Lauren Dawes : fantasy

, by Unknown

#NewBookSaturday: Beyond The Veil: A Muse Urban Fantasy (The Veil Series Book 1) by Pippa DaCosta

Happy New Book Saturday! So this book caught my attention for a few reasons - the cover, the blurb and also the praise it's received.

It really does sound as if it's right up my alley! It's dark urban fantasy at it's finest. The best part (as of the time I post this), it's FREE! I just one-clicked this bad-boy. Even better news? If I like it, there's another four books to read after it.

If your ex is the Prince of Greed, you’d better be ready to raise Hell.

Charlie Henderson is living a lie. Her real name is Muse, she's half demon, and her attempt at a normal life is about to go up in smoke.

After a assassin tries to kill her, leaving a trail of destruction in his wake, Muse must return to the one man she hoped never to see again and ask for help. The Prince of Greed isn’t known for his charity. His price is high, and the cost could tear her apart.

Trapped between the malevolent intentions of the scheming Prince of Hell and the cocky assassin with ulterior motives, Muse must embrace the demon inside her if she has any hope of surviving them both.

Complex characters, original, and twists galore. The phenomenal Veil Series is an action-packed, gritty urban fantasy for fans of Ilona Andrews, Lilith Saintcrow, and Jeaniene Frost.

Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award 2014 Quarter-Finalist.

Here's what's been said:

"This emotional, supernatural novel keeps up a brisk pace without leaving the reader behind... A solid start to the series." ~ Publishers Weekly.

"Reminiscent of Jessica Jones... Exciting, sexy, psychologically acute." ~ Kirkus

"Action-packed, raw urban fantasy that’s edgy and eclectic." ~ Amazon reviewer.

"This is a fantastic book, and one of my new favorites! ...a brilliant and original (urban fantasy) tale, entwined with a fascinating element of romance. I am eager to dive into the next book in the series to see what happens with these fantastic characters." ~ Moonrise Book Blog

"I almost cried. It was THAT heart wrenching." ~ Nocturnal Predators Reviews

"Steamy and sensual in places whilst heartrending and profoundly poignant & deep in others." ~ Amazon reviewer.

"Beyond the Veil has everything you want in a good urban fantasy read... Muse is a great main character, that is "real". She is fast becoming one of my fave heroines. And what can I say of the men, but sexy alpha men are my weakness and this one has two!" ~ Night Owl Reviews

Do you just have to have it? Get your own copy here (and remember it's FREE right now*:

*At time of posting

Disclaimer: As always, I have no affiliation with this author, publisher or book. I simply chose it because I liked it. Happy reading!

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In #newbooksaturday, beaty's Beasts

#NewBookSaturday: Beauty's Beasts (Poison Courts Book 1) by L.C. Hibbett

Happy New Book Saturday!

Today's pick is "Beauty's Beasts" by L.C. Hibbett. I've never heard of this author before, but as I did a little digging, I realized L.C Hibbett has written seven other books, and they all look fantastic. She has 2 best-selling titles out of the 7 and she has a great Amazon author rank (I honestly hadn't even noticed this little rank at the bottom of the author page). Here's L.C Hibbett's:

Amazon Author Rank

#17 in Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Horror

#44 in Books > Romance > Paranormal

#50 in Kindle eBooks > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Fantasy

#65 in Books > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Fantasy

#76 in Kindle eBooks > Science Fiction & Fantasy

Pretty impressive, huh? I thought so too.

But enough about that; here's the blurb for "Beauty's Beasts"

Urban Fantasy. Paranormal Fairy Tale. Reverse Harem Romance.

Beauty is a beast.

Izzy doesn't suffer fools and she doesn't take prisoners, so when one of the local mobs takes her father captive, she'll stop at nothing to free him.
Even if that means taking on the mysterious men of Blackwood Forest herself.

But when Izzy enters the lair of the beasts, she discovers saving her father isn't as simple as it seemed, and saving herself from Alexander Blackwood and his pack is going to be even harder...

The Poison Court Saga is a collection of standalone fairy tale retellings with a paranormal reverse harem twist and a HEA. The novels are set in the Wicked Witch universe, so although each Poison Courts novel is a standalone story you might get to catch up with your favorite (or most hated) characters in the Wicked Witch series!

These stories are intended for a NA (new adult) and adult audience and are not YA or super-clean reads. The heroines are not shrinking violets or delicate flowers. There will be a touch of steam, a smattering of salty language, a heap of fast-paced action, and more hot males than the fairy godmother could handle. If you're looking for a Young Adult read, you might enjoy the Demon-Born Trilogy or L.C. Hibbett's upcoming Cursed Saga.

Want to get your own copy?

Disclaimer: As always, I have no affiliation with this author, publisher or book. I simply chose it because I liked it. Happy reading!

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In Amazon, fantasy

#NewBookSaturday: Slouch Witch (The Lazy Girl's Guide To Magic) Book 1 by Helen Harper

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In fantasy, new book saturday

Book Spotlight: Strange Practice (A Dr. Greta Helsing Novel) by Vivian Shaw

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In Born in Fire, bounty hunter

Book Spotlight: Born in Fire by K.F. Breene

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In Altaica Chronicles, Asena Blessed

Guest Post: "Creating Strong Characters" by Tracy M. Joyce

Creating Strong Characters.

I was asked recently how I go about creating strong female characters. The question took me aback, you see I don’t set out to create “strong female” characters – just diverse, believable characters of either sex. (BTW I think characters should be “strong” regardless of gender and the term strong characters implies far more than their mere personality traits, but I’ll get to that…)

This question actually made me sit down and count the characters in my book. I had no idea how many women I’d included in Altaica and Asena Blessed. The preponderance of female characters within my stories is most certainly due to the women around whom I grew up. My mother was a woman capable of doing any of the farm work on our family farm that my father did, worked long hard hours and still found time for her children, despite her own exhaustion – super woman? Yes, she was. My grandmothers were both a huge influence on me too - their stories were far from easy and deserve their own novels. My family is not unique. These stories of strength, resilience, compassion and love are all around us and not just amongst women.

Let’s start talking about strong female characters? Well, what does that really mean? Does it mean populating our writing only with female characters who are tough kick arse types? No - of course not. Yet too often I think the notion of strong female characters is seen only in this light. Are these characters fun to write? You bet? But you know what? They’d never reach the heights of popularity of characters like Katniss Everdeen, Rose Hathaway or Celaena Sardothien and Alanna of Trebond without having more substance to their characters than their astonishing combat skills. What about characters like Hermione Granger, Scout, Hester Prynne, Jane Eyre, Anne Shirley? (Yep I’m digging into the archives, but hey they’re all strong female characters!)

In our current adoration of the warrior type, particularly in so much YA fiction (yes...I'm guilty), I worry that there is a risk of undervaluing for younger generations, however inadvertently, other roles for women in fiction and real life. It’s clear why the action heroine is popular, but our female characters can also be doctors, lawyers, scientists, kick arse types and mothers. (If you think mothers aren’t a tough bunch then think again.)

My point is strong female characters, or rather strong characters in general, come in all shapes, sizes, physical abilities, races, ages, gay or straight. They are diverse! They are not one dimensional. And there is more to being strong than kicking arse.

Now did I write a kick arse character? Yes several in fact – Isaura and Asha immediately come to mind. Are they just warriors? No. They are young women who, for all their confidence, have insecurities; who, for all their bravery, have stark fears. Isaura has grown up as a refugee in her community and has been subjected to racism and treated with suspicion most of her life, yet she tries to rise above this. Her whole life has been one of struggle, and yet she keeps going. She is absolutely “no angel” - she makes terrible mistakes and pays the price physically and mentally, yet she keeps fighting. Asha is forcibly removed from her home at a young age to train with a religious order – a role she doesn’t want. Unlike Isaura, she is valued and has special rank within her society, yet has no choice in the future before her. Events she witnesses as a child have left her scarred and in the end she must face them with terrible consequences.

In my novels you’ll also find a loving mother, Lucia, with no martial skill yet who strives in the best way she can protect her family and a granny, whom my friend and fellow author, Kat Clay told me "breaks the mould". For these characters, it is their personality traits that we initially see as strong – courage, resilience, loyalty and love. Looking at these traits you could think, “Well,yes of course! They’re brave we all love bravery. That goes without saying.” BUT here’s the thing: without portraying their weaknesses and their fears they would not be perceived as believable and strong in either a literary or psychological sense.

So what if a character is portrayed as being weak or not psychologically strong? That does that make them a weak a literary sense? Of course not! Another of my characters is a woman who suffers from mental health issues and whose treatment by those around her has only worsened her condition. She can be spiteful, neurotic, jealous, anxious and protective of her family whom she loves deeply. Her story is complex and she is battling daily against internal demons not of her making. (In a way her continued battle makes her strong despite her mental fragility. Like the others she keeps trying, even though her view of reality is warped.)

All these characters are different, but they all have complex backstories that have shaped and haunt them, they’re fallible. They face daunting challenges, some succeed and others fail, but they’re all “strong”.

Their real strength lies not merely in their personalities, but in how we write them. It lies in their literary construction. You want your readers to feel what your characters feel; you want them to laugh and cry with your characters; you want the characters and their story to capture their hearts and not let go. Their strength and that of your story lies in the diversity and complexity of their creation which in turn leads to believability.

About now you’re probably thinking, “Well that’s just marvellous, but how do we it?”

Let's drop the “strong” female characters tag. Just think about strong characters of EITHER gender. The same rules apply:

Remember: The real world is not a homogenous society – nor should the world you build, or the characters you create, be.

So what do you consider when you create strong characters? Where do you start?

Look around you. You’ll see people from all walks of life, all races and various socio economic statuses. Watch how people around you behave – how they react. Be observant and be discreet. (Don’t freak people out and get a restraining order taken out against you!)

Avoid Stereotypes, or turn them on their head

Diversity – on the simplest level in terms of looks, think also race, religion, politics, psychology, sexuality, physical ability, psychology, physically

Vulnerability

Flaws – psychologically and physically.

Disabilities? (Don’t be afraid to write a disabled character, just do your research well!)

Courage / lack of it

Insecurities / confidence

Backstory – happy? Traumatic? Influence on developmental psychology; world view

Reactions – show don’t tell (BTW I hate this phrase.) Specific mannerisms.

Nuances, ticks,

Realistic dialogue – (read it aloud! It will help)

Motivations.

Character growth. (Character growth doesn’t always have to happen in a story, some characters can remain static and simply enact the adventure that is your book, However having them grow, learn and change can make for a more interesting story.)

Mental health issues

Now that I’ve given you this lovely little list and my ramblings, I’m going to add one other thing that I think can lead to difficulties, particularly for the beginning writer. The above list implies planning – some of which is always good. However, I’ve seen writers spend so much time planning their character profiles and writing screeds about them, that they neglect to start their story; or their character construct then becomes immutable and they loose flexibility in their writing because of it.

The one thing you should remember is that a character you create should be strong

REGARDLESS of gender.

A little about Tracy...

Tracy writes epic fantasy for teens through to adults. Her stories are gritty, a little dark and morality is like quicksand. You won’t find any unicorns or fairies here…

Although her stories include romantic elements, they are not romance driven novels. Do not buy these books if you’re after a fairytale….

Consider this a warning: Expect kickass heroines, battles (big ones, small ones - let’s face it, if she’d put gunpowder in this world then there’d be explosions too!) gore, political scheming, horses, archery and a touch of magic, but NO fairies, elves, pixies, orcs and definitely NO unicorns. (Unless, of course, its a combat trained unicorn with stealth capabilities …. then…maybe…)

Website | Twitter | Facebook

A huge thanks to Tracy for sharing her thoughts on creating strong characters! For those aspiring authors reading this right now, stop reading and get writing!

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In Anna Zaires, cover reveal

Cover Reveal: The Sorcery Code by Dima Zales

Once a respected member of the Sorcerer Council and now an outcast, Blaise has spent the last year of his life working on a special magical object. The goal is to allow anyone to do magic, not just the sorcerer elite. The outcome of his quest is unlike anything he could’ve ever imagined – because, instead of an object, he creates Her.

She is Gala, and she is anything but inanimate. Born in the Spell Realm, she is beautiful and highly intelligent – and nobody knows what she’s capable of.

Augusta, a powerful sorceress, sees Blaise’s deed for the ultimate hubris that it is. She still cares for Blaise and wants to save him before he has to pay the ultimate price . . . thanks to the abomination he created.

Want a little taste of The Sorcery Code?...

There was a naked woman on the floor of Blaise’s study.

A beautiful naked woman.

Stunned, Blaise stared at the gorgeous creature who just appeared out of thin air. She was looking around with a bewildered expression on her face, apparently as shocked to be there as he was to be seeing her. Her wavy blond hair streamed down her back, partially covering a body that appeared to be perfection itself. Blaise tried not to think about that body and to focus on the situation instead.

A woman. A She, not an It. Blaise could hardly believe it. Could it be? Could this girl be the Object?

She was sitting with her legs folded underneath her, propping herself up with one slim arm. There was something awkward about that pose, as though she didn’t know what to do with her own limbs. In general, despite the curves that marked her a fully grown woman, there was a child-like innocence in the way she sat there, completely unselfconscious and totally unaware of her own appeal.

Clearing his throat, Blaise tried to think of what to say. In his wildest dreams, he could’ve never imagined this kind of outcome to the project that had consumed his entire life for the past several months.

Hearing the sound, she turned her head to look at him, and Blaise found himself staring into a pair of unusually clear blue eyes.

She blinked, then cocked her head to the side, studying him with visible curiosity. Blaise wondered what she was seeing. He hadn’t seen the light of day in weeks, and he wouldn’t be surprised if he looked like a mad sorcerer at this point. There was probably a week’s worth of stubble covering his face, and he knew his dark hair was unbrushed and sticking out in every direction. If he’d known he would be facing a beautiful woman today, he would’ve done a grooming spell in the morning.

“Who am I?” she asked, startling Blaise. Her voice was soft and feminine, as alluring as the rest of her. “What is this place?”

“You don’t know?” Blaise was glad he finally managed to string together a semi-coherent sentence. “You don’t know who you are or where you are?”

She shook her head. “No.”

Blaise swallowed. “I see.”

“What am I?” she asked again, staring at him with those incredible eyes.

“Well,” Blaise said slowly, “if you’re not some cruel prankster or a figment of my imagination, then it’s somewhat difficult to explain . . .”

She was watching his mouth as he spoke, and when he stopped, she looked up again, meeting his gaze. “It’s strange,” she said, “hearing words like that in real time. These are the first real words I’ve heard.”

Blaise felt a chill go down his spine. Getting up from his chair, he began to pace, trying to keep his eyes off her nude body. He had been expecting something to appear. A magical object, a thing. He just hadn’t known what form that thing would take. A mirror, perhaps, or a lamp. Maybe even something as unusual as the Life Capture Sphere that sat on his desk like a large round diamond.

But a person? A female person at that?

To be fair, he had been trying to make the object intelligent, to ensure it would have the ability to comprehend human language and convert it into the code. Maybe he shouldn’t be so surprised that the intelligence he invoked took on a human shape.

A beautiful, feminine, sensual shape.

Focus, Blaise, focus.

“Why are you walking like that?” She slowly got to her feet, her movements uncertain and strangely clumsy. “Should I be walking too? Is that how people talk to each other?”

Blaise stopped in front of her, doing his best to keep his eyes above her neck. “I’m sorry. I’m not accustomed to naked women in my study.”

She ran her hands down her body, as though trying to feel it for the first time. Whatever her intent, Blaise found the gesture extremely erotic.

“Is something wrong with the way I look?” she asked. It was such a typically feminine concern that Blaise had to stifle a smile.

“Quite the opposite,” he assured her. “You look unimaginably good.” So good, in fact, that he was having trouble concentrating on anything but her delicate curves. She was of medium height, and so perfectly proportioned that she could’ve been used as a sculptor’s template.

“Why do I look this way?” A small frown creased her smooth forehead. “What am I?” That last part seemed to be puzzling her the most.

Blaise took a deep breath, trying to calm his racing pulse. “I think I can try to venture a guess, but before I do, I want to give you some clothing. Please wait here – I’ll be right back.”

And without waiting for her answer, he hurried out of the room.

Want to know more about Dima?

Dima Zales is a full-time science fiction and fantasy author residing in Palm Coast, Florida. Prior to becoming a writer, he worked in the software development industry in New York as both a programmer and an executive. From high-frequency trading software for big banks to mobile apps for popular magazines, Dima has done it all. In 2013, he left the software industry in order to concentrate on his writing career.

Dima holds a Master’s degree in Computer Science from NYU and a dual undergraduate degree in Computer Science / Psychology from Brooklyn College. He also has a number of hobbies and interests, the most unusual of which might be professional-level mentalism. He simulates mind-reading on stage and close-up, and has done shows for corporations, wealthy individuals, and friends.

He is also into healthy eating and fitness, so he should live long enough to finish all the book projects he starts. In fact, he very much hopes to catch the technological advancements that might let him live forever (biologically or otherwise). Aside from that, he also enjoys learning about current and future technologies that might enhance our lives, including artificial intelligence, biofeedback, brain-to-computer interfaces, and brain-enhancing implants.

In addition to his own works, Dima has collaborated on a number of romance novels with his wife, Anna Zaires. The Krinar Chronicles, an erotic science fiction series, has been a bestseller in its categories and has been recognized by the likes of Marie Claire and Woman’s Day. If you like erotic romance with a unique plot, please feel free to check it out, especially since the first book in the series (Close Liaisons) is available for free everywhere. Keep in mind, though, Dima Zales's books are going to be much more PG 13 . . . at least that’s the plan for now.

Anna Zaires is the love of his life and a huge inspiration in every aspect of his writing. She definitely adds her magic touch to anything Dima creates, and the books would not be the same without her. Dima’s fans are strongly encouraged to learn more about Anna and her work at http://www.annazaires.com.