Laurisa White Reyes's Blog, page 74

BOOK BLITZ: BEACON by Chess Desalls

Beacon (Lantern #2)
by Chess Desalls
Genre: YA Fantasy/Sci-fi
Release Date: January 9th 2017

Summary from Goodreads:

When Serah’s life in Havenbrim becomes unbearable, she accepts an apprenticeship with a celestial mechanic and glazier. Her master assigns her the task of opening a globe framed in copper. But the glass and seal are unbreakable. The solution to the puzzle traps Serah inside the globe, and transports her to a world where she longs for home.







Beacon Buy Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iTunes  
Previous book in the series (click on the image for Goodreads link):
EXCERPT“Please address me as Machin,” said the man. He stood from the table. Through an archway at the opposite end of the room, a whooshing sound roared from a furnace. Flames inside it swelled to life. “Ah, right on time,” Machin murmured. “Follow me, Serah Kettel.”She followed with timid footsteps as Machin hobbled to the furnace. Orange flame reflected off her face, warming her cheeks and nose. Machin wrapped a hand in a leather glove and reached into a bucket next to the furnace. He pulled out the largest set of cooking tongs she’d ever seen. Wedged between the ends of the tongs was a smooth, round object. The material was black and shiny.“What kind of stone is it?” Before she could get a better look, Machin thrust the tongs and all into the mouth of the furnace. “Not a stone, but a special form of tektite,” he said. “Or as I like to call it, Celestial Glass.”Serah glanced up at the lanterns hanging from the ceiling and pointed. “Will it become one of those?”Machin smiled. “Eventually.”Serah nodded, pleased her interview seemed to be going well. She wasn’t sure what she’d expected. She’d had a vague understanding of Machin’s lamp making. He was better known for his work in the mechanical sciences. Young men and women from every corner of Havenbrim, a village in Llum sought to be his apprentice. But Machin took in only one apprentice at a time. With Machin focused on the furnace, the room grew warmer and quieter. Serah’s eyes glistened. “What is it that your apprentices do?”“Tend the lanterns. They’ll need to be shined and polished.”Solemnly, Serah bobbed her head toward a footstool set against the wall. The lanterns were the only items in the cottage that weren’t covered in dust. “Is that all?” “And let me know if any of them burn out.” He pulled the tongs from the furnace. Serah blinked. The dark material glowed orange. Machin brought the tongs close to his lips and blew across the glow. As the object cooled, it changed from orange to a clear shade of crystal. 
About the Author
Chess Desalls is the author of award-winning young adult fiction. Her nonfiction writing has been included in academic and industry publications, with a focus on law and technology. She's also a contributing editor for WritersTalk, South Bay Writers' monthly newsletter. When she's not reading or writing, she enjoys traveling and trying to stay in tune on her flute.

Sign up for Chess's newsletter to receive updates on giveaways and new releases.
Author Links:
     
GIVEAWAY:a Rafflecopter giveaway

WITHIN A CAPTAIN’S SOUL Captains of the Scarlet Night #5b...

WITHIN A CAPTAIN’S SOUL Captains of the Scarlet Night #5by Lisa A. Olech
Genre: Historical RomancePub Date: 8/1/2017

Stormy seas, a captive heart, and a coupling that breaks all the rules . . .After years of committed service, Captain William “Bump” Quinn has finally taken the helm of the pirate ship Scarlet Night. But when rough waters send the Night off course, William winds up shipwrecked and alone on enemy shores—and prisoner to China’s most powerful pirate queen.Captain Jian Jun is as alluring as she is formidable, and she’s careful not to let anyone too close. But the silence of the handsome Jamaican pirate in her custody intrigues her. Tempted by his topaz eyes and the strength of his character, she allows the captive into her inner sanctum. Though their bond defies all convention, Jun finds she is powerless against the emotions Will stirs in her. She prays their first union will not be her last. But with danger lurking in unexpected places, her beloved pirate may soon get the chance to prove he is every inch the hero he seems in her arms . . .
Add to Goodreads Amazon* Apple* B&N* Google* Kobo* Kensington

Lisa A. Olech is an artist/writer living in her dream house nestled among the lakes in New England. She loves getting lost in a steamy book, finding the perfect pair of sexy shoes, and hearing the laughter of her men. Being an estrogen island in a sea of testosterone makes her queen. She believes in ghosts, silver linings, the power of a man in a tuxedo, and happy endings. For more please visit lisaolech.com.Website* Twitter * Facebook* Amazon* Goodreads

Follow the tour HEREfor exclusive excerpts and a giveaway!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

BLOG TOUR & GIVEAWAY: TO KILL A HUMMINGBIRD by J.R. Ripley

To Kill a Hummingbird (A Bird Lover's Mystery #4)by JR RipleyPub. Date: 7/11/2017Genre: Cozy Crime
For Amy Simms, owner of Birds & Bees, nothing is more important than impressing her old professor, but this odd bird is about to fall to earth . . .
When her favorite ornithology professor comes calling, Birds & Bees owner Amy Simms hangs six hummingbird feeders around the shop to welcome Professor Livingston with a flock of his favorite flying creatures. But Amy soon finds that the sugar water in the feeders brings more than a swarm of hummingbirds. It also attracts murder.
Professor Livingston is just as friendly as Amy remembers, but something seems to be troubling him. When Amy pays him a visit that night, she finds the professor slumped over a table with a pair of scissors buried in his neck. And standing over his body is Rose Smith, the local bookseller, who claims she killed him. But while the police believe they have a bird in hand, Amy thinks the real killer may still be in the bush . . .
Add to Goodreads Amazon* Apple* GooglePlay* Kobo* Nook

In addition to writing the Bird Lover’s mystery series, J.R. Ripley is the critically acclaimed author of the Maggie Miller mysteries and the Kitty Karlyle mysteries (written as Marie Celine) among other works. J.R. is a member of the American Birding Association, the American Bird Conservancy, and is an Audubon Ambassador with the National Audubon Society.
Website* Facebook * Twitter* Amazon* Goodreads

Follow the tour HEREfor exclusive excerpts, guest posts and a giveaway!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

EXCERPT:



I drove back to Bookarama. This time I was fortunate enough tofind a parking slot right in front. Everyone seemed to be gone. Thesign over the door was turned off, and the street was dark. Was I toolate?
I shut off the ignition and hurried to the entrance. A couple oflights were still on inside toward the back. The door was unlocked.I went inside. Several paperbacks were scattered on the floor betweenthe door and the sales counter. The folding chairs were just asthey had been. I couldn’t see the signing table because the projectordisplay screen had been moved in front.
“Rose?” I called. There was no sign of her or her daughter or anyof the other clerks.
I headed for the table to look for the books Derek had purchased,thinking that maybe Mason had left them there. He’d obviously returnedto the campground.
Rose came from the storeroom, pulling a long, rolled-up rug thecolor of a purple finch. She dropped the heavy rug at her feet whenshe saw me. The plank floor shook. Her eyes flew to her right, andmy eyes followed.
Mason Livingston was seated at the signing table. His torsodrooped forward and his head rested on the table. A pair of scissorsprotruded from his neck.
Rose bit her lip. “He’s dead. I killed him. And I’m glad he’sdead.”

BOOK GIVEAWAY: BOUND SOULS by N.D. Jones

Bound SoulsForever Yours Book 1by N.D. JonesGenre: SciFi, Fantasy Romance
A supernatural love triangle that tests the bounds of science, truth, and faith.


Regent Lela of Asiya is the most powerful person on her planet but she is powerless to save the life of her beloved soulmate—Zion Grace. For thirty years they lived as husband and wife, but Zion’s time is at an end. Lela must go on without him.

“There will never be anyone else for me.”
Despite having died, nothing can keep Zion from his soulmate. He’s back but not as the man he once was. Zion must help Lela move on with her life, lest he lose her forever. But how can Zion convince Lela to accept the love and affections of another man when he still wants her for himself?
“I love you, Lela. My heart is forever yours.”
Lela and Zion are bound souls, destined to live eternity together. For these lovers, death is not an end, but a fateful beginning.


Add to Goodreads Amazon Barnes & Noble Kobo iBooks




N. D. Jones lives in Maryland with her husband and two children. Having earned a M.A. in Political Science, she is a dedicated educator. She taught high school social studies for nine years. Currently, she is a professional development teacher specialist with a local Maryland school system, working on increasing student achievement through teacher and administrator efficacy. N.D. is also a continuing education student who is pursuing her doctorate in education in Community College Leadership.
A desire to see more novels with positive, sexy, and three-dimensional African American characters as soul mates, friends, and lovers, inspired the author to take on the challenge of penning such romantic reads. She is the author of two paranormal romance series: Winged Warriors and Death and Destiny. N.D. likes to read historical and paranormal romance novels, as well as comics and manga.
Website* Facebook* Twitter * Pinterest* Instagram * Amazon* Goodreads

Books by N.D. Jones
Winged Warriors Series: Fire, Fury, Faith Heat, Hunt, Hope
Death and Destiny Trilogy: Of Fear and Faith Of Beasts and Bonds
Forever Yours Series: Bound Souls


Follow the tour HEREfor exclusive excerpts, guest posts and a giveaway!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

BOOK REVIEW: CATACOMB by Madeleine Roux

CATACOMB (Asylum #3)
Madeleine Roux
HarperCollins
Ages 14 - 17


Sometimes the past is better off buried.

Senior year is finally over. After all they've been through, Dan, Abby, and Jordan are excited to take one last road trip together, and they're just not going to think about what will happen when the summer ends. But on their way to visit Jordan's uncle in New Orleans, the three friends notice that they're being followed . . . and photographed. Then Dan starts receiving messages from someone he didn't expect to hear from again—someone who died last Halloween.

When the trio arrives in New Orleans and the strange occurrences only escalate, Dan is forced to accept that everything that has happened to him in the past year may not be a coincidence but fate—a fate that ties Dan to a group called the Bone Artists, who have a sinister fascination with notorious killers of the past.

Now Dan's only hope is that he will make it out of his senior trip alive.

MY REVIEW:

This is the fourth Asylum book I've read, and I've enjoyed every one of them. In this installment, Dan and his friends head to New Orleans to help Jordan settle in before starting college there. But when Dan starts getting text messages from someone he knows is dead, things start to get creepy. Soon they get embroiled in a decades-old family feud between Dan's birth parents and the Bone Artists, a sinister group who steals people's bones and turns them into magical talismans.

While the plot is sometimes a little difficult to follow, the story moves at a clipped pace and kept me turning pages. The author includes weird photos, though the story would be just as good without them. CATACOMB is a perfect quick read for anyone who loves suspense and the supernatural.



CONTENT RATING:

Language: Moderate
Sexuality: Mild
Violence: Moderate

BOOK BLITZ: GYBE by Kristi M. Turner

Gybe
by Kristi M. Turner
Genre: YA Contemporary Fiction
Release Date: August 28th 2016

Summary from Goodreads:

Nicole is an 18-year-old, juvenile delinquent who desperately wants to take control of her life but must find a way to overcome her own self-sabotage and a judge who won’t easily let her escape her past. She keeps food on her plate and clothes on her back by stealing. It is far from the life she wants, but she has known little kindness in her life and, therefore, gives little back. When Judge Newton charges her for the first time as an adult, Nicole recognizes a separating path: She can stay on her path to destruction or she can accept the unexpected generosity of the Kutcher family, whose house she is charged with burglarizing. 
Child psychologist, Cynthia Kutcher, believes she can help Nicole confront her anger and build back the self-worth she lost when her father abandoned her to a drunken uncle after her mother’s death. 
Along the way to building a more valuable life, Nicole meets Keagan, an affluent young man with whom she begins an often overwhelming love affair despite the conflicts their disparate pasts bring. 





FREE on Kindle Unlimited!

About the Author
Kristi M Turner lives in Alabama where she enjoys reading, writing, and spending time with her husband and daughter. She is a lover of music and a Netflix addict. Her favorite place to be is sitting in the sand on a beach, any beach. She is currently working on her second novel starring Bailey and Jay.
Author Links:      


GIVEAWAY:
a Rafflecopter giveaway

6 NOVELS ABOUT MENTAL ILLNESS

Mental illness is far more common than most of us realize. 1 in 4 people will be affected by some form of mental illness at some point in their life. Mental illness comes in many forms from depression and anxiety to bi-polar disorder and schizophrenia, with myriad variations in between. The biggest challenge with treating any kind of mental illness is the stigma that is attached to it. Too many people fail to get the help and treatment they need because of preconceived and often inaccurate assumptions about mental illness.

That's why actress Meryl Streep founded the non-profit BRING CHANGE 2 MIND, with the goal of opening a public dialogue about mental illness and ending the stigma. One way each of us can help is by becoming more informed about what it really is. Visit the organization's website for more information: http://www.bringchange2mind.org/learn/the-facts/

In the meantime, try walking in the shoes of someone with mental illness by reading a good novel. Try one of these on for size:

________________________
Caden Bosch is on a ship that's headed for the deepest point on Earth: Challenger Deep, the southern part of the Marianas Trench.

Caden Bosch is a brilliant high school student whose friends are starting to notice his odd behavior.

Caden Bosch is designated the ship's artist in residence to document the journey with images.
Caden Bosch pretends to join the school track team but spends his days walking for miles, absorbed by the thoughts in his head.

Caden Bosch is split between his allegiance to the captain and the allure of mutiny.

Caden Bosch is torn.

 _____________________
Meet Pat Peoples. Pat has a theory: his life is a movie produced by God. And his God-given mission is to become physically fit and emotionally literate, whereupon God will ensure him a happy ending—the return of his estranged wife, Nikki. (It might not come as a surprise to learn that Pat has spent several years in a mental health facility.) The problem is, Pat's now home, and everything feels off. No one will talk to him about Nikki; his beloved Philadelphia Eagles keep losing; he's being pursued by the deeply odd Tiffany; his new therapist seems to recommend adultery as a form of therapy. Plus, he's being haunted by Kenny G!





  _____________________
Esther Greenwood is brilliant, beautiful, enormously talented, and successful, but slowly going under—maybe for the last time. In her acclaimed and enduring masterwork, Sylvia Plath brilliantly draws the reader into Esther's breakdown with such intensity that her insanity becomes palpably real, even rational—as accessible an experience as going to the movies. A deep penetration into the darkest and most harrowing corners of the human psyche, The Bell Jar is an extraordinary accomplishment and a haunting American classic.





  
_____________________
 Fifteen-year old Callie is so withdrawn that she's not speaking to anyone including her therapist at the residential treatment facility where her parents and doctor send her after discovering that she cuts herself. Her story unfolds primarily through dramatic monologues, gradually revealing the family turmoil that led to her self-destructive behavior. Her little brother, Sam, is ill he nearly died in her care. Since Sam's illness, Callie's mother has become so worried and fragile that she rarely leaves the house. Her father has responded to the psychological and financial stress of Sam's illness by disappearing into his work, and when that doesn't work, into his drinking.

Callie's efforts to understand herself and her family illuminate her process of recovery honestly and with hope. Cut provides an insightful look at the psychology of cutting a form of self-abuse an estimated 2 million teenage girls inflict on themselves.

 _____________________
John Wayne Cleaver is dangerous, and he knows it.

He's spent his life doing his best not to live up to his potential. He's obsessed with serial killers, but really doesn't want to become one. So for his own sake, and the safety of those around him, he lives by rigid rules he's written for himself, practicing normal life as if it were a private religion that could save him from damnation.

Dead bodies are normal to John. He likes them, actually. They don't demand or expect the empathy he's unable to offer. Perhaps that's what gives him the objectivity to recognize that there's something different about the body the police have just found behind the Wash-n-Dry Laundromat---and to appreciate what that difference means.

Now, for the first time, John has to confront a danger outside himself, a threat he can't control, a menace to everything and everyone he would love, if only he could.

 _____________________

Samantha McAllister looks just like the rest of the popular girls in her junior class. But hidden beneath the straightened hair and expertly applied makeup is a secret that her friends would never understand: Sam has Purely-Obsessional OCD and is consumed by a stream of dark thoughts and worries that she can't turn off

Second-guessing every move, thought, and word makes daily life a struggle, and it doesn't help that her lifelong friends will turn toxic at the first sign of a wrong outfit, wrong lunch, or wrong crush. Yet Sam knows she'd be truly crazy to leave the protection of the most popular girls in school. So when Sam meets Caroline, she has to keep her new friend with a refreshing sense of humor and no style a secret, right up there with Sam's weekly visits to her psychiatrist.

Caroline introduces Sam to Poet's Corner, a hidden room and a tight-knit group of misfits who have been ignored by the school at large. Sam is drawn to them immediately, especially a guitar-playing guy with a talent for verse, and starts to discover a whole new side of herself. Slowly, she begins to feel more "normal" than she ever has as part of the popular crowd . . . until she finds a new reason to question her sanity and all she holds dear.


 

BOOK GIVEAWAY: SIN EATER by Alesha Escobar

Sin EaterThe Aria Knight Chronicles Book 1By Alesha Escobar and Samantha LafantasieGenre: Fantasy, Paranormal
Aria Knight has an unusual set of skills: she will hold back the hounds of Hell so you can fly toward the Pearly Gates, and she will wipe your slate clean so that you don't become karma's bitch...for a price.

A Sin Eater has to make a living in today's world somehow.
But when she's called in the dead of night to perform her rite for a recluse billionaire, she stumbles upon a murder scene, and the evidence points to her.
In an attempt to clear her name and uncover the true culprit, Aria is forced to team up with a private investigator who's possessed by three spirits, and a handsome wizard who would rather see all Sin Eaters like Aria go extinct.
Aria knows her job is never easy, but now it's become downright deadly.
SIN EATER is the first book of the Aria Knight Chronicles by USA Today bestselling author Samantha LaFantasie and Alesha Escobar, author of the bestselling Gray Tower Trilogy.

Add to Goodreads
**.99 on Amazon!!**Amazon* B&N* Kobo* Apple

I’m a caffeine addict and chocoholic who enjoys reading and writing engaging stories, loveable (and not-so loveable) characters, and expressing my creativity daily. I write fantasy with intriguing characters, action-packed scenes, and always throw in a good dash of humor and romance.Science Fiction and Fantasy are my favorite genres, but I also adore the classics (Shakespeare, Dante Alighieri, etc.) and I have a soft spot in my heart for Victorian poetry. You can geek out with me all-day every day over theseSome of my favorite contemporary fantasy authors are George R.R. Martin, Robert Jordan (rest in peace), J.K. Rowling, Neil Gaiman, Jim Butcher (Dresden Files made me love Urban Fantasy), and Ilona Andrews among others. I enjoy movies and shows like Sleepy Hollow, Supernatural, Arrow, The Flash, The Avengers…there are too many to name!I want to read more comics and graphic novels, please shoot a recommendation or two my way (I LOVE the Hellblazer comics, by the way).Please don’t be a stranger–I want you to kick up your feet, sip your coffee (or tea) and join in on my weekly rants, discussions, and updates.



Website* Newsletter* Facebook* Twitter * InstagramPinterest* Google+ * Amazon* Goodreads


Follow the tour HEREfor exclusive excerpts and a giveaway!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

EXCERPT:



Aria would die tonight.If Hessa didn’t unlock her damn door and let her in, that would certainly be the case. Aria’s back stiffened when she heard the faint but distinctive howls from the Hounds of Hell. Their shrieks always struck her as a cross between wolves wailing at the moon and jackals whining into the night.Hessa finally opened the door and stood at the threshold, sizing her up and taking a long drag from her cigarette. A tear, mingled with ruined mascara, trailed down her cheek. “Thanks for coming, Aria. This was the last thing Mom asked for, so…”“I understand. May I come in?” Aria nearly knocked her over trying to slip inside. The howling grew louder. They were down the street, and Aria’s time was running out.“Yeah.” Hessa rolled her eyes at Aria’s terse attitude, but she’d do the same if she could hear what came their way.“You should place a ward around the house.” Aria speed-walked down the hall.“Okay…” Hessa’s voice trailed off.She wished she had been called sooner. If the hellhounds made it to the dead woman before she did, then she’d have to watch them tear the old woman’s soul to shreds before dragging her off to the abyss.Aria wrinkled her nose at the smell of wet fur and garbage. A small dog somewhere in the house barked a few times. As if drawn like a magnet to metal, she guided herself to the last room, toward the deceased. A short, white-haired woman in a long-sleeved gown lay in repose on a bed. Her arms were crossed just below her chest, with her hands meeting in a clasp.Aria’s lips pressed into a thin line. She didn’t have time for this. She had told Hessa over the phone not to move or position the body. She quickly took the dead woman’s right hand and extended it, placing it to her right side. She did the same for the left hand, so that nothing sat on or near the deceased’s chest. She felt the moment Hessa cast her warding spell around the house. It felt like a stab of tension in her chest, the same type people felt when walking downstairs and missing a step.“What was her name?” Aria asked, when Hessa joined her in the back room. She needed to know this in case she needed to grab the spirit’s attention.“Lora.”“Beautiful name. Do you have the bread?” Aria grabbed a rickety stool from the left corner of the room and brought it over. She sat down next to the bed. The hellhounds circled the house, probably salivating over their prey. Aria could hear their gleeful snarls at the prospect of devouring another soul. If she weren’t careful, they would tear into her as well. It wasn’t unheard of for them to go after sin eaters.Hessa jabbed her cigarette into an ashtray on the nightstand and then unraveled a fresh-baked loaf of bread. Steam rose from the bread, and Hessa used the towel that was covering the small loaf to protect her hands as she transferred it to her mother’s chest.As a sign of respect, and also as a way to mark the beginning of the Final Rite, Aria inclined her head in a slight bow, mentally offering up an ancient prayer of blessing. She was the very last call, the end of the line for many. Probably in some ancient desert Monastery or buried in the Vatican archives, there was a dusty old manuscript with a footnote, speaking of the loophole offered by sin eaters. Most would ask for her if they couldn’t reach a priest, or as extra “insurance” after receiving Anointing of the Sick.Aria raised her right hand, palm facing forward, revealing the birthmark that identified her as a sin eater. She lowered her hand, but kept it suspended in mid-air just above the bread. She already felt the pulsating power of the S-shaped mark on her hand that begged to let the flame emerge. It happened whenever she began a sin eating ritual, and the first time her birthmark erupted into a large flame, she fell on her ass and tried to smother it with a handkerchief. Not exactly a move that would instill confidence in a client entrusting their loved one’s soul to her.The flame meant there were sins that needed to be ripped away from a penitent Lora and passed on to Aria instead. Lora’s soul would be free to throw off any shackles burdening her and find peace, and Aria would know that she helped guide someone to paradise. There were also the perks of increased longevity for Aria, youthful appearance, and extra cash. Witching families paid well for this gig.“Once I begin,” Aria said, watching the flame on her palm subside, “don’t interrupt the process.” She decided not to mention that hellhounds would make their way in within the next few minutes, seeking Lora’s soul.Aria turned her attention toward the bread resting on Lora’s chest. She reached over with her right hand and took the small loaf, biting off a large piece and chewing it. The bread was plain and slightly salty, but what really made an impression on Aria was the rush of mystical energy that filled her from head to toe. All of her physical senses were amplified in that moment. The lights in the room looked brighter, the color of Hessa’s green dress and auburn hair were more vibrant, and the scent of wet fur and garbage returned with a vengeance.And so did the howls of the hellhounds.Aria almost felt buzzed by the sensations, but she had been sin eating for a long time, so she knew when to shove them aside and get to work. She motioned toward the nightstand. “The wine, or beer, please.”Hessa blinked a few times in astonishment, probably wondering if her mother’s final request was some elaborate practical joke. With a little hesitance, she leaned over and grabbed a cup. She handed it to Aria and backed away, conveniently close enough to the door just in case she didn’t like what would happen. Aria held the cup with a steady hand just above Lora’s chest. Inclining her head in a gesture of respect once more, she brought the rim of the cup to her lips and drank.The beer traveled down her throat; it was cool and spritzy, with a surprising richness in body and a malty flavor. Now Aria’s spiritual senses were heightened. A burst of light temporarily blinded her, and when her view came back into focus, she saw Lora’s soul standing next to Hessa. Silver speckles of light adorned the elderly woman’s white hair, and her face appeared thirty years younger than that of her corpse. Aria grinned when she saw that Lora chose to wear a yellow evening gown reminiscent of the starlets of Old Hollywood.Lora made a sweeping gesture with her hand, showing off her lean frame. “If I have to go, why not in style?”“Agreed.” Aria took a final swig from the cup and placed it aside.Hessa raised an eyebrow, and her gaze went from Aria and then across from her, where from her perspective, she was talking to an invisible person. “Aria? Is it working?”“Shhh.” Aria kept her gaze on Lora. The entire room quivered as the hellhounds broke through Hessa’s protective ward, but only Aria felt it.Barking erupted in the hallway, but this wasn’t the yapping of the little dogs in the house. Hessa couldn’t hear it, but Lora and Aria did. Lora’s expression fell, and she floated across the room, through her bed and body, and stood next to Aria.“I’ll make it, won’t I? I know I’ve done some things terribly wrong in my life, but I’m a believer. Would’ve told Hessa to fetch the Padre, if my lungs hadn’t given out on me, but she knew that I also wanted her to call for one of you when it was my time to go.”Aria stood and placed her hand on Lora’s shoulder. After imbibing beer or wine in her ritual, she could see, hear, and touch souls. “Of course. I won’t let anything bad happen to you.”“Shit.” Hessa chuckled as she slipped another cigarette into her mouth and lit it with a snap of her finger. “If I’m forking over five hundred big ones for a dramatic act, I’m gonna be pissed.”A gray portal that looked like a whirlpool of storm clouds appeared right behind Hessa. Lora stepped behind Aria, grasping her shoulders with trembling hands.“Please, don’t let them get me!”Aria cleared her throat. “Hessa, you might want to step aside.”The other woman turned around, and upon seeing nothing out of the ordinary behind her, faced Aria and shrugged. “Okay, are you for real?”“Too late.” Aria raised her right hand, letting her birthmark bring forth the flame that had ignited earlier.In an instant, two hellhounds burst through the portal and passed straight through Hessa. She went rigid and let out a shriek. The cigarette fell out of her mouth and onto the floor.“Oh my God! What was that? What just happened?” Hessa frantically patted her chest and torso. When smoke began rising from the floor, she screamed again and grabbed a nearby towel which she used to smother the flames from the carpet where the cigarette fell.Aria ignored Hessa’s plea to stop the ritual. She wouldn’t, and she couldn’t. Besides the fact that she promised to help Lora, she now had to deal with two large, black, salivating hellhounds bent on dragging Lora’s soul away.Their red eyes glowed with malice as they circled Aria and Lora. They had come for souls many times, and most of those times, sin eaters like Aria had repelled them. She swore to herself that tonight would be another victory.As if reading her thoughts, the hounds unleashed deafening barks that echoed throughout the room. Hessa couldn’t hear them, but she did gag at the pungent odor that filled the bedroom. Aria wanted to vomit in response to the smell, but she quelled the unease in her stomach and swept her flaming right hand in an arc. A fiery circle enclosed itself around Aria and Lora.“This penitent is under my protection,” Aria said in a clear voice. “She will pass on to the light, and I will bear the darkness.”One of the hellhounds blew an ice-cold breeze toward the fiery circle, while the other opened its mouth and made a sucking motion. Lora squealed when an invisible force lifted her and started pulling her toward the hellhound.Aria grabbed hold of Lora. “Uh, I don’t want to rush your spiritual enlightenment, but now’s a good time to let go of those vices.” She doubted Lora wanted to be swept away because she kept the flaws that had entrenched themselves in the depths of her being.Lora gritted her teeth. The icy wind whipped her white hair in different directions. “I…don’t know if I can!”No shit. This wasn’t like giving up ice cream or chocolate for Lent. If Lora couldn’t, or rather wouldn’t, peel away the slivers of corruption that still clung to her, then the hellhounds would claim their right to her and clamp down with their hungry mouths and drag her away.“Lora, whatever’s in there trying to stick around, don’t give in to the idea that you can’t defeat it. We’re weak, yes, but you know what’s stronger?”Lora looked over at Hessa, her daughter, and her expression of fear softened. The old woman’s grey-blue eyes shined, and a sense of confidence took hold of her. She turned and met Aria’s gaze. “Love. True Love’s light.”Aria used her flaming hand to brand the “S” symbol, the same as her birthmark, onto Lora’s forehead. In that moment, they were bound together, and small black specks, the remaining sins and darkness in Lora, floated out of her and went straight into Aria. The old woman had finally let go of what held her down.The hellhounds let out disappointed howls. They backed away with indignant whines. With a few threatening snarls, they turned and jumped back into the gray portal and disappeared. Once the portal faded, Aria released Lora from her grasp. The elderly woman slowly faded, but she wore a grateful smile. She was finally moving on to her next journey--sans the hellhounds.“Thank you, my dear,” Lora said right before she completely disappeared.Aria nodded in response. Her throat was on fire and her hands felt numb.“Can I come in now?” Hessa’s voice carried from just outside the room.Aria rolled her eyes and sighed. “Yes. It’s done.”Hessa stumbled back into the room, trying to hide her shaking hands by smoothing her green dress, which had now lost its vibrancy. She placed her hand over her heart and eyed her mother’s body. “Whatever passed through me,” she said, taking in a deep breath, “it was horrible. But I felt Mom’s presence, and I just knew she was here.”“She was, and now she’s moved on. She’s fine now.”Seeing Hessa’s affection for her mother ignited a twinge of jealousy in Aria. She wished she had something like that with her mother, but the woman gave her up when she was just a baby. She had been told that her father, whoever he was, had passed away before she was born. She had always wondered if her mother, a witch named Clare, didn’t want her because she was born with the mark of the sin eater, or, if there was more to the story.Hessa shook her head, still in disbelief at what she just experienced. She reached into her ample cleavage and pulled out a wad of cash. “I felt Mom right next to me, I swear it. I guess you earned this, honey.”Ew. Sweaty boob cash. Aria pinched the roll of money and slipped it into her leather jacket pocket. “Thanks. You can call and have the body picked up now.”She nodded. “Will you do me when I die?”“Yes, good night, Hessa.” She acquired most of her clients through word of mouth or by them sitting through a sin eating ritual as a witness. Most of the world had forgotten that her kind even existed.She left the room and headed down the hallway, but paused when the other woman called out to her. “Does it hurt when you do that?”Aria turned and shook her head, her long, dark, wavy hair moving back and forth. “Does it hurt when you do your type of magic?”Hessa’s eyebrows rose together in an expression that told Aria that she understood. “But, how come there aren’t more like you?”Aria shrugged and gave a confused look, though in truth, she’d known the answer for over sixty years. Most of her kind had decided that they would rather die than go on absorbing the sins of a mankind that thought throwing innocent people into death camps was a good idea, or slaughtering innocents by the millions was acceptable. There were a few hundred sin eaters in the world, and only a handful left in the United States. She was the only one she knew of in Miracle Falls, California.“Goodnight,” she said again with a little more agitation in her voice. The Final Rite had exhausted her, and the last thing she wanted to do was recall memories of the 1940’s.As she went down the steps of the front porch and headed toward her car, she slipped her hands into her leather jacket pocket. A biting chill hung in the November air, but what caused a tremor in her fingers and her body to shudder was the effect of the ritual. It tired her out, making her feel like an athlete who had just passed her peak and was about to head downhill. She knew of only one solution to that.She shoved those thoughts aside and concentrated on what she could attain immediately. She wanted a big ass glass of wine. She needed her nice, warm bed. And then, she needed to magically be prepared in the morning to serve as nanny to a mind-reading ten year old, and her awkward older brother who probably knew more about human history and magic than most scholars in the world.Joy.

BOOK RELEASE: ILLUMINATE by L.L. Hunter

Title: IlluminateAuthor: L.L. Hunter  Genre: YA paranormal romance/ urban fantasyCover Designer: Desiree DeOrtoHosted by: Lady Amber's PR Blurb: Emma Raine looks like your average eighteen-year-old.But she holds a secret deep within her.She is a magical being, a powerful queen of a faraway mythical land who fled her destiny.No one will ever know.And she’ll kill you before you ever will.By day, Emma is a journalism intern in one of Sydney’s top media companies.By night, she researches ways of keeping magic hidden, of keeping her world separate from the life she lives now.But something is stirring in the streets of the trendy Australian city.There are whispers of magic, and Emma must stop it before it takes hold.Her search leads her to the mysterious forests of New Zealand, the one place she swore she'd never return… and the man who rules it all.In the enticing first novel of the spin-off of the Dragon Heart Series, can Emma keep her magic hidden from the one man she thought she’d never see again?Or will his interest in her illuminate everything?You can’t run from your destiny L.L. Hunter is the author of over 20 published works, including The Legend of the Archangel Series and The Garden of Eden. She has studied everything from veterinary nursing, forensic science, and dramatic arts, but has always known her true calling was to be an author. 

She has been writing since her teens - everything from fan fiction, to song lyrics, to plays and musicals. When not working on her next paranormal romance, she can be found at home in Australia, reading somewhere comfortable with one or both of her “fur babies.” Follow her on Facebook, Twitter @llhunterbooks, and her blog - http://llhunter.blogspot.com.au.Author Links: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/LL-Hunter/110104129132865Twitter: https://twitter.com/LLHunterbooksAmazon: http://amzn.to/1So75bFGoodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6559537.L_L_HunterBlog: http://llhunter.blogspot.com.auAuthorgraph: http://www.authorgraph.com/authors/LLHunterbooksSmashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/llhunterBookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/l-l-hunterNewsletter: http://eepurl.com/by8k0rBuy Links: BurnAmazon US: http://amzn.to/2v93ispAmazon UK: http://amzn.eu/5cGRorDiBooks: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/burn/id1055930122?mt=11Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/burn-80Nook: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/illuminate-ll-unter/1123225578?ean=2940152560015Book 2: IlluminateAmazon US: http://amzn.to/2uKMIhrAmazon UK: http://amzn.eu/93kaucDiBooks: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/illuminate/id1072596029?mt=11Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/illuminate-8Nook: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/illuminate-ll-hunter/1123225578?ean=2940152560015Book 3: Obliterate (Pre-order)iBooks: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/obliterate/id1243750331?mt=11Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/obliterate-3Nook: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/obliterate-ll-hunter/1126495608?ean=2940154397022

BOOK GIVEAWAY: AMETHYST CHRONICLES by K.G. Stutts

Winter's KissAmethyst Chronicles Book 1by K.G. StuttsGenre: SciFi Romance
Amethyst is a secret team of genetically enhanced humans which is Earth’s greatest defensive weapon. Leading the team of super soldiers is Ember Wilson, a tough woman with a huge chip on her shoulder. The team gets their name from the after effect of the Genesis Project which turned their eyes and even their blood purple.

For decades, Earth has been ravaged by unpredictable weather which began to cause crops to fail. Most of the planet’s food sources have deteriorated. Dr. Clayton Rudo has proclaimed he has the means to save the soil. He has created a weather machine to regulate and help replenish. But Ember knew the truth. He didn’t want to save the planet. He wanted to control it. Amethyst destroyed the machine, but was placed in stasis. Two years later, Rudo recreated the device and has frozen Washington, DC and the west coast of the United States.

General Tom Blanchard brought Amethyst out of stasis to work with an elite Air Force team, led by Major Liam Ross. Tensions between Ember and Liam rise as they butt heads. Can they work together before Earth is completely under ice?
Add to Goodreads Amazon* B&N* Kobo

Croceus PoisonAmethyst Chronicles Book 2
Ember lost it all when she lost Amethyst.

Now, as she recovers physically she must come to terms with her new reality. The struggle to find herself again will push those who care the most away even the men who love her.

In time, an opportunity to recreate her transformation presents itself. Will she risk herself to find what she had? Is it worth her team? Her heart?...
Add to Goodreads Amazon* B&N* Kobo
Past ReflectionsAmethyst Chronicles Book 3
An accident has sent Ember Wilson one thousand years into the past! Suddenly face to face with Drs. Madison Brooks and Mackenzie Rhodes, two women who are legends in her time and the foundation of what will be her world and their families. Ember is surprised to find that she connects with the fabled group, especially with Logan Brooks, a strong, handsome man who she can't get out of her head. At first she is content to kick back and enjoy her time before the brilliant women can restore the timeline until she learns the storied team needs her help to ensure the future happens.
With the future now riding on her, Ember faces a challenge that will test even her abilities and skills. Will she make it back to her time? Destiny intervenes as the future becomes entangled in the past in a showdown for any decade.
**Coming in September! **


K.G. Stutts is the author of several sci-fi romance series as well as a few romance stories. She has a degree in massage therapy. As a contributor to Independent Writers Association (IWA) her insights can be seen regularly there and on her own blog at kgstutts.blogspot.com and her website at kgstutts.com

When she's not weaving words, she enjoys reading, playing RPGs, hockey, wrestling, and football, and is a big sci-fi nerd. Currently she resides in North Carolina, USA with her husband, Brad.

Website* Facebook * Twitter* Instagram * Amazon* Goodreads

Follow the tour HEREfor exclusive excerpts, guest posts and a giveaway!
a Rafflecopter giveaway