K.C. Sprayberry's Blog, page 175

Evil Eyes Release Week - Stalkers in College!

Welcome to Stalker week on Out of Control Characters. Each day, we will feature stories from those who have experienced this terror, or opinions on the problem of stalking. Also, there will be a blog tour going on, that you can keep up with here:  K.C. Sprayberry on Facebook


http://bookgoodies.com/a/B00J1QC3V8
Goodreads  

This particular theme is to announce the release of my latest book, Evil Eyes, on March 17.
The people sharing these stories wish to remain anonymous, and I can understand why. So we're only identifying them by one central theme in the tale.
~*~
The College Experience:
My freshman year of college, I stayed around on a long weekend, too broke to go home. A few friends of mine ended up partying with other random people left behind on the weekend. After a few too many drinks, I left the bonfire to go to the bathroom. Upon entering, one of the guys I knew from another floor of my dorm followed me in, throwing me up against the wall and kissing me, pawing my body…all before I could comprehend what was happening. I pushed him away and staggered off, too confused to know what to do. This guy continued to follow me, coming to my dorm room at odd hours, especially when he knew my roommate was gone. He would plead for me to be his girlfriend, and stand at the door telling me he knew I was in there…to let him in the room. I would huddle in the dark, stiff as a board until he would go away. Eventually, I got so nervous I would run into him, I started calling friends to escort me to the girls’ bathroom on my floor, afraid he would corner me again. I was never brave enough to stand up to him or tell anyone how I was feeling. After a couple of weeks, he moved on to someone else, and stopped coming to my floor altogether. Now that I am older, I wished I would have handled things differently, but the power of a stalker is intimidating to a young girl, and it’s amazing what you let happen, trying to make excuses for the behaviors. I always turned the blame on myself, a common mistake. I have a ten year old daughter now, and I am going to tell her my mistakes, so hopefully she never has to go through the same thing herself.
~*~


Author Bio:
KC Sprayberry started writing young, first as a diarist, and later through an interest in English and creative writing. Her first experience with publication came when she placed third in The Freedoms Foundation at Valley Forge contest while in the Air Force, but her dedication to writing came after she had her youngest child, now in his senior year of high school.Her family lives in Northwest Georgia where she spends her days creating stories about life in the south, and far beyond. More than a dozen of her short stories have appeared in several magazines. Five anthologies feature other short stories. She has three books that are Amazon best sellers: Softly Say Goodbye, Who Am I?, and Mama's Advice. Her other novels available are: Take Chances, The Ghost Catcher, Family Curse … Times Two, Secret From The Flames, Where U @, The Wrong One, Pony Dreams, and Grace.
Twitter Website 

Blurb:
Lisa is so ready for a break from the grueling first semester of college. Along with five other friends, she returns to Landry, and hopes to have nothing but fun. Within days, one of the group is the victim of a vindictive stalker, and Lisa herself is now in the man's sights. No matter what she does, she can't shake this person.Fred has a little problem, but he figures he can take care of it himself, if he achieves fame with his folk rock band, Olney-Oak Lane Sounds. Then he happens to see this beautiful woman, who turns out to be just like every other woman he's met. He takes care of her, and is immediately drawn to Lisa. No one will get between Fred and Lisa, absolutely no one.On Christmas Eve, Lisa has to fight for her life and sanity after Fred kidnaps her. She turns out to be very different from the other women, in a way he never figured.

Excerpt:
A man stands inches from her. She didn't hear him coming. Christine cups her burgeoning belly, fear drying her tongue to the roof of her mouth. "Whore!" The man points at her belly. "We had a committed relationship, and you screwed another man. There's the evidence right in front of my eyes. You're nothing but a whore." His eyes scare the life out of her. They're dead, soulless, compelling. She can't move, no matter how much she wants to. Tears wash her face. She's trapped, with nowhere to turn, but to dive into the lake and try to swim before the freezing water paralyzes her muscles. That would mean endangering her baby. She can't move, can't put this little life in so much danger. Yet, she's in danger from this man approaching her step by step.

Spotlight and Review: Uncovering You

Title - Uncovering You
Author: Scarlett EdwardsGenre - Dark RomanceRelease Date - March 27th, 2014Cover Reveal - February 18th, 2014Series - first book in series.  Second will be out April 20th, 2014.
Synopsis-When I wake up in a dark, unfamiliar room, I have no idea what's waiting for me in the shadows. My imagination conjures up demons of the worst kind.
Reality is much worse:
A collar with no leash. A prison with no walls. And a life stripped of meaning.
I am presented with a vile contract and asked to sign. It outlines the terms of my servitude. The only information I have about my captor are the two small letters inked at the bottom:
J.S.
Armed with only my memories, I must do everything I can to avoid becoming ensnared in his twisted mind games. But in the end, it all comes down to one choice:
Resist and die.
Or submit, and sign my life away
GoodReads Link:http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20512700-uncovering-you

Excerpt:“Lilly.”Oh God. It’s him. There’s no mistaking that rich, masculine treble.What’s he doing down here?“M-Mr. Stonehart,” I stutter, turning. I curse my inability to hide my surprise. He totally caught me off-guard. I have to look up to meet his eyes. Then up some more.The face that I find is so striking it should belong to a Greek god.He’s younger than I expected. Late thirties, maybe early forties.That means he started his company when he was younger than me!Dark scruff lines his angular cheeks. His jet-black hair is styled in long, natural waves. My fingers itch to run through it.Totally inappropriate.He has a prominent nose that might be too big on a less imposing man, but on him, it’s perfect.In short, he’s a package of the purest masculinity I’ve ever seen.And then there are his eyes. Oh my God. His eyes. They pierce into me like honing missiles. They are the deepest black I have ever seen. They would be frightening if they weren’t so beautiful. When the light reflects a certain way, you catch a glimpse of the purple underneath.They are like midnight sapphires. His eyes reveal a cunning intellect. Those eyes do not miss a thing.Add all that to his towering height, his wide shoulders, his confident-yet-at-ease posture… and Stonehart cuts an intimidating figure.My gaze darts to his left hand before I can stop it. No ring. He’s unmarried.He looks down at me, expectantly. His eyes narrow ever so slightly, and I feel like I’m being dissected, measured up, and tucked away in some small corner of his brain. I imagine this is what a gemstone feels like under the magnifying class of the most critical appraiser.Stonehart clears his throat. I come to with a start, realizing I haven’t said anything in ages. I open my mouth, but the capacity for speech seems like a foreign concept to my brain. “I—”Somebody bumps into me from behind. I stagger forward. I’m not used to these shoes, so my heel steps the wrong way. My ankle twists under me, and I start to fall.I don’t fall far. The hand still on my elbow tightens, and Stonehart pulls me into him.I plaster myself onto the solid steel wall the man has for a body. I catch a scent of his cologne. It’s a deep, musky smell with a hint of charred spruce that is all male. It scrambles my thoughts even more.“Sorry!” a rushed voice calls out. From the corner of my eye, I see the postman giving a hurried, apologetic wave.Although the sequence lasts less than a second, it feels like an eternity. Pressed up against him like that, I don’t want to move. I know that I couldn’t have made a worse first impression.Stonehart eases me off him with a firm yet gentle grip. Our eyes meet. I flush the most vibrant red. His fingers graze my forehead as he brushes a lock of hair out of my face.Any tenderness I may have imagined vanishes when Stonehart takes out his cell. He long dials a key and growls an order. “Steven. See the delivery boy leaving right now? Have his building pass revoked.”I gape. Stonehart keeps speaking. “Wait. I thought of one better. Bar his company from accessing the building.” There’s a pause. “For how long? Indefinitely. FedEx can talk to me when they have an improved employee selection program in place.”The phone call gives me just enough time to compose myself. My heart’s still beating out of my chest. But nobody has to know that.I speak without thinking. “You’re going to restrict the entire company from serving this building because of that?”Stonehart humors me with an answer. “A company’s employees are its most important asset. Their behavior reflects the organization as a whole. If FedEx decided that clown is good enough for them, it tells me they’re sloppy. I do not do business with sloppy organizations.”“What about the other tenants in the building?” I ask. “Won’t that piss them off?”When I hear myself and realize how improper my question is, my cheeks flame red again.Stonehart’s eyes darken, as if he cannot believe I asked that question. I open my mouth to apologize for my imprudence, hating the way my professional skills have evaporated into thin air. I’m cut off by a short, barked laugh.“Miss Ryder.” He sounds amused. “I believe that is the most direct and honest question anybody has dared ask me in weeks.” He takes my elbow again and leads me to the elevators. I have to take two quick steps to match one of his long strides.“Yes,” he continues. “They will be ‘pissed off.’ But the perk of owning a building—” he hits the elevator call button, “—is that you get to make executive decisions.” He gives me an unreadable glance as the doors open. “That is, at the risk of being questioned by inexperienced interns.”If that isn’t a loaded remark, I don’t know what is. I flush scarlet red for the third time since I’ve met him. I’ve never had a man throw me so off balance.The elevator is packed, for which I’m infinitely thankful. The trip up will give me some time to properlycompose myself.Gratitude turns to panic when the crowd files out, meek as mice, when Stonehart steps in. None of the people waiting in the lobby follow us.The doors close. I’m alone in here with him. My heart’s beating as fast as a hummingbird’s wings.He catches me staring. “Impressed?” he asks.“They know you,” I manage.His dark eyes flash with amusement. “Astute.”Chapter OneOctober 2013. Date unknown.(Present day)
A faint hiss, like the sound of an angry cat, jars me from my sleep.I open my eyes to pure blackness. I blink, trying to get my bearings. A vague memory forms in the back of my mind, too far away to reach.Why can’t I see anything?My breath hitches. Panic rips through my body as the horrifying answer comes to me:I’m blind!I scramble onto hands and knees and desperately claw at the dark, searching for something, anything, for my senses to latch onto.A dim overhead light comes on.Relief swells inside.I plop back on my butt and close my eyes, taking deep breaths to dispel the rush of adrenaline released by my body. When my heart’s not beating quite so fast, I open my eyes again.The light’s gotten brighter. I look up at the source. It’s far above me, like a dull, miniature sun. It spreads a little sphere around me, maybe ten feet in diameter. Past that, everything is swallowed by darkness.An irksome memory keeps gnawing at me. But my head is too heavy to remember. I feel… strange. Kind of like I’m hung over, but without the telltale pounding between my ears.Cautiously, I try to stand. My limbs are slow to react. They feel heavy, too, like they’ve been dipped in wet clay. I steady myself. Only when I’m satisfied that my knees won’t give out, do I strain my ears for that hissing sound again.It’s coming from somewhere behind me. I turn back—and nearly smash my head on a gleaming white pillar.What the hell?The sound is forgotten as I reach out and brush tentative fingers against the pillar’s surface. It’s cool to the touch. Smooth, too. I put my other hand on it. If I had to guess, I’d say it was made of marble. But what is a lone, white marble pillar doing in the middle of this room?The memory is like a gong going off inside my head. But trying to reach it is like grasping at a smooth, slippery stone at the bottom of an aquarium. Just when I think I have it, it slips through my fingers and falls even farther out of reach.I walk a slow, measured circle around the pillar. If I tried wrapping my arms around it, I doubt if I could even span half the circumference. Something far in the back of my mind tells me I should be alarmed. I look behind me and frown. By what? A dark room?No, you idiot. By the reason you’re here!My eyes widen. The reason I’m here? I don’t… I don’t remember.I wince and bring one hand to my temple. Why am I having so much trouble remembering?I gasp as a second gruesome thought hits me. Did I lose my memory? Do I have… amnesia?I sink down with my back to the pillar. Desperation starts to take over. I hold my head between my knees and close my eyes to focus.My name is Lilly Ryder. I was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on May 17th, 1990.My eyes pop open. Joyous tears form in the corners. I do remember! I take a deep breath and try to keep going.I was raised by my mom. I do not know my dad…Suddenly, all my childhood memories come streaming back. Moving around as a kid. Never staying in one place longer than six months. All the cities I’ve lived in. All the apartments my mom and I called home. Even the revolving door of her boyfriends. There was Dave, and Matthew. Tom, and Steve. There was…I shake my head to stop myself. I don’t doubt my memory anymore. But that still does not explain why I have absolutely no recollection of this place, or how I got here.I push myself back up. The spotlight above me has gotten progressively brighter. The little enclosure of light doesn’t feel quite so tight anymore. I trail my eyes up the length of the pillar. I can’t see where it ends because of the light. But I can tell it’s tall, at least twenty, maybe twenty-five feet…There’s also something about its surface that calls out to me. My hands itch to run over the smooth stone. A giggle bubbles up as I picture myself stroking it. The column is quite phallic.I waver at the unfamiliar thought and have to catch my balance against the beam.Focus, Lilly! I chide myself.I have no idea where that thought came from. I have never been overtly sexual.Nothing feels right. The fog that’s heavy on my mind is starting to lift, but not yet enough for me to understand—or remember—where the hell I am. This place is unfamiliar. I know that much. But right now, I feel almost like a surgery patient whose anesthetic kinked out: fully awake mentally, but completely impaired physically.I go back to my memories. I can remember high school. I remember college. That’s where I spent the last three years of my life, isn’t it? Yes. Yes, it is.“Hello?” I call out. My voice echoes into the surrounding gloom. “Is anybody there?”I wait for an answer. All I get is the hollow repetition of my own voice.…anybody there, there, there…I spent the last three years in college… but that’s not where I think I am right now. No. I shake my head. I knowthat’s not where I am. My memories are fuzzier the closer I bring them to today. Time feels… skewed. Freshman year’s easy to remember. So is sophomore, and most of junior… but things get weird toward the end.I… finished junior year, didn’t I? Yes. Yes, I did. And then…And then I took an internship in distant California for the summer, I remember with another gasp.Suddenly, my mind is crystal clear. That pressing memory hurtles into view. It’s from yesterday. The last thing I recall, I was alone in a booth at an upscale restaurant. The waiter brought me a glass of wine. I took a few sips, contemplating my future….Oh, God! Fear wraps a stranglehold around my neck.The restaurant. The wine.I’ve been drugged!I can’t breathe. A suppressing tightness constricts my throat. I feel dizzy, and terrified, and most of all… ashamed.Holy shit, Lilly, way to look out for yourself! My semi-mad inner dialogue pans with a generous dollop of sarcasm.I’ve always known about the dangers of sick men preying on unsuspecting girls. I just never thought I’d fall victim to it.I’ve been on my own since I turned eighteen, after the final falling out with my mother. I’ve always been proud of how well I managed. Even the shabby holes I’ve lived in while saving up college tuition were an improvement over living with her and all her low-life boyfriends. At least there, I had autonomy.I’ve dealt with landlords selling crack on the side and the junkies they attract. Always, I’ve been known as independent, and strong—maybe offputtingly so. But, those were the character traits I had to develop to have any chance of getting ahead.And all that lead to what? To this? To letting my guard down for one night and ending up… here?Wherever “here” is, I think to myself.The shock of the revelation has subsided a bit. I push off from the pillar. I can figure this out. I take a deep breath and look at my hands and feet. I am not bound. I pick at my clothes. They are the same ones I wore last night.Do you know what might be lurking in the darkness?I shove the meddlesome voice down. I don’t need more worries. Not now.Carefully, I place one foot in front of the other and edge to the outer reaches of the light. The strange hissing noise has gone away. I don’t know when that happened. Maybe it was in my head the entire time.I strain my eyes, trying to pierce the surrounding darkness. It’s impossible. I reach out with one hand and find nothing but air. This far from the pillar, I can barely see my outstretched hand.“Hello?” I try again. “Who’s there?”There’s no answer.What kind of madman would do something like this? I wonder. What is hidden in the shadows?Without warning, my imagination starts to run wild. Torture devices? Bondage equipment? Something… worse?Snap out of it! I tell myself firmly.I refuse to give in to despair, even if my entire self-preservation mechanism is on high alert. Despair is what whoever brought me here wants me to feel.I will not succumb to that.I look down at the floor. It is made of some expensive stone. I kneel down and brush my hand over the large, square tiles. They feel solid. Sturdy. They don’t belong in a dingy basement or a dirty warehouse.Somehow, that thought strengthens me. Things aren’t quite as bad as they could be.I stand up and peer into the black. I glance back at the safety of my pillar. If I venture past the light, I can always find my way back.Go slow, I warn myself. Who knows what might be waiting for me out there?I’ve seen the horror movies. Just because I don’t get the dungeon vibes here does not mean I’m not in one.Haltingly, my foot reaches past the edge.A thousand bright lights flood the room. I gasp and shy back, shielding my eyes on instinct.After a few seconds, I lower my arm, blinking through the sharp pain that shoots through my head. I can almost groan. Light sensitivity, too?Then I see the room.Holy shit.It’s huge. Massive. It must be at least five thousand square feet of pristine, flat space. I’m smack dab in the middle of it all.The lights come from embedded ceiling lamps high overhead. Three of the walls, far away from me, are decorated with black and white abstract paintings created in bold brush strokes. The fourth wall is shielded by a heavy red curtain. The entire floor is made of rich, creamy white tiles reminiscent of steamed milk.The ceiling is so high above me I almost feel like I’m in a cathedral. It’s made of exquisite dark oak beams.But this is no church.I do a slow turn. Something about this is all wrong.So wrong.Why am I here? What is behind the curtain? Other than the massive pillar and the paintings, there is nothing in the room.If I’m being kept prisoner, why am I unbound? Why waste so much space on me?I cup my hands around my mouth and yell.“HEY! Anybody? Where am I?”As before, I’m greeted with silence.I take one more careful look around. If I got in, there must be a way out.My eyes dart to the curtain.Behind there.I start toward it, my bare feet making determined slaps against the cold floor. I’ve not even gone ten paces toward it when I feel a small tug on my ankle.I stop and look down. I discover a thread, so thin it’s almost translucent, tied loosely around my foot. The other end is attached to the base of the pillar.I bend down and finger it.What on earth is this?The thread looks like it should snap with the smallest amount of force. I wrap my hands around it and tug.It doesn’t give.I frown, and apply a little more effort.This time, it breaks in a clean cut.I shake my head as I straighten.Strange.I half-expected something to happen when I did that. Alarms to blare, the lights to go off, something.Nothing.That’s when I notice a small white envelope leaning against the pillar. It’s right where the thread connects. In fact, it blends so well with the marble that I’m sure I would have missed it were it not for the string.Exploration forgotten for now, I pick up the envelope. Maybe it will give some clue about what the fuck is going on.It’s made of heavy paper. A wax stamp seals it, imprinted with a two-faced drama mask that I would find unnerving no matter where I saw it.The only time I saw a wax-sealed envelope was when my ex got tapped by the Spade and Grave at Yale. I can understand the need for antiquity in New Haven. It makes no sense here.My finger slips under the flap. I carefully ease it open. A foreboding sense of doom swirls around me as I pull the folded letter out.I stare at it for a long minute. This is all so surreal. It feels like being caught in a bad dream. Once, I play myself right into my captor’s hands.My natural inclination to resist, to fight back, tells me to tear the paper up without another glance. But that would be madness. The only clue I have to my whereabouts might be contained inside.My thirst for information gets the better of me. I sit on the floor, cross my legs, and slowly unfold the paper.It’s handwritten in swift, flowing blue ink. The rows of words make perfect strides across the page. Precision is the first word that comes to mind to describe the owner of the handwriting.I set the sheet on the floor in front of me, lean forward and begin to read:
Two items require your immediate attention. 1.   You may spuriously assume you are being held here against your will. Nothing could be farther from the truth. You are a guest. As a guest, you retain full ability to leave my home at any time. The door behind the drapes shall remain open for the duration of your stay. There are no physical barriers to speak of—though I would advise you to read to the end of this letter before making decisions based on a flawed understanding of your situation. 2.   You may have already noted the new adornment around your neck. If so, well done! I applaud—
Adornment? I stop reading. What adornment?I bring my hands to my neck. I feel the unfamiliar shape against my skin. Why hadn’t I noticed it before?I scamper closer to the marble pillar to try to make out my reflection. I can’t see much, but I can make out the “adornment”. There’s a black collar around my throat. I touch it with one hand.It’s smooth and flat. It’s made of some kind of matted plastic, like the edges of a computer screen. It’s not tight or uncomfortable.It frightens me. If it warranted a place in the letter, there must be something to it. I need to get it off.My fingers dart around the edges, seeking the clasp that opens it.I don’t find one.The collar is smooth inside and out. It feels like a single piece of plastic. I trail one finger around the rim on the inside, and, finding no discrepancies, do the same on the outside. Again, I feel nothing.There’s no crack, no edge, nothing to indicate how it was put around my neck.I jam all my fingers between my skin and the plastic and pull with all my might. The collar flexes ever-so-slightly but doesn’t give.Dammit! I cry out and try again.I pull with all the strength God gave me. It’s not enough. I try again, and again, and again.Nothing.I realize I’m panting at this point. The exertion has me almost hyperventilating.I drop my hands. It’s just a stupid, harmless little piece of plastic. Why do I want it off so much?Because the idea of having anything foreign touch your skin is repulsive.The voice is right, as always. But what can I do? The collar is bound to be part of the mind game in which I’m an unwitting participant. Reacting the way I just did is probably exactly what my captor wants. He—and I am certain it’s a “he” now, from the wording of the letter—wants me to feel terrified.I will not give him the pleasure. I return to the letter and continue to read:…applaud your perspicacity! You should know, however, that it is not an ordinary collar. Contained inside is a small positioning chip and two electrodes. They become activated the moment you stray outside your designated safe zone.The string around your foot offers a conservative estimation of the distance you may roam past the marble column. Stay close, and you will remain untroubled. I am told that the electric shock the collar provides, while not lethal, can be quite unpleasant.
Holy fuck!My spine goes absolutely straight and I forget to breathe. Now the collar has meaning. It feels like a live serpent wrapped around my neck.My eyes are wide as I look down to my foot. The piece of string is still there, but it’s not connected to the one linked to the pillar.I’d ripped it like a moron.How far do I dare go? I’ll have to retie the string—unless I find a way to get the collar off my neck, first.Another thought occurs to me:Maybe this is a bluff? Does the collar really have an electrode in it? It’s so thin. Where would it draw power from?I stand up. Assuming the collar is rigged, and the pillar is the center point… but that’s just what he wants me to believe, isn’t it? The letter claims there’s a door behind the drapes. It could be my path to freedom. I would have to be an idiot to stay here without testing the boundary myself.I can’t trust anything the letter says. But, I can’t give in to despair, either. My only choice is to contest everything that’s thrown at me. If this is supposed to be a battle of the wills, the guy chose the wrong girl to mess with.I pick up the remainder of the string and hold it in my fist. I square my shoulders to the long, drawn curtain. I hold my head high. My free hand itches to tug at the collar, but I keep it still. If my captor is watching me—which I’m sure he is, because I’m positive there are cameras hidden all around me—I will not give him the satisfaction of seeing me hesitate.I take a deep breath and start toward the curtained wall. My strides are strong and purposeful. I will not waver. I will not turn back. Fear of a little shock will not keep me from testing the true limits of this prison.The string goes taut, and I stop.So far, so good.It’s the next few steps that will determine everything.I glance at the floor to mark my position. So, he expects to keep me in an invisible cage, does he? A cage of my own imagination?Yeah, tough luck.I drop the string and take one solid step forward.Nothing happens.I risk one more.Nothing happens.The corner of my lip twitches up in a hint of a smile. I called his bluff. But, I’m not home free yet. The veiled wall is another thirty-odd paces away from me.I take two more steps forward, and, when nothing happens, start to walk more briskly.My stroll is cut short by a sharp little zap beneath my left ear.I tense and wait for more.Well, color me surprised.It looks like the collar does have bite, after all. When a second jolt doesn’t come, I can’t stop my smile from becoming a satisfied smirk. I knew the collar couldn’t possible have enough juice to hurt me. Where would the battery go?Extremely pleased with myself, I venture onward, toward the curtain and its promise of freedom.The violent torrent of electricity blindsides me. One second I’m on my feet, the next I’m writhing on the floor.The current pours into me. I thrash about like a grounded fish. Fierce convulsions rock my body. And all I know is pain, pain, pain.I can feel the source of it, snug around my neck. I’m helpless to fight the onslaught. My head flails about on the ground, throwing hair into my face. A high-pitched squeal sounds in my ears and I desperately hope that pathetic sound is not me.My eyes roll up and all goes black. About the AuthorI’m Scarlett Edwards. I wrote my first book as a college sophomore. After six months of edits, it made its debut as Yours to Savor. 
That was at the start of 2013. I’ve written more books since then. You can find them all here. 
It’s funny how quickly life changes. I used to think I’d need a degree to get a “Real Job.” Then I wrote a few books, they got somewhat popular, and now I’m living the life as a full-time romance author. 
Thanks to all my readers for making my dreams come true! 
Stalker Linkswww.scarlettedwards.comhttps://www.facebook.com/Author.Scarlett.Edwardshttps://www.goodreads.com/ScarlettEdwards 
Giveaway Details10 Uncovering You audiobooks20 - Signed paperbacks of Uncovering You50 - Digital copies of all of Scarlett's books (Change of Heart, Change of Heart Part 2, Never Let Go, Yours to Savor, Uncovering You) a Rafflecopter giveaway
Review:

Lilly Ryder is an ordinary college student at Yale. She's over her head in student loans, one more year until she graduates, and gets an internship to die for. Due to promises made, she takes a leave of absence from Yale, only to have the internship yanked out from under her two weeks after school starts, and Yale doesn't allow students to start late. What's she to do?Scarlett Edwards has an inimical style that grabs the reader by the throat, and she doesn't release you for a second. I literally couldn't stop reading this book once I started it. With bated breath, I enjoyed the switch from Lilly's present to her past, done so seamlessly as to make each an integral part of the story. Each section, whether musing on the past, dealing with a present she wants no part of, or trying to determine how to get out of a terrible situation, Lilly never loses sight of who she is – a woman who has always gone after a goal with a take no prisoners attitude.Uncovering You is extremely visual, but Edwards doesn't overdo description. Instead, the minimal description lets the reader insert their own visual of what's happening, where, and why. I found this story captivating and a thriller to keep on my shelf. The characters were well-crafted to the point where you either liked or hated them from the instant they entered the scene. The situations Lilly finds herself in speaks to the heart.I highly recommend Uncovering You for all readers who enjoy psychological thrillers. 

Blog Tour organized by:    

Clinging to Rapture Cover Reveal

Clinging to Rapture
Rapture: Book 2
Author: Megan D. Martin
Publication date: April 25, 2014
New Adult Erotic Romance

Goodreads link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20703324-clinging-to-rapture

Blurb:

“I let you walk away, Julia. I let you go, but I can still take you back if I want.”

Four months ago I ran away. I left him behind. The man who stalked me, took control of my body, and claimed he loved me.

Now he’s returned. Like dripping razor blades, he has slashed his way back into my life. But everything is different.

He doesn’t want me anymore.

I expected him to come back, to be sorry. I even planned to forgive him. I should have known that he would discard me like everyone else in my life. But I’m going to change that.

My billionaire stalker has come to say goodbye…only this time I plan to keep him.



About the AuthorMegan D. Martin is a multi-published author, mother, student and editor. In her spare time she enjoys decorating her house with strange things that do not match, playing her old school Nintendo Entertainment System, and buying fish for her many fish tanks.

Website: http://www.megandmartin.com/
Blog: http://www.MeganDMartin.blogspot.comFacebook: http://www.facebook.com/authormegandmartinTwitter: http://www.twitter.com/Megan_D_MartinGoodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6656963.Megan_D_MartinGoogle+: https://plus.google.com/115096823539939478098/posts
 Cover Reveal organized by:    

Underage Drinking and Young Adults

Many people have asked me what experience I have that makes me someone to write a novel about underage drinking. Very good question, and I have to admit that I'm no saint in that department. Most adults will admit they too had experiments with that during a youth that, for my generation, was as turbulent as what current teens face.


The late sixties to the early seventies saw a lot of social change in this country, a lot of uncertainty of what the world would turn out like. To say your parents or grandparents, or even great-grandparents don't understand about this issue isn't totally true. We actually do, even if we chuckle when saying, "Sure, I had a drink or two as a teen, but not all that much."


The internet, with its twenty-four hour, seven day a week instant access to information didn't exist during our time. All we knew was there might or might not have been a group of teens that hid in one area of town to consume bottles of Boone's Farm Strawberry Hill wine, or some other currently popular alcoholic beverage, usually grabbed from a parent's stash. A lot of us snuck sips of a booze-laden soft drink, all the while expecting the strong arm of the law to discover us.


That's why it's so hard to say now – "Don't do this. It's wrong. You can ruin your life forever."


I can see those eye rolls from teens. Ruin your life – is she kidding? Nope, she's not kidding. The consequences of being caught at a drinking party if you're underage are far more severe than ever. No longer do the police contact your parents to come and get you. Your next ride is in the back of one of those patrol cars – straight to jail. You get a picture that you'll regret for years. Your fingerprints are attached to a record that will haunt you as you apply for colleges or jobs. Your future career might be affected so badly that you will have to give up your dreams.


Those are the external consequences; the ones that will frustrate you beyond reason. As your parents, we can empathize with your situation. You've seen your parents starting over as careers they depended on until retirement are disappearing, and they must begin anew, often in a field where they are a clueless as a recent college graduate. It's no fun to lose something you always wanted to do, so imagine that happening all because you went to a party and had a few beers.


"But it's just a few beers," you say. "You're not twenty-one, it's not legal," I counter.


Therein lies the problem. Booze is forbidden fruit, and every teen in creation at some point reaches for the unattainable. Just remember, this forbidden fruit has far worse consequences than the fabled apple that Eve gave to Adam. Think before you join with the crowd. Make your own crowd, prove you are ready to wait until you're old enough to drink alcohol sensibly.


Bio: KC Sprayberry started writing young, first as a diarist, and later through an interest in English and creative writing. Her first experience with publication came when she placed third in The Freedoms Foundation at Valley Forge contest while in the Air Force, but her dedication to writing came after she had her youngest child, now in his senior year of high school. Her family lives in Northwest Georgia where she spends her days creating stories about life in the south, and far beyond. More than a dozen of her short stories have appeared in several magazines. Five anthologies feature other short stories. She has four books that are Amazon best sellers: Softly Say Goodbye, Who Am I?, Mama's Advice, and Canoples Investigations Tackles Space Pirates. Her other available novels are: Take Chances, The Ghost Catcher, Family Curse … Times Two, and Secret From The Flames.
Amazon



 Facebook Twitter Website Goodreads 

Southern Belles – Too Many Expectations

Delilah in An Ordinary House spurns the affections of a suitor when he presents her with family jewels to pledge his troth. Little does this Southern Belle realize that her scornful rejection will almost bring about the ruination of two families.


Just why did Delilah reject the young man desiring to make her his wife? His ancestry of course. He was French Creole, and she knew she would be ruined in society if she married someone with tainted blood.
Now, before everyone blows all ballistic, this was the era in which Delilah lived. She was brought up as a Southern Belle. Expectations for her were high. She might have donned pantelettes, corset, hoop skirt, a wide-brimmed straw hat, and gloves no matter what time of year it was, but she had to make sure the sun didn't tan her skin for fear of being thought part of the working class.


A Southern Belle was taught from the cradle that she had only one job. It was her duty to her family to find a respectable young man, and he must come from a good family without any taint whatsoever. All this was to accomplish the goal of being a good wife to her husband, to appear in polite society, and maintain a home others spoke of in envy. Most of these young women worked far harder than anyone else in their home, but had to appear as if they had just finished powdering their nose and thought of nothing more serious than what she'd serve at an afternoon tea.


Being one of these delicate flowers of the south required the strength of Hercules, the wisdom of Solomon, and the craftiness of a military general planning a major battle. These young women couldn't display too much intelligence, nor could they protest their lot in life. They accomplished what was expected of them for only one reason – to gain acceptance by society and their families.


Blurb: A curse brought about by a shallow, bigoted ancestor for refusing the hand of a French Creole man in 1838, and then keeping his ring haunts Kylie Swanson. To enable her family to gain access to the ancestral home, Kylie must find the ring, as no Swanson woman can enter without being caught between the living and non-living. But Kylie is busy with an annual festival, and can't think of anything else, until someone entices her mama to go inside Delilah's House. Now, Kylie, and her guy, Michel, must find the ring, so she can return it to him, as he is one of the last of Henri DuBlucet's ancestors. Can Kylie do this, and all else expected of her, before the sun sets and her mama is doomed to stay in the house until another member of her family steps forth and vows to break the curse.


Excerpt: What appeared to be a perfectly ordinary house sat beside a hard-packed dirt road in Landry, Georgia. The home was in the current antebellum style, the modern columns sparkling white in the bright sunlight. A beautiful young woman of eighteen years provided passersby with a glimpse of all that was right with Southern women. Her dark as midnight hair tumbled from a Grecian style fastened with a beaded blue clip, to match the silk of her dress. A parasol held in her right hand twirled in the sunlight, protecting her porcelain skin. Dark lashes lowered gently and then rose, revealing bright as noon blue eyes. Even the mole on her right cheek added to the gentle beauty of this girl child becoming a woman. Nothing was noticeable to detract from the beauty of one of the South's greatest assets.


About the Author: KC Sprayberry started writing young, first as a diarist, and later through an interest in English and creative writing.Her first experience with publication came when she placed third in The Freedoms Foundation at Valley Forge contest while in the Air Force, but her dedication to writing came after she had her youngest child, now in his senior year of high school. Her family lives in Northwest Georgia where she spends her days creating stories about life in the south, and far beyond. More than a dozen of her short stories have appeared in several magazines. Five anthologies feature other short stories. She has three books that are Amazon best sellers: Softly Say Goodbye, Who Am I?, and Mama's Advice. Her other novels available are: Take Chances, The Ghost Catcher, Family Curse … Times Two, Secret From The Flames, Where U @, The Wrong One, Pony Dreams, and Grace.
Facebook Twitter Website 

Review: Flaw by Ryan Ringbloom

Ryan Ringbloom lives for anything Romance. The passion, love, angst, awkwardness… she loves all of it. When Ryan needs a break from reality she sneaks off to read a romantic story or write one of her own. Drinking coffee, reading Tweets and hugs from her five year old are the best part of her day.



What can be said about Josh Brewster? Nothing good, that's for sure. Just ask anyone. They'll be quick to tell you. Josh is a selfish, sweet-talking manipulator who will charm you in a minute, all the while planning his next move. He uses. He leaves. All Josh desires is things that come easy. Why actually work hard for something when you don't have to?

When Josh comes to face to face with a girl who’s doesn’t make anything easy, Josh begins questioning the game he's played so long. He’s suddenly eager to learn how to work for something he never imagined wanting. Can a player really change his ways? Better yet, will his past forgive? 

Aidan Turner has had a rough life, a life that has only become harsher as he's gotten older. The scars across his face serve as a constant reminder of the haunting nightmares from his past life. Seeing himself as nothing but a monster, Aidan believes no one will ever be able to look past his flaws. 
His reasoning is about to change when his very own beauty comes barreling in, sparking emotions he'd thought he'd never feel. Love sizzles between them, but his friendship with another girl complicates everything, especially after the nature of their friendship becomes confused. Will friendship overshadow his true feelings and ruin both couples’ chances at happiness? 
 Website Twitter A story of four twenty-somethings, Josh, Aidan, Becca, and Jodyn, who are flawed on the inside and out. As they navigate through hookups to love, they discover even the path to your soul mate is thorny.Ryan Ringbloom's tale of young love seems a bit overdone at times, at others the requisite emotion is missing from the moment. While the reader discovers these people possess flaws in their physical or emotional makeup, those flaws don't seem to be exploited to their true potential. There were redeeming moments, but those were too far into the story to salvage it. For a fast read about life during college, this is your first pick. I can say it was an enlightening tale of what not to do in a relationship. 

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/2979c77/" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway

Interview: Melissa Miller, CEO Solstice Publishing and Kate Collins COO Solstice Publishing

In late 2011, I received my first contract from Solstice Publishing. Since then, I've developed a great relationship with this Indie publisher, and hope to continue long into the future with them. To date, they have published four of my young adult coming of age books, including number 7 YA division of the P&E Readers Poll winner, The Wrong One. They've also published six of my shorts, and on March 17, 2013, will release my New Adult novel Evil Eyes. Thanks to William Matlack, I am sharing an interview with Melissa Miller, CEO of Solstice Publishing, and Kate Collins, COO of Solstice Publishing. These two women are the tireless powerhouses behind this up and coming publishing company. It's thanks to their vision that I am happily content with staying there.
An interview with Melissa Miller, CEO of Solstice Publishing, www.solsticepublishing.comAre you a founding member of SP?Melissa - Yes. I started Solstice Publishing on my own in 2008 under another name and in 2010 I changed it to Solstice Publishing.Could you please tell us how SP began?Melissa - Solstice began because of my love of books. I started out as an author and then became a publisher the following year.Do you work with agents? Melissa - Yes we work with or without an agent.During the publishing process, how many people at SP actually read an entire book besides the assigned editor?Melissa - The EIC who decides to accept the book, then the editor, and the proofreader also read the entire book. So three people.Is there any disadvantage being characterized as a “Midwestern Publisher?”Melissa - I don’t believe so. We are an E Publisher. Everything we do is online so I don’t feel that your address in any way helps or hurts you in today’s epublishing industry.Do you have a virtual staff with everyone in different locations communicating via email?Melissa - Yes. We use Go To Meeting for face to face video meetings, Basecamp for project management, Facebook for chats and messages as well as emails and text messages for everything else. With all of the technology available to us today it’s not hard to have staff in different locations of the world.
An interview with  Kate Collins COO of Solstice Publishing, www.solsticepublishing.comAre you a founding member of SP?Kate – No, but I’m thrilled to be part of it now. There’s something very exciting about working with people who have a clear vision of the future and an idea of how to get there. Melissa knows where she wants Solstice to go, and it’s a privilege to be able to help her get it to that level. I see you are an author as well as the COO of Solstice. How and when did you make the transition from writing to publishing?Kate – I was an author first, and then Melissa gave me the opportunity to work with her at Solstice. I think it’s given me a unique perspective on what happens on the business side that many authors don’t get.Do you work with agents?Kate – Yes, we have a few agents whose clients have signed with us. We have far more unagented authors, but that doesn’t matter to us. Having, or not having, an agent is a personal choice for each author. How many people are working for SP today?Kate – We’ve got about twenty or more people, counting all our editors and proofreaders. There’s a whole amazing crew that works on the books that the authors rarely interact with. You’ve done some recent reorganization at SP. Can you describe the company’s current structure?Kate – We’ve got an amazing staff now. Our Editors-in-Chief do a wonderful job in reading submissions, answering author questions, and the like. It makes it easier for me, as COO, to help Melissa grow the company. We can spend more time finding opportunities to promote the titles on a daily basis now. How would you characterize SP publishing today?Kate – Growing, expanding, and thriving! Melissa’s done a great job in the recent changes, making it easier for all of us to get things done and help out the authors even more. We’re all big on communication, and the new chain of command really keeps the flow moving towards getting the titles released.How do you attract new authors?Kate – The normal venues of social media, and referrals by our authors. They’re our greatest asset, and best referral network.On average how many submissions do you receive each month?Kate – That varies so much! We really can’t put a number on it. One month can see three, the next have 20. How does your staff choose which to publish?Kate – That depends on the EiC that reads it and what they feel makes a good book. We’ve got a general guideline to go by, but it’s up to the individual Editor in Chief to make the call. Is there any disadvantage being characterized as a “Midwestern Publisher?”Kate – I didn’t even know there was such a thing! LOL. We’re a publisher. Period. Sure, we’re not one of the big 5 out of New York City, but we’re growing. Given the nature of communication now, it’s just as easy to email someone or ask them a question on FaceBook over sit down at lunch in Central Park and make a deal over a couple of drinks. Do you have a virtual staff with everyone in different locations communicating via email?Kate – Yes. In some ways, it’s an advantage. Our staff is able to work at different times, making it so someone’s available to talk with authors outside of what many would think of as normal business hours. How many authors have you contracted with?Kate – Probably around 200 currently, but the number fluctuates from month to month as new authors are accepted. How many books do you publish each year?Kate – That varies so much! It’s impossible to give an accurate number. How many active books do you currently have?Kate – Best estimate is around 400 titles out right now. We release new books almost every month, though, so it’s pretty fluid! Are your contracts for authors or for individual books?Kate – We contract each title separately, instead of by author.I noticed that you have a rather long list of books optioned for film. How do you work that, and what are the steps?Kate – We’ve been approached by production companies who had interest in some of our titles. Due to confidentiality agreements, we can’t say more.  

Mama's Advice - Do Parents Really Understand?

In Mama's Advice, Lorelei depends on her mama for advice, but Mama hasn't been physically with Lorelei for a year. Unlike her friends, Lorelei must visit her mama's grave to get this advice, and it turns into the best decision she's ever made.Most teens go home to hear what their mom has to say, and those same teens usually roll their eyes and believe they know better.
What can a parent know about modern relationships?


Or perhaps girlfriends giving you trouble?  How can your mama begin to understand social media?


And, oh, Mama can't have any notion what it's like to love the coolest guy in school.


Really. I mean really? How different are high school relationships now from when your parents were young…in the stone age?



They're actually not much different now from then. The teenage relationship ritual only has one major difference – the drama associated with these relationships can play out on social media.
Breakups announced by going from "in a relationship" to "single" in a heartbeat. Most times, the other person discovers this change when an announcement runs across their newsfeed, which leads to questions and a confrontation that involves friends on both sides of the issue.



Is this so different from the days when girls giggled in groups or guys hung out talking about their dates? Not really, it's just happening on a much larger scale.


What if one of those friends does you dirty on social media? Of course your mama can't know how that feels.


As for loving the coolest guy in school, do you really want to say your mama can't know how that feels? 


What will you do when that guy does you dirty, hurts you in ways you could never imagine?


Lorelei knows her mama is there for her, through the happiness and deep sadness, and especially when her boyfriend turns out to be the worst thing in her life.
Blurb: Lorelei loses what's left of her family close to graduation, but she still has Mama to lean on, or rather she has Mama's ghost. At first, Lorelei ignores the opinion about her boyfriend, Chase, but then she figures out he is acting strangely and has a new tattoo covering a scar he never had before.Chase, however, isn't one to give up on a girl. He dumps them not the other way around, until Mama's ghost gives Lorelei the strength shut him out of her life.


Excerpt: "Never let a boy take advantage of you, baby girl. That's one of the most important things I wanted to tell you afore this disease took me, but I never had a chance."


Bio: KC Sprayberry started writing young, first as a diarist, and later through an interest in English and creative writing. Her first experience with publication came when she placed third in The Freedoms Foundation at Valley Forge contest while in the Air Force, but her dedication to writing came after she had her youngest child, now in his senior year of high school. Her family lives in Northwest Georgia where she spends her days creating stories about life in the south, and far beyond. More than a dozen of her short stories have appeared in several magazines. Six anthologies feature other short stories. She has three books that are Amazon best sellers: Softly Say Goodbye, Who Am I?, and Mama's Advice. Her other novels available are: Take Chances, Where U @, The Wrong One, The Ghost Catcher, Family Curse … Times Two, Who Am I?, Grace, Secret From The Flames, and Pony Dreams. Releases coming soon are Evil Eyes and Starlight.

Lovers in the Woods by Helen Alexander

Welcome to Out of Control Characters. Today, we host Helen Alexander with her first book, Lovers in the Woods!



Website Amazon Author Page Facebook TwitterGoodreads LinkedIn 3d Portfolio  

About the author:

Helen Alexander is a writer and digital artist living in San Francisco, California. After graduating from the Academy of Art University, Helen worked as a video game artist in San Diego and Los Angeles. Currently she is back in San Francisco, at work on several new projects, including a comic book, a children's book and a dark fantasy/horror novel. You can visit Helen at helenalexander.weebly.comfor the latest news on upcoming releases, author interviews and previews of new stories and works-in-progress.



Blurb:  They called her Sleeping Beauty back at the lab.
Nina has been asleep for a long time. Two hundred and fifty years, to be exact. She doesn't change, and she doesn't die. She's always fifteen. All she wants to do is to wake up, but she can't. Something - or someone - is keeping her in a perpetual dream state.
Leon is a programmer working for a security systems company in the Metro Palisade. His life is fairly ordinary and uneventful. But one day, things change. He begins to see a strange girl in his dreams. He knows she needs his help, but he doesn't know who she is - or if she's even real. Leon is willing to risk a lot to find out, and his curiosity finally gets the best of him. The mystery that surrounds Nina is greater than Leon had imagined, however: soon he's on the run from the company he worked for, the police, the secret service and the criminal underworld.  
All Leon wants is to save Nina from her endless sleep, but the price of that rescue could be a terrible one. Somehow, Nina is connected with the fabric of reality itself, and there are many dubious people chasing after the legendary Sleeping Beauty in the hopes of wielding ultimate power. When the world begins to fall apart with the sudden, inexplicable outbreak of war, only Leon holds the key to saving everything from complete annihilation - but, unless he can rescue Nina, it may already be too late. 
Excerpt:
She dreamed of a great city. It was a city she had never seen before, a city from the future. Nina would walk its streets, which were full of the strangest people she had ever seen. Some of them were not really people, even. There were things with extra arms, and eyes, and legs, insect-like things and bird-like things, but they all wore clothes and could talk intelligently. A Birdman called her over softly on one street corner and took her by the arm. He had bright red eyes, like those of an albino rat, and in his beak was an unlit cigarette. Nina was scared of him. "Please come with me," the Birdman said, and they began to walk away down the street, hand in hand.
As they passed under a tall arc, which read, "Metro - Entrance," the Birdman turned to Nina, and said: "Take the train to Stella Maris, Nina. He will be waiting for you. He will help you." Nina was about to ask who "he" was, but she was already walking down the concrete steps. Just ahead, the multiple horseshoe arcs lit up the subterranean entrance to the Metro. An old-fashioned train whistle sounded. The high-pitched scream of the whistle echoed through the dark halls of the subway, announcing the approaching train as it pulled into the station: a fantastic, antique looking thing. Nina only had enough time to read the destination placard on its side. It spelled, in glowing letters, "Port Stella Maris." Then she woke up. It was the same old room. Nothing had changed here. Nina looked up and saw the familiar pattern of the ceiling. One of her hands was lying freely now across the pillow. She followed the thin glistening tube with her eyes until they stopped at a small, translucent square bag suspended from a hat rack that stood in the corner. It functioned as a makeshift IV stand.
She was no longer dreaming. On the contrary, she felt more fully awake now than she had ever before in her life. The walls had gained solidity and color and suddenly came into focus, as it were. The ceiling began to pull away. It rose higher and higher, until it disappeared entirely from Nina's view into a shrinking rectangle of black, revealing a crystal blue sky with white clouds drifting across it.
Nina shook her head. She wanted to get up, to take out the useless IV, but she couldn't move. She kept looking at the sky. Several times, a Dutch Delta crossed it; a kind of passenger ship Nina had seen many times flying above the city. The aircraft cast its gigantic cold shadow into the room. When it finally passed, drifting very slowly, importantly, the room was once again full of sunlight.
"Hurry now, Nina," she heard someone say; it was the Birdman. He had descended into the room through the ceiling. He had small, iridescent wings, like those of a hummingbird; they beat at an amazing speed, fanning the air. The Birdman approached her and pulled out the IV. He smelled of nectar. He picked her up in his arms and they flew out through the open ceiling.
The Birdman carried Nina to a beautiful bright building shaped somewhat like a horseshoe. It was a very tall building, and its exterior was paneled with black sheets of glass that reflected everything around it. As they approached, Nina could see the blue sky and the white clouds drifting mirrored across its surface. This Round House, as Nina called it, also lacked a roof, and they descended right through and landed on its upper floor, which was also a ceiling. 
  

Indigo Incite

Welcome to Out of Control Characters. Today, we're reviewing Indigo Incite by Jacinda Buchman. We also have lots of goodies in this post, including a Rafflecopter drawing! And this bit of news - Indigo Incite will be free from February 20th through February 22nd.

Website Facebook Twitter Goodreads  

The Author:Jacinda Buchmann lives in Arizona with her husband and three children. She graduated from Carroll College, in Helena, Montana, with a B.A. in elementary education and later received a Master’s degree from Northern Arizona University, in school counseling. After spending several years as a teacher and later a school counselor, she now spends her time writing, any free chance she can get, that is, when she’s not spending time with her family or creating a new concoction in the kitchen. 
Giveaway:$50 Amazon giftcardEmbed: a Rafflecopter giveaway

Goodreads Amazon  
The Book:Indigo Incite (The Indigo Trilogy: Book 1) by Jacinda BuchmannPublished May, 2013Genres: YA paranormal/romance 
Excerpt:Tyler was curious about something Jesse had said. “Tracker? Is that what you are? Do you go out and track people down?"“I did for a little while, but now, for the most part, I stay here and work with the people they bring in.”“Like me.” “Yeah, like you.” “So, there are others, here, like me? How many?”“Right now…there are ten.”“Were they all kidnapped, too?” “No, not all of them, some were recruited, but yes, a few were…brought here, unwillingly.”“Kidnapped.” “If that’s how you want to look at it, yes. But, eventually they all come around when they realize how their gifts can be used to help others. So many of them have never even understood why they have special abilities. They’ve always felt alone, and that’s where I come in. I help them recognize their true potential and help them to see that they aren’t alone, that there are others like them. We become like a family. It’s our hope that you’ll come to feel that way, too. Besides your brother, you have no family. We can offer you a home.”A home. A family. It was a tantalizing idea, but he still couldn’t get over the fact that he had been kidnapped and drugged for the past two weeks. That wasn’t the way family treated each other. Jesse made the whole thing sound like a fairy tale. According to him, he had been whisked away from a life of poverty and had lived happily ever after. Was it really that simple? Toby had his doubts.“I sense that you still have your doubts,” Jesse read his mind.Toby was taken aback. Other than his brother, he wasn’t used to having anyone else inside of his head.“Well, you’d better get used to it,” Jesse said. “There’s no such thing as a personal thought, anymore.” And just remember, they hear every word that you say, too, Jesse’s thoughts invaded his mind while his eyes glanced nonchalantly to the camera, anchored high on the wall, in a far corner.Toby retorted with a silent reply, So basically, the moral of the story is, if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em. Is that it? You’re a smart one, no doubt about that, Jesse thought. He stepped toward Toby, patted him on the shoulder, and then said out loud, “I’ll give you time to think about what I’ve said. I’ll come back later this evening.” He took his bottle of water from the desk, swiped his ID badge, and stepped out.  The door automatically slid shut upon his departure, and then he was alone in the windowless room.  
Book Trailer:
Review:Twins Tyler and Toby face separation when Tyler gets into trouble and their foster mother doesn't want him around any longer. Two years later, Toby vanishes, supposedly in a fabulous private school with prepaid tuition. Tyler's twin contacts him telepathically, and he sets out on a journey of discovery that will change both of their lives forever – if they survive.Jacinda Buchman's novel of children called Indigo's, those with special talents, weaves a frightening tale of far too powerful entities working with the permission of the government, but outside limitations placed on the government. The twins run into others with talents similar to and different from what they have. While Tyler is free to move about as he pleases, Toby is under the control of IIA, a quasi-governmental agency determined to not only all Indigo's but also Star Children.Buchman's tale draws the reader in from the first moment. She transports her fans to seemingly ordinary homes, but those who live in them are far from ordinary. The characters are engaging and typical teens, somewhat willing to believe in the fantastic elements of the information they're receiving, but with some skepticism. Settings such as Northern Arizona, the Northwest, and Roswell, New Mexico in addition to the Mexican desert lend credence to the adventure they set out on. The ending is a satisfying finish, with a hint of a sequel to come. I highly recommend this book for all teen readers with an interest in the paranormal.