Book Trailer + Giveaway! UNSTRUNG by Kendra C. Highley

UNSTRUNG by Kendra C. Highley

Lexa Pate, seventeen-year-old thief extraordinaire, has burned a bridge or two in her life. You don’t make a career out of stealing other people’s property without making enemies. When a risky job goes from bad to worse, Lexa and her adopted family find themselves on Precipice Corporation’s hit list because they’ve accidentally stolen the wrong thing—plans for a new model of genetically engineered super humans. Now, every bounty hunter, cop on the take, and snitch in the city is after them. Lexa’s world crumbles around her as she fights to keep her family safe even as someone strolls out of her forgotten past. Quinn claims to know who Lexa really is, but can she trust a stranger she met while robbing his boss? More importantly, does she really want to know what Quinn has to tell her? 

Based on the fairy tale Pinocchio, UNSTRUNG takes you into a near future world where the lines between fake and real are blurred, all that’s pristine isn’t always innocent, and being a criminal isn’t always wrong.

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Beyond the Gloaming Book Blast + Giveaway!

Sebastian and the Hibernauts: Beyond the Gloaming

It is Easter, 1973 and twelve year old Sebastian Duffy has some serious self-esteem issues. He is beaten by his parents, bullied at school, steals from his friends and still mourning the death of his brother. To cap it all, strange things have begun happening around him and he is finding it hard to distinguish dreams from reality. After a nightmarish assault, he wakes in the Gloaming, a shadow world inhabited by ghosts. There to greet him is Porrig, a creature from Hibercadia, a magical realm crafted from Celtic dreams. Inhabited by Fir Bolg, Tuath and Milesians, it has been overthrown by brother gods from another dreamworld. One brother, Phobitor, is a tyrant and even the Tuath, who took to their underground sidhe millennia ago, are concerned. Sebastian discovers that he alone can save Hibercadia by finding an enchanted spear. Teaming up with the Hibernauts—a mercurial sorceress, an orphaned druidess, a taciturn warrior, a snuff-sniffing leprechaun and a lovelorn poet—he embarks on a fantastical quest, but can he succeed when he is yet to find his magical potential or even his courage, and half the realm is bent on his destruction?  

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Beyond the Gloaming from Kaleb Lechowski on Vimeo.  

Praise for Beyond the Gloaming

I cannot say just how much I have enjoyed this book; you are a very accomplished writer with a wonderfully rich imagination. Your use of the English language is amazing and your ability to create the many different speaking styles in the book and to maintain them is remarkable. You have an incredibly inventive mind and readers will come to love the many wonderful creations in this novel, it is jam-packed with the most wonderful and inventive characters; new, exciting and beautifully realised. ~ The Oxford Editors

An imaginative epic...an intricate and fully realised fantasy world with a big cast of likeable characters that are charming, well drawn and endearing, with wonderfully apt names. The depth and breadth of your high-voltage imagination, and the richness of the world you create is very impressive. ~ Sam Mills, author of Blackout, The Boys Who Saved the World, and The Quiddity of Will Self

Blog Tour: Review + Giveaway! The League ~ Sulan by Camille Picott

Hello, there! I'm so excited to share this book with you guys. Check out my review below!

Full tour schedule here.

Episode One: The League ~ Sulan

by Camille Picott

My Rating: ★★★★☆

Genres: YA, Dystopian, Cyberpunk

Published June 2012 by Pixiu Press

Format Read: Ebook via CBB Book Promotions

Purchase: Amazon,  Audible, The Book Depository, Kobo

Description from Goodreads

Sixteen-year-old Sulan Hom can’t remember life before the Default—the day the United States government declared bankruptcy. As a math prodigy, she leads a protected life, kept safe from the hunger and crime plaguing the streets of America. She attends the corporate-sponsored Virtual High School, an academy in Vex (Virtual Experience) for gifted children. 

Beyond the security of Sulan’s high-tech world, the Anti-American League wages a guerrilla war against the United States. Their leader, Imugi, is dedicated to undermining the nation’s reconstruction attempts. He attacks anything considered a national resource, including corporations, food storage facilities—and schools. When Sulan witnesses the public execution of a teenage student and the bombing of a college dorm, she panics. 

Her mother, a retired mercenary, refuses to teach her how to defend herself. Sulan takes matters into her own hands. With the help of her hacker best friend, Hank, Sulan acquires Touch—an illegal Vex technology that allows her to share the physical experience of her avatar. With Touch, Sulan defies her mother and trains herself to fight. 

When Imugi unleashes a new attack on the United States, Sulan finds herself caught in his net. Will her Vex training be enough to help her survive and escape?

My Review:

I haven't read anything like this book, and I think it's amazing!

This Dystopian/Cyberpunk novel takes place during a crisis that hit the US, and the main character is Sulan, a 16-year-old math prodigy. No kidding you guys. This girl can solve any complex equation without using a calculator, and she does it in less than 10 seconds. Cool, isn't she? Her skills are very impressive and that is why she's not safe. Apparently, Imugi (the antagonist) is determined to kill all the brilliant minds of America to prevent the nation's reconstruction. So, Sulan knows that she's in danger and finds a way to learn how to protect herself.

Avatars and Virtual School.

I'm not familiar with the Cyberpunk genre, so I found this book very, very captivating. Sulan goes to a virtual school, and it's not like those boring online courses. It's so much more! Students are able to use Vex (Virtual Experience); they have their own avatars which they can control with their minds, and they get to interact with each other like they're actually attending school. Yep, technology is incredible! I think the world building is amazing, and I just love how the virtual system works. However, I feel like this book is a bit short because I want to explore the world more and there are many things that I'm curious about!

Nerd and Badass Fighter.

Sulan is an amazing heroine. I like that she's strong-willed, and that she's  determined to learn how to fight, even though her mom doesn't want her to. She knows that she won't stand chance against Imugi if she doesn't know the basics of self defense, so she undergoes a not-so-safe training. Although she lacks physical strength, I like that her brilliant mind makes her a deadly opponent.

There is a little bit of romance, but it doesn't focus on it. This novel mainly centres around Sulan's training and the battle against Imugi. And there are some great action scenes; I especially love the one at the end.

I’d definitely recommend this to anyone looking for a fast paced and action filled book!

I received this book from CBB Book Promotions in exchange for an honest review. 

About the Author

Camille Picott is a fifth-generation Chinese American. She writes science fiction and fantasy books with Asian characters and/or Asian settings. Camille grew up reading speculative fiction stories largely devoid of Asian characters and culture. This, coupled with a passion for her heritage, is the reason she strives to bring some aspect of Eastern myth, legend, culture, and ethnicity to all of her writings. To visit Camille, go to www.camillepicott.com.

Find Camille Picott online: Website | Facebook |Goodreads

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Excerpt + Giveaway! Finding Mr. Darcy: High School Edition

Finding Mr. Darcy: High School Edition

by Erin Butler

Release Date: 09/16/14

Summary from Goodreads:

Sixteen-year-old Liza Johnson takes fangirl to a whole new level of crazy when she decides to take dating advice from her literary hero: Jane Austen.

With the help of her best friends, Liza sheds her ancient-speak and complete Austen wardrobe for something a bit more modern in an attempt at finding her very own Mr. Darcy.

Enter Will, the new kid and Liza's Darcy incarnate. Add her BFF's ex to mix and the sexy Brit who kisses with an accent, and Liza is in trouble.

So, what's a girl to do? Without her mom to go to relationship advice, Liza turns to the only person she can truly trust with matters of the heart via her mother's copy of COMPLETED WORKS OF JANE AUSTEN.

It's too bad Austen's heroines have never played Spin the Bottle or Seven Minutes in Heaven. Liza's determined to find her true Austen-esque happy ending, but if she can't trust herself instead of books, she just might end up in her own tragic love story.

 

Excerpt:

Janie burst through my bedroom door and stared me down, hands landing on her hips. “You’re delusional if you think you’re wearing that.”
I looked down at the outfit I wore to school. “Looks fine to me.”
“Ugh, Liza! Why can’t I have a normal best friend?”
“Normal? You have pink in your hair!”
“Whatever.”
Janie walked in and I got up to shut the door. I was pretty sure Dad sat downstairs watching the Jays, his Triple-A baseball team, but still. He didn’t need to overhear our girl conversations.
 Janie toted a backpack along with her, which slightly frightened me. “Is that your word of the day or something?”
“What?”
“Whatever. You’ve said it to me like five hundred times today.”
She rolled her eyes. “What-ever.” We busted up laughing. “Come on.” She tugged on my arm. “It’s makeover time.”
“Oh no. I was afraid of that.”
Janie meandered toward the bed. “What are you reading?”
I reached out for the magazine, but Janie snatched it from me. “About Cole Foster.”
“Cole Foster?” She frowned at the glossy pages.
“If they ever remake Pride and Prejudice, he’d be the perfect Mr. Darcy.”
“Cole Foster? Isn’t he from that stupid soap on channel five?”
I yanked the magazine from her hands. “Yes. He’s gorgeous. Very agreeable if you ask me.”
“Whatever.” She plopped down on my flowery quilt and winked at me. “And who would play Lizzie?”
 “Duh, that’s easy. Me.”
Janie shoved my shoulder. “You are delusional. If you are going to get Cole Foster, or Mr. Darcy, or any boy to even look at you, you need a makeover. A clothes makeover.” She stood up and went straight to my closet. “Where’s that purple top I got you for your birthday?”
“What purple top?” I mumbled.
Janie spun around with her hands on her hips.
“You know, the one that doesn’t have anything J.A. on it.” She circled her finger around her chest as if I was a child that needed a demonstration.
“The only purple top I have is the ‘Jane Austen is my Homegirl’ t-shirt.”
“BS.” Janie turned around and fanned through my clothes. “I gave you that shirt for nights exactly like this. Now where is it?” The hangers raked against the bar as she searched my closet.
I pointed to the very end. “All the way to the right.”
“Thank you,” Janie said. Her smile grew as she pushed aside all my precious t-shirts. “This is going to look so good on you.”
“I don’t see why I can’t wear this.” I looked down. WWJD What Would Jane Do? “It’s new.” And it was awesome.

About the Author

Erin Butler is lucky enough to have two jobs she truly loves. As a librarian, she gets to work with books all day long, and as an author, Erin uses her active imagination to write the kinds of books she enjoys reading. Young Adult and New Adult books are her favorites, but she especially loves the ones with kissing scenes.

Erin lives in Central New York with her very understanding husband, a stepson, and doggie BFF, Maxie. She prefers to spend her time indoors reading and writing, but will venture out for chocolate and sunshine. She is the author of BLOOD HEX, a YA paranormal, HOW WE LIVED, a contemporary New Adult novel, and FINDING MR. DARCY: HIGH SCHOOL EDITION, a contemporary YA.

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Release Day Book Blitz: Louder Than Words by Iris St. Clair

Louder Than Words

by Iris St. Clair 

Release Date: 09/16/14

Swoon Romance

Summary from Goodreads:

Disappointment has been on speed dial in Ellen Grayson's life lately. Her dad died, her mom numbs the grief with drugs and alcohol, and her so-called friends have slowly abandoned her. 

Trusting a popular teacher with her troubles should have been safe and should NOT have led to an unwelcome seduction attempt that made her desperate to escape the final moments of Junior year. Lesson learned. Best to keep all the sordid details to herself and trust no one.

Enter Rex Jacobi, a cocky boy, recently transplanted from New York City and fellow summer camp employee. Though his quick wit and confidence draws her in, she can't let him get too close. And summer is just long enough and hot enough to keep a boy like that at arm's length.

But by the time Rex's charm wears down her resistance, it's too late. He's put Ellen on the "just friends" shelf and has shifted his romantic attentions to the impossibly annoying and perky anti-Ellen. Even worse, the teacher who tried to get her to sleep with him is still at it, preying on other girls while Ellen struggles to come to terms with what happened.

With her ability to trust as shaky as a chastity vow on prom night, Ellen must decide if she has enough remaining courage to speak up about the well-liked teacher and risk retribution, tell Rex how she really feels about him and risk heartbreak, or hold all her secrets inside. After all, it's the only safe place she knows when the only thing louder than words is the fear of being rejected.

 

Excerpt

He glares as Rex passes. My brother is on the large size—about six feet and built like a football player, though he played with drums, and not pigskins, on the football field. He’s usually so mellow people no longer notice his size after five minutes of meeting him. Since becoming my guardian, however, he’s taken his role a bit too seriously. He’s not averse to using physical intimidation to scare off any males who try to get too close to me. For the most part, I’ve been grateful for it. At least he cares.

Rex doesn’t show the usual signs of nervousness at my brother’s intimidation attempts. Best to whisk him outside as quickly as possible, which I do.

“Sorry about my brother.”

“Wow, yeah. I suppose it probably did look suspicious from all sorts of angles—your face, the two of us crammed into your little bathroom, my hands all over you.” He smirks and doesn’t seem the least bit perturbed.

“Your hands were not all over me.”

“I was putting on the Band-Aid. They were there.”

His exaggerated insistence about something that wasn’t borders ludicrous. “You’re so weird, Rex Jacobi. Most boys would be swearing up and down that nothing happened, over-compensating even. But you … ” I shake my head. “You know my brother could throw you against the wall hard enough to make you stick, right?”

“You think your brother would do something like that?”

He’s got me there. “Well … no.”

“Didn’t think so.”

“You don’t have to look so smug about it.” I point to the street. “Okay, so I guess you better go then. Don’t want you to be late for your date.” I give him a slug in the arm and hope it’s light enough to convey no more than minor annoyance, boredom, or gentle teasing.

He nods. “Yeah, sure.”

For a second I think he’s going to say something else because his mouth drops open and he draws in a breath. The moment passes and he trots down the apartment building stairs, doesn’t even glance back over his shoulder.

The look on my brother’s face, on the other hand, is both infuriating and heart-breaking. Infuriating he thinks I’d act like such a ho, and heart-breaking because absolutely nothing happened to even give Robbie a moment’s worry about my chastity.

About the Author

Iris St. Clair is the pen name for a long-suffering cubicle worker by day, a Walter Mitty-like dreamer by night. (Her alter ego Tatiana Ivanadance also choreographs gravity-defying routines in those fantasies, but that's another bio.)

No matter what genre she writes, she prefers witty, insecure heroines and kind, persistent heroes able to break through to the gooey heart inside.

In high school she was voted most likely to win at Monopoly and Clue, but least likely to throw a ball anywhere near a target. Thank goodness writing requires less hand-eye coordination, punctuation errors notwithstanding.

Iris believes in the two-year "fish or cut bait" dating rule and has a 20+ year marriage and two teenaged sons as proof of concept. She lives, writes, dreams and dances in the rainy Portland, OR area.

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Excerpt + Giveaway! Kids in Love by Nikki Godwin

Title: Kids in Love (Saturn #1.5)
Author: Nikki Godwin
Date of Publication: September 7, 2014
Purchase: Amazon | Smashwords

Blurb:

As one of the original Saturnites, Darby McMillon has been a longtime face of the fandom. From the days when the boys were just a YouTube band trying to gain fans up through their recent lockdown, Darby's channel - Darby's Daily Dose of Drama - was the "go to" spot for all things Spaceships Around Saturn.

Until now, she's been trusted by most and envied by few, but her meet up with SAS girlfriend Chloe Branson shakes Darby's world. She learns quickly that when you're with the band, everything isn't always red carpets and music videos.

And the closer she gets to her SAS crush Tate Kingsley, the closer she comes to losing her Saturnite status forever.

Excerpt

Tate walks over to the trampoline and climbs up. Then he reaches a hand out to me. I haven’t been on this thing in a long time. I grab his hand anyway and let him pull me up. He falls back onto the bouncy material and eventually comes to a halt, staring up at the clouds. 

“Sometimes, late at night, I wish I really did have a spaceship to take around Saturn,” he says, his eyes lost somewhere among the stars. “I just want to see firsthand, up close, that there are things much bigger than this, you know? Like bigger than this band and the fame and the fandom.”

I lie back next to him and watch as the milky strands whisper across the night, leaving their words across the black backdrop. 

“Honestly? I kind of like the view from down here,” I say. 

“Yeah, but I mean…” He pauses. “I don’t know. Sometimes it’s just too much. Don’t you feel like you can’t breathe sometimes? Like everyone has expectations and you can’t meet them all? Or is the fandom totally different on that level?”

The fandom is definitely different. We don’t have the pressure on us that we put on the guys of SAS. Sure, people expect daily videos from me – or at least every other day – but I do those for fun anyway. If I fell off the planet tomorrow, a few people would notice, and eventually there would be some other girl who made videos and everyone would follow her. That’s a depressing thought now that it’s in my brain. 

“Fandoms are different. People come and go,” I tell him. “You guys are the sun. We just orbit around you.”

He sighs. “It’s tough being the sun.” Then he turns on his side and faces me. “If you could wish for one thing, on one star, which star would you pick and what would you wish for?”

“Right now?” I’m completely caught off guard. I can’t tell him that I wish he’d drop to one knee with a diamond and propose. “Umm…”

I look away from him and glance around the stars for a bright one. “That one,” I say, pointing to the twinkling speck in the sky, slightly to the right of my house’s rooftop. 

“So you go for the bright ones?” Tate asks, craning his neck to see my star. 

“Well, yeah,” I say. “That way I can always see it.”

I suddenly feel like this was the wrong answer or maybe not what he was looking for. It makes me feel snobby, like the way small accounts look at big accounts online. It’s like we’re the bright stars that everyone can see, and everyone else is a peasant star – a measly little light that tries so hard to shine amongst the rest of us and our giant glows. Oh gosh, I should’ve picked a dim star. Can I go back and pick a dim star? I’ll totally be a peasant. 

“Hmm,” Tate says. He rests back on the trampoline. “I guess that makes sense. I’d pick this one over here. It’s kind of hard to see.”

He motions his index finger toward a dim star. I trace the stars around it and wonder if it’s part of a constellation. If this set of stars is meant to be something special, I hope I’m seeing it incorrectly because it looks like a seagull. Tate’s star is at the tip of its beak. 

“Why that one?” I ask, hoping he doesn’t give me some beautifully poetic answer.

Title: American Girl on Saturn (Saturn #1)
Author: Nikki Godwin
Date of Publication: August 29, 2013
Purchase: Amazon | B&N | Smashwords

Blurb:

The summer after graduation is supposed to be that first real taste of freedom - but not for eighteen-year-old Chloe Branson. Just as that breeze of freedom is making its way into her galaxy, her secret-service-agent dad drops a meteor-sized bomb of bad news on her and her sisters. An attempt has been made on the lives of Canadian boyband, Spaceships Around Saturn, during their USA tour, and the guys have to go into hiding ASAP. The only problem? In the midst of the crisis and media frenzy, their dad volunteered to hide the guys...in their house.

Six-year-old Emery is as ecstatic as any self-proclaimed Saturnite would be, but Chloe and her seventeen-year-old sister Aralie watch their summer plans crash and burn like a falling star. The SAS guys aren't happy with the situation, either. Bad boy Jules picks fights with Aralie about everything from his Twitter followers to his laundry, and heart-throb Benji can't escape Emery's fangirlisms for more than three minutes.

But after the super-cute Milo kisses Chloe during a game of hide-and-seek, she finally understands what Emery means when she talks about SAS being "out of this world." If this is what Saturn feels like, Chloe doesn't want to come back to Earth.

ABOUT NIKKI GODWIN

Nikki Godwin is a YA/NA/LGBT author. She can't live without Mountain Dew, black eyeliner, and music by Hawthorne Heights. When not writing, she internet-stalks her favorite bands and keeps tabs on surf competitions. Her life goal is to meet David Desrosiers of Simple Plan. Her favorite pro surfers are Jeremy Flores, Gabriel Medina, and John John Florence.

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Excerpt + Giveaway! Perfect for You by Ashelyn Drake

Title: Perfect for You

Author: Ashelyn Drake

Release Date: September 2014

Publisher: Swoon Romance

Summary from Goodreads:

Seventeen-year-old Meg Flannigan isn’t very self-confident, but what girl would be after her sophomore-year boyfriend dumped her by making out with another girl in front of her locker? 

Now a senior, Meg catches the eye of not one, but two gorgeous guys at school. Sounds good, right? What girl wouldn't want to be in Meg's shoes? One cute boy happens to be her boyfriend, and the other? Well, he wants to be. And Meg? She't torn between Ash, the boy she's been with for nearly five months, and Noah who is pretty irresistible. 

But Meg is playing with fire. Pitting two boys against one another, even if she doesn't intend to, could end badly if she isn't careful. PERFECT FOR YOU is a teen romance from bestselling author Ashelyn Drake, where one girl will risk everything to find her perfect match.

Excerpt

As the sun lowers in the sky, I lie back on the tennis court and think about Ash. After five months, my stomach still gets butterflies every time I see him. His touch makes me want to smother his lips with mine, and he has a way of making me feel like I’m the only girl in the world—at least to him. He’s perfect in just about every way. 

“You’re tense, Flannigan. I can tell,” Noah says, his head mere inches from mine. He turns to give me one of his killer one-dimple smiles and I melt, the way I have since I first laid eyes on him two years ago. 

Why did he have to wait until now to show an interest in me? I’m falling in love with Ash. I know I am. But Noah… 

“Am I making you nervous?” Noah invades my personal space, something he’s made a habit of doing over the past week. He’s the best player on the guy’s tennis team, and he’s helping me improve my game. We get along really well because we have a lot in common, but we’re just friends. That’s all, because that’s all we can be. He leans forward, and I forget to breathe as our faces get closer and closer. Is he going to kiss me? He reaches one hand behind my back and lifts me closer to him. He is going to kiss me! Holy crap! I can’t do this. 

“Noah, I—” 

Before I can finish, he’s pushing me back down again, and I feel a tennis ball under my shoulder blade. 

“Now lie still for a few minutes, relaxing the muscles around the ball. It should get rid of that tension. You’ve probably got a knot from all the extra practice you’ve been putting in.” 

Yeah, but it’s not the knot in my shoulder I’m worried about. It’s the one in my stomach. The one that formed when I thought Noah was going to kiss me, and I didn’t really want to stop him. 

This is bad. I shouldn’t be here. I shouldn’t be in a situation where I think a guy might kiss me. Where I think I might let him. Ash doesn’t deserve this. 

About the Author

Ashelyn Drake is a New Adult and Young Adult romance author. While it’s rare for her not to have either a book in hand or her fingers flying across a laptop, she also enjoys spending time with her family. She believes you are never too old to enjoy a good swing set and there’s never a bad time for some dark chocolate. She is represented by Sarah Negovetich of Corvisiero Literary Agency.

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Excerpt + Giveaway! The Sending by Jandy Salguero

The Sending.

A city's peace is shattered when two university students go missing, and only Daneel and his friends know the shocking truth of what happened. Finding themselves under attack, Daneel leads them in a race to escape the mounting violence. 

Mara is willing to kill for the beliefs of the faction that raised her. But as she seeks out her mark, using a rare, mystical form of travel known as the Sending, Mara discovers a powerful connection that challenges the truth of everything she’s been taught. 

While Daneel fights to protect those he cares for, Mara must choose whether to cling to the ideology of her home—or open her scarred heart to a searing attraction and the promise of a new life.   

Praise for The Sending 

The Sending reads like a dystopian Romeo and Juliet where strong, full characters from very different places inevitably collide with passion and conflict. Salguero fills a fresh, vibrant world with a nerve-tingling fast plot. Prepare to be immersed. ~Tamara Ward, author of Hidden Betrayal

The Sending is a thrilling, fast-paced, science fiction-romance that’s impossible to put down. Edge-of-your-seat action scenes, and a romantic attraction so intense that it will make you want to turn down the air conditioning, The Sending is a great read that left me hungry for more. I loved this book!

~Sterling R. Walker, author of The Orphan Ship

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Excerpt

As one of the hawks flew across the tiny plane of space framed by her window, Mara closed her eyes. She envisioned herself there, experiencing the grace and the power of their movements. She imagined the control of that journey and thought that one day she might have that type of power over her own fate.

Mara felt a kinship with the graceful hunter. It knew the thrill of conquest coupled with the need for survival: opposite sides of the same implacable coin. The compound had taught Mara to use that need to a greater advantage than she had before.

Her chest tightened. Before? No, there was no before. Everything was after.

After her home had been raided, after her family had been killed, after she had been forced to fend for herself. She’d had only the passive help of a few others who had suffered the same fate, who had used her as much as she had been forced to use them.

She was a young six years when she lost her family. The memories of their life together had quickly begun to fade into the cruel background of her new life, into an icy, nearly paralyzing bath of hunger and fear.

The fear had covered everything. It had even blanketed the things that had seemed gentle and innocent to her before, so that nothing was safe. For a long time, the fear had ruled her with a cold, hard hand.

    Author Jandy Salguero. Growing up in southern Louisiana, Jandy Salguero's life was full of friendly smiles, good food and tall tales. She holds a BA in French from Brigham Young University, where she met her husband in the midst of the great Rocky Mountains. She now resides in a small town outside of Raleigh, NC. Her days are full of grade-school antics and underfoot toddler toys-- courtesy of her two handsome boys. She is currently working on Book 2 in the Senitha's Light series, due out in early 2015.   

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 $50 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash 

 Ends 10/3/14 

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

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Interview + Giveaway: The Undead: Playing for Keeps by Elsie Elmore

Title: The Undead: Playing for Keeps 
Author: Elsie Elmore
Published by: Curiosity Quills Press
Publication date: September 3rd 2014
Genres: Paranormal, Young Adult

Synopsis:

When 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. Especially once Lyla’s new talent of resurrecting the dead draws the attention of Eric, a Grim Reaper with a guitar and a chip on his shoulder.

While Lyla navigates the gossip-ridden halls, Eric works to gain her trust and discover why Death’s clients aren’t staying down. If she passes on her gift, his death-messenger destiny might be altered. But the closer he gets to Lyla, the less sure he is of his plan. The dead are way easier to deal with than the living.

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.

Interview with Elsie Elmore, author of The Undead: Playing for Keeps

What led you to write YA paranormal and corpses becoming reanimated?

Explaining my warped creative process is challenging because the stories I tend to create all begin with “What if?” That simple question can take me down a rabbit hole of possibilities and I never worry about whether an idea is plausible. In my mind, the boundary for reality is permeable.

The Undead started as a “what if” after a personal experience. The story then began to unfold in my mind, but it never ventured near The Walking Dead, which is a series I was addicted to once. I wanted the return to be less problematic and gory than the zombies in the apocalyptic stories.

Are the characters in The Undead based on real people?

Every character I create comes from bits and pieces of people that I’ve encountered, but no one person translates into a full character in one of my stories. At least not yet.

Does Eric play the guitar because you play the guitar?

No, Eric plays the guitar because he’s a gifted musician and because I think the guitar is one of the coolest instruments a guy can play. I took piano lessons for several years as a child, but I would not impress anyone with the skills that have remained after all those years.

Is The Undead a series?

I wrote The Undead as a stand alone, although the door was left slightly ajar at the end. While Lyla, Eric and Ben’s tale could go on, it will be up to the reader to determine what happens next.

What’s your favorite genre to read?

I like so many different types of fiction. I have specific favorite books and favorite authors that span romance, action, drama, suspense, and memoir (and for adult, NA, and YA audiences).

About the Author

Elsie Elmore lives in North Carolina with her husband and two kids.

She loves the color red, has an appreciation for chocolate and coffee that borders on obsession, writes stories that challenge the laws of nature, 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.

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I'm giving away an ecopy of Playing for Keeps. 

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Excerpt + Trailer: At First Sight by Mya O'Malley

At First Sight by Mya O'Malley

Modern love can be a headache. Just ask Annie Morgan, who, recently divorced, finds herself in the middle of the proverbial online dating jungle. Making a deal with her best friend, Annie agrees to go out on exactly five online dates out of seventy-six potential suitors. ​ Shane Nicholls was jaded, he had his heart broken and never got over the hurt. Now, convinced that all women are trouble, he avoids drama at any cost. Funny thing is, drama seems to find Shane around every corner. Can Annie, a romantic at heart, find love online or will she find love at first sight the old-fashioned way, by awkward, chance meetings with Shane Nicholls? Through a number of obstacles and heartache, Annie and Shane find that love at first sight really does exist if you truly believe.

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Excerpt:

Johnny’s was packed. Standing on line to place her order, Annie took in her surroundings. Just as the owner, Johnny, was coming over to take her order, something caught Annie’s eye. The guy near the window, he seemed familiar somehow. Where had she seen him before? He was eating dinner with a pretty brunette. He lifted his head to look at Annie as their eyes locked. On no! It was the guy from the mall, the one she bumped into. She quickly spun around, knocking right into the waitress who was carrying a tray of soft drinks.

Soda soaked her shirt and dripped onto the floor. The waitress was clearly annoyed and appeared like she would have loved to tell Annie off. Instead she rolled her eyes and ran to get a towel. If Annie thought she was embarrassed before, it was nothing compared to how she felt now. Every eye in the place was on her, including the guy from the mall. Helpless to do anything else, she grabbed some napkins and bent down to sop up some of the mess.

“It seems you have a knack for causing a scene everywhere you go.” It was his voice. The voice that filled her head with inappropriate thoughts, with longing. What was she thinking? Did she dare look up? His gaze was a magnet, forcing her to meet his eyes.

His eyes were a warmer brown than she had remembered, drawing her in.

“I…uh…”

“I’m joking. Here, let me help you with that.” He grabbed the napkins from her hand. The heat between them jolted her back. She moved quickly, surprised he could evoke such a reaction from her. Nobody had ever made her feel so exposed before. What was going on here? Annie felt foolish.

“I’m Shane. Shane Nicholls.” He extended his hand to her. They must have appeared to be quite the sight, bending over to clean up the mess while shaking hands.

“Annie.” Annie remembered her new rules of safety in the dating world. One of them was she would not reveal her last name or any other personal information until she was sure the guy wasn’t a stalker or anything.

“Annie. It suits you, I like it.” Annie had almost forgot about the woman waiting for Shane at the table near the window. She glanced over and took in a tight-lipped woman. It hit Annie that this woman was not the same stunning woman from the mall. Hmm, she had met his type before. This guy had “player” written all over him. She quickly brushed herself off and excused herself.

“Hey, Annie. Wait.” He reached for her hand. Annie forgot all about placing her order and made a beeline for the door. She didn’t look back. Well, Annie figured, it looked like it would be Chinese  food tonight.

About the Author.  

 Mya O’Malley was born and raised in the suburbs of New York City, where she currently lives with her husband, daughter and three step-daughters. The family also consists of two boxers; Destiny and Dolce and a ragdoll cat named Colby. Mya earned an undergraduate degree in special education and a graduate degree in reading and literacy. She works as a special education teacher and enjoys making a difference in the lives of her students. Mya’s passion is writing; she has been creating stories and poetry since she was a child. Mya spends her free time reading just about anything she can get her hands on. She is a romantic at heart and loves to create stories with unforgettable characters. Mya likes to travel; she has visited several Caribbean Islands, Mexico and Costa Rica. Mya is currently working on her fifth novel.

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