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Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Broken Flight ~ Dark World Books Tour


Scroll to the bottom for the contest!



Broken Flight
(Angels of Punishment #1)
Anna James never planned on dying at age nineteen or ending up somewhere other than heaven. Five years later, her heart is still on Earth with her soulmate Grey, while the rest of her struggles to survive in Beyond. Not quite heaven and a lot like hell, Beyond is a proving ground where only the strongest souls are allowed to move on. With no way out, Anna keeps her head down and plays by the rules… Until she learns Grey is about to die.
Grey Wilson would give anything to go back and stop the accident that ripped Anna from his arms. But when Anna appears on Earth again, he quickly realizes things can never be as they were. Death and Beyond have changed her; brought out the dark side and dimmed her inner light. Before they can even revel in this semblance of a miracle, Grey and Anna find themselves in the middle of an angelic civil war where sabotage and danger lurk around every corner.
Anna’s dark side is exactly what Azrael – the leader of the Angels of Punishment – craves. When Azrael lays out his demands, Anna will have to make the biggest decision of her life.


Elle J Rossi
Elle J Rossi grew up in rural Indiana surrounded by great people, a huge family and more animals than she could count. But the sites and sounds of the world beckoned, so she left her small town to escape into a creative world full of music. As a full time singer she was able to lose herself in a thousand different songs in a hundred different places. After meeting the love of her life and settling down, she yearned to find a new and fulfilling creative outlet. Overly fond of the happily ever after, she wondered what it would be like to have her own characters lead her down dark and twisted paths. The very first word on the very first page sealed her fate. She’d found a new love. She’d found her escape. Now along with weaving haunting tales about the journey to love, she’s creating cover art for authors around the world and loving every second of it. For fun, she cranks country music to take her back to her roots, and sings karaoke anytime she gets a chance. Her husband, two children, and a cat that rules the roost keep her company along the way and guarantee she doesn’t get lost in the enchanted forest. She wouldn’t have it any other way.

CONTEST



(Click on the photo to see the rest of the tour schedule and more chances to WIN!)

Saturday, April 20, 2013

SPRING SWAG CONTEST!


The winner will receive the following goodies (shown on my laptop keyboard in the photo):

1. Signed Road to Hell postcards.
2. Signed Road to Hell bookmarks.
3. Signed Taboo Kisses bookmark.
4. Pandora's Box/Hell's Phoenix postcard size magnet.
5. Nix pin.
6. Micah pin.

IN ORDER TO BE ELIGIBLE TO WIN: Enter the Rafflecopter contest below.

Note: I don't own the photo, but saw it on Facebook a while back. If you know the creator, please let me know and I'll tag their website with this photo. I would also love an actual photo of this for my wall.


CONTEST


Monday, April 15, 2013

Fractured Soul ~ Dark World Books Tour


(Click on photo to go to tour host's page)

Please welcome Author Rachel McClellan onto the Road to Hell. Rachel is the author of FRACTURED SOUL. Other books written by Rachel are FRACTURED LIGHT and CONFESSIONS OF A CEREAL MOTHER.

Now, it’s time to create a little hell and get to the good stuff by revealing all of Rachel’s wicked secrets while on the Road to Hell. LOL  Yeah, you wish! ;-D 

Grab your favorite drink, sink your teeth into something decadent, sit back, relax and enjoy getting to know Rachel…

~~~

GRACEN: If you could pick one thing about our world to change, what would it be and why?

RACHEL: I wish I could empower people, inject them with a vial of confidence or something. To often people are willing to lay down and moan about their life, thinking they are owed something by the people around them. This type of self-defeating behavior will never make the world a better place.


GRACEN: Kind of morbid, but if you knew the exact moment of your death, down to the last second, what changes would you make in your life?

RACHEL: I’d junk all the “fluff” in my life and focus on my family more. We would probably travel together, see things we haven’t seen, experience something we’ve never done before…basically we would live life to the fullest, even if it was only for three days.


GRACEN: If I picked a television show or sitcom that fit my family, it would be the Addams Family because we’re all a bit odd and zany. What one television show/sitcom would best describe your family? Or if none apply, pick a song or album.

RACHEL:  Addams Family is a good one and fits my family well, too, but I won’t steal your answer. J My next best option would be Cheaper by the Dozen. Even though I don’t have 12 children, the events on that show have happened to me and my four kids. Just read my humorous memoir CONFESSIONS OF A CEREAL MOTHER and you’ll know what I’m talking about!


GRACEN: Pretend you’re writing a book about your life. What would the title be and why?

RACHEL: WHO’S YOUR BITCH NOW, LIFE? Why this title? Because my life hasn’t been the easiest (whose is?) and sometimes I want to crawl under a rock and hide away from the world, but then I remember the characters I write about and, it may sound stupid, but they give me strength. So do the people around me. I try hard to take control of my life and not the other way around.


GRACEN: What song title best describes your style of writing? (Use any song in existence or create your own).

RACHEL: Dark and Twisted


GRACEN: If you had superpowers would you be the superhero or the villain? Why? What would your name be?

RACHEL: I would be a superhero because, as a mother, it’s a role I have to take, although sometimes I’m sure my kids think I’m the villain. J My name would be Tired-But-Still-Fighting-Super Woman.


GRACEN: Do you have a guilty pleasure? If so, will you share it with us?

RACHEL: Lately my guilty pleasure has been a Five Guys Burgers and Fries burger. I can’t put into words how good it actually is. Serious. Go try one now. NOW!


GRACEN: You’re stranded on an island, who would you want to be stranded with and why?

RACHEL: My husband. He is seriously the funniest man I know, and is good with his hands too (in more ways then one *grins*). He will have a tree house built and food in my belly in no time.


GRACEN: Now, let’s get to know you as an author. When did you become aware that you wanted to be a published author?

RACHEL: In 2007 on a trip to Ireland. I always wanted to write, but never thought I could be an author until that beautiful day as I was standing on the tops of the Cliffs of Moher. I knew then that I had the determination to make my dreams come true.


GRACEN: Are there any particular authors that made an impact on you growing up or as an adult? Did any particular teacher or someone else in your life make an impact on your writing?

RACHEL: In highschool I wanted to write like authors Christopher Pike or L.J. Smith. Also, my mother was a writer and often shared her love of the written word with me.


GRACEN: Do you have any “must haves” while you’re writing—besides your computer, of course?

RACHEL: I must have my AlphaSmart. It’s basically a keyboard with only four lines of visible text on a small screen. It’s super light, battery operated (batter life lasts forever!), and goes with me everywhere. I then transfer my work onto my computer for editing. I find that I write faster when using it because of the limited amount of  text it shows. If I write on my computer, I’m always stopping to fix mistakes and I loose my momentum.


GRACEN: Do you write in a particular genre? If so, what’s the appeal of that genre for you?

RACHEL: I love a few genres that are all closely related: paranormal, horror, Gothic, urban fantasy…I even like humor, and that’s why I try to combine them all into one great read. J


GRACEN: Any love/hates as it relates to the writing industry?

NAME: I love that there is so much information available to us writers online. Without the Internet, I wouldn’t have learned half of the stuff I know about writing.


GRACEN: Do you have a Muse? If yes, what’s his/her name(s). Why do you think some authors have a muse and other authors don’t?

RACHEL: I don’t have a Muse, but I do have something that inspires me to write – MUSIC. I must listen to it when I write, and I truly believes it makes my writing stronger. One of my favorite composers to listen to is James Dooley.


GRACEN: If you could live the life of any one of your characters, who would it be and why? Would you do things differently in real life than he/she did in the book?

RACHEL: I would like to be Llona, even though she has a lot of trials. She is loyal and has a lot of inner strength. If, in real life, I was Llona, I would hope I’d do the same things as her, but knowing me, I’d make things harder than they have to be.


GRACEN: What are you working on now?

RACHEL: I’m in the process of querying a YA novel titled UNLEASHED. It’s a young adult retelling of the Jekyll and Hyde story and is deliciously dark. I’m also writing the third book, Fractured Truth.


GRACEN: What makes your books stand out from other books in your genre? (Use this as an opportunity to sale folks on your book!)

RACHEL: In the Fractured Light series, I did something that hasn’t been done before, not that I know of anyway. I gave my main character the ability to use Light as a weapon, along with a few other cool Light powers. I also introduce new characters in Fractured Soul that also haven’t been seen before in YA novels. I think this adds to the story.


GRACEN:  Thanks so much for joining us, Rachel!  It’s been a treat getting to know you better! 

Find Rachel
Facebook  |   Blog   |   Website   |   Twitter   |   Goodreads  |  Book Trailer
Buy Fractured Light
Buy Fractured Soul

BLURB:

Llona will do whatever it takes to protect her new found friends and home, but the dark plot threatening Lucent Academy, a school that’s supposed to be a safe place for Auras, may be too powerful for even Llona to defeat. This fast-paced tale of love, loyalty, and overcoming the darkness will keep you on the edge of your seat until the last page!


EXCERPT:

“You look beautiful,” a familiar voice said.
I turned around. Christian was standing directly in front of me, only a few inches of air between us. The nearness made my heart race. I lowered my eyes. “Thank you. You look good too.”
“I want to dance with you,” he said, breathing deeply.
I looked up, glancing around nervously. “You can’t. You know that.”
He closed the small space between us until I was forced to step back. “I don’t care.” He moved toward me again.
My cheeks flushed, and I made the mistake of looking into his eyes; they burned with passion, and the lights above reflected in them, making them even more intense. He reminded me of a hungry wolf. I stepped back again. “We can’t.”
He moved forward. After me. I continued backing up to keep our bodies from touching, but he wouldn’t stop.
I glanced behind me. Christian was guiding me into the long, white curtains hanging from the ceiling. “We can’t do this, Christian. You have to stop.”
“Stop me, then,” he said. He kept pursuing, and I kept moving.
I felt the soft material part as I stepped backward into it; the silkiness of it against my back was like a hand caressing my skin. I sucked in air and continued to move into the white layers until they hid us completely.
Christian said nothing. His gaze left my eyes and traveled to my mouth, considering it like it was something he wanted to conquer. My lips parted in anticipation of what was to come. His fingers found mine, and he tugged my hand forward, pull­ing my body next to his. His other arm tightened against my back until I was pressed against him.
Christian’s lips fell onto my neck. Very gently, he kissed my skin. His mouth continued to trail up my neck until he found my lips. The kiss started out soft, but all of a sudden my arms were around his neck, trying to get him even closer.



Fractured Soul
(Fractured Light #2)
Llona will do whatever it takes to protect her new found friends and home, but the dark plot threatening Lucent Academy, a school that’s supposed to be a safe place for Auras, may be too powerful for even Llona to defeat. This fast-paced tale of love, loyalty, and overcoming the darkness will keep you on the edge of your seat until the last page!
What others are saying:
I love these books! A kick-butt heroine and a hottie love interest, with a refreshingly original concept. Be prepared—once you start, these are hard to put down.
Paula Cotton, book reviewer at ReadingLark.blogspot.com
Fractured Soul is a brilliant sequel, exceeding even the remarkable first book in the series. It will haunt your every waking moment between the times you’re reading it, and it will stay with you long after you’ve finished. It’s an amazingly well written and engrossing story that I highly recommend—after you’ve read the first one, of course.
Cindy Bennett, bestselling author of Geek Girl & Rapunzel Untangled

Fractured Soul Book Trailer

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=tP2lbKA0QOs


To read prior interview with Rachel McClellan click 
--> HERE <--

About Fractured Light (Book #1)

Llona Reese is used to living on the run. After the Vykens killed her parents, she knew they would eventually come for her too. She can’t take any chances. But when she starts to make friends for the first time in her life, she gets careless and lets her guard down. Big mistake.

As an Aura, Llona can manipulate light and harness its energy. But if she wants to survive, Llona will have to defy the Auran Council and learn to use her power as a weapon against the Vyken whose sole desire is to take her light. Now she’s caught in something even bigger than she can understand, with a power she can’t wield, and no one she can trust, except, just maybe, a mysterious stranger.


Rachel McClellan
Rachel McClellan was born and raised in Idaho, a place secretly known for its supernatural creatures. When she’s not in her writing lair, she’s partying with her husband and four crazy, yet lovable, children. Rachel’s love for storytelling began as a child when the moon first possessed the night. For when the lights went out, her imagination painted a whole new world. And what a scary world it was…
Website – Blog – Twitter – Facebook – Goodreads

Sunday, April 14, 2013

The Road to Hell series welcomes author Kelsie Blanton


Please welcome Author KELSIE BLANTON onto the Road to Hell. KELSIE is the author of SAVING ME. This is KELSIE’S debut book.

Now, it’s time to create a little hell and get to the good stuff by revealing all of KELSIE’s wicked secrets while on the Road to Hell. LOL  Yeah, you wish! ;-D 

Grab your favorite drink, sink your teeth into something decadent, sit back, relax and enjoy getting to know KELSIE BLANTON…


~~~ 

GRACEN:  Tell me three things about yourself that we cannot find on the internet or in your bio?

KELSIE: I want to travel all over the world. I’m actually writing a book, which I will delve into a little more in a bit, and I have the main character travelling to all of these places I want to travel to. I’m not going to lie, I’m kind of jealous. I am OBSESSED with Caramel Apple suckers. I literally went to the gas station the other day, walked to the section where they sell single pieces of candy, and grabbed the entire box. I spent twelve dollars on about 47 suckers. My favorite color is red. I always incorporate the color red into my books. The bedroom that Peyton has was the same bedroom I had as a teenager. In the book I’m writing on now, the main character has dark red hair just like I do.

GRACEN: What hobbies and interests do you participate in when you’re not writing?

KELSIE: Well, of course there is always reading and I obviously can’t say that I’m not obsessed with being on Facebook. That would be a bold-faced lie. I don’t clean on a day to day basis, but when I finally muster up the motivation to do it, I actually enjoy it when I have the music cranked up. *Blushes* I actually dance around the house while cleaning and I have a blast.


GRACEN: Do you have any writing quirks or certain things you MUST have or do before beginning the writing process?

KELSIE: Well, this is where the suckers come back into play. I have to have a small pile of caramel apple suckers sitting next to me, a bottle of Mountain Dew/Dr. Pepper, and a notebook right beside me just in case I get any ideas for later chapters.


GRACEN: If you were plotting to take over the world, how would you do it?

KELSIE: Hmm, there are so many different options for this. Many thoughts ran through my mind. Zombie apocalypse, an army of cats (lol), but I think I’m going to go with subliminal messaging.


GRACEN: If you could make one statement that the entire planet would hear and remember, what would it be?

KELSIE: I want to direct this statement to the growing bullying problem in this world. So many young children/teens are picked on daily.  If I could make one statement that the entire planet would hear and remember, it would be directed to the bullied and it would be, “It gets better”.


GRACEN: Very true, it does. Bullying is one of my biggest pet peeves and I don't understand why children are so mean to one another! What genre do you write and why that genre?

KELSIE: Honestly, it’s hard for me to label my books as far as a genre goes. It is definitely MATURE YA and up, but anything after that is difficult for me to sum up. My books have real life issues in them—tragic things that people deal with on a day to day basis, but then I may add a bit of romance, or something to give that specific character some sort of hope. So even though it has a tragic beginning, it could be labeled as Contemporary Romance, or even Inspirational at times.


GRACEN: For those who are not yet familiar with KELSIE BLANTON, can you please give us some details about the book and/or series?

KELSIE: Oh boy, let’s see if I can do this without giving too much away. *Laughs* In Saving Me, the main character is sixteen year old, Peyton Jones. She has what some call, “the perfect plan” in life. She’s a junior in high school and keeps amazing grades. She wants to go to NYU to become a writer. Peyton never has time for boyfriends but when the new kid starts giving her attention, she decides to make an exception. Shortly after, things begin to go downhill. Everything she has ever known is ripped from her grasp and she ends up with what she, at first believes, is nothing. She doesn’t know whether or not she can trust anyone ever again. Slowly, she becomes friends with Steve and things may or may not pick up for her. I’m going to stop right there! I’m the spoiler queen (ask my boyfriend). This book does have a very graphic scene in it and when I say it is for mature audiences, it really is.


GRACEN:  Do you have any new stories in the works and can you tell us a bit about it/them?

KELSIE: Yes! I actually have two stories that are in the works. One of them is definitely out of my element. As I said before, my stories are more realistic and this one is called The Witch in Apartment 2B. It’s about a girl named Kat, who moves from Salem, MA to New York thinking that she is getting away from magic. Little does she know that she’s walking into a bigger, badder world full of more mystical beings than just witches. It’s actually been a lot of fun to write! I’m co-writing it with, Anna Leigh, who has not yet been published. This may be her debut novel, although she is working on another one of her own as well. The other one I’m working on is all mine! It’s called Broken Pieces and I cried writing the very first chapter. I have a pretty good feeling about it. I don’t want to go into detail on Broken Pieces though because it will pretty much give away a lot of important details. I want you all to be surprised when you read it.


GRACEN: If you could describe your writing with one word or brief phrase, what would it be? Please delve into the core of your writing to tell us what word or phrase you want readers to take with them when they’ve finished reading your story.

KELSIE: Life.

GRACEN: Hahaha! That was briefest answer I've ever seen to that question. But you got your point across. What, in your opinion, makes your story unique and what makes it stand out from other stories in your genre? Think of this as a pitch to convince readers to pick up your books.

KELSIE: The most terrible and wonderful things can come from the most unexpected places at the most unexpected times. *Slowly pets cat in swivel chair* Curious now?

GRACEN: Definitely! What’s the weirdest thing you’ve ever done in the name of research?

KELSIE: Well, you know how you see pictures saying “If I die, please erase the history on my computer”? If I die, I would definitely need the history on my computer erased. I’ve researched into some crazy stuff and then decided against using it. But, the most recent thing I did was buy three travel companions for Broken Pieces. The crazy part is that I want to travel to all three of these places and it makes it even harder for me to read through them without packing my suitcase and running out the door!

GRACEN: LOL I'm the same way, my husband might be surprised by some of the stuff on my computer. Of all your books, which character did you have the most fun creating and why?

KELSIE: That’s a tough question. I would have to say Peyton. She’s tough, brave, and no matter what she goes through, she at least tries to pick herself back up. I admire that.

GRACEN: If you had the opportunity to meet just one of your characters in real life, who would it be and why?

KELSIE: Steve. I don’t even have to think about that one. Anybody willing to do what he does in Saving Me is awesome in my book.

GRACEN: Hmm...anyone who doesn't want to know more about that? I'm sure curious about what he did. Which of your characters would you never want to meet under any circumstance and why?

KELSIE: That would have to be Aaron, and you’re going to have to read it to figure out why.

GRACEN:  If you were interviewing yourself, what is the one question you would ask yourself and please give us the answer to that question?

KELSIE: If you could steal a smooch from any guy in Hollywood, who would it be? My answer? No more questions! I’m just kidding. I would probably ask myself how I came up with Saving Me. The answer to that would be that I was almost in the same situation Peyton finds herself in. It didn’t happen, but I always wondered what if. So one night at work, I got the idea and when I got home, I sat down and started writing.


GRACEN:  Thanks so much for joining us, KELSIE!  It’s been a treat getting to know you better! 

Buy Link: www.amazon.com
                 www.smashwords.com
If you are interested in a signed copy, feel free to email me at: kelsie_blanton@yahoo.com




BLURB:

Sixteen-year old Peyton Jones had it all: straight A's in school, the perfect boyfriend, and nothing to worry about but keeping her GPA up. Then one night her perfect world is suddenly ripped away from her. Everything she has ever known changes and she goes from having a perfect plan to watching her world crumble around her.

Steve Gibbons was the quarterback of his high school football team...until the new guy showed up and stole his spot, causing him to lose his chance at a scholarship. Football was his life and now he feels like he has nothing.

Drawn together after losing hope for their futures, Peyton and Steve become best friends, but as they grow closer, a colossal secret is revealed changing everything. Will Peyton be left to face her inevitable future alone, or can she trust enough to let someone else in?


EXCERPT:

I shivered as I walked into an open room that seemed to be below freezing. I had thought there would be a corner I could hole into while listening to everyone’s stories. So, I showed up just a little bit late thinking I could hide and be invisible to them. But as I walked into the isolated room and the door slammed itself shut, everyone’s eyes were on me.
Way to go, Peyton. Can we have a mental applause here?
I tried to force a smile on my face, but it was almost as though they could see right through it so I quickly gave up on that endeavor. I hadn’t taken one step since I had walked into the room so I looked around for a vacant chair to sit in that wasn’t located near the group. Unfortunately though, it appeared that at these types of events, all of the chairs in the room ended up in a circle.
Yay me.