COVER REVEAL ~ Colorless by Rita Stradling

Colorless 

Rita Stradling

Publication date: August 2017

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult

In Domengrad, there are rules all must live by: Fear the Gods. Worship the Magicians. Forsake the Iconoclasts.

To Annabelle Klein, the rules laid down by the Magicians are the mere ramblings of stuffy old men. As far as she’s concerned, the historic Iconoclasts, heretics who nearly destroyed the Magicians so long ago, are nothing but myth. She has much more important matters to worry about.

Heiress to a manor mortgaged down to its candlesticks and betrothed to her loathsome, lecherous cousin, sixteen-year-old Annabelle doubts the gods could forsake her more.

Then Annabelle is informed of her parents’ sudden and simultaneous deaths, and all of the pigment drips out of her skin and hair, leaving her colorless. Within moments, Annabelle is invisible and forgotten by all who know her.

Living like a wraith in her own home, Annabelle discovers that to regain her color she must solve the mystery behind her parents’ murders and her strange transformation.

Meanwhile, hundreds of the Magicians’ monks, with their all-black eyes and conjoined minds, have usurped control of Annabelle’s family manor. An Iconoclast is rumored to be about—a person who they claim goes unseen, unheard, and lost to memory, yet is the greatest threat to all of Domengrad. For the first time in a hundred years, the monks plan to unleash the dire wolves of old.

Their only target: Annabelle.

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Author Bio:
Rita Stradling is the author of The Deception Dance series, the Dakota Kekoa series and The Fourteen Day Soul Detox Novella Serial. She has a BA in Art History and a particular love for modern and medieval art.
Rita lives with her husband and son in Northern California.
She has an insatiable novel addiction and mostly reads young adult and adult: romance, paranormal, urban fantasy and high fantasy. 

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The Devil's Whisper by T.H. Moore w/ Giveaway

The Devil’s Whisper
T.H. Moore
Publication date: May 1st 2017
Genres: Adult, Dystopian, Suspense

Take a moment and imagine your history books devoid of war. Envision entire civilizations absent of heinous crimes against humanity. A planet spared from the plagues of slavery, cultural genocides, and the colonization of indigenous nations by foreigners. Would you dare make the choices necessary to maintain this Utopia in which universal peace existed? Could you ignore the Devil whispering in your ear, luring you away from a world in which loving your fellow man was the expectation, not the exception?
In a state of reverie, an impractical idea of world peace has given birth to a culture in which the human race has chosen to live free of violent criminals. Instead, criminals have been systematically exiled to the lone prison city, Katingal, constructed in a far corner of Earth. Sentenced for the remainder of their natural lives, the wicked pit themselves against their soulless brethren. Exposure, disease, and starvation claim their victims daily. Those who survive nature’s wrath negotiate the perils of the prison city through murder and cannibalism. All the while, this inimitable death sentence satisfies civilization’s aim to punish the world’s irretrievable outcasts.
Charles “Yäbälay” Gravo is the criminal mastermind behind the world’s largest human trafficking network. As a prime most-wanted fugitive, he sets into motion events that will forever alter the realities of both civilization’s Utopia and Katingal’s Hell.

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—

EXCERPT:

Though Charles felt relieved to have discovered Kristoff’s lair, he could see that the savage was surrounded by his men. Nevertheless, Charles surged ahead, his heart racing in tempo with his legs as he moved closer to his objective.
As Charles drew near, a commotion broke out on the balcony. The group of men were drinking, dancing, and fighting as if the balcony were a mosh pit. One reveler grabbed another, while a third man struck the unfortunate chap with a pipe. He buckled, and with one swift movement, the two men flung their victim from the balcony. His limp body fell twenty floors to the hard pavement below. Charles heard the thump when it hit, and the cheers from a group of men who had been waiting for it on the street.
“The king is offering sacrifices tonight,” one maniac on the balcony cheered, hooting down at the dead man sprawled on the pavement.
Charles quickened his pace, staying close to the edges of the road. He ducked into a nearby building and crouched down in a dark corner, using his hands to gather a pile of dirt. He took a mouthful of the water from his satchel and pushed it around his mouth to alleviate his thirst before releasing a thin, controlled stream onto the dirt pile. After mixing the water and dirt into a dark paste, he covered his pale face until all that remained visible were his green eyes.
As he continued his trek toward the epicenter of the city, Charles heard the faint symphony of suffering. Angry yells of men coming from the east and bloodcurdling screams of women pierced the night to the west. Moments later, he slid past a band of filthy men vying for ownership of a corpse like a pack of wolves.
Another ruckus was followed by another violent assault. Just like the one before him, the beaten man was thrown from the balcony. He screamed the entire way down while the maniacs rejoiced from above. Scavengers sprinted past Charles to the man’s broken body and started ripping him apart.
Kristoff’s acolytes leaned over the balcony railing and waved their arms in the air, chanting, “Kris-toff! Kris-toff! Kris-toff! The king of K-City!”
Charles was fifty yards from the barbed wire courtyard that secured the front entrance to the Apex building. Another scream of fear, followed by another thud, a pitched body, and the scurry of the scavengers. This time, Charles was close enough to hear bones snapping against the pavement. He took cover to avoid the scavengers, and waited while they butchered the latest sacrifice with their homemade weapons.
Charles darted along the side of the building until he spotted four men guarding the back doorway.
“Four offerings so far tonight,” one of the guards warned the other three. “Two more before it’s safe to go back up there.”
“You sound like a woman, Manta,” the smallest guard said.
“Fuck you, Hiro!” He laughed. “You look like a woman. Now give me some pussy, you dwarf!”
“Curse me again and I’ll take your tongue,” Hiro seethed, pulling a short knife from his belt.
The other three guards erupted into laughter. “You call that a knife?” said one. “The only thing that knife is good for is picking your rotting teeth.”

Author Bio:
T.H. Moore is a Southwest Philadelphia native who relocated to Camden, New Jersey at the age of ten. He’s an active member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., and earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Morgan State University. His career as an Information Technology Consultant and Real-Estate investor has afforded him the opportunity to travel to many countries all over the world as well as the majority of the United States. Blending experience with imagination helped formulate the basis of, and inspired him to write his first novel, ‘The End Justifies the Means’.
His second novel, The Devil’s Whisper, is uniquely creative fiction that ventures away from the inspiration of his own life experiences. In The Devil’s Whisper, he dives into a darker set of dual protagonists whose sole objective is to survive the circumstances of the world they live in. T.H. Moore is the proud father of one son, Jason, and currently resides in Virginia, where he is working on the next two installments of The Devil’s Whisper trilogy. 

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NEW RELEASE ~ Misbehaved by Charleigh Rose

Title: Misbehaved

Author: Charleigh Rose

Genre: New Adult Romance

Release Date: April 30, 2017

Remington Stringer has never been like most girls. She’s outspoken, brazen and wants nothing more than to escape the Nevadan hell hole that she calls home. 

On the brink of eighteen, with a deceased mother and a well-meaning, yet absent father, she is forced to fend for herself. The only person she’s ever had to depend on is her borderline obsessive stepbrother, Ryan. But, what used to be her anchor is quickly becoming a loose cannon. 

When Remi gets the opportunity to attend the best private school in the state during her senior year of high school, she jumps at the chance. Then she meets Mr. James. Ornery, aloof, and totally irresistible. 

Most girls would swoon in secrecy. 

Most girls would doodle his name with hearts in their notebook.

But Remi Stringer has never been like most girls.

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COVER REVEAL ~ Set Us Free by M.R. Leahy

Title: Set Us Free

Series: Bound Forever #2

Author: M.R. Leahy

Genre: Dark Romance

Release Date: May 23, 2017

Blurb

For Emmalyn and Kodah being set free meant living in the real world away from the clutches of her step-father. It meant living a life they always dreamed about together.

But it’s never that easy, is it?

Life is cruel and untamed.

And not everything in their past can be forgotten. Nor is it as settled as they hoped.

With their new-found freedom comes challenges no one should ever face. Separated by memory but together at heart Emmy and Kodah must find their way back to each other so they can finally live their happily ever after.

So they can once and for all be set free.

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Author Bio

M.R. Leahy was born in Amarillo, TX, where she was briefly raised before moving to a small Island in the middle of the Puget Sound called Whidbey Island. Growing up she lived with her mom and younger sister and a few cousins scattered close by. 

As soon as she could, M.R. Leahy left the small island to get a feel for what the world had in store. After jumping around a few places, she landed in beautiful Wilmington, NC where she not only met the love of her life but became pregnant with her first child. Not long after finding out about the life they created they married and moved to San Diego, CA so they could be closer to family and start the beginning to their forever. 

M.R. Leahy now has two beautiful boys and is living life to the fullest, not taking anything for granted. She now spends her time being a stay at home mom. When she's not making lunches and kissing booboos, you can find her nose deep in a book getting lost in the many different worlds authors provide, or writing and creating different stories of her own. 

M.R. Leahy writes dark romances but also has her hands in contemporary romance and romantic comedy. Her possibilities are endless.

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NEW RELEASE ~ The Knight (R. Caine High School #2) by Victoria Danann w/ Giveaway

The Knight (R. Caine High School #2)

by Victora Danann

Genre: YA

Release Date: April 26th 2017

dba 7th House, Imprint of Andromeda LLC

Summary from Goodreads:

Jean Marre’s recent life has been one big surprise right after another. First his family moved to SoCal from a remote French Canadian town. Then he began feeling a strange compulsion to watch over a smart little blonde named Ever Moore. In fact he found himself restless, distracted, and uncomfortable if she wasn’t around. 

Before there was time to adjust to any of that, he was informed that his parents were going to South Africa for a few months and leaving him with his mother’s friend, who happened to be Ever’s mother. 

Life just couldn’t get stranger. 

Or could it?

Buy the Book: AMAZON

EXCERPT:

Jean Marre folded himself into the front passenger seat of Ever’s car to ride to school. For the entire fifteen minutes it took to get there, neither said one word to the other. That did not, however, mean that they didn’t dork with each other all the way there.

Jean Marre’s opening shot was to change her satellite radio to a different channel. Hair Band Nation. She gaped at him for a full four seconds when her eyes should have been on the road before punching the number one button to return to Sounds of the SuperNow. He stared at her blankly for a matching four seconds then, without taking his gaze away from her or changing expression, reached over and pushed the button to return to “last played”. Hair Band Nation.

After three more volleys, Ever turned the radio off with a snarl. When Jean Marre started to reach for it, she gave him a look that froze his hand midair. He withdrew the offending appendage, but the challenge Ever offered with her look brought a gleam of amusement to his eyes.

He did not touch the radio again.

Instead he rolled down his window which, of course, threatened to make a beachy wreck of her hair. She rolled it back up. He rolled it down. She rolled it back up and, with a sneer of victory, pushed the child lock into place before he could do it again. His bark of laughter surprised her and, if she was being perfectly honest, pleased her.

She was not being perfectly honest. He had a nice laugh, but she was not ready to give him any concession.

She pulled into her assigned parking space, which was located in the remotest region of Mongolia because she was a sophomore, got out, and started walking without looking back. It was a hike, but at least she could bring a car, unlike freshmen.

Halfway there she looked over her shoulder. Jean Marre was about twenty feet behind her. “Don’t worry about me.” He grinned. “I like the view from here.”

Understanding the implication, Ever sped up, which made Jean Marre laugh loud enough for her to hear. The boy seemed to revel in being exasperating. That realization caused Ever to think she needed to reform her approach to Jean Marre. Perhaps she needed to think in terms of opposite world, since everything she did rendered the reverse of a desired effect.

She stopped, got control of her breathing, waited for him to catch up then fell in at the same pace. She would never admit that they were walking together. Only that they were moving toward the same place at the same time at the same speed. Together.

When he said, “Excellent choice,” she knew it was his snidely quiet way of letting her know she’d been manipulated. By a boy who didn’t even want to go to college. He could not be more irritating if he tried. For all she knew, he was trying to get under her skin.

IN THE SERIES:

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MEET THE AUTHOR:

New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author, Victoria Danann, is the author of sixteen romances, paranormal and contemporary. 

Her Knights of Black Swan series won BEST PARANORMAL ROMANCE SERIES THREE YEARS IN A ROW. 2013,2014,2015 - Reviewers Choice Awards, The Paranormal Romance Guild.

Victoria’s paranormal romances come with uniquely fresh perspectives on “imaginary” creatures, characters, and themes. She adds a dash of scifi, a flourish of fantasy, enough humor to make you laugh out loud, and enough steam to make you squirm in your chair. Her heroines are independent femmes with flaws and minds of their own whether they are aliens, witches, demonologists, psychics, past life therapists, or financial analysts from Dallas. Her heroes are hot and hunky, but they also have brains, character, and good manners – usually – whether they be elves, demons, berserkers, werewolves, or vampires.

The first book of the Knights of Black Swan Paranormal Romance Series, My Familiar Stranger, was nominated for Best Paranormal Romance of 2012 by both Reviewers’ Choice and Readers’ Choice Awards. All of her books have opened on the Amazon Best Sellers list and earned Night Owl Reviews TOP PICK awards. Many have appeared on Listopia BOOK OF THE MONTH as #1 across all genres.

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NEW RELEASE ~ Deathbringer by Tamara Grantham w/ Giveaway

Deathbringer

Tamara Grantham

(Fairy World M.D., Olive Kennedy)

Published by: Crimson Tree Publishing

Publication date: April 25th 2017

Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Romance

Some heroes are fated to save the world. Others are meant to destroy it…

Olive Kennedy is all about positive thinking. She’s been stuck on Earth for the past four months, waiting for the spring equinox to arrive so she can return to Fairy World — but she’s staying positive. She’s hopeful she’ll once again see her handsome Viking fiancé who’s waiting for her. She’s optimistic that her mission to reclaim the sword of Dracon — a sword of King Arthur fame and the only weapon capable of killing Theht — won’t result in death and destruction. And then there’s the small matter of an asteroid that’s been ripped out of its orbit and is hurtling toward Earth…no biggie.

One last thing — she’s fated to destroy the world. To stop that prophecy from being fulfilled, she may have to sacrifice the one person she loves the most. Good thing she’s staying positive.

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—

EXCERPT:

I stood and crossed to my bedroom, then grabbed my backpack and slung it over my shoulder. After grabbing my temporary mirror case out of a drawer, I placed it on top of my dresser.

I wasn’t sure if I should cringe or laugh as I scanned my new mirror. I’d found it at the dollar store after a frustrating day of trying to create a new mirror box with no success. I’d bought it because it was absurd and to remind myself that it was temporary.
The plastic box was pink with the name BARBIE scrolled on the top. Inside was a foam liner that had once held five nail polish bottles. I’d cut the foam to make larger slots. Now, it held my five figurines that represented the races of Faythander: Dragon, elf, Wult, pixie, and goblin.
After unlocking the latch, I opened the lid. “You’re fabulous! Inside and out!” sang to me in a bubble-gum voice as I propped the lid open.
As I said, temporary solution. Extremely temporary. It had a mirror under the lid and was the perfect size for my figurines, so it worked. For now.
Scanning my figurines, I found the Wult and removed it from the foam, then propped it upright against the mirror. I needed to get to the Wultlands, and this would be the easiest way to do so.
I ignored the glittery scrolling along the edges of the mirror and focused on the glass. Taking a deep breath, I paused before touching my fingers to the mirror.
Months ago, the portals had started acting erratically. I’d thought the problem had been solved after we’d restored the fairies’ stone, but when I’d returned to Earth four months ago, the portal had almost torn me apart. I’d gotten several stitches in my abdomen because the crossing had been so violent. Since then, I hadn’t once been able to open a portal, but tonight, I had no choice. I needed to return to Faythander before the equinox, and I had one thing in my favor—I hadn’t tried opening a portal with my new Barbie box yet.
Here’s to hoping my luck improved, I thought. Then again, this was my luck we were talking about. Yeah, probably not.
Carefully, I placed my fingertips to the screen, inhaled a deep breath, and then conjured the word to open the portal.
Magic flowed from my heart, through my arms and hands, and into the mirror. Gold and amber swirls licked like fire over my skin as the magic interacted with the mirror, mingling with the blue glow coming from the plastic case.
The power grew inside me as the portal opened. Wind swirled around me until the room disappeared and I floated in a void. Voices came from somewhere. Soft whispers. Among them was a familiar one. The cold, detached voice of Theht.
I am here. I am waiting.
I’d gotten better at tuning her out, but being in a place like this, between worlds, made it almost impossible to keep her away.
Soon, we shall destroy the world together. Deathbringer.
The wind grew stronger and faster, wrapping around me, squeezing the air from my lungs. It compressed me until I couldn’t breathe. Pain coursed through my nerve endings as the pressure weighed me down. I felt as if I’d been buried under millions of tons of sand.
I cried out, but couldn’t hear my voice over the wind. Tears leaked from my eyes. I felt their warmth on my cheeks. In a desperate attempt to survive, I focused on the magic within me, unleashing every ounce, pouring it into the portal to keep it steady.
I thought for sure I was dead when I hit the ground. I landed awkwardly, my shoulder and hips taking the brunt of the impact. My mirror, on the other hand, made a graceful landing in a pile of leaves beside me.
I lay on the ground, panting for air, staring at the faded blue sky through the patchwork of branches with budding green shoots.
“Never again,” I muttered between gasps. Next time, I would find a Viking ship and cross through an underground ocean filled with man-eating sea-snakes before using a portal. “Never. Again.”
On the bright side, at least I’d finally made it back to Faythander. The $.99 investment into the Barbie mirror wasn’t such a bad buy after all.

—

—

Interview:

EXCLUSIVE! 
Never Before Seen Interview with His Majesty of Wults, King of the Ancient Vikings, King Kull the Skullsplitter

Interviewer: Today I have the privilege of interviewing arguably the most sought after personality in Faythander, Kull, King of Wults. We’ll find out if all the gossip is true. Did he lose the sword of his ancestors? Is he engaged? When can we expect a wedding? Are the rumors about that jagamoor true? Kull, we’re so glad you could make it.

Kull: Of course.

Interviewer: Tell us, how is the transition of going from playboy prince to king of an entire nation?

Kull: It’s going very well. Why? Have you heard otherwise?

Interviewer: Yes, in fact I have.

Kull: It’s all bogus. The transition couldn’t be going any better. I was just visiting the outlying villages recently and they were thriving—even with the threat of the elves trying to take over Faythander, the Wult nation is strong. Dare I say, stronger than ever before. Now, let’s change the subject, shall we?

Interviewer: Does discussing the state of your nation make you nervous?

Kull: As I said. Change the subject.

Interviewer: Not a problem. Let’s talk about the sword of your ancestors. I read recently that you made a bad deal with the witch of Dragon Spine Mountain and traded it to her to pay off your debts, and later you allowed the sword to be destroyed. Is this true?

Kull: Once again, completely bogus. Have I lost the sword? Yes. To pay off my debts? Untrue. False. Where do these rumors get started?

Interviewer: But you do admit to losing the sword? The symbol of your kingdom? Heirloom? Entrusted to you by your ancestors to always keep it safe?

Kull: Some things are more important than swords.

Interviewer: Ah yes, you’re right. I assume you’re speaking about your fiancée? We’ve not heard much about this elusive bride-to-be, but our sources have confirmed that she is indeed half-elven, and what’s worse, she’s not even in a position to unite our nations. Can you elaborate on why you chose to ally our kingdom with such an uncommon choice?

Kull: Because I love her.

Interviewer: Well, that’s obvious, isn’t it? But give us some indication as to why you picked a half-breed. There are some who claim you chose to put your own emotions above the needs of our kingdom. Is it true?

Kull: I refuse to answer such a question. Where is my drink?

Interviewer: Drink?

Kull: I’ve been waiting, most patiently, for an Earth Kingdom beverage that was promised to me if I attended this ridiculous interview.

Interviewer: Yes, I’m sure someone will get that to you just as soon as you answer a few more questions. Can you tell us when to expect the wedding? 

Kull: No.

Interviewer: Aha! Is it a secret then? Is there an elopement planned?

Kull: I’m very thirsty.

Interviewer: I’m sure you are, seeing as how you’ve done so much speaking. Tell us, is your fiancée indeed possessed by the spirit of Theht?

Kull: What? Where did you hear that?

Interviewer: It’s common knowledge, really.

Kull: No, it’s not common knowledge at all. In fact, she only just told me. Who are you?

Interviewer: There’s no need for shouting.

Kull: I knew it was you!

Interviewer: Fine, the ruse is up. Here, have a Dr. Pepper.

Author Bio:
Tamara Grantham is the award-winning author of more than half a dozen books and novellas, including the Olive Kennedy: Fairy World MD series and the Shine novellas. Dreamthief, the first book of her Fairy World MD series, won first place for fantasy in INDIEFAB’S Book of the Year Awards, a RONE award for best New Adult Romance of 2016, and is a #1 bestseller on Amazon in both the Mythology and Fairy Tales categories with over 100 reviews.
Tamara holds a Bachelor’s degree in English. She has been a featured speaker at the Rose State Writing Conference and has been a panelist at Comic Con Wizard World speaking on the topic of female leads. For her first published project, she collaborated with New York-Times bestselling author, William Bernhardt, in writing the Shine series.
Born and raised in Texas, Tamara now lives with her husband and five children in Wichita, Kansas. She rarely has any free time, but when the stars align and she gets a moment to relax, she enjoys reading fantasy novels, taking nature walks, which fuel her inspiration for creating fantastical worlds, and watching every Star Wars or Star Trek movie ever made. You can find her online at www.TamaraGranthamBooks.com. 

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NEW RELEASE ~ Mason Dixon - Monster Hunter by Eric R. Asher w/ Giveaway

Mason Dixon – Monster Hunter Episode 1

Eric R. Asher

Publication date: April 21st 2017

Genres: Adult, Urban Fantasy

They are the first line of defense against the things that go bump in the night.

They are the keepers of a centuries-old legacy of The Church defending the world against the forces of darkness.

They are a bunch of highly armed rednecks, internet video celebrities, soccer moms, and assorted broken nutjobs.

They are the new Templars, and things are about to get weird. 

From the pages of Bubba the Monster Hunter comes a new series featuring the Hunters from around the United States hunting down monsters, fighting off supernatural baddies, and making life really, really bad for the things that hunt people.

He’s Mason Dixon, and he’s a bona fide internet celebrity. He has his own video series, a pistol that deserves its own area code, and a high definition video camera, and he’s not afraid to use any of them.

In this introductory urban fantasy novella, we meet Mason, his right hand Emma, his “handler” Noah, his anime-styled hacker friend Himari, and more monsters than you can shake a stick at. Unless it’s a really big stick.

With Mason, it’s always a big stick. This first novella in the series follows Mason through the wilds of Missouri as he hunts down monsters that hunt men, monsters that eat chewing tobacco, and monsters that make pancakes. And there’s moonshine.

And then Bubba the Monster Hunter shows up.

The New Templars novella series is a new series of short novels, similar to BookShots. Mason Dixon – Monster Hunter is the first in the series by popular urban fantasy and steampunk author Eric R. Asher.

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—

EXCERPT:

“Out,” I said. “Get out of the pit. Safeties off.” I raised the stock to my shoulder and swept the area around us again.

Emma slipped and crashed into the pit, sending a cascade of stained white bones over the edge to clatter down into the limestone depression. We waited, and I could hear my own heartbeat pounding in my ears.
Boom.
We both froze. I don’t care how many times you’ve encountered something in the wild, you still freeze for a split second.
Boom.
“Move!” I hissed, backpedaling while keeping my tranquilizer aimed around Emma. She was almost out. We could get back on the ATVs and come back with bigger guns. 10cc darts? I should have brought the 50cc cannon. This was a mistake. The old man wasn’t crazy at all.
Boom. Boom. Boom. BoomBoomBoom.
The gowrow erupted from its lair like it had been spit forth by an angry god. Its stubby, bulbous body might have been humorous paired with its long scaly neck if not for the tusks fit for a mammoth gleaming in the dying sun. It would take that creature zero effort to kill us in one charge.
Its movements seemed awkward, but its attacks were practiced. The gowrow swiped at Emma with a four-toed webbed foot, a lethal claw extending from each digit. She fell backwards and rolled away, barely avoiding the attack.
Any doubt this gowrow was a maneater fled in a heartbeat.
I cranked the air pressure as high as it would go on the tranquilizer gun and fired. The dart rose slightly in a wind disturbance created by the massive creature and pinged harmlessly off the field of spiky scales lining its back. I cursed, flipped the butt of the rifle open, and loaded another dart.

—

Author Q&A and Playlist:

What inspired you to write your first book?

I’ve loved reading since I was very young. Filling out those little maps the library used to hand out as a “reading challenge” was one of my favorite summer activities between school years. At some point in time, I’m not sure when exactly, I would to wonder as I read ‘Wouldn’t it have been neat if they’d done this, or a character had this ability, or if the rules of the world were just a little bit different?’ It eventually led me to write stories and that led me to write my own books.

If you could be best friends with one of your Mason Dixon characters, who would it be?

Foster. Larry, clearly, haha. Who wouldn’t want to visit a giant farm full of cryptids?

How would you describe your new Mason Dixon series?

Mason is an animal lover at heart, even when said animals want to eat him, and that provides a dynamic I really enjoy writing. He does everything he can to save the cryptids he’s hunting, and relocates them whenever possible. Sometimes they’re too far gone, or too immediate a threat, but he takes no pleasure in putting anything, or anyone, down.

Who or what inspired you to be a writer?

I’ve always enjoyed making up stories. I had some fantastic teachers in high school that always urged me to pursue writing. I wasn’t really into the idea at the time, as I was still convinced I’d be a rock star. Let me tell you how well that worked out … ;)  It wasn’t until about 2005 when I realized I really wanted to sit down and write an entire novel.

What books have most influenced your life?

I will always owe thanks to Robert Asprin for his Myth Adventures series. They are such a wonderful blend of humor and adventure that I loved when I was a kid. Northworld by David Drake single handedly turned me into a huge fan of military science fiction. 

Who is your favorite author and what is it that really strikes you about their work?

Right now, at this moment, my favorite author is Neil Gaiman. What has always struck me about his work, ever since The Sandman, is the flow of the story and the flow of the prose. Everything is clean and the visuals are stunning.

 

What book are you reading now?

I recently finished Refuge of Dragons by Carrie Vaughn. It’s the long-awaited sequel to Voices of Dragons (one of my favorite books ever) and is a wonderful sequel. Sometimes when you have to wait several years for a follow-up, there’s just no way it can live up to the original. Not the case here. Refuge is a masterful sequel that should not be missed.

What do you prefer paperback, hardcover, or ebooks? 

Yes! That’s probably my collector mentality coming through a bit. :) I love the wonderful convenience and portability of ebooks. Of course, I also buy the hardcover releases of all my favorite authors, or paperbacks if they aren’t available in hardcover.

Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers?

I would like them to know how much I appreciate them taking the time to read these books. Being able to share these stories with other people who enjoy them has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life.

Do you have any little fuzzy friends? Like a dog or a cat? Or any pets?

I’m allergic to just about every kind of animal imaginable, so instead I have a Worrible. And I occasionally give Worribles away when they multiply too fast. 

What was your playlist while you were writing Mason Dixon: Monster Hunter?

Sometimes when I’m writing the Vesik urban fantasy series, I really enjoy writing to heavy music with vocals. It’s great for that undercurrent of violence and mayhem, but I wanted something more subtle with Mason Dixon: Monster Hunter. My main listens were primarily instrumental and soundtracks.

* James Newton Howard: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

* Audiomachine: Decimus

* Audiomachine: Magnus

* Zack Hemsey: The Way

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Author Bio:
Eric is a former bookseller, cellist, and comic seller currently living in Saint Louis, Missouri. A lifelong enthusiast of books, music, toys, and games, he discovered a love for the written word after being dragged to the library by his parents at a young age. When he is not writing, you can usually find him reading, gaming, or buried beneath a small avalanche of Transformers. 

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