YA Fantasy Author John Peragine: My Top 10 Favorite Foods + giveaway

YA Fantasy Author John Peragine shares his favorite foods!

Max and the Spice Thieves (Secrets of the Twilight Djinn #1)
by John Peragine
April 20th, 2021
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult
When his mother goes missing, Max Daybreaker’s world is turned upside down. Luckily, a crew of Spice Pirates, led by the mysterious Captain Cinn, help Max on his dangerous mission across the three seas.

Along the way, an unlikely alliance aids in his search—a teenage warrior queen, a three-eyed seer, and an assassin spy.

Their journey takes them through treacherous lands while facing shapeshifting bears, an ancient witch, harpies, and the nightmarish Djinn, who will stop at nothing to enslave the world.

With every new challenge, Max unlocks the secrets of his unsettling past. Powers awaken within, forcing him to question everything he knows.

Is Max who he thinks he is? Only time and destiny will tell…

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About the Author:

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John Peragine is an author of over fourteen books. The Secrets of the Twilight Djinn series was written as a bedtime story for his son Max to cope with medical issues he was facing as a little boy. John is a full-time ghostwriter who lives with his son, wife, and a menagerie of animals on his vineyard overlooking the Mississippi River.

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Cover Grabby-Hands Syndrome: Ann Aguirre

Sometimes you run into a cover or series of covers that make you stop, bow down to the awesome and maybe drool and develop grabby-hands.

Today, I give you Ann Aguirre's Ars Numina series covers.
They have earned my Grabby-hands stamp of approval.
Artist: Kanaxa: http://www.kanaxa.com/

Very PNR-ish with the cliche, cheesy man-torso and shifter animal in the background. BUT...these covers have an intense sex appeal. I love the basic design elements that link the series and the subtle use of color to set them apart. There are three more in the series and I can't wait to see them!

And if you are wondering, I will be featuring some of Ann's other covers...cause that Jax series makes me question my sexuality.

 Welcome to the dangerous, delicious world of Ars Numina--with the fae Eldritch, ferocious Animari, and brutal Golgoth fighting for their happy endings. If you love paranormal romance and shapeshifters, this series is for you, projected at six books. -amazon 

The Leopard King 

The Demon Prince

The Wolf Lord

The Shadow Warrior

The War Priest

The Jaguar Knight

*I haven't read this series and have no idea if they are as good as the covers. Don't care either...this is all about the cover!

About the Author:
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Ann Aguirre is a New York Times & USA Today bestselling author with a degree in English Literature; before she began writing full time, she was a clown, a clerk, a voice actress, and a savior of stray kittens, not necessarily in that order. She grew up in a yellow house across from a cornfield, but now she lives in sunny Mexico with her husband, children, and various pets. She likes books, emo music, and action movies. She writes all kinds of genre fiction for adults and teens.

Flock Talk: Favorite book snacks

What's better than reading? Eating while reading! So I asked our sheep reviewers what was their favorite book snack...

JeanieG

Photo via Visual hunt

Hmmm...that's a hard one. Especially, since I read almost constantly... I read with breakfast, I read with lunch and I read with supper (or any combination of above. But late in the evening in lieu of TV, I read with a snack. My favorite? Why popcorn and chocolate of course. Reading is like going to a movie. You have the plot, the stars, the supporting cast and the visual department is outstanding! (Of course that's because you are the director doing all the choreography and special effects in your mind). 

And who goes to a movie without popcorn and candy? Not this girl. I have been know to go to the theater just to buy the popcorn and take it home to enjoy. Hey, don't judge, the theater is making a killing on that popcorn and it's one of my guilty pleasures.

So to those of you who say they don't like to read...get an audio book if your eyes are lazy. Use your E-reader, IPad, laptop or, heaven forbid, pick up the real thing of paper and ink! Let your imagination be the producer and director of the play or movie that is always available. And indulge yourself in your favorite snack and plot. It might be watermelon (one of my alternatives) or guacamole and chips (another of my favorites) or ice cream (not my choice...little messy and you have to use two hands) or any of the favorite health foods (UGHGH!!) you desire.

Personally, I am sticking with my popcorn and chocolate for snack of choice, whether I sit in a movie theater or my private showing of any book I happen to immersed myself within! I even give myself "stars" or "sheep" after I am finished depending on how well the author and myself as producer and director got along. Happy Snacking everyone!

Adria

Photo credit: solofotones via Visualhunt /CC BY-NC-SA

I'm such a big foodie so it's no surprise that I like to munch while reading. My favorite snack is baked tater tots. No lie. I bake them in the evening and then slip them into a sandwich bag once they're cooled off. Then when I'm reading, I munch to my heart's delight with a cold bottle of Sprite next to me. And my dog Hayley, because she's a foodie too and wouldn't pass up a possible food opportunity. 

Pamela

Photo credit: Svadilfari via Visual Hunt /CC BY-ND

Most times, I read in bed fore I go to sleep, but when I read in the living room, I like to drink either a Coke, or Kirkland (Costco) diet green tea or Nestle Splash (orange-flavored water). As for snacking; it can be peanuts, a sandwich (if lunchtime), chips, or chocolate candy. Most times, though, I don't snack, just the drink.

Bianca

Photo credit: HamrickCE via VisualHunt /CC BY-NC-ND

I typically don't eat after dinner. I need to stay in shape, 'cause zombie attack? You never know. On weekends, I do sip a cocktail (or three) while reading. My drink of choice is Canadian whisky on the rocks (all the rocks) with a splash of Diet Coke. And, hey, if zombies attack some weekend, I'll be better fortified for a fight. 

Sharon

hoto credit: Grace Courbis
via Visual Hunt /CC BY

I don't really eat and read. I tend to binge right before I sit down to read. Frozen chocolate is a favorite. Matter of fact, just about all chocolate/cookie/cake/brownie taste better when frozen. If I don't have anything in the freezer, I will eat a bowl of cereal before I read. My all time favorite is Honey Smacks (Sugar Smacks to us older folk). I could eat that three times a day... 

So....what do you like to snack on while reading?

Flock Talk: Chocolate bar PSA

Just realized I had nothing planned to go up on the site today...so I decided to do a PSA on bad chocolate. Yes, it does exist and I want to save you from making the same mistake I did.

Exhibit A:

I love to try new chocolate bars 'cause...chocolate. I was at the store and saw this new chocolate bar (Exhibit A). It was at a price point between Hershey's and Ghirardelli: $2 and packaged like the expensive brands so I thought I was safe...

Exhibit B:

I should have listened to my gut when I opened the outer packaging and saw this (exhibit B)! No respectable chocolate maker does this. What? Is it a freaking granola bar? No. It should be a foil wrapper. I had to use my teeth to open it!

I broke off one square and as soon as it hit my tongue I wanted to spit it back out...but I ain't no quitter so I chewed. It tasted like the alcohol smell that hits you when you enter a hospital. I. Kid. You. Not.

Moral of my story: If you can't figure it out, then enjoy you hospital chocolate bar.

My top 2 chocolate bars are...

   

Green & Black's is the smoothest dark chocolate I have found, the Ghirardelli is my back up.

So, what is your favorite chocolate bar?

Sabrina Benulis Guest Post: My Favorite Childhood Toys and Why They Matter + giveaway

My Favorite Childhood Toys and Why They Matter

Some people think the toys you play with as a child have absolutely no bearing on your adult personality and imagination. They couldn't be more wrong. Here are 5 of my favorite childhood toys and a brief explanation of how they've formed me as a fantasy writer. Be prepared for a nostalgia trip--I'm a child of the 80s.

1. My Little Pony - First, let me just say I can't express how awesome it is that these toys are popular again. My Little Pony cemented my obsession with magical creatures from the tender age of 3, and the interest has yet to wane. In my book series, The Books of Raziel, there are creatures called Kirin that have unicorn and Pegasus-type characteristics. I always felt an author deserves special bonus points if they can insert a magical horse into a story and make it unique and cool.

2. Shera, Princess of Power - Shera was a strong heroine. A REALLY strong one. In a decade where Barbie still reigned supreme, Shera was like Xena Warrior Princess, who may just in fact be her spiritual successor. If you've read any of my books, it's safe to say I like really tough-as-nails heroines.

3. Popples - I have it on authority that these toys made a comeback as well in 2015. The magic of transformation was strong with Popples. They were stuffed animals that you could turn inside-out, and somehow that was incredibly fascinating. Transformation = magic = fantasy writer.

4. Jem - Jem was recently made into a movie that failed spectacularly. Too bad, because Jem was a much cooler version of Barbie--kind of like an 80s Hannah Montana. She kind of deserves a comeback. Jem was what you'd now term a 'magical girl.' Normal by day and super-fantastic at night. I've always loved the idea of heroines being someone special on the inside--of having a secret very few people knew. That tends to reflect in my book series strongly, where my main character Angela has a massive secret revealed at the end of the trilogy, not to mention the myriad others she discovers along the way.

5. Strawberry Shortcake - It's safe to say Strawberry Shortcake is officially back and maybe even more popular than when I was a child. She and her fruit-themed friends are cuter than ever. But you might wonder how she merits a mention here. Well, Strawberry Shortcake has bright red hair, and so does my main character, Angela. Coincidence? Maybe. Or, then again, maybe not!

Do you have any favorite childhood toys that send you down nostalgia lane? Do you ever wonder if they had more influence on you than you thought?

Thanks for your time, everyone! And happy reminiscing! 

Angelus (Books of Raziel Trilogy Book Three) 
by Sabrina Benulis
February 9, 2016
Harper Voyager
Paperback
Genre: Fiction / Fantasy / Paranormal
In the heart-pounding conclusion to The Books of Raziel trilogy, Angela discovers that she holds the keys to both Heaven and Hell, and that angels, demons, and all the creatures in between will stop at nothing to possess her...

The war started by three powerful angel siblings - Raziel, Lucifel, and Israfel - has divided the kingdoms of both Heaven and Hell. Now the destruction is spilling over into our world.

The last hope for a crumbling world is the Archon, also known as the human Angela Mathers. Angela alone can successfully oppose Lucifel and open Raziel’s Book for the power of good rather than evil. But to do so would mean murdering her best friend, a fact Angela refuses to face.


Now Angela sits on the throne of Hell, fulfilling a prophecy of ruin. But ruin does not always mean destruction.....sometimes it means revolution.

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About the Author:
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Sabrina Benulis graduated with a masters from Seton Hill University. Her books include the first two entries in the Books of Raziel series, Archon and Covenant. She currently resides in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania with her husband and a spoiled cockatiel.

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1 set of all three books in the series; ARCHON, COVENANT, and ANGELUS. Open to US Shipping

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Top 10 quotes from Blood Prophecy Two: Queen’s Enemy by Barb Jones (Book Tour)

Thank you I Smell Sheep for having me on your blog today. I am pretty excited about being here and being able to share with my fans and future fans, my top ten quotes from Blood Prophecy Two: Queen’s Enemy.

My favorite quotes from the book all have a special meaning to me. Each quote shows a vigilance in character, such as lust, strength, justice, vengeance and purpose to say the list. In addition, each quote is from one of the strong characters, whether it be Amber, Michael, Chloe, Kabos, Malakai, Marcus or any of the others. Together, they possess the feelings that we only dream of.

I won’t dive into all the ten quotes, unless you really want me to but let’s talk about some of them. The first quote about how Amber’s lips hypnotize Michael. All women want to hear that from their man, no doubt about it. It brings a sense of lust and love that happens between a man and a woman. The second quote on the list describes the child coming to the Queen. That only signifies purpose. We all have a purpose whether we realize it or not. Every member of the human race has a purpose to play or serve in our existence. Nursing mothers serve a purpose for the baby to eat, right? It’s all about your life having meaning and purpose. I just tied it to a prophecy involving the supernatural.

As you can tell, each quote means something. And really, I write the books to have their own interpretation or meaning to each person. I hope you enjoy reading the quotes and let the words’ meanings come to you. Each character can be someone you relate to or even all of them! That’s the beauty of Blood Prophecy!

1. “You know, Amber, I cannot imagine a world without you. You have become the Queen we need, yet you are still a young vampire. Your lips hypnotize me,” he said in a low whisper as his lips brushed her ear.

2. “The child will come to the Queen once the blood path of birth has been chosen. She will either undo the Queen or be the sceptre of all reconciliation. The child will be born when the yellow moon turns to the color of blood. Hear and mark the words of the Queen. The child’s path is predestined upon the choice of the Chosen Witch. The hour of reconciliation is coming and the path needs to be chosen. Now.”

3. Son, there is a prophecy that has been wielded. A foretelling of events to come. I was a young boy before my birthmark made me take my true place. I am to make the one who will start the revelation that will lead the True One to find the Queen. I learned to read the stars and the stars pointed me to you. You are the True One. And now you must learn to be who you were meant to be.

4. “The girl with the red hair is coming. She’s a lady and very pretty. She’s the one I am going to be friends with.”

5. This Child of Prophecy is no ordinary child, as you know, her birth was foretold many centuries ago, she came into this world a great force for good against the powers of evil. Zaraquel,” and then he nodded at Marcus, “an apt name for such a precious child is an Avenging Angel.

Her destiny is to destroy the powers of evil, and she’ll never rest until they are destroyed. She has been reincarnated many times, and has always battled evil, this time she reincarnated with her full powers. When she comes to maturity there will be nothing on Earth that can stop her.

6. “They will face the red werewolves of hell,” said Jacob.

7. In a low, deep voice he said, “Let’s go back. The night was just getting lively.” He said. “What are we? We’ve got an armored tank practically, full of vampires. What do we look like? I’m not running from no zombies,” he said in a thick Russian accent. “They just took us by surprise. Let’s take them by surprise.” He said with a dark glower on his face.

8. “As an Avenging Angel, Zaraquel’s role is to bring justice to this world. While she is a baby her wings will remain pure and white, but in her role as an Avenging Angel, with her first justified kill, and she will kill to bring balance to an imbalanced world, her wings will become blood-red after her first kill. After her tenth kill, they will become midnight-black. This will indicate that she has become an Executioner of the Highest Order, a true Avenging Angel, bent on bringing justice to the world.”

9. “You are my witch, my One. Through you, the ages will pass. A line of witches will disembark on the earth.”

10. “Chloe, I Love You. You are my Heart and Soul and I Pledge to Keep You and Our Baby Safe for Eternity.”

Blood Prophecy Two: Queen's Enemy
By Barb Jones

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When you are in love with the one you fear and hate the most, it leaves you no options. How can you fight her, protect her, when all it would do is leave you in pieces?

Amber and Chloe are pulled deeper in the Prophecy that revealed itself at the moment they became friends. Michael is pulled into different directions. One to love and protect his Queen or to join forces with the Vampire Hunter and kill the Queen before the Blood Prophecy is revealed. His choie along with the birth of the Child from a vampire and witch marks the intensity of the Blood Prophecy. Once the child is born, the path of the prophecy is laid out and Amber must obey that path.

Could she unite the races or destroy them all with the child?

About the Author:

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Barb wrote her first paranormal novel when she discovered that it was time to create a new novel that would bring vampires back to their true glory and grace of drinking blood. Since then, her love for vampires spread across witches, werewolves, and zombies and she likes to think that her storytelling ability has helped redeem the race. After earning her Bachelors' degree in Political Science at Central Washington University and her Master's degree in Information Technology with Keller Graduate School, she continues to utilize those skills as an IT Manager. Her true passion is through her writing of various novels including the Blood Prophecy Series, Little Arthur and Merlin the Magnificent Series, Dingy the Dinosaur Series, a new series involving Zombies, and poetry. Though Barb was born and raised in Hawaii, she will always be a Seattle girl at heart. She currently resides in FL with her two biggest fans, her children.

My Top 10 Christmas Songs

When it comes to the holiday season I love the decorations, the smells, the lights and the songs. It just isn't Christmas to me without these songs. There are lots more I love, but these are probably my favorites... 

10. This just makes me laugh

9. This was one of my favorite TV shows to watch. The Abominable scared me! 

8. I remember when this came out and it is the first Christmas parody I ever heard

7. This one is pretty self-explanatory. We have all been there!

6. This one is just funny. My youngest daughter can sing it.

5. This one is clever and funny!

4. I like all songs by Trans-Siberian Orchestra, but Carol of the Bells is a favorite.

3. Beautiful voices and arrangement of a classic

2. Little Drummer Boy is my all time favorite song and Bob Seger nails it!

1. David Bowie has one of the most beautiful singing voices and this song is what Christmas is too me.

So, what are your favorites?