(Mer Chronicles, #3)
Published by: Month9Books
Publication date: March 19th 2019
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult
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Synopsis
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Immerse is the spellbinding and breathless final installment of the Mer Chronicles series where descendants of the Little Mermaid must face deadly magic, shifting alliances, and the dangers of forbidden love.
Lia can’t wait for her parents’ coronation. Now living in the sparkling palace beneath the waves, she sneaks off to Malibu whenever possible to see Clay. Tucked away in an abandoned seaside mansion, Lia and Clay devise a plan to ensure they can stay together forever.
But when an old enemy resurfaces and Lia is restricted to the palace for the safety of all Merkind, she and Clay are ripped apart once more.
She fears not only for Clay, but for her best friend Caspian, who seems to be swimming down a dangerous path. He has invited the conniving Melusine to the coronation ball, convinced she’s capable of change. And no matter how hard Lia fights it, showing up on Caspian’s arm is just the start of Melusine’s insidious return to her life.
With threats Below growing more ominous by the day and a powerful ancient ritual looming, soon the two girls can’t escape each other. As their fates grow increasingly intertwined, Melusine might be the only one who can help Lia find the answers she desperately needs to save everyone she loves and to achieve her happily ever after. But can Lia trust her?
The library doors are my favorite in the castle. Unlike all the other
doors, made of sculpted sea glass in colors ranging from pastels to deep
jewel tones, the doors to the varellska (Mermese for library) are made
of the coated wood of a sunken Victorian ship. Mounted to the frame
between the double doors is a handcrafted mermaid from the ship’s
prow, her wooden hair blowing around her in carved curls, her face
proud. She puts a smile on my own face as I open one of the doors and
swim into the room that may hold the answer I need among its secrets.
Shelves stretch up the walls high above my head, each lined with
shells of every conceivable size and pattern, from short volumes
of poetry in tiny sundial shells to hours-long research tomes in
giant diadema shells. Between the shells stand various treasures for
decoration: an antique spyglass, a bronze-rimmed compass, an old
brass lantern. I inhale the scent of shell polish and whalebone styluses.
I’ve come on the librarian’s day off and have the whole place to
myself. I swim up to the highest shelves, where there rests a large,
gilded starfish, the symbol of balanced justice. What’s happened to
Clay at the hands and fins of Merkind has been anything but just.
I’m hoping that means justice is on our side throughout our quest to
make him a Merman. I rub the starfish for luck. “Help me find a way,”
I murmur into the varellska’s quiet stillness.
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Author Tobie Easton
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Award-winning author Tobie Easton was born and raised in Los Angeles, California, where she’s grown from a little girl who dreamed about magic to a twenty-something who writes about it. Her debut novel, Emerge, is a Gold Medal Winner (Young Adult – Sci-Fi/Fantasy) of the Moonbeam Children’s Book Awards and is Book 1 in the acclaimed Mer Chronicles series. The trilogy follows the descendants of the Little Mermaid and offers fans a peek into a world where Mermaids aren’t just real, but live secretly among us on land.
She and her very kissable husband enjoy traveling the globe and fostering packs of rescue puppies. Tobie loves chocolate chip cookies and Oxford commas. A summa cum laude graduate of the University of Southern California, Tobie splits her time between Los Angeles and Boston. Learn more about Tobie and her upcoming books on www.TobieEaston.com.
The Witch’s Tower by Tamara Grantham
(Twisted Ever After #1)
Published by: Clean Teen Publishing
Publication date: March 11th 2019
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult
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Synopsis
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Gothel is a witch. Punished for the actions of her mother, her choice is simple: either she stands guard over Princess Rapunzel—or she dies. But just because a choice is easy doesn’t mean it’s pleasant. Protecting Rapunzel means watching as the princess lays trapped in a tower, bedridden by hair that is so long and heavy it’s slowly driving her insane. Gothel’s life has become one of imprisonment and solitude as well—until a prince and his handsome squire appear at the tower.
Only one object can cut Rapunzel’s hair and end the curse: a pair of magical shears. But the shears are guarded by the most terrifying witches in the land, who also happen to be Gothel’s aunts. As Gothel and the prince’s squire, Raj Talmund, work to form a plan, she finds herself more and more drawn to the mysterious young man from the Outerlands. Unfortunately, his destiny is far more dangerous than she wants to admit: to save a princess, he must kill the witch who’s been forced to guard her.
THE WITCH’S TOWER is the first in an inspired new series of fairy-tale retellings from award-winning fantasy author Tamara Grantham.
Blood. My blood.
Rapunzel was getting bolder. A gust of rain-scented wind rushed through the clearing as I pulled a scrap of rolled linen from my cloak. I wrapped it around my wrist where she’d clawed my skin. Droplets soaked through, staining the fabric.
Sighing, I straightened to stare at the moonlit tower looming over me. I didn’t know what to do with Rapunzel. She was growing more unstable. It didn’t help that my mother had placed a curse on her. How could Rapunzel’s mind be right when she was forced to lie in bed all day, a prisoner to her hair that was so heavy, it prevented her from moving?
The clouds thickened, covering the sky, making the tower seem to disappear. I lit my lantern. The flame burned bright inside the glass as I started down the trail through the forest. As I walked, twigs snapped under my boots. The sounds of chirping crickets, and the occasional hoot from an owl, filled the air.
The scent of rain lingered on the wind. I hoped it held off until I made it to the village. The trail sloped downward, and I followed it over a narrow footbridge spanning a stream. As I crossed, my footfalls echoing over wooden planks, I reminded myself why I was traveling through these cursed woods. We needed supplies. Going into the village was the only way to get them, although leaving the tower was risky. If the high sorcerer found me gone, he’d hang me for sure, but what choice did I have? The flour was growing rancid, I would eat dirt before I touched another wild beet, and I was certain the dirt would taste better. It would help if I had skills in gardening, but I’d always had rotten luck when it came to growing things.
A breeze rushed through the woods, stirring the turquoise blue strands of my hair. I tucked it beneath my cowl, hoping to keep it hidden. It made me easily identifiable, and if anyone saw its strange color, they’d start asking questions.
I hated questions. I hated answering them even more.
The trees grew thicker along my path, making it hard to see anything.
A noise caught my attention.
Hoof beats came from up ahead. I ducked behind a briar bush as two forms emerged from the trail. Dousing my lantern’s flame, I stared at the shapes of two men on horseback approaching me.
I held my breath, my own heartbeats sounding too loud.
“Halt!” one of the men called. “I see you there.”
“Come out,” the other man shouted.
Under the light of their lanterns, the gleam of their swords’ pommels shone, peeking from their scabbards strapped to their backs. Would they use their weapons?
Breathing deeply, I attempted to keep my cool. They had no reason to harm me. I kept that in mind as I stood and stepped away from the bush.
“What are you doing out here?” one of the men asked.
“I’m on my way to Willow Wood village.”
“At this time of night?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“That’s my business, if you don’t mind.”
“Very well, then. What’s your name?”
Should I lie? If I did and they found out, what then? Better to play it safe. Hopefully, they’d never heard of me.
“I’m called Gothel,” I answered.
His eyes lit up. “Gothel. What luck! You are just the witch we seek.”
Drat.
Both men dismounted. Holding their horses’ reins, they approached me. The man nearest me wore armor that gleamed in his lantern’s light. He also wore a cloak and cowl that partially hid his face, though from the light stubble sheathing his jaw, and his full lips, I got the impression he wasn’t much older than me. The man behind him was taller, and he stayed in the shadows. I couldn’t distinguish any of his features.
“We are seeking the princess in the tower. Do you know where it is?”
Double drat. Now I had no choice but to lie.
“I’m afraid I don’t.”
“Really? That is odd. We were told a witch named Gothel could show us the way.”
“It must’ve been someone else. Now, if you’ll please excuse me.”
I attempted to brush past them when the tall man caught my arm. I gasped as he gripped me.
“Release me,” I said.
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“Gothel, listen,” the first man said. “We really must find that tower. We’ve been riding for weeks trying to find it. Please, the war must end, and the only way for the fighting to stop is for the high sorcerer’s daughter to be united with a prince of our kingdom. We left the war in search of the princess in the tower—the woman rumored to be the high sorcerer’s only offspring—the last princess left alive in the land.”
He seemed to know a lot, which piqued my curiosity. “Who are you?”
The man threw back his hood, revealing a silver crown atop his crop of unruly blond hair. His eyes were dark blue under the firelight, and the shape of his nose and jawline made him look as if he came from nobility.
“My name is Prince Merek Duc’Line.”
“You’re the king’s son?”
He nodded.
My stomach knotted. A prince? Could he be the one? If he was, then I should’ve fought him off. I should’ve kept him as far away from the tower as possible. There was a foretelling that a prince of noble blood would free the princess and kill the witch.
Kill me.
But after five years of being trapped inside a tower, I no longer feared soothsaying. Those tales were usually rubbish anyway. If he could save Rapunzel, shouldn’t I let him try?
“The tower is down that path,” I said. “But there’s a spell in these woods to keep it hidden, which is why you couldn’t find it.”
“Can you remove the spell?”
“Perhaps.”
“Will you do it for us? Please?”
He sounded sincere, but I still wasn’t sure if I should help him. If the high sorcerer found out, he’d have my head. But if there was a chance the prince could undo the curse, wouldn’t it be worth it to tell him?
“I can show you the way, but once you reach the tower, you must speak the spell to get inside. Call the princess’s name two times, then command her to let down her hair.”
His eyebrows rose. “Her hair?”
I nodded.
“Very well, and what is the princess’s name?”
I hesitated. What if he wasn’t the one? Then again, he was the king’s son. If anyone was worthy, it would be him. I hoped.
“Her name is Rapunzel.”
“Thank you,” he said, heaving a relieved sigh. The tall man with the hood held my arm a moment longer than necessary, then released me. I rubbed my arm. He’d most likely left a bruise.
Filthy knave.
“Be careful,” I said as the men mounted their horses. “There’s a spell on the princess. If you are not worthy, if your heart is not noble, or if you have ill intentions, you will be under her enchantment.”
“I do not fear enchantments,” the prince said. “I’ve vanquished many enemies in the war, fought dragons, slaughtered giants, and delivered justice to my enemies. Magic doesn’t scare me.”
He sounded overconfident, but maybe if he were as brave as he said, he would be the one to break the curse. I opened my pack and removed a vial of crushed primrose petals. After uncorking the glass, I emptied its contents on my open palm, then with a whisper of magic, I gently blew the petals across the path.
A blue glow appeared, snaking along the trail and through the forest, leading the way to Rapunzel’s tower.
“Follow the magic to the tower,” I said. “And do not forget my warning.”
“No need to remind me,” he shouted, then kicked his horse. The two men galloped away. As I watched them go, their lantern’s light quickly disappearing in the thick foliage, I regretted my decision to help the prince. Someone so self-assured could never beat the spell, but one could always hope.
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Author Tamara Grantham
Tamara Grantham is the award-winning author of more than a dozen books and novellas, including the Olive Kennedy: Fairy World MD series and the Shine novellas. Dreamthief, the first book of her Fairy World MD series, won first place for fantasy in INDIEFAB’S Book of the Year Awards, a RONE award for best New Adult Romance of 2016, and is a #1 bestseller on Amazon with over 200 five-star reviews.
Tamara holds a Bachelor’s degree in English from Lamar University. She has been a featured speaker at multiple writing conferences, and she has been a panelist at Comic Con Wizard World speaking on the topic of female leads. For her first published project, she collaborated with New York-Times bestselling author, William Bernhardt, in writing the Shine series.
Born and raised in Texas, Tamara now lives with her husband and five children in Wichita, Kansas. She rarely has any free time, but when the stars align and she gets a moment to relax, she enjoys reading fantasy novels, taking nature walks–which fuel her inspiration for creating fantastical worlds–and watching every Star Wars or Star Trek movie ever made. You can find her online at www.TamaraGrantham.com.
Kingdom of Salt & Sirens Boxed Set
Publication date: March 5th 2019
Genres: Fairy Tales, Fantasy, Young Adult
Synopsis
The Little Mermaid but not as you remember it…
Beneath the turbulent seas, beyond the smokey depths, lies a Kingdom that exists in your wildest imagination. A world where mermaids swim, sirens sing and shipwrecks hide mysterious creatures.
Make waves with our 11 magical retellings of the timeless classic, The Little Mermaid.
Dive into a world filled with adventure, love and magic!
One click now for your happily ever after.
Authors include:
J.A Armitage
R. Castro
Jennifer Ellision
Mira Crest
K.M Pyne
Laura Greenwood
Jacque Stevens
Scarlett Kol
Anne Stryker
Nikki Landis
Tracy Korn
“What happens at the end of your version of the story?”
I shrugged. “Much the same as in your version, I guess. She falls in love with the Prince, he with her, they get married and live happily ever after.”
Erickson’s face fell. “That’s not the same as our version,” he responded. “Ours is a lot more sinister. She loses her chance to marry the Prince. When her sisters find out, they barter for a dagger. The mermaid could return to the sea if she stabbed the Prince through the heart with it.”
I shuddered. “That’s horrible. Did she do it?” If she had, then maybe it would explain why humans seemed to be so against the mer.
“No. She turned into sea foam and disappeared into the air. Some versions say she’s taken pity on by some sylphs and became one of them.”
“Sylphs?” I’d never heard of them and had no idea what he meant. They certainly weren’t part of the stories I’d been told as a child.
“I don’t know how to explain them. They’re made of air and hang around in the atmosphere.”
“And what do they do to her?”
“I’m not sure. In our version of the story, mermaids don’t have souls. When they die they turn to sea foam and just cease to exist.”
I laughed lightly as we turned down another street. “I can assure you, that’s not what it’s like.”
“I guessed. You can’t have a soul stolen if you didn’t have one to begin with.”
“Which do you think is the true version of the story?” My words came out barely above a whisper. Part of me didn’t want to ask at all. Especially if it would mean he said he thought his version was the right one. If that was true, then how had my people gotten souls to begin with…
“Neither. I think it’s nothing more than a story. Each side will tell it the way that puts their own people in the best light. Just like with every other legend like that.”
“I suppose…” Though I didn’t like to think of the mermaid I’d heard so much about as nothing more than fiction. She’d been an inspiration to so many young mer who wanted adventure. Not so much on land, but out in the open sea.
“You never know, maybe one day they’ll be telling our story like they do hers,” he said jovially.
From The Little Monster by Jennifer Ellision
“Wait!” The little human lurched forward, a single hand outstretched, the other anchored firmly to the ship’s railing. It swallowed as the little monster raised a brow to her. The hand fell lamely back to her side.
“I… don’t even know your name.”
“Name?”
“What are you called?”
“I don’t understand.” What was she called? She was a predator, a hunter, a Mordgris, a…
“I am a monster,” she said simply.
“You’re all monsters,” the human breathed. “But you’re not quite like the rest. How am I to call you and you alone?”
Her. Alone.
A thrill spiked through the little monster. Why hadn’t she thought of this before? She deserved her own name. She was the best of her kind. There was nothing in the sea that could best her except, perhaps, the sea itself. And that made choosing a name simple.
“You may call me Mara,” she said.
“Mara,” the human repeated slowly. “Mara… for the sea?”
Another thrill surged within her as she nodded, knowing the word belonged only to her. The little human had understood the meaning instantly. In a way that prey was not meant to understand its hunter.
“I am Amista,” she said, lifting her full lower scales to cross the bottoms of her fins and bob on deck. “And it has been a pleasure to meet you, Mara.”
Mara dove back into the cool embrace of the sea, feeling Amista’s eyes on her back as she swam away.
The little monster had become Mara.
The little human had become Amista.
And that was the beginning and end of everything as they knew it.
From Falling by Scarlett Kol
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Pain exploded across my chest, blunt and hard, forcing me backward to the ground. I opened my eyes as a red wave of Honeycrisp apples spilled across the grass at my feet. Beyond the mess, the thief glanced back with a sneer. He rounded the last row of tents into the parking lot and hopped into the back of a waiting pickup truck. It sped out of the lot, spitting up dust and gravel, then disappeared down the highway.
I slammed my heel into the ground, sending a small burst of pain through my leg, reminding me of my stupid mortality. Why did humans do such awful things to each other? Free will? More like free pass to be sinful. How could I figure out humanity when it made no sense?
“You should really watch where you’re going.”
“What?” I shook my head as a strange deep voice and a dark shadow descended over me.
“I said, watch where you’re going. That way you won’t hurt yourself and bruise all my father’s apples.” The voice stuck his open hand in my face, and I grabbed on as he hoisted me to my feet in one smooth motion.
“Thanks.” I rubbed my hands over my clothes, brushing off the grass and dirt, then looked up. “I was just . . .”
A pair of blue eyes pinned my words to my tongue. Blue like a vast sea on a clear day, the light of the sun reflecting and warming the open air while beneath the surface the currents raged and raced through the fathoms below. A strange balance between tranquil and torrential, drawing me in and threatening to never let me go.
“Trying to run right through me?” He released my hand and took a step back before crouching down to put the pristine red apples I’d knocked to the ground back in their crate. “Hate to tell you, probably not going to work.”
Likely not. From the size of his broad shoulders and the soreness that still burned through my torso from the blunt smack, I questioned whether I had actually hit the crate or maybe just banged into his side. I scrambled to the ground to help him pick up the last few strays, trying not to get caught in his stare again. Instead, I focused on his hands. His thick fingers, still holding the last of a summer tan, wrapped delicately around the fruit as he scooped them up.
“No, I was chasing after a thief. If I hadn’t run into you, he might not have gotten away.”
Excerpt from J.A Armitage’s book Dark Water
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He tasted like the ocean. Somehow, it didn’t surprise me. He was connected to it in some way; I just didn’t know how. I leaned right into him, turning a light peck on the lips to something so much more. I think I surprised him with the voracity with which I kissed him, but he matched my urgency before eventually pulling away. I might have been mistaken, but there was a slight blush to his cheeks. I hated to think what my cheeks looked like; I could feel them burning with both shock and excitement. He glanced up toward the balcony from which I could still hear the faint strains of music over the sound of the ocean. He took my hand and wrapped his other arm around my waist. Slowly, he began to turn me. I realized he was dancing with me. It was so unlike dancing with Hayden and his “groovy” moves or with my dance teacher, Stephan, whom my mother had brought in specially from Silverwood to teach me how to dance. No, we weren’t dancing at all; we were moving on air. My feet barely touched the ground as he guided me effortlessly around. I’d never known it was possible to move the way he did, or the way I did with him. I closed my eyes and rested my head on his shoulder. He smelled of the ocean too as if he’d just walked out of it
Today Mallory McCartney and Rockstar Book Tours are happy to announce that QUEEN TO ASHES, is available for pre-order! Check out all the book info and enter the giveaway!
Title: QUEEN TO ASHES (Black Dawn #2) Author: Mallory McCartney Pub. Date: January 8, 2019 Publisher: Clean Reads Publishing Formats: eBook Pages: ? Find it:Goodreads, Amazon, Amazon Canada
“You lived your entire life feeling like half of you was missing. Fight for the missing part. Fight for this.”
Emory Fae has abandoned everything she thought she knew about her previous life on Earth. Stepping up to her role as Queen of Kiero she makes a startling sacrifice- feigning her allegiances to Adair Stratton, the man who murdered her parents and casted Kiero into ruin. Emory’s memories slowly piece together, and she soon realizes the Mad King may not be all he seems— and the man who was once best friend, may be fighting beneath the surface.
With the King’s attention on her, can she buy Black Dawn Rebellion enough time to recuperate their forces? And when the times comes, will she be able to kill Adair, ending his tyranny and rising herself as the rightful Queen? Fighting to hide her secret, Emory navigates the brutal trials of the Mad King, trying not to lose herself in the process.
Sequel to Black Dawn, now a bestselling series, the sparks are ignited, as Emory learns the cost of freedom, and her title. Will the rebels unite in time? A sinister force has spread across the land, stripping everyone bare- their betrayals, their secrets, their intentions. But above all, what will their decisions cost? By refusing to give in to the darkness, will Emory rise as Queen?
Renegade and Black Dawn will be available in the following #Vancouver area locations : Chapters Burnaby, Indigo Surrey, Chapters Coquitlam, Indigo West Vancouver, Indigo Granville (2505 Granville St) and Indigo Robson (1033 Robson St) in December!
“The time for Kiero’s reign in prosperity is over.”
Six years before the Black Dawn Rebellion, Adair Stratton and Emory Fae are following in their parent’s footsteps and living at The Academy, a home for those who are gifted. The pressure to uphold the future of their parent’s dream falls on them. An outcast and feared by most, Adair longs to break away from the expectations dictating his future. Even if Emory tries to make him see differently. An unexpected group of friends keep him there, but as whispers of unexplained disappearances start reaching from the capital, Adair starts to doubt The Academy is all it seems.
An unexpected visit ignites new tensions as the roguish king from across the Black Sea, Tadeas Maher of the Shattered Isles, and his heir, Marquis Maher sail to Kiero. Notorious for their pirating and wrath- for the first time in years, they demand the Fae’s listen to their proposition for a new treaty, holding the news of Nei’s father’s abrupt death over them. Caught in the middle of politics- Adair and Emory, with the help of their best friends Brokk and Memphis search for the one thing that matters most- finding out the truth.
In this gripping prequel to Black Dawn, their world is tipped upside down as unlikely alliances are made. War ravages through Kiero and is torn apart by acclaimed Kings. Through the throes of betrayal, lies, hidden magic and love, Adair is faced with a life changing decision- to fight or to bow to the darkness within him.
Title: BLACK DAWN (Black Dawn #1) Author: Mallory McCartney Release Date: February 14, 2017 Publisher: Clean Reads Publishing Pages: 352 Formats: Paperback, eBook Find it:Amazon, B&N, TBD, Goodreads
Emory Fae enjoys leading a quiet, normal life. That is until two mysterious, and handsome soldiers show up at her apartment, and the life she knew is instantly whisked away. Memphis Carter and Brokk Foster come from the magical and war ridden world of Kiero, and bringing Emory back she will discover she is the long lost heir to the Royal Line and is thrown into the Black Dawn Rebellion with a dynamic role to ignite the rebels and reclaim her throne.
With both men being darkly woven in her past Emory uncovers hidden secrets, a power held long dormant, and will soon realize there are worse things than supernatural humans, love, loss, betrayal, and a Mad King.
Some things are better left in the shadows.
~~~~~
About Mallory
Mallory McCartney is the author of the bestselling Black Dawn series. She currently lives in Sarnia, Ontario with her husband and their three dachshunds Link, Lola and Leonard. When she isn’t working on her next novel or reading, she can be found day dreaming about fantasy worlds and hiking. Other favorite pastimes involve reorganizing perpetually overflowing bookshelves and seeking out new coffee and dessert shops.
I am so excited that DREAM KEEPER by Amber R. Duell is available now and that I get to
share the news!
If you haven’t yet heard about this wonderful book by Author Amber R. Duell, be sure to check out all the details below.
This blitz also includes a giveaway for a $10 Amazon Gift Card, International, courtesy of The Parliament House and Rockstar Book Tours. So if you’d like a chance to win, enter in the Rafflecopter at the bottom of this post.
The Sandman is seventeen-year-old Nora’s
closest friend and best-kept secret. He has to be, if she doesn’t want a
one-way ticket back to the psychiatrist. It took her too long to learn not to
mention the hooded figure in her dreams to her mother, who still watches Nora
as if she’ll crack. So when Nora’s friends start mysteriously dying gruesome
deaths in their sleep, she isn’t altogether surprised when the police direct
their suspicion at her. The Sandman is the only one she can turn to for
answers. But the truth might be more than she bargained for…
For the last five years, the Sandman has spent every night protecting Nora.
When he hid the secret to the Nightmare Lord’s escape inside her dreams, he never
expected to fall in love with her. Neither did he think his nemesis would find
her so quickly, but there’s no mistaking his cruel handiwork. The Nightmare
Lord is tired of playing by the rules and will do anything to release his
deadly nightmares into the world, even if that means tormenting Nora until she
breaks.
When the Nightmare Lord kidnaps Nora’s sister, Nora must enter enemy territory
to save her. The Sandman is determined to help, but if Nora isn’t careful, she
could lose even more than her family to the darkness.
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Enjoy this peek inside: 2 NORA
Shadows danced in the soft warmth of the white mini-lights strung around my bedroom. I hopped around my bed, fumbling with the buckle on my sandals, and tossed my purse in the corner. Something hard—probably my phone—thwacked against the light blue wall.
“Whoops,” I muttered, then growled at the metal hook locking my footwear in place. There were places to go, people to see. Or, rather, one person, and it was already hours past our usual meeting time. I jerked at the stiff strap. “Get off.”
Finally, it popped, and I kicked it triumphantly into the corner with my bag. The other came off without any trouble, and my stomach fluttered in anticipation. I tugged off my jean shorts and stepped into a pair of plaid pajama bottoms, leaving on the ribbed tank top I wore out tonight. Who cared that a glob of nacho cheese stained the front? The Sandman certainly wouldn’t.
Climbing beneath the cool sheets, I dragged in a long breath and released it slowly. A small grin played on my lips as I stared at the lights hanging overhead. Then I shut my eyes and waited. Waited for sleep to claim me. To deliver me. But my body was too tense, and my mind still flipped through the day’s events—as ridiculously boring as they were. When the highlight of your day was painting your nails a new color, what was there to mull over?
After a handful of long minutes, I opened my eyes again and bit my lip. I could ask. It had been…
Actually, I couldn’t remember the last time I asked him for anything. Even this. But I had to be up early for work tomorrow and we’d already missed out on hours together. A grin crept across my face.
“Sandman,” I whispered, and closed my eyes again in preparation. “Help me sleep.”
It came swiftly then, sweeping me gently from my world to another as easily as the breeze carries a feather. I curled my toes, feeling the powder-like sand of the Sandman’s beach beneath my bare feet, and opened my eyes. The endless blanket of bright stars, the luminescent waves, the Sandman… This place, this dream, was like coming home.
“Sorry I’m late,” I called with a smile in my voice. The light aroma of lilacs filled my lungs and I sighed, content. “Natalie and Emery dragged me to a party to celebrate our final first day of summer vacation.” By this time next year, we would all be high school graduates and legal adults—neither of which I was ready to think about. I stretched my arms over my head and fought a yawn. “Sandman?” There was no reply. I dropped my arms and spun, searching for a glimpse of the familiar black-clad figure. This was our spot—the place directly below the brightest star. My brows lowered in confusion. So why wasn’t he here? He was always here. “Where are you?”
The only sound was the soft hush of waves lapping the shore. I turned again, squinting down the beach, but there was no hooded figure in sight. My heart skipped a beat. The dream seemed to yawn open, the emptiness pressing in on me from all sides. He had to be here somewhere. A pit formed in my stomach, and I staggered back, unsteady. He had to.
The beach was an addiction I didn’t know how to cure myself of—didn’t want to cure myself of. For every time I had to pretend this place didn’t exist, the Sandman was there to absolve me of the lies. There to make me feel like I was good and sane and normal. It didn’t matter that he was also the reason I didn’t feel any of those things were true when I was awake. The Sandman was my anchor, holding me firm when life tried to wash me out to sea. Without him… I swallowed hard. Without him, I would be a ship without sails.
“Sandman!” I jogged down the water’s edge, my pulse drumming in my ears. “I’m here.”
But he wasn’t.
THREE THIRTY-TWO.
The clock on my nightstand glowed green, the colon blinking in a slow, torturous rhythm. I tapped my fingers on my stomach. The Sandman had never been a no-show before. And if he wasn’t there, maybe that meant they were right, and he wasn’t real.
No.
I refused to believe that. My mother meant well, but I couldn’t face a lifetime of pill-pushing psychiatrists. One white-haired doctor tossing around words like personality disorder and delusional was enough. By the time the final doctor deemed the Sandman a simple outlet for me to process my parents’ divorce, the damage was done.
Don’t worry about it, he said. It will pass, he said.
That was five years ago.
The divorce was a distant memory. My father moved across the country and my mother remarried, but the Sandman became a permanent fixture. One I’d learned to never, ever talk about.
What’s going on? I pushed the thought toward the Sandman even though I knew he couldn’t hear me. There was only one call that reached from this side of the Dream World to his, only one cry capable of bringing him here, but it never stopped me from trying.
I flung the sheets back with a huff and grabbed an oversized Lund Valley Community College sweater from the end of my bed. Natalie hoped we would go there together next year but… I wrinkled my nose and glanced at the dresser drawer where my sketchbook was carefully tucked between scarves. If I went to college at all, it would be for art, but that was a big if. No one in my family knew I drew, and if my mother was going to let me major in something “impractical,” she would want to at least see my work. Unfortunately, each page featured a majestic beach and a man hidden beneath a hood. Both things I was supposed to have forgotten long ago.
Tugging the sweater over my head, I made my way through the dark hallway toward the stairs. My mother and step-father were both working the night shift at the hospital and my sister could sleep through anything, yet I found myself tip-toeing down the hall.
I paused outside Katie’s door and listened to the steady, heavy breathing on the other side. Part of me wanted to wake my sister up to talk about what happened, but the other part of me—the part that remembered the piercing fluorescent lights of a therapist’s office—knew better. Katie had teased me about the Sandman when we were younger, but she never treated me differently. However, now we were older. Barging into her room to complain that my imaginary friend hadn’t shown up that night might alienate the last blood relative I could rely on.
Although Katie annoyed me like no one else, I loved her more than I was irritated with her. I needed my big sister on my side—even if it meant hiding a huge part of my life. So, I stepped away from her door and crept silently downstairs to the kitchen.
Maybe because I was about to steal someone’s box of frozen Thin Mints.
Sorry, not sorry.
Mist curled out of the open freezer, and I reached behind the chicken before a shrill, heart-wrenching scream tore through the house, squeezing the air from my lungs. It was made of nails and teeth and death. Of danger and fear. My eardrums rattled. Each nerve stood at attention, electricity buzzing over my body.
“Katie?” I yelled, frantically abandoning my pursuit of the cookies.
Confusion laced the edges of my shaky voice, but I was already racing across the kitchen. Instinct twisted my gut, telling me to turn and run, to save myself, but I couldn’t. Not if my sister was in trouble. Not if someone had broken in when no one was home to help. Not if Katie was hurt and scared. I propelled myself up the stairs to the second floor, my skin itching me to go faster, faster, faster. Katie’s door was still shut at the front of the hallway. My breath shuddered, and I reached for the handle, pausing with apprehension. The metal was cold in my palm.
“Katie?” Her name came out as a crackling whisper and I forced myself to inhale. Then exhale. Inhale again. My hand shook as I twisted the knob.
I eased the door inward. Without a barrier between us, the sound cut through me like a knife. I slapped a palm against the wall, hitting the light switch, and flinched at the sudden brightness. At what it might reveal.
Katie lay flat on her back, her eyes shut tight, with the sheets snarled in a ball at the end of the bed. Sweat poured down her face, plastering her pink hair to her skin. The wild scream continued, unrelenting, her jaw stretched wide, her neck muscles protruding. But everything else was in its rightful place. Nothing was broken. The lock on the window hugged its latch.
I stepped into the room and spun, bumping into the dresser. My pulse thrashed; it mimicked Katie’s scream in pendulum beats. Loud then muffled then loud again. “Katie?” My voice felt tight. I knelt on the mattress and shook my sister’s broad shoulders. “Wake up.”
The scream cracked. Katie sucked in air as if she were drowning and began again, just as terrified. I used the back of my wrist to wipe the moisture from my forehead. My nails dug into her shoulders, and I shook her rigid body with every ounce of strength I had. The more I yelled her name, the more desperate, more savage, my voice became. Black spots danced in my vision. Nightmares were one thing, but this was something else. Something beyond that. I shook the dizzying fear away and darted into the bathroom across the hall.
I returned with a Dixie cup of cold water and leapt onto the bed. The water hit Katie’s face with a splash.
“Come on,” I shouted to no avail.
I fumbled for Katie’s cell phone on the nightstand. If our mother didn’t know what to do, she could send someone who did. My thumb hovered over the direct number to my mother’s unit when a quick, metallic burst of air whooshed in from the hallway. A shiver ravaged my spine, and Katie’s pitch reached new heights. I slipped from the bed, my hip smashing into the floor. The phone fell from my hand, seemingly in slow motion. I lunged for the door, and slammed it shut, leaning my back against the wood.
I couldn’t think.
Couldn’t… I couldn’t…
The walls seemed to shrink, boxing me in. Trapping me.
Above the screech, a deep chuckle rumbled in the hall. My heart rose to my throat, and I dove for the phone where it had landed on the rug. I managed to dial nine before Katie’s scream cut off. Palpable silence penetrated the room. My rapid breathing mixed with my sister’s, and I edged up onto shaking knees. Katie rolled onto her side with a twitch.
“Katie?” My voice came out as a squeak.
She snuggled into the pillow, and her breathing returned to normal. Okay. She was okay. I turned my attention to the space at the bottom of the door. There was probably no one out there anyway. My sister’s screams threw me off after a confusing night, that’s all. I was merely tired and scared and was likely imagining the whole thing.
But before I called anyone, I had to be sure.
With the phone clutched in my hand, I crawled across the room to where the bright yellow handle of Katie’s tennis racket leaned against the wall. I gripped the hard foam and held it to my shoulder. I didn’t want to leave Katie alone but what choice did I have? I couldn’t call for help if no one was out there. My mother would have a field day.
Clenching my jaw shut to keep my teeth from chattering, I dialed two one’s before opening the door. If anyone was on the other side, it would only take a single touch to call for help.
I eased out, holding the racket in front of me, and flicked on the hallway light. The stillness slammed into me like a brick wall. “Okay, okay, okay,” I chanted under my breath. This was stupid. And yet… at five-foot-three and a hundred and ten pounds, an intruder wouldn’t necessarily need to be armed to overpower me.
My nerves exploded with a burst of adrenaline, and I leapt from room to room until each light bulb on the second floor glowed. I checked every closet, under every bed. The racket shook in my hand. There was nothing. No one. An irrational spike of anger zipped through me at the possibility of my brain’s betrayal.
My body moved on its own accord, taking me downstairs one tentative step at a time. One million potential fates I might encounter, if there was someone lying in wait, coursed through my thoughts. The joints in my fingers locked around the phone with my thumb still over the green call button. My tongue was sandpaper against the roof of my mouth, and I crept through the living room.
The freezer was still open, rattling in an attempt to keep the internal temperature down. I chomped down on my lip and inched my way forward to shut it. The rarely-used alarm system beside the back door taunted me—if only I remembered the code.
It seemed like it took ages to finish searching the house. I looked everywhere from the coat closet to beneath the bathroom sink, but it had only been eleven minutes since I had woken up. No time at all, really. I gripped the back of a dining room chair to stay on my feet.
There was no intruder. Katie had a nightmare, and my mind deceived me.
Again.
Always.
Only this time, it wasn’t part of my subconscious. I wasn’t asleep. Katie had screamed. There was a blast of air. Someone had laughed.
I swallowed the fear rising in my chest.
No one believed they were crazy. I wasn’t sure what it meant if I thought I was unhinged but constantly persuaded myself to believe I wasn’t. Was I? Wasn’t I? Not even the doctors could agree on an answer. My sanity was a double-edged sword, and I was fighting to maintain balance on the tip.
I dashed back to Katie and climbed in bed beside her, nestling close. I tucked the wrinkled sheet around us both and tried to ignore the nausea curdling in my stomach. Katie was older than me, bolder and more confident, but in that moment, she felt as fragile as blown glass. I wrapped an arm around her waist and squeezed my eyes shut. My ears strained to hear the slightest sound that could signal danger, but no one else was in the house.
No one had laughed.
The Sandman wasn’t real.
I balled the back of Katie’s T-shirt in my fist. He was real enough to me, and I needed him. Please, Sandman, I called in a silent plea for the second time tonight—the one only he could hear. Help me sleep.
.
About Amber:
Amber R. Duell was born and raised in a small town in Central New York. While it will always be home, she’s constantly moving with her husband and two sons as a military wife. Before becoming published, she had a wide range of occupations including banking, bartending (though
she’s never tried alcohol), and phlebotomy (though she faints with needles).
She also volunteered as a re-enactor at the local Revolutionary War fort and worked near shelter cats which led to her previous crazy cat lady status.
She does her best writing in the middle of the night, surviving the daylight hours with massive amounts of caffeine. Her favorite stories are dark with a touch of romance and a villain you either love to hate or hate to love.
When not reading or writing, she enjoys
snowboarding, embroidering, snuggling with her cat, and staying up way too late
to research genealogy. She loves to travel and has visited more countries than
states. Kissing the Blarney Stone and hand-feeding monkeys in the mountains of
France will be hard to beat, but that doesn’t stop her from trying to find the
next real-life adventure.
Nerd. Introvert. He was the hero they never knew they wanted.
All Wendell hoped for was a decent job,
a hot new car and a girlfriend to match.
What he got was the mantle of a legendary hero, the heart of a girl who
had no idea who he really was…and a diamond bigger than his fist.
What could possibly go wrong?
Prelude to a Hero is book one in the Chronicles of a Hero series, by Jaime
Buckley. If you enjoyed Tiffany Aching, Harry Potter or Hitchhikers
Guide to the Galaxy, then you’ll love this humorous, original epic
fantasy, packed with magic, mystery and sharp kicks to the funny bone.
“I’m already a HUGE fan of fantasy fiction, this book appealed to me as I
felt it would be something new and unique… I wasn’t left
disappointed!”
Dream girls. Fried snails. A 30” bodyguard with pink ponytails.
Being a hero comes with learning curves.
The curve of a hip. The curve of a sword.
The curve of a sucker punch as it connects with your face.
It wouldn’t be so bad if Wendell had professionals to help him.
Instead, he’s stuck with a feisty gnome, a senile old wizard and a green
skinned, cigar-smoking babysitter to guide him.
Is it too late to quit?
Fans of epic fantasy will cheer Wendell on as the Chronicles of a Hero
series continues in book two. Those who enjoy the world building
skills of J.R.R. Tolkien, J.K. Rowling and Brandon Sanderson will
surely get addicted to this original new world.
Feed your fantasy needs and grab your copy today!
“I have not laughed so hard in a long time. I don’t KNOW how long it’s
been. Just when the tension is about to make my heart pop, Chuck or
Dax or a situation will pop up and make you laugh.”
Stranded, alone…with a tree sticking out of his bellybutton.
Wendell’s task is simple: get to Til-Thorin Keep.
No problem.
Add to that no map, no help and no flippin’ idea where he is and you have a day in the life of our hero.
Oh wait—we forgot to add the army of cannibals now nipping at his heels.
It just might be the death of him.
Elemental magic and nail-biting action are what you can expect in book three of Chronicles of a Hero. Fans of Dragonlance and The Hobbit will love this new addition to the series.
Don’t wait to grab your copy—buy one today!
“I think this book will be well-liked by those who like Harry Potter, but I think it goes to a new level where those who didn’t like Harry Potter can still love this book!”
Wizards. Elves. Giant Robots with Automatic Weapons.
Wendell is dying for a change of scenery, but Clockworks City has a ban on all outsiders.
It’s a law punishable by death.
So how does a 5’ 10” human hide among 1.5 BILLION gnomes?
By competing in the #1 televised extreme sport in the country, of course.
Enjoy bullets, babes and a bowl of mushroom soup as this series jumps from humorous fantasy to comical science fiction! If you enjoy a good laugh, intense action and unexpected endings, you’ll love book four in the Chronicles of a Hero series.
Grab your copy and keep the epic buzz going!
“(got yelled at by mom to put my Nook away all week….*sigh*) It was that good.”
Wendell’s chance at the title was always a long shot. Since then he’s been on TV, Radio and even has the attention of The Church. Fact is, he’s more popular than ever. So why are people trying to kill him? (It’s the cheesy goatee, isn’t it.)
Second Chances is book 5 in Jaime Buckley’s Chronicles of a Hero series. Laugh, cheer and bite your nails as this epic fantasy takes you on a crazy ride, twisting down ramps and out a back window!
Pick up a copy today!
“You know you have found a great book when you want to slap the author and give the author a hug at the same time, when you take some of the plot turns personally.”
Caught. Tortured. Scheduled for execution. Any Questions?.
Wendell and Dax are exposed and the gnomes of Clockwork City are freaking out.
Are they spies? Is this an invasion? Was this all just a terror tactic to get gnomes to pay their taxes?
Now with Wendell under arrest and Dax under armed guard, it’s going to take a pardon from President Shrub to set them free.
Good thing Chuck’s planning to kidnap his kids.
The Truth About Lies is book six in the Chronicles of a Hero series by Jaime Buckley. The series that makes you laugh, squirm, grit your teeth and has you begging for more.
Make sure to grab yourself a copy!
“I loved this book because it takes a misfit who was never really liked or appreciated and it shows the beginning of the process of him unlocking his potential and becoming something greater than anyone would have imagined for such a small, insignificant person.”
Honest Politicians. Humane Terrorists. Religious Devils.Then it gets confusing…
Wendell’s learned that gnomes are just as irritating and dangerous as humans…they just come in smaller packaging.
Citizens are rebelling, the government’s collapsing, the Church is selling off the poor and Dax’s head on the chopping block.
All Chuck needs to get everyone home is a city wide diversion, a flying S.L.A.G., four lawyers, a hand grenade…and a tiny bit of string.
It feels good when a plan comes together!
The Price of Fame is book seven in the Chronicles of a Hero series by author Jaime Buckley. If you love a good laugh and incredible plot twists to keep you guessing, this book will curl your toes and put a smirk on your face!
“…packed with wild imaginations and inspirations. It’s a rarity that a YA book contains the combination of those three things but Wanted: Hero has them. Seriously, you don’t want to miss reading this book in your lifetime.”
Jaime Buckley married young, winning the heart of a beautiful Samoan princess
and together, they had 12 amazing children.
One of the original ‘lost boys’ of Peter Pan, Jaime never truly grew up.
Though he is respected as a traditional father figure, he still enjoys late night
conversations with Santa Clause, flirting with the Tooth Fairy and
has an occasional beer with Bigfoot. Wizards and warriors seek
his counsel while monsters tremble at the mention of his name.
An accomplished writer and illustrator of all things fictional, Jaime has a passion
to entertain and uplift. He loves God, his country, his family and
continues to expand his influence and friendships by stepping
onto the Twitch platform as a Creative streamer. Jaime can always be
found through Wanted Hero, his greatest project, and passion.
Follow the tour HERE
for exclusive excerpts, guest posts and a giveaway!
Three amazing prizes!!!
#1)A one-of-a-kind full color HD character sketch from the books–of ANY character the winner wants, created in a live stream session and autographed to the winner by name. (a $300 value)
#2) a PDF copy of the first 5 unedited chapters of Chronicles of a Hero, Book 8: Howling Shadows (scheduled to be released fall 2019)
#3) A digital copy of ‘An Unsolvable Problem’ (any format)–the Origin Story of Dax, one of the main characters of the Chronicles of a Hero story (not available for sale).
I am so excited that STOLEN by Marlena Frank is available now and that I get to share the news!
If you haven’t yet heard about this wonderful book by Author Marlena Frank, be sure to check out all the details below.
This blitz also includes a giveaway for a $10 Amazon Gift Card, International, courtesy of The Parliament House and Rockstar Book Tours. So if you’d like a chance to win, enter in the Rafflecopter at the
bottom of this post.
Title: STOLEN (Stolen #1)
Author: Marlena Frank Pub. Date: January 22, 2019 Publisher: The Parliament House Formats: Paperback, eBook Pages: 342 Find it:Goodreads, Amazon, B&N, iBooks, Kobo
It’s difficult taking care of a delusional father by yourself. Sixteen-year-old Shaleigh Mallet would rather explore and photograph dilapidated buildings than cater to her father’s dark episodes. But when she’s kidnapped by a creature who carries her atop a flying
bicycle into another world, she realizes this wasn’t the escape she wanted.
.
In a kingdom known as the Garden, where minotaurs pull carriages and parties are held in hot air
balloons, Madam Cloom and her faerie servant, Teagan, rule over the land with incredible but terrifying magic. Shaleigh must prove that she is the reincarnation of a long-dead ruler, not because she believes it, but because it’s her only chance to survive. With the help of a trespassing faerie, a stoatling, and a living statue, Shaleigh hopes to outwit everyone. She aims to break the bonds of servitude and finally make her way home. What she doesn’t realize, however, is that she’s playing right into the hands of a far worse enemy…
Book Trailer:
Excerpt:
PART
I
FREEFALL
AN EMBARRASSMENT
Shaleigh didn’t think about how much concrete and steel stood over her head as she stepped carefully down the decaying hallway of Ferris Factory. The building had been abandoned for so long that the mildew and fungus ran rampant from the moisture that crept down the crumbling walls, so a respirator was a requirement. Ferris Factory was only two stories tall from the outside, but the floors underground felt endless. The elevator shaft only went down three floors when it had been operational; the rest of the floors could only be reached with the stairs. She doubted any of it had been inspected by the fire marshal.
Her best friend, Kaeja, walked so close behind that she could feel her warm breath on the back of her neck. The only sound that echoed up and down the hallway, besides their footsteps, was the snap of Shaleigh’s camera. The photos were why they risked their lives to explore dangerous places: to document the decrepit. It was thrilling to explore a place that nobody else would see. Eventually all the walls would fall, and Ferris
Factory would decay into memory. Shaleigh and Kaeja would have the only remaining proof it even existed, especially since it was clear that nobody was supposed to know about this section of the factory.
A rat skittered out of a heap of moldy paperwork and Kaeja took a deep breath until it passed. “This is the worst one yet. By far.” Shaleigh grinned, though her respirator concealed it. “Come on, we had to come back and take the stairs down. We couldn’t just end it at the base of the elevator.”
“Do you see that?” She swung the flashlight to the side. “I couldn’t even hang a picture on that wall. Four
floors down was enough, five floors is just begging to get hurt.”
Kaeja was right, the walls of the hallway curved inward like a bow string. Shaleigh hadn’t noticed how bad it was until she mentioned it. “We’ll be quick.”
She snapped as many photos as she could while Kaeja held the flashlight. It illuminated a good portion of the hall, but the beam had little effect against the thick, sick air. The light ought to have made the place more inviting, but it only made the shadows darker. It was hard for Shaleigh to keep her hands steady for the photos; fear and exhilaration kept combating within her. Sure, this place was terrifying and could collapse
at any moment, but the thought of capturing a world that would never been seen again, of documenting the forgotten before it disappeared, made her tap the shutter button of her camera faster. “I wish we had more time. I’d love to look inside some of these rooms.”
“Not me,” Kaeja said, her eyes shadowed by the reflections of the flashlight on her mask. “These halls
are creepy enough, thanks.” The light flashed across some metal scraps against the bowed wooden wall. It was hard to tell if it had been left behind by the workers, or if it had fallen from the ceiling. “Didn’t they used to make cars here?”
“Sure, that’s it.” Shaleigh snorted as she tapped on a dirt-encrusted sign that warned visitors that the
hallway was a high security corridor. “Whatever helps you sleep at night.”
“It’s an old building, but that doesn’t mean they were hiding anything down here.”
“Then what’s with the high security? They had to be doing something illegal down here. The maps we found
don’t even show these floors. I heard it used to be a hospital,” Shaleigh glanced back to her with a smile. “Dad heard it from a colleague at work. They used to keep dangerous people here.” Kaeja stared at her, the beam from the flashlight in her hands trembling.
A high-pitched squeal of metal echoed down through the insides of the building, as though the entire structure was shifting under its own weight. The squeal turned into a groan that shook the very floor beneath their feet. Both teens froze, barely daring to breathe as debris fell from the ceiling. Seven levels of exhausted steel, wood, and plaster shifted over their heads. They stood in silence waiting for the walls to give way, waiting to be buried beneath the rusty metal beams, discolored linoleum floors, and rat-infested insulation; but the building remained steady.
The noise stopped. Particles drifted in the air.
“It doesn’t sound very good, does it?” Shaleigh whispered.
“I don’t like it. I don’t care what you say, this is the lowest I’m going. Five levels below ground is far enough.”
Shaleigh stifled a laugh, “That’s what you said when we found the stairs.”
A high-pitched noise erupted down the hall causing both teens to jump. It didn’t sound metallic…it didn’t sound like the building at all.
Kaeja stared down the hallway with wide eyes. The noise broke into a whimper, and then there was silence. It only lasted maybe a few seconds, but they both knew what they had heard. Someone was down there with them.
Shaleigh turned to look behind them, but without the flashlight beam it was too dark to see anything. “Was that—was that behind us?”
Kaeja spun around, temporarily blinding Shaleigh in the process. “I don’t know. I thought it came from in front of us.”
The darkness felt like a cage all around them. The beam of the flashlight, darting forwards and backwards down the hall, seemed so small and insignificant now. Someone was in the darkness. Someone was watching them. Shaleigh stepped around Kaeja and started back toward the stairwell. “We should go.”
Kaeja grabbed her arm and Shaleigh could feel her clammy fingers through the sleeve of her jacket. “Are you crazy? You said that’s where it came from.”
“How else are we going to get out of here?”
Kaeja could give no argument and shook her head. “Shaleigh…” she whimpered.
“It’s okay, we’ll do it together.” She put her camera around her neck and took Kaeja’s hand. They
walked slowly towards the door of the stairwell, side by side, fingers clasped in a death grip.
For a moment, Shaleigh thought she saw movement ahead of them and stopped. Kaeja must have seen it too because she swept her flashlight left and right, searching for whatever it was. Just before the beam of light reached one of the doors, Shaleigh was certain she spotted a shadow move into one of the rooms.
“Ow…” Kaeja whispered giving their joined hands a tug. Shaleigh realized she had been gripping too hard and
loosened her hold but didn’t say a word. Her eyes were fixed on where the shadow had been. As they drew closer, an arm stretched out, hairy with long, black fingernails, and pulled the door closed. There was a splash as though something heavy had fallen into a pool of water from behind the door.
Kaeja screamed. A bolt of adrenaline hit Shaleigh and she grabbed Kaeja’s arm. Together they ran. As they passed the door, the knob began to turn with a creak. She wasn’t sure if Kaeja had seen it or not. “Keep going!” she yelled, all pretense of caution forgotten.
Once the stairwell came into view, they sped up. Shaleigh slipped on a wet spot and her foot skidded. She would have sprained her ankle if she hadn’t grabbed for the wall. What a stupid way to die, she thought as she regained her footing. She had to keep her head straight, because panicking in an old, decrepit building was a sure way to get hurt or killed by whatever was after them. She forced them to slow down to climb overa pile of broken boards and nails. Shaleigh had thought it odd to have it so close to the stairwell when they’d first come down, but now she saw it as a marker, a warning perhaps, to keep trespassers out. As she helped Kaeja down the opposite side of the rubble, she heard limping footsteps approaching them.
“It’s coming!” Shaleigh cried and together they sprinted for the stairwell. The flashlight bounced beams off
the walls.
They hit the metal door like a battering ram, shoving it into the rusted railings of the stairs, causing it to
reverberate like a gong up and down the concrete shaft. Shaleigh gripped the metal rail, feeling the flecks of paint come off on her hands, and the raw rust beneath. She exchanged a glance with Kaeja, both trying to catch their breath. The respirator was humid with her breathing and she couldn’t wait to rip it off when they got outside. She looked up the dark stairwell above them and grimaced. There were too many floors between them and safety.
Kaeja gasped and reached out to grab Shaleigh’s arm. Shaleigh stared at her. She thought she could make out
footsteps from the hall they just left, but it was so faint it was hard to make out. It could have just been the sounds of the building, but she didn’t want to take any chances. Taking a deep breath, Shaleigh led the way as they started up the stairs.
One floor, two floors, three floors.
Was that the sound of the doorknob beneath them being turned? Kaeja hurried to her side as they continued to climb. Both were audibly gasping now. It wouldn’t take much for their pursuer to know where they went. Shaleigh’s thighs were burning. She could sprint up a flight or two of stairs, but this was tough. It didn’t help that she was already out of breath before they even started climbing.
“What if it’s locked us in?” Kaeja asked between sucking in gulps of air.
Shaleigh didn’t respond. She didn’t want to even consider that option.
They climbed two more flights of stairs. Kaeja reached the door first. They both let out a sigh of relief when the door opened. Panting, they jogged to the main exit, a pair of massive iron doors that looked like they belonged in a mausoleum. Neither of them said a word as they descended the short flight of broken steps to the grass. Shaleigh ripped off her respirator, Kaeja did the same, and they both exchanged grins as they
crossed the grass-pocked concrete walkway. It felt good to feel the heat of the day on her skin too. The sun was sinking in the west, but the air was sweet with wild honeysuckle and a light breeze rustled the old oaks. Shaleigh relaxed a bit but could tell by Kaeja’s expression that she wouldn’t be able to relax until they had left the property completely.
The concrete walkway fell away to tall grass that came up to their hips, as they sidestepped small pine trees that were beginning to take over the lot and moved further away from the building. The chain link fence that surrounded the property sported multiple warning signs for trespassers, though they were faded from exposure. Kaeja pulled back the corner of fencing they had used to get in, and they both climbed through
without saying a word. Kaeja paused, took a deep breath, and relaxed her shoulders.
“I know you’ll hate to hear this, Kaeja,” Shaleigh started. “But I think I’m done with Ferris Factory
for a while.”
Kaeja laughed. “No complaints here. I’m going to add that we never go underground again either. I am not running up that many stairs again, no matter how great you say the pictures will be.” Shaleigh couldn’t help but laugh. The downtrodden path through the woods made it a short walk to reach the bus stop. Shaleigh unwrapped the scarf from around her head and shook out her twists. The breeze felt wonderful on her scalp. They dropped everything into Shaleigh’s backpack as they walked. The main road was surprisingly empty for a Sunday afternoon. After exploring inside of decomposing buildings for a while, she had new respect for even the simplest things. The bench for the bus stop, covered in graffiti and bearing a single broken board, looked like a luxury. Kaeja sprawled across the broken wooden bench and covered her eyes with her arms.
“Wow, what a rush!”
“I know!” Despite her smile, Shaleigh still glanced over her shoulder, as though expecting the person from
the building to be slinking toward them through the woods. “What do you think it was?”
Kaeja stared up into the sky. “Someone crazy, I’m sure. It’s a good thing they made some noise. I don’t
like the thought of them sneaking up on us like that.” She sat up and patted the bench beside her.
Shaleigh obliged, her legs were still shaky. “Did you see that hand?”
Kaeja shuddered, “Looked like he hadn’t seen the light of day in forever.” She stretched her arms over the
back of the bench. “This is exactly why I don’t like the big ones. There are too many hiding places.”
“The small ones aren’t much better,” Shaleigh added. “Sometimes it feels like a shot right out of
Texas Chainsaw Massacre, you know?”
Kaeja nodded and the two grew silent from their own nerves. Kaeja’s leg jumped up and down, as though at any moment she would jump up into a sprint. Shaleigh kept resisting the urge to look over her shoulder once more. The bus couldn’t come fast enough.
“Ugh, I need to think about something else.” Kaeja said with a tense smile. “You’ve got a party coming up tonight, don’t you? You get to get all dolled up. I know you don’t like the people much, but I do envy you getting to go.”
Shaleigh sighed. “I had almost forgotten about it.” She checked her watch. It was a good thing they had left
when they did because she still needed to get home and clean up. “If you like it so much, you can totally go for me.”
“Your dad would never let me. He needs you there.”
“Unfortunately.”
Kaeja scooted closer and put an arm around her shoulders. “I’m sorry. I guess that is pretty hard on you. Do
they ask you a lot of questions about him?”
Shaleigh nodded. She hated the tight feeling she got in her chest whenever she thought of those stupid parties. She hated the fact that she had to go. Why in the world did Roseworth College have so many of them anyway? It was like they wanted to torture her.
Deciding to change the subject, she picked up her camera from around her neck. After checking to make sure nothing had been damaged in their mad dash, she asked, “Want to see the pictures?”
Kaeja nodded but looked concerned. Shaleigh ignored it.
The brilliant light of the flash somehow made the dark halls of Ferris Factory less frightening, less dangerous. If only people were so easy to strip of fear.
About Marlena:
I write about strange creatures.
Typically they shouldn’t exist, or they have bled through from a different
reality, or they’re pretending to be a crying baby in a crib. Sometimes that
lands my stories in horror and other times in fantasy, but there’s always an
air of strangeness to my tales. If you want to get a better feel for what I’m
talking about, check
out a few clips or read a few drabbles.
My work has appeared in a spattering of short story collections, but I do have a few novellas and novels in the pipeline. Other than talking about writing, I also talk about cryptozoology, werewolves, wildlife conservation, and of course kitties. I’ve also been known to nerd out about Batman and The Hobbit, and have recently discovered the cracktastic fun of Black Butler cosplay, so there will likely be more of these incidents.
By day I work as a web developer, so I’ll occasionally talk about web issues like finding the right theme.
Welcome to my stop on the book blast fro Immortal Girl5 organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Griffin Stark will be awarding a copy of the book (US ONLY) to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.
Immortal Girl5
by Griffin Stark
Synopsis
The year is 1095, Normandy, France. Five year old Skylar runs away into the woods to escape nuns who are convinced her inexplicable seizures are the work of satan. She survives after being adopted by wolves, when two mysterious strangers appear and reveal Skylar’s destiny to her. Skylar is the first of the Immortal Girls, destined to save humanity from itself.
Immortal Girl5 (January 22, 2019) follows Skylar, Rachel, Caitlin, Beth, and Bethany, five immortal sisters who, over the course of a thousand years, attempt to learn the purpose of their own existence while hunting down the worst criminals this world has ever seen. They’ve faced the likes of Jack the Ripper and the Nazis, but as a new enemy arises to threaten the sisters’ survival they’ll soon learn that immortality doesn’t mean forever.
“Wait! Now look, please, just let me explain!” he begged her, while shielding himself from the next imminent attack. Even if he’d had the desire to fight back—which he certainly did not—Luke wasn’t sure how easy it would be. After all, she’d survived more than a thousand years from what he’d been told. For being that old, this girl looked beyond amazing, with her blonde hair that fell into curls at the ends, angelic looks, and a flawless, pale complexion that held two stormy blue eyes of unusual intensity. Skylar seemed to accept Luke’s sincerity, at least for the moment, and slowly put her fist down by her side.
About Author Griffin Stark
GRIFFIN STARK is an American author who proudly lives in Nashville, Tennessee. Even as a young child, Griffin had an active imagination. As an author of young adult fiction, he has harnessed his creativity to tell memorable stories filled with important life lessons.
Griffin served as a combat medic in The United States Air Force and later founded THE SHEEPDOG MOVEMENT to join in the fight against bullying of teens worldwide.
Visit http://immortalgirl5.com/ to learn more about Griffin and his YA fantasy novel, Immortal Girl5.
“According to legend, when the world was young, the goddess Issaura appeared
among men. Those who treated her with kindness received the gift of
the gods—the ability to transform into an animal form. This was a
great honor but one that separated this race from other humans.
Before Issaura departed the mortal realm, she promised to return if
her people were ever at the point of destruction.
“Now a threat is rising from a land across the mists of the ocean, a
threat that will push this race to the brink of extinction.
Responding to the call to war, seventeen-year-old Lluava heads off to
find her destiny, one that will carve her name in history.”
The Kingdom of Elysia consists of two races: the dominant race of humans
and the native race of Theriomorphs who can shift into animal form.
Although law dictates equal treatment, they neither like nor trust
each other. Now brutal and ruthless Raiders are approaching; there is
only one chance to defeat them. An army must be raised and trained.
An army where each human will be paired with a Theriomorph partner.
An army that must fight as one to defeat their common enemy.
Women are not warriors. However, Lluava is not like other women – human
or Theriomorph. Her animal form is a magnificent beast whose power
and fury she must learn to control. Although Lluava endures intense
physical training and strives to overcome the doubts of the male
recruits, she faces an unexpected adversary in the commanding general
who seeks to break both her spirit and her body.
At the paring ceremony, Lluava is humbled when presented with a unique
and ancient weapon. Yet she becomes distraught and angry when her
human partner is revealed. If they fail to trust each other, the
consequences will be devastating. Death and destruction are on the
horizon and time is running out.
The Incarn Saga is a young adult fantasy series inspired by ancient
myths, filled with fast-paced action and adventure, and enriched by
an understanding of animal behavior that defines the shape-shifting
Theriomorphs.
“According to legend, when the world was young, two gods of war — one male,
one female — were destined for each other. Yet Ullr, forever
unfaithful, lost the love of Issaura, his true match, and was
forsworn. His violent anger and bitter rage grew and intensified,
poisoning all creation and humanity.
Now that the Raiders’ long ships have faded from sight, the kingdom of
Elysia is beginning to recover from the summer’s war with the
brutal invaders from across the sea. Yet darker forces have taken
root, forces that can alter the future of the land and its people in
unthinkable ways. Seventeen-year-old Lluava must discover the means
to prevent her world from collapsing. But in doing so, will she
succumb to that darkness?”
“According to legend, when the world was young, Crocotta, Queen of the Gods,
discovered her mate’s faithlessness. She vowed to prevent future
threats to all matrimonial pacts henceforward, but for her it was too
late. The child born from the illicit coupling was a warrior
goddess—one whom Crocotta would seek to destroy throughout eternity.
Now that the Raiders’ elite army is threatening the kingdom of Elysia’s
northern borders, seventeen-year-old Lluava must leave the
familiarity and safety of her native land to venture into the
wilderness. Her mission is to discover others like her who will come
to Elysia’s aid; her hope is to unravel the secrets behind what it
means to be Incarn. But what she finds could destroy everything.”
Lluava’s story continues in Crocotta’s Hackles, the third book in The Incarn
Saga’s award-winning new-adult series.
Katharine Wibell’s lifelong interest in mythology includes epic poetry like
the Odyssey, Ramayana, Beowulf, and the Nibelungenlied. In addition,
she is interested in all things animal whether training dogs,
apprenticing at a children’s zoo, or caring for injured animals as
a licensed wildlife rehabilitator. After receiving degrees from
Mercer University in both art and psychology with an emphasis in
animal behavior, Wibell moved to New Orleans with her dog, Alli, to
kick start her career as an artist and a writer. Her first literary
works blend her knowledge of the animal world with the world of high fantasy.
Today Nicole Conway, Owl Hollow Press, and Rockstar Book Tours are revealing the cover and an exclusive content for SCALES, her new MG/YA Fantasy Book which releases in 2019! Check out the awesome cover and enter the giveaway!
When New York City faces the threat of an ancient evil, a teenage boy must use a magical bracelet to transform into a monster-slaying dragon superhero.
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Koji Owens is the new kid … again. As the only son of an Air Force F-16 pilot, he’s learned to adapt and survive every time they move. It’s not easy starting over with new friends and schools every two
years, but when the Owens family makes their final move to New York, Koji finally has hope for a normal high school life—that is, until he finds a strange bracelet in his locker.
Transformed into a storm-summoning dragon warrior, Koji finds himself caught up in a world of ancient powers, secret identities, and colossal monsters threatening to destroy his new home. But
these awesome powers come with strings attached, and revealing his true identity could mean losing everything he loves. With his family and friends now in mortal danger and New York City in flames, Koji must find the courage to become the hero they need and face down an enemy hiding in plain sight.
A comic-obsessed teenage misfit embraces his inner hero in this action-packed adventure that will leave you ready to get your scales on!
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Exclusive Excerpt!
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Piercing light bloomed from the totem scale. It swept over me and took away my pain, molding and stretching me into my full dragon form. The instant the searing energy coursed through my body, I launched myself into the sky.
I didn’t have a single second to waste.
Now that I was a beast of comparable size, I crested the skyscrapers in a few powerful beats of my wings. From a few blocks away, the wyvern spotted me. It let out a howl of fury as it surged straight
for me. I answered with a battle cry of my own, driving more and more power into every beat of my mighty black wings.
Two F-22 fighter jets rolled in on either side, joining me in aerial formation. Their engines roared, and both pilots gave me a confirming thumb’s up. They were following me in for the attack.
I’d never felt so cool in my entire life.
I clashed with the wyvern in the air over Central Park, clamping my jaws around his throat. I prepared to give him a taste of my lightning, the same way I had the crocodile monster. One good jolt
and maybe I could bring him down.
Before I get a good grip, he swung his spiked tail and whacked me across the eyes. I let go, snatching back with a roar.
He dove at me; his toothy mandible jaws open wide to rip my throat out.
A sudden plume of fire scorched his hide and sent him reeling. I drew back, wary of the blistering flames.
Another giant dragon clashed in battle, had scales as red as fresh blood and a ridge of tall, slender black spines all the way down her back. My breath caught. Madeline? She’d gone full-form, too?
She attacked the wyvern mercilessly, pinning him under another blast of her fiery breath.
Shaking off the blow to my head, I charged headlong back into the fight, lightning sizzling and popping off my open jaws. We had to get him on the ground. If we could pin him there, he’d be within range of ground fire and an easier target for our air support. We could contain the damage to the rest of the city, too.
So I went for one of the wyvern’s wings full-force.
Fyurei had him distracted. He never saw me coming. I swooped in to break one of his wings at the shoulders with a single powerful crunch of my jaws and sharp jerk of my head. The creature screeched and kicked, floundering with his one good wing and swinging his tail like a medieval mace. The bulbous, spiky tip struck one of the F-22 jets and sent the aircraft flipping through the air end
over end. Not good. I watched the aircraft fall, waiting for the pilot to
eject.
He didn’t.
I didn’t hesitate—I dove straight after the jet, summoning every bit of speed I had. The jet spiraled, smoking and streaking toward the ground. I threw myself the final distance with a desperate cry, jaws open wide.
I caught the tail of the jet in my teeth about a hundred feet shy of the ground. As soon as my jaws clamped onto the metal, I reared back, kicked my legs out, and flared for an emergency landing
right in the middle of the park.
It took a second for the dust, snow, and trees to settle.
Picking the jet carefully out of my mouth, I held it up to my huge dragon eyeball like a little kid’s toy. Inside the cockpit, the tiny pilot was giving me a shaky thumb’s up. He was okay.
I gave him my best dragon smile, terrifying as it probably was, and placed his jet, right side up, on a grassy spot in the park. Then I turned around to get back to business. I still had some wyvern
rear end to roast and an evil headmaster in dire need of reeducation.
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About Nicole:
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MY NAME IS NICOLE CONWAY and I love to write stories! I’ve been writing books since I was very
young, and am blessed beyond measure to be able to do it now as a full time career. Although I sometimes step out into other genres, I primarily write Fantasy for teens and middle graders.
I graduated from Auburn University in 2012, which is also where I met my husband. As a military
family, we move frequently and have lived numerous places all around the world. We have one very energetic son, Ethan. We also have two dogs (French Brittanys) named Joey (currently 5 months old) and Phoebe (4 years old) and a ball python named Noodle Nagini.
For inquiries on how to book me for a school visit, presentation, or interest in my future or
current projects, please contact my amazing literary agent, FRAN BLACK, of Literary Counsel.
