Blog Tour + #Giveaway: The Perfect Tear by Connie Lansberg @theperfecttear @yaboundtourspr

The Perfect Tear
by Connie Lansberg
Genre: YA Fantasy
Release Date: November 11th 2015

Summary from Goodreads:

Eleanor, a timid orphan, is a Singer. Her songs keep nature in balance, but when they are stolen from her the grey mist descends, and her world fails to thrive. This timid orphan is forced into a course of action she never asked for, nor envisioned.

Eleanor grapples with crippling self-doubt and fear until she learns these are far more perilous than the physical dangers she faces moment to moment on her terrifying, puzzling and often funny search for The Perfect Tear, a crystal which contains the Third Vibration and able to heal the land. She is horrified to discover that she must defeat an inter-dimensional being or become his accomplice in the destruction of she loves.

But Eleanor is no savior, just a simple girl with strong instincts and she must learn to trust them. Just like the notes of a song must form connections to create a melody, Eleanor must discover the connections needed to create the harmony required to truly save her world.

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Book Trailer: 

Interview with Connie Lansberg

What inspired you to write The Perfect Tear?

Years ago, I was doing a guided meditation and what I experienced made me cry, and within that, I knew even our tears were perfect. My song Perfect tears came next. It was the inspiration to weave the idea that we are far more than we realize, into an adventure fantasy. "When love becomes stronger than fear, our true nature is revealed."

Can you tell us a little bit about the next books in The Perfect Tear or what you have planned for the future?

The next episode takes place nine months later and delves further into the sci-fi side of things. Although, I'm loathed to label it sci-fi since I know nothing about physics and made the whole thing up.

Can you tell us a little bit about the characters in The Perfect Tear?

In one dimension we have Tsera, the Main Creator, Lerion and Lalycri, her novices. In the other dimension we have Charles and Maria, the parents of a gifted child, Eleanor. Eleanor's best friend is Audrey and Eleanor in love with Edward.  Eleanor and Audrey meet Rosamar, a mysterious girl, who joins them on their journey to find the Perfect Tear. Any more than that would be spoilers!

You know I think we all have a favorite author. Who is your favorite author and why?

Sadie Smith (White Teeth) for contemporary fiction. Her stories are devastating. Madeline L'Engle, my favorite book is A Wrinkle in Time and Anne McCaffrey for her lovely dragon books.

If you could time-travel would you travel to the future or the past? Where would you like to go and why would you like to visit this particular time period?

I would move forward to see if we got it together!

Do you have any little fuzzy friends? Like a dog or a cat? Or any pets?

My partner is a drummer, and that's all I can handle for now.

Thanks for taking time out of your busy schedule to visit with us today.

About the Author

Connie Lansberg is a singer/songwriter and now author based in Melbourne Australia. She's had her original songs placed in some of Australia's best loved TV shows that play around the world and The Connie Lansberg Quartet is a fixture in the Melbourne jazz scene. Her most recent original musical project is Tsera’s Gift, written especially for The Perfect Tear and she performs these songs throughout Melbourne. This is Connie's first novel and the movie is coming. The record will be out soon.
Connie has received several grants from the Victoria Council of the Arts for the development of mobile phone games that she created.

Connie joined the Melbourne Writers Group in 2010 to work on ideas and scripts and during this time the idea for The Perfect Tear began to develop and take shape. She continued her education by taking scriptwriting classes at the Australian Film and Television School in Melbourne. She has two more stories to complete The Perfect Tear Trilogy and is hoping to have the second book finished in 2017
"The first thing anybody tells you about this business is to say what makes you unique and different, but I couldn't and the very idea of it never sat well with me and after much deliberation, I finally realized why.

Because, I'm not unique or different-I'm exactly like you and I love that. We each have a unique filter through which we interpret the world, and with this filter in place, I write stories and songs and you might find them surprising or intriguing or confronting, you may relate or you may not. They may make you laugh and sometimes, even cry.

You may or may not understand what I'm trying to say and you may not understand me, however, rest assured, once we get past the filters, at our core, we are wonderfully and beautifully, exactly the same."

Author Links:

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Blog Tour + Review + #Giveaway: The Gaia Effect by Claire Buss @Grasshopper2407 @UFBooks

Blog Tour ~ The Gaia Effect
Author: Claire Buss
Genre: Fantasy/Science Fiction/ Post-Apocalyptic
Tour Dates: 20th-24th of March
Hosted by: Ultimate Fantasy Book Tours

Blurb:

In City 42 Corporation look after you from cradle to grave. They protect you from the radiation outside the wall. They control the food, the water, the technology and most important of all, the continuation of the human race. Kira and Jed Jenkins were lucky enough to win Collection but when their friends start falling pregnant naturally, everything changes. How long has Corporation been lying to them? Is it really toxic outside the wall? As the group comes to terms with the changes in their lives they discover there is a much more powerful and ancient force at work, trying to bridge the gap between man and nature.

Buy Links:

Amazon

My Review:

The people of City 42 live inside a dome that protects them from radiation on the outside of the dome. Inside the dome everything and everyone is controlled by Corporation who has control of their food, water and how babies are made and how life is continued. Babies are created in a lab and if you want to be a parent you have to apply and then be approved for collection before having or getting your baby.

While Corporation makes sure you have clean water to drink they also add a little something to the water to keep everyone sterile. But the thing is no one but the top dogs know about the little something that is added to the water. The people are being lied too.

Jed and Kira Jenkins applied for and was approved for collection while all of their friends are becoming pregnant the old fashion way. What is going on? Some of them are also being visited by a blue lady. Who is this blue lady and what does she want with them?

What is going on with the Corporation? How are all these women becoming pregnant all of a sudden? Has the Corporation been lying to them? What are they hiding?

I really enjoyed reading about the lives of the people who live in City 42. I really enjoyed all of the gadgets they have that helped to make their lives easier. I really loved the auto baby bottle warmer thingy. Oh and I liked how if someone called you on your house phone and you had to leave you could just have the transferred to like your personal device and take the call with you without any interruption.

I also like that while reading The Gaia Effect I would get so lost in the story that I would forget where I was in the real world and what was going on around me. I kept wanting to see when the little blue lady was going to pop up next and who was she going to appear to. Each character took me on an amazing journey; all their own; one which I hope to visit again soon.

If you have not read The Gaia Effect then I would like to suggest that you do and real soon. Well that is if you like futurist, science fiction or dystopian type books.

Author Bio:

Claire Buss is a science fiction/fantasy writer currently based in Barking, Essex. She wanted to be Lois Lane when she grew up but work experience at her local paper was eye-opening. Instead Claire went on to work in a variety of admin roles for over a decade but never felt quite at home. An avid reader, baker and pinterest addict Claire won second place in the Barking and Dagenham Pen to Print writing competition in 2015 with The Gaia Effect and set her writing career in motion.

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Book Tour + #Giveaway: Nine Facts That Can Change Your Life by Ronna Wineberg @Ronnawineberg @SDSXXTours

Nine Facts That Can Change Your Life

by Ronna Wineberg

Genre: Contemporary Fiction, Short Stories

In this stirring new collection, Ronna Wineberg explores our essential bonds to partners, children, parents, and friends. Intimacy, marriage, parenthood, adultery, divorce, and the legacies left by the past unfold in these beautifully written stories. Men and women search for happiness and love, yet face longing, disappointment, and loss. The characters in Nine Facts That Can Change Your Life struggle with unexpected changes in their own lives but discover the power of kindness, the joy of connection, and the ways in which we can be renewed.

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Ronna Wineberg is the author of NINE FACTS THAT CAN CHANGE YOUR LIFE, a collection of short stories, ON BITTERSWEET PLACE, a novel, and a debut collection, SECOND LANGUAGE, which won the New Rivers Press Many Voices Project Literary Competition, and was the runner-up for the Reform Judaism Prize for Jewish Fiction. Her stories have appeared in American Way, Colorado Review, Michigan Quarterly Review, South Dakota Review and elsewhere, and have been broadcast on National Public Radio. She is the recipient of a scholarship in fiction from the Bread Loaf Writers' Conference, a fellowship in fiction from the New York Foundation for the Arts, and residencies to the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts and the Ragdale Foundation. She is the founding fiction editor of the Bellevue Literary Review.

Website * Twitter * Amazon * Goodreads 

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Virtual Book Tour: Evanthia's Gift & Waiting for Aegina by Effie Kammenou @EffieKammenou @RABTBookTours

Evanthia's Gift

Women’s fiction/ contemporary romance  

Date Published: August 7, 2015   

In the year 1956, Anastacia Fotopoulos finds herself pregnant and betrayed, fleeing from a bad marriage. With the love and support of her dear friends Stavros and Soula Papadakis, Ana is able to face the challenges of single motherhood. Left with emotional wounds, she resists her growing affection for Alexandros Giannakos, an old acquaintance. But his persistence and unconditional love for Ana and her child is eventually rewarded and his love is returned. In a misguided, but well-intentioned effort to protect the ones they love, both Ana and Alex keep secrets - ones that could threaten the delicate balance of their family.

The story continues in the 1970’s as Dean and Demi Papadakis, and Sophia Giannakos attempt to negotiate between two cultures. Now Greek-American teenagers, Sophia and Dean, who have shared a special connection since childhood, become lovers. Sophia is shattered when Dean rebels against the pressure his father places on him to uphold his Greek heritage and hides his feelings for her. When he pulls away from his family, culture and ultimately his love for her, Sophia is left with no choice but to find a life different from the one she’d hoped for.

EVANTHIA’S GIFT is a multigenerational love story spanning fifty years and crossing two continents, chronicling the lives that unify two families.

Waiting for Aegina

Women's Fiction

Date Published – January 7, 2016

Book Two in The Gift Saga: The continuation of Evanthia’s Gift…

In 1961, five little girls moved into a suburban neighborhood and became inseparable, lifelong friends. They called themselves the ‘Honey Hill Girls,’ named after the street on which they lived. As teenagers they shared one another’s ambitions and dreams, secrets and heartaches. Now, more than thirty years later, they remain devoted and loyal, supporting each other through triumphs and sorrows.

Evanthia's Gift follows the life of Sophia Giannakos. In Waiting for Aegina the saga continues from the perspectives of Sophia and her friends as the story drifts back and forth in time, filling in the gaps as the women grow to adulthood.

Naive teenage ideals are later challenged by harsh realities, as each of their lives takes unexpected turns. Now nearing their fiftieth year, Sophia, Demi, Amy, Mindy and Donna stand together through life-altering obstacles while they try to regain the lighthearted optimism of their youth.

Excerpt from Waiting for Aegina

Chapter 1

Sophia

October 2004

          Sophia was seated at the edge of a worn leather chair with her eyes fixed on Dean, tears streaming down her cheeks. Ignoring the sting from the cuts and bruises on her forehead and nose, the soreness on the left side of her body, and the sharp pains coming from her casted arm, she gently gripped her husband’s hand, hoping her touch would will him into consciousness.

          Not twenty-four hours ago, they were having the time of their lives—reconnecting with old friends, dancing, and maybe drinking a little too much. Which is why Sophia took the keys from Dean and insisted she drive home.   

          Their joyful night came to a crashing end when a bright light reflecting from her side view mirror blinded Sophia. It was as though everything after that happened in slow motion—the sound of crunching metal and screeching tires, a surreal feeling that the car may have flipped over and over, and the shattering of breaking glass when a car struck theirs, slamming into the passenger door where Dean was seated.  

          When their vehicle came to a sudden halt, Sophia found that the car had not turned over as she thought, yet somewhere in her confused and disoriented mind, it had registered that they must have spun around.

          Clouds of white surrounded Sophia and she screamed out to Dean, afraid he was unconscious or severely injured from the impact the car had taken.

          Her door flung open. “Sophia, I have to get you out of the car. Help is on its way.”

          “Dino! Help Dino!” Sophia desperately pleaded, not sure to whom she was speaking to. It was so dark and she was blinded by fear.

          Slapping away the airbags obstructing her view, she called out to her husband. “Dino! Talk to me. Say something.”

          Struggling to open his eyes, Dean groaned, but his lids remained closed.

          Michael, who had been following in the car behind, could see that metal from the car had compressed around the lower half of Dean’s body and, without help, he would not be able to pull him from the wreckage.

          Sophia reached for Dean, but Michael stopped her.

          “It’s better not to touch him until the EMTs get here.”

          Panic-stricken after watching the erratic driver crash into her brother’s door, Demi helped Sophia out of the car and clung to her.

          Within minutes, the dark road was polluted with flashing lights and the sound of blaring sirens. Rescuers came swiftly, assessing the situation quickly deciding to rely on the ‘Jaws of Life’ to cut Dean out of the car.       Another medic came to Sophia’s aid, placing her arm in a splint and tending to the open gashes on her face and arm.

          “Forget about me! Take care of my husband,” she demanded, her voice strained from fear.

          “Your husband is in good hands.” The female medic looked up after she finished wrapping Sophia’s arm. “They’re about to load him into the ambulance now, ma’am.”

          “Take me to him.”

          “Of course.”

          The uniformed woman guided Sophia to where Dean was strapped on a stretcher and about to be lifted into the back end of an ambulance. Too many people surrounded him, making it impossible for Sophia to get close.

Movement, noise, lights, and voices shouting commands—it was all happening at lightening speed, yet at the same time the moment seemed to drag on forever. Sophia became agitated. There was too much fasaria around her. Her yiayiá would say that when there was too much noise and commotion. It was the first word that came to mind as witnesses dramatically recounted the accident, mangled cars were pulled onto flatbeds, and police officers gave the drunk driver, who had sped across three lanes before hitting them, a breathalyzer test. The son of a bitch didn’t look as though he had a scratch on him, and Sophia’s Dino was—she didn’t want to think about what his condition was. She just needed to get to him, but no one would let her.

          “Ma’am, we have another ambulance for you if you’ll come with me.”

          Sophia pushed away from the EMT. “I don’t need one. I want to go with my husband.”

          “That’s not possible, ma’am.”

          “You’re hurt,” Demi said. “You need to go with them.”

          “I want to stay with you. Michael, drive me to the hospital. I want to be there when Dino arrives.”

          “We’ll follow along behind the ambulance you’re in,” Michael said. “You’re in shock, Sophia and you need to be examined. Let’s be on the safe side.”

*****

         

          Leaning over the hospital bed, Sophia prayed. “Please, God, don’t take him from me now,” Sophia begged in an inaudible whisper. “Dino, oh, my Dino.” She bent over him and caressed his cheek. “Don’t leave me. Not after all we’ve been through. Squeeze my hand. Move your eyes. Give me a sign that you’re still with me. Anything.”

          Comforting arms wrapped around Sophia. “Sweetie, you need to take a break. Get some sleep. I’ll stay with my brother.”

          She turned to look at Demi, collapsed into sobs, and shook her head. “No. What if he wakes up and I’m not here?” Sophia’s face grew pale and her lower lip quivered. “Or what if—”

          “Don’t say it,” Demi ordered. “Don’t even think it.” Demi wrapped her arms around Sophia. “The doctor said he’ll be unconscious for a while. If anything changes, I’ll call you.”

          Sophia pulled away and shook her head. “I can’t.” 

          “If you don’t, I’ll get your doctor in here to order you to go home and rest. Your body took quite a beating also. You can’t help Dean if you don’t take care of yourself.” Turning Sophia by the shoulders to face the entrance to the room, Demi said, “Look. Everyone is here. Any one of them will be happy to take you home. I’ll stay with my brother until you get back.”

          Sophia waved weakly, her heart melting at the sight of them. In the doorway stood Amy, Mindy, and Donna. They were there when she needed them—always at her side without question—her oldest and dearest friends. The Honey Hill Girls were loyal to the core.

About the Author:

Effie Kammenou is a believer that it is never too late to chase your dreams, follow your heart or change your career. She is proof of that. At one time, long ago, she'd thought that, by her age, she would have had an Oscar in her hand after a successful career as an actor. Instead, she worked in the optical field for 40 years and is the proud mother of two accomplished young women.

Her debut novel, Evanthia’s Gift, is a women’s fiction multigenerational love story and family saga, influenced by her Greek heritage, and the many real life accounts that have been passed down. She continues to pick her father’s brain for stories of his family’s life in Lesvos, Greece, and their journey to America. Her interview with him was published in a nationally circulated magazine.

Evanthia’s Gift: Book One in The Gift Saga was a 2016 award finalist in the Readers Favorite Awards in the Women’s Fiction category.  Waiting for Aegina: Book Two in The Gift Saga is Kammenou’s latest release.

Effie Kammenou is a first generation Greek-American who lives on Long Island with her husband and two daughters. When she’s not writing, or posting recipes on her food blog, cheffieskitchen.wordpress.com, you can find her cooking for her family and friends.

As an avid cook and baker, a skill she learned from watching her Athenian mother, she incorporated traditional Greek family recipes throughout the books. 

She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Theater Arts from Hofstra University.

Contact Information

Website (foodblog) ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Pinterest ~ Goodreads

Purchase Links:

Evanthia’s Gift

Amazon

Waiting For Aegina

Amazon

Landing page for both books:

Amazon ~ Barnes and Noble

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PROMO Blitz: The Color of Pain by Melisa E. Arnold @misseebiz @RABTBookTours

Contemporary Fiction

Date Published:  March 2016

As a small boy, Alex becomes ensnared in the schemes of his mother, Cathlean, as she seeks to entrap a white British soldier, John, and “marry up” to improve her status in life. Her plan comes to fruition when John becomes obsessed with his black wife, marries her, then takes her and her son away from her native country of Belize to live in England. Cathlean becomes the society woman in England but begs her husband to return to Belize so she can show off her new status to her friends and fellow “good-time” girls. They return ten years later, but an unhappy Alex seeks solace in the arms of Sherrette. They fall head over heels but soon find their own problems as fast-paced revelations affect their fragile relationship. Told in a first-person view of life in Dangriga, Belize, young Alex’s story reflects on the color of his pain as he seems to bear the brunt of Cathlean’s selfish brand of pain that she calls love.

Excerpt

Prologue

Present-Day Dangríga

Stann Creek District

Belize, Central America

Friday night, and the plain pine coffin stood on three unpainted sawhorses in the middle of the floor. Mourners murmured among themselves as they gathered under the white tent and stood directly in front of the coffin looking down at the almost angelic face of the deceased. A copper penny had been placed on top of each of the deceased’s eyelids in true Garífuna fashion. The toes of the new white socks had been attached together with a shiny safety pin; that too was a Garífuna tradition, origin unknown. The copper pennies were vaguely representative of the “toll” that the dead would have to pay to get a pass from Saint Peter into heaven. Yes, you couldn’t always tell, but Garífunas, one of which the deceased was, believed in heaven, hell, and an afterlife.

Sure, they dabbled in Obeah, the Belizean-African system of spells, hexes curses, and magic, and they regularly participated in Dugú, a voodoo-like healing ritual, in the Dabúyabah (Temple) to appease the spirits, but they wanted to make absolutely sure the deceased paid their way into heaven. They, functioning in the shadowy, dual world of Christianity and spiritualism, wanted to make sure that all bases were covered, just in case the deceased needed help to get to meet their maker.

Directly to the right of the coffin sat a woman in a wheelchair, a tragic figure, her head bent and sobbing or at times wailing and cursing at God, blaming him for the loss of the deceased. An average, nondescript gentleman stood awkwardly behind her, talking soothingly to her, rubbing her shoulders and back, trying in vain to comfort her.

Another male, this one a stranger, stood near the inside entrance of the tent, shuffling from one foot to the other, twisting a beat-up brown fedora between gnarled hands. He seemed ill at ease, reeking of marijuana and rum; he too was sobbing pitifully. Some people whispered to each other, wondering who he was, what his connection to the deceased was, and why he was there, but nobody was brave enough to ask him. The few who knew who he was would not satisfy the curiosity of those clueless to his identity.

To complete the tableau of mourners, near the front, just to the left of the coffin, was a young girl of about fifteen or sixteen years of age, beautiful but clearly wracked with sorrow, with head bowed as she shrieked in agony. You could tell from looking at her that she was hugely pregnant, like she was about eight and a half months along. Many of those present wondered whether she would last through the funeral or if she would have to be rushed to the hospital even before the night was over. She was quite literally “ready to pop” and deliver her baby, but some were reassured because they saw that Mamma Graciela, the local midwife known for her magic fingers and calm demeanor, even in breech-birth situations, was in the crowd. They were confident that she would be able to handle things or whatever complications would arise.

A local band kept a lively flow of Punta music and other favorites going; people were nodding their heads and shaking their bodies to the sounds, even the non-Garífunas: Kriols, Indians, Spanish, or gi-yows as they were called. Papa Deuce had his card table set up in a corner and was doing a brisk business at four different tables at a dollar buy-in; one table was dedicated to the dice game “under or over,” the second to five-card Pitty Pat, the third to checkers, and the fourth to a cutthroat game of dominoes, or “bones.” The domino table drew the largest crowd as gleeful players loudly yelled “Domino!” as they slapped winning tiles to the appropriate end of the domino board.The louder the slap at the placing of that final tile, the more in-your face the win and temporary bragging rights until that winner was taken down by the next challenger, and so on. Marty, the most recent winner, taunted Louis as he slammed the winning domino tile down.

About the Author

MELISA E. ARNOLD was born in Dangriga, Belize, Central America, and has been writing stories since she was a young girl. Her family says she always created stories and always won essay-writing competitions in school. She is a thrice-published poet but has always felt that she had at least “one great novel” in her that needed to be written. This book is the result of her collaboration with fellow Belizean expatriate Alexander Cassanova, with whom she discovered she had much in common as they make their way in their new country of residence, the United States of America. Ms. Arnold resides in Los Angeles, California.

Contact Links

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Purchase Links

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NBTM + #Giveaway: Emerge Beyond Circles by John Geers @JohnGeers @GoddessFish

Emerge Beyond Circles

by John Geers

GENRE:   Fantasy

BLURB:

Two couples from Madison, with entwined destinies, both seeking love, are connected by a single element: the ancient Siberian witch, Thuban-Pol. Her magic will either be their savior or their ruin.

Thuban-Pol is the latest in a lineage of Siberian witches. Their eternal aim is to guide humanity to true love. Their guiding tenet, “For love to bloom, these three endure: sacrifice, perseverance and suffering. But the greatest of these is suffering.”

Since the dawn of humanity, they have summoned countless couples, inflicting suffering with the intention to grow true love. They have never succeeded…but now they have their best opportunity in two couples from Wisconsin.

If they succeed, love will finally bloom for all of humanity, if the suffering inflicted on these couples doesn't kill them first.

Excerpt:

Slivered gray wood covered the outside. Macabre scenes carved like tattoos stretched from ground to gutter and marched around each corner in a black parade.

Clint stepped close to the dark images and put a finger to one. "It's soft and squishy, like driveway tar in summer, but it doesn't stick to my skin. Weird." His finger went to his nose, and he said, "Interesting. Hey, sniff this stuff."

Lucy pushed her nose forward and sniffed the carving. "Yum, smells like…" she let the scent tumble around her brain, "like peppermint and something else I can't place, but definitely peppermint."

"Check out these carvings of animals," he said.

Real and imagined creatures prowled midst the gray slivers. Indigenous animals were well represented; the snowy owl, Arctic fox, caribou and ermine. Along with these were animals too strange to be from this age. Some warned. Others offered a wry smile of welcome. A serpent barred vicious fangs stained crimson, dripping pregnant bulbs of creamy poison. A grizzly bear smothered the head of a besieged she-wolf with one massive paw while tonguing the cheek of its pup. Wild caribou ran in stampede along the edge of a deep ravine, flirting with the abyss.

Woven among the animals were humans. Black eyes. Black bodies. Black forms. Black illuminated. A child held the face of its mother. A man raised a silver sword over the broken body of his slain foe. A son leaped into the arms of his father, reminiscent of the Prodigal Son, but on this wall, soaked in black, the anguish and joy were fresh. Sex was here too. Bodies engaged in all variety of forbidden acts, twisted and beautiful.

As the black parade marched on, frozen poses of pain pinched Lucy, forcing her tight against his chest once more.

A man groped the ground with orange coals where eyes once took in the world. A woman with a flapping tongue, split like the Serpent, hissed a song to the full blood moon. A young man pled for mercy, torn fingers lost in the gnashing teeth of his lover. A man pounded the ice above his head. A child wailed in the jaws of a terrible beast, eyes begging for a hero, a call for rescue swallowed by winter. A family huddled tight, defying flames that, in real life, would be their end. A woman slumped with blood and afterbirth at her feet, her ashen eyes stone, silence of mother and child scattered across eternity. A wrinkled face echoed hope, sealed behind tortured lips.

Interview with John Geers

What inspired you to write Emerge Beyond Circles?

I was inspired by other authors. We used to have a great locally owned book chain here in the Milwaukee area. They regularly had authors of all kinds do author talks. I went to dozens of them. Hearing the story of how a book was written was as fascinating to me as the book itself. It wasn’t long before I wanted to be part of that process.

The original nugget came in a dream. The other 98% came from careful consideration of what I wanted to include in my novel. It contains themes of love and loss from my own life. Then I included the elements of story that I love most. I constructed it in a way that I would love and I feel like I succeeded.

Can you tell us a little bit about the next books in The Eternal Coven Series or what you have planned for the future?

They continue the story of eternal love. The story grows bigger and more intense and becomes a story that will inspire all who read them.


Can you tell us a little bit about the characters in Emerge Beyond Circles?

The characters are extremely well developed and relatable. They are normal people thrust into extraordinary circumstances, my favorite type of character. 


You know I think we all have a favorite author. Who is your favorite author and why?

My favorite authors are Patrick Suskind, James Crace, and Tolkien. Each creates stories without bounds, they are fearless and unconcerned with offending people. I love  that.


If you could time-travel would you travel to the future or the past? Where would you like to go and why would you like to visit this particular time period?

I would love to travel to the distant past, to the beginnings of the human species. I would love to watch us emerge as a complex creature capable of art and language and culture.


Do you have any little fuzzy friends? Like a dog or a cat? Or any pets?

I have none although my daughter and I talk about adding a fuzzy friend to our family often. There are two felines in my book however!

AUTHOR BIO:

John Geers drew inspiration to begin his debut novel from a dream he experienced.

Hours spent in the caffeinated air of his favorite coffeehouse proved to be the perfect place to complete Emerge Beyond Circles.

John is a middle school literacy educator, where he inspires and is inspired by the writers of tomorrow. He is the founder and facilitator of his school’s Creative Writing Club. He is also a columnist for the online magazine Elephant Journal.

He loves a good story, being on the water, and witty puns. He can be found hiking the wilderness, biking big hills, sipping dark coffee, and looking for a chair in the mall. 

AUTHOR LINKS:

Website ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads 

Author Facebook ~ Thuban-Pol Facebook

BUY LINK:

AMAZON

Giveaway:

$25 Amazon GC, a signed copy of the book, and a stuffed tiger (US only)

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Book Blast + #Giveaway: Second Chance Marquess by Jessica Jefferson @authorJessicaJ @GoddessFish

Second Chance Marquess

by Jessica Jefferson

GENRE: Historical Romance

BLURB:

When Wilhemina Turner’s younger sister runs off with a young Lothario, she has no choice but to turn to the notorious rake who broke his promise and her heart, for assistance. George Bartlett, the Marquess of Chesterton, hasn’t forgotten the woman who hurt him so many years ago, but can’t deny her request, knowing that his brother’s reputation, and fortune, is at risk. A series of misfortunes leave the straight-laced widow and committed bachelor stranded, sharing both close quarters and old secrets. But when morning comes, will this unlikely pair find a second chance at love?

Excerpt:

“Are you accusing Kitty of going after your brother for his money?”

“She wouldn’t be the first.”

Willie set her jaw firmly, just as she always had when she was angry. “A decade later and you’re still following your father’s example. You still think the worst of women, don’t you?”

“I’m simply waiting to be proven wrong.”

“You were,” she said quietly, almost too low for him to hear.

“Once, Willie, and even that’s debatable. Every woman after you has fulfilled my lowest expectations.”

She looked away, a pale blush spread across the creamy pale skin of her chest. “Mrs. Turner,” she reminded him, facing him once again. “Kitty’s not like that. She doesn’t need his money.”

“Both your parents are gone and last time I knew, you hadn’t a penny to your name. How can she not need my brother’s money?”

“Because I make sure she’s taken care of. I’d do anything for that girl, no matter how silly or naïve she is. She’s still mine to take care of.” She jutted her chin proudly, just as she always had. George had to remind himself that this was no longer the stubborn, hopeful young woman he once knew, but a strong, experienced widow standing before him.

“Mr. Turner left you comfortable then?”

“My finances are none of your concern. We are doing quite well considering our circumstance.”

He found that hard to believe. “Beg your pardon, Mrs. Turner, but a vicar and a viscount are two very different things. Now, if you don’t mind, I’ll need to get on the road soon. I heard mention that there might be a great deal of rain coming, possibly snow, and I doubt the weather will hold off much longer.” He turned his back to her and continued gathering the necessary items from around the study.

“I can’t allow you to go by yourself,” Wilhelmina protested, ignoring his less than subtle hint that their discussion had ended. “There’s no way I could possibly trust you to address this situation fairly after the unwarranted judgement you’ve already made regarding Kitty’s character.”

“It’s only unwarranted if it’s not true and that remains to be seen, now doesn’t it?”

“I won’t let you do it, George.”

The use of his given name stopped him cold. He took a deep breath, then turned to her, arms folded across his chest. “What exactly do you propose I do then, Mrs. Turner?”

“Take me with you.”

AUTHOR BIO:

Jessica Jefferson makes her home in Almost-Chicago with her husband, two young daughters, French bulldog Lulu, and English bulldog Pete.  When she's not busy trying to find middle-ground between being a modern career woman and Suzy-Homemaker, she loves to watch "Real Housewives of [insert city here]" and performing unnecessary improvements to her home and property.

Jessica writes Regency-era historical romance with a modern twist where she invites her readers to fall in love with romance again.

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