#Review of The Loki Variation By Sabrina James Riley @GHBTours

Title- The Loki Variation

By- Sabrina James Riley

Genre- Adult/Horror/Zombies

Blurb-

Sasha is woken up in the middle of the night by the screams of a little girl she doesn't know, and suddenly finds herself trying to protect the child against the end of the world.

Derek's vacation hadn't even started when his dog saves him from something he could have never imagined. Using what little resources he has, he struggles to stay alive in an unfamiliar town teeming with unspeakable horrors.

Sanjeev unknowingly helps to create the epidemic that threatens to annihilate the population, but his options have run out and he is forced to choose between his humanity or his scientific endeavors.

Strangers meet under apocalyptic circumstances, and have to rely on each other for survival. What begins as an unsteady, uncomfortable partnership to stay alive turns into a make-shift family who will do anything to save each other from the threat of the Loki Variation.

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

A young woman, Sasha is woken in the middle of the night to the sound of someone yelling. When she looks out the window she sees a little girl trying to climb the fence to get away from a woman that is trying to hurt her. Sasha being the person she is doesn't give any thought to herself she just runs right out there to save the little girl. Sasha is very brave and bold person that doesn't think about what could happen to her when she sees someone in trouble and needs her help. She doesn't think she just reacts.

After Sasha saves the little girl, Nora from the crazy woman she has no idea what is going on. But she soon finds out that there is no one left alive that everyone the she runs into have turned into monsters and they are no longer human or alive they are dead. They find out that the people that are left think that she and Nora are food. For someone who has never had any children of their own Sasha is very good with Nora and knows how to calm her down so she won't be so afraid of what is going on in the world.

Sasha takes Nora and leaves the town she lives in to try and find help. They need to find a safe place away from all of the disease ridden people. On their journey they run into Derek and his dog Riley. A few minutes after Sasha meets Derek together they meet another guy whom they call Hud. They all team up together to try and stay safe from the zombies. You know as they say there is safety in numbers. You need someone to watch your back.

I wasn't too fund of Hud in the beginning for some reason I didn't really trust him. He acted like Sasha, Derek and Nora was more in his way. I got the feeling that he didn't actually want them around. He thought he would be better off by himself that he didn't need any help from anybody. I felt as if Hud was out for number one and if one of the zombies got to close for comfort that he would have shoved either one of them including the little girl Nora between him and a zombie.

Now Derek was the kind of person who would have put himself between a zombie and Sasha or Nora or anyone else if push came to push as they say. I think Derek and Sasha sort of liked each other right from the beginning. They felt that magical little spark when they looked into each other's eyes but they didn't think that it was a good time to be courting so therefore they didn't let the other one know or see how they felt. They kept it locked up inside of them not knowing how the other felt.

I loved the twist that Sabrina James Riley put on the zombies. I loved that they were way different than any other zombies that I have read about. The characters are all great too and the world that she has created is fantastic as well. I can't wait to read the next book in The Loki Variation series or at least I really hope that there will be another book. I ravished The Loki Variation once I picked it up I didn't won't to put it down. Zombies are one of my most favorite genres to read or watch ever. I don't think I will ever get tired of zombies.

I've been writing stories for as long as I can remember; I still have a few stories I wrote in crayon on construction paper that I had stapled together to make a book that my mother saved for me.

Luckily, I've come a long way from crayons and construction paper, and have been able to type up stories almost as fast as my mind can create them.

I'm also an insanely avid reader, and along with all the award winning literature and classics on my shelf, I also have a penchant for the stories of other Indie authors...some of my all-time favorite books were self-published, and I believe that the ability to self-publish is one of the best things to happen to the world.

Can you imagine all the great stories we'd probably not have access to?

I live in Florida with my family, which includes but is not limited to: a pre-teen girl, a feisty just-on-the-brink-of-walking baby, and a 14 year old cattle dog who still thinks she is a puppy.

I'm always excited to hear from readers or other authors

    

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Book Blitz: Frost (The Frost Chronicles #1) by Kate Avery Ellison @Katiewriting @XpressoReads #XpressoBookTours

Frost by Kate Avery Ellison
(The Frost Chronicles #1)
Publication date: March 28th 2012
Genres: Dystopia, Young Adult

Synopsis:

In the icy, monster-plagued world of the Frost, one wrong move and a person could end up dead—and Lia Weaver knows this better than anyone.

After monsters kill her parents, Lia must keep the family farm running despite the freezing cold and threat of monster attacks or risk losing her siblings to reassignment by the village Elders. With dangers on all sides and failure just one wrong step away, she can’t afford to let her emotions lead her astray. So when her sister finds a fugitive bleeding to death in the forest—a young stranger named Gabe—Lia surprises herself and does the unthinkable.

She saves his life.

Giving shelter to the fugitive could get her in trouble. The Elders have always described the advanced society of people beyond the Frost, the “Farthers,” as ruthless and cruel. But Lia is startled to find that Gabe is empathetic and intelligent…and handsome. She might even be falling in love with him.

But time is running out. The monsters from the forest circle the farm at night. The village leader is starting to ask questions. Farther soldiers are searching for Gabe. Lia must locate a secret organization called the Thorns to help Gabe escape to safety, but every move she makes puts her in more danger.

Is compassion—and love—worth the risk?

Goodreads ~ Amazon ~ B&N

Excerpt:

My brother Jonn raised his head from the yarn in his lap at my entrance. He looked just like me-lanky limbs, a narrow, shrewd face framed by pale, red-blond hair, a stubborn sweep of freckles across his nose and cheeks like speckles on a bird's egg. We were twins, and we looked it.

"Where's Ivy?" I swept my gaze across the main room of the house. Dried laundry draped across my great-grandmother's furniture, laundry my little sister had been supposed to fold and put away before I got home. A curl of anger kindled in the pit of my stomach-we were barely making quota, the winter storms were upon us, and she wasn't even keeping up with the basic chores I gave her. She was almost fourteen-she was old enough to do her share of the work.

Jonn raised his eyebrows. "I haven't seen her all afternoon. I thought she was with you."

A little piece of my insides froze at his words. Our eyes met and held, and a million wordless things passed between us. I went back to the door and opened it.

Darkness was falling along with the snow. I hadn't seen my sister in the village, and she hadn't been in the barn. It was a small farm-just a round clearing in the woods, really. There was no sign of her in the yard. I shouted her name, but the wind snatched the word from my lips and flung it away. The Watcher Ward rattled above me, and the sound was like bones shaking.

My heart beat fast. My lungs were suddenly empty. I took a shaky breath and then exhaled slowly before turning to my brother.

"I'm going out to find her."

Jonn looked at the fire. I knew he wouldn't argue with me-he wasn't the type to voice disagreements, especially not with me-but his whole face tightened and his lips turned white. "The Watchers..."

"It's too early for Watchers to be out," I said. "There's still light left. Besides, nobody's seen one in months."

That was a half-lie, as their tracks were spotted almost every week crisscrossing the paths or wandering around the edges of the village where the border of snow blossoms was planted to keep them out. But it was a half-truth, too. We hadn't seen them recently.

But Jonn and I knew better than anybody that there was still a risk.

"I'm going," I said.

He didn't reply, but I could tell by his expression that he was furious that he couldn't go. He wasn't mad at me. It was just the way things were. There was no point in wasting time talking about it, so we didn't.

I pulled on my cloak again and struggled into my heavy boots with the snowshoes for walking on top of the snow. Opening the front door, I threw one final look over my shoulder at Jonn before ducking back out into the wintery evening.

It had grown colder since I'd been inside, or maybe that was just the wind stealing the warmth from my body. I padded through the dusting of snow that covered everything, cupping my hands over my mouth to call her again. "Ivy!"

Most of the time fear was just like a rat in my belly, gnawing and gnawing a hole in the same place day after day whenever I'd let it. But now the rat had turned into a lion, and it was tearing me apart from the inside out. I reached the edge of the yard, where the trees formed a wall of brown and green, and I stopped. The wind shivered through my hair.

"Ivy!" I screamed again.

She was always wandering the farm with a dream in her eyes and a song in her mouth. She had a head full of thoughts about things that didn't matter and never would, and she didn't have an ounce of sense when it came to our survival. I wrapped both arms tight around my middle to hold in the fear, and I sucked in another breath to call again when I heard it, lost against the wind.

My name.

About the Author:

I live in Georgia with my wonderful husband and two spoiled cats. When I'm not writing, I'm usually catching up on my extensive Netflix queue, reading a book, giggling at something funny online, or trying to convince my husband to give me just ONE bite of whatever he's eating.

Learn more about my writing and books at my blog, find teasers for upcoming works on my Facebook page, and subscribe to my new releases newsletter to be notified of new novels as soon as they hit stores!

Book Blitz Organzied By Xpresso Book Tours

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Book Blitz: Dead New World by Ryan Hill @J_Ryan @XpressoReads #XpressoBookTours #Giveaway

Dead New World by Ryan Hill
Published by: Curiosity Quills Press
Publication date: October 13th 2014
Genres: Dystopia, Young Adult, Zombies

Synopsis:

Zombies aren’t mindless anymore.

Before the world fell into chaos, the undead existed only in the imagination. Now, more of them walk the earth than living. Zombies move about freely, while humans entomb themselves inside concrete barricades to stay alive.

All that, while the leader of a powerful cult – known only as Reverend – becomes the next threat to the rebuilding United States. Believing zombies to be God’s latest creation, making humanity obsolete, he wants to give every man, woman, and child the chance to become one. With his combined army of humans and zombies, he may well get his wish.

Best friends Holt and Ambrose went up against the Reverend once. Holt lost a foot and a zombie bit Ambrose…though he survived the virus, only to become a human-zombie hybrid, reviled by the living and unwelcome among the dead. When the Reverend kidnaps the woman Holt loves, the race is on to save her from a fate worse than death.

Goodreads ~ Amazon

Excerpt:

Disgusted with myself, I let go of Nancy and walked, alone and with a heavy heart, to Ambrose's room. I could see him through the window, asleep on a twin bed.

"Push the red button to talk into the microphone," Nancy said.

I pressed the red button on the control panel next to the door. "Hey, man, wake up."

Ambrose slowly stirred from his sleep. "Who is it?"

"Your mother."

"Ha." Ambrose stood, draping bed sheets over his white scrubs. The days of being stuck in this small room seemed to have sapped his strength. He leaned against the wall, too tired to stand on his own for long. "Nice to see you on your foot."

"Funny. I could say the same for you. I hear you got one hell of a hickey. Didn't your mother teach you to stay away from strangers?"

"I never did mind her like I should have."

I tried to get a good look at him, but the lack of light made it impossible. "They said most people don't last a day after being bitten. You've made it four. I guess I should congratulate you." Surviving this awful disease longer than most. What a terrible silver lining. I bet he wished the virus would get it over with and turn him.

"Yeah, lucky me." Ambrose coughed into his bed sheets. "Maybe they'll give me a prize, like some bacon or something."

"What… what does it feel like?"

Ambrose shrugged. "Kind of like being sick. Had a fever at first, then some numbness over part of my body."

"Is it getting any worse?"

"No." Ambrose sniffed. "Some parts still feel like me, others… like these gray parts, nothing." He pointed at his arm where the skin had turned a sickly gray. "They're dead, I guess."

Nancy loudly cleared her throat. "We need to get you back to your room. They patrol this place pretty regularly, especially when we have… guests."

I nodded to her, then turned my attention back to Ambrose. "I have to go. I'm sorry. I wish it was me in there, instead of you."

Ambrose stepped up to the window. The light from the hallway revealed his face. For the first time, I got a glimpse of what his loyalty to me cost him. I froze, unable to take a breath for a long beat. One of his eyes remained normal, but the other took on that awful redness. Patches of dead skin were all over his face. The guilt rising up seemed almost too much to bear. What kind of hell had I sent my friend to?

About the Author:

Growing up, Ryan Hill used to spend his time reading and writing instead of doing homework. This resulted in an obsession with becoming a writer, but also a gross incompetence in the fields of science and mathematics. A graduate of North Carolina State University, Ryan has been a film critic for over five years. He lives in Raleigh, NC, with his dog/shadow Maggie. Ryan also feels strange about referring to himself in the third person.

Website ~ Twitter ~ Facebook ~ Goodreads

Blitz-wide giveaway (INTL)

$25 Amazon gift card

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Blurb Blitz: The Cattleman by Anna Jeffrey @annajeffrey @GoddessFish #Giveaway

The Cattleman
by Anna Jeffrey

Blurb:

Ever since a disastrous marriage and divorce at a young age, Pickett Lockhart has kept his emotions under control. He's preoccupied anyway with learning to be the general manager of the vast Double-Barrel Ranch outside of Drinkwell, Texas. Still, his older brother's marriage and looming fatherhood has aroused an envy within him to have a wife, kids and home of his own. But he can't get married, even to a woman he loves who also loves him. His divorce cost him and his family a bundle, leaving him with an overwhelming fear of stepping into another financial trap.

Amanda Breckenridge, swim team coach and English teacher in Drinkwell High School, has been in love with Pic for as long as she can remember. They were high school sweethearts. After he eloped with someone he met in college, Amanda left Drinkwell. Her father's illness brought her back to town and a revived relationship with Pic. But Pic's mother has never thought Amanda was good enough for him. She intends to destroy their relationship by sending a friend's beautiful daughter to the ranch to tempt Pic. Can Amanda and Pic's bond survive his mother and her schemes? Or the unexpected career opportunity that falls into Amanda's lap?

Add to Goodreads:

The Tycoon ~ The Cattleman

Excerpt:

Amanda stood on her front porch saying good-bye to her old college friend, Eric Frazier. She and Eric had gone through Texas Tech together, but been only casual friends. She was surprised he remembered her. He was now the assistant athletic director at Odessa High School, a school many times the size of Drinkwell. And that was the capacity in which he had visited her.

Who knew a big school like Odessa High had noticed her success with the Drinkwell swim team? And they wanted her. Eric wanted her. He had flown from Odessa to Dallas and driven all the way to Drinkwell in a tiny rental car to tell her so.

He didn't even have her resumé, but he remembered her from their college days and had a thick portfolio of newspaper articles, speeches, interviews, even some comments she had made on blogs discussing her coaching philosophy and innovative approach to teaching teenagers how to compete. She knew she was good, but she didn't know she was that good.

His visit had rocketed her mood to somewhere in the stratosphere. Sometime within the next week, an offer would be on the table to coach the Odessa High School's girls' swim team. It went without saying that there would be a substantial pay increase above what she made now.

And Amanda was free to go. Her contract with the Drinkwell school system had expired last year. But in typical loosey-goosey Drinkwell fashion, the school system hadn't addressed it. When asked, the superintendent said it was being processed. The consensus was that the contract would be renewed and life would go on as usual. Largely because of her relationship with Pic. No part of her life was unaffected either directly or indirectly by her connection to the Lockhart family.

About the Author:

Anna Jeffrey is an award-winning author of romance novels as well as romantic comedy/mystery. She has written 9 romance novels and co-authored 7 as USA Today Bestselling author, Dixie Cash. Her most recent book is "The Tycoon."

Anna Jeffrey's books have won the Write Touch Readers' Award, the Aspen Gold, and the More Than Magic awards. Her books have been finalists in the Colorado Romance Writers award, the Golden Quill and Southern Magic as well as the Write Touch Readers' Award, the Aspen Gold and the More than Magic awards. She is a member of Romance Writers of America, Dallas Area Romance Authors and PASIC.

Anna is a fifth generation Texan. She was born and grew up in West Texas, where most of her family members were farmers and ranchers or worked in the oil fields. She left Texas for many years and lived in four of the western states, a rich experience she'll never forget.

She loves most things western, from the customs and culture to the philosophy of life. She enjoys many hobbies, i.e., reading, painting and drawing, crafting, needlework and beading.

These days, she's back home in Texas. She and her husband currently live in Granbury, Texas, a small town not far from the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex.

Website ~ Blog ~ Amazon ~ Smashwords ~ Barnes & Noble ~ Twitter ~ Facebook

Anna be awarding a grand prize of a Kindle Fire to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour and one runner up will receive e-copies of THE TYCOON and THE CATTLEMAN, Books 1 and 2 of the Sons of Texas series.

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Follow the tour and comment; the more you comment, the better your chances of winning.

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Cover Reveal: The Heist (Gumshoes & Grifters #1) By Allana Kephart & Melissa Simmons @MelandLanaWrite @GHBTours

The Heist

Gumshoes & Grifters #1

By- Allana Kephart & Melissa Simmons

Genre- New Adult Contemporary/Suspense

Expected Publication Date- TBA

Blood is thicker than water…

Carter Emerson is a pre-law student in a family of cops. His father would not be happy about this-if he knew. With a passion for the justice side of law and order and a penchant for abiding by the rules, Carter is the perfect candidate to work his way up through the ranks of the district attorney's office. He has a plan, he just doesn't know how to break the news to his family yet.

Blood is thicker than water…

Elise Cavanaugh is the only daughter of wealthy real estate tycoon, Franklin Cavanaugh. At least, that's what the world believes. In actuality, the Cavanaughs are a family of infamous criminals responsible for a number of unsolved bank robberies. Elise doesn't want to fall in line and take part in the family business, though-she wants to be free to pursue a degree in journalism and travel the world reporting on important events.

Blood is thicker than water…

A chance meeting on their college campus throws Carter and Elise into each other's path and much to the displeasure of both their families, it isn't long before romance blooms between them. When personal tragedy strikes and everything they believe is called into question, will they persevere? Or will they find that blood is thicker than water?

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Book Blitz: Day Zero (The Zero Trilogy #1) by Summer Lane @SummerEllenLane @XpressoReads #XpressoBookTours #Giveaway

Day Zero by Summer Lane
(The Zero Trilogy #1)
Publication date: October 10th 2014
Genres: Dystopia, Young Adult

Synopsis:

Elle is a survivor.

Since the collapse of modern society, she's been living in the remains of downtown Hollywood, California, foraging for food and fighting for her life.

And then everything changes.

After she is forced out of her home, she heads north. What she finds is a group of bunker survivors, unlikely comrades, and the hope of a safe haven. Together, they journey toward the dregs of civilization, facing starvation, imprisonment and death.

They are alone, but they are ready.

Day Zero begins today.

Day Zero is a novella, the first installment in The Zero Trilogy, a novella series complementing the international bestselling Collapse Series.

Goodreads ~ Amazon Kindle ~ B&N Nook ~ Createspace

Why Post-Apocalyptic Fiction?

Many people ask me how I got started writing post-apocalyptic and survivalist fiction. The answer is that it found me. I have always loved survival and adventure stories - the more exciting, the better. I began writing my first post-apocalyptic story in high school, but I didn't consider publishing a survival story until well after I had graduated. It occurred to me that people might ask themselves the same question as me: What would happen if the electricity went out permanently? What would happen if there were no cars, no food and no water? What if we were invaded by a shadow army and forced to defend ourselves?

These are all food-for-thought questions, and I got to play around with a lot of possible survival scenarios and conspiracy theories while building my story worlds. The more I wrote post-apocalyptic books, the more fascinated I became with the ideas, and the more I had to continue to write. I love the complete vulnerability that characters have when you remove them from their element of comfort on an entirely new level. Electricity? Cars? Cellphones? Computers? Running water? Get rid of all of it. It really strips characters' humanity down and challenges their moral compass. Who will survive? Who will die? Who will learn to love and who will fall into the trap of hatred?

I love post-apocalyptic fiction because everyone can identify with the premise of what if? Day Zero fits into that niche perfectly!

About the Author:

Summer Lane is the author of the international bestselling Collapse Series, which includes State of Emergency, State of Chaos, State of Rebellion and State of Pursuit. The fifth installment, State of Alliance, is releasing January 2015. Summer is also the author of The Zero Trilogy and an upcoming survivalist/science fantasy series coming in 2015. She owns WB Publishing, Writing Belle Magazine, and is an accomplished creative writing teacher and journalist.

Summer lives in the Central Valley of California, where she spends her time writing, teaching, and writing some more. When she is not writing, she enjoys leisurely visits with friends at coffee shops, dates to the movies, hiking in the mountains and strolling on the beach.

Website ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads

Giveaway:

Blitz-wide giveaway (INTL)

A pack of eBooks including:

• Dead Girl Walking, by Ruth Silver


• Fractured Dream, by K.M. Randall


• Spirit Warriors: The Scarring by DEL Connor


• Eyes of the Enemy by Kelly Hess


• Jacob, King of Portalia by Casey Club


• Destiny Gift by Juliana Haygert


• Aftershock by Roberta Trahan

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Blast: UNSTRUNG by Kendra C. Highley @KendraHighley @toobusyreading #Giveaway

UNSTRUNG by Kendra C. Highley

Lexa Pate, seventeen-year-old thief extraordinaire, has burned a bridge or two in her life. You don't make a career out of stealing other people's property without making enemies.

When a risky job goes from bad to worse, Lexa and her adopted family find themselves on Precipice Corporation's hit list because they've accidentally stolen the wrong thing-plans for a new model of genetically engineered super humans. Now, every bounty hunter, cop on the take, and snitch in the city is after them.

Lexa's world crumbles around her as she fights to keep her family safe even as someone strolls out of her forgotten past. Quinn claims to know who Lexa really is, but can she trust a stranger she met while robbing his boss?

More importantly, does she really want to know what Quinn has to tell her?

Based on the fairy tale Pinocchio, UNSTRUNG takes you into a near future world where the lines between fake and real are blurred, all that's pristine isn't always innocent, and being a criminal isn't always wrong.

Amazon * Barnes & Noble * Smashwords * iTunes

Author Kendra C. Highley

Kendra C. Highley lives in north Texas with her husband and two children. She also serves as staff to two self-important and high-powered cats. This, according to the cats, is her most important job. She believes chocolate is a basic human right, running a 10k is harder than it sounds, and that everyone should learn to drive a stick-shift. She loves monsters, vacations, baking and listening to bad electronica.

Twitter * Facebook

Pinterest * Goodreads * Website

BookBlast Giveaway

$50 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash

Ends 11/2/14

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

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Book Blitz: Isla's Inheritance by Cassandra Page @CassandraPage01 @XpressoReads #Giveaway

Isla's Inheritance by Cassandra Page
Genre: Young adult urban fantasy
Publisher: Turquoise Morning Press
Release date: October 9, 2014

Synopsis:

Isla was content to let her father keep his secrets, but now she can't stand the touch of iron and her dreams are developing a life of their own. She must discover the truth - before it's too late.

Seventeen-year-old Isla Blackman only agrees to participate in a Halloween party séance because Dominic, an old crush, wants to. She is sure nothing will happen when they try to contact the spirit of her mother. But the séance receives a chilling reply.

SHE IS NOT DEAD.

Isla doesn't want to upset her father by prying into the family history he never discusses. When the mysterious and unearthly Jack offers to help her discover the truth, Isla must master her new abilities to protect her loved ones from enemies she never knew existed.

Goodreads | Amazon | Smashwords

Excerpt:

"I'm not sure which is worse," I whispered to Hamish, stroking his fur, "believing I killed my mother, or believing she abandoned me…and Dad lied about it." Hamish didn't answer. He was already asleep. "Well, you're no use."

Against all odds, the steady rhythm of Hamish's breathing lulled me into a doze. It seemed like no time had passed when I awoke to a change in light: my father's large frame was in the doorway, blocking the light.

"Isla? Are you awake?" His voice was tentative.

"Yes." I sat up, rubbing my eyes. Hamish grumbled a protest.

"Can I turn the light on?"

"Sure."

I blinked and stared at my father. He looked dishevelled and his eyes were wide, like he'd seen a ghost. He was holding the gift bag he'd given me on my birthday. "You left this at the restaurant the other week, when you went out for dessert with that boy," he said, his voice strained.

As confused and resentful as I was feeling right now, I still loved him, and his appearance worried me. "Dad, what's wrong?"

"Nothing," he said. He was an even worse liar than Sarah. He came into the room and sat on the edge of the bed. "Here." He tried to hand me the bag. Vomit burned the back of my throat, and I flinched back.

He saw the flinch, and his face grew even more drawn. "Isla, take it." There was an urgency in his tone that I neither understood nor liked.

"No. Dad, what's going on? You're freaking me out."

He looked around the room. "Do you have any of my work in here?"

The question confused me. I felt my cheeks warm. "Um, I'm not sure." The answer was no. Pretty much every piece of ironwork he'd given me was in the shed. The rest I'd given away to friends.

"Here." He upended the gift bag. The heavy iron circlet tumbled into my lap.

My stomach twisted with nausea so severe I clenched my teeth, afraid I'd throw up. Where the iron touched my thighs through the denim of my jeans it felt ice-cold, and yet it burned at the same time. I gasped, shoving it away from me and onto the floor. It singed my hand.

"What the hell are you doing?" I jumped to my feet. Hamish leapt up too, yapping.

Dad said nothing but the look on his face was wild, despairing.

"You're crazy," I cried, fleeing the room.

"Isla, wait," Dad yelled after me. But I ran, snatching my bag from the hallway before rushing out the front door. I ignored the bite of tiny rocks on the soles of my feet. I had to get away from him, from everything.

About the Author:

Cassandra Page is a mother, author, editor and geek. She lives in Canberra, Australia's bush capital, with her son and two Cairn Terriers. She has a serious coffee addiction and a tattoo of a cat - which is ironic, as she's allergic to cats. When she's not reading or writing, she engages in geekery, from Doctor Who to AD&D. Because who said you need to grow up?

Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Google+ | Pinterest | Goodreads

Giveaway:

Enter to win a $50 gift card at Amazon or Barnes & Noble - winner's choice (open internationally.)

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Blog Tour: Knossos by Laura Gill @oresteshighking @MkgConnections #Giveaway

Knossos
by Laura Gill
Genre: Historical Fiction - Ancient Greece

Blurb:

Knossos.

The legendary Labyrinth.

Go back millennia to a time when Knossos was the jewel of Crete, center of commerce and pilgrimage. A Neolithic sea captain is driven to find a new homeland for his people when the neighboring tribes turn against them. Proud, ambitious priests and priestesses rule Crete through its many gods. Daidalos, a wronged architect, builds the Labyrinth after a devastating personal tragedy; his successors, the priest-architects of Daidalos, are charged with expanding and glorifying his master work. A dutiful scribe attends the dead after a natural disaster of world-changing fury. A dynasty of Mycenaean conquerors changes Crete, for good or ill. And a crazed girl's passion and the mysterious bull-man of the Labyrinth will change history.

In these ten stories of Minoan Crete, spanning a period of five thousand years, Knossos is at the heart of it all.

About the Author:

I have a passion for Minoan and Mycenaean culture. I hold a Master's Degree in English Literature from California State University, Northridge, and have worked as a teacher, florist, and administrative assistant. I enjoy painting, dollhouse miniatures, jewelry making, and needlework as well as writing and spending time with my two cats, Molly and Ru.

Giveaway:

One ebook of Knossos via Smashwords.

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Blitz: The Protectors Series by Teresa Gabelman @TGabelman @HotTreePromos #Giveaway

A grin played across her lips. She wiggled a little, surprised by her own actions. Was this the old Pam coming out? Was Duncan bringing her back to herself again? 

- Duncan (#3 The Protectors) by Teresa Gabelman

The Series

The VC Warriors are an elite group of vampires who protect innocents, whether human or those of their own race. Each vampire, half-breed and human across The Protectors' series, travel their own journey, finding love, building friendships and making sure they turn as many heads as possible doing it.

As the world of vampires and humans try to coexist, VC Warriors, Damon, Jared, Duncan, Sid and Adam, with Sloan and Slade not far behind, create an exciting new world filled with heat, humor and a whole heap of action.

Be sure to check out this 5 star best-selling series now!

Reading Order

 

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