Happy Birthday, Page Turner Book Tours!

PTBT opened their doors a year ago and has grown from strength to strength working with some amazing authors along the way. This year the official .com site was opened, a dedicated team of graphics designers joined the team and PTBT became the official host for all tours under 5 Prince Publishing.

The story doesn’t stop there…

There are already plans for further improvements and many more tours to be held in the future along with further charity work. 

We hope that you will check them out at this link: http://pageturnerbooktours.com

During July PTBT are offering the following discounts:

1 week tour - 1 additional day

2 week tour - $63.75 - 2 additional days

3 week tour - $85 - 3 additional days

4 week tour - $170 - 4 additional days

These discounts are good for a year AS LONG AS the tour is booked and paid for in July 2013.

“Working for Page Turner Book Tours has been amazing. I have met some amazing people, worked with some fantastic books and been privileged to be part of some amazing journeys. I know there will be great things to come for PTBT and I am excited to meet every request, author and to discover the wonderful books that I work with. Thank you to everyone on the past year who has worked with PTBT you are all amazing and I am so have been part of your journey. Here’s to the next fantastic year!” ~ Kate, Owner/Tour Coordinator PTBT

“I have been blessed to have had a long professional relationship with Kate and Page Turner Book Tours. Her organization of the tours and cover launches has always exceeded our expectations. She is thorough and knows what she’s doing. I believed enough in the company that Page Turner Book Tours is the official coordinator for 5 Prince Publishing. Kate sets up tours for our cover/book launches, for each of our authors, as well as book tours. Her prices are very fair and that helps individuals and small businesses. I give Kate and Page Turner Book Tours 5 STARS, for their consistently good service, well managed tours, and comfort level when working with them. If you are looking to promote yourself or your book I highly recommend Page Turner Book Tours.” - Bernadette Soehner, CEO, 5 Prince Publishing, Lost And Found Tour Details

“I enjoyed working with Page Turner Book Tours in 2012 for my second Lash Series Book, Shadow Man. Kate was able to arrange far more stops than I’d initially hoped for, and also garnered my book several five star reviews! The spreadsheet she gave me to work from had all the relevant contact information to write tailored engaging posts for each site, and she fulfilled every part of the agreement to create and deliver signature prizes for the tour. She tried her very best to make my tour the best it could be. The best recommendation is that I will be using her services again this summer to promote another coauthored work!

Service: At least half of service is value for the money spent. Kate gives great packages and I feel I got a very good value for the money I spent with her. She was knowledgeable and answered my questions in a timely fashion. I especially appreciated the reviews as part of the package, of which almost all were favorable.

Communication: the other half of service for this type of promotion is communication, and Kate was very good in that aspect as well. For my tour, I had a total of 5 interviews to complete, along with 12 guest posts. She got me info for topics and interview questions as soon as she had them, which helped me stay ahead and on time with my side of the tour.

Overall tour running: 5 stars” Tara Fox Hall, Author, Lash Tour Details

“I have had the pleasure of working with Page Turner Book Tours for just a few short months. When I first contacted Kate and told her what I was looking for, she helped walk me through everything that they could do, what it would entail on my part as well as what was to be expected from her and Page Turner Book Tours. 

Every time I have any questions Kate is sure to replay quickly. I have not encountered many problems while working with Page Turner Book Tours other than a few Bloggers did not follow through on their end. Which, I by no means, hold against Page Turner Book Tours. 

Kate does a wonderful job communicating what is needed by all her bloggers, if you are interested then you just let her know and she does the rest. All you have to do as a blogger is set it up to go on your scheduled date. 

Overall I think Kate and Page Turner Book Tours do a wonderful job with their Press Releases, Interviews, Book reviews and scheduling who needs to be where and what time. I would give Page Turner Book Tours 5 out of 5 stars!” ~ Marie, 5 Prince Publishing

“Page Turner Book Tours is a great resource for authors and I have personally found Kate and her tour company to be worth their weight in gold! I have worked with Kate on book tours for myself and I have even joined book tours for other authors as a host. Each time I have found Kate to be absolutely wonderful to work with. With many tours running consecutively Kate is adept and masterful as she customizes each tour to the specific author and his/her book.

Kate is a marvelous coordinator and I can’t wait to work with her in the future on a book tour. If you are looking for a company to schedule a tour, than I recommend working with Kate at Page Turner Book Tours. She will customize a tour specifically for you and work with book bloggers making your tour run as easy as possible leaving you with a sense of satisfaction and a great tour experience!

Page Turner Book tours is definitely a five star company!” M.M. Shelley, Murder On Mars Tour Details

Page Turner Book Tours--Airion by J.S. Council {Interview}

Can you tell us a little about yourself?

My name is Jessika S. Council. I am a 25-year-old college graduate of the University of North Carolina at Wilmington with a degree in Creative Writing – Fiction. I was born in Chapel Hill, North Carolina but I’ve lived in Durham, North Carolina with my mother and brother most of my life. I currently live, work, and write in Japan and will be here for a few years yet unless the current wave of events are drastically altered from their path in the near future.

Where did you come up with the idea for your new book?

Amazingly, it was a water leak in my dorm room’s floor that started the wheels turning for this book. My dorm had a carpeted floor and, in the corner, there was a wet spot that just kept getting bigger. Not too long after, as if by fate, I saw an episode of ‘Courage the Cowardly Dog’ about this water world you could get to by jumping into puddles of water. Airion was born from there. 

How did you come up with your characters?

I brainstorm my main character bios in My Journey (My writer’s Journal) before I start writing the piece. Although I am usually a very disorganized person, when it comes to writing, I like to lay everything out at the beginning. There are times, however, that I find myself feeling spontaneous. That moment when the urge to add a new face to the scene just threatens to overtake me. 

Who did you show your first draft to and why? 

I showed the very first draft of my novel to my mother. She has always been there for me and, from the beginning of my adventures as a writer, she has been my biggest fan and cheerleader. With that said, she has a mean editing eye as well. 

Do you have plans to a follow up?

I have finished round two of the editing process for Airion: Light and Dawn. I am currently looking for Beta Readers to help polish this novel, so if you are interested please shoot me an email at jscouncil@yahoo.com. I will reveal the cover for this novel in late summer and release the Airion: Light and Dawn to the world in early fall. In the mean time, ideas are flowing for book 3 in the series, Airion: Strange Ruins. It is still in the Writer’s Journal stages and I won’t start writing that one until after the fall release. 

Open your book to a random page and tell us the first paragraph…

The morning’s training session was surprisingly intense. Kobi had expected to just pick up where he left off, but Kaiyen was still out with twelve of Zire’s finest warriors searching the City of Zire for any remaining Cellians. So Winiki was back training with Kloud on her own while Kobi and Trayn worked together once again. But Trayn’s method of teaching was even faster and more intense than Kloud’s lessons were. 

What is your favourite movie?

That is a loaded question. It changes every year… Hmmm…. I’ll say that the Lord of the Rings trilogy is one of my all time favorites. 

What do you like to read?

I like to read Young Adult Fantasy and Science Fiction. I also like to read Japanese Manga (comics) in Japanese. 

Where do you go to escape?

I usually go back to my hometown in North Carolina.

Do you have any pets?

I have a Chihuahua/Rat Terrier mix named Tiny. She is the cutest, sweetest, and best dog ever!

What advice do you have for aspiring writers?

• Set a head goal, or a main focus, and then create ‘stepping stone’ goals to get to it. Remember, a book is created one chapter at a time. 
• Know your trade and read everything. I become the most motivated and creative in my writing when I read works accomplished by others.
• Never doubt yourself and never give up because the ideas aren’t coming to you as fast as you would like. They’ll come, and when they do, it’ll blow your mind. Trust me.

Would you recommend self-publishing or mainstream publishing for first time novelists?

I’m a first time novelist who self-published my debut novel. If you want to know the business and have complete control over everything, if you are good at marketing or willing to learn quickly how to get yourself out there, by all means, Self-publishing is the more profitable and more self satisfactory option. But we are still living in the days of traditional publishing. They do most of the hard stuff for you and can get you into stores and other places that can be difficult to crack into as a self-published author. I would say, if you are willing to wait until you find agent and they find a publisher for you, and if you are willing to step back after you’ve found them and let them have full reign over your work (cover, editing, etc.), then it would be worth it just to get your feet wet. 

Where can we find you online?

Paperback
CreateSpace: Amazon: Amazon UK: Barnes&Nobles: Ailibris: 

Ebook
Smashwords: Barnes&Nobles: 

Author Contact:
Website: Facebook: Twitter: Goodreads:

Title: Airion: Return To Zire

Author: J.S. Council
Series: Airion Series
Genre: Young Adult Epic Fantasy
Publisher: Self Published
Formats Available In: Paperback, Ebook (HTML, Kindle, Epub, PDF, RTF, LRF, Palm Doc, Plain Text (download), Plain Text (View)

Blurb: Aside from his outward appearance, Kobi is a normal thirteen-year-old boy. Living with his mother, his father, and his identical twin brother, Raili, with whom he spends most days at the cove watching dolphins and whales feed, he is happy with his life just the way it is. But his fourteenth birthday is coming and Kobi has no idea how much his life is about to change. 

When Raili is pulled through a puddle in the floor of their second floor bedroom by a monster armed with poisonous, spiked tentacles, Kobi goes in after him. What he finds isn’t Raili, but a new world all together, buried beneath the ocean. With a bounty on his head that has been there since he and Raili’s birth, Kobi will have to learn to fight or die before he can be reunited with Raili again. Everything he knew to be true was a lie. 

People he loved and trusted are not who they seem. He isn’t the normal boy he thought himself to be. A transformation is coming. Raili is gone. Blood is shed. Traitors lurk, waiting for their chance. War is inevitable. The fate of the world of Airion rests in his hands. The Wiseone speaks. Failure is certain.

Book Links:
Smashwords
CreateSpace
Barnes & Nobles
Amazon 

About The Author:

“Although I didn’t fully commit to making writing my life’s work until my sophomore year of college, I have always been a writer at heart. I was the only student in class to get excited about school papers, even asking to write a few for extra credit on occasion. I graduated from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington with a degree in Creative Writing – Fiction. After graduating, I moved to Japan where I wrote most of my debut novel, Airion: Return to Zire and all of my second novel Airion: Light and Dawn – the first two of a four book series. Japan was a peaceful place to just sit and write, but life in Japan was also filled with adventure. However much I loved it there, I had to return home to do what I love most. Write.”

Social Media Links:

Website
Facebook

Twitter

Goodreads

Excerpt:

“If the Cellians just wanted us dead, why didn’t they just kill Raili instead of taking him?” asked Kobi.

“That is the question, isn’t it?” said Kaiyen slowly. “If they only wanted to use his power, wouldn’t they have taken them both?”

“Not necessarily,” said Rick, fist to his chin. “Having both would probably be too dangerous to risk. They may have been afraid of being destroyed from the inside if they worked together to free themselves. Even with one son of the prophecy, they could cause considerable damage, or so they may think.”

“But Raili would never do that though,” Kobi protested. “Dad…I…I mean, Black Master Rick. You know Raili; you know he wouldn’t do anything like that.”

“It may not be his choice,” said Kimi. “The Cellians can be very persuasive.”

Kobi’s heart sank. “What would they do to him?” he asked, not wanting to hear the answer.

“Whatever they had to,” said Kaiyen. “That is why we must focus on a plan of rescue, before Raili Saio acquires the powers they seek.”

“On our fourteenth birthday,” said Kobi.

“Yes,” said Kai Ventra. “Almost all Airians change on their fourteenth birthday. Along with the natural changes they undergo, such as growing gills, they also acquire unique individual skills, allowing them to thrive more than most others in that ability. These abilities can be anything from designing exceptional clothing to controlling the elements.”

“The stronger the ability, the harder it is to control,” said Kaiyen. “No doubt Cella is depending on this.”

“It won’t work,” said Rick.

“Agreed,” nodded Kaiyen. “But there is another matter that must be discussed, if I may.” Questioning eyes turned to Kaiyen. “Lady Sara,” Kaiyen continued after a swift nod from the King. He was addressing the old woman seated beside Kimi, “have you seen anything in your Kubec about a traitor in Zire.”

Whispers filled the room. “You go too far, Captain,” said Bran.

“What are you saying,” said the advisor to Bran’s left.

“Silence,” said Sai Thayne. The talking ceased instantly. The King’s questioning eyes fell on Kaiyen then turned to Lady Sara. “Wise One?”

“This man possesses a tainted heart,” said the old woman, her eyes gazing into the diamond block. “His treachery dives deep.”

“Do you know who this man is?” asked Kaiyen.

“I see not his face nor his rank,” said Lady Sara, her brow creased and her hands resting on the Kubec. “However, he knows all that we know and some we do not.”

“It is as I thought,” said Kaiyen, “Zire’s traitor has resurfaced.”

Book Review: Night Demon by Lisa Kessler

My thoughts:
I really enjoyed Lisa's first book in the Night series, Night Walker, and that enjoyment continued by far with the second book, Night Demon. As I was reading, I was struck by how much Lisa's writing reminds me of Anne Rice. I absolutely loved how she incorporated Mayan history and legend in the book; something that Rice does frequently in her novels, mingling bits of history and legend in all of her books. I also felt like I had more of a connection with Lukas and Gretchen. I'm not sure why, but Lukas really grabbed my heart. Quite possibly it was the tortured soul/loner aspect of his character that drew me to him. I'm a sucker for those types of characters.

I can't wait for the next book in the series. It seems Calisto, Lukas and company have quite a lot of adventure and danger ahead of them. I also can't wait to read what's next for Lisa. I know she has a new series coming out, the Moon series, with the first book titled Moonlight. Lisa has a very exciting future in the paranormal genre.

About the book:
Deep within the Yucatan jungle a demon has awakened...

Gretchen Finch's job would be much easier if she weren't alone in the jungle with a brilliant recluse whose every glance sets her on fire. But the more she focuses on her work, the closer she gets to unlocking the mysteries of a terrible creature - the Night Demon - that threatens the world as she knows it. Though her scientific mind tells her it's impossible, she's beginning to believe the ancient Mayan tales as the sinister jungle comes alive around her.

Lukas Smith has spent hundreds of years searching for answers to his immortal Night Walker nature. As a series of ancient glyphs become clear, he's about to find out more than he'd ever hoped, but the more he learns, the more his fate intertwines with the Night Demon, and the harder it becomes to hide his immortal secret from the beautiful, intelligent Gretchen.

Together, they must find a way to stop the inexplicable violence and mass destruction surging across the earth before the Night Demon destroys more than just mankind.

Read my interview with Lisa HERE

Visit Lisa:  Website | Facebook | Twitter | 
Amazon Page

Night Demon Blog Tour: Interview with Lisa Kessler and {Giveaway}

Welcome, Lisa! Thanks for stopping by to answer some questions today.

Hi Michelle! *waving* I love visiting your blog! 

M: I have been friends with you online for going on five years now. Back in my MySpace days, I remember reading your weekly short stories and loving them. I also loved hearing about the progress on your novel(s). After all of your hard work over the years, can you tell us how it feels to finally become a published author?

It feels AMAZING to finally have my books out in the world. Getting published is definitely the toughest goal I have ever achieved. And hearing about my characters through readers’ eyes is magic. It inspires me to write the next book!

M: I am not big on paranormal romance normally, but I really like your books. The way you incorporate historical elements reminds me of Anne Rice and she is my favorite author. Is having history present in your novels important to you?

Anne Rice is definitely one of my favorites! But when I set out to write vampires, I felt like she really covered European vampires and I wanted to bring something new to the table… That’s when I decided to research ancient civilizations in the Americas. The Mayan connection felt perfect, and my Night Walker world came to life.

M: You're currently working on Moonlight. Can you tell us anything about it? This is a different series from the Night series, correct?

Yes. Moonlight is Book 1 in my new Moon Series. Moonlight was a finalist in the RT Book Reviews Magazine’s Writing with the Stars contest. While it was in the contest, I sold Night Walker and put the Moon series on the back burner. I’m SUPER excited that my werewolf pack from Reno, NV will finally be jumping into the world. It’s a VERY different series from my Night Walkers. It’s more contemporary and gritty, more like urban fantasy with the happily ever after of paranormal romance. Can’t wait for you to read it!

It’s also up for pre-order now with the blurb if you want to take a peek!  

http://www.amazon.com/Moonlight-The-Moon-Series-ebook/dp/B00CGFGS3A/ 

M: Tell us more about yourself. I know you're also a singer and you're married to a fabulous guy named Ken Kessler. What are your other loves and passions in life...besides writing, of course?

Besides writing, music is a huge passion for me. I also love to read, but reading time has been super scarce lately. And you know Disney is another major love in my life. I go to Disneyland as often as possible, and my Disney pin trading collection is almost embarrassing it’s so big! LOL

M: What authors do you credit with inspiring you to become an author?

There are so many!!! LOL Anne Rice, Stephen King, Dean Koontz, Kelley Armstrong, Christine Feehan, and many more…

M: I know you probably don't have much time for reading, but are you currently reading anything right now? What are some of your favorite books of all time?

Favorite books of all-time: The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley, Good Omens by Neil Gaiman, Tale of the Body Thief and The Vampire Lestat by Anne Rice, The Stand and The Shining from Stephen King and The Door to December by Dean Koontz

Right now I’m really enjoying reading The Kingdom by Amanda Stevens and Let it Bleed by Jeri Smith-Ready.

M: Any advice for those of us who aspire to follow in your writing footsteps?

Don’t ever give up and keep writing. Because story-telling is a craft, you get better the more you do it, so keep writing new material and keep reading authors you love. It’ll help you grow and strengthen your craft as a writer!

Lisa, thanks again for stopping by today. I wish you much success with your new release, Night Demon.

Thanks for the great questions Michelle!!! 

Visit Lisa:  Website | Facebook | Twitter | Amazon Page

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