Get Pop Cultured with Barnes and Noble

 

Contact:                                                             

Lillian Reitz

CBDM

5303 FM 1960 West, Houston, Texas 77069

281/631/0681

       

Barnes & Noble @Champion Forest Announces a Month-Long Celebration of Pop Culture

in July

 

Second Annual “Get Pop-Cultured with Barnes & Noble^™” to Feature Unique Special Events, Author Appearances, Exclusive Content, Giveaways and More

       

Highlights Include Throwback Thursdays, Time Travel Weekend, DC Comics Days, Comic Convention Collectibles, a Harper Lee Celebration, Minions Fun, Fangirl Friday, Vinyl Day, a Dr. Seuss Spectacular and Much More

New York, New York - June 25, 2015 - Barnes & Noble, Inc. (NYSE: BKS), the nation’s largest retail bookseller and the leading retailer of content, digital media and educational products, today announced the second annual Get Pop-Cultured with Barnes & Noble, a month-long celebration of pop culture with special events customers won’t want to miss. Building off the success of last year’s campaign, this year’s Get Pop-Cultured celebration at Barnes & Noble @Champion Forest will feature a series of 20 very exciting events and activities perfect for the whole family to enjoy, in addition to author signings, panel discussions, contests, exclusive content, giveaways and prizes, and more.

 

Get Pop-Cultured with Barnes & Noble was first established in 2014 to bring to life customers’ favorite books, characters, movies, artists, illustrators and pop-culture icons. This year it expands to feature an even more robust lineup of events great for customers of all ages, including weekly Throwback Thursdays celebrating a different decade each Thursday from the 1950s through the 1990s, DC Comics Days, a Harper Lee Celebration, a Minions Fun event, Star Wars Saturday, Manga Mania, Fangirl Friday, Vinyl Day, James Patterson Day, a Dr. Seuss Spectacular and many more unique events and promotions. For more information on what’s happening during Get Pop-Cultured with Barnes & Noble month at Barnes & Noble @Champion Forest, customers can visit the store or www.bn.com/getpop-cultured<http://www.bn.com/getpop-cultured>. 

 

Get Pop-Cultured with Barnes & Noble @Champion Forest Lineup:

 

·       Throwback Thursdays - July 2, 9, 16, 23, 30

The cornerstone of the Get Pop-Cultured campaign, customers are invited to Barnes & Noble @Champion Forest every Thursday in July for a nostalgic journey through the most iconic moments in pop culture from the 1950s through the 1990s. Customers will experience the decades as they explore the dynamic influence that books, toys, games, music, movies, TV and fashion had on society during those time periods. The store will feature a specially crafted display wall containing fun facts, images, products and more that influenced each decade and brings them back to life. The display wall changes weekly for each new decade and is perfect for taking pictures to share on social media, using the hashtags #TBT and #GetPopCultured. Celebrate the 1950s on July 2, the 1960s on July 9, the 1970s on July 16, the 1980s on July 23, and the 1990s on July 30. Special offers, giveaways, and events and activities each Thursday will round out the fun. 

 

·       Time Travel Weekend - July 3-5

Designed to take customers on a journey through time, Time Travel Weekend will transport fans into the intriguing worlds of the following:

 

Doctor Who

On July 3 at 7pm, Barnes & Noble @Champion Forest is celebrating Doctor Who. Customers will enjoy trivia, giveaways, a special offer and more, and are invited to come dressed as their favorite character.

 

Magic Tree House: Dinosaurs Before Dark

On July 4 at 10am, customers will travel back millions of years with Magic Tree House: Dinosaurs Before Dark. Young paleontologists are invited to explore the age of dinosaurs with fun activities, giveaways and a special offer.

 

Outlander

On July 5 at 2pm, customers will be transported to the intriguing world of the popular Outlander series with trivia, giveaways and more.

 

·       DC Comics Days - July 8-12

Customers are invited for a special offer on all DC Comics graphic novels and a free Young Gotham comic collection and poster, while supplies last. There will be other giveaways and activities, and as always during Get Pop-Cultured, cosplay is welcome.

 

·       Comic Convention Collectibles - July 9-12

Customers can visit Barnes & Noble @Champion Forest to get the highly anticipated convention exclusives representing some of the hottest licenses, including fan favorites, while supplies last. Customers should get to Barnes & Noble @Champion Forest early on July 9 as many of these collectibles will sell out fast!

 

·       Harper Lee Celebration - July 13-14

On July 13, all Barnes & Noble stores nationwide will read Harper Lee’s classic To Kill a Mockingbird from start to finish. The Read-A-Thon will feature a variety of special guest readers, including local authors or celebrities. On July 14, Harper Lee’s highly anticipated new novel, Go Set a Watchman, goes on sale. Barnes & Noble stores nationwide will open early at 7am so customers can get their copy first, and those who visit the Barnes & Noble Café from 7am to 10am will get a free tall hot coffee with their purchase of Go Set a Watchman. Plus, the first 20 customers to buy the book in every store will receive a free exclusive To Kill a Mockingbird reusable tote.

 

·       Minions Fun  - July 17 at 7pm

Customers are invited to sign up now for the Minions Fun event and become a certified Minion and attend Villain-Con in Barnes & Noble stores, where they will search for the most despicable villain to follow. Activities and giveaways will round out the fun. Customers can contact Barnes & Noble @Champion Forest to sign up today.

 

·       Star Wars Saturday - July 18

Star Wars fans of all ages are invited to Barnes & Noble @Champion Forest for exclusive products, activities, cosplay, trivia and a chance to win a Star Wars character standee (terms & conditions apply). Customers should contact Barnes & Noble @Champion Forest for complete details.

 

·       Manga Mania - July 19

Customers can visit Barnes & Noble @Champion Forest to discover this popular style of Japanese comic books and graphic novels. Manga Mania will feature a special offer, activities, and giveaways.

 

·       Fangirl Friday - July 24 at 7 pm

Barnes & Noble is inviting fangirls to unite and celebrate fandom. Fangirls should visit their local store to get introduced to the Women of Marvel, enjoy cosplay, giveaways and much more. Additionally, while supplies last, customers can pick up the Vinyl Vixen Metallic Wonder Woman, available only at Barnes & Noble.

 

·       Vinyl Day - July 25

Fans of vinyl records can explore Barnes & Noble’s growing assortment and participate in events celebrating vinyl culture, including giveaways, special offers and exclusives.

 

·       James Patterson Day - July 26

Customers are invited to Barnes & Noble to celebrate America’s bestselling author with a special one-day-only offer on all adult, kids’, and teen books by James Patterson.

 

·       Dr. Seuss Spectacular - July 28 at 7 pm and July 31 at 7 pm

In celebration of the newly discovered Dr. Seuss book What Pet Should I Get?, kids of all ages are invited to help Barnes & Noble decide what pet to get at a special Storytime event on July 28 at 7pm. Get Pop-Cultured ends on a high note on July 31 at 7pm with a Dr. Seuss Spectacular, a celebration of Theodor Seuss Geisel, known to the world as the beloved Dr. Seuss. There’s fun to be done before Get Pop-Cultured with Barnes & Noble comes to an end!

 

More ways to Get Pop-Cultured include:

 

·       Authors, Illustrators, Celebrities and More

Throughout the Get Pop-Cultured with Barnes & Noble campaign, stores across the country will welcome customers’ favorite authors, illustrators and celebrities, including Arlene & Alan Alda, Keegan Allen, Gretchen Carlson, Chris Colfer, Chuck D, Rob "Gronk" Gronkowski, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Mary McDonough, Christopher Paolini, James Patterson, Kate Pierson, Joe Satriani, Brad Thor, Cindy Williams, Charlie Wilson and many more. Customers should contact Barnes & Noble @Champion Forest to find out which authors will be appearing there during Get Pop-Cultured.

 

·       Get Pop-Cultured Sweepstakes from NOOK^®

At all Get Pop-Cultured events and throughout the month of July, customers can visit the NOOK Counter to enter for a chance to win a $1,000 Barnes & Noble Gift Card. To enter, customers can visit the NOOK Boutique^® at Barnes & Noble @Champion Forest anytime between July 1 and July 31, where they should look for the specially created Get Pop-Cultured NOOK App^™ on the NOOK devices displayed.

 

·       Get Pop-Cultured Giveaways and Exclusives

Throughout July, Barnes & Noble will have tons of giveaways at all stores, including samplers and posters from DC Comics’ Young Gotham series, as well as Marvel, Star Wars and Manga posters, and much more. All giveaway items are available in limited quantities; for more information visit Barnes & Noble @Champion Forest. In addition, Barnes & Noble will have a large offering of exclusive products and items during Get Pop-Cultured, including exclusive book editions during Throwback Thursdays, Comic Convention collectibles, select vinyl records and more. For more information, visitwww.bn.com/getpop-cultured <http://www.bn.com/getpop-cultured>.

 

·       Get Pop-Cultured on Social Media

Pop culture fans should follow Barnes & Noble on Twitter <https://twitter.com/BNBuzz>, Instagram <http://instagram.com/barnesandnoble>, Tumblr <http://thebarnesandnoble.tumblr.com/> and like Barnes & Noble on Facebook <https://www.facebook.com/barnesandnoble> for the very latest information on Get Pop-Cultured with Barnes & Noble, including announcements about upcoming events and promotions. Pop culture fans can also follow NOOK on Facebook <https://www.facebook.com/nook>, Google+ <https://plus.google.com/+nook/posts>, Twitter <https://twitter.com/nookBN> andInstagram <http://instagram.com/lifeofnook>.

 

Barnes & Noble @Champion Forest will be announcing many more events such as giveaways and exclusive content and products, throughout the Get Pop-Cultured month. For a full schedule of local events and author appearances, and for more details regarding giveaways, competitions and sweepstakes, visit www.bn.com/getpop-cultured <http://www.bn.com/getpop-cultured>.

 

About Barnes & Noble, Inc.

Barnes & Noble, Inc. (NYSE: BKS) is a Fortune 500 company and the leading retailer of content, digital media and educational products. The Company operates 649 Barnes & Noble bookstores in 50 states, and one of the Web’s largest e-commerce sites, BN.com (www.bn.com <http://www.bn.com>). Its NOOK digital business offers award-winning NOOK® products and an expansive collection of digital reading and entertainment content through the NOOK Store® (www.nook.com <http://www.nook.com>), while Barnes & Noble College Booksellers, LLC operates 717 bookstores serving over five million students and faculty members at colleges and universities across the United States.

 

General information on Barnes & Noble, Inc. can be obtained by visiting the Company's corporate website: www.barnesandnobleinc.com <http://www.barnesandnobleinc.com>.Barnes & Noble^®, Barnes & Noble Booksellers^® and Barnes & Noble.com^® are trademarks of Barnes & Noble, Inc. or its affiliates.

 

 

For more information on Barnes & Noble, follow us on <https://twitter.com/BNBuzz>, <http://instagram.com/barnesandnoble> and <http://thebarnesandnoble.tumblr.com>, and like us on<https://www.facebook.com/barnesandnoble>.

 

About Nook Digital, LLC

NOOK reading and entertainment products make it easy to Read What You Love, Anywhere You Like^™ with a fun, easy-to-use and immersive digital reading experience. With NOOK, customers gain access to the expansive NOOK Store^® of more than 4 million digital books in the US and UK, plus periodicals, comics, apps, movies and TV shows, and the ability to enjoy content across a wide array of popular devices through Free NOOK Reading Apps^™. Find NOOK devices in Barnes & Noble stores and online at www.nook.com <http://www.nook.com>, as well as leading retailers including Best Buy, Walmart, Target and many others. NOOK products are available in the United Kingdom at leading retailers; NOOK content can be purchased at www.nook.co.uk <http://www.nook.co.uk>.

 

NOOK^® and the NOOK logos are trademarks of Nook Digital, LLC or its affiliates.

 

For more information on NOOK follow us on: <https://www.facebook.com/nook>, <https://twitter.com/nookbn>,

<https://plus.google.com/+nook>, <http://instagram.com/lifeofnook>, <http://www.pinterest.com/nook>,

<https://www.youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=nookbn>.

 

Corvidae Cover Reveal

“CORVIDAE” & “SCARECROW”

EDITED BY RHONDA PARRISH

Alpena, MI (April 30, 2015) – World Weaver Press (Eileen Wiedbrauk, Editor-in-Chief) has announced the anthologies Corvidae and Scarecrow, volumes two and three of Rhonda Parrish’s Magical Menageries, will be available in trade paperback and ebook Tuesday, July 7 and Tuesday, August 4, 2015 respectively.

Praise for Fae, Rhonda Parrish’s Magical Menageries, Volume 1: “Seventeen tales... range in feel from horror to upbeat tales about homes where things go right, and are set everywhere from the modern day to mythical fantasy pasts. The best of these stories evoke things from real life – loves and values – and show characters making hard choices that reveal who they are and what they’re made of." — Tangent “Delightfully refreshing! I should have known that editor Parrish (who also edits the cutting edge horror zine, Niteblade) would want to offer something quite unique. I found it difficult to stop reading as one story ended and another began – all fantastic work by gifted writers. Not for the faint of heart, by any means.” — Marge Simon, multiple Bram Stoker® winner “There’s no Disney-esque flutter and glitter to be found here — but there are chills and thrills aplenty.” — Mike Allen, author of Unseaming and editor of     Clockwork Phoenix “Stories of magical beings and the humans they encounter will enthrall and enlighten the reader about both the mundane and the otherworldly. I devoured it.” — Kate Wolford, editor of Beyond the Glass Slipper, editor and publisher of Enchanted Conversation: A Fairy Tale Magazine

Corvidae

Associated with life and death, disease and luck, corvids have long captured mankind’s attention, showing up in mythology as the companions or manifestations of deities, and starring in stories from Aesop to Poe and beyond. In Corvidae birds are born of blood and pain, trickster ravens live up to their names, magpies take human form, blue jays battle evil forces, and choughs become prisoners of war. These stories will take you to the Great War, research facilities, frozen mountaintops, steam-powered worlds, remote forest homes, and deep into fairy tales. One thing is for certain, after reading this anthology, you’ll never look the same way at the corvid outside your window.

Featuring works by Jane Yolen, Mike Allen, C.S.E. Cooney, M.L.D. Curelas, Tim Deal, Megan Engelhardt, Megan Fennell, Adria Laycraft, Kat Otis, Michael S. Pack, Sara Puls, Michael M. Rader, Mark Rapacz, Angela Slatter, Laura VanArendonk Baugh, and Leslie Van Zwol.

Scarecrow

Hay-men, mommets, tattie bogles, kakashi, tao-tao—whether formed of straw or other materials, the tradition of scarecrows is pervasive in farming cultures around the world. The scarecrow serves as decoy, proxy, and effigy—human but not human. We create them in our image and ask them to protect our crops and by extension our very survival, but we refrain from giving them the things a creation might crave—souls, brains, free-will, love. In Scarecrow, fifteen authors of speculative fiction explore what such creatures might do to gain the things they need or, more dangerously, think they want. Within these pages, ancient enemies join together to destroy a mad mommet, a scarecrow who is a crow protects solar fields and stores long-lost family secrets, a woman falls in love with a scarecrow, and another becomes one. Encounter scarecrows made of straw, imagination, memory, and robotics while being spirited to Oz, mythological Japan, other planets, and a neighbor’s back garden. After experiencing this book, you’ll never look at a hay-man the same.

Featuring all new work by Jane Yolen, Andrew Bud Adams, Laura Blackwood, Amanda Block, Scott Burtness, Amanda C. Davis, Megan Fennell, Kim Goldberg, Katherine Marzinsky, Craig Pay, Sara Puls, Holly Schofield, Virginia Carraway Stark, Laura VanArendonk Baugh, and Kristina Wojtaszek.

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

Rhonda Parrish is a master procrastinator and nap connoisseur but despite that she somehow manages a full professional life. She has been the publisher and editor-in-chief of Niteblade Magazine for over five years now (which is like 25 years in internet time) and is the editor of the benefit anthology Metastasis, as well as the World Weaver Press anthologies Fae, Scarecrow, and Corvidae. In addition, Rhonda is a writer whose work has been included or is forthcoming in dozens of publications including Tesseracts 17: Speculating Canada from Coast to Coast and Imaginarium: The Best Canadian Speculative Writing. Her website, updated weekly, is at rhondaparrish.com.

World Weaver Press is an independently owned publisher of fantasy, paranormal, and science fiction. We believe in great storytelling.

Demons Imps and Incubi Blog Tour

“DEMONS, IMPS, AND INCUBI” ANTHOLOGY NOW AVAILABLE FROM RED MOON ROMANCE Alpena, MI (June 23, 2015)

 – Red Moon Romance (Eileen Wiedbrauk, Editor-in-Chief) has announced Demons, Imps, and Incubi, a romance anthology edited by Laura Harvey, is available in trade paperback and ebook today, Tuesday, June 23, 2015.

 Demons, Imps, Incubi: dark, powerful, and forbidden. Only the foolish would seek one out for seduction, and yet . . . deals are struck. Souls are ensnared. But must a demon's agenda always be demonic? Can he be redeemed? Or does being bad feel too good to bother with redemption? Long ago, imps were more mischievous and playful--naughty, perhaps?—and perceptions of them have only grown more sinister over the centuries. The incubus craves sex, but what makes us crave him? Explore dark and sensual worlds with eight brand new stories of magic and seduction that will set you aflame by Cori Vidae, Alexa Piper, Erzabet Bishop, Mark Greenmill, Nicole Blackwood, J. C. G. Goelz, Jeffery Armadillo, and M. Arbroath.

Demons, Imps, and Incubi is 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 Demons, Imps, and Incubi on Goodreads.

Laura Harvey is an editor, writer, bibliophile, horsewoman, historian, teacher, debate coach, nerd, DIY junkie, and occasional rescuer of kittens. She holds a BA, MA, and is ABD, making her an exceptional asset in Trivial Pursuit. She loves reading so much that all of her handbags share one crucial ability: fitting a standard paperback or Kindle. She lives in northern California with a menagerie of beasts (dogs, cats, horses, and family members).

Red Moon believes in romance. We believe reading should be fun. We believe that at their core, romances are courtship stories, focused tightly on the emotions of the relationship. We don’t raise an eyebrow at any woman’s reading choices because we believe a woman deserves whatever fiction incites her passions. Whether a sweet fairy-tale ending or a scorching hot love affair, we believe in giving a woman what she wants. Hot romance, it's what we do.

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0108OUDCC?*Version*=1&*entries*=0

Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/demons-imps-and-incubi

All Romance: https://www.omnilit.com/product-demonsimpsandincubi-1840028-166.html

Author name: Mark Greenmill

1.      What place do you think demons play in human story-telling? Why do we continue to tell stories about monsters/creatures with questionable morality?

MG: On one hand, we’re drawn to what we cannot have. There can be something alluring about the darkness, and often we willingly step into dangerous situations—or associate with the wrong kind of people—because we feel the need to experiment, or explore, or taste forbidden fruit.  Demons offer storytellers a method of establishing clear morality at the beginning of the story: our society understands that a demon is bad, and from there, we can either challenge that idea, or use it as a baseline for showing what represents good.

2.      If you met your demon in a dark alley, what are your chances of survival? What’s your best tactic for getting home safely?

MG: Santorava is one tough dude that I wouldn’t want to mess with. Especially if he thought I had something to do with stealing his wife.  My best option would be to run like hell, and hope the moon came out before he caught me.

Author name: Nicole Blackwood

1.      What place do you think demons play in human story-telling? Why do we continue to tell stories about monsters/creatures with questionable morality?

I think that depends on the demon, and the story. Many demons are connected to religions and cultures, and they have their own sets of rules and meanings. Some are meant as warnings, to try and guide people away from paths that will lead to the destruction of self or others. Some are more abstractly symbolic, and that’s where the plot of the story is really more important in terms of learning. There are many other instances where demons are just creatures, like any other animal or sentient being, that fall outside the realm of earthly reality. They can be good, evil, or a more familiar mix of the two, but with weird powers and awesome bodies. Writing something so alien and connecting it to the human experience is a sort of adventure.

2.      If you met your demon in a dark alley, what are your chances of survival? What’s your best tactic for getting home safely?

Oh, I’d be fine. Benji’s not a hard-ass unless he needs to be. As long as I hadn’t pissed off him or Kiki, he’d probably ignore me – after making sure I wasn’t a thrall, or possessed by an Ancient One. And I do try to avoid that sort of thing.

Author name: J. C. G. Goelz

1.      What place do you think demons play in human story-telling? Why do we continue to tell stories about monsters/creatures with questionable morality?

They arose out of our primordial fears. Currently, I think they are useful vehicles that provide a distance from reality that allow the writer to address issues that might otherwise be uncomfortable, or see them from a different light.

2.      If you met your demon in a dark alley, what are your chances of survival? What’s your best tactic for getting home safely?

Iris knew she had to fit into society, so she didn’t go around doing things that would expose her nature. Her mother, on the other hand, would be deadly.

Back to Us Tour and Giveaway

BACK TO US

by Teresa Roman

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

BLURB:

Abandoned by her parents at fourteen, Jessica knows what it means to struggle. Jessica’s vowed that getting her degree is the only thing she has time for, until a summer internship brings Justin into her life. But Justin has scars of his own. A tour of duty in Afghanistan has left him with wounds. A medical discharge from the Navy leaves Justin struggling to make sense of his new reality. Then he meets Jessica; but can the two of them leave their pain in the past and make a future together?

BACK TO US has been selected by Amazon for publication as part of its Kindle Scout program.  It will be published shortly.

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

Excerpt Three:

Mike was looking at me, his eyes full of sympathy. “Look, J, I hate to say this but the choice is pretty simple.”

“And that would be?”

“You and I don’t know what it means to have a real family, but I know that’s what you want. I’ve seen you do some stupid shit to try and get it, too.”

Leave it to my brother to come right out and say something like that. “Like what?”

“Like move in with that loser who was boning some girl behind your back.”

I rolled my eyes at Mike and put my hands on my hips. “Gee, thanks for reminding me.”

“The point is, Justin can’t give you what you want. He might make you happy now, but sooner or later that train’s gonna come to a stop, and you’re gonna have to hop off.”

“Mike,” Mel snapped.

“Hey, I’m just being honest here.”

Because that’s what Mike did. He told the truth whether you liked hearing it or not, and a small part of me worried that he was right. What I didn’t know was how I was ever going to find the courage to hop off the train before it crashed and left me in a million pieces.

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

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Teresa Roman is a lover of books. That's what prompted her to try her hand at writing. She currently resides in Sacramento, CA with her husband, three adorable children and the puppy her son convinced them to adopt. When she isn't at her day job or running around with her kids, you can find her in front of the computer hard at work writing or with her head buried in another book.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/teresaromanauthor

Website: teresaromanwrites.com 

BUY Links:

Buy links are not yet available.

Teresa Roman is awarding a $25 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn commenter via Rafflecopter.

<a href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/28e4345f1113/">Enter to win a $25 Amazon/BN GC - a Rafflecopter giveaway</a>

Mah Jongg The Art of the Game

This is the first book to fully capture the story of the exotic and exciting game of Mahjong or "Mah Jongg", offering an intimate look at the history of the game as well as the visual beauty of the tiles. When authors Ann Israel and Gregg Swain began playing Mahjong, they were unaware of the vintage collections that existed not only in the United States but also as far ranging as Africa to New Zealand. Slowly, they started to collect their own sets of Mahjong and as their collections grew, so did their appreciation of the history of, and interest in the game.

Finding few references, Israel and Swain set out to create a book that chronicles the early beginnings of the game and documents Mahjong sets from the most basic, made simply of paper, to the most precious materials such as ivory and mother-of-pearl. Recognized and respected scholars and game experts have collaborated with Israel and Swain, contributing important chapters on the game's history and its pieces as well as technical information on the tiles. Lastly, great collectors from around the globe have shared their incredible sets and memories for the first time in one book for everyone to enjoy.

With hundreds of beautiful new images by renowned photographer, Michel Arnaud, and including historical documentation and ephemera, Mah Jongg: The Art of the Game fills the void between the past and today's game, providing vision, inspiration and resources. Anyone who has ever been intrigued by a Mahjong tile will find in these pages visually stunning photographs that will entice them into becoming an enthusiast of the timeless game of Mahjong.

Review:

This book is the perfect addition to any avid player or collector's library. Featuring full color photographs by Michael Arnaud, the vast array of different sets come to vivid life. From bone to bamboo and even soap these gorgeous Mah Jongg tiles make you just itch to feel them under your fingers. Wonderful book! My husband plays the game and he was fascinated looking at the history and variations of the pieces.

5/5

Sweet Trouble by Sharon Lynn Fisher

SilkWords is the go-to source for interactive romance and erotic fiction.

With gorgeous custom covers and a clean, sophisticated design, the SilkWords site offers a secure, upscale reading environment. In addition to content on their web site, they offer stories for purchase in the standard e-book formats.

SilkWords is owned and operated by a full-time mom with a background in genetics and an RWA RITA-nominated, multi-published sci-fi romance author.

Their technology guy and site designer was the founder of Microsoft Xbox Live.

SilkWords features two formats that allow readers to choose how the stories will proceed.

Pick Your Path:

Will she or won't she? With which man (or woman) in which location? With Pick Your Path romance, you decide. Romance and branched fiction are made for each other, like picking your favorite flavor of ice cream...positions, partners, and paraphernalia, oh my!

Reader Vote:

Readers vote at choice points and decide how the story will continue. These stories are a great way for readers and authors to connect. It’s exciting to be part of a developing story!

https://www.silkwords.com/

Sweet Trouble

B’s Book Labyrinth Series

Sharon Lynn Fisher

Genre: Contemporary erotic romance

Publisher: SilkWords

Date of Publication: April 2

Cover Artist: Indie Designz

Book Description:

Welcome to B’s Book Labyrinth and Bistro! The first novelette in this SilkWords Shared World Series, Sweet Trouble is the story of smart and feisty bookstore owner Bronte and sexy Seattle-area rock musician Brody.

Brody appears at the store’s grand opening to pick up a book recommended by an ex-girlfriend — and to meet the woman responsible for him losing his apartment.

The awkward first meeting does nothing to dampen the instant chemistry, but with Bronte wrangling menus, book buyers, and the resident ghost, and Brody’s rockstar-complicated past, can either of them afford even the sweetest kind of trouble?

Available at Silkwords.com

Excerpt:

Heading for the stairs, I met Trissa coming down. “You’ll never believe it!” she whispered urgently.

“What’s up?”

“I think Lenny Kravitz is here.”

Having Annabelle on my mind, I had braced myself for news of mischief directed at customers. Relieved, and feeling a little mischievous myself, I raised my eyebrows and replied, “Who?”

She groaned and rolled her eyes. “God! Do you do anything but read?”

As the grin I’d suppressed broke free, she frowned in annoyance. “B! You have to go talk to him.”

“It’s not Lenny Kravitz.”

“Come on.”

She grabbed my arm and dragged me upstairs to the fantasy section, where she gave me a shove toward a man in distressed denim and black leather. He stood eyeing a shelf on the L-through-P aisle.

To be fair, he could’ve been Lenny Kravitz — like twenty years ago. This guy’s denim was truly distressed, not distressed by machines for that perfect, overpriced lived-in look. And the cracks in his leather jacket traced a map of a rugged landscape in some unknown, dark country. The heel and sole of one of his motorcycle boots were held together by duct tape. He was as poor as I used to be. Maybe poorer.

But his sculpted features were framed by a glorious but compact starburst of spiky dark hair bleached burnt-orange at the ends. And I’d stake my store on him being a musician.  

As I stood there studying him, he looked up, and I took a few steps forward. “Can I help you find something?”

His eyes moved over me, but not in a way that felt creepy. He was studying me back. And what he was probably seeing was that the money I’d spent on my outfit would have bought him groceries for a month. It wasn’t the way I usually dressed. Well, it was now. But a year ago my clothes were all the same vintage as his.

“You work here?” he asked.

“I … ” I couldn’t bring myself to say I was the owner. “Yes. Can I help you?”

“Do you have sci-fi? This is all fantasy.”

I nodded. “We’ve got them in two sections. If you’ll follow me … ”

Chill bumps washed over my back as I listened to the thud of his boots against the hardwood floor behind me. I was suddenly self-conscious about the length (or lack thereof) of my skirt. No way of knowing whether I was imagining his eyes on my ass, but I was glad he couldn’t see my face, because the heat there confirmed my belief that they were. 

“Here we are,” I said, waving at the first of the sci-fi shelves. Alpha by author. Is there something specific you’re looking for?”

He considered me a moment, delicious chocolate eyes fixed on my face. He was intense about eye contact. Finally he gave a slight nod. “Solaris.”

“Oh yes,” I said too eagerly, “that’s one of my favorites.” I walked to L through P and sank down to study the bottom shelf. “Looks like we have both a used and new copy.” Solaris was on the obscure side for sci-fi, and now my curiosity was piqued. Or rather more piqued.

“I’ll take the used,” he said quietly.

“Of course,” I said, again in a quick, nervous voice, as I slid the book off the shelf.

I held it out to him, and he said, “What do you mean?” Something dark flashed in his eyes.

I felt my smile slipping. “I’m sorry … ?”

Clearing his throat, he shook his head. “Nothing. I’ll take it.”

I handed it to him, annoyed that my heart felt like a box of wrestling kittens. The guy had spoken a handful of words, and he had me completely unsettled.

“What interested you in the book?” I asked, trying to sound casual and friendly rather than neurotic or stalker-like. 

He hesitated, studying the cover. “My girlfriend recommended it.”

“Ah.” I swallowed hard to prevent any more words from coming out.

“Ex-girlfriend, I mean.” He glanced up, and a slow smile swung one corner of his lips up. “She left me for a guy with a PhD. I decided it was time to educate myself.”

“Ah.” I didn’t have to swallow this time. There was no way to reply to that without ending up a mess of blushing awkward.

“You’re Bronte, aren’t you?” he said, tucking the book under his arm. “The owner.”

I cleared my throat. No avoiding it now. “Yeah, that’s me. But it’s just ‘B.’”

“Nice to meet you, Just B.”

I tried and failed to stop the eye roll. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard that one.

He grinned. “Sorry. But I can’t call you that.”

“Why?”

Encore of the intense chocolate stare. “It’s a less than perfect grade, and that’s not you.”

I was so startled by this I forgot to notice that it sounded an awful lot like a cheesy pickup line. “That’s exactly what my moms say.”

He lifted an eyebrow. “Your moms?”

Now the pickup line thing sunk in. “Yeah. You got a problem with that?”

“No,” he laughed.

No one here was ruffled but me, and I felt like a jerk. I couldn’t think of a single word to say to him now, except “if you’ll excuse me,” which at this point would only emphasize my discomfort. Luckily he took pity on me.

“I’m Brody, Bronte. Thanks for helping me with the book. Good luck with the store.”

Grateful to him for coming to my rescue, I smiled. Genuinely. “Thank you. I hope to see you here again.”

He gave another shake of his head, and his gaze slid around the second floor. “I don’t read much. But I had to see if it was worth it, me getting kicked out of my apartment because some rich kid wanted to open a bookstore.”

About the Author:

An RWA RITA Award finalist and a three-time RWA Golden Heart Award finalist, Sharon Lynn Fisher writes stories for the geeky at heart — meaty mash-ups of sci-fi, suspense, and romance, with no apology for the latter. She lives where it rains nine months of the year. And she has a strange obsession with gingers (down to her freaky orange cat). In addition to her SilkWords stories, she’s authored three science fiction romance novels for Tor Books: Ghost Planet (2012), The Ophelia Prophecy (2014), and Echo 8 (2015). She’s also the editorial director for (and a partner in) SilkWords! Visit her at www.sharonlynnfisher.com.

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Shared Worlds: The new story format from SilkWords

SWEET TROUBLE is the first story in the SilkWords World B’s Book Labyrinth. Shared worlds were introduced just this week, along with some other fun new features on our web site.

SWEET TROUBLE is the story of Brontë (the “B” of B’s Book Labyrinth) and local rock band frontman Brody. Each story set in this world begins with an introduction (in B’s point of view) that sets the stage for the reader. Here’s a little taste of that:

My name is Brontë Austen O’Neill, and I have the best job in the world. If you took even one course in English literature, you can probably figure it out just from my name. (My moms are both literature professors.)

Yep, I manage the world’s last bookstore. Or at least the last one in Seattle. Well, maybe not the last, but certainly the biggest. In the heart of the Fremont neighborhood, which is accepted by all Seattleites (or at least the ones living in Fremont) as the Center of the Universe, is a funky old turn-of-the-century mansion, just south of the world’s only real troll-under-a-bridge. Its architect was insane, or possibly a drunk. Six floors, piled atop each other in higgledy-piggledy fashion (much like a stack of books someone has tripped over and righted without bothering to straighten), connected by a staircase winding like a corkscrew through its heart.

In and around this bookstore, our authors will set stories about various customers. Currently in the works is a story about a bike messenger and a mystery author who writes all his books in the store’s bistro. The setting is contemporary, but will likely include a range of genres. (The store has a resident poltergeist who is sure to be the subject of a future story!)

B’s will feature romance of all heat levels (the first story is erotic romance), and we have a second world in the works that will focus more on erotic adventures. (More on that soon!)

Along with the launch of our first SilkWorlds World, we also introduced ratings, comments, and a game-inspired system of currency (hearts, of course!). 

Here are five fun facts about SWEET TROUBLE:

- This is my first contemporary romance! I’m a sci-fi romance author for Tor and have always written speculative fiction. (Let me know what you think in the story’s comments section!)

- The story was inspired by this song: Disco Lights [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h0MqEtqSoH4]

- Brody, the frontman for the fictional band Iron Clementine, mentions a real Seattle group called the Mark Lanegan Band. (Mark was the frontman for the grunge band Screaming Trees.)

- The “Book Labyrinth” in the series was inspired by Portland’s Powell’s Books [http://www.powells.com/], one of the last of the big indie bookstores.

- B’s signature cupcake is called “Heart of Darkness” — vanilla cake, grenadine buttercream, and a truffle-sized ball of soft chocolate at the center.

Tour giveaway

3 bundles of 30 hearts, which can be used for buying stories on the SilkWords site (www.silkwords.com)

Display link

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/ba112ffc964

a Rafflecopter giveaway