Concilium by Michelle Pickett Blog Tour -- Guest Post + Giveaway!

Hi GCReaders!

Today we kick off the Concilium Blog tour hosted by none other than, US! :-D

Concilium is a new adult urban fantasy novel written by Michelle Pickett. Today Michelle stops by to introduce herself and share a little bit about Concilium. She is also offering 3 ebook copies to three lucky readers who follow the tour throughout the rest of the week. Lot's of goodies coming! You will find a full schedule with the rest of the tour dates and blog stops below this post.

Now over to Michelle. :-)

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When people ask me what I wanted to be when I grew up I can't answer them.  I don't remember what I wanted to be as a child.  I'm sure I went through the stages every child does—a princess, a superhero, a teacher, a veterinarian, and so forth.  My cousin wanted to be the Oscar Meyer Weiner!  But, honestly, I can't remember what I wanted to be  I think I've always known on some level—even as a child—that I wanted to be an author.

I credit my grandmother for instilling the love of reading in me.  I remember spending the night at her house on the weekends.  We'd go to the mall and shop.  She'd always take me to our favorite restaurant for lunch.  It was fun, but when we left the mall we did something really fun…we went to the library. We'd load ourselves up with books and haul them back to her house. The next morning she'd make blueberry waffles and we'd spend the day reading while instrumental music from her era played softly in the background.  It was always a new adventure to embark, a new world to conquer, a new mystery to solve when I stayed with my grandma.  It never got boring and I never did the same thing twice!

My grandma has been gone for twelve years now. I chose to believe that wherever she is, she's looking down at me and saying, "You little pill (her nickname for me), I didn't know you could write!" I think I've made her proud.  All those weekends she spent taking me to the library meant something, something bigger than just getting a book to read. It opened a whole new world to me, one of endless possibilities.  So I write and I thank my grandma.

Thinking I needed a "real" job and not know that writing fit into that category: I went to college and studied accounting, earning a 4.0 gpa and graduating Summa Cum Laude—the highest in my class.  But It wasn't until I started writing that I was truly happy.  I wrote my debut novel Concilium in 2010.  It was just released July 27th by MuseItUp Publishing.  The sequel, Concilium: The Departure will also be published by MuseItUp Publishing with scheduled release date of November 2012.  

My Debut young adult novel, PODs, will be published by Spencer Hill Press and is scheduled for release in paperback June 4th, 2013.

I was born and raised in Michigan.  I now resides in a small community outside Houston, Texas with my incredibly supportive husband, four wonderful children, a 125-pound lap dog, a very grumpy cockatiel and a cat that thinks she's queen.

I write adult and young adult Sci/Fi and urban fantasy romance.

Here's the jacket cover for Concilium:

Leslee hit a strange animal with her car.  Now she’s marked for death. 

It was a simple car accident – the animal didn’t even die – but it drew the attention of the Cruor Imbibo. Driven by their insatiable need to feed, the secret society of Imbibo has devoured the dregs of civilization for centuries.  Afraid Leslee will expose them, and put an end to their meal ticket, the Imbibo want her dead.

The Concilium is Leslee's only protection. Guardian of the ancient secret and the protector of humans, the Concilium fights to control the Imbibo and end their feeding frenzy. Miller works for the Concilium. Keeping Leslee alive is his next assignment. 

Now Leslee is on the run, and the only thing between her flesh and the snapping jaws of the Imbibo is Miller. He and Leslee quickly form a bond, but will falling in love make Miller’s job more difficult? Because if he fails, Leslee will be next on the Imbibo menu.

The Cruor Imbibo are coming, and they're coming for Leslee.

It's now available at:

MuseItUpPublishing And Amazon

Want your copy of Concilium signed? I'd be happy to do that! Just go to http://www.kindlegraph.com/ and send me a message and I'll send you a personalized inscription for your copy of Concilium.  

I LOVE to hear from readers and other authors!

 
Links and Contact Information:

 
Website: www.Michelle-Pickett.com
Email: Michelle@Michelle-Pickett.com
Blog: www.Michelle-Pickett.com/blog

Facebook:   www.Facebook.com/michellepickettauthor

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/michelle_kp
Goodreads: http://goodreads.com/michelle-pickett

Trailer: http://youtu.be/dxLvVQ9s7u4

Linked In: http://www.linkedin.com/in/michellepickett

Book: htttp://www.conciliumbooks.com
PODs: http://www.site.spencerhillpress.com/PODs.html

Novel Excerpt:

Concilium is an Urban Fantasy with a big dose of romance and little touch of horror.  But rather than tell you what the book is about, I'm going to give you a small glimpse at one of my favorite scenes.  Leslee is for the first time realizing that she may not survive the obstacle facing her:

The rain made dusk fall earlier. I watched as the team grabbed their equipment. I knew they weren't as confident as they wanted me to believe. They expected a bad night.

“I want a gun.”

Miller looked at me and nodded. “It’s there in the hall. I want you to stay there. With the front windows covered and the bedroom doors closed, they won’t be able to see you. Stay on the floor. Here, put this in your pocket.” He handed me his car key. “If anything happens, Leslee, if any window breaks, if any of us tells you to go, get in the car and drive to the lake. Don’t think. Don’t ask questions. Just go. One of us will be there to get you as soon as it’s safe.”

“And if you aren't?” I asked.

“We will,” he said, his eyes intense. “We will,” he repeated emphatically.

“Okay.” I tried to manage a smile, tried to look as self-assured as he seemed. I couldn’t.

“Les, if you need to use the gun, shoot them in the neck. Right here where a man’s Adam’s apple is. Don’t waste a shot on the head or anywhere on the body. Just aim for the throat.”

“Okay. Why?”

“Their bodies aren’t built like ours. Their brains and spinal columns are in slightly different spots because of their, um, different look,” Brooks said, looking at Miller. “The throat is the kill shot. Like a shot to the back of the head would be for a human.”

“Okay, the throat,” I said, my voice wavering. My hands were already shaking. I prayed I could aim the gun if the time came. I hoped I’d be able to control my fear if I had to face one of the Imbibo alone.

One by one, the guys hugged me before they left, the same way they had every night at my house. Why did it feel so different? Why was I more worried than before? I didn’t have any answers, but the air felt ominous, the house felt threatening, and a thought slammed into me.

I could die here.

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Liked what you've read so far?

Enter below to win a copy of Concilium! 

Make sure to stop by the rest of the tour...

August 7th - A Book Lovers Review

August 8th - The Book Reaper

August 9th - Avid Readers Musings

August 10th - Books With Bite

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