Release Day Party! The Last Priestess by Elizabeth Baxter

We’re celebrating the release of The Last Priestess today. The Last Priestess is a fantasy novel by author Elizabeth Baxter. Purchase the book today!

Title: The Last Priestess
Series: The Songmaker #1
Author: Elizabeth Baxter

Blurb:

They call him the Songmaker, and he is bringing civil war to the once-peaceful kingdom of Amaury. For Maegwin, a bitter priestess, the path forward lies in forgiving her temple's enemies—but she dreams only of revenge. For Rovann, a king’s man, salvation might be found in the unthinkable: defying the very king he swore to protect. Unlikely alliances must be forged. Somehow these two must learn to trust not only themselves but each other if they are to stand against the terrible wrath of the Songmaker.

And so a magical epic of darkness and redemption begins.

Tour: Midnight Queen by Jessica Penot (Promo Post!)

Title: The Midnight Queen
Series: The Gods of Morning #2
Author: Jessica Penot
Pub. Date: November 23rd, 2012
Genre(S):Post-Apocalyptic Fantasy / Dystopian

Synopsis:

Aiela has spent her entire life sheltered from the world. Her only dream has been to escape the quiet island life she's know and find adventure in the world outside. After the death of her mother, Aeila escapes to the University, a world filled with technological wonders and exotic people. But her own history is dark and the secrets behind her birth may destroy everything that hold Aiella together.


Book
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Check out Book 1 in the series here!

Guest Post

Mayan Prophecies as used in The Midnight Queen
When I began working on my novels, The Twilight Saint and The Midnight Queen, its sequel, I was deeply inspired by a trip I took to Chichen Itza in Mexico. I had heard that the Mayans predicted that the world would end on December 21, 2012, but I didn’t know much more about the prophecy other than that it existed. My visit to Chichen Itza deepened my knowledge of these prophecies and inspired me to begin writing about a world after the apocalypse. Chichen Itza is one of the most monumental of a series of Mayan ruins in the Yucatan area. Its beauty and size are awe inspiring. Its history is fascinating. During my trip, we were lead through the sprawling ruins of the fallen city by an amazingly knowledgeable Mayan guide that explained Mayan prophecy to us. According to our guide, Mayan history came in phases and that the ruins were in layers depending on their period of origin. There were the Olmec, Toltec, and Classical Mayan phases represented in the ruins of Chichen Itza, none of which were surviving when the first Europeans set foot on the shores of the New World.

One of the most fascinating things our guide explained to us about the Mayans had to do with the 2012 apocalyptic prophecy. At the time we travelled, the 2012 prophecy was far less well known and no one expected to hear anything about it. Our guide told us that the Mayan calendar was cyclical and that the Mayan's believed that the world was born and died many times. He talked about the last apocalypse. He said that it was an apocalypse of water and that the earth was covered in a great flood. He said that when that age, the age of water, was brought to an end by the flood a new age was born, an age of fire. We are now in the age of fire. In 2012 our age of fire will end in fire and an age of ether will be born. The end of the world will also be the beginning of a new world.

In my book, The Twilight Saint, it is the end of the age of ether. In the second book in the series, The Midnight Queen, the age of ether is ending. In the last book in the series, the new age will be born. The world has ended and been reborn many times and it is going to end again. The post-apocalyptic landscape that is seen in my novels is filled with the ruins of our civilization. Scholars study us as we now study the Mayans. The cycle of life has come and gone again. It has been thousands of years since the end of our world and the new world is about to end and be born again.

About the author:

I am a therapist and writer who lives in Alabama with my three corgis, children, husband, and other strange creatures. My short stories have been published in numerous literary magazines and anthologies including CSM, Summer Gothic, Bound By Blood, and Outer Darkness. I have ghost story columns in the Valley Planet and White Cat Magazine where I share my love for ghost stories that send shivers down your spine and keep you up at night. I also share my passion for all things ghostly and haunted at my blog, ghost stories and haunted places.

I am currently working on my next Haunted America Book for History Press, Haunted South Alabama. Follow me at my blog to learn about the ghost stories I am chasing and collecting for this fascinating addition to Haunted America. I'm also workng on the next book in my Circe series. The demon is awake and waiting for my new heroine in the swamps of Southern Alabama.

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*I am not affiliated to Amazon, B&N, or the Book Depository.

Promo: Highlander Unchained by Donna Fletcher

Title: Highlander Unchained
Author: Donna Fletcher
Date Published: September 2012
Genre(s): Historical Romance

Blurb:

The infamous warrior Cree is paraded before the village Dowell and though shackled and wounded he walks with arrogant pride, meeting all the curious and fearful stares of the villagers with a fierceness that has them quickly turning their heads away... all but one woman.

Dawn cannot keep her eyes off the captured warrior, though tales of his exploits suggests he’s more devil than man. When his eyes meet hers, she wonders if the notorious tales are true for only the devil himself could be that sinfully handsome.

Dawn is summoned by the liege lord Colum and ordered to tend Cree, in all ways possible, while he awaits his fate, and please him she must or suffer the consequences. Colum laughs when he issues his orders. He’s sending not only a plain woman to please the mighty warrior in his final days, but one he’ll find no pleasure with. After all what man wants a woman who cannot utter a sound?

But no shackles can hold Cree and when he breaks free he returns to claim the voiceless woman who found a way into his silent heart.

Book Blitz: Frost Fire by Olivia Rivers + Giveaway

Title: Frost Fire
Series: Tortured Elements #1
Author: Olivia Rivers
Pub. Date: November 20th, 2012
Genre(s): YA Paranormal Romance

Blurb:

“Magic is just like love, Allai. It won’t wait for permission before it destroys you.”

Like sand in an hourglass, Allai’s future is dwindling away. She’s spent her entire life fighting the Mages who threaten humanity, and dreams of someday eradicating magic. But all it takes is an anonymous phone call for the truth to spill out: Allai is the one thing she despises most. 



She’s a Mage. 



Though ancient law mandates Allai’s death, she still has one last chance of survival. His name is Drake Rhaize, and he swears he can lead Allai to a sanctuary for Mages. Allai hasn’t seen Drake in years, but she remembers him as the Demon boy who used to hold her close and softly whisper that he’d keep her safe. But Drake has changed since then: He’s now suspected of murder, and has been out-casted for betraying his own kind.

While Allai doesn’t trust Drake, she has no choice but to put her life in his hands and hope he can get her to safety. Because Allai’s father has hired a pack of Demons to bring her back to him, dead or alive–and Demons never stop the hunt.

Virtual Character Tour: Dark Seraphine by KaSonndra Leigh

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Title: Dark Seraphine (A Lost Immortals Prequel)
Series: Lost Immortals Prequel
Author: KaSonndra Leigh
Pub. Date: October 21, 2012

Blurb:

"Mom always says the angels walk among us. She forgot to tell me that sometimes they're not all fluffy and nice."

Seventeen-year-old Caleb Wood has seen people he calls the walkers since he was a baby. It didn't take long for him to realize something…no one can see these strangers but him. They never stuck around or tried to touch him. And they never said a word. That was until one day on the first day of class in his senior year when an incredibly gorgeous girl strolls into his life…and things are never the same again.

Soon Caleb realizes he has stepped into the middle of a growing conflict between two ancient groups. And his ability to see the invisible ones, the half-breeds that want to modify the human race, just might be the only hope both he and the mysterious, but infuriating Gia have of making it out alive.

Book
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Promo: The Doorknob Society by M.J. Fletcher

YA Urban Fantasy/ SteamPunk/Paranormal
Title: The Doorknob Society
Series: The Doorknob Society Saga
Author: M.J. Fletcher
Date Published: February 9, 2012

Synopsis:

Chloe Masters’ world changes in a heartbeat and all she did was touch a doorknob.

When she was young Chloe’s mother vanished. Wracked by feelings of abandonment and anger she lost herself traveling with her father’s magic act, where illusions were part of her everyday life. Yet everything changes when they are pursued by a mysterious man in black out to kill her father. Touching a doorknob activates abilities she never knew she had and she finds herself thrust into a world of ancient societies and secrets.

When her father disappears it is a race against time to find answers before she loses what’s left of her family. Now Chloe must choose who to trust, the man who will do anything for her or the one she can’t stop thinking about.

Mega Promo Blitz: Emily's Trial by Natalie Wright

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Title: Emily's Trial
Series: Akasha Chronicals #2
Author: Natalie Wright
Date published: October 2012
Genres: YA Paranormal/Fantasy

Book Description:

Emily's journey began two years ago when she became a modern Celtic Priestess. Armed with a magic dagger and the powerful golden torc, she was entrusted with sacred magic and ancient wisdom.

But even a Priestess can know desire, feel temptation, and yearn for love. Will passion entice Emily to use the sacred magic in a forbidden way? Can new love take root in a world of nightmares? And will her friendships survive Emily’s Trial?

The Journey Continues . . .

Mini Promo Blitz!: "Weaving Magic"

Title: Weaving Magic
Author: Mindy Hardwick
Genre: YA Romance
Date Published: April 27, 2012

Synopsis:

Synopsis: He loves magic. She loves romance. But the biggest illusion is the one Shantel and Christopher perform together. Sixteen- year- old Christopher fights to stay sober while fifteen-year-old Shantel struggles in the aftermath of her mother’s death and seeks refuge in a fantasy world. But the unacknowledged roots of their problems refuse to stay buried and soon, the two are headed toward a deadly magic trick. Can Shantel and Christopher move beyond magical illusions to find love?

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About the author

Mindy Hardwick enjoys writing tales of romance for teens and adults. Her books for young adults include Weaving Magic and Stained Glass Summer. Mindy gets many of her ideas from the poetry workshop she facilitates at a juvenile detention center. Some of the real life teen poems can be found at www.denneypoetry.com

Mindy is included on the Washington State Arts Commission Teaching Artist Roster, and holds an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College. She is a member of SCBWI. Currently, Mindy is hard at work on her next romance for teens which is a spin-off Holiday story from Stained Glass Summer.


WEAVING MAGIC EXCERPT

Everything would be okay, I told myself. Christopher was my boyfriend. I trusted him. I crunched inside the wicker basket and curled my legs underneath me. I wiped my sweating palms onto my black slacks. The audience stopped calling for an encore. They were so silent I wasn’t sure anyone was still out there.

I’d barely gotten my balance before the first sword barreled into the basket with a lot more force than we’d practiced. Startled, I realized Christopher was keyed up from the magic show performance. He was overestimating the force he was putting behind the swords.

I tried to figure out how to tell him to slow down. I couldn’t very well call out to him or the audience would hear.

Before I could it figure out, the second sword zoomed past me and into the basket. The two swords crossed over my head, and I rearranged myself so I could crouch lower. As I shifted, a third sword whizzed by my left arm and peeled off a small layer of my skin. I saw the blood before I felt the searing pain.

WEAVING MAGIC EXCERPT—LONG

“Gotcha, Superstar,” Christopher said as he stood up beside me. He wrapped his arms around me the way he’d done in the bakery.

“Umpfh.” Seemed the only word I could manage.

“Shantel,” Christopher murmured.

“Mmmm.” I enjoyed the way my name sounded on his lips.

Slowly, he began to rub small circles on my back before he reached up, and cupped my chin. Lifting my face, Christopher lowered his mouth to mine and time seemed to stop. Softly at first, we moved our lips, and then, hesitantly, I parted my mine just a bit. Christopher’s tongue quickly moved inside my mouth and swirled gently. Christopher pressed his hands against my lower back and drew me closer to him.

Thinking fast about what the romance heroines did, I moved my fingers softly into his hair. The kiss deepened, and Christopher’s hands moved slowly down my sides, and then up under my shirt. I knew I should tell him to stop. We were alone in my bedroom. Dad could comehome at any minute. But a part of me didn’t want him to stop. I wanted him to keep going. I wanted to see what happened.

Christopher’s fingers played with the edges of my bra. “Want to take it off?” he murmured.

In a bit of a haze, I stepped away from Christopher. I lowered my hands to the edges of my t-shirt and then froze. What was I doing? Everything was moving so fast. So fast, I could barely think. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw myself in the mirror. My face was flushed. My shirt was askew, and I looked like I was terrified.

This wasn’t how I was supposed to look. I was supposed to look like I was enjoying it. I looked like a fright show was happening.

I stepped away from Christopher and straightened my shirt. I combed my fingers throughmy hair and ran my tongue over my lips. But, I couldn’t look at him. I was so confused. I wanted him to keep going. I wanted to see what it would be like to be with him. But it all seemed so out of control. And out of control was scary. When people got out of control, bad things happened. “Maybe later?” I muttered.

“Okay.” Christopher adjusted his shirt. Without looking at me he said, “I should probably get going.”

“Sure,” I mumbled. My stomach cramped. Why did he want to leave now? We could have hung out like Drew and I. We could have talked about physics. But he wanted to leave. Did that mean I just blew my chance with him? Why didn’t I let it go just a bit further? I was sure Christopher thought I was a baby for stopping. I was fifteen. Old enough not to get freaked out by a little kiss in my bedroom. I wanted to rush over to him, throw off my shirt, and tell him I’d made a mistake. Instead, I followed Christopher down the stairs and attempted to breathe.

This tour was organized by Reading Addiction Virtual Book Tours