Wednesday, January 25, 2017

SOULMATED TOUR - FAVORITE AUTHOR AS A KID




Guest Post Topic - My Favorite Author as a Kid - By Shalia Patel



My favorite author as a kid was Carolyn Keene of the Nancy Drew Mysteries. Sure, I read and enjoyed other authors, but no one did for me what Ms. Keene did: she made me obsessed with books—and bookshelves, and libraries, and the smell of books, and illustrations…

I devoured the series and would stand in awe in front of the library shelf where all her books sat. She gave me an escape from the real world, and to this day when I see a series of any type of book lined up on a bookstore or library shelf, I get that giddy little feeling inside that whispers, "Ohhh, the possibilities!"


I may not be writing a children's series that would fill a shelf with all the same color binding, but I do hope that one day I have enough books written that it could fill a shelf somewhere!


Tuesday, January 24, 2017

SOULMATED by Shaila Patel RELEASE DAY




SOULMATED by Shaila Patel releases today! If you haven’t yet heard about this wonderful book by Author Shaila Patel, be sure to check out all the details below.

This blitz also includes a giveaway for a Perfectly Posh, Posh To Meet You Set ($20 value), US Only courtesy of Month9Books. So if you’d like a chance to win, enter in the Rafflecopter at the bottom of this post.


About The Book:


Title: SOULMATED (Joining of Souls #1)
Author: Shaila Patel
Pub. Date: January 24, 2017
Publisher: Month9Books
Format: Paperback, eBook
Pages: 300
Find it: Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | TBD

Two souls. One Fate.


Eighteen-year-old Liam Whelan, an Irish royal empath, has been searching for his elusive soulmate. The rare union will cement his family's standing in empath politics and afford the couple legendary powers, while also making them targets of those seeking to oust them.


Laxshmi Kapadia, an Indian-American high school student from a traditional family, faces her mother's ultimatum: Graduate early and go to medical school, or commit to an arranged marriage.


When Liam moves next door to Laxshmi, he’s immediately and inexplicably drawn to her. In Liam, Laxshmi envisions a future with the freedom to follow her heart.


Liam's father isn't convinced Laxshmi is "The One" and Laxshmi's mother won't even let her talk to their handsome new neighbor. Will Liam and Laxshmi defy expectations and embrace a shared destiny? Or is the risk of choosing one's own fate too great a price for the soulmated?


Excerpt:
My mind wandered to a vision of what Laxshmi’s eyes would look like if I kissed her. It caught me by surprise, making me cough. Grand. Now I was the one with the concentration problem. If I kept this up, I’d have a hard time blocking out my classmates’ feelings. I stretched my legs a bit and tugged at my jeans. Jaysus.

Was I thirteen again?

Keeping other people’s emotions out of my head was like blocking calls on my mobile. Normally, most empaths had about a ten- to twenty-foot reading range, so it wasn’t too taxing on me, having been an empath since childhood. Unless my concentration was shot to hell, blocking was as simple as breathing. Soon, staying open to Lucky meant she’d have her own ringtone in my head, and I’d be able to lock on to her feelings without having to do anything at all.

When the class bell rang, Lucky bent to pick up a small pile of textbooks from the floor. I hoped she wasn’t one of those geeks who carried her books around with her all day. Then again, maybe she was avoiding her locker because of me. The thought left me frowning.

As she got ready to leave, I waited for her. “Going to your locker?” I pointed at her books.
Her surprise came over to me in a gentler ripple than had her other emotions. The gentleness reminded me of a calm day on Galway Bay—the sand, small waves nipping at my toes, and the sun, glorious on my back. The surprise felt like a warm ocean spray I hadn’t been expecting.

“Yeah,” she said with a sheepish grin.

“Brilliant. I’m heading there too.”

She bit back a smile, her excitement feeling like a frothy surf tickling my toes.

When we approached the door, she rushed to catch it before it shut, almost dropping her books. Most girls would’ve stood back and waited for me to make a dash to open it, making sure I was being attentive. Lucky didn’t seem to want any such nonsense, and I felt a bit off, like I’d put my trainers on the wrong feet. I couldn’t shake the feeling of being in unchartered waters.

She stepped to the side and held the door open for me—for me—and I had to dive forward to help her steady the load of books threatening to fall.

“Here,” I said. “I’ll help you carry these—”

“No. I mean, that’s okay. You’ve got your own to carry.”

I sensed a genuine concern from her, as if she were afraid to be imposing on me, not something I’d been expecting. I stepped closer, meaning to convince her to let me help, but then her eyes snapped up and met mine. The softness and sincerity in them froze me to the spot. Lighter and more vibrant than the other brown eyes I’d forced myself to stare into—all in the name of being romantic— her eyes drew me in like a kaleidoscope, with amber and black flecks peppering her irises. A soft gasp escaped her lips, and I understood how she felt. With each blink of her long eyelashes, it felt like an eternity before I’d see her eyes again. I had a strange urge to brush my finger over the tips of her lashes.

I swallowed against the dryness in my throat. “I–I just have one book. In my bag.” Jaysus Christ. What is she doing to me? I couldn’t get sucked in. I wouldn’t. If I expected anything, it’d only turn into another disappointment.


About Shaila:
As an unabashed lover of all things happily-ever- after, Shaila’s younger self would finish reading Cinderella and fling her copy across the room because it didn’t mention what happened next. Now she writes from her home in the Carolinas and dreams up all sorts of stories with epilogues. A member of the Romance Writers of America, she’s a pharmacist by training, a medical office manager by day, and a writer by night. She enjoys traveling, craft beer, and teas, and loves reading books—especially in cozy window seats. You might find her sneaking in a few paragraphs at a red light or connecting with other readers online at: www.shailapatelauthor.com
Find Shaila:
Giveaway Details:
(1) winner will receive a Perfectly Posh, Posh To Meet You Set ($20 value), US Only.
(10) winners will receive a SOULMATED Swag Pack, US Only.

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Rafflecopter Link:


Wednesday, January 4, 2017

SWORDS & STILETTOS by Kristin D. Van Risseghem Book Blitz

Swords & Stilettos banner


This is my stop during the book blitz for Swords & Stilettos by Kristin D. Van Risseghem. This book blitz is organized by Lola's Blog Tours. The book blitz runs from 4 till 10 January. You can see the tour schedule here.



Swords & StilettosSwords & Stilettos (Enlighten #1)

by Kristin D. Van Risseghem

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Age category: Young Adult

Release Date: December 7, 2016



Blurb:

Zoe Jabril needs to devise a kick-ass plan to save the world ASAP. Otherwise, Armageddon starts the day she turns eighteen—and if that happens, everything is going to hell. Literally.



She could be any other 17-year-old attending parties and checking out cute guys—except she discovers her best friend is a Guardian Angel and the boy she crushes on is a Nephilim, both sent to protect her from the demons who want her dead.



Now Zoe has to deal with growing feelings toward the Nephilim, who spreads a strange electrical current through her body every time he touches her. And she’s under constant attack from Demons, trying to stop her from fulfilling the Prophecy: a girl will be born who will unite Angels, Nephilim, Fairies and Werewolves to battle evil. Then she has to control newly found talents if she’s to prevent the devil from escaping Hell.




You can find Swords & Stilettos on Goodreads



You can buy Swords & Stilettos here:

- Amazon

- Barnes & Noble

- Kobo

- iBooks



You can get a free book if you join Kristin her newsletter. Get your free copy of The Prince, a Betrayal, & a Kiss here on instafreebie.



Kristin D. Van RisseghemAbout the Author:

USA Today bestselling and Award-Winning, Kristin D. Van Risseghem grew up in a small town along the Mississippi River with her parents and older sister. Currently, Kristin lives in Minnesota with her husband and two Calico cats. She also loves attending book clubs, going shopping, and hanging out with friends. She has come to realize that she absolutely has an addiction to purses and shoes. They are her weakness and probably has way too many of both.



In the summer months, Kristin can usually be found lounging on her boat, drinking an ice cold something. Being an avid reader of YA and Women's Literature stories, she still finds time to read a ton of books in-between writing. And in the winter months, her main goal is to stay warm from the Minnesota cold!



Kristin’s books are published by Kasian Publishing LLC.



You can find and contact Kristin here:

- Website

- Facebook

- Twitter

- Goodreads

- Amazon

- Instagram

- Bookbub



Giveaway

There is a tour wide giveaway for the book blitz of Swords & Stilettos. One winner will win a signed paperback copy of Swords & Stilettos and custom swag. Open to both USA and International.



For a chance to win, enter the rafflecopter below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway




Wednesday, December 21, 2016

SMILEY FACE KILLERS





My novel How to Date Dead Guys borrows heavily from the Smiley Face Killer Theory. In fact, learning about this theory provided the inspiration for the main story line. If you look closely at the book cover, you'll discover smiley face graffiti haunting a tree in the background. Just like the warning sign over the Chippewa River, the book cover is "beautiful but treacherous".

My first experience with the "Smiley Face Killers" occurred during a spooky late night drive from the Twin Cities, MN to Eau Claire, WI. NPR aired a program advancing the controversial idea that many of the "accidental drownings" of college-aged men in the Midwest were actually murders.

Two retired NYPD detectives, Kevin Gannon and Anthony Duarte, were the driving force behind this theory. Investigating cases back to 1997, they found eerie similarities between at least 40 of these unexplained drowning deaths. Most victims fit the same profile:  white college-aged male, popular, athletic, with good grades. When their bodies were found, many were missing cross-shaped necklaces or St. Christopher medals, although their wallets and identification remained.

This string of cases occurred along the Interstate 94 corridor between Minnesota and Wisconsin. The victims were college students from Collegeville, St. Cloud, Minneapolis, Eau Claire, and LaCrosse.

Police knew where the bodies had been found. Gannon and Duarte were more interested in discovering the sites where the bodies had been dumped. Using GPS, river flow patterns, water levels, and police dogs to guide their investigation, they figured out where the bodies entered the water. At these sites of entry, the detectives repeatedly discovered trademark "Smiley Face" graffiti. They also found multiple symbols suggesting gang graffiti, but to protect their investigation the detectives refuse to discuss these findings.

Gannon and Duarte speculate that the victims were drugged, tortured, then disposed of into the water to make it appear as if they'd drowned. Autopsy reports from several cases didn't find any water in the lungs, which helps support this theory.




River disposal removes evidence from the victim's body, such as fingerprints and fibers. Instead of "homicide", these deaths are designated "accidental drownings", making this an almost perfect crime.

Although one Minnesota victim's death has been re-ruled a homicide, Duarte and Gannon's Smiley Face Killer Theory remains just that:  a theory, which has been mocked by the FBI and the local police. To date, it does not appear that any arrests or convictions have been made.

Yet the aura of mystery linked to the "Smiley Face Killers" continues to grow. The most recent coincidence is the disappearance of Andrew Fitzgerald, the director of The Smiley Face Killers. While filming this documentary, he went missing on May 8th, 2013. His whereabouts remain unknown. In his absence, his friend Andy finished the film. The creepy promotional blurb for the movie (released January 2014): 

80 young men dead
1 missing filmmaker
1 gang of serial killers

What if you were making a documentary
about a gang of serial killers
 and they found out?


The more people delve into this conspiracy theory, the more questions bubble up to the surface. Are the killings part of a gang member initiation rite? Are the missing items of religious jewelry kept as tokens by the killers? Has the director of the documentary really gone missing, or is this a hoax in the vein of The Blair Witch Project?

In How to Date Dead Guys, I propose my own (fictional) basis for the "Smiley Face Killers". The further the reader gets into the series, the harder Emma Roberts will work to bring the killers to justice.