Getting to Know the Authors: Featuring Emily Suvada!

Bio:

     Emily Suvada is the award-winning author of the Mortal Coil trilogy, a science fiction thriller series for young adults. The first book, This Mortal Coil, won the Oregon Spirit Book Award, and was shortlisted for an Aurealis Award, the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize, and the Readings Young Adult Book Prize.
      Emily was born in Australia, where she spent her childhood reading, writing, and watching Star Trek. In college, she studied math and astrophysics, and went on to a career in finance before finding her way back to her first love—books.
     Today, Emily lives in Portland, OR, with her husband, and still spends most of her free time reading, writing, and watching Star Trek. She also enjoys cooking, coding, powerlifting, hiking, and art. Her interests include AI, nanotech, virtual worlds, space travel, and genetic engineering. She is represented by DongWon Song of the Howard Morhaim Literary Agency.

What has she written?

She has written:

Now on to the Interview!!!

1) How old were you when you started writing?

      I started writing stories as a young child - maybe seven or eight. I made a few serious attempts at short stories for competitions, but didn't try to write a novel until I was in my early twenties. It took me six years until my book was accepted for publication - publishing is a long, long road!

2) What do you want a reader to gain from reading your works?

      I hope that readers find themselves wondering about the future when they read my books, and questioning how they feel about widespread genetic engineering and other technological developments that we'll be seeing in the next few decades. I try not to say what's "right" or "wrong" in the future portrayed in these books, and instead want the reader to think about it and make up their own mind.

3) What are your three top suggestions on becoming an author, or being a pleasure writer?

      1 - Find a critique partner or group. You might be tempted to think that the most useful thing to come out of these relationships is other people's advice on your own work - but critiquing other people's writing is one of the best ways to learn and improve your own work.

      2 - Decide what you want out of writing. Do you want to be an award-winning writer? A bestseller? An inspiration to children? A page-turner who keeps people awake at night? A philosopher who makes them think? A romantic who makes them cry or swoon? A wordsmith who makes them gasp with the beauty of your prose? There are as many ways to be a "good" author as there are ways to have a "good" holiday, and the earlier a writer figures out who they really want to be, the better odds they'll have of achieving it. 

      3 - Develop a thick skin. This doesn't mean 'toughening up' - but rather facing the truth that many people will criticize, hate, or be utterly bored by your writing - and finding ways to deal with it. You don't love every book you read - so why should every reader love yours?

4) What is your favourite novel, why?

      I have three favourite novels - Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton, Twilight by Stephenie Meyer, and Neuromancer by William Gibson. Three very different books that I love in very different ways, and which have all equally influenced my writing.

5) What are your favourite pass times besides writing?

      I really enjoy reading, obviously! I also love cooking, gardening, and getting outdoors - I love hiking and cycling especially.

Cover Reveal: My Name Is Rose by Alexa Kingaard!

My Name Is Rose
by Alexa Kingaard
Published by: Acorn Publishing
Publication date: March 15th 2019
Genres: Contemporary, Young Adult

Rose is unsettled, curious, and bored. Life in a hippie commune is her parent’s dream come true, not hers. She doesn’t share their passion for living off the land, nor does she enjoy the isolation that is thrust upon her. When she convinces them to send her to public school in the nearby town, a new world opens up to her.
As she pursues her education, Rose chooses a different path, leaving her parents heartbroken at her insistence they are hiding something from her. She’s convinced her father isn’t the man her mother married.
Although she finds love far away from her roots and upbringing, her wounds only deepen as she keeps her family at arm’s length. What she loses during those years can only be retrieved with her understanding that “a Rose by any other name is still a Rose.”

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Author Bio:
Alexa Kingaard was born in San Diego, CA and has lived most of her life in the area. She currently resides in Carlsbad and is the mother of an adult son and daughter who continue to be her biggest fans and cheerleaders. A realtor for fifteen years, she remains involved with her profession and praises her brokers and clients for giving her the nod to be creative.
She gives all the credit for completing her debut novel, KEEP FOREVER, to her inspiration and late ex-husband, Jeff, who battled the residual effects of the Vietnam War for decades after his return.
Her second novel, MY NAME IS ROSE, will be released through Acorn Publishing March 15, 2019.

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Cover Reveal: Kingdom of Salt & Sirens Boxed Set!

Kingdom of Salt & Sirens
Publication date: TBA
Genres: Fairy Tales, Retelling, Young Adult

The Little Mermaid but not as you remember it…

Beneath the turbulent seas, beyond the smokey depths, lies a Kingdom that exists in your wildest imagination. A world where mermaids swim, sirens sing and shipwrecks hide mysterious creatures.
Make waves with our 11 magical retellings of the timeless classic, The Little Mermaid.
Dive into a world filled with adventure, love and magic!
One click now for your happily ever after.
Authors include:
J.A Armitage, R. Castro, Jennifer Ellision, Mira Crest, K.M Pyne, Laura Greenwood, Jacque Stevens, Scarlett Kol, Anne Stryker, Nikki Landis, and Tracy Korn.

Book Blitz: The Watchers by Misty Hayes!

The Watchers
by Misty Hayes
(The Blood Dagger: Volume 2)
Publication date: December 15th 2018
Genres: Paranormal, Thriller, Young Adult

Eighteen-year-old Corinth Taylor didn’t sign up to become a Watcher—an elite warrior destined to restore balance to the human race—he was chosen.
Corinth can barely control his own hormones… much less the deadly blade. And to make matters worse, his best friend, Larna, just so happens to be the very thing he’s supposed to eliminate.
But when vampires and slayer find a common enemy, Corinth knows it’s his innate calling to hunt evil down. And evil has a name: Gabriel Stanton. The enigmatic vampire who escaped their capture, has plans for Corinth, Larna, and Alastair… and it’s a threat they’ll never see coming.
When the line between good and evil gets crossed, devastating consequences start to happen. As Watcher and vampire worlds collide, Corinth must decide where to place his trust: with his old allies or his killer instincts. An upstart slayer. A clan of vampires.
What could go wrong?
It’s only the end of the world.
The Watchers is the second book in The Blood Dagger series, a high-octane paranormal YA thriller.
If you like witty heroines, unconventional relationships, and friendships that can withstand the grave, then you’ll love Misty Hayes’ high-stakes story.
Sink your teeth into a fun, fierce vampire series today.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo

—

EXCERPT:

After walking for about an hour, the tunnel deposited us into a larger cavern. Every inch of space was filled with mushrooms. They were glittering blue patches of bioluminescent light. It was strangely hypnotic and exactly how I imagined another planet might look.
Larna dropped her hand from my shoulder. By the soft glow coming off the walls, I could see her admiring the shimmering fungi with her mouth slightly ajar.
Upon closer inspection, I realized that not all of the mushrooms were glowing. There was a section of fungi that darkened a spot on the wall where Al had stopped.
As I joined him, his voice carried around the cavernous space, making him sound haunted and forlorn. “Bluefoot
mushrooms.” It was the first time he’d spoken in over an hour. He pulled his backpack off and filled it with the
fungi. “I used to cook with these when I lived in France … They taste great in omelets.”
I plucked one off the wall because I had worked up an appetite, and popped it into my mouth and then
immediately spit it out. “Gross. That tastes like dirt.”
Taking a quick swig of water from Larna’s pack, I hissed, “You eat that?”
“They taste better cooked,” Al said, his mouth quirking up in amusement. “But they’re great protein. You
should eat up while you have the chance.”
“I’d rather eat sludge,” I muttered under my breath.
The further we progressed, the more claustrophobic I started to feel. Being in closed-off spaces and in the pitchdark for hours was taking its toll on me. I deposited a pebble from the bottom of my shoe back to its home, noticing for the first time how many blisters I had accumulated during this trek. I couldn’t see them, but I could definitely feel them. Mental note: Converse do not make great hiking shoes. I had a pair of perfectly fine boots, but they were swimming with the fish at the bottom of the ocean. That morning, before Larna dropped my bag, I had switched them out, hoping the gnarly blisters on my feet might heal if I wore a different pair of shoes.
Everything hurt, but I didn’t want to be the first to whine, so I sucked it up, and we continued on … and on …and on … until it seemed like we’d never see the light of day ever again. I felt something dark and sinister twisting its skeletal little fingers into my gut.
That thought sent me into an even more depressed spiral, and pretty soon that depression turned into an infection. What if Al didn’t really know where he was going? What if he was leading me to my death? He loved Larna—he didn’t care about me. They could see in the dark—all they had to do was leave me behind, and I would be lost down here forever. It wasn’t until I felt Larna’s hand shift on my shoulder that I realized she was still beside me.
Still, resentment started to gnaw away at me.

Author Bio:
Misty has always called Texas home but has a passion for world travel.
Before taking up writing, she has had a long career in law enforcement. Besides the self-torture of writing books, she also loves the self-torture of running. Misty is currently working on book three of her young adult trilogy in 'The Blood Dagger' series. The Watchers - Volume 2 will be released in December 2018.
When not writing, Misty enjoys reading any books by Jim Butcher, Stephen King, Dean Koontz, Joe Hill (Owen King), and J.K. Rowling. A lot of author's write about pets on their bio's... Misty has a rescue parakeet named Peeta (As in the Hunger Games).

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Book Blitz: Captive Rebel by Erin McDermott!

Captive Rebel
by Erin McDermott
(The Allegiance #1)
Publication date: July 2nd 2017
Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Young Adult

In a world where Greek Gods rule over the Allegiance, Marylyn O’Conner struggles to survive.

Marylyn is a rebel, forced to do the rebellion’s bidding until an unforgiving family debt is paid. A pawn in the war against the Allegiance, she is obligated to become a rebel spy, or her family will suffer.

When word spreads that an Allegiant Prince, Ariston, has escaped rebel captivity vowing to hunt down rebel spies, Marylyn realizes her only hope is to escape Allegiant territory.

While on the run, Ariston captures Marylyn, preventing her from any chance of returning home. Desperate, she knows she needs to escape her alluring captor or risk the safety of her family.

But Marylyn can’t keep herself from falling for the mysterious prince as she finds that he can empathize with her troublesome past – a past no ally has understood before.

Goodreads / Amazon

—

EXCERPT:

Moist hands wrapped around my lower arm. “Excuse me, you’re that rebel girl aren’t you?” I turned to face a boy with sweeping black hair and piercing gray eyes. Unfortunately for him, he struggled to stand and his breath was repulsive.
“Who else would I be?” I bluntly responded while attempting to rip my arm from his hold. He only squeezed it tighter.
“I say you shouldn’t listen to these people who are talking poorly about you. I don’t think you’re a bad person. Not at all,” he gave me a weak smile and stumbled toward me.
I took a step back, weary of this boy. “Well, they’re probably right,” I said, trying to persuade him to back off. He continued approaching me with a sloppy grin plastered across his face. Clearly, my words did not dissuade him.
He held tighter on my arm as his face came increasingly close to mine. Before I knew what was happening, I reacted.
The moment his lips brushed against mine I pushed him away with my free arm. He went staggering to the floor. His one hand still firmly held onto my arm, dragging me down with him.
My body fell against his and my hair cascaded around his face. Before I could react, he slammed his hands against my chest, tossing my unprepared body onto the wooden floor next to him. My shoulder slammed onto the ground and I moaned in pain.
I reached for my shoulder and gripped it tightly. Before I could make another move large hands wrapped around my waist, pulling me up to a standing position. Bulky arms wrapped around me and I was pulled back into a man’s chest.
“Walk away before I hurt you,” Ariston’s warm breath tickled my ear as he spoke with a protective voice.
The boy in front of me was unrelenting, “She’s scum. Why are you protecting her?”
The pub went silent and all eyes were on the three of us. Ariston’s grip around my waist was unusually comforting, and I had a burning desire to ask him not to let go.
His deep voice echoed through the silent pub. “As your prince, and a man tortured by her kind, she is rightfully mine.”
“Rightfully no one’s,” I aggressively whispered only loud enough for him to hear and no one else.
“After spying on my family, you are mine.”

Author Bio:
Erin McDermott was born and raised in New Jersey. She graduated college with a bachelors degree in History. If she's not in her room writing, you may find somewhere on the Jersey Shore with her family. She has been writing stories since 3rd grade. It was not until after experiencing the fast-paced life New York City had to offer that she decided to finally take the plunge and finish her first book, CAPTIVE REBEL (The Allegiance, Book 1).
During her years in college she expressed a deep interest in Greek Mythology, which she incorporates into The Allegiance Series. She is incredibly grateful to her family for supporting her throughout the trials and tribulations of the independent publishing process.

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Getting to Know the Authors: Featuring Jeff Giles!

Bio:

      Jeff Giles is a writer based in Montana. He was previously the Deputy Editor of Entertainment Weekly, where he oversaw all coverage of movies and books. Prior to EW, Giles was an arts writer and editor at Newsweek, where, among other things, he served as a Rohan Army extra in “Lord of the Rings” while chronicling the trilogy from start to finish (Peter Jackson shot a close-up of him, then cut it, saying he “looked silly.”) Giles has freelanced for many outlets, including Rolling Stone and The New York Times Book Review.
      Jeff’s debut novel, THE EDGE OF EVERYTHING is a Young Adult Contemporary/Fantasy. A Montana girl, who’s grieving after the mysterious death of her dad, chases her little brother into a blizzard—and stumbles on a bounty hunter from the underworld who’s come to take a soul. She tries to help him escape his life before all hell breaks loose.

What has he written?

He has written:

Now on to the Interview!!!

1) How old were you when you started writing, in your opinion?

I remember taking a cool blank journal on a family vacation to Greece when I was 9 so I must have been thinking about it even then. (I ended writing about five words in it and that's it. I still have it somewhere, I think.) By 14 or so, I was probably sure that it's what I wanted to do for a living if I could. I wrote many, many bad stories and poems before I graduated from high school. I even put the date on all of them, because I thought they'd be important some day!

2) What do you want a reader to gain from reading your works?

My YA books, "The Edge or Everything" and "The Brink of Darkness," are fantasy novels but they've got a lot of stuff about family and grieving and shame and empathy. Those are the themes that mean the most to me personally.

3) What are your three top suggestions on becoming an author, or being a pleasure writer?

First, find a schedule you can stick to, even if it's only writing a couple hundred words a day or week. That way you won't wander away from a project because you haven't sat down to write in a while. Secondly, I always suggest writing at least a simple outline if you're thinking of a novel, so that you know where it's going and that the plot is interesting enough to carry a reader through a novel. Third, make sure you have snacks in the house, preferably chocolate.

4) What is your favourite novel, why?

I have many favorites, depending on what genre. My favorite young adult novel is "Still Life with Tornado" by A.S. King. It's about a teenage girl going through a hard time with her family. She skips school to walk around her city and keeps magically meeting up with herself at older or younger ages-- and she tries to get advice from herself on how to handle her life.

5) Who is your favourite author, why?

In YA world, it's A.S. King. In other genres, I love the Canadian short story writer Alice Munro and the Japanese novelist Huraki Murakami.  I also love the British novelist Kazuo Ishiguro. His sci-fi novel "Never Let Me Go" is one I recommend to all kinds of readers.  I also recommend Ann Patchett's thrilling/romantic novel "Bel Canto" constantly.

6) What are your favourite pass times besides writing?

I love music. I play a few instruments really badly and listen to all kinds of music.

7) Who in your life do you credit your imagination to the most?

Cool question! I'm not sure. I had a great high school teacher, Mr. Emmons, who really encouraged me to write. But I think it was all the reading I did as a kid that inspired me the most. When I was in high school and college, I read a lot of John Irving's novels ("The Hotel New Hampshire" and "The World According to Garp" were my favorites) and I loved the funny, generous way he looked at people, especially messed-up families.

8) What are the top five things on your bucket list?

I've never actually made a bucket list! But because I was a journalist I've already been really lucky in my life and gotten to meet many of my heroes and go to many places I dreamed about.

9) What is your funniest childhood memory?

Oh, I could write about a novel about being president of the high school marching band. We were the worst band ever.

10) To the youth of today, if you could tell them one thing, what would it be?

I'm sorry about what we've done to the earth and to people who are different and to politics, and I know your generation will fix everything.

Getting to Know the Authors: Featuring Elizabeth Lim!

Bio:

      Elizabeth Lim grew up on a hearty staple of fairy tales, myths, and songs. Her passion for storytelling began around age 10, when she started writing fanfics for Sailor Moon, Sweet Valley, and Star Wars, and posted them online to discover, "Wow, people actually read my stuff. And that's kinda cool!" But after one of her teachers told her she had "too much voice" in her essays, Elizabeth took a break from creative writing to focus on not flunking English.
      Over the years, Elizabeth became a film and video game composer, and even went so far as to get a doctorate in music composition. But she always missed writing, and she turned to penning stories when she needed a breather from grad school. One day, she decided to write and finish a novel -- for kicks, at first, then things became serious -- and she hasn't looked back since.
      Elizabeth loves classic film scores, books with a good romance, food (she currently has a soft spot for arepas and Ethiopian food), the colour turquoise, overcast skies, English muffins, cycling, and baking. She grew up in Northern California, with a brief stint in Tokyo, Japan, but now lives in New York City with her husband and their daughter.
​      Elizabeth graduated from Harvard College with a degree in music and a secondary in East Asian Studies, and completed her graduate degrees at The Juilliard School.
 ​     She is represented by Gina Maccoby of the Gina Maccoby Literary Agency.

What has she written?

She has written:

Now on to the Interview!!!

1) How old were you when you started writing, in your opinion?

         The first story I remember writing was in third grade. It was a mystery fanfic starring the twins from Sweet Valley. 

2) What do you want a reader to gain from reading your works?

         I want readers to fall in love with a new world, and to see that heroes come from all backgrounds. Most of all, I want readers to feel emotionally invested in my stories and characters, enough that they remember it long after they've finished reading. 

3) What are your three top suggestions on becoming an author, or being a pleasure writer?

        Read as much as you can, but listen too. A good ear can improve one’s writing immeasurably. 

Give yourself goals, not a timeline. 

Don’t let rejections get you down. Persistence is key. 

4) What is your favourite novel, why? 

         It's so tough for me to pick just one! I love most of the books I read, so I'm going to cheat a little and pick some favorites from the last month. As of December 2018, my favorites would be Girl in Translation by Jean Kwok, Circe by Madeleine Miller, and The Light Between Worlds by Laura Weymouth.

5) Who is your favourite author, why? 

         Same problem as the question above! Right now, I'd say Madeleine Miller and Laini Taylor because they both have a magical way of turning the most mundane action into something beautiful with their prose. 

6) What are your favourite pass times besides writing? 

         I love writing music, reading, and traveling. Lately I’ve started to enjoy taking and editing photos. In typical neurotic-writer fashion, I also really like updating my calendar and making lists.  

7) Who in your life do you credit your imagination to the most? 

         My mother

8) What are the top five things on your bucket list?

         1. See a shooting star

         2. Visit the Zhangjiajie National Forest Park (and see its pillar-mountains)

         3. Learn to lucid dream

         4. See the Northern Lights

         5. Learn how to cook Cantonese cuisine

9) What is your funniest childhood memory? 

         When I was around 4 or 5, I loved playing pranks on my family. Sometimes I’d use red marker and draw all over my hands and pretend I was bleeding to freak out my parents, or pour tons of sugar into my aunt’s hot chocolate. I also really loved reenacting shampoo commercials in the shower in my bathing suit. 

10) To the youth of today, if you could tell them one thing, what would it be? 

         Chasing adventure, a successful career, a way to change the world for the better are all admirable goals, but don't forget to prioritize love and building relationships that will last.

A Curse So Dark and Lonely (A Curse So Dark and Lonely #1) by Brigid Kemmerer (Review)

       A fun retelling of the much beloved fairy-tale classic Beauty and the Beast, A Curse So Dark and Lonely is the first instalment in a fun fantasy story that plucks a modern DC, American girl and throws her into a fantasy world of Magic and Curses. Princes and Beasts. Knights and Enchantresses. They stole her, plucked her right off the street, they need Harper to break the curse, but she has bigger problems. Her bother is in danger with a gang, and her mother is dying of cancer. They need her home, and she needs to get home, the curse be dammed. The Prince and his kingdom be dammed. Harper is not going to take this lying down, and they can't let her escape, can't let her go home; because she is their last chance, and this is their last Season.

           A Curse So Dark and Lonely was really refreshing. I was getting a little tired of the Beauty and the Beast retellings (even though it is my all-time favourite fairytale), since they are all so predictable and cookies cutter, but this book really mixes things up. First, let's talk about Harper. Harper is a fantastic protagonist. She has Cerebral palsy and has a truly troublingly hard life. She is rounded but so, so strong. She is a genuinely great roll model and displays true strength of character. She was a treat to read about. Now, the concept of the novel. I loved it. I loved the plucking of a modern woman into a world of magic and kingdoms. It didn't overthink it or try to over-explain it, it just was as it was. I really enjoyed that. I also really enjoyed the side characters and was secretly rooting for the Knight instead of the Prince. He was just so sweet and honourable. Also this book really sets up well for a sequel or two, which has me interested in continuing the series. All in all, I really enjoyed A Curse So Dark and Lonely and give it the rating of FOUR AND A HALF STARS OUT OF FIVE!!!

*Advanced Readers Copy Review*

What the Woods Keep by Katya de Becerra (Review)

      Meh, What the Woods Keep was a very meh novel. It was okay. I didn't hate it, but I definitely didn't love it. In a world with immense amounts of mystery and danger, Hayden is an 18 year old girl that is trying to make sense of the disappearance of her mother from many years ago. To do this, she travels to her old home town to investigate the woods where she vanished when Hayden was only a small child. There is something weird about the woods, about the town around it. As Hayden and her friend Del spend time there, things just aren't adding up. Vials of blood, weird girls, old prophesies and strange ravens. Each thing challenges Hayden's deep belief in the sciences, making her question her very sanity.

       I didn't love What the Woods Keep. The pace of the novel was way too slow, seemingly dragging along. I really wished the plot points would be brought closer together, because there were so many useless small things, I couldn't keep my mind on the story I was reading. The book has some merits, and an interesting mythical concept, but the execution was just lacking. I can't really recommend this What the Woods Keep because it was simply really, really boring. It also had many useless plot threads and things left unaddressed at the end of the book. If this was in a series that would not be a problem, but as a stand-alone, it makes the book feel incomplete. I give What the Woods Keep THREE AND A HALF STARS OUT OF FIVE!!!

*Advanced Readers Copy Review*

Cover Reveal: ECHO Academy by Christina Bauer!

ECHO Academy
(Dimension Drift, #2)
Published by: Ink Monster LLC
Publication date: April 28th 2020
Genres: Dystopian, Fantasy, Young Adult

The second book in the new series from USA Today’s ‘must read YA paranormal romance’ author, Christina Bauer

Our heroine Meimi Archer has been assigned to attend ECHO Academy. There, the evil Headmaster believes that Meimi will help the government conquer other dimensions.

But Meimi has some very different ideas. She’s starting a revolution.

That is, if the Headmaster doesn’t find out and murder her first.

This new series is perfect for: fans of urban fantasy, action & adventure, cool science, evil corporations, forbidden romance and hot new classmates who may or may not be aliens.

Goodreads / Amazon / Kobo / Google Play

Author Bio:
Christina Bauer knows how to tell stories about kick-ass women. In her best selling Angelbound series, the heroine is a part-demon girl who loves to fight in Purgatory’s Arena and falls in love with a part-angel prince. This young adult best seller has driven more than 500,000 ebook downloads and 9,000 reviews on Goodreads and retailers. The first three books in the series are now available as audiobooks on Audible and iTunes.
Bauer has also told the story of the Women’s March on Washington by leading PR efforts for the Massachusetts Chapter. Her pre-event press release—the only one sent out on a major wire service—resulted in more than 19,000 global impressions and redistribution by over 350 different media entities including the Associated Press.
Christina graduated from Syracuse University’s Newhouse School with BA’s in English along with Television, Radio, and Film Production. She lives in Newton, MA with her husband, son, and semi-insane golden retriever, Ruby.
Stalk Christina On Social Media – She Loves It!

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Book Blitz: The Viking's Captive by Quinn Loftis!

The Viking’s Captive
by Quinn Loftis
(Clan Hakon #2)
Published by: Clean Teen Publishing
Publication date: November 27th 2018
Genres: Historical, Young Adult

Prophecy spoken.
Alliances broken.
Will duty come before love?
The Viking’s Captive is the exciting sequel toThe Viking’s Chosen by USA Today Bestseller Quinn Loftis.
Two worlds collide in this epic historical fiction centered on an undeniable chemistry that smolders against the odds. Richly written and injected with moments of humor, this action-packed romantic tale will leave you breathless.
Novels in The Clan Hakon Series Include:
The Viking’s Chosen (February 12, 2018)
The Viking’s Captive (November 27, 2018)
The Viking’s Consort (Fall 2019)

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo

—

EXCERPT:

“If you vomit on my lap, I will most likely throw you overboard,” Dayna, my incredibly helpful sister, told me for the fourth or fifth time.
“If you hadn’t come running after me like a sodding fool, you wouldn’t have gotten yourself captured. Then you wouldn’t even be on this boat, and you wouldn’t have to worry about me vomiting on you, now, would you?” I asked as I clutched my midsection. My stomach seemed to think it should take its cues from the ocean upon which we sailed. It rolled and flipped just like the waves.
“First, if I hadn’t come after you, then that would make me a coward and not much of a sister, so that was never an option. Second, if I hadn’t gotten captured, then you would be all alone with no one to hold your hair while you vomit, now, wouldn’t you?”
“Do we have to use the term vomit in every sentence?” Hilda, the Hakon clan Oracle, healer, and Torben’s mother, asked dryly.
“Apparently, we do since you just used it yourself,” Dayna pointed out.
Hilda shot me a sly grin, with one eyebrow raised, asked, “You don’t mind if I just put a small hex on her, do you?”
“She is my sister, so I’d rather you didn’t.”
“Thank you,” Dayna said a bit smugly.
“But if you feel it’s absolutely necessary, I guess I could overlook it,” I added, earning me a pinch from said sister.
I had no idea how long it had been since Magnus, Torben’s jarl, had captured us. On one hand, he’d done me a favor. I certainly wasn’t going to have to marry Cathal now. On the other hand, my sister and I were now the prisoners of a man who was slowly losing his mind. I wasn’t sure which was worse, being married to a madman or being stolen by one. For whatever reason, I seemed to have suddenly become a hot commodity to lunatics. I chuckled to myself.
“Pray tell, sister, what is so funny?” Dayna asked.
“Madmen want me,” I said as I groaned and shifted my head, which was indeed lying in my sister’s lap, where I very well might have been sick at any second.
“Do you think she’s already delirious from being at sea?” Dayna asked Hilda.
Hilda snorted¾a most unladylike sound. “We’ve only been at sea for half a day at most. If she’s already delirious, then we are going to need to shore up her constitution.”
I was just about to tell her where she could shove her shoring up when I quickly covered my mouth and sat up. I refused to vomit. If I did, it would feel like Magnus was winning in some bizarre, silent game between the two of us. Once I was sure I could open my mouth without anything but words coming out of it, I addressed Hilda. “I am feeling more than just my own illness, worry, and fear.” I pressed my hand to my heart and rubbed it as if that could somehow remove the ache. “There’s a pain deep in my breast.”
Hilda nodded. “That would be the anchor bond between you and my son. You are feeling his worry and fear as well as your own. And knowing how deeply Torben feels anything, I imagine he is in quite a bit of distress, though he won’t show it on the outside.” She shook her head. “No, he’s a warrior through and through. On the outside, he will look as though he could slit your throat without a second thought. But on the inside, he is frantic to get to you.”
“Is that why you weren’t wailing about the possibility of Torben being dead when Magnus said he was?” Dayna asked.
“I would know if he were dead. A part of me would die inside as well.” I looked back to Hilda. “Will he kill Magnus?” I asked.
She nodded. “It is his destiny to become jarl of the Hakon clan, as it is your destiny to rule at his side. For that to happen, the old jarl must die. Magnus will never relinquish power willingly. Our two nations will grow stronger, not only because they embrace one another’s differences, but because they need new blood. Your offspring will be strong.”
The boat gave a mighty heave, and Dayna and I both nearly fell off the small bench upon which we were perched. Hilda didn’t appear bothered at all by the motion. She noticed the expression I was giving her and shrugged.
“I’ve lived at sea a long time. She and I are well acquainted.”
“Forgive me for speaking out of turn,” Dayna said, gripping the seat beneath her as though it might try to toss her into the bottom of the boat, “but your life has been about as fun as a house rat’s on cleaning day if you’ve spent that much time on the ocean.”

Author Bio:
Quinn is an award winning author who lives in beautiful Western Arkansas with her husband, two sons, Nora the Doberman, and Chewy the Cat who thinks he's a dog. She is the author of 17 novels, and 2 novellas, including the USA Today bestseller, Fate and Fury. Quinn is beyond thankful that she has been blessed to be able to write full time and hopes the readers know how much all of their support means to her. Some of her hobbies include reading, exercising, crochet, and spending time with family and friends. She gives all credit of her success to God because he gave her the creative spirit and vivid imagination it takes to write.

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Enchantée by Gita Trelease (Review)

     A magical and, honouring the name, enchanting tale, Enchantée was a fun time to read. It's the story of a poor young lady in pre-revolution France, Paris specifically, named Camille Durbonne. Camille and her siblings are impoverished after the traffic death of their parents, and in an attempt to pay rent, get her sisters medication and put food on the table, she turns to magic; specifically, a magic that stems from pain and sorrow, that eats away at the magician. Using her magic to slip into the court, she gets sucked into a world of excess and gambling, and has to figure out how far is too far before she gets caught, or the magic takes too high of a tole. All the while, her heart is taken for a ride with a sweet hot-air ballooning aristocrat, who poses the risk of figuring out her disguise and risking everything she has worked for.

     I really enjoyed Enchantée. I have been in a bit of a reading slump recently, but this book was just the pick-me-up I needed. It was in a new setting from the one I am used to and it had multiple fascinating premises. I was not expecting much from this novel, since I don't love political court dramas, but I found myself happily engrossed in it. I really liked Camille and her sister, and constantly found myself deeply empathizing with them and muttering my encouragements to them aloud as I read. They, like every single character in this book, were incredibly well rounded and developed. The plot was constantly developing in some manner or another and it felt like there were no wasted moments in this book, which is fantastic. When I put down the book I found I was very satisfied with it, and was proud to have an ARC of it in my collection, which is awesome. All in all, I really recommend Enchantée and give it the rating of FIVE OUT OF FIVE STARS!!!

*Advanced Readers Copy Review*

Angel in Crisis (Louisiangel #4) by C.L. Coffey (Review)

    The fourth instalment in the Louisiangel series, Angel in Crisis continues on where Angel Tormented left off. After defeating Asmodious, one of the two Princes' of Darkness, Angel and Cupid have a lot on their hands. Managing the convent is not easy, especially with having a messy relationship with the run-away cherubs. To top it off, with Michael dead, everything is unguided and without direction. This leads to absolute chaos and a lot of hard work for Angel. With Lucifer on the prowl and planning some mysterious and terrible thing, being distracted and busy can be a very dangerous thing indeed.

    Yah, this instalment was fine. I mean, I am beginning to grow a little board with the series, and Angel mainly, but it delivers a story roughly equivalent to the previous two in the series. I really don't have much to say about this novel except that is was mediocre and that if you love the series, you will find no issue with Angel in Crisis. Also, the romance with Joshua is really starting to feel dry and disinteresting. Since the romance was what drew me into the first novel, I am debating whether or not I want to continue this series. I guess we'll see won't we. Also side tangent, I found how this series deals with deaths sometimes to be weird, and makes characters feel overly emotional and under emotional at the same time. That's just a random thing I noticed. Anyway, all in all, Angel in Crisis was okay and I give it the rating of FOUR STARS OUT OF FIVE!

*Advanced Readers Copy Review*

Shifters and Glyphs (Fairy Tales of the Magicorum #2) by Christina Bauer (Review)

       Another instalment in the Fairy Tales of the Magicorum, in Shifters and Glyphs, the story continues where Bryar Rose and her mate, Knox, continue their hunt for the fountain of magic before it is too late. As Bry tries to translate the egyptian runes from an ancient text, a new enemy enters the ring with aim to get the magic Bry is chasing after. They follow her through her dreams and wipe her memories in the morning. 

       It was fine. The writing style was fairly consistent to the first book in the series, the characters were still developing, which was nice, and the story expanded the world and added to it. My only real reservation about this book was that I got bored. It was unfortunate situation, but I just didn't feel drawn into this one and just didn't fall in love with it. I'm honestly not sure why, but I just am not pumped over this book. It hits most of the notes, but was just missing something. That extra push/hook that would really have helped this book over the hump, but in the end, I felt Shifters and Glyphs was just fine and give it the rating of FOUR OUT OF FIVE STARS!!!

*Advanced Readers Copy Review*