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Wednesday, March 30, 2016

Book Tour: "League of Elder: Sygillis of Metatron" by Ren Garcia



For ages League mothers have told their children terrifying stories about the Black Hats: the enemy, eager to slay anyone who falls into their grasp, always searching for their next victim. 


Only the League’s ruling body, the Sisterhood of Light, has been able to counter their evil. When a Black Hat is taken prisoner aboard Captain Davage’s ship, the Sisters have every intention of executing her, to put her to a slow, painful death. That is what’s done to Black Hats, and no one dares challenge the Sisters’ authority. They are astounded when the Captain refuses to allow it. 

Using his Gift of Sight, Captain Davage, the Lord of the Great House of Blanchefort, has gotten a glimpse of the Black Hat’s face, and is shocked. Though no one but a Sister would ever willingly face a Black Hat and hope to survive, he enters her cell.

Buy Links:

Amazon

Ren Garcia is a Science Fiction/Fantasy author and Texas native who grew up in western Ohio. He has been writing since before he could write, often scribbling alien lingo on any available wall or floor with assorted crayons. He attended The Ohio State University and majored in English Literature. Ren has been an avid lover of anything surreal since childhood, he also has a passion for caving, urban archeology and architecture. His highly imaginative "League of Elder" book series is published by Loconeal Publishing.

Author Links:
My facebook author page: http://www.amazon.com/Ren-Garcia/e/B00896NE6Y/ref=dp_byline_cont_ebooks_1 



Snippet:

“You have set the Dirge to a Lord of Grenville,” he hissed on the march. “I’ll see you executed for this, Lady Sygillis,” he said, his body moving of its own accord.
Sygillis snapped back, her mastery of the Dirge allowing her to talk and hold it at the same time. “And, if anything happens to Captain Davage as a result of this childish delay, Mapes, I will kill you myself as many times and in as many ways possible. Pray you, sir, that he returns to my arms safe and unharmed, for woe to you should he not. Lead the way, sir, and you need not speak until we arrive.”


Check out all the great blogs that are a part of this event by following along on the Facebook page.

Monday, March 28, 2016

Book Tour: "The Solid Rock" by Faith Blum

TSR Release Banner FB and Blog

I am excited to be part of this blog tour for a new Christian Western! Faith Blum joins us today to talk about her new release, The Solid Rock. It is about a talented detective with a mission to find his kidnapped colleague who finds himself working undercover with a heinous outlaw who has more plans than first meet the eye.

About the Book

3D The Solid Rock


Joshua woke with a quiet groan. As his senses woke up one at a time, he cracked his eyelids open. Sure enough, there was a silhouetted form standing at the foot of the bed. From the smell, the person was either from the brothel down the street or had recently left one. He forced himself to breathe evenly and reached for the knife in his thigh holster. With as tough and evil a voice as he could imitate, he spoke, “State your intentions.” Pinkerton detective, Joshua Brookings, is sent on a job that seems simple on the surface. His fellow detective has been kidnapped and his boss, William Pinkerton senses foul play. Joshua is sent to investigate Edward's case in hopes of finding the kidnapped detective and helping solve the case that has taken over ten years to investigate. Arriving in Cheyenne, Joshua finds much more than a simple kidnapping. Yet again, he must go undercover, something he made his boss promise never to make him do again. The only Christian in the outlaw group, Joshua falters and almost loses faith in God’s providence. Will he stand on the solid Rock or drown in the sinking sand?

buy-button-amazon

 You can also preorder a paperback copy here for $14.00 plus shipping.

Excerpt

Quotable #5

By seven o’clock, Joshua was back in his hotel room. In the morning, he would finish reading the notes and have a plan formulated.
He pulled a pencil and pad of paper from his saddlebag and started a preliminary report on his hypotheses, comparing and contrasting each. The outlaw one was more plausible and easier to defend against. Plus statehood was still years in the future, so why the hurry?
A knock on his door interrupted his musings. “Who is it?” he asked as he hid his saddlebags under the bed.
“Sheriff Granger.”
Joshua took out his pistol and opened the door slowly. The sheriff stepped into the room and looked at the pistol.
“Usually it’s the outlaws who greet me with a pistol.”
Joshua grinned, holstered his gun, and held out his hand. “Joshua Brookings. Nice to meet you. Elizabeth’s told me many good things about you. Sorry about the gun, but I’m too close to finding answers to take any risks now.”
Leland shook Joshua’s hand. “I understand. I’d probably do the same thing in your shoes. But how do you know you can trust me?”
Joshua gestured toward the chair under the window and the sheriff sat in it while Joshua sat on the bed. “Edward Harris put you on his ‘people you can trust’ list.”
Sheriff Granger grunted. “So he investigated me, did he? I suppose that’s a good thing. What d’you need from me?”

“The names of two capable, single, young men who might be interested in helping Elizabeth and me track down the kidnappers.”

Giveaway

TSR Release Giveaway Meme


Faith is giving away a full set of paperback books! Fill out this form to earn entries to the giveaway. Each entry gives you one point, plus there are opportunities for bonus entries.

AMF Availability

If you haven't read any of my books and would like to try one for free, I am working on getting A Mighty Fortress available for free on all formats. It is currently free on Barnes and Noble, iBooks, and Kobo. If you also wouldn't mind helping me get it free on Amazon, I would appreciate that. To help, all you have to do is grab 1, 2, or 3 of the links where it is free and go to AMF's Amazon page, click on "tell us about a lower price" and submit a link or three. Thank you!

Facebook Party

TSR Release Party Banner FB


To celebrate her release, Faith is holding a Facebook party on March 31st from 2-4 Central time. You can join her and 3 other authors here. There will be fun, games, giveaways, excerpts, and more. Some of the giveaways will stay open through Friday evening, April 1st. Fun fact: the other three authors are all homeschool moms.

About the Author

Author Picture 2015-2016 croppedFaith Blum started writing at an early age. She started even before she could read! She even thought she could write better than Dr. Seuss. Now that she's grown up a little more, she knows she will probably never reach the success of Dr. Seuss, but that doesn't stop her from trying. When she isn't writing, Faith enjoys doing many right-brained activities such as reading, crafting, writing, playing piano, and playing games with her family. One of her dreams is to visit Castle City, Montana someday to see the ghost town she chose for her characters to live in. She currently lives on a hobby farm with her family in Wisconsin.

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Faith-Blum/e/B00GSPBHW6
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HymnsoftheWest
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/Faith_Blum
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/FaithBlumAuthor
Website: http://www.FaithBlum.com
Blog: http://www.FaithBlum.wordpress.com

Tour Schedule

March 26
Writing Dreams-Excerpt and Spotlight
Tee Garner-Excerpt, Spotlight, Interview

March 28
George's Shorts-Spotlight, Review
Karan Eleni-Excerpt, Spotlight, Review
BlondeRJ-Excerpt
Zerina Blossom's Books-Excerpt, Spotlight

March 29
In the Bookcase-Excerpt, Review
Kelsey's Notebook-Review, Interview
With a Joyful Noise-Excerpt, Spotlight
Melanie D. Snitker, Author-Excerpt, Spotlight
Wildflower Acres-Spotlight

March 30
Jaye L. Knight-Excerpt, Spotlight
Stories by Firefly-Excerpt, Spotlight, Interview
Chess Desalls-Excerpt
Kendra’s Thoughts-Excerpt, Interview
Frances Hoelsma-Excerpt, Spotlight

March 31
David Todd-Interview
Reading in June-Excerpt, Spotlight
Rachel Rossano’s Words-Excerpt, Spotlight
Trust and Obey-Guest Post, Spotlight

April 1
Writings, Ramblings, and Reflections-Tour Wrap-up, giveaway announcement

Tuesday, March 22, 2016

Book Tour and Review: "Siren's Song" by Mary Weber


Description


Siren's Song 
Publisher: Thomas Nelson / HarperCollins
Release Date: March 1st 2016
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Magic, Fiction, Paranormal

Synopsis:

Nym and Draewulf prepare to face off in a battle destined to destroy more lives than it saves.

With the loss of Tulla still fresh in mind, Rasha’s fate unknown, and Lord Myles taken over by the dark ability, Nym and the few Bron soldiers rush to warn Cashlin’s queen. Only to discover it may already be too late for the monarch and her eerie kingdom. As the Luminescents are sifting through Nym’s past memories and the queen is reading into her future, Nym is given a choice of how to defeat Draewulf, but the cost may be more than she can bear. And even then there are no guarantees.

With that reality burrowing into her bones—along with the guilt of the lives she will sacrifice—Nym returns to her homeland of Faelen to raise an army of peasants through promises of freedom. But when the few friends she has left, along with the world and citizens she loves, are staring down the face of a monster and his undead army, will Nym summon every element her blood is capable of controlling . . . or surrender to a different strength—one of sacrifice?

Because in the end, death may be more merciful for them all.

Buy Links:

Other books in the series:

 

Book #1: Storm Siren


Book #2: Siren's Fury


About the Author

Mary Weber is a ridiculously uncoordinated girl plotting to take over make-believe worlds through books, handstands, and imaginary throwing knives. In her spare time, she feeds unicorns, sings 80’s hairband songs to her three muggle children, and ogles her husband who looks strikingly like Wolverine. They live in California, which is perfect for stalking L.A. bands, Joss Whedon, and the ocean. Her debut YA fantasy novel, STORM SIREN and SIREN'S FURY are available now in bookstores and online, and SIREN'S SONG will be out March 2016 from TN HarperCollins.

Author Links:


Five Favorite Quotes


Amidst this book of epic battles, inspiring speeches, witty comments, and introspective words, how is one to choose favorite quotes that don’t spoil the plot? I did my best to choose good, safe ones, but I can’t guarantee they are completely spoiler-free. Read at your own risk and know there are many more great words in Siren’s Song. The first four I like because they make me laugh and the last one because it is beautiful.

One
Eogan: “What was that about?”
Nym: “Nothing. I’m merely beginning to think it’s a Bron curse for the men to talk in hints so as to keep the world confused.”

Two
Myles laughs, then winks at the guard. “Don’t let her fool you, mate. She rather enjoys a good round of letting the mentally unssstable run around with her.”

By which he means himself.

Three
“And what are bolcranes like?” Kel asks after a good fifty terrameters.
“Deadly,” Tannin mutters.
“How deadly?”
“They’ll eat you in two bites.”
“Neat.” Kel’s eyes are huge. “Will we see any?”

Oh the joy of little boys!

Four
I grin. I’d buy her ignorance if she weren’t Luminescent, and the most powerful one, to boot.
“Don’t you dare.” She leans into me. “I still hate him.”
“Uh-huh.”
“I hate you.”
“Clearly. Which is why you still can’t take your eyes off him,” I say with a chuckle.
Nym is, as usual, the narrator. But, I refuse to tell which of her female companions she is chatting with or who about.

Five
“…there is a moment before every storm when the entire world pauses. As if the atmosphere, in unison with the ocean tides, the wind the sky’s watery teardrops, is forced to hold its breath. A bracing against the violence it knows will come—the tempest that perhaps this time, this moment, might actually shred the word’s soul.
I’ve been in that moment in a physical storm so many times before.
I have been that moment.
But today…
Today we are the moment.
We are the storm.
And I have never been more proud of my people.
Nor more afraid for them.”


Review


First off, I must warn that this review contains major plot spoilers for books 1-2, Storm Siren and Siren’s Fury. I highly suggest completing those books before reading this review!

Eogan is alive and separated from Draewulf. Nym has her powers back. But Draewulf still lives and plots to gain immortality by devouring the five most powerful people in the Hidden Lands. To do so, he will conquer each of the five nations, enslaving and murdering the peoples with his wraith army. Eogan, Nym, and several others are the only ones who can possibly stop Draewulf. And they are on his hit list. With his power growing ever stronger, will they be able to conquer him and his army before he destroys them?

This book…yikes! I would not want to be them. With a monster breathing down their backs and terrible choices to make. Even if they choose correctly, they may still lose the war. I am thrilled to be able to witness their epic story!—safely, in my own home.

And it was epic. Elementals, Luminescents, Terraforms, Mortifares, Medians, and those wacky combinations as in the case of Lord Myles—all held great power. It reminded me strongly of the anime Bleach, where the characters’ swords hold so much spiritual power they are able to create a canyon or topple a skyscraper with a single slash. Except the characters in Siren’s Song didn’t need a blade to wield their power. All they needed was themselves.

Too bad there are only a few of them left when the showdown begins.

Siren’s Song was dark. In addition to the pure, natural-born abilities there is also dark magic. It is what created Draewulf, what Nym ingested and Myles stole, what raises the dead to become zombie-like wraiths, what twisted Isobel to become the heartless wretch she is. It is slowly driving Myles insane. Then, there is the hopelessness of the characters that furthers the dark tone. Draewulf’s army becomes more unstoppable as the story progresses. Even if the entire nation of Faelen rose up to fight in the battle, the situation looks utterly hopeless.

But hope is to be found within the Siren’s Song.

I enjoyed this book very much, in case you can’t tell. Book two, Siren’s Fury, had me doubting the conclusion to the series. I hated how dark the series had become even as I longed to learn how it ended. But Siren’s Song made everything worth it. I loved the sarcastic humor and the many inspirational or introspective paragraphs. I loved Nym’s temper and her love for Eogan, as crazy as they drive each other. I love Nym and Rasha’s friendship—like two girly BFF’s. I loved nearly everything about the book and would recommend it to fans of YA/NA  fantasy.

Just…be prepared for anything.

I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 

Friday, March 18, 2016

Book Tour and Review: "Lions in the Garden" by Chelsea Luna


Description


Lions in the Garden
by 
Chelsea Luna
Release Date: March 1st 2016
Lyrical Press (Kensington)

Summary from Goodreads:


Prague, 1610

Ludmila Novakova--Mila--has barely set foot outside Prague Castle in her seventeen years. But with the choice between braving the bandits and wolves of Bohemia's uneasy roads or being married off to a disgusting old baron, she's taken what she can carry and fled.

Escape won't be easy. Even Mila has heard the rumors of a rebellion coming against the court. The peasants are hungry. The king hasn't been seen in months. Mila's father, the High Chancellor, is well known and well hated.

But Mila can't sit behind a stone wall and let fear force her into a life of silk gowns and certain misery. Her mother's death has taught her that much. She has one ally: Marc, the son of the blacksmith. A commoner, a Protestant--and perhaps a traitor, too. But the farther she gets from the castle, the more lies she uncovers, unraveling everything she thought she knew. And the harder it is to tell friend from enemy--and wrong from right . . . 


Buy Links:


About the Author 


Chelsea Luna is the author of the bestselling NEW ENGLAND WITCH CHRONICLES, a young adult paranormal romance series comprising of four novels. Chelsea is also the author of the bestselling LOVE & THE ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE, a young adult horror trilogy.

Chelsea received a Juris Doctorate from New York Law School in New York, New York in 2007, and a B.A. in Sociology, with a concentration in Criminal Justice, from the University of Tennessee in 2004. She lives in Tennessee.

Author Links:



Review


Frightened by the prospect of an arranged marriage to an old man she dislikes, seventeen year old Mila flees her home in the palace of Prague in 1610.  As the chancellor’s daughter, Mila has never been outside the palace unescorted and certainly not through the thief-infested forests outside the city.  After handsome blacksmith’s son, Marc, rescues her from bandits, Mila falls hopelessly in love and begins to see that the rebellion brewing among the peasants is not without just cause.

Lions in the Garden, by Chelsea Luna, was aptly named as there were both literal and metaphorical lions in the garden.  King Rudolf II kept lions caged within his palace gardens.  And, to quote Marc, the peasants were like the lion in that “It’s angry and depraved and once it breaks free of its cage, all hell is going to break loose.”  The peasants certainly would make all hell break loose when they rebelled, the question being whether they would end up caged again afterwards. 

I enjoyed Lions in the Garden.  The setting, the plot, the characters, and the romance all built to a dramatic climax that begs for a sequel.  Kidnappings and murders, engagements and weddings, prison sentences and daring escapes all added to the intrigue.  The fact that it is based—loosely, that is—on history, adds to the authenticity. 

The setting was well-done.  The characters traveled across seventeenth century Prague, stopping at various monuments that are still present in the city today—Saint Vitus Cathedral, the astronomical clock, and the palace itself, to name a few.  Each location was described in relative detail, without alienating the story.  Because of this book, I would like to visit Prague someday.

The romance needs a few words.  Mila was determined and brave; a little naïve at first, but she learned and grew.  Marc, on the other hand, knew, or a least suspected, much of what the people of the city suffered, although he also needed to grow a little.  I immediately liked both characters and wished they could marry, despite the dramatic difference in social status.  What I did not like was that it was basically a love-at-fist-sight romance, meaning, it is unrealistic for them to have a deep love-trust relationship after knowing each other for a few hours, in spite of how much they sacrificed for each other.  The physical attraction was present, and they were touching hands, hair, and torsos by the end of their second meeting, though neither they nor any of the other characters slept together.  But Marc and Mila ultimately knew very little of each other’s character, desires, or life-story even as they were willing to risk all to continue a doomed romance.  It frustrated me.

Other than that, I enjoyed the book very much.  And the characters were very sweet to watch together.  I would recommend this book to teens who enjoy a good romance in a historical setting. 

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 


Giveaway



Book Tour Organized by:



Tuesday, March 15, 2016

Book Tour: "Winter Queen" by Amber Argyle


Description

Winter Queen
Amber Argyle


Summary from Goodreads:

~Becoming a winter queen will make Ilyenna as cold and cruel and deadly as winter itself, but it might be the only way to save her people from a war they have no hope of winning.~

Mortally wounded during a raid, seventeen-year-old Ilyenna is healed by winter fairies who present her with a seductive offer: become one of them and share their power over winter. But that power comes with a price. If she accepts, she will become a force of nature, lose her humanity, and abandon her family.

Unwilling to pay such a high price, Ilyenna is enslaved by one of the invaders, Darrien. While in captivity, she learns the attack wasn’t just a simple raid but part of a larger plot to overthrow her entire nation. 

With the enemy stealing over the mountains and Darrien coming to take her to his bed, Ilyenna must decide whether to resurrect the power the fairies left behind. Doing so will allow her to defeat Darrien and the other invaders, but if she embraces winter, she will lose herself to that destroying power—forever. 


Buy Links:

To receive Amber Argyle’s starter library for free (4 books!), simply tell her where to send it: http://eepurl.com/l8fl1


About the Author


Amber Argyle is the number-one bestselling author of the Witch Song Series and the Fairy Queen Series. Her books have been nominated for and won awards in addition to being translated into French and Indonesian.

Amber graduated cum laude from Utah State University with a degree in English and physical education, a husband, and a two-year old. Since then, she and her husband have added two more children, which they are actively trying to transform from crazy small people into less crazy larger people.

Author Links:


Review


Ilyenna is clan mistress and the best healer in her village, which means she must put the clan before her own desires.  That rule is not too difficult to follow, until the people she loves are forced into a war with a neighboring tribe.  Until Ilyenna herself becomes a slave to a terrible man who intends to use her slavery to force her into marriage.  In the midst of this are the winter fairies - beings who offer to give Ilyenna freedom from bondage and safety for her loved ones, but at the cost of her humanity and her love all she cares about.

Winter Queen was awesome!  I loved every word of it, from the first page!  I have never read any of Amber Argyle’s books before, but this one makes me want to read more.

I loved the character Ilyenna.  She was stubborn, a little too much sometimes, but she made up for it with her indomitable kindness, even for people who did not care for her.  She was determined to help others, often at the cost of her safety.  She rarely backed down, either.  Sometimes that made Ilyenna reckless, but I loved her all the more for it.  And her romance! - watching those two characters made me swoon.  I wish we all had a boyfriend/husband as caring as Ilyenna’s!

The setting was pretty good too.  It reminded me of the setting in Beowulf, with the chieftain’s great hall, warriors, and women with decently-high standing in the community.  The clans had their system of government to decide laws among the different groups in the alliance.  And the supernatural setting was perhaps the most interesting.  The author clearly set up supernatural being and laws to govern the world.  The Balance was part of it; kind of like Karma, it gave every act or situation have an opposite: Summer and Winter, death and life, good and evil.  So, Ilyenna bargains for two lives of those she loves, and ends up losing two others to death.  In some circumstances, it sucks, but in others, at least the people can hope for retribution for the evil done to them.  I liked the way this law was so thoroughly entrenched in the story world.

And I must talk at least a little about the ending.  The mere fact that the main character could lose her humanity and the things she loves puts the ending up in the air.  I was afraid that after everything, Ilyenna and her love would not be able to be together, either through death or the winter fairies.  It made me hesitate to read through to the ending, even as I was curious to find out what happened.  Suffice it to say, I think the ending was well done.  I wish it were a little different, but it was still happy, which I appreciate.  After everything they suffered, it had to have been happy, and I am glad to say it was.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it to older teens who like romantic fantasy.

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Language:  0/5; There was none.
Drugs:  3/5; There was alcohol but it was used mainly for medicinal purposes.
Violence:  5/5; Physical and mental abuse, death, murder, attempted rape, and more; the characters were fighting for their lives!
Romance:  4/5; Rape and sex were threatened by the antagonist; the main character and her love interest had sex, but the scene was not described but faded to black; sex itself was not outright talked about but often implied and threatened.
Magic: 2/5; No spells or witchcraft; the fairies and their queens had natural magic; the dead had some power and marked one of the characters for death, but their power was not described or mentioned often.


Giveaway


a Rafflecopter giveaway

And, I apologize for any wacky formatting.  Blogger and tablets don't go together, but my computer is down, so it was all I had.  I hope you enjoyed this blog tour stop, though!

Friday, March 11, 2016

Book Tour: "The Riddle of Prague" by Laura DeBruce


Description


The Riddle of Prague
by 
Laura DeBruce
Release Date: September 17th 2013

Summary from Goodreads:


When 18-year-old Hana Silna travels to Prague to reclaim her family's ancestral home, she finds herself on an unexpected adventure in a city brimming with ancient secrets. She discovers a riddle by the infamous alchemist Edward Kelley that claims to lead to a long-lost flask. The contents of that flask could change the fate of the world. When a ruthless enemy kidnaps her family, Hana has to find the flask to rescue them. On her quest she meets a mysterious man with a penchant for poetry, a Gypsy girl with a haunting past, and Alex, the motorcycle-riding son of a U.S. diplomat. Alex -- who's trying to save his sister from a crippling disease -- joins Hana on her race across Bohemia to find the hidden flask. It's hard to trust anyone when the stakes are this high -- especially when surrounded by experts at deception. There's only one flask and Hana desperately needs to find it.
 

The Riddle of Prague is the first of the Quicksilver Legacy Trilogy. Kirkus Reviews describes Laura DeBruce's debut novel as "[a]n exciting...thriller with supernatural elements and a brave, enterprising heroine." Clarion Reviews gives The Riddle of Prague five-stars and calls it "[a] fast-paced, edge-of-your-seat mystery-adventure." 


The Riddle of Prague is on sale for $0.99!
Buy Links:


Book Trailer



About the Author


Laura DeBruce worked in the television business in Prague where she fell in love with the city and its legends. She is a documentary filmmaker and writer who currently lives in Maryland. The Riddle of Prague is her first novel.

To learn more please visit 
www.theriddleofprague.com

Author Links:


The Survival Guide to Immortality  


In The Riddle of Prague, a number of characters possess DNA that’s been transformed so that they’re immune to most diseases, they don’t seem to age, and they heal extremely quickly from flesh wounds. They’re not completely invulnerable to death, but they often live for hundreds of years without looking any older.

A few tips from our “Immortals” for The Survival Guide to Immortality:

Don Julius
Beg, borrow, cheat, and steal—do whatever it takes—to compile a fortune so you can live in a grand villa on the island of Capri, travel to Paris and Prague, and hire minions to do your bidding. Then make a foolproof plan for transferring every cent of wealth to your next incarnation. Death threats are helpful in this regard.


Sophia Brahe
When you re-create yourself, come back as a member of your family so you can stay close to your loved ones, and explain why you look so much like your dear departed “Auntie” or “Granny”. You will most likely need to reveal your secret to one or two trusted individuals who can help stage your death and pave the way for your re-entry among the living.

The Pole - Sendovogious
Bah! Don’t give a damn about the next life. Enjoy the one you’re in:  eat, drink & be merry—all the dumplings you can eat, all the wine you can drink, and all the dancing you can do. Let your future self worry about the future.

The Nomad
Seal your memories in a deep, dark part of your mind so that you are not haunted by hundreds of years of sadness and torment. Do your best to forget everyone you ever knew. Trust no one. And above all, avoid falling in love.

Marketa
The way to survive a lifetime of centuries is with charitable works. Doing good for all the beasts that roam the earth is the only salve to the wound from watching the world suffer and knowing you are mostly immune, at least to the physical aspects of death. 

Giveaway



Blog Tour Organized by:


Cover Reveal: "The Solid Rock" by Faith Blum

TSR Reveal Banner

Today, I'm excited to announce that Faith Blum have not only an official release day, but also a cover for her newest novel, The Solid Rock!! There's a catch, though. You can't see the cover for the novel until you've gathered all 15 clues. There's also an exciting giveaway of 10 books, well 14 if you count the box set of 5 as 5 instead of just 1.  Have fun searching for the clues. Instructions on how to see the cover are under the "Clues" section of the blog post.


About the Book

Quotable


Joshua woke with a quiet groan. As his senses woke up one at a time, he cracked his eyelids open. Sure enough, there was a silhouetted form standing at the foot of the bed. From the smell, the person was either from the brothel down the street or had recently left one. He forced himself to breathe evenly and reached for the knife in his thigh holster. With as tough and evil a voice as he could imitate, he spoke, “State your intentions.” 

 Pinkerton detective, Joshua Brookings, is sent on a job that seems simple on the surface. His fellow detective has been kidnapped and his boss, William Pinkerton senses foul play. Joshua is sent to investigate Edward's case in hopes of finding the kidnapped detective and helping solve the case that has taken over ten years to investigate. Arriving in Cheyenne, Joshua finds much more than a simple kidnapping. Yet again, he must go undercover, something he made his boss promise never to make him do again. The only Christian in the outlaw group, Joshua falters and almost loses faith in God’s providence. Will he stand on the solid Rock or drown in the sinking sand?

About the Author


Author Picture 2015-2016 b
Faith Blum started writing at an early age. She started even before she could read! She even thought she could write better than Dr. Seuss. (The picture doesn't show it well, but there are scribblings on the page of Green Eggs and Ham). Now that she's grown up a little more, she knows she will probably never reach the success of Dr. Seuss, but that doesn't stop her from trying. When she isn't writing, Faith enjoys doing many right-brained activities such as reading, crafting, writing, playing piano, and playing games with her family. One of her dreams is to visit Castle City, Montana someday to see the ghost town she chose for her characters to live in. She currently lives on a hobby farm with her family in Wisconsin.





Giveaway

Giveaway Meme

All the books in the giveaway are either Christian, Mystery, or Western. I have not read all of them, so I cannot vouch for what they are like inside. There will only be one winner (sorry), and since they are all ebooks, we can open the giveaway up internationally as well! Here is the list of the ebooks. To find out more about each book, please click on the title and read the Amazon description. 

Dangerous Illusions by Barb Goss 
A Box of Dreams by James DiBenedetto
Heartfelt Cases by Julie C. Gilbert
Pride and Butterflies by Franky A. Brown
Guardian (Guardian Trilogy #1) by Robin Helm
SoulFire (Guardian Trilogy #1) by Robin Helm
Legacy (Guardian Trilogy #1) by Robin Helm
Finding Hope by Elizabeth Diaz
Lily of the Valley by Faith Blum
Life and Salvation by Faith Blum


Clue


In order to gain access to the blog page that has the full cover on it, you need to hop over to the 14 other blogs to gather the clues. Each blogger will have a clue number and one character of the clue. Each clue is either a number, letter, or symbol. What you need to do is gather the clues and put them in the correct order. Once this is done, type in the password (no spaces) on the protected page (found here) and you will find the full cover in all its glory. While you’re on each blog, be sure to read the excerpts and I’m sure each blogger would appreciate a comment. Happy sleuthing!


Blogs




Excerpt

Quotable #3

A few days later, Joshua rode into Cheyenne. With a dazed look, he realized the west really was expanding quickly. It had only been a few months since he had last ridden through this town.
Joshua rode past the saloons, a church, and other businesses, many of which were new and had names he didn’t recognize. Emporium. What kind of merchandise did they sell?
He checked into the hotel closest to the livery stable and walked to the Harris home. At the last crossroad from the house, he noticed a man loitering across from the house. He took a sharp right to go down the side street and found a way to get to the Harris’ back door without being spotted.
Joshua knocked loudly on the back door and stepped back to wait and watch. When the door opened, the muzzle of a shotgun poked through.
“Who are you and why did you come to the back door?”
In the three years since he had last seen her, Elizabeth hadn’t lost her tenacious spirit. “Joshua Brookings, Pinkerton agent,” Joshua said in a low voice. “I came to the back because the front is being watched. I didn’t want to risk them knowing I am here.”
Before he finished, the door swung open. Elizabeth was just as lovely as he remembered. Her chestnut hair was up in a stylish bun, and her dress matched her sparkling green eyes.
“Come in,” Elizabeth said, lowering the shotgun.
Joshua stepped into the kitchen and Elizabeth closed the door behind him.
“You haven’t changed at all,” Elizabeth said.
Joshua raised an eyebrow “Neither have you.”
Elizabeth smiled. “Thank you for coming. I’m glad you were the one who was sent. I know Father trusted the agents he’d met, but I have a hard time trusting men I don’t know.”
Joshua nodded. “When I heard the name Harris and Cheyenne, I put the two together. It will be good to see your father again.”
“If we can find him.”
“Did your father leave any hints, clues, or notes?”
Elizabeth smiled. “Yes, he did. Come with me.” She led him to the study.
“Didn’t the kidnappers search in here?” Joshua asked.
“Yes, they ransacked the house. It was a mess!”
Joshua narrowed his eyes. “How did they miss—“
“Can you please lock the door?” Elizabeth interrupted. “I like to take extra precautions.”




Discount

To celebrate the cover reveal, Faith also has the third book in her series on sale! It will be $0.99 through tomorrow and then will go up to $1.99 until Monday evening when it will be back at full price. Here's a short description of Amazing Grace: A doubting man agrees to wed a widowed mail-order bride, but he struggles with whether or not he can be a father to the woman's daughter who desperately wants a father's love. You can purchase this book here: getBook.at/AmazingGrace.