Spotlight - As Dragons From Sleep by J. Ellen Ross + GIVEAWAY

TITLE:    As Dragons from Sleep

AUTHOR:    J. Ellen Ross
INFO:    Fiction, 462 pages
PUBLISHED:   Amazon, 2015
GENRE:    Fantasy

ABOUT:  Two years have passed since the attempted coup that nearly cost Leisha, Queen of Tahaerin, her crown, her lover, and her life. With her fractious and peevish nobles cowed into submission, she can finally enjoy the peace she work so hard to forge.

But, war has come to the kingdoms of Ilayta. Sailing over the horizon, vicious invaders arrive first on the shores of Tahaerin. Under the banner of their nameless god, they threaten to drown the land in blood and bring a weapon never imagined here.
Leisha will fight ferociously to save her kingdom and her people, while once more, powerful men plot against her. Conspiracies she thought long dead return and her one-time lover reappears with grand promises. One of her closest friends and advisers guards a secret that threatens everything she has built. Isolated and betrayed, she has only a pitifully small army and a handful of people she can trust.

As her enemies drive her from her home, turn friends against her and threaten her life, where can Leisha turn? 

EXCERPT:  From their position on the hill, Leisha watched the Deojrin advancing, creeping closer to their position. Still too far away for any of them to threaten her soldiers, she knew the first rows of enemies fell well within her range. As she stared, transfixed by their neat ranks, the hill disappeared and then the sky, until row after row of her enemies filled the whole of her vision. Blood pounded in her ears. She could start freeing or killing them now. Time seemed to draw out in front of her, a long line of possibilities, of victims.

“Leisha.” Distantly she heard Avrid’s warning. “Look at me,” he commanded while brushing his mind over hers, demanding all of her attention.

Avrid saw her breath coming in short gasps and her pupils shrunk to pinpricks. “I know what you’re feeling. I remember my first battle well. The signal will come soon. Take a breath and relax. Bloodlust is not needed here.”

Confused, Leisha looked at him and then back down the hill. Why did he want to deny her nature? Born a weapon, now placed in Andelko hands, she stood here to save her kingdom, her people, herself. Her blood coursed, fast and furious, driving out all doubt and the vulnerability she loathed. Power coiled around her, up her legs, around her waist and shoulders, seducing her, reminding her what she could do if she just called on it. Today she would hunt and kill, just as she was meant to.  

Available now at AMAZON

The book will be $0.99 during the tour!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:  J. Ellen Ross lives in Texas with her husband and their four rescue dogs. She works in high tech, which has nothing to do with fantasy or writing. As Dragons from Sleep is the second novel in her series, ‘The Tahaerin Chronicles’. The first A Gift Freely Given is available on Amazon.

When she’s not busy chasing dogs around or rushing someone to the vet, she loves to read and play video games. She has a hobby of having hobbies, so she’s also been known to do sculpting, beadwork, and painting. 

Website  /  Facebook  /  Twitter

J. Ellen Ross is giving one lucky reader a $20 gift card to either Amazon or Barnes & Noble. Enter below and be sure to check out the other tour stops. Good luck!
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Tour Stops

November 16: Queen of the Night Reviews

November 17: BooksChatter
November 18: The Reading Addict
November 19: Unabridged Andra's
November 20: The Voluptuous Book Diva
November 23: The Avid Reader
November 24: CBY Book Club
November 25: GothicMoms
November 25: One Book Shy of a Full Shelf
November 27: Kit 'N Kabookle
November 30: Welcome to My World of Dreams
December 1: Reviews by Crystal
December 2: Two Ends of the Pen
December 3: Romorror Fan Girl
December 4: BookSkater
December 7: Paranormal Romance and Authors That Rock - review
December 8: Laurie's Thoughts and Reviews
December 9: Archaeolibrarian- I dig good books!
December 10: Long and Short Reviews
December 11: Books N Pearls

~~~~~ Disclaimer:  All opinions expressed on this blog are 100% my own.  I do not receive monetary compensation for my reviews but do utilize affiliate links.  I may receive books in  order to facilitate a review, but this does not guarantee a good review - only a completely honest one.  Each review post denotes how I obtained the book.

Review - Eclipsing Apollo by Sasha Summers + GIVEAWAY

TITLE:    Eclipsing Apollo

AUTHOR:    Sasha Summers

INFO:    Fiction, 219 pages

PUBLISHED:   Sasha Summers, 2015

SOURCE:   Received from Publisher for Review

FROM GOODREADS:   Apollo is fond of many things. Music, poetry, physical prowess, truth, and love. The Pythian Games are in his honor and he attends, as a mere mortal, to enjoy the competition… and the women. Meeting the fair Coronis offers him his greatest delight. Her strength, her fearlessness, and her beauty clasp his heart with an irrevocable hold. But she wants none of him.

Coronis’ duty is to marry, but she yearns for so much more. She is a fierce competitor, a hunter, skilled in strategy and reason. Those that would court her lack both the mind and the body to rival hers - she will settle for no less. As a mortal, Apollo was both infuriating and tempting. But Apollo the Olympian is terrifying. She fears giving him her heart might destroy her soul.

Demeter’s need for revenge pits Olympian against Olympian, forcing Apollo into a darkness the God of Light must fight if he ever hopes to see his Coronis again.

EXCERPT:

Her fear increased, making it hard to breathe. Do not let him fall. She turned, her stomach tightening as her gaze met Apollo’s. You must win. You must.

Apollo smiled broadly, his brow rising high.

She pulled her gaze from his, walking past him to the competitors’ tent. He would follow her, she knew it. They had little time to prepare. She must help him bathe and anoint him with oil before he met Damocles in the ring.

Her champion. She shivered, pushing into the tent. She lit a lamp and drew in a steadying breath. She was not a fretful sort, so why was she so afraid? Why did he unsettle her?

She knew the answer but refused to address the ache… the yearning that tugged her heart.

No, no.

She poured water into a beaten copper basin, grabbed the bottle of oil, and turned to him. His gaze caught hers and he cocked his head, assessing her.

An amused smile wreathed his too-handsome face. “Do not fret Coronis. You’ve not broken your word to me. You said you would never ask for my help. And you did not.” He moved forward slowly, towering over her. His smile faltered as he studied her, intently… possessively. “You will never have to. I give it to you freely. I always will.”

She stared up at him, astonished. Her suitors flattered her with pretty words, poetry, even song. But no man spoke to her so plainly. Or dared to look at her as he did.

His gaze wandered over her face. He seemed to linger over every feature, tracing the arch of her brow, the curve of her forehead, the seam of her lips, and angle of her jaw—before pinning her gaze with his. “Do I frighten you, Coronis?” his voice was low, almost a whisper.

She stared into his eyes, fathomless and golden. What was he asking? Was she afraid of the depths of emotion he stirred within her? Was she fearful of how her body trembled, anticipating the moment when they might touch? Or that she dreaded his departure so that she could neither eat nor sleep. She shook her head, unable to answer.

MY TAKE:    I've always enjoyed mythology, whether it be the Greeks, Norse, Roman or those from many other cultures. This was a fun and entertaining take on the story of Apollo and Coronis from the Greek side of things.

While Eclipsing Apollo is actually the third book in Sasha Summers' series: The Loves of Olympus, it is very much a stand alone read. Her writing style is light and colorful, bringing these mythological beings to life on the pages. Aside from the main characters, I liked the various gods and goddesses and their dramas being highlighted. I'm looking forward to reading many of their stories in the other books in the series.   

Out of 5 JEWELS, I give it:

Sasha is part gypsy. Her passions have always been storytelling, romance, history, and travel. Her first play was written for her Girl Scout troupe. She's been writing ever since. She loves getting lost in the worlds and characters she creates; even if she frequently forgets to run the dishwasher or wash socks when she's doing so. Luckily, her four brilliant children and hero-inspiring hubby are super understanding and supportive.

Contact Sasha:

Website / Email / Twitter / Facebook / Goodreads  Pinterest / Group Blog / Fresh Fiction / Amazon 

Sasha is generously gifting one lucky winner a $25 gift card to either Amazon or Barnes & Noble. Enter below for a chance to win - plus check out the other stops on the blog tour to learn more about this story as well as earn more drawing entries. Good luck!!

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Blog Tour Stops

November 2: TheReading Addict

November 9: UnabridgedAndra's

November 9: RomorrorFan Girl

November 16: ReadingRomances

November 16: One Book Shy of a Full Shelf

November 23: LibriAmoriMiei

November 23: SharingLinks and Wisdom

~~~~~ Disclaimer:  All opinions expressed on this blog are 100% my own.  I do not receive monetary compensation for my reviews but do utilize affiliate links.  I may receive books in  order to facilitate a review, but this does not guarantee a good review - only a completely honest one.  Each review post denotes how I obtained the book.

Spotlight - The Devious Dr. Jekyll by Viola Carr + GIVEAWAY

Today's Spotlight Read is The Devious Dr. Jekyll by Viola Carr plus a great Giveaway!

TITLE:    The Devious Dr. Jekyll

AUTHOR:    Viola Carr
INFO:    Fiction, 464 pages
PUBLISHED:   Harper Voyager, 2015
GENRE:    Paranormal/Fantasy/Steampunk

ABOUT:  Dr. Eliza Jekyll, heroine of the electrifying The Diabolical Miss Hyde—an edgy steampunk retelling of the classic Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde—investigates a bizarre murder case in an alternate Victorian London while battling her treacherous secret half: Lizzie Hyde.

Solving the infamous Chopper case has helped crime scene physician Dr. Eliza Jekyll establish her fledgling career in the chauvinistic world of Victorian law enforcement. But the scrutiny that comes with her newfound fame is unwelcome for a woman with a diabolical secret. And there is the mercurial Royal Society agent and wolf man Remy Lafayette. Does he want to marry her, eat her, or burn her at the stake? Though Eliza is uncertain about Remy, her dark and jealous shadow self, Lizzie, wants to steal the magnetic and persistent agent, and usurp Eliza’s life.

It’s impossible to push Remy away when he tempts her with the one thing she can’t resist: a bizarre crime. The search for a bloodthirsty ritual torturer dubbed the Pentacle Killer draws them into a terrifying world of spies, art thieves, and evil alchemy, where the price of immortality is madness—or damnation—and only Lizzie’s dark ingenuity can help Eliza survive.

As Eliza and Remy race to thwart a foul conspiracy involving the sorcerous French, they must also overcome a sinister enemy who is all too close: the vengeful Lizzie, determined to dispose of Eliza for good.

Available now at:

AMAZON / BARNES & NOBLE / KOBO  

THEBOOK DEPOSITORY / POWELL'S BOOKS

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Viola Carr was born in Australia, but wandered into darkest London one foggy October evening and never found her way out. She now devours countless history books and dictates fantastical novels by gaslight, accompanied by classical music and the snoring of her slumbering cat. She loves history, and pops down to London’s many historical sites whenever she gets the chance.  She likes steampunk, and thought it would be cool to investigate wacky crimes with crazy gadgets…just so long as her heroine was the creator of said wacky gadgets: a tinkerer, edgy, with a dash of mad scientist. Readers can follow her on twitter at @viola_carr  and online at http://www.violacarr.com.

Visit Viola’s website, Connect with Viola: Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest

Viola is giving away a $25 Gift Card!

Terms & Conditions:

• By entering the giveaway, you are confirming you are at least 18 years old.
• One winner will be chosen via Rafflecopter to receive one $25 Gift Certificate to the e-retailer of your choice
• This giveaway begins October 26 and ends on November 13.
• Winners will be contacted via email on November 1.
• Winner has 48 hours to reply.

Good luck everyone!  ENTER TO WIN!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 October 26

Guest blogging at TezSays

Book featured at 3Partnersin Sh0pping

October 27

Book featured at WhatisThat Book About

Book featured at TeatimeandBooks

October 28

Interviewed at I’mShelf-ish

Book featured at Angel’sGuiltyPleasures

October 29

Interviewed at TheCosyDragon

Book featured at KristyCenteno

October 30

Book featured at HarmoniousPublicity

Guest blogging at TheRomanticWorld of Leigh Anderson

November 2

Book featured at Mikky’sWorldof Books

Book featured at Celticlady’sReviews

November 3

Book featured at Kayl’sCrazyObsession

Guest blogging at Workingforthe Mandroid

November 4

Book featured at AroundtheWorld in Books

Book featured at Lisa’sLouisianaHome

November 5

Book featured at Crystal’sChaoticConfessions

Book featured at CurlingUpby the Fire

November 6

Book featured at Sapphyria’sBookReviews

November 8

Book reviewed at RhiReading

November 9

Guest blogging at One Book Shy of a Full Shelf

Book reviewed at DoingSomeReading

November 10

Book reviewed at Here’stoHappy Endings

Book reviewed at WordsIWrite Crazy

November 11

Book reviewed at BookHimDanno

Book reviewed at WorthGettingin Bed For

November 12

Book featured at ChosenByyou Book Club

Interviewed at UrbanFantasyInvestigations

Book reviewed at ReaderGirls

November 13

Book featured at ParanormalandRomantic Suspense Reviews

Book reviewed at MoonlightRendezvous

Book featured at Dawn’sReadingNook

~~~~~ Disclaimer:  All opinions expressed on this blog are 100% my own.  I do not receive monetary compensation for my reviews but do utilize affiliate links.  I may receive books in  order to facilitate a review, but this does not guarantee a good review - only a completely honest one.  Each review post denotes how I obtained the book.

Review - Ever After by Odessa Gillespie Black

TITLE:    Ever After (Cursed)
AUTHOR:   Odessa Gillespie Black
INFO:    Paperback, Fiction, 236 pages
PUBLISHED:   Lyrical Press, 2015
SOURCE:   Received from Publisher for Review

FROM GOODREADS:  In order to fully inherit a millionaire's fortune, Allie Knowles must survive a month on her property - easier said than done when the enormous house is haunted by a violent ghost who claims to know Allie. But the true mystery lies with Cole Kinsey, the handsome groundskeeper. Cole and Allie have never met, though he's been driving her wild in her dreams for years. Yet now, every effort to get closer to him pushes him further away..

Cole has only ever loved one soul and that love has endured for centuries. Now that soul rests within Allie's body and it takes everything in his power not to confess the truth. For her presence has put them both in mortal danger. Racing against the clock, Allie will have to break the ghost's curse - or history will be doomed to repeat itself. 

MY TAKE:   I enjoyed this book. It was a quick read for me as I became pretty engrossed, fairly quickly. It had a lot of the elements that I look for - romance, mystery, a nasty ghost and a hero. I do like me some handsome heroes. The love through time is also something I am drawn to.

What didn't make this a "great" book for me was the feeling of being in a loop at times, going in circles. It jumped around for a bit and I don't like the getting lost feeling when I'm in a story. 

That being said, I'm looking forward to the next book in the series. I like the characters and their interaction and am anxious to see what is in store. 

Out of 5 JEWELS, I give it:

Ever After is now available at any of these fine literary retailers:

AMAZON / BARNES & NOBLE / BOOK DEPOSITORY / POWELL'S BOOKS

~~~~~ Disclaimer:  All opinions expressed on this blog are 100% my own.  I do not receive monetary compensation for my reviews but do utilize affiliate links.  I may receive books in  order to facilitate a review, but this does not guarantee a good review - only a completely honest one.  Each review post denotes how I obtained the book.

Review - Nightbloom by Juliette Cross

TITLE:    Nightbloom: A Nightwing Novel
AUTHOR:    Juliette Cross
INFO:    Paperback, Fiction, 151 pages
PUBLISHED:   Lyrical Press, 2015
SOURCE:   Received from Publisher for Review

FROM GOODREADS:   The love between a human and a Morgon, the dragon-hybrid race, tempts fate once more...

All her life, Ella Barrow has allowed others to make her decisions.  Forced to stifle her artistic talents and stay in a loveless relationship with Clayton Kerrington, the man her mother believes to be her perfect match, Ella's life may be safe - but it's not her own. Paxon Nightwing, on the other hand, is anything but the safe choice.

A charming and alluring Morgon, Paxon sees Ella for the woman she truly is. His bold confidence and protective nature ignites a passion she's never felt before. But a dark family tragedy forces their secrecy - until Clayton makes it impossible to hide their clandestine affair. Will Ella be strong enough to fight for herself at last? Or will she succumb once more and risk losing the only man she's ever loved?

MY TAKE:   This was my first visit to the author's fantastic world of Morgons. It was way too short of a visit! I can't wait to get the other books so I can extend my stay.

While this is the third book in the series, it is still very much a stand alone read. I liked Ella right away, lusted after Paxon and couldn't stand Clayton. Juliette Cross populates her world with fantastic characters. She makes you feel for them and care about them and what happens to them - except Clayton. I wanted bad - worse things to happen to him. 

Ms. Cross is a master at creating mental pictures. The images she portrays with her words make me feel like I could reach out and touch Paxon and his beautiful wings. 

I believe (adult) readers who enjoy fantasy, paranormal and romance should dive into this lovely world. You won't be disappointed, you'll be hooked.

Out of 5 JEWELS, I give it:

Nightbloom, Windburn and Soulfire are available at one of these fine literary retailers:

AMAZON / BARNES & NOBLE 

    

~~~~~ Disclaimer:  All opinions expressed on this blog are 100% my own.  I do not receive monetary compensation for my reviews but do utilize affiliate links.  I may receive books in  order to facilitate a review, but this does not guarantee a good review - only a completely honest one.  Each review post denotes how I obtained the book.