Jeff came over with Andrew’s glasses. Beau had taken them and hidden them in his stash place. And by the way, I have my own Facebook page and it’s a lot cooler than Andrew’s. Here’s a link: http://geni.us/dannythedog

Molly Lee

Synopsis:

It’s 1861 and the Civil War has just started. Molly is an eighteen-year-old girl living on her family’s farm in Virginia when two deserters from the Southern Cause enter her life. One of them—a twenty-four-year-old Huck Finn—ends up saving her virtue, if not her life.

Molly is so enamored with Huck, she wants to run away with him. But Huck has other plans and is gone the next morning before she awakens. Thus starts a sequence of events that leads Molly into adventure after adventure; most of them not so nice.

We follow the travails of Molly Lee, starting when she is eighteen and ending when she is fifty-six. Even then Life has one more surprise in store for her.

Molly Lee is the sequel to the best-selling novel REDEMPTION: The Further Adventures of Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer. It is the story of a woman who knows what she wants and starts out to get it. Molly is about to set off on the quest of a lifetime . . . of two lifetimes.

Amazon ... http://geni.us/molly

Barnes and Noble ... http://geni.us/P2X

iTunes ... http://geni.us/TH1

Kobo ... http://geni.us/2EHU

Smashwords ... http://geni.us/1ZNZ

About Andrew Joyce

http://huckfinn76.com

http://andrewjoyce76.com

Monday, March 2, 2015

The Legacy Human Launch

New Release: The Legacy Human (Singularity #1) by Susan Kaye Quinn #YA #SF

INTRODUCTORY PRICE 99CENTS - limited time

Amazon

ebook and print

When transcending humanity is the prize, winning the Game is all that matters.

Seventeen-year-old Elijah Brighton wants to become an ascender—a post-Singularity human/machine hybrid—after all, they’re smarter, more enlightened, more compassionate, and above all, achingly beautiful. But Eli is a legacy human, preserved and cherished for his unaltered genetic code, just like the rainforest he paints. When a fugue state possesses him and creates great art, Eli miraculously lands a sponsor for the creative Olympics. If he could just master the fugue, he could take the gold and win the right to ascend, bringing everything he’s yearned for within reach… including his beautiful ascender patron. But once Eli arrives at the Games, he finds the ascenders are playing games of their own. Everything he knows about the ascenders and the legacies they keep starts to unravel… until he’s running for his life and wondering who he truly is.

The Legacy Human is the first in Susan Kaye Quinn’s new young adult science fiction series that explores the intersection of mind, body, and soul in a post-Singularity world… and how technology will challenge us to remember what it means to be human.

WHAT REVIEWERS ARE SAYING:

“If I were a movie producer, I would option this in a heartbeat.”

“This story is so intense I felt I couldn’t get a proper breath.”

“Science fiction with philosophical depth.”

Share on Facebook!

Join the Launch Party!

Win paperbacks of The Legacy Human and Mindjack Trilogy, as well as other great prizes, and chat with some AMAZING Sci-Fi author-friends (check out the line-up below!). Giveaways run ALL DAY (9a – 9p Chicago Time, GMT-6)

SCHEDULE - Chicago Time (GMT-6) on March 2nd

9a - 10a - Sue (Singularity)

1p - 2p - Jennifer Wells (Fluency)

2p - 2:30p - Endi Webb? (Terran Gambit)

3p - 4p - Rysa Walker (Timebound)

5p - 5:30p - Wes Davies? (Binary Cycle)

5:30 - 7p - Sue (Singularity)

7p - 8p - E.E. Giorgi? (Chimeras)

8p - 9p - Jessica Keller? (Saving Yesterday)

9p - Sue - PICKING WINNERS

Stop by ANYTIME to enter giveaways; stop by during the guest-host hour to chat! (Join the party now!)

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Wednesday, November 26, 2014

Supernatural Urban Legends by Sherry Soule

Supernatural Urban Legends

Guest Post by author Sherry Soule

Today author, Sherry Soule has some exciting news to share with us! The next book in the epic Spellbound series, DESTINY DISRUPTED (Older YA paranormal romance) will be published in November 2014.

To help promote these thrilling serial novels, Sherry is doing this guest post to share the news with fellow booklovers.

Hi everyone, I’m Sherry Soule—waving from the Bay Area. Thanks for letting me stop by today and chat about my books. It’s a thrill to get to be a guest and meet fellow booklovers. I have put together a few mysterious and intriguing urban legends about the Spellbound series that surround the cursed town of Fallen Oaks, California…

Urban Legend #1

Some researchers believe that certain demon races are actually the disembodied spirits of the Nephilim. (They are also considered to be Shadow People.) The origination of the Nephilim began with the legend of an archangel named Raziel. Urban legend states that Raziel escorted a sect of angels that were to instruct humans in morality.

Unfortunately, these angels began to educate man in sciences that God had deemed to be forbidden. These subjects included astrology, divination, and magic. The tutelage went on for centuries, until the angels began to pine for the human females.

After the fallen angels, or sometimes known as the Fallen, had sexual relations with the women, their unholy union resulted in the hybrid offspring called: Nephilim, which are the direct descendants of the antediluvian Fallen. Nephilim are also known as the Grigori or the Watchers.

It has been insinuated that one of the main reasons for the great flood, was not only to punish man, but to cleanse the earth of the Nephilim created from the union of fallen angels and human women. The flood banished most of the Fallen and their offspring into a Sheol.

So, do you believe in the Nephilim? What do you think will happen if they are ever freed?

Urban Legend #2

One haunted house claim that continues to be an urban legend is the infamous, Ravenhurst Manor in Fallen Oaks. Books and stories have been written based on its hauntings and its reputation as one of California's most ghostly places.

Ravenhurst Manor’s first owner was a woman and dark sorceress named, Rowan Broussard. After her death, the estate was used as an all girl’s boarding school for many years. The sixty room Gothic mansion was listed for sale with the resident ghosts. Other odd things that occurred in in this house were: doors and windows that opened or closed on their own, cold drafts, whispering voices, and some visitors even claimed to see a dark shadowy figure roaming the halls.

However, Ravenhurst is most famously linked to the disappearance of six children during the years of 1964 through 1967. (After the school was closed, the estate became the property of the town before it was sold to an wealthy, oil magnate.) After the children’s' bodies were discovered buried within the walls of the house, obviously from less than peaceful circumstances, the town buried them in Silent Hollows Cemetery.

Did these Children buried on unconsecrated ground, lead to the strange tragedy that would make this mansion so famous?

Urban Legend #3

Ah, let’s move on to the zombie apocalypse!

Another interesting urban legend states that on September 28, 1941, during an eclipse, a zombie was spotted in Fallen Oaks. To make matters worse, a fire at the local mill had swept through town. As day turned to night, more zombies appeared. Many townsfolk mistook the undead for dazed mill workers. After the residents received hugs from the zombies, they were bitten by these paranormals, and soon the epidemic spread across the town like wildfire.

To make matters worse, the roads and bridges connecting Fallen Oaks to the rest of the Bay Area had burned in the fire. The townsfolk had no way to escape. Scores of people become lost when they chose to venture into the dark depth of Deadwood Grove rather than face the insatiable zombie menace.

Within days, the Paranormal Research Group (PRG) converged on Fallen Oaks in a variety of aircraft. They established a base on the south side of the forest and went about the process of extermination. It took two weeks to secure the town. A total of 500 people were plague-ridden, an enormous number considering that there wasn’t a zombie vaccine available at this time.

Whatever the case, Fallen Oaks’s zombie outbreak affected just under 600 people, making it one of the worst cases in U.S. history.

Are you prepared for a zombie apocalypse? What if zombies start showing up again?

Thank you so much for letting me chat up my YA series with all of you. It’s been an honor to share the eerie urban legends associated with the Spellbound series. If you haven’t seized your copy yet, please do so. Many thrilling and extraordinary adventures await you!

Places you can cyberstalk, Sherry Soule:

Official website: http://www.sherrysoule.blogspot.com

Official Spellbound Series Blog: http://thespellboundseries.blogspot.com

goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11634793-beautifully-broken

Twitter: @SherrySoule: http://twitter.com/SherrySoule

Hunting Demons is One Thing…Dating Them is Another.

Life sucks for Shiloh Trudell. And being a demon hunter who’s in love with a cocky half-demon makes things even suckier.

Especially when she discovers that Trent, her sinfully hot boyfriend, is hiding a few dangerous secrets. Like the fact that he’s losing his humanity.

To complicate matters, witches from the local coven are mysteriously turning up dead, and as Shiloh searches for answers, she confronts her worst nightmare…Trent is being blackmailed into becoming the next leader of the Underworld.

But Shiloh is still convinced that she can save him, even after the impossibly gorgeous, fallen angel Raze tells her that a relationship with Trent is forbidden now. Warned to stay away from the only boy she’s ever loved, she can’t ignore the sizzling attraction that ignites whenever they’re around one another. Especially after a swoon-inducing night of stolen passion.

As Shiloh’s world begins to unravel around her, it soon becomes obvious that her destiny lies in one of two choices: vanquish Trent or join him in the Underworld.

DESTINY DISRUPTED (book 5) ASIN: B00OJQHU5O

Pre-Order your copy today and get it delivered to your reading device on November 28th! http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00OJQHU5O

Kobo: http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/destiny-disrupted-1

Apple iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id930482995

Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books/1120565438?ean=2940046330205&itm=1&usri=2940046330205

Please “mark to read” on goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13570561-destiny-disrupted

Tuesday, November 11, 2014

Guest Post of my "Dream Cast" by Sherry Soule

“Author Sherry Soule’s DREAM CAST”

Today author, Sherry Soule has some exciting news to share with us! The next book in the epic Spellbound series, DESTINY DISRUPTED (Older YA paranormal romance) will be published in November 2014.

To help promote these thrilling serial novels, Sherry is doing this guest post to share the news with fellow booklovers.

So without further ado here are Sherry’s top actor picks...

My kickbutt heroine, Shiloh Trudell is a tough one. For me it is between these lovely and brilliant actresses: Nicole Anderson or Malese Jow.

Quirky, SHILOH (who never leaves the house without her fav hot pink Doc Martens) has a habit of engaging her brain before her mouth. She has seen shadows for as long as she can remember, and they always turn up when something bad is about to happen. Shiloh decides it’s her duty to find out what’s causing the mystical disappearances in Fallen Oaks before the evil claims another innocent life. Yet even as a witch-in-training, is Shiloh worthy to combat the forces of darkness? Or is she just another teen destined to befall the town curse?

For the part of the arrogant playboy, Trent Donovan, I think this dynamic actor / model would be great, Luke Guldan:

After seventeen years, TRENT and his father return to Fallen Oaks and are instantly under speculation. Especially when construction on their mansion awakens an ancient evil, and the vanishing of a local teen has everyone murmuring about an old witch’s curse. When Trent meets Shiloh—sparks fly. Shiloh and Trent have an almost instant connection. As their friendship changes from mutual lust to real affection, they achieve an emotional closeness rarely found. He finds Shiloh’s willful determination a challenge, but he still has a hard time expressing his feelings. Will Trent be able to survive the town curse in time to tell Shiloh how he feels?

For Shiloh’s so-called mother, Darrah, I like this amazing actress: Kelly Lee Carlson (she would be so freakin’ perfect).

Shiloh’s mother, DARRAH BROUSSARD is an incredibly beautiful yet cryptic woman. She has never really been the “motherly” type. When she starts dabbling in Dark Magicks, she slips further away from her family. Jillian has been embracing darkness, and straying from the path of her ancestors. Will the cost of her driving ambition come at a deadly price?

For Shiloh’s father, Jackson Trudell, this wonderful actor might be great: Oded Fehr.

JACKSON TRUDELL is Shiloh’s father, and he only wants peace within his troubled family. He is a kind-hearted man who tends to be swept up in Shiloh’s drama. He does not believe in the supernatural. Not in ghosts or hauntings or mysterious happenings as well as psychic abilities. He thinks the rumors about witches are ridiculous. Still he’s worried that Shiloh will discover his secret. Will he finally find the courage to tell Shiloh the truth about her heritage?

For Shiloh’s sassy best friend, Ariana Parsons, this remarkable actress would be fantastic: Britt Robertson.

Smart and feisty, ARIANA PRESTON is Shiloh’s best friend. Her outgoing nature, along with her snarky and blunt personality are Ariana’s most endearing qualities. Upon learning that Shiloh is actually a powerful thirteenth witch, she dedicates herself to aiding her friend in the battle against evil. But after playing around with the occult, Ariana develops a taste for the dark arts. Will her interest in the Craft only cause more havoc and mayhem in a town that is already cursed by dark magick?

For Anthony Evans, Shiloh’s mentor, I like this gifted actor best: Matt Davis.

ANTHONY EVANS is a Victorian restoration specialist and part-time paranormal investigator, with the gift of Sight. After the death of his wife, he moves in with his brother-in-law, Maxwell Donovan and his nephew, Trent to help cleanse their haunted house. After hiring Shiloh as an assistant, he decides that it’s his duty to educate Shiloh in all things supernatural. But will teaching her magick be enough to stop the evil from killing the other teenagers in town?

For Shiloh’s brave and loving aunt Lauren, I like these outstanding actresses, Gwyneth Paltrow or Charilze Theron:

LAUREN BROUSSARD wants to help Shiloh deal with her newfound powers. Although, continuous, heated disagreements with her sister, Jillian about Shiloh’s upbringing resulted in her being estranged from the family. But what can Lauren say when Shiloh starts asking questions about the Broussard family’s dark past?

Only one actor comes to mind that could portray the dashing and ruthless, Maxwell Donavon – Australian actor and model, Julian Dana William McMahon:

Millionaire, yuppie, MAXWELL DONOVAN shares his son Trent’s intensity, articulacy, and conviction. Maxwell was married to Claire and stole not only her heart, but her sanity as well. Rumors abound after he is accused of murdering his wife. Is he really a heartless killer or is there more to this enigmatic man?

For the Trendies aka mean girls, Ashley and Kayla, I like these young, talented actresses: Victoria Justice and Olivia Holt:

BRITTANY WITHERIDGE is the mayor’s daughter. She is the Queen Bee at Fallen Oaks High. Always calm and poised, and perfectly coiffed. She is Shiloh’s best frenemy. Ashley is very loyal to her friends while still being independent. When an unstoppable beast invades the town, will Ashley put aside her differences to join forces with Shiloh?

KAYLA BISHOP is Ashley’s best friend and captain of the cheerleading squad. At times, she can be spontaneous or cautious—whatever the situation calls for. She’s tougher than she looks, but can a bit of an airhead. Will Kayla surprise herself with her own insightful contributions to the fight against evil?

Okay, so there you have it, Sherry’s favorite actor picks. If you’ve read the Spellbound series, what actors would you pick for the leading roles?

Places you can cyberstalk Sherry Soule:

Official Spellbound Series Universe: http://thespellboundseries.blogspot.com/

Twitter @SherrySoule: http://twitter.com/SherrySoule

goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4925996.Sherry_Soule

Hunting Demons is One Thing…Dating Them is Another.

Life sucks for Shiloh Trudell. And being a demon hunter who’s in love with a cocky half-demon makes things even suckier.

Especially when she discovers that Trent, her sinfully hot boyfriend, is hiding a few dangerous secrets. Like the fact that he’s losing his humanity.

As Shiloh’s world begins to unravel around her, it soon becomes obvious that her destiny lies in one of two choices: vanquish Trent or join him in the Underworld.

DESTINY DISRUPTED (book 5) ASIN: B00OJQHU5O

Pre-Order your copy today and get it delivered to your reading device on November 28th! http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00OJQHU5O

Kobo: http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/destiny-disrupted-1

Apple iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id930482995

Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books/1120565438?ean=2940046330205&itm=1&usri=2940046330205

Please “mark to read” on goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13570561-destiny-disrupted

Thursday, July 31, 2014

Guest Post: A Haunted Place in A Human Element by Donna Galanti

A Haunted Place in A Human Element

By Donna Galanti

I often get asked if the characters in my paranormal suspense book A Human Element are “me”. Yes they are…in some ways.

I was a photographer in the U.S. Navy stationed at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii, as Ben Fieldstone is in A Human Element. I worked in Fleet Intelligence processing top secret film in “the building with no windows”, as Ben did.

The beauty of Oahu is amazing with its violently defined landscape, a place to find–and keep–secrets in its hidden spots. I also lived off base in Honolulu. Likini, the wife of Ben’s friend, in A Human Element is actually named after the street I lived on, Likini Street (where I got around in a Herbie-styled 1972 white VW bug).

But in A Human Element, book 1 in the Element Trilogy, you’ll find Hawaii is not all palm trees and Mai Tais. Ben finds himself in dire circumstances there as a sailor on Oahu one terrifying night.

I also know of the dangers sailors can find themselves in on the island of Oahu if they’re not careful. I was told not to go to the Pali Lookout alone, a spot far above Honolulu in the Koolau Mountains that is set on cliffs with treacherous falls awaiting those who aren’t careful. Or those who are tossed off…or those who jump off. It’s known for its moaning, howling winds. People have disappeared up there, they’d say. It’s a haunted place where the ghosts of Hawaiian ancestors are said to roam.

But back to Ben and his night of terror at the Pali Lookout. Can he be saved? More importantly, can he be saved from himself?

Ben meets the Man in Black in Hawaii:

He closed his eyes and forced himself to find a dark place with peace and no pain. The two men continued to taunt him, but they echoed far away in a tunnel. He held his breath, willing himself to pass out. The wild wind of the mountaintop raged around him and shrieked in his ears.

Then two loud cracks shot out over the howling wind. The hands on him fell away. He let out a huge sigh, dizzy from holding his breath.

Ben opened his eyes and craned his head around to see what had happened. Under the bright moonlight the outline of the two big Samoans rose up from the overgrown road. They didn't move. The wind whipped the giant leaves of the banyan and guava trees about like sails on a great clipper ship. The buzz of traffic from the new Pali road carried up to him from below. He scanned the area. What had happened? Who else hid out there? He pulled at the stakes. His hands shook as he tried to break free.

"Forget it, kid, they're held down in cement," a deep voice said. "These stupid locals make up these playgrounds just to mess with us haoles."

Ben swallowed the saliva stuck in his throat and focused on his surroundings. There stood the green-eyed man, hidden in the swaying banyan trees. His black outfit blended into the dark forest. He moved toward Ben and holstered his gun, then popped open a switchblade from his back pocket.

"I am not here to hurt you," the man said when Ben shrunk into the rock. "I'm going to cut the ropes."

In a few swift movements he slit the ropes binding Ben, who staggered back. The man caught him and held him up, then ripped off the duct tape.

"Who are you?" Ben's body trembled from the rush of fear and a fierce headache pounded in his temple.

The man didn't answer. He bent over one of the dead Samoans and pulled out a wallet. He looked inside and threw it at Ben. "It's yours." Then the man led him by the arm down the overgrown road where he handed Ben his clothes from the brush. He tried to put them on but his hands shook so bad the man had to help him. He winced from the whip marks brushing against his jeans and shirt.

"Come on," the man said. Ben looked back at the dead men sprawled face down. They oozed like two fat walruses sunning themselves in the moonlight. "Don't worry about them. I'll dump them later, somewhere they'll never be found."

In a daze, Ben followed his savior up the rough road, stumbling behind him in the dim moonlight. Those men had carried him unconscious down this road.

"I'll take you back to base then you're on your own," the man said once they reached his car, parked off the main road. "Don't speak of this to anyone. Understand?"

Ben nodded and climbed in the car. He looked over at the stranger in black who had saved him. "You were at my foster mother's funeral. Why are you following me? Why save me?"

"I'm an interested party. Leave it at that."

"I can't. I would have died up there for sure."

The man didn't respond.

"Thank you."

The man looked at Ben. His green eyes glowed in the moonlight that filtered into the car. "Someday you might not thank me. Someday you may not survive."

About A Human Element:

Evil comes in many forms…

One by one, Laura Armstrong’s friends and adoptive family members are being murdered, and despite her unique healing powers, she can do nothing to stop it. The savage killer haunts her dreams, tormenting her with the promise that she is next. Determined to find the killer, she follows her visions to the site of a crashed meteorite in her hometown. There, she meets Ben Fieldstone, who seeks answers about his parents’ death the night the meteorite struck. In a race to stop a madman, they unravel a frightening secret that binds them together. But the killer’s desire to destroy Laura face-to-face leads to a showdown that puts Laura and Ben’s emotional relationship and Laura’s pure spirit to the test. With the killer closing in, Laura discovers her destiny is linked to his, and she has two choices—redeem him or kill him.

**Get your evil on with this re-release, A Human Element, book 1 in the Element Trilogy! Newly edited, new scenes, new cover! Book 2 in the Element Trilogy, A Hidden Element, releases 8/28!**

Praise for A Human Element:

“Be afraid. Be very afraid. And be utterly absorbed by this riveting debut that had me reading till the wee hours of the night. A thriller star is born.” –M.J. Rose, International bestselling author
“An elegant and haunting first novel. Unrelenting, devious but full of heart. Highly recommended.” –Jonathan Maberry, New York Times best-selling author

About Donna:

Donna Galanti writes murder and mystery with a dash of steam as well as middle grade adventure fiction. She is an International Thriller Writers Debut Author of the paranormal suspense novel A Human Element, A Hidden Element (August 2014), the short story collection The Dark Inside, and Joshua and The Lightning Road (Books 1 and 2, 2015). She’s lived from England as a child, to Hawaii as a U.S. Navy photographer.

Website: www.ElementTrilogy.com

Blog: http://www.elementtrilogy.com/blog/

Twitter: http://twitter.com/DonnaGalanti

Facebook: www.facebook.com/DonnaGalantiAuthor

Purchase A Human Element, book 1 in the Element Trilogy, here: http://amzn.to/1mNcyCO

Rafflecopter Monsters vs. Aliens Giveaway!

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Tuesday, April 22, 2014

Guest Post: Shades of Avalon

Enchanting Powercourt

I spend a lot of time scouting locations for Shades of Avalon. It involved a decent amount of traveling and taking photographs to refer back to later. Not all of these locations made the final book, but this was one location I knew would be included from the beginning.

Although I don’t name it, for the estate house, terraced gardens, and ballroom in the final scenes, I took inspiration from Powercourt in Wicklow.

From Wikipedia by Schcambo

I took a couple of small liberties with descriptions, which is why I didn’t name the estate. Most notably, the statue of Triton in the center of Triton Lake was replaced with Poseidon fighting a sea serpent. I was inspired by some of my favorite pieces at Powercourt— Poseidon, The Laocoön, and Triton.

Powercourt was the location for dozens of movies back as far as Henry V in 1944 and more recent television shows such as Camelot and The Tudors.

Stonework at the top terraces and sloping steps into the Italian gardens

Chorus Gate -17th Century. Entranced to Walled garden mentioned in the book

Set against the Sugar Loaf Mountain , this 47 acre estate was originally a castle and is renowned for its landscaped gardens, inspired by the Palace at Versailles, among other inspirations. The terraces took 100 men 12 years to complete. The grounds contain hundreds of trees and plants from all over the world, some grown nowhere else in Europe. There is also the pet cemetery, the walled garden, the Pepperpot Tower , the intricate gates, water features, and an extensive array of exquisite statues of mystical creatures and Gods from all around Europe.

To read more about Powercourt Estate and see pictures, please visit the Powerscourt Website.

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The Shades Series (book #2)

Publisher: Omnific Publishing

Paranormal Romance

Summary
Ben Pryor grew up as an average kid in Camden, Maine, unaware of the supernatural storm brewing in his Celtic blood. However, at nineteen, as the last born in the royal line of the beings that once ruled Atlantis, Ben has eagerly embraced his newfound abilities and birthright.

When Caleb, his sister’s mate, goes missing under suspicious circumstances, the prime suspect is the last remaining member of the overthrown corrupt Guardian Council.

With the discovery that an old acquaintance has been keeping secrets and the future Ben was so sure of shifting before his eyes, the situation becomes more complicated, the ransom for Caleb too high.

In the sequel to Shades of Atlantis, Ben will delve deeper than he ever imagined into the magical old ways of the Guardians, the secrets of Excalibur, and the truth behind the legend of King Arthur.

About the Author

Carol Oates came into the world on Christmas morning, in an elevator. Raised just across the street from the childhood home of Bram Stoker, author of Dracula, it was only a matter of time before Carol’s love of all things supernatural would emerge.

She began experimenting with fiction at school and keeps the notebook containing her first unpublished novel in her desk drawer. Over three decades later, all her stories still begin life scrawled on paper.

When not writing, Carol can be found exploring history with her son. Luckily, he shares her love of old buildings, castles, and tombs.

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