Thursday, March 28, 2013

The Rebels: Excerpt and Giveaway





Thank you for stopping by and joining us for our stop on the Read-A-Long portion of The Rebels by Elizabeth Lang virtual tour. We are excited to post this segment of the story and we hope you enjoy it too! 
Blurb: 

On the cusp of freedom, Adrian Stannis is plunged into the world of bounty hunters and rebels, each one valuing his head with the kind of single-minded intensity that does not bode well for his dream of peace and a fully stocked lab in a quiet and obscure corner of the galaxy.

Dragged along against his will by a barbarian intent on selling him back to the Empire, Adrian 'accidentally' kidnaps an emergency room doctor--because that is the kind of thing he does, while Kali and Bryce try to find him and become embroiled in an adventure of their own, one that leads to a sinister mystery that might destroy them all.

Part adventure, part misadventure, this tale packs one punch after another until the final shocking ending.


 The Rebels - Chapter 12 

The murky depths of the cave drew Adrian’s attention. The darkness was absolute, swallowing the light with a ravenous appetite. Stony gray walls closed in. Kali may not be freezing to death, but she was alone on a foreign planet with no resources. The situation was intolerable.Across the flames, the bounty hunter’s head slumped forward, though his back was straight, giving the impression of alertness.
“I have not made my suggestion,” said Adrian.
“I’m not interested.”
“I have a way to give you what you want.”
“All I want is a hundred million credits. I can get that myself without your ‘help’.”
“What you want is security. Not even a hundred million credits will buy you that as long as you’re high on the Most Wanted list.”
The bounty hunter exhaled sharply. “It will buy me a few more years.”
“You’re deluding yourself.”
“Isn’t that what you were doing on Orasis? Deluding yourself that you could hide from the Empire? And now, you’re in my custody.”
“Then you know I’m right.”
The man turned to look at him, suspicion in his eyes. “What do you want?”
“I want a deal.”
A snort greeted that declaration. “I’ve been watching you for three days. You have nothing I want and I’m not letting you go out of the ‘goodness of my heart’.“
“I’m sure you don’t have one.”
The bounty hunter snarled, “That’s right.”
“If you follow my suggestion, you will no longer have to look over your shoulder, you will have your freedom.”
“There is no such thing.”
There was a bite to the words that made Adrian turn sharply to him. It was a sentiment worthy of him and for the first time, he wondered what lay beyond the muscles.
“Perhaps not, but at least they will no longer hunt you. All I ask is one day to make sure the others are safe, then I will accompany you to the nearest Empire outpost and present myself for your bounty.”
“Why should I trust you?”
“Because I don’t have a choice.”
Adrian. Where are you? Kali’s voice entered his mind, making him jerk in surprise.
I know a Hunter team has found you and they will probably deliver you to the nearest Empire outpost. Bryce and I will find you. If you can, leave a sign for us.
This changed his plans. It was no longer a matter of making Kali safe, he had to keep her safe, which meant that she could not find him. The bounty hunter was right, he was deluding himself, and every moment they stayed with him, he was endangering their lives.
He glanced over. The bounty hunter was staring at him.
“I’m not insane,” said Adrian. He would have to be more careful in future. Listening to disembodied voices could be considered madness, and he was not about to tell anyone about Kali’s psi abilities.
“That’s what they all say.”
“I will help you leave this planet without attracting unnecessary attention, but we must leave now.”
“What are you playing at? I thought you wanted a day to help the others?”
“A change in plans.”
In a heartbeat, the bounty hunter crossed the distance between them and his blade pressed into Adrian’s throat.
“What plans?” The man’s voice had lowered to a harsh, menacing whisper beside his ear. The knife sliced and a warm, razor-thin line of blood swelled while a blast of air sent twigs and pebbles skittering across the cave floor.
The bounty hunter said, “Don’t think that I won’t kill her as easily as I can slit your throat.”
Adrian angled his head back but the knife followed, increasing the pressure, the muscular forearm crushing his chest.
“I know,” gasped Adrian. “That is why I want us to leave before you kill them.”
Time balanced on the edge of a guillotine and his blood dripped down. Dancing shadows became a death march.
“I don’t trust anyone, least of all you,” said the bounty hunter.
Adrian forced his voice to be impassive, which was hard when his throat was tight, guarding against the encroaching blade. “A wise policy.
Now, shall we discuss our plans?”
“Don’t try anything.”
“I wouldn’t dream of it.”
The knife drew back and Adrian touched his neck, but there was no blood, only a faint line where the blade scored the skin. The blood was in his mind, an illusion fueled by fear and adrenaline. A chill settled in his bones.
“What’s your plan?” asked the bounty hunter.
“Forget the hundred million.”
The man scoffed. “You are insane. If it weren’t for the bounty, I would kill you now and put you out of my misery.”
“The Empire will pay any price to get me back. Even your freedom.”
The man snapped the knife back into its sheath. “You’re really worth that much?”
“I gave them a jump gate, a way to reach the Andromedan galaxy. They would do anything to retrieve me.”
The bounty hunter whistled. “The Andromedan galaxy…I knew they were preparing something big. The military channels have been buzzing with coded traffic.” He looked at Adrian speculatively, a flicker of interest in his eyes. “The wanted roll says you betrayed humanity to the Andromedans.”
Adrian’s back stiffened. “I did not betray the human race.”
“It doesn’t matter what you say. They want you back.”
“And you’re going to give me to them regardless of the validity of the charges.”
“That’s right.”
“Do you care?”
He tapped the sheath. “I’m not paid to care. Now, what’s your plan to get us out of here?”
~~~
Bryce grumbled, his legs wobbly as he headed back to the cabin. “’Go and check outside’, she says.” No one said there’d be bodies; three of them piled together like a mound of broken rag dolls. If only he’d never woken up this morning. Being an ace weapons gunner, you’d think he would be used to death by now.
The crunching of snow made him look up. Kali emerged from the other side of the building. “Anything?”
“I found…” His mouth tasted horrible and he really needed a swig of something strong. “Bodies.”
Kali’s face paled. “Did you find Adrian?”
“No, no, it’s not him.” He wiped his hand across his mouth. “I found three bodies. Fresh ones covered with branches.”
“No sign of Adrian?”
“Not exactly.” He reached into his duster pocket and drew out a blue ident crystal. The golden Empire crest glinted ominously on the side. “I think it was a Hunter team.”
Kali’s hand went to her chest. “The Empire has Adrian?”
“Looks like it.” He wiped his mouth again. “Hunter teams usually come in threes and I saw three bodies.”
“Someone killed an entire Hunter team?”
“Yeah, and I don’t want to meet up with whoever did. Hunter teams are bad news and whoever can take one out has got to be worse.”
“Would they send two teams?”
“That makes no sense. Why would a Hunter team kill the other one?”
“To get the bounty. That’s how they operate. They’re little more than glorified bounty hunters trained by the military. And with a hundred million on his head, everyone will want Adrian.”
“It’s nice to be popular…I mean except for the whole bounty hunter thing.”
Kali glared at him.
“Sorry,” said Bryce, managing a sheepish, apologetic shrug. “What do you want to do?”
“I know he’s alive.”
“Oh.” He tapped his temple. “You mean you used your psi thing.”
“My telepathic abilities.”
“Yeah, that.”
“I can sense him and I sent him a message. He’s still on the planet but I can’t pinpoint his location.”
“Too bad he can’t psi his location. Or telegraph.”
“Psi is not an action and it’s telepath, not telegraph.”
“Well, whatever it is, he can’t do it.”
“No, he can’t.” Her voice choked, “If only he could.”
Bryce put a hand on her arm. “It’ll be alright, Kali. You’ll see. We’ll find him.”
“The whole galaxy is after him and he has very little experience with it. He can’t survive without help.”
“Well you don’t either.”
“I have an advantage.” She touched her head.
“Yeah and you picked Adrian. Not much of an advantage if you ask me.”
She glared at him again and he coughed, covering his mouth. “I mean, you live in the rarified air with all the higher ups, not with the low levelers like me and that’s where you need to be to survive.”
“Then we need your help.”
“Well…” Why couldn’t he learn to keep his mouth shut? “There’s not a lot we can do now, is there? The Empire’s got him.”
“They don’t have him yet, not until they deliver him to an Empire outpost. And even then, they still have to get him back to Earth.”
“We don’t even know where they’re taking him.”
“There can’t be that many places with an Empire security station in this Sector. There’s a spaceport at Pekanus. It’s the fastest way off the planet. We should look there first.”
It was like on the Sedener all over again and he still remembered that crazy stunt she pulled on the ramp back in the lab. It was worthy of the best holo-vid adventure with the heroine making a final stand, but his old mum didn’t raise a fool. Being smart and alive beat dying anytime.
“These are Hunters,” he stressed, “they kill you first and laugh about it later.”
“I don’t care. I’m going to find him.” Her jaw was set. “And I’m going to rescue him. Even if I have to do it myself.” She stomped back into the cabin and pulled the door shut with a bang.
Bryce sighed and trudged in after her.
~~~
The gray jump-suited prisoner stared at the ceiling, drawing pictures with his mind on the white surface. It surrounded him, the suffocating blankness of the walls, the floor, and the ceiling. His bare feet left no impressions on the frigid metal surfaces and the walls resisted all marks.
No noise penetrated here. No screams of other prisoners. No scrapes of footsteps outside his door. His lips moved but the words were muted, swallowed up by the silence. Or had he spoken at all? He could no longer tell.
At first, he had been expecting to be tortured, but there was nothing, only his own thoughts to keep him from sliding into nothingness.
He rubbed his aching chest.
Was he alive if there was no one to mark his existence? Everything in this cell was a deliberate act of deprivation, a sabotage of the mind.
The only sounds he heard were those in his head, the sharp explosive flashes, and then the knife of pain in the middle of his chest before everything went dark.
He was acutely familiar with these tactics. It was rather amusing, like a solitary game of chess where he sat on both sides of the challenge board. The puppet and the puppeteer.
How would he set about to break someone like him, someone who knew all the tricks; who was a student of the human mind?
That was the problem. They knew that he knew.
A cup of water appeared as if by magic. Getting up quickly, he went over and grabbed it before it disappeared. He drained the lukewarm liquid in greedy gulps, replacing the cup on the ledge before the partition closed. For a moment, he stared at it. He was long past wondering if it
was drugged. The likelihood was high, but he didn’t have much choice. He shrugged and returned to the metal sleep platform.
The whiteness drilled into his brain even with his eyes closed. It was so boring.
He missed the darkness, the colors, and the puzzles of humanity to occupy his brain. His mind raced like an engine with nowhere to go. He tried to reason his way out, to draw on memories, to play multiple games of chess in his head, but each thought was a scattered muddle, crumbling into confusion before he could make the first move. It had to be the drugs in the water. To lose the ability to play a game as simple as chess was inconceivable, like a child losing the ability to crawl. A shudder rippled through his body. He barely remembered why he was here; soon he would forget who he was.

Also, Elizabeth Lang has shared with us exclusive pictures from The Empire Series


 



To read more of the Read-A-Long please follow the tour schedule…

03/03/2013 - Tribute Books Reviews & Giveaways -  Chapter 1

04/03/2013 - Vixie's StoriesChapter 2

05/03/2013 - Decadent Decisions Chapter 3

06/03/2013 - Reviews From Beyond the Book - Chapter 4
 
07/03/2013 - Great Alpha SpeaksChapter 5
 
09/03/2013 - The Edible Bookshelf Chapter 6
 
10/03/2013 - Independent Writers AssociationChapter 7
 
11/03/2013 - Self Publish or DieChapter 8
 
12/03/2013 - Natasha Larry BooksChapter 9
 
13/03/2013 - Michelle Anderson-PicarellaChapter 10
 
17/03/2013 - Sheenah FreitasChapter 11
 
18/03/2013 - Castle MacabreChapter 12
 
19/03/2013 - My WorldChapter 13
 
20/03/2013 - Reading, Writing And MoreChapter 14
 
21/03/2013 - Ami R BlackwelderChapter 15

Page Turner Book Tours and Elizabeth Lang have teamed together to set up an amazing contest, be sure to enter today for your chance to win a KOBO MINI!!
 



Buy Links:



About Elizabeth Lang: 

I'm a science fiction writer who started off life as a computer programmer with a love for reading, especially science fiction, fantasy and mystery.
Being in computers, I found my writing skills deteriorating so I decided to take up writing. It became a joy to create characters, stories and worlds and writing soon became a passion I couldn't put down. As a writer, I like to explore, not only the complexity of characters but the human condition from differing points of view. That is at the heart of the Empire series, of which 'The Empire' and 'The Rebels' are the first two of a four books series. 
You can connect with Elizabeth Lang at the following places: 

Author Page on FaceBook | Blog | Twitter | Website
 
About Page Turner Book Tours:

Page Turner Book Tours is fronted by the face behind Read2Review, Kate. Page Turner Book Tours has been put together to help promote authors and give something back to the writing world. Kate has put together a team of incredibly talented people to help with the project by incorporating their individual skills into making new, fresh and exciting promotional plans that we hope you agree are amazing. If you would like to book a tour with Page Turner Book Tours please check out their tour packages. If you would like to become a tour host with Page Turner Book Tours please check out their Tour Host page. You wont be disappointed!
invoice logo.jpg

 
Thank you for joining us and Page Turner Book Tours and Elizabeth Lang today on our stop. 








Tuesday, March 19, 2013

The Empire: Excerpt and Giveaway



The Empire Banner.jpg


Thank you for stopping by and joining us for our stop on the Read-A-Long portion of The Empire by Elizabeth Lang virtual tour. We are excited to post this segment of the story and we hope you enjoy it too! 



Blurb: 
"It will be interesting to discover which will make you beg. Will it be the pain or the pleasure?"
How do you tame a man without breaking his spirit?
The galaxy is under siege from alien invaders. The Empire is the only force that stands in the gap, trading the freedom of its citizens for a tenuous security.
Amidst this chaos, Lt. Adrian Stannis is a brilliant scientist trying to stay out of the limelight. He hides on a research vessel plying the Outer Rim and finds peace of a sort with Kali Mirren, a psi-enabled humanoid. But his days of anonymity may be coming to an end. Someone has discovered his secret and is determined to make him pay for his treachery. He must finish the project he abandoned years ago, one the Council deems essential in its fight against the aliens, but things are never that simple where Adrian is concerned.
Is he more man than machine, or have years hiding behind a mountain of logic eroded his humanity? Can he learn to love and will he be able to survive the tangled web of political expediency and psychological manipulation that surrounds him?
Will Kali be able to save him from himself, or is there a mystery surrounding him that may explode in their faces?
Everyone wants to know the truth, but will it set them free?


The Empire - Chapter 13 


Adrian’s face was different in sleep. The grim lines smoothed out and the hard set of the jaw relaxed, leaving a boyish charm. Kali followed the line of his cheekbone lightly, tracing down his jaw and throat, stroking him gently, feeling the comforting rise-and-fall of his chest. It was good to see him at rest. He had a tendency to bottle stresses up until the force of them tore him apart. 
Late at night, he would stumble back to their cabin, give her a peck on the cheek, and drag himself to the shower before collapsing into bed, already asleep when his head hit the pillow. Kali hugged him and placed her head on his shoulder, enjoying his clean scent. The tension was tearing him apart. He was a caged animal who needed to be free and she was determined to help him. 
~~~ 
For the rest of the chapter, please click here.

Also Elizabeth Lang has shared with us an exclusive picture from The Empire Series


Empire 001.jpg  Empire 002.jpg



To read more of the Read-A-Long please follow the tour schedule…

03/03/2013 - Tribute Books Reviews & Giveaways -  Chapter 1

04/03/2013 - Vixie's StoriesChapter 2

05/03/2013 - Decadent Decisions Chapter 3

06/03/2013 - Reviews From Beyond the Book - Chapter 4
 
07/03/2013 - Great Alpha SpeaksChapter 5
 
09/03/2013 - The Edible Bookshelf Chapter 6
 
10/03/2013 - Independent Writers AssociationChapter 7
 
11/03/2013 - Self Publish or DieChapter 8
 
12/03/2013 - Natasha Larry BooksChapter 9
 
13/03/2013 - Michelle Anderson-PicarellaChapter 10
 
17/03/2013 - Sheenah FreitasChapter 11
 
18/03/2013 - Castle MacabreChapter 12
 
19/03/2013 - My WorldChapter 13
 
20/03/2013 - Reading, Writing And MoreChapter 14
 
21/03/2013 - Ami R BlackwelderChapter 15

Page Turner Book Tours and Elizabeth Lang have teamed together to set up an amazing contest, be sure to enter today for your chance to win a KOBO MINI!!
 



Buy Links:


About Elizabeth Lang: 

I'm a science fiction writer who started off life as a computer programmer with a love for reading, especially science fiction, fantasy and mystery.
Being in computers, I found my writing skills deteriorating so I decided to take up writing. It became a joy to create characters, stories and worlds and writing soon became a passion I couldn't put down. As a writer, I like to explore, not only the complexity of characters but the human condition from differing points of view. That is at the heart of the Empire series, of which 'The Empire' and 'The Rebels' are the first two of a four books series. 
You can connect with Elizabeth Lang at the following places: 

Author Page on FaceBook | Blog | Twitter | Website
 

About Page Turner Book Tours:

Page Turner Book Tours is fronted by the face behind Read2Review, Kate. Page Turner Book Tours has been put together to help promote authors and give something back to the writing world. Kate has put together a team of incredibly talented people to help with the project by incorporating their individual skills into making new, fresh and exciting promotional plans that we hope you agree are amazing. If you would like to book a tour with Page Turner Book Tours please check out their tour packages. If you would like to become a tour host with Page Turner Book Tours please check out their Tour Host page. You wont be disappointed!

invoice logo.jpg

 
Thank you for joining us and Page Turner Book Tours and Elizabeth Lang today on our stop. 







Tuesday, March 12, 2013

Author Interview: Emma Mills

Hello and welcome to today's post on the Witch Blood series tour,Hosted by Bookshelf Confessions!  Today I am promoting the first book, Witch Blood.

Witchblood

From Goodreads:  When Jess steals a glance at a gorgeous guy in a Manchester nightclub, little does she realise how he is going to change her life…or should that be death? Yet, the vampire clan could never have predicted what they were taking on.
With Luke pronounced ‘off-limits’ and the blood of a vampire simmering in Jess’s body, can she forget the love of her life and move on? If not, she will risk exposing the entire Northern vampire clan to untold dangers, in order to live her life the way she wants.
Can Jess be sure that Luke is all he appears to be? Will she succumb to the attraction she desperately tries not to feel for Daniel? And why does she still crave a packet of crisps more than a tasty teenage boy’s blood?

Let's get to know author, Emma Mills!!
Author Bio
Hi I'm Emma. I am happily married with two lovely children. I have always loved reading and writing and published my first novel WitchBlood in Jan 2012 with Witchcraft following in June and WitchLove due in Feb 2013. After acquiring an obsessive love of supernatural teen novels...yes I'm a Twilight fan...I decided to write my own supernatural story based here in Manchester in the UK, near where I live and grew up. It's currently dark, windy, cold and very very wet... and easy to get inspiration.
Find Me

Facebook | Blog | Twitter | Goodreads |

Quick Fire Questions
1. Morning, noon or night?
Noon.
2. How do you like your steak?
Rare… yes I have vampire tendancies!
3. What was the last film you saw?
‘Like Crazy’ on the movie channel
4. What's your favorite place to watch TV?
On the sofa at home.
5. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?
We are actually in the process of moving to the neighboring county, but last year we almost
moved to Dubai. I rather fancy living somewhere hot!
6. What did you eat for breakfast?
A hot cross bun and a bowl of pineapple & mango
7. What is your favorite cuisine?
Probably Mexican – vegetable enchiladas are my favorite dinner!
8. What foods do you love?
Homemade cakes, asparagus and cheese!
9. What kind of car do you drive?
Fiat Punto
10. What are your favorite clothes?
I generally live in jeans but love a long summery dress when the sun comes out!
11. Where would you visit if you had the chance?
I’m really looking forward to going to Florida in May, but we also want to go back to Malaysia sometime soon.
12. Weapon of choice?
A turbo charged wand please
13. Where would you want to retire?
Ooo somewhere hot, somewhere magical and not too far from my family.
14. How many tattoos do you have?
Just one, on my foot. A Sea Turtle & 2 flowers representing motherhood and my two beautiful children. I quite fancy getting another one though!
15. What is your favorite sport to watch?
I don’t really ‘do’ sport, but I loved the Olympics!
16. Do you have any pets?
A dog called Nemo, a cat called Willow, 3 Harry Potter Hens called Hermionie, Ginny & Myrtle, a bunny and some fish!
17. Any new or exciting news you'd like to share?
Only that all three of the Witchblood books are currently in the Top 100 for their genres; which I am totally thrilled about. I hope to release WitchHunt later this year and maybe a short story featuring Eva & Sebastian in an Anthology!
18. Favorite color?
My favorite colour is purple!
19. Are you married?
Yes.
20. Like your job?
Apart from being so busy right now my life is everything I hoped for. I never had aspirations to be a career girl and even though I worked hard at school and went to university I always wanted to get married and have a family. Luckily my husband earned enough to enable me to stop work when we had children and now I’m even getting paid to daydream and write stories!

Here's my review of Witch Blood

Where to buy the books...
US 
Amazon  
Barnes and Noble
UK
Amazon
Barnes and Noble        

Don't forget to check out the other stops along this tour!!!

Thursday, March 7, 2013

WitchBlood Series Tour: Review and Meet the Author



Witch Blood Tour Banner.jpg

Thank you for joining me on my stop in the Witch Blood Series tour!  Hosted by Bookshelf Confessions.
Today, I'm offering a review on the first book, Witch Blood.

witchblood.jpg


From Goodreads:
When Jess steals a glance at a gorgeous guy in a Manchester nightclub, little does she realise how he is going to change her life…or should that be death? Yet, the vampire clan could never have predicted what they were taking on.
With Luke pronounced ‘off-limits’ and the blood of a vampire simmering in Jess’s body, can she forget the love of her life and move on? If not, she will risk exposing the entire Northern vampire clan to untold dangers, in order to live her life the way she wants.
Can Jess be sure that Luke is all he appears to be? Will she succumb to the attraction she desperately tries not to feel for Daniel? And why does she still crave a packet of crisps more than a tasty teenage boy’s blood?


Author Bio
Hi I'm Emma. I am happily married with two lovely children. I have always loved reading and writing and published my first novel WitchBlood in Jan 2012 with Witchcraft following in June and WitchLove due in Feb 2013. After acquiring an obsessive love of supernatural teen novels...yes I'm a Twilight fan...I decided to write my own supernatural story based here in Manchester in the UK, near where I live and grew up. It's currently dark, windy, cold and very very wet... and easy to get inspiration.
Find Me


My Review:
We meet Jess, a not quite normal 17 year old girl.. If only she knew how not-normal she was!  The "abnormal" she knows about, and we're first introduced to, is the fact that she's already in University..  
Her boyfriend, Luke, is out of town at a bachelor party so she and her best friend, Alex go out to a club.  There she lays eyes on a beautiful man but feeling unfaithful, she quickly ignores him.  As usual, Alex is drunk and no where to be found as this mystery man has a seat at Jess's table.  He's very mesmerizing, but Jess still feels a strong unfaithful feeling to Luke.  So, she excuses herself to find Alex.  Outside the club, she is attacked by a girl gang that has been plaguing the city and is left dying on an empty street.  That's when things get beyond strange.
Jess wakes up in a strange place and is informed by Daniel, the strange man from the club, that she is now a vampire and will never be able to see her loved ones again.  She is suddenly thrust into this new world where she is, again, the odd one.  Jess displays qualities not usually seen in a vampire.  As the search for her heritage, and the reasons behind these qualities, goes on she is torn between her love for Luke and her growing feelings for Daniel.  
I have to say, I loved this book and can't wait to devour the next one!  In so many books, you can see things "coming" so to speak, but there was a twist toward the end that I have to honestly say, took me a bit by surprise.  I rather enjoyed the book, and the direction the story is going..  A must read for any paranormal fan!
I give this book 4 stars!!

Where to buy the books...
US 
Amazon  
Barnes and Noble
UK
Amazon
Barnes and Noble        

Don't forget to check out the other stops along this tour!!!