Monday, October 31, 2016

Happy Halloween! Some Fun Halloween Facts for you!



Some Fun Halloween Facts for you to enjoy!

Fun Facts About Candy Corn

  • Candy corn has been made with the same recipe by the Jelly Belly Candy Company since around 1900.
  • What's in that recipe, exactly? Sugar, corn syrup, and marshmallow.
  • One serving (about 30 pieces) has 140 calories, the equivalent of three miniature Hershey bars.
  • The National Confectioners Association reports that more than 35 million pounds were manufactured in 2005, amounting to almost 9 billion kernels.

Fun Facts about Trick or Treating:

  • Trick-or-treating harks back to the Middle Ages and All Souls’ Day, when poor people in Britain would beg for soul cakes, a sweet-bread treat, and pray for dead relatives in return.
  • When trick-or-treating first became popular in the United States in the 1800s, more children played mischievous pranks than asked for candy. By the 1950s, though, the focus had switched to good old family fun, with sugar-hyped children dressed in costumes.
  • The candy-collecting tradition has spread from the United States to Canada, Australia, and Western Europe, where more and more little goblins now trick-or-treat. In parts of England, children carry lanterns called punkies (which look like jack-o’-lanterns) and parade through the town on the last Thursday of October. In Ireland, rural neighborhoods light bonfires, and children play snap apple, in which they try to take a bite from apples that are hung by strings from a tree or a door frame.
  • Chocolate makes up about three-quarters of a trick-or-treater’s loot, according to the National Confectioners Association.

A Few Facts about Halloween:

Black and orange are typically associated with Halloween. Orange is a symbol of strength and endurance and, along with brown and gold, stands for the harvest and autumn. Black is typically a symbol of death and darkness and acts as a reminder that Halloween once was a festival that marked the boundaries between life and death.

“Halloween” is short for “Hallows’ Eve” or “Hallows’ Evening,” which was the evening before All Hallows’ (sanctified or holy) Day or Hallowmas on November 1. In an effort to convert pagans, the Christian church decided that Hallowmas or All Saints’ Day (November 1) and All Souls’ Day (November 2) should assimilate sacred pagan holidays that fell on or around October 31.

Ireland is typically believed to be the birthplace of Halloween.

Mexico celebrates the Days of the Dead (Días de los Muertos) on the Christian holidays All Saints’ Day (November 1) and All Souls’ Day (November 2) instead of Halloween. The townspeople dress up like ghouls and parade down the street.

Mexico celebrates the Days of the Dead (Días de los Muertos) on the Christian holidays All Saints’ Day (November 1) and All Souls’ Day (November 2) instead of Halloween. The townspeople dress up like ghouls and parade down the street.

Teng Chieh or the Lantern Festival is one Halloween festival in China. Lanterns shaped like dragons and other animals are hung around houses and streets to help guide the spirits back to their earthly homes. To honor their deceased loved ones, family members leave food and water by the portraits of their ancestors.

In many countries, such as France and Australia, Halloween is seen as an unwanted and overly commercial American influence.

Halloween celebrations in Hong Kong are known as Yue Lan or the “Festival of the Hungry Ghosts” during which fires are lit and food and gifts are offered to placate potentially angry ghosts who might be looking for revenge

Boston, Massachusetts, holds the record for the most Jack O’Lanterns lit at once (30,128).


http://www.factretriever.com/halloween-facts

http://www.realsimple.com/holidays-entertaining/holidays/halloween/halloween-fun-facts





Friday, October 28, 2016

Book Spotlight & Giveaway~ The Code by Rozenn Scott

RJ Scott writing as Rozenn Scott

The Code (Ice Dragons #1) 

Author: RJ Scott writing as Rozenn Scott

Release Date: October 26 2016

Buy Links: Amazon US | Amazon UK

Cover Design: Meredith Russell

Length: 50,000 words

Blurb

Falling for his best friend’s sister seemed like a good idea at the time.

Defenceman Ryan Flynn’s life and career is defined by the codes of hockey; friendship, respect, leadership and protection. A call from his best friends sister ends up with him taking her home and it’s all he can do to remember that she’s off limits. Doesn’t matter that she’s too much of temptation for a man on the edge, he promised her brother he wouldn’t go anywhere near her.

Kathryn Lecour has been in lust with hockey player Ryan Flynn since she was first laid eyes on him. The problem? Ryan is her brother’s best friend, bound by a complicated code of chivalry both on and off the ice.

Will Ryan, the hard man of the Dragons ever see her as anything more than his best friend’s little sister? And will Kat be able to tame the Dragon with ice in his heart?


Excerpt

“You have to promise,” Loki had said to him.

They were nineteen years old and drunk on cheap beer. Kat’s prom date vanished into the darkness, and that was a good thing: the baseball captain and high achiever wasn’t good enough for her.

Not in her brother’s eyes, and not in his.

“Promise what?” Ryan had been worried that what he and Loki had done made Kat’s date leave and left her in tears. They’d only meant to intimidate him to playing nice, not get him to run away with his tail between his legs.
“Don’t ever let her near a jock,” Loki snapped. He didn’t appear to have any remorse at seeing the guy run, but then, he ’hadn’t seen his sister’s tears. “No one like us. Because all we are is hockey, and all we do is for the team.”
“I promise.”
“We fuck and leave, and nothing means anything.”
“Loki—”
“Don’t you ever let anyone hurt her.”
“I won’t. I promise.”

The smile slipped from his face when the enormity of what he’d promised sunk into his soul, and for a second he hesitated. He had to go in there and be her brother, be the friend she’d need. Not the idiot man who fancied himself in love with her.
He settled his breathing. And then he opened the door, slipped inside, and shut it behind him before he could second-guess why he was here.
The room was simple: sofas, a coffee table in the middle, a large roof window that would let in light in the daytime. At the moment, the room was lit by a soft lamp in the corner.
Sitting bolt upright in one corner of the largest sofa was Kat.
Ryan took one look at her face and couldn’t help himself; a curse fell from his lips without conscious thought. A vivid scarlet mark ran from her eye socket to her cheekbone, as if someone had deliberately slapped her; bruises ringed her neck and her lip was cut, evidenced by a butterfly bandage just below the left corner. She was so beautiful, and he couldn’t bear to see the marks on her soft skin.
She looked up at him, her green eyes bright. He stepped closer and she stared at him. Her lower lip trembled as though she was fighting tears; he wanted to hold her and stop her from crying.
God, all I want is to hold her.
“Take me home, Ryan,” she said, her voice broken. Then she added a much smaller, quieter “Please.”

Buy links:




Author Bio: 


RJ Scott is the bestselling gay romance author of over ninety MM romance books. She writes emotional stories of complicated characters, cowboys, millionaire, princes, and the men who get mixed up in their lives. RJ is known for writing books that always end with a happy ever after. She lives just outside London and spends every waking minute she isn't with family either reading or writing. 

RJ also writes MF romance under the name Rozenn Scott.

The last time she had a week’s break from writing she didn't like it one little bit, and she has yet to meet a bottle of wine she couldn’t defeat.




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Thursday, October 27, 2016

Book Spotlight~ Of Flame and Light by Cecy Robson


The fire she once mastered so easily has become her greatest adversary 
and is now slowly burning her alive . . .


OF FLAME AND LIGHT
Weird Girls #7
Cecy Robson
Releasing Oct 18th, 2016


Taran Wird holds the unique ability to conjure fire and lightning. She is mated to Gemini, Second in Command to the Squaw Valley Pack of the Lake Tahoe Region, and the sole werewolf to possess the ability to split into two wolves. And although they are mates, Taran's insecurities have driven them apart. 

Devastated by an injury that left her with a zombie-like limb, Taran struggles to regain command over her magic. But when her arm and her power turn against her, lashing out on those she most loves, she knows she can no longer carry this burden alone. Not that she likes the alternative.

The only way to regain control of her magic is to align and learn from the local coven of witches―the very ones who sought to banish her when she and her three unique sisters first moved to the mystical region. But although Taran is trying, the teachings don't come easy, and the tasks leave her weak and emotionally shattered.

Yet Taran must learn and learn fast. Time is running out. The fire she once mastered so easily has become her greatest adversary and is now slowly burning her alive . . .

BUY NOW
Amazon | B & N | iTunes | Kobo

Excerpt:


I hurry forward when I realize I’m just standing there, gaping at them.
I don’t think I take more than a few steps when something crunches beneath the sole of my left boot. I think it’s a stick, but the sound seems off, especially since the ground is so moist. I lift my foot only to jump away.
“T, you coming?” Shayna calls when I don’t move.
“T?” she asks again.
I swallow hard, hoping I’m imagining things as they run back to me.
“What’s wrong?” Emme asks. Unlike Shayna who’s fired up for all the action about to go down, I can sense the worry in her voice.
“Bren . . .” I begin, pointing to the spot near my feet. “Is that a, um, toe?”
He cocks his head. “Nah.”
Emme places her hand over her heart and sighs. “Oh, good—”
“It’s a thumb,” he answers. He sniffs the air. “Right hand, male, and the poor bastard’s been dead a long time.” He looks ahead. “Yeah, this shit’s not good. Call it in, Shayna, but type it. Don’t use voice-to text.”
“Why, dude?” Shayna asks, reaching for her phone in her back pocket.
“Because I’m not sure how well this bitch can hear, or if she has other things listening for her,” he responds.
He motions ahead to a crow. It squawks twice in our direction and flutters away.
Shayna lifts her phone to show us the blank screen. “Phone’s dead, kids.” She quickly pockets it and places a handful of toothpicks in her palm. “I wouldn’t bother, Emme,” she adds when Emme reaches for her phone. I doubt any of our phones are working.”
“She’s right,” Bren says. He shoves his phone into the backpack Emme is carrying and peels off his white T-shirt.
“This keeps getting better and better,” I mutter.
Bren strips out of his jeans, leaving only his underwear and shit-kickers on. “Em, stay behind me,” he tells her. “Shayna, you’ve got the rear.”
Which leaves me in front of Shayna and the most protected. I’ll be honest, this helpless damsel in distress role does nothing for my morale.
I march ahead, forcing myself to snap out of the shock of finding some guy’s thumb, push aside my fear, and tap into my inner diva. I remember a little too late that my inner diva is louder and usually sashays in platform stilettos. I slow my steps, careful not to disturb the creepy things hiding in the bushes.
Let me be the first to tell you, woods are bullshit and top of the scales of the scary meter, second only to graveyards. It’s the reason so many horror movies are based here, and why I’m watching out for psychos with machetes lurking behind trees. But given our past experiences, where danger lurks, so do the dark ones. I’ve had my fill of alleyways, construction sites, abandoned structures, but especially these damn eerie woods!





Cecy Robson is an award-winning author of magical realms, to-die-for Alpha heroes, and young adult adventure. A double RITA® 2016 finalist for Once Pure and Once Kissed, and published author of more than fifteen titles, you can typically find her on her laptop or stumbling blindly in search of caffeine. 



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Book Spotlight~ Annabelle Jacobs' All Hollow's Eve

Annabelle Jacobs - All Hallows' Eve

Author: Annabelle Jacobs

Cover Design: Natasha Snow

Length: 81,000 words

Buy Links: Amazon US Amazon UK

Blurb

Will a centuries-old broken heart ruin the promise of new love?


Dominic Ashworth is descended from a long line of witches, although the family practice of witchcraft died out generations ago. Forever connected to a dark history, the house he grew up in remained in the Ashworth family for generations until his estranged father sold it.

On a mission to check out the new owners, Dominic runs into Caleb Jones and gives the gorgeous man his phone number—but getting a date should be the last thing on Dominic’s agenda.

Caleb and his best friend, Zach Briceworth, are oblivious to the heartache and magic tied to the foundations of their new home. When strange things start to happen, the truth emerges and surprises them both, especially as everything revolves around Caleb’s new love interest.

After a shaky start, Caleb and Dominic settle into an easy relationship, falling faster than either of them expected. But with Halloween approaching, the possibility of danger increases. The past is not always as it seems, and the ripples of a tragic event threaten to put an end to everything between them.

Excerpt

“Hi.”
Dominic jumped, startled, and turned to face the stranger jogging towards him. Tall, broad-shouldered, wearing black running shorts and a bright blue T-shirt, his short black hair—longish on top—stuck to his forehead in a sweaty mess. He came to a stop in front of the gate and leaned on it, breathing heavily. “Sorry … just need to … catch my breath.”
“A little hot for running, isn’t it?” Dominic’s gaze ran the length of the stranger’s body and he flushed as he caught himself.
“I don’t mind. Can I help you with something?” The guy then proceeded to lift the bottom of his T-shirt and wipe his face with it.
“Um.” Dominic swallowed. The flat, toned stomach on display reminded him of how long it had been since his last boyfriend. Although he used that term loosely. “Do you live here?”
The guy nodded. “Yeah, just moved in.”
Oh. So either Zach was living with his parents, or Briceworth senior had left his wife and moved in with a hot younger guy.
The guy narrowed his eyes as he looked at Dominic closely. “Why do you ask?”
The Sold sign lying just inside the gate on the ground caught Dominic’s eye. He smiled and attempted to look sheepish. It was always best to stick to the truth where possible, so he said, “Sorry, I was just curious. My sister and I used to live here, and when we heard it’d been sold, we wondered who’d bought it.”
The guy frowned at him and cocked his head to one side, clearly suspicious.
Dominic needed to nip that in the bud. He wouldn’t get any info if the guy thought he was a crazy stalker. “God, I’m not explaining myself well at all. My dad was the one who sold it to you. The place was in my family for generations. I haven’t spoken to my father in seven years. When we found out he’d sold the house, it was a bit of a shock, and I guess I just wanted to see who’d bought it. I don’t mean to come off as weird or anything.” He smiled and stuck out his hand. “Dominic Ashworth.”
The guy smiled back, took his hand in a firm grip, and shook it. “Caleb Jones. And it’s a little weird, but lucky for you I’m okay with that.”

Author Bio

Annabelle Jacobs lives in the South West of England with three rowdy children, and two cats. An avid reader of fantasy herself for many years, Annabelle now spends her days writing her own stories. They're usually either fantasy or paranormal fiction, because she loves building worlds filled with magical creatures, and creating stories full of action and adventure. Her characters may have a tough time of it—fighting enemies and adversity—but they always find love in the end.

Author Links

Twitter – https://twitter.com/AJacobs_fiction

Website – www.annabellejacobs.com

Email – ajacobsfiction@gmail.com

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/ajacobsfiction



Welcome Sharon Ledwith and discover The Last Timekeepers Series

Only a true hero can shine the light in humanity’s darkest time.

Book Details:

Title: The Last Timekeepers and the Dark Secret

Series:  The Last Timekeepers, Book 2

Author Name: Sharon Ledwith

Genre(s): Middle Grade, Young Adult, Science Fiction, Fantasy, WWII

Release Date: October 17, 2016

Publisher:  Mirror World Publishing 

About The Last Timekeepers and the Dark Secret:

Fourteen year-old Jordan Jensen always considered himself a team player on and off the field, until the second Timekeeper mission lands him in Amsterdam during World War Two. Pulled into the world of espionage, torture, and intolerance, Jordan and the rest of the Timekeepers have no choice but to stay one step ahead of the Nazis in order to find and protect a mysterious book.

With the help of the Dutch Resistance, an eccentric baron, Nordic runes, and an ancient volume originating from Atlantis, Jordan must learn that it takes true teamwork, trust, and sacrifice to keep time safe from the evils of fascism. Can Jordan find the hero within to conquer the darkness surrounding the Timekeepers? If he doesn’t, then the terrible truth of what the Nazis did will never see the light of day.

Read an Excerpt:

“I wonder what else is down here.” Drake beamed his cell phone across the basement, hitting jars of jams, pickles, and relishes. His stomach growled.

Jordan pulled the cheese from his pocket and handed it to Drake. “Trade you for your phone.”

“Best. Trade. Ever.” Drake passed his phone to Jordan.

Jordan walked over and grabbed a jar of pickles off the dusty shelf. At least they wouldn’t arrive at the baron’s place hungry. He hoped his uncle had managed to stop Amanda’s bleeding. His hand tightened over the jar, the ridges of the lid cutting into his palm. A scrape from behind the shelves made Jordan jump.

“Hello?” he asked, pushing jars aside. He flashed the cell phone into the small, dark area.

“Who ya talking to, Jordan?” Drake asked with his mouth full of cheese.

“Shhh, Drake.” Jordan listened. Hearing nothing, he shrugged and turned back around.

“I thought I heard—” Jordan stopped and pointed the phone at Ravi. His jaw dropped. “A-Are you serious, Sharma?”

Drake spat out his cheese, snorting with laughter.

“Is there a problem?” Ravi asked, tying the bowtie of his tuxedo.

“You look like a penguin with attitude!” Drake slapped his knee.

“Say what you want, but I’m glad we didn’t hit the cleaners on the way to school now,” Ravi replied, pulling down his sleeves, “or else I wouldn’t have these dry clothes.”

Jordan chuckled. Suddenly, he heard a door creak open, followed by heavy footsteps squeaking down the stairs. Panicking, Jordan stuffed Drake’s phone in his track suit jacket’s pocket and waved Drake over by the shelves. Drake slipped behind Jordan just in time, before the small light bulb above the bottom of the stairs clicked on. Jordan swallowed hard. There, staring directly at Ravi was a portly man in a blood-stained apron. Tufts of blond hair sprouted from the sides of his balding head. His brown trousers were pulled up past his waist, making him resemble an evil garden gnome. In one of his hands, he held a huge butcher knife, its blade flecked with blood.

Wielding the knife, the man pointed at Ravi. “Who are you?”

Ravi licked his thick lips nervously. “The name’s Bond. James Bond.”

Purchase Links:

Mirror World Publishing: 


Amazon:  

Amazon.ca: 

KOBO: 

Barnes & Noble: 
Talking with the author

Hooray for the Dutch Resistance

Did you ever wonder what it was like to fight the Nazis on your home soil during World War Two? In the newest release of my YA time travel adventure series, The Last Timekeepers and the Dark Secret, my characters must join forces with the Dutch Resistance in order to figure out their Timekeeper mission while in Amsterdam during 1942. It was sure a different world through their adolescent eyes, and trying to keep one step ahead of the Nazis proved to be quite a dangerous challenge. The Dutch Resistance actually came about because of two simple facts—outrage that their country had been invaded and sheer horror to what happened to the Dutch Jews. Resistance in the Netherlands initially took the form of small-scale, decentralized cells engaged in independent activities, mostly small-scale sabotage such as cutting phone lines, distributing anti-German leaflets or tearing down Pro-Nazi posters.


So what were some of the clandestine duties of the Dutch Resistance?

Extra! Extra! Read all about it: The sneaky Dutch managed to set up an underground press, and recruited about 30,000 people to listen to the Allied radio stations and take down important information. The spreading of this information was done through stenciled or printed bulletins like the one called Het Parool (The Password) mentioned in my novel.

Identity crisis: False identity cards were created to assist the Dutch Jews (especially the children) in getting out of the country safely. In my book, Melody Spencer gets a Dutch forger to create authentic-looking traveling papers for the Timekeepers.

Into the shadows: One of the most important tasks of the Dutch Resistance was to hide Jewish families from the Nazis so they wouldn’t be shipped to the concentration camps. This was often a dangerous endeavor with some Dutch families getting caught and tortured for their kind acts. Out of the 25,000 Jews who went into hiding, 18,000 survived the war.

Remove those Records: The Dutch Resistance managed to demolish Amsterdam’s registration office, where vital population statistics were kept, as well as hide files from the registration office in barns.

Famous Dutch Resistance Fighter: Actress Audrey Hepburn was still a young teenager when she began to help the Dutch resistance. An accomplished ballerina by age 14, she started out helping the resistance by dancing. How was this helpful? She danced in secret productions to raise money for the resistance. As she famously said, “The best audience I ever had made not a single sound at the end of my performances.” Hepburn also occasionally ran messages for the resistance. Had she been discovered doing either of these things, a swift execution would have followed.

The Eerebegraafplaats Cemetery honors those who died fighting the Nazis in the Dutch Resistance. During the summer after the Netherlands was liberated in May 1945 from the Nazis, the bodies of those who had been shot on the dunes were exhumed. It was known that the Nazi authorities executed without trial many Dutch patriots in the dunes west of Haarlem called Overveen, Bloemendaal. Many men and one woman were executed. The exact number will never be known–who they all were and what happened to their bodies.

The Last Timekeepers and the Dark Secret, Book #2 Buy Links:

The Last Timekeepers and the Arch of Atlantis, Book #1 Buy Links:

Legend of the Timekeepers, prequel Buy Links:

Meet the Author:


Sharon Ledwith is the author of the middle-grade/young adult time travel series, THE LAST TIMEKEEPERS, and is represented by Walden House (Books & Stuff) for her teen psychic series, MYSTERIOUS TALES FROM FAIRY FALLS. When not writing, researching, or revising, she enjoys reading, exercising, anything arcane, and an occasional dram of scotch. Sharon lives a serene, yet busy life in a southern tourist region of Ontario, Canada, with her hubby, one spoiled yellow Labrador and a moody calico cat.

Learn more about Sharon Ledwith on her WEBSITE and BLOG. Look up her AMAZON AUTHOR page for a list of current books. Stay connected on FACEBOOKTWITTERGOOGLE+, and GOODREADS. Check out THE LAST TIMEKEEPERS TIME TRAVEL SERIES Facebook page.

Connect with Sharon Ledwith:

Sharon’s Website: www.sharonledwith.com


Sharon’s Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/#!/seledwith


Twitter: @sharonledwith: https://twitter.com/sharonledwith





Amazon Author U.K. Page: http://www.amazon.co.uk/-/e/B0084DUHJO




Cover Reveal & Giveaway~ Sue Brown's Alpha Barman

Sue Brown - Alpha Barman

Release Date: November 24 2016

Blurb

Jake Tyler walked out of Special Ops two years ago, a devastated, broken man after he discovered his sister brutally murdered by her husband, Riley. Since then he’s found a kind of peace running a rural bar. The last thing Jake Tyler expects is his former team to turn up with grim news. Jake’s ex-brother-in-law has escaped from prison and is heading Jake’s way. The team is here to protect Jake, whether he likes it or not – a decision reluctantly shared by their leader, Jake’s ex-lover Mitch Mitchelson.

Mitch is angry and hurting. The man he trusted – the man he adored more than anything – abandoned both his team and Mitch. Jake never gave Mitch a chance to help or come to terms with his desertion. Regardless of mission protocols, Mitch isn’t about to open his heart again to that kind of pain.

But the strong attraction between them can’t be denied. How are they ever going to work together when Mitch still resents Jake’s disappearance, and to Jake, the team represents everything that destroyed him in the first place? And meantime they wait for Riley to find them... and to settle the threat once and for all.


Author Bio

Sue Brown is owned by her dog and two children. When she isn't following their orders, she can be found plotting at her laptop. In fact she hides so she can plot, and has become an expert at ignoring the orders.

 Sue discovered M/M erotica at the time she woke up to find two men kissing on her favorite television series. She had an Aha moment and put pen to paper that same day. Sue may be late to the party, but she's made up for it since, writing fan fiction until she was brave enough to venture out into the world of original fiction.

Come over and talk to Sue at:
sue@suebrownstories.com
Her website can be found at:
http://www.suebrownstories.com/


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Book Blast and Giveaway: Fox Hounds by Lia Connor

Title :  Fox Hounds Author : Lia Connor Publisher : Changeling Press Cover Artist: Renee' George Release Date : March 15, 2024 He...