Thursday, July 16, 2015

The Witches of Armour Hill

Book Links
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Witches-Armour-Hill-Switch-ebook/dp/B011IVD8HG/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25499658-switch


Social Links
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AlyssaCooperLit
Twitter: https://twitter.com/alyssacooperlit
Tumblr: http://alyssacooper.tumblr.com/
Website: http://alyssacooper.ca/


Book Blurb, short:
Margaret May Reis knows how strange she is; people have been telling her for years. At sixteen years old, though, Maggie begins to realize that strangeness is only half the story. Maggie isn’t just strange – she’s a witch.

Book Blurb, long:
Margaret May Reis knows how strange she is; people have been telling her for years. At sixteen years old, though, Maggie begins to realize that strangeness is only half the story. Maggie isn’t just strange – she’s a witch.

Sent to live with a cousin she’s never met, in a city she doesn't remember, Maggie is sure that life as she knows it is over. It doesn't take her long to learn that Peterborough is not at all what it seems. Her first week in the city, Maggie meets a stray cat named Elowen, who seems to appear out of thin air, and a strange girl named Rhosyn, who introduces her to a coven of witches, and assures her that life will never be the same.

The newest member of an ancient coven, Maggie discovers new friends, new powers, and a new lease on life. As she works with her young sisters to hone their magical skills, they stumble across the coven’s darkest secret, one that their governing council has kept hidden for over a century. Caught up in a conspiracy that began with the very first generations of witches, Maggie and her friends tumble down the rabbit hole, reaching blindly for the truth.

It will take three young witches to uncover the secrets that their Matriarch left behind over a century before.

Cover Blurb:
“…a quick, smooth pace, keeping me guessing at all times what’s around the next corner… I loved the mystery of the book and the dark undertones. I am eager to see what will happen in the next installment.”
-D.G. Driver, author of Cry of the Sea


Author Biography:
Alyssa Cooper is a Canadian writer with a graphic design diploma and a passion for story telling. She collects old books and antique typewriters, and has a preference for the darker side of fiction.
Alyssa is the author of three traditionally published books, Salvation, Benjamin, and Cold Breath of Life, as well as an independently produced collection called Whispers. 
She’s currently living in Kingston, Ontario with her cats, her cacti, and her personal library, while she works diligently on The Witches of Armour Hill, Book Two: Twisted

Thursday, July 9, 2015

Get Pop Cultured with Barnes and Noble


 
Contact:                                                             
Lillian Reitz
CBDM
5303 FM 1960 West, Houston, Texas 77069
281/631/0681
       
Barnes & Noble @Champion Forest Announces a Month-Long Celebration of Pop Culture
in July
 
Second Annual “Get Pop-Cultured with Barnes & Noble” to Feature Unique Special Events, Author Appearances, Exclusive Content, Giveaways and More
       
Highlights Include Throwback Thursdays, Time Travel Weekend, DC Comics Days, Comic Convention Collectibles, a Harper Lee Celebration, Minions Fun, Fangirl Friday, Vinyl Day, a Dr. Seuss Spectacular and Much More

New York, New York - June 25, 2015 - Barnes & Noble, Inc. (NYSE: BKS), the nation’s largest retail bookseller and the leading retailer of content, digital media and educational products, today announced the second annual Get Pop-Cultured with Barnes & Noble, a month-long celebration of pop culture with special events customers won’t want to miss. Building off the success of last year’s campaign, this year’s Get Pop-Cultured celebration at Barnes & Noble @Champion Forest will feature a series of 20 very exciting events and activities perfect for the whole family to enjoy, in addition to author signings, panel discussions, contests, exclusive content, giveaways and prizes, and more.
 
Get Pop-Cultured with Barnes & Noble was first established in 2014 to bring to life customers’ favorite books, characters, movies, artists, illustrators and pop-culture icons. This year it expands to feature an even more robust lineup of events great for customers of all ages, including weekly Throwback Thursdays celebrating a different decade each Thursday from the 1950s through the 1990s, DC Comics Days, a Harper Lee Celebration, a Minions Fun event, Star Wars Saturday, Manga Mania, Fangirl Friday, Vinyl Day, James Patterson Day, a Dr. Seuss Spectacular and many more unique events and promotions. For more information on what’s happening during Get Pop-Cultured with Barnes & Noble month at Barnes & Noble @Champion Forest, customers can visit the store or www.bn.com/getpop-cultured<http://www.bn.com/getpop-cultured>
 
Get Pop-Cultured with Barnes & Noble @Champion Forest Lineup:
 
·       Throwback Thursdays - July 2, 9, 16, 23, 30
The cornerstone of the Get Pop-Cultured campaign, customers are invited to Barnes & Noble @Champion Forest every Thursday in July for a nostalgic journey through the most iconic moments in pop culture from the 1950s through the 1990s. Customers will experience the decades as they explore the dynamic influence that books, toys, games, music, movies, TV and fashion had on society during those time periods. The store will feature a specially crafted display wall containing fun facts, images, products and more that influenced each decade and brings them back to life. The display wall changes weekly for each new decade and is perfect for taking pictures to share on social media, using the hashtags #TBT and #GetPopCultured. Celebrate the 1950s on July 2, the 1960s on July 9, the 1970s on July 16, the 1980s on July 23, and the 1990s on July 30. Special offers, giveaways, and events and activities each Thursday will round out the fun. 
 

·       Time Travel Weekend - July 3-5
Designed to take customers on a journey through time, Time Travel Weekend will transport fans into the intriguing worlds of the following:
 
Doctor Who
On July 3 at 7pm, Barnes & Noble @Champion Forest is celebrating Doctor Who. Customers will enjoy trivia, giveaways, a special offer and more, and are invited to come dressed as their favorite character.


 
Magic Tree House: Dinosaurs Before Dark
On July 4 at 10am, customers will travel back millions of years with Magic Tree House: Dinosaurs Before Dark. Young paleontologists are invited to explore the age of dinosaurs with fun activities, giveaways and a special offer.
 

Outlander
On July 5 at 2pm, customers will be transported to the intriguing world of the popular Outlander series with trivia, giveaways and more.
 


·       DC Comics Days - July 8-12
Customers are invited for a special offer on all DC Comics graphic novels and a free Young Gotham comic collection and poster, while supplies last. There will be other giveaways and activities, and as always during Get Pop-Cultured, cosplay is welcome.
 
·       Comic Convention Collectibles - July 9-12
Customers can visit Barnes & Noble @Champion Forest to get the highly anticipated convention exclusives representing some of the hottest licenses, including fan favorites, while supplies last. Customers should get to Barnes & Noble @Champion Forest early on July 9 as many of these collectibles will sell out fast!
 
·       Harper Lee Celebration - July 13-14
On July 13, all Barnes & Noble stores nationwide will read Harper Lee’s classic To Kill a Mockingbird from start to finish. The Read-A-Thon will feature a variety of special guest readers, including local authors or celebrities. On July 14, Harper Lee’s highly anticipated new novel, Go Set a Watchman, goes on sale. Barnes & Noble stores nationwide will open early at 7am so customers can get their copy first, and those who visit the Barnes & Noble CafĂ© from 7am to 10am will get a free tall hot coffee with their purchase of Go Set a Watchman. Plus, the first 20 customers to buy the book in every store will receive a free exclusive To Kill a Mockingbird reusable tote.
 
·       Minions Fun  - July 17 at 7pm
Customers are invited to sign up now for the Minions Fun event and become a certified Minion and attend Villain-Con in Barnes & Noble stores, where they will search for the most despicable villain to follow. Activities and giveaways will round out the fun. Customers can contact Barnes & Noble @Champion Forest to sign up today.
 
·       Star Wars Saturday - July 18
Star Wars fans of all ages are invited to Barnes & Noble @Champion Forest for exclusive products, activities, cosplay, trivia and a chance to win a Star Wars character standee (terms & conditions apply). Customers should contact Barnes & Noble @Champion Forest for complete details.
 
·       Manga Mania - July 19
Customers can visit Barnes & Noble @Champion Forest to discover this popular style of Japanese comic books and graphic novels. Manga Mania will feature a special offer, activities, and giveaways.
 
·       Fangirl Friday - July 24 at 7 pm
Barnes & Noble is inviting fangirls to unite and celebrate fandom. Fangirls should visit their local store to get introduced to the Women of Marvel, enjoy cosplay, giveaways and much more. Additionally, while supplies last, customers can pick up the Vinyl Vixen Metallic Wonder Woman, available only at Barnes & Noble.
 
·       Vinyl Day - July 25
Fans of vinyl records can explore Barnes & Noble’s growing assortment and participate in events celebrating vinyl culture, including giveaways, special offers and exclusives.
 
·       James Patterson Day - July 26
Customers are invited to Barnes & Noble to celebrate America’s bestselling author with a special one-day-only offer on all adult, kids’, and teen books by James Patterson.
 
·       Dr. Seuss Spectacular - July 28 at 7 pm and July 31 at 7 pm
In celebration of the newly discovered Dr. Seuss book What Pet Should I Get?, kids of all ages are invited to help Barnes & Noble decide what pet to get at a special Storytime event on July 28 at 7pm. Get Pop-Cultured ends on a high note on July 31 at 7pm with a Dr. Seuss Spectacular, a celebration of Theodor Seuss Geisel, known to the world as the beloved Dr. Seuss. There’s fun to be done before Get Pop-Cultured with Barnes & Noble comes to an end!
 
More ways to Get Pop-Cultured include:
 
·       Authors, Illustrators, Celebrities and More
Throughout the Get Pop-Cultured with Barnes & Noble campaign, stores across the country will welcome customers’ favorite authors, illustrators and celebrities, including Arlene & Alan Alda, Keegan Allen, Gretchen Carlson, Chris Colfer, Chuck D, Rob "Gronk" Gronkowski, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Mary McDonough, Christopher Paolini, James Patterson, Kate Pierson, Joe Satriani, Brad Thor, Cindy Williams, Charlie Wilson and many more. Customers should contact Barnes & Noble @Champion Forest to find out which authors will be appearing there during Get Pop-Cultured.
 
·       Get Pop-Cultured Sweepstakes from NOOK®
At all Get Pop-Cultured events and throughout the month of July, customers can visit the NOOK Counter to enter for a chance to win a $1,000 Barnes & Noble Gift Card. To enter, customers can visit the NOOK Boutique® at Barnes & Noble @Champion Forest anytime between July 1 and July 31, where they should look for the specially created Get Pop-Cultured NOOK App on the NOOK devices displayed.
 
·       Get Pop-Cultured Giveaways and Exclusives
Throughout July, Barnes & Noble will have tons of giveaways at all stores, including samplers and posters from DC Comics’ Young Gotham series, as well as Marvel, Star Wars and Manga posters, and much more. All giveaway items are available in limited quantities; for more information visit Barnes & Noble @Champion Forest. In addition, Barnes & Noble will have a large offering of exclusive products and items during Get Pop-Cultured, including exclusive book editions during Throwback Thursdays, Comic Convention collectibles, select vinyl records and more. For more information, visitwww.bn.com/getpop-cultured <http://www.bn.com/getpop-cultured>.
 
·       Get Pop-Cultured on Social Media
Pop culture fans should follow Barnes & Noble on Twitter <https://twitter.com/BNBuzz>Instagram <http://instagram.com/barnesandnoble>Tumblr <http://thebarnesandnoble.tumblr.com/> and like Barnes & Noble on Facebook <https://www.facebook.com/barnesandnoble> for the very latest information on Get Pop-Cultured with Barnes & Noble, including announcements about upcoming events and promotions. Pop culture fans can also follow NOOK on Facebook <https://www.facebook.com/nook>Google+ <https://plus.google.com/+nook/posts>Twitter <https://twitter.com/nookBN> andInstagram <http://instagram.com/lifeofnook>.
 
Barnes & Noble @Champion Forest will be announcing many more events such as giveaways and exclusive content and products, throughout the Get Pop-Cultured month. For a full schedule of local events and author appearances, and for more details regarding giveaways, competitions and sweepstakes, visit www.bn.com/getpop-cultured <http://www.bn.com/getpop-cultured>.
 
About Barnes & Noble, Inc.
Barnes & Noble, Inc. (NYSE: BKS) is a Fortune 500 company and the leading retailer of content, digital media and educational products. The Company operates 649 Barnes & Noble bookstores in 50 states, and one of the Web’s largest e-commerce sites, BN.com (www.bn.com <http://www.bn.com>). Its NOOK digital business offers award-winning NOOK® products and an expansive collection of digital reading and entertainment content through the NOOK Store® (www.nook.com <http://www.nook.com>), while Barnes & Noble College Booksellers, LLC operates 717 bookstores serving over five million students and faculty members at colleges and universities across the United States.
 
General information on Barnes & Noble, Inc. can be obtained by visiting the Company's corporate website: www.barnesandnobleinc.com <http://www.barnesandnobleinc.com>.Barnes & Noble®, Barnes & Noble Booksellers® and Barnes & Noble.com® are trademarks of Barnes & Noble, Inc. or its affiliates.
 
 
For more information on Barnes & Noble, follow us on <https://twitter.com/BNBuzz><http://instagram.com/barnesandnoble> and <http://thebarnesandnoble.tumblr.com>, and like us on<https://www.facebook.com/barnesandnoble>.
 
About Nook Digital, LLC
NOOK reading and entertainment products make it easy to Read What You Love, Anywhere You Like with a fun, easy-to-use and immersive digital reading experience. With NOOK, customers gain access to the expansive NOOK Store® of more than 4 million digital books in the US and UK, plus periodicals, comics, apps, movies and TV shows, and the ability to enjoy content across a wide array of popular devices through Free NOOK Reading Apps. Find NOOK devices in Barnes & Noble stores and online at www.nook.com <http://www.nook.com>, as well as leading retailers including Best Buy, Walmart, Target and many others. NOOK products are available in the United Kingdom at leading retailers; NOOK content can be purchased at www.nook.co.uk <http://www.nook.co.uk>.
 
NOOK® and the NOOK logos are trademarks of Nook Digital, LLC or its affiliates.
 
For more information on NOOK follow us on: <https://www.facebook.com/nook><https://twitter.com/nookbn>,
 

Wednesday, July 8, 2015

Corvidae Author Interviews: Jane Yolen, Kat Otis, Angela Slatter


“CORVIDAE” & “SCARECROW”
EDITED BY RHONDA PARRISH

Alpena, MI (April 30, 2015) – World Weaver Press (Eileen Wiedbrauk, Editor-in-Chief) has announced the anthologies Corvidae and Scarecrow, volumes two and three of Rhonda Parrish’s Magical Menageries, will be available in trade paperback and ebook Tuesday, July 7 and Tuesday, August 4, 2015 respectively.

Praise for FaeRhonda Parrish’s Magical Menageries, Volume 1:

“Seventeen tales... range in feel from horror to upbeat tales about homes where things go right, and are set everywhere from the modern day to mythical fantasy pasts. The best of these stories evoke things from real life – loves and values – and show characters making hard choices that reveal who they are and what they’re made of."
— Tangent

Delightfully refreshing! I should have known that editor Parrish (who also edits the cutting edge horror zine, Niteblade) would want to offer something quite unique. I found it difficult to stop reading as one story ended and another began – all fantastic work by gifted writers. Not for the faint of heart, by any means.”
— Marge Simon, multiple Bram Stoker® winner

“There’s no Disney-esque flutter and glitter to be found here — but there are chills and thrills aplenty.”
— Mike Allen, author of Unseaming and editor of     Clockwork Phoenix

“Stories of magical beings and the humans they encounter will enthrall and enlighten the reader about both the mundane and the otherworldly. I devoured it.”
— Kate Wolford, editor of Beyond the Glass Slipper, editor and publisher of Enchanted Conversation: A Fairy Tale Magazine

Corvidae
Associated with life and death, disease and luck, corvids have long captured mankind’s attention, showing up in mythology as the companions or manifestations of deities, and starring in stories from Aesop to Poe and beyond. In Corvidae birds are born of blood and pain, trickster ravens live up to their names, magpies take human form, blue jays battle evil forces, and choughs become prisoners of war. These stories will take you to the Great War, research facilities, frozen mountaintops, steam-powered worlds, remote forest homes, and deep into fairy tales. One thing is for certain, after reading this anthology, you’ll never look the same way at the corvid outside your window.
Featuring works by Jane YolenMike AllenC.S.E. CooneyM.L.D. CurelasTim DealMegan EngelhardtMegan FennellAdria LaycraftKat OtisMichael S. PackSara PulsMichael M. RaderMark RapaczAngela SlatterLaura VanArendonk Baugh, and Leslie Van Zwol.
Scarecrow
Hay-men, mommets, tattie bogles, kakashi, tao-tao—whether formed of straw or other materials, the tradition of scarecrows is pervasive in farming cultures around the world. The scarecrow serves as decoy, proxy, and effigy—human but not human. We create them in our image and ask them to protect our crops and by extension our very survival, but we refrain from giving them the things a creation might crave—souls, brains, free-will, love. In Scarecrow, fifteen authors of speculative fiction explore what such creatures might do to gain the things they need or, more dangerously, think they want. Within these pages, ancient enemies join together to destroy a mad mommet, a scarecrow who is a crow protects solar fields and stores long-lost family secrets, a woman falls in love with a scarecrow, and another becomes one. Encounter scarecrows made of straw, imagination, memory, and robotics while being spirited to Oz, mythological Japan, other planets, and a neighbor’s back garden. After experiencing this book, you’ll never look at a hay-man the same.
Featuring all new work by Jane YolenAndrew Bud AdamsLaura BlackwoodAmanda BlockScott BurtnessAmanda C. DavisMegan FennellKim GoldbergKatherine MarzinskyCraig PaySara PulsHolly SchofieldVirginia Carraway StarkLaura VanArendonk Baugh, and Kristina Wojtaszek.
Corvidae and Scarecrow will be available in trade paperback and ebook via Amazon.com, Barnesandnoble.com, Kobo.com, WorldWeaverPress.com, and other online retailers, and for wholesale through Ingram. You can also find Corvidae and Scarecrow on Goodreads.

Rhonda Parrish is a master procrastinator and nap connoisseur but despite that she somehow manages a full professional life. She has been the publisher and editor-in-chief of Niteblade Magazine for over five years now (which is like 25 years in internet time) and is the editor of the benefit anthology Metastasis, as well as the World Weaver Press anthologies FaeScarecrow, and Corvidae. In addition, Rhonda is a writer whose work has been included or is forthcoming in dozens of publications including Tesseracts 17: Speculating Canada from Coast to Coast and Imaginarium: The Best Canadian Speculative Writing. Her website, updated weekly, is at rhondaparrish.com.

World Weaver Press is an independently owned publisher of fantasy, paranormal, and science fiction. We believe in great storytelling.


Author Name: Jane Yolen
Website Address: www.janeyolen.com
Social Media Links:
Twitter: @janeyolen
Facebook: Jane Yolen

What is it about corvids that inspired you to write about them?
We are a family of birders, and corvids are among the smartest (and sassiest) of birds.

Was there one corvid characteristic you wanted to highlight more than others?
Their knowingness.
Do you think you were successful?
I can only hope. . . .

If you were a corvid, what would you build your nest out of?
Coins and bottlecaps and peacock feathers.

What’s your favourite ‘shiny’ thing?
My earring collection.

If you have work in both anthologies, which came first? The corvid or the scarecrow?
Corvid first.


Author Name: Kat Otis
Website Address: www.katotis.com
Social Media Links:
Twitter: @kat_otis

Was there one corvid characteristic you wanted to highlight more than others? Do you think you were successful?
The characteristic I wanted to highlight the most was corvid intelligence.  When I was trying to decide what kind of corvid to write about, I started by browsing bird websites and quickly fell into a research pit of corvid videos where they showed amazing levels of intelligence and tool use.  Obviously the only proper response was to elevate the corvidae as a group to be as sentient as humans and... um... leviathans and frost giants.  I sure hope I was successful, as the story makes very little sense without it!

If you were a covid, what would you build your nest out of?
If I had to live in a nest, it would be a giant bean bag.  Actually, sophmore year of college my roommate and I put a bean bag in a corner of our tiny dorm room, for an oft-visiting friend of ours, and called it her nest.  So... I guess I sort of already have built a nest out of a bean bag ;)

What’s your favourite ‘shiny’ thing?
Shiny new ideas, of course!  For example, I was just working on my latest shiny new idea, a steampunk piece with exploding airships, and- OH NEW SHINY NEW IDEA GOTTA GO LATERS!


Author Name: Angela Slatter
Website Address: http://www.angelaslatter.com/
Social Media Links:
Twitter: @AngelaSlatter
Facebook: Angela Slatter (Author)

What is it about corvids that inspired you to write about them?
I think it’s the sheer wealth of lore behind them: they’re thieves; they’re clever and sly; they cross many mythologies; they’re quite lovely-looking (what’s not to love about black feathers?); they can be sinister and clownish at the same time.

If you were a covid, what would you build your nest out of?
The pages of books, so I’d be comfy and have something to read.

What’s your favourite ‘shiny’ thing?
The various rings I’ve inherited from aunts over the years because (a) shiny-shiny, and (b) they have a family and emotional connection for me. I’ve got an emerald and diamond one of which I’m especially fond.