Showing posts with label Sacrifice. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sacrifice. Show all posts

Tuesday, April 16, 2013

Sacrifice Scavanger Hunt

For more information on the scavenger hunt click here to read the Instructions. What do a conduit, a creature of light and a badass lion shifter have in common? Well plenty. One they have the same parents and two they are all characters in Stacey Rourke's Gryphon Series.  

Sacrifice
Gryphon Series Book #3
Stacey Rourke

Celeste Garrett has finally found a happy balance in her life as the Chosen One, thanks in large part to a certain hunky Irishman. But if there’s any lesson she should heed since receiving her calling it’s that everything can change in the blink of an eye. Soon a terrible new threat, unlike anything she’s ever encountered, causes her to make a gut-wrenching choice that will strip her of someone she holds dear.

As much as she’d like to have a pity party for one, there’s no time for that now because wedding bells are ringing in Gainesboro! In between dress fittings and rehearsal dinners Celeste will have to fend off attacking demons and leering pirates. As if the Dark Army wasn’t scary enough our heroine is faced with the horrifying trauma of attending a bachelorette party with her mom and watching Grams do Jello shots. Is a walk down the aisle even possible for a member of the Garrett family when the Dark Army is out to destroy them? More importantly, will the Dark Army Glee Club sing at the reception?

Raise your glass to the happy couple, and get ready for a wedding…Conduit-style.



You can find Sacrifice

Goodreads-
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16048393-sacrifice
Amazon Kindle-
http://www.amazon.com/Sacrifice-Gryphon-Series-ebook/dp/B00C3ONLP2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1365207335&sr=8-1&keywords=Sacrifice+by+Stacey+Rourke
Amazon Paperback-
http://www.amazon.com/Sacrifice-Stacey-Rourke/dp/0988633442/ref=sr_1_2? ie=UTF8&qid=1365207335&sr=8-2&keywords=Sacrifice+by+Stacey+Rourke
Barnes & Noble Paperback-
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/sacrifice-st-rourke/1113582628?ean=9780988633445
Barnes & Noble Nook-
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/sacrifice-st-rourke/1113582628?ean=2940016688077
Smashwords-
http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/255032


About the Author-
Writing is something I have always done. I can remember in elementary school creating stories that I would stand up and read aloud to my classmates… whether they liked it or not. As I grew older I didn’t flaunt my writing as freely. It became something I did just for me to vent my teenage angst, or chronicle my journey to adulthood. I never thought about becoming a writer because that title prompted the visual of a grey-haired man in a tweed smoking jacket with suede elbow patches, slaving over an old fashion typewriter while puffing away on a pipe. No way was that stuffy kind of life for me. (Plus tweed is itchy.) Instead I wanted to be in the spotlight! I wanted to be–pause for dramatic effect–an actress! I gave it my best shot, too. Got about as far as any aspiring actress can get in Flint, Michigan. Which is exactly no where. But I did get two great things out of my time delving into the theatrical world; I gained the ability to act out the scenes I write to make sure they’re believable (yes, I really do that and no, you can’t watch) and I met my amazing husband.



My theater ambitions behind me, I decided to do the “mature,” “grown up” thing and went back to college. As I worked toward my Bachelor’s degree in marketing I did a lot of writing. Essays, research papers, PowerPoint presentations. All of it mandatory, none of it what I would ever call fun. Even then, becoming a writer never entered my mind. No, then I was going to be a business tycoon… or somethin’. Truth be told, I never picked writing. It picked me. During my time as a stay at home mom I needed an outlet to give me a mental break from diapers, formula and midnight feedings. That’s when my hands found their way back to the keyboard. Story ideas began coming at such an incessant rate that my rapidly clicking fingers couldn’t keep up. Post-It notes and scrapes of paper with story ideas decorated every inch of our house. In mid-conversation with my husband I would dart off to jot down things that would come to me. Sweet guy my hubby is, he would just shake his head at my obvious rudeness and hold my place in the conversation.



My first book was completed for an entire year before I told anyone about it. I outed myself as an author and then sent out my first round of query letters to literary agents. Surely, it would be picked up immediately and become an overnight success! Yeah, not so much. For two years I got rejection, after rejection, after rejection, after rejection…you get the idea. Thankfully with the ever increasing pile of rejections came feedback. I digested all the suggestions and applied the usable ones to my manuscript. Little by little, the rough edges were chipped away and the diamond shone through. The work paid off when I received an email from a publisher offering me a contract on The Conduit.



It’s been a long road, and it ain’t over yet. But now, at thirty-mumble, mumble years old I finally know what I wanna be when I grow up–-a writer.



Follow Stacey Rourke:
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Excerpt
Bernard banged his cane against the floor in six rapid-fire successions. His round face flushed red, then         . “Training time isn’t over!”
Caleb glanced over his shoulder at the glowering          . “What’s with the hostile envir’ment?”
“Oh you know, same old, same old. I don’t respect my              duty of pummeling inanimate objects, blah, blah, blah. Maybe Gabe will train with me to appease Mr. Sunshine.” I looked to my brother with a hopeful expectation.
Bernard folded his arms over his chest and scowled.
“Sorry, Cee,” Gabe raked a hand through his recently grown-out hair. He usually kept it buzzed, but Alaina insisted he grow it out for the wedding. He fiddled with the whole inch of it almost as much as Kendall did with hers. The two of them had daily scuffles over ‘mirror time’ in the bathroom. My low maintenance ponytail and I were very                    by this.
“I don’t need to train,” he said with a cocky smirk. “I’m a lion. It doesn’t get any more               than that.”
Gabe ignored my eye-roll and circled his hands around Alaina’s slender wrists to pull her into his waiting arms. She giggled and wrapped her arms around his neck.
“Couples suck,” Kendall grumbled and tossed the bridal magazine aside.
Against the far wall of the garage—flanked by Gram’s flamingo lawn ornaments—Bernard’s pinched up         face warned of an impending gnome-sized embolism.
Just as he opened his mouth to unleash what was sure to be a nasty verbal bashing, Caleb intervened, “I’ll spar with her.”
Bernard’s beady eyes narrowed. “I don’t know ... ”
“I think it’s a heck of a lot more effective than me fighting a bag.” I matched Bernard’s arm fold and raised him a                   sneer.
Bernard took a deep breath in through his nose, and let it out through pursed lips. “Fine. Do not hold back,” he barked at Caleb, then pointedly turned his glare to me, “at all.”
“Wouldn’t dream of it,” Caleb shot me a wink.
Gabe unchained the punching bag and leaned it against Grandpa’s dusty old work bench, then took a seat on the floor with Alaina and Kendall. Caleb and I faced off in the center of the garage. He yanked off his hooded sweatshirt and tossed it to his sister (That would be Alaina, by the way. Long story. He was abducted by a demonic army as a child and she joined the good guys as a Spirit Guide. Huh, look at that. I made a long story surprisingly short.)
He brought his hands up and struck a defensive pose. The thin material of his           t-shirt tightened across thethe                  muscles of his torso. That visual stimuli caused a wandering gaze that couldn’t be helped. With his knees slightly bent, his jeans hugged his thighs in a way that proved very distracting.
“Ahem ... I’m up here,            . Not that I don’t appreciate a good oglin’.”
I hurriedly assumed a fighting stance, my cheeks and ears                 bright red. “Sorry. I’m good. Let’s do it. This! Let’s do this!” Gabe, Alaina, and Kendall all snickered from the sidelines. “Crap. Let’s just get this over with.”
Caleb’s                         face folded in mock hurt. “Ya say it like that and I’m inclined tah think ya won’t enjoy it at all.”
“I think we both know that’s not true.” I grinned.
“Well then...” He jerked his head to the side to crack his neck and blinked hard. When his eyes opened the           was gone. In its place blazed            red irises. Visible red flames danced beneath the surface of his skin. “Give us a kiss.”

Saturday, February 9, 2013

Stacey Rourke's Blog Tour!



The Litter Box…Scoop Daily is lucky to be hosting the last tour stop before Stacey Rourke’s special post on her own blog. She decided to bring her friend with her. Yes, I know her characters are make believe but let’s all pretend she isn’t talking to herself in public okay ;-) Let’s all welcome Stacey and the awesome sidekick Kendall. (We all know sidekicks are the best part of any story, right? Without a good one or two, you are just another crazy person with super strength.) Now let’s get to it!

Stacey-Thank you all for being here! Today as my guest I have Kendall Garrett, one of the stars of The Gryphon Series. Kendall, thanks so much for joining us!
Kendall-(big beaming grin) Thank you for having me! This is so cool. I feel like I’m on Jimmy Kimmel Live!
Stacey-Well our audience may be smaller but no less fun.
(Crowd hoots and applauds. Kendall gives them doe eyes over her shoulder—toothpaste commercial grin still in place.)
Stacey-(suddenly serious) But let’s get down to the real story here Kendall. According to The Gryphon Series you’re a creature of love that is practically incapable of being mean or nasty to anyone. Is that true?
Kendall-(blinking rapidly in obvious confusion) Uh…yeah. I thought we were gonna talk about stuff like who I want to play me in The Conduit movie, because I’m thinking Ashley Benson from Pretty Little Liars could totally rock playing me.
Stacey-(waves hand dismissively) Yeah, no one cares. What people really wanna know is how deep this “creature of love” thing goes. I mean are you able to get angry at people?
Kendall-(shrugs) Sure, I can get angry but then I remember pretty quick that all people are basically good inside and it passes.
Stacey-(leans back in her chair and folds her arms over her chest) That’s…annoyingly optimistic. So you never get so ticked off that you just fly off the handle at anyone?
Kendall-(With a smile so sweet it causes cavities) Nope. Not really.
Stacey-(Her eyes narrow) Even the fact that I openly refer to you and your brother as “sidekicks” in my new novella The Sidekick Chronicles? That doesn’t bug you at all?
Kendall-(Blonde hair bobs around her face as she shakes her head) Not at all. Gabe gets bent out of shape by that, but I’m happy to help our little team in any way I can. I don’t care what title I go by.
Stacey-(leans forward with her elbows on the desk.) Your boyfriend Keith breaks your heart in the novella. That didn’t make you want to unleash a little fury on him?
Kendall- (Presses lips together and considers this before again shaking her head.) Not really, we’re young. This is the time in our lives when we make silly mistakes that we learn from.
Stacey-What about when people cut you off in traffic?
Kendall-Clearly they have somewhere important to be! I just hope they arrive safely.
Stacey-The Kardashians are stupid.
Kendall-(sucks in a shocked breath then struggles to regain her composure) You are…ahem…entitled to your own opinion about that wonderful family.
(Audience erupts in a taunting “oooooooooooooo”)
Stacey-(with a victorious smile) So you can be rattled!
Kendall-Cannot!
Stacey-Can too!
Kendall-Cannot!
Stacey-I’m going to give you an awful hair day in Sacrifice, book 3 of the Gryphon Series.
Kendall-(gasps and hisses through her teeth)You witch! You wouldn’t dare!
Stacey-(to the audience) And there ya have it folks! Well that’s all the time we have for today! Thanks so much Kendall for being here…
Kendall-(huffs) Way to go, you proved to the world you’re, like, annoying enough to tick off even a creature of love.
Stacey-And thank all of you for joining us! Look for Kendall and the rest of the Garrett gang in The Gryphon Series available now in print and ebook!
Kendall-You know my brother morphs into a lion, right? Totally telling him you called him a sidekick. (grumbles) Purposely give me a bad hair day? Un-uh! I’ll make sure he bites you.

**
About the Author


Young Adult and Teen Reader voted Author of the Year 2012.

Stacey Rourke is the author of the Gryphon Series. She lives in Michigan with her husband, two beautiful daughters, and two giant, drooly dogs. Stacey loves to travel, has an unhealthy shoe addiction and considers herself blessed to make a career out of talking to the imaginary people that live in her head. She is currently hard at work on the continuations of this series as well as other literary projects.



Find the Author Here

Visit her at www.staceyrourke.com

Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Stacey-Rourke/

or on Twitter @Rourkewrites.



Book Feature


The Conduit

All 18-year-old Celeste Garrett wants is to head off to college and make those fun, yet ill-advised, choices college kids are known for. And maybe to spend some time with the hot cameraman she just met. Instead, because of a pact her ancestors made in the 17th century with a mythical creature, she has to save the world.




While normal kids are slamming energy drinks and cramming for exams, Celeste will get her adrenaline rush fighting a fire breathing dragon. She wants to meet friends in the quad to exchange lecture notes, but first she must exchange blows with a shapeshifting demon on the rooftop. Life isn’t always fair for a superhero, but at least she doesn’t have to do it alone. With her brother and sister as sidekicks, they alternate between saving lives and getting on each others’ nerves. Together the trio encounters unspeakable odds, mystical forces and comes face-to-face with an image that will haunt them forever—their grandmother in a leopard print bikini.

"Okay, little side note here. If a psychopathic killer asks if you want to see a trick, say no. That’s the smart thing to do. I, on the other hand, responded, 'Bring it'."

-excerpt from THE CONDUIT


Embrace


Book Two in the Gryphon Series



Whether she likes it or not, eighteen year old Celeste Garrett has come to terms with being the Chosen One. She knew having a “normal life” would be tricky, between intense training sessions and epic demonic battles, but she didn’t know at what cost it would come. That is, until a dear friend is harmed by the malicious forces hunting her.



Now, she’d like nothing more than to retreat into a hermit lifestyle to prevent anyone else from getting hurt. But startling revelations, amazing new abilities, and mortifying moments in front of insanely hot guys won’t allow time for that. Soon, Celeste finds herself surrounded by darkness and wondering who she can trust—if anyone.


The Sidekick Chronicles (A Gryphon Series Novella)




Celeste isn't the only member of the Garrett family whose life changed when destiny called. Every sidekick has their tale and in this Gryphon Series short the spotlight is turned on Kendall, Grams and even Gabe. Get an inside look at the hilarious stress that goes along with being a...sidekick.
Sidekicks...ya can't live with 'em and you'd probably die horribly without 'em.



Sacrifice (COMING SOON)



Celeste Garrett has finally found a happy balance in her life as the Chosen One, thanks in large part to a certain hunky Irishman. But if there’s any lesson she should heed since receiving her calling it’s that everything can change in the blink of an eye. Soon a terrible new threat, unlike anything she’s ever encountered, causes her to make a gut-wrenching choice that will strip her of someone she holds dear.



As much as she’d like to have a pity party for one, there’s no time for that now because wedding bells are ringing in Gainesboro! In between dress fittings and rehearsal dinners Celeste will have to fend off attacking demons and leering pirates. As if the Dark Army wasn’t scary enough our heroine is faced with the horrifying trauma of attending a bachelorette party with her mom and watching Grams do Jello shots. Is a walk down the aisle even possible for a member of the Garrett family when the Dark Army is out to destroy them? More importantly, will the Dark Army Glee Club sing at the reception?



Raise your glass to the happy couple, and get ready for a wedding…Conduit-style.


Goodreads bookshelf

Casse's bookshelf: read

Truly, MadlyThe Final Dance TrilogyUnder Sea's ShadowIn Stone's ClaspOn Fire's WingsTalk Me Down

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