Mammon Tour: Guest Post "The Hero’s Journey in Mammon"

Welcome back to the Mammon blog tour, stop three, day 2! Yesterday, the books herione Grace joined me for an interview and today J.B. is here to give us all an insight into romance and a hero's jorney in Mammon.
You can also check out my recent interview with J.B if you missed it and my review of Mammon!

Now please say a big hello to author J.B. Thomas!

The Hero’s Journey in Mammon

Mammon is a romance story. Sure, it’s got nasty demons and hardcore action, but there is definitely a powerful romance that plays out between Ivan and Grace. And… romance is originally defined as ‘a hero’s journey’. To me, Grace is a hero. So it’s about her journey, too. And as for Ivan…well, we don’t need to think about that one. It’s a no-brainer.

But what constitutes a hero?

There’s the notion of courtly love; the idea of a knight on a white horse, rescuing the vulnerable lady from peril. That has its place, as you will find out in the final act of Mammon. But to me, a good romance has more dimensions. The chivalrous rescue is wonderful, but good romance has to be complex: there are imperfections to be overcome, and difficult choices to be made.

Ivan and Grace have a rocky start. At first it seems that she nothing more to him than a difficult subordinate, until he surprises her with…wait a minute, some of you won’t have read the book yet!

Grace is a hero because she is prepared to go through pain to help defeat the enemy. To win the battle. She is respected by those around her, especially Ivan.

Ivan is a hero. He is an old-fashioned hero; a knightly hero. He is compassionate, brave, intellectual, thoughtful.

But, when the enemy threatens the safety of those he loves, he is brutal and ruthless. He is ex-Spetsnaz, after all.

Indeed, if Ivan were to travel back to Arthur’s court, he could well find a place at the Round Table for him.

But then again, Ivan probably wouldn’t settle for long. He has a wandering nature, an adventurous heart and he will gladly scoop Grace up and take her along with him. Their journey is one of heroes – and it’s only just begun.

White horse? Probably not. Try a quad bike instead.

~J.B. Thomas

Once more I'd like to thank J.B. Thomas for allowing me to be a part of this fantastic tour. It's been brilliant and I urge you all to check out this fantastic book!

You can learn more about Mammon on Goodreads and Facebook and find J.B. on her website, Twitter and her own Facebook page.

The next stop on the tour is with Shirley over at Shiirleyy's Bookshelf so make sure you head on over and continue with the tour.
And if you haven't already checked them out, make sure to check out the previous stops one and two with Erin over at The Tales of the Inner Book Fanatic and Braiden over at Book Probe!

Thanks for joining the The Rest Is Still Unwritten in celebrating Mammon with J.B. Thomas!

~Rachel

Mammon Tour: Character Interview

Hi everyone! Welcome to the third stop on the Mammon blog tour. Today I'll be featuring an interview with Grace, the book's brave, witty female lead and tomorrow J.B. stops by to guest post!
With Mammon centering around two siblings, the dynamic between the two often comes into play and we have the opportunity to follow two very different individuals.
First off I want to thank the author, J.B. Thomas for asking me to be a part of this tour--I'm very honoured.

Now allow me to introduce you to Grace who has kindly joined me here at The Rest Is Still Unwritten today.....


Hey Grace! It’s so wonderful to be interviewing you. You certainly bring a strong aspect of “girl power” to Mammon and I’m excited to have you on the blog with me today!

Hi Rachel. Nice to be here.

Things sure have changed for you recently. Losing your parents must have been tough, but being thrust into this whole new world must be as equally as difficult. How are you coping with it?

It’s a bit easier now than it was in the first few weeks. I didn’t understand why everyone seemed to be so heartless about it. Like it was no big deal, the way Mum and Dad were killed. Then I learned about what some of the other mercenaries have been through, and how they have lost family in a similar way – and it made me feel better, strangely. I do feel like I’m starting to belong. Sarah has really helped me.

At least you have your brother to go along on the ride with, although heaven knows Joes doesn’t make it easy for you at times. He seems to be impulsive, rarely listens and often gets himself into trouble during the book. Are you sure you two are related? Although, hmmm.....some of the things you did in Mammon....oh, yep. Yep. I see it. Ha! Tell me what it’s like facing everything with your big brother by your side?

Joe can be really annoying, but I do think that we will work well together in the future. He puts on a tough exterior, but that’s all an act. Deep down, he’s really anxious about his gift. He doesn’t want to make mistakes, and he wants to live up to everyone’s expectations. I feel like we stabilise each other – he stops me over-thinking things, and I stop him acting impulsively (I hope!).

You certainly do there--you two are the perfect balance. We all know about Joe’s super powerful, destroy-the-world-if-they-got-out-of-control powers, but you’re no slacker yourself. The Order has never seen anything like your telepathic abilities before and you’ve certainly taken to training like a duck to water, excluding a few mishaps right at the very beginning. How are you finding dealing with your gift, when you’re not too busy making people do the little teapot dance that is?

Ha! My brother would like to think he’s super powerful. But I can get inside his head whenever I want to…I think. He can be difficult. But speaking seriously, the telepathy is not easy to live with. I mean, it was hard at first. I got a bit carried away…It’s hard to deal with that kind of power. Even when you reason with yourself, there’s always the temptation to manipulate others so that you get what you want. But then – that would make me no better than a demon. I think that one day I might master this gift of mine. Or at least get good at it.

I can definatly see you mastering your gift! Word on the street is that you’ve recently begun a whirlwind romance with a certain sexy Russian *wink* *wink* Not that I can blame you. So come on, dish girl, dish! We’re all friends here. What was it that first attracted you to Ivan, besides the obvious, I mean? And leave no details out.....

Ivan didn’t seem like a soldier. Oh, he’s really tough, sure, but there was something different about him, even at first glance, so far away. Then, he came closer and I couldn’t help but stare into his eyes. That’s where I found him – in his eyes. It sounds silly, I know. He’s a really strange guy compared to the boys I’ve known. He’s smart, and I think some people would be surprised as just how intelligent he is. He plays music and reads a lot, which I like.
When he is close to me, I feel warm all over. I feel secure with him. I think that’s the answer. Sure, he’s hot. I mean, really hot. But there’s something more…like no-one will hurt me while he’s alive. Yes, I feel safe with him.

Awww, I think all girls wanna find that kind of safety. And finally. It’s been a wild ride lately, but I can’t see it winding down for you just yet. What do you think is in store for you next Grace and where do you hope this journey takes you?

I don’t know. All I know is that I don’t want to lose Ivan. So many unexpected things have happened – it’s really hard to say what the future holds. But I get the feeling it won’t be boring!

I do too and I'm certainly lookinf forward to finding out. Thanks again for stopping by and talking so candidly with me Grace!

Sure, Rachel. Anytime.


A big thank-you goes out to J.B again for this awesome interview with Grace!


J.B. Thomas was born in Perth in 1971. Adopted at four weeks of age, she grew up in a beachside suburb with three brothers. After graduating with an Arts degree, she worked as a writer in public relations roles with government, educational and non-profit organisations. She was inspired to write The Ferryman Chronicles by speculating what life would be like if demons lived among ordinary (and not-so-ordinary) humans. J.B. Thomas lives in Perth, Western Australia with her husband where she has taught high school English for the past nine years. During this time she has run creative writing clubs and produced literary anthologies of student work. She is a longtime fan of Great Danes, and when she’s not writing or reading, she watches films, walks her dog, George, and on occasion can be found playing online games. Mammon is her first novel.


And while you're here, check out my recent interview with J.B and my review of Mammon!

Plus, don't forget to come back tomorrow to check out what I'm sure will be a fantastic guest post by J.B!

Book Shelf: Shades of Midnight (Midnight Breed #7) by Lara Adrian

In a frozen wilderness steeped in darkness, the lines between good and evil, lover and enemy, are never black or white but drawn in Shades of Midnight.

Something inhuman is stalking the frigid Alaskan wilds, leaving unspeakable carnage in its wake. For bush pilot Alexandra Maguire, the killings stir memories of a horrific event she witnessed as a child and evoke in her the inexplicable sense of otherness she has long felt within herself but never fully understood . . . until a darkly seductive stranger with secrets of his own enters her world.

Sent from Boston on a mission to investigate the savage attacks and stop the slaughter, vampire warrior Kade has his own reasons for returning to the frigid, forbidding place of his birth. Haunted by a secret shame, Kade soon realizes the stunning truth of the threat he faces–a threat that will jeopardize the fragile bond he has formed with the courageous, determined young woman who arouses his deepest passions and most primal hungers. But in bringing Alex into his world of blood and darkness, Kade must confront both his own personal demons and the even greater evil that could destroy all he holds dear.

Blurb from Goodreads.....


Review:

I very much enjoyed this book in the series. It was enjoyable from the beginning and I loved the main characters. They were fun to read about and I thought the plotline of this book was awesome. There’s something about a mountain wilderness; untamed and wild that seems so exciting and romantic to me.

I thought Kade was a great male lead. I hadn’t thought much of him in the previous books I must admit. He was always just there and he seemed young in regards to the other warriors, but in this book he was front and centre and I found that I really, really liked him. He seemed much more experienced and fierce than he has in the other books. He was strong and brave—everything I expect from a Breed warrior, but he was charming and sexy too, with a vulnerable side you wouldn’t expect when first seeing him.
Alex too was a fun heroine to read about. She was strong, despite the horrible situation of her past and all she’d been though. She only knew the Breed vampires to be horrendous and vicious and it was nice seeing Kade show her another side of them entirely. I liked reading about her and thought she was very strong. Really, there was nothing about her I didn’t like.

Kade and Alex together were wonderful. Their relationship moved fast, but it was believable and passion filled. I liked the moments they spent together and thought it was sweet how deeply Kade came to care for Alex. I’ll add them to the list of my fave couples in the series and hope they have a long happy life together.
I’m really enjoying this series. Each book is action packed and filled with romance while being easy to read. I tend to read each book in less than two days and I’m looking forward to the next one, Brock’s book.....


Rating:
Source: I bought
Format: Paperback
Recommend: Yes
Recommend borrow or buy: Buy
Cover: I really, really like this for some reason. And it's got nothing to do with the Aussie green and gold. It just goes so well together.
Read sequel/continue with series: Yes

Buy it here:

Top 100 Most Popular YA Books!

This has been floating around the blogosphere a lot recently and you may have heard that the Top 100 YA Most Popular Books have been announced. Honestly I'm not sure where it came from, and so are a few other people, including Reading Teen where I got the idea for my post from. Everyone seems to be posting what they have and haven't read and I've decided to participate too.


The books in bold are ones I've read and the ones in red are sitting on my shelf.


1. Alex Finn – Beastly
2. Alice Sebold – The Lovely Bones
3. Ally Carter – Gallagher Girls (1, 2, 3, 4)
4. Ally Condie – Matched
5. Alyson Noel – The Immortals (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
6. Anastasia Hopcus – Shadow Hills
7. Angie Sage – Septimus Heap (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
8. Ann Brashares – The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (1, 2, 3, 4)
9. Anna Godbersen – Luxe (1, 2, 3, 4)
10. Anthony Horowitz – Alex Rider (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
11. Aprilynne Pike – Wings (1, 2, 3)
12. Becca Fitzpatrick – Hush, Hush (1, 2)
13. Brandon Mull – Fablehaven (1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
14. Brian Selznick – The Invention of Hugo Cabret
15. Cassandra Clare – The Mortal Instruments (1, 2, 3, 4)
16. Carrie Jones – Need (1, 2, 3)
17. Carrie Ryan – The Forest of Hands and Teeth (1, 2, 3)
18. Christopher Paolini – Inheritance (1, 2, 3, 4)
19. Cinda Williams Chima – The Heir Chronicles (1, 2, 3)
20. Colleen Houck – Tigers Saga (1, 2)
21. Cornelia Funke – Inkheart (1, 2, 3)
22. Ellen Hopkins – Impulse
23. Eoin Colfer – Artemis Fowl (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
24. Faraaz Kazi – Truly, Madly, Deeply
25. Frank Beddor – The Looking Glass Wars (1, 2, 3)
26. Gabrielle Zevin – Elsewhere
27. Gail Carson Levine – Fairest
28. Holly Black – Tithe (1, 2, 3)
29. J.K. Rowling – Harry Potter (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
30. James Dashner – The Maze Runner (1, 2)
31. James Patterson – Maximum Ride (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
32. Jay Asher – Thirteen Reasons Why
33. Jeanne DuPrau – Books of Ember (1, 2, 3, 4)
34. Jeff Kinney – Diary of a Wimpy Kid (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
35. John Boyne – The Boy in the Striped Pajamas
36. John Green – An Abundance of Katherines
37. John Green – Looking for Alaska
38. John Green – Paper Towns
39. Jonathan Stroud – Bartimaeus (1, 2, 3, 4)
40. Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl – Caster Chronicles (1, 2)
41. Kelley Armstrong – Darkest Powers (1, 2, 3)
42. Kristin Cashore – The Seven Kingdoms (1, 2)
43. Lauren Kate – Fallen (1, 2, 3)
44. Lemony Snicket – Series of Unfortunate Events (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
45. Libba Bray – Gemma Doyle (1, 2, 3)
46. Lisa McMann – Dream Catcher (1, 2, 3)
47. Louise Rennison – Confessions of Georgia Nicolson (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
48. M.T. Anderson – Feed
49. Maggie Stiefvater – The Wolves of Mercy Falls (1, 2, 3)
50. Margaret Peterson Haddix – Shadow Children (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
51. Maria V. Snyder – Study (1, 2, 3)
52. Markus Zusak – The Book Thief
53. Markus Zusak – I am the Messenger
54. Mark Haddon – The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time
55. Mary Ting – Crossroads
56. Maureen Johnson – Little Blue Envelope (1, 2)
57. Meg Cabot – All-American Girl (1, 2)
58. Meg Cabot – The Mediator (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
59. Meg Cabot – The Princess Diaries (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
60. Meg Rosoff – How I live now
61. Megan McCafferty – Jessica Darling (1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
62. Megan Whalen Turner – The Queen’s Thief (1, 2, 3, 4)
63. Melina Marchetta – On the Jellicoe Road
64. Melissa de la Cruz – Blue Bloods (1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
65. Melissa Marr – Wicked Lovely (1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
66. Michael Grant – Gone (1, 2, 3, 4)
67. Nancy Farmer – The House of the Scorpion
68. Neal Shusterman – Unwind
69. Neil Gaiman – Coraline
70. Neil Gaiman – Stardust
71. Neil Gaiman – The Graveyard Book
72. P.C. Cast & Kristin Cast – House of Night (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
73. Philip Pullman – His Dark Materials (1, 2, 3)
74. Rachel Caine – The Morganville Vampires (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
75. Rachel Cohn & David Levithan – Nick; Norah’s Infinite Playlist
76. Richelle Mead – Vampire Academy (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
77. Rick Riordan – Percy Jackson and the Olympians (1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
78. Rom LcO’Feer – Somewhere carnal over 40 winks
79. S.L. Naeole – Grace (1, 2, 3, 4)
80. Sabrina Bryan & Julia DeVillers – Princess of Gossip
81. Sarah Dessen – Along for the Ride
82. Sarah Dessen – Lock and Key
83. Sarah Dessen – The Truth about Forever
84. Sara Shepard – Pretty Little Liars (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
85. Scott Westerfeld – Leviathan (1, 2)
86. Scott Westerfeld – Uglies (1, 2, 3)
87. Shannon Hale – Books of a Thousand Days
88. Shannon Hale – Princess Academy
89. Shannon Hale – The Books of Bayern (1, 2, 3, 4)
90. Sherman Alexie & Ellen Forney – The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
91. Simone Elkeles – Perfect Chemistry (1, 2, 3)
92. Stephanie Meyer – The Host
93. Stephanie Meyer – Twilight Saga (1, 2, 3, 4)
94. Sue Monk Kidd – The Secret Life of Bees
95. Susan Beth Pfeffer – Last Survivors (1, 2, 3)
96. Suzanne Collins – Hunger Games (1, 2, 3)
97. Suzanne Collins – Underland Chronicles (1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
98. Terry Pratchett – Tiffany Aching (1, 2, 3, 4)
99. Tonya Hurley – Ghost Girl (1, 2, 3)
100. Wendelin Van Draanen – Flipped


Hmmm, there are quite a few here that are on my to-read list. And a few that I don't even classify as YA myself.
Which ones have you read or plan to read? I'd love to hear!

Book Shelf: Dearly Departed by Lia Habel

As far as romantic pairings go in the year 2195, you don't get much more unlikely than an upper-class schoolgirl and a poor miner from enemy tribes. Filter in the fact that he's a zombie, and you're definitely talking about star-crossed love.

Dearly, Departed is a cyber-Victorian/steampunk romance that takes place in the shadow of a new ice age. Nora Dearly, a mouthy teenage girl and apparent orphan, leaves school for Christmas - only to be dragged into the night by the living dead. Luckily for her, though, the good ones got to her first. From her reanimated rescuers she learns not only that zombies are roaming the countryside, but that her father is one - and that he's in terrible trouble. She also meets Captain Bram Griswold, a noble, strong, and rather sweet undead boy for whom she starts to fall.

Meanwhile, her best friend, Pamela Roe, is just trying to carry on with life as best she can in the wake of Nora's disappearance - when she ends up killing an evil zombie in self-defense. Pam is galvanized into action, and ends up leading a group of survivors as the city of New London is thronged by the ravenous dead.

Upon hearing of Pamela's plight, Nora and Bram set out to rescue her friends, find her missing father, and maybe just save what's left of the world

Blurb from Goodreads.....


Review:

Dearly Departed is a book that catapulted me into another world and took me on a journey that I didn’t want to end!

It was a fast paced, exciting story of a world very different to the one we live in. I devoured this book and fell in love with the characters and world. It was wonderfully written; descriptive and the various POV allowed me to get a very rounded view of what was going on, as well as get into the heads of the two main characters at different points within the story. It’s obvious that Lia Habel has put a lot of thought and effort into her debut novel and it shows with the detailed, well crafted world.
The world within this book isn’t quite like anything I’ve read before. It mixes the beauty and traits of the Victorian era with the wonders and benefits of the modern world. Technology blends well with old style feelings and manners, creating a world out of an old film, but ingrained into a modern, somewhat futuristic society.

The zombies too in this book are brilliant. They’re your traditional zombies with an awesome twist that leaves some very human and fun to read about. This novel spots a terrific cast of characters, who give flavour and flair to the book. There isn’t a character in this book that I didn’t adore for one reason or another. Even some who weren’t standouts hold a lot of potential in my eyes. From the two main characters, Nora and Bram, to the people within Nora’s world, to the ragtag bunch of zombies who make up of some of Company Z—they were unique and well rounded.
Bram, Tom, Chas, Renfield and Coalhouse will have you grinning and in stitches with their humour and witty take on their condition. They’ll have you smiling with their fun spirited interactions and wondering just where you can get yourselves a bunch of zombie friends like these!

With the strength of the world and the characters in general, we needed a subsequently strong willed and feisty heroine to really make the novel shine and we certainly found that in Nora! Nora Dearly is your typical New Victorian girl who also happens to be stubborn and outspoken and who doesn’t want to hide behind her beauty and fancy dresses. Oh, no. Nora wants to get out there and be a part of things and she certainly gets her chance when she’s thrust into the middle of a war and learns that everything she knows about the world around her isn’t exactly all there is to know. Far from curtsying and eating scones, this girl knows how to handle her guns, even in a dress and I found Nora to be very likeable with a spark that shone through. To me, she reacted realistically when learning everything she did, but in time she grew to accept Company Z and even wanted to be a part of it. Once she accepted the friendly zombies within this book, she treated them with respect and dignity; accepting them for what they were and even forming friendships with them. I liked her spirit and her attitude in the face of everything—Nora is my kind of girl!

Now there’s no way I can talk about this book and not talk about Bram....and there’s a reason for that. Bram. Is. Amazing! A total gentlemen and sweetie, this zombie boy sure knew how to worm his way into my heart! Bram’s a very well rounded character. He’s honourable and kind, with a good overall thought and acceptance of what he is. He doesn’t complain about what he is and is generally accepting of his condition. He doesn’t let the fact that he’s a zombie ruin his life and he lives it the best he can. He treats Nora with respect from the very beginning and his charm and good nature make him a fantastic male lead to read about. The chapters that feature Bram and his POV really give you an insight into the workings of his mind—everything about Bram is good. Nothing is false and he truly is as good as he seems. He’s strong and brave, while still staying very human and that’s not even taking into account that he is....well....dead.

Nora and Bram may seem like a very unlikely pair, but together they really work. Their relationship is one that develops over time and never seemed rushed. In fact, Nora isn’t even that sure of Bram at first and it takes a while for her to get used to him, let alone her feelings for him. It’s not outright in your face; rather a delicious undercurrent to the novel. The attraction is there, but it takes a while to develop, although Bram is clearly interested in Nora from almost the very beginning. He’s very sweet in his affections; he never pushes Nora for something she’s not ready to give him and he’s often unsure of his actions and how she’ll view him. Their relationship is one that sure has its obstacles. Of epic proportions. She’s alive. He’s dead. Big obstacle, especially when you throw in the fact that he has an expiry date, but it never seems to be an issue for these two and I love that. They know the risks and what being together means, but they just don’t care.

The world within this book is ever changing and ever growing, which was something I enjoyed. Society leans so much about the zombies during the course of the novel, with many changes implemented. The story ends with a slightly different world than the one we first met in the beginning, with differences in the characters evident too. I’m oh, so eager for the next book to see what’s in store next for the characters.
Dearly Departed is endearingly sweet and surprisingly funny. It’s a great tale that will have you on the edge of your seat until the final page, after which you’ll be aching for more!


Rating:
Source: ARC from Random House Australia (Thanks so much Dorothy!)
Format: Paperback ARC
AU Release Date: Octover 2011
Recommend: Yes! You're sitting here reading my review, when you should be reading this book, naughty, naughty. Go read it...now!
Recommend borrow or buy: Buy!
Cover: It's really pretty, although I must admit I'm still in love with the US one.
Read sequel/continue with series: Yes, yes, yes....

Guest Post: Secrets of the Priestess by Alayna Williams

I use Tarot cards a good deal in my writing, to give me ideas about creating characters and develop plot points. Sometimes, I pick cards on purpose that catch my eye, but more often, I deal them out at random. I let my imagination roam over the pictures to generate situations and connections.

One of the cards I used frequently in writing the ORACLE books is the Priestess. The Priestess sits on a throne, surrounded my the moon and shrouded in white robes. The black and white pillars to her right and left hands represent good (mercy) and evil (severity). She's about goddesses, mystery, intuition, and the subtle power of the moon.

In my stories, the Priestess represents a secret order of women, Delphi's Daughters. They are the descendents of the Oracle of Delphi. The title of Pythia, the leader of the oracles, is handed down through generations of women, all oracles with their own unique talent for foreseeing the future. Delphi’s Daughters are a secret organization, nudging world events and gathering information through vast networks of helpers. Their behavior is sometimes sinister, sometimes pure, but always secretive. No one but the Pythia herself knows how the puzzle of world events fits together, and her priestesses are often left in the dark, guessing at her motives.

Tara Sheridan, estranged from Delphi's Daughters, uses Tarot cards to solve crimes. Her relationship with the Pythia is contentious. She often feels the Pythia's hand in her cases, interfering, moving people around like chess pieces. Whenever Tara draws the Priestess card, I wanted her to see both the light and shadow sides of the card.

Interpreted in the upright position, the Priestess is the card of secret, supernatural power. She represents all the psychic talents Delphi's Daughters: cartomancy, astrology, pyromancy, geomancy...she is mistress of all the hidden arts. Used for light, as represented by the white pillar, they can be a force for immense good in the world. The Priestess can reveal secrets by the moon's light and teach magic to the initiated.

But the Priestess can also be a force for evil, twisted by her own power and shadows. Reversed, the Priestess represents keeping secrets and abusing power. She can lean too close to the black pillar of severity, becoming ruthless. She can forget the compassion of her intuitive teachings, amassing power for its own sake.

Tara questions these things about Delphi's Daughters. She sees that they are a force for good, sheltering the weak and seeming to work toward mankind greater good. But she also sees their shadow side...the ruthlessness, the ends justifying the means. She knows the brutal tests that Oracles must endure, has seen the Pythia kill in a cold, calculating fashion.

Not only will Tara need to fight to solve her current case - a killer who's selling nuclear secrets on the international black market - but she will also need to look over her shoulder. The Priestess can be her greatest ally or most devious enemy, putting Tara and those she loves in harm's way, seeking to sacrifice them all in the service of a larger goal.




Discover the Oracle series......


DARK ORACLE
Delphic Oracle #1
Pocket Juno Books
Mass Market Paperback, $7.99
ISBN 978-1439182796
June 2010

DARK ORACLE is a scientific, paranormal read that takes readers on a wild chase. A subtle romance lends to the entertainment this read offers. Tara is a strong female who has many stories till waiting to be told. An interesting new series that is not quite like anything else! (4 stars)
-RT Book Reviews

“Dark Oracle is a lot of fun.”
-Elizabeth Bear, Realms of Fantasy Magazine, December 2010


Can an oracle change the future she sees?

Tara Sheridan swore off criminal profiling years ago. By combining Tarot card divination with her own intuition, she narrowly escaped the grasp of a serial killer who left her scarred for life. She put down her cards and withdrew from work and society. Now, Sophia, a member of an ancient secret society connected to the mythic Delphic Oracle, asks Tara to find a missing scientist who has unlocked the destructive secrets of dark energy. Tara resists— she fears reawakening her long-buried talents and blames Sophia’s Daughters of Delphi for the death of her mother. But, grudgingly, she agrees to search for the missing scientist, Lowell Magnusson.

Tara travels to Las Alamos National Laboratory, the location of Magnusson’s disappearance. She meets the serious, impatient, and highly attractive Agent Harry Li— and re-encounters her old partner, Richard Corvus. Corvus is now chief of the Special Projects Division, a position Tera might have held, had she not dropped out of investigative work. Corvus considers Tara mentally imbalanced and not to be trusted— but it may be Corvus who is untrustworthy.

Tara’s investigation and Tarot cards tell her Magnusson’s daughter, Cassie, may hold the key to her father’s plans, and that they both are in grave danger. Meanwhile, Corvus and the Daughters of Delphi have their own plans...and the fate of the world hangs in the balance.

Read an excerpt here.

Available now from Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble.



ROGUE ORACLE
Delphic Oracle #2
Pocket Juno Books
Mass Market Paperback, $7.99
ISBN 978-1439182819
Feb. 22, 2011

Alayna Williams writes with power and poetry, combining old mythos with complete ass-kickery. You don’t want to miss this series.”
-National bestselling author Ann Aguirre

The more you know about the future, the more there may be to fear.

Tara Sheridan is the best criminal profiler around - and the most unconventional. Trained as a forensic psychologist, Tara also specializes in Tarot card reading. But she doesn't need her divination skills to realize that the new assignment from her friend and sometime lover, Agent Harry Li, is a dangerous proposition in every way.

Former Cold War operatives, all linked to a top-secret operation tracking the disposal of nuclear weapons in Russia, are disappearing. There are no bodies, and no clues to their whereabouts. Harry suspects a conspiracy to sell arms to the highest bidder. The cards - and Tara's increasingly ominous dreams - suggest something darker. Even as Tara sorts through her feelings for Harry and her fractured relationships with the mysterious order known as Delphi's Daughters, a killer is growing more ruthless by the day. And a nightmare that began decades ago in Chernobyl will reach a terrifying endgame that not even Tara could have foreseen…

ROGUE ORACLE is available at Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble.


Author Bio:

Favourite Quote Friday #7

Welcome to Favourite Quote Friday. Here is where I share with you two of my fave book quotes each week, one from a YA and one from an adult book. If anyone wishes to participate, leaving your quotes or links to your quotes in the comments section!

YA:

"I'm serious. She asked me what my greatest strength was. I said getting along with people."
"That's not bad." I admitted.
"Then she asked what my greatest weakness was. And I said, 'Where should I start?'"
"Adrian!"
"Stop saying my name like that. I told her the truth. By the time I was on the fourth one, she told me I could go.”
~Adrian and Sydney, Bloodlines by Richelle Mead

Adult:

“If Sasha’s threatened, Astrid’s upset. If Astrid’s upset, I’m going to kill whatever’s upsetting her until she’s happy again”
~Zarek, Dead After Dark by Sherrilyn Kenyon

Tune in next week for more.....