The Goddess Apprentice by L.L. Hunter Release Blitz

    

Title: The Goddess Apprentice
Author: L.L. Hunter
Genre: YA Urban Fantasy/PNR
Cover Designer: KILA Designs
Publication Date: April 30^th, 2022
Hosted by: Lady Amber's PR

Blurb:

Ebony thought moving to the Realm of Fire and becoming the next goddess would be all rainbows and unicorns.

But she was wrong.

Apart from undertaking training to become the next goddess, she must also finish her schooling.

And with Luca back and Travis by her side at the best academy in the universe, she should be happy, right?

When Travis returns one day complaining of a demon attack in the Realm of Ice, and people talking behind their backs, Ebony is worried that not all is as it seems in the universe.

She soon begins hearing reports of rioting in several cities around the world, and with the alchemist Sylvie conducting secret experiments under her nose, she suspects the rebel group are up to their old tricks again.

After all, when your soulmate is the grandson of Lucifer, and you’re the new goddess in training, not everyone is going to agree.

What could go wrong?

 

The exciting fourth installment in the bestselling Ebony Angel series.

  

Buy on Amazon

(affiliate links included)

L.L. Hunter is the author of over 20 published works, including The Legend of the Archangel Series and The Garden of Eden. She has studied everything from veterinary nursing, forensic science, and dramatic arts, but has always known her true calling was to be an author. 

She has been writing since her teens - everything from fan fiction, to song lyrics, to plays and musicals. When not working on her next paranormal romance, she can be found at home in Australia, reading somewhere comfortable with one or both of her “fur babies.” Follow her on Facebook, Twitter @llhunterbooks, and her blog - http://llhunter.blogspot.com.au.

Author Links:

Facebook | Twitter | Amazon | Goodreads | Blog

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The Story Behind The Undine's Tear by Talena Winters

 

The Undine's Tear is the first installment of Talena Winters' new YA epic historical fantasy series, Rise of the Grigori. Find out how the title came to be and take a sneak peek inside. Download your copy and then follow the tour for more as well as bonus chances to enter the giveaway!

She's destined to save the world . . . if she doesn't destroy it first.

Calandra’s destiny is also her doom. As the most powerful healer since the woman who sank Atlantis, she’s been raised to restore the Heartstone that protects her island from humans . . . before she goes Mad like her mother and all the powerful undine healers before her. When she learns she needs both male and female magic to succeed, she becomes desperate—there hasn't been an undine male born for over three thousand years. Instead, she's being pressured to use the siren mind-bond to enslave her childhood friend, the one man she's sworn to risk a death sentence to free.

When Calandra discovers a cryptic message that shows her exiled mother was not only sane but pregnant with a boy, she questions everything she’s been taught to believe. But revealing the horrifying truth of the bonds could tear her island apart—and concealing it could unleash the Earth’s oldest, most destructive enemy. With insanity looming, can Calandra find her brother and save the Heartstone, the man she loves, her people, and the world . . . before she loses control and destroys them all?

The Undine's Tear is the first book in the mind-blowing young adult epic historical fantasy series Rise of the Grigori. Packed with complex characters, lush world-building, gritty action, and impossible odds, this intricately woven tale presents mermaids like you’ve never seen them before. Join Calandra in a search for redemption that will threaten the very fabric of the universe. Dive into the adventure today!

Read an excerpt:

Osaze looked between them with fear in his eyes, then turned back to Calandra.

“Redeemed. That’s what the queen did to me before, right? Is that what you mean by ‘help’?” He clutched Calandra’s arm. “Please don’t do it again, Calandra. I—I think I would rather die than have that happen again.”

As soon as Osaze touched her, a wave of desperation and fear crashed through her. She put her hands to her ears as though she could physically block out the sudden onslaught of emotion. Is it happening already? Is this the Madness?

When Osaze’s hand fell from her arm, the emotions subsided. She slowly lowered her hands, staring at the boy. Those feelings . . . they had all come from him? Why had she felt them so strongly? Did it have something to do with the Heartstone?

“It’s okay, Osaze. It doesn’t hurt, does it?”

He shook his head and buried it in his hands. “That would be better. It’s worse than anything you can imagine.”

Calandra stared at him, stricken. As a rule, undines treated every living thing with respect. She had always been told that Redemption meant saving the men from themselves, cleansing them of impurities they could not purge on their own. But how could it be right to do something to these men that they hated so much?

Buy on Amazon

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The Story Behind the Title of The Undine’s Tear

Have you heard of mermaid tears?

Growing up far inland with not many trips to an ocean, I hadn’t—not until I started doing the research for the book that became The Undine’s Tear.

In lore and fantasy, a mermaid’s tears often have unique magical properties—such as the mermaid tear Blackbeard was after in Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, which was a key element in his pursuit of the Fountain of Youth. Perhaps this mythological meaning is why sea glass, which is often green, blue, or aquamarine in colour and has been worn smooth by time and tide, was given the name of mermaid tears. These mermaid tears are often treasured collectibles of beachcombers and look very pretty displayed on a shelf.

Before publishing my book, I had intended to call it The Mermaid’s Tear, but a poll of my readers suggested the word mermaid would deter the boys in the room from picking it up. That wouldn’t do, since this is not your typical mermaid book—and, to date, has been enjoyed by many of the male persuasion!

Besides, I had long since decided an entire race of sea creatures wouldn’t be named only for the females. So, much like people are known as humans, I opted to call my merfolk undines (UN-deens), a word referring to the Greek water elemental creature. Since elemental magic is the undines’ inheritance, this seemed kind of perfect.

As for the tear the story is named after—it’s not a drop of saltwater, nor a bit of sea glass, but instead a teardrop-shaped dark green (black) opal that, in the culture of the undines, works like a flash drive to store messages and data, as well as serving as a beautiful piece of jewelry.

And the message that Tear contains is going to change the way the undines look at the world forever—in fact, it could affect the very future of the cosmos.

But that’s a story that would take a whole series to tell…

Talena Winters is addicted to stories, tea, chocolate, yarn, and silver linings. She writes page-turning fiction for teens and adults in multiple genres, coaches other writers, has written several award-winning songs, and designs knitting patterns under her label My Secret Wish. Master of the ironic GIF response. She currently resides on an acreage in the Peace Country of northern Alberta, Canada, with her husband, three surviving boys, two dogs, and an assortment of farm cats. She would love to be a mermaid when she grows up.

https://www.talenawinters.com/

https://www.instagram.com/talenawinters

https://www.twitter.com/talenawinters

https://www.goodreads.com/talenawinters

https://facebook.com/talenawinters.artist

https://facebook.com/mysecretwishbyTalena

http://pinterest.com/talenawinters

Talena Winters will be awarding a hardback copy of The Undine's Tear (Rise of the Grigori Book 1) and also The Sphinx's Heart (Rise of the Grigori Book 2) to a randomly drawn winner (International Giveaway) via rafflecopter during the tour.

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Shadow and Sword by N.K. Carlson

 

NK Carlson has a new YA fantasy out now and you get a sneak peek inside! Plus he tells us about his journey to becoming a writer. Download your own copy and then follow the tour for even more plus bonus chances to enter the giveaway!

The word was just below a whisper, yet in sixteen-year-old Reith's ears, it rang louder than he could have ever imagined. Reith had his life in order: apprentice under his mentor, Master Chronicler Vereinen, and follow in his footsteps. Until a shadowy figure appeared in his village, burning everything to the ground, including Reith's future. Now Reith's mentor is missing and Reith is on the run from the mysterious Shadow.

Reith adventures through magical forests, ancient ruins, and the lands of prejudiced elves to find his mentor, learn the secret of his sword, and unravel the mystery of the Shadow. Will Reith discover the truth or will the Shadow continue to fall over all of Terrashonen?

Read an excerpt:

Reith walked to the edge of the stairs and knelt to look at what was in this slot, reaching in and pulling out a long, shiny box. This box looked to be wood overlaid with gold, silver, and copper triangles, each alternating, coming together to form a pattern. The box was about five feet long, a foot wide, and three or four inches tall. On the side was a golden clasp, which he opened.

Reith was dazzled by the sunlight striking the metal inside. In the box sat a sword in a scabbard. Its hilt looked like it had been woven together from three different metals, just like the box. These three twisted together into a metallic braid. The cross guard was similarly woven together. A soft, leather grip covered part of the handle for ease of use. Diamonds adorned the hilt and the pommel. The scabbard was black leather with lines of the three metals inlaid upon the edges.

He lifted the sword out and held it in his hand. The grip was warm, as if someone had just set it down. It felt light, like it was part of his arm and not a foreign object. The strangest thing though was that it felt like it was vibrating in his hand, as if he had just clashed it against another warrior’s blade.

Reith lifted it to his face and saw that the edge was sharp, as if it had just been sharpened and shined the day before. He slashed the air in front of him experimentally, and the sword hummed through the air. Strange as it seemed, he felt like he was meant to have this sword.

Buy on Amazon

(affiliate link included) 

Your journey to becoming a writer

Blink… Blink… Blink…

The cursor materialized and disappeared over and over while the word counter remained at zero. I was in high school facing yet another essay that I had no motivation to write nor particular passion about the subject matter.

This scene happened several times in middle school and high school. Most writing assignments were big research papers or essays about uninteresting topics. I’ll be honest with you: I hated writing in middle school and high school. I would have rather sat a million tests that write papers.

But my loathing for writing was not always so. I had good experiences before then. In elementary school, the highlight of every year was receiving a blank white book to fill with a story or non-fiction work. We could choose the topic and write about anything we wanted. After writing a draft of the story, we workshopped it with our teacher and then we were given the greenlight to write and illustrate our blank white books. I loved those projects.

But then the freedom to be creative was taken away, replaced with boring drudgery of research papers and silly essays about trying to persuade the school board to not implement a uniform policy, which our teachers lied to us about to get us sufficiently angry to write our essays. How messed up is that?

And so I went to college. It was 2011 and blogging was all the rage. I had some friends start blogs, so I jumped in and started one. And I started writing about topics I cared about. In doing so, I found that I actually really liked writing. I enjoyed the process. I liked writing when I was writing about things I actually cared about.

Midway through college, I decided I wanted to try and write a novel. I started one, worked on it for a bit, but only got a few thousand words in before I got bored of it and gave up.

Then I had another idea, got really excited about it, and wrote a few thousand words, and gave it up after growing bored again.

I graduated and started grad school and had another idea for a novel, which I started, wrote a few thousand words, got bored, and abandoned.

Are you sensing a theme?

And then I had the idea for Shadow and Sword. I believed in this idea, but more importantly, I believed in myself. I would not let myself give up. If I was going to write a novel, it was now or never. So, over a period of four months, I wrote the first draft of Shadow and Sword. I finished it! And I knew from that moment that I had it in me to be a writer. Of course, it took a lot of work to rewrite and edit it, but I had the knowledge that I had started a novel and I had finished it. I was officially a writer.

N. K. Carlson is an author living in Texas. Originally from the Chicago area, he graduated from the University of Illinois before studying at Logsdon Seminary, where he graduated with a master of divinity degree. He has published two books.

The Things that Charm Us and the Smelly Gospel (which was co-written with Drew Doss) both came out in 2020.

His love of writing began in elementary school when each student was given a blank white book to fill with a story. In college, he took an interest in blogging and writing novels.

Website: https://www.nkcarlson.com/

https://medium.com/@nkcarlson

https://www.facebook.com/nkcarlson

https://twitter.com/N8Carlson

N. K. Carlson will be awarding a $25 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

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The Secrets That Kill Us by Phoenix Blackwood

 

Today we welcome Phoenix Blackwood to the blog. They are sharing their journey to becoming a writer as well as an excerpt from The Secrets That Kill Us. Remember to leave a a comment or question as you follow the tour! Best of luck in the giveaway!

At sixteen, Liz had already trudged through hell and back. Having bounced from one foster home to another most of her life, she finally finds herself in a stable home. But stability poses its own challenges after a life of unsteady fooling, and Liz grapples to find a way to be still. Her past still plagues her in this new world. Everything feels wrong, she is at odds with her own body and mind, and struggling to survive.

Liz finds an unlikely friend in Alex, a girl who may not share Liz’s troubled past but strives to understand, even though it means becoming a pariah at school. With Alex’s help, Liz searches for the strength to confront her demons, and the two see each other through addictions, transitions, and the dangerous consequences of coping.

Unable to let herself trust and love, even in this new space with new support, Liz’s trauma begins to drag her under. Some secrets kill, and some truths fight to stay hidden. Unearthing them all will require Liz to trust others despite a lifetime of learning just how dangerous that is.

Read an excerpt:

High school wasn’t much different than middle school, other than things being less sticky and more dingy. I’d made it through freshman year by the skin of my teeth, and now the daunting task of sophomore year stood before me, halfway accomplished. The guys were a lot more obnoxious, graduating from senseless teasing to aggression in order to fulfill their newfound need for overbearing toxic masculinity. I rolled my eyes as I walked past a group of guys pushing each other around, proving my point. At least I wasn’t the new kid this time. I’d somehow managed to keep up with the class and graduate. I'd made it through a year and a half of high school without being held back. It was still a constant struggle. When I got to my locker I squinted at the paper I’d been given for the code, bringing it closer to my face. Contacts weren’t cutting it, I really needed to wear my glasses. But damn, did I hate them. After a few different attempts I managed to get the right numbers and threw the books I didn’t need in. They made a loud slam as they hit the back of the locker.

Available on Amazon

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Your Journey to Becoming a Writer

I didn’t start out wanting to be a writer. In fact, when I was in school, English was one of my least favorite topics and I hated the lessons. When I was in highschool, I started diving a little into the world of creative writing, actually writing out the scenes that I played through in my head, but didn’t do anything with the writing. I always told myself I’d write a book eventually, but at the time was invested in what was essentially an early version of The Secrets that Kill Us into a webcomic. I even drew a couple pages, but that was as far as I ever got.

When I was younger, my dream was to become an animator for Pixar. This dream slowly fell away as I realized how much I hated working with animation programs. I transitioned from that idea to an illustrator, whether it be for books or concept art for movies or games. This dream lasted into college, where I found that I just didn’t like my artistic process when it was on a deadline. That, coupled with learning how competitive the art world is, was enough to scare me off. I shifted to the idea of psychology and becoming an art therapist.

That’s a dream I still hold in my head, but a couple years ago writing came back into my life in a very real way. I picked up Jennie Wood’s A Boy Like Me at Boston Comic Con one year and it sparked something in me that made me want to tell my story. The story of Secrets had never really left my head, and I finally decided that it was time to get it out on paper. So I started writing a little bit every day, delving into the world and exploring the characters as the story unfolded. Unfortunately, life happened and I put it down for a little while. Another book came along, Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender, and it was the kick in the pants that made me want to start writing again after a very long stint of depression.

And so, I wrote – and finished – The Secrets that Kill Us. Through writing this story I discovered how fulfilling it was to write a story that people would see themselves in, and it left me craving more. There will be many more projects to come, and I’m hoping I’ll have success with them, but most of all I’m hoping that I can make at least one person feel like they belong in a time when they’re struggling to find their place.

Born and raised in New England, Phoenix has always been a creative – whether it’s painting or writing. From a very young age, Phoenix has envisioned and created characters, writing them into existence and exploring them through visual arts. Having graduated to first-time short story author, Phoenix is embarking on a journey towards novel writing as they finally bring characters they’ve known for years into the world. Phoenix is neurodiverse and intersex and hopes to bring more representation to both topics with their writing. They believe in creating relatable characters that people can find themselves in and empathize with.

Website: https://t.co/UEEMwVpdtV

Twitter: https://mobile.twitter.com/nixblackwood

Phoenix Blackwood will be awarding a $10 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

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The Realm Chronicles by Tricia Copeland Sales Blitz!

 

Title: Realm Chronicles
Author: Tricia Copeland
Genre: YA Fantasy/Fairies
Editor: Jo Michaels, Indie Books Gone Wild
Cover Designer: Elanor Lloyd-Jones, Shower of Schmidt Designs
Hosted by: Lady Amber's Reviews & PR

Blurb:

To Be a Fae Queen

The last of her line, a faerie princess prepares to take the throne. But multiple forces plot against her, some trusted friends…

After losing her brothers Titania trained and studied to rule Aubren. But she hadn’t planned on becoming Queen at fifteen. Now with her reign challenged from within the castle walls she must decide what is best for her country. Should another rule in her stead? Or has fate led her to this moment?

Only she can decide a path that becomes littered with choices. Should she marry to shore up her reign? Will naming a successor be enough? And what of the creatures of the deep and a tale of one who can end all evil? Faced with a decision of aiding beings of Upper Earth she must weigh whether to follow her gut or side with tradition.

Can Titania trust that her inner power will be enough to stop the looming evil? Or is she damning them all to a life of darkness?

To Be a Fae Queen is a magical journey into the realm of Middle Earth. If you like fearless heroines you’ll love Tricia Copeland’s tantalizing fantasy.

Get To Be a Fae Queen to descend into a new world today!

99 CENTS FOR A LIMITED TIME!

Blurb:

She may be the only fae standing between her realm and the evil lurking below. Will Titania be given the power she needs?

Titania defeats a group of creatures threatening to colonize Middle Earth. In ending them she broke not one but two edicts of the High Council. But justice may fall on the only person holding the key to her ability to defend the fae.

The evil spirits manifesting the terrorists lurk below, lying in wait to strike again. With loss of a much-needed ally, she lacks freedom to learn what the realm may be facing. Worse yet, many, even some most trusted compatriots, distance themselves from the reckless Queen she’s painted to be.

Her power shackled and left alone, Titania loses faith in her once clear path.

Can she find her footing in time to save them all from eternal darkness?

To Be a Fae Guardian is the second book in the Realm Chronicles series, continuing a magical journey into the realm of Middle Earth. If you like dauntless heroines, you’ll love Tricia Copeland’s gripping fantasy.

Get To be a Fae Guardian to spiral into a new world.

99 CENTS FOR A LIMITED TIME!

An avid runner and Georgia native, Tricia now lives with her family and four-legged friends in Colorado. She believes that magic infuses every aspect of our lives, whether it is the magic of falling in love, discovering a new passion, a beautiful sunset, or a book that transports us to another world. You can find all her titles from contemporary romance and fantasy, to dystopian fiction at www.triciacopeland.com.

Author Links:

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START THE SERIES TODAY!

Guiding Gaia by Tish Thawer

   

Title: Guiding Gaia
Author: Tish Thawer
Genre: YA Fantasy
Publisher: Amber Leaf Publishing
Cover Designer: The Illustrated Author - Melissa Stevens
Publication Date: April 20, 2021
Hosted by: Lady Amber’s PR

Blurb:

She awoke to save us, but it may already be too late.

The world is in chaos.

Stars are falling from the sky. Floods, hurricanes, and fires rage across the land. And the only being strong enough to stop it is stuck in teenage form ... again.

Reborn, Gaia has come to Earth to battle through the strife and discover if the world is worth saving.

Tasked with guiding her, it falls to me to help her weather the storms, and hopefully, find a place where she can be at peace. But time is running out, and her patience is waning. Now, I fear if the human race doesn’t destroy the world … 

she will.

99 CENTS FOR A LIMITED TIME!

#1 Bestseller in Historical Fiction

Top 100 Bestselling in Paid Kindle Store

Best Cover Award Winner

Readers’ Choice Award Winner

Best Fantasy/Sci-Fi Novel Winner (x2)

 

Author Tish Thawer writes paranormal romances for all ages. From her first paranormal cartoon, Isis, to the Twilight phenomenon, myth, magic, and superpowers have always held a special place in her heart. Best known for her Witches of BlackBrook series, Tish’s detailed world-building and magic-laced stories have been compared to Nora Roberts, Sam Cheever, and Charlaine Harris.

Tish has worked as a computer consultant, photographer, and graphic designer, and has bylines as a columnist for Gliterary Girl media, RT Magazine, and Literary Lunes Magazine. She currently resides in Missouri with her husband and two of her three wonderful children, and operates Amber Leaf Designs, an online custom swag retail store.

Author Links: 

Website | Amazon | Instagram | Facebook

Twitter | Goodreads | Pinterest

99 CENTS FOR A LIMITED TIME!

Lightning streaked across the sky, backlighting the eighteen-year-old goddess as she stood silhouetted against the maelstrom outside. Her auburn hair was wind-whipped and plastered to her neck and face, and though newly reborn, her divinity was something she could never hide … at least not from me.

 

“How far is it to the temple?” she asked.

 

“Five hours, but hopefully, you can get some sleep along the way. You’ll need your energy for when we arrive.”

 

Gaia pulled her jean jacket over her soaked cotton tee and followed me from the room. She was oblivious of the Crags and their intent to kill her, and it was my job––and my punishment—to keep it that way. To protect her from everything … even knowing they exist. After losing my own daughter, and the training I’d forced myself through, this was a task I would not fail again.

99 CENTS FOR A LIMITED TIME!

Pre-Order The Goddess Apprentice (The Ebony Angel 4) by L.L. Hunter!

   

Dear fans of YA urban fantasy - the wait is almost over! L.L. Hunter's The Goddess Apprentice drops at the end of the month, but you can pre-order it now! 

Title: The Goddess Apprentice
Author: L.L. Hunter
Genre: YA Urban Fantasy/PNR
Cover Designer: KILA Designs
Publication Date: April 30^th, 2022
Hosted by: Lady Amber's PR

Blurb:

Ebony thought moving to the Realm of Fire and becoming the next goddess would be all rainbows and unicorns.

But she was wrong.

Apart from undertaking training to become the next goddess, she must also finish her schooling.

And with Luca back and Travis by her side at the best academy in the universe, she should be happy, right?

When Travis returns one day complaining of a demon attack in the Realm of Ice, and people talking behind their backs, Ebony is worried that not all is as it seems in the universe.

She soon begins hearing reports of rioting in several cities around the world, and with the alchemist Sylvie conducting secret experiments under her nose, she suspects the rebel group are up to their old tricks again.

After all, when your soulmate is the grandson of Lucifer, and you’re the new goddess in training, not everyone is going to agree.

What could go wrong?


The exciting fourth instalment in the bestselling Ebony Angel series.

NOW AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER!

  

L.L. Hunter is the author of over 20 published works, including The Legend of the Archangel Series and The Garden of Eden. She has studied everything from veterinary nursing, forensic science, and dramatic arts, but has always known her true calling was to be an author. 

She has been writing since her teens - everything from fan fiction, to song lyrics, to plays and musicals. When not working on her next paranormal romance, she can be found at home in Australia, reading somewhere comfortable with one or both of her “fur babies.” Follow her on Facebook, Twitter @llhunterbooks, and her blog - http://llhunter.blogspot.com.au.

Author Links:

Facebook | Twitter | Amazon | Goodreads | Blog

Authorgraph | Smashwords | Bookbub | Newsletter | Instagram

NOW AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER!