About the Book
Narine of Noe should have had her whole life to train to take her father’s place as High Sage. But when a mysterious force falls from the skies, sending the world into elemental chaos and her father into mortal danger, the fate of every living creature lands on her shoulders . . . including that of the Eternal Dragon. Without the Dragon it is impossible to regain the Balance of All Things. An elaborate plan to save the world must be hatched, and Narine is forced to take charge in a world gone mad.
Before the White Forest was born, before the Great World Cry, the story that started it all. . .
Praise
A charming, magical journey…
~Cassandra Rose Clarke, Author, The Assassin’s Curse series
Dinsmore weaves a coming of age story through a world that is both fantastic and believable.
~Rise Reviews
I was hooked before I finished the first chapter . . . I fell in love with Narine and you will, too.
~Brenna D’Amico, actor, Disney’s Descendants
Excerpt
Narine dropped to the sand from the force of the Eternal Dragon’s energy. Never could she have imagined the power of Its presence. There was no resisting or competing with that power; the Dragon commanded the elements like no other. Each bit of earth, air, fire, water inside of Narine blew open, mere seeds popping over a fire.
The Dragon glanced at her with Its eternal eyes, no more than a flick, but in that flick she plummeted deeper inside herself than she had ever known. Her existence in that eternity lasted less than a moonsbreath before she was back, gasping for breath.
Her father, perched at the edge of the dock, caught her eye, a look as eternal as the Dragon’s. He smiled at her, gestured with open hands, and then fell from the pier. Before she had time to react, to digest what had just happened, the Dragon opened Its mouth and inhaled. The world froze. She felt the Dragon’s great inhale pulling at her heart, but she could do nothing as It drew that breath and absorbed Thorze’s corporeal energies as Its own.
As It exhaled, Narine felt her own cells fill back up with her Father’s Knowing. His Transitioning of himself into her. She could feel it rooting, thin tendrils weaving themselves through the miniscule spaces within her being.
But it was too fast; it was too much. There was no way she could contain it all.
She wasn’t ready! It wasn’t her time!
“No!” she cried and grasped at the wet sand. “Father, no!”
The world popped back into place, her cries became those of Vendra’s, reaching her great flipperpaw after Thorze’s body as it plummeted into the water’s darkness.
Vendra leapt to the side of the pier, the waves shook the world, and she slammed into a silver pillar.
The great Dragon huffed and knocked Thorze’s scepter away with Its thick sea green tail. The scepter flew across the water and landed on the shore before Narine with a
heavy, wet thud. No! It couldn’t be!
“Father!” she cried, searching the waters, tears streaking her cheeks. “Father!”
The Dragon dipped Its head back into the lake, and, in one fluid motion, arced Its massive body after it. The tail of the great serpent flicked out from the water like a tongue, and the serpent was gone. The World Sages stared at the water in silent shock. Waves lapped at Narine’s feet, dragon-sized ripples.
She looked down in her daze. The scepter. She picked it up from the sand, and her body immediately seized up. A white light tortured her vision, and then streaks of blue and silver blended within the reassuring voice of her father, Yes, Narine. Take the Dragon’s Gift.
About the Author
Danika Dinsmore is an award-winning author, performance artist, and educator. Over the past 25 years she has developed content for the page, stage, screen, and web. Danika currently works in literary and speculative fiction with an emphasis on juvenile & young adult literature. Author of children’s fantasy adventure series FAERIE TALES FROM THE WHITE FOREST, she often takes her interactive Imaginary Worlds Tour on the road, performing and teaching world-building & creative writing at schools, conferences, and festivals across North America.
Author Links:
Giveaway $50 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash Ends 5/30/16 Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.
Eighteen-year-old Marin has few clues about where she came from, outside of a recurring nightmare of a horrific boating accident. Determined to prove to the world and to herself that she can overcome her water phobia and lead a normal life, she enrolls in a summer internship at a marine research facility in California.
When a cataclysmic accident suddenly brings her drowning nightmares into reality, she learns a secret about herself that begins to unlock the mystery lurking in her hidden memories. What she discovers could be the key to her past, but opening that door forces her to choose between two worlds and two hearts, and starts a chain of events that could destroy everything and everyone she loves.
Praise
“This book grabbed me right away and never let me go! The characters were fresh and believable and immediately took you into their world. Not sure who the intended audience would be but I am 68 and enjoyed it immensely but my 16 year old granddaughter would love it too! Kathy Walters allows us to enter into the world of her imagination and escape our own for a while. I am looking forward to more from her!”
~Gerri Stephy
“Heart-stopping adventure and swoon-worthy romance that will take your breath away.”
~Heather Hepler, author of Frosted Kisses and The Cupcake Queen.
Excerpt
He wrinkled his nose at her soggy lunchmeat. “You call that food? Let me see that.”
Marin hesitantly handed him her napkin-wrapped sandwich. He looked under the top piece of bread, made a face, and then dropped the entire thing in the garbage can.
“What! Why did you do that?” Marin cried out.
“I’m sorry, I just know that warm lunchmeat doesn’t make a nutritious dinner. But to make it up to you, I’ll buy you something else, ok?”
Marin stared at him openmouthed. Was he asking her out? Or just being really weird? She was speechless. He smiled and took her hand, dragging her through the main doors and out to his car.
“Do you like seafood?” he asked, helping her into his beat-up yellow Corolla. She nodded, still unsure if she had actually just been hijacked onto a date. “Great!” He pulled out his cell phone and made a call as he backed out the car.
“I’d like to make a take-out order. Yes. Hang on a sec, ok?” he leaned over to Marin, buckling her seatbelt and whispered, “Do you like shrimp?” She nodded. “OK, I’ll have the Ultimate Feast and can you throw in some extra garlic biscuits? Yeah, I know! Those things are totally addicting.” He threw his car into gear and headed toward the highway, still talking to the restaurant. “Um, yes.” He pulled the phone away from his mouth whispered to Marin, “What do you want to drink?”
“Water?” she threw out tentatively. Jaycen scowled at her and shook his head. “We’ll take two strawberry lemonades, please. Yes, that’s all. We’ll be there in about ten minutes. Thanks.” He hung up the phone and stuffed it in his pocket.
“Strawberry lemonade?” she said.
“Nothing but the best for my girl!” he smirked and laughed as she sputtered a protest.
“I happen to be allergic to strawberries!” she finally managed to say, enjoying the look on his face as the smirk disappeared.
“Oh, no! Are you really?”
“No. But it would serve you right if I were. Do you usually kidnap people, or is this a new hobby?”
“Only stubborn people who are impossible to talk to otherwise. So just you. But it is kind of fun. I may take it up as a sport.”
“Do you at least plan on telling me where you’re taking me?” she asked, trying to relax. His car smelled like Tommy Bahama cologne. It was slightly intoxicating.
“Sure. To my favorite place,” he said cryptically.
Trailer
About the Author
Katherine Armstrong Walters has been making up stories since she was old enough to talk. She was born and raised in Salt Lake City, Utah, but moved to Texas where she and her husband, Kelly, have enjoyed living in the country and raising their five fabulous sons, two cats, one snake and a small herd of chickens. When she’s not writing she loves sketching, editing, painting, reading, being outdoors, remodeling, and travelling with her family. Her favorite hobbies include boating and Star Wars.
Author Links:
Giveaway $100 Amazon Gift Card or $100 in Paypal Cash Ends 6/1/16 Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the participating authors. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.
About the Book
Chicago video producer, Ellie Foreman, has been absent from thriller author Libby Fischer Hellmann’s repertoire for almost a decade. Now she’s back...and soon entangled in a web of espionage, murder and suspicion that threatens to destroy what she holds most dear. Hired to produce a candyfloss profile of Chicago-based aviation giant, Delcroft, Ellie is dismayed when company VP Charlotte Hollander, the architect of a new anti-drone system for Delcroft, trashes the production and cancels the project. Ellie believes Hollander was spooked by shots of a specific man in the video footage. But when Ellie arranges to meet the man to find out why, he’s killed by a subway train before they can talk. In the confusion, she finds a seemingly abandoned pack of cigarettes with a flash drive inside that belonged to the now dead man.
Ellie has the drive’s contents decrypted, but before long she discovers she’s under surveillance. Suspecting Delcroft and the ambitious Hollander are behind it, she’s unconvinced when Hollander tells her the dead man was a Chinese spy. Ellie and her boyfriend Luke try to find answers, but they don’t realize how far into the dangerous echelons of hidden power they have ventured. When Ellie’s daughter is kidnapped and Charlotte Hollander disappears, it becomes terrifyingly clear that Ellie is in way over her head, and more lives are on the line, including her own.
Excerpt
Chapter Two
Monday
Before my gangstah-rap neighbor emptied his AK-47 into his buddy, the most exciting thing to happen in our village was the opening of a new grocery store. The store hired a pianist who played Beatles tunes, no doubt to persuade shoppers to part with their money more easily. My neighbor, rapper King Bling, was helping his fans part with their money too, but the shooting ended all that. Once he made bail, he moved and hasn’t been heard from since.
And so it goes in my little corner of the North Shore, about twenty miles from downtown Chicago. There are benefits. The King, as he’s known to his disciples, gave our cops something to do besides ticket speeders. And the new grocery store gave me the chance to buy prepared dinners so I could dispense with cooking.
Both of which come in handy when I’m producing a video, as was the case now. We didn’t finish the shoot until seven. I raced up the expressway toward home, dropped into the store, and was eyeballing a turkey pot roast—the only one left—when my cell trilled. I fished it out of my bag.
“Mom, where did you get the shoes?” I heard chatter and giggles in the background.
“What shoes, Rachel?”
“The ones you gave Jackie.” My daughter, Rachel, had successfully, if unbelievably, graduated from college and lived in an apartment in Wrigleyville. Jackie was her roommate. “Everybody thinks they’re awesome.”
Interview
Tell us about your book, what inspired it?
Between 2002 and 2005 I wrote four Ellie Foreman mysteries, Ellie being a Chicago video producer who finds herself investigating murders. After #4, I set the series aside and wrote a number of other novels, including a trio of historical novels and another mystery series featuring PI Georgia Davis.
What brought me back to Ellie, aside from fan requests, was the story. Last fall I published a novella about a woman who is forced to spy on the early years of the Manhattan Project during WW2 in Chicago. That was sparked by a visit to Bletchley Park in the UK. I also visited the Spy Museum in Washington and studied spy tradecraft of that era. But I’ve always been interested in espionage thrillers – in fact, I first came to the genre by reading LeCarre, Ludlum, Len Deighton, more. And certainly, the revelations of Edward Snowden and subsequent focus on surveillance and privacy were tempting, and I wanted to write a spy thriller set in the modern age. As soon as I knew I was going to write a “post-Snowden” espionage thriller, it was clear Ellie would be the character to anchor it. The fact that she could produce a video for a giant aviation company in Chicago (that also manufactured attack drones and had close ties to the US Defense community) sealed the deal.
How do you keep the ideas and characters fresh and interesting while writing a series?
I like to say I’m “writing my way around the genre.” I’ve written amateur sleuth mysteries, historical thrillers, PI fiction, spy thrillers, a police procedural, and even a cozy. In my short stories (there are over 20) I’m always experimenting with different characters and settings. I write what I’m interested in, and as a “recovering news junkie,” my curiosity is almost unlimited. So when an idea takes hold of me, I play the “what-if” game—I think most crime fiction writers do the same thing— what if so-and-so were murdered? Who would have done it? And why?
What do you think makes a good story?
Conflict. It’s been said that a character has to want something on every page that he/she can’t have, even if it’s only a glass of water. I agree. And when that conflict continually raises the stakes so that important things, like peoples’ lives are on the line, you have suspense. For me, conflict, high stakes, and suspense are the hallmarks of a good story.
Do you have any unusual writing rituals?
I’ve mastered the art of procrastination. I can do anything besides write fiction – it’s the hardest thing I’ve ever done. In fact, sometimes I’ll go months without writing. It’s to the point where I really don’t know how I’ve written the past three or four novels.
What’s next for you?
Right now, I’m in the middle of my second novella that takes place during WW2. This one is about German POWs who were in camps here. (The first was THE INCIDENTAL SPY, which I mentioned earlier). When the POW novella is finished, I’ll combine both into something that likely will have the word “Homefront” in the title. My next major undertaking is going to be more lighthearted -- a crime caper novel. I introduced the characters in a short story called Capital Partners (which is widely available online) and I plan to continue their stories. Hopefully, it will be a fun story.
What’s your advice for aspiring writers?
1.Place butt in chair and write for 45 minutes at a time – do not edit.
2.Edit after 45 minutes. Then edit again.
3.Join a writers’ group and park your ego at the door.
4.When you have a finished product, wait a month. Then edit again.
5.Hire a developmental editor to edit again.
Any last words?
Yes. For readers who may be new to the Ellie Foreman series, here’s a little more information about her.
Ellie is a Chicago video producer and single mother. I’ve previously written 4 novels with her as the protagonist. Jump Cut is the 5th. She lives on the North Shore about 20 miles from the city itself. Born and raised in Chicago, she married, had a daughter, then got divorced. Her mother passed when Ellie was in her twenties, but her father is still around, and plays a vital role in all the books. Ellie is outgoing and has a self-deprecating sense of humor as well as a strong sense of fairness and justice, so when she sees situations that aren’t, she is apt to get involved. Those situations usually (but not always) arise from the corporate videos she produces. She used to be rather impulsive, but as she’s matured, she’s more thoughtful. Still, she tends to end up in trouble and needs to get herself out of it. She’s had two serious relationships since her divorce – and now has settled in rather comfortably with Luke Sutton. Unlike Georgia Davis, who is a loner, Ellie has a support system of friends and family around her. I like to describe the Ellie books as a cross between “Desperate Housewives” and “24,” but Jump Cut is much more “24’ than the others. Although the mystery is resolved, you can’t really say it has a happy ending.
Thanks...
Early reviews for "Jump Cut"
"Exceptional... As Hellman’s convincing, conflicted characters face impossible choices, the tension is real and memorable."
—Publishers Weekly, starred review
"Hellmann's writing sparkles...plenty of suspense in this richly detailed thriller, but Hellmann’s characteristic wit and warmth are evident, too."
—Booklist
"From spies to drones and hackers, Jump Cut is a heart-stopping tale of corporate espionage that will have you snapping on your seatbelt. The tangled web of international intrigue is riveting. Hellmann is a renowned master of suspense, and her great talent shows in the story’s many rich characters, the beautifully honed paragraphs, and the sweep of her provocative story. A keeper!"
—Gayle Lynds, New York Times best-selling author of The Assassins
"With spooks, spies, sudden death and double-crosses, Jump Cut hits all the right notes for a top-notch action thriller. Once again Ellie Foreman is a thoroughly likeable real-world heroine, fiercely protective of those she loves, thrown in at the deep end and swimming for her life. Don’t miss it!"
—Zoë Sharp, author of the Charlie Fox series and The Blood Whisperer
"Welcome back Ellie Foreman! Jump Cut rockets to a stunning but thrilling climax… Another winner from the standout Chicago novelist Libby Hellmann."
—Paul Levine, author of Bum Rap
"After a long hiatus, Hellmann returns to her Chicago-based sleuth with a chilling tale that may be all too close to the truth."
—Kirkus Reviews
Video
About the Author
Libby Fischer Hellmann left a career in broadcast news in Washington, DC and moved to Chicago 35 years ago, where she, naturally, began to write gritty crime fiction. Twelve novels and twenty short stories later, she claims they’ll take her out of the Windy City feet first. She has been nominated for many awards in the mystery and crime writing community and has even won a few. *
With the addition of Jump Cut in 2016, her novels include the now five-volume Ellie Foreman series, which she describes as a cross between “Desperate Housewives” and “24;” the hard-boiled 4-volume Georgia Davis PI series, and three stand-alone historical thrillers that Libby calls her “Revolution Trilogy.” Her latest release, The Incidental Spy, is a historical novella set during the early years of the Manhattan Project at the U of Chicago. Her short stories have been published in a dozen anthologies, the Saturday Evening Post, and Ed Gorman’s “25 Criminally Good Short Stories” collection.
* She has been a finalist twice for the Anthony, twice for Foreword Magazines Book of the Year, the Agatha, the Shamus, the Daphne and has won the Lovey multiple times.
Author Links:
Giveaway Libby will be awarding $50 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
About the Book
Ideal for Hunger Games and Divergent fans, Crystal Marcos delivers Novus, a riveting novel set in a dystopian future of action-adventure, suspense, and romance. Intriguing characters and a gripping storyline keep the reader turning page after page.
Being a teenager is hard enough. And what if your life’s path is predetermined? On top of that, you aren’t even Human?
Cayden was given life as a Cresecren. He expected to live out his days with the dysfunctional Human family he was assigned to serve. One fateful night, however, landed him in Gavaron, the home of maimed, elderly, or defiant Cresecren.
Beyond its borders is the Den, an area much more dangerous than he ever imagined. Now seventeen, Cayden unwittingly becomes involved in a conspiracy and is one of a handful of survivors fleeing a deadly attack. They set off on a perilous journey in search of refuge and the truth. Along the way, Cayden begins to comprehend the difference between fully living and merely surviving, while trying to balance his emotions and a forbidden love.
NOVUS (The Cresecren Chronicles, Book 1) has recently received two book awards! To celebrate the eBook will be on SALE for $1.99 until 5/15/2016
Awards
~”Official Selection” Winner in the Young Adult category, 2015 New Apple Book Awards!~
~Winner Best Books in the Young Adult category, 2016 Pinnacle Book Achievement Awards!~
Praise
“Novus by Crystal Marcos is one of those gems that make you care about the characters within the story, and while you definitely want to know what happens to them, you can’t help but also not want to get to the end of the book. It’s the kind of book whose characters you miss when you finish the book.”
~Kim Anisi for Readers’ Favorite- 5 STARS
Excerpt
Famous and Alecander had just reached the trees when another man jumped from the vehicle to the ground. He reached overhead to grab the rifle from the marksman as another gideon approached at top speed. I turned and joined Alecander and Famous as they rode through the woods dodging trees, bushes, and branches.
Gunshots whizzed through the woods. A sizzling sound zipped by my left ear and gouged a hole the size of my fist in a nearby tree. I had heard of the “Bleeding Heart” but never witnessed it in action. It was designed to take out an enemy’s heart. I quickly decided to run in a zig-zag pattern through the forest to make it more of a challenge to hit me. This was not easy to do as I had to avoid trees and foliage. I knew they would pursue us until they killed us. My only concern was how long I could elude them. Why did they want us dead?
About the Author
Award-winning author Crystal Marcos has been a storyteller her entire life. As the oldest of five children, she had to do a lot of entertaining. She lives on the Kitsap Peninsula in Washington State with her husband, daughter Kaylee, and infant son Jaxon. Crystal is the author of BELLYACHE: A Delicious Tale and HEADACHE: The Hair-Raising Sequel to BELLYACHE. Novus, her third book and first Young Adult novel, is Book One of The Cresecren Chronicles.
Author Links:
Giveaway $100 Amazon Gift Card or $100 in Paypal Cash Ends 5/19/16 Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the participating authors. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.
