The Midnight Spell Cover Reveal

Today as as one of the Tour Hosts from Xpresso Book Tours I'm participating in the Cover Reveal of The Midnight Spell, a paranormal ya novel. Cover Design by Phatpuppy Art.

Midnight Spell by Rhiannon Frater & Kody Boye

Release Date: February 2013 

Genre: YA Paranormal

Link: Goodreads

Summary: Best friends since kindergarten, Adam and Christy have always been the perpetual outsiders in their small town in Texas.  The other kids call Adam gay and Christy a witch.

On both counts the bullies are right.

Their junior year in high school seems destined to be the same old same old until Christy decides to cast a love spell for Adam at the midnight hour. The next day an alluring and mysterious boy enrolls at school and sets hearts a flutter, including Adam’s. Meanwhile, Christy’s mad crush on the handsome football player Ian seems to be going nowhere fast and her witch puberty is making her life miserable.

When a great evil arrives in town that threatens everything they hold dear, the best friends realize that finding a boyfriend is the least of their worries. Soon Adam and Christy will have to battle a force of darkness that has killed in their town before, and will again.

AUTHOR BIOS

Rhiannon Frater:

Rhiannon Frater is the award-winning author of the As the World Dies trilogy (The First Days, Fighting to Survive, Siege,) and the author of three other books: the vampire novels Pretty When She Dies and The Tale of the Vampire Bride and the young-adult zombie novel The Living Dead Boy and the Zombie Hunters. Inspired to independently produce her work from the urging of her fans, she published The First Days in late 2008 and quickly gathered a cult following. She won the Dead Letter Award back-to-back for both The First Days and Fighting to Survive, the former of which the Harrisburg Book Examiner called ‘one of the best zombie books of the decade.’ Rhiannon is currently represented by Hannah Gordon of the Foundry + Literary Media agency. You may contact her by sending an email to rhiannonfrater@gmail.com.

Author Links:

Website: http://www.rhiannonfrater.com

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2310121.Rhiannon_Frater

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rhiannon.frater

Twitter: https://twitter.com/rhiannonfrater

Kody Boye: Kody Boye was born and raised in Southeastern Idaho. Since his initial publication in the Yellow Mama Webzine in 2007, he has gone on to sell nearly three-dozen stories to various markets. He is the author of the short story collection Amorous Things, the novella The Diary of Dakota Hammell, the zombie novel Sunrise and the dark fantasy novel Blood. His fiction has been described as ‘Surreal, beautiful and harrowing’ (Fantastic Horror,) while he himself has been heralded as a writer beyond his years(Bitten by Books.) He currently lives and writes in the Austin, Texas area.

Author Links:

Website: http://kodyboye.com

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2775292.Kody_Boye

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kody.boye

Twitter: https://twitter.com/KodyBoye

Waiting on Wednesday: The Farm by Emily McKay

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event that is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine and spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Publication Date: December 4, 2012

Summary: Life was different in the Before: before vampires began devouring humans in a swarm across America; before the surviving young people were rounded up and quarantined. These days, we know what those quarantines are—holding pens where human blood is turned into more food for the undead monsters, known as Ticks. Surrounded by electrical fences, most kids try to survive the Farms by turning on each other…

And when trust is a thing of the past, escape is nearly impossible.

Lily and her twin sister Mel have a plan. Though Mel can barely communicate, her autism helps her notice things no one else notices—like the portion of electrical fence that gets turned off every night. Getting across won’t be easy, but as Lily gathers what they need to escape, a familiar face appears out of nowhere, offering to help…

Carter was a schoolmate of Lily’s in the Before. Managing to evade capture until now, he has valuable knowledge of the outside world. But like everyone on the Farm, Carter has his own agenda, and he knows that behind the Ticks is an even more dangerous threat to the human race...

This book has been on my TBR list for months. I really enjoy the twist this author has taken with the paranormal. Can't wait for December.

Cover Reveal: Jenny Plague Bringer

Today I'm doing the cover reveal for Jenny Plague Bringer by J.L. Bryan. This is the fourth book in the series and book one Jenny Pox is currently free in the e-book edition. Also my blog Queendsheena was started October 25, 2011. Tomorrow I will discuss how I'll be celebrating my upcoming blogoversary.

Jenny Plague-Bringer by J.L. Bryan

Expected Pub: October 23, 2012

Summary: Jenny has enjoyed a year of quiet seclusion, but her peace is about to be shattered by two new paranormals who are searching for her. Their intentions are unknown. The timing couldn’t be worse, because Jenny can’t use her pox without risking the life of the baby growing inside her…

Link: Website, Blog, Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, Paranormal Series, Jenny Plague-Bringer

Get Jenny Pox Free: Amazon, Smashwords

Made My Red Series Page

So for all you followers and Red Series lovers. I have finally made the Red Series Page. It's under the blog header and has all you need to know about the series. Especially the anticipated first ebook Rachael Becoming Red which after much hobob has a final release date. April 25, 2012. This is to ensure all kinks, computer isssues and promotion delays will be out of the way before RBR is released.

So in other news I read an interesting post by Amanda Hocking tonight. It's on the lost art of blogging. I think she's just getting used to life as a traditional author after being a successful self-published one. The pressure must be tremendous. But don't think I'm a party pooper. I'm sure it's worth it and plan to be there someday. I never plan to stop self-publishing though. I just think that some of my stories are best kept in my hands. *Grins.*

P.S. - Check out A Picture Paints A 1000 Words Blogfest. I will be participating March 26-28.

Review: Slippery Souls

Slippery Souls by Rachael H. Dixon

Genre: Paranormal
Published: January 18, 2012
Pages: 242 (Paperback)
Source: Received free copy after winning Goodreads Giveaway
First heard of: Through Goodreads
Purchase: Amazon US, Feed A Read, Kindle, Nook.
Summary: Libby has hit a bad patch in life, and just when she thinks things can’t get any worse she's killed in a car accident alongside her dog Rufus. During their transition to the afterlife’s Sunray Bay, Rufus somehow manages to absorb her soul – which, in turn, gives him human-like qualities and renders her soulless.

Accompanied by her now talking dog, Libby tries to unravel the mystery of her slippery soul, encountering many setbacks and dilemmas along the way. She has no idea why a group of monster slayers, headed by an ex-convict, are hunting her down, and when she teams up with rogue Peace & Order Maintenance Officer, Grim, she’s shocked to discover that there’s a mob of disgruntled vampires and a very angry mayor hot on their heels too.

Libby has never felt so unpopular, and begins to wonder whether it’s possible to die twice in one day...



Review: Beware of Potential Spoilers

Also Reviewed it on: Goodreads

This novel threw me for a loop. When it came in the mail I was excited about a free book. When I started reading it...and got the laugh of my life. My mother in real life had warned me about 'wearing nice underwear when going out in case you got in an accident' as well. So I felt an immediate bond with Libby the main character who started out as a typical adult woman fed up with her immature, slob boyfriend. Then it does a complete 180 when she dies along with her dog Rufus. She wakes up and finds out the after life is not so simple. Along with her dog Rufus who can now talk after accidentally absorbing her soul (seriously, how does someone think up that and still keep a great story?), she tries to navigate the world of Sunray Bay. Her fun first day included meeting rude people, being mugged, then getting chased by a guy who looked like a drug addict and meeting Grim a rogue Peace & Order Maintenance Officer with a dark past and just as bleak attitude. He can't shake off Libby however and both have to go out into a world where they're being chased by ex-cons, monsters and the mayor who just happens to be a germaphobic vampire. Of course.

Slippery Souls has many twists but none more so than Libby not being the anti-man heroine. Yes she can help herself but she does need help and actually wants a guy around her. She and Grim are greatly mismatched but yet work out so perfectly together. Independent heroines are great but the fiction section is getting overpowered by females with so much testosterone, even I'm scared. I enjoy strong women but creepily strong 'eat men for breakfast' women? No. And Libby isn't a whiner and anyone who didn't want another Twlight series Bella (I don't hate her but I can see why others do and her character has annoyed me at various points) on their hands will love Libby. She is a real woman in a paranormal after life situation. She's not cowering off somewhere or pushing anyone to turn her into something else. In fact the monsters terrify her like they do normal people. YES MONSTERS SCARE NORMAL PEOPLE.

Another great element to this clever work is that the story is told in the perspective of not just the main character but other characters as well. Including the villains. You get to see the complexity and inner tormoils of each character. Everyone has a motivation. Everyone wants to achieve their own goals. But no one can have their cake and eat it too and not one person wants to lose.  The very balance of Sunray Bay and it's citizens are at stake and Libby is about to realize she's a lot more valuable than she ever thought possible. The end will have you begging for more. Some suceed, some fail and someone dies. Yes even in the afterlife you can go and it will not be quietly. Slippery Souls is a well written paranormal novel for readers 16 and over and if you're looking for a different and more mature YA to read this is for you.

I also gave another novel Guardian high marks but it's only because both are great works in their own right.

Slippery Souls also gets credit for doing something different with the paranormal genre and going against type with a M.C. who is both a heroine without special skills and not scared of (or illogically resistant to) assistance from the opposite sex.

Rating: 5 Stars (+)

Author: Rachael H. Dixon

Book Review: Guardian by Rachel Morgan

Guardian by Rachel Morgan
Creepy Hollow Book One

Genre: YA Paranormal
Published: March 5, 2012
Pages: 55
Source: Bought at Smashwords
First heard of: Through promotion by Joshua on his blog.
Purchase: Amazon US, Amazon UK, Smashwords
Summary: 1. Receive assignment.
2. Save a life.
3. Sleep.
4. Repeat.

Protecting humans from dangerous magical creatures is all in a day’s work for a faerie training to be a guardian. Seventeen-year-old Violet Fairdale knows this better than anyone—she’s about to become the best guardian the Guild has seen in years. That is, until one of her assignments—a human boy who shouldn’t even be able to see her—follows her into the fae realm. Now she’s broken Guild Law, a crime that could lead to her expulsion.

The last thing Vi wants to do is spend any more time with the boy who got her into this mess, but the Guild requires that she return Nate to his home and make him forget everything he’s discovered of the fae realm. Easy, right? But Nate and Vi are about to land themselves in even bigger trouble—and it’ll take all Vi’s training to get them out alive.

REVIEW

Violet Fairdale is from a magical land. About to become one of the best guardians in years she accidentally breaks Guild Law when Nate, a human, follows her into the fae realm. The fact that it was an accident doesn't matter. She has to get him back home and make him forget all he's seen. Tough break for a seventeen year old who was just doing her job protecting humans. Worse Nate asks all kinds of questions that gets on her nerves. Can she get him back without losing everything she's worked so hard for? The journey the pair takes the readers on is both exciting and engaging. More so when Violet starts feeling things for her charge that just isn't allowed.

I personally love this novelette. Vi is very interesting and independent. She does her best and doesn't make excuses for her mistakes. Nate is human but resourceful in his own way. He's loyal and does his best to help a girl he just met in a world he doesn't understand. Each character has their own flavour, their own story.   Both heroes and villains play their roles and sometimes you might have a hard time seeing any character has completely good or bad. If someone wants something. What's their motivation. A bad thing might've been done but what started them down this path. And with the good is it right to erase a memory just to protect a world? Or is it time to expand horizons, take chances? Guardian will leave you both satisfied and wanting more at the same time. Book 2 is coming in April and I can't wait. This book is better than some full length novels. Being 55 pages takes nothing away from this book and it marks Rachel Morgan as a great author.

Rating: 5 Stars

Click here for my review on Goodreads

Author: Rachel Morgan
  

Slippery Souls: The book to Read for Spring 2012

I entered several Goodreads giveaways and won a book. The book was Slippery Souls by Rachael H. Dixon. I got the book in the mail this morning and started reading. I haven't been able to stop reading it except for the biggest necessities (including writing this blog to get the author a cult following). The novel starts with Libby who has decided she needs a change of pace in life. So what happens? First she's killed in a car accident along with Rufus, her dog. Then in the afterlife her dog gets human like-qualities by somehow absorbing her soul. Crazy? That's just a few pages in! Even in the afterlife she's not safe and the summary predicts her getting hunted by monster slayers and more insane paranormal drama! Trust me, this book is exciting, clever and hilarious. It's described on the cover as urban fantasy....by the seaside. A great read with a talking dog has to soar. This book is for readers 16 and over and I recommend it to all my followers and friends.

Book Summary from Goodreads

Slippery Souls (Sunray Bay, #1) by Rachael H. Dixon

Libby has hit a bad patch in life, and just when she thinks things can’t get any worse she's killed in a car accident alongside her dog Rufus. During their transition to the afterlife’s Sunray Bay, Rufus somehow manages to absorb her soul – which, in turn, gives him human-like qualities and renders her soulless.

Accompanied by her now talking dog, Libby tries to unravel the mystery of her slippery soul, encountering many setbacks and dilemmas along the way. She has no idea why a group of monster slayers, headed by an ex-convict, are hunting her down, and when she teams up with rogue Peace & Order Maintenance Officer, Grim, she’s shocked to discover that there’s a mob of disgruntled vampires and a very angry mayor hot on their heels too.

Libby has never felt so unpopular, and begins to wonder whether it’s possible to die twice in one day...

For purchase options click here.

I have also sent the author an invite to guest post on her goodreads account.