Steve McHugh & 'Lies Ripped Open' @StevejMchugh @GoddessFish #Adventure #Fantasy

Today we have author Steve McHugh visiting. Welcome!

What would you like to tell readers about yourself?

* Steve’s been writing from an early age, his first completed story was done in an English lesson. Unfortunately, after the teacher read it, he had to have a chat with the head of the year about the violent content and bad language. The follow up ‘One boy and his frog’ was less concerning to his teachers and got him an A.
* It wasn’t for another decade that he would start work on a full-length novel that was publishable, the results of which was the action-packed Urban Fantasy, Crimes Against Magic.
* Steve McHugh lives in Southampton on the south coast of England with his wife and three young daughters. When not writing or spending time with his kids, he enjoys watching movies, reading books and comics, and playing video games.

Today Steve McHugh will be talking about how he became a writer and what inspired him in regard to the story he's promoting.
* Before I was about 13, I didn’t want to write, I probably wanted to be a ninja or astronaut or something else that was as exciting to a 10 year old boy. A ninja astronaut possibly, if such a thing exists, and if it doesn’t, it really should because that would be awesome.
* Anyway, I was probably 11 when I was given Treasure Island to read, along with a bunch of Sherlock Holmes stories and some others I can barely remember. The Sherlock ones stuck out the most in my mind, they were the ones that made me go to the library in search of others to read. At some point in the local library, I moved from there into the realm of the choose your own adventure books.
* I devoured these like a ravenous beast, always hungry for more and never really satisfied that I’d read enough, right up until I was 13 and my English teacher told me to branch out, to read something more challenging, more diverse. I took him at his challenge and went to the library again (something I’d find myself doing more and more over the years), and picked up Terry Pratchett and David Gemmell. They were soon joined by Stephen King and countless others, and that was it. I wanted to be a writer.
* When it came to writing out my school report about what we wanted to do when leaving, I wrote author and was told by my teacher to write something more realistic, something more… well, boring to be honest. I choose accountant. I have never been an accountant.
* That’s not to say I went straight from age 16 and leaving school to become an author. It took me 9 years, until I was 25 and about to become a father for the first time, when I finally decided to get serious about it. It took another 8 years before I’d get published, the majority of that time just learning my craft and trying not to suck at something I’d fallen in love with.
* Since that day in April 2012, I’ve become a best selling author with five published books, the most recent of which is Lies Ripped Open. And frankly it’s been an incredible 3 ½ years.
* Lies Ripped Open is the accumulation of the previous four books worth of story and questions. It answers a lot of those questions, and asks several of it’s own, but it’s a story I knew I was looking forward to writing from the first word of book one, Crimes Against Magic.
* I can tell you wholeheartedly that writing is the greatest job I’ve ever had, or could ever imagine doing, the fact that I get to tell stories for people to read and enjoy is something I will never ever get tired of. And long may that continue.
A look into...

~ Blurb ~ * Over a hundred years have passed since a group of violent killers went

A Look At Lane Heymont & 'The Freedman and the Pharoah’s Staff' - @LaneHeymont @GoddessFish #thriller #occult

Today we have author Lane Heymont visiting. Welcome!

What would you like to tell readers about yourself?

* Lane earned a BA in Liberal Arts with a focus on literature and history. He also holds a double minor in psychology and business. He is a literary assistant with The Seymour Agency, and also has several short stories. He is a member of the Horror Writers Association, Historical Novel Society, and International Thriller Writers.

What are you going to tell us about today?
* My story The Freedman and the Pharoah’s Staff.

A look into the story

~ Blurb ~ * Jeb, a former slave, rescues his brother-in-law Crispus from the Ku Klux Klan, only to be drawn into a world of Creole Voodoo, racism, time travel, and redemption.
* Verdiss, the leader of the Ku Klux Klan has gained possession of the Pharaoh's Staff, a magical artifact from ancient Egypt and concocted a diabolical plan far more insidious than himself.
* In the end, Jeb and Crispus must stop an entire people from eradication and each find redemption for their own past sins. ~ Excerpt ~ * Verdiss ran his fingers over the cauldron’s lips, still amazed at what he’d discovered there. He’d been studying the Oera Linda Book, a Frisian manuscript discussing the mythologies, histories, and religions of long lost civilizations. The most prominent was Thule, a land ruled by a blond, blue-eyed race far superior to mankind. Scholars placed it near Norway. The Geist Führer’s voice had called Verdiss to the grove of grim, leaning trees. He spoke of leading the world back to the glorious age when Thule dominated the world. The Geist Führer promised Verdiss those of tainted blood would be eradicated. There’d be peace among the worthy.
* “Geist Führer.” Verdiss waved his bulbous hands over the boiling water, pulling the magic from his very will. He hated performing these accursed rites, but they were a necessity. “I seek your counsel.” The wind picked up, his robes rustling. An unnatural wind. Power tingled in the air. The charge grew hotter as Verdiss came closer to contact.
* “Dear Verdiss…” came the unholy voice, seething from within the cauldron.

Buy The Freedman and the Pharoah’s Staff here...
Sunbury Press, Inc. | Amazon | B & N

Find Lane Heymont here...
Website | Twitter | Facebook

Thank you for joining us here today, Lane Heymont! It was a pleasure getting to know you and your story.

ANNOUNCEMENT! Lane will be awarding a $25 Amazon Gift Card to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour! So be sure to leave your name and email with your comment, visit the other tour stops (find them here: http://goddessfishpromotions-super-book-blast) for a greater chance of winning!

A Look At Joseph Spencer & 'Wrage' ( @josephspencer00 @DamnationBooks @GoddessFish #thriller #occult )

Today we have author Joseph Spencer visiting. Welcome!

What would you like to tell readers about yourself?
* I graduated summa cum laude from Southern Illinois University-Carbondale with a Mass Communications degree. I worked for ten years as a print journalist for regional daily newspapers before switching careers to work in public safety at a 9-1-1 emergency call center. I find my new job challenging, but I missed writing and storytelling. I’ve only been writing fiction the past three years.

What book are you going to tell us about today? Is it part of a series? If so, what's the order the books should be read in?
* Wrage is the second book of my Sons of Darkness Series of occult thrillers centering on police investigations into brutal killings in the organized crime-corrupted Midwestern city of Prairieville. Grim, my professional debut, is the first book in the series. You can read the books out of order, but Wrage picks up where Grim left off and readers would understand all of what’s happening better if they read them in order.

How'd you/your muse come up with this story?
* I had a few different inspirations. I became fascinated with Heath Ledger’s Joker character in Dark Knight and also Dexter Morgan in Jeff Lindsay’s Dexter series. I wanted to create antihero characters which created chaos in their environments like the Joker and Dexter. I’m also a huge fan of the TV show Supernatural, so I strived to mix an occult thriller with the traditional crime novel to come up with a unique story.

Describe the main character in five words.
* Jeff Wrage is 1) lost 2) desperate 3)conflicted 4)powerful 5) redeemed

Describe another character in five words.
* Anna Duke is 1)heartbroken 2)alone 3)motivated 4)mysterious 5) resilient

Describe a third character in five words.
* Christopher Sinks is 1) depressed 2)desperate 3) sadistic 4) trapped 5) deadly

Who's your favorite character in the book & why?
* My favorite character is Abaddon. He is a demon who strikes a deal with Jeff Wrage to help him avenge his murdered wife. Abaddon seeks justice for souls of violent crimes who are unable to move on in the afterlife because their affairs were left unsettled in life. Abaddon’s bargain is that Jeff must kill murderers to receive help in hunting down his wife’s killer.

What's your favorite line in the story?
* “That’s the irony. The greatest detective in the world was totally clueless.” – Detective Ryan Winkle on hero cop Adam White being unaware that his protégé Anna Duke had a crush on him.

A look into the story

~ Blurb ~ * Sometimes the toughest fight lies within yourself.
* As more dark secrets come to light, the battle for souls pushes Prairieville to the brink of war in the living and supernatural realms.
* Jeff Wrage swears a blood oath to Abaddon, the supernatural avenger of murder victims, to hunt the crooked cop who butchered his wife. Jeff wonders whether he can be the executioner Abaddon requires. Their pact throws the supernatural realm in chaos and threatens to trigger an apocalyptic fight for control of the afterlife between the Sons of Darkness and Sons of Light foretold in the Dead Sea Scrolls.
* Orlando Marino sees the death of Cyrus Black as his opportunity to restore the Marino family's stronghold in Prairieville’s organized crime scene and become a mob kingpin. He unleashes a plague, turning its victims into mindless followers. Cyrus' heir is busy rooting out a traitor and is unable to stop the coming turf war in the realm of man.
* The fate of all rests with Homicide Detective Anna Duke, who steps into the shoes of her mentor while coming to terms with unrequited love. As she tries to clear the fallen hero's name, she takes on a case where corpses go missing. Her new partner is reported dead. She learns the truth about her true identity and uncovers a trail of secrets questioning her tragic past. She journeys to avert the destruction of all creation.

~ Excerpt ~ * Thunderclaps from high above jolted Jeff out of his slumber.
* Something hard and cold with jagged edges pressed into his back.
* When he tried to move, iron shackles strained against the skin of his arms and legs. Chained to a rock in a dry stream bed, he knew he’d become a helpless prisoner who could do nothing more than wait for his captor. Stormy skies threatened from directly above him with bright flares of lightning snaking among sooty clouds and disappearing. Out of the corner of his eye, he could detect that the sun was shining brightly on the other side of the rock.
* Scant rays of brilliant sunshine peeked over the rock, reflecting bright light off a magnificent golden shrine on a bank not far from where he was chained.
* This can’t be real. He’d never seen a place like this in his life.
* Large wet drops crashed against his skin. The coolness of the rain streaking down his body caused steam to rise from his skin, which he noticed had turned a dark shade of crimson. The only being this red was….
* “Lucifer,” a calm voice echoed from above Jeff on the shoreline.
* A giant, dressed in white armor sparkling like diamonds in the spare sunlight, stepped into view. He wielded a golden-hilted silver sword in one hand and a silver shield with the Latin inscription “Quis ut Deus” (I am like God) on the front in the other hand. He loomed above Jeff. A large gold cross ran down the center of the giant’s breastplate. A second inlaid golden cross glinted at the center of his white helmet. The helmet obscured his face, save for flawless ivory skin which radiated a blinding light. There was something across his back casting a large shadow, but Jeff couldn’t see what it was.
* “You were thinking of Lucifer, whose skin is often portrayed as red,” the giant said. The ivory giant stepped into full view. From his back a pair of massive wings spanned over ten feet wide and five feet long majestically fluttering in the breeze, yet didn’t cast a shadow. The rain pelting Jeff in the eyes didn’t touch this giant. He certainly was no man. The only thing Jeff could compare it to would be—
* “An angel,” the giant completed Jeff’s sentence again. “You are correct.”


Book Video Links Grim Trailer | Wrage Trailer

Buy Wrage here...
Damnation Books | Amazon | OmniLit | Barnes & Noble

Find Joseph Spencer here...
Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Google+ | Goodreads | LinkedIn

Thank you for joining us here today, Joseph Spencer! It was a pleasure getting to know you and your story.

ANNOUNCEMENT! Joseph will be awarding a $25 Starbucks gift certificate to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour! So be sure to leave your name and email with your comment, & visit/comment at the other tour stops (find them here: goddessfishpromotions-virtual-book-tour-wrage) for a greater chance of winning!

A Look At Larisa Walk & 'A Witch Without Magic' ( @LarisaWalk @GoddessFish #SO )

Today we have author Larisa Walk visiting. Welcome!

What would you like to tell readers about yourself?
* Larisa Walk, a native Russian, lives in California with her husband and two formerly homeless cats. She writes paranormal fiction that is more often than not populated by characters from the Russian fairy world. Her short fiction appeared in several anthologies and magazines. She has published a historic fantasy novel, A Handful of Earth, and a modern paranormal novel, A Witch Without Magic.

What book are you going to tell us about today?
* A Witch Without Magic

A look into the story

~ Blurb ~ * When her neighbors accuse Belladonna of Satanism and making them age years to days, she must find who is behind it or face a modern day witch hunt. Her mysterious enemy knows where to strike to cause the most damage: Belladonna's only friend is losing his life-force; the garden that feeds her is dying; and her house ghost goes poltergeist. To save her neighbors and friends and prove her innocence, she must travel to the Otherworld where butterflies have razor wings and where her worst fears will come to life.

~ Excerpt ~ * I tried to walk with an official swing in my step, clipboard under my right arm, the other arm at my side, desperately trying not to clutch at the fabric of my jumpsuit with a death grip. Mice and rats darted in and out of bushes. A large flock of crows cawed in the trees. In one spot ants covered the sidewalk like spilled black pepper. Dark magic was afoot and the vermin were drawn to it.
* There were some kids with aged faces playing on the other side of the street. I tried not to stare at them. One kid, a boy of about seven, judging by his height, actually looked like he was in his eighties. He seemed to have trouble breathing and had to stop often to rest. My jaws ached and a sharp spike seemed to be embedded in my chest. Goddess help me, but I couldn't blame their parents for hating me. If I were in their place and thought I knew who was doing this to my kids, I'd go on a witch hunt, too. I was lucky the cops didn't believe my neighbors that I was doing this awful life-draining stuff to them or I wouldn't have any protection. I prayed hard that I'd find a way to stop the dark witch before anyone died from being too old at the age of seven.

Buy A Witch Without Magic here...
Amazon

Find Larisa Walk & see her quirky blog posts here...
Website

Thank you for joining us here today, Larisa! It was a pleasure getting to know you and your story.