Saturday, December 17, 2016

The Elf and Giveaway by Max Dune

The Elf
Max Dune
Publication date: October 18th 2016
Genres: Fairy Tales, Fantasy, Young Adult

This Christmas…it’s war. Grab your weapon and join the fight in this modern Santa Claus retelling with a dark twist. Fans of Guardians of the Galaxy and Avatar will be riveted by The Elf‘s action, humor and romance!

Elves are dying in the North Pole, and none of their scientists can find a cure. They believe it’s a virus, unleashed by a powerful enemy. All signs point to Jack Frost, who’s been biding his time from afar. Watching. Waiting. Plotting. One brave elf, to save his kind, will venture out to meet evil in the eye. But he uncovers a mystery more dangerous than he could have ever imagined. Now Lucian must join a group of warriors and fight. Fuego; a flame-wielding pyro. Tiktok; a brilliant bomb expert, Yuriko; a deadly ninja assassin. And Bullets; a hot-headed gun aficionado. These unlikely heroes must learn to work together and defeat the rising evil. Or Christmas will soon be lost…forever.

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BOOK TRAILER

EXCERPT:

“Where are you going?” I taunt. “There’s nowhere to hide.”

Jack Frost doesn’t answer. Under the canopy of winter-crystallized trees, he crawls across the snow. His tall, muscular body leaves a trail of berry-red blood behind him. He looks desperate to put distance between us.

I begin to whistle softly and draw closer to admire my handiwork. Broken nose. Swollen eye. An arrow buried deep in his leg. Ah, such a beautiful sight to behold. I turn to Blitzen, my most loyal of companions, and smile. “Thank you, friend. Without you, I wouldn’t have made it.”

Blitzen gives an affirmative snort, staying close to our sleigh and supplies. His strong legs and zesty spirit had kept me alive for the last two weeks. The Artic is a cold house for the unwary. Nothing in it ever stirs. Nothing moves. Nothing sings. Yet he had guided me through it, his hooves detonating like muffled grenades as they crunched the powdery snow. We’d traveled over timeworn mountains, through tomblike valleys and flash-frozen rivers. I plan on rewarding Blitzen with his favorite food once we’re back in Santa’s Village. It’ll be agaric mushrooms for life. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

First things first though: I cock my crossbow.

Clink.

Upon hearing that sound, Frost forces his knees and elbows to move faster. He fights for his life like a desperate wild animal at death’s door. The expression of terror on his face is absolutely priceless. I wonder if he’ll start begging soon. Even if he does, it won’t do him any good. I won’t hesitate to pull the trigger and send one final bolt into his black heart.

For my friends…for my parents…

“Mmm,” I utter, savoring the moment. “This is even better than I imagined.” As I loom over him, a sudden wave of fury grips me. I violently plant my boot in his shoulder, prompting a muffled groan from him. Through gritted teeth I hiss, “And I’ve imagined this a lot.”

I remove my foot. Frost rolls over onto his back and gazes up at me in defeat. “Don’t do this, Lucian. Please.”

Ah, finally.

“Do you think begging is going to help? It didn’t help my parents or the other elves. They died just the same, all shaking, bleeding, and crying…and all because of you.” I point the loaded crossbow at his chest. “Now it’s your turn to die.”

“Wait!” He lifts up a trembling hand. “I can grant you great powers, unimaginable abilities, even immortality! Y-you could be the most powerful elf who’s ever lived!”

“Power?” I scoff. “I don’t want power. This is all I want.”

“Revenge won’t bring your parents back.”

I consider his words for a moment and do see the truth in them, but the rage inside pushes me on. “No, but it’s going to feel pretty good.” My finger slides the safety off.

Frost’s eyes widen.

Bzzz-bzzz-bzzz…

Suddenly a deep, loud sound echoes all about us, seemingly coming from every direction. They disturb the serene beauty of this frozen, crystal paradise where Frost is meant to meet his doom. Puzzled, I lower my crossbow and search for the source. My eyes scan through the tall, gray trees, their skeletal wooden arms knocking against one another in the slight breeze, but I catch nothing in my gaze except the clear, blue skies beyond. What the heck’s going on? Confused, I dart my eyes in every direction. And why is that annoying buzzing getting louder?

Beep! Beep! Beep!

A sense of déjà vu hits me.

Wait! That sound… Isn’t that…?

The beeping continues to assault my ears for several more moments, muddling my senses.

“No!” I wail when I finally remember. “No! Not yet!”

My desperate cries prove futile, though, as my crossbow melts in my hands. Its liquefied remnants splash at my feet. It doesn’t take long for the surrounding trees to follow suit, forming charcoal-gray puddles on the ground. Blitzen, too, begins to disintegrate where he stands. His fur, flesh, and bones dissolves into a paste and seep into the ground

“No!” Without wasting time, I jump on Frost, wrap my hands around his cold neck, and begin to viciously choke him. “I’ll kill you with my bare hands!”

Rather than panicking or pleading for mercy, he only laughs in my face, knowing full well it’s too late. His flesh quickly melts like hot wax until my fingers are kneading the remaining mess.

I punch the ground with my fists again and again, even as they start melting away. “Come on! I just needed another minute!”

As I beg for more time, I feel my bones softening, becoming more pliable, like iron morphing into licorice. Soon I am unable to hold my weight, and I topple over, falling to the icy ground.


Author Bio:

Max Dune is a Southern writer who spent most his childhood watching TV, devouring comic books and weaving magical worlds in his head. In his mid-twenties, he decided to follow his true passion. He has since created a number of short stories, novels, screenplays and TV pilots. To be alerted to future books and giveaways, please sign up for his newsletter at http://eepurl.com/b5Is91

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GIVEAWAY!
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Coming Home Boxed Set $.99 Sale by Meli Raine

Coming Home Boxed Set
Meli Raine
Publication date: July 28th 2015
Genres: New Adult, Romance, Suspense

When a mysterious job offer brings Carrie Myerson back to the town where her father was set up for a federal crime, she returns—to face a past more dangerous than she ever imagined.

And a love more passionate than she ever dreamed.

Drug crimes, kidnappings, set-ups and betrayal all unfold as Carrie and her ex-boyfriend, local police officer Mark Paulson, untangle the complicated web of deceit at the heart of her past.

Nothing is what it seems.

Including Mark.

This boxed set includes all three books in the Coming Home series:
Return
Revenge
Reunion

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99¢ for a limited time only!

EXCERPT:

It’s him. Mark. My ex-boyfriend.

I can’t look. I just…can’t. Too many memories are in that face. That rugged, handsome face. My heart jumps up like an excited puppy, wagging in my chest, eager to be acknowledged and touched. The rest of me shoves it down.

Officer Mark Paulson stands in front of me in uniform, soaking wet, his hat making the rain fall in streaks in front of him. The curtain of water catches my eye. It’s easier to watch it than to stare at him. If I did stare, though, I know what I would see.

Broad shoulders under that crisp black uniform shirt. A thin scar running under his jaw, where he was knifed in a fight when he did a tour in Afghanistan. Wet, blonde hair I used to love to stroke. Gentle hands that once cupped my face. Eyes that could draw me in with a hot breath. The tender taste of lips meant only for me.

He speaks, pulling me out of the memory. Stop it, Carrie, I think. Stop with the dreams you destroyed.

“You okay?” he asks, looking around swiftly. He’s worried. That’s really touching. It’s nice to know he cares. Three years is long enough for him to stop hating me, right?

And I know he hates me.

He has to. I disappeared one day and never said goodbye to him. When you do that to someone, they tend to really resent it. Especially if they love you.

“I’m, uh…” My voice fails me as I watch the water fall in sheets down his cap. “My tire blew.”

He thumps his hand on the car door. “She’s still around, huh?” I know he means the car, but it feels like a dig. Like he’s cutting into me for leaving.

Like he’s still hurt.

If he’s still hurt, that means the feelings haven’t faded, and if his feelings are still that strong, then mine make more sense. I thought when I left town I would shed so much damage and hurt. Because leaving town meant I could leave behind so much pain.

But leaving Mark? That meant the pain came with me.

I start to shiver. It’s not from the cold and the rain. Those arms. The rain drops gather and ripple down his taut muscles, dotted with a sprinkling of dark hair. I remember when I was in those arms.

I remember every single time he touched me.


Author Bio:

USA Today bestselling author Meli Raine writes romantic suspense with hot bikers, intense undercover DEA agents, bad boys turned good, and Special Ops heroes -- and the women who love them. Her books include the Breaking Away series (Finding Allie, Chasing Allie, Keeping Allie), the Coming Home series (Return, Revenge, Reunion) and the Harmless series (A Harmless Little Game, A Harmless Little Ruse, A Harmless Little Plan).

Meli rode her first motorcycle when she was five years old, but she played in the ocean long before that. She lives in New England with her family.

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GIVEAWAY!
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Caitlyn's Christmas Wish by Laura L. Walker





Laura L. Walker grew up in a large family in the beautiful Gila Valley of southern Arizona. From the time Laura was young, ideas for stories bombarded her brain. She would spend hours drawing her characters on paper and fantasizing about their adventures. Life became more serious, however, when Laura met her own hero while at college in northern Arizona and they later became the parents of six children. In between spurts of grocery shopping, sewing costumes or quilts, transporting kids to practices, and making dinner, Laura still enjoys putting her imagination to good use. Laura is the author of two LDS contemporary romances, Pierced by Love and The Matchup. Caitlyn’s Christmas Wish is her first e-novella.


Q & A With The Author:

5. What is the hardest thing you've ever done?

Even though I've lived through several difficult events, I would have to say the hardest thing for me is raising my six children. I love them all to pieces and wouldn't trade them for the world, but each of them has presented unique challenges to me. As their mother, collectively, I feel exhausted at times but am especially proud when they accomplish or pull through something that was hard for them.


6. Now that we've gotten to know each other, tell me a story. It can be long or short. From your childhood or last week. Funny, sad, or somewhere in between. Just make sure it's yours. What's your story?


True story: My favorite all-time movie is The Sound of Music. As a tween, I was absolutely enthralled with that story (and to this day, I can't even explain why). Maybe it was the songs Julie Andrews sang, maybe it was her character or the gorgeous scenery . . . I'm not sure. For me, all of the story elements in that movie combined to make the perfect story for me. I watched it so many times on television that my adult brothers now will not allow their wives to watch it. This is something I only found out about a few years ago when I was sitting at a table with my sisters-in-law. I was stunned and felt so bad that I ruined it for them.



Connect with the Author here: 


Just when former model and single mother Caitlyn Drevier Reel has finally put her life back on track after a divorce and six-month stint in rehab, she is surprised to receive an invitation from her ex-in-laws to spend Christmas with the family. After all, she reasons, her ex-husband Grant is constantly on the road with his band and it's only fair to allow them to get to know her young son, Brody. What Caitlyn isn't prepared for, however, is the spark of attraction she feels for Ridge, Grant's older brother, or the sense of belonging to their wonderful family once again. Ridge, who is recovering from his own personal heartache, seems to feel the same about her. As they work together to ensure the success of the Winter Festival that his parents have organized for their small Wyoming town, Caityln begins to envision a bright future. But will Grant's unexpected arrival keep her Christmas wish from coming true?





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Top Ten List:

1. my hubby and children 
2. red roses 
3. chocolate chip cookies 
4. swimming pools 
5. writing 
6. clean and uplifting romances 
7. music 
8. quiet (when the music is finished and the kids have gone to bed) 
9. pumpkins 
10. Thanksgiving and Christmas


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