Bad Luck Girl: Sarah Zettel

« “Callie and Zettel bring this stellar trilogy to a satisfyingly sentimental conclusion.”

—Kirkus Reviews, Starred

“Zettel brings the street life, locales, and culture of jazz-age Chicago into the imagery of her fantasy, packing the story with incident, adventure, and even, on the sidelines, information.” —The Horn Book

By Sarah Zettel

BAD LUCK GIRL

The American Fairy Trilogy

Book Three

Historical fiction fans will be drawn into the rich blend of historical fiction and fantasy in Sarah Zettel’s BAD LUCK GIRL (Random House Books for Young Readers / On sale May 27, 2014 / Ages 12 up). Fans of Libba Bray’s The Diviners will love the blend of fantasy and twentieth-century history in the exciting conclusion to the stylish American Fairy Trilogy.

After rescuing her parents from the Seelie king at Hearst Castle, Callie is caught up in the war between the fairies of the Midnight Throne and the Sunlit Kingdoms. By accident, she discovers that fairies aren’t the only magical creatures in the world. There’s also Halfers, misfits that are half fairy and half other—half paper, half steel girder, half electric spark. As the war heats up, Callie’s world falls apart. And even though she’s the child of prophecy, she doubts she can save the Halfers, her people, her family, and Jack, let alone herself. Bad Luck Girl, they call Callie, and she’s starting to believe them.

Extraordinarily detailed research about 1930s America and Chicago’s crime-ridden cityscape shines through in BAD LUCK GIRL. Die-hard historical fiction fans will be drawn into the fantasy realm, and fantasy readers will find themselves caught up in the vivid history of this story.

SARAH ZETTEL is an award-winning science fiction and fantasy author. She has written eighteen novels and multiple short stories over the past seventeen years, in addition to practicing tai chi, learning to fiddle, marrying a rocket scientist, and raising a rapidly growing son. The American Fairy Trilogy is her first series for teens. You can visit her online at SarahZettel.com.

BAD LUCK GIRL by Sarah Zettel

Random House Books for Young Readers │ On sale May 27, 2014 │Ages 12 up

Hardcover: 978-0-375-86940-2 │ $17.99 US/$19.99 Can. │ 368 pages │Ebook 978-0-375-98320-7 │ $10.99 US/$11.99 Can.

THE PERSISTENCE OF FAIRY TALES

            First of all, thanks to Book Girl Knitting for letting me stop by today.

            When I started writing Callie’s story, I knew I was going to be writing a fairy tale in the most literal sense.  It is a story with fairies in it.  Every culture in the world has stories of magic, and magical creatures and the humans — heroes, fools, and villains — who encounter them.  They may get derided.  People say, “oh, that’s just a fairy tale.”  But the stories themselves never quite go away.  That’s because the elements of the classic fairy tale never stop being important.

            There’s a saying about fairy tales I dearly love.  This is a paraphrase, but it’s the gist of it:  fairy tales do not teach children monsters exist.  Children know monsters exist.  They teach children monsters can be defeated.

            And it’s not just for children, and the monster is not the only central point of a fairy tale.  In all fairy stories, there’s some sort of bargain made.  That bargain can be a quest or task with the promise of reward (or simple survival) at the end.  It can be a bet, or a granted wish that comes with a price or a condition to be met.  All these bargains are made with some figure power, a king or a goddess, an old woman in a hut or a small man who lives underneath a stone, it doesn’t matter.   Once the bargain is set, the story is in motion.  The power, the magic, will see that the bargain is kept.

            That’s when we’re really off to the races.  Because as soon as the heroine or hero has made the bargain (or had it forced on them), then they get to make the important choices.  Will they do right?  That is, will they keep their word, honor the bet, endure the hardship and respect the power?  Or will they try to cheat?  Will they ignore power and bargain and promise and take what they were given without paying for it.

            In fairy tales, this second choice generally does not go well.

           There’s a moment in BAD LUCK GIRL when Callie, who has just begun learning how powerful she really is, absolutely loses it.  Anger completely takes over and she lashes out with her power without thinking, and in that moment, without caring.  I wasn’t really planning this moment when I started the story, but when it showed up, I knew it was a necessary part of the story, because it was the moment that illustrated almost more than any other in the book the importance of that choice.  That what’s important in a fairy tale is not just about the discovery of power but how is that power ultimately used.

            I think this is the real reason why fairy tales never go away.  Because they are about this central choice of doing right or doing wrong.  Of remaining courageous enough to never forget you’re part of a larger, the human family, even when things are at their most difficult for you.  In fairy tales, it is remembering to be your best at your worst, that wins the day, because this is what brings the heroine or hero the help and advice she needs to defeat the monster and keep the bargain. 

            Does it always work that way in real life?  Of course not.  Fairy tales are not real life.  They are reminders to ourselves of the choices we face and of the fact that monsters are most surely defeated without losing ourselves to what makes them monsters — anger, isolation, greed, envy, power without control or consideration.   This fight is always at the heart of the fairy tale.

            Even the ones where there aren’t actual fairies.

Taming Fate

“TAMING FATE” / AMALIA DILLIN



Praise for Forged by Fate (“Fate of the Gods” Book 1):

“You won’t be able to deny that Miss Dillin is a genius … This story was absolutely amazing. It’s like 
nothing I’ve read before … a complete game changer.” 
— Parajunkee 

“An amazing fantasy world which succeeds in cleverly incorporating history, mythology and biblical 
figures. The seamless integration of Norse and Greek gods was inspired and I can’t wait to see 
where this series heads next.” 
— Book Chick City 

“One of the more fascinating and haunting books I’ve read in quite some time.” 
— JC Andrijeski, Allie’s War 

“A beautiful, sweeping story that puts on display the power of every interpretation of love, and the 
truth of what can be accomplished when people choose peace over strife. I couldn’t put it out of my 
mind for days.” 
— Trisha Leigh, The Last Year 

For the first time in her many lives, Eve would rather be anywhere but home. In 15th Century France,
Eve would have burned as a witch if it hadn’t been for the too-timely arrival of the Marquis DeLeon to
save her skin. But Eve didn’t ask to be rescued, and their hasty marriage is off to anything but a smooth
start. As tensions in the town grow and plague threatens, Ryam DeLeon knows if he and Eve cannot find
common ground, their first Christmas may be their last.

Taming Fate will be available in trade paperback and ebook via Amazon.com, Barnesandnoble.com,
Kobo.com, and other online retailers, and for wholesale through Ingram. You can also find Taming Fate
on Goodreads.

About the author:

Amalia Dillin began as a Biology major before taking Latin and
falling in love with old heroes and older gods. After that, she couldn't
stop writing about them, with the occasional break for more
contemporary subjects. Her short stories have been published by Daily
Science Fiction and Birdville magazine, and she's also the author of the
“Fate of the Gods” series and Honor Among Orcs, the first book in the
Orc Saga. Amalia lives in upstate New York with her husband, and
dreams of the day when she will own goats — to pull her chariot
through the sky, of course.

About the pubisher:

World Weaver Press is a publisher of fantasy, paranormal, and science fiction, dedicated to producing
quality works. We believe in great storytelling.


Publication Date: June 24 •

The Stories That Don’t Quite Fit, But Still Need Telling

The best part about writing novellas for the Fate of the Gods series, is that I’m able to flesh out some of the stories that don’t fit into the overarching narrative of the trilogy. In TEMPTING FATE, for instance, I got to explore Mia’s character and her relationships with both Adam and Eve. Now, in TAMING FATE, I get to delve a little bit more deeply into the story of Eve’s marriage to the Marquis DeLeon.

This story in particular felt like a necessary addition to the series, even though I knew early on that not much of it would fit into the novels themselves. We get so many hints of it in FORGED BY FATE and FATE FORGOTTEN, and there are so many references to this particular marriage in Eve’s very many lives, that I would have felt as though the books were incomplete if I didn’t address it more fully somehow.

Fortunately for me, my editor was just as curious about this lifetime as I was, so I knew we’d find a way. A novella seemed like a perfect compromise – it offered enough space to address the challenges of Eve and Ryam’s relationship, but in a way that complemented the series on the whole, rather than taking focus away from the major narratives presented in the trilogy. It’s a glimpse of the kind of trouble that Eve faced in even the best of her lives, and the lengths she was willing to go to protect the people she loved, and the family she founded.

But not only that, we also get an idea of exactly who this Marquis DeLeon was, and how his ideas and relationship with Eve shaped the House of Lions. It wasn’t enough, in my opinion, to hear Garrit talk about him in Eve’s present, or for Eve to dwell on him, even curse him for keeping his secrets. I wanted to see it – and I wanted readers to have a fully realized understanding of his character! And the best way to go about it, it seemed to me, was to give you all a peek at the world he lived in, and the struggles he faced both in marrying Eve, and at her side.

I hope you’ll enjoy getting to know Ryam DeLeon as much as I enjoyed writing him!

The Possession Book Blast

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. The author will be awarding winner's choice of two ebooks from Lachesis Publishing (http://lachesispublishing.com/) to a randomly drawn winner via the rafflecopter at the end of this post.

Daphne Wentworth is almost seventeen, definitely a red head, and most likely the tallest girl in her class, which is awkward to say the least when it comes to dating boys in her school. But she doesn’t have to worry about school for the next two months since she’s spending the summer at her aunt Dwill’s lighthouse in Maine.

What she does have to worry about is seeing ghosts in the lighthouse cemetery, having strange dreams, and hearing the voices of star-crossed lovers who lived two-hundred years ago. And then there’s a local boy named Zach Philbrook who works for her aunt. He’s too gorgeous for his own good. He’s also very tall, with midnight black hair, and the most beautiful indigo blue eyes Daphne has ever seen.

Zach is treated like an outcast by the local teens in town. He’s Micmac and therefore not “one of the gang”. Daphne can’t help being drawn to his strength, especially considering that he’s had to live his entire life dealing with ignorance. But the local teens aren’t the only trouble-makers in town. As Zach and Daphne get closer, the lighthouse ghost lovers begin haunting them. When Daphne and Zach try to figure out how to fight them, the spirits get bolder and more dangerous. So how do you protect yourself from something that isn’t really there?

Enjoy an excerpt:

It wasn’t the first time a good idea had come back to bite me in the ass, but I was afraid it might be the last.

The plan had seemed harmless enough. I never intended things to get so out of hand, and I certainly hadn’t expected Zach to get involved. No, wait. If I’m going to tell this tale, write it down so it’s never forgotten, I must tell the truth—the whole truth.

I should start at the beginning . . .

I had always resisted being a redhead.

“My hair is brown,” I’d declare, “with red highlights.”

When you were one of six heads that spilled out onto the sidewalk every morning though, the sun unmercifully spotlighting the fact that you varied in shades from the red section of the crayon box, you eventually had to let that notion go. When I was twelve—we were only four heads bobbing off to Catholic school at the top of the hill by then—Mom tried to soothe me by pointing out my hair was auburn.

Auburn. I’d liked the sound of that. It wasn’t red, it was auburn.

Auburn sounded regal and refined.

So did Daphne Wentworth. That’s my name, but I can tell you truthfully I’m neither regal nor refined. I favor t-shirts and jeans and my battered sneakers. I usually have a basketball in my hands. Or a softball bat. I’m tall, always have been. Do you know what it’s like to go through school like a giraffe above the crowd? Above the boys?

But I digress.

My point is, I’m not at all what you’d expect from my name. And what happened to us last summer, what waited at the lighthouse, in that small copse of trees, well . . . you’d never expect that, either.

Not in two hundred years.

Jeanine Duval Spikes is a spinner of romantic tales with a touch of the supernatural. Lifelong research and experience with the paranormal infuse her stories with ethereal spirit, while her belief that love conquers all suffuses them with heart.

She is a paranormal investigator with a small local group, aspiring to help those in need by advancing this exploratory field both spiritually and scientifically. When not writing, you can find her cooking, gardening, horseback riding, or forever getting lost in secondhand shops. The mother of two grown sons, she lives in Rhode Island, the Ocean State, with her very own hero-husband Tim, and two crazy cats. She is the proud recipient of the Jo Ann Ferguson Service Award for selfless assistance and dedication to fellow writers and the craft.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jeanine.duvalspikes?fref=ts

Website: http://jeanineduvalspikes.wix.com/jeanineduvalspikes

Buy Link:  http://lachesispublishing.com/?product=the-possession-by-j-d-spikes

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Itty Bitty Crocheted Critters

While the demand for Amigurumi just keeps getting bigger, these incredibly cute crocheted critters have just gotten smaller!

Voodoo Maggie (AKA Erin Clark), the author of Voodoo Maggie's Adorable Amigurumi, has taken her yarn craft to the micro-level and stitched together a new menagerie of mini Amigurmi that are so darn cute—and tiny—that you might not want to part with any of them. Erin's crochet patterns are so easy to follow that you'll be able to make enough to satisfy an obvious demand from your friends and family. Erin even provides instructions on how to display these tiny Japanese crochet creatures in their own crochet-decorated terrarium. Itty Bitty Crocheted Critters features foolproof instructions on how to make twenty of Voodoo Maggie's most popular mini Amigurmi characters, including:
Red Panda
Tusked Narwhal
Otter
Pinkerton Flamingo
Camellia Chameleon
These irresistible little guys are guaranteed to bring a smile to anyone's face. Get ready to "Awwwww!"

Amazon

Goodreads

Review:

From the first moment I saw these little critters I fell in love. Small, like uber tiny, they wormed their way into my heart. Easy instructions that left no question in my mind whatsoever, cute pics, small projects perfect for learning and an assortment of critters to warm your heart this book is perfect for anyone who loves to crochet. Even if you are just learning amigurumi, you can do these designs. One tiny hook. A couple of DMC floss pieces and you can rock this book. Christmas may never be the same. 

Did I mention the terrariums? OMG. They are the cutest things since sliced bread. The tiny shrubs, flowers and plants are so adorable. 

If you wanted, you could totally make these in a larger yarn. You would just have to play with sizing, but the smallness is what makes them super cute. Erin Clark has outdone herself with this book and I can't wait to see more like this...maybe food art...I want cupcakes...lol.

***This book was given to me by the publisher for a fair and honest review.

4.5/5

Cute! Adorable! Must have in my collection!!!

Calculated

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Renee will be awarding a $10 Amazon gift card to two randomly drawn commenter. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

An investigative journalist gets an unlikely tip from a mysterious informant. Dismissing it as impossible, she disregards the information and drops the story. Until the informant turns up dead, as predicted.

Plunged into the murky waters of a seedy underground prostitution ring, this psychological thriller provides twist upon dark twist in a story that would ultimately pin the church and several government officials in the largest murder cover-up the city has ever witnessed.

But is it true, or has the journalist merely been used as a pawn in a greater scheme? And how many people is she willing to sacrifice trying to figure it out?

Enjoy an excerpt:

When she arrived at the little facility her building provided, a quick look around confirmed she was the only one there. Just as she’d hoped, and exactly how she liked it to be. Smiling in satisfaction, she flipped on the television that was perched on the wall, and turned up the music on her iPod as loud as she could handle it. The multiple distractions would help her get through the extra mile she was planning to conquer. With chilled water bottle in place, she cranked up the treadmill to a nice brisk pace.

As her breathing picked up speed and her muscles began to warm, Ana’s eye caught a red flash along the bottom of the screen. Breaking News filled the bar, and the too-chipper-for-their-own-good reporters were suddenly getting serious. Since the volume was still muted, Ana couldn’t understand exactly what was going on, only that they were showing the wide stretch of river that ran along the outskirts of the city. She wiped the first beads of sweat from her brow, and used the remote to turn the volume of the television higher while simultaneously adjusting her music.

As the reporters spoke, home-video footage of something floating in the water rolled before her eyes. The camera zoomed in, the frame ever so shaky, and it became clearly apparent that the “something” was a person - face down with long brown hair spread out like a Catholic halo. It appeared another victim had been pulled out of the water; the count was quickly tallying up. A young woman this time, and possibly one who had gone missing the night before.

Ana’s pulse skipped a few beats as they replayed the video over and over. There was something familiar about the long, lean body. Slowing the treadmill to a stop, she ripped the ear buds from her head to give the segment her entire attention.

...it appears at first glance that the victim suffered from a deep cut to the throat, and received multiple stab wounds to the chest...

The beads of accumulated sweat turned cold on Ana’s brow. She immediately reached for her phone and dialed Kylie’s number.

“What the hell, Ana?” Came her friend’s groggy voice.

“Turn your TV on. Channel four. Hurry.” Ana said, eyes transfixed to the screen in front of her. “Recognize that face?”

...It’s thought the victim may be one of the young girls recently reported missing. The screen flashed candids of three possible women. All brunettes. All tall and thin. All roughly the same age. Among them was a photo of Mara, just as Ana had expected there would be.

But the body was too bloated and disfigured to be absolutely certain, and an autopsy would be needed.

... The body will be taken in for processing where officials hope to shed more light on the case in the near future. In the mean time, they’re cautioning residents to avoid....

“Did you see that?” Ana’s voice escaped in more of a demand than a question. “Please tell me I’m seeing things.”

“Oh my god...” Kylie whispered into the receiver, confirming the dread that was building in Ana’s stomach. “Do you really think it’s her?”

“I know for a fact it is.” Ana declared, the pull in her gut getting stronger by the minute. “The autopsy will confirm it.”

“So, what does this mean exactly now?”

“That maybe I should have been listening a little closer when I was talking to Mara.” She said with regret as she swiped her forehead with the back of her hand. “And maybe I should have asked more questions. There’s a story here, I’m sure of it now.”

“What are you going to do?” Kylie’s voice was decidedly more alert now.

Ana shook her head. “I have no idea.”

Though if she were to be truthful with herself in that moment, she’d already made up her mind. Ana flipped off the television, and left the little gym to get started.

About the Author:

Formerly a freelance journalist, Novelle has found placement of her pieces in both online and print publications since 2008. Additionally, she has written multiple screenplays, and contributed her writing to many non-profit and for profit organizations. She has launched several blogs over the years, which garnered international attention.

In 2013, Novelle returned to her first love – fiction. Writing under the names Renee Novelle and R.S. Novelle, she has a publication schedule that includes Psychological Thrillers, Suspense, Paranormal Fiction, Contemporary Women’s fiction, Chick Lit, and New Adult.

Though she received her Bachelor’s of Science in Communication, summa cum laude, she considers herself a constant student of the written word. She’s an avid reader, an enthusiastic quote poster, and rarely takes “no” as a final answer. She has an unhealthy obsession for theater, dance, music and art, and strongly believes that wine is simultaneously the beginning of, and resolution to, all of life’s problems. She believes in following dreams, and that in the end, you always end up where you’re meant to be.

You can find out more about her books and connect with her here:

Website: www.RSNovelle.com
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/RSNovelle
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ReneeNovelle
Twitter: https://twitter.com/RS_Novelle

Buy the book at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, iTunes, or Smashwords.

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Formula for Love

Formula for Love

by Viki Lyn

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

BLURB:

Kenneth Hailey, an uptight conservative mathematician, believes he's in control. After all, every problem can be solved in a deliberate and logical manner. Even love. When his fiancée dumps him for his best friend, he leaves Manhattan for the West Coast. What better place to forget his past. It's 1967, and San Francisco is the place to turn on, tune in, and drop out.

But is he ready for Rose Red?

Rose Red, a free-spirited flower child, challenges Kenneth, thrusting him into her world of love-ins, protest rallies, and rock concerts. Kenneth finds himself falling down a rabbit hole, hanging on for dear life.

Old habits die hard, and he retreats, but Rose Red has other plans for him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Excerpt: Formula For Love, copyright 2014, Viki Lyn

Rose sat on the porch step and rubbed her tired feet. She’d spent two days finding this place, but was unsure how she would be welcomed. The apartment complex was split level and three stories. It was north of the Berkeley campus, one block away. The gardens were well tended, and she admired the Mediterranean stucco facade and windows trimmed in blue. Classical music blasted from an open window, and she guessed it was coming from Kenneth’s apartment.

Rose stood and tried the front door to the hallway. It was unlocked, so she walked in and climbed the flight of stairs to the third floor. She flicked her hair off her shoulders and adjusted the strap of her cloth purse. Biting into her lower lip, she rapped on the door, unsure why she had come here. If she dug into the truth of the matter, she missed Kenneth. At least she had to apologize for railing on him and ruining the love-in.

The door swung open, and Rose took in Kenneth’s appearance. He certainly wasn’t expecting anyone. Biplanes flew over his sleeves and chest and down his legs. In his boyish pajamas, Kenneth looked cuddly and utterly adorable. Rose suppressed the urge to wrap her arms around his waist and give him a hug. Instead, she stepped forward in hopes to be asked in.

Kenneth rubbed his stubble. “This is a surprise.”

“I caught you in bed. Are you alone?”

He looked down at his attire. “You think I’d wear these if I were with someone?”

Rose grinned at his obvious displeasure at being caught in his pajamas. They looked well-worn from numerous washings. They were silly and she loved that he wore them anyway. This childlike side of Kenneth appealed to her nurturing heart and reassured her she’d done the right thing by coming here.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

There’s nothing better than reading a good book over an espresso, watching a movie, trying out a new restaurant with close friends or laughing hysterically with my sisters. Some of my favorite movies reveal the truth, that I am a sentimental girl at heart: When Harry Met Sally, Something's Gotta Give, Latter Days, Lord of the Rings, Sense and Sensibility and North and South (the BBC series).

What inspires me - the reality that romance between lovers is a hope more than a guarantee. My stories are an eclectic mix of contemporary and paranormal, but it is always romance that drives the story to its final happily-ever-after.

Find me at:

http://www.vikilyn.com

http://www.vikilyn.com/blog

http://www.twitter.com/vikilynromance

http://www.facebook.com/vikilynromance

Buy Links:

Musa Publishing: http://musapublishing.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=35_29&products_id=765

Amazon Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/Formula-Love-Viki-Lyn-ebook/dp/B00JGCDV0O/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1398196805&sr=8-5&keywords=formula+for+love

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