Cover Reveal: Bane of the Dragon King by J. Keller Ford with Giveaway

   

Hello Readers! Welcome to the Cover Reveal for

Bane of the Dragon King (Chronicles of Fallhollow #3) by J. Keller Ford

presented by Month9Books!

Celebrate this reveal by entering the giveaway found at the end of the post!

   

 

Fallhollow is at war. The sudden deaths of the only two heirs that could have saved it has plunged the entire land into chaos. Despite all the magic thrown at him, the Dragon King still lives. Hope for any sort of victory seems faint until Charlotte discovers a secret that could change the course of history. Armed with the power to set things right, Charlotte embarks on a perilous journey with the sly and cunning Prince Izmayel Ascatar Venniver IV, Lord of the peaceful Edryd dragons. But her journey of peace is thwarted, and Hirth's most fearsome enemy plans to use Charlotte to destroy the kingdom and claim the universe as his own. As Fallhollow and the Kingdom of Hirth descend into a battlefield of bloodshed and death, David, Trog, and the warriors of Hirth march toward war with an impossible plan to bring down the Dragon King, destroy his armies, and return the kingdom to its former glory. All they need is a little faith, a few extraordinary surprises, and a lot of magic of the most unexpected, generous kind. This book is the final dramatic and magnificent conclusion to the Chronicles of Fallhollow trilogy.

Bane of the Dragon King (Chronicles of Fallhollow #3) by J. Keller Ford Release Date: November 13, 2018 Publisher: Month9Books

Available for Pre-order:

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J. (Jenny) Keller Ford is a scribbler of speculative fiction and YA tales. As an Army brat, she traveled the world and wandered the halls of some of Germany's most extraordinary castles in hopes of finding snarky dragons, chivalrous knights, and wondrous magic to permeate her imagination. What she found remains etched in her topsy-turvy mind and oozes out in sweeping tales of courage, sacrifice, honor and everlasting love. When not torturing her keyboard or trying to silence the voices in her head, Jenny spends time collecting seashells, bowling, screaming on roller coasters and traveling. She is a mom to four magnificent and noble offspring, and currently lives in paradise on the west coast of Florida with a menagerie of royal pets, and her own quirky knight who was brave enough to marry her. Jenny is the author of The Chronicles of Fallhollow series. The first two books, IN THE SHADOW OF THE DRAGON KING, and RAGE OF THE DRAGON KING, are currently available. The third and final book, BANE OF THE DRAGON KING, is due to release in the Fall 2018.

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Spotlight: Come Back to Me by Sharon Sala

“Sharon Sala’s Blessings, Georgia series is filled with unforgettable charm and delight!”— ROBYN CARR, #1 New York Times Bestselling Author

Love always endures the test of time

After a devastating fire pitted their families against each other, high school sweethearts Phoebe Ritter and Aidan Payne were torn apart. Twenty years later, Aidan is called back to Blessings, nervous about confronting his painful past. And that’s BEFORE he knows about the nineteen-year-old secret Phoebe has been harboring all this time.

As Aidan tries to make up for lost time with the family he didn’t know he had, Phoebe and Aidan rediscover long-suppressed feelings. But the past won’t lie buried, and old enemies threaten to destroy the peace they’ve fought so hard to find.

Excerpt  

Aidan was carrying a suitcase to their car when he heard the sound of running footsteps. He looked up to see Phoebe coming toward him. Her face was red like she'd been crying and her long brown hair was in wild disarray. The sight of her appearance now, after all he and his family had endured alone, both hurt and angered him. He shoved the suitcase into the trunk and headed back inside.

"Wait, Aidan, wait."

He stopped, then slowly turned to face her.

"What are you doing here?"

Sunlight momentarily blinded her as she looked up. She blinked rapidly to clear her vision, then looked up again, searching his face for a sign that he was glad to see her, and saw nothing but hate and disgust.

Her heart sank.

"Please don't go."

Aidan's body language was one of defiance. The tone of his voice held nothing but disdain.

"The only thing that matters to me here, is that I'm leaving my mother behind. Her death broke what was left of my father's heart, and your family destroyed his reputation. We can't get out of Blessings soon enough for me. Go home."

Phoebe started to shake. This was really happening. She was losing Aidan forever.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," she said. "Please don't be mad at me! I know your father is innocent."

He turned his back and walked into the house.

Despite the sweat running down her back, she suddenly shivered. She'd never seen him like this - cold and shut down, but she couldn't leave. She stood on the sidewalk waiting, half-blind with tears as he and his father come out of Preston Williams' house together.

Preston gave each of them a last hug, and then stood on the porch as they headed to the car.

Preston saw her, but didn't acknowledge her.

George glanced at her, started to speak, and then shook his head and slid into the driver's seat.

Aidan put the last of their things into the trunk and slammed it shut.

"I'm sorry, Aidan," Phoebe said.

He didn't look at her as he got into the car.

George started the engine.

"Please! You have to forgive me," Phoebe cried.

George put the car in gear and backed out of the drive.

Phoebe started running down the driveway after them. "Come back! Come back! Please, Aidan, come back to me!"

Aidan glanced in the side mirror outside his window, startled to see her running behind the car. But they were going faster, and her image was growing smaller and smaller. The last sight he had of her before they turned the corner, she was on her knees in the street, her hands covering her face. The pain in his chest was so great he thought he would die.

He took a slow, shaky breath and looked away.

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About the Author

Sharon Sala, who has also written under the name Dinah McCall, has 85-plus books in print, published in four different genres—Romance, Young Adult, Western, and Women’s Fiction, and her Young Adult books have been optioned for film. She has been named a RITA finalist seven times by Romance Writers of America, and in 2011 they named her the recipient of the Nora Roberts Lifetime Achievement Award. Her books are New York Times, USA Today, Publishers Weekly bestsellers and published in many different languages. She lives in Oklahoma, the state where she was born.

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Spotlight: Do Or Die Cowboy by June Faver

Putting it all on the line for love…

Cowboy musician Tyler Garrett has a once-in-a-lifetime chance to put aside his rough-and-tumble rancher’s lifestyle and realize his dream. He’s on the road to Dallas to record a demo when that dream gets kicked sideways by a beautiful woman on the run.

Leah Benson will do whatever it takes to keep her daughter safe. But when her dangerous past catches up with her, she needs a hero—and luckily for her, Tyler Garrett was born and bred for the role.

Excerpt

Leah had no idea why, but standing in her grandmother’s weed-infested back yard, with Ty’s arm wrapped around her, this was the first time she had felt safe in…oh, hell. I can’t even remember safe. Her heart beat out a rhythm like a machine gun and her stomach felt queasy, but even lower in her anatomy, something was stirring big time. Oh, those killer blue eyes. Damn! I could believe anything he says when he looks at me like that.

It wasn’t as though he was going to be around long enough to break her heart. He said he would be leaving in a couple of days. She pressed her face against his western shirt. It was the expensive kind and had been starched and ironed, nice as anything.

He smelled great too. Not anything girly. Sort of like fresh citrus and something spicy mixed in. She wondered if he knew the effect he was having on her. Yeah, it’s a good thing he’s going to be moving on.

Eddie put a paw against her calf. His too-long toenails made her wince. Something else that needed doing, but she had left the clippers behind when she departed in such haste. No time to think things through.

She wondered what would happen to the rest of their belongings. The landlady would probably take what she wanted and haul the rest to the trash bin. Maybe she would donate it. Probably not.

Sad to think everything of value was still crammed into her old beater of a car. Not much to show for her life. Maybe I can make a fresh start. Lord knows I can’t do much worse than the first time out. She glanced up at Gracie, sitting so proudly in the saddle. At least, I did one thing well.

“You ready?” Ty asked Gracie. When she nodded he continued his walk around the property. They passed the barns and outbuildings.

“The chicken coop needs to be closed up for the night,” Ty said, indicating the sad looking structure.

“I can do that.” Leah handed Eddie’s leash to Ty. She unlatched the gate and stepped through to the wire-enclosed yard. It hadn’t been cleaned in a while. That was something she could do to help Gran. Taking a quick head count, she could locate nine hens inside the coop. Not enough. And Gran harvested one of the girls for dinner. Can’t afford to do that again.

Leah latched the door to the coop and stepped out of the run. The gate was flimsy, but she secured it as best she could. At least, this was a small task she could do for Gran.

When Leah turned around, her heart did a flip-flop in her chest. The last rays of the sun cast a golden glow on the scene, illuminating Gracie, atop the black stallion, a wide grin on her face, Ty standing beside her, holding the reins, Eddie on his leash, waggling his tail furiously, and Lucky, the beautiful Golden Retriever who sat patiently beside Ty.

It was one of those Hallmark moments that made her ache all over. Everything looked so beautiful. She wanted it to last forever.

She gave herself a mental head slap. Not forever. Ty is just passing through. But, she admitted to herself, deep in her heart of hearts, she wanted something that made her feel this same way. Happy…secure…a part of something, even though it was just a moment in this case.  

They continued their stroll around Gran’s big yard. Most of the time, in silence. The clop-clop of horse’s hooves seemed to give cadence to their steps.

Gracie sat atop the horse, looking like a small princess. Leah realized Gracie was proud of the fact she was staying in the saddle. Leah hoped there would be more satisfying moments for this little one. Those moments had been few and far between up until now.

“What crops did your grandpa usually grow in these fields?” Ty asked.

Leah shrugged. “Mostly wheat, some cotton. I seem to remember rye grass in the winter.”

Ty frowned as he gazed out at the barren fields. “It’s not too late to get a crop in.”

“Sorry,” she said. “I know nothing about farming. I’m not even sure why I’m here. I thought I could help my grandma, but now it seems I’m going to be more of a burden for her.”

He frowned, giving her a sideways glance under the brim of his hat. “I’m pretty certain she’s really happy to have you.”

Leah swallowed, willing herself not to give way to another emotional break. She drew a deep breath. “I hope so. She always told me, when times get tough, that’s when families pull together.”

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Spotlight: Escapement by Kristen Wolf

Publication Date: August 1, 2018
Pixeltry
Paperback & eBook; 481 Pages

Genre: Fiction/Historical/Women’s

From the bestselling Author of THE WAY, hailed by O, THE OPRAH MAGAZINE as “A Title To Pick Up Now!”

Henri keeps many secrets. Some even from herself…

Prepare to be transported into a sensual world of possibility by this lush, heart-wrenching and gorgeously-written tale. Brimming with passion, intrigue, extraordinary characters and breathtaking surprises, ESCAPEMENT will arouse the senses and seduce readers of every persuasion.

“Wolf is a masterful storyteller who has created an enchanting novel… It will resonate with anyone who has ever felt passion.”
—IndieReader

Cristofer’s star is poised to rise. Everyone expects the dashing and gifted composer to soar to the heights of musical genius—an expectation that terrifies the young artist as much as it drives him.

Walking into the fire with Cristofer is his housekeeper, Henri, a passionate and handsome young woman who takes pleasure in dressing as a man. Tending to her employer’s domestic needs, Henri has crafted a carefree life of routine behind which she hides the truth of a tragic past. Possessed herself of an extraordinary talent, she covertly guides her employer through the trials of his artistic and romantic pursuits while carefully guarding his most closely-held secret.

But Henri’s deceptively simple life is ripped apart when a wealthy and ruthless patron grants Cristofer a spectacular commission, then unwittingly hires Henri—whom he believes to be male—to give piano lessons to his alluring wife.

The resulting entanglements rise to a dangerous pitch as Cristofer struggles to create music of epic proportions while Henri is ignited by a love more powerful than any she has ever known. But when the monstrously ambitious patron catches wind of a duplicity, he and his henchmen mobilize quickly to target the threat and soon the only hope for either friend’s survival depends on one publicly exposing the other’s hidden truth—an act that would defy the bonds of love and loyalty and bring all their lives crashing down.

Can Henri stop the oncoming tragedy and still hold onto her greatest love? Or must she lose everything?

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About the Author

KRISTEN WOLF is an award-winning author, creative and wondernaut living in the Rocky Mountains. Her debut novel, THE WAY, was hailed by O, The OPRAH Magazine as “A Title to Pick Up Now!” Her second novel, ESCAPEMENT, is a *WINNER – 2018 IndieReader Discovery Award* and received this praise: “Wolf is a masterful storyteller who has created an enchanting novel… It will resonate with anyone who has ever felt passion.” —IndieReader

To learn more about Kristen’s books and other creative projects, subscribe to her Newsletter at www.kristenwolf.com/subscribe. You can also find Kristen on Twitter, Book Bub, and Goodreads.

Escapement

Spotlight: Apathy & Vigor by Faye Hall

Will the love of a woman save him from his own apathy?

Tristen Brone lived a carefree life of wealth and passion – until one day it all came crashing down around him.  In only a few days he lost everyone he loved in the world – his woman, his best friend and his parents.  The once confident, handsome young man, was now scarred for life and on a quick downward spiral of sorrow and depression.  He no longer wanted to live.

When Amalie Fergus arrives on his doorstep, a travel bag in her hand, begging him to take her in, he becomes suspicious.  Despite his passionate past with this woman, and the feelings he still had for her, all he could think of was how quickly she abandoned him after the fire that killed her brother and left Tristen physically scarred.  So why had she come back into his life after all these months?

Amalie Fergus lost her brother in a fire, her lover had abandoned her upon finding her with child, and now her father had been poisoned, leaving their properties to be repossessed.  She had nothing and no one left to turn to.  In desperation, she found herself forced to work for a living, trying to do her best as a maid for any rich gentleman who would take her in.  What she hadn’t expected was for one of those men to try and force carnal favours from her, or for her now to be on the run for his murder.

Running from the scene of the crime, fearful what was to become of her, Amalie finds herself colliding with a man from her past who offers to hide her from the police on one condition – she return to Tristen and steal some property papers from him.  

Trapped by the man from her past, and now forced back into Tristen’s life, Amalie searches for who murdered her brother.  She could never have foreseen the cruelty she would discover, or the man she would willingly surrender her heart to.

Excerpt

“Damn it!” Tristen cursed. “There has to be a way I can explain how much Amalie means to me without disgracing her in your father’s eyes.”

“Is this why you sent for me to join you out here?” Jacob asked. “Did you think I would have the answers for you?”

Tristen was confused. “I never sent for you. The only person I asked to meet me out here was Amalie.”

Jacob pulled a note out of his pocket and handed it to Tristen. “Are you saying you didn’t send me this?”

Tristen took the piece of paper and glanced down at it. Shaking his head, his gaze shifted back to his friend. “I didn’t write this.”

“Then who did? And why would they put your name on it?”

The two men stared at each other, both confused. Tristen didn’t know how to answer Jacob. All he could tell him was the truth about Amalie.

“I love her,” he confessed, his words soft and heartfelt as he folded the note he was holding and placed it in his trouser pocket. “She is everything to me.”

“Amalie’s pregnant,” Jacob said.

“What?” Tristen asked, shocked by what he was hearing.

“You’ve been sleeping together for eight months, a baby is hardly a surprise,” Jacob stated.

Tristen knew what his friend said was true, but still...a baby? Why had she not told him yet?

“I can try to talk to my father for you,” Jacob finally relented, interrupting his thoughts. “Besides, I can think of worse brother-in-laws to have than you.”

Tristen smiled. “I’m going to be a father.”

Jacob nodded. “It appears that way.”

Just then a blood-curdling scream came from inside the workers’ cottage a few yards from where they were standing.

“What the devil?” Tristen asked as he and Jacob ran toward the building.

“Jacob, help me!” the woman’s voice yelled from inside.

“Oh my God, that’s Amanda!” Jacob exclaimed.

Tristen ran with his friend to the front door of the building. “Why would she be calling for you?”

Jacob stopped at the door. “You’re not the only one who has been keeping secrets,” he confessed, opening the already slightly open door and stepping inside.

Following his friend inside, Tristen wanted to ask exactly what he meant by that. But the smoke drifting toward him on the air made the words die on his lips.

“We need to find her and get her out of here,” Jacob exclaimed as he rushed into the smoke.

Tristen reached for his shoulder, pulling him back. “Take it easy, mate. You have no idea what is in there or where the smoke is coming from.”

Hearing Amanda scream again, Jacob pulled away from him and ran into the smoke. Tristen followed, close on his heels. As the smoke got thicker, he quickly lost sight of his friend.

“Jacob!” he yelled, knowing they had to get clear of this building before the fire took over. He heard no reply.

His pace slowing slightly, he lifted his shirt over his nose and mouth to protect him from the thick smoke. Just up ahead he could hear the crackling of flames, and he knew it wouldn’t be long before this building, and anything around it, went up in flames. He didn’t want to be in there when that happened. Tristen had so much to live for now. Amalie and he were going to have a baby.

“Tristen!” he heard Jacob yell to him, and he could only hope he was getting closer to him.

Looking down at the floor, he saw the unmoving body of a woman. “Amanda?” he asked, kneeling down beside her to see how badly she’d been hurt. The smoke was too thick for him to see anything though. Dragging her toward him, he placed his hands under her arms and tried to move her out of the smoke and toward the exit.

“Help me, Tristen,” Jacob’s ragged voice yelled to him.

About the Author

Come on a journey with me through 19th century North Queensland, Australia and explore the passions and hardships of unique characters.
There is corruption, deceit and murder, as well as cattle rustlers, slave traders and hell fire clubs. Explore townships of Jarvisfield and Inkerman, as well as Ravenswood and Bowen. One book even incorporates my great grandmothers cattle station 'Inkerman Downs Station'.

As well as an author, I am also the most spoilt wife in the world, and a very contented mother.
Come and discover all the passion and drama of North Queensland history with me.

Spotlight: Mute & Haze Box Set by Christine Bernard

Mute & Haze Box Set
Christine Bernard
Publication date: July 20th 2018
Genres: Adult, Contemporary

This box set includes Mute and Haze.

Mute – Book one:

Can you get by for an hour without talking? A day even? What about a month? Or nine?
Rebecca Marley sets herself a nine-month challenge with only one rule: She isn’t allowed to communicate with anyone. She is to become mute. How hard could it be? Yet, what starts as a challenge, soon becomes a journey of self-discovery as Rebecca has only herself for company. Will this time be the peaceful respite she so desperately seeks? Or will she confront aspects of herself that a noisy world hides so well?
Faced with love and heartache, she soon learns to find solace in silence.

Haze – Book two:

Not all problems can be solved with a mute button.

Everyone knows Rebecca Marley. She’s the crazy, brave and introspective woman who spent nine months without talking. Everyone loves her. She’s raw, honest and relatable. She’s also rich and famous, although I’m sure you knew that already. You’ve probably read her articles, or her book, or seen one of her many interviews. She’s also socially anxious, self-conscious and self-degrading, but she tries to keep that to herself. Her once-silent world has changed, and the noise has engulfed her. It’s also about to get noisier, as Rebecca agrees to a new challenge, perhaps even crazier than before. This story picks up from Mute, and follows Rebecca on a new journey, one which we all face today. It begs the question, ‘how do we find quiet in a deafening world?’

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—

EXCERPT:

Excerpt from Mute

The ideas were rushing through me almost too fast to comprehend them myself. I needed to keep talking to keep the momentum going. “Why don’t I take a year off? But not from work. From life.”

“You want to take a year off from life? I don’t get it, Rebecca.”

“Yeah. Yeah. I mean, okay, so what if I create a challenge for myself? The magazine is big on challenges. We’re always giving people challenges to do in order to improve themselves. Why don’t I do one myself? Oh, and why don’t I write about it? That way, you still get articles from me each month.”

“But what would the articles be about? What’s the challenge?”

“To not talk to anyone for a year.” My smile grew wider. Given the current circumstances, it possibly made me look more maniacal than happy, but I couldn’t help myself. The more I thought about my new idea, the happier I became.

“What? Rebecca, you’re losing it. Why would you want to do that?”

“Why not? Think about it, it’ll be great. I’ll work from home for the next year. I’ll still do whatever you need done, but I’ll also provide you with an article each month, or each week—whichever you prefer—detailing my progress. Come on, wouldn’t it be interesting to see if a human being can go from living a normal life in society, to suddenly not speaking to anyone for a full year? I think the readers would love it too.” I needed her to think about the readers.

“But how can you not talk to anyone? How will you go shopping? How will you get by? Surely you have to talk to someone? What about emails? How can I give you work if I’m not talking to you?”

“You email me what you want done and I send it to you. But we don’t interact over email other than for work. And shopping? Why do I need to talk to anyone? I just buy and pay. I’ll spend my year writing and getting to know myself. I’ll come out of it a whole new person. I’m sure of it. I think I need this. I know it sounds crazy. But maybe a bit of crazy is what I need.”

Bubbles was staring at me now. She clearly thought I was mental, but there was also a glint in her eyes. Perhaps there was a part of her that thought I was being serious. She sat like that for a while, just staring at me and trying to make sense of it all. This was not the direction the meeting was supposed to take.

“Nine months,” she finally said.

“What?”

“Nine months. A year is too long. Do it for nine months. But you have to commit to this, Rebecca. If we are going to put it in the magazine I can’t have you changing your mind in a month and making us look like idiots. If you really want to do this, then you have to do it properly. I’ll support you, because I think you’re a great writer. And I also think you’re just the right amount of crazy to pull this off.”

The reality was sinking in. “Really? You’re going to let me do this?”

“I am, but, Becs—” Her voice softened. “It’s not going to be easy, you know.”

“I know.”

That was nine months ago.

Today marks the day the whole project comes to an end.

I have dreamed about this moment. I’ve wondered how I would react when I finally finished what I had started. I thought I’d scream. Jump for joy. Run out and talk to the first person on the street. Instead, I just sat there by myself. I knew I’d be different—it was impossible not to change after something this drastic—I hadn’t known I’d be this different. I sat there for a while, taking it all in.

Silent.

Mute.

Author Bio:

Christine Bernard is a South African author, with an obsession for good coffee (or wine), books and guinea pigs. She's also a graphic and layout designer who illustrates on the side, but she's happiest when writing. She enjoys writing mystery/suspense and contemporary fiction.

If you want to know when Christine's next book will come out, please visit her website on www.christinebernard.com and sign up to her newsletter.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

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