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Blog Tour [Review]: Bolder Blindsided (Zack Bolder #1) by Janice Tremayne + paperback giveaway (US/UK only)

September 3, 2024January 1, 2021 by Leah@WSP

So we’re kicking off the new year with Bolder Blindsided (Zack Bolder #1) by author Janice Tremayne!

Is it weird to start the year with a random book spotlight? Nah, right? I thought this book was intriguing that’s why I joined this blog tour and the post schedule that I happened to snag was this day, the first day of the year. I’d like to think that’s a good thing. Maybe it’ll mean I’ll be reading and reviewing books a lot this year. Hah! We shall see. ;)

Anyway, read on to know more about the book. Check out the blurb and my short review. Then if you’re in the US or UK, enter the blog tour giveaway for a chance to win a copy of the book! Enjoy!

Bolder Blindsided: A Zack Bolder Supernatural Suspense Thriller (Book 1)
An Australian alpine ghost town. A priest turned supernatural detective. A missing persons cold case. Will bolder track down the voracious demon?
When Detective Wellock hushers in Zack Bolder to investigate a missing person case in the Australian ghost town of Walhalla, they form the most formidable tag team of supernatural investigators, working for the police branch for unexplained crimes. Perched amongst the alpine area, this tourist backed ghost town is renowned for its gold mining past and stories of hardship, deprivation, and death. It becomes a perfect setting for an unexplained missing person’s cold case.
When Bolder realizes every demon has a weakness—it’s blindside, he confronts the demonic presence, head on for an ultimate encounter to save the town. As this evil entity is sly as a fox with more turns that a two-mile car racetrack, Bolder must be at his best to overcome the devil that has cursed the town since 1876.
Can Bolder uncover the curse that strangleholds the town and thrust out the evil entity before more innocent people go missing and suffer an imminent fate?
Bolder Blindsided is the first book of the Zack Bolder Supernatural Suspense Thriller Series. If you like a fast-moving, energetic, and nail-biting supernatural suspense thriller guaranteed to raise your heartbeat, then you will love this story by 2020 USA Readers’ Favorite International Book Awards Finalist in Supernatural Fiction, Janice Tremayne.
Pick up your copy today and meet Zack Bolder!
Add this book on Goodreads. Get this book on Amazon US or Amazon CA.

About the Author

Janice Tremayne is an Amazon bestselling and award-winning ghost and supernatural writer. Janice is a finalist in the Readers’ Favorite 2020 International Book Awards in Fiction-Supernatural.

She is an emerging Australian author who lives with her family in Melbourne. Her recent publication, Haunting in Hartley, reached number one on the Amazon kindle ranking for Occult, Supernatural, and Ghosts and Haunted Houses categories, for hot new releases and bestsellers.

Janice is well-versed in her cultural superstitions and how they influence daily life and customs. She has developed a passion and style for writing ghost and supernatural novels for new adult readers.

The concept of writing the Haunting Clarisse series was spawned over a cup of coffee many years ago, and she has not looked back since. Her books contain heart-thumping, bone-chilling, and thought-provoking ghost and paranormal experiences that deliver a new twist to every tale.

Connect with the author on her website, via email or on Facebook.

Super fast-paced, interesting supernatural detective story

This is a quick read with pretty straightforward writing. The text sometimes feels weird and not quite smooth in some places, but it doesn’t take away from the story. The whole thing is fast-paced and kind of reads like a sprint because there’s always something happening on every page.

Bolder and Wellock are a fun and interesting duo but I feel like more could be done with their character development. There seems to be so much more behind their individual back stories and how they started working together and it would’ve been nice to read more about them. I mean, we are given quick explanations, but a deeper dive would be nice. Maybe we’ll get more of that in the next books.

Anyway, the story is cool and exciting and, though I wasn’t terribly blown away, I enjoyed reading it. I’d read more of Bolder’s adventures.

If you like mystery and detective stories that involve hauntings and demonic possessions, you might enjoy this one, too!

Note: I received a copy of this book as part of my participation in this blog tour. All opinions expressed are my own.

Read an excerpt from Bolder Blindsided

The ghost wore a red-and-blue-checked shirt with suspended loose-fitted corduroy trousers, covered by an oversized sack coat and wavers for shoes—a type of waterproof gumboot. It had a white handkerchief tied around the neck and a broad felt hat. It peered with a skinny, sunken face, white and devoid of any existence. With an elongated nose and red bloodshot eyes—Gazza knew it was not from this world.
Gazza was a panderer, a good-looking guy that liked to mix with beautiful girls—he was not a fighter. And yet, he realized he was going to confront the most significant battle for his life. He stood firm, upright and arms folded—a natural reaction as his defence mechanism kicked into overdrive. But that could not hide his vulnerability as he trembled inside in fear for his life.
He continued flashing his torchlight at the phantasm circling him with prancing eyes, ready for its next move. Whatever happened to Jamie, I’m next, he thought.
The icy cold wind blew a gust across the mining shafts, and the moonlight made way for darkness as the clouds rolled in suffocating any virtue of hope. It was pitch black, and his torchlight was starting to fade slowly as the battery life dwindled. He tapped on his torch to get back the light he so desperately needed, but it was only temporary. The phantom continued circling and stomping on the hallowed turf, peering at him with penetrating eyes—ready to make its move. His phone torchlight was his next best thing, but that power source was also dwindling.
The phantom lifted a gold miner’s pickaxe and raised it into the air as a glitter of light reflected off the tips of the sharp end. Gazza instinctively covered his face by raising his right arm. The phantom came for him, and with an almighty swoop, the pickaxe fell on Gazza. He screamed for help, just like Jamie did—but no one was there to hear his final plight to the world. Had the demon murdered Gazza or taken him, prisoner?

Giveaway

Janice Tremayne will be awarding a paperback copy of the book (USA & UK) to two randomly drawn winners via rafflecopter during the tour.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Check out the other tour stops and comment for more chances of winning! Find the tour schedule here: https://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2020/10/book-blast-bolder-blindsided-by-janice.html

Release Day + Review: Brambles by Intisar Khanani

September 3, 2024December 7, 2020 by Leah@WSP

Brambles by Intisar Khanani is out today! Brambles is a prequel novella to Thorn and gives Alyrra’s account of what happened years ago before the events in Thorn.

Read more about this story and check out my short review. Enjoy!

Brambles (Intisar Khanani)
In the kingdom of Adania, everyone knows what Princess Alyrra did to earn the court’s contempt, her mother’s disdain, and her brother’s hatred.
She betrayed her own.
Yet, the truth hides another story, one of honor and honesty, of a princess gambling her own life for another’s. It’s a tale of courage and consequences, and a choice that can never be undone.
A short story prequel to her multi-starred fantasy, Thorn, Intisar Khanani’s “Brambles” gives Alyrra’s account of what really happened all those years ago, and how a few critical days turned her life into a daily fight for survival.
Add this book on Goodreads. Get this book here.

About the Author

Intisar Khanani grew up a nomad and world traveler. She has lived in five different states as well as in Jeddah on the coast of the Red Sea. Until recently, Intisar wrote grants and developed projects to address community health with the Cincinnati Health Department, which was as close as she could get to saving the world. Now she focuses her time on her two passions: raising her family and writing fantasy. She is the author of The Sunbolt Chronicles and Thorn (HarperTeen 2020).

Connect with the author: Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

My quick review

Brambles is a very quick read. I finished it in just a few minutes because it’s really short. Also, I’m already familiar with the characters and the author’s words flow so smoothly and easily (as always).

This is such a short story but it makes you feel so many things. It shows how strong, honorable and kindhearted Alyrra has always been even from a young age. You’ll find yourself rooting for her and absolutely hating everyone who makes her life so difficult.

Brambles is a good set up for Thorn (if you haven’t read Thorn). It makes you want to read more about Alyrra and her adventures. If you’ve read Thorn, Brambles provides a nice background to some things about Alyrra’s life.

Note: I received an advanced review copy of this book from the author. All opinions expressed are my own.

Get Brambles for 99cents here.

Review: The Wolf Of Oren-Yaro by K.S. Villoso

September 3, 2024November 28, 2020 by Leah@WSP

Hello, friends! Today I have The Wolf of Oren-Yaro by author K.S. Villoso. Earlier this year I kept seeing this book on Instagram and on must-read lists, so naturally I was intrigued (especially since the author is Filipino!). Everyone only had good things to say about it so I decided to get a copy when the Kindle version went on sale back in April. But because I’m a terrible reader I only got to it in August.

I’m going to be honest. I wasn’t sure I wanted to post my review, even when I joined a blog tour for the sequel, because the book wasn’t what I expected. Not that it was terrible, it just wasn’t.. er, what I expected. Hah. Anyway, let’s just get on with it.

Read on for more about the book and my rambling thoughts about it.

The Wolf of Oren-Yaro
A queen of a divided land must unite her people, even if they hate her, even if it means stopping a ruin that she helped create. A debut epic fantasy from an exciting new voice.
“I murdered a man and made my husband leave the night before they crowned me.”
Born under the crumbling towers of Oren-yaro, Queen Talyien was the shining jewel and legacy of the bloody War of the Wolves that nearly tore her nation apart. Her upcoming marriage to the son of her father’s rival heralds peaceful days to come.
But his sudden departure before their reign begins fractures the kingdom beyond repair.
Years later, Talyien receives a message, urging her to attend a meeting across the sea. It’s meant to be an effort at reconciliation, but an assassination attempt leaves the queen stranded and desperate to survive in a dangerous land. With no idea who she can trust, she’s on her own as she struggles to fight her way home.
Add The Wolf of Oren-Yaro on Goodreads.

A mix of exciting elements; there’s something worth reading there, but kinda left me wanting.

I had such high expectations for this book because of all the praise and that kickass cover and the promise of a badass bitch queen. But, alas, it seems I am part of a very small, teeny tiny group that didn’t get blown away by this book. Boo.

I just didn’t love it as much as everyone did. I don’t think it’s a terrible book. It just didn’t grip me like I thought (hoped) it would. Chalk it up to ill timing or my overall state when I was reading. I don’t know.

The story is intriguing enough and all the other elements are pretty exciting stuff. You have a seemingly ruthless queen, interesting supporting characters, a divided kingdom with warlords and clans, an intriguing history of war and bloodshed, dazzling foreign empires, political intrigue, assassination attempts, betrayals and conspiracies. There’s even mention of wild dragons and hints of magic. These are all awesome stuff — stuff I’d normally be into — but I just didn’t get that whoa feeling.

Was into it at first.

I didn’t mind the first person narrative and I thought the pacing was good. The writing style was good and the author did a good job describing settings, places and things.

I can’t comment much on the world building though and that’s weird cos it’s one of the top 3 things I love about fantasies and sci-fi (the other two are the magic systems and the main characters). For some reason, nothing really stood out to me. Maybe I wasn’t really paying attention?

Several chapters in, I started getting annoyed with the baybayin texts in the chapter headings. I was excited when I first saw baybayin (an old Philippine writing system) under the first chapter heading. I noted them all down for each chapter. Then I realized they were the same words repeating in the same order. At first they made sense because they were words like lobo (wolf), lawin (hawk or falcon) and lakan (chieftain or lord), but after a while I couldn’t relate the word to the corresponding chapter anymore. And there was one word I couldn’t figure out. It frustrated me. It’s not really a big deal maybe, but I just wish there was more to it or some kind of explanation.

**Wanted a more stabby-stab-stab kind of queen**

Strong female protagonists are my fave. I adore honorable, stable, morally upright female protagonists, but I also luuurve badass, trigger happy, stab-first-talk-later, warrior, fighter, maybe morally grey female protagonists. When I read that this was the “bitch queen chronicles,” I was kinda hoping Queen Talyien would be the latter (the stabby one). And although she was in a way, she was not really as vicious and ruthless as I hoped her to be. (Am I evil??)

She wasn’t soft but I guess I expected more from someone who was raised by a vicious warlord father and taught and trained to be some kind of a warrior queen since infancy. I read in some reviews of the book that it simply shows that as much as she’s a queen she’s also just a woman trying to deal with a lot of things, and I get it, I really do, but I really just wanted a more stabby-stab-stab kind of heroine, you know what I mean? Am I weird? (Yes, I definitely am.)

Also, the word bitch. The people called her that because of her supposed reputation and because she wasn’t living up to whatever impossible “queenly” or “womanly” ideal they wanted her to be. She’s not perfect, so she’s a bitch? This kind of thing is all too real for all women right now in the real world, so I wanted Talyien to at least really own that word. (More in the next books maybe?)

Didn’t really care for that ending.

The crazy twists were interesting, but that ending was just unsatisfying. After all the things, that was it?? I really wanted Talyien to go in harder and be harder on everyone, everything, all of it. I don’t know what I was expecting, but that ending did not make me happy at all. (In my head I was like, “Kick him! Kick him!!” That’s all I’m going to say. LOL.)

So there. I haven’t been the best reader for a long time and maybe I just was not in the right mood when I read this. Or maybe I just didn’t get it. I really wanted to LOVE this book because this is the kind of book that we need to see more of — written by a woman, written by a Filipino, Filipino-inspired fantasy, POC characters, diverse, all that. So really, I’m chalking this one up to my mood when I read this. And I haven’t given up on this series and my review of book two may even be in the horizon (that is, if I can get my sh*t together haha).

Anyway, if you’re into fantasy, you might like this one, so check this book out for yourself!

As of the date of this post, The Wolf of Oren-Yaro is on sale on Amazon Kindle. Check it out now!

Note: I purchased my own copy of this book. All opinions and views expressed are my own.

About the author K.S. Villoso

The-Ikessar-Falcon_Author-photo-K.S.-Villoso

K.S. Villoso was born in a dank hospital on an afternoon in Albay, Philippines, and things have generally been okay since then. After spending most of her childhood in a slum area in Taguig (where she dodged death-defying traffic, ate questionable food, and fell into open-pit sewers more often than one ought to), she and her family immigrated to Vancouver, Canada, where they spent the better part of two decades trying to chase the North American Dream. She is now living amidst the forest and mountains with her family, children, and dogs in Anmore, BC.

Connect with the author on her Website, Twitter, Instagram, Goodreads and Facebook.

Find purchase links for The Wolf of Oren-Yaro here.

Blog Tour [Review]: Sentient by Michael Leon (plus a $20 GC giveaway)

September 3, 2024November 24, 2020 by Leah@WSP

Today we have sci fi novel Sentient by Michael Leon! I wasn’t so sure I’d be up for this blog tour but I wanted to give this book a try. I’m glad I did because it turned out to be an exciting read!

Read more about the book below and check out my review. Also, read an excerpt and join the giveaway for a chance to win a $20 Amazon/B&N GC!

About the Book
A century has passed and yes, the human race stumbled into evolutionary compromise. But it’s not the androids who are the victors. Post-humans have exploded into preeminence, gaining tech superiority and a tech immunity against the global environmental degradation. Humans are trivialised, a minority species, their one last significant task, restore the environmental damage they inflicted on Earth and terraform off-planets. One human and his ‘biot’ android embark on such a journey to Mars, opening the possibility for an evolutionary path back to greatness, but hostile post-human agents have infiltrated their mission.
Add this book on Goodreads. Get this book on Amazon.

An intriguing and exciting sci fi thriller

It’s 2120 and of course the world has changed. Everything’s advanced, the environment on earth isn’t great, and there are less humans than post-humans or people with tech implants and biots or human-like robots. AI governs the world and the tension and politics between humans and post-humans are intense. While humans are determined to restore Earth and terraform other planets like Mars, post-humans are focused on speeding up technological change. Human scientist Dane Walker and his biot Hali leave Earth for Mars on a secret mission to bring a piece of technology vital to the terraforming project on Mars. Unfortunately, the post-humans are on to them and are hell-bent on stopping them and acquiring the technology for themselves.

This was an easy read for me because it turned out to be quite exciting. The story is fast-paced, intriguing and thought-provoking. It has all the elements of a gripping thriller – you know, secret missions, secret agents, counterintelligence, espionage, military action. Mix that with a very cool setting like space and a red dusty planet, fascinating human and non-human characters (the non-humans were my favorites, btw) and some convincing science and you’ve got a very cool and compelling story that makes you think about things like consequences, being human, how far we’d go to advance or “better” ourselves, what does “better” even mean, what we’re willing to do to change our situation and our future, and what’s out there for us as a people.

I enjoyed reading this and if you’re into sci fi and/or thrillers, you might enjoy this one, too!

Note: I received a review copy of this book as part of my participation in the tour. All opinions and views expressed here are my own.

About the Author

Michael Leon is an explorer, writer and author of the new novel, Sentient. Professionally trained in international trade, Michael has spent the last decade reading and writing SFF novels about new worlds to be explored in the future. His latest work, Sentient, imagines Earth in the year 2120. Michael has traveled extensively around Europe, walking the paths of his characters, from the famous European opera houses in Phantoms to the mountain tops of Switzerland in Emissary.

Connect with the author on his website, Twitter, Blogger, Goodreads and Amazon.

Read an excerpt from Sentient by Michael Leon

The thought of engine failure enveloped my core as we approached the fateful deceleration phase. Rationally, I knew there hadn’t been a malfunction in many years, but statistics always had outliers. I was a Martian, but this was my first Mars landing. A feeling of dread overwhelmed me as the ship accelerated toward the planet. I tried to focus on Step, who methodically adjusted the navigation system, unaffected by the looming peril. It was ironic. I was part of a resistance, demanding more humanness and less technology, but I wouldn’t have anyone else but this talented biot navigate me back to my home. Step assuredly fired the thrusters, abruptly shifting our ship from its vertical fall.
“Brace people,” he warned, as the force of the thrusters turned my world upside down. The roar screamed like a tornado, capturing me and twisting the ship as if it were lighter than a feather. Extreme G-forces turned my body inside out in one violent action. For the briefest of moments, I wished we had crashed, but the roar of the thrusters subsided as did my discomfort. I barely heard Step’s next command as the ringing in my ears slowly abated. “Welcome to Mars, Dane.”

Giveaway

Michael Leon will be awarding a $20 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Check out the other tour stops for more chances of winning! You can find the blog tour schedule here.

Spotlight: Apophis by Raj Anand (and a $25 giveaway)

July 27, 2021November 5, 2020 by Leah@WSP

Hullo, friends! I’ve got another sci fi book for you to check out! Today we have Apophis by author Raj Anand.

This isn’t the first book with that title that I’ve encountered so I was interested. I looked up Apophis and found out that it’s the Greek name for the great demon serpent Apep in Egyptian mythology. Apophis is associated with earthquakes, thunder, darkness, storms, and death, and is sometimes linked to the god Set, also associated with chaos, disorder, storms, and darkness (source). Interesting. Also, it’s the name of near-Earth asteroid 99942, first discovered in 2004 and calculated to fly-by really close to our planet in 2029 and return years later (source). Very very interesting, right?

Anyway, this book is just as intriguing! Read more about it below, check out an excerpt and join in on all the book blast fun! Enjoy and goodluck! :)

About the book
January, 2022: A dark monstrous twin-headed apparition – Apophis – feverishly races past the expanse of the Milky Way galaxy and bolts to the edge of the solar system. Recklessly accelerating, the sinister rock-dyad enters the gravitational keyhole of the blue planet and continues its resolute inebriated journey – to soon arrive with an apocalyptic impact on Earth.
December, 2012: Five sentient beings born in different cities – New York, Hong Kong, New Delhi, Azores Islands and Istanbul, discover amongst haunting memories of their phantasmal past lives, that it is their destiny to save humanity from the evil forces unleashed by the alien fiends – the Skyllats.
And now, the reincarnated 9-year-olds must rely on their shared, ancient wisdom to prepare humanity for the war across the galaxy that is imminent.
Add this book on Goodreads.
Get this book on Amazon, Amazon IN, Amazon UK, Kobo, Google Play, Notion Press and FlipKart.
The book is FREE November 5 to December 5.

A Note From The Author

Writing Apophis over these past five years, has been a cathartic inner-journey that rippled across my life. It extracted all of my patience, diligence and life-learnings of my past 52 years lived on this orphic blue bubble, as it floats across a conscious Universe.

Now its journey complete, it was launched a few days ago on several platforms across the world. And I am left exhausted, numbed and humbled by this Initiation.

I acknowledge that it is a book that I have NOT written, for it was willed from me – by the Universe. And now, it is like a child set free – floating away – ready to choose its own path, life-journey and future.

Where it goes from here?

It is for the Universe to decide.

I did, what was willed of me to do…

All I can promise the reader is a book imbued with a magical wisdom. A restlessly paced story that transports you across time, teamed up with five children along their phantasmal, breathtaking journeys.

These 9-year-olds the reincarnations of ancient philosophers, including Confucius, Plato, Buddha, Ptah Hotep and a mysterious another.

Happy Reading!

About the Author

Savinder Raj Anand is an architect and has been teaching Architecture & Design at various Universities in India for more than 12 years. A long-distance runner with a wanderlust to explore the world, and write stories that traverse across diverse cultures. He lives in Goa with his daughter, a dog, and two cats.

Inspired by his then 18-month-old daughter – when she quoted Socrates – while they together sat in a children’s bookstore in Bangalore (LIGHTROOM) in early January of 2015, he has completed this – his first book – as she turns 7 years old.

Connect with the author on his Website, on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.

Read an Excerpt

The Barred Spiral Milky Way Galaxy
At the Edge of the Solar System
January 17, 2022 (Earth Time)
A dark monstrous apparition, slingshot from across another realm, camouflaged in a jagged, charcoal black rock, adroitly surfed the gravitational waves of the universe. Feverishly racing past the expanse of the Milky Way galaxy, it bolted to the edge of the solar system and arrived from above the plane of the ecliptic – gyrating closer to the sun.
The dark fiend continued its charge forward, cutting across the path of Venus – nearly crashing onto it, before it deftly decelerated and reached a stable orbit in a retrograde rotation around the pale-yellow planet. This tenacious temporary satellite immediately scrambled to steal a fragment of the protesting planet’s enormous momentum. Catapulted along the plain of the ecliptic, recklessly accelerating at an impossible speed – it shattered, splitting into two.
The newly formed rock dyad – a small black moon orbiting a sphere of death – pulled free from Venus. It continued its inebriated journey, salivating at the opportunity to rain a resolute chaos upon an orphic azure-blue bubble still 40 million kilometers away.
Unbeknownst to the alien rock dyad, a faint sliver of gold orbited nearby. The 7.5-meter-tall and 3.2-meter wide Sentinel Space Telescope clothed in a gold foil, with a giant heat-reflector shield strung along its back; cooled to 40 degrees Kelvin by a two stage, closed cycle Stirling cryocooler. Its 0.51-meter aluminum mirror, dutifully scanned any and all Inner Earth Objects larger than 90 meters in diameter that ever dared to fly across its 200-degree angle of regard.
The Sentinel Observatory, alarmed by the presence of the ghostly twin-headed monster, recorded the black rock dyad’s trajectory, shape, size, mass, and rotational dynamics, before it urgently sent a coded message to its home base in southern Japan.

Giveaway

Raj Anand will be awarding a $25 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Get your entries in below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Visit the other tour stops for more chances of winning! You can find the blog tour schedule here.

Cover Reveal: Brambles by Intisar Khanani

July 27, 2021October 19, 2020 by Leah@WSP

Woot! Today we have the cover reveal of Brambles, a novellette by fantasy author Intisar Khanani.

Brambles is a short story prequel to Thorn and gives Alyrra’s account of what happened years ago before the events in Thorn.

Let’s check out the gorgeous cover!

Author: Intisar Khanani
Release Date: December 7, 2020
Formats: ebook and audio
Length: Novelette
Cover Designer: Jenny Zemanek
About the book:
In the kingdom of Adania, everyone knows what Princess Alyrra did to earn the court’s contempt, her mother’s disdain, and her brother’s hatred.
She betrayed her own.
Yet, the truth hides another story, one of honor and honesty, of a princess gambling her own life for another’s. It’s a tale of courage and consequences, and a choice that can never be undone.
A short story prequel to her multi-starred fantasy, Thorn, Intisar Khanani’s “Brambles” gives Alyrra’s account of what really happened all those years ago, and how a few critical days turned her life into a daily fight for survival.
Add this book on Goodreads.

About the Author

Connect with the author: Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

Read an excerpt

“I’ve got a secret,” Valka says, stepping up beside me. We stand at the edge of the roughly cobbled courtyard before the hall, mud sticking to our boots and our cloaks flapping in the chill spring breeze.
The last of this morning’s departing carriages rolls toward the gates. Edlyna nods regally through the carriage window at us.
“Wouldn’t you like to know it?” Valka presses.
I glance helplessly around, as if someone might appear to rescue me. But of course, Valka has timed her approach perfectly: Mother has already departed with her coterie of vassals, and my brother hasn’t bothered to come at all. There are a few other nobles who have yet to leave for their lands for the summer, including Maralinde. But, along with the rest, she’s busy packing. Unlike Valka, unfortunately.
“If it’s a secret, you shouldn’t tell anyone,” I say, shifting uneasily.
“You’re such a mouse, Alyrra.” Valka gives a sweet, tinkling little laugh. The sound of it makes my skin prickle. I’ve heard that laugh enough times now to know that what she has to share will hardly be innocent.

Giveaway

Visit the author’s cover reveal post (link below) to enter the special giveaway for a chance to win a $20 worth book from Book Depository!

http://booksbyintisar.com/2020/10/19/brambles-cover-reveal/

Spotlight: The Rose by PD Alleva (and a $50 giveaway)

July 27, 2021October 6, 2020 by Leah@WSP

Today we have dystopian sci fi thriller The Rose by author PD Alleva. I was intrigued by the blurb because, um, alien vampires!? It sounded like an interesting and unique take on different concepts and I love stuff like that. I checked out the reviews on Goodreads and they’re all pretty good so far.

Read more about the book, read an excerpt and read all the way to the end of the post to join in on all the blog tour fun! :)

About the book
A masterful, dystopian science fiction thriller of underground genetic experiments, telepathic evil greys, mysterious rebellion, conspiracy, martial arts, and Alien Vampires.
Sandy Cox believed WW3 was over. But for those Alien Vampires, War Has Just Begun.
Forty-eight hours after a World War III treaty is signed Sandy Cox awakens in an underground compound unable to move. Tied to machines she screams for help but no one answers. At least NO ONE HUMAN.
And they’ve taken her unborn child.
Enter Phil, a rebel freedom fighter who has had more than his share of Alien Vampires. Armed with THE BLADES, a sacred alien martial art, he enters the compound on a mission to find Sandy. But as he battles his way through the compound, Phil discovers Sandy has her own agenda. Finding her stolen child is all that matters.
But the vampires have their own plan and Sandy’s baby is at the heart of their diabolical plot. Joined by a crew of rogue soldiers, they must navigate the underground compound, battling genetically mutated humans, aliens and monsters.
When battling Alien Vampires, one thing is certain…Get Ready To Bleed!
Fans of The Hunger Games, George RR Martin, VE Schwab, Star Wars and Ancient Aliens will be fascinated by this high-powered, intelligent, edge of your seat dystopian sci-fi action thriller.
Add this book on Goodreads. Get this book on Amazon or B&N.
The book is on sale for $0.99 for a limited time!

About the Author

PD Alleva is an alternative fiction author. His novels cross genres, blending mystery, conspiracy, psychology, and action with horror and dystopian science fiction. Alternative fiction is PD’s attempt at describing what readers uncover in any one of his books, a new discovery towards mainstream storytelling. He’s been writing since childhood, creating and developing stories with brash and impactful concepts that he would describe are metaphors for the shifting energies that exist in the universe. PD exists inside of his own universe, working diligently on The Rose Vol. II and exceptional horror novels. Be prepared for Golem, PD’s upcoming horror thriller.

Connect with the author on his Website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Amazon!

The Rose is on sale for $0.99 for a limited time!

Read an Excerpt

The blades were unharmed. The blades are a unique contraption with thin handles held in the palms, clamps that wrapped around the wrist and just above the elbow, connected by a thin, almost string like plastic. The metal blade descended from the handles down across the arm bone to the elbow clamp and locked into place. The metal they were made from was not of this earth and was able to collapse inside the handles and wrist clamp like tin foil crumples inside a fist. But this metal was strong and solid and unmatched to any substance on earth. The handles when pressed by the index finger would ignite the blades down the arm, locking in place. Another unique feature were the handles, fitted comfortably in the palm, when pressed with the thumbs would ignite claws of steel. A useful tool when needing to climb walls. Robyn had spent years teaching Phil the art of Kobudo Tonfa. An art he’d become supremely confident with.
Phil’s stare drifted to the full blood moon rising over the compound. Eyes wide, thinking: You know what that means. There’s more under the moon tonight than just alien vampires. And they come with teeth. The moon’s red glow crept across the landscape as Phil dipped his chin to his chest, grinding his teeth. Four simple words on the tip of his tongue…
“Get ready to bleed.”

Giveaway

PD Alleva will award one winner, chosen randomly via rafflecopter, a $50 Amazon/BN.com gift card.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Visit the other tour stops for more chances of winning!

You can find the list of participating blogs here: https://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2020/08/virtual-book-tour-rose-by-pd-alleva.html

Blog Tour: The Ikessar Falcon by K.S. Villoso

July 27, 2021September 21, 2020 by Leah@WSP

Hullo, friends! Today, we’re featuring The Ikessar Falcon by author K.S. Villoso. This is the follow up to The Wolf of Oren-Yaro which has gotten amazing reviews everywhere. The Ikessar Falcon officially releases this week, so watch out for it!

Read more about the book below and check the other tour stops for reviews of the book.

The Ikessar Falcon
Genre: adult, fantasy
Diversity tags: own-voices, authors of color (filipino author), poc representation (filipino characters)
Publication date: 24 September 2020
Publisher: Orbit Books
Cover artist: Simon Goinard
Synopsis:
The Bitch Queen returns in The Ikessar Falcon, the action-packed sequel to K. S. Villoso’s acclaimed fantasy debut, The Wolf of Oren-Yaro.
Abandoned by her people, Queen Talyien’s quest takes a turn for the worse as she stumbles upon a plot deeper and more sinister than she could have ever imagined, one that will displace her king and see her son dead. The road home beckons, strewn with a tangled web of deceit and unimaginable horrors – creatures from the dark, mad dragons and men with hearts hungry for power.
To save her land, Talyien must confront the myth others have built around her: Warlord Yeshin’s daughter, symbol of peace, warrior and queen and everything she could never be.
The price for failure is steep. Her friends are few. And a nation carved by a murderer can only be destined for war.
Add this book on Goodreads. Get this book on Amazon or Book Depository.

About the Author

Connect with the author on her Website, Twitter, Instagram, Goodreads and Facebook.

The wolf and the queen (quotes from the book)

_{Wolf card from The Wild Unknown Animal Spirit deck.}

“They called me the Bitch Queen, the she-wolf, because I murdered a man and exiled my king the night before they crowned me.”

“A wolf of Oren-yaro does not beg. A wolf of Oren-yaro suffers in silence.”

“I thought a wolf of Oren-yaro was unyielding; I had no idea how deep the Ikessars’ own tenets ran.”

“You are a wolf of Oren-yaro. You do not bend to mere whimsy. We are swords first, servants first.”

_{Queen of Swords card from The Sasuraibito Tarot deck.}

“But Queen Talyien and Tali are different edges of the same sword — one a mask, the other a woman.”

“What strength I thought I had was laughable — I needed to be more than this. Jin-Sayeng needed me to be more than this. Thousands lost their lives to get me to where I was. If I faltered, thousands more would follow.”

“I tore my attention back to him, taking a deep breath and reaching inside to become queen of Jin-Sayeng once more.”

“Bitch Queen or frightened girl? What kind of gods would decree such an insurmountable battle for someone responsible for thousands upon thousands of lives?”

“If you were free to walk away from all of this, what would you be?” I stared at the fire for a long time. “I’d be free,” I murmured.”

I picked the Queen of Swords because I thought it was fitting. The Queen of Swords can represent independence, intelligence, objective thinking, constructive criticism and protectiveness. On the reverse of it, it can also represent being over-emotional, pessimistic, harsh, bitchy and unforgiving. I thought this card represents how Talyien struggles as a queen, a daughter, a protective mother, a wife, a woman.

Check out the first book in this series

The Wolf of Oren-Yaro (Book #1)
A queen of a divided land must unite her people, even if they hate her, even if it means stopping a ruin that she helped create. A debut epic fantasy from an exciting new voice.
“I murdered a man and made my husband leave the night before they crowned me.”
Born under the crumbling towers of Oren-yaro, Queen Talyien was the shining jewel and legacy of the bloody War of the Wolves that nearly tore her nation apart. Her upcoming marriage to the son of her father’s rival heralds peaceful days to come.
But his sudden departure before their reign begins fractures the kingdom beyond repair.
Years later, Talyien receives a message, urging her to attend a meeting across the sea. It’s meant to be an effort at reconciliation, but an assassination attempt leaves the queen stranded and desperate to survive in a dangerous land. With no idea who she can trust, she’s on her own as she struggles to fight her way home.
Add this book on Goodreads. Get this book on Amazon or Book Depository.

Blog Tour Dates

Visit the other blog tour stops and find out what advance copy readers think about the book!

You can find the tour schedule and list of participating blogs here: https://caffeinebooktours.wordpress.com/2020/08/08/ikessar-falcon-tour/

Spotlight: Dark Matter by Alyssa Huckleberry (and a $10 Giveaway)

July 27, 2021August 17, 2020 by Leah@WSP

How’s it going, friends? Today, we’re featuring Dark Matter by author Alyssa Huckleberry. I haven’t been reading much this year (not for lack of trying) but the few books I finished were mostly fantasies, so I was happy to join this book blast for something sci fi (my other favorite genre).

Read more about the book below, check out the excerpt and enter the giveaway for a chance to win a $10 gift card. Enjoy!

About the Book
“Survival is light years away.”
Earth is dying. The only salvation for humanity is colonizing space, yet so far that has failed. The last hope for survival exists on a planet light years away…and the mission is fraught with danger. Teenager Selina Alois leads a group of six high achievers who pass the exam of a lifetime to earn a position on the precarious expedition. As the mission launch approaches, dark secrets are exposed about the planet. Further digging reveals a sinister plot that not only risks humanity’s fate but also puts Selina and her team to the ultimate test.
Add this book on Goodreads.

About the Author

Alyssa Huckleberry grew up in San Diego as the oldest of four children. After earning a business degree from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, Alyssa spent a short time working in finance before transitioning to work in education. Today Alyssa works as a fifth grade teacher and she LOVES her job!

When she isn’t teaching or writing, you can find Alyssa running, reading, practicing yoga, traveling the world, or spending time with those dearest to her. She loves spending time outdoors, growing in her faith, and learning new things (hence, the great amount of time spent reading, traveling, and going on adventures!). A true lover of whimsy, she also believes everything is better with a latte in hand.

Alyssa’s first novel, Rescuing Racei, was published in 2004 (while Alyssa was still a high school student) and later won the San Diego Book Award for Best Young Adult Novel. Since then, Alyssa published three other books to complete the series: Stealing Splendiferous, Magicus, and The Maleku Map.

The Struggle is Real was an inspired piece written for an adult audience as a stand-alone work. Her latest novel, Dark Matter, is written for a young adult audience. It is the first book in what will be a science-fiction series imagining a future of space exploration!

Connect with Alyssa here: Instagram | Goodreads | Amazon

Buy Dark Matter: Paperback | Kindle

Read an Excerpt From Dark Matter

“We don’t have much time.”
The first words out of my mother’s mouth were not what I had expected. I had expected to find
both of my parents home from work early; I had expected them to want to talk to me; I had expected an endless stream of questions. But not this.
The urgency in my mother’s tone told me this was more than a melancholic response to my impending departure—this was much more. Frowning with concern, I looked from my mother’s knitted brow to my father’s taut jawline. I stood frozen in place, hesitant even to close the door behind me.
“Come in,” my mother rushed on impatiently. “We really don’t have much time.”
Obediently, robot-like, I took a segmented step. My father pulled me forward and deeper into the
kitchen until the door clicked shut behind me.
“You need to listen very carefully to what we’re about to tell you,” my mother told me sternly.
“We won’t have a chance to say anything twice. What you hear, you must never repeat.”
“If any of us are caught sharing this information, we’ll be executed,” my father cut in, voice low
and grave.

Giveaway

Alyssa Huckleberry will be awarding a $10 Amazon GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

a Rafflecopter giveaway 

Visit the other tour stops and leave a comment for more chances of winning. You can the tour dates and participating blogs here: https://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2020/07/book-blast-dark-matter-by-alyssa.html