Pray For Boston (Signed Books Giveaway)

Posted by Lizzy on Apr 15, 2013 in reviews | 18 comments

Because of what happened on April 15th at the Boston Marathon, I decided to run this giveaway differently.  Since it is US only, the only thing I want you to do is to keep the people and their families affected by this tragedy in your thoughts and prayers.

a Rafflecopter giveaway
  Thanks to I Am A Reader, Not a Writer and Wholly Books who are hosting the Signed Books Giveaway.  I am giving away a signed copy of The Raven Boys by Maggie Steifvater in another giveaway right now, so don’t forget to check that one out too.   For this giveaway, you have the choice of a signed copy of Poison Princess by Kelsey Cole or The Clockwork Princess (#3) by Cassandra Clare.  (Links will take you to their Goodreads page for reviews and more information.)  This giveaway is opened to US residents only.  I’m not responsible for items lost in the mail.  I will give you an estimated shipping date, but I no promises.  Shipping might also be delayed until early May, since the end of this giveaway coincides with the date I’m leaving to visit family.

Check out the other blogs participating in this hop:

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Guest Post: The Other Side of the Other Side

Posted by Lizzy on Apr 15, 2013 in reviews | 0 comments

The Other Side of the Other Side

Guest Post by Starr Gardinier Reina

 

Green grass as far as the eye can see to the left of me, bright skies all around, calm blue waters such as one would see in Hawaii to the right of me. It all sounds so glorious. A place worthy of a long, relaxing vacation. It is, it’s beautiful here. It was the sight I was faced with five years ago when I arrived. I couldn’t have been happier.

That is, until I found out that it’s not all sunshine and smiles. The Other Side is not always what people may think. There is another side to the Other Side. It can be formidable and dark, filling a soul full of anguish and anxiety. After the first month, I learned that the Other Side is what you make of it, what you perceive. And how you lived your life on Earth. That latter being the more decisive of what your after world is going to be like.

Integrating back into the perfect, happy place is possible, but one must work hard to rid themselves of the evil they breathed on Earth. Doing penance does not consist of just promising to be good. To appease the ‘higher ups’ you must collect souls—hungry, rampant souls smacking of pure immorality—from Earth as they are about to die. Without going into detail, I will say collection is not the end of it. No, you must also stop the last act that mortals are trying to play out on Earth, safely without harm coming to the humans. You may think that’s easy, but remember, we’re talking about the most malevolent entities that exist within human forms.

I’m still trying to get myself back to the good side, to be worthy again of the thriving brightness I remember. I haven’t seen it in almost five years. I’ve only one soul to go.

I’m looking over to Earth now. I see one! That one will work just fine. And before you get upset, remember: I didn’t pick your soul. You showed the blackness the first time you acted out without even trying to force the evil side away. You are the one who allowed temptation to drive you over the edge to the other side.

 

The Other Side: Melinda’s Story

by Starr Gardinier Reina

Publisher:  Suspense Publishing, an ITW approved publishing company

Genre:  Paranormal, Mystery

212 pages ebook/paperback

Links:  Goodreads  |  Barnes & Noble  |  Amazon  |  Smashwords

Released April 9, 2013.

Melinda James has a problem. She’s in Skyview Haven because her entire family and best friend are dead. Did she kill them? Does she belong in the asylum keeping her from harming herself and others?

Her father Paul James is killed in a car accident. She attends his funeral and she does see him lying in the casket. Or does she? It turns out her best friend Beth is the one who is dead and her father is there to console her. What is going on?

She thinks she’s going crazy, especially when she discovers both are actually gone from this earth and they talk to her from…‘the other side.’ Are her father and Beth actually speaking to her from beyond? Why? What do they want?

Soon, Melinda finds the answers and they aren’t what she wants to hear. Paul insists he was killed and his whole family is in danger.

This is part of Melinda’s story that she shares with Dr. Alex Leever, the psychiatrist who is assigned her case. All she wants is someone to hear her story—and believe. Melinda slowly begins to trust Dr. Leever and steadily reveals her long, complicated, intricate tale.

While at Skyview, Melinda meets Trent and they become friends, until she learns something about him that rocks her world. Is he there to hurt her? Does he want what her father was killed over?

Problems mount quickly and she discovers that there are people who want something only she can give them. Is Trent one of those people?

Her family tries to help from beyond, but Melinda is running out of time. She needs to give them what they want or die. Can the dead protect the living? Will they be enough to protect her?

I tried to tell them it was going to happen, but nobody would listen. They all said I was just having bad dreams, or that I was crazy.
It started at my father’s funeral. It’s been so long since it first began, about eight years ago. Sometimes though, it seems like yesterday. My father was there. No, I don’t mean just in the casket. He was there. He talked to me, begged me to tell Mom that we all needed to run and hide. He said we were all in danger.

I asked him why he didn’t tell Mom himself. He said he tried, but she wasn’t listening. I heard him fine. But I didn’t believe him. Why would we be in danger? We can’t just up and leave. My friends are all here in Beaumont. When I told him this, he said it was important, that it was a matter of life and death. He seemed so worried, but I was so confused, I blew him off.

I guess when it first happened I didn’t pay any heed to his warning. We went on with our lives. Mom was grief stricken, my brother Kyle was in his own world playing videos and I was trying to shut my father out of my mind. Was I going crazy? What was wrong with me? Dad was dead, but I could still see and hear him.

A paralegal by day, she’s an author by night. Apart from being an award winning author for her short story “Cut”, Reina has appeared in a blaze and made her mark on the literary world with her Ivanovich Series. The first is “In the Name of Revenge”, the second, “Deadly Decisions” and the third, “One Major Mistake” was released July 10, 2012. Having studied and obtained her Bachelor’s Degree in Literature/Creative Writing, she has found her unique style and is known for her works’ distinctive voice, making every character stand out.

Reina is the artistic creator of the Ivanovich series featuring Pavel Ivanovich. Flanking Ivanovich’s side in “Deadly Decisions” is Teresa Mancini, who vies with Ivanovich for readers’ attention. According to J.M. LeDuc, who was “raised in an Italian family”, Teresa “is perfect…like all your characters”. Reina is also the author of young adult novella “Cruel Whispers” and its sequel novel “Cruel Past”.

Reina is an executive editor for Suspense Magazine. She has been interviewed in the newspaper and on the radio with relation to her fiction work. She has been a co-host on Suspense Radio.

Reina is a member of International Thriller Writers (ITW) and of Sisters in Crime, Los Angeles Chapter and nationally. She has won three Best Speaker awards as well as Best Evaluator at the Voice Ambassadors chapter of Toastmasters. She has always been active in events. As co-chair and main coordinator for the West Coast Author Premiere, she arranged the weekend-long event to help authors from all over network, learn and share their work with the public. Reina has also been instrumental in compiling authors and planning a local author event at Barnes and Noble in Ventura, California along with the store’s event manager.

Please read more about Starr at www.QueenWriter.com or visit her blog at www.qw-blog.blogspot.com.

Facebook  |  FB Author Page  |  Twitter  |  Blog  |  Website

 

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Cover Reveal: Relentless by Molly H Hall

Posted by Lizzy on Apr 15, 2013 in covers | 1 comment

Today, I’m happy to present the sequel to one of my favorite books of 2012.  You can read my review of Reckoning by Molly M Hall.  It’s one of those books that were so good that I purchased a second copy after reviewing just to share with friends.  If you like paranormal romances with creepy scenes, then you’ll love this series.  Check out the cover to book two!  Beautiful!

Relentless (Dark Prophecy #2) by Molly H Hall

“Out of the darkness and into the fire.

The truth changes everything.”

The discovery of who and what she is changed Kat Matheson’s life forever, revealing a world she never knew existed. A world filled with ominous spirits, mystical beings and dark magic. And a powerful ruler who will stop at nothing to achieve his ultimate goal: her death. Now, in her fight to stay alive, and to protect those she loves, Kat begins the battle to take back what’s hers.

Teaming with the enigmatic Lovell, Kat searches for the clues that hold the secret to her destiny. Clues that take her to places she never imagined, exposing her life—and her heart—to dangers she never saw coming…

Coming soon…Relentless, Book 2 in the Dark Prophecy series.

 

 ”They say the truth can set you free. I found out it can kill you.”

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