Taylor Fenner's Blog, page 171
April 20, 2016
"What I'm Reading" Wednesday #19
This "WIR"-Wednesday I'm rereading one of my favourite Jay Crownover books...
Nash by Jay Crownover
Blurb
Saint Ford has worked hard to achieve her childhood dream of becoming of nurse. Focused on her work and devoted to her patients, there’s no room for love. She doesn’t need a guy making waves in her calm, serene life—especially when he’s the unforgettable hottie who nearly destroyed her in high school. Dark, brooding Nash Donovan might not remember her or the terrible pain he caused. But he turned her world upside down . . . and now he’s trying to do it again.
Saint has no idea that Nash isn’t the cocky player he once was. Uncovering a devastating family secret has rocked his world, and now he’s struggling to figure out his future. He can’t be distracted by the pretty nurse he seems to meet everywhere. Still, he can’t ignore the sparks that fly between them—or how she seems so desperate to get away from him. But the funny, sweet, and drop-dead gorgeous Saint is far too amazing to give up on—especially since she’s the only thing in his life that seems to make sense.
When Nash discovers the truth about their past, he realizes he may have lost her heart before he could even fight for it. Now, Saint has to decide: is Nash worth risking herself for all over again?
Why I Chose This Book / What I Think Of This Book: I love this book. This was the first book I read by Jay Crownover and I fell instantly in love. Nash and Saint's story is so relatable on so many levels. I love all the Marked Men by Nash will forever be my favourite.
A read another amazing book since last week...
Grace (The Revelations Series #1) by Leanne Rathbone
Blurb:
Good and Evil...two absolutes that every person is taught about from a young age but what if the lines between the two suddenly blurred, what if everything you believed you knew changed in the blink of an eye? These are the dilemmas that 17-year-old Grace Ayre suddenly finds herself facing. One fateful night a brutal attack leaves her best friend dead and her life changes in an instant. She's moved away from the life she had always known and thrown into the life of a loner in a remote village in the north of England. An unnerving trip through a darkened cemetery sparks a series of events that make Grace question everything she knows about the world and more importantly, everything she knows about herself. With her life in imminent danger will she discover enough about herself to change her future and will the elusive and mysterious Nate help or hinder her process? Grace is a story of love, loss, friendship and discovering how one's fate can shape existence and how the lust for power can destroy it all.
What I Thought of This Book / My Rating: I met Leanne through a Facebook author/book promo group and I was interested in reading her debut novel ever since I read the blurb. I was lucky enough to win a free eBook copy when she did an author takeover on an event last week. My review:
This book was amazing. It's hard to believe it's the author's first published novel because it is beautifully written. You instantly like Grace and Mia made for a perfect friend for her. Dan brings the phrase "looks can be deceiving" to mind and Nate - Nate was perfect in every way. The story line keeps your attention and you want to know the real reason Grace and her mom left London. Then you're dying to know what the secret is that Nate is keeping from Grace.
This book vaguely reminded me of Lauren Kate's Fallen series and Wendy Higgins's Sweet Series. I can't wait to see what's to come in book two. This book was a very promising start!My Rating: 5 of 5 Stars!
Nash by Jay Crownover
Blurb
Saint Ford has worked hard to achieve her childhood dream of becoming of nurse. Focused on her work and devoted to her patients, there’s no room for love. She doesn’t need a guy making waves in her calm, serene life—especially when he’s the unforgettable hottie who nearly destroyed her in high school. Dark, brooding Nash Donovan might not remember her or the terrible pain he caused. But he turned her world upside down . . . and now he’s trying to do it again.
Saint has no idea that Nash isn’t the cocky player he once was. Uncovering a devastating family secret has rocked his world, and now he’s struggling to figure out his future. He can’t be distracted by the pretty nurse he seems to meet everywhere. Still, he can’t ignore the sparks that fly between them—or how she seems so desperate to get away from him. But the funny, sweet, and drop-dead gorgeous Saint is far too amazing to give up on—especially since she’s the only thing in his life that seems to make sense.
When Nash discovers the truth about their past, he realizes he may have lost her heart before he could even fight for it. Now, Saint has to decide: is Nash worth risking herself for all over again?
Why I Chose This Book / What I Think Of This Book: I love this book. This was the first book I read by Jay Crownover and I fell instantly in love. Nash and Saint's story is so relatable on so many levels. I love all the Marked Men by Nash will forever be my favourite.
A read another amazing book since last week...
Grace (The Revelations Series #1) by Leanne Rathbone
Blurb:
Good and Evil...two absolutes that every person is taught about from a young age but what if the lines between the two suddenly blurred, what if everything you believed you knew changed in the blink of an eye? These are the dilemmas that 17-year-old Grace Ayre suddenly finds herself facing. One fateful night a brutal attack leaves her best friend dead and her life changes in an instant. She's moved away from the life she had always known and thrown into the life of a loner in a remote village in the north of England. An unnerving trip through a darkened cemetery sparks a series of events that make Grace question everything she knows about the world and more importantly, everything she knows about herself. With her life in imminent danger will she discover enough about herself to change her future and will the elusive and mysterious Nate help or hinder her process? Grace is a story of love, loss, friendship and discovering how one's fate can shape existence and how the lust for power can destroy it all.What I Thought of This Book / My Rating: I met Leanne through a Facebook author/book promo group and I was interested in reading her debut novel ever since I read the blurb. I was lucky enough to win a free eBook copy when she did an author takeover on an event last week. My review:
This book was amazing. It's hard to believe it's the author's first published novel because it is beautifully written. You instantly like Grace and Mia made for a perfect friend for her. Dan brings the phrase "looks can be deceiving" to mind and Nate - Nate was perfect in every way. The story line keeps your attention and you want to know the real reason Grace and her mom left London. Then you're dying to know what the secret is that Nate is keeping from Grace.
This book vaguely reminded me of Lauren Kate's Fallen series and Wendy Higgins's Sweet Series. I can't wait to see what's to come in book two. This book was a very promising start!My Rating: 5 of 5 Stars!
April 17, 2016
Book Review: HOW TO DATE DEAD GUYS by Ann M. Noser
On my last "What I'm Reading" Wednesday post I featured a book I was reading in order to write a review. I've finished the book now and I highly recommend it, you're going to love it! Here's a refresher on the blurb and my review straight off of Amazon...
How To Date Dead Guys by Ann M. Noser
Blurb:
College sophomore Emma Roberts remembers her mother’s sage advice: “don’t sleep around, don’t burp in public, and don’t tell anyone you see ghosts”. But when charming Mike Carlson drowns in the campus river under her watch, Emma’s sheltered life shatters.
Blamed for Mike’s death and haunted by nightmares, Emma turns to witchcraft and a mysterious Book of Shadows to bring him back. Under a Blood Moon, she lights candles, draws a pentacle on the campus bridge, and casts a spell. The invoked river rages up against her, but she escapes its fury. As she stumbles back to the dorm, a stranger drags himself from the water and follows her home. And he isn't the only one.
Instead of raising Mike, Emma assists the others she stole back from the dead—a pre-med student who jumped off the bridge, a desperate victim determined to solve his own murder, and a frat boy Emma can’t stand… at first.
More comfortable with the dead than the living, Emma delves deeper into the seductive Book of Shadows. Her powers grow, but witchcraft may not be enough to protect her against the vengeful river and the killers that feed it their victims.
Inspired by the controversial Smiley Face Murders, HOW TO DATE DEAD GUYS will ignite the secret powers hidden deep within each of us.
My Review: I received this book free in exchange for an honest review.
UW-Eau Claire student, Emma Roberts, is kind of a geek. Her only friend on campus is her roommate Chrissy. One night Chrissy drags Emma to a party off campus to see the guy Chrissy has been crushing on, Kevin. When they get to the party Emma finds herself instantly attracted to Kevin's younger brother, Mike.
After that night, Emma bumps into Mike a few times around campus but can't stop being tongue-tied around him. Chrissy's witchcraft practicing sister, Angie comes to visit and they perform a love spell to make Kevin fall for Chrissy.
They instantly become inseparable and Emma once again gets dragged to Kevin and Mike's place, this time for Mike's 21st birthday. Unfortunately, Mike gets extremely drunk and decides he and Emma should go swimming in the Chippewa River in the middle of the night. Only Emma makes it out of the river alive. Reviewers note: this sadly actually isn't uncommon here in Wisconsin. A lot of 21-year-olds on their birthday go missing only to be dragged from a lake or river a few days or months later.
Distraught and feeling like it's her fault Mike died Emma finds Angie's Book of Shadows under her bed and decides to try raise him from the dead. More powerful than she realizes she instead raises geeky Sam, then annoying but attractive Jake, and later Bernard, Steve, and Mike himself. Emma is the only one that can see their true selves, to everyone else they all look like the boy they're masquerading in. What do the other four want? And will she be able to help them, keep up with school, and help her new friend Abby?
I really, really loved this book. I probably would have picked this book up even if I hadn't been given a copy to review it. I also really liked that it was set in my home state, Wisconsin. Emma transitions throughout the book, gaining confidence and becoming more outgoing and I loved her as a character. Jake is my favorite of the guys that come from the river. And Officer Charlie Walker is better toward the end. I wonder if the author plans to put Emma and Officer Walker together in the sequel, or might Jake come back? I didn't want to put this book down. I was so wrapped up in the story I didn't stop until I reached the final page and saw it was past two in the morning.
This book easily is one of the best books I've read so far this year! I can't wait to see what's in store for Emma in book 2. If I could rate this book higher than 5 stars I definitely would!My Rating: 5 of 5 Stars!
Dying to read this book? You can find it here: Amazon Barnes and Noble (Paperback) Goodreads
How To Date Dead Guys by Ann M. Noser
Blurb:
College sophomore Emma Roberts remembers her mother’s sage advice: “don’t sleep around, don’t burp in public, and don’t tell anyone you see ghosts”. But when charming Mike Carlson drowns in the campus river under her watch, Emma’s sheltered life shatters. Blamed for Mike’s death and haunted by nightmares, Emma turns to witchcraft and a mysterious Book of Shadows to bring him back. Under a Blood Moon, she lights candles, draws a pentacle on the campus bridge, and casts a spell. The invoked river rages up against her, but she escapes its fury. As she stumbles back to the dorm, a stranger drags himself from the water and follows her home. And he isn't the only one.
Instead of raising Mike, Emma assists the others she stole back from the dead—a pre-med student who jumped off the bridge, a desperate victim determined to solve his own murder, and a frat boy Emma can’t stand… at first.
More comfortable with the dead than the living, Emma delves deeper into the seductive Book of Shadows. Her powers grow, but witchcraft may not be enough to protect her against the vengeful river and the killers that feed it their victims.
Inspired by the controversial Smiley Face Murders, HOW TO DATE DEAD GUYS will ignite the secret powers hidden deep within each of us.
My Review: I received this book free in exchange for an honest review.
UW-Eau Claire student, Emma Roberts, is kind of a geek. Her only friend on campus is her roommate Chrissy. One night Chrissy drags Emma to a party off campus to see the guy Chrissy has been crushing on, Kevin. When they get to the party Emma finds herself instantly attracted to Kevin's younger brother, Mike.
After that night, Emma bumps into Mike a few times around campus but can't stop being tongue-tied around him. Chrissy's witchcraft practicing sister, Angie comes to visit and they perform a love spell to make Kevin fall for Chrissy.
They instantly become inseparable and Emma once again gets dragged to Kevin and Mike's place, this time for Mike's 21st birthday. Unfortunately, Mike gets extremely drunk and decides he and Emma should go swimming in the Chippewa River in the middle of the night. Only Emma makes it out of the river alive. Reviewers note: this sadly actually isn't uncommon here in Wisconsin. A lot of 21-year-olds on their birthday go missing only to be dragged from a lake or river a few days or months later.
Distraught and feeling like it's her fault Mike died Emma finds Angie's Book of Shadows under her bed and decides to try raise him from the dead. More powerful than she realizes she instead raises geeky Sam, then annoying but attractive Jake, and later Bernard, Steve, and Mike himself. Emma is the only one that can see their true selves, to everyone else they all look like the boy they're masquerading in. What do the other four want? And will she be able to help them, keep up with school, and help her new friend Abby?
I really, really loved this book. I probably would have picked this book up even if I hadn't been given a copy to review it. I also really liked that it was set in my home state, Wisconsin. Emma transitions throughout the book, gaining confidence and becoming more outgoing and I loved her as a character. Jake is my favorite of the guys that come from the river. And Officer Charlie Walker is better toward the end. I wonder if the author plans to put Emma and Officer Walker together in the sequel, or might Jake come back? I didn't want to put this book down. I was so wrapped up in the story I didn't stop until I reached the final page and saw it was past two in the morning.
This book easily is one of the best books I've read so far this year! I can't wait to see what's in store for Emma in book 2. If I could rate this book higher than 5 stars I definitely would!My Rating: 5 of 5 Stars!
Dying to read this book? You can find it here: Amazon Barnes and Noble (Paperback) Goodreads
April 15, 2016
Out of Darkness Playlist, Recipe, & Something You Should Know
Out of Darkness has been available in all formats for about a week and a half now. It's doing wonderfully and I thank each and every person who has checked out and picked up copies of Out of Darkness. As always, I hope you are enjoying my book and if you have any questions or comments you are more than welcome to share them in the comments.
This week I decided I would share with my readers the playlist that inspired me while writing Out of Darkness and a recipe based on something Lizette and her family like to eat. On another note, I'm also going to share with you something I think you should know.
Out of Darkness Playlist
Overall Theme:“Heaven Knows” The Pretty Reckless“Freak like Me” Halestorm“Them”:“Wicked Ones” DOROTHY The House that Lizette lives in: “The House That Built Me” Miranda Lambert“House on a Hill” The Pretty Reckless
Thierry’s fight with Luke at The Miner’s Castle:“My Songs Know What You Did In the Dark” Fall Out Boy
New Orleans / Crescent City Voodoo:“House of the Rising Sun” The Animals
The Halloween Battle against Bryan:“The Hammer’s Coming Down” Nickelback
Out of Darkness Inspired Recipe: Chocolate Filled Beignets
You Will Need: -1 Can Pillsbury Pizza Dough-8 Mini Chocolate Candy Bars (Such as Hersheys)-Oil for frying-Powdered Sugar
Directions: 1. Roll the pizza dough out on a cookie sheet lined in parchment (wax) paper, just enough that it's rectangular. Don't worry about rolling it thinner. 2. Using a pizza cutter cut the dough lengthwise in four strips, then cut the dough widthwise in half. You should now have eight smaller strips. 3. On one half of the strip, leaving about a 1/2 inch of space at the end, place one piece of chocolate on each strip. 4. Fold the other half of the dough over the side with the chocolate and press around the edges to seal the chocolate inside. 5. Heat the oil on medium-high heat. Once the oil is heated and a small test ball of dough turns golden brown, add the beignets in batches. I'd start with 2 or 3 at a time. 6. Fry the beignets on one side 3-4 minutes or until the side begins to turn golden brown. Carefully flip the beignets using a skimmer, tongs, or spatula and fry on the other side.7. Remove beignets from oil and transfer to a plate covered in paper towels to drain excess oil. Immediately sprinkle generously with powdered sugar. With beignets there is no such thing as too much sugar!8. Once all beignets are fried dig in and enjoy!
and here's... Something You Should Know: Have you noticed all the signed books I've been posting pictures of (like the ones below) and wondering where I got them?
Most are from Good Choice Reading's Apollycon 2016 Virtual Signing and now they're holding another virtual signing for Sarah J. Maas's upcoming release "A Court of Mist and Fury!" I just ordered my copy and you can do the same here: http://www.goodchoice reading.com/2016/04/a-court-of-mist-fury-by-sarah-j-maas.html
I've ordered from this company before and I have had a wonderful experience with them. The books arrive quickly and you get a tracking number to keep track of their arrival. This signing is open to the US and International!
This week I decided I would share with my readers the playlist that inspired me while writing Out of Darkness and a recipe based on something Lizette and her family like to eat. On another note, I'm also going to share with you something I think you should know.
Out of Darkness Playlist
Overall Theme:“Heaven Knows” The Pretty Reckless“Freak like Me” Halestorm“Them”:“Wicked Ones” DOROTHY The House that Lizette lives in: “The House That Built Me” Miranda Lambert“House on a Hill” The Pretty RecklessThierry’s fight with Luke at The Miner’s Castle:“My Songs Know What You Did In the Dark” Fall Out Boy
New Orleans / Crescent City Voodoo:“House of the Rising Sun” The Animals
The Halloween Battle against Bryan:“The Hammer’s Coming Down” Nickelback
Out of Darkness Inspired Recipe: Chocolate Filled Beignets
You Will Need: -1 Can Pillsbury Pizza Dough-8 Mini Chocolate Candy Bars (Such as Hersheys)-Oil for frying-Powdered Sugar
Directions: 1. Roll the pizza dough out on a cookie sheet lined in parchment (wax) paper, just enough that it's rectangular. Don't worry about rolling it thinner. 2. Using a pizza cutter cut the dough lengthwise in four strips, then cut the dough widthwise in half. You should now have eight smaller strips. 3. On one half of the strip, leaving about a 1/2 inch of space at the end, place one piece of chocolate on each strip. 4. Fold the other half of the dough over the side with the chocolate and press around the edges to seal the chocolate inside. 5. Heat the oil on medium-high heat. Once the oil is heated and a small test ball of dough turns golden brown, add the beignets in batches. I'd start with 2 or 3 at a time. 6. Fry the beignets on one side 3-4 minutes or until the side begins to turn golden brown. Carefully flip the beignets using a skimmer, tongs, or spatula and fry on the other side.7. Remove beignets from oil and transfer to a plate covered in paper towels to drain excess oil. Immediately sprinkle generously with powdered sugar. With beignets there is no such thing as too much sugar!8. Once all beignets are fried dig in and enjoy!
and here's... Something You Should Know: Have you noticed all the signed books I've been posting pictures of (like the ones below) and wondering where I got them?
Most are from Good Choice Reading's Apollycon 2016 Virtual Signing and now they're holding another virtual signing for Sarah J. Maas's upcoming release "A Court of Mist and Fury!" I just ordered my copy and you can do the same here: http://www.goodchoice reading.com/2016/04/a-court-of-mist-fury-by-sarah-j-maas.html
I've ordered from this company before and I have had a wonderful experience with them. The books arrive quickly and you get a tracking number to keep track of their arrival. This signing is open to the US and International!
April 13, 2016
"What I'm Reading" Wednesday #18
This "WIR"-Wednesday I'm reading an awesome book I received in order to write an honest review. I'm reading...
How to Date Dead Guys (The Witch's Handbook #1) by Ann M. Noser
Blurb:
College sophomore Emma Roberts remembers her mother’s sage advice: “don’t sleep around, don’t burp in public, and don’t tell anyone you see ghosts”. But when charming Mike Carlson drowns in the campus river under her watch, Emma’s sheltered life shatters.
Blamed for Mike’s death and haunted by nightmares, Emma turns to witchcraft and a mysterious Book of Shadows to bring him back. Under a Blood Moon, she lights candles, draws a pentacle on the campus bridge, and casts a spell. The invoked river rages up against her, but she escapes its fury. As she stumbles back to the dorm, a stranger drags himself from the water and follows her home. And he isn't the only one.
Instead of raising Mike, Emma assists the others she stole back from the dead—a pre-med student who jumped off the bridge, a desperate victim determined to solve his own murder, and a frat boy Emma can’t stand… at first.
More comfortable with the dead than the living, Emma delves deeper into the seductive Book of Shadows. Her powers grow, but witchcraft may not be enough to protect her against the vengeful river and the killers that feed it their victims.
Inspired by the controversial Smiley Face Murders, HOW TO DATE DEAD GUYS will ignite the secret powers hidden deep within each of us.
Why I Chose This Book / What I Think So Far: I was asked if I would be interested in reading this book and writing a review by a writer friend of mine, Jordan Elizabeth. This author is, I believe, a writer friend of hers. The title of this book initially intrigued me so I said hell yeah I'll read this book. I'm about four or five chapters in so far and this book is so easy to get into. It grabs you right away which is great. HOW TO DATE DEAD GUYS is set at UW-Eau Claire here in my home state of Wisconsin. Emma has a crush on fellow student Mike, who has just done what sadly is fairly common here in the drinking state... *cough cough* I mean dairy state... gotten extremely drunk on his twenty-first birthday and decided to go for a moonlit swim in a nearby river. It actually reminds me of something that happened at UW-Stevens Point a few years back. Anyway, I'm anxious to see where this story goes. I'm really enjoying it so far.
While I read and form my review here's a look at what else I read since last week...
Built (Saints of Denver #1) by Jay Crownover
Blurb:
Sometimes a real hero lets you save yourself . . .
Sayer Cole and Zeb Fuller couldn’t be more different. She’s country club and fine-dining, he’s cell-block and sawdust. Sayer spends her days in litigation while Zeb spends his working with his hands. But none of that has stopped Zeb from wanting the stunning blonde since the moment he laid eyes on her—even if the reserved lawyer seems determinedly oblivious to his interest.
Sayer is certain the rough, hard, hot-as-hell Zeb could never want someone as closed off and restrained as she is, which is a shame because something tells her he might be the guy to finally melt her icy exterior. When he shows up at Sayer’s door needing her professional help, she’s both disappointed and relieved that she won’t get the chance to find out just how good he could be.
But as they team up to right a wrong and save a family, the steam created when fire and ice collide cannot be ignored.
What I Thought of This Book: I loved the beginning of Jay Crownover's spinoff series from the Marked Men, "The Saints of Denver" Series. Zeb is a love-able character even if Sayer is a bit slow to warm up to. The story line is really good and my favorite scene overall is when Hyde meets Remy. So adorable! I can so see something between them when they get older. Plus I liked getting to see a different side of Salem's sister Poppy. I didn't like her before. My rating: 4.5 of 5 Stars!
How to Date Dead Guys (The Witch's Handbook #1) by Ann M. Noser
Blurb:
College sophomore Emma Roberts remembers her mother’s sage advice: “don’t sleep around, don’t burp in public, and don’t tell anyone you see ghosts”. But when charming Mike Carlson drowns in the campus river under her watch, Emma’s sheltered life shatters. Blamed for Mike’s death and haunted by nightmares, Emma turns to witchcraft and a mysterious Book of Shadows to bring him back. Under a Blood Moon, she lights candles, draws a pentacle on the campus bridge, and casts a spell. The invoked river rages up against her, but she escapes its fury. As she stumbles back to the dorm, a stranger drags himself from the water and follows her home. And he isn't the only one.
Instead of raising Mike, Emma assists the others she stole back from the dead—a pre-med student who jumped off the bridge, a desperate victim determined to solve his own murder, and a frat boy Emma can’t stand… at first.
More comfortable with the dead than the living, Emma delves deeper into the seductive Book of Shadows. Her powers grow, but witchcraft may not be enough to protect her against the vengeful river and the killers that feed it their victims.
Inspired by the controversial Smiley Face Murders, HOW TO DATE DEAD GUYS will ignite the secret powers hidden deep within each of us.
Why I Chose This Book / What I Think So Far: I was asked if I would be interested in reading this book and writing a review by a writer friend of mine, Jordan Elizabeth. This author is, I believe, a writer friend of hers. The title of this book initially intrigued me so I said hell yeah I'll read this book. I'm about four or five chapters in so far and this book is so easy to get into. It grabs you right away which is great. HOW TO DATE DEAD GUYS is set at UW-Eau Claire here in my home state of Wisconsin. Emma has a crush on fellow student Mike, who has just done what sadly is fairly common here in the drinking state... *cough cough* I mean dairy state... gotten extremely drunk on his twenty-first birthday and decided to go for a moonlit swim in a nearby river. It actually reminds me of something that happened at UW-Stevens Point a few years back. Anyway, I'm anxious to see where this story goes. I'm really enjoying it so far.
While I read and form my review here's a look at what else I read since last week...
Built (Saints of Denver #1) by Jay Crownover
Blurb:
Sometimes a real hero lets you save yourself . . .Sayer Cole and Zeb Fuller couldn’t be more different. She’s country club and fine-dining, he’s cell-block and sawdust. Sayer spends her days in litigation while Zeb spends his working with his hands. But none of that has stopped Zeb from wanting the stunning blonde since the moment he laid eyes on her—even if the reserved lawyer seems determinedly oblivious to his interest.
Sayer is certain the rough, hard, hot-as-hell Zeb could never want someone as closed off and restrained as she is, which is a shame because something tells her he might be the guy to finally melt her icy exterior. When he shows up at Sayer’s door needing her professional help, she’s both disappointed and relieved that she won’t get the chance to find out just how good he could be.
But as they team up to right a wrong and save a family, the steam created when fire and ice collide cannot be ignored.
What I Thought of This Book: I loved the beginning of Jay Crownover's spinoff series from the Marked Men, "The Saints of Denver" Series. Zeb is a love-able character even if Sayer is a bit slow to warm up to. The story line is really good and my favorite scene overall is when Hyde meets Remy. So adorable! I can so see something between them when they get older. Plus I liked getting to see a different side of Salem's sister Poppy. I didn't like her before. My rating: 4.5 of 5 Stars!
April 8, 2016
On The Outside Looking In (A Short Story)
Daisy Jones was used to being the odd duck out.
All of her friends were partnered off – the light-haired ‘angel’ couple that looked like they stepped out of a Norse myth and the dark-haired ‘devil’ couple that oozed danger and adventure – but in the graveyard Daisy found her solace. Soon after college, there would be weddings and baby showers to attend for her friends but that didn’t fit into Daisy’s immediate life plan.Sometimes Daisy felt like an outsider within her group of friends but she’d learned long ago people couldn’t be trusted so she kept her distance. She was too scarred by memories of the past to care what people thought. All it took was one night to change everything. A dark, ominous night, dangerous winding backroads through the mountains and terrifying strangers clogged her memories and unleashed nightmares she couldn’t shake even in her waking hours. The only positive memory of that night was the mysterious savior that carried her to safety before disappearing into the night. Who had he been?Maybe her friends felt like they were the outsiders, blocked from knowing what had happened and how strongly it still affected her daily life. Oblivious to her discomfort they tried to build her up, telling her she was a dark beauty that could be the center of attention if she opened up and ditched the baggy vintage clothing she’d favored since the incident.Daisy crunched through the crisp, dull mid-fall leaves and smelled the scent of a bonfire from a nearby fraternity cloying the air. It made her think of Halloween, pumpkin spice lattes, and nights by the fire as the memory of summer clung to her for dear life. She lived far enough north to enjoy the fall colors but far enough south to escape the harsh wickedness of an impending winter. Here and there she passed a Magnolia tree rapidly losing its’ blooms.Finally, she spotted him sitting on a headstone, his shaggy brown hair falling into his eyes as he sketched and the rings he wore on each of his long, slender fingers glittered in the late afternoon sunlight. Daisy often wondered if he played the piano – or maybe the guitar. The raven tattoo on his neck stood out prominently against his alabaster skin. His name was Larkin and they met at a rock concert at a crowded club on a rare night where she let the music carry her away and let herself forget everything other than the here and now. Daisy didn’t know why they always met in the dark, gloomy graveyard but maybe it was better that way. They were outsiders and the only place they fit in was with each other. They never talked about anything of substance but that was okay with Daisy. It was an unspoken rule that they left their problems at the door, or gate as it were, and enjoyed each other’s companionship.The graveyard had started out as Daisy’s special place. She’d stumbled through the long forgotten graveyard as a freshman, lost on the sprawling campus. The newest inhabitant of the graveyard had lost his spot among the living sometime during the Civil War. Sensing her approach Larkin’s head spun around to face where she stepped through the waist-high wrought iron gate leading into the cemetery. “Daisy,” he said her name in greeting as he slid his sketchbook into the black satchel at his feet. Daisy hated her name. Girls named Daisy were supposed to be bright, bubbly, and perky; like the character she was named after in The Great Gatsby. Unfortunately, she was dark, sarcastic, and tormented yet somehow her name sounded sensual when it came from Larkin’s lips. His husky voice made everything sound better. “Larkin, you beat me here,” Daisy remarked as she noted that her own voice sounded dry and raspy, like sandpaper, from lack of use. “I finished in the studio early and decided to take advantage of the beautiful day,” Larkin responded. Larkin was an apprentice at an art studio downtown. “How were your classes?”“Enlightening,” Daisy said wryly as she bumped shoulders with Larkin and sat down on the headstone next to the one he was perched on. Larkin tapped his bottom lip with the pen still gripped in his hand as if contemplating whether to speak his mind. Changing his mind he pointed to a crumbling headstone across the narrow lane from where they sat and said instead, “what do you think her story was?”Daisy studied the stone thoughtfully, “Miss Petunia Headstringe, born in eighteen-thirteen, died in eighteen-thirty. She was only seventeen when she died. I say she died of a broken heart after her love jilted her or died in some battle or another. She simply couldn’t go on without him.”Larkin snorts, “You always say they die of broken hearts.”“Maybe you’re right,” Daisy chewed on her lip in thought. “Maybe she was killed by a thieving highwayman while she was traveling by stagecoach or railway.”It was a game they invented to pass the time. One of them would pick a grave marker and they would take turns thinking up imaginary backstories and causes of death. “It’s better than assuming she died of disease or during childbirth,” Daisy offered.“True,” Larkin concurs as they lapse into silence. Not for the first time, Daisy wondered what his story was. Who was he in the real world? Did he ever think about her and wonder what she kept bottled up inside?After a long lapse of silence Larkin clears his throat, “do you want to get out of here?”“Really?” Daisy tried to tamp down her excitement. “Yeah, I mean it’s about time we do something besides hanging out here,” Larkin gestures to their surroundings. Their little sanctuary was the sole patch of darkness to be seen. Somehow in the few minutes she’d been sitting here with Larkin the clouds above their heads had swallowed the sun, although Daisy could still see the sun shining in the distance. Larkin continued on, oblivious to Daisy’s thoughts, “besides, I am starving.”“Let’s go,” Daisy replies without her usual hesitation. She felt comfortable with Larkin. Larkin grabbed her hand and they ran out of the graveyard and all the way to a small hole-in-the-wall diner at the edge of the university campus. The chains on Larkin’s black jeans clinked the entire way. Neither of them caught their breath until they flung themselves into a booth by the window.A waitress chomping on a wad of gum dropped a couple menus on the table with a vague promise to come back in a few minutes. Daisy tried to look over the menu but the sights and sounds of the diner distracted her. A baby squealed, the cook rang a bell alerting the next order was ready, and a vibrant college student drummed on the table he sat at as he fought with his laptop. It was a lot for Daisy to take in all at once. “Hey, are you alright?” Larkin asked as concern etched his handsome features.“What?” Daisy asked as her attention snapped back to Larkin, “Oh, yes I’m fine. Sorry, but I don’t get out much anymore. The night we met at the club was a rare moment of social lucidity for me.”“You ‘get out’ to see me almost every day,” Larkin pointed out wryly. Daisy shrugs, “that’s different; that’s a more one-on-one setting. In case you haven’t noticed, I’m kind of a loner.”“Why is that?” Larkin asks quietly as he shoves his menu away.Daisy traces the pattern on the table refusing to meet Larkin’s inquisitive gaze. “Do you ever feel like you’re on the outside looking in?”“Constantly,” Larkin answers without missing a beat. “My friends keep saying I’m pushing them away,” Daisy admits. “I never used to be like this but they hardly seem to notice since they’re all dating each other.”“What caused the change?” Larkin asks as he fiddles with the leather bands around his wrists. Daisy’s eyes dart around the room as her voice lowers, “I won’t bore you with the details, besides this isn’t really the place to talk about it.”The waitress returns, notepad in hand, but Larkin shoves the menus into her unprepared hands and says, “Two deluxe burgers to go.”The waitress rushes off to put the order in as Daisy looks at Larkin uncertainly.“There’s something I want to show you,” Larkin says by way of explanation. They take their food and grab a cab to a park above the city. As dusk falls over the city the buildings come alive with light. “The city is so beautiful from up here,” Daisy breathes as they sit on a bench near the edge of the hilltop.“I come up here to think and get away from it all,” Larkin says. He turns to her and adds, “You can tell me anything, Daisy.”‘I know,” Daisy pauses, “I’ve just never told anyone about this – other than the people who already knew.”“Tell me your secrets, Daisy. You can trust me,” Larkin urges. Daisy sighed and collected her thoughts. After several false starts she says, “One day last spring I decided to visit my cousin up at the army base about an hour north of here. I stayed too long and it was getting dark. My cousin suggested that I stay the night and drive home the next morning but I had an early class the next day so I decided to drive back that night. I thought I’d be okay but driving the twisting, winding roads down the mountain in the dark proved difficult. I almost drove off the road twice and I had a sinking feeling I was lost.I pulled off to the shoulder to check the map and not two minutes later someone was rapping on my window. I stupidly thought it was someone offering to help me so I rolled down the window – and came face-to-face with an angry brute with throbbing veins and bulging muscles.”Larkin wraps his hand around Daisy’s supportively when she pauses to catch her breath. “He demanded money or else there would be trouble. When I told him I didn’t have any he growled and ripped the door open, practically tearing it clean off its’ hinges. He yanked me out of the car and towards a ditch on the side of the road. That is when I saw the glint of the blade of a knife in the moonlight.I must have fainted or blacked out because the next thing I remember was a stranger carrying me to safety.”“Is that all you remember?” Larkin asks quietly; almost cautiously.Daisy nods slowly, “yes. I was so out of it I never saw the guy’s face that saved me, just an infinity symbol tattooed on the pulse point of his wrist. Ever since then I’ve shut everyone out not wanting to let anyone in – until I met you. You make me feel safe.”Larkin fiddled with the band around his right wrist as Daisy drifted off, trying to fill the gaps in her memory of that awful night. The sound of Velcro ripping tore Daisy from her thoughts and her focus shifted to where Larkin was removing the cuff from his wrist. Etched into the skin on his wrist was a simple black infinity symbol.Daisy’s eyes snapped to Larkin’s apprehensively,” but how-?”Larkin opened his mouth to explain but before he could utter a word Daisy’s eyes glazed over with the memories her mind had blocked out for her protection. It was all coming back to Daisy now. Her assailant had thrown her into the ditch on the side of the road, pinned her down, and held the knife to her throat. She could smell the scent of stale onion bagels on his breath. Just when she was about to give up all hope of making it out of this nightmare alive headlights flashed in her eyes illuminating the scene. A figure swathed in all black emerged from the vehicle and yanked her assailant off of her. He threw the muscle bound freak to the ground and started pounding on him. That’s about the time, embarrassingly enough, Daisy really did faint. When she came to, her savior – Larkin – was carrying her to the ambulance to get checked over. Before she could thank him he was gone. The cops told her later that he arrived at just the right time. A minute later and things could have ended much differently. After that, Daisy closed herself off from everyone she knew. Everyone except Larkin – it was him all along. It was his strong hands and comforting arms that pulled her out of the ditch she’d collapsed into when she lost consciousness and carried her to the safety of the ambulance. He’d been watching over her from the beginning.“I saw the university sticker on your back window. At first, I just wanted to see if you were alright. Then I felt like I just had to make sure, from a distance, you were safe at all times. Soon that wasn’t enough anymore, I had to meet you. So I bumped into you at the club. I never meant to fall in love with you but somewhere along the way it just happened,” Larkin bit his lip. “Do you hate me?”Daisy took a huge leap of faith and kissed him then. “I could never hate you. You saved my life. Even if I couldn’t remember at the time a part of me must have known I could trust you. We met under terrible circumstances but I wouldn’t take back any part of it.”Larkin’s relief showed on his face as he pulled her close. Together they watched night descend on the city.Who needed anyone else? They might be outsiders standing at the fringe of society looking in but at least they had each other.
All of her friends were partnered off – the light-haired ‘angel’ couple that looked like they stepped out of a Norse myth and the dark-haired ‘devil’ couple that oozed danger and adventure – but in the graveyard Daisy found her solace. Soon after college, there would be weddings and baby showers to attend for her friends but that didn’t fit into Daisy’s immediate life plan.Sometimes Daisy felt like an outsider within her group of friends but she’d learned long ago people couldn’t be trusted so she kept her distance. She was too scarred by memories of the past to care what people thought. All it took was one night to change everything. A dark, ominous night, dangerous winding backroads through the mountains and terrifying strangers clogged her memories and unleashed nightmares she couldn’t shake even in her waking hours. The only positive memory of that night was the mysterious savior that carried her to safety before disappearing into the night. Who had he been?Maybe her friends felt like they were the outsiders, blocked from knowing what had happened and how strongly it still affected her daily life. Oblivious to her discomfort they tried to build her up, telling her she was a dark beauty that could be the center of attention if she opened up and ditched the baggy vintage clothing she’d favored since the incident.Daisy crunched through the crisp, dull mid-fall leaves and smelled the scent of a bonfire from a nearby fraternity cloying the air. It made her think of Halloween, pumpkin spice lattes, and nights by the fire as the memory of summer clung to her for dear life. She lived far enough north to enjoy the fall colors but far enough south to escape the harsh wickedness of an impending winter. Here and there she passed a Magnolia tree rapidly losing its’ blooms.Finally, she spotted him sitting on a headstone, his shaggy brown hair falling into his eyes as he sketched and the rings he wore on each of his long, slender fingers glittered in the late afternoon sunlight. Daisy often wondered if he played the piano – or maybe the guitar. The raven tattoo on his neck stood out prominently against his alabaster skin. His name was Larkin and they met at a rock concert at a crowded club on a rare night where she let the music carry her away and let herself forget everything other than the here and now. Daisy didn’t know why they always met in the dark, gloomy graveyard but maybe it was better that way. They were outsiders and the only place they fit in was with each other. They never talked about anything of substance but that was okay with Daisy. It was an unspoken rule that they left their problems at the door, or gate as it were, and enjoyed each other’s companionship.The graveyard had started out as Daisy’s special place. She’d stumbled through the long forgotten graveyard as a freshman, lost on the sprawling campus. The newest inhabitant of the graveyard had lost his spot among the living sometime during the Civil War. Sensing her approach Larkin’s head spun around to face where she stepped through the waist-high wrought iron gate leading into the cemetery. “Daisy,” he said her name in greeting as he slid his sketchbook into the black satchel at his feet. Daisy hated her name. Girls named Daisy were supposed to be bright, bubbly, and perky; like the character she was named after in The Great Gatsby. Unfortunately, she was dark, sarcastic, and tormented yet somehow her name sounded sensual when it came from Larkin’s lips. His husky voice made everything sound better. “Larkin, you beat me here,” Daisy remarked as she noted that her own voice sounded dry and raspy, like sandpaper, from lack of use. “I finished in the studio early and decided to take advantage of the beautiful day,” Larkin responded. Larkin was an apprentice at an art studio downtown. “How were your classes?”“Enlightening,” Daisy said wryly as she bumped shoulders with Larkin and sat down on the headstone next to the one he was perched on. Larkin tapped his bottom lip with the pen still gripped in his hand as if contemplating whether to speak his mind. Changing his mind he pointed to a crumbling headstone across the narrow lane from where they sat and said instead, “what do you think her story was?”Daisy studied the stone thoughtfully, “Miss Petunia Headstringe, born in eighteen-thirteen, died in eighteen-thirty. She was only seventeen when she died. I say she died of a broken heart after her love jilted her or died in some battle or another. She simply couldn’t go on without him.”Larkin snorts, “You always say they die of broken hearts.”“Maybe you’re right,” Daisy chewed on her lip in thought. “Maybe she was killed by a thieving highwayman while she was traveling by stagecoach or railway.”It was a game they invented to pass the time. One of them would pick a grave marker and they would take turns thinking up imaginary backstories and causes of death. “It’s better than assuming she died of disease or during childbirth,” Daisy offered.“True,” Larkin concurs as they lapse into silence. Not for the first time, Daisy wondered what his story was. Who was he in the real world? Did he ever think about her and wonder what she kept bottled up inside?After a long lapse of silence Larkin clears his throat, “do you want to get out of here?”“Really?” Daisy tried to tamp down her excitement. “Yeah, I mean it’s about time we do something besides hanging out here,” Larkin gestures to their surroundings. Their little sanctuary was the sole patch of darkness to be seen. Somehow in the few minutes she’d been sitting here with Larkin the clouds above their heads had swallowed the sun, although Daisy could still see the sun shining in the distance. Larkin continued on, oblivious to Daisy’s thoughts, “besides, I am starving.”“Let’s go,” Daisy replies without her usual hesitation. She felt comfortable with Larkin. Larkin grabbed her hand and they ran out of the graveyard and all the way to a small hole-in-the-wall diner at the edge of the university campus. The chains on Larkin’s black jeans clinked the entire way. Neither of them caught their breath until they flung themselves into a booth by the window.A waitress chomping on a wad of gum dropped a couple menus on the table with a vague promise to come back in a few minutes. Daisy tried to look over the menu but the sights and sounds of the diner distracted her. A baby squealed, the cook rang a bell alerting the next order was ready, and a vibrant college student drummed on the table he sat at as he fought with his laptop. It was a lot for Daisy to take in all at once. “Hey, are you alright?” Larkin asked as concern etched his handsome features.“What?” Daisy asked as her attention snapped back to Larkin, “Oh, yes I’m fine. Sorry, but I don’t get out much anymore. The night we met at the club was a rare moment of social lucidity for me.”“You ‘get out’ to see me almost every day,” Larkin pointed out wryly. Daisy shrugs, “that’s different; that’s a more one-on-one setting. In case you haven’t noticed, I’m kind of a loner.”“Why is that?” Larkin asks quietly as he shoves his menu away.Daisy traces the pattern on the table refusing to meet Larkin’s inquisitive gaze. “Do you ever feel like you’re on the outside looking in?”“Constantly,” Larkin answers without missing a beat. “My friends keep saying I’m pushing them away,” Daisy admits. “I never used to be like this but they hardly seem to notice since they’re all dating each other.”“What caused the change?” Larkin asks as he fiddles with the leather bands around his wrists. Daisy’s eyes dart around the room as her voice lowers, “I won’t bore you with the details, besides this isn’t really the place to talk about it.”The waitress returns, notepad in hand, but Larkin shoves the menus into her unprepared hands and says, “Two deluxe burgers to go.”The waitress rushes off to put the order in as Daisy looks at Larkin uncertainly.“There’s something I want to show you,” Larkin says by way of explanation. They take their food and grab a cab to a park above the city. As dusk falls over the city the buildings come alive with light. “The city is so beautiful from up here,” Daisy breathes as they sit on a bench near the edge of the hilltop.“I come up here to think and get away from it all,” Larkin says. He turns to her and adds, “You can tell me anything, Daisy.”‘I know,” Daisy pauses, “I’ve just never told anyone about this – other than the people who already knew.”“Tell me your secrets, Daisy. You can trust me,” Larkin urges. Daisy sighed and collected her thoughts. After several false starts she says, “One day last spring I decided to visit my cousin up at the army base about an hour north of here. I stayed too long and it was getting dark. My cousin suggested that I stay the night and drive home the next morning but I had an early class the next day so I decided to drive back that night. I thought I’d be okay but driving the twisting, winding roads down the mountain in the dark proved difficult. I almost drove off the road twice and I had a sinking feeling I was lost.I pulled off to the shoulder to check the map and not two minutes later someone was rapping on my window. I stupidly thought it was someone offering to help me so I rolled down the window – and came face-to-face with an angry brute with throbbing veins and bulging muscles.”Larkin wraps his hand around Daisy’s supportively when she pauses to catch her breath. “He demanded money or else there would be trouble. When I told him I didn’t have any he growled and ripped the door open, practically tearing it clean off its’ hinges. He yanked me out of the car and towards a ditch on the side of the road. That is when I saw the glint of the blade of a knife in the moonlight.I must have fainted or blacked out because the next thing I remember was a stranger carrying me to safety.”“Is that all you remember?” Larkin asks quietly; almost cautiously.Daisy nods slowly, “yes. I was so out of it I never saw the guy’s face that saved me, just an infinity symbol tattooed on the pulse point of his wrist. Ever since then I’ve shut everyone out not wanting to let anyone in – until I met you. You make me feel safe.”Larkin fiddled with the band around his right wrist as Daisy drifted off, trying to fill the gaps in her memory of that awful night. The sound of Velcro ripping tore Daisy from her thoughts and her focus shifted to where Larkin was removing the cuff from his wrist. Etched into the skin on his wrist was a simple black infinity symbol.Daisy’s eyes snapped to Larkin’s apprehensively,” but how-?”Larkin opened his mouth to explain but before he could utter a word Daisy’s eyes glazed over with the memories her mind had blocked out for her protection. It was all coming back to Daisy now. Her assailant had thrown her into the ditch on the side of the road, pinned her down, and held the knife to her throat. She could smell the scent of stale onion bagels on his breath. Just when she was about to give up all hope of making it out of this nightmare alive headlights flashed in her eyes illuminating the scene. A figure swathed in all black emerged from the vehicle and yanked her assailant off of her. He threw the muscle bound freak to the ground and started pounding on him. That’s about the time, embarrassingly enough, Daisy really did faint. When she came to, her savior – Larkin – was carrying her to the ambulance to get checked over. Before she could thank him he was gone. The cops told her later that he arrived at just the right time. A minute later and things could have ended much differently. After that, Daisy closed herself off from everyone she knew. Everyone except Larkin – it was him all along. It was his strong hands and comforting arms that pulled her out of the ditch she’d collapsed into when she lost consciousness and carried her to the safety of the ambulance. He’d been watching over her from the beginning.“I saw the university sticker on your back window. At first, I just wanted to see if you were alright. Then I felt like I just had to make sure, from a distance, you were safe at all times. Soon that wasn’t enough anymore, I had to meet you. So I bumped into you at the club. I never meant to fall in love with you but somewhere along the way it just happened,” Larkin bit his lip. “Do you hate me?”Daisy took a huge leap of faith and kissed him then. “I could never hate you. You saved my life. Even if I couldn’t remember at the time a part of me must have known I could trust you. We met under terrible circumstances but I wouldn’t take back any part of it.”Larkin’s relief showed on his face as he pulled her close. Together they watched night descend on the city.Who needed anyone else? They might be outsiders standing at the fringe of society looking in but at least they had each other.
April 6, 2016
COVER REVEAL: UNKNOWN by WENDY HIGGINS
This week I am doing something extra special... a cover reveal for the NY Times Bestselling Author of the Sweet Evil Series, See Me, and The Great Hunt: Wendy Higgins's upcoming New Adult novel, UNKNOWN...
Blurb: Amber Tate believes the worst thing she’ll suffer in life is dealing with the unrequited love she feels for her brother’s best friend, Rylen Fite. She also believes war is something unfortunate that happens places far, far away from her rural Nevada town. She’s wrong on both counts.
When an unknown organization meticulously bombs major cities in the United States and across the globe, a trickle-down effect spreads to remaining towns at an alarming speed—everything from food and water sources to technological communications are compromised. Without leadership, the nation is split between paralysis and panic, but Amber isn’t one to hide or watch helplessly. She’s determined to put her nursing skills to use, despite the danger, even if it means working alongside the man she can never have.
In this first installment of NY Times bestselling author, Wendy Higgins’s debut New Adult series, a frighteningly realistic apocalyptic America is brought to life, entwined with searing romantic tension that will leave you eager for more.
Unknown is an Apocalyptic Sci-Fi NA Romance novel coming August 16, 2016!
It's not available for preorder yet but you can add it to your TBR list on Goodreads:
Add on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28821675-unknown
and read about Unknown's origins on Wendy Higgins's blog:
http://www.wendyhigginswrites.com/2016/02/diving-into-new-adult-world.html
Plus... Wendy Higgins has begun uploading unedited chapters of UNKNOWN on her Wattpad account for people to preview!
Check out her Wattpad account here: https://www.wattpad.com/user/WendyHigginsWrites
About the Author:
Wendy Higgins is the USA Today and NYT bestselling author of the Sweet Evil series from HarperTeen, the high fantasy duology The Great Hunt, and her independently published Irish fantasy, See Me. She is a former high school English teacher who now writes full time, and lives on the Eastern Shore of Virginia with her veterinarian husband, daughter, son, and doggie Rue. Wendy earned a bachelor's in Creative Writing from George Mason University and a master's in Curriculum and Instruction from Radford University.
Connect with Wendy Higgins online: Wendy's website: http://www.wendyhigginswrites.com
Wendy on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Wendy_HigginsWendy on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WendyHigginsWrites/Wendy on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wendyhigginswrites/
Blurb: Amber Tate believes the worst thing she’ll suffer in life is dealing with the unrequited love she feels for her brother’s best friend, Rylen Fite. She also believes war is something unfortunate that happens places far, far away from her rural Nevada town. She’s wrong on both counts.
When an unknown organization meticulously bombs major cities in the United States and across the globe, a trickle-down effect spreads to remaining towns at an alarming speed—everything from food and water sources to technological communications are compromised. Without leadership, the nation is split between paralysis and panic, but Amber isn’t one to hide or watch helplessly. She’s determined to put her nursing skills to use, despite the danger, even if it means working alongside the man she can never have.
In this first installment of NY Times bestselling author, Wendy Higgins’s debut New Adult series, a frighteningly realistic apocalyptic America is brought to life, entwined with searing romantic tension that will leave you eager for more.
Unknown is an Apocalyptic Sci-Fi NA Romance novel coming August 16, 2016!
It's not available for preorder yet but you can add it to your TBR list on Goodreads:
Add on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28821675-unknown
and read about Unknown's origins on Wendy Higgins's blog:
http://www.wendyhigginswrites.com/2016/02/diving-into-new-adult-world.html
Plus... Wendy Higgins has begun uploading unedited chapters of UNKNOWN on her Wattpad account for people to preview!
Check out her Wattpad account here: https://www.wattpad.com/user/WendyHigginsWrites
About the Author:
Wendy Higgins is the USA Today and NYT bestselling author of the Sweet Evil series from HarperTeen, the high fantasy duology The Great Hunt, and her independently published Irish fantasy, See Me. She is a former high school English teacher who now writes full time, and lives on the Eastern Shore of Virginia with her veterinarian husband, daughter, son, and doggie Rue. Wendy earned a bachelor's in Creative Writing from George Mason University and a master's in Curriculum and Instruction from Radford University. Connect with Wendy Higgins online: Wendy's website: http://www.wendyhigginswrites.com
Wendy on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Wendy_HigginsWendy on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WendyHigginsWrites/Wendy on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wendyhigginswrites/
"What I'm Reading" Wednesday #17
It's shaping up to be a busy week but I'm stealing every free second to disappear into the final Lux novel. This "WIR"-Wednesday I'm reading...
Lux Opposition (Lux #5) by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Blurb:
Opposition
Katy knows the world changed the night the Luxen came. She can't believe Daemon stood by as his kind threatened to obliterate every last human and hybrid on Earth. But the lines between good and bad have blurred.
Daemon will do anything to save those he loves, even if it means betrayal. But when it quickly becomes impossible to tell friend from foe, and the world is crumbling around them, they may lose everything to ensure the survival of their friends…and mankind.
Shadows
The last thing Dawson Black expected was Bethany Williams. To him, human girls are…well, fun. But since the Luxen have to keep their true identities a secret, falling for one would be insane. Dangerous.
Bethany can't deny the immediate connection between her and Dawson. And even though boys aren't a complication she wants, whenever they lock eyes, she's drawn in. Captivated.
Dawson can't stop risking everything for one human girl. Or stop a fate that is as unavoidable as love itself.
Why I Chose This Book / What I Think So Far: At first, I didn't know this book existed. I though the series ended with Origin, which would have been really disappointing. When I found out this was the fifth and final book I ordered it along with my Apollycon 2016 order. Why did I choose to read it now? Well, I read books 3 and 4 together so it only made sense to read the 5th and final book before moving on to other books on my "TBR" shelf. Right now I could pretty much smack Dee. Is it all an act, pretending to hate Katy, hybrids, and humans overall? Or has she been brainwashed by the evil Luxens bound and determined to take over Earth? I know Daemon still loves Katy and I'm pretty sure Dawson is only pretending to go along with the Luxen's evil plot but Dee is honestly a mystery to me. I liked her in the first two books but she's lost something with me ever since book three. Once again Katy is unfortunately kidnapped but hopefully she'll find her way back to Luc, Archer, and Beth soon... although I doubt she'll go without busting Daemon out with her. I like this book so far but at this point, I'm ready to finish the series and move on to something else.
Lux Opposition (Lux #5) by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Blurb:
OppositionKaty knows the world changed the night the Luxen came. She can't believe Daemon stood by as his kind threatened to obliterate every last human and hybrid on Earth. But the lines between good and bad have blurred.
Daemon will do anything to save those he loves, even if it means betrayal. But when it quickly becomes impossible to tell friend from foe, and the world is crumbling around them, they may lose everything to ensure the survival of their friends…and mankind.
Shadows
The last thing Dawson Black expected was Bethany Williams. To him, human girls are…well, fun. But since the Luxen have to keep their true identities a secret, falling for one would be insane. Dangerous.
Bethany can't deny the immediate connection between her and Dawson. And even though boys aren't a complication she wants, whenever they lock eyes, she's drawn in. Captivated.
Dawson can't stop risking everything for one human girl. Or stop a fate that is as unavoidable as love itself.
Why I Chose This Book / What I Think So Far: At first, I didn't know this book existed. I though the series ended with Origin, which would have been really disappointing. When I found out this was the fifth and final book I ordered it along with my Apollycon 2016 order. Why did I choose to read it now? Well, I read books 3 and 4 together so it only made sense to read the 5th and final book before moving on to other books on my "TBR" shelf. Right now I could pretty much smack Dee. Is it all an act, pretending to hate Katy, hybrids, and humans overall? Or has she been brainwashed by the evil Luxens bound and determined to take over Earth? I know Daemon still loves Katy and I'm pretty sure Dawson is only pretending to go along with the Luxen's evil plot but Dee is honestly a mystery to me. I liked her in the first two books but she's lost something with me ever since book three. Once again Katy is unfortunately kidnapped but hopefully she'll find her way back to Luc, Archer, and Beth soon... although I doubt she'll go without busting Daemon out with her. I like this book so far but at this point, I'm ready to finish the series and move on to something else.
April 5, 2016
"NEW RELEASE TUESDAY": OUT of DARKNESS (Eternals Trilogy #1)
This "New Release Tuesday" I have my very own new release, Out of Darkness, the first book in my Eternals Trilogy!
Blurb:
Enter the clearing and your life will change forever…
Seventeen-year-old Lizette Weatherly’s life is about to change forever.
Lizette is a girl who really can’t catch a break. Her parents are overprotective of her and her peers are afraid of her.
Two centuries ago Lizette's ancestor Jacob and his family disappeared without a trace. All that were found were bloody clothes and mysterious symbols etched into the ground in a clearing near their old house.
Lizette’s family have been ostracized by the people in the nearby city of Marquette, Michigan ever since. Lizette spends most of her time alone with her old set of tarot cards in her house back in the woods where the sun never shines; until one night when she wanders off into the woods and stumbles upon a group of hooded figures standing around a bonfire.
Lizette soon learns that everything she knew is a lie. She and her family are really descended from a long line of creatures called Eternals, possessing paranormal powers, and she may be the most powerful Eternal alive. For the first time in her life, Lizette has friends and potentially a boyfriend in shifter Thierry. But Bryan, the leader of her generation of the Eternals, is power hungry and he will do anything to absorb Lizette’s power.
A battle is brewing and Lizette will have to join together with the other Eternals to overpower Bryan. But when a mysterious prophecy is revealed and her fate becomes entwined with shy, brooding, secretive Luke, Lizette begins to question: who can she really trust and who really has her heart? What will happen when it’s time to step out of the darkness?
Take a first look at Chapter One:
My parents told me not to go into the woods; the woods that surrounded the house on all sides and went on for miles had been rumored to have been haunted since the 1790s.
It had been my great-great something-or-other uncle whose family disappeared all those years ago. My great-uncle Jacob, his wife, and their four children’s bodies have never been found. All that was found were bloody petticoats belonging to Jacob’s wife Lydia and strange symbols etched into a few trees in a clearing two miles from their small secluded farm house.
Not long after the mysterious disappearance Jacob’s much younger brother Andrew moved onto the property with his new bride. People from the nearby Chocolay Township speculated that Andrew killed his brother’s family so he could take over the land. Another rumor said that Jacob had built his house on Indian land and the neighboring tribe had killed him and his sons; then taken the women into their tribe as revenge. Yet the most popular rumor of all surrounded the mysterious etchings. The townsfolk insisted Jacob and his family had been cohorts with the Devil and he had simply dragged them back to hell.
I had heard all these rumors and more throughout my childhood. Every time I had come home from school crying after one of my peers had called me a dirty name my parents would laugh it off. My entire family are Wiccans, a Pagan nature-based religion; something very uncommon in the Marquette area of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.
Even after Marquette was incorporated and it grew into the college town it is today its people were still unaccepting of people who were the least bit different; especially our family; the Weatherlys. Yet even though my parents told me to ignore the other kids I felt as if they were hiding something from me. They were oddly overprotective of me. My father demanded to drive me the three miles out of the woods to the main road and always wanted to know who I was with. If my parents didn’t know them I wasn’t allowed near them. On the other hand, my 20-year-old brother Sam could go and do anything he wished. I didn’t have any real friends, so most of the time my only companion was my old, worn out deck of tarot cards.
Another boring Friday night, I thought solemnly to myself. But this hadn’t been just any Friday night; it was the night of my high school’s homecoming game. Angelo Desanti; star quarterback, most popular guy in the senior class, and boyfriend of my arch enemy Julie Bryant; had asked me to come watch him play during our latest super-secret coffee date. I desperately wanted to go, but my father had said no.
It was now nearly midnight and the game was long over. My parents slept soundly down the hall as I looked blankly out my bedroom window. I looked out at the dark gloomy forest that I had always been so afraid of. I felt the familiar tug of rebellion rising as my heart asked, “why not sneak out?”
I smirked as I pulled on an old NMU sweatshirt over my flannel pajamas. I’d just take a short walk and be home before my parents even knew I was gone. As I poked my head out my bedroom door to make sure the hall was clear I flipped the light off and grabbed my running shoes. I waited until I was safely down the creaky staircase before slipping on my shoes and slipping out into the night.
There was a one hundred foot square clearing in which our house sat. At times I felt as if I was living in a prison. I was trapped in a place where the sun never, ever shone because of the tall trees that had grown up and over the clearing. One couldn’t even tell if the moon was out because you couldn’t see the sky above. It didn’t take long for me to disappear into the woods unnoticed.
Luckily I had remembered a flashlight because the forest was pitch black and the ground was littered with fallen trees and branches. I wove in and out of the trees in a zigzag pattern, stopping occasionally to grab onto a tree for support when I nearly lost my footing. On and on I walked, unaware if seconds, minutes, or hours had passed until I saw a strange glowing light up ahead.
What could it be? I wondered silently. There wasn’t another house for many miles. Some of my classmates used to joke about the “freaky things” my family was undoubtedly doing so far back in seclusion. As I came closer I saw the light was the orange glow of a bonfire. I took in the sight of the clearing and suddenly knew exactly where I was. My path hadn’t been random; it had led me to the supposedly haunted clearing where shrill screams had been rumored to have been heard late at night. Then I saw them; seven cloaked figures gathered around the bonfire.
Out of Darkness is NOW AVAILABLE
in
eBook, paperback, and hardcover!
Amazon US
Amazon UK
Barnes and Noble
Kobo
iBooks
Smashwords
Createspace
Lulu (HC)
Blurb:
Enter the clearing and your life will change forever…
Seventeen-year-old Lizette Weatherly’s life is about to change forever.
Lizette is a girl who really can’t catch a break. Her parents are overprotective of her and her peers are afraid of her.
Two centuries ago Lizette's ancestor Jacob and his family disappeared without a trace. All that were found were bloody clothes and mysterious symbols etched into the ground in a clearing near their old house.
Lizette’s family have been ostracized by the people in the nearby city of Marquette, Michigan ever since. Lizette spends most of her time alone with her old set of tarot cards in her house back in the woods where the sun never shines; until one night when she wanders off into the woods and stumbles upon a group of hooded figures standing around a bonfire.
Lizette soon learns that everything she knew is a lie. She and her family are really descended from a long line of creatures called Eternals, possessing paranormal powers, and she may be the most powerful Eternal alive. For the first time in her life, Lizette has friends and potentially a boyfriend in shifter Thierry. But Bryan, the leader of her generation of the Eternals, is power hungry and he will do anything to absorb Lizette’s power.
A battle is brewing and Lizette will have to join together with the other Eternals to overpower Bryan. But when a mysterious prophecy is revealed and her fate becomes entwined with shy, brooding, secretive Luke, Lizette begins to question: who can she really trust and who really has her heart? What will happen when it’s time to step out of the darkness?
Take a first look at Chapter One:
My parents told me not to go into the woods; the woods that surrounded the house on all sides and went on for miles had been rumored to have been haunted since the 1790s.
It had been my great-great something-or-other uncle whose family disappeared all those years ago. My great-uncle Jacob, his wife, and their four children’s bodies have never been found. All that was found were bloody petticoats belonging to Jacob’s wife Lydia and strange symbols etched into a few trees in a clearing two miles from their small secluded farm house.
Not long after the mysterious disappearance Jacob’s much younger brother Andrew moved onto the property with his new bride. People from the nearby Chocolay Township speculated that Andrew killed his brother’s family so he could take over the land. Another rumor said that Jacob had built his house on Indian land and the neighboring tribe had killed him and his sons; then taken the women into their tribe as revenge. Yet the most popular rumor of all surrounded the mysterious etchings. The townsfolk insisted Jacob and his family had been cohorts with the Devil and he had simply dragged them back to hell.
I had heard all these rumors and more throughout my childhood. Every time I had come home from school crying after one of my peers had called me a dirty name my parents would laugh it off. My entire family are Wiccans, a Pagan nature-based religion; something very uncommon in the Marquette area of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.
Even after Marquette was incorporated and it grew into the college town it is today its people were still unaccepting of people who were the least bit different; especially our family; the Weatherlys. Yet even though my parents told me to ignore the other kids I felt as if they were hiding something from me. They were oddly overprotective of me. My father demanded to drive me the three miles out of the woods to the main road and always wanted to know who I was with. If my parents didn’t know them I wasn’t allowed near them. On the other hand, my 20-year-old brother Sam could go and do anything he wished. I didn’t have any real friends, so most of the time my only companion was my old, worn out deck of tarot cards.
Another boring Friday night, I thought solemnly to myself. But this hadn’t been just any Friday night; it was the night of my high school’s homecoming game. Angelo Desanti; star quarterback, most popular guy in the senior class, and boyfriend of my arch enemy Julie Bryant; had asked me to come watch him play during our latest super-secret coffee date. I desperately wanted to go, but my father had said no.
It was now nearly midnight and the game was long over. My parents slept soundly down the hall as I looked blankly out my bedroom window. I looked out at the dark gloomy forest that I had always been so afraid of. I felt the familiar tug of rebellion rising as my heart asked, “why not sneak out?”
I smirked as I pulled on an old NMU sweatshirt over my flannel pajamas. I’d just take a short walk and be home before my parents even knew I was gone. As I poked my head out my bedroom door to make sure the hall was clear I flipped the light off and grabbed my running shoes. I waited until I was safely down the creaky staircase before slipping on my shoes and slipping out into the night.
There was a one hundred foot square clearing in which our house sat. At times I felt as if I was living in a prison. I was trapped in a place where the sun never, ever shone because of the tall trees that had grown up and over the clearing. One couldn’t even tell if the moon was out because you couldn’t see the sky above. It didn’t take long for me to disappear into the woods unnoticed.
Luckily I had remembered a flashlight because the forest was pitch black and the ground was littered with fallen trees and branches. I wove in and out of the trees in a zigzag pattern, stopping occasionally to grab onto a tree for support when I nearly lost my footing. On and on I walked, unaware if seconds, minutes, or hours had passed until I saw a strange glowing light up ahead.
What could it be? I wondered silently. There wasn’t another house for many miles. Some of my classmates used to joke about the “freaky things” my family was undoubtedly doing so far back in seclusion. As I came closer I saw the light was the orange glow of a bonfire. I took in the sight of the clearing and suddenly knew exactly where I was. My path hadn’t been random; it had led me to the supposedly haunted clearing where shrill screams had been rumored to have been heard late at night. Then I saw them; seven cloaked figures gathered around the bonfire.
Out of Darkness is NOW AVAILABLE
in
eBook, paperback, and hardcover!
Amazon US
Amazon UK
Barnes and Noble
Kobo
iBooks
Smashwords
Createspace
Lulu (HC)
April 1, 2016
Which Eternal Are You?
Out of Darkness is coming out in FOUR days! I'm excited, are you?? For the final part of my 4-part blog series ahead of the
April 5th
release I've created a personality quiz so you can see which one of the Eternals you are most like. Take the quiz below and find out!
March 30, 2016
"What I'm Reading" Wednesday #16
After a brief break to read a book and write a review I'm back to my favorite alien series with...
Origin (Lux #4) by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Blurb:
Daemon will do anything to get Katy back.
After the successful but disastrous raid on Mount Weather, he's facing the impossible. Katy is gone. Taken. Everything becomes about finding her. Taking out anyone who stands in his way? Done. Burning down the whole world to save her? Gladly. Exposing his alien race to the world? With pleasure.
All Katy can do is survive.
Surrounded by enemies, the only way she can come out of this is to adapt. After all, there are sides of Daedalus that don't seem entirely crazy, but the group's goals are frightening and the truths they speak even more disturbing. Who are the real bad guys? Daedalus? Mankind? Or the Luxen?
Together, they can face anything.
But the most dangerous foe has been there all along, and when the truths are exposed and the lies come crumbling down, which side will Daemon and Katy be standing on? And will they even be together?
Why I Chose This Book / What I Think So Far: Obviously, you already know I love this series. The ending of Opal left me wanting to rip my hair out and I so want to kick Blake's ass.. kind of like Katy is wanting to do at the spot I left off at. Will Daemon be able to get Katy out of the Daedelus compound? Or will he be trapped there too? So far I'm feeling all the feels for Katy's character. Seriously... Daedelus and Blake are trying to tell her they aren't the bad guys? As if!
I took a quick break from the Lux series to read and review Jordan Elizabeth's latest novel...
The Goat Children by Jordan Elizabeth
Blurb:
When Keziah’s grandmother, Oma, is diagnosed with dementia, Keziah faces two choices: leave her family and move to New Winchester to care for Oma, or stay in New York City and allow her grandmother to live in a nursing home miles away.
The dementia causes Oma to be rude and paranoid, nothing like the woman Keziah remembers. Each day becomes a greater weight and love a harsher burden. Keziah must keep Oma from wandering off or falling, and try to convince her grandmother to see a doctor as her eyesight and hearing fail, but Oma refuses to believe anything is wrong. Resentful of her hardships in New Winchester, Keziah finds herself drawn to Oma’s ramblings about the Goat Children, a mythical warrior class. These fighters ride winged horses, locating people in need, while attempting to destroy evil in the world. Oma sees the Goat Children everywhere, and as Keziah reads the stories Oma wrote about them, she begins to question if they really exist.
What I Thought of This Book: I received a free copy of The Goat Children in exchange for an honest review.
Seventeen-year-old Keziah decides to leave New York City and move in with her grandmother after her grandmother is diagnosed with dementia. Gone is the woman that was Keziah's best friend as a child and in her place is the often cranky and confused new version of "Oma." Keziah tries her best to care for her grandmother while her parents and younger sister remain in the city. Her uncle Jan and his wife live nearby but Uncle Jan's wife wouldn't allow Keziah's grandmother to come live with them. Keziah tries balance returning to public school after many years of homeschooling, trying to make friends, and keeping up with Oma, who keeps mentioning a group called "the goat children." Who are the Goat Children? And why does Oma want to rejoin them? As Keziah tries to unravel the truth behind her grandmother's crazy stories she learns shocking things about her family, and herself.
This book touched me in a serious way. I was raised by my grandmother and homeschooled for the majority of high school. Now my grandmother has some health problems (physical, not memory-wise thankfully) and I can definitely relate to Keziah taking care of her grandmother without a supportive family to back her up. This story sucked me in, I couldn't put it down, and I really enjoyed learning about the goat children. The ending was a bit sad and reminded me of another one of Jordan Elizabeth's novels, Escape from Witchwood Hollow. Jordan Elizabeth is a fantastic storyteller and all of the books I've read by her so far are great. The Goat Children is a wonderful story that I think readers of any age, not just young adults, will really enjoy.My Rating: 4 of 5 Stars
Origin (Lux #4) by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Blurb:
Daemon will do anything to get Katy back.After the successful but disastrous raid on Mount Weather, he's facing the impossible. Katy is gone. Taken. Everything becomes about finding her. Taking out anyone who stands in his way? Done. Burning down the whole world to save her? Gladly. Exposing his alien race to the world? With pleasure.
All Katy can do is survive.
Surrounded by enemies, the only way she can come out of this is to adapt. After all, there are sides of Daedalus that don't seem entirely crazy, but the group's goals are frightening and the truths they speak even more disturbing. Who are the real bad guys? Daedalus? Mankind? Or the Luxen?
Together, they can face anything.
But the most dangerous foe has been there all along, and when the truths are exposed and the lies come crumbling down, which side will Daemon and Katy be standing on? And will they even be together?
Why I Chose This Book / What I Think So Far: Obviously, you already know I love this series. The ending of Opal left me wanting to rip my hair out and I so want to kick Blake's ass.. kind of like Katy is wanting to do at the spot I left off at. Will Daemon be able to get Katy out of the Daedelus compound? Or will he be trapped there too? So far I'm feeling all the feels for Katy's character. Seriously... Daedelus and Blake are trying to tell her they aren't the bad guys? As if!
I took a quick break from the Lux series to read and review Jordan Elizabeth's latest novel...
The Goat Children by Jordan Elizabeth
Blurb:
When Keziah’s grandmother, Oma, is diagnosed with dementia, Keziah faces two choices: leave her family and move to New Winchester to care for Oma, or stay in New York City and allow her grandmother to live in a nursing home miles away. The dementia causes Oma to be rude and paranoid, nothing like the woman Keziah remembers. Each day becomes a greater weight and love a harsher burden. Keziah must keep Oma from wandering off or falling, and try to convince her grandmother to see a doctor as her eyesight and hearing fail, but Oma refuses to believe anything is wrong. Resentful of her hardships in New Winchester, Keziah finds herself drawn to Oma’s ramblings about the Goat Children, a mythical warrior class. These fighters ride winged horses, locating people in need, while attempting to destroy evil in the world. Oma sees the Goat Children everywhere, and as Keziah reads the stories Oma wrote about them, she begins to question if they really exist.
What I Thought of This Book: I received a free copy of The Goat Children in exchange for an honest review.
Seventeen-year-old Keziah decides to leave New York City and move in with her grandmother after her grandmother is diagnosed with dementia. Gone is the woman that was Keziah's best friend as a child and in her place is the often cranky and confused new version of "Oma." Keziah tries her best to care for her grandmother while her parents and younger sister remain in the city. Her uncle Jan and his wife live nearby but Uncle Jan's wife wouldn't allow Keziah's grandmother to come live with them. Keziah tries balance returning to public school after many years of homeschooling, trying to make friends, and keeping up with Oma, who keeps mentioning a group called "the goat children." Who are the Goat Children? And why does Oma want to rejoin them? As Keziah tries to unravel the truth behind her grandmother's crazy stories she learns shocking things about her family, and herself.
This book touched me in a serious way. I was raised by my grandmother and homeschooled for the majority of high school. Now my grandmother has some health problems (physical, not memory-wise thankfully) and I can definitely relate to Keziah taking care of her grandmother without a supportive family to back her up. This story sucked me in, I couldn't put it down, and I really enjoyed learning about the goat children. The ending was a bit sad and reminded me of another one of Jordan Elizabeth's novels, Escape from Witchwood Hollow. Jordan Elizabeth is a fantastic storyteller and all of the books I've read by her so far are great. The Goat Children is a wonderful story that I think readers of any age, not just young adults, will really enjoy.My Rating: 4 of 5 Stars
