Kay LaLone

Wednesday, November 13, 2013

My Review Of Murder In Middleton By Charlotte Gerber

I give Murder In Middletona five star review. Haunting, ghostly, mystery. It takes a strong person to deal with the unknown. Shannon is such a strong character. She doesn't give up in solving this mystery. Good twists. Thanks, Charlotte for a good read.

Blurb:

Shannon O’Reilly is a teenager with a problem - she can see her ancestors’ ghosts, and they want her to solve their 100-year old murder mystery. Annabelle and Lily Edmonson have been waiting a long time for someone to see them so that they can tell their story of betrayal, and finally reveal their true killer.

When Shannon begins researching the murders at the local library, someone takes notice. She begins receiving threatening notes and photographs taken of her without her knowledge. An explosion at her home takes away what she holds most dear - her parents.

A secret society steps in and offers to help Shannon fine tune her psychic abilities and to assist in protecting her from those bent on eliminating her. Someone is willing to pay any price to keep the truth, as well as her ancestors, dead and buried.

Goodreads Direct Link to the Book:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15990011-murder-in-middleton?ac=1

Excerpt:

Shannon held her breath for a moment and waited for her mother to join her. A loud explosion erupted from the rear of her house. She started to run around to the side of the house, but huge flames were shooting outwards and upwards from the area where her back porch had been.

“Mom, Dad!” she screamed into the night.

Shannon couldn't see anything in the wreckage and she almost caught herself on fire trying to get back into the house when a man's arms grabbed her from behind.

“Stop!” he yelled in her ear. “The fire truck will be here any minute!”

Shannon tried to wrestle her way out of the man's arms, but he held on to her tight and pulled her backwards away from the house.

A crowd started to form near the Opportunity Shop and the sound of sirens could be heard from where Shannon stood. They whined louder and louder until they appeared on the street before her house. It seemed like total chaos had broken out as the firemen raced with their hoses to the rear of the house.

Another fireman ran to the front of the neighbor's house and attached the hose to the fire hydrant. In a few moments the men had a large fountain of water pointed at her back porch and they wrestled the snake of a hose in an effort to control the blaze.

The sheriff wasn't very far behind and he arrived with the lights on the top of his car flashing. Thankfully, he had his siren off and the growing crowd moved to allow him to park his car close to the house.

“Where's the O'Reillys?” he yelled to the fire chief above the chaos.

Shannon stared at him and knew he would be turning to face her any moment.

“I don't know where the other two are," and he nodded towards Shannon.

She knew the two men were talking about her parents. Her mind started to race and she thought it just wasn't possible that they were actually in that fire. It wasn't possible to have this many bad things happen in rapid succession.

The chief pointed at Shannon and the sheriff made eye contact with her. He purposefully strode up to her and the man who was now holding her close.

“I'll take it from here Fred,” the Sheriff said.

The man who had been holding her was their next-door neighbor, Mr. Bickham. He slowly let go of her and turned away with tears filling his eyes. Shannon was left standing alone in the side yard of her house staring at the blaze as if in a trance.

“Shannon, what happened here?” the fire chief demanded, not quite believing himself that their house had exploded.

Shannon could only manage to shake her head. Tears slowly began to roll down her bright pink cheeks. The sheriff got down on one knee and took her hands in his.

“I’ll find someone to help, it’ll be okay,” he said unconvincingly.

A woman forced her way through the crowd and said boldly, “I’ll see to her.”

Shannon didn’t even bother looking up to see who her champion was. Nothing mattered anymore; she felt completely alone.

Myrtle Green helped Shannon to her car and buckled her into the front passenger seat. She knew not to ask Shannon any questions; there would be plenty of time for that later. They drove back to her house having not said a word.

Myrtle got out of the car and then went around to Shannon's side and unbuckled her from the seat like a small child. She held out her hand and helped her out of the car. Shannon stared ahead blankly and allowed herself to be led through the now familiar gate and walkway up to the house.

The smell of cookies and chocolate still hung in the air when they opened the front door. Tears started rolling down Shannon's face again when she realized it had only been a little while since she had left a happy little party in this house with her mother. Now her parents were gone and they weren't going to come back. Ever.

B&N http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/murder-in-middleton-charlotte-gerber/1113832209

Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Murder-in-Middleton-ebook/dp/B00FA4MNTW

CreateSpace Store https://www.createspace.com/4376860

About the Author:

Charlotte Gerber began her writing career after becoming disabled in 2004. Since then she has been a writer and editor for LoveToKnow.com, and most recently covering disability issues for the New York Times on their About.com website.

Murder in Middleton, the story of a psychic teenager trying to solve a century’s old murder mystery, was her first book. A holiday novella, A Very Merry Middleton Christmas, is scheduled for release during the holiday season this year. I Dream of Zombies, the story of Rose Lee, a zombie social worker, will be released on Halloween this year.

A third book, Curiosity Killed the Cat, is scheduled for release in early 2014.

Author Links:

Website http://www.charlottegerber.com

Twitter https://twitter.com/gerberink

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

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Sunday, November 10, 2013

The Mirage By C. Warner-Thompson

Blurb:

Abbii can’t remember a time when Shadows weren’t chasing her.

Everywhere she goes they are there, hunting her down.

Since discovering the magical powers in her grasp, she has fought against members of the Forgotten- those pulled into Darkness willingly- and her friends have fallen into danger. Innocent people have lost their lives and the Shadows have spread. Abbii’s friends have fought to remain by her side, but something inside of her has changed.

She is filled with regret and pain of losing her best friend Jake, though she keeps it hidden well- not even Nate can see the damage. Her lack of emotion pushes him to leave and he is thrown into his own spiralling destiny.

Abbii has a choice- to stay by her friends’ sides and fight to protect their home, or leave the realm she knows and search for those that she has lost. Her heart is broken but her friends cannot help her. She has to choose between searching for Jake in the Dark, or whether to return to Nate’s side and keep the Light burning brightly.

The question is, will Light be able to save her from the Darkness within?

Author Bio:

Clemy was born in the UK in 1991 where she still lives, growing up alongside one younger and three older brothers.

Books and writing was an interest that she began to develop from the first years of secondary school, and on her thirteenth birthday, she began to plan and design the idea to write a fantasy novel. She finished secondary school with high GCSE's and then went on into further education to study English and all aspects of art and design. After six years of writing, planning and overall editing of the book, it was successfully completed, containing over 82,000 words, and self published in the first week of 2011.

With high expectations in herself, she immediately began to write a second novel in the series, while keeping her art and design a part of the process. The achievement of completing the first novel 'Purest Light,' allowed the ideas of the second to flow much easier and it was completed by early 2012. As she was writing the third and final book, New Beginnings, at the same time, the series was finished by its publication in 2013.

Writing is now a part of her everyday and she has now started her newest project, The Mirage, which is book two of three.

Link:

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/clemychum

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5328411.Clemy_Warner_Thompson

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/CWarnerThompson

Lulu: http://www.lulu.com/shop/search.ep?type=&keyWords=c.warner-thompson&x=1&y=2&sitesearch=lulu.com&q=

Thursday, November 7, 2013

My Review Of Destined Oracle by J. G. Martinez

Today I have a blog stop for the YA suspense novel from Write More publications entitled, Destined Oracle. Destined Oracle is the first release from new YA author J.G. Martinez. You will find more about her below, but first take a look at this fantastic book:

With evil corrupting even the ranks of angels, the one to save the world doesn't know of what she is capable. At three years old, her Mother hid her in the human world from the realm of magic and from those who wished to thwart her destiny. After her last remaining relative on her father's side passes away, her mother decided to return her daughter to the magic world where she belongs. With the forces of evil building an army, will Savina find the power and strength to do what she was born to do? Or will the forces of evil finish what it began years before and destroy her?

Destined Oracle takes us on a fast paced ride through the world of fallen angels and magic. This sweet romantic tale will draw you in and captivate you. With its take on what it means to come into your own in the world, and still be true to yourself, everyone will find something to relate to.

I give this book a five star review. I loved it. In her debut novel J. G. Martinez gets the the formula right. She draws you in and keeps you turning pages with a read that just flows off the pages. I would say this book is appropriate for upper YA to adult and you won't be disappointed when you pick it up. Full of magical romance and danger. Savina is a strong, powerful character even though she has her weaknesses. She is loyal and will protect those she loves and cares for.

J.G. Martinez has been writing since she was nine years old, having completed her first novel at the age of ten. Her passion for fantasy and everything supernatural is just a natural part of who she is. J.G. loves reading anything that grabs her attention and loves writing. She loves God, her family and friends and holds each close to her heart. She is also a major animal lover. She was born in Georgia, but raised in Texas where she currently resides. When she isn’t writing or reading, she enjoys drawing and painting. Her poem “Heart Aches” was published in the 2006, International Library of Poetry titled “Timeless Voices.” In 2007, she graduated with an Associate degree from San Joaquin Valley College, California in Science. She hopes to bring her imagination to life in those that read her stories.

You can find J.G Martinez on the Write More Publications Web site, Amazon, and her Facebook page.

Other blogs she has visited are:

October 27^th Liz McKeown Creative Writer’s Boost http://creativewritersboost.blogspot.com

October 30^th Theresa Oliver Theresa Oliver Author

http://theresaoliverauthor.blogspot.com

October 31^st Stephanie Greenhalgh A Writer’s Perspective

http://stephaniegreenhalgh.blogspot.com

November 1^st Elaine White Vampires, Crime and Angels…..Eclectic Me http://ellelainey.wordpress.com

November 4^th Jessica Baldwin Write From The Heart

http://2writefromtheheart.blospot.com

November 6^th Gail Lindsey Guest post on my blog

http://beccab8.blogspot.com

November 7^th Kay Lalone

http://kaylalone.blogspot.com

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Tuesday, November 5, 2013

Dead Dreams Book Blast

Publisher: Right House Books
Print Length: 170 pages
ASIN: B00ESVEVBQ

Eighteen-year-old Brie O’Mara has so much going for her: a loving family in the sidelines, an heiress for a roommate, and dreams that might just come true. Big dreams--of going to acting school, finishing college and making a name for herself. She is about to be the envy of everyone she knew. What more could she hope for? Except her dreams are about to lead her down the road to nightmares. Nightmares that could turn into a deadly reality.
Dead Dreams, Book 1, a young adult psychological thriller and mystery.

Excerpt

Chapter One

It started on a warm April afternoon. Gusts of wind blew against the oak tree right outside my kitchen balcony, in my tiny apartment in Atherton, California. Sometimes the branches that touched the side of the building made scraping noises. The yellow huckleberry flowers twining their way across my apartment balcony infused the air with sweetness.
My mother had insisted, as was her tendency on most things, I take the pot of wild huckleberry, her housewarming gift, to my new two-bedroom apartment. It wasn’t really new, just new to me, as was the entire experience of living separately, away from my family, and the prospect of having a roommate, someone who could be a best friend, something I’d dreamed of since I finished high school and debuted into adulthood.
“Wait for me by the curb,” my mother said, her voice blaring from the phone even though I didn’t set her on speaker. “You need to eat better.” Her usual punctuation at the end of her orders.
So, I skipped down three flights of steps and headed toward the side of the apartment building to await my mother’s gift of the evening, salad in an á la chicken style, her insistent recipe to cure me of bad eating habits. At least it wasn’t chicken soup double-boiled till the bones melted, I consoled myself.
I hadn’t waited long when a vehicle careened round the corner. I heard it first, that high-pitched screech of brakes wearing thin when the driver rammed his foot against it. From the corner of my eye, even before I turned to face it, I saw the blue truck. It rounded the bend where Emerson Street met Ravenswood, tottered before it righted itself and headed straight at me.
I took three steps back, fell and scrambled to get back up as the vehicle like a giant bullet struck the sidewalk I had only seconds ago stood on. The driver must have lost control, but when he hit the sidewalk it slowed the vehicle enough so he could bridle his speed and manage the truck as he continued to careen down the street.
My mother arrived a half minute later but she had seen it all. Like superwoman, she leaped out of her twenty-year-old Mercedes and rushed toward me, all breathless and blonde hair disheveled.
“Are you all right?” She reached out to help me up.
“Yes, yes,” I said, brushing the dirt off my yoga pants.
“Crazy driver. Brie, I just don’t know about this business of you staying alone here like this.” She walked back to her white Mercedes, leaned in the open window, and brought out a casserole dish piled high with something green. Make that several shades of green.
I followed her, admittedly winded.“Seriously, Mom. It’s just one of those things. Mad drivers could happen anywhere I live.”
She gave me no end of grief as to what a bad idea it was for me to live alone like this even though she knew I was going to get a roommate.
“Mom, stop worrying,” I said.
“You’re asking me to stop being your mother, I hope you realize this.”
“I’ll find someone dependable by the end of the week, I promise.” No way I was going back to live at home. Not that I came from a bad home environment. But I had my reasons.
I had advertised on Craig’s List, despite my mother’s protests that only scum would answer “those kinds of ads.”
Perhaps there was some truth to Mother’s biases, but I wouldn’t exactly call Sarah McIntyre scum. If she was, what would that make me?
Sarah’s father had inherited the family “coal” money. Their ancestors had emigrated from Scotland (where else, with a name like McIntyre, right?) in the early 1800s and bought an entire mountain (I kid you not) in West Virginia. It was a one-hit wonder in that the mountain hid a coal fortune under it, and hence the McIntyre Coal Rights Company was born. This was the McIntyre claim to wealth, and also a source of remorse and guilt for Sarah, for supposedly dozens of miners working for them had lost their lives due to the business, most to lung cancer or black lung, as it was commonly called. Hazards of the occupation.

Buy Links:

Amazon I Barnes & Noble

About the Author:

Emma Right is a happy wife and Christian homeschool mother of five living in the Pacific West Coast of the USA. Besides running a busy home, and looking after their five pets, which includes two cats, a bunny and a Long-haired dachshund, she also writes stories for her children. She loves the Lord and when she doesn't have her nose in a book, she is telling her kids to get theirs in one. Right worked as a copywriter for two major advertising agencies and won several awards, including the prestigious Clio Award for her ads, before she settled down to have children.

Connect with the Author:

Website I Facebook I Twitter I Pinterest I Goodreads

Friday, November 1, 2013

My Review of How To Run A Home-Based E-Bay Store By Annette Shaw

Virtual Book Tour: 10/21/13 – 11/4/13

Genres: Non-Fiction, Business, Ebay, and How To's

Blurb:

A perfect solution to make ends meet or to prepare for the holidays without going into debt. Try this comprehensive guide, written for the stay-home mom, detailing how to set up a home-based business through eBay and beyond from the perspective of a dress shop but applicable to any product. This book reveals how to: --Set up a USPS, eBay and PayPal Account --Set up listings including Explaining conditions, brand & category Taking photos & editing Item Descriptions Payments systems to use Shipping preferences & services Countries to sell to & some you should avoid --How to Set yourself apart from competitors --Great Images Where to purchase mannequins What camera to purchase

--How to purchase merchandise to resell Where to purchase online merchandise at a great discount sent right to your door --How to schedule your pick-up through USPS.com --A typical day in the life of an eBay merchant --How to manage your work area --Managing your profits and much more *Bonus Content- Includes online sources to market your eBay inventory simultaneously.

I have been selling on ebay for years, and I found this book to be very informative. It is easy to understand and makes selling on Ebay so easy. If you are looking into selling on ebay, I highly recommend reading this book.

Excerpt:

Chapter 4: Setting Ourselves Apart

Now that you know what it’s like to sell normally on eBay let’s get started on the next step creating a unique and professional identity on eBay. What will your business look and feel like? It’s no secret that there are millions of sellers on eBay, so what will set you apart from the crowd as a respected and trusted seller? Think aboutwhat kind of shopper you are when you go to a brick and mortar store. Walking through a clean, well-cared for store enables a customer to browse a little longer and linger over items catching her eye. By contrast, strolling through a store that is dirty, loud and in disarray makes me beeline for the exit, never mind the merchandise! This holds true for online shopping as well. The way I chose to go about this is using an auction template and image hosting company in one. This is a terrific company that provides seamless and quite creative auction templates that also host all of your images. Instead of using eBay to list your items you go to create listings through them.

SellerSourceBook

The Seller Source Book (SSB) transfers your listing to eBay flawlessly. Their monthly fee is $8 or $21 a quarter and conveniently comes right out of your PayPal account. You can even get 10% off their monthly subscription with this coupon code 8BB48.

My second recommendation for creating a unique professional feel for your listings is:

SheandIDesigns.com

I started out using Seller Source Book alone to create my listings and eventually wanted something more, so I sought out this company to make the custom header template below for a look and feel uniquely me which took about a week to complete.
She and I Designs then installed the HTML code into SSB’s photo hosting template. Again for a very reasonable one-time fee, they will create a unique design for you after a few emails explaining what you’re looking for.
Or She and I Designs has pre-made, wonderfully creative templates that they sell a limited number of, which you can browse
through and purchase. They’re very familiar with both eBay and Seller Source Book ensuring a perfect transition.

Buy Link:

Amazon http://amzn.to/1akuKjH

Direct Link to the book on Goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18478151-how-to-run-a-home-based-ebay-store?ac=1

About the Author:

Annette Shaw is a wife of 24 years, mother of three beautiful children, native Texan, eBay Power Seller and aspiring writer living in beautiful eastern Washington state. Annette is an avid reader, writer and putterer when not engaging customers from all over the world in this life of an eBay merchant.

Thursday, October 31, 2013

Phase One Identify By Rose Wynters Blog Tour

Phase One: Identify (Book 1, Territory Of The Dead) by Rose Wynters

Virtual Tour Dates: 10/17/13 to 10/31/13

Genres: Dark Urban Fantasy, Dystopian, Zombies

Blurb:

A letter found on the clear glass case of the only gun shop in Pleasant, LA

Hello,

My name is Tabitha Alexanders. Congratulations. If you're reading this letter, you're one of the survivors from the zombie apocalypse. Take care, or you won't last for long.

I'm 18 and just graduated this year. I didn't get to enjoy it, though. I was working at the grocery store as a checkout girl when the first body slammed against the clear glass. I'll never forget the fear that washed over me at the sight of his red, hungry eyes. That night marked the loss of my innocence.... And my freedom.

Now my life is something different. No longer can we take the basic things like safety and food for granted, not to mention our lives. The zombies destroyed our entire town that first night, including the family of the college guy I had a crush on in the past. We were able to save him, but he's not the same. He's different, but so am I.

Our numbers are extremely small, but the humans have united. A new group of survivors is emerging in this nightmarish world.... And we aren't afraid to fight dirty if it ensures our survival.

We had to leave Pleasant in order to save our lives. We barely made it out alive. These zombies are entirely different than the way I'd always seen on television. They are fast, preternaturally strong, and even aware. They used that awareness to discover our small group of survivors hidden within our home. If it wasn't for Kellan we'd be dead right now, wandering the streets of Pleasant.

Kellan is something completely different than any man I've ever seen before. He's too powerful and too controlled to ever be anything like the average male. I can't explain him, but I'm glad he's on our side. Heaven help us all if he ever decides we're not worth the effort.

He's taken us to his home outside of town, if the massive fortress can be considered that. It's large enough for many more than us, self-sustaining should we be forced to remain beyond the high fence. There's something strange about the way he was so prepared for the zombie apocalypse, but it's not my place to question it. I've learned that Kellan doesn't enjoy questions, and he doesn't want anybody getting too close.

I'm leaving a handwritten map here in the hopes that there is still someone alive in this town to find it. God, I hope you are. It feels like we're the only ones left, and it's horrifying...

Tabitha Alexander

Direct link to book:

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17903004-phase-one?ac=1

Excerpt:

The reporter looked to be somewhere around his early 30's. His handsome face was pale and drawn, his expression frantic. It was soon apparent he wasn't working from any type of script, as he addressed the viewers that were watching. “The police department is urging residents to stay inside and lock your doors, and stay away from what people are classifying as zombies.”

Somebody cried out loudly in the background, but the reporter continued, “Police have no idea what what the death toll is. Numerous attacks have been reported. Do not get close to anyone that appears to be injured in anyway.”

A woman moved in front of the camera, pushing the reporter out of the way with her body, before grabbing the microphone from his slack grip. Her face was pale, but her dark eyes were filled with determination as she stared into the lens. She got right to the point.

“Don't let this reporter sugarcoat this with his evasions. There are dead people walking out there, and they are fast, deadly, and supernaturally strong. There is a name for them, one we've heard before but thought was only fiction. These dead people are zombies, and they don't care about nothing but getting their teeth into your flesh.”

The reporter tried to grab the microphone back, but she shot him a deadly look. “You're not getting this till I'm done,” she told him in a firm voice. “I'm not gonna stand by while you get your five seconds of fame and leave these innocent people out there to die. People deserve to know what they are up against, and how to protect themselves. Now back off.” Surprisingly, he stood still and listened.

She turned back to the camera. “I know there are some of you out there that don't believe in this. You wanna box it all up, neat and tidy-like, and believe that there must be some rational explanation for this, and come morning it will all be gone. If you believe that though, you're going to find yourself dead before the sun ever hits the sky tomorrow.”

She leaned into the camera, and I felt as if she were talking directly to me. “For those of you that want to live though, listen and listen well. These zombies aren't the slow, dumb creatures we have all seen on film. These zombies are fast, faster than we are. The more they eat, the stronger they seem to get. The ones I have seen tonight have red eyes as well. The only way to kill them is by shooting them in the head or cutting their head off.”

“I object to that,” the reporter broke in, his voice loud enough for us to hear him. He shook his head at the woman, his expression angry. “I simply can't tolerate you suggesting to viewers to go out and murder these people. We don't know what's wrong with them, maybe they are just ill.”

She looked back at him in disbelief. “So how many people have you ate the last time you felt ill, Mr. big time, know-it-all reporter? I'll tell you what. Since you're so concerned with saving the zombies that wouldn't think twice about killing you, why don't you go out there and show us what you've got? I'm sure your cameraman here would be only to happy to film you through the window when you become dinner.”

The reporter smirked at her before eying her with disdain. “What makes you such an expert?”

She ignored him, turning her attention back to the viewers. “If you're still alive and hearing this, I beg you to listen. I've never seen anything like this before. Tonight I lost my whole family to these animals. If you want to stay alive, be cautious.

Don't go out unarmed, and don't go out alone. If it's safe, try to make it to the police station. These zombies are everywhere now, and I guarantee the dead are outnumbering the living. Try to not join their ranks.”

She turned back to the reporter, holding out the microphone. “I'm not an expert, I'm a survivor. I hope you can learn how to be one yourself.”

With that, she turned and walked away.

Buy Links:

Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Phase-One-Identify-Territory-ebook/dp/B00COGWDC6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1380422430&sr=8-1&keywords=phase+one%3A+identify

Barnes and Noble http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/phase-one-rose-wynters/1115255641?ean=2940016467672

Smashwords http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/316278

About the Author:

Rose Wynters is the paranormal romance author of six books and three series, including the bestselling series, Wolf Town Guardians.

When not writing about hot, alpha characters and unique heroines, she enjoys pulling her head out of the fantasy world by traveling, camping, and experiencing new adventures.

A lifelong fan of both the paranormal and romance, she loves developing plots that combine these into sizzling hot reads with an exciting, sexy hero.

Author Links:

Website http://www.rosewynters.com

Twitter https://twitter.com/author_rose

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/rose.wynters.5

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Monday, October 28, 2013

Fall Book Extravaganza Giveaway

Welcome to the

Fall Book Extravaganza Giveaway!

We are excited to announce that this is our first year hosting the Fall Book Extravaganza Giveaway and we had 25 awesome authors and book bloggers sponsor over 55 prizes, including a Kindle Fire! Below you will find a Rafflecopter where you can enter to win one of these FABULOUS PRIZES!

GRAND PRIZE: Kindle Fire HD

Plus, 55+ other great prizes!