Margo Bond Collins's Blog, page 79

Character Profile: Reese, from Sanguinary by Margo Bond Collins

_____________________________________________

Character Profile

Name: Reese

Occupation: Former police officer

Species: Vampire

Speaks: English

Age: 35 human years + 8 years as a vampire

Height: 6’1″

Hair Color: Dark brown

Eyes: Green

Physical marks: Dimples

_____________________________________________

EXCERPT: Description of Reese

“I’ll have to see that she gets over it,” a voice drawled from behind me. I whipped my head around in time to see a man standing up from a barstool behind me. I hadn’t even noticed he was there

God knows how I could have missed him.

He wore jeans and a dark blue button-down shirt. He had on dark brown cowboy boots, and as he turned away from the bar, he picked up a black felt cowboy hat from the seat next to him, placing it on his head. On anyone else, I might have assumed that the hats and boots were an affectation. On him, they looked perfect. He was utterly beautiful, with bright green eyes, and dark hair that curled down to barely brush the back of his collar.

I am undercover, I reminded myself sternly. Here to do a job.

When Garrett caught my gaze in his, flicking his glance toward the cowboy vamp, it was all I could do to keep from sighing aloud.

Would it have killed my partner to be a little more descriptive when he briefed me?

Of course that was the vampire cowboy I had to get close to tonight.

No making eyes at the informants, Cami.

But damn, he was hot.

_____________________________________________

Sanguinary, by Margo Bond Collins

A Night Shift Novel

Sanguinary: A Night Shift Novel

Happy Release Day: Mysticism & Myths ~ only $.99 for a limited time!

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SEA DWELLERS, SHAPESHIFTERS & ENTICING STORIES THAT SPAN THE GLOBE!



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Available through AMAZON
Release Date: December 15, 2015
~~~~~
Bound By Blood (A Night Shift Novella)
By Margo Bond Collins

Sometimes the monsters in the dark are real…As a child, Lili Banta ignored her grandmother’s cryptic warnings to avoid children outside their Filipino community in Houston. When many of those other children fell ill, Lili ignored the whispers in her community that a vampiric aswang walked among them.

Years later, Lili returns to Houston to work for the Quarantine Station of the Center for Disease Control—but she is plagued by dark, bloody dreams that consume her nights and haunt her days. When a strange illness attacks the city’s children, Lili is called in to find its source, and maybe even a cure.

But in order to save the city, she must first acknowledge the sinister truth: A monster stalks the night—closer than she ever expected….

Isa: Gift of the Baloma
By Perri Forrest

Isa: Gift of the Baloma is a fantasy tale created from a myth that derives from the Trobriand islands (today officially known as the Kiriwina Islands). Isa is the beautifully tortured soul who has never known love, and who has pretty much travelled through life alone.

When tragic circumstances lead her into the depths of the sea, she has no idea what her fate may hold, and thus prepares for worst.

However, as in life, sometimes we have to go through our very worst to get to the place we were destines to be. Such is the case with Isa.

Just when she thinks all is lost, she meets Chief Topileta, headman of the villages of the dead, and an unexpected love affair ensures. As Isa will soon find, nothing in her life stays peaceful for long, and before she knows it, she is separated from the only person to ever care for her.

When tragedy strikes and Isa finds herself awake after two years of falling into a deep sleep, she is surprised to find that all thoughts are still with the man she has not forgotten. But has he forgotten her? Will he come for her? Will she find love again?

This is only the beginning of Isa’s story, in the full length novel that is set for 2015 release, readers will find out the many layers of Isa and be able to journey with her as she finds out about her lineage and the family she was sure did not exist.

Micco, Anguta’s Reign
By Dormaine G.


Revelation can be a disheartening truth.

Micco, a captivating Native American man with a desirable physique and statuesque features, radiates a mysterious allure. Living on the reservation with his unapproachable father, he doesn’t believe in the old ways and works as a cop in the local town.

The only reason he lives on the land is Nara, his childhood friend and the love of his life, who is married to a cruel reservation man.

Waking up in the heart of a murderous scene, he flees for his life, unfamiliar with his surroundings or how he arrived there.

To his horror, he’s assigned to the case. As he works with the local detective, more murders transpire with unusual, terrifying sightings of wolves.

His behavior starts to drastically change, forcing others to take notice. Although trying to avoid the inevitable, Micco is forced to accept the undesirable truth, unable to fight what has been awakened, and all that he has forgotten is finally revealed.

Cursed: A Yorkshire Ghost Story
By Karen Perkins


She’s back. This time no one is safe.

A skeleton is dug up at the crossing of the ways on Hanging Moor, striking dread into the heart of Old Ma Ramsgill – the elderly matriarch of the village of Thruscross. And with good reason. The eighteenth-century witch, Jennet, has been woken.

A spate of killings by a vicious black dog gives credence to her warnings and the community – in particular her family – realise they are in terrible danger.

Drastic measures are needed to contain her, but with the imminent flooding of the valley to create a new reservoir, do they have the ability to stop her and break her curse?

Carnem Levare
By Jaxx Summers

We are born, live and eventually leave the mortal world. For Stefano Bonaro the same can be said, with a powerful exception. He was born to live and love in Venice, beyond death.

Stefano is passionately in love with Anastasia Soranzo. They grew up with the promise of a future together, through family bonds and emotional ties. Then suddenly their lives are torn apart by unforgivable deception. For the sake of family, Stefano and Anastasia can no longer have a future together. While Anastasia can easily move on, Stefano refuses to do so.

During Eighteenth Century Carnival, Stefano seals his faith when he commits a crime of passion that ends with him even taking his own life. But this is not the end for the jilted lover, when he is suddenly brought back to life a year later. Stefano’s spirit continues to hope in love, even as he becomes ruled by madness. But will it ever truly end for Stefano Bonaro?

The Life Keeper
By Abby L. Vandiver

The bloodline of Romania, older than the legend of the vampire, the strigoi are vile, evil creatures who suck the life from the people of the villages that line the impenetrable forests of the country. In this tale with a twist, Jessica Petrescu dotes on her grandmother and takes care of her family in the aftermath of the fall of communism in Romania. Her family is disrupted by a red headed, indigo colored eyes cousin, who turns her household upside down in his quest to discover whether a strigoi is living among his relatives.

Connect:

Website: http://mythsandmysticism.wix.com/mam1
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mysticism-Myths/532514463552553
Margo Bond Collins
Perri Forrest
Dormaine G.
Karen Perkins
Jaxx Summers
Abby L. Vandiver

Cover(s) Reveal: Eternal Mates Paranormal Romance Series by Felicity Heaton

Felicity Heaton has a cover reveal with a difference this time. She’s revealing the covers for the next FOUR books in her Eternal Mates paranormal romance series at once. These novels will all be coming out between January 6th and March 10th next year, and every single of one of them are shape-shifter romances.

If you haven’t had a chance to step into this passionate and action-packed world of dark elves, fae, demons, vampires, shifters and hunters, then you can take the leap with the first book in the series, Kissed by a Dark Prince, which is only 99c / 99p until January 15th as part of her fantastic Winter Warmers special deals. Find all the deals and links to your favourite retailers at: http://www.felicityheaton.co.uk/paranormal-romance-ebook-offers.php

Back to the reveal… here are the covers for the next four books in the series and more about them.

Hunted by a Jaguar (Eternal Mates Romance Series Book 4)

Felicity Heaton

A jaguar shifter with a dark secret, Kyter has spent his entire life running from his demons. When a tragedy takes him back to his pride’s village, he is set on a path of vengeance that will see him collide with the terrible ghosts of his past and a beautiful vision of his future.

Iolanthe deals in finding artefacts for discerning clients, but this time her client is one of the deadliest men in Hell and her mission has the highest stakes imaginable. Failure is not an option when your life is on the line, but things take a dangerous turn when she crosses paths with a handsome and mysterious male on the hunt for the same artefact—a male who declares she is his eternal mate.

Can Iolanthe resist Kyter’s wicked allure and find the artefact before he does? Can Kyter face his demons and win the heart of his fated female? Or will this deadly game of cat and mouse claim both of their lives?

Read a first chapter preview of Hunted by a Jaguar at: http://www.felicityheaton.co.uk/hunted-by-a-jaguar-paranormal-romance-novel.php

Hunted by a Jaguar is due for release in ebook and paperback on January 6th 2015 and will be available from all major online book retailers.

Craved by an Alpha (Eternal Mates Romance Series Book 5)

Felicity Heaton

Having turned his back on his snow leopard pride, Cavanaugh has been counting the days until he’s free of a role he never wanted—one that separated him from his fated female and stands between him and the future he craves with her.

Just days from the night he will finally be free to be with the low-ranking beauty who stole his heart, she walks back into his life and threatens to destroy everything he’s worked towards in the five long years they’ve been apart.

Eloise has travelled across continents searching for the male who was once her best friend and so much more to her, but was now her pride’s true alpha. Desperate to fulfil a promise to her kin to save them from the tyrant he left in charge, she convinces Cavanaugh to return to his pride, but as they journey to Bhutan, doubts bloom and old feelings resurface, tearing her between duty and her deepest desires and impossible dreams.

Will Eloise be able to resist the burning need that Cavanaugh reignites in her and remember her place in the pride? And can Cavanaugh find a way to save his kin and claim the future he craves with the woman he loves?

Discover more about Craved by an Alpha at: http://www.felicityheaton.co.uk/craved-by-an-alpha-paranormal-romance-novel.php

Craved by an Alpha is due for release in ebook and paperback on January 27th 2015 and will be available from all major online book retailers.

Bitten by a Hellcat (Eternal Mates Romance Series Book 6)

Felicity Heaton

The sole remaining member of the most famous shifter hunter family in history, Owen Nightingale is a mercenary and a man with a secret held in his closely guarded heart, but when a beautiful a rare shifter catches his eye and offers him a job, he has the feeling he’ll be the one paying for helping her—with his heart.

Cait is in a spot of trouble with a capital T. A male hellcat has set his sights on claiming her and she’s one kitty who doesn’t want a collar, and who has spent her life avoiding relationship and is intent on remaining free. When she meets a dark, alluring and mysterious hunter, she sees a chance to rid herself of the male, but the price Owen sets and the fierce passion that burns white-hot between them lures her dangerously under his seductive spell.

Can Owen discover the true intent of the male hellcat and stop Cait from falling into his hands? And can Cait retain control as the heat of desire burns between her and Owen, or will a reckless moment seal both of their fates forever?

Discover more about Bitten by a Hellcat at: http://www.felicityheaton.co.uk/bitten-by-a-hellcat-paranormal-romance-novel.php

Bitten by a Hellcat is due for release in ebook and paperback on February 17th 2015 and will be available from all major online book retailers.

Taken by a Dragon (Eternal Mates Romance Series Book 7)

Felicity Heaton

Possessed by a need to save a beautiful Amazon warrior from the vision he witnessed, Loke snatched her from the midst of the battle between the Third and Fifth realm of the demons, and carried her to his home deep in the black mountains of Hell to protect her. But as the fierce little female awakens, he finds she’s anything but grateful, and his dragon instincts roar to life to warn she might be more to him than an enemy—she might be his fated female.

Anais remembers meeting a handsome warrior in the heat of battle, a man who was her enemy but who looked at her with eyes that held dark heat and wicked promises. When she wakes to find that same dragon shifter has taken her captive, desire is the last thing on her mind, but escaping him to return to Archangel, the hunter organisation she works for, sounds less than appealing when he reveals the reason he took her—to stop her from dying.

Can Loke protect Anais from the dangers of his realm and how far will he go to save her from the future he keeps witnessing? Can Anais resist the fierce attraction that burns between them as hot as fire and stay true to Archangel or will her heart be taken by the dragon?

Discover more about Taken by a Dragon at: http://www.felicityheaton.co.uk/taken-by-a-dragon-paranormal-romance-novel.php

Taken by a Dragon is due for release in ebook and paperback on March 10th 2015 and will be available from all major online book retailers.

Add all the books to your Goodreads shelf at: http://www.goodreads.com/series/115044-eternal-mates

Join Felicity’s mailing list to receive notifications when the books are released, PLUS sneak previews of chapters of the books and chances to win signed copies: http://www.felicityheaton.co.uk/newsletter.php

Books in the Eternal Mates paranormal romance series:

Book 1: Kissed by a Dark Prince
Book 2: Claimed by a Demon King
Book 3: Tempted by a Rogue Prince
Book 4: Hunted by a Jaguar – coming in 2015
Book 5: Craved by an Alpha – coming in 2015
Book 6: Bitten by a Hellcat – coming in 2015
Book 7: Taken by a Dragon – coming in 2015





About Felicity Heaton

Felicity Heaton is a New York Times and USA Today international best-selling author writing passionate paranormal romance books. In her books, she creates detailed worlds, twisting plots, mind-blowing action, intense emotion and heart-stopping romances with leading men that vary from dark deadly vampires to sexy shape-shifters and wicked werewolves, to sinful angels and hot demons! If you’re a fan of paranormal romance authors Lara Adrian, J R Ward, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Gena Showalter and Christine Feehan then you will enjoy her books too.

If you love your angels a little dark and wicked, the best-selling Her Angel series is for you. If you like strong, powerful, and dark vampires then try the Vampires Realm series or any of her stand-alone vampire romance books. If you’re looking for vampire romances that are sinful, passionate and erotic then try the best-selling Vampire Erotic Theatre series. Or if you prefer huge detailed worlds filled with hot-blooded alpha males in every species, from elves to demons to dragons to shifters and angels, then take a look at the new Eternal Mates series.

If you want to know more about Felicity, or want to get in touch, you can find her at the following places:

FelicityHeaton.co.uk | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | GoodReads | Amazon

Spotlight On: A Devil in Daylight by Marcus Damanda

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A Devil in Daylight
The Devil in Miss Drake’s Class, Book Two
Marcus Damanda

Evernight Teen, 163 pages
Horror/romantic elements
16+ due to violence

and adult situations




“You will account for what you did to Audrey.”

After three months in the suicide prevention wing of St. George’s, Audrey

Bales is finally coming home. Enrolled at a new school, she plans to reinvent

herself with a new look, new friends, and a second chance to be just like

everyone else. But the kids who drove her over the edge aren’t through with her

yet. 

And one of her new friends has an agenda all his own.

 “You, and all the others.”

 During the day, the halls of Battlefield High will echo with their

screams.

 “It will never stop.”

 And at night, their screams will be silenced.

 “Until one of you ends it.”



Buy Links:    Evernight

Teen     Amazon




Excerpt: 
Audrey watched the knife go in. Alex’s Swiss Army knife, from Scouts.

That’s right, sis, Alex’s ghost said. You’re doing it. Good

girl.

Blood welled up from her wrist, at first in bubbles and droplets, then

in a line.

Ignore the pain. Block it out. Deny it, like it’s not even there.

And it wasn’t. Weird. This was supposed to hurt.

Her reflection in the computer screen showed black hair. And that, too,

was weird. She hadn’t had black hair in months. Not since her first days in the

hospital.

Nor was she supposed to be seeing him. She’d beaten

him—banished him.

She had to saw to break the vein. A small, red jet squirted over her

keyboard.

On the screen, Val—her one-time best friend—was reaching out to her. Audrey?

Audrey, don’t be dumb. Come on.

Alex stopped talking, stopped coaching. From behind, he held on to her

shoulders and squeezed.

She still had the strength to use the knife again, going down from the

wrist. There was no pain, after all. She had the strength for that and for one

more thing.

She set down the knife in a puddle of her own blood, then picked up her

cell phone and took a picture, even as her wrist squirted again.

She hooked the phone to a USB cable and to the computer. She

posted the picture, unhooked it, and let it drop. It clattered off the side of

the desk and onto the floor, but Audrey didn’t even notice.

She tried to put her chin in her right hand. She wanted to watch the

responses. See what Val thought. See what Maggie thought.

Maggie, who had started all of this. Maggie, who had ruined Audrey’s

life because she’d thought Audrey had been ogling her in the locker room at

school. Spoiled, rich little Maggie Lassiter, with the angel earrings—it had

been those Audrey had been staring at—and the countless followers

that Maggie called her friends. But it hadn’t been enough. No, she had to steal Audrey’s friend,

Valerie Mills. Her only friend….

Putting her chin in her hand didn’t quite work out. Her elbow slipped

in the blood on her desk. She felt her face hit the hard wooden corner of the

desk on her way to the floor.

 **** 

But instead of hitting the floor, Audrey sat up in her own bed, awake

and breathing hard and holding her left wrist with her right hand.

She looked… scarred, but whole.

Her parents had purged her bedroom nearly to emptiness, but her

computer was still there, a shadow near the window.

Audrey kicked her legs over the side of the bed and went to it, powered

on, and thumbed the monitor. And, amazingly, she yawned, even as her heart

began to settle back toward its normal speed and rhythm.

She found her water bottle and Geodon, and checked her clock as the

computer slowly hummed to life. Yep, close enough. She took her pill.

Taking a breath, she tried to access her Twitter account.

Blocked.

Instagram, next.

Blocked.

Facebook.

Blocked.

She smiled, rather sleepily. Everything was still normal. She’d just

had to be sure.

Sunlight began to peek tentatively through her window. Audrey set her

chin in her right hand and waited for it.

Daylight could not come soon enough. 

**** 

Alastair Hutchinson lay flat on his back on top of his perfectly made

bed, but he did not sleep. Had not slept.

Never slept.

He watched the sunrise.

We should be looking, said one of the voices that lived inside of him. We’re

wasting time.

“Why look?” he asked. “There’s an unsettled account at the school we’ll

be attending. I’ve found everything we need.”

Audrey is not an unsettled account, the voices protested. She’s

alive.

“I’m not talking about her,” Alastair said. “You haven’t been paying

attention. There’s another.” He laughed, softly. “Three days from now, we’ll be

sitting in her first period class.”

But not as Alastair Hutchinson, he thought. No. As a name she’ll

recognize.

The host stirred. We need to move the line, said another voice. This

isn’t helping.

“I’ve got that covered too,” said Alastair. “You won’t have to wait

long. Trust me.”





About the Author:

Marcus Damanda lives in Woodbridge, Virginia with his cat, Shazam. At  various times throughout his life, he played bass guitar for the garage heavy metal band Mother’s Day, wrote for The Dale City Messenger, and published

editorials in The Potomac News and The Freelance Star. Currently, while not plotting his next foray into fictitious suburban mayhem, he spoils his nieces and nephews and teaches middle school English.



Find Marcus Damanda here:
Website: http://www.marcusdamanda.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarcusDamandaAuthor?ref=hl
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MarcusDamanda


 ******

Giveaway

$10 Evernight Teen GC
 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Blitz: Undead Obsessed, by Jessica Robinson

Non Fiction / Pop Culture
Date Published: October 31, 2014

Jessica Robinson’s obsession with zombie films started when she was in junior high. Horror films are a great lens to examine concerns society has about modern science. Let’s face it, when it comes to horror movies, science has a bad reputation. Blind ambition, experimental serums, and genetic experiments are often blamed for the giant monster terrorizing the city or the reason aliens are taking human prisoners or the cause of the dead rising from the grave to consume living flesh.

Using film, literature, and interviews with experts, Robinson examines how zombies portray real-world fears such as epidemics, mind control, what may or may not exist in space, the repercussions of playing God, and the science behind the fears. Robinson’s goal is to explore how zombies become a metaphor for our fears of science and what could happen if science gets out of hand.

About the Author

Jessica Robinson is an editor by day and a zombie-killer by night (at least in her books). Since the first time she watched Night of the Living Dead, she has been obsessed with zombies and often thinks of ways to survive the uprising. In addition to her nonfiction book, under the pen name Pembroke Sinclair, she has written YA novels about zombies and the tough teens who survive the apocalyptic world. She has also written nonfiction stories for Serial Killer Magazine and published a book about slasher films called Life Lessons from Slasher Films. You can learn more about Jessica by visiting her at http://pembrokesinclair.blogspot.com/

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2 Copies of Undead Obsessed

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99-cent Kindle sale: Sanguinary by Margo Bond Collins

Only fifty years left before vampires rule the world.

When Dallas police detective Cami Davis joined the city’s vampire unit, she planned to use the job as a stepping-stone to a better position in the department.

But she didn’t know then what she knows now: there’s a silent war raging between humans and vampires, and the vampires are winning.

So with the help of a disaffected vampire and an ex-cop addict, Cami is going undercover, determined to solve a series of recent murders, discover a way to overthrow the local Sanguinary government, and, in the process, help win the war for the human race.

But can she maintain her own humanity in the process? Or will Cami find herself, along with the rest of the world, pulled under a darkness she cannot oppose?

Sanguinary: A Night Shift Novel

BONDED, by Kyra Dune

 
Title: Bonded (A Dual

Realm Novel)

Author: Kyra Dune

Genre: YA Paranormal

Romance

Cover Art: Shadow Portal Productions

AMAZON
http://www.amazon.com/Bonded-Dual-Realm-Novel-Novels-ebook/dp/B00PNUO508/ref=la_B00A5WOHGQ_1_18?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1418065724&sr=1-18


Blurb
A man running from his past.

Desperate to escape the

person he once was, Trey is constantly on the move. All he wants is to go home,

only he can’t do that unless he can find a way to atone for the sins of his

past. But can a man with so much blood on his hands ever hope to find redemption?



A woman hiding from her

present.

Innocent of any wrongdoing,

Sarah is nonetheless in serious trouble. Her brother’s actions have left her a

target for a drug dealing gang leader who will stop at nothing to get back what

belongs to him. With nowhere to run, how long can she stay alive?

A chance for the future

Two worlds collide in a dark

alley beside an abandoned clothing store, sending Trey and Sarah down a path

neither could have imagined they would ever follow. Together they can mend

their broken lives. If they don’t rip each other apart first.

Excerpt

“No. I’m only passing through.

I don’t like to stay in one place for too long.” Too great a chance of the past

catching up to him.

“Oh. So you’ll be leaving the

city some day?” Her tone was aiming for nonchalance but it wasn’t quite hitting

the mark.

“Today. Right after I drop you

at school.”

She drew in a breath as if she

meant to speak, then pressed her lips into a thin line. Pink lips, covered in a

kind of sparkly gloss which gave them the appearance of being wet. Trey wondered

what it would taste like to kiss them. Alarmed by the errant thought, he

wrenched his gaze away. The voice of his reflection chuckled in the back halls

of his mind.

“Where will you go?” Sarah

asked.

Trey shrugged. “Wherever the

road takes me.”

“Maybe this is a rude question

to ask, but why?” She looked up at him. “Why are you wandering around the

countryside? What happened to you?”

Tension knotted across the back

of his shoulders. Careful, the voice of his reflection whispered

mockingly. Wouldn’t want to lose your temper.

“I don’t like to talk about

it,” Trey said. “It’s not a nice story.”

“It’s okay.” Sarah laid her

hand lightly on the sleeve of his hoody. “I understand.”

Trey gritted his teeth against

the urge to sling her hand away. She didn’t understood. Not at all. Part of him

wanted to make her understand. Maybe then she would stop looking at him

like he was the answer to all her problems if only she could find a way to

convince him to stay.

About The

Author

Kyra Dune was born in

Oklahoma, but spent most of her life travelling with her family. She is the

author of more than twenty fantasy novels, including: Shadow of the Dragon, Elfblood, and Firebrand. As a child, her favorite stories were those that told

of ordinary children being whisked away to magical lands. She has yet to find

her own secret wardrobe or rabbit hole, but she hasn’t given up the search. You never know what might be waiting over the next rainbow.

Connect With Me: Facebook      Twitter    Blog    Website     Goodreads   Pinterest

Spotlight On: Marionette by T. B. Markinson

Marionette
by T.B. Markinson
Release Date: 11/07/13

Summary from Goodreads:

At the age of seventeen, Paige Alexander had it all planned. She wrote a letter, sat in the bath, and slit her wrists. Her plan failed.Her best friend, Alex, is dead.

Paige can’t get over her twin sister blaming her for a tragic event in their

past.

Colorado is in the midst of voting on lesbian and gay rights and Paige is

terrified to come out of the closet, fearful for her life.

Many people in Paige’s life are keeping secrets from her. Will she piece

everything together before it’s too late?

In this gripping first-person narrative, a young college student grapples with more than first loves or coming of age. In a world filled with homophobia, suicidal feelings, and a dysfunctional family, Paige cuts her wrists in an attempt to free herself from the crazy life that’s all she’s ever known.

Could there be new lessons in store for Paige? With the help of her girlfriend, friends, and a compassionate therapist, can Paige find the safe space she needs to heal, grow, and cut her strings?

Buy Links:

Amazon

US│Amazon

UK

























Excerpt

It’s taken seventeen years to do all the damage, and now I hope to fix it in one. I promised Jess I’d go to therapy for at least a year. Not sure it’ll work, but I made a promise. I’m good with promises. Well, mostly. I recently broke one. To be honest, I was forced to break it. It nearly killed me—literally.

One year.

Jess wanted me to agree to four years—the entire time I’m in school! I didn’t want to set that precedent since I plan on going to grad school. I don’t want to be in therapy for the next eight to ten years. How depressing would that be? Seriously effed-up people go to therapy for that long. I’m not messed up. I just want to control my own fate, not be a puppet for others.

I’m not a sociopath. Wait … would therapy even help them? Doubt it.

Will the therapist give me one of those personality tests? You know the ones with letters that pinpoint your type. I never know how to answer those questions. Are you organized? Yes … except when I’m not.

Many have said I’m a “Type A personality.” Here are the characteristics:

Ambitious (check!);

Rigidly organized (semi check);

Highly status conscious (my parents force this one on me);

Sensitive (well, that seems unnecessary. Why not just call me a crybaby?);

Cares for other people (yes and no);

Truthful (flat-out no);

Impatient (YES!);

Always trying to help others (in most cases);

Takes on more than one can handle (yes, but didn’t have a choice);

Wants others to get to the point (well, duh! Who doesn’t?);

Obsessed with time management (uh, I mentioned earlier that I failed with time management).

This list doesn’t include knowing that I’m always right. It should include that. It should also include knowing that most people are morons. How do they keep surviving and breeding? Also, I think everyone should get out of my way. I like to get from point A to point B fast. I hate pedestrians and drivers who lollygag. If you want to be lookyloos, by all means. Just get out of my way!

Back to this whole time-management thing. I think I should just get on with it. How long does an introduction need to be anyway? I could have simplified things for you.

I’m seventeen. A girl. I’m going to college in a few months. My whole life is in front of me.

I slit my wrist two days ago.

I’m not insane, but I act like I am.

Why?

 

About the Author
T. B. Markinson is a 39-year old American writer,

living in England, who pledged she would publish before she was 35. Better late

than never. When she isn’t writing, she’s traveling around the world, watching

sports on the telly, visiting pubs in England, or taking the dog for a walk.

Not necessarily in that order. She has published two novels: A WOMAN LOST and

MARIONETTE.








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Book Blitz Organized by:

Spotlight On: Learning to Swim by Annie Cosby

Learning to Swim (Hearts Out of Water #1)
by Annie Cosby
Release Date: 03/01/14

Summary from Goodreads:
“… a darkly romantic beginning to what promises to be an unusual contemporary YA fantasy series.”

- Serena Chase, USA TodayWhen Cora’s mother whisks the family away for the summer, Cora must decide between forging her future in the glimmering world of second homes where her parents belong, or getting lost in the bewitching world of the locals and the mystery surrounding a lonely old woman who claims to be a selkie creature—and who probably needs Cora more than anyone else.

Through the fantastical tales and anguished stories of the batty Mrs. O’Leary,

as well as the company of a particularly gorgeous local boy called Ronan, Cora finds an escape from the reality of planning her life after high school. But

will it come at the cost of alienating Cora’s mother, who struggles with her

own tragic memories?

As the summer wanes, it becomes apparent that Ronan just may hold the answer to Mrs. O’Leary’s tragic past—and Cora’s future.

Buy Links:
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Learning to Swim is free on Amazon from Dec. 8-12, and the sequel, Learning to Live, is out now!

























Excerpt

“Has Mrs. O’Leary already gone inside?” he said.

I nodded.

“She had a rough day today,” he said. “She asked me to get her jacket three times.”

I nodded, debating whether it was okay to start a conversation with him given our past. I wanted to explain that embarrassing night on the pier, or as he called it, the jetty, but I couldn’t. So if he stayed away from that topic, then I could be civil.

“What’s that about?” I asked. “She does that to me a lot.”

He looked at me with squinted eyes, as if assessing whether or not I was trustworthy. But he finally looked resigned and said, “I don’t really know. She’s had a rough time since Mr. O’Leary died.”

I nodded sympathetically, as if I could possibly know how that felt.

“He did everything around the house,” Ronan went on. “And when he died, she would say she didn’t know where anything was anymore. That’s why my parents set me up to help her go through the house, clear things out. She talks about this jacket that she says her husband must have left somewhere, some days she says he hid it. But I’ve been through that house several times over, and no matter what I find, it’s never the right one.” He paused. “I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but she’s never completely here anymore.”

About the Author

I’m the YA author of the USA Today recommended

HEARTS OUT OF WATER series and the brand new HUMMINGBIRD SAGA.

When I’m not writing, I’m usually freelance editing for awesome clients like

Anna Katmore (formerly Piper Shelly) and Month9Books/Swoon Romance!I split my days between my hometown, St. Louis, and my adopted love, Galway,

Ireland.

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Hot for Friday with Book Boyfriends Cafe ~ First Kiss Blog Hop: Cole and Kylie

Welcome to the Book Boyfriends Café Friday Blog Hop!  This week’s theme is the First Kiss–that heart-stopping, fluttery, swoony first.  In Taming the Country Star, Cole and Kylie parted a year ago on less-than-pleasant terms–but after a brief, steamy fling in the Caribbean. So this kiss isn’t a first kiss, but a first reunion kiss.

Taming the Country Star (Entangled Bliss) (Hometown Heroes)