BLOG TOUR By Blood Sworn by Janice Jones

We are excited to kick off this cool Blog Tour for Janice Jones' By Blood Sworn, the second book in The Dagger Chronicles series! The tour will consist of various posts by participating blogs, such as: reviews, excerpt, and other various guest posts. On our tour stop today, we had the opportunity to interview the author! And, of course, what is a blog tour without a cool giveaway!!! Sure enough... There is a tour-wide giveaway! So, check it out and grab your copy today!!!! Don't forget to follow the tour, HERE!

Genre:

New Adult

Supernatural Romance

Series:

Dagger Chronicles, #2

Publish Date:

August 22, 2017

Publisher:

Amberjack Publishing

Synopsis:

As the Dagger, Alex Stone hunted down supernatural threats on covert ops team, Night Command. After the capture of a particularly bad-ass vampire, Tristan Ambrose, Alex gets out of the game. In the years following her departure, Alex started a hot new clothing line and moved on with her life. She was happy pretending the supernatural didn’t exist, but, with Tristan’s escape, she’s pulled back into the game.

Alex is hired to continue guarding the very tempting body of Jason Stavros–up-and-coming vampire politico–alongside her new team, The Trackers. Stavros is scheduled to head to an international conference of the supernatural community in Bucharest, and Alex and her new team must keep him safe while investigating new threats, and ghosts from the past.

When the conference is interrupted by betrayal and sabotage, Alex must pull her weakened team together to bring the saboteurs to justice–and get some well-deserved revenge.

Suddenly, she’s not just back in the game, she’s all in.

By Blood Sworn is the thrilling, psychological, and sexy sequel to In Her Blood , the first book in The Dagger Chronicles series by Janice Jones.

      

*Interview with Janice Jones*

1. Of course, I must start off with the most basic of questions. When and/or How did you know you wanted to be a writer?

It actually started with wanting to go to law school – I always thought lawyers made great writers. In every movie or book with lawyers as the main character, they always had these great speeches that turned the jury or freed their client. Seeing that, I felt like it was something that I could do, or at least something I wanted to do. Turns out, lawyers are horrible at that stuff and their paralegals do all the writing.

2. What was the inspiration behind this book/book series?

Buffy the Vampire Slayer and The Vampire Huntress Series. Both had strong female leads, but what they didn’t have were main characters as adults. That was when I decided to make my main character an adult woman of color. There was also a series in the 90’s called Kindred: The Embraced. I highly recommend it.

3. What research did you have to do for the book, if any?

I finished The Vampire Huntress series and re-watched Buffy, and then I just sort of researched the mythology on vampires and went with my own story.

4. Are any (or all) your characters based on any person(s) in your life?

A few are loosely based on real people. One or two on people I don’t know, but probably ran into at the grocery store or Starbucks.

5. Do you have a dream cast for your books? Who would you cast?

Since I’m actually working on a screenplay for this series, that’s a great question. There are a lot of characters to cast, but some of the main ones: for Alex, I would love Zoe Saldana or Kandyse McClure. Jason, I would say Wes Brown, but mostly just because he’s from my hometown. Gerard Butler for Conner, Daniel Henney for Tristan, and Eva Mendez for Ivy. I’m still working on the list, but Idris Elba is on it too. I don’t know what character I want him to play yet, but he’s on there. If you know him, tell him to hit me up on Instagram and we’ll discuss.

6. What writing process works for you?

Usually in my apartment with jazz playing and notebooks everywhere. I write everything by hand before I go to my computer.

7. When your first book got published, where were you and what were you doing and/or what was your reaction?

I was writing, of course. I got the email in the evening and was up all night smiling and freaking out - now I actually had to be a good writer.

8. If you weren't a writer, what would you be doing, career-wise?

I’m a Tech Writer by day, so I don’t think I’d be very happy doing anything else. Maybe a lawyer?

9. What are you working on next?

I’m working on Book 3 in the series and a new romance on the back burner. No vampires or superpowered heroines, just plain old love. I’ll keep you posted.

10. What would your advice be to aspiring writers/future authors?

Don’t ever refer to yourself as an aspiring writer. If you write and can’t think of doing anything else, then you’re a writer. So… write… write and write some more. Then…. write… again.

Sequel to:

(cover links to Goodreads)

       

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**About the Author**

(Photo by Omar Ramos Photography.
Make-up by LaChandra Middlebrooks)

Graduating with a Masters in Creative Writing from Southern New Hampshire University, Janice Jones' first novel, In Her Blood, is the first book in her vampire adventure series The Dagger Chronicles. This series introduces you to the world of Alexa "Alex" Stone, ex-vampire hunter and assassin turned fashion mogul. Hiding in plain sight, Alex must return to the world of the supernatural in order protect a handsome vampire and her own secrets. Look for Book Two, By Blood Sworn, to hit online outlets soon.

Janice is looking forward to readers of New Adult Fiction and Vampire lore to embrace a new kind of action adventure hero, a woman with many secrets and many stories to tell.

Stay connected with Janice Jones

  

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***The Giveaway***

Giveaway Open Internationally

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Blog Tour Organized by

BLOG TOUR: Superhero Syndrome by Caryn Larrinaga

Welcome to the Official Blog Tour for Caryn Larrinaga's Superhero Syndrome, the first book in the Solstice Survivors series! This tour will consist of excerpts and reviews from participating blogs! Today, we have an exciting sneak peek into the book with an excerpt... That's if you haven't read it yet. Anyways, to add to the blog tour fun, we have a tour-wide giveaway to share, too! So... Check it out and grab your copy today!

Genre:

New Adult

Paranormal Romance

Urban Fantasy

Series:

Solstice Survivors, #1

Publish Date:

September 12, 2017

Publisher:

Twisted Tree Press

Synopsis:

Tess McBray was dying. The Solstice Syndrome had no cure, and she resigned herself to an early grave. But just when she gave up on survival, all her symptoms mysteriously disappeared.

All but one symptom, anyway. Something is wrong with Tess’s hands. They absorb any material they touch, and her skin turns to wood, or steel, or concrete. It doesn’t take this comic-book obsessed 21-year-old long to figure out what’s going on: somehow, she’s developed super powers. And she’s not the only one; across the country, people are coming forward and sharing their gifts with the world. In her own city, where the police are battling a human trafficking operation, a masked vigilante called The Fox is saving lives and stopping criminals.

Tess doesn’t know where she fits into this new, super-powered world. But when people around her start disappearing, she can’t just sit on the sidelines. Teaming up with The Fox to create the world’s first superhero duo might be the only way to rid her city of evil and save the people she loves most.

      

*FREE on Kindle Unlimited*

*Excerpt*

Chancing a glance over my left shoulder, I confirmed that the man was still behind me. His hands were tucked into the wide pocket at the front of his dark hoodie. We locked eyes, and fear stabbed my chest again. He dropped back a few paces, but when I turned my face forward again, I could still feel his stare boring into the back of my head. No. This wasn’t coincidence. He was following me.

My breath caught. I tightened my grip on the tiny canister of Mace, visualizing pulling it out of my bag, spinning around, and blasting it into his eyes. Was it even possible, or would I just spray wide, somehow managing to blind myself in the process?

Thin tendrils of panic began to creep around my organs. There was no way I’d be able to fight him off when he grabbed for me, and it had become a definite when in my mind. I wanted to walk more quickly, but I was terrified he’d realize I was onto him and that would spark him into making his move. Ahead of me, the white-and-blue banner of Helena’s Place glowed comfortingly in the twilight from the other end of the block. I knew that sign from the internet search I’d done while looking for an apartment. Safety lay just over that diner.

Don’t run, I cautioned myself. Act normal.

The word echoed in my mind. Normal. Normal. Normal. In an instant, it lost all meaning. There was no normal. There was just me, a tiny girl who was literally just skin and bones. And then there was him, this hulking monster with something in his hoodie pocket.

What’s he hiding in there?

I imagined a chloroform-soaked rag, a switchblade, or even a gun, and picked up my pace, nearly sprinting toward my building. I didn’t want to look behind me; I was sure if I did, I’d see his face inches from my own and feel his hand close around my wrist. But when I was within a few yards of my building, I knew I had to check again.

If he’s still following me, I decided, I’ll duck into the diner for help.

Eyes wide, I turned my head to look over my shoulder once more. He was still there, but he’d allowed the distance between us to grow so he trailed me by half a block. The tension in my chest loosened, and a sigh escaped my lungs.

And then the toe of my beat-up sneaker caught the edge of an upraised section of sidewalk, and I pitched forward. By instinct, my hands rushed upward to protect my face, and the rough concrete shredded my palms as I dove into it. My canister of Mace went flying, and I heard a faint clink as it landed in the street.

Footsteps thundered toward me from behind. I twisted my neck to see the man who’d been following me, now sprinting toward my prone body.

~~~~~

**About the Author**

Caryn Larrinaga is a Basque-American mystery, horror, and urban fantasy writer living in Utah with her husband and cats. Her debut novel Donn's HIll (March 2017, Immortal Works Press) garnered rave reviews from fans of the cozy mystery and paranormal genres, and her new urban fantasy Superhero Syndrome (September 2017, Twisted Tree Press) will be out this Fall. Watching scary movies through split fingers terrified Caryn as a child, and those nightmares inspire her to write now. She lives in a 90-year-old house with a colorful history, and the creaking walls and narrow hallways send her running (never walking) up the stairs from her basement. Exploring her fears through writing makes Caryn feel a little less foolish for wanting a buddy to accompany her into the tool shed.

When her fingers aren't glued to her laptop keyboard, Caryn also enjoys binge-watching Netflix with her husband, reading, playing video games, and filling up her phone's flash memory with pictures of her cats. She loves music and plays the bass guitar. Caryn is an active member of the League of Utah Writers and the Utah Chapter of the Horror Writers Association.

Stay connected with Caryn Larrinaga

    

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***The Giveaway***

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Blog Tour Organized by

BLOG TOUR: When I Cast Your Shadow by Sarah Porter

Welcome to the Official Blog Tour for Sarah Porter's When I Cast Your Shadow! Just released, September 12th, we celebrate this release with this tour spotlighting various reviews and other posts from participating blogs! Plus we have a tour-wide giveaway to share as well! So... Follow the tour, HERE! Check it out and grab your copy today!

Genre:

Young Adult

Paranormal/Fantasy

Publish Date:

September 12, 2017

Publisher:

Tor Teen

Synopsis:

A teenage girl calls her beloved older brother back from the grave with disastrous consequences.

Dashiell Bohnacker was hell on his family while he was alive. But it's even worse now that he's dead....

After her troubled older brother, Dashiell, dies of an overdose, sixteen-year-old Ruby is overcome by grief and longing. What she doesn't know is that Dashiell's ghost is using her nightly dreams of him as a way to possess her body and to persuade her twin brother, Everett, to submit to possession as well.

Dashiell tells Everett that he's returned from the Land of the Dead to tie up loose ends, but he's actually on the run from forces crueler and more powerful than anything the Bohnacker twins have ever imagined....

       

*Excerpt*

There’s always an eye to be kept on the darkness that loosed me: an eye for movement, an ear tuned to the chance of footsteps or breath. Distractions abound in my current environs: at the moment fingers are lathering her hair and bubbles skid down her wrists. On her pale thigh liquid fireworks burst, fantastically brilliant after my long stretch of sensory deprivation. I could forget to pay attention to what’s back there, drugged by the sensual intricacy of being so alive in my dear sister’s skin. Warmth, saliva, drumming blood.

And then there’s the thrill when she feels me: my thought sliding over her thoughts, mind whispering on her mind. The living have their lovers, their children, but they never have anyone the way I have her now. She stops washing her hair; she leans against the tiles and closes her eyes.

“Dashiell?” A long hesitation. “Are you there?”

Soon enough, Ruby-Ru. Soon enough I’ll answer the question. Be patient for now, sweet one.

Because out there in the shadowy places someone is coming. I can feel the vibrations of someone still alive, straying on the margin where death overlaps dreams. Where do they come from, I used to wonder, those strangers we glimpse in the deepest alleys of our sleep? Now I know.

But out there now it’s your twin brother’s footsteps, Miss Slippers. He’s already storming toward the same scaffold where he fell before, stomping as he goes, refusing to let himself so much as glance to the side. Coming to save you, he tells himself, but the truth is that he’s raging with jealousy that you will never love him as you love me. Coming to save you from me, when you are so utterly mine that the idea of extricating you is beyond absurdity.

“Dashiell? You died, I know you died. So why do I keep feeling—”

Hush, Ruby-Ru, Ruby-Ru. Don’t cry.

There’s something I have to attend to now. But I’ll be back with you very soon.

Copyright © 2017 by Sarah Porter

~~~~~

What Others Are Saying about When I Cast Your Shadow

"Tragic and engrossing, filled with nightmarish dreamscapes and menacing villains, it also treads the tender terrain of family, and the strange and sometimes dysfunctional ties between siblings. Highly recommended!" ―Kendare Blake, New York Times bestselling author of Three Dark Crowns

"You'll never think of your nightmares the same way again. Darkly seductive. Sarah Porter’s writing glitters and her storytelling stuns in this twisted tale of siblings, love, and death." ―Stephanie Garber, New York Times bestselling author of Caraval

"Porter offers a poignant consideration of how far we will go for the people we love." ―School Library Journal, starred review

"A wildly innovative, whip-smart, and utterly spellbinding testament to family, memory, and love―and the messes and miracles of each―poised to possess legions of readers." ―Booklist, starred review

"A haunting tale of possession that explores the ghostly landscape of dreams and nightmares―but more importantly, the particular dynamics among siblings, both oppressive and redemptive." ―Kirkus Reviews

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**About the Author**

Sarah Porter is the author of the Lost Voices Trilogy (Lost Voices, Waking Storms, The Twice Lost) in addition to Vassa in the Night—all for the teen audience. For over ten years she has taught creative writing workshops in New York City public schools to students in grades K-10. Porter also works as a VJ, both solo and with the art collective Fort/Da; she has played venues including Roseland, Galapagos, Tonic Joe's Pub, The Hammerstein Ballroom, The Nokia Theater, and the Burning Man festival.

She lives in Brooklyn with her husband and two cats.

Stay connected with Sarah Porter

    

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*My Thoughts*

Note: This review contains NO spoilers

When I Cast Your Shadow by Sarah Porter was a ghost story with very little twists on the insight of life after life. As mundane as that sounds, I enjoyed this book that delved into the emotions and thoughts of its characters not matter how annoying they may have seemed. Each chapter was not given a number. Instead, the title was the name of each character who was currently speaking. The story itself was strikingly realistic because it is a family in distress. Dash fell off his high horse, Ruby wasn’t the perfect child her father thought she was, Everett was an insecure little dork with pent up anger, and side characters showed how unimportant they really were. The story developed slowly and revealed more about Dashiell after every chapter until it reached its tepid ending.

Each character had their inner demons, insecurities, but most of them dealt with the loss of Dashiell Bohnacker. I think I liked Everett the most out of Porter’s characters, many of the others were annoying and two dimensional like Paige Kittering and Elena. Everett Bohnacker was the typical middle child, overlooked, feeling overshadowed by his siblings, and probably the most sensible child of the three Bohnacker siblings. He was an insecure teenage boy that saw his brother for the drug addict that he was, he knew how hopelessly devout Ruby was to him, and he was perceptive to his family’s emotional states. Sarah Porter wanted to write a chapter as a naïve, innocent teenage girl and that is what I got. Ruby Bohnacker is an adolescent, grief stricken, and a sickeningly blind follower of her beloved older brother, Dashiell Bohnacker. Sometimes she was too unbelievably sweet and devout to Dash but strangely, I could see that kind of devotion in a contemporary teenage girl’s head.

Overall, I will take a star away for a predictable ending, useless side characters, transparent antagonists, and half a star away for laughable death threats that wouldn’t scare a child. Without giving up all the minute details of the story, I would say When I Cast Your Shadow was a good night time story but not one I would read again. Everett was probably the high light character if Dashiell and his problems were not pushing the story forward.

My rating:

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***The Giveaway***

Photo content by Sarah Porter

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