Lorelei's Lyric: #Mermaids and #NewBookRelease

If Lorelei sings, someone will die.

Her beautiful voice once cost a life. Still, music is her passion. What’s a mermaid to do? Run off and live vicariously through mortal musicians!

Unfortunately, gorgeous rocker Vance Idol almost succumbs to her siren call after his show in Nashville. Not that Vance cares—not since his girlfriend’s fatal overdose left him with a supersized death wish. Lorelei makes it her mission to undo the damage and help this talented and charismatic man on the eve of his band’s big break.

But saving a mortal man is a dangerous proposition. Lorelei could far too easily lose her heart, and quite possibly her immortality, during her American holiday. Bad boy Vance might be worth the risk.

Can their love survive his attitude, her fins, and an Evil Pixie with a grudge against them both?

Available from Amazon in eBook and paperback formats.

Praise for Lorelei’s Lyric:

Lorelei’s Lyric is brilliantly clever with its unique blend of Southern humor and poignant mermaid mythology. Modern-day Siren, Lorelei, traveling to The Music City of Nashville? One helluva great premise that hooked me at page one! I fell in love with this shape shifting Siren and her romance with aspiring rocker Vance Idol. One of those rare books that will have you laughing and sighing and crying, touching your heart just as great music touches your soul. A must read!

—Debbie Herbert, USA Today bestselling author of the Dark Seas series (Siren’s Secret, Siren’s Treasure, and Siren’s Call)

Lorelei's Lyric made me swoon! A perfect blend of mermaid magic and rock-star grit, Sieders' charming, irresistibly sexy tale gives us a love story to believe in. I can't wait to read more!

           

—Jeri Smith-Ready, Award-winning author of Requiem for the Devil, the WVMP Radio series, and the Shade Trilogy

D.B. Sieders was born and raised in East Tennessee and spent her childhood hiking in the Great Smoky Mountains, wading barefoot in creeks, and chasing salamanders, fish, and frogs. She and her family loved to tell stories while sitting around the campfire.

Those days of frog chasing sparked an interest in biology. She is a working scientist by day, but never lost her love of telling stories. Now, she’s a purveyor of unconventional fantasy romance featuring strong heroines and the heroes who strive to match them. Her heroes and heroines face a healthy dose of angst as they strive for redemption and a happily ever after, which everyone deserves.

D.B. Sieders lives in Nashville, Tennessee with her husband, two children, two cats, and her very active imagination.

You can find D.B. Sieders on her Website, Twitter, Facebook, and Goodreads.

Nate Rocks the City Book Blast and #GIVEAWAY

I'm happy and sad today - Karen has a new Nate Rocks book out, so yay! But it is the final one in the series - boooooo. However, she's offering up a real treat for middle grade readers as well as an amazing giveaway:

Join my friend Karen Pokras Toz for one last adventure with Nathan Rockledge and his alter ego Nate Rocks. And if you haven't read any of the books, check out the entire series from her Amazon page.

About the Book:

Hey New York! Are you ready for Nate Rocks?

Fifth grader Nathan Rockledge has been counting down the daysóand mealsóuntil his class trip to New York City. Now that the big event is finally here, he can barely stand the excitement. After all, isnít this what being a fifth grader is all about? Oh sure, his Mom is one of the chaperones, his annoying sister Abby is tagging along, and that know-it-all classmate, Lisa, will be there as well. However, none of that matters. Not when heíll be with his best friends, Tommy and Sam.

While seeing the sights, his teacher wants his class to take notes, but Nathan has other ideas. With paper and pencil in hand, Nathan prefers to doodle, transforming himself into Nate Rocks, boy hero. Amid ninja pigeons to fend off, aliens to attack, and the baseball game of the century to save, will Nate Rocks be able to save the day one more time?

Buy the Book:

Barnes & Noble

Amazon

About the Author:

Karen Pokras Toz writes middle grade and adult contemporary fiction. Her books have won several awards including two Readersí Favorite Book Awards, the Grand Prize in the Purple Dragonfly Book Awards, as well as placing first for two Global E-Book Awards for Pre-Teen Literature. Karen is a member of the Society of the Children's Book Writers & Illustrators (SCBWI). For children, her books include the Nate Rocks series, Millicent Marie is Not My Name, & Pie and Other Brilliant Ideas. For adult readers, Karenís books include Chasing Invisible, and her soon to be released, Whispered Wishes series. A native of Connecticut, Karen now lives outside of Philadelphia with her husband and three children. For more information, please visit www.karentoz.com.

Follow the Author:

Blog

Twitter

Facebook

Goodreads

Follow the Tour:

For reviews, interviews, and more fun, click for the full tour schedule.

Enter the Giveaway:

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A GWR Publicity event paid for by the author. YOUR BLOG NAME received no compensation for the post. The giveaway is sponsored by the author who is responsible for the delivery of the prize. 

Steampunk Blog Hop giveaway

Those little linkies on the right are other members of the steampunk blog hop. Please click to discover amazing prizes!

And enter the Fresh Pot of Tea / Crown Phoenix giveaway right here:


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Including a steampunk book locket necklace:

And a copy of The South Sea Bubble (or any Crown Phoenix title you choose:)

PLUS the entire ebook series for one lucky winner. Enter now and return to tweet about the giveaway each day!

New Book in an AMAZING Series!

One problem I hear from many parents of advanced readers is that the books their kids enjoy aren't right for their age level.

Enter Karen Pokras Toz and her Nate Rocks series. The new book in the series is Nate Rocks the School, and here is an excerpt:

*****

Buildings collapse to the ground as the giant robot pushes its way through the

dark city streets. The road crumbles underneath the massive beast’s every move.

Frightened citizens have all been evacuated and are hiding inside City Hall’s

basement, normally a secure refuge during even the worst situations.

“Nate,” the mayor pleads with his hands on my shoulders, “you’ve got to do

something! The robot will be here in just a matter of minutes. He is ruining our city!

If you don’t do something, we will all be crushed! Please, Nate, please!”

“Me? Why me?” I ask, wondering why this powerful and strong leader would want

my help. Isn’t he the one who is supposed to protect us?

The mayor bends down close and looks me in the eye. “Why because you’re Nate

Rocks, of course! Now go! There is no time to waste.”

I look around to a sea of terrified eyes staring at me. Yes, I’ve got to do something.

Everyone here is depending on me. I run up the basement steps and out of the

building. Debris is flying all around as the robot turns the corner, taking out the

movie theater with a single swipe of its mechanical arm. He is still several blocks

away from City Hall, but moving closer by the second. The sound of his steps

combined with the destruction around me is deafening.

Halfway down the street I spot it ... the old train station that’s been closed for years.

The city has been working to restore it into some kind of historical landmark. The

front has been covered with metal scaffolding for months now. That’s it! I race down

the street, toward the train station and the robot, as fast as I can possibly run. I have

to time everything perfectly or my plan will fail.

As I reach the train station, I grab hold of the metal ladder and hoist myself up to the

first landing on the scaffolding. Not high enough. I jump up to grab on to the next set

of ladders and proceed to climb at a rapid pace until I am on the roof of the building.

The robot is just steps away. I crouch behind a metal beam to stay out of sight. As

the robot approaches, I leap from the roof onto the giant machine’s shoulder, just

as he knocks the train station to the ground. I swiftly slide to the back of the robot,

out of his line of vision, and lower myself carefully down until I find the square door.

Just as I suspected! I open the door to the control panel on his back. Different colored

wires hum as they power the robot’s every move. With all my strength, I pull the

wires, detaching them from the monster. I hold tight as he collapses to the ground

in defeat just steps away from City Hall. Silence suddenly fills the air around me, but

not for long.

Everyone comes running out of the building cheering. The mayor swings me

through the air as the crowd chants:

“Nate!”

“Nate!”

“Nate!”

“Nathan! Are you listening?”

“Huh?” I look up to see Mom standing over my shoulder.

“Nathan, why are you drawing pictures all over that permission form? You know

you have to return that to school today!” Mom takes the slip of paper out of my

hands. “Honestly, Nathan, now where am I supposed to sign? You’ve drawn robots

everywhere. Don’t you want to go on this trip?”

Of course I want to go! One of the perks of moving up to fifth grade is the trip in the

spring to New York City. Who wouldn’t want to go? Actually, now that I think about

it, I kind of remember my older sister, Abby, complaining that she didn’t want to

go back when she was in fifth grade ... something about not being able to bring her

curling iron. I guess she didn’t want anyone to see her without her hair done. Girls!

Although, I can’t say I really blame her there. I shudder just thinking about it. Oooh ...

maybe that annoying classmate of mine, Lisa Crane, won’t want to go either. All she

is going to do anyway is act like she knows everything about everything. That’s what

she does. I have to admit; it was kind of nice getting away from her over the summer

when I went to overnight camp with my best friend, Tommy. But now that we’re

back, and school has started up again, I feel like Lisa is everywhere I turn.

*****

You can get the book here:

And don't forget to enter the giveaway here:

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Steampunk for Sale

A quick announcement :

My book, Crown Phoenix: Night Watchman Express, is now on sale for 99 cents on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Smashwords.

Pick it up now and feed your Kindle!

(Kindle buy link to the left, or use the live links above.)

The Dream Land

Just released: The Dream Land, by Stephen Swartz

How far would you go to save the love of your life? Through a doorway to another world?

Stephen Swartz, author of The Dream Land

Sebastian, that quiet tax examiner at the corner desk in the IRS service center, carries a dark secret: once upon a time he and his high school sweetheart Gina found a rip in the universe and stepped through it to a strange world of magical beauty.

Far from being a Disney-esque playground, the world of Ghoupallesz bursts with cosmopolitan elegance, alien perversions, and political strife. Gina, the adventurous one, falls in love with the adventurous possibilities. Not Sebastian; always practical, he insists they return to Earth. Gina refuses so he goes back alone, vowing never to return. Yet he finds himself drawn back repeatedly--he calls it “research”--and often crosses paths with Gina. Sometimes he saves her, sometimes she saves him, forever soul mates.

Now years later, life on Earth hasn’t gone well for Sebastian. The headaches revisit him, with flashes of memories from Ghoupallesz. Gina is in trouble again, he senses, and he must, as always, save her. 

Meanwhile, a pair of too-curious IRS co-workers have accidently overdosed on the Elixir of Love he brought back on his last trip and the antidote exists only on Ghoupallesz. With these co-workers in tow, Sebastian returns through the interdimensional portal, fearing it may be his final adventure. He must gather his old comrades from the war, cross the towering Zet mountains, and free Gina from the Zetin warlord’s castle before her execution. Perhaps then she will stay with him.

But are his adventures to the other side real? Or are they just the dreams of a psychotic killer? That’s what the police want to know when Sebastian returns without his co-workers.

THE DREAM LAND is a genre-mashing epic of interdimensional intrigue, alien romance, and world domination by a pair of nerdy sweethearts, spiced up with some police procedural and psychological thriller, then marbled with twisted humor, steampunk pathos, and time/space conundrums.

EXCERPT:

How long had it been? Sebastian never contemplated that there might be any time difference between the two worlds. He imagined that weeks had passed on Earth and everyone would be looking for Gina and him. And yet, it seemed like it was still summer. Because they had never expected to be able to travel as they did, they made no preparation for their return. He had no money now—no dollars, just a few gealan stones—and he could not remember where he’d left his car keys, or if he had even brought them. And the clothes he now wore were alien fashions—a little Star Trekkie, perhaps, but serviceable, he decided. It did not matter. He still had to walk home—most of the two mile distance was through the dark countryside where he could hide whenever headlights approached. For the last few blocks into suburbia he would have to try to keep out of sight.

As he came upon the 7-Eleven store, he saw the parking lot was empty, no customers inside. But he had no money. Hungry and thirsty, he was also curious. He pushed himself inside, the door hitting his backside as he paused there, feeling the stares of the clerk and another customer buying cigarettes.

“Halloween’s a ways off, ya know,” the man chuckled.

“Costume party,” he responded quickly, trying to act as though everything was perfectly normal, the English words surprisingly uncomfortable in his mouth.

But everything wasn’t normal. He continued to feel nervous twitches of energy running errantly through his body, strings of electric snakes wriggling up and down his arms and legs and back. The sensations, ticklish and cold, were the electricity still trying to find a way out of his body. And the colors were different—but only because he had been looking through a tinted atmosphere the past few months, seeing the alien sky in shades of green instead of blue. He felt thinner, yet every step he took seemed heavier to him.

“So, what’ll it be for ya tonight?” the clerk called to him as the other customer exited.

He was walking up and down the aisles unable to make up his mind.

“A newspaper,” Sebastian decided.

“They’re up here.”

He returned to the counter, pulled the top paper from the rack. Holding the newspaper in his hands, tightening his grip to help the electric spasm pass, he fixed his eyes on the date. It was the same year, the same month, he saw. But it was now two days later than when they had gone to the quarry. Only two days had passed! And yet he had lived 127 days on that other world.

Suddenly, he felt like he held a great secret and if he let down his guard others would be able to see it written on his face. He turned away quickly, stuffing the newspaper back into the rack. He circled through the store again.

“Excuse me,” he spoke up, the store clerk watching his every move closely. “I seem to have lost my wallet—this damn costume, no pockets, you know? Could I use your phone? It’s a local call.”

“Can’t let you use it,” said the clerk. “There’s a phone outside.”

Rather than waste time pleading, he stomped out of the store, thinking there was a chance someone forgot their change. But when he picked up the receiver of the pay phone and jumped back from the spark, he found the sidewalk becoming littered with quarters, dimes and nickels. He gathered them up, chose a quarter to insert into the phone, and dialed his friend Jason’s number.

“Jason!” he shouted into the phone.

“Hey, dude!” his friend shouted back. “Where the hell you been? Your mom and dad’s been calling me.”

“I thought they might.”

“They’re going crazy!”

“I know, I know.”

“So where were you?”

“The other side of the universe,” Sebastian replied.

“What?”

“Can you pick me up?”

“Where?”

“You know where.”

As he waited, he imagined his mother asking him where he’d been and he would say with Gina, and his parents would quiz him about his behavior. She’s a dear girl, his mother would say, but did she lead you on? Did she pull you into temptation? He was supposed to be a good boy, study hard, start a good career, meet a nice girl. To cover his absence, he was prepared to say she had tempted him. “I resisted as much as I could,” he planned to say, then he would go to his room and think about the 127 days they were together. And the last day together.

The candy red Mustang roared into the parking lot of the 7-Eleven, the engine shaking the pavement, The Moody Blues’ Question blasting out the open windows.

“Ready to go?” Jason called out over the music.

A year later Sebastian would guide his friend to the other side....

[sic] by Scott Kelly

I love the cover; it's simple and complex at the same time.

It's difficult to find a really well-written book that has a driving concept behind it. Some start with a great idea and others have beautiful prose, but to have both interwoven in one book is a rare, lovely thing. The Age of Miracles is one - the idea that the planet's revolution is gradually slowing sings out with lush phrases.

[sic] is another. The book is about a group of kids who play a game called Eureka, invented by David, the ringleader (more about him later.) In the game, if someone gets tagged "It," they must do something in the next fifteen minutes to completely change his life. Or her life. 

At first the game is simple - a damaged, gorgeous girl gets tagged and kisses a nerdy guy in front of everyone in the school, David switches paperwork between two McMansions. But as things progress, the game and the changes inflicted by the kids themselves become more and more trippy.

That's the concept, and it's a good one. A lesser writer would have created a decent manuscript that tells the story of the kids and the game as a compelling enough read. But this is Scott Kelly, who is a real wordsmith. Look at how he describes Kent's father, the landlord of the trailer park where the Eureka players all live:

Scott Kelly, the author

Kent's dad slept under an awning. Rolls of fat spilled out from the sides of the larn chair. Dad once warned me to stay away from Mr. Gimble - fairly easy advice to follow, because the landlord seemed violent and pissed off at all times.

A sweaty thatch of faded blondhair gave way to fat cheeks and thick jowls. What struck me most was how sad Kent's dad looked. Not mad at all. Just a defeated frown, like he was about to start bawling in his sleep. Like dreaming was torment. Like it hurt to be.

I could guess the cause of his nightmares: the landlord hated being alone with himself.

The narrator is Jacob. He frames the story as he speaks to police, to a youth psychologist, and also to us. [sic] begins with David's death, and throughout the book, Jacob is trying to describe what happened. I dare you to read that first paragraph and not want to find out what happens:

My personal savior is named David Bloom, and presently he's falling about ten stories from the top of a water tower. And my stupid stunned mind; all I can think is that he looks great doing it. Arms spread, fingertips extended, face serene - homicide by stage dive. His body returns to the earth below, the ten-story drop reducing him to a streak of white and blue cloth, brown hair blown back from closed eyes. Maybe he's smiling. Maybe I just like to think so.

By the way - the story is told in the past tense, a big plus for me. I'm not a present tense fan at all. After that first paragraph, the tense switches smoothly to the past, and Kelly makes it work. And the added concept of David's fall (or flight) is extended throughout the book, as Jacob seeks the blame for David's death: "I blame the death of David Bloom on the fact that after the math, David always won. His solar system spun, and we were trapped in its orbit."

David himself is the catalyst, although his influence extends through the other kids. He is attractive: 

David's skin shone against low-hanging sun, wisps of curled brown hair a halo charged by the dawn's light. Never got a haircut his mom didn't give, so it was shoulder-length, in calm curls. 

Angry almond eyes.

The other kids are vivid characters as well. There is Kent, the son of the landlord, who could have been a simple, static character but reveals layers of personality as the story unfolds. Cameron is the damaged beauty, molested by Kent's dad, who kisses Steven, the dweeby guy. There's Emily, the girl who is "all dyed black hair and army boots." She might be one of my favorite characters, even though she is dangerous - perhaps because she is dangerous - she refuses to put up with things as they are. Perhaps it is the reason that she embraces Eureka. The kids are the players : they are called the Six.

And then there is an outsider, Nora - an overweight girl that Jacob falls for. The description of her and the growing relationship between Jacob and the girl who refuses to play the game that takes over the lives of the Six. 

That creates a great tension between her and Jacob, although the other relationships (between Cameron and Kent, Emily and Jacob, and Jacob and David himself) are also explored deeply. 

It's as if Kelly stretches things, so we can see the thoughts and feelings behind the mumbled conversations and making out sessions between the members of the Six and Nora. He finds the "liminal spaces" (read the book to find out what that is) hiding in their interactions.

There were some sections that made me pause. For example, in the second half of the book, when David talks to the Six about his philosophy, he doesn't sound like a teen but a professor. I get that he is supremely intelligent (he paints impressions of music so you can almost hear it) but would a teen kid really say, "Change is the only constant, and so we must constantly change"?

I was also disappointed that Nora became a thin girl. Over the course of the book, she loses weight and shows off her mile-longlegs and her "athletic ponytail." I would have loved the originality if Jacob had continued to fall for her, pounds and all.

However, I must say that these flaws (along with one POV change and one over-compression of events) stood out BECAUSE the book is so good. If that lesser writer had offered the book, these would have been lost, as trash inside a messy trailer gets kicked to one side. In the glowing symphony of Kelly's book, I noticed them because of the beauty of everything else.

And let me mention here, before I forget, the soaring beauty of the grackle image - those birds that pick trash near the trailerpark. They occur throughout the book, and it is a lovely, sustained metaphor.

I would still highly recommend [sic] because of the concept, the writing, the characters - and the amazing ending. The book accomplished that rare thing - it entertained me and made me think, at the same time. 

You can purchase [sic] on Amazon or add it to your Goodreads list.

As well, read more about Scott Kelly's book on Facebook or his author website.

My Big Wonderful Blog Tour

Miriam, the heroine of the series. 

It feels like spring outside today, and how fitting that is. My Big Wonderful Blog Tour starts today, and it's kicking off at Book Vacations. (Four stars, yippee!)

Mana, the magic governess.

In order to celebrate the sparkly new release of my books, I am offering a giveaway of some cool stuff, if I do say so myself. You can win a Kindle Fire, big old Amazon gift cards, bling, signed books, and a bag full of swag. Entering is really easy, in the Rafflecopter form at the bottom of the page.

My books are newly edited, with sparkly new covers by my dear friend Lisa Daly and maps (yay, maps!) designed by the very talented writer and cartographer, Ross Kitson. I do hope you will give the books a look, and of course you can always download a sample first from my author page, here.

Barbara, the beautiful villainess.

They are also available on Nook and Smashwords.


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The Last Guardian, by Joan Hazel

Joan Hazel's book, The Last Guardian, is on my reading list this summer. I can't wait to read a story about a group of shapeshifters.

But there's more than that - there's Mika, see. Ever since I learned about Joan's book, I've been drooling over her character. He's not just Mika, he's My Mika. Why you ask? I'll show you why:

OK! So now that we understand that whole concept, Joan has been kind enough to allow me to host an excerpt from The Last Guardian. And as a special treat, she has featured a steamy scene with CJ and with My Mika.

cover for The Last Guardian

"Do you not know me?" Mika spoke directly to her, yet continued to stare out into the middle of the lake. There was sadness in his voice, and CJ was unsure if the sadness belonged to her or to something else.

Did she know the man at her side? Her heart said yes, but her mind said no. Without shame or guilt, CJ stared at her companion.

He was taller than she by maybe four inches, no more. The earrings he wore were made from real feathers, wrapped with silver wire. The one closest to her swayed gently from the beating of his heart. Her gaze followed the long length of his braids to where they ended slightly above his belt.

The sleeves of the scarlet shirt he wore were rolled up exposing his forearms. Try as she might, CJ could not stop the woman in her from wondering if the skin beneath his shirt was the same deep sun-kissed color as the part she saw.

A laugh, deep and masculine, echoed across the lake. She would have thought it her imagination, had the sound not been followed by the plopping of frogs as they scattered into the water in surprise.

CJ's lifted her gaze to Mika's face. Still he stared ahead, unwavering. "Are you going to answer me?" she asked.

"The answer is yes," he said.

"Excuse me?"

"Yes, my skin is the same color all over."

"I did not mean…How did you…"

"I have been inside your mind since you were a child. It is easy for me to slip in and out of your thoughts without your notice."

The author, Joan Hazel

CJ grunted and crossed her arms over her chest in defiance.

"Forgive me. I did not mean to embarrass you," he whispered.

"You didn't. I, uh…" Okay, she thought. I am embarrassed. Dang it! "You still did not answer my original question," she said trying to change the subject.

"Does that mean you have finished taking inventory?" he asked with a hint of male smugness.

CJ blushed, but felt no true remorse. "You asked if I did not know you. I was only checking to see if I recognized you. Which, I am sorry to say I did not."

"Very well," he said, facing her.

Though there was little emotion in his voice, his eyes held a pain and longing CJ did not understand, yet felt compelled to erase.

Mika took her hand in his and placed it over his heart. Her pulse quickened at his touch.

"What…uh…what are you...?" she stammered.

"Do not speak, Charlie Jean," he said. "Only trust."

CJ peered deep into his caramel eyes. Gold flecks twinkled and danced in a way that was mesmerizing. If he asked her to walk on a bed of hot coals at this moment, she would do it for him.

"Close your eyes," he requested as he brought up his other hand to cover her eyelids with his palm.

If any other man had tried to touch her in such a way, CJ would have pulled away, but she ignored her mind's protests and did as he asked. With eyes closed, CJ allowed Mika to guide her wherever he wished.

"I need to know that you trust me, Wicahpi. Truly trust me."

CJ nodded her obedience. "I do," she whispered. "I don't know why, but I do." Even with her eyes closed, she knew her statement had made him smile, and that made her happy.

"This is real CJ. I am real. I need you to open your mind," he instructed her. "Open you mind and your heart. Allow them to guide you to our Mother. She gives us all the answers. It is our job to know how to receive them."

Time held no influence over the events that were taking place. For CJ it seemed to be both an eternity and mere seconds. The heat of Mika's body radiated though his shirt to penetrate into her hand, and the rhythm of his heart pulsed strong and steady through her fingertips and into her body.

"Listen. Can you hear it? Can you hear my heart beat?

"Yes," she whispered.

"As my heart beats, so does that of every living thing upon the Earth. Every creature. Every plant. Even the water. Can you hear those?"

Timidly, CJ opened her heart and her senses to the world about her. She heard the breeze as it whispered through the pines and recognized the songs of the different birds that sang along its branches.

The world around her buzzed and thrummed. Each sound blended with the next to create a symphony that played in time to the beat of Mika's heart.

"You feel it. Don't you?" Mika asked.

"I feel it, but—but what is it?"

"Connection," he explained. "Connection to the Universe and all she has to offer you.”

*****

Oh, let's just have one more look at Mika, shall we?