Wednesday, September 30, 2015

Introducing LIFE'S DEFEAT by Rebekah Raymond

Life’s Defeat by Rebekah Raymond
Book One in the Life’s Series 
Release: October 7, 2015
Genre: Adult Thriller
 
BLURB:
Tragedy places the soldier in St Patrick’s complex, determination to be someone of use keeps her within its walls. When she finally takes her first breaths of freedom, the soldier is sucked back into military servitude, her long, violent capture and imprisonment by Rochester setting her path of physical and psychological terror.
Under his rule she learns the depth of her own depravity, and how far she can go before she threatens to lose herself. But when Tomlin and his team rescues her, she discovers a new threat in the life she chooses to lead.
As the pages of her genetically-altered history are revealed, the solider finds the key to achieving her new goal: revenge.
It’s unfortunate it might just kill her in the end.
This Psychological thriller will lead you to the depths of despair with this young woman, then back as she finds peace, love, and resolution (as she knows it) once more.
 
Kobo and amazon ebooks (and print on demand) are available now for pre-order. They will automatically download on the 7th. Canadians can also order through the author's website website.
Pre-Order Your Copy Today:
 
 
You can connect with Rebekah Raymond on her website or on Facebook!
 
And don't forget you can attend the Book Launch Party for Life's Defeat on Wednesday October 7th, 2015! Join us at the party:
 

Owl’s Nest Books

7-8:30 pm

815A 49th Avenue SW, Calgary, Alberta

AUTHOR INTERVIEW - Meet Rebekah Raymond

Earlier this month on Ups, Downs, Ins and Outs I posted a long feature that spotlighted a number of authors – who had even earlier been featured on my Facebook page as “Author’s of the Day”. Rebekah Raymond was one of them.

She is a new author that comes from my area of this wide world. I was very excited to connect with her online and I’m really looking forward to meeting her in person next week at the book launch party for her very first published novel Life’s Defeat (all details for the launch party will be posted at the end of the interview). Having Rebekah so close to home presented a unique opportunity for me to get to know her just a little bit better and to help her promote and celebrate her first book release in person.

So here we are and I hope you’re ready to get to know the author Rebekah Raymond.

[LDF] Did you always want to be an author?

[RR] No, for as long as I remember, I have been a writer though. I was always writing—in diaries, in journals, poems, stories. I am an avid Trekkie and have played for years on email Star Trek role playing games. Of course there was always that pull when I held a really great great book, that maybe, one day...but no, I expected it.

I suppose as I started to pursue more serious projects I had the thought that it would be nice to become officially an author, which is what I had felt like for a long time.

[LDF] What was your main inspiration or reason for becoming an author?

[RR] My first inspiration came when a friend of ours passed away, actually. Our girls had been in the same class the year before and she had been incredibly helpful during my pregnancy near the end. Her death came as a shock to us and it was so hard making that connection of similarities and thinking of the possibility that my children could grow up without me at any time. It made me wonder if I was gone, what I would have to leave behind for my kids to look up to? So, I revisited my bucket list I had made years before and publishing a book was on it.

[LDF] When writing, where does the inspiration for your stories come from?

[RR] I have a scary vivid imagination. When I am alone, I often find myself, thinking up stories, or scenarios, replaying how things could have gone differently or how a storyline should go. It doesn't hurt that I am a fan of generally all music and art and writing. So I have a lot of experience in a lot of different areas: I have worked security at concerts, read about murder and thrills, been an artist and musician, experienced my own high-school sweetheart romance and wedding, had children, known loss of friends and family. For my genre it helps too that I have branched out over the years, occasionally delving into the worlds of vampires and murder. I even took a course while I was in college that allowed me to go to the gross anatomy lab, seeing bodies in all sorts of different states up close. Ultimately though, I do automatic writing, so what comes out is often unknown to me until it is down on the paper and I go back to read it. Anything can trigger it though – a song, a great piece of art, an antique or piece of furniture I see while out.

Tuesday, September 29, 2015

BOOK TRAILER REVEAL - Link by Summer Wier

LINK by Summer Wier
(The Shadow of Light #1)

Published by: REUTS Publications
Publication date: September 29th 2015
Genres: Science Fiction, Young Adult

Synopsis:
For seventeen-year-old Kira, there’s no better way to celebrate a birthday than being surrounded by friends and huddled beside a campfire deep in the woods. And with a birthday in the peak of summer, that includes late night swims under the stars.

Or at least, it used to.

Kira’s relaxing contemplation of the universe is interrupted when a piece of it falls, colliding with her and starting a chain of events that could unexpectedly lead to the one thing in her life that’s missing—her father.

Tossed into a pieced-together world of carnivals and gypsies, an old-fashioned farmhouse, and the alluring presence of a boy from another planet, Kira discovers she’s been transported to the center of a black hole, and there’s more to the story than science can explain. She’s now linked by starlight to the world inside the darkness. And her star is dying.

If she doesn’t return home before the star’s light disappears and her link breaks, she’ll be trapped forever. But she’s not the only one ensnared, and with time running out, she’ll have to find a way to save a part of her past and a part of her future, or risk losing everything she loves.

Dreamy, fluid, and beautiful, Link pairs the mystery of science fiction with the minor-key melody of a dark fantasy, creating a tale that is as human as it is out of this world.
 


 
 
Purchase Your Copy Today: 

AUTHOR BIO:
Summer Wier grew up spending Saturdays with a maxed out library card and her nose in a book. But as much as she loved reading, and even writing, both took the back seat when it came to career choices. With her sights set on law school, corporate greatness, and even a hankering to become the first female president, she set off to conquer the world. As life would have it, though, she didn't attend law school, nor did she become president (although, one day, your vote may be appreciated), finding her strengths, instead, in accounting and business management. After finishing her MBA, she revived her love for reading and began writing with dreams of finishing a book of her own. When Summer isn't working, reading, or writing, she's trying to keep up with two energetic girls and her husband, and dreaming of the mountains of Montana.

For more information on Summer Wier visit www.summerwier.com or connect on Twitter @summerwier.

Author links:

An Old Favorite for TUESDAY'S TUNES - For the Nights I Can't Remember

When I'm writing I almost having music playing in the background. I create playlists that help to keep me in the mood for certain scenes or for an overall feel of the story. Songs will tend to overlap - I like what I like and those songs influence certain emotions and moods in me, which in turn helps me get those feelings into the characters or mood of whatever story I happen to be writing at the time.

For some reason no matter what story I'm writing, what genre it is primarily, and no matter how vastly different the characters may be from one another, there is this one song that seems to end up on nearly every playlist.

It's not a sad song, really.

It's not a dramatically happy one either, I don't think.

I guess for me it's one of the songs that signals hope. Hope for the characters to figure their shit out. Hope that at the end, we find the HEA. Hope that when things are dark, there's a light at the end of the tunnel.

Maybe that's just me and my take on it.

Take a minute to listen... Tell me what you think?

Hedley - For the Nights I Can't Remember

Monday, September 28, 2015

There Are No Vampires In This Book - BLOG TOUR

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There Are No Vampires In This Book

by Megan Bailey

Series: Standalone Genre: Young Adult Publication Date: June 2, 2015
 
BUY NOW
 
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TARYN HAD NEVER BEEN NORMAL. She wasn't like other girls- not after that night, that thing, took her parents from her. She made it through hospitals, doctors, and therapy by playing by their rules and saying all the things they wanted to hear. But, inside, she held on to the truth. She knew what she saw. SHE SPENT HER TEEN YEARS PREPARING IN SECRET With her two closest friends at her side, she dedicated herself to a mission. She would train and she would hunt. When the time came, she would be ready. No one she loved would be hurt by one of those monsters ever again But with high school behind them, new found freedom comes with new responsibilities and new problems. Instead of weapons and self defense classes, she now has jobs and bills. The relation-ship with her best friend was suddenly shifting into new, scary territories. How could she take down bad guys if she couldn’t get her own life in order? AND THEN THERE WAS HIM. A mysterious stranger who pops up in suspicious places and throws off all sorts of bad vibes. His face now starred in her regular nightmares and plagued her thoughts in the day. Was she overreacting? Or, was this finally the monster she had been waiting for? As the scars of Taryn’s past rise up to haunt her, she begins to question herself. With her mission faltering and her friendship off kilter, would life ever be the same again? Would she ever be the same?

EXCERPT She hit him with a cushion. “Shut up and play the game.” “Truth or dare?” Aiden asked, his tone resigned. “Dare. I’m not letting you mock my truths.” She leaned forward and started to mix another drink. One she definitely didn’t need but was having anyway. She wasn’t thinking about this lonely dramatic stuff anymore tonight. Even if she had to drown it. “I dare you to kiss the first guy you lay eyes on.” Aiden bolted forward with his announcement, but she was faster. Taryn squeezed her eyes shut instantly. “Nice try, goofball.” “Oh, that’s not fair,” he grumbled. “Should have worded it better,” she mocked him in a singsong voice. Eyes still closed, she raised her glass, a little wobblier than before. “Let’s make a toast. To being losers together on a Friday night.” Instead of a tap of his can to her drink, she felt his fingers slide across the sides of her face and tangle into her hair. Her eyes popped open and locked on his, just inches away. “Gotcha,” he said in a low voice. Before Taryn could gasp, his mouth covered hers. It was no gentle, hesitant brush of the lips like she would have expected. No, Aiden met her with a firm, warm pressure that melted her insides like chocolate. His fingers in her hair tightened, sending electricity zinging through her. The drink in her hand was forgotten and slipped to the floor. Neither of them seemed to notice. He ran his tongue across the seam of her lips, asking, and the room tilted. She opened for him. His teeth caught her lower lip and tugged, lightly. She could have sworn she felt the tingle right down to her toes. He pulled back, dragging his lips against hers in a slow caress. They sat there in the silence, eyes wide. Her head swam and her heart raced. Her scalp tingled where his fingers still pressed into her hair. Those eyes of his had turned to that shade of rich, dark blue. They trailed back down to her lips, which felt a little swollen. From kissing him. Aiden. Heat blossomed through her belly. That just happened. But, for once, she wasn’t running a million thoughts through her head, worrying each one to death. She wasn’t thinking at all. Her panicky, loud brain was turned off, leaving something dark and hungry at the reins. Taryn wasn’t going to question it. Not tonight. She grabbed Aiden’s shirt and pulled him back down to return the kiss. Somewhere in her head, it registered. She was kissing her best friend. And it was amazing.

 

Megan Bailey

Megan Bailey is a novelist and short story author. When not writing, she loves playing video games for way too many hours and reading everything she can get her hands on. Megan is married to her own wise-cracking, romantic hero. They live in Central Illinois with their two devious/darling daughters and three furbabies: Minna the boxer dog, Logan the black cat, and Gimli the dwarf bunny. You can keep up with Megan at www.MeganBaileyBooks.com

Saturday, September 26, 2015

Don't Miss A Chance to PROMO

Each week on Ups, Downs, Ins and Outs I have PROMO MONDAY where I will share anything, everything, and whatever YOU want to be promoted for the coming week.


  • a new book release
  • an upcoming sale
  • pimp an author
  • online events
  • "real world" events
  • exciting news
  • ... whatever you want that will occur during that particular week!


Promo submissions are due on Sunday nights by 9:00pm MST and sharing will occur throughout the day Monday. Submissions can be sent to my Facebook Page by Private Message or by email to: apalusalight@gmail.com - All submission emails should have the subject: "(Monday date) PROMO"... for example emails sent for the upcoming Promo Monday should have the subject: "9/28 PROMO".

So get ready and let's PROMO!!

Tuesday, September 22, 2015

TUESDAY'S TUNES - Hear FIRST from Cold War Kids

It's a little late today I know, but this song has been in my head since I took the kids to school this morning and heard it on the radio. I've heard this song dozens of times and I've always liked it. It's always just given me that little boost I need sometimes to keep a smile on my face and to keep going.
 
And when you're not having that great of a day anyways, a song that makes you tap your toe and smile is always welcome.
 
Enjoy.
 
 
Is it really weird that a song that is basically about having a completely crap day, makes me feel a bit better about my own day?

Friday, September 18, 2015

COVER REVEAL - Tease by Geri Glenn

Cover Reveal 
Tease 
Kings of Korruption MC
By Geri Glenn

Releasing November 27th, 2015 (Pre-Order coming soon!)

tease

Blurb:

Laynie
Smile when you’re happy, cry when you’re sad and don’t ever be afraid to try something new. These are the words I live by. We only get one shot at this life, and I intend to live the best one I can. I had it all growing up. Popularity, beauty, great friends and a perfect family. But then one day, it all changed – now I’m blind. I’ve never let that stop me though. Life is an adventure and I believe in making the best out of every moment.

I spend my days with a job I love, online friends and a sexy new book boyfriend every week. I know in my heart that someday, my own prince charming will come along and appreciate me for exactly who I am – I won’t settle for anything less. Meeting Tease seems like the beginning of my fairy tale … until he opens his mouth.

Tease
I don’t trust people – ever. Every single person I’ve ever loved has contributed, in one way or another, to the shit show that is my life. Keeping everyone I meet at arm’s length, I work hard at being the star of most people’s nightmares. People think I’m a monster and honestly – they’re right.
Laynie’s beauty is what caught my eye, but her personality is what held it. Laynie’s the only person to ever see past my appearance and break down the walls I’ve worked so hard to build. I’ll do whatever it takes to keep her. When things heat up with a rival club, and Laynie gets caught in the crossfire, I will unleash hell on earth to protect the woman who makes me want to trust someone again. When bullets start flying and bodies start piling up, keeping her safe may be the last thing I ever do.


About Geri:
Geri Glenn is the author of the recently released, Kings Of Korruption MC Series. The first book, titled Ryker, was published August 14th, 2015!
Geri lives in beautiful New Brunswick, Canada. She is a military wife, the mother of two gorgeous, but slightly crazy little girls, and works full time as a support worker in an assisted living facility for seniors. Even with all of this, she still finds the time to be a voracious reader and most recently, a writer.

Geri has been as avid reader for as long as she can remember. She can usually be found curled up in a comfy chair, reading on her iPad both day and night. Geri is an incurable night owl, and it's not uncommon for her to still be awake, reading at 4 am, just because she finds it hard to put the book down.

Geri loves all genres of fiction, but her passion is anything romantic or terrifying; basically, anything that can get her heart pumping. This passion has bled out onto her laptop and became the Kings of Korruption.

Writing this first book in the series has knocked off the #1 thing on Geri's bucket list, and publishing it has been an absolute dream come true. She hopes you love the Kings as much as she does.

Stalk Her!

Thursday, September 17, 2015

Get Back In To Reading & Check Out These AMAZING NEW AUTHORS

As you may have noticed if you checked in on my blog or if you follow me on Facebook, I took a break over the summer from promoting books and authors, and all that fun stuff.  For about 7 weeks I read for pleasure, focused on and spent time with my kids and extended family, and generally just enjoyed my summer.  

If I saw something interesting on Facebook, I shared it on my page.  If there was a particular book that I wanted people to know about, I shared it on Facebook.  But the blog was left to quietly and patiently await the end of summer holidays (for my kids) and my return to active blogging duty.  And, as evidenced by the cover reveals and blitz tours that I’ve done over the past week or so, now I’m back.

In mid/late-August I started a “pimp an author” event that ran for 17 days. Each day a new author and their page was promoted; 17 authors were featured as the Author of the Day. 17 pages were shared, promoted and pimped. And over the course of those weeks, I made a number of great new contacts and friends.

Now it’s time to get back to work – to reading, reviewing, promoting, sharing and generally just pimping everything I can about books, authors and more.  But before I do that, I’m going to do one final pimping of those 17 wonderful authors – only I’m doing it here on the blog!

Are you ready?

...Cause here they come!!!

Selena Rivera

T.M. Sullivan

Nicky D. White

Linda Oaks

Sarah Hitchcock

Ginger Sutter

Bibi Rizer

Megan Bailey

Debra Presley

Daisy Prescott

Rebekah Raymond

L.E. Maguire

Aubrey Bondurant

Lady J

Colbie Kay

Chrissy Peebles


And that’s all of them. Whew.

Search them out. Explore their sites, their pages, and their work.

And happy reading to you all!!

Tuesday, September 15, 2015

TUESDAYS TUNES - When A Tune Is Stuck In Your Head

There are all sorts of songs that for whatever reason, because it's catchy or reminds you of something else, or something, gets stuck in your head and no matter what you do, you just can't get it out of your mind.  Sometimes those songs just pop into your head and you have no idea where it came from or why it's there - but you certainly hadn't heard it at any time recently.

Yeah, so that happened to me this morning.

I'd planned to feature a new song by a beloved band today for the Tuesday Tune, and then I woke up with an old ditty pinging in my ear and I can't get the damn thing out.  I'm making breakfast and packing lunches for my kids and I'm humming and singing.  I'm driving through light rain and gloomy streets to take them to school and, even though the radio is playing something else entirely, I'm still singing this song under my breath.

And I don't know why. It is a song I've always liked. I can remember being just a little girl and dancing with my grandpa in his kitchen to this song, while grandma sang along with the tape that was playing it.  I can remember swaying back and forth with my dad's arm over my shoulder, and singing this song with him at someone's wedding years ago.

But I have no earthly idea why this song was on my mind this morning.  I literally woke up with the sound of it chiming in my ear, even as I opened my eyes. And if I'm completely honest, it did wake me with a smile.

So maybe I just need to share it - the memories, the melody - with the world in order to let it go. I guess anything is worth trying at this point.

Whatever happens, I hope you enjoy, and maybe you'll get a smile this morning too.

Saturday, September 12, 2015

RELEASE BLITZ for Beautifully Damaged - TEASERS, PLAYLISTS & GIVEAWAY


Title: Beautifully Damaged
Author: Gina Sevani
Genre: New Adult


 
Get Your Copy of this Amazing Book at
Amazon     Barnes & Noble     iBooks     Smashwords










RELEASE BLITZ for Beautifully Damaged - EXCERPT AND GIVEAWAY


Title: Beautifully Damaged
Author: Gina Sevani
Genre: New Adult

 
Purchase Your Copy Today at
Amazon       Barnes & Noble       iBooks       Smashwords


Smirking jackass. Oh, so he thought I would have already fallen at his feet by now like the entire female population that constantly surrounded him.

“Is that what you think? That it bothers me that you haven’t spoken to me before? You’re mighty fond of yourself. Perhaps I should call you King Damon?”

He threw his head back in laughter. I loved the sound.

“You said it, not me, and I don’t hate you. Let’s be real clear on that.”

He looked me up and down as his eyes raked over my body then slowly moved his gaze toward my eyes and smirked at me. There it was — finally. That sexy smirk he threw to all his conquests. Poor thing, didn’t even know who he was messing with. He may have been the hottest guy I had ever seen — and maybe even the most charming — but I had way more self-control than to fall for his shit.

I hoped so anyway, because I was banking on enough control over my own body to not fall at his feet. “But you have to admit King Damon does have a nice ring to it.” I’ll play his game.“Oh my gosh! Damon-freaking-Black has actually spoken to me.” I threw my head back and fake-fanned myself. “I guess from all your lady groupies this is about the time you expect me to run out and go get your name tattooed on my body.”

Damon was sipping on his beer and sprayed some of it down the front of his shirt. He covered his mouth, all the while choking and laughing at the same time. He quickly got himself in check, much faster than I ever could if that had happened to me.

“Wow, feisty,” he murmured as he took his palms and wiped his mouth.

“Something wrong, King Damon?” I batted my eyes at him. Damon leaned into me, and how someone who was just drinking a beer, and had been inside a bar all night smelled delicious, I had no clue, but he sure did.

“Ass… since it’s my name I should get an input on where it goes, don’t you think? I want to see it too,” he whispered seductively. His eyes pierced mine. “Ariel, tell me something. Would that be your first tattoo, or do you have others?”

“You’ll never know, but I’ll tell you one thing…”

“Yeah?” He arched his eyebrows. “What’s that?”

“If I’m ever stupid enough to get a man’s name tattooed on my ass…” I paused just for dramatic purposes, just to make him think as I leaned toward him and whispered, “… I promise it won’t be yours.” The sexy facial expression he was wearing turned into a cold glare as he narrowed his eyes on me. Yup, there it was. That was how I was used to him looking at me. Game point, Ariel!

“Can it be mine, Ariel?” Xavier laughed. I wasn’t even aware we had an audience listening to our conversation. I cut my eyes toward him to tell him to shut up, and, if looks could kill, Xavier would have been on the floor from the look Damon had already thrown his way. I slid off the seat and walked away, but my feet stopped me when I heard his voice.

“Don’t be so sure princess, and by the way, that’s a mighty fine ass, very worthy of my name.”

I turned around to face him but kept walking backward. “You sure do talk a lot.” He smiled. That smile could make a girl weak in the knees.

“We can always do something else.” He winked.

I raised my hand and saluted him the best way I knew how and turned for the door.