Cover Reveal: The Li5t of Five by J. Scott Sharp

Cover designed by Rebecca Hamilton

 

Book Blurb   

Young teen Richie Lyons is having an uneventful summer, playing games with his friends. He even has a birthday on the way. However, his uneventful life is shattered when he wakes up, on the morning of his thirteenth  birthday, with a list of names pounding through his brain. A list that contains the names of those he cares about most. As if that wasn’t enough, he keeps having a recurring waking dream of a fire that is threatening to take the life of his mom and sister. 

Richie must fight to understand this recurring list and the visions he is having. Are they prophetic, foretelling an actual occurrence, or a waking nightmare threatening his sanity? In addition, what does the list have to do with the newest local ministry and the strange pastor who came to Richie’s door?

The more Richie discovers, the less he understands. 

When Richie finally begins to understand, it may be too late for himself and everyone else that he cares about. 

There is one thing Richie knows for certain.

He may have to grow up much faster than he ever wanted to grow, because there is something very wrong with his visions, and there is something frightening about the list of five.

The Li5t of Five will release on September 29th!

Author Bio
J. Scott Sharp has been writing for much of his considerable life, but only just now decided to take it seriously at 47. This makes him a little crazy. At least his wife Marti and his two dogs, Sumo and Tnur think so.
He has his Associates degree in psychology, which qualifies him for nothing except understanding what you're thinking. At least he likes to think so. He also thinks he understands what you're feeling, but that's a whole other problem.
He lives in Arizona where he splits his time between watching TV on DVD, working, and writing. His hobbies include stage and close-up magic and reading until his eyes won't stay open. Closed eyes make it harder to do stage magic, but he tries.
He is the author of short stories Not Even There, Three Blackbirds, and Cold-blooded
The List of Five is his first novella.

You can reach out to J. Scott Sharp at:

Twitter (https://twitter.com/JScottSharp)
Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/jscott.sharp)
Blog (http://jscottsharp.blogspot.com/)

Sacrifice Blog Tour Stop: Castus Brand Explained

I was lucky enough to get my hands on an Advanced copy of Jessica Fortunato's Sacrifice, the second book in her Sin Collector series. (Click here to read my review). I read the whole thing in one sitting and told her as much via Twitter. Thankfully I did, because the she asked my about my favorite parts and I mentioned that I would love to know the meaning behind the Castus brand (which is not only described in the book, but also featured on the cover). She explained the meaning of the Sin Collector tattoo from the first book on her blog so I was hoping she'd do the same for this one. She did something even better, she's stopping here on her blog tour to tell us a little bit about it (she can't give all the secrets away, for those you'll just have to read the third book!).

Although the entire meaning of the Castus Crest (which graces the cover of Sacrifice) will not be disclosed until The Sin Collector: Origins, here are a few hints!

The crest begins with the shape of a shield. The shield is a timeless symbol of armor and defense found often in military emblems through time.

In Sacrifice, Lily will learn the strict doctrine the Castus follows. This includes a biblical story about how Collectors came into existence. However, this story is part of a much larger text. This is shown in the large book placed upon the shield. In Origins, we will find out how these “hidden books” will comingle with religious texts we already know.

Collectors can only be harmed or killed using a specific blessed dagger, located in the upper left portion of the shield.

The chalice located on the upper right portion of the shield symbolizes a holy sacrament. A sacrament being a sacred rite is a pivotal part of many religions. You will learn more about these rites in Origins.

An Equal-Armed Cross, also referred to as the square cross is found in ancient cultures, predating Christianity. Many people believe it represents the four seasons, four winds, or the four elements. To the Castus, it represents something a bit more sinister and there is a reason they use it instead of the unequal Christian cross.

The meaning behind Deus Vult, a Latin phrase bannered across the bottom of the crest…well you’ll just have to read Sacrifice to find out where that fits in!

And there you have it! I love how every symbol of the brand has a specific meaning attached to it! Even though I'm the last stop on the tour, don't forget to gocheck out the rest of Jessica's blog tour!  I've listed the schedule below.

Friday August 30th Trip the Eclipse Blog- Review, Excerpt from Sacrifice, and Giveaway!

Saturday August 31st A Life Among the Pages Blog- Review of Sacrifice!

Sunday September 1st J. Scott Sharp Blog-  Q+A with author Jessica Fortunato!

Monday September 2nd The Man Behind The Curtain Blog- Q+A with main character Olexander!

Tuesday September 3rd  Adventures Of A Wandering Mind Blog-Q+A with new character Ian Keane!

Wednesday September 4th Sarcasm And Lemons- Waiting on Wednesday

Thursday September 5th Creative Difference Blog- More info about Jessica Fortunato!

Tethered

Tethered was my first attempt at a romance story of any kind. I entered it into a writing contest where the rules were it had to be under 1500 and had to fit into the romance category. Thanks for reading!

Release Day Review: Sacrifice

Title: The Sin Collector: Sacrifice

Author: Jessica Fortunato

Released: August 30th, 2013

Print Length: 191 pages

File Size: 277KB

Goodreads info here, visit the book's website

Disclaimer: I did receive a free ARC of this book in order to review prior to release. This however did not influence my review in any way.

Here's the official trailer for the book:

Now for the review:

A Must Read with Surprising Twists and Turns! 

After reading both The Sin Collector and Thomas, I had been eagerly awaiting the next installment in the series and Fortunato doesn't disappoint with Sacrifice! I was fortunate enough to get my hands on an advanced copy for review and I devoured the entire book in one sitting (Okay, it was really two but only because I had to drive home from work. I immediately opened the book back up because I just had to know what happened next!)

Sacrifice starts about a year after the first book and follows Liliana as she tries to give her family a "normal human" life, the problem is she and her family aren't normal nor human. She wants nothing more than to settle down and stay in one place with those she loves now that their enemies from the first installment are gone. But when other Collectors are suddenly killed it quickly becomes obvious that the life she's been hoping for isn't going to happen, at least not any time soon.

I loved the first two books, but Fortunato has really outdone herself with this one. It was a much smoother and polished book overall. There was just the right amount of tension to keep the reader turning pages, with enough of the mushy emotional stuff to keep the action from overwhelming the reader. Sacrifice is full of twists and turns that the reader doesn't see coming.

Reading through the book it dawned on me just how much Fortunato has grown as a writer, and it really showed in Sacrifice. There were a few times in the book that something was left a bit unexplained, such as the meaning of the Castus brand, or how the bad guys always found Liliana and her friends. But without knowing what the next installment has in store for us, I guess I'll just have to wait and see before making any final judgments on that.

Speaking of which, stop back by my blog on Sept. 6th, when Fortunato explains a bit about the Castus brand during her blog tour. Trust me, you don't want to miss this!

Overall I was thoroughly impressed with Sacrifice and I cannot wait to see what happens next for Lily, her friends and family, and yes even the bad guys. 

Grimoire Saga Books Get a Makeover!

One of my all time favorite books is getting a cover makeover! I first met S.M. Boyce on Twitter during an event she held for her debut novel Lichgates.  I was lucky enough to win a copy and fell in love with the story.  I liked the cover before but man let me tell you, the new covers are amazing!  You can read my review of Lichgates or Treason or just grab your copy, you won't be disappointed.  And now on to the cover reveals!

From Where I Stand Blog Tour

Please welcome Robert Zimmermann as he makes a stop at Kayleigh's Spot during his From Where I Stand Blog Tour to talk about the his debut book of poetry.


From Where I Stand Blurb: 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.


Here's his guest post followed by a poem out of his book and a video of him reading the poem.

***

The Music of Poetry

Part of the beauty poetry has, is that it’s not only words on a page. Poetry is as much a musical experience, like the lyrics of a song, as it is a work of printed literature. This is something that took me a while to fully understand and appreciate, when I was earning my degree in creative writing.

I had been writing poems for years, and I had also been writing song lyrics on the side. I have no idea how great a benefit reading poetry (as well as prose) out loud was, until my poetry professor explained his views on the concept. I almost never recited my work before that. I never saw a point. Now, I’m in the habit of reciting ALL of my poetry in order to get the edits done right and for the poem to sound right.

This doesn’t have to be about the metre or rhyme of a poem. Those are the obvious musical aspects of a poem. My poetry rarely focuses on rhyme and if you asked me what metre they were in...I’d just laugh at you for assuming I knew that answer, haha. For me it’s all about finding words I stumble on when reading. The mind can more easily breeze by more difficult words when silently reading a line, than when the words are to be spoken.

Aside from my editing process, what is the point of reading out loud? It’s the experience. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve read a poem and not really cared about it. But then when I heard it read or read it out loud myself, I grew to appreciate it much more. From a reading, the audience can hear and feel the emotion from the words on a page, thrown at them. They can close their eyes and visualize the poem much better than if they needed to keep their eyes open to read it themselves.

Different readers will also give a different interpretation of the poem through varying the stresses on words or other variables that they are free to alter. Everyone reads a poem differently. Different parts will be held dear by different readers. This is also a reason why poetry is so powerful. Even the simplest poems, the ones that don’t have readers wishing the poet just said what he wanted already, have many interpretations.

In a way it’s similar to when musicians cover each other’s songs. One artist might do an almost spot-on cover, while a different artist will turn a classic rock ballad into a screamo shit-show. Different fans will like the newer version rather than the original, or vice-versa. It’s all about what’s more important to the reader/musician, and in turn the audience will enjoy it better or worse through them.

There is a music to poetry that can’t be fully appreciated until the words are taken from the page and uttered from the mouth. I know you don’t all enjoy poetry, but if you have some time and want to test your view on poetry....go find a poem and find a recording of it (it’s not always easy to find recordings, sorry). Read the poem a few times, then listen to the recording. Does it help you enjoy it more or less?

***

"Behind The Mask"

Throughout high school, I would hide in books.
It was easier to lose the world around me,
and draw into myself, than it was
to face my problems.

While Hemingway was in Africa
hunting exotic beasts on his safaris,
I was looking through the page at my bedroom,
where I spent nights attempting to sleep.
In the kitchen, my parents would argue.
Hemingway’s gun would kill another animal;
shots would ring out late into the night.

I used the stories in books as a mask.
The outside world would see a reader,
while in reality,
I wasn’t reading. I was trying to live in the pages,
but the stories of my real world wouldn’t fade away.
There was too much that I kept inside,
and I didn’t know how to let anything out.

No one wanted to listen.
My growing life’s story
tormented me.
The torment pushed me deeper into hiding.
_____

When I was reading of Jim Morrison on stage,
facing the drummer instead of the crowd,
I saw myself as the Lizard King.
I was Jim. I was hiding my face from the world.

Eventually, we turned around slowly.
There was an audience eager to listen.

I withdrew my mask.
Instead of hiding behind a world of books,
I spoke out. I opened up.
I revealed myself.
My story stood naked, for all to hear.

*** 

***

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:

Blog - http://alifeamongthepages.wordpress.com/

Twitter - https://twitter.com/miztrebor

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Robert.Zimmermann.Writer

Goodreads - http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/6435657-rob-zimmermann

PURCHASE LINKS:

Amazon US - http://www.amazon.com/From-Where-I-Stand-ebook/dp/B00A5AVLO4

Amazon UK - http://www.amazon.co.uk/From-Where-I-Stand-ebook/dp/B00A5AVLO4

Smashwords - https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/253778

GIVEAWAY!

Robert will be giving away 5 ebook copies (.mobi, .epub, or PDF) of From Where I Stand at the end of the tour. To enter, please leave a thoughtful comment on this post and be sure to leave an email to be contacted with if you’re a winner. One comment per person per post, feel free to comment on multiple posts for an extra entry for each. Winners will be gathered together from all the blog tour stops and then chosen randomly.

Giveaway ends December 9th at 12:01AM. Winners to be announced soon after they are selected.

Thanks Robert for stopping in! I hope you all enjoyed both his guest post and his poem. Head on over to his blog to check out the rest of the stops on his tour!

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

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