All New Giveaways! The Last Way Station Mega Book Tour

Giveaways

Two signed, paperback copies of Kiwi in Cat City

One signed, Hardcover Edition of On Matissia Wings

Two ebook copies of Raven

Two ebook copies of Cloud Nine

Two signed, paperback copies of Ultimate Justice

Two signed, paperback copies of Carry on the Flame: Destiny's Call

Two signed, paperback copies of Blue Bells of Scotland

Two ebook copies of Damon (The Protector Series)

Two ebook copies of Covert Dreams

A Whitman's Sampler of Fictional Main Characters

Jon Reisfeld

It took Philadelphia-based confectioner Stephen H. Whitman and Son's, Inc. 70 years — or until 1912 — to finally hit upon its winning "Sampler" packaging formula that became synonymous with its name and iconic in the boxed-chocolates
industry. But the logic behind it was overwhelming. Personal tastes vary. Some people prefer chocolate-covered caramels. Some like nuget. Others, candies with butter-cream or mint centers. Still others prefer chocolate-covered cherries.
And, of course, many of us like all of the above, but wish to know precisely what we're getting before popping the individual sweets in our mouths.

To me, the genius of the Whitman Sampler was not, so much, the wide variety of chocolates contained in the box, but the diagram on the underside of the lid that identified all the candies contained within. (This simple innovation ended the unpleasant practice of 'pinching' chocolates, a practice which, while instructive for the "pincher," ruined the chocolate-tasting experience for those next in line for a treat.)

In the Whitman's Sampler tradition, authors of the following eight books, all featured in the Last Way Station Mega Book Tour, have helped us prepare a Fiction Sampler of main characters for you.
"The Last Way Station Mega Book Tour,"represents a new concept in virtual book touring, in which authors take part in tag-team guest blogs, like this one. The tour, which I founded, is named in honor of my book, The Last Way Station. Click here to take your chance at winning a Kindle Fire in the tour’s official Sweepstakes and then here to learn more about our featured authors and their books.

How Our ‘Sampler’ Works

Sample each book below by placing your cursor on its cover. Then, click once to read about its main character. Our sampler will help you identify the characters you relate to and that you would enjoy reading about.

Kiwi, Main Character in Kiwi in Cat City

“My name is Kiwi and I’m a cat. I’m about four, black and fluffy, but I make up for my small size with brains and bravery. I live with Amy and James, and their parents in the human world.
At night, when the moon is shaped like a cat’s claw, I like to visit my other home, the blue-lit Cat City, where the streets are paved with blue and white cat mosaics, and the sun sparkles orange. My favourite catizens are Inspector Furrball, Kip and Siam.

“I’m curious about everything and love solving puzzles. My other passion is traveling – I get that from my father, Delphinius, who used to rule Cat City. I miss him a lot. He was the one who first took me to the human world. If it wasn’t for him, I wouldn’t have met Amy and James.

“If I tell you a secret, do you promise not to tell? I’m magical! You might notice a faint purple glow to my fur and eyes – look closely or you may just miss it – that’s my magic glowing. I could take you to Cat City if you are very, very good and don’t tell a soul! Are you game?”

Brief Book SummaryFor readers age 9 and above ...One dark night, Amy cannot sleep. She looks out the window into the garden to see her cat, Kiwi, transfixed by the moon, which is glowing brightly and shaped like a cat's claw. Waking her brother, James, she suggests they follow Kiwi to see where she goes... whether on a hunt for mice or something else. Little do they know that, with a flick of her tail, Kiwi will magically change them into kittens and then lead them on the adventure of their lives to a land they never knew existed: the blue-lit world of Cat City. There the budding detectives will help Inspector Furrball solve the mystery of the missing catizens and find out what happened to Madame Purrfect.

Special Agent Trey Fontaine, Main Character in Ultimate Justice

As Trey Fontaine recuperates from a gunshot wound, his life gets more complicated than ever. He thought it was a good idea to spend some time back home, but Raven Bayou is not providing a restful respite. Trey pops pain pills like Skittles as he deals with a serial killer, an old flame, and various other conflicts.

All Trey ever wanted was to be a cop, just like his dad. And though Trey is now an FBI agent, he still tries to live up to the hero status of his father, who was killed on the job when Trey was 13. That was the year he kissed Gemini Taylor. And now she’s his godfather’s partner, a homicide detective in Raven Bayou.

When his Aunt Darlene is raped, beaten, and left for dead, the idea of rest and recuperation disappears, and Trey becomes a well-honed hunting machine. In the meantime, men are being gutted, and the killer of his godfather’s wife is on trial for vehicular manslaughter. One thing is sure. As compassionate as he can be, Trey won’t allow anyone to get away with hurting those he loves. Even his addiction won’t stop him from making things right.

Brief Book Summary. Special Agent Trey Fontaine has his hands full as he tries to juggle three different sets of cases in his hometown. While healing from a bullet wound, and on limited duty, he is charged with helping find out what's happening to young women who are disappearing without a trace. But that's just the beginning. Someone is beating and raping women in town, women who are related to his godfather, Detective Russell Coleman. And then, the bodies of men start showing up, eviscerated. Are the crimes related? Or has the town become a haven for all sorts of criminals?

Wile, Rocky, and Drew, three children from a violent home, take matters into their own hands and soon the small town of Raven Bayou, Louisiana is brimming with dead bodies. But the only victims are those whose background proves them to be deserving of such justice. Can Special Agent Trey Fontaine stop the violence? Or will he only figure out the truth after someone he loves is dead?

The plot's twists and turns will keep you on the edge of your seat throughout this page-turner.

Murkuria, Main Character in The Furlites of Aroriel: On Matissia Wings

Murkuria, of Clan Darius, is a Furlitian pre-adolescent female who belongs to a Clan of space travelers. A bipedal, saurian child with predominantly copper fur, she captivates even her own people with her large eyes of rare golden color, and is intelligent, sensitive, yet determined, ambitious, and stubborn. When she and her twin brother are forced to stay behind on the Clan’s historic mission to the stars, she is, initially, frightened by his suggestion that they sneak aboard as stowaways. However, once she buries her anxiety over leaving their snowy home world, Murkuria accompanies her brother and is instrumental in making the plan work. During the entire mission, her depth of knowledge in her chosen field surprises the crew, especially her very disciplined but hot-tempered father, who captains the star ship.

Large for her age, she strives to prove she belongs with her family, and is not a mere child on a space-bound joy ride. She empathizes deeply with all around her, takes criticism to heart, and despite her successes, has a hard time releasing guilt over the deaths of three crew members. While marooned on the Human’s world, she breaks the communication barrier, despite prior bad experience with the species. She embraces her new task as translator, but struggles with the fear that she may never return home again.

Brief Book SummaryThe cold distant world Aroriel — where primate species never evolved — has spawned a furry saurian race that now reaches for the stars. Commander Geupetus of Clan Darius, offered command of the first near-lightspeed starship, hesitates to take the job, as Furlitian law forbids his teenaged twins, Murkuria and Thorius, from accompanying their Clan on this historic mission to interstellar space.

Clan Darius, after careful deliberation as a family, driven by their rigid sense of military honor, discipline, and duty, decide they must squelch their emotions and accept the commission -- leaving the twins on Aroriel. Distraught, the twins deide to stow aboard the great starship, Sunpyne, with their winged pet, Matissia. They succeed but end up causing the ship to crash land on an alien world, where saurian life like their own is long extinct and where primate beings that call themselves, "Human," populate the planet. Will they ever see their beloved home again? Some sexual content.

Shardaie, Main Character in Raven

Shardaie is in quite a pickle. After waking up from a coma that has lasted nearly nine years, the 13-year-old girl discovers that a plague is spreading and that the undead are walking. Not only does she have to learn to protect herself from these monsters, she also must quickly come to terms with the world she lives in — a medieval(ish) fantasy world that’s composed of sixteen planets. Shardaie also suffers from a condition that alienates her from her classmates: She doesn’t understand emotions, the feelings coursing through her veins and the expressions flitting across the faces of those around her.
The condition leaves her with a monotone voice and a blank face, but it’s almost trivial to her. Shardaie is focused on discovering who she is, where she was born, and what has happened to her family? Where are they? Shardaie will press on to discover the answers, but she may not like what she finds.

Brief Book SummaryA girl, a coma, a Plague, and an empty grave. When Shardaie wakes up, she doesn't know who she is, why she cannot understand emotions, why she has been unconscious for nearly nine of her thirteen years, or why the dead just won't stay dead. The only clue to her past is a locket, but the Plague, which finally stretches its unnatural hand to her village, forces her to leave and to learn to protect herself. But everything has a cost: the protection against the undead reveals a secret that Shardaie and her classmates just don't want to accept, and at the end, Shardaie realises that some secrets shouldn't be revealed. Secrets have the power to destroy, and the power to change her view on humanity for ever.

Claire Grayson, Main Character in Cloud Nine

Claire is your normal teenaged girl from next door. She has a family who loves her, and friends who will do anything for her. She loves to laugh and have fun and just be goofy once in a while. Like other girls her age, she has trouble with boys and she’s just trying her best to make it to graduation.
Then, she wakes up one morning to find her life suddenly turned upside down. She does her best to cope. But it isn’t easy.

Learning that a Guardian (Angel) has selected you for protection is a lot to process at seven in the morning. But once her Guardian takes on a more comfortable, and pleasing, form Claire discovers she's strangely attracted to him! Soon, she realizes he's everything she wants. But can she have him? Can they make it as a couple or will forces beyond their control intervene? Will he decide she’s worth the fight, or will he throw in the towel before love has a chance to take hold?

Brief Book Summary What happens when you get picked by a guardian angel? What if you don't believe you need one? And what if someone wants you removed?

Claire Grayson is a self-reliant seventeen year old girl on the verge of graduating high school. Both her parents work long hours, so Claire pretty much takes care of herself. She even earns her own spending and gas money by working part time as a tutor for other students. Her best friends are the bright spots that keep her laughing through the trials and heart aches of adolescent life. After a recent breakup, it takes her a while to come back to the land of the living. Then, when she finally decides to move on, she meets Sterling Warde.

Sterling is a Guardian. He helps people in need and guides them to a better understanding of living. While wrapping up one assignment, Sterling catches a glimpse of Claire and is startled by his reaction to her. Puzzled, he follows her to discover the source of the spark. What made her reach out and touch his nerves and steal his breath. When he finally reveals himself to her, he frightens her and she doesn't want him around. But with time and patience, he works to see her safe.

Others have romantic designs on Claire and Sterling and want them for themselves. Together, Sterling and Claire will dissuade them. Someone will fall. Someone will hurt. And others will..

Sharay, Main Character in Carry on the Flame: Destiny’s Call

Sharay is a young priestess in modern day Glastonbury, England. And she’s not a kick ass heroine at the start of the book. Orphaned at age ten, Sharay becomes the ward of her deceptive Aunt Phoebe. Phoebe soon labels Sharay “insane” because of her psychic abilities, and unjustly accuses her of murdering her uncle, which lands Sharay in a mental hospital. Phoebe then uses black magic against Sharay in order to steal her unique magical powers and inherited wealth.

Sharay’s transformation begins in the psychiatric ward, where she meets an elderly sage and his mysterious grandson. Her magical adventures, steeped in Celtic tradition, are an invitation for her to step into her destiny as the “chosen one” in a lineage of priestesses, born to help humanity through the fear and dark times of today’s world.

In a mythical quest that takes Sharay through England, Wales, and Scotland, she learns her power is not worldly power, in the traditional sense. It is the mystical power connected to a love in her that is mightier than any sword, with the power to heal and transform not only herself, but also the turmoil of our times. Sharay must use that power not only to overcome forces set in motion by Phoebe, but to mange her own grief, loss, and dark side. She struggles against Phoebe’s black magic with her own inner light. As one of my readers said: “If you have ever felt you have a calling or a mission in life that you resisted, or if you are experiencing the challenges of stepping up to meet that call, Sharay’s journey is yours. If you feel you are not listening to your most authentic heart and want to, Sharay’s bumpy journey is yours.”

Brief Book Summary Humanity is in the midst of its greatest crisis ever. Sharay is the one chosen to show the way forward and help humankind move through today's fear and dark times. Born in modern day Glastonbury, England, into a line of priestesses, Sharay finds her way blocked by her jealous Aunt Phoebe, who uses black magic to steal her fortune and magical powers. When Phoebe commits Sharay to a psychiatric ward and accuses her of murder, Sharay struggles with the temptation to fight Phoebe's vengeance with her own. Through the ancient Celtic ceremony of Beltaine, Sharay experiences profound sacred union with the Welshman Guethyn, who shows her how to open her heart. But Sharay must learn to transform her hatred for her aunt in order to claim the mystery held deep within her cells that will allow her to fulfill her destiny and prove that the ultimate magic lies in the power of love.

Nicole Callahan, Main Character in Damon (The Protectors Series) Call

“After writing my first chapter,” Author Teresa Gabelman says, “I always stop and ask myself, ‘Would I want to be friends with this person?’ If I don’t like them then why should you? Nicole Callahan, the main character in Damon, is definitely a chick I would hang with. With her sense of humor and snarky comebacks she is definitely no pushover. Her passion for her job gives a sense of the strong and loyal woman she is, yet the importance of her job makes her realize she needs to accept whatever help she can get.

“Nicole is a social worker in a world gone crazy with vampire blood, Crimson Rush, being the new drug on the streets. Children are in the middle of the growing war between vampires and humans, and it’s up to Nicole and her colleagues to make sure they don’t fall between the cracks. Nicole resists Damon’s initial offer of help, because he is a vampire warrior. But her love and devotion to the children gradually convinces her to swallow her pride and accept his assistance.

“I write what I like to read. If a character puts a smile on my face and I’m cheering them on then I’m one happy reader.”

Brief Book Summary Damon DeMasters is a vampire warrior who has taken an oath to protect not only his own kind, but humans as well. Crimson Rush is the new drug on the streets and it's their duty to find who is behind the selling of vampire blood and stop it.

As a social worker, Nicole Callahan fights for the right of every child placed in her care. There's a war now as vampires have stepped out into the spotlight, taking their place in society, and the children are at the heart of it all.

The Vampire Council has ordered Damon and his fellow warriors to train Nicole and her colleagues in how to combat the dangers they now face. Sparks fly and tensions mount as Nicole and Damon learn they must depend on each other if they hope to protect the children of both races.

Author Michael Meyer Discusses Stan Halsey, A Main Character in Covert Dreams

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZKGLeuGOVrQ?rel=0&w=239&h=162]

Brief Book Summary Is the mysterious disappearance of an American in today's Saudi Arabia somehow linked to a terrible murder in Munich back in 1984? Is B.J. living a nightmare, or is it reality? How can he dream the same dream night after night and know intimate details of Munich, a city in which he has never been? How can he speak German in his dream, a language he does not know? Why does everybody think he is losing it? Is he going crazy?

How can a woman suddenly disappear in the Saudi Arabian heat, along with every trace of her very existence? Why is there absolutely nothing, not one single detail in any records anywhere, to prove that she is indeed a living person and that her spouse is not crazy for thinking so? Why do both the American government officials and the Saudi Arabian authorities insist that she has never even existed?

What is real, and what is not? Who is really who, and why? What is behind the murder, the kidnappings, and the nightmares all leading up to what end? The mounting suspense moves from Munich, to London, to Rome, and to the burning sands of Saudi Arabia. What is the horrifying link between these two alternating stories? Do you love mysteries? Do you love thrillers? Do you love suspense? If so, then take on COVERT DREAMS.

Shawn Kleiner, Main Character in Blue Bells of Scotland, Vol. #1

Shawn Kleiner is the self-centered, womanizing main character of Blue Bells of Scotland. Some readers, like some members of Shawn’s orchestra, love Shawn for his charisma, humor, and devil-may-care attitude, while others hate him for his gambling, drinking, lying, and cheating.
Shawn, like all of us, is a mix of good and bad, fighting his demons. He’s trying to be better than he is, and, in truth, a little bit better than he wants people to believe. He has his own mixed-up reasons for acting the way he does, as we all do.

“What I like about Shawn,” author Laura Vosika says, “apart from his optimism and love of life, is that, despite his flaws, he can be jolted into awareness—even if it takes a time slip into a brutal century where men want to kill him! My beta readers have come to enjoy Shawn’s humor and antics, and also to care as they watch him struggle against the dangers of medieval Scotland and his own nature, to survive, grow, and get back to his girlfriend to make amends. I think we root for flawed characters because we see in them hope that we, too, could rise to the occasion if necessary.“

Brief Book Summary Shawn Kleiner has it all: money, fame, a skyrocketing career as an international musical phenomenon, his beautiful girlfriend Amy, and all the women he wants-- until the night Amy has enough and abandons him in a Scottish castle. He wakes to find himself mistaken for Niall Campbell, medieval Highland warrior. Soon after, he is sent shimmying down a wind-torn castle wall into a dangerous cross country trek with Niall’s tempting, but knife-wielding fiancee, pursued by English soldiers and a Scottish traitor who want Niall dead. Thrown forward in time, Niall learns history's horrifying account of his own death, and of the Scots' slaughter at Bannockburn. Undaunted, he navigates the roiled waters of Shawn’s life-- pregnant girlfriend, amorous fans, enemies, gambling debts--- seeking a way to leap back across time to save his people, especially his beloved Allene. But he finds himself liking Shawn’s life...

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