Margo Bond Collins's Blog, page 153

On the Isles of Mozambique by Mila A. Ballentine

 On The Isles of Mozambique

by Mila A. Ballentine







Blurb

Samira McAllister, an aspiring writer working for The Seasoned Traveler magazine is offered an opportunity. She takes advantage of the chance to jump start her career, hoping to make a mark in the writing industry.

Unforeseen hurdles threaten her ability to follow through with her plans, and life as she knows it becomes a memory. From that point onward, every choice she makes will seal her fate.

Available for purchase at


           

Book Trailer









Excerpt












“Hi.” Amy closed the door, walked to the

kitchen, and poured herself a glass of water.

“I went by Eric’s place to get the rest of my

things.” Amy left the kitchen and went into the living room.

“Not good.” She shrugged. “But I got my

stuff. That’s all that matters.” Amy slouched on the sofa, kicked off her heels

and folded her feet on the sofa. Samira sat down next to her.

Amy huffed. “They’re always nice when you

introduce them to your friends and family, but ‘come see me, and come live with

me’ are two different things. We could’ve worked it out if he was less

attentive, more considerate and polished up on his communication skills.”

“Good for them! They can have him. Eric wants

to know where I am and who I’m with at all times. I can’t live like that. I had

a father who already raised me and I’m not looking for another one.”

“Yes, it would’ve been nice. While you’re in

Africa, bring back a tall, tanned, muscle-bound hunk for me.”

Amy laughed and hit her with a throw pillow

she grabbed from the sofa. “I’m just glad the other person you were going to

have as a roommate changed her mind. I needed to get away from him.”

“Dido, if I had to spend another day at

Eric’s place, I would’ve lost my mind. He’s too into me.” Amy took a sip of her

drink and put it on the accent table beside the sofa.

Shine (Mageri Series, #5) by Dannika Dark

Shine (Mageri Series, Bk #5)

By Dannika Dark




Blurb: 



In the short span of a year, Silver has gone from becoming a Mage to discovering the truth about her unique genetics. Logan Cross went from her mortal enemy to her immortal lover, but a threat is fast approaching like an inevitable storm. Attacks are underway against the Mageri and one man is behind it—an elusive foe who is an unstoppable force. Nero is not Silver’s only concern as someone close to her is arrested for treason. In the midst of chaos, Silver discovers she cannot protect everyone from the wrath of fate, including her own Ghuardian.



Justus finally opens his heart, but an unexpected turn of events could darken his soul forever. Secrets are revealed that will leave you reeling from one twist after the next. Would you sacrifice everything for love?



Destiny has set sail and once she alters her course, no one’s life will ever be the same in this explosive conclusion to the Mageri Series.

Release Date:

December 20, 2013

About the Author






This is the segment where you learn a little more about who I am, so here’s what I can tell you:  I drink copious amounts of vitamin water placed precariously close to my laptop while writing. These are two healthy habits I have no intention of breaking. I’m a transplant living in the south, but I was born in the 70′s to a military dad who moved us around the world.



When I’m not writing (which is all the time), I’m hunting down Indie music, watching movies, reading, eating Tex-Mex, discovering new ways to humiliate myself bowling, and burning up my laptop battery on the Internet. I have a relaxed, easy-going personality and don’t like drama. I live with a cat who thinks she is a dog, or a goat (she eats plastic, so I’m not sure which).



Throughout my life, I’ve had insomnia. Counting sheep never worked and eventually I would imagine those sheep were the sole source of food after an apocalyptic battle where only thousands survived. I made up stories in a futile attempt to bore myself to sleep. The problem was, I got so wrapped up in my “head stories” that I would continue them through the following nights, changing it up each time to make it more exciting. Eventually, I started writing my ideas down – creating short stories, and then I discovered my love for poetry.



It’s almost embarrassing how many spiral notebooks and stacks of paper I have of poetry and lyrics.



Another passion: digital art. I design all my book covers, marketing, and series art. I’m a very visual person and pursued photography as an avid hobby for many years.



I am not a YA author (I feel like I have to state this only because I’ve had a few people ask), but I think it’s wonderful there are so many books available to teens in Urban Fantasy and Paranormal.



I am finally doing what I have always wanted to do: giving my characters a pulse through writing full time. I focus on adult urban fantasy romance, but I don’t like labels and I enjoy blending genres to break out of the confines of predictability.



But it’s what I love to do.



Danni




You can stalk, I mean find Dannika here: 






               














Presented By 

New Release: Chasing the Star Garden, by Melanie Karsak

Chasing the Star Garden

The Airship Racing Chronicles, Book I

Melanie Karsak

___________________________________

An opium-addicted beauty.

An infamous poet living in self-imposed exile.

An ancient treasure about to fall into the wrong hands.

Melanie Karsak’s “Chasing the Star Garden” takes the reader on an exciting adventure from the gritty opium dens of gaslamp London to the gem-colored waters of the ancient world, introducing us Lily Stargazer, a loveable but reckless airship racer with a famous lover and a shattered past.

Lily Stargazer is having a bad day. She just lost the London leg of the 1823 Airship Grand Prix. To top it off, a harlequin fleeing from constables shoved a kaleidoscope down her pants, told her to fly to Venice, then threw himself from her airship tower.

What’s a girl to do? For Lily, the answer is easy: drink absinthe and smoke opium.

Lily’s lover, Lord Byron, encourages her to make the trip to Venice. Lily soon finds herself at the heart of an ancient mystery which has her running from her past and chasing true love and the stars along the way.

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Chapter 1

I was going to lose-again. I gripped the brass handles on the wheel hard and turned the airship sharply port. The tiller vibrated in protest making the wheel shake and my wrist bones ache. Bracing my knees against the spokes, I tore off my brown leather gloves to get a better feel. The metal handgrips were smooth and cold. My fingers tingled from the chill.

“Easy,” I whispered to the Stargazer. I looked up from my position at the wheelstand, past the ropes, burner basket, and balloon, toward the clouds. They were drifting slowly left in a periwinkle blue sky. There would be an updraft as we passed over the green brown waters of the canal near Buckingham House. I locked the wheel and jumped from the wheelstand onto the deck of the gondola and looked over the rail. The canal waters were about a hundred feet away. I ran back to the wheel and steadied the ship. If I caught the updraft, it would propel me up and forward, giving me an edge.

“Cutter caught it, Lily,” Jessup yelled down from the burner basket below the balloon opening. “Up he goes,” he added, looking out through his spyglass. The gold polish on the spyglass reflected the fire from the burner.

“Dammit!” I snapped down my binocular lense. I saw Hank Cutter’s red and white striped balloon rise upward. At the top, he pitched forward with great momentum, catching a horizontal wind. I could just make out Cutter at the wheel. His blond hair blew wildly around him. He turned and waved to me. Wanker.

I was not as lucky. Just as the bow of the Stargazer reached the water, a stray wind came in and blew me leeward. The balloon jiggled violently in the turbulent air. I missed the air pocket altogether.

“No! No, no, no!” I cursed and steadied the ship. I had chased Cutter from Edinburgh across the Scottish and English countryside. He had been off his game all day. I’d had him by half a mile the entire race. With the bottom feeders lingering somewhere in the distance behind us, I’d thought the London leg of the 1823 Airship Grand Prix would be mine. That was until St. Albans, where Cutter caught a random breeze that pushed him slightly in front of me. Cutter had a knack for catching favorable winds; it was not a talent I shared.

“We’re coming up on Westminster,” Jessup called from the basket. “Lily, drop altitude. Cutter is too high. Come in low and fast, and you might overtake him.”

The airship towers sat at the pier near the Palace of Westminster along the Thames. A carnival atmosphere had overtaken the city as it always does on race day. There were colorful tents set up everywhere. Vendors hawked their wares to the excited Londoners and international visitors. Even from this distance, I could hear the merchants barking from their tents. I even fancied I could smell roasted peanuts in the wind.

I jumped down from the wheelstand, ran across the deck, and pulled the valve cord, opening the flap at the top of the balloon. Hot air released with a hiss. I kept one eye on the balloon and another eye on Tinkers’ Tower. At this time of day, the heat coming off of the Palace of Westminster and Tinkers’ Tower would give you a bump. I looked up. Cutter had started preparing his descent. It would be close.

I ran back to the wheel.

“Angus, I need more speed,” I yelled down to the gear galley, rapping on the wooden hatch that led to the rods, belts, and propeller parts below.

Angus slapped open the hatch and stuck out his bald head. His face was covered in grease, and his blue-lense monocle glimmered in the sunlight. He looked up at the clouds and back at me.

“Let’s giddyup,” I called to him.

“You trying the Tower sling?” he yelled back.

“You got it.”

He laughed wildly. “That’s my lassie,” he yelled and dropped back down, pulling the wood hatch closed with a clap. I heard the gears grind and the propeller, which had been turning nice and steady, hummed loudly. The ship pitched forward. Within moments, we were coming up on Tinkers’ Tower. The airship towers were just a stone’s throw away.

I aimed the ship directly toward Tinkers’ Tower. Just as the bowsprit neared the clock, I yanked the wheel. The warm air caught us.

“Whoa!” Jessup yelled as the balloon moved within arm’s length of the tower.

The sound of “Ohhs!” echoed from the crowd below.

A mix of warm air and propulsion gave us some go, and seconds later we were slingshotting around Tinkers’ Tower toward the airship platforms. Gliding in on warm air and momentum, we flew fast and low.

Cutter had kept it high, but now he was dropping like a stone toward his own tower. Damned American. I didn’t blame him; I would have used the same move. His balloon was releasing so much air that I wondered if he would be able to slow down in time, not that I wouldn’t mind seeing him smash to the ground in a million pieces.

“It’s going to be close,” Jessup yelled as he adjusted the heat pan.

I guided the helm. The Stargazer was temperamental, but we understood one another. A shake of the wheel warned me I was pushing too hard. “Almost there,” I whispered to the ship.

The Grand Prix Marshalls were standing on the platform. Cutter and I had the end towers. I was going to make it.

“Cut propulsion,” I yelled toward the gear galley. On the floor near the wheelstand was a rope attached to a bell in the galley. I rang it twice. The propeller switched off.

A soft, sweet wind blew in from the port side. It ruffled my hair around my shoulders. I closed my eyes and turned the wheel slightly starboard, guiding the ship in. As the bowsprit scooped into the opening of the tower, I heard a jubilant cheer erupt from the American side and an explosion from the firework cannon signaling the winner had been declared.

My eyes popped open. I tore off my goggles and looked starboard. Cutter’s balloon was parked. I threw the goggles onto the deck and set my forehead against the wheel.

The Stargazer settled into her tower. Jessup set the balloon on hover and, grabbing a rope, swung down to the deck. He then threw the lead lines and anchors onto the platform. The beautifully dressed crowd, gentlemen in suits and top hats and fancy ladies in a rainbow of satin gowns and parasols, rushed toward the American end of the platform to congratulate the winner.

I was, once again, a national disgrace. Lily the loser. Lily second place. Perhaps I would never be anything more than a ferrywoman, a cheap air jockey.

“Good job, Lily. Second place!” Jessup said joining me. He patted me on the shoulder.

I sighed deeply and unbuttoned my vest. The tension had me sweating; I could feel it dripping down from my neck, between my breasts, into my corset.

“You did great,” I told Jessup. “Sorry I let you down.”

“Ah, Lily,” he sighed.

Angus emerged from below wiping sweat from his head with a greasy rag. He pulled off his monocle. He frowned toward the American side. “Well, we beat the French,” he said with a shrug and kissed me on the cheek, smearing grease on me.

“Good job, Angus. Thank you,” I said taking him by the chin and giving him a little shake as I wrinkled my nose and smiled at him.

Angus laughed and dropped his arm around Jessup’s shoulders. They grinned happily at one another.

“You stink, brother,” Jessup told him.

“It’s a wee bit toasty down there. Besides, I pedaled this ship across the entire fucking country while ya were up here looking at the birds. That, my friend, is the smell of success.”

I laughed.

“You pedaled the ship?” Jessup said mockingly. “Like Lil and I were just up here playing cards? If I didn’t keep the balloon aloft, your ass would be kissing the ground.”

“Now wait a minute. Are ya saying your job is more important that mine?” Angus retorted.

I could see where this was going. “Gents.”

“More important? Now why would I say that? Just because I’m the one . . .” Jessup started and then his mouth ran.

“Gents.”

“ . . . and another thing . . .” Jessup went on.

“Gentlemen! Our audience awaits,” I said cutting them both off, motioning to the well-shod crowd who waited for us on the loading platform outside the Stargazer.

I grinned at my crew. “Come on. Let’s go.”

I patted the rail of the Stargazer. “Thanks,” I whispered to her, and we exited onto the platform.

A reporter from the London Times and several race officials stood waiting for me.

“Well done, Lily! Well done!” the British race official congratulated me with a pat on the back. “Second place! King George will be so proud. One of these days you’ll have it, by God.”

I was pretty sure that the last thing I needed was the attention of George IV, the extravagant, unpopular lush. But I bit my tongue and smiled politely.

“Lily, how did Cutter beat you? You led the entire race,” the reporter, a round woman wearing a very thick black lace collar which looked like it was choking her, asked me. Her heavy purple walking dress looked hot under the late afternoon summer sun. The brim of her black satin cap barely shaded her nose. I noticed then, however, that she had a small clockwork fan pin attached to her chest. The fan wagged cool air toward her face.

I pulled off my cap, mopped my forehead, and thought about the question. “Luck,” I replied.

“Lily, that was some move around Tinkers’ Tower. How did you learn to do that?” another reporter asked.

“My father,” I lied.

“Make way, make way,” one of the race officials called, ushering a Marshall forward.

The Marshall looked like someone who lingered an hour too long at supper. The gold buttons on his marigold satin vest would take an eye out if they popped. His overly tall top hat was adorned with a ring of flowers that matched his striking orange colored dress coat.

“Miss Stargazer, congratulations,” he said, shaking my hand. “The Spanish airship is coming in now. Will you please join Mr. Cutter at the winners’ podium?” he asked politely as he guided me forward by the hand.

From below there was a commotion. A man dressed in an unusual costume was rushing up the stairs. What looked like a full squadron of the Bow Street Runners, the London constables, were chasing him. When he got to the loading platform, the man pushed through a crowd of well-dressed ladies and gentlemen, many of whom were gentry. It was then I could see he was dressed as a harlequin. He wore the traditional red and black checked outfit and a black mask. He scanned the towers and caught sight of me. He jumped, landing on the tower railing, and ran toward me. A woman in the crowd screamed. Moments later the constables appeared on the platform. The race Marshalls pointed toward the harlequin who was making a beeline for me.

I let go of the Marshall’s hand and stepped back toward the ship.

“Lily,” Jessup warned, moving protectively toward me.

Angus reached over the deck of the Stargazer and grabbed a very large wrench.

Was it an assassin? Christ, would someone murder me for winning second place? I turned then and ran toward the Stargazer. A moment later, the harlequin flipped from the rail, grabbed one of the Stargazer’s ropes, and swinging over the others, landed on the platform directly in front of me. Any second now, I would be dead.

“Lily?” he asked from behind the mask.

“Stop that man! Stop him!” a constable yelled.

“Get out of my way!” Angus roared at the crowd that had thronged in between us.

The masked man grabbed me, tugged on the front of my trousers, and leaned into my ear. The long nose of the mask tickled my face. “Go to Venice,” he whispered as he stuffed something down the front of my pants.

“We got you now,” a constable said, grabbing him, raising his club.

The man shook him off, took two steps backward, and with a jump, leapt off the tower.

Several people in the crowd screamed.

I rushed to the side of the tower to see the harlequin lying at its base. His body was twisted oddly. Blood began pooling around him.

“Miss Stargazer, are you all right?” a constable asked.

“A man just killed himself in front of me. No, I am not all right.”

“I mean, are you harmed? Did he hurt you?”

I shook my head and looked down at the mangled body whose twisted form made the shape of a three-sided triskelion. It was the same symbol that was painted on the balloon of the Stargazer.

___________________________________

About the Author:

Melanie Karsak grew up in rural northwestern Pennsylvania where there was an abysmal lack of entertainment, so she turned to reading and hiking. Apparently, rambling around the woods with a head full of fantasy worlds and characters will inspire you to become an author. Be warned. Melanie wrote her first novel, a gripping piece about a 1920s stage actress, when she was 12. A steampunk connoisseur, white elephant collector, and caffeine junkie, the author now resides in Florida with her husband and two children. Melanie is an Instructor of English at Eastern Florida State College.

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Blog: http://www.melaniekarsak.blogspot.com

Twitter: twitter.com/MelanieKarsak

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AuthorMelanieKarsak

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/melaniekarsak/

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6539577.Melanie_Karsak

Be sure to request an Authorgraph!

___________________________________

Publisher: Clockpunk Press

Date of Publication: December 4th, 2013

ISBN: 978-0615878775

ISBN-10: 0615878776

Project Integrate Series Release!

The Project Integrate Series – Release Blitz

By Jamie Campbell


Young Adult Sci-Fi Romance



Date to be Published: 12/1/2013

Add to Goodreads

United They Stand.



Seventeen years ago an entire generation of aliens were sent to Earth in order to save their home planet and integrate into the human population. Now, those aliens are being hunted.



Amery Jones is your typical teenager, except for the fact she is an alien and a member of the government’s secret Project Integrate.



When Amery’s best friend Lola is kidnapped in order to get to her, there is only one person that can help – the exceedingly annoying and charming Lochie Mercury.



Together, Amery and Lochie must put aside their differences and attraction in order to rescue Lola before it’s too late.







EXCERPT



   I tried to pay attention to the rest of the lesson, I knew I needed to know the particulars of the project but it was hard to imagine doing it with Lochie. We had known each other since we were little, we started school on the same day and had been in most classes together ever since.

   I think my hatred started for him that first day. He pushed me into the sandpit where I landed with a decisive thud. All of his newly acquired friends laughed at me. I didn’t have any friends to come to my aide so I just had to push myself out of the pit and dust off the sand. I think I’ve been dusting off that sand every day ever since. And it was all because of Lochie.

   I was supposed to be nice to everyone, that was part of the deal. I had to be kind, friendly, and lovable. If I was anything but, then I could potentially be removed from the project. When I was little I might have been okay with being pulled, but not now. Not after I’ve spent seventeen years here.

   To lose my placing just because of Lochie would be like rubbing salt into my wounds – except a thousand times worse. So while I knew how I should act towards him, I still couldn’t. Not when one look at him made me want to pull my own eyeballs out of their sockets.

 

About the Author

Jamie Campbell



Jamie was born into a big, crazy family of 6 children. Being the youngest, she always got away with anything and would never shut up. Constantly letting her imagination run wild, her teachers were often frustrated when her ‘What I did on the weekend’ stories contained bunyips and princesses.

Growing up, Jamie did the sensible things and obtained a Bachelor of Business degree from Southern Cross University and worked hard to gain her membership with the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia.

Yet nothing compared to writing. Quitting the rat race to spend quality time with her laptop named Lily, Jamie has written several novels and screenplays. Spanning a number of genres and mediums, Jamie writes whatever inspires her from ghost stories to teenage love stories to tantalising murder mysteries. Nothing is off limits.

A self-confessed television addict, dog lover, Taylor Swift fan, and ghost hunter, Jamie loves nothing more than the thrill of sharing her stories.



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Art and Society: A Guest Post by Angela Burke

Reflection of the Arts and Society

by Angela Burke

“Art has always been a mirror of society. Art reflects society, art criticizes it, and art always offers solutions to problems in society.” -Senam Okudzeto, Artist, Founder and Director, Art in Social Structures, Ghana

“Art as a mirror of society.” This is profound. Particularly as we stand, eyes trying to open, attempting to see the world in which we live. A world that appears to be nothing as it seems. We are all in a hurry…going nowhere…nowhere without our phones. Always connected, yet growing further and further apart. And we wonder why the percentage of Americans on anti-depressants has alarmingly increased in the past five years. Hmmmm….

Saturated with images…many false…many distorted…but fortunately, many beautiful. It is this beauty that reconnects humanity. Music, art, writing….these are our conduits to love, compassion, sanity. Without Art, regardless of the form, our society collapses. And yet…this essential component of our existence is often forgotten, undervalued and left for background noise.

We are told what is good. We are told what to like. We are told what to buy. We gravitate toward best-selling lists and top-rated television programming. We have “standards” we teach our children in school, emphasizing proficiency in math, reading and writing. Kids grow up doing what is needed to pass. They memorize and regurgitate. But what they really need is freedom. We all do. Freedom to explore ideas for ourselves…to manipulate our thoughts and turn them into something new….to create.

Looking into the mirror of Art, I feel that it is one of our last hopes in bringing us to a place of communication and freedom in order to offer a voice. A voice to keep society in check…to speak for the suppressed, to call out the unjust, to shout out the truth.

This is the purpose of the Arts. And all of us – authors, musicians and artists – must let our voices be heard. So create! And create from within, making it real. Create and speak for those who cannot. And maybe….just maybe…society will listen, the echo creating a ripple of change for the better.

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Angela Burke is the author of LUCIDITY and BENEATH the MAYAN MOON. She lives in Boulder, Colorado and enjoys running, skiing and taking long hikes in the mountains. A former teacher, she now spends her time building her massage therapy practice, while chasing after her three great kids and daydreaming up new story ideas.

You can find her at http://www.angelaburkebooks.com, on the Solstice Publishing website, Facebook and Twitter. Her books are available on Amazon.

BENEATH the MAYAN MOON is FREE December 1-5 on Amazon – http://www.amazon.com/Beneath-the-Mayan-Moon-ebook/dp/B00774LJWU/ref=pd_sim_kstore_1

Spotlight On: Grace by KC Sprayberry

Grace Winston yearns for one last family Christmas before she leaves for England, but first she has to convince her brothers and sisters it’s worth their while to come home. While her parents are happy that she’s been accepted at Oxford University, they are pining for their family to gather together for the holidays. Grace talks her older brothers and sister into coming home, but then they must convince their other siblings: a brother who attacked their father to get money to feed his drug habit, and a sister who recently gave up alcohol and is raising her four young children alone. While Grace manages to bring them all together, she is soon wondering if this was really worth all the trouble she’s gone through, especially when no one acknowledges her efforts to make this a Christmas to remember–until she receives an early gift that leaves her certain that everything will turn out all right.

__________________

Excerpt

Grace Winston had celebrated her eighteenth birthday a mere three weeks ago, the same day as Thanksgiving. There were no thanks in her house, no special foods prepared to celebrate her becoming an adult, nothing to mark the day as unique.

Her parents hadn’t said “Happy Birthday” until it was time to go to bed. Even then, the acknowledgement had sounded more like “goodnight.”

It’s not Mama and Papa’s fault. They can’t help how sad they are. My brothers and sisters should have come like they said they would. They’re not even making false promises anymore. All of them claim that they have other plans for Christmas, and we need to get over our selfish desire to have the family together.

For as far back as she could remember, that day has been one where her whole family showed up, until her oldest brother, Adam, decided that he had too much work to spend a week at his childhood home. Mark begged off the next year, claiming his wife’s job required him to appear at the White House. The others never bothered to make an excuse the year after that.

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Playlist for Grace

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Book Trailer

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About the Author

KC Sprayberry started writing young, first as a diarist, and later through an interest in English and creative writing. Her first experience with publication came when she placed third in The Freedoms Foundation at Valley Forge contest while in the Air Force, but her dedication to writing came after she had her youngest child, now in his senior year of high school.

Her family lives in Northwest Georgia where she spends her days creating stories about life in the south, and far beyond. More than a dozen of her short stories have appeared in several magazines. Five anthologies feature other short stories. She has three books that are Amazon best sellers: Softly Say Goodbye, Who Am I?, and Mama’s Advice. Her other novels available are: Take Chances, Where U @, The Wrong One, The Ghost Catcher, Family Curse … Times Two, and Secret From The Flames.

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Links

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/KC-Sprayberry/331150236901202

Twitter: https://twitter.com/kcsowriter

Blog: http://outofcontrolcharacters.blogspot.com/

Website: http://www.kcsprayberry.com

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5011219.K_C_Sprayberry

JacketFlap: http://www.jacketflap.com/profile.asp?member=kathispray

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005DI1YOU

Google +: https://plus.google.com/u/0/+KcSprayberry/posts

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/kcsprayberry/boards/

Authorgraph: http://www.authorgraph.com/authors/kcsowriter

AUTHORSdB: http://www.authorsdb.com/authors-directory/5230-k-c-sprayberry

Spotlight: Drowning by Rachel Firasek

Title: Drowning

Author: Rachel Firasek

Series: Tears of Sin (#1)

Pages: 263

Published: October 26th, 2013 by Naedge Publishing

*Drowning is a New Adult Contemporary Romance suited for 18+ due to some violence, language, and sexual content* 

“I dare you.”

Those words would change adrenaline junkie, Alice Harrison’s life forever. She’s a party girl that doesn’t believe in love until she meets a man that only writes about it.

Seth James escaped his overbearing father and moved into one of the James family’s vacant condos, hoping to create the music he loves in peace. But the fragile calm he’s envisioned shatters when a tiny woman with a world full of energy bounces out of the elevator and nearly takes him out.

With the patience of a saint, Seth seeks the dark that keeps Alice from enjoying life. He challenges her to exorcise the demons in her past in order to discover the true meaning of love. But when the walls fall down, the hidden deceptions will bare the ugly truth about a woman drowning in sorrow and a man who may not know how to be her hero.

Amazon (ebook) | Amazon (print) | Barnes & Noble | All Romance eBooks

In the hall, arms laden with musical equipment, four large and totally hot guys fill the space—Seth James leading the pack. He stops, drops the cymbal dangling from an index finger, and stares. His too bright gaze travels down my scantily, and very sweaty, clad body and back up. When our eyes meet, he grins. “Come to help?”

“No.” I have no idea what makes me do it, but I snatch his cymbal off the floor and carry it into his apartment. I’m asking for trouble, but can’t seem to stop myself. They follow me inside, jaws still slack. Okay, so I’m cute, but not worthy of jaws dropping. I plop it down on his couch and rush back to the door. Taking on Seth doesn’t scare me, but a crew of hotties is a little much.

His strong fingers wrap around my shoulder before I make it through the walkway. It’s not controlling or holding me back. His hand is simply resting on me. “Hey, thanks. I’m sorry if we…uh…interrupted your day.”

His words sound sincere and slightly slurred, and I can’t find it in my heart to be bitchy to the first guy in a long time that has only shown me kindness. I sigh and pivot to face him. “It’s not me I’m worried about. My sister is asleep.”

He glances at his watch and frowns.

“She’s recovering from an accident. So, if you don’t mind, keep it down in the halls.”

He leans forward. “Will do and I’m sorry.”

When he enters my personal space, my heart speeds up. His eyes stare into mine. I feel this incredible connection, like he knows my pain. Like he can see my guilt.

The distance between us seems to be shrinking, and I’m not sure if it’s me shuffling closer or him.

He snags the zipper on my jacket and runs it up and down. “Is she going to be okay?”

I pluck at a button on his shirt and glance up. “Eventually.”

His friends form a half-moon circle around him and gape at me. I flick a glance at each of them. They all have a very different style of dress, which only raises more questions about the man in front of me. “Am I the first girl they’ve ever seen?”

Blondie, with the coal lined eyes, on the left snickers. “In Seth’s apartment? Hell, yes.”

Seth elbows him, but grins.

The tall guy in a kind of hot-nerd ensemble leans over and shakes my hand. “Deacon. Would you like a beer?”

I eye the leering men again. “It looks like you started without me, and I’m not into gang-bangs.” I disengage the overlong hand play with the nerd and back away from the group. “G., I’ll catch you later.”

“Hey, wait. I’ll walk you back over.”

The hotties chuckle, high-five, and rib Seth as we walk toward the hall. He shuts the door to their gazes and catches my hand before I can cross back to my apartment. “Hey, are you going to tell me your name?”

“Nah, this is more fun.”

“Why?”

“I think you’re used to having your way.”

He smiles. “Maybe.” He leans against his door and crosses his arms. His smile slips into a smug grin I’d seen on so many rich boys in this city. He thinks he has me. “I’d like to have my way with you.”

He’s quite the talker when he’s sauced. Good to know. It’s nice to see his thoughts. “That’s the beer talking.” I step close, arch up on tip-toe, and tap a finger to his slightly parted lips. “A few hours ago, you didn’t have much to say. I’m okay with keeping this awkward tension between us. It’s all we’ll ever have.”

He scowls at that and twists the knob back to his apartment. “Whatever.”

Mission accomplished. I’d succeeded in pissing him off. If he stayed mad at me, then we could squash this weird attraction that we obviously both feel.

I grin. “Bye, G.”

His brows dip low, and I shove the door behind me, sagging against it. My breath swooshes out from between my clenched teeth. Damn, he is going to be trouble. I feel it all the way to my pinky toe.

A soft knock against my back drives home the point. I twirl and open the door before he disturbs Molly—or maybe because I’m not ready to share him with her yet. “What?”

He tucks a hand into the waistband of my shorts and hauls me into the hall, pulling my door shut behind me. “Where did you get that?” His gaze lingers on the small bump decorating my forehead.

I reach up and touch the sore knot. “Oh, I fell.”

“How?” He raises his free hand and traces the swelling.

I don’t even feel the careful prodding. No, my concentration is solely focused on the fingers tucked inside my shorts and only inches away from becoming way too familiar with me. “Um…I was doing yoga when you guys came down the hall.”

“And?” He tugs me closer. His thumb rakes a small path below my belly button.

Oh my. “Uh…I fell out of…of…my pose and banged my head on the floor.”

His eyes darken and those beautiful lips part. I want to snake my tongue across the bottom one to find out if it is as soft as it looks.

He winces and lowers his eyes to mine. “So this is my fault?”

I grab onto his wandering hand and pull it free of my shorts. If I didn’t, I’d be asking him for a wall orgasm in less than two minutes and random teasing and fleeing was a no go for me now. “No. It was an accident. Lighten up, G.”

“I don’t want to cause you pain.”

Wow, that feels like a loaded proclamation. “Okay. Well, keep the noise down, and we should be good.”

He drops the hand that had been rubbing away my bruise. Funny, I’d totally forgotten it. “I don’t want to cause you pain. It’s a personal thing.” A deep shudder races over him, and for some reason, I don’t think he is with me anymore.

“You didn’t. I’m fine.” I lift a hand and cup the side of his face, bringing his gaze to mine. It is the gentlest moment I’ve ever had with a man, and we’ve just met. “I’m not sure what this is, but I think I should go inside.”

He glances down the corridor, takes a deep breath, and nods. “Yes, you should.”

“Go play with your friends. Be men or whatever that means, and I’ll go back to my yoga.” I was going to need it after this.

He groans and drops his head back, his hint of an Adam’s Apple bobbing down the column of his neck, begging for my tongue to taste him there. “Did you have to bring that back to mind?”

I grin. “What? Me all hot and sweaty in contorted positions? Do you like that?”

He groans, and one side of his mouth slants up. “I have things to do and don’t need no-named neighbors distracting me.”

Rachel Firasek spends her days daydreaming of stories and her nights putting the ideas to ink. She has spent a dull life following the rules, meeting deadlines, and toeing the line, but in her made up worlds, she can let the wild side loose. Her wonderful husband and three children support her love of the written word and only ask for the occasional American Idol or Swamp People quality hour.

She has a philosophy about love. It must devastate or it isn’t truly worth loving. She hopes that you all find your devastating love and cling to it with all your heart! 

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Spotlight On: Dead Dreams, by Emma Right

Dead Dreams
By Emma Right




Blurb: 

Eighteen-year-old Brie O’Mara has so much going for her: a loving family in the sidelines, an heiress for a roommate, and dreams that might just come true. Big dreams–of going to acting school, finishing college and making a name for herself. She is about to be the envy of everyone she knew. What more could she hope for? Except her dreams are about to lead her down the road to nightmares. Nightmares that could turn into a deadly reality.



Dead Dreams, Book 1, a young adult psychological thriller and contemporary mystery.

Available to purchase at

Book Trailer

Prologue & Chapter 1

Prologue







bphoto

of her child. Of course,

I wouldn’t know, for I am no en, the way I’d stooped to ield to my basic instincts. My mind wandered to her,

what her unique smell would be when, and if, they ever were

to find her.





  

fter what happened, I decided to write out the events that led to that day and details in case Id missed It started on a warm pril afternoon. Gusts of wind blew against the oak tree right outside my kitchen balcony, in my tiny apartment in Atherton,

California. Sometimes the branches that touched the side

of the building made scraping noises. The yellow

huckleberry flowers twining their way across my

apartment balcony infused the

air

with sweetness.



sn’t really new, just new to me, asofinished high school

and debuted into adulthood.



, her

oice blaring from the phone even though I didn’t set her

on speaker. “You need to eat better.” So, I

skipped down three flights of steps and headed

toward the side of the apartment building to await my

in an á la chicken style,

her insistent recipe to cure me of bad eating habits. At

le-oiled till the bones

melted, I consoled myself.



when a vehicle careened round

the corner. I heard it first, that high-pitched screech of brakes wearing thin when the driver rammed his foot

against it. From the corner of my eye, even before I turned to face it, I saw the blue truck. It rounded the bend where Emerson Street met Ravenswood, tottered before

it righted itself and headed

straight at me.



My mother arrived

a half minute later but she had seen it all. Like superwoman, she leaped out of her twenty-year-old Mercedes and rushed toward me, all

breathless and blonde hair disheveled.



help me up.



pants.



I followed her, admittedly winded.“Seriously, Mom.

It’s just one of those things. Mad drivers could happen anywhere

I live.”



“Mom, stop worrying,” I said.



“I’ll find someone dependable by the end of the

week, I promise.” No ay I was going back to live at

home. Not that I came

from

a bad home environment. But

I had my reasons.



advertised on Craig’s List, despite my mother’s protests that only scum would answer “those

kinds of ads.”



’was, what

would that make me?



had money. Their ancestors had emigrated from Scotland

(where else, with a name like McIntyre, right?) in the

early 1800s and bought an entire mountain (I kid you

not) in West Virginia. It was a one-hit wonder in that the

mountain hid a coal fortune under it, and hence the McIntyre Coal Rights Company was born. This was the





AnI sat across from her, the coffee table between us, in the small , Because of

abuses of the

coal company? kWe sipped hot cocoa and sat cross-legged in the

crammed living room, which also doubled as the dining

read tips on the

Internet.



said, twirling her dark ringlets round and round on her pointer finger.



, “I guess, bunderstand? Anyway, I’m almost twentyone now. That’s

own space.” She took tiny sips of the cocoa, both handI walked to the thermostat and upped the

temperature. A slight draft still stole in from a gap in the

balcony sliding door I always kept open a crack to let the air circulate.





, our family’s okay with you living here? In

that’s

probably smaller than our bathroom? 

W“First off, it’s none of their business. Secondly, you and I won’t stay strangers.” Sarah flashed me a grin.

“Besides, I’m tired of big houses with too many rooms to

et lost in. And, ave you lived

in West Virginia?”



The farthest I’d been was Nevada

“heard i“If you like hotdShe looked about at the ceiling. I wondered if she noticed the dark web in the corner and the lack of

cornices and crown moldings. I was sure I smelled mold choose. Sarah was.



s“path part” She

“e tossed me a navy blue booklet with gilded edges and with lden words “Bank

of America” on the cover.



“Should I peek?”



S“No secrets. I can

well afford to pay rent.

AndI’m a stable individual.”



My mouth must have been open l?”



in my landlord’s leaseShe didn’t want anything down on paper—o checks, no contracts, and no way

of tracing things back to She fished in her Louis Vuitton and handed me a brown paper bag, the kind kids carry their school lunches in. I peeked inside and took out a stash of what looked like a wad of papers bundled together with a rubber band. Her three-month share of the deposit, a

total of twenty-four crisp hundred-dollar bills. They had

that distinct new-bank-notes-smell

that spoke of luxury.




secrecy? I hope your parents will at least know your

address.said as I wrapped up the interview. I could

understand not wanting parents breathing down her

neck, but as long as they didt insist on posting a uard at the door, what was the harm of them knowing where

she lived?



She leaned forward and, her face expressionless,

said

softly,

Spotlight On: Fallen, by Laury Falter

Title: Fallen

Author: Laury Falter

Series: Guardian Trilogy

Genre: YA Paranormal Romance

Publisher:  Audeamus LLC

Release Date: April 1 2009

Editions/Formats Available In: eBook & Print

Blurb/Synopsis: 

Fallen – the first book in the bestselling Guardian Trilogy…

Maggie is unaware of the terrifying fate that awaits her. It isn’t until she lands in New Orleans for a full year at a private high school and her unknown enemies find her does she realize that her life is in danger. 

As a mystifying stranger repeatedly intervenes and blocks the attempts on her life, she begins to learn that there is more to him than his need to protect her and that he may be the key to understanding why her enemies have just now arrived.

Laury Falter is a bestselling author of young adult romantic suspense and urban fantasy. She has three series out: the Guardian Trilogy, the Residue Series, and the Apocalypse Chronicles.

Places to find Laury

Facebook

Goodreads

Twitter

Website



Places to find Fallen



Amazon

Barnes

and Noble

Books

A Million

Smashwords



The Book

Depository

Words, Words, Words: Liebster Award Winner!

I am absolutely delighted to have won the first award for my blog! After receiving the Liebster Award, Science Fiction, Transmedia & Fandom passed it onto me! This award is normally given to bloggers by other bloggers, and I am honored to be part of this tradition. To learn more about the Liebster Award, check out this detailed WordPress post by Lorraine Reguly.

The Rules

1. Post the award on your blog.

2. Thank the blogger who presented this award and link back to their blog.

3. Share 11 random facts about yourself.

4. Answer 10 Liebster questions given by the person who nominated you.

5. Nominate 5-10 bloggers who you feel deserve this award

6. Ask your nominees 10 questions.

7. Notify your nominees by commenting on their blogs and/or emailing them.

11 Random Facts About Me

1. I’m a sci-fi television junkie.

2. I have a 3-year-old daughter whose favorite activity is telling stories, and I think that’s just about the coolest thing ever.

3. I’m a seventh-generation Texan.

4. I have a Ph.D. in eighteenth-century literature, but when I was an undergraduate, I sold all my eighteenth-century books back because I hated them!

5. I teach college English online.

6. I grew up in a town with a college that has a rodeo major.

7. I have lived in New York City, L.A., New Orleans, and near Atlanta.

8. I love the color pink.

9. Summer is by far my favorite season.

10. I spend as much time in swimming pools as I possibly can.

11. I could eat enchiladas for every meal for the rest of my life and be perfectly happy.

My Answers to Science Fiction, Transmedia & Fandom’s 10 Questions

1. Who is your favorite author?

I hate “favorite” questions! I like too many different kinds of books to choose favorites. I tend to have lists of favorite authors according to genre and to time period. But at the moment, here are a few: I love books by Neil Gaiman, Lois McMaster Bujold, Faith Hunter, Stephen Graham Jones, Ilona Andrews, Carrie Vaughn, Richelle Mead, Rachel Vincent, Holly Black, Janny Wurts, Jennifer Estep, Rachel Caine, Patricia Briggs, Janet Evanovich . . . and those are just the ones who come to mind immediately!

2. Which books/movies/TV shows have inspired you most?

When I was in kindergarten, The Hobbit was my nightly bedtime story. By the time I was in the fourth grade, I had read all of The Lord of the Rings. I also read the entire Trixie Belden series in the fourth grade. These two series pretty much set my love of fantasy and mystery in stone!

3. What do you consider your greatest accomplishment?

This year, it’s having two novels accepted by different publishers in the same week!

4. If you could have a conversation with one fictional character, who would it be?

Bob Howard, the narrator of Charles Stross’s The Laundry Files series. I would love to have a sit-down with the computational demonologist who protects England (and the world!) from Lovecraftian nightmare monsters.

5. What prompted you to create your blog/website?

Initially, I started my blog to promote my first novel, Waking Up Dead. But I quickly decided that I wanted to promote other writers, too, and to write about all things word-related.

6. Which non-fiction book(s) would you recommend?

Most of the non-fiction I read is academic—recently, I’ve been reading a lot of books analyzing popular culture. I’m currently reading a couple of books with articles of mine: Nadine Farghaly’s Examining Lois Lane: The Scoop on Superman’s Sweetheart and Deborah Christie and Sarah Lauro’s Better Off Dead: The Evolution of the Zombie as Post-Human. I’m looking forward to reading Sherry Ginn’s The Worlds of Farscape and her forthcoming edited collection of essays on Dollhouse.

7. What is your favorite music genre to listen to?

I have eclectic tastes. I listen to everything from classical to country to alternative to rock to rap.

8. What is the best piece of advice you ever received?

Use active voice.

9. Which advice would you give an aspiring writer?

Keep writing new things. Always have a work in progress. Finish writing a piece, do a quick edit, and submit it somewhere for publication. Then move on to the next project. Don’t wait to hear back—that way lies madness! If it’s rejected (and often it will be; that’s the nature of writing for publication), don’t let it get you down. Just send it out again and go back to your work in progress.

10. What was the most recent TV show and/or movie you liked?

I’m currently obsessed with The Big Bang Theory. I discovered it two weeks ago and have watched all seven seasons. But I rarely watch sitcoms; I’m much more likely to watch supernatural dramas like Supernatural, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, The Vampire Diaries, Walking Dead, Teen Wolf . . .

Nominate 10 Bloggers

1. Melanie Karsak: http://melaniekarsak.blogspot.com/

2. Fabulosity Reads: http://fabulosityreads.blogspot.com/

3. Tashara Talks: http://tasharatalks.com/

4. Deborah Melanie: http://deborahmelanie.blogspot.com/

5. Refreshingly Riki: Miss Riki’s Musings: http://missriki.com/

6. KateMarie Collins: http://katemariecollins.wordpress.com/

7. Marie Lavender: http://marielavenderbooks.blogspot.com/

8. Diaries of 2 Thick Chicks: http://diariesof2thickchicks.blogspot.com/

9. Reading Until I Fall Asleep, by Bebe Knight: http://www.readinguntilifallasleep.com/

10. Nancy Wood: http://nancywood-books.com/blog.html

My 10 Questions For The Nominees

1. What prompted you to start blogging?

2. How do you decide which guests to invite to participate in your blog?

3. How do you determine which topics to write about on your blog?

4. What do you consider your most interesting trait?

5. What do you find inspirational?

6. Who are a few authors you look up to?

7. What book are you reading now?

8. What books have most influenced your life most?

9. What is the most frightening thing you have ever done?

10. What is something on your “bucket list” and why do you want to do it someday?