Thursday, March 31, 2016

RELEASE of my novel Princess of Tyrone!


Today Princess of Tyrone goes out into the world. It's a significant book because not only is it the first of seven books in a series, but it's also my tenth book release.

See what people are already saying about it (Goodreads):

"Hamstead hit it out of the park with this one, much like her Kiya series" ~ Jessa Russo

"I would say this is one of my favorite retellings so far, and it was a fun read that had me smiling throughout at the characters and their relationships!" ~ Kristen Burns

Grab your copy today on Amazon, and swing by the Facebook party for giveaways and games. Then go ahead and follow the blog tour with YA Bound which also has a tour giveaway. Lots of giveaways!




Apolline is happy hunting magical creatures on her pirate infested outer-perimeter planet. She is a fantastic shot, and doesn’t flinch at the blood and guts of her kills. Never once did she consider she could be the missing Princess of Tyrone. 

All her life, she has heard the story of the Princess, cursed to sleep for eternity, unless her betrothed, the Prince of Oran, gave her true love’s kiss. Although Apolline knows she is betrothed, she thinks her fairy guardians arranged it out of ignorance of human ways. The thought she could be a princess is inconceivable.

Then Allard appears. Handsome, charming—but he’s not hers to have. He’s betrothed, too. Her guardians warn her against her new found friendship, but she and Allard meet in secret anyway. Despite her rough exterior, he sees beyond her gun-slinging bravado, and their love blossoms.

But the deadline for the sleeping curse is approaching. If Apolline falls in love with the wrong person, she could end up sleeping forever. 

A quirky, adventurous retelling of Sleeping Beauty, with a less than princess-ly princess!

Tuesday, March 29, 2016

Blog Tour: Immurement by @normahinkens


Immurement
by Norma Hinkens
Genre: 
Young Adult Dystopian/Sci-fi
Release Date: December 9th 2015
Dunecadia Publishing

Summary from Goodreads:


The earth’s core overheats. The sovereign leader vanishes. A young girl is the survivors’ only hope …

What little land is habitable is patrolled by cutthroat gangs of escaped subversives, but that’s not the greatest threat facing sixteen-year-old Derry Connelly, her brother Owen, and a ragged band of Preppers holed up in a bunker in the Sawtooth Mountains. Mysterious hoverships operated by clones are targeting adolescents for extraction.

Owen, is one of the first to disappear. To save him, Derry must strike a deal with the murderous subversives, and risk a daring raid to infiltrate the heart of the extraction operation.

But will the rookie leader falter when forced to choose between her brother and a clone who ignites something inside her she didn’t know was possible?


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I trace the trigger housing on my gun and count the remaining clones congregated around the room. Were grossly outnumbered. And Owen is weaponless. This cant end well if we dont comply.
“You have thirty seconds to accept my terms,” Lyong says, a nettled edge to his voice.
I shiver, picturing his one-eyed tic appraising me in a monitor somewhere as he talks, his papery skin rippling with the effort of speech. I cant see a way out of the situation that gives me any chance of saving Owen, other than to negotiate. Hesitantly, I raise my arms and step forward.
“My brothers injured,” I yell. “If you give us your word youll help him, well turn over our weapons.”
My heart strains in my chest. Im counting on Mason and Sven to hold their fire. I wait for what seems like forever, steeling myself for Lyongs response.
The intercom crackles to life, but Lyongs words are drowned out in a barrage of gunfire. I pitch sideways beneath a conveyer belt and huddle in a ball, shaking. Debris pelts me from every angle; chunks of seat cushions, shredded medical tubing, shards of glass from exploding computer screens. A pungent chemical smell fills the air.
All over the room, disoriented Schutz Clones fly backward. I stare in disbelief as they writhe in death throes, ossifying before my eyes. Mason bolts across the floor and rolls under the belt beside me. His eyes gleam like cats eyes in the dim light. “Its the Council,” he yells, between breaths. “Theyve penetrated the Craniopolis!”
I blink as I digest what hes saying, my ears roaring.
Mason slams a fresh cartridge into his gun, his knuckles bleeding profusely. “They must have triggered the explosion. Theyve been planning an attack for months.”
My brain slowly wraps itself around the information. Theres still a chance of getting out of here alive. I unload my pack and roll over into sniper position. “Then lets finish this.” I lock eyes with Mason. “For Owen.”

About the Author
For news and special offers join Norma's VIP Reader List at http://eepurl.com/bDGdIX.

Travel junkie, former professional globetrotter, legend lover, idea wrangler. Norma Hinkens has lived, worked and visited her way across continents, soaking up stories along the way. Her writing is influenced by the resilient characters she met along the way; everyone has a story!

Norma grew up among vibrant storytelling traditions in her native Ireland. She's a legend-loving author who takes a fiendish delight in pushing reluctant characters over cliffs to find out what they’re made of. Epic odds, seemingly impossible missions, pasts that haunt, intrigue and misadventure. She’s happiest when wrangling provocative big picture ideas that are never black and white when you turn them inside out. It’s all about the tension in the journey.

She currently resides in California with her husband, three children and Chihuahua extraordinaire. She is the author of the YA post-apocalyptic Undergrounders Series: Immurement, Embattlement and Adjudgement.

Author Links:
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Monday, March 28, 2016

Review: How to Ditch Dead Guys by Ann M. Noser

From Goodreads:
After everyone EMMA ROBERTS raises from the dead sinks back into the river, she longs for a purpose. A schedule. Something to accomplish.
Then OFFICER WALKER leaves a message on her voice mail: "There's been another murder, and I need your help."
With a bag of witchcraft supplies slung over her shoulder, Emma performs a séance for Walker at the site of the murder. But nothing happens until Emma gets back home.
Black smoke swirls inside the bathroom. An invisible force slams her head onto the tiled floor. A golden snake slithers across her legs, then impales her wrist with its icy teeth.
As the smoke clears and the images fade, the truth becomes clear.
This time around, Emma won't just watch what happened. She'll live it.
As Emma helps Officer Walker solve murder cases, she relives the horror of each victim's last moments of life. From the edge of the river to the underground lair of the gang who murdered Steve, she endures it all.
As Emma weakens, both the victims and the murderers who killed them fight for control of her body and mind.
She's possessed, and the voices inside her head won't let her ask for help.
Even the Book of Shadows can't save her now…
 

My Thoughts:
I loved How to Date Dead Guys, so the second I had a chance to read this I snatched it up. All I really want to say is JAKE. JAKE, JAKE, JAKE. Noser continues the story from book one by delving deeper into Emma's past and new found abilities while she helps the cop who suspected her in book 1 solve mysterious occurrences. Favorite characters return, and not-so-favorite ones too. Things get a little darker, a little deeper, and way more intriguing. Now I HAVE to wait for book 3! But I wait eagerly, and ready to find out more about Emma and, well, JAKE! 

Wednesday, March 23, 2016

Blog Tour: How to Get Your Heart Broken by Rose Fall



How to Get Your Heart Broken
by Rose Fall
Release Date: March 21st 2016
Genre: YA Contemporary

Summary:


A self-proclaimed cynic, Eli is unsurprised by her boyfriend’s betrayal. Yet, its impact goes beyond what she realizes; a cruel bet, an array of secrets, and a thousand lessons not yet learned teach her how to trust again as an unlikely boy shows her a kind of love she never knew existed.
After Eli finds her boyfriend cheating on her, she seeks an escape. She heads to the beach to spend the summer before college with her two best friends. When Eli is unable to move past the betrayal, the girls devise a distraction; a bet about their handsome neighbor. Yet their thoughtless competition goes too far and their friendships are tested as they began to wonder how much they really know about each other and themselves. In the chaos, they manage to learn the truth about love, self-acceptance, and the journey back from rock bottom. 

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RACHEL: “The best way to get over someone is to get revenge.”



Book Trailer: 




About the Author
Rose Fall was born in New York City to Senegalese immigrant parents. She is currently studying Communication and Global Studies at UNC Chapel Hill. Her debut novel "How to Get Your Heart Broken" is set to be released Spring 2016. You can find her at her blog on rosesarecool.wordpress.com

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Tuesday, March 15, 2016

Blog Tour: Lions in the Garden @Chelsea_Luna_ @LyricalPress

Lions in the Garden
by 
Chelsea Luna
Release Date: March 1st 2016
Lyrical Press (Kensington)

Summary from Goodreads:


Prague, 1610

Ludmila Novakova--Mila--has barely set foot outside Prague Castle in her seventeen years. But with the choice between braving the bandits and wolves of Bohemia's uneasy roads or being married off to a disgusting old baron, she's taken what she can carry and fled.

Escape won't be easy. Even Mila has heard the rumors of a rebellion coming against the court. The peasants are hungry. The king hasn't been seen in months. Mila's father, the High Chancellor, is well known and well hated.

But Mila can't sit behind a stone wall and let fear force her into a life of silk gowns and certain misery. Her mother's death has taught her that much. She has one ally: Marc, the son of the blacksmith. A commoner, a Protestant--and perhaps a traitor, too. But the farther she gets from the castle, the more lies she uncovers, unraveling everything she thought she knew. And the harder it is to tell friend from enemy--and wrong from right . . . 


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Excerpt:
The beauty of Prague Castle—my home—filled me with an overwhelming sense of panic.  I shivered, partly from fear of returning to the castle and partly because my thin cloak didn’t provide enough warmth from the night’s chill.
                “You’re cold,” Marc said.
                “I’m fine.”
                He slipped his hand under my cloak and rubbed my bare arm.  “You’re not fine. You’re freezing.” 
“We’re almost there.  I won’t freeze.”
Marc drew me to him until my back lay against his chest.  I shivered again with the unexpected contact.  He wrapped his arms around my waist and leaned into me, using his large frame to shield my body from the whipping wind.  I couldn’t stop myself—I nestled into him, seeking his warmth.
“That’s better,” he whispered. 
I was incredibly aware of how close we were and how much of our bodies touched.  I’d never been this close to a man.  My mind buzzed with activity.  Was he as aware of me as I was of him?  Or was I being silly?  

About the Author
Chelsea Luna is the author of the bestselling NEW ENGLAND WITCH CHRONICLES, a young adult paranormal romance series comprising of four novels. Chelsea is also the author of the bestselling LOVE & THE ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE, a young adult horror trilogy.

Chelsea received a Juris Doctorate from New York Law School in New York, New York in 2007, and a B.A. in Sociology, with a concentration in Criminal Justice, from the University of Tennessee in 2004. She lives in Tennessee.

Author Links:

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Thursday, March 10, 2016

My Navajo Husband!

As you probably know (or not, whatever!) I am a stereotypical blonde haired, blue eyed Aussie girl. I moved to the USA for the sole purpose of marrying my husband. That's how much I love that man: I literally gave up my entire world for him. He has a wonderful, loving heart, a warm smile, a wicked and often crude sense of humor, and he's a fabulous cook to boot.
And, he also happens to be Native American--Navajo.
But let's go back to our childhood. We are only three months apart in age, so the coincidences of certain things we did are fascinating. As a kid, he had a toy koala he loved to death. He loved Aussie things, and in one of his school photos he's wearing a Land Down Under shirt with the letters upside down. I, at the same time, read tons of non-fiction about Native Americans; their history, their culture, and when I was assigned Arizona as an exchange student, I really, really wanted to get to know a Native American to learn first hand about their culture and people.
I really, really, didn't expect I'd marry one.
He's such a wonderful influence in my life... Most of the time! Ha ha! The only time his race comes into play is to get free vaccines for our kids or tuition for college. Honestly, the hardest prejudices we encounter are because of my background, but that's another topic. No one has ever made us feel like our different skin colors means we shouldn't be together. We're just... the Tellers.
I love meeting his dad's side of the family. They are hilarious, and often full on. Going to the Res is fascinating and eye opening.
As a result, things I see overflow into my writing projects. Papina touched on the struggles of Res youth and how important it is for them to learn and know they can break the negative cycle that is prominent on Reservations, while still preserving their rich culture and heritage.
I'm currently working on a Young Adult piece. It's light and has Kokopelli as a mischievous player in these teenagers' lives, because the main love interest is a Hopi boy.
My husband's background has played a huge part in the way and what I write. In fact, this Hopi boy is kind of snarky and obsessed with food like my husband. But the things he knows first hand has given me my teenage wish of getting to know Native American culture and people, the bad and the good aspects, and I get to snuggle up with that wish at the end of every day <3