Book tour giveaway:Destiny Sets by Karen Fainges

Hello my amazingly distracted readers!
Another post today on a book I'm certain you will all enjoy.
Destiny Sets, Shayton Chronicles Book 1, by Karen Fainges. I've included everything today; not just a presentation of the book and its author but also my own review and a guest post that the author has written especially for YOU! And of course, there is always a giveaway in the end.
Enjoy!

Shaytonian Chronicles – Book 1: Destiny Sets

Karen Fainges

Author Bio: http://shayton.net/Author.htm
Karen Fainges works as a trainer in business and computing. A wife and mother, she started thinking up sci-fi stories at the age of 10. Editor of the K-tips business and computing ezine, she longed to present her fiction to the world. So she took those long ago stories, a love of the absurd and wrote about beings that were not humans. Sometimes you see a lot more about humanity and yourself when you are looking at someone else.

Author Links 
Website http://shayton.net/
Facebook Author page https://www.facebook.com/pages/Karen-Fainges/83671225033
Facebook Series page https://www.facebook.com/pages/Shaytonian-Vampire-Fiction/88608175544
Twitter https://twitter.com/annalisamara
Linkedin http://au.linkedin.com/pub/karen-fainges/a/b99/424/
Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/10612018
Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Karen-Fainges/e/B0050KEU3S/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_3?qid=1382177091&sr=8-3 

About The Book

Book Genre: Scifi/Fantasy Vampire

Publisher: Writers Exchange

Release Date:

Buy Link(s): http://astore.amazon.com/shaytonchroni-20

Book Description:

Destiny Sets is the first novel in the Shaytonian Chronicles.

Lightning sears a scene against the eye. Trapped between reality and death, every scrap of life is fighting for existence. To stop fighting is to die.
Some precious moments of peace can be stolen from small pockets of calm. Life can take a breath and wonder at the harsh beauty. But only for a moment, then struggle resumes. And others watch.
 The Shayton Chronicles begins in Destiny Sets, the story of one man. He is that drop of chaos that can spell success or failure.
Born from a vampiric race of slaves, genetically moulded to provide comfort for their masters, he alone decides to be truly free. Irreverent humour and a fierce need to know 'why', war within him and entire worlds are changed.
 "The Stainless Steel Rat with fangs."

Excerpt

Painting the mythic vampire

The deep royal blue sky of the Italian Riviera provided the perfect backdrop to the posed woman. She was an otherworldly figure set amongst the ancient columns. Her softly accented voice broke the stillness. "Are you sure about this?"

She watched as he added a daub more paint, "I am sure. You said it yourself, the best way to deny something it is to say it is true."

"And what if the Council finds out?"

Alfredo dabbed on a different colour. Going by the look on his face, he still did not have the skin colour the exactly right colour of purple. It had been frustrating him all evening. There was a timeline that neither one of them had mentioned, but it loomed in their thoughts. He was getting older, and no one lived forever. His words dragged her out of the wave of sadness that swept through her. "This mythical Council of yours, what if they do notice the paintings? They are just paintings."

"The Council is no myth. They rule our world."

"I thought the King ruled your homeworld?"

Lisa started to shrug but remembered in time not to move from the pose. "His rule is absolute, so long as he leaves all the day to day decisions, like whether to exile his daughter to Earth, to the Council."

"And you, as this poor exiled waif are concerned that one of those 'day to day' decisions may be objecting to this painting?"

Lisa snorted at the sarcasm in his voice, knowing it was meant more to chide her out of the doldrums than anything else. "They defend of the safety of Shayton. They hold dear her anonymity. It keeps her from being destroyed by those that fear the different, which, my dear, you must agree describes most humans remarkably well."

Alfredo nodded, "And trust me, the picture of a masked dancer with obviously fake wings..." Lisa snorted again at this description of her body, "will ensure that any little slip ups like the one in Venice, will be seen as a publicity stunt and nothing else. Your Council will thank us."

Guest Post

Wondering what a gorgeous vampire would like to say to you, readers of Urania's Distractions? Read Talkar's letter TO YOU below!

To the readers of Urania's Distractions,

May I begin by complimenting you on the name of your missive. I am a big believer in distractions, specifically of the feminine kind. Yes, I know, it is a source of constant concern to my mother that I limit my affections to a single gender, but there you are, I must be myself. Due to that self-belief, it was so flattering to be asked to correspond with you all about one of my favourite topics. Physically, I am all a Shaytonian male should be, well-muscled, toned and fit. I have my dark hair unbound and long to the middle of my back as befits a full and named male, one of the few that can breed. My naming blade normally goes hidden at my hip, though these day I may wear a sword at my side. Normally I fight with the weapons I was born with, claw and fang, but there are times you wish to keep the enemy at a distance. On Home, clothing varies depending on how you feel, or who you are feeling. Whilst on your lovely planet, I find I wear rather more as I am still not used to your sun however long I have lived amongst your people. Shaytonian colouring is so pale that I find I am often taken as a goth on your fine planet, though I find their fascination with vampires amusing. I often wonder what would happen if I did "fang out"as my eldest calls it. He was raised on Earth and so speaks a great deal more comfortably the slang and idiom of the modern day. Raised myself on Shayton, I find it difficult to drop the cadence and tone of my speech into your more relaxed mode, though I try. Still, many seem to like the air of the exotic, so unless someone is trying to hunt me, I must admit, I do not try too hard. I use a fine covering on my face and hands that shades my skin from its more normal slightly purplish tone to the closest human shade of pinkish white. Keeping the secret of my people's existence a secret is paramount as humans have shown a disturbing tendency over the centuries to kill what they do not understand. I myself am still quite young, being barely more than 200 though  I have done so much in that short time. Saving worlds, creating a new one for my people to live on in safety, destroying want to be gods and introducing myself to a fair number of quite fascinating ladies along the way. Karen Fainges has been kind enough to pen a few words on my travels, and those of my close family, and she and I were quite charmed to be invited to your blog to discuss her books. We look forward to the time we may get to know you all a great deal better.

Kind RegardsTalkar Mara

Review

(after receiving a pdf review copy by the author)

 Destiny Sets is a story that fans of the paranormal genre will most definitely enjoy. Why? Because it’s got everything you guys will be looking for: shape-shifting, vampires, otherworldly creatures, aliens, and sensual scenes.

What makes this story different from other stories on the same shelf?

Two things in my opinion:

First, in Destiny Sets vampires are nothing like the scary, bloodsuckers that threaten and intimidate humans or even aspire to turn them (for their own reasons of course!). Shaytonians are a new species in the mythical vampiric universe: they come form another planet and their struggle for survival has brought them to Earth demanding their “mingling” with humans. Even more, they are superior, wise and cultivated beings entangled in their own spiritual pursuit. More often than not, they resemble ethereal creatures you’d find in fantasy books.

Second, Karen Fainges’ language is teeming with lyricism as she handles speech skillfully and includes elements that reminded me of classic literature.

My favorite scene: the enticing, sensual, vampire dance while on a legendary train like Orient Express...

Would I change anything?

I found that the easiness of vampire acceptance by humans has taken away from the story any last sense of realism. But of course, one might argue here; why would I be looking for realism in a paranormal story?

  4 out of 5 hearts to Destiny Sets!

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              Urania

Book Tour Giveaway and Guest Post: Mystical High by Lisette Brodey

Hi there my faithful partners in Distraction!

You are all going to looove my latest one. Because today I intend to take you High...

Like... Mystical High.

Have a taste...

Let's start with the cover. This one was designed by the author especially for the tour. 

Wonder who the mystery boy walking off is? You can find out all about the story in the synopsis that follows and then you get to meet the writer. Lisette has joined Urania's Distractions with a guest post that all of you who are into writing will find really useful. I know I did!

Scroll down to read an excerpt of Mystical High and, of course, don't miss the amazing Giveaway!

·         $35 Amazon Gift Card (INT)

·         Print copy of Molly Hacker Is Too Picky! (US only)

·         Print copy of Squalor, New Mexico (US only)

·         Print copy of Mystical High (US only)

·         Tote bag (US and CAN only)

ENJOY!

Title:  Mystical HighAuthor:  Lisette BrodeyPublished: October 7th, 2013Publisher: Saberlee Books
Word Count:  72,700Genre:  YA ParanormalContent Warning:  Mild sexual content and non-gratuitous profanityRecommended Age:  14+Synopsis:In Mystekal, a small, dying town in the Southern California desert, only 75 students attend the old, sometimes creepy high school dubbed “Mystical High,” where strange things have been known to happen. Jessie Dalworth and Jinxsy Patterson are juniors and lifelong best friends. At home, Jessie deals with the pain of an absentee mother who has abandoned the family for the lure of Hollywood; Jinxsy contends with a 17th “birthday present” she never wanted or expected.

Meanwhile, at school, the unexplained activity begins to escalate when Jinxsy keeps seeing a long-haired guy in the hallway checking her out. Jessie can’t see him, but her younger brother, River, can.

Then, in English class, a stapler mysteriously flies off teacher Eve Carrow’s desk, hitting a student in the face who has just mouthed off to her. The beloved teacher is in the unenviable position of having her brute of a father as principal, so she hates sending any student to his office. As Principal Ernest Carrow begins to terrorize Eve and others more openly, something or someone unseen decides that it’s payback time.
School is getting stranger, and Jinxsy and Jessie are faced with mind-boggling changes in their home lives that complicate everything. When a string of shocking events expose explosive secrets, decades-long mysteries are finally revealed.
Amazon | Amazon UK | Barnes & Noble | GoodReads

About the Author:Lisette Brodey was born and raised in Pennsylvania. After high school, she moved to New York City where she attended Pace University and studied drama. After ten years in New York, several of them working in the radio industry, she moved to Los Angeles, where she held various positions at Paramount Studios in Hollywood and CBS Studio Center in Studio City, CA.
Back on the East Coast, she worked for many years as a freelance writer, specializing in PR and the entertainment industry. In 2010, she returned permanently to the Los Angeles area.
Her first-published book, CROOKED MOON (General Fiction) was published in both the trade paperback and Kindle editions in 2008. Her first-written, second-published book, SQUALOR, NEW MEXICO (Young Adult/General Fiction) was published in the Kindle and trade paperback versions in 2009.
Her third novel, MOLLY HACKER IS TOO PICKY!, a romantic comedy, was published December 1, 2011. The author blogged as her character, Molly Hacker, for over a year. All blogs can be found at www.mollyhacker.com.
In January 2013, the author edited and published a book of her mother's poetry (written 50 years earlier) called MY WAY TO ANYWHERE by Jean Lisette Brodey.

Lisette's fourth novel, MYSTICAL HIGH, is the first book in her YA Paranormal Desert Series trilogy.Amazon Author Page | Facebook | Twitter | GoodReads | Website

Guest post

4 Tips to Writing a Better Novel

by Lisette Brodey

Tip #1

KEEP A TIME CHART: Even if you never mention particular dates in your novels, it’s important that you know the day and date of every scene. You may ask, “Why do I need to know that if it’s not part of my novel?” I’ll tell you why.

When you’re in the thick of writing your book, it’s very easy to lose track of how much time has elapsed between events. In some of my novels, my characters have had such long, complicated days that it’s taken me chapters to describe the action. Conversely, I may skip ahead two weeks, a month, or even years. It all depends on the story.

Every time I begin a novel, I pull out a calendar, and I choose a date. Sometimes it has everything to do with the story and what time of year it is, sometimes it doesn’t, but it’s still important. Let’s say your character is an unhappy wife who is keeping tabs on her husband’s whereabouts because she is convinced he’s cheating. In Chapter 7, she’s having lunch with her best friend and telling her everything that she has just found out. Can you accurately have your character tell her friend what happened five days ago, what happened three days ago, and what happened two weeks ago if you don’t have it noted? I sure can’t.

If you keep a dated time chart with a simple synopsis of what happens when, it will save you lots of headaches down the road.

Tip #2

KEEP IT TIGHT: Let’s stay with our story of the woman who thinks her husband is cheating on her. There’s a twist in this story. She finds out that he’s not cheating at all but wants her to think he is because he’s being blackmailed and is actually trying to protect her by letting her assume the lesser of two evils. Ah, the plot is thickening. Let’s say that in Chapter 10, the woman makes a major discovery that changes her perspective on what is going on. Before you create a brand-new character to deliver that information to her, make sure there are no existing characters that can do the job. Don’t introduce your reader to new people if they serve no real purpose and will do nothing more than clutter or dilute your prose. When you use established characters, you may just come up with even better plot twists than you imagined. You may very well need a new character, but take the time to think about it. Keep it tight.

Tip #3

LISTEN TO YOUR NOVEL: Most of us know that it’s very difficult to proof your own work. Your eyes tend to see what is supposed to be there, not what is there. If you have spent an hour reworking a paragraph or speech, you may have become so immersed in getting it right that when you read it back, you don’t notice that you’ve used a particular word three times in two sentences. Unless it’s intentional, it’s not good. Most computers have text-to-speech functions. To review your work, highlight the part you want to hear, place it in a new document, and highlight it again. Then, sit back and listen to your words. If there are words missing, misspelled, or repeated, you will hear them. Listening gives you a different perspective than reading.

You may wonder why I suggested putting your text into a new document. You ask, “Why can’t I just highlight it in the document I’m using?” You can, but as you know, highlighted text can disappear instantly if a wrong button is touched on your keyboard and can’t quickly hit Control Z (PCs) or Command Z (Macs) to undo. That’s all. It’s just a safety measure to protect what you’ve written.

Tip #4

USE YOUR FIND COMMAND: Do you have pet words or phrases that you tend to overuse? I know that’s always a worry for me. When I’m immersed in telling a story, my brain is focused on the action and sometimes I’m merely serving as a transcriptionist for my characters. Sometimes my editor will catch these repetitions and just as often, I’ll catch them myself. If you’re able to identify words or phrases you might overuse, use the FIND command in Word (or other software). Then, change them or rewrite sentences to avoid them. Just get ’em outta there. And remember, the more unusual the word, the more obvious the repetition.

 Excerpt from Mystical High by Lisette Brodey:

Eve Carrow, Mystekal High’s English teacher, glanced at the giant wall clock as Jessie and Jinxsy slipped into their seats seconds before the bell.

“Welcome, you two. I wasn’t sure you were going to join us today. I like to be fashionably late at parties sometimes, but school is a different story.”

The old bell sounded loudly.

Jessie opened her notebook, grabbed To Kill A Mockingbird, the current class book, from her backpack, and sat upright in her chair. “See? We’re on time. Ready to go.”

“Yes, you are.”

Jinxsy, still fumbling through her backpack, looked at her friend, then at her teacher. “Jess had a mishap with her locker. Cut her finger.”

From the back of the room, Taylor cackled. “Yeah, it took her ten minutes for Her Vampiress to suck a few drops of blood and ten more minutes for the Jinx to calm her down.”

Jessie turned abruptly in her chair. “You are so exaggerating, Taylor. Keep out of my business.”

“Your boring business.” Taylor ran her fingers through her blond and purple hair. “No wonder you don’t have a boyfriend when the biggest part of your day is a little boo boo on your finger. Waaaaaaaah!”

Eve, though usually of the sweetest demeanor, slammed a book down on her desk. “Taylor Dennison. Stop. Now. Everyone else, face front.” As she looked around the room, her angry look softened. “Okay, who wants to begin our discussion about Boo Radley?”

Sophia Chavez raised her hand. “I will.”

“Thank you, Sophia. Please go on.”

“Well, I know the kids made up a lot of stories about him, but it’s only natural, you know? I mean, he never came out of the house. There were creepy rumors, like how he stabbed his dad in the leg with scissors. If I heard that about someone, I would be thinking the same way that Scout, Jem, and Dill did.”

Eve nodded her head in agreement. “It’s very easy to assume all kinds of things when we don’t know the truth.”

“So why is that, Ms. Carrow?”

“Well, Sophia, I think it’s because as human beings, we like answers. If an answer can be looked up or found out, most of us will choose that route. But when the answer to a question isn’t readily available, we tend to make things up, to satisfy our inquiring brains. It’s not a good thing to do, but human beings engage in this practice quite liberally. What do you think of my assessment?”

Jessie, with little animation on her face, responded to her teacher’s question. “I think you’re right.”

Taylor yelled from the back of the room. “Why? Because people talk crap about your hermit crab aunt?”

Jessie turned and glared at Taylor. She bit her lip so hard it almost bled. She knew that if she responded, the words would be ugly ones she wouldn’t want to be heard saying.

Eve was furious. “Taylor, that was positively uncalled for. And just plain cruel. I’m being extraordinarily generous by not sending you to the principal’s office. But one more outburst and I won’t hesitate.”

Silence fell over the room. The principal of Mystekal High was Eve’s father, Ernest Carrow. He had been the principal since Eve herself was a student. The only person who seemed to tolerate him at all was his secretary, and he seemed to like children as much as picnic goers like ants.

Carrow was the wealthiest man in Mystekal and owned a large percentage of the real estate, both commercial and residential. He didn’t need the salary he earned as Mystekal High’s principal, but he liked to control people, and being in charge of everyone at the school helped him to do just that.

Even though she couldn’t stand sending students to her father’s office, Eve hated making empty threats even more. She despised him, and sending a student for discipline meant that she had to deal with her father as well. She would have to endure a lecture about how she wasn’t able to control her class or how she had failed to mete out proper discipline. Eve pretended not to hear Taylor’s last remark and prayed she would not step over the line again. At least for the remainder of class.

“Would you all please take out your class assignment for this week? We’re going to share.”

Cade Swift raised his hand.

“Yes, Cade?”

“Do you mean the paper you asked us to write on who we thought Boo Radley really was? The one where you wanted us to write a description of how we saw his life inside that house?”

“The one and only.”

Cade bit his lip. “Uh, would you mind calling on me last?”

“Since when are you shy?”

“I’m not. But after what you said to Sophia I’m thinking maybe I need to rewrite my paper.”

Taylor’s boyfriend, Santino Vega, laughed. “Dude, don’t you mean write it. Period.”

Cade, the dark-haired boy known for his smiling eyes was quick to respond. “No, Vega, I mean rewrite it.”

Eve Carrow was intrigued. “Why do you want to rewrite it, Cade?”

Cade looked embarrassed and responded more softly than usual. “Um, I think maybe I was too judgmental. Just want to do it over.”

Jessie looked admiringly at Cade, then at her best friend. Jinxsy knew Jessie had a crush on him but had been denying it. Jessie’s glance confirmed that she was ready to admit it. But whether or not she was ready to seek out Cade’s affections was an entirely different story.

Eve Carrow smiled. “Actually, Cade. I’d like you to read your paper as you wrote it and then tell us how you’d like to change it.”

“Oh, man. Do I have to?”

The class giggled and Jessie’s eyes grew wide with anticipation.

“As your teacher, I would truly appreciate it.”

“Read it, dude. Then tell everyone how you’ve gone soft on Radley.”

Eve looked sternly at the class loudmouth. “Mr. Vega, I can only surmise by your comments that you would prefer to lead the class into this exercise. By all means, why don’t you go first?”

Santino looked angry. “Listen, Ms. Carrow. I think it was really a stupid assignment. I mean, Harper Lee already wrote the character. There’s no point in us rewriting the dude. Sorry, didn’t do it and I’m not gonna do it. Any questions?”

As Santino’s words fell on the shocked class and the disrespected teacher, a gust of desert wind rushed through the open window, blew a small stapler off Eve Carrow’s desk, and sent it flying through the air before it landed sharply on Santino’s mouth.

“What the —?” Santino wiped the blood from his mouth.

As the class focused on the freak accident, Eve looked out the window and noticed that it was a very still day. The sagebrush was not moving. There was not even the faintest trace of wind.

 Giveaway Details:

There is a tour wide giveaway. Prizes include the following:

·         $35 Amazon Gift Card (INT)

·         Print copy of Molly Hacker Is Too Picky! (US only)

·         Print copy of Squalor, New Mexico (US only)

·         Print copy of Mystical High (US only)

·         Tote bag (US and CAN only)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

As always,
Keep being distracted by reading,
Urania

Soo excited with this 5-star review on Beguiled!!!

Lydia rated it 5 of 5 stars

* SPOILER ALERT*

So i was curious to see what would happen next and i was amazed! I loved this book! I couldn't stop reading because in every page there was a twist in the plot which brought excitement all over again!

The emotions were great!!And it became one of my favorite love stories! I really liked the way Christopher was so mysterious but all for a good cause and how it did not get boring with a simple plot. The narrative for one more time was excellent as were the settings in the story. A new character appears Mateo who is totally likeable although you are fooled at the beginning that he is not with the good guys. The ending was perfect!! And i really liked how Alex was not left alone because i really liked his character. I do love happy endings!All in all i loved it and i would read it again with same excitement!
Excellent work!It's a must-read!

Cover Reveal:The Rogue King by Andrea Alien.

Urania's Distractions are hosting a cover reveal today. The book is The Rogue King and you can find out  about the author below:

About the Author:

Born and raised in New Zealand, Aldrea Alien lives on a small farm with her family, including a menagerie of animals. Since discovering a love of writing at the age of twelve, she hasn’t found an ounce of peace from the characters plaguing her mind.

Facebook | Twitter | GoodReads | Blog

And... here's a taste of the cover image !

Title:  The Rogue King

Series:  The Rogue King Saga Book 1

Author:  Aldrea Alien

Expected Publication: February 22nd, 2014

Word Count:  62,000

Genre:  Fantasy

Content Warning:  Violence, Sex

Recommended Age:   16+

Ready for the full cover? Here we go!

Synopsis:

Outside is dangerous.

Such is the warning Koral has heard for twelve years. Born a product of genetic manipulation, he knows little else of the world beyond the steel walls of his home.

But when fate gives him the choice between certain death and the unknown, there’s no question in what he must choose. And he is about to find out the sands he must brave are full of more than mere monsters.

Providing the desert doesn’t kill him first.

This is a world ruled by instinct, where innocence is drowned in blood. Here, men are offered up to the great Serpent God, Lorric, only to emerge as the most feared killers on the planet: The Rogues.

With the god’s sights set on turning Koral into a legend, he must sacrifice himself to survive and be reborn as… The Rogue King

GoodReads

You will have to wait until February to get our hands on this promising fantasy story and I'm sure it will be worth waiting!

Until then...

keep being distracted by reading,

Urania 

Gate Deadlock on Nook!

Gate Deadlock is also available on Nook and from Barnes & Noble
Just click here
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/gate-deadlock-urania-sarri/1019238328?ean=9781257607846

Gate Deadlock is still only 99c! Have you grabbed your copy?

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0057JPEA0

Have you ever thought that the present reality can be predetermined and constantly monitored by the dark forces of the future world with the only aim to protect their own reality? Could the present and the future be evolving simultaneously? What if you suddenly discovered that everything you have considered to be your own choices were nothing but inevitable responses to the sly directions of the future? Even worse, what if it was your heart that betrayed you by selecting the future? Gate Deadlock, a Young (and Forever-Young) Adult, time-travel romance, will share with you the secrets of the future and of forbidden love.

Amazon review by Jenny B. 

"I loved the way that the author wrote. The writing style is easy to read, and it makes you feel like you are right there in the story. This was a nice love story, with lots of suspense, which I loved. I had a hard time putting the book down, I wanted to keep reading to find out what was going to happen with Christopher and Emma. I found his connection to her father to be heartbreaking, but amazing how Emma still connected with Christopher and feel in love with him.

While there was no happy ending at this end of this book. I really enjoyed the ending because it was done in a way that did not leave you feeling disappointed. It leaves you with thinking of all the possibilities of what can happen next. I have all kinds of things running through my mind, like is he pretending, does he really feel like the ending makes him appear to be feeling?"

Goodreads review by Anna

'Ok, so... here we go.

The beggining was very strong and impressive, it got me hooked. Generally the book has a great structure and a great use of vocabulary though at some points it tends to be a bit overdone. But after a bit the plot starts thickening and flowing and you get deep into the story.

About Emma: to be quit honest I was reading at first and she was presented as a strong smart capable woman. What I could not really understand is why is she soooo into him, like, from the first time she sees him she is so enchanted I wanted to slap her at some point. But after that she gets way better and since they actually get together and all you get the hang of it. But she is a very likable and relatable character! Finally! She keeps using her brains even when she is crazy in love!

About Christopher: Handsome mysterious stranger barging in and swooping our girl of her feet...but! He hides secrets and a past she cannot find out... or can she? I hope we find more about him!

Well ok, the dynamics between the two of them were a bit too intense at first, but this is not bad!
Also, might I state one thing! How refreshing it was that the protagonists are not highschoolers!
Also I have to state I have never read a time traveling fiction book, and I must state I liked the way the author handles it alot! 

I got really entranced by the story and the mystery and I wanted answers dammit!! Which... I did not really get, but I guess that is why there is a second book! And I am set on starting it in 3-2-1!
After all this, i must say, good job miss Ourania Sarri, I cannot wait to see what the future holds for our heroes, and for you too!(lame pun I know, just roll with it people!)
Thanks to the author for providing a pdf copy of this book!

4 stars to Gate Deadlock on Goodreads! Two more reviews!

Each time I find a reader/reviewer who feels like that about my story I'm in total bliss. Thank you Myrto Lydia and all of you who have appreciated my story -and shared my aoration of hot, hot hot Christopher!!!Read the new review here and let me know if any of you would like to review my Gate Deadlock series so I can send you a copy.Here's what Myrto wrote:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/639825858

Well. This is a hard book to review, because I don't know where to start...

First of all, while I would normally describe the plot, this time I will just tell you to read the book, because if I reveal anything it will be a major spoiler. I'm just gonna say that it involves time travel.

Come on, seriously, just with the mention of time travel,My god, the writer's voice... It was magnificent! There were lots of times I look up some words. Sure, it wasn't full of them making me want to kill myself (I hate having to look up a word every second sentence), but they were just enough. So, brownie points for that.

Also, the narrative was really nice, the plot -which in my opinion is a breath of fresh air in the genre- was interesting, and very nicely executed. Of course, I loved the setting -I mean, it's Greece: what's not to like? Plus, I had this special feeling of bad-ass-ness (is that even a word?) whenever I read about Korinthos and Monemvasia and I was like "Hey, I know that place!".

*clears throat* Um, yeah, moving on now.

About the characters, I really liked Emma: she came of as a powerful, effective and smart young woman who has been through a lot of pain. What I didn't like though, was the fact that once she met Christopher The Time Traveler she was instantly depended onto him. I mean, come on! Where is your past self? You know, all bad-ass and stuff?

Christopher... I loved Christopher. He was sweet and all that but in the end I just wanted to slap him! And then I loved him again. It's weird, really.

I also loved the secondary characters. They weren't overshadowed by Christopher and Emma, they rather added to the story.

My only issue with the story was that (view spoiler). Just sayin'.

All in all, I reeeeally liked "Gate Deadlock" and I'm definitely picking up "Beguiled" next! I had some minor issues, hence the 4 star rating, but I strongly recommend it!

**A hug and a shout-out to my awesome friend, Lydia for our amazing BR!**

***Review copy kindly provided by author in exchange for an honest review***

Here's what Lydia Wrote:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/754961816

Yesterday i finished the first book and i am about to start the second. 

The story of this book is about a young woman named Emma whose life hasn't been really smooth with her father's death when she was still young. She grows up only to face even more problems by falling in love with a time-traveller whose past was dark and his future it seems even darker. This book ends with Emma's attempts to save him and his soul.

What i really liked in this book it was the great concept of story and also the excellent use of the language which is sometimes difficult to achieve. What i did love was the romance, the love story between Emma and Christopher (the time traveller)and this is quite rare because most romance novels have cheap love stories focusing on the wrong side. But here we have a quality love story focusing on the couple's feelings and their relationship together. What's more the secondary characters were likeable and not burried in the shadows by the protagonists.
Being a Greek i loved the settings and the writer has chosen the right and most beautiful places.

On the other hand there were some points where you could easily guess the next step and i think that the involvement of another man in Emma's life kinda diminishes her purpose of saving her love of her life. Though the narrative is excellent sometimes some of her thoughts went on and on which throwed you out of the story for a while.

All in all i very much liked the book and i can't wait to read the second one!!

November Kindle Fire HDX Giveaway!

This is a joint AUTHOR & BLOGGER GIVEAWAY EVENT!

Bloggers & Authors have joined together and each chipped in a little money towards a Kindle Fire HDX 7".

All New Kindle Fire HDX 7" Giveaway

The winner will have the option of receiving a 7" Kindle Fire HDX (US Only - $229 Value)

Or $229 Amazon.com Gift Card (International)

Or $229 in Paypal Cash (International)

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Giveaway Details

1 winner will receive their choice of an all new Kindle Fire 7" HDX (US Only - $229 value), $229 Amazon Gift Card or $229 in Paypal Cash (International).

There is a second separate giveaway for bloggers who post this giveaway on their blog. See details in the rafflecopter on how to enter to win the 2nd Kindle Fire HDX 7".

Ends 11/30/13

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer http://iamareader.com and sponsored by the participating authors & bloggers. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.



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