Promo Tour: Alizel's Song By Bill Pottle

Alizel's Song

by Bill Pottle

About The Author:

Bill is a martial artist, author, and university professor in Colorado. He tries not to take himself too seriously while his work explores the interplay between religion and science, fantasy and technology, and what it means to be a human. Bill earned his Master's Degree in Biological Engineering from Cornell University and lives happily ever after with his wife and daughter.
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Genre: Christian Fantasy
Publisher: Ellechor Publishing House
Release Date: March 3, 2013Amazon

Book Description:

An unranked angel, Alizel, tells the inside story of the rebellion of Lucifer and the fall of man. Join him as he strolls through Heaven's gardens, ponders theological questions with other angels, and battles against others who have turned away.

This epic tale will take you from the inner workings of the quark to the interplay between galaxies, from what lies hidden in the soul to the fundamental questions of good and evil.

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Praise for Alizel's Song!

"When Pottle told the story of Lucifer and man's fall he cleverly incorporated modern scientific theory into the biblical creation story." ~ Carol Peterson, Amazon Reviewer
"Highly recommended for Fantasy Fiction lovers! "~Rachel Shelley, Amazon Reviewer
"This book captured my attention from page 1, Cannot wait for the sequel. "~Linda, Amazon Reviewer

Excerpt:

 Raphael, however, was braver than most. Alizel crouched behind the tree as he saw him approaching Luciferel slowly from behind, his soft footfalls beating a calm rhythm. Rafael had broad, even shoulders and was never in a hurry. Raphael, Alizel imagined, was a healer, although he may not have been aware of it at the time, since angels were never "injured" or in need of being healed. They were either perfectly healthy or in the Containment. Neither situation could be made better by anyone else's help. The concepts of destruction and healing were only just beginning to dawn on them. Still, Raphael's gentleness always made Alizel and the other Unranked feel safe in his presence, and he seemed to have a gift for fixing whatever troubled angels' hearts. Alizel watched anxiously.

Luciferel was still hunched over the rail that guarded the Portal, and didn't notice the other angel's approach. Rafael stood there for a moment as if contemplating what to say, and then placed a firm hand on Luciferel's shoulder.

Luciferel whipped his head around, fear shining in his eyes. His body relaxed slightly in Rafael's presence but his expression was still guarded. Rafael's countenance was serene but troubled. He was one of the few who could take in the full pain of another and still exude a soothing aura to those around him. Alizel wondered how much pain he had already absorbed from the rest of the angels…and how much more he would have to before this was all over.

Rafael just looked at his fellow Seraph, as if trying to probe the depths of Luciferel's soul. He didn't speak for several minutes, until Luciferel finally met his gaze. Rafael didn't flinch, but the lines around his eyes drew downwards.

"What has happened to you?" Rafael seemed to already know, but asked his question more to see if Luciferel himself understood.

"I am becoming stronger," he said, gasping for breath. If it weren't for the seriousness of the situation, Alizel would have almost thought it to be a joke.

Rafael swept his soft brown eyes over Luciferel's body and then raised his eyebrows. "You have rejected God's power that sustains us. Your body is falling apart. If you do not let Him flow through you again, you will surely perish."

"I will not die. I have found another power to sustain me."

The shock of his words made Rafael look on in confusion. Alizel's eyes narrowed as he listened. Was Luciferel bluffing? He certainly didn't seem to be sustained.

"All this time," Luciferel continued, each word labored, "we thought that was the only way that we could live. Yet only after blocking that vile substance did I find my own true power."

"This power you speak of has left your body broken and damaged. This internal power cannot compete with God," Raphael countered.

"It is still dormant, unused." Luciferel waited to catch his breath before speaking more. "I am the first one to find this fiery power within me. I surely meant to perish. Why would I want to continue in a world where I must bow down to a Son of Mud? But my anger, my displeasure, my feelings against the current situation sustained my body. As these feelings grow stronger, so does my body. I just do not know how to channel this power yet."

"You never doubted the Lord before. You must come back and let your body receive the Father again. You can still be bright!"

Alizel could tell Rafael's mind was working furiously, probing to find a crack in the wall of resentment Luciferel had erected around himself.

"I was a fool then, surely. I did not understand that God only meant to betray us." The more Luciferel talked, the stronger he seemed to become.

"There are uncertain times ahead, to be sure. But that is all the more reason we need you with us, as our leader." Rafael was appealing to Luciferel's sense of vanity now. "No one was able to lead as well as you or to command as much respect as you. What will we do without you?"

"Honestly?" Luciferel looked at him, but from Rafael's expression it was obvious he didn't see the same Luciferel looking back at him. "Honestly, I don't care."

Luciferel got up to leave. His gait was still hobbling, but he could walk away on his own. His words trailed after him. "Come find me if you come to your senses. Come find me if you want to be stronger."

My Review:

I was given a free copy of the book for my honest opinion.

Alizel's Song is the telling of one man's version of the how the universe was created and interpretation of the bible. How the war in Heaven was started and who started it and why. It tells of all the Angles of who they were and what their jobs and place were. There were only a few of the Angels who knew what their jobs were and what their purpose was. The highest ranking angels were the Seraphim known as the "flaming ones". They were a secretive and powerful group of angels whom no one ever saw much of. They kept to themselves never socializing with the other angels. There was no way to mistake them for any other angel because they wore platinum sashes with a crimson "S". The Seraphim was led by Luciferel. They never held an election that would make him the leader. It just seemed like the right thing to do. It just felt like that was his job and all the angels followed his command without question.

The Cherubim were next in line to the Seraphim. It was said that they had the most knowledge and that they completely knew the mind of God. If any of the angels ever wanted to know anything the Cherubim were the ones to go to that is if they would see you. I kind of got the feeling that the Cherubim thought they were above all the other angels because they had more knowledge than anyone else. They didn't have time for the other angels. They were supposedly so smart that they probably couldn't understand the other angels and just thought they were speaking gibberish most of the time or it may have just seemed that way to them. They were easy to recognize by their white sashes with a golden "C" on it and it was said that these angels had four faces and wings.

Next in line were the Thrones there were only twelve of them. It had been said that the Thrones were far above the other angels and had a special task but no one knew what this task was and it was not because of not asking. The Thrones wore earthly brown sashes with a green "T" and they served as instructors to the other angels.

Next in line were the Virtues they were always running around trying to figure out what their job was. They wore golden sashes with a white "V".

Next in line were the Powers. They were the gatekeepers and Azazel was their chief. They wore golden armor and red sashes.

Next in line were the Principalities their job was to watch over a hundred angels. They wore white sashes with a blue "P".

Next are the Archangels who watched over ten angels along with the Unranked. They wore white sashes with a green letter "A".

Next in line were the Unranked whom most didn't know what their job was or what their purpose was. If any of the higher ranking angels knew they weren't telling.

Angels didn't have to worry about anything like food, water or shelter. All of their needs were taken care of by the radiant energy of the Father. They never had to worry about sleeping, eating or diseases because they shared everything. Angels had no concept of time. If they sat down to look at a flower to watch it grow or just to admire its beauty they could have been there for a couple of minutes or a thousand years they didn't know. They had been doing the same things for fifteen billion earth years.

Angels were not allowed to leave Heaven. They had to stay in their realm. Making sure that this happened was part of the Powers job watching the boarders of Heaven making sure no one got in or out. One day the angels got worried that with God building the universe that there would be others from the planets that he was creating would try to get into Heaven or maybe even someone from the inside would attack them. Or what if an angel got by them and went to earth to stop God's plan. Angels were always trying to get by them to go make their own mark in the world. Then the angels got this idea to ask God to make them a weapon so they could learn to use it and defend their selves.

Is this why the war started? Verin thinks God doesn't know what he is doing that is the reason it is taking him so long to create the world or the earth. Verin thinks someone else needs to step in and take over. That maybe someone else knows what to do. God created the entire world but he doesn't know what to do with it now that he has created it. The angels couldn't create the world because they didn't exist. Who created or made God? How did he come into existence? God created the angels, humans and what about the other planets or the rest of the universe? He created angels for Heaven and humans for earth right? So what about the rest of the universe? Are there other life form created in God's image? God, Angels and humans all supposedly have a head, two arms and two legs although they look different and angels have wings and humans do not. So what lives in the rest of the universe? Did God just create other planets because he was bored without any purpose to it at all? Why put life created in his image on one planet and not put life created in his image on the other planets. Why create them if not for the same purpose?

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Book Tour: High Witch By Mona Hanna

High Witch (High Witch #1)
by Mona Hanna
Paranormal/Fantasy Romance
Publisher: Self/Indie
Release Date: November 4, 2012
Heat Level: Sensual
Word Count: 25,000

Available at:
Amazon (US) | Amazon (UK) | B&N | iTunes

Description:

Ariel is a High Witch, one of the most powerful witches in the world. There are only three like her in existence. She finally learns who she is, but immediately has to flee from a malicious warlock, out to claim her for his own. With Brayden, her new love by her side, she attempts to outwit the warlock, and the High Witch who protects him. But what will she do if she has to go through 'The Test'?

Excerpt:

They traveled for a few more days, stopping one afternoon at an empty field to rest for lunch. Ariel had been practicing every day, Brayden astonished at how much she'd improved. They sat eating under a tree in the cold day, sunlight shining through the clouds. They didn't speak, both very tired from all the traveling. Ariel finally stood up, saying she needed to work on her magic some more.

"Try to focus on nature, like we discussed," Brayden said. "Remember, you can draw from every source of magic there is, from wherever there's power. You're doing so well - try to master this now."

Ariel nodded, then walked several paces away to the center of the field, standing in a large expanse of grass. Brayden watched her from where he sat, thinking she looked so beautiful. She looked at him for a moment, then shut her eyes.

She held out her arms, standing silently for a long while, her hair slightly blowing around her in the breeze. She remained still for several more moments, then gradually the wind grew stronger. Ariel's hair flowed behind her, her skirt twirling around her ankles. Leaves swirled around her; a howling sound was in the air. The wind was focused on her, turning around her as she stood on the spot, as if she was at the center of a tornado. Flashes of lightning cut through the sky. A white glow illuminated her skin.

The clouds above them became grey and dark. Ariel stood, frozen, at the center of the tempest. The wind swirled around her, howling, screaming. She maintained control of the storm. Thunder crashed above them, interspersed with more lightning. Brayden shivered in the now freezing temperature. Ariel didn't move. The air around them screamed, building until it erupted in a thundering cry. Ariel held her face up to the sky, the elements under her control.

Finally, she lowered her arms. The sounds began to fade. The storm began to dissipate. Gradually the wind died down, the clouds became lighter and grew apart, the thunder and lightning dissolved. Eventually, things were as they were. Ariel looked over at Brayden, the faint white light still touching her skin. He rose and slowly approached her. He stood before her in amazement.

"That..." he began, then had to clear his throat. He was still stunned. "That was astonishing. Ariel, you're amazing. I don't know how you did that."

She smiled at him, the glow around her fading, her skin returning to normal. Brayden looked around them, wanting to capture this moment; take advantage of her control of her powers.

"Try to lift one of those rocks," he said, pointing to a small pile of rocks in the distance, similar to the pile that had been in the yard at the inn.

Ariel turned to them, and held out one arm. She moved one of her fingers, and a grey, fist-sized rock rose from the pile, hovering in the air. She moved her fingers again, then the other rocks joined the first, delicately balanced at head height, floating as if they were on water, as light as leaves. Ariel flattened her hand, and the rocks gracefully dropped back down to the ground. She turned to look at Brayden. She smiled.

"It's easy, now," she said. Brayden moved up to her and drew her into his arms.

"You're wonderful," he breathed, embracing her, holding her close. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and Brayden smoothed his hand over her hair. He couldn't believe how amazing she was. He held onto her, mesmerized by her. His body was tingling just holding her. He felt her tremble.

"I hope I can save us," she said, her breath against his neck. He couldn't take it any more. He cupped her chin in his hand and kissed her, hungrily moving his mouth over hers, his other hand clutching her hair. She held onto him and he pressed her against him, unable to control his feelings for her. He groaned, loving how she tasted, the feel of her lips, the touch of her tongue moving with his. They clung to each other, unaware of anything around them. He couldn't believe how good it felt. He began kissing her neck, and she moaned in his arms. His body was on fire for her.

"Oh, Ariel," he breathed, wishing more than anything they were somewhere private. He was desperate for her. He kissed her lips again, then held her to him, his heart racing. She put her arms around his neck, and gently nibbled his ear. He couldn't breathe.

"We should get moving," he said, barely remembering his own name. "We can't...I mean...we have to...oh, Ariel, you have to stop that."

She laughed, stepping back a little from him. He gazed at her, consumed with thoughts of her. She looked back at him, a mischievous smile touching her lips. Oh, how he loved her.

"Not here, not when we've got a madman after us," he said, kissing her roughly then taking her hand, leading her back to their things. She laughed again. He was addicted to her. Her laugh, her touch, her beauty - but, really, her. Her heart. Her soul. He wanted to love her for the rest of his life. To protect her. To always be with her. He wouldn't be able to stand it if he lost her. He would do anything to keep them together.

My Review:

I was given a free copy of the book from the author for my honest opinion.

Brayden works at an inn and has been having dreams about a young woman. He has been having these dreams every single night for the last thirty days. For the last thirty nights he has woken up during the middle of the night because of the dreams. In his dreams he is kissing this woman and she keeps telling him to find her. The human body can only take so much from stress and from waking up every night before it starts to have an effect. Brayden is starting to have problems doing his job at the inn and he can't afford to lose his job.

Ariel shows up at the inn one day, she checks in and stays in her room. She is very shy and afraid to be around other people. She is afraid of the bad things that might happen. Brayden sees Ariel and all he wants to do is keep her safe. He doesn't realize at first that Ariel is the girl in his dreams. Brayden starts falling in love with her before he realizes who she is. Brayden takes food to Ariel in her room when he finds out that she is not coming down to the dining room to eat. He sees Ariel using her magic one day and knows right away that she is a High Witch. A High Witch has the strongest powers in the world. Ariel didn't know that she was a High Witch until Brayden told her himself. Brayden knew the moment he saw her use her powers what she was. Ariel doesn't know much about her powers or how to use them. But Brayden knows a little because his mother is a witch also. Brayden and Ariel fall in love while he is trying to help her control her powers and help her figure out how to use them properly.

Brayden and Ariel have to go on the run because of what Ariel is and because they have fallen in love with each other. They have to hide from this warlock who wants Ariel for his own. Both of their lives depend on this warlock not catching them. They both believe that because of their love for each other that they will survive and they will defeat this warlock.

Warning: while reading the High Witch it is very possible that you may need a couple of tissues or a box. My advice is grab a box and a glass of ice tea or your favorite drink before beginning the High Witch because you will probably need both. You are more than likely going to fall in love with Brayden and Ariel yourself and feel for both of them. You are probably going to be feeling what they are feeling. Now that is what I call a good book when you feel what the characters feel.

About the Author:

Mona Hanna is the author of the books The Nature of God and God's Promises of Love. She has been a devotional writer since 2008, creating the blog Mona Hanna Devotions, focusing on expressing God's love, acceptance, and compassion. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of South Australia, with a sub major in professional writing. Mona is now writing fantasy books. Myriad is her first novella.

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Giveaway:

10 eBook copies (1 each to 10 winners) of "High Witch (High Witch #1)" from Mona Hanna. Contest ends July 15. Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.

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