Showing posts with label holly barbo. Show all posts
Showing posts with label holly barbo. Show all posts

Friday, March 16, 2018

New Cover Reveal: A Beltane Gift by Holly Barbo

Title: A Beltane Gift
Author: Holly Barbo
Series: Quick Reads - Beyond Time #1
Genre: Paranormal, Short Story
Release Date: April 2, 2016
Cover Design: Darkmantle Designs
Summary:
A paranormal short story set in Scotland, with cultural heritage at its heart.

Summer in Scotland, and Mari is working on an archaeological dig of a Viking burial ship during Beltane, a time of the year when the veil shrouding the spirit world thins.

What could possibly go wrong?

A Beltane Gift is a contemporary story with historical elements and a wee bit of the paranormal. It won first prize in the PGP Short Story Competition in August 2015. It is also available as part of the anthology Tendrils.

A Beltane Gift, Beyond Time: Book 1, is a story that begs for more. You can follow Mari as she searches for answers in A Bell for Valor. And watch for additional adventures in the Beyond Time series of Quick Reads.

A Quick Read book is a short story available as a single small book. In both ebook and paper format, it is a perfect small gift or for escaping to another place and reality when you only have a tiny block of spare time.


A wisp of a sound snatched her attention and she looked up, startled. The red fox stood just inside the circle of light cast from her fire. The source of the sound came from what it held in its jaws.

Standing, she moved toward the fox, anticipating it would run away. The fox allowed her two steps toward it, then slowly lowered its head and deposited a small animal on the ground before drifting back a few paces into the shadows.

It was a kitten of approximately two months of age, with long hair, bushy tail, ginger-colored thick fur around the head and large paws, but the rest was in shades of black and gray tiger stripes. It studied Mari with eerily intelligent heather-blue eyes. She approached the little animal and held out the back of her hand to be sniffed. In a quiet voice, she spoke to the fox. “Why do you have a kitten and why bring it here?”

A strange, almost atonal, voice came from the archeological dig. “Tha kitten is here 'cause I asked Ruadh ta bring it.”

She whirled, seeking the source of the voice.

It came again. “T'was ah good name an tha fox appreciates it.” Emerging from the shadows was the unsubstantial form of a Viking.

With wide eyes she watched... speechless.

“My greeting ta ye, Mari. Ye're ah descendant...” The spirit chuckled, “Many times an hundreds o' years removed, yet ye bear ah resemblance ta my beautiful Leda.”

Author Bio:
Holly Barbo's world is shaped by her love of family, the beauty of the nature and an irrepressible curiosity that frequently has her turning over rocks and questioning what she finds. This sometimes sends the reader down a rabbit hole into an alternate view of the world than what they expected. Holly’s mind can be an interesting place.

Her motto: Weaving Alternative Worlds with Threads From Today.



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Sunday, September 24, 2017

Magic of Books Promotions Presents: Back 2 School Part 7: Fantasy

Authors: Kim Iverson Headlee, Dani Haviland, Holly Barbo
Cherime MacFarlane, Liza O'Connor, Maggie Mundy
Genres: Fantasy, Apocalyptic Fantasy, Steampunk Fantasy
Summary:
REJOICE! The children are back in school.

For those who live to read...here are some awesome books provided by the incredible authors who wrote them. All in celebration of the new school year.

While a few of these books might be oldies, but goodies...others could be new and fresh off the presses.

Relax and find your new favorite author.

✯ ✯ ✯ ✯

FANTASY

Fantasy is a genre of fiction that concentrates on imaginary elements (the fantastic). This can mean magic, the supernatural, alternate worlds, superheroes, monsters, fairies, magical creatures, mythological heroes—essentially, anything that an author can imagine outside of reality. With fantasy, the magical or supernatural elements serve as the foundation of the plot, setting, characterization, or storyline in general.


Please enjoy these books that focus on fantasy and all its sub-genres. The list is available in alphabetically order by title.

Don't forget to enter the Rafflecopter for a chance to win an Amazon Giftcard.


Morning's Journey by Kim Iverson Headlee
Fantasy
“Magnificent.” ~ Kathleen Foley, author of the Faith in Uniform series

In a violent age when enemies besiege Brydein and alliances shift as swiftly as the wind, stand two remarkable leaders: the Caledonian warrior-queen Gyanhumara and her consort, Arthur the Pendragon. Their fiery love is tempered only by their conviction to forge unity between their disparate peoples. Arthur and Gyan must create an impenetrable front to protect Brydein and Caledonia from land-lusting Saxons and the marauding Angli raiders who may be massing forces in the east, near Arthur’s sister and those he has sworn to protect.

But their biggest threat is an enemy within: Urien, Arthur’s rival and the man Gyan was treaty-bound to marry until she broke that promise for Arthur’s love. When Urien becomes chieftain of his clan, his increase in wealth and power is matched only by the magnitude of his hatred of Arthur and Gyan—and his threat to their infant son.

Morning’s Journey, sequel to the critically acclaimed Dawnflight, propels the reader from the heights of triumph to the depths of despair, through the struggles of some of the most fascinating characters in all of Arthurian literature. Those struggles are exacerbated by the characters’ own flawed choices. Gyan and Arthur must learn that while extending forgiveness to others may be difficult, forgiveness of self is the most excruciating—yet ultimately the most healing—step of the entire journey."

Naked in the Winter Wind by Dani Haviland
Fantasy
HAVE YOU EVER WANTED TO LIVE IN A DIFFERENT TIME, IN A DIFFERENT BODY, AND AS PART OF YOUR FAVORITE ROMANCE NOVEL?

She awoke in a different time, in an unfamiliar body, and not knowing who she was.

Find out how 'Evie' got there in the first book of The Fairies Saga series.

A mix of mystery, history, and fantasy, with a tad of romance, a dash of violence, and a pinch of humor. 'These characters will live in your head long after you’ve read the books.' (common remark by readers)

Imagine falling right into the middle of your favorite historical romance story...and getting a thinner, rejuvenated body at the same time. That might sound ideal, but dealing with cougars, creeps, and kidnappers isn't.

Join 20th century-born Evie as she deals with the hardships of living in the backwoods or Revolutionary War era North Carolina while dealing with a severe case of AMNESIA, being ABANDONED by the man who claimed her as his wife, and ADOPTIONS, using nothing but her wit and grit, give or take a knife or two...and the smartphone that hitched a ride with her from the 21st century!

THE FAIRIES SAGA ~ Time travelers: fairies, according to the auld folk, people who suddenly showed up in strange clothes, confused about where they were, and without friends or family. Fairies either kept quiet and adapted to their new time period…or went insane.

**The books in The Fairies Saga are numbered for historical sequence only. Each is a stand alone story. If you decide you want to know more about a character-- where they came from or where they eventually wound up-- check out your book's number and go from there! (Much like the Star Wars movies)

Nightwind's Shadow by Cherime MacFarlane
Apocalyptic Fantasy 

To survive a world of mutant predators, people must band together, but Nightwind’s and JoJo’s people have chosen different paths. His family has reclaimed an old cliff dwelling, hers herd cattle and migrate. Their rules and ideologies are not compatible. While her people are prospering, his must scavenge farther to hunt exposing Nightwind to the ever-present danger of the rats.

JoJo’s partner leaves her alone and defenseless, running for her life. The solitary hunter who sees her must choose. He can bring her back to the small hidden shelter he shares with his dog, Mouse, to take cover. Or he can leave her to her fate. If Nightwind allows her to see his find, the woman can never go home. The rats are coming. JoJo must become his shadow…or die.

Rana: Teenage Queen by Liza O'Connor
Fantasy
Rana is only sixteen when she becomes queen. Her first challenge is to quell an internal coup while a massive army storms the gates of her castle. Her enemies believe her to be a child, but she has powers they’ve never suspected. She also has great dreams for her people, and she will do whatever is necessary to make them happen, even marrying a prince she does not want.

Sunstone by Holly Barbo
Steampunk Fantasy
The steam-powered civilization of Myrn is a thriving adolescent culture. But the rapid industrial development has given rise to greed, and the triumvirate of government, banks and industry leaders has lost sight of those it is supposed to serve and protect.

When a mysterious incurable illness sweeps through the impoverished masses, increasing the suffering to breaking point, rebellion seems unavoidable. Society is on the brink of revolution, and the planet is marked for destruction.

M'nacht, his son Kes, and his team of researchers investigate a legend about three sacred fossils that could save the people and rebalance Myrn. However, they are not the only ones looking. Where they see salvation, others see power, wealth and control.

Will the gifts from the goddess Navora be found in time to save their world, or will the sacrifice of innocents be lost under the weight of human depravity and corruption?

Unmasked, Book 1 The Liranni Trilogy by Maggie Mundy
Fantasy with Romantic Elements
Six hundred years of peace are destroyed when Daria’s settlement is attacked. It is the start problems for the land of Majura. Daria saved people with magic and must join the magic wielding Mask wearers who rule the land. Her dreams have warned if she became one it would be the end of Majura. Are the Mask wearers keeping secrets or is she the only one who can see the power in the land is changing. A Mask wearer called Alenze believes her, and offers to go on a quest with her to fix the Essence where the magic comes from. He may be keeping secrets from her that could be the death of them all.


Kim Iverson Headlee
Kim Headlee lives on a farm in southwestern Virginia with her family, cats, goats, Great Pyrenees goat guards, and assorted wildlife. People and creatures come and go, but the cave and the 250-year-old house ruins—the latter having been occupied as recently as the mid-twentieth century—seem to be sticking around for a while yet. She has been an award-winning novelist since 1999 (Dawnflight first edition, Sonnet Books, Simon & Schuster) and has been studying the Arthurian Legends for nigh on half a century.

Dani Haviland
USA Today best-selling author Dani Haviland, a Mayflower and Mormon pioneer descendant, recently semi-retired from selling tractor parts, tools, and roses in Alaska, relocating to a more temperate climate in western Oregon to pursue her passions: writing, gardening, and photography.

Life has changed from jumping into a skidsteer loader to plow snow to pull-starting the walk behind weed whacker, but there are still enough hours in the day for the feisty old lady to propagate people for her novels and plants for her yard. Sharing is part of her personality, so creating books and photos to share all over the world makes her happy.

Her tenacious and perky attitude is reflected in many of her cyber children, whether they be a British lord stuck in 18th century North Carolina or a 6'7" time traveling 'fairy' who is out to champion anyone who is having a rough time dealing with difficult life situations.

Cherime MacFarlane
Although born in New Orleans, I am proud to call myself an Alaskan. I have lived here since 1977. I have seen -40 degrees, hauled water, made bear bacon and I live in a cabin. I have used a fishwheel to catch salmon coming up the Copper River. I was my second husband's chief mechanic's helper and roadie. I have cut firewood on shares. I worked as a cocktail waitress during pipeline days in a small lodge on the Richardson Highway.

My second husband, a Scot from Glasgow, was the love of my life. When I write Scots dialect, I personally experienced hearing it from my in laws. When my husband got on the phone to Scotland, after 5 seconds I could barely understand a word.

We moved to Wasilla to get warm. It barely drops past -25 degrees here in the winter. I became a paralegal and worked for over 26 years for the same firm.

Alaska is my home. I never thought I would love it so much, I never want to leave. The beauty of Alaska is a draw I cannot resist. I love the people and the history. I have been captured by a place I came to under duress. Life does play some interesting tricks on one. My love and I were not apart more than 24 hours for 20 plus years. I never wanted to be anywhere but with him. He was a man to run the river with and was my biggest fan.

Liza O'Connor
Liza O’Connor was raised badly by feral cats, left the South/Midwest and wandered off to find nicer people on the east coast. There she worked for the meanest man on Wall Street, while her psychotic husband tried to kill her three times. (So much for finding nicer people.) Then one day she declared enough, got a better job, divorced her husband, and fell in love with her new life where people behaved nicely. But all those bad behaviors has given her lots of fodder for her humorous books. Please buy these books, because otherwise, she’ll become grumpy and write troubled novels instead. They will likely traumatize you.

You have been warned.

Holly Barbo
Holly's world is shaped by her love of family, the beauty of the natural world and an irrepressible creative drive. She has always been curious and sees life through questions. These four characteristics color her writing voice. Holly's stories are mostly in non-urban settings and usually have some focus on nature, building discordant themes inside a seemingly peaceful refrain.

My motto: Weaving Alternative Worlds with Threads From Today.

Maggie Mundy
I live in Adelaide, Australia with my husband, one cat, two dogs and a snake. I have a motorbike that I would like to ride more than I do and I love walking at the beach and listening to the waves.  I've always loved reading all forms of fiction from high fantasy and paranormal to contemporary and decided the stories in my head needed to be written down. It was either that or start on medication. Unlike many, I didn’t know I wanted to be a writer until a few years back.  I started off doing a degree in drama but soon realized my love was in writing, though there is a play lurking somewhere on my computer. My day job is as a nurse in the operating room. I believe romance can be fun to read and write but it’s exciting to spice it up with the uncertainty that comes with suspense where the rules can be broken.


Kim Iverson Headlee
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Dani Haviland
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Cherime MacFarlane
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Liza O'Connor
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Holly Barbo
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Maggie Mundy
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Morning's Journey by Kim Iverson Headlee
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Naked in the Winter Wind by Dani Haviland

Nightwind's Shadow by Cherime MacFarlane
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Rana: Teenage Queen by Liza O'Connor

Sunstone by Holly Barbo

Unmasked by Maggie Mundy
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Tuesday, November 22, 2016

A Crystal Snowflake by Holly Barbo

Title: A Crystal Snowflake
Author: Holly Barbo
Series: Quick Reads #7
Genre: Thriller
Release Date: November 20, 2016
Summary:
When Chayse’s friend is murdered before he can get protective custody, she and her department in Homeland Security are thrust into a race to stop a destructive cyber worm from wiping out all bank and stock market records during the Christmas break.

The good news is there is an inoculating code which will stop the worm. The bad news is it is hidden in a special crystal concealed in the sculpted walls of a beautiful ice hotel in the lapland region of Sweden and the terrorists are searching for it too.

As the snow flurries of November becomes frozen December each side rush to find the crystal…with entirely different goals. Will the Christmas holiday bring destruction for western financial systems?

A Crystal Snowflake is a contemporary thriller. It has been previously published in Tendrils, The Edge of Madness boxed set and Wrapped with a Bow boxed set. It was also entered in a story competition seeking cinematic quality stories for movie potential, and made the quarter finals.



Chapter 1: Fire and Ice
Orion gave a quick scan of the room. He needed to make sure he had everything important. His backpack was stuffed and the computer case held so much that there were edges of paper sticking out of it in a haphazard manner. The slender young man slung the strap of the computer bag over his shoulder, grabbed the backpack, and headed for the front door. His hand paused as he reached for the knob and looked out the window.

It was dark and he could see the snow falling through the street lights. There didn’t seem to be anyone about, so he slipped from the house and walked casually to his trusty old Chevy, his breath coming out in rapid visible puffs. The nonchalance was an act. Orion wanted anyone watching to assume he was going to M.I.T. to get in some late night work. He scanned the shadows, hoping no one was there and threw his backpack on the passenger seat, wedging the computer case between it and the seat back. The young man wanted both within easy reach. Once buckled in, he allowed his nervousness to slip out and thoroughly checked the view from his mirrors.

Orion eased onto the street and when there was no sign of his tires slipping, increased his speed. Orion reached into the pocket of the backpack for the pre-paid phone he’d picked up when he determined his cell had been tapped. At the stop sign he punched in a number. The snow flurries were increasing so he switched on the wipers. Orion waited for his friend to pick up.

The fair-haired man smiled when he heard her voice and responded by saying, “I’m on my way and no one is following me. Just in case, I sent instructions to our safe place. Don’t worry about retrieving the envelope unless I don’t get there by morning. Okay. Gotta go. I’ll be at your door for breakfast with your favorite croissants. Have the coffee brewed.”

Orion laughed at the response. “Okay. I need to concentrate on driving in this stuff. See you soon, Chayse. Bye.”

Beyond the stop sign, the road sloped down to a picturesque country bridge, one of many that dotted the New England states. Orion had to admit it was beautiful in the snowfall, but with the driving conditions worsening, he focused on how the car responded to his small adjustments in steering.

Without any warning, Orion’s power steering quit. Working to compensate on the slick road, he fought to correct the fish-tailing motion of the car. “Shit!” He tapped the brakes and was horrified as his foot went all the way to the floor.

Fighting the wheel and the momentum of the old Chevy on the slippery surface became his entire focus… and he was losing. He tried gearing down and applying the emergency brake, but the car went into a spin. Orion caught a glimpse of the bridge railing coming up too fast. “Shit!” The car broke through the wooden barrier and sailed into the darkness over the side.


*****

The watcher stood in the shelter of some trees on the far side of the road. The muffled figure took a box out of his pocket, pointed it at the car and pushed a button. The loud sibilant schwuff of the slush hitting the car’s undercarriage drowned out the pop.

The quiet of the snowy darkness was shattered by sounds of a scream and a crash. The watcher waited to see if anything else would happen. Walking to the broken railing, he looked down into the gorge. The car was lying on the driver’s side and he didn’t detect any movement. Orion could have died on impact. He thought about that for a moment before looking at the box in his hand and pushing a second button. Under the trunk, a small flame ignited close to the cracked fuel line. There was a whoosh as the greedy flames engulfed the Chevy. The watcher turned away and calmly walked back the way he came, disappearing into the night.



Author Bio:
Holly's world is shaped by her love of family, the beauty of the natural world and an irrepressible creative drive. She has always been curious and sees life through questions. These four characteristics color her writing voice. Holly's stories are mostly in non-urban settings and usually have some focus on nature, building discordant themes inside a seemingly peaceful refrain.

My motto: Weaving Alternative Worlds with Threads From Today.

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A Crystal Snowflake #7
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A Beltane Gift #1
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The Tin of Honey #2
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The Dragil: Broken Magic #3
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A Battered Ball #4
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Blinding Contract #5
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Treasured Legacy #6
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