Showing posts with label Daughter of Chaos. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Daughter of Chaos. Show all posts

May 21, 2015

Two for Thursday Blitz + Giveaway: Daughter of Chaos by Jen McConnel and Predator by Janice Gable Bashman

T4T-Banner

Hello and welcome to this week’s Two for Thursday Book Blitz #T4T
presented by Month9books/Tantrum Books!

Today, we will be showcasing two titles that may tickle your fancy,
and we’ll share what readers have to say about these titles!
You just might find your next read!

This week, #T4T presents to you:
Daughter of Chaos by Jen McConnel and
Predator by Janice Gable Bashman!

Be sure to enter the giveaway found at the end of the post!

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Witches must choose the path they will follow, and Darlena Agara is no exception. She’s been putting it off long enough, and in her case, ignoring it has not made it go away. In a moment of frustration, Darlena chooses to follow Red Magic, figuring she had outsmarted the powers that be, since there’s no such thing as Red Magic. But alas, Darlena’s wrong (again) and she becomes a newly declared Red Witch.
 

Her friends are shocked and her parents horrified by the choice Darlena has made. As a Red Witch, she now governs one third of the world’s chaos. She is the walking personification of pandemonium, turmoil, and bedlam, just as the patrons of Red Magic would have it to be.
 

But Darlena believes there must be more to Red Magic than chaos and destruction, and she sets out on a journey to achieve balance. Only doing so puts her at odds with the dark goddess Hecate, who simply will not allow Darlena to quit. She encourages Darlena to embrace who and what she is and to leave good magic to the good witches. If only Darlena could, life would be simple, and she would not be the Daughter of Chaos.
 

DAUGHTER OF CHAOS is the first in a YA paranormal trilogy.

add to goodreads



WHAT READER’S ARE SAYING:

At the beginning, this novel is reminiscent of other popular fantasy novels like the Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling and the Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan, but it quickly takes on a life of its own that will appeal to science fiction, fantasy, and young adult fans alike. Darlena’s struggles mirror issues that many teens face, making her a relate-able and likable main character. This is a title with wide appeal that will fly off the shelves.” – Voya Magazine


“Daughter of Chaos by Jen McConnel is a refreshing twist to the YA paranormal genre!”Dianne, Tome Tender


“Witches and Greek gods! This seriously couldn't get any better.” – Kelly Hashway, Author
about-the-author

Jen McConnelJen McConnel now lives and writes in the beautiful state of North Carolina. When she isn't crafting worlds of fiction, she teaches writing composition at a community college. Once upon a time, she was a middle school teacher, a librarian, and a bookseller, but those are stories for another time.
Author Links: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads







JBashman_M9B_Predator_REV2_900x1350

The hunt is on! Sixteen-year-old Bree Sunderland must inject herself with an untested version of her father’s gene therapy to become a werewolf in order to stop a corrupt group of mercenaries from creating a team of unstoppable lycanthrope soldiers.

When Bree went with her scientist father to Ireland, she thought it would be a vacation to study bog bodies. She never expected to fall in love with a mysterious young Irishman and certainly never expected to become the kind of monster her father said only existed in nightmares. Dr. Sunderland discovers that lycanthropy was not a supernatural curse but rather a genetic mutation. When they return home, her dad continues his research, but the military wants to turn that research into a bio weapons program and rogue soldiers want to steal the research to turn themselves into unstoppable killing machines.

Bree’s boyfriend Liam surprises her with a visit to the United States, but there are darker surprises in store for both of them. As evil forces hunt those she loves, Bree must become an even more dangerous hunter to save them all.

Bree will become the thing she hates, to protect those she loves!

'Predator' gives the werewolf legend a couple of new spins by introducing the Benandanti (an actual folkloric belief that certain families of Italy and Livonia were werewolves who fought against evil), as well as a modern scientific approach to mutation and the science of transgenics.

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WHAT READER’S ARE SAYING:

“Predator is a fast-paced, creepy page-turner! Bashman had me at the opening sentence and she's still got me. I want more!”Nancy Holder, New York Times Bestselling Author, The Rules


“Every twist and fascinating revelation fell into place smoothly, with an ending that will leave readers wanting more. With this kind of originality on the page, it is exciting to speculate at the surprises Bashman will unveil next.”Suspense Magazine


“Predator" by Janice Gable Bashman is clean-teen fiction at it's best. It's smart, scary and suspenseful. The main character Bree is a super positive role model for teen girls--no mater what shape she takes” Jennifer, Author
about-the-author
Janice Gable BashmanJanice Gable Bashman is the Bram Stoker nominated author of Wanted Undead or Alive and Predator. She is managing editor of the The Big Thrill (International Thriller Writers’ ezine). Janice lives with her family in the Philadelphia area, where she at work on her next novel. Visit her at janicegablebashman.com.

Author Links: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads




Giveaway
Complete the Rafflecopter below for a chance to win!

 





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October 31, 2014

Month9Books Birthday Bash!


Welcome to my stop on the Birthday Bash for Month9Books! Today I'm hosting author Jen McConnell, who has written a great guest post - and don't forget to enter the awesome giveaway at the bottom of the post!!

Jen has recently started the Red Magic Trilogy - a fantastic new YA paranormal series that's full of witches, magic, and chaos. The first book, Daughter of Chaos, was released on March 25, 2014. You can check out my review of the book on Goodreads HERE. Read on for more info on the book and Jen's guest post - then enter the giveaway!!



Daughter of Chaos (Red Magic Trilogy #1)
Author: Jen McConnell
Genre: YA paranormal
Release Date: March 25, 2014
Publisher: Month9Books

Description:

Witches must choose the path they will follow, and Darlena Agara is no exception. She’s been putting it off long enough, and in her case, ignoring it has not made it go away. In a moment of frustration, Darlena chooses to follow Red Magic, figuring she had outsmarted the powers that be, since there’s no such thing as Red Magic. But alas, Darlena’s wrong (again) and she becomes a newly declared Red Witch.

Her friends are shocked and her parents horrified by the choice Darlena has made. As a Red Witch, she now governs one third of the world’s chaos. She is the walking personification of pandemonium, turmoil, and bedlam, just as the patrons of Red Magic would have it to be.

But Darlena believes there must be more to Red Magic than chaos and destruction, and she sets out on a journey to achieve balance. Only doing so puts her at odds with the dark goddess Hecate, who simply will not allow Darlena to quit. She encourages Darlena to embrace who and what she is and to leave good magic to the good witches. If only Darlena could, life would be simple, and she would not be the Daughter of Chaos.

DAUGHTER OF CHAOS is the first in a YA paranormal trilogy.


Magic in Darlena’s World: DAUGHTER OF CHAOS

Thanks so much to A Dream Within a Dream for hosting me today for the Month9Books birthday bash! I’m thrilled to be here, and I’m so excited to talk about The Red Magic Series. Stephanie asked me to talk a little bit about the magic in Darlena’s world, and (spoiler alert!) I might be mentioning things that Darlena hasn’t learned yet in DAUGHTER, so get ready!

Darlena’s been raised around magic: her parents are both Green Witches, “hippy earth loving types” as Lena describes them, and she was very young when they enrolled her in Trinity, and elite, magical prep school. As far as Lena’s concerned, there are three types of magic in her world: Green, which deals with things like gardening and daily life; White, which is focused on spirit and clear lines between right and wrong; and Black, another spirit path, like White, but one that tends to veer into dark, dangerous territory. The only problem is, Lena’s never felt particularly pulled to any of the three paths: her parents are both Green, her ex is White, and her BFF is Black, but Lena doesn’t really fit with any of the people she loves.

Enter Hecate.

When the Queen of Witches shows up, she demands that Lena choose a path, setting Lena on a dangerous chain of events in DAUGHTER OF CHAOS. On a whim, Lena says she’ll follow Red magic, thinking it doesn’t actually exist, but the joke is on her: Red magic is very real, and very deadly.

As Lena learns more about Red magic, she realizes that her lessons at Trinity were incomplete, and she starts to wonder if there are more magics out there. Spoiler alert: there are! She discovers two more paths in GODS OF CHAOS, the upcoming sequel to DAUGHTER, but I don’t want to give too much away. ;) If you want more magic, check out the WITCH’S QUICK GUIDE on Wattpad while you wait for the next book in the series!

The magic in Darlena’s world is elemental, focusing of earth, air, water, fire, and spirit, and I had so much fun creating this magical system. Lots of different things inspired the six magical paths, but, to my knowledge, the magic of Darlena’s world exists strictly in her world. Still, it’s the time of year when the Otherworld draws close and unexplainable things happen, so you never know if you might just meet a Red Witch on Halloween night.
Jen McConnel first began writing poetry as a child. A Michigander by birth, she now lives and writes in the beautiful state of North Carolina. A graduate of Western Michigan University, she also holds a MS in Library Science from Clarion University of Pennsylvania.  When she isn't crafting worlds of fiction, she teaches college writing composition and yoga. Once upon a time, she was a middle school teacher, a librarian, and a bookseller, but those are stories for another time.  Visit http://www.jenmcconnel.com  to learn more.


Connect With Jen: 
Website | Twitter | Facebook | Pinterest

Buy Links: Amazon / Barnes and Noble



While all of the posts are from our authors that have books out already we also want to look forward to some of the 2015 titles we can’t wait to share with you! Here’s a slide show of some our 2015 books!


We have a ton of sequels coming as well as new books from awesome debut authors and we’re so excited to share them all with you! We have something for everyine from every genre from Sci-Fi to Fantasy to Paranormal and Horror!
Giveaway Details: 
(1) New Kindle with touchscreen (US only) loaded with all our Month9Books titles. US Only. (1) Paperback prize pack of 5 Month9Books Titles. US ONLY. 
(2) eBook Prize Packs of 5 Month9Books titles. International 




April 12, 2014

Daughter of Chaos Blog Tour: Review + Giveaway




Daughter of Chaos (Red Magic #1)
Author: Jen McConnel
Publisher: Month9Books
Release Date: March 25, 2014
Rate: 4 Stars

Synopsis:
There comes a time in every witch's life when she must choose her path. Darlena's friends have already chosen, so why is it so hard for her to make up her mind? Now, Darlena is out of time. Under pressure from Hecate, the Queen of all witches, Darlena makes a rash decision to choose Red magic, a path no witch in her right mind would dare take. As a Red witch, she will be responsible for chaos and mayhem, drawing her deep into darkness. Will the power of Red magic prove too much for Darlena, or will she learn to control it before it's too late?
DAUGHTER OF CHAOS is the first in the RED MAGIC paranormal YA trilogy.

Daughter of Chaos is the exhilarating first book in a new young adult paranormal trilogy. The book follows main character Darlena, a teenage witch, as she first chooses her path (not knowing what she was getting herself into) and as she attempts to control her new magic. When Darlena was faced with finally choosing her path as a witch - White, Green, or Black - she panicked and picked one she didn't think existed - Red. As it turns out, there is definitely a Red path - it's the magic of chaos. Now Darlena must learn to control her new powers, figure out who she can and can't trust, and how she's going to live as a Red witch.

I have a definite love for all books that deal with witches, so this was a definite must read for me. I wasn't sure what to expect - but I was greatly impressed and surprised with what the author gives us in the story. In Darlena's world, there are witches and Nons (people without magic). Darlena and her family are witches, as are all the kids who attend the private school of Trinity. When the witches are in their teens, they are expected to choose one of the three paths - the one that they will then follow for the rest of their lives. Darlena isn't ready to choose a path - and she frankly doesn't think that she should have to. I found Darlena to be a fun and realistic main character for the story. I immediately connected with her from the beginning. She's smart, a loving and devoted daughter and friend, and is full of determination once she makes up her mind about something. She definitely isn't perfect though - as we see when she gives the gods and goddesses serious attitude and when she openly defies their orders. I liked how down to earth she is, which made it even easier to identify with her throughout the book. The other characters in the book were distinct and well written with quirks, flaws, and unique personalities. They worked well in the story together with each other as well as with Darlena and the plot in general.

The plot was fantastic - it blended so many different genres together to make a truly original story. Along with the witches and their powers and history, we encounter the gods and goddesses from several different religions and cultures. I loved reading about all of the mythology surrounding them and their various characteristics. The way the author incorporates gods and goddesses with witchcraft was a very pleasant surprise that I think took the story to a whole new level. Along with the mythology and paranormal aspects of the plot, there's also tons of action, adventure, romance, and even some contemporary teen issues. All of the various parts of the plot were intertwined in a natural and effortless way that had me eagerly reading to see what was going to happen next. This is definitely a book that fans of paranormal fiction will want to get their hands on - I'm already anticipating the next installment. I also recommend it to fans of all genres as it has a bit of something for everyone.
 
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Click on the banner to follow the Daughter Of Chaos Blog Tour!




Jen McConnel first began writing poetry as a child. Since then, her words have appeared in a variety of magazines and journals, including Sagewoman, PanGaia, and The Storyteller (where she won the people’s choice 3rd place award for her poem, “Luna”).

She is also a former reviewer for Voices of Youth Advocates (VOYA), and a proud member of SCBWI, NCWN, and SCWW.

A Michigander by birth, she now lives and writes in the beautiful state of North Carolina. She's a graduate of Western Michigan University, and she also earned her MS in Library Science at Clarion University of Pennsylvania. 

When she isn't crafting worlds of fiction, she teaches writing composition at a community college. Once upon a time, she was a middle school teacher, a librarian, and a bookseller, but those are stories for another time.

Follow Jen on Twitter @Jen_McConnel, and visit www.jenmcconnel.com to learn more.

Win (1) swag pack giveaway (INT)




April 1, 2014

Daughter of Chaos Blog Tour: Interview + Giveaway

http://www.chapter-by-chapter.com/tour-schedule-daughter-of-chaos-by-jen-mcconnel-presented-by-month9books/

Welcome to my stop on the Daughter of Chaos tour being presented by Chapter by Chapter! Today I have a great interview with the author to share with you and don't forget to enter the tour wide giveaway at the end of the post! To follow the rest of the tour, click on the banner above.


Daughter of Chaos (Red Magic #1)
Author: Jen McConnel
Genre: YA Fantasy/Paranormal
Release Date: March 25, 2014
Publisher: Month9Books

Description:

There comes a time in every witch's life when she must choose her path. Darlena's friends have already chosen, so why is it so hard for her to make up her mind? Now, Darlena is out of time. Under pressure from Hecate, the Queen of all witches, Darlena makes a rash decision to choose Red magic, a path no witch in her right mind would dare take. As a Red witch, she will be responsible for chaos and mayhem, drawing her deep into darkness. Will the power of Red magic prove too much for Darlena, or will she learn to control it before it's too late?

DAUGHTER OF CHAOS is the first in the RED MAGIC paranormal YA trilogy.
 

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18106165-daughter-of-chaos?ac=1
1. What was your inspiration for writing Daughter of Chaos?

I used to teach middle school, and I loved scheduling creative writing days for my students. I always wrote with them, and one day we were using sentence starters as imagination sparks. Mine was, “She was a funny looking woman, but...”, and I just started writing. Three class periods later, I had the very rough first draft of the first chapter of DOC. The story really came at me out of nowhere, and I had so much fun discovering it.

2. What kind of research did you have to do for the book?

The paranormal world of the story relies heavily on global mythology, and I’ve always been fascinated by myths and legends, so I enjoyed learning more about different gods and goddesses for this book.

3. Are any of your characters ever based on people you know or yourself?

I think each of my characters has a piece of me in them, and I freely borrow personality quirks and temperaments from the people I’ve known in my life, but it’s all a mish-mash. None of my characters is directly based on anyone I know.

4. How did you become a writer? Was there a person or situation that prompted you to start writing?

I’ve written as long as I can remember, and my mom was a huge early influence on me; she was free-lancing for a local magazine when I was young, and she also wrote a book. Watching her go through the process made me eager to try it for myself, but in high school, I started to feel like I wasn’t good enough. I stopped writing (other than a few angtsy poems here and there) and I didn’t really come back to it again until my first year teaching. At that time, the encouragement of my husband really helped me push past the hurdle of self-doubt and got me playing with words again.

5. What tips do you have for aspiring writers?
 
Drop the aspiring and simply write. No one but you has the power to validate you as a writer; if you call yourself a writer, then that’s what you are. And keep at it! It’s hard, and frustrating, and scary, but it’s so much fun to tell stories. If that’s what you love to do, don’t stop.

6. What's next for you?

I’m working on the next book in the Red Magic series, and I’m also getting excited for the sequel to my NA novel, THE SECRET OF ISOBEL KEY; it will be released later this spring. In my non-writing world, I expect I’ll keep teaching, learning, and yearning for travel.


Thanks for this chance to talk about DAUGHTER! I’ve had a blast. 

Thanks so much for stopping by and chatting with us today Jen!
Jen McConnel now lives and writes in the beautiful state of North Carolina. When she isn't crafting worlds of fiction, she teaches writing composition at a community college. Once upon a time, she was a middle school teacher, a librarian, and a bookseller, but those are stories for another time. 


Giveaway:
Four (4) winners will receive an ebook copy of Daughter of Chaos by Jen McConnel (INT) 

One (1) winner will receive an ebook copy of Daughter of Chaos by Jen McConnel AND a $10 Amazon Gift Card or B&N Gift Card – Winner’s Choice (INT)