I’m thrilled to announce my poetry chapbook, When Dreams Become Memories, will be released on April 22, 2022!
Although I’ve written many of them, I’ve never needed a plot to make me happy. I’m fascinated by the lives of regular, everyday people. That’s what you’ll find in this short poetry chapbook — fifteen 50- and 100-word slice-of-life stories that touch on Aging, Beauty, Alzheimer’s and other issues.
Today, I’m happy to host the book tour of, Too Young to Die in the Garden of Syn, by Michael Seidelman!
Too Young to Die in the Garden of Syn (Garden of Syn #3) By: Michael Seidelman YA Fantasy Release date: March 30th Publisher: Chewed Pencil Press
Summary: The stakes could not be higher in the epic conclusion of The Garden of Syn trilogy.
Synthia (Syn) Wade discovered a secret world known as the Garden, where illness and death do not exist. Because of the tragic events that occurred in the Garden, Syn vowed never to return, even as cystic fibrosis threatened her young life. But when Syn faces the ultimate betrayal and a malicious adversary closes in, she is forced to escape her world and reluctantly return to the Garden.
However, her ruthless foe is not easily thwarted. Flanked by a deadly army, this dark force manipulates its way into the Garden with the goal of ultimate destruction. Facing great adversity, Syn must risk her life to protect the Garden and all those living within its borders.
Will Syn save the Garden and those she holds dear from the storm cloud of evil? Or will she discover that no one is Too Young to Die in the Garden of Syn?
When Michael Seidelman was growing up, his passions were reading, watching movies, enjoying nature and creative writing. Not much has changed since then.
Working in Online Marketing for over ten years, Michael felt it was time to pursue his passion and began writing The Garden of Syn trilogy.
Michael is excited about the upcoming release of the third and final book in The Garden of Syn series and beyond the trilogy, he has more books in the works that he can’t wait to share with the world!
Michael was born in Vancouver, BC Canada where he continues to reside.
Summary: Several centuries ago, a group of ecologists escaped the breakdown of a society ravaged by climate change by vanishing into giant, genetically engineered forests in the North American west. Dwelling among vast canopies that hover several thousand feet above the earth, their descendants fear the cannibals roaming far beneath them and cling to the teachings of their sacred text, The Book of Silvanus. Sixteen year-old Ostrya considers it a burden to train as the canopy’s next doctor. But her life’s work has been preordained—and she’s desperate to reclaim her mother’s love. When a cataclysmic storm wracks the canopy, Ostrya begins to face her doubts about the teachings of the book and the laws of the canopy. If she is to survive, she will have to decide if her destiny is in the treetops or on the forest floor…
D.M. Darroch is the author of the Inventor-in-Training series as well as other speculative fiction stories. Her books weave together nature and science with adventure and often a touch of humor. Danelle lives in Washington State, USA and enjoys long walks in the forest. Her website is: https://www.dmdarroch.com.
The Cutting Edge meets Friday Night Lights in a sizzling new hockey romance from bestselling authors Kelly Anne Blount and Lynn Rush!
In the Penalty Box by Lynn Rush and Kelly Anne Blount Genre: YA Contemporary Release Date: January 5, 2021 Entangled Teen
Summary:
Willow: Figure skating was supposed to be my whole world. But one unlucky injury and now I’m down…but I’m definitely not out. I just need to rehab—a boatload of rehab—and who’d have thought I could do it on the boys’ hockey team? Of course, the infuriatingly hot captain of the team seems to think I’m nothing but sequins and twirls. What’s a girl to do but put him in his place? Game on.
Brodie: Hockey is my whole world. I’ve worked my tail off getting my team in a position to win the championships—hopefully in front of major college scouts, too—so what’s a guy to do when a figure skater ends up as our new goalie? Of course, the distractingly sexy skater thinks I’m nothing but a testosterone-laced competitive streak. And surely she’s only biding her time to heal, then she’s gone. Game over.
And here’s something special from authors, Lynn Rush and Kelly Anne Blount!
WHAT MUSIC IS ON WILLOW AND BRODIES’ PLAYLIST?
Hi! We’re so excited to be here with you today! Thank you so much for featuring IN THE PENALTY BOX and allowing us to chat with you about our character’s favorite songs!
Music lovers unite!
Hey everyone, Lynn Rush here. I LOVE talking music because it plays a pretty big role in my life, specifically my athletics. For those of you who don’t know me, I’m big into athletics and exercise. I played tennis in high school and then in college. After that, I jumped into competitive inline speed skating, mountain biking and now I’m into endurance running. Specifically ultra trail running.
Music has followed me through all my sports. Most specifically on my trail running. I’ve been known to be out there for four or five hours, so I need tons of songs. Especially amazing pump me up songs that’ll get me up to that 12,000-foot summit or through that 30-mile run. It’s amazing how a good song can really change a mood.
Kelly Anne Blount, my co-author, and I incorporated that into our characters, too. I wrote Brodie’s point of view, so we came up with an eclectic playlist that would keep him motivated during his training sessions yet show a little insight into his personality.
Let’s Go Crazy by Prince.Hey, I used to live in MN, how can I not put Prince on my list?
Stand in the Fire by Mickey Thomas: Youngblood theme-song because it’s the best hockey movie out there per Brodie. It’s old, but it’s good!
Thunder by Imagine Dragons
Smooth Criminal by Alien Ant Farm
Fireworks by The Tragically Hip
What are some of your favorite songs? Maybe Brodie will add a few to his list…
Willow’s musical tastes definitely vary! She loves everything from old school hip hop and rap to country music. Willow has a nice selection of music to get her pumped for ice domination and a few songs that hit at the core of her feelings for Brodie. Check out Willow’s playlist over on Spotify and give it some love! Link: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0sx42wkN7sfVpLSvq6oUMd
WILLOW’S TOP FIVE MUSIC LIST:
Fight For Your Right – Beastie Boys
Just a Friend – Biz Markie
We Are the Champions – Queen
We Will Rock You – Queen
The Champion – Carrie Underwood
Thank you again to for featuring us and to all of you amazing readers for stopping by today. Go grab your copy of IN THE PENALTY BOX today and be sure to let us know what you thought of it by posting a review.
Happy Reading!
Much love,
Lynn & Kelly Anne
About the Authors:
Lynn Rush: New York Times & USA Today Bestselling Author, Lynn Rush, is a full-time writer, wife, and trail runner living in the Sonoran Desert, despite her fear of rattle snakes. Known as #TheRunningWriter, Lynn can’t resist posting epic sunrise pictures while running in the desert with her trail sisters, even if she has to occasionally hop a scorpion. When she’s not running or writing, she’s watching movies that fuel her everlasting love of superheroes, vampires, and all things Supernatural. The books she reads usually carry the same theme, but this former college athlete loves reading sweet sports romances as well. She’s madly in love with her Ironman husband of 20+ years who is the inspiration for what true love is. You can find her on social media as @LynnRushWrites and her website is: www.lynnrush.com
Kelly Anne Blount: USA Today Bestselling author and Wattpad Star Kelly Anne Blount has more than seventy-three-thousand followers on social media. Her Wattpad stories have been read more than twenty-million times. She’s contributed to Tap, Wattpad’s new app for chat-style stories, where her work has been “tapped” more than fifty-million times. She is a writer and reviewer for SpoilerTV, which has allowed her to develop an incredible network of film and TV stars. Two of her Wattpad works, including Captured (seventeen-million reads), have been optioned for film by Komixx Entertainment, and she is regularly invited to present seminars about social media at author events. Stop by any of Kelly’s social-media platforms (@KellyAnneBlount) and stay tuned to this website for announcements and information about upcoming releases and events. Kelly Anne Blount is represented by Jennifer Wills (jennifer@theseymouragency.com) and Nicole Resciniti (nicole@theseymouragency.com) of The Seymour Agency.
Adaline has reached Libertas, but it isn’t the freedom she had imagined. A war is brewing between the gifted and the non-gifted, a line of separation that is slowly crumbling away.
Adaline and Alexander must learn how to use their gifts to fulfill the prophecy that declares them the saviors. But there is so much Adaline doesn’t know about her past and her future. While she feels in control of her actions, she soon learns that she’s at the will of another one of her father’s plans.
In this thrilling and emotional novel, Adaline rises to her new titles: the Princess of Libertas and the Savior of The Gifted.
“Maybe it’s in our blood to be fighters, but maybe we’ve never known to be anything else.”
Alexander gently nudges me off his shoulder and my eyes fall open. I must have dozed off. Darkness still blankets the outside world, so I couldn’t have been asleep for that long, but there’s a tight pain in my neck, which means I’ve been asleep for at least a couple of hours.
“I wanted to let you sleep, but you should probably get back soon,” Alexander says, his voice soft and hoarse.
I nod and stand, stretching out my stiff muscles.
“I’ll walk you back,” Alexander offers and I follow him out the front door.
My travel companions’ homes sit dark in a row. The only signs of life are the crunch of our footsteps. Up high above us, the sky rings out with a low, enormous grumble. I feel the first wet drop hit my forehead.
“Rain,” I say and laughter consumes me as the sky reels open and the sheets fall down on us. Immediately, I’m soaking wet, but it’s the most relieved and relaxed I’ve felt since we arrived in Libertas. Alexander and I take off running toward the castle, him avoiding the puddles and me running straight for them.
“You’re crazy,” Alexander yells over the pelting rain.
“I just know how to have fun,” I say, running past him with my arms spread wide. My wild laughter layers with the thunderous roar of the sky above.
“I love rain!” I scream to the world and splash into the nearest puddle. The sky echoes back to me and lets out another cry of thunder.
Alexander holds his hands above his head, as if that could keep him dry. I run back to him and pull his arms down to his side, forcing him to let the rain drench his blonde curls. He looks at me and a wide smile spreads, parting his lips.
Through the curtain of rain, my eyes trace his face. Wet droplets track down his cheeks, curling at the corners of his mouth.
In the bitter cold of the storm, warmth radiates from his body. Wrapping around me and crawling up my fingers that still tightly clasp his wrists.
The clouds let out another crack of thunder that mirrors my thumping heart. Alexander flinches at the sound, an excited laugh straining to be heard.
I look at Alexander, standing in the rain, laughing at me. My fingers slide down his wet wrist and I grab his hand, pulling him back into a run toward the castle. We take cover under my balcony, escaping the rain.
I turn back to Alexander, breathing deep through my wide grin. He is drenched, his hair dripping little droplets on his soft, pink cheeks.
“Do you want to come in and dry off?” I ask, gesturing up to my room.
“No, I should go back,” he says, and his voice holds a little bit of disappointment.
My green eyes search his as I take in this moment. Him and I. No training or threat of death. Stupidly soaking wet. The moonlight illuminating his damp features perfectly. He takes my hand in his and gives it a light squeeze, causing butterflies to explode in my stomach.
“I’ll see you tomorrow,” he whispers.
About the Author:
Catherine Downen is the author of The Markings series. She recently graduated from Bradley University with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. She has always had a love for writing and a passion for telling stories. Currently, Catherine is working as a Sustaining Engineer in St. Louis MO by day, while continuing to write on the side.
For the past eighteen years, the town of Velvet has been under a holiday curse. For them, Thanksgiving is not about turkey and family. It’s about the Nightmares. This year, the curse arrives early—a full five days before Thanksgiving—sending a menagerie of characters on a search for answers. It begins with Boone, a seventeen-year-old who was raised by an ageless eccentric; Nick, a man in the midst of a breakdown; and Toni, a girl who won’t let any man get closer than three feet. As answers unfold, suspicions arise, and the power behind the curse is a surprise no one could have imagined.
Excerpt:
My best friend is no girl next door. She’s a one-person parade sitting against the antiquated phone booth, barely visible in the eight o’clock twilight. Gray hooded coat, blood-red shirt ending in two violent points past her cuffs, trying so hard to look like anything but the china doll inside. Wait ‘til Toni sees what this town will offer her during the holidays. She’ll think no more of her idle masquerade, poor girl. Unless she follows instructions. But I know she won’t. Maybe she’ll think more of me. On second thought, I may become the thing of her nightmares. I’m the last person to want to mark her with that kind of fear. Anything but that. I slow my stride, not wanting to startle her. In a snap, a stream of light catches her. She springs to her feet, her eyes squinting at the approaching headlights. Must be the new guy. He’s early.
About the Author:
Before I found the awesomeness of writing in the YA realm I dabbled in children’s stories and short works for adults. My first YA novel became an Amazon bestseller shortly before my publisher decided to close their doors. But I forged on, exploring fantastical ideas and discovering that our world is more magical than we give it credit for. These musings inspired The Water Man, which earned a spot in the anthology Mythic Orbits 2016. I live on the sunny-yet-piney side of Arizona with my family and sweet boxador, Bella.
How about a tension-filled excerpt to meet world-famous sculptor, “Cray”…?
Excerpt for Adults 18+ only!
“Come here.” He holds out his hand for me to walk ahead of him, and points down the nearly deserted, narrow side street.
I’m wobbly as I walk ahead. I’m way too high to be stable thanks to my heeled boots and my diet pills. I walk past the first three stores still busy with late-night shoppers, and find a quiet spot behind the railing attached to a set of basement stairs.
I turn toward him as he steps forward, reaches behind me, and slam! He smacks me on the ass. Hard.
“Huh!” I step back, wedging myself closer to the building, grabbing the railing for support. Lust and desire course through me as I rub my ass where his hand had been only moments before. My jeans moisten as I stare up into his dark, dangerous eyes.
“It’s not a good idea to roll your eyes at me.”
“No?” I lick my lips.
“No.”
“What if I roll them again?” My low, breathy voice surprises me. I release the tiniest sigh as he steps closer.
“Are you testing me?” He backs me up against the building.
“Depends.”
“On?”
I roll my eyes again…slowly.
He moves so fast I barely have time to gasp as he grabs my right forearm and holds on so tightly, I can’t break away. As if I would try. He pulls me off the wall and closer to him until we’re nearly touching—chest to chest, hips to hips. He towers over me and stares into my eyes.
“Do it,” I whisper. “Again.”
He holds my arm tighter, and my body grows tense in response. I close my eyes and breathe deeply, leaning toward him. I can feel him raise his hand behind me.
“Look at me.” His voice is deep.
I open my eyes.
Slam! He spanks me harder this time. I moan as my body jolts forward against his, but I don’t move away. He leaves his hand on my ass, possessively cradling me, rubbing away the pain through my jeans. I nearly explode from desire.
I push closer and the bulge in his pants grows harder.
“Cray,” I whisper.
I move my chin upward, and he takes his hand from my ass, and brings it to rest on my cheek. I nuzzle against it—tears aching in my eyes—as he exhales, loudly.
“Your face was made to be sculpted.” He runs his fingers across my cheekbones and into the hollows beneath them. He moves his hand to my hair that’s fallen across my shoulder, and he weaves his fingers through it. He brushes my collarbone as he does.
“It’s like you were made to be ravaged but protected, all at once.” He holds my chin and draws it upward, cupping me. He rubs my cheek with his thumb.
“Maybe I was.” I place my hand on his forearm that bulges with sinews.
He leans down, and I lift up onto my tiptoes. He tilts his head and his breath rushes out parted lips, crashing into mine. He raises my chin higher…
…and stops.
“Cray,” I’m nearly panting. “Don’t stop. Kiss me.”
He drops his hand and shakes his head. He moves away from me.
“We should go back inside. Janet was talking about something—I really,” he exhales, loudly, “I really didn’t pay any attention.”
On the eve of her eighteenth birthday, Kimberly Rayne, “O,” moves to New York City to take her shot at becoming the painter she’s always dreamed she could be. But her desires run deeper; this is O’s chance to finally be with the one man she has loved since she was twelve years old, her older sister’s best friend and world-famous sculptor, thirty-eight-year-old, Douglas Craven.
For all those years “Cray” had never thought of himself as anything more than a mentor to O. Why would he? She was just an extremely talented kid who needed guidance. But lately, he can’t even look at her without thinking more…
Driven by his demons and taboo feelings, Cray sinks deeper into darkness. Terrified of a past that haunts her, O controls her life by abusing diet pills. As their lives plummet downward, they find their paths are inextricably linked. But can Cray ever overcome his oppressive guilt and have a life with O? And will O ever end her self-sabotage to be with Cray and become the artist they both know she can?
Excerpt:
He starts. “I’m not angry at you. I just—”
“What, Cray. What?” I can’t contain my frustration anymore. I move toward him.
He throws his hands up and paces in a circle ahead of me. “I don’t know what to do to stay away from you.”
“Then don’t.”
He charges at me, backing me against the wall again, nearly knocking the wind out of me on impact. He rests one hand against the building and places the other on my cheek.
“Cray.” I’m hyperventilating as I nuzzle against his palm. It’s rough and callused and smells like turpentine and paint. “You feel so good.”
With a grunt, he pushes his body against mine, pinning me tight to the wall. He takes both of my hands and holds them high above my head, trapping me. He leans down over me.
“God, you are so fucking beautiful.”
He drops his head and kisses my neck. It tickles, but I’m focused on the ache in my already hard nipples. I lift a leg, wrapping it around his waist, dying for a release. He takes both of my arms in one hand and cradles my leg with the other, lifting it higher. He presses harder against me.
“No.” He drops my leg and releases my pinned hands. He steps back, jamming his hands into his slacks. “I—I can’t.”
My body aches, and I shudder. “Why not?”
“Because you’re a teenager, and I’m practically a forty-year-old man. I’m the adult here.” He walks a few feet farther away.
“So am I. And I’m giving you permission. Cray, I have wanted this—you—my entire life.”
“Oh God, don’t say that.” He looks at me, eyes blazing.
“Why not? Why can’t I tell you you’re the only man I’ve ever wanted?”
“Because you shouldn’t want any man. And no man should want you. You—You’re a child.”
“I’m not a child.” I walk toward him. “I’m old enough to vote, to go to jail, to…”
“Drink?”
I shrug.
“Be an age that doesn’t end in the word ‘teen’?” He shakes his head. “We have to go back.”
“Cray.” I place a hand on his forearm.
He looks at it and then at me, directly. “I’m sorry. I can’t.”
I drop my hand, turn on my heels, and walk back to dinner.
Finding a body in the freezer of the family deli isn’t the way Madonna San Valentino planned to start her day.
Adding insult to injury, the investigating detective is the one guy she’s never been able to forget. After seven minutes of heaven in the back seat of his car when they were teenagers, Tony Roma skipped town without so much as a thanks for the memory.
Just when Madonna thinks the present situation can’t get any worse, Tony is ordered to go undercover at the deli to ferret out a killer. Forced to work together, she vows to keep their relationship cool and professional. But with the sexy, longing looks he tosses her at every turn, Madonna’s resolve is weakening.With Christmas drawing closer and Tony’s investigation taking an unexpected turn, Madonna is at her wit’s end. Can she really be falling for him again? And will he wind up leaving her broken hearted and alone like the last time?
It’s the perfect holiday gift for you and your romance loving friends!
For those who’ve asked for darker subject matter and stronger tension, these books are for you! They’re standalone, told in first-person, with steamy scenes and high-tension.
When is, Where Birds Fly: The Sculptor, available?
October 9th, 2020! But presale orders will be available soon.
What’s the story about?
On the eve of her eighteenth birthday, Kimberly Rayne, “O,” moves to New York City to take her shot at becoming the painter she’s always dreamed she could be. But her desires run deeper; this is O’s chance to finally be with the one man she has loved since she was twelve years old, her older sister’s best friend and world-famous sculptor, thirty-eight-year-old, Douglas Craven.
For all those years “Cray” had never thought of himself as anything more than a mentor to O. Why would he? She was just an extremely talented kid who needed guidance. But lately, he can’t even look at her without thinking more…
Driven by his demons and taboo feelings, Cray sinks deeper into darkness. Terrified of a past that haunts her, O controls her life by abusing diet pills. As their lives plummet downward, they find their paths are inextricably linked. But can Cray ever overcome his oppressive guilt and have a life with O? And will O ever end her self-sabotage to be with Cray and become the artist they both know she can?
Genre?
Like all of my novels, they are slice-of-life, contemporary, real-feeling, and The New York Artists Series and New York Artists Series…After Dark, are heavy on the romance! 18+ only
What about The New York Artists Series?
There are currently 3 books in The New York Artists Series:
Summer of Irreverence: The Rock Star
To Be or Not To Be: The Actors
The Risk of Happiness: The Punk Rocker
Where Birds Fly: The Sculptor, will be available for presale soon!
Lynn Rush: New York Times & USA Today Bestselling Author, Lynn Rush, is a full-time writer, wife, and trail runner living in the Sonoran Desert, despite her fear of rattle snakes. Known as #TheRunningWriter, Lynn can’t resist posting epic sunrise pictures while running in the desert with her trail sisters, even if she has to occasionally hop a scorpion.
Kelly Anne Blount: USA Today Bestselling author and Wattpad Star Kelly Anne Blount has more than seventy-three-thousand followers on social media. Her Wattpad stories have been read more than twenty-million times. She’s contributed to Tap, Wattpad’s new app for chat-style stories, where her work has been “tapped” more than fifty-million times. She is a writer and reviewer for SpoilerTV, which has allowed her to develop an incredible network of film and TV stars.
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