Book Bling-Elizabeth Alsobrooks

Tell-Tale Publishing's Halloween Horror Party Giveaway Blog Hop!

10/31/2014

Apparently you only have to kill 3 people to be classified as a serial killer. Most, of course, kill more, frequently until they are captured or die. The newest serial killers are zombies. Zombie killers glorify death by cannibalistic crunch and munch. Now, this doesn't actually "kill" you permanently, but merely makes you want to participate in the gooey buffet. After your first bite, your Sushi snack soon becomes a fellow food competitor. The modern circle of life?

Yikes! And they wonder what causes nightmares? So many scary ways to die at the hand of another human being and they're all on television. Personally, I love the new fall lineup! LOL!

Enter the Rafflecopter Below for the Chance to Win this Beautiful Illuminati Tarot Kit: Cards and Illustrated Book

or the Paperback version of my Urban Fantasy novel: Illuminati: The Book of Life

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Review of Black Cats and Ballet Shoes by Iva Valentino

10/30/2014

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Review!

Gemma is the perfect pov for this tweenish romp, complete with awkward moments and struggles with insecurity during one of mother nature's cruelest jokes, the budding maturity and fast-fleeting childhood of the dreaded middle school years.

Laced with humor and mild suspense this is an easy, quick read with content geared toward fairly young female readers. Upper Elementary girls will probably be big fans.

As a retired literacy expert, I noticed that the diary-entry format makes this easily accessible to a much younger audience, but older, urban or "reluctant" readers may not be as able to relate to the Bobbsey Twin feel of the content or heroine.

That said, this is a well-written, entertaining story with real-lifelike characters and a creative storyline.

Book Bling gives this story 4 Stars!

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. The author will be awarding a $25 Amazon gift card to one randomly drawn commenter via Rafflecopter. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Gemma Mayfield feels like middle school is a lot to bite off and chew. School, ballet classes, and planning on how to get Trevor Davis to ask her to the Halloween Dance are a tough balancing act. On top of that, Gemma is convinced that her science teacher, Ms. Pruett, is a witch.

When things start getting fishy at school, Gemma knows that Ms. Pruett is behind it all! Students are getting spells placed on them and start to go missing. Gemma and her best friend, Izzie, vow to stop Ms. Pruett from doing any more damage. Will they be able to save Middleton Middle School from witchcraft?

Enjoy an excerpt:

I am convinced that my teacher is a witch. I’m not saying that she acts witchy, like she’s mean or anything. Completely the opposite, as far as I’m concerned. Ms. Pruett is so nice that she’s TOO nice.

Ms. Pruett is the kind of teacher that masquerades as your grandma. I’m not kidding! She shuffles around the classroom with her white frizzy hair poking up all over the place out of her bun. She calls the kids “dearie,” like ALL THE TIME. She also passes out candy a lot, although I’ve never eaten any. (I’ve been too scared, but no one’s keeled over or turned into a spider yet.)

I think there’s something really creepy about her.

Like, for instance, I was sitting in Ms. Pruett’s science class today. Ms. Pruett was at the front of the room, droning on about the respiratory system of frogs. Blah, blah, blah. Every once in a while she would come down one of the rows in the classroom, gripping her frog model and pointing to some frog part. And then she’d stop, make eye contact with a kid or two, and smile this sweet, sickening smile. It was sort of mesmerizing.

I always find myself unable to stop staring at the wart on her face. Izzie says it’s a mole, not a wart. I prefer to think otherwise. Sometimes it surprises me that we’re best friends since we disagree on this very important matter.

I don’t think that Izzie in general is as convinced as I am that Ms. Pruett is a witch. What’s not to believe? Wart on nose, the fact that she must be over a hundred years old, and the spooky room that we have class in every day. Ms. Pruett calls her classroom the “Science Laboratory”. Yikes! How much more creepy can you get?

About the Author:

Iva Valentino lives in Arizona with her husband and their dog, Lupo. She graduated from the University of Arizona with a Bachelor’s degree in Biology and a Master’s degree in Education. She loves living year-round in the warm desert.

Iva spent many years as a middle school teacher, where she enjoyed doing fun science experiments with her students. She currently works as a science editor at an educational publishing company. She loves travel, yoga, and photography. There is nothing that brings her more happiness than a good dance class!

Website: www.IvaValentino.com
Blog: www.ivavalentino.com/blog
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ivaavalentino

Buy the book at MuseItUp Publishing, Amazon, or Barnes and Noble. (on sale for $1.35 at publisher and Amazon)

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Nancy Gideon's 4th Annual Haunted Open House Blog Hop

10/27/2014

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Nancy Gideon's 4th Annual Haunted Open House Blog Hop! (+Giveaway)

Welcome - From October 27th to October 30th, I'll be participating in Nancy Gideon's Haunted Open House Giveaway Blog Hop as part of Nancy's 4th Annual Haunted Open House! Stop by Nancy's Haunted Open House to read Halloween posts by some awesome authors, wander into the spooky Game Room or sample some of the spooktacular Halloween drinks, appetizers and desserts. And don't forget to check out Nancy's Tricks-or-Treats!

Fear All Evil

I have always loved all things horrific. Movies, Books & Campfire Tales, were my favorite fun fare. Did they scare me? Sometimes, but they were more a "thrill" than a "chill".

So what truly frightens me? Humans capable of inconceivable evil.

Psychological thrillers are most terrifying to me because they are often based on true events. Tales that are geared toward "when and who" versus "what if" events are more frightening. Human monsters, people without social conscience or moral boundaries are more frightening than fabricated monsters. We all know what people are capable of doing. At the very least we have all witnessed the "justified" behavior of those who are cable of self-serving, self-righteous and vindictive social grouping. When we were kids we called them cliques or popularity contests, those trying to keep out of "slam" books in which social climbers happy not to be the center of attention point fingers at others.

So why not imagine those same youngsters growing up to become sociopaths, angry adults without moral boundaries. Or better yet, how about a scalpel-welding doctor without moral boundaries rather that the blase doctor without borders? Yup, that's what scares me: the evil that men do!

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Review of Nancy Gideon's Remembered by Moonlight

10/14/2014

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By Moonlight
Book 9
Because the road to . . .
Clever, cool and preternaturally lethal, Max Savoie is leader of a secretive shape-shifter clan, heir to a mobster’s legacy, and the love of New Orleans’ top cop . . . but he can’t remember any of them. The only way to recover his past, and his rightful place in the arms of the woman who risked all to save him, is to surrender to a mysterious visitor who could use him as a weapon against all he’d loved.
Happily-Ever-After . . .

After rescuing her mate from his ruthless captors in the North, hard-hitting Detective Charlotte Caissie is now painfully vulnerable—a stranger in his eyes . . . and in his bed. The key to his memories is locked in a tortuous past. To reclaim the strength of their passionate bond, Max must learn to trust her enough to face that darkness at her side before the threat it hides exposes the secret Cee Cee carries.

Is never smooth.

When an investigation into grisly deaths in an underground Shifter fight club points to more than just dangerous clan rivalries, Cee Cee enlists Max’s help to find a traitor in their midst while there’s still time to turn a deadly invading tide. But the cost of saving their treasured future may mean sacrificing his past. Especially when the enemy they pursue . . . might be Max, himself.

Available at Amazon

“Every delicious word Nancy Gideon puts on the page
exhilarates with a sensuous ferocity. Hopelessly addicted.”
--Darynda Jones, NY Times Bestselling Author

Praise from Publisher’s Weekly for the “By Moonlight” series:
“A paranormal romance series with intriguing characters and zippy action . . . Gideon masters the tension required to keep her complex and engaging story moving.”

“Vivid writing, plot twists and a satisfying ending will keep readers coming back to Gideon’s magical NOLA.”

“Rich and complex. Enticing new dimensions to the Shifter world keep things fresh. Gideon delivers well-crafted prose and page-turning tension.”

Where was Max?

Had she expected it to be easy having him here so close and yet so agonizingly far away? Bad enough watching him in that antiseptic clinic cell, a prisoner of his own panicked madness, raving, raging, out of control. Worse was having him here in the lush, sexy surroundings he’d built for them to share, temptingly near yet impossible to reach.

A bargain made in heartbreak hell.

Though she might be tortured by cherished memories, he was not. She was nothing to him but a protective port in his emotional storm. And that knowledge was driven home like a stake through the heart every time they were together. Every time he stared at her through those cool green eyes without the slightest flicker of response. Every time he took that distancing step back to evade the casual graze of her hand. Every time he lay next to her in the night, and silence created a force field of discomfort.

Tripping over him every minute of the damned day only emphasized how much she wanted, needed him back.

And underlined how far away he was.

Finally! Max and Cee Cee together again. And as if Nola isn't sultry enough, the push-pull of sexual tension felt on a molecular level only Gideon could deliver will make readers weak at the knees.

Max doesn't need to remember Cee Cee's name to quake from rigid resistance when he smells her come-hither scent, or notices, without letting her know, the comeliness of her short-skirt sway or high-heeled swagger.

Cee Cee manages, with her hardened NOPD restraint, to keep her composure around Max, despite the love and desire she feels for him, and the heartache of knowing he doesn't even remember her face. Or their love.

Gideon delivers what may be the best storyline to date in her By Moonlight series. The plot rolls out like midnight fog in this what-if-Max-is-really-the-monster-both-he-and-Cee Cee-fear paranormal suspense.

BOOK BLING GIVES THIS NOVEL FIVE STARS!

About the Author:

Nancy Gideon is the award winning author of over 55 romances ranging from historical, regency and series contemporary suspense to paranormal, with a couple of horror screenplays tossed into the mix.

She works full time as a legal assistant in Southwestern Michigan, and when not at the keyboard, feeds a Netflix addiction along with all things fur, fin and fowl.

She’s also written under the pen names Dana Ransom, Rosalyn West and Lauren Giddings.

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Goodreads “Nancy Gideon by Moonlight” group

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Review of Old Ghosts by Joseph J. Christiano

10/12/2014

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Old Ghosts is Joseph J. Christiano’s first collection of novellas and takes you from the darkest days of World War II Europe to the idyllic New England town of Deacon’s Landing.

In these six assembled tales of terror, you will witness how an act of unspeakable evil dooms the crew of a crashed German bomber in “emet.” A rookie trucker takes to a dangerous mountain pass and comes face to face with the legend of “The Highwayman.” A suicidal woman who has lost her family and her arm experiences a bizarre and terrifying form of “Phantom Pain.” An online gamer experiences horror when he is granted the ability to play his favorite game in “God Mode.” A professional assassin known only as “The Frenchman” gets in over his head when he takes a job for a mob boss. And an elderly man returns to his hometown for his mother’s funeral and comes face to face with some “Old Ghosts.”

Whether he is telling stories of the frozen battlefields of a devastated Europe or the mundane anxiety of trying to impress a new employer, Joseph J. Christiano demonstrates his knowledge of what scares you and puts that knowledge to good use in these six novellas.

Joseph J Christiano writes horror like Nora Roberts writes romance. His prose are clever and intense, with the kind of thought-provoking storylines that make you snug the slight gap in the drapes or illuminate a dim corner of the room. Just in case. With his latest work, he brings together a series of novellas that illustrate the dexterity of his talent and imagination. He examines the human spirit and discovers what makes a man become a hero...or a monster. Horror fans will love this thrill-fest.

FIVE STARS!

Joe grew up in Connecticut's Naugatuck Valley. A voracious reader since he was old enough to hold a book in his hands, he surprised his second grade teacher by using the word "invulnerable" (learned from a Superman comic book) in a sentence. He wrote his first story at the ripe old age of 11. His published works include the novels The Last Battleship and Moon Dust. His favorite authors and influences include Richard Matheson, Rod Sterling, Agatha Christie, Stephen King, Alan Moore and Neil Gaiman.

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Review of Case White by Thomas Sullivan

10/11/2014

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No work of fiction or nonfiction has done what CASE WHITE does in this monumental new novel by USA Today Best-selling author Thomas Sullivan. Set in the era of two world wars, this comprehensive work weaves together the bizarre mythology and eccentric beliefs that explain how a nation went insane for 12 years. Told through the compelling lives and loves of a pair of very unique characters, this tour de force will take you into a radical blend of religion and myth frighteningly similar to what is going on in parts of the world today. Certain to be a benchmark work of elegantly written fiction and historical perspective, CASE WHITE delivers a poignant people story played out on a grand stage.

"Plan White" as the Nazis called their prewar plan to invade and destroy enemies, is a fictionalized perspective of horrific historic events as seen through the uncanny vision of a World-Class, Pulitzer-Nominated Wordsmith. Sullivan's fascinating characters live out their lives in a breathtaking whirlwind of intrigue and substantiated conspiracies worthy of a mass insanity that could enable genocide and its inevitable retaliation. Case White reads like the rise and fall of an anti-Christ, and illustrates in believable detail how people could fall prey to his hypnotic psychosis--like drivers unable to look away from a disturbing accident scene while following police directives to move along. The reader begins to understand how intertwined historical events can be, and how decisions that individuals make can shape events that change the world.

Fortunately you don't have to be a fan of history or war or politics to love this novel. The interaction of characters who share motivations, insecurities and sudden urges few would talk about with their closest friends draw the reader forward with eager anticipation and sometimes squeamish realization. Sullivan is the sorcerer behind this mystical tale.

Five Stars!

Pulitzer Prize nominee Thomas Sullivan has been a gambler, a "Rube Goldberg" innovator, a coach, a teacher, a city commissioner, and an All-American athlete. Self-described as “well-ranged if not deranged,” the itinerary of his life is as eclectic as his writing. Having lived in a dozen countries by the time he was six, Sullivan is at home in many cultures and across the literary spectrum from mainstream to genre. Labels mean little in describing his writing. The constant is that he writes “people stories,” timeless tales of individuals and relationships whether caught in fun-house mirrors or in the twists of thrilling intrigues. It is not unusual to find his books and stories reprinted in several categories as well as contemporary mainstream. Or as he puts it, “When you don’t belong anywhere, in a sense you belong everywhere.”

Over eighty publishing credits in all fiction categories, his work includes seven novels in sixteen domestic and foreign editions, journalism, non-fiction and active film options. His short stories have appeared in nearly every market from Omni to St. Anthony Messenger. Likewise, the literary awards and prizes have been extremely diverse, ranging from a Hemingway Days Literary Award to a Writer's Digest listing in the Top Ten Horror Stories of All Time to a Catholic Press Association award in their Best Short Story category.

An avid swimmer, blader, cc skier and canoeist, Sullivan currently lives on a lake in Maple Grove, Minnesota, writing full-time and lecturing across the country.

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Insecure Writer's Support Group-Harvest to Horror

10/1/2014

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Autumn has always been my favorite time of year. Cold snaps ignite the leaves, Honeycrisp apples sparkle like ice wine, and the chill in the evening breeze signals the imminent arrival of sugar-seeking ghosts and goblins.

There's just one problem. Along with more time spent indoors comes additional writing time. So why is this a problem? It would be perfect if it wasn't for the fact that I was using the sunshine and errands and chores and anything else I could think of as an excuse to avoid my greatest fear, making reader-sense of my ideas, AKA that nonexistent writer's block. My mental block isn't because I won't have any ideas or won't be able to describe them well enough, or add enough action and motivation to my characterization.

Terror comes when I think about interweaving the subplots and secondary characters with conflicting motivations. They swirl in my head like a murder of crows, pecking at the threads of frayed storylines and sacrificial straw men in a field ravaged by drought, death and horror.

So where do I go for inspiration and calming chaos? I attend my publisher's month-long Halloween Horror Party! And you should too. There are so many exciting ideas and possibilities for typing up loose ends. I am able to focus in on what makes a good story great, a motivation life-sustaining, or a way to help conflicted characters form a bond and solve their problems. Let's hear it for Halloween! My favorite holiday ever!

Insecure Writer's Support Group

Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven fBeor insecure writers of all kinds!

Posting: The first Wednesday of every month is officially Insecure Writer’s Support Group day. Post your thoughts on your own blog. Talk about your doubts and the fears you have conquered. Discuss your struggles and triumphs. Offer a word of encouragement for others who are struggling. Visit others in the group and connect with your fellow writer - aim for a dozen new people each time.

Be sure to visit this month's co-hosts for the October 1 special anniversary posting of the IWSG, Kristin Smith, Elsie, Suzanne Furness, andFundy Blue!

Also visit the IWSG's website!