Excerpt and giveaway: ‘Gypsy’ by Trisha Leigh
Posted: June 6, 2014 Filed under: On Books | Tags: urban fantasy 1 Comment
Gypsy (The Cavy Files #1)
by Trisha Leigh
Release Date: 13 May 2014
378 pages
Inconsequential: not important or significant.
Synonyms: insignificant, unimportant, nonessential, irrelevant
In the world of genetic mutation, Gypsy’s talent of knowing a person’s age of death is considered a failure. Her peers, the other Cavies, have powers that range from curdling a blood still in the vein to being able to overhear a conversation taking place three miles away, but when they’re taken from the sanctuary where they grew up and forced into the real world, Gypsy, with her all-but-invisible gift, is the one with the advantage.The only one who’s safe, if the world finds out what they can do.
When the Cavies are attacked and inoculated with an unidentified virus, that illusion is shattered. Whatever was attached to the virus causes their abilities to change. Grow. In some cases, to escape their control.
Gypsy dreamed of normal high school, normal friends, a normal life, for years. Instead, the Cavies are sucked under a sea of government intrigue, weaponized genetic mutation, and crushing secrets that will reframe everything they’ve ever been told about how their “talents” came to be in the first place.
When they find out one of their own has been appropriated by the government, mistreated and forced to run dangerous missions, their desire for information becomes a pressing need. With only a series of guesses about their origins, the path to the truth becomes quickly littered with friends, enemies, and in the end, the Cavies ability to trust anyone at all.
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Excerpt
The library is one of the bigger rooms in the house, converted from what used to be the upstairs parlor. The Professor looks out a window that overlooks the back lawn. Shelves, sagging with dusty books, cover every inch of the light blue, fifteen-foot walls. The morning sunlight still lingers around the front of the house, making this space dim, but motes of dust twirl and waltz like members of a royal court on the pale, reaching beams.
All at once, happiness floods my bloodstream, as though someone smacks good cheer into my chest cavity through my shoulder blades. The strange desire to burst into song hums along my nerve endings, as though I’m a Disney princess summoning her bird and varmint attendants at the window. It takes serious concentration to bite back the urge.
The abrupt change in mood announces another Cavy’s presence, but as hard as I try to glare at Pollyanna, my mouth refuses to cooperate. Her mutation, a reverse empath alternation that allows her disposition to affect the moods of people in close proximity, is more…invasive than most. Losing control of my own mind never fails to make me feel icky.
And given her insistence on cynicism and anger, she’s not aptly named. Not at all.
“Feeling good, Gyspy?” She shakes out her long, blond hair and pins me with china-blue eyes. The faux-happy shroud crawling from her to me dissolves and my smile finally falls away. Polly nods. “That’s better. You look weird when you smile.”
“Pollyanna, we have spoken at length about the perils of using your gifts on your fellow Cavies.” The Professor’s patient, tired voice reprimands the youngest of his students, if only by several months.
The Philosopher, who runs Darley, took us in before we were three months old, and we all arrived between sixteen and seventeen years ago.
“Sorry, sir.”
She’s not sorry, but his chastisement and her apology are part of our daily routine. Of all the kids here, Pollyanna is my least favorite. She’s everyone’s least favorite, and even though she knows it she doesn’t change. I guess she doesn’t care.
“Sorry for what? Fucking with people again?” The voice bleeds out of thin air before Haint shimmers into view around it, face first. She leans against one of the bookcases once her shoulder appears, examining her nails as she waits for her daily reprimand.
The Professor doesn’t disappoint. “Language, dear.”
He says nothing to me, not even hello, nor does he issue a warning to Haint about using her ability to go invisible. It’s not dangerous. Pollyanna could make any one of us walk straight off a cliff if she felt particularly suicidal that day.
The twins Athena and Goose arrive together, a tornado of rough-housing elbows and flashes of reddish hair, loosing half a shelf of books onto the floor and toppling an end table before getting themselves under control. The Professor ignores them, having long ago resigned himself to their antics.
We’re all here now, at least those who are expected. Mole is still enduring his weekly brain prodding and so is Reaper. They’re our lethal Cavies, and are kept for testing more often and for longer than the rest of us. We’re categorized according to our level of usefulness, the details of our mutations and abilities listed in records the Philosopher hopes might convince the government we could be potential assets as opposed to threats.
Three Operationals, two Substantials, one Developmental, three Unstables, and one Inconsequential. That’s me. The one who will never be an asset to anyone but can’t be locked away and forgotten like an Unstable, either. They don’t know what to do with me, so I shuffle along with the group.
“Everyone sit down, please.”
The Professor’s command sounds more like a genteel request, and we drop into a circle of cross-legged teenagers on the oval Oriental rug that smothers the center of the room. He paces behind us, passing binder-clipped pages into our waiting hands.
I grab mine, excited as the title filters through my eyes and into my brain. It’s a thesis, written by the Scientist back in the 1960s: Genetic Mutation and the Human Brain.
He died before any of us were born but his thoughts and experiments, his studies, help the scientists at Darley Hall figure out what might have caused the mutations that resulted in our “gifts.” Maybe one day they’ll figure out how to switch off those screwy genes and I can touch another person without at least one layer in between us. Without the protection, touching someone means seeing a number in my mind.
The age the other person is going to die.
My “talent” is creepy at best, totally useless at worst, and being able to get rid of it has been a hidden desire for the whole of my life.
Giveaway
Enter to win here!
About the Author
Trisha Leigh is a product of the Midwest, which means it’s pop, not soda, garage sales, not tag sales, and you guys as opposed to y’all. Most of the time. She’s been writing seriously for five years now, and has published 4 young adult novels and 4 new adult novels (under her pen name Lyla Payne). Her favorite things, in no particular order, include: reading, Game of Thrones, Hershey’s kisses, reading, her dogs (Yoda and Jilly), summer, movies, reading, Jude Law, coffee, and rewatching WB series from the 90’s–00’s.
Her family is made up of farmers and/or almost rock stars from Iowa, people who numerous, loud, full of love, and the kind of people that make the world better. Trisha tries her best to honor them, and the lessons they’ve taught, through characters and stories—made up, of course, but true enough in their way.
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Interview: Delilah S. Dawson, author
Posted: June 5, 2014 Filed under: On Books, On writing | Tags: aussie-owned, delilah s. dawson, geekery, interviews, steampunk, young adult Leave a commentYOU GUYS! Remember how I reviewed Wicked After Midnight by Delilah S. Dawson last week? Well, on Tuesday I got to interview Delilah herself over at Aussie Owned and Read. I’m pretty excited! 🙂
Today I’m thrilled to be interviewing one of my favourite authors, geek queen and Lady of the Twitters, Delilah S. Dawson.
After writing some of my favourite sizzling steampunk fantasy in the Blud series, you’re venturing into young adult with Servants of the Storm. You’ve also written middle grade, and erotica. Is making the shift between age brackets/markets difficult?
Not for writing, but the promo is definitely challenging! Just when I learned how to reach steampunk and romance readers, now I have to figure out how to get my Young Adult books to teens. I move pretty smoothly between writing projects thanks to compartmentalisation and playlists. I make a playlist for each book and listen to it while writing, editing, and cogitating, so as long as I’m listening to that music, I’m in that book’s world. Servants of the Storm was written to Saturnalia by The Gutter Twins…
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Top Ten Tuesday: Beach Bag Books
Posted: June 3, 2014 Filed under: On Books | Tags: AWW, top ten tuesday 1 Comment
Today’s Top Ten Tuesday topic is “Top Ten Books That Should Be In Your Beach Bag or Ten Books That Will Be In My Beach Bag This Summer”. I’ve gone for the latter … noting that it’s the third day of winter here and even if I had a beach bag I wouldn’t be using it.
Either way, this is the top ten books on my “to be read” pile to read over the next three months, more or less. The top of the pile is subject to change; I’ve noticed lately that I don’t like to read two of the same type of book in a row, no matter how awesome it is, so books by the same author often get interspersed with others.
Anyway. Here goes.
Spider by Jennifer Anderson. Young adult suspense. Jennifer is a fellow Turquoise Morning Press author and a real sweetheart, so I was keen to try one of her books. I’m currently reading this one (but I started it on 1 June so it TOTALLY COUNTS!). Liam is a hottie. Truth.
Scarlet by Marissa Meyer. Young adult sci-fi. I loved Cinder and I can’t wait to see where the series goes next. Because cyborgs and a honey of an Asian prince. Also, since Cinder was inspired by Cinderella, I curious about how Little Red Riding Hood is incorporated into Scarlet.
Dancing on Knives by Kate Forsyth. Contemporary suspense. This one just arrived — I had it on preorder — and I’m pretty excited, you guys. Kate is one of those versatile authors who’s written everything from epic fantasy to historical fairytale retellings and middle grade fiction. Plus she’s an Aussie so it counts for my Aussie Women Writers (AWW) challenge. I can’t wait to see how Kate handles this genre.
The Cormorant by Chuck Wendig. Adult urban fantasy/horror. This is the third book in the Miriam Black series, about the sweary visionary of the same name. Her “superpower” (as my Isla would say) involves seeing the moment of death of every person she touches. This isn’t urban fantasy for the fainthearted. Chuck likes his gore.
Splintered by A. G. Howard. Young adult fantasy. I’ve heard so many good things about this series, so I want to see what all the fuss is about. Plus I love that cover enough to frame it and put it on my wall. (The sequel’s cover is great too!)
The Iron King by Julie Kawaga. Young adult urban fantasy.I bought this entire series as a boxed set more than a year ago. It has been staring at me ever since. I swear I will read it before the end of winter. If I don’t, harrass me!
Kiya: Mother of a King by Katie Hamstead. Historical new adult. This is the sequel to Kiya: Hope of the Pharaoh, which I really enjoyed. I really want Nefertiti to get her comeuppance! Plus, it’s another AWW read, even if Katie lives in the US now.
The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater. Young adult urban fantasy. This is another one I bought quite a while ago — although not as long ago as the Kawaga books. The blurb sounds intriguing.
The Dream Hunter by Sherrilyn Kenyon. Paranormal fantasy.There are some superficial similarities between this and the book I’m currently querying, in that we use the same mythical beastie as the “fantasy” part of our urban fantasy. I bought this to scope out how she handled it, but I’ve been a bit chicken about actually reading it. One day soon.
The Alchemyst by Michael Scott. Young adult urban fantasy. I picked up the second and fourth books in this series from a second-hand bookshop, so of course I had to grab the first and third new. This was another instance when the pretty cover and blurb were enough to suck me in!
Looking back over that list, there’s a definite theme there — all the books bar one are either young or new adult, or urban fantasy/paranormal, or both. The exception is Kate Forsyth, who I came to be a fan of originally via her epic fantasy series.
What can I say, I’m a girl who knows what she likes! 😉
What’s on the top of your TBR pile?
Review: ‘Wicked After Midnight’ by Delilah S. Dawson
Posted: June 2, 2014 Filed under: Reviews | Tags: delilah s. dawson, reviews, romance, steampunk 1 Comment
A contortionist and a rakish brigand navigate the cabarets of Paris to rescue a girl taken by slavers in the third steampunk-tinged romance of the Blud series.
Life as a contortionist in Criminy’s Clockwork Caravan should be the height of exotic adventure, but for Demi Ward, it’s total dullsville. Until her best friend, Cherie, is stolen by slavers outside of Paris, and Demi is determined to find her.
On the run from his own past, Vale Hildebrand, a dashing rogue of a highwayman, hides Demi from the slavers…but why? He pledges to help her explore the glittering cabarets of Paris to find her friend, but much to Vale’s frustration, Demi soon attracts a host of wealthy admirers. The pleasures of music, blood, and absinthe could turn anyone’s head, and it would be all too easy to accept Cherie’s disappearance as inevitable—but with Vale’s ferocious will and Demi’s drive to find her friend, they soon have a lead on a depraved society of Parisian notables with a taste for beautiful lost girls. Can Demi wind her way through the seedy underbelly of Paris and save her best friend before she, too, is lost?
Wicked After Midnight is the third and final book in the Blud series, a set of three steampunk fantasy romance novels set in the same world but with each following a different pair of main characters. You could pick up any of the three and read it without having read the other two, and you’d be fine.
I love this series. Love love love. The world, a sort of medieval parallel to modern day Earth, is rich and dark and has clockworks and magic in equal measure. Plus Dawson’s love interests in each book are smoking hot, strong, dangerous to their enemies and respectful of their leading ladies (which is one of the reasons they are smoking hot, in my book!). Wicked After Midnight brought us more of the same in that sense, while telling a different story.
The bulk of this book is set in the Blud equivalent of Paris, populated mostly by daimons — magical creatures that feeds on emotions — and the humans they need to survive. The main character, Demi, is a bludman (basically a vampire but with a bunch of unique aspects that separate them from your typical Dracula or Edward), and — due to her awesome contortionist abilities — quickly becomes a star in the cabaret. I love the movie Moulin Rouge and there were a lot of elements of that in here. I pretty much had the soundtrack stuck in my head the whole time I was reading.
The only fly in the ointment for me is that Demi is a bit of a diva. At the start of the book she basically harrasses her best friend, Cherie, into running away from the caravan to join the cabaret (despite all the warnings she gets about how this isn’t the glamorous life she thinks it is). When Cherie goes missing, Demi decides the best way to find her is to follow through on her original plan and become a star. She then gets so swept up in her new life that at times she completely forgets about her friend. If it wasn’t for Vale, quietly reminding her every so often that he’s still pursuing her friend, Cherie would probably never be found.
Now, in Demi’s defence, a lot of cabaret girls have gone missing, presumably taken by the same people that took Cherie, and her plan to make herself bait and investigate the clientele for hints of her friend isn’t a bad one in and of itself. And she does regret the self-absorption, when she realises what she’s done. But I would’ve liked to see more active searching as well, maybe a couple of scenes early on that involved her actually going out into the city looking for clues, just so I didn’t feel like her decision to join the cabaret was her deluding herself into thinking she was “helping”.
The overall theme of this book is quite pertinent despite its fantasy setting: mysogyny, rape culture and women’s fight against it. And any qualms I had about Demi were blown right out of the water by her defiant reaction to that culture and the things that are expected of her as a dancer and a courtesan. There’s no doubt that if anyone actually tried to force themselves on her, she’d gut them. For example, I love this quote:
My only choices were play nice, get raped or die?
Yeah, no.
The Blud series is a great read, and definitely worth your time if you like stories about carnivals and dancers; hot vampires; steampunk technology (and let’s take a moment to acknowledge the awesomeness that is Coco in this book — she’s only in two scenes and she steals them both); respectful men who are apparently fantastic in bed (*fans self*!); and strong women who know what they want and aren’t afraid to take it.
Interview: Rachel Schieffelbein, contemporary romance author
Posted: June 1, 2014 Filed under: On Books | Tags: Interview, romance 4 CommentsToday I’m interviewing Rachel Schieffelbein, young and new adult contemporary romance author. Her newest release, Don’t Fall, came out on 27 May.
Don’t Fall is acontemporary version of Rapunzel (and I love the pun in the name, by the way!). What is it about fairy tales that inspires you?
I’m kind of a romantic. I love true love, and magic, and all that stuff. I wanted Anya and Zander’s story to still have that magical, fairy tale feel to it.
Tell us about Anya and Zander. What is their relationship like?
It’s very sweet, I think. They’re very tender to each other. But Zander does get frustrated with the secrecy, and he doesn’t understand Anya’s relationship with her mom.
What about Anya’s relationship with her adoptive mother?
It’s a bit more complicated. Anya desperately wants her mom’s approval, and her mom isn’t a very demonstrative person. Her mom loves Anya, but because of things in her past she’s very over-protective, and has a hard time expressing that love.
What trend in publishing do you feel the most strongly about, either positively or negatively?
I try not to pay too much attention to trends, to be honest. But I have noticed that we seem to be moving away from the bad boys, and there are more ‘good guy’ characters out there. Which I love. I don’t mind a bad boy, but some of the ones out there have really straddled the line of being dangerous. Plus, I dated a bad boy in high school, and I learned they aren’t as glamorous as they seem. 😉 I married a good guy and he’s worth a hundred bad boys.
What advice would you give to new writers?
The obvious one, read a lot and write a lot. You’ll write a lot of stuff you don’t like before you start writing stuff you do like, so don’t let the bad stuff stop you. Also, connect with other writers. I heard that advice a lot when I started. Find critique partners! But I’m from a small town and didn’t know how to do that. The answer, as it turned out, was online! Start blogging, tweeting, whatever works for you. There are so many wonderful, supportive writers out there.
If you could have dinner with three characters from any books, which would you choose?
Hmm, this is a tough one! I’d say Zuzanna from the Daughter of Smoke and Bone series by Laini Taylor, because she’s hilarious and awesome. Sierra from the How To series by Cassie Mae, because she’s so sweet and spunky. And Death from The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, because how fascinating would that be?
Quick questions:
What was your favourite childhood toy?
A plastic dog I got when I was three. I actually still own it and my kids play with it now.
What secret talent do you have?
Um . . . I don’t know if this counts as a secret talent, but I ride and show Arabian horses. I’ve won several National Champion and Reserve Champion titles in the US and Canada.
What book are you reading right now?
Right now I’m reading Catch a Falling Star. I’d never heard of it before when I saw it at my kids’ book fair and it sounded good. Plus the books were buy one get one free. 😉 So far it’s super cute. I’m also beta reading a MG fantasy by Jenny Morris that is fantastic. I swear one of the best parts of being a writer is getting to read stuff by your CPs before the rest of the world!
Seventeen-year-old Anya leads a very secluded life in a house on the edge of town with her adopted mother. She doesn’t go to school, but instead has a private tutor. Her over-protective mom keeps her so sheltered that she doesn’t even have a best friend.
But Anya doesn’t seem to mind. She has her books, her photography, and her daydreams, and would do anything to please her mom. Until one day at the library, the only place she’s allowed to go, she takes a picture of a beautiful boy.
Before long she’s lying to her mom, and sneaking out late at night to meet Zander. But Zander wants more than a secret romance. If Anya wants to be with the boy of her dreams, she will have to risk her relationship with the only other person she’s ever cared about.
About Rachel
Rachel grew up in a tiny town in Minnesota. She still lives there, with her husband and their four kids. She coaches high school speech and theater, rides Arabian horses, reads as much as she can, and writes stories.
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Excerpt and giveaway: ‘Elsker’ and ‘Tur’ by S. T. Bende
Posted: May 30, 2014 Filed under: On Books | Tags: new adult, urban fantasy 2 CommentsThe Elsker Saga
by S. T. Bende
The Amazon bestselling New Adult Paranormal Romance series inspired by Norse mythology and featured in USA Today.
What reviewers are saying about The Elsker Saga:
“The characters will leave an imprint on your heart and mind for a long time to come.” — Lisa (Bound by Books)
“Bende takes classic bits of Norse mythology and throws in original elements to create her own tasty Nordic blend… I’ll definitely be checking out the sequel!” — Bookalicious Reviews
“One of my favorite books of the year.” — White Zin Bookends
“Action packed with a heart pounding romance!” — Curse of the Bibliophile
“This book was nearly impossible to put down and I’m dying for the sequel!” — Brittany and Bianca Blab Books (now BiblioBelles)
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You don’t win the heart of an immortal assassin without making a few enemies along the way. Kristia Tostenson prefers Earl Grey to Grey Goose and book clubs to nightclubs, but when she transfers from her one-stoplight town to Cardiff University in Wales she falls in love with Ull Myhr. Her new boyfriend isn’t exactly what she was expecting. He’s an honest to goodness Norse God – an immortal assassin fated to die at Ragnarok, the battle destined to destroy Asgard and Earth. Kristia’s crazy visions are the only thing that can save their realms.
Her orderly life just got very messy.
Inga Andersson is the envy of every girl in Asgard. On the surface she has it all — great friends, a job as Odin’s personal fight choreographer, and a happy ever after with her realm’s hottest assassin. But when evil invades Asgard, her perfect world comes crashing down. Someone is planning to kill off the gods, and Inga’s best friend Ull is first on their list. With the Norse apocalypse a nanosecond away, Inga has to decide how she’ll spend her final moments of freedom. Because from the moment this battle begins, Inga’s happily ever after will be nothing more than a memory.
Some things are worth fighting for.
Excerpt
“Are you sure you will be all right on the stairs?” Ull stood in the grand hall of Cardiff Castle, glancing at the four-inch, shiny death-traps Victoria called shoes. Since Ull’s eyes practically bugged out of his face when he picked me up, I had no intention of changing into the emergency flats I’d stuck in my purse. Victoria had scored another hit.
“Probably not. Walk behind me in case I fall?”
“It would be my pleasure.”
“On our right, the coats of arms,” continued the tour guide. He’d been talking for a good five minutes and I couldn’t remember a single word. That was because Ull had started stroking the small of my back when our tour began, and it took all my concentration just to stay upright.
“The castle is gorgeous.” I admired the stonework as we made our way toward the stairs. There I shifted focus to my feet, staring at each step until I’d reached the top. “Made it.”
“And I was so hoping I would get to catch you.” Ull came up next to me and skimmed my hand with the pads of his fingers.
“Well, the night is young and these shoes are high. You may still get your chance.”
“Tease.” Ull kissed my palm.
“Um.” I swayed on the heels and he chuckled.
“Come, Miss Tostenson. We are losing the group.”
“Right.”
We walked the long corridor framed with paintings. All of the history in these walls was kind of overwhelming. The castle was two thousand years old. The oldest thing we had back in Nehalem was probably the Homestead. Cardiff Castle had about eighteen hundred years on that farm.
“This place is huge,” I whispered when we’d caught up to the tour. “I can’t imagine living here. How could you ever get comfortable?”
“You get used to it,” Ull shrugged. “Find little corners to make your own.”
“How on earth could anyone get used to all of this?”
“When you are stuck in it every day it gets old. Trust me.”
“Right.” Like Ull was an authority on royal dwellings. “Living in a castle sounds sooo terrible.”
“Depends on the day.”
“What does that mean?”
“Just that these walls did more than keep people out — they kept people in, too.”
I thought about my vision from Friday night — of Ull and me in a meadow by a castle. Huh.
“Where did you say your family lived, exactly?” I probed.
But Ull bristled. I’d hit a nerve. “Come Kristia, we have lost our group again.” He gently pulled me down the hall.
“You may have noticed the Animal Wall in front of the Castle. Though William Burges designed the Wall in 1866, it was not constructed until 1890 — nine years after Burges’s death.” The guide lifted an eyebrow as we caught up. “Please do try to stay with the tour,” he admonished before turning down another corridor. The rest of the group followed closely.
“Sorry.” I ducked my head.
Ull raised a corner of his mouth in a smile. “Why, Kristia, you are blushing.”
“And?” I lifted my chin, and took a step back so I stood against the wall.
“It is sweet.” Ull paused and lifted a finger to my cheek. My knees buckled and he grabbed my arm to steady me. The touch sent shockwaves straight to my head, leaving me with the unnerving sensation of being underwater. I lost my bearings again and Ull wrapped both hands around my waist to stop my fall.
“Sorry,” I mouthed. “Must be the shoes.” I couldn’t stop staring at his eyes. They almost looked nervous.
“Must be.” He ran his finger along my jaw, stopping to grasp my chin between his thumb and forefinger. His eyes focused on my mouth and my heartbeat accelerated. He ran his thumb lightly over my lips. They parted under his touch. A wave of heat shot from my lower lip straight to my abdomen, creating a slow burn that wasn’t altogether uncomfortable. I watched as his eyes slowly moved down then back up, lingering at the neckline of my dress. Victoria had been right about the push-up bra.
“Must be,” I repeated.
Ull drew his eyes away from my cleavage and took a step closer. He leaned one forearm against the wall, leaving me enveloped between the cold stone and his warm chest. I was suddenly very dizzy.
“Kristia,” he spoke in a whisper.
“Yes?” I whispered back. Ull was looking at me with an intensity I wasn’t prepared for. He stepped in, closing the last inch between us.
“Look at me.” He spoke again, lifting my chin so my lips were tilted towards his. If his body hadn’t been pressed against mine, I would have collapsed in a heap that instant. Instead, I took a shaky breath as Ull dropped his head. He ran his nose along my jaw line, pausing when he reached my ear. He breathed in, the cool air sending a shiver down my neck. With painstaking slowness he drew his nose across my cheek until our lips were almost touching. Now when I looked into his eyes I saw something entirely different. He was strong. Confident. And very much in control.
I let out a small sigh and immediately he covered my mouth with his. It wasn’t a gentle kiss — it was commanding, almost forceful. I melted against him as he claimed my lips, moved down my jaw to consume my neck. My insides throbbed. In that moment, I would have done absolutely anything he asked me to.
“Kristia,” he whispered again.
“Mmm.” It was the best I could muster by way of response.
“I think we need to stop.”
In God’s name, why?
“Will you be joining the rest of my tour, or shall I leave the two of you here?” The guide stood at the end of the corridor, literally tapping his foot. Oops.
Ull placed his hands around my waist to right me. I smoothed my hair and straightened my dress, my cheeks burning the whole time.
“Great timing,” I muttered. Just when things were getting good.
“Do not worry Kristia.” Ull winked. “We have all the time in the world.”
I sure hoped so.
Giveaway
Enter to win a $10 Amazon giftcard here!
Trailer
About the Author
Before finding domestic bliss in suburbia, ST Bende lived in Manhattan Beach (became overly fond of Peet’s Coffee) and Europe… where she became overly fond of the musical Cats. Her love of Scandinavian culture and a very patient Norwegian teacher inspired the ELSKER series. She hopes her characters make you smile and that one day pastries will be considered a health food.
Blog – ST Bende on Twitter – Ull Myhr on Twitter – Facebook – GoodReads
To feature or review Elsker, contact ST at stbende@gmail.com . Thank you for your consideration!!
Excerpt and giveaway: ‘Blood Oath’ by Samantha Coville
Posted: May 29, 2014 Filed under: On Books | Tags: urban fantasy, young adult Leave a comment
Blood Oath (The Secret of the Halflings #1)
by Samantha Coville
Release Date: 04/29/14
Raya Sarian has always known she was different. The water calls to her in a way that isn’t human. She has seen things that would scar anyone for life. And her father has been non existent in her childhood.
Because he is a Siren.
A blood drinker.
A monster.
And now she must live with him in a world populated with enemies and dangerous friends. Can she survive the year?
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Giveaway
Enter to win a $20 Amazon giftcard here!
Excerpt
It had seemed like a great idea eleven years ago, but, now, with Elder Eden staring him down like he was a disobedient child, Christopher Sarian feared that maybe it wasn’t as brilliant as he had originally thought. Her aqua eyes bore into his and he shifted in his seat, uncomfortable with the situation he had put himself in.
Her voice was silky smooth and strong, even in her old age. It also had a slight hiss to it when she was angered. That hiss seeped through in her words to Christopher. “No one will accept her here; her kind is not welcome by others. You can try to win my approval all you want, but the others will make her miserable. Is that really the best for the child?”
“She will be seventeen, you know.” In comparison to the Elder’s, his voice was small and quiet.
“I do know, Christopher, and I know that her presence would bring unrest to our already shaky colony.” Her wrinkled and dainty hands rested softly on the large oak table that was usually occupied by the Elders of the area. Now it was just her and him and the uneasy air between them.
He cleared his throat a little. He was usually so sure of himself and his power over everyone, but now he was reminded that the Elders would always be the ones in charge no matter who had the crown. But that had its upsides; they were a great source of advice and information. They hadn’t failed him yet. “I haven’t seen her for eleven years, Eden. She’ll be an adult soon and she’ll leave me behind forever. I want to see her, and claim her as my daughter, for one last time before then.”
Eden sighed and took a seat in her usual high back chair. She rubbed her temples in slow circles and then lifted her eyes to the man she had watched grow over the years. When Christopher had been crowned, she had kept a business relationship between them, calling him by his title and expecting the same back. But they were far more than that, they were family though not by blood. “Fine. You are my Lord after all. But if anything goes awry during her time here,” she threatened.
“Everything will go perfectly, I promise.”
She pointed a firm finger at him accusingly, but a faint smile crossed her full lips. “We’ll see about that, young man!”
About the Author
Samantha Coville is an editor and literary critic at her website, Sammy the Bookworm. She’s been writing short stories for six years and has appeared in magazines, both in print and online. When she’s not doing something book related, she is singing in her church choir or enjoying one of the theme parks in her home state of Florida.
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Top Ten Tuesday: Places to Read
Posted: May 27, 2014 Filed under: On Books | Tags: top ten tuesday 13 Comments
Today’s Top Ten Tuesday is a “pick your own topic” week. Since I haven’t been doing the meme very long, I just browsed the list of past topics and chose one that took my fancy: top ten places to read.
One: the couch, with my son. Tonight after dinner, my son (who is too young to read his own books) was curled up on the couch watching TV, leaning against me while I read a few chapters of my current read: Wicked After Midnight by Delilah S. Dawson. I’m looking forward to the day when he can read a book instead and we can turn the TV off!
Two: bed. I do most of my reading here. I’m a single girl with a queen sized bed, so believe me when I say there is some epic sprawling that happens. I stayed up half the night reading Forget Me Not by Stacey Nash and, more recently, Unclean Spirits by Chuck Wendig.
Three: our courtyard. Regular readers of my blog will know I bought a new townhouse last year. It doesn’t have the gorgeous sun-drenched balcony my old house did, but the little courtyard has the same comfy outdoor furniture, and is surrounded by leafy trees. Last summer, reading until the summer light faded from the sky, I devoured a few books there: City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare and Running Home by Julie Hutchings.
Four: the bath. This is a dangerous choice, and you need to be prepared. I keep a dry facewasher on the edge so I can dry my fingers before turning the pages. And the first time I dropped a book in the bath I cried — I’ve never been brave enough to risk it with the Kindle. But I used to read heaps of books in the bath. I do it less often these days (since my bath is mostly the purview of kids toys) but I did finish Wicked As She Wants by (again) Delilah S. Dawson in the bath late last year. 🙂
Five: the dining table. It’s not ideal, I grant you, but if I’m eating lunch and want to read a bit over food (which I do a lot), this is the best place to do it. Remember how I said Lauren McKellar broke my heart into pieces when I read The Problem With Crazy? That’s where the tragedy happened. On the bright side, I was close to a dustpan and brush so I could sweep up the shards!
Six: public transport. When I went to university I used to have an hour of bus commutes each way. That time was my time; I didn’t study on the bus, I read novels. These days I have to drive so I can drop the child off at daycare or preschool, but when he’s older I’ll catch the bus to work to save on parking. (Most memorable bus read? Arrows of the Queen by Mercedes Lackey. There’s a grim story to that, though — maybe one for another time.)
Seven through ten: anywhere else. Anywhere I have to wait, especially for appointments. Pretty much anywhere is far game except driving my car or having a shower. I’m an expert at reading while walking, and I don’t even bump into or trip over things. Which is ironic, really, because I bump into or trip over things when I’m not reading.
Maybe there’s something to that…
What’s your favourite place to read?
‘One Lucky Night’ excerpt and giveaway
Posted: May 26, 2014 Filed under: On Books | Tags: anthology, romance, self-publishing 4 Comments
One night can change everything…
The crew at Boston’s Brazen Head Pub hasn’t been very lucky in love. Can a mysterious visitor inspire them to look past old hurts and misconceptions and give romance a chance? One Lucky Night is a collection of five sexy interwoven novelettes by Aria Kane, Grace Teague, Ana Blaze, Constance Phillips and Melinda Dozier.
Lucky Break by Aria Kane
Four years ago, chef Derek Chase walked out of Andrea Rivera’s life after a tragedy neither of them were prepared to deal with. When she’s called to the Brazen Head to repair a dishwasher, old sparks ignite buried feelings.
Lucky Star by Grace Teague
When her life is threatened by a mugger, Charlotte Price realizes she’s in love with her best friend, Tommy Leung. The Brazen Head seems like the perfect neutral place to confess her feelings, but nothing goes according to plan.
A New Tune by Ana Blaze
When it comes to dating, Holly Hall has one unbreakable rule: no musicians. Not even gorgeous ones. Especially not gorgeous ones. Dating them only leads to heartbreak. So why did she let singer-songwriter Cian O’Neill kiss her? And why is she thinking about doing it again?
Lexi’s Chance by Constance Phillips
As a bartender, Sean Whalen meets all kinds of women every night, but none turn his head the way that Lexi has. She’s been playing cat and mouse with him for weeks. Tonight, Sean’s determined to get Lexi to quit teasing and take a real chance on him.
Drink or Dare by Melinda Dozier
A bachelorette party Drink or Dare game pairs paramedic students, Rachel Robertson and Killian Whelan, in a flirting match. Soon, the dares threaten to turn their academic rivalry into something much more.
Now available from:
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Excerpt
“Lexi’s Chance” by Constance Phillips from One Lucky Night
How many hours had she wasted on this bar stool laughing at Sean’s jokes and doing her best to flirt back with someone who’d mastered the art? She’d spent way too much time looking for a sign of sincerity in the compliments he paid her and wishing on some abstract four leaf clover he’d suddenly become the kind of guy who’d be happy with just one lady.
Was she just pretty enough to flirt with, but not over-the-top hot, unlike the nearly six-foot red-head with willowy legs and ample breasts he poured drinks for now? Why was that woman at The Brazen Head instead of walking a fashion runway in New York?
She used her shoulder to tap Julie. “What is it about her?”
“Who?”
“The woman Sean can’t take his eyes off of.”
Only his gaze wasn’t as locked as she believed. As if he could feel her stare on him, he turned and caught her. One wink from him and her heart turned into a gooey mess.
She pivoted away, hoping he didn’t catch the blush that warmed her cheeks. “How does he do
that to me? I’m not fifteen anymore.”
Julie snickered. “I think the bigger question is why do you keep resisting him? He is so gorgeous!”
“And he knows it!” Lexi shifted her weight on the stool. “I’m an intelligent woman. I should be able to see through all that flirting.”
“If you want to leave—”
“No!” She could no longer imagine herself anywhere else on a Friday night. Especially tonight, this is where she wanted to be. Three years had passed since her choices had inflicted life-altering pain on her sister. Going home and facing Alissa and the past hovered low on her to-do list. It took all the strength she could muster to deal with the not-so-distant past repeating itself with Billy.
“We’ve already ordered our food.” Lexi reached for her wine glass, hoping to drown the regrets.
“We can have it boxed up to go.”
Julie pushed her buttons on purpose. She’d been advising Lexi to take the lead and speak her heart for weeks now.
Book launch giveaway
The authors are giving away two Amazon giftcards!
About the Authors
Aria Kane is a recovering mechanical engineer and romance writer. As a military brat, she grew up all over the country, but now lives in sunny Florida with a 60 lb mutt who thinks he’s a chihuahua.
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Grace Teague lives in Pittsburgh with her spouse, children and a cat named Mr. Sushi.
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Ana Blaze lives near Washington DC with her charming husband and three cats who firmly believe they are royalty. Ana is a member of Romance Writers of America.
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Constance Phillips lives in Ohio with her husband, two ready-to-leave-the-nest children, and four canine kids. Her perfect fantasy vacation would involve hunting Dracula across Europe with her daughter, who also digs that kind of stuff.
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Melinda Dozier teaches English to middle schoolers by day and writes at night. She lives in Guatemala, Central America with her college sweetheart and three sons.
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Interview: Tamara Mataya, new adult author
Posted: May 25, 2014 Filed under: On Books | Tags: Interview, new adult, romance 2 CommentsToday I’m interviewing Tamara Mataya, whose new adult contemporary, Just Breathe, came out on 6 May. This one is totally on my TBR, you guys!
Elle, the main character in Just Breathe, has synaesthesia, a condition you have direct experience with. What can you tell us about it?
It’s not as rare as people think, and there are MANY types. Basically, it just means there are extra connections in my brain between different senses. Most people know about the synesthetes who taste sound, or “see” the music. Mine’s tactile/audio. The exact same as Elle’s, but to a way lesser degree. It can be a challenge, but when I love a song, I REALLY love a song!
What is your favourite thing about Elle, Dominic and Jason?
That they’re real, and make mistakes, and aren’t perfect. A reviewer expressed disappointment in Elle making a bad choice near the end of the book. Of course she does! She’s 21-years-old! She’s going to make crappy choices, react emotionally, be impulsive! It’s part of that age. Hell, it’s part of being human. Things happen, and people aren’t perfect. Jason’s a douche, but not necessarily an evil guy. He’s just incredibly self-centred. Dominic is delightful. I love how considerate he is.
What draws you to writing new adult books? Does the category have its own section in your library yet?
I’ve always written NA – or rather what I think NA is. My New Adult isn’t as… angsty as some that’s out there. Sure there’s conflict and angst, but so many in the category are so dark and depressing. Mine tend to be a little more fun (I hope!). I think it’s just such a fun age to play around in. My library doesn’t have its own NA section, but we’re still in a temporary Sprung Structure because of last year’s flash flood. Our collection is only about 1/3–1/4 of what it was. 😦
Can you tell us about your next project?
My next book comes out in December, and is loosely based on my experiences during the flash flood last year. Though I never had sex on a pool table with a dirty talking firefighter. But all the stories in the book actually happened to people in my town. They’re awful, and real, and people are still recovering 11 months later. The book is called, Taken By Storm.
You’re a co-creator of the PitchMas contest. What inspired you to start a pitching contest? Given how time-consuming they are to run, are there ever moments when you want to throw in the towel?
Jessa Russo came to me and said, ‘I want to do a pitch contest, and I want to do it with you!’ So that was how it started. At the time, neither of us had agents ourselves, so we were sort of paying it forwards, but in reverse. Contests are INSANE to run, and take up a surprising amount of time, but they’re so rewarding. Knowing we’ve played a small part in helping someone’s dream come to fruition is AMAZING. Its ultimately up to the writers, but we’re a sort of bridge. They’re a lot of work, but worth it.
What new releases are you looking forward to?
Burned by Karen Marie Moning, and Shaman Rises by CE Murphy
If you could go back in time and give yourself one piece of advance, what would it be?
Ooo this is tough. There are so many things I’d love to warn myself about, but I feel like by getting my past self NOT to do them, I’d be robbing myself of great life lessons, and hard-won wisdom. Change enough of my past and I might be unrecognizable today. BUT if I could, I’d stay in piano lessons when I was 9 years old, and NOT go on that ski trip when I was 16 – I had an accident and twisted my knee and tore all the ligaments and tendons in my hips. Oh, and not hauling those 50 pound bottles of water that month when I was 26 – that screwed up my wrists and I had to stop playing guitar for years because of the damage. NOT getting those injuries would be excellent.
Choose one! Coffee or tea? Spike or Angel? Sweet or savoury?
-Tea! (I’ve been drinking it since I was three, and my mum is British).
-SPIKE. ALL THE SPIKE! Obv. Is it weird that I thought Angel was cuter when he was full on ripply browed vampire?
-Savoury. Or sweet. But not together. I haven’t yet hopped on the salted caramel bandwagon, but maybe only because I haven’t tried it.
About Tamara
Tamara Mataya is currently a librarian; she lurked there for so long recommending books to patrons and shushing people, that she suspects they only hired her so it would be less creepy. Now she’s armed with a name tag, and a thin veneer of credibility. She’s also a musician with synaesthesia – which isn’t an issue until someone plays a wrong note, which makes her want to squirm inside out. It makes for a good live show. Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Blog
Cassandra Page 