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The Eye of Mares Blog Tour

12/30/2015

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The Eye of Mares 
by  
Rocky Rochford
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To celebrate the release of the second instalment in the Rise of the Elohim chronicles, the Eye of Mares is blog hopping like a headlining rockstar. Over the course of the last three weeks, a new page has been shared, with each appearance continuing from where the last one went off. Today I get to host the latest page:


The Eye of Mares – Part 2I
…at opposite ends, whereas Jason took up position in one of the two desks closest to Mako.

A large blackboard hung on the wall, behind Mako’s desk, were the words “Silence! Exam in progress” written in eight languages. The Mari version was penned by Mako and the rest written by his students.

Hearing fluttering wings, Mako’s eyes darted to the windows. He hoped to see a bird fly past them, but instead saw nothing. He shifted his gaze to the desk before him.

To one side was a four-inch high pile of stacked parchment, already marked and graded. To the other was a second pile twice the size of the first, which was yet to be marked. 

Mako tried to focus on the students, dutifully filling out their exams, but he was distracted. He had heard the wings again, this time much closer.

Knock, knock, came a telepathic communication.

Mako turned.

Standing in the open doorway was a large pitch-black raven.

Can I have a word with you? the raven asked. 

Mako nodded, pushing himself back and rising. His attention turned to his students.

“Class, I am leaving the room for a moment. In my absence, you are to continue your examination in silence. No chatting and no cheating!” he said firmly, directing the words at Damien. 

No one looked up, continuing on dutifully with their test. 

Leaving quietly, Mako followed the bird down to the rec room, which was currently vacant. He sat down in a chair and Izal made himself comfortable on the back of the one opposite. 

“What can I do for you, Izal?” inquired Mako.

I bring news, the telepathic avian replied. His eyes were green, as they always were whenever he spoke…


 
                                                       ****Here concludes todays Page****
Be sure to check out the continuing blogs to watch the story continue, or pick up a copy direct from Amazon: The Eye of Mares – Out now!

​You could even let the adventure continue and check out its prequel, where the story began and the series was created:
The Spirit of Iris – Out now!

 

 
                                                                      ****Book specifics****

Author: Rocky Rochford

Illustrator: Ashleigh Longman

Title: The Eye of Mares

Series: Book 2 of the Rise of the Elohim Chronicles

Genre: Illustrated YA fantasy adventure

Book Content Rating: Suitable for ages 12 and up

Tag-line: “Darkness has many forms and Mares is its playground.”

Blurb:
Nearly four years have passed since Zach drew blade against the Shanzi Shimay and now the time has come for him to draw his sword once more. The Realm of Mares has fallen victim to invasion as three terrifying beasts of darkness, seek to destroy the world around them, as they await the inevitable arrival of their King.
With dark times ahead, the numbers of the Watchers on Iris has grown, as Zach is joined by seven fellow students, all too eager to prove their worth. It's not long before the students are put to the test facing off against the Nein Navy and uncover a dark secret.
The stage is set and the Battle for Mares is under-way. 

                                                  Rocky Rochford Biography

Rocky Rochford is your standard guy, if your standard guy scuba dives, partakes in underwater photographer and is a wake-boarding, adventure seeking, sword collecting, marine conservation supporter. After living life on the road and the places between, he finally settled down but not without benefiting from all the lessons life had to teach him.
            Self-professed “Student of Everything, and Master of Nothing,” Rochford does not choose what he writes, but writes what chooses him, be it fantasy, crime, poetry, philosophy or even adventure. Life is a journey we all get to experience, just like a good book.
            Every read into another of his typed works is another trip into the imagination of his mixed up, crazed and deranged mind and this year along those works include the likes of full novels and novellas such as:
London Calling – a Deep Water Novel (Spy Thriller)
Don’t Even Blink – Part of the Don’t Turn Around Trilogy (Horror)
Wait and Bleed – The Don’t Turn Around Collection (Horror collection of the entire Don’t Trilogy)
And now The Eye of Mares – Book 2 of the Rise of the Elohim Chronicles (Illustrated YA fantasy adventure)
 
 
Other works released by him, are a number of short stories pertaining to horror, paranormal and romance, as well as other works released as part of an anthology:
The Devil You Know (Paranormal short)
Salt in the Wound – Part of the Entwined Saga (Paranormal short)
The Food of Love (featuring Him & Her) – An Anthology by Solstice Publishing (Romance filled Anthology)
Him & Her (Romance Standalone release)
Don’t Say A Word (Horror)
Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep Volume II (featuring The Devil Before) – An Anthology by the Solstice Shadows (Paranormal themed Anthology)
Awethology Dark (featuring Ghosts) – An Anthology by the #Awethors (Adult stories pertaining to a darker theme)
The December Awethology Dark Volume (featuring Seven Years Bad Luck) – An Anthology by the #Awethors (Adult stories pertaining to a darker theme, set around December)
 
                                                ****Welcome to the World of Rochford****

Social Media Links:

Rocky Rochford’s website: rockyrochford.wordpress.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IamRockyRochford/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/RockyRochford

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7310280.Rocky_Rochford

Amazon page: http://www.amazon.com/Rocky-Rochford/e/B00O3AA3KU/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1449272442&sr=8-1
 

Rochford writes a little something for everyone, so if Mares isn’t your cup of tea, you can guarantee one of his many other works certainly is!
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The Phoenix Project,  by D.M. Cain

12/10/2015

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The brand new edition of dystopian, psychological thriller The Phoenix Project, by D.M. Cain, has been re-released today (December 11). 

Originally published in May 2014, this new Booktrope edition has had a complete editing overhaul, plus a stunning new cover design.

Author:  D.M. Cain
Title: The Phoenix Project
Genre: Psychological thriller / dark thriller / dystopian
Book content: Occasional adult language, graphic violence, and mild sexual content.

Amazon UK:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0195A6AYK

Amazon US: 
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0195A6AYK

Nook:
http://www.nook.com/gb/ebooks/the-phoenix-project-by-dm-cain/2940157645656
​

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Synopsis

How can you fight to the death, when you’ve given up on life?

A thought provoking and compelling dystopian world that will change the way you view justice...

A man fights for life—and redemption—in D. M. Cain’s riveting re-released novel, The Phoenix Project.

Britain has descended into chaos as violence and terrorist attacks seethe across this once-peaceful country. Outraged by the steady stream of lawlessness, citizens demand a harsher penal system, and the Phoenix Project is born.

​In prisons across the country, inmates fight to the death in a weekly bloodbath while the nation cheers them on.
 
Raven Kennedy, a prisoner who has never forgiven himself for his unspeakable crime, struggles against his own guilt and self-loathing. But even as the real war wages on within himself, Raven is forced to battle some of the prison’s most ruthless killing machines. Can he survive long enough to unravel
the anger and regret that shackle him—and one day find the forgiveness he seeks?
 
‘The Phoenix Project by D.M. Cain is a superbly written debut, soaked in tension and intrigue’   ----  Jack Croxall, author of the ‘Tethers’ trilogy.
 
And here's my review of The Phoenix Project

A Never-To-Be-Forgotten Masterpiece

 
In my humble opinion The Phoenix Project is a masterpiece in every sense of the word.

It succeeds in an extremely difficult task of being both thought-provoking and entertaining at the same time – while also being uncomfortable but essential reading.

DM Cain has created a terrifying scenario set in the not too distant future where terrorists and other violent prisoners are pitted against each other in a fight to the death – televised for the world to see.

Terrifying on two counts; one, for the prisoners incarcerated in the brutal world of Salverford prison, and two, terrifying for us readers because this way of legally disposing of violent prisoners is brought alive and believable by DM Cain’s skilful writing.

While some of the detailed description of the fights is particularly brutal, showing the inmates’ inhumanity to fellow prisoners, this is a vital aspect for what follows as we join Raven Kennedy on his horrifying journey. The various fighters’ deliberate and prolonged cruelty within the ring is more than matched by Raven’s cruelty to himself as he struggles to come to terms with the terrible crime that landed him in Salverford.

And that is the book’s strength. DM Cain pulls no punches as she introduces us to Raven’s self-harming attitude, and we see why he is desperate to stay alive so he can suffer more and more until he is satisfied he has atoned for his crime. But will he ever reach self-forgiveness?

The heart of this once-read-never-to-be-forgotten story is Raven’s own guilt and self-loathing, which comes
alive with clarity and believability.

Although he committed a monstrous crime, I still sympathised for every injury he sustains in the ring, and every pain he causes himself through self-harming. Here is a guy we want to come through! The actual tale of what led up to his crime runs parallel with his life in Salverford, and indeed both timelines reach their shattering climaxes at the same point in the book.  

The descriptive scenes take us into the very heart of Salverford – I could see every nook and cranny, feeling as if I were locked in that cell with him – and the extensive, wonderfully written, dialogue between leading players gives us a unique and changing insight into their characters, what drives them and motivates them.

​When I first started reading this book I described it as fastening a collar around my neck and dragging me along, relentlessly, behind it – I couldn’t stop even if I wanted to. That applied right through to the end. The Phoenix Project will remain in my memory for a very, very long time to come. 
            


​The horrifying 'dark room' in The Phoenix Project (a pitch-black sensory deprivation cell) was inspired by D.M. Cain's visit to the Terra Haza in Budapest --  a museum dedicated to the fascistic and communistic regimes that operated from the building. 
In the cellar of the Terror Haza are the old cells used to imprison and torture inmates. D.M. Cain crawled inside a very low cell and shut the door, casting herself into total darkness.  
She says it was terrifying and claustrophobic...and she only lasted five minutes in there!

​
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Above:   The original cover design from the first edition of The Phoenix Project.
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Connect online with D.M. Cain

Website: www.dmcain84.com
​
Mailing List: http://eepurl.com/XevZH
Amazon: www.amazon.com/D.M.-Cain/e/B00LTTX3PA/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DMCainauthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/DMCain84
Google+: https://plus.google.com/+DMCain/posts
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7888430.D_M_Cain
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzt_E8st1pyfkoTiA4E5jNg
​

​D.M. Cain Biography
 
D.M. Cain is a dystopian and fantasy author working for US publisher Booktrope. She has released three novels: The Phoenix Project - a psychological thriller set in a dystopian future, Soren – a middle-grade fantasy, and A Chronicle of Chaos – the first in a dark fantasy series. She is currently working on the next novel in the series, 'The Shield of Soren', and a novella to accompany it.
 

D.M. Cain is also a member of the International Thriller Writers and is one of the creators and administrators of the online author group #Awethors. Her short story ‘The End’ was published in Awethology Dark – an anthology by the #Awethors.
 
Cain lives in Leicestershire, UK, with her husband and young son, and spends her time reading, writing and reviewing books, playing RPGs and listening to symphonic metal. 
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Rocky Rochford's The Eye of Mares

12/9/2015

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To celebrate the release of the second instalment of Rocky Rochford's  The Rise of the Elohim chronicles, The Eye of Mares is going to be blog hopping like a headlining rock star -- multiple showings over the course of the next three weeks, with a new page shared with each appearance, continuing where the last one left off.
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I'm hosting a page on December 30th. But how about you follow the story from the very start, by moseying on over to each of the blogs in turn? It starts tomorrow (Dec 10th), with the author himself, then moves on to Paul White on the 11th, and so on.

Oh, and while you're on these wonderful authors' websites, you ought to take a
look around and see what wonderful worlds their books can take you to.
 

Rocky Rochford – December 10th – Part I    https://rockyrochford.wordpress.com/
Paul White  – December 11th – Part 2   https://ramblingsfromawritersmind.wordpress.com/
Rainne Atkins – December 12th – Part 3     https://rainne15.wordpress.com/
Joe Compton – December 13th – Part 4    http://nevermindfineprint.net
Anita Kovacevic – December 14th – Part 5       https://anitashaven.wordpress.com/
Cindy L Schneider – December 15th – Part 6    http://www.clschneiderauthor.com/
Jason Greensides – December 16th – Part 7    http://www.jasongreensides.com
Karen J Mossman – December 17th – Part 8    http://karensbooksandreviews.blogspot.co.uk/?m=1
Elizabeth Noreen Newton – December 18th – Part 9     http://elizabethnnewton.com/
Marnie Cate – December 19th – Part 10   www.marniecate.com/
LE Fitzpatrick – December 20th – Part 11  http://l-e-fitzpatrick.blogspot.com/
Chrissy Moon – December 21st – Part 12    www.chrissymoon.com
Jay Norry – December 22nd – Part 13   blog.jaynorry.com
Matthew William Harill – December 23rd – Part 14    http://www.matthewharrill.com/
Sharon Lipman – December 24th – Part I – Part 15    www.sharonlipmanauthor.com/blogs      www.sharonlipman.com/blogs
Deidre Mapstone – December 25th – Part 16     http://ddsiddeas.blogspot.com/
Michael J Elliott – December 26th – Part 17   https://thewritersemporium.blogspot.com
Chess Desalls – December 27th – Part 18   chessdesalls.wordpress.com
Patrick Elliott – December 28th – Part 19    http://patrickelliottwrites.blogspot.com/
David Spell – December 29th – Part 20    http://thescaryreviews.com/
Stewart Bint – December 30th – Part 21   http://stewartbintauthor.weebly.com/
DM Cain – December 31st – Part 22     www.dmcain84.com


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Rocky Rochford is your standard guy. That is, if your standard guy scuba dives, partakes in underwater photography, and is a wake-boarding, adventure seeking, sword collecting, marine conservation supporter. 

Enough to whet your appetite? When the day dawns for me to host the blog tour it'll be here on this page...and I'll also be giving you details of his full length novels, spanning spy thrillers, horror and YA fantasy, along with a number of short paranor
mal, romance and horror short stories.
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    Stewart Bint supports mental health charity Lamp Advocacy.

    Click here to donate
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    Author

    Stewart Bint is a novelist, magazine columnist and PR writer. 

    He lives with his wife, Sue, in Leicestershire in the UK, and has two children, Christopher and Charlotte, and a budgie called Sparky.

    Usually goes barefoot.

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