The stroke of midnight blog tour + giveaway

It's New Year's Eve and the supernatural community is ringing in the New Year with style!

Fourteen of your favorite authors have come together to bring you The Stroke of Midnight: A Supernatural New Year's Anthology!

The Stroke of Midnight features fourteen urban fantasy/paranormal short stories. Celebrate the turn of the year with all the creatures that go bump in the night!

WARNING: Short stories may contain adult/graphic content.

THE STROKE OF MIDNIGHT
A Supernatural New Year's Anthology
Presented by Pure Textuality
Goodreads
FEATURED STORIES
A Stray in the Night by Lola Rayne
Eternal Beginnings by Brandy Dorsch
Fifteen Minutes Until Midnight by Kyra Dunst
Ghost of a Girl by Beth Dolgner
GSW, or How I Met My Mother by Connie Suttle
Maltese Cross My Heart by F.F. McCulligan
More Glitter by Faith McKay
Obsidian Flames by Amy Miles
Suffering by J.M. Gregoire
Tempting the Moon by Susan Illene
The Lurkers by Danielle Bannister
The Smiths by Michael Siemsen
‘Til Death Do Us Part by K.L. Brown
What Lurks Within by Bella Roccaforte

You can download this anthology for FREE!

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/391747

TOUR WIDE GIVEAWAY

To celebrate the release of The Stroke of Midnight, Pure Textuality Public Relations is giving away a Kindle (6”, WiFi)!!!

CLICK HERE TO ENTER!

The Stroke of Midnight is brought to your by Pure Textuality Public Relations.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE VIEW SCHEDULE AND FOLLOW THE TOUR!

Sandy Williams' THE SHADOW READER trilogy blog tour + giveaway

December 31, 2013 was the best New Year’s Eve I’ve had in a long time. The Sharpest Blade, the third book in my Shadow Reader series, hit the shelves. The Shadow Reader books follow McKenzie Lewis, a human who can not only see the fae, but she can track them when they fissure (or teleport) from place to place. That little talent of hers has put her in the middle of a fae civil war, a war that finally comes to a conclusion in The Sharpest Blade.

Readers have waited a long time for this book. I’m so grateful for their patience, and for all their support these last few years. The reception McKenzie has received has been awesome, and I’ve met so many wonderful readers since The Shadow Reader was published. Thank you all for sharing McKenzie’s adventures with me, and I hope 2014 brings you many hundreds of fabulous and kickass reads.

About the Author: Sandy-Williams.com | Facebook Twitter | GoodReads | Amazon | Tumblr Sandy Williams has lived and breathed books all her life. When she was a teen, she was always the first to finish her class assignments so that she could read as much as possible before the bell rang. Her grades didn't suffer (much), and she was able to enroll in Texas A&M University. She didn't sneak in novels there, but every other line of her college lecture notes are filled with snippets of stories. After she graduated, she decided to turn those snippets into books. Sandy is the author of The Shadow Reader novels, an urban fantasy romance series about a human who can both see and track the fae. When Sandy isn't writing, she's taking care of her twin boys, who also debuted in 2011. They keep her busy, but she's occasionally able to sneak in time to read books by her favorite authors, and she still enjoys playing EuroGames like Dominion, 7 Wonders, and Agricola. The Shadow Reader Trilogy

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There can only be one allegiance. It’s her time to choose.

Some humans can see the fae. McKenzie Lewis can track them, reading the shadows they leave behind. But some shadows lead to danger. Others lead to lies.

A Houston college student trying to finish her degree, McKenzie has been working for the fae king for years, tracking vicious rebels who would claim the Realm. Her job isn’t her only secret. For just as long, she’s been in love with Kyol, the king’s sword-master—and relationships between humans and fae are forbidden.

But any hope for a normal life is shattered when she’s captured by Aren, the fierce and uncompromising rebel leader. He teaches her the forbidden fae language and tells her dark truths about the Court, all to persuade her to turn against the king. Time is running out, and as the fight starts to claim human lives, McKenzie has no choice but to decide once and for all whom to trust and where she ultimately stands in the face of a cataclysmic civil war.

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A love declared. A war waged. A future endangered.

McKenzie Lewis has a gift. It allows her access to a world few have seen, and even fewer can comprehend. It’s her secret. And it exists in the shadows…

McKenzie was a normal college student, save for one little twist: she’s a shadow reader, someone who can both see the fae and track their movements between our world and the Realm. It’s a gift for which she has been called insane, one for which she has risked family and friends—and one that has now plunged her into a brutal civil war among the fae.

With the reign of the king and his vicious general at an end, McKenzie hoped to live a more normal life while exploring her new relationship with Aren, the rebel fae who has captured her heart. But when her best friend, Paige, disappears McKenzie knows her wish is, for now, just a dream. McKenzie is the only one who can rescue her friend, but if she’s not careful, her decisions could cost the lives of everyone she’s tried so hard to save.

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Torn between two worlds. Torn between two lives.

McKenzie Lewis’s ability to read the shadows has put her—and …those she loves—in harm’s way again and again. The violence must end, but will the cost of peace be more devastating than anyone ever imagined?

After ten years of turmoil, the life McKenzie has always longed for may finally be within her grasp. No one is swinging a sword at her head or asking her to track the fae, and she finally has a regular—albeit boring—job. But when a ruthless enemy strikes against her friends, McKenzie abandons her attempt at normalcy and rushes back to the Realm.

With the fae she loves and the fae she’s tied to pulling her in different directions, McKenzie must uncover the truth behind the war and accept the painful sacrifices that must be made to end it. Armed with dangerous secrets and with powerful allies at her side, her actions will either rip the Realm apart—or save it.

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Arts and Crafts with Authors: Jenn Bennett (Bitter Spirits-book 1 Roaring Twenties series) + giveaway

HONEY, I SHRUNK THE NECKLACE

by Jenn Bennett

Many of you might know that I write the Roaring Twenties series (1920s paranormal romance) and the Arcadia Bell series (urban fantasy). And some of you might even know I'm an artist. But you probably don't know that before I started writing, I worked in product development for a national arts and crafts company, dreaming up new ways to use decoupage glue, wood, and paint. So I guess that makes me not only artsy but also craftsy, which is why melting plastic in my oven to make a necklace seems like an amusing way to spend an afternoon.

If you were a kid in the 1980s, chances are you knew what Shrinky Dinks were: flexible sheets of polystyrene plastic that could be decorated with colored pencils or felt-tip pens and, when baked in the over, shrank to 1/3 their size and hardened into thick plastic shapes. I don't have exact figures, but I think 99% of all early Shrinky Dinks were warped Christmas ornaments, hideous key chain charms, or off-brand cartoon character suncatchers made by kids (raises hand) who were tired of baking brownies in their Easy-Bake ovens.

But, hey! We were doing it all wrong. You can actually make some rather charming jewelry pieces out of shrink plastic. And to prove it, I decided to make a necklace inspired by my new book, BITTER SPIRITS. The hero of my book, Winter, is a bootlegger who falls in love with a spirit medium named Aida in 1920s San Francisco. In one scene, Winter takes her to a garment maker in Chinatown who sews Aida a stunning dress embellished with peacock feathers. The following is my riff on that motif and how I did it:

1) I sketched a peacock feather and increased the size in Photoshop (like I said, these things shrink to about 1/3 of their original size) then printed it out and taped it to the back of a sheet polystyrene plastic—which is rough on one side and about the size of a thick sheet of paper. [You can find these sheets online or in craft stores under the Polyshrink or Shrinky Dink brands.] Then I used colored pencils to draw the feather onto the plastic. 

2) I cut out the feather and used a hole punch on the top.

3) I baked the drawing in my oven following the package directions—at a super low temperature for a couple of minutes. When it bakes, the plastic curls up on itself as it shrinks and then magically straightens out.

4) and 5) When the time is up, you've got yourself a miniature drawing on a thick piece of hard plastic. Amazing! 6) Last think you need to do is spray a clear varnish on the piece to keep the colored pencil from rubbing off. I sprayed mine after midnight on my deck, which probably made my nosey neighbors wonder if I was starting up some sort of Breaking Bad meth lab.

7) I sketched a second batch of shrinks—this time, two smaller peacock feather "eyes." 

8) Baked them. 

9) And here they are out of the oven.

10) After all that shrinking, it was time to string up my new pieces with some beads. 

11) I even burned myself with a soldering iron while securing the jump rings and connectors. 

12) And voilà! Here is the finished piece. I think it turned out rather well, and I do believe my character Aida would happily wear this during one of her séances!

About the Author:

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Jenn Bennett is the author of the Arcadia Bell urban fantasy series from Pocket Books and the Roaring Twenties historical paranormal romance series from Berkley. Born in Germany, she’s lived and traveled extensively throughout Europe, the U.S., and the Far East. She currently lives near Atlanta with one husband and two very bad pugs.

GIVEAWAY

(US/CAN) ONLY

one winner will get the necklace and a print book!
Leave a comment with a way to contact you. 
Contest ends: Jan 20, 2014

Alpha Male Diner: Dark Elf Prince by Felicity Heaton (Kissed by a Dark Prince book tour) + giveaway

Welcome back to the alpha male diner! One of our most popular cooks, Felicity Heaton, is back. We do love her vampire meals, but today she has cooked up a new dish! Prince Loren a Dark Elf Prince from her new Eternal Mates Romance Series. Grab a napkin...no, grab two, and grab a bite!

Prince Loren (Dark Elf) 

recipe by Felicity Heaton

Kissed by a Dark Prince (Eternal Mates Romance Series Book 1)

Ingredients:

1 pair striking purple eyes
1 mouth made for sin
1 cup psychic powers
1 pair razor-sharp fangs
1 pair pointed ears
1 head of wild black-blue hair
200 pounds of toned, honed, muscles stretched tight over an impressive 6’6” frame
A dash of darkness
One set of colourful elvish markings
One incredible suit of skin-tight black armour
One tablespoon each of honour, determination, heart and courage
8 pints of red-hot blood

Makes: One hot dark elf prince

Method:
Begin by mixing honour, determination, heart and courage together with red-hot blood, stirring gently to incorporate. Mix in the dash of darkness and the psychic powers. Set aside.

Combine delicious body with wild black hair, sinful mouth, razor-sharp fangs, and striking purple eyes. Eyes may appear blue at first. If this is the case, he’s playing at being human. Add ears. If eyes are blue, expect them to appear normal and very mortal. If eyes are purple, they will be pointed. Warning: If they grow pointier and flare back against his head, give him space. He is probably gearing up to kill you.

When he is calm, sprinkle liberally with elvish markings. These may shimmer in beautiful colours at first and then disappear. This is normal. Expect markings only to appear when he’s touched by his mate, agitated, or extremely annoyed.

Take his personality mix and pour it down his throat. Wait for it to take. This may be evident by him suddenly becoming more restrained and looking less like he might kill you. Subject will also gain a more regal bearing.

Place black and silver bands containing his armour around his wrists. Step back and watch in awe as he mentally commands his scale-like armour to emerge from the bands, covering his entire body like a second-skin and turning his fingers into serrated claws.

Enjoy!

Taste Test

Loren stopped, turned towards the wall and banged his head against it. The humans passing by gave him a wide berth and he couldn’t blame them. He was acting like a madman. 

Driven wild by a female.

He pressed his palms against the wall, despair eating away at him, twisting his insides into tight painful knots. What was he going to do? He had been in Olivia’s presence for barely more than a human hour and he was already close to falling over the edge and doing something terrible that he could never take back. The longer he spent in her company, the worse this hunger was going to become, and if he wasn’t careful, it would end up controlling him. What if he hurt her? What if he killed Bleu?

He would never forgive himself.

Loren banged his head against the wall again, grinding his teeth and grimacing as it all became too much for him. The images of Bleu and Olivia still played out in his mind, pushing him ever closer to the edge, until he had to dig the claws of his armour into the plaster of the wall to keep himself anchored there, stopping him from bursting into the room behind him.

The doors swished open.

Loren forced himself away from the wall, a second apology to Bleu balancing on his lips.

It was Olivia.

Their bond spoke to him, telling him what he could already see in her expression and her soulful brown eyes that always showed him everything she was feeling. She was tense and wary, afraid of him now. He lowered his head, unable to look at her. He had frightened his female, shaking her trust in him.

“Loren?” she said in a low, gentle voice that curled around his numb heart, thawing the ice that had encased it. 

He was afraid too. He had never felt so afraid. He didn’t want to look into her eyes and see her fear of him, or her disgust, and he didn’t want to hear how he had scared her by allowing her to experience such dark terrible emotions through him.

“Loren?” Her tone held a firmer note and he obeyed, unable to ignore a command from his ki’ara. 

Loren looked down into her eyes. They filled with pity, softening more with each second that he dared to look into them.

“I’m done now,” she said, casual despite the nerves he could sense in her. “I did my best not to touch him. That was what it was all about, wasn’t it?”

Loren shut down the fury that curled through him on hearing that she had indeed touched Bleu while he had been out here pacing like a caged animal, refusing to let it own him. He was master of his body, not this wretched bond.

He hated to admit it but Olivia needed to know what he had dragged her into so she would know the cause of his outburst and could perhaps help stop it from happening again.

“I could not bear the sight of you touching him,” Loren said, the tight gravelly sound of his voice shocking him. He had never sounded so dark and possessive before. He had never felt it either. 

He wanted to possess Olivia. Body and soul. He wanted to claim the heart that was rightfully his.

His to own. His to cherish. His to protect.

His to love.

She belonged to him.

His fangs itched and the points of his ears began to extend. Loren fought the change but it was hard to suppress it and stop it from happening when he was thinking about Olivia, and also thinking about her touching Bleu. It was a one-two punch that knocked his senses reeling and had him back on the verge of losing control. A male doctor coming towards him eyed him, not a challenge but Loren felt it as one, and he wanted to rise to it and beat the male into submission. 

The male’s eyes narrowed. He had noticed Loren’s eyes changing. Loren cursed beneath his breath and looked away, fighting to master his emotions. His gaze caught on Olivia’s and he stared down at her, feeling lost and bewildered, tired of the constant battle against his emotions and the effects of their incomplete bond. He wanted a moment to breathe. 

He needed a minute to rest, sixty seconds away from this world, alone with Olivia.

Olivia moved closer, raised her hand and touched his cheek, staring deep into his eyes. Bliss. Loren leaned into her touch, finding his balance in it, mentally stepping away from the edge and towards her. His ki’ara.

“It’s fascinating when your eyes do that... and your ears. Why does it happen?” She brushed her palm across his cheek and a hot shiver went through him when she feathered her fingertips up his ear to the tip. He barely stifled a groan. He wanted her to stroke them. Lick them. His eyes began to change again.

“It is a response to my emotions. Certain ones trigger a change and it is difficult to stop it from happening.” Difficult was the understatement of his extremely long life. Impossible. Especially when she was gently caressing his ear, brushing the pointed tip, her eyes filled with the fascination she had mentioned.

“Emotions,” she whispered and then her brow crinkled and her brown eyes shifted back to his. “Such as anger?”

He nodded.

“And?”

Loren frowned. “And what?”

“What other emotion?” She tilted her head to one side, her fingers continuing their exploration of his ear, driving him mad with the emotion she was asking about. “You said emotions. Plural. What other emotions trigger this change?”

Loren stared at her, his gaze drawn to her rosy lips and his mind instantly leaping to recall his vivid erotic dreams of her. He wanted to sample her mouth and know her taste as he had in those fantasies. He wanted to explore every inch of her soft skin and show her what it was like to be loved by him. He wanted to slake his thirst for her.

His fangs grew long again and his ears extended, and he knew from the surprise in her eyes that his had changed and from the arousal darkening her irises that she had figured out the other emotion that would always make him lose control.

Loren claimed her waist with both hands, careful not to hurt her with his claws, and pulled her closer to him. 

She wanted to know what other emotion fuelled this change in him and he would spell it out for her.

“Desire.”

4.5 Sheep book review of Kissed by a Dark Prince

Kissed by a Dark Prince (Eternal Mates Romance Series Book 1) 

Felicity Heaton
Olivia thinks it’s her lucky night when a dangerously handsome unconscious fae ends up on her inspection table. He’s her chance to redeem herself with her employer, the demon-hunting organisation, Archangel. But when the tall, dark and deadly immortal warrior awakes, she gets much more than she bargained for…

Attacked by his enemy in the elf kingdom, the last thing Prince Loren expects when he comes around is a beautiful angel watching over him and medical technology of the mortal realm. Hazy from his injuries, all he can focus on is the pulse ticking in her throat and the sweet allure of her blood.

One single bite reveals she is his eternal mate, triggering a bond between them that will leave him weakened until it is completed… or broken, and pulling Olivia into the crossfire of his ancient feud.

To protect his people and his mate from the machinations of a madman, Loren must risk everything by working with Olivia at Archangel to find a way to break the bond blossoming between them.

But will Loren be strong enough to place duty before desire and give up the one thing he has waited millennia for and craves above all others—his eternal mate? And will Olivia be able to resist the incredible heat that burns between them and the temptation of her dark prince’s kiss?

Books in the Eternal Mates romance series:
Kissed by a Dark Prince (Eternal Mates Romance Series Book 1)
Claimed by a Demon King – coming February 2014

Kissed by a Dark Prince is available from Amazon Kindle, Kobo Books, Barnes and Noble Nook, Apple iBooks stores and other retailers. Also available in paperback. Find the links to your preferred retailer and a downloadable 6 chapter excerpt at: http://www.felicityheaton.co.uk/kbadp

 

About the Author:

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Felicity Heaton is a USA Today and international best-selling author writing passionate paranormal romance books. In her books she creates detailed worlds, twisting plots, mind-blowing action, intense emotion and heart-stopping romances with leading men that vary from dark deadly vampires to sexy shape-shifters and wicked werewolves, to sinful angels and hot demons!

If you're a fan of paranormal romance authors Lara Adrian, J R Ward, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Gena Showalter and Christine Feehan then you will enjoy her books too.

If you love your angels a little dark and wicked, the best-selling Her Angel series is for you. If you like strong, powerful, and dark vampires then try the Vampires Realm series or any of her stand-alone vampire romance books. If you’re looking for vampire romances that are sinful, passionate and erotic then try the best-selling Vampire Erotic Theatre series. Or if you prefer huge detailed worlds filled with hot-blooded alpha males in every species, from elves to demons to dragons to shifters and angels, then take a look at the new Eternal Mates series.

If you want to know more about Felicity, or want to get in touch, you can find her at the following places:

GIVEAWAY

Be sure to follow this fantastic tour to learn more about the passionate heroes and sassy heroines in the Eternal Mates romance series! You can also find yourself in with a chance to WIN a $50 or $25 Amazon Gift Certificate if you follow the tour. More details, including how to enter and a full list of stops, are available at the Kissed by a Dark Prince 
Virtual Book Tour page: 
http://www.felicityheaton.co.uk/kissedbyadarkprince-book-tour.php 

Alpha Male Diner: Alex Georgiades (Greek god) by Charlotte Gerber + giveaway

What did you hear me say?! That's right, we have Greek god simmering in the kitchen today. Come on in and see if PNR author Charlotte Gerber make your mouth water.

Alex Georgiades (Greek god)

recipe by Charlotte Gerber

I Dream of Zombies

Ingredients:

-One v-cut Greek god that has been muscled to perfection by the military
-Two vivid green eyes that are very appreciative of the feminine form
-A hefty dollop of distrust in zombies

Directions:
-Season to taste with lustful intentions and bring to a boil.

-Gently mix in one well-rounded cup of red hot Rose Lee in high heels, a dash of smoking buxom blonde Leah Smart, and stir gently.

Serve with a side of putrid zombie flesh that has been seared in a flaming hot tool shed until it resembles a russet potato. Garnish with a sprig of jealousy.

Cook’s note: It is ill-advised to use black pepper as a seasoning in this recipe.

Taste Test

While the coffee maker was perking away she wandered back upstairs and headed into the shower. A nice cool shower is just what I need, she thought. She got the shower running and waited until it was just lukewarm before getting into it. The cool water jolted her awake just enough so that she could wash her hair. Despite her arms not wanting to cooperate, she managed to finish washing her hair with her favorite lavender and mint shampoo. Under normal circumstances that was enough to wake her up, but she still couldn’t shake off the groggy feeling.

That was until Alex made an unexpected appearance.

The door opened and closed, and for a moment she thought it was Jesse wanting to use the bathroom. Then she heard a deep voice and she knew it wasn’t him.

“Hey, I just needed to use the restroom for a moment, okay?” he yelled over the sound of the shower.

Rose froze in place. The guy she wasn’t entirely sure about was now in her bathroom while she was standing naked in the shower five feet away. Panic set in.

“What the heck are you doing in here?” she yelled.

“I told you, I’m using the bathroom,” he called back nonchalantly.

She peered around the shower curtain and wiped the water out of her eyes. “There’s a bathroom in the basement you know,” she said angrily.

“No, I didn’t know. It isn’t like you gave me a tour of the place. I just followed the sound of the water.”

“I’d like to finish here, if you don’t mind,” she said tersely.

“I’d like to help you finish. Is there room for two in there?” he asked, flashing her a wicked smile.

Rose stared at him in disbelief. She hardly knew him and yet he was proposing she should take a shower with him. “Get out!” she yelled.

Alex walked up to the shower and stood over her. He was at least six-inches taller than she was. He leaned over and looked at her behind. “Not bad,” he said. Rose could feel the anger welling up in her and her face felt hot. She waited until he was a few feet away before throwing her wet washcloth at the back of his head.

“Good shot kid,” he said before grabbing the washcloth and lobbing it back at her. “See you downstairs,” he said smiling, and then he closed the door.

Rose stood there, gaping at the closed door. “The nerve,” she said. While the shower hadn’t really done the job of waking her up, the confrontation had. Not only was she wide awake, she was hopping mad.

I Dream of Zombies
Genre: (Mystery/Humor/Romance)
Book Length: 194
Being a zombie counselor was not Rose Lee’s dream job. However, there was a growing need for people who were willing to work with clients that smelled bad, were falling apart, and had a propensity for bad behavior. She decided to put her college degree to work, and try to help out her fellow man, or rather fellow zombies.

When Rose meets a soon-to-be zombie waitress at the Crispy Biscuit, things go from bad to worse. She tangles with zombie landlords, zombie hunters, undercover zombies and mercenaries, just to name a few.

Rose tackles all of her problems straight on, whether she is taking out a thug in the supermarket parking lot or saving a cop’s life at the playground. She battles the dark underbelly of post-apocalypse Hornellsville, and proves that she is more than just a pretty girl named after a famous stripper.

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About the Author:

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Charlotte Gerber became a full-time writer in 2004. She has written for numerous websites, most recently for the New York Times subsidiary, About.com on their Disability channel.

Her first published book was Murder in Middleton. It was first published in 2007 by Lulu.com. The second edition was published through Amazon.com. It was originally written for a young adult audience, but it has found fans among adult readers as well.

The most recently published work is I Dream of Zombies. It is book one in the Rose Lee's Zombie Adventures series. The main character is Rose Lee, a zombie social worker living in post-apocalypse Hornellsville, NY. She is a take-charge kind of gal who drives an antique Cadillac and knows how to take care of herself in dicey situations.

Several books are planned for release in 2014. These include Curiosity Killed the Cat and Zombie Asylum, the second in the Rose Lee's Zombie Adventures series.

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