Shadow Bloodlines (Book 1) by A.R. Cooper

Shadow Bloodlines

I didn’t know I was a shifter until the hunters found me…

When eighteen-year-old Beth receives a mysterious text from her deadbeat father not to go to school, why should she listen to him now? But when strangers show up in one of her classes hunting her and wanting her dead, she must uncover the truth about why and what exactly she is.

Amar has been entombed in stone for centuries. He longs for freedom and only the blood of a shifter will set him free. After centuries frozen as a gargoyle, he doubts there are many of his kind left. Yet, Beth rescues him and more than his responsibility to protect her fills him.

Before the race of hunters capture her, Beth and Amar must find her shifter dad in order to save all their lives.


Read an excerpt:

As I reached for the door handle, Jacqui returned with a jacket and a baseball hat.

“Where’d you get those?” 

“Stole them.” She tossed me the black sports jacket and I donned it. Then she helped me stuff my hair up into the cap.

The jacket hung to my knees and swallowed me. My stomach clawed into my throat.
“It’s the best I can do on short notice.” 

“And my skirt?” I tugged the sides of the black dress. “They’ll never buy that I’m a boy if they notice it.” 

“Keep your head down and keep moving.” 

Uneasiness crawled into my gut and my heart slammed against my sternum before my fingers even brushed the door. Jacqui pushed past me and straight to one of the muscled guys who barely gave her a glance. 

I snuck out of the bathroom, thankful for the throng of people. In the corner, Jacqui flipped her blonde hair over her shoulder to distract the suited guy. 

Across the dance floor, I spotted another of Ms. Moor’s minions and ducked under a table. The couple gave a gasp and I shushed them.

“Sorry, it’s my ex. He’s crazy.” I crossed my fingers that they’d believe me. 

“Don’t need to tell us about crazy exes,” the girl answered.

Peeking out, I realized I’d lost sight of Jacqui. Had they figured out what she was up to?

There. She stood a few tables from the dance floor waving her hands like she was flagging a street race and I dashed to the other side of the bar. My heart thumped in my chest like I’d swam a hundred relays. How could five feet from the door seem so far? 

When the guy talking with Jacqui suddenly turned to see what she was staring at, which was me, I tucked my hat down and shook my shoulders as though laughing with the others near me.

The goon stared at me and his eyes narrowed. Then he spun and careened through the crowd, barreling right for me. God! He’d spotted me. 

I jerked away from the bar to run. Muttering an apology, I pushed around people while constantly looking back at the guy, who was now shoving dancers out of his way. Acid rose in my throat. His flicked out his cell and yelled something into it.

My breath came out in short huffs. Could I make it outside? I sprinted through an opening in the crowd. 

Nearly to the door, a brawny guy grabbed my arm and I screamed. The music drowned out my protest.

My assailant gave the bouncer a wink and a fist full of cash, which he shoved into his pocket and looked away.

“Let’s go, freak,” he seethed into my ear.

Available on Amazon

About A. R. Cooper

A.R. Cooper loves reading YA Fantasy, adult fantasy, paranormal and historical romance. She writes adult novels under Andrea R. Cooper.

When not writing or reading, she enjoys her husband and family, friends, Zumba, Martial Arts, and video games.

'Shadow Dragon (Shapeshifter Dragons Book 2)' by Marc Secchia

Blurb:

Chameleon Shapeshifters, uncontrollable storm powers, and the rise of Sylakia’s Dragon-elite. The battle against evil scales new heights, but the price of victory grows ever dearer.

Once, a Shadow Dragon ravaged the Island-World. Insatiable. Unstoppable. A Dragon-killer. Now the Shadow Dragon has reappeared, on a collision course with Aranya and King Beran’s campaign to liberate the Islands from the scourge of Sylakian tyranny. He is dark, beautiful and deadly, a predator of untold power.

Meantime, Thoralian weaves his web of guile and betrayal right in the hearts of Aranya’s friends and allies. He will bring them to an encounter only he can win.

Incredible aerial battles. An Ancient Dragon bent on enslaving Aranya. The treacherous secrets of Dragon magic. This is the fight for which destiny has shaped a heroine of rare courage–Aranya, Princess of Immadia. Criminal. Shapeshifter Dragon. A woman who will confront evil at any cost. Spite her at your peril.

Series Note

There is a companion series to Aranya, set in the same unique Island-World above the Cloudlands. Aranya is the last of the Dragons - or is she? Find out why the Dragons disappeared in The Pygmy Dragon, now available on Kindle.

Available on Amazon

About the author:

Marc is a South African-born author who lives writing about dragons and Africa, preferably both at the same time. He lives and works in Ethiopia with his wife and 4 children, 2 dogs, a rabbit, and a variable number of marabou storks that roost on the acacia trees out back. On a good night there are also hyenas patrolling the back fence.

When he's not writing about Africa, Marc can be found travelling to remote locations. He thinks there's nothing better than standing on a mountaintop wondering what lies over the next horizon.

Marc is the bestselling author of Aranya and The Pygmy Dragon and is currently working on sequels for both books.

'Aranya (Shapeshifter Dragons Book #1)' by Marc Secchia

Blurb:

Chained to a rock and tossed off a cliff by her boyfriend, Aranya is executed for high treason against the Sylakian Empire. Falling a league into the deadly Cloudlands is not a fate she ever envisaged. But what if she did not die? What if she could spread her wings and fly?

Long ago, Dragons ruled the Island-World above the Cloudlands. But their Human slaves cast off the chains of Dragonish tyranny. Humans spread across the Islands in their flying Dragonships, colonising, building and warring. Now, the all-conquering Sylakians have defeated the last bastion of freedom–the Island-Kingdom of Immadia.

Evil has a new enemy. Aranya, Princess of Immadia. Dragon Shapeshifter.

Read an excerpt:

She turned to face the Last Walk. 

Yolathion put his hand on her shoulder. At the end of the walkway, Aranya saw a block of stone with a chain attached to it. They really wanted to be sure she’d drop straight into the Cloudlands, she thought. The old stories still held weight. No graceful dive off the edge for her. No enchantress transforming herself into a bird and flying away. 

It should have been called the longest walk. 

Ten Crimson Hammers processed with her and Yolathion. Perhaps they thought she’d make a break for the rajal pit. Her feet brought her alongside the block of stone. Her body and her mind seemed to belong on different Islands. 

Yolathion knelt, clearly in some discomfort, to fit the manacle depending from the stone about her ankles, locking them together. “I’m sorry, Aranya,” he said, unexpectedly. 

“Me too. I think I could have loved you, Yolathion. But your loyalty and your heart lie with Sylakia. I could never love that.” 

Her words hurt him; she read it in his eyes. Just another regret she would shortly leave behind. 

Yolathion lifted her in his arms. Two of his fellows hefted the block. 

“On the count of three,” he said. “One … two … three.” 

He tossed Aranya over the edge.

Available on Amazon

Praise for Aranya:

"He spins a mythical yarn, achieving a notable balance between luxurious detail and intense action ... it's Secchia's world building prowess that really sets this tale apart" - Stephan J Myers, author of The Prayer - via Bookviral.com 

“Don't get me wrong, princes are great, but this girl is a take-charge, kick-butt kind of girl, and she stole my heart because of that.” – Dusty Holloway, Author of Dragon Dreams

About the author:

Marc is a South African-born author who lives writing about dragons and Africa, preferably both at the same time. He lives and works in Ethiopia with his wife and 4 children, 2 dogs, a rabbit, and a variable number of marabou storks that roost on the acacia trees out back. On a good night there are also hyenas patrolling the back fence.

When he's not writing about Africa, Marc can be found travelling to remote locations. He thinks there's nothing better than standing on a mountaintop wondering what lies over the next horizon.

Marc is the bestselling author of Aranya and The Pygmy Dragon and is currently working on sequels for both books.

'The Fox's Mask (Kitsune Trilogy #1)' by Anna Frost

The Fox's Mask (Kitsune Trilogy #1)

by Anna Frost

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

BLURB:

Demon hunter Akakiba keeps many secrets from his human companion. The fact he's a werefox isn't the worst one.

In feudal Japan, magic is dying. As a demon hunter, Akakiba finds this problematic. The evil he's been trained to destroy is disappearing and, along with it, the shape-shifting abilities of the clan he left behind. With his only companion, a determined young human named Yuki, Akakiba traverses the country slaying demons and performing odd jobs.

But when an army of demon-possessed humans masses to exterminate his clan, Akakiba must put aside old feuds and protect his family–-all while hiding an important secret from Yuki. Will they find a way to defeat the demon possessed before it's too late? With magic dwindling, will it matter either way?

Read an excerpt:

Sometime later, the boy woke.

“I’m hungry,” he said shyly. “Are we there yet?”

“Do you want a rice cake, um, you?” Yuki blinked. “Uh, you never gave us your name.”

“I’m Taro, because I’m the firstborn in my family,” he explained as if they couldn’t figure out that a person named “eldest son” was likely to be the eldest son.

After discovering Taro’s name, they also discovered that once he was finished being awed into silence, it was very difficult to get him to stop talking.

“Why is your name Akakiba?” Taro asked. “Is it a warrior name?”

“No. It’s the name I was born with.”

“Why would your parents pick that name?”

“My father is named Kiba, the fang. My mother is Akahana, the red rose. They compromised with Akakiba, the red fang.”

“Oh. Do you always wear your swords?”

“Yes.”

“Even when you sleep?”

“Yes.”

“Even when you take a bath?”

“No.”

There was an all-too-brief moment of silence before Taro asked another question. “Why is it the Fox clan and not the Dragon clan? Foxes don’t fight demons, dragons do.”

Yuki intervened, perhaps sensing Akakiba’s growing impatience. “Foxes fight demons too. Don’t you know the legend?”

"There’s no legend with fighting foxes,” Taro asserted.


“Is that so? Then I can’t tell you about it since it doesn’t exist...”

"Tell me!”

Yuki’s voice softened as he began. “A long time ago, when foxes were more than mere animals and possessed great powers, it wasn’t rare for them to take our likeness and live among us unseen. It so happened that a fox disguised as a beautiful lady fell in love with a strong and honorable samurai. They married and lived happily for a time.

“One day, a dog wandered into their garden and started chasing the fox lady. So afraid was she that she turned back into a fox and leaped to safety on top of a wall. Having witnessed the scene, the samurai begged her not to leave, swearing to love her forever even if she were a fox. She heard truth in his voice and returned to him. They had many children and lived happily for a time longer.

“In those days, demons were strong and cruel, and they despised foxes for their willingness to side with humanity against them. One such demon descended upon their home and killed the samurai before the fox lady’s eyes. In her anguish, she took up her husband’s sword and slew the monster.

“The fox lady’s sorrow was, however, too great to bear; a wasting sickness took her, and she was soon on her deathbed. Sensing her death approaching, she told her children that they were to become slayers of demons, for nothing else would allow her to rest in peace. Her children obeyed and founded the Fox clan to honor their mother. Ever since, the Fox clan’s warriors have been fighting demons wherever they can be found.”

Akakiba glanced at his friend with surprise. “I didn’t know you knew the legend.”

“I didn’t know it before. Someone in the village told the story during the festival. You should have told me. It’s interesting.”

Akakiba heard the unspoken reproach: You never tell me anything. But why should he? There was no need to speak of his clan. He himself hadn’t dealt with them in years, not since he rebelled, left the clan house, and found Yuki.

Taro spoke up. “But how did the fox lady know how to use a sword?”

Akakiba and Yuki sighed in unison. The road would be a long one.

Buy links

Amazon \ Barnes & Noble \ Smashwords \ Kobo

 On sale for a limited time for only $0.99!

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Anna Frost is a Canadian girl who spends winters writing and dreaming of summer. An overdose of Japanese culture and media has led her to write fantasy inspired by Japanese mythology. In a shocking break with literary tradition, Anna does not live with cats. Instead she lives with chinchillas, which can be just as demanding and evil as cats.

Author links:

www.annafrost.ca
https://twitter.com/Frostanity
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6452110.Anna_Frost

Anna will award a $30 gift card (Amazon OR B&N OR Kobo) to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour. Follow the tour for more chances to win!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Meet K.D. Van Brunt, author of 'Win the Rings'

What is the first curse word that comes to mind? How often and why do you use it?

God dammit. Too much. Force of habit, really. There might be a psychological element to this—my parents were strict about forbidding that curse word (and others).

How would you spend ten thousand bucks?

Probably use it to make some home repairs. No matter how much I spend on this house, it’s always ready to suck down another $10 grand.

What are 5 things within touching distance?

Computer keyboard, coffee cup, iPhone, my Bose noise cancelling headphones, and an Edward Cullen/Twilight mouse pad (don’t ask me why).

Do you have a crush on anyone?

No. I may have fantasies, but they fall short of crush territory.

What is your least favorite word?

Currently, I’m on the warpath against overuse of the words “suddenly” and “just” in my writing. Those are usually useless filler words that communicate little or nothing, and they’re often strewn throughout a book like garbage along the interstate.

Win the Rings

by K.D. Van Brunt

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

BLURB:

Jace has been the property of the U.S. Army since they found out about her when she was five, and now she has become one of its most valuable weapons. But Jace is not the only one of her kind. Gray is one too, but with the help of his sister, he has spent most of his sixteen years hiding from the Army.

Now, the Army has found out about Gray and they cannot allow him to roam free. Operating on the theory that it takes one to catch one, Jace is sent out with a special ops squad to hunt Gray down. But Jace is not the only one pursuing Gray, and the competition is after her too. What ensues is a desperate chase through city after city as duty and honor collide with love and sacrifice.

Read an excerpt:

“I’m Mark,” he says.

“Tina,” I blurt out before I know what I’m doing.

“Princess Tina from the kingdom of Berwick,” Mark says with a wolfish grin.

I can’t help myself. I shoot him a flirtatious smile. I’m about to tell him that he looks like Justin Bieber having a bad hair day, in a kind of blended compliment-insult thing, when Nia’s words crash into my head.

Gray, I think it’s him. 

Where?

By Au Bon Pain. He has a dark green trench coat on, but I saw a flash of the hoodie underneath.

“Shit,” I say out loud, grabbing the wheel back from Tina. I toss the paper and bolt for the restaurant.

“Hey, wait a sec,” the Biebs shouts to me.

As I turn the corner of the newsstand, I hear Nia’s frantic words.

He’s pulling something from his coat.

I see him now. He’s standing in front of a plate glass window looking in on a crush of people inside, sitting at tables and queued up behind counters to buy lunch. He’s pulling back a slide on an automatic assault rifle, preparing to pump the first of a hundred rounds of bullets into the crowded restaurant. There’s no time to find a policeman. In seconds loony tunes will be shooting.

We have to stop him, I say, and then I see Nia sprinting at him like me.

We both slam into him at the same time just as he’s leveling the gun to fire, and all three of us tumble to the hard, icy concrete. I’m lying on my side facing Peter Eklend and he’s on his side facing me. I’ve wrenched my shoulder and it’s too painful for me to sit up. Peter Eklend shoots a glare of such hatred at me that I flinch. Then I see that he still has the gun in his hands. Nia is on her feet now, but before she can do anything, Peter pulls the trigger. The explosion brings a sudden quietness to my ears, as if I’ve just gone deaf, and I feel a stabbing hot pain in my chest, as if I’ve been impaled on a red-hot fireplace poker. I cough, sending a froth of blood spraying out of my mouth. I need to breathe, but my lungs aren’t working.

Then my ears start working and I hear Nia scream. Others are now wrestling with Peter. Another shot goes off. It doesn’t hit me.

Gray. Shift. You have to shift!

I’m losing consciousness. I can’t breathe. My lungs are filling with blood. This body is dying. I can feel it. I’m seconds away from the last, icy embrace of death. I have to get out of this body, leave it behind and flee to another body—a healthy, unwounded body. I need to shift now. With one last shred of will power, just as awareness winks out, I shift back to me.

A crowd has gathered around me by now, and I hear a collective gasp when they see me shimmer and change. I’m lying on the ground in a sticky, syrupy pool of blood, but I’m back in my own body now—my own bullet-free body. Nia is immediately at my side pulling me to my feet. Some of Tina’s blood stains my pants and sweatshirt as I roll away from Peter Eklend. I’ve shifted away from death in the nick of time. A strange exhilaration causes my skin to tinkle and a rush of adrenalin floods through me. I’ve evaded eternity by mere nanoseconds.

Run! Nia says, bringing me back to the moment.

Available on Amazon

Author Bio: 

K.D. Van Brunt has been writing professionally his entire career and has published an extensive list of nonfiction works. Win the Rings is his first fiction book. When not writing, he reads and listens to audiobooks during his daily drive through the sea of gridlock that is commuting in and out of Washington, DC. A long time resident of Maryland, he can often be found tromping around the many civil war battle sites in the area. To find out more about K.D. Van Brunt, including bonus content relating to Win the Rings, check out his website--www.kdvanbrunt.com--and follow him on twitter--
@KDVanBrunt.

Twitter: @kdvanbrunt

Website: www.kdvanbrunt.com

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/K.D.-Van-Brunt/e/B00IUFSVCG/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21395951-win-the-rings

Facebook: www.facebook.com/KDVANBRUNT

Prizes for the tour are as follows:

• One randomly chosen commenter will win a $50 Amazon/BN.com gift card.

• One randomly chosen host will receive a $25 Amazon/BN.com gift card.

Follow the tour for more chances to win!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review of 'Snow Bound (More Than Magic #2)' by Elizabeth Kirke

Blurb from Amazon:

After learning how to use magic and fighting vampires, anyone would be bored going back to normal college life. As if that wasn’t enough, Jen didn’t realize how hard it would be to tiptoe around her non-magic family and friends. She can’t even talk to her familiar, Rak, without making sure no one else is around! Worst of all, Jen misses the friends she made over the summer. Aside from Rak, they’re the only other magics she knows and she hasn’t seen them in almost five months!

Jen is all too happy to accept an invitation to go skiing with the gang. She gears up for two weeks of snow, magic, and fun. Just when everything seems to be going great, an uninvited guest turns up. Soon the skiers aren’t the only things going downhill. Jen thought that vampires were just about the most dangerous thing the magical world could throw at her. Unfortunately, she’s about to learn that people with no magic at all can be just as deadly ...

*My thoughts**

I loved this book just about as much as I loved the first book in the series. The characters are all a lot of fun as they play with their elements and powers. They enjoy topping each other and picking on each other, just like one big happy family. (I am also a New Yorker who is a Lions fan, so I get a kick out of all of the football banter!) Jen definitely feels the most comfortable when she is around them, because she can truly be herself. She seems to be growing into herself, but still has a really long way to go.

In this installment, Jen has been away from everyone else for the past five months. I do wish we would have had more insight into what she did for those five months, because that seems like an awfully long time to go without seeing everyone. I'm waiting for more lessons about her powers and abilities. She does have the opportunity to learn much more about the history of magic and more about their magical world as the new dangers present themselves up on the mountain. She also seems to find herself in the new position of being somewhat of a teacher. Old friends rejoin the cast in this book, as well as a couple of new additions. I love Dani and Charlie. This time around, I didn't confuse TS and Thomas as much. (Their names are too close!) Marianna didn't play as much of a role in this book. Sometimes, I forgot she was even there. Ember is new and has a lot of spunk. Shannon is also new, in that she now has an active role instead of being just someone mentioned. She too smart for her own good and definitely keeps things spicy!

I enjoyed the action in this book and still had a hard time putting it down. I shook my head, laughed out loud, and even got a little teary.  I did feel like Jen was a bit more of a passive observer in this book, as opposed to being involved in a lot of the action. The story is told from her perspective, so she does get a lot into her thoughts and emotions. Her biggest change in life revolves around her love life and her cousin's visit. The dynamic of those relationships change drastically.

I enjoy how the series holds true to its name. Yes, magic is involved in each book, but the stories are more about friendship and creating everlasting bonds with your loved ones. It's about finding your place in this world.

I feel like something bigger is being set up in this book. Jen and her friends are working their way up to an epic battle of sorts in the future. I can't wait for the next installment!