Guest Post: Mind Games By Christine Amsden @ChristineAmsden #Giveaway

Mind Games: a Cassie Scot novel
By Christine Amsden
Genre: Paranormal Fantasy
Publisher: Twilight Times Books
Release date: April 15, 2014 ebook; June 15, 2014 trade paperback

Blurb

Beware your heart and soul…

Evan broke Cassie's heart two months ago, and she still doesn't know why. She throws herself into family, friends and her new job at the sheriff's department, but nothing helps. The only thing that finally allows her heal and move on is the love of a new man, mind mage Matthew Blair. Cassie finds him…irresistible.

Matthew may also be the only one who can help keep the non-magical residents of Eagle Rock from going crazy over the murder of a beloved pastor's wife. It looks like a sorcerer is to blame, but while Cassie tries to figure out who, others take matters into their own hands. With tensions running so hot, a single spark might set Eagle Rock ablaze.

Read the First Chapter here. (Warning: Contains series spoilers. New readers to the series would be better off checking out the preview of book one below.)

Cassie Scot: ParaNormal Detective
By Christine Amsden
Published: May 15th 2013
Publisher: Twilight Times Books

Cassie Scot is the ungifted daughter of powerful sorcerers, born between worlds but belonging to neither. At 21, all she wants is to find a place for herself, but earning a living as a private investigator in the shadow of her family's reputation isn't easy. When she is pulled into a paranormal investigation, and tempted by a powerful and handsome sorcerer, she will have to decide where she truly belongs.

Read the First Chapter here.

Secrets and Lies (Cassie Scot #2)
By Christine Amsden
Published: November 15th 2013
Publisher:Twilight Times Books

Blurb

Cassie Scot, still stinging from her parents' betrayal, wants out of the magical world. But it isn't letting her go. Her family is falling apart and despite everything, it looks like she may be the only one who can save them.

To complicate matters, Cassie owes Evan her life, making it difficult for her to deny him anything he really wants. And he wants her. Sparks fly when they team up to find two girls missing from summer camp, but long-buried secrets may ruin their hopes for happiness.

Guest Post:

"Normal" Detective

Paranormal sleuths and detectives are everywhere - in books, on TV, and in movies. The world is on a fantasy kick and pop culture has responded in earnest. Heroes are larger than life, and myths are coming to life before our eyes. The supernatural is a ton of fun, but there comes a point where a writer has to ask herself: What can I add to all this?

That's where my "normal" detective agency came in. The fresh angle for me, I decided, was in the character, not in the magic. Cassie isn't a chosen one, or a superhero, or the most powerful (whatever) ever to walk the planet. In fact, she's surrounded by people who kind of fit those descriptions, but she's got no magic of her own.

I'm a character girl, and this was the story I wanted to tell. The Cassie Scot series isn't really about magic or vampires (although I throw plenty of that in and have fun with it), it's about a young woman who doesn't know who she is, but she knows who she isn't.

Well, she thinks she does. She's wrong. Cassie is young yet (21) and has a lot to learn. Didn't we all at that age?

"Normal" is not a dirty word, although Cassie almost thinks of it that way. Each and every one of us has something special within us, something we can offer to the world. We can each, in little ways, be heroes. In a world full of pop culture references to powerful, prophetic people, I thought that this was important to remember. You don't have to wait for destiny to call you to be a hero. You can make the choice to use your strengths for the good of others.

About The Author:

Christine Amsden has been writing fantasy and science fiction for as long as she can remember. She loves to write and it is her dream that others will be inspired by this love and by her stories. Speculative fiction is fun, magical, and imaginative but great speculative fiction is about real people defining themselves through extraordinary situations. Christine writes primarily about people and relationships, and it is in this way that she strives to make science fiction and fantasy meaningful for everyone.

At the age of 16, Christine was diagnosed with Stargardt's Disease, a condition that effects the retina and causes a loss of central vision. She is now legally blind, but has not let this slow her down or get in the way of her dreams.

In addition to writing, Christine teaches workshops on writing at Savvy Authors. She also does some freelance editing work.

Christine currently lives in the Kansas City area with her husband, Austin, who has been her biggest fan and the key to her success. They have two beautiful children.

Praise for the Cassie Scot Series

From Publisher's Weekly:

"Amsden continues the story of the only mundane member of a supernaturally-gifted family in this middling sequel to Cassie Scot: ParaNormal Detective. Cassie, stubborn and proud, is bravely trying to live on her own after her family disowns her. Struggling to make ends meet, she accepts a case involving a pair of magical girls who disappeared from summer camp. With the aid of the handsome Evan Blackwood, to whom Cassie is attracted despite her family's disapproval and her own better judgment, she follows the trail of the missing girls. What she finds is a dark side of the magical world, and the hidden depths of her family's past force her to reconsider long-held assumptions. The growing complexity of Cassie's world makes this an entertaining installment, focusing as much on the will-they, won't-they romantic chemistry between Cassie and Evan as on the primary mystery. An inconclusive ending is clearly intended to feed into the next volume."

Kim Falconer, bestselling author of The Spell of Rosette, Quantum Enchantment Series, had this to say:

"When sorcerers call the shots, what's a girl without powers to do? Get ready for a ripper of a murder mystery full of romance and intrigue, where magic potions bubble, passions spark and vampires are definitely not your friend. Cassie Scot: ParaNormal Detective grabs you by the heart and won't let go until the very last page. Well written, immersive and unputdownable. This is urban fantasy at its best. More please!"

Giveaway:

*The giveaway begins on April 15, 2014 at midnight and ends on July 16, 2014 at midnight.

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