MOORIGAD Promo Stop!

Moorigad: Complete Age of the Hybrid Series
by Debra Kristi

Genre: Paranormal/Romance/Fantasy

Pages 476

Summary:

When Kyra, the Moorigad dragon-shifter, unwittingly finds herself at Mystic’s Carnival, a supernatural world between realms, she believes her runaway days are finished. Amidst the carnies and never-ending magic, she finds a home of the heart – friends and belonging among a gathering of paranormal beings. However, living an uncomplicated life was never one of Kyra’s strengths.

She’s falling for her all-too-secretive best friend, Sebastian. And as she delves deeper into his mysteries, her goodwill sabotages their future and her very existence.

What did Kyra do?

Can Kyra and Sebastian find their happily-ever-after?

In this action-packed, fantasy romance about two coming-of-age would-be lovers, Kyra and Sebastian’s union and strength of character will be put to the ultimate test. The stakes? Everything and everyone that ever mattered to them

*Now you can get the complete story with all three books-in-one, including additional chapters.

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Sebastian and the Tarot Cards by Debra Kristi

Thank you for having me. I am thrilled to be here and talk about the research that went into the Moorigad Series.

Like most written stories, working in the world of Mystic’s Carnival entailed some research. Because I was dealing with a supernatural carnival, I had a lot of leeway. After all, it’s magic and, more importantly, a complete creation of my imagination. I could make it whatever I wished it to be. But supernatural or not, I wanted the carnival to have realistic carny roots. As a result, I found myself researching all kinds of things, many things never made it into the book. The put-up and teardown of the circus tent, training of the animals, performers makeup, secret carny language, and the operation of the shows and attractions, to name a few. 

Today I thought it would be fun to touch on Sebastian’s deck of tarot cards. Our hero, Sebastian, reads the cards for the carnival patrons. He’s known to be rather theatrical, with skull makeup and a cloak. Maybe he’s channeling his dark side or trying to hide his face or maybe he’s just looking for a larger tip. I’ll let you draw your own conclusions―for now.

To make the cards believable to the reader, Sebastian had to show just enough without bogging the reader down with information overload. Inspired by a particular tarot card reader I’d met, I decided to give Sebastian his own style at reading the cards. It was a little scary. There is always the chance that someone who knows the details a thousand times better will complain, but it was a chance I was willing to take…after much research.

One does not simply write a tarot card reader into a book and not give them something to work with. Sebastian had to know his stuff, which meant I had to know my stuff. I poured through books and went to readings, watched the cards get dealt countless ways. The last reading I had done, the guy threw the cards on the table every which way. The entire deck! He read them based on which cards fell where, at what angle, and in which order. He was so fast it was hard to follow, but the experience really fueled my muse.

In 2014, I traveled to New Orleans to research a different book. New Orleans is a treasure trove for someone in Sebastian’s line of work and I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to explore. I found my way to shop after shop, furthering my education in the art. One particular store stocked every tarot related item I could possibly imagine. I picked up several books and decks. I would later come to realize Sebastian used a custom deck, created especially for him and his purpose. Those purpose being other than reading the cards for the patrons.  

Do you think Sebastian should get a deck of cards based on the carnival and the cast? Wouldn’t that be something special?

I had so much fun writing these books and sharing about my tarot card experience. I want to take a quick moment to thank the readers and fans because you are the most important part of being a writer. Also, a huge thank you for having me here today! It has been a pleasure, and all the support is truly awesome. Wishing you all kinds of crazy magic in your day.

About the Author

Live in reality. Play on the other side. 

Debra Kristi is a paranormal and fantasy writer. She lives in Southern California with her husband, two children and and three schizophrenic cats. She’s a full-time kid chaser, video game maker's wife, and muse prompted writer. Unlike the characters she often writes, she is not immortal and her only super power is letting the dishes and laundry pile up. When not writing, Debra is hanging out creating priceless memories with her family, geeking out to science fiction and fantasy television, and tossing around movie quotes. 

“She writes because the dead girl told her to.” 

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HAPPILY EVER AFTER Blog Tour!

Happily Ever After: The Write More Publications Fractured Fairy Tale Anthology

By: Various Authors
Release Date: April 17th 2016
Write More Publications

Summary from Goodreads:

From princesses and princes, to witches, ice queens, imaginary friends, and dorks, Happily Ever After: The Write More Publications Fractured Fairy Tale Anthology has it all! Seven unforgettable stories by seven talented authors! Some stories are fractured takes on classics, while others are originals that will stay with you long after you've turned the last page!

Featured Authors: Dana Piazzi, Jordan Hancock, Kim Stevens, Elaine White, Vanessa Hancock, Michelle Feury, and Stephanie Parke

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Dana Piazzi       Jordan Hancock       Kim Stevens       Elaine White

Vanessa Hancock       Michelle Feury       Stephanie Parke

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THE HUNT by Megan Shepherd

Rating: B+
Synopsis:

The Maze Runner meets Scott Westerfeld in the second novel in this gripping and romantic YA series about teens abducted from Earth by an otherworldly race—from Megan Shepherd, the acclaimed author of the Madman’s Daughter series.

They’ve left the cage—but they’re not free yet.

After their failed escape attempt, Cora, Lucky, and Mali have been demoted to the lowest level of human captives and placed in a safari-themed environment called the Hunt, along with wild animals and other human outcasts. They must serve new Kindred masters—Cora as a lounge singer, Lucky as an animal wrangler, and Mali as a safari guide—and follow new rules or face dangerous consequences. Meanwhile, Nok and Rolf have been moved into an enormous dollhouse, observed around the clock by Kindred scientists interested in Nok’s pregnancy. And Leon, the only one who successfully escaped, has teamed up with villainous Mosca black-market traders.

The former inhabitants of the Cage are threatened on all fronts—and maybe worst of all, one of the Hunt’s Kindred safari guests begins to play a twisted game of cat and mouse with Cora. Separated and constantly under watch, she and the others must struggle to stay alive, never mind find a way back to each other. When Cassian secretly offers to train Cora to develop her psychic abilities—to prove the worthiness of humanity in a series of tests called the Gauntlet—she’ll have to decide fast if she dares to trust the Kindred who betrayed her, or if she can forge her own way to freedom.

My thoughts on the book:

I really enjoyed The Cage, and I was super excited to read The Hunt, but I was also apprehensive because so many second books are awful. However, Shepherd did not disappoint. This novel was better than I expected it to be, and I absolutely fell in love with it. The characters' grew throughout the book, the plot had a constant sense of urgency and alternated between sweet moments and dark moments, the pacing was spot on, and the writing was top notch. 

Cora grew up a lot in this installment, and I really enjoyed following her through the story. Mali and Leon developed a lot more, too, and I'm still a sucker for Cassian. I also gained some respect for Nok and Rolf this time around, and everyone really did their part. Lucky was another character who earned my respect. I liked some of the new introductions, but some of them, like Pika, annoyed me. I couldn't feel much sympathy for her, which kind of made me feel like a jerk.

The plot kept me engaged from the first page forward. The idea of the Hunt menagerie was horrific on many different levels than the menageries mentioned in the first book. What the animals and people went through in that menagerie broke my heart. I was engaged and sympathetic to everyone's plight, which isn't something I'm normally capable of in books with multiple viewpoints. Also, Nok and Rolf's situation was extremely twisted. I was concerned about everyone. Cassian managed to win me over again. I'm a sucker for aliens, apparently. The pacing was pretty fast, and I flew through the pages. Nothing felt rushed, though, except for the ending. It ended in a cliffhanger, and I really hate cliffhangers, hence the B+ instead of an A.

Overall, I'd recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a unique and well-written sci-fi adventure. You won't be disappointed.

RUINED by Amy Tintera

Rating: B
Synopsis:
A revenge that will consume her. A love that will ruin her.

Emelina Flores has nothing. Her home in Ruina has been ravaged by war. She lacks the powers of her fellow Ruined. Worst of all, she witnessed her parents’ brutal murders and watched helplessly as her sister, Olivia, was kidnapped.

But because Em has nothing, she has nothing to lose. Driven by a blind desire for revenge, Em sets off on a dangerous journey to the enemy kingdom of Lera. Somewhere within Lera’s borders, Em hopes to find Olivia. But in order to find her, Em must infiltrate the royal family.

In a brilliant, elaborate plan of deception and murder, Em marries Prince Casimir, next in line to take Lera’s throne. If anyone in Lera discovers Em is not Casimir’s true betrothed, Em will be executed on the spot. But it’s the only way to salvage Em’s kingdom and what is left of her family.

Em is determined to succeed, but the closer she gets to the prince, the more she questions her mission. Em’s rage-filled heart begins to soften. But with her life—and her family—on the line, love could be Em’s deadliest mistake.

My thoughts on the book:
I'd read mixed reviews about Ruined, so I was pleasantly surprised when I really enjoyed it. Both Em and Cas are easy to sympathize with. I really enjoyed getting to know them and watching them grow over the course of the book. The plot was fast-paced and full of suspense. The world-building was fantastic, and the writing was well-done. There were quite a few passages that really grabbed me. This book definitely stands out in the YA fantasy genre.

Em was a very angry character, for good reason. She was easy to sympathize with, even though her anger was sometimes a bit much. I could still relate to her, even though I thankfully haven't lived through what she did. As she evolved over the course of the novel, she became even easier to relate to, and I ended up liking her a lot. Cas was kind of gullible and self-absorbed at first, but he also grew throughout the novel and became quite likable. He had a good heart, and he was a really good hero. Both he and Em were flawed, but they were also very resilient. I'm looking forward to seeing more of both of them in the upcoming books. The side characters also stood out, though they weren't around enough for me to really get to know them. Galo seemed like a loyal friend, and Iria was also intriguing. I had mixed feelings about Aren, but he was also interesting, if also mysterious. None of the characters felt like filler. They each had their own personality. 

The novel started out quickly with action and suspense and did not slow down until the very last page. I flew through the pages and couldn't wait to see what happened next. There were some twists and turns, though there weren't any real big surprises. This book was still full of emotion and tension, though, which kept me reading. I really loved the writing. Some of Tintera's passages were absolutely beautiful. The world-building was clear and made sense. It wasn't overly described, but the author gave us a good understanding of how things worked. The only thing I didn't like about this book was that it ended on a cliffhanger. That's what made me give it a B instead of an A. I really hate cliffhangers, and this one was a doozy.

Overall, I'd recommend this to people who are looking for something a bit different in fantasy books. It's just different enough to hold your interest while still holding onto the best parts of the genre. I can't wait for the next installment.