A is for Apocalypse Cover Reveal ~ Q&A + Giveaway!

Welcome to the cover reveal for A is for Apocalypse, an anthology edited by Rhonda Parrish.

"Often bleak, sometimes hopeful, always thoughtful, if A is for Apocalypse is as prescient as it is entertaining, we're in for quite a ride." 

- Amanda C. Davis, author of The Lair of the Twelve Princesses

What do you get when you take twenty-six amazing writers, randomly assign them a letter of the alphabet and give them complete artistic freedom with a theme? 

A is for Apocalypse 

A is for Apocalypse contains twenty-six apocalyptic stories written by both well-known and up-and-coming writers. Monsters, meteors, floods, war–the causes of the apocalypses in these tales are as varied as the stories themselves.

This volume contains work by Ennis Drake, Beth Cato, Kenneth Schneyer, Damien Angelica Walters, K.L. Young, Marge Simon, Milo James Fowler, Simon Kewin, C.S. MacCath, Steve Bornstein and more! 

A is for Apocalypse

Edited by Rhonda Parrish

Poise and Pen Publishing

ISBN-13: 978-0993699016

ISBN-10: 0993699014

Cover Designed by Jonathan Parrish

Editors Website | Goodreads | A is for Apocalypse Mailing List 

To celebrate we have a Q&A for you with some of the contributors!

Question: 

As a contributor to this anthology you are privileged to have been able to read a proof copy of it already. Aside from your own story, which one is your favourite? No spoilers, please. :)

Michael Kellar - "U is for REDACTED" got to me early on, and ended up being a perfect little glimpse of what would be important when facing the end of the world.

Marge Simon - That's really, really a hard question to answer. But I'm picking Damian Angelica Walters' moving "U is for REDACTED". It reminded me much of one of my top favorite dark sf stories, "Testament".

Sara Cleto - I'll admit that I haven't read through the entire anthology yet (it will be my reward when I finish this semester's grading!), but I adore Brittany Warman's story - as always, her images are haunting, powerful, and full of wonderful folkloric resonances.

Beth Cato - I loved R. It's one of the longer stories in the anthology, I think, and it's a unique take on events leading up to the apocalypse. The whole vibe is creepy and gritty.

Blurbs:

"Editor Rhonda Parrish gives us apocalyptic fiction at its finest. There's not a whimper to be heard amongst these twenty-six End of the World stories. A wonderful collection." - Deborah Walker, Nature Futures author

Editor Bio:

"Rhonda Parrish is a shapeshifter with talents to match her every incarnation - magpie tenacity for picking the shiniest submissions, nightingale notes for crafting tales, and bright, feline eyes for seeking out her photographic subjects. She balances on the knife-edge of darkness and light, a sorceress of both realms." 

- Sara Cleto   

Giveaway:

Three ARC copies of A is for Apocalypse. These are physical copies but I am willing to ship them to anywhere in the world. The Rafflecopter draw will run from May 12th to May 19th. On May 20th I will choose three winners and email them in order to get their shipping address. Anyone who doesn't respond by May 27th will forfeit their prize and I will choose a new winner to receive it. 

Fill out the rafflecopter to enter. 

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This event was organized by CBB Book Promotions.

Book Blitz: Giveaway + Q&A ~ Visions by Laura N. Anile

Visions by Laura N. Anile

Publication date: September 26th 2013

Genres: Adult, Paranormal

Blitz organized by: Xpresso Book Tours

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~ Synopsis ~

What would you sacrifice to save a stranger?

Isabel Cartier is career-driven and a little self-obsessed. Her future has been carefully planned - until something mysterious happens. When Isabel begins to experience premonitions of strangers in potentially life-threatening situations, she must decide what she is willing to do - and sacrifice - in order to save the people in her visions. 

As her premonitions progress, the level of risk to her own life escalates, and she's thrown into an unknown world that will put more than just her career in jeopardy.

It is only when her life spins out of control that she is able to take chances that she never thought possible - including opening her heart to love.

There's Matt, the handsome stranger she saves from a terrible accident. But will she ever see him again? Then there's Jeremy, her thoughtful neighbor who's down on his luck. Both will shape her path and leave her breathless. But it's another man, who she sees in her visions over and over again, who will leave her questioning everything. Does he have nine lives, or is it up to Isabel to figure out the parameters of a game she doesn't quite understand in order to truly save him? 

Visions follows Isabel's journey to find out if she has the courage she needs to save the people in her premonitions, and how, ultimately, their lives are intertwined with hers.

~ Purchase Links ~

Amazon | B&N | Kobo | iTunes

~ About the Author: Laura N. Anile ~

Laura has had a lifelong love of writing, which she explored in a successful marketing career before penning her first novel. She is fascinated by the ideas of fate and interconnectedness, central themes in her story. She loves all things humorous, laughs too loudly and finds her own jokes amusing. She has a passion for traveling and exploring the world but has a phobia of suspect hotel rooms with questionable hygiene. And, oh yeah, she isn't clairvoyant and doesn't own any crystal balls.

In addition to 'Visions,' she has also written a collection of short stories, entitled 'Unmasked Secrets.'

~ Social Links ~ 

Website | Facebook | Twitter

~ Q&A ~

Note: Provided by Xpresso Book Tours :)

This sounds like a thriller. How would you describe the book?

The drama and risk involved in her premonitions escalates as the story unfolds, testing her resolve. Her other visions are far less intense - things that would be plausible on a more regular basis. 

It's not actually a thriller - it's about her opening up to possibilities she never thought possible, and explores how she's connected to the people she sees. It's about her struggle to deal with these unexplained events and the choices she needs to make, ultimately redefining the person she wants to be. 

And there's a love interest or two thrown in :-) Who doesn't love a good romance? 

The concept of the book makes you wonder just what any of us would do if we had similar premonitions. Would we ignore them or go out of our way and risk our lives to save the people in them? 

That's the question! The premonitions that Isabel experiences start off small and end up becoming increasingly challenging and risky. She needs to throw all of her previous ideas and plans out the window and discover what she's really made of - and what's really important to her.

She starts off seeing everything in black and white and is thrown (against her will) into a world of gray. The more she sees in her visions, the more she's forced to start looking within. She's obsessed with trying to work out the rules, when really, there are no rules. She has to learn to stop thinking and just start feeling.

Her experiences leave her questioning the idea of fate: what's controllable, what isn't, what is she willing to give and what is she willing to lose?

Are any of the characters or events based on real experiences?

One of Isabel's premonitions is actually based on a real event: a car accident I witnessed from my office window. The car ended up on the sidewalk and it was a miracle that no one was seriously injured. I guess it stuck in my mind. Of course, in Isabel's premonition, one of the pedestrians wasn't as lucky. 

Where is the book set?

Mostly San Francisco, which I think is an ideal backdrop for the story. But Isabel travels to Florence, Italy at the beginning of the book, and four of the chapters are set there. I was actually in Florence when I wrote the first draft of those chapters, so I was feeling inspired :-)

Speaking of inspiration, what inspired you to write the story?

I was intrigued by the idea of how someone would react in these types of circumstances, especially if that person was the opposite of someone you'd expect to be open to it. Could they dismiss it or ignore it if they saw someone in danger? Would they feel compelled to act? How would the people in their visions be connected to them? What price would they be willing to pay to save someone?

I'm fascinated by the concept of fate versus choice, and the course of our lives being a tapestry with so many unseen threads tying it all together. Who controls the strings? 

Having the ability to see into the future opens up a world of possibilities, but it would come at a cost. Especially if you couldn't control what you saw, or when. I wanted to explore the contradictory effects of having that kind of ability. 

I like the idea that nothing is what it seems. And just when you think you have it all figured out, the tables turn. What is the purpose, how much control does she really have and, in the end, who is it that is really saving who?

Plus, I like the idea of the girl being the one to save the guys for a change! ;-)

Why did you choose this particular genre?

I love the fact that anything is possible within the paranormal genre. And I'm intrigued by characters who have special abilities. When you can do anything or be anyone, who do you choose to be? There's always a cost to the power that these characters wield, and I wanted to explore both sides of the coin.

Can you tell us about the next book in the series?

The next book is called Dangerous Games. I can't give too much away or it will be a spoiler for the first book, but here's the tag line for Dangerous Games: 

'Being gifted can be dangerous when the wrong people discover your secret.' 

There's a short description at the end of Visions, so readers can find out more without spoiling the ending.

Do you have any other available samples of your writing for readers?

I've written a collection of short stories, Unmasked Secrets, which is available for free download here: Amazon, iTunes, and Kobo (anyone with a Nook can email me for a free copy). The stories are quite different, but I really enjoyed writing them. I hope you enjoy reading them!

Want to know more? 

Go to http://www.lauraanile.com/ for more information about the author (or to email); take the quiz ('What Would You Do?'); or read a short story from her collection, Unmasked Secrets.

You can also view the book trailers on YouTube at: http://www.youtube.com/laurananile

Connect with Laura on Facebook: Laura N. Anile, Author; or on Twitter: @LauraAnile       

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