Laura Thalassa's Blog, page 10

The Damned, Teaser #1

This post is proof that I can be convinced into a great many things! I wasn’t planning on giving you all any teasers from The Damned , the fifth and final book in The Unearthly series for another couple months, but I heard enough requests for a teaser from the final book that I caved. :)

The Damned will come out November 15, 2015. A cover reveal and additional teasers will be posted here in the upcoming weeks and months! Until then, enjoy!

The Damned (The Unearthly #5), Teaser #1

Wakefulness came in a short, shuddering burst. Andre let out a low moan. He was empty, absolutely empty.She’s gone. Oh, God, she’s gone.He bellowed out his anguish. The vampires that had pinned him to the ground woke at his cry, their hands reflexively tightening on him.“Damn you all, let me go!” He could feel cool wetness on his cheeks where fresh, bloody tears replaced old ones.“We can’t,” Vicca said. Her voice sounded like an apology. He didn’t want an apology; he wanted away.His blackened heart was shredded to pieces.He couldn’t say how fast the time passed. It could’ve been minutes since he awoke. It could’ve been hours. A shape blurred into the room, stopping near his feet. “Sire,” the vampire said, breathless.Andre ignored the man. “Kill me! I beg of you,” he pleaded to those that held him down. He never used to plead, but now—God, what he wouldn’t do to end this torment. Hell had to be kinder than this.“Sire,” the vampire repeated.Andre thrashed. “Let. Me. Go!” He felt his hair ruffle, but that was it. He could no longer conjure up his power.Because I’ve given up.“Is this what you want?” Andre roared at his vampires. “An existence bound to me? Holding me down?”His coven had already started to drain him of blood. They would have to weaken him until he was a desiccated husk. Then they’d chain him inside a coffin and bury it so far down that the earth would convince him he was really a dead thing. Then perhaps could he sleep and they could live.It wasn’t a good enough option. He needed death. That was the only way he could be near enough to her.“Sire!” the vampire shouted, finally drawing Andre’s attention. “Gabrielle is alive.”
***

You can add The Damned to your Goodread’s To-Read list, here!

Happy reading,
Laura

Reaping Angels Playlist

Hey you!

It’s that time again where I have to post the playlist that inspired the story—or is it the story that inspired the playlist? Whatever. Point is, I’ve got some cool tracks (not biased) for Reaping Angels, which is a part of the Beneath the Cape anthology. I hope you hear Angel’s sassy attitude in them—that’s what I love about this particular playlist. It’s got ’tude.

Also, as a side note, I now have several of you pushing for teasers for The Damned … and The Queen of Traitors … and Rhapsodic , my adult paranormal romance (rawr!). I promise to have more updates and teasers on these in the future (especially on that last one because I know you’re scratching your head and wondering what the heck that book’s all about). But… something that always works to pull my attention to a particular project is when you show interest. So posting reviews on Amazon and Goodreads for these books and the others in the series is a great way to get my attention, as is contacting me (laurathalassa.author@gmail.com) or reaching out to me on Goodreads or Facebook.

Okay, ever onwards! Enjoy the playlist!

Beneath the Cape is Out Now

The title says it all!  Beneath the Cape: The Superhero Anthology  is now available on Amazon.  Click here to check it out!  Read on for a description of the anthology!

Beneath the Cape: The Superhero Anthology
Only available July 1st - October 1st. 

Created with the sole purpose of benefiting the Wounded Warrior Project. 

Superheroes. 

Save the world and protect mankind. 

But what’s beneath the cape? Behind the mask? Under the steel-plated façade? 

Eight bestselling New Adult romance authors have come together to bring you seven stories about superheroes and what it takes to win their hearts. From the skies, to the cities, to the ocean, our superheroes face death, fight villains, conquer evil and— 

Find love. 

The world is full of heroes. Every-day men and women who risk their lives for the sake of others—for life, liberty, freedom, and justice. Often these men and women are wounded—physically or mentally—in the line of duty. Therefore, we have created this anthology with the sole purpose of benefitting the Wounded Warrior Project. 

Because heroes should never be forgotten.

*

Reaping Angels
Laura Thalassa

The Executioner’s touch can kill. 
Angel’s can heal. 
A villain and a hero. One who stood for death, and the other for life. Mortal enemies until the impossible happened. 
A touch. 
A kiss. 
And now, a manhunt.

Cat Love
Sunniva Dee
A sexy thriller about the animal in all of us. 
Aidan uses his superpower to stabilize minds at the Hollyreed Specialist Hospital. Ulani uses hers to chase rats on rooftops. Until she’s caught and deposited in Aidan’s care. 
At the hospital, Aidan finds Ulani's room empty—save for a cat, whose fur retracts in favor of silky skin and a vamp-gorgeous femme fatale. 
Aidan’s obsession with Ulani grows, while patients go missing. 
Making the couple use their powers to bring criminals to justice. 


Gypsy Love 
Angela McPherson & Lynn Vroman
For two hundred years, Adrian vowed to seek revenge against the Gypsy woman who bound his spirit for eternity. 
Until her. 
The one man Mia wants only exists in dreams. 
Until he doesn’t. 
The curse may be broken, but not without a price. 
One love must end for another to begin. 

The Only Difference
Magan Vernon 
The Only Difference between a hero and a villain is what they do with their power. 
Leonel "Short Stack" Garcia-Shapiro's life changed the night he decided to stop one of his fraternity brothers from taking advantage of a girl. Now he can't stop thinking of that girl and how he can save her. 

Heroes 
Christine Zolendz 
Kelly Black can’t believe she’ll be the new teaching assistant to Alexander Masters. The Alexander Masters—the head of the entire biology department. As soon as they begin to work together sparks fly and danger swirls around them. 

Breaking Through 
D. Nichole King 
Two years after her brother Nate died during a Navy operation, aquator Nautia Olson’s nightmares began, and her ability to manipulate water became erratic. Anger, fear, joy, desire—they all trigger disaster. 
Now, the Navy wants her for a top-secret mission, but Captain Riley Barton has his reservations. He’s read her file. He knows the damage she’s capable of, and yet— 
If he can harness her ability—break through her walls— 
She’ll be unstoppable. 

Villain 
Cheryl McIntyre 
How can you tell a hero from a villain? 
If you’re Ember Willis and the villain is Lanely Frost, you can’t. 
How can you tell a superhero from a delusional young woman? 
If you’re Lanely Frost and the woman is Ember Willis, you don’t care. 
For both, finding the balance between right and wrong and love and lust are not the only battles they’ll face.

***

Check out Beneath the Cape here on Amazon!

Reaping Angels: Teaser #2

So, Beneath the Cape: The Superhero Anthology comes out later this week, and I thought I’d share a final teaser with you all! Without further ado, here it is!

Reaping Angels, Teaser #2

The Executioner was a good kisser. Really good. So good that, in a moment of weakness, I might have kissed him back. His tongue caressed mine, and I made a small, satisfied sound. Damn me and my traitorous mouth; I was being seduced by a very handsome, very dangerous man. His hand brushed down my body, and the spell was broken.The Executioner tried to roast me alive, and now I was making out with him.Hellno. Only, he still held my hands in place. I wasn’t getting away from him unless I got creative. I smothered my rising anger; that wouldn’t do me any good at the moment. No, this called for trickery.Pinching my eyes shut, I pressed myself against him. Just as I suspected, the Executioner’s strength was also his weakness. He wanted to touch everything.He let my wrists go to run his hands over my torso. The moment he did so, I fisted my hand and swung. The right hook landed exactly where I wanted it to—his temple. The Executioner swayed, and I pushed him off me so I could scramble away.Not fast enough. His hand shot out and latched onto my ankle. I pulled my other leg back and kicked him in the crotch. “That’s what I think about your offer, asshole.”The Executioner let me go to clutch himself. He groaned. “You … play … dirty.” “Oh, like you’re one to talk.” I picked up my phone where it had fallen. The captain would know what to do.
*
“Get the hell out of there.”“Wait, seriously?” My captain wanted me to … run? From danger?“Do you really want to take on the Executioner? Tonight?”I turned further away from my villain-turned-victim. “I just did.”“The man is wanted in twenty-seven different countries. Nations that can’t even agree on basic human rights agree that the Executioner needs to be stopped. You’re great at what you do, Angel, but I’m afraid that someone with your abilities won’t be able to take him down by yourself.”I clenched the phone in my hands. Someone with my abilities. As if I couldn’t also kick ass and take names. As if being a healer and being a weakling were synonymous.“You know what?” I said, turning to face the Executioner, “I will bring him—aw damn.”
The Executioner was gone.
***

If you enjoyed that, make sure to check out Beneath the Cape: The Superhero Anthology on Amazon!

Happy reading!
Laura

Beneath the Cape is Available for Pre-Order!

Beneath the Cape  is now available for pre-order!  Check it out here on Amazon!  For those of you who haven't heard, this is a superhero anthology I've worked on with seven other authors. My novella, Reaping Angels, is one of seven stories that will appear in the anthology, which hits shelves on July 1!
The best part of all is that this anthology was created for the sole purpose of benefitting the Wounded Warriors Project. We all wanted to give back to those that have given so much for us. 
The proceeds go to a great cause, and have I mentioned how awesome the stories are? So good!

Here's the description and a sneak peek at my own novel:
Reaping Angels 

The Executioner’s touch can kill.Angel’s can heal.A villain and a hero. One who stood for death, and the other for life. Mortal enemies until the impossible happened. A touch. A kiss. And now, a manhunt.

Reaping Angels Teaser #1

When I came to, Angel was straddling my torso.Too good to be real life. Must be a dream. I heard Angel grunt and my shoulders yanked up. “You’re awake,” she said. “Just in time too.”Not a dream, after all.I squinted, my head beginning to pound. I tried to sit up just as she swung a leg off of me and found that I couldn’t move.What in the hell?I jerked my hands only to feel them resist my pull. I glanced up and noticed they’d been bound together above my head. Angel let out another soft grunt, and my leg jerked. I looked back down my body and saw her tightening a leather belt that pinned my ankle to the corner of the bed.“I am not the type of girl that gives out pity fucks,” she said, conversationally. “Sorry.”“What is the meaning of this?” I shouted, kicking out and trying to sabotage her efforts. She buckled the restraints in place. “Aww, is someone a little upset?” She pouted her lips.I roared. “Unhand me, woman!”And then she laughed in my face. “You self-satisfied, prideful prick. I’ll do no such thing.” She crept forward and knelt beside the bed. Propping her elbow on the mattress, she leaned her chin in her hand. “Tell me, how does it feel to be the imprisoned one?”Anger pulsed through my veins. The last time I’d felt this helpless, I’d gone on a rampage. Did she not realize who she was dealing with?Every vessel in my body strained against the bindings. I could hear the leather groan and the wooden frame begin to splinter as it gave under my force. Angel stood and backed up, undaunted by the sound. She held up my keys, and I paused in my efforts. She must’ve plucked them right out of my pocket. “I’ll be going now,” she said.My eyes flicked from the keys to her face. It was my turn to laugh. “You can’t get out of here,” I said arrogantly. “Not without me.” That was how Mirage’s illusions worked. She leaned forward. “You forgot one thing.”I raised my eyebrows. “Oh, did I?”Angel smiled. “I’m a fucking superhero. Bitch.”
***
If you enjoyed that, then make sure to check out Beneath the Cape: The Superhero Anthology on Amazon! You can do so here ! Every pre-order helps! So excited to share this anthology with you!
Hugs and happy reading!Laura

Vlog Post: June 2015

Hi readers,

I thought I’d switch it up for a change and post a video where I answer some questions you all have sent me! Hope you enjoy it!



Hugs and happy reading!
Laura

Reaping Angels: An NA Novella Coming July 2015!

For nearly a year I’ve kept quiet about a project I’ve been working on with several amazing authors. After the long wait, I can finally share the news with you all!

Reaping Angels, an NA novella, is the super-secret project I’ve been working on. And I do mean super. It’s one of seven stories that will appear in Beneath the Cape: The Superhero Anthology, which is hitting shelves July 1!


And this is my favorite part of Beneath the Cape: This anthology was created with the sole purpose of benefiting the Wounded Warrior Project.


Reaping Angels is about a superhero whose touch can heal and a supervillian whose touch wounds. Here’s its itsy bitsy description: 

Reaping Angels
The Executioner’s touch can kill.Angel’s can heal.A villain and a hero. One who stood for death, and the other for life. Mortal enemies until the impossible happened.A touch.A kiss.And now, a manhunt.

*** Click here to add Beneath the Cape to your Goodread's "To Read" list! Lastly, I thought I’d share the first scene of the novella with you!
Reaping AngelsHad I known I was going to face down death today, I totally would’ve bought myself the Slurpee. 
Instead, I walked out of the convenience store with a single packet of mints and a magazine. I touched the homeless man who lingered outside. His bloodshot eyes cleared a bit, that too-bright edge to them dimming to a more normal sheen.
I ignored the onlookers who snapped photos of me from their smartphones and headed for my white Mustang.
My cleavage buzzed. A second later, “Bad boys bad boys, whatcha gonna do, whatcha gonna do when they come for you …”
I groaned. Perfect timing for a call from the L.A.P.D.
They were the sister organization to the Los Angeles Supernatural Department, or L.A.S.D., which I was a part of, and we often teamed up to fight crime in southern California.
I reached down the front of my gold jumpsuit, noticing that even more people had stopped to take pictures while I fished the device out. I waved at them and smiled. 
Really needed to invest in pockets.
“Hey Ramirez,” I said, lifting the phone to my ear as I hopped into my car, “thought you lost your phone.”
“He found it,” said an unfamiliar voice. “Bottom of his locker. This is Officer Jensen. Ramirez told me to call you on his behalf.” I’d never heard of Officer Jensen. Had Ramirez gotten a new partner without telling me?
“Why isn’t he calling me himself?”
“He’s talking to the fire department at the moment.”
Shit. I gripped my phone tighter. The police and the fire department in one location? Something happened. 
“What’s going on?” I asked.
“An electrical fire broke out at the K–12 Reading Center in South Central, just off of Slauson Avenue.” 
My stomach bottomed out. “What?” 
“Know the place?” he asked, hearing the tone of my voice.
“Yeah, I do.” I went to the Reading Center during my free time and hung out with the at-risk kids. 
I rubbed my eyes. “How bad is it?”
“Bad. Firefighters haven’t been able to get inside. Place is locked up, windows are barred.”
My palms were already beginning to sweat. Not the kids. I hated emergencies with kids. “How many are trapped inside?”
“Don’t know. We think two to three dozen.”
“M’kay, I’m on it.”
I started up the engine and flipped on my siren. 
Move the hell out of the way people, I’ve got some kids to save.
***
Click here to add Beneath the Cape on Goodreads!
Happy reading,Laura

The Decaying Empire Playlist

Hope all your week’s going well! I thought I’d drop by to share The Decaying Empire’s playlist!

The third novel in the series, The Disappearing Act , will be coming out fall of 2016. I know, I know, it’s a ridiculously long wait, but it’s stipulated in my contract that I have to wait 18 months before I publish the final novel. Aye karumba, but what can you do?

In the meantime, I hope you enjoy The Decaying Empire’s playlist!



Hugs and happy reading!
Laura

The Queen of Traitors Description

Happy Monday everyone!

The Queen of Traitors now has a description!

The Queen of Traitors
January 15, 2016

They say I am a queen.
They say I married a monster. That I did so willingly.
They say he cannot die, that he does not age. That together, we rule a ravaged world.
They say I used to be one of them, but now I am a traitor.
They say many things, all which I cannot remember, but …

I fear what they say is true.

Then there is what they don’t say, what I see in their eyes—
The king terrifies them. He cannot be stopped. And, most worrisome of all …

He is coming for me. 

Click here to add The Queen of Traitors to your Goodreads “To Read” list!

Happy reading,
Laura

The Decaying Empire is Out Now!

So, the post title kinda says it all, but I’ll reiterate: The Decaying Empire is now live! You can find it here! This is the second novel in The Vanishing Girl trilogy, a NA series. For those of you who want to know a bit more about either of the two novels, I’ve included their descriptions below!

The third and final novel in the trilogy will be called (drumroll) … The Disappearing Act ! You can find it on Goodreads and if you click here, you can add it to your To-Read list!

The Vanishing Girl


Each night after Ember Pierce falls asleep, she disappears. She can teleport anywhere in the world: London, Paris, her crush’s bedroom, or wherever her dreams lead her. Ten minutes is all she gets, and once time’s up, she returns to her bed. It’s a secret she’s successfully kept for the last five years. But now someone knows.
A week after her eighteenth birthday, when frustratingly handsome Caden Hawthorne kidnaps her, delivers her to the government, and then disappears before her eyes, Ember realizes two things: One, she is not alone. And two, people like her—teleporters—are being used as weapons.
Forced into a quasi-military training camp for teleporters, Ember discovers she has been paired—perhaps for life—with Caden, the boy who got her into this mess in the first place. Now, she has to work with him on a series of teleporting missions, each one riskier than the last. But Caden just might hold the key to Ember’s escape plan, if she can survive her missions without losing her heart…or her life.

Find it here on Amazon.


The Decaying Empire


When eighteen-year-old teleporter Ember Pierce wakes up in a Los Angeles hospital, she remembers only the basics: she’s been trained by the government as a spy, she’s sent on dangerous missions, and her last assignment—the one that landed her in the hospital—was a setup.
Caden Hawthorne has spent the past ten months of his life grieving Ember’s death. So when she shows up in his room like an apparition, he can’t believe his eyes. But this Ember is different. Her hair is longer, her skin is paler, her gaze is haunted. She tells him what he’s already begun to suspect: someone he trusted betrayed her.
Now, uncertain who is friend and who is foe, Ember and Caden face the toughest mission of their lives—to stay together and survive, as they run from danger toward an unknown future.
Find it here on Amazon.

Happy reading,
Laura