Blog Tour: Hero High - Figure in the Flames @authorminachara #YA #superhero #giveaway @yabounttourspr

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Hero High: Figure in the Flames
by Mina Chara
Genre: YA Mystery Romance/Superheroes
Release Date: October 1st 2016

Summary from Goodreads:

Reality TV meets Superhero High School in this intriguing story about friendship, fame, and what it means to be a hero.

In Icon City superheroes save the day every day on the quarter hour. Led by Captain Fantastic, scores of superhero celebrities do their best to train the next generation. Seventeen year old Friday Fitzsimmons and Jake her childhood friend are their latest starstruck recruits. When Doctor Dangerous returns from the dead and the Figure in Flames decimates the city, Captain Fantastic is betrayed by one of his own.

Torn between Jake, Ashley and her feelings for Doctor Dangerous, Friday must decide if her childhood friend is worth fighting for, and if the worlds most famous super-villain is worth saving, all while learning how to be a hero.

Add to Goodreads

On sale this week only (12/12-12/16)!

Buy Links: Amazon | Amazon UK

Advance Praise:

- I think this book will appeal greatly to fans of the Selection. - the dressmaker D'fwan reminded me of America's maids … The whole TV reality show aspect also reminded me of Hunger Game as well as The Selection.

- I Really Loved The Book
I am so looking forward to book two. I love the world you’ve created and I want to explore it more. I thoroughly enjoyed Friday and her story.

- I Really, Really Enjoyed This Book!
The way that Ashley and Friday’s relationship progressed was amazing. Too often, in books the two main love interests relationships progress way too quickly and it was refreshing to see Ashley and Friday’s relationship develop gradually instead of it being super rushed.

- I Would Give This Book a Full 5/5 Stars!
Like there was just so much to this book and none of the characters are like what you originally predicted. Every chapter keeps adding to the story and making it more and more complex, and it leaves you on the edge of your seat in suspense.

Excerpt:

I ran as fast as I could until I heard the little girl cry. “Mrs Mine!”

I froze, and looked back. “Who’s Mrs Mine,” I asked.

“My bunny,” the little girl replied.  As a small child I had a stuffed bear and stupid as it was, I knew how she felt. That bunny was a member of the family. I dropped the little girl and pushed her forward.

“Run!” I yelled. “I’ll get your bunny.”

Lisa scooped up the girl and reached out to drag me back but she was too slow.

“Fitz!” Lisa screamed as I ran back towards the car, blocking out every sound, not letting myself think. I dropped to the floor and grabbed the toy like it was a baton in a relay race with no seconds to spare. I could hear each drop of fuel hit the road like the pounding of my pulse. Something blurry in the sky was speeding towards us and Lisa made a run for me again. Just as my fingers whispered across hers a voice boomed from above.

“Get down!” A man in a super skeleton suit flew down from the sky and wrapped himself round the two of us, deploying a shield from his back. It wasn’t a moment too soon. The car erupted in an awesome display of fire and the crowd oohed and awed at the spectacle as though they were watching New Year’s fireworks. I opened my eyes to the masked, super-suited figure above me.

“Partner Kisaragi, it’s good to finally meet you.” Lisa turned away from his face, only inches from hers, and mumbled something under her breath that might have been “show off”.

About the Author

Hi! I’m Mina Chara, I’m a student, an artist, a daughter, sister and companion to my two furry friends, Gimli and Gwynne. This blog is here because I’ve just written a book called Hero High: Figure In The Flames.

This is My Story:

Being dyslexic isn’t so much of a problem, the hard part is not letting it dictate what I like, and what I can do. For years I was scared of reading, but then I discovered YA fiction, real books with main characters I could relate to because most of them were girls.

When someone criticizes my writing, I feel like crying, because I feel like that I’m back in English class getting yelled at again, just wanting to go home, but I’m not a kid anymore, I’m an adult, and as an adult, I wrote a book, and you can too.

Author Links:

Website│Goodreads│Twitter│Facebook│Tumblr│Author's Amazon Page

GIVEAWAY:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Blog Tour Organized by:

YA Bound Book Tours

Jane Doe: The Day Before by @LianaBrooks #scifi #thriller #suspense

Blurb:

A body is found in the Alabama wilderness. The question is:

Is it a human corpse … or is it just a piece of discarded property?

Agent Samantha Rose has been exiled to a backwater assignment for the Commonwealth Bureau of Investigation, a death knell for her career. But then Sam catches a break—a murder—that could give her the boost she needs to get her life back on track. There's a snag, though: the body is a clone, and technically that means it's not a homicide. And yet, something about the body raises questions, not only for her, but for coroner Linsey Mackenzie.

The more they dig, the more they realize nothing about this case is what it seems … and for Sam, nothing about Mac is what it seems, either.

This case might be the way out for her, but that way could be in a bodybag.

A thrilling new mystery from Liana Brooks, The Day Before will have you looking over your shoulder and questioning what it means to be human.

Excerpt:

Friday May 17th, 2069

Alabama District 3       

Commonwealth of North America

With an asthmatic wheeze the engine died. It figured. Stuck in a man’s craw, it did. This truck had been his daddy’s and his pappy’s, and before the Commonwealth government forced him to replace the diesel engine with the newfangled water doohickey, he was certain he’d pass the truck onto his son.

He’d been playing under the hood of trucks since he was six and now he was stranded. Embarrassing, that’s what it was. He climbed out of the cab to check the engine out of habit. The ice blue block of modern fuel efficiency stared back. Three hundred bucks it’d cost him, straight from his pocket.

Oh, there was a government subsidy, all right. A priority list. Major Population Centers, they said. Unite the countries of the Commonwealth on a timeline, they said. And what did all that mean?

It meant the damn Yankees got upgraded cities and free cars before the ink was dry on the Constitution and what about the little man? Nobody thought about the working class. No one cared about a man covered in oil and grease anymore.

He thumbed his cellphone on. No reception. Figured.

So much for the era of new prosperity. He’d hoof it. There was a little town about five miles down the road where he could call Ricky to bring a tow truck. It would have been cheaper to pay the diesel fines than get all this fixed.

Off schedule. Over budget. Son of a –

He stared at the distant trees. Well, it wasn’t going to get any cooler.

He grabbed his wallet and keys from the cab of his truck. The tree line looked like a good spot to answer a call from nature, then he’d see if there weren’t a shortcut through to town. A meadowlark sang. Not a bad day for a hike. Would’ve been better if it weren’t so dammed hot, but at least the humidity was low. He wouldn’t like to walk in a summer monsoon, not at his age with arthritis playing up.

Under a sprawling oak he unzipped his pants. As an afterthought, he glanced down to make sure he wouldn’t stir up a hill of fire ants.

A hand lay next to his boots.

He blinked, zipped his pants slowly, and turned around. "Hello?"

Cicadas chirped in answer.

"Are you drunk?" The quiet field that looked so peaceful only moments before was now eerily sinister. He nudged the hand with his foot. It was swollen and pale and crusted with blood, just like a prop out of a horror movie.

Maybe it was a good idea to run to the next town.

LINKS:

HarperCollins – http://www.harpercollins.com/9780062407658/the-day-before

Amazon – http://www.amazon.com/Day-Before-Jane-Doe-ebook/dp/B00Q33ZRTW/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1417452140&sr=8-7&keywords=liana+brooks

Barnes and Noble – http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-day-before-liana-brooks/1120818378?ean=9780062407658

iTunes – https://itunes.apple.com/gb/book/the-day-before/id945085387?mt=11

Kobo – https://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/the-day-before-2

GoodReads – https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23607748-the-day-before

Website: http://www.lianabrooks.com

FaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Liana-Brooks/278779308851471

Twitter: https://twitter.com/lianabrooks

Newsletter: http://lianabrooks.us4.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=675dc6fb70db402b9a2b27c97&id=71396c63a4

Coming April 28th, 2015

Available for Pre-Order

Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Kobo | HarperCollins | iTunes | GoodReads

Author Bio:

Liana Brooks once read the book GOOD OMENS by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett and noted that both their biographies invited readers to send money (or banana daiquiris). That seems to have worked well for them. Liana prefers strawberry daiquiris (virgin!) and will never say no to large amounts of cash in unmarked bills. 

Her books are sweet and humorous with just enough edge to keep you reading past your bedtime. 

Liana was born in San Diego after bouncing around the country she's settled (temporarily) in the great wilderness of Alaska. She can be found on Twitter (@LianaBrooks), on FaceBook, and on the web at www.lianabrooks.com. 

Meet the #Author Monday - SA Check

Please tell us a bit about yourself:

S.A. Check is a Science Fiction and Fantasy author.  As a kid, he grew up on comic books, heroes and villains, conflict and cliffhangers.  He read which-way books, science fiction and fantasy series, and classic horror fiction.  While earning his degree in English / Writing from Penn State University, he was exposed to poetry and prose, Shakespeare and Albee, anthologies and world lit. 

Today he lives with his E.R. nurse wife and tween daughter in Southwestern Pennsylvania and enjoys all the small dramas that come down the path.  He’s active on several internet writing sites, an active member of Pennwriters author group, and contributed articles to local newspapers.  His short story, Tangled Lines, appeared in the charity anthology, Hazard Yet Forward, and he achieved his first published novel, Welcome to GreenGrass with Bedlam Press, an imprint for Necro Publications, the first of what he hopes are many tall tales of his to be told.

Visit his author profile over at Necropublications.com, his blog at sacheck.blogspot.com, Facebook, Google +, Goodreads, or shoot him a tweet @S_A_Check.

Tell us about Welcome to GreenGrass:

Welcome To GreenGrass is basically a story of loss and how people react to it.  It centers on family and friendships and the how the sun still rises even if not the star we’re expecting.  The relationships that we form and the domes we construct around ourselves in shaping our personal existences.  It’s only when we look outside of ourselves, whether by choice or circumstance, do we find that personal perceptions are deceiving and one man’s prison is another’s home.  The story focuses on the intrinsic values that everyone battles to define in their lives and how each action taken reverberates across society.

What inspired you to write this particular story?:

Simple.  This was the type of story that I would want to read.  I hope GreenGrass falls into the same genre classifications as the authors I grew up reading and who influenced my writing style and tastes.  It’s science fiction fantasy through and through and is a blend of so many of the books that have influenced me over the years.  I started writing the book years ago and it has drifted and morphed in a few different directions since then.  Some of the characters have been crawling around in my head since I was a teenager and finally made their way to the page.  The setting for the novel really allowed me to throw a lot of creative touches to the story while exploring different sections of the city and the whole process has been nothing short of a blast to create.

Please share a favourite snippet from your book:

Instead of a snippet, I thought I’d share the GreenGrass Newbie Survival Guide.  Enjoy!

What if you saw a door while heading to that final white light?  Would you take it?  What if you didn’t have a choice?

A GREENGRASS NEWBIE

SURVIVAL GUIDE 

Well, at least you made it this far, so you’re ahead of the curve.  Most Newbies never even make it here.  Don’t get too excited.  We put together the ten most important rules to help keep you alive.  Read them, follow them, and hope for the best!

DA RULES!!!

1)  Stay inside the human quarter!  We’re used as cheap labor for the enchanters and technologists.  Be careful or you’ll end up as a potion tester or spare parts for a cyber- enhancement.

2)  Maybe you were a heart surgeon, a computer programmer, or dealt with high finance back home.  Well, that’s all over.  The skills you worked a lifetime to achieve don’t mean squat here.  Trade in that micro-processor for a shovel and start forming the calluses you’ll need to survive here.

3)  Don’t mess with the dome!  You can’t puncture, tear, scratch, drill, burn, dig, climb, ram, or break it.  Don’t you think we’ve already tried that?  The only thing you’ll get is depressed and do you really need a mental illness added to your growing list of problems?

4)  There is no such thing as a Kreelog!  It’s a Newbie joke!  Don’t go into the enchanted woods looking for one.  Magic Kreelog nuggets do not give you special powers!

5)  We have no formal currency here.  The system is barter and trade.  Swapping gem stones for goods is the norm.  Learn the difference between glass and the real thing or Otot the toad trader will have a field day with you in the market.

6)  We have several recognized holidays here but only five major ones you need to know:  Founder’s Day, Red Rise (when the twin moons align with the sun), Peace Between Us Day (annual enchanter and techno summit), Harvest Jubilee, and finally Mazopleneticalamus (yeah, we just slapped a bunch of holidays together).

7)  We’ll feed you for the first week or so and then you’re on your own.  Start a garden or at the very least buy locally for the first few cycles (that’s weeks to you).  Not all food here agrees with our digestive tracks.

8)  If you can’t resist the urge to explore, and we strongly suggest that you do, at least stay off the streets.  Hit the human is a popular pastime with GreenGrass motorists and ending up as road kill just sucks.  If you need to get somewhere fast, try the hopper service.  They’ll talk your ear off but at least you’ll get there in one piece.

9)  There are over forty-three spoken languages here, not counting the slang.  Universal translators are all over but some things still do not translate well.  Try to avoid using spaghetti in casual conversation and definitely don’t use shenanigans – it won’t be pretty.

10) We run a twenty-eight hour day.  Here’s a quick breakdown.  Mornings are rises, evenings are settings, a week is a cycle, a month is a rotation, and a year is an annual.  Time moves slow here but get used to it, it’s all you have left.

Which comes first for you – a character's looks, personality or name?:

There really is no specific process for me with character creation.  It’s kinda natural and they could originate from any of those three.  Traveller’s personality came long before he had a name or look but Talyn and Bonz were probably first defined by how I pictured them.  I don’t name my characters until later in the process and that name may change multiple times before it’s done 

 

Any tips for aspiring authors?:

My favorite writing mantra is that you can never fail if you never quit.  It’s a pretty simple process that has worked well for me over the years.  That doesn’t mean it’s easy by any means and you have to enjoy what you’re doing and be patient.  Make friends along the way and truly enjoy the path every bit as much as the destination because it’s there in the stops and wrong turns and dead ends that you pick up the knick knacks and experience that you need when you finally arrive. Whether you get there on the expressway, the scenic route, or sometimes it feels the road takes you through parts unknown, remember we’re all following the same lines.

Questions for fun:

What super-power would you choose?:

Super-fast typing skills!  I’d like to be able to churn out a complete novel in a couple hours.  My head is filled with them but finding the time to get it  out and on paper is always the challenge.  There’s a lot of cool technology out there to help make the creative process smoother than it’s ever been but they would all pale in comparison to … the Typist! (Okay, the name definitely needs some work).

 

If you could have three wishes, what would they be?:

1)      Endless supply of raspberry filled donuts

2)      Probably gonna need a lot of napkins

3)      Glass of milk

Coffee, tea or wine?:

                                                                     

Every few years I think my taste buds may have reached that magical milestone of maturity that I’ll find coffee appealing.  That hasn’t happened yet.  It’s awful.  I don’t like tea and haven’t had a glass of wine in years – so I’ll reference you to the previous questions answer 3 on this one.

What is your favourite book? (aside from one of your own!):

I don’t know about one favorite but there are quite a few that I hold in high regard.  My favorite sci fi / fantasy series?  Robert Asprin’s Myth series will always hold a special place for me in my reading life and really was the first series that I literally couldn’t wait for the next installment of to come out.  In other genres, I’ve read a lot of Dean Koontz and my favorite from him has always been Life Expectancy.

Favourite genre and why?:

Really, I love books that mix genres.  I grew up on comics and sci-fi, so they are my core reading preferences but I’ve read some really great historical fiction, horror, and essays recently.  Sci-fi and fantasy just open up so many doors to an author, allowing them to disregard convention and follow their imagination and take a look at society from alternate viewpoints.

Upcoming news and plans for the future?:

I’m hoping for a green light for another project for this year.  A new novel with a new direction and story.  I’d like to release a sequel to GreenGrass soon.  I’m halfway through my first middle grade novel and shopping around a few short stories, so 2014 is shaping up to be a busy year.

Thank you so much for taking the time to talk to us!

Book blurb:

John Traveller never asked to be ripped from his life as a police detective on Earth. He definitely never expected to find himself trapped inside a patchwork alien city of magic and technology, locked down under an impenetrable dome. But when a high profile death rocks the citizenry of GreenGrass, Traveller is forced into the middle of a brewing civil war between the city’s two dominating factions.

Racing beneath the city’s twin red moons, on a search for a cloaked stranger, Traveller and his team consisting of a pacifist demon, a cast out demi-god, and a telepathic female, find themselves drawn into dark alleys and guarded secrets, facing bestial street predators, techno-assassins, amphibious conmen, and a vampire acting troupe. The answers they discover may save their new home or bring the walls of the dome crumbling down around them all.

Links:

Amazon:  http://www.amazon.com/Welcome-GreenGrass-S-Check-ebook/dp/B00GXENS9W/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1388622981&sr=1-1&keywords=welcome+to+greengrass

Barnes & Noble:   http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/welcome-to-greengrass-sa-/ check/1117506200?ean=2940149068029&itm=1&usri=welcome+to+greengrass

My Publisher:     

http://necropublications.myshopify.com/products/welcome-to-greengrass-by-s-a-check

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/19267864-welcome-to-greengrass?from_search=true