Literary Braun: paranormal

Showing posts with label paranormal. Show all posts

Saturday, 25 June 2016

Sunday Snippet: "I couldn’t leave her trapped in her nightmare."

It's Sunday, which means it's time for Weekend Writing Warriors, the weekly blog hop where indie authors get to share their work in 8-10 sentences. This will be the last 8Sunday snippet I post for Damnation's Door (Midnight Sky will start next week), and it was tricky to pick a final teaser, but I thought I'd pick something exciting, dangerous, and of course, cliff-hanger-y:

I couldn’t see Dro, and with a broken ankle, there was no way I could get back up the stairs to her without being set on fire.

The flames wouldn’t hurt her, but I couldn’t leave her trapped in her nightmare. She wasn’t in danger, but she was trapped in a different kind of torture.

A trap that only Lucifer could create for someone like Dro.

I will destroy you.

No– he didn’t want to hurt Dro. Not after going through so much to find her. I had to believe that. I couldn’t imagine he would try to kill her.

But now the thought was there, and it wouldn’t fucking leave.

Demons are free. Angels are fallen. Hope is dying...

Constance Ramirez and her adopted sister, Andromeda, have stopped Lucifer’s plan– They have closed the Heaven Gate and kept the demons out. But their choice came with brutal consequences, and now every angel on earth is trapped in their mortal body.

All that remains is closing the Hell Gate and establishing a balance once and for all. That means returning to the city of Constance’s nightmares, which has become a haven for murderers and monsters. But even more dangerous than their hunt is that Andromeda’s powers and instincts are turning darker, and this time Constance doesn’t know how to protect her.

Constance is ready to fight for her life, but her enemies have plans she can’t begin to imagine, and they’re prepared to make her suffer...

Trust is lost and hearts are broken in the epic conclusion in Amy Braun’s Cursed trilogy...

Media Kit

Chapter One

Buy it here:

***

There will be a few more sales and promos for Damnation's Door and the Cursed series over the next few days, but I'm also going to dive deeper into the Dark Sky world due to the upcoming release...

There are secrets, there are betrayals, and there are sacrifices…

The Behemoth has been destroyed, and the bloodthirsty Hellions seem to have left Westraven. But Claire Abernathy’s mind is not at ease. A terrible disease plagues her sister, appearing to have been brought on the Vesper, the leader of the Hellions beyond the tear between worlds– the Breach.

To save Abby and stop the Hellions for good, Claire must find the machine her parents built before the attacks, and fix it before the monsters return. To do so, she needs the help of her crew, and must ignore the secrets and rivalries between her captain and the man she saved.

Because the Hellions are not the only dangers following Claire. Twisted humans and old enemies surface to stop her and destroy all she loves. While she is determined to endure the trials, a single betrayal could shatter the hope of a better world, and force Claire to make a choice that will cost her dearly…

Media Kit

Chapter One

Buy it here:

Blogger Signups

Review Opportunity For Crimson Sky and Midnight Sky

Midnight Sky Release Day Blitz

Midnight Sky Blog Tour

I'm super excited for this new book, but I'm equally excited for the other projects I'm immersing myself into. My new website is set to launch sometime next week, but the official date has changed. Wordpress is giving me grief with plugins and an online shop because Heaven forbid I choose a .com domain name instead of .org *rolls eyes*. Regardless, it will be up in July!

I also received news that Mocha Memoirs Press, my first professional publishers, are planning to combine the four short stories I have written for them– Call From The Grave, Hotel Hell, Lost Sky, and the upcoming Engineered Deceit– in a single collection called The Shadow Omnibus! It's set for an early September release, and I can't wait to see the final product!

I want to say more, but I'm up past my bedtime (again), and didn't have the best day with my assistant manger. Long story short, she likes to do pointless meaningless tasks that force the rest of us to drown in work that actually has to be done, then gets snippy when she doesn't get her way. Still, I had some chocolate, co-worker support, came home, and got to look at this:

Yup. New books. That I wrote. Can't be upset when I have that.

Be sure to stop by the other amazing Weekend Writing Warriors blogs and leave some love in the comments! Cheers!

Amy

Review: Drowning In The Dark

When I read the massive Gods and Mortals collection a month or so ago, I came across the first novel in Pippa DaCosta's The Veil series. I liked the story a lot and wanted to see what it was all about. The answer? It's one of the most exciting, fun, kick-ass urban fantasy series' I've read. And I read a lot of urban fantasy. This is the kind of series you kick yourself for skipping out on. I've been speeding through all of the books (just started the fifth and final instalment today), and Drowning In The Dark is by far the darkest in the series, which is saying something. If you're looking for a new urban fantasy series that takes demons and puts them in the new light, trust me, this is what you're looking for. The world-building is unique, the characters are strong and complex, the action is wickedly intense, and the stories are freaking fantastic. Don't miss out on this one.

All these covers are absolutely gorgeous, and there's a bonus one inside the ebooks!

“I wasn’t demon enough to defeat my brother before. Things have changed.”

As the veil begins to fall, and the demons bleed through onto the streets of Boston, Muse knows the battle is lost before it’s even begun.

To make matters worse, Adam and the Institute have captured Akil at a time when the city has never needed him more. Muse believes Akil’s incarceration is a ruse, because if he truly is at the mercy of the Institute, she must choose which side she’ll fight for. Human or demon?

The princes are coming. Valenti, Muse’s immortal half-brother, leads the charge. The Institute is not ready, the people of Boston are not prepared, but one man is. Stefan knows what it will take to beat back the netherworld. Will his demon allow him the freedom to right his wrongs?

Muse’s loyalty will be tested. To save those she loves, she must give up that which she cherishes most. Her humanity.

The Mother of Destruction is about to go nuclear.

***
Our main character, Muse, just can't catch a break, and Drowning In The Dark is no exception to her ongoing struggles. The story kicks off at the speed of sound (as they usually do, a style that I love), and doesn't slow down even when the characters aren't fighting for their lives– and their humanity.

There's so much to talk about, but let's start with the world. I love stories that take their own twist on demon hierarchy, and the version DaCosta takes is one I haven't seen before. It's brutal, violent, and damages those who get to close to it.

Speaking of damaged, Muse is one of the strongest female characters in the genre. Having started from the very, very beginning, it was clear she'd been through hell– literally– and back. Watching her grow as a character into the powerful force she is now is nothing short of breathtaking, and she has never been stronger than she is in Drowning In The Dark. She's packed full of emotions and turmoil, doing what she can to protect those she loves, facing her fears, losing herself to darkness and drawing herself out when to be even stronger than before. I love strong female characters, but they are even more incredible when they're not Mary Sue's. Muse is an epic character, and I'm genuinely going to miss her when the series is over.

I'm also going to miss the side characters– Stefan, Akil, and Ryder. Ryder had a lot more character development, which is great because I love him. A stubborn, tough human you don't want to mess with, I genuinely wanted to know more about him. He better make it to the end! I like Akil a lot, though I don't agree with him as a romantic interest. Yes, he's helped Muse time and time again, and his development was thorough, but in my view, he's betrayed Muse's trust too many times. And Stefan? Stefan I love. I loved him the moment he entered the series, and will likely love him when it's over. He's battled his own demons– literally and figuratively– and has come so far. I find his relationship with Muse, while complicate to say the least, is more genuine and deserves to have its day.

The action is wicked. Muse has formidable enemies, and DaCosta knows her way around a magical action scene. Every battle is visceral and nail-biting, the kind of thing that keeps my eyes glued to the page and begging for more. I can only imagine what the final battle will be like, and I doubt I'll have any nails left when it's done.

There's so much to these books, genuine works of heart that are clearly loved by the author. I fell into them immediately, and will be buying the paperbacks as part of my newly restarted book collection. I could honestly go on on and on about all the things I loved about them, but we'd be heading to major spoiler territory and I don't want to do that. I want urban fantasy lovers to seek this series out, start from the prequel novella, and enjoy the same wild ride that I have. All of DaCosta's other books are now on my To-Be-Read List, and I can't wait to see how she rounds out Muse's adventures.

Amy

Thursday, 23 June 2016

Progress Report (And A New Collection Coming Soon!)

Things are finally moving forward for this author! The printed proofs are finally on the way for Midnight Sky, now that I know the limitations of Scrivener for print formatting. So note to anyone thinking about buying a paperback for Midnight Sky– you get some bonus content! I'll go more into it when I officially launch my new website next week. It will likely happen Monday (possibly Tuesday, depending on some other tweaks I want to do), and it's come together really well. The newsletter signup isn't quite ready yet (though I can't wait to do that), and the shop isn't ready, but I'm still very excited about its look. The blog will stay up to redirect traffic, but nothing new will be posted.

I'm definitely looking forward to the Midnight Sky promotions starting in July. I'm really excited for this novel and have heard some good feedback from early reviews, so hopefully the pre-order sales will go up. *hint hint wink wink nudge nudge look below*

There are secrets, there are betrayals, and there are sacrifices…

Media Kit

Chapter One

If you're a book blogger/reviewer interested in reading Crimson Sky and/or Midnight Sky, you can enter the signup sheet below!

Review Opportunity for Crimson Sky and Midnight Sky

Now, updates on the new projects, since there's quite a bit. First, I'm super excited to announce that I'll be working with the wonderful team at Mocha Memoirs Press again. I was ecstatic when they emailed me with news that the four short stories I have published with them– Call From The Grave, Hotel Hell, Lost Sky, and the upcoming Engineered Deceit– will be put together in a single collection! I've always wanted to do this, and to have it offered is nothing short of awesome. The collection will be called The Shadow Omnibus and is scheduled for an early September release in both ebook and paperback. I can't wait to see the result!

That's the most I have to say for now. I'm a little stuck in a scene for The Iron Gargoyle and might want to sneak a few minutes of editing in for Storm of the Gods before I have to go to the Real Job. There will be a couple more posts on the blog before I move to my new website, so stayed tuned for a little while longer!
Cheers!
Amy

Monday, 20 June 2016

Weekly Recap (Upcoming Plans And New Website Coming Soon!)

I wish I could say I was very productive last week, but the major stuff I wanted to do wasn't accomplished. Mostly because I'm having issues with it. Of course they're little simple things that must have an easy fix I'm just not seeing *frowns*. That said, I still managed to get some goals crossed off, or at least started:

• Format Midnight Sky for print and order author copies

• Plot remaining books for the Iron Gargoyle series (create a map)
~~• Continue writing The Iron Gargoyle, the first Iron Gargoyle novel~~

• Beta read edits for Storm of the Gods (Finish them up)
• Formal edits and minor tweaking for Storm of the Gods (Finish them up)
• Make list of publishers accepting new authors and sending queries for Storm of the Gods
~~• Look through Scrivener tutorials and begin working from there~~

And here's what I want to do this week, bullets one and two being the most important:

• Format Midnight Sky for print and order author copies
• Complete and launch website

• Plot remaining books for the Iron Gargoyle series (create a map)
• Minor plot alterations and continue writing The Iron Gargoyle

• Edit Storm of the Gods
• Make list of publishers accepting new authors and sending queries for Storm of the Gods

I'm still going to promote Damnation's Door, though the tours I had going on have winded down, though I recently did my first ever character interview, which was even more fun than I thought it would be. Recently, I've been using Kindle and Kobo's services to promote my books, which is a trial and error thing I need to get better at.

I can't believe it's been almost a month since I fully completed a book series. How crazy is that? I definitely learned a lot from the Cursed series and couldn't be happier that I put in the effort to see it through to the end.

Media Kit

Chapter One

Buy it here:

***

As things wind down with Cursed and Damnation's Door, I'm turning my energies to Dark Sky and the upcoming sequel, Midnight Sky.

There are secrets, there are betrayals, and there are sacrifices…

Media Kit

Chapter One

I've heard very positive feedback so far, but if you're a book blogger/reviewer interested in reading Crimson Sky and/or Midnight Sky, feel free to enter the sign-up sheet below!

Review Opportunity for Crimson Sky and Midnight Sky

Looking at those covers rocks my world, and I can't wait to see what they'll look like when they're placed next to the prequel novellas in the fall and the final novel next year.
Now, onto the news. I've been keeping it under wraps for a couple months, but I should let frequent readers of the blog know that I'll be moving to a brand new website *hopefully* at the end of the month. I'm familiar with Blogger and it's been working so far, but the simple fact is that I have a new novel I want to send out in another month or two. I want to show publishers that I take my career seriously, and what better way than to have a crisp new website? I'm using Wordpress and while it's been throwing me for some loops (seriously, it should not be that hard to make more than one drop down menu under the main header!), I love the way the site is coming together. I don't know if they'll be on their when the site launches, but I'll be working on setting up a mailing list with occasional, exclusive bonuses for those who sign-up, and an online shop for readers to buy my books. However, I intend to spend less time blogging and focus on my writing. I won't continue doing weekly/month recaps or Thursday posts (GIAM bloggers, you'll get the basics). That said, when something big happens, it will go on the blog, and I'll likely continue with review posts and will definitely keep up with Weekend Writing Warriors.
I've started the edits for Storm of the Gods, which will need way more work than even I expected. That said, I'm looking forward to working with the new world and have so far been very impressed with my new editor. I'm hoping this new series goes far, and will be working hard to give it all the promotion and spotlight it deserves, regardless of whether it gets accepted by publishers or not. I'm hoping that will be the case *dreams about writing as a full-time hybrid author* but if not, then Storm of the Gods will be written, fully edited, and potentially formatted for a new release in 2017. I'm even thinking about adding graphics to the chapter pages. I know– it'd be pretty cool.
Also gaining ground is The Iron Gargoyle, another new post-apocalyptic urban fantasy series that will go through the same process Storm of the Gods and the Areios Brothers series is currently undergoing. I recently discovered that I needed to alter the world history and therefore my plot, but thankfully it hasn't really affected what I've written so far. Still, the sooner I make the changes, the better and stronger the story will be.
So that's what I have coming up! I'm really hoping to have at least the paperbacks for Midnight Sky or the final version of my website finished today. It's killing me that I have to do all that boring stuff when I'm actually aching to write, but I do need to prioritize my time, and both of those tasks have been nagging me for weeks, and the sooner I have them done, the more time I'll have for my writing! Which means I need to get to work!
Cheers!
Amy

Saturday, 18 June 2016

Sunday Snippet: "A single snap in battle could get him killed."

Welcome to 8Sunday and Weekend Writing Warriors, the weekly blog hop where indie authors get to share their work in 8-10 sentences. I couldn't really find a snippet appropriate for Father's Day, so instead, I decided to use a snippet featuring a character who acts like a father figure for Constance in Damnation's Door. She seeks Sephiel, a former warrior angel, for counsel and advice about the mass murders in her old hometown, but as expected, doesn't get the answers she wants to hear...

“Seph,” I asked the ex-angel, who stood across from me on the other side of the curtain, watching the opposite end of the street. “These killings, the major ones... do you think Lucifer is behind them rather than Mateo?”

Sephiel went very still. Talking about Lucifer always made him tense, and I had to remind myself not to push him. He was human now, and his emotions weren’t so tightly reined anymore. A single snap in battle could get him killed.

“It is likely they are working in collaboration,” he finally said. “Perhaps Lucifer is feeding Mateo Rocha’s thirst for vengeance, and your former lover is constructing the circumstances for the slaughter. His men are nearly always there, are they not?”

***

Still got lots going on. Damnation's Door is still on its blog tour, and one particular stop features an author interview, a character interview, and a giveaway. I've never done a character interview before, and it was a lot of fun to get back inside Constance's head and have her answer questions not typically posed for her. I'm still working on formatting Midnight Sky, editing Storm of the Gods, and rebuilding the world/writing The Iron Gargoyle. I would go into more detail, but I'm half-falling asleep at my desk. Not as comfy as a bed.

Be sure to check out the other Weekend Writing Warriors and leave some love and wishes in the comments of their blogs. You have no idea how much that means to us!

Speaking of love and wishes, I hope everyone enjoys their father's day! Love you, Dad!

Amy

Book Review: Abomination

Abomination is the first novel I've read in a long time that felt like legitimate horror to me. I've read books with monsters before, and long time readers of my blog know it's something I actively seek out, but of all the novels I've read so far this year, this is the one that had the horror fan in me jumping with joy. It didn't "scare" me, but that in no way hindered my enjoyment of the novel. Gary Whitta's novel is creepy, intense, dramatic, filled with rich characters, and some surprising turns. An absolute must for all horror/fantasy fans. A wild, brutal ride, and one of my top reads for this year.

He is England's greatest knight, the man who saved the life of Alfred the Great and an entire kingdom from a Viking invasion. But when he is called back into service to combat a plague of monstrous beasts known as abominations, he meets a fate worse than death and is condemned to a life of anguish, solitude, and remorse.

She is a fierce young warrior, raised among an elite order of knights. Driven by a dark secret from her past, she defies her controlling father and sets out on a dangerous quest to do what none before her ever have—hunt down and kill an abomination, alone.

When a chance encounter sets these two against one another, an incredible twist of fate will lead them toward a salvation they never thought possible—and prove that the power of love, mercy, and forgiveness can shine a hopeful light even in history’s darkest age.

***
I should say right off the bat that this isn't a novel for the faint of heart. The descriptions Whitta uses are brutal. Even I cringed at some of the images the story put in my mind. But that right there is the brilliance. I could visualize and sense everything. I felt like I was right there with the characters, experiencing the same astonishing horrors and brutality they were.

The characters are awesome. It's impossible not to love Wulfric, who is the definition of a tragic hero. He's almost too good to be honest, but I adore the guy and loved all the arcs he went through. The second main character, Indra... Talk about a handful. A feisty, strong woman who never needs to be rescued, I thought she was a bit too intense at some points. Though having said that, I loved being witness to her adventures and battles. Both characters were very strong and ideal leads for a horror/fantasy novel.

For me, the highlight was the monsters. Each one was more horrifying than the last and they carried unique weapons or fighting skills. I never knew what to expect from them, and the twist that carried them through the story was really engaging.

I'm itching to give this novel five stars, I really am, but there were a couple things that irked me. First, I found the pacing at the beginning a bit strange. Everything was moving really quickly, and I didn't know why until the end of that part when the twist began.

There were also a couple major events that I predicted early on. The biggest one was pretty obvious, and while it didn't alter my enjoyment of the story in any way, I wasn't exactly stunned when it came to light.

Finally, the villains. The first one was crazy and I wanted to see more of him. The second seemed to come out of nowhere, and until I knew he was the villain, I actually felt sorry for him. He just didn't seem like a good choice for an enemy, and was very anti-climactic.

But as a whole? Abomination rocked my world. Great characters, intense action, terrifying monsters, and incredible suspense. Maybe not recommended for readers who don't like gore, but if you like horror and light fantasy mixed with a little history? This is definitely the book for you.

Amy

Link List

Saturday, 25 June 2016

Thursday, 23 June 2016

Monday, 20 June 2016

Saturday, 18 June 2016