Hunted, A Donovan Circus Novel

Today I'm handing you over to my lovely author pal, Liz C. Long, who is celebrating the release of her latest novel, Hunted. So without further ado, here's Liz!

I'm so excited to have you be a part of my release day for HUNTED, Book 3 of the Donovan Circus Series! Sometimes it feels like I just released the first book, GIFTED, a few days ago; other times, it feels like more years than it's actually been! :) Thank you to the amazing bloggers, authors, and readers who have helped make this such an awesome release day. Also a special thanks to my cover designer, Kate at Dwell Design & Press for her amazing cover work! I hope you all find the third adventure as exciting as the first two - and perhaps much darker, as there are many underlying things bubbling to the surface, secrets coming unveiled, and a death that will shake the troupe in a terrible way.

   

Lucy Sullivan finally belongs with the gifted Donovan Circus. Members are finding their rhythm, even the new folks from the Grayson Circus who joined after the last attack. Lucy feels like a trusted leader who can win the gifted battles and prevent humans from discovering their existence. When tragedy strikes camp, a distraught Sheffield sends Lucy and her gifted team to hunt down the enemy – Alex, a Chameleon with a wicked ability for war. He’s out for blood and won’t stop until Lucy and her friends are dead. This time, it won’t be Lucy’s gift that is tested – it will be her morality. To save her circus, the price will be greater than she ever expected. This time, she will lose someone she loves. And it will change everything.

 

Haven't read the first two in the series? No problem! You can get the first adventure, GIFTED, for only 99 cents on Amazon, B&N, and iBooks!

In Gifted, meet Lucy, a Firestarter who just wants to be normal amongst the freaks. She can control fire, though she’s quick to discover that power doesn’t always bring good things. Her famous father may have created a fiery legacy, but their good name is threatened when Lucy’s framed for murder. Felix Hardy, an old “friend” of the show, offers another side of the Donovan Circus story, one her father never told her. As she struggles to clear her name, Lucy will discover that maybe some things are better left in the past.

   

BURNED is just $2.99 on the same platforms. Get it for your e-reader today!

 Burned picks up right where Gifted left off, in a new city and ready to get back to work. When Lucy is attacked on the grounds, it’s discovered her enemy had friends – big ones. Medved, a Shapeshifter known as “the Bear,” is intent on the gifted world’s exposure to humans. To build his army, he needs Sheffield and Lucy out of his way. Sheffield sends Lucy and her friends to form an alliance with the Grayson Circus members, who have as many quirks as the Donovan group. Not all are who they seem and Lucy must choose who to trust before Medved kills them all.

 

Liz Long is a ridiculously proud graduate of Longwood University with a BA in English. Her inspiration comes from action and thriller genres and she spends entirely too much time watching superhero movies. Her fabulous day job as a Social Media & PR Strategist includes writing for LeisureMedia360 (Roanoker, bridebook, Blue Ridge Country magazines) in Roanoke, VA. The Donovan Circus series has best been described as "X-Men meets the circus with a murder mystery thrown in." Her second book Witch Hearts, is a story about a serial killer hunting witches for their powers. Her newest title, A Reaper Made, is a fantasy about a Reaper who must work a little magic to save her family's souls from demons. All titles are available for paperback or ebook on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and iBooks. To learn more about Liz, visit her website.
Twitter. Facebook Author Page. Amazon. Goodreads.

#FREE: Witch Hearts by awesome author Liz C Long

I'm delighted to share with you the most awesome book by a a good friend of mine, Liz C Long. Her  book, Witch Hearts, is currently FREE! YAY! Read on for full info....

WITCH HEARTS SYNOPSIS

How does a witch stay safe if a killer can get through her protection spells?
Witches like Ruby and Courtney can take care of themselves. So when Courtney is murdered, Ruby’s world crashes to a halt. The only thing keeping her grounded is the return of Courtney’s brother, Cooper. He seeks revenge, but Ruby wants to help other witches stay alive. To do that, she’ll have to reunite with her old coven’s High Priest, who also happens to be her cheating ex-boyfriend.
If that wasn’t awkward enough, when the killer gets too close, Cooper temporarily moves into Ruby’s place while a police officer tails her every move. Cooper’s presence distracts Ruby as they fight their desire against their need to stay safe. Then Courtney begins to haunt Ruby’s dreams and secrets are spilled, things from Cooper’s past that could get them both killed. The killer continues to stalk Ruby and the more she discovers, the more she fears she won’t be able to keep her heart in her chest.

WITCH HEARTS Special Excerpt
Cooper and Ruby hopped on his bike and drove back to her place. She even managed to peek out from beneath her helmet to see the city whip past her in a blur. When they finally came to a stop, she untangled herself from him – albeit a tad regretful about it – and handed him back the helmet.
“Thanks again for everything tonight. I know it wasn’t the most fun you could have, but I want everyone to be safe,” she said.
“I understand. I’m glad I went, too. I don’t want anyone else in danger. Plus, you’re good company.” He stood up as he said it, hooking the helmets on his bike.
“You don’t have walk me in or anything. I don’t want to keep you any longer than you need.”
He snorted. “You’re not keeping me from anything. I want to do it, but especially because I want to make sure you’re safe.”
Ruby bit her bottom lip. Her nerves fluttered a bit at the thought of a possible goodnight kiss. She could hardly believe how immature she sounded in her head.
It’s your best friend’s brother. This is Cooper we’re talking about, a voice in her head screamed at her.
Another voice spoke up. Yeah. It’s Cooper. And your thoughts about him have never been exactly brotherly.
Shaking both voices away, she swiped her key fob by the entrance door and Cooper held it open for her. They took the stairs up to the second floor and walked around the corner to her apartment. Ruby stopped as soon as she saw her door.
“Something’s wrong,” she said.
“What? How can you tell?” He looked up and down the hallway.
“There was a barrier when I left. Remember I checked, put my hand on the door when we left? My spell was in place.”
“There was a soft glow on the door,” he said absentmindedly, as though remembering. His eyes narrowed and Ruby could see his veins throb in his neck as his jaw tightened.
“Only witches would be able to see it, but it’s not there.” Ruby took a few steps forward, placing her hand on the door, which was now simply cool and wooden. She retrieved her key and turned the lock, but Cooper stopped her.
“I’ll go in first.”
He swung the door wide open; he held his hands up in case of a fight or a spell, but silence greeted them. Cooper did a quick sweep of the apartment while Ruby waited in the entryway. He returned with Aziza in one arm and a letter in his hand.
“This was on your coffee table,” he said grimly. “Aziza was hiding behind the couch. She hissed until she realized it was me.”
Ruby took the note from him. As she opened it, Cooper stood beside her to read over her shoulder.
“Not all witches are equal. Some are born with extraordinary gifts; anyone can practice, but few are truly powerful. You are one of the lucky ones, Ruby. I apologize about your friend Courtney. She was powerful, but nowhere near your capabilities. I’m afraid that in order for my powers to thrive, yours must come to an end. I’ll be seeing you very soon. –X”

WITCH HEARTS LINKS:
Amazon (ebook)
Goodreads

GIFTED LINKS:
Amazon (ebook)
Goodreads

Liz Long is a ridiculously proud graduate of Longwood University with a BA in English. Her inspiration comes from action and thriller genres and she spends entirely too much time watching superhero movies. Her fabulous day job as a social media editor includes writing for a publishing company in Roanoke, VA. 

Her first book, Gifted, is the first book in the Donovan Circus series. Her second book Witch Hearts, a story about a serial killer hunting witches for their powers, is available at Amazon on Kindle and paperback.
To learn more about Liz, visit her website: http://lizclong.com.

Meet the fabulous author Liz C Long

I love it when I get to feature some of my best online pals and so when Liz Long agreed, I probably squealed with excitement (I'm a bit weird like that!). So anyway, come along and meet this fab author...

Because this blog is called Fiction Dreams I'd like to know if dreams inspire your writing? What did you last dream about?
I have some crazy ass dreams, but I can't say any of them have inspired my writing. I'm more visual, so I get ideas from things like magazine ads or movies. I do remember my last dream, however, and it was as though I were Lucy from my Donovan Circus series - and I was being held (and felt super safe) with one of her love interests, Keegan :) I woke up feeling so content!

When did you first start writing? And when were you first published?
I've been writing for as long as I can remember with school newspapers and local magazines. As far as novels go, however, I first started writing Gifted in 2009, when I lived in Nashville. That released in 2012, self-published.

How many books do have out now? What are they called?

I have 2 - Gifted, a Donovan Circus Novel (2012) and Witch Hearts (2013). The second Donovan Circus book will be released hopefully around Christmas or sooner :)

I loved your murder mystery Witch Hearts (review coming soon!), what other genres do you write?
Aww, thanks so much! *blush* I love fantasy so much. Witch Hearts was more of a thriller than I'd expected, so I'd say urban fantasy and murder mysteries are my favorites to write!

What is it about these genres that appeal to you the most? Do you read other genres? If so, which?
I love the escape from reality, especially with fantasy because it transports us literally to another type of world. I do occasionally read contemporary fiction, as well as any action adventure, mysteries, and/or YA/NA.

What's the title of your latest book? Can you tell us about it?

Witch Hearts is a paranormal thriller about a serial killer hunting witches for their powers. Ruby, the main character, gets involved after her best friend is murdered and the brother (who Ruby has always secretly loved) comes back to help get revenge. The killer sets his sights on Ruby and she has to not only protect herself and her old coven, but figure out the murderer's identity to help free Courtney's ghost from the spirit world.

What inspired you to write it?
Honestly, I watch way too much Criminal Minds. It's sort of magic meets murder mystery, which as I've stated, is my favorite :) I hadn't originally intended for it to be so dark, but it took a life of its own once I wrote a particular scene where Ruby finds a body.

lol Would you believe I have Criminal Minds on TV as I'm uploading this interview, Liz!!

Is it part of a series?
Witch Hearts is meant as a standalone novel, though if enough people were to ask, I could pretty easily delve back into that world with another murder mystery as Ruby's coven works with the police department on peculiar cases. 

Yes please Liz! I want more :)

Have you ever spotted anyone reading your books anywhere?
Haha, no not yet, though when I do, that person is getting a tackle hug.

Who designs your covers?
My best friend Erica Dickson. I'm lucky to know talented people!

If your latest book was made into a film, who would you cast?
I love the girl Meghan Ory from Once Upon a Time (who plays Ruby) and think she'd make a great Ruby with dark hair and blue eyes and that strong determination in her expression. Jensen Ackles would of course play Cooper. 

OMG I can so see that!

What's your favourite book that made it to the big screen?
Harry Potter of course ;) (All of 'em - you can't make me pick just one.)

What were the last two books you read? Did you enjoy them?
I read the contemporary NA "Suddenly Royal" by Nichole Chase and loved it - considering I'm a die-hard fantasy reader, I was surprised by how much I loved this sweet story between a girl thrust into royaldom and her relationship with the handsome prince. After that one, I read "The Immortal Circus Act 2" by A.R. Kahler. That was also a decent read and I don't want to give away spoilers, but I was super pissed about the ending. I won't say why, but if you read it, let me know what you think :)

Name one female author who you think deserves to be better known.
Right now I'd totally say Nichole Chase because she made this fantasy lover a believer in contemporary!

Where do you write?
Mostly at my desk, where everything is in easy reach and I can stay away from the TV! But occasionally I'm known to write in bed or on the couch if my husband is playing video games.

When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
A vet, until I realized all the math and biology involved. Then I went back to wanting to be a writer.

In the movie of your life, who would play you?

Photo credit: david_shankbone via photopin cc

I look nowhere near this gorgeous, but I LOVED Anna Kendrick's character in "Pitch Perfect" and could relate to her a lot - her sarcasm in that movie is pretty close to mine!
You are definitely just as gorgeous as she is, Liz!

Speed Round...
Shopaholic or shopadon't? Shopadon't!!! Clothes shopping makes me cranky.
Sky high heels or closer to the ground? Close to the ground only because I'm practical and like all my bones unbroken ;)
Cry baby or tough cookie? Tough cookie for sure!
Exotic beach or enchanted forest? Enchanted forest. This pale Irish girl burns far too easily to sit out on a beach all day! 

Liz Long is lucky enough to have a dream career in magazine publishing as an editor and writer, yet still have time to create adventures on the side. If you catch her staring off into space or talking to herself, don’t worry – it’s just her imagination at work.
Liz graduated from Longwood University with a BA in English, though her professors might be disappointed to hear she reads more fantasy fiction than literary novels. She also loves action and thriller genres. Her books probably won’t change your life, but she hopes they steal you away from reality for a while.
Her newest release, Witch Hearts, will be for sale on Amazon on April 30th. Her first book, Gifted, a Donovan Circus Novel, is also available for paperback and Kindle on Amazon.

Author Links:
Website
Twitter (Handle @LizCLong)
Facebook Author Page
Goodreads

WITCH HEARTS LINKS:
Amazon ebook
Goodreads

GIFTED LINKS:
Amazon ebook
Goodreads