Monday, September 28, 2015

New Release @ariapeyton - Entrusted by Aria Peyton (Coal Creek Shifters #1)



NEW RELEASE!

Entrusted

Coal Creek Shifters #1

by Aria Peyton


Cover Design: Midnight Rainbow Designs

Release Date: Sept 29th, 2015






BLURB
One day of perfection.
Five minutes to change it all.
All it took was the cruelty of one man, and the actions of their clan, to tear them apart. Fated Mates; destined for each other. Forced into a solitary existence until another enters their lives.
Will his presence reunite them? Or will the past destroy their future?


EXCERPT
© Aria Peyton 2015.


His spine tingled and his cat roared. Mikhail spun around, looking for what had it on alert.

Vee. 
Standing in the doorway to Davey’s looking lost and all alone. He jumped the bar, using his shifter strength to clear it, and raced to her, skidding to a halt when he was within three feet. He reached out then stuck both hands in his pockets, not sure what he should be doing. His instincts told him to embrace her, to hold her, but his brain argued that she wasn’t there for that. Instincts won over and he closed the distance between them, wrapping her in his arms. She nestled in, burying her head in his chest, her sobs barely audible.
“Shhh, sweetheart, shhh.” He guided her through the room and into his office out the back, gesturing to the wolf on security to take over bar duties. He sat down in the large, overstuffed armchair—his favourite—and arranged her on his lap. He stroked her hair in silence until she chose to speak to him.
“He made an appointment for a shrink.”
Mikhail stiffened, and not in the way he preferred.
“He did what now?” Disbelief coloured his voice. Why the hell would Rebel do something like that? “He asked you first, though, didn’t he?”
She shook her head and whispered, “No.”
Fury swept through his veins as he fished in his pocket, trying not to jostle Vee around too much in the process. He scrolled through his contacts list and pulled up Rebel’s phone number. He hit dial.
“What the hell were you thinking?!” he roared into the receiver.


BUY LINKS



AUTHOR BIO



I've been a covert operative in a foreign country, jumped out of helicopters for fun, and bungee jumped over the side of a Styrofoam factory into a vat of beans made for beanbags. I can also leap Lego towers in a single bound, pack school lunches like a boss, and burn myself on any hot surface. My multiskilling is out of this world and I successfully masquerade as an average parent 24/7. Do not be fooled by my mediocrity. To do so is at your own peril. Also, don’t believe everything you read!





AUTHOR LINKS
Twitter: @ariapeyton
Instagram:@authorariapeyton

Newsletter: http://bit.ly/AriasNewsletter


GIVEAWAY
There is a giveaway for a $5 Amazon gift card and swag set

Sunday, September 27, 2015

Review - Entangled with the Thief by Kate Rudolph (Stealing the Alpha #2)




Entangled with the Thief
Stealing the Alpha #2
by Kate Rudolph

Goodreads blurb:  It was supposed to be a simple job.

Get in, steal the gem, get out. But everything went to hell and now Mel is out her payment and in the sights of an angry alpha lion.

Luke isn’t doing any better.

His sister is in trouble, the Scarlet Emerald is gone, and Mel is back, ready to face off with him again.

But to heal his sister, Luke will do the unthinkable. He will ask Mel for her help to save Cassie's life. And soon, the attraction bubbles between them, entangling their lives more than they ever asked for.

Stealing the Alpha is a three-part series featuring Mel, wereleopard burglar extraordinaire, and Luke Torres, werelion alpha. Join them while they pull off heists, battle vampires, encounter witches, learn to trust, and fall in love.


About the Author:  I grew up in a small town in Indiana. When I was a little kid we went to a wolf sanctuary a few hours away from where I lived. It's an event that has stuck with me to this day. Now I write about werewolves, so there's that. Though I'm pretty sure that none of the wolves I saw that day were actually werewolves in disguise.

Connect with Kate:

My Thoughts - 5 out of 5 Unicorns - I loved it!!!

***Received a copy of the ebook for an honest review from ARCade

The cover is the same as book one, but the models are turned looking at each other this time.

This is part 2 in the series.  Even though I have not seen any mention of it being a serial, you should treat it as a serial making sure to read each part in order.  They do end in cliffhangers, so if that isn’t your thing, I highly recommend collecting the parts until it is complete.  It really is a fantastic story :)

I definitely love this series and its complex plot and characters.  When I start reading, I’m compelled to keep reading until the end.  Kate Rudolph is definitely an author I’m going to keep my eyes out for when I see new books. 

Luke and Mel’s relationship is complex, and things are constantly happening to keep them both very busy.  I can’t wait to see what happens next in their adventure when the next part comes out.  I have to not so patiently wait until it does :)

I highly recommend this series to paranormal fans and fanatics especially if you like cat shifters and magic.

See my review of The Scarlet Emerald (Book 1)

Interested in reading???

~ Amazon ~ AmazonUK

Interview with Francis H Powell, author of Flight of Destiny

About the Author:  Born in 1961, in Reading, England.  Francis Powell attended Art Schools. In 1995, Powell moved to Austria, teaching English while pursuing his varied artistic interests adding music and writing. He currently lives in Paris, writing both prose and poetry.

Connect with Francis:


Interview with Francis H Powell

What is the name of your most recently published book…how did you come up with the title?

Flight of Destiny is a collection of twenty two short stories published by Savant publishing, Honolulu.  “Flight of Destiny” seemed to capture the essence of what my short stories are about…fate governs people’s lives…

What genre do you prefer writing the most? What challenges do you face in this genre?

I write dark surreal stories, that have an element of wit. The challenge is to get the reader hooked from the start, with a powerful opening line. For the stories to build and build and move in the direction of a powerful ending. With my endings I like to give them a dramatic unexpected twist.  With short stories, you need each sentence to be very precise and to serve a function. You need to establish the main plot and characters very quickly. At the same time I like some of my stories to have a certain amount of ambiguity, so the reader asks…is this real?

Where are you from, tell me a bit about your childhood.

I was born in a “dormitory town” called Reading, not famous for much, apart from a huge Rock festival, and for the fact that Oscar Wilde was sent to prison there and wrote “The Ballad of Reading Gaol”. My family then moved to a farm in the country, in Sussex, not too far from London. I was sent aged eight, to a boarding school, so I would spend long periods away from my family.  Imagine having regular prison sentences, imposed upon you, as a child. At some of the schools I attended, there were psychotic teachers and cruel nasty children.  I used to count the days when I could be reunited with my family.  I became a recluse in the art room and painting was my salvation. I had a teacher who encouraged me to paint and introduced me to various artists, including Kandinsky. I went from austere harsh boarding schools to Art College, a very different environment.

What books were the biggest influence on your life and work? Are these books similar or different to the books you write yourself?

I love the work of Rupert Thompson. I also read a book by Roald Dahl, many years ago called “Kiss Kiss” and I think this book has stayed long in my mind, and had a direct influence on Flight of Destiny, in terms of the fact that I always aim to put a twist at the end of each story, in the same way Roald Dahl does, with his short stories.

Where do you find inspiration?

To some extent my stories are indirectly autobiographical; as stated before my life has not been a smooth journey, with many setbacks along the way. I don’t think I consciously draw a line between real events and the fiction I write. I doubtlessly draw from my experiences, good or bad.  Some ideas come from nowhere. Once trav­el­ing on the Paris metro, a name sud­denly came to me…Little Mite…I then thought about, who would pos­sess such a name…concluding it seemed like a young ado­les­cent, rather wicked. The story is about two fam­i­lies: one old aris­toc­racy on the wane, the other nou­veau riche. Lit­tle Mite’s sis­ter is about to be mar­ried, a match made in heaven and ben­e­fi­cial to both fam­i­lies. There is a party on a lawn, all the final details are being made for the wed­ding. Lit­tle Mite entices the groom’s younger brother to her father’s work­shop and glues the inno­cent boy to a cof­fee table, a work in progress. Not con­tent with this, she goes and picks some sting­ing net­tles and thrashes the boys legs. This idea came from a news­pa­per about the author and writer Vita Sackville West, who had a sim­i­lar fate await­ing chil­dren who vis­ited the Sackville estate when she was a child. The story gets very dark, at the end when Lit­tle Mite decides to play a trick on her fam­ily, to try tow­ing back her parent’s good favor. Unfor­tu­nately her father mis­takes her for a bur­glar and shoots her with a hunt­ing rifle. This idea came to me after read­ing a news­pa­per arti­cle about a sim­i­lar mishap. Ideas seem to plant themselves in my head and I feel a need to expand on them and develop them.  Sometimes newspapers provide excellent sources.  I read obscure stories about people stealing other people’s identities, a person who pretends he is a Duke, but in reality he is a fraud.

Can you give us an obscure fact about yourself?

I was once on Austrian TV, wearing a kilt, pretending to toss a caber. They were looking for Scots, I am a part Scottish.  I was and still am a bit scrawny and I don’t look anything like somebody who would participate in a Highland Games. I could barely hold up this “caber” and it was lucky I did,’t drop it on somebody’s head. I was also once in Pigbag video, wearing a Guerrilla suit, pretending to play a trumpet.

Other than writing do you have any other interests, do they connect up with your writing?

I do so many things…write music…make videos…paint…make sculptures from found objects…and I guess a lot of these activities link up…

Who designed the covers for your books, were you happy with result?

Me…I also did 22 illustrations, one for each story.  This took a lot of work…but I am happy with the result…

Is there a character in one of your books that really stands out for you?

I guess “Bugeyes” for me stands out.  He is born into an aristocratic family, with a genetic fault (over-large enormous eyes) and immediately rejected by his mother and sent to live with a servant on the estate.  He is mocked cruelly due to his physical defect, as well as being denied his natural inheritance. He gets revenge in the end.

Why would somebody want to read your book?

If you feel that you are an outsider…If you live in a dingy bedsit…feel isolated…my stories are for you…in the same way the British band “The Smiths,” appealed to a certain type of loner…My stories are very unusual, descriptive and visual. I would like to think they are dark, but also have an element of wit…maybe British dark sense of humor.  They are often anti-establishment. There are often reversals, characters people might expect to be bad (like the gangster Gecko  in Bugeyes) come across as being wise and good and the types people might expect to come across as good (for example there are a few preachers in my stories) come across as the opposite, bad and inhumane. I would like to think I use rich language with sharp powerful sentences. The starts to my stories are also critical, for example my story Bugeyes begins with… Bug-eyes was due a life of toil. Seed begins with Captain Spender’s wife was ovulating.  Cast from Hell begins with There it was: I was to be banished from hell. It is important I start my stories powerfully, but also end them strongly. I hope that more stories keep people intrigued right up to the final sentence…There are also some nice illustrations that go with the stories…which I did for the book…

If your books were adapted into being films, which director dead or alive would you want to direct them? Which actors would you like in the films? What would be the general mood of the film?

Let’s dig up Stanley Kubrick, his films were great and varied in subject matter.  Let’s put Jack Nicholson in a role, a younger Johnny Depp, alongside Wynona Rider or Christine Ricci,  maybe it’s getting a bit confused, and it’s starting to look like a Tim Burton film.  David Lynch would do a great job, but apparently he’s not such a nice man…I saw him once in Paris, I went to his art show and was lucky enough to be allowed into his press preview.
The mood would be dark…but witty…

Who would you prefer to have at your dinner table…out of the following…
Oscar Wilde, Marlon Brando, Sigmund Freud?
They would all be very interesting in their own right, but for me maybe Oscar Wilde would be the most charming dinner guest.




Flight of Destiny
by Francis H Powell

Goodreads blurb:  Flight of destiny is a collection of short stories about misfortune. They are characterized by unexpected final twists, that come at the end of each tale. They are dark and surreal tales, set around the world, at different time periods. They show a world in which anything can happen. It is hard to determine reality and what is going on a disturbed mind. People's conceptions about morality are turned upside down. A good person can be transformed by an unexpected event into a bad person and then back again to their former state. The high and mighty often deliver flawed arguments, those considered wicked make good representations of themselves. Revenge is often a subject explored.

Interesting in reading??

Saturday, September 26, 2015

Review - The Scarlet Emerald by Kate Rudolph (Stealing the Alpha #1)




The Scarlet Emerald
Stealing the Alpha #1
by Kate Rudolph

Goodreads blurb:  The thief takes what she wants…

When something needs stealing, Mel is the woman to call. But even the best thief has her limits. When someone from her past offers her the one thing that she truly wants she’ll take on an impossible job to get it.

The alpha keeps what's his…

Luke Torres keeps his pack’s prized possession, The Scarlet Emerald, deep in the bowels of his Colorado domain. But most days the stone is more of a burden than a treasure. With a long-anticipated vampire summit on the horizon, he can’t afford to lose the symbol of his pack’s power. And when his sister turns up, things go from complicated to disastrous.

One alpha, one thief, and an adventure that’s only the beginning.

Mel’s goal puts her on a collision course with Luke, leading them both to something they never thought possible and never knew they wanted. And in the end they will both learn that there's more than one way to kiss a cat.

Stealing the Alpha is a three-part series featuring Mel, wereleopard burglar extraordinaire, and Luke Torres, werelion alpha. Join them while they pull off heists, battle witches, learn to trust, and fall in love.

Part two, Entangled with the Thief, and part three, In the Alpha’s Bed, will be available for pre-order soon.


About the Author:  I grew up in a small town in Indiana. When I was a little kid we went to a wolf sanctuary a few hours away from where I lived. It's an event that has stuck with me to this day. Now I write about werewolves, so there's that. Though I'm pretty sure that none of the wolves I saw that day were actually werewolves in disguise.

Connect with Kate:

My Thoughts - 5 out of 5 Unicorns - I loved it!!!

***Received a copy of the ebook for an honest review from ARCade

The cover has quite a bit going on…love the people and the cats, but I’m not sure why the cityscape is at the bottom.

This is my first time reading Kate Rudolph’s work, and it definitely won’t be my last.  I love finding amazing new authors.  I’m kicking myself for not reading this sooner.  She has created this amazing world that I definitely want to get lost in again because it is unique. She definitely keeps you guessing and surprises you because things happened that I hadn’t thought of which is always a lovely surprise when an author can do that :)  I really like Mel, but at the same time she is a puzzle because I still don’t have all the pieces to figure her out or the sexy Alpha Luke.  This book has it all magic, Witches, cat shifters, vampires, and still has unknowns to keep you guessing :)  I do not know if for sure, but I’m guessing that this is a serial because it ended on a cliffhanger and the description mentions Part Two not book 2.  This doesn’t bother me, but if you don’t like cliffhangers, collect all the parts until it is complete and then read them.  Please don’t let this stop you from reading it eventually though because it is really awesome :)

I highly recommend this story to all the paranormal fans out there especially if you love cat shifters :)

Interested in reading???

~ Amazon ~ AmazonUK

Review @valeromance - Shades of Dragon by Catherine Vale (BBW Dragon-Shifter Romance)




Shades of Dragon
BBW Dragon-Shifter Romance
by Catherine Vale

Goodreads blurb:  Abandoned by his mother as a young boy, and taken in by the elders of the Redwater clan, Tegan isn't your typical hero. In fact, if you ask him, he wouldn't call himself a hero at all.  Yet when he is asked to investigate the outcome of an attack on the nearby human villages, what he discovers invokes the rage of a thousand storms, and he finds himself on the run with a beautiful stranger.

Tegan may be half dragon, half human, but he's all heart.  If he doesn't stay focused on the mission at hand, he will find that the curvy woman he's determined to protect, could be on her way to stealing it.

On the run, they must fight their way to safety before time runs out. Tick, tock.

Note To Readers:  This is a stand alone novel and is free of cliffhangers.



About the Author:  Catherine Vale has been writing fiction for as long as she can remember, but it wasn’t until she wrote her very first paranormal romance story that she found herself hooked on the raw, edgy love affair of shifters, vampires and other dominant alpha males and the captivating women that love them.

Catherine Vale writes both contemporary and paranormal romance for readers who are willing to take a walk on the wild side of love.  Her stories always include powerful alpha males, smart and sassy heroines and a happily-ever-after (even if she often put her characters through hell to get there!)

Connect with Catherine:

My Thoughts - 5 out of 5 Unicorns - I loved it!!!

***Received the ebook for an honest review

I was given the opportunity to read this book and jumped at it because who doesn’t love Dragon Shifters :)  I bought many books by Catherine Vale and plan to buy this one as well.  Her writing is always easy to read and creates amazing new worlds.  This is a standalone novella around 100 pages.  From page one, I was pulled into the story and crying for Tegan.  I connected with him and my heart was crying for what he had been put through as a child.  Everything made for a wonderful read and makes me want more!!  I truly hope to read more of these clans especially of what comes next for Tegan :)  A great new world that I can’t wait to get lost in again :)  I do not want to give anything away so I’m trying to contain the details to not ruin the story for your own adventure because anything I might try to add would give away major parts :)

I highly recommend this story to dragon shifter fans especially if you are already a fan of Catherine Vale’s.


Interested in reading???

See my reviews of other books by Catherine Vale!!!
On the Prowl (Jagged Lovers #1)
On the Move (Jagged Lovers #2)
On the Edge (Jagged Lovers #3)
Her Two Bears (Her Two Bears #1)
Bear the Heat (Bear Instincts #1)
A Taste of Honey (Taste of Honey #1)
Tigers Tango (Guardian Shifter #1)
Double Trouble (Her Two Bears #2)
Awakening the Bear (Taste of Honey #2)

 


Thursday, September 24, 2015

Friday Reveal @Month9Books & Giveaway @VanessaBarger - Author Spotlight of Vanessa Barger!!!

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Welcome to this week’s M9B Friday Reveal!
This week, we are spotlighting
Vanessa Barger
author of
Super Freak
a Middle Grade title from Tantrum Books, coming October 2015!

Be sure to enter the giveaway found at the end of the post!



Twitter or Facebook?
Can I say both? I like Twitter for instant gratification, but I like Facebook for posting fun things too!
<
Favorite Superhero?
This is hard. I'm not a huge superhero person. But if I had to pick? Wonder Woman. I dressed up as Wonder Woman one year when I was little. Somewhere, I still have my golden lasso of truth!
 
Favorite TV show?
Okay, most TV shows I actually like get cancelled, but I have three. I love the first 3-4 seasons of Supernatural, I LOVE the Vicar of Dibley, and the Two Fat Ladies. If I'm having a stressful day, I pop the Two Fat Ladies in to relax. I'm weird, I know.
 
Sweet or Salty?
Sweet. But not too sweet. :)
 
Coke or Pepsi?
Root Beer (But def coke, Pepsi is ICK)
 
Any Phobias?
I don't care for spiders, and anything to do with Jack the Ripper seriously freaks me out. Like, I won't watch a TV show about it, read about it, or even read fiction about it!
 
Song you can’t get enough of right now?
There isn't just one, but let’s go with Fight Song by Rachel Platten. The others on my playlist are a lot more....weird? Lots of instrumental music, and oddball things.
 
Who is your ultimate Book Boyfriend?
Oh, man, just one?! That's not even fair.
 
What are you reading right now or what's on your TBR?
I have several books in the TBR pile, but the top three are Namesless by Lili St. Crow, The City of Ember, and Paper Valentine by Brenna Yovanoff. Oh, and I'm dying to read The Dead House by Dawn Kurtagich
 
Fall Movie you’re most looking forward to?
Goosebumps! I can't wait to see that one. Jack Black as RL Stine? YES, please!
 
About-the-Author
Vanessa Barger was born in West Virginia, and through several moves ended up spending the majority of her life in Virginia Beach, Virginia. She is a graduate of George Mason University and Old Dominion University, and has degrees in Graphic Design, a minor in Medieval and Renaissance Literature, and a Masters in Technology Education. She has had articles published in Altered Arts Magazine, has had some artwork displayed in galleries in Ohio and online, and currently teaches engineering, practical physics, drafting and other technological things to high school students in the Hampton Roads area of Virginia. She is a member of the SCBWI (Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators), the Virginia Writer’s Club, and the Hampton Roads Writers. When not writing or teaching, she’s a bookaholic, movie fanatic, and loves to travel. She is married to a fabulous man, and has one cat, who believes Vanessa lives only to open cat food cans, and can often be found baking when she should be editing.
Connect with the Author:
 
Super-Freak-Cover
Thirteen-year-old Caroline is a freak. Her parents have uprooted her to a town full of Supernaturals. You’d think she’d be thrilled. But, with someone without a magical bone in her body, this daughter of tree sprites feels like even more of an outcast than she has ever before.
To make matters worse, her new home is cursed. But when Caroline takes to investigating the mysterious and strange happenings of Harridan House, her BFF goes missing. Seems someone doesn’t want Caroline sticking her non-magical nose where it most certainly does not belong. Determined to prove herself, Caroline uncovers a plot to destroy her new hometown.
Undeterred, Caroline can’t give up. But what’s a human without magical powers to do? Caroline better figure it out fast, before she loses everything she has ever loved and the whispers she’s heard all her life prove true: Caroline is a useless superfreak.
add to goodreads

 
Giveaway
 
 
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T4T Blitz #T4T @Month9Books & Giveaway @Scott_Craven2 - Dead Jed series by Scott Craven!

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Welcome to this week’s Two for Thursday Book Blitz #T4T presented by Month9books/Tantrum Books!

Today, we will be showcasing two titles that may tickle your fancy, and we’ll share what readers have to say about these titles!

You just might find your next read!

This week, #T4T presents to you the:
Dead Jed series by Scott Craven!

Be sure to enter the giveaway found at the end of the post!
 
Dead-Jed-Cover
Dead Jed is Shaun of the Dead meets Diary of a Wimpy Kid. Jed's not your typical junior high geek. He is, to use the politically-correct term, cardiovascularly-challenged. And while his parents have attempted to shield him from the implications of being 'different' for as long as they could (Jed was 8 and at a friend's sister's birthday party when he blew his lips off onto the cake in front of everyone, finally prompting the “Big Talk” from his parents and an emergency SuperGlue repair by his dad), 7th grade at Pine Hollow Middle School as a target of Robbie the supreme school bully and his pack of moronic toadies is rapidly becoming unbearable.
From being stuffed in a filled trash can as “dead meat” and into a trophy case as the bully's “prize,” to literally having his hand pulled off in the boys' room (Jed's always losing body parts. Luckily, a good stapler and some duct tape and he's back in the action) and a cigarette put in it and try to frame him for the recent reports of smoking in the school, Jed's had enough and is ready to plan his revenge. Besides, it's awesome what you can do when you're already dead!
add to goodreads

 
WHAT READER’S ARE SAYING:
 
DEAD JED is amazing. It takes true talent to write a book that's witty and has such clever humor. That's exactly what DEAD JED has.” – Courtney, Author
 
I’m entirely convinced this series is going to be as big and popular as the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series, if not more. It might be aimed at middle grade readers, but I will highly and happily recommend it to readers aged 9 to 99!”Angie, Books4Tomorrow
 
“Middle Grade humor at its finest.” – S.A. Larsen, Author
 
Dead-Jed-2-Cover
The first part of seventh grade was rough on Jed, but things are looking up now that Christmas is almost here. As with past Christmases, Jed asks for the one thing he’s always wanted–a dog–and again, his parents tell him they’re not ready. But fate has a different plan when Jed sees a dog get run over by a car. Then, it happens. Jed suddenly has a pet, Tread, a zombie dog bearing his namesake–a tire tread down his back. Jed may have gained a dog, but he loses his best friend Luke, who fears the way Jed created his undead pet.
When Jed returns to school, he finds a mysterious group called the No Zombies Now Network spreading rumors of the dangers the undead pose to normal people. Forced to disprove Hollywood stereotypes, Jed has his work cut out for him as stories of a zombie dog begin to circulate. Jed could be expelled if he can’t expose the NZN Network as a fraud. Jed needs help from his kind of girlfriend Anna, especially after he discovers Luke has joined the shadowy group.
Once again navigating the treacherous waters of middle school, Jed does his best to stay in one piece. Only this time he’ll need even more duct tape and staples than usual.
add to goodreads

 
WHAT READER’S ARE SAYING:
 
“Like its predecessor Dead Jed, Dead Jed 2: Dawn of the Jed is an incredibly cute and fun read!”Angie, Books4Tomorrow
 
“This is a fun story, which was written very well for the age group. I can imagine the series being a huge hit, especially with zombies being so popular at the moment.”Bri, Natural Bri - Pursuits of Life
 
“…just read it, you will love it and it sooooo funny” – Michelle, Because Reading
 
about-the-author
 
Scott-Craven
Proud graduate of Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, have one son who will turn 18 in March 2013, now a features writer for The Arizona Republic.
 
Connect with the Author: Website | Twitter
 
Giveaway
Complete the Rafflecopter below for a chance to win!
 
 
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