Monday 16 October 2017

Happy Birthday Snowy Wings Publishing (#GIVEAWAY!!)


Happy mid-October, everyone! You may not realize it, but this month (October 3, technically) marks Snowy Wings Publishing's one-year anniversary! It's incredible to think how far we've come in just one year. We are so pleased to have brought you so many great books this year, and we're looking forward to continuing the tradition for many years to come! We have some exciting announcements in the coming weeks about new authors joining the ranks and new books from our current authors; but in the meantime, we want to celebrate our first year by bringing you an awesome giveaway!

Happy Birthday: Enter to Win 12 Paperbacks & More

To celebrate SWP's one-year anniversary, we are giving away one giant prize pack including paperback books, swag, and more! You can find the full prize list below; here's the entry form:

A Free Gift For Everyone

But we wanted to do more than just a typical raffle, to thank you all for your support this year. So we're giving everyone who enters a free digital swag pack! This download includes short stories, deleted scenes, a special printable journal designed for any book blogger or book lover, and a printable character guide to help aspiring writers!
Because this download includes ebooks and we know not everyone has the same kind of e-reader, there are two separate download links. Both have the exact same content; the only difference is the file extension on the ebooks.

What Are the Prizes?

PAPERBACK GIVEAWAY PRIZES:

One lucky winner will receive paperback or hardcover copies of:
Additionally, the winner will receive a phoenix necklace, a butterfly necklace, a space journal, and bookmarks galore!
📷
📷 📷
Just some of the great swag the winner will receive!
See the bottom of this post for rules and restrictions.

DIGITAL PRIZE PACK:

Every person who enters automatically receives the digital prize pack. Here's what's inside your download!
  • A special printable reader's journal from author Clara Kensie
  • "Building a Character Profile" - tips and tricks from author K.M. Robinson, plus bonus sample character profiles featuring behind-the-scenes info from Golden
    and Jaded
  • "Gale" - a short story from Perchance to Dream
    , by Lyssa Chiavari
  • "The Desperate Warrior and the Beast Who Walks Without Sound" - a short story from Perchance to Dream
    , by T. Damon
  • "Ball Gowns and Blood Stains" - a short story by Dorothy Dreyer
  • "The Adventure of the Silicon Beeches" - a short story by Mary Fan
  • "A Love for the Mistletoe" - a short story from the A Love for the Pages
    universe, by Joy Penny
  • "A Turn on the Ice" - a short story/"lost" chapter from Crown of Ice
    , by Vicki L. Weavil
Missed the links above? Here they are again! Download the prize pack for Kindle
, or for all other e-readers
!

RULES AND RESTRICTIONS FOR PAPERBACK GIVEAWAY:

No purchase necessary. Open to residents of the countries on this list
. Winner must have a valid mailing address in one of the listed countries in order to receive the prizes. Prizes will be shipped individually, so please allow up to 2-3 months for all prizes to be delivered. The winner will be randomly selected and we will contact the winner via email to obtain winner's mailing address. We will not use any entrant's information for any purpose other than contacting the winner.

Saturday 14 October 2017

#OctoberFrights Blog Hop - Twisted Tales


For my last post of the blog hop I'm going local and inviting you into the Twisted Tales from the Jaw. This short collection of 3 chilling reads is part of a 6 volume series... 

Do you love scary stories? Do you like short reads? 
You'll love these three tales with shades of the Twilight Zone and Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark. 
If you're not as twisted as these three short tales, you will be soon…

A body found floating in the water latches on to its savior and won't let go.
A teen obsessed with the local bat migration transforms in the dark of night.
An intern stretched to the limits becomes one with his tormentors.

HERE'S A FREE COLOURING PAGE TO KICK OFF MY TWISTED TALES SERIES...ENJOY!







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AND HERE'S A MEGA-GIVEAWAY!!


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Thursday 12 October 2017

#OctoberFrights Blog Hop - Demons and Angels


Today I'm talking demons and angels. I prefer books about demons... like my Laws of Summoning Series where Dacie Cantar learns she comes from a long line of demon summoners responsible for maintaining the balance of good and evil in the world. Only she's stalked by the one demon who took her mother's life ... Diavol...

Law One: A summoner is responsible for all creatures she lets through from the netherworld.

Dacie Cantar wishes someone had explained the Laws of Summoning to her before she watched a shadowy creature crawl out of a painting at the local arcade.

But at least it explains the strange things she's witnessed since moving in with her great-aunt, after her mother’s untimely death. But who wants to be followed by shadows the rest of their life?

Add that to being stalked by a strange boy at school, who just might be her Tovaros or soulmate, and it’s about all Dacie can handle in her new life.
It's currently on sale at Amazon.com!!



Another great urban fantasy is Cassandra Clare's Mortal Instruments. Take the Shadowhunters Kiss, Kill, Marry quiz and let me know your results in the comments. CLICK HERE to play.

And don't forget to enter my Rafflecopter below for your chance to win a $10 Amazon.com e-giftcard!










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AND HERE'S A MEGA-GIVEAWAY!!


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Tuesday 10 October 2017

#OctoberFrights Blog Hop Begins!


Hello, readers! Welcome to October Frights! Join the hop and find author giveaways of spooky reads to make your skin crawl!

Today I'm featuring a very scary anthology, Fragments of Darkness! It features the prequel to my Faithe Eileen series, The Transgressions of Faithe Eileen.


About the anthology...

Fragments of Darkness
An Anthology of Thrilling Stories

From between the cracks of imagination, among the splinters of the unknown, and upon the winds of mystery, lurk the Fragments of Darkness. With legends of killer mermaids to tales of Civil War era ghosts, ten passionate story-tellers come together to bring you yarns of fantasy, paranormal, and chills and thrills that will entertain, intrigue, and enchant young adult and new adult readers.

Amazon: US | CA | UK



Here's a quick tease of my story (and a giveaway at the bottom of the page)!

Jake’s touch sets my skin on fire. Maybe it’s because we’re hidden between the brick wall of the gymnasium and the thick trees of the woods, where one never knows who could be watching. Or maybe it’s because we’re not supposed to be here, and I know my momma would beat me senseless for giving up my body like this. But Jake says all the kids do it, so what’s the big deal?
A touch. A tingle. A grab. A sigh.
“Can we meet up tonight?” he asks between heavy breaths.
“Maybe.”
But I know we’ll meet up. Again and again until Jake can take me away from this place. Away from my broken-down life. Away from Momma and her rules. Away from my loneliness.
Keep your transgressions in check, Faithe Eileen. I cringe at the memory of Momma’s warning. They’ll catch up with you one day.
A rustle in the trees is enough to spook me.
“Come back.” Jake reaches for my hand, but I pull away.
“I should go.”
He groans, but I don’t stop moving away. I grab my school bag from the twisting grass and sling it over my shoulder, moving quickly toward the opening in the chain link that holds back the wild woods from spilling into the school yard.
“Faithe!” Jake calls, a pain present in his voice that makes me pause and look over my shoulder. “Love you.”
My face heats up as I duck behind the fence on the worn path through the woods. I’ve never answered Jake, not once. I love that he loves me. I love that one day he’ll steal me away from this place. But until that time, saying those words would create so much hope inside me that I’d fall apart if anything went wrong. Hope disappoints. It’s better not to love.
Each step I take on the path in the woods is muffled by the decomposing blanket of red, gold, and orange leaves cast down by the bare branches that stretch out above me. When I was young I was afraid of the woods in the fall—worried the trees wanted to reach down and kidnap me. When I finally told Momma, she gave me a lickin’ for believing that trees could act like the devil himself. I learned to love the woods as a place to hide from her. Sometimes the things closest to you can be the scariest of all.
It’s not far down the path when I hear the rustling again. It’s too clumsy to be an animal—their steps are more careful and pronounced. No, these sounds are from something much more human. I take a few more steps, hastily spinning when the rustling starts again.
Gotcha.
Two boys from school, Marcus and Rodney, follow close behind. They’re old friends of Jake’s. “Old” as in “before he started seeing me.” They’ve never been careful about voicing their dislike of Jake dating me.
“What do you want?” I ask as they freeze in place, their eyes widening from being caught. It’s not long before smirks appear on their faces.
“We saw you behind the school,” Marcus says. “Looks like you and Jake were having fun.” Rodney grunts from beside him, holding up his phone in my direction.
The rustling. I knew someone was there. The heat left behind from Jake’s touch rushes to my cheeks.
“Mind your own business.” I turn away and walk faster than before. But that’s a mistake. I’m still wearing flats and their smooth soles slip across the rotted leaves. Soon I’ve landed on my backside and am scrambling to get up again.
“Careful there.” Marcus stands beside me. He offers a hand, but I ignore it and push myself up from the ground. He’s so close, I can smell his cologne, but when I step back the rough bark of the tree catches on the back of my shirt.
“Do you think your mother would like to see what you were doing behind the school?” Marcus tilts his head, his smirk now a sneer.
My heart speeds up at the mention of my mother. “What are you talking about?”
Rodney moves behind Marcus, still holding his phone. He’s focused on the screen, not us. But then it all makes sense.
“You didn’t—”
“Oh, yes, we did.” Marcus laughs, sending a painful wave of goosebumps across my skin. “Jake couldn’t help but slip and tell us about your favourite spot to make out.”
“No.”
“Yes.” Marcus narrows his eyes. “Show her.”
Rodney pulls his phone down and turns it toward me. The screen shows my back to the woods, and Jake’s hands are all over me. Up my shirt. Up my skirt. No.
“Give it to me.” I lunge at Rodney, but Marcus pushes me back against the tree. Rodney steps back and turns the phone to start videoing again.
“I’m thinking you don’t want your mom to see this,” Marcus says again, reaching a finger out as he flicks at the top button of my blouse. “Plus, I never really knew what you saw in Jake. I know he’s my friend and all, but come on. Wouldn’t you rather have a turn with the captain of the football team?”
I shake my head. This can’t be happening. No, no, no. My mother, she’ll beat me if she sees that video. She’ll never let me see Jake again. All my chances at escaping this life will be gone.
I turn my eyes back to Marcus and take a deep breath. “What is it you want?”
His eyes widen and his breath comes out in a pant. He never expected me to agree. Little does he know just how desperate I am. But I’m not as easy as he thinks.
“Five minutes.” His mouth is practically drooling. “Five minutes of making out and I can touch you anywhere I want.”
I bite my lip. Five minutes of hell. Am I willing to do this for freedom?
“Agreed. But you give me the phone before we start.”
Marcus doesn’t tear his eyes away from me. His breathing is ragged now and he shifts from foot to foot with agitation or anxiety. No, anticipation.
“What?” Rodney shakes his head. “No way. That’s not what we talked about, man.”
“Give it!” Marcus turns and tears the phone from Rodney’s grasp and hands it over to me. But before he lets go, he has one last rule. “Rodney gets to watch.”
I nod as I pull the phone away, flipping through apps until I find the videos and delete them. Then I throw it as far as I can into the woods.
“You bitch!” Rodney screams as he stampedes into the trees to find his precious phone. I can’t help but smile in justification.
“Five minutes starts now.” Marcus leans in, but I’ve got a surprise for him as well.
“No.” I step to the side, ducking away from his wet lips. “It’s not gonna happen.”
I slip out of my shoes and break into a run. These woods are mine. I know them and they know me. If I can just get to the ravine, I know I can jump across and lose him.
But the captain of the football team is faster than me, and within minutes I’m tackled to the ground, debris cutting into my knees and his tight grip bruising my arms. I struggle against him, but Marcus is stronger. “We had a deal.” His words grunt out like the animal he is. He flips me over and leans in for his prize. His mouth drowns mine and he lets go of my arms as his clumsy fingers reach for my shirt.
I take my only chance.
Both of my hands reach up and grab the sides of Marcus’s face. But this time I don’t push him away—I hold on tight and focus. It doesn’t take long until I feel his body start to tremble. And it has nothing to do with hormones.
I’ve just shown Marcus his death.
When his body finally quits shaking, I manage to slip out from underneath his weight and stand up. His oversized football stature is now curling up like a baby, and I can hear his whimpers. I know it’s not permanent. It’ll pass. I just need to find my shoes and get out of here before it does.
“What did you do?” Rodney asks from behind a tree. He’s holding his phone up in our direction. Dammit.

Forgoing my shoes, I turn and disappear into the woods. Every step against the broken branches and rocks tears into my nylons and feet, but I barely notice. All I can think of is Rodney. What did he see?

Come back tomorrow for a discussion on demons & don't miss out my giveaway below!

Join the hop for more scary reads, and a massive giveaway where you have a chance to win my newest release, The Revelations of Faithe Eileen...





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AND HERE'S A MEGA-GIVEAWAY!!


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Release Day: The Missing Guardian


It's release day for The Missing Guardian!! 


Seth Reid didn’t mean to run away with a shapeshifter.

When he lost his Dad one year ago, Seth’s world fell apart. On the verge of pushing the rest of his family away, he meets Belvedere, a quirky shapeshifter, who seeks help to eliminate a dark infection that threatens the Four Worlds of Life.

But when the guardian of the world of air and wind goes missing, everything falls apart. Seth is pulled into the Void, where he meets a dark figure who’s determined to become one with Seth.

On an adventure filled with dragons, elemental crystals, and an unknown prophecy lost over time, Seth questions his ability to help. And the more his doubts grow, the stronger the dark infection becomes. Will his bond with his siblings be enough to stop the infection?

And if Seth succeeds, will he finally be able to move past his father’s death?


Publisher: Snowy Wings Publishing
Release Date: October 10, 2017
Genre: Middle Grade/Young Adult Fantasy

Check out my publisher's anniversary giveaway... on for 20 more days! Enter to win some great books and Swag <3


Tuesday 3 October 2017

YASH is HERE!!!


It's YASH day! The best YA Scavenger Hunt of the year.

What is YASH?

The "hunt" is a puzzle that's just adding up numbers. Participants will write down all the secret numbers on a team, total them, and submit the answer to be entered for the grand prize. There are 7 grand prizes being offered, one for each team. That prize is a book from each author on that team.

I'm on Team Pink!! You can start here to enter: 





Tuesday 26 September 2017

#YASH Teams Announced!


The YASH teams have been announced and I'm super excited to say that I'm on Team Pink with a wicked line up of other awesome YA authors!!! Check them out below:


Find the rest of the YASH teams here:

      

Join me back on October 3rd for the Scavenger Hunt!

Friday 25 August 2017

Book Review: Flowers, White Lies by Yvonne Ventresca

BLACK FLOWERS, WHITE LIES
Yvonne Ventresca
Sky Pony Press

Her father died before she was born, but Ella Benton knows they have a supernatural connection. Since her mother discourages these beliefs, Ella keeps her cemetery visits secret. But she may not be the only one with secrets. Ella’s mother might be lying about how Dad died sixteen years ago. New found evidence points to his death in a psychiatric hospital, not as a result of a tragic car accident as her mother always claimed. After a lifetime of just the two of them, Mom suddenly feels like a stranger.

When a handprint much like the one Ella left on her father’s tombstone mysteriously appears on the bathroom mirror, at first she wonders if Dad is warning her of danger as he did once before. If it’s not a warning, could her new too-good-to-be-true boyfriend be responsible for the strange occurrences? Or maybe it’s the grieving building superintendent whose dead daughter strongly resembles Ella? As the unexplained events become more frequent and more sinister, Ella becomes terrified about who—or what—might harm her.

Soon the evidence points to someone else entirely: Ella herself. What if, like her father, she’s suffering from a breakdown? In this second novel from award-winning author Yvonne Ventresca, Ella desperately needs to find answers, no matter how disturbing the truth might be.


This book was every bit of amazing as I hoped it would be. From the first pages where I met Ella and her cemetery visits to her father's grave to the last page where a tangled web of secrets finally unraveled, I was pulled into Ella's world body, mind, and soul. With hints of just enough mystery, this book soon turns thriller as we start to piece together the dangers that Ella experiences -- are they paranormal or not -- I can't say without a spoiler. But I will definitely say that this book does not disappoint. With an ending that hits you with just enough punch, this white knuckled ride does not leave you hanging.

5 stars definitely go to BLACK FLOWERS, WHITE LIES. I am now on the path to a lifelong fandom of Yvonne Ventresca and will be seeking out more of her books.