Guest Post and Giveaway: The Dream-Walker War by Tory Michaels

Today's guest is Tory Michaels, author of two books in the Dream-Walker War series, Blood Rage and Blood Mage Rising. Originally from the Sacramento Valley, Tory packed up and moved all the way to Southwest Florida in 2004 with her husband (a Florida native) under the premise that ‘hurricanes almost never hit that part of the state.’ That year, 4 blasted the area. 4 more came the following year, and her husband blames her for bringing the hurricanes. She now resides in Jacksonville and is relieved that, thus far, no more hurricanes have followed her around.
She began writing in kindergarten when a turnip wished to be human and, other than a hiatus shortly after getting married, has never stopped. Her love of vampires began somewhere in junior high, and combining the two loves didn’t take long. She loves music, considers herself a ‘book slut’ whose reading habits would break her family financially if given free reign, and is (usually) delighted to be a mommy of twin Shrimpettes and a Shrimp.

Tory Michaels Website / Facebook/ The Dream-Walker War Facebook / Twitter / Goodreads

Take it away, Tory!

                                                        Unreality in the Real World
First, let me say thank you for having me on your blog today. I liked your topic suggestions so much (why vampires or how did I pick my setting), that I’m going to combine them!
My Dream-Walker War (two books out with one almost done and the fourth/final one in the planning stages) takes place primarily in South/Southwest Florida (Tampa and Fort Myers). You might think that’s an odd place to put a bunch of vampires, but…not really, if you think about it. If you put them in somewhere like Washington State, you’ve got those super long days during the summer. Sure, you get nice long nights in the winter, but it’s still a pain. In Florida, and other more globally central locations, there’s far less of a seasonal shift as to length of day. So, to my mind, it’s logical that they’d cluster in Florida despite the frequency of rainy days.
Now, as to why I write about vampires. I’ve been fascinated by the supernatural my entire life. I remember loving the show Dracula: the Series when I was 16 (short-lived sit-com, believe it or not), and the Ben Cross incarnation of Dark Shadows (cut after a single season, which cutting I firmly blame on the first invasion of Iraq). But I look at the undead and see more than the broody/sulky vamps (a la the Angels and Edwards of the world) or evil, soul-less creatures (Angelus and innumerable other purely evil critters). I don’t get why they must lose their souls upon conversion to vampirism (yes, I know the mythology behind vampires). So, I decided to write about vampires who really aren’t that much different than humans. They’re who they were in life, just with really long life-spans and a liquid diet.
My fascination with vampires comes from the ageless/immortal factor. Being immortal seems like a pretty good deal, doesn’t it? Can you imagine the things people would see if they could live longer than our puny 60-100 years? Heck, just a century ago, we were toddling along in the first cars, no internet and movies weren’t even that huge yet. And now, here we are with instantaneous access to movies at home, easy communication from almost anywhere in the world, and we can go from New York to Japan in under a day (assuming you get the good connecting flights). What new and wonderful things are going to change in the next hundred years? Or how about a thousand?
The main male characters (I hesitate to call both of them “heroes” given one is a sociopath) of my books are 1200 and 1000 years old, respectively. One came from Viking society, the other from Celtic. Imagine the changes they’ve seen? Heck, even my heroines aren’t that young (one’s 200, the other 250). I don’t see why a 1000+ y/o vampire would prefer a fresh, young human over a woman who’s been around for a couple hundred years. Granted, Anthony and Dara (Blood Rage) met while Dara was still human, but they didn’t make a real go of things until she was close to her two-century mark. I just like the freedom you’d get after seeing and doing so much. So that’s why vampires.
Thanks for having me here and hope I haven’t bored you. Have a great week!

That is an interesting twist on the classic vampire tales, and thank you for coming, Tory! Now for the giveaway! To enter, just use the Rafflecopter form below!

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Guest Post and Giveaway: A Skinwalker's Legacy by Shae Wynters

Today's guest is Shae Wynters, author of A Skinwalker's Legacy. Shae Wynters is the pen name of an award winning, best-selling author who has been writing for more than twenty years and has been professionally published for eleven years. A bonafide vampire, fantasy, sensual romance and speculative fiction lover, Shae sometimes meshes all these elements together for a rip roaring story to entertain her spectrum of readers. Shae will be giving away 10 e-copies of her book, so be sure to enter in the rafflecopter form below!

Here is a blurb of her new book:

          Lexia Torrance is a young woman with the gift of second sight. Her ability allows the Phoenix Police Department to solve crimes based on the gift of touch. Her latest case leads her to the body of a local man left with the killers' calling card—an emblem burned on the victim's chest in the shape of a sun. She soon finds herself facing five men looking for the necklace with the same emblem…and they are determined to find her as well...
Galen Cortes knows the immense ability deep inside Lexia as well as her destiny to take the throne as Skinwalker Chieftess to the southwest tribe. As a guard of the tribe, Galen has sworn to protect Lexia and teach her the truth about her powers. Despite what his heart feels, he knows a guard isn’t supposed to get too close to a betrothed Chieftess. But his fiery passion may soon override his rational thought.
With a murderous Lycan tribe on their tail and only a few hours to spare once Lexia learns her birthright, Galen will only have a day to teach her what those before her learned in a lifetime. Before their time is over, passion will erupt between the guard and his ruler, a fateful battle will dawn between two tribes and a new Chieftess will arise within the nocturnal hours…

Shae is here to talk about the legend of the skinwalker. Take it away, Shae!

                                                   The Legacy and the Legend
The Skinwalker legend of the Navajo has always fascinated me. From the fascinating stories themselves to the beautiful culture and colors of the tribe itself, the setting was ripe for creating a fun suspenseful and sexy tale of forbidden love, unsolved crimes and an inherited title.
I've always loved fantasy fiction and when paranormal romance and urban fantasy romance came about, I was ecstatic to dive in and tell my own stories. Second to these was my love of romantic suspense. I must admit, I'm a huge fan of the Lifetime suspense movies that come out in marathon form on the weekends and in blocks on the movie channel. I also love reading sexy suspense stories, namely Suzanne Brockmann's Tall Dark and Deadly series and the Troubleshooters and any Genesis Press suspense books I could get my hands on. Mixing the suspense aspects with paranormal/fantasy genre made this a super fun book to write.
The story revolves around Lexia Torrance, a young woman who fights with her ability to see crimes after they happen along with her changing body as her Skinwalker genes take over. One day she 'sees' a crime that changes her life: a group of men commit a murder while searching for her. Her life is thrown into chaos when the men find her. Thankfully she has a guardian who has been watching her over the years. Her guardian is Galen Cortes, a half fae half Skinwalker guard of the Southwest tribe. Galen takes Lexia to a safe location where he helps her hone her skills. He also tells her of the dangerous, murderous prince who betrothed to her and is eager to use her in usurping the tribe. Time is running out for Lexia to hone her Skinwalker skills while both are falling in love with each other.
I loved writing A Skinwalker's Legacy. I had a chance to create my own world with it's own rules and I had a chance to throw in a few twists and turns that hopefully caught some readers off guard. I hope readers enjoy the tale and look forward to more possible works in the world of A Skinwalker's Legacy!

~Excerpt~

Lexia Torrance didn’t know when the soft classical music streaming from her television disappeared into the silence of her mind. Her conscious thought transitioned into the hushed, wistful nature of her dream state. She was like a cinematographer, now standing back and watching herself buried under the covers.
She was somewhere else.
The shadows creeping around the rooms told her it was nighttime. A warm glow of red, yellow and orange flickered from around the corner. She felt herself floating toward that room and as she turned the corner, she saw a tall figure.
The tall man wore a red flannel coat and blue jeans. His long, dark hair fell down his back. He was large, a mixture of both muscle and body fat beneath his bronze skin. He turned around with a gasp and his expression quickly turned to anger. A strong handsome face stared back at her. The prominent bone structure told her of his Navajo ancestry. Perhaps he was from the same local tribe as her grandmother. He wore a colorful beaded necklace that reminded her of the one with the same design that her father had given her.
She couldn’t turn to see who he was looking at, but she felt them. Thick tension, bitter and black as ink filled the air like a dark shadow. Something felt familiar about their presence but she couldn’t quite figure it out. She watched the man before her stand to attention. His face, a shade of golden brown with strong cheekbones and a lined jaw was tense. His dark brown eyes focused ahead with a veil of hardness that was a visible defense.
“Where is it?” the man asked, gritting his teeth.
The man before her shook his head. “You have no right to be here. Leave now and I won’t tell the council what you came for or what you’re doing.”
“You know who you’re speaking to, Micah?”
“A deranged power hungry prince, that’s whom. I won’t help you on your sick quest for power. Not over the tribe or her.”
Laughter filled the air, making her shiver from the ominous edge. “You have some moxie. I see why they gave it to you. But now it’s time to give up the necklace before I really get pissed.”
The man folded his arms and stood tall. “No one but the next Chieftess is to have possession of it. I’ve seen the way you look at it at the ceremonies. Like a power hungry lion waiting to catch its prey. Something is wrong with you and I’ll see that the Chieftess knows about it before she makes a mistake.”
The man named Micah made an attempt to move but was stopped by two other men in dark suits.
“Now, now Micah. You can’t stop what is already in motion. Either you’re a part of it or you’re a victim. I’ve given you one chance for the former. Now here is your second. I want the trinket I came for and since you’re so enamored with being the good warrior, I want the girl as well. Where is she? I know she lives in town.”
“She isn’t ready yet. She needs training.”
“You know the fate of the one who stands between a Skinwalker and his mate?”
“You mean a predator and his prey.”
That eerie laughter pierced the air again. “Whichever you choose. The end result will still be the same.”
Micah’s gaze darted from each man. Lexia wished she could keep up the count of how many were in the room. Even more, she wished she could turn to see the man speaking. Something told her she had to know and remember.
“I suppose you know where she is then?”
The man’s face grew blank before he shook his head. “You won’t find her.”
The scene flashed and two men held Micah down on the ground. His shirt was open, baring his thick chest, while a smoking hand clutching an unseen item branded a mark on his heart. His screams echoed throughout her dreams. She had to wake up. Why couldn’t she wake up?
She moved back to get a look at the man’s torturer. But as he moved into her line of vision, a loud ringing filled her ears.
Lexia’s eyes shot open into the darkness of the bedroom. The wireless phone blared to life on the table next to her bed. She looked outside the window where the night still claimed the city of Phoenix. The clear sky gave a view of a half-moon amidst the tall trees aligning her backyard. It took her a moment to realize that whoever was calling this late wouldn’t give up until she answered.
She pushed herself off the bed with a sigh and yanked the phone off the cradle.
“Yeah? Torrance here,” she said. Her voice was still heavy with sleep, and her mind still hummed with the loud, ear-piercing scream. Heat crept in her face as if she felt the man’s skin burning away before her eyes. It felt so real. But it wasn’t…was it?
“Sorry to wake you, kid,” the familiar voice of her boss, Rudy, echoed over the receiver. “I tried your office first but when you weren’t there, I figured you already crashed for the night. I would’ve let you sleep this one out but we’re going to need your expertise. Dead body here looks like a ritual killing by a cult or gang. I’m running some tests to see if it fits any initiation MO’s and we should have the results by morning. The vic’s place looks like a robbery but there aren’t any prints or signs that anyone was here besides the victim. No forced entry and only one room looks like a hurricane flew through it. Obviously they were looking for something and had an idea where it was.”
Lexia wiped her eyes. “You think they knew each other?”
“It’s possible but only speculation at this point.”
“Sounds like you guys ran tests already.” Lexia tried to focus on what little information she could deduce from Rudy’s description despite her mind replaying pieces of the dream.
“What little we could but it would sure help if you could feel the place out for us. Tell us what they were looking for and when they hit. Things like that. I estimate it happened an hour ago so they couldn’t have gotten too far.”
“All right,” Lexia leaned over to look at the digital clock on her nightstand. The red numbers blurred but she blinked a few times to clear her vision. Twelve forty-five. “I’ll be there as soon as I can.”
She waited until Rudy finished giving her the vic’s address before she bid goodbye and hung up. Her mind was still on cloud nine as she tossed the covers off the bed and swung her feet onto the carpet.
The room had somehow grown warmer since she fell asleep as if a fire was burning nearby. Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7 in Allegretto played from the digital music channel on the television. The light from the set illuminated her entire bedroom, cascading everything in a flicker of light against the darkness.
What just happened?
That was the first time she dreamed something so real. Normally when she fell into one of those dream states so quickly, it was when she was getting a feeling at a crime scene.
Lexia pulled her hairband out and shook her silky strands free around her shoulders. As she combed her fingers through her hair, she tried to coax herself back to the present. This was no time to have her head in the clouds over some crazy dream. She needed all her senses working tonight if she was going to be of any help to Rudy and his team.
Clearing her mind, Lexia immediately replaced any traces of the dream with the preparation for her investigation. First, she had to find something comfortable to wear. She had a feeling this was going to be a long night.

* * * *

Lexia pushed past the crowd of police officers on the dimly lit porch and stepped into the bright living room. She made sure to keep her ID card handy after she flashed it to the cops at the front of the house. Onlookers and neighbors had already gathered outside. Despite the amount of robberies in the city, it was always a circus whenever a crime took place. Unfortunately, this was another that ended with a person losing their life.
Once the cops recognized her, she ducked under the yellow tape lining that stretched across the front yard and headed straight for the busy home. It was a nice one-story modern, Spanish-style house situated on the outskirts of Paradise Valley and Phoenix. Pretty nifty place not too far away from her own home. For that, she was thankful for the short drive on half a night’s sleep.
“Welcome to the party, Lex.” Detective Rudolpho “Rudy” Marra smiled widely as he spotted her. He ran a meaty hand over the smooth bare patch in the middle of his thinning gray head of hair. His smile was warm, accentuating a large round face, rosy cheeks and a dark neatly combed mustache. He often joked about his round frame, attributing it to his love of donuts, sweets and his wife’s Italian home cooking.
Lex had to give it to him there. His wife’s cooking was worth risking a heart attack. “What do we have here that couldn’t wait until morning?” she asked, gazing at her surroundings.
“Vic’s name is Micah Cozel. Forty-eight year old single male. American Indian descent. Lived a quiet life and kept mostly to himself.”
Micah.
Lexia barely heard the rest of Rudy’s list after he mentioned the name. Yes, it was a long shot that it was the same Micah from her dream, no matter how close the description sounded, but a coincidence…she didn’t think so.
It took her a moment to realize Rudy was looking right at her.
“Ahh,” she cleared her throat. “Where’d he work?”
Rudy shrugged. “Volunteered at the local reservation and worked as an engineer.”
“Does it say which one?”
“Which…”
“Reservation.”
Rudy pulled out a notepad from his pocket and checked it before shaking his head. “Doesn’t mention which one but there’s a settlement outside of Avondale. Apparently, he goes there for volunteer work but nothing beyond that. Anyway, from what we could gather on short notice, he hadn’t been to work in the past day or so.”
Lexia exhaled. “Okay. I’ll do my best to see if I can dig up anything. Where’s the body?”
Rudy turned his head toward the back of the home. “Down the hall. Just follow the party. Everything is still as is. Just be careful to—”
“I know, I know. Watch where I step.”
He grinned, puffing out his already swollen cheeks. “Sorry to wake you so early, but I can’t say I’ve ever seen anything like this.”
Lexia’s stomach turned. Once again, her overactive mind imagined the worst before her eyes had a chance to confirm the situation. She nodded slowly and told herself to suck it up before heading in. “I’ll take a look.”
She stepped forward, ready to enter the bright spacious family room when a loud voice broke through the hall.
“Marra, what are you doing letting a civvie in here? This is a confidential investigation,” a deep voice boomed behind her.
Lexia looked over her shoulder and met the bright blue gaze of a middle-aged man with thin, dark hair with silver at his temples. His eyes narrowed as he surveyed her from head to toe before he continued his tirade.
“She doesn’t look like an officer so I think you better talk fast.”
“Easy, Jerry,” Rudy turned to her, rolling his eyes. “He’s new. I’ll explain to him and you go on in ahead.”
“She—what the…”
Jerry continued to stutter as Rudy eased him back into the hall.
Lexia shook her head. The same thing happened with the last partner Rudy had to bring up-to-date. Right about now she suspected he’d be explaining how she could sense things. She was often called out of her office to sniff things out, so to speak, and assist the local police on criminal investigations. She wasn’t psychic or anything but her intuition and keen senses helped the police figure out the how’s and why’s of cases.
Their voices disappeared the moment she saw the body and his placement in front of a fireplace. It couldn’t be. Right away, she recognized the dead man, Micah, lying amidst the rubble of books, furniture and debris. His long dark hair was splayed across the wood floor. With charred ashes in the fireplace behind him, she could tell it had been in use recently. She walked closer, careful not to step on any bit of the debris lining the floor.
The female cop crouching over him peered up at her with a thin, neatly manicured, raised eyebrow.
“It’s okay,” Lexia said, holding her hands up. “I’m Lexia Torrance, special assistant to Detective Rudy Marra. I’m just taking a survey of things to see if anything pops up that can give you guys a start.”
“Well, have fun,” the cop responded, rising to her feet with a sigh. She snapped her latex gloves off. “Looks as if his body burned from the inside out. His skin is almost completely scorched. There’s a strange intricate design on his chest there. Never seen anything like it before. I suspect it’s something to do with the occult. Maybe an underground cult in town doing some kind of weird initiation for its members.” She shrugged. “In any event, we probably won’t find anything conclusive until the M.E. can take a look at him. See if you can find anything to give us a lead, huh?”
Before Lex could answer, the woman turned toward the hallway. “All right gentlemen, let’s give the psychic some room to do her work.”
Lexia suppressed a cringe. She forced a smile toward the female cop who patted her on the shoulder before taking her leave. She was not a psychic. She couldn’t see the future, only the past and the scenes came in waves of emotion. If anything, she would be an empath but even that couldn’t describe the intuition she had come to rely on. That and the heavy burden of extensive emotion that came with her ability. If she didn’t keep it under wraps the physical results would be disastrous.
She pushed that alternative thought out of her mind and leaned down. Sure enough, he was the man from her dream. Looking up, she deduced this was the place she’d dreamed about. Did she dream it the very moment it happened? It couldn’t be. Her ability only worked when she touched the scene. Never before had it happened just like that. Things were getting weirder than usual.
Lexia moved closer to the body and kneeled beside him. His bronze skin, indeed charred, revealing the bones and muscles and dried blood beneath. She took a few breaths to calm down and focus as she opened her senses to receive anything left behind from his encounter with the perps. What was once a strong spirit with a name, an identity and a life, was now an empty void with only memories left of what happened in the late hours. She held her open palm out over his chest and closed her eyes, allowing the past few hours to wash over her.
Nighttime. Four broad-shouldered men in dark suits stood in the room around Micah, their faces still drenched in shadow. A fifth man reached into the fireplace, his hand hovering over the blazing fire.
“Where is she?”
“Be careful what you wish for. If she learns of your true nature, you will not have a prayer in ruling the tribe.”
“The Torrance girl is in this city. You didn’t think we were that stupid not to find her, did you?”
The Torrance girl? Lexia felt the images slipping away as fear sluiced through her veins. There had to be at least a dozen Torrances in the neighborhood. They couldn’t be after her, could they?
“Focus, Lex,” she softly whispered to herself. “There are more important things at hand right now.” Closing her eyes, she tried to push her cognitive mind aside and let her emotions release her powers. All she saw was black emptiness…until it appeared again.
The man balled his fist at his side and puffed out his chest. “You won’t find her! She’ll be kept safe, I promise you that.”
Lexia shuddered as the scenery quickly changed in her mind.
The four men held the victim down as he screamed and writhed to free his body from their grasp.
“Where is the necklace?” one of them demanded.
The man smiled then spat in his questioner’s face. The fifth man balled his fists and launched a series of hard blows across Micah’s face.
“Answer the nice guy, Micah.”
Micah spit blood into his abuser’s face. “You’d have to kill me first.”
“That can be arranged.” Another kick in the gut stole Micah’s breath. The unseen man punched him across the face again. Again. And again.
“Come on, Micah. Where’s this heroism getting you?”
Micah fell over in the men’s grasps, his tired weight ready to give into gravity.
“Tell ‘em where she is and where you’re hiding the necklace.”
Micah smiled, a row of white tainted with spots of deep, thick red blood. “You’ll never know. My honor and loyalty is to my Skinwalker Chieftess only. Nothing will break me. Soon she’ll know the truth and then finish you for breaking the code.”
“Lay him down,” the unseen man said through gritted teeth. The shuffle of bodies moving echoed against the walls. Micah’s body slammed down with a grunt before he struggled to escape their grasp.
The man in the suit cocked his head to the side and shrugged, curling his lips into a smile. “This is such a shame, Micah. You know the only thing I hate more than a person who sticks his nose where it doesn’t belong, is an insubordinate who believes he’s higher than his station allows. May your passing take with you pain and suffering into life after death because your Skinwalker Chieftess cannot help you now.” He raised his hand then slammed it on Micah’s chest, causing him to shake violently as smoke rose from his burning body.
Lexia opened her eyes and looked down. The scene happened exactly as in her dream only this time she had seen it all. Still she couldn’t see the other four men amidst the dark shadows. It was as if the darkness surrounded them, purposefully blocking her view.
Her heart raced, pumping wildly at the images echoed in her memory. Were they looking for her?
If not, what did all that mean? And why were they after this man? What was this Skinwalker Chieftess? A shapeshifter legend?
Lexia looked up around the bedroom, feeling another presence in the air. Something called to her, wanted her here, seemed intent on making her stay put. A cool wind caressed her arms, raising the hairs on her skin.
She peered down again at the man’s face. His half-buttoned shirt revealed a scar on his chest. This had to be the emblem the man was clutching in his hand. She couldn’t see it but something told her it was the very same.
Lexia looked over her shoulder, thankful to see the female police officer nearby. “Hey, do you have any spare gloves?”
“Sure.”
“Thanks.” Lexia flashed the woman a smile as she took the gloves offered to her and slipped them on. She waited until the room was empty before continuing. Who was this man and why did he feel so familiar to her?
She gently pulled back the plaid shirt to bare his chest fully. It was just as the cop told her. Among the dark, thin patch of hair was a clear indentation of the necklace burned on him like a brand. She nearly froze as she made out the mark—flames emitting from a round face with eyes in the shape of howling wolves. The image from her dream! But how? What was the connection here?
With a sigh, she stood, feeling like her senses had overloaded. Her mind raced to find questions. Another flash invaded her mind. The necklace, a beautiful gold embroidered rope tied to the sun-like mark. Deep in the midst of the wolves were eyes made of red jewels. Was that what they were after?
Then she felt it.
The necklace is still here.
Perhaps that was why this was the only room in shambles. They must have known. Lexia slowly surveyed the room, feeling the invisible energy guide her. A white bookcase sat on the opposite end lined with various old hardbacks thrown about. The unknown behind those walls drew her near. Raising her hand, she willed the books to move. She narrowed her eyes and imagined them falling off the shelf to the floor to reveal what she needed to see.
But nothing happened.
Lexia chuckled. Looking around, she hoped no one saw her failing mishap. Who did she think she was? Some kind of telekinetic warrior? She had the ability to see things, but the idea of moving things with her will sounded absurd even to her.
She turned at the sound of oncoming footsteps in the hall.
Rudy poked his head through the door as she gingerly stepped toward the hall.
“Anything?”
“Definite signs of foul play on his body,” she said, placing her hands on her hips. “He was attacked, beaten and branded like an animal.”
“Did you see the perps?”
“Unfortunately, no. Too many shadows hid their profiles. I just noticed they were all dressed in suits.”
“How many?”
“I counted five.”
Rudy cursed softly. “Any sign of what caused the mark?”
Lexia shook her head. “Not a clue. I did notice—”
A loud thump caught her attention. They exchanged glances and from the widening of Rudy’s eyes, she could tell he’d heard it too. She carefully turned around and headed back in the room.
There in one of the corners, books lay on the ground. The empty space they left made way for a large opening within the wall. Lexia immediately spotted the shiny gold sun talisman attached to a long braided chain. The same design branded on the dead man’s chest.

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Book Battle: The Great Linking Weekend Giveaway

For the last two years I have participated as a judge in The Shady Glade's book battles, and this year's battle will be the battle of Retold Fairy Tales, so I will definitely be a judge once again. I love retold fairy tales! The Shady Glade is still looking for book nominations - I have already submitted my two titles (Beastly and Abandon) - as well as volunteers to be judges for the book battle.
ALSO, The Shady Glade is holding a Linking Giveaway to bring attention to the book battle and encourage participation by offering two winners a book of their choice by linking into the contest, as well as nominating a book and/ or signing up as a judge. Who doesn't love free books??

And PLEASE, if you enter through me, be sure to use my name (Jacob's Beloved's Books) as your referral!


Important Links:

To nominate a title: http://theshadyglade.blogspot.com/2012/05/2012-book-battle-nominations-open.html

To volunteer to judge: http://theshadyglade.blogspot.com/2012/04/book-battle-2012-call-for-judges-and.html

To enter giveaway: http://theshadyglade.blogspot.ca/2012/05/book-battle-great-linking-weekend.html

Goodreads group: http://www.goodreads.com/group/show/32303.The_YA_Bloggers_Debut_Book_Battle

More about the battle: http://theshadyglade.blogspot.com/2012/04/introduction-to-2011-ya-bloggers-book.html

Guest Post and Giveaway: ReVamped by Ada Adams

The first of today's guests is Ada Adams, author of ReVamped. Here a bit about the author:

"Many people sing in the shower. I, on the other hand, write scenes in my head and act them out."
At age five, Ada read her first chapter book - Pippi Longstocking. Ever since that moment, she developed an intense passion for the stories and characters found within the pages of literature.
In her career as an actress and a writer, Ada currently spends most of her days immersed in imaginary worlds. Much like the characters she enjoys playing and writing about, Ada is a martial artist with a Black Belt in Shotokan Karate. She is also a big proponent of lifelong learning, and has attained Bachelor of Arts in Psychology (it aids in creating characters with unique quirks!) as well as a Master's of Science in Education.
Ada strives to bring a fresh voice and perspective to fiction. She has been writing creatively for many years. "ReVamped" is her debut novel.
She lives in Toronto, Canada, and enjoys adventurous nature hikes with her adorable puppies Cara and Oreo.

Here is the blurb of her new novel:

          Nineteen-year-old vampire Dawn has led a sheltered life within the confines of her father’s presidential headquarters. Upon being sent on a mission to revamp four goofy misfits into guardians of a peaceful little town of Angel Creek, Dawn believes that all her dreams have finally come true. What starts off as a simple task, turns into something unexpected, changing Dawn’s life forever and leading the action-loving, thrill-seeking vampire teen on a path of mystery, danger and intrigue.

When a human girl is kidnapped by a group of rogue vamps, Dawn discovers that there is more going on in Angel Creek than meets the eye. And it all connects to Ethan, the cute newcomer who seems too perfect to be true, Sebastian, the mysterious vampire with a turbulent past, and even Dawn herself. Dawn must not only succeed in revamping the troubled recruits, but must also prevent the vampire race from being overtaken by a malevolent villain who has a strange and obsessive fascination with her. As threat escalates, romance blooms, and ghosts from her past begin to surface, Dawn is sure of only one thing: her life will never be the same.

Ada is here to talk about the origins of her novel, ReVamped. Take it away, Ada!

          The story of how ReVamped came to be is a “backwards” one compared to the birth of many other novels. Most of the time, books are first written, and only then are some optioned for shows and films. ReVamped, on the other hand, was born as a script for an action-comedy TV/Web series. During the pre-production stage, I came to the realization that, due to the direction in which I wanted the story to go, ReVamped The Show could not be rushed until I was certain that it would receive the highest production value possible. The script sat on my computer for a while as my schedule quickly filled up with other projects. However, the story and its characters would not leave me alone. I was often up until the early hours of the morning, my head bursting with new ideas and exciting plot development. One day, I finally gave in and sat down at my computer to write it all out. This time, in book form!
Various alterations to both the characters and the plot had to be made while translating ReVamped The Show into ReVamped The Novel. Here are the Top Ten Things that were completely changed from the first draft of the pilot script to the last draft of the novel. In my opinion, all were positive changes! :)

Top Ten Changes from ReVamped (The Show) to ReVamped (The Novel)
10. Dawn’s name was Gabrielle. Sebastian was Alexander. Surprisingly, Ethan and all of the secondary characters—Brooke, Sophie, Hunter, and Seth—retained their first names.

9. Dawn, uhh, I mean Gabrielle from the show was different from the Dawn you meet in the novel. While both girls were extremely strong physically, Gabrielle had a much tougher personality. She was one no-nonsense, smart, strong, and sarcastic vampire chick! While writing the novel, I had to infuse the character with some vulnerability, as she was coming off a little too tough and much too perfect. I wanted to the character to have some flaws. It’s not fun to read and write about a perfect character that is able to take everything that comes their way with ease. Dawn from the book also has some trouble talking to guys and expressing her feelings, as she has been sheltered all her life by her father. Gabrielle definitely didn’t have this problem.

8. Alastair (Dawn’s father in the book) was still the US Vampire President, but Dawn/Gabrielle wasn’t his daughter. She was his second-in-command; a sort of adopted daughter.

7. Angel Creek used to be called Burk’s Falls (which is the name of a small town in Ontario we were originally looking to shoot the pilot in). Thankfully, I made the decision to completely fictionalize the town in the novel, which gave Angel Creek a life of its own.

6. There was a lot more focus on comedy and parody in the script. While the novel is still very humorous and has some satirical moment, it is definitely not a parody. There is a greater focus on the more serious events and subject matter that occur in the story.

5. The premise of The Born and The Made didn’t exist in the script. In fact, Gabrielle was a two-hundred-year-old vampire (with no memory of her past).

4. Ethan was a bad guy. Like, really, really bad. But, it was set up that he was going to fall for Gabrielle (I feel very odd calling “Dawn” that), and perhaps change his ways. There was a lot of focus placed on this storyline.

3. Dawn and Sebastian (or rather, Gabrielle and Alexander) had a different story than they have in the book. I can’t share too much about it without alluding to Dawn and Sebastian’s connection in the novel, but I have a scene from episode six of ReVamped The Show that takes place in 1845, which I may share one day.

2. Aurora didn’t exist. Therefore, a large part of the plot of ReVamped The Novel didn’t exist in the show.

1. The vampires didn’t drink Blood Cola. I know, no Blood Cola? That’s a tragedy!

The giveaway is a Kindle copy of ReVamped by Ada Adams. To win, simply leave a comment telling me how you follow and follower name, along with the email address I can reach you by. You must follow me at least one way: GFC, Twitter, or RSS Feeds. The giveaway is open to all and ends May 11th.

Guest Post and Giveaway: Illicit Magic by Camilla Chafer

Today I have Camilla Chafer, author of the Stella Mayweather series, to talk to us about some of her world-building, as well as give away an e-book copy of the first book in the series, Illicit Magic, to one of my lovely followers! Here is a quick blurb of the book one blog follower will be winning:

          More than three hundred years after the most terrifying witch hunts the world has ever known, it's happening again.
Racing from attack by the ruthless Brotherhood in London to the powerful witch council in New York, twenty-four-year-old novice witch Stella has to put her faith in strangers just to stay alive but she might not be any safer in their midst than from the danger she is running from.
Sent to an extraordinary safe house by the sea to learn her craft, Stella finds there is more than one dark secret in her new family: Étoile’s sister is spoken of in fear and sadness; Marc is supposed to be a powerful witch but is missing his magic; where does the owner of their safe house vanish to every day and why does Evan have the eyes of someone not quite human?
There is only one secret that someone will do anything to keep quiet, but whose secret is it and will Stella have to pay the price for silence?

Take it away, Camilla!

          Reinventing witch mythology
Throughout the ages, witches have been closely identified with cauldrons, black cats, weird ingredients (frogs legs, eye of newt, anyone?), and cackling. Old and warty, witches of yore were often depicted as a little off their marbles. Quite why all this came about, I’m not entirely sure, though I suspect some of it is from the ancient practitioners of herbalism and the elderly spinsters who understood the properties of nature’s produce, and some of it from people’s fears, hundreds of years ago, when an malady or blight could be blamed on a “witch”.
Then, witches in fiction began to change with writers like Alice Hoffman and Joanne Harris who gave us the magical realism genre and imbued their attractive witches with skills that made them intriguing, likeable and mysterious. And, of course, there are many fun witches on film and TV whom practice spells, their magic frequently backfiring for some comedy relief. It’s probably why we’re so intrigued by them; every depiction is so different.
I wanted to incorporate traditional elements and fantasy ones in my witches of the Stella Mayweather series. To support my witches, a blend of urban fantasy and mythology works well rather than entirely reinventing the wheel. So, pentagrams, circles, spells and numbers imbued with power all feature along with supernatural elements (with a few fun extras, of course!) Two kinds of magic exist in my novels. One is the innate magic Stella possesses that allows her to do fun things like dematerializing or telekinesis. The other kind is spell-casting, where spells and potions are used to create magic. Some of my witches can do both. Fortunately with magic, the possibilities are endless. From psychic visions to controlling the weather, necromancy to summoning fire, my witches have a wonderful array of skills.
My witches don’t get an easy ride. It would be no fun if they did! In fact, you’ll never know what you’re getting with the witches that pop up through the series. Neither ‘light’ nor ‘dark’, they can be loyal or devious, power hungry or willing to give it all up for a normal life. They can heal and kill. The witches have their own specific powers, so Stella had better watch out or start fighting back!

Now for the giveaway!
To enter the giveaway for one e-book copy of Illicit Magic by Camilla Chafer, you must be a follower of Jacob's Beloved's Books by one of the following methods: Google Friend Connect (right sidebar), Twitter, Networked Blogs, or RSS Feeds. I will double check! Only enter the giveaway once, as I don't do extra entries. Giveaway is open to all, and ends Friday, April 13th.


Fill Out the Form

Loveswept Holiday Hop

Happy Holidays to everyone - Romance At Random is celebrating their Loveswept line with a random e-book Giveaway to 25 winners plus an opportunity to win one Grand Prize from www.romanceatrandom.com.


Enter here to be included in the FREE random e-book drawing (25 winners will pick up their FREE book from Net Galley) and then stop on by www.romanceatrandom.com and comment to enter the drawing to be the ''ONE”Grand Prize winner, to win a selection of great books! Good Luck & Happy Holidays to all! INCREASE your chances to win by visiting all of the participating 'Loveswept - Holiday Hop' sites! Winners will be contacted after 1/10/12.

Romance at Random Winner

The winner of the ebook Because of You by Jessica Scott, using random.org, is...


Catherine Lee!

You should be getting an email soon with instructions on obtaining your ebook. Enjoy!

A Salute to Our Veterans – Veteran’s Day Blog Hop

THIS CONTEST IS CLOSED!

In honor of Veteran’s Day and the servicemen of the United States, we would like to celebrate with our very own Jessica Scott, active duty army captain, full time mom, and author, and her husband, first sergeant deployed with the army on his final tour; by promoting Jessica’s new book, Because of You, the first in her Coming Home Series.

About the book:

          From the war-torn streets of Baghdad to the bittersweet comforts of the home front, two wounded hearts navigate the battlefield of coming home from war in this explosive eBook original from newcomer Jessica Scott.
 Keeping his men alive is all that matters to Sergeant First Class Shane Garrison. But meeting Jen St. James the night before his latest deployment makes Shane wonder if there’s more to life than war. He leaves for Iraq remembering a single kiss with a woman he’ll never see again—until a near fatal attack lands him back at home and in her care.
 Jen has survived her own brush with death and endured its scars. And yet there’s a fire in Shane that makes Jen forget all about her past. He may be her patient, but when this warrior looks her in the eyes, she feels—for the first time in a long time—like a woman. Shane is too proud to ask for help, but for Jen, caring for him is more than a duty—it’s a need. And as Jen guides Shane through the fires of healing, she finds something she never expected—her deepest desire.

Here’s what people are saying:
•  “Jessica Scott is an exciting new voice in romantic fiction who bursts upon the scene with an unputdownable debut novel! ” -New York Times Bestselling Author, Robyn Carr
 •  “Edgy and current—and a truly satisfying love story. Put this book, Jessica Scott’s, Because of You, on your 'must read' list.” -New York Times Bestselling Author, Suzanne Brockmann
•  “Jessica Scott writes with a soldier’s heart. Because Of You is touching, authentic and a fantastic read.” -New York Times Bestselling Author, Cindy Gerard
•  “Crackling with realism, sizzling with sexual tension, and pulsing with emotion, Jessica Scott has penned an unforgettable militaryromance that delivers heartache and hope on every page.” -New York Times Bestselling Author, Roxanne St. Claire


Giveaway Details:
I have one eBook copy of Because of You to give away. The only mandatory entry I require is for you to leave a comment with your name and email, so that I may contact you if you win on this blog. This giveaway will be open from Thursday, November 10th to Sunday, November 13th. I will announce the winner on Monday, November 14th.

Each participating blog found in this linky will be giving away a FREE ebook of Because of You. Be one of the first to read this powerful love story by commenting below or on any of the participating sites to be included in this random drawing. There will be 25 winners total, as each site will choose a winner. Increase your chances of winning by visiting all of these sites on the linky!

Winner of Vega Smoothie Giveaway

The winner of my giveaway for Brendan Brazier's Vega Smoothie Mixes Giveaway is Cassandra K.!

Check out my review of Brendan Brazier's newest book, The Thrive Diet: Whole Foods to Thrive, here.

Congratulations, Cassandra!

Blogger Tour and Giveaway: Whole Foods to Thrive by Brendan Brazier (CA Only)

Book Details:
The Thrive Diet: Whole Foods to Thrive
By Brendan Brazier
Genre: Cooking
Published 2011, Penguin Canada
Paperback, 343 pages
ISBN: 9780143176909


Synopsis:

          What impact do food choices have on your health? Have you ever been curious as to where your food came from, who grew it, and the path it took to get to your table? Have you every wondered how much of each natural resource was used to produce your food—in other words, the soil-to-table environmental cost? In Whole Foods to Thrive, Brendan Brazier clearly explains how nutrient-dense, plant-based foods are the best choice, not only for your health but also for the health and sustainability of the planet.
Versatile and packed with flavor, whole foods have an abundance of health benefits for those who want sustainable energy, high-quality sleep, physical strength, and mental sharpness. Whole Foods to Thrive builds upon Brendan’s stress-busting, energy-boosting approach to nutrition and food introduced in his acclaimed bestseller The Thrive Diet, and includes 200 delicious, easy-to-make, plant based recipes that are all allergen-free and contain no wheat, yeast, gluten, soy, dairy, or corn.
• Breakfast Cereals • Salads • Dressings, Dips, and Sauces • Soups and Sides • Burgers, Wraps, Pizza, and Rice Bowls• Cookies, Ice Cream, and Pies • Kale Chips and Nori Crisps• Energy Bars and Gels
Features recipes for dishes such as • Gorilla Food Green Tacos • Quinoa Falafels • Indian-Spiced Lentil Hemp Burgers • Maple Crispy Rice Treats.

Recipe: Chocolate Almond Smoothie with Sacha Inchi Milk
Rich in protein and omega-3, this smoothie will keep you going for hours with
sustainable, non-stimulating energy.
Time: 5 minutes • Makes about 3 ½ cups (2 large servings)
1 banana
2 fresh or presoaked dried dates
1 cup water
1 cup Sacha Inchi Milk (or chocolate variation) (see p. 126)
¼ cup almonds (or 2 tbsp raw almond butter)
1 tbsp ground flaxseed
1 tbsp hemp protein powder
1 tbsp roasted carob powder
• In a blender, combine all ingredients and blend until smooth.

My Review:
The face of Brendan Brazier blazes across the opening page of the book, along with a full body shot of him again at the beginning of the introduction. He certainly has an intimidating litany of accomplishments, from a former profession as an Ironman triathlete and two-time Canadian 50 km Ultra Marathon champion to designing the Vega product line to supplement the plant-based diet taught in his previous books, Thrive: The Vegan Nutrition Guide to Optimal Performance in Sports and Life and Thrive Fitness: The Vegan-Based Training Program for Maximum Strength, Health, and Fitness. The list goes on, and this is only on the first page of the book.
The Introduction explains what drove Brazier to write this book, namely an avid curiosity about the source of a food's nutritional quality as well as the environmental cost of these sources. He then describes what each of the first five chapters focus on, followed by 200 recipes created with the help of top chefs, "all made with nutriet-dense, plant-based whole foods that are both health-boosting and easy on the environment." The contributing chefs are Julie Morris, Amanda Cohen, Matthew Kenney, Chad Sarno, and Tal Ronnen; and many recipes are also pulled from Brazier's favorite restaurants across Canada and the United States.
In the first chapter, Brazier discusses the hurdles he overcame in becoming an Ironman triathlete in regards to proper nutrition and how this drove him to study nutrition in-depth and formulate his own conclusions about how to achieve a proper diet. Chapter Two takes proper nutrition one step further by exploring the environmental impact of all aspects of the food industry with both high nutrient-dense foods and low nutrient-dense foods. Chapter Three investigates the various solutions offered for both the environmental toll of the food industry and the initiatives to achieve higher nutrient density in food, as well as compares the ratios of nutrients to environmental toll in various foods. Chapter Four lists the eight components of healthy food with its purpose, best sources, and specific benefits. Chapter Five uses the information from the previous chapter to list and discuss the most nutrient-dense foods available. In addition, each of the chapters have a quick summary of that chapter in "Thrive at a Glance" for quick reference.
The end of the book has a detailed Guide to Nutrients, which covers phytonutrients, antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals, followed by a list of Brazier's favorite restaurants and cafes, complete with addresses and short blurbs. The book concludes with a list of calculations that compare the emissions of a variety of foods to nutrient density that are discussed in chapter three, as well as a glossary and list of resources.
I was incredibly impressed with the knowledge that Brazier provides between the pages of this book, and how well he illustrates the knowledge so that anyone can understand it. While I do not completely agree with everything that Brazier is preaching with his"Thrive" diet, most of it does make sense and with the right amount of dedication I think that it could work for most people - and you don't have to be a triathlete to do it.

The Giveaway: In recognition of Brendan Brazier's new release and thanks to Penguin Canada, I am giving away one prize pack contains six Vega smoothie mixes (either Shake & Go Smoothie mixes or Complete Whole Food Health Optimizer mixes) in an assortment of flavours like Vanilla Chai, Bodacious Berry, and Choc-a-Lot.

This giveaway is for Canada only, please. To enter, you must be a follower of Jacob's Beloved's Books. This can be through either RSS Feed, Google Friend Connect, or Email Subscription, which are all found in the right-hand column. This giveaway ends May 31, 2011. I will contact the winner by email for a mailing address, who will have 48 hours to respond. You can only enter this giveaway once. To enter, please fill out the form below.








*I received this book free of charge from the publisher for review purposes.*

Read For: Foodie Challenge, Off the Shelf Challenge

Winner of Earth Day Giveaway

The winner of my Earth Day Giveaway of There's Lead In Your Lipstick by Gillian Deacon (check out my review here) with an Eco Kiss Kit from Saffron Rouge is:

Auqakuh / Rae T. from http://contest-for-that.blogspot.com.

Congratulations!

Earth Day Giveaway

In celebration of the approach of Earth Day on April 22, I am featuring Gillian Deacon's new book, There's Lead in Your Lipstick, with a giveaway! To introduce you to the author of this wonderful book, here is a special Earth Day message from her:

          Earth day shouldn't just be an annual tip of the hat to greener living. This year, make it the day you recalibrate your everyday patterns to be more earth-friendly all year long.
You don't have to be a treehugger to care about avoiding toxins in your everyday bodycare. Synthetic chemicals in personal care products contaminating groundwater and wildlife is alarming enough—but they’re also contaminating us. Those hard-to-read ingredients you squint at on the back of a product label? They’re building up inside your body and in your children’s bodies—on Earth Day and everyday.
Make today the day you start paying attention to that fine print. Turn a product over and read the ingredients label before you are seduced by the “green” imaging on the package. The good news is, there are lots of safer products on the market.
Good luck and I hope you’ll check out There’s Lead in Your Lipstick for more ideas on how to clean up your act!

Here is a very informative excerpt from her book that makes me glad I choose not to wear make-up!

          Researchers in Finland tested eighty-eight colours from twenty-five brands and found forty-nine eyeshadows contained lead, cobalt, nickel, chromium, and arsenic. Eyeshadows also often contain petrochemicals, such as mineral oil, dimethicone to make the powder stick to the eyelid, and a binding agent like methacrylate, which in addition to being a strong skin irritant is also a contributor to 1,4-dioxane, a known carcinogen. Glitter eyeshadows use pure aluminum to create the shimmery effect; the aluminum can migrate into the eye and cause injury to the cornea.
From There’s Lead in Your Lipstick by Gillian Deacon (Penguin Canada). Copyright © Backbone Inc. FSO Gillian Deacon, 2011

So on to the giveaway! Penguin.ca has generously offered one lucky reader one copy of There's Lead in Your Lipstick by Gillian Deacon along with an Eco Kiss Kit from Saffron Rouge, with a retail value totaling approximately CDN $48.95. Because this prize is coming from Penguin Canada, the giveaway is for Canadians only, sorry!
According to Saffron Rouge, the Eco Kiss Kit is a collection of three moisture-rich lip balms that are all-natural, USDA certified organic, and petroleum-free. The three vintage style tins come in Lavender Vanilla, Chair Mandarin, and Pepperminty. As chapped as I get in this cold and dry climate, I wish I could keep them for myself!

I like to keep my giveaways simple. To enter this giveaway, you must be a follower of Jacob's Beloved's Books through one of three ways: Google Friend Connect, RSS Feed, or Email Subscription. Once you have done that, fill out the form below and you are done! Comments are always welcome, but not necessary to enter. This giveaway ends on April 29, 2011. I will email the winner for his or her mailing address, and Penguin Canada will be shipping the prize package to the winner.

Winner of $85 CSN Stores Gift Code

I had a total of 24 entrants for my giveaway of a $85 CSN Stores gift code. Using random.org, the winning number was:

#19 Kim/ The Book Butterfly from http://thebookbutterfly.com

Kim has already been contacted with the winning code. Congratulations Kim!

Furniture Fantasies and a CSN Stores Giveaway

I'm a stickler for organization, even to the point of naming organizational books as some of my favorite titles, but unfortunately, living in a tiny apartment with a husband, two small children, and a third on the way makes such fantasies impossible. But still, it is nice to dream sometimes, such as having a home office to fill with beautiful home office furniture. (And by the way, if you're like me, you'll love Christopher Lowell's Seven Layers of Organization: Unclutter Your Home, Unclutter Your Life.)

So, to fill someone else's furniture fantasies, I am giving away an $85 gift certificate to CSNStores.com to one lucky follower of Jacob's Beloved's Books! This giveaway is open to U.S. and Canada only, and bear in mind that the gift certificate does not cover shipping charges to Canada. This giveaway ends on Sunday, March 13th. Just complete the form below or click here for the form, make sure you are a follower, and I will use random.org to pick the winner, who will then be emailed the gift certificate code.