SASKIA TRILOGY, by AOIFE MARIE SHERIDAN

 From Bewitching Book Tours comes two novels in the trilogy from Author Aoife Marie Sheridan, whose first book, Eden Forest won first place in Writer's Got Talent Competition.  That ought to garner your attention…check out this Fantasy/Paranormal series and make sure you read the Author Guest Post regarding marketing…and don't forget to leave a comment!

Eden Forest                                             

Book One of the Saskia Trilogy

Aoife Marie Sheridan

Four banished Angels,

A world created by the hands of God,

A Kingdom on its knees,

A secret protected for centuries,

And one mortal can save them all.

Step into Saskia.

                                                                            

City of Secrets 

Book Two of the Saskia Trilogy  

Aoife Marie Sheridan

A war awaits her arrival,

A warrant for her arrest.

She must rise as a princess,

And Darkness shall fall.

But will their love survive this battle?

For Tristan and Sarajane?

Step back into Saskia. 

Amazon.co.uk   Amazon.com     Easons 

www.aoifemariesheridan.com

e-book:  http://synergebooks.com/ebook_edenforest.html

GUEST POST FROM AUTHOR ABOUT MARKETING

Marketing is by far one of the hardest things to do. So we will start easy.

What becomes a must:

Facebook Fan page

This allows all your fans to interact with you, on a regular basis. I personally find facebook a very effective tool. Fan's that love your work want to know what you’re up to, and what you have been doing. 

Facebook also gives the option to pay for promotion - I did it recently just to see how effective it is. So I spent 16.00 euro on promoting my book tour event and so far 140 have added themselves to my event but also have liked my fan page. Will this increase sales? I don't know. Will they really turn up to the event? that I don't know either. But my Book tour for Eden Forest starts 3^rd of February , so I will see then and update everyone. 

Twitter - I am unsure if this is a great sales tool, it's more like just getting the word out on what you’re doing. I have over 1,000 followers do they hang on my last word, hmmm no, they only thing I like about twitter is that your followers will re-tweet for you and that is what becomes effective. I would tweet about three times a day, not always but that is my objective. Tweets come in so fast yours will be buried under everyone else's. So just to make sure I have been heard I tweet three times a day about the exact same thing. 

Website - This by far I find the most powerful tool. A good structured website. It's not enough just to set one up, but you must keep it updated and fresh. 

Also to join Goodreads and enlist as an author. This brings your book into the spotless of countless readers. There are groups on Goodreads that will give tips and tricks for marketing also. I recently reviewed an author’s book, and was horrified to see it wasn't on Goodreads. I wouldn't mind it was outstanding. So I added it for her four people have added her book to their list, of books to read. It really shows that Goodreads, is affective, that's four more people that know about this author. 

 Blogging:  The worst thing you could do is this - "Buy my book out now", I don't want to see that, and nobody does, I will just ignore this blog as it holds no interest for me. But what does - be creative and most of all have fun. For my own book I blog once a week about a fact. example: my book is set in medieval times so therefore only candles where used. So I would blog a fact about how candles where made in medieval times and then associate it back to my book at the end of the post. Every time I do this I get three new followers as opposed to screaming about my book. Also get visual Pinterest is a great place to start. Pin pictures that are associated with your story. 

So checklist for a blog

Have at least two blogs (My opinion) as you can link them to all your accounts as in (facebook, twitter, Pinterest, Google + ect). Then post visually once a day and post a fact once a week. It doesn't block up people that follow you, and your pictures get their attention. 

About the Author:                               

Aoife Marie Sheridan is twenty eight years of age. She lives in Kells, Co. Meath, a small town just outside Navan.  Aoife was raised in Navan but left with her family at the age of sixteen. Aoife has always had a passion for writing but mostly poetry. This is her first time to write a novel. 

Aoife Marie Sheridan studied Accountancy and qualified as an accountant technician. She worked in this profession for several years but with the economic downturn she was made redundant. 

Aoife Marie Sheridan now spends endless hours reading and writing. 

Aoife Marie Sheridan’s first novel Eden Forest placed first in writers got talent. 

Website www.aoifemariesheridan.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/Aoifemariesheri

Goodreads: Aoife Marie Sheridan

Twitter: aoifesheri

COVER REVEAL, WEATHER CHILD

Pressed Leaf Publishing is presenting a cover reveal 

from Bewitching Book Tours of 

Author Philippa Balantine's historical Fantasy novel,

Weather Child, from The Awakened Series

Weather Child

The Awakened Epoch

Book One

Philippa Ballantine

Genre: Historical Fantasy

Publisher: Imagine That! Studios

Date of Publication:  1st March 2014

ISBN: 978-0615953489

Word Count: 105,000

Cover Artist: Alex White

Book Description:

Never alone. Never apart.

They are the Awakened, a unique breed of people in a remote corner of the world. Faith is one of these gifted carriers of the Seraphim; and in return of her unconditional love, her Seraphim grants her powers of incredible potential.

But not all carriers embrace their blessing.

Jack loathes being an Awakened. He never asked for it, his Seraphim keeping him alive even in spite of his desire to die. Not even a great war could rid him of this curse.

Now a magician of incredible ability and a walking dead man must find a way to work together to save the Seraphim. Someone covets the power of the Awakened, and will not stop until that power belongs to him.

                                                                    

About the Author:                              

                           

New Zealand born fantasy writer and podcaster Philippa (Pip) Ballantine is the author of the Books of the Order and the Shifted World series. She is also the co-author with her husband Tee Morris of the Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences novels. Her awards include an Airship, a Parsec, the Steampunk Chronicle Reader’s Choice, and a Sir Julius Vogel. She currently resides in Manassas, Virginia with her husband, daughter, and a furry clowder of cats.

Twitter: @PhilippaJane

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pjballantine

Website: http://www.pjballantine.com/

COVER REVEAL FOR MILAYNA

Pressed Leaf Publishing is happy to present, 

from YA Bound Book Tours, 

a new cover reveal from 

YA Paranormal Author, Michelle K. Pickett.  

Here is Milayna, the 17 year old demi-angel.  

Sounds unique doesn't it?  Please enjoy your peek into the world of Milayna

 and don't forget to leave a comment and let us know what you think.

Milayna

by Michelle K. Pickett

Release Date: 12/02/14

Spencer Hill Press

Summary from Goodreads:

From the bestselling author of PODs comes an unforgettable tale of action, intrigue, and following your heart in the midst of betrayal.

It’s hard being good all the time. Everyone needs to be bad once in a while. But for seventeen-year-old Milayna, being good isn’t a choice. It’s a job requirement. And it’s a job she can’t quit. Born a demi-angel, Milayna steps in when danger and demons threaten the people around her, but being half angel isn’t all halos and happiness. Azazel, Hell’s demon, wants Milayna’s power and he’ll do anything to get it. But he only has until her eighteenth birthday, after which she becomes untouchable.

With the help of other demi-angels, Milayna thwarts the trouble Azazel sends her way. Fighting with her is Chay. He’s a demi-angel who's sinfully gorgeous and Milayna falls hard. But is Chay her true love...or her nemesis in disguise?

Because when she learns of a traitor in her group, there’s no one she can trust…not even the one she loves.

Buy Links for Milayna:

Amazon ׀ Barnes&Noble ׀ The Book Depository

ARCs: If you’d like to request an ARC, please use the reviewer form on our website. ARCs will ship several months before the release date.

About the Author:

I'm a wife, mother, author, reader, although not always in that order.  I write young adult urban fantasies, science/fiction and paranormal romances and have recently started dabbling in young adult contemporary romance. Reading was one of my earliest passions, writing soon followed. I began writing seriously during college where I graduated Summa Cum Laude with a degree in accounting. Why I chose a career that frowns on creativity remains a mystery.

I’m addicted to Reese’s peanut butter cups and eat way too many while I write, have an abnormal obsession with hoodies and can’t write without one, and I hate to cook, but love to watch cooking shows on television. An unabashed romantic, I love a swoon-worthy ending that will give me butterflies for days.

I wrote my debut young adult novel, PODs, in 2011. PODs, a science/fiction, post-apocalyptic romance, will be released June 4, 2013 through the amazing Spencer Hill Press.  My second young adult title, Milayna, a paranormal romance, will release through Spencer Hill Press beginning in March 2014. Milayna is a standalone, with series potential. It’s meant to be a trilogy. The Infected, a PODs novel, will release November 2014. It is the second, and last, book in the PODs series.

I was born and raised in Flint, Michigan.  I now reside in a small community outside Houston, Texas with my incredibly supportive, not to mention gorgeous, husband, three amazing school-aged children, a 125-pound lap dog, and a snooty cat.

Keep up-to-date with my current, future projects, appearances, and fun giveaways at www.michelle-pickett.com.

I always love to hear from readers, bloggers and other authors!

Find me here:

Website│Blog│Facebook│Twitter│Goodreads

Cover Reveal Organized by:

COVER REVEAL ..FINDING MR. DARCY

Pressed Leaf Publishing is excited to work with 

YA Bound Book Tours in releasing the new cover for 

Author Erin Butler and her YA Romance,

Finding Mr. Darcy..High School Edition.

Finding Mr. Darcy: High School Edition

by Erin Butler

Release Date: 09/16/14

Summary from Goodreads:

Sixteen-year-old Liza Johnson takes fangirl to a whole new level of crazy when she decides to take dating advice from her literary hero: Jane Austen.

With the help of her best friends, Liza sheds her ancient-speak and complete Austen wardrobe for something a bit more modern in an attempt at finding her very own Mr. Darcy.

Enter Will, the new kid and Liza's Darcy incarnate. Add her BFF's ex to mix and the sexy Brit who kisses with an accent, and Liza is in trouble.

So, what's a girl to do? Without her mom to go to relationship advice, Liza turns to the only person she can truly trust with matters of the heart via her mother's copy of COMPLETED WORKS OF JANE AUSTEN.

It's too bad Austen's heroines have never played Spin the Bottle or Seven Minutes in Heaven. Liza's determined to find her true Austen-esque happy ending, but if she can't trust herself instead of books, she just might end up in her own tragic love story.

About the Author

Erin Butler is lucky enough to have two jobs she truly loves. As a librarian, she gets to work with books all day long, and as an author, Erin uses her active imagination to write the kinds of books she enjoys reading. Young Adult and New Adult books are her favorites, but she especially loves the ones with kissing scenes.

Erin lives in Central New York with her very understanding husband, a stepson, and doggie BFF, Maxie. She prefers to spend her time indoors reading and writing, but will venture out for chocolate and sunshine. She is the author of BLOOD HEX, a YA paranormal, HOW WE LIVED, a contemporary New Adult novel, and FINDING MR. DARCY: HIGH SCHOOL EDITION, a contemporary YA.

Author Links:

   

Cover Reveal Organized by:

DARK MOON GATES, by LIONRHOD

Today we are returning to an author who gave us an article about Faeries and Sidhe…which by the way has had more visits than most anything we've put on this blog…people were showing up from twitter to check it out..so maybe you should go with the flow and check it out for yourself, as we've invited her back to introduce her book Dark Moon Gates, the first book in the Witches' Gates Saga.

After reading about the book here, please hit the link to take you to her article in case you've missed it..and read more about Lionrhod as well…thx for stopping by…enjoy this interesting work.

YA/NA Paranormal Fantasy
pages: 296
Author & publisher: Lionrhod


Description:

Willa, high school Junior and witch-in-training has a problem. No, not the ordinary problem of being a lonely, geekish misfit, though sure, she can add that to her list. And not the problem that she's got a crush on a delicious and evasive lord of Faery, and her mom's got the hots for him too. That's the easy stuff.

Teachers at her school are disappearing. The substitutes are faery Sidhe in disguise, and they're trying to uncover the identity of the child who will, according to prophecy, open the Gates to Faery. That kid happens to be Willa's 3-year old brother Arrie.

Since opening the Gates means the humans will invade and ravage the realm of Faery, the Sidhe plot to sacrifice Arrie at the dark moon, two weeks away. If they manage to do it, the Gates will close forever and the human world will perish for lack of magic. They haven't discovered Arrie's identity yet. They're narrowing down fast.

Then there's that pesky detail in the prophecy: Willa will be struck blind if she manages to stop Arrie's sacrifice.

here's some of what you can read about the making of this book from Lionrhod's article….

Dark Moon Gates was born out of a dream. In one part, insect-bodied faeries were staring in at me through the window, their eyes glowing like huge jewels. Later in the dream, I found myself running through a park. My younger brother was cuffed to a shopping cart and I was trying to wheel him to safety. Yet another part of the dream introduced me to Willa and the fact that prophecy said she would be blinded attempting to save her brother.

I tend to work on several projects at once, and at the time, was focused on writing the first edition of Spellcraft Secrets. I wrote the first few chapters about Willa and brought them out to polish on occasion, but was stumped by how--and if--she would manage to save Arrie without being blinded.
read more here

Website: http://www.lionrhod.com/

Blog: http://www.lionrhod.com/blog/

Book page on my site: http://www.lionrhod.com/books/dark_moon_gates.html

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Dark-Moon-Gates-Witches-Saga-ebook/product-reviews/B00E6GRK2K/

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/315030

Author page on Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/Lionrhod

Twitter @Lionrhod

Available at most retailers (amazon, b&n, kobo, sony, etc)

GIVEAWAY WINNERS

Our winners from the Dreaming of Books Hop Giveaway are two of our very own followers here at Pressed Leaf Publishing..so YAY for that!

The first winner of the print book version goes to Michelle Willms up in Canada…we're sending your copy off straight away Michelle, congrats!

And our second winner of an ebook version is Elizabeth at Book Attict…so happy happy to both our winners…hope you both enjoy Benjamin McTish and the Door Through The Grandfather Tree.
Don't forget, reviews are welcomed.

We have a couple more interviews coming this week and a loaded calendar for February and March with guest posts, interviews and giveaways from other talented authors of YA Fantasy…so check in and look at the left side bar right under the social media tabs for each months listing of upcoming events/authors.

Thx for following and keeping up with us here at PLP…have a good one!

THE AWAKENING OF AGNOSTOS

So here we go with something REALLY special!  This is a book written by a mother, Jennifer Paquette and her 15 year old son, Nicholas Perrotti.  They are of Greek heritage and while Jennifer was working on her Mythology she would ask her son about certain details regarding names and such as he was studying about Greek Gods in school …I think I'll let THEM tell you their story.

In the meantime, the cover is so magnificent we are able to show the whole thing, front and back…isn't this spectacular!  Do me a favor and at least read the prologue to the story…if that doesn't grab your interest to go further, nothing will.  It looks like a terrific read…so enjoy our interview and then head off to Amazon and read it for yourself…and then you'll see..I told you so!

And a ps…this is Jennifer Paquette, the writing partner to our own Stephanie Greenhalgh…the author of the Truly Twisted Tale of Ruby Hood..who co-wrote with Jennifer,  "If The Silver Slipper Fits" a revamped version of Glinda.  Writing is what Jennifer Paquette does…enjoy!

• Series: Myths of the Olympians
• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Write More Publications; first edition (July 4, 2013)

Again, I need to start by commenting on the cover. when you open the book flat the entire scene is exposed. really exciting! Great job.  Thank you!

1.  I know you talk about this in your book and bio, however, it really is the obvious place to begin for our readers...how does a mother and her 15 year old son decide to author a book together?

It didn’t start that way!  I was answering a call for a fantasy submission and decided to do a Mythology story.  Being Greek I have always loved Mythology and was thrilled when Nicholas became interested in it as well when he was in middle school.  At the time I was writing the submission, Nicholas was reading a very popular Mythology series, so I was running all my ideas past him.  He kept telling me “that’s been done already” and I was getting very frustrated.  By the time I finally found something that he “approved” of, he was excited about the story and kept asking me questions about how I was going to do certain scenes.  I decided to give him a scene to write, and he did it beautifully.  If I remember correctly, not a word has been changed from the original copy that he wrote.  After that, I starting sending him chapters and scenes and he would make comments, rewrite or redirect.

2.  Nicholas, do you find you have a real voice in collaborating with your mother?  Do you have any ideas you wish to move forward with on your own?  

Absolutely!  I remember when she sent me a battle scene – it needed a lot of work.  I told her she did not know how to write a battle scene, so she told me to do it.  We had a lot of fun writing it.  I also helped her with the dialogue between the gods and goddesses, especially with their personalities and how they would say certain things.  Right now we are working on the next book in the series, “Sea of Strangers”!  

3.  Jennifer, you are not new to collaboration.  Some of our readers may recall our recent interview with Fantasy Author Stephanie Greenhalgh, whose partner (our same Jennifer), works with her on the Precious Gem Series, in particular, If The Silver Slipper Fits, a revamped idea about Glinda, the Good Witch.  What is it about working with another author that inspires you or apparently “works” for you?

I love running ideas past a fellow author who is as passionate as I am about a certain subject or storyline.  It’s quite a rush when you’re both of the same mindset and the words can’t get from your brain to your fingers fast enough.  Collaboration can’t be forced!  I see my fellow collaborating author as a Muse in every sense of the word.  I have one other collaboration to reveal – I am working with my mother, a journalist, on a cheeky mother daughter memoir with a Grecian twist!

4.  Nicholas, what do your friends think about your early career move to become a writer? Do you believe you’ll continue to write after this Mythology series is complete?

My friends all think it is really cool and it will be a unique thing to put on my college applications next year!  Right now we are working on the next book in the series, but I’d love to keep writing after that as well.

5.  This first story takes the idea of the Bermuda Triangle and puts it into folklore with the Greek Gods in a real twist.  I really enjoyed the prologue, it truly grabbed my interest, I want to read more.  It’s a very intriguing piece of mystery to change up and make your own.

How did the inspiration come to use such a place on the planet..and can we expect more mystery spots to emerge as leads in your continuing series?

I wanted to weave a story around an unexplained phenomenon, and as I mentioned, everything I ran by Nicholas had been “done already” in a very popular Mythology series.  Then I thought of the Bermuda Triangle and we knew we had a great basis for our story.  In the next book, “Sea of Strangers” we explain the Drake Passage, which is the tumultuous body of water at the bottom of South America that connects the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.  As we were crafting the four books in the series, we decided they would all have water as their main theme and be a little educational as well.

6.  What is it about water in particular that seems to inspire you both?

We are lucky enough to spend a lot of time at the ocean, and it has always been our “happy place”.  A long walk on the beach is the perfect way to let creativity flow and become inspired.  And as a bonus, Nicholas’ sign is Aquarius, the Water Bearer!

7.  And finally, this is the time where I bring up the dedication and ask for personal meanings in these words...however, I noticed no dedication.  Why did you choose to forgo the typical inclusion of a dedication...and would you like to leave one for us now?

Instead of trying to separate a dedication and an acknowledgment I just wrote something from the heart.  When it was finished, I realized it worked better at the end of the story.  Here is what I wrote: 

Seeing your first story through publication is like sending a rowboat out into the ocean.

Thank you Carole, mother and grandmother, your Greek heritage and love for mythology inspired us to set sail;

Thank you Nicholas, you were the compass that steered the story in so many right directions I had no choice but to have you on board;

Thank you John Sr. and John Jr., you were the seat of support as we embarked on this journey;

Thank you Stephanie, muse and dear friend, you were the paddles that propelled us, kept us moving, and cheered us on;

Thank you Write More Publications, you were the vessel that carried us safely across the ocean, into the hands of our readers.

Amazon link 
Facebook link
Author Amazon Bio

THE SKINWALKER'S APPRENTICE

Today we're introducing Claribel Ortega, author of the YA paranormal novel of two young witch's whose lives are 300 years apart and how they connect.  Pre-orders for the book available, follow links below.  Publishing date Feb. 24…enjoy!

The Skinwalker's Apprentice

by Claribel Ortega

Release Date: 02/24/14

Summary from Goodreads:

“Welcome to The Empire State, where banshees, witches, and skinwalkers wait…”

Margo Pennyfeather is being hunted. The 16-year-old witch has always been an outcast, in her home back in England, and now in the village of East Hampton New York where her family has settled. No one but her family has ever cared for Margo, but now the most important witch in the magic world wants her as an apprentice, giving her a chance to bring her family out of poverty.
Before long, Margo realizes things aren't what they seem, least of all, what kind of witch she really is. Now, the young witch must face a terrifying monster on her own, and the reverberations will reach farther than she could have ever imagined.

More than three hundred years later, in 1984 Emerald Kipp is a high school senior in New York City. A troubled teen with a rebellious streak, Emerald can't seem to figure out what to do with her life, and unfortunately for her, “witch” isn’t one of the available career choices in her guidance counselor’s office. As she struggles to figure herself out, Emerald is faced with the threat of being stuck in school and missing her final summer with her three best friends. Her last year of high school is turning out to be the worst yet, and Emerald thinks it can’t possibly get any worse. Unfortunately for her, she’s dead wrong.
And there’s something else, something far more sinister stirring in Emerald’s world, and she’ll have to believe in herself if she wants to get through it alive.

Two witches, three hundred years apart, one inescapable fate.


EXCERPT

Emerald slid one sneaker off with her right foot and kicked it in the air, then did the same with the other, not bothering to check where it landed. They’d put themselves away, she thought. Since her room was the only place she could use magic, she used it freely, enchanting every last thing from her socks to her wallpaper. Her walls were covered with posters of her favorite bands, and they all came to life as she entered the room. One drummer in a black and white poster twirled his drumsticks in an infinite loop, while the guitarist shredded his guitar midair, legs splayed out to his sides. The little wallpaper that was showing from underneath her posters, swayed as if the flowers were in a breezy meadow instead of an apartment in downtown Manhattan. Her mint colored robe laid lazily on her bed, its fluffy sleeves turning the pages of her precious Vive Le Rock magazine as if it could actually read, or see for that matter. Emerald shook her head and smiled, just as her slippers plodded out from underneath her bed, stopping at her feet. 

“Not yet,” she dismissed the slippers, and they shuffled back into the darkness underneath her iron wrought bed. Records lined the shelf to the right of her bed, and a record player sat on the sill of the bay window that looked out into her backyard. 

She looked at her record collection and twisted her mouth in thought. Before she could make up her mind what to play, a record flew off the shelf, slipping out of its sleeve and floating over to her stereo set. The needle settled on the vinyl disk, and “Pearly-Dewdrops' Drops,” began to play.  

The Skinwalker's Apprentice is a prequel to the upcoming novel, Emerald Kipp and The Riddle of The Timekeeper, a terrifying magical scavenger hunt through the gritty streets of 1980’s New York City,set to a killer soundtrack, and perfect for fans of Harry Potter and The Perks of Being a Wallflower. Part of The Empire Witches series.

*Available February 24th, 2014 on Smashwords,iBook, Amazon, Barnes & Nobles and more!
(Pre orders available Jan. 20th)

About the Author

Claribel Ortega is a graduate of the SUNY Purchase journalism program, and got her start writing for the school’s Independent Newspaper. There, she quickly rose the ranks from editing the student’s often times hilarious ads and ramblings on the back page of the paper to staff and feature writer.

After graduation, Claribel worked as a reporter for The Rivertowns Enterprise, a local paper in lower Westchester County, New York. As a reporter, she enjoyed going to board of education meetings and texting the town mayors about the line at Starbucks.

Today, Claribel works for The Combined Book Exhibit, a book marketing company in Westchester NY.

She lives in New York with her really awesome boyfriend, her suspiciously intelligent yorkie Pancho Villa and is surrounded by an impenetrable fort of books she gets from her job.

“The Skinwalker’s Apprentice” is her first book, and cheese is her favorite food.

Author Links:

   

***GIVEAWAY***

Prize pack: (US only)

Forever 21 Mint green Handbag 

Forever 21 Emerald glitter nail polish 

Forever 21 Cat charm bracelet 

Forever 21 Pink heart gold necklace 

iTunes Playlist of all the songs in "The Riddle of The Timekeeper" (Playlist attached) 

Bookmarks and ebook of The Skinwalker’s Apprentice

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Blitz Organized by: