{Giveaway & Release Day Blitz} Centaur Rivalry by Nancy Straight

Centaur Rivalry Release Day Blitz!!

Today ‘s the day!!  Centaur Rivalry is available right now from Amazon, Barnes and Noble and Smashwords.  It’s the third book in Nancy Straight’s Touched Series!

About Centaur Rivalry

The Centaur world is rocked as news spreads of the Lost Herd, Camille's existence, and her Centaur protector. A death order against Camille's father and family sends all into hiding.  Camille and Drake leave the country pursued by the Lost Herd as well as by Centaur Council enforcers. Camille's twin brother Cameron is manipulated by the Council Head and is quickly becoming her newest enemy. Amid unexpected new protectors, enemies, and romances, Camille and Drake make their plans to travel to Africa to confront the Centaur Council. They hope acceptance of Camille as Chiron's heir, yet knowing that her link to the Lost Herd could require them to kill or to be killed.

Amazon Link

Barnes & Noble Link

You can stalk Nancy here:

Twitter: @NancyStraight

Blog 

Facebook Page 

Goodreads

So, what would be the ultimate giveaway for this blitz?  How about Paperback copies of Blood Debt, Centaur Legacy and Centaur Rivalry?



What? Not good enough? How about we have FIVE, count them FIVE, winners who will EACH win a paperback set!! Still not good enough??

Man!! Okay, INTERNATIONAL WINNERS, TOO!!

Enter the Rafflecopter below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

{Book Review} Blood Debt by Nancy Straight

Title: Blood Debt
Series: Touched #1
Author: Nancy Straight
Self-Published

Website     Goodreads     Twitter     Facebook

Amazon     Barnes & Noble     Smashwords

Blurb:
Her whole life, it had just been the two of them. Before her mother’s last breath, she gave Camille the information she had craved her entire life: the identity of her father. Daring to contact him, Camille was welcomed by an entire family she never knew existed. But nothing comes without a price, as she discovers when her family claims a legendary heritage tracing back to a Centaur touched by Zeus.

As she learns the secrets of her Centaur bloodline, she is drawn into a forbidden love with Drake. Her family acknowledges her life may be the blood debt required to pay for her mother’s transgressions. The same person who once held her mother captive, and forced her into decades of hiding, now controls Camille. Her only chance is to seek a piece of her mother’s past that will win her freedom and the life she desperately desires.

Sorry guys! I meant to get this up earlier this evening, except...the 11 year old turned 12 and, believe it or not, she thought she deserved a birthday party! Can you imagine? Anyway, all is quiet now (FINALLY) so I thought I'd jot down my review of Nancy Straight's Blood Debt!

Okay, so I'm perusing this tour request I received and saw the word "Centaur" and I'm thinking, hmmmmm? A book about half-men/half-horses...no freaking way. Right? But then I thought, if anyone can pull this off, it's Nancy because I've read many of her other books and they are all amazing. Needless to say, she managed to pull this one off perfectly and there weren't even any hooved men stomping about.

The first thing that pulled me into the book was Camille's friend Daniel. A little weird since he was far from the main character, I know, but something tells me Daniel's a little more than just Camille's best friend. As of this moment, I know nothing more, but I'll keep you updated. HeHe.

So, Camille's mom, Angela, is a powerful Centauride who escaped a horrific fate and managed to keep Camille hidden from the most influential Centaur Herds. Angela only told Camille her father's name on her death bed, leaving Camille alone to search for a man she had never met. Once Camille and her father meet the secrets start flying. Can you imagine not only finding out you are of a magical race, but because of something your mom did, you owe a blood debt to another family? No thank you.

I loved the matriarchal society that the Centaurs revolved around, though there are many things about their lives I disagreed with and hopefully Camille will resolve some of these issues. But I must say, the most impressive thing is how the author managed to keep up with all Camille's half-brothers. Each of their names started with a B and each seemed swoon-worthy in their own way. I'm wishing them all the best of luck in the coming years, because I think they all deserve a good mate.

And Drake...OH YUMMY!!! He's amazing and kind and courteous and good. I love the way his and Camille's story is woven together and how many obstacles they each have to overcome in order to try to be together, and that's still up in the air. Still! Bianca and Gage are interesting characters and I cannot wait to know more about Gage and his family. Some things pulled together, but as with every well written series, some questions were answered while others were presented.

The only thing that kept me from giving the book a complete 5 stars is the frequent changing of POVs. Usually this is not a problem for me, but when you get more than two or three going at the same time, I tend to get confused and have to go back and reread things to make sure I understand who is saying what.

Nancy takes different mythologies and mixes them all together to create a fascinating, spell-binding, and nail-biting novel. I'm still rocking on the edge of my chair after that ending. She attacks political and social issues in an interesting manner and keeps your brain thinking far after the last page has been turned. If you are a fan of romance, mythology, and unique literature...Blood Debt is a must read. Be sure you run over to the giveaway and enter to win an ebook copy of Blood Debt.

Giveaway Here!!!

{Author Interview & #Giveaway} Blood Debt by Nancy Straight

Title: Blood Debt
Series: Touched #1
Author: Nancy Straight
Self-Published

Website     Goodreads     Twitter     Facebook

Amazon     Barnes & Noble     Smashwords

Blurb:
Her whole life, it had just been the two of them. Before her mother’s last breath, she gave Camille the information she had craved her entire life: the identity of her father. Daring to contact him, Camille was welcomed by an entire family she never knew existed. But nothing comes without a price, as she discovers when her family claims a legendary heritage tracing back to a Centaur touched by Zeus.

As she learns the secrets of her Centaur bloodline, she is drawn into a forbidden love with Drake. Her family acknowledges her life may be the blood debt required to pay for her mother’s transgressions. The same person who once held her mother captive, and forced her into decades of hiding, now controls Camille. Her only chance is to seek a piece of her mother’s past that will win her freedom and the life she desperately desires.

*********************************************************************************

Author Interview

Nov 17

Author Interview Questions – Better Read Than Dead Blog

Thanks for letting me stop by for a chat today, Kristin!! 

Kristin:  Tell us a little bit about yourself and where you live?
Nancy:  I LOVE Starbucks’ White Mocha Latte and Mountain Dew, (but not together). I have a lead foot so I set cruise control when I drive, even in 25 MPH zones. I almost never win when I play Angry Birds, but have my 8 year old close, so he can clear the hard levels for me. I grew up on a farm and am opposed to eating fresh chicken (not opposed to meat - just opposed to any meat that was alive a few hours before lunch). I am a huge fan of the show, Big Bang Theory, on CBS. I have a stray cat that I feed every night and morning but she’s never let me get closer than within 3 feet of her – I keep thinking eventually I’ll wear her down and she’ll let me pet her. I share my life with two fantastic sons, three rotten dogs and a husband that I adore. I live in rural South Carolina.

Kristin:  What is the name of the book you are currently promoting and would you like to tell us a little about it?

Nancy: Blood Debt is the first book in my Touched Series.  The genre is Mythological Romance and focuses on Centaurs.  I know what you’re thinking:  Centaurs, really? 

I promise, they aren’t the half person, half horse creatures you’re thinking about!!  LOL!  It’s a modern take on a mythological race.     

Kristin:  Tell us a little about your main character(s).

Nancy:  The main character is Camille.  She’s a strong heroine that I think most of us can relate to.  Camille could easily be your sister, cousin or friend and if she weren’t a fictional character I’m sure she’d be one of my BFF(s).

The story starts out shortly after Camille lost her mother to cancer; she believed she was all alone in the world.  Just before her mother died, she revealed to Camille who her father was.  Camille finds her father and is introduced to an entire world she never knew existed.

Kristin:  Do you feel like you put parts of yourself in your characters?
Nancy:  I try to make the characters as believable as possible and I do my best to give every character a unique personality.  Lots of my pet phrases make it into the character’s dialog and although I’d like to be more like Camille, she’s waaaay tougher than I am. 

Kristin:  Will there be a sequel or do you have another project in the works?

Nancy:  Yes!  Book 2 in the Touched Series is titled Centaur Legacy and releases this weekend!!  I’m working on Book 3 in this series and plan for it to be out before summer 2013.

Kristin:  Where do you draw your inspiration from?

Nancy:  Most of my friends are strong, independent women so I have a tendency to write very strong heroines.  My house is filled with three dogs and two sons so there is never an absence of humor in my life.  I have a husband who I adore so writing about characters who love each other in a meaningful way isn’t much of a stretch either.  The short answer is I draw the inspiration for my writing from my life.

Kristin:  If you couldn’t be an author, but anything else…what would you be?

Nancy:  Hmmm, maybe a professional blogger?  That’s not to say I am very good at blogging but I read ALL THE TIME and when I find a book I love, I always send a note to all my friends telling them to get it right away.  Bloggers are the unsung heroes in the indie world.

Book bloggers are willing to take a chance on an unknown author, devoting hours of their lives reading and reviewing, then broadcasting their opinion to the world.  Thank you to you and others like you isn’t adequate; sometimes I wish there were better English words, something like:
OHMYSWEETGOODNESSILOVEYOU! 

Kristin:  Do you have any words of wisdom for aspiring writers?

Nancy:  Do it!  Don’t let anyone convince you that can’t be a writer.  Write what you would love to read.          

Fun Stuff

Kristin:  The apocalypse is coming…what do you do?

Nancy:   Horde Mountain Dew, Diesel fuel and snickers bars.  I’m sure I’d score REALLY low on any kind of readiness scale, but if the end of the world is coming I want to be on a sugar high watching my favorite movies on DVD.

Kristin:  What 5 things are within your reach right now? No cheating.

Nancy:   Sunglasses, popcorn container, Centaur Legacy, Mountain Dew and my Jack Russell Terrier, “Flash.”

Kristin:  Favorite Food?

Nancy: Five Guys Burgers!!

Kristin: Favorite Movie?

Nancy:  The Avengers!!!

Kristin:  Favorite TV show?

Nancy:  Big Bang Theory and Revolution is a close second.

Kristin: Favorite Song?

Nancy:  Naked by Dev and Enrique Iglesias

Kristin:  Favorite singer or band?

Nancy:  Taylor Swift

Kristin:  One food you would never try?

Nancy:  Anything with insects!!

Kristin: Health nut or junk food junkie?

Nancy:  Junk food junkie!!

Kristin: The most exotic food you have ever eaten?

Nancy:  A marlin that a friend and I caught off the cost of Oahu, Hawaii.

Kristin:  Day on the beach or snow skiing down a mountain?

Nancy:  Well, since I have no balance or coordination, I have no business on a mountain snow skiing or as my son would say, “watching mom roll down.”  I love a day at the beach because it doesn’t require balance or coordination!

Kristin: Two books you think everyone should read. (Yes, you can and should include yours.)

Nancy:  Amy Bartol’s Inescapeable and Shelly Crane’s Significance.  These are two of the nicest ladies I’ve ever had the pleasure to meet and both are very talented writers! 

Kristin:  Places my readers can stalk you?

Amazon Author Page

Barnes and Noble Author Page:  

Smashwords

Other social media links are at the top of this post along with buy links!

Thank you so much for taking this time to let us get to know you. We have enjoyed having you today. I hope you have enjoyed yourself and will stop by to see us again soon.

Kristin, this has been a blast!  I’ve been stalking you for a while now so it’s a real pleasure to have been here for a chat!

Thank you so much, Nancy for stopping by and providing us with such wonderful answers. Blood Debt is an intriguing and captivating book! Look for the review later tonight!!! So many yummy, yummy men. I don't know how Nancy kept up with them all!

Giveaway!!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

{Blog Tour and Giveaway} Meeting Destiny by Nancy Straight

Welcome to the Meeting Destiny Blog Tour and Giveaway. Did you see the banner? How awesome is that? Nancy Straight, the author, has been kind enough to write a guest post about destiny...I really like her insight; I hope you do to!

*******Nancy's Thoughts on Fate and Destiny*******

I believe people are in our lives for a reason, whether they are friends, family, spouses or acquaintances.  I am very fortunate to have known people all over the world, each person I’ve met has had an impact on me, even if I didn’t understand the impact at the time.

My aunt Linda was always that really cool Aunt that I only saw a couple times a year growing up.  Other than Christmas and family events we almost never spoke.  When I wrote Meeting Destiny I sent her a copy as a Christmas present.  She had been an English teacher and creative writing instructor her whole life and I thought she might get a kick out of it.  After receiving the book, she volunteered to become my editor.  She is the reason that readers aren’t subjected to my poor grammar!  This wasn’t anything that I had planned, but destiny was on my side.

My husband and I grew up in the mid-west, several hundred miles away from each other.  We met in 1991 after we had both joined the Marine Corps.  Although our first meeting in Virginia Beach, VA wasn’t that remarkable, we knew each other.  In 1993 we were both in Waikiki, HI, we didn’t meet each other but years later we realized that we were both there the same time.  In 1994 we again met in El Toro, CA – again, no crazy love-at-first-sight but we re-introduced ourselves to each other.  In 1995 we were stationed together at Camp Pendleton, CA.  None of these encounters yielded anything more than just a friendly familiarity, but in 1996 we decided to go on our first date.  We have been together ever since.  Destiny is sometimes a series of strange coincidences that are meaningless at the time but all strung together are something one can’t discount.

My advice to anyone is look closely at your relationships.  I bet you’ll find people that have made an extraordinary impact on you and you may have not even realized.  Or maybe that friend that you’ve lost touch with reappeared years later – there is a reason for that reappearance.

************************************************

Now...my review on Meeting Destiny

Title: Meeting Destiny

Series: Destiny #1

Author: Nancy Straight

Links

Goodreads   Amazon   Barnes and Noble   

Synopsis:

Lauren is visited in her dreams for years by a stranger claiming to be her destiny. Destiny becomes reality when paths cross during a failed robbery attempt. Lauren and the stranger experience chemistry like no other and now her doubt over her long time relationship with her high school sweetheart is not her only secret…someone else knows about her keen intuition and sixth sense.A mysterious clairvoyant seeks Lauren out and tells her not only of her life now but what the future may hold. Soon Lauren is in the middle of a murder investigation and a questionable friendship with the key suspect. Law enforcement, friends and family are concerned for Lauren but unfortunately they are unaware of the true danger…Sinister forces are at work and will stop at nothing to destroy Lauren’s abilities.

I love books revolving around fate and destiny, so when I was asked to be a part of the blog tour for a book called Meeting Destiny, how could I refuse? After actually reading the book, I know I couldn't have made a better decision...I was destined to read Ms. Straight's novel...so to speak.

Lauren is a young lady who works in a diner and is month's away from graduating college. She's comfortable in her present life with a boyfriend she's known all her life and a great best friend. Who knew everything would change for her in the span of a single shift at the diner? Honestly... Lauren has suspicions that she is meant for something bigger. She'd been having dreams about her destiny for several years. It wasn't until a frightening incident during a shift at the diner, that she realized her life was tied to a green-eyed paramedic.

Now...many people will say there is an "insta-love" in Meeting Destiny and there is. But...what would you expect from a book about destiny? At first, I thought Lauren might have seemed a little pushy but truly, she was the one who understood her mission, and she had to make Max understand his. She accepted what needed to be done and refused to deviate from her path. Convincing Max to believe and trust in her is only part of the many tasks she must accomplish.

Several things about this novel stood out to me in ways others don't. First...Ms. Straight added action into the romance. Lauren, though some might find it annoying, was unwaveringly true to her path and herself. I don't want to lead you to believe that everything comes easy to Lauren, because that would be far, far from the truth. Lauren visibly struggles in her relationship with both Max and Seth. She finds her "sixth sense" difficult to explain to others, even those closest to het. But...throughout it all she remained strong and relentless.

I read Meeting Destiny in one sitting, taking only a couple of hours. It's a quick read that sucks you in from the first page and keeps you engaged until the very last sentence. And, well...there's a cliffhanger that will make you run on over to your bookstore of choice and download Destiny's Revenge and Destiny's Wrath, just like I did.

Did I mention the giveaway? This one's really cool. Every stop on the tour is giving away a SIGNED copy of Meeting Destiny. Wow!...Right? US Only...Ends April 30th.

How do you enter? 

Well, I personally believe I was put on this Earth for some reason. I don't have a guess what that reason is and realize I won't until I am meant to. I also like to believe there is a person out there that is the other half to my whole. 

What do you think about destiny and fate? Tell me in the comments and include your email address.