Unexpected Peril


Savage beasts kidnap Alissia Roswell as she is traveling to meet a separate group of Lamians than the ones that saved her life and physically changed her in the process—gifting her with many special abilities. Just when she was beginning to get accustomed to the bond she and Luke Harrison share, she awakes alone and trapped deep within an eerie bog to find she can no longer feel his presence or reach out to him with her mind.
 
Unexpected Peril, the third book in the Alissia Roswell Series, will take you to magical lands filled with strange and mysterious creatures. Will Alissia have a chance to adapt to her new life in this alternate reality, or will everything and everyone she has come to love be destroyed by an intense hatred for humanity? 







Book 1, Unexpected Metamorphosis 

(the eBook version of this one is free at all major online bookstores)

Alissia Roswell had worked hard to overcome her past, and she took immense pride in her independence. Just when she thought she was truly satisfied with her life, she wakes up to find herself in another reality. As she searches for answers, her body begins to change in mysterious ways, and for the first time in her life, she is forced to rely upon others. As everything spins out of her control and danger lurks around every corner, her heart begins to betray her, and her mind haunts her with memories of her past.

Join Alissia on her perilous quest full of adventure, magic, and romance as she travels the challenging road of finding one self, maybe even love along the way.





Book 2, Unexpected Entrapment

Alissia Roswell is far, far from home, and she won’t be going back any time soon. After having been sucked through a wormhole, spat out half-dead in an alternate reality, and revived by Lamians-an ancient, magical people who trigger a profound metamorphosis in Alissia, giving her powers she never thought possible-Alissia becomes the subject of Alrik Durst’s manipulation. Alrik has already usurped power in the city of Pallen, and with Alissia’s arrival, he sees his opportunity to exploit the power of the Lamians to his bidding as well, driving the land ever closer to civil war. Held prisoner in the luxurious confines of the Eldership castle in Pallen, Alissia is forced to feign memory loss to protect herself and her friends while fending off the romantic overtures of Ian Durst-Alrik’s all-too-charming son. Will the loves of her life, Grady Bolair and Luke Harrison, be able to help her escape? When she finally chooses between the two-Grady, the statesman, or Luke, the assassin-will it rip her alliances to shreds, casting uncertainty on her future? 

Join Alissia as she learns to reign in her fiery personality, tries to accept her past, and struggles with the one thing that scares her most: vulnerability. Unexpected Entrapment: Alissia Roswell: Book Two will whisk you away to a world of mystical, menacing creatures and fantastic environs, where secrets abound and nothing is quite as it appears.


Author Bio:

Tianna Holley lives outside of Atlanta with her husband and children and has always been an avid reader of fantasy novels. She began writing poetry and short stories in her youth but did not pursue her passion for writing until later in life. 

Although her books tend to contain violence and romance, she considers herself a PG-13 author. Her novels do not contain curse words, and her sexual content is limited to heated kissing. 

She enjoys talking to her readers and offers free Skype chats to book clubs that have read her writing. You can learn more about Tianna and sign up for her monthly newsletter to receive exclusive insights into her current work in progress by going to http://www.tiannaholley.com

 
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Welcome to the biggest book promotion event I’ve ever seen, let alone held! To celebrate the release of four new books in the Trifecta catalog on March 31st, we’re putting everything on sale. We’ve also asked several of our friends to join with us, making this an amazing event. Please scroll down through the entire post so you don’t miss anything!! 
Then, on March 31st, head on back to www.trifectabooks.com and check out the four new releases – their purchase links will be live. They are:


Captain Schnozzlebeard and the Singing Clam of Minnie Skewel Island 
by Rebecca Blevins

Fire Gate (Shinehah Saga #1) and Crystal Gate (Shinehah Saga #2)
by Pendragon Inman

Nemesis: Knight (the Chess Quest series #2)
by Michael D. Young
Let’s start with some Trifecta books!

Middle-grade Fiction


 

When ten-year-old Andy moves from California to his new house in Colorado, the last thing he expects is to meet a ghost named Annie.


Annie has been living in that house for eighty years. Will Annie spook Andy away? Or will the two find out that sometimes, the best of friends might not be who you first expected?

The Andy & Annie series by author Jenni James and illustrator BC Sterrett is like Diary of a Wimpy Kid meets Junie B. Jones with a paranormal twist. Your young reader will love getting to know these characters and going with them on amazing adventures!


You can purchase A Ghost Story for Kindle here and print here. Special event price: .99!





Andy and Annie are back at it again. This time, they’ve decided to conquer the bullies who like to tease Andy for wearing green shirts. 


Annie uses her magical ghostly powers for good in this funny early reader story. She decides it’s time the school learns that wearing green isn’t mean—it’s cool! Join Annie and Andy on an adventure that will change even the toughest of hearts, and maybe even make the principal happy, too. 



You can purchase Greeny Meany for Kindle here. Special event price: .99!








When nerdy eighth-grader Rich Witz unwittingly becomes a paladin, a white knight in training, he is thrust into a world where flunking a test can change the course of history, and a mysterious bully is playing for keeps with his life.
Rich’s grandmother leaves him one thing before disappearing for good—a white chess pawn with his initials engraved on it. The pawn marks him as the next in an ancient line of white knights. He must prove himself in a life-or-death contest against his nemesis, a dark knight in training. With the ghost of an ancestor for his guide, he has seven days to complete four tasks of valor before his nemesis does, or join his guide in the realm of the dead. 


You can purchase Paladin: Pawn for Kindle here or for Nook here. Special event price: .99!






Young Adult Contemporary Fiction




Dancing is Cami’s escape from her dark home life. It’s the only thing that gives her hope – until she meets Adam Black. A talented dancer in his own right, he asks Cami to be his partner, and she gains strength and confidence as he unlocks whole new possibilities for her.

When Cami’s abusive mother overdoses and her already-broken family falls to pieces around her, dancing with Adam helps Cami pull through. But he has secrets of his own, and someone wants him found at any price. Cami gets dragged into a web of danger and deceit. Now she must make a choice between familiar darkness and uncertain light.
You can purchase Dancing with Black for Kindle here and in print here.   Special event price: .99!





Mattie’s smart and she’s in line for a college scholarship, but she’s not exactly the most popular person in school. When the hot and hunky guys at the women’s convention bread booth give out free samples to all the cutest, trendiest girls in the room, they overlook her. It’s just proof that she’s not worth their attention—she’s not a free bread girl.

What she really wants is to date Travis Banks, her high school’s soccer king. But he just can’t see past her clumsiness and frizzy hair to the real Mattie underneath, and sometimes, she can’t either. What’s it going to take for Mattie to find the free bread girl within? 

You can purchase Free Bread Girl for Kindle, Nook,  and print. Special event price: .99!


  
Does true love really prevail?

All Lilly Price has ever known is living in the shadow of her widely successful foster family. But when a twist of fate deals Lilly the hand of Harrison Crawford, the most popular guy in Bloomfield, NM, everything flips upside down.

Sean Benally is a hard worker, he’s funny, he’s generous, and he’s kind.  He’s also the most amazing guy Lilly has ever known. And she’s totally fallen in love with him. But he’s her foster brother…

Now she must choose between the unavailable love of her life—or the guy who promises to be available forever.


You can purchase Mansfield Ranch for Kindle here and print here. Special event price: .99!

  

Young Adult Fantasy


A black dragon hovered outside of Newtimber. Sianna rubbed her eyes, but the dragon was still there, clutching a round object that looked like a spotted egg. And then the egg fell, hitting the ground like an atomic bomb, sending out waves of a slow-moving fog that distorted everything it touched.

The citizens of Newtimber change. Griffins. Vampires. Zombies. Creatures from the myths of every culture come to life through the people. Even Sianna changes, her skin becoming stone hard, and she gains the ability to travel from the human realm into the dimension of the fae to battle the evil bent on taking over the world.

One person to heal a family, a town, and save the world. It seems an impossible task, but with the help of her new friends, it could happen. Right?

You can purchase Newtimber: Fractured for Kindle here, Nook here, and print here. Special event price: .99!




Sydney lives her nightmares every night. While other teenagers are dreaming of boys or traveling to exotic places, she must run a staircase with no beginning or no end, or a terrible debt will never be paid. Just before her seventeenth birthday, the dreams change. She is no longer alone. 

But her nightmares don’t end when she wakes up. Her stepmother and stepsisters threaten to ruin everything she holds dear. She must protect the secret that both she and her father have magic or they will use it to their advantage. 

As Sydney learns to control her magic, what seemed impossible before—escaping her stepmother and those ever-present stairs—is now at her fingertips. When she learns the ultimate plan of her evil captor, Sydney must stop her at all costs, or she will forever be trapped inside her nightmares. 
You can purchase Endless for Kindle here and for print here. Special event price: $3.99 – going to .99 on the 31st!




Jenny’s had it with her life. Six siblings in an overstuffed house are enough to drive anyone crazy, and sometimes she dreams of escaping to some fantasy world. When she suddenly wakes up to find herself being kissed by a strange—but very handsome—prince, Jenny knows her life just got a lot more exciting. Now stuck in a medieval land of castles and royalty, when Jenny learns that the queen has agreed to marry her off to the prince, it’s time to take matters into her own hands. She goes on a quest to find out who dragged her to this time while trying to keep from falling in love with either of the boys vying for her attention.

Princess Genevieve has only known life under her mother’s rule. She wants to do more than go to battle or deal with suitors. She wakes to find herself in a new world filled with gadgets, electricity, and moving carriages. She finally has the freedom to be who she wants to be with a family who cares deeply for her and a boy worth any sacrifice. It’s more than everything she always wanted.

As Jenny and Genevieve settle into their new lives, they face an unknown evil which threatens everything they care about and makes them face tough questions—like who they are and what they really want their lives to become.

You can now purchase The Princess and the Prom Queen for Kindle here and print here. Special event price: $2.99 – going to .99 on the 31st!
Realistic Women’s Fiction



It’s only been a year since her divorce, so why would Jane Adamson do something as stupid as attempt to date again? Wasn’t her marriage scarring enough? The answer was simple—her kids. They worried about her and wanted to see her happy again. 

She needed to be happy . She needed to learn to trust again and feel pretty again and human again. 

As a mom of five, it was too easy to hide herself away and focus just on her kids. Who needs men, anyway? 

Join Jane in part one of a six-part journey of self-discovery, conquering the past, understanding love, and most importantly … healing, as she finds the woman she once was.


You can purchase Drowning for Kindle here. Special event price: .99!

 

Sweet and Clean Romance Collection


Love Notes#1. Elahna Nezario gave up her musical dreams to help run the Queen of Hearts, her mother’s chocolate shop, after her sister’s sudden death. After an unfortunate run-in with Elahna’s childhood crush, owner of the Dolce Theater, not only do her dreams surge back to life, but so does her heart.


You can purchase Hearts in Harmony for Kindle here. Special event price: .99!

Love Notes #2. Meredith Aaron lost all hope for love after a car accident put her in a wheelchair. Who would want her, broken as she is? After her brother tells her to save a dance for him at his wedding, she decides to somehow learn how to dance on the only legs she has left—her wheels.


You can purchase Waltzing on Wheels for Kindle here and Nook here. Special event price: .99!


Love Notes#3. Camille Clark spends her time bringing light to the memorable moments of Dolce—playing her harp at weddings, anniversaries, and even funerals. She can’t help but wonder if someone will ever play for her. Will the dark secrets of her past come to Dolce and ruin her future? Or will she find her soul mate and finally walk down that aisle?


You can purchase Healing a Broken Harp for Kindle here and Nook hereSpecial event price: .99!





Main Street Merchants #1. Bridal consultant Laurie Fletcher spends all her time helping others prepare for the most special day of their lives. Logan Reese is easily the most irritating man on the planet, and for some reason, he’s made annoying Laurie his mission in life. Will true love ever come Laurie’s way, or is she doomed to watch others get their happily ever after while she sits on the sidelines?


You can purchase And Something Blue for Kindle hereSpecial event price: .99!




Main Street Merchants #2. Cynical Morgan learned at an early age that life is just plain hard. She’s decided that no one could possibly fall in love with her – all the good guys want perfect girls, and with her messed-up family, she’s anything but perfect. But then along comes the guy who falls head-over-heels in love with her just as she is and helps her find the bright side of life – and a second chance for perfection.


You can purchase For Love or Money for Kindle here and Nook hereSpecial event price: .99!



Main Street Merchants #3. Even though Cara has lost her childhood weight and is now composing her own music, she can’t see her own beauty and she has no confidence in her talent. A bumpy relationship with her mother certainly hasn’t helped. Only the right guy can help her see inside herself to the amazing person who has always been there, and to mend her frayed family ties in the face of her greatest sorrow.


You can purchase Five Golden Rings for Kindle here and Nook hereSpecial event price: .99!




Main Street Merchants #4. Quinn spends all her time managing D’Angelo’s Bakery – so much time, in fact, that she rarely does anything else. When things get tough for the bakery’s owner and she’s needed more than ever, dreams of romance and a family of her own fly out the window – but then along comes someone who shows her just how sweet life can be.


You can purchase Just Desserts for Kindle here and Nook hereSpecial event price: .99!



Main Street Merchants #5. Regan spends her days working in a bookstore and her nights reading. She goes on grand romantic adventures in her head . . . but not in real life. That all changes when someone sweeps her off her feet and carries her up a mountain.


You can purchase Between the Lines for Kindle here and Nook hereSpecial event price: .99!








And now for some books from our friends! Authors are listed alphabetically by last name.


Big dreams take strength and determination.

Cami Lockhart’s dream is on the verge of becoming a reality. Lockhart Sanctuary, a refuge for abused and confiscated cats, is what Cami has worked for her entire life. But a dream that big requires a daily commitment. Cami yearns for someone to share the dream with, and knows everyone in town thinks Alex is the perfect man for the job. There’s one problem. She wants fireworks with every kiss, not just friendship with a hint of something more.
Sometimes what you wish for is closer than you think.

Alex Reynolds shares Cami’s passion for the sanctuary, and as the head ranchhand, spends every day helping her dream come true. He longs to tell Cami she’s held his heart since childhood, but losing a lifetime of friendship is a big risk to take. Being by Cami’s side at the sanctuary is better than letting go, but Alex knows someday he’ll want more.
Risk losing everything or fight for the dreams to come true.

The sanctuary is put in jeopardy when ignored threats take a deadly turn. Cami and Alex must each choose to stand and fight, or lose everything they dream of.  Purchase here. Special promotional price: .99!


A Secret to Save Them All . . . 

It was whispered years ago that when a pirate cursed a Philippine village with langbuan, or flying undead, a boy received a secret that would protect him from certain death. But even armed with a secret, can anyone survive the undead for long? 

Seventeen-year-old Antonio Pulido has never known a time when the langbuan didn’t roam the streets every Ghost Moon Night, killing anyone in their path. He works hard to protect his family and the girl he loves from the deadly attacks, but he wants them stopped once and for all. Can Antonio uncover the decades-old secret and will it help him defeat the langbuan? Or will Ghost Moon Night come again and take someone he truly cares about? It falls on Antonio to save his village, but time is running out. The next Ghost Moon Night is nearly here and Antonio knows this is his last chance to destroy the undead and end their reign of terror — or die trying. 


Purchase here. Special promotional price: .99!

When she was nine years old, Katie knew she wanted Chris to give her her first kiss. It wasn’t because she was in love with him (no way, he was her best friend! Besides, she was in love with his fourteen-year-old big brother), it was because she could make him do anything she wanted. 

Besides, it didn’t really mean anything. After all, it was only a kiss. 

But things started to change. They grew up. They parted ways and went to different high schools. Then other girls and other boys—well, just one particular boy—came into the picture, throwing their lives upside down. 

Told from the alternating points of view of Katie and Chris, this love story between two best friends will tug at your heartstrings and leave you thinking about how the simplest things mean so much. 

Purchase here. Special promotional price: .99!



Parkview Manor has a secret, and eighteen-year-old Cynthia is curious!

When Cynthia Holt takes a job at a former sanitarium, now operating as an assisted living center, she instantly discovers something more is occurring than simply providing the elderly with housing and care. Something very strange is going on behind the locked door of Room 913!
After she is warned to stay away from the room and to not discuss it or the occupant with her co-workers, she is even more intrigued – and suspicious! Letting her curious nature guide her, she immediately begins asking questions. When she finds that Room 913 has been closed off; locked and sealed for many years, her curiosity turns to concern. Though rumors abound, no one seems inclined to talk about it.
Not giving up so easily, Cynthia persists in her pursuit until she finds out the truth – or does she? 


Purchase here. Special promotional price: .99!





Twelve-year-old BFFs are matchmaking geniuses. They schemed to get Ginnie’s widowed dad to fall in love with Tillie’s divorced mom. Then Ginnie stumbled upon her late mom’s journals, making life totally awesome sauce … until her dad confiscated the journals.

Ginnie is counting on Tillie’s help to make Dad change his mind, but Tillie’s not sure the ghost of Ginnie’s mom will make a good addition to their new family tree.  When a blast from the past shows up and makes Tillie go nutburgers, Ginnie is torn between helping her BFF and having her questions answered.

Purchase here. Special promotional price: .99!


In The Darkest Hours of Addiction, A Light Shines 

When one LDS woman’s husband flies off to Mexico to meet another woman, she sells his stuff and starts a new life. To support her three children, she guts part of her home to start a preschool and rents out another two rooms. 

Her life is soon filled with new friends and activities, but the new friends bring problems of their own. Is hope and healing possible as they strengthen one another and rely on the Lord? And will romance blossom again for Jessica? 

Intercession is a story of love and friendship loaded with drama, inspiration, romance, and the tenacity of three young women who find their strength in the Lord. 

Purchase here. Special promotional price: .99!


The only thing she stands to lose are her shoes.

Cinderella is an ordinary teenage girl, with an extraordinary name.  But because of that name, she and her cousins, Belle, Aurora, Ariel, and Snow White suffer years of torment from their peers.  Then as the girls enter high school and the enticing world of dating, a life-altering decision must be made.  Is it finally time to stop fighting, and surrender to the fairy tale clichés that have been holding them back?  By embracing their names, the girls discover an inner strength they never knew existed. And by putting everything they have on the line, maybe, just maybe they will discover there really is such a thing as ‘happily ever after’. 

Purchase here. Special promotional price: .99!







Bracken is a typical teenage boy, more interested in the angles of the girl’s exposed back teasing him from the seat ahead of him than in anything the geometry teacher could present. His life is filled with school, video games, and thoughts of girls, not necessarily in that order. Life just flows along uneventfully and unacknowledged, like the electricity that courses through the power lines — until PF (Power Failure) Day. On PF Day, the sun strikes Bracken’s world with an unseen surge of electromagnetic fury, which cripples power stations and burns transformers to crispy nuggets of regret. 


No one in Bracken’s world had ever thought about how much they depended on electrical power, but now, without it, they are plunged into survival mode. Bracken soon realizes how lucky he is to live on a farm in the Midwest. What seemed like a dull and backwards life before is now the greatest chance for survival in what seems like a powerless world. Food, water, and heat are readily available, although hard work is required to make use of them. Bracken and his family must learn to survive like their ancestors, who settled their land. 

Purchase here. Special promotional price: .99!

When eight parade floats explode during the annual Fourth of July celebrations, Agent Chris Harmer must find who planted the bombs before the terrorists strike again. His troubles aren’t isolated to terrorism. Chris falls in love with the FBI’s feisty psychiatrist, Alexis Osborne. She won’t commit to someone who doesn’t share her religious values, and Chris has no desire to convert. 

Purchase here. Special promotional price: .99!






At forty years of age, I was impoverished and severely addicted to tobacco cigarettes. I could not even afford a decent birthday gift for my dear friend Cathy I had met online years earlier. In this book, I tell the story of how my friend turned my makeshift present for her into a gift of life for me. I tell how I overcame my addiction gradually. I share tips, photos, and more! If you have ever said, “I wish I could quit smoking,” or “I wish I could cut back,” I hope you will read this book. 

Purchase here. Special promotional price: .99!






Professor Miri Keeler’s life is perfect, and she knows just the sort of man she wants to share it with.  When she meets a genie who’s willing to grant her a favor, she uses her wish to get the attention of her crush, poet Jamison Arbor.  But has the genie’s magic missed its target? Miri suddenly has the attention of both Jamison and Alex, an attractive maintenance man.  How will she know which is the right match for her, or what’s real and what’s magic? 

Purchase here. Special promotional price: .99!



At twelve years of age, Maddy Richards has everything she needs in life – good friends, a loving mother, and a home she loves. When her mother announces that she’s getting married, Maddy’s seemingly perfect world is rocked to the core, but when she discovers that not only that her mother is getting married and she’ll have a new dad, but there’s another, even more world rocking change planned, Maddy, thinking there’s no way out of her predicament, forges a plan that she’s sure will put a stop to at least one of these sudden changes in her life. 
With her best friend Hannah in tow, Maddy embarks on a journey, hoping that will prompt her mother and new husband-to-be to change their minds, but a horrific storm is about to complicate matters further. What looked like a solution suddenly becomes more of a problem. 
Maddy will have to gather her resolve and determine if she’s ready to trust God, regardless of what is happening, and let life unfold as it should, even if that means her life will never be the same again. 
Book One of The Madeleine Richards Series, “Rebellion in Riversleigh”, a Tween Christian fiction book, is a must read for girls aged ten to thirteen, who are looking for a heart-warming story, full of adventure, personal struggle, and Christian values.  


Purchase here. Special promotional price: FREE!

Freedom to Choose is Paramount for any human.

An arrangement made when Elizabeth was just a babe ties her to someone she has never met, never spoken to, never loved. Now she desires freedom—a way to choose her own path—her own husband. The moment Elizabeth meets Patrick she knows he is her soul mate. But when you are bound to a crown how is any choice your own? 

Purchase here. Special promotional price: $2.99!





Seventeen-year-old Abigail Johnson is Gifted.

Blessed—or cursed—with Sight and Healing, Abby lives an unsettled life, moving from place to place and staying one step ahead of the darkness that hunts her. When she arrives in Jackson, Wyoming, she is desperate to maintain the illusion of normalcy, but she is plagued with visions of past lives mixed with frightening glimpses of her future. Then she meets Kye, a mysterious boy who seems so achingly familiar that Abby is drawn to him like he’s a missing piece of her own soul.

Before Abby can discover the reason for her feelings toward Kye, the darkness catches up to her and she is forced to flee again. But this time she’s not just running. She is fighting back with Kye at her side, and it’s not just Abby’s life at stake.

Purchase here. Special promotional price: .99!


Three magical romances in one collection 
Pete & Tink: Pete Pancerella loves two things in life: Video games and Spongy Cremes. He’s happy, content, and he’s also a geek. All that is about to change when his mother wishes upon a star and Tink answers the call. But will it take more than a five-and-a-half inch faery to whip this manga-loving goofball into shape? 
Loving Marigold 
Young Marigold Yarrow has a secret. She’s also in love with Jack Mahoney. In the middle of her ninth grade year, Jack’s family up and moves to Port Fare, New York, leaving the small town of Sugar Maple, West Virginia – and Marigold – far behind. 
Nine years later Jack and Marigold meet again. They join forces to weed out the shady Abbott boys. The unscrupulous brothers are illegally selling moonshine near her home on Sugar Maple Ridge. And they’ll do anything to get Marigold to leave the ridge. Anything. But this time it could be magic that tears Jack and Marigold apart. 
Angel in a Black Fedora Ciel Björk died a tragic death…but she got over it.Now she works as an undercover angel, answering people’s prayers. 
Chloe is obsessed with achieving perfection to please her unpleaseable father. Chloe’s BFF Austin Powers will do anything to support her in achieving her goal, including helping her win the heart of Bridger Reed. 
Ciel is sent to the sleepy little town of Port Fare, New York to help turn Chloe’s dreams into reality. Ciel soon learns that things are not as simple as they seem as secrets are revealed. 
Angel in a Black Fedora is the newest book by best selling author Sherry Gammon. A funny and touching tale of life and its challenges. 

Purchase here. Special promotional price: $1.99!


Alissia Roswell had worked hard to overcome her past, and she took immense pride in her independence. Just when she thought she was truly satisfied with her life, she wakes up to find herself in another reality. As she searches for answers, her body begins to change in mysterious ways, and for the first time in her life, she is forced to rely upon others. As everything spins out of her control and danger lurks around every corner, her heart begins to betray her, and her mind haunts her with memories of her past. 

Join Alissia on her perilous quest full of adventure, magic, and romance as she travels the challenging road of finding one self, maybe even love along the way. 

Purchase here. Special promotional price: FREE!

There’s no way I’m taking Blake’s place as president of the student body. As soon as the memorial for him and six of our friends is over, I’m resigning as VP. Really.

Except people say the fire was no accident.

(I say it’s way too easy to blame someone who’s dead.)
When I read the writing on the wall, literally, the bathroom wall, I know what it means. To get to the truth I have to come out from under my paisley comforter.

But, seriously, what stage of grief says I have to be the one to fix what’s wrong at Ideal High? Maybe I’m the one who’s broken. 

Purchase here. Special promotional price: $3.99!



Lydia Colburn is a young physician dedicated to serving her village in the Land, a landmass in the South Atlantic Ocean undetectable to the outside world. When injured fighter pilot Connor Bradshaw’s parachute carries him from the war engulfing the 2025 world to her hidden land, his presence threatens her plans, her family, and the survival of her preindustrial society. As Connor searches for a way to return to his squadron, his fascination with life in the Land makes him protective of Lydia and her peaceful homeland, and Lydia’s attraction to Connor stirs desires she never anticipated. Written like a historical, set like a scifi, and filled with romance, The Land Uncharted weaves adventure and love in this suspenseful story of a hidden land. 

Purchase here. Special promotional price: .99!

Madison Nichols, aspiring actress, is floundering. Her rent is due and she needs a job. Desperately. After getting a tip about an open position, she rushes to Jameson Technologies and meets CEO Jared Jameson. 

Unfortunately, due to a misunderstanding, she is put in the awkward position of pretending to be his girlfriend. Not the job she was applying for. And when she finds out Jared lied to her to get what he wanted, she decides to get back at him. In front of his family. 

Jared is stunned when Madison announces they are getting married. She pushed her revenge too far. How can he tell them it’s all a lie? And when his sick aunt asks them to be married before she dies, Madison comes up with a hair-brained plan to hire an actor and stage a fake wedding. 

What they both don’t know is Jared’s father has found out about the fake wedding. And he’s got his own hair-brained plan. 

Purchase here. Special promotional price: .99!

Enslaved when invaders take over Alasia, ten-year-old Anya discovers ways to spy on the enemy and slip information to the resistance. But then Anya uncovers a disturbing reference to her own family and is confronted by a stranger who seems to know her secrets. Holding her life in his hands, he claims to have proof that her father was involved in the betrayal that led to the Invasion itself. 

Purchase here. Special promotional price: .99!










2014 Whitney Award Finalist in Romance
After watching her parents’ marriage crash and burn, CIA operative Talia Reynolds doesn’t believe in “happily ever afters.” Besides, her job entails eighty-hour weeks, juggling a dozen covers and disguises, and tracking down a dangerous Russian spy ring. She hardly has time for romantic entanglements, even if she could let her guard down enough to get close to anyone. But all the rules she lives by could be broken when she meets aerospace engineer Danny Fluker.

Talia has to find a Russian spymaster before he figures out she’s not who she claims, and failing to keep her two lives separate in the process could mean the death of more than just her budding relationship. Danny has to decide if a future with Talia — and facing the past — is worth the risk of getting hurt again. If they can break through the barriers keeping them apart (and avoid a major international catastrophe), they just might have a chance at being happy together. 

Purchase here. Special promotional price: .99!


She had never been loved before. He thought he would never love again.
Zeke never imagined he wouldn’t marry the pretty girl from his village. It was as good as done—until she fell in love with someone else during the war. Captain Helaman’s estate in the city is the perfect refuge, far from pitying eyes and nosy village women. But though time has healed his battle wounds, it hasn’t bound up his broken heart.
Abandoned and alone in the world, Eliza asked Uncle Helaman to take her in. She has everything she could want at her new home on the grand estate—everything but the attention of Helaman’s handsome guard. When Helaman sends her on a journey with the brooding Ezekiel, she’s determined to find out what makes him so sad, but in her search for the girl who broke Zeke’s heart, Eliza has to find a way to guard her own. 

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Starting at a new high school is hard, especially as a senior. At age 17, Derek moves with his family from North Carolina to Utah. Derek learns about the unwritten laws of dating in Utah, and that his mom and dad have a history at his new school—a history that threatens his future.

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The housing market is crashing, and Sophie’s life is crashing with it. At twenty-four, her successful real estate career evaporates. She’s broke, can’t find a job or pay her bills, leaving Sophie wondering how her successful lifestyle became so fragile.

At the urging of her roommate, Sophie accepts a job in her fallback career—teaching six-year-olds. She hopes it’s temporary. After all, how long can a tanking economy last anyway? The best part of the new job is Liam, another employee at Rio Grande Elementary. The worst part of the new job is, well, teaching.

Sophie has a surprise real estate closing from a contract she wrote months ago, leading her to a niche in the real estate market and to a new partner, Kevin. Sophie must choose between Liam or Kevin and between a lucrative career or recess duty. 

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Sixteen-year-old Macy is not your average teenager–she’s a member of the Chosen, an elite group of gifted and magically talented children responsible for protecting humans from the monsters of the Hidden race. But when the Shard of the Ninth Chosen arrives at her Watcher’s door with the deadly Shadow Wraiths in hot pursuit, her world is shaken. The Ninth is to lead the Final Battle against the evil forces of the Dark. And when that Ninth turns out to be Tolen Parks, a clueless seventeen-year-old who  has no idea he’s anything other than a freak, she figures the world is a gonner. The two of them are swept down a dangerous path that tests everything that Macy is . . . and brings out everything that Tolen can be. Amidst monsters and Radia Warriors, the pair must discover who they really are and face the heart of darkness in order to find victory . . . and their destinies. 

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Though Angela Donovan is out of work and needs money for rent, she yearns for her eight-year-old daughter to have a carefree holiday. The last thing she wants is the pressure of her daughter expecting a miracle. But when they pick out a Christmas tree at a cozy Massachusetts tree farm that’s exactly what happens when they learn the trees might be miracle trees. 

Mark Shafer is soon to be the new keeper of the Christmas trees when he inherits the family farm. He’d like to run it with a family of his own, but his girlfriend wants nothing to do with farm life. He makes plans to sell so he can propose to his girlfriend and pursue a career in music. Then he meets an unforgettable customer and her daughter, and an anonymous gift compels them to learn the truth about the trees. 

With a buyer willing to pay top dollar for the land, Mark has the fate of the trees in his hand. Will he be able to see what and who is most important? And will Angela give the miracle of love a chance? 

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Midian has lived in Gevkan Castle for almost all of her twenty-five years, growing up alongside Princess Arien. Though timid, she’s content in her life and comfortable with the people who surround her. It’s not until she meets Kelson, best friend of Prince Dmitri, that she realizes how deep her shyness runs. Kelson is outgoing and wildly flirtatious, pushing Midian away when all he wants is to draw her closer.

Midian’s life is put in danger when she’s kidnapped by the neighboring king who thinks she’s the princess and wants to leverage her life for power and money.

Will Kelson be able to stop the king fast enough, proving his affections for Midian, or will the king’s scheming keep them forever separated? 

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Treena is nervous for Rating Day. A single number will brand her forever—a valuable citizen, or a pathetic waste of space. Her top-Rated boyfriend is confident their scores will coincide so they can attend the academy together. But when the big day arrives, her true number shocks everyone.

To get her life and boyfriend back, she must go undercover and expose a military spy. Doesn’t sound too hard, except that someone wants her dead. And then there’s Vance, the mysterious soldier with a haunted past and beautiful brown eyes. Together, they discover a dark numbers conspiracy, one that shatters the nation’s future. Treena must join up with Vance if she is to survive the dangerous game of numbers—and the terrible war that rages within her heart. 

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Readers will be delighted with nine sweet, contemporary romance novelettes in Sweet & Sassy: Hidden Identities. In this charming anthology, you will fall in love again and again.

THE BEST OF ME by Paige Timothy, SECOND-HAND HEARTS by Jo Noelle, FIRST LOVE, SECOND CHOICE by Lindzee Armstrong, HACKED by Stephanie Connelley Worlton, TO LOVE AND PROTECT by Ruth Roberts, CLOSING TIME by Candice N. Toone, SINK OR SWIM by Laura D. Bastian, WRITE AND WRONG by Kaye P. Clark, UNDERCOVER LOVER by James C. Duckett. 

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What happened in Vegas should stay there, not follow Amanda home, newly wedded to the man who broke her heart.

After celebrating college graduation with her friends in Las Vegas, Amanda St. Claire wakes up with a terrible hangover and a ring on her finger. Her day gets worse when she finds out she’s married to rich playboy Blake Worthington—the guy she has loathed the past four years. Amanda convinces Blake to legally terminate the marriage and they both return home like nothing ever happened. That is, until Blake shows up on her doorstep and Amanda has to come clean with her family.

Together for better or worse while the legalities are cleared, Amanda reluctantly plays along, but then the unthinkable happens—she finds herself falling in love with Blake.

Can they overcome the past? Or will it end their future before it even starts? 
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Brynn Sawyer is a successful project manager in Houston. When her best friend from high school convinces Brynn to attend their ten-year reunion, Brynn hopes she’ll have the chance to reconnect with Troy Richards, the guy who stole her heart back in middle school.

Craig Dawson, an attorney in San Diego, is in a relationship that’s going nowhere and wonders why he can’t seem to commit. When he sees Brynn at their reunion, he thinks he might finally understand why. The only problem—she’s still infatuated with Troy what’s-his-name.

Will Brynn find the love she seeks with Troy, or will she realize the best kind of love has always been right in front of her? 

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Alexa Fulbright doesn’t expect the man she’s been trying to forget for the past 7 years to show up on assignment from the FBI…and she really doesn’t expect him to kiss her. 

Sam Dubois doesn’t want to be on this assignment, even though he requested it. He doesn’t want to see Alexa and he definitely doesn’t want to put away the thug she calls her boyfriend…but most things in life aren’t fair when it comes to her. 

After Sam shows Alexa proof that her boyfriend is a drug dealer with connections to the Columbian cartel, she refuses to believe it. Until a gun is pointed at her head and ‘said boyfriend’ puts a bullet in Sam’s shoulder. 

Now Sam has to get her out of dodge and Alexa has to make a choice—face the past or live a lie that could destroy her and everyone she’s ever loved. 

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For the last six years, Siri has sought a way to fulfill a vow made during the last hours of her beloved mother’s life. Faced with an unwanted betrothal, she knows any chance to honor her mother’s request is dwindling. 

Risking her life to escape the arranged marriage, she unwittingly triggers an ancient elven curse. Death and destruction will begin with the rise of the next full moon. The only recourse is restoring an ancient talisman to the elves. But pleas to return it go unanswered.

Siri’s journey plunges her into a land of mystical creatures, some terrifying, some fascinating. As she begins to lose her heart to one very handsome Master Archer, his valley spirals toward irreversible ruin. Siri begins to wonder if she holds the key and how one lowly human could ever make a difference in a strange land of myth and magic. 

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Stranded 225 million kilometers from home on Mars Station, cousins Jake O’Brien and Lorina Murphy are drawn into a fledgling effort to help the hundreds of abandoned street children who call the station home. Jake becomes a medical apprentice in an outreach clinic, while Lorina volunteers at a juvenile shelter. They soon discover that their efforts may be in vain because something much more serious than poverty plagues Mars Station.

Also stranded on Mars Station, ship’s captain Danae Shepherd faces the difficult task of hiring replacement crew after an alien virus claims the lives of four in her employ, including her husband. She stumbles upon the same problem that has Jake and Lorina stumped: why are homeless children disappearing without a trace? 

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Twenty-one-year-old Emma Matthews lost the song in her heart the same night she lost her dad. With an unfulfilled promise and an ultimatum shadowing her junior year of college, maybe it’s better that way. You can’t hurt if you can’t feel. 

But when the reflection she sees in musician Riley Preston’s eyes borders dangerously close to the one she’s spent the last five years searching for, Emma discovers her walls can’t guard her heart from its fiercest desire. Terrified of what she’s experiencing, and even more afraid of what she might lose, Emma grapples for the courage to hold on to one dream without abandoning the promise of another. 

Contemporary New Adult Romance novel Eyes Unveiled lets you relive those heartfelt moments when you don’t know how you’d survive a day without your best friend, when you’re trying to figure out who you are and what you’re supposed to do with your life, and when falling in love changes everything. 


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When Lyn sets off on her supposedly uncomplicated and unromantic cruise, she never dreams it will include pirates. All the 25-year-old Colorado high school teacher wants is to forget that her dead fiancé was a cheating scumbag. What she plans is a vacation diversion; what fate provides is Braedon, an intriguing surgeon. She finds herself drawn to him: his gentle humor, his love of music, and even his willingness to let her take him down during morning karate practices. Against the backdrop of the ship’s make-believe world and its temporary friendships, her emotions come alive. 

However, fear is an emotion, too. Unaware of the sensitive waters he navigates, Braedon moves to take their relationship beyond friendship–on the very anniversary Lyn came on the cruise to forget. But Lyn’s painful memories are too powerful, and she runs off in a panic. 

Things are bad enough when the pair finds themselves on one of the cruise’s snorkeling excursions in American Samoa. However, paradise turns to piracy when their party is kidnapped. Lyn’s fear of a fairytale turns grim. Now she must fight alongside the man she rejected, first for their freedom and then against storms, sharks, and shipwreck.

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Young cavalryman Carl Owen returns from the Civil War to find the family farm destroyed, his favorite brother dead, food scarce, and his father determined to leave the Shenandoah Valley to build a cattle empire in Colorado Territory. Crossing the continent, Carl falls in love with his brother’s fiancée while set to wed another girl, but he might lose everything if the murderous thug Berto Acosta has his way. Carl battles a band of outlaws, a prairie fire, blizzards, a trackless waterless desert, and his own brother—all for the hand of feisty Ellen Bates. 

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Infertility stinks. No one knows that better than Megan. After six years of insanity-inducing hormone drugs and desperate prayers, all she has to show for her efforts are enough negative pregnancy tests to fill a bassinet. All around her women are accidentally getting pregnant—like her star piano student—while Megan remains hopelessly barren. Megan’s never felt so alone. But she’s not the only one struggling. 


Christina has just entered the world of infertility, made worse by the fact her husband isn’t ready to be a father. Their marriage, already hanging in the balance, is being torn apart. 

Then there’s Kyra, the mother of a precocious three-year-old. She’s shocked to be struggling with secondary infertility. A baby is priceless, but sometimes Kyra feels like she’s being forced to choose which commandment to keep: stay out of debt, or multiply and replenish the earth. 

When Megan and Christina are assigned as Kyra’s visiting teachers, they all realize that what you see isn’t necessarily what’s beneath the surface. Some secrets aren’t worth the cost of keeping them. 

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Sixteen-year-old Megan Crenshaw has everything going for her, until a leprechaun shows up on her doorstep and steals all her luck. If that weren’t enough, he follows her around, making sure nothing goes right. 

What Louie didn’t count on was Megan’s friends standing by her. No matter what he throws at her, they’re by her side to pick her back up again. 

When Megan learns about Louie’s ultimate plan for her family, it’s a race against time to stop him before he destroys everything she cares about. 


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Welcome to Realm Explorers!  In this weekly series, we visit a variety of unique worlds created by talented science fiction and fantasy authors.  Enjoy your travels!  And don’t forget to read to the bottom of the post to find out more about each author and see how to purchase the featured book. 

The Cloak

Author’s name:

Sarah Jennings

Title of book and/or series:
The Cloak

Brief summary of the story:
The Cloak follows the story of Kellan McKensie, Princess of Errigal, who has spent her entire life hidden from her own people, unknown and unseen. Now, as she comes of age and makes plans to be free, she finds that leaving and staying gone are nearly impossible. The pressure to lead a floundering county fused with a quick temper, sometimes sparks doubt in a young woman destined by God for greatness. How Kellan handles the challenges of her own doing and those of her evil brother brings together a story about trust, forgiveness, and finding forever love.
Brief description of the world or location you created for this story:
In The Cloak, characters are essentially living in the past while also living in the present. Walk past Errigal’s borders and the modern world exists in every manner. Stay within, and a society steeped in Medieval traditions and methods still exists. The landscape is characteristic of Ireland with green, rolling hills, villages and marketplaces dotting the countryside, and hot, soothing mineral springs.
If we were to visit Errigal as tourists, what would you recommend that we see or do there?
Unless someone was keen on slushing through heavy snow, only to be warmed by a fireplace, then it would be best to postpone all trips until the full arrival of spring. Tourists should expect to step back in time by wearing local garb and limiting their technology to cameras. Errigalians aren’t reenactors and are living as they always have, so you would find genuinely friendly faces at the marketplace and welcoming smiles at the few inns. While there are no official tour guides, visitors are encouraged to rent a horse or carriage to take day trips to the hot springs and to ride by the great, stone McKensie castle.
What dangers should we avoid in Errigal?
Generally, there are not any major dangers to be concerned about. In fact, the closeness of the villagers and their desire to look out for one another, makes Errigal one of the safest countries on Earth to visit. As in most places, feeding wildlife would be discouraged, as well as going beyond the borders of Errigal into other countries’ restricted areas without their permission.

Is there a distinct or unusual type of food or meal that we might be served in Errigal?
The early settlers of Errigal brought their Irish recipes with them, and you may find yourself served hearty stews, fresh baked bread, and occasional sweets.

What types of weaponry or fighting styles are common in Errigal?
All males of Errigal are required to serve time in a local regiment and learn specific skills that would include swordfighting, knife throwing, and archery. It would not be unusual for the women to learn these things from their fathers or brothers as well. Kellan, the lead female character in The Cloak, is forced into training beginning in early adolescence. As a leader of Errigal, she would be expected to know as much about weaponry as her warriors, and even more so in the strategy of leading a war campaign to victory.

What types of vehicles, animals, technology, etc. are used to travel in or to Errigal?
Travel is limited to animal-drawn transportation and of course, walking. Vehicles of any kind are not allowed across the border. In The Cloak, an exception is made for Uncle Hahn. His frequent jaunts back and forth from Germany to Errigal make it necessary for his private jet to make visits.

Tell us about any sports, games, or activities that are available for entertainment in Errigal.
As might would be expected, games and activities normally attributed to a Medieval time period may be seen at village or valley-wide gatherings. These could include: jousting tournaments, wrestling, falconry, archery, horseshoes, and hunting. Games such as chess, cards, and dice would also be enjoyed. And not to be forgotten, traditional dances to Celtic tunes would be very popular. The Cloak opens with a castle ball invitation to welcome the returning prince.

Are the days of the week and months of the year the same in Errigal as on Earth? What holidays or special events are celebrated regularly there?
The calendar would be the same and traditional holidays observed.
Is there a particular religion practiced in Errigal? Please describe what it involves.
Celtic Christianity is what Errigalians would identify with, having left Ireland initially with the intent of spreading the movement. The McKensie family and others are also Spirit-filled, believing in the miraculous possibilities as attested to in Acts 2 and other parts of the Bible.

What is the political or government structure in Errigal? Who is in charge there at the moment, and what kind of leader is he/she?
From the beginning, Errigal was a matrilineal society, consisting of beautiful, wise, and kind queens who passed down their name and position to their daughters. After being conquered within the last couple of generations by an outside Germanic tribe, a kingship was put in place. The desire to right this wrong is a thread woven throughout the book.

Has anything in your actual life inspired the locations, cultures, etc. in your book?
My own ancestry can be traced to Ireland on one side and Germany on another. While it wasn’t intentional to write the book with that in mind, it’s funny how it worked out. And while I am certainly not royalty, nor do I declare to have great physical strength as the book’s heroine, I will admit that my propensity to make a smart remark has gotten me into trouble more than once!

What, if any, “hot-button” or controversial topics do you touch on in your book?
Some people find the Spirit-filled aspect of Christianity to be a point of contention for them. It’s mentioned once and then alluded to another time in the book.
Author Autobiography:
Sarah Jennings is an American storyteller living in the hills of North Carolina with her husband, four children, and escape artist hound dog. Her stories often revolve around strong willed heroines who find their way with God’s help during their adventures and in the process find their soulmate too.

Where, and in what formats, can we purchase your book?
The Cloak can be purchased at Amazonin Kindle or paperback format, Smashwordsin a variety of ebook formats, and in Nook format at Barnes& Noble. Just select the name to be taken to the order page.

Where can readers connect with you online?   

Please visit my website at sarahjennings.netto find my social network links, view The Cloak’s book trailer, and to acquire my contact email address.


Tour-Wide Giveaway

$25 Amazon Gift Card – Open Internationally
Celtic Prize Pack: Paperback of The Cloak and Celtic Music CDs – US Only
2 Paperbacks of The Cloak – US Only
2 ebooks of The Cloak – Open Internationally
Ends March 22nd
Click here to enter the giveaway: a Rafflecopter giveaway
Follow the Tour in March:

2nd: Launch
3rd: My Love for Reading Keeps Growing & I Am A Reader
4th: Mythical Books & Classy Cat Books
5th: Mary Terrani & My Life Loves and Passion
6th: Katie’s Clean Book Collection & Zerina Blossom’s Books
8th: Welcome to Book City & Christy’s Cozy Corners
9th: Letters from Annie (Douglass) Lima & Once Upon a YA Book
10th: Mel’s Shelves & Books and Ashes
11th: Addicted Readers & Paranormal Books
12th: Mommabears Book Blog & Pieces of Whimsey
13th: Fictionally
15th: Grand Finale

Prism Book Tours

I hope you all enjoyed the trip to Errigal.  Questions about the world or the book?  Ask them in the comments and the author will get back to you!  

Click here to read other posts in the Realm Explorers series.

Please join us again next Monday for a trip to the fantasy world of Alasia, in Realm Explorers Part XXXX!
-Annie Douglass Lima

A themed tour with Prism Book Tours.

We’re launching the BOOK TOUR for
Dearest
By Alethea Kontis

Did you miss any of the magical posts and reviews for this tour?
Go check them out now! You can also grab the 20th Chapter of Dearest, 
not previously released, on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.
Lilac Reviews – Tips for Writing a Series
The Arilland Easter Egg Page: I’ve always been a big fan of DVD extras, so I created a page on my website where I list handy links to essays, videos, stories, articles and the like that are some how connected to the series. You can find it here: http://aletheakontis.com/about/arilland
Wishful Endings – The Wild Swans Rant
“The Wild Swans”, along with “The Little Mermaid” and “The Little Match Girl” has always been one of my favorite stories by Hans Christian Andersen. (It’s also, notably, one of the only HCA stories in which the main characters DON’T DIE.)

Special post @ Waterworld Mermaids – Learn some fun facts about Alethea!

The Book Lovers’ Lounge – Review
I would still recommend this book to anyone who loves their fairy tales and romance books.

Wings trip [Alethea’s] fiction trigger @ USA Today’s Happy Ever After


Buried Under Books – Review
I love Friday—I think she’s my favorite of the sisters so far mainly because she’s so sweet and kind—and Tristan is also very likeable but it’s the seven brothers as a group who make this tale so much fun.

Mommabears Book Blog – Holy “L” Trinity
But when it came to fantasy films, we had what we lovingly referred to as “The Holy L Trinity”: Legend, Labyrinth, and Ladyhawke. It was rare that we watched one without immediately watching the other two. It didn’t matter which order, just as long as they all got seen.

Rabid Reads – Review
Highly recommended. If you love fairy tales, you will love this series. Even if you are among the majority who only know Disney’s version of events, you will love this series. Don’t be scared off by the mutual affection Kontis and I have for Grimm, b/c while, YES, the details stay true to their European roots, the Woodcutter sisters always live happily ever after. 

Gidget Girls Reading – Spotlight
Wonderful addition to the Woodcutter Sisters series! Dearest is sure to capture the reader and keep them wanting more.

7 Minutes with… Alethea Kontis @ J.T. Ellison

Zerina Blossom – Review
Dearest was a sweet romance and a fantastic mix of some of my favorite fairytales. “The Seven Swans” and “The Goose Girl” were but two of them. I loved the way the stories were once again intermingled in new and intriguing ways. Friday’s love story was one worth reading again.

Geo Librarian – Review
When it comes to fairy tale retellings it can be challenging to present the story in a new enough way to win over readers since the basic story is known beforehand.  But Kontis does a nice job here of adding enough new elements to make the story feel fresh and new.  And while the plot is thoroughly entertaining, it is the characters that really make the story worth reading.

Welcome to Book City – Interview

What is your favorite fairy tale?

My favorite fairy tale has always been “The Goose Girl.” It’s the reason Conrad is one of the main characters in Dearest! Conrad was the clever boy who reported to the king that there was something fishy about the girl he tended the geese with…like the fact that she knew how to call the wind. . . . My second-favorite fairy tales are “Snow White and Rose Red” and “The Twelve Dancing Princesses.”

Angela’s Library – Q&A

Dearest is based in part on “The Wild Swans” by Hans Christian Andersen and “The Goose Girl” by the Brothers Grimm. How are both of these tales referenced in Dearest?
I reread “The Wild Swans” again before I started writing Dearest — it’s amazing how much detail that story goes into. Elisa has 11 brothers who are cursed into swans by a wicked sorceress stepmother who quickly turns the king’s heart against his children. She also tries to curse Elisa, but her heart is so pure that the sorceress is forced to make Elisa physically ugly to serve her purpose…

Kelly P’s Blog – A Weave of Words Fairy Tale Rant Intro
The book, out of print now (but still fairly easy to acquire), is about a lazy prince and a weaver’s daughter. In order to win her heart, the prince learns to read and write and weave. In return, the weaver’s daughter learns to ride a horse and fight with a sword.

Mel’s Shelves – Review
This book has plenty for everyone–humor, romance, secrets, danger, adventure and magic. I think I would enjoy it even more the second time through since there are references I most likely missed. There’s more to come in this series so I’m sure I’ll read through all of them again in the future. If you enjoy adventurous fairytale mash-ups, you’ll want to start reading this series now!

Jan Edwards – Q&A
What are you up to next?
This year I will be publishing Diary of a Mad Scientist Garden Gnome(another illustrated collaboration with Janet K. Lee), Trixter (a Woodcutter novella), and a trilogy of short contemporary romance novels set in a small beach town in central Florida. I’m very excited about all of them!

Katie’s Clean Book Collection – Review
I loved the way different fairy tales were twisted and mashed up. . . . It really was a lot of fun to see where the story would go. I need to go back and read the first two!

A Backwards Story – I Dedicate This Post To You (Review HERE)
One of my favorite parts of a book is the dedication. Before the interwebs, a dedication—because there wasn’t always an acknowledgements section or author’s note, especially in fiction—was the closest a reader came to knowing the author as a person.

Wishful Endings – Review
I loved all the nods to various folklore and fairy tales. The author is definitely a master at blending different tales while making them completely original and her own. . . . I would highly recommend Dearest as well as this entire series.

Library of a Book Witch – Review
I loved that this focused on the Fairy Tale of the seven swans and not only that but also another story that I am familiar with. . . . The story is so fast moving I flew through the book (like a swan, get it, ha!) but it was just so engaging. So many wonderful things come together to keep the plot moving. So many wonderful characters.

The Quotable – Fairy Tales Incorporated
I’m often asked which fairy tales I’m putting into the next installment of the Woodcutter Sisters series, or how many I’ve already included, or which ones are my favorites, or which ones inspire me the most. Rarely do I get the question of HOW I incorporate all these fairy tales into the bouillabaisse that is the Once Upon a Time of Arilland — which is probably a good thing, because it’s not a short answer…

Biggest Literary Crushes post on @ Teen Reads

The Written Adventure – Interview
2) What gave you the idea for this book?
I always start each one of the Woodcutter Sisters books with a “base note” fairy tale (like a base note in perfume). The base note for Dearest was “The Wild Swans” (aka “The Six Swans”). But I can’t think of fine-feathered fairy tales without thinking of my personal favorite, “The Goose Girl”…so I had to add that too. From there, the rest just sort of fell into place.

My Life Loves and Passion – Review
To start with I LOVED this cover. It was just so beautiful. . . . I just loved how this story started. It was so magical. I really loved just everything about this book!

Colorimetry – Swan Lake Fairy Tale Rant & Review
When I began writing Dearest, I knew I wanted to incorporate “The Goose Girl” and “The Wild Swans” and “The Six Swans” and every other fairy tale that involves a gaggle of men who are cursed into birds. . . . This was my favorite book in the series so far and not just because I rec’d an early review copy that Alethea signed and doodled, although… I 5-star love that, too.  Mostly 5 stars because this story makes me want to know and remember ALL the stories, which is crazy and not even possible because they haven’t all been written, yet!

I Am A Reader – The Casting of the Swans
As many writers—and children in Deep-Doodoo Trouble—know, the best stories are often an amalgamation of more than one thing. One idea comes to mind that sparks a myriad of other ideas…some you might have had a very long time ago, and some you might have imagined only yesterday. . . . The seven Swan Brothers of Dearest were a story born of three such singular ideas.

The Library of the Seen – Interview
What are some of your favorite fairy tale retellings?
Beauty and Deerskin, both by Robin McKinley (she’s the fairy tale retelling queen!) Also, A Curse Dark As Gold, a Rumplestiltskin retelling by Elizabeth C. Bunce. And the movie Ever After…which in many ways inspired Enchanted (because I loved the film so much and still wanted to do my own Cinderella.)

18 – Special post on Dear Teen Me – Letter to her teen BFF

Printcess & Living a Goddess Life – Review
You recall my earlier review of the first two in the series, Enchanted and Hero. Well, I actually liked this one the best. Kontis appears to be improving in style and scope with each book, which makes for a nice change!

Melissa’s Eclectic Bookshelf – Interview
2 Do you read/comment on reviews of your books?
I do! I don’t have a lot of time to do so anymore–and I often hear that reviewers are sometime freaked out when the author pops by unannounced–but I do have Google Alerts and Twitter searches saved with my name. (It’s nice to be the only Alethea Kontis on the planet!) I appreciate every reader who takes the time to write a review. I used to be a book reviewer, both in print and online–I know how much extra energy it takes to put those thoughts into useful words.

100 Pages A Day – Review
Tristan is the serious brother that Friday falls for- and is mostly instant love since they only see each other at night, but the romance was painted as genuine and this is a fairy tale. For any lover of fairy tales and re-tellings this would be a good series to pick up.

mrsjennyreads – Review
An enchanting delight of a story, this is true fantasy fun. Kontis, I believe, may be wielding magic of her own.

Books and Ashes – Review
I really enjoyed this story though because it was everything I wanted to know and more about what was happening in Arilland while Saturday was adventuring as a pirate (which was my favorite part about Hero) and this book gave me that and more by the time I finished it. I can’t wait to see which sister is next in the series!

Addicted Readers – Seamstress Extraordinaire
In the Woodcutter series, I had to coin the phrase “Seamstress Extraordinaire,” because the publisher did not like that I called Yarlitza Mitella a Master Seamstress. They asked if I could change it to Mistress…but a Master at a craft is not a Mistress, no matter what their sex. There are female Jedi Masters, for heaven’s sake. All the D&D Guild Masters–men or women–were Masters.

Miss Little Book Addict YA House of Books – Review
“World building and humor in DEAREST was nicely done. Alethea also gets major points for taking such well know fairy tales and making them her own…”

Katy’s Krazy Books – Review
So I thought that the plot was really good.  Friday is an awesome chick that I just wish I could be.  I mean who doesn’t want to be able to save a couple of hot twins from turning into swans each day.  Not to mention, the girl gets to do the saving in this story, NOT the guy.

The Daily Prophecy – Fairy Tale Rant on Tristan & Isolde
I have found that, during the process of writing a novel, I am drawn to certain entertainments in my off time. While writing Enchanted, I watched a lot of Jane Austen movies. While writing Hero, I was very drawn to the Summer Olympics…especially the women’s swimming competitions. While writing Dearest, I re-watched most of Stargate: Atlantis…and all of Merlin.

Deal Sharing Aunt – Interview
Where do you get your information or ideas?
I get information from everywhere–people, when I can find them, books, when I have them close at hand, and the internet, when I need something simple to move the story forward, like the anatomy and habits of a swan.

Min Reads and Reviews – Review
I absolutely loved this book.  The story is told beautifully and quite magically, as well.  I have not read the previous books in the series, but I am putting them high on my TBR list.  I loved absolutely Friday, and I enjoyed getting to know some of her sisters.

Pieces of Whimsy – The Goose Girl
I first read “The Goose Girl” when I was eight years old, from the giant book of fairy tales my Memere bought me (no doubt in the hopes that it might keep me busy for a while). No matter how old I’ve become and what adventures I’ve undertaken, “The Goose Girl” has been my favorite fairy tale since that day.

Wonderous Reviews – Review
The journey that Dearest takes readers on is more than I can put into words without spoiling at least one discovery. I will say that this book is perfect for those that enjoy a story that will inspire and enchant! There is beautiful love, heart pounding action, fantasy and flying, magic and sorcery, destiny and fate, kindness and curses, and a little something for everyone!

The Scribbling Sprite – Interview
6. Any plans for future books you can share with us?
In the next six months, I will be publishing Diary of a Mad Scientist Garden Gnome (another illustrated collaboration with Janet K. Lee), Trixter (a Woodcutter novella), and a trilogy of short contemporary romance novels set in a small beach town in central Florida. I’m very excited about all of them!

A Backwards Story – The Missing Last Chapter of Dearest
Alethea talks about Dearest being short one chapter and that you can now read the final chapter.

Dearest (Woodcutter Sisters, #3)Dearest
(Woodcutter Sisters, #3)
by Alethea Kontis
YA Fantasy
Hardcover & ebook, 320 Pages
February 3rd 2015 by HMH Books for Young Readers

“A fabulous fairy-tale mashup that deserves hordes of avid readers. Absolutely delectable.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred review of award-winning series debut Enchanted

Readers met the Woodcutter sisters (named after the days of the week) in Enchanted and Hero. In this delightful third book, Alethea Kontis weaves together some fine-feathered fairy tales to focus on Friday Woodcutter, the kind and loving seamstress. When Friday stumbles upon seven sleeping brothers in her sister Sunday’s palace, she takes one look at Tristan and knows he’s her future. But the brothers are cursed to be swans by day. Can Friday’s unique magic somehow break the spell?

AmazonBarnes & NobleBook Depository – Indie Bound – Powell’s

The Other Woodcutter Sisters Books
 Hero (Woodcutter Sisters #2)
Links for Enchanted
GoodreadsAmazonBarnes & Noble
Book DepositoryIndie BoundPowell’s
Links for Hero
GoodreadsAmazonBarnes & Noble
Book DepositoryIndie BoundPowell’s
Alethea Kontis courtesy of Lumos Studio 2012

New York Times bestselling author Alethea Kontis is a princess, a fairy godmother, and a geek. She’s known for screwing up the alphabet, scolding vampire hunters, and ranting about fairy tales on YouTube.

Her published works include: The Wonderland Alphabet (with Janet K. Lee), Diary of a Mad Scientist Garden Gnome (with Janet K. Lee), the AlphaOops series (with Bob Kolar), the Woodcutter Sisters fairy tale series, and The Dark-Hunter Companion (with Sherrilyn Kenyon). Her short fiction, essays, and poetry have appeared in a myriad of anthologies and magazines.

Her YA fairy tale novel, Enchanted, won the Gelett Burgess Children’s Book Award in 2012 and the Garden State Teen Book Award i 2015. Enchanted was nominated for the Audie Award in 2013, and was selected for World Book Night in 2014. Both Enchanted and its sequel, Hero, were nominated for the Andre Norton Award.

Born in Burlington, Vermont, Alethea currently lives and writes in Florida, on the Space Coast. She makes the best baklava you’ve ever tasted and sleeps with a teddy bear named Charlie.

WebsiteGoodreadsFacebookTwitter – YouTube – TumblrInstagramPinterest

Tour-Wide Giveaway
3 Woodcutter Sisters Prize Packs (signed copies of Enchanted, Hero, & Dearest – US Only)
Ends March 8th
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Prism Book Tours
Welcome to Realm Explorers!  In this weekly series, we visit a variety of unique worlds created by talented science fiction and fantasy authors.  Enjoy your travels!  And don’t forget to read to the bottom of the post to find out more about each author and see how to purchase the featured book. 

Author’s name:

Keely Brooke Keith


Title of book and/or series:
The Uncharted series includes: The Land Uncharted, Uncharted Redemption, and Uncharted Inheritance (coming May 2015)


Brief summary of the story:
A group of antebellum families sailed away from America in December of 1860. Their ship was blown off course and ran aground on an uncharted land in the middle of the South Atlantic Ocean. They called the uninhabited place simply “the Land”, and founded a society that seven generations later is flourishing, but antiquated compared to the outside world. They have no contact with the warring 2025 world and no idea their land is undetectable until Unified States Naval Aviator Connor Bradshaw is ejected from his aircraft and his parachute carries him to the shore of the Land. That is where our story begins.


Brief description of the world or location you created for this story:
The Land is the size of the South Island of New Zealand and located in the middle of the South Atlantic Ocean. The outside world is torn apart by war, a water shortage, disease and poverty, but life is the Land is peaceful.


What types of vehicles, animals, technology, etc. are used to travel in the Land?
They have simple transportation: horses, wagons, river rafts and boats, but no modern technology. In fact, when Connor arrives in the Land, he believes the lack of electronics is part of what helps keep them hidden. They have the usual farm animals, but there are no predatory animals in the Land.


What types of plants, animals, or sentient races might we encounter in the Land that we don’t see on Earth?
The world in the Uncharted series is governed by our science, so the humans are all, well, humans. There is a tree they call the Gray Leaf. It provides lumber stronger than iron and tea made from the gray leaf quickly heals any injury or infection. It’s medicinal, not mythical.


Is there a particular religion practiced in the Land?  Please describe what it involves.
The society’s founders were Christian and the inhabitants of the Land passed their faith on from one generation to the next, but they have come up with more and more strict traditions over the years as reactions to conflicts. During the series, many of those traditions get challenged.


Has anything in your actual life inspired the locations, cultures, etc. in your book?
Researching my family history inspired the pioneer spirit of the founders. My travels to Australia and New Zealand inspired some of the topography and the isolated feeling of the Land. My study of the Bible inspired some of the society’s structure and the relationships portrayed throughout the series.


Author Autobiography:
Keely Brooke Keith, author of the Uncharted series, is a bass guitarist and frequently performs and tours with her husband, singer/songwriter John Martin Keith. When she isn’t writing stories or playing bass, Keely enjoys dancing, having coffee with friends, and sifting through vintage books at antique stores. Keely resides on a hilltop south of Nashville with her husband and their daughter, Rachel.


Where, and in what formats, can we purchase your book(s)?  Please include links.


Amazon
Barnes and Noble
Smashwords
iTunes
Google Play


Where can readers connect with you online?  
Twitter
Facebook
Goodreads
Instagram
Pinterest


Add The Land Uncharted to your shelf on Goodreads, Shelfari, LibraryThing, or FictFact.

I hope you all enjoyed the trip to the Land.  Questions about the world or the book?  Ask them in the comments and the author will get back to you!  

Click here to read other posts in the Realm Explorers series.

Please join us again next Monday for a trip to the fantasy world of Ilyon, in Realm Explorers Part XXXVIII!
-Annie Douglass Lima
Welcome to Realm Explorers!  In this weekly series, we visit a variety of unique worlds created by talented science fiction and fantasy authors.  Enjoy your travels!  And don’t forget to read to the bottom of the post to find out more about each author and see how to purchase the featured book. 

Author’s name: Anne Elisabeth Stengl
Title of book and/or series: Golden Daughter, book 7 in the ongoing Tales of Goldstone Wood
Brief summary of the story:
BEYOND THE REALM OF DREAMS
IS A WORLD SHE NEVER IMAGINED
Masayi Sairu was raised to be dainty, delicate, demure . . . and deadly. She is one of the emperor’s Golden Daughters, as much a legend as she is a commodity. One day, Sairu will be contracted in marriage to a patron, whom she will secretly guard for the rest of her life.
But when she learns that a sacred Dream Walker of the temple seeks the protection of a Golden Daughter, Sairu forgoes marriage in favor of this role. Her skills are stretched to the limit, for assassins hunt in the shadows, and phantoms haunt in dreams. With only a mysterious Faerie cat and a handsome slave—possessed of his own strange abilities—to help her, can Sairu shield her new mistress from evils she can neither see nor touch?
For the Dragon is building an army of fire. And soon the heavens will burn.
Brief description of the world or location you created for this story: 
Most of the action in Golden Daughter takes place in the Noorhitam Empire, which is loosely inspired by a variety of East Asian cultures. My research focused primarily on ancient China and ancient Japan/Okinawa, but I also delved into Korean, Mongolian, and Thai histories, cultural practices, architecture, etc.
The empire itself is made up of a variety of subcultures, but the two most prominent are the ruling Kitars and the nomadic Chhayans. Two hundred years before the story of Golden Daughter takes place, the Chhayans were overpowered by the Kitar. The cultural clashes of the two people groups provide much of the drama for this tale.
If we were to visit Noorhitam as tourists, what would you recommend that we see or do there?
You should definitely take time to visit Manusbau Palace, the home of the emperor. This palace is actually a series of beautiful complexes, gardens, and grounds—almost a mini-city in and of itself—fortified by magnificent walls. It is a sumptuous testament to the power and grandeur of the Kitar nation. Just be certain you don’t drink any tea laced with gold-leaf poison!
Built beside the palace and rivaling it in grandeur is the Crown of the Moon, an enormous temple dedicated to Hulan, the moon goddess worshipped by the Kitar and Chhayans alike. But while the temple is glorious indeed and well worth seeing, more interesting still are the humble ruins of an ancient House which stood on this site long centuries ago. The foundation stones of this House are still warm with the heat of the great conflagration that burned it to the ground . . . .
What dangers should we avoid in Noorhitam?
Noorhitam is crawling with enemies of the emperor, particularly the lethal Crouching Shadows, assassins from the neighboring kingdom of Nua-Pratut. You should also keep your eyes open for Chhayan bandits roaming the hinterlands of the empire. If they take you for a Kitar, they will show no mercy!
The Golden Daughters themselves—highly trained bodyguards of incomparable skill—are possibly the most dangerous threat you might face. Only if you threaten one of their patrons, however, so you should be safe.
Is there a distinct or unusual type of food or meal that we might be served in Noorhitam?
Travelers may enjoy an eggplant mash seasoned with oil and a variety of spices and served with flat bread. In the palace of the emperor, you will be treated to teas, both black and herbal, candied fruits, and sweet pastries.
What types of weaponry or fighting styles are common in Noorhitam?
The Emperor of Noorhitam boasts a lethal artillery brigade of  longbowmen. Their bows are tall, and their arrows include weighted hare-fork arrows which can tear a man apart.
The Golden Daughters carry two knives which they hide up their sleeves. They are also trained in hand-to-hand combat and are comfortable with a variety of other weapons and poisons.
The Pen-Chan people of Nua-Pratut have discovered the secret of “black powder,” with which they have created dangerous explosives. So far they have managed to keep this secret from falling into the hands of neighboring nations, but it’s only a matter of time . . .
What types of vehicles, animals, technology, etc. are used to travel in or to Noorhitam?
The Chhayans out on the wide plains of Noorhitam travel in gurtas, buffalo-hide dwellings on wheels, pulled by teams of buffalo. Not very fast, not terribly comfortable, but durable and providing decent shelter when the cold winds blow.
Pilgrims traveling to the various holy sites and shrines across the nation often ride mules or donkeys. Horses are considered the steed of noblemen.
What role, if any, does magic or the supernatural play in the lives of people in Noorhitam?  If there is magic, please give some examples of what it involves or how it’s used.
Magic in my world is not really . . . magic, per se. Faeries abound in this series, and they have “magical” powers available to them (depending on the type of Faerie), but these are really more extensions of their Faerie selves than actual potions-and-spells magic. There are some characters who work enchantments and sorcery—and humans who dabble in Faerie magic are considered misguided and dangerous. But much of the magic of this world is not really magic in the traditional sense.
One of the major characters in Golden Daughter has the ability to walk in the Realm of Dreams. This is a strange, between-worlds dimension from which dreams are supposed to originate, and most mortals cannot access it. But the Dream Walkers are trained to send their spirits beyond mortal realms and explore deep into the Realm of Dreams and the surrounding dimensions. This could be considered a form of magic, achieved through concentrated meditation and chants.
Is there a particular religion practiced in Noorhitam?  Please describe what it involves.
Noorhitam is deeply devoted to a heavenly-spheres-centric religion personifying the sun and the moon as Anwar and Hulan respectively, and the stars—or Dara—as their angelic children. This was originally an old Chhayan religion, but when the Kitar people took over, they usurped the religion as well as the land (exchanging it for their vague ancestor-worship, which is now considered grossly out of fashion).
The Dream Walkers are considered sacred priests, using prayerful meditation to access realms beyond the mortal world with the hope of someday crossing the Dream and walking in Hulan’s Garden (a sort of Heaven where the moon and the stars are said to dance and sing).
There are quite a number of priestly orders, with the most prominent priests devoted to Anwar and Hulan, and lesser priests dedicated to the service of various Dara, such as the North Star, Chiev, and the star of the Emperor’s City, Maly. The duties of these priests vary according to their specific deities, but involve seasonal prayers according to which lights are most prominent in the sky.
Even priests devoted primarily to Hulan offer morning prayers to Anwar when he rises. Anwar is considered the most powerful of the celestial deities, although the High Priest is devoted primarily to Hulan.
What is the political or government structure in Noorhitam?  Who is in charge there at the moment, and what kind of leader is he/she?
Noorhitam is ruled by an emperor called the Anuk Anwar—which means the “Son of Anwar.” He is considered semi-deific and absolutely god-touched. He wields quite a lot of control, but intricate political dances require him to keep his various warlords and the clan leaders appeased.
The current Anuk Anwar of Noorhitam is a middle-aged man with a young face, fairly immature for his age. He isn’t particularly pleased with his lot as emperor, preferring the carefree life he used to know as a prince. He’s not above throwing his imperial weight around as he sees fit, however, and his warlords tread softly around him.
What, if any, “hot-button” or controversial topics do you touch on in your book?
This book openly deals with the question “Where is God in times of suffering?” It was a difficult question to tackle, and not one I would have jumped into willingly. But when I write these stories, I spend a lot of time in prayer, asking God to lead me to what (if any) message He wants to communicate. My role is simply to be a willing vessel, and I earnestly seek to be open to His leading. In the case of Golden Daughter I was thrilled and amazed by the storylines I saw unfurling, by the message that bloomed naturally from the text and characters.
Author Autobiography
ANNE ELISABETH STENGL makes her home in North Carolina, where she lives with her husband, Rohan, a kindle of kitties, and one long-suffering dog. When she’s not writing, she enjoys Shakespeare, opera, and tea, and practices piano, painting, and pastry baking. Her novel Starflower was awarded the 2013 Clive Staples Award, and her novels Heartless, Veiled Rose, and Dragonwitchhave each been honored with a Christy Award.

To learn more about Anne Elisabeth Stengl and her books visit: www.AnneElisabethStengl.blogspot.com
Where, and in what formats, can we purchase your book(s)?  Please include links.
You can purchase Golden Daughter in ebook and print formats on all the major online bookshops! Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo.
Where can readers connect with you online?
I love to connect with my readers! Be sure to follow my blog, Tales of Goldstone Wood. You can also sign up for my quarterly newsletter and keep up-to-date on all the upcoming Goldstone Wood projects (of which there are many). Be sure to like me on Facebookas well!

I hope you all enjoyed the trip to the Noorhitam Empire.  Questions about the world or the book?  Ask them in the comments and the author will get back to you!  

Click here to read other posts in the Realm Explorers series.

Please join us again next Monday for a trip to the Land Uncharted, in Realm Explorers Part XXXVII!
-Annie Douglass Lima
Welcome to Realm Explorers!  In this weekly series, we visit a variety of unique worlds created by talented science fiction and fantasy authors.  Enjoy your travels!  And don’t forget to read to the bottom of the post to find out more about each author and see how to purchase the featured book. 

Author’s name:
Cynthia P. Willow
Title of book and/or series:
The Kingsley Adventures
Patty Gayle and the Legend of Kingsley ~ Book 1
Return to Kingsley ~ Book 2
Brief summary of the stories:
PATTY GAYLE AND THE LEGEND OF KINGSLEY
When twelve-year-old Patty Gayle’s grandmother grants her an old skeleton key, it unlocks the adventure of a lifetime! The key leads her to beautiful Kingsley, a magical land threatened by an evil sorcerer. Patty Gayle soon discovers that an ancient prophecy has foretold that a young human girl is the only hope for Kingsley. If she is truly to be the chosen one, she must overcome her deepest fears. Will the faith of a young girl be enough to free Kingsley from a tragic fate?
RETURN TO KINGSLEY
Thirteen-year-old Callie dreams of having her own adventure in the magical world of Kingsley like her grandmother and her great-great grandmother before her. But she doesn’t have very high hopes since the portal to Kingsley was shut fifty-two years ago. Little does she know that the inhabitants of Kingsley are in desperate need. A plague is killing Kingsley’s creatures. But Callie doesn’t live on the lake, nor does she have the magical bracelet to allow her to breathe underwater. How will she get to Kingsley? And will she figure it out in time to save the land?
Brief description of the world or location you created for this story:
Kingsley is a parallel world to ours. It is a beautiful world full of fairy queens, mermaids, and all sorts of talking creatures.
If we were to visit Kingsley as tourists, what would you recommend that we see or do there?
Well, if you borrowed the bracelet which allows you to breathe under water, then you could go to the bottom of the ocean and play poker with the dolphins. If you don’t know how to play poker, you could swim with the mermaids. If you’re more of a land-lover, perhaps you’d like to visit Faith, the unicorn. And if you’re not afraid of heights, you might want to take a ride on Keagan’s back. No, I’m telling you what Keagan is. 
What dangers should we avoid in Kingsley?
All humans must stay clear of the Ghillie-Dhu. They dislike humans. And of course, there are evil sorcerers there, but I’ve said too much.
Is there a distinct or unusual type of food or meal that we might be served in Kingsley?
Yes! There is a delicious purple triangular fruit that sustains the person who eats it for a good while. 
What role, if any, does magic or the supernatural play in the lives of people in Kingsley?  If there is magic, please give some examples of what it involves or how it’s used.
The 3 fairy queens use magic for good purposes. Their magic also keeps them immortal. The brownies–which are servants in the castle–also use magic for making all sorts of things.
Tell us about any sports, games, or activities that are available for entertainment in Kingsley.
If dolphins playing poker isn’t entertainment, then I don’t know what is.
What is the political or government structure in Kingsley?  Who is in charge there at the moment, and what kind of leader is he/she?
Kingsley is ruled by three fairy queens. They are sisters. By name: Ruby, Pearl, and Emerald. Ruby is the leader of the three. She is the one who holds everything together. She’s stern, but just. Pearl is the caring, emotional sister who thinks of others first. Emerald has the personality of a teenager and giggles a lot.
Has anything in your actual life inspired the locations, cultures, etc. in your book?
The world of Kingsley is inspired by a real place in Florida called Kingsley Lake. My ancestors settled Kingsley Lake, and my grandmother and mother grew up there. Three of my grandmother’s sisters were named Ruby, Pearl, and Emma. I planned to write a story about the sisters when I was just a child. I took that plan and mixed it with my mom’s childhood fantasies and made a series.
Author Autobiography:
I’m a home-schooling mother of three and a full-time student earning my Masters degree in Human Services and Life Coaching.
Where, and in what formats, can we purchase your books?  
The Kingsley Adventures are available in Ebook format on Kindle, Nook, Scribd, Apple, Kobo, and Inktera as well as paperback. All links are on The Kingsley Adventures page of my website:
If you want to read them on Kindle, you can purchase them both in a 2-book bundle and save $2.00.
Where can readers connect with you online? 
Please visit my website at www.cynthiapwillow.com
Find me on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/Cynthiapwillow
Follow me on Twitter: www.Twitter.com/CynthiaPWillow

I hope you all enjoyed the trip to Kingsley.  Questions about the world or the book?  Ask them in the comments and the author will get back to you!  

Click here to read other posts in the Realm Explorers series.

Please join us again next Monday for a trip to the sci-fi world of Cyraria, in Realm Explorers Part XXXV!
-Annie Douglass Lima
Independent authors who produce unobjectionable stories have joined together to provide you “flinch-free” fiction for your reading pleasure. I have highlighted many of the books here under the heading Winter Daze Reading Craze. I hope you enjoy the selections and find some new authors to fill the long, cold days of winter.  
Thanks to author Peggy McAloon at http://.peggymcaloon.com for these great slides!

Winter Daze 1

Winter Daze Fantasy & Action – Age: 8+

Winter Daze 2
Click Here to Purchase

Winter Daze Historical Fiction – Age: 12+

Winter Daze 3 (2)
Click Here to Purchase

Winter Daze Action and Adventure/Fantasy for Adults and Kids in Upper Elementary, Middle School, and High School

Winter Daze 4
Click Here to Purchase

Winter Daze Action and Adventure/Fantasy for Adults and Kids in Upper Elementary, Middle School, and High School

Winter Daze 5 (2)
Click Here to Purchase

Winter Daze Action and Adventure/Fantasy for Adults and Kids in Upper Elementary, Middle School, and High School

Winter Daze 6
Click Here to Purchase

Winter Daze Contemporary Romance for Teens and Adults 

Winter Daze 7
Click Here to Purchase

Winter Daze Regency Timeslip Romance

Winter Daze 8
Click Here to Purchase

Winter Daze Contemporary Christian Women’s Fiction

Winter Daze Deep Blue Sea
Click Here to Purchase

Winter Daze YA Pirate/Fantasy

Winter Daze 10
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Winter Daze An Easy-to-Read Adventure for ages 7 and up

Winter Daze 11
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Winter Daze Historical Mystery

Winter Daze 12
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Winter Daze Christian Romantic Suspense

Winter Daze 13
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Winter Daze Literary/Women’s Fiction

Winter Daze 14
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Winter Daze Middle Grade Fantasy

Winter Daze 15
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Winter Daze Fantasy with a touch of Romance: Exciting enough for Adults – Clean enough for Teenagers

Winter Daze 16
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Winter Daze Contemporary Action Adventure, and Romantic Suspense (This is a “clean romance” with minor language and violence.)

Winter Daze 17
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Winter Daze Fantasy, Adventure – for Upper Elementary to Adult

Winter Daze 18
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Winter Daze Women’s Fiction

Winter Daze 28
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Winter Daze Sweet Contemporary Romance

Winter Daze 19
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Winter Daze Metaphysical Fantasy/Drama/Adventure with a bit of Travel — for age 14+

Winter Daze 20
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Winter Daze Fantasy – for age 10+

Winter Daze 21
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Winter Daze Fantasy; Sweet Romance – Age 10+

Winter Daze 22
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Winter Daze Written Like Historical Fiction, set like Science Fiction, and Filled with Romance

Winter Daze 23
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Winter Daze Fantasy – Dragons

Winter Daze 24
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Winter Daze Romance

Winter Daze 8 Goodbyes 2
Click Here to Purchase 

Winter Daze 25

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 Winter Daze Fantasy & Magic, Children’s Books

Winter Daze 26 April Maybe June
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Winter Daze Teen & Young Adult, Fantasy & Paranormal

Winter Daze What Dreams May Come True
Click Here to Purchase 

Winter Daze YA Fantasy

Winter Daze The Wishing Well
Click here to purchase 

Winter Daze Mystery

Winter Daze Murder at the Arboretum 2
Click Here to Purchase

Thank you all for taking the time to review this instant library of some great indie books!  We invite you to come to the Clean Indie Reads website for even more selections: Clean Indie Reads

Welcome to Realm Explorers!  In this weekly series, we visit a variety of unique worlds created by talented science fiction and fantasy authors.  Enjoy your travels!  And don’t forget to read to the bottom of the post to find out more about each author and see how to purchase the featured book. 

(Note: the three landscape paintings below were created by Catherine Whitehead, the same artist who designed the book cover.  The scenes they depict helped inspire Lynne Pearl in her writing of this book.)

Author’s name: Lynne Pearl
Title of book and/or series: Thiel: One Foot in Front of the Other (this is Book 1 in the Thiel series)
Brief summary of the story: 
On the death of Narn, Thiel’s beloved grandmother, Thiel leaves his rural home with his sole companion, a dog, to find his secret inheritance. Unable to read, mostly inarticulate and considered of little use by his fellow men, he carries Narn’s letter to a lawyer in the impoverished and corrupt city of Goneton. Given a key to Narn’s original home, he travels miles from his birthplace, meeting new companions along the way, including a wild pony and an abandoned child.
In a world similar to our own, Lynne Pearl vividly describes a time of crisis in an imagined past where rural idyll is clashing with the march of industrial modernity. In this gentle coming-of-age tale, an unlikely hero embarks on a journey of self discovery.
Brief description of the world or location you created for this story: 
Westering is a world similar to our own but with some significant differences: the rituals, the marked distinction between rural and city life, the use of animals alongside the use of developed technologies.  There are also poorly understood fertility problems with rural populations struggling to replenish their numbers. These difficulties producing offspring exacerbate some of the existing negative practices and attitudes towards disability and health.
If we were to visit Westering as tourists, what would you recommend that we see or do there? 
I would suggest the coast and the moorlands’ standing stones, despite local superstitions about the stones and these empty places.
What dangers should we avoid in Westering? 
The overcrowding and the lack of care and nutrition in the cities.
Is there a distinct or unusual type of food or meal that we might be served in Westering? 
Food in rural Westering is humble and rustic: slow-cooked stews of meat and vegetables; butter and cheese made by a neighbouring farmer; porridges made with local grain; homemade loaves of bread. However, the impoverished areas in the cities eat poorly while the elite eat richly.
What types of weaponry or fighting styles are common in Westering? 
There is weaponry but not much is made of it. It would be rather ordinary such as swords and the use of horses in skirmishes.
What types of vehicles, animals, technology, etc. are used to travel in or to Westering? 
Foot, horse, pony, donkey, cart, or ship.
What types of plants, animals, or sentient races might we encounter in Westering that we don’t see on Earth? 
There are the same plants as on Earth but the animals are more attuned to the moods and feelings of the humans. The human races are the same but with the difference that they can have special latent abilities.
What role, if any, does magic or the supernatural play in the lives of people in Westering?  If there is magic, please give some examples of what it involves or how it’s used. 
No magic, little supernatural influence.
Is there any advanced or unusual technology in Westering? If you haven’t described it already, please give some examples. 
Technology in Westering is modest, for example  preserving fruits and produce, making pottery and smithing metalwork of great delicacy and intricacy. In Book 2 we find that the elites of the city of Goneton would like to use the smiths’ metalwork to make a machine, but its use is not revealed to the reader.
Tell us about any sports, games, or activities that are available for entertainment in Westering. 
Not described in great detail, although the people enjoy telling stories and singing folk songs.
Are the days of the week and months of the year the same in Westering as on Earth? What holidays or special events are celebrated regularly there? 
The days and weeks are not the same as on Earth but they are not delineated as part of the storyline. They are an implicit and unstated backdrop.
Is there a particular religion practiced in Westering?  Please describe what it involves. 
There is a rural folk religion that makes great use of song as well as imagery, flowers and animals. For example, the ceremony of Narn’s Passing involves a singing procession of villagers following behind Thiel’s family. They travel together from their homes to the village Song Hall and there they offer what flowers they could find in remembrance of Thiel’s grandmother.
What is the political or government structure in Westering?  Who is in charge there at the moment, and what kind of leader is he/she? 
The political structure varies from area to area.  In the city there is a committee and there is some kind of implicit political process but it is not integral to the story line in the first Thiel book.
Are there any other unique cultural practices that we should be aware of if we visit Westering? 
Participation in group song occurs at many occasions, both happy and sad, and also as part of more mundane camaraderie.
Has anything in your actual life inspired the locations, cultures, etc. in your book? 
The landscapes of Westering are inspired by Southwest England, especially the villages and moors of Devon and the South Cornish coast. The cool, wintery climate as Thiel travels across Westering is inspired by the Canadian winter, particularly the deep soft snowfalls of Ontario. Non-fiction material on these landscapes is also captured in a number of poetry volumes by Lynne, the first of which is Road Trip, River Voices: Canada Liminal.
What, if any, “hot-button” or controversial topics do you touch on in your book? 
The abilities and rights of disabled people and how to integrate them into society (or not) are central themes in this book. Thiel himself is physically and mentally disabled and neglected by his parents which exacerbates his social anxiety. Secondly, on his journey through a village with different customs to his own, Thiel finds a child abandoned to die in the street because she has a physical deformity (her spine is malformed but she is otherwise fine). Thiel rescues the child and becomes her guardian, helping him to mature into a man. 
Author Autobiography: 

Lynne Pearl is an author and poet inspired by the people and geography of England and Canada. She lives in the Westcountry of England and divides her time between the coast, the moor and visits to Ontario, Canada. Favourite places include the Donkey Sanctuary in the Westcountry and the Thousand Islands in Ontario. Her literary career started in academia, writing and reviewing textbooks and journal articles. Favourite authors include Elizabeth Goudge and Robert Bly. She mainly uses Facebook to look at pictures of her children.
Where, and in what formats, can we purchase your book(s)?  
Thiel: One Foot in Front of the Other is available for your Kindle from Amazon.
Where can readers connect with you online? 
Readers can connect on facebook, twitter, our websiteor by e-mail. These are managed by Sophie Gifford at Snell Publishers on Lynne’s behalf. 
I hope you all enjoyed the trip to Westering.  Questions about the world or the book?  Ask them in the comments and the author will get back to you!  

Click here to read other posts in the Realm Explorers series.

Please join us again next Monday for a trip to the fantasy world of Kingsley, in Realm Explorers Part XXXIV!
-Annie Douglass Lima

In the Darkness of the Pit
The Light Shines Brightest
Drums summon the chieftain’s powerful son to slay a man in cold blood and thereby earn his place among the warriors. But instead of glory, he earns the name Draven, “Coward.” When the men of his tribe march off to war, Draven remains behind with the women and his shame. Only fearless but crippled Ita values her brother’s honor.
The warriors return from battle victorious yet trailing a curse in their wake. One by one the strong and the weak of the tribe fall prey to an illness of supernatural power. The secret source of this evil can be found and destroyed by only the bravest heart.
But when the curse attacks the one Draven loves most, can this coward find the courage he needs to face the darkness?
Coming May 25, 2015


AUTHOR BIO:

ANNE ELISABETH STENGL makes her home in North Carolina, where she lives with her husband, Rohan, a kindle of kitties, and one long-suffering dog. When she’s not writing, she enjoys Shakespeare, opera, and tea, and practices piano, painting, and pastry baking. She is the author of the critically-acclaimed Tales of Goldstone Wood. Her novel Starflower was awarded the 2013 Clive Staples Award, and her novels Heartless, Veiled Rose, and Dragonwitchhave each been honored with a Christy Award.
To learn more about Anne Elisabeth Stengl and her books visit: www.AnneElisabethStengl.blogspot.com



EXCERPT from DRAVEN’S LIGHT
By Anne Elisabeth Stengl
(coming May 25, 2015)
He heard the drums in his dreams, distant but drawing ever nearer. He had heard them before and wondered if the time of his manhood had come. But with the approach of dawn, the drums always faded away and he woke to the world still a child. Still a boy.
But this night, the distant drums were louder, stronger. Somehow he knew they were not concocted of his sleeping fancy. No, even as he slept he knew these were real drums, and he recognized the beat: The beat of death. The beat of blood.
The beat of a man’s heart.
He woke with a start, his leg throbbing where it had just been kicked. It was not the sort of awakening he had longed for these last two years and more. He glared from his bed up into the face of his sister, who stood above him, balancing her weight on a stout forked branch tucked under her left shoulder.
“Ita,” the boy growled, “what are you doing here? Go back to the women’s hut!”
His sister made a face at him, but he saw, even by the moonlight streaming through cracks in the thatch above, that her eyes were very round and solemn. Only then did he notice that the drumbeats of his dream were indeed still booming deep in the woods beyond the village fires. He sat up then, his heart thudding its own thunderous pace.
“A prisoner,” Ita said, shifting her branch so that she might turn toward the door. “The drums speak of a prisoner. They’re bringing him even now.” She flashed a smile down at him, though it was so tense with anxiety it could hardly be counted a smile at all. “Gaho, your name!”
The boy was up and out of his bed in a moment, reaching for a tunic and belt. His sister hobbled back along the wall but did not leave, though he wished she would. He wished she would allow him these few moments before the drums arrived in the village. The drums that beat of one man’s death . . . and one man’s birth.
His name was Gaho. But by the coming of dawn, if the drums’ promise was true, he would be born again in blood and bear a new name.
Hands shaking with what he desperately hoped wasn’t fear, he tightened his belt and searched the room for his sickle blade. He saw the bone handle, white in the moonlight, protruding from beneath his bed pile, and swiftly took it up. The bronze gleamed dully, like the carnivorous tooth of an ancient beast.
A shudder ran through his sister’s body. Gaho, sensing her distress, turned to her. She grasped her supporting branch hard, and the smile was gone from her face. “Gaho,” she said, “will you do it?”
“I will,” said Gaho, his voice strong with mounting excitement.
But Ita reached out to him suddenly, catching his weapon hand just above the wrist. “I will lose you,” she said. “My brother . . . I will lose you!”
“You will not. You will lose only Gaho,” said the boy, shaking her off, gently, for she was not strong. Without another word, he ducked through the door of his small hut—one he had built for himself but a year before in anticipation of his coming manhood—and stood in the darkness of Rannul Village, eyes instinctively turning to the few campfires burning. The drums were very near now, and he could see the shadows of waking villagers moving about the fires, building up the flames in preparation for what must surely follow. He felt eyes he could not see turning to his hut, turning to him. He felt the question each pair of eyes asked in silent curiosity: Will it be tonight?
Tonight or no night.
Grasping the hilt of his weapon with both hands, Gaho strode to the dusty village center, which was beaten down into hard, packed earth from years of meetings and matches of strength held in this same spot. Tall pillars of aged wood ringed this circle, and women hastened to these, bearing torches which they fit into hollowed-out slots in each pillar. Soon the village center was bright as noonday, but with harsh red light appropriate for coming events.
Gaho stood in the center of that light, his heart ramming in his throat though his face was a stoic mask. All the waking village was gathered now, men, women, and children, standing just beyond the circle, watching him.
The drums came up from the river, pounding in time to the tramp of warriors’ feet. Then the warriors themselves were illuminated by the ringing torches, their faces anointed in blood, their heads helmed with bone and bronze, their shoulders covered in hides of bear, wolf, and boar. Ten men carried tight skin drums, beating them with their fists. They entered the center first, standing each beneath one of the ringing pillars. Other warriors followed them, filling in the gaps between.
Then the chieftain, mighty Gaher, appeared. He carried his heavy crescent ax in one hand, and Gaho saw that blood stained its edge—indeed, blood spattered the blade from tip to hilt and covered the whole of the chieftain’s fist. Gaher strode into the circle, and the boy saw more blood in his beard. But he also saw the bright, wolfish smile and knew for certain that his sister had been correct. The night of naming had come.
“My son,” said the chief, saluting Gaho with upraised weapon.
“My father,” said Gaho, raising his sickle blade in return.
 “Are you ready this night to die and live again?” asked the chief. His voice carried through the shadows, and every one of the tribe heard it, and any and all listening beasts of forests and fields surrounding. “Are you ready this night for the spilling of blood that must flow before life may begin?”
Gaho drew a deep breath, putting all the strength of his spirit into his answer. “I am ready, Father.”
Gaher’s smile grew, the torchlight flashing red upon his sharpened canines. He turned then and motioned to the darkness beyond the torchlight.
The sacrifice was brought forward.

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