A Curse of Magick by Diane Gallagher (VBB, excerpt, and GIVEAWAY) GFT

 

A Curse of Magick

by

Diane Gallagher

 

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GENRE: YA Romance

 

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BLURB:

 

“A desperate princess, a handsome warrior, and an ancient magick to determine their fate.”

 

As daughter to the High King, love doesn’t come easily to Gráinne. Having turned down hundreds of suitors, she is being forced to marry Finn, an old, ugly yet powerful general. While outside the marriage hall, Gráinne bumps into Diarmuid, Finn’s handsome foster son. From that moment, Gráinne knows if she is to have any chance at love, he is the one she must marry. She begs him to take her away from this unwanted wedding. When Diarmuid refuses, Gráinne, desperate, places a curse on him; help her or die.

 

Diarmuid is a warrior who only wants to serve loyally, but when the princess sets her sights on him and casts her curse, he must make the most difficult choice of his life. Does he help her, taking their chances with a vengeful Finn, or does her refuse her, leaving her to her fate, and risking his own death?

 

With both their lives on the line, Gráinne and Diarmuid must fight to use Ireland’s ancient magick to escape from Finn, either bringing them together in passion or in death.

 

A Curse of Magick is a passionate tale of love, betrayal, revenge, and redemption. A retelling of an ancient Irish myth, A Curse of Magick takes the love and romance of Romeo and Juliet, and the exhilaration of King Arthur, and mixes it together for a satisfying adventure all will love.

 

 

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EXCERPT

 

Once the cave opened, Diarmuid grinned at Gráinne in the dim light. The walls of the caves were lined with crystals. Even in the darkening light of the sunset they twinkled and reflected the deep orange glow. Gráinne gasped. 

 

“Wait until you see it with a fire,” Diarmuid said. “I’m going to go and gather as much dried wood as I can find. Wait here.”

 

As he left the cave, Diarmuid listened carefully. There was no sound of Finn’s men. He didn’t expect another message from Oisin saying they were on the move. He knew they were on their own now. He gathered up a tangle of branches he found at the foot of a tree. He hauled them back into the cave and dropped them in a heap on the cavern floor. 

 

“Hand me that bag, will you?” Diarmuid pointed to a small bag he’d left near Bran. “That’s the flint bag. We can never lose that, or we will be in trouble.”

 

“I know that,” Gráinne bit back. “I have my own. Look.” From just under the collar of her dress she pulled out her own leather bag.

 

Diarmuid grunted and turned his attention to the fire.

 

He piled the branches carefully so that air would draw from below and used his flint to light the fire. As the fire sparked and took, the light reflected against the crystals that covered the ceiling of the cavern, making it look like a thousand tiny stars twinkled above them.

 

“Oh, how beautiful!” Gráinne cried, pressing her hands together beneath her chin. 

 

“Yes, it was Angus that showed this to me. It is like magick, isn’t it?”

 

Gráinne nodded and smiled at Diarmuid, looking up at him from beneath her lashes, her momentary ire forgotten. 

 Amazon: (Kindle Unlimited)

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

 

Diane Gallagher is a novelist and Druid priest. She is the author of three novels: A Curse of Magick, Greenwich List, and the Bastard of Saint Genevra. She has long roots stretching into her Celtic past, although she splits her life between two islands—Vancouver Island on the west coast of Canada, and Sicily off the toe of Italy’s boot. She writes young adult romance based on ancient Celtic myths of the powerful women of Wales, Scotland, and Ireland. She currently teaches creative writing at Cherry Hill Seminary.

 

Website

Facebook

Facebook (Dark Curses of Celtic Women)

Instagram

Twitter

 

 

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GIVEAWAY

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The tour dates can be found here

Academy Arcanist by Shami Stovall (Spotlight, excerpt, review, and GIVEAWAY) GFT

 

Academy Arcanist

by 

Shami Stovall

 

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GENRE: YA Fantasy

 

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BLURB:

 

Hopes. Dreams. And literal nightmares out to kill a young boy.

 

Gray Lexly, son of a candlemaker, wants to escape his life of old-world technologies and study at the prestigious Astra Academy, a school for arcanists—those who can wield magic. But Gray has a major problem. Every night, as he sleeps, he’s visited by monsters. When they injure Gray in his dreams, he wakes with the same wounds in real life…

 

On the night Gray might finally die in his nightmares, he is saved by the kind and mysterious Professor Helmith, a powerful arcanist. She offers to protect Gray and invites him to attend Astra Academy.

 

Before that can happen, Gray must bond with a mystical creature to become an arcanist himself. Will he bond with a unicorn? A pegasus? A kitsune? Whatever he bonds with will determine his magical abilities, so he must choose wisely.

 

And when trouble finds Professor Helmith, Gray must become powerful enough to help her and fend off the terrible nightmares, before it’s too late…

 

 

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EXCERPT

“I don’t want to sleep,” I said. “The monsters will return. They’ll…” 

My father lingered by the door, half inside my bedroom and half in the hall. He turned down the light of my oil lamp, though he didn’t snuff it out. The shadows in the corners of my room grew darker. I dared not stare at them.

“The monsters aren’t real, boy.” My father offered a gentle smile. “Those were just nightmares. Everyone has them occasionally.”

I sat on the edge of my bed, my posture stiff as I tried to act twice my age. With my throat tight, I lifted my left arm. An injury ran from the crux of my elbow all the way to the edge of my palm, scabbed over and red. It was a straight and shallow cut, but it stung worse than a normal wound.

“The monsters are real,” I said, defiant. “I told you—they attacked me.”

“Gray, we talked about this,” my father said, sighing.

His shoulders sagged and his eyes were heavy lidded. He looked tired. Probably because he was. Every day, he worked from sunup until sundown, mixing waxes and perfecting wicks. He was our island’s only tallow chandler—a person who made candles with oil, wax, and animal fat.

My father wore an apron marked with his profession, stained by the hot wax. He rubbed his blistered hands down his sides, no doubt trying to think of what to say. I already knew what he would eventually settle on.

He would say, “You just fell out of bed.”

“You just fell out of bed,” my father muttered.

And then he would say, “I know your arm hurts, but it was an accident. Just go to sleep.”

“I know your arm hurts.” My father half closed the door as he spoke. “But it was an accident. Just go to sleep.”

All those long hours working meant my father didn’t like dealing with problems. He was rather predictable. His most common advice was to just ignore my problems. “They’ll go away eventually,” he often muttered. “Keep your head down and do your work.”

That was easier for him, I supposed.

And although I knew he cared about me and my brother, I sometimes feared he didn’t listen. The monsters in my dreams? They were real. One had attacked me, and if I hadn’t woken up, it would’ve ripped me apart.

 

 

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

 

Shami Stovall is a multi-award-winning author of fantasy and science fiction. Before that, she taught history and criminal law at the college level, and loved every second. When she’s not reading fascinating articles and books about ancient China or the Byzantine Empire, Stovall can be found playing way too many video games, especially RPGs and tactics simulators, or hugging John.

 

If you want to contact her, you can do so at the following locations:

 

Website

Twitter

Facebook

Email

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GIVEAWAY

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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My review:

 

4.5 stars

 

“Academy Arcanist” by Shami Stovall follows two brothers, Gray and Sorin Lexly, who want a life beyond their father’s candlemaking business. The dangers that follow Gray into his dreams prompt him to pursue his desire to become an arcanist--if he can survive long enough to take the tests.

 

This young adult fantasy is the first book in the ‘Astra Academy’ series, and returns to the creative world peopled by those who can bond with all sorts of beings, including knightmares, reapers, kitsune, and those rarest of eldrin, mimics. The adventures draw you in from the very first page, as the mystery of how Gray is being attacked in his sleep is contrasted with the struggle to get his parents to believe his troubles and the stalwart support of his brother.

I loved the creativity and the kinship I felt with these characters, including the insecurity of comparing oneself against others only to discover they are dealing with their own issues. It’s great that Gray isn’t perfect, and watching him learn from his mistakes while the brothers continue to support each other is heartwarming. The secondary characters are intriguing, and the layers of mystery that permeate the story make one anxious to keep turning the pages. Naturally, there are some dangling threads to keep one curious about the next story in the series, but this fun, action-packed story had a fascinating arc that reached an exciting conclusion, and I can’t wait to read about more adventures at this academy.

 

 

A copy of this title was provided for review

Dread Pirate Arcanist by Shami Stovall (Spotlight, excerpt, review, and GIVEAWAY) GFT

DREAD PIRATE ARCANIST

by 
Shami Stovall

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GENRE: YA Fantasy

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BLURB:

Continue the Frith Chronicles with the second book, Dread Pirate Arcanist!

While protecting the newborn griffins on the Isle of Landin, Volke Savan and his adopted sister, Illia, run afoul of the Dread Pirate Calisto, the same cutthroat who carved out Illia’s right eye. As a master manticore arcanist, Calisto’s strength and brutality are unrivaled, so when Illia suggests they bring him to justice, Volke wonders if they’ll have what it takes to fight the corsairs on the high seas.

A fast-paced flintlock fantasy for those who enjoy How to Train Your Dragon by Cressida Cowell, Unsouled (Cradle Series) by Will Wight, and Percy Jackson and the Olympians by Rick Riordan.

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EXCERPT

Today the griffins of West Landin would choose who to bond with. The city officials gathered before the dawn, prepping for the evening celebrations. I watched from afar on a rocky cliff that overlooked half the isle, the pre-morning winds disheveling my inky black hair. I had never visited the Isle of Landin before now, but I had heard amazing tales of their fearsome griffins since I was old enough to remember stories.

           

My pulse quickened with anticipation. For fifteen years, I had imagined bonding with a mystical creature and becoming an arcanist. Eight months ago it had become a reality, but it hadn’t yet sunk into my heart and gut. Giddiness twisted my insides with each new breath.

While the citizens of West Landin would have to prove themselves to the griffins in a Trial of Worth, I had already been tested and found worthy.

           

I turned to the shadows next to me, well aware that my mystical creature—my eldrin—lurked in the darkness.

           

“Luthair,” I said. “Do you know much about griffins?”

           

“They are stubborn beasts,” he replied from the void of my shadow, his voice more sinister than his true demeanor. “And griffin arcanists are strong, courageous, and skilled at combat.”

           

“Amazing.”

           

As a knightmare, Luthair lived within the darkness, merging with it like salt in water. He didn’t need to materialize to speak, and he could slink along next to me without anyone knowing. While some would consider that creepy or unsettling, I enjoyed his presence and trusted him in all things.

           

I returned my attention to the sprawling city. Unlike the Isle of Ruma, where I grew up, West Landin housed thousands of people, had a massive port, and had constructed a seaside fortress to deter pirates. Their cobblestone roads, twice as wide as home, snaked beyond the city limits to a valley filled with sheep, goats, and horses.

           

When the sun rose, the oranges and reds of dawn cascaded over the island, washing it in a familiar glow. The Isle of Ruma had wonderful dawns, just like this one. The nostalgia overwhelmed me for a moment, so powerful it almost hurt.

           

I missed my adoptive father, Gravekeeper William.

Amazon link

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Shami Stovall grew up in California’s central valley with a single mother and little brother. Despite no one in her family earning a degree higher than a GED, she put herself through college (earning a BA in History), and then continued on to law school where she obtained her Juris Doctorate.

As a child, Stovall’s favorite novel was Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O’Dell. The adventure on a deserted island opened her mind to ideas and realities she had never given thought before—and it was at that moment Stovall realized story telling (specifically fiction) became her passion. Anything that told a story, be it a movie, book, video game or comic, she had to experience. Now, as a professor and author, Stovall wants to add her voice to the myriad of stories in the world and she hopes you enjoy.

You can contact her at the following addresses.

Twitter: @GameOverStation

Website

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GIVEAWAY

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The tour dates can be found here 

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My review:

4.5 stars

Dread Pirate Arcanist by Shami Stovall is the second book in the ‘Firth Chronicles’ series and features the continuing adventures of a group of novice arcanists. Volke Savan has more trouble than his peers in learning how to utilize his new powers, especially because he is handicapped by being second-bonded with the knightmare Luthair. His relationship with his childhood companion Illia is tested when she embarks on a quest of vengeance that risks destroying them all.

This young adult fantasy series is fun and fresh and this book is a great addition to the series. Some of the angst that accompanies the interpersonal relationships is a little annoying to me, but definitely reminds me that these are young adults juggling multiple burdens. I love the imagination that ignites with this author’s take on various mythological creatures and the abilities they manifest and the powers their human partners are struggling to conquer. The smart-mouthed rizzel steals the show occasionally, and I am tempted to smack some of the characters but then they redeem themselves.

I think it would be difficult to join this series without having read the first book because there are so many complicated backstories that invest the decisions that are made. Just as in the first book, there are some dangling threads left to keep one anxious for further developments, but I was much less frustrated this time, lol. Do yourself a favor and get transported into a fantastical world and meet a cast of amazing characters who will take you on an adventure unlike any other.

A copy of this title was provided for review

Witches Protection Program by Michael Okon (VBB, excerpt, and GIVEAWAY)

Witches Protection Program

by

Michael Okon

Wes Rockville, a disgraced law-enforcement agent, gets one last chance to prove himself and save his career when he’s reassigned to a 232-year-old secret government organization.

The Witches Protection Program.

His first assignment: uncover a billion-dollar cosmetics company’s diabolical plan to use witchcraft for global domination, while protecting its heiress Morgan Pendragon from her aunt’s evil deeds. Reluctantly paired with veteran witch protector, Alastair Verne, Wes must learn to believe in witches…and believe in himself.

Filled with adventure and suspense, Michael Okon creates a rousing, tongue-in-cheek alternate reality where witches cast spells and wreak havoc in modern-day New York City.

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Excerpt

The narrator filled in more information. “It wasn’t until this land became my land that the government decided to create an organization to protect women at risk. The Davina Doctrine went against everything that the Willas stood for. Even though they ran the risk of persecution, the Davinas chose to work with law enforcement to expose the evil deeds of the rival sisterhood. President George Washington established secret legislation under Title VI of the Control Act of 1792. The law was enacted to protect the good witches that exposed the evil deeds of their sisterhood.”

The screen went dark. There was only a chair in the center of a dimly lit stage. A single spotlight focused on the top of the blond actress’s head. Wes was right; it was the actress he’d suspected. She had a hit sitcom and two Emmys, and there was some recent Oscar talk about her last movie.

“Yes. There are witches. Living among us. They are women who believe in using their power to protect love and life. And then there are some who use their powers for all the wrong reasons.”

The camera came to rest on her beautiful face. She winked saucily as she placed a triangular witch’s hat on her head. “Welcome to the Witches Protection Program.”

Alastair smiled broadly. “I love that part.”

“That was Jennifer Anis—”


Amazon


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About the Author:

Michael Okon is an award-winning and best-selling author of multiple genres including paranormal, thriller, horror, action/adventure and self-help. He graduated from Long Island University with a degree in English, and then later received his MBA in business and finance. Coming from a family of writers, he has storytelling in his DNA. Michael has been writing from as far back as he can remember, his inspiration being his love for films and their impact on his life. From the time he saw The Goonies, he was hooked on the idea of entertaining people through unforgettable characters.

Michael is a lifelong movie buff, a music playlist aficionado, and a sucker for self-help books. He lives on the North Shore of Long Island with his wife and children.

Webpage
Amazon Author Page
Email
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GIVEAWAY
This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. 

Michael Okon will be awarding a $50 Amazon Gift Card, then 5 signed copies of the book (US ONLY) to randomly drawn winners via rafflecopter during the tour.


a Rafflecopter giveaway




The tour dates can be found here

Julian Fox: The Dream Guardian by E.J. Miranda (VBT, excerpt, and GIVEAWAY) GFT

Julian Fox, The Dream Guardian

by

E.J. Miranda

It is said that dreams are just that: only dreams. But believe me, this is not always true. Some dreams are as real as the dreamer.

Thanks to their dreams, dreamers can receive the special visit of eternal wisdom that has inspired the creativity of great inventors, scientists, musicians, and even writers throughout the ages.

This creative wisdom is not always the type that appears to the eager conscience. Sometimes, a Defiler, a destroyer of dreams, is the one who tries to appear before the dreamer. These creatures were once humans, but they allowed their pain and desire for revenge to take over and seek the same miserable fate for the one who dreams.

You must not fear — Dream Guardians, also known as Kelsdrant, will always protect the one who dreams, even with their own life. They are people of flesh and bone, just like you and me, or at least they are on Earth.

The following story is dedicated to the fun, extravagant, and enlightening life of Julian Fox, the Dream Guardian.

Be prepared, dear reader. It is time to dream, laugh, reflect, and even maybe cry.

Welcome to the Land of the Wise Dreams.

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Excerpt

from Chapter 1: The Fox Family

There is no perfect family. This is a universal truth, but if the imagination of a pair of mischievous minds is added to reality, the result can be an explosive combination that shuts the door to normalcy.

Sonia and William’s marriage is an example of how patience can be extended to the absolute limits. After all, parental love can only tolerate so much nonsense from the ingenuity of their children, especially when they happen to be Julian and Nicholas Fox.

This outlandish story begins at the crazy end of a pleasant vacation. The two brothers, Julian and Nicholas, were enjoying the afternoon heat near the banks of the river that crossed their ranch. They lay in the shade of an enormous tree, listening to the torrent of water as if it were a magical lullaby.

Julian, the eldest, was twenty-one years old. He had just completed his university studies and the memories of experiences with his classmates were still fresh in his mind. Nicholas, the youngest and last of the two children, was twenty years old and he was still studying in college.

They stayed silent for several minutes with their eyes closed, hoping that a miracle would occur and the family vacation would continue for a while longer. But, resigned to returning home in just two days, they decided to make the most of nature’s sweetness.



Buy links:

Barnes and Noble
Amazon

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About the Author: 

E. J. Miranda is an avid reader, an enthusiastic traveler, and a passionate author. Her great sense of humor and love for nature have granted her a rebellious writing style: Her approach describes the adventures of life but in such a way that each reader can have an individual take on the matter. 

Her inspiration comes from her curiosity about other countries’ cultures and peculiarities. A few countries in particular that spark her curiosity are Colombia, Italy, Costa Rica, England, Belgium, Mexico, Spain, and the United States. 

Her favorite places to visit are historical sites and museums, locations that allow her to explore important and even overlooked details. 

She currently lives with her husband in Colombia but frequently travels to Houston to visit her daughter and son. 

E.J. Miranda has a degree in tax accounting, but she prefers interacting with people to calculating their taxes. 


To learn more about her life and work, visit her website.
Goodreads
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GIVEAWAY

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions.

E.J. Miranda will be awarding a 1st prize: $50 Amazon e-gift card, and a 2nd prize: $40 Amazon e-gift card, to two randomly drawn winners via rafflecopter during the tour.


a Rafflecopter giveaway



The tour dates can be found here

Labors of an Epic Punk by Mark and Sheri Dursin (VNBtM, guest post, excerpt, and GIVEAWAY) GFT

I have the pleasure of sharing a guest post by author, Mark Dursin, who shares his answer to my question (and I appreciate him adding writing the blog post to his goals, lol)...

ELF:  What is one of your hobbies and how has it enriched your writing?

MD:  In 2017, I had two goals: to publish (finally) the young adult novel my wife Sheri and I had co-written; and to run a half-marathon. I did both. What I didn’t realize at the time is how much those goals influenced each other.

Now, on the one hand, running and writing don’t seem to have much in common. Running is about getting your butt in motion; writing is all about putting “butt-in-chair.” Running has a finish line; writing is something that you usually just abandon. Running is solitary, for the most part; in the case of my wife and me, writing is a journey we took on together.

And yet, in many ways, the two endeavors are similar. Both running and writing are things you often have to push yourself to do—even when you don’t want to, especially when you don’t want to. Both require training. And both are sort of selfish; think of all the other things you probably should be doing instead of going out for a five-mile run or pounding out that chapter.

Even a cursory Google search will reveal that I’m not the first one to make this connection between running and writing. But here’s what I personally found was the most important connection between running a half-marathon and writing a novel: both require you to set goals.

When I got serious into the half-marathon training, I remember learning that one of the most important first steps is to identify a race in the future and then sign up for it. The reasons for this are two-fold: if you sign up for it—if you pay your hard-earned money for it, in other words—you’re more likely to see it through; and signing up for a race gives you an end-point, something to shoot for.

My wife Sheri and I did something similar for our young adult novel, LABORS OF AN EPIC PUNK. At the start of 2017, we had been working on this book—a re-telling of The Odyssey focusing on Odysseus’s teenage son—for seven years. And in that time, we made many changes—to the narration, to the plotting, to the age and temperament of our protagonist, whom we called Mac (short for Telemachus).

All necessary changes. But Sheri—thankfully—was the one who finally had to say, “We could tweak this forever. We have to be done.” She was right. We had to give ourselves an end-point—to “sign up for the race,” as it were. So we decided people were going to be able to buy our book for Christmas.

Naturally, it was a completely artificial deadline. Nothing was really on the line. If we didn’t finish everything until January, who would even care but us? But giving ourselves a “due date” motivated us, to carve out the necessary time to tend to all the nagging details—editing, picking out fonts, etc.—which have nothing to do with creating but are still essential components of a book. (And those things still took us months!)

Finally, the inter-related experience of running the half-marathon and finishing LABORS OF AN EPIC PUNK taught me maybe the most important lesson about goal-setting: if you set a goal, how else can you feel that sense of accomplishment once you reach it? My wife says she still gets a giddy feeling whenever she looks over at our end table and sees our book on it. But if we didn’t set that goal for ourselves, we might still be working on the 17th revision of our manuscript instead of writing this blog post!

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Labors of an Epic Punk

by Mark and Sheri Dursin

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GENRE:   YA Fantasy, Myth Retelling

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BLURB:

Mac is an epic punk. No wonder: after his dad went off to fight in the Trojan War and never came back, Mac spent his childhood evading his mom's scumbag suitors—all one-hundred-and-eight of them. Of course, he turned out this way—a moody, friendless sixteen-year-old who blows off work, alienates everyone at school, and pulls pranks. But when he trains a flock of birds to defecate on the headmaster, Mac (short for Telemachus) goes too far. The administrators give him an ultimatum: prove that he's truly the son of Odysseus by doing something heroic—or get out. A school story that just so happens to take place 3,000 years ago, Labors of an Epic Punk is a tale of friendship and transformation, regret and redemption, and a reminder to us all that even heroes need to survive adolescence.

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EXCERPT

No one on the field that morning had any idea that all Hades was about to break loose.

Well, one person did.

The stands were over-crammed with students, all chirping away about their summer travels, each one trying to out-fabulous the other. But Mac wasn’t talking to any of them. (No surprise there.)  Instead, he just stared at the empty stage in fist-clenching anticipation. For the entire morning, the entire summer, the entire two years he’d wasted at this gods-forsaken school, he’d been waiting for this moment. His moment of glory, of genius. The moment when he’d finally and irretrievably cross The Line— that hard-to-define boundary between tolerable and intolerable. Between a week of detention and expulsion. All he needed was for Headmaster Gurgus to blow on that shell.

Just when he thought he couldn’t wait any longer without throwing up, Mac heard the band play the opening notes to “Yielding Never,” Pieridian Academy’s absurdly overblown fight song. The Opening Ceremonies were officially underway. From his seat high up in the stands, Mac watched intently as the members of the so-called Grand Procession marched onto Garthymedes Field: the entire faculty and staff, wearing shiny red gowns and smiles full of phony reverence; followed by the honored students, also in ritualistic red, condescendingly waving at the crowd; followed by a grotesque, nine-headed Hydra.

Lastly, waddling ten paces behind the Hydra, in all his roly-poly, four-hundred pound glory, was Headmaster Gurgus.

 Amazon link

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

For many years Mark, a high school English teacher, and Sheri, a freelance writer and blogger, wrote independently. No matter the writing project—newspaper articles, retreat talks, college recommendation letters, fan-fiction, blog posts on spirituality or 80s pop songs—they tended to work alone. Separate rooms, separate computers. But raising their twin sons helped them discover an important truth: All Good Things Come in Twos.

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GIVEAWAY





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The tour dates can be found here

Nadia's Heart, Part Two by Wendy Altshuler (VBB, excerpt, and GIVEAWAY) GFT

Nadia’s Heart, Part Two

by 
Wendy Altshuler

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GENRE:  YA Fantasy

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BLURB:

In Nadia's Heart, Part One, amnesiac Nadia knew that something was wrong, so she went in search of her missing heart. What she encountered has only brought more questions: about her origins and her ties to the people of the Land of Silence. She learned that her heart was indeed removed, and that her memory was erased by an evil Voice. But why? Now Nadia and her glowing-eyed companion, Georgeonus, must help recover the stolen hearts of the children of the Land of Silence. In Part Two, they will do battle against the evil Voice and travel to frightening places. They receive help from a powerful Witch and Wizard, and Nadia gets her heart back—but it's not at all what she expected. Can they rescue the stolen children's hearts in time?

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EXCERPT

From Chapter III: Fighting Back: 

They headed for the road, away from the castle tumbling toward them, hoping the mountain itself would hold until they could get to the bottom. But what awaited them at the bottom was a sheet of ice, and it too could crack and send them down into the frigid deep.

She had never driven a sleigh nor a team of dogs before. The pure instinct of survival now taught her. As they rounded the rough road, more slippery now as they gathered speed, their path looked grim. Giant chunks of the castle came descending down, hitting the mountain’s jagged sides and causing avalanches of huge falling debris. The children screamed, and Nadia wanted to do the same and take refuge closer in toward the mountain, but there was nothing that would shelter them. She kept focused on the dogs in front of her, thinking only of getting to the bottom. Cascading from above came another rock, and the children held onto the sleighs, terrified. Nadia tried to turn the sleigh toward the mountain to avoid it. They swerved dangerously around the edge of the road.

Something also descended from the sky. It was a black figure, but Nadia could not even think about another potential threat as the second sleigh bore down upon them, rushing behind her. They swerved back to a straight course, barely missing the rolling boulder which crashed onto the road.

Buy Link:

Amazon

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Wendy Altshuler is a writer-producer who explores myth in new media. She writes fantasy novels and creates works in stop motion animation.  Her credits include award-winning screenwriting and WGA-accredited representation. With a degree in psychology and a Master of Arts from Columbia University, Altshuler documented the work of international choreographers and wrote and produced regional programming. Her short plays have been performed at Boston Playwrights' Theatre, at regional schools and most recently, Puppet Showplace Theatre. Altshuler's young adult book series has been hailed as "emotionally moving, uplifting and wholesome," and "spirited and haunting. . .with much symbolism and beauty." 

Website

Instagram

Twitter

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GIVEAWAY


a Rafflecopter giveaway


The tour dates can be found here