Blog Tour: The Luthier’s Apprentice by Mayra Calvani @mcalvani @ParanormalCravi #LuthiersApprentice #Giveaway

The Luthier’s Apprentice

Blog Tour

Title: The Luthier's Apprentice

Author: Mayra Calvani

Publisher: Twilight Times Books

Genre: YA Paranormal Fantasy

Distributors: Amazon Kindle; Apple iBookstore; BN.com Nook; Kobo Books; OmniLit, etc

Release date: May 15, 2014 ebook; August 15, 2014 print

Pages: 184

Promo blurb:

Niccolò Paganini (1782-1840), one of the greatest violinists who ever lived and rumored to have made a pact with the devil, has somehow transferred unique powers to another…

When violinists around the world mysteriously vanish, 16-year-old Emma Braun takes notice. But when her beloved violin teacher disappears… Emma takes charge. With Sherlock Holmes fanatic, not to mention gorgeous Corey Fletcher, Emma discovers a parallel world ruled by an ex-violinist turned evil sorceress who wants to rule the music world on her own terms.

But why are only men violinists captured and not women? What is the connection between Emma's family, the sorceress, and the infamous Niccolò Paganini?

Emma must unravel the mystery in order to save her teacher from the fatal destiny that awaits him. And undo the curse that torments her family-before evil wins and she becomes the next luthier's apprentice…

The Luthier's Apprentice

Chapter One

Brussels, Belgium
Present day

Sixteen-year old Emma Braun got off the school bus and strode down Stockel Square toward her home. She glanced up at the October sky and wrapped her wool scarf tighter around her neck. Heavy dark clouds threatened a downpour.

As she passed a newspaper stand, the headlines on The Brussels Gazette caught her attention:

ANOTHER VIOLINIST VANISHES!

Emma stopped. For a moment she could only stare. She dug into her jacket pocket for coins and bought a copy.

The newspaper article left her stunned. Not only because three well-known violinists had gone missing in the last several months, but because the latest one was her teacher, Monsieur Dupriez.

The news story seemed so hard to believe, she stopped at the next street corner to read it one more time.

It was the last week of October, and the shops and homes were lightly adorned with Halloween decorations. Pumpkins and Jack-o-lanterns sat on doorsteps. Witches, broomsticks, and black cats hunkered down in windows and shops. Just last evening, Emma had sauntered along this street with her best friend Annika, unconcerned and looking forward to Halloween. Now, everything had turned dark and ominous.

The strange incidents she had experienced for the past two weeks added to her stress.

At first she had thought they were a string of coincidences, but not anymore. While scowling at obnoxious Billie Lynam during school recess, for instance, she wished he would fall flat on his face… and half a minute later, her wish was granted. On various occasions she guessed people's thoughts before they spoke. And yesterday, on her way home from school, she accurately guessed the meal her mom had left on the table for her.

Was she some kind of a psychic? If so, why now? People didn't develop powers like these overnight. Did they?

She hadn't told her mom about her new abilities yet; only Annika knew. Maybe she would tell her mom today, after she shared the news about Monsieur Dupriez.

As Emma approached her home, she quickened her step. By the time she reached the door she was almost running. She raced into the hallway and dropped her book bag on the floor.

"Mom!" she called, looking in the kitchen, then in the living room. The house was silent. "Mom!" she called again, racing up the stairs to the bedrooms. Entering her mother's room, Emma found her sitting very still on the bed with a crumpled letter in her hand.

When her mom saw her, she hastily put the crumpled piece of paper into her pocket and rose from the bed. Her arched brows were furrowed with anxiety.

Emma momentarily forgot the newspaper article. "Are you okay, Mom?"

"I've just received some unsettling news," her mom said. "I must make a trip to see your Aunt Lili. She's ill. She…I don't know how long I'll be gone."

Aunt Lili? Emma frowned. More surprises. Emma had never met her mom's eccentric only sister, who lived alone in the Hungarian mountains secluded in an old chateau surrounded by dark woods-or so her mom said. Though again, her mom hardly ever mentioned her.

"What's wrong with Aunt Lili?" Emma asked. "Can't I come with you?" She had always been intrigued by her mysterious aunt.

"No. You'll stay with Grandpa. You enjoy working with him, don't you?" Her brown eyes met Emma's before turning away, and though her voice sounded matter-of-fact, Emma detected a trace of ambivalence.

Emma sighed. She loved violin making with a passion, but Grandpa was a bitter taskmaster. No matter how much she tried to please him, she never could. Maybe that's why her mom often seemed so reluctant about her apprenticeship.

"I'd rather go with you," Emma said. "Plus, next week is holiday." All Saints holiday week-or Toussaint, as they called it here-almost always coincided with Halloween.

"That's out of the question. I don't know how long I'll be gone. Besides, you can't miss your violin lessons, not with the Christmas competition at the academy coming up soon."

"I'm not so sure about that," Emma said gravely, extending the newspaper.

Her mom took it. "What's this?"

"This is why I came running up the stairs."

Her mom read the headlines. She gasped and looked at Emma. When she finished reading, she sat on the edge of the mattress and stared into space. "Oh, my God..." she whispered.

Emma sat next to her mom. "It says Monsieur Dupriez disappeared in his study. The doors and windows were locked from the inside. The police don't have any explanation. How can this happen? It's not logical. It's not humanly possible."

"No, not humanly possible…"

"Just like the other three-that German violinist, the French one, the American. Nobody has explained their disappearances. Who would want to kidnap violinists?" When her mom didn't answer, she began to gnaw at her fingernail.

As if by reflex, her mom pulled Emma's hand away from her mouth.

"Sorry," Emma mumbled. "I'm just worried about him."

"Poor Madame Dupriez. We must visit her. She must be in quite a state."

"Can you call her now?"

Her mom sighed. "I will. In a moment." She looked at Emma, her features softening. Gently, she smoothed Emma's glossy chestnut locks and side fringe away from her face. "Don't worry, everything will be fine. You mustn't be afraid."

"Afraid? Why would I be afraid?"

"I mean, about Monsieur Dupriez." Her mom appeared flustered.

"I'm not afraid. I'm worried, and angry. I want to find out what happened to him. Without him, I don't even want to take part in the competition."

Monsieur Dupriez had been Emma's teacher since she was four years old. But more than teacher, he was her mentor.

"You will do your best at the competition-with or without Monsieur Dupriez. Do you hear me?" her mom said. Then her voice softened. "Listen, darling, I know how close you are to Monsieur Dupriez, but you cannot allow his disappearance to destroy your chances at the competition. I'm not asking you to win, only to do your best. You have great talent, a gift, and your duty is to use it to the best of your ability. Never forget this. Monsieur Dupriez would never want you to forget this."

"You still haven't told me what's wrong with Aunt Lili," Emma said, changing the conversation. "Why must you go to her now, after all these years?"

Looking into Emma's face, her mom hesitated, as if unable to decide what-or how much-to say. "You know she's always been ill, a recluse. She…" She rose from the bed and walked to the window, then opened the curtain. It had started raining, the drops pelted against the glass. "This time it's serious. She may die."

Emma couldn't help feeling a twinge of suspicion. She hated distrusting her mom, whom she loved more than anything in the world, but this time her mom was lying. Emma trusted that feeling, another of her freaky new abilities. She felt an overwhelming urge to chew her fingernails, but tried to control herself. For her mom, a violinist's hands were a work of art.

"But what's wrong with her? What kind of disease does she have?" Emma insisted.

"Her heart is very weak." Her mom turned away from the window to face Emma. Her voice was laced with impatience.

And again Emma thought: She's lying.

"Please don't worry about it," her mom went on in a lighter tone. "I'll try to come back soon."

"How soon?"

"As soon as I can manage."

"Grandpa is always in such a nasty mood," Emma complained.

"Well, that isn't news, is it?" Her mom stared down at the floor, as if absorbed by her own thoughts. After a pause, she added, "He's old and his back always hurts. You know that."

"I love Grandpa, but he's so freaking…" She tried to come up with the right word. Bizarre. Instead she said, "Mysterious. You know, with his violins."

Her mom looked at Emma and frowned, as if waiting for her to say more.

"You know what I mean, Mom. With that room at the top of the stairs. The one that's always locked."

Her mom's features hardened. "He keeps his most valuable pieces in there. You must never disobey him. He would be very disappointed."

"Who said I would go in there?" Emma asked, trying to sound innocent. If there was something she intended to do, it was going inside that room. Once she'd almost been successful. For some crazy reason, Grandpa had forgotten to lock it one day. But the instant she touched the doorknob, he had called her from the bottom of the stairs, his wrinkled features twisted into a mask that had left her frozen. He had appeared enraged and afraid at the same time.

"When are you leaving?" Emma asked, shaking off the past to focus on the present issue.

"As soon as possible. Tomorrow, probably. I'll get the plane tickets today."

"Mom..."

"Emma, please. If you're going to complain or say anything negative, I don't want to hear it."

Fine. Obviously, this wasn't the best time to bring up her new psychic powers. She headed to the door.

"Where are you going?" her mom asked.

"To my room."

"I'll call Madame Dupriez to see if we may visit her after dinner. In the meantime, I want you to pack. You're moving to Grandpa's tomorrow."

In her room, Emma dragged her suitcase from the top shelf in the closet and set it on the floor.

"Hi, Sweetie," she said to Blackie, her rabbit. "Want to get some exercise?" She opened the cage door so Blackie could hop out and roam about her room. Blackie was housebroken, and smart as a cat-or close to it.

She stared at the elegant taffeta gown hanging from her wardrobe door, a strapless design a la Anne Sophie Mutter she'd already bought for the upcoming violin competition.

She sighed.

Slumped on the bed, Emma wondered for the umpteenth time about Monsieur Dupriez's strange disappearance.

Where could he be?

Author Bio:

Award-winning author Mayra Calvani has penned over ten books for children and adults in genres ranging from picture books to nonfiction to paranormal fantasy novels. She's had over 300 articles, short stories, interviews and reviews published in magazines such as The Writer, Writer's Journal and Bloomsbury Review, among others. A native of San Juan, Puerto Rico, she now resides in Brussels, Belgium.

Connect with the author on the Web:

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Book Blitz: Kissed By Kimberly Loth @Kimberlyloth @NereydaG1003 #YABOUNDBOOKTOURS #Giveaway

Kissed (The Thorn Chronicles #1)

by Kimberly Loth

Release Date: 05/01/14

Summary from Goodreads:
Trapped in a dark cult, sixteen-year-old Naomi Aren has lived a quiet, albeit unhappy, life nestled deep in the hills of the Ozarks. With uncut hair, denim skirts, and only roses for friends, Naomi seldom questions why her life is different from other kids at school. Until the day her abusive father, who is also the cult's leader, announces her wedding. Naomi must marry Dwayne Yerdin, a bully who reeks of sweat and manure and is the only one person who scares her worse than her father.

Then she meets Kai, the mysterious boy who brings her exotic new roses and stolen midnight kisses. Kisses that bring her a supernatural strength she never knew she had. As the big day approaches, Naomi unearths more secrets of about her father's cult. She learns she has power of her own and while Kai may have awakened that power, Naomi must find a way to use it to escape Dwayne and her father-without destroying herself.

On sale right now for only $.99:

Excerpt:
Most roses run the color wheel from yellow to red. Occasionally a white one pops up. Some of my favorite roses are flowers that have an unusual color. Like purple. The American Rose Society doesn't even consider purple to be a rose color. They call it mauve. But purple roses do exist. And the most beautiful purple rose is the Vol de Nuit, or the Night Flight.

Andrea didn't hang out long. She didn't even come inside the house. When her car disappeared down the road, I fought back tears. I was as good as dead. At least to the outside world.

I followed Mr. Yerdin inside, tugging my suitcase behind me. The stench reached me before I crossed the threshold. A mixture of rotting garbage and feces. I gagged but moved inside anyway.

Boxes piled upon boxes filled the main room. A path through them was visible, but the floor was covered with papers and food. A cockroach scurried across my toe.

"Your room is this way. Don't knock anything over with your suitcase." I squeezed down the path, careful not to touch the towers on either side of me. The hallway contained no boxes, but the floor was still not visible. In places, I literally had to climb over trash bags filled with who knows what.

He opened the door to a small room. "We cleared the bed off for you. It will only be for tonight. Tomorrow you'll be married so you'll share a room with Dwayne."

"Will that be after we go to Fayetteville?"

He snorted. "Honey, you've seen the last of those social workers. In fact the only people you'll see from now on are Dwayne and me. He won't be home until late. His buddies took him out for a bachelor party. If he comes to you though, don't upset him, he's a mean drunk and I don't want that pretty face ruined for the wedding."

I nodded and waited for him to leave. Then I shoved the door closed and sat on the bed. No way would I stay here. I crawled across the bed to the wide window. I tried to open it. It budged only a little bit. Silently, I pulled up on it. Eventually, it slid open with a loud screech. I froze, but no one came to check on me. In the dark it would be much easier to escape. If Dwayne wasn't to come home until late, I figured I had four or five hours after it turned dark to make my break. I wanted to wait until Mr. Yerdin went to bed.

I checked out my suitcase. It would only hinder me. I'd have to run with nothing. The only things in my suitcase were clothes. I'd do with what I had. If only my parents had allowed me to wear pants. All of my clothes were impractical for running. They would not be missed.

If my mind served me right, I could take Oak Valley down to Martinville where I could find the Wal-Mart and a bus stop. With any luck I'd be on my way to Vegas by midday.

Darkness fell, but Mr. Yerdin still tromped around the house. I watched under my door for the lights to go out. Just as I decided that perhaps I'd better make a run for it anyway before Dwayne got home, all the lights in the house went out.

I shimmied out the window and landed hard on the ground, jarring my teeth and nearly twisting my ankle. The moonless night made it hard to see anything. I started for the road, figuring that would be the safest route. Before I walked more than a few feet, a car roared down the driveway, its headlights lighting the whole yard. I froze.

Dwayne tumbled out of the passenger door, howling. Then he saw me.

"Naomi, you waited outside for me like a good little bitch." He lurched toward me.

He grabbed me around the waist and pulled me close to him. The alcohol had improved his breath. His buddies hooted from the car then spun in a tight circle and disappeared down the driveway. Dwayne swayed next to me and leaned heavily on my shoulder.

"Come on," he slurred. "Let's go have a honeymoon."

"We won't be married until tomorrow."

"Techni--" He paused, appearing to think. "Technimal...."

I took advantage of his lapse in thought and moved away from him. He stumbled and fell over, landing hard on his butt. "Come here," he commanded.

I stayed where I was and then edged further away. Hopefully from his position he wouldn't be able to tell. He propped himself up on all fours and made it back to his feet. He took a winding path toward me and grabbed me by the arm. The flies buzzed in my ears again and I felt like I needed to vomit.

His nostrils flared, his face contorting with anger. My arm began to ache. His eyes closed and he shook his head. After a moment he fell over, unconscious. Without thinking I ran. Down the driveway and out onto the dirt road. Onto the main road I continued to run, for once grateful for the ugly tennis shoes.

Once I hit the highway I had to slow down. I didn't feel comfortable running on the pavement. It felt too exposed so I kept to the ditch and made slow progress. Every once in a while a car would come through and I would duck to avoid friendly strangers. Eventually, the road leveled out where there was no shelter. On either side of the road hay fields stretched on for miles. My feet ached, but I kept moving.

A slow moving car came up behind me. It stopped, illuminating me with its lights. I didn't hesitate, I ran.

"Naomi, wait," a voice called. It wasn't Dwayne or Mr. Yerdin, but I wasn't waiting around to see who it was. There was no place to hide. Freshly mowed, the fields left no protection. Sharp stalks of hay scratched at my legs. I ran, even though I knew I probably wouldn't be able to outrun the stranger.

It didn't take long before footsteps overcame me. Strong arms wrapped around me and pinned my arms to my side. I thrashed, trying to get away. "Naomi, stop." My nose twitched. A familiar smell, like clove. He spun me around. "Look at me."

I looked.

And then kissed Kai full on the lips.

About the Author:

Kimberly Loth can't decide where she wants to settle down. She's lived in Michigan, Illinois, Missouri, Utah, California, Oregon, and South Carolina. She finally decided to make the leap and leave the U.S. behind for a few years. Currently, she lives in Cairo, Egypt with her husband and two kids.

She is a high school math teacher by day (please don't hold that against her) and YA author by night. She loves romantic movies, chocolate, roses, and crazy adventures. Kissed is her first novel.

Author Links:

  

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