Natalina Reis's Blog, page 47
July 9, 2016
THE DARKNESS WITHIN
From Author Taylor Henderson
★★ THE DARKNESS WITHIN ★★
★ SYNOPSIS ★
The house next door holds a horrifying secret…
For as long as Claire Anderson can remember, the house next door to hers has been vacant. After the last owners passed away, the house fell into disrepair; practically unlivable conditions. She had even began to grow accustomed to the creepy little house next door.
But now the house holds a darkness with who’s living there and the secrets he has…
Her new neighbor, David Greer, is attractive, middle-aged, and friendly. At least, that’s what Claire’s mom, Jasmine, thinks, but Claire can’t ignore the bad vibe she gets from him. Maybe it’s because she’s not used to having a neighbor, or maybe it’s because her mom seems to have a thing for him. Then again, it could also be the strange looks he gives her when others aren’t looking. Claire isn’t one hundred percent sure what it is about him that gives her the creeps, but she sure as hell has to find out, and preferably before he gets too close to her and her mother.
Can Claire figure out what David is hiding behind the walls of his decrepit new home, or will she fall victim to the darkness within?
★ EXCERPT ★
Prologue
He readjusted the mask on his face as he walked closer to Holly’s shaking body. Her back was pressed flat against the wall and, despite the fact that her hands were tied behind her back; her feet were free of binds. When she saw that he was coming toward her, she began to kick her feet relentlessly; her mouth opened wide but only muffled sound came out.
Kneeling down in front of her, a smile stretched across his chapped lips. He held one hand behind his back, a knife gripped tightly in its clutches. He didn’t want her to see the knife yet. First, he was going to toy with her. He would be robbing himself of one of his favorite parts of the experience if he didn’t make her squirm first. He liked feeling like he was the one in control of his victim’s future. Because of him, they either lived or died. Some people might call it a God complex, but he called it self-assurance. It was his way of knowing that he mattered, and he knew that Natalie would be proud of him for taking initiative and doing what he loved. Toying with these girls the way he did, fueled his hunger, and made him feel. He was never as happy as he was when he was with his girls.
Holly turned her face away when his hand made contact with the skin of her cheek. He sighed as he brushed his fingers gently across the soft skin of her face, trailing down along her jawline to her chin, where he lifted her face to look at him. Her wide, green eyes stared back at him, a tear slipping from the corners before she closed them tight.
“You have nothing to fear,” he whispered, trying to gain her trust. He removed the gag from her mouth. It was merely a precaution while he was transporting her. Thanks to the country setting he chose this time, they were far from the nearest neighbors. In fact, she was the nearest neighbor, and the only person home was her sleeping little sister, whom she had been babysitting. “I won’t hurt you if you cooperate and do what I say.”
The only response that he received from her was a soft whimper.
“Look at me,” he demanded.
Holly flinched away from the harsh tone of his voice. A fat tear welled up in the corner of her eye and rolled down her pale cheek. Her throat was hoarse from the screaming she did earlier, but she still managed to choke out the word, “No.”
“Come on now, Holly. This won’t be any fun for me unless you play along.”
“Leave me alone,” she spat, enunciating every word while trying to turn her head away from him, but he only tightened his grip on her delicate face.
He clicked his tongue at her words. “Now, now. Open your eyes, or I’ll cut your eyelids off. That wouldn’t be any fun for you, now would it?”
She flinched at his words, but to his surprise, her eyes remained shut tight. “Screw you,” she growled through clenched teeth.
Sighing, he shook his head at the frail girl in front of him. “Either you open your eyes and speak to me, or I’ll go back to your house and see if that pretty little sister of yours will. What’s her name? Macy, is it?”
Shaking, her eyes stayed closed for a moment, thinking over his words. After about a minute of silence, she opened her eyes, glaring at him. “I will not be a part of your sick game. I know who you are.”
He tilted his head to the side, staring at her curiously. “You don’t say? What is it that you’ve heard?”
Holly’s glare deepened. “You murder girls for fun,” she spat angrily. “It’s like some sick game to you or something. You’re a monster,” she added; a new found courage, one that he would not allow, overcoming her.
Pulling his hand from behind his back, he pointed at himself with the tip of his knife as he asked, “Me? A monster?”
Her eyes widened at the sight of the knife, but she nodded nonetheless.
He curved his lips upwards into a sinister smile as he brought the knife up to her cheek, dragging it across her skin without actually cutting her. “I’m not going to kill you right now. I just want to play with you. If you do what I say, I might let you live.”
“You might?” she questioned; her voice shaking as she already knew the answer.
He nodded. “Life isn’t guaranteed, Holly.”
At his words, a noticeable shiver went through her. After a second, she whispered, “What happens if I don’t do what you say?”
Instantly he pushed the knife into her cheek, drawing blood and causing her to scream loudly. The piercing sound of her scream hit his ears like a fire alarm, and he yanked the knife away from her face, bringing the back of his free hand up and smacking her roughly. “Shut up!” He absolutely hated when they screamed. Sometimes it made him want to carve out their vocal cords.
Holly’s scream became raspy until she coughed a few times and closed her mouth. She bit down on her bottom lip, causing the skin there to turn a bright red.
“That’s better,” he sighed. Lifting his free hand again, he smiled at how she flinched away from him, but this time all he did was reach up and push her golden hair out of her face. She was just so perfect. He got chills just thinking about what happened next. “So, are you ready to have some fun?”
Despite what her mind was telling her to say, she nodded her head. Behind her back, her fingers were fumbling with the tight rope that was wrapped around her thin wrists, trying and failing to loosen it. The rope was so tight that the only thing she was accomplishing was rubbing the skin on her wrists raw whenever she moved her hands.
“Good.” He raised the knife up again, leaning toward her face with a determined glint in his dark eyes. A smile crossed onto his face as he pressed the tip of the knife into the skin of her forehead. His blood boiled and he grit his teeth as she let out a cry of pain, yet even her scream couldn’t take away his excitement as her crimson blood pooled from her wound. “You’re number six.”
★ ABOUT THE AUTHOR ★
Taylor Henderson is a psychology major at the University of Mary Washington who was born and raised in Northern Virginia. She has been an adamant reader and writer since she was young, and has always found solace in the worlds and characters that other authors have brought to life in their works. Taylor plans to continue writing, and hopes to expand to different genres in the future.
July 7, 2016
When Life Seems To Pass You By
I’ve been pretty depressed lately which makes me the person NOT to be around when you are trying to have fun. Even as I packed to go on a much deserved and wanted vacation, my mood was determined to ruin everything for me and my husband. On top of the depression there was the guilt that comes from realizing that you are unwillingly ruining things for those around you, as well.
You see, when you have the blues everything seems to fall apart. I have always been a believer and a practitioner in the power of positive thoughts. But this past year was so tough emotionally that I could feel the hold on the positive side of things slip away from me. Even the publishing of my first book could not take me out of my funk for long. In fact, in some ways it made it worse. The book sales have been abysmal enough to just make me want to quit my dream altogether. I think I have been so low, I have been emitting some kind of bad vibes to the world around me. I feel as if life is passing me by and I stand helpless against it.
Then there is this big world we live in where people can surprise you by being amazing or just horrifyingly cruel. The news are scary in more ways than one. There is so much hate talk on TV I wish I could convince my husband to just stop watching the news. The horror of what humans can do to other humans in the name of just about anything they can pull out of their delusional and morally skewed hat is terrifying and depressing.
Yesterday I woke up in tears and ended up going to bed in tears again. This morning I woke up and my first instinct was to turn around and go back to sleep. I dragged myself out of bed—mostly because my bladder was not taking no for an answer—and started my second day of vacation. I had decided that I was going to go to yoga this morning no matter how bad I felt. I even bought myself a new pair of yoga pants and a top considering I couldn’t use the one I brought (apparently my old yoga pants got depressed as well and gave up).
After I had a cup of coffee I did what I always do every morning. It’s my “business hour”, the time of the day I go through messages that came over night, swoon over the pretty book pictures on Instagram, and check (and clean) my inbox. I’m sweeping through all the Twitter notifications and other junky email when I see one from a publisher I queried to about a month ago. I brace myself for another rejection and I open it. Before I was even finished reading it, I was in tears. The good kind. They were offering me a contract for my second book (which happens to be one I really, really love). As if this was not enough, they sent me the nicest, most encouraging letter I have ever received from a publisher or an agent (and guys, I have been doing this for almost 30 years). The kindness in those words hit me hard.
In less than five minutes I went from “I want to drown myself in bed and never come up for air” to “Let’s go exercise and zip-lining” (not really! My husband will be doing that while I relax in the lazy river). The power of a handful of kind, encouraging words is truly amazing.
I apologize for this longish and rambling post. I think what I’m trying to say is don’t give up on your dream (even if it looks hopeless) and always be kind to others. Trust me, your kind words or actions can make a world of difference to someone who is not too thrilled to be alive at that moment. Pay it forward. One day you may be the one in need of those words.
Namaste.
Then Comes Love
by Lindsay Detwiler
Pennsylvanian author, Lindsay Detwiler, contemporary author of Voice of Innocence and Without You is set to release her third book, Then Comes Love. Detwiler’s new second-chance romance book follows three generations of women, who are at three very different stages in life, but manage to find love in the most unlikely places. This compelling story of love, loss, and family will take you on an emotional journey of self-discovery and trust after heartache. This story will leave its readers asking for more and may have them shed a tear or two.
In her first book release with Hot Tree Publishing, Then Comes Love, Ms. Detwiler brings to life vivid characters, who’ll become part of your family, and creates a gripping story, which will compel her readers to think about love and life in a completely different way. This story is filled with humor, but also a dose of reality.
The sequel to Then Comes Love called WHERE LOVE WENT, will be releasing with Hot Tree Publishing on August 13th.
Amazon US: http://amzn.com/B01CN52G24
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01CN52G24
Amazon AU: http://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B01CN52G24
Amazon CA: http://www.amazon.ca/dp/B01CN52G24
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id1090799670
Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/then-comes-love-4
ARe: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-thencomeslove-1996…
Nook: http://www.bn.com/w/1123496239
Three generations of women,
Three second loves,
All with a dose of chaos mixed in.
Sometimes in life, changes can be good…
After losing her husband, her five cats, and her home, Charlotte Noel hates feeling dependent. As Charlotte tries to find her identity in this new stage of life, she comes to realize that drama never ends, dance aerobics can be a war zone, and love is always a possibility.
You never know when a midlife crisis is going to strike…
Charlotte’s daughter, Annie, is going through struggles of her own. Recently divorced, she is feeling frumpy and worn-out. Run ragged, Annie mourns her youth and wonders where her life is headed, all while hoping she can help her daughter Amelia get it together.
Settling down can be overrated, especially when you’re falling for a rock star look-alike…
Amelia is the wild child of the family. Working three jobs, because she just hasn’t figured out what she wants in life, she realizes happiness isn’t always settling down with a steady, dependable man; sometimes it’s about following your true passion and living on the edge.
No matter what age you are, life and love can be crazy…
“I’ve been referring to Then Comes Love as the book I’ve always wanted to write. This book allowed me to explore the bond between women in the same family, which is something I can relate to. My mom has always been my best friend, and, before her death, my grandmother was also an important figure in my life. Although this book is fiction, the connection between Charlotte, Amelia, and Annie helped me reflect on my own relationship with the generations of women in my family. As I wrote in the dedication, I know my grandma could’ve been best friends with Charlotte. This book is a way for me to commemorate my bingo-loving, cat-loving grandma and the bond my mom and I have with her.”—Lindsay
About the Author: An English teacher, an author, and a fan of anything pink and/or glittery, Lindsay’s the English teacher cliché; she love cats, reading, Shakespeare, and Poe. She currently lives in her hometown with her husband, Chad (her junior high sweetheart); their cats, Arya, Amelia, Alice, Marjorie, and Bob; and their Mastiff, Henry.
Lindsay’s goal with her writing is to show the power of love and the beauty of life while also instilling a true sense of realism in her work. Some reviewers have noted that her books are not the “typical romance.” With her novels coming from a place of honesty, Lindsay examines the difficult questions, looks at the tough emotions, and paints the pictures that are sometimes difficult to look at. She wants her fiction to resonate with readers as realistic, poetic, and powerful.
Lindsay wants women readers to be able to say, “I see myself in that novel.” She wants to speak to the modern woman’s experience while also bringing a twist of something new and exciting. Her aim is for readers to say, “That could happen,” or “I feel like the characters are real.” That’s how she knows she’s done her job. Lindsay’s hope is that by becoming a published author, she can inspire some of her students and other aspiring writers to pursue their own passions. She wants them to see that any dream can be attained and publishing a novel isn’t out of the realm of possibility.
http://tinyletter.com/lindsayanndetwiler
www.facebook.com/lindsayanndetwiler
July 6, 2016
Tangled Up in You-Encore
Tangled Up In You
A.L. Vincent
Release Date: October 27, 2015
Publisher: Limitless Publishing
Purchase links: Available in Kindle Unlimited
Amazon US (eBook) – http://amzn.to/1Lw9AmN
PAPERBACK – http://amzn.to/1M0rxdz
Excerpt
Emily walked down the beach, away from Eddie, away from the disgusting things he said, away from the image of her sauce, red and ruined on the ground. She still shook with fury. Throwing the ring at him had not been enough. She wished she could’ve ground the ring into the ground and sprinkled him with the dust, like ashes. Heart pounding and chest heaving, she stared out at the water. She turned when she heard footsteps approaching. She turned and faced the water again when she saw it was Noah. “Emily?” His voice was soft. “He’s gone.”
She turned then. “How could he do this, Noah?”
“I don’t know.”
She said, “I’m entering that contest in New Orleans, and I’m getting the hell on with my life. I will figure out a way to open my own catering company. This is my time.”
“It’s about damn time,” he said finally.
She reached up, put her hands on each side of his face, and planted a kiss firmly on his lips. She grinned as his eyes widened in shock. “Let’s go get a drink. I think I want to celebrate.”
“Hold on just one second,” he said.
“What?”
He smiled at her, then took his fingers and rubbed something off her face. Emily looked to see the remnants of the spaghetti sauce on his fingers. “Oh my God! I had sauce all over my face? I probably looked like a raging lunatic!”
Noah stopped and kissed her on the lips. “You looked beautiful, Emily. Absolutely beautiful.”
About the author: A.L. Vincent is a teacher/writer who lives in the heart of Cajun Country. Born in Oklahoma, A.L. became fascinated with South Louisiana after reading Interview With the Vampire. Finally, she became a Cajun transplant in 2001. When not getting lost in a story line, A.L. can be found cooking or enjoying live local music. A.L. has one son, and a furball of a dog aptly named Furby.
Limitless Publishing: http://www.limitlesspublishing.net/authors/al-vincent/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ALVincentAuthor/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/soonergirl1975
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/12945977-a-l-vincent
#CoverReveal: Love, Always Anthology
Time is running out for the Mega Giveaway. Don’t delay. Enter the rafflecopter today[image error]
“Sometimes the line between love and lust is blurred by more than just blind infatuation.”
★★★COVER REVEAL★★★
Coming July 15th
Love, Always: An Anthology of Romantic Short Stories
Authors: S. Valentine, A. Gorman, Jennifer Loring, A.L. Vincent, Haley Allison, Jennifer Allis Provost, Michelle Jo Quinn, Debbie De Louise, Erin Lee, J.A. Kerr, Michael Ross, Natalina Reis, Lilly James, Alison Mello, Gabriela Cabezut, C.J. Laurence, Camille Taylor
Cover Design by Rock Your World Promotions
Stock Photo via Adobe Stock
★ SYNOPSIS ★
Sometimes the line between love and lust is blurred by more than just blind infatuation.
Love comes in many different forms, at different times, and in many ways. Each new relationship creates their own story as they risk everything and go along for the ride.
Love, Always is the perfect recipe for romance. Sixteen authors have created a collection of stories filled with desire ranging from…
View original post 80 more words
July 5, 2016
Coming Soon-Renegade
By Heather Dahlgren
Brooklyn Adler has the life she’s planned for. Job, house, boyfriend – in that order. It’s a boring, routine life were there are no surprises and nothing is spontaneous. It’s safe, it’s mundane and she’s fine with that. Crosby Fitzgerald, better known as Fitz from the band Renegade, has a life he never planned for. Popularity, women and success – not always in that order. Everything he does is spontaneous and exciting, because life is worth living to the fullest. A chance meeting with Brooklyn and Fitz begins to alter both of their worlds – ensuring neither will ever be the same.
#FitzForever #NextBookBoyfriend
Renegade by Heather Dahlgren
TBR: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30807521-renegade…
July 4, 2016
Fourth of July Giggles (or Chuckles)
A fellow writer posted a seriously amusing short piece on the NaNoWriMo facebook page and I just thought it was too good not to be shared. So with his kind permission, here it is (I gave it a title because I’m a little OCD about that–I hope you don’t mind):
A Fourth Re-Enactment
by Joseph Kennedy
“Kids, it’s July 4th. You know what to do.”
“Fill the bathtub, and dump the tea in there.”
“Yep. Let’s get on with it.”
“Dad, you know mom gets pissed when we do this.”
“Recognizing our heritage is important. I’ll make it up to her.”
“The tea party took place in December. How about we leave her the ginseng?”
“All the tea.”
“It’s from Korea!”
“Okay. But then we’re adding the English muffins. Run down to the kitchen and get them.”
“Mom’s in the Kitchen with your six pack of Samuel Smith’s, a bottle opener, and standing next to the sink. She said it’s your move.”
“Damn. Okay kids. The Tea party is off.”
“Dad, the founding fathers wouldn’t have given in so easily.”
“Sam Adams had his own brewery.”
The World Naked Bik http://ow.ly/lSEc301
The World Naked Bik http://ow.ly/lSEc301ThYG http://ow.ly/RFqb301ThZr e Ride book by Richard Foley @richardfoleyrfi
http://pub.rfi.net/world-naked-bike-ride
The World Naked Bike Ride is a global protest against oil dependency and urban pollution, promoting greater cycling safety on our roads, and encouraging body freedom for everyone. This book visually describes the environmental awareness event, the history of how it started, the people who take part, and the motivations behind this very public demonstration.
With a foreword by Conrad Schmidt.
Including 250 images
http://www.amazon.com/The-World-Naked-Bike-Ride/dp/0957243200 http://ow.ly/hxZ9301ThY0 http://ow.ly/i/kSplE http://ow.ly/i/kSplj http://ow.ly/i/kSpln http://ow.ly/i/kSplz
July 3, 2016
If You Say So
by Stephanie Allen
A Story of Love and Forgiveness
What happens when good girl Ruby meets lonesome, trouble maker Adam? Fireworks, of course. What started out as an innocent friendship quickly turned into the love of a lifetime. His growing rap sheet didn’t scare her away like her mother, the judge, hoped it would. Soon the line between true love and selfishness is blurred. Ruby had an ulterior motive for dating Adam, but did he have one for being with her?
Ruby finds out she’s pregnant the day that Adam takes a gun into his high school. Instead of staring at the tv waiting for news, she sneaks into the school determined to get answers. Adam’s suicide attempt failed when Ruby reached him just in time.
Now, ten years later Adam and Ruby come face to face again at his parole hearing. Will she be able to get the answers she desperately needs for their daughter? Or will the families of his twelve victims get their own version of justice?
The question everyone asks after a tragedy is “why?” If You Say So brings light to the issue and how medication plays a part in these events. The story expands past the mental illness defense and touches on how the medicine for these illnesses are not always the right choice.
Available for purchase on these sites:
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B01G5NTVB4
Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/if-you-say-so-1
My sites:
Blog: https://stephanieelizabethblog.wordpress.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stephanie.allen.75436531
July 1, 2016
Free- Alters by Erin Lee
Last chance to get Alters, Book One of the “Lola, Party of 8” series FREE!
FREE “sale” ends July 3!
Meet Lola and her seven zany alter egos:
A patient at the Rosewood Hospital for Mental Wellness, Lola struggles to cope with Dissociative Identity Disorder—or as she calls the many egos, alters.
Their names are Maria, Tim, Clare, Zoe, Frog, Rabbit, and Samantha—all ranging in age, gender, and with wildly different personalities. But with five women and two men battling to live their lives through Lola, it’s only a matter of time before someone wins…
Therapy sessions threaten the survival of the group…
With the help of Lola’s therapist, she’s able to better understand the many personalities living in her head. They are like life-long friends, and their presence is all Lola has ever known. Without them, she’d be in this big world all by herself, and that is even more paralyzing than the alternative her doctor has suggested—merge all seven personalities into one, dominant Lola.
Fifty-one years is long enough…
With release from the hospital coming up fast, Lola’s alters scramble to prevent being erased. But after fifty-one years of hosting their lives while struggling for her own—when will it be her turn to live? Lola has to consider life outside of the institution. Friends, a job, and maybe even romance—how will she function with so many people making choices for her?
As her first act of independence, Lola must decide. Will she live the rest of her life as herself, or as Lola, party of eight?
***
Alters (Lola, Party of Eight Series Book 1)
by Erin Lee
Link: https://amzn.com/B01CZ1JP8Y
When you’re done with Alters, check out Host, book two in the series:
And stay tuned for Merge, the final book in the series, releasing in November!
