REVIEW: The Northern Gate by J.C. Clarke BLOG TOUR

On December 6, 2013 the first of four volumes of The Edelyn Legacy  releases on Amazon.

The Northern Gate

by J.C. Clarke

Genre: Fantasy/Romance

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Summary:

According to the Bible, God created the world in seven days, but what if the beginning happened before Humankind documented it for posterity?

Humans didn’t see everything clearly, because they didn’t understand. They turned away in fear, forgot the beings that had come to Earth and, over time, the Seraphim became nothing but a legend, a bedtime story. Corruption and greed, bred from hatred and evil, spread across the face of the earth as Humans evolved and developed. It was in this filth, and amongst the seven deadly sins, that Tabitha Morgan was born and kept alive, hidden in plain sight from the darkness.

For seventeen years, Tabitha thrived under her grandmother’s guardianship, living a normal life and not knowing the truth about her heritage or the roots from which she came.

That all changes the day a handsome stranger named Nathan walks into her life. Will the ancient secrets he holds be enough to earn her trust? Is it the Light, or does Darkness await them beyond The Northern Gate?

My Review:

*DISCLOSURE: I did the primary edits for this novel; therefore my opinion may be considered biased.*

The prisoner; the wandering man; Natanael; Nathan . . . all one in the same.

Prepare to be taken on an adventure that begins in a small, rural village where everyday things like bicycling and ballet classes are commonplace and ends in a new world, that is to say, another dimension. Clarke is putting a refreshing spin on the age old tale of creation and you aren’t going to want to miss out!

Picture, if you will, existing in the dark, surrounded by a lack of anything warm . . . heat, light, goodness. Yet, you don’t give up. Even when this is all you know for centuries, you still do not despair, because you have a purpose; one that will affect the survival of not one, but two worlds. 

Oh, but wait, there’s more—because of who you are and from whom you have descended, you have control over the elements. All of them: earth, wind, air, and fire. This means you are a power to be reckoned with; feared if you choose the dark, yet revered when on the path of light. You are special, but not nearly as special as Tabitha Morgan . . . a normal seventeen year old girl.

Or so she thinks.

Book one of The Edelyn Legacy introduces us to Tabitha, Nathan, and a plethora of unique characters who come together with one purpose: protecting the girl. For Tabitha to learn who she really is, they just have to keep her alive long enough to get through The Northern Gate.

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J.C. Clarke lives in the heart of the New Forest in England with her husband and four children. Never a dull moment, her full house provides no shortage of inspiration which fuels her writing. She loves reading and writing a variety of genres in addition to dabbling with graphic art to create book covers, swag and more.

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BLITZ! Hattie: A Novel by Anna Bozena Bowen

HATTIE: A Novel Anna Bozena Bowen

Synopsis: Recipient of twelve book awards, HATTIE, a debut novel, begins with the end of a woman's life and delivers a story that comes out of the heart and soul of what it means to be human in a sometimes inhuman world. In a spare and powerful narrative, this soulful story takes us on an intimate journey through the meaning of Hattie's life and life in general. HATTIE is a mystical, spiritual, and very human experience.

Excerpt: At first she struggled. The terror of impending death had instinctively gripped her. Her lips clenched. The pressure of tightly held air mounted until searing pain tore through her chest. Her lungs felt on fire. To hold back what was inevitable, her throat and face hardened like a stone dam. Her body twisted in agony. Her face distorted. Her hands clawed. One last thought fought its way through the terror. “Not like this.” She didn't want agony. She didn't want to look deformed. And she knew she was going to die. So she made the last choice she was ever going to make. She stopped struggling. Slowly her body began to untwist. Her arms and legs loosened and let the water hold them. Her face softened. She parted her lips and opened her mouth. Her throat relaxed. The cool clear water of Willow Lake flowed into her. She stopped struggling for air that wasn't there and the fire in her lungs was soothed. There was no more pain. No more struggle. As she drifted downward, her eyes gazed upward and watched one last bubble of air be set free. One last whisper of life. She saw it floating away from her. Further and further toward the surface. Toward the sun's light glistening far above her.

~~~

Now I can tell my story for at least you know how I died. I drowned. Though I had known many terrors up to that point, the terror of death that seized me, surprised me. But I have to say, once I accepted death and was able to choose to release that last bubble of air, I felt a peace I had never known in my entire life.

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Anna Bozena Bowen: Writer, poet, nurse and intuitive, Bowen was the first American-born child to her Polish immigrant parents. Her personal journey, nursing career, and work with survivors of abuse “privileged me to hear many stories. I witnessed resilience of spirit and significance of voice,” she says. Her holistic approach to life and connection to the universe is evidenced in HATTIE, an awards winning novel. Bowen lives happily and creatively in Massachusetts with her husband of thirty-eight years.

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The Truth Seekers by Elizabeth Lawrence BLOG TOUR

Summary:

At the turn of the century, the Victorian upper classes live in a vibrant but strictly-ordered world that encourages gentle, intellectual pursuits. Theirs is a life of ease and elegance, but it can be snatched away from them in an instant if the rules of polite society are not followed. Gothic novelist Geoffrey Hawes has never been willing to let such restrictions hold him back, and he refuses to honor conventions for which there is no discernible value. When he spends a social season in a community created to celebrate the Arts, music, and philosophy, he is unexpectedly befriended by the daughter of the Governor, Miranda Claridge.

Bitter and disenchanted with the privileged and wealthy, Geoffrey finds his beliefs repeatedly challenged by the intelligent and vivacious Miranda. In the midst of their heated debates on the mores of the upper class, this unlikely friendship blossoms into a passionate love. He encourages her to pursue her interest in painting and gives her a new understanding of what relationships between men and women should be. Meanwhile, Miranda begins to open his eyes to all that is wonderful and beautiful and good in the world.

Geoffrey at last accepts that he has fallen in love with Miranda, but misunderstandings and lies come between them. Knowing that Miranda believes it is her duty to marry, he prepares himself to hear news of her wedding. Geoffrey attempts to escape the pain of her perceived rejection by traveling and throwing himself into his work. However, he cannot run forever. One day, he encounters Miranda again and soon discovers that she is not the same woman he left behind. Can the couple realize that they each must relinquish some of their prejudices and preconceived notions before it is too late? Can love really conquer all?

Guest Post!

You are the epitome of a multi-tasker: Doctor Who connoisseur, mother, editor, writer, wife, et cetera, but I want to focus on the editor/writer relationship with yourself. What does it take to balance it? How difficult is it to see plotline after plotline pass before your eyes and keep the ideas out of your own work; also, how stringent do you allow your editor half to be on your writer side? In an ideal world, which would you like to be doing full-time?

When I work with a writer for the first time, the initial reaction tends to be dismay. Even seasoned authors have a difficult time having their work dissected, and I’m not in the habit of handing out warm fuzzies when I edit. However, once we begin discussing recommended changes and potential solutions, I find that authors become much more confident about talking to me about their manuscripts. They even come to realize that a positive comment from me praising a particularly effective passage is a huge compliment, since I tend to be focused on explaining what they could do better rather than on what already works well. Over the course of editing their manuscript, authors learn that I actually have a deep respect for their characters, their story, and their voice, and I will go to great lengths to ensure the best possible presentation of their words and ideas. I take their work very seriously, and this is due in part to my own experiences as an author.

When I read a novel for fun, I can experience it like a normal reader, only having editorial twinges if the author has pinged one of my pet peeves. Otherwise, I can disregard many sins that I would object to on a novel I was editing. It’s important for me to be able to “switch off” the editor because I am an avid reader, and I would hate to no longer be able to properly lose myself in a story. Also, I primarily edit romance novels, but my preferred reading is cozy murder mysteries, so the elements of the books I read are different from those of the manuscripts I edit.

I never write reviews for novels I have edited. This is because when I edit I do not approach the novel as a reader. I am not experiencing the story recreationally (for lack of a better term). A good comparison might be what surgeons when they look at their patients in the operating room. They may have a deep commitment to preserving life, but their focus will be on fixing the internal problems, not on the patients’ external packaging, so to speak. Similarly, I am elbow-deep in manuscript entrails when I edit, and so I’m viewing the plot and characters clinically rather than with my imagination. And like a surgeon, who could never possibly remember the details of all the spleens or stomach viewed over the course of his or her career, I do not keep the details of each manuscript stored in my head. In fact, I almost have to forget, or my head might explode. I do, after all, work on a LOT of manuscripts.

The important thing is that when I sit down to work as a writer, I’m in a much different headspace. I’m conscious of all the things I badger other authors about, but I try to set those concerns aside initially in favor of focusing on just writing. Turning off my inner editor is perhaps the biggest challenge I face, so I will participate in NaNoWriMo and writing circles to help me overcome it. These sorts of vehicles present me with a metaphorical gun to the head and force me to write quickly without second-guessing myself. Later, I will go back and let my inner editor loose. I will comb over a manuscript over and over until someone drags it away from me, which is why The Truth Seekers is being published over three years from when I began working on it. I’m still not satisfied with it; I doubt I ever would be. This is why I often tell authors that they shouldn’t complain about the grief I give them – I’m so much harder on myself!

In the end, I consider myself a writer first and an editor second. I do think that it takes a special kind of thinking to be an effective editor, and I’m glad that I have been able to help the authors with whom I’ve worked in the past. But writing is my first love, and if someone would give me pots of money to just do that all day long, I’d be happy to oblige.

 

Author Bio:

Elizabeth Lawrence is the author of both contemporary and period romances. Each book incorporates its own unique blend of humor and reverence, the peculiar and the mundane. In addition to her novels, Elizabeth serves as a freelance editor. A lifelong writer and former paralegal, Elizabeth divides her free time between her husband and two sons, her three cats, her collection of cozy murder mysteries, and her mildly severe caffeine addiction. A native of Lawrence, Kansas, Elizabeth now works from her home in Cleveland, Ohio.

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Perhaps I've Said Too Much by Rodney Lacroix BLOG TOUR

Synopsis

"It's not a lie if you believe it."

Bionic fingers. Self-combusting Tiffany lamps. Rubber spiders and ventriloquist dolls. Vindictive mothers throwing women down stairs.

Rodney Lacroix has lived his life trying to fool people. Some of this is on purpose. Some of this just comes naturally. But no matter what the story he spins, there is always retribution - and it is very rarely a happy ending.

Join Rodney as he walks you through hysterical stories told through the eyes of a perpetual liar. Wince at his untruths, told in the same unconventional style that won him two awards for his 2012 release, "Things Go Wrong for Me." Feel his pain. Shake your head. Learn some lessons.

As usual, all of the stories contained herein are true.

Or are they?

Title: Perhaps I've Said Too Much

Author: Rodney Lacroix

Genre: Humor/Comedy

Publication Date:  December 3, 2013

Published By:  RCG Publishing

Purchase Links:

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About the Author

Rodney Lacroix is a comedian, father of two amazing kids, reluctant 40-hour-a-week software engineer and best-selling author. In 2013, Rodney was awarded an NGI Book Awards Medal for his memoir, "Things Go Wrong for Me." This beautiful medal is currently on display around his neck because he has not taken it off since receiving it. Also he's not very humble. Rodney firmly believes that fabricating grandiose tales about one's self makes

a person more impressive. That's exactly what he told Playgirl Magazine when they did a 4-page nude spread of him. It's probably best you don't believe anything Rodney says.

See my new book: "Perhaps I've Said Too Much"

Get my first book: "Things Go Wrong for Me"

Visit my blog: "Mental Poo."

All is Lost by Marie Wathen BLOG TOUR

Synopsis

Bang... One second: loud music, dancing, laughing, fun, family, friends, love and everything... Bang... Next second: screaming, running, crying, fear, pain, blood, loss and nothing... Bang.... The events of one night on Willow Island will irrevocably change the lives of so many forever. Breesan Maxwell’s ultimate downfall came that night after one kiss. The impenetrable wall surrounding her fragile heart crumbled, and now the entirety of it belongs to one man, Marcus Walker. Finally accepting his love along with those she denied for years, Breesan finds that it is vital to her existence. Better judgment and commitments be damned, Marcus Walker succumbs to the one thing he vowed never to do. Love found him that fateful night, but will his new happiness be lost while he struggles to save the woman of his dreams. Heaved unwillingly into his poisonous covert life, will she survive the threats of abductions, illegal experimental drugs, and death? Morgan Walker's twisted family responsibilities will lead him to an ultimatum that shreds his perfect plan apart. Promised one woman, intrigued by another, yet neither owns him. Will the one woman who could redeem his narcissistic ways be lost to him before he realizes that he suffers with a broken heart and needs her love? Can these entangled souls survive the relentless pursuits of unforeseen forces, stopping at nothing to get what they desire? Or can Breesan, Morgan and Marcus push through their fears and personal hells, fighting for what really matters most before All Is Lost?

Excerpt

Marcus Walker My heavy breathing prevents me from speaking, but I don’t need to say a word. Her eyes lift up to greet me, as if she could sense me before she could hear or see me. Wide gray eyes melt into pools the second she realizes that I am really here. I bolt across the room and clutch her delicate, warm body to mine. She nuzzles her face into the crook of my neck, drawing in a deep breath and then relaxing into me. “I’m here now, Baby.” I whisper against her cheek. A silent sobbing takes over and her entire body trembles from holding the grief in too long. With my arms already engulfing her small body, I draw her tighter against my chest. I glance up and see the guilty ass look plastered on Kole face, confirming that they have told her the news and I am about to get my pissed off on. Jerking my head toward the door, I silently suggest he can leave and that he better take everyone with him. After simply holding me for a while in a tight embrace, she slowly pulls away and peers up at me through matted eyelashes. Tenderly, I raise my hand up, cup her cheek, and stroke my thumb over her bottom lip. Staring passionately into my eyes, she softly kisses the pad of my thumb. My god, her full lips and sad eyes make me want to kiss the hell out of her. But I can’t take advantage of her when she’s hurting. I slide my hand under her chin, tipping it upward. My love for her grips hold of my soul and it screams for me to handle her with care. Placing my forehead against hers, I squeeze my eyes shut and force away the desire to ravage her on this damn countertop. Being away from her was too much. I kiss her face, starting with her forehead. My lips heat instantly connecting with her smooth skin. I breathe in deeply, savoring her intoxicating scent. She slowly glides her hands up my arms. Her fingernails scrape along my skin, sending shivers through every cell in my body. My lips move along her forehead and down the side of her face where I place several lingering kisses and I feel the grief flowing away with each one. Moving down her neck, I slide my nose along the edge of her ear and kiss her earlobe. I need to taste her. My tongue edges along her ear, retracing my path. Her deep gasp tells me that I am taking her mind off of everything. A lustful moan rattles hard in my chest, like a bullet just ripped through me, slicing my dark heart. Breesan is my light in this dark and sinister world, bursting forth. It is her love alone that brightens the evil pathway and draws my heart out of the eclipsing blackness, dimmed by past relationships. Needing more, I wind my hands through her long dark curls and draw her closer, by digging my fingers into her neck. The pressure isn’t enough to hurt her, but it is enough for her to understand exactly what I must have. She spreads her legs apart and I take up position between them. Caressing one hand down her back, I reach her hip and grip it tightly and she comes willingly to me. I drag her to the edge of the counter and press hard into her. Slow down, I tell myself. “You’re really here,” Breesan says, believing it so, now that she’s out of her earlier haze. She's panting hard and her heart rate matches mine. Wanting her to know how much I missed her, I graze my mouth over her bottom lip, instantly needing more. Covering her mouth with mine, I kiss her softly but it only adds to my desire. Her lips move in unison with mine and our reunion becomes scorching. I shouldn’t kiss her so passionately, during a time like this, but she is everything. Thrusting her breast against my chest, Breesan opens her mouth with a heavy moan. Hearing that sweet sound, I lose my mind and I take it - roughly. I take every whimper, every grunt and every sigh, but it’s still not enough. I want more. While pushing my rock solid hard-on between her widespread legs, I pull her by her sweet ass brutally against me. She clinches her legs tightly, holding me against her center tightly and I almost come apart. I feel her heating from our friction and all I want at this very moment is to drop down on my knees and taste her. Releasing the intense hold I have on her backside, I slip my hand around her hip and graze over the top of her thigh. I can’t stop myself. I need to feel her. Incapable of processing a damn thought any longer, I take our relationship to a step we’ve never been. I glide my hand between her legs and cup her, feeling her wetness through her shorts. Throwing her head back, she groans and pushes forward, against my hand. “Ohmygod,” Her voice is raspy with bliss. I drop my eyes down to where my fingers press into her, feeling my heart stall completely. Mygod, watching her writhe on my hand is the most fucking intoxicating thing I’ve ever seen, even with her fully dressed. “Marcus, I need you so much.” She says in a voice only meant for the bedroom. Hearing her say my name and telling me her needs while I’m getting her close to climax causes my heart to squeeze so tight that I feel like it might explode. Clawing her nails into my hair and pulling me down, she crashes my mouth on hers. In this kiss, I give her my heart, my soul and everything that I am, confirming after being away from her too damn long, that I am irrevocably in love with her. She slips her hands under my shirt, tracing up my stomach and stopping when she reaches my chest. She needs me too, I justify practically screwing on the kitchen counter. “Not in the kitchen.” A playful voice sings, breaking up our reunion and I want to kill the son of a bitch for interrupting us. Stilling in my arms, Breesan’s gray eyes snap open, piercing me with a combination of fear and embarrassment that surges through them. She whispers, “Ohgod.” “Hey you two love-birds, I said, not in the kitchen. So knock it off.” It is Sam barging in that explains Breesan’s reaction. Because it is my sister and not one of the guys she looks like she wants to crawl under a rock and hide. Looking at Breesan’s swollen lips and tangled hair, I’m thankful that I didn’t go against my promise and fuck her now. After everything that’s happened, it would be a real bastardly move on my part.

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About the Author

New Adult Author of the All Series (four book series), book one Be All released July 2013. Marie Wathen is a wife, mother of two, and recently became a Lola (her version of grandmother). When she isn't writing her other career is in law enforcement. Marie is a fourteen year veteran dispatcher at her local Sheriff's Office. It is also where she met her husband Barry (he is a police officer not an inmate). Born and currently living in Central Alabama, she enjoys a serene life in the country, but lives for the excitement of visiting large cities. Besides writing some of Marie's other passions include reading, listening to music, dancing, traveling, family time with southern home cooking and has admitted that she has a severe addiction to Facebook. Although Marie has been a storyteller her entire life, Be All is her first publication. Marie's genre includes, but is not limited to, Romantic Suspense. Marie’s current projects include a Romantic Paranormal Thriller series and she is collaborating on a Love Story Anthology, both releasing in 2014.

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Way to Go M.B. Feeney!

To celebrate M.B. Feeney reaching the huge milestone of 1000 'likes' on her Facebook page, for the next 7 days, a wonderful group of authors, graphic artists and promoters are running a Mega Giveaway with TWENTY prizes to mark the occasion!

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For today, December 1st, M B's latest release, Honour, will also be available to download for free!!

Summary:

The world is filled with people destined to help and to serve. Doctors, nurses, police, and firefighters—each and every day, these special people work to help others in times of need. Often, this means putting their own lives at risk in order to do their jobs. They give of themselves to benefit society, and they do it without any expectation of thanks.

And then there is the military…

These are the men and women who don’t head home to their families and safe homes to relax at the end of a shift. They are on the front lines, far from home and often fighting someone else’s battles because it is the right thing to do.  Military families struggle to cope with the constant worry and the long periods of separation, staying strong to support those who serve in everything they do, and often are left to pick up the pieces when the highest price is paid.

Servicemen and women are heroes in the purest sense of the word. Even when the world’s gone mad and their hearts are breaking, one thing remains unchanged.

They have honour.

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