Deadly to Love Book Blitz!

Deadly to Love (Elemental Killers #1)

Published February 2013 by Mia Hoddell

A YA/Romance/Paranormal/Fantasy Novel

The world is dangerous – but love will kill you.

Little did Serena Jackson know that one simple, flirty remark to an anonymous guy online would lead to her world being changed forever.

She doesn't know him, but inexplicably, is drawn. She knows it is wrong but she agrees to meet. 

His real name is Kai. He is beautiful. And immediately Serena feels herself blindly falling for him even though she senses a lie. She knows he is hiding something and it terrifies her.

What she doesn't realize is that her entire life has been built on secrets and lies. The people she loved left her in the dark for a reason.

She trusted them. She trusts Kai. But as he pulls her straight into the heart of the danger the lies and deadly secrets are revealed. They overwhelm her, and the person she once was no longer exists as she is thrown into a ruthless world of elemental forces. The price of truth is her life—and now the world wants her dead.

Available from:

Amazon (Kindle) | Amazon (Paperback) | Lulu
and only 99c / 77p on Kindle for the month of September!

Praise for Deadly to Love: 

“I couldn't put it down. So I finished it last night and all I can say is WOW! This book was amazing and different.” Brianna (Book Blogger)

“I loved how the author took a different approach to writing a love story in modern times with the paranormal element present. I thought it was absolutely wonderful and refreshing. Marvelous!” Kathy H (Amazon Reviewer)

“I will admit I scoffed at the way it started, but in the end I had fallen in love with this story…completely nontraditional, it was a very original idea, not to mention modern. This story had such a good plot and the story structure was sound.” Kacii – The Kooky Bookworm (Book Blogger)

All About Our Author! 

Mia Hoddell lives in the UK with her family and two cats. She spends most of her time writing or reading and loves anything paranormal. Mia always had a love of writing but never reading. She was more interested in sports and hated sitting still - despite getting three poems published before the age of sixteen. Finally though, she found some novels that captured her interest and developed a love of reading which is now one of her favourite hobbies.

Mia began with poems before moving on to short stories. Although she enjoyed this, Mia found she had too much to tell with too little space, so later on she created her first series 'The Wanderer Trilogy' and from there other ideas have emerged. With a total of nine books planned at this moment, she is busy working on her second series 'Elemental Killers' before moving onto the next idea on her ever growing list.

Want to learn more and connect with the author? 
Visit her using the buttons below! 

   

Keep reading for a special excerpt from Deadly to Love!

Happy with the amount of photos I had collected I started to head back out of the forest, still flicking through my shots. As well as close ups, I had taken a few landscapes and as I was almost at the edge of the forest I noticed something in one of the photographs that made me stop.

In the left hand corner was a figure that looked mostly human, but was blurred as if they were moving on the spot.

A cold shudder shot through me.

Looking over my shoulder I became slightly panicked and felt as if someone was following me.

My eyes flicked and searched the shadows. Even though there was no sign that anything had ever been behind me, the forest looked different now - dark and threatening.

Instinctively I broke away and ran, still clutching the camera that was displaying the freaky image. Surrounded by trees I didn’t stop until I was free of the forest and back in the open light and sight of my house.

Throwing open my door, I slumped against the inside of it, regaining my breath from the short sprint. Once I had recovered I looked down at the photo once more, just to make sure that I hadn’t been seeing things. The old saying “the camera never lies,” came into my mind and for the first time I wished it not to be true. Sure enough though, as I looked down at the screen, the figure was still there and this time I noticed a red and orange glow around where its feet should have been. The image almost looked like the person was on fire but I thought I would have surely noticed if there had been a burning man in front of me.

Now on to the SUPER AWESOME GIVEAWAY!

Mia Hoddell is giving away an Amazon gift card this month only there is a slight twist: the more entries she receives the more money she will put on the gift card to giveaway! For example:

No matter what = $5 
100 entries = $10

150 entries = $15

200 entries = $20 and so forth...

So if she gets 1000 entries she will give away $100, there’s no limit!

So, to enter all you have to do is buy or have bought Deadly to Love. It's only $0.99 or £0.79 on Amazon for the duration of the giveaway! This will also unlock extra entries for you so you can earn more points by sharing the giveaway. Remember the more entries she gets the bigger the prize for you so share!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Through Glass Release Day Blitz!

OUT NOW!

Through Glass  By Rebecca Ethington

A NA Dystopian Novel

Everyone remembered the day the sky went black. The day the sun was wiped from the sky. They remember the wind as it brought in the darkness; the way the earth shook and everything changed.

Everyone remembered the screams as the darkness ate those who were out in the open, those who had surrounded themselves by light, and those who made noise. Everyone remembered the voice from the sky and the way food disappeared. At least, that’s what I hoped. I hoped that there was an ‘everyone’ that would remember because I am not sure how many are left, how many survived. Or if anyone did. I hoped that I wasn’t alone. I remembered that day. I remembered because it was the day I became alone. It was the day that everything was perfect until the monsters took it away. Then the house went silent and the birds stopped singing. It was the day when everyone disappeared, everyone except the boy, the only person I have seen in two years. The boy I talk to through the glass.

Already hooked? Purchase your own copy today!

Purchase on B&N / Purchase on Amazon

Want to know more? Check out this nail-biter of a teaser and visit the author, Rebecca Ethington, using the links at the bottom of the page!

~ Teaser ~

I looked up as the screech of the Ulama ended, as the monster fell to the ground of my room, the dark blood of the two dead creatures spilling over my once white carpet. I stared at the monsters as I panted and my heart beat a frantic pulse against my skin. I stared as my pulse slowed until I could pull my eyes away from the thing that tainted my room to look into the eyes I had dreamed about every night for as long as I could remember. I couldn’t move, I couldn’t make my tongue work. I just looked at him, knowing that tears were sliding down my cheeks; knowing and not caring. I wasn’t sure why I was crying, I wasn’t sure if it was because of the panic that still surged through my body or the joy that I felt at seeing him there. “Alexis,” he said, his voice as deep and rumbling as I remembered it. It shot through me and for the first time in years I felt alive. It was him. I didn’t say anything. I didn’t trust my mouth enough to form coherent words. I just moved. I moved as he moved, our hands meeting for the first time in two years as we hovered over the body of the monsters that had attempted to kill me. I grasped his skin, my heart beating so fast I was sure I couldn’t take it. A shaking breath moved out of me, his own breath moving across my skin. He moved closer as his frantic breaths rolled over me—the heat of his breath, of his touch—igniting a fire across the surface of my skin. His fingers trailed their way up my arms, over my face, across my neck… I had forgotten how good this felt. I had forgotten what touch was like; what it did to my body. Everything felt like it was on fire. I smiled through the tears as he wrapped his arm around me and pulled me toward him. I let him, letting my own arms wrap around him in my desperate attempt to get closer to him, to feel more of him. I felt his lips graze against my skin, the touch dry and foreign, but incredibly welcomed. I turned into it, my fingers digging into his tattered shirt and into his shaggy unkempt hair as the scruff on his chin moved against my face. I gasped at the prickly sensation that cut into me, the gasp deepening into a groan as his lips made contact with mine. The feeling of ecstasy I was now feeling grew into something I couldn’t ignore. I clung to him, I pressed into him. I felt every part of him as he did the same to me. No words had passed between us since he had said my name, but we didn’t need them. I could feel his happiness in the way he clung to me, sensed his relief in the way he breathed and his joy in the taste of his lips. I felt it all and I knew he felt it all from me. He pulled away from me slowly; his hands unwilling to leave my body as he moved back to look at me. His cheeks were stained with tears as he moved my hair out of my face and stared into my eyes. “You have no idea how long I’ve wanted to do that,” he said again, the same words from all those years ago sounding even more beautiful. “Two years, one month, thirteen days and a few hours?” He smiled as I spoke, his fingers running over the skin of my face like he would never let me go. “And a few minutes,” he gasped, the sounds of ecstasy heavy in his deep voice. He smiled and I couldn’t help it, I laughed. I laughed loud and deep and let the sound carry around us. Cohen smiled as his laugh filtered through mine like a silver ribbon. The happy sounds surrounded us and, for that moment, I was happy. I was free. I couldn’t feel the pulse of fear that still beat through me. I didn’t see the monsters that lay lifeless in my room. It was Cohen and me, and everything was perfect. Until the sound that would ring in our death rent through the air. The screech of the Ulama broke through the sound of our laughter and destroyed the perfect peace we had created. The sound left as quickly as it had come, the warning received. We didn’t have much time. They were coming.  

~ About Rebecca Ethington ~

Rebecca Ethington has been telling stories since she was small. First, with writing crude scripts, and then in stage with years of theatrical performances. The Imdalind Series is her first stint into the world of literary writing. Rebecca is a mother to two, and wife to her best friend of 14 years. She was born and raised in the mountains of Salt Lake City, and hasn't found the desire to leave yet. Her days are spent writing, running, and enjoying life with her amazing family.

Website / Facebook / Twitter / Goodreads

Cat Thursday #11

Welcome to the weekly meme that celebrates the wonders and sometime hilarity of cats! Join us by posting a favorite LOL cat pic you may have come across, famous cat art or even share with us pics of your own beloved cat(s). It's all for the love of cats!

Hosted by THE TRUE BOOK ADDICT

I don't know if you guys have seen Maru on YouTube, but he is an adorable Scottish Fold that tries to fit into any and all boxes. He is my favorite YouTube cat.

You can check Maru out HERE, if you want some cat LOLs.

Anywho, my little angel has been getting into all sorts of boxes lately...

Box time! 

No, mom... I'm not making noise! 

AND... back to noise making...

Arbitrate Cover Reveal

arbitrate

Book 2 in the daynight Series

By Megan Thomason

Full of action, competing agendas, romantic entanglements, humor, twists and turns, arbitrate is Megan Thomason's third installment in the award-winning daynightseries, after daynight and clean slate complex (a daynight story).

COMING OCTOBER 29, 2013

Remember The Second Chance Institute (SCI). Earth's benevolent non-profit by day, Thera's totalitarian regime by night. They’ve stepped up their game on Earth and on Thera—infiltrating political parties, preying on the downtrodden, and planning offensive maneuvers. The SCI’s abuse of their charter leads to Arbiter oversight and bitter consequences.

Remember Kira Donovan. Broken, burdened, and evading those who wish her harm, Kira enlists the Arbiters’ help when forced to return to the clutches of the SCI and her angry, estranged love.

Remember Blake Sundry. Exiled, determined, and packing an agenda, Blake seeks assistance on Earth and Thera to use his newfound knowledge to bring down the SCI.

Remember Ethan Darcton. Overworked, emotional, and holding a grudge, Ethan hunts down his stolen property, but finds himself in awkward territory, stuck between the Arbiters and the SCI.

~ ABOUT OUR AUTHOR ~

Bestselling, award-winning author Megan Thomason lives in paradise aka San Diego, CA with her husband and five children. A former software manager, Megan vastly prefers writing twisted tales to business, product, and marketing plans. When she isn't typing away on her laptop, she's reading books on her phone--over 600 in the last year--or attending to the needs of her family. Megan's fluent in sarcasm, could potentially benefit from a 12-step program for road rage, struggles with a Hot Tamales addiction, loves world travel & fast cars and hates paperwork & being an insomniac.

FACEBOOK / TWITTER / GOODREADS

Make sure you check out daynight if you haven't already!

I love this series and can not wait for  book 2.

In honor of arbitrate's sparkly new cover, daynight has got one to match!

Meet The Second Chance Institute (SCI): Earth’s benevolent non-profit by day, Thera’s totalitarian regime by night. Their motto: Because Everyone Deserves a Second Chance™. Reality: the SCI subjects Second Chancers to strict controls and politically motivated science experiments like Cleaving—forced lifetime union between two people who have sex. Punishment for disobeying SCI edicts? Immediate Exile or death.

Meet Kira Donovan. Fiercely loyal, overly optimistic, and ensnared by the promise of a full-ride college scholarship, Kira signs the SCI Recruit contract to escape memories of a tragedy that left her boyfriend and friends dead.

Meet Blake Sundry. Bitter about being raised in Exile and his mother’s death, Blake’s been trained to infiltrate and destroy the SCI. Current barrier to success? His Recruit partner—Miss Goody Two Shoes Kira Donovan.

Meet Ethan Darcton. Born with a defective heart and resulting inferiority complex, Ethan’s forced to do his SCI elite family’s bidding. Cleave-worthy Kira Donovan catches his eye, but the presiding powers give defect-free Blake Sundry first dibs.

Snag your own copy on

AMAZON!

Cat Thusday #10

Welcome to the weekly meme that celebrates the wonders and sometime hilarity of cats! Join us by posting a favorite LOL cat pic you may have come across, famous cat art or even share with us pics of your own beloved cat(s). It's all for the love of cats!

Hosted by THE TRUE BOOK ADDICT

Happy Cat Thursday everyone!

So, I was finally making room for my BEA books the other night...

And then I went to read one in my chair...

Silly Kitty ^^ Why the big eyes?

Capitol Hell Author Spotlight

This off-beat, funny novel captures and shares what it is like to be a young staffer working on Capitol Hill.

When recent college graduate Allison Amundson, a small town girl from South Dakota, lands the highly sought after job of scheduler to the newly-elected and rising star of the United States Senate, Senator Anders McDermott III, she thinks she is on the fast track to success.

However, she quickly learns that crazy co-workers, a high maintenance boss, an over-the-top family and an unexpected Presidential bid make Capitol Hill seem even more dysfunctional than portrayed on TV. In fact, it is Capitol Hell.

The second Allison sets foot in the prestigious Senate Russell Building, things begin to go awry. Allison soon realizes her co-workers consist of a Chief of Staff who has little to no control over the antics in the office, a Press Secretary who is not only pompous, but who is constantly primping and preening, and worst of all the Senator himself, who cares more about his rise to fame than the people of Minnesota. As Allison struggles to juggle a new career, her blooming love interest in Cam (a quiet but loyal Legislative Assistant), and her ever-declining bank account, she is comforted only by her co-worker Janet, a fireplug who spends the majority of her time on-line dating, trying to land a Senator of her own. 

Just as Allison and Janet begin to figure out the ins and outs of Capitol Hill, their lives are turned upside down when Senator McDermott announces his bid for President of the United States. Soon, Allison and Janet find themselves at the center of one of the craziest campaigns in history, and hilarity ensues.

You can snag your own copy on AMAZON!

Alicia Long is originally from Hartford, South Dakota, a small town just outside of Sioux Falls.  In 2003, she received her B.A. in Political Science from the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities.  Upon graduation, she moved to Washington, D.C. to work on Capitol Hill.  While working on Capitol Hill, she served for United States Senators Norm Coleman (MN), John Thune (SD) and George Allen (VA).  She also served in various capacities, including scheduler, legislative correspondent, legislative aide, intern coordinator and caseworker.    While working on the Hill, she became proficient at mastering the metro system, crashing the nearest receptions, and acting as a tour guide for friends and family.

Alicia loves finding good deals on fashion, funky high heels, and opts for wearing Calvin Klein dresses and a blazer in lieu of a suit any day.  You can often find her out to happy hour with friends, checking out local shops or at the beach.

Her bucket list includes: going sky diving, traveling the world, mastering the New York Times crossword puzzle and marrying Green Bay Packer Quarterback Aaron Rodgers.

Alicia currently resides in Old Town, Alexandria, Virginia with her German Shepherd/Black Lab mix, Sarge.

Jayne Jones, a graduate of William Mitchell College of Law, left Capitol Hill to work for the Minnesota House of Representatives, where she was the Executive Assistant to the Speaker of the House. 

Following her drive and compassion to teach others about the legislative process and drafting legislation, Jayne is starting a summer academic program for teens to master public policy and the legislative process. Additionaly, Jayne teaches political science at Concordia University. 

Jayne is full of life and loves reality television. She wholeheartedly believes in living each day to the fullest and loves a great sale for funky jewelry and skirts under $20. She thrives on meeting current and former United States Presidents, cheering for the University of North Dakota Sioux hockey team, catching Alaskan halibut, securing emergency medical visas for orphans and aiming to win her family’s salsa making contest! 

On her bucket list: being on the Wheel of Fortune, going to happy hour with Kelly Ripa, and figuring out how to boil corn-on-the-cob for that oh-so-darn-good buttery taste.

She is currently planning her wedding on a shoestring budget and resides in St. Paul, Minnesota.

You can connect with Jayne and Alicia on:

TWITTER / WEBSITE / GOODREADS

Welcome ladies! Lets talk about your book Capitol Hell! Is there one character in your novel that you feel the most passionate about?

Jayne: Easily, Janet Johannson. Janet hails from northern Minnesota before moving to DC to work on the Hill for US Senator Anders McDermott. Janet is a very naïve, an over-thirty-year-old virgin who finds herself in an internet dating relationship with a blind US Senator.  She’s crazy about him. Too bad, it’s not vice versa. Like a typical politician all he wants is “personal favors.” 

Alicia: Janet is fun, but I have to say I am partial to Allison.  One might say we have a lot in common. ;)  Allison hails from South Dakota and really wants to make a difference in the world.  She get’s herself into all sorts of shenanigans on the Hill, but for the most part she keeps her cool.  I think anyone who is fresh out of college and trying to navigate their first demanding job can relate to her.

What aspect about this character was the most difficult to envision? The easiest?

Jayne:  Janet is a hoot but her mind is constantly thinking about sex. For a virgin, it doesn’t make much sense! I think some of the off-the-wall sexual humor was difficult. HA. The easiest is super easy. I’m from northern Minnesota; fell head over heels for politics, elections and campaigning. Left good ol’ Minnesota and went to work on the Hill. I’m still very naïve but I’ve never dated a blind US Senator.  Hmnnn.

Alicia: I don’t know if any part of Allison was hard to envision.  She is a twenty-something year old Hill staffer who is flat broke, works long hours, is distracted by her office-crush, and who is constantly in over her head.  Haven’t we all been there?? ;)

During the birth of your novel, was there any point where this character took an unexpected turn?

Jayne:  I think Janet stays true to herself. She easily could get caught up in Hill antics and quite frankly, lose her virginity to a US Senator. Thankfully, that doesn't happen! Maybe we can all pitch in and get her a Match.com membership!

Alicia:  Allison also holds to herself.  At times she puts up with more crap than she should from her co-workers and her ever-demanding boss, but hey, that’s what you do when you are in your twenties just trying to make it in our Nation’s Capital! 

If this character suddenly sprang from the pages, what questions would you have for him/her?

Jayne:  Um, you don’t know how funny is actually is!  Did Karma, the Senator’s wife, really stick her hand up the condom vending machine at the political rally stop?

Alicia: What’s going on between you and Cam (her office crush)??

Is there a particular passage or scene from your novel that you feel embodies this character the best?

Jayne: “Oh my God, you frickin’ pansy,” I said before I answered the phone. “Hello.”

There was a long silence and then I could barely hear Jenkins ask, “Janet, is that you? ”

“Um, yes, sir, this is Janet,” I lied, looking at Janet who was perched on the bed, white as a ghost.

“Don’t call me sir, my love kitten,” he said. I felt sick. “Purrrrr.” “That sounds like you, my love kitten. Are you ready to get frisky? ” he asked, laughing. “How are you? ” I asked. “Missing you and wondering what you’re wearing tonight, my little pet,” he said. I could barely control my laughter and felt nauseous. “Don’t be silly, Senator,” I responded as I stared at Janet. “You heard about Nancy tonight? ” he asked. “Yes, we just saw the news and I wondered what you thought,” I asked as I tried to disguise my voice. “It sounds like my love kitty has a cold and needs some warm milk to smooth her throat,” he said.

Alicia: After little sleep, I woke up before my alarm clock went off at 5:45 a.m. Without hesitating, I quickly checked my BlackBerry for any overnight messages. Shit. Seventeen unread messages from McDermott. I fell back onto my bed to scroll through them. They read, in order:

1:45 a.m. Tennis balls? LOL. Anders. 

1:46 a.m. Need home number for Chairman Jenkins. 

2:15 a.m. Hello? Are you there? 

2:16 a.m. I need Jenkin’s number now. 

2:19 a.m. Jenkins! Damn it Jenkins! 

2:25 a.m. Answer me. Did you receive my messages? 

2:55 a.m. Call me. 

3:30 a.m. Rose, pls talk to Allison about being more responsive to my needs. Improvement necessary. 

3:31 a.m. Schedule lunch with Jenkins for tomorrow.

3:33 a.m. Karma will need a ride to the airport. 

4:00 a.m. Anyone home? Anyone working for me? Do I pay your salary? 

4:15 a.m. Need kids’ school schedule faxed to Karma. 

4:55 a.m. How many frequent-flier miles do I have? Karma? Kids’ account? 

5:12 a.m. Apartment is out of decaffeinated coffee. Karma would like some this morning and prefers fresh beans. Can you have Cam drop some off?

5:15 a.m. Allison? Allison? Earth to Allison? Come in, Allison. 

5:16 a.m. Charles, need Jenkins’s number and lunch plan. 

5:30 a.m. Did not sleep well. Pls. have driver pick me up at 9 and have Cam leave coffee with concierge.

And a terrific top-of-the-morning to you, Senator Asshole—I mean—Senator McDermott.

I dressed quickly and on my morning commute I tried desperately to fight back tears. Charles kept telling me that my position was one of the most sought-after in the Senate. According to him, it was either scheduling for McDermott or he could help me land a job as the official Senate elevator girl. Apparently that gig had a uniform, including hat.

Alicia and Jayne have been awesome enough to provide 

a PB copy of their book to giveaway! 

Enter using the Rafflecopter below. There will be one winner.

Giveaway is US ONLY! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Cat Thursday #9

Welcome to the weekly meme that celebrates the wonders and sometime hilarity of cats! Join us by posting a favorite LOL cat pic you may have come across, famous cat art or even share with us pics of your own beloved cat(s). It's all for the love of cats!

Hosted by THE TRUE BOOK ADDICT

Hello my fellow cat lovers!! 

I've been so slammed with work lately, 
and all my kitty photos are piling up!

So, I picked some of my favorites from the week.

Hope you enjoy!

My little girl finds the best sleeping spots.

How comfy does she look?? ^^

Where do your darlings sleep?

Author Spotlight Post - Linda Cadose - Interview

The Hidden Chamber in the Great Sphinx, by Linda A. Cadose, 

is a YA mystery adventure novel set in Giza, Egypt. 

The book follows archaeologist Dr. Cliff Post and his friend Dr. Abdul Saad who discover a hidden chamber in the Great Sphinx. Inside of the right paw they find ancient scrolls and 13 crystal skulls that form a supercomputer.  This great discovery soon takes a dangerous turn when Drs. Saad and Post are followed, spied on and eventually kidnapped. On this extraordinary adventure, readers learn information about not only the Great Sphinx but also about Egypt, its mysteries, and the study of archaeology. 

The Hidden Chamber in the Great Sphinx is the first book in a series featuring the tales of American archaeologist  Dr. Cliff Post. Follow him in later books as he visits underwater pyramids and goes to Jerusalem. 

You can purchase your own copy on

AMAZON

Linda Cadose is a retired respiratory therapist who is now a children's book author. She likes to travel, enjoys reading, and loves history. She has been to Egypt and has visited all of the historical sites she discusses in her book. Linda currently resides in Carver, MA. For more information, visit HER WEBSITE.

Hello Linda! It so great to have you here! Can you tell us your main inspiration behind this novel?

My main inspiration for The Hidden Chamber in the Great Sphinx was my trip to Egypt. I have always been interested in Egypt since a was a student in Mr. Sawyer's Social Studies Class. I vowed that when I grew up I would travel to Egypt.

Was self-publishing your first choice? What was the most nerve wracking part of the process?

Self-publishing was my first choice, but I found editing difficult.

As a self-published author, did you choose to edit your novel yourself? What was the biggest change you made to the story and/or characters?

I chose to hire a professional editor to edit my work because I wanted objectivity and accuracy. You can't be objective about your own work. The change we agreed to make was to change the villains from Islamic terrorists to one archaeologist who steals antiquities. We decided that using Islamic terrorists would make the book too violent.

Do you have any unusual writing habits that aide your process and/or character development?

I don't think that my habits are unusual but here are my writing habits: 1. I write a summary then 2. I write a description of each character and 3. finally I write a fluid outline.

Is there one passage or scene from your novel that you are most fond of?

The Hidden Chamber In The Great Sphinx 

Chapter 5

The rest of the school year crept by for Cliff. He hadn't realized how much he was

looking forward to his upcoming sabbatical until he got back from Cairo

and went back to work. Talking about Egypt and being in Egypt 

were a far cry from one another, and the short time he'd spent there made him want to be back immediately. He was in one of his afternoon classes giving a lecture, and he kept glancing at the clock. "The Giza plateau is a mile square and was leveled by human hands. The plateau is 130 feet above the Nile Valley. It is only half a degree off from being perfectly level. Any questions so far?" Cliff asked his students as he paused in his lecture to make sure he wasn't losing them. A student raised his arm, and Cliff pointed to him.

"Professor, I understand why the Egyptians made the pyramids, but what was the purpose of the Great Sphinx?" "That's a good question, Peter. The Great Sphinx guards the pyramids of Giza," Cliff told the student and pointed to another student who had her arm in the air. "Dr. Post, what exactly is a sphinx? I've always thought it was, like, a cat," the young lady wanted to know. Some of her classmates giggled. "Settle down, guys. That's a good question, too. Does anyone know the answer to Stephanie's question?" Cliff looked pointedly at some of the students who'd giggled when Stephanie asked her question. "You, there. Thomas. You seemed to be very amused by Stephanie's question. Should we take it that you know the answer?" "Well, isn't it, like, I mean, doesn't it have the body of a lion and the head of a man? I think it's something like that," Thomas said and the smile was gone from his face now that he found himself in the hot seat. "Correct," Cliff told Thomas. "The word sphinx comes from an Egyptian phrase which means 'living image' or statue. It is a sculpture carved out of a sandstone knoll. The Great Sphinx is 240 feet long, just a little under 14 feet wide and stands 66 feet high. It wears a Pharaoh's headdress, which is denoted by the cobra on the forehead. "The Sphinx's nose was shot off with a cannon by Napoleon's troops and is now housed in the British Museum. At one time, the Great Sphinx was painted dark red. The eyes were painted black, and the headdress was painted white. The Sphinx is situated so that it faces the rising sun on June 21st, the summer solstice. 

Thanks so much for sharing this with us Linda!

Look for my review of The Hidden Chamber in the Great Sphinx,

 coming soon!

Indie Author Spotlight - William Harlan - Interview & Giveaway

Antioch 

A Fantasy Novel with Zombies!

By William Harlan

"Armageddon is arrived."

Threatened by an unnatural plague that raises the dead, an ancient order of mystics must choose between keeping its secrets and saving humanity.

Kind of like Star Wars with zombies.

You can snag your own copy on:

AMAZON / SMASHWORDS / iTunes 

B&N / KOBO / SONY

William Harlan lives in Houston Texas with his wife, Carrie, and son, Adrian.  He is an “A” ranked Gouken on XBox live Super Street Fighter IV Arcade Edition and is also an unaccomplished songwriter.

Connect with William on:

FACEBOOK / TWITTER / GOODREADS

Welcome to the Spotlight William! Can you tell us your main inspiration behind this novel?

I love role playing games. With "The Circle" series I want to create a place that lets me tell Dungeons and Dragons style adventure stories with my own slant. Antioch basically introduces my version of the paladin class and an undead creature, the bauran. That's a skeletal way of looking at it, of course.

Was self-publishing your first choice? What was the most nerve wracking part of the process?

Yes. I don't like the idea of someone else owning or controlling my work. The worst part of the process has been my self doubt. When I feel like I'm a bad writer and that I shouldn't have tried, that I shouldn't have emptied years of myself into this first book, that's a terrible feeling.

As a self-published author, did you choose to edit your novel yourself? What was the biggest change you made to the story and/or characters?

I do most of the editing myself. I take a lot of advice from my wife as well. She suggested a rearrangement of chapters that I felt made the book stronger. That was probably the biggest change after the first time I let someone read it.

Do you have any unusual writing habits that aide your process and/or character development?

I wore earplugs for the majority of writing this book. My computer was in a small alcove in the hallway between the living room, where my wife tended to watch Real Housewives (Arrgh!), and my son's room, from where "Hey, dad!" came like an alarm every five minutes. My earplugs were indispensable.

Is there one passage or scene from your novel that you are most fond of?

My favorite part is chapter thirteen, but posting that would be a spoiler. I have an excerpt from chapter four if you like (attached).

Excerpt from chapter 4 - Lost Son

A warm, orange fire flickered in the pit. Pockets of sap snapped and hissed. Daniel propped a useless roasting spit against the oak. He hadn’t managed to catch any fish. Sitting on one of those huge roots, thinking about food and his family, hands hurting so badly he hated the rope, Daniel quit. He’d just go home, apologize and eat. By then he’d forgotten why he’d run away in the first place.

That was when he heard footfalls in the forest. He searched and called out, “Pa? Is that you?” There was no answer except for an added urgency in the approach. Horace was coming to the oak. Daniel recognized him through the lowering gloom by the size of his shadow. “Pa!” His father had never come to get him before. Horace always waited for Daniel to break. The boy smiled and thought, not anymore. Now you’re too old! You’re too old and need help with the chores. Ha ha, Pa! Daniel’s smug grin narrowed into suspicion as he studied his father’s stride, a staggering charge.

His eyes went wide. “Drunk on some!” He shimmied up the rope, regardless of his hands. “Oh no you don’t, Pa!”

Horace grabbed the rope below, but it was too late; Daniel had reached the tree house and pulled himself through the opening. The boy tried to bring the rope up too but it stuck in his father’s grip. Daniel scowled down at him. “Fwah! You can’t get up it anyway. Even if you did you couldn’t fit through the hole! You can go on home. I’m never coming back!”

Daniel plopped down, folded his arms and frowned at the rope. Horace’s drunken slant showed in its tension and waver. Over a few silent minutes, the boy started to imagine fishing from a raft, an oak tree for a pole and a sea monster on the line. He narrowed his eyes and decided to wait him out, refusing to speak.

After half an hour, he started to think his father had fallen asleep. Daniel tugged on the rope. Horace still held it tight. The boy went back to frowning.

That night the campfire’s glow came up from the hole and around the edges. The platform was like a lily pad on a pool of light, and Daniel was the toad. His wide, big-eyed frown watched the rope stay tight and wavering. He thought it was very strange. What’s he doing? Is he angry? Is he sorry? He tugged the line again. “Pa?” His father had come and was down there waiting for him. It had to mean something.

Despite the things said in anger, Daniel always planned on going home. Every time he’d run off before, he’d been welcomed back. So, he spent much of his time away thinking about how to word his grievances upon return. Though the circumstances were odd, with his father having come to him rather than Daniel crawling home in defeat, it seemed like the right time. He gave Horace the prepared speech.

“Pa, if you’ve got to give me a wallop, you shouldn’t call it a spanky. That’s disrespectful to me. I’m grown up, or near there, and you shouldn’t shame me like that in front of Becca. You always say to say sir and be respectful, but you should too. I don’t mean calling me sir, but being respectful.”

As Daniel waited for a response, guilt began to replace his draining frustration. He said things before he’d been knocked out of the kitchen that night. Part of him felt he deserved a wallop. “Pa, I’m sorry about what I said the other day, about Ma. I didn’t mean it.” He wanted to see his father’s face. He needed something other than silence. But, descending the rope still felt like a bad idea. He lay down and waited for Horace to speak.

Daniel woke up in the morning, in the forest’s dappled light. The rope was the same, tight and wavering. It wasn’t just strange anymore. It was frightening. “Pa?” He crawled over to the hole and looked down at his father’s blank, smoking stare. A cold weight settled in his stomach.

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