Saturday, September 29, 2012

Blog Tour: (Book Playlist + Excerpt) Above the Universe Below By Elias Barton




I would like to welcome Elias Barton to The Avid Reader today. Thanks for stopping by Elias Barton. Check out Elias Barton's book Above the Universe Below and his Book Playlist. Thanks to Full Moon Bites and Elias Barton for allowing me to be a part of this tour.




banner






cover

Book Title: Above the Universe Below

Author: Elias Barton

Genre: Fantasy, Dark

Publisher: Iron Glass Press

Ebook/Paperback:

Pages: 332









PURCHASE

Amazon US (Kindle)

Amazon (Print)

Amazon UK (Kindle)







BOOK DESCRIPTION

ABOVE THE UNIVERSE BELOW




For two years running (2011 & 2012) Above the Universe Below was was a semi-finalist in Amazon.com's Breakthrough Novel Award and Publishers Weekly:

"Brilliant writing carries this pleasantly odd tale of an agoraphobic artist, Carder Quevedo... Carder's road is not an easy one, but readers will be rooting for him in this unusual and beautifully written book."

An agoraphobic artist in our world but a grim reaper in another, Carder Quevedo hides at home, immersing himself in the paintings which commemorate the strange deaths he's witnessed. He ventures into public only when necessary, scrambling to his hospital job to extract corneas from deceased donors or darting to the diner to share a meal with Darren, his only friend. That's Carder's existence - and he's content.

Until...

Haika changes that. As the bored, beautiful owner of an art gallery - who also happens to be married - she stumbles into Carder in a chance encounter and soon becomes obsessed with his art. As they forge a quirky, electric relationship, Carder is reluctantly pulled into Haika's social world of wealth, status and the peculiar characters that come with it. Carder is pushed further to the edge when his teenage niece visits, rebelling against her ultra-conservative upbringing. All the while, Carder's hidden history threatens to ruin his developing chance at normalcy, and on the opening night of his art gallery show, his past finally catches up to his present and wreaks havoc upon them all.







EXCERPT

ABOVE THE UNIVERSE BELOW




Haika’s mouth is obscured behind an empty Styrofoam cup riddled with repeating arches of gentle teeth-marks she’s bitten into it like colorless rainbows perforating white sky. She meets Carder’s gaze with a mischievous smile, enjoying the role of spectator and anthropologist. She’s relaxed, as if sitting in a bubble bath with a goblet of wine in hand, reading this all in a novel someone lent her.

Love.

That’s what Haika is: love. Not just love for Mike or art or New York. Haika is love in every moment. She’s loving to Carder, to his relatives, to the Carlisle boys. But she’s more. She’s love in the cloudless sky above, in the honey she brought for tea, in the music she tries to soundtrack Carder’s life with, in the thrift-store clothes she’s wearing, in the ascot knotted at her chin, in her bare feet sliding through what would once have been war-torn grass, in the sadness sometimes hiding in the corners of her lips. She brings love to every moment… something Carder has never seen in another person. Ever. He obsesses over every detail, and gulps down the harrowing thought that he’ll one day lose her. He tries to be love like Haika is, to laze on the hammock of friendship hanging from her eyes right now. He fills with gratitude. This has actually happened. She had actually been in his life, and no one can take that away. Carder could live off it for decades and fully plans to.







BOOK PLAYLIST/SOUNDTRACK

ABOVE THE UNIVERSE BELOW




  1. VAST "Here" – Chapter 1, Salmon Belly, as Carder journeys through NYC’s subway system, we get a glimpse into his life and mind. YOUTUBE


  2. Bat For Lashes "Daniel" – Chapter 2, Drawing Him In, when Haika meets Carder, something inexplicable draws her to him, an enigma which she’s never before encountered. YOUTUBE


  3. Porcupine Tree "Lazarus" – Chapter 5, A Reaping: ‘Bis, when a seven-year-old Carder finds himself in another world where he meets a savage, dying beast. YOUTUBE


  4. Prisma “Glide In” – Chapter 7, Close to the Gate, when we enter Carder’s home overwrought with a maze of dark paintings. YOUTUBE


  5. Patrick Wolf "Bluebells" – Chapter 13, The Battlefield, when Carder leaves the city and meets with his sister, Lucy, and retrieves Mandy. YOUTUBE


  6. IAMX "Running" – Chapter 15, Potato Chip Fingerprints, Vines & Viviennes, when Carder runs the bridge. YOUTUBE


  7. Royksopp "Vision One" – Chapter 24, Creep Crawls Toward White Light, the night of the gallery show – a collision of worlds. YOUTUBE


  8. Tori Amos "Precious Things" – Chapter 25, Happiness Found with Multiple Stab Wounds, when Carder and Mandy merge and leave everything behind, running the streets of NYC. YOUTUBE


  9. VAST "Touched" – Chapter 28, The Fury, The Sound, The Wine Country, when escapes to a cottage far away, his feelings for Haika emerge. YOUTUBE


  10. William Fitzsimmons "So This is Goodbye" – Chapter 29, What’s Washed Away, when Haika realizes that not only has she likely lost Carder, but home has disintegrated as well. YOUTUBE


  11. Imogen Heap "Can’t Take It In" – Chapter 33, Dawn of the Undead, when Carder returns, bringing Haika a gift from another world. YOUTUBE


  12. Guns and Roses "Welcome the Jungle" – Closing/Chapter 35, An Unexpected Party, when Carder finds himself in a new world and encounters an interesting party. YOUTUBE



ABOVE THE UNIVERSE BELOW - A soundtrack to the novel.2 by Elias Barton on Grooveshark






ABOUT THE AUTHOR




Author

Elias Barton has lived on the edge of an active volcano, worked in a Bible factory and is the author of the novel "Above the Universe Below." He was a semifinalist in both 2011 and 2012 for the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award. He currently resides in Washington DC where he befriends gargoyles, feeds unicorns and combats two cats who try to smother him in his sleep.







FIND THE AUTHOR

Website







Be sure and check out all the other stops on the tour.



TOUR SCHEDULE




Sept. 24th- A Bit of Dash (Excerpt/Giveaway)

Sept. 25th- Juniper Grove (Interview/Giveaway)

Sept. 26th- A Dream Within A Dream (Review/Giveaway)

Sept. 27th- I am, Indeed (Review/Excerpt)

Sept. 28th- Community Bookstop (Giveaway/Promo)

Sept. 29th- The Avid Reader (Book Playlist)

Sept. 30th- Musings of a Writing Reader (Guest Post/Giveaway)

Oct. 1st- Beach Bum Reads (Giveaway)

Oct. 2nd- Fighting Monkey Press (Guest Post/Giveaway)

Oct. 3rd- A Bibliophile's Thoughts on Books (Guest Post)

Oct. 4th- Day Dreaming Book Reviews (Excerpt/Giveaway)

Oct. 5th- Paranormal Fans For Life (Excerpt/Giveaway)

Oct. 6th- Off the Page (Interview)

Oct. 7th- Reader Girls (Book Playlist/Giveaway)







TOUR SCHEDULE LINK


This tour was put together by FMB Blog Tours

Friday, September 28, 2012

Blog Tour: (Review + Excerpt) The Last Degree By Dina Rae




I would like to welcome Dina Rae to The Avid Reader today. Thanks for stopping by Dina. Check out Dina's book The Last Degree and my review. Thanks to Full Moon Bites and Dina for allowing me to be a part of this tour.




The Last Degree, The Last DegreeTour ButtonFMB






The Last Degree, The Last DegreeBook CoverFMB

Book Title: The Last Degree

Series: Book #1

Author: Dina Rae

Genre: Action, Adventure, Crime, Paranormal, Political, Suspense, Thriller, Christian

Publisher: Dina Rae

Ebook:

Words: 93000









Purchase for only $1.99

Amazon




The Last Degree will be FREE Sept. 27th – 28th!







BOOK DESCRIPTION

THE LAST DEGREE




The Last Degree is a fictionalized account of how Freemasons and other secret societies set up the world for takeover. Ancient writings foretell a ‘Shining One’ who emerges as the world’s prophet. A murder of a Most Worshipful mason resembles a secret oath. A cop gets too close to solving the crime. Paranoid preppers go underground, preparing for war.

Headlines such as the Norway massacre, meltdown of the European Union, unscrupulous media, animal die-offs, Middle Eastern unrest, and U.S. shrinking power make the plot relevant to present day. This book is an ode to Christians, Birthers, 2012ers, Truthers, preppers, and/or other conspiracy junkies who enjoy Dan Brown, Jesse Ventura, Brad Meltzer, Alex Jones, Jerry Jenkins and Tim LaHaye.







EXCERPT

THE LAST DEGREE




Dan O'Leary, James's arms dealer and militia consultant, drove his Hummer down the long gravelly entrance. He felt their eyes watching him through the security cameras mounted within the trees. He imagined what kind of soldiers he could mold them into. The road ended in front of the log cabin. He paused with awe. Years ago he remembered selling James his ammunition while the place was still under construction. Wonderland looked more like an extravagant spa retreat than an underground bunker.

As he began to unload his vehicle, James came out to greet him.

“Wow! Quite a PSS you built!” Dan exclaimed.

“You mean primary shelter site? I’m learning the lingo. Thanks for coming. Good to see you. You brought plenty of stuff with you. Just leave it here. My staff will put it inside. They are dying to meet you. Nine men and two women. The girls are married to two of the guys. Both nurses. Everyone will be participating,” James said.

Dan toured Wonderland for hours, taking notes, drawing maps, and looking for weak spots in their security. He found a secluded area perfect for military drills. Once they descended underneath the log mansion, he could no longer play it cool. “James, James, James! You've out done yourself. This place is amazing. Guys, this was nothing but piles of dirt, trailers, and some framework the last time I've been here.”

After the tour, Dan was served a special dinner of grilled venison from a recent hunt. The energy and camaraderie between everyone was infectious. They were slowly melting his aloof exterior.

“Did you know that others, including FEMA, are building camps just like Wonderland all over the world? I've seen some of the construction in Costa Rica, South Africa, and Tahiti. Of course there’s the Denver Airport. But I've got to tell ya, Wonderland is like the Taj Mahal of all of them. You should be very proud. I can see your dedication and excellent craftsmanship. You're making my job less demanding.”

During dinner they talked about the changing world, the UN, and globalization.




Check out The Last Degree Prequel as well—Be Paranoid Be Prepared!







REVIEW

THE LAST DEGREE




 

The following review is my opinion and not a paid review. I was given a copy of The Last Degree from the author for a review via Full Moon Bites.

The Last Degree is about the Freemasons, the Illuminati and other secret societies wanting to take over the world. It is written in different POV's which is good I think because you get to know what each character is thinking and feeling. They will do whatever it takes to rule the world. Whatever it takes means murder, blackmail, embezzlement ect...

Then you have what are called the Preppers who are trying to stop the Freemasons from taking over the world. The Preppers build their own little worlds and stock up on all different kinds of supplies. Like weapons, food and whatever you need to survive an apocalypse.

I usually don't read many books of this nature but when I read the summary I knew I had to read this one. It was my chance to learn or find out more about the Freemasons and the Illuminati. Yes, I am one of those that thinks that this could one day happen to us. Maybe not in the same way but it could happen. They are some things in the book that I do agree with and think that we as human beings should already have done. I believe that we are one so therefore we should do away with imaginary borders.

I can not begin to comprehend all the research that Dina Rae must have put into writing this book. It is brilliantly written. Between all the characters in the book and the way she would go from the present to the past. The Last Degree is one of those books that will keep you on the edge of your seat hanging on and you just have to know what is going to happen next. You don't want to put it down and when you have to it is definitely not because that is something that you want to do.

Don't forget that you can get The Last Degree for free on Amazon Sept. 27 and 28. Today is the last day. Click the link above.





ABOUT THE AUTHOR




Dina Rae Author pic

Dina Rae is a new author here to stay. As a former teacher, she brings an academic element to her work. Her two novels, Halo of the Damned and The Last Degree, weave research and suspense throughout the plots. Her short story, Be Paranoid Be Prepared, is a prequel of sorts to The Last Degree, focusing on the James Martin character. Dina also freelances for various entertainment blogs.

Dina lives with her husband, two daughters, and two dogs outside of Chicago. She is a Christian, an avid tennis player, movie buff, and self-proclaimed expert on several conspiracy theories. When she is not writing, she is reading novels from her favorite authors Dan Brown, Anne Rice, Stephen King, Brad Thor, George R.R. Martin, and Preston & Childs.




FIND THE AUTHOR

Website

Blog




Be sure and check out all the other stops on the tour.



TOUR SCHEDULE

August 1st- whoopeeyoo :D (Playlist Post/Excerpt)

August 2nd- Kaidans Seduction (Review)

August 3rd- Crazy Four Books (Book Play List Post)

August 4th- Tricia Kristufek (Guest Post/Excerpt)

August 5th- Full Moon Bites (Author Interview)

August 6th- Winged Reviews (Guest Post)

August 7th- A Bibliophile's Thoughts on Books (Excerpt/Giveaway)

August 8th- Books & Beauty (Guest Post)

August 9th- Where Fantasy and Love Take Flight (Author Interview)

August 10th- Redheaded Bookworm (Book Playlist Post/Giveaway)

August 11th- Crossroads (Promo Post)

August 12th- FireStarBooks (Author Interview)

August 13th- Sweeping Me (Promo Post)

August 14th- Kristy Centeno (Author Interview)

August 15th- bibliophilia (Excerpt Post)

August 16th- Howling Books and Design (Excerpt/Giveaway)

August 17th- Crazy Chapters (Promo Post)

August 18th- The Book Connoisseur (Book Playlist Post)

August 19th- Heart Of A Wolf (Promo Post)

August 20th- Nazish Reads (Author Interview/Excerpt)

August 21st- Off the Page (Book Play List Post/Author Interview)

August 22nd- Breathe In BooKs (Guest Post)

August 23rd- The Jeep Diva (Book Play List post/Giveaway)

August 24th- Blood, Lust and Erotica (Giveaway/Author Interview)

August 25th- Of the Underworld (Excerpt Post)

August 26th- Lizzy's Dark Fiction (Promo Post)

August 26th- Black Hippie Chick's Take on Books & The World (Review/Giveaway)

August 27th- Books & Beauty (Author Interview)

August 28th- Simply Infatuated (Author Interview)

August 29th- Reading in the Nude (Book Playlist Post)

August 30th- I HEART BOOKS (Excerpt Post)

August 31st- Christie's Book Reviews (Promo Post)

September 1st- Beach Bum Reads (Review/Author Interview)

September 2nd- D VonThaer (Book Review)

September 3rd- Simply Infatuated (Guest Post)

September 4th- Kenra Daniels (Promo Post)

September 5th- Donna's Blog Home (Review)

September 6th- The Bunny's Review (Author Interview)

September 7th- My Seryniti (Review)

September 8th- Book Devotee Reviews (Promo Post)

September 9th- Laurie's Thoughts and Reviews (Author Interview)

September 10th- Abbey Ann's Bookland (Book Playlist Post)

September 11th- Cocktails and Books (Book Play List Post/Giveaway)

September 12th- Book Club Sisters (Review/Character Interview)

September 13th- Darkest Addictions Book Reviews (Review/Excerpt)

September 14th- I am, Indeed (Book Review)

September 15th- Housewife Blues and Chihuahua Stories (Excerpt Post)

September 16th- A Bit of Dash (Reivew/Excerpt)

September 17th- For The Love Of Film And Novels (Giveaway/Guest Post)

September 18th- Moonlight Gleam's Bookshelf (Author Interview)

September 19th- Words I Write Crazy (Review/Excerpt Post)

September 20th- Book Lover's Hideaway (Guest Post/Giveaway)

September 21st- My Seryniti (Author Interview)

September 22nd- Melissa's Eclectic Bookshelf (Guest Post/Giveaway)

September 23rd- Reading with Holly (Promo Post)

September 24th- Day Dreaming (Guest Post)

September 25th- Queentutts World of Escapism (Review/Giveaway)

September 26th- Proserpine Craving Books (Book Excerpt)

September 27th- Book Review Club Blog (Guest Post/Giveaway)

September 28th- The Avid Reader (Book Review/Excerpt)

September 29th- Holly Adair (Book Playlist Post)







TOUR SCHEDULE LINK


This tour was put together by FMB Blog Tours

Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Blog Tour: (Interview + Giveaway) The Night Budda Got Deep in It By Ron D. Smith




I would like to welcome Ron D. Smith to The Avid Reader today. Thanks for stopping by Ron D. Smith. Please be sure and check out Ron D. Smith's novel The Night Budda Got Deep in It. Check out my interview with Ron D. Smith. Oh and before you leave be sure and enter the giveaway!




Budda banner






Budda

Book Title: The Night Budda Got Deep in It

Author: Ron D. Smith

Published: August 1st 2012

Ebook:

Pages: 176








BLURB

The Night Budda Got Deep in It




Fifteen-year-old Budda (Butter with a souther drawl) Jessico leads an unremarkable and anonymous life in suburban St. Louis. He’s not unpopular, because someone would first have to notice him. Except for the tormenting by his older brother, however, Budda is content. He follows his father’s rules and stays out of trouble. Then, at the urging of Blood Mama (his birth mother), a voice only Budda hears, he catches a bus to Kentucky to rescue his former foster sister, Addie.

As soon as Budda reaches Louisville, he goes to a McDonald’s for the first time in his life where he meets the resolute Baresha, a fellow runaway on her own adventure. Then Budda’s mission to find his sister goes downhill. He hitches a ride to Valkyrie, Addie’s hometown, in hopes of saving her from some danger Blood Mama won’t reveal. Instead, Budda encounters her blood kin, led by the ominous Odyn Starkwether and his violent brother Dickie.

A drug shipment controlled by the Starkwethers has disappeared and so has Addie. The brothers have a mess to clean up, and Budda is soon in the middle of it. At first, Budda goes along willingly, if it will help him find Addie. Before long, though, Budda realizes it’s sometimes better to stay put.








BUY NOW LINK

The Night Budda Got Deep in It




Amazon Kindle

Amazon Paper Book

Smashwords

Barnes & Noble








The Night Budda Got Deep in It

Chapter 1




Budda finished the plastic-sheathed copy of Oliver Twist and jammed it into his overstuffed backpack. The book wouldn’t be due back at the school library for another week, but he already considered it stolen, because he would never return to Kirkwood High. He had never pilfered anything before. Never so much as broken curfew. And now he was running off to Kentucky. With a stolen book. With money he thieved from his brother. My, what a rebel he had become.

The library book had more or less engaged him until the end, though Budda could have made do with half as many words — a good portion of which could have been Swahili, for all he knew. He’d only decided to read the book to look and feel smarter, though that objective hadn’t been met.

Budda fantasized about a Dickens spin on his own story, one where a mysterious benefactor or long-lost relative would rescue him from his crummy life. Or, at least, what passed for crummy in the mind of a kid who felt oppressed by his loathsome big brother and fretful father. He met the basic requirements. He never met his birth parents, and he was running away from the one who raised him. Budda could envision destiny leading him to reunite with the parents he never knew, or possibly a rich, doting relative who would support him for life.

Never mind that Budda had never been to Kentucky and knew no one there except for Addie. And never mind that his family life wasn’t as bad as he imagined. Try to convince a 15-year-old differently when he has his mind made up, and see how far you get.

No Oliver Twist ending for Budda. His birth mother, who gave him up when he was a day old, overdosed in the Sikeston Motel 6. Her body was in full hypostasis when the manager discovered her the next day, a crust of vomit on the carpet where her face lay.

If she were still alive, she couldn’t have sworn on a Gideon who Budda’s biological father was. At best, she could narrow the list to three lamentable candidates — give her that much credit — but none of them had rich relatives or were prone to doting on anything other than a bottle of Old Grand Dad. Budda’s parentage was Missouri dead-end hill trash to the core. His adoptive family, even the oafish brother he hoped would someday lose a limb in a wood chipper, was quite a few steps above that.

Budda’s birth mother, the one he called Blood Mama, had kept him company ever since his foster care days. She rode with him now on the Greyhound. She was no ghost to Budda, because she was still alive as far as he knew. (The story of the Motel 6 would have to wait a while.) She was more like an invisible advisor, a constant presence who counseled him, though often wrongly, on every aspect of his life. He knew nothing about the real Blood Mama, other than that her tweaking habit had kept her from keeping him. He pictured her alive somewhere down in the Boot-heel, working on getting her life straight. Budda would give her plenty of time to make the right ways stick, and then he’d go find her, too, just like he was doing with Addie.

It was Blood Mama who convinced him to give up on his family and to take after Addie. Blood Mama said his foster sister needed saving from something, though she had been short on specifics. Budda had a feeling Blood Mama wasn’t sure herself what the trouble was. It didn’t matter. Budda had pined for his sister since she had moved out. Once he found her and rescued her from whatever mess she was in, he would start a new life in Kentucky. It couldn’t be any worse than life in Kirkwood.

Blood Mama currently advised Budda on what he should do about his father.

Don’t you think I should call him? Budda asked.

You’ll just get him riled up more. If you’re running away, you need to make a clean break of it, Blood Mama said.

I don’t want him to be worried. You know how he is. He’ll think somebody abducted me.

So you think he’ll quit worrying if he knows you run off from home and crossed three state lines to find the girl instead? Just let him be.

I won’t call him, but I should at least text him, Budda said, thumbing the keys on his phone. I won’t say where I’m going, but I’ll tell him not to worry.

Well then, he’ll be sure to sleep sound tonight, won’t he?

Budda usually listened patiently to what Blood Mama had to say, which took up a good deal of time, because the woman had an opinion on everything. With all that listening, Budda didn’t have much time for talking. The less he spoke, the dumber people thought he was. Budda didn’t fight that perception, because he believed there was a good amount of truth to it. He didn’t remember anything about his first foster family, but he theorized he had been dropped on his head, because even simple ideas came alive in his brain only with great effort, as slow to ignite as rain-sated firewood.

Budda didn’t talk out loud to Blood Mama, but he sometimes moved his lips and even gesticulated when he got lost in conversation with her. For that, kids at school thought he wasn’t only slow, but a bit off upstairs. Future wacko hobo material. That didn’t make him unique at Kirkwood High, but it didn’t guarantee a lot of prom dates either.

By the time the Greyhound reached Effingham, Illinois, commercial bus travel had lost its appeal for Budda. His bony butt was not contoured for long trips, and this was the longest one he had been on. Even worse, the driver maintained an uncomfortably cold cabin. Budda shivered for much of the trip, because he hadn’t brought anything warm to wear — it had been unseasonably mild for mid-October when he left St. Louis. Proper preparation was not his strong suit.

According to Budda’s phone, which was a scratch-and-dent, double hand-me-down Nokia from his dad to his brother to him, it was a little after eight in the evening. The aquamarine display flashed another text message from his father, which Budda deleted without reading. He turned off the audio alerts so he wouldn’t be tempted to answer when his father called or texted again, which he would do repeatedly, because the man was most in his element when he had something big to worry about. And this was a whopper.

It soon wouldn’t matter how often his dad tried to reach Budda. The Nokia’s battery was on its last bar, and he had neglected to pack its charger.

In a span of a few hours, Budda would visit three states that were new to him. He had never been to Illinois until that night, even though he lived only twenty minutes the other side of the Mississippi. He’d always imagined Illinois was just like East St. Louis from border to border. He had heard enough stories about the city across the river that he pictured it as an endless string of beer and shot bars, low wattage strip joints, and condemned two-stories that had transformed into crack houses. He also believed psycho killers prowled for innocent teenagers in every dark alley. Budda came by these ideas through his father, who had warned Budda and Lando about the atrocities that awaited them in the Land of Lincoln.

“Don’t ever, ever cross that bridge,” Dad said. “It’s easy to get lost over there. If you do, I’m afraid I’ll never see you alive again. Your name and picture will be on the front page of the Post-Dispatch when they find chunks of you in some industrial waste dump.”

What a sunny outlook the man had, yet Budda had never doubted him. Until this night, Budda had been the obedient son, the one who was never tempted to sneak across the river to that devil’s playground, or anywhere else beyond a two block radius of home. Now he had flushed away all that built-up trustworthiness, because he was overcome with the need to see Addie, the only one in his family who had ever treated him like he had more going on upstairs than an earthworm.

The Illinois that Budda saw now wasn’t at all forbidden-looking, unless a guy was allergic to corn or other grain crops. There wasn’t much to the Illinois color palette, just monochromatic beiges as far as he could see, with not a stripper or crack whore anywhere in sight. When the sanguine sun dropped past the meridian on its way to California, the landscape became speckled with the lights of remote farmsteads. Those must be some lonely people living out there, Budda thought. He hoped Kentucky wasn’t like that. He preferred suburbs like Kirkwood with lots of lights, people, and signs to tell you where to go if you got lost.

Budda switched to a different bus in Indianapolis, which was not as full as the first one. He regarded a girl about his age who sat near the front of the bus. Budda couldn’t make out what she looked like, if she was pretty or plain, but she was the only other young person on the trip, and she seemed much more acclimated to bus riding than Budda did. She got on, sunk into her seat like she was in for the long haul, and plugged in the ear buds to her iPod. He admired and envied her lackadaisical demeanor, as though she had ridden a thousand buses just like this one and nothing could faze her. Conversely, he was sure all the other passengers knew just by looking at him that he was a novice at bus travel. He was the one who couldn’t walk down to the street corner without his father wanting to put a tracking device on him.

Budda mused about what he might say to the girl if given the chance. He had never said more than a word or two to any girl other than Addie, who wasn’t really his sister in a blood or legal way. She had left the Jessico home and moved back to a God-knows-where-hamlet in Kentucky. Addie had told him the name of the place, saying it was near Louisville, which she pronounced “Lou-vull”, like the middle syllable wasn’t worth the effort. Budda remembered that part well, but he couldn’t quite grab hold of the name of Addie’s hometown. He was sure it was stuck in his memory, but buried in there so deeply that he couldn’t bust it loose.

That was another important detail he should have nailed down before he left St. Louis. Taking a minute to scan the Louisville area on Google Maps would have helped him summon up the name of Addie’s town, but he didn’t think of that. That and the fact he didn’t have his sister’s phone number would indicate that his journey wouldn’t go well, but Blood Mama said Budda was just being whimsical. Tomato/tomahto.

The bus pulled into the Louisville station shortly after two in the morning. Budda could tell as the bus crossed the Ohio River that Louisville’s skyline was smaller than the one in St. Louis. He trusted that would make it easier to find Addie. He was for sure going to put everything he had into the effort, because he could never return to St. Louis. His brother would kill him the second he got back inside the front door.

Budda didn’t know what to do now that he was in Louisville. He had no plans for how to start looking for Addie. Second thoughts started to creep into his head just as he was about to step off the bus.

Don’t turn into a weenie on me already, Blood Mama said. You’re not going anywhere but to find and rescue your sister.

I think this was a bad idea, Blood Mama. I don’t even know where to find her, and you’re not telling me what trouble she’s in. What if it’s something I can’t get her out of?

Too late to think like that. Besides, you don’t have enough money for the bus ride back home.

I bet they have a Western Union here. The one in St. Louis did. I could just have Dad send me the money.

You’re not going back. You got to go get your sister, Blood Mama said.

What if she doesn’t want to be gotten?

This isn’t the time for what-if’s. You’ve got to get off your rear right now and start looking before something real bad happens to her.

Panic began to stir in Budda’s gut. If Addie was in such a mess, others were more capable of helping her. Maybe he’d call his dad after all. Blood Mama stopped him before he could pull the phone from his backpack.

This is something only you can do, she said. Nobody else knows the girl like you.

The bus from Indianapolis to Louisville had been less than half full. As soon as the passengers had departed and retrieved their luggage, they quickly dispersed into the city. It was like the terminal had already closed for the night. No one was inside but a woman who swept the lobby floor. Only Budda and the girl from the bus remained in the lobby. The girl asked the janitor if she could suggest any cheap restaurants nearby that stayed open late. That’s the kind of question a smart girl would ask, Budda thought.

“There’s a big McDonald’s up on Broadway that stays open,” the woman said, continuing to corral a pile of paper coffee cups and other trash with her broom. “It’s at Second Street, which isn’t too far. A cab ride wouldn’t cost much. There’s always one or two waiting out front.”

“I’m not real excited about paying for another ride after I just paid for this one,” the girl said.

“Don’t think about getting there on foot. A girl your age ought not to be out walking alone at night,” the custodian said, sounding more like a mother than a Greyhound employee. “You go on and let the taxi take you.”

Unworried, the girl said, “I can do just fine by myself. This place’s a lot smaller than Indianapolis.”

“Maybe,” the woman said. “But that doesn’t make it any nicer. You stay alert to your surroundings.”

The girl strode with confidence toward the exit, an Old Navy overnight bag swinging off her arm. It dawned on Budda that he hadn’t eaten since lunch at school. He decided McDonald’s was where he needed to go, too. It might also be a good idea to keep an eye on the girl, in case she encountered any of those bad elements the Greyhound woman warned about.

The girl walked up Seventh Street and then turned left at Broadway where traffic was heavier. Budda wondered if downtown St. Louis was just as busy at two on a Friday morning. He had never been there that late to know. His dad strictly enforced a ten o’clock curfew on weeknights and ten-thirty on Fridays and Saturdays — no exceptions. The man fretted incessantly, like he still believed in the Boogie Man. He wouldn’t let Budda, Lando, or any of the foster kids that had come through their rambling three-story home, play in the backyard unless he could watch them. He said you never knew when a rampaging maniac would come smashing through their privacy fence and carry them off. And then who would be sorry? This remained the man’s dreadful outlook, even though Budda was approaching six feet and Lando was five-ten and pushing hard against 275 pounds. If anyone needed to worry about being carried off, it was their five-six, 140-pound father.

The parade of foster kids, many of them used to much more lax living environments, hated the house rules even more than Budda and Lando did. Addie bristled most.

“I get no privacy around here,” she said. “It’s gotten to where he’s standing guard outside the bathroom when I take a pee. He knocks on the door and asks if I’m okay in there.”

“It’s for our own good. He’s just trying to keep us all safe,” said Budda, parroting what he had heard Dad say many times. As an adoptee who took his father’s last name, he felt it necessary to defend the man to his temporary siblings.

“Nobody can guarantee anyone’s safety,” Addie said. “If the Boogie Man chooses to come after you, a 43-year-old environmental engineer in tie dye and granola sandals won’t do much to scare him off.”

Until Addie came to live with them, Budda hadn’t felt suffocated by his father’s relentless fretting about imagined dangers. Lando often complained about their father too, but then, he was a chronic complainer. Budda had tuned him out a long time ago. With Addie, Budda began to see things differently. Any time Budda broke a rule, even something harmless like reading a comic book in bed after lights out, he was overcome with guilt for days. But Addie had a different type of conscience. She ignored curfew, ate what she wanted when she wanted, and came and went from the house as she pleased. She didn’t always come home alone either. Budda was certain that she had sex with at least two different boys in her room when their parents were away. And she got away with it.

An orange rear-loading garbage truck rumbled to a halt along the curb just ahead of Budda. A man in a backwards Atlanta baseball cap hopped off the back, thwacked off the lid to a public trash can and dumped its contents in the crusher. As the truck geared up and moved past Budda, he spotted a brown stream of stale beer and other ooze leaking from the back corner of the truck, right where the man rode.

My Lord, you could never get me to live in this place, Blood Mama said. Too much stinky-stink.

Budda had to agree. He wasn’t getting a pleasing first impression of Kentucky. But his ride across Illinois taught him that he should hold off on making any snap judgments.

It’s just normal city smells, he said.

You’re an expert on all things urban all of a sudden? Just keep your eyes on what you’re doing. There’s bound to be all sorts of nasties out on a mild night like this. I can’t wait until we get out of the city and into the country where the girl is.

Blood Mama wasn’t helping Budda conquer his fear of the strange city. Few people occupied the sidewalks, but anyone of them could hide a weapon. He closed his gap behind the girl to about twenty feet. After another block along Broadway, the girl turned abruptly, with something in her raised right hand that Budda couldn’t identify in the shadows.

“I got pepper spray, and I’ll use it on your ugly face if you come an inch closer,” the girl said.










INTERVIEW

Ron D. Smith




The Avid Reader: What inspired you to write The Night that Budda Got Deep in it?

Ron D. Smith: I knew this kid on the margins who had a lot of potential but didn’t realize it. The world is full of people like him, people who most of give little thought to. I wanted to write a novel in which a kid on the fringes of society could begin to see his own worth.



The Avid Reader: When or at what age did you know you wanted to be a writer?

Ron D. Smith: It was so long ago that I don’t remember. However, I knew I had some potential in high school when my teachers laughed at my writing—the good kind of laughing.



The Avid Reader: What is the earliest age you remember reading your first book?

Ron D. Smith: I think I was twenty-three.



The Avid Reader: What genre of books do you enjoy reading?

Ron D. Smith: I like many genres—from thrillers and mysteries to literary or dystopian—as long as the characters are fully-formed humans who aren’t totally bad or good.



The Avid Reader: What is your favorite book?

Ron D. Smith: That’s a tough one, but A Tale of Two Cities is near the top. Love, danger, sacrifice… it has all the classic elements.



The Avid Reader: You know I think we all have a favorite author. Who is your favorite author and why?

Ron D. Smith: It changes daily, but I’ll go with Dickens at the moment because I just mentioned one of his books. He also gets a mention in The Night Budda Got Deep in It.



The Avid Reader: If you could travel back in time here on earth to any place or time. Where would you go and why?

Ron D. Smith: I would like to go back and hang out with Abe Lincoln n the White House, but there’s a catch. I can go all day without electricity, but I like indoor plumbing. Did they have that in the White House when Lincoln was there? If not, that would be a deal breaker.



The Avid Reader: When writing a book do you find that writing comes easy for you or is it a difficult task?

Ron D. Smith: It’s often painful to write, especially the first draft. The late screenwriter Michael Kanin is often quoted as saying, “I don't like to write, but I love to have written.” That pretty well sums it up for me.



The Avid Reader: Do you have any little fuzzy friends? Like a dog or a cat? Or any pets?

Ron D. Smith: The last time we got a dog, I told my wife she could get anything as long as it wasn’t a little yippy dog or a poodle. She came home from the pound with a toy poodle. Lulu is a good dog, though. She’s sitting next to me now.



The Avid Reader: What is your "to die for", favorite food/foods to eat?

Ron D. Smith: There are two kinds of macaroni & cheese. Good mac & cheese and better mac & cheese.



The Avid Reader: Do you have any advice for anyone that would like to be an author?

Ron D. Smith: It sounds trite and overused, but write every day, even if it’s your grocery list. The more you write, the sooner you’ll find your voice.










ABOUT THIS AUTHOR






Ron D Smith author

I started my adult life as a journalist, but gave it up when I realized I wasn't going to become Walter Cronkite. I grew up in small towns in Missouri and Iowa, which make my adopted hometown of Louisville look like Manhattan.

I envy the dialogue of Daniel Woodrell, the sense of place of Silas House, and how Wendell Berry makes writing seem deceptively easy. I appreciate Elmore Leonard for being Elmore Leonard. I don't write like anyone but me.













ONLINE LINKS

Website

Facebook

Twitter

Goodreads










GIVEAWAY




Giveaway USA ONLY

15 E-books and 5 Print Books




a Rafflecopter giveaway



Be sure and check out all the other stops on the tour.



TOUR SCHEDULE

9/10 The Bunny's Review Interview and Giveaway

9/10 Kristy Centeno Spot Light

9/11 Crystal's Book Corner Spot Light and Giveaway

9/11 Jenn's Review Blog Interview

9/12 All Things Writing Spot Light and Giveaway

9/13 Lissette E. Manning Review

9/13 Off the Page Interview and Giveaway

9/13 My Chaotic Ramblings Interview

9/14 Sweet Southern Home Spot Light

9/14 The Book Hoard Spot Light

9/17 Crossroads Spot Light and Giveaway

9/17 The Book Tart Interview

9/19 T B R Review and Giveaway

9/20 Disincentive Reviews Spot Light and Giveaway

9/24 Andi's Young Adult Books Spot Light and Giveaway

9/26 The Avid Reader Interview

10/1 My Secret Romance Spot Light and Giveaway

10/2 My Cozie Corner Review and Giveaway

10/2 The World of Jesse Kimmel-Freeman Review, Interview, and Giveaway

10/3 Books, Books, and More Books Review and Giveaway

10/5 On Emilys Bookshelf Review, Interview, and Giveaway

10/5 Comfort Books Review







Innovative Online Book Tours, Innovative Online Book Tours

Wishlist Wednesday #26




Wishlist Wednesday is a book blog hop where we will post about one book per week that has been on our wishlist for some time, or just added (it's entirely up to you), that we can't wait to get off the wishlist and onto our wonderful shelves.







  • Follow Pen to Paper as host of the meme.
  • Please consider adding the blog hop button to your blog somewhere, so others can find it easily and join in too! Help spread the word! The code will be at the bottom of the post under the linky.
  • Pick a book from your wishlist that you are dying to get to put on your shelves.
  • Do a post telling your readers about the book and why it's on your wishlist.
  • Add your blog to the linky at the bottom of the post on Pen to Paper.
  • Put a link back to pen to paper somewhere in your post.
  • Visit the other blogs and enjoy!






On My Wishlist




Taking on the Dead (The Famished Trilogy, #1)
Title: Taking on the Dead (The Famished Trilogy #1)

Author: Annie Walls

Paperback:

Pages: 312

Published: September 20th 2012







Goodreads synopsis




Life for Kansas was perfect until the day the world changed.

She has been hiding out for four years in solitude. It's the only way to survive. The only way not to draw the living dead. Helping a small group of people, she learns the new world might not be what she assumes. Venturing out of her refuge and comfort zone, she meets Rudy, who helps her find a greater purpose. She realizes that the world has moved on without her. Only it's not what she expects. Her knowledge of the living dead grows and only makes her more curious as humanity continues to hang on by a thread. While on her search for answers she finds comfort in new friendships and love, but her past seems as if it will haunt her forever.

Kansas takes it upon herself to help other survivors, which would be easy if the famished were the only obstacles.

In a trilogy plot thick with twists and turns, this adult dark fantasy is emotional as much as it is horrifyingly gripping.





Why did I choose Taking on the Dead

for this weeks Wishlist Wednesday?



As I have said before I love reading books about zombies and the apocalyptic kind. I love, love, loveeeee them. The summary and all the reviews that I have read for Taking on the Dead are saying that it is a fantastic read. I can't wait to get my hands on a copy of this one.





Look for Annie Walls on the web


Goodreads - Annie Walls

Goodreads - Taking on the Dead

Web Site - Annie Walls

Twitter - Annie Walls

Facebook - Annie Walls





What is on your Wishlist Wednesday?

Tuesday, September 25, 2012

Blog Tour: (First Chapter + Giveaway) Racing With The Wind By Regan Walker




I would like to welcome Regan Walker to The Avid Reader today. Thanks for stopping by Regan Walker. Please be sure and check out Regan Walker's novel Racing With the Wind. Oh and before you leave be sure and enter the giveaway!




Racing With The Wind banner






Racing With The Wind book cover

Book Title: Racing With the Wind

Author: Regan Walder

Published: July 23rd 2012

Publisher: Boroughs Publishing Group

Ebook:

Pages: 266








BLURB

Racing With the Wind




The intrepid daughter of an earl leaves Regency London for the Parisian court of Louis XVIII, where she finds adventure, mystery, and above all, love.

THE NIGHTHAWK Hugh Redgrave, marquess of Ormond, was warned. Prinny had dubbed Lady Mary Campbell “the Swan,” but no ordinary man could clip her wings. She was a bluestocking hellion, an illadvised match by every account. Luckily, he sought no bride. His work lay on the continent, where he’d become legend by stealing war secrets from Boney. And yet, his memories of Lady Mary riding her stallion were a thorn in his mind. He was the son of a duke and in the service of the Prince Regent…and he would not be whole until he had won her hand.

THE SWAN It was unheard of for a Regency debutante to postpone her first season, yet Lady Mary had done just that. Far more interested in politics than a husband, she had no time for foolishness or frippery. Already she had assisted her statesman uncle in Paris, and she swore to return to the court of Louis XVIII no matter the danger. Like her black stallion, Midnight, she would always run free. Only the truest heart would race beside her.








BUY NOW LINK

Racing With the Wind




All Romance

Amazon

Apple iBooks

Barnes & Noble

Smashwords








Racing with the Wind

Copyright 2012 Regan Walker

Chapter 1




London, 1816

Standing at the edge of the ballroom, Lady Mary Campbell smiled to herself, thinking it was a bit like standing on the edge of a cliff. Stepping forward would bring a drop into the unknown. It was a step she had no desire to take.

But, then, she had no choice. She’d postponed her dreaded debut as long as possible, and at nineteen she was well past the age most ingénues greeted their first season. Dressed in ivory satin she was, but she could hardly wait for the day she could wear red. And though she would have preferred her long hair down and flowing free, tonight it was drawn up into a pile of curls.

Gazing into the immense room with its crystal chandeliers, hundreds of candles, and men and women in elegant finery, Mary let out a deep sigh. It was all very glorious, of course, but it wasn’t the Tuileries Palace where she had waltzed last December. It wasn’t the world she loved, the world in which she thrived, the world of books and ideas. It wasn’t the countryside, where she could ride her horse and forget everything. It wasn’t even her uncle’s world of statesmen. Those men, she was certain, would not give a thought to the gowns or balls for young women entering London society, and she wished she could follow their example. No, Mary was not at all at home in this place where young men mingled with their future wives—wives they would dominate and keep from truly seeing or enjoying the world.

That was one reason she was not anxious to wed, and she had several. But at the request of her mother, the dowager countess of Argyll, she had come to this ball and would dance with the young men. And when her sweet mother insisted her only daughter go to court and curtsey before George, Prince of Wales, the Prince Regent, Mary had bowed to the gracious request and sweetly obeyed.

Her best friend, Elizabeth St. Clair, bubbled on at her side about the grand decorations and the pretty gowns, but Mary’s mind was on the Times article she’d read at breakfast describing Napoleon’s exile on the island of St. Helena. There was a small note at the bottom of the article saying recent information suggested Napoleon’s defeat in Russia was, in part, due to the legendary Nighthawk. She longed to meet the mysterious man, that stealer of secrets, if indeed he existed. But if he did, she was certain he would not be wasting his time at some tedious London ball. The world did not revolve around a dance, not even the waltz.

Elizabeth tugged on her glove. “I say, Mary, do you agree?”

Mary realized she had missed what her friend was saying and tried to recall the original question. She wanted to show support for Elizabeth, whose blue eyes were wide with wonder at the beautiful gowns and the handsome young men; her older sisters had already taken their place in London society, and Mary knew Lizzy was anxious to join them.

“Well, it is rather as I expected, Lizzy. It’s like being offered up to the highest bidder, is it not? ’Tis strange so many go so willingly to the auction block.”

Elizabeth’s side-glance stopped Mary’s reflection. “Oh, do try and enjoy yourself, Mary. It’s not so bad. Besides, you’re gathering many admiring looks!”

“I think you are imagining that. Recall the conversation of the Baroness Johnson in the retiring room we overheard. She could barely wait to tell her friends that the Campbell hoyden who reads philosophy and rides horses like a man is here.”

“Actually, you were most gracious to her, Mary; more the lady than she. I rather think she’s just a jealous old biddy. Besides, I wasn’t talking about the women. It is the men who cannot take their eyes off you.”

Mary’s cheeks warmed. Her friend was exaggerating again out of kindness and loyalty. Her mother, too, remarked in a caring way about her appearance, and her uncle complimented her gowns, but Mary knew their words were merely encouragement to wear the female frippery she disdained. Her heart seized with a pang of regret as she wondered if her father would have thought her pretty. He had not lived to see her blossom into womanhood.

“Lizzy, I am not seeing what you are, but since you asked, I will do my best to be happy. After all, you are here, and I do love to dance.”

As if summoned, two young men approached and asked for the first quadrille. Mary resolved to be nice.

So it begins, she thought to herself.

One young man offered an arm. Green eyes met blue. His kind face was framed by light brown hair, and he smiled, leading her smoothly out into the room. They were soon gliding across the polished wood floor. To her surprise, Mary’s spirits lifted.

As the dance took a turn, Mary’s gaze drifted over her partner’s shoulder, drawn unbidden to two men standing in front of a pillar. She did not recognize them, but the dark stare of the taller man pierced her gown, corset and chemise and touched her very skin. Feeling exposed in a way she never had, she shivered, and she was glad when her partner whirled her away.

And yet, she continued to surreptitiously watch the man, drawn to his overwhelming presence. He wore black, his white shirt and cravat the only contrast to the dark brown hair that fell in waves to his nape. He exuded a kind of power unlike any other male in the room. There was nothing the dandy about him.

* * *

Taking a long draw on his brandy and gazing around him, Hugh Redgrave, Marquess of Ormond and only son of the Duke of Albany, drew a breath and held it as his eyes came to rest on a girl gliding across the dance floor like a swan over a lake. The tall young woman with hair the color of spun gold and fine features set in an oval face was striking, but it was more than her beauty that drew him; she moved with a grace beyond her years and had a fire in her eyes that set her apart from the other debutantes.

He had found the evening tiring until now. The ball served only to remind him he was nearing the age of thirty, and as his father’s heir, the pressure to select a wife from among the young ladies presented increased with each passing year. Comforting himself with an occasional mistress to warm his bed was serving his needs just fine; he was in no hurry to take a wife. When he did, it simply would be an arrangement among peers. Far better to see marriage as a matter of business, as so many others did. That would have one advantage: He could never lose someone he loved.

Yet, he wanted to delay the inevitable for a while longer. He had a good excuse. His work had kept him away from England, and if he were fortunate, it still might. Perhaps the Prince Regent had a new assignment for him.

As was his usual practice, Hugh had made this appearance in the ballroom before retiring for a game of cards. Leaning over to his friend, the second son of the Earl of Lindsey, he chuckled. “I feel a bit like a fox watching baby chicks. Do you think we make their mothers nervous?”

“They do watch us with skeptical eyes,” Griffen Lambeth replied. “No doubt they are worried any minute we will pounce.”

Hugh nodded. “Indeed. And how little we’ve done to deserve the reputations we have.”

“I’m not sure I agree with that, since you have cultivated yours as a cover for your other…activities, have you not? And by cultivation I’m not just speaking of your latest indulgence, Lady Hearnshaw. Before her there was the countess of—”

“I confess I have done. It seemed necessary at the time. Just like my sneaking back to England every year or so to put in an appearance at a ball and leave the impression I was still in London, ready to pounce at any moment. All is part of the show.”

His reputation as a rake, a man of the world who would seduce any woman who took his fancy, would unsettle the mamas, he knew, but better the mamas think them rakes than know them as spies. Not that he intended to dance with anyone. No matter there were some real beauties at the ball tonight; his previous encounters had taught him young noblewomen were silly and too talkative, prattling on about town gossip and matters of the home. Insipid. A night with one would precipitate a quick marriage. No, it was best to stay with women who posed no threat to his bachelor status. Older, more experienced women, women who willingly offered their bodies while not asking for his heart.

Still, he was curious about the blonde girl. There was something special about her. “Who’s that dancing with Arthur Bywood?”

Griffen’s eyes scanned the couples. “Ah. I wondered if you’d noticed her. That would be Lady Mary Campbell, daughter of William Campbell, the late Earl of Argyll. You remember, the one killed in that horrible riding accident.”

Hugh’s mind seized at the memory of another riding accident, one that had forever changed his life. But that was not what Griffen referenced. “She couldn’t have been very old at the time.”

“No, she was quite young. An only child. I understand it was heart-rending. Now some young cousin or other will inherit the title.”

Hugh’s eyes followed the girl as she moved gracefully away from and back to her partner. She was laughing at something her partner was saying, her head thrown back in unusual abandon. It was a sensual display, and to his surprise his body responded; his trousers were suddenly too tight.

“All the ton has been anticipating her,” Griffen offered. “This is her first season.”

Hugh was puzzled. “Anticipating her? Why is that?”

“Surely you have heard, my friend. The fiercely independent—and some say rebellious— Mary Campbell? While our young fops here will dote on the girl, I expect the young men’s fathers hope she does not choose them. She has a reputation.”

“What kind of a reputation?”

“Well, a diamond of the first water she may be, but still a diamond in the rough. Too intelligent for a young woman, and both headstrong and outspoken with a tongue that cuts like a blade.”

“A bluestocking hellion?”

“Just so. Of course, it all can be explained, her having been raised without a father. The dowager countess, her mother, is a gentle woman, and she was clearly not up to the challenge. Lady Mary will be…difficult to manage.”

“Hmm.”

“Have you really never met her, not even when you were younger?”

“No.” Even as Hugh said the word, he wondered why that was. The Campbell estate lay only a short ride from his family’s country home. Then again, he’d been on the Continent for several years. “Have you?”

Griffen chuckled. “Oh, aye, and it was most disconcerting. A rare bit of baggage, that one.” Hugh turned to his friend, suddenly curious. “Don’t be obscure. Tell me.” “Well, she stared at me with such a bold look I’ll not soon forget… There’s no fear in those piercing green eyes, I can assure you. It’s a bit off-putting in a female that young. Nor is she shy with her opinions.”

Hugh’s gaze returned to the young woman. He sensed again that she was different, but perhaps it was simply as Griffen suggested and she would be difficult to manage. While he loved a challenge, he did not need a difficult and marriageable young woman. Not now. Not ever.

As he and Griffen turned toward the card room, Hugh silently pitied the man who ended up with her.










AUTHOR

REGAN WALKER'S

BIO






As a child, Regan loved to write stories, particularly about adventure-loving girls. But by the time she got to college, more serious pursuits were encouraged. One of her professors thought her suited to the profession of law. Regan says, “I became a lawyer because I thought it would be better to be a hammer than a nail.” Years of serving clients in private practice and several stints in high levels of government gave her a love of international travel and a feel for the demands of the "Crown" on its subjects. Hence, her first romance novels involve a demanding Prince Regent who thinks of his subjects as his private talent pool. Regan says her stories will always involve adventure as well as love.

Regan lives in San Diego with her Golden Retriever, Link, who she says inspires her every day to relax and smell the roses.













REGAN WALKER ONLINE

Website

Blog

Website

Blog

Facebook

Twitter







GIVEAWAY




    25 E-Book (USA)



a Rafflecopter giveaway






Be sure and check out all the other stops on the tour.



REVIEW BLITZ




9/10

The Bunny's Review

My Cozie Corner

Books, Books and More Books

mademoiselle Le Sphinx

Musings From An Addicted Reader

Sharing Links and Wisdom

I am, Indeed

Queen of All She Reads

Mallory Heart Reviews

books for me

Book Whore Blog







TOUR SCHEDULE




9/11 I Just Wanna Sit Here and Read! Guest Blog, First Chapter, and Giveaway

9/12 Sharing Links and Wisdom First Chapter and Giveaway

9/12 Identity Discovery Promo and Giveaway

9/13 M-N's Amazing Book Reviews First Chapter

9/13 Queen of All She Reads Guest Blog and Giveaway

9/14 huithiang! Guest Blog and Giveaway

9/17 I am, Indeed First Chapter and Giveaway

9/17 A Chick Who Reads Review, Guest Blog, and Giveaway

9/19 Reading Romances Interview and Giveaway

9/19 Reading Reality Review and Giveaway

9/20 My Escape Review and Giveaway

9/21 Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer Review and Giveaway

9/24 Once Upon A Book Review and Giveaway

9/25 The Bunny's Review First Chapter and Giveaway

9/25 The Avid Reader Bio/Book Synopsis and First Chapter

9/26 smartmouthtexan Guest Blog, First Chapter, and Giveaway

9/27 Literature Lover's Labrynith Review

9/28 Mademoiselle Le Sphinx Review

10/1 Celestial Reviews Review, Guest Blog, First Chapter, and Giveaway







Innovative Online Book Tours, Innovative Online Book Tours

Top Ten Tuesday #25










Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created here at The Broke and the Bookish. This feature was created because we are particularly fond of lists here at The Broke and the Bookish. We'd love to share our lists with other bookish folks and Each week we will post a new Top Ten list that one of our bloggers here at The Broke and would LOVE to see your top ten lists! the Bookish will answer. Everyone is welcome to join. All we ask is that you link back to The Broke and the Bookish on your own Top Ten Tuesday post AND add your name to the Linky widget so that everyone can check out other bloggers lists! If you don't have a blog, just post your answers as a comment. Have fun with it! It's a fun way to get to know your fellow bloggers.




For future Top Ten Tuesday topics, check them out here!

This weeks Top Ten List

Top Ten Series I Haven't Finished (because either you didn't like them, you just have procrastinated, etc.








My Blood Approves Series Title: My Blood Approves Series

Author: Amanda Hocking

I have read the first two books in this series. I really like the series. I just have been procrastinating on this series.






Marked (House of Night, #1) Title: House of Night Series

Author: P.C. Cast & Kristin Cast

I love this series. I guess the reason I have not finished this series is because I don't want it to end.






Witchblood Title: Witchblood Series

Author: Emma Mills

The reason I have not finished this series is because the author has not finished writing the next book.






Book of Shadows (Wicca, #1) Title: Sweep Series

Author: Cate Tiernan

I have read four books from this series. I like the series because they are about witches. I have also been procrastinating on this series too.









Evernight (Evernight, #1) Title: Evernight Series

Author: Claudia Gray

I read the first book and loved it. I don't know why I have not finished the series. Maybe one day I will.









Fire Baptized (Habitat, #1) Title: Santeria Habitat Series

Author: Kenya Wright

I really enjoyed reading this series too. I would love to read the second book and find out what happened at the end of the first book. I guess I am just a procrastinator.






Wanted Nightmares: Battle for Love Title: Wanted Nightmares Series

Author: Mindy Bolinger

I really enjoyed reading the first two books. I would love to read the next book and find out what happened at the end of the last book.






Intangible Title: Intangible Series

Author: J. Meyers

The reason I have not finished this series is because it has not been published yet.









Darkness Falls (Darkness Falls, #1)
Title: Darkness Falls Series

Author: Jessica Sorensen

The reason I have not finished this series is because it has not been published yet either.









The Goddess Test (Goddess Test, #1) Title: The Goddess Test Series

Author: Aimée Carter

Again the reason I have not finished this series is because the third book has not been published. There are two more books in the series books 1.5 and 2.5. I have not read these two because I just have not bought them. But I really do want to finish this series. I can't wait for the third book to be published.














What is on your Top Ten?