Showing posts with label Angels. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Angels. Show all posts

April 11, 2016

Teasers, Author Interview, Excerpt & Giveaway! The Warrior Prophet, The Watcher Saga #3 by Lisa Voisin


Mia Crawford is a prophet.

She can see angels. She also sees demons. Everywhere.

The angels are preparing for war to get her fallen angel boyfriend, Michael, back. A war that could take years.

Haunted by visions of Michael’s soul being tortured, Mia can’t rest until she knows he’s safe.

To save him, she must make an impossible journey through Hell with the one person she prayed she’d never see again.



He tucks his wings into himself, but they are still so close I could touch them. He walks a small circle around me. Still a dance.

“That’s very different,” he says.

“I don’t see how. I am human. They are my people.”

He bends forward until his face is inches from mine. “Your mother had passed. You needed me. We’re allowed to appear when we are needed.”

His breath warms my cheek and it’s all I can do not to lean closer. 

“Really?” My eyes search his for a sign—any sign—of feelings for me. “She died ten moons ago.” Did only pity bring him? “Why did you stay?”

A light breeze ruffles the leaves overhead. It’s warm but welcome. Michael backs away, the tops of his cheeks lit with pink. He swallows and his Adam’s apple jumps in his throat. “Perhaps I needed you.”

His voice is music, and his energy hums through me, making me bold. I couldn’t imagine him needing anyone, least of all me. With a smile, I glance at him and hold up the feathery filament. A small piece of his magic, its light sparkles and plays along my hand, the lines of his throat and jaw, the front of his tunic.

“If I return this,” I say. “What will you give me in exchange?”

“Well.” He frowns and thoughtfully strokes his chin, but his eyes are still smiling. “What do you want? Riches and jewels aren’t mine to command. I am but a humble servant.”

“Can you make it rain? It would be good for my father’s crops.”

“You know I cannot,” he scolds. “Doing so would be interfering.”

I do know, but enjoy the game, the way he looks at me as though he sees something hidden deep inside me, the secret of who I am.

“How about a kiss?” I ask.

He casts his gaze to the ground and bows his head. “Of course. A blessing.” He rests his hands on my shoulders, and even that light touch scorches me. White-hot like the sun.

Closing his eyes, he leans in to kiss my forehead, but I want a real kiss. Not the kiss of an angel, but of a lover. I rise to my toes, lifting my chin, and press my lips to his.



Hi, Lisa! Tell us a bit about yourself.

Hi! Thank you so much for having me on your blog today. I’m thrilled to be here.

As you’ve probably guessed, I’m an author of young adult fiction. In my spare time, I lead a writing group for teens in my home town of North Vancouver, Canada. I’m also a meditation teacher who’s curious about all things metaphysical. My 15 years of metaphysical study piqued an interest in angels and demons that only writing about them could satisfy.

On a more personal note, I live with my fiancé and our two cats. 

How long have you been writing?

I've been writing stories since I was in elementary school. I kept writing through high school, to the point where I preferred writing stories over doing other homework. My parents started to get concerned about me and tried to talk me out of this ridiculous notion that I could be an author.

They won out for a little while, then I went to university and took up technical writing just to prove I could earn an income from the written word. Though my mom is no longer around to see me follow my dreams, my dad is now one of my biggest supporters. 

Your book, The Warrior Prophet, is about angels. Who’s your favorite angel? In books? In TV? In movies?

On TV, I love Castiel from the show Supernatural. I think he’s incredibly complex and very funny and I just love the way he smites! I even love the word “smite”. On the opposite end of the spectrum, I’m also fond of Lucifer from the new TV series with the same name.

In books, I’m a huge Neil Gaiman fan, so I loved his Radio play Murder Mysteries, and Aziraphale from the book Good Omens. 

In movies, I really enjoyed Wim Wenders’ film, Wings of Desire, and the angels in that.

If you were to have your heroine, Mia Crawford over for dinner, what would you cook and why?

I don’t cook as much as I used to. My fiancé does the cooking. If it weren’t for him, I’d never have time to write! But if I were to cook, I’d probably make Mia a chicken curry of some sort, because she seems to eat chicken a lot. 

So you meditate. How does meditation help you with writing? How does it hinder it?

All my ideas come from meditation. Because I also have a day job as a technical writer, I need to clear my mind at the end of the day in order to let the ideas come forward. Meditation helps me to silence the inner critic that holds me back from writing and calm the stress of daily life that can get in the way of the creative process. I’d say the only way that meditation has ever hindered writing is that sometimes, after I’ve gone pretty deep, it takes me a little while to find words again. When I truly shut off the inner monologue and get to a place of being, I do get ideas or downloads of information. Sometimes, the information links together in unusual ways. 

After years of meditation, you start to think differently, for example, I know how to turn off my inner critic. It still springs up from time to time, but I know it for what it is. Because everyone has one, it can be difficult sometimes to create an authentic character voice without adding it back in. It adds an inner adversary to the character’s thoughts.

What was your favorite part to write in The Warrior Prophet and why?

I think I had more fun writing The Warrior Prophet than I have any other book. I believe it’s because I know the characters and their world so well. It was simply great to spend time with them again. Ironically, I think the most fun part to write about was Hell. It was really fun to come up with such a dark place where there are no limits to how bad things can get. It was also really fun to write interplay between Mia and her “guide”, because their interaction came naturally. I also really enjoyed writing some of the scenes from Mia and Michael’s past life together.




A Canadian-born author, Lisa Voisin spent her childhood daydreaming and making up stories, but it was her love of reading and writing in her teens that drew her to Young Adult fiction. 
Lisa is a technical writer, a meditation teacher, and the leader of the Lynn Valley Literary Society’s Young Writer’s Club, a writing group for teens. A self-proclaimed coffee lover, she can usually be found writing in a local café. When she's not writing, you'll find her meditating or hiking in the mountains.
Though she’s lived in several cities across Canada, she currently lives in Vancouver, B.C. with her fiancé and their two cats.
More about Lisa can be found on her web site: http://www.lisavoisin.com.


December 17, 2015

Excerpt & Giveaway! Caelum: Olde City Angels Book 1


Eva doesn't claim to be a good guardian angel, but she tries. After she loses two charges, the Powers That Be begin to doubt her abilities. To redeem herself, Eva sets out to rescue Elsie, granddaughter of the former king of the Fae. A demon has kidnapped Elsie to complete an ancient ritual that will allow him to slip through the veil between Earth and Hell during the Sturgeon moon. Thomas, an angel liaison, finally lands his first mission. But when he's paired with the angel responsible for his uncle's death, he has to put aside their differences to get the job done. With unlikely friends in tow, Eva and Thomas are in a race against time. Save Elsie, save the world—oh, and save Eva's job.



~*~
A young brunette was positioned on Soren’s lap, fresh blood trickling down her neck. As soon as he saw me, he pushed her off and stood. The girl didn’t seem to care. She was still high from his bite. Soren looked to the girl. “Leave.” The words came out clipped and angry. His cheeks were flushed from feeding, I looked at the girl, wondering, but I wasn’t drawn to her. She wasn’t my charge. I did wonder if I had been sent to save Elsie from Soren. My entire being would know the moment I saw Elsie. George used to call it my angel voodoo. He moved toward me fast. The energy coming from him was like a lightening storm, and I wanted to be in the middle, letting his rain envelope me. Getting too close would mean being struck by his lightening. Everyone close to him always ended up scorched.

~*~


Mandie Stevens has always been accused of living in her own world so she decided to put it to paper. When she isn't writing you can catch her lounging on the beach reading. Mandie has penned both nonfiction and urban fantasy. She has ridiculously little feet and would be happy eating seafood every day.


June 1, 2015

Book Promo: Excerpt & Giveaway! Archangel Zach, The Seven #3 by Lisa Hughey



For three hundred years, Zach has suffered under the crushing guilt over his part in the death of his one true love. Since then he’s hidden himself away, dispensing his forgiveness far from the human realm and the threat of more heartbreak...until the day that he is conscripted into war against the angels’ most dangerous enemy…the Grigori.

Every night, Shasa Jefferson dreams the same scene—a far off island, a gorgeous, magical man, and sizzling passion that curls her toes. But getting lost in dreams is no way to live a life…until the day Shasa’s mystery man appears on her doorstep spouting terms she doesn’t understand and forcing her to confront her deepest fears.

Zach is amazed to find the soul of his true love in Shasa, but how long can their rekindled passion survive with the shadow of the Grigori and Zach’s own past transgressions threatening to tear them apart?

Archangel Zach is the third installment in The Seven series, featuring hot Archangels and their human loves. The SevenArchangels, Guardians to Earth, have lost touch with the human realm, dwelling in the Third Sphere and watching over the earth from afar...until their mortal enemies escape from banishment determined to wreak destruction on Earth and the Angelic Realm. Suddenly, the Archangels must team up with the humans and all hell breaks loose.


Zach wanted to translocate out of this house, but something about the husky voice of Anna’s daughter held him rooted to the floor.

“What’s that?” The daughter rushed into the dark, wood-paneled living room and stopped cold, staring at Zach as if she’d seen a ghost.

She was in her late twenties. Caramel skin, wide-set violet eyes tilted coquettishly, and high elegant cheekbones accented her stunning face. A cap of tight dark brown curls hugged her skull.

His heart thundered in his chest. His vision grew dim and he couldn’t breathe. As soon as he’d seen her, more than her voice held him rooted to the floor. Shock froze him into place. She wasn’t just a phantom. She was his biggest mistake and his deepest regret in one thousand years of living. She looked nothing like the woman from centuries ago, but he’d recognize her soul even if he’d gone deaf, dumb, and blind.

Shasa.

Zach hadn’t thought he’d see her ever again. The love of his life. The woman he’d killed.



USA Today Bestselling Author Lisa Hughey has been writing romance since the fourth grade, which was also about the time she began her love affair with spies. Harriet and Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys later gave way to James Bond and Lara Croft and Jason Bourne. Exploring the complex nature of a profession that requires subterfuge and lies fascinates her. She loves combining her two passions into fiction. As evidenced by her Black Cipher Files series.
Recently she's been immersed in the Stone Family novellas, stories about a blended family of brothers and a sister who have a lot more in common than they realize. But of course she couldn't just write about family and romance. There are complex plots, bad guys, and suspense too.
Taking a break from romantic suspense, Lisa entered the paranormal world of the Angelic Realm. The Seven deals with forbidden relationships between humans and Archangels. At its heart, Rafe is a novel about the dynamic of family relationships. As this series evolves, the core story continues to be about love triumphing in the face of opposition and heartache. (The really hot Archangels don't hurt.)
Lisa loves to hear from readers and has various places you can connect with her. Sign Up for Lisa’s Latest News to get notification of her new releases and occasional fun giveaways.




March 15, 2015

Book Spotlight: Excerpt & Giveaway! Lucius & Jude, The Fallen Series #1 & #2 by Tara S. Wood


Lucius 
“Relish this moment in My favor. It is your last.”

Six angels once sat at the right hand of The Almighty, but an ill-fated decision cast them out of Heaven. Now they serve Him on Earth, slaying demons for their redemption. They are…The Fallen.

Lucius, once revered at the side of God, fell to Earth with his brothers to pay penance and atone for his lapse in leadership. Wingless and forsaken, they have all paid a price for their complicity. Lucius’ hubris is now a curse, and he cannot rest until they carry out the last of The Almighty’s orders...and stop a war that has been millennia in the making.

Persephone Roberts is always in the right place at the right time, the serendipity allowing her to help people on her travels. When it leads her to cross paths with the band of hard-living fallen angels, she sets her sights on their leader, and is determined to restore Lucius’ faith in their quest. And in himself.

But the ancient evil the angels strive to fight has put Persephone in its crosshairs. It will be up to Lucius and his brothers to save her and destroy the minions of the dark. Can the amber-eyed beauty with her accepting heart heal wounds that cut soul deep, and force him to reclaim a glory he once tossed aside? Is he strong enough to realize the path back to Heaven begins with her, or will he be forever...fallen?

Jude
Six angels once sat at the right hand of The Almighty, but an ill-fated decision cast them out of Heaven. Now they serve Him on Earth, slaying demons for their redemption. They are…The Fallen.

“Remember, angel, all ways in the end return to Me.”

Jude knows pain. He feels it with every inhale and exhale of breath. It is a constant on his mind and on his skin; a reminder of the depth of his disobedience. And his cruelty. With his fall from grace, he walks the Earth with his brothers, their steps set on a shadowed path to redemption, killing demons in His name. The angel of Vengeance may not have his wings, but he still burns.

Coriander Rhodes finds things. The intrepid little archaeologist sniffs out relics buried for eternity with the determination of a bloodhound and the arrogance of the devil. Her brash nature and bold tongue keep the big angel on his toes, inflaming and infuriating him at the same time.
When danger strikes at the heart of the angels’ inner circle, Jude discovers he is faced with a task far greater than he has ever known. The light must be protected at all costs, in all of its forms. The ultimate evil has a plan, and with the most innocent among them at stake, Jude knows he’ll finally have to face his sins and meet the pain in his soul dead on. Coriander’s touch is the only thing that soothes, but is it enough to make him whole? Can she help him work through the pain long enough to remember his faith, or will he be forever…fallen?



Coriander Rhodes, Salvage and Reclamation.

He held the card up for her to see. “I thought you were a doctor?”

She snorted as she unpacked the duffel. “I am. I’m a history professor. So’s Alex. That’s how we met, at the university in Athens.”

“What, like Indiana Jones?”

“Not quite,” she frowned. “He’s fictional. And I don’t carry a whip or wear a jaunty hat.”

He flipped the card over in his hands. “But this says-“

“Those aren’t my teaching credentials, Jude. It’s what I do. What we do when we’re not in the classroom. We find things. Ancient places, lost places, relics, religions, civilizations. Life,” she stressed. “People. It’s amazing work.”

He gazed at the card again and then turned cold eyes on her. “And then you sell it to the highest bidder.”

Her jaw clenched and her eyebrow went up. “No. I don’t deal on the black market. Alex may dabble, but that’s his gamble. The laws are very clear about that sort of thing, and the prison system over there isn’t the five-star affair like it is here in the States, nor is it worth the massive amount of cash I would have to throw away to steer clear of it. I like hanging onto my hands and my money.”

“But he takes risks,” Jude pressed.

“We both do to some extent. These things belong to the world. It’s a sacrilege to let them wither away and die under the sand, or in some Saudi prince’s private collection that he nicked without the proper paperwork. Those things, we find. We find, and we get them back. A lot of these antiquities are hidden away on yachts that keep to international waters. That’s Alex’s specialty.” 

Jude’s eyes widened as he dropped the card onto the desk with a splutter. “Pirates. You're talking about pirates, aren't you? That's what Alex does in his spare time, right? He's a fucking pirate! That's why you let Ash stay with his parents? Because Long John Silver isn't home long enough to be a father to his little girl?”

She pretended to ignore him, continuing to rifle through her bag.

“Coriander?”

She flinched at his tone and whipped her head up. “Nobody said anything about,” her fingers shot up to make air quotes, “pirates.”

“Then how do you define men with large quantities of firearms on the open sea ambushing unsuspecting vessels?”

She wrinkled her nose. “It's all subjective. Those idiots off the coast of Africa, yeah, they're pirates. But what Alex does, it's...he's,” she paused, frustrated. “It's just different, okay. He knows what he's doing and makes sure no one gets hurt. Pirate is such an ugly word. Try 'nautical acquisition and redistribution specialist'.” She shook her head and went back to the bag, muttering, “I mean, really, it’s not nearly as nefarious as you make it sound.” She shoved at the bag and jerked her head up to face him, the scowl covering the whole of her face. “And why do you care in the first place?”

“Because it's wrong, Coriander. You can put a pig in a tutu and put it on stage, but it will never be a ballerina,” he frowned.

Her brow lifted in confusion. “What in the hell does that mean? Have you been watching Dr. Phil reruns again?”

He grabbed her arm and yanked her around the edge of the desk, hauling her against the wall of his chest. “It means, no matter how prettily you choose to define it, it is what it is.”

His mouth went dry as the pain in his soul receded, and something low stirred in his groin and began to burn beautifully as he felt her breath on her face.

“And what is it?” she asked, her lips parting.

His eyes darkened to slits as his mouth began to slowly descend. A second before they made contact, he whispered, “Wrong.”



Tara Wood divides her time between creating domestic bliss and creating hot paranormal romance with the occasional side of kink. When not playing June Cleaver for her hubby and daughter, she can be found at the local Starbucks slamming back Frappuccinos and plotting out her next idea. Or she’s watching the BBC. Tara resides with her wonderful and tolerant family in the suburbs of Houston, Texas. She is currently at work on several projects, one of them being the next book in her In Blood series.




February 23, 2015

Book Promo: Interview and Giveaway! Soul Crossed by Lisa Gail Green


One Demon.

One Angel.

One Soul.

Josh lived a reckless, selfish life, so upon his death, escaping the eternal torments of Hell by assuming the role of a powerful, soul-corrupting demon is an easy choice. His first soul assignment doesn’t seem too hard: the mortal Camden is already obsessed with weapons, pain, and torture. If only Josh wasn’t distracted by Cam's beautiful friend, Grace.

Grace never expected to die violently at age sixteen, but now she’s an Angel, responsible for saving a soul. She can already see past Camden’s earthly flaws, so the job should be be easy. If only that handsome, playboy Josh would stop getting in the way.

It’s forbidden for an Angel to be with a Demon, so if Josh and Grace stop resisting each other, the results would be disastrous. 

And only one can claim Cam’s soul.


What was your inspiration behind writing this book? 

I wanted to do a book about forbidden love, and what could be more innately forbidden than a demon and an angel? The idea grew from there. I wanted to show that Grace and Josh complete each other and that there are too many shades of grey in this world to make almost anything an absolute. I knew it was going to be tricky, despite avoiding religion as much as possible, but I wanted to make sure in my world it was about perception, belief, and choices and there was no simple answer to the ultimate questions. Frankly as soon as I started writing Josh and Grace took over and did what they wanted, which I know is hard to understand if you aren’t a writer! But hopefully that translates to them feeling just as real to you as they do to me. 

Do you think Josh and Grace belong together? 

Every relationship goes through ups and downs, but I wouldn’t be a good writer if I didn’t do my best to put them through the worst. If they can stay in love after all I throw at them then YES! They deserve eternal love. 

Did you have an “aha” moment when you came up with this story? 

 My biggest “aha” moment when writing Soul Crossed was during a very important scene in Josh’s apartment when Grace is ready to be with him. I had the book planned fairly well in my head but realized as I typed that the book was going to wrap up far too soon. I didn’t know what to do, so I thought, just keep going and you can revise later. Writers always revise so it wasn’t so crazy a thought. But what happened was Josh surprised me! He reacted in the opposite way I expected him to and it was perfect. Subconscious at work? Maybe. All I know is I love it when my characters surprise me because hopefully they do the same for you! Did I revise? Heck yeah. But that important moment stayed and still fit perfectly. Can you guess what it was? 


Lisa Gail Green lives with her husband the rocket scientist and their three junior mad scientists in Southern California. She writes books so she can have an excuse to live in the fantasy world in her head. She likes to share these with readers so she's represented by the lovely Melissa Nasson of Rubin Pfeffer Content. She has a parrot but would most definitely get a werewolf for a pet if she weren't allergic. 
Lisa loves YA. She believes with all her heart that teen readers are ready and willing to experience things that some adults have closed their minds to, that books are the safest way to explore, learn, and escape, and that imagination is the key to just about everything.




February 1, 2015

Book Blitz: Excerpt and Giveaway! My Soul To Keep, Rise of the Fallen #1 by Sean Hayden

It was only a wish. 

Connor Sullivan was painfully average. The very highlight of his existence was going to school, doing homework, and playing video games. He thought nothing would ever change that. Unfortunately, homework usually screws everything up.
A cut, some blood, and a hastily scrawled promise to sell his soul for his fondest wish...and all hell breaks loose. Literally.

The Demons take him up on his offer.

In a last ditch effort to keep his soul, he wishes to become one of the demons, or Fallen as they call themselves. Connor thought he had found a solution to his problem. He never fully understood the meaning of the phrase, "From the frying pan into the fire," until his wish was granted. The biggest catch?

Never ever fall in love with a human...

And then she walked into his school. Beautiful, red-haired, funny...and blind. Connor's heart didn't stand a chance. Neither did the Fallen's rules. He had saved his soul, but could he find happiness without hurting the girl he loved? Or would secrets Jessica didn't even know she had destroy them all?

Don't miss book 2, Your Soul to Take! Available now!
Available on Amazon and Kindle Unlimited.



I heard the motorcycle turn onto the street I was walking on, and the rumbling grew to an almost painful level. I turned and saw it coming up fast. I expected it to blow past me at an ungodly speed, but as soon as the bike got close, the rider yanked the handlebars and fishtailed to a stop just a few inches from the curb next to me.

She looked like a supermodel dressed in leather. Dark curly tresses fell over her shoulders and down her back. I frowned a little at her lack of helmet. I never understood people's obsessions with death wishes. Then I gave her a second look over. She looked badass enough to crack the pavement. Maybe she didn't need a helmet. My eyebrows rose as I finally looked at her face.

She was gorgeous from head to toe. I felt a little guilty about looking at her face last. It was without a doubt, her best feature. She looked really young, but at the same time, something about her made her look older. The term, "Ageless," popped into my head, filling in the blank.

I expected her to shout and ask for directions over the rumble of the Harley’s engine, but she reached down and turned the key, shutting the engine off. I stood there mesmerized as she swung one leg over the bike and sat on the seat, staring right back at me.

She crossed her arms and lowered her gaze to my shabby Sketchers and raised her eyes, slowly taking in everything else.

I wanted to hide behind a tree. Nobody had looked at me like that since the first time I met my great-aunt Harriet. I had a feeling she was doing the math to figure out how much she could get for me if she sold me on eBay.

“Connor Sullivan?” She made my name a question. I nodded dumbly. “Come on, let’s get this over with.”

“Excuse me?”

“Look, I don’t have time for this. I have three more after you. What do you want?”

“Excuse me?” The word hooker flashed through my mind.

“Did you, or did you not, sign a binding contract offering your soul in exchange for one wish? If I have the wrong Connor Sullivan who lives at 1432 Willow Street, I apologize.” She rolled her eyes and threw up her arms, apparently more than a little annoyed.

“That was real?”

“Yes, completely. Now I haven’t got all night. What do you want? Make it good. The price is a little hefty I’ll admit, but it's worth it.”

Realization dawned on me. My knees went weak, but I managed to stay on my Sketchers. “This isn’t some sort of joke?”

“Nope, one wish for one soul, that was the deal.”


Born the son of a fire chief, Sean naturally developed a love of playing with fire. His family and friends quickly found other outlets for his destructive creativity. Writing is his latest endeavor.
Always a fan of the macabre, mythical, and magical, Sean found a love of urban fantasy and horror. After writing several novels in this genre, he found, fell in love with, and immersed himself in steampunk. He has always wanted to rewrite history and steampunk gave him that opportunity.
Sean currently lives in Florida as a fiber-optic engineer as well as an author. He was blessed with the two most amazing children he could ever hope for, has met the absolute love of his life, who coincidentally is his partner in everything. His hobbies include grand designs on world domination as well as a starring role in his own television sitcom.