The Journey Collection Mega Giveaway!!

The Journey Collection Mega Giveaway!!

What a better way to celebrate a release than a MEGA GIVAWAY!

In honor of the release of Author Lisa Bilbrey’s The Journey Collection, she’s hosting a huge giveaway. There are over THIRTY prizes and Dozens of ways to enter for your chance to win ebooks and prizes from authors such as R. E. Hargrave, M.B. Feeney, Sydney Logan, Harper Bentley, B.L. Wilde, Lorenz Font, Jude Ouvrard, Michele Richard, S.A. Jones, K.I. Lynn, Elizabeth M. Lawrence, Melissa Stevens, CS Patra, Jennifer Garcia, M.C. Rayne, Lindsey Gray, N Wood, Forbes Arnone, Michelle Muckley, Jennifer Theriot, Alison Bruning, and Lisa Bilbrey.

The Journey Collection Summary:

The Journey Home

The Sharks’ star quarterback, Travis McCoy has it all, until an injury ends his season early. When he receives an invitation to attend the big homecoming game from his alma mater, Travis decides it’s time to face his past. The journey home sends Travis down a path that he never expects. Will he be able to come to grips when everything around him is spiraling out of control?

The Journey of Champions

Travis McCoy thought the journey home would be the hardest choice he ever had to make. It isn’t until he finds himself walking out the door and leaving his family behind that he realizes his journey is only just beginning. Now, with only a handful of weeks until Christmas, Travis tries to find his way back home. This time, he plans on staying forever.

The Journey to Forever

Finally back in the warm embrace of his family, Travis McCoy relishes every moment he gets to spend with his wife and son. After almost losing them due to his own selfishness, he makes the decision to never let go of his family again. With his plan set in motion, Travis, Penelope, and Max start a new journey, one that leads them to forever.

The Journey to a New Life

Travis McCoy’s journey has led him down a road of changes where he found the love of his life and their child. Travis, Penelope, and Max have struggled during their time apart, found their way back home, and finally tied their lives together as a family. Now, Penelope and Travis find themselves on a new journey, one that leads them to the greatest gift of all.

Author Biography:

Obsessive, compulsive, slightly crazed, but enough about her personality. First and foremost, Lisa Bilbrey is a mom to three and a wife to one. She loves to write, and spends the majority of everyday writing. It's who she is, and what she's meant to be doing. Words are her life, the air she breathes, and the nutrients of her soul.

Finding a love in the written word, Lisa Bilbrey started writing as a way to express herself and let her voice be heard. From the first word she wrote, she'd found her heart and soul. Always willing to learn, she's spends much of her time trying to improve as a storyteller.

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Heather's Review for Beyond by S.P. Van Der Lee

A Review by Heather for:

Summary:

Sixteen-year-old Raven desperately wants to fit in, but after using a Ouija Board, her already overwhelming hallucinations take a turn for the worse. A ghostly figure named Sam begins to haunt Raven and seems eager to kill her.

She’s saved by a reclusive biker named Damian who goes to the same school and appears to have an interest in her. Raven can’t help but feel drawn to him. Determined to uncover Damian’s connection to the ghost, Raven sets out to discover his secret and the reason Sam started haunting her. However, there’s more at stake than just her reputation. Raven’s choice between unveiling Damian’s true intentions, and living a normal life will put everyone she cares about at risk. To save them, she’ll have to go beyond.

Lives are ruined.

Hearts are shattered.

Death lurks at every corner.

Heather's Review:

I’ll start by saying that I don’t generally read young adult genre but I do love the supernatural/paranormal genre. I found at times it was difficult to really connect with some of the characters but it was just the opposite with the plot line.

I don’t give spoilers so there isn’t much I can say about details but in general, there are some inconsistencies that can be a bit frustrating but overall they really didn’t upset the plot for me but others might find them more disruptive.

Even though I didn’t really connect with Raven, I did feel for her and the lies she was led to believe from her mother. Personally, I kept expecting that “something” to happen but it was about two thirds through the book before I truly felt rewarded.

Overall, there was potential for more, so in those lines I was left wanting. That being said, I am really excited for the next installment. I have a strong feeling that the characters, especially Raven and Damien, will develop a stronger connection not only to each other but the reader as well.

Rating: 

Excerpt: 

When the sun sets, I go back home and flop down on my bed so I can write in the new diary my mom bought me. As I write down the first sentence, the bed starts shaking.

I turn around to look at my feet. There’s nothing. My heart starts pounding again, but I should try not to think about it, because I’m making myself insane. Ever since that night on the road I can’t calm myself during my hallucinations. They’ve become so much worse. My mom says if I keep taking the pills, the delusions should be reduced.

I’m just getting used to my environment, right?

I lie in bed, motionless. My pen is on a page in my diary, and I stare at the yellow wall in front of me. My bed trembles again, this time more violently.

If I’m not moving my bed, what is?

I turn on my back and grab the bars on the side of the bed. Something is shaking my bed, and it’s not me.

Then a dark smoke rises up from my blanket. I pull up my legs. The rippling fog shapes itself into a human-like figure on my bed and looks at me. My heart is throbbing in my throat, and sweat is dripping down my forehead. Sam.

He floats closer, and I crawl backward to the head of the bed. I want to run, but the ghost is blocking my way, and I’m not going through him.

I glance at the bottle of pills, and I remember taking them today. Why aren’t they working?

Pleading, I mutter: “Stop.” But Sam stretches his arms toward me, the fumes almost licking my skin. Tears fill my eyes and cloud my view. He’s so close that I wish everything was just a dream, even though I’m sure I’m wide awake.

Then, on my right side, the blue ghost appears again, the one that looks like he’s a part of the universe. He drifts out of the wall, like he’s being propelled by a breeze.

Again he’s hunting Sam. They fly criss-cross through the chamber, but then Sam disappears through the door. The blue ghost hangs in the air, surrounded by glinting mist. He turns around to gaze at me. This time even more intense than before.

I blink three times. We stare at each other, without making a move. His body isn’t made of solid matter. Smoke in his body moves around like waves in a rippling creek.

Even now he doesn’t strike fear into my heart. I don’t have the urge to run anymore, and I relax. This one isn’t scary. On the contrary, he looks magnificent. Like a starry night sky when there are no lampposts to block the view. I can’t keep my eyes off him, and I don’t want him to leave.

I think he feels the same, even though I know that sounds weird. Why else would he stand there like a statue staring at me like I’m so special?

He squints. This has to be a figment of my imagination. My rationality tells me I’m hallucinating, but still, it doesn’t feel that way in my heart. This feels real.

His feet lightly touch the floor when he starts walking toward me. His movements are fluent like water. The smoke coming from his body dissolves into nothingness. I honestly can’t keep my eyes off him. My fingers and toes start to tingle as he comes closer. Hypnotized by his presence, I’m stunned. I should call for help and yell for him to stop, but I don’t.

He advances toward me. His head bends down over mine, sparkling eyes staring at me. I can’t imagine this being real, but it is, for me.

The power of attraction is almost inhuman. I want to know what he is—no, who he is. I want to touch him.

I extend my finger, and for a second I hesitate, but then touch his translucent face. A shock like that of a thousand tiny needles goes over my skin and through my entire body, sparking in my toes and up my head, heating me from the inside out.

His face keeps coming closer.

Do I run? Get out of my room? Even if I wanted to, I can’t. I just can’t. I hold my breath. My heart is thumping in my throat, and I shut my eyes. No, I want to be here; I want to know more. But I’m afraid. Afraid of what he’s going to do, even if it’s just a delusion. I want to know why I feel so attracted to him.

I feel a slight tingling in my lips and know we’re only a few centimeters apart. Warmth flows into me as his lips press against mine.

About the Author: 

I'm S.P. van der Lee, my full name is Suzanne Paulien van der Lee. I was born in 1990 and live in the Netherlands. I have a bachelor's Degree in Digital Communication and have a specialization in writing. I've always had a passion for language. I could never keep my mouth shut nor resist the urge to read the smallest of texts, in whatever language they were. Writing, reading and speaking are the keystones of Digital Communication, but also those of books, which actually means those two worlds are not that far apart as one might think. I wish to combine the two.

I read and write books on a regular basis and love to tell and hear stories. My most loved genres are Young-Adult, romance, fantasy, urban-fantasy and dystopian. Occasionally I participate in contests with short stories. 

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Author Spotlight Interview with Carrie Elks

Author Interview with Carrie Elks

Today, The Hive has the pleasure of welcoming Carrie Elks as our spotlight author. 

Bee was lucky enough to interview her. Here's how it went.....

Welcome to 'The Hive' Carrie,

1)Where are you from?

I was born near Bristol, England. I’ve lived all over the UK, including Liverpool, Nottingham and Essex. I’ve also lived abroad--most notably in Geneva, Switzerland, and Washington DC, USA. I’m a bit of a nomad, really.

2)Tell us your latest news?

I’m about 3/4 through a new full-length novel that I’m dying to publish. I love the characters and the premise of the story. The hero and heroine meet in a very interesting way and have a huge hurdle to get over. I can’t wait to finish it and polish it up.

3)When and why did you begin writing?

I wrote a lot as a child. I’d read a book and continue writing about the characters when it finished. My favourites were the Sweet Valley High series(!) and The Lord of the Rings. I’m an eclectic reader.

4)When did you first consider yourself a writer?

I’m not sure if I do yet!

5)What inspired you to write your first book?

I’m a huge lover of dark stories. I really enjoyed reading Captive in the Dark, and Consequences, and initially started off to write something along those lines. However, the characters wouldn’t have it, and the story took a different track, which I was just as happy with. I like when stories surprise me as I write them.

6)How do you conceive your plot ideas?

It’s a cliché, but I’m always thinking “what if …” “What if a girl was hiding away in a bar in West Virginia and a stranger walked in …” “What if a girl fell in love with an older guy and he disappeared completely …” The stories tend to grow naturally around these little hooks.

7)What books have influenced your life most?

As a child I loved fantasy stories. The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings were my favourites. As an adult, I read avidly and enjoy such a wide range of books. Some of my favourite authors in the romance genre include Ruthie Knox and Cara McKenna. Their writing is impeccable.

8)If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor?

I have to choose Evelyn Baldwin, the author of Vacant. She edited Halfway Hidden and taught me so much about character development and writing. I owe her a lot.

9)What book are you reading now?

The Edge of Always by J.A. Redmerski. It’s the follow-up to the Edge of Never, which I read last Christmas. I’m enjoying it very much.

10)Are there any new authors that have grabbed your interest?

Amber L. Johnson is going to be huge. Her book Where We Fell was absolutely beautiful. There’s also this cute chick called B.L. Wilde …

11)What are your current projects?

I’m juggling way too many stories, as always. As I said before, I’m finishing off the first draft of a manuscript. I’m also in the first stages of editing another. I am also plotting the second part of my Hidden Series.

12)Do you see writing as a career?

Not yet. I write a lot--probably around 10,000 to 15,000 per week, but still see it as a hobby.

13)If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your latest book?

I’m not sure that I would. I learned a lot from that book. I had a great editor who really whipped me into shape. She had me questioning everything, and I wouldn’t give up that learning process for the world.

14)Do you recall how your interest in writing originated?

It comes from my love of reading. Which I inherited from my mother. She taught me to read at the age of three, and I haven’t looked back since.

15)Who designed the covers?

The hugely talented Mayhem Cover Creations. I want to write all the books just to get her to make another one.

16)What was the hardest part of writing your book?

The editing. It’s always the editing. It makes writing look easy in comparison.

17)Do you have any advice for aspiring writers?

Don’t give up. Some things will work, others won’t, but it is always a learning process.

18)Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers?

Thank you. I wouldn’t be writing without you.

19)What advice would you give to someone who "runs out of creativity" when writing?

I hate that feeling. I think it comes to us all at one point or another. I keep writing through it, no matter how rubbish my stuff looks. I know I can go back to edit later. The important thing is to get the words on the page and the story told.

20)Did you ever think you'd ever become an author?

I didn’t think, but I definitely dreamed!

Don't forget to check out Carrie's latest book!!

SUMMARY:

When fear mixes with desire, who can you trust? 

Rachel Stone is stuck, contemplating that very question. Spending her time as a bartender in an isolated West Virginia town, she hides behind dark hair and an assumed name. She exists from day to day, trying not to let her past overwhelm her. 

When a tall stranger walks into the bar at closing time, her attempts at hiding turn to dust. Muscled and intense, he is attractive enough for Rachel to ignore her instincts and listen to her baser desires. As a storm brews in the skies of West Virginia, confusion builds in Rachel’s mind. What begins as flirtation explodes into a darker, more primal passion, leading her to question everything she thought she knew. 

While snow blankets the outside world, they are forced to remain inside, confronting their demons and the sizzling attraction between them. Submitting to their urges is easy; learning who to trust is anything but. 

This 30,000 word novella contains references to past abuse and rough, consensual sex. 

Buy Links:-

Amazon.com - http://amzn.com/B00GMS3J2K

Amazon.co.uk - http://www.amazon.co.uk/Halfway-Hidden-Carrie-Elks-ebook/dp/B00GMS3J2K/

Smashwords - https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/377336

Stalk Carrie here:-

Twitter: www.twitter.com/carrieelks

Facebook: www.facebook.com/carrieelksauthor

Blog: www.carrieelks.com/blog

Author Blurb

Carrie Elks lives near London, England and loves to write sexy stories with a dash of intrigue. At the age of twenty-one she left college with a political science degree, a healthy overdraft and a soon-to-be husband. She loves to travel and meet new people, and has lived in the USA and Switzerland as well as the UK.

Nowadays, she spends her days sorting out people’s problems at work and her evenings glued to a computer keyboard. An avid social networker, she tries to limit her Facebook and twitter time to stolen moments between writing chapters.

Her favorite authors include L.H. Cosway, Samantha Young, Cara McKenna and C.J. Roberts.

When she isn't reading or writing, she can usually be found baking, drinking wine or working out how to combine the two.

Liz's review of Venice in the Moonlight by Elizabeth McKenna

 Venice in the Moonlight

by 

Elizabeth McKenna

Reviewed by Liz

Summary:

Considered useless by his cold-hearted father, Nico Foscari, eldest son of one of the founding families in Venice, hides his pain behind gambling, drinking and womanizing.

After her husband’s untimely demise, Marietta Gatti returns to her hometown of Venice in hopes of starting a new life and finding the happiness that was missing in her forced marriage.

When Fate throws them together, friendship begins to grow into love until Marietta learns a Foscari family secret that may have cost her father his life. Now, she must choose between vengeance, forgiveness, and love.

Elizabeth McKenna’s latest novel takes you back to the days of eighteenth century Carnival, where lovers meet discreetly, and masks make everyone equal.

Liz’s Thoughts:

This book has all of the elements that I look for in a good novel—romance, suspense, unresolved sexual tension and most importantly, love.

Elizabeth McKenna’s Venice in the Moonlight takes you on a journey with Marietta Gatti as she tries to figure out who killed her father and why. What exactly did he see? We search with her and try to match up the clues. When the one witness who could tell her what happened is found floating in the canal, Marietta knows that she could be next.

Nico Foscari is a man who suffers behind the ruse of a rogue. He plays with women as if they are toys, but Marietta will have none of it. She spurns his advances time and again until Nico realizes that he wants to be a man worthy of her.

When Marietta makes a startling discovery, she is leery to share it with the man she is slowly falling for. With no one to turn to after telling her story to the police, she runs to the only safe place she knows. Can Nico help her or is she doomed to find the same fate as her father? I would definitely recommend that you read to find out.

Venice in the Moonlight is a book that I could see myself reading again and again. It kept me on the edge of my seat, praying that all would work out in the end.

Rating:

4.5 Honey Pots

About the author: 

Elizabeth McKenna works as a full-time technical writer/editor for a large software company. Though her love of books reaches back to her childhood, she had never read romance novels until one Christmas when her sister gave her the latest bestseller by Nora Roberts. She was hooked from page one (actually, she admits it was the first love scene). She had always wanted to write fiction, so she combined her love of history, romance and a happy ending to write her debut novel Cera's Place. Her short story, The Gypsy Casts a Spell, is available for free on her website http://elizabethmckenna.com/. She hopes you will enjoy her latest novel, Venice in the Moonlight, as much as others have enjoyed her previous works.

Elizabeth lives in Wisconsin with her understanding husband, two beautiful daughters, and a sassy Labrador. When she isn't writing, working, or being a mom, she's sleeping.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17255938-venice-in-the-moonlight?from_search=true
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ElizabethMcKennaAuthor
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Venice-Moonlight-Elizabeth-McKenna-ebook/dp/B00FMGW38E/ref=sr_1_11?ie=UTF8&qid=1385063048&sr=8-11&