Today we welcome Sheri Velarde. Her latest release Quest for Redemption releases on Thursday April 23rd!

Synopsis:

Zanna is an elven warrior princess, who seems to have it all, yet really has nothing. Her fate is not in her own hands. Instead, it is bound to an ancient magic she has no control over. She wants to rule the elves, yet must prove herself worthy before she is accepted. She also wants to find her mate, but after two thousand years, didn't hold much hope. Her existence has become mundane, and she craves something new. A routine assignment suddenly turns into something bigger that could ruin all of them. Is she strong enough to save the world and find her own happiness too? Can she change and help change the fate of the world with her?

Will is an orphan who has always been confused by his strangeness. He keeps himself apart, separate from those around him. A chance meeting with a remarkable woman changes everything. He not only learns about himself, but about a whole other world that he is a part of by birthright. However the father that abandoned him as an infant stands to ruin his future and the future of the world unless he can be stopped.

Will and Zanna must face loved ones who work against them and their past as well as find the strength to fight a bigger enemy and save the realms from evil. Can love, friendship, family, and acceptance defeat evil before it brings the realms crashing down? Can Zanna prove herself worthy to rule the kingdom?

Storyteller's Grove: So Sheri, tell us what is was your inspiration for Quest for Redemption?

Sheri: Inspiration comes in many forms and from many sources. The inspiration for Quest for Redemption is a combination of things. This novel started out as a NaNoWri novel. (That’s a novel that was written in one month for National Write a Novel Month.) So really the first inspiration was just to get something down on the page and quick as the clock struck midnight. The first thing that popped into my mind was to do a fantasy love story, something with elves. I am a huge Tolkien fan and he started me on my fascination with elven kind. Seriously, who doesn’t have crush on Legolas? Am I right? Anyhow, I also wanted to have a very strong female character, not some damsel in distress. In fact, she would be the warrior, the ruler, the strong one. And that is how Zanna was born. A little of her came from Underworld mixed with Xena Warrior Princess, but in elf form. I also wanted to play with the idea of a half magical creature who had no idea what he really was. Enter Will. Part human, part sprite, part really powerful elf. Throw in some evil, because truthfully I love bad guys. Basically I wrote the novel that I would want to read. I am not going to lie, the first draft was terrible. I let it sit for a year before even tackling it and trying to clean it up for submission. Then my life became a blur or edits and tears, but I must say I am happy with the result. Quest for Redemption started out as something just for fun and became something that I never imagined.

Quest for Redemption will be out on Three Worlds Press April 23, 2015!

Buy Links: Three Worlds Press

http://amzn.com/B00W2TDKGI

https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-questforredemption-1781118-143.html

https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Sheri_Velarde_Quest_for_Redemption?id=8-ITCAAAQBAJ

https://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/quest-for-redemption

About the Author:

Sheri Velarde is an author, artist, independent comic creator and jewelry designer out of Albuquerque, New Mexico. She is a creative soul with eclectic taste and style when it comes to her art and writing. Sheri is a multi-publisher romance author who is now branching into fantasy as well with her Defender of the Realms series. When not creating (which her fiancé argues is never), Sheri can be found spending time with her fiancé and their two dogs, reading, watching fantasy movies, attending metal concerts and just taking time to stop and enjoy life.

You can view Sheri’s work on her website/blog: http://sherivelarde.weebly.com/, on her Facebook author page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sheri-VelardeKelly-Ryan/, and on Twitter at https://twitter.com/Sher_V.

Tuesday Teaser: Quest for Redemption cover reveal.. Elven Warrior

Today we welcome Sheri Velarde to talk about and re-reveal the FABULOUS cover for her upcoming release, Quest for Redemption.

So you may be asking why I am having a cover re-reveal or what is a re-reveal anyways? Well you see, life sometimes gets in the way of the best laid plans and changes sometimes have to be made. 

When I had my first cover reveal back on February 1 (I know because it was my birthday) Quest for Redemption seemed to be on the fast track to coming out, but then life happened.

I can't remember which happened first, but both my editor and I got sick. Like not a cold or flu sick, but majorly sick. I had a major flare in my multiple sclerosis which left me pretty much useless until it began to subside. School, which I was taking just for fun, began to demand more and more of my time. This caused a delay in edits, hence the delay in Quest coming out. Things happen and I can't say that I am truly shocked the Quest for Redemption hit a few bumps on its way to publication. You see, this book has been nothing but bumps and a test in perseverance.

Quest for Redemption has been a mountain for me to climb, over three years in the making and I have finally reached the summit, publication is in sight. This started off as a novel written during National Novel Writing Month, (NaNoWriMo) so needless to say the first draft was a hot mess. It got tabled for a while, then I picked it back up and cleaned it up added things here and there, turned it into something readable. Finally I submitted it, it got accepted. During the time of pre-edits the story began to change again, becoming more fantasy than romance, the characters deepened and solidified. It was hard work this novel, my longest work to date and also my toughest to get through.

Blood, sweat, and many tears went into this work and soon it will be out in the world! This is by far one of my biggest accomplishments as an author. My first full length novel, my first fantasy piece, my first book with my new publisher. Quest for Redemption represents over three years of hard work, sure it took me a little longer to get here bear the release date, but I got here and for that I am grateful. 

So here it is... I LOVE it and hope you will too.  Watch for the release later this month from Three Worlds Press

Synopsis

The fate of the realms rests on the hands of an elven princess yet to prove herself and an orphan just learning his powers.

Zanna is an elven warrior princess, who seems to have it all, yet really has nothing. Her fate is not in her own hands. Instead, it is bound to an ancient magic she has no control over. She wants to rule the elves, yet must prove herself worthy before she is accepted. She also wants to find her mate, but after two thousand years, didn't hold much hope. Her existence has become mundane, and she craves something new. A routine assignment suddenly turns into something bigger that could ruin all of them. Is she strong enough to save the world and find her own happiness too? Can she change and help change the fate of the world with her?

Will is an orphan who has always been confused by his strangeness. He keeps himself apart, separate from those around him. A chance meeting with a remarkable woman changes everything. He not only learns about himself, but about a whole other world that he is a part of by birthright. However the father that abandoned him as an infant stands to ruin his future and the future of the world unless he can be stopped.

Will and Zanna must face loved ones who work against them and their past as well as find the strength to fight a bigger enemy and save the realms from evil. Can love, friendship, family, and acceptance defeat evil before it brings the realms crashing down? Can Zanna prove herself worthy to rule the kingdom?

Sheri Velarde is an author, artist, independent comic creator and jewelry designer out of Albuquerque, New Mexico. She is a creative soul with eclectic taste and style when it comes to her art and writing. Sheri is a multi-publisher romance author who is now branching into fantasy as well with her Defender of the Realms series. When not creating (which her fiancé argues is never), Sheri can be found spending time with her fiancé and their two dogs, reading, watching fantasy movies, attending metal concerts and just taking time to stop and enjoy life.

You can view Sheri’s work on her website/blog: http://sherivelarde.weebly.com/, on her Facebook author page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sheri-VelardeKelly-Ryan/, and on Twitter at https://twitter.com/Sher_V.

Quest for Redemption will be out on Three Worlds Press April 23, 2015!

A Review of The Time Weaver by Thomas Knight: Parallel Worlds,Wizards, Romance, oh and a Dragon

Author’s summary:  Seth Alkirk is a 30-year-old programmer who doesn't know he can control time. Problem is, others do. When he's kidnapped from his quiet Iowa life and taken to the parallel world of Galadir, Seth thinks he's in a dream from which he can't wake.

His kidnapper, the warrior Malia, needs his help. Her kingdom is in danger from an evil wizard who will stop at nothing to exact revenge on those who exiled him. Seth needs her protection. The same wizard is after Seth's powers, knowing they will grant the advantage he needs to conquer Malia's kingdom. Seth and Malia must work together as they travel hundreds of miles to reach the safety of her castle.

Learning to accept and control his powers is the hardest thing Seth has ever had to do, but the longer he spends in Galadir, the more he grows to love this new world and the female warrior accompanying him. When a much more ancient and dangerous wizard awakens and threatens to destroy Galadir, Seth is the key to defeating him. Now he must save a world he never knew existed with magic he never knew he could wield, if only he could learn to control it in time.

This is the first book in Mr. Knight’s The Time Weaver Chronicles.

The Time Weaver is the story of Seth Alkirk, who finds himself drawn into an epic battle in a parallel world when that world intrudes on his own. Your typical average Joe, Seth discovers things about himself and the father he hardly knew. He finds power (magical and personal), love and a dragon.

This is a well-edited novel with few POV slips and mechanical errors. The plot develops well with no noticeable convenience devices. The secondary characters are complex and potentially interesting in their own right. Mr. Knight does a extraordinary job of world-building, I could see the people and places , smell and taste the food, hear the clang of the armor and swords.

 If I had to say what I would like to see improved on, I would say first and foremost, Seth. Unlike the secondary characters, he does not rise up off the page the way a hero should.  His conflict, confusion and terror at the strangeness and danger this run-of-the-mill guy is thrust into does not come through. His internal journey and battles with his own perceived past and the revelations should be as powerful as the battle scenes.

In addition, many characters disappear from the pages only to return much later with barely a mention in between.  This caught me off guard and I had to remember, in some cases, who they were and why they were important. It is useful to make sure that the reader is reminded of these characters through even brief references until they return for their pivotal scene. Best example of that was the absence of reference to the earth world and the characters there. There is no mention of them for about 25% of the book and then they reappear for the climax.

I give The Time Weaver

      

The second book in the Time Weaver Chronicles, Legacy, is available and will be the subject of a future review on this blog.

Thomas A. Knight built a career out of software development and took up writing in his spare time. Since then, he has released two books and is in the process of writing a third. His novels are epic fantasies set in Galadir, an alternate world of his own design.

His debut novel, The Time Weaver, is the recipient of an indiePENdents Seal of Good Writing, has reached both the Sci-Fi/Adventure and Epic Fantasy Amazon best-seller lists, and is considered by many to be an exciting and unique story that appeals to readers of all types.

When he's not writing or developing software, Thomas enjoys family time with his wife and two little girls, or playing fantasy role-playing games. He is also an avid supporter of Free and Open Source software, and uses entirely Linux and open source software in the writing and production of his novels.

Enslaved: Girl Meets Incubus Blog Hop

Mythic gods, an incubus and a young widow, who had been abused by her dearly departed husband… what better reason to return to the blogosphere. 

I am honored to be part of the blog hop (details of hop, below) for the release of….

Drum roll, please!

R.C. Murphy’s 

Enslaved

The gods are flawed . . . and they make awful parents.

Deryck knows first-hand the cruelty of the gods. Three thousand years after his birth, he is still trapped, forced to service humans as an Incubus—unable to choose whom he sleeps with, and living a life completely devoid of love. There is no out for him. No hope. Or so he thought.

Shayla McIntire spent five years getting her life back on track after the accident claiming her husband’s life. She is content to a nice, boring, subdued life free of the abuse she suffered before. Her friends are worried. They want her to find the man of her dreams and move on.

Little do they know, the Powers That Be have decided the man of Shayla’s dreams for her. There’s just one hitch, he’s enslaved to the gods and it will take power she doesn’t know she has to free him. Deryck isn’t the only one hoping Shayla will free him, though.

* * * * *

Little birds swooped down to the patio. They hopped between tables, pecking at crumbs dropped by messy eaters or people suckered in by their teeny, tiny cuteness. A group of birds fought over a sizeable chuck of bread beside Shayla’s table. She dropped another down to them. The birds left the first piece of bread and flocked to the new one. A smart one broke off and doubled back to the original piece. It flew off with its prize while the others cheeped and pecked at each other.

"Your croutons are getting soggy," Faye said. She nudged Shayla with a foot under the table.

"Sorry. I’m not very hungry." Shayla dropped the rest of her dinner roll to the birds. A busboy across the patio gave her a disapproving look.

Faye reached across and handed Shayla a fork. "You need to eat. We aren’t leaving until you do."

"Are you going to mother me all afternoon?" Reluctantly, Shayla stuck the fork into her Caesar salad.

"Only if you need it. Judging by the half-ass makeup job and wrinkled clothes, I’m going to go out on a limb and say you need someone to remind you to take care of yourself." Faye shook her head. "Are you still hung up on what happened at the office? It’s been days. He hasn’t been around again, has he?"

Shayla chewed the bite of salad. Going to lunch with Faye was a mistake. The woman could have been a chief interrogator during the inquisition.

"No, I haven’t seen him again." Much to her dismay. That fact alone caused her to panic. Was there some sort of psychological disorder where victims of stalking wanted to be followed? Better yet, she should just simplify it and say she’d lost her goddamned mind in the last few days.

Shayla pushed her bra strap back onto her shoulder. She’d worn the lace and satin bra she swore she’d never wear. Why? God only knew.

"That’s it, I’m going to call NASA," Faye blurted out of the blue.

Shayla jumped. Lettuce flew off her fork and landed on her lap. Creamy salad dressing and parmesan cheese smeared over the leg of her jeans. Cursing under her breath, Shayla picked the chunks of salad off her thigh and swiped at the mess with a napkin.

"What the hell? Does NASA even exist anymore?"

Faye handed over another napkin. "I sure as hell hope so, or our only chance to bring your mind back to earth is gone."

Faye calling her out about being a space case made Shayla feel worse than before. She gave up on cleaning up the salad dressing and tossed the dirty napkins over her food.

"Can I be honest?"

Faye nodded. "Please do. Maybe then you’ll start acting like yourself again."

"That guy has been on my mind since seeing him at the office. Every time I pass the flowers he brought, I want to track him down and thank him for them. Or at the very least, apologize for freaking out and calling the cops on him." Shayla leaned back in her seat. "Can you fall for someone you think may be stalking you?"

* * * * *

R.C. Murphy spends her nights writing urban fantasy novels and a slew of short stories for her blog, The Path of a Struggling Writer. By day she is a not so mild-mannered housewife, wrangling vampires, demons, and various other nasty creatures. R.C. has joined forces with fellow writers, artists, and actors to form the Zombie Survival Crew where she reviews movies, TV shows, as well as penning articles on important survival skills.  

Thank you for joining our blog hop! Don't forget, it goes all week long. For each day’s blog, you can check Just Ink Press's Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/JustInkPress. All commenters on the page will be entered into a GRAND PRIZE drawing at the end of the week and the more you share (i.e. Twitter, Facebook, etc.), the more chances you have to win copies of FOUR eBooks: The Dracove by NL Gervasio, Gods & Vampyres by NL Gervasio,Nemesis by NL Gervasio, and of course, Enslaved by R.C. Murphy—a $20.46 value. So be sure to say hi, drop the links to your shares on our page, and let all of your friends know!

Also, we have linked to your blogs from here: http://justinkpress.com/2013/02/25/its-a-blog-hop/ and will of course be posting to FB and twitter on appropriate days :)

Watch here for reviews of this book and others, as well as, all other kinds of musings!  

AND WHILE YOU ARE AT IT CHECK OUT AND BUY:

ENSLAVED  

OH and feel free to buy my novel, DARK DEALINGS,