Laurisa White Reyes's Blog, page 104
December 15, 2014
BOOK BLITZ: THE DEBT COLLECTOR, SEASON 2

The Debt CollectorSeason 2by Susan Kaye Quinn
Blurb:What’s your life worth on the open market? In this gritty urban fantasy, debt collectors take your life energy and give it to someone more “worthy”… all while paying the price with black marks on their souls.
“Wraith is amazing and just as compelling as Lirium—once again I'm hooked!!” “I loved being back in this world! Wraith has captivated me.”
Wraith is a shadow in the night, haunting the bedrooms of the rich "high potentials" who have stolen life energy from the desperate and dying. The justice and the sweet mercy hit that follow keep her from falling into her own personal abyss. Her secret nighttime work also keeps her on level for her real mission: carrying on her father's legacy of attempting to bring an end to debt collection as a whole. But when a mysterious debt collector interrupts her in the act and discovers her secret, everything Wraith loves may be destroyed by the one thing she can never fix-- the original sin of being a debt collector herself.
Contains mature content and themes.
OPTIONED FOR VIRTUAL REALITY BY IMMERSIVE ENTERTAINMENT 2014 Semi-Finalist in Science Fiction in the Kindle Book Awards
The nine episodes of Season Two of the Debt Collector serial are collectively 125k words or about 500 pages.
It is recommended that you start with the first season, but each season is a complete story for that debt collector and can serve as an entry point to the series. There are five planned seasons in the Debt Collector series, the first four each from the perspective of a different debt collector with the fifth season bringing all four together.
READING ORDER
Season One – Lirium - COMPLETEEpisodes 1-9: Delirium, Agony, Ecstasy, Broken, Driven, Fallen, Promise, Ruthless, Passion
Season Two – Wraith 10 – Wraith (10.20)11 – Specter (10.27)12 – Menace (11.3)13 – Temptation (11.10)14 – Shattered (11.17)15 – Penance (11.24)16 – Judgment (12.1)17 – Corruption (12.8)18 – Atonement (12.15)BOX SET (Vol 10-18) – (12.15)

Available for purchase at

Excerpt
Excerpt from Debt Collector Season 2, first episode – Wraith My new collection suit weighs less than a shadow on my skin, and my soft-soled boots don’t even whisper as I creep across the thick, yielding carpet of my target’s apartment. With the best bullet-resistant synthetics money can buy, the black curve-hugging suit makes me look more like female-special-forces than someone’s hot date for the night. It raised the bellman’s eyebrows, but an untraceable debit card got me waved through the lobby, no problem. Money buys a lot of things. Access to one of the highest-security luxury buildings in LA. A ninety-fifth-floor apartment high above the smog-soaked city, complete with all the clean air you can breathe. And the no-doubt illegal collection of ivory-handled daggers I passed on the way in. It’s too bad for data-mining mogul Adrien Odel that money can’t buy your way out of a blackened soul.
I know.
I’ve tried.
And tonight I’ve come to collect a debt he doesn’t even think he owes.
Outside the floor-to-ceiling windows of Odel’s apartment, the city is lit up with a nighttime electric haze, the kind that makes it look seedy even in the high-rent district. It’s the perfect backdrop for a collection, and my suit is a black silhouette against it, a hole of death punched in the city’s twinkling lights. The high-tech fabric clings to me like the original sin I can never expiate, the one every debt collector is born with: the ability to deliver death with the slightest touch. We traffic in it, surround ourselves with it, and can never escape it.
Not that I haven’t tried that, too.
But even a short three-week dry spell away from collecting has me needy as all hell. The craving for a life energy hit claws at my back, and every step across the carpet amps up the desire. Even the possibility of Odel pulling a gun and shooting me dead hypes the thrill a little. My palm aches in anticipation—for the justice and the high that comes with it—but I take it slow, watching the placement of my feet and checking the windows. Along one edge, next to a mile-wide screen and some pretentious artwork, there’s a control panel. Only the rich want windows that open in the city, but it’s a bonus for me, especially given the windows face the broad expanse of the skyline and not the high-rise next door.
As I check out the control panel, the high-rise becomes a peep show. A woman’s naked body is pressed against the glass, exposed to the city’s onlookers as a man clutches her bare skin and makes love to her. I’m transfixed by the way they move, skin against skin, without care for the contact or the watchers. In a moment, they’re gone. Maybe reason broke through the passion. Maybe the glass was cold, in spite of the perpetual heat of LA.
Regardless, the image holds me hostage.
Having a lover isn’t something that’s part of my future. Or my present, for that matter. But that doesn’t stop the base need from surging up, usually at the least convenient of times. Then a different image—a cold, pale specter from my past—crawls out of the dark corners of my mind and reminds me I’m not the kind of woman who gets to have a normal life. I’m the kind who takes life and then gives it away. And the ecstasy of that is the closest I’ll ever get to the normal kind again—so it had better be good enough.
I couldn’t stomach even that pleasure for a while, not after what the debt collectors did to my father. I managed a whole three weeks without a single collection. But in the end, it’s the only thing that keeps me stable. And I’ve had a severe lack of stable ever since my father’s death nearly tore down the teetering scaffold of lies that comprises my life. That’s when the abyss reared up and stared me full in the face. Will-power alone wasn’t enough to stop it—the darkness just opened its maw and threatened to swallow me whole. At least that would have put an end the torment… but I couldn’t let the sin of who I am destroy everything my father had worked for. That we had both worked for. So here I am, dressed like a phantom, stalking the rich to give to the poor. With a tremor in my hands that’s more than a little unsettling. For better and worse, it’s the one thing that keeps me out of that dark place and gives me hope that one day I might redeem everything I am and everything I’ve done.
I stalk, heel-to-toe, past the windows, through a long hallway tastefully decorated with more pretentious art, and toward the back bedroom where Odel is supposed to be sleeping. I buy information just like I buy access. My source tells me Odel is in bed every night at ten, like clockwork, occasionally with companions, but mostly not. Tonight, his companion will be a darkness-clad nightmare who will leave him in a cold sweat, instead of a hot one.
When I reach his room, it’s vast—there’s a ridiculous round bed that’s so large, it’s practically a playground; several lacquered pieces of furniture that form glistening shadow-lumps around the perimeter; and more windows, the kind with wide vertical slats that leave shadowed stripes across Odel’s room. A giant aquarium is built into the wall behind the bed, and bioluminescent creatures undulate through the clouded water. They cast a blood-red glow that oozes in between the slices of darkness. I have no idea how the man sleeps in this room, but his barely audible breaths are the slow, steady rhythm of the unconscious.
There’s a lot of floor to cover before I can reach him, so I keep my footfalls muted. I give silent thanks that he’s alone in his bed—I could handle two at a time, but his companions are probably innocent of any real crime, with the exception of their bad taste in men. I slowly tug off my gloves on the way and tuck them in the back of my suit. The less DNA I leave behind, the better. Not that my targets are eager to call the police—too much scrutiny in their lives might turn up the source of those ill-gotten hits. And the mob doesn’t like it when a bright light shines on their bustling life energy trade business. The mob cutting Odel off from his supplier would be the best he could hope for. The worst would involve caskets and weepy nighttime companions. At least with me, he only stands to lose the years of life he’s stolen.
I reach the bed without him waking. His bio says he’s ten years older than me, but thanks to a steady supply of life energy, he looks about my age: twenty-five, if you count the years, not the mileage. With all that life energy in store, he would outlive me by a long shot, if he kept everything he has taken.I’m about to fix that.
About the Author
Susan Kaye Quinn is the author of the bestselling Mindjack Trilogy and the Debt Collector serial, as well as other speculative fiction novels and short stories. Her work has appeared in the Synchronic anthology and has been optioned for Virtual Reality by Immersive Entertainment. Her business card says "Author and Rocket Scientist" but she mostly sits around in her PJs in awe that she gets to write full time.

You can find her at





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Published on December 15, 2014 07:00
December 14, 2014
BOOK BLAST: THE LAST ENCHANTRESS by Scott & Judith Powell

Being nineteen for over three hundred years bites, and being single in New York with magical powers isn't much better. Eva is trying to live an everyday life in New York. When this fails, she takes a seemingly unmagical job as a translator for a wealthy American family in Spain. Eva cannot stay out of trouble for long as she runs into a friendly but hungry vampire named Louis. Eva feels drawn to this handsome, dangerous stranger who has problems of his own. Louis's life was just fine until Eva walked into his church. She smells like heaven. Or is it hell, always smelling but never partaking? Surely she is the devil coming to collect on his lost soul.
Amazon
Download a FREE copy of The Last EnchantressAvailable December 15th to 17th

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Praise for the Book What fun, and new perspective on vampires. And the intro of new specie, Enchantress, gives this novel a wonderful and imaginative take. It gives us another take on Vampires and the only Enchantress left in the world. The story flows smoothly and the characters are developed well. Let me just start by saying for the record I am not a huge fan of Vampires or flying humans, but this book has led me away from that concept with a fantastic storyline that focused on a man and woman who were meant to be. The fighting scenes were very detailed and visual as you can tell the authors made this a point of emphasis in preparing this book.

Excerpt :
The sun was just starting to rise, and I knew that her disturbing dream would not lead to sleeping late. I could hear her heart beating faster as she began to wake up. Wrapping myself in my cloak to protect my skin from the dawn’s light (the sun’s rays felt like hundreds of tiny needles on my flesh), I departed the room. Closing the French doors behind me, I waited on the roof for her to appear. I planned to spy on her until she exposed herself as the typical mortal that I knew she must be. A few moments later, she walked out through the same doors I had just used, dressed only in a cream translucent nightgown. Her ankles were bare and slight, and I could just see the outline of her slim legs beneath her nightdress as the sunlight began to touch her skin. She walked purposely to a small stone bench under a tree that had not yet awoken this year and most likely never would. Just as quickly as she had come, she stood and began to walk back toward her room. I was feeling playful. What did it really matter if I revealed myself? I jumped down without a sound and sat on the bench that she had just occupied. Even though she had only been here but a moment, I could still feel her warmth lingering on the surface. Somehow, she sensed I was there, and she began to run, which was not surprising. I was sure fear motivated her movement. There was no need to pursue. I could catch her easily. But then she did something that put all my old questions to rest and created new ones. She jumped up and grabbed the edge of the roof. Using it as leverage, she flipped her body up into the arch, doing more moves than a gymnast at the Olympics, and landed, facing me, on the roof.

Blog Tour Giveaway $25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash Ends 12/31/14 Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.
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Published on December 14, 2014 16:00
December 10, 2014
BEST OF 2104 GIVEAWAY HOP

Welcome to the BEST OF 2014 GIVEAWAY HOP!!! sponsored by Bookhounds and I Am A Reader.
I've read a lot of spectacular books this year, and I would love to share them with you. Below are my top 5! The winner will receive the book of his/her choice selected from that list.





All you have to do to be eligible is fill out the rafflecopter form below. U.S residents only 18 years and older, please.
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Published on December 10, 2014 16:00
December 7, 2014
BOOK REVIEW: THE SCORPIO RACES by Maggie Steifvater

Maggie Stiefvater
Scholastic
Ages 13 - 17
Some race to win. Others race to survive.
It happens at the start of every November: the Scorpio Races. Riders attempt to keep hold of their water horses long enough to make it to the finish line.
Some riders live.
Others die.
At age nineteen, Sean Kendrick is the returning champion. He is a young man of few words, and if he has any fears, he keeps them buried deep, where no one else can see them.
Puck Connolly is different. She never meant to ride in the Scorpio Races. But fate hasn't given her much of a choice. So she enters the competition - the first girl ever to do so. She is in no way prepared for what is going to happen.
As she did in her bestselling Shiver trilogy, author Maggie Stiefvater takes us to the breaking point, where both love and life meet their greatest obstacles, and only the strong of heart can survive. The Scorpio Races is an unforgettable reading experience.
MY REVIEW:
I listened to this book via my IPod. The story began a little slow, but soon I was drawn deep in to this amazing world where horses are born of the sea and humans risk life and limb to tame them.
Beautifully written by the author of the popular Shiver series (which I didn't care for), The Scorpio Races has the texture of a historical novel flavored with a touch of folklore. I really enjoyed this story, and I loved that I could not always anticipate how things would unfold.
One of the best YA novels out there right now.





CONTENT RATING:
Profanity: MildSexuality: MildViolence: Moderate
Published on December 07, 2014 17:12
December 3, 2014
2014 DEBUT AUTHOR GIVEAWAY HOP
Welcome to the 2014 Debut Author Giveaway Hop sponsored by I Am a Reader and Bookhounds!
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I'd like to introduce debut author NOELLE CAMPBELL! Noelle's collection of short fiction, MARTIAN GOODS & OTHER STORIES, was just released a couple of weeks ago with Skyrocket Press and is available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.
Summary:
Mars is the new frontier where men stake their claims for a new life. But some commodities are harder to come by than others--including women, who are often willing to sacrifice everything to escape an Earth that is no longer free.
Read a sample story HERE !
To win a free copy of MARTIAN GOODS & OTHER STORIES, just fill out the rafflecopter form below. The giveaway ends on 12/11/14. U.S. entries only please. And be sure to visit the other participating blogs below for more chances to win!
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I'd like to introduce debut author NOELLE CAMPBELL! Noelle's collection of short fiction, MARTIAN GOODS & OTHER STORIES, was just released a couple of weeks ago with Skyrocket Press and is available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.
Summary:
Mars is the new frontier where men stake their claims for a new life. But some commodities are harder to come by than others--including women, who are often willing to sacrifice everything to escape an Earth that is no longer free.
Read a sample story HERE !

To win a free copy of MARTIAN GOODS & OTHER STORIES, just fill out the rafflecopter form below. The giveaway ends on 12/11/14. U.S. entries only please. And be sure to visit the other participating blogs below for more chances to win!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
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Published on December 03, 2014 12:00
BOOK BLAST: THE AWAKENING by Dorine White

Dorine White
Skyrocket Press
Ages 10+
Enter win a $50 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash below!!!
Nightmares really do come true, and for fifteen-year-old Kyler Birkwood, they are just beginning. Raised on a farm by his Aunt Martha, Kyler has no clue about the magical heritage swimming through his blood. When he discovers evidence of a mythical creature, a terrifying beast thought only to exist in fairy tales, his safe world shatters. Left at a school of magic to hunt for clues, he is overwhelmed and disbelieved. As loved ones begin disappearing and Orcs roam the land, Kyler must undergo a journey that takes him from the High Courts of the King to the unknown forests of the East. His magic just awakening, Kyler is the lone hope for a world that will not listen
Purchase Your CopyAmazon Kindle * Amazon * Barnes and Noble
Praise for The Awakening:
"Dorine White delivers twists and turns to the plot that will keep you turning the pages." ~ Melanie Mason, author of the YA historical, The Line That Divides
"The Awakening is a clever blend of folklore and fantasy, perfect for fans of Harry Potter and Percy Jackson. A furiously fun read!" ~ Laurisa Reyes, author of the YA thriller, Contact

My name is Dorine White. I am a children's fantasy author and a book reviewer. I grew up back East in Maryland and attended BYU in Utah. I have a BA in Humanities with an interest in Art History and French. Currently I live in the beautiful, yet rainy Northwest with my husband and 6 children. My first novel was published in 2012 and is the beginning of the Cleopatra's Legacy series. The first two books are out, The Emerald Ring and The Ruby Pendant. Look for the third book, The Diamond Looking Glass in the summer of 2015.
Website * Blog * Facebook * Twitter

$50 Blast Giveaway Enter to win an Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash Ends 12/29/14 Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by readinglight.com. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.
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Published on December 03, 2014 00:00
November 30, 2014
COVER REVEAL: THE CRYSTAL KEEPER SERIES by Laurisa White Reyes
The countdown has officially begun for my new book series called THE CRYSTAL KEEPER, which will consist of three parts: EXILE, BETRAYAL, and VENGEANCE. The official release date is February 9, 2015!!!
If you'd like to be kept in the loop about the pre-order campaign, giveaways and up-to-the-minute news, please join the Skyrocket Press mailing list (below) or HERE .
In the meantime, I'd love your feedback about the covers. What do you like or not like about them? Let me hear from you in the comments!
SYNOPSIS:
Jayson lives among the shadows of Hestoria, his sole purpose for staying alive – to protect his half of the Seer’s crystal. Exiled from his homeland for loving the king’s daughter, Ivanore, Jayson is now pursued by two opposing factions: the Vatéz (League of Sorcerers) who intend to use the crystal for their own selfish gain, and the Guilde, the ancient guardians of the crystal.
Meanwhile, Ivanore flees from her father to Hestoria in search of Jayson. As the Seer, she is plagued with visions of him being tortured and is determined to rescue him. When the Vatéz capture her, however, she unwittingly jeopardizes everything Jayson has vowed to protect. He must now make a terrible choice: Should he save Ivanore or save the crystal?
Written for an adult audience, The Crystal Keeper series is the prequel to Ms. Reyes' fantasy series for children, The Celestine Chronicles.
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AUTHOR BIO:
Senior Editor of Skyrocket Press and Editor-in-Chief of Middle Shelf Magazine, Laurisa White Reyes is the author of several middle grade and young adult novels, including The Rock of Ivanore, The Last Enchanter and Contact. The Crystal Keeper is her first series for adults.
EXCERPT:
Ivanore hunched over the parchment, the tip of her quill flicking above her hand like a trapped bird desperate for escape. The tallow candle cast a cramped circle of light across the table, hardly enough to see by. If only the night would last a little longer. Perhaps then she would have enough time to write everything she needed to. But alas, time was one thing she had too little of—that and light.An older man with long, gray-streaked hair and piercing gray eyes, waited beside her. The stone bungalow, their most recent of many hiding places, boasted the barest of furnishings: the table, stool, cot—and a plain wooden chest, its key held tight in his fist.A sudden thump sounded at the door, startling them both. A strand of Ivanore’s hair, gold as the candle light, fell across the page. She quickly tucked it back into place and wrote faster.Zyll laid a hand on Ivanore’s shoulder. “They are here,” he whispered.Ivanore finished the document and handed it to Zyll unbound. Turning to the chest, he carefully laid the pages inside.“Wait,” said Ivanore. “Will you keep this as well?” A flat circle of pale green crystal lay in her open palm. “But you will need it. I mustn’t—”“Please,” she insisted, pressing it into his hand. “I can’t risk losing this one.”Zyll reluctantly folded his fingers around the cool stone. “Of course, milady,” he said. Then, adding the crystal to the parchment, he laid a plate of thin wood atop them both, sealing the chest’s false bottom. He closed the lid and locked it.The pounding at the door grew more insistent. Whoever stood outside was using his full weight against it in an effort to break through.“We must hurry,” said Zyll.Ivanore allowed herself a quick glance at the chest, offering the briefest of prayers that the gods would keep it safe until her return. Then, taking her by the arm, Zyll ked her through the low archway dividing the bungalow’s front room from the back. A loud crash of splintering wood resounded through the bungalow. Their visitors had finally broken in.“Find her now!” a deep voice bellowed.Grateful for the trousers she now wore instead of her usual cumbersome skirts, Ivanore clambered onto a stool and through a narrow window, lowering herself as quietly as possible to the ground outside. Once Zyll had done the same, they stole away across the rocky field. Though the sky was black as ink, their path was illuminated by the amber glow of volcanic fissures scoring the area for miles around.“There she is!” a man’s voice shouted behind them. The words sent spasms of fear through Ivanore. She glanced behind her and saw three soldiers emerge from the bungalow, wearing the gold and red cross of her father’s crest. They had tracked her even here, to the remotest corner of Imaness. Would Fredric ever let her be?Ivanore stopped running. She looked at Zyll, her trusted guardian and ally these past months since she had fled Dokur, and knew her time with him had come to an end.“You’ll watch over them until I return?” she asked, out of breath. “Keep them safe. Don’t let my father find them.”“You have my vow,” Zyll whispered, his voice tight with emotion.Ivanore’s eyes welled with tears as she pressed her lips against the calloused skin of Zyll’s hand. “Go,” said Zyll. “Go now before it’s too late.”Ivanore released Zyll’s hand and sprinted forward alone. As she ran, she cupped her hands around her mouth and let out a loud, sharp call, much like that of a hawk or an eagle. She risked another glance over her shoulder and watched as Zyll turned to face their pursuers. As the soldiers neared, their swords glinting in the fireglow, Zyll held up his hands. A horizontal bolt of cerulean lightning shot out from his palms, striking the oncoming soldiers. The men recoiled, their bodies instantly singed and bloody.Ivanore ran on. In desperation, she repeated her call, and this time another voice called back. A dark form appeared on the horizon, silhouetted against the light of the volcanic fractures and growing larger as it approached with tremendous speed. As it neared, the creature’s massive feathered wings moved the air around Ivanore in warm, powerful gusts. Ivanore saw clearly its eagle’s head with a beak large enough to break a man in two, paired with the muscular, furred body of a lion. As she ran toward it, the gryphon lowered its head, waiting.Behind her, the soldiers reeled in pain, but they did not forget their duty. One man struggled to his knees, grunting from the effort. Reaching over his shoulder, he slid a short bow and arrow from his pack and swiftly took aim.Ivanore reached the gryphon, and in one smooth motion hoisted herself onto its back, twisting her arms deep into the feathers on the creature’s neck. In that same moment, a single arrow found its mark in Ivanore’s shoulder. Ivanore cried out before her body slumped forward and her mind went dark. The gryphon took flight then, and in less time than it took to draw another arrow—or a breath—they had vanished into the night.
If you'd like to be kept in the loop about the pre-order campaign, giveaways and up-to-the-minute news, please join the Skyrocket Press mailing list (below) or HERE .
In the meantime, I'd love your feedback about the covers. What do you like or not like about them? Let me hear from you in the comments!



SYNOPSIS:
Jayson lives among the shadows of Hestoria, his sole purpose for staying alive – to protect his half of the Seer’s crystal. Exiled from his homeland for loving the king’s daughter, Ivanore, Jayson is now pursued by two opposing factions: the Vatéz (League of Sorcerers) who intend to use the crystal for their own selfish gain, and the Guilde, the ancient guardians of the crystal.
Meanwhile, Ivanore flees from her father to Hestoria in search of Jayson. As the Seer, she is plagued with visions of him being tortured and is determined to rescue him. When the Vatéz capture her, however, she unwittingly jeopardizes everything Jayson has vowed to protect. He must now make a terrible choice: Should he save Ivanore or save the crystal?
Written for an adult audience, The Crystal Keeper series is the prequel to Ms. Reyes' fantasy series for children, The Celestine Chronicles.
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Senior Editor of Skyrocket Press and Editor-in-Chief of Middle Shelf Magazine, Laurisa White Reyes is the author of several middle grade and young adult novels, including The Rock of Ivanore, The Last Enchanter and Contact. The Crystal Keeper is her first series for adults.
EXCERPT:
Ivanore hunched over the parchment, the tip of her quill flicking above her hand like a trapped bird desperate for escape. The tallow candle cast a cramped circle of light across the table, hardly enough to see by. If only the night would last a little longer. Perhaps then she would have enough time to write everything she needed to. But alas, time was one thing she had too little of—that and light.An older man with long, gray-streaked hair and piercing gray eyes, waited beside her. The stone bungalow, their most recent of many hiding places, boasted the barest of furnishings: the table, stool, cot—and a plain wooden chest, its key held tight in his fist.A sudden thump sounded at the door, startling them both. A strand of Ivanore’s hair, gold as the candle light, fell across the page. She quickly tucked it back into place and wrote faster.Zyll laid a hand on Ivanore’s shoulder. “They are here,” he whispered.Ivanore finished the document and handed it to Zyll unbound. Turning to the chest, he carefully laid the pages inside.“Wait,” said Ivanore. “Will you keep this as well?” A flat circle of pale green crystal lay in her open palm. “But you will need it. I mustn’t—”“Please,” she insisted, pressing it into his hand. “I can’t risk losing this one.”Zyll reluctantly folded his fingers around the cool stone. “Of course, milady,” he said. Then, adding the crystal to the parchment, he laid a plate of thin wood atop them both, sealing the chest’s false bottom. He closed the lid and locked it.The pounding at the door grew more insistent. Whoever stood outside was using his full weight against it in an effort to break through.“We must hurry,” said Zyll.Ivanore allowed herself a quick glance at the chest, offering the briefest of prayers that the gods would keep it safe until her return. Then, taking her by the arm, Zyll ked her through the low archway dividing the bungalow’s front room from the back. A loud crash of splintering wood resounded through the bungalow. Their visitors had finally broken in.“Find her now!” a deep voice bellowed.Grateful for the trousers she now wore instead of her usual cumbersome skirts, Ivanore clambered onto a stool and through a narrow window, lowering herself as quietly as possible to the ground outside. Once Zyll had done the same, they stole away across the rocky field. Though the sky was black as ink, their path was illuminated by the amber glow of volcanic fissures scoring the area for miles around.“There she is!” a man’s voice shouted behind them. The words sent spasms of fear through Ivanore. She glanced behind her and saw three soldiers emerge from the bungalow, wearing the gold and red cross of her father’s crest. They had tracked her even here, to the remotest corner of Imaness. Would Fredric ever let her be?Ivanore stopped running. She looked at Zyll, her trusted guardian and ally these past months since she had fled Dokur, and knew her time with him had come to an end.“You’ll watch over them until I return?” she asked, out of breath. “Keep them safe. Don’t let my father find them.”“You have my vow,” Zyll whispered, his voice tight with emotion.Ivanore’s eyes welled with tears as she pressed her lips against the calloused skin of Zyll’s hand. “Go,” said Zyll. “Go now before it’s too late.”Ivanore released Zyll’s hand and sprinted forward alone. As she ran, she cupped her hands around her mouth and let out a loud, sharp call, much like that of a hawk or an eagle. She risked another glance over her shoulder and watched as Zyll turned to face their pursuers. As the soldiers neared, their swords glinting in the fireglow, Zyll held up his hands. A horizontal bolt of cerulean lightning shot out from his palms, striking the oncoming soldiers. The men recoiled, their bodies instantly singed and bloody.Ivanore ran on. In desperation, she repeated her call, and this time another voice called back. A dark form appeared on the horizon, silhouetted against the light of the volcanic fractures and growing larger as it approached with tremendous speed. As it neared, the creature’s massive feathered wings moved the air around Ivanore in warm, powerful gusts. Ivanore saw clearly its eagle’s head with a beak large enough to break a man in two, paired with the muscular, furred body of a lion. As she ran toward it, the gryphon lowered its head, waiting.Behind her, the soldiers reeled in pain, but they did not forget their duty. One man struggled to his knees, grunting from the effort. Reaching over his shoulder, he slid a short bow and arrow from his pack and swiftly took aim.Ivanore reached the gryphon, and in one smooth motion hoisted herself onto its back, twisting her arms deep into the feathers on the creature’s neck. In that same moment, a single arrow found its mark in Ivanore’s shoulder. Ivanore cried out before her body slumped forward and her mind went dark. The gryphon took flight then, and in less time than it took to draw another arrow—or a breath—they had vanished into the night.
Published on November 30, 2014 17:00
November 23, 2014
BOOK REVIEW: THE TERRIBLE TWO by Mac Barnett & Jory John

Mac Barnett & Jory John
Amulet Books
Ages 8 - 12
Miles Murphy is not happy to be moving to Yawnee Valley, a sleepy town that’s famous for one thing and one thing only: cows. In his old school, everyone knew him as the town’s best prankster, but Miles quickly discovers that Yawnee Valley already has a prankster, and a great one. If Miles is going to take the title from this mystery kid, he is going to have to raise his game.
It’s prankster against prankster in an epic war of trickery, until the two finally decide to join forces and pull off the biggest prank ever seen: a prank so huge that it would make the members of the International Order of Disorder proud.
In The Terrible Two, bestselling authors and friends Mac Barnett and Jory John have created a series that has its roots in classic middle-grade literature yet feels fresh and new at the same time.
MY REVIEW:
The Terrible Two is hilarious! I read it out loud to my 6-year-old son who loved every single word of it. The illustrations are a crack-up! I'm in love with the cow. Yes, the COW!
Fans of Captain Underpants and Diary of Wimpy Kid will be enthralled. Reluctant readers will chomp at the bit to turn the pages. If your kids read one funny book this year, this should be it. Really. It's that good.
The Terrible Two doesn't come out until January -- so not fair!!! But you can pre-order it here. Then just stick a photocopy of the book cover in your kid's stocking. Trust me, it'll be worth the wait.





Published on November 23, 2014 17:03
November 22, 2014
WINNER ANNOUNCED
Congratulations to Bethany Nelson who won a $25 Barnes & Noble Gift Card for the Spooktacular Giveaway Blog Hop!
Published on November 22, 2014 11:36