Cover Release – Standing in the Light by M. A. Abraham

Hello and welcome!

So excited to be the one to reveal the cover for the next book in the One Empire Series by M. A. Abraham.

Cover design by Cora Graphics

Just as the yearly Celebration of Light comes to an end, the Kings of the Empire are ordered to travel to the city of Torendal by the Fates. A barely recovered Eden and Gabriel travel to the city as well, for she has been ordered to serve as the voice for the Great Guardian when the time is right.

The Kings wonder what task would take the talents of every leader in the Empire to accomplish, but they don’t hesitate to answer the call. What will their quest be this time, or will it be one? They can’t help but wonder how some of those from the Kingdoms that are in disarray will arrive in time as well. No one knows the answers to any of their questions. The only thing they can be certain of is the sense of destiny that is winding around their conscious beings and whatever awaits them, will catapult the Empire into a new era.

Release date is May 31, 2019.

I had a chance to read the ARC and it was a great read as usual. It was fun to see the next generation of younglings at work and they are even more mischievous than their parents and grandparents were. Those of you who read the Elven Chronicles will remember the good times 😉 I got a kick out of their antics and was commiserating with the now grown children who were missing the good times. It is quite a challenge the Great Guardian is giving the Elves, but I know they are up to the task and I am looking forward to see how they fare in the next books. All in all is a feel-good story, full of hope and a promise of a bright future.

Add it to your Goodreads TBR list.

In the meantime, if you have not read the previous books, you can catch up.

Buy links for the first 3 books in the series:

Amazon US • Amazon CA • Amazon UK • Amazon AU

Kobo • iTunes • B&N • Smashwords

Sign up to Ms. Abraham’s blog and follow on Facebook and Twitter to keep up to date.

Until next time, happy book reading / listening and don’t forget to show your love by leaving a review!

My Chat with Erika M. Szabo – 2019

Hello and welcome!

My guest is one of my fave authors, we chatted before and I also chatted with one of her heroine, Ilona from The Ancestors’ Secrets Trilogy. If you missed these chats, you can read them here and here. I invited her to give us an update on what is new.

Please welcome back, Erika M. Szabo!

Thanks for inviting me back for another chat.

For those of you who don’t know my work, I write speculative alternate history fiction, romantic urban fantasy, historical suspense novels as well as fun, educational, and bilingual books for children ages 2-14 about acceptance, friendship, family, and moral values such as accepting people with disabilities, dealing with bullies, and not judging others before getting to know them. I also like to encourage children to use their imagination and daydream about fantasy worlds.

Why children’s books?
As a young child, I truly hated the “And they lived happily ever after” stories. The beautiful, dumb and helpless princess waited for the handsome, brave prince who rescued her, and they lived happily ever after. I asked my mom, “Why can’t the princess kick the dragon’s butt? Why is she laying there waiting for the prince? Isn’t she smart and strong enough to get away?“

My mom shook her head and said, “This is the way it is. The prince rescues the princess, and that’s that.“

Mom loved dressing me up in pretty dresses and kind of parade me in church. Gosh, I hated those bows she put in my hair and I could hardly wait to get home and get out of the itchy, uncomfortable dress and put my faded, ripped jeans on. My dad, maybe because he wanted a boy, encouraged me to get dirty while I helped him to fix the car, hammer nails when we fixed the fence, or dig a hole to plant trees. He also taught me how to defend myself against bullies and stand up for myself and express my opinion. “You’re a person,” he always said. “It doesn’t matter if you’re a girl or a boy, you’re a person.”

Later on when I was a teenager, most of the stories written for kids were about brave and smart boys who met and helped pretty girls and puppy love developed between them. I was so happy to find children’s books as an adult that were about smart girls who can stand up for themselves and don’t need a boy’s help when they’re in trouble. I also found some books that were about girls and boys as equally smart, inventive and brave. These stories told children that it’s okay for boys to cry and show compassion. It’s okay for girls to be themselves in ripped and dirty jeans playing soccer, and they don’t always have to look pretty in ruffled dresses and be quiet and submissive as society expects them to be.

Where do you get inspiration from?
From childhood memories such as when the old spinster in my neighborhood tried to drown kittens in the river and my friend and I rescued the kittens.

When a group of kids pointed and laughed at a little girl who was sitting in the wheelchair, struggling to turn onto the ramp at the museum entrance.

When I saw a sister and brother bickering, calling each other names and ready to tear each other’s hair out at the beach. But, when the little girl fell and hit her knee on a rock, all the bickering was forgotten in an instant. The boy hugged his sister and carried her to the blanket where their mother was reading.

Here are a few of my published children’s books that are close to my heart.

Illustrated storybook for children 4-12
When Bianca, Daniel, and Peanut, the St. Bernard, are confronted by Mark and his cronies, the children stand up to the brute bullies with the help of Peanut. Their adventure continues when they see a woman throwing four tiny, meowing kittens into the river. Can the children save the drowning kittens? Find out what happens to the momma cat and her kittens.

This book is precious to me not only because it’s a true story but because little Johnny never found out what happened to the kittens.

As a young nurse, I worked in the pediatric unit for a short while. Johnny was a nine-year-old cute as a button little boy who had leukemia and loved the childhood memory I told him about. I never had a chance to tell him the end of the story. There were only a few minutes left to tell him how Daniel and I dealt with the neighborhood bullies, but when I entered little Johnny’s room the next morning, his bed was empty.

Read the story of little Johnny HERE

PREVIEW • EBOOK • AMAZON PRINT • B&N PRINT • AUDIOBOOK

I wrote this Heroic fantasy for children 6-14 with my coauthor, Joe Bonadonna.

“Szabo and Bonadonna make a great pair. Their Creepy Hollow Adventures is a perfect starting point for young children making the leap from “kids’ books” to “novels.”
~ S E Lindberg

The ghosts of the Trinity of Wishmothers are trapped. The children offer their help, so the talking skeleton takes them on a journey to the realm of Creepy Hollow. Righteous motivations drive Jack and Nikki: to protect the weak, confront evil, conquer their fears, and gain courage. In the battle against Evila and her minions they grow into the warriors they were destined to become.

 

PREVIEW • EBOOK • B&N PRINT • COLOR PRINT
Audio book – AMAZON • AUDIBLE • ITUNES

I wrote this bilingual book because I know first hand the struggle of learning a new language and the frustration when people don’t know enough to express themselves.

In this bilingual story for ages 4-12, Pico, the parrot, is sad and frustrated. He screeches and squawks all day but because he speaks Spanish, nobody understands him. His story teaches children acceptance, compassion, and helping others.

Sarah, Emma’s mom, promised to bird-sit Pico for two weeks but soon regrets her decision because the noisy parrot keeps screeching and squawking all day, annoying her family and the neighbors. When Pico makes a mess of Emma’s room, Emma gets very angry, but her friends help her. Charlotte notices that Pico seems sad, and Pedro finds out why Pico is shrieking so loudly all the time. The parrot is frustrated because nobody pays attention to him, and nobody understands what he wants.

PREVIEW • EBOOK • AMAZON PRINT • B&N PRINT

Find more books on my website

GOLDEN BOX Book Publishing

In addition to writing books, Ms. Szabo does a whole range of author services, including book cover design, formatting of ebooks, editing, illustrations, book promotions and many more.

To contact Ms. Szabo, keep up with her books, or say hello, here are some links:

website • Facebook • Twitter

To start you on your reading journey, Ms. Szabo is giving away ebook copies of  Rainbow and Clouds. 5 winners chosen by Sexy Mr. Random will be announced after 3pm EST, on Monday, January 14, 2019. GOOD LUCK!

Until next time read a book, listen to a book and don’t forget to show your love by leaving a review!

WANTED: An Outlaw Anthology

Hello and welcome!

A great anthology released today and I am glad I could be part of the celebrations.

CONGRATS to all the authors, thank you for the amazing stories and doing it for a great cause too.

Get ready to go for a thrill ride with 20 dangerous bad boys who live on the wrong side of the law!

In this anthology, you’ll get 20 never before released stories about bikers, gangsters, and vigilantes from 20 of your favorite New York Times and Amazon bestselling authors!

Being bad has never felt so good because 100% of the proceeds from this set will be donated to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

This incredible deal is only available for a limited time, so grab your copy today!

Please note that these stories include strong sexual content and adult language that’s not suitable for anyone under the age of 18.

Add it to your Goodreads TBR list.

BUY LINKS

Amazon US • 
Amazon UK •  
Amazon CA •  
Amazon AU

•  
B&N • 
Kobo • iBooks

Check out this awesome trailer

Join the WANTED: AN OUTLAW ANTHOLOGY READERS’ GROUP on Facebook.

Participating Authors and the book blurbs:

Lane Hart– Dalton – ATF Agent Bradley never suspected that the pretty, charismatic bastard was actually an unrepentant thief, born to be an outlaw.

Angela Snyder – Devious – When the moment comes to take my revenge on Victoria’s father, will I be able to pull the trigger if it means losing her forever?

Sybil Bartel – Hard Limit – I didn’t survive growing up in the nation’s most violent cult only to be taken out by an innocent blonde.

Rachel Lyn Adams – Mac – The moment she walked into the clubhouse I knew she was off-limits. That wasn’t going to stop me from making her mine.

Kim Bailey – Claiming Chaos – Kira was a voice in the dark and a threat to his control. A chaotic beauty who Bodhi must fight, kill for or claim as his own.

Laramie Briscoe – Creeker – As a Creeker, I live by two rules. Don’t f**k Banner Clark and don’t get caught doing illegal s**t, but then again I’ve never been a fan of rules.

Marissa Dobson – Road to Kaytlyn – It takes kidnapping to bring two separated lovers together, but can they survive the walk through Hell?

Geri Glenn – Hood Rat – Georgia knew the south side was going to be rough, but she never dreamed she’d come up against anyone quite like Tripp.

Amanda Heartley – Flynn – Violence has followed me all my life, and it got worse the day I joined the Bad Breed MC.

Marie James – Desperate Beginnings – My dreams never contained hope. My nightmares always included brutality. For me, it was always a desperate beginning.

Keri Lake – Absolution – After one of his penitents confesses a brutal murder, Father Damon breaks canon law to mete out justice and ends up an unlikely pawn to the woman who witnesses his crime.

Daphne Loveling – Rebel Ink – Six is on the run, and she collides with Bullet. He protects what’s his, and she’s been his from the moment they met.

Liberty Parker – Walking the Crossroad – When Jasper and Knuckles started their MC, it was due to the Crossroads they found themselves crossing in life.

S.H. Richardson – Dread Masonry Ink – One hardened man looking for redemption. A broken girl looking for safety. An unlikely alliance forged in stone.

Roxy Sinclaire – SEALed to Protect – Could she believe that he was her protector? Or just her family’s traitor?

Winter Travers – Drop a Gear and Disappear – The only person I ever loved, taken by the men who wanted me dead. They may have her now, but vengeance will be mine.

Erin Trejo – Dark Savage – I’ve lowered myself to their standards to keep my club safe. One woman and more than one mistake bring my end closer.

J.M. Walker – Before Us – When she slipped out of my hotel room, I made it my mission to have her back in my bed. And when we finally crashed, I’d have to save her from the one person she trusted most…Me.

D.B. West – King’s Road – Hold on tight for a ride down memory lane in this Savage Kings MC prequel.

Trisha Wolfe – Cellar Door – After witnessing a murder, Makenna is abducted by a vigilante and taken to his underground lair where she unravels a secret that entangles both their lives.

GIVEAWAY – 4 winners will receive a $25 Amazon GC each

I bought my own copy and what I read so far is delicious and fun too. My review will be up soon, life gets in the way sometimes and cuts into my reading time.

Until next time read a book, listen to a book and don’t forget to show your love by leaving a review!

Burning for Autumn by Freya Barker

Hello and welcome!

So happy to be part of the release day for another great story by one of my fave authors.

Congrats Freya Barker!

When Autumn McCoy accepted a temporary work contract in Durango, she thought it would be a safe way to add some spark to her existence. She may be getting more than she bargained for when she finds herself the target of impending danger.The outspoken forty-two-year-old isn’t prepared for that spark to ignite flames threatening to engulf every aspect of her life.

Buried under the weight of responsibilities, all interim Chief of Police, Keith Blackfoot, wants is to get back to good old-fashioned detecting. He gets his chance when an encounter with a feisty redhead seems to incite a wave of arson cases. Although a visit from friend and firefighter, Roman “Chief” Proudfit, provides some direction, he’s left to battle an invisible menace fueling fires that could leave his town—and his heart—in ashes.

The first standalone in an exciting new series, On Call by Freya Barker is part of Susan Stoker’s Special Forces World!

BUY LINK – Amazon

Add it to your Goodreads TBR list

To celebrate, Ms. Barker is doing a Raflecopter giveaway, check it out!
Prize is $25 Amazon GC. GOOD LUCK!

Release Blitz organized by Buoni Amici Press.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Freya Barker inspires with her stories about ‘real’ people, perhaps less than perfect, each struggling to find their own slice of happy.

She is the author of the Cedar Tree and Portland, ME Series, the Northern Lights Collection and the Rock Point Series. She is also co-author of the SnapShot Series.

To see Freya’s complete backlist, and keep up to date, follow the links below and if you chat with her, tell her I said hi 😀

• website • newsletter • Facebook • Twitter • Instagram • BookBub
• Amazon • B&N • iBooks • Kobo • Goodreads •

Until next time read a book, listen to a book and don’t forget to show your love by leaving a review!

My Chat with Endural… and Eöl and Askandar? o_O

Hello and welcome!

Once again the Elves do whatever they want, they show up and hijack my blog… and I LOVE IT 😀

Read on and see what happened earlier…

I look at my watch to see if I had messed up the time of the meeting, but no, everything was as it should be. Except, my guest isn’t coming like he said he would, or he is very late. Considering who it is and the beliefs of his people, I find this rather shocking. I also have to wonder if King Askandar will allow him to get away with what he has done? That, I can’t see happening.

Sure enough, about the time I decide that nothing is going to happen, I hear a knock at the door. A second one follows immediately after the first, just before I hear the sound of Eöl’s voice and … giggles? From Eöl? Can’t be… I open the door to reveal two Elves sporting grins the size of Canada. This undoubtedly means they have been up to no good.

We come bearing gifts, Eöl snickered, as he led the way into the room.

Sure enough, there is a long cylindrical package made up by a blanket is being carried into the room by Eöl and Askandar. Now what are those two up too? I can hear the muffled sounds of someone trying to talk from within the confines of the material, but I can’t make out the words. I can also tell that whoever is rolled into the center is trying to worm his way free from his bindings.

Please tell me you haven’t hogtied my guest, I tsk.

No problem, Askandar chuckled, We can keep a secret.

I thought Ancient Elves were more serious than this, I gasp at Askandar’s flippant remark.

Askandar and Eöl exchange a look of amusement, and then burst out laughing. Unfortunately for whoever is in the blanket, they lose their grip on him and he hits the floor with a thump.

A moment later, I see Endural roll out of the bedroll, as he begins to brake free from his bonds. As he rips the duct tape from over his mouth, I wince. Even as I grin, I can’t help but admire the view, he is one hot Elf.

While I check out the Elves in front of me, Endural takes a moment to look around to check on where he has been taken. It doesn’t take him long to realize that he is no longer in the Elven Empire. His first words are pretty standard, for a man that has been Elfnapped. Where are we and who do we have the pleasure of meeting? Is she a part of your asinine antics, or another innocent bystander that you two decided to involve?

Endural, Askandar grinned, as he ignored his brother’s mood, I would like to introduce you to Lady Eniko.

I stifle a sigh, as I smile and hold out my hand, Welcome to my studio, Endural.

The pleasure of meeting you goes beyond my powers to express, Endural immediately turns on the charm, as he bows and brings my hand to his lips.

Please, sit down and talk with me, I invite.

What would you like to talk about? Endural wonders. The Eagle Claw wannabee twins standing there, kidnapped me from my work and brought me to you. I have to admit, I am a little lost.

Well, you did agree to do a small interview, as I remember it, I remind him.

Not like this though, Endural waves at the materials they had used to truss him up with.

Granted, I agree, Their methods are rather unorthodox.

As to that, perhaps I can help you a little, I offer. I am not exactly sure how, but I have to admit, I feel a little sorry for the frazzled Elf before me. He has a long time to wait for his Life Mate to grow up. I look at Eöl and can’t help but begin by taking him to task over his comment.

I don’t remember Gabriel and Eden trying very had to keep Endiku away from Ennacas during her formative years, but I rather wonder if this has anything to do with the fact that he is your daughter’s future Life Mate? Are you trying to be difficult?

Probably, Eöl admitted unrepentantly.

I thought so, I smirk. Come with me Endural, I know how to fix their little red wagons.

You would do something like that? All three men chorus together.

I smile smugly and nod, first at Askandar and Eöl, and then at Endural. Askandar and Eöl look at me in disbelief and then Endural, who is wearing the most awestruck look I have ever seen on a man’s face. He tosses a wide smile at the two in front of him as he walks up to me and offers me his arm to escort me out of the room. It would have been perfect, if he wouldn’t have looked back at them and stuck out his tongue.

I didn’t say anything, but I got the impression this was going to be fun.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We did have a good chat with Endural, lots of laughter too.

Endural hails from Spirit of the Light, book 2 in the ONE EMPIRE series by M. A. Abraham releasing on January 7, 2019.

The main objective of the quest has been achieved, now the Fates had set the chosen Elves on the second part of the task. Now, it is time to face the journey back home and they are to bring the Kings of this long forgotten part of the Empire to meet with the others at the Counsel of Kings table.

There are hidden dangers to face, things which only the Elves they have found encased in the castle at the far end of the Empire know how to break through. To get home, it will take the combined talents of the Ancients, as well as those of the new generation to get past.

Old Kingdoms will be brought back from the brink of extinction, while Elves from different times and cultures find Life Mates and face the challenges it takes to return to where it all began. In the meantime, those in the established parts of the Elven Empire gather, to celebrate their time of Light and Life.

I love this cover so much, isn’t it gorgeous? Cora Graphics does amazing work.

Read Chapter 1 here.

I am so excited for you to read it, I loved it. Add it to your TBR list on Goodreads!

one of my fave parts: “As they moved apart, S’Larea spoke, even as her eyes blazed white, “The future shines bright, for the Empire has been joined. The past becomes the present. The lands are united. Peace reigns. Our peoples smile. It is truly a time of celebration. Our children know the way of it, for they are our guides and the spirits of the light.”

My review: 5 stars
A fun story where the readers joins back with the group of young Elves selected by the Fates on the journey that started in “Hidden Kingdoms”, and continues in this one. It was intense to say the least, battles, wins and losses, some good news and there are the signature shenanigans too that will bring on a chuckle or ten. I can’t wait for the next instalment.

Buy Links – Smashwords (only this so far, but check the author’s website for other sites, they will be added as they come available)

Make sure you read the previous 2 books as the story arc continues throughout the series.

Sign up to Ms. Abraham’s blog and follow her on Facebook and Twitter to keep up to date.

To celebrate the upcoming release on Monday, January 7th. Ms. Abraham will gift one of you an ebook copy of Spirit of the Light. Sexy Mr. Random will pick the winner on Monday after 3pm EST. GOOD LUCK!

Until next time, happy book reading / listening and don’t forget to show your love by leaving a review!