Steampunk, My Way - Guest Blogger Jaleta Clegg and Giveaway

Dark Dancer by Jaleta Clegg

Steampunk, My Way- Guest Post by Jaleta Clegg

Steampunk as a genre has hit it big in the last few years, but it's been around for a long time. Ever read Jules Verne or H. G. Wells or Edgar Rice Burroughs? A lot of what they wrote would definitely fit into the genre. A lot of Japanese anime stories are steampunk, too. So what defines steampunk? That depends on who you ask.

For me, steampunk evokes mechanical contraptions leaking steam and powered by steam. Not just airships, but all of those weird and wonderful things people dreamed up during the late 1800s and early 1900s. Leonardo da Vinci would probably have written steampunk if he'd been a novelist. He certainly drew enough pictures of steampunk contraptions.

For most people steampunk is also about the Victorian era. I'm not a fan of stuffy societal rules and conventions. And I'm not a fan of fussy corsets and layers of petticoats. It's a good thing steampunk allows room for the engineers of both sexes who tend to wear sloppy coveralls and tool belts.

I'm calling Dark Dancer a steampunk fantasy because it involves strange mechanical contraptions powered by steam, a stratified stuffy social system, and it has airships. Airships have pretty much come to define steampunk. Mine are not large blimps but wooden sailing ships. And my power source is magic, stored in crystals, not coal or oil.

My biggest challenge in writing it is not dreaming up cool gadgets but in trying to keep it fresh and mine while at least giving a nod to the conventions of the genre. If you call a book steampunk, people expect a certain type of story and setting. If you stray too far from that conception, they get upset. It's like offering someone vanilla ice cream then feeding them gazpacho. They may both be cold and they may both be delicious, but if you're expecting vanilla ice cream and get a mouthful of tomato soup instead, it isn't pleasant for anyone involved.

So if you're looking for magical adventures in a world based loosely on Shakespeare's fairyland with added airships and mechanical men, Dark Dancer fits the bill. As long as you aren't set on corsets and Victorian mannerisms. I don't do those.

You can find a complete list of all my work at http://www.jaletac.com

Dark Dancer -
A strange prophecy haunts the Seligh lords, rulers of the Fey and controllers of all magic in the Summerlands, a prophecy that foretells their fall. At its heart, is a young human woman with no memory of her power or potential to destroy their world.

Available in ebook and print.
Smashwords 
Kindle

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Blog Tour - Hellbounce by Matthew Harrill

Blog Tour for Matthew Harrill

Hellbounce. Demons don't always hide in the dark.

Want to know more about Matt? Find him on Facebook!

https://www.facebook.com/Matthew.W.Harrill.Author


Currently living in the UK, Matt enjoys his free time writing. Married with children of his own, he enjoys writing fiction horror stories in hopes of scaring a reader! Hellbounce is his first novel.


Buy links!

US: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00KNLZO4S/

UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00KNLZO4S/

Synopsis:

As a psychologist in a prison hospital, Eva Ross had always dealt with her share of sinners. The corrupt, the insane, their minds were all hers to unlock. But when those around her, those she trusted with her life start to exhibit the same characteristics, she is forced to turn to a stranger, a man whose name she is incapable of even remembering, for sanctuary.

Follow Eva as she crosses continents to unlock the answers, and her eventual destiny.

Blog Tour - Blog This by Cami Checketts .99

Blog this by Cami Checketts

Will protecting children throughout the world cost Natasha her own family?

Devastated by the loss of her brother, Natasha Senecot works to expose the dangers of Matthew Chrysler’s violent video games, succeeding in bankrupting and humiliating him.
Chrysler retaliates and sends a hit man after her. Natasha is forced to fake her own death to protect her children, but after witnessing another tragedy, Natasha won’t hide any longer.
In a race against time, can Natasha expose Matthew Chrysler before his assassin murders her family and shatters her world?

Praise for Blog This

From the very first chapter, Blog This grabs your gut and your heart with surprising action and touching moments. Cami Checketts blends suspense, humor, and good clean romance into a story that will stick with you.
Daniel Coleman, Author of Gifts and Consequences

Loved it. Loved it. Loved it. Have read all of Cami’s books but Blog This is on the top of my list. Read it twice and enjoyed it just as much the second time. Just when you think you know what is going to happen you’re led into a different direction. Had a hard time putting the book down and was anxious to see how it was going to end.
Elsa Akinason

Get this! Blog This will be $.99 during the Bookmarked Bargains event - October 16-18th. Click here to purchase or read the first few chapters.

Blog Tour Schedule

About the author

Cami is a part-time author, part-time exercise consultant, part-time housekeeper, full-time wife, and overtime mother of four adorable boys. Sleep and relaxation are fond memories. She’s never been happier.

Please refer to her website – http://www.camichecketts.com for more information about her books. 

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Blog Tour -- Awakening: Book One of The Geis

It's finally here! My book baby is born! Please celebrate with me:

A book signing party and Irish dance performance will be held this Saturday, September 28th, in Layton, Utah, at Legacy Irish Dance, from 6-8 pm.

And the two week long blog tour launches today. Click here for a full listing of blog tours. Here are the blog stops for today, October 3rd:

Jordan McCollum
Dalene K Rodman
Ashley
Christina Dymock
Chandra

Purchase Awakening by Christy Dorrity:

  

About the Book

. . . because some Celtic stories won’t be contained in myth.

A little magic has always run in sixteen-year-old McKayla McCleery's family—at least that’s what she’s been told. McKayla’s eccentric Aunt Avril travels the world as a psychic for the FBI, and her mother can make amazing delicacies out of the most basic of ingredients. But McKayla doesn't think for a second that the magic is real—it’s just good storytelling. Besides, McKayla doesn’t need magic. She recently moved to beautiful Star Valley, Wyoming, and already she has a best friend, a solo in her upcoming ballet recital—and the gorgeous guy in her physics class keeps looking her way.


When an unexpected fascination with Irish dance leads McKayla to seek instruction from the mute, crippled janitor at her high school, she learns that her family is not the only one with unexplained abilities. After Aunt Avril comes to Star Valley in pursuit of a supernatural killer, people begin disappearing, and the lives of those McKayla holds most dear are threatened.

When the janitor reveals that an ancient curse, known as a geis, has awakened deadly powers that defy explanation, McKayla is forced to come to terms with what is real and what is fantasy. A thrilling debut novel based in Celtic mythology, Awakening is a gripping young adult fantasy rife with magic, romance, and mystery.

Praise for Awakening

"AWAKENING is a wonder and a delight. Christy Dorrity is a talent to watch."
~DAVID FARLAND, New York Times bestselling author of Nightingale


"Dorrity invites her readers to a céilí that will quicken the pulse of anyone with Ireland in their blood! AWAKENING will draw you deep into the mysteries of the Celtic worldview—and leave you wanting more of McKayla and her fascinating Aunt Avril!"
~KERSTEN HAMILTON, author of Tyger Tyger and the Goblin Wars books

"I thoroughly enjoyed AWAKENING, a captivating and unique debut novel that creatively integrates Irish dance."
~ CHRIS NAISH, Riverdance member and Creative Director of Fusion Fighters Irish dancers.

About the Author

Christy Dorrity lives in the mountains with her husband, five children, and a cocker spaniel. She grew up on a trout ranch in Star Valley, Wyoming, and is the author of The Geis series for young adults, and The Book Blogger’s Cookbooks. Christy is a champion Irish dancer and when she’s not reading or writing, she’s probably trying out a new recipe in the kitchen.

Young Chefs by Christina Dymock

You know that I love cooking, and books, and well, cookbooks. So I'm thrilled to show you this fun cookbook that is just in time for summer cooking fun with your kids!

Young Chefs
by Christina Dymock

Young Chefs by Christina Dymock is full of great recipes that you can make with your kids, and some they can make on their own!

I looked through the cookbook on my own and appreciated how colorful and well-designed the layout is. Each recipe has color photos, a list of tools needed, and easy to follow instructions. Right now I'm following a diet that balances carbs and protein, so I appreciated that there were many healthy recipes included. I can't wait to add some of those recipes to my menu!

Then I let my kiddos take a look. My little ones loved flipping through the colorful pages and pointing out which foods they want to sample. My ten year old appreciated the snippets of facts and background the author provides about the recipes. He did tell me that I should tell the author to correct one recipe that calls for Twinkies, as he had heard that they are no longer in production. I'm sure a hungry child could come up with a way around it. :)

So big thumbs up on this cookbook! I highly recommend it for summertime fun!

You can purchase Young Chefs here. 

* I received a copy of the ebook and this is my unbiased review

I, Spy by Jordan McCollum

We're celebrating the launch of I, Spy, and I'm thrilled to be on the blog tour. Read on to find out more about the book, get a cool spy tip for your daily life and download a free gift! Then find I, Spy on Amazon, Kobo, and JordanMcCollum.com!

About the Book

Canada is probably the last place you'd expect to find an American spy. But even idyllic Ottawa has its deadly secrets and so does CIA operative Talia Reynolds. She can climb through ventilation shafts, blend in at the occasional diplomatic function, even scale buildings (small ones). But there is one thing she can't do: tell her aerospace engineer boyfriend Danny about her Top Secret occupation. It worked for a year, keeping Danny in the dark, keeping him away from danger, keeping her secrets. And then Talia finally catches a hot case: Fyodor Timofeyev. Russian. Aerospace executive. Possible spy? She can make this work, too until Danny needs her at the same time her country does. And when Fyodor targets Danny? Suddenly her schedule isn't the only thing suffering. Now to save her secrets and her country, Talia must sacrifice the man she loves. More about I, Spy | Add I, Spy to your Goodreads to-read list!

Advance praise

The edge-of-my-seat undercover operations kept me turning pages, and just when I thought the story would go one way, plot twists sent it down another path. Thrilling, adventurous, and romantic, this book has it all for an Alias fan.

ó Jami Gold, award-winning author

Jordan McCollumís debut novel is a delightful combination of mystery, action, and romance. Taliaís CIA training and almost OCD caution feed her quirky humor while exposing her very human fears and insecurities. Add in her boyfriend Danny, and it's enough to twist your heart.

ó Donna K. Weaver, author of A Change of Plans

Clever, suspenseful, and charged with political intrigue and romance, I, Spy is the perfect combination for a fun and captivating read!

ó Michelle Davidson Argyle, author of Monarch

About the author

An award-winning author, Jordan McCollum can't resist a story where good defeats evil and true love conquers all. In her day job, she coerces people to do things they don't want to, elicits information and generally manipulates the people she loves most, she's a mom. Jordan holds a degree in American Studies and Linguistics from Brigham Young University. When she catches a spare minute, her hobbies include reading, knitting and music. She lives with her husband and four children in Utah.

The clue!

As part of the debut of I, Spy, Jordan is hosting a contest to figure out the song that inspired the story. Collect clues at each blog stop and use your spy skills to piece together the clues to win a $25 Amazon gift card! How to enter The clue for this stop is:

Two cover versions of the I, Spy song were released within a year. It would be over 30 years before another cover version was released.

The freebie!

Thanks for participating in this launch tour! As a free gift this week, Jordan is giving out free copies of Mr. Nice Spy, an I, Spy prequel novella. Simply to go http://JordanMcCollum.com/store/. You can also get 40% off I, Spy!

A Change of Plans by Donna K. Weaver

A Change of Plans
by Donna K. Weaver

Do you just love this cover! It's fantastic! I love the emotion and the sense of impending doom. I'm tickled to be on the A Change of Plans blog tour for Donna K. Weaver. I can't wait to read this book. Pirates, romance, a cruise? Sounds like fun.

When twenty-five-year-old Lyn sets off on her cruise vacation, all she wants is to forget that her dead fiancé was a cheating scumbag. What she plans is a diversion uncomplicated by romance. What she gets is Braedon, an intriguing young surgeon. He's everything her fiancé wasn't, and against the backdrop of the ship's make-believe world, her emotions come alive. Unaware of the sensitive waters he navigates, Braedon moves to take their relationship beyond friendship—on the very anniversary Lyn came on the cruise to forget. Lyn's painful memories are too powerful, and she runs off in a panic. But it's hard to get away from someone when you're stuck on the same ship. Things are bad enough when the pair finds themselves on one of the cruise's snorkeling excursions. Then paradise turns to piracy when their party is kidnapped, and Lyn's fear of a fairy tale turns grim. 

~Published June 1st 2013 by Rhemalda Publishing






About Donna K. Weaver:

Donna K. Weaver is a Navy brat who joined the Army and has lived in Asia and Europe. Because she sailed the Pacific three times as a child, she loves cruising and wishes she could accrue enough vacation time to do more of it with her husband. Donna and her husband have six children and eight grandchildren who live all over the world. At fifty, Donna decided to study karate and earned her black belt in Shorei Kempo. After recording city council minutes for twenty years, Donna decided to write something a little longer and with a lot more emotion--and kissing. Facebook | Goodreads | Twitter | Website

Rhemelda publishing is giving away 5 copies of the ebook to five lucky people. All you have to do is enter:

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Giveaway Gaze into Heaven by Marlene Bateman Sullivan

Gaze into Heaven by Marlene Bateman Sullivan

I'm pleased to present to you a unique look on near-death experiences, and a chance to win a copy of Gaze into Heaven by Marlene Bateman Sullivan. In browsing the pages of this book, I am amazed at the many accounts of the early saints who stood at the edge of death's precipice, and what they experienced.

Gaze Into Heaven is a compilation of fifty documented near-death experiences of life beyond the veil, drawn from the early history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Filled with insight and inspiration, this book melds engrossing personal experiences with perceptive commentary, scripture, and quotes from latter-day Prophets. After reading this book, you won't ever think of life---or death---the same way.
~Cedar Fort, Inc. (January 8, 2013)

You can purchase the book here.

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Blog Tour - Everything You Need to Know about Girl's Camp, by Stephanie Worlton

Everything You Need to Know About Girls Camp looks like a great guide for leaders.

Make your Girls Camp an experience to remember with Everything You Need to Know about Girls Camp. Filled with helpful tips on everything from holding your first meeting to dealing with unhappy campers, this essential guide takes the stress out of planning to make your camp a success!

Purchase the book here.

Enter to Win: As part of the blog tour, Stephanie will be giving away two great prizes. Visit her Kreating Krazy author blog to enter for your chance to win a "Camp Leader Survival Kit" or a signed copy of the book.

Meet the Author: Stephanie Connelley Worlton lives in the shadow of the Rocky Mountains where she enjoys frequent opportunities to observe nature and appreciate God’s magnificent creations. She is a seasoned Camp Director, an avid Scouter, and a devoted youth leader. Aside from the busy schedule she keeps as a wife and mother of four, Stephanie enjoys organizing, interior design, gardening, carpentry, painting, and being involved with the youth of our rising generation. To learn more about Stephanie or her book, visit her “Kreating Krazy” blog: www.stephanieworlton.blogspot.com

Blog tour Fractured Soul by Rachel McClellan

I'm participating in Rachel McClellan's blog tour for her novel, Fractured Soul. I have not read this book, so I cannot recommend it personally. But there is plenty of information here for you to decide for yourself if you would love it. Like an excerpt:

Excerpt

As soon as the Vyken appeared in the doorway, I tossed a ball hard. He dodged it by jumping up along the side of the wall, his nails and bare toes somehow finding a hold in the thin cracks of the wall. I threw another one, but he was already moving, scrambling alongside the stones like a spider. He was grinning.

I rolled away from the wall until I was in the middle of the room. I lost sight of him for just a fraction of a second, but that was enough. The Vyken was gone, or, I should say, hiding. He was still here. I could feel him. I looked up toward the rafters of the tower roof. It was pitch black.
At the bottom of the tower, I heard Christian begin to ascend the stairs. “I’m coming, Llona!” he yelled.

Still staring up, I created Light again in the palm of my hand and willed it to rise. The closer it got to the rafters the faster my heart beat. Sweat rolled down the small of my back.

Light began to fill dark spaces, exposing that which wished to remain hidden. My Vyken was there, but he wasn’t alone. Another sat crouched on a beam. Where his left eye should’ve been there was an empty hole.

I screamed when my Vyken dropped from the ceiling, extinguishing the light. He fell onto my stomach, pushing my shoulders into the floor. I tried to create Light, but it was as if he knew what I was going to do because his hands slipped up and pinned my wrists together. He bent forward and inhaled my skin. The warmth of his breath steamed my ear when he said, “I’m going to eat every part of you.”

Here's what it's about:

Llona will do whatever it takes to protect her new found friends and home, but the dark plot threatening Lucent Academy, a school that’s supposed to be a safe place for Auras, may be too powerful for even Llona to defeat. This fast-paced tale of love, loyalty, and overcoming the darkness will keep you on the edge of your seat until the last page!

What others are saying:

“I love these books! A kick-butt heroine and a hottie love interest, with a refreshingly original concept. Be prepared—once you start, these are hard to put down.”

—Paula Cotton, book reviewer at ReadingLark.blogspot.com

“Fractured Soul is a brilliant sequel, exceeding even the remarkable first book in the series. It will haunt your every waking moment between the times you’re reading it, and it will stay with you long after you’ve finished. It’s an amazingly well written and engrossing story that I highly recommend—after you’ve read the first one, of course.”

—Cindy Bennett, bestselling author of Geek Girl and Rapunzel Untangled

Author Bio

Rachel McClellan was born and raised in Idaho, a place secretly known for its supernatural creatures. When she's not in her writing lair, she's partying with her husband and four crazy, yet lovable, children. Rachel's love for storytelling began as a child when the moon first possessed the night. For when the lights went out, her imagination painted a whole new world. And what a scary world it was...

Find Rachel

Facebook  |   Blog   |   Website   |   Twitter   |   Goodreads  |  Book Trailer

Buy Fractured Light

Amazon   |   Barnes and Noble

Buy Fractured Soul

Amazon   |   Barnes and Noble 

Blog Tour - Toby Gold and the Secret Fortune by Craig R. Everett

"Money is the most dangerous magic."

 

I'm pleased to be included in Mr. Everett's blog tour for Toby Gold and the Secret Fortune. This book is aimed at the middle grade audience, and teaches kids and teens the importance of learning about and managing their own money.

"Unique children’s lit that cleverly tackles interest rates, endowments, fluctuating commodities, bullying and identity." 

- Kirkus Reviews

 An infant is discovered one night on a commuter train from New York City during a stop in the sleepy town of Wallingford, Connecticut.  The local police are summoned, but are unable to locate the boy’s parents, despite painstakingly questioning each person on the train.  For some strange reason, none of the passengers can remember seeing his mother falling from the train – after falling victim to an assassin’s bullet.

Assigned the name “Toby Gold” by social services, the mysterious child grows up in Wallingford, moving from foster home to foster home, not knowing who his real parents are - or why he was born with such freakish skills with math and money.

Now a teenager, Toby’s money skills are noticed by the wrong people, and thus he is unwittingly sucked into a high-stakes financial conspiracy that puts his life, and the lives of his two closest friends, in great peril.  Ultimately, Toby solves the crime, saves his friends, and even saves his school—all in one harrowing afternoon.

"This fast-paced adventure weaves fundamental concepts in economics and finance seamlessly into the story. Toby Gold makes learning finance exciting."

- Francis A. Longstaff, PhD, Professor of Finance, UCLA - Anderson School of Management

About the Author: Craig Everett

Craig R. Everett was born and raised in Maine, spending his childhood summers digging along the shores of Bar Harbor for buried pirate treasure.  Fortunately, he was able to remain blissfully unaware that pirates seldom, if ever, ventured that far north.  He received his B.A. in Economics from Tufts University, an MBA from George Mason University, and a Ph.D. in Finance from Purdue University.

Dr. Everett is currently a finance professor at Pepperdine University in Malibu, California, where he teaches corporate and entrepreneurial finance. Dr. Everett also volunteers in public schools teaching financial literacy principles.  

You can learn more about Craig here:

http://craigeverett.com/

http://tobygold.com/

FB http://www.facebook.com/pages/Craig-Everett-author/128980444347?ref=hl

Twitter: https://twitter.com/craig_everett

Toby Gold and the Secret FortuneReading Level: 9 and up
Hardcover: 256 pages
Publisher: Fiscal Press (October 18, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-13: 978-1-936-21495-2
Dimensions: 8.75 x 5.75 x 1.0 inches 

Blog Tour Schedule for Toby Gold and the Secret Fortune by Craig Everett, 2012
04-Oct-2012  Free Money Finance 
11-Oct-2012 Queen of Random  
12-Oct-2012 Why Not? Because I Said So
12-Oct-2012 LDS Women's Book Review
13-Oct-2012 A Storybook World
15-Oct-2012 A Thousand Wrongs
16-Oct-2012 Say This Write
16-Oct-2012 Money and Me for Canadians
16-Oct-2012 Word Spelunking
17-Oct-2012 Couponing with Boys
18-Oct-2012 Book Launch of Toby Gold and the Secret Fortune at the Access to Capital Conference at the LA Westin Bonaventure Hotel.
18-Oct-2012 The Book Bug
18-Oct-2012  I Am a Reader not a Writer
19-Oct-2012 Of Writerly Things
19-Oct-2012  Troop Petrie
22-Oct-2012 Renae's Writespot
22-Oct-2012  The Write Path
23-Oct-2012  Monique's Musings
23-Oct-2012  My Mommy's World
24-Oct-2012  The Things I Love
24-Oct-2012  Adventures of the Mommy Homemaker
25-Oct-2012  Live to Read
26-Oct-2012 Ordinary Happily Ever After
29-Oct-2012  Fire and Ice
01-Nov-2012  Jeffrey Olsen
01-Nov-2012  Bookworm Lisa
05-Nov-2012 Debbie's Inkspectations
07-Nov-2012  With a Side of Thriftiness
10-Nov-2012 A Storybook World

12-Nov-2012 Christy Dorrity's Dearest Dreams
15-Nov-2012  The Non-Reluctant Reader
19-Nov-2012  Taffy's Writings 
Nov 2012- http://www.queenoftheclan.com/