Cover Reveal: The Silk Thief

Today I have a cover reveal for the humorous urban fantasy novel, The Silk Thief (The Roshaven Series Book 2) by Claire Buss, plus a sneak peek at the book as well as the preorder link. Enjoy.

The Silk Thief (The Roshaven Series Book 2)

**COVER REVEAL**

 

Fourteen, heir to the Empire of Roshaven, must find a new name before Theo, Lord of neighbouring Fidelia, brings his schemes to fruition.

Not only has he stolen Roshaven’s trade, but he plans to make Fourteen his own and take her empire in the bargain.

Her protector, Ned Spinks, is plagued with supernatural nightmares whilst his assistant, Jenni the sprite, has lost her magick.

Can they figure out how to thwart Theo’s dastardly plan before it’s too late for his city and her empire?

The Silk Thief is the second quirky magical mystery adventure set in the Roshaven series of humorous fantasy novels. If you like the wit and humour of Terry Pratchett’s Discworld, then you’ll love The Silk Thief.

PRE-ORDER YOUR COPY TODAY: mybook.to/SilkThief

 The book releases June 4th 

More About The Roshaven Books

The Rose Thief, The Roshaven Series book 1

Someone is stealing the Emperor’s roses and if they take the magical red rose then love will be lost, to everyone, forever.

It’s up to Ned Spinks, Chief Thief Catcher, and his band of motley catchers to apprehend the thief and save the day.

But the thief isn’t exactly who they seem to be. Neither is the Emperor.

Ned and his team will have to go on a quest; defeating vampire mermaids, illusionists, estranged family members and an evil sorcerer in order to win the day. What could possibly go wrong?

Available in paperback and ebook everywhere: https://books2read.com/u/bQaxw6

 

The Interspecies Poker Tournament, Prequel Novella to The Rose Thief

Ned Spinks, Chief Thief-Catcher, has a new case. A murderous moustache-wearing cult is killing off members of Roshaven's fae community. At least that's what he's been led to believe by his not-so-trusty sidekick, Jenni the sprite. She has information she's not sharing but plans to get her boss into the Interspecies Poker Tournament so he can catch the bad guy and save the day. If only Ned knew how to play!

Available in paperback and ebook everywhere: https://books2read.com/u/m2Vk0R

Ye Olde Magick Shoppe, a Roshaven short story

Join Ned Spinks, Chief Thief-Catcher, and his sidekick Jenni the sprite in this short story about an unwanted magick shoppe.

This free short story is available in ebook everywhere: https://books2read.com/u/4XXPw1

 

What Readers Say About The Books

“Loved the quirky banter!”

“Entirely delightful and captivating.”

“A wonderful tribute to the Late Great Sir Terry.”

“If you are a fan of the discworld you will love this book.”

“A hilariously thrilling fantasy mystery.”

 ~*~

About the Author

Claire Buss is a multi-genre author and poet based in the UK. She wanted to be Lois Lane when she grew up but work experience at her local paper was eye-opening. Instead, Claire went on to work in a variety of admin roles for over a decade but never felt quite at home. An avid reader, baker and Pinterest addict Claire won second place in the Barking and Dagenham Pen to Print writing competition in 2015 with her debut novel, The Gaia Effect, setting her writing career in motion. She continues to write passionately and is hopelessly addicted to cake.

 

Social Media Links

Facebook: www.facebook.com/busswriter

FB Group: www.facebook.com/groups/BussBookStop

Twitter: www.twitter.com/grasshopper2407

Instagram: www.instagram.com/grasshopper2407

Website: https://clairebuss.co.uk/

Blog: https://www.butidontlikesalad.blogspot.co.uk

Cover Reveal: Londinium (P.A.W.S. Saga 4)

Today I have a delightful treat for you, my minions, with the reveal of the brand new book cover for the next book in the P.A.W.S. Saga, Londinium. This book series is paranormal fantasy and is written by the talented author, Debbie Manber Kupfer.

The cover was created by the hugely talented Rachel Bostwick who also made the cover for the new box set of P.A.W.S. books (1 to 3) that is now available on Amazon.

So, without further ado, drum roll please...

Isn't that a terrific cover?


The P.A.W.S. Saga continues with Londinium.

Here's little snippet from the book.

“The pea soup has spoken,” said Caradog. “You are destined for Londinium.”
“Londinium?” asked Miri.
“It was the ancient city from which London sprang. The P.A.W.S. Institute of Londinium is the oldest in the world. It started before the city of today existed and straddles the old and the new.
Unfortunately, today it is run by a fool.”

Join Miri as she continues her journey through Umbrae and Londinium with the help of werecats, wild warlocks, an old dog, a duck, and a whole lot of pea soup.

Londinium (The P.A.W.S. Saga 4) on presale now. 

Need to catch up?

 You can do that all in one place with a brand new box set of books 1 to 3.

Now available on Amazon.

Cover Reveal: Camp Nightmare

Today I have a cover reveal, for the horror thriller short story, Camp Nightmare by Franny Marie. Enjoy!

★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★
CAMP NIGHTMARE COVER REVEAL 
★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★

Isn't it great?

Now here's the info on the book

Release Date: Friday March 10th, 2017

Blurb:  Six Friends head out to an annual Camping Trip for a week... Will it be a fun filled week or will they land in a house of Horror fighting for their lives?

Genre: Horror/Thriller 

Add it to you TBR list on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33951085-camp-nightmare

Follow Franny Marie

Amazon page: https://www.amazon.com/Franny-Marie/e/B00NB5N3VE/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8532055.Franny_Marie

Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/FrannyMarieAuthor/

#Horror #Thriller #shortstories #IndieBooksBeSeen #coverreveal 

Cover Reveal for The Ballad of Allyn-a-Dale

It's time for another exciting cover reveal, this time for the YA fantasy, The Ballad of Allyn-a-Dale, by the ever talented Danielle E. Shipley. It's book one in her new series, The Outlaws of Avalon.

And now, may I present...

The Ballad of Allyn-a-Dale (The Outlaws of Avalon, Book One)

by Danielle E. Shipley

The lovely cover art is by Lars van de Goor and Milan van de Goor

This contemporary, young adult, fantasy releases July 12, 2016

You can preview it on Goodreads

The Author’s Thoughts on the Cover

The Outlaws of Avalon trilogy is my baby, so I knew its faces had to blow me away. For Book One’s cover, there were a couple elements I for sure wanted to highlight: 1, the forest (because SHERWOOD), and 2, the lute (because Allyn-a-Dale). The rest, I mostly left up to my designers – photographer Lars van de Goor, and his son Milan.

A couple drafts later, this was the gorgeous result. The elegant swirls! The delightful rosette on the spine! Of all the darling touches – a ROBIN perched over “Ballad”s second A! And, of course, the must-have lute sitting sedately amongst the trees.

The minstrel blue, the greenwood green, the magical splash of sunlight… This cover doesn’t just say “The Ballad of Allyn-a-Dale”: It sings it.

Novel Summary

Welcome to Avalon, a Renaissance Faire where heroes of legend never die. Where the Robin Hood walking the streets is truly the noble outlaw himself. Where the knightly and wizardly players of King Arthur’s court are in fact who they profess to be. Where the sense of enchantment in the air is not mere feeling, but the Fey magic of a paradise hidden in plain sight.

Enter Allyn-a-Dale. The grief of his father’s death still fresh and the doom of his own world looming, swirling realities leave the young minstrel marooned in an immortal Sherwood Forest, where he is recruited as a member of Robin Hood’s infamous outlaw band. But Allyn’s new life may reach its end before it’s scarcely begun. Their existence under threat, the Merry Men are called upon to embark on a journey to the dangerous world Outside – ours – on a quest which must be achieved without delay, or eternity in Avalon will not amount to very long at all.

Excerpt:

Allyn would have known Will Scarlet for a relation of Robin Hood’s even had he not been introduced as his cousin. Though clean-shaven, younger, and framed by thick locks of gold tinged with the color of his name, Will’s face was patently similar to Robin’s, with the same blue eyes that sparkled cheerily at Allyn when the two were presented to each other.

            “And where’d you pick this fellow up, then, Robin?” he asked blithely.

            “In my tent,” replied Robin, “with Marion.”

            Will’s brows leapt toward his crimson cap’s pointed brim. “Wish I were Allyn!”

            “Will…”

            “Joking, joking,” Will waved aside Marion’s halfhearted rebuke. He coughed. “…Mostly. So, Allyn-a-Dale — looking to join the Merry Men, are you?”

            “I don’t really know,” Allyn said doubtfully. “What are the Merry Men?”

            To Allyn’s heart-thudding dismay, Will answered, “We’re an infamous band of outlaws.”

            “Not really,” Marion hastened to jump in.

            “Not anymore,” Little John amended.

            “It’s complicated,” said Robin. “But we’re really not at liberty to tell you much more about it until we’ve spoken to Merlin.”

            “That would be King Arthur’s chief counselor and illustrious wizard,” Will said in answer to Allyn’s questioning expression. “He literally runs the show around here, so—”

            “No,” said Little John, his gaze a grim weight on Will Scarlet.

            “Oh, would you chillax, you pedant?” Will huffed, facial muscles ticking with minor irritation. “I know you think the Outsiders have been using the word with nary a care to its meaning, of late, but I know what ‘literally’ means, and in this case, I literally meant ‘literally’!”

            The marginal lowering of Little John’s brow silently warned what he would literally do to Will if he said that word but once more.

            “And they’re off,” said Robin, shaking his head. “Don’t worry, Allyn, they only bicker like this when they’re both breathing.”

            Allyn’s lips twitched toward the beginnings of a smile, but froze halfway, his mind only just now becoming fully conscious of what he’d heard. “Robin,” he said, fighting a sudden swell of anxiety. “Did Will just say we’re off to see a wizard?”

About the Author 

Danielle E. Shipley is the author of the Wilderhark Tales novellas, the novel Inspired, and several other expressions of wishful thinking. She has spent most of her life in the Chicago area and increasing amounts of time in Germany. She hopes to ultimately retire to a private immortal forest. But first, there are stories to make.

Website: http://deshipley.com/

Cover Reveal: Beyond the Wail

As some of you may know, one of my stories, The Weeping Lady, was accepted into Xchyler Publishing's upcoming paranormal anthology, Beyond the Wail, set to release next month. Well, here's where I give you the first glimpse at its striking cover.

So here's the grand reveal...

Beyond the Wail

12 Grave Tales of Love and Loss

Featuring chilling paranormal stories by:

Amanda Banker

Jay Barnson

Julie Barnson

L. K. McIntosh

Sebastian Bendix

F. M. Longo

Tirzah Duncan

Danielle E. Shipley

Alex McGilvery

Ginger C. Mann

A. F. Stewart

T. N. Payne 

and edited by J. Aurel Guay 

Cover Reveal: The Bookminder

Another cover reveal today from those busy folks at Xchyler Publishing. This time it's for the historical fantasy novel The Bookminder by the very talented author M. K. Wiseman. Plus, I have another delightful book trailer.

And Now Presenting...

Just wonderful, with a nice spooky touch. I love it.

~*~

And now for a bit about the book.

The Bookminder by M. K. Wiseman

Istria, 1679 A. D.

Sired by magick and violence, sixteen-year-old Liara is found guilty of witchcraft and banished from her tiny village by the very priest who raised, then betrayed her. However, a mysterious mage steps forward to assume custody of her: Nagarath, the Wizard of Parentino, whose secret spellwork has long protected both Liara and Dvigrad from the ravages of war.
Despite Liara's best hopes, Nagarath refuses to apprentice her to his craft but tasks her instead with the restoration of his neglected library. Liara gleans what magickal knowledge she can on the sly, determined to learn, come what may. But the first test of her stolen knowledge goes awry and renews an evil wizard's interest in the people of the Limska Draga valley.
Only by tapping Liara's ingerent magick and joining it with his own can Nagarath protect Parentino from suffering a horrible fate. However, her discovering of his secrets destroys their fragile trust and ignites the darker tendencies of her gift. Now, he must rescue her from the influence of his mortal enemy before their powerful new alliance destroys them all.

Magick and the truth. 

Through both, Liara may unravel the mystery of her origins. But at what cost?

Cover Reveal: “The Story’s End”

Today I have an extra special treat, with the cover reveal for the seventh and final Wilderhark Tale by talented author Danielle E. Shipley. This book, The Story’s End, releases October 13, 2015, but today you get a sneak peek.

And here it is, Ta Da!

Another gorgeous cover for this series.

The Story’s End

Book Seven of The Wilderhark Tales

For Gant-o’-the-Lute, “ever after” has been less than happy. With the last of Carillon’s charm over him gone, the minstrel-king puts royalty behind him in pursuit of the music he once knew and the lifelong dream he let slip through his fingers. But dark whispers on the wind warn that time is running out – not only for Lute and the apprentice in his shadow, but the whole of earth and Sky.

An enchantress’s curse turns a spoiled royal into a beast; a princess’s pricked finger places her under a hundred-year spell; bales of straw are spun as golden as the singing harp whisked down a giant beanstalk – all within sight of Wilderhark, the forest that’s seen it all.

You’ve heard the stories – of young men scaling rope-like braids to assist the tower-bound damsel; of gorgeous gowns appearing just in time for a midnight ball; of frog princes, and swan princes, and princes saved from drowning by maidens of the sea. Tales of magic. Tales of adventure. Most of all, tales of true love.

Once upon a time, you knew them as fairytales. Know them now as Wilderhark’s.

You can check out The Story’s End at its page on Goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25958863-the-story-s-end

Author Bio:

Danielle E. Shipley’s first novelettes told the everyday misadventures of wacky kids like herself. …Or so she thought. Unbeknownst to them all, half of her characters were actually closeted elves, dwarves, fairies, or some combination thereof. When it all came to light, Danielle did the sensible thing: Packed up and moved to Fantasy Land, where daily rent is the low, low price of her heart, soul, blood, sweat, tears, firstborn child, sanity, and words; lots of them. She’s also been known to spend short bursts of time in the real-life Chicago area with the parents who home schooled her and the two little sisters who keep her humble. When she’s not living the highs and lows of writing, publishing, and all that authorial jazz, she’s probably blogging about it at www.EverOnWord.wordpress.com.

Cover Reveal: Sigil of the Wyrm

Today, I have fabulous cover reveal. This time for the soon to be released urban fantasy novel Sigil of the Wyrm by A. J. Campbell, sure to be another stellar book from Xchyler Publishing. And as an extra bonus I have the wonderful book trailer as well. So on with the show...

Drum Roll Please, and Voila!

Isn't it absolutely stunning?


Now here's a bit about the book.

Sigil of the Wyrm by A. J. Campbell

Richard Lampton never believed in fairy tales, so when a stunning stranger at his uncle’s funeral warns him of an ancient family curse, he pays no heed—until a very real wyrm attempts to destroy him. Now, with the help of a homeless runaway, a fledgling jackdaw, and a key none but he can use, Richard must find the courage to meet his death or his destiny as he plunges headlong Into the Weirding.

The book releases later this August, but you can pre-order it now from Amazon.

Book Trailer

Cover Reveal: August's Gardens by Michelle Barclay

Today I'm part of a cover reveal, this time for the new fantasy/horror novel August's Gardens by Michelle Barclay. This upcoming book is the sequel to Morrigan's Shadows, and it's scheduled release date is August 18, 2015. And now on to the big reveal...

Isn't it a lovely cover?

And now for a bit about the book and author.

August's Gardens

Morrigan is beyond death, trapped in a hellish nightmare from which only the Artist can save her. The Fiend is behind enemy lines learning to reap what he has sown. The Artist reaches deep into his past to find a reason for the strange woman he now must rescue from the vile Dark Man. The Winged Man is forced to wait while all of the elements he needs to start war with hell itself fall into place. Will he fight alone or will his shattered family unite with him?

Author Bio: 

Michelle Barclay is the author of Morrigan's Shadows, Rot and the upcoming novel August's Gardens. She lives on the South Shore in Massachusetts with her husband. 

Follow Michelle Barclay on Twitter and Facebook to learn about upcoming giveaways and how you can get a free digital copy of her novella Rot. For author news and very occasional updates, sign up for Michelle's mailing list.

Cover Reveal: The Sky-Child and Other Stories

Today I'm participating in the big cover reveal for the young adult book, The Sky Child and Other Stories by Danielle E. Shipley. This book is the latest addition to The Wilderhark Tales Collection, and will be released July 7, 2015. There's also a delightful excerpt from the book, so read on and enjoy...

The Sky-Child and Other Stories (The Wilderhark Tales #6.5)

by Danielle E. Shipley

Born into a world his heart knows as beneath him, an extraordinary boy becomes a man of music, hopeful that someday he’ll find a way higher.
As the first day dawns, a world comes awake, order and disorder striking a dangerous balance.
Under the stars, a princess and tailor trade age-old lore, little dreaming of the future that could trap them in the past.
All of it in, around, and far above the timeless trees of Wilderhark, the forest whose secrets reveal themselves slowly, if ever at all.
Tales of beginnings. Tales of quests for belonging. Most of all, tales of true love.
Once upon a time, you knew something of Wilderhark’s tales. Now for the stories that fall in between.

The Sky-Child and Other Stories

A Wilderhark Tales Collection

You can find The Sky-Child and Other Stories on Goodreads

EXCERPT FROM THE SKY-CHILD AND OTHER STORIES

A farmer’s life was irreconcilably different from that of a traveling entertainer. It was the sort of life where years were marked in seasons, not in miles; a life of sameness where, rising morning after morning on the same piece of land, one got to know that piece of land as well as one’s own self. …Assuming, that is, that one could be induced to take any part in the never-ending tilling and sowing and growing and reaping – all tasks in which Jackillen took no interest whatsoever.

For the most part, his adoptive father would let him alone. Not so at harvest time. During the late summer and autumn months, virtually every creature breathing was called upon to do its share. And though Jackillen may have been able to get by well enough with little food and sleep, breathing was an essential he was unprepared to go without.

Jeromey first assigned Jackillen the simple task of helping to dig up the ripe root vegetables, but soon observed with dismay that the youth appeared to wilt a little more with every row.

“It’s this business of rooting about in the dirt,” Jackillen said droopily, when questioned. “Everything focused down, down, and farther down… It’s torment. I don’t want to burrow deeper into the earth, I want to be free of it – I want to fly!” He tipped back his head to stare with longing at the vivid blue expanse above him. “What I wouldn’t give to reach the sky…”

In all truth, Jeromey Gant understood his son as little as Jackillen did him, and was at a loss in trying to comprehend how such a lively, sturdy body and personality could coexist with such a strangely sensitive spirit. Whatever the reason, it was at least clear that this particular aspect of the harvest did not at all suit the lad, so Jackillen was reassigned to the barn, under instruction to thresh the freshly harvested grains.

Hours later, Jeromey thought he had better go see whether the boy found his new chore to be more to his liking, or if he considered the dust of the beaten wheat or the confinement of the barn to be killing him by inches. He got as far as poking his head around the door. Then he froze, mouth agape, eyes blinking repeatedly as they attempted to make sense of the sight before him.

Everything in the barn was in motion. The grain swirled through the air in a golden cyclone. Twirling in the center of it all, smiling and laughing with delight, was Jackillen, a stout wooden staff a whirring blur in his hands. The spinning staff stirred the air, holding the grains aloft, and rapidly rapped out again and again, beating the wheat as it whirled past.

The late afternoon sunlight slowly waned as the implausible scene continued until, upon some variation of Jackillen’s extraordinary dance, the wheat rode the air into the harvest sieve, the edible grain separating from the unwanted chaff. Then at last, his work completed, Jackillen let the air go still and lowered himself to one knee, visibly fatigued, but just as visibly pleased.

He gave no sign as to whether Jeromey’s presence was a surprise or had been long since noted, only announcing cheerfully, “Threshing’s done.”

Jeromey stared at the boy in silence for another moment before remarking, “Most people can’t do that, you know.”

Jackillen grinned, the color of his eyes brighter and more erratic than ever. “Oh, yes, I never doubted that. But I am not most people: I’m Jackillen Gant.” He leapt to his feet and breezed through the doors past his father, turning to add in casual afterthought, “I can do anything, you know.”

No, Jeromey hadn’t known. And “anything” was a big enough word that he wasn’t prepared to admit he knew any such thing even now. However, he thought it reasonable to assume, if ever there were someone capable of anything, that one would most likely be Jackillen Gant.

~*~

About the Author:

Danielle E. Shipley’s first novelettes told the everyday misadventures of wacky kids like herself. …Or so she thought. Unbeknownst to them all, half of her characters were actually closeted elves, dwarves, fairies, or some combination thereof. When it all came to light, Danielle did the sensible thing: Packed up and moved to Fantasy Land, where daily rent is the low, low price of her heart, soul, blood, sweat, tears, firstborn child, sanity, and words; lots of them. She’s also been known to spend short bursts of time in the real-life Chicago area with the parents who home schooled her and the two little sisters who keep her humble. When she’s not living the highs and lows of writing, publishing, and all that authorial jazz, she’s probably blogging about it.

Writing credits include: “Inspired” (a novel); short stories in paranormal, fantasy, and Steampunk anthologies via Xchyler Publishing; and, of course, her series of fairytale retelling mash-ups, “The Wilderhark Tales”.

You can find and contact Danielle here:

Website

Blog

Facebook

Twitter

Goodreads

Pinterest

Amazon

This cover reveal is organized by Lola's Blog Tours

Surrogate Sea Cover Reveal

Today is the big day for the cover reveal for Danielle E. Shipley's new YA book, The Surrogate Sea (Book Six of The Wilderhark Tales), and I'm pleased to be one of the participating blogs. So with no further ado, I present...

The Surrogate Sea

The Sea’s storm brought them together, and the Sea’s rules will keep them apart, unless the mute but melodious Muirigan can find another to take her place, freeing her to pursue the human man she loves. But when her plan collides with the schemes of the sly South Wind, a princess’s agenda to look for love in all the most fantastic places, and a prince whose head and heart have been long years at war, the result is a tragedy of errors from which the world might never recover.

The Surrogate Sea (Book Six of The Wilderhark Tales)

<> ~ <> ~ <>

An enchantress’s curse turns a spoiled royal into a beast; a princess’s pricked finger places her under a hundred-year spell; bales of straw are spun as golden as the singing harp whisked down a giant beanstalk – all within sight of Wilderhark, the forest that’s seen it all.

You've heard the stories – of young men scaling rope-like braids to assist the tower-bound damsel; of gorgeous gowns appearing just in time for a midnight ball; of frog princes, and swan princes, and princes saved from drowning by maidens of the sea. Tales of magic. Tales of adventure. Most of all, tales of true love.

Once upon a time, you knew them as fairytales. Know them now as Wilderhark's.

Here's the book page over at Goodreads 

The release date for this romantic, young adult, fairytale fantasy is:

Tuesday, March 24, 2015

Author Bio:

Danielle E. Shipley's first novelettes told the everyday misadventures of wacky kids like herself. ...Or so she thought. Unbeknownst to them all, half of her characters were actually closeted elves, dwarves, fairies, or some combination thereof.

When it all came to light, Danielle did the sensible thing: Packed up and moved to Fantasy Land, where daily rent is the low, low price of her heart, soul, blood, sweat, tears, firstborn child, sanity, and words; lots of them. She's also been known to spend short bursts of time in the real-life Chicago area with the parents who home schooled her and the two little sisters who keep her humble. 

When she's not living the highs and lows of writing, publishing, and all that authorial jazz, she's probably blogging about it at EverOnWord.wordpress.com.