.Blog Tour: Excerpt/Giveaway/Guest Post -"Gilded Wings" by Amy Lignor

Gilded Wings
By Amy Lignor
eBook
ISBN: 9780985792220
ISBN: 9781301335541
Pages: 275
Release: November 1, 2012















About the Book:
The Beloved Angel/Warrior Team from Until Next Time Returns!

When Matt and Emily are sent on their second mission they have no idea how truly dark human nature can become…

Emily never wanted to face humans again. With the heartache that went on down below, she’s still trying to figure out how to save souls that don’t deserve saving. The only one she wants to see again is Jason - the young man she fell in love with who became the soulmate she simply can’t forget…

Matt was trained to protect and defend the souls down below. Longing to feel the heartfelt emotions that come from being human, Matt wants nothing more than to have just one life - one chance - to live and love the girl of his dreams…

The powerful team find themselves in a brand new century, living in the Gilded Age of New York City. Emily takes over the body of Anya, a young Russian girl who arrives on Ellis Island after a hideous tragedy. There she meets up with a strangely familiar young man by the name of Drew Parrish, who helps Anya survive in an unknown world of luxury, snobbery and…obsession.

What Anya’s inner angel doesn’t know is that the soul she loves is also back. This time around Jason goes by the name of Max Carrow. Once a quiet and kind boy, he’s now part of the ‘Four Hundred Club,’ and wants nothing more than to be among the most admired as he climbs the shaky ladder of society’s elite.

As two worlds merge, Emily and Matt struggle under the weight of their “Gilded Wings.” Not only will they have to figure out who they should fight to save, but they must also face a romantic choice that could destroy them both.




 

Our teachers, Michael and Gabriel, are down below right now. While I sit in this heavenly library, my partner, Matthew, sits beside me. His eyes are begging me to read the book that tells the story of our second life so we can get back down there. Our first story was difficult at times but filled with the excitement of all the new things that human life has to offer. But this second one, this is the one that jaded me—so much so that I have no desire to go back.

This handwritten record offers no introductions. This book doesn’t say that my name is Emily, nor does it say that I’m an angel by trade. Nowhere does it state that, although I was forgiven for my sins, I can’t seem to forgive others for theirs. There’s no index that lists all my partner and I have gone through to learn life’s little lessons. The classes that honed our unique skills, including the power to take a life, as well as the strength to save humans from the evil growing in their souls, these don’t even rate a footnote at the bottom of the page.


Gilded Wings: The Angel Chronicles, Book 2 buy links:
Kindle buy link - $2.99
Nook buy link - $4.95
iBookstore buy link - $4.99
Smashwords buy link - $4.99
PDF buy link - $4.95


Until Next Time: The Angel Chronicles, Book 1 buy links:

Kindle buy link - $2.99
Nook buy link - $4.95
iBookstore buy link - $4.99
Smashwords buy link - $4.99
PDF buy link - $4.95

Favorite Romantic Super Couple? 

I’m asked this question a great deal by readers, and my answer hasn’t changed over the past two decades. My favorite in the romance department will always be Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet. I loved the fact that both of them were prideful and more than a bit prejudiced of each other. Their rapport was so strong, and Elizabeth was so out of the ‘norm’ when it came to how women were supposed to act during that day and age, that their partnership was beyond memorable. 

When speaking nowadays, the first to come up is the vampire and his Bella, but I still have to maintain that the original without the fangs, Romeo and Juliet, held more of an allure for me. Benedick and Beatrice in Much Ado About Nothing were also an amazing couple. Here, again, we had the sarcastic wit that ran between them as they tried to ‘one up’ each other at all times, until finally they both had to break down and admit that they were the only one for the other. 

Soulmates come in all forms. As a child I though Leia and Han Solo of the Star Wars realm, had the most engaging romance. I mean, after all, he was the ‘scruffy looking nerf-herder’ and she was the princess with those odd-looking cinnamon buns on the side of her head, but for some reason, they clicked. Again, two extremely strong characters. Perhaps that’s what really makes a ‘super couple’ in the literary field - the fact that both male and female have the strength, determination and - most times - obnoxious wit that brings them together.  

From Shakespeare to Austen to George Lucas, a good solid battle was what brought on the romance and heightened that stellar moment for all us readers and watchers out here. They had the most unforgettable lines and when they finally fell to the allure and magic of the other - it was unforgettable! 

Matthew and Emily are that strength - that super couple with the power and determination to be the best at what they do. And when the passion ignites…when the gloves come off and they’re finally faced with the fact that they have to choose…I look forward to the fireworks! 

Until Next Time, Everybody, 

Amy

About the Author:

Amy Lignor began her career at Grey House Publishing in northwest Connecticut where she was the Editor-in-Chief of numerous educational and business directories.

Now she is a published author of several works of fiction. The Billy the Kid historical The Heart of a Legend; the thriller, Mind Made; and the adventure novel, Tallent & Lowery 13.

She is also the owner of The Write Companion, a company that offers help and support to writers through a full range of editorial services from proofreading and copyediting to ghostwriting and research. As the daughter of a research librarian, she is also an active book reviewer.

Currently, she lives with her daughter, mother and a rambunctious German Shepherd named Reuben, in the beautiful state of New Mexico.

Gilded Wings Twitter hashtag:  #GildedWings

Gilded Wings Goodreads page:

Until Next Time Goodreads page:

The Angel Chronicles web site:

The Angel Chronicles Facebook page:

Amy Lignor's Facebook:

Amy Lignor's Twitter:

Amy Lignor's Website:

Amy Lignor's Blog:

Amy Lignor's GoodReads:

Tribute Books website:

Tribute Books Facebook:

Tribute Books Twitter

Until Next Time: The Angel Chronicles, Book 1 Summary

How does a girl choose between the one who steals her heart and the one who owns her soul?

Matt and Emily were created for a specific job. Raised and trained as the ultimate angel/warrior team, they are sent down to save, defend, judge and forgive, depending on the 'life' they've been assigned. What they don't realize is that the power of human emotions, such as love, anger, passion and fear can take over even the best of souls, causing them to make mistakes and follow paths that lead to confusion and heartache.

When the reason for their training is finally revealed, the angel/warrior team find themselves thrust into a world they know nothing about. Matt takes over the life of Daniel, a young man with a great deal of baggage. Emily becomes Liz, a girl living in a remote village who relies on nothing more than her own strength to survive. A violent storm erupts one night, and framed in the window of Liz's establishment is a frightening face. Let in by the soul of a Good Samaritan, the two visitors bring with them a past full of secrets that could literally change an angel's path and a warrior's plans.

From murder to redemption, this angel/warrior team must find a way to keep the faith they have in each other in a world that's ripping them apart.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

.Blog Tour: Guest Post + Giveaway Owlet by Emma Michaels

Owlet

by Emma Michaels

eBook
ISBN: 9780985792213
ISBN: 9781476473338
Pages: 170
Release: October 13, 2012

Somewhere between falling and flying… there is a girl.Iris has a secret. She lost her memory eight years ago and never told a living soul. After an asthma attack one night she finds out that her dreams of a strange house on a snowy island may be a memory resurfacing but the more she learns about the past the more she realizes the life she has been living is a lie. As the façade her father has built starts to crumble around her she will have to decide which means more to her; the truth or her life.

“In here,” she said, looking at the titles on the spines. Birds of a Feather, Untold Beauty, Stryx Literature: A Guide to Aves Vol.1 and Vermilion stood out in bright gold lettering scrawled across the dark brown leather.

Owlet. Find one called Owlet! Hurry!

She found the title her phantom voice commanded her to find, and picked it out of the stack just as Diana opened the door.
“What are you doing in here? I was told this room would be locked.” Diana was walking towards Iris and looking at the books along the wall, her eyes lit up.

She recognizes them.

“Why would it be locked?” Iris went to open the cover of the book she was holding but Diana reached out for it.
Iris passed it to her.

“Your dad wants to be here when you read them. He wants to tell you about your mother so you can understand the meaning behind them. They were hers and they are somewhat rare.” Diana was smiling at one of the quotes on the wall.

“Why do they say my name?” Iris said, walking over to the one Diana was looking at and tracing her fingers across its surface.
“They are from the story that your mother named you after. It...well, that’s probably another thing your father should tell you. I don’t want to intrude on that one. I just know the story, not why she chose it.” Diana was looking down and walking back towards the hallway.

“I thought I was named after the flower? Like the garden Dad takes me to each year with all the irises.” Iris followed her down the stairs and into the living room with the bookshelf-benches.

Sitting down beside one of them, Diana fidgeted with the cover of the book Iris had picked. Diana had such a firm grip on it that her knuckles were actually turning white.

“Nope. She named you after the story. The main character actually, who shows such deep love that she risks her life to save her friend, someone who was a part of the same group or ‘tribe,’ you could say, that she was in.” Diana was staring out the window, as if looking for something hidden in the trees. Her grip finally relaxed and she slipped the book into her purse


Owlet Twitter hashtag: #Owlet
Owlet GoodReads page
Emma Michael's Facebook
Emma Michael's TwitterEmma Michael's Website
Emma Michael's GoodReads
Tribute Books website
Tribute Books Facebook
Tribute Books Twitter

My Writing Process 

Iris started out as a dream about a girl running through a forest reaching for an owl, catching a piece of that owl’s soul and it merging with her own, then soaring away. That night I scribbled down lots of notes for the story idea in the notebook I always kept next to my bed and later on I started drawing her and other characters from what is now Owlet.  While The Thirteenth Chime was the first novel I wrote and published, it was not the first I had started. I actually started writing Owlet before/during the process of writing The Thirteenth Chime. I then went back to it later on and decided to go ahead and finish it then rewrite it as the story further developed.  

My first version of Owlet was 150k words. Yes, I know. That book would have been HUGE and way too long for a YA novel. So I finished writing the trilogy and had three 150k books then sat down, read through them all and decided to rewrite them. Some of you are probably now thinking ‘WHAT?!?!? You finished three novels and tossed them to the wind?’. Owlet had a special place in my heart and always has, Iris was meant to be the character I could most relate to, especially since she had asthma which affects everything from plot to individual scenes. She can’t run like others can; if she gets too upset she will start wheezing and more often than not that effects the way she feels on a daily basis as she fights to keep breathing and it reminds her that she WANTS things. When you fight so hard to stay alive constantly, you start to realize how badly you want to live and the type of things you want to do. 

So yep, I threw the 450k words of the trilogy out the door and started afresh.  

I am so happy I did.  

I ended up rewriting Owlet numerous times and each time started noticing that it was getting closer to what I wanted it to be until finally, I reach a rewrite I knew was ‘the one’. I wanted this novel to be my best and for each sequel to get better because my ultimate goal isn’t to be a best seller or anything, it is to write the best book I can possibly write and that is a constant goal because as a person grows, they can always do better and always reach farther.  

In the end Owlet ended up being 50k words and each word finally had a place and mattered. Iris evolved into the character she is now and the entire ‘Society of Feathers’ world evolved with it. Finally, I wrote a book I enjoy reading. As a book blogger turned author, I don’t think I could ask for anything better than actually being able to read and enjoy my own work instead of feeling the need to pick it apart. Once I was able to read without wanted to bash myself in the head with rewrites and edits, I knew I had finally done it. I had finished Owlet.

Emma Michaels' Bio:

Emma Michaels is the author of the ‘A Sense of Truth’ and ‘Society of Feathers’ series. Her goal with her latest YA novel 'Owlet' is to give others what she did not have growing up; a strong female protagonist with asthma.  While her previous aspiration was to be a lady knight she realized that not being able to run more than a few feet might become a hindrance so turned to writing instead. Her day jobs include being a cover artist, marketing consultant and silk screen designer.

As the founder of The Writers Voice blog (http://OurBooksOurVoice.Blogspot.com) she loves to connect authors and readers. As a book blogger turned author, she was born and raised in Los Angeles, California, until she moved at eighteen to Washington State. Suddenly, the world was a new place filled with tall green trees that reached further for the sky with every moment, making her want to do the same. Ever since, she has tried to make her life something new and different from what it was before, pursuing her future career, setting high goals and reaching for them. With the support of her fiancé, Chihuahua, and her amazing blog followers and fellow bloggers, she wants to prove to the world that anything is possible and help inspire fellow literary lovers to reach for their dreams.

Kindle buy link - $2.99

Nook buy link - $4.95

iBookstore buy link - $4.99

Smashwords buy link -$4.99

PDF buy link - $4.95

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Tour: Spectral by Shannon Duffy -Review

                                                         

Spectral

Shannon Duffy

e-book

ISBN: 9780983741879

ISBN: 9781476293585
Pages: 334
Release: April 10, 2012

Convinced she’s a part of the witness protection program, sixteen-year-old Jewel Rose is shuffled around the globe with her family like a pack of traveling gypsies. After arriving at lucky home twenty-seven, she stumbles upon a mysterious boy with magical powers claiming to be her guardian . . . and warning of imminent danger. Despite the obvious sparks between them, Jewel discovers a relationship is forbidden, and the more she learns about dark, brooding Roman, she begins to question who she can even believe — the family who raised her, or the supposed sworn protector who claims they’ve been lying to her all along.

As she struggles to uncover who her family has really been running from, she is forced to hide her birthmark that reveals who she is. With new realities surfacing, unexplained powers appearing, and two tempting boys vying for her heart, Jewel battles to learn who she can trust in an ever growing sea of lies, hoping she’ll make it through her seventeenth birthday alive.

Author Bio:

Shannon Duffy writes young adult and middle grade fiction. She grew up on the beautiful east coast of Canada and now lives in Ontario, Canada. She is the mom of one boy, Gabriel, her angel. She loves writing, reading, working out, soccer, and the sport of champions-shopping. She is the author of the young adult paranormal romance, SPECTRAL. Her upcoming middle grade fantasy novel, GABRIEL STONE AND THE DIVINITY OF VALTA is scheduled for a January 2013 release.

Spectral web site:
http://spectralwitch.blogspot.com/
Shannon Duffy's Blog:
http://1fantasyfairy.blogspot.com/

Spectral GoodReads page:
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13319632-spectral

Tribute Books website:
http://www.tribute-books.com

                                                 

Review:  A roller coaster ride filled with suspense and mystery around each turn.

I really liked this book. It was a different take on the paranormal YA genre. As you can see from the books synopsis it's about a sixteen year old girl, who's family is constantly moving and running. Running from whom, Jewel has no clue. All she knows is that her family is on their twenty-seventh move and she's holding her breath for number twenty-eight. 
Arriving in yet another town and school, Jewel starts to slowly make friends, though she always has to be on guard. She finds two boys in her new school, who she could easily crush on. The easy going, likable, Chase, and the dark, mysterious, Roman. 
Though, her attraction grows for Roman I had a hard time connecting them as a couple. You never knew which side Roman was truly on, so I guess my guard was always up in wondering if he was actually a good guy or a bad guy. 
The book starts to heat up with wondering exactly who, and what Jewel actually is. As she learns more about the secrets her family have been carrying for years, Jewel finds her world turned upside down and inside out. Everything about her past has been a lie. As she slowly finds out what she is and why her family has been chased for years. She learns the only person she can trust is herself and maybe Roman, though he has an agenda.
This book was laden with twist and turns(hence, the comparison to a roller coaster). When you finally think you have it figured out the author will throw a curve ball in your direction and you'll be shocked and surprised. The ending was a action packed filled with surprise, after surprise. 
Now, I'm not going to spoil the whole book for you just read it. There is so much more going on with this story, that you'll want to experience it without spoilers.
The author impressed me with her debut book, and I look forward to reading more from her.
4/5 stars