Showing posts with label Magic. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Magic. Show all posts

September 21, 2015

Excerpt & Giveaway! Shades of Power, Arcane Magic #1 by Beany Sparks



An explosion sends Ethan running…straight into the arms of his mate.

Ethan White is a witch whose days are spent in his apothecary with his familiar, Beema. While making potions for the townsfolk keeps him busy, nothing exciting ever happens—until one day when a surprise visitor walks in and his world crumbles around him. Suddenly Ethan and his familiar are on the run, heading for the Fae to seek sanctuary.

Grayson is an alpha wolf. His two best friends are his betas, but there’s one thing missing—a pack. It’s for that very reason that the three of them were volunteered by the council to act as representatives. Their mission? Try to convince the Fae Queen to get the Fae involved in a battle with the Midnight Coven, the witches suspected of using the dark arts. However, the mission takes a back seat when Grayson meets his mate for the first time.

With revelations and lies around every corner and a battle looming, they have to be ready to fight if they want to have a life together.

When a prophecy about the Shades of Power comes to light, both sides want the power for the battle against the other. The question is—who will unite them first?



“What are you doing here?” he asked, feeling proud his voice remained level.

“My, my, is that any way to speak to a customer, Ethan?”

“You are not a customer, nor will you be a customer. Tell me what you want and then get the hell out of my shop.”

Ethan had a second to regret his rudeness when she narrowed her eyes at him, but reminding himself that nothing good could come of her visit had him standing there with his head held high.

“I would watch how you speak to me, Ethan, since we both know who the stronger witch is.”

“Well, if you are the stronger witch, then there’s absolutely no reason why you would be in my shop. Make sure the door doesn’t hit you on the way out.”

Ethan watched as her eyes narrowed even further, to the point where he wasn’t sure she could even see him. All the while he waited for her reaction—or rather, the explosion that was likely coming.

Suddenly she blinked and then smiled, which was far scarier than anything Ethan could remember seeing before.

“You’re right, Ethan, I am the stronger witch, and as such, I have better things to do than waste my time making potions. So here I am, ready to purchase the potions I need and help my dear little brother make some money so that he can survive in this big, bad world we live in.”

Ethan almost sighed, wanting to forget about being related to the monster in front of him. No one had believed him when he had accused her of being evil. While everyone else had seen her as a gifted child, Ethan had seen the dark side of her early on. Deep down he’d known that she would turn to the dark arts, but everyone he’d told thought he’d just said that to get attention, even their parents. When they’d died, it had left a huge hole in his heart, but he’d finally been able to escape his sister by using some of his inheritance money to move towns and buy his cabin. Although, he couldn’t really call it escaping when on her way out one day she’d told him to pack his things and be gone when she returned. For the first time in his life, he’d obeyed her.

Snapping back to the present, Ethan tried to focus, knowing that if he didn’t, things could go badly.

“What do you want, Des?” he asked.

She frowned at him for a moment before speaking. “Actually, it’s Ravyn now, Ravyn Darkh. Maybe you’ve heard of me?”

Oh shit!



Beany lives in Western Australia. She first started reading romance novels in 2008, but it wasn't until January 2010 when her Kindle got delivered that the world of erotic romance opened its doors to her, and she hasn't looked back.

With suggestions and support from friends, her muse—“affectionately" known as PITA—was finally able to break free, and in January 2014 her first story was written. Since she can’t put PITA back in his box, Beany has decided to give in and team up with him. Together they’ve made plans to write both MF and MM stories. 

She can be reached at beany.sparks@gmail.com




August 27, 2015

Promo! His Wicked Desire, Vieux Carre Witch Sister #2 by Dawn Chartier


He's found himself a wicked witch...

Brye Morgeaux is a half-witch, half-warlock who always relied on her beauty-especially when it came to men. After a run-in with a particularly vicious warlock, Brye's face is left scarred, forcing her to look to who she is on the inside. And what Brye finds is darker than anything she'd imagined...

Then she's handed a terrible ultimatum-join the warlock clan, or watch her family die.

Josh Copeland has known the Morgeaux family for years, and has been waiting for the time when Brye would see him as something-anything-more than a friend. As she battles darkness from within and without, he realizes the woman he loves might just be her own worst, wicked enemy. Now Josh must find a way to show Brye who she really is...before she kills him.




https://youtu.be/rClUOdS5Zyw?list=PL55713C70BA91BD6E (Jason Derulo – Want to want me)


https://youtu.be/HaMq2nn5ac0?list=PL55713C70BA91BD6E (Ariana Grande, The Weeknd – Love me Harder)


https://youtu.be/GuJQSAiODqI (Madonna - Vogue) This song was Brye’s favorite until the accident.



Dawn might occasionally have a gator parked in her front yard there on the bayou, but it's the snakes that really scare the bejeezus out of her. So instead, she tends to hole herself up with a good romance book, chocolate by the pound, or marathon tv viewing of Game of Thrones, Hell On Wheels, Downton Abbey, various home renovation shows and Supernatural---oh Dean. *swoons*




July 22, 2015

Excerpt! Banish, Soul Retrievers #1 by Nicola Marsh



Alyssa has one week to destroy her enemy, save her spirit... and save her soul. 

After her ex-boyfriend commits suicide and her mum’s alcoholism sparks yet another psychotic episode, seventeen-year-old Alyssa Wood flees her small hometown of Broadwater and heads to New York City to stay with her bohemian aunt — a Wicca High Priestess.

Alyssa revels in the anonymity of a big city and her new life. Her grades climb, she has a new best friend, and a new guy: the sexy geek Ronan — a saxophone player who prefers jazz to pop.

But her newfound peace is soon shattered when she sees a dead body in one of Ronan’s music clips — and she’s the only one who can see it. Worse still, Alyssa recognises the body that has been murdered a week forward!

Alyssa doesn’t believe in the supernatural...despite her family’s Wicca background. So how will she overcome evil when it’s closer than she thinks?


Curious, I shifted closer to the screen. The shot narrowed and swiveled lower, moving past a bucket chair in a dingy corner, grazing across pockmarked floorboards, before landing on a hand painted wooden trunk in the middle of the floor. I squinted, making out some kind of Chinese carving of two ladies posing in front of a jade screen, with a whole bunch of letters etched around the edges. It jarred, surprisingly exotic and out of place with what I’d seen of Ronan’s recording studio in the clip so far. The camera swept upwards, showing a stainless steel oblong calendar, a chrome lamp, a pale blue porcelain bowl filled with Tibetan prayer beads and a leather-bound journal perched on top of the trunk. Odd, I’d never picked Roman as the prayer type. As the shot swung wider I glimpsed two pillows propped behind the trunk on the floor and, as the camera panned, someone sleeping on their side. A girl. With bad taste in clothes, going by her faded camouflage harem pants and splotchy crimson halter and purple sneakers. Annoyed at the instant flare of jealousy, I closed my eyes for a second and rubbed them. Ronan seemed like a stand-up guy. He wouldn’t have asked me out if he had a girl- friend—one with shocking fashion sense who liked to take naps on the floor. Taking a calming breath, I opened my eyes and refocused. On that ugly red halter-top. And how the splotches seemed to have seeped into the girl’s skin, tattooing her in a random gross pattern. My breath quickened as I leaned so far forward my nose almost touched the screen. The crimson darkened in patches. At odds with any commercial dye job. That’s when I saw it. The deep red pool spreading beneath her torso and staining the floor. The puckering of her skin beneath her arm. The gaping gash as the arm fell forward, revealing a horrific crisscross pattern of slashes. One-second time frames depicting a horror I couldn’t contemplate. I stared at the screen in revulsion, transfixed, not daring to comprehend. The camera panned back to the calendar: November 11. Seven days from today. A whole week leading up to the murder of a faceless girl. Slain on my boyfriend’s floor. A silent scream wedged in my throat, choking, struggling to get out. I shut down the clip with shaky fingers. This couldn’t be real. Unless... I almost wished the horror I’d glimpsed on that screen was real, for if it wasn’t then I had a far greater horror to face. The possibility I’d imagined the entire episode. Just like Mom.





USA TODAY bestselling author and multi-award winner Nicola Marsh writes flirty fiction with flair for adults and riveting, spooky stories for teens.

She has published 54 contemporary romances with Harlequin, Entangled Publishing and indie, and sold over 6 million copies worldwide. Her first mainstream romance BUSTED IN BOLLYWOOD was nominated for Romantic Book of the Year 2012. Her first indie romance, CRAZY LOVE, was a 2012 ARRA finalist.

Her YA urban fantasy SCION OF THE SUN won the 2014 National Readers’ Choice Award for Best Young Adult novel.

She’s also a Waldenbooks, Bookscan and Barnes & Noble bestseller, a 2013 RBY (Romantic Book of the Year) and National Readers’ Choice Award winner, and a multi-finalist for a number of awards including the Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Award, HOLT Medallion, Booksellers’ Best, Golden Quill, Laurel Wreath, More than Magic and has also won several CataRomance Reviewers’ Choice Awards.

A physiotherapist for thirteen years, she now adores writing full time, raising her two little heroes, sharing fine food with family and friends, and her favorite, curling up with a good book!


June 5, 2015

Boo Blitz! Everlost, Night Watchmen #3 by Candace Knoebel


One truth will unravel them all.

Faye Middleton thought the worst had come to pass the night she and her friends barely escaped from Ethryeal City and the clutches of the evil Priestess Clara. Officially shunned from the Coven, Faye is forced to lay low in order to come up with a plan to bring Clara down.

At Jaxen’s childhood manor, they were supposed to be safe from any outside issues, and they were… until his long-lost mother shows up. Determined to win back what she lost so long ago, Evangeline reveals a secret that could shatter their beliefs, or be their saving grace.

Now, with two Covens searching for Faye, they must find a way to start over. With the help of the Rebellion, they begin the arduous task of forming their own army. However, the choices they are faced with leave them questioning everything they’ve ever known.


THIS ISN’T GOING TO END WELL.

She isn’t supposed to be here, outside this house, across the yard, staring at me like I’m a two-headed vampire about to suck the life from her veins. Her words aren’t supposed to be so intoxicating. Her gaze isn’t supposed to be the kind that glues you in place, turning your brain to mush and your instincts to that of a moth to a flame.

Evangeline Gramm… the woman who escaped the infamous Gramm Curse. The mother who so easily abandoned her two boys. The Witch who has passed under the Primeval Coven’s radar longer than anyone ever thought possible.

She could be our worst nightmare… or she could be the key to finding our salvation.

I thought the worst had come to pass the night we barely escaped from Ethryeal City. We were officially shunned from the Coven under Clara’s orders, Jaxen had been wounded, and we weren’t any closer to bringing Clara down.

But none of that could touch the look on Jaxen’s face when he found his mother standing feet away from him, with an army we never saw coming behind her.

And I’m not sure what’s going to happen now. I’m not sure he’s ready to face his past… the same way I’m not ready to face my future.

But being born a Primeval means that pain isn’t an option—it’s a standard. We can’t escape it. There’s no silver lining in our line of work. There aren’t any small miracles that can relieve us from this hell.

There’s just fear and determination.

That’s it. That’s all we have to drive us forward.

I just hope this time we make it through.



Candace Knoebel is the award-winning author of Born in Flames-book one in a young adult fantasy trilogy. She discovered in 2009 through lunch breaks and late nights after putting her kids to bed, a world where she could escape the ever-pressing days of an eight to five Purgatory. And an outlet for all the voices residing in her head. 

Published by 48fourteen in 2012, Born in Flames went on to win Turning the Pages Book of the Year award in February of 2013. In January of 2014, the last book in the trilogy, From the Embers, was released, thusly completing the trilogy. She now works on the Night Watchmen Series, while guzzling Red Bulls and pretending to be a ninja on Heelys.


February 16, 2015

Happy Release Day - Excerpt and Giveaway! Lure, The Allure Chronicles #1 by Alyssa Rose Ivy

LURE

There's danger in the beauty... 

Two years, six months, and twenty-five days. That's how long it had been since I'd seen my winged hero— not that I'd been counting. I'd suffered through years of counseling just to convince my friends and family that I wasn't crazy and knew he didn't exist. But he did. And I was done waiting. Days after college graduation I headed back down to New Orleans to retrace my steps and find Owen again only to find my life was about to get even crazier... thanks to the most beautiful and dangerous of all paranormal creatures, the Allures.


We stood awkwardly for another moment before I had to break the silence. “It’s been a while.”

“Two and a half years.”

“I thought about you the past few Halloweens.”

“I thought about you more than that. It’s actually pretty humiliating now that I’m standing in the same room with you. I don’t know what I was thinking.” She looked away.

“I lied.”

“About?”

I walked toward her. I had to wipe that regret off her face. “I thought about you a lot more than just Halloween.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.” I stopped right in front of her. “You were very memorable.”

“So were you.” She licked her lips. Again with the lips.

“I probably should ask you a million questions right now, but would it be okay if we put those off and did something else?”

“I guess that depends on what else you want to do?” Her eyes widened slightly.

“I want to kiss you.”

“I’m okay with that.” Her eyes seemed to sparkle.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

I didn’t wait for her to change her mind. I brushed my lips against hers gently. I was going to keep it short, but I had to know if I was glorifying the last kiss.

She moved her lips against mine, and any thoughts of keeping it short disappeared. I wrapped my arms around her as I deepened the kiss, greedily pushing for access beyond those irresistible lips of hers. She opened up, welcoming me in with the same intoxicating taste as she had the last time. 

She moaned, encouraging me to continue the kiss. I didn’t need the encouragement. I lifted her up and carried her over to the couch. I sat down, settling her on my lap. I needed her close, closer than standing would allow.

Her fingers tangled in my hair as she let me explore her mouth. My hands ached to explore more, but I didn’t want to rush it. I’d waited over two years to taste her lips again, and I was going to enjoy every second of it.


Don't miss SEDUCTION'S KISS, the prequel novella to Lure (The Allure Chronicles #1)...


Seductions Kiss


Alyssa Rose Ivy- Author PhotoAlyssa Rose Ivy is a New Adult and Young Adult author who loves to weave stories with romance and a southern setting. Although raised in the New York area, she fell in love with the South after moving to New Orleans for college. After years as a perpetual student, she turned back to her creative side and decided to write. She lives in North Carolina with her husband and two young children, and she can usually be found with a cup of coffee in her hand. 

LURE Available now



February 12, 2015

Book Blitz:Excerpt & Giveaway! Taking Chances, Paranormal Investigations #2 by Rita Webb & T.J. Webb


How far would you go to save a friend? 

People are going missing in Kodiak, Alaska. 

The evidence: bloody bear prints larger than any bear Jason or Emma have ever seen and black ooze that can eat the flesh from bones.

Bears don't wander into busy shopping districts, turn off security alarms, and break into stores. When Emma’s friend goes missing, Jason and Emma realize the cops aren't up to handling the situation.

Something’s wrong in the paranormal world. Can Jason and Emma fix things before someone else gets hurt?


I wake to the sound of buzzing in my ear. It zips around my head, first landing on my pillow, then on my nose, before flitting over to Emma lying beside me. My eyes still closed, I listen to the pattern of its movements, and then with inhuman speed, I snatch it out of the air.

Opening my eyes, I peek into a small crack I make in my hand. A creature even smaller than a pixie with pale skin and blue hair and eyes the color of a stormy sea glares at me. She’s wearing a tunic made from thick, white material trimmed in purple fur. Delicate butterfly wings protrude from her back, quivering slightly as if a wind stirs them, but trapped inside my hand, there’s no wind.

“Emma.”

She mumbles something and rolls away from me.

“Emma,” I whisper a little louder.

“What?”

“We seem to have a visitor.”

Emma rolls back toward me and peeks at me through a slit in her eyes. “Huh?”

“It’s too small to be a pixie. What’s smaller than a pixie?”

“You let me go at once.” The voice is as tiny as the creature, and a foot kicks at my fingers.

“Stop that. It tickles.”

“Let me go, monster. Or I eat you.”

I laugh. “How do you speak English? The other pixies in the forest only spoke in squeaks.”

“I’m not pixie.” She pulls herself up to her full height of – what, two inches? — and lifts her nose in the air. “I’m smarter.”



Our adventure started with a camping trip and a bottle of whiskey. Apparently Rita is a scary monster, and TJ needed liquid courage to give her that first kiss.
When not fighting over who gets to read our favorite books first, we’re swapping kisses, plot ideas, and movie quotes in the kitchen.
Together, we home-school our three girls, who keep us busy with art, science projects, books to read, dance classes, and walks about the park.
Come play a little hooky with us by getting our first book for free on our website 




January 31, 2015

Book Blitz: Excerpt and Giveaway! Broken Aro, The Broken Ones #1 by Jen Wylie



Open your eyes to darkness. What do you see? Does the darkness frighten you? Now imagine the darkness being the cargo hold of a slave ship. Your city has fallen. Your family is most likely dead. You don't know anyone around you, and some of them aren't even human. Giving up would be so easy to do, but not for Arowyn Mason. Not after being raised in a military family with seven brothers. Every great story should begin with a plan. Aro's was to escape and to survive.

Escape comes, but at a price. As they reach the shore, Aro and the other survivors learn that freedom doesn't mean safety. The slavers want their property back and will do anything to get it. The party uses every ounce of their brute strength, a hearty helping of cunning, and even ancient magics to keep themselves alive. Sickness, danger, and even love surprise them at every turn. Dealing with danger becomes their way of life, but none of them ever considered that nothing can be quite as dangerous as a prophecy. Running turns into another race altogether as her world falls to pieces again and again.



Her eyes opened to darkness.

She wasn't surprised. When bad things happened and you finally opened your eyes it was always dark wasn't it? Because otherwise when you woke up you wouldn't be scared, not right away, not until you remembered. Yet in darkness nothing else could be seen but the memories of what had happened, it didn't matter if you opened your eyes or kept them squeezed closed.

What happened…

She closed her eyes again, not against the memories, but the sudden tears and choking sobs. Still, she tried to not remember, but her head hurt. All of her hurt, but her head hurt the worst. She'd been hit by something, very hard. She had no trouble remembering the pain. She remembered falling to the ground, her brothers screaming her name over the insane loudness of the fighting and everything fading to nothing as darkness claimed her.

She sucked in a deep breath. The fighting. Yes, the city had been attacked. The walls had been breached. There had been fighting in the streets. She had been fighting. Her brothers had been trying to get her out. They had been so close. Had they?

She shifted and froze, terror creeping up her throat and choking her at the same time until nothing but a strangled gurgle came out.

They had not.

She knew because she felt the cold metal shackles around each wrist, felt the weight of the chain between them. The same fetters bound her ankles. Dirty straw prickled her cheek and the other smells of her surroundings overcame her. They overwhelmed her and made her gag. The rank scents of piss, shit and vomit almost covered the stale reek of sweat and the tang of salt.

Salt.

She'd thought her head had just been spinning, but no, everything moved, lurching and swaying. She was at sea.

At sea in chains meant only one thing. The rumors had been true. The Gelanians had allied with the Franuan Slavers. Beneath the combined attack, Kingsport had fallen and the Frans had taken their cut, citizens to sell as slaves. She was a slave.

Well that sucks.



Jen Wylie was born and raised in Ontario, Canada. In a cosmic twist of fate she dislikes the snow and cold.
Before settling down to raise a family, she attained a BA from Queens University and worked in retail and sales.
Thanks to her mother she acquired a love of books at an early age and began writing in public school. She constantly has stories floating around in her head, and finds it amazing most people don’t. Jennifer writes various forms of fantasy, both novels and short stories. 
Jennifer resides in rural Ontario, Canada with her two boys, Australian shepherd and a disagreeable amount of wildlife.