Stormy Nights Reviewing & Bloggin'

Thursday, April 4, 2019

The Secrets of Hawthorne House & Giveaway

The Secrets of Hawthorne House

by Donald Firesmith

Genre: Teen Paranormal Mystery

Matt's life changes forever when a family of druids moves into the dilapidated Victorian mansion next door. The story of an unlikely friendship, the clash of two completely different cultures, secret magic, and a search for the lost Hawthorne treasure.

Fifteen-year-old Matt Mitchell was having the worst summer imaginable. Matt’s misery started when a drunk driver killed his mother. Then his father moved him and his twin sister to the small town of Hawthorne in rural Indiana, as far as his grieving father could take from the ocean that Matt's mother had loved. At the new high school, three bullies are determined to make Matt miserable. And to top it off, Matt learns that the recluse who lives in the 'haunted house" next door is none other than Old Lady Hawthorne, the town’s infamous witch and murderer. Matt’s terrible summer is turning into an awful autumn when something quite unexpected happens. Old Lady Hawthorne’s niece and her three children arrive, and Matt meets Gerallt.

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A geek by day, Donald Firesmith works as a system and software engineer helping the US Government acquire large, complex software-intensive systems. In this guise, he has authored seven technical books, written numerous software- and system-related articles and papers, and spoken at more conferences than he can possibly remember. He's also proud to have been named a Distinguished Engineer by the Association of Computing Machinery, although his pride is tempered somewhat by his fear that the term "distinguished" makes him sound like a graybeard academic rather than an active engineer whose beard is still slightly more red than gray.

By night and on weekends, his alter ego writes modern paranormal fantasy, apocalyptic science fiction, action and adventure novels and relaxes by handcrafting magic wands from various magical woods and mystical gemstones. His first foray into fiction is the book Magical Wands: A Cornucopia of Wand Lore written under the pen name Wolfrick Ignatius Feuerschmied. He lives in Crafton, Pennsylvania with his wife Becky, and his son Dane, and varying numbers of dogs, cats, and birds.

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Heather Burnside, out in paperback!

BORN BAD • HEATHER BURNSIDE

4^th April 2019

Book 1 in this gritty Manchester crime trilogy.

When your enemies get close, family loyalty is all you can trust. Brother and sister Peter and Adele Robinson never stood a chance.

Dragged up by an alcoholic, violent father, and a weak, beaten mother, their childhood in Manchester only prepared them for a life of crime and struggle. But Adele is determined to break the mould. She studies hard at school and, inspired by her beloved grandmother Joyce, she finally makes a successful life for herself on her own.

Peter is not so lucky. Getting more and more immersed in the murky world of crime and gangs, his close bonds with Adele gradually loosen until they look set to break altogether.

But old habits die hard, and one devastating night, Adele is forced to confront her violent past. Dragged back into her worst nightmares, there’s only one person she can turn to when her life is on the line – her brother Peter.

After all, blood is thicker than water...

About the Author

Heather Burnside spent her teenage years on one of the toughest estates in Manchester and she draws heavily on this background as the setting for many of her novels. After taking a career break to raise two children Heather enrolled on a creative writing course. Heather now works full-time on her novels from her home in Manchester, which she shares with her two grown-up children.

FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT
VICTORIAJOSS@HEADOFZEUS.COM

THE BASEMENT Book Blast & Giveaway

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Dianne Hartsock will be awarding a $20 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Alex is haunted by visions of the dying, but now it seems the ghosts he’s seeing are real as well.

In this sequel to ALEX and THE SHED, Alex wonders if he’s seeing ghosts. His friend Justin has bought the Fulton place, a beautiful old mansion on the edge of Oakton. But something’s wrong in the house. Alex has visions of a small boy, trapped in the basement, and a man at the top of the stairs who won’t let him leave.

And Logan Fulton has come to town, Helen Kramer’s cousin, a psychic medium who wants something from Helen, whatever the cost. He and Helen had spent time in the Fulton house as children and Alex suspects Logan has something to do with the spirits now awakening in the old mansion. But whether Logan is calling them forth or if something else is controlling them, Alex can’t be sure.

The child’s spirit calls to Alex, as do others trapped in the house. There is a dark entity holding them there, keeping the child forever in the basement, the others for his amusement. But Alex has never believed in ghosts, so what is really going on? As he strives to learn the boy’s secret, his friends are one by one pulled to the Fulton place and put in danger while Logan works against Alex, having an agenda of his own. Will Alex be able to solve the haunting of the old house, or will he and his friends be taken one by one, doomed to walk the dark hallways forever?

Read an Excerpt

A step creaked, and Alex froze. Was the house settling? Why had he sat with his back to the staircase? Dammit! He hadn’t put up a shield. Another creak, and the fine hair rose on the back of his neck. He shuddered, dread seeping into him as he became aware of a presence behind him. He choked back a cry when a cold breath brushed his skin. What is there? Alex wanted to look, but fear kept him immobile.

“Christopher?” he tried, but the word was snatched from the air before it became sound. Pressure built in Alex’s ears. Oh, God. The thing pressed against his back, a blanket of ice, chilling his blood. The air froze, a sharp knife stabbing his chest with each inhalation.

“Christopher!”

Why couldn’t Christopher hear him? Couldn’t he feel the terrible presence in the room? Alex stared at him, but Christopher continued to gaze at his hands relaxed on his lap. Fingers cold as death ghosted over Alex’s cheek. “Mine.” The whisper was a spike of ice in his head, and Alex watched in horror as a dark tendril of something curled around him and stretched toward Christopher, taking shape as an arm and reaching hand. Christopher’s aura flared, but couldn’t keep out the darkness that spread like a bruise, blocking his light.

“No!” Alex scrambled up, slipping on the smooth floor but managing to keep his feet. Adrenaline pumped through him, and he clenched his hands, stepping closer to Christopher. “Get away from him!”

About the Author:

Dianne grew up in one of the older homes in the middle of Los Angeles, a place of hardwood floors and secret closets and back staircases. A house where ghosts lurk in the basement and the faces in the paintings watch you walk up the front stairs. Rooms where you keep the closet doors closed tight at night. It’s where her love of the mysterious and wonderful came from. Dianne is the author of paranormal/suspense, fantasy adventure, m/m romance, the occasional thriller, and anything else that comes to mind.

She now lives in the beautiful Willamette Valley of Oregon with her incredibly patient husband, who puts up with the endless hours she spends hunched over the keyboard letting her characters play. Dianne says Oregon’s raindrops are the perfect setting in which to write. There’s something about being cooped up in the house with a fire crackling on the hearth and a cup of hot coffee in her hands, which kindles her imagination.

Currently, Dianne works as a floral designer in a locally-owned gift shop. Which is the perfect job for her. When not writing, she can express herself through the rich colors and textures of flowers and foliage.

Blog: http://diannehartsock.wordpress.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/diannehartsock
Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/diannehartsock
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/4707011-dianne-hartsock
Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Dianne- Hartsock/e/B005106SYQ/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1
Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/Dianne-Hartsock-Author-107985445959828/

Buy Links:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Basement-Dianne-Hartsock- ebook/dp/B07MCVMFJN/ref=sr_1_18
Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books/1130301217
Solstice Publishing: http://www.solsticeempire.com/products.aspx?categoryid=102

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Women's Fiction for Spring!

A VIEW TO A KILT • WENDY HOLDEN

4^th April 2019

Forget about Cool Britannia and Gallic Chic. Scotland is having a fashion moment...

London's most glamorous glossy magazine is in trouble. Advertising revenues are non existent, and if editor Laura Lake can't pick them up, she's out of a job.

According to those in the know, Scotland is having a fashion moment. Haggis tempura is on Michelin-starred menus, smart spas are offering porridge facials, and a chain of eco-hotels is offering celebrity bagpipe lessons. So Laura's off to a baronial estate in the Scottish Highlands to get a slice of this ultra-high-end market.

It's supposed to be gorgeous, glitzy and glamorous. But intrigue follows Laura like night follows day. And at Glenravish Castle – a shooting lodge fit for a billionaire – Laura finds herself hunting for a scoop that won't just save her job, it could save her life...

THE OLIVE GARDEN CHOIR • LEAH FLEMING

10^th January 2019

On the beautiful island of Santaniki, close to Crete, it's not all white sands and sunshine. When retired bookseller Ariadne Blunt suggests the English residents form a choir, there are groans of resistance. After a little persuasion, the group gather in Ariadne's olive garden to rehearse, but each member of this choir has their own anxieties and secrets.

Ariadne's partner, Hebe, is in failing health. Clive struggles to accept the loss of his wife while Della, the Pilates teacher, drinks too much and Chloe, Queen Bee of the village society, faces a family dilemma. Then there is Mel, the real songbird amongst them, English wife of a taverna owner who hides her talent until the choir inspires her to raise her voice once more.

In this tiny community, the choir brings the residents together like never before in a bittersweet tale of love and loss – and how life can begin again when you let go of the past.

FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT
VICTORIAJOSS@HEADOFZEUS.COM

Wednesday, April 3, 2019

Savior by Fiona Cole & Giveaway

Release Date: March 28, 2019

Cover Design: Najla Qamber, Najla Qamber Designs

Model: David Wills

Photographer: Eric D. Battershell

Synopsis

He bought me, but not to touch or taste. He bought me to save me, and to atone for past sins.

Handsome and mysterious, he swoops in to offer me a new life, but this is no knight in shining armor. He’s cold, hardened by his past. But there’s an inferno underneath the ice, I can feel the heat each time he looks at me—each time he gives in to the desire between us. No matter how much I push to unleash the fire in his eyes, he shoves back harder each time. He’s merciless with his cruel words, telling me how naïve I am, how little I know of the world. But I’m stronger than he thinks. When we face down our demons from the past, I’ll prove which one of us was in need of saving, and which one of us is the savior.

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Purchase Links

Amazon US: https://amzn.to/2udgCdc

Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/2CqLNWO

Amazon CA: https://amzn.to/2FgfGLi

Amazon AU: https://amzn.to/2W50NB3

Amazon Universal: https://geni.us/rAgDBEB

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Amazon US: https://amzn.to/2FewbaX

Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/2T846Wp

Amazon CA: https://amzn.to/2FgNchk

Amazon AU: https://amzn.to/2HtzdH3

Amazon Universal: https://geni.us/FCVoyeur

Amazon US: https://amzn.to/2F8eYPf

Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/2O3oo2i

Amazon CA: https://amzn.to/2Sf3IGo

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Amazon Universal: https://geni.us/FCLovers

Giveaway

$25 Amazon Gift Card

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Direct Link: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/b1257f8d452/?

About the Author

Fiona Cole is a military wife and a stay at home mom with a degree in Biology and Chemistry. As much as she loved science she decided to postpone her career to stay at home with her two little girls and immersed herself in the world of books until finally deciding to write her own. Where You Can Find Me is Fiona's debut novel and will hopefully be the first of many.

Connect with Fiona

Newsletter Sign Up: http://bit.ly/2tvtGIV

Facebook Author Page: http://bit.ly/2uulD0i

Facebook Reader Group: http://bit.ly/2uSdsgG

Goodreads Author Page: http://bit.ly/2ur1d9S

Twitter: http://bit.ly/2vCovZ5

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Amazon Author Page: http://amzn.to/2uqWZ2k

BookBub Author Page: http://bit.ly/2yL3Bui