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Wednesday, October 31, 2018

Haunted Halloween Spooktacular: Recipe - Chocolate Swamp Pie by London Clarke + excerpt and giveaway




Recipe for Chocolate Swamp Pie

Pie crust
2 cups flour
¾ cup Crisco
dash of salt
1 egg and 4-5 tablespoons of ice water
1 teaspoon of vinegar

Mix salt and shortening in with flour. Mix together with spoon. Beat up egg with fork and add to mixture. Scoop tablespoons of water into the mixture. Add tsp of vinegar. Mixture will be stiff. Chill for 2-3 hours. Cover with saran wrap until ready to mash into a pie pan.

Pie
1 stick of butter
1 cup of sugar
2 eggs beaten
2 tablespoons cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 and 1/2 squares of baking chocolate

Melt butter and chocolate. Beat eggs, add sugar, beat well. Add cream and vanilla.

Mix well. Add melted mixture and mix all ingredients together. Pour into unbaked crust.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes.



The Meadows (Legacy of Darkness Book One)
by London Clarke
Genre: Gothic suspense; supernatural thriller
Publisher: Carfax Abbey Publishing
October 19, 2018
ISBN: 9781386765233
Cover Artist: Stephen Lee Designs
Bed, breakfast, and blood.

A decades-old murder. A strange, blood-thirsty cult. And a house full of spirits.

It was supposed to be a new beginning, a fresh start in the Shenandoah Valley, where Scarlett’s memories weren’t riddled with drug addiction and rehab. But after purchasing an abandoned house with a checkered past in the hopes of transforming it into a luxury bed and breakfast, strange things start to happen. Disturbing voices and noises interrupt her new life. Strangers appear to her, bearing cryptic warnings. A tunnel is discovered underneath the house—one historically used for a local cult’s rituals. After several of Scarlett’s guests are hospitalized after visiting the underground, she finds herself targeted by violent spirits.

Driven to the edge of despair, Scarlett vows to fight back—but she has no idea what she’s really battling. And her nightmare is just beginning…

The Meadows is a gripping supernatural thriller in which the monsters may be vampires, demons, or flesh and blood. It is a nightmare that will make you believe it could easily happen to you.




Excerpt Chapter One
October 2019
Asphodel House, The Meadows
I affixed the camera onto my laptop and held the computer at arm’s length until I could see myself.

There I was. In all my post-rehab glory.

I hadn’t colored my hair since I’d first come out of Orange Star Center six months ago. The blonde highlights had faded, tipping the ends to about halfway up my brown tresses. It looked a little trendy. A little.

Mainly, I looked tired. I hadn’t slept much since the move. Different time zones did all kinds of weird things to me. It was only an hour’s difference between Nashville and here, but it was enough to throw me off.

I smeared on some tinted lip balm and finger-combed my hair, pushing it up into a bun. Straight, heavy bangs hung to the bridge of my nose and over my eyebrows, covering the line knitting together my forehead and my eyebrows. I hated that line. It hadn’t been there seven months ago when I was still feeling no pain most of the time.

I clicked record and settled into the chair, making sure I was square in the shot of the camera.

“Hello, world.” The first words sounded like pennies at the bottom of an empty piggy bank. Hollow, tinny, awkward. That was a dumb way to begin. But I was live, so couldn’t stop now. I cleared my throat, forced a smile. “Scarlett, here. I know it’s been ages since we’ve talked…” I shifted my eyes, trying to remember when I’d last film a video blog. “A year, maybe? And just for a change, I’m not coming to you from the Country Music Capital of the World. Nashville and I have parted ways for a time, and I’m broadcasting from my new home in Virginia. You’re catching me on my second day here.”

I hadn’t planned this first live broadcast out very well. How much should I say? Mentally, I scrambled to come up with the rest of my spiel. Little thumbs-up and heart signs were already flashing across the screen.

My fans were watching.

Glancing behind me, I motioned to the room. “So… this is my new home. Currently under renovation, but it will soon be open for business. Yes, it’s a huge departure from songwriting, but don’t worry … I’ll still be doing plenty of that.” I lifted the laptop and held it so that it flashed onto the grand piano in the corner of what had once been the front parlor—now, my living room. Then I repositioned it on the table. “My newest adventure is this wonderful old antebellum mansion I’m restoring. Within a few weeks, it’ll be open for guests as a bed and breakfast. I’ll keep you up to date and let you know when you can book a room. I hope to meet a few you in person right here in Virginia. I promise there will be all sorts of grand entertainment. Music, food, maybe a few costumes—it’ll be Halloween, after all—all taking place ri’cheer.” I played up a Nashville accent as I gestured over my shoulder. “In the meantime, I thought I’d play a crowd favorite on this magnificent instrument I’ve just purchased.”

Again, I shifted the laptop so that the baby grand was in view, and then I padded across the newly polished marble floor and settled in front of the keyboard. My fingers found the keys—like old friends—and the sounds of a perfectly tuned piano reverberated against the ceiling.

I turned back to the camera. “This room has great acoustics.” Then I launched into one of my biggest hits, “People Like You.”

Songwriting was my comfort zone. Well-known stars made my songs into hits; occasionally I performed in a club. But this was the easiest place for me to play and sing to an audience—from the safety of my living room, on camera.

I’d just started to sing the opening to the song when something flashed in my peripheral vision.

I stopped, stared at the entryway to the living room. Had someone just walked by? I listened. Nothing. Glancing up at the screen again, the little thumbs and hearts still floated over the screen. Then a laughing emoji. Several laughing emojis.

Clearing my throat, I started to play the introduction to the song again. “Sorry, folks. I thought someone was … at the door.” I smiled at the camera. “Guess I’m not used to my new home yet.”

I closed my eyes and launched into the melancholy melody of the song. This time I sang it all the way through.

Allowing the ending chord to linger, ripple through me, the bass note vibrating my fingers on the keys, I opened my eyes again.

“Thanks for joining me tonight, guys. I’ll be back in a few days with another update on my newest venture. In the meantime, love the one you’re with, remember that you’ve got a friend, and peace, love, and understanding to all.” It was a corny catch-phrase built on three classic songs, and I still cringed sometimes when I said it, but it had worked for me. Some of the fans told me they really liked it.

I shut off the recording and then hit the arrow in the window to play back the live recording.

This was a good way to see what I needed to change for next time—namely, the lighting. Geez, the house looked so dark. I swiveled my head left and then right. Was it actually that dark in here? Three lamps spilled light into the corners, and from where I was sitting the room looked pretty well illuminated. But on the video, it seemed like dark clouds muddied their spotlight effect. Weird.

And I didn’t look too bad on camera. A little tired, maybe, with some dark pits under my eyes, but I’d just have to put on a more makeup next time.

I reached the part of the video where I’d stopped playing. My expression changed dramatically. My whole face drooped, suspended, as my gaze was drawn to something in the foyer.

My recovery had been pretty good. Playing through the song a second time with my eyes closed had kept me focused on the moment and the emotion in the music.

But there was something in the background—something materializing behind me as I crooned away. It began as a darkening of the screen—as though the lights faded out and the darkness of the scene swelled to fill the space.

I leaned closer to the screen and squinted. Were those eyes? A face?

It looked like a woman, leaning over my shoulder as I played and sang. Her features obscured by a great shadow, the whites of her eyes drawing closer to the screen, she peered into the camera.

Gasping, I shot up from the piano stool so quickly it toppled. Then I turned in a 360-degree circle, scanning the walls and corners of the room for the figure in the video. A joke. It had to be. My mind rushed with the possibilities. It was close to Halloween, so maybe the social media site had placed some kind of special effect on videos. Maybe I just didn’t know about it.

My heart drummed, pounding against the inside of my chest until my sternum hurt. I cut my eyes back and forth. No one was in the room with me. I was alone.



About the Author:
website-FB-twitter
goodreads-Pinterest
Obsessed with vampires and haunted houses from a young age, London grew up reading gothic tales featuring romantic and tragic heroes. Wuthering Heights and Dracula are her favorite novels, and although now happily married, she readily confesses that she is a recovering runaway, who once moved to England in search of a man who was the perfect amalgamation of Dracula, Hamlet, Heathcliff, and Mr. Rochester. London holds a B.A. in Music and M.F.A in Creative Writing. She’s had an eclectic array of jobs including receptionist, legal secretary, literary assistant, high school English teacher, and freelance editor.

London lives in a Washington, DC suburb with her husband and three greyhounds. She’s happiest when she’s writing novels, reading books, or binge watching her favorite programs like The Vampire Diaries or Being Human.



GIVEAWAY


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Halloween Treat: I Am Sheep - another movie poster

 Sheep, Venom, movie poster, parody
Author and Artist Adrienne Wilder has done it again! First, we got the Jaws/Sheep poster, then Deadwool. And now...I Am Sheep!


Here are the other two. Eventually we'll have enough to make a calendar ;)

Tuesday, October 30, 2018

Book Review: Wolf Rising (SWAT Book 8) by Paige Tyler



by Paige Tyler 

October 30, 2018
384 pages

Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
"Intense action, sizzling romance, and bold writing... Paige Tyler has a new fan in me!"―LARISSA IONE, New York Times Bestselling Author, for Wolf Hunger



Just when he's found The One...he might lose her.


SWAT Officer Jayden Brooks doesn't believe there's a soul mate out there for him―The One. But when he saves high school teacher Selena Rosa from a hostage situation, he knows he's in big trouble. Her scent is irresistible.

Selena finds the big cop irresistible, too. In fact, the buttoned-up teacher gets a little carried away―during a steamy make-out session, she bites him. Turns out, the traumatizing events at the school triggered her werewolf gene. Fangs and claws are appearing and her aggression is out of control. The change is happening, and Selena doesn't understand.

It's going to take everything Brooks has to pull her back from the edge...and ultimately win her heart.

SWAT Series:
Hungry Like the Wolf (Book 1)
Wolf Trouble (Book 2)
In the Company of Wolves (Book 3)
To Love a Wolf (Book 4)
Wolf Unleashed (Book 5)
Wolf Hunt (Book 6)
Wolf Hunger (Book 7)
Wolf Rising (Book 8)

Readers are hungry for Paige Tyler's SWAT series:
"I don't think I will ever get enough of Paige Tyler's Special Wolf Alpha Team."―Night Owl Reviews Top Pick, 5 Stars
"I love the SWAT series, I love Paige Tyler, and now multiply this tenfold!"―Fresh Fiction
"The chemistry is scorching hot."―RT Book Reviews

Most series would have lost my interest by now but not the SWAT series by Paige Tyler! She’s back with an all new book in the super hot, super intense series about a group of alpha werewolves working as a SWAT unit in Dallas. The series has expanded since the first book and now includes beta wolves, omega wolves, and more. I couldn’t be more thrilled with the direction this series is heading.

Taking the lead this time is werewolf Jayden Brooks, a character longtime fans (like me) are familiar with. He essentially rescues teacher Selena Rosa from a hostage situation involving one of her former students when he realizes she’s The One. Basically, it means she’s the one fated to be his lifetime love and partner. But of course, things get complicated real fast because that hostage situation just triggered Selena’s werewolf gene and she’s going through the change. Worse, she’s showing signs of becoming an omega wolf, the most out of control and violent breed Brooks has come across.

Wolf Rising takes on a more urgent tone than its predecessors because the werewolf hunters introduced a few books back are getting more and more aggressive in their quest to eradicate Brooks and his fellow wolves. There’s a lot of tension present throughout the whole story and the hunters serve as a conflict that is going to take not just all of the SWAT team, but all the allies they’ve managed to make along the way. It’s a two steps forward, three steps back kind of game that has me coming back to this series as eager as I was when I picked up the first book a few years ago.

As bad as the hunters are, they don’t take away the spotlight from Brooks and Selena. Their romance is complicated but it’s a solid one, and yes it is a case of near instantaneous love for them, but because Wolf Rising is a paranormal romantic suspense it works really well. Brooks is total boyfriend material and Selena is a tough as nails woman more than capable of learning to control her aggressive wolf side which was a conflict all its own. In this book, readers learn more about the omega wolves that up until now were thought to be irredeemable and dangerous. I really love how Tyler has managed to keep the series fresh by weaving more strands into a world she’s already established without overcomplicating things or confusing readers. She doesn’t overdo it when she’s rehashing previous events to catch new readers up, and she makes sure that longtime readers get fresh, new material.

One of the constant things I really enjoy about Wolf Rising and the books before it is the relationship and work dynamic between the SWAT team. They’re not a group of wolves following an alpha, they’re ALL alpha wolves. They just don’t have the controlling d-bag tendencies that seem to be popular in other sub-genres of romance. These wolves are big, bad, and dangerous but they also have the ability to crack readers up with their sometimes childish teasing of each other. Brooks gets teased by his fellow alphas but he knows that they are the ones he can count on to watch his back. After they’ve made fun of him of course. I love those guys. Every single one of them.

Overall, Wolf Rising is a stand out addition to the SWAT series with the edge-of-your-seat suspense, red-hot romance, and a cast of werewolves that you can’t help but fall in love with. I can’t wait for the next book.

reviews of books 1-7


Sheep Rating: 4 ½ Sheep






Adria Reyes

About the Author:
Website Facebook Twitter 
Goodreads
Paige graduated from The University of West Florida with a degree in education in 2000, but decided to pursue a full-time career as a writer in 2004. Since then, she’s written over fifty books in several genres, including paranormal, contemporary, western, sci-fi and erotica. She loves writing about strong, sexy, alpha males and the feisty, independent women who fall for them. From verbal foreplay to sexual heat, her stories of romance, adventure, suspense, passion and true love will leave you breathlessly panting for more. 

She and her very own military hero (also known as her husband) live on the beautiful Florida coast with their adorable fur baby (also known as their dog). Paige graduated with a degree in education, but decided to pursue her passion and write books about hunky alpha males and the kickbutt heroines who fall in love with them.

When not working on her latest book, Paige enjoys reading, jogging, P90X, Yoga, Pilates, going to the beach, watching NFL football, watching movies and hanging out with her husband (not necessarily in that order!)


Book Review: Diamond Moon (Black Hills Wolves Book 12) by Celia Breslin + giveaway


Diamond Moon (Black Hills Wolves Book 12)
by Celia Breslin
March 27, 2015
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Publisher: Decadent Publishing
ISBN: 978-1-61333-803-2
ASIN: B00T2E7ZEY
Number of pages: 185
Word Count: 29,737
Cover Artist: Fiona Jayde
Human-wolf hybrid Darci Diamond spends every full moon locked in auntie’s basement in Southern Oregon. Her excruciating shifts terrify her, the last one causing her heart to stop beating. Seeking a cure, she journeys to Los Lobos.

Ross Luparell returns to the struggling Tao pack, using his millions made in the tech industry to build homes for pack families in need. He never imagined he would also find his one true mate. But when a hybrid with the biggest green eyes he’s ever seen lands on his doorstep in the middle of a wicked summer storm, there’s no denying it. She’s the one.

She wants a normal human life, free from pain-filled shifts. He won’t give up on her Wolf, and will do whatever it takes to help her accept her true nature. But can he convince her to trust him with her heart?


While the official release date of this story was back in 2015, I just had the chance to get my paws on it. What a truly fun and hot read, for 189 pages you just can't go wrong!

There was an almost immediate chemistry between our leading couple. I loved reading their evolution not only together but as individuals as well. While it's no secret that vamps are my main squeeze, I'm really glad I went for a walk in the wolfy side.

The steamy romance and dirty talk were HOT, it's PNR for a reason! I also really enjoyed the backstory specifically on our main gal Darci, she has a past and future that looks uncertain at times. This one really drew me in and kept me going until the final page.

I loved it for all the right reasons and recommend it to anyone looking for a new steamy read.

Getting 4 Sheep





KD


Excerpt:
He reached out with his Wolf senses. The feedback froze his fingers on the doorknob. Female. Damn, she smelled good. Human. Wolf. Wait…both? The copper tang of blood hit his nose. And injured.

He flung open the door. His abrupt move caught his visitor off guard, one small, white fist raised to knock. The woman startled and fell forward. Catching her, he pulled her inside, kicking the door shut with his foot.

She sagged against him, a shivering bundle of wet woman. Underneath the dampness, her scent drop-kicked his gut. Apples and cinnamon. Roses and honey. His body perked up, taking extreme notice. He fought the growl of possession threatening to tear out of his throat. Holy hell, had his potential mate just walked into his home in the middle of a storm?

The scent of her blood jump-started his brain into action. He lowered her gently to the floor. “Jesus. You okay?”

His instincts urged him to check her for wounds, but he was a stranger and didn’t want to spook her. But goddamn, he wanted to touch her. Peel off her wet clothes. See all of her. With a jacket covering her torso, tight jeans hiding her legs, and her ball cap pulled low on her face, all he’d seen so far was her quivering pale chin, full red lips, and those delicate, trembling hands.

“S-s-sorry, d-dripping all ov-v-ver your f-f-floor,” she said, teeth chattering. Her snow white fingers curled on the hardwood, arms trembling with her effort to keep herself upright. Blood streaked the wood. A line of liquid crimson slid down her jaw and dripped from her chin onto her jacket.

To hell with propriety. “You’re injured. Let me help you.” He pulled off her cap and damn near swallowed his tongue.

Big green eyes blinked up at him from a face so pale it made him think of moonlight. Drenched, short black hair lay plastered to her head, the ends framing features reminiscent of the fairies his sister loved to draw for the hidden-object games she designed. Ethereal beauty. My beauty. He stroked a knuckle down her cheek then ran his thumb over her soft, full lower lip.

She flinched and batted his hand away, falling to her side in the process.

Ross snapped back to reality with a healthy hit of guilt. “Shit. Sorry.”

His gaze shot to her forehead where a two-inch cut sent blood trailing over her prominent cheekbone with its silky-smooth skin he’d so enjoyed caressing—

Shit. He gave himself a mental ass kicking for scaring her. “I’m Ross. You’re safe here. Promise.”

About the Author:
Celia lives in California with her husband, daughter, and two feisty cats. She writes urban fantasy and paranormal romance, and has a particular fondness for vampires, werewolves, and the Fae. When not writing, you’ll find Celia editing for others, exercising, reading a good book, hanging with her family, or indulging her addiction to Joss Whedon’s TV shows and movies.

Monday, October 29, 2018

Cover Reveal: Patched Over A #TNTNYC19 Exclusive Anthology

.•´✶COVER REVEAL¸.•´✶

Cover Designer: FuriousFotog

Models: Joe Adams 
Photographer: FuriousFotog

PATCHED OVER: A #TNTNYC19 EXCLUSIVE ANTHOLOGY
Eight authors from the Tempted and Tantalizing Author Event are joining together to bring you this paperback, which is exclusive to #TNTNYC19 and includes eight short stories. Some feature crossovers between existing clubs, others may introduce new clubs—all, however, have been patched over.

Saddle up and let the MC authors of TNTNYC take you on a ride you’ll never forget!

Event website: 


.•´✶Patched Over Breakfast Panel Event.•´✶
Pass these Ol’ ladies a Bloody Mary and spend the morning with the authors of the #TNTNYC19 Patched Over Anthology. Get to know the women behind the badass characters and put them in the hot seat. No question is off limits—in fact, the more daring, the more fun had by all.
Featured Authors Include: 
Ambere Sabo, Cecile Tellier, Elizabeth Knox, Janine Infante Bosco, Khloe Wren, Linny Lawless, M. Merin & MariaLisa Demora….

But, this being TNT and all, you never know just who else might pop in.


Remember, “Patched Over” is exclusive to #TNTNYC19 and will not be in print anywhere else. You can preorder your copy and few will be available at the event along with other “Patch Over” merchandise.

Ticket includes breakfast and admission into this two-hour event.

There are LIMITED seats available and none will be added.

*LOCATION WILL BE ANNOUNCED WHEN TICKETS GO LIVE*

You can preorder your copy of Patched Over here:

.•´✶Tempted and Tantalizing Event information.•´✶

2019 TICKETS WILL GO ON SALE 12.1.18 

Facebook Author only group for announcements: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1147234025306852/

Facebook Attendee group for authors to post pre-orders, giveaway, promos for their books etc. https://www.facebook.com/groups/984756668279976/

Event Facebook page for authors and attendees:

Event website: 




WIP it Real Good: Exclusive sneak peek into a new series by Christina Bauer + giveaway

As part of the launch tour for my new book, SHIFTERS AND GLYPHS, the lovely folks at I Smell Sheep have asked me to share some highlights on a W.I.P (Work In Progress) so I’m going to give you an exclusive sneak peek at my new series, DIMENSION DRIFT. This is a story with a kick-butt heroine who lives in an effed future version of my current home, New England. The story centers on Meimi Archer, a science prodigy and future love interest to the hot guy in her summer school program (who may or may not be an alien.) Here’s the opening scene of the book, where Meimi does some science stuff.

EXCLUSIVE EXCERPT BELOW!!!

ALIEN MINDS (Dimension Drift Book 1)
Chapter One

Not far now.

Just ahead, a tiny concrete tower rises from a darkened hilltop. Guardhouse #83. I scan the gravel access road. Deserted. Quiet. Perfect. Despite the chilly night air, a rush of excitement warms my limbs.

Time to steal for Mom and science.

Marching to the guardhouse, I stop before the intake window. There’s no need to speak; motion detectors activate the auto-guard. Sure enough, a mechanical buzz sounds as overhead lights click on inside, revealing an animatronic woman sitting at a fake desk. Like most auto-guards, this one is less than perfect, what with her chipped plastic skin, frayed blue uniform, and single functioning eye. Raising her head, she addresses me through the Plexiglas.

“You have reached guardhouse #83 for Reclamation Center Massachusetts-1,” says the auto-guard in a singsong voice. “Founded in 2107, we remain the single largest site for landfill sorting, cleaning, and refurbishment in Reformed New England.”

To kill some time, I adjust the loose straps on my backpack. This auto-guard won’t interact with me until her welcome spiel is over. Sadly, animatronic speeches at Reclamation Center Massachusetts-1—also called RCM1—always take a while…



WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

Hope you enjoyed this preview—ALIEN MINDS launches in the Spring of 2019. Thanks for asking me to W.I.P. it good, this was a lot of fun!!!


Shifters and Glyphs (Fairy Tales of the Magicorum #2)
by Christina Bauer
October 30, 2018
Published by: Monster House Books
Publication date:
Genres: Paranormal, Young Adult
“A fun romp for Twilight Fans” – School Library Journal

After being raised by the meanest fairies in the history of ever, Bryar Rose is now free to live her own life. For the first time, she’s attending West Lake Prep, a regular high school. Well, mostly regular. Some students are actually hidden members of the Magicorum. In other words, they’re really wizards, fairies, or shifters. Bry doesn’t mind, though. She’s thrilled to enjoy all the new experiences of being around normal kids her age, from locker pranks to lunchtime mystery meat. Everything is going along great, except for one thing.

Bry’s dreams about the pyramids of Egypt have gotten darker and more sinister. Every night, she sees her new man Knox and her best friend Elle in danger.

“Exciting and well-conceived” – Kirkus

With no other choice, Bry plans to leave school to explore the pyramids on her own. But her new man Knox discovers the scheme and is having none of it. He wants to stay by her side, no matter what. It’s a good thing too, because Bry must solve the mystery of her attraction to the pyramids and soon. Otherwise, it could cost the lives of those she loves most.

And that means not only Knox, but also her best friend Elle.

“Must-read YA paranormal romance!” – USA Today

Perfect for readers who love young adult books, contemporary fantasy, fairy tales, satire/comedy, paranormal romance, fairies, magic users, shapeshifters, and coming of age stories.…

About the Author:
Christina Bauer knows how to tell stories about kick-ass women. In her best selling Angelbound series, the heroine is a part-demon girl who loves to fight in Purgatory’s Arena and falls in love with a part-angel prince. This young adult bebestselleras driven more than 500,000 ebook downloads and 9,000 reviews on Goodreads and retailers. The first three books in the series are now available as audiobooks on Audible and iTunes.

Bauer has also told the story of the Women’s March on Washington by leading PR efforts for the Massachusetts Chapter. Her pre-event press release—the only one sent out on a major wire service—resulted in more than 19,000 global impressions and redistribution by over 350 different media entities including the Associated Press.

Christina graduated from Syracuse University’s Newhouse School with BA’s in English along with Television, Radio, and Film Production. She lives in Newton, MA with her husband, son, and semi-insane golden retriever, Ruby.


Giveaway:
Tour-wide giveaway (INTL)
eBook copy of Shifters and Glyphs + swag!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Sunday, October 28, 2018

Help bring the fantasy series Ian's Realm Saga to the big screen!

Help bring an awesome fantasy series Ian's Realm Saga by Diane Gardner to TV or the big screen!
Check out the short video (below) they made about the film.

We're putting together a proof of concept trailer to show the world what an awesome TV /movie series Ian's Realm will make.

Funding a fantasy film is no easy task. Post-production is the most costly. We'll need an editor and we'll need a talented and skilled FX editor for the special effects this story requires. We're shopping around for a composer to score just the right music. And of course, there's film festivals and marketing costs. As you can see from the graph, we've completed a good portion of our project. We just need some finishing touches.


 

Of course, our real goal is to do a pilot episode so we'll be talking about that in our wish list! Because if you all come through, there's a chance we can take Ian's Realm even closer to the screen. 


Ian's Realm
Director: Chris Love
Writer: Dianne Gardner (screenwriter)
15 minute short
Genres: Short | Adventure | Fantasy | History
When an unsuspecting teenager from Seattle and his father discover that they tapped into a portal to another world on their computer, the two venture in. A pristine countryside lures them further away from the portal but calamity strikes while exploring an eerie mountain. Their horses are stolen, and Ian's father vanishes. At the same time, Ian is attacked, taken to a small village by the sea, and made a slave by dragon worshipers. His desire to escape the cult escalates when he realizes his father is lost in the dragon's lair. But a young boy wielding a magic dagger, and a fiery dragon prohibit him from fleeing.




Go check out their crowdfunding website for more info include cast and crew!

WIP it Real Good: Exclusive sneak peek into Broken Arrow (book 2) by Azaria M.J. Durant + giveaway

An exclusive sneak peek into Broken Arrow’s sequel!

Ealdred’s journey continues in Broken Arrow’s sequel, Book 2 in the Darkened Destiny saga, which I started writing around two years ago. I am now in the intense editing process, and am hoping to release it at around this time 2019!

Once my gaze lights on the blade, my confusion only grows. Words are forming in elegant runes across the midsection of the blade. Deep, inlaid in the metal as if chiseled by an excellent craftsman, I can make out words in the tongue of the Vaelhyre:

I AM THE KING’S AND HE IS MINE
AND THUS DO OUR LIVES ENTWINE
IF HE LIVES OR IF HE DIES
MY FATE WITH HIS FOREVER LIES

TAKE HIS LIFE OR I’LL TAKE YOURS
GLADLY FACE THE DARKEST FOES
BROKEN, BEATEN, TWISTED, BATTERED
BUT IF HE DIES, I WILL BE SHATTERED

“It seems Banner was right.” Ulmer’s complexion is as white as his beard. “It has happened, as he said it would.”

“What is it?” I ask. “What did Banner say? What does this mean?”

His fingers tighten around his staff. “Banner foresaw this moment in a vision not long after Zeldek’s reign in Gaiztoak began. He saw that in the hand of the one who would destroy the Aemurel, these words would appear.” Ulmer turns his gaze to me, a glint in his eyes. He was wrong. And he doesn’t like that he now has to admit it to my face. “This proves it. You are the one of which the prophecy speaks.”


Working Synopsis:
Two years have passed. Whispers of war are stirring as the dark lord Zeldek gathers his forces in the north to wage war on Theara. The Alliance of Shadows is tearing through the land, subduing its people and attempting to seize control of all four kingdoms. Only the young king of Valamette stands 
in his way of taking full power.

Tragedy strikes Valamette and Ealdred is drawn out of hiding to come to their aid. But he isn’t prepared for the dangers and treachery of the world he enters. When a prediction by a witch sets even his friends against him, Ealdred finds himself completely alone in a game of power as the king of Zandelba’s puppet. But even behind the walls of Twylaun, deceit roams freely, and enemies are everywhere he turns. Can he fool the king of Zandelba for long enough to ascend the throne? And is there a deeper threat lurking that neither side expects?


Broken Arrow (Darkened Destiny Saga #1)
by Azaria M.J. Durant
July 29, 2018
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult

380 pages
An ancient power long kept dormant stirs in the shadows once more as one boy embarks on a quest to earn his freedom and the freedom of his world!

Magic has turned to myth, the Vaelhyreans of old to legend, and the power wielded by the ancients has long been forgotten. However, with Ealdred, a mere half-breed slave boy, myth becomes real, the forgotten remembered, and the power of legend is reborn within him.

Ealdred is merged into a world of mystery, brimming with deceit, where the remaining Vaelhyreans are in a desperate fight for their very survival. When Ealdred is kidnapped by the power-mongering dark lord Zeldek himself, he must make a choice; to commit his newfound magic to Zeldek’s service or die. But when he meets Bellator, clever yet treacherous servant of Zeldek, an alternative is presented to him: to escape from Zeldek’s stronghold and embark on a quest to find a cursed arrow and free the Vaelhyreans from the spell that keeps their powers at bay.

Yet how can he survive in a world where magic is illegal, half-breeds are hated, and the four countries are on the brink of war?


About the author:
Goodreads
Azaria M. J. Durant is a young, passionate writer of fantasy with plans to branch out into sci-fi and dystopian. She enjoys writing stories with action, adventure, unexpected plot twists, and fleshed out characters that challenge gender roles and expectations.

Azaria lives in Atlantic Canada with her family, cats, and dogs, and her big dreams to travel the world. In the moments when she isn’t writing, she is sketching concept art for her stories, participating in community theatre, or curled up with a good book and a bag of mint chocolates.

Giveaway:
Tour-wide giveaway (INTL)
2x eBook copies of Broken Arrow

a Rafflecopter giveaway