Laurisa White Reyes's Blog, page 91

WINNER ANNOUNCED

Congratulations to Janie McGaugh, winner of the Romance is in the Air Giveaway Hop and a $15 Amazon Gift Card! You card is in the "email", Janie!

Thank you to everyone who entered. Be sure to stop by for my next giveaway, coming up soon! a Rafflecopter giveaway

CONTACT Now Available for Kindle

I'm so excited to announce that my young adult novel, CONTACT, is now available for Kindle. Just $5.99!  You can download your copy HERE. FYI - Amazon says there are print copies available. Don't believe them. There aren't any. Those resale people offering it for $40-$80 just wanna rip you off. Sorry guys!

BOOK REVIEW: THE TROOP by Nick Cutter

THE TROOP
Nick Cutter
Pocket Books
Adult - Horror


WINNER OF THE JAMES HERBERT AWARD FOR HORROR WRITING
 
“The Troop scared the hell out of me, and I couldn’t put it down. This is old-school horror at its best.” —Stephen King

Once every year, Scoutmaster Tim Riggs leads a troop of boys into the Canadian wilderness for a weekend camping trip—a tradition as comforting and reliable as a good ghost story around a roaring bonfire. But when an unexpected intruder stumbles upon their campsite—shockingly thin, disturbingly pale, and voraciously hungry—Tim and the boys are exposed to something far more frightening than any tale of terror. The human carrier of a bioengineered nightmare. A horror that spreads faster than fear. A harrowing struggle for survival with no escape from the elements, the infected…or one another.

Part Lord of the Flies, part 28 Days Later—and all-consuming—this tightly written, edge-of-your-seat thriller takes you deep into the heart of darkness, where fear feeds on sanity…and terror hungers for more.

MY REVIEW:

Picked this one up at Mysterious Galaxy in San Diego, CA. Mysterious Galaxy is my favorite genre-specific bookstore, specializing in everything speculative, including the best in horror. The Troop got a rave review from Stephen King and won some awards, so I had high expectations. Perhaps a little too high.

The book has everything a tasty bit of horror should have: children gone bad, a sinister presence lurking in the woods, blood and gore, and suspense to make your eyeballs pop. The story follows a troop of 14-year-old Boy Scouts and their leader on a weekend excursion to a sequestered island off the coast of Canada. But then "the hungry man" motors ashore. Infested with a worm with an insatiable appetite, the "hungry man" infects the scouts one by one. The result is rather terrifying and gruesome.

I did enjoy The Troop immensely. Did it live up to my expectations? Not quite. It was a tad predictable, though there were many hints at something really horrible happening in the future that simply never came to fruition. That disappointed me. But not enough to dislike the book. The Troop, over all, was a whole lot of fun, and it is definitely worth plunking down the dough to buy at your local book shop, though I think I'd suggest the lesser price of a paperback.

A strong addition to the horror genre. Could have been better. But I liked it enough to give it:



CONTENT REVIEW:

Profanity:  High
Sexuality:  Moderate (teen boys talking about boobs, and such)
Violence:  High

ROMANCE IS IN THE AIR GIVEAWAY HOP

 
Welcome to ROMANCE IS IN THE AIR BLOG HOP hosted by Book Hounds .
What am I giving away?

$15 Amazon Gift Card
To be eligible to win, just fill out the rafflecopter form below. Must be 18 or older to enter. Open internationally. Ends February 14th. Prize will be delivered electronically via email.

Be sure to visit all the other participating blogs on Book Hounds for more chances to win.

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GIVEAWAY WINNERS ANNOUNCED

Congratulations to NICOLE S. for winning NIGHTMARES! THE SLEEPWALKER TONIC by Jason Segel and Kirsten Miller during the Dreaming of Books Giveaway Hop.

Also, congratulations to Teresa Dell, Judith Folio, Michelle Catallo, Lynne Green, and Erinn Hill for winning copies of THE STORYTELLERS via my Goodreads giveaway. Books will be shipped to all the winners within the next week.

BOOK BLAST: THE PROVING by Ken Brosky

It's been 100 years since the Specters invaded Earth. Like ghosts they haunt the planet, devouring any human being foolish enough to venture outside of the last remaining protected cities. For some humans, venturing out isn't a choice--it's an opportunity to prove yourself to your clan. But when a coterie of New Adults undertaking a mission deep in Specter territory discover a terrible secret, they quickly find that everything they've learned may be wrong ... and Earth is in grave danger.


Facebook * Twitter Excerpt

Skye took a deep breath, held it, then forced it out quickly between her pursed lips. The loud whistle seemed ear-splitting, jolting her nerves — too late to change her mind now, she twisted her body, her boots digging into the gravel as she fell back and faced the farming contraptions. She lifted her rifle, seeing the Specter’s strange glow change, move, and then without warning its crocodile face emerged from the body of the large machine. Its mouth opened. Cleo fell back, screaming. A claw phased through, reaching out for Skye. She fired her rifle. The blue proton bullet tore through the creature’s arm, sending yellow sparks fluttering like butterflies into the air. The Specter’s mouth opened wide, revealing sharp, finger-length teeth, so close that Skye could see their serrated edges.
Blog Tour Schedule
   
BookBlast Giveaway $50 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash Ends 2/15/16 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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BLOG TOUR: NARINE OF NOE by Danika Dinsmore

DREAMING OF BOOKS GIVEAWAY HOP

Welcome to the DREAMING OF BOOKS GIVEAWAY HOP sponsored by BookHounds. Thank you for stopping by my blog. I am giving away actor/author JASON SEGEL'S 2nd book, NIGHTMARES! THE SLEEPWALKER TONIC



Charlie Laird has a dream life.

1) He has a weirdo stepmom who runs an herbarium.
2) He lives in a purple mansion with a portal to the Netherworld.
3) Since they escaped from the Netherworld, he and his best friends have been sleeping like babies.

But Charlie can’t shake the feeling that something strange is afoot. Charlotte’s herbarium used to be one of the busiest stores in Cypress Creek. Now her loyal following is heading to Orville Falls for their herbal potions. Weirder, though, Orville Falls is suddenly filled with . . . zombies? At least, they sure look like the walking dead. Rumor has it that no one’s sleeping in Orville Falls. And Charlie knows what that means. Things are getting freaky again. 

To be eligible to win, all you need to do is sign up for my free newsletter. Just be sure to mark that you've done that on the rafflecopter form below. The newsletter is produced by Skyrocket Press, and goes out about once a month, so it won't clutter your inbox. Be sure to stop by the other participating blogs for more chances to win. 
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COVER REVEAL: CONTACT by Laurisa White Reyes

I'm so excited to reveal the cover of my young adult novel, CONTACT. Some of you  may know that the book was originally published in 2014 with Hallowed Ink Press. Unfortunately, one year later, HIP closed its doors leaving my book an orphan.
A good samaritan author emailed me and suggested I submit it to her publisher, Evernight Teen. With nothing to lose, I took her advice and sent it in. I was beyond thrilled when Evernight Teen offered me a publishing contract. The book will come out sometime in 2016 (the date has yet to be determined). In the meantime, I would like to introduce to you the cover of the new CONTACT!!!
BOOK SUMMARY:

Mira wants to die. She’s attempted suicide twice already and failed. Every time she comes in contact with another person, skin to skin, that person’s psyche uploads into hers. While her psychologist considers this a gift, for Mira it’s a curse from which she cannot escape.
To make matters worse, Mira’s father is being investigated for the deaths of several volunteer test subjects of the miracle drug Gaudium. Shortly after Mira’s mother starts asking questions, she ends up in a coma. Although her father claims it was an accident, thanks to her “condition” Mira knows the truth, but proving it just might get her killed.




EXCERPT: 

I’m alive?Yes. Still alive.…Again.A tube runs from an IV bag into my arm, the plastic needle burrows under my skin like a tick. Thank God I was unconscious when they put that in. I cringe at the thought of being deluged with so many psyches at once—paramedics, nurses, doctors, all of them touching me. Where are my clothes? They must have taken them off when I was out. This flimsy gown can’t protect me. I want to tear off the tape securing the IV tube to my skin; rip it off like a band-aid. I want out of here, but then I see Mama sleeping beside me, her body sloped in a plastic chair. I shouldn’t have done this to her again. But I had to try.A plastic clamp pinches my finger, connecting me to a heart monitor. Three inches further up, my wrist is wrapped in gauze. Two months ago I would never have had the courage to do this—or any reason to. But now, feeling the staples beneath the bandage, I wonder how deep someone has to cut in order to die?The curtain jerks back, the metal rings dragging across the ceiling rail. Mama snaps to attention. I half expect her to stand and salute.            “Miranda Ortiz?” says a woman in a beige linen suit and crisp white blouse.  She is thin, stiff, and colorless. She reeks of Gardenias.            “I’m Dr. Walsh from Mental Health,” she continues. The plastic laminated nametag hanging from her neck confirms this.            Dr. Walsh extends her hand, but instead of taking it, I grasp the edge of my sheet and pull it up to my chin. Other than this stupid hospital gown, it’s the only barrier I’ve got right now.Mama stands up and reaches over the bed to shake the doctor’s hand. “I’m Mira’s mother, Ana,” she says wearily. She starts to sit back down, but Dr. Walsh interrupts.            “It’s a pleasure to meet you in person, Mrs. Ortiz.  However, I’d like to speak to your daughter alone, if that’s all right.”            Dr. Walsh is insistent, in a polite sort of way. Mama leans toward me, and for a split second I think she’s going to kiss me goodbye. Though deep down I almost wish she would, instead she offers me her gentle smile and tucks the sheet under my shoulder.            “Please don’t go,” I whisper.            “It’ll only be a few minutes,” she says. “I’ll be just outside, all right?”            Mama brushes a strand of hair from my eyes with her manicured fingernails, careful to avoid contact with my skin. She smiles at me, but her eyes are wistful. As she walks out, my insides tighten up and I suddenly realize how much I’ve missed her touch. My instinct is to cling to her like when I was small, but instead I press my arms stiffly to my sides like a corpse. A security guard opens the door and accompanies Mama out into the hall. Dr. Walsh takes Mama’s empty chair, crosses one leg over the other and lays a clipboard on her knee.  “So,” she begins, “you cut yourself last night. Is that right?”            Her voice is casual and smooth, as if she’s just asked me what I ate for dinner. She waits for me to respond. When I don’t, she glances down at her clipboard.  “I understand it’s not your first attempt. You were just here a couple of weeks ago, I see. Overdose, but no permanent damage done.”            She glances up at me, pausing in case I have something to say.I don’t.“Miranda—”            “It’s Mira.”            “Mira, what happened that made you want to die?”Her perfume hangs heavy around her. I rub the sheet against my nose, trying to block out the overpowering smell. The silence between us feels awkward. It’s obvious she’s going to sit there for as long as it takes. I want her gone, so I might as well talk.             “My boyfriend wants to dump me,” I tell her, and it’s true. Sort of.            “I see,” she says. Her eyebrows lift a little. “Things aren’t going well between the two of you?”            “Something like that.”            Her eyes narrow as she looks at her clipboard again. She thinks she’s got me all figured out. She’s met a hundred kids like me, maybe more. In her eyes, I’m just like all the rest. Only I’m not.    “Mira, do you mind if I ask you some questions?” She looks up at me, a trace of a smile on her lips. “Your answers will help me understand what’s happening with you, all right?”            She begins with the same questions Dr. Jansen asked me the last time I was here: Do you have trouble sleeping? How’s your appetite? Do you feel anxious or sad more often than usual?             She’s so pale with her white skin and bleached hair. Craig’s skin is light like hers. I used to relish his touch and let his lips linger on mine as long as he wanted. My skin tingles just thinking about him, but I shove the memories back, burying them down deep inside me where they belong.            Dr. Walsh shifts in her chair, drawing my mind back to the present. “Mira,” she continues, “do you believe you have special powers?”            Beneath the sheet my arm jerks, and the clip on my finger pops off. The monitor lets out a loud, piercing beep. I pat around the mattress, but I can’t find the clip. Then I see it dangling over the side of the bed. I reach for it, but Dr. Walsh gets to it before I do.            “Here,” she says, smiling.  “Let me help you.”            “No, don’t!” I say, grabbing for the clip.            Too late. Oh God. Please God, not again. I squeeze my eyelids shut, bracing for impact as she grasps my wrist in one hand and replaces the clip with the other. It takes only half a second, like those commercials where a crash test dummy rockets forward at high speed and slams into a wall. In that instant every thought in Emma Lynn Walsh’s head collides with mine—every thought, memory, hope, disappointment and dream. They come at me like a hailstorm, assaulting me at random. I see her as a child falling off her bike and scraping her knee, and her father scolding her for forgetting to brake. I see the wedding ring slide onto her finger—her yanking it off and flushing it down the toilet. I feel despair at her mother’s funeral and relief at her father’s. She masks so much pain with poise and self-assurance, but beneath it all she’s a mess.            “Mira? Mira.”            I open my eyes to see Dr. Walsh peering at me, a puzzled expression on her face.            “Let—go—of—me,” I order though clenched teeth.Dr. Walsh releases my wrist. I turn on my side, rolling up in the sheet, attempting to disappear into my cocoon. I hear the chair legs scrape against the floor as Dr. Walsh slides it closer to my bed. I stare at the bottom of my IV bag, watching clear drops form, preparing to fall into the tube. One by one they hang there for a moment suspended in time, and then plop! I glance over my shoulder and look at Dr. Walsh. Her smile is gone. Both feet are on the floor, and she’s holding the clipboard up now, like a shield. There’s a yellow Sponge Bob sticker on the back, staring at me with a goofy, wide-mouthed grin.“Okay, Mira. Why don’t we get back to your boyfriend? You said he wants to break up with you. Why?” Dr. Walsh’s tone has changed. It’s softer now, more sympathetic, but what can I tell her that won’t sound crazy?            “I won’t let him touch me anymore.”“So he told you he wants to break up with you?”            “No. He hasn’t said anything—yet.”            “Hasn’t said anything.” Her voice holds a note of confusion. “Then, how do you know?”            She dangles the question in front of me like the proverbial carrot, hoping to draw me out. I don’t want to talk anymore, but something inside me needs to. Maybe part of me believes there is a chance, no matter how slight, that this woman might be able to help. That’s how desperate I’ve become.I open my mouth to say something, but I can’t. Instead, I just lay there wrapped up like a mummy, someone who’s dead inside. Only I’m not dead. I’m alive. Too much alive.            Just then a nurse comes into the room to check my IV. “Are you comfortable, Ms. Ortiz?” she asks. “Your father called a bit ago. I assured him that if you needed anything, anything at all, I’d see to it myself.”            The nurse, a plump middle-aged woman wearing purple scrubs, glances at Dr. Walsh and reacts as if the good doctor had just magically appeared there.            “Oh my, I’m sorry, Dr. Walsh. I didn’t mean to intrude.”            “Not a problem. We’re finished here,” says Dr. Walsh offering a nod. I hear the snap of the clipboard’s metal clasp as she tucks her pen into it. Walking around the side of my bed, she gives me a conciliatory smile. “All right, Mira,” she says. “I’m going to have a word with your mother about getting you admitted. I need you to be somewhere safe, where we can keep an eye on you for a few days.”            As Dr. Walsh turns to leave, I find my voice again. “If you hate them so much, why smell like them?”            “Pardon?” She turns, pausing at the door.            “Gardenias. You hate gardenias.” Her lips turn pale as she presses them together. I don’t want to do this, but I need her to believe me. My voice chokes when I say it. “It’s your mother’s perfume.”            Dr. Walsh’s eyes glisten; hurt and confusion fills her face. Without a word, she turns and walks through the door, taking the invisible gardenia cloud with her.

BOOK BLAST: THIS LITTLE PRESIDENT by Joan Holub

Mother Daughter Book Reviews is pleased to be coordinating a Book Blast for the newly-released board book, "This Little President: A Presidential Primer" by Joan Holub and Daniel Roode. About the BookTitle: This Little President: A Presidential Primer | Author: Joan Holub | Illustrator: Daniel Roode | Publication Date: January 12, 2016 | Publisher: Little Simon | Pages: 26 | Recommended Ages: 2 to 6
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Books-A-MillionGoodreads | Indiebound | iBook | KoboBook Description: A board book primer on presidents Learn about the US presidents with this bright and playful board book! Highlighting ten of the most memorable presidents—and featuring all forty-four on the last page—parents and little leaders-in-training alike will love sharing this fun primer full of age-appropriate facts, leadership skills, and White House history.

Leading our country. Helping you and me. Keeping all fifty states safe, happy, and free. Little presidents have a great big job.

See more at Little Simon  
Sneak Peek   About the Author: Joan Holub 
Joan Holub is the author of 140+ books for children including the Mini Myths series of 8 board books: Be Careful, Icarus!, Brush Your Hair, Medusa!, Make A Wish Midas! Joan also authored the acclaimed picture books Little Red Writing, The Knights Before Christmas, and Mighty Dads, a New York Times bestseller. Joan also co-authors (with Suzanne Williams) three series: Goddess Girls (ages 8-12, Greek mythology with a middle school twist), Grimmtastic Girls (for ages 8-12, fairy tale adventure with a middle school twist), and Heroes in Training (ages 6-11, Greek mythology adventure chapter books).
Author Blog | Twitter | PinterestGoodreads | Facebook 
** Book Blast Giveaway **Prize: One winner will receive a $25 Amazon gift card or $25 PayPal cash prize, winner's choice Giveaway ends: January 26, 11:59 pm, 2016 Open to: Internationally How to enter: Please enter using the Rafflecopter widget below. Terms and Conditions: NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. A winner will be randomly drawn through the Rafflecopter widget and will be contacted by email within 48 hours after the giveaway ends. The winner will then have 72 hours to respond. If the winner does not respond within 72 hours, a new draw will take place for a new winner. Odds of winning will vary depending on the number of eligible entries received. This contest is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook. This giveaway is sponsored by Joan Holub and is hosted and managed by Renee from Mother Daughter Book Reviews. If you have any additional questions – feel free to send an email to Renee(at)MotherDaughterBookReviews(dot)com.

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