Showing posts with label Lina Langley. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Lina Langley. Show all posts

Release Blitz + Giveaway: The Power of Love by Sydney Blackburn & Lina Langley


The Power of Love is officially released! Celebrate with authors Sydney Blackburn & Lina Langley and IndiGo Marketing! Learn more about the superhero romance today and enter in the $10 NineStar Press credit giveaway!


Title:  The Power of Love
Author: Sydney Blackburn, Lina Langley
Publisher:  NineStar Press
Release Date: March 26, 2018
Heat Level: 3 - Some Sex
Pairing: Male/Male
Length: 88300
Genre: Science Fiction, LGBT, superheroes, action, romance, science fiction

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Synopsis

The #1 rule of superhero training camp is you don’t talk about superhero training camp.

Or your parents.

Or their powers, which is the only thing saving Vince’s life—he’s the son of a notorious supervillain. But the secret could become a deadly deception when he falls into a super-powered entanglement with gorgeously heroic cabinmate Locke.

When their instructor disappears, Vince’s father may be to blame. Torn between loyalties, Vince’s greatest fear is that his father’s taint will corrupt him and poison his heart against Locke.

Vince might be doomed to follow in his father’s footsteps, but he hopes love can beat genetics.

Excerpt

The Power of Love
Lina Langley and Sydney Blackburn © 2018
All Rights Reserved

Chapter One
Vincent Silva breathed a sigh of relief when he saw his grade posted on the bulletin board. He’d already passed the entrance exams to be at Camp Hologram, but the on-site test was vital.

He didn’t recognize the names of the three other guys in Cabin One, but he never expected he would. Kids with power-gifted parents were raised to protect their identities, for everyone’s safety. He didn’t want anyone to know who his father and stepmother were. Especially his stepmother, though he hated to use that word. It went the other way as well—he used his mother’s maiden name on his application so his father and alleged stepmother wouldn’t know he was at the camp.

A sharp lack of noise brought his attention to a classroom that reminded him too much of high school—being lectured by Mister Mister, who used to be somebody. His power was mimicry—for a few hours he could have the power of any gifted person he touched. Five years ago, he’d run afoul of the villain Chameleon. Vince wasn’t sure exactly what had happened—the media reported only that somehow his stepmother had managed to defeat Mister Mister, after which he’d retired from active duty.

The resemblance to high school ended with Mister Mister, who didn’t look anything like a teacher. For a start, his gray hair, still thick and wavy, was shoulder length, and he wore an olive drab T-shirt the same color as his canvas pants. He had tattoos down his arms and over the backs of his hands. He was also more physically fit than any of Vince’s high school teachers had ever been.

“Welcome to Camp Hologram, gentlemen. You wouldn’t be here if you hadn’t mastered a general control over your powers, so the focus of your training will be learning independence and teamwork. How to maximize your strengths, minimize your weaknesses. How to survive without any powers at all.

“It takes strength of will, and discipline….”

Vince tuned out the boring “why you’re all here” speech. He knew why he was there. He was born with powers and a determination to never be the kind of person his father was. Being the son of a villain didn’t mean that was his only choice.

“Weekend leave is in the city of Guilford, but don’t get too excited. There’s a volunteer element to your grades. I believe most of you have ignored the pamphlet of rules you received before arriving so let me reiterate: booze, drugs, and gambling are not permitted here at Camp Hologram. Lights out is at 10:00 p.m. Reveille is at 5:00 a.m. sharp. You are expected to make up your bunks and keep your gear in your lockers. This afternoon you’re to stow your gear and get to know your cabin mates. When you hear the klaxon, get to the mess hall or go hungry. Now grab your packs and go to your assigned cabin.”

Finally! Vince leaned down to grab his duffle, a heavy canvas bag almost as long as he was tall and stuffed with everything he owned. Whatever he did at Camp Hologram, fail or graduate qualified to be an official hero, he wasn’t going back home. Guilt made him flinch as he thought of his mother. She deserved a chance to make a life without his father screwing it up, and that meant a place with immaculate security. The kind only money could buy. Money popular heroes earned through sponsorships and licensing fees.

The first step was to ace his training.

He listened to the other guys grumble as they shuffled out, most of them with much less luggage.

“This is so lame,” someone said.

“Piece of cake,” someone else said.

Vince didn’t say anything. He followed the others out of the administration building. It was a large complex, holding the showers, the shitters, the kitchen, and the dining hall, along with the lecture room and who knew what else. Stuff the trainees didn’t need to know. Might be in the paperwork Mister Mister rightly guessed he hadn’t read.

Purchase

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Meet the Author

Lina
L. M. Langley has a postgraduate degree from Newcastle University in Creative Writing and a B.A (Hons) in English Literature and Creative Writing from Northumbria University.

She grew up in Colombia and currently lives in Gainesville, FL with her husband.

Sydney
Sydney Blackburn is a binary star system. Always a voracious reader, she began to write when she couldn’t find the stories she wanted to read. She likes candlelit dinners and long walks on the beach… Oh wait, wrong profile. She’s a snarky introvert and admits to having a past full of casual sex and dubious hookups, which she uses for her stories.

She likes word play and puns and science-y things. And green curry.

Her dislikes include talking on the phone, people trying to talk to her before she’s had coffee, and filling out the “about me” fields in social media.

Besides writing, she also designs book covers for poor people.

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Release Blitz + Giveaway: Once Upon a Rainbow (Volume Two) by Various Authors


Once Upon a Rainbow Volume Two is out! Celebrate with IndiGo Marketing and the eight authors from the anthology: Jennifer Cosgrove, Sara Codair, Emmalynn Spark, K.S. Trenten, Lina Langley, Rebecca Langham, Sita Bethel, and Tray Ellis! Learn more about the fairytale retellings today and enter in the giveaway to win a NineStar Press eBook!



Title:  Once Upon a Rainbow, Volume Two
Author: Jennifer Cosgrove, Sara Codair, Emmalynn Spark, K.S. Trenten, Lina Langley, Rebecca Langham, Sita Bethel, Tray Ellis
Publisher:  NineStar Press
Release Date: February 5, 2018
Heat Level: 3 - Some Sex
Pairing: Male/Male, Female/Female
Length: 125366
Genre: historical, paranormal, contemporary, LGBT, fantasy, magic, royalty, lesbian, lawyers, family, contemporary, captivity, immortality, historical, friends to lovers, criminals, trans, dark, dystopian, political

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Synopsis

Your favorite stories from childhood have a new twist. Eight fairy tales of old with characters across the LGBTQIA+ spectrum.

Coming Home by Jennifer Cosgrove – No one ever expects to be Prince Charming.

Snow Fox by Sara Codair – Jealous Queen E’s attempts on Snow Fox’s life are trending.

Deathless by Emmalynn Spark – Love means finding new ways.

At Her Service by K.S. Trenten – Dancing to her true desire.

Shattered Glass by Lina Langley – The resistance was never ready for this.

Finding Aurora by Rebecca Langham – Setting out to save the sleeping princess does not go as planned.

Master Thief by Sita Bethel – He became the greatest thief in the world so he could steal his squire’s heart.

The True Love Curse by Tray Ellis – True Love would be wonderful, but the curse keeps getting in the way.

Excerpt

Coming Home by Jennifer Cosgrove
Scott Prince has everything, but it doesn’t mean that he enjoys all the responsibilities that come with it. It is, at times, a lonely life. But things start looking up one evening when, at an obligatory social event, he meets a handsome man while stepping out for some air.

But then the man disappears. Scott and Molly, his best friend, find him again in a very unexpected place, and the mystery deepens. A tale of an evil stepmother and horrid stepsisters versus a man who is fiercely independent, and a Prince that will do whatever he can to help him escape his situation and come home.

Snow Fox by Sara Codair
Working at a fast food chain and photo blogging about her transition, Rosa Nieves, known to the internet as “Snow Fox,” is just trying to pay for nursing school. But when her photos go viral, Queen E can’t tolerate the idea that there is a badder bitch than herself, and sets out to murder Snow Fox. Can Rosa survive the wrath of a jealous, rich bitch with an enchanted smartphone? Or will one woman’s vanity be her doom?

Deathless by Emmalynn Spark
Prince Ivan has never been particularly good at being a Prince, so when he comes to rescue his wife from the evil wizard, he ends up offering himself in her place. Vanya soon learns that, while Alex may be an evil wizard, he’s a hell of a whole lot more. But the Prince kills the evil wizard, right? There’s no way the Prince and the Evil Wizard could love each other instead? Sometimes, love means writing your own happy ending.

At Her Service by K.S. Trenten
Cinders would much rather fondle her mistress’s bony feet than go to a ball. Magic whisks her away, in spite of herself to a night of lights, dancing, and mystery where she discovers her true heart’s desire. For nothing is what it seems where enchantment, fairy godmothers, and princes are concerned.

Shattered Glass by Lina Langley
Kai Axelsson is on the most dangerous mission of his life.

A timely twist of fate. A clever deception. And suddenly he’s found himself a place among the staff at Sandheim Palace, entrenched among the people bound to serve a despotic queen. Kai’s only job is to feed the propaganda machine while staying out of sight–yet when he catches the attention of the queen’s brother, what began as an information gathering mission becomes a battle for Kai’s very soul.

Powerful. Magnetic. Immortal. With a breath of frost and a sliver of glass, the crown prince Alexander weaves his spell around Kai, intent to claim him forever and draw him into the darkness of their world. Yet where Alexander’s heart is made of ice…it’s the fire in Johann’s that could be the key to bringing Kai home.

Johann never wanted to let Kai go on this mission. And now a fatal misstep could mean losing the only man he’s ever loved. Only Johann can break the spell entangling Kai’s heart in thorns of darkest glass.

Before the dark prince’s corruption claims him completely, and Kai is lost forever.

Finding Aurora by Rebecca Langham
Aurora Rose slumbers in the city of Oldpass, a cursed kingdom once allied with Grimvein. She is powerless to control her own fate. At least, that’s how the story goes.

Now, as Grimvein faces attack, Prince Amir has been tasked with the life-threatening rescue of Aurora, his parents hopeful that he will marry the princess and secure safety for their kingdom. Talia, the strongest spellcaster in the known lands, protects and guides the prince in his quest to save a woman that threatens to change their lives forever. In finding Aurora, the pair will realise the truth about themselves and each other, coming to understand just what – and who – they really want in life.

Master Thief by Sita Bethel
Tyv grew up hungry and cold in a shack boarding the property of a noble family. His father could never provide enough food, clothing, or warm shelter, but there was one important thing he gave to his sons- the choice to go find their own destinies.

The True Love Curse by Tray Ellis
Widow Clara Hammond doesn’t have time to worry about misfortune befalling the royal family when she has a house to repair and stepsons to feed, but on her way through the forest she encounters Queen Almarine. The queen is searching for a cure for her ill son, Prince Roald, and Clara can’t refuse helping her. The more time they spend together, the more Clara likes Almarine, and the more it seems that Almarine likes her back.

Henryk Hammond is struggling to finish his law degree when the whole university is shut down in a city-wide search for a solution to Prince Roald’s illness. While waiting in the long line to offer his own meager knowledge an old woman gives him a magical cloak and gains him audience with the Prince. Henryk’s watchful night takes him on a wild ride of dancing and feasting as he follows the Prince out of the palace. As morning arrives, Henryk realizes that to save the Prince they’ll have to confront the enchantress together. There’s only one way up the tower to the witch’s lair, but Henryk is determined to end the curse.

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Blog Tour: Welcome to Crash by Lina Langley


Please welcome Lina Langley who's here today to promote her new book, Welcome to Crash, and she's brought PLAYLISTS!!!

See our review HERE


Music is hugely important in my world, which meant that it was a simple and natural fit to make it an equally important factor in the lives of the characters in Welcome to Crash. Just like their outfits, their music choices display their personalities, and they were hugely inspirational when it came to writing scenes that dealt with specific characters. For your listening pleasure, I have attached a playlist collected when writing about each character, with a small description about what this particular music choice means to each one of them individually.

Music: John’s Playlist

Perhaps the most self-explanatory of the three characters in the novel, John is a punk through and through. Punk rock would have gotten to John’s neck of the woods by the early ‘70s, when Vivienne Westwood facilitated in the creation of punk as an entire movement in the UK. John doesn’t live in London, which is the heart of punk rock, but he lives up north. It would have taken it a few more years to get there in full swing.
Punk in England was as economical as it was political. Simply stated, things were bad. The Specials’ song ‘Ghost Town’,  which was hugely critically acclaimed, reflected on these trying times. Shuttered shops, grandmas selling their wares on the street and an all-time high unemployment record led to a disenfranchised culture. Pissed off youths without much buying power had a lot of free time and very strong opinions.
This environment informs John’s choices in music and affects his perception of the world around him to a considerable extent. Perhaps the character with the most limited music taste--barring a couple of guilty pleasures--John lives and breathes punk culture through all his media consumption.

Playlist:



Joy Division - Love Will Tear Us Apart
The Ramones - I Wanna Be Sedated
Blondie - Call Me
Blondie - Heart of Glass
Blondie - One Way or Another
The Clash - Rock the Casbah
The Clash - London Calling
The Clash - Should I Stay Or Should I Go
The Clash - I Fought The Law
Sex Pistols - Anarchy in the UK
The Dead Kennedys -- Holiday in Cambodia
Sex Pistols - God Save The Queen
The Jam - That’s Entertainment
Madness - Embarrassment
Madness - It Must Be Love
The Cure - So What
X-Ray Spex - Oh Bondage! Up Yours!
The Jam - The Eton Rifles
David Bowie - Suffragette City
The Jam - Absolute Beginners
The Clash - Stay Free
Echo and The Bunnymen - The Killing Moon
David Bowie - Sound and Vision
Bonnie Tyler - Total Eclipse Of The Heart
David Bowie - The Man Who Sold The World
David Bowie - Rebel Rebel
Crass - Bata Motel
Pere Ubo - Final Solution
The Slits - Typical Girls
Television - See No Evil
New York Dolls - Personality Crisis
Buzzcocks - Orgasm Addict
Buzzcocks - Ever Fallen In Love

Damien’s playlist:

Damien’s list is more versatile than John’s--and perhaps even Levi’s. He’s a Generation Z’er, a post-millennial, which means that technology has always been at his fingertips. He has never had to search too long for a piece of music or media to be delivered to him. He’s used to always having access to entertainment, and his musical influences are huge and varied. He’s as likely to enjoy an artsy ensemble like Snarky Puppy as he is the latest Rihanna song, and he would discuss either with the same amount of interest and passion.


Vulfpeck - Back Pocket
Vulfpeck - Christmas in LA
Mumford & Sons - I Will Wait
Mumford and Sons - Little Lion Man
Of Monsters And Men - Little Talks
Passenger - Let Her Go
Daft Punk - Instant Crush ft. Julian Casablancas
Daft Punk - Touch ft. Paul Williams
Daft Punk - Fragments of Time ft. Todd Edwards
Alicia Keys - No One (Official Video)
Nicki Minaj - Starships
Beyoncé - Single Ladies
Christina Aguilera - Fighter
Britney Spears - Womanizer
Lady Gaga - Poker Face
Nicki Minaj - Anaconda
Katy Perry - Firework
Kesha - Tik Tok
Cascada - Everytime We Touch
DNCE - Cake by The Ocean
Sia - Cheap Thrills
Mike Posner - I Took A Pill in Ibiza
The Weeknd ft. Daft Punk - Starboy
Rihanna - Work

Levi’s playlist:

Levi’s music taste has a little bit of everything, though mostly he’s a fan of Queen and Michael Jackson. He likes Blues and Rock, and he’s happy to listen to anything as long as it fits his mood. As a teenager growing up in England, he’s likely to have listened to Blur and Oasis, but he also likes George Michael and The Bee Gees. He’s also the kind of person that listens to music that he knows very well when he’s writing, so he’s likely to have this playlist on repeat when he’s working on his book.

The Killers - Mr. Brightside
Duran Duran - Come Undone
Blur - Song 2
Janet Jackson - Doesn’t Really Matter
Toni Braxton - Unbreak My Heart
Whitney Houston - I Will Always Love You
George Michael - Careless Whisper
Wham! - Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go
Cyndi Lauper - Girls Just Wanna Have Fun
Cyndi Lauper - Time After Time
The Bee Gees - Stayin’ Alive
The Bee Gees - How Deep Is Your Love
Queen - Don’t Stop Me Now
Queen - I Want To Break Free
Queen - Somebody To Love
Queen - Killer Queen
Queen - Crazy Little Thing Called Love
Michael Jackson - They Don’t Care About Us
Michael Jackson - Beat It
Michael Jackson - Thriller
Michael Jackson - Billie Jean

Blurb

At first, Damien feels lucky to land a job at an influential art studio, but it soon becomes obvious that something’s not right. His gorgeous boss, John, is interested, and he’d be the perfect man for Damien—if Damien wasn’t already in a relationship. It isn’t long before Damien is at the center of a love triangle, forced to choose between hot, punk John and his secret affair with his professor, Levi. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg, because something impossible is happening to Damien—and it’s having a drastic effect on his health as well as his perception of reality.

Each time Damien goes to work, things grow more bizarre, starting with Sam—an artist who has been dead for years and now somehow… isn’t. Damien’s unusual circumstances also free him from the restrictions of monogamy—or so he thinks. Levi, who cannot believe Damien’s claims, fears for his sanity. John also has strong doubts when Damien reveals knowledge of a catastrophic event looming in John’s future. Whether the men he loves believe his wild claims or not, neither can deny Damien is languishing, and if they cannot save him, he’ll be lost. More importantly, they must convince Damien to save himself.


Bio: 

Lina Langley is a first-generation immigrant. She currently lives in sunny Florida and spends her time slashing hot strangers while getting coffee.

Her past is haunted by spies, thieves, tyrants, and murderers. A resident of the world, she’s lived on three different continents. She first saw a radiator when she was twenty-two years old, and one time she followed a cat instead of going to a house party.

She likes to read, watch TV, and play video games when she’s not developing them. The rest of her free time is spent recreating her own characters in The Sims and hoping that people don’t look at the back end of her games.



Review: Welcome to Crash by Lina Langley

At first, Damien feels lucky to land a job at an influential art studio, but it soon becomes obvious that something’s not right. His gorgeous boss, John, is interested, and he’d be the perfect man for Damien—if Damien wasn’t already in a relationship. It isn’t long before Damien is at the center of a love triangle, forced to choose between hot, punk John and his secret affair with his professor, Levi. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg, because something impossible is happening to Damien—and it’s having a drastic effect on his health as well as his perception of reality.

Each time Damien goes to work, things grow more bizarre, starting with Sam—an artist who has been dead for years and now somehow… isn’t. Damien’s unusual circumstances also free him from the restrictions of monogamy—or so he thinks. Levi, who cannot believe Damien’s claims, fears for his sanity. John also has strong doubts when Damien reveals knowledge of a catastrophic event looming in John’s future. Whether the men he loves believe his wild claims or not, neither can deny Damien is languishing, and if they cannot save him, he’ll be lost. More importantly, they must convince Damien to save himself.


Time Travel is something new to me. I am not much of a history buff, so historical novels don’t do it for me at all. This is probably the first intentionally read time travel story I have ever read, and I found it quite enjoyable.

I didn’t quite understand the logistics in this story, but I kind of just suspended disbelief and enjoyed the ride. Damien had a lot of internal baggage that impacted his relationship with his current boyfriend and his time-travel crush. I found him to be a not very likeable character, but I did enjoy how he interacted with John and Levi in each dimension (?).

It was fun to take a trip back to the 80’s. I mean, I was a kid so I didn’t get the entire scope of 80’s flare, but I do remember some of it. Big hair, ripped clothes, eye-liner, and a more overt rebellion. I also remember crying when my mother dressed me in a denim mini, leggings, and red suede boots for a kindergarten disco…. Ahhhhh the horror that was the 80’s. The Art during that time wasn’t really art to me, and apparently Damien feels the same about the art his employer creates.

I enjoyed the pace of this story. The writing was good. As my first real taste of a time-travel I can’t say I hated the experience, but I didn’t love it either. Well, I actually think it was Damien that I didn’t love, and since he was the character point of view I was thrust into, I just went along for the self-absorbed ride.

His relationship with Levi was sub-par. I couldn’t understand how they reacted to each other later on when it appeared that they were only a casual hook-up. Yes, they wanted more, for some reason, but I’m not sure they had what it took to get there, even if Damien wasn’t having an affair with someone in the 80’s.

Nevertheless I think this story was a bit of fun. It had good depth. The concept was interesting, and it has not put me off this sub-genre now that I’ve had a taste. The characters were well developed and the plot worked well, even if it left me with a lot of questions. I will definitely give this author, and this sub-genre another go in the future.

A review copy was provided for an honest opinion.


https://www.dsppublications.com/books/welcome-to-crash-by-lina-langley-410-b
  
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35066148-welcome-to-crash

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