Happy Halloween and Silent Whispers is here!

It’s not only the dead who whisper upon the wind.

An ancient totem pole has gone missing, and its pieces are scattered across Alaska. Restoring the seven totem tokens may be the only way to save every shifter in the world.

Kinley Dorn, a geeky architect with a heart of gold and a polar bear shifter, jumps at the opportunity to help her family find the lost pieces. Their idea of “helping” involves staying indoors to research online. Work leads Kinley to sexy lynx shifter Ransom Averill. He coaxes her away from the safety behind her computer and into the path of a rampaging giant. Terrifying as the monster might be, she must brave its mountain because the owl totem is calling to her through silent whispers.

  Buy it on Amazon.

Add to read on Goodreads.

Get Dark Dawning (Totem #1) here.

I'm so excited readers finally get to meet Kinley. She's my favorite of the sisters. We're both geeks after all! But I also like Kinley because she's a different sort of heroine. She isn't someone with a fiery personality nor is she a kick butt kinda woman. Her strengths lie in empathy and compassion. Of course, when faced with a giant wanting to squish her, she's going to have to find some way to survive!

I have a treat for one lucky commenter today. Tell me your favorite candy, and I'll randomly pick one lucky winner at the end of the day to win some Totem swag and a surprise.

My favorite candy is a Milky Way. Or a Caramilk. Heath. Coffee Crisp. Crispy Crunch. Okay, picking one isn't easy for me. I might have to go out tomorrow and get some candies on sale!

Speaking of treats, Patricia Lynne has organized a blog hop where everyone gets ebooks!

Look at all these awesome authors giving away books today! Just hop along using the links below and collect your delicious treats.

Review for Polar Day

Blurb:

The midnight sun bakes Fairbanks, Alaska as residents gather for the annual summer solstice baseball game. Amidst the revelry and raucous shouts of “Play ball,” a spark alights and a jogger bursts into flames. Detective Danny Fitzpatrick, still reeling from his near death at the hands of vampire Aleksei Nechayev, watches in horror as the man burns alive.

Someone is burning Fairbanks and its residents and leaving nothing but smoldering embers behind. As the city sweats under a record-breaking heatwave and unexplained fires claim more victims, Danny and his colleagues struggle to find an arsonist who can conjure fire out of thin air.

To Danny’s horror, the only one who may be able to help him stop the arsonist is his nemesis Nechayev. Will the vampire help in the hunt for a witch?

My review:

It starts with a jogger bursting into flames. Detective Danny Fitzpatrick can't figure out how it ignited and neither can the police arsonist specialist. The case doesn't make any sense, but Danny has met with a monster before. If there's no logical explanation for the fires, he must search outside the box. And as much as he hates it, the only one that might be able to help him is the vampire Aleksei Nechayev, the monster that still haunts his dreams.

An excellent sequel to Polar Night with plenty of suspenseful and intense moments. I've never been to Alaska, but I felt as if I were transported there with the amazing descriptions. Especially the little details. And instead of freezing, it was an unusually hot summer where the sun sets for only a few hours. The setting really came alive.

I'm still a big fan of Danny, the gruff and flawed detective. His partner Tessa is the perfect balance for him, but she's just as determined as he is, and what's more, she believes in him. When everything seems against them, they make a powerful team. I was really excited to see Aleksei back. Even more so, to get a little peek at what's been going on with him.

This is a must read for all fans of supernatural and horror stories.

Buy the book here:

Amazon Kindle ~ Amazon ~ Barnes & Noble 

Check out Julie Flanders at:

Blog * Website * Facebook * Twitter 

The final stop for geeks and meet the villain plus Nick's cover reveal

Geek girl problem #893: It's the last day of the Geeky Dice & Debauchery Tour and you can't get enough geeky posts.

What a tour!
Three months of incredible fun. Thank you so much to all my wonderful hosts and to the readers that have been following me. You guys make it all worthwhile.

My final stop is at the steamy Decadent Kane's blog. I love her erotic elf series! I'll be talking about some of the things I learned during this tour about marketing erotica.

Update: Due to health issues, Decadent Kane will not be hosting me today. But if you would, please go to her blog and send good thoughts her way.

You still have time to enter the geeky giveaway below!

Prepare to meet the big, bad villain in Of Blood and Sorrow.
Be wary of her charms lest you be caught in her spider's web.
Click on over to the awesome Shannon Lawrence's blog for more.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

* * * * *

I'm excited to be part of the marvelous Nick Wilford's cover reveal!

Isn't that wonderfully creepy?!

  

Title: A Change of Mind and Other Stories

Author: Nick Wilford

Genre: Contemporary speculative fiction

Cover Design: Rebekah Romani

Release Date: May 25th, 2015

A Change of Mind and Other Stories consists of a novella, four short stories and one flash fiction piece. This collection puts the extremes of human behaviour under the microscope with the help of lashings of dark humour, and includes four pieces previously published in Writer’s Muse magazine.

In A Change of Mind, Reuben is an office worker so meek and mild he puts up with daily bullying from his boorish male colleagues as if it’s just a normal part of his day. But when a stranger points him in the direction of a surgeon offering a revolutionary new procedure, he can’t pass up the chance to turn his life around.

But this isn’t your average surgeon. For a start, he operates alone in a small room above a mechanic’s. And he promises to alter his patients’ personality so they can be anything they want to be...

In Marissa, a man who is determined to find evidence of his girlfriend’s infidelity ends up wondering if he should have left well alone.

The Dog God finds a chink in the armour of a man with a megalomaniacal desire to take over the world.

In The Insomniac, a man who leads an obsessively regimented lifestyle on one hour’s sleep a night finds a disruption to his routine doesn’t work for him.

Hole In One sees a dedicated golfer achieving a lifelong ambition.

The Loner ends the collection on a note of hope as two family members try to rebuild their lives after they are torn apart by jealousy.

Nick Wilford is a writer and stay-at-home dad. Once a journalist, he now makes use of those rare times when the house is quiet to explore the realms of fiction, with a little freelance editing and formatting thrown in. When not working, he can usually be found spending time with his family or cleaning something. Nick is also the editor of Overcoming Adversity: An Anthology for Andrew. You can find him hanging out on his

blog or on Goodreads or Twitter.

Preorder Links: Amazon US, Amazon UK

Add it on Goodreads

Meet the gorgeous vampire

I'm too sexy for my shirt, too sexy for my shirt

So sexy it hurts.

You know, I just realized I have a tendency to feature my heroes shirtless.

With that, let me introduce Nicolas Reese.

When you first meet him in the novel, he's not wearing a shirt.

Or pants.

Pop on over to Clare Dugmore's blog to learn more about him!

* * * * *

#SpecFicChat

Build a Better Hero
What are your ideas for upgrading the hero / heroine for the new millennia?
When: Friday, March 20th, Noon EDT
Where: Twitter - Type in #SpecFicChat to join in the conversation
Hosted by: @Unrealms and @mpax1

Polar Day is here!

Blurb:

The midnight sun bakes Fairbanks, Alaska as residents gather for the annual summer solstice baseball game. Amidst the revelry and raucous shouts of “Play ball,” a spark alights and a jogger bursts into flames. Detective Danny Fitzpatrick, still reeling from his near death at the hands of vampire Aleksei Nechayev, watches in horror as the man burns alive.

Someone is burning Fairbanks and its residents and leaving nothing but smoldering embers behind. As the city sweats under a record-breaking heatwave and unexplained fires claim more victims, Danny and his colleagues struggle to find an arsonist who can conjure fire out of thin air.

To Danny’s horror, the only one who may be able to help him stop the arsonist is his nemesis Nechayev. Will the vampire help in the hunt for a witch? 

Buy it on Amazon

Author Bio:

Julie Flanders is a librarian by day and a writer all the rest of the time. She is also a television show addict with a particular fondness for Game of Thrones and The Walking Dead and a slightly obsessive sports fan who cheers for the Ohio State Buckeyes and the Cincinnati Reds. Julie is an animal lover and animal rescue advocate who shares her home with her rescued dog and cat. She has written about the joys of pets for outlets such as Cat Fancy, Thrive in Life, and Best Friends Animal Society. Visit Julie at julieflanders.net.

Julie's Links:

Website: www.julieflanders.net

Blog: http://www.julieflanders.blogspot.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/JulesFlanders

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

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6912616.Julie_Flanders

This World Bites Blog Tour - Review and the next stop on the Geeky Dice & Debauchery Tour

Blurb:
It's her first day on a new world and Cera's already found trouble. Michael, her guardian, has been bitten by a zombie and will soon join the undead ranks.

Everyone tells her there's no cure, but Cera isn't one to be deterred. She's willing to face off with zombie hordes, demon slavers, and black market informants if it means she'll find a cure for Michael. But she's not the only one hunting for something.

Something is hunting her.

My review:
Cera and her strange crew are searching for a cure for her comatose father. They've had their share of troubles, but none like that which faces them now on this new planet. Cera's guardian is bitten by a zombie, and as she searches for a way to save him, something is trying to capture her. Good thing she's a powerful elemental. Wait. Her powers don't work against demons? Oh oh.

What a wonderfully quirky and fun speculative fiction tale. It's over the top and it works so well. The reader is thrust right in to the story, joining a cast of odd characters with a colorful history. It's a new world with zombies and other supernaturals. It paints a fantastic urban fantasy-like setting where even the zombies have restaurants they can go to eat.

The plot is twisted with surprises ready to jump out at you, but for me, it's the characters that shine brightest. Cera has a powerful young voice, but she's been around for a while. She's a strong leader and I admire her dedication to her friends and purpose. I just want to pinch Michael's cute dimpled cheeks and hug him, but I suppose he'd like that a little too much. I'm also a big fan of Duke, a sexy vampire that owns a vegan restaurant. Each character has a rich history and will make you laugh. I laughed a lot while reading this book!

This World Bites is zany and unusual. Be prepared for a wild ride when you read it. And read it you must! I highly recommend it. Good thing this is the first in the series. That means there's more coming!

Buy the book now!

Amazon * B&N * Kobo

Loni Townsend
Wife. Mother. Writer. Ninja. Squirrel.

By day, she writes code. By predawn darkness, she writes fantasies. All other times, she writes in her head.

People call her peculiar with a twisted sense of fashion, but don't let those understatements fool you. Her behavior is perfectly normal for a squirrel disguised as a human. That's part of being a ninja—blending in.

She makes her home in Idaho with her sadistically clever—yet often thwarted—husband, two frighteningly brilliant children, and three sneaky little shibas.

Find her on her blog or social media.

Contact info:
Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Google+ | Goodreads

* * * * *

The Geeky D&D Tour continues with new awesome hosts and another nerdy giveaway!

Today I'm explaining con slang over at my wonderfully geeky critique partner's site, T.F. Walsh!

This month's giveaway grand prize is Zombie Dice. It's an awesome dice game. I'm a big fan of Steve Jackson Games, especially Munchkin.
The second prize for 3 winners is a unique Christine Rains die and some swag.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Still time to enter The 13th Floor series anniversary giveaway!

Enter now to win a great collection of paranormal romance tales!

Get hooked on the series.
Get the first book, THE MARQUIS for free!
Smashwords * Amazon * Kobo

a Rafflecopter giveaway

More Than Just a Kiss Blogfest still on

“A kiss, when all is said, what is it? 'Tis a secret told to the mouth instead of to the ear.” ~ Edmond Rostand

Have you joined the blogfest yet?

All it takes is one kiss.

One scene to be entered to win great prizes.

READ THE RULES AND SIGN UP HERE!

 

This kiss is from one of my unpublished manuscripts tentatively named SORROW PHAGE. (I know, the title isn't screaming romance!) The protagonist, Erinys, is a demon that feeds on people's sorrow, and Nicolas is a young vampire.

“Of course you wouldn't forget. I know I've got a body to die for. Literally.” He chuckled at his own joke and moved closer to her. He lifted a hand and kept a close watch on her face as he brought it up to touch her forearm where the trail of spots started. “I do really like them. Something exotic about it. Do they go all the way down?”

“Down my spine and the back of my legs.” Erinys stood very still, feeling her stomach flip as he touched her. Her toes wiggled in her wet boots.

His fingers reached her shoulder and caressed the place where it met her neck. Nicolas gently urged her away from the wall and turned her around. He brushed her hair to one side and continued to follow the spots down her back with his fingers. He kissed that same spot between the neck and shoulder. Her lips parted, tremulously inhaling.

“You're so beautiful,” he whispered, nuzzling her neck. “You and your black spots.”

Erinys whipped around and elbowed him in the chest. He flew back into the tub, cracking a few tiles. She ran, jumped into the bed and wrapped herself in a thick quilt, burying her head in the pillows with the hope she wouldn't start crying again.

Day Four of The Oracle & The Vampire Blog Tour

It's the final day of the tour!
It was a little short this time around, but only because I wanted to have the cover reveal of my final book in the 13th Floor series tomorrow. Come on back for a big surprise!

I have two incredibly fun posts for you today.

I'm sitting down to chat with the lovely Clare Dugmore
about vampires, supernatural beings, and
paranormal romance.

Then I'm visiting the talented M Pepper Langlinais
with 13 of the creepiest pairings in paranormal romance!
Plus, there's a HUGE giveaway!!!
You could win all five of the published 13th Floor books and an ARC of the final one.
You could be the first to own the entire series.

Today's tidbit: Harriet is the most loved by the other tenants on the 13th floor, and Kiral is the most hated. Yet it's Kiral that readers have asked me the most about. I think Xan might have some competition for hottest shirtless guy.

Day Three of The Oracle & The Vampire Blog Tour and Passing Time promo

Onward to day three of the tour!
Do you have your copy of THE ORACLE & THE VAMPIRE yet?

Amazon * B&N * Kobo * Smashwords

Today my guest posts offer up some helpful tips.

I'll be discussing the 5 Ws of marketing with my
awesome CP and editor, Cherie Reich.

Then I'm over at the rockin' Alex J. Cavanaugh's talking
about face-to-face networking for shy writers.

Today's tidbit: Harriet is my favorite character in the 13th Floor series. I felt a lot of pressure while writing the story because I wanted everyone to love her as much as I do. She's one of those characters than named herself. Her cats even named themselves! I do love it when characters are confident about who they are.

Here's another great read for you, and it's FREE until Friday!

Passing Time: Nine Short Tales of the Strange and Macabre

Nine dark fiction stories that may just give you nightmares.

A man lives to regret Passing Time. A father will do anything to save his son in Expiration Date. An author finds out her worst nightmare is back in The Devil’s Song. A woman gets more than the claim fee when she takes out vampire insurance in Luna Black.

In Dining in Hell, the Death Valley Diner becomes the wrong place to stop.

A serial killer wants to add another file to his collection in The Vegas Screamer. In Eating Mr. Bone, an undertaker could meet an unfortunate end. A con man meets his first ghost in Land of the Free. And will truth finally be set free in The Letter?

Book Links

Amazon.com

Amazon.co.uk

Goodreads

Facebook

Meet Ellie Garratt

A life-long addiction to reading science fiction and horror, meant writing was the logical outlet for Ellie Garratt’s passions. She is a reader, writer, blogger, Trekkie, and would happily die to be an extra in The Walking Dead. Her short stories have been published in anthologies and online. Passing Time is her first eBook collection and contains nine previously published stories. Her science fiction collection Taking Time will be published later this year.

Great stalking places:

Website | Amazon | Facebook | Goodreads | Twitter

Day Two of The Oracle & The Vampire Blog Tour and Jewel of Shaylar release

It's day two of the blog tour,
and today I have two fantastic hosts that have been with me through the entire series.

I'm continuing my villains' posts with Nick Wilford.
What's more frightening than demons, werewolves, dragons, and gods?
Hop on over to find out.

I couldn't pick on supernatural creature to feature on TF Walsh's blog.
I'll be chatting about vampires and banshees.
What are your favorite myths?

Today's tidbit: I just realized that the way the tour badge is cropped makes it look like Harriet is holding a head instead of cradling Kiral. Heh. The cover image for this book was the hardest to find, because I had to make sure both models were what I imagined my characters to look like. For Kiral, it was easy to find a model I liked. Harriet, well, she was a bit more difficult. The model isn't perfect for her since Harriet has untamed hair and the model's wardrobe isn't right, but I love the intensity of her gaze and the way she's protectively holding Kiral. That in itself represents Harriet perfectly.

And now I'm excited to share with you the newest release from the talented and whimsical Laura Eno!

Blurb:

Archaeologist David Alexander investigates the cave where his father disappeared and hurtles into another world, one filled with magic and bizarre creatures. The mad ravings in his father's journals of icemen and dragons may not be fantasies after all.

Convinced his father may still be alive, David begins a treacherous journey to find him and discover a way home. Along the way, he encounters a few unlikely friends. A Dreean warrior, a beautiful thief and a satyr join him as he searches.

David's arrival into this new world sets off an explosive chain reaction of events. Faced with powerful adversaries and few clues, he may not get the chance to rescue his father before disaster strikes, condemning both of them to death. Or worse. 

Read Excerpt

Purchase at: KindleUS * KindleUK * Nook * Smashwords * Kobo * Trade Paperback

 
Add to your Goodreads 

Author Bio: Laura Eno. Speculative Fiction wordsmith. The secret to her stories? Spread lies, blend in truths, add a pinch of snark and a dash of tears. Escape into her world. She left the porch light on so you could find your way down the rabbit hole.

 

Find Laura at: Blog * Twitter * Facebook

Day One of The Oracle & The Vampire Blog Tour and Pop Travel cover reveal

Yay! Harriet and Kiral's story is here!
Welcome to day one of THE ORACLE & THE VAMPIRE blog tour!
This is the fifth book in the 13th Floor series.
There's one more book after this. The cover and a big surprise will be revealed this Friday!

You can buy THE ORACLE & THE VAMPIRE at:
Amazon * B&N * Kobo * Smashwords

I have two awesome stops today to kick off the tour.

Romance between Harriet and Kiral?
This book isn't like the others in the series.
Discover how tangled their relationship is at Kyra Lennon's blog.

Get hooked with a stunning excerpt
at Kerri Cuevas' blog.

Today's tidbit: This book was originally supposed to be Harriet's story. Yet something was lacking. When one of my CPs suggested I include Kiral's point of view, I was worried Harriet's voice would be overshadowed by his, but it turned out to be exactly what the story needed. I didn't think I'd make my deadline with the amount of rewrites, but here we are! Another unique and wonderful tale to add to the series. 

Today is a lucky day! Not only is it the first day of my blog tour, but I'm honored to help with Tara Tyler's cover reveal. It's gorgeous!

POP TRAVEL by Tara Tyler

Release date: July 7, 2013

Publisher: Curiosity Quills

Blurb:

Private Investigator J. L. Cooper always knew pop travel laser teleportation was too good to be true. Finding video proof of a disintegrating traveler is the stomach turning “I told you so.”

Not bothering to upload the video to the nosy, government monitored Qnet, Cooper digs around, bringing the death of his client and threats to his political little brother, who is in jeopardy of turning to dust anyway for disregarding Cooper’s warnings not to pop. Cooper has to do everything himself.

If he survives his first pop, Cooper won’t let anything distract him from getting the job done. Not the android security guards, the constant surveillance, or even Southern Comfort in a purple dress, Geri Harper. Nothing Coop can’t handle.

Author Bio: Math teacher by day, sports mom by night,
When does she have time to write?
Good question, but the Lazy Housewife makes time! Tara Tyler writes sci fi, thriller, and fantasy, with dabs of romance and humor and tips for efficient living. Something for everyone.