BLOODLUST - Which race would you choose?

Today I'm going to introduce the last two races in the world of BLOODLUST - elves and trolls.

The elves generally keep to themselves. Their race has been dwindling down over the years, even more so than the barbarians. Tall, majestic, haughty and proud, the elves tend to think they are better than the other races and believe their race was the first ever. (So do the humans. The dwarves couldn't care less about the whole debate.) Elves can live for a long, long time, unless they die through battle or choose to sleep the endless sleep.

Trolls are the result of an elf and a dwarf mating, a union no on ever thought would happen. Just as bloodthirsty as the barbarians and goliaths, trolls have the ability to fashion weapons that no other race can touch without becoming gravely ill or even dying. Their most notable feature is a small bone that goes through their septum.

And that's the last of the races in BLOODLUST. If I could be any, I would pick human, but only if I were a noble. Or a barbarian. That kind of power would be fun to experience at least once. Or maybe a goliatha. It would be cool to be happy enough to make flowers and plant spring from my footsteps.

Which race would you like to be a member of? Leave a comment and be entered to win a copy of BLOODLUST!

In a world torn by prejudice and hatred, six races struggled for supremacy. 

Barbarian-Princess Ivy is unwilling to allow her father to provoke the other races into war and forms an unlikely alliance with Lukor the goliath to save her people from utter destruction. Unbeknownst to her, Lukor blames the barbarians for murdering his sister and plans on sabotaging her goal. 

Almost despite each other, they grow to respect each other on their journey to decode secret messages from the trolls. But nothing Ivy can do will prevent the war as her father is blinded by bloodlust and incites it himself. Not even killing him and becoming Barbaroness can stop the tide. And when Bloodlust claims Ivy, forcing her to kill everyone in her path, she must make a choice to destroy even Lukor, who she may have started to fall for and him her in return.

BLOODLUST - Now available at Amazon, B&N, and Kobo. Still waiting on Apple.

Don't miss any of the blog tour! Ella M Kaye's, Anything Imagined, and Christine Rains's. Be sure to leave comments along the blog tour. I'm giving away swag at ever stop!

BLOODLUST - Humans and Dwarves

Yesterday, I talked a little about the barbarians and goliaths in the world of Bloodlust. Today, I'll speak about the humans and dwarves.

Along with the elves, these three races make up the original elder races. Humans have a tendency to think of themselves first and others last. Ruled by the crown, the human race has been struggling within itself more than the other races. Civil war has broken out as others vie for the control and the power the crown brings.

The dwarves are a mountain people, so much so that they can develop growths that are partially bone, part stone. With gray skin, stout stature, and powerful limbs, they are fierce warriors. You do not want to get on the wrong side of a dwarf's pickaxe.

Only two more races left: trolls and elves.

In a world torn by prejudice and hatred, six races struggled for supremacy. 

Barbarian-Princess Ivy is unwilling to allow her father to provoke the other races into war and forms an unlikely alliance with Lukor the goliath to save her people from utter destruction. 

Unbeknownst to her, Lukor blames the barbarians for murdering his sister and plans on sabotaging her goal. 

Almost despite each other, they grow to respect each other on their journey to decode secret messages from the trolls. But nothing Ivy can do will prevent the war as her father is blinded by bloodlust and incites it himself. Not even killing him and becoming Barbaroness can stop the tide. And when Bloodlust claims Ivy, forcing her to kill everyone in her path, she must make a choice to destroy even Lukor, who she may have started to fall for and him her in return.

Bloodlust - Now available at Amazon, B&N, and Kobo. Still waiting on Apple.

Don't miss my first two blog spots: at Ella M Kaye's and Anything Imagined. Be sure to leave comments to be entered to win swag!

BLOODLUST - Warring Races

BLOODLUST is set in a world where six races all vie for supremacy - humans, elves, dwarves, trolls, goliaths, and barbarians.

Each race is unique with strengths and weaknesses.

The heroine of the story is a barbarian-princess. She's tall and strong, muscular to a fault, daring and brave. She's also reckless and headstrong and willing to risk everything on a gamble. Barbarians were first created from a union of a human and an elf. Barbarians tend to be ruled by their emotions, usually the darker ones. Ivy, more than most, is ruled by all of them - even the "weaker" ones.

The hero of BLOODLUST is a goliath. Even taller than barbarians, with great strength and power, goliaths can be just as bloodthirsty as barbarians. A few, however, have the power to heal others. They share a connection with plants, and when they are most happy, can cause flowers to grow where they walk. Considering their land is on the blink of total war, this doesn't happen much.

Tomorrow, I'll talk about two more races. For now, here's the cover again.

In a world torn by prejudice and hatred, six races struggled for supremacy. 

Barbarian-Princess Ivy is unwilling to allow her father to provoke the other races into war and forms an unlikely alliance with Lukor the goliath to save her people from utter destruction.  Unbeknownst to her, Lukor blames the barbarians for murdering his sister and plans on sabotaging her goal. 

Almost despite each other, they grow to respect each other on their journey to decode secret messages from the trolls. But nothing Ivy can do will prevent the war as her father is blinded by bloodlust and incites it himself. Not even killing him and becoming Barbaroness can stop the tide. And when Bloodlust claims Ivy, forcing her to kill everyone in her path, she must make a choice to destroy even Lukor, who she may have started to fall for and him her in return.

BLOODLUST! Available now at Amazon and B&N. Get your copy today!

BLOODLUST Release Day

Aahh!!!

It's here!

February 24th.

My youngest is now two.

And I'm also a self published author.

BLOODLUST, an epic fantasy with forbidden love, is available now for Kindle and Nook. Kobo and Apple shortly.

In a world torn by prejudice and hatred, six races struggled for supremacy. 

Barbarian-Princess Ivy is unwilling to allow her father to provoke the other races into war and forms an unlikely alliance with Lukor the goliath to save her people from utter destruction. Unbeknownst to her, Lukor blames the barbarians for murdering his sister and plans on sabotaging her goal. 

Almost despite each other, they grow to respect each other on their journey to decode secret messages from the trolls. But nothing Ivy can do will prevent the war as her father is blinded by bloodlust and incites it himself. Not even killing him and becoming Barbaroness can stop the tide. And when Bloodlust claims Ivy, forcing her to kill everyone in her path, she must make a choice to destroy even Lukor, who she may have started to fall for and him her in return.

~~~~

I'd love you forever if you'd spread the word to your friends. Or if you buy a copy. I'm so trying not to freak out. I'm so failing.

!!!!!!!!!

Oh, and it's first review from Goodreads:

A barbarian princess and an orc prince must join forces to save their kingdoms in Nicole Zoltack's Bloodlust. Barbarians are strong, but barbarian princesses must be even stronger, and I love how Ivy uses her strength in more ways than just by the sword. Orcs always seemed like ugly brutes, but Lukor shows they are more like us than we think. I loved how Zoltack takes an unlikely pairing and makes it work. The world-building transports the reader to a unique fantasy place with orcs, trolls, elves, barbarians, and humans. They are different yet similar and all must find a way to survive within their realm. Fast-paced and action-packed, Bloodlust by Nicole Zoltack twists classic fantasy romance upon its head and creates a unique world and characters a reader can root for. ~Cherie Reich

Character Interview with Norah from Angela Parkhurst's The Forgotten Fairytales

Hello, faithful blog readers! Today, we have with us Angela Parkhurst, author of The Forgotten Fairytales. The MC, Norah, has agreed to an interview.

Welcome, Norah! What do you consider your greatest achievement?

Greatest achievement, oh god. For being seventeen, I’d say living through last year. With all the crap with my sister and crazy Danielle, I made it through, because I refused to be taken down.

I know all about sisters. And brothers. Two sisters, three brothers. What's your idea of perfect happiness? 

I’ll let you know when I find it. ;)

Ah, smart girl! What is your current state of mind? 

Refreshed.

Nice. When and where were you the happiest? 

Probably when Dad, April and I were in Paris. It was gorgeous. We raced around the Eiffle Tower, visited museums, and tasted fun foods. It was a blast, plus, April and I actually got along.

And now to flip the coin. What is your greatest fear? 

Losing the ones I love most.

Mine too! Which living person do you most despise? 

Danielle, for sure. Whoever said Cinderella was awesome obviously never met her.

Ha! *coughs* What is your greatest regret? 

Not having a stronger relationship with my sister. If I could, I’d go back and do it all over again. Figure out where we went wrong and fix it.

Aw! Which talent would you most like to have? 

Can a talent be a super hero trait? Because flying would be pretty awesome. Oh, or invisibility. Hasrry Potter was onto something!

Sweet, a girl after my own heart! Where would you like to live? 

Everywhere and anywhere.

What is the quality you most like in a man? 

Independent, strong, fearless. And hot. Definitely hot. Someone who lets me be me, even when I have crazy conspiracy theories.  Oh, and a guy who isn’t intimidated by my awesome sword fighting skills. I totally should’ve been a pirate.

Nice! ;) What do you most value in your friends? 

Trust and honesty.

Gotta have trust and honesty. Who is your favorite hero of fiction? 

The Big Bad Wolf ;)

Why am I not surprised? Which living person do you most admire? 

I admire my dad. He’s been through a lot and being a single father of two girls is no easy job. We’ve had our ups and downs but no matter what, he is my father and I’d do just about anything for him.

That's so sweet. But I'm sure you have a darker side. On what occasions do you lie? 

Sometimes lies are nessary to protect the ones you love. I’ve been on the receiving end of those lies and dished ‘em out.

Which words or phrases do you most overuse? 

Oh.my.gosh.

How would you like to die? I

f I’m going to down, it won’t be without a fight. So I’d like something epic and mind-blowing. Something to really leave my mark.

If you were to die and come back as a person or thing, what do you think it would be? 

I’m torn between something totally fierce like a panther

Very cool. What is your motto? 

Stories are meant to be rewritten. Your fate is not carved in stone, so never give up.

And that's it for our interview. Thanks, Angela, for letting us borrow, Norah. Norah, you were great!

Now, let's learn more about Norah's story.

BLURB:
A psychotic, shoe obsessed Princess.
A not-so-charming, alcoholic Prince.
A hot Big Bad Wolf she absolutely cannot fall for—no matter how well he kisses.

If seventeen-year-old, Norah Hart had known she’d be attending a boarding school for the nut job reincarnations of fairy tale characters, she would have insisted on going to Moscow with her father. But getting out isn’t as easy as she thought. Especially once Norah realizes she, too, is a storybook character. An Unknown. The first one in one hundred years.

Soon Norah learns she can help others break free from the story binding them. But doing so puts everyone’s Happily Ever After in jeopardy. Some princesses will do whatever it takes to protect their endings. Even if it means betraying the one closest to you.

LINKS

http://angelaparkhurstbooks.com/

twitter.com/angelaparkhurst

facebook.com/angelawrites
www.goodreads.com/book/show/20488854-the-forgotten-fairytales

Kindle http://amzn.com/B00I7995T8
Nook: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-forgotten-fairytales-angela-parkhurst/1118531023?ean=2940148172536

Smashwords : https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/404490

Paperback: http://www.amazon.com/The-Forgotten-Fairytales-Volume-1/dp/1494942976/ref=tmm_pap_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1392391739&sr=8-1

My Newest Cover - BLOODLUST

Hi, everyone! I'm so thrilled/ecstatic/jumping out of my seat with joy to share with you the cover for my upcoming release.

Isn't it just beautiful? And it's perfect for the story.

Here's the blurb for BLOODLUST, a NA epic fantasy romance.

In a world torn by prejudice and hatred, six races struggled for supremacy.

Desperation…

Barbarian-Princess Ivy is unwilling to allow her father to provoke the other races into war and forms an unlikely alliance with Lukor the goliath to save her people from utter destruction.

Betrayal…

Unbeknownst to her, Lukor blames the barbarians for murdering his sister and plans on sabotaging her goal.

Bloodlust…

Almost despite each other, they grow to respect each other on their journey to decode secret messages from the trolls. But nothing Ivy can do will prevent the war as her father is blinded by Bloodlust and incites it himself. Not even killing him and becoming Barbaroness can stop the tide. And when Bloodlust claims Ivy, forcing her to kill everyone in her path, she must make a choice to destroy even Lukor, who she may have started to fall for and him in return.

The cover is so fitting, am I right?

The story will be released on February 24th. Ack! So excited. I'd love for you to share this and I'd even kiss you if you add it on Goodreads.

What do you think about the cover? The blurb? Does it sound like something you'd like to read?

Seeking for Diamonds, Finding Love Scavenger Hunt

Who doesn't get excited when they see a present tied up with a shiny ribbon? But ribbons are so much more than merely decorations.

Ribbons are the ties that binds us together. Without attachment, there can be no love. Without love, there can be no life.

So the next time someone hands you a present wrapped in a ribbon, realize they are giving you so much more than whatever is inside the wrapping paper. They love you. And that's the most precious gift of all.

"All for Love" is my contribution in the Love and Diamonds anthology. How can you not love fifteen love stories in one collection? While there aren't any ribbons in "All for Love," there is love and fantasy. (I know - big sucker there!)

But what's even better than one great book?

Five!

The Seeking for Diamonds, Finding Love Scavenger Hunt is underway, and here's how you can win:
1. Find the secret word in the title image at the top of this post.
2. CLICK HERE  to enter the secret word in a secure entry form.
3. Visit the other 14 participating blogs. Each has their own secret word. You can enter with each word for a total of 15 entries!

Here are the prizes!

Now for all those other blogs and their secret words! Just click the picture below and you'll be taken directly to the list of blogs. Good luck! And be sure to add Love and Diamonds to your TBR pile on Goodreads!

Cover Reveal - LEMONS by J. Andersen

Hi, everyone!  Thanks for stopping by to check out the cover. I’d like to thank Nicole Zoltack for having me.  I’m really excited to share my new cover with you, but first, let me tell you a bit about Lemons, which will release on FEBRUARY 13, 2014. Be sure to check it out on Amazon.

LEMONS BLURB:

They say when life throws you lemons to make lemonade, but when Ally finds herself in the biggest pickle of her life—stranded on an island in the middle of a lake—fruit and veggies are the least of her worries. Now she’ll have to face the harsh realities of her selfish choices, which means dealing with what happened between her parents a few years ago.

Wanna see the cover now? Well, here it is:

If you’d like to know a little more about me and my writing, read on.

My first book, At What Cost was published in 2012. I’ve been writing and writing since then and have nearly completed a dystopian series, which is being sent to publishers. In the meantime, I wrote a short story.  Not sure exactly where it came from. I don’t consider myself a short story writer, but hey, when it comes to you, you have to get it out.

Find out more about my writing at these places:

www.Jandersenbooks.com
www.Therabidwriter.blogspot.com (personal blog)
www.readbetweenthelinesbookclub.blogspot.com (Author blog)

Researching Outside the Box with Elizabeth Seckman, Author of Fate Intended

Researching Outside the Box

 
One of my favorite things about writing is research. I'm not talking about the hours spent in the library, reading books you once had to be assigned...though that is fun!

No, I'm talking about outside the box research.

My first book, Past Due, is set in Buxton, North Carolina after the moving of the Cape Hatteras light. I read books on the move and accumulated a slew of minute facts, but one thing I couldn't find was, how long was the light extinguished and what was that like for people who were used to the predictable flash?

What's a writer to do? Pick up a Buxton phone book and cold call island residents. Seriously, you'd think I called people offering cash. Person after person was delighted to offer memories and thoughts. Not only did I learn the light was doused the entire time (which made the night skyline more than a little creepy), there was also a strong consensus of fear that the beloved icon could still crumble to the ground from the move. 

Second book, Healing Summer, my research happened by accident. I was visiting my husband's family in Montana and we went to the local grocer. I was totally stunned to find "counter checks". Blank checks left on the counter for anyone to grab and fill out. I guess they trusted you'd fill in all the correct info. Me, being me, I had to ask the cashier, "Can I use one of these?" She answered with a quick, "Sure, honey. As long as you know your bank info." And offered me a pen. I told her I was from back East and for all she knew I was going to use false information. She looked at me a second, then said without missing a beat, "Then you must really be hungry."

Yeah, that lady became Sue in Healing Summer.

For this book, Fate Intended,  I wanted to add a few Russian phrases here and there, maybe a few insults. So, I went to eLance.com and posted for a Russian translator. The lady I chose was super helpful and even gave me tips on culture. I also started stalking Russian blogs. Yeah, I picked up a few viruses and I'm still getting emails for a wife, but I also hit blog gold by stumbling on one by an American ex-pat living in Russia, On Life in St. Petersburg.

Thanks to Fate Intended's uncommon research, I now have a story where they can call each other dumb ass in Russian and explains what it means to live life "round about".

Fate Intended is the third book in the Coulter Men Series.  Trip is the last of the Coulter sons to find love. He’s a handsome man with all the skills a young spy needs to succeed. But when it comes to love, he misses the target. Jane is a sweet beauty who may or may not be wanted for murder. She’s hiding out as a cleaning lady when chance brings her and Trip together. It looks like a happily ever after is in the cross hairs until reality tries to destroy what fate has intended.

Elizabeth Seckman is a simple chick with a simple dream…to write stories people want to read.

Blog

Facebook

Amazon Page

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Cover Reveal - Bullet A Demos City Novel by Jonathan Lister

Bullet

 A Demos City Novel

by Jonathan Lister

Release Date: June 16, 2014

Target Reader: Adult

Keywords: Urban Fantasy, Werewolf

A father’s love doesn’t bend, so what happens when it breaks?

Corruption, dark truths, and a new Alpha mean Leon Gray’s days of running without a pack are over. At least, that’s what everyone but him believes.

He’d rather be helping his teenage daughter navigate the landmine life of a full werewolf, finish out his servitude as bodyguard to a former Demos City reporter and, in all honesty, not be taken advantage of by a beautiful woman who really only wants him for his body—figuratively and metaphorically.

Of course, the only way any of that might happen is if he’s dead. That’s likely given the information the reporter has unearthed and the territorial battles already underway between packs. If only Demos City's corruption didn’t have such deep roots—older than the bones of the city or any of the werewolves who’ve decided to claim it. A city can only take so many power hungry mongrels invading it at one time, and Leon can only take so much knowing his daughter lives within its boundaries.

War has come to Demos City.

It’s up to Leon to fix ... what's most important to him.

 

URL: http://www.jtaylorpublishing.com/books/43