Tag Archives: paranormal

Jera’s Jamboree : Review Through Dead Eyes by Chris Priestley

through dead eyesFormat: Kindle Edition

File Size: 333 KB

Print Length: 224 pages

Publisher: Bloomsbury Childrens  (14 Mar 2013)

Sold by: Amazon Media EU S.à r.l.

Language: English

ASIN: B009IRL1W2

Alex joins his father on a business trip to Amsterdam. During the day he hangs out with the daughter of a family friend. They visit the usual sights but also coffee shops and flea markets off the beaten track. At one of these markets Alex spots an ancient-looking mask. Before he knows what he’s doing he buys it. Later, in his hotel room, he feels compelled to put the mask on. Alex is sucked into a parallel Amsterdam, one from centuries before which begins to reveal the dark past of both the building he is staying in and the little girl who once lived there . . . edging stealthily towards the terrible twist.

Goodreads       Amazon Kindle   Hardback

 

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We begin Through Dead Eyes with Alex and his father Jeremy arriving at Schiphol Airport on a rainy day in March.  Jeremy is an expert on WW2 and his recent book is a best seller in England and Holland.  He’s in Amsterdam to meet with publishers and negotiate a TV deal.

On arrival at the hotel, Alex looks up and is drawn to a face at a window.  This is the beginning of coincidences that pull Alex into another era.

Family friend Angelien is studying history for a doctorate and she has journals from an artist who lived across from what is now the hotel (although then it was the home of a wealthy merchant Van Kempen and his daughter Hanna).  It is at the antiques market on one of their trips out that Alex is drawn to the Japanese mask.  Each time he wears the mask, adjusting to a parallel world gets easier and easier.

Through Dead Eyes is not just about the mask.  Running alongside the paranormal is Alex’ pain from his parents breakup and his crush on Angelien.  Conflict comes from Angelien’s boyfriend.  Amsterdam and the culture is portrayed really well and for me, learning a little about its history gave the story an added edge.  My 3 x gt grandfather was a British citizen born in Holland in 1810 and this has given me added impetus to find out more!

On the flight on the way home from Amsterdam, Alex finds out the truth of Hanna and her family.  This brings home that sometimes what we see is not the truth but our own interpretation of events!  The journey in the car and the ending gave me shivers …

This is definitely a story that YA’s will love.  They will identify with the parenting and confused emotions.  The horror will engross and the ending will provoke thoughts of what could happen next …

Buy it and spread the word

Buy it and spread the word

I would like to thank the publishers for accepting my request to review on Netgalley.

About the Author

Chris Priestley lives in Cambridge with his wife and son. His novels are brilliantly original additions to a long tradition of horror stories by authors such as M.R. James and Edgar Allan Poe.

Chris wrote one of the World Book Day books for 2011 and has been nominated for a variety of prestigious children’s book awards.

You can find the author blogging  and on Twitter and find him on his author page on Facebook.  You can also stay up-to-date via Chris Priestley’s website.

 

Jera’s Jamboree : Celebrating Daniela Sacerdoti’s publication pocket edition of Watch Over Me

DANIELA SACERDOTI’S runaway success eBook now in pocket edition!

Over 140,000 copies sold & still rising

Review Watch Over Me by Daniela Sacerdoti

On paperback publication day of Watch Over Me, thanks to Black & White Publishing, I’m excited to be offering a giveaway to celebrate!

This is what I had to say in my review in December 2011:

Watch Over Me is a poignant love story with a background of family and belonging – the positive and the negative.  It’s about the vulnerability of feelings and the power we give away to others … and surrendering ourselves to fate, but have you ever thought about who it is controlling fate?

(full review can be found here)

Watch Over Me was one of my top 10 reads of 2011.

The blurb

Sometimes there is more to a story than meets the eye. When Eilidh Lawson reaches crisis point after years of failed fertility treatment, a cheating husband and a family who push her to the limit, she runs away to the one place she thinks she can find solace – her childhood home in the Highlands. There she struggles to mend her broken life and finds out that, when all seems lost, help can come from the most extraordinary places.

The book trailer

The author

danisacerdoti

Daniela Sacerdoti was born and raised in Italy but has lived in Scotland for the past ten years. Daniela holds a degree in Classics from the University of Turin and has taught Italian, Latin and Greek – her great-uncle was the renowned Italian writer Carlo Levi. She is also the author of the paranormal YA trilogy The Sarah Midnight Trilogy (Dreams/Book 1 & Tide/Book 2).

Watch Over Me is her debut novel.

Daniela lives in Glasgow.

Dani’s website

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Black & White Publishing are offering two copies for Jera’s Jamboree readers. Yes, TWO copies are up for grabs.

Don’t miss out!

To enter, click on the Rafflecopter link and follow the instructions:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Happy Paperback Publishing day Daniela!

September monthly round-up

Jera’s Jamboree : Guest Author Linn B Halton

Hitting the ground running in 2013! When life is stranger than fiction…

Well, I always start off a new year with a list of objectives and goals. The list for 2012 was impossible, but hey, I managed to tick off everything, with one exception. That was to release the last of the five manuscripts I penned when I gave up my career to write, in March 2009. However, there was a good reason for that and Never Alone is being released on 16 January 2013!

The reason for the delay was quite simply because I ended up releasing an ebook of my debut novel, Touched By The Light, and that wasn’t on my original list! But it was something I had wanted to do since it was published in hardback only in February 2011. Because of the price (£16.99) it made it virtually ‘invisible’ to most readers and it wasn’t until my contract ended that I was able to get it out there at an affordable price as an ebook.

I’m a great believer in fate though and I truly believe the delay was for a good reason. As a new author I had to hit the ground running and getting five books out there in less than two years is a tough target. Even with the amazing Sapphire Star Publishing contracting two of my books – The Quintessential Gemini and The Restaurant @ The Mill, it’s been a huge learning curve. However, I enjoy the mix of being both traditionally published and self-pubbed at the same time.

Self-publishing is hard work. You do everything yourself. In October 2012 I had just finished setting up a cover reveal tour amongst author and book reviewer friends, for Never Alone. It’s very time-consuming and the next task was to plan the launch – then Fiction Addiction Book Tours burst onto the scene! Run by my great friend and wonderful reviewer, Sharon Goodwin, it was the answer to a prayer. I run three websites as well as having a writing career and it’s been crazy busy ever since I sat down and wrote that first word! I was thrilled to be able to ‘hand over’ arranging the launch Book Tour to Shaz whilst I coped with getting the final edits done to release the advance review copies. The result – A Fiction Addiction Virtual Blog Tour commencing 16 January 2013!

Never Alone is a romance story with a twist. Read on to find out what it’s all about. But first I’d like to share a little ‘secret’ with you! The fun thing about being an author is that you can be self-indulgent when you write. I often find it difficult to ‘let go’ of side characters. They have a part to play in a story that doesn’t centre around them, but that doesn’t make them any less interesting! In this story we meet a young woman named Holly and her parents naturally have a small part to play. Isobel and David are caring parents, doting on their daughter, but I also felt they too had a story to tell. So in one of my other novels, The Restaurant @ The Mill (published by Sapphire Star Publishing) theirs is one of the six stories based around a rather special place to dine! It turns out they did have a love story all of their own…

Now let me tell you a little bit about Never Alone:

Holly Atherton has a seemingly perfect life, until suddenly it all beings to unravel. She has spent her life living up to other people’s expectations of her, trying to please them.

She has it all – the affluent family who dote on her, a job she loves in her father’s business, and the perfect boyfriend. Will is a successful entrepreneur and they are about to start enjoying a lifestyle many can only dream about. His latest business deal will see them with homes in the UK and Los Angeles.

But what if you wake up one morning and find yourself wondering whether the path you are on is the one you are supposed to be taking? Is she too caught up in pleasing her parents and Will to take her future into her own hands?

When Holly’s psychic sensitivity begins to surface she doesn’t know how to handle it. Vivid dreams seem too real to ignore and she finds herself ‘talking’ to Nick, the recently deceased brother of her best friend, Celia.

Just having someone to whom she can offload what she’s feeling helps and she feels happier moving forward with Will into their exciting new future and all seems well… but, of course, life is never that simple…

Thank you so much for being a fabulous host Shaz – Fiction Addiction Book Tours has hit the ground running – and I’m thrilled to be one of your first customers! Wishing you all the success in the world.

(Thank you Linn! Fiction Addiction Book Tours is looking forward to supporting the magical journey of your words around the world)

To find out more about author Linn B Halton:

Website
A loveahappyending.com author
Signed by:http://www.sapphirestarpublishing.com/linnbhalton
Twitter: @LinnBHalton
Facebook: Linn B Halton
Romantic Novelists’ Association page

Amazon.co.uk (buy)
Amazon.com (buy)

Jera’s Jamboree : Cover Reveal ~ Never Alone ~ Linn B Halton

I’m doing a fab splash around some wonderful blogs and websites to celebrate a brand new shiny cover, hot off the press. This story is full of heart and a young woman, Holly Atherton, who doesn’t want to say ‘yes’ to having that wedding ring placed on her finger. Even though Will is the love of her life and absolutely gorgeous!

Never Alone is being released in January 2013 and it’s a story of true love, but as we all know the path is never easy. Keep reading to find out how you can win an advance copy to be sent out in December 2012.

Before I tell you all about Holly’s story I wanted to ask my host, fabulous book reviewer (who also runs the amazing Fiction Addiction Book Tours) Shaz Goodwin, what top tip she has for keeping a partner happy. Of course, I couldn’t ask that question if I wasn’t prepared to spill the beans myself….

Set aside ‘together’ time, whether that’s an evening out or a short-break away, as long as it’s romantic! Think of it as a date, or if you are going away together re-kindling your ‘affair’. Don’t let life get in the way!

So Shaz, what’s your little secret?

Give him all the space he needs and respect who he is, so that he can be himself around you. Don’t try to change him. Don’t stifle him.

Shaz that’s probably one of the biggest mistakes people make – thinking they can change someone quite dramatically, rather than facing up to the fact that they just aren’t right for each other! Even if you are compatible, everyone needs some space! Fab tip, thank you.

So what’s going wrong with Holly’s relationship in Never Alone?

Holly Atherton has a seemingly perfect life, until suddenly it all beings to unravel. She has spent her life living up to other people’s expectations of her, trying to please them.

She has it all – the affluent family who dote on her, a job she loves in her father’s business, and the perfect boyfriend. Will is a successful entrepreneur and they are about to start enjoying a lifestyle many can only dream about. His latest business deal will see them with homes in the UK and Los Angeles.

But what if you wake up one morning and find yourself wondering whether the path you are on is the one you are supposed to be taking? Is she too caught up in pleasing her parents and Will to take her future into her own hands?

When Holly’s psychic sensitivity begins to surface she doesn’t know how to handle it. Vivid dreams seem too real to ignore and she finds herself ‘talking’ to Nick, the recently deceased brother of her best friend, Celia.

Just having someone to whom she can offload what she’s feeling helps and she feels happier moving forward with Will into their exciting new future and all seems well… the rest is coming soon!

TAKE PART – Thank you for helping me to celebrate this cover reveal. Simply leave your TOP TIP for keeping your man happy and 6 names will be randomly selected from the blogs taking part to receive an advance ecopy of Never Alone in December 2012.

Festive wishes to everyone! Linn

To find out more about author Linn B Halton:

Website
A loveahappyending.com author
Signed by:http://www.sapphirestarpublishing.com/linnbhalton
Twitter: @LinnBHalton
Facebook: Linn B Halton
Romantic Novelists’ Association page

Amazon.co.uk (buy)
Amazon.com (buy)

Jera’s Jamboree: review Vampire State of Mind by Jane Lovering

Vampire State of Mind by Jane Lovering

Paperback: 336 pages

Publisher: Choc Lit (7 Aug 2012)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 1906931747

ISBN-13: 978-1906931742

Jessica Grant knows vampires only too well. She runs the York Council tracker programme making sure that Otherworlders are all where they should be, keeps the filing in order and drinks far too much coffee.

To Jess, vampires are annoying and arrogant and far too sexy for their own good, particularly her ex-colleague Sil, who’s now in charge of Otherworld York. But when a demon turns up and threatens not just Jess but the whole world order, she and Sil are forced to work together, and when Jess turns out to be the key to saving the world it puts a very different slant on their relationship.

The stakes are high. They are also very, very pointy and Jess isn’t afraid to use them, even on the vampire that she’s rather afraid she s falling in love with…

Vampire State of Mind has a rather unique way of beginning … instead of a prologue, the story opens with a ‘Wikipedia’ page detailing the history of the vampires.  The ‘Theories’ section is quite profound!

Chapter One we have a brief sojourn into February 1914 as Jonathon Wilberforce is reading the Yorkshire Herald while walking along.  Unbelieving of vampires, he’s tricked into a dark alleyway …

Chapter Two finds us in York in 2012. Straight away we’re introduced to Jessie’s job as she’s fighting a vampire and bringing him down. There are only 5% of the population who have the ability of sussing out who is an Otherworlder and who is human and Jessie is particularly good at this.  The demon of the vampire she takes down has a message for her.  Jessie starts to think of Sil but quickly pulls her thoughts away – Sil can feel when she’s thinking about him.  This is our first introduction into the connection they have between them.

From the time that the enigmatic Malfaire arrives into Jessie’s life, things start to happen that are obstructive and dangerous – like being the first human to be entered into the Dead Run (which is a competition held in an alternate reality).  Not an Otherworld creature she can detect, he leaves her with a nasty feeling.

As the story progresses we find out more about the vampires who are hosts to demons who live off the adrenalin and highs of emotions.  Lovering explores a variety of emotions linked in with this.

Although there are some very dramatic and ‘dark’ scenes, Jessie has such a tongue-in-cheek wit … coming out with some very funny quips, that this lightens the mood. One scene in particular, when she is being hunted in the chemists had me laughing with the jokes linked to the ammunition she had to fight back with.

This world that Lovering has created is quite fascinating.  On the surface, Otherworlders are accepted but under the surface is still the alienation and preconceived ideas of people who are afraid of those who are different to them.  This is quite a strong theme in the story and added more depth.

The love between Jessie and Sil is spiritual as well as physical.  Sil has his own history to overcome to become whole and Jessie learns things she needs to come to terms with as well.  I enjoyed watching them battle it out with each other.  The scene in the storm drain is beautifully portrayed.

There is much to hold your interest in Vampire State of Mind.  Action packed with plenty of suspense and as well as the paranormal/romance you’ll find humour, a spectrum of emotions, intrigue and a couple of surprises (that I didn’t see coming). An engrossing read!

Buy it and spread the word

*Note* There is swearing in places but for me this fit in with the scenes and was not a problem.

I would like to thank the publishers, Choc Lit, for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

You can find out more about Jane on her website, tweet  with her or find her on Facebook.

Available to purchase from:

Amazon Kindle format £1.99

The Book Depository Paperback £5.99

Amazon Paperback £7.99

And most good book shops

Jera’s Jamboree review: Thicker than Blood by Shalini Boland

Thicker Than Blood (Marchwood Vampire Series, Book 2) by Shalini Boland

Format: Kindle Edition

File Size: 447 KB

Print Length: 265 pages

Publisher: Adrenalin Books (15 April 2012)

Sold by: Amazon Media EU S.à r.l.

Language: English

ASIN: B007UQF4RQ

Aelia lives in 6th century Byzantium. She is sixteen years old and her life is about to change forever. She doesn’t yet know it, but she holds the fate of thousands in her hands and her actions will echo across the centuries.

Fourteen hundred years later the lives of Madison and Alexandre are once again plunged into danger. To save Madison, Alexandre is forced back to a world he thought was dead and buried. But time is running out. 

The chase is on…

Chilling and fast-paced, Thicker Than Blood is the supernatural sequel to Hidden. It combines passion and drama with a historical twist.

 

The first book in this series, Hidden, was a keeper for me (you can read my review here) and I’ve been looking forward to the next in the trilogy to be published.  However, because I enjoyed it so much I did feel a little anxious to see if Boland kept the momentum going.

The story opens with Aelia in Cappadocia in 571AD.  Collecting water we understand that she has broken one of the rules of her community but is confident that Lysus, son of the village leader, will marry her.  On her return, half the village are waiting outside her home.  Her father is shouting at the village leader.

Chapter Two finds the reader in present day.  Maddie and Alex, Ben, Leonara and Freddie and Isabel and Jacques are at Gloucester Cathedral ice-skating.  Maddie goes off to buy hot chocolate for Ben and herself and doesn’t return.

Straight away, in both timelines, the action is about to start.  As in Hidden, we alternate in these different timelines until they merge.  From the Marchwood Vampires trying to rescue Maddie to the banishment of Aelia and being taken in by the widow Maleina (a hermit healer living away from society) there is plenty of crises and action.  I loved the significance of the solstice.

This time we find out about the backstory to the time before the Marchwood Vampires met their fates in the Cappadocian underground village.  I loved the way it all tied in and how Aelia held the key to events that were still being played out in present time.

New characters are introduced by way of the Cappadocian Vampires and the arrogance and superiority came across really clearly.  The characters we already know from Hidden are exactly the same (brilliantly portrayed if you read my review!)

The betrayal had me confused as the person all the evidence pointed to just didn’t make sense.  Of course when we find out who it is and why it all makes perfect sense!  I loved that I didn’t know.

At the end, we’re back in Tetbury at Christmas.  Alex knows there is more to come with facing the Cappadocian Vampires and so this is just a brief interlude.  However, there is also something else waiting outside those walls and in need of something they have…  what a brilliant way to end!  Not only do we have the final conflict between the warring vampires to look forward to but also the intrigue of the creature who is obviously intelligent and will also cause conflict.  Can’t wait to find out …

Thicker than Blood does follow through.  It had hooked me just as much as Hidden did.

Buy it but be loathe to share your copy … it’s a keeper!

You can read it as a stand alone but you will have continuity if you read Hidden to understand the importance of the Cappadocian thread running through the trilogy.

You can purchase Hidden (Kindle Format) from Amazon £2.49   (at the time of my review)

Thicker than Blood (Kindle Format) from Amazon £2.60

Shalini Boland can be found tweeting , on Facebook  or you can catch up on her website 

Jera’s Jamboree review: The Lost Soul by Suzy Turner

The Lost Soul (The Raven Saga) by Suzy Turner

Format: Kindle Edition

File Size: 368 KB

Print Length: 226 pages

Publisher: Suzanne Turner Publishing (21 Mar 2012)

Sold by: Amazon Media EU S.à r.l.

Language: English

ASIN: B007NHUEAO

December and Lilly have got their work cut out for them. Not only are they desperately trying to figure out the identity of the Lost Soul, and track him down, they’ve also got to investigate why Powell River’s newest resident has got all of their men falling at her feet.
But when they learn that the Nephilim might be involved, it becomes clear that they’re all in extreme danger…

 

The Lost Soul is the final book in The Raven Saga trilogy which is targeted at a Young Adult audience.

You can read how I found out about indie author Suzy Turner and read my review of Raven (the first in the trilogy) on my blog here.

The second book in the trilogy December Moon was one of my Top Ten Fiction reads for 2011.  An e-copy was provided by Suzy for me to review this time.  You can read my review here.

As soon as I saw Suzy tweet that The Lost Soul was available to purchase I was first in line to buy my Kindle copy.

The final book opens with a man who has been unconscious and wakes to realise that he’s  laying with rotting corpses.  He’s in a deep ditch and has no recollection of who he is and how he got there.  He sees what he thinks is a hummingbird who tells him “You will be safe.  Do not worry.”  And so the adventure begins …

All the way through this story we have action … with December and her headaches and finding out this is a result of ‘the lost soul’ trying to contact her; the vampires trying to find Duran’s legacy he left behind; the man who opens the story who has a quest of his own that runs parallel to those in Powell River and the devastation caused by the new resident.

The way new characters tie up with history/old characters in the book is brilliant.  The strands all weave together so that we realise there is nothing that happens in isolation but is part of the whole story.  The characters all behave as we would expect them to from the previous books so we have continuation.  I absolutely loved the appearance from a certain angel … My notes say ‘OMG it’s …’ even before he was named :)

There were a couple of surprises for me – the new resident of Powell River, Calliope.  I had my suspicions about her at the funeral but didn’t guess who she was.  I also didn’t guess who the lost soul was until it was there in black and white!

I have two favourite scenes.  One is when the Tulugaq family all realise their heritage – made me shiver.  The other is when Ruby (the ghostly mother) finds her love.  I had tears in my eyes!

You could read The Lost Soul as a standalone because it is a different quest and we are told what the characters are.  You would be missing out on the background of the characters though and the journey they’ve been on to get where they are.

For me, the final quest of The Raven Saga brought it all together.  I will miss this world!

Buy it but be loathe to share your copy … it’s a keeper!

Catch up with Suzy on her website and blog.  Suzie has an author Facebook page and she tweets.

The Raven Saga is available to purchase Kindle format on Amazon ~ under £1 for each book!

Suzy Turner on Amazon

I’ll leave you with one of my poems that is relevant to the Tulugaq family:

JOURNEY

Feet are solid 
On the ground 
Dust is swirling 
Round and round

 

Rooted, grounded 
Sacred space 
Sounds are growing 
Cello, bass

 

Energy entwining 
Above, below 
Flowing, merging 
Transformation slow

 

Tempest howling 
Earth steady 
Energy growing 
Physical body ready

 

Casting off shape 
Form is a blur 
Metamorphosis, streamline 
Feathers and fur

 

Hunting the field 
Scaling the height 
Snuffling the underbrush 
Soaring in flight

 

Freedom, fluid 
The web is strumming 
Carefree, unbound 
Daylight is coming

 

Remembrance, pulling 
A drawing down 
Reverence, reluctance 
Cold wind blown

 

The beating heart 
The senses reeling 
Stretching, tingling 
Awkwardness, feeling

 

Joy in memory 
Warm blood, taste 
Physical body 
Is not in haste

 

The wind is quiet 
The moon is low 
Birds are singing 
The horizon aglow

 

A blessing received 
Sustenance given 
Time to leave 
Inspired ……. driven 

Jera’s Jamboree review: Talisman of El by Alecia Stone

Talisman of El by Alecia Stone

Publisher: Centrinian Publishing Ltd (20 May 2012)

Language English

ISBN-10: 0957001908

ISBN-13: 978-0957001909

WHAT IF YOUR WHOLE LIFE WAS A LIE?

One Planet.

Two Worlds. Population: Human … 7 billion.

Others … unknown.

When 14-year-old Char­lie Blake wakes up sweat­ing and gasp­ing for air in the mid­dle of the night, he knows it is hap­pen­ing again. This time he wit­nesses a bru­tal mur­der. He’s afraid to tell any­one. No one would believe him … because it was a dream. Just like the one he had four years ago – the day before his dad died.

Char­lie doesn’t know why this is hap­pen­ing. He would give any­thing to have an ordi­nary life. The prob­lem: he doesn’t belong in the world he knows as home.

He belongs with the others.

As soon as I saw this on Netgalley it caught my attention.  Having then read the author bio, I definitely couldn’t resist requesting approval.

Talisman of El begins with a prologue.  We’re in Manhatten, New York on 25th January 2013 at 11.15pm.  We find out how the talisman was found and witness a fight with assailants who can’t be seen and where one person just disappears with the other being injured.  The injured person, Darkein Odessa is a key person as the story unfolds.

We begin with getting to know Charlie’s background and how his first day at school goes.  On the school bus he meets Alex, a girl who comes across as sassy as she stands up to a bully.  Alex is another key character.  Apart from the dream, the first intimation we have of Charlie’s power is during a scene in the school canteen when he is being bullied by the same peer.

Charlie’s new foster parent Jacob has his own reasons for wanting him around and we find out that Jacob is part of the puzzle too.

When Derkein and Charlie’s paths cross, Charlie realises he’s already seen him … in one of his dreams.  Derkein is another key character who first introduces the concept of ‘Arcadia’.

Charlie’s confusion about who he is and where he belongs is a factor throughout the story.  He sees an apparition, Candra, at times of crisis and isn’t sure whether she is there to protect him or make things worse.  To further confuse things, Charlie finds a letter from his dead mother which ends with a ‘ps’  Arcadia awaits your return.

I found Talisman of El fast-paced and once we shift from the surface of the earth, there is a host of mystical/spiritual elements, which held my interest.  The angelic hierarchy is one that most people will identify with. The earth’s precessional cycle of 26,000 years is a key point in time and used to good effect.

The characters are well developed.  They draw you in and have you running by their side, experiencing what they do.  The banter between Charlie and Alex and the jealousy is at the level you would expect from a YA perspective.

This is a paranormal/fantasy story involving the age-old fight of good against evil in the need to save mankind.  All the different threads are woven together making it an interesting and sometimes thought-provoking read.  A brilliant start to the series for this debut author.  The foundation is laid with, I feel, a lot more to come.  I’ll be looking out for the next book to find out how the characters develop and the storyline progresses.

Buy it and spread the word

I would like to thank the publishers, Centrinian Publishing, for approving my request.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Alecia Stone has been in love with anything and everything paranormal for many years. She grad­u­ated with a BA in Film &  TV and has worked in tele­vi­sion for a short period of time before branch­ing out into storytelling. When she isn’t writ­ing, she enjoys going to the movies, lis­ten­ing to music, and travelling. Talisman Of El is her first novel. She currently lives in England, UK.

You can find out more about Alecia Stone on her website.  You can also find her on Twitter.

Blog Tour: Daniela Sacerdoti – Sarah’s Music

I’d like to welcome Daniela Sacerdoti to Jera’s Jamboree today.

Dreams is the first part in the Sarah Midnight trilogy and is published 17th May by Black & White Publishing

You’d never think it could happen to you. You’d never think that one day you’d stand in a graveyard, rain tapping on a sea of black umbrellas, watching your parents being lowered into the earth, never to come back. It’s happening to me. They said it was an accident. Only I know the truth. My parents were hunters, like their parents and grandparents before them, hundreds of years back, scores of ancestors behind me, fulfilling the same call. I must follow in their footsteps. I am the only one left to keep the promise. I can never give up the fight, this fight that has been handed down to me, thrust upon my unwilling shoulders. I’d rather be buried with my parents, my brave, fierce father and mother, who lived and died by the Midnight motto: Don’t Let Them Roam.’ — Ever since her thirteenth birthday, seventeen-year-old Sarah Midnight’s dreams have been plagued by demons – but unlike most people’s nightmares, Sarah’s come true. Her dreams guide her parents’ hunt as Sarah remains in bed, terrified but safe, sheltered from the true horrors of the Midnight legacy. But all this is about to change. After the murder of her parents, she is cruelly thrust into a secret world of unimaginable danger as she is forced to take up their mission. Alone and unprepared for the fight that lies before her, Sarah must learn how to use the powers she’s inherited and decide whom to trust before it’s too late…

Today, Daniela is sharing with readers a post all about music:

Music is a huge part of my creative process. It inspires me, it focuses me, it keeps me going when my mind is tired. Many stories of mine were born of music, both from tunes and from lyrics. I know that some writers can’t concentrate with music on; they need silence to “listen to the voices”, like Susie Maguire eloquently put it. For me, it’s the opposite: silence distracts me, my thoughts start wandering – music keeps me tethered to my inspiration. Also, it often happens that I write with my two boys playing in the house or in the garden – in that case, I need something to drown them out!

Dreams has a “booktrack” – a book soundtrack. When I was writing it I listened to Julie Fowlis nearly all the time – I can get pretty obsessive with my music! Julie is a Gaelic singer from North Uist in the Outer Hebrides, and with Sarah’s family being from Islay, I thought she was perfect to listen to while writing Sarah’s story. In my head, Julie’s voice became Sarah’s voice, especially this song, Hùg Air A’ Bhonaid Mhòir. 

Julie Fowlis (supplied by the author)

When I finished Dreams, I really wanted a song to be written for it, and I was lucky enough to find Kristyn Knowles, a singer songwriter from Edinburgh.

Kristyn Knowles (supplied by the author)

She wrote a song called Do This Alone, interpreting beautifully Sarah’s story and personality. The song will be performed at my launch, and unveiled on my website on the day after! I’ll finish this musical post with a secret of mine, not a secret anymore I suppose: I’ve always dreamt to be a songwriter, which would be pretty difficult because I don’t have a note in my head – but all poetry I write is actually conceived as lyrics of imaginary songs. So now you know!

Dani

Thank you Dani.  I’m looking forward to visiting your website the day after launch!

My review is scheduled on Monday but you can read a sneak peek of Chapter One of Dreams here.

Please take time to visit the other blogs taking part in the tour:

Indie Author Interview with Paul A Hilton

Jera’s Jamboree would like to welcome indie author Paul Hilton on the blog today.

Paul has been writing for over ten years and has had numerous short stories and articles published. 

 

At the moment, Paul writes for the children to young teens market but he has plans to write for adults too.

 

Paul has written two paranormal books (Kara and the Amulet of Amun-Ra and Penhexen – The Crystal of Gallian) and two paranormal horror books (Midfright Tales One and Two).

  • Would you share with us Paul, how your writing journey began?  What was your inspiration?

I started to get interested in writing in my early teens when I wrote stories about a stable which was full of wonderful magical horses – I was inspired by the TV programme “White Horses” which was being aired it that time.

  • You served for many years in the Armed Forces, has the structure of the services helped you in structuring your writing? 

It has helped me in other ways by giving me an insight to more clandestine workings of the world. From this knowledge I intend to write stories for older reader.

  • And have your experiences had an influence on your writing?

I think we all tend to write stories that have a direct relationship to the things that have happened in our lives, whether it’s first hand experiences or things we have read about or watched on the television. So the short answer is yes…

  • Are you a panster or a plotter?

I think I’m a bit of both really, in that I like to write a basic outline to my stories which give me a general idea – then the panster part of me takes over and the story fills out as I go along.

  • How do you market and promote your work?

That is the hard part, being a writer I like to write. As an indie writer it is important to learn how to promote and market your work. My efforts up to now have been through twitter and blogger, but the Writers Magazine has given me a lot of insight in to doing it yourself – the biggest problem, as always is finding the time…

  • What’s the best thing about being an indie writer?

I think being overall control of how you want your book to appear. Also not having publishers chasing every 5 minutes with demands to change this, that or the other…

  • What’s the worst?

Not having the support of a large organisation, or someone to take care of a large amount of the marketing and promotion.

  • What is your current WIP (work in progress)? 

I’m currently working on my second Kara book, “Kara and the Golden Sphinx” which I hope to release later in the year. I am also developing the story line for my second book in the Penhexen series, “The Dragons of Time” working title.

  • What tips would you give for aspiring writers?

Have faith in yourself and your writing – write every day even if it’s only a few hundred words. If you can’t get an agent or publisher – (because you’re not yet a celebrity) give self publishing a go.

  • and finally, who are your favourite authors?

G P Taylor, George Orwell, J R R Tolkien, C S Lewis and many others, too numerous to mention.

You can follow Paul’s writing journey on his blog or keep in touch via Twitter.

For anyone looking for exciting YA Paranormal books:

Kara And the Amulet of Amun-Ra

Moving into the old vicarage at Clifton Ridge, fourteen year old Kara is called to the cellar where she finds an ancient wooden door. The door dates back to the days of Ancient Egypt. Trapped inside the door is the soul of Sahu a long dead Pharaoh. Kara and her friend Peter agree to help him escape his tomb and live again. But this leads her into direct conflict with the evil Lord Grimm of the manor and his henchman, Kilim. It is a dangerous time for Grimm; his body is dying and now is the time for him to transmigrate. Using the Amulet of Amun-Ra and the help of the Gods of Ancient Egypt he must move into the young body of his son, Lawrence, before it’s too late. Feeling threatened by the door and its prisoner, he orders Kilim to destroy it. With Kilim’s assistance or lack of it the despicable Lord Grimm is beaten in many ways but he is not yet defeated. Will Sahu get is freedom? will Grimm transmigrate to his new life? Or will Kara and Peter get the Amulet of Amun-Ra and win the struggle to save Sahu and themselves?

£0.77 Kindle edition on Amazon.

Penhexen: The Crystal of Gallian

PENHEXEN – He’s more than a Wizard, he’s a Dreamon!

On his thirteenth birthday, Thomas Penhexen’s life changes dramatically beyond all recognition. His strange dreams coupled with unusual occurrences lead him into a universe of danger and adventure. His fight against the evil Dreamon, Odarr, leads him to the Realm of Fire. Held against her will, Thomas must save his mother from Odarr’s evil clutches. But he finds his quest is all part of Odarr’s grand plan to control him and his supernatural powers. His struggle with Odarr leads him and his friends into greater and more dangerous things.

Kindle edition £0.77 on Amazon

For anyone looking for some paranormal horror books to keep you on the edge of your seat:

Midfright Tales One

Midfright Tales One, contains eleven bone chilling, brain screaming, heart fluttering journeys into the dark paranormal world of horror. These tales will make you shiver through each and every page and will continue to scare you long after reading them. With thrilling dark tales like these you’ll be up all night looking for the next edition… But be careful, for the realm of twilight can be a dangerous place to lose yourself.

£0.77 Kindle Edition on Amazon.

Midfright Tales Two

Kindle Edition £1.02 on Amazon