Blog Tour The Word of the Muse by Bridgette Dutta Portman
This is my post during the blog tour for The Word of the Muse by Bridgette Dutta Portman.
The Word of the Muse, the thrilling conclusion to the Coseema Saga trilogy, is perfect for fans of space opera, portal fantasy, art-based magic, coming-of-age adventures, and novels about mental health, confidence, and finding the hero in ourselves.
The Word of the Muse (The Coseema Saga #3)
By Bridgette Dutta Portman
Genre: Science Fiction/ Fantasy
Age category: Young Adult
Release Date: 25 April 2023
Blurb:
A daring rescue. A villain in pursuit. A battle for the suns themselves.
With Coseema off planet, Olive has bought herself some timeâbut the clock is ticking. After a risky rescue mission, she and her friends make their way to the center of the rebellion against Emperor Burnash, who is desperate to capture Olive and claim her power for his own. Without her journal, Olive must rely on her newfound courage to elude Burnash and help her friends. But that courage is put to the test as she and Coseema clash in a final showdownâone that will decide the fate of a star system.
The Word of the Muse, the thrilling conclusion to the Coseema Saga trilogy, is perfect for fans of space opera, portal fantasy, art-based magic, coming-of-age adventures, and novels about mental health, confidence, and finding the hero in ourselves.
Earlier books in the series:
The Twin Stars: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09871ML97 The Silver Sail: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09Z3R5MF5 â
About the Author:
Bridgette Dutta Portman is an author, playwright, and teaching artist. Dozens of her plays have been produced across the United States and overseas. She holds an MFA in creative writing from Spalding University, as well as a PhD in political science from the University of California, Irvine. She is past president of the Playwrightsâ Center of San Francisco and is currently a member of Same Boat Theater Collective, the Pear Playwrightsâ Guild, and the Dramatistsâ Guild. She recently joined the board of the Pear Theatre in Mountain View, CA. The Twin Stars is her debut novel, and the first of a planned trilogy. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband Deepanshu and their two young children.
Giveaway
There is a tour wide giveaway for the blog tour of Word of the Muse. One winner wins a $25 Amazon or Barnes and Noble gift card (winnerâs choice).
Cargo 3120: Ties That Bind
Cargo 3120 Book 1
by Aaron Walker Sr.
Genre: Science Fiction, Space Opera
Winner – 2023 Literary Titan Gold Book Award
Honorable Mention – 2022 Beach Book Festival
Honorable Mention – 2022 San Francisco Book Festival
Fans of Star Wars, Dune, and Star Trek buckle up…
…because there’s another intergalactic franchise that’s about to suck you into a futuristic adventure like you’ve never experienced before!
The year is 3120 and the Milky Way is in turmoil. Each alien race, including humans, is fighting over the scraps of what’s left of Krillium, the current energy source.
But there’s a new source of energy on the horizon: Ladium Crystals…
…And that’s about to change everything as the powers of the universe jockey for control, knowing whoever gets control of this precious resource will reign supreme within the galaxy.
It all starts when Captain Marcus La’Dek, a retired mercenary fulfilling one last mission to help his old buddies, unknowingly finds himself right smack in the middle of this galactic power struggle when he transports mysterious CARGO to the outer reaches of the stars.
If you’ve been searching for the next big book, this is it!
This action-packed science fiction novel is a high-octane, fast-moving adventure that will literally reach out and grab your attention from chapter one and not let you catch your breath until you’ve reached the last page!
About the Author
After serving in the United States Army, award-winning author, Aaron Walker, Sr. attended college where he graduated with honors, receiving a Bachelor of Science degree in Game Software Development.
Aspiring to become a writer, Aaron learned the art of screenwriting and storytelling from award-winning writer, producer, published author, and Science Fiction guru: Larry Brody (Star Trek TNG, Star Trek Voyager, HBOâs Spawn the Animated Series).
Aaronâs first teleplay: CARGO (upon which the award-winning novel: Cargo 3120 Ties that Bind is based, (a concept he co-created with Daymond C. Roman and Lloyd Walker Jr.), placed as a finalist in the TVWriter.com 2012 People’s Pilot competition.
The following year the pilot episode of Cargo would once again, along with Episode 2 (co-written with Daymond C. Roman) place as finalists in the People’s Pilot competition. With the positive reception of the concept, he decided to tell the story of Cargo 3120 as a series of novels.
Having been a fan of Science Fiction since he was a child, Aaron hopes to one day make his mark on the genre.
Cargo 3120: Ties that Bind is the winner of the April 2023 Literary Titan Gold Book Award. His exciting sci fi novel has also received an Honorable Mention at the 2022 Beach Book Festival, and at the 2022 San Francisco Book Festival.
Bound by Blood
by DV Fischer & Amanda K. Mann
Genre: Dark Curvy Girl Vampire Romance
“Then buckle up, baby. It’s going to be one hell of a show.”
Carly Harris is a nobody. Sheâs just a regular girl, albeit strong-willed, who lives in the city of Gravesdale with her best friend Lily. She thought Gravesdale was a regular, nothing but an ordinarily crowded city, until the day she got attacked by a tall, dark, and handsome man. A man who sunk his teeth into her neck in a dark alley. Sheâs determined to find the truth about the man behind her attack because as far as sheâs concerned, vampires exist. Little does she know, the truth will result in something far more complicated than the discovery of a supernatural race: she would fall in love.
Landon Creed is darkness personified. As a vampire, he lives solely for his next kill as well as his next meal, while also completing the jobs his father sends him on. That is his life and heâs perfectly fine with it. Heâs merciless and cold, loves inflicting pain, and does so without remorse. Until he meets Carly. Having nabbed her off the street, he has every intention of draining her dry to satiate the monster inside of him. But something happens the moment her blood touches his lips and it prevents him from killing her. A connection forms, one he does not understand, and he finds himself drawn to her like a moth to a flame.
The connection between them is forbidden and punishable by death. Both Landon and Carly find themselves facing the toughest decision of their lives; find a way to break the bond between them in order to save their lives or choose each other and face the consequences head on.
Book Links:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Bound-Blood-Curvy-Vampire-Romance/dp/B0BXN93KW9/ Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/123277707-bound-by-blood USA Today bestselling and two-time Iowa award-winning author D. Fischer (DV Fischer) is a mother of two very busy boys, a wife to wonderful husband, and an owner of two sock-loving German Shorthair Pointers. They also have a cat named Geralt, but since Geralt adopted them and not the other way around, the cat is more of a tenant who occasionally purr-purrs for his rent, if he’s not too busy murdering nerf darts. Together, they live in Orange City, Iowa.
When D. Fischer isn’t chasing after her children, she spends her time typing like a mad woman while consuming vast amounts of caffeine. Sometimes, if her husband can manage to remind her of the real world outside her office window, they hike!
Known for the darker side of imagination, she enjoys freeing her creativity through worlds that don’t exist, no matter how much we wish they did. DV Fischer is a second pen name for D. Fischer.
Amanda K. Mann is a Cali girl, born and raised. Sheâs the mother of two amazing children, both a son and a daughter, and a wife to an amazingly supportive and loving Marine husband. Which means she gets to move every three years or so.
Animal lover and Supernatural addict, she spends most of her free time with her nose stuck in a book or typing away at some new idea that popped into her brain. Her blood type is caffeine and she is a sucker for cute otter pics.
Magic Corrupts, Magic Conquers Warrior of the Divine Sword Book 2 by A.J. Locke Genre: Paranormal Urban Fantasy
What if the world changed overnightâŠand it was all because of you?
All Pennrae wanted to do was to help. Now sheâs found herself in a world thatâs been instantaneously transformed by magicâŠthat she brought back. Sheâs gone from a simple karate instructor to an instant celebrityâand she hates it. Fortunately, she has her friends, her beloved magic companion, and one ridiculously hot boyfriend.
But a sudden, unprompted attack in broad daylight is about to make Pennâs life even more complicated. An ancient forest guardian known as a Kiabiâa warrior of magic and almost impossible to defeatâhas marked Penn to die. The attack at first seems incidental and unprovokedâŠuntil she discovers the true cause. Her. Penn may have saved the world, but her actions have set a chain of events in motion. In one brief moment, something dark, terrible, and older than time itself found an opportunity to escape, to free itself from the guardians and mark Pennrae as its enemy. Now the world and everyone she loves face a gruesome fate unless Penn can unleash the full force of her Divine magic…
The Warrior of the Divine Sword series is best enjoyed in order.
I’ll Love You Tomorrow The Trading Heartbeats Trilogy Book 3 by Julie Navickas Genre: Contemporary Romantic Suspense Follow your heart, even if it takes you all the way to Las Vegas. For precisely $102 dollars, Mitch Benson and Lauren Templeton marry in a 15-minute ceremony inside a little Las Vegas chapel. Soulmates since elementary school, nothing makes more sense than eloping to Sin City for a secret wedding. But seven years later, the brilliant glare from the city of lights has faded. Scratch that. The bulbs are burnt out. In fact, the wiring may have been faulty all along. Bitterly accepting that their marriage is coming to an end, Mitch and Lauren stray further and further from the love that once blossomed on the playground of their youth. Lauren sells her soul to Pier Ninety-Two, her once-fabulous restaurant in downtown Los Angeles now a sad shadow in the Saturday night party scene. And Mitch falls into the armsâer, legsâof none other than childhood enemy, Tess Browning. Devastated by the direction their love has spiraled, Mitch and Lauren make one last trip to the city of second chances, hoping to turn their pennies into the million-dollar love they once shared. Will their last roll be a miracleâor a mirageâin the desert? Amazon * Apple * B&N * Kobo * Bookbub * Goodreads Book Links: Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BW7PZHQV Apple: https://books.apple.com/us/book/id644576439Her eyes glimmered under the streetlights, their dark brown hue lit up by the dazzling glow of the city.
She smiled, stepping closer to his body to allow a couple to pass behind her. The evening breeze caught
in her hair, each of her dark strands dancing across her shoulders.
His body warmed as she moved nearer, the smile on her lips squeezing his heartstrings with the ghosts
of the past. Their spontaneous wedding day flashed before his eyes⊠the red eye flight to Vegas⊠the
little white wedding chapel⊠and the celebratoryâŠ
âHot dogs,â he answered, gripping her hand and leading the way down the Strip.
She snorted. âWell, tradition, I guess.â
Wrapping his arm around her waist, he pointed to their right. âCome on, I think the food trucks are this
way. At least they used to be.â
Nodding, she fell in step with his long strides as they dodged and weaved in and out of the mob of
tourists ready to experience the nightlife of the adult playground. On their right, the fountains of the
Bellagio burst to lifeâswaying in synchronizationâlit up by the golden lights reflected in the pool.
âI think thatâs where Austin wants to propose tomorrow.â Lauren pointed to the grand hotel and dancing
fountains.
Swarms of people lined the railing, ogling the show.
âWhy did he need us here then? Heâll have hundreds of people surrounding him.â
She rolled her eyes. âOh, come on. I think itâs kind of sweet that he wants to make it a big deal!â
âAnd you think thatâs what Casey wants? A spectacle?â
Frowning, Lauren gripped his upper arm and squeezed as they crossed the street, leaving the
magnificent fountains behind.
His stomach dipped at the pinch of her fingers on his bare skin.
âI think what Casey wants most⊠is just Austin. It doesnât matter how.â
The greasy scent of street food pummeled into his nostrils as a line of white trucks and picnic tables
appeared down a side street. Mitch pointed at the second truck, the words âHotdogs in a Hurryâ painted in
big bold yellow letters. âAnd what is it that you want most?â
What do you want? A divorce? OrâŠ
She scrunched her nose and shrugged. âChicago style, I guess?â
I didnât really mean hotdogsâŠ
Grinning, he gripped her hand and led her over to the truck to place their order. The desert wind picked
up, ruffling through his hair as a chill tingled his skin.
âWill you hold my purse for a second?â Pushing the bag toward his chest, she pulled her dark hair back
into a ponytail, wrapping the long strands together with a pink tie from her wrist. Her high cheekbones
stood out, complemented by the rosy hue growing on her skin. She grinned, dropping her gaze as her
natural beauty punctured his heart, reminiscent of the first day they met. âWhat?â
The words spilled from his lips, unfiltered. âYou look really pretty tonight.âJulie Navickas is an award-winning, nationally recognized contemporary romance novelist, known for
her keen ability to tell heart-wrenching, second-chance love stories through relatable characters with
humility, humor, and heroism. She is also an award-winning university instructor and serves as the
executive director of The Writing Champions Project. Julie earned masterâs degrees in both
organizational communication and English studies with an emphasis in book history, as well as a
bachelorâs degree in public relations, graduating cum laude from Illinois State University.
Of Wings and Shadows
Of Cinder and Bone #5.5
by Kyoko M.
Genre: Science Fiction, Contemporary Fantasy
In a modern-day world teeming with marauding dragons, there is only one solution: The Wild Hunt.
The United States government has decided to hold a tournament called The Wild Hunt to determine who will be responsible for the capture of wild dragons by the Knight Division. The four challengers Noah Wilson, Charlie Howard, Su Jin Han, and Beowulf have to catch five deadly dragons alive if they want to win the tournament and become the new Knight Division dragon hunters. Their journey will take them through the mountains of South Carolina, the seas of Key West, the caverns of Ruby Falls, the Redwood forest, and finally, the murky bayous of Louisiana. Will they succeed against their competition, or will the dragons of the Wild Hunt be too wild to tame?
Of Wings and Shadows is the sixth book in the Of Cinder and Bone series. It takes place in medias res of Book Five, Of Claws and Inferno. It follows Of Cinder and Bone, Of Blood and Ashes, Of Dawn and Embers, and Of Fury and Fangs.
**PreOrder now for Only .99cents!**
Amazon * Apple * Kobo * Smashwords * Books2Read * Bookbub * Goodreads
Kyoko M is a USA Today bestselling author, a fangirl, and an avid book reader. She has written the Amazon bestselling Black Parade urban fantasy series as well as the Of Cinder and Bone science-fiction dragon hunting series. She has a Bachelor of Arts in English Lit degree from the University of Georgia, which gave her every valid excuse to devour book after book with a concentration in Greek mythology and Christian mythology. When not working feverishly on a manuscript (or two), she can be found buried under her Dashboard on Tumblr, or chatting with fellow nerds on Twitter, or curled up with a good Harry Dresden novel on a warm Georgia night. Like any author, she wants nothing more than to contribute something great to the best profession in the world, no matter how small.
Giveaway
$5 Amazon giftcard,
Of Wings and Shadows ebook
-1 winner each!
Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!
https://www.silverdaggertours.com/sdsxx-tours/of-wings-and-shadows-cover-reveal Naturally, it was a hot and damp morning in Louisiana, already over seventy-degrees Fahrenheit, but the lack of cloud cover made it easier for them to see into the bayou. The water gradually deepened as the two canoes glided into the swampland. Trees and shrubs flanked them, the waterâs surface swirling and teeming with vegetation and wildlife. Birds called out from their perches. Frogs croaked. Bugs buzzed to and fro. There were turtles and small gators resting on fallen logs, basking in the sunlight. Spanish moss hung down from the tree branches and swayed gently in the breeze. Not counting the hostile dragon awaiting them, it was a beautiful sight. âPositive reading on the tracker,â Charlie said over the comm-link. âItâs definitely still in its lair and not out hunting yet.â âWhat Charlie said,â Penelope agreed. âIâve passed overhead and Iâm gonna keep an eye on the perimeter, over.â âThanks, Penelope,â Yusuke said. âJust make sure youâre not close enough for him to hear and want to inspect the helicopter, over.â âGod forbid. I saw what happened during Dr. Anjaliâs hunt of the hydra dragon and I am not interested in recreating that scenario, over.â By the time they paddled to the dragonâs lair, the creatureâs presence became rather apparent. All the nature sounds in the area had ceased; the animals knew there was a predator on the loose and behaved accordingly. The clearing had a massive willow tree that had either tipped over from being top-heavy or was shoved over by the wyvern for shelter. âAnyone else getting signal interference?â Beowulf asked. Yusuke frowned at the display screen in the suitâs left forearm. âYeah, mineâs starting to act wonky. Itâs not getting a precise reading. Penelope, whatâs on radar, over?â âItâs a little tough due to the other wildlife in the area. Iâm showing two possibilities: one to your two oâclock and another to your ten oâclock, over.â âSu Jin and I will take the ten oâclock. Beowulf, check out the two oâclock.â He angled his paddle to the other side, as did Su Jin, drifting their canoe towards the blip on their tracker screens. Beowulf turned his canoe as well in the opposite direction. Once they were only a few yards out, Su Jin and Yusuke exited the canoe and he tied it to the branch of a nearby tree. The water was waist-high for him, meaning it was nearly chest-deep for Su Jin, so they moved towards the blip on their trackers with their rifles drawn. The blip in question was an embankment with another large willow drooping over the water that had sticks and fallen branches piled up like a dam. The water was too deep to get a good look below the surface past a few inches. âMan, talk about Lake Placid vibes,â Su Jin muttered as the two of them neared the target. âWhatâs the play?â âCould be our dragon, could be a gator,â Yusuke said quietly. âIâm gonna try the whistle to draw it out. Ready?â She nodded tightly. He flipped his helmetâs visor up and then plucked the whistle from his utility belt. He counted to three, then blew it. Nothing. Just still waters and a light breeze. Then a bubble popped a few inches from Su Jin. And before she could turn to face it, something dragged her underwater. âSu Jin!â Yusuke plunged his hands into the water where sheâd just been, but didnât make contact. âEveryone, converge on me. Somethingâs got Su Jin.â âTo your five oâclock!â Noah said as he flew Jiahao over towards him. Yusuke turned just in time to see a glimpse of rainbow-hued scales and then the disturbance of the shifting water as Su Jin struggled beneath the surface. The wyvern appeared to be dragging her along the bottom of the bayou, twirling to disorient her like a gator would. He lunged for her as soon as he spotted her, but all he came away with was her helmet. âShit!â He tossed her helmet into the canoe and followed the wake behind the dragon, which was headed for the fallen willow tree. He reached into the water a second time and caught her by the wrist, pulling hard so that her head finally broke the surface. Su Jin gasped and sucked in a huge breath, crying out, âheâs got my ankle!â Noah landed Jiahao beside Yusuke and grabbed her other arm. The wyvern was no match for Noahâs immense strength; heâd stopped it from dragging her further away, but her head sank below the surface before they could stop it. The wyvernâs colorful feathers along its spine surfaced as it tried to yank her free from their grip. Beowulf jumped on its back, grabbing at the creatureâs throat to try and get it in a half-nelson. The effort was enough to annoy the creature. It let go of Su Jin and began to roll in the water, bucking like a bronco to get Beowulf dislodged. Yusuke hauled Su Jin out of the water at long last, but she was limp in his grasp. Her vital signs on his HUD indicated she was alive, but had swallowed too much water. He gripped her in the Heimlich maneuver and did it twice. She convulsed, then spat out two lungfuls of water, coughing harshly. âIâve got to get her medical attention,â Yusuke told Noah. âDonât forget the plan. Iâll be back as fast as I can.â âRoger that.â He carefully tucked her into the other seat of the canoe and then climbed inside himself, quickly paddling back towards the parking lot. The wyvern knocked Beowulf loose and then stood to its full height, the water reaching just under its chest. Its brilliant scales glittered in the sunlight in a wide range of colors as did its feathers. Unlike typical six-limbed dragons, its front legs were its wings, so it moved about like a pterosaur with clawed appendages. It had a long, plumed tail and sharp fangs that it flashed as it took a deep breath and then aimed its powerful, paralyzing screech at the hunters. A horrifying, high-pitched wail filled the air, making them flinch, but their protective ear pieces did their job. The wyvernâs screech lasted roughly ten seconds, then it visibly recoiled upon noting its prey hadnât been affected. âYeah, thatâs right, big boy,â Beowulf sneered as he looked through the sights of the net launcher. âAinât gonna be a walk in the park like your other victims.â Just before he could shoot, the dragon spread its enormous wings and took off. âDammit!â Noah slid back into his saddle and flew after it. Charlie and Yufei joined him in the pursuit while Penelope maneuvered her helicopter into the dragonâs flight path. Once it realized it was surrounded, the wyvern spun head-over-heel in mid-air and then flew straight at Noah. Noah tried to bank, but the wyvern hit him square in the chest and knocked him off Jiahaoâs back. He fell twenty feet, bounced off several tree limbs, and crashed into the bog. Â âNoah!â Charlie shouted, panicked when the dragon hunter didnât rise. He flew Yufei down into the bayou and then jumped off, wading through to the damaged log Noah had landed on. He yanked off the older manâs helmet and checked his pulse. To his relief, he was still alive, just unconscious from the fall. âOkamura, we need you back as fast as you can; Noahâs down for the count.â âChikushĆ. Okay, Iâm on my way.â Charlie made sure to prop Noah up against the log so he wouldnât slip underwater and squeezed his shoulder. âHang in there, buddy.â He hopped back into the saddle and then Yufei took off. The wyvern had been chasing Jiahao, who circled the area once he noticed where Noah had fallen. Jiahao just barely moved his tail out of the way of the wyvernâs jaws, prompting Charlie to pull out a pair of bolas. He flung it at the wyvern and the cables wrapped around the upper half of its wings. The wyvern plunged back into the bayou with an enormous splash. Jiahao flew down and stayed by Noahâs side until Yusuke returned and then followed him back towards the ambulance. Â
