Blog Tour: Touching Evil by Amber Garr - Author Interview, Review & Giveaway

Hello Therians!

Welcome to the Touching Evil & Furthermore Blog Tour presented by iluvtours.

Today the spotlight is on Touching Evil by Amber Garr, and she has even stopped by for a quick chat :)

 

 

SYNOPSIS

With one touch, Leila can see it all.

Leila Marx is trying to put her life back together after her fiancé is murdered. When Detective Garrick Pearson enlists her help with a difficult case, she is thankful for the distraction and the opportunity to use her talents as a touch clairvoyant. Leila and Garrick delve into the mystery behind a series of missing teenage girls and mummified corpses while discovering their own growing attraction to each other.

Conner Hoffman is an intriguing lawyer and striking half-demon who enters Leila’s life unexpectedly. Although her visions are terrifying, she is fascinated by his charm and his legacy. When it becomes evident that the murders are linked to a paranormal event, Conner introduces Leila to a world unbeknownst to ordinary society. She suddenly finds herself immersed in supernatural politics, sorcery, and danger as she becomes the killer’s next target.

Staying alive will mean relying on friends, accepting the unbelievable, and trusting in her heart again.

ñ Paperback: 322 pages

ñ Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (November 1, 2012)

ñ Language: English

ñ ISBN-10: 1480021598

Book Links : Amazon Kindle | Paperback    Smashwords

Read the First Chapter.

Read an excerpt with Leila and Conner.

REVIEW

Touching Evil was such an exciting read. With a mix of intriguing characters, it wasn't difficult to be drawn into this story completely from beginning to end.

Of course, I’m a sucker for anything supernatural so I loved getting to know each of the characters, even Gallus, although he was a little intimidating. The story didn’t start off with any clear indication of exactly which supernatural being I’d be spending the next few hours with, so I was pleasantly surprised when a whole host of them showed up throughout the story.

This book also has its fair share of hotties with the likes of Connor and Garrick. And even though the story doesn’t ooze love triangle, it was definitely there as Leila was torn between these two gorgeous men. The story is filled with suspense as Leila and her friends investigate a string of disappearances and murders. When it becomes evident that the case has a deeper, more malevolent twist it is up to the group of supernatural beings to intervene.

This book has a serious tone and is filled with some disturbing scenes, but every now and then a bit of humor is thrown in to lighten the mood. I especially loved Leila’s Shaun of the Dead moment when she first meets the vigilante group of supernaturals. And I loved the tender moments shared between her and King. I have a soft spot for werewolves, so even though he’s not the complete hottie, and he smells bad, he has a place in my heart.

I would recommend this book to anyone who loves a great supernatural suspense read. But I believe that anyone who loves a good mystery will enjoy this story even with its supernatural twist.

It gets…

 

Check out the awesome Book Trailer:

 

 

AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT

1.     Tell us a bit more about yourself.

I work as a marine biologist during the day and try to squeeze in time for writing and dancing when I get home. I have a husband, two cats (Screamie and Bitsy Cat), one dog (Noodles), and live in Florida where it is WAY too hot for “winter” right now.

 

2.     Describe yourself in three words.

Ambitious, organized, creative (I hope!)

 

3.     What five things do you never leave home without?

iPod (I don’t function without music), Kindle (in case there’s time to read at lunch), my zombie notebook (for those book ideas), pens (I’m a collector I think), gum (to satisfy those sugary cravings)

 

4.     What do you do when you are not writing?

Read as much as I can. With five books out now, I also spend quite a bit of time promoting and marketing and anything in between. If there’s any extra time I like to dance, work out, and do yard work (weird, I know).

        

5.     Who/What inspired you to write your first novel?

A back injury. As dumb as that sounds, when I was forced to stop dancing three-four days a week, I suddenly had a lot of time and no way to be creative. So after sharing some of my initial short stories, I was encouraged to keep writing and soon had my first complete novel complete (Touching Evil). I shelved it for two years while I worked on my YA mermaid series, and then came back to it.

 

6.     What has been your most rewarding experience on the road to being published?

Compliments and great reviews from complete strangers. I am still in awe (and thankful) when I see a good review or comment about one of my books. It was so scary deciding to put my work out there, but it’s definitely been a rewarding experience.

 

7.     What is the best piece of advice you have been given as an author?

 

Keep writing. Don’t get bogged down by promoting just one book. Try to spend just as much time writing the next one. I have to keep reminding myself of that sometimes, but I’m so happy when I make the time to get another chapter down on paper.

 

8.     What advice would you give to aspiring authors?

Read! Read as much as you can in your genre to learn what works and doesn’t work. I also recommend getting a good group of beta readers together. Mine have been invaluable to me!

 

9.     Who are your favorite authors to read?

Kelley Armstrong, Richelle Mead, Charlaine Harris, Kim Harrison to name a few

 

10.   Tell us a bit about Touching Evil.

The story revolves around Leila Marx who happens to be a touch clairvoyant. She is still trying to recover from the murder of her fiancé and keeps busy by helping the local police department with unsolved or homicide cases. The latest case has a supernatural twist and she soon discovers that she is not the only different one out there. And of course, there is a love story thrown in there as well!

 

11.   Are any of your characters based on someone you know?

Not in this book. I came up with the idea of Leila’s tragic backstory from a real news story, but the rest developed in my twisted mind. J

 

12.   Who is your favorite character, and why?

I know she’s my main character, but I like Leila. I think she handles everything that’s thrown at her with grace and I’m anxious to see how this changes her outlook on like in future books. I also enjoyed writing the annoying ghost scene…I think there will have to be a short story about George.

 

13.   Are you working on any special projects at the moment?

Yes. I’m working on Book Two of The Leila Marx Novels and have a mature YA/New adult dystopian almost halfway done. I hope to get back to two other novels I started last year and see where they take me.

 

14.   Where can readers stalk you?

Websites: http://www.ambergarr.com, http://thesyrenkaseries.blogspot.com/, http://theleilamarxnovels.blogspot.com/

Blog: http://ambergarr.blogspot.com

Twitter: http://twitter.com/AmberGarr1

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Amber-Garr/232359720165110?sk=wall

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5374297.Amber_Garr

Email: amber@ambergarr.com

ABOUT THE AUTHOR 

 

Amber Garr spends her days conducting scientific experiments and wondering if her next door neighbor is secretly a vampire. Born in Pennsylvania, she lives in Florida with her husband and their furry kids. Her childhood imaginary friend was a witch, Halloween is sacred, and she is certain that she has a supernatural sense of smell. She writes both adult and young adult urban fantasies and when not obsessing over the unknown, she can be found dancing, reading, or enjoying a good movie.

 

 

 

 

 

 

GIVEAWAYS!!

There are two, YES I said TWO giveaways for this tour!!

The first giveaway comprises of a signed paperback copy of Touching Evil, a signed paperback copy of Furthermore and surprise SWAG!!

Enter using the rafflecopter below :)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The second giveaway if for an eCopy of either Touching Evil or Furthermore (Mobi or ePub)

Enter using the below rafflecopter :)

Be sure to check in each day as there will be new entry options into this giveaway.

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Now off you run to the other stops on this tour for more exciting news about these two amazing books!!