Thursday, January 15, 2015

The Angels without Wings Series by Chris Smith




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AWOW Series - Scepter of Faith - Book 1


Title: Angels without Wings: Scepter of Faith
Series: The Angels without Wings Series - Book 1
Author: Chris Smith
Publisher: Tate Publishing
Publication Date: March 5, 2013
ISBN: 978-1622956319
Genre: YA Christian Fantasy

For God, we fight; all angels have heard the command. Troy Decker has heard it from his parents countless times. All he wants in life is a chance to prove himself and be granted his scepter - the first gift angels receive from God in their war against Lucifer. Standing in his way is fallen angel Kyle Downey, who used to be best friends with Troy’s parents but is now on a quest to destroy all that is good in the world.

Will Troy ever earn the scepter that God has prepared for him? And what happened between Kyle and Troy’s parents? As the War for Sins rises to heights not seen in generations, Troy must find the strength to hold his faith when demons target his friends and family. In this war, there is only one winner. Will the world fall to demons or be saved by angels?


Book Excerpt: 

Chapter 1, Page 1: Not for the first time in his life, Troy Decker woke from a dream of howling demons. He paused for a moment and reflected on the scene, wishing for what had to be the thousandth time that the dream had been real. He’d prayed for the chance to go on a demon hunt with his dad so many times he’d lost count. He closed his eyes and saw the black claws slashing toward him and heard the fangs snapping at his legs. He could almost feel a sword in his hands, ready to strike the monsters down.

Hunting demons was what he’d been born to do. Most of his prayers to God included a begging request for the chance to stand before the beasts of hell and send them screaming back to the darkness. But as it was, he rubbed sleep from his eyes on the morning of May the 1st knowing he wouldn’t have the opportunity anytime soon. He’d heard so many stories from his parents about the adventures they’d had with his Grandpa John almost twenty years before, but for Troy, only his normal, dreary life lay before him, as usual.

From the look of the sun streaming through the blinds of his bedroom window, it was going to be a glorious day—or should have been, except that it happened to be Troy’s fourteenth birthday. He rolled onto his side and brought his empty hands in front of his face. Only the disappointing emptiness of his skinny fingers and creased palms was present. He closed his hands with one more wish (added to the tally of millions of prayers) that a sword or some other cool weapon was there instead. The lowest of sighs brushed from his lips before he could stop its escape.

“Good morning Troy,” his mom called as she swung open his bedroom door. “Happy Birthday! Fourteen years old… you’ll be driving before you know it.” Her smile welcomed him into the new day better than any ray of sunshine could ever hope to do. “I’m pretty sure you grew an inch last night,” she continued when Troy rolled out of bed to throw on his Nike t-shirt.


Purchase Book: 

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Angels-Without-Wings-Chris-Smith-ebook/dp/B00ARI83HC/ref=asap_B00MUDIDJK_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1417623934&sr=1-1 

Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/angels-without-wings-chris-smith/1114052282?ean=9781625631220

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17275769-scepter-of-faith?ac=1


  AWOW Series - The Path To Sacrifice - Book 2   


Title: Angels without Wings: The Path to Sacrifice 
Series: The Angels without Wings Series - Book 2 
Author: Chris Smith 
Publisher: Tate Publishing 
Publication Date: August 4, 2013 
ISBN: 978-1491022399   
Genre: YA Christian Fantasy


For Troy Decker, the world of angels has always been a familiar mystery. Robes, halos, and wings have filled his dreams since he was old enough to crawl. But it wasn’t until the last year that he truly felt like he was one of God’s chosen angels. 

He’d thought only a miracle would allow him to receive his scepter. And he was one hundred percent correct. When God granted Troy his scepter, he never dreamed it would be for saving ones of his closest friends. But with many things in his angel life, Troy had to sit back and trust in his faith. Not only in God, but in himself and his family and friends. 

Unfortunately, peace rarely finds Troy. With his first gift from God in hand, he must concentrate on the second gift; the robes of an angel - granted for an act of sacrifice. Hindering his progress is a former friend of his parents, Kyle Downey. Kyle is the leader of a group of fallen angels and his sinister plans for Troy bring howling demons and monsters stampeding into the War for Sins. 

Can Troy follow the path God has set in front of him? How will he know what to sacrifice to receive the precious gift? And why, more than anything else in the world, does Kyle Downey want Troy to fall?    

Book Excerpt: 

Chapter 1, page 1: 

For the first time in his life, Troy Decker was on a demon hunt with his dad. Not that it looked to be particularly exciting or dangerous, but it was better than mowing the yard or picking up his room. All they were doing at the moment was staring at an abandoned warehouse near a neighborhood of small, shabby houses on the southwest side of Oklahoma City. 

Troy had been shook awake on the fine spring morning to his dad hovering over his bed with a look of confused determination on his almost always calm face. The normal, perfectly straight part, on the right side, split his brown hair. Barely a sparkle of the yet risen sun filtered through the blinds of Troy’s bedroom. 

“Get ready,” his dad had whispered. “You’re coming with me today. Don’t wake up your mom. Bring your dagger. You may need it.” 

“It’s Saturday,” Troy had responded as he swiped sleep residue from his eyes and stifled a yawn while he pulled the small sheath, which held a dagger sharp enough to slice paper without trying, from under his pillow. “Where are we going?” 

“Have a job to do,” his dad had given as a cryptic response. 

So Troy had rolled out of bed, wolfed down an energy bar, offered by his dad, and shot out the door. Not until they were five minutes down the road did he find out where they were headed. 

“Nylla?” Troy scrunched his face. “How big of an infestation is it?” 

“Big enough to warrant our attention,” his dad had answered never taking his piercing eyes off the road. “We’ve been noticing some activity in the area for the past month. Demon numbers have been increasing all over the place.”   


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AWOW Series - Love's Sweet Sword - Book 3
     


Title: Angels without Wings: Love's Sweet Sword 
Series: The Angels without Wings Series - Book 3 
Author: Chris Smith  
Publisher: Tate Publishing 
Publication Date: February 21, 2014 
ISBN: 978-1494324575   
Genre: YA Christian Fantasy


A ghostly smile haunts Troy Decker’s dreams. A smile of love and sacrifice. A smile that brings heart wrenching waves of guilt. For God, we fight. Troy has long heard the ancient command to God’s angels. His parents have whispered it in his ears with each step. But the last five months have taken a toll on his faith. The War for Sins has raged from one bloody battle to another at the hands of fallen angel, Kyle Downey. Angels have been killed and hordes of demons torn from the depths of hell. 

With the help of his friends, Troy struggles to fight the nightmares of the past. Lurking behind a wall of agonizing blame, his dad stresses the importance of the gifts granted to angels by God. Troy has his scepter and robes, but an act of love stands in the way of his sword – the third gift. His eyes often land on his friend, Angela. On her blonde hair and pink angel marks. On the way her smile leaves him breathless with delight. Each heartbeat brings a vision of drawing her slowly into his arms and softly kissing her lips. 

Can Troy put the past behind him? What will he need to prove to God in order to be granted his sword? Or will Kyle Downey ravage the world and bring an end to the War for Sins?   


Book Excerpt: 

Chapter 1, Page 1: 

For the first time in his life, Troy Decker was on a demon hunt alone. He’d walked and jogged over four hours to find the street where he was standing. Dark houses lined the neighborhood with only a few overhead lights sparking any hope in the gloom. Troy pressed with the Spirit and approached his target with a determined grin on his narrow face. 

It was the eve of his sixteenth birthday, but the normal time of celebration for most teenagers was only another shadowy day to Troy. The last five months had been the worst of his life. Demons filled his dreams whether he was awake or asleep. Howling and cursing, the monsters ate tiny chunks of his soul with each passing minute. Troy shook his head as the memory of the lion-like beast threatened to creep into his thoughts and send a quiver of pain shooting through his chest. 

Quickly, he reached into the pocket of his Nike athletic shorts and withdrew the picture he always had stored somewhere close. 

On it was a chubby, white haired baby with a giant toothless grin. Holding the laughing boy was the prettiest woman in the history of the planet. Dirty blonde hair hung past her shoulders and fell perfectly across her thin back. A pointy chin was nuzzling the baby’s cheek, but everything paled in comparison to the smile. 

The love of the Lord thrived in the lifting of her mouth. 

Troy swallowed an unbidden sob as he peered at his mom. She’d been dead now for over five months. Killed by the poison of a sinna demon’s barb. And it was his fault. Every time he looked at his dad, that fact screamed into his face with thundering certainty.  


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  AWOW Series - Hunting Halos - Book 4     


Title: Angels without Wings: Hunting Halos 
Series: The Angels without Wings Series - Book 4 
Author: Chris Smith  
Publisher: Tate Publishing 
Publication Date: October 2, 2014 
ISBN: 978-1500750237
Genre: YA Christian Fantasy 
   

The past lingers on Troy Decker’s every thought. Losses have piled into the shadows at his heels. The War for Sins has taken a devastating toll on his life. And now, Lucifer has his eyes set on Troy’s very soul. With his chief fallen angel, Kyle Downey, spreading violence and discord around the globe, Lucifer has set plans in motion to end the War and bring a reign of terror upon the Earth. 

For Troy, that means he must rush to receive his final two gifts from God. Gifts that will make him a fully-fledged angel and give him the power to resist Lucifer and all his demons. The granting of his fourth gift – a halo – looms as he struggles to stay one step ahead of Kyle and his Dark Hearts. A simple act of redemption stands in Troy’s way for this blessed sign of an angel. In a race against time, Troy must find the correct path to follow, not only in the eyes of his loved ones, but also for himself… or risk losing everything he knows and loves.   


Book Excerpt: 

Chapter 1, Page 1: 

For the first time in his life, Troy Decker was hunting a human. Or a man who appeared to be human, at least. He’d been dogging the man’s trail on and off for two weeks. Watching and waiting while reading all the news on the mid-term Senate race in northern California. 

Mrs. Chelsie Elliott was the front running Democrat in the Senate race, but her aide and assistant was Troy’s true target. The man was tall and thick. Broad shoulders stretched the expensive three piece suit flashing in the California sunlight. A blood red tie tucked crisply behind the shiny buttons. Neatly cropped hair was parted on the left. Soft grey eyes smiled warmly wherever he happened to look. But a menace resided under the glitzy exterior. 

“We can’t do this alone,” Mrs. Elliott chanted into a microphone behind a wooden podium. “Each of us has a responsibility to turn this country in the right direction. And I’m here to make sure we steer this great ship back on the correct path.” 

Troy shook his head as a gust of hot wind brushed across his face. He was mixed with a crowd of eager voters, but without trying he picked out several staged crew members of the candidate who had been placed to start the cheers and rousing ovations at the right spots of her speech. 

For twenty minutes, Mrs. Elliott blared from one wrong doing of her opponent to the next – never actually discussing any plans to truly help her future constituents’ lives. Troy lingered at the edges of the crowd after she finished and kept his eyes on the man who was constantly scribbling notes to hand to the soon-to-be State Senator. 

As Troy walked to the rented car, a half a block down the street of the small town he’d driven to that morning, his scepter glowed to life in a peaceful hum against his chest. The foot and a half long golden rod had been gifted to him by the very hand of God nearly three years ago. The memory made a smile lift instantly.   


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  Chris Smith   


Chris Smith ignited his love of stories on his sixteenth birthday when his parents gave him a leather bound copy of the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Every year since, he has picked up the book and fallen into the world of hobbits, wizards, warriors, and orcs. To him, it’s a birthday present that will continue to be given each and every year for the rest of his life. 

He began writing at the age of nineteen as a way to purge his mind of cascading plots and reveal the untold stories of characters who follow him around in his day-to-day life. To date, he has written fifteen novels falling mostly into the young adult, fantasy genre; but he has delved into suspense, crime drama, and post-apocalyptic categories as well. 

Currently, Chris is in the middle of writing the Angels without Wings series. The books are young adult fantasy with Christian themes of faith, sacrifice, love, redemption, and forgiveness. Being the father of three young boys is the most important aspect of his life. Worlds of fun and adventure revolve constantly under the roof of their home in Mustang, Oklahoma. 

Contact Chris at: 

 


Contest Giveaway

Pump Up Your Book and Author Chris Smith are teaming up to give away a $25 Amazon Gift Card!

Terms & Conditions:
  • By entering the giveaway, you are confirming you are at least 18 years old.
  • One winner will be chosen via Rafflecopter to receive the prize.
  • This giveaway begins December 3 and ends on January 30, 2015.
  • Winner will be contacted via email on February 1, 2015.
  • Winner has 72 hours to reply.
  • VOID WHERE PROHIBITED.
Good luck everyone!

ENTER TO WIN!

a Rafflecopter giveaway



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Monday, January 12, 2015

One Last Hurrah by Mark & Brenda Smith


One Last Hurrah
Title: One Last Hurrah ... Making Peace and a Difference Author: Mark & Brenda Smith
Publisher: MicroPress Books
Publication Date: September 21, 2014
ISBN: 978-0578150604
Genre: Inspirational / Christian / Self-Help


One Last Hurrah” allows the reader to experience a story of inspiration, inject their own experiences, unlike other books, so that the reader documents their own life story.

This is, not only, a book about a former professional wrestler overcoming loss, but his journey in finding purpose and peace. The book, “One Last Hurrah” , documents medical miracles, overcoming abuse and experiences with drug addiction. Mark and Brenda , both, come from broken homes and have found their calling in life working with youth/children for over 15 years.

Having come from divorce, Mark and Brenda had to decide if they were going to break the family cycles of abuse. They dedicated themselves to helping abused and abandoned children. They have been foster parents for several years and open their home to students who have no where to go. For them to understand their purpose, they had to go through a lot of trials. Mark has suffered mini strokes and multiple concussions from a career in professional wrestling. He had to make peace with the father that instilled a childhood of fear. Brenda witnessed Mark and his brother burying their father with shovels and the nightmares Mark would endure. Later, Mark and several of his friends would develop equipment and would be taken to Capitol Hill. He found himself working with military leaders from all over the world. When Mark wanted to give up on living, doors opened!  


Book Excerpt: 

Chapter One: The Lowest Point in My Life 

I walked into our apartment and called out her name. There was no answer. I began the search; I found her in our bed, face down. I knelt on the bed and gently turned her over on her back. I called her name again, and this time she began what I couldn’t decipher was laughing or crying. Whatever it was, it scared the living heck out of me.

Had I driven her over the edge? I accept total responsibility for whatever was happening to her. I know that I was no good for anyone. She would not respond to me; so I went to the other room and sat on the couch and cried. What have I done to her? Whatever was going on with her, I know I was the cause of it.

As I sat there and cried, she came walking into the room and calmly said, “We’re finished.” I looked up at her, staring blankly at this woman whom I loved (but apparently not in the way she needed to be loved). I felt like a loser, not something that a professional wrestler ever wanted to feel. I slowly got up and walked to the door. I looked back at her, lowered my head, and walked out the door.

I went for a drive to try to absorb what she had just said. Her words kept ringing in my head. “We are finished.” I can’t say that I don’t understand. I do. Our world was ridden with booze, drugs, verbal and mental abuse. I couldn’t think straight.


Purchase Book at: 

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Last-Hurrah-Mark-Brenda-Smith-ebook/dp/B00NT8KCTY/ref=sr_1_2?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1417206086&sr=1-2&keywords=one+last+hurrah  




Mark & Brenda Smith
God has rebuilt Mark's life with his wife, Brenda, of 22 years. Having never thought he was worthy of being a father, Mark and Brenda have been blessed with three wonderful kids. Mark was diagnosed to lose his ability to walk by age 18. He not only beat the odds, but was invited to Spring Training with several Major League clubs and ended up traveling the U.S. working for Ted Turner's World Championship Wrestling.

Brenda has been a Children's Minister for almost 15 years and also loves to lead Women's Bible studies. She has also been a worship leader for Women's Ministry Events. She enjoys singing Contemporary and Southern Gospel music.

Mark, Brenda and their children make their home in Fayetteville, TN

Visit Mark & Brenda online at www.onelasthurrahweb.com 


Contact Mark & Brenda at:

Website: www.onelasthurrahweb.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mark-Brenda-Smith/580166418759709
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Mark_Brenda2014    



Contest Giveaway

Pump Up Your Book and Authors Mark & Brenda Smith are teaming up to give away a $25 Amazon Gift Card!

Terms & Conditions:
  • By entering the giveaway, you are confirming you are at least 18 years old.
  • One winner will be chosen via Rafflecopter to receive the prize.
  • This giveaway begins November 28 and ends on January 30, 2015.
  • Winner will be contacted via email on February 1, 2015.
  • Winner has 72 hours to reply.
  • VOID WHERE PROHIBITED.
Good luck everyone!

ENTER TO WIN!

a Rafflecopter giveaway




One Last Hurrah

Tuesday, January 6, 2015

The Story Behind Rise by D. U. Okonkwo

Getting published was a gradual process for me. After Rise had undergone various rounds of revisions, including having a professional freelance editor take it apart, I did what first time writers do: sought to get Rise traditionally published. Even though the book industry was changing drastically and more authors were empowering themselves by publishing themselves, I had my head buried way to deeply in the old system to fully understand the new changes taking place!

After about four years of revising the book, sending it out to agents and publishers and getting close but not close enough to land a publishing deal, I finally ... finally started to research into what was really happening within the industry. I soon learned that more and more readers are buying books online, that bookstore shelves are dwindling; holding more cuddly toys and board games than books. I also discovered that readers aren't concerned with who a book is published by, what they want is a good quality book reasonably priced, and so that was what I aimed for.

In this new digital age, it is very easy for authors to publish themselves, retain the licensing rights to their work. This means retaining control of their work. This is huge. I believe that authors generations past would have jumped at this opportunity that we authors now have at our disposal.

A literary agent was considering Rise for representation at the time I decided to self-publish, and so I emailed her and withdrew Rise from submission. I then set up my own publishing company, then set about putting my publishing together. I subscribed to several great industry blogs such as The Book Designer, A Newbie's Guide to Publishing, Book Marketing Tools, and The Creative Penn, just to name a few. All of the sites offer great information on how to self-publish the right way.

My publishing team includes: an editor, cover designer, and a formatter. All of these came recommended from either the blogs I mentioned above, or by other authors. I paid for these services only once, and I found great deals which made the whole process very affordable.

Next, I ordered ISBN numbers from the UK ISBN agency. Again this eas ery simple to do, and the ISBNs, which you fill out a form to receive, landed in my inbox a few days after submitting the ISBN application. I was issued ten ISBNs, and I used three of those ISBNs for Rise: one for my paperback version, another for my eBook version, and I will use a third for the audiobook of Rise. It means I have seen ISBNs left to use on forthcoming novels.

Publishing on online retailers such as Amazon is as easy as filling out a form and attaching a file. For readers who don't own a Kindle for an ereading device, I partnered with Draft2Digital to reach them. It's amazing that in this day and age, an author has the same reach as a large publisher, as publishers also upload their authors' books to these same online retailers.

When I first heard of self/indie publishing, it seemed overwhelming, but I have to admit that I've really enjoyed the business side of getting my book to market. I didn't think I would, but I love the sense of empowerment that being in control of your own creative work gives. I decide where and how I publish my book, and when. I decide on how I want my cover to look, and I decide which companies I distribute Rise through. Beautiful.

Some authors don't enjoy the business side of publishing. Truth is though, in every job there are aspects that we may not enjoy. But I think that sometimes we have to either learn to like it or just suck it up and get our heads down and get those aspects done. The alternative is to give someone else the power to make money on your behalf. In this case, you have to pray that the people or company that you've given control of your book to make the right business decisions on your behalf, and pays you fairly.

I have fully embraced the digital age. I'm grateful that I was born at such a time as this. More importantly, I give thanks every day that I decided to learn more about what was happening in the industry so that I could make an informed business decision that works for me.


About The Book:

Title: Rise
Author: D.U. Okonkwo
Publisher: A Few Words Press
Publication Date: January 6, 2015
Pages: 355
ISBN: 978-0993161711 (Paperback) / 978-0993161704 (eBook)
Genre: Literary Fiction
Format: eBook (.mobi / Kindle), ePub, PDF


The extraordinary story of how a facially-scarred and reclusive sculptress breaks free upon discovering the true source of self-esteem. 

Riana "Ria" Ofor is a gifted sculptress whose beautiful creations could draw crowds. But due to the childhood accident that left her facially-scarred, she avoids selling her work publicly, instead scraping a living through online sales. But when a home repossession notice arrives, both her love for sculpting, as well as her home, suddenly come under threat.

Now she is forced to step out of her comfort one and enter the very public world of gallery showings. When she does land a gallery contract however, she finds herself the target of a rival artist after the very same contract. And with malicious lies, he intends to make her regret taking what should have been his. Now, for the first time, Ria must look to find a truth that conquers all lies.


Purchase The Book:
Amazon:http://www.amazon.com/Rise-Rejection-D-U-Okonkwo-ebook/dp/B00RUMK4ZM/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1420521365&sr=1-1&keywords=Rise+DU+Okonkwo


About The Author:


Born and raised in London, D.U. Okonkwo writes commercial literary fiction. She graduated from the University of Salford with a BSc in Business with Spanish which included an ERASMUS exchange living in Salamanca, Spain. Rise is her first novel.

Connect with D.U.:
Author Website:  www.duokonkwo.com
Author Blog: www.duosblog.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/duokonkwo
Twitter:  https://twitter.com/duosays
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/4305929-d-u-okonkwo