Martial Arts Experts and their Frawesome Book Covers

A Clip Art Original: Everybody Was Kung Fu Tapestry

If you, like me, have always wanted to learn martial arts but haven't found the time, here's some vicarious martial arts in fiction. 

Wesley Chu, former Hollywood stuntman, wrote this:

Goodreads

When out-of-shape IT technician Roen woke up and started hearing voices in his head, he naturally assumed he was losing it.

He wasn’t.

He now has a passenger in his brain – an ancient alien life-form called Tao, whose race crash-landed on Earth before the first fish crawled out of the oceans. Now split into two opposing factions – the peace-loving, but under-represented Prophus, and the savage, powerful Genjix – the aliens have been in a state of civil war for centuries. Both sides are searching for a way off-planet, and the Genjix will sacrifice the entire human race, if that’s what it takes.

Meanwhile, Roen is having to train to be the ultimate secret agent. Like that’s going to end up well…


EXCERPT HERE

and Cole Gibsen, who practices Tae Kwon Do, wrote these:

Goodreads

Goodreads

Skater girl or supernatural samurai? Rileigh Martin wants to believe that adrenaline gave her the strength to fend off three muggers in the mall parking lot. But adrenaline doesn't explain the voice in her head giving her battle tips and warnings.

While worrying that she's going crazy (always a reputation ruiner), Rileigh gets a visit from Kim, a handsome martial arts instructor, who tells Rileigh she's harboring the spirit of a five-hundred-year-old samurai warrior.

Relentlessly attacked by ninjas, Rileigh has no choice but to master the katana--a deadly Japanese sword that's also the key to her past. As the spirit grows stronger and her feelings for Kim intensify, Rileigh is torn between continuing as the girl she's always been and embracing the warrior inside her.

Praise: "An action-packed page-turner."--Booklist

EXCERPT HERE

Senshi Book Trailer from ZFilm Productions on Vimeo.

Have you read any martial arts action lately? Do you kung fu?

p.s. In case you missed it yesterday, Angelica revealed our April Mystery Agent and his DOZEN WINNERS.

SHADOWS of the HIDDEN by Anne Riley is here!

It's out! Well, for pre-order!

Link to pre-order (The link to pre-order is in the sidebar)

If you use this pre-order link, shipping is free.

Goodreads page

Facebook page

Anne Riley author website

Blurb:

Natalie Watson doesn't believe her parents are dead, even though they disappeared five years ago. Discovering the truth about their fate is one of the only things that gets her out of bed in the morning. But after moving from her home in Georgia to her aunt's boarding school in Maine, solving the mystery of her parents' whereabouts is just one of several challenges she must face. When she's not fending off attacks from the popular kids, she puzzles over the rumors about a strange boy in her math class--one with fiery red hair who rarely speaks. 

Despite suspicions that he murdered his sister a year earlier, Natalie finds it impossible to stay away from Liam Abernathy--especially when he confesses to knowing something about her parents. Soon she's following him into the forest, where things happen she doesn't understand...things that shouldn't be possible. 

Natalie soon realizes her connection to Liam is deeper than she ever imagined, and not everyone she counts as a friend can be trusted. When she finds herself at the center of a centuries-old quest for immortality, she must work with Liam to stay alive--even if it means facing a truth about herself and her family that will not only shake her perception of herself, but of the entire world around her.

If you ever heard me gush about THE CLEARING by Anne Riley, then you know I am a big fan. SHADOWS OF THE HIDDEN is its reincarnation, put out by Compass Press.

The new cover goes above and beyond my original hopes for it! Covers aside, the content of this book is deep, moving, and wonderful. 

I've been recommending it to my friends for over a year, and now I have a reason to talk about it some more! 

Even though this is a magical book - okay, so it's got magic in it, not made of - it also touches on some very real-world problems, like the cost of bullying, the reality of bereavement. Adults and young adults alike will enjoy the magic and relate to the pain. As a writer, I know it's tough to strike that balance between magic and realism, but Anne Riley does it seamlessly. 

I hope you enjoy Shadows of the Hidden as much as I have. And if you do, skip on over to Anne Riley's page and tell her how it made you feel.

OA regulars, don't forget to polish your one-line pitches for December's Mystery Agent Contest TOMORROW!! See you then!

Happy Book Birthday! Amarok, by Angela Townsend

Woo Hooo!!! So today our very own Angela Townsend's awesome book, Amarok, is released! If you haven't yet picked it up, do so NOW!  Here is the link where you can go buy it on Amazon.

And you can also check it out on Goodreads, here. 

Emma's life has been hell since she moved from sunny California to a remote Alaskan town. Abandoned by her father and living with the guilt of causing her mother's death, she makes a desperate dash for freedom from her abusive stepfather. But when her car skids off the icy road, her planned escape leads to further captivity in a world beyond her imagining.

Dragged across the tundra by an evil mountain man and his enormous black wolf, she learns that love can be found in the most unexpected places. Amarok, as she's nicknamed the wolf, is a young man from the gold-rush era enslaved by an ancient shaman. Emma's gentle touch and kind heart win his love and devotion. When a vicious madman--trapped in bear form by the same Shaman--attacks the travelers and injures Amarok, Emma must find the strength to face her fears and free the wolf she's come to love. But that means she must face down the evil shaman, a Siberian mammoth hunter from the ice age, and he has no intention of giving up his power to her.

About the awesome author

e

Angela Townsend was born in the beautiful Rocky Mountains of Missoula, Montana. As a child, Angela grew up listening to stories told by her grandparents, ancient tales and legends of faraway places. Influenced by her Irish and Scottish heritage, Angela became an avid research historian, specializing in Celtic mythology. Her gift for storytelling finally led her to a full time career in historical research and writing. A writer in local community circulations, Angela is also a published genealogical and historical resource writer who has taught numerous research seminars. Currently, Angela divides her time between writing, playing Celtic music on her fiddle, and Irish dancing. She resides on a ranch, in rural Northwestern Montana, with her two children Levi and Grant.

J.K. Rowling's New Cover....What do you think of it?

So I know that this is two posts from me in one day. I just couldn't help myself this time. Have you all seen the cover reveal of J.K. Rowling's new book. If you haven't here it is!!

Tah DAH!!!!

Hmm....  Can you imagine the conversation that took place between the publisher and the artist.


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Publisher: Hey! I have some exciting news for you!!


Artist: Yeah? What's that?


Publisher: We want YOU to do JK. Rowling's new book cover!!!


Artist: (Screams and jumps up and down, wetting himself on the floor).  REALLY?!!!


Publisher: Yeah! Isn't it awesome!!


Artist: WOO HOOO!!! So, what do you need me to do?? (His creative juices start flowing.)


Publisher: Well....We want you to make... (dramatic pause) a red cover...


Artist: And.... (growing more excited)


Publisher: Yes, a red cover with white writing.


Artist: (leans forward in his chair)


Publisher: And then, we want you to make a black square and but an "X" in it!!


Artist: (Waits for the publisher to continue.)


Publisher: Well?


Artist: Well what? Aren't you going to tell me the rest?


Publisher: I told you the rest. 


Artist: That's it? Just a square and an "X"?


Publisher: And a red cover...oh, with yellow trim.


Artist: (crickets)


Publisher: You still there? Aren't you EXCITED!!


Artist: Um... yeah sure. 


Publisher: We'll need it in 2 months. Think you can get it done by then.


Artist: I just sent it. Finished it already.


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Just for fun, I did a quick mock up of the cover. What'cha think?  (grin)  Oh, and tell me what you think of Rowling's cover. And regardless of the simplicity, I will SO be there to buy it when it comes out. :o)