BOOKS AND BLOGGING PHILOSOPHY

Philosophy is defined as a theory underlying or regarding a sphere of activity or thought. Well, my theory is if I can add at least 10 new books to my Wishlist and move at least 5 older Wishlist selections to my TBR list every month, then life is a ice cream sundae. And if I can find those 10 books from at least 5 new blogs each month then that's the cherry on top.

NEW VISITORS AND OLD- WELCOME!

NEW VISITORS AND OLD- WELCOME!
Well, I've made it almost 5 years now, so for better or worse, I continue on. I tend to blog in spurts as the urge to be creative erupts. As I don't have an artistic bone in my body, you will see very few changes in the layouts. Hey, I'm a reader not an artist like so many of the awesome bloggers I follow. I know you don't always have the time but if you stopped and looked, take a half a minute and say your piece. Recommend a book that you have enjoyed or hated for that matter. Thank you to all who visit.
Oh, and I moved my Google Friend Connect info and share this buttons to the top, as without our friends, who are we?


Tuesday, November 14, 2017

Release Day Blitz & Giveaway For VICES AND VIRTUES



Vices and Virtues
An Anthology of the Seven Deadly Sins
and Seven Dark Virtues
Genres: Horror, Supernatural,
Paranormal,
Sci-Fi, Suspense/Thriller

 Because sometimes, the virtuous are as frightening as the sinful…
Sins will weave you into their
webs. They become the Vice you’re unable to shake. 
There are the values, taught

from birth, which ride a razor’s edge. They turn into Dark Virtues, a twisted  mockery of their true meaning.
Pride, envy, lust, gluttony,

anger, greed and sloth all have their place in the tapestry of life. 
They are
the Vices who lost sight of the Virtues: 

charity, temperance, forgiveness,
humility, kindness, chastity and diligence.
Enter the worlds where the tales

of the most sinful of Vices and the darkest of Virtues 
will entice and intrigue 
you…
…for even among the most devout

there is a dark side.




SINS OF THE FLESH (Gluttony)
BY STACEY BROADBENT

It was a balmy Spring evening when I first discovered a taste for human flesh. It was a happy accident really. After having my heart broken one too many times, I'd abstained from any type of physical relationship with a man for years, so when one fell in my lap,
it came as quite the surprise.


EXCERPT SINS OF THE FLESH:


Throwing caution to the wind, I slipped my feet into a pair 
of runners and walked down
the road, telling myself it was to clear my mind. But really, I was on the prowl
for fresh meat. Someone vulnerable—easy prey. I had to be smart about it; it
was broad daylight after all.
Every person who walked past became a possible target. 
In my mind’s eye, I pictured a
computer log for each one, listing their attributes. Having limited knowledge
on the ins and outs of cannibalism, I had no idea what the perfect body type
was for consumption. Would it matter if they were male or female? Was it better
if they were lean and muscular, or was a layer of padding more flavourful? How
was I to choose?
Turns out, I didn’t need to think about it at all. 
On my walk back home, I was
knocked off my feet by a man out for a jog. He’d been too busy flicking through
the playlist on his phone to see me, and by the time we’d both looked up, it was
too late. We collided, my forehead into his chin and mouth. My hands
automatically went up, pressing against his chest and sending us both bouncing
off each other, landing on our behinds. Apologising profusely, he offered me
his hand and pulled me to my feet. The impact had left a red egg on my head and
skinned my palms raw. He, however, came across a little worse for wear,
sporting a newly chipped tooth, and fat, bleeding lip. As soon as I got a whiff
of the blood on his breath, I knew, he was the one.
I pointed to my house across the street, inviting him 
in to clean up while he called the emergency dentist. It was the least I could do.
Ushering him into the bathroom, I had him perch on the edge 
of the bath while I rummaged
through the cabinet for the first aid kit. I needed to knock him out somehow.
There was no way I could do this without it… unless…



Stacey Broadbent:

Stacey lives in Ashburton, New Zealand, with her husband and three children. 
avid reader and self-confessed
book-a-holic, she has always had a love of the written word, so it was only a
matter of time before she took pen to paper and began on her writing journey.
Stacey is a multi-genre author, with books from light-hearted comedies to
zombie thrillers. She is also part of the writing duo 'The Ink Slinging
Sisters' with friend S.K. Lessner. You can often find her lurking on social
media so don't be afraid to reach out and have a chat.









A MILLION CLAY WOLVES (Greed)
BY AMBER K. BRYANT

Living in a squalid encampment in the shadows of 
a towering city, a young woman able to endow objects with
magical powers struggles with her brother's growing determination to use her gift for his own selfish means.

EXCERPT A MILLION CLAY WOLVES :

“Do you remember Jamey? Has a tattoo of a whale on his right arm, 
wears a red and white striped tank top—Sound familiar?”
Mora nodded. “He juggled knives and guns.”
“That’s right. Jamey is my boyfriend and we’re very happy, only…
 He has this crazy idea that he should give up the troop, 
join the army instead. He thinks it would
provide a better life for us, but he’s wrong. This is the only life I want and
I don’t want it to change. I need you to change his mind.”
“What?” She took a step away from Dare. “I… I can’t do that!”
“You don’t realize it, but you can. I saw it in you. The ability to endow magic. You
just needed a jumpstart, and yesterday…” she pointed to the feather, “I gave it
to you.”
Mora stared at the feather, still crumpled in her hand.
“Tell the feather that Jamey’s place is with me. In the troop. Tell the feather it
needs to change Jamey’s mind. Go on.”
Mora lifted the feather halfway to her face, then paused. This would never work.
Clearly circus life had taken its toll on Dare’s mental health. Or perhaps
unstable people were attracted to the quirky life the troop seemed to lead. It
was silly to give in to Dare’s demands. Then again, if she didn’t do it,
perhaps Dare would become so angry, she’d bust out of her purple corset and
become a rage-fueled She-Hulk. Perhaps the simplest way out of this situation
was to tell the feather to become a mind-changer and then get the hell out of
there.
“Fine, whatever.” She brought the feather to her lips and blew words into it. 
“Change Jamey’s mind. Make him stay. Oh!” She jumped as a tingling sensation moved through her body, from the soles of her feet up her legs and spine, then out to
the tips of her fingers and into the feather. “What… what just happened.”
Dare’s face went back to its friendly older sister mode. “Exactly what I thought
would. Thank you, Mora.” She took the feather back from Mora and pinned it into
her dark, shimmering hair. “Wiser people than me would tell you to be careful
with this gift of yours. Magic can be used for good or for evil. It doesn’t
care which, most of the time.”
Confused, Mora toyed with a stray thread from the hem of her t-shirt. “But you’re… not telling me to be careful?”
Dare grasped Mora’s chin and tilted it so their eyes met. “We don’t find out what
we’re capable of through advice.” She gave Mora’s face a tiny squeeze and then
let her go. “Trial and error, darlin’."


Amber K. Bryant is an award-winning author and a librarian living 
deep within Sasquatch territory in Washington State. 
She has co-authored a short story with R. L. Stine, won a
Watty for her novella UNSEEN, and won three contests judged by Margaret Atwood.
When not glued to her keyboard, Amber can be found spending time with her
husband and son, hiking, gardening, and searching in vain for the illusive
Sasquatch.





CONFESSIONS OF AN HONEST MAN (Chastity)
BY CYRIL BUNT
When I was thirteen I took my oath, I never broke it. 
But apparently, I broke many others.


My name is Cyril and I'm 32. I've loved writing since I was 
very young and so I try to create believe lies, one
day I hope to be good enough to make a living from writing.



DO NO HARM (Charity)
BY J.M. BUTLER

What if someone offered you exactly what you needed?

Ethics and vampirism hardly go together, and Aestan has 
concluded he is trapped between two bad situations. A chance
meeting with his neighbor Summer changes everything as she offers the solution
to his problems. He can have her blood. She's more than happy to give it if it
keeps him from robbing blood banks or killing people. Though at first he is
relieved, he soon realizes that even what is freely given may yet have
consequences he does not desire.

EXCERPT DO NO HARM:
"Summer...I can't take your blood."
"Yes, you can. And if I were a stranger, you would. But we're friends."
"Friends?" Aestan couldn't suppress the sharp laugh. She had an oddly vague definition of friendship.
Surely this was a joke. Summer finished the prep and took a deep breath.
"Yes, of course we are. Now...don't
attack me or anything, okay?" She stuck the needle into her arm and balled
her hand up before flexing her fingers and clenching again. "I can't let
you have the blood we collected for the drive, but I can let you have some of
mine. And then you know...we can start looking for some substitutes."
Words failed Aestan as he watched. A
tantalizing scent rose from the glass, thick, slightly metallic. How could she
be serious? Was he dreaming?







SEVEN DAYS (Humility)
BY LENORE CHEAIRS

TBA




A SINGLE MIND (Pride)
BY ALANA DELACROIX

Neil Clarins is a very important man with very 
important research.  He could save the world.  
And he won't let anyone stand in his way.

EXCERPT A SINGLE MIND:

Neil straightens his back and keeps his
hand away from his pocket. He’s right. His work is good 

and more than that, it’s needed. The entire world is 
about to go up in flames. The environment is a
mess. People are fucking dying and what he has in 

his lab will save them. No way he’s going to let some petty bureaucrat like Mike Bell get in his way.
And if using his own brain as a testing
ground is the way it has to be done, so be it.
Knowing he’ll be out for at least a day, Neil
puts messages on all his corporate tethers: email, 

messenger. I’m sick, it says. Sorry, back soon.
He goes to his room and shaves off a small
patch of hair. Underneath, the skin that’s never seen the sun is a sickly white-green. He swabs his temple with a topical anesthetic and sits on the bed for a long time, staring at the syringe with its small bolt gun mechanism, so like the one used to kill cattle. He has no idea if he’ll be able to walk after the injection and he doesn’t want to pass out in the bathroom. Too much risk of injury.
Neil takes a deep breath, then another. He
thinks of the other scientific greats. Salk and the polio vaccine. Newton digging around his own eyeball with a bodkin.
Then, before he can think any more, he
thrusts the needle against the side of his head and pulls the trigger.


Alana Delacroix lives surrounded
by  books in Toronto, Canada. She loves
exploring the city, on the hunt for both the perfect coffee shop as well as
ideal locations to set stories. Her debut novel, Masked Possession, a
paranormal romance, is available now from Kensington Publishing.






YOU MADE ME (Envy)
BY CHRIS FARMER

I envied the time I watched you eat, hoping to taste even a crumb of 
that sandwich. I envied the time you got to stay warm while, 
I nearly froze on the street. I envied the power you had to
destroy my life.

Now it will be you who envies me.
Your gluttony has come to an end. One way or another, you will feel the agony
of want.


Chris Farmer is working on a debut novel, One and Done, releasing in December 2017.

Website:  https://www.chrisfarmernovels.com



DEATH THROES (Sloth)
BY LISA GOLDMAN

Born into prestige and wealth, twenty-year-old, indolent Chandler Wentsworth’s biggest worries are working to smooth over his constantly disappointed family and friends. He doesn’t realize how easy his life is until he and his friend go to a carnival, where Roma, an eccentric psychic, delivers improbable predictions and a frightening warning that the eyes are the window to one’s soul. Soon, he not only discovers the true evil behind black oily eyes, but Roma’s atrocious predictions has begun a series of catastrophic events, including soul-shattering death throes.


ONE FORGIVES AS ONE LOVES (Forgiveness)
BY TRINITY HANRAHAN

I can have peace of mind only
when forgiveness has been earned and granted.

Trinity lives with her husband and five children in Virginia. 
She grew up overseas in Turkey and Japan, where
her love of reading developed due to a lack of English-speaking television. As
her need for written works grew, so did her desire to create worlds for others
to enjoy. By the time she was in middle school she had started writing short
stories. She endeavors to break the mold where modern stereo-types are
concerned and create engaging characters.
When she’s not writing or working, Trinity still enjoys settling down
 to read a book or doing graphic art in her spare time.







CAVEAT EMPTOR (Diligence)
BY KRISTEN JACQUES

Captain Niels Fizarian prides himself on quality product: 
weapons, rare goods, even concubines. It's one
thing to be an unscrupulous scoundrel, another to be a poor businessman. But with early retirement looming, 

what could cutting a few corners hurt? When it
comes to interstellar trade, Captain Niels may just learn 

the hard way to pay his due diligence. 







THE DEVIL YOU KNOW (Lust)
BY REBECCA NOLAN

Ivy feels like everything is finally falling in place from her now 
that she has a new home. To make things
even better, her landlord is sexy, caring Drake Hunter. The problem is Drake isn't what he seems. Will Ivy get her happy ever after or is she doomed to end up in tears.


Rebecca Nolan is an aspiring writer with several anthologies under 
her belt. She loves being able to bring
characters to life through words. In her spear time she is often found reading
or spending time with her family.





THE PAIN OF A KINDNESS (Kindness)
BY TAMMY OJA

Anna works with an appointed
psychologist for answers when her mother goes missing.

Tammy Oja is an active reader and lover of all things word related. 
She currently writes on Wattpad under the pen
name tamoja. Previous works include being published by Gallery books in the
anthology Once Upon Now (2016).  Her
short story Darla was a top 10 finalist for TNT and was optioned for film.
Her favorite things to write are short psychological horror stories that 
leave you thinking long after the pages
are closed. 
She currently lives in Michigan
and you can usually find her staring at a screen at her kitchen table.




HELL'S MATCH (Kindness)
BY ARIA PEYTON

In my world, too many people are lonely. So out of the kindness of my heart I help them. Those who want someone
by their side forever get it. Only they never read the fine print and forever means just that.

EXCERPT HELL’S MATCH:
In a sinuous motion, Cheshire slides off the
machine and backs away, book held out in front of her in a warding-off gesture.
Anger fuels her when she speaks. “Am I being set up? Did you follow me here?
What’s going on?”
I know better than to move, so I stay put, my
body jerking with the motion of the tub beneath me. “No, of course—” The rest
of the sentence dies at her raised brow and sceptical glare. “Yes. I followed
you here.” I act all resigned to this fact but surge on when she tries to
interrupt. “But only because Grandmother asked me to make contact with you, and
when I got to your apartment, you were already on your way here. I was so
intrigued by how you rebuffed her on the phone last night, I had to meet you
myself.”
I may have just painted myself into a corner here
as I watch the thoughts swirling in her head. I’ve given her too many
inconsistencies to process and I know she’ll have a question for each one. But
I already have the answer, and realistically, so does she.
“How did she know where I live? How the hell did
she know what I look like? And how the fuck did you think this would look,
stalking me into the damn laundromat?!” Her voice gets louder and squeakier
with each word until others here start backing away. Soon the place is empty
and Cheshire is alone here with me. The predator within can’t believe its luck,
while the other side of me is fascinated that she didn’t run with everyone
else.
“You spoke to her last night. What did she know
about you then, huh?”
The glare eases a little, but she still keeps her
distance. “Too much is what she knows. I’d love to know what little tricks she
has up her frock sleeves to know so much without a word.”
“It’s just her ability. Some would call her
clairvoyant or psychic.”
“Or just plain freaky,” she mutters under her
breath.
“Or that.” I release a chuckle to lessen the
tension hovering between us. Even though it’s refreshing to have a normal
conversation with someone, the urgency to get her back to the office of
‘Madame’ still hangs over me. She’s the next match to be made and that contract
needs to be signed.


I've been a covert operative in a foreign country, jumped out of helicopters 
for fun, and bungee jumped over the
side of a Styrofoam factory into a vat of beans made for beanbags.
I can also leap Lego towers in a single bound, pack school lunches 
like a boss, and burn myself on any hot surface.
My multi-skilling is out of this world and I successfully 
masquerade as an average parent 24/7.







EVELYN
BY QT RUBY

Dr. Evers says the only way for
Evelyn to be free is to remember her past, but is that really such a good idea?

EXCERPT EVELYN:
“Why am I restrained? There is no escape
from this room.”
Dr. Evers releases a little sigh. “For my
protection.”
“Against?”
“You.”
“Me? What could I do to you?” She waits to
respond. I’m unsure if it’s because I have to remember like she said before, or
she’s just a withholding bitch. “You will remember. So . . . please, continue.”
I sigh and growl a little. “My family . . .
they loved me.”
Dr. Evers writes down my words.
“But they were afraid of me.”
“How do you know?”
“Because . . .” I pause to remember, to
allow memories to solidify, sharpen. “Because I used to harm things.”


Q.T. Ruby, author of A Matter of
Trust and its sequel A Moment of Truth, regularly escapes real-life to fall
into make-believe worlds of her own design. Living in her native Connecticut
with her two sweet kids, a wonderful husband, and a cat that doesn’t like to
get picked up, she teaches tweens full time, hunkers down for cold winters, and
tries to write like the wind in the summer.






A SORCERER'S ROAD TO TEMPERANCE (Temperance)
BY MAGGIE JANE SCHULER

Temperance Blanco served to bring order to her family 
and small town.  She thought if she practiced her craft and
lead the immoral on a path to restraint, life would be 
perfect. What she didn't count on was her intense draw to her employer, the handsome new night club
owner Raiden Spellman. She thought she had

 tricks up her sleeve until she found herself 
captivated by Raiden and unaware of her place in the Cards of life.

EXCERPT A SORCERER'S ROAD TO TEMPERANCE :
Her reaction to him was…extreme, unexpected
and intense…and she wondered in what other subtle ways

 Tempest would affect her. It almost felt like a spell, and 
somewhat forbidden, but it also felt…good, too. 
Whether it was the natural lure of a new establishment, or Mr.
Spellman was doing something himself to cause such havoc lately, she had to find out either way.


Maggie Jane Schuler is a wife, mother of three almost-grown children, 
and teacher by day. While she has always
loved to read, the thought of writing her own prose did not strike until she
was in the middle of writing her Master’s Thesis. From that point on she was
hooked.
She Resides in Southern
California. Besides the family and books, she loves baseball. Since the
Dodgers, Angels, and Padres are all within a short distance, and the Giants and
Athletics a nice weekend jaunt away, she’s got plenty of games to take in
during the season. Additionally, she enjoys cooking, movies, the beach, and the
local mountains. She’s most content being with her family engaged in whatever
activity they have planned.






a Rafflecopter giveaway



9 comments:

James Robert said...

Congrats and best of luck on your awesome new release

Mary Preston said...

A great post thank you.

Carly said...

It sounds like a great read!

James Robert said...

Thanks so much for the excerpt and giveaway, great post.

Bridgett Wilbur said...

I just love your cover.

James Robert said...

Happy Friday! Have a great day and thank you for the chance at winning

Barbara Montag said...

This is an interesting book - a must read soon!
Congrats!

James Robert said...

Have yourself a fantastic day and I want you to know I appreciate the hard work you put into bringing us this giveaway. Thank you!

Barbara Montag said...

This on my to read soon list - fantastic cover!