YA Fantasy/Thriller
Date Published: April 2, 2012
Publisher: Champagne Books
She’s just the girl-next-door, that long-legged pretty thing with the flowing auburn hair. Nothing special, just ordinary Amber Brigantia, a sixteen-year–old with boyfriends on her mind; nothing more.
But you’re wrong. Beneath that enigmatic smile lie dark secrets hiding an elemental power, and when those secrets come out, everyone wants her. Everyone wants a piece of Amber.
They murder her father and lock her mother in an asylum. Then they come after her, led by the charismatic Dr. Pitt who wants that power for himself. And he doesn’t care how he gets it, smiling and smiling as he twists the knife. But Pitt has a rival, the sadistic Mrs Fedorowicz. She wants Amber too and she is an expert at making people dance to her tune - a tune that can really hurt.
Even those who love Amber cannot help her. Khiza, the African boy, is the lost other half of Amber’s soul, yet when she encounters the damaged and demonic Meshak she is torn in two and cannot decide what to feel any more.
Then the demon Azmodeus suckers onto Meshak and time itself rocks in chaos, for the demon is after Amber as well - and what he wants is unspeakable.
So let the power-games begin. And let that long-legged pretty thing be the prize.
Purchase Links
amazon.co.uk (eBook £3.85; paperback £10.20)
amazon.com (eBook $6.09; paperback $15.95)
barnesandnoble.com (eBook $5.15)
burstbooks.ca (eBook $5.99)
burstbooks.ca (paperback $15.95)
I’m an English Teacher, and all my working life I’ve been telling students: “Don’t put labels on yourself. They’re restricting.” I little realised that I was guilty of exactly that because I’d classed myself as analytical, not creative. And it was only when I was forced into some writing that I discovered I could create worlds, not just comment on other people’s creations.
So that’s what I do now and I have an increasing amount of time to do it in. My teaching career is winding down, my two children have grown up and left home, my husband of 40 years, also a writer, is busy creating worlds on his computer all day. To a casual observer ours is a very quiet, boring household. There aren’t even any pets making a racket since my two adorable, but elderly, ‘rescue’ cats died last year. But the inner life of our house is far from boring. Take a journey with Amber and her Salamander Stone and see what I mean. And remember not to put labels on yourself. If I can break free, anyone can.
Reading Addiction Blog Tours MEET and
GREET
#1 – Do You See Writing as a Career?
Yes, certainly. I’ve just
retired from teaching so I can spend more time writing. I can’t think of a
better way to enjoy myself in retirement than to create other worlds, other
lives.
#2 – What was the Hardest Part of Your Writing Process?
The initial draft is effortless,
it just pours out. It’s the endless revisions that are hard; making sure that every
word has a right to be there. I have to leave things to incubate, get some
distance, before I can spot possible errors. That’s why, for me, writing is a
fairly slow process. I have to be sure it’s correct before I let it loose on
anyone else.
#3 – Did you have any One Person Who Helped You Out with
Your Writing Outside of Your Family?
It’s a pity you’ve excluded
family, as the only person who’s helped me is my husband. He forced me to write
this book (and I do mean forced). He discussed ideas with me until I had a
credible story, which I then wrote longhand (because initially I couldn’t think on a computer). I filled thirteen
exercise books in my illegible hand and my patient husband typed it all up –
all 120,000 words. After that he acted as editor and critic - and as an ex
English teacher and published writer himself, he is really good at this. (Check
out his blog and you’ll see: dimensionsbeyond) So, no, there’s no one outside the family I can credit
with helping me. Only him.
#4 – What is next for your writing?
At the moment I’m working with
other Champagne authors on a two volume short
story anthology. I’ve one story planned for each volume, which should be
published next year. They are promotional freebies so watch out for them. Apart
from short stories, I’ve already started Volume two of the Salamander Stone series. And there are two other books planned – though
in a totally different genre this time.
#5 – Do you have an addiction to reading as well as writing?
If so, what are you currently reading?
As an A level literature teacher
I’ve spent my whole working life reading good books, but retirement means I
have more freedom to choose what I read. The book I’ve just finished is Beatrice and Virgil by Yann Martell. I
expected it to be like Life of Pi (a
fantastic read) but it’s not. It’s quite dislocating and upsetting. I’ve promised
myself to read it again though, so it must be good – or at least worthwhile in
a surreal sort of way.
This or That?
#1 - iPd or Mp3?
Eeeek. Can I say neither? I know
what they are, but I haven’t felt the need for either of them yet. If I want
music, there’s always CDs, the radio, cassettes or even my old gramophone
(which still works perfectly with our collection of vinyl 78s). Will your
readers be bitterly disappointed with this answer???
#2 – Chocolate or Vanilla?
Chocolate every time. It’s an
addiction; I always have a fridge full. And I don’t like milk or white
chocolate. It’s got to be very dark and very bitter, so bitter it leaves that
wonderful aftertaste in the mouth. I read somewhere that the darker the
chocolate the better for your health, so actually I’m eating sensibly, aren’t
I?
#3 – Mashed Potatoes or French Fries?
French Fries. I hate mash and adore
chips (that’s what we call French Fries over here). My ideal is a plate-full, hot
and sizzling with fresh lemon juice squeezed all over them. Try it. Much nicer
than vinegar.
#4 – Comedy or Drama?
If there’s no drama in it, I
don’t want to know. Give me drama every time.
#5 – Danielle Steel or Nicholas Sparks?
I have to admit I’ve never read
either, but Nicholas Sparks seems more up my street (I’ve just checked his sort
of street on google). I like romance, but I want more from a story than just that
– and if there’s a dash of the supernatural or paranormal, even better.
#6 – Fantasy or Reality?
Oh fantasy for sure. There’s
enough reality in real life, so if I’ve got the choice I go for fantasy.
Trouble is, we don’t often get the choice.
#7 – Call or Text?
Call mostly. I would text if I
could as it’s a marvelous invention, but my fingers are too big for the buttons
and my brain too slow, so I make mistakes. And the teacher in me hates letting
anything go with a mistake in it. So for me it’s much easier to call or, better
still, email.
#8 – Public School or Home School ?
Public School, as the school
experience should be just as much about socializing as learning. But you need
to find the right school for a child as a bad experience can do serious damage.
Parents don’t have it easy with all these tough choices to make.
#9 – Coffee or Hot Chocolate
Surprisingly, it’s coffee. I
love it, but it has to be very strong, very bitter and with just a dash of cream.
That’s why hot chocolate won’t do as it’s always too sweet. The best coffee is
Turkish, though Turkish people can put too much sugar in it. I know this as
we’ve spent some time in Turkey
- my son marries his Turkish girlfriend next year.
#10 – eBook or Paperback?
Paperback. I have a kindle and I
have read a couple of novels on it, but there’s things you can’t do on an
e-reader - like mark pages, flip back to your favourite page, turn corners
over, scribble in margins etc etc. I suppose with the techno wizardry going on
nowadays, you probably can do all this, but I don’t know how. And anyway, you can’t
browse shelves of eBooks (I love browsing, admiring covers, even the smell of books). And curling up with an
eBook doesn’t quite work. They are definitely not so cuddlesome as paperbacks.
Follow Along With This Tour!
November 1 - Books Live Forever - Review/Excerpt
November 2 - Wonderland Reviews - Review/Interview
November 3 - Jessabella Reads - Review/Interview/Giveaway/Excerpt
November 4 - Book Addict - Review/Giveaway/Excerpt/Interview
November 5 - My Cozie Corner - Review/Giveaway
November 6 - Little Library Muse - Review/Giveaway/Excerpt
November 7 - My Escape - Review/Giveaway/Guest Post
November 8 - Genuine Jen - Review/Giveaway
November 10 - Read-A-Holicz - Review/Giveaway
November 11 - Waiting on Sunday to Drown - Review/Guest Post/Giveaway
November 12 - Bookishly Devoted - Review/Guest Post
November 13 - Paulette's Papers - Giveaway/Excerpt/PROMO
November 14 - Bookhaven Extrordinaire - Giveaway/Guest Post/Excerpt/PROMO
November 15 - Jen McConnel - Review/Giveaway/Guest Post/Excerpt
November 16 - Disincentive Reviews- Giveaway/Excerpt/PROMO
November 17 - Moosubi Reviews - Review/Interview
November 18 - Bend In the Binding - Review/Interview/Excerpt
November 19 - S.I.K. Reviews - Giveaway/Excerpt/PROMO
November 20 - A Readers Devotion - Giveaway/Excerpt/PROMO
November 21 - My Reading Addiction - Excerpt/Giveaway/PROMO
November 22 - Booklovin Mamas - Interview/Giveaway/Excerpt/PROMO
November 23 - Just Another Rabid Reader - Review/Interview/Giveaway/Excerpt
November 25 - Lovely Reads - Interview/Giveaway/Excerpt/PROMO
November 26 - S.I.K. Book Reviews - Giveaway/Guest Post - PROMO
November 27 - B.O.O.K.L.I.F.E. - Interview/Giveaway/PROMO
Wow...The premise for this book sounds so cool and complicated! Love books with demons!
ReplyDeleteThis book sounds amazing!! Thanks for the awesome giveaway!
ReplyDeleteThe book sounds awesome. Thanks for the giveaway!!!
ReplyDeleteThe book sounds great. Thanks for the giveaway!
ReplyDeleteThat's a really great blurb! Makes me really want to read it.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the chance to win!