Blog Tour {Promo Post & Giveaway} Our Dried Voices by Greg Hickey

Title: Our Dried Voices
Author: Greg Hickey
Genre: Sci-Fi

In 2153, cancer was cured. In 2189, AIDS. And in 2235, the last members of the human race traveled to a far distant planet called Pearl to begin the next chapter of humanity.

Several hundred years after their arrival, the remainder of humans live in a utopian colony in which every need is satisfied automatically, and there is no need for human labor, struggle or thought. But when the machines that regulate the colony begin to malfunction, the colonists are faced with a test for the first time in their existence.

With the lives of the colonists at stake, it is left to a young man named Samuel to repair these breakdowns and save the colony. Aided by his friend Penny, Samuel rises to meet each challenge. But he soon discovers a mysterious group of people behind each of these problems, and he must somehow find and defeat these saboteurs in order to rescue his colony.

From Chapter IV

They eyed each other across the meadow, glancing back and forth from the copper-eyed woman to one another, until they gradually shifted their attention away from their target. Though there was some coarse polish to her movements, this new female was but a child learning to walk in the shadow of its mother in comparison to the grace of the copper-eyed woman. Soon they lost sight of her in the veils of silver mist. They followed a rough estimate of her course for a few minutes more until their paths drew closer and closer and finally intersected. They stopped and faced each other. The rain pitter-pattered on the leaves of the tree next to them. This new woman seemed to be about Samuel’s age, perhaps a year or two older. Her eyes were large and black, rather empty and without any spark. But though they emitted no light, they appeared to draw the world into them, collecting all the rays of light reflected by the objects caught in her gaze.

Samuel spoke first. “Hello.”

The woman’s big eyes grew even wider and she seemed to fade away from him, although in actuality she did not step back one centimeter.

She frowned furiously. “Hellohoweryou?”

“Goodtha—” Samuel began to reply and then stopped. That was not right. He tried to speak again, but his tongue and lips felt heavy and sluggish. “How... how are... you?” he managed.

Her face drained of emotion. “Goodthankshoweryou?” she said.

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About the Author

Greg Hickey was born in Evanston, Illinois in 1985. After graduating from Pomona College in 2008, he played and coached baseball in Sweden and South Africa. He is now a forensic scientist, endurance athlete and award-winning writer. He lives in Chicago with his wife, Lindsay.

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Book Blitz {Excerpt & Giveaway} Anomaly (Schrodinger's Consortium #1) by Tonya Kuper

Anomaly (Schrodinger's Consortium #1)

by Tonya Kuper

Release Date: 11/25/14

Entangled Teen

Summary from Goodreads:

Reality is only an illusion.
Except for those who can control it…

Worst. Birthday. Ever.
My first boyfriend dumped me – happy birthday, Josie!- my dad is who knows where, I have some weird virus that makes me want to hurl, and now my ex is licking another girl’s tonsils. Oh, and I’m officially the same age as my brother was when he died. Yeah, today is about as fun-filled as the swamps of Dagobah. But then weird things start happening…

Like I make something materialize just by thinking about it.
When hot badass Reid Wentworth shows up on a motorcycle, everything changes. Like, everything. Who I am. My family. What really happened to my brother. Existence. I am Oculi, and I have the ability to change reality with my thoughts. Now Reid, in all his hotness, is charged with guiding and protecting me as I begin learning how to bend reality. And he’s the only thing standing between me and the secret organization that wants me dead…

Excerpt from ANOMALY by Tonya Kuper


I approached the mat. I’d never done any extensive sparring, but I wasn’t a total newb when it came to self-defense. The tae kwon do I’d practiced for years with Eli had to count for something. I hoped.
A heavy footfall pulled my attention back to Reid.
An arm came at me from the side. Without thinking, I ducked, punched under the incoming arm, and swung my shin at the ankles in my sights. Reid’s legs swept out from under him, and his hands shot out to catch himself. He landed on all fours.
I gasped for a breath of air, my chest heaving. Evidently I held my breath whenever I was attacked. Reid’s eyes locked on mine. Finally some eye contact. And then he gave me a shitty smile.
“What the hell?” I snapped. Reid stood and didn’t stop moving until he was in my face. I didn’t let myself flinch. “Just because you’re pissed at me, did you really need to try and take me out? I know you think insta-immersion works best, but maybe it doesn’t for me. Maybe, just maybe—”
“Will you shut up?”
I hitched my hands on my hips. “So rude.”
“Five days, Josie.”
That shut me up in a heartbeat. What the hell was wrong with me? I hadn’t lost sight of the goal. The awards ceremony was—I glanced at the wall clock in the living room—125 hours and fourteen minutes away. Reid shouldn’t take it easy on me. He couldn’t afford to.
“I’m sorry,” I began.
“Stop.” Reid didn’t budge, but he crossed his arms, too. “I was going to give you a compliment, but you won’t stop thinking or talking long enough for me to get a word in edgewise.”
Oh, oops. “Proceed.”
He shook his head, closing his clear eyes for a moment. “You are a piece of work.”
“That doesn’t sound like a compliment.”
Reid barked a short laugh. “Because it wasn’t. I was going to tell you that you did a good job earlier, you know, with the whole Pushing Pictionary thing. And this?” He pointed behind him, where I’d taken him down. “How did you know what to do?”
“My parents made us take tae kwon do. Like, for years and years. I guess it just kind of comes naturally.” A hint of pride fluttered through my muscles. And with that pride, just a smidgen of hope. Like maybe I could do this. Maybe I could actually pull this off.
“Mmm.”
Reid stood so close that I had to angle my head up to him. My shirt was already sticking to my sweaty stomach. And he still didn’t have a shirt on. I had to make a conscious effort not to look at his body. I could barely focus on what he’d said.
In no way, shape, or form had I lost sight—no pun intended—of the big picture. I remained focused on the end goal. Reid was just, well, a wee bit distracting, that’s all. And perhaps that was a good thing. Yes. If I could focus around Reid, then that would only better serve me in a real-world environment, when I faced other distractions.
Yep, that was my story. And I was sticking to it.
“Let’s work more on hand-to-hand combat. See what comes not-so-naturally, natural.”
Giving him a nod, I pivoted toward the mats. Feeling his presence behind me and hearing the swish of his jeans as he moved, I stopped short. I twisted, throwing a punch toward his lower jaw. He shifted out of the way, grabbed my wrist in midair, and twisted it around my back. Thank the moon of Endor I was pretty flexible.
He yanked my arm farther up my back. His opposite arm wrapped around my waist and tugged me into him, his bare chest pressing into my back.
Pain and exhilaration shot into my nervous system. I was stuck. My heart beat wildly, but I wasn’t scared. It had to be the rush of adrenaline into my bloodstream and the fact that a half-naked guy held me in a death grip.
Reid’s exhale tickled the back of my neck as he steadied his breath. “Nice try.” His voice came out in a rough whisper. His arm tightened around my waist again, his fingertips singeing my skin through my tank as they dug through the material, drawing me in to his body.
“What’s the matter, Josie? Can’t move?”
A chill danced down my spine when he pulled in a deep breath and his chest expanded against my back. I should’ve been shrugging out of his hold, but I didn’t. My body had locked up in response to his presence. And it pissed me off, because even though he could be an underwear model, I would’ve rather made out with a Romulan. Similar personalities.


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About the Author

Tonya Kuper's debut, ANOMALY, the first in the Schrodinger's Consortium young adult scifi trilogy, releases November 2014 by Entangled Teen. She lives in Omaha, NE with her two rad boys and husband, is a music junkie, and a chocolate addict. Star Wars & Sherlock fan.

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Release Day Book Blitz {Excerpt & Giveaway} Hemlock Veils by Jennie Davenport

Hemlock Veils

by Jennie Davenport 

Release Date: 11/25/14

Swoon Romance

Summary from Goodreads:

When Elizabeth Ashton escapes her damaging city life and finds herself in the remote town of Hemlock Veils, Oregon, she is smitten by its quaint mystery; but the surrounding forest holds an enchantment she didn’t think existed, and worse, a most terrifying monster. The town claims it vicious and evil, but Elizabeth suspects something is amiss. Even with its enormous, hairy frame, gruesome claws, and knifelike teeth, the monster’s eyes speak to her: wolf-like and ringed with gold, yet holding an awareness that can only be human. That’s when Elizabeth knows she is the only one who can see the struggling soul trapped inside, the soul to which she is moved.

Secretly, Elizabeth befriends the beast at night, discovering there’s more to his story and that the rising of the sun transforms him into a human more complex than his beastly self. Elizabeth eventually learns that his curse is unlike any other and that a single murderous act is all that stands between him and his freedom. Though love is not enough to break his curse, it may be the only means by which the unimaginable can be done: sacrifice a beauty for the beast.

Excerpt

Every trace of Willem’s blood had been scrubbed away days before, but Elizabeth Ashton’s hands would never be clean. It caked the space beneath her otherwise spotless fingernails, embedded there for life.

She drove northwest on Oregon’s U.S. Route 26, the cone of her only functional headlight attempting to cut through a fog so dense it had the ominous appearance of a living, breathing being. It had hovered from the moment she passed through Warm Springs twenty-eight miles ago, like a protective shield that settled over the Indian Reservation.

Cash fattened the worn corners of the manila envelope on the passenger seat. It screamed for her attention, but she didn’t look. She wouldn’t be able to see it in the dark anyway. It taunted her as bluntly as the murderous smile of her brother’s killer. It belonged in the hands of its rightful owner, not on the hardened vinyl seats of her Saab.

At that moment, the fog lifted like an unveiling curtain, and rain pelted the windshield with a livid fury, the almost-midnight sky heaving its early April wrath. With a rigid hand, she turned on the wipers, setting rubber shrieking against glass. She slowed the car when her single headlight illuminated the wooden sign announcing Mt. Hood National Forest, which meant Warm Springs Reservation was behind her.

A certain peace settled through her at the sign’s passing, despite the highway that appeared as a flowing river. It was the presence of her father, the way this wilderness she’d never seen embodied the man she missed more than anyone, even her only brother, Willem. Her father’s soul had never left this place he used to gush about, his heart always belonging with the firs and cedars of Salmon-Huckleberry Wilderness. Willem had been too young, and later too distant, to remember most of their father’s tales, but Stephen Ashton had spoken of these forests with lifted brows and animation in his eyes.

She chose this place as a sanctuary for that reason—this wilderness she had seen only in her imagination. Though she wasn’t free of her conscience, or the money beside her, she was painfully free of ties, free of weighted responsibilities for the first time she could remember. And now she would see the places that had once meant everything to her father, the places he used to swear he would take her and Willem to one day, when he got healthy again.

Only, he never got healthy again.

Buy Links:

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About the Author

Though Jennie Davenport was raised throughout the Midwest, she now lives in the little desert mining town of Bagdad, Arizona, where six guys beg for her constant attention: a husband, three young, blond sons, a German shepherd with a name much mightier than his disposition (Zeus), and a black cat named Mouse. When she isn’t trying to run her home with as little casualties as possible, Jennie loves snuggling with her family, laughing with her friends, delving into brilliant entertainment of any vein, and playing outside. Despite the way being a writer is in her blood, and the wheels of her writerly mind are constantly turning, Jennie likes to think that in another life, she would have been a Broadway star. Or an American Idol finalist.

Jennie lives for the fall, and not just because of her adoration for the NFL (Go Broncos!). In her perfect world, she would have the springs, summers, and falls of Colorado, and the winters of Arizona—someplace where the climate and weather would allow her to go on a trail run all year round. But even though she prefers the pines and mountains, she is a devoted fan of all nature, from sandy beaches to woodsy cabins, and all are her greatest inspiration. She believes nature is one of the best healing remedies, with a magic all its own.

Jennie’s passion for writing is the way she survives, and is as vital to her sanity as oxygen, caffeine, food, and music. Even before she began writing it, well-told, original, and character-driven romance was always her weak spot. Add the paranormal or magical realism element and she may never make it back to reality. 

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Release Day Blitz ~ Intercepti​on by Morgan Black

Purchase on Amazon: http://amzn.to/1xsNlmS

Lena is alone. After having three boys fight for her heart she has royally screwed it all up and is left broken and lost.

Now there is competition. Lena knows what she wants, and she'll kill Harli to get it.

Wedding bells are ringing and Lena won't go alone. She'll have a date. Her date.

That b*tch is going down.

Excerpt

"Get out of my face." I wanted to spit on her. I knew it would be gross, but I wanted to do that more than anything. Teach her a lesson. 

She didn't move. "Why? Just so you can mess with Blake some more? You know some of us are a little tired of your shit Lena." 

"Back up Harli. I only wanted to talk to Blake. Nothing else." 

She rolled her eyes. "It starts with a conversation. Then it's always more." 

I swirled the spit in my mouth and swallowed it. She was right. I did want more.

I sat on the sand crying, the black fabric swirling around me like my secrets once had. I thought the truth would set me free, instead it swam around me threatening to drown me with every breath.

Haven't started the Finnegan Brother series yet?  Misconception is available for 99¢!

Purchase on Amazon: http://amzn.to/1prgxgG

The Finnegan brothers are bound to hurt any girl that gets between them. But that doesn't stop Lena. She loves pain with her pleasure. When things get too hot for her to handle, she does the only thing she can do to protect herself... she runs away.

Three years later, Lena is back in town for her father's wedding. She prays she can avoid her past, hoping nobody remembers her parents’ messy divorce or how she disappeared. However, as soon as she arrives, she finds she can't run from her past anymore.

There's no escaping the Finnegan brothers. Not this time.

About Morgan Black

Website    Facebook   Goodreads

Morgan Black is a hair stylist by day and hottie writer by night. She walks her dogs in high heels and never leaves the house without red lipstick. She firmly believes in the power of Zen, and does Yoga freely in her backyard, in her favorite set of pumps. Morgan Black also writes hot vampire erom under M. Black.  

Book Release Blast ~ Happily (N)Ever After- An Anthology by Aramey, Emilie E. Faye, C.L. Foster, A.M. Hart, Allana Kephart, K.B. Mathias, E.R. Rada & David Roraff

Happily (N)Ever After- An Anthology

Authors- Aramey, Emilie E. Faye, C.L. Foster, A.M. Hart, Allana Kephart, K.B. Mathias, E.R. Rada, David Roraff

Publication Date- November 25th, 2014

Sometimes you are lucky enough to dodge a bullet...but sometimes it strikes straight to the heart without an exit wound. It rattles around, leaks out our trust, and brings us to our knees making us wonder; why the %&$@ did I date you!?

From the darkness of emotional and/or physical pains we crawled out and eventually found a way to dust ourselves off and carry on with life.

So let these stories serve as a guide, that all that glitters is not always gold. That the felling of the hairs rising on the back of your neck is a warning, a primal scream to let us know that some things are not as they seem. Trust your gut. Yes, some people are worth fighting for but others have somehow tricked us into seeing a wolf in sheep’s clothing.

With hindsight fully engaged, we can now see the clarity of our past and appreciate the lessons we learned in our very own happily never after.

 

Cover Reveal for Not Boyfriend Material by A.M. Hart

Not Boyfriend Material

Boyfriend Material Trilogy Book # 1

By- A.M. Hart

Genre- Adult Contemporary Romance

Expected Publication Date- TBA

It all started with a phone call…

When Tilda Callas picked up that phone, she never expected the voice on the other end would change her life. The humdrum routine of her life shattered, leaving her excited at her new possibilities.

Heathcliff Fleming knew he was in trouble the moment he heard her voice. Believing he wasn’t good enough for her didn’t stop him from finding every excuse to call the dairy just to talk to her as often as possible.

After taking a chance to get closer, being friends proves to be more of a challenge to them than they expected. Keeping their friendship strong when everything inside of them is shoving them towards being more threatens to tear them apart. Tilda wants to show Heath how perfect they are for each other, but can she prove to him he’s wrong to think that he is truly not boyfriend material?

About the Author

A.M. Hart is a 30-something single mom whose one true love is the written word. After getting her degree for hotel and restaurant management and realizing her dream of opening her own Bed & Breakfast, she found herself spending more and more time jotting down crazy story ideas in the notebooks she carries with her everywhere. Finally, after some not-so-gentle nudging from her friends and family, she decided to try her hand at writing an actual book in her spare (ha-ha) time.

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Spotlight Tour {Excerpt} Peanut Butter Principles: 47 Leadership Lessons Every Parent Should Teach Their Kids by Eric Franklin

Peanut Butter Principles: 47 Leadership Lessons Every Parent Should Teach Their Kids

By- Eric Franklin

In “Peanut Butter Principles: 47 Leadership Lessons Every Parent Should Teach Their Kids”, entrepreneur, speaker, author, management consultant and parent Eric Franklin has assembled a wealth of wisdom that has stuck with him like peanut butter sticks to the roof of your mouth. One by one, you can serve up spoonfuls of Peanut Butter Principles to the youth in your life and make a profound impact to help them grow into confident, intelligent, and successful adults and leaders who make good choices, build healthy relationships, and cultivate another generation of leaders.

And here is an Excerpt from Peanut Butter Principles: 47 Leadership Lessons Every Parent Should Teach Their Kids

12 |“Talent and intellect does not always add up to success. Perseverance does.”

Every so often, I’ll come across an article or television broadcast entitled “Where are they now?” I figure that if the question needs to be asked, “they” aren’t in the limelight any more. Look at all the child stars who shone so brightly in their youth—Macaulay Culkin, Gary Coleman, and Lindsay Lohan— and seemingly peaked there.

These young people achieved fame early on, without all the effort that others put into their craft. Actor Corey Feldman starred in his first commercial when he was three years old and says he was famous before he even knew his own name. Years later, he battled drug abuse. His best friend, fellow actor Corey Haim, died of pneumonia at the age of 38, after 15 stints in rehab for drug addiction.

Ted Kaczynski enrolled in Harvard University when he was 16 years old. He earned his Ph.D. in mathematics from the University of Michigan and became an assistant professor at the University of California, Berkeley, by the time he was 25. Kaczynski later embarked on a bizarre crime spree that spanned 17 years. Also known as “The Unabomber”, he is now serving a life sentence with no possibility of parole for three murders and 23 injuries that resulted from the 16 bombs he set.

Talent and intelligence are not guarantees for success. It’s what you do with your abilities that matters in life. Success comes from recognizing your strengths as well as your weaknesses, and pushing yourself to achieve in spite of any obstacles that will most certainly block your path.

There are plenty of talented, smart people in the world. Some of the most gifted people I know (singers and musicians) don’t have recognizable names. They love their music, but haven’t achieved the fame of many, less talented performers. These artists are passionate about their music and stick with it even when naysayers tell them to quit, that their chosen field is not going to sustain them. They keep going, in spite of the difficulty, because they believe in themselves.

What you find about most people who are successful is that they won’t quit. They get knocked down and bounce back up, even when it’s almost impossible to find the strength. They learn from their mistakes—but don’t dwell on or repeat them.

About the Author-

Eric Franklin, Entrepreneur and Author of  Peanut Butter Principles: 47 Leadership Lessons Every Parent  Should Teach Their Kids Eric Franklin had his first taste of leadership during a summer job when at age 16, he was appointed supervisor to over 200 peer employees at his local amusement park. He has been on a mentoring roller coaster ride ever since. Although Eric has held a multitude of distinguished positions over the years and is currently CEO/owner of several successful businesses that operate across the U.S., his core values are as basic to the soul as a peanut butter sandwich is to a hungry appetite.

Eric's formal education has earned him a Bachelor's degree in biology from Hampton University and a Master's in procurement and acquisitions from Webster University. His family and community have been the most influential in imparting upon him the character traits that have enabled him to be so successful.

When Eric isn't busy with writing, business coaching and running several businesses, his ideal scenario for a day would be he, his wife and 3 kids, eating fresh seafood on a tropical island, with of course,the family dog and cat close at hand. An accomplished musician, Eric would end the day by playing a few of his favorite music selections on the piano. Eric also enjoys the simple things in life, like peanut butter.

Eric is a staunch advocate for STEM (Science Technology, Engineering and Math) education and serves on the Southern Maryland Higher Education Council. However, Eric is concerned that with the increased technical proficiency of our students, basic character and life principles are not being taught. He sought to develop resources would be embraced by parents and other mentors and shared with the young people in their lives to ensure a firm foundation for the next generation of great leaders.