Devika Fernando's Blog, page 66

Featured - Blog Tour for The Vilincia Coven: Attested (Review)

About the Book Blurb: 

Battling the dark side is hard enough, now he has the lives of the world in his hands. Cole knows now what the prophecy meant and that it was for him to fulfill. Can he live up to the Taylor name and the path his grandfather laid out for him? And can he actually survive his 18th birthday and the transition into a god?
Knowing her destiny, Whitney still lets Cole into her heart. And keeping her alive is all he lives for. He doesn’t want to admit how vulnerable he is. Or that it is Whitney who was sent to protect him. She wants him to save her, she wishes for it to be the truth. Her death has been attested though, hadn’t it? Can Cole change the paths for both Whitney and himself? Against all odds will the coven come together to keep us safe from the darkness we can’t see?
Only the attested will tell us.
The Vilincia Coven: The Attested

Book 2 in The Vilincia Coven series.

Links:

Amazon: http://amzn.com/1495386260
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22445328-the-attested
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JThompsonbooks
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JThompsonbooks?fref=ts

About the Author I have loved writing all my young adult life. I finally released my first book and now I am working on getting my work out there. I'm a mom of three and love paranormal romance. Other then writing i enjoy singing and photography. I enjoy the not so stressed life of living in the Midwest. I have a wonderful husband who supports me in all my passions of life.

My Review The main focus in this review is on Book 2, The Attested, but let me start with a short review on Book 1 of the Vilincia Coven Series because I read both more or less in one go.

Book 1: The Vilincia Coven: Watcher

I love books with paranormal elements, and this one didn’t let me down. It started with important history on the founder families of Vilincia, which is fascinating enough to get its own book. Then everything changed to the present, and we’re right in the middle of college (private school) life.
I liked the mix of typical teenage drama and dynamics with the witchy element to it. The author managed to catapult me right into the middle of the action, and she introduced flawed, authentic characters. Her use of dialogue was really good, but in my opinion we could have done with more descriptions to underline the action and make things scarier and more mysterious. We get to know a bit about gods and demons and witchcraft, and there’s a nice dose of romance mixed into the story.
If you like YA books and easy, light to digest, paranormal books, you’ll enjoy this novel. The story didn’t have me hooked right from the start, but sticking with it was a good idea, for things became more interesting and fast-paced.
The editing and proofing could have been a lot better though…

Book 2 - The Vilincia Coven: Attested

“The Attested” picked right up where Book 1 ended, and it was interesting to see the emotional interaction. Cole seemed a little more grown-up to me because of all that had happened, and the same was true for the other characters. No wonder, if a boy’s birthday might mean his death, with the end of the world as an added bonus… The story unfolds with first a few happy moments that lull you into believing things will work out, and then you’re faced with betrayals, drama and lots of witchcraft.
This book reveals more about the once powerful founding families who want to regain control, and it shows less of the college life the reader got to witness during the first book, “The Watcher”. You’ll be in for a (pleasant) surprise regarding the relationship between Cole and Whitney, so the romance part of the book doesn’t get lost in the rest.
Once again, the author relies a lot on dialogue and on simple language, much as if you were watching a movie or listening to people speak. It does work well for the story and is typical for YA, but sometimes it took the pace of out things for me, and I wish there had been more background facts and setting and descriptions to make the story more powerful. Speaking of action: I had expected more than in Book 1, but there was actually less. The steam sort of evaporated with still some chapters left to the book, which confused me. I kept thinking something had to be off… Then again, it was nice to read about the ceremony and read about everyone enjoying a happy ending. Let’s see what Book 3, The Truth, has in store. The title sounds promising.
Once again, the editing could have been better, but this novel was more ‘readable’ than Book 1.

Rating: 3/5

Featured - Spotlight for Married in Montana by Kirsten Osbourne

Married in Montana by Kirsten Osbourne Series: At the Altar, #1Genre: Contemporary Romance/Romantic Comedy
Cover Designer: Erin Dameron-HillRelease Date: April 16, 2015


Savannah is tired of the dating scene, even though she wants to get married and have a family. She knows her mother will never move on with her own life as long as Savannah is single. Savannah goes to see a matchmaker, specializing in setting up couples who meet at the altar. At first, she thinks Scott is a dream come true, but his blundering soon makes her crazy.

Scott, a Montana bison rancher, doesn't have time to find a wife. His work is all-encompassing. Besides, he tends to have a hard time getting women to go out with him more than once. When he runs into a matchmaker he's known all his life, he tells her about the problems he's had to see if she can help him. When he meets Savannah at the altar, his heart stops for a moment. She's exactly what he's looking for. Will their diverse backgrounds keep them apart? Or will they be able to work through their differences to make their marriage a loving relationship?



She looked at her husband. "A week?"

"On one condition," he said, not liking the idea of waiting but not willing to start their marriage on the wrong foot by insisting on his marital rights.

"What's that?"

"I get to try to convince you otherwise."

She smiled. "So you're going to constantly be asking me for sex?"

He grinned. "Oh, I'll be a little more subtle than that." He brought her hand to his lips, kissing the palm, his tongue sneaking out to touch her skin.

"I see." She nodded. "That's fair. I think it's a perfect compromise."

"So do I," he told her. "It sounds very fair to me."

"Is there a spare room I can use until our week is up?"

He frowned at that. He would have an easier time convincing her if they were sharing a bed, but he could see where that would give him an unfair advantage in their little game. "Yes, you can have any of the spare rooms you'd like."

"Thank you," she said simply. She felt like she was being a bad wife even asking, but she knew she'd feel like she was being a bad person if she jumped into bed with a total stranger the day she met him, even if he was her husband. "Tell me about the ranch."

He took the change of subject in stride, talking about the huge spread and the men who worked for him. "I have a foreman, but I'm out there sweating and working every day right along with my men." He eyed her. "Do you ride?"

She shook her head. "No. I wanted to when I was a girl, but after my father died, we just didn't have the money for any extras. Mom worked, but it wasn't the same as both of them working."

She heard a buzzing from her purse, and opened it, taking out her phone. "My mother's texting me." She handed him the phone so he could read the message for himself.

Scott laughed, reading the message aloud. "'Has he killed you yet? If he has, please don't answer this. If not, please give me a call so I know you're all right.' I think you should call her."




USA Today Bestselling author, Kirsten Osbourne, has always known she would eventually be a writer.
She penned her first book in a spiral notebook when she was ten and has been writing ever since. As Kirsten she writes both historical and contemporary romance, with a humorous flair. As Morganna Mayfair, she ventures into the realm of paranormal historical romance. Kirsten lives in Texas with her husband of over fifteen years, their son, and a crazed mutt. She invites you to join her in her world of fantasy and make believe where there is always a happily ever after at the end.




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Blog Tour & Review - The Breaking of Bonds by Alina Popescu

Title: The Breaking of Bonds
Series: Bad Blood, Book Two
Author: Alina Popescu
Genre: paranormal, supernatural, paranormal romance, vampire
Length: Novel

Synopsis

A human sacrifice throws vampires of two worlds, trueborn and baseborn, into an escalating conflict. One side pushes for revenge, the other for freedom. The trueborns stubbornly hunt for Anthony and Louis, pushed by Hesrah’s desire to avenge her human best friend, Alexa. The baseborns are divided between rallying with those challenging the rule of Ankhsis and obeying the trueborns.

What emerges from the portal between Earth and Ankhsis in the middle of the turmoil rocking both worlds is more dead than alive. Neither human, nor baseborn, and certainly not trueborn. This new being will either damn them all or be their race’s most powerful weapon. Will they trust it not to destroy them, or will Ankhsis decide putting it down is the only solution?

In the end, who is guilty? Who will pay? Will anyone survive its wrath?

Book Trailer

Buy Links:

Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00Y4P5C5U
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00Y4P5C5U
Amazon AU: http://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B00Y4P5C5U
Amazon DE: http://www.amazon.de/dp/B00Y4P5C5U
B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-breaking-of-bonds-alina-popescu/1122051367?ean=2940151945226
ARe: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-thebreakingofbonds-1814960-140.html
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/546554

Make sure you read book one of the series before enjoying book two!

The Edge of Hope – Bad Blood Trilogy, Book 1

Everyone she loved betrayed her. She felt lost and broken. Getting away from the pain and embracing a new path, Alexa decided to leave her old life behind and chase a long forgotten dream in Malta. There she met a gorgeous man, bearing the scent of fresh love. He led her to a new city to explore, Amsterdam. Is the tall, dark, and delicious man a dream come true or just a risky gamble?

Alexa chose hope and new beginnings over fear and warning signs only to be brutally dragged into a world she never really thought existed. Vampires, their feuds, and her future held tightly in their hands.

Trapped in a mysterious world, Alexa gives love chance after chance. Following her quest of self-discovery in a blood bound world, will she survive the journey?

Take advantage of the sale for The Edge of Hope – $0.99 everywhere

Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00JEBJXDQ
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00JEBJXDQ
Amazon AU: http://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B00JEBJXDQ
B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-edge-of-hope-alina-popescu/1119064391?ean=9781497436305
ARe: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-theedgeofhope-1472664-143.html
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/424918

Giveaway

Prizes: 3 e-copies of The Edge of Hope, 2 e-copies of The Breaking of Bonds, 1 bundle of Bad Blood, books 1 & 2

a Rafflecopter giveaway

About the author

Writer, traveler, and coffee addict, Alina Popescu has been in love with books all her life. She started writing when she was ten and even won awards in local competitions. She has always been drawn to sci-fi, fantasy, and the supernatural realm, which explains her deep love for vampires and is also to blame for this trilogy.

Social Links

Site & Blog: http://alina-popescu.com
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/authoralinapopescu
Twitter: http://twitter.com/alina_popescu
Instagram: http://instagram.com/alinapopescuwriter
Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/alina-popescu
Google+:  https://www.google.com/+AlinaPopescu
Amazon:  http://amazon.com/author/alinapopescu

My ReviewI read an ARC of Alina Popescu’s first book in the Bad Blood series, ‘The Edge of Hope’, and loved it a lot. So I was more than thrilled when I found out that the second book is out now. The long wait was worth it, for ‘The Breaking of Bonds’ is a great read too.

It was fascinating to learn about the creature Alexa has become. I use the word “creature” deliberately because she’s unlike everyone else, and she’s sometimes more an “animal” than a human. It was equally fascinating to learn more about Ankhsis, the world the vampires come from. Getting to know Magnus and Seth was great, and they were both very well fleshed-out characters that are important for the plot and certainly revealed more about how vampires “tick” in Popescu’s universe. And I think I have a huge crush on Seth now…

Speaking of crushes, adding a sort of love triangle to this novel was a nice touch and fit in well. It provided the emotional counterbalance and deeper meaning to the story which is otherwise driven by more action and gore than the first book. Also, it showed intriguing dynamics between Alexa and Louis that had in some way been present when Anthony was part of the picture, but that are now different.

I liked the way the violence was portrayed, and the way Alexa’s outer and inner transformation developed over the course of the story. It was also nice to meet Hesrah again and have another kickass female character alongside Alexa. As for Alexa, she makes an eclectic mix of heroine and villain and I do think there’s a lot of development potential for the third book in the trilogy.

I can recommend this book to all vampire fans, to all who long for a perfect combination of twisted love story and almost movie-like action, and to all who enjoy paranormal romance novels in general. But you’ll definitely have to read Book 1 first. In fact, you’d better even re-read it if like me you read it a long time ago, because you’ll need to catch up. Book 2 stops with an open end, but not with a real cliffhanger that will have you biting your nails.


Rating: 4/5

Book Club Cover Reveal for The Eligible Princess by Summerita Rhayne

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Cover Reveal:The Eligible Princess

AFTER HIDDEN PASSION, THE KAMBOJ PRINCESSES SAGA CONTINUES WITH RUKMANI’S SISTER LAKSHAYA...
by Summerita Rhayne


Blurb 

King Kartikeya needs a bride. The more blue-blooded the better for him. Princess Lakshaya must marry to please her family. She is sick of being rejected by suitor after suitor. She must not fail this time. 

But what when she finds that King Kartikeya is not who she thinks he is? Can she still go ahead with this marriage? Set in Early Middle Ages in India, Book 2 in the Kamboj Princesses Saga follows Lakshaya in her journey to discover the passion of her life and love. Find adventure, intrigue, history and romance in this sensual historical fiction, Book 2 in the Kamboj Princesses Saga.


Pre-order Now @ Amazon.com
ACTUAL PRICE $3.99PREORDER AT SPECIAL REDUCED PRICE OF $1.99

About the Author 

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Summerita Rhayne loves to write sensual and emotional romance. There's no knowing when some quirky - or sometimes even not so quirky - happening in daily life might trigger her right brain and then she's off craving a new story. She loves writing characters who learn and grow and find their way out of their troubles and emotional hang-ups. Hot, sensual heroes and sassy but sweet heroines mostly fit the bill in her stories. She also believes that a touch of humor never goes amiss in a book.

She divides her time between family, job and writing - and loves winding down with music, movies and the internet!



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Book Launch by: Facebook | Website | Blog Tours | Twitter | Pinterest | Linkedin

Book Club Spotlight - Scion of Ikshvaku by Amish Tripathi

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Read the first chapter Here 
RAM RAJYA. THE PERFECT LAND.BUT PERFECTION HAS A PRICE. HE PAID THAT PRICE.

Scion of Ikshvaku 
by 
Amish Tripathi 

Preorder @
Amazon.in


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Blurb 


3400 BCE. INDIA
Ayodhya is weakened by divisions. A terrible war has taken its toll. The damage runs deep. The demon King of Lanka, Raavan, does not impose his rule on the defeated. He, instead, imposes his trade. Money is sucked out of the empire. The Sapt Sindhu people descend into poverty, despondency and corruption. They cry for a leader to lead them out of the morass. Little do they appreciate that the leader is among them. One whom they know. A tortured and ostracised prince. A prince they tried to break. A prince called Ram.

He loves his country, even when his countrymen torment him. He stands alone for the law. His band of brothers, his Sita, and he, against the darkness of chaos.

Will Ram rise above the taint that others heap on him? Will his love for Sita sustain him through his struggle? Will he defeat the demon Lord Raavan who destroyed his childhood? Will he fulfil the destiny of the Vishnu?

Begin an epic journey with Amish’s latest: the Ram Chandra Series.

Watch the trailer

Excerpt


Nilanjana sighed. She wasn’t even sure if the child would be a boy. But she wouldn’t risk the merest flagging of her mistress’ spirits. She administered some herbal pain relievers to the queen and bided her time. Ideally, the doctor wanted the birth to take place before midday. The royal astrologer had warned her that if the child was born later, he would suffer great hardships throughout his life. On the other hand, if the child was born before the sun reached its zenith, he would be remembered as one of the greatest among men and would be celebrated for millennia.
Nilanjana cast a quick glance at the prahar lamp, which measured time in six-hour intervals. The sun had already risen and it was the third hour of the second prahar. In another three hours it would be midday. Nilanjana had decided to wait till a half hour before noon and, if the baby was still not born,she would go ahead with the surgery.
 Kaushalya was stricken with another bout of dilatory pain. She pursed her lips together and began chanting in her mind the name she had chosen for her child. This gave her strength for it wasn’t an ordinary name. The name she had picked was that of the sixth Vishnu.
 ‘Vishnu’ was a title given to the greatest of leaders who were remembered as the Propagators of Good. The sixth man to have achieved this title was Lord Parshu Ram. That is how he was remembered by the common folk. Parshu means axe, and the word had been added to the name of the sixth Vishnu because the mighty battle axe had been his favourite weapon. His birth name was Ram. That was the name that reverberated in Kaushalya’s mind.
Ram… Ram… Ram… Ram… 
Read the First Chapter @


About 
Amish Tripathi
Amish is an IIM (Kolkata)educated, boring banker turned happy author. The success of his debut book, The Immortals of Meluha (Book 1 of the Shiva Trilogy), encouraged him to give up a fourteen-year-old career in financial services to focus on writing. He is passionate about history, mythology and philosophy, finding beauty and meaning in all world religions.

Amish has most recently written the Shiva Trilogy (The Immortals of Meluha, The Secret of the Nagas & The Oath of the Vayuputras), which have sold over a million copies in the Indian subcontinent since 2010. The books that he plans to write in the future are also in the areas of mythology & history.

Amish lives in Mumbai with his wife, Preeti and son, Neel.

Stalk him @Website | Twitter | Facebook 

Book Launch by:

Facebook | Website | Blog Tours | Twitter | Pinterest | Linkedin

Featured - Walking in the Rain by Julia Ibbotson

About the BookGenre: Contemporary women’s romance fiction
Release Date: 30th March 2015

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L3pUErb8cZc

How do you cope when your worst nightmare comes true?

Jess happily marries the love of her life. She wants to feel safe, secure and loved. But gradually it becomes clear that her beloved husband is not the man she thought him to be. She survived civil war and injury in Africa, but can she now survive the biggest trauma of her life?
 
This is the second novel in the Drumbeats trilogy but can be read as a standalone. However, Drumbeats is so amazing you should just read it too!

Drumbeats
Walking in the Rain
Before I Die


Want to read Drumbeats first? Buy-link on Amazon for the first in the trilogy:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Drumbeats-Julia-Ibbotson-ebook/dp/B00LLJVFRG/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1404911650&sr=1-3&keywords=julia+ibbotson

And, for a taster, the book trailer video for Drumbeats:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2OYlEXhHvsc&list=UUP3hKZjeUBuTMoyvZmBXbow


BUY LINKS

AMAZON UK
AMAZON.COM

About the AuthorJulia Ibbotson is an author and academic, and lives in the middle of the English countryside in a renovated Victorian rectory with her husband, an orchard, a kitchen garden and far too many moles. Their four children are now grown up and they have four gorgeous grandchildren. She was a school teacher for many years before becoming a senior university lecturer, researcher and writer. She loves reading, travelling, choral singing, theatre, walking, swimming and gardening, as well as cooking for family and friends. Her books include a memoir/recipe book, The Old Rectory: escape to a country kitchen, and a children’s book (9-14 year olds),S.C.A.R.S, a fantasy story of dragons, knights and a boy who slips through the fabric of the universe into a parallel medieval world threatened by the evil Myrthor, the heart of darkness.

Author page on Amazon:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Julia-Ibbotson/e/B0095XG11U/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1377188346&sr=1-2-ent

Author Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Julia-Ibbotson-author/163085897119236

Twitter:
https://twitter.com/JuliaIbbotson

Author website:
http://www.juliaibbotsonauthor.com
 
Pinterest page: includes boards with pics and images that inspired each book
http://pinterest.com/juliai1/

Goodreads author page:
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6017965.Julia_Ibbotson

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Featured - Cover Reveal of Fluence by Stephen Oram

About the BookGenre: Dystopian
Published by Silverwood Books

Amber is young and ambitious. Martin is burnt out by years of struggling. She cheats to get what she wants while he barely clings on to what he has. It’s the week before the annual Pay Day when strata positions are decided by the controlling corporations. The social media feed is frenetic with people trying to boost their influence rating while those above the strata and those who’ve opted out pursue their own manipulative goals.

Fluence is a story of aspiration and desperation and of power seen and unseen. It’s a story of control and consequence. It's the story of the extremes to which Amber and Martin are prepared to go in these last ten thousand minutes before Pay Day.


BUY LINK

http://stephenoram.net/fluence/#alerts 

About the AuthorLike each and every one of us, my perspective of the world has been affected by many people and experiences: as a teenager I was heavily influenced by the ethos of punk; in my early twenties I embraced the squatter scene and then joined a religious cult; I did some computer stuff in what became London’s silicon roundabout; and I’m now a civil servant with a gentle attraction to anarchism. I really enjoy taking a sideways look at our world and thinking, “what if,” and then writing about it through speculative fiction.

https://www.facebook.com/StephenOramAuthor
https://twitter.com/OramStephen
www.stephenoram.net
http://stephenoram.net/fluence/

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Featured - Release Day Blitz for The Breaking of Bonds by Alina Popescu

June 9th is release day for the 2nd #vampire novel by my awesome author friend Alina Popescu, so let me hear a "hip hip hooray"! I'm currently reading the book and will post a review on the 17th, so stay tuned!

Synopsis

A human sacrifice throws vampires of two worlds, trueborn and baseborn, into an escalating conflict. One side pushes for revenge, the other for freedom. The trueborns stubbornly hunt for Anthony and Louis, pushed by Hesrah’s desire to avenge her human best friend, Alexa. The baseborns are divided between rallying with those challenging the rule of Ankhsis and obeying the trueborns.

What emerges from the portal between Earth and Ankhsis in the middle of the turmoil rocking both worlds is more dead than alive. Neither human, nor baseborn, and certainly not trueborn. This new being will either damn them all or be their race’s most powerful weapon. Will they trust it not to destroy them, or will Ankhsis decide putting it down is the only solution?

In the end, who is guilty? Who will pay? Will anyone survive its wrath?

Book Trailer

Buy Links:

Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00Y4P5C5U
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00Y4P5C5U
Amazon AU: http://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B00Y4P5C5U
Amazon DE: http://www.amazon.de/dp/B00Y4P5C5U
B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-breaking-of-bonds-alina-popescu/1122051367?ean=2940151945226
ARe: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-thebreakingofbonds-1814960-140.html
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/546554

Make sure you read book one of the series before enjoying book two!

The Edge of Hope – Bad Blood Trilogy, Book 1

Everyone she loved betrayed her. She felt lost and broken. Getting away from the pain and embracing a new path, Alexa decided to leave her old life behind and chase a long forgotten dream in Malta. There she met a gorgeous man, bearing the scent of fresh love. He led her to a new city to explore, Amsterdam. Is the tall, dark, and delicious man a dream come true or just a risky gamble?

Alexa chose hope and new beginnings over fear and warning signs only to be brutally dragged into a world she never really thought existed. Vampires, their feuds, and her future held tightly in their hands.

Trapped in a mysterious world, Alexa gives love chance after chance. Following her quest of self-discovery in a blood bound world, will she survive the journey?

Take advantage of the sale for The Edge of Hope – $0.99 everywhere

Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00JEBJXDQ
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00JEBJXDQ
Amazon AU: http://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B00JEBJXDQ
B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-edge-of-hope-alina-popescu/1119064391?ean=9781497436305
ARe: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-theedgeofhope-1472664-143.html
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/424918

Excerpt

Seth

Her room felt so familiar, even in the twilight. He knew every detail, every piece of the shabby décor, her scent and her books and the careless mess that reigned it. Hesrah hadn’t changed a bit. As her steps brought her closer, he slipped out the window and up the old oak guarding it.

She walked in, looking worn out. He wasn’t surprised, not with the stress of the past week and the ruthless workout she had submitted herself to. She looked pale and worried and she reached out to the glass of water without even looking at it. She drank it all and lay down on the bed, probably thinking it would just be for a minute, a little rest before going to the portal. But she wouldn’t wake up till morning; the tasteless drops from Magnus would take care of that.

“Sleep, little sister! I’ll watch over the portal tonight,” he whispered, smiling down on her. Someone had to take care of her, and their mother was failing miserably. Hesrah did not know how to deal with her own emotions. When she was faced with pain or fear or worse, lack of control over a situation, she’d retreat into pushing her body over any reasonable limit and pretend things were fine.

She was doing it now, obsessing over shifts to watch the portals, her human friend and those who had betrayed her. He knew what hurt her most, apart from her friend’s fate being anyone’s guess, it was that Louis character having deceived her. She hardly ever made friends, and when she did, she put too much of her heart in it.

“I so miss you,” he said softly, the corners of his mouth dropping and twisting his smile into a frown.

Seth had just made it to the portal when it flared up. Nothing happened for several minutes, but it wouldn’t close down. He took a few steps back, thinking he might be what kept it active, but it was something else altogether. He kept waiting for a few more minutes and just when he thought nothing else would happen, a body got thrown out so viciously it landed fifty feet away.

About the author

Writer, traveler, and coffee addict, Alina Popescu has been in love with books all her life. She started writing when she was ten and even won awards in local competitions. She has always been drawn to sci-fi, fantasy, and the supernatural realm, which explains her deep love for vampires and is also to blame for this trilogy.

Social Links

Site & Blog: http://alina-popescu.com
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/authoralinapopescu
Twitter: http://twitter.com/alina_popescu
Instagram: http://instagram.com/alinapopescuwriter
Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/alina-popescu
Google+:  https://www.google.com/+AlinaPopescu
Amazon:  http://amazon.com/author/alinapopescu

Poem: Crimson Skies

I'm not sure what inspired it - watching the latest trailer for the horror movie "Crimson Peak" with Tom Hiddleston, planning to read the vampire novel "The Breaking of Bonds" by Alina Popescu, or seeing a breathtakingly beautiful sunset photo posted by Sid Balachandran on Twitter - but anyway, here's my latest poem!
Crimson Skies
Hidden away behind the darkest drapes of dread
Cloistered away, immune to desire’s silent tread
I while away the hours until my time has come
Suffocating in the stillness that is normal to some

I count the seconds, eyes fixed straight ahead
Sit so still even I start to believe that I’m dead
Huddled in a corner and filled with ancient fright
I cannot discern between what’s wrong and right

But hope is never completely out of my reach
I know I’ll be forgiven just this one more breech
Trembling with eager anticipation taking hold
I now feel neither thirst nor terror nor cold

With the first sliver of light and a bird’s screech
I am on my knees, ever so ready to beseech
Knowing deep down that it’s not meant to be
I still long for this message heaven-sent to me

As I sense the world prepare for nightly rest
I gather wit and strength for my eternal quest
I fasten my gaze on the window so close yet far
Unsteady hand rising to brush over my latest scar

Unable to contain my deadly wish for one look
I am ready to forget the toll it always took
The thick curtain ahead beckons like a long-lost love
And I stumble towards what I won’t be deprived of

The fiercest predator in the pitch black night
I am reduced to a shivering mess by the light
But sunset’s temptation is a call I will heed
Its fiery spectacle a colour therapy I need

I tug at the curtain to reveal the crimson skies
And delight mingles with pain and helpless cries
While I feast my eyes on its many-hued passion
I know that the sunlight will hold no compassion

The crimson sky spangled with orange and gold
Is a mysterious miracle that I should not behold
And while a sliver of light slices through my skin
I am certain it is worth all the anguish I am in

In awe I watch red turn to pink and fade away
Begging with tearful eyes that the light may stay
But sunset recedes behind a veil of black and grey
And I heave a sigh and fly out to search for prey

As a vampire I am supposed to be a dark knight
Forever imprisoned in the dank shelter of the night
But I’ll gladly risk my end for the blood-red skies
Until the last piece of human soul inside me dies

Not exactly crimson, but the best of my own sunset pictures.

Book Club Blog Tour - Delirium by Sowmya Aji

Deliriumby Soumya Aji
A Harper Collins Publication
Sports, Love, Steroids... Will love win? 







Blurb 
I was addicted. To him. 
Anjana Narendra just can’t keep her head straight when it comes to the nation’s heartthrob,cricket vice-captain Avinash Katagi.The mere sight of him sets the heart of this thirty-one-year-old television journalist pounding, and fills her stomach with butterflies. He seems smitten too – taking her out for romantic walks in the botanical gardens, appearing by her side when she has a road accident,knocking on her door in the middle of the night. Even as Anjana is swept off her feet into a whirlwind romance,the reporter within her sniffs out the biggest scoop of the season. all too soon, she is neck-deep in trouble with her bosses and the cricket board, struggling to make sense of the sordid world of steroids and celebs. Will anjana give up the delicious young man she is hooked on to? and does she even want to? Sinful and alluring, Delirium is a heady cocktail of intrigue, temptation and betrayal.

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Meet the Author
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I love day-dreaming and my close friends in this endless activity include Hamlet, Howard Roark, Absolem, Miss Marple, Elizabeth Bennett, Katniss Everdeen, Holly Short, Sirus Black, Gimli and Septimus Heap.. occasionally, Saphira also :) Otherwise, I am a serious hard-nosed print journalist who writes about politics, social issues and culture..
I've spent most of my life reading and writing.. I also love movies, dance, theatre, music, trekking, yoga.. I tried my hand at Russian and French and remember Rooski Izink Nimnoga and je sais un peu de Francaise .. (I bet I got that wrong).. but the latest language I picked up, Spanish, is very close to my heart, as I want to read Gabriel Garcia Marquez's yellow butterflies in Espanol.. I speak, read and write three Indian languages -- Kannada, Hindi, Tamil .. and my masters is in English, so I obviously love language and communication..
I also love knitting and I hate cooking :) I'm trying very hard to be good at a new job -- parenting -- to my three-year-old, but boy, is that the toughest job!
You can stalk her @

                  


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