Book Tour: Addiction by Sandra K. Marshall‏ @VBTCafe

 

Addiction

by Sandy Marshall

About The Author

  Sandra grew up in the mid-west in a small farming community where she belonged to 4-H. When she was thirteen, her family moved to, Lawrence, Kansas, the town where the University of Kansas thrived. After high school, she traveled to California to live with a friend and to find a job. She became very homesick and returned home.   She worked for a major airline for thirty-six years and did extensive travel during that period. It was a lovely time in her life working for a wonderful company. In 1999 she retired to write full time and worked seriously toward publication.   In 2008, she had her first book published, and then her second one in 2009. Shortly after her publisher closed their doors, and she immediately moved to a new publisher. She is still with the publisher and has had three books and a novella published with them. She has just contracted a short story with them titled Hitting Bottom, and is working on another short one.

  Website | Blog | Facebook | Amazon | Goodreads | Linkedin  

About The Book

Genre: Romantic Suspense

Publisher: Eirelander Publishing

Release Date: March 6, 2009

Buy: Amazon

Book Description: 

Two men are after the same woman but for very different reasons. Dark-haired beauty, Jolene Dubois has a serious problem, and it's not just battling alcoholism. Late at night, she receives whispered calls. "Jolene, I want you. I'm coming for you." Shivers climb up her spine and ice flows in her veins. What does he want? Who is it? She must figure it out before she trusts the wrong person. Jake Farrell, the handsome rogue is an operator with women, but is he hiding something dark and sinister under his cheery facade. The detective, Andy Martin, who investigated her father's murder, continues to ask her out. Les Voodré, an alcoholic she met at AA follows her everywhere, and Ron Keisler, her AA sponsor is always there when she needs him. Could her caller be one of these men? To further complicate her life, she fights a host of addictions, alcoholism, smoking, gambling and sex. Jolene is determined to beat the alcohol and to stay out of the clutches of the fiend who phones her.  

Excerpt:

 

Ring. Ring.

Her heart pounded frantically. Jolene pushed her covers off and jumped out of bed, her gaze on the clock. Four o'clock in the morning. She had a caller. Horror pulsed through her veins, and then she grabbed her purse.

It can't possibly be him.

Come on, Jolene, answer it.

Her hands shaking, she dug in her purse pulling out the cell phone and flipping it open. "Hello." He'd blocked the caller ID.

"What took you so long, Jolene?" a muffled voice asked.

She tightened her grip on the cell. No. How did he get this number?

"Come on, speak to me. I know you're there," the whisperer said in a low raspy voice. "Don't make me come in there."

"What do you want?" He knew where she was. How could he? "How did you get this number?" she demanded, rubbing her palm on the pale floral bed cover. Was he outside? She wanted to hang up, but that never worked. He'd call all night then.

"Jolene, I'm disappointed in you. You were around too many people tonight for me to get to you."

She rose and walked to the window, feeling cold in spite of her olive green cotton pajamas. If only he'd talk in a normal tone, she might recognize the voice. "Why are you harassing me?" she asked, sliding the light green curtain aside so she could peek out. There weren't any new cars parked on the street, but he could've parked anywhere and be outside the house.

"I thought we were friends. Don't you like it when I tell you all the things I'm going to do to you?" He cackled loud and long.

His maniacal laughter sent shivers up her body, and she wrapped her free arm around her waist. Did she know this person? Surely, she didn't know anyone like this except for Les. That guy was just downright crazy. Quiet.

She held her breath and listened. Was he still there? No sound. He must've hung up. Softly, she started to close her cell.

"Don't hang up on me, Jolene."

Startled, the phone slipped out of her grasp, but she scrambled to catch it. The darn thing hit the thick beige carpeted floor. Down on her knees, she grabbed the cell, putting it to her ear.

"Hello." The buzzing told her she'd lost him. What would he do now? Call her back. She stared at the phone, her shoulders hunched, and the tendons in her neck tightening.

After a few moments, she rose, went to her bed and climbed in pulling the covers around her. She knew she wouldn't sleep, but she didn't want to wake her sister or call her brother to talk to him. This was her problem to take care of. She would call the police later this morning and make a report.

Ring. Ring.

Jolene grabbed the phone; she knew it was him again. She'd made him mad by hanging up on him even though it had happened accidentally. Without saying anything, she listened, hoping it wasn't him.

"Don't ever do that again."

The loud click told her he was finally gone. Her hand shook so badly she could hardly reach the oak end table to lay her cell on it. She'd never sleep the rest of the night. She had to figure out who this person could be.

The only person she knew this crazy was Les, but she didn't know how he could've gotten her numbers. She'd never met him before tonight.

Pulling the covers over her head, she burrowed deeper into the bed. She'd always been afraid of the boogie man, and now he was really after her.

 

Author Interview

 

The Avid Reader: What inspired you to write Addiction?

Sandy Marshall: When I wrote The Catalyst I realized halfway through the book that the oldest and youngest daughters had stories of their own to be told. A stalker appeared, and I decided that Jolene fit the profile of the women he was after.



The Avid Reader: When or at what age did you know you wanted to be a writer?

Sandy Marshall: I always loved writing little skits and letters, but I never thought of being a writer. I wanted to be a spy when I was very young. lol I like to blame my husband for starting me on this path. You see he didn't think reading was productive, so he convinced me to write a book.



The Avid Reader: What is the earliest age you remember reading your first book?

Sandy Marshall: It's been so long, I couldn't possibly recall. I can remember always being read to before I could read by myself. I think of Black Beauty, Nancy Drew, The Hardy Boys, Trixie Belden and so many others.



The Avid Reader: What genre of books do you enjoy reading?

Sandy Marshall: All of them, but anything with suspense in them. I like espionage, too. You do sort of see a theme here, don't you? lol



The Avid Reader: What is your favorite book?

Sandy Marshall: Oh gosh, this is impossible, there are too many to choose from. When I was young I read all of Agatha Christie's books and couldn't wait to get my hands on the next one.



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

Sandy Marshall: This is another hard one. Here are just a few: Julie Garwood, Sandra Brown, Iris Johansen, Lisa Scottoline, Tami Hoag, John Sanford and dozens more.



The Avid Reader: If you could travel back in time here on earth to any place or time. Where would you go and why?

Sandy Marshall: No, no! Don't take me back. I'm staying right here. I don't even want to see the future, unless I peek through my fingers. You see, I'm a scaredy cat, and I'm afraid of what's ahead, and I already know what was in the past, and I'm not going there.



The Avid Reader: When writing a book do you find that writing comes easy for you or is it a difficult task?

Sandy Marshall: There is nothing easy about writing a book. Oh sure, certain scenes are easier than others. My favorite part of writing is the editing process, and I need a good editor. Smile! I'm fortunate to have had some great ones.



The Avid Reader: Do you have any little fuzzy friends? Like a dog or a cat? Or any pets?

Sandy Marshall: Hubby and I have two cats named Midnight and Dory, one is black and the other is a tortie. We love both of them dearly. We, also, have a ghost cat named, Maximillian hanging around the house. Max was our first cat (neither me nor my husband had liked cats until Max), but he died after 17 years with us. He was special, and we still talk about him often. We feel his presence, and we think Dory and Midnight see him. Max was black, too.



The Avid Reader: What is your "to die for", favorite food/foods to eat?

Sandy Marshall: Nuts! If I buy a can of Deluxe nuts, I'll eat the whole can in one setting. I make sure it's a small can.



The Avid Reader: Do you have any advice for anyone that would like to be an author?

Sandy Marshall: If you really want to be an author, learn your craft and never quit learning. You'll only become an author if you don't give up; you have to persist if you wish to become published. Better writers than me have quit before getting published because it was more work than they expected.

         

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Book Tour: The Power To See By Jennifer Anne Davis @GHBTours

Title: The Power to See
By Jennifer Anne Davis
Publication Date: October 24th, 2013

Blurb:

At first glance, twenty-two-year-old Brianna's life seems perfect. But she harbors a deadly secret-her father is the leader of a ruthless drug cartel. Brianna struggles to find her place in a world her father meticulously controls, and believes she is nothing but a pawn in her father's deadly games.

After graduating from college with an enormous debt, Dominic finds himself lured by money and power into a job that appears too good to be true. He doesn't realize he works for a drug cartel until he's in too deep. Trying to keep his family safe, he takes a deal offered by Brianna's father and agrees to marry Brianna while continuing to work for the cartel.

Brianna and Dominic must rely on one another as their lives become further entwined in the lethal drug world. When Dominic discovers a deadly secret, he begins to question everything and turns to Brianna for support. However, Brianna's heart belongs to another man-an undercover DEA agent.

The DEA closes in on the drug cartel, forcing Brianna and Dominic to choose sides, igniting a battle between family loyalty, love, and survival. Brianna soon realizes that she may be the only person capable of bringing down her father's empire-if she can find a way to outsmart the master manipulator, without losing herself, and her heart, in the process.

  

Excerpt:

Brianna stood in front of Matt's house, waiting for him to answer the door. She glanced back at Ben. "You aren't going to hurt him are you?" she whispered.

"Our orders are to protect and bring you home safely," Ben said. There was a hint of a smile on his face. Something was wrong.

"Matt doesn't deserve to die for what I've done." Brianna couldn't help but remember Derek's needless death. Ben shrugged.

The door flew open. "What's the matter?" Matt asked, pulling her inside.

"How about, Hi, nice to see you?"

"It's always nice to see you. But you're as white as a ghost and your eyes-they're lacking something. What's wrong?" Matt gripped her arms, holding her in front of him.

Surprise washed through Brianna. Matt was perceptive. He always seemed to see the real her. Besides the blatant physical connection they had, they were forming an emotional bond.

"My father found out about us," Brianna said as she wrapped her arms around Matt's neck, hugging him tight.

"He found out? He didn't hurt you did he?" Matt's hands quickly assessed her body.

"No, but I won't be able to see you again." Somehow she needed to convince Matt to leave and get far away from Salazar's reach. The sooner the better.

Matt walked over and armed his security system. Not that it would stop Salazar, but it was better than nothing. He raised one finger, indicating for Brianna to wait, while he grabbed his phone and sent a text.

"Don't get mad," Matt began, "but are you sure you don't want to talk to Chris? I'll go with you. We can work something out. I promise I'll protect and keep you safe."

Brianna wanted to believe him, but she was more concerned with his safety than hers at the moment. She shook her head. Matt walked over and stood before her. This was their last time together. Ever. "I can't imagine my life without you. I feel like a part of me is being ripped away. If only things were different." She didn't realize how much she needed him, relied on him, and had begun to love him.

"But they can be," Matt pleaded with her. "You have the power to change your life."

"There are always consequences for our actions. No matter how you look at it, he's my father, and I'm so far in, I can't get out."

Matt ran his hands through his hair. "So this is it?" She nodded. "Then let's forget the world, and just focus on each other and our last time together." His voice was gruff with desire.

"Forget the world?"

"All of it."

Matt hooked his fingers around Brianna's belt loops, tugging her toward him. Throwing her arms around his neck, her mouth slammed into his, craving every inch of him.

Book Soundtrack:

Castle of Glass by Linkin Park

Demons by Imagine Dragons

Let Her Go by Passenger

Summertime Sadness by Lana Del Ray

Don't You Worry Child by Swedish House Mafia

Someone Like You by Adele

Pumped up Kicks by Foster The People

Out of Time by Stone Temple Pilots

Burn It Down by Linkin Park

Chasing Cars by Snow Patrol

Top Tens:

1 Elisa (The Girl of Fire and Thorns)

2 Katniss Everdeen (The Hunger Games)

3 Yelena (Poison Study)

4 Fire (Fire)

5 Celaena Sardothien (Crown of Midnight)

6 Abby Abernathy (Beautiful Disaster)

7 Travis Maddox (Beautiful Disaster)

8 Four (Divergent)

9 Jeck (The Decoy Princess)

10 Kellan Kyle (Thoughtless)

About the Author:

Jennifer graduated from the University of San Diego with a degree in English and a teaching credential. Afterwards, she married her high school sweetheart, worked as a legal assistant, and taught high school English. Jennifer is currently a full-time writer and mother of three young children. Her days are spent living in imaginary worlds and fueling her own kids' creativity.

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Book Blitz: The possess Saga By J.A. Howell @GHBTours @JenniferHowlz

Possess

The Possess Saga # 1

By-J.A. Howell 

Stumbling off the bus in Midtown, Harley Martin thought she found an escape from her old life. 

She soon realizes it was anything but that. 

Low on cash and options, she manages to find herself a cheap but surprisingly nice apartment. The catch? The last tenant, Brody Walsh, killed himself. 

Or did he? 

As disturbing dreams and hauntings start to occur, Harley realizes there may be much more behind the previous tenant's death than a simple suicide. She finds her life further entangled with his when she learns that her new boss, Nolan, was also his best friend. Could this handsome but evasive pub owner have something to do with Brody's death? 

Trying to piece together the events surrounding Brody's death proves to be a daunting task, but Harley can't give up. Brody won't let her. He is still in the apartment with her, trapped in limbo until she finds his killer.

But he's not waiting for revenge.

Harley's next.

  

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Book Tour: The Shepherd By Travis Luedke #Review @ParanormalCravi @TWLuedke

The Shepherd
Genre: YA Paranormal Thriller
ISBN: (ASIN B00FK37LZO)
Book Length: (236 PAGES)
Publisher: (Travis Luedke)

Amazon

DESCRIPTION

Skate punks, kleptomaniacs, clairvoyant visions and reincarnation...

...THE SHEPHERD is unlike any other Young Adult novel you have ever read.

Mike Evans here. Sixteen year old skate punk squatting in a white-trash trailer park with my loser drunk Dad. Seems I lost most of my friends when Dad lost our home in foreclosure. Only Anita stuck by me. Worse, I keep having strange clairvoyant visions of things that always come true.

Then I almost ran over Nadia in my Geo. A passing truck finished the job - left a crumpled heap of skin and bone on the road. I fixed her. Me.

Now this fourteen year old girl won't leave me alone. I sorta let her sneak in my window when she needs a place to crash.

I have a double life: daytime at school, Anita, skating, and then my nights with Nadia. She's my secret friend, gives me money and listens to my problems when nobody else will.

My world is spinning out of control. Old friends have turned enemy, my grisly visions of death won't quit, and Anita's intentions make my head spin. Even with all that, I've got bigger stuff to worry about.

Nadia's hiding something.

"I could not put this book down. All I keep thinking about is what could possibly happen next. I felt as if I was back in high school with them!"

"It's almost a love triangle of epic proportions or so you think....Travis blew me away with this book, I never saw what was coming."

"Amazing, I loved Mike and Anita. The characters that I didn't feel could redeem themselves did in ways I never thought possible. I loved the ending and so not what I thought would happen. I love the element of surprise."

Sharp, witty, dark and gritty, The Shepherd is the must read YA paranormal thriller of 2013. Get your copy now!

Excerpt

Chapter 1

Thursday, September 9th, 5:15 p.m.

Shit happens, life happens, but for some reason it happens to me a lot.

I was kinda hoping life would give me a break - maybe crap on somebody else for a while.

Yeah, right.

I mean, look at Justin Shelby. I'm sitting here in my car, in the McDonald's drive through, and what is he doing? He's climbing up the side of the damn playcenter. Probably faded on prescription pills he stole from his mom. This guy is begging for life to hit him upside the head. But it never does.

And then there's his buddy, Tommy Schroeder, goading him on.

"Do it man! You're almost there!"

One of the wrestling elite of Moses Lake High School, Tommy's mere presence inspired Justin to new heights of idiocy. Justin scaled the side of the outdoor playcenter like Tom Cruise in Mission Impossible.

Justin skated religiously, a regular at the downtown Moses Lake skatepark across from the Aquatic Center. Like most of us skaters, he was thin, moderately athletic, and had a strong sense of balance from endless hours busting his ass on the concrete. Climbing the playcenter wasn't any more dangerous than the skate tricks we recorded and posted to YouTube.

He quickly reached the apex, damn spider monkey. He stood exalted atop the dome of the airplane-shaped plastic toy. An elementary kid inside gawked up at him from the Plexiglas window.

"This is classic!" Tommy whipped out his cell phone and started recording.

Looked like a good idea to me, so I did the same. You never know what folly you might catch on video. I mean, this was live action stuff. I could be ten seconds away from a viral Youtube video, Gangnam Style.

Tommy encouraged Justin's antics with loud catcalls. Justin proclaimed his status as king of the hill, arms held high.

"Yeah bitches, hell yeah!" Justin yelled and hooted at the top of his lungs, pumping his fists in the air.

I narrated to my potential audience of millions, "This is a flagrant violation of the rules." I panned my cellphone camera over to the placard by the entry gate and zoomed in to catch a clear shot of the playcenter rules. "There it is folks, rule number three: No climbing outside the playcenter. And we can't forget rule number four: No children over the age of fourteen allowed. For the record, Justin is sixteen."

Returning to the action, I caught Tommy's upturned face lit with excitement, and then slid the view up the playcenter to Justin. "There's the big man, putting on a show for his new best friend."

It kinda stung in a way I didn't like to admit, that Justin was doing all this for Tommy. A couple months ago, Justin was my best friend, my idiot. Or so I had thought.

But Tommy was cool. Popular and wealthy, he also happened to be one of the biggest arrogant pricks in my class, and Justin's ticket into the 'cool crowd.'

"Always trying to prove something." I shook my head.

Tommy and I don't get along so well. It's a Rachelle thing. One of those life things that happens to me so often.

I should just keep my mouth shut and catch some choice video, but you know what they say, the observer always affects the observed …

"Hey ass munch, get down before you break your neck!"

Justin's head whipped around to the sound of my voice, causing his body to sway with the sudden movement. As soon as he spotted me parked in the drive-through a nasty smirk bloomed across his face. In a moment of sublime inspiration, Justin dropped his pants with a show of lily-white butt cheeks. He obviously hadn't seen me recording with my cell phone.

Tommy noticed me too. "How about a double McAss burger Mikey?"

He loves to call me Mikey. He knows I hate it. No one but Tommy calls me Mikey.

The girl delivering my cheeseburger held her hand over her mouth to cover her braces as she giggled and snarfed at the sight of Justin's naked rump shaking back and forth while he taunted, "It's a full moon tonight Mikey. Hope you enjoy the view!"

Perfect. Now Justin's calling me Mikey. God I hate that name.

"It's Michael, asshole! And thanks for the killer video. Goin' straight to Facebook." I held my cell phone out the window for him.

Justin looked back over his shoulder in surprise, attempting to pull up his pants at the same time. The knee-jerk reaction caused him to lose his delicate balance atop the apex of the plastic airplane. He fell onto his right side, and slithered down the side of the playcenter. His hands shot out across the smooth surface, clawing, seeking a grip. There was nothing to grab.

I watched him slide inexorably down the outside of the playcenter, pants and underwear still down around his thighs. He tried rolling into position for a feet-first landing. The maneuver would've worked if not for the fence being so close to the playcenter. The bright yellow, powder-coated aluminum fence that had aided his climb to the top now blocked his landing on the way down.

Justin's momentum came to an abrupt halt as he hit the top of the fence ass first.

I cringed and almost ruined the shot. "That's gotta hurt."

Justin's blood-curdling scream of agony made my skin crawl. He sat there, squealing like a stuck pig. The top section of fence tubing had impaled him where the sun don't shine. Pegged in the holiest of holies, he had two inches of aluminum post going in through the out door.

"Oh my god this is insane!"

I saved the ninety-three second video clip of Justin on my smart phone and posted it directly to my Facebook timeline. I had a momentary twinge of conscience. I mean, he was still crying, and Tommy was trying to climb the fence to help him. It looked really painful.

"I can always delete it later …"

I was gonna call for help, but Tommy already had his phone out as Justin yelled in his face, "Call 911!"

I only had a few minutes to get to work. As I drove off, I thought about taking that video down. I probably should have. But it only took fifteen minutes for my video clip to find its way to over 200 students at Moses Lake High School, shared over and over to dozens of Facebook profiles. My first ever viral video.

I guess life happens to Justin Shelby too.

My Review:

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

In The Shepherd we meet Mike; a teen who has grown up without a mother. His mother died while giving birth to him. He has tried over the years to talk to his dad about his mother's death but he doesn't like talking about it so Mike sort of gave up on the subject. Mike and his dad once lived in a nice neighborhood and Mike was a part of the in crowd. Until the day Mike's dad lost his job and their home too. Then Mike and his dad had to move to a trailer park and after the move Mike lost his girlfriend and just wasn't as popular as before. But Mike was ok with that you know he was like he didn't need them anyway.

He had his best friend and the only one he needed which was Anita. Mike and Anita had been friends for a while now and they hung out with each other a lot. To Mike Anita was just like one of the guys. They went skate boarding together a lot. Mike was also good friends with Anita's brother too. Anita has been in love with Mike for a long time but Mike has not even notice this at all. To him Anita is one of the guys and when she finally lets him in on her little secret Mike is like I don't want to lose my best friend. The one person he could always go to and tell all of his secrets too. But he finally realizes that he doesn't have to do this, duh.

Mike meets another girl Natasha or Nadia as she likes to be called. He meets her one night while out driving and he almost runs her over with his car. After that night Nadia becomes obsessed with him. She spends a lot of nights with Mike at his home in his bed. She is like a sister to him. Sister, humm? Nadia knows about Anita and likes her.

Mike has visions where he sees the future and knows what is going to happen. He tries to help as many people as he can but they won't listen to him. They all think he has lost his mind and then they start to think that he is responsible for everything that is going on. But all he is trying to do is help them. If no one will listen to you what else can you do? If they won't listen to you and they think that you don't have much since then there is nothing you can do to help them.

When reading The Shepherd you have no clue that it is going to end the way it does. The ending is so out of this world that it will blow your mind. You are like whoa I never saw that one coming. The Shepherd is like no other book that you have ever read. Everyone needs to pick up their own copy today!

About The Author:

Travis Luedke is a husband, father, and author of Urban Fantasy Thriller, Paranormal Romance, Contemporary Fantasy, Young Adult Fiction, and Sci-fi. He is currently catching a 3rd degree sunburn in San Antonio, Texas, and loving every minute of it.

As the author of the Nightlife Series novels, Travis lives very vicariously through his writings. He invites you to enjoy his macabre flights of fancy, but be warned: The Nightlife Series is violent, sexy, and occasionally violently sexy.

Contact Links

Social Media, & other links
Blog
Blog
Website
Twitter or
@TWLuedke
Facebook
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Release Blitz: Siren's Curse By Sara Jiang

Title: Siren's Curse

Author: Sara Jiang

Date of Publication: December 5, 2013

Circe only has seven days to live… and time is ticking.

Long ago, Sirens were cursed to stay on the rocks. If they ever stopped eating human flesh, their horns would pierce their bodies and they would die.

Circe had a choice: stay on the Perch with her sisters, feeding off of sailors for all time, or to dive into the deep, face the unknown, and take her chance at freedom.

On her journey into the ocean Circe meets a precocious little sea dragon, a heart-throb shark, and an eel with a vengeance. She comes face to face with witches, madmen, monsters, and a mysterious, loud rumbling that seems to only be getting louder.

Can she break the curse?

Purchase from Amazon | B&N

About Sara Jiang

Sara Jiang was born in 1991 and lived on a sailboat in the Caribbean for 3 years when she was younger. This exposure to the ocean influences much of her art and writing. She is currently studying for her Bachelor's in Vocal Music Education at Abilene Christian University.

Sara Jiang does commission artwork and recently won Abilene Christian University's Summit Art Contest with one of her pen and ink drawings.

Website | Twitter

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Release Day Blitz: Remembering Joy by Jenni Moen @jennimoen @NereydaG1003

Remembering Joy

by Jenni Moen

Release Date: 12/13/13

Book Summary from Goodreads:

Love is patient. 

It can happen when you least expect it, where you least expect it, with whom you least expect it.

Love is kind.

But love may not grow out of kindness. It can happen with the person who hates you most because love knows no bounds. 

And it keeps no record of wrongs.

Love doesn't hold a grudge.

Love forgives.

Love forgets.

But when the healing of your heart 

breaks the hearts of the ones you love …

it may seem impossible to

Find joy.

Available from:

Book One:

(linked to Goodreads)

Available from:

  

Excerpt 4: Expert Advice

"Warren, I'm seeing someone, and I'm afraid when mom finds out it's going to push her off the cliff again."

"Awww, shit. Aileen is doing great. She really is. And she talks about you all the time, son. She knows that she ain't always going to be your leading lady. She's prepared for that."

"It's not a girl that's the problem. It's the girl." I looked sullenly at the floor and dragged my foot along a grease stain. I was going to need to remember to take my shoes off before I went in mom's house or she was going to have a shit fit. "Mom's going to go nuts, but it's too late for me to change it. I'm in too deep."

"Has that fancy school taught you how to talk in riddles? What's wrong with this girl you're seeing? Did you meet her up there?"

"I met her up there, but she's actually from here." I took a deep breath. "It's Alexis Harper."

"Why do I know that name? That sounds familiar."

"Alexis Harper. Her dad is Garrett Harper." He looked at me and shook his head as if he was stumped.

Warren's eyes grew to the size of saucers, and he sucked in a sharp breath. "What in the hell is wrong with you, boy? I mean, how does that even happen?"

I shook my head, not sure what to say. How the hell did this even happen?

He was silent for a few long seconds. "I bet that's one hell of a story."

"Yeah, it's some fucked up shit. I can't even explain it to myself. How am I going to explain it to my mom?"

"I don't know," he said, shaking his head sadly. He knew what this was going to do to her. I spent the next hour telling him my story. Our story.

I told him everything. Every last thing that had happened during the past six months.

"Well, I was right. That is one hell of a story," he said, when I was through.

"It's going to kill her," I said.

"You love her?"

"No question."

"You can't walk away?"

"I don't think I could even if mom begged me. No. I won't."

Warren leaned back and crossed his feet. This was it. He was getting ready to dispense some real pearls of wisdom. I could feel it.

"Life's a funny, fucked up thing, Adam. But I think you got it right. You know firsthand how short and unpredictable life can be. If you get a chance at love, take it. If its good for the soul, do it. If it changes your life, let it. Nobody ever said it would be easy, but I promise it's worth it. Tackle your problems, and keep your eyes on the prize. Listen to your heart. Go with your gut. But never your brain. Your brain will lead you astray."

"That's it? Go with my gut."

Warren shrugged and smiled slyly. "Yep, that's all I got."

I had been expecting something a little more profound.

About the Author

Jenni Moen lives in Oklahoma with her husband and three crazy, exuberant kids that have the potential to burn the house down at any moment. 

When she's not chauffeuring kids around town, performing her mom duties as a short order cook and maid, or vacuuming for her fastidious husband, she hammers away at her keyboard at her big girl job as a patent attorney. While vodka and exercise have provided some relief from the daily grind, it is reading … and now writing … that are her true escapes.

Author Links:

   

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1 - Print book set of Remembering Joy and Finding Joy (US only)

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Book Tour: War of the Wildlands By Lana Axe

War of the Wildlands
Tales from Nol'Deron
Lana Axe

Genre: Epic Fantasy

Publisher: AxeLord Publications

Date of Publication: November 2013

ISBN: 0615897134

Number of pages: 437
Word Count: 76,451

Cover Artist: Michael Gauss

Amazon | BN | Kobo | Smashwords

Book Description:

Unrelenting war between humans and elves threatens to destroy the forest forever.

A tyrant king has declared war on the elves and will stop at nothing to see them annihilated. Despite fighting savagely to defend their homes, the elves are outmatched by vicious attacks from highly skilled battle mages. The elven clans must join forces to have any chance of survival against the ruthless king's army.

Meanwhile, a young half-elf is forced from the human world he has always known and travels into the Wildlands to seek out his elven kin. Along the way, he learns to draw on the magic within himself to craft weapons of tremendous power. When war arrives on his doorstep, he must choose whether to stand with the family he has always known or the elves who share his blood.

Chapter 1

As he did every morning, Yori woke before dawn to begin his work at the smithy. He rose from his small cot and pulled back the curtain that separated his tiny living space from the rest of the shop. He splashed water over his face and around his neck and ran his fingers through his sandy blond hair. Carefully, he positioned a worn red headband at the precise level to cover the pointed tips of his ears. Life was easier in the village of Enald if its citizens could forget for a moment that his father had been an elf.

The shop was open-air with a low wall surrounding it, forcing customers to enter through the area farthest from the furnace. This design helped to avoid accidents from careless citizens, children, and animals. For the last few years, the shop had doubled as Yori's home. His aunt and uncle's cottage was too small to fit everyone comfortably, and the shop was safer having someone present all night. The cool fall weather made for pleasant nights, despite being out of doors. In the winter, he would move his cot closer to the furnace to stay warm.

Grabbing a leather apron from a hook near the anvil, he quickly tied it around himself to cover his tattered gray shirt. He began adding charcoal to the furnace and squeezed the bellows to fan the flames. His Uncle Ren always treated him well, but if the furnace was not hot enough to begin work at dawn, Yori could expect to receive an open-handed smack to the side of his head. To avoid the embarrassment, he always tended the fire first and made its maintenance his top priority throughout the day.

As dawn broke, Yori was still laying out tools for his uncle's use in the day's work. Out of nowhere, he heard a young girl screaming. Startled by the sound, he dropped the pliers in his hand, which fell to the ground with a thud. Realizing the cry had come from his young cousin, he immediately rushed toward the sound. As he stepped out of the shop, he saw arrows whizzing in every direction, and panicked villagers were running away. One lone little girl stood frozen in fear near the well.

Without a thought for his own safety, Yori rushed to the child and grabbed her in his arms. Just as he lifted her to run back to the smithy, his left calf was struck by an arrow. He dropped to his knees, barely setting the girl back on her feet. She wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her tear-stained face in his shoulder. Again he lifted her, ignoring the searing pain in his leg. Turning his back to the oncoming arrows in an effort to protect the girl, he limped as quickly as possible back to the safety of the shop.

Placing the girl behind the anvil, he grabbed the axe near the wood pile and readied himself for a fight. He had never been trained in fighting, but he had learned to defend himself as a child. As an outcast, his world had been full of bullies, and he had realized that fighting back felt much better than just accepting a beating. They may have beaten him worse for his efforts, but at least he had earned his lumps. He did not know exactly what he was facing or why his village was being attacked, but he was ready to defend his young cousin against whoever was approaching.

As quickly as the attack had begun, it ended. Villagers once again came out of their homes and began filling the streets. Yori set down the axe and knelt before the sobbing girl.

"Are you hurt, Meladee?" he asked.

The little girl shook her head. She raised an arm and pointed to the arrow sticking out of Yori's leg.

"It looks worse than it feels," he said, attempting to ease the girl's fear. In truth, his leg was throbbing and still bleeding a considerable amount.

Ren rushed out of his small cottage and ran to the smithy. "Yori!" he called. "Have you seen Meladee?"

"She's here," Yori replied.

The girl remained seated until her mother, who had run out of the cottage in her nightdress, rushed to her side. Meladee threw her arms around her mother and continued to weep.

"Yori's hurt," she managed to say through her sobs.

Ren knelt down to have a closer look at the arrow sticking out of Yori's leg. "This is going to hurt," he said, his dark eyes sympathetic. "You might want to bite down on the corner of your apron."

Yori, confused by the comment, looked down at his uncle just in time to see him grab hold of the arrow. In an instant, he yanked the shaft and pulled the arrow free. Yori screamed in pain and fell to his knees, grabbing at his injured calf.

"I told you to bite down on the leather, didn't I?" Ren said with a smile. "You'll be alright. Let's clean it and get a bandage on it."

As he watched his uncle retrieve an iron rod and place it in the fire, Yori realized what his uncle had meant by "clean it". He was going to cauterize it to stop the bleeding and seal the wound from infection. Yori's head swam as his Aunt Trella brought over a bowl of water and some cloth.

"It will only hurt for a second, and then you will feel much better," she said. Gently, she began wiping the wound with a wet cloth.

Ren approached, a red-hot iron rod in his hand. "Don't scream too much or you'll scare Meladee," he said. "Oh, and don't move around too much or I'll have to sit on you." He offered Yori a small stick of wood to bite down on, which the young man graciously accepted.

As the hot metal touched the wound, Yori moaned and grunted in agony. After a few seconds, the procedure was over. The pain had dulled but persisted. All the bleeding had stopped, and Ren offered Yori a hand getting back to his feet. Placing weight on the leg was agony, but he had very little choice. There was work to be done, and he could not spend the day sitting.

"They were Wild Elves," Meladee said quietly, her brown eyes still full of tears.

"You shouldn't be leaving the house alone," her mother chided. "You could have been killed."

"Did you see them, Meladee?" Yori asked, bending to her level.

The little girl nodded.

From the design of the arrow, Yori was forced to accept that the little girl must be correct. The speckled feathers and runed tip of the arrows left no doubt in his mind that Wild Elves had just attacked their village. This could only bring trouble for him and his family. The villagers already disliked him for being a half-breed, but now they might think he was a traitor.

Yori had never known any Wild Elves except his father, but he was killed when Yori was very young. His mother always spoke fondly of him, even though loving him made her an outcast among human society. According to her, the elves were not happy about it either. They refused to allow a human to live among their clan. Therefore, the couple chose to live independently at the edge of the woods. When she died, her brother took Yori in and put him to work in the smithy. He was not treated as a son but as an apprentice. Still, he was grateful to have someone looking after him in any way.

"This wasn't the Sycamore Clan," Ren said, looking at Yori. "Your father's clan is too far from here. I would wager anything it was the Oak Leaf Clan. They're nothing but trouble."

Members of the Oak Leaf Clan had been banned from trading in Enald's marketplace. On several occasions they had been accused of stealing and causing disturbances. They had gotten the reputation as troublemakers, but none of them were ever given a trial. If a human accused a Wild Elf of wrongdoing, then the elf was presumed guilty. King Domren had no use for elves in his kingdom, and he sanctioned all punishments against them.

"We may as well get to work," Ren suggested. "If we carry on like everything is normal, maybe we'll be left in peace." His voice contained very little hope. Since most people in town were aware of Yori's parentage, trouble was likely to find them.

Meladee squeezed Yori tightly before her mother led her back to their cottage. The poor child was covered in black soot from being held tightly against Yori's dusty apron. She would protest having a bath and would dislike having to wear clean clothes. She much preferred her tattered play clothes, which she only wore while she was in the smithy. She loved her cousin dearly and would rather spend the day in the hot, dirty shop than anywhere else as long as Yori was there.

Yori retrieved the pliers he had dropped earlier and continued to prepare his uncle's workbench for the day ahead. He checked on the furnace and decided it was hot enough for now. "Where should I begin?" he asked.

"Fetch that sword we've been working on. We need to finish up the hilt and get the whole thing together." He scratched at his beard as he spoke.

Yori did as he was told. For several weeks, they had worked together on a sword for one of King Domren's lieutenants at the palace. His father was originally from Enald and had purchased swords made by Ren's father. The quality of those swords was superior to the ones being crafted by the palace's smith, and the man had insisted Ren craft one for him in the tradition of his father. Yori himself had done half the work and was quite pleased with the outcome so far.

The sword's hilt was inlaid with ebony stones which Yori had shaped and polished meticulously. He offered the hilt to his uncle, who inspected it closely.

"This is well crafted," he said. "You're ready to fit it to the blade."

Yori carried the sword to his workbench at the back of the shop. As soon as he turned his back, one of Enald's wealthier citizens appeared in the doorway. He was dressed in a fine burgundy tunic and wore a large feather in his hat.

"What does that one know about the attack this morning?" the man said, pointing at Yori.

Yori turned to face the man, his eyes darting nervously to his uncle.

"He knows he got an arrow in the leg for rescuing my daughter," Ren replied, his tone suggesting he was well prepared for an argument.

"If he's been sneaking around with those savages, I'm going to inform the mayor," the man threatened. "His kind are not welcome here. You should have done away with him when he was a baby."

Ren grabbed a hammer from his workbench and walked toward the man. "I suggest you get out of my shop and leave the boy alone."

"Boy?" the man scoffed. "I know for a fact he's at least seventeen. He's a man and should be fighting his own battles by now. A war is coming, and he will betray this town if he gets the chance."

"My family is here," Yori said. "I don't even know any elves other than the ones who trade goods here. They weren't the ones who attacked us."

"So you know which clan it was?" the man asked. "Apparently you do know a thing or two. Perhaps you should come and speak to the mayor yourself and save him the trouble of sending the guards."

"Get out of here before I bury this hammer in your skull!" Ren's tone meant business, and his face was serious. He tightened his grip on the hammer.

Seeing that he had truly angered the smith, the man decided to back down. He turned and strode briskly from the shop.

"I should have kept my mouth shut," Yori said, his pale green eyes focusing on the floor. "I always say the wrong thing."

"Don't worry about it," Ren replied. "It wouldn't have mattered what you said. That asshole came here looking for a fight, and he nearly got one."

Yori turned back to his workbench and tried to occupy his mind with his work. He was worried that others in the village would also come to accuse him, and he hated the thought of causing trouble for his uncle. For now, he would simply focus on his work and avoid visiting other areas of the village.

"You'll have to sleep at the house tonight," Ren said. "I don't know how safe you'll be out here. We'll just have to make some room."

Yori nodded and tried to hide the relief he felt. The last thing he wanted was to be alone at night with a town full of angry citizens. If the attacks continued, his life could very well be in danger.

Author Interview:

The Avid Reader: What inspired you to write War of the Wildlands?

Lana Axe: This story has been swimming around in my head for about eight years. It features a fictional area of forest known as the Wildlands, which were highly inspired by the forests in my home state of Missouri. With all the deforestation going on around us, I hope my story might strike a chord with readers, and maybe even prompt them to action.

The Avid Reader: When or at what age did you know you wanted to be a writer?

Lana Axe: I'm not sure exactly when it all started. I would guess it happened about eight years ago when I started writing notes for what has become my Tales from Nol'Deron series.

The Avid Reader: What is the earliest age you remember reading your first book?

Lana Axe: I've been reading as far back as I can remember. I have always been a bookworm, and I always will be. When I was in elementary school, the librarian gave me special permission to check out books from the older kids' section. I've always remembered feeling proud of that. In high school, I was awarded a scholarship based on the number of books I had read.

The Avid Reader: What genre of books do you enjoy reading?

Lana Axe: I mostly enjoy reading fantasy books. I love being taken to new worlds, especially if it involves magic. I also enjoy sci-fi and historical fiction.

The Avid Reader: What is your favorite book?

Lana Axe: Mark Twain's Life on the Mississippi.

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

Lana Axe: Do I have to choose? It's a close call between Mark Twain and JRR Tolkien. Both men have been true inspirations in my life, and I re-read their works frequently.

The Avid Reader: If you could travel back in time here on earth to any place or time. Where would you go and why?

Lana Axe: I would love to visit ancient Egypt. They have a fascinating and rich culture that I would love to experience firsthand.

The Avid Reader: When writing a book do you find that writing comes easy for you or is it a difficult task?

Lana Axe: Most days it comes naturally, but I don't usually write more than a thousand words a day on average. Some days I write more, and some days I have to force myself to write anything.

The Avid Reader: Do you have any little fuzzy friends? Like a dog or a cat? Or any pets?

Lana Axe: I have twelve pets: one dog, three cats, three birds, four turtles, and a bearded dragon.

The Avid Reader: What is your "to die for", favorite food/foods to eat?

Lana Axe: Pizza and donuts. Not together, of course.

The Avid Reader: Do you have any advice for anyone that would like to be an author?

Lana Axe: Start writing now. Don't keep putting it off. Everyone makes excuses and says there isn't time. Take the time and get started. You won't regret it.

About the Author:

Lana Axe lives in Missouri near the edge of the woods. She is inspired by her love of nature to write about elves, magic, and adventure. Growing up in Mark Twain's backyard inspired her love of fiction from an early age. She grew up an avid reader and went on to study literature in college.

After eight years of jotting notes and building a fantasy world, she has finally begun releasing novels in her Tales from Nol'Deron series. They will feature many of the same characters, but each novel will stand alone.

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