Monday, August 12, 2013

Spotlight: Initiate - Book 1 in the Unfinished Song Series - by Tara Maya (including excerpt)

It's no news flash that the book market is up to its gills in Fantasy series. So it takes something unique to make a reader sit up and take notice. Tara Maya - if you read this - you have my full attention. And, as soon as I'm done formatting this blog post, I'm going to grab your book. 

Everyone else - if this piques your interest, you should check it out, too. Tara Maya's rep has been kind enough to provide me with the cover, summary, and an excerpt (all below.) It's FREE in ebook everywhere except for Barnes and Noble, where it's just 99 cents. Links are provided below for ebook download locations and social media connections.

First and foremost, take a peek at the lovely cover:


 

Now then - the summary of "Initiate"

DEADLY INITIATION

A DETERMINED GIRL...
Dindi can't do anything right, maybe because she spends more time dancing with pixies than doing her chores. Her clan hopes to marry her off and settle her down, but she dreams of becoming a Tavaedi, one of the powerful warrior-dancers whose secret magics are revealed only to those who pass a mysterious Test during the Initiation ceremony. The problem? No-one in Dindi's clan has ever passed the Test. Her grandmother died trying. But Dindi has a plan.

AN EXILED WARRIOR...
Kavio is the most powerful warrior-dancer in Faearth, but when he is exiled from the tribehold for a crime he didn't commit, he decides to shed his old life. If roving cannibals and hexers don't kill him first, this is his chance to escape the shadow of his father's wars and his mother's curse. But when he rescues a young Initiate girl, he finds himself drawn into as deadly a plot as any he left behind. He must decide whether to walk away or fight for her... assuming she would even accept the help of an exile.
 

EXCERPT

Blue-skinned rusalki grappled Dindi under the churning surface of the river. She could feel their claws dig into her arms. Their riverweed-like hair entangled her legs when she tried to kick back to the surface. She only managed to gulp a few breaths of air before they pulled her under again.

She hadn't appreciated how fast and deep the river was. On her second gasp for air, she saw that the current was already dragging her out of sight of the screaming girls on the bank. A whirlpool of froth and fae roiled between two large rocks in the middle of the river. The rusalka and her sisters tugged Dindi toward it. Other water fae joined the rusalki. Long snouted pookas, turtle-like kappas and hairy-armed gwyllions all swam around her, leading her to the whirlpool, where even more fae swirled in the whitewater.
 
"Join our circle, Dindi!" the fae voices gurgled under the water. "Dance with us forever!"
 
"No!" She kicked and swam and stole another gasp for air before they snagged her again. There were so many of them now, all pulling her down, all singing to the tune of the rushing river. She tried to shout, "Dispel!" but swallowed water instead. Her head hit a rock, disorienting her. She sank, this time sure she wouldn't be coming up again.

"Dispel!" It was a man's voice.

Strong arms encircled her and lifted her until her arms and head broke the surface. Her rescuer swam with her toward the shore. He overpowered the current, he shrugged aside the hands of the water faeries stroking his hair and arms. When he reached the shallows, he scooped Dindi into his arms and carried her the rest of the way to the grassy bank. He set her down gently.

She coughed out some water while he supported her back.

"Better?" he asked.

She nodded. He was young--only a few years older than she. The aura of confidence and competence he radiated made him seem older. Without knowing quite why, she was certain he was a Tavaedi.

"Good." He had a gorgeous smile. A wisp of his dark bangs dangled over one eye. He brushed his dripping hair back over his head.

Dindi's hand touched skin--he was not wearing any shirt. Both of them were sopping wet. On him, that meant trickles of water coursed over a bedrock of muscle. As for her, the thin white wrap clung transparently to her body like a wet leaf. She blushed.

"It might have been easier to swim if you had let go of that," he teased. He touched her hand, which was closed around something. "What were you holding onto so tightly that it mattered more than drowning?"
 

LINKS

Tara's Blog: taramayastales.blogspot.com
Tara’s Twitter http://bit.ly/162sCtE
The Unfinished Song on Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheUnfinishedSongEpicFantasy
Amazon http://amzn.to/15ciwYc
Barnes and Noble http://bit.ly/13yM5Dr
Kobo http://bit.ly/1aFhg1P
iTunes http://bit.ly/1baddhN
Smashwords http://bit.ly/17zK8Xn

 

Initiate is free everywhere except on Barnes and Noble (where it’s $0.99). You can download a free .epub version via Smashwords.

Wednesday, August 7, 2013

Cover Reveal: "Revenge in Rio" by Samantha Darling

Every now and then, a book title tugs at the corners of my mouth and makes me raise an eyebrow. "Revenge in Rio" is one of those titles. I can't wait to read the book! I'm very excited to take part in the cover reveal.

First (consider it a proverbial drumroll...) the summary:

Calculated revenge, unexpected passion…
Business magnate Luca Venancio is returning to Rio to pay his respects to his late brother, and to seduce his once fiancĂ©e, Daniella, back into his bed. Five years ago she left him without so much as a word, shunning him and the rich life he could offer in exchange for his younger, reckless brother. Now Luca wants revenge—seduce her and dump her, that's all he intends to do.
Blackmailed into a violent farce of a marriage, Daniella had no choice but to comply to protect Luca's life, even though it meant never being able to see him again. Years later, a twist of fate reunites them, throwing her plans of fleeing Rio out of the window and the love of her life straight back in.
Luca's flawless plan soon becomes complicated when he discovers Daniella is expecting his brother's child. It becomes even more complicated when old passions return. Can he actually go through with seducing her, bedding her, and then discarding her?
Ah how I love these sorts of complications! And it looks like she's set the stage for a 2-part POV. We shall see... in the meantime, here's the cover! Make sure to scroll down for author info and links for Samantha Darling
Revenge in Rio
By: Samantha Darling
Beachwalk Press
Releasing October 21st, 2013

About the author:
I live in Essex, not too far from London, with my very understanding husband, our identical twin boys, and two Bedlington Terriers. We're crammed into our rather cozy two-up two-down terrace and we can barely swing a cat, but hey, we love it. I work part-time as a nurse, but when I'm off duty, you will find me either chasing the toddlers around like a headless chicken, head buried in a book, or tapping away at my stories.
I have always loved to read and romance is by far my favourite genre! You can easily escape into such promising worlds, where sexy Alpha males lead the way and strong heroine's often can't help but fall head over heels in love. I adore a Happy Ever After - as I'm sure we all do if we're honest, right?!

Reading and writing go hand in hand and from the day I could read, I enjoyed writing. To put pen to paper and conjure up weird and wonderful little stories was what I thrived on! English was my favourite class at school right throughout to secondary - and I will always be thankful for the teachers who gave me the opportunities to develop and be creative! If I remember rightly, one of my first stories was called 'The Turkey Who Could Talk'...but I'll tell you more about that some other day :-) 
Author Links