Release Day Review & Giveaway: Rise of the Goddess - anthology by CHBB

CONTEST IS CLOSED!!!

Warrior Goddess by Rebecca Poole

A beautiful picture to start of this anthology. Fierce. I like it, Rebecca did a marvelous job.

 

Down Came the Queen of Heaven by Aubrey Diamant

This is the story of how the Goddess Nicasia came to be Queen of Heaven. A lovely story, that contains everything your heart desires; love, hate, fight and responsibility. I like the way Aubrey has chosen to tell the story. In the beginning and end it’s a prophetess that share the ancient story. It made it even more believable to me. VERY nice touch!!

Bia by Samantha Ketteman

Love this story!! Bia is the youngest sibling out of four. Her two brothers; Katos and Zelos, and her sister; Nike. Bia has done what shouldn’t be done; she has fallen for a simple human. In a single, stupid weak moment she accidently tells her sister, which makes all hell turn loose – literally. The question is now; are their love strong enough that Matthew could accept her for who she truly is?

Loved, loved, loved it!! Samantha creates a short story that truly grabs you and doesn’t let go. Wonderful!!

 

Carmaterdea by Sinead Macdughlas

This was really thought provoking. And very accurate. The young Goddess Carmatera (Carm for short) is running away from her home planet, when she stumbles over a planet with some funny inhabitants. Or so she thinks until she sees what they do to each other. Horrified she tries to destroy them in order to save others, but is stopped by a deity. He takes her on a journey through the deities history on Earth, and what became of them. The question is; will Carm actually learn something along the way, or is she too blind?

Sinead has created a wonderful short story, and it caught me. I tore through it, and couldn’t help agreeing and snorting accompanied by laughing out loud several times. Sadly, she also has a very valid point, and a lesson hard learned by the young goddess.

Amazing story!

 

Goddess of My Heart by Michael Cross

This story is about Osiris and Iris. On how Osiris was tricked by his brother Set, and how Iris reacted to it.

Egypt has always fascinated me. Always, and I have a huge weakness for mythology and ancient religions and cultures in general. So no surprise I enjoyed Michaels story. Wonderfully written, although I would’ve loved to see more. :-D

And the ending is just amazing. Love it.

 

 

Her by Rebecca Poole

A tale of a man devoting his life to a forgotten Goddess, the Goddess of the Blood and Night. How he is mocked, and looked down upon, because other have moved on, religion being a thing of the past.

A simple and captivating story. His acceptance was soothing and it was impressive to read what he and his family had sacrificed for the Goddess.

 

 

A Goddess’s Revenge by Catherine Stovall

Kel is the daughter of Enneth and Nia, Goddess of the Earth. But when a plague sweeps over Wade, destroying not only the people, but the earth as well. Catastrophes comes right and left, and in the end, Nia and Enneth only sees one way; to protect their daughter and try to save their world. In the end they failed at killing their adversary, but succeeded in protecting Kel.

1500 years pass before Kel finally begins to rise from her sleep, and what she finds is more destruction, more hate, violence and despair. Now the young Goddess stands before a great battle; she has to defend her old home and land, but what is the price?

Catherine surprised me yet again, and dragged me into this short story. I loved her story in Cogs of Time, this was just as good, but in a different way. The choice has to make is heart breaking, but luckily she’s not alone. Great story!!

 

 

Aphrodite by Jackie McMahon

Amazing drawing by Jackie. The way she tilts her head, her hair behind her ear. Beautiful.

 

Hunting the Dark by Marion C. Lanier

Artemis is alone and on the run. Her uncle Hades killed not only her father, but many other gods as well. Right now she is the only one left of the gods. And she is running from Hades and his hell hounds.

Do you remember who Artemis is? No? The great Huntress. Read this amazing short story by Marion and find out how the Great Huntress reacts to being the hunted.

Loved it, thought it was a great twist to the story, and the ending was awesome. Well done!!

 

Mother of Monsters by Andrea L. Staum

Ever wondered where all the ancient monsters came from? Meet Erica, a.k.a Echidna. The mother to all monsters in Greek mythology.

She is living undercover from humanity, but still alive for some reason, even though many of the other ancient gods have been turned into myth and disappeared from earth.

Now she’s on a mission to hunt for one of her missing children who’s been accidently released from his frozen prison. But will he recognize his mother, and what about the partner she’s been saddled with? Can the damaged clairvoyant handle the truth about Erica?

Great story, loved how Andrea had taken something not so commonly known and made her survive what the old ancient great gods couldn’t; time and evolution. I would love to know more about Echidna and her work.

Goddess Touched by Elizabeth A. Lance

Oh wow…. This one was amazing, one of my favorites so far. We all know the ancient stories of the Greek Gods and Goddesses. But what if they weren’t all gone, but still here?

21 years ago, a child was born. But this little girl was special. Born with roots from the gods, blessed by three of them, Moira has no idea exactly how special she is, but carries on with her life. Her life is special though; she can act and sing like no one else. And she’s very humble about it. Moira truly is a beauty inside out.

In comes Mars – yes, the God of War himself. In desperate need for a vacation, he stumbles upon Moira just as she is on a tour to perform for the US forces.

Sparks fly, emotions run off, but how will Moira react when she finds out she is more than what she appears?

Amazing story, loved every page!! I would sooo love to see more of Mars and Moira, it would be awesome!!!

 

The Cast iron Skillet by Shebat Legion

This story has a more serious character compared to the others I’ve read so far. But I can say this with conviction; every person should have an inner Goddess like Amanda does. Hands down. I was truly impressed by Shebat’s narration, she roped me into the story for the few pages it lasted and kept me captive. Well done.

 

 

The Weaver by Zoe Adams

Athena is on a holiday from work. For once, she’s actually back in Greece, for the first time in many, many years, and on her last day there, she decides to go to the local marked to see what’s happening and to find some trinkets for her friends. She stumbles over a weaver who doesn’t own a shred of humility.

Athena made a promise to her father a long time ago, to not meddle in humans lives, but will this weaver be her undoing?

Yet again, Zoe has created a great story. I truly enjoyed reading about Athena and the little weaver.

 

Shield of Light by Beth W. Patterson

Frank is working at bars. For years he’s been listening to others stories, been there for people when they needed it, been a shoulder to cry on – for complete strangers. The only one who isn’t leaning on him, but offering HIM a shoulder is one of his favorite customers; Mary.

But not everything is what it seems, and there are more things lurking underneath the cover, if you dare to believe.

I didn’t like this story in the beginning, but the further I read, the more it grew on me. In the end, I was delighted, and couldn’t help smiling.

Beautiful Secrets of the Sea by Jackie McMahon

Another drawing by Jackie. I loved Aphrodite, and this one is gorgeous as well.

 

Vanquish (A Fur, Fangs and Fairies Short) by Mariana Thorn

I’ve not read the first book in the Fur, Fangs and Fairies series by Mariana Thorn, but this short just gave me the “I want to read more”.

Kalypso is a rare breed, a mix of different races, feared by most of the supernatural, considered a Goddess by some humans. She’s on the run from the vampire who fathered her; Diokles, but in reality she wants to kill him. Badly.

The opportunity comes when a hellhound walks into her life, giving her a proposition she hardly can refuse; help him defeat Palden, the current leader of the Hellhounds, and he will help her defeat her nemesis.

But will they be able to trust each other, and work with each other, or will all hell break loose?

I loved stepping into this world, I fell so hard and I didn’t want to leave. Sadly, since it was a short, it HAD to end, but I will DEFINITELY be looking into Seizing Darkness – I might have it on my kindle… Hmm….

Falling for You by Cecilia Clark

This is a story about a young archeologist who came across the wrong kind of men. He tried to save an important archeological artefact and almost paid with his life. Now, he’s in the hospital trying to remember who he is, piecing together all the little pieces of the puzzle. But will he be able to right his wrongs?

Amazing end to a wonderful anthology, Cecilia takes us deep into the jungle and back again, showing us ancient religions and beauty. I truly enjoyed her story, but then, I’ve always been a sucker for archeology. Always. Beautiful story, and loved the ending.

All in all:

This anthology was born to help out a library in the little town Elliott, IA, where CHBB’s wonderful author Ada McEwan works. Budget cuts have made it even harder for the public library to make end meet.

Looking at this anthology, and every story in it, I am overwhelmed by the amazing support people all over the world has come to shown Ada and her library.

Each story is unique, and I loved every page of it. Every story evolves round gods and goddesses (which is something that never fails to captivate me), and I think this anthology is the best I’ve read so far from CHBB/Vamptasy/Hot Ink Press.

 

The Goddess: a female deity who represents strength, love, dignity, sexuality, motherhood, wrath, peace, the elements, and so much more. She is the symbol of every woman who has ever been or will ever come to be. She comes from a myriad of places and beliefs, her image always changing, but her presence always there. In this collection of fourteen beautifully written stories and three lovely original artworks, the Goddess rises in many unique forms to remind the world of the strength and beauty that is woman and the connection she has with all things.
 ****All proceeds from the Rise of the Goddess anthology will go to benefit the Elliott Public Library****

Buy Rise of the Goddess HERE

Rebecca Poole ~ Born and raised in the rural South, books have always been a comfort and joy for Rebecca Poole, so it's no surprise that she's been bitten by the bug to create her own stories and worlds. She uses her artwork to help visualize the characters and scenes she creates digitally to bring them to life on the page.



She lives in Georgia with her husband and fur children. It would not be surprising to see her attempting to 'rescue' another stray cat, for she might have an addiction to the cuddly critters. 

Aubrey Diamant ~ Aubrey Diamant is one half of the writing team Diamant. Lives by night a crazy hotel night auditor left to his own devices which have led to some funny stories. Wig aficionado, wearer of nail varnish, he is a pretty boy at large.

Samantha Ketteman ~ Samantha Ketteman has resided in southern Illinois for 7 years—though she still claims to be an Alabama girl­—with her husband and three children. She is a caffeine addict, insomniac, and generally scatterbrained most of the time. When she's not writing, she's thinking of writing. Novels are an escape from the harsh reality of a cantankerous teenage boy and two drama queen girls. Samantha is the best-selling author of Aphrodite’s Secret: A Novel of the Forgotten, Avenging Innocence, the short story, Amelia, featured in The Cogs in Time anthology, and the upcoming books Glimpse of Destiny, the Destiny Revealed series, and the Reaping Justice series. She is published through Crushing Hearts and Black Butterfly publishing as well as Vamptasy publishing.

 

Sinead MacDughlas ~ Sinead MacDughlas is a Canadian writer with an addiction to the written word. Her favourite writing fuel is coffee, with the music she loves playing in the background, and the inspiration of a lifetime of people watching. Sinead plans to continue publishing as long as there are readers who enjoy her work. In 2012, Sinead signed with Crushing Hearts and Black Butterfly publishing. Of her many published pieces, this is the fourth she has contributed to charitable causes.

 

Michael Cross ~ Michael Cross has been a writer and amateur explorer for most of his life. He began submitting his original writing in 2013 with two short stories, Tell Her She was Loved and The Promise, both accepted by Xchyler Publishing and are due to be released early 2014 in anthologies. Most recently he is a blogger and works to share his love of the past and all things steampunk (whenever he is not working as a shrink). You may learn more about him at The Hidden Library of Michael-Cross or on Twitter @TheCrossLibrary.

 

Catherine Stovall ~ Catherine Stovall is the author of Faire Eve, The Requiem of Humanity Series, Arcana: The Maiden, and the short stories, Fearful Day, Bloody Freedom (Broken Mirrors, Fractured Minds anthology), Condemned to Die, and The Freak (Cirque D'Obscure anthology). She also has the privilege of being the editor and a contributor to the Cogs in Time anthology, where you can find her short story, Wren City, and a poem entitled The Cogs in Time. Catherine is a fearless creature who surrounds herself with the joys of life both in and out of her fictional worlds. She lives in Southeast Missouri with her husband, three children, and pets. When not writing, she spends her time riding motorcycles, wearing elaborate hats, and genuinely enjoying the oddities in life.

Jackie McMahon ~ Jackie McMahon is an author for Hot Ink Press, writer of erotic romance stories and a graphic artist. She is a stay at home mom who lives in Queens, New York with her fiancé and three beautiful and crazy kids. When Jackie is off from mommy duty, she spends every free chance she can get reading books of her favorite erotic authors. After sometime, she embarked into writing which found a way to put her over active imagination to work. She may look young and innocent but is far from that when it comes to writing.

 

Marion C. Lanier~ Marion Chadwick Lanier is a full-time retail manager with writing ambitions. He is married to Sarah Lanier and has four beautiful children. He enjoys reading, watching anime and playing games with his family. They live together in central Georgia.

 

Andrea L. Staum~Andrea L. Staum is the author of Blood of the Sire Book 1 of the Dragonchild Lore series. She's a trained motorcycle technician with an Associate’s in Supervisory Management, is an amateur home renovator, and somehow manages to find time to write. She lives in south central Wisconsin with her husband, two demanding cats, and two ornery rabbits.

 

Elizabeth L. Lance ~ Elizabeth A. Lance lives with her husband, Brandon, their two teens, lovingly nicknamed Princess and The Boy, and a menagerie of crazy animals. She is the author of several short stories, the Young Adult series, Soul Mates as well as the Agents for the Crown, Regency series with Crushing Hearts & Black Butterfly Publishing. She loves to hear from her fans and can be reached at http://www.facebook.com/ElizabethAnneLance/

 

Shebat Legion ~ Shebat Legion’s many stories include Dree, On Wednesday for Hoblin Goblin; Sha'Daa Facets: I Am Anastasia's Bracelet (written in collaboration with Michael H. Hanson); and Ophie and the Undertaker for Dreamers in Hell, the latest volume in the award-winning Heroes in Hell series. She is the author of Vampire Therapy: Chronicles of The Cat's Ass Boutique, which includes A Cat's Ass Christmas, A Cat's Ass Valentine, and Lilly Brings Home A Leprechaun. She is currently editing the anthology Klarissa Dreams: The Art of Klarissa Kocsis, and has just published her full-length novel, Vampire Therapy: Jackson and Eva.

 

Zoe Adams ~ Zoe Adams is a recent graduate of Professional Writing, at The Grimsby Institute, through the University of Hull. She has always had an interest and a huge love of horror, science-fiction and paranormal fiction, and other media. She has been writing professionally since 2010, whereupon she first started her course and has continued to push a career since. Her novella, Best Served Chilled, was accepted by Crushing Hearts and Black Butterfly Publishing in January 2013.

 

Beth W. Patterson ~ Beth Patterson was a full-time musician for over two decades before sidestepping into the world of writing (a process she describes as “fleeing the circus to join the zoo”). She has played in over a dozen countries across the Americas, Europe, and Asia. She appears on over a hundred albums (including six solo albums of her own) in addition to a smattering of soundtracks, videos, commercials, and voice-overs. Over eighty of her compositions have been recorded by various artists. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Music Therapy from Loyola University. She currently lives, writes, and plays in New Orleans.

 

Mariana Thorn ~ Mariana Thorn is the author of Urban Fantasy and Fantasy novels. She currently has two titles in her Fur, Fangs, and Fairies series, a full-length novel, Seizing Darkness, and a short story, PIB Files. Both have hit best selling lists on Amazon.com.

Besides writing, Mariana enjoys reading, photography, and playing with her dog. She lives in Western Washington but loves to travel to Florida to sit on the beach to write.

 

Cecilia Clark ~ Cecilia is a writer and illustrator. She has short pieces of fiction and illustrations in a variety of anthologies and magazines. She writes Horror with humour, Paranormal and steampunk romance and stories for younger readers. She is writing several novels and intends to lengthen the short fiction she has enjoyed. She is a member of the Federation of Australian Writers (FWA) and Romance Writer's Australia(RWA) and SCBWI Australia and New Zealand(Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators)

Cecilia can be found on her Goodreads author profile at https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7245110.Cecilia_Clark

http://ceciliaaclark.blogspot.com.au

 

Dave J. Ford ~ Born in Boksburg, South Africa to British parents, David J. Ford is now a proud citizen of Canada. Since the age of five, Dave has been practicing various art forms, but has always found himself making a living in more practical professions. He has been a wedding photographer, house renovator, newspaper editor, television and appliance technician and a computer technician. His desire to be artistic, however, has never abandoned him. Over the past forty years, he has created pieces of art in many media, including painting, drawing, sculpture, photography, graphic arts, 3D computer graphics, cartoons and, most recently, book cover design. Dave is also the proud self-published author of a collection of cartoons, It Only Hurts When I Laugh, with a portion of the profits going to the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation. Dave was kind enough to volunteer his time and talent to the creation of our ‘The Rise of the Goddess’ cover.



I have 2 e-copies of Rise of the Goddess on the line, gifted from Amazon.

All YOU have to do, is comment on this post and leave your email so I can find you again. (no email = no entry). If you go by Elliott Public Library's FB Page and hit the Like Button, there's an extra entry. Just let me know you did so!

This contest will end tomorrow, so better hurry up and enter!