Showing posts with label Dream Cast. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Dream Cast. Show all posts

Tuesday, June 2, 2015

BLOG TOUR: Vessel by Lisa T. Cresswell - Guest Post + GIVEAWAY!


We're really happy to be a part of the blog tour for Lisa T. Cresswell's latest book, Vessel, out now from Month9Books, LLC! Lisa is here today to share her book playlist and her dream cast, and we love all of her choices.

There's also a giveaway for you, so be sure to enter via the Rafflecopter form at the end of this post. And don't forget to check out all of the other amazing stops on this tour by clicking the banner above!

About the Book

Title: Vessel
Publication date: May 2015
Publisher: Month9Books, LLC.
Author: Lisa T. Cresswell

Synopsis: The sun exploded on April 18, 2112. It exploded in a Class X solar storm the likes of which humankind had never seen.

They had nineteen minutes.

Nineteen minutes until the geomagnetic wave washed over the Earth, frying every electrical device created by humans, blacking out entire continents, every satellite in their sky.

Nineteen minutes to say goodbye to the world they knew, forever, and to prepare for a new Earth, a new Sun.

Generations after solar storms have destroyed nearly all human technology on Earth and humans have reverted to a middle ages like existence, all knowledge of the remaining technology is kept hidden by a privileged few called the Reticents and books are burned as heresy.

Alana, a disfigured slave girl, and Recks, a traveling minstrel and sometimes-thief, join forces to bring knowledge and books back to the human race. But when Alana is chosen against her will to be the Vessel, the living repository for all human knowledge, she must find the strength to be what the world needs.

Purchase Links: Amazon | B&N | Kobo | iBooks


About the Author

Lisa, like most writers, began scribbling silly notes, stories, and poems at a very young age. Born in
North Carolina, the South proved fertile ground to her imagination with its beautiful white sand beaches and red earth. In fifth grade, she wrote, directed and starred in a play “The Queen of the Nile” at school, despite the fact that she is decidedly un-Egyptian looking. Perhaps that’s why she went on to become a real life archaeologist?

Unexpectedly transplanted to Idaho as a teenager, Lisa learned to love the desert and the wide open skies out West. This is where her interest in cultures, both ancient and living, really took root, and she became a Great Basin archaeologist. However, the itch to write never did leave for long. Her first books became the middle grade fantasy trilogy, The Storyteller Series. Her first traditionally published work, Hush Puppy, is now available from Featherweight Press.

Lisa still lives in Idaho with her family and a menagerie of furry critters that includes way too many llamas!


Connect with the Author: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Lisa's Vessel Playlist

Because Vessel is a dark, dystopian the playlist is rather on the dark side. If you’ve ever listened to Linkin Park’s album A Thousand Suns, you’ll know what I’m talking about. Two early tracks on the album, The Requiem, and Burning in the Skies, fit the novel perfectly. It’s just the right amount of creepy, eerie oppression. Here’s a sample of lyrics from The Requiem: 



God save us everyone
When we burn inside the fires of a thousand suns
For the sins of our hand
Sins of our tongue
The sins of our fathers
The sins of our young

The song wasn’t the inspiration for the Reticent religion in Vessel, but it hits the mark pretty darn close. In Vessel, the oppressive Reticents convince most common folks that Mother Sun will burn them if they commit any further sins against her.

Burning in the Skies has the same mournful feel and fits the story well.


But Alana’s theme is more hopeful. It’s a piece by Yo-Yo Ma, the famous cellist, and the Silk Road Ensemble called Distant Green Valley.


It’s a beautiful string instrumental piece that evokes Alana’s Asian background and reminds me of her longing to return to her homeland in the novel.  I also love Enchantment by Yo-Yo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble, but it’s terribly short. I guess I just love that Eastern sounding music for this book. Think Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon sound track. :)

The Evanescence song Bring Me to Life evokes the love between Alana and Recks perfectly, as he awakens hopes and passions in her she’s never dared feel before and brings her back to life with his love. 

So there you have it! My Vessel playlist is all over the place! I hope readers let me know what songs they think should be added too.

Lisa's Vessel Dream Cast

I guess I’m kind of unusual, but I don’t really imagine actor’s faces when I write my characters. They come from my imagination, so they don’t always look like anyone I’ve ever seen. 

Alana is about seventeen, of unknown Asian descent, with half her face severely burned. Here in America, we just don’t have that many Asian teen actresses that I’m familiar with. The actresses that do come to mind are too mature for the role. 

I asked my KPop loving daughter to help me out. She recommends BoA Kwan for Alana. She’s a South Korean singer and very lovely. 



Recks is also an Asian teen. He’s attractive and entertaining. South Korean singer/actor Taecyeon really fits the part.



Kinder is kind of a crazy old European man with long, wild hair. I’m sure a longer, grayer- haired Daniel Day Lewis could handle it and do a fabulous job. He always does.



Anders, the villain, I always imagined as very British and rather terrifying. Someone like Bill Nighy



or Christopher Lee.  Yikes!


You should visit my Vessel Pinterest page if you’d like to see my inspiration pics. Enjoy!



The Giveaway!



Thanks to Lisa for her great posts, and thanks to you for stopping by! 


--Ashley & Paul





Friday, January 23, 2015

BLOG TOUR: A Hole in the Ice by McCallum J. Morgan - Dream Cast #3 + GIVEAWAY!


Hello again! Today, we're back with our last post as part of the blog tour for McCallum J. Morgan's debut novel, A Hole in the Ice! Today, McCallum has done a third painting for his dream cast - this time of Lady Vasille - and we're really excited for you to see it! This one might be the best yet!

The giveaway is also still going on, and it's still full of chances to win awesome swag, books, and a handmade Kindle cover. So make sure to enter for your chance to win via the Rafflecopter form at the end of this post (especially if you haven't already)!

Also, be sure to check out McCallum's Playlist & Top Steampunk Books, as well as the Portrait Reveal for Parsifal and the Portrait Reveal for Balder!

But before we get to Balder, how about a little information about A Hole in the Ice and McCallum, in case you missed it before?

About the Book

 Title: A Hole in the Ice
Author: McCallum J. Morgan
Publication Date: September 20, 2014
Publisher: Little Bird Publishing

Synopsis: Parsifal is a young man with an incredible secret – only, he isn’t quite sure what that secret is. All he does know is that it is something to do with a mysterious object that looks like a compass, but behaves like something from a different Realm.

As he sets off on a rich and decadent adventure across Europe with his eccentric, explorer uncle, Parsifal comes to learn one more thing about the mysterious object – there are people prepared to kill him to get their hands on it.

Accompanying on their epic quest for a mythical city inhabited by mermaids, is the bewitching Lady Vasille, unlike any woman, Parsifal has ever come across. Eloquent, beautiful and pistol toting, the Lady Vasille casts a spell over Parsifal that is both enchanting and destructive.

The question is, who can you really trust when the real world starts to slide into a fairytale?

A high epic Edwardian fantasy adventure, including Mermaids and other supernatural and fantasy creatures


Purchase Links: Little Bird Publishing | Amazon | Amazon UK 




About the Author

As a child, McCallum always wanted to write a book. He scribbled in notebooks, drew pictures, and lived largely in a world of make-believe. Into this fertile field a seed was planted. Notebooks began to fill and they didn’t stop. It was a soaring waltz with words among the silvery clouds and he loved it. He was thirteen. 

McCallum discovered the Institute of Children’s Literature and enrolled in their writing course, Writing for Children and Teenagers. For their second, advanced, course, he rewrote those bursting notebooks. Now McCallum is eighteen and working on the sequel, and enjoying every minute of it knowing that finally, it’s real. It’s not just a pile of notebooks anymore, it’s ‘A Hole in the Ice.’ 

McCallum still draws and occasionally attacks an unfortunate piece of fabric with a sewing machine. He may be spotted around his home town of Bonners Ferry, Idaho, sporting his collection of bizarre clothing items, singing ‘The Phantom of the Opera’ in French, or at the bakery near his home, drinking a caramel macchiato. His day job is log home finishing. He lives with his parents in a house perched on the hillside twenty miles south of the Canadian border and takes his tea with milk and sugar in a cup and saucer.


McCallum's Dream Cast for A Hole in the Ice

Lady Vassilissa Vasille


The model for Lady Vasille is Natalie Portman (Star Wars, The Black Swan, V for Vendetta). I have been in love with Natalie Portman since I was about five. To me, she’s the epitome of beauty and there’s a kind of sweetness to it, not so much the plastic overly sensual beauty that’s in all the beauty magazines (although she can certainly rock that, too). She’s how I imagined Lady Vasille from the very beginning. Plus, she’s an amazing actress, the depth that she’d give Lady Vasille…oh, it’d be good. If that didn’t work out, I might settle for the French actress Louise Bourgoin (The Extraordinary Adventures of Adele Blanc-Sec ).

The rest of the cast: Daniel Craig (007 Skyfall) could be Sir Oaktree, with some bright green contacts. Possibly Gerard Butler (Phantom of the Opera, 300) with spectacles for Dr. Liam. Eva Green (007 Casino Royale, TV’s Penny Dreadful) with red hair for the Duchess. I love Christopher Lee (Star Wars, The Hobbit), so he’d appear briefly as Sir Laszliliescu and in the process further my nod to Dracula in that scene. The Estonian singer Kerli for the mermaid. I still don’t know who would play Lord Keazund. He’d have to be tall, and have a very commanding presence, and be very good-looking. I thought maybe James McAvoy because of his intense acting, but I’m not sure. Furthermore, (allow me to dream) Tim Burton would direct with music by Danny Elfman, of course. :)
Thanks again Paul and Ashley! It was fun.

--McCallum J. Morgan
Now, how about all three together? 
What do you think? Do you love them as much as we do?

The Giveaway!

So many awesome prizes here! Don't miss the opportunity to win! 


Thank you to McCallum for taking the time to actually paint this portrait, and thanks to you for supporting him!


--Ashley & Paul

Tuesday, January 20, 2015

BLOG TOUR: A Hole in the Ice by McCallum J. Morgan - Dream Cast #2 + GIVEAWAY!


Hello again! Today, we're back with another fun post as part of the blog tour for McCallum J. Morgan's debut novel, A Hole in the Ice! Today, McCallum has done another painting for his dream cast - this time of Balder - and we're really excited for you to see it! The giveaway is also still going on, and it's still full of chances to win awesome swag, books, and a handmade Kindle cover. So make sure to enter for your chance to win via the Rafflecopter form at the end of this post (especially if you haven't already)!

Also, be sure to check out McCallum's Playlist & Top Steampunk Books, as well as the Portrait Reveal for Parsifal!

But before we get to Balder, how about a little information about A Hole in the Ice and McCallum, in case you missed it before?

About the Book

 Title: A Hole in the Ice
Author: McCallum J. Morgan
Publication Date: September 20, 2014
Publisher: Little Bird Publishing

Synopsis: Parsifal is a young man with an incredible secret – only, he isn’t quite sure what that secret is. All he does know is that it is something to do with a mysterious object that looks like a compass, but behaves like something from a different Realm.

As he sets off on a rich and decadent adventure across Europe with his eccentric, explorer uncle, Parsifal comes to learn one more thing about the mysterious object – there are people prepared to kill him to get their hands on it.

Accompanying on their epic quest for a mythical city inhabited by mermaids, is the bewitching Lady Vasille, unlike any woman, Parsifal has ever come across. Eloquent, beautiful and pistol toting, the Lady Vasille casts a spell over Parsifal that is both enchanting and destructive.

The question is, who can you really trust when the real world starts to slide into a fairytale?

A high epic Edwardian fantasy adventure, including Mermaids and other supernatural and fantasy creatures


Purchase Links: Little Bird Publishing | Amazon | Amazon UK 





About the Author

As a child, McCallum always wanted to write a book. He scribbled in notebooks, drew pictures, and lived largely in a world of make-believe. Into this fertile field a seed was planted. Notebooks began to fill and they didn’t stop. It was a soaring waltz with words among the silvery clouds and he loved it. He was thirteen. 

McCallum discovered the Institute of Children’s Literature and enrolled in their writing course, Writing for Children and Teenagers. For their second, advanced, course, he rewrote those bursting notebooks. Now McCallum is eighteen and working on the sequel, and enjoying every minute of it knowing that finally, it’s real. It’s not just a pile of notebooks anymore, it’s ‘A Hole in the Ice.’ 

McCallum still draws and occasionally attacks an unfortunate piece of fabric with a sewing machine. He may be spotted around his home town of Bonners Ferry, Idaho, sporting his collection of bizarre clothing items, singing ‘The Phantom of the Opera’ in French, or at the bakery near his home, drinking a caramel macchiato. His day job is log home finishing. He lives with his parents in a house perched on the hillside twenty miles south of the Canadian border and takes his tea with milk and sugar in a cup and saucer.


McCallum's Dream Cast for A Hole in the Ice

Balder Balfra


The guide for Balder’s painting is Eddie Marsan (he played Inspector Lestrade in Sherlock Holmes and Crawe in Jack the Giant Slayer). He’s a bit older than the role, but I think there’s something Balderish about him. I’m not convinced he’s the perfect actor for the role, my physical visualizations of Balder were pretty vague. Balder is the comic relief, but he also has his serious moments.

I had a lot of trouble with his complexion, it came out too rosy and then when I was trying to work in the shadows, there was some weird mixing going on…I had to repaint over the whole thing with a slightly more natural color. He turned out healthier looking than Parsifal and Lady Vasille at any rate.
 

Lady Vasille is the next painting, we’ll be revealing her on the 23rd. Thanks again Ashley and Paul!

--McCallum J. Morgan

The Giveaway!

So many awesome prizes here! Don't miss the opportunity to win! 


Thank you to McCallum for taking the time to actually paint this portrait, and thanks to you for supporting him! Also, be sure to come back in a couple of days for the second painting reveal!


--Ashley & Paul

Saturday, January 17, 2015

BLOG TOUR: A Hole in the Ice by McCallum J. Morgan - Dream Cast #1 + GIVEAWAY!


Hello again! Today, we're back with another fun post as part of the blog tour for McCallum J. Morgan's debut novel, A Hole in the Ice! This time, McCallum has done a painting for his dream cast of Parsifal, and we're really excited for you to see it! The giveaway is also still going on, and it's still full of chances to win awesome swag, books, and a handmade Kindle cover. So make sure to enter for your chance to win via the Rafflecopter form at the end of this post (especially if you haven't already)!

But before we get to Parsifal, how about a little information about A Hole in the Ice and McCallum, in case you missed it before?

About the Book

 Title: A Hole in the Ice
Author: McCallum J. Morgan
Publication Date: September 20, 2014
Publisher: Little Bird Publishing

Synopsis: Parsifal is a young man with an incredible secret – only, he isn’t quite sure what that secret is. All he does know is that it is something to do with a mysterious object that looks like a compass, but behaves like something from a different Realm.

As he sets off on a rich and decadent adventure across Europe with his eccentric, explorer uncle, Parsifal comes to learn one more thing about the mysterious object – there are people prepared to kill him to get their hands on it.

Accompanying on their epic quest for a mythical city inhabited by mermaids, is the bewitching Lady Vasille, unlike any woman, Parsifal has ever come across. Eloquent, beautiful and pistol toting, the Lady Vasille casts a spell over Parsifal that is both enchanting and destructive.

The question is, who can you really trust when the real world starts to slide into a fairytale?

A high epic Edwardian fantasy adventure, including Mermaids and other supernatural and fantasy creatures


Purchase Links: Little Bird Publishing | Amazon | Amazon UK 




About the Author

As a child, McCallum always wanted to write a book. He scribbled in notebooks, drew pictures, and lived largely in a world of make-believe. Into this fertile field a seed was planted. Notebooks began to fill and they didn’t stop. It was a soaring waltz with words among the silvery clouds and he loved it. He was thirteen. 

McCallum discovered the Institute of Children’s Literature and enrolled in their writing course, Writing for Children and Teenagers. For their second, advanced, course, he rewrote those bursting notebooks. Now McCallum is eighteen and working on the sequel, and enjoying every minute of it knowing that finally, it’s real. It’s not just a pile of notebooks anymore, it’s ‘A Hole in the Ice.’ 

McCallum still draws and occasionally attacks an unfortunate piece of fabric with a sewing machine. He may be spotted around his home town of Bonners Ferry, Idaho, sporting his collection of bizarre clothing items, singing ‘The Phantom of the Opera’ in French, or at the bakery near his home, drinking a caramel macchiato. His day job is log home finishing. He lives with his parents in a house perched on the hillside twenty miles south of the Canadian border and takes his tea with milk and sugar in a cup and saucer.


McCallum's Dream Cast for A Hole in the Ice

Parsifal Cephus Aesmir Keazund


My drawings (and paintings) of people turn out best when I draw from photos or live subjects. So this works nicely with a ‘dream cast.’ I used photos of my preferred actors as guides for these pictures. 

This one turned out a little crazy-eyed anyway.

The guide for Parsifal is William Moseley who played Peter in The Chronicles of Narnia. He’d have trouble passing as sixteen anymore, but this is a dream cast. If a movie actually happened I think some new actor would probably be the way to go. Talent would be the main requirement since hair can be dyed and there’s contacts: Parsifal has to portray the whole spectrum of emotion convincingly, joy, anger, sadness, fear, and even guilt. Moseley seems fairly competent (not that I know anything about acting) and in lieu of him, the new actor would have to be stunning. Of course :)

There will be three paintings in all: Parsifal, Balder, and Lady Vasille. The next two will be revealed on the 20th and 23rd. Thanks, Ashley and Paul, for agreeing to do this! You’re awesome.

--McCallum J. Morgan

The Giveaway!

So many awesome prizes here! Don't miss the opportunity to win! 


Thank you to McCallum for taking the time to actually paint this portrait, and thanks to you for supporting him! Also, be sure to come back in a couple of days for the second painting reveal!


--Ashley & Paul

Sunday, June 29, 2014

RELEASE DAY: Primordial Dust by Sarah Daltry + GIVEAWAY!

young pretty kissing wedding couple against sky

Hi guys! Today is a really exciting day - it's the release day for Sarah Daltry's newest book, Primordial Dust! This is Sarah's first adventure in YA Fantasy, and we can't wait to read it! We've got some information about the book and Sarah, as well as an excerpt, dream cast, Sarah's Top Ten Fantasy Movies, and a GIVEAWAY!

Make sure to fill out the Rafflecopter form at the end of this post for your chance to win a signed paperback of Primordial Dust or a $25 gift card to Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or iTunes!

Book Info:


Title: Primordial Dust
Author: Sarah Daltry
Genre: Fantasy (Romance/YA)


A princess, trained to behave. An assassin, betrothed to her. A thief, whose eyes she dreams of at night. A kingdom at war, torn apart by the suppression of magic and truth, as well as family secrets that threaten to destroy decades of peace.

Questions of loyalty, of morality, and of free will culminate in a fantasy novel about forging one’s own path and choosing one’s own destiny.

Buy Links:



pdwar

Excerpt:


Alusia smiles wanly. “What happened in Kooram?” she asks.

“There was a party. We were dancing. Seamus and I were celebrating our engagement...” I pause, ashamed. He sits beside me, unaware of my role in this, oblivious to my own deception. “It was my fault.”

Seamus takes my hand. “Alondra, stop. You know this has nothing to do with you.”

“It has everything to do with her,” Alusia interrupts. “And her mother.”

“Look, although Alondra seems thankful for whatever you want to share with her, I don't care what these secrets are. This is not her fault and she does not need you blaming her.” Seamus's anger is new to me. I have been so amazed by his calm, his kindness; he is more like a Demorian now than I have ever seen him, and I have watched him cut a man's throat.

Alusia sighs. “I do not mean to assign blame. But we can no longer pretend that this was a rogue attack, that these events have not culminated in bringing you here, that fate has not worked its magic to get this book into her hands.” She runs her fingers along the book on her lap.

“It's fine,” I say. “But it was not fate. Maybe I did not make the only bad choices, but choices got us here. And I, for one, am tired of hearing about fate.”

“The attack,” Seamus continues. “It was sudden. A siren spell warned us before the mages were slaughtered. I don't know how they breached the Demorian guard, but without the dying spell of an elder mage, no one would be sitting here right now with you.”

“So you ran?” Alusia asks.

“I don't run,” I argue. “In fact, I am only here because someone kidnapped me in my sleep.”

“It was her father's wish,” Seamus mumbles.

“The forces came quickly. We spread the word to meet in the caves and Kooram split into two groups: those who were running for the caves, and those who would stay behind. My parents were with those running, but I stayed. Ereditus, our commander, rallied the troops. Seamus was already by my side. My friend, Lormander...”

I stop and think of that moment. Sanara's face, broken by the choice he was making, is etched into my memory. I watched her fingers slowly fall from his hand and the agony in her glance as she turned back to see him one last time tore me asunder. And now, somewhere, are they reunited? Did she lead everyone to Tallagut? Did he stay behind in the caves to face his death, remembering her kiss as the blade entered his heart? I choke on the images and tears rest on the precipice of my eyelids.

“We stayed,” I repeat. “There were so many of them. It was chaos. Smoke billowed from the streets, from our homes, from everything that was my childhood. I saw young boys, thinking they were brave, split in twain as the attackers stepped over the corpses, trailing death. What I remember most was the sound. The crash of swords, the screams of the fallen, the crackle of burning. The details are hazy. We left Kooram in ruins when we saw that we were outclassed. I walked through fields of carnage to the caves, only to wake on the other side, in a mirror world, yet untouched.”

“The king, he asked that we come here. He said you had the answers, the only weapon we could use against him,” Seamus adds. My shattered body sits beside him, but my mind and my soul are still with the dead.

“I am an old woman, and a forgotten mage,” Alusia says. “I am also the keeper of secrets and memories. I do not forge steel. My only weapon is knowledge. But that I have in abundance, and I believe it is time Alondra take her share.”

She rises from the dusty chair and approaches. I sense my hands as they lift to take the book she offers; the leather cover is hardened, but smooth to touch. I run my hand along the spine and trace the embossed seal.

“Please take this to your room. You will need time, and you will need privacy. When you are done, I will be waiting for your questions.”


Dream Cast:


alondra
Alondra

A princess of a kingdom lost in time and wrapped in secrets. Snarky and difficult, because life has always been easy, she is unprepared to be the leader she needs to be when her city falls.


seamus2
Seamus:

A trained assassin tasked with keeping his own city, and all the cities of the kingdom, safe. Betrothed to Alondra for diplomatic reasons. Much kinder than his profession reveals.


layla
Layla:

A young girl trained to be an assassin, sent to kill the son of the king. Her hopes rest on succeeding in her quest, because if she fails, there is no alternative but death.





tevlinTevlin:

The mysterious man who captures Alondra’s heart on a night before the world fell apart. His eyes whispered secrets, but they may be secrets that led to the ruin of everything she held dear.





About the Author:


Sarah Daltry writes about the regular people who populate our lives. She's written works in various genres - romance, erotica, fantasy, horror. Genre isn't as important as telling a story about people and how their lives unfold. Sarah tends to focus on YA/NA characters but she's been known to shake it up. Most of her stories are about relationships - romantic, familial, friendly - because love and empathy are the foundation of life. It doesn't matter if the story is set in contemporary NY, historical Britain, or a fantasy world in the future - human beings are most interesting in the ways they interact with others. This is the principle behind all of Sarah's stories.

Sarah has spent most of her life in school, from her BA and MA in English and writing to teaching both at the high school and college level. She also loves studying art history and really anything because learning is fun.

When Sarah isn't writing, she tends to waste a lot of time checking the internet for pictures of cats, shooting virtual zombies, and simply staring out the window.

She has written several books, most notably Bitter Fruits, an urban fantasy in the Eden’s Fall series, Backward Compatible: A Geek Love Story, and the six book New Adult Flowering series, including Forget Me Not, Lily of the Valley, Blue Rose, Star of Bethlehem, Orange Blossom, and Ambrosia.

Social Media Links:



Top Ten:

Sarah’s Favorite Fantasy Movies


The Princess Bride

Labyrinth

The Neverending Story

Brave

The Wizard of Oz

Shrek

Pan’s Labyrinth

Harry Potter (all of them)

Bridge to Terabithia

Mirrormask



The Giveaway!


Win a signed paperback of the novel or a $25 gift card to Apple, Amazon, or B&N!


a Rafflecopter giveaway





Thanks for stopping by and supporting Sarah!


--Ashley & Paul