Kasadya Hellhound Awakened
Kasadya Series
Book One
Karen Swart
Genre: Urban Fantasy/Paranormal
Audience: YA/NA - 14 years and up
ISBN: 978-1311699121
Date Published: 21 August 2012
Pages: 342 pages
Book Description:
In a constant battle between good and evil, evil is dominating the battlefield and leading mankind to its destruction. With our Creator's intervention, a creature destined to conquer and destroy is created. He gives mankind hellhounds to fight back and reclaim freedom.
Join seventeen year old Kasadya Levourne as she fights against evil to protect us. With each step, she faces destruction, and yet she has the talent to give it back tenfold. Stubborn and hard-headed she makes her mark in the Fallen world and starts a battle none can escape. Not even her trainer, the very attractive Chax de Luca, was prepared for her presence.
Will evil prevail? Or will Kas and her Fallen friends succeed in protecting us against it? Hold on to your seats, this is going to be one hell of a ride.
Special Note:
The Kasadya Series should be read back to back,
books 1- 3 each end with a cliff hanger.
Excerpt Kasadya Hellhound Awakened -
Prologue
There was a time when heaven was filled with peace and serenity. God, Jesus Christ, and all the Angels lived in harmony; no evil and no sin existed. Until one fateful day...
With all gathered to hear their Sire speak, God rose and addressed his Angels. Before all, he proclaimed His Son, Jesus Christ, was equal to Him. That Christ’s words should be obeyed as if they were His own. Christ would command the heavens, with the same authority as Him. All the Angels bowed down before Christ and accepted their Sire’s proclamation, all except for one…
An Archangel was furious with this proclamation. He was his Sire’s right hand, the deliverer of justice, the commander of many legions. He had served his Sire for centuries, and never failed him. It should be to him that God bestow power, not a Son whom had never even seen battle.
With his heart filled with hatred and jealousy, he gathered all the angels in secret. He told them that their days of sweet liberty were at an end. That God has now placed Christ as their ruler and that they should now obey his wishes. Many angels were angered at such a false statement, but many also agreed with the Archangel. He had led them for many years; why should they now question his leadership?
The faithful Angels fled to God and told Him what was happening, and together they prepared for war. With the sun rising on a new day, God and his Angels stood ready for battle against the Archangel and his followers. The battle only lasted a day, the Archangel and his followers defeated before the sun set for the night.
Seeing the angels on their knees before Him, He gave them one final chance… “Repent and declare your loyalty, and I will forgive you, my children.” He told his beautiful angels, tears falling with each word. This was His family. This was His love. How could they betray Him? Some of the Angels cried their penance, begging Him to forgive them for their deceit. They claimed that the Archangel deceived them, and they followed him into battle, as they have done for centuries.
God took pity on them, but still believed that their deceit must not go unpunished. He had spoken many times about the importance of punishment, that lessons learned must be earned... “I herewith grant you mercy, but as punishment you will be sentenced to an earthly realm. I will take your beauty as payment for my children lost today. In the place of your beauty, I will give you purpose. In mercy, and because I love you still, I give you life in this realm. Let this be known, that I was merciful this day,” God finished.
He placed them in an earthly realm, and called it Exsilium. In this realm they would carry their deceit, and earn their place with him. He took their beauty and replaced them with elements of his earth. Half would be of animal and element, and would resemble punishment. The other, in a humanoid form, and would resemble mercy. He called them his Fallen.
The Archangel, and those whom did not repent, were not that lucky. God looked into the eyes of His once faithful angels and only saw destruction, hatred, jealousy, and heartache. He knew that His beloved ones had died this day, and that others needed to be protected. But how could you destroy one you loved? He placed the Archangel, and his followers, in another earthly realm, but where Exsilium was above the earth, this one was in the center. With one wave of His hand, their beautiful forms were replaced with forms as ugly as their hatred and deceit. Using His word and blood, He sealed this realm from any other.
As He looked into the many eyes of hatred, He spoke his final word... “This realm will be called Hell, and you will be called demons. You, my once faithful Archangel, you will be called the Devil. Your angel name will be erased from the past, present, and future. You will be forgotten,” He proclaimed and left them to their demise.
Many years have passed since that day. God created mankind and cherished his new children. The male and female were his new hope; in them he would find peace again. But the Devil had grown strong through the years, and somehow managed to enter God’s garden. Here, he found the female God created, using her to strike back. He whispered words of deceit in her ears, and watched as God’s new children stepped into sin. With her first bite, a crack appeared in the seal around Hell, and demons escaped to earth.
From that day onward, the Devil and his demons created chaos amongst God’s new children, leading one after the other into sin. God looked upon this and decided to fight for his loved ones. He went to Exsilium and spoke to the Fallen... “You, my children, have proven your loyalty in the years that have passed, and so I came to offer you another chance at Heaven. If you slay the Devil and his demons to protect mankind, I will give you a place in my Heaven once again. With your last breath on this earth, you will join me and your brethren in Heaven,” He finished. The Fallen agreed and God gave them the power to move in and out of Exsilium to battle the demons. The war between Good and Evil began.
But as mankind spread over the earth, sin became their followers. And with each sin, the demons grew stronger and created more demons to torture mankind. The Fallen were now fighting against millions; they needed assistance to ensure victory. God had watched the battle from Heaven and saw that they were failing because of their numbers. He also saw that the demons grew stronger than the Fallen. He intervened and created a new creature. This creature would have features encompassing the best of both worlds. One half was as strong and loyal as the Fallen, while the other was as hard and enduring as a demon. This was His ultimate weapon. This would be His greatest creation. To ensure that these creatures could not be swayed, He placed Heaven’s soul into them. He called them His hellhounds.
The hellhounds delivered justice swiftly, as strong and just as the Fallen. Yet hard and durable like the demons, they conquered the earthly realm and the demons retreated. Not one hellhound could be swayed. All stayed true to their calling. God, knowing that the Devil and many more demons had retreated, gave His hellhounds life, and offered them a place among the Fallen.
Until this day they still watch over mankind, protecting them from evil. Will we be worth it?
Kasadya Hellhound Twisted
Kasadya Series
Book Two
Karen Swart
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Audience: YA/NA - 14 years and up
Publisher: Karen Swart
ISBN: 978-1301357192
Pages: 251 Pages
Date Published: 15 February 2013
Book Description:
She fought against all odds and became the warrior she was meant to be … or so she thought. In a world where the rules have changed, can she embrace her destiny and become the hellhound she was meant to be?
Kasadya is back in Exsilium and finds her world a little different. Her half-breed fallen friends join her, and they are ordered to complete their apprentice training in order to obtain the right to be guardians. She must learn that her own fate cannot be denied and that others are set to follow. But most of all, she must learn that to trust is the greatest battle of all.
The tables are turned and Kasadya is put to the test. Will she be able to prevent her own death, or that of a friend? Or will her actions call forth the destruction of Earth and Exsilium?
For a Phoenix to rise, it must first die. —Chax De Luca
Kasadya Hellhound Born
Kasadya Series
Book Three
Karen Swart
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Audience: YA/NA - 14 years and up
Publisher: Karen Swart
ISBN: 9781301863594
Pages: 235 pages
Date Published: 15 August 2013
Book Description:
In a world filled with evil, the Fallen prepare for the ultimate battle against the demon world!
Kasadya is ordered to unleash her crazed born transformation to complete her divinity. But there is a chance that her born will be uncontrollable, and she will be destroyed. There is just one person that can save her; her charm, her destined mate. Left without a choice, she must surrender, and place her life in his hands.
In a race against time, the Fallen must stand together and fight the evil threatening to invade earth. If her divinity was in reach, victory would be theirs. That is until she starts having visions of the final battle, and her true destiny is revealed. She just found her love and place in the Fallen world; will she be able, and willing, to sacrifice it all?
Excerpt Kasadya Hellhound Born –
“Kasadya, don't do this to me,” Chax spoke, using Corra.
I stopped completely and looked at him. Reaching for my necklace, I held it.
“I am so sorry, Chax. This is the only way; we can’t win any other way. I know; I have seen the end too many times,” I replied.
His face fell even more and he looked around, searching for a way out.
“I want to thank you... for being there for me. For searching for me when I went missing. For enduring all of my crap. I am sorry I messed up so many times. But not this time; this I promise. But most of all, thank you for loving me.” Even my mental voice broke down on the last part.
Chax started to scream and pound at the invisible wall, while others joined him. I looked at Nanini, shocked that she couldn’t get out.
“Take care of Max for me,” I sent to her.
Tears formed and ran down her cheeks, but she nodded.
“Kas, let us help you!” Lotan yelled. My friends, my family were still trying to save me. Tears ran down my own face now.
“I love all of you. Thank you for always being there for me.” Finally my mental voice began to a sob.
I turned away, afraid that the sight of them would stop me.
“Kasadya! Don’t do this to me. I beg you!” Chax yelled at me.
Demons were closing in around me, but my heart was so broken I just let the tears and heartache spill out of me.
“I am so sorry, Chax. Forgive me.” With that, I stormed forward.
I used my g-force punches to clear the masses out of my way. When that stopped working, I started shifting. Demons grabbed at me and some got in a slice or two. But I wasn't stopping.
I saw Ballen trying to flee from me. He thought I was heading for him. Good. I needed him on the other side when I blew it up. Using my wings for momentum, I sent a massive g-force punch into the horde that remained between me and my target. They flew backwards, clearing the way for me to advance. I swiped at a few too close and took their heads. Blood sprayed all over me. Searching for the hole to make sure I was heading in the right direction, I saw the shoulders and arms of something freaking big, already beginning to breach.
I need to move faster!
I lifted up with my wings. They were tired, but I had no other option. Now I had the flying demons to contend with. We fought and sliced and I sent a few down to earth without a head. At last, I was advancing on the hole. Pain shot through my left wing and I tumbled to the ground, hitting hard. At the last moment I made sure that the front of my body hit the ground and not the back. Demons jumped me all at once. Ballen was yelling at them to stop me. I used everything I had left and flung out with my wings and arms. They went flying and just in front of me was the hole with the devil stuck in it. Ballen was standing at the entrance watching me, his face a mask of shock.
With a deep breath, I reached for the pouch and took hold of the balls. Now armed and ready, I just had a few feet to go. I stormed through the demons, not caring if they sliced me open. I wasn't stopping for a fight anymore. I held the balls to my chest, sealing them from any other impact. Then, finally, I was at the entrance of the hole. With the last of my strength, I leaped into the air and went flying straight for it.
There were many things that go through your mind that moment before you die. I remembered my first step into Exsilium. Meeting Lada and Nanini. Meeting Chax and hating my first day. I remembered our fun at the beach, the Hellhouse and the grub spot. Seeing Lada and Lotan kissing for the first time. Meeting Max and Ryan, and then all of the rest. My heart no longer troubled by Kali or Seth or all the others who had betrayed me. I remembered finding Chax and the Fallen again. Seeing my parents again. So many memories bombarded me at that last moment. I remembered my day and night with Chax, and how it felt to be loved.
“I love you,” I sent a final message to him.
He was still screaming my name, begging for me to stop.
I remembered why I was doing this. For them I gave my heart, my life. Ballen's shocked face was in front of me, right in my path. Just when I reached him, I dropped the balls and slammed into him.
Kasadya Hellhound Defined
Kasadya Series
Book Four
Karen Swart
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Audience: YA/NA - 14 years and up
Publisher: Karen Swart
ASIN: B00J698M1A
ISBN: 978-1311495075
Pages: 135 pages
Date Published: 21 March. 2014
Book Description:
For centuries his only reason for existence was to destroy evil. But when he finally found his mate, that all changed for the deadly Chax De Luca. When the hellhound Kasadya captured his heart, he surrended it to her, thinking he’d finally found what he’d been looking for. Little did he know that his mate would sacrifice herself to save them all.
His fury is legend. His wrath, merciless. His love for his mate, undeniable. He’s going to hell to retrieve his heart, and if that means that he must destroy hell itself, then so be it.
Kasadya awakes to a world in peril, her mate forever changed, and a war filled with evil creatures intending to enter Earth’s realm and destroy all that she holds dear. Can she complete her divinity in time to save her loved ones and mankind? Will she have to choose? Or will all be lost in the final battle?
The final battle is here, and with it, secrets are revealed and worlds are changed forever.
Welcome to the Fall Into Fantasy Tour, where we are keeping your mind off any end-of-summer blues and welcoming the cooler weather by introducing you to some incredible fantasy reads to curl up with and giving you plenty of chances to win awesome prizes!
Week 9: Salvation by James Wymore
A man wakes on a frozen battlefield when a scavenging couple finds him among the dead. As they nurse him back to health, he is struck with the horrible realization he can’t remember who he is or anything about his past. Taken in by the kind pair, he begins helping with their farm. She even takes him to meet her family, especially her single sister. The ideal life offered in the high mountains of Winigh is shattered when he sees a transport bringing enemy monsters to the shores below. Cut off by high snow on the pass, their fate will soon be the same as the town his company failed to protect in the last battle, if this estranged soldier cannot help them fight off the next wave of invaders. Even worse, the people of the town don’t trust this Selene soldier. He has a strange resistance to their folk magic which some say make him as dangerous as the enemies preparing to destroy them.
ABOUT JAMES WYMOREOn a lifelong search for fantastic worlds hiding just out of sight, James Wymore writes to explore. With three books and six short stories in print after just one year, he continues to push the boundaries of imagination. Journey with him at
http://jameswymore.wordpress.com
Find James online:
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Today is the cover reveal for
Altar of Reality, the first book from
Shifted Realities--a brand new series by Mara Valderran. This YA dystopian is set to be released January 31st, 2015 by
Curiosity Quills Press. Mark your calendars, and be sure to add the book to your
Goodreads list! Want to stay up to date on all things
Altar of Reality?
Sign up for Mara's newsletter so you don't miss a thing!
And now...the moment
Mara's we've all been waiting for...
When sixteen-year-old Madeline suffers her first grand mal seizure, she finds herself in an unfamiliar reality, surrounded by strangers wearing familiar faces. Her best friend, Brandon, tells her that the world has fallen to chaos, the aftermath of World War III ten years ago. Madeline doesn’t remember anything from this life— especially not the explosion four years ago that killed her parents and landed her in a coma, or the Lord Commander; a zealot leader of the Southern Territories now searching for her.
Madeline barely has time to process everything before waking up to the life she’s always known. As soon as she dismisses it all as a strange and vivid dream, she finds herself back there once more. Unsure if she’s truly caught in the middle of a brewing rebellion, or teetering on the brink of insanity, she finds herself flipping between the two lives. Her heart becomes torn between two versions of the same boy and the lines between her realities begin to blur as she struggles to save her lives in both worlds.
I'm so excited for this brand new series! I can't wait to start sharing teasers with you, so stay tuned! January will be here before you know it. And don't forget to check out the Heirs of War, Crown of Flames blog tour going on right now! There are excerpts, interviews, a giveaway, and more. You can find the tour calendar here.
We are falling into fantasy with another promotion from October 17-31 organized by
Ash Krafton! Writers have books. Bloggers want to talk about them and readers want to read them. This is the event that brings all of us together in a big ball of wonderful! Check out the Rafflecopters below for a chance to win some amazing books and prizes!
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Welcome to the Fall Into Fantasy Tour, where we are keeping your mind off any end-of-summer blues and welcoming the cooler weather by introducing you to some incredible fantasy reads to curl up with and giving you plenty of chances to win awesome prizes!
Week 8: The Heirs of War seriesBook One: Heirs of WarBook Two: Heirs of War, Crown of Flames
Seventeen year-old Zelene has never believed in magic or been one to trust fate. Prophecies about princesses and long lost families were the stuff of fairy tales and had no place in her life. But then magic-wielding assassins attack claiming she is one of the five Duillaine Ainnir, the next generation of the most powerful women who rule over the worlds. Together, the five girls are prophesized to save the worlds from the war that has been raging for years.
As their enemies strike, the girls are taken back to their world and discover the ties binding them together. Rhaya has always had an uncanny knack for reading people, but can’t seem to unravel the mystery tying her to Isauria, the new friend she bonded with instantly. For years, Isauria has been dreaming of Terrena, a girl living her life on the run in a magical world ripped apart by the tragedies of war, but Isauria is completely unaware that she is psychically linked to the world she was born in.
Zelene views them all, especially the elders, with a distrustful eye, familial bonds or no. When she learns that her long-lost twin Ariana has been captured by the rebels, Zelene’s attitude changes. She doesn’t know what she can do when her own magic is still locked within her, but can she trust the elders to rescue Ariana when it seems their medieval politics are what brought about the war in the first place? With all that is at stake, the answer becomes clear to Zelene.
Screw the worlds. She’s getting her sister back.
Weeks have passed since Ariana and Alec escaped from Kellen's dungeon, but danger isn't far behind them. The guilt of his past weighs heavily on Alec’s shoulders, and his secrets only push Ariana further away. As they travel through unknown lands and encounter multiple threats, their biggest challenge might be trusting one another.
The world appears to be going on regardless of the risks Ariana faces. The Duillaine insist that they are doing everything they can to find Ariana, but their actions betray that claim. Despite the danger and the war closing in around them, all of Anscombe seems to be more interested in the upcoming Imbolc festival and Terrena’s betrothal than rescuing Ariana.
Well…not everyone.
Tired of waiting for the Duillaine to help her twin, Zelene starts plotting on her own and finds a surprising ally in Rhaya, even as the Cynewards prepare to make a move of their own. But Zelene’s plans go awry when she finds herself with a new ability, a mysterious new friend, and more enemies within the walls of Anscombe than she thought.
ABOUT MARA VALDERRAN: Mara Valderran is an author of young adult and new adult books, but she's more than just a madwoman with a writing box. She is an avid reader and fan of all things sci-fi and fantasy. She loves roller skating and movies, though typically not together. She lives in Las Vegas with her husband and demanding cat. She hopes to one day meet Daniel Jackson from SG1, or at least the actor who played him. When she’s not writing, you can find her reading, playing video games, or counting down the days until DragonCon.
Want to get involved with the Fall Into Fantasy promotional tour?- Don't forget to join us at the Facebook party here!
- If you are interested in joining up as a blogger, you can always sign up here. We are happy to welcome more bloggers into the fold as the promotion continues.
- If you are an author or blogger and want to sign up to help with the party, please fill out this form.
Welcome to the Fall Into Fantasy Tour, where we are keeping your mind off any end-of-summer blues and welcoming the cooler weather by introducing you to some incredible fantasy reads to curl up with and giving you plenty of chances to win awesome prizes!
Week 7: The Daath ChroniclesBook One: Broken ForestBook Two: Wicked Path
Hopeless he’ll never be more than the boy who didn’t save his brother, 17-year-old Avikar accepts his life as the family stable boy, trying to forget the past. But when his sister, Jeslyn, is kidnapped, the thought of losing another sibling catapults him on a desperate quest. With his best friend by his side, and using the tracking skills he learned from his father, he discovers Jeslyn has been taken, kidnapped by one Lucino, the young lord of Daath, a mystical place thought only to exist in fables.
And Lucino has plans for Jeslyn.
His shape-shifting brethren feed off the auras of humans, and Jeslyn’s golden hue is exactly what Lucino needs to increase his power. The longer it takes Avikar to reach her, the more entranced she becomes with Lucino’s world, and the harder it will be for Avikar to set her free.
He failed his family once. He won’t fail again.
Buy it from: Amazon / Barnes & Noble / KoboOr add it to
GoodreadsEXCERPT:The wagons surrounded the site in a semi-circle. Sweat pooled in my palms. I had to take out the guards closest to that entrance. If I failed, so did the mission.
Get a grip.
I clenched the arrow in my right hand. Brushfire shifted nervously, sensing my fear. I rubbed her neck. I felt safer with her. She’d been with me since Jimri’s death. At night when the nightmares taunted me, I’d sneak out, riding until dawn forced us home. I’d rescued her from the burning woods, she’d rescued me from despair — today, I prayed both of us would make it out alive.
In Wicked Path: Book Two of the Daath Chronicles brother and sister are forced to opposite sides of Tarrtainya on a fast-paced adventure where the wildlife isn’t the only thing trying to kill them.
Three months have passed since Avikar defeated the Reptilian Prince, and he still can’t remember his battle with Lucino. On the hunt for answers, he returns to the scene of the fight and discovers a strange connection between his family’s dagger and the mysterious kingdom of Daath, and it seems only his distant father can reveal the truth behind it all.
Before Avikar can travel back home, Lucy assaults him in the market and forces him to flee to Nod Mountains—a place few dare to enter, and even less return from. With Raven and her childhood friend by his side, they must survive the treacherous journey through the pass with a vengeful Lucy hunting them. If they don’t, they’ll never see home again.
Jeslyn’s new life in Luna Harbor is the perfect remedy for her confused and broken heart. But when a group of mercenaries kidnap her beloved Grandfather, interrupting her daily routine as his jewelry apprentice, she's forced to join forces with the one person from her past she tried to forget.
And his assistance comes with a price.
Buy it from:
Amazon Barnes & Noble
ABOUT ELIZA TILTON:Eliza graduated from Dowling College with a BS in Visual Communications. When she’s not arguing with excel at her day job, or playing Dragon Age 2, again, she’s writing.
Her YA stories hold a bit of the fantastical and there’s always a hot romance. She resides on Long Island with her husband, two kids and one very snuggly pit bull.
Find Eliza online:
Want to get involved with the Fall Into Fantasy promotional tour?- Don't forget to join us at the Facebook party here!
- If you are interested in joining up as a blogger, you can always sign up here. We are happy to welcome more bloggers into the fold as the promotion continues.
- If you are an author or blogger and want to sign up to help with the party, please fill out this form.
In just under two weeks (
9 days as of this post),
Heirs of War, Crown of Flames will be released at last. There have been a few setbacks with this book, but I'm happy for them all. Why? Because I am so freaking proud of the end result. My editor Kriscinda Everitt is, as always, awesome. She continues to push me to be better, and that means you get a better book. Win all around!
Since
Crown of Flames will be released, that also means a Facebook party and a blog tour. Yay! You can come help celebrate the release of
Crown of Flames and Ryan Hill's
Dead New World at our joint
Facebook party October 13th from 11am to 1am EST (8am to 10pm PST). We have quite a few guest hosts planned, and lots of ways to win awesome prizes! The blog tour for CoF kicks off October 13th with a release day blitz and runs until October 28th. I have some really fun posts planned for this tour. Lots of interviews, reviews, excerpts, a few guest posts on cool topics like writing romance in fantasy, writing strong female characters, and my writerly bucket list. I'm also hosting a giveaway for the entirety of the tour.
The week of October 13th is a really exciting week! Not only is
Crown of Flames released and the blog tour kicking off, but I'll also be signing books at the Vegas Valley Book Festival on October 18th from 10-4pm with fellow Curiosity Quills authors Sharon Bayliss, Katie Hamstead, and Lisa Collicutt. And I'll also be revealing the cover for
Altar of Reality at the festival and around the web on the 18th. Check back here on the 18th for the cover reveal if you can't come see it in person!
I'm really excited to share all of this with you. October 13th can't get here quick enough for me! Don't forget to stop by during the tour and say hi! You can find the calendar below:
Heirs of War, Crown of Flames Blog Tour Calendar:
I love cover reveals. I feel like I should say VOILA! every time. And I do. To myself, anyway. Today we are revealing the cover of A Single Thread by Cait Spivey, the followup to her YA paranormal romance novella I See the Web, which we teased last month.
And now....VOILA!
It’s been two weeks since Morgan Fletcher’s little sister, Erin, disappeared before his eyes in a flurry of spidersilk and blood. Probability says she’s dead; but when Erin comes to him in a dream, Morgan’s eyes are opened to a level of reality where probability doesn’t mean jack. His sister sees the web of time, and she’s got news for him: trouble is coming.
A cryptic riddle and flashing images of the future are all Morgan has to go on in order to save a mystery boy from a gruesome death. That’s if he even believes what’s happened to Erin. Is her spider-whisperer persona for real, or has his grief at losing her caused him to totally crack?
With a life at stake, Morgan isn’t taking any chances. Madness or no madness, he has to solve Erin’s riddle before it’s too late.
RELEASE DATE: October 31st, 2014
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Cait Spivey is a speculative fiction writer, author of the YA paranormal romance novella I See the Web. She is also a freelance editor, on staff for Curiosity Quills Press and REUTS Publications, as well as a managing member of Bear and Black Dog Editing, LLC. In her spare time, she plans her next tattoo (there will always be a next tattoo), watches too much Netflix, and spends quality time with her darling husband Matt and completely adorable dog Jay. The rest of her time is devoted to her tireless quest to make America read more.
Welcome to the Fall Into Fantasy Tour, where we are keeping your mind off any end-of-summer blues and welcoming the cooler weather by introducing you to some incredible fantasy reads to curl up with and giving you plenty of chances to win awesome prizes!
Week 6: The Ragnarök ProphesiesBook One:
FadeBook Two:
Fall
What do you do when you realize nothing in your life is what you’ve believed it to be?When Arionna Jacobs loses her mother in a tragic accident, her world is turned upside down. She’s forced to leave her old life behind and move in with her father. Dace Matthews, a teaching assistant at her new college, is torn in two, unable to communicate with the feral wolf caged inside him.
When they meet, everything they thought they knew about life unravels. Dace has intimate access to Arionna’s mind, and something deep within her fights to rise to the surface. They don't understand what's happening to them or why, and they're running out of time to sort out the strange occurrences around them.
Their meeting sets an ancient Norse prophesy of destruction in motion, and what destiny has in store for them is bigger than either could have ever imagined. Unless they learn to trust themselves and one another, they may never resolve the mystery surrounding who they are to one another, and what that means for the world.
FADE is available from Curiosity Quills Press at
Amazon US |
UK |
DE |
FR |
IT |
ES |
Barnes and Noble |
Kobo.
How do you save someone who doesn't want to be saved?Those called to stand guard against the end are broken, and Sköll and Hati run free. Now Arionna Jacobs and Dace Matthews face a threat unlike any before. Ragnarök is coming and they aren't strong enough to stop it.
Arionna thought she understood sacrifice, but she never counted on her destiny tearing Dace apart. Ever since she nearly died, he has been consumed with guilt. Now it threatens to turn him into the monster he always feared.
It's up to Arionna to stop him before it's too late, but the path to hell is paved with good intentions, and Dace is hurtling toward self destruction. This time, Arionna isn't sure she can save him from himself. Can she convince him to let the past go, or is her true destiny to sacrifice her heart in exchange for the lives of the people she loves?
You can read the official prologue to FALL
here.
FALL – The Ragnarök Prophesies: Book Two is available at
Amazon and
Barnes and Noble. You can add it to your TBR list on Goodreads
here.
ABOUT A.K. MORGEN:
A.K. Morgen lives in Little Rock with her husband, three dogs and two cats. She has a graduate degree in Criminal Justice and Law, and plans to save the world someday. When she’s not working or writing, she spends her time teaching her niece and nephews how to cause mischief. You can also find her dancing in the grocery store, building a spork army, and fundraising for nonprofits close to her heart.
You can learn more about Ayden at
http://akmorgen.com or by following her on
Twitter,
Goodreads, or
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Welcome to the Fall Into Fantasy Tour, where we are keeping your mind off any end-of-summer blues and welcoming the cooler weather by introducing you to some incredible fantasy reads to curl up with and giving you plenty of chances to win awesome prizes!
Week 5: The Dark Choir SeriesBook One: The Curse MerchantBy J.P. SloanDorian Lake spent years cornering the Baltimore hex-crafting market, using his skills at the hermetic arts to exact karmic justice for those whom the system has failed. He keeps his magic clean and free of soul-corrupting Netherwork, thus avoiding both the karmic blow-back of his practice and the notice of the Presidium, a powerful cabal of practitioners that polices the esoteric arts in America. However, when an unscrupulous Netherworker interferes with both his business and his personal life, Dorian's disarming charisma and hermetic savvy may not be enough to keep his soul out of jeopardy.
His rival, a soul monger named Neil Osterhaus, wouldn't be such a problem were it not for Carmen, Dorian's captivating ex-lover. After two years' absence Carmen arrives at Dorian’s doorstep with a problem: she sold her soul to Osterhaus, and has only two weeks to buy it back. Hoping to win back Carmen's affections, Dorian must find a replacement soul without tainting his own. As Dorian descends into the shadows of Baltimore’s underworld, he must decide how low he is willing to stoop in order to save Carmen from eternal damnation... with the Presidium watching, waiting for him to cross the line.
ABOUT J.P. SLOAN
J.P. Sloan is a speculative fiction author, primarily of urban fantasy, horror and several shades between. His writing explores the strangeness in that which is familiar, at times stretching the limits of the human experience, or only hinting at the monsters lurking under your bed.
A Louisiana native, Sloan relocated to the vineyards and cow pastures of Central Maryland after Hurricane Katrina, where he lives with his wife and son. During the day he commutes to the city of Baltimore, a setting which inspires much of his writing.
In his spare time, Sloan enjoys wine-making and homebrewing, and is a National-ranked beer judge.
Find J.P. Online:
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Welcome back for another Feature Friday! This week I have an excerpt from Nicole Zoltack's time travel romance The Test of Time. Get to know the book, and then check out this awesome teaser!
BLURB: Katia jumps at the chance to go to England with her best friend after Rose ditches her deadbeat boyfriend. While walking through the market, she spies a large mansion and recognizes the guy out front as her high school friend Tony. Just as they start to reconnect, Katia passes through times and lands in the arms of Lord Landon, who looks like Tony but certainly doesn’t act like him.
Soon, Katia learns that this 1815 is different from the one in history books. Trapped in a parallel world, Katia struggles to not fall for Landon but his charm proves too much for her. Just when she is about to confess her love for him, Katia travels through time yet again.
The course of love never did run smooth and if Katia can’t figure out and master the test of time, she’ll never see or friends again, or worse, never be reunited with Landon.
So I'm sure you're dying to know the release date and luckily it's not that far away! THE TEST OF TIME releases September 9th! Be sure to grab it on the 9th!
EXCERPT:Her legs cramped up again, and she balanced on one leg, pulling the other leg's ankle to her butt to stretch out her quad. As she switched legs, her balance decided to take a hike, and she stumbled down the stairs. Her head cracked against something wicked hard, and she closed her eyes.
Strong hands touched her, helping her to her feet. "Tony?" she murmured, opening her eyes.
A man she had never seen before shook his head, his wispy sideburns not moving. He gave her a puzzled glance as he released her elbow and stepped back to bow. "I am not this Tony, my lady. I am Lord Landon Philamore." He straightened, and his eyes flickered over her so quickly she thought she was mistaken.
Wait—those eyes. She had seen them before. In her dream.
She shook her head and winced. A knot was already forming, and she rubbed it gingerly.
"You're hurt." Without touching her, he still managed to propel her forward into a seat. They were in some kind of living room, with three couches, two chairs, and a roaring fireplace.
Roaring fireplace? But it was summer!
"Where is Tony?" she asked, glad her voice did not tremble.
The man narrowed his strangely colored eyes ever so slightly. Maybe he wasn't used to women talking to him in such a tone, but she didn't care. "There is no one here by the name of Tony."
She opened her mouth, but he held up his hand before clasping both of his behind his back.
"And it should be I who is asking the questions. Who are you and why are you in my mansion?"
"Your mansion?" The guy was delusional.
Or maybe she was dreaming again.
But the pain, the throbbing… She resisted the urge to pinch herself. A masochist she was not.
She stood, intent on walking over to the window to look out, when a wave of dizziness washed over her.
"Sit," he commanded, but his voice had softened. A small degree. "You are not well… Lady…"
Lady? Did she look like a lady to him?
She glanced down at her clothes, relief flooding her at seeing her sundress, although even more wrinkles had been gained from the tumble down the stairs. Normally she wasn't such a klutz.
When she looked at him again, pink colored his cheeks.
"Did you just check me out again?" she demanded.
"Check you out?" His puzzlement seemed genuine as his dark eyebrows drew together. "I assure you, my lady, I do not know what you are referring to."
ABOUT NICOLE ZOLTACK
BIO: Nicole Zoltack loves to write in many genres, especially romance, whether fantasy, paranormal, or regency. When she’s not writing about knights, superheroes, or zombies, she loves to spend time with her loving husband and three energetic young boys. She enjoys riding horses (pretending they’re unicorns, of course!) and going to the PA Renaissance Faire, dressed in garb. She’ll also read anything she can get her hands on. Her current favorite TV show is The Walking Dead. To learn more about Nicole and her writing, visit her blog.
How far into the hollow would you go?
“After losing her parents in a terrorist attack on the Twin Towers, fifteen-year-old Honoria escapes New York City to Arnn—a farming town with more legends than residents, and a history of witchcraft and secrets best left buried.
Everyone in Arnn knows the story of Witchwood Hollow: if you venture into the whispering forest, the witch will trap your soul among the shadowed trees. In the lure of that perpetual darkness, Honoria finds hope when she should be afraid, and a past of missing children and broken promises. To save the citizens of Arnn from becoming the witch’s next victims, she must find the truth behind the woman’s madness. How deep into Witchwood Hollow does Honoria dare venture?”
ESCAPE FROM WITCHWOOD HOLLOW is Jordan Elizabeth’s first novel. This young adult fantasy will be published through Curiosity Quills Press on October 29, 2014. Jordan Elizabeth, formally Jordan Elizabeth Mierek, can’t get enough of the woods, be it splashing through a stream, sitting beneath an ancient oak, or following a path up a hill. Some of those adventures have led to abandoned foundations. Exploring the rocks and crumbling bricks sparked Jordan to imagine who might have lived there before, and that train of thought carried her to a wicked legend and an enchanted hollow. You can contact Jordan via her website, JordanElizabethMierek.com.
You don’t have to wait for October 29th to explore Witchwood Hollow. Jordan Elizabeth is offering up a free eArc. To enter for your chance to win a copy of ESCAPE FROM WITCHWOOD HOLLOW, you will need to share the cover. This can be on your blog, Facebook, Twitter… Each time you share the cover image, log it into Rafflecoper to record it. It will give you more chances to win. The drawing for the winner will be held on October 20th.
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Today's cover reveal is jam-packed with all kinds of extras! Karen Greco is revealing the cover for Tainted Blood, the second book in her Hell's Belle series. She's also brought along an excerpt from the book, and has a free prequel for the Hell's Belle series available for you to download now. Awesome, right? Let's get to it!
Tainted Blood Hell's Belle Series
Book 2
Karen Greco
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Date of Publication: Oct. 20, 2014
ISBN: ISBN-13:978-1500844448
ISBN-10:1500844446
Number of pages: 582
Word Count: 95,704
Book Description:
After surviving a vampire assassin (not to mention an awkward affair with a hot FBI agent that ended worse than she could have imagined), witch/vampire hybrid Nina Martinez is reunited with the full Blood Ops team in Providence, Rhode Island. Her Aunt Babe is tutoring her in all things witchcraft, and her vampire partner Frankie is enjoying the benefits of daywalking, courtesy of a demon spell.
When a segment of the Rhode Island vampire population is marked for death by a tainted blood supply, Nina and her team race to find Patient Zero before the local vampire population is wiped out. But when a demon infestation threatens to take control of the city, Nina must join forces with newly elected mayor—and closet demon— Ami Bertrand before the city falls into ruin.
Filled with fast-paced, edge-of-your-seat action, Nina and her group of supernatural misfits battle a surprising new enemy that threatens their very existence.
No wonder she still can’t get a date.
From Amazon.com best-selling author Karen Greco, Tainted Blood is the second book in the critically acclaimed Hell’s Belle urban fantasy series.
River Vamp
A Hell’s Belle Prequel
Short Story
Karen Greco
Book Description:
Frankie and Nina head to New York City for an early Blood Ops mission.
Guess what they fish out of the Gowanus Canal?
Excerpt: CHAPTER ONE
"Jesus Christ, Frankie," I muttered as the crowbar hit the worn marble floor with an earsplitting clatter. So much for stealth. We should have just ripped through the doors with explosives.
We were breaking into the Superman Building. At 26 floors, it was the first skyscraper ever built in downtown Providence. It lost its last tenant three years ago, and the gorgeous art deco structure was now a towering reminder of better days, when manufacturing was booming and people had money to burn. Years of attempts to "revitalize" the area had fallen flat. This left plenty of room for the underground supernatural factions to sweep in and take over.
Frankie flashed a fangy grin at me. "What's the fun in surprising them? It's never a good time unless it all goes off the rails."
I shook my head and sighed. Ever since Frankie was charmed by a demon to walk in the sunlight, he thought he was invincible. And, sure, being a vampire helped, but he could be staked just as easy as any other vamp. His arrogance could get us both killed.
We walked swiftly through the lobby of the abandoned high rise, keeping tight to the walls. In our all-black commando outfits, we blended easily into the dark hallway.
I stole a wistful look at the bank of elevators. The electricity was cut to the building. We'd be taking the stairs. "Want to guess what floor they're on?"
"I say top floor," Frankie said with his hand already on the door to the stairwell.
It was going to be a long-ass climb. Up the 26 stories and possibly a few extra flights to get to the tippy top of the building's airship docking station. Seriously. The very top floor of the building was built for docking blimp-like airships, so there was a pretty cool waiting area/corporate suite turned Depression-era speakeasy at the apex. Too bad we were seeing it under these circumstances.
About a week ago, a suspicious news report piqued our interest. A group of crazed individuals were caught rampaging through downtown, tossing cars with superhuman strength, punching through brick walls and causing general weird mayhem. A few witnesses described them with blood around their mouths.
Max, our newest Blood Ops member serving as double agent in the FBI, was on record as calling this a "bath salt related incident." It was simple to blame this behavior on meth-heads on a DIY bender. But we knew better. They were vampires, and they were out of control. Frankie and I were dispatched to take care of them.
We climbed the stairs quickly, Frankie almost a floor ahead of me as we ascended. My calves ached by the 17th floor, and I was dripping with sweat. The vamps would be able to smell me by floor 22 if they were paying attention. Since I am half vampire, I can handle a fair amount of physical exertion. But a swift walk up the stairs of a high-rise carrying an extra 35 pounds of vampire-fighting gear was punishing. Pushing through the cramps in my legs, I silently vowed to increase my workouts. It was hard enough to match Frankie's speed and strength, but now that he thought he was the Man of Steel, it was damn near impossible just to catch up to him.
We hit the top, and I finally had a chance to catch my breath. Frankie smirked at my all-too-human physical stamina.
When my heart stopped racing, I double-fisted a pair of stakes and nodded at Frankie. He kicked the door open and we launched into the penthouse. Moonlight poured through the grime-coated glass ceiling.
We rushed in like hellfire, expecting to find ourselves in the middle of a melee. But the room appeared empty.
"Top floor, Frankie? Really?" I grumbled, re-sheathing my stakes. "How much you want to bet they're on two?"
Frankie raised his arm and shushed me. I shot him a dirty look, but quickly softened it when I heard the hushed groans too.
I motioned to Frankie to move towards the sounds, and we cautiously walked to the back of the room. A shape was huddled in a dark corner with two bodies laid out on the floor in front of it. I pulled a mag light out from one of my cargo pants pockets and trained it on the shadowy forms.
A female vampire inched away from the light. Blood was smeared down her face and neck, and it covered her chest. Two male vampires were on the floor, their fronts washed in red as well. The walls were covered in sticky, black-red blood. The entire room was just dripping. It looked like a blood bank exploded.
The vampires on the floor were truly dead, their pale faces cracked like antique porcelain dolls. Their appendages were just starting to decompose, but their midsections were blown out, like they swallowed a bomb and it exploded. The one still living, for lack of a better word, looked close to meeting true death herself. The emaciated vampire half-sobbed, half-moaned as she rocked back and forth.
Although they matched the descriptions of the vamps-gone-wild group, these couldn't be our marauders. They were simply too sick. They looked like junkies who overdosed. A few times.
"What do we do?" I had never seen anything like this before. I sure as hell hoped Frankie would know how to handle this mess.
Frankie walked a wide semicircle around the vampires, his shoes making sucking noises as he lifted them off the sticky, blood-soaked floor. He was worried, clearly on guard.
"What's your name?" he asked.
"Kate," she croaked out.
"Right, Kate," Frankie's voice was soothing. "How long have your friends been like this?"
"Since yesterday." Her hoarse voice was barely above a whisper. "We slept in the stairwell but they came in here last night and just...." She motioned at the carnage around her and let out a muffled sob.
"So you were able to walk back and forth to the stairwell? Can you do it now?" I asked.
She tried pulling herself up, but wasn't strong enough to handle the weight of her tiny body. So she crawled towards us, plowing over the disintegrating corpses.
"Stop, Kate! Stay right there!" Frankie visibly jumped back, his shoes making a sharp thwack as they lifted off the gummy floor. "Nina, you need to call Max and Dr. O. Max needs to get the electricity back on to this building. She's going to need to go out the elevator, and Dr. O needs to bring her down."
"Why are we taking her out of the building?" I asked. Our mission was to kill them. Two were dead, and the last one was nearly there. Mission almost complete.
"Because they are Beta-Vamps." Frankie glanced at the vamp on the floor. "Right?"
She nodded, tears streaming down her face.
"No way," I protested. "Betas don't rampage like that."
"They do if they are sick," Frankie explained calmly, his eyes still on Kate.
Beta-Vamps were like the hippies of the vampire world. They were vampires that were missing the predator genome sequence. They weren't human killers. They survived on who knows what. Maybe animal blood. Maybe blood stolen from hospitals. In some extreme cases, they ate rust for the iron content. Betas were rare, and, because of their peace-loving nature, extremely vulnerable to attack from all sorts of supernatural factions.
"So why don't we just carry her down?" I said with a shrug, stepping towards Kate, breaking my boots' suction to the floor.
Frankie was in front of me before I could take another step. My stomach rolled as Frankie dropped his guard and a wave of his panic washed over me.
A few months ago, Frankie had to bind me to him to save my life. For the most part, we're dealing with it just fine. But if he's in emo overdrive and forgets to close off our connection, I get hit with whatever he's feeling. It also works the same in the other direction.
"Don't go near her. She's been infected."
"Infected? With what? Beta-Vamps aren't vulnerable to infections."
"With..." Frankie stopped. He looked shattered. "My God, I haven't seen this since 1877."
"What is it?" I pushed.
"Opium poisoning."
"Did you just say opium?"
"Blood-born opium poison. If it gets into our bodies, we die." Frankie was visibly nervous, moving in a jittery semicircle around the woman. "We can't go near her."
"Oh. Shit. Does Dr. O know what to do?" I shrunk back. Opium. Who knew? Apparently Frankie. That explained why vampires were always told not to get their fix from heavy drug users.
"I'm not sure. That's why you need to call him. And he'll need Max since we really shouldn't stay here. Now please. She doesn't have much time."
Right. I pulled out my phone. I'd start with Max. He'd need time to power up the building anyway.
He answered on the sixth ring.
He sounded groggy. "What's up?"
"Sorry to wake you but we're at the Superman Building with two seriously dead vamps and one who is really sick. We need to turn on the power to get her out of here with the elevator. Can you get this building back on the grid?"
"Christ, can't one of you just carry her down the stairs?" His voice was muffled, like he was pressing his face into his pillow.
"Frankie and I can't touch her. She has some sort of infection, something that only vampires can contract. And it kills them."
"Really?" He jolted awake. I heard the bed sheets rustle as he got up.
"I don't know, really. I've never heard of this before. But I know Frankie is freaking out, and said we need to get her out of here. And he only freaks out if there's a damn good reason."
"You know I worked for the FBI all day, right?" he groused. I heard a closet door slam.
"Seriously? Are you going to do this right now?"
"You both were going up there to stake them anyway. So they die of something else. It's the same outcome. Why save her?"
"Because, she's not a predator vampire."
"What the hell are you talking about?"
"Look, I'll explain later, but we are running out of time. I need to get Dr. O here, and you need to get the electricity on at this place."
"Jesus, you people are complicated. I'll be there in 20." He hung up before I could respond.
Like Frankie, Max had made a deal with resident demon and Providence mayor Ami Bertrand. As a result, Bertrand had turned Max into a Berserker, a supernatural warrior that went extinct with the Vikings. Well, extinct up until Bertrand's curse.
Since Max had been turned into a supernatural entity, but one that was supposed to be extinct, he joined our team as a double agent with the FBI. Our team is Blood Ops, an elite government agency that deals with rogue supernatural factions. Technically, we also don't exist. To humans, anyway. Our existence — hell, the very existence of anything supernatural — was on a "need to know" basis, and even the president of the United States didn't need to know. Only a very select few Department of Defense members knew about Blood Ops. That's plausible deniability for you.
But damn, the Berserker in Max sure made him grumpy.
I hit the speed dial button for Dr. O. Dr. Lachlan O'Malley led our unit of Blood Ops. Though he mostly resembled your favorite 60-something college professor, Dr. O was a Druid priest, which made him pretty damn old. And, like the Druid priests before him, he knew absolutely everything.
"Nina, what's wrong?" Dr. O asked in his thick brogue. I could tell I woke him up.
"Sorry Doc, but we have a problem here. We have Beta-Vamps that ingested opium. Two are dead — like for real, seriously dead. One is barely hanging on."
"Opium? Are you sure?" Dr. O sounded a lot more awake suddenly.
"Frankie says he's sure. Said he hasn't seen this since 18-something or other."
"Frankie would know. Do you have her quarantined?"
"Quarantined? Frankie said not to touch her. He didn't say anything about a quarantine." This was weird.
"You are in the same room with her?"
"Where else would we be?" I asked, impatience getting the best of me.
"If any of their blood gets into your blood stream, or Frankie's, that would be very bad."
"Yeah, Frankie already explained that to me. We aren't touching her.
"Nina, I am afraid it's much more serious than that. Opium poisoning tends to make infected vampires projectile vomit out blood before they die. Then their torso explodes."
That sounded bad. And gross.
"When? When would that happen?" I gripped the phone tightly, eyeballing Kate. She whimpered in the corner near the vampire bodies with her back against the wall.
"It could happen at any time. Lock her in wherever you are, and wait until I get there. Do not wait in the room with her, neither you nor Frankie. Do you understand?" Dr. O's tone was stern.
"Yes, I got it. Okay, we are on the top floor. Max is on his way to power up the building to get her out of here. Just get here fast."
"I am on my way."
The phone went dead. I hightailed it over to Frankie, who was staring helplessly at Kate.
"Frankie, we gotta get out of here." I pulled gently on his arm.
"Please don't leave me." Kate's voice was so weak, I could barely hear her whisper.
Frankie didn't move. He just looked sadly at the sick Beta, his eyes filled with tears.
"Come on, Frankie." I nudged him again. "We can't be in here right now. Dr. O's on his way."
He hesitated. "We can't leave her like this."
"We aren't going to do her any good if we get sick, too," I reasoned.
He ignored me. I changed tactics.
"Stop being a stubborn ass," I raised my voice. He still ignored me.
Kate moaned and fell into a fetal position. She began to convulse. Frankie made a move towards her, but I grabbed him. Standing in front of him, I took him by both shoulders and stared into his eyes.
"We need to get out of here before she barfs blood all over us. Don't make me go witchy on you."
It was an idle threat. Only a few weeks before, I first learned that I am half-witch as well. My witch abilities were dormant for years — hidden by my vampire genetics — until an unfortunate encounter with a spelled knife turned on the hocus-pocus. I was working with my witch mentor, who's also my aunt, on controlling my newfound abilities. Much to Auntie Babe's frustration, I was not taking to it like a fish to water. If I tried to unleash my mojo in here, poor Kate could very well blow up, taking Frankie and me along with her.
Kate's moaning was now punctuated by high-pitched cries of pain. Clearly in agony, she writhed on the floor. Her hands formed into claws, and she scratched at the body of the seriously dead vampire closest to her. His skin tore like dried papier-mâché as she drove her nails into his corpse. As she tore at his flesh, blood bubbled out of her mouth.
"She not going to make it!" I shouted at Frankie, pushing on his lanky six-foot frame. "And neither are we if we don't get out of here!"
I shoved Frankie harder towards the door. He finally snapped out of his stupor and we fled to across the room to the stairwell door. I pushed on it, but it didn't budge. Shaking the handle, I pressed all my weight against it. Nothing. I moved aside and Frankie levered a kick at the door. He succeeded in denting the door, jamming it even harder into the frame.
"Crap, Frankie! There's no time!" I yelled over Kate's ear-piercing shrieks.
Frankie looked wildly around. "Can we break the windows?"
Everything was soaked in blood. Blood we couldn't touch. Crap. I had no choice.
"Hold on!" I closed my eyes tightly and I tried to clear my thoughts, but between Kate's shrieks and Frankie's desperation creeping into my head, not to mention my own stress, my mind was too unfocused to do this right. Oh well. Close enough was going to have to do.
I felt the air shift around me, and I latched onto this small breeze, willing it to grow to hurricane strength. My hair loosed from its ponytail and slapped across my face. The swelling wind pushed me forward. Grabbing Frankie's hand for stability, I cried out the few words of Latin I could come up with that approximated "break the damn glass." The five plate glass windows on the south side of the room shook. I repeated the words louder, putting more force behind them. The wind turned hurricane strength, pushing us across the room, dangerously closer to Kate. Finally, the windows shattered one by one, shards of glass falling 26 stories to the sidewalk.
I opened my eyes. Kate was about to explode. Blood frothed around her lips, her shrieks now muffled as the blood worked its way up her throat.
Hands still clutched, Frankie and I nodded at each other, knowing exactly what we had to do. Together, we ran straight for the windows, and leapt feet first into the star-filled sky.
Frankie's hand slipped out of mine as we both twisted our bodies and made a grasp for the ledge. I caught it, just barely, almost wrenching my shoulder out of its socket on the impact. Frankie similarly stopped short next me. We dangled 26 stories over downtown Providence.
About the Author:
Karen Greco has spent close to twenty years in New York City, working in publicity and marketing for the entertainment industry. Originally from Rhode Island (she loves hot wieners from New York System, but can't stand coffee milk), she studied playwriting in college (and won an award or two).
After not writing plays for a long time, a life-long obsession with exorcists and Dracula drew her to urban fantasy, where she can decapitate characters with impunity.
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Exclusive First Look at CHARMING by Krystal Wade
Join us as we reveal the first chapter of Krystal Wade’s new edge-of-your-seat young adult thriller,
CHARMING. Follow along and visit these sites to unlock a new section every day this week!
9/15/14 Fresh Fiction -
http://freshfiction.com/ 9/16/14 Mara Valderran -
http://www.maravalderran.com/9/17/14 Bitten by Books -
http://bittenbybooks.com 9/18/14 Night Owl Reviews -
http://www.nightowlreviews.com/v5/Blog/Articles/Charming-by-Krystal-Wade9/19/14 Fantasy Book Addict -
http://www.fantasybookaddict.com/A note to readers from author Krystal Wade...If you’ve read the first part of chapter one, then you know how much Haley fears home, how unwelcome she feels. The second she walks in the door, Dad compares a murder on the news to his relationship with Haley. How awful. And the sister doesn’t even defend her, doesn’t even look in her direction. This part of the chapter explores Haley’s world, how alone she feels inside those walls, how she has no sense of family or belonging to anything.
Chapter 1, Part 2
“Deerfield police found Jeremiah Woodson dead this morning along the bank of the Connecticut River. Investigators say he suffered a bullet-wound to the head and are searching for clues.”
“Wife probably killed him.” Dad chugged a bottle of beer, then slammed it onto his side table—he knew his least favorite daughter was home, and that was his best greeting—rattling the seven or eight other empty bottles already there. “Maybe his oldest daughter.”
Jocelyn tensed, finger held over one spot in the middle of her book, legs tucked up under her on their ugly paisley sofa.
“I’m home,” Haley muttered.
Dad took the time to glance at the clock, then scowled over his shoulder at Haley with his piercing blue gaze. “About time.”
Please not tonight.
Five minutes past curfew, five minutes her manager had wanted to talk about candle placements for the upcoming Harvest Festival. But Dad would never forgive those five minutes. He’d never understand. Haley should have been home. She had chores, homework, a family—that didn’t love her.
He remained seated, despite his pursed lips and balled fists. Dad would wait for Jocelyn to go to bed before he said anything to Haley.
Wouldn’t want to tarnish that image in his perfect daughter’s eyes. That perfect daughter who had yet to acknowledge Haley was home.
With a silent sigh, she dropped her bag inside the door to the mostly empty bedroom she wouldn’t be able to crash in for at least another hour, then started on her chores. She filled the sink with soapy water, collected the dirty dishes from the uneven kitchen table and off stacks of newspapers in the den, then washed and dried them one by one. From there, Haley wiped down the butcher-block counters, the gas stove—astounded they actually tried to make a meal rather than microwave something; although burned mac and cheese was probably a step down—picked up the trash, then swept the tacky yellow linoleum floors. Haley slammed the garbage into the large black can outside and then sat on the steps and put her head in her hands, tugging out strands of hair as she tried to control her shaking.
A stray cat Dad had taken a liking to walked up to her and meowed.
“Hey there.”
The little orange tabby wound through Haley’s ankles, purring set on overdrive, leaving fur behind on her black work slacks.
“You’re like the only thing in this house that cares about my existence. Promise not to ever run away?”
The cat put her front paws on Haley’s knees and meowed again.
“Feed that animal already,” Dad yelled from inside, sending a wave of panic through Haley’s chest at the same time the cat hissed. Had Dad heard her?
“Taking off for Amanda’s now, Daddy,” Jocelyn called in her sweet little voice, walking toward the door with her patchwork shoulder bag slung over her arm.
“She still having issues with that stupid boy?”
“Yep. Be back in about an hour.”
“I don’t like you out there alone at night.”
“Mace is already in my bag, Daddy.”
Dad said something else in return, but Haley stopped paying attention when he agreed and allowed her fourteen-year-old sister to go out past ten on a school night because a friend was having boy issues.
“I’d love to hear his response if I asked that question,” Haley whispered, scratching the scruffy cat behind the ears.
“Maybe if you didn’t always come home after curfew, he’d let you.” Jocelyn allowed the screen door to slam behind her and then propped her hands on her slim hips, her wavy, long blonde hair falling around her porcelain face, narrowed blue gaze locked on Haley.
They say what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, and that's great . . . as long as you don't die.
Sixteen-year-old Haley Tremaine had it all: top-notch school, fantastic family, and a bright future, but all of that changed when an accident tore her family apart. Now, an alcoholic father, a bitter younger sister, and a cold headstone bearing her mother’s name are all she has left.
Chris Charming has it all: a powerful CEO for a father, a prestigious school, and a fortune at his fingertips, but none of that matters when he lands a reputation as a troublemaker. Struggling to follow in his father’s footsteps, he reaches out to the one person he believes truly sees him, the one person he wants: Haley.
Little do they know someone's determined to bring the two together, even if it means murder.
About Krystal Wade:
Krystal Wade is happily married to the love of her life (don’t gag) and raising three beautiful children in the gorgeous state of Virginia. They live just outside Washington, D.C., and every day she wakes up to find herself stuck in traffic trying to get there. When she’s not working, commuting, or chasing after her three children (four if you count the man), you can usually find Krystal outside talking to her chickens like they’re the cutest things in the world (they are), or training her amazing dogs how to herd said chickens (which they love), or curled up on the sofa with a good book (why can’t that be 100% of the time?).
By:
Mara Valderran,
on 9/15/2014
Blog:
The Writerly Exploits of Mara Valderran
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Welcome to the Fall Into Fantasy Tour, where we are keeping your mind off any end-of-summer blues and welcoming the cooler weather by introducing you to some incredible fantasy reads to curl up with and giving you plenty of chances to win awesome prizes!
The Enchanted Bookstore LegendsBook One: Seeking a ScribeBook Two: Heritage AvengedBook Three: Lost VolumesBook Four: StauroliteBook Five: QuintessenceBy Marsha A. MooreSeeking a Scribe:
Enchanted Bookstore Legend One by Marsha A. Moore
Lyra McCauley is a writer and loves fantasy novels, but until she opens a selection from bookstore owner Cullen Drake, she has no idea he’s a wizard character who lives a double life inside that volume…or the story’s magic will compel her from the edge of depression to adventure, danger, and love.
His gift to Lyra, the
Book of Dragonspeir, was actually her copy, misplaced years ago. Lost in her pain following divorce and death, she fails to recognize him as her childhood playmate from the fantasyland. Friendship builds anew. Attraction sparks. But Lyra doubts whether a wizard is capable of love. She’s torn—should she protect her fragile heart or risk new love?
Opening the book’s cover, she confronts a quest: save Dragonspeir from destruction by the Black Dragon before he utilizes power of August’s red moon to expand his strength and overthrow the opposing Imperial Dragon. Lyra accepts the challenge, fearing Cullen will perish if evil wins. Along with magical animal guides, Cullen helps her through many perils, but ultimately Lyra must use her own power…and time is running out.
Series Description:
The Enchanted Bookstore Legends are about Lyra McCauley, a woman destined to become one of five strong women in her family who possess unique magical abilities and serve as Scribes in Dragonspeir. The Scribes span a long history, dating from 1200 to present day. Each Scribe is expected to journey through Dragonspeir, both the good and evil factions, then draft a written account. Each book contains magic with vast implications.
Lyra was first introduced to Dragonspeir as a young girl, when she met the high sorcerer, Cullen Drake, through a gift of one of those enchanted books. Using its magic, he escorted her into the parallel world of Dragonspeir. Years later, she lost that volume and forgot the world and Cullen. These legends begin where he finds her again—she is thirty-five, standing in his enchanted bookstore, and Dragonspeir needs her.
When Lyra reopens that enchanted book, she confronts a series of quests where she is expected to save the good Alliance from destruction by the evil Black Dragon. While learning about her role, Lyra and Cullen fall in love. He is 220 years old and kept alive by Dragonspeir magic. Cullen will die if Dragonspeir is taken over by the evil faction…Lyra becomes the Scribe.
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ABOUT MARSHA A. MOORE
Marsha A. Moore loves to write fantasy and fantasy romance. Much of her life feeds the creative flow she uses to weave highly imaginative tales.
The magic of art and nature often spark life into her writing, as well as watercolor painting and drawing. She’s been a yoga enthusiast for over a decade and is a registered yoga teacher. After a move from Toledo to Tampa in 2008, she’s happily transformed into a Floridian, in love with the outdoors. Marsha is crazy about cycling. She lives with her husband on a large saltwater lagoon, where taking her kayak out for an hour or more is a real treat. She never has enough days spent at the beach, usually scribbling away at stories with toes wiggling in the sand. Every day at the beach is magical!
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Excerpt from Seeking a Scribe:
Chapter One: Licorice Memories
The smell of anise greeted Lyra as she opened the door to Drake’s bookstore. It took her back to happy childhood memories. Licorice-shoe-string-rewards for following her parents’ requests to stay on the dock while they secured the family’s pleasure boat to its trailer. The aroma brought a fleeting remembrance of times long gone, a treasure now that her folks had recently passed. At ease with the familiar scent, she settled into browsing through rows of antique bookcases.
The shop owner stuck his head around a set of shelves. “Do you like tea?”
“Yes, I do.” Before she could finish speaking, he disappeared. “Is that the wonderful smell?” she called out.
Kitchenware clinked in the back room. Receiving no answer, Lyra followed the noises, scanning collections as she walked. This bookshop appeared established, but surely she would have remembered it from her last visit to the Lake Huron village five years ago. Books were her passion, especially fantasy. She paused in front of that section and studied its titles.
The owner appeared, holding a pewter tray with a teapot, two cups, sugar jar, spoons, and napkins, which he laid on the corner of an old library table. She watched him carefully pour the tea and hand her a cup. He was about her age, mid thirties or a bit older, and handsome. His medium brown hair, peppered with gray at the temples, grazed his shoulders in wavy layers, and his beard was trimmed into a neat goatee. He wore long shorts, a knit golf shirt, and sandals—typical casual attire for this island resort community.
She set down her bag from the drugstore and accepted his offer with a smile. “Thanks. My name’s Lyra.” She blew across the hot surface of the tea to cool it and then inhaled the anise-scented steam. She closed her eyes to fully enjoy the memory. “Ah!”
“Afternoons of boating and licorice with your parents? Right?” he asked.
Her mouth dropped open. How did he know that?
He slurped from his cup. “Go ahead, take a sip. My folks gave me the same reward for taking my kid sister along on bicycle rides.”
Forgetting all about the tea, she asked, “How do you know my childhood memory?”
“Taste it.” His lips curled into a sly grin as he took another gulp.
She cautiously took a tiny sip, just enough to wet her lips and the tip of her tongue. The flavor flooded her mouth, and her mind swam with wonderful memories. The taste transformed into that of gigantic popcorn balls the sheriff’s wife down the street made for Halloween trick-or-treaters, accompanied by images of Lyra’s costume—a red, fringed gypsy skirt borrowed from Mom. Next came a pumpkin flavor and vision of holding a cold piece of “punky-pie” in her five-year-old hand. Another swallow returned her experience back to anise. “What is this? How did you know?”
“Let me introduce myself.” His grin spread into a smile as his eyes met hers. He took a step closer. “I’m Cullen, Cullen Drake, and I know many things. What I don’t know is what sort of books you like to read.”
His keen interest caused heat to rise in her cheeks. “Well, actually I have several favorites, all fantasy and magical realism. You have a number of authors I like in this section.” She turned to refer to the shelves behind her, but found non-fiction hunting guides instead. “This case held classic fantasy a moment ago!”
Cullen put down his cup. “It moved. It’s over here, and I have just what you want.” He slid an old-fashioned library ladder along its track, set the locking device, and climbed straight up to the top shelf.
Lyra followed, walking between four comfortable leather club chairs grouped on a Persian rug. A portrait of a young girl and a man wearing a cloak caught her attention. Something seemed familiar in the child’s smile.
The noise of books sliding on shelves distracted her. She moved to the base of his ladder and glanced up. The ceiling of embossed tin panels decorated with Victorian teardrop chandeliers and paper Chinese dragons made a unique combination, to be sure.
But Lyra was more curious about the strange happenings in the store and its owner. He was certainly odd, although not the bookish, geeky sort who usually ran bookshops she frequented. He had an athletic frame and strong legs.
“Can’t find it!” he exclaimed and quickly descended. His brow furrowed, he dusted off his hands on his shorts. “I’ve got to find that volume for you. If you don’t mind me saying, there’s a sadness about you. The book will make you happier than you’ve been since those days of licorice shoe strings.”
“After magical tea and shifting bookcases, I almost believe you.” She laughed to cover her concerns. Even four months after it was final, she worried that the loneliness she felt after her divorce blazed like a beacon on her forehead. But, Cullen knew so much—it startled her…actually, intrigued her. Her ex didn’t ever see inside her, didn’t want to. This man read her as though he knew her. Did he? He seemed so familiar.
“Once I find that book, I promise, you’ll be pleased.” He stroked his goatee. “Hmm. Where did I last see it?” The twinkle in his gray-blue eyes captivated Lyra. “Will you be here for the week? I can look for it and call you later.”
“I’m staying the rest of the summer with my elderly Aunt Jean. She owns a lovely cottage at the end of Walnut overlooking Lake Huron. I thought I’d keep her company and give her time away from her nurse during my teaching break. While I’m here, I plan to write my novel.”
“Great! You’re a writer? What do you teach?”
“Yes, and I teach American Literature at Southern University in Florida. Seems like you already would’ve known that since you jumped into my childhood memories,” she stammered, attempting some humor. Taking a long draught of the tea, her mind filled with memories of her pet dachshund wiggling next to her, displacing a row of dolls. Another part of her past he knew—impossible! Her forehead beaded with sweat.
“No, only thoughts associated with a lot of emotion, like the happiness of snuggling with your dog.”
“How?” she exclaimed, shaking her head. “I don’t understand.” Her mind swam, trying to grasp what happened. She desperately needed some fresh air. With trembling hands she set the cup down.
“I realize it must seem odd, but the book I’m looking for will help explain.” He leaned closer with a smile that somehow reassured her. “This is Saturday. If you can come by next Wednesday morning, I think I should have it for you by then…if you’d like.” He paused and looked into her eyes, waiting for a reply.
“Yes…I’m curious.” In spite of the confusion, she found herself agreeing. “Wednesday will work.”
“Fine. Let me take down your number in case I can’t find it.” He walked to the counter and located a notepad and pen. She dictated her number and full name, which he repeated, “Lyra McCauley, a lovely Celtic name for a pretty lady.”
“I think I need to go now. Thanks for the tea.” With shaking fingers, she collected her shopping bag and headed toward the door.
He escorted her out and offered his hand to shake, the corners of his goatee lifting into an inviting grin. “Enjoy the rest of your weekend.”
Lyra smiled and looked into his eyes, trying to discern his unusual clairvoyant gift. “You too.” The initial touch, of his palm against hers, sent electrical shivers along her arm. She jerked, yet didn’t let go, fascinated by the strong emotions flashing through her mind—attraction, excitement, and acceptance. After an awkwardly long pause, she dropped his hand, half-stumbled over the threshold into the sunshine, and took a long, deep breath.
She ambled to an outdoor café a couple blocks farther down Tenth Street, while her mind buzzed with questions. How did he know those things about her? She dropped onto a seat at an empty table, shaded by an umbrella. He was fascinating and frightening at the same time…and familiar. Her divorce and loss of her parents left her lonely. He intrigued her.
“May I get you something to drink while you look over the menu?” The waitress interrupted with a bright young voice, a college student working a summer job.
Startled back to reality, Lyra murmured, “Just water, please.” Alone in a crowd of lunch goers, her thoughts returned to the bookstore and many unanswered questions.
The waitress placed a glass of water in front of her.
She almost hated to drink and remove the sweet aftertaste of anise from her tongue.
It feels like it has been forever since I had a Thursday Takeover, and who better to end that dry spell with than Rayna Noire? Rayna is the author of the
Pagan Eyes series and is here to talk about how she developed the character of Ethan from her series
. The third book in her series,
Declaration, is out now. I've got a great excerpt from the third book to share with you, and you can read
my review for the first book,
Initiation,
here on Goodreads.
Initiaion will be free on
Amazon from September 11th to 13th, so pick up your copy now! Let's get to know the book and Rayna a bit better before she takes over:
ABOUT THE BOOK:
DeclarationPagan Eyes
Book Three
Rayna Noire
Genre: YA Paranormal
Publisher: Sleeping Dragon Press
Date of Publication: August 2014
ISBN-13: 978-0692254363 ISBN-10: 0692254366
Number of pages: 241
Cover Artist: Dawne Dominique
Book Description:
Ethan finds himself trapped between the world he knows and the world that could be. A sadistic bully, an unsympathetic principal, and an unreachable love interest make high school difficult for Ethan. He feels like he’s living a lie, trying to blend in at school in an effort to keep his head attached to his body.
The support his Wiccan family provides is negated by fear of not being the son his father wants. An impromptu trip into the future saves him from an enraged bully while instilling doubts about where he really belongs. Somehow, he has to find a way to survive in his own world tossing aside his mask and doubts.
Excerpt:
Ethan hid in a dark doorway, panting, while he considered his options. No way Caulb and his felons in training would give up once they figured out he outsmarted them. Shouts echoing in the cavernous hallway alerted him. Danger was closer than he’d thought. Great. Weren’t schools supposed to be crawling with staff members looking out for the welfare of the students? Yeah, right. Too bad, he’d left his cell phone in Leah’s car. Not that it would have done him much good since the school used a dampener to keep students from texting in class.
If high schools were a theme park, then tenth grade was the roller coaster. It started uneventfully. The most stressful part had been fending off all the helpful staff members, who wanted to redirect him to the middle school, assuming, since he was shorter than a good portion of the girls, he wasn’t old enough for high school.
The voices veered off to the left, down the science corridor. A window of opportunity opened up. Ethan shot up the hallway to the gym, where the wrestling team practiced earlier. His father had nagged him to try out for the wrestling team. Even the coach asked him to give it a go, because they needed someone in his weight class. Most of his matches would forfeit due to not having anyone in his class or he’d end up wrestling a girl, the coach said. No thanks. He already had enough things to be teased about.
The dimly lit hallway stretched as if it were endless. Maybe this was a dream and he’d wake up soon. Caulb’s voice filtered down the hallway. His bass timber was menacing enough without the eerie quality of it bouncing off the metal lockers and taking on an almost mechanical quality. Caulb was a deadly droid, on the mission of annihilating anyone who didn’t conform to his standards. Unfortunately, no tip sheet existed to specify what his standards were. All Ethan knew was, he didn’t meet them.
The gym doors came into view. Sanctuary. He swung the door open with a gasp, unsure what he was going to say. All he had to do was stick close to the coach. Maybe he could say he needed to use the phone to call home. His eyes darted around the empty gym. Where was everyone? An image of the wrestlers in their spandex suits came to mind. They were dressed in their team apparel when he’d seen them earlier, which meant they were probably at an away meet, and why no one was in the gym. The lights illuminated the wooden floor and abandoned mats.
He took a few steps into the gym, stopped, and turned slowly, seeing no sign of following bullies, or an almost friend who stabbed him in the back. His lips pulled down into a frown, remembering the different expectations he’d had for the night, much different.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Rayna Noire is an author and a historian. The desire to uncover the truth behind the original fear of witches led her to the surprising discovery that people believed in magick in some form up to 150 years ago. A world that believed the impossible could happen and often did must have been amazing. With this in mind, Ms. Noire taps into this dimension, shapes it into stories about Pagan families who really aren't that different from most people. They do go on the occasional time travel adventures and magick happens.
Find her online:
Website Facebook Twitter Amazon Author PageTake it away, Rayna!The Character Factory by Rayna Noire
Sometimes people ask me where I get my characters. I suspect most think I base them on people I know or even my own family. Not true, many of my family members do read my books and would give me hard time if I did that, especially if they didn’t like the portrayal.
There are iconic figures such as the tortured hero, the myopic starlet, but I don’t do the classic characters since I’m not creating classic plot lines. Writers often board the popular character train. It could be a billionaire who likes to tie girls up or a vampire. In the end, that’s only a trait, not a character.
Often authors resort to using their own personality traits or phobias to create a character. It’s taking what a person knows on a deep level. Okay, all that said, why did I pick a gay male who loves old school musicals? That’s pretty far from who I am.
I didn’t pick him or intend to write his story since he was a secondary character, the little brother. Ethan added a comic element to previous tales. I shaped him through the first two books. Enjoyed his give and take with his sisters. Allowed him to assert himself in a colorful family dominated by strong personalities. Then one day, he demanded his own book. Yes, this really happened, in my head, but it did happen.
Very politely, I explained I didn’t do LGBT YA books. Didn’t know anyone who did. He pointed out it wasn’t an issue book, but a continuation of the Carpenter family saga. And so it was. The hardest part of writing Ethan was the time travel element, not the character. Ethan had already taken residence in my psyche with the first book, Pagan Eyes: Initiation.
To answer the inquiry where the characters come from, I think they always existed within the writers. At different times, one will step forward and make himself or herself known. Then, it’s time for his or her story to unfold.
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Yes, I am posting a book that heavily features spiders. I'm working through my arachnophobia, and you should too by checking out I See the Web by Cait Spivey. Let's get to know the book and Cait before I give you guys a tease of the book! Oh, and stay tuned for a cover reveal for the next book, A Single Thread here on October 3rd!
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Seventeen-year-old Erin has a lot to look forward to, even if it suddenly seems like everywhere she turns there’s a spider staring at her. She’s finally out to her friends and family, surprising exactly no one. When Dawn, the love of her tender teenage dreams, corners her in the library, a whole new world opens up to Erin. From here on out, it’s all make-out sessions with her beautiful girlfriend in rooms stacked high with books.
Until the spiders start whispering.
Turns out the spiders aren’t just stalking her for kicks. They need her to be their voice, their vessel, whatever that means. But their timing is crap, because there’s no way Erin is giving up her human life just when things are starting to get amazing. Too bad the spiders just won’t quit. Like it or not, Erin will have to choose, and it won’t be nearly as easy as she thinks.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Cait Spivey is a speculative fiction writer, author of the YA paranormal romance novella I See the Web. She is also a freelance editor, on staff for Curiosity Quills Press and REUTS Publications, as well as a managing member of Bear and Black Dog Editing, LLC. In her spare time, she plans her next tattoo (there will always be a next tattoo), watches too much Netflix, and spends quality time with her darling husband Matt and completely adorable dog Jay. The rest of her time is devoted to her tireless quest to make America read more.
EXCERPT:
I’m dreaming about a house. It’s a big house on the coast, built into a hill with big ocean-facing windows and a patio that wraps almost the whole way around. I sit on that patio with a big mug of coffee (because adults drink coffee, not soda, right?), wrapped up in a fluffy afghan like my grandma used to knit. The sea is dark grey, which makes me think that this house is somewhere in the northwest, Puget Sound maybe. It’s cold and fresh and I am just as happy as can be.
Then she comes out and stands next to me. She leans down and kisses my forehead. I look up and see Dawn, or what I imagine a grown-up version of her will look like. Her hair is shorter, her face is thinner, and her boobs are just a little bigger. She’s wearing a thick blue robe and woolen pajamas. I stretch up towards her and she leans down again and kisses me on the mouth this time.
I get the sense that this is our day off. The lucid part of my still-teenage mind thrills with the realization that we are adults and we live together in this glorious house.
I hear a shriek of glee that mimics my own feelings and a little bullet of a creature comes thundering across the patio. It’s a little boy with Dawn’s golden hair. He’s maybe two years old, dressed in purple footie pajamas.
“Someone’s happy to be awake,” I hear myself say in a voice deeper than I have now. I put my coffee down on a table and hoist him into my lap.
This is our son, lucid-me understands. Dawn and I have a child.
I’m dreaming of the future, a life in the future where Dawn and I are married and we’re mothers and everything is perfect. For some reason I can’t explain, this makes me incredibly sad. I look up at my beautiful wife, I look down at our beautiful child, and I am filled with dread.
Why dread? I ask myself. It could happen. Washington legalized marriage equality. That’s probably why we moved—will move—it could happen.
“Mommerin,” says the boy. He looks up at me with a blank face.
Mommerin. His name for me, I remember. He calls Dawn DeeDee. But those aren’t memories, not real ones. It’s the dream, making stuff up. I feel sick to my stomach. My body lurches. I vomit something black, all over my lap and all over the boy.
Dawn screams. I blink through my reflex to squint, trying to see through the burning tears. My poor baby, covered in black, comes into focus. Then I scream too.
He’s covered in spiders. Him, me, we’re both crawling with tiny black spiders.
Welcome to the Fall Into Fantasy Tour, where we are keeping your mind off any end-of-summer blues and welcoming the cooler weather by introducing you to some incredible fantasy reads to curl up with and giving you plenty of chances to win awesome prizes!
Week 3: The Undead: Playing for KeepsBy Elsie ElmoreWhen an undead woman with serious de-comp issues stalks sixteen-year-old Lyla Grimm, her hope of rescuing her rock-bottom reputation takes a back seat. Survival definitely trumps the in-crowd.
Her corpse-following scare reeks of a major prank and coincides with the arrival of Eric. He’s the hot new guitarist in her brother’s band. But Eric’s arrival isn’t by chance. He’s a Grim Reaper dispatched to find out why Death’s clients aren’t staying down.
As Eric realizes that Lyla can wake the dead, he jockeys for control of her gift. His uncanny way of appearing when she needs him most earns her reluctant admiration. But the closer he gets to Lyla, the less sure he is of his plan. The dead are easier to deal with than living emotions.
Gossip explodes, the Grimm family implodes, and desperation sets in. Death wants the gift and a soul. Lyla and Eric face hard choices with hidden consequences. Sometimes life’s choices aren’t really choices at all.
ABOUT ELSIE ELMORE:
Elsie Elmore lives in North Carolina with her husband and two kids.
With a science education degree, she never imagined she would someday write stories that challenge the laws of nature. She loves the color red, has an appreciation for chocolate and coffee that borders on obsession, and wishes fall temperatures would linger year round.
Elsie is a member of several writing organizations: RWA, SCBWI, and WSW. The Undead : Playing for Keeps is her debut novel. Find her on the web: on twitter at @ElsieWriter, her blog at
elsieelmore.com, or on Facebook at
www.facebook.com/elsieelmorewriter.
Want to get involved with the Fall Into Fantasy promotional tour?- Don't forget to join us at the Facebook party here!
- If you are interested in joining up as a blogger, you can always sign up here. We are happy to welcome more bloggers into the fold as the promotion continues.
- If you are an author or blogger and want to sign up to help with the party, please fill out this form.
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If you read
The Actuator: Fractured Earth by James Wymore and Aiden James (and you should have, trust me!), then you might have wondered how the rest of the world reacted to The Actuation--the event that changed the world into different parts based on the imaginations of the Machine Monks. Sixteen different authors have come together to answer that question in the
Borderlands Anthology, available from Curiosity Quills Press on September 11th.
You can add
The Actuator 1.5: Borderlands Anthology to your
Goodreads list or purchase your copy from Amazon and Barnes & Noble September 11th. Want to be part of the tour or to review?
Sign up here!
When the Actuator breaks the earth into a patchwork of altered realities, the remaining Machine Monks begin looking for the Keys to put it back. In the meantime, everyone in the world has been transformed without knowing why. This collection tells about some of the people struggling to deal with the change.
In “Remembering Emily,” Sara Wolf brings us a tale describing the horror of a world split by the Actuator. Daniel’s girlfriend, Emily, is in danger in some faraway place. Worse, she might forget Daniel before he can reach her. Fighting against the Actuator’s attempts to enforce a new reality to block him, he must find a way to rescue Emily before it’s too late.
About Sara: Sara Wolf is a third-year honors student at the University of California, Santa Barbara, pursing a degree in English. Besides creative writing, Sara also enjoys event planning, and is actively involved in student government at her university, alongside being a Writing Tutor. Sara plans to continue writing, and to work in the book editing and publishing industry after graduation.
Matthew Cox explores Cyberpunked China in "Stolen Orchid,” where a man finds his wife has become a ghost due to the Actuator's powerful reach. His only hope of saving her is to cross the border with a mobster bearing down, facing precarious fate in an unfamiliar realm.
About Matthew: Born in a little town known as South Amboy, New Jersey, in 1973, Matthew has been creating science fiction and fantasy worlds for most of his reasoning life. Somewhere between fifteen to eighteen of them spent developing the world in which Division Zero, Virtual Immortality, and The Awakened Series take place. He has several other projects in the works as well as a collaborative science fiction endeavor with author Tony Healey.
In “The Blackbird’s Tale,” Dan Willis relates the plight of a Machine Monk named David, who works his way through obstacles to reach Chicago. Why? To find an Actuator Key—one that takes the form of a small bird statue.
About Dan: Dan wrote his first work of fiction at the tender age of ten and has been creating fantastic tales ever since. He’s used his talents working in the board game and video game industries, as well as advertising, and web design. Recently he wrote for the long-running DragonLance Series and under their Young Adult brand, DragonLance: The New Adventures. Currently, he working on a Steampunk Civil War series entitled Dragons of the Confederacy with NYT best-selling author, Tracy Hickman. Dan lives in Utah with his wife and four children.
Nathan Yocum explores the plight of Oren Smith Wessely as a man with no past, trapped in the twisted, kaleidoscopic realm of steampunk Arizona in “Dream Journal.” Dark dreams haunt Oren’s nights…but what happens when those dreams suddenly come to life? Certainly nothing good.
About Nathan: Nathan L. Yocum is an author, teacher, and entrepreneur living on the Big Island of Hawai’i. His novels, The Zona, Automatic Woman, and The Strong Brain are all available through Curiosity Quills. Nathan has short stories featured in CQ Primetime, CQ After Dark, Lamplight: Dark Fiction Quarterly, and Writers on the Wrong Side of the Road.
Mara Valderran’s “The Austenation” is a tale where Pride and Prejudice meets werewolves in the English countryside of the Victorian era. Dealing with the strict social mores of the day, along with lycanthropic consequences, the story’s young heroine is forced to do what was often unthinkable in that era: take matters into her own hands.
About Mara: Mara Valderran is an author of young adult and new adult books, but she's more than just a madwoman with a writing box. She is an avid reader and fan of all things sci-fi and fantasy. She loves roller skating and movies, though typically not together. She lives in Las Vegas with her husband and demanding cat. She hopes to one day meet Daniel Jackson from SG1, or at least the actor who played him. When she’s not writing, you can find her reading, playing video games, or counting down the days until DragonCon.
In “Escape,” Patrick Burdine explores the fate of a group of teenagers caught in a town without mothers, and where all the fathers have turned into faceless, soul-sucking monsters. When one girl’s eighteenth birthday marks the end of her existence, can they penetrate the steel-walled town’s borders before it’s too late?
About Patrick: Patrick Burdine is an author and screenwriter residing in Los Angeles, California with his wife and three daughters. He's the author of several short stories including a Shell Case Short winner, The Bone Carver and most recently released the chilling novella, The Monitor. Patrick also writes for film and is the screenwriter of the indie-horror movie Slaughterhouse Phi: Death Sisters. He enjoys spending time visiting the worlds of Stephen King, Ray Bradbury, JK Rowling, Dan Abnett, Jim Butcher, Larry Correia, HP Lovecraft, John Carpenter, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, JRR Tolkien, Guillermo del Toro, Robert Rodriguez, and pretty much any other author, director, or screenwriter with a great story that he can sink his teeth into. (note: Patrick is not a vampire . . . most of the time.)
“The Ritual” is the tale brought to us by Whitney Trang, where the Actuator brings imagined horrors of a haunted house in Japan to life. A young woman’s quest means facing a ghost bent on sacrificing her sister in a ritual to save himself and his family.
About Whitney: Whitney Trang is a twenty-two-year-old aspiring author and recently graduated with a degree in English and Communication from the University of California, Santa Barbara. Her favorite books include James and the Giant Peach, The Baby-sitters’ Club, and Harry Potter. Mrs. Mahaffey, Whitney’s second grade teacher, helped her complete her first story. Every decision that Whitney has made from that point on was in order to accomplish her dream of being an author. Her family and friends also gave their support of her dreams and for that, she cannot thank them enough. “The Ritual” is the first short story that Whitney has had published, and she would like to thank Aiden James, James Wymore, and everyone at Curiosity Quills Press for this wonderful opportunity.
“The Gatekeepers of Change” is James Pratt’s short chronicle about a man dressed in black, and who rises to importance after the Great Actuation. Suddenly aware of the great powers and wider universe now available to him, the man enacts his plans.
About James: James Pratt mostly writes in the weird horror genre with dashes of fantasy, sci-fi, and action/adventure. And monsters. Lots of monsters. His stories have appeared in a number of anthologies including Canopic Jars: Tales of Mummies and Mummification from Great Old Ones Publishing, “Dark Hall Press Cosmic Horror Anthology”, “Dark Fairy Tales Revisited” from Horrified Press, and “How the West Was Weird: Vol. 3 from Pulpworks Press. . James also has three short story collections available on Amazon: the Lovecraft-themed Cthelvis and Others, the monster-centric Horrible Stories for Terrible People Vol. 1—Monsters, and Horrible Stories for Terrible People Vol. 2—Obscura, whose inhabitants include ghosts, kaiju monsters, the Grim Reaper, the Devil, and the Lord Almighty. James is currently working on two more short story collections, one fantasy and the other apocalypse-themed, and a Weird Western novel set firmly in the Lovecraft universe.
“The Ringer” is Craig Nybo’s tale about a detective in New Orleans facing zombies and other undead monsters as he assists a client in taking on her crime lord husband. The huge fee adds plenty of incentive…if he can live long enough to spend it.
About Craig: Craig Nybo lives with his beautiful wife and kids in Kaysville, UT. He works as a creative director for mediaRif.com, a digital agency. Craig writes novels, short fiction, and screenplays. As a musician, he has released several records with friends under the band names, Rustmonster and The Big Sky Country Boys. Craig also records solo work. He has released two records under his own name, Zombie Sing-a-long, and a sequel album, Zombie Sing-a-long: Whistler and the Children (Part 1). As a filmmaker, Craig has written and directed many short films. He also writes and directs many commercials and industrial videos as part of his profession. Aside from writing, Craig enjoys playing in the Rocky Mountains, rock climbing, and canyoneering.
A Soviet soldier guarding Chernobyl from people too foolish to stay away from the radiation forms the basis of Jason Purdy’s “Anna and Lena.” When the soldier abandons his post, he soon discovers that he is the last living person in the area. Poisoned and growing weaker by the moment, he must find someplace safe across the border before he perishes.
About Jason: Jason Purdy is twenty-three years old and from Northern Ireland. He loves reading, listening to music, film, quality telly, going to the gym, and playing video games. A recent university graduate, he plans to continue his career in the media industries, and to continue writing and studying, when he finds time around his video game addiction. His debut novel, Cigarette, was released in April 2013, and he has featured in several short story anthologies. Jason is also a screenwriter and has several scripts that have been picked up by local filmmakers. He is also an on again off again filmmaker with his own kit. His ultimate goal is to be able to make a living off writing, because to him, a day job where you don’t have to walk any farther than your desk sounds like it would suit him down to the ground. Of course, the whole doing what you love aspect of it would be nice too.
Jenny Persson brings us the story of a teen suddenly thrust into Viking Sweden in “Once upon a Frozen North.” The teen finds her modern way of thinking brings only misery. But the girl is cunning. Soon after her ritual into womanhood, she looks to the steampunk airships just across the border as a means for her escape.
About Jenny: Jenny Persson has previously published two collections of poetry. Her short stories are mostly science fiction, but she writes contemporary YA, fantasy, and romance as well. Growing up she read every book in the fairly small sci-fi/fantasy shelf at her local library, particularly enjoying the works of Ursula LeGuin and other female authors. The magic of books is something she’s passionate about and tries to pass on to every young person she comes across. Indoctrination has to start early! When not writing or reading, she bakes delicious cakes and pastries, and she’s been known to read cookbooks with the same passion she gives her collection of Jane Austen novels. She currently lives in a small town in Sweden with her husband and three children.
Jay Wilburn takes us along the harrowing journey of drug addicted Travis, as he traverses the Actuator-ravaged American South in “Halfway.” The journey becomes an opportunity to reconnect with the people lost to him by addiction…. But in the end, will he find the lasting peace he seeks?
About Jay: Jay Wilburn lives with his wife and two sons in the coastal swamps of South Carolina. He left teaching after sixteen years to care for the health needs of his younger son and to pursue full-time writing. His novels include Loose Ends with Hazardous Press and Time Eaters with Perpetual Motion Machine Publishing. He has a piece in Best Horror of the Year Volume 5. Follow his many dark thoughts at JayWilburn.com and @AmongTheZombies on Twitter.
The author Juhi’s “The Search for Punarnav” takes us far away to India, where a man seeks to become a healer. To do so, he faces the daunting task of eluding the many dangerous Hindu mythological creatures brought to life by the Actuator.
Juhi is a story addict. She loves to travel through Time, Space, and Imagination, meeting people and finding delight in their worlds and trinkets. She does not remember when or how the addiction started, but it was very early in her life. Her mother recalls how she had to trick little two-year-old Juhi to eat her meals by stopping at strategic points in her Panchatantra Tales till she swallowed the food in her mouth. A little older than that (a lot!), Juhi now creates her own worlds with people and their trinkets in them, and loves to color them with words and illustrations.
Jason A. Anderson brings us “15 Seconds of Fame.” Unlike the title’s standard definition, this tale takes place in Steampunk London. A detective risks life and limb to save a child from her mob boss father. Not an easy task, especially when it means finding a way to also save the child’s mother from violent retaliation.
About Jason: Jason Anderson was raised in Southern California before moving to Utah to attend high school. While a teenager, he conceived and began writing his teen adventure series, The Starriders Saga. The first two books in the series, “Dragon Fire” and “Rebels Without a Clue” are currently available. Never one to let grass grow under his feet, he continued exploring different story concepts and struck upon what has become the SoulChaser Universe. “SoulChaser: Earthbound” and “Jean Archer: The Diamond and the Rough” are both available from that series. Besides being a father and writer, his passions include theater production, fast cars, off-roading, rock 'n' roll, and he is a Harley-Davidson enthusiast.
In “Forever Young,” Wilbert Stanton explores the fate of an old man who finds himself young again, after paying his life’s savings to gain admission into an exclusive realm. However, when he meets a new love, he soon learns the real cost of immortality, and whether or not he is willing to pay for it.
About Wilbert: Wilbert Stanton was born and raised in New York City. From an early age, Wilbert decided he would either write books or take over the world; everything else was just a precursor to his end game. Along the way, he has studied Psychology, English, and Computer Science. He's held jobs in a wide range of fields and met people from all walks of life. Wilbert is constantly learning and growing as a person, in order to solidify his dreams. In the end world domination was a bit tedious, so he decided to focus on writing books. You can find Wilbert on Facebook at
https://www.facebook.com/authorwilbertstantonLast, but not least, we have James Wymore’s tale, “Cult of the Actuation.” A Machine Monk, captured just east of the base, calls for help. Dragon Star comes to the rescue… but is soon distracted by a religious cult surrounding the mouth of a cave near one of the Actuator’s borders. Ultimately, the cult leader decides that the Machine Monk and Dragon Star pose a threat, and orders their execution. A dicey situation at best.
About James: On a lifelong search for fantastic worlds hiding just out of sight, James Wymore writes to explore. With four books out, he continues to push the boundaries of genre and imagination with The Actuator series. This is his first time editing a short story anthology, but it won’t be his last. Find all his work at
http://jameswymore.wordpress.com
This book is so good, I had to feature it again even though it is part of the
Fall Into Fantasy Promotion. But! Today we are focusing just on
Broken Forest, the first book in the Daath Chronicles. My evil plan is to reel you in with this book, and then get you salivating over the whole series during the Fall Into Fantasy Promotion.
*twists imaginary mustache* On to the book!
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Hopeless he'll never be more than the boy who didn't save his brother, 17-year-old Avikar accepts his life as the family stable boy, trying to forget the past. But when his sister, Jeslyn, is kidnapped, the thought of losing another sibling catapults him on a desperate quest. With his best friend by his side, and using the tracking skills he learned from his father, he discovers Jeslyn has been taken, kidnapped by one Lucino, the young lord of Daath, a mystical place thought only to exist in fables.
And Lucino has plans for Jeslyn.
His shapeshifter brethren feed off the auras of humans, and Jeslyn's golden hue is exactly what Lucino needs to increase his power. The longer it takes Avikar to reach her, the more entranced she becomes with Lucino's world, and the harder it will be for Avikar to set her free.
He failed his family once. He won't fail again.
BUY LINKS:
Amazon /
Barnes & Noble /
KOBOGoodreads Wicked Path: Book Two of The Daath Chronicles releases Oct 6th, 2014, add to your Goodreads TBR
HERE
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Eliza graduated from Dowling College with a BS in Visual Communications. When she’s not arguing with excel at her day job, or playing Dragon Age 2, again, she’s writing. Her stories hold a bit of the fantastical and there’s always a romance. She resides on Long Island with her husband, two kids and one very snuggly pit bull.
EXCERPT:
He glided towards me like a swan on water. I combed my fingers through my hair, smoothing out the wild strands. He sat down on the cot. I was surrounded by the scent of cold winter air.
“What’s your name?” he asked.
I should have replied, but fear closed my throat.
He smiled and held out his hand. “My name is Lucino.”
“Jeslyn.” I placed my hand in his, anxious and uncertain.
He gently kissed my hand. I shivered. No man had ever looked at me with such desire—not even Derrick—and it frightened me.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Have you heard of Kristie Cook's New Adult paranormal trilogy, The Book of Phoenix? It's about souls that have been ripped in half by an evil ruler of the Dark worlds, and they must find each other and reunite to prevent that Dark force from destroying all of Earth's souls. Trust me - you've never read anything like this.
It's a great time to check it out. The Space Between, Part One, is FREE on all ebook platforms. The Space Beyond, Part Two, is on sale through 9/6 for only 99c. And the final installment, The Space Within, is only $4.99. That's an entire trilogy for only $6. OR, get The Space Beyond as part of the Curses, Fates & Soul Mates: 5 Paranormal New Adult Novels box set, now on sale for only 99c. That's 5 books for less than a buck. So with the rest of the trilogy, you can get 7 books for less than $7!
Here's an excerpt from
The Space Beyond, Part Two, told from Bex's point-of-view:
“I got this,” said a familiar male voice that made my belly quiver and my throat tighten even though I hadn’t heard it in years. “Go get her food.”
My eyes slowly lifted, taking in the jeans that strained across thick thigh muscles, the wide belt buckle at the narrow waist, the Stu’s Bait and Tackle tan t-shirt that stretched over pecs, shoulders, and biceps that had been smaller when the shirt was bought, and up to full lips spread into a smile and hazel eyes framed by dark lashes longer than Sissy’s fake ones staring at me from under a red baseball cap. As if I didn’t have a thing for guys in baseball caps. As if I hadn’t once had a thing for this particular guy. As if I’d thought my day couldn’t get any crappier.
“Go on now,” Ty Daniels insisted. “You’re lettin’ her food get cold.”
Without a word, I stood and strode for the kitchen, and not because crazy girl’s plate was ready yet or because I was following Ty’s orders, but because I needed a moment. Lots of moments.
“What the hell is he doin’ back?” I seethed out loud as soon as the kitchen door swung closed. I leaned against the wall and stomped my foot. Yeah, I actually stomped my foot. And my hands formed fists at my sides. My eyes stung, but with tears of anger and frustration. I will not cry over him. I will not cry over him.
“Oh, baby girl, I meant to tell ya,” Elizabeth said as she wrapped her arms around me.
She’d been my boss for years, as well as a friend—as good a friend as a boss could be. Since Grams died two months ago, she’d kind of taken on a mama role because my own mama had run out years ago. Well, she’d found a way to wiggle herself back into our lives recently, but she hadn’t been a real mama to me since … since I was born, really. Grams, God rest her soul, pretty much raised my sister and me the best she could. “I heard he came in overnight.”
How had I not noticed? He lived next door to me. Was he staying somewhere else? Of course, I’d left home before the butt-crack of dawn this morning, so his trailer was probably still dark. It didn’t matter. I drew in a deep breath and forced my heart to slow to normal.
“It’s okay,” I said through another breath. “I’m not gonna let him get to me. I’m over him. His loss. I’ve moved on.”
“That’s my girl,” Elizabeth said as she gave me another squeeze before letting me go. She lifted my chin with her knuckles and scrutinized my face.
“I’m serious, Liz’beth. I’m done with him.” And I was. Ty Daniels was no longer a prickly thistle stuck to my heart.
Having grown up in the same trailer park, we’d known each other for as long as we could both remember. There’d been those couple of years Mama had moved us away, but as soon as we came back, Ty was knocking on the door, ready to play, no questions asked. That’s what I’d liked about him. We’d been buddies for years, and then in high school, it became something more. But he was never right for me and I wasn’t right for him, which he pretty much told me right after his graduation and right before he took off for the Army. He left me back home to finish my own schooling a year later, never sending word, even when he went off to Afghanistan. It took me a while to realize he was right. Ty Daniels wasn’t good for me. He wasn’t The One I was sure was out there, somewhere, looking for me.
So why did I have to react to him the way I had? If only my body would realize just how bad he is … and forget just how good he is.
About the Author
Kristie Cook writes the bestselling, award-winning
Soul Savers Series, which will include seven novels, companion novellas and short stories. She also writes
The Book of Phoenix series, a trilogy (for now anyway). Both are New Adult paranormal romance/contemporary fantasies. She has many other ideas jotted in notebooks scattered around the house and more in her head, but she’s learned to write for whatever character screams the loudest. It’s kind of hard to hear the others, so may as well make the noisy one happy. She’s often procrastinating on Facebook (way too often) and sometimes even jumps onto Twitter.
When Life Falls to Pieces, Answers Lie in the Space Between
After a month-long dance tour overseas, Leni returns to Georgia to care for her great-uncle, only to find him gone, their home empty, and any evidence he ever existed wiped out. All that remains is her truck and a leather-bound book she can't open. Nearly as disturbing, she keeps running into the deaf and dangerously sexy model she'd met in Italy, and no matter how hard she tries to shake him, her soul won't let her.
Jeric has traveled the world in search of a piece of his past for over a year, only to reach a dead-end in Georgia ... in the exact town where the beautiful dancer from Italy lives. He's drawn to her like a moth to a flame, but his life as a loner in his silent world allows no room for girlfriends, and he tries to leave her. Except outside forces won't let him.
When the same "tattoos" suddenly appear on their arms and the book's lock falls open, Leni and Jeric realize there's more between them than physical fascination. They must embark on a journey together to discover their connection to each other and their ties to the Book of Phoenix.
And they must figure it all out fast. Shadowy forms that are more monsters than men are closing in, while their own existences are falling to pieces around them.
This first part of The Book of Phoenix takes you on a heart-wrenching ride as you discover the answers that lie in The Space Between.
THE SPACE BEYOND
Hearts break. Souls shatter. Love lies in The Space Beyond.
As members of the Phoenix, Jeric and Leni are thrust into their new lives, expected to lead Earth’s Guardians. But Leni struggles with trusting her own soul, and Jeric is more concerned about keeping Leni safe than meeting others’ demands. When Darkness swarms Lake Haven, they embark on their first mission with little preparation and no idea which soul the Dark hunts.
Born and raised in Lake Haven, Bex hopes to escape her small-town life, ideally in the arms of her soul mate. She knows he exists, and her heart aches with the need to find him. When her long-lost mama calls to announce she's knockin' on death's door, Bex reluctantly makes the trip to see the uncaring bitch (bless her heart), only to be knocked off her feet by the sexy and charming Dr. Mason Hayes. Is he really The One?
Leni’s soul felt an instant connection to Bex, but if Bex found her soul mate, she isn’t their mission. So who is, and why does Leni instinctively feel drawn to her? Can Leni even trust her intuition? And will Jeric step up and lead when the time comes or continue to hold them back?
If they don't learn to trust themselves and each other quickly, Darkness will claim them all…along with the rest of Earth’s souls.
When Darkness threatens, what matters most lies in The Space Within
Completing a mission that reunites Guardian Twin Flames turns devastating when the Book of Phoenix throws Leni and Brock into a Dark world, leaving Jeric and Asia behind. They count on their other halves to rescue them, but when that doesn’t happen, they must fight through the Darkness and find a Gate that will take them home.
Except all of Earth’s Gates are sealed.
Enyxa, ruler of Darkness, and her horde of Dark souls storm the Gates to push their way through to Earth. While Leni and Brock fight Enyxa on their side, Jeric and Asia must figure out how to save their Twin Flames without jeopardizing all of Earth’s souls. Through it all—and with a little help from Enyxa—Brock and Asia begin questioning their relationship and whether they’re truly meant to be together…or if they’re two Lost souls forced to become one.
If the Broken dyads don’t find each other fast, they’ll be lost to the Dark forever. But to reunite means choosing themselves over all of Earth’s souls. Can Jeric make that decision? And will Brock and Asia find the love they both desperately crave? Or are they all doomed to perpetual Darkness?
Discover how it all ends in The Space Within, the explosive conclusion to The Book of Phoenix trilogy.
It's time for another cover reveal! Today, Nicole Zoltak is stopping by the blog to reveal the cover for her new time travel romance The Test of Time. Take it away, Nicole!
Hi, everyone! This is Nicole Zoltack. I've written a bunch of romances, a lot in the speculative realm, and finally wrote a time travel romance: THE TEST OF TIME. And I adore the cover. It's beautiful. Wanna see it? Sure you do!
I could not be happier with it. What do you think of it?
BLURB: Katia jumps at the chance to go to England with her best friend after Rose ditches her deadbeat boyfriend. While walking through the market, she spies a large mansion and recognizes the guy out front as her high school friend Tony. Just as they start to reconnect, Katia passes through times and lands in the arms of Lord Landon, who looks like Tony but certainly doesn’t act like him.
Soon, Katia learns that this 1815 is different from the one in history books. Trapped in a parallel world, Katia struggles to not fall for Landon but his charm proves too much for her. Just when she is about to confess her love for him, Katia travels through time yet again.
The course of love never did run smooth and if Katia can’t figure out and master the test of time, she’ll never see or friends again, or worse, never be reunited with Landon.
So I'm sure you're dying to know the release date and luckily it's not that far away! THE TEST OF TIME releases September 9th! Be sure to grab it on the 9th!
Add it on Goodreads!
BIO: Nicole Zoltack loves to write in many genres, especially romance, whether fantasy, paranormal, or regency. When she’s not writing about knights, superheroes, or zombies, she loves to spend time with her loving husband and three energetic young boys. She enjoys riding horses (pretending they’re unicorns, of course!) and going to the PA Renaissance Faire, dressed in garb. She’ll also read anything she can get her hands on. Her current favorite TV show is The Walking Dead. To learn more about Nicole and her writing, visit her blog.
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