Archive for the ‘YA’ Category
Dark Sleepers by Kate Sermon ~ Excerpt and Giveaway
Posted: August 19, 2016 in giveaways, Paranormal or fantasy, YATags: Author Kate Sermon, Dark Sleepers, giveaway, paranormal, YA magical realism
Dark Sleepers
Dark Flows the River Trilogy
Book 1
Kate Sermon
Genre: Young Adult Magical Realism Paranormal
Word count: 71,000 / Page Count Print: 326
About the Book:
“You are astral travellers now. Able to project your spirit out of your body at will and enter the realms. You are not the only ones. Some people come here in their dreams without even knowing it. Some purposefully decide to travel here to find answers to questions they can’t find on earth… And some pass over… Die.”
Kezia’s world implodes after her dad dies. She can’t cope any more, and then she discovers the ability to leave her body. She drags her best friend, Ben, with her into other worlds to find her dad, but what she finds along the way, she could never be prepared for…
“Kate Sermon’s writing is truly sublime. She creates characters to care for; whether it is dealing with friendship in our own world or grief in the astral planes, Kezia and Ben remain real people with hopes and flaws. Dark Sleepers is a startlingly imaginative debut.” ~ Dan Metcalf, Children’s Author
Excerpt:
Kezia was struggling even more. The memories that threatened to overwhelm her had waned, dispersing like vapour from a boiling kettle. But they had been replaced by a fear that she guessed was not her own, even if it was hard to tell for sure.
She lay down on the dirty sand and closed her eyes. It was an instinctive action and at once she knew that it was a good one. She breathed, as her mum had taught her when she was stressed or worried. She could hear very clearly her mum’s soothing voice say “Darling, just breathe. That’s all you need to do.”
It helped. Her heart rate slowed and a sense of herself began to emerge from the jumble inside her. As she concentrated on her breathing, she began to hear a tiny whispering sound like mice behind skirting boards. It came from deep inside her head. And it definitely wasn’t her own thoughts. It must be the girl’s.
Then it occurred to her – maybe she could talk to this child. Maybe find out something that could help. Just like the day her dad died, she found that words weren’t needed. Her thoughts traced patterns of light through the blackness.
“Who are you?” She asked.
Almost immediately she got a reply. A quivering voice, barely audible, said: “I don’t know. I’m… I’m scared.” It sounded desperate.
“Please don’t worry. I’ve been to this place before, it’s not so bad. I can help you.” She hoped this was true. “What’s your name?”
“I don’t remember… wait, I think it may be Rose. Can you really help me?” The voice brightened. “But he was chasing me. I needed to get away. It all happened too fast.”
“I’m sorry Rose. I don’t understand.”
Confused for a moment… but then a light bulb pinged on. It drenched all the confusion in bright, white light. She suddenly realised she knew what was going on – what this place was and why the children were here.
About the Author:
Kate lives with her family and other animals in Devon halfway between Dartmoor and the sea.
She’s done a bit of journalism; writes a bit of poetry; has published some short stories, teaches creative writing, and is currently ensconced in a MA Creative Writing. Alongside, she’s writing the second book in the series.
As a teenager Kate traipsed the moor imagining herself in some version of Wuthering Heights. Nothing much has changed.
Website / Facebook / Twitter / Pinterest / Goodreads / Dark Sleepers
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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!
For a list of my reviews go HERE.
For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE
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The Friday 56 #116 ~ Pandemic by Yvonne Vantresca
Posted: August 19, 2016 in apocalypse, The Friday 56, YATags: Author Yvonne Ventresca, Freda's Voice, Pandemic, Ya Apocalyptic
Welcome to The Friday 56 hosted by Freda’s Voice.
This is a really fun meme!
The only rules are to grab a book (any book), turn to page 56 or 56% in your eReader and find a sentence or a few (no spoilers) that grabs you and post it.
Then go over to Freda’s Voice and leave your link so we can visit your 56!
My 56 for this week is from:
Pandemic
by Yvonne Ventresca
Genre: YA Apocalyptic
From page 56 in the paperback.
“Megs, you can’t. I know you’re having fun with this, but meeting a stranger is insane. And unsafe. And other cynical stuff.”….
“Don’t worry,” she said. “I have a plan.”
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Read on if you want to know more.
Synopsis
The 2015 SCBWI Crystal Kite Winner for the Atlantic region!
Even under the most normal circumstances, high school can be a painful and confusing time. Unfortunately, Lilianna’s circumstances are anything but normal. Only a few people know what caused her sudden change from model student to the withdrawn pessimist she has become, but her situation isn’t about to get any better. When people begin coming down with a quick-spreading illness that doctors are unable to treat, Lil’s worst fears are realized. With her parents called away on business before the contagious outbreak—her father in Delaware covering the early stages of the disease and her mother in Hong Kong and unable to get a flight back to New Jersey—Lil’s town is hit by what soon becomes a widespread illness and fatal disaster. Now, she’s more alone than she’s been since the “incident” at her school months ago.
With friends and neighbors dying all around her, Lil does everything she can just to survive. But as the disease rages on, so does an unexpected tension as Lil is torn between an old ex and a new romantic interest. Just when it all seems too much, the cause of her original trauma shows up at her door. In this thrilling debut from author Yvonne Ventresca, Lil must find a way to survive not only the outbreak and its real-life consequences, but also her own personal demons.
The paperback edition will include bonus materials and a sample chapter from Yvonne Ventresca’s upcoming YA novel, Black Flowers, White Lies.
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I won this recently in a giveaway and it arrived in the mail on Monday. Started it that night and read almost all of it in one night. It’s really good and I finished it the next night. I love winning books. Such a fun way to discover new authors and spread the word about good books.
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Leave your link and I’ll drop by your 56.
Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew!
You can find a list of my reviews HERE.
For a list of free eBooks go HERE
To see all of my giveaways click on the lucky horseshoe below!
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Things to be happy about:
street musicians
containers and bottles
orange juice in a champagne glass
fashion quizzes
fresh linen
Under A Million Stars by Rita Branches ~ Blitz and Giveaway
Posted: August 11, 2016 in Blitz, Contemporary Romance, giveaways, YATags: Author Rita Branches, giveaway, Under A Million Stars, YA Contemporary
Under A Million Stars
Rita Branches
Publication date: August 8th 2016
Genres: Contemporary, Young Adult
Can a beating heart bleed from the shattered pieces?
Her heart cracked when her best friend walked away; it completely shattered when she lost her family in a tragic accident.
Now orphaned at seventeen, Charlotte Peterson is forced to live with her former best friend, Jacob Parker. Charlie, a talented pianist, desperately wants their loving friendship back, but something is holding Jake back. The more she spirals into the darkness of depression, the more she needs him.
Jacob vowed to stay away from her—no matter how much he still loved her. Armed with secrets that would have destroyed both of their families, he chose to end their friendship and walk away, which nearly killed him. As he watches the girl he once knew begin to fade away, however, he realizes that their relationship is more important than the truth he’s hiding.
Now it’s up to Jacob to put the pieces of Charlie’s broken heart back together—even if it means revealing the secrets he so desperately wants to protect her from.
Will Jacob find a way to bring back the carefree, talented girl he once knew, or is it too late for both of them?
Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble
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EXCERPT:
Jacob
These two weeks had been hell for me.
I didn’t know how I was going to pull this off for the eight months I still had left in this hell of a town. My parents didn’t get me, and she was around all the time, suffocating me. My heart skipped a beat every time I heard her voice, and it doubled in speed when she was near me. I wouldn’t be able to stay away, I knew it. She was breaking my heart all over again.
I heard her at night, when she thought everyone was sleeping. I just sat on the floor, resting my head against the wall, and listen to her cry and throw up every other night.
I stayed there like a jerk, as if I didn’t give a crap about her or her feelings, but I cried. I missed her. I wanted to hold her at night and tell her that everything would be alright, but I couldn’t. I promised I would stay away—I couldn’t hurt her, anymore. I pushed my knees to my chest to hold myself together and to keep me from crumbling. Sometimes, I had to place my closed fist against my mouth, so she wouldn’t hear me sob. I wished she would have, though. I wished she would have opened the door and saw me sitting there, caring about her, suffering like she did.
My mom was getting suspicious about me. She knew about her, or at least that something wasn’t right. My face, the permanent dark circles under my eyes, and my lack of appetite wasn’t normal, though. I was okay, before her parents’ accident—I had started to pull myself together.
***
This night was especially bad. She stayed in the bathroom for hours. I had been on the other side, hearing her cry and wishing I could take it all away.
I was starting to get really scared for her. I left before my parents woke up, unable to face them and those disapproving looks, anymore, like I wasn’t doing anything right with my life. They wanted a perfect son and they didn’t have one.
I was in no condition to go to college—I couldn’t even imagine myself being closed behind four walls for another four or five years. I needed something to take my thoughts away—something that would fuel me with adrenaline. They wouldn’t approve of the plans I’d been making. They’d hate them, in fact, but I didn’t care, anymore, I just needed to get away.
Author Bio:
Rita Branches is an independent YA (young adult) author who enjoys spending every free moment (when she´s not reading) writing emotional stories. Visit: http://ritabranches.wordpress.com/
GIVEAWAY!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!
For a list of my reviews go HERE.
For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE
To see all of my giveaways click on the lucky horseshoe below!
Unlocked by Margo Elly ~ Book Blitz and Giveaway
Posted: August 9, 2016 in Blitz, giveaways, Mytery/Thriller, YATags: Author Margo Elly, excerpt, giveaway, Unlocked, YA Mystery/Thriller
Win A Kindle and YA Book Bundle in the Showcase Giveaway Blitz
Posted: August 8, 2016 in Blitz, giveaways, YATags: YA Book Bundle and Kindle Giveaway Blitz
Virtual Book Signing for The Beauty Of Darkness by Mary E. Pearson
Posted: July 27, 2016 in Paranormal or fantasy, Romance, suspense, YATags: Author Mary Pearson, fantasy, romance, suspense, The Beauty Of Darkness, The Remnant Chronicles #3, YA
The Beauty of Darkness
by Mary E. Pearson
Hardcover, 688 pages
Expected publication: August 2nd 2016
by Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)
Lia and Rafe have escaped Venda and the path before them is winding and dangerous – what will happen now? This third and final book in The Remnant Chronicles is not to be missed.
Bestselling author Mary E. Pearson’s combination of intrigue, suspense, romance and action make this a riveting page turner for teens.
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Get the entire series signed and personalized today!
Learn more about the series >> HERE <<
Visit Good Choice Reading (http://bit.ly/28G6oQq) for more details!
This event is also open to international readers all over the world.
Also available…
EMPIRE OF STORMS & THRONE OF GLASS by Sarah J. Maas Virtual Signing!
EMPIRE OF STORMS & THRONE OF GLASS by Sarah J. Maas Virtual Signing!
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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew!
For a list of my reviews go HERE.
For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE
To see all of my giveaways click on the lucky horseshoe below!
Blitz & Giveaway ~ The Ghost Chronicles by Marlo Berliner
Posted: July 11, 2016 in Blitz, giveaways, Paranormal or fantasy, YATags: Author Marlo Berliner, giveaway, The Ghost Chronicles, YA paranormal
A YA Post-Apocalyptic Novel ~ Aftermath by Joe Reyes
Posted: July 2, 2016 in apocalypse, YATags: Aftermath, Author Joe Reyes, spotlight, YA post-apocalyptic
Aftermath
Book 1
Joe Reyes
Genre: Young Adult Post-Apocalyptic
Publisher: Wasteland Press
Date of Publication: April 29, 2016
ISBN: 1681111128
Number of pages: 284
Word Count: 79, 722
Book Description:
Aftermath is a growing series about war, love, brutality and most of all, survival. What was once the United States has become a savage post-apocalyptic environment where the worst of the worst prosper and the remaining good hide.
The series features a brutal setting, where seven characters in different parts of the United States must adapt to this new environment. The “fight or flight” mentality plays into the story, as the nation is divided into factions fighting for control of the country. The government is outnumbered, outgunned, and forced into hiding as well to recoup their forces. The novel follows a fast paced momentum from the first page to the last word. The plot pits these characters against the elements and each other, with plot-lines intertwining on opposite sides of the war effort. And one character’s quest for revenge can jeopardize not only the war outcome, but the reshaping of the entire nation.
With an ever-changing storyline and evolving characters, the Aftermath series gets more intense with every chapter. But what these characters don’t realize, the terrifying evil is making its way across the ocean.
Enjoy this Excerpt: Sara
“People and beans again?” a raggedy-looking man says as Sara passes him a plate. He glares down, disappointed, at the meal of perfectly cut human flesh and a side dish of green beans. Sara hands out more plates to the group of men huddled around a fire.
“When you guys kill something other than people, you’ll get something else to eat,” she says with a sarcastic smile, walking off.
It’s near-insane to talk back to these guys. They are psychotic killers, but she is protected. Marcus, their leader, has taken a liking to her. So it’s a choice of be killed, be raped and then killed, or be his willing sex slave.
Sometimes she doesn’t know if she made the right choice.
Before going back to the kitchen, she stops by every group to see if they all have something to eat. Dozens of groups gather around, having their breakfast. The field is littered with dirty men and women feasting on human remains.
Probably over a hundred in total, she guesses.
The Savages is what they are called. The group started after the bombs fell about five years ago. They were small at first, but they’ve since grown into a much larger army. This gives them better resources and a nice cut of whatever they take from towns.
All they do is kill and raid villages. They swoop in, kill, take everything, and leave. They take in recruits, sometimes, if they seem to fit the part. The survivors don’t last long. They are usually killed and displayed as a message to discourage others.
For years they tried the whole nomad lifestyle, but when the army got bigger, they realized they had to settle down.
It’s a lot easier than constantly uprooting the whole camp.
They have no reason to leave. There are always animals in the forest. A river provides fresh water and fish. Armies are too afraid to attack them. They can’t survive an all-out military assault, but the government has much more important enemies than them to worry about.
They all wear custom-made armors consisting of materials they find on the road. Sports gear is a big part of it: elbow pads, football pads, helmets—anything they can find. A lot of it is hand-sewn and made from animal skins.
The farm would also pose a problem for moving. Horses are bred and domesticated as transportation. Without cars and without gasoline to run them, they are a necessary component of life here.
Each Savage has the brand of an S on the back of his or her shoulder, indicating initiation into the group. It is given after their first kill. After a big massacre and initiation, they will celebrate with a great feast: their victims.
Sara never likes thinking about how many people one dead body feeds. The thought makes her sick. The taste has always bothered her. She may force herself to eat flesh when she absolutely must, but she is and always has been a vegetarian . Even when they spruce it up with spices and other ingredients, it is still a person, and no amount of sauce can change that.
Sara’s stomach starts to rumble. She hasn’t eaten much in days. Usually, she is able to sneak extra beans and vegetables because the others love flesh, but the shortage of them is now beginning to hit her.
Hopefully, Penny can get me something, she thinks, walking into the large kitchen tent. The sight doesn’t help her appetite. Penny is in the middle of carving someone up.
“Three years of culinary school and I’m making foot filet for a hundred ingrates,” Penny mocks as she hacks off a foot with a butcher’s knife.
Sara feels sick again. She covers her mouth to hold the vomit back. The smell of blood is too much.
“Aww, sweetie, not feeling good?” Penny says affectionately, walking up to her. She doesn’t get it, her shirt is covered in blood and it’s making Sara sicker, but she needs a hug.
“New necklace?” Sara asks, seeing a piece of the metal chain falling from Penny’s shirt.
“One of Eric’s men gave it to me.” A gold snowflake hangs from the end, surrounded by pretty little stones.
“Which guy?” Sara asks.
Penny’s face betrays her disgust. “The creepy looking one with the cuts.”
The kitchen tent is filled with people preparing food for the group. There’s a huge fire going, and the bodies are put on a metal gate over the fire to barbeque. The Savages know that uncooked flesh can kill them. They are as smart as they are ruthless. That’s why they’ve been around for all five years.
“You hungry?” Penny asks.
Sara shakes her head. “He’ll probably make me eat with him later.”
Penny sighs but says nothing. They both know what Marcus is going to do to her. Sara will have to eat flesh again, among other things. Penny doesn’t like the idea of eating people either, but she is a chef and can trick herself into thinking she’s eating something else. With all the spices she’s schooled in, it’s almost easy.
Everyone who doesn’t like it has ways of coping, but most of the Savages love the taste and the trophy. Eating the very people they killed makes them feel tougher. Sara would be the first to admit the taste of it isn’t bad, but that freaks her out the worst.
“You smell nice today,” she says from Penny’s arms, covered by her blonde hair.
“I found some shampoo. I’ll give you some later tonight,” Penny says with a smile. “Now come on, you have to bring the men food. The meeting’s starting.” Penny releases her, only to hand Sara a tray of appetizing human parts and vegetables. “How do I look?” Sara inquires.
Penny adjusts a few out-of-place strands of hair on her head and smiles. “You look great.”
About the Author:
Joe Reyes has never been afraid to go for what he wants in life. His goal is to be a full time published author and is taking all the steps necessary to make that dream a reality. He hates when he hears about people who give up on their dreams.
His writing style is fast paced. When he wrote his novel Aftermath, he wanted it to feel like a television show. Joe doesn’t like boring descriptions. He finds filler scenes to be a book killer and makes sure that every chapter has an immediate purpose or a purpose later on.
Website / Twitter / Facebook / Goodreads / Instagram
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