Giveaway & Excerpt from The Tree of Jesse by J.R. Mattison

Welcome to another excerpt; this is definitely excerpt week here at the Nook. I hope you've been enjoying them. Today's is from a new religious thriller by J.R. Mattison. Mattison started her career in Chicago appearing on television and radio. She founded Cheshire Smile Productions, bringing to life and penning her first feature film FISH WITHOUT A BICYCLE, a festival winning coming of age comedy which was directed by Brian Austin Green. “Fish” is now available on Netflix. Mattison also wrote Cheshire’s second release THE THIRD WISH now available at Blockbuster and distributed by the Hallmark Channel.

Lionsgate’s FOR THE LOVE OF MONEY, based on a true story of Jewish gangsters set in the 1970’s starring James Caan, Paul Sorvino, Edward Furlong and Jeffrey Tambor was also produced and written by Mattison. 

  

Find J.R. online:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Tree-Of-Jesse-by-JR-Mattison/427265924027673

moviemakermagazinearticle

http://www.backstage.com/bso/advice-first-person/girls-making-gangster-flicks-and-enjoying-1007272962.story

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EXCERPT

. She’s feeding me again. I like how her long fingers break off a piece of bread and dip it into the bland broth. The way she looks at me makes me feel naked and vulnerable yet infinitely safe. 

Clean and pure.

I’m not sure how long I’ve slept but it seems like a long time. My body aches in ways and places I couldn’t have imagined possible and my head feels like it’s trapped in a vice. It hurts to open my eyes too long; especially when the sun shines thru the big windows this place has lining every wall. I think we’re in the woods because all I can see are trees and she doesn’t have a single curtain or blind to block out the world.

The bed I’ve been sleeping on is in the middle of the room and covered in the softest white sheets, a pile of blankets and white Christmas lights strung across the headboard. This place looks like a cross between a fairy’s cottage and a hunting lodge; with it’s wood walls and beams.

 She has candles everywhere, most of them half burned, and crystals in all shapes and sizes hang from hooks and nails. It suits her, this place. Everywhere I look there’s a clue to who she is and what she loves.

Sometimes I see a flash of light and the ache in my head is blinding. The pain leaves me breathless.

Why is she helping me?

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The Tree of Jesse by J.R. Mattison

Publisher: Rochester Books

Series: The Messianic Age #1

Genre: Thriller, religion

Formats: ebook

Length: 284 pages, 445 KB

Release Date: April 6, 2013

Buying Links:  Barnes & Noble | Amazon

Blurb from the author ~

On a lonely strip of Death Valley a failing musician awakens to an intriguing new life. One filled with ancient languages, a hidden identity, and the woman who holds the key to his destiny...his connection to the lost pages of the Dead Sea Scrolls. But there are those who want to keep the secrets buried...and will stop at nothing to keep the prophecy from unfolding.

  

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J.R. will be awarding one digital copy of The Tree of Jesse to a randomly drawn commenter at every stop.

The more you comment, the better your chances of winning. The tour dates can be found here:

http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2013/03/virtual-book-tour-tree-of-jesse-by-jr.html

GC Giveaway & An Excerpt from A Matter of Circumstance and Celludrones by Claire Robyns

I have another excerpt for you, this one from a Victorian Steampunk Paranormal. The author, Claire Robyns, lives in Berkshire, England, with her husband and twin boys. For so long as she has memories, she was either reading, dreaming about reading, or planning what she'd be reading next. Then one day she started dreaming about writing and that was the beginning of an amazing journey.

When Claire isn't thigh-deep in laundry, shopping, cooking and general crowd control, you'll find her head-and-heart-deep in the tangled lives of her characters.

Find Claire online:

website
twitter
facebook 

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EXCERPT

Evelyn was even more intrigued when she entered the drawing room. Not only was Lily’s mysterious gentleman the scrumptious Lord Adair from the previous night, but the two of them looked as if they’d been caught in flagrante. Lord Adair’s neck cloth looked as if it had been tied in unseemly haste—by a blind man. Lily’s skirts were scuffed and wrinkled and her bodice wasn’t sitting quite straight.

Lily left his side to meet Evelyn halfway across the room.

“If I’d known you were being ravished by Lord Dashing down here,” Evelyn declared in a whisper, “I would have stayed up there—” she raised her eyes to the ceiling “—another twenty minutes.”

“Don’t be absurd.” Lily’s hands flew to her hair.

“It’s your skirts that need patting down.” She linked her arm in Lily’s and strolled in the direction of Lord Adair, keeping her voice low. “What did he do? Drag you into the woods and toss you over a log?”

Lily went white in the face.

“By God.” Evelyn surged forward. “I’ll deal with the bloody Scotsman.”

“Evie, no, wait.” Lily dug her heels in. “Nothing happened. Must you always latch onto the most preposterous conclusions?”

Evelyn’s brows drew tight. Something felt wrong, but her friend made a valid point. She was rash and brash, a fact she’d never denied. She kept her sharp tongue on a leash and turned a smile on the man instead as they drew close. “How charming, Lord Adair, I was hoping we’d see more of you.”

“Lady Harchings.” He inclined his head in greeting.

Clearly not trusting her to keep the peace, Lily inserted breathlessly, “I was just telling Lady Harchings that we were riding in the park—”

“And your horses tossed both of you?” Evelyn couldn’t resist.

Lily rewarded her with a glare. “We were in Lord Adair’s carriage, but, um, yes, a rabbit or fox must have run across the path because one of the horses took fright—”

“You really should train them better,” Evelyn told him.

“The rabbits or the horses?” Lord Adair riposted dryly, his eyes never leaving Lily and a grin tugging at his mouth.

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A Matter Of Circumstance and Celludrones by Claire Robyns
Publisher: Claire Robyns
Series: Dark Matters #1
Genre: Steampunk, romance
Formats: ebook, paperback
Length: 563 KB, 208 pages
Release Date: September 24, 2012
Buying Links: Barnes & Noble | Amazon

Claire will be awarding a $50 Amazon gift card to two randomly drawn commenters during the tour.  If you follow the tour and comment; the more you comment, the better your chances of winning. The tour dates can be found here:

http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2013/03/virtual-blurb-blitz-tour-matter-of.html

 

Blog Tour Giveaway & Spotlight on The Blood Destiny Series by Helen Harper

 

Welcome to today's feature post on author Helen Post and her urban fantasy series Blood Destiny. There will also be a short excerpt and a gift card giveaway.

The Books ~

Bloodfire (Blood Destiny #1) Blurb ~

Mackenzie Smith has always known that she was different. Growing up as the only human in a pack of rural shapeshifters will do that to you, but then couple it with some mean fighting skills and a fiery temper and you end up with a woman that few will dare to cross. However, when the only father figure in her life is brutally murdered, and the dangerous Brethren with their predatory Lord Alpha come to investigate, Mack has to not only ensure the physical safety of her adopted family by hiding her apparent humanity, she also has to seek the blood-soaked vengeance that she craves.

   

BloodMagic (Blood Destiny #2) Blurb ~

After escaping the claws of Corrigan, the Lord Alpha of the Brethren, Mack is trying to lead a quiet lonely life in Inverness in rural Scotland, away from anyone who might happen to be a shapeshifter. However, when she lands a job at an old bookstore owned by a mysterious elderly woman who not only has a familiar passion for herbal lore but also seems to know more than she should, Mack ends up caught in a maelstrom between the Ministry of Mages, the Fae and the Brethren.

Now she has to decide between staying hidden and facing the music, as well as confronting her real feelings for the green eyed power of Corrigan himself.

 

 Bloodrage (Blood Destiny #3) Blurb ~

Mack begins her training at the mages' academy in the hope that, by complying, the stasis spell will be lifted from her old friend, Mrs. Alcoon. However, once there, she finds herself surrounded by unfriendly adults and petulant teenagers, the majority of whom seem determined to see her fail.

Feeling attacked on all fronts, Mack finds it harder and harder to keep a rein on her temper. Forced to attend anger management classes and deal with the predatory attentions of Corrigan, the Lord Alpha of the shapeshifter world, her emotions start to unravel. But when she comes across a familiar text within the walls of the mages' library, which might just provide the clues she needs to unlock the secrets of her background and her dragon blood, she realises that her problems are only just beginning...

 

And now, a brief excerpt from "Bloodfire" ~

My hand finally found what I was looking for when it curved round a cold metal canister.  It never to hurt to come fully prepared.  I pulled out the hydrogen peroxide, twisting it so the nozzle faced the stone, and sprayed a tiny portion onto the black surface.  As soon as the chemical hit the shiny surface it began to foam.  It was definitely blood.  The curling heat inside me rose higher and my insides felt as if they were starting to burn.  The feeling of panic matched the bloodfire but I did my best to push them both back down.  Neither would help me right now.  I put the stone carefully into a side pouch where it wouldn’t get lost.

The moon continued to shine steadily down, casting shadows amongst the heavy trees.  I could hear the distant hooting of a night owl out searching for prey and the skitter of a small animal somewhere nearby.  I ignored them all and concentrated on the signs I could see at my feet.  There was something else there.  Reaching into my pack again, I found my torch, and clicked it on to look closer.

He had been this way.  John was light on his feet and left little trace of his presence but I knew him well and knew this area.  He’d disturbed the bush to my right, brushing past it as he ran.  And judging by the distance between his steps, he’d been running fast, as if something had been after him.  I frowned and arced the torch over the area, first close by then further along the path.  There was something up ahead.  Stepping forward, I tried separately to sense what it might be, but I was no shifter and came up short. 

 

About the author ~ 

Helen Harper is an English teacher currently living abroad in Malaysia. As a long time reader of urban fantasy, she finally bit the bullet and began to develop her own series of novels.

Helen has always been a book lover, devouring science fiction and fantasy tales when she was a child growing up in Scotland. "I always loved the escapism provided by those genres," states Helen. "No matter how bad life gets, you can always find a route out, even if only temporarily, in the pages of a good book."

 
The growth of urban fantasy fascinated her - the mix of reality and fantasy along with strong heroic female characters appealed from the very beginning, and inspired her to write her own.

Find Helen online: 

Facebook Author page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Helen-Harper/101590660022586

Twitter: https://twitter.com/HarperFire

 

Helen will award a $25 Amazon GC to one randomly drawn commenter during the tour. Follow the tour here:  http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2013/03/super-book-blast-destinys-blood-series.html

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