Showing posts with label Euterpe. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Euterpe. Show all posts

Friday, 19 December 2014

YA Book Blast: Disenchanted by Leigh Goff

Welcome to the Release Day Blast for Disenchanted,
a new YA Fantasy novel by 
Leigh Goff


About Disenchanted:

A dark curse, a forbidden love.

Orphaned sixteen-year-old Sophie Goodchild is an outcast among the ordinaries and her coven, but not because she’s untalented. Descended from a powerful Wethersfield witch, her spellcasting gift is awkwardly emerging, but that’s the least of her worries. The boy she’s forbidden to fall for, a descendant of the man who condemned her ancestor to hang, carries a dark secret that could destroy them both unless Sophie learns how to tap into the mysterious power of her diamond bloodcharm. 

Suspenseful, dark, romantic, and brimming with old magic, Disenchanted captures the intrigue of New England’s witchlore.

Book Details:

Title: Disenchanted

Author Name: Leigh Goff

Genre(s): Young Adult, Fantasy Romance

Publisher: Musa Publishing, LLC http://www.musapublishing.com/

ISBN: 978-1-68009-045-1

Release Date: 12/19/2014

Read an Excerpt:

I sat, soaking wet, shaking from the adrenaline. Whoever he was, he rescued me from the would-be thief who bore the symbol of the Leos, a breath-saving nickname I gave Judge Mather’s Law Enforcement Organization. I strained to see, but the rain drops clinging to my long eyelashes blurred my vision. I wiped them away as my heart settled to an even pace.

With his back to me, he watched the thief disappear into the stormy night. He ran his hands through his thick, wavy, wet hair. His broad shoulders relaxed before he turned to offer me assistance. He extended his long arm to help me to my feet. I hesitated for a second, unsure of him, but as he reached for me, our fingers brushed together. A shock of electricity bolted through my hand. I froze as I caught the surprised reaction on his face, telling me he felt it, too. His fingers clasped firmly around mine and, with no effort, he pulled me to my feet. Unsteady, I pressed my hands against his firm muscled chest that showed through the drenched white shirt. A dizzy, swirly sensation swept through my head as if I were on a merry-go-round spinning around at one hundred miles per hour.

He had to be six feet tall.

“Are you okay?” he asked in a smooth British accent. His deep voice vibrated with tension, sending warm chills inside me.

I balanced myself and brushed my wet hair behind my ears, swallowing hard. A British accent that could make a girl melt if the girl didn’t have alarm bells going off in her head. There were no Brits currently living in our small part of Wethersfield, which meant he had to be one of them. My wide eyes flitted around, looking for a clue to make sense of why the statuesque Mather boy with his soaking wet shirt and black tailored pants left the comfort of his father’s manor house to brave the storm.

He stepped closer, breaching the already slim gap between us and forcing my eyes up. The streetlight illuminated his handsome features. His ivory complexion, dappled with raindrops and a shadow of thick stubble, revealed a hint of blush as if it were wintertime and the cold air had plucked at his cheeks.

I followed the perfect straight line of his nose to his brooding, dark eyes full of mystery. His eyes wandered over the details of my face and settled on my own, waiting for me to reply. A warm, wet breeze swirled up from behind him and wrapped his alluring scent around me; clean, floral and woodsy and thoroughly masculine. I inhaled again and again, unable to exhale. With all the plants and flowers I had smelled in my lifetime, he smelled better than any, alone or in combination. I wavered slightly, side to side, feeling dazed. I gulped a mouthful of air, trying not to breathe him in. What was wrong with me? I shook myself out of the stupor.

“Did you know that man?” he asked.

“Did you?” I said in an accusatory tone, but at that moment, I didn’t care about the attacker.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” He drew back like I was crazy for suggesting anything.

He was the enemy. Say something, I thought. “What…what are you doing out here anyway?”

He furrowed his eyebrows inward. “Saving you, obviously.”

I threw my hands on my hips, shocked by the irony. A Mather helping a Greensmith? Hell was freezing over somewhere beneath our feet and every kind of farm animal was sprouting wings to fly. “That’s impossible.”

“And why is that?”

“Because…because you’re a Mather,” I said, not meaning to sound disgusted, but I struggled to contain my feelings. Fact was, the Mathers had Greensmith blood on their hands, as well as my coven’s blood. Through Wethersfield’s history, they were known as witch-hunters and with each generation, they changed only to appear more politically correct, but their intentions remained unchanged.

Add Disenchanted to your GoodreadsShelf:


Purchase Your Copy at Musa Publishing:


About the Author:


I love writing young adult fiction with elements of magic and romance because it's also what I like to read. Born and raised on the East Coast, I now live in Maryland, where I enjoy the area's great history and culture.

I am a graduate of the University of Maryland, University College and a member of the Maryland Writers' Association and Romance Writers of America. I am also an approved artist with the Maryland State Arts Council. My debut novel, Disenchanted, was inspired by the Wethersfield witches of Connecticut and will be released by Musa Publishing in December 2014.


For review copies or to arrange an interview, blog visit, or event with the author please click the Sapphyria's Book Promotions banner or you may contact her at saphsbookblog@gmail.com

Tuesday, 1 October 2013

Happy 2nd Birthday, Musa Publishing…

I can’t believe it’s already been two years since Musa Publishing—who saw enough in me as a good investment to add to their stable of writers, have opened their doors to the world. It’s a blur really. And I’m grateful for Musa Publishing to take a chance on me. So, Happy Birthday, Musa!

To celebrate this milestone, Musa Publishing has an offer readers simply can’t refuse. For the entire month of October, each week different imprints will be on sale for 30% off!
Here’s a list of their imprints, so you can check out the books you’d like to download during the weeks of the sale:












Terpsichore – Contemporary (please go to main website under categories)


Urania – Speculative Fiction (please go to main website under categories)

So there you have it, many imprints to choose from for every reader’s wants and needs! BTW—both my books are under Euterpe with many other amazing middle grade and young adult authors. Please click HERE to visit my author page at Musa Publishing. Come celebrate the entire month of October with us! You just might find you next favorite author! Cheers!

Wednesday, 27 February 2013

Wenches of Words Wednesday: Dusty Crabtree

I’m excited to feature fellow Wench of Words, Dusty Crabtree on my blog today. In celebration of Dusty’s one-year publication anniversary of Shadow Eyes, I thought it appropriate to host this YA urban fantasy author again. Dusty is hosting a month long blog tour, featuring paperbacks, ebooks, and a KINDLE FIRE as prizes. Go HERE to find out more about her awesome blog tour. If you’d like to read an earlier interview with Dusty, please click HERE. Take it away, Dusty…

It's Awesome When Inspiration Strikes by Dusty Crabtree

The idea for Shadow Eyes actually first came to me as a screenplay for a Christian horror movie, if there ever was such a genre. The movie would have been about a cast of intertwined characters going about their lives and making mistakes with dark, creepy shadows (demons) hovering around them, whispering to them, and influencing them to do evil things. Only the audience would see the shadows. The characters would be completely oblivious.

A few years after I’d had that idea, my friend suggested I write a novel like the paranormal angel books we’d been reading and loving. I’d always loved the concept of angels and demons in stories and immediately thought back to that screenplay idea. I just continued tweaking it until I had the basic concept of Shadow Eyes – a 17-year-old girl who had this special ability to see the shadows and light figures when nobody else could.
Iris thought she could ignore the shadows...until they went after everyone she loved.

BLURB:

Iris Kohl lives in a world populated by murky shadows that surround, harass, and entice unsuspecting individuals toward evil. But she is the only one who can see them. She’s had this ability to see the shadows, as well as brilliantly glowing light figures, ever since an obscure, tragic incident on her fourteenth birthday three years earlier.

Although she’s learned to cope, the view of her world begins to shift upon the arrival of three mysterious characters. First, a handsome new teacher whose presence scares away shadows; second, a new friend with an awe-inspiring aura; and third, a mysterious and alluring new student whom Iris has a hard time resisting despite already having a boyfriend.

As the shadows invade and terrorize her own life and family, she must ultimately revisit the most horrific event of her life in order to learn her true identity and become the hero she was meant to be.

To read an excerpt from Shadow Eye's, please click HERE.

Watch Shadow Eyes book trailer on YouTube.

Shadow Eyes is available at all major online bookstores.

Learn more about Dusty Crabtree on her blog.

Stay connected on Facebook and Twitter.

Thursday, 1 November 2012

Cover Reveal for Rita Monette’s The Legend of Ghost Dog Island

I love helping out my fellow authors. Whether it’s an interview, or a share or tweet on the social media networks, I get a blast from sharing their good news. I interviewed YA author Rita Monette back in July for my ‘Authors in the Limelight’ segment. Please click here to read our interview. I had asked Rita if I could also do a cover reveal when the artwork was completed for her book. Guess what? Her book cover is ready! The following is Rita’s personal announcement about her new cover for her upcoming book with Musa Publishing’s YA imprint Euterpe, and boy, she’s seems pretty excited about it! Take it away, Rita…

It's finally here! The cover art for The Legend of Ghost Dog Island.

The talented Kelly Shorten, from Musa Publishing, has done it again. She captured the essence of Ghost Dog Island perfectly. And here it is!!! What do you think? I'd love to hear your comments...

 

About Ghost Dog Island

Moving is nothing new for ten-year-old Nikki Landry. Her fisherman father relocates their raggedy old houseboat several times a year in search of better crab fishing spots. However, their latest move has brought her to a mysterious bayou, where she feels like something is watching her from a nearby island. But when Papa tells her about a local legend that something sinister might be living nearby and stealing the souls of dogs, she fears for her beloved beagle’s life. Join Nikki as she seeks to discover the truth behind the legend…before it’s too late.

Book is due out November 16! Will post links on my blog
http://ritamonette.blogspot.com/ when available.

Thursday, 27 September 2012

Authors in the Limelight: Ralph Hartman


Rat RodI want to thank and welcome author, Ralph Hartman for sharing his personal writing journey with us on my blog today. His book, Rat Rod, can be purchased from Musa Publishing, Amazon, and other on-line bookstores.
How long have you been writing, Ralph?
I started many years ago, then pushed it aside as things like building a career and a home shouldered to the forefront. Pushed aside but never pushed away. About ten years ago I got to looking through all the bits and scraps and manuscripts and thought…maybe? Write, polish, query, submit…manage the rejection…learn…repeat. Eventually my third novel was accepted by a small Canadian publisher. Oh joy! Now, I’m hooked – I have a plausible reason to do something I love. I now have two novels on current lists and three soon to be released.

Sounds like you’re living the dream! Where did you get your idea and inspiration to write Rat Rod?
Rat Rod is purely a response to an inquiry I received from an editor on another piece I submitted. She wondered if I'd be interested in doing a story specifically for one of their imprints; something edgy and on the raw side of real. Something about drugs, or bullying, or poverty, or gender bending. Hard to imagine, but this is how Rat Rod was born, it was to be a story about a fatherless young man and the alternate male influences in his life. Couldn't do it. The whole desperate character in a desperate situation was just too damn depressing. Well, I kept some of that, but the story and the characters demanded more. Ordinary people caught up in extraordinary circumstance. Yeah, this I can do. Soon enough, what was supposed to be, faded into what was meant to be.

What sets Rat Rod apart from other books in the same genre?
I think young readers want to see reality and possibility merged. I believe a story can be both enlightening and entertaining. That it can be real, and surreal, with heroes and villains and imaginings and secrets. That ghosts flit figuratively within our minds and fugitively upon our world. In Rat Rod these elements are not assumed or assured, simply presented as the story unfolds for the readers to interpret as they will.

As an author, Ralph, what is your writing process?
First the story has to lurk in my mind, nothing big, just an idea building until it’s large enough I can see it. Then write it down, print and save, and put it away for a few weeks or months and let it steep. When it’s ready, pull it out and read it. At this point it goes back in the trunk or becomes something possible. Rewrite, edit, revise, edit, proof, and off to the beta readers. Revise, edit, and submit. And wait.

Patience is truly a virtue! How long did it take for you to start and finish Rat Rod?
First draft took about three months, if remember correctly. Revisions were about nine months, and another six months to find a publisher.

Do you have any advice for other writers, Ralph?
Learn the craft; an education is invaluable. Learn the industry. You are one of a million-plus, do not be discouraged or disillusioned. Set goals and know the difference between your goals, and your dreams.

Wise advice! What’s next for Ralph Hartman the author?
Shaw’s Consequence; a mainstream mystery / thriller with Musa Publishing, will be released later this year. I’ve also written a MG urban fantasy, book one in the forthcoming series False Ridge: Creatures will be released in spring 2013 with MuseItUp Publishing. I’m working on the next False Ridge book, hammering out a dark psychological horror, and experimenting with some shorts.

Whew, sounds like your days will be filled from here on end! Okay, here’s one for me, since I’m writing a time travel series – If you could time travel anywhere into Earth’s past, where would you go and why?
Wow. This is a tough question. I don’t know. There would have to be music, and I’d need philosophy. Peace would be nice, and freedom essential. The sun would need to be warm and the earth fertile, no want for food or shelter. I’d want free thought and free speech, and government by representation. Guess there are really only two places that come to mind: Ancient Mesopotamia in the time before the Sumerians, or that place John Lennon imagined in a song. Yeah—take me there.

Rat Rod will be released September 28th. Here is the pre-release link to Musa's site:
http://musapublishing.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=5&products_id=394

Connect with Ralph Hartman:
http://ralphhartman.wordpress.com/

Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/RalphHartman/e/B008TUU83C/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1

Thursday, 13 September 2012

Authors in the Limelight: Anne Marie

I want to thank and welcome author, Anne Marie for sharing her personal writing journey with us on my blog today. Her book, La Dame à La Licorne, can be purchased from Musa Publishing, Amazon, and other on-line bookstores.

How long have you been writing, Anne?
If I said birth, I’d be lying, but as long back as I can remember I’ve been telling stories. I remember the first story I wrote in second grade by myself about Tom the Turkey who was saved from Thanksgiving dinner. I’ve been writing with publication in mind since 2010 when I attended my first writing conference.

Where did you get your idea and inspiration to write La Dame à La Licorne?
In 2004, my friend and I went to Paris, France. While there we visited the Musée de Cluny where I saw the famous “The Lady and the Unicorn” tapestries. Being close enough to touch them put that “What if” question in my mind immediately. However, it wasn’t until 2010 that I actually wrote the first draft of this story.

What sets La Dame à La Licorne apart from other stories in the same genre?
Most YA stories have a heavy romantic element. This story’s focus isn’t romance. It’s about a daughter and her father, a daughter and a stranger, and her internal struggles. The novel version would explore more of the historical fantasy genre elements, but the short format gave me a chance to play with another kind of relationship. It still has action, drama, comedy, and danger.

As an author, Anne, what is your writing process?
I get tiny seeds of ideas everywhere, but seeds don’t make a story. I sit on these seeds until characters form in my mind. Then I write a first draft. What follows next mirrors the Five Stages of Grief. There’s Denial when I realize this isn’t the best thing ever. Anger when I can’t find the right words and turns of phrase. Bargaining to keep things I love that really need to be cut. Depression because I’m the worst writer ever. And finally, Acceptance. It’s as good as it’s going to get, and I have to send it on and work on the next project.

I never thought of the writing process like that! Genius! How long did it take for you to start and finish La Dame à La Licorne?
The first draft took about thirty minutes. Good thing first drafts aren’t published. I wrote that in 2010, sent it out to get feedback. Rewrote some parts. Sent it out again. Rewrote some more. Submitted the final draft in 2011 for a contest. Then it went through a few more revisions. Musa published it this summer. So that’s two years from first draft to publication. But I worked on a dozen or more different things in the interim too. I’m getting better at juggling my projects. 

Juggling projects is a tough gig! Do you have any advice for other writers, Anne?
There are no new ideas, but there are new ways of presenting those ideas. Find your voice and put a spin on an old idea. Like the Barenaked Ladies say, “Everything old is new again.”

Great. Now that song is gonna be stuck in my head! What’s next for Anne Marie the author?
More conferences and workshops. I’ll continue to hone my craft. There’s so much I still have to learn and practice. I want to finish a novel I’ve been working on for a long time. And, of course, I’ll continue to write short stories. They’ve taught me so much.

Okay, here’s one for me, since I’m writing a time travel series – If you could time travel anywhere into Earth’s past, where would you go and why?
This is really hard to answer! I absolutely love cultures, languages, and history. If I could ensure my safety and that of the animals, I would totally go back 78 million years and see dinosaurs. I’d love to see how Stonehenge was built. I’d love to see the Seven Wonders of the World that are no longer in existence. I want to go back to the night that Versailles was stormed. I want to be on a Phoenician ship. I want to do a ghost dance with the Sioux. I want to see it all and try everything.

Thanks for the interview questions, Sharon!
Bio:

Anne Marie attended the University of Colorado for a BA in English Literature, where she fell in love with folklore and myths from around the world. She adores languages, great white sharks, and the impossible. Her work usually includes one of those three things. She currently lives in Aurora, Colorado with her beagle Brody. Anne posts a themed story once a week at Cimmerian Tales (http://cimmeriantales.wordpress.com).

You can follow Anne on Twitter @annemariewrites.
Blurb:

Always obey your father. That’s what Katherine’s done her entire life. She studies dead languages and practices knife-throwing. Now Pappa’s listening to a virtual stranger, and she’s convinced the stranger cares more about killing monsters than her own safety. Pappa won’t even tell her what they’re going after. He says it’s because if she knows too much, then she’s tainted by that knowledge and it will spoil the hunt.
Can she trust Pappa’s judgment or leave her future in the hands of the stranger? With only her wits to protect her, she joins them in the most terrifying night of the year.

You can purchase La Dame à La Licorne for only $0.99 on Amazon.com, BN.com, and MusaPublishing.com (you can read an excerpt here).
Photograph © Copyright, Mica Studios 2012. All rights reserved. Used with permission.