Tag Archives: mythology

Dragonfly Dreams by Tracy A. Ball (Book Showcase)

Print Length: 107 pages

Everything changed with one jump.

Shattered, Leaf fled to the last place she wanted to be- Onyx Narpole’s world…Onyx Narpole’s arms.
Leaf Harper was Onyx’s enemy; he made sure of it. Onyx could forget everybody and everything, but he could not forget why.

***

In the Elven world of Cassenia, there are good guys and then there was Onyx. The war was over for everyone but him. He took it upon himself to establish his father as the leader of the Elven Alliance. But, he didn’t count on Leaf. Leaf allied to Roman, Onyx’s cousin, and rightful heir. Leaf, set to marry Bin, Onyx’s sworn enemy. Leaf, trembling in his arms, melting under his touch and setting him on fire…

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Snippet 1 

 

“I’m supposed to trust you?”

“You don’t trust me?”

“We’re talking about a war.” She sipped some more.

 Onyx leaned in again, took the cup out of her hand and kissed her while her lips were still coffee-warm. “Trust that.”

She wanted to. This was so…special. He was…wow. But… “How many girls trust your kisses?”

He didn’t hesitate. “Too many to count.”

That wasn’t good. “You want me to trust something that’s clearly not true?”

“There’s a difference.”

She waited.

“I didn’t ask them to.”

 

Snippet 2

“You didn’t see anything, except what I wanted. I’d been in her bed all night. Trust me, if I had intended to shag her, it would have been accomplished hours before you got there. Hell, her panties were still in place.”

Roman didn’t want to know. “Why are you sharing?”

“Because I now owe you allegiance. And, for some incomprehensible reason, you mean something to her. Your opinion matters…to her. I won’t have you or anybody thinking less of her because of me.”

In spite of himself, Roman felt both relieved and a nagging growing respect for Onyx’s feelings toward Leaf. “May I ask why the charade?” He pointed back down the hall.

“You know my father. Had I not completely compromised her, and took the entire situation out of his hands, would he consent to a Fada?”

“Don’t call her that again.”

“I’ll call her any damned thing I want.”

“I’d rather not see you with Leaf. What’s stopping me from going back and telling them you used me?”

“Leaf knows what did and did not happen between us. I don’t recall her making any denials. I don’t recall her saying anything. You can go back there if you want to stand in the way of her happiness and a truce between our fathers. Besides, when you get right down to it, who gives a shit about your jealousy? I know there’s a part of you that wishes for a different relationship with Leaf. But, you roped it in for West. Keep doing that.”

 

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Novelist, Reviewer, Content Editor, Blogger, T-shirt Wearer, and Professional Snacker; Tracy A. Ball is a native Baltimorean and a veteran West Virginian whose family is blended from three cultures. She has opened her home to foster children, drug addicts, AIDS victims and anyone who needed an assist. She knows people who have committed murder and people who have dined with the Pope.

Which is why she writes sweet stories about tough love…and takes naps.

 

KAYOS: The Bad & The Worse

The Tiger & The Snake

The Right Way To Be Wrong

Dragonfly Dreams 

 

Coming soon:

Left on Marriottsville (Our Secret Nook Anthology)

The Villain (Siren’s Lullaby Anthology)

 

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Author Showcase – Jo Zebedee

Amy was five when she vanished during a family trip, only to be found hours later, clutching a golden acorn and claiming to have visited fairies. Now she’s eighteen, and the fairies are calling her back. 

While attending a wedding deep in the Antrim glens, the voices grow darker and their song takes hold. Not sure if she’s mad or if the fairies are real, she flees, drawing well-meaning Simon into her fairy-fuelled road trip. 

To escape their hold, she must confront long-hidden secrets, and find a truth which may not be hers to unearth. 

But, even then, the fairies may not let her go…

 

 

If there’s a line between fantasy and madness, then Jo Zebedee’s characters are dragged kicking and screaming across it. A dark fable about belonging that is rooted as deeply in Northern Ireland as it is in the fantasy genre, with shades of Graham Joyce thrown in for good measure. – Stephen Poore, Longlist Gemmell Award

Waters and the Wild had me in suspense from the first page to the last. Ancient legends meet the modern world in a powerful tale of haunting ambiguities. – Teresa Edgerton, author of the Green Lion Trilogy

Waters and the Wild is a sinister, heart-stopping tale of fairy abduction in the beautiful glens of Antrim. You need it. So read it. – Peadar O’Guilin, Author of The Call

 

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The alien invasion is over. Humanity lost. 

In Belfast, John Dray protects his younger siblings by working for the local hard man. Set up, he’s sent to the formidable alien prison, Inish Carraig, a fate Henry Carter, the policeman assigned to John, can’t stop. 

Once there, John discovers a plot which threatens Earth and everyone he loves. To reveal it, he has to get out and there is only one person who can help.

 

 

A bestseller in Alien Invasion, Inish Carraig is an original science fiction novel ‘blessed with an entirely novel storyline’ Alexander Stevenson-

‘A thoughtful and intelligent writer’ – Allen Stroud, British Science Fiction Association reviewer

An exceptional novel. The pace is incredible with hard hitting characters and a powerful plot.’ Sffchronices.com

‘Tight and dramatic throughout.’ Sfbook.com

‘Onto my pile of best novels of the year.’ JLDobias, author of the Cripple Mode series.

 

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“If Kare could, he’d walk away, useless to anyone. Except – he looked at the thin ribbon of blue vein on his wrist – they’d have to take his blood, too.”

Kare doesn’t want to inherit his mother’s galactic Empire. He, more than anyone, knows the cruelty she is capable of. But there is no one else who can stand against her. 

From hunted child, to the agony of being his mother’s captive, his life has never been his own. 

His destiny lies in the Empress’s city of Abendau. There, he faced her torture chambers, his mind picked apart. He’ll have to return if he is ever to forge his own future. 

 


“Zebedee possesses the rare skills to charm you with pleasantness before choking you on tragedy” – Tim C Taylor, author of the Human Legion series.

“A bright and fresh new voice in the genre” – Francis (Julia) Knight, author of Fade to Black.

“Bravura plotting and the promise of a climatic confrontation doesn’t disappoint” – Steven Poore, author of The High King’s Vengeance.

“This is shaping up to be a series that will place the author up there with the ‘names’ in science fiction'” – Andy Angel, book reviewer.

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Jo is the author of five sf and fantasy novels, based either in her native Northern Ireland or her Space Opera world of Abendau. Described as a ‘thoughtful and intelligent writer’ by the BSFA, Jo has been an Amazon bestseller across a range of categories. She also teaches writing speculative fiction and attends conventions when she can. When not writing, she runs a consultancy, runs after not-so-small-children and thinks cloning technology is the only way forward.

 

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The ‘Eternity Road’ Series by Lana Melyan (Author Showcase)

~~ BOOK ONE ~~

YA Paranormal

 

When her best friend’s brother tells her that two strange men are following her, Amanda thinks that Craig is just being overprotective. Amanda has nursed a secret crush on Craig for years, but he’s never seemed to notice or care about her before.
But Craig’s warning coincides with a strange dream, and Amanda starts to get the sense that nothing in her life is what it seems to be—and that perhaps nothing in her life will ever be the same again.
Then Hanna and Craig start acting really strange. They forbid Amanda from going anywhere without them and insist that she’s in danger.
What Amanda doesn’t know is that Craig and Hanna are Hunters. And their job is to protect Amanda from the vampires chasing her so that she can fulfill her mission. The only catch is that Amanda has no clue she even has a mission to fulfill…

Click —-> HERE <—- to be redirected to my review.

PURCHASE LINKS: Kindle / Paperback

 

 

 

~~ OUT NOW ~~

 

Finally, a hundred and sixty-two years later, the Hunters’ powers are back. More vampires arrive in town and Green Hill isn’t safe anymore. 

Eleanor is full of anger and she needs time to adjust. Some of her actions frighten Kimberly. Will Kimberly be able to accept this new person her friend has become? 

The fact that Fray saw Kimberly with Ruben puts her in danger. Will Ruben be able to keep her safe?

Meanwhile, Samson and Craig depart on a secret mission, leaving the Hunters with a task to find the transitioning hybrids. Riley and Ruben are the only ones who know where they’re heading, and what they’re after.

 

~~ SMALL TEASER ~~

The lock on the thin, metal backdoor of the gas station seemed a little complicated. Riley wedged the crowbar between the lock and the door-frame, and the second he pushed it, a book-sized plastic box attached to the wall on the other side of the door exploded with such power that the three of them flew back twenty feet in different directions. The blow shot a huge amount of dust into the air. The pieces of euro pallets and shards of concrete showered down on them.
“What the hell was that,” wheezed Eleanor, sitting up and shaking the dust from her hair.
“Sorry, honey, did it ruin your new outfit?” said Ruben, looking at the blood on his jeans, torn on the hip. “Look at the bright side,” he groaned, pulling himself up and rubbing his back, “The door is open.”
 
 
 
 
~~Review~~

 

In the war between good versus evil, there are bound to be casualties on both sides. It’s inevitable. In The Eternity Road – The Return, Lana wrote several sections demonstrating each side’s strength and why they should be feared. Yeah, be prepared for some bloody crime scenes where vamps left a trail of carnage behind. The hunters did bag a few bloodsuckers as well but I do think Fray’s side proved more victorious than not. 

In the final moments of The Eternity Road – The Return, we see a glimmer of hope that finally some answers to questions touched upon, but never clarified, will be unveiled. Most Hunters are in the dark. Fray wonders what Samson is up to and so did I.

For me, I don’t think enough time was spent on Samson and Craig’s secret mission. They seemed more like an afterthought to the storyline. However, based off the final paragraph, I know they will be front and center during part III.

For now, let me state I did enjoy reading the emotional ride of being a Hunter and loving one. Poor Ruben, Lana shown us the internal struggle he faced every day to do his job without casting fear in his love’s eyes. Luckily for him, he had nothing to worry about. As for Kimberly, unfortunately, her problems aren’t over yet.

Lana, I can’t wait to see what you have planned for them next.

 

 

Heart Rating System

1 (lowest) and 5 (highest) 

 Score: ❤❤❤❤

 

 
 

When she came home from work one day and, tired, crashed on the couch in front of the TV, she found her daughters (13 and 17 years old then) watching some TV show with horrible monsters. She couldn’t convince them to switch the channel, so she watched it with them. Later she would love that show as much as they did. That TV show was “Buffy The Vampire Slayer.” She was always interested in supernatural stories, but this was something new, something different, that made her want to create her own story in that genre.

 
Twitter: @lanamelyan

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Chasing Rabbits by Erin Bedford (Book Review)

Alice was wrong – Wonderland wasn’t so wonderful after all. 
 

Kat never expected to be back in her hometown, but when house sitting turns into a mad rabbit chase, Kat finds herself with a whole new set of problems.
A two headed bird with a Game of Thrones obsession, a party full of tea addicts, and a Cheshire Cat who could seduce the pants off her grandma? And if the citizens weren’t bad enough their prince was off his rocker.

This wasn’t your run of the mill Wonderland. This was the Fae world, where rules are rules, and some things are exactly as they seem.

 
(review request submitted by the author for an honest critique) 
 
Like Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland & Through the Looking-Glass by Lewis Carroll, you’ll encounter many unique beings in Chasing Rabbits. Example: two-headed birds, a talking wall, and a brownie. You also see some familiar names in Underworld but, trust me folks, these characters are NOT as how you remember them. 
 
Case in point: Caterpillar is a woman who seems to fancy both genders. Cheshire Cat reminded me of Dave Navarro (Ink Master and musician) but with a tail, and Trip (the sort of rabbit) spoke like Sméagol from the Lord of the Rings series. 
 
Chasing Rabbits sounds pretty damn interesting, huh?
 
How about if I say this all takes place in the world of Fae?
 
If you are familiar with them, you know their allure and the trouble interacting with them can cause.
 
Yeah, I think some interests have certainly been peaked. 
 
Oh, one final character worth mentioning —- Alice. She’s also featured in Chasing Rabbits but her role has been altered greatly. I always thought she was a snotty twit in Carroll’s tales but in Chasing Rabbits I found her to be ….. the same. 🙂 


Me and her, without a doubt, wouldn’t be bosom buddies. Heck, no one seems to be particular fond of her in Underworld. 
 
Wonder why? Then buy the book and gather your own opinion of her and this tale. 
 
Happy Reading!! 
 
Heart Rating System – 1 (lowest) and 5 (highest) 
Score: ❤❤❤❤1/2
 
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Erin Bedford is a new fantasy romance author, a computer programmer by day, and a hobby hoarder. She enjoys playing RPG games alongside her husband as well as inventing nonsensical games for her daughter’s amusement. Erin lives in the Omaha Nebraska Region and dreams of one day moving where the word snow is nonexistent. Creating fantastical worlds has always been a secret passion of hers and she couldn’t imagine writing any story without some kind of lovey-dovey or smexy goodness in it.

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Magic of the Gargoyles: Gargoyle Guardian Chronicles by Rebecca Chastain (Book Review)

Mika Stillwater is a mid-level earth elemental with ambitions of becoming a quartz artisan, and her hard work is starting to get noticed. But when a panicked baby gargoyle bursts into her studio, insisting Mika is the only person she’ll trust with her desperate mission, Mika’s carefully constructed five-year plan is shattered.
 
Swept into the gritty criminal underworld of Terra Haven, Mika must jeopardize everything she’s worked so hard for to save the baby gargoyle from the machinations of a monster—and to stay alive…
 

 

 

images
(review request submitted by the author for an honest critique) 

Who needs a guard dog when you have a gargoyle at your disposal and where can I get one? 🙂
 
This book was non-stop action and will please the readers who love magical stories. Yes, this book is short but the page count didn’t hinder the quality of the work.
 
Great job, Rebecca. 
 
FYI: Not kidding about wanting a pet gargoyle. Is there a store for this? Maybe, Gargoyles R Us…. HA!! 
 
 
Heart Rating System:
1 (lowest) and 5
(highest) 
Score:❤❤❤❤
 
 
 

Rebecca Chastain is the international bestselling fantasy author of A FISTFUL OF EVIL, A FISTFUL OF FIRE, and MAGIC OF THE GARGOYLES. She has found seven four-leaf clovers to date, won a purebred Arabian horse in a drawing, and once tamed a blackbird for a day. Dreaming up the absurd and writing stories designed to amuse and entertain has been her passion since she was eleven years old. She lives in northern California with her wonderful husband and two bossy cats.

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