Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Prelude to Madness Tour and Giveaway

Please welcome Noree Cosper as she makes a stop at Kayleigh's Spot during her Prelude to Madness Blog Tour to talk about the upcoming release of her debut novel A Prescription for Delirium. I was lucky enough to get a chance to read an ARC copy of the book and I can tell you, you are going to wanna grab it the minute it is released! I'll have a review up on the blog next week. Don't forget to check out the giveaway at the end of the post for your chance to win a copy! Without further ado, here's Noree's guest post.


*****

In “A Prescription for Delirium” both demons and a devil are antognists. Here is the difference told by the demon killer queen herself, Gabby.


From the journals of Gabriella Di Luca (translated to English):

February, 1532
Padre Ricci suggests I study the origins of the infernal to better understand the enemies we face. He also says it may help overcome the sorrow of my loss. I will never forget, now will I ever forgive.  With the good padre’s approval I have been given access to the libraries of the Vatican. I have come across several differences between “demons” and “devils.” There seems to be a distinct difference between the two. I must research more to discover it. Once I know, I can determine which Allegra was a be more prepared when I face her again.


June 1533
I have studied the works of St. Thomas Aquinas as well as several other scholars. Though there is conjecture this what I was able to piece together:

When the Holy Lord created angels, he gave them free will, for how could a being truly love if they were forced to? Most of the Heavenly Host chose to follow, but others rebelled. Lead by Lucifer, the rebels tried to rise above the Holy Lord. The war between the angels began. The rebels lost and were thrown from Heaven, forsaken by the Holy lord. They were known as the Fallen. These rebels became the devils we know now. I need to find out how this happened.

November 1536
The poor padre has passed away and I have faced my first devil, with poor results. Still, the devil Ose was banished. I have continued my research and found more on what happened to the Fallen and how they became devils.

Lucifer led the Fallen though the Eclipse, the spirit world that surrounds the material one we exist in, to a place that existed opposite of Heaven. Lucifer created the first Throne, with himself as king, however, not all of the Fallen wish to continue to follow him. Six of the most powerful erected their own Thrones and fought amongst each other to be supreme. None were able to rise above the Lightbringer. So, the Thrones fell into place and Hell was created. Over time, the Fallen became corrupted, falling more into their original sin and became devils. The Thrones themselves came to symbolize those sins. Pride belonging to Lucifer, Greed to Mammon, Lust to Naamah, Envy to Belphegor, Gluttony to Beelzebub, Wrath to Azazel, and Sloth to Astaroth (or Astarte? Not sure there seems to be conjecture about the name.)

The Thrones grew in numbers in the form of demons. The origin of demons is up for debate. Some say demons were the spirits existing in the Eclipse, old gods. Others say the demons are the souls of humans fallen to sin. It is known that demons are the children of devils and they continue to grow in number.

After my encounter with Ose, I’ve come to believe that Allegra is a demon. Though what she did to me could very well make her a demon, though I don’t think it was entirely hers. I think she channeled it from her mistress in the Throne of Lust.  What this means for my curse, I’m not certain yet.  

*****

About the book

Release date: Dec 1st, 2012



Ninety years ago, Gabriella di Luca promised to protect the family of her dying lover. She failed to keep that promise.  She was too far away to stop the devil that murdered the eldest Van Helsing son. Years later, Gabby learns the devil has resurfaced. She arrives in Hampton, TX, determined to stop the devil before it can lay a bloody hand on the remaining three brothers.

However, madness is spreading through Hampton. She suspects the devil is using this madness to test a drug which has a side effect of demonic possession. Gabby rushes to end the source of the madness only to fall victim to it. For a woman cursed with eternal life, dying is no threat. However, Gabby must stop the devil's plot or risk losing her most precious possession: her mind.

About the author


Noree Cosper loves writing about magic in the modern world. While growing up in Texas she constantly searched for mystical elements in the mundane. She buried her nose in both fiction and books about Wicca, Religion, and Mythology. Everyday became an adventure as she joined a group of role-players, acting out her fantasies of vampires, demons, and monsters living in the world.

She embraced her nerdom wholeheartedly.

Noree grew, but never left her love for fantasy and horror. Her dreams pushed her and her hand itched to write the visions she saw. So, with her fingers on the keys, she did what her heart had been telling her to do since childhood. She wrote.

Noree can be found stalking people on Twitter and Facebook.

Be sure to check out her website for news on her works and tidbits of information

She also likes to ramble about things magical and supernatural on her blog Trip the Eclipse

*****

The Giveaway


Wednesday, November 7, 2012

Cover Reveal - From Where I Stand

Expected Release: Nov 2012


About the Book:


From Robert Zimmermann comes From Where I Stand, an emotional debut poetry collection.  Zimmermann explores strained parental relationships, loss of life, and the despair associated with grief.  Alongside these darker themes, he delves into the small areas of life that often go unnoticed but become the hope we are searching for

Example’s of Robert’s poetry can be found in the poetry section on his blog. He also has poems published by Albany Poets..




Quotes:



"Rob writes with an incredible sense of observation and feeling made all the more poignant by his struggles. Every verse is genuine and every poem is a journey toward understanding the soul of a poet.” – Ben Ditmars, author of Night Poems

“Zimmermann has achieved something rarely seen in modern poetry. Each poem is a personal and detailed story that will strike the heart of the reader with a torrent of emotion. Zimmermann balances the dark and light beautifully and without a hint of hesitation.” – Jessica Fortunato, author of The Sin Collector Trilogy

"Rob's poetry has a very real tone to it and in some ways creates a tragic yet poetic story." – Paulina Ulrich, author of the Flightless Bird Series

"Honest, heartfelt and moving" – Amber Jerome~Norrgard, author of In The Gloaming



About the Author:

         
Robert has been writing poetry since the eleventh grade. His writing started as impulsive rambling, but soon became a passion. A few years later he attended SUNY Potsdam where he received a B.A. in Creative Writing.
His main focus is poetry, but at times you can find him dabbling in short fiction. Robert has also created the blog A Life Among The Pages, where he posts his writing as well as book reviews.

When he’s not reading or writing, Robert enjoys spending time with his dog, Deuc. Deuc ran out of the woods in August 2011 and that have been inseparable ever since.

Links:

Sunday, November 4, 2012

Treason Blog Tour Stop - Review and a Giveaway








Title: Treason (Book 2 of the Grimoire Trilogy)

Author: S.M. Boyce

Released: Oct. 27th, 2012

Print Length: 424 pages

File Size: 825 KB

Goodreads info here, visit the book's website and author's website

Disclaimer: I did receive an ARC copy from the author in order review it for the tour. This however did not influence my review in any way.


Masterfully Written! 

Awe Inspiring!



In Treason, book #2 of the Grimoire trilogy by S.M. Boyce, we once again delve into the magical world of Ourea. Everyone Kara Magari loves ends up dead, so the more she feels for Braeden the more she pushes him away, which frustrates him to no end. Braeden on the other hand believes he’s a dead man walking anyway so it doesn't matter how hard Kara pushes he intends to change her mind. Until all heck breaks loose in Ourea and both are faced with tough decisions that lead to dire consequences. Both must learn that sometimes you must embrace the bad within if you want the good to prevail in the end.

The details of the world surrounding Kara and Braeden are amazing. The pure imagination that it required on Boyce’s part is truly awe inspiring! Even though there are a lot of details and descriptions, it’s presented in a way that doesn't bog the reader down, instead it makes you turn the next page in pure wonder. I never found myself skipping ahead past some of the descriptions as I have in other novels. In fact it was almost as if I was playing a movie in my head as I read. 

The fact that Ourea can be such a dangerous and deadly place would not sway me from wanting to pay a visit there were it real. That being said, I definitely would not want to get caught up in the politics there! Boyce surely picked the perfect title for this book. There were so many twists and turns spread throughout the novel, in fact there were a couple of times I had to pick my jaw off the floor and ask myself I read that right (not because the wording is confusing or anything, but just out of shock).

Just like in Lichgates (review here) there is wit and humor sprinkled throughout which is even more enjoyable since after reading the first book I had a better understanding of the different relationship dynamics. There is a good mix of emotions in the book as well. Boyce was able to strike a balance between tension, action and emotion. I didn't think it was possible for me to like it more than the first book, but I do. This series is definitely one of my all time favorites. 

And because I loved the series so much I've decided to give two copies of the e-book away.  Two winners will be picked on Nov 11th, 2012 and each will be able to choose either Lichgates or Treason!  Enter using the Rafflecopter at the end of the post.  Also don't forget to check out the other stops on the tour, there are a couple scavenger hunts, reviews, interviews, guest posts and prizes to be won!  In addition Boyce is hosting a Grand Prize Giveaway that ends Dec 31st!



About Boyce


S.M. Boyce is a fantasy and paranormal fiction novelist who also dabbles in contemporary fiction and comedy. Her B.A. in Creative Writing qualifies her to serve you french fries, and she updates her blog a few times each week to keep you entertained.


Connect with Boyce

Lichgates

Grab Your Copy:

Amazon: USA UK Germany |  France Spain | Italy

Bonus Features


Treason

Grab Your Copy:

Amazon: USA | UK | Germany |  France | Spain | Italy

Bonus Features



Giveaway



a Rafflecopter giveaway


Friday, November 2, 2012

November's MANs


Monthly 

Anticipated Novels (MANs)


I was thinking earlier about how many great books are about to be released in the coming months.  There are several on my list to buy as soon as they are released, and this led me to a decision to feature one or two upcoming books on the blog on the first of each month.  If there are several books I've been eagerly awaiting due to release on any particular month I might do do a second post around the 15th of that month.  Feel free to leave some comments at the end of each feature (or even your own blog posts about the subject) suggesting some of the books you all are drooling to get your hands on :)

Now on to the November's MANs: 

Book 1:



The Silvered by Tanya Huff
Release: Nov 6th, 2012

I don't remember where I originally heard about this novel but was interested in it immediately.  Thankfully it is released pretty early in the month so the wait won't be that much longer!

Here's the blurb from Goodreads

The Empire has declared war on the small, were-ruled kingdom of Aydori, capturing five women of the Mage-Pack, including the wife of the were Pack-leader. With the Pack off defending the border, it falls to Mirian Maylin and Tomas Hagen—she a low-level mage, he younger brother to the Pack-leader—to save them. Together the two set out on the kidnappers’ trail, racing into the heart of enemy territory. With every step the odds against them surviving and succeeding soar….




Book 2:



Christmas Tales of Terror by Chris Priestley
Release: Nov 8th, 2012

I'm a huge fan of scary stories and the thought of mixing those with the Christmas season is truly a delight for me.  I'm one of those that would love to celebrate Halloween year round!

Here's the blurb from Amazon (tried to find it on Goodreads but couldn't): 

From malevolent snowmen to Father Christmas - with a difference ... Chris Priestley is on absolute top form in these atmospheric, clever and thoroughly chilling stories. Add a new kind of thrill to the fluffiest of seasons with seven brilliantly conceived examples of why you'd better be good at Christmas time. For stories which can be enjoyed by the whole family, unwrap these perfectly formed festive tales of terror, each with a gripping yarn and genius twist.

Singing carols may never seem quite the same again ... especially after dark.

Book 3:



A Prescription for Delirium by Noree Cosper
Release: Dec 1st, 2012

This one is kind of cheating since it technically comes out in December but there's no way I could put it in next month's MANs post since it's released the same day as the post is scheduled to come out.  I was lucky enough to get a chance to read the ARC for this book and am super excited for the release day to come.  In fact I'll be hosting a stop on the Prelude to Madness Tour with an author guest post as well as a giveaway on the 21st so be sure to stop by for your chance to win!

Here's the blurb from Goodreads

Ninety years ago, Gabriella di Luca promised to protect the family of her dying lover. She failed to keep that promise. She was too far away to stop the devil that murdered the eldest Van Helsing son. Years later, Gabby learns the devil has resurfaced. She arrives in Hampton, TX, determined to stop the devil before it can lay a bloody hand on the remaining three brothers.

However, madness is spreading through Hampton. She suspects the devil is using this madness to test a drug which has a side effect of demonic possession. Gabby rushes to end the source of the madness only to fall victim to it. For a woman cursed with eternal life, dying is no threat. However, Gabby must stop the devil's plot or risk losing her most precious possession: her mind.