Vlog: Recenzie "Becoming" (Project Five Fifteen #3) de Samantha Summers

            Diana

Vlog: Recenzie "As you were" (Project Five Fifteen #2) de Samantha Summers

                              Diana

Vlog: Book Haul | Aprilie 2014

                                    Diana

Cover Reveal & Giveaway: Diamond Rings are Deadly Things by Rachelle J. Christensen

TITLE: Diamond Rings are Deadly Things

Author: Rachelle J. Christensen
Publisher: Shadow Mountain Publishing
Page Count: 352 (5.5 x 8 softcover)
Release date: July 8th 2014

Synopsis:
DIAMOND RINGS ARE DEADLY THINGS (Shadow Mountain Publishing) is a new romantic suspense series.  Adrielle Pyper knows how to plan a wedding, and she is especially good at pleasing bridezillas. But when her biggest client and best friend is murdered just three days before the wedding, Adri’s world falls apart. She moves to the resort town of Sun Valley, Idaho, and starts from scratch. Thanks to Adri’s impeccable taste and unique style, she lands two celebrity clients, and her business seems headed for success--that is, until someone vandalizes the specialty wedding dresses she imported from overseas. The race is on to uncover a secret hidden within the yards of satin and lace before Adri becomes the next victim. With a delightful blend of mystery, toe-curling kisses, humor, and spine-tingling thrills, DIAMOND RINGS ARE DEADLY THINGS is a romantic suspense novel that will keep you turning pages long into the night.

Buy links:

Amazon |  Barnes & Noble

About Rachelle J. Christensen:
Rachelle was born and raised in a small farming town in Idaho not far from the setting of her mystery Diamond Rings Are Deadly Things. She graduated cum laude from Utah State University with a degree in psychology. She enjoys singing and songwriting, playing the piano, running, motivational speaking, and of course reading. Rachelle has an amazing husband and five cute kids. 

Social Media Links:

Facebook Author Page | Twitter | Blog

Author Website | Goodreads Author Page

Craft Website based on her new book series

And now the Giveaway:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Excerpt - The Impaler Legacy by Ioana Visan - Blog Tour

“Miss Cantacuzino, wait…” Captain Nour said and hesitated. “You were wounded.”

It was the first time he’d brought up my injury, and I wished he hadn’t. He had seen the blood on my chest, with a matching stain on my back, and the hole in my shirt. It wasn’t hard to put two and two together, and Captain Nour, as much as we often didn’t see eye to eye, was an intelligent man. And he must have heard people talking about my miraculous recovery.

“I’ll be fine.” I went for the safer answer. I didn’t quite want to discuss Max’s blood involvement in this. The only people who knew about what had happened in this room were obviously Max, Jesse, Radu, Trotuş, and Spânu, and I didn’t want it advertized.

“Still, I fear we put you in too much danger. Maybe … maybe you should take some time off to recover first.”

My eyes narrowed at him. “Are you trying to protect me, or are you saying that I’m not fit for this job?”

“Protect you, yes … like it or not, it’s my job too. But I’ll never say the latter. You were not prepared for an operation of this size, and still none of us could have handled it any better.”

“Then what’s the problem?”

“Well…” Captain Nour ran a hand over the back of his head. It was unsettling to see him so uncomfortable in his own skin. We had known each other for over a decade, and this was a first. “I promised your mother that I would make sure you were fine.”

“Really?” A short burst of laughter left my lips, and I winced as it made my chest hurt. “You’re afraid of my Mom?”

“Mrs. Cantacuzino can be very convincing,” he said, “and I’m afraid she’s right. We’ve been asking too much of you. This is a job for pandurs, not for the Little Council.”

“Maybe you’re right…” I chose my words carefully. There were times when I wished I had never set foot out of Romania, especially at night. I couldn’t let him find that out. “But I’m here. And I’m in charge. You still report to the Little Council, and while we’re here, I am the Little Council,” I reminded him and fought to suppress a victorious smile. “You can’t send me home packing.”

“But your mother—“

“Tell her I’m fine. It’s what I do.” I grinned. Poor Mom, she had no idea what the terror night had turned me into. “And now if you excuse me, I have some bodies to burn.”

About Ioana Visan:
Award-winning writer Ioana Visan has always dreamed about reaching the stars, but since she can't, she writes about it.

After fighting the apocalypse aftermath in "Human Instincts", she played with shapeshifters in “Blue Moon Café Series: Where Shifters Meet for Drinks”, and then she dealt with vampires in “The Impaler Legacy” series, before tackling longer works like a fantasy trilogy and a science fiction series.

Aside from publishing short stories in various Romanian magazines and anthologies, she published a short story collection "Efectul de nautil" and the Romanian edition of "Human Instincts".

She was awarded the Encouragement Award by The European Science Fiction Society at Eurocon 2013.

Social Links:

Website:    http://www.ioanavisan.tk

Blog:          http://weirdvision2001.blogspot.com

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/AuthorIoanaVisan

Twitter:       https://twitter.com/weirdvision

Amazon:     http://amazon.com/author/ioanavisan

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/ioanavisan

The Impaler Legacy Q & A - Dr. Jesse Carve

Interviewer:  Hello, Dr. Carver. Thank you for joining us today.

Dr. Jesse Carver: Please, call me Jesse.

Jesse. How were the snacks? Did Max leave any, or did he eat them all?

Oh, Hess is very fussy when it comes to food. I’m not. And I love Romanian cuisine.

Really? What do you like best?

I like traditional Christmas and Easter food. Stuffed cabbage rolls, pork sausages, boeuf salad…

Easter sponge cake?

No, I’m afraid I’m not a big fan of the sponge cake. I’ll take a chocolate cake any day.

Me too. So, do you feel at home in Romania?

Yes, I got accustomed with the life here rather fast. It’s not much different when you spend most of the time working in the hospital. The patients are the same everywhere.

Except there’s no vampire blood in our hospitals.

One can’t have it all, but it’s manageable.

Let’s stop talking about work for a moment. What do you do for fun?

It’s been so long since I’ve had a day off that I can barely remember … sleeping comes to mind.

I was thinking about something more active. Did you get to visit the country a bit since moving to Romania?

Some. I didn’t have much time, and I’ve been traveling a lot lately. Liana promised we’d go sightseeing when she takes a vacation. Of course, I’ll believe it when I see it.

Do you think she works too much?

Do you have to ask? I try to make her slow down but … even Hess can’t so…

Well, she has a lot of responsibilities.

She doesn’t have to carry the whole world’s weight on her shoulders if you ask me. That’s what the Little Council is for.

Maybe she likes a more hands on approach.

You would too if you were left alone to defend the world from the new breeds.

Does she feel there’s no one she can rely on?

I wouldn’t go that far. And she isn’t alone anymore.

She has you now.

And Hess. And her friends, too.

Can you give us an update on her friends?

Ştefan won the elections. He’s the youngest President Romania ever had. They dug Radu up from under the rocks. He’s fine. Rodica is still recovering. She got it worse than I with the new breed venom, but the prognosis is good.

What about you? You’ve been through quite an ordeal too. How’s the health?

I’m fine. It sure helps that there are no more new breeds around to make my life difficult. I’m glad it’s over.

I’m glad to hear that. So, what’s the plan next?

I don’t know, you’ll have to ask Liana. She doesn’t share work secrets with me.

I doubt that, but okay. People are asking about Bella. What happened to her?

She’s at home. We sort of kidnapped her.

And Liana agreed to this?

She didn’t have much choice. We were discussing our travel plans upon leaving New Zealand, and out of the blue, Bella started growling. It turned out she’s bilingual. Liana blames me for spoiling her, but it was already done. You can’t say no to a dog trained to kill vampires once she sets her mind to do something. So she got it her way.

That’s a cute story, especially about Bella being bilingual. We know you’re speaking Romanian too. Before you go, tell us something in Romanian.

Oh, that’s a tough one. Did you know Bella completely destroyed my dictionary? It happened one day when we were returned home late. Anyway, what do you want me to say? Hmm … Mi-a făcut plăcere şi sper să ne mai vedem. It was nice to meet you and I hope we can do this again. I know, the accent is terrible!

No, it’s fine. No need to be so modest. Thank you for taking the time to answer these questions today. I know keeping a high profile is not on top of your list.

That’s true, I enjoy being a nobody, but this was fun. So count on me if you ever need some inside information. Maybe for a future book? No one likes to disappear into nothingness.

I’ll keep that in mind. Thank you, Jesse. Enjoy the opera!

Oh, God, I forgot about that!

Author Interview: Ioana Vișan, writer of The Impaler Legacy series

1. Hi, Ioana. I’m so glad to have you here again. How have you been since we last talked?
Busy, busy, busy. :) It’s been almost a year since we last talked, so let’s see… I finished The Impaler Legacy series, The Impaler Legacy Omnibus is out, I collaborated to three Romanian anthologies, and now I’m working on a brand new project. Oh, and I received the Encouragement Award from the European Science Fiction Society at Eurocon 2013. Yep, it’s been a good year.

2. Tell us more about the Blog Tour that you are organizing? Are you excited?
I am very excited. It’s my first blog tour so I was a little reluctant to start it as it is a lot of work to put everything together, but everyone has been so nice and supportive that the experience became less stressful than expected. Of course, my tour organizer, Alina Popescu, has been a great help too. So, for a whole week, between April 7 and April 13, we have book promos, excerpts, reviews, interviews, character interviews, guest posts, and a big giveaway, all spread over more than 40 blog. Hopefully, this will start some hype about the book.

3. How was the entire journey of The Impaler Legacy?
It’s been an interesting journey. I’ve been toying with the idea of this story for about two years now, but I only wrote the first novella in the series, The Impaler’s Revenge, in November 2012. Then in the summer of 2013, the entire series was complete. Publishing-wise, the novellas were released in April (The Impaler’s Revenge), August (A Victory that Counts), and December (Order Restored), the first two being accompanied by short stories (Sweet Surrender, Casualties of War) that connected them with the next novella in the series. And now the omnibus edition is out, which includes a brand new short story (The Third Wheel).

4. Do you regret anything in this journey? Is there anything you would have done different? 
Having seen the readers’ reactions over the past year, I think the first novella in the series is not marketable enough. It’s too much of a turn from the current vampire trend, being neither erotica nor YA and dealing mostly with politics. It can put people off if they were expecting something else. Also, I should have published the short stories right away instead of hosting them on my site for half a year where, apparently, readers had difficulties with finding them. But it’s a learning process, and as a whole, it went rather well.

5. Tell us about the covers of the series and how they came about.
Oh, this is a good question. All of the covers feature the photo of a decorative knife that belongs to my brother. We got it during our vacation in Greece a few years ago. It’s not quite like the yatagans mentioned in the series but close.
The color of the silk used as background was chosen strictly related to what happened in each story. The cover of the first novella is red because that’s where the first blood is drawn then the cover of the first short story is also red because it’s mostly romance and the two of them come as a pair. The situation changes drastically in the second novella when many lives are lost, a fact illustrated by the dark brown on the cover, and things get even worse in the following short story with its metallic gray. There’s a dark green-turquoise on the cover of the third novella, matching the blue on the hilt of the knife and looking like muddled waters. Too much has happened and things can never go back to the way they used to be, but there’s still hope. In the last short story, Liana and the gang take a day off in Marrakesh, so the cover is bright yellow.
For the omnibus edition, I kept the knife and the silk, but the knife is turned upside down and the silk is much lighter, ivory-pink, so it will look good on the print edition. It’s also worth noting that the knife is sheathed on two of the covers, the short stories being mostly fluff and less related to the main storyline. And to answer to those readers who noticed the silk creases on the Sweet Surrender cover kind of resemble to a vagina, well, that was done on purpose as, while not graphic, it does include the only sex scene in the book.

6. What can we expect next from you? Do you have another project in mind? 
I’m close to finishing the first draft of a sci fi novel in the upcoming Broken People series. With a little luck, it will be done by the time the tour is over. It deals with a heist and a special circus crew. The story isn’t hard sci fi but focuses on the characters’ internal drama while still being an action and adventure story, so even people who aren’t big sci fi fans will be able to relate to it. The plan is to have it out before the end of the year.

7. How do you think you’ve evolved creatively since your first story?
Everything I read and write helps me improve my craft. I’ve learned to have a better control over the storyline and the characters, not to lose time with irrelevant stuff and divagate from the plot, and to express myself better. In the same time, I think I managed to preserve my voice, and you’ll recognize it if you compare my old stories with the most recent ones.

8. How long on average does it take you to write a book?
It depends on the length of a book. When I’m working on a project, I write 1,000 words per day except for the weekends. Sometimes I write a little more if I’m in the middle of a scene but never less. However, it takes much more to write a book until it’s finally done. There’s the first draft, then the second, the third, the fourth, the self-editing round, the beta reading part, another draft, and then the final editing. It usually takes longer than I would like, but it has to be done.

9. What book/s are you reading at present?
I’m going through the pile of books I bought at Librex book fair in March, some Italo Calvino, Dino Buzzati, Peter Mayle, Julian Sanchez, the last J. K. Rowling, and several issues of CPSF, so not exactly the usual sci fi and fantasy, but I’ll be back to them soon.

10. And now, a few random questions to know you better. What is the thing you are afraid the most? 
Dying? Losing the ones I love? As a sci fi writer, I contemplated the issue from various perspectives and couldn’t find one that agrees with me so I’d like to avoid that as long as possible. I also don’t like spiders, snakes, and human stupidity.

11. I was wondering, what is your idea of happiness?
Hmm, maybe those close to you being happy too… but that’s hard to achieve, and sometimes, a good book can take you out of the real life and transport you to a place where you can be happy, even if only for a few moments. That’s quite something. I hope someday my books will be able to do that for other people.

12. How do you spend your free time? Do you have something that relaxes you?
I hate the cold, but I’m a big skating fan, so following all of the competition and shows and running a skating site with my friends take a lot of my time. But it’s fun!

13. Thank you for your time and for letting me to be part of your Blog Tour. I can’t wait to read more of your work. Happy writing!
Thanks for participating. See you in the next book!

Cover Reveal: The Prisoners of Dreams by Diana Nixon

I am very excited to present you the cover for THE PRISONERS OF DREAMS, Diana Nixon’s book of poems. It’s a small addition to the Heavens Trilogy, written from the POV of one of the leading characters, Natalie.

This new book is COMING OUT APRIL 2014.

“We are the prisoners of dreams
We are poets of silent screams
Singers of never-ending song
Our souls to the heavens belong…”


The Souls of Rain (Heavens Trilogy, #1) by Diana Nixon

Synopsis:
The secrets of the heavens had always been carefully guarded. Until one day when the angels realized that what they used to believe in was nothing but a cruel game between heaven and hell.
And Claire’s life is a part of that game too. She is a guardian angel.
She always thought that her existence was perfect. But perfection is a very relative term, and no one is protected from making mistakes.

Everything changes the moment Claire gets a new assignment. Guarding humans has never been easy, and this time won’t be an exception.

Alan Rosenford is a spoilt party-boy, whose life is a hurricane of risk and adrenaline rush. His soul is damaged, his heart is bleeding, and there are so many things he prefers to keep private….

The words they have never said before …
The sins they have never committed….

How much does forgiveness of the heavens cost?
Or maybe even the heavens make mistakes?....

Watch BOOK TRAILER:

Official page: http://www.diananixon.blogspot.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Diana-Nixon/203165316483322?ref=hl
Heavens Trilogy on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heavensbooks
Twitter: https://twitter.com/DianaNixon9
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5814368.Diana_Nixon

And here is THE COVER:

Isn't it beautiful? I can't wait to read the poems and to discover more about the Heavens Trilogy! What do you think of the cover? 

Review: "Bentwhistle the Dragon in A Threat from the Past" by Paul Cude (#1)

Synopsis (Goodreads):
Bentwhistle the Dragon in A Threat from the Part is an adventure story children and adults alike will love, about the present day world in which dragons disguised as humans have infiltrated the human race at almost every level, to guide and protect them. Three young dragons in their human guises become caught up in an evil plot to steal a precious commodity, vital to the dragon community. How will the reluctant hero and his friends fare against an enemy of his race from far in the past? Fascinating insights into the dragon world are interspersed throughout the book. Ever wondered how dragons travel below ground at almost the speed of sound? Or how they use magical mantras to transform their giant bodies into convincing human shapes? In an action packed adventure that features both human and dragon sports, you'll get a dragon-like perspective on human social issues and insight into what to do if you meet a giant spider grinning at you when you're wearing nothing but your smile! You'd be flamin' mad to miss it.

My Review:
This is my first book about dragons and I really liked it. It was so different from what I was expecting and I had so much fun discovering all the details in this fantasy world. Learning about these amazing creatures was the best thing in the experience and now I can't wait to start the sequel. Paul Cude has done a great job in creating a special world where dragons and humans are able to coexist and, most of all, where dragons are ready to help people when they need it.  

The story begins with the retelling of George and the Dragon, which I totally loved more after I understood the meaning and the connection with our hero. Peter, the main character, is such a sweet guy and I enjoyed being in his shoes, because I was constantly thinking: "This is exactly what I would do" or "This is exactly what I would say". He has two best friends named Richie and Tank, who are such great individuals that I wished I had them as my best friends. Together they make the best team, as I was happy to discover in the end. 

Peter is the only one capable to feel the danger approaching the company where he and Richie work, with the arrival of his new superior Mason. Knowing he can trust his friends, he asks for their help. Things get more difficult and weird for him, making both his personal and professional life miserable, so he can't stand and wait for it to happen, especially after one of his colleages and also a dragon dies. Will he succeed to prove that Mason is the one behind all of these and to punish him? 

The characters in this novel are very well embodied and developed. Richie is a badass character, with a great pleasure to give men a lesson when she feels they need it, taking advantage of her dragon power. At the same time, Tank is the perfect combination between kindness, tenderness and strength, using his abilities to keep Peter safe from bullies and to teach him useful mantras. They are really cool!  

The only thing that bothered me was the length of the chapters, which were pretty long. It took me a while to read this book, mostly because I was very busy with school and some writing contest, but I am glad that I did.  

I recommend this book to all of you who are still young at heart and who know to appreciate a fantasy story about dragons and who want to find out the value of friendship.   

Note: I received an e-copy for an honest review.

I liked it very much!

About Paul Cude:

Paul Cude was born in Southampton, Hampshire in 1968. As a small child he moved to Salisbury, and as a much older child (12) developed a fanatical interest in playing hockey - something he is still obsessed about to this very day, or so his eldest daughter claims, as she’s dragged to hockey training on cold, winter Sunday mornings. A photocopier, fax and printer engineer up until 8 years ago, redundancy allowed him the privilege of becoming a full time house husband, watching and shaping his two fantastic children as they progress in life. Married to a beautiful wife, he likes nothing more than days out with her and the children. On the odd occasion that free time presents itself, he likes playing hockey, taking computers apar(sometimes even putting them back together again, occasionally successfully) and ofcourse, writing.

Paul says, “The completion of this book wouldn’t have come about if not for the patience and understanding of my wife
and two children. If not for them I would have failed at least a dozen times over. My wife particularly deserves thanks for her hard work, dedication and enthusiasm, and for putting up with me asking her all sorts of silly questions at all sorts of
silly times of the day and night. Rachel, Jaina and Poppy, thank
you. I’m the luckiest man alive to have such a wonderful wife and children. I love you with all of my heart.”

Since the start of 2011, Paul has been working in a wonderful school as a Teaching Assistant, a job he enjoys more than any he has ever had. He hopes to continue in this role for a very long time.

Proba 16: Un vis mai special

Am coborât din mijlocul de transport, încercând să evit mulțimea nerăbdătoare care se înghesuia să urce. M-am oprit pentru câteva secunde și apoi mi-am reluat drumul cu capul în pământ, încercând să nu ies în evidență și să ajung la destinație, urmând întocmai îndrumările prietenei mele. Am găsit ușor casa dărăpănată de care îmi vorbise, unde știam că le voi găsi pe cele trei femei ghicitoare.

Am bătut de trei ori în ușa de lemn și am așteptat până când cineva a deschis. Sau mai bine zis s-a deschis singură pentru că nu am zărit pe nimeni, iar înăuntru era o liniște de mormânt. Cu inima bătând nebunește am împins ușa și am intrat în holul întunecat care se continua cu o nouă ușă, de data aceasta de culoare roșie.

 - Bună ziua... am șoptit, pentru a nu deranja. Este cineva acasă?

Nu am primit niciun răspuns, pentru ca mai apoi ușa să fie trântită în urma mea cu zgomot.

 - Ai întârziat, mi-a spus o voce din spatele meu.

 - Îmi cer scuze, dar...

 - Nu contează. Intră. Eu și fetele mele te așteptam.

Fără să mai adaug nimic am deschis ușa roșie și am pășit încet înăuntru. Camera era trandafirie, cu o singură lumină venind de la globul de sticlă ce se afla pe o masă rotundă, la fel de roșie.

 - Ia loc.

Abia acum am reușit să îi disting trăsăturile celei care se avea să îmi ghicească. Avea părul negru ca de tăciune, un zâmbet primitor și cald și doi ochi căprui, strălucitori. Mi se părea extrem de cunoscută, apoi mi-am dat seama de ce. Înaintea mea se afla Dana, colega mea de la SuperBlog.

 - Ascultă cu atenție ceea ce-ți vom spune și nu spune nimănui că ai fost aici. În regulă?

 - Desigur.

Privirea ei era ațintită asupra globului, încercând parcă să deslușească ceva înăuntru.

 - Să începem. Lucrurile stau foarte bine pentru tine în această perioadă. Când vine vorba de colaborări sau competiții, ești persoana ideală pentru a deveni partener, trebuie doar să ai încredere în propriile forțe. Nu-ți fie teamă. Îți vei descoperi calități de lider care îți vor fi de ajutor în relațiile profesionale și nu numai. Ține minte: cheia este la tine. Acum du-te. Sora mea te așteaptă.   

Cea de-a doua cameră era pământie și la fel de întunecoasă, iar în aer plutea un miros puternic, aromat, de ceai. De data aceasta înaintea mea se afla o tânără cu o fustă neagră, ce turna ceai într-o ceașcă aflată pe masă. Când m-am apropiat am observat că era foarte subțirică și drăguță, iar pe nas purta o pereche chic de ochelari. Era nimeni alta decât Raluca, noul nostru blogger partener. La îndemnul ei am sorbit ceaiul pe care mi-l pregătise, cu atenție însă pentru a nu mă arde de fierbinte ce era.

 - Dacă ai terminat, adu-o la mine. Așa... Văd schimbări bruște în viața ta.  Niște probleme de sănătate se anunță curând, în legătură cu stomacul. Te sfătuiesc să ai grijă de alimentație.

I-am mulțumit și mi-am continuat drumul spre ultima cameră. Aceasta se deosebea de celelalte prin strălucire, fiind aurie. Această femeie avea părul în valuri blonde și ochii de un albastru profund. Nu aveam niciun dubiu că persoana din fața mea era Sorana. Nu a durat decât câteva secunde până a început și ea să-mi vorbească.  

 - Apropie-te, am nevoie de palma ta pentru a-ți citi viitorul. Lucruri mari te așteaptă înainte. Un partener media îți va deschide calea spre succes și vei avea parte de multe beneficii, iar următoarea investiție va merita riscul și efortul, așa că nu ezita. 

Mi-a zâmbit apoi și m-a condus afară, fără nici un alt cuvânt în plus, iar eu m-am trezit în propriul pat, la auzul alarmei. Tocmai avusesem cel mai ciudat vis!        

Articol înscris în cadrul competiţiei Spring SuperBlog 2014.