$50 Book Blast: DEADLY FUN by Pam Richter

ALL ABOARD! Are you ready for a romantic mystery that's both deadly and fun? Look no further!

Deadly Fun by Pam Richter

To everyone aboard the luxury cruise ship, Dan and Linda Duncan are the perfect couple; married, gorgeous, and in love. But Lo is actually working in disguise and undercover, with an assumed identity. She routinely uses her unusual beauty to seek out information for an independent detective agency associated with the FBI. Her boss understands she has a checkered past, with time spent in prison, but she's also smart, and has a law degree. During this investigation of a deadly enforcer for the Mob, they discover murderous ties to Linda’s own family. By the end of the voyage she has chased suspects through the tropical islands, been in physical confrontations with knife, fist and firearms; the deck is awash in blood. Can she survive the deadly fun cruise—and her boss—who may prove more deadly than the Mafia men she uncovers?

Amazon * Barnes & Noble * iTunes

Excerpt

Being a domestic spy, because her talents were seldom used abroad, sounds exciting.  Usually it isn’t.  Rarely did she have to do any actual snooping, B & E style, although she had.  Lo had also been in actual battles, with guns and sometimes bare hands.  That was rare.  Physically fighting for her virtue was not.  Mostly, she spent lots of time on the computer, doing research, and worked hard to stay in shape in case one of the targets decided to use physical force with a woman.

Walking back to the table, chattering with Gwen, she spotted the two men with Marconi.  The blond man had hair so short it bristled, with pink scalp showing through, and a neck the size of a tree trunk.  The dark man beside him did resemble a pallid, younger version of Steven Marconi.  Neither had dates; neither appeared visibly swishy.  Just good buddies out for a fun cruise

Praise from Amazon Reviewers

"A fun read, yes. Darkness, danger, and death lurk within the labyrinth of corridors, passageways, and public attractions spread throughout the upper and lower decks of a large cruise ship."

"Exciting, page turning! Passengers with hidden identities and agenda. Mafia mayhem. A little romance and a lot of action. Pamela Richter keeps you wanting more."

"Deadly Fun was a fabulous book. I loved how the characters were so easy to fall in love with. I felt like I was reading a wonderful spy adventure that took place on a cruise ship. Who says it is against the rules to fall in love with a co-worker. Lo and Lance fight their feelings for one another over the course of this book."  

Author P.M. Richter

Pamela Richter lives in West Hollywood, California. She has a degree in Psychology from Northridge University. Pamela was property manager for Nansay, Corp. a multi-national corporation. She has been a dance teacher for Arthur Murray and Fred Astaire Dance Studios.

I love to hear from readers - Comments and emails are always welcome!

Website * Twitter * Facebook

Blast Giveaway

$50 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash

Ends 7/17/14

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.


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The Possession by J.D. Spikes: Book Blast

Welcome to my stop on the book blast tour for The Possession (book one of Secret Journals) by J.D. Spikes, a Young Adult Paranormal Romance available now from Lachesis Publishing.
 

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. The author will be awarding winner's choice of two ebooks from Lachesis Publishing (http://lachesispublishing.com/) to a randomly drawn winner via the rafflecopter at the end of this post.

Daphne Wentworth is almost seventeen, definitely a red head, and most likely the tallest girl in her class, which is awkward to say the least when it comes to dating boys in her school. But she doesn’t have to worry about school for the next two months since she’s spending the summer at her aunt Dwill’s lighthouse in Maine.

What she does have to worry about is seeing ghosts in the lighthouse cemetery, having strange dreams, and hearing the voices of star-crossed lovers who lived two-hundred years ago. And then there’s a local boy named Zach Philbrook who works for her aunt. He’s too gorgeous for his own good. He’s also very tall, with midnight black hair, and the most beautiful indigo blue eyes Daphne has ever seen.

Zach is treated like an outcast by the local teens in town. He’s Micmac and therefore not “one of the gang”. Daphne can’t help being drawn to his strength, especially considering that he’s had to live his entire life dealing with ignorance. But the local teens aren’t the only trouble-makers in town. As Zach and Daphne get closer, the lighthouse ghost lovers begin haunting them. When Daphne and Zach try to figure out how to fight them, the spirits get bolder and more dangerous. So how do you protect yourself from something that isn’t really there?

Enjoy an excerpt:

His eyes were indigo, the deep blue-black of the open ocean shot through with the heavy gray of a storm. Their color caught me when he turned and tried to walk away from the group of kids gathered to torment him.

The town kids are mean. They stopped him in front of the hardware store, a bag of grass seed slouched heavily over his shoulder. The girls crossed in front of him so that he had to stop. They batted their eyelashes and taunted him while the guys poked at the bag and tried to make him drop it.

They ran off when that big dope Gary O’Malley stuck his finger through the plastic. Only it wasn’t his finger, but a pocketknife pressed against his palm.

“Zach Attack!” Gary crowed as he backed away from the spilling seed, flashing the knife. The group of six then dashed in my direction.

Zach, if that was his name, clamped the hole closed as best he could, stemming the flow enough to carry the bag back into the hardware store.

I stood my ground, making the six slow at the thin alley opening. Chantal Barrett tried to shove past me and glowered, “What’s your problem? Move.”

My eyes narrowed. Blood pumped faster into my veins and my legs weakened, but I held firm.

“Learn some manners,” I snapped, “and grow up!” What they’d done wasn’t right. I could see Chantal got my message.

“Boo-hoo! Why don’t you run on over and help Zach clean up, if you’re so concerned.”

Gary’s jaw dropped. “She’s sticking up for that—”

“Daphne doesn’t know any better, Gary,” Chantal interrupted, covering his words—she thought. She turned a sweetened smile on me. “She doesn’t live here. She’s not one of us.”

Her words had their desired effect. Each of the six snickered in their own way and one-by-one shouldered past me to disappear down the alley.

Chantal the last, she paused and stuck her face into mine. “Mind your business. Or be sorry.”

She hurried down the alley after the others. I glanced at the hardware store, but Zach was long gone.

I made my way to the grocer.

When I got back to the lighthouse, I told Aunt Dwill what had happened, skipping Chantal’s threat. She was pleased, I could tell, though her words were cautious.

“You’re nothing, Daphne, if you can’t stand up for your principles. Just be mindful that every gain has a loss and every victory a cost. Pick your battles, and be sure you’re willing to pay.”

I frowned. She kissed my forehead. “I’ll put this stuff away. Go on out to the cemetery and start clearing. The fresh air will do you good.”

I guess I should explain about my aunt and the lighthouse.

This year is the lighthouse’s two-hundredth birthday. From the moment they struck the first wick, there has always been a Wentworth in charge. By the end of the first year, a Wentworth woman.

The present Wentworth is my aunt Dwill, Official Lighthouse Keeper of the Bay Head Light in Bay Bluffs, Maine. It’s a small town with a big responsibility. You see, the ledges off Bay Head are some of the worst along the northeastern seaboard. And they’re smack in the middle of two of the busiest seaports this side of the Canadian border.

Aunt’s real name is Edwilda, which explained her willingness to let her siblings foist the nickname ‘Dwill’ on her. It’s an old family name, my mom explained to me one day.

Yeah, well it should have stayed that way, in my opinion. Everyone thinks Aunt must be old until they meet her. She’s my mom’s middle sister, in her mid-forties but already a widow. It happened when I was little, and no one really talks about it much.

Anyway, it’s a big place for one person. She sent us pictures after she moved in. Someone took a picture of her on her front porch. Though almost as tall as me, she looked so small in the middle of the three archways, the light tower rising behind her house, the sea swelling in the background to both sides of the picture.

The lighthouse property sat on a promontory, beautiful but isolated. I remember the first time we came up to visit. Only two of my sisters had come. We arrived at dusk. Neither wanted to get out of the car.

“It’s creepy out here,” they whined. “What’s that noise? Why is it so dark? Is that light going to flash all night?”

All that before they even discovered the lighthouse came with the old historic cemetery in the woods. When we left on Sunday, they were happy to go. I stood by the lighthouse in the backyard, leaning on the fence in the growing mist as the fog horn sounded, a deep boom through my chest.

“Will you send me more pictures, Aunt?” I asked when she came out to get me.

What she sent was a picture of me, smiling broadly on the lighthouse’s hurricane deck, a glimpse of the Fresnel lens visible on my right, the sea on my left. We became pen pals of a sort, and in the summer of my thirteenth year, she invited me up for a week.

One week turned into two and that’s how it’s remained ever since.

This year, however, was special and Aunt decided to throw a celebration for the light, complete with a tour and period costumes. She asked if I could come for a couple of months, to help her ready the property. My parents agreed when they learned I’d be working for her and not just ‘wasting my summer’.

So as you can see, I was well-acquainted with Bay Head Light and already more connected to it than I realized.

I stopped by the shed to get some tools. Gloves, definitely. Don’t want my hands in something I can’t identify. A trowel, small hand claw, paper yard waste bag, pruning shears. Equipment gathered, I quickly twisted my hair up, slipped a scrunchie over it, and headed into the woods.

The cemetery wasn’t far and wasn’t scary. Not to me. Just a scattering of old stones with ancient memories written on them. People long gone to another life and no one here who remembers them.

I dropped my canvas shoulder bag of goods on the ground near the gate. Wrought iron and rusted, it leaned into the cemetery boundaries at a precarious angle. Thank God I didn’t have to push it open . . . I’d have probably landed on the ground with a rusted spiral in my gut.

This place was unfamiliar to me, except in passing. Though I’d known of the cemetery’s existence, I’d never gone in. I had too much to do in the land of the living for my short time here. No one ever came out here, so what difference did the overgrowth make?

Aunt begged to differ and insisted I clean the place up. The lighthouse was two hundred years old this summer, she reminded me, and the cemetery belonged to the lighthouse.

So, on a bright June day, I found myself alone in a somewhat decrepit cemetery in a clearing in the woods. I made my way around the ancient stones in an attempt to put off the start of my project. Most were upright and clear enough of the tangle of brush that a portion of the inscription could be read.

One small stone, nearly buried in the overgrown grass at the north corner, caught my eye. I flattened enough of the green to reveal the single word Sarah, and beneath it Age 3 Months.

Sadness flashed through me, unexpectedly. There were babies buried here?

I slipped the hand pruners from my back pocket where I’d stuck them and carefully snipped the grass down in front of the headstone. I pulled viney growth from the top corner of the stone, revealing a W. and a P.

Sarah W.P.

My hand cramped as I diligently snipped away at the grass, clearing the plot.

The screech of the gate would have warned me . . . had the gate been in better repair. With its useless tilt, however, I never heard him coming. The bag dropping next to me on the mixed pile of living and dead debris announced his presence.

I flipped to the side, tripping myself with my legs, but managed to keep the pruners in front of me. I pointed them into the air in front of my face.

Blue-black eyes studied me, one hand hooked into his pants pocket by the thumb, the other paused in front of him, fingers splayed where it had dropped the bag.

In books you always read about these moments. Crickets clicked, or birds called, or someone’s watch ticked, marking time. Maybe all three.

In real life, the only thing you really hear until you recognize that person is your own heavy breathing, that being indicative of the fact that you are in the middle of nowhere with no possible help nearby.

“Your aunt sent me.”

The pruners remained hoisted. My legs folded gratefully. My butt hit the ground, relieving the pressure on my arm from holding my whole body in the air, as his outstretched arm dropped to his side.

“I’m Zach. You’re starting at Sarah?”

My eyes flashed around the graveyard then to the small stone. I pulled my knees up and rested my arms on them. “She’s just a baby.”

When I turned my gaze back to Zach, his eyes were on me. “It happened. Times were tough.”

As though he’d been there from the start, he retrieved the bag and began to stuff my cuttings into it.

“I’m Daphne.”

“I know.”

His eyes flicked over to me. The flash of a grin revealed he knew he was being a pain, and I could barely keep my own lips from giving me away with a smile. I hurriedly snipped some more overgrowth and tossed it toward him. It disappeared into his bag.

We worked side-by-side in silence, clearing Sarah’s resting place and spreading outward from there. Her mother’s stone sat beside hers and we tidied that. Her dad’s seemed to be missing.

“What do you suppose happened to Mr. P.?” I asked, needing to hear Zach’s voice again, wanting more conversation.

“He wasn’t allowed here. Christians only in church-blessed ground, you know.”

I stared at the mother’s stone. Dorothea. Devoted mother.

“Who says he wasn’t a Christian?” For some reason I felt defensive.

“He wasn’t.”

I stared at him, considering his words. Mostly, though, I just wanted to make him think I was thinking about them, to give me more time to check him out. His hair, straight, near-black and shiny, was pulled back from his face into a ponytail that brushed the base of his neck. His skin was brownish, like a tan but not really. Besides, it was too early for that. His eyes were almost almond-shaped, but not quite, in a not-quite round face. He was tall and thin but not gawky like a lot of the boys I knew.

I think he was older than most of the boys I knew.

He had very nice lips. They were starting to smile.

My face went beet red, I could feel it. Busted! Damn.

“Where do we go from here?”

My heart started hammering, but he pointed up toward the gate, then down along the back fence.

“Th-the back,” I managed to stammer—so smooth. What an idiot.

He walked away. He must think me such a baby, such a fool.

Zach retrieved my canvas bag from near the gate and brought it to the back of the cemetery, gathering his yard sack along the way. As he passed me, he cocked his head toward the back row. “What, you need an invitation? It was your call!” and tossed my canvas bag to me.

Two hours later we packed it in. The sun sat low enough to indicate the time and our watches confirmed it. Zach walked me back to the lighthouse but mostly because he had to. Once he got me to admit I couldn’t do it on my own, it took both of us to lug the filled waste bag over our shoulders.

“I’m sorry if I scared you.” He huffed as we neared the tree line, the lighthouse lawn stretching just beyond the border of trees.

“I don’t scare easy,” I exclaimed. “If the gate was proper, I’d’ve known you were there.”

“Proper?”

“It used to have a brass bell on it. A ‘blessing called to sea’ every time a loved one went to pay respects. Everyone in the cemetery is tied to the sea, you know.”

His dark eyes studied me, taking in the lesson.

Zach said goodbye and left after we dumped the bag at my aunt’s trash corral. I caught sight of him, though, just inside the tree line, hovering until I closed the door.

What my mom and aunt would call a gentleman.

Me? I wasn’t so sure.

Jeanine Duval Spikes is a spinner of romantic tales with a touch of the supernatural. Lifelong research and experience with the paranormal infuse her stories with ethereal spirit, while her belief that love conquers all suffuses them with heart.

She is a paranormal investigator with a small local group, aspiring to help those in need by advancing this exploratory field both spiritually and scientifically. When not writing, you can find her cooking, gardening, horseback riding, or forever getting lost in secondhand shops. The mother of two grown sons, she lives in Rhode Island, the Ocean State, with her very own hero-husband Tim, and two crazy cats. She is the proud recipient of the Jo Ann Ferguson Service Award for selfless assistance and dedication to fellow writers and the craft.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jeanine.duvalspikes?fref=ts

Website: http://jeanineduvalspikes.wix.com/jeanineduvalspikes

Buy Link:  http://lachesispublishing.com/?product=the-possession-by-j-d-spikes

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But wait... There's more! 2nd June 2014 Kindle Fire HDX Giveaways!

HUZZAH! It's Another Kindle Fire HDX Giveaway!

Yes, it's another June Kindle Fire HDX giveaway! Please note this is the 2nd giveaway for June. This one runs from June 16th to July 15th. 

Missed the 1st one (runs June 1st - 30th)? Check it out here.


Enter to win 1 of 2 great prizes. Winner’s choice of a Kindle Fire HDX or $229 Amazon Gift Card or $229 Paypal Cash! The first prize is available via the rafflecopter below. The 2nd is available only to bloggers who post about this giveaway. You can find info on how to enter the 2nd giveaway in the rafflecopter.

   

Win a Kindle Fire HDX, Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash ($229 value)

All New Kindle Fire HDX 7" Giveaway

The winner will have the option of receiving a 7" Kindle Fire HDX (US Only - $229 Value)

  Or $229 Amazon.com Gift Card (International)

  Or $229 in Paypal Cash (International)

Sponsors

I Am A Reader Feed Your Reader Author Rachael Anderson Author Karey White Chelsea Author Promotions Illusio & Baqer BookReviewsAndGiveaways Author Alecia Stone Lori's Reading Corner Author Inger Iversen Shelf of Imagination Candace's Book Blog Where The Broken Lie by Derek Rempfer Helen Smith (author) Christine's Blog Reviews from a Bookworm More Than a Review Tressa's Wishful Endings Pieces of Whimsy Laurie Treacy, Author The Loopy Librarian Author Dorothy Dreyer Author Deanna Lynn Sletten Author Steven Brown Claudia Burgoa Launching Sisters to WitchCamp Rhiannon Paille Author Amanda Tru Melissa McClone, Author Author Michelle Merrill Author M. Kircher Author A&E Kirk Author Melissa Lemon My Story That I Like Best Reviews by Martha's Bookshelf J.L. Weil Maia Sepp Luthando Coeur Making it Happen Jennifer Laurens Author Extraordinary Reads Grimmtastic Girls series: Snow White Lucks Out (tween)    

Sign up to sponsor the next Kindle Giveaway here: http://www.iamareader.com/category/kindle-giveaway-sign-ups    

Giveaway Details 

1 winner will receive their choice of an all new Kindle Fire 7" HDX (US Only - $229 value), $229 Amazon Gift Card or $229 in Paypal Cash (International). There is a second separate giveaway for bloggers who post this giveaway on their blog. See details in the rafflecopter on how to enter to win the 2nd Kindle Fire HDX 7", $229 Amazon Gift Card or $229 in Paypal Cash. Ends 7/15/14 Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the participating authors & bloggers. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

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Odyssey Adventure Club – join today for just $5!

Summer is officially here! Don't let your kids' boredom run rampant. Adventures in Odyssey is here to save the day. Below are some must-try ideas for summer fun! Want even more summer fun? For the month of June, you can join the Odyssey Adventure Club for only $5! More details can be found here.
 

Summer Activities

As a parent you are probably a big proponent of reading. Encourage your kids to dig into a book or two this summer with Adventures in Odyssey's On Your Marks Summer Reading Challenge. Bonus points if YOU create a reading challenge for yourself as you read along with your kids!

Looking for something hands-on? Create Matthew in 3-D! Invite a few of your kids' friends over for a play date, print off the activity sheet, and let them have at it for the afternoon (with the promise of cookies and lemonade once they've finished constructing Matthew).

Maybe your kids aren't into reading, but they love math. If that's the case, have them solve Eugene's Sudoku!

The laundry needs to be done; the dishes need to be put away. But your kids are begging you to take them out to the zoo. Let them take a whack at Matthew's Decoder in the morning, then make an agreement that if they figure out how to use the decoder, you'll take them on an afternoon adventure. That'll give you the morning to finish up your to-do list!

$20 Super Book Blast Tour: Evidence of Trust by Stacey Joy Netzel

Welcome to my stop on the Super Book Blast tour for Evidence of Trust (Colorado Trust Series - 1) by Stacey Joy Netzel. It is a novel of romantic suspense that is available now.

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Stacey will be awarding a $20 gift card (winners choice) to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter at the end of this post. Please click the banner to see the other stops on this tour.

Sparks fly when a headstrong wrangler and an alpha park ranger are thrown together while he searches for evidence to stop the poacher killing animals in RMNP. When the monster turns his sights on Brittany, Joel discovers he’ll do whatever it takes to protect her—even give his own life.

Trust makes all the difference when love and danger collide.

Book 1 of the exciting Colorado Trust Series

Enjoy an excerpt:

He snagged her hand and lifted her arm above her head in a fluid motion, maneuvering her into a dance spin that landed her in his arms. Her dress whirled against his thighs, and she found herself aligned with solid muscle from chest to hip.

“Bad enough you left me on the trail, walking away on the dance floor is just plain rude.”

A push on his chest proved ineffective, so she leaned back. “I prefer to choose my own dance partners.”

“I prefer to choose the way I get down a mountain,” he countered.

“A gentleman would accept my apology and let it go.”

“I never claimed to be a gentleman.”

Something in his tone reminded her of that kiss in her tent. Her gaze shifted to his lips. As she stared, his head lowered. Her breath caught and her pulse skipped, but he bypassed her mouth to rest his cheek against hers. She barely contained a sigh of disappointment as the scent of cedar boughs and citrus assaulted her senses.

“I knew it. You enjoyed that kiss as much as I did,” he taunted softly.

His breath—or was it his lips?—brushed the sensitive skin under her ear. With a conscious effort to gather her raging emotions, she pushed harder against his chest. He only allowed her a few inches and kept their bodies swaying to the music.

“What are you doing?” she whispered. “You don’t even like me.”

“I’m just trying to get an honest response,” he explained.

“You want honest? You took advantage of me. I was still half-asleep and—”

He laughed, a low, deep chuckle that stirred something in the pit of her stomach.

“If that’s what you need to believe.”

“I don’t need to believe anything.”

“And just a minute ago, when you thought I was going to kiss you—”

“I did not—”

“—you weren’t the least bit disappointed?”

“No.”

“So you did think I was going to kiss you.”

“I didn’t say that!” Exasperation raised her voice. “If you’d just let me finish.”

A hint of a smile played on his sensual lips. “By all means.”

“No, I did not think you were going…to…”

He’d lowered his head again. She pulled back; he followed, until their lips were a mere inch apart. “Do you now?”

“I…no.”

“Do you want me to?”

The seductive whisper made her shiver. Yes. “No.”

But she’d hesitated a fraction too long

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Stacey Joy Netzel is an avid reader and loves all movies with a happily ever after. She lives in Wisconsin with her family, a couple horses and some barn cats. In her limited free time she enjoys gardening, canning, and visiting her parents in Northeastern Wisconsin (Up North), at the family cabin on the lake.

Newsletter: http://bit.ly/SJNnewsletter

Website and Blog: http://www.StaceyJoyNetzel.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StaceyJoyNetzel

Twitter: http://twitter.com/StaceyJoyNetzel

COLORADO TRUST SERIES

Trust makes all the difference when love and danger collide.

Evidence of Trust, Book 1 - Special Sale price $0.99 (regular $3.99)

Trust by Design, Book 2

Trust in the Lawe, Book 3

Shattered Trust, Book 4

Dare to Trust, Book 5

EVIDENCE OF TRUST

Amazon: http://bit.ly/EOT-AAmazon

Apple: http://bit.ly/EOTApple

BN: http://bit.ly/EOT-BN

Kobo: http://bit.ly/EOT-KOBO

ARe: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-evidenceoftrustcoloradotrustseries1-1464828-149.html

UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00IZMQJXM

CA: http://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B00IZMQJXM

AU: https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B00IZMQJXM

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$50 Book Blast: The Hunt for Tomorrow (On-line Scavenger Hunt)

Summer is here. It's time for fun and games. Today, I bring you an on-line scavenger hunt.

 

THE HUNT FOR TOMORROW 22 AUTHORS. 3 DYSTOPIAN BOXED SETS. 1 MASSIVE EVENT.  

A virtual scavenger hunt through twenty-two fictional dystopias.  

Friday, July 18 at 6:00pm _(EST) - Sunday, July 20 at 6:00pm _(EST).

Join THE HUNT FOR TOMORROW, an on-line scavenger hunt, and embark on a virtual odyssey through twenty-two dystopian futures. Become an intrepid scavenger and solve clues at each of the dystopian author stops as you navigate your way to the finish line where you’ll be entered into a random draw for the Grand Prize. For each correct answer collected along the way you’ll get an additional chance to win. During The Hunt, the authors will offer up their own exclusive material, sneak peeks, contests, and giveaways at their individual stops on The Hunt, giving all scavengers multiple chances to win bonus prizes.

The twenty-two participating indie authors include best-selling, award-winning and emerging writers from the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom who all have books included in three dystopian boxed sets - - What Tomorrow May Bring, A Taste Of Tomorrow, and Shattered Worlds.

In a unique collaboration of story-telling, nineteen of the authors will write a progressive short story over nineteen days following The Hunt. The Grand Prize Winner of The Hunt For Tomorrow will name characters and contribute the title for this dystopian world, and all participants in The Hunt will receive an advance copy of the story for an exclusive period before it is made available as a free download. The Grand Prize also includes a signed copy of books included in the boxed sets, an ebook of all the boxed sets, and the first copy of this one-of-a-kind progressive story.  

THE HUNT FOR TOMORROW begins at http://huntfortomorrow.blogspot.com on Friday, July 18 at 6:00pm _(EST) and ends on Sunday, July 20 at 6:00pm _(EST). The Hunt is on for one weekend only, although there is no time-limit for completing the course. The Hunt is open to scavengers around the world; there is no cost to enter and one grand prize winner will be selected at random from all eligible entries.  

Go to THE HUNT FOR TOMORROW for details and the full list of participating authors.

JOIN THE HUNT. JULY 18-20.

     
Blast Giveaway

$50 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash

Ends 7/20/14

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the publisher. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

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Book Review and Giveaway: The Overending by Rick Johnson

Welcome to my stop on the review tour for The Overending by Rick Johnson. The Overending is a 274 page middle grade fantasy book that is available now.

Rick will be awarding a $50 Amazon GC to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour. Click here to see the other stops on the tour. Remember, the more stops you visit, the more chances you earn to win.

Blurb

The Overending is nonstop, fast-paced, mind-bending fantasy. Fantastic and quirky, exhilarating and addicting, this entertaining adventure takes readers on a wild ride that they will never want to end. Ridiculous, but deadly serious. Hits you hard in the funnies, while turning your mind inside out. The Overending continues the unfolding epic saga of the Wood Cow Chronicles—a fantastical, magical, completely unexpected world that swallows both kids and adults whole!

 Excerpt

A crash would mean certain, perhaps instant, death. The only hope was to keep the spinning airship off the deadly peaks. His mind racing, even as nausea made him gasp for breath, Emil realized that survival required one desperate step.

“PorNart, my friend,” Emil said, “I’m going to take a big chance and—I’ll either save us both, or we both die.”

Emil reached upward and grasped the anchor rope coiled and fastened overhead. Used only to secure an inflated balloon to the ground, the rope currently had no purpose. Uncoiling the rope, Emil wrapped it several times around PorNart’s body and knotted it securely. Taking the remaining length of rope, Emil looped it under his arms and knotted it in the same fashion.

“Now for the tricky part,” Emil thought grimly. One by one, Emil removed the safety-lock pins from the latches connecting the balloon to the passenger enclosure with all its equipment. Then, he released one latch after another. SNAP! SNAP! SNAP! SNAP! The passenger capsule fell free from the sturdy ropes securing it to the balloon. In a short time, only two ropes remained. Swinging and bucking wildly, the heavy capsule tore free from the last two latches without any help from Emil. SNAP! SNAP!

With the weight of the capsule gone, the balloon climbed rapidly. Charging upward, the balloon flew towards the saw-toothed ridge ahead with two figures dangling below by a single slender rope.

My Review

"Act wisely, learn quickly, and think bravely, that others may live."  

The Overending is volume two of the Wood Cow Chronicles. While it can be read as a standalone, I think that it would be helpful to read volume one, Helga: Out of Hedgelands, before starting The Overending.

As the High One's tyranny spreads across the land, no one is safe. The first chapter of The Overending drops you off right in the middle of the action. Emil and PorNart are escaping from Maev Astute (the great castle of the High One) in a balloon.

Emil (a member of the Wood Cows clan) and PorNart (a member of the Coyote clan) unwittingly land in the middle of an abolitionist movement. They get caught up in SLOPS (shorthand for Slave-Losing Operations), a motley crew of animals that are working against the High One's slaving system.

When fifteen-year-old Helga hears of her brother Emil's escape and new mission, she rushes to warn him of the High One's aim to shut down SLOPS. Reunited against the great danger, Helga and old allies join forces in a chain of events that foretell the Overending.

"If worries were years, Helga would see that I lived a long life" - Helbara

Character-driven and fast-paced, The Overending is a epic tale that weaves a story of fantasy with strings of humor, morality, and ethics. Neither preachy or high-handed, I think that readers (both children and adults) will find this story thoughtful and engaging.

"Our stories are not divided into yours and ours." TrimWagg

I especially liked the attention to detail on the various clans. I could really picture them in my mind. If I had to describe the book using books that I've read, I'd say The Overending is Animal Farm meets Lord of the Rings.

Recommended for:

• Fans of middle grade fiction
• Fans of fantasy

Volume three of the Wood Cow Chronicles will be released in November 2014. Check out the sneak peak preview chapter over on Wattpad.

NOTE: I received a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. See the tour schedule for additional stops.

About the Author

I am a native of the Great Plains, having grown up on a farm in the Platte River Valley of western Nebraska. I love the wild beauty of the Plains and nearby Rocky Mountains--the too hot, too cold, too empty, too full of life extremes. Typically, the awesomely diverse and the awesomely stark are much the same, even as they are different. Although I have lived in Michigan, North Carolina, and British Columbia, the western plains, mountains, and desert are in my heart.

As my day job, for over thirty years I have been a faculty member and administrator in higher education. Teaching broadly in the liberal arts, including creative writing, in addition to my novels, my professional publications include educational materials, poems, and 28 stories for young readers. I am a member of SCBWI.

As an author, I'm drawn to eccentric, unexpected characters: those who surprise because they hear a distant galaxy, see a different music, create their own fragrance rather than get hooked on a soundtrack; the child who has her own ideas about how the emperor is dressed; the lunatics and rebels who tell stories on the boundaries. I tell unusual stories that take readers to worlds they never imagined—definitely a whole new ride.

Links

http://www.woodcowbooks.com/
http://www.rick-johnson.com/
https://twitter.com/WoodCowBooks
https://www.facebook.com/WoodCowBooks
http://www.amazon.com/dp/1497328683