Archive for the ‘YA’ Category

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Baited
Bound Series Book 3
by Jennifer Dean
Genre: YA Paranormal Romance

Normal seniors worry about if they will get rejected from their dream school, what they are going to wear to their last prom, or if it’s possible to stay close with the friends they grew up with after high school.

But Emma Morgan has come to learn that normality is a thing of the past. Especially when her eighteenth birthday is a mere reminder of the newly accepted deal she has made to lure a vengeful immortal named Thomas back into Alexander territory. A plan that will certainly make the humans of her world safer but comes with the risk of not living to see graduation.

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Blinded

Bound Series Book 2

Despite the attack that almost took her life, Emma Morgan has accepted the risk that comes from being in love with an immortal like Liam Alexander.

But continuing to seek the approval of her older brother is a whole different struggle, and when tensions finally reach a breaking point between the siblings, looming enemies take advantage of the distraction. And even though the Alexanders are quick to form a search party for their newest coven member, Emma learns that finding her brother may come at a high price.

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Bound
Bound Series Book 1

When fate leads Emma Morgan back to her small hometown of Washington, she learns that the life she knew three years ago has changed once she meets the charmingly, mysterious Liam Alexander. But when her brother Sean, voices his disapproval, Emma finds her loyalty in the way of her newfound curiosity of the youngest Alexander. Only the more she tries to avoid Liam the more she finds him in her constant company.
A risk that leads down a dangerous path for both once Emma begins to discover a secret about the Alexanders that no human should ever know.
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Hours later, we all sat chuckling as Pamela mocked her boyfriend, Kyle Bellmen. The smile I held was finally genuine, as I’d been granted my wish: to revel in the normality of my old life without the tense spotlight of talking about my new one.

The laughter in the cabin was at its loudest of the night. Even Heather was joining in with us. Then a thud drew our attention to the starboard side of the boat.

“What was that?” Heather asked.

Without a need for a command, Erika turned down the music. She stood silent, listening as she stared at the ground. After a few seconds of silence, she looked back at the group with a shrug.

“Something probably fell that wasn’t secure on deck. I’ll check it out to be sure.”

She jogged up the steps and creaked open the door hatch to make her way onto the deck. We all sat silent, waiting for news of what she would discover.

“Oh my god,” Erika whined out.

I was out of my seat and up the steps before any of the others had moved. When I reached the doorway I stepped onto the deck only to be met with a darkness that forced me to blink excessively to adjust to the sight.

But my stomach tensed, as I knew that it was taking too long to adjust to the dark when we were so close to the docks. I turned to use the lampposts from the boardwalk as a guide only to realize there were none. My eyes had finally begun to adjust enough to stiffen at the sight.

There were no lampposts because we weren’t near the docks. There was no light except for the cabin lights from below deck. And just as the other girls began to shout out, “What the hell,” and “Oh my god,” I felt my own unease. We were stranded in the middle of the Pamlico River.

I looked to Erika, who seemed to be pleading with me for an explanation—one that I didn’t have.

“I swear the boat was securely tied up to the dock. And even then, it would be impossible without the engine on, right?”

She was scratching her head while looking in all directions, clearly panicking, as most would. But glancing beyond her toward the bow, my eyes caught sight of the problem. Shit.

So much for being normal.

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Jennifer has studied Creative Writing and Literature and lives in Nashville, Tennessee. To find out more about her and her novels you can visit www.jenniferdean.net.

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Whisper
Tracy Bilen
Publication date: May 8th 2021
Genres: YA Romantic Thriller

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Stop him.

After her friend Samantha is murdered, seventeen-year-old Olivia is the only one who still hears her voice.

Years ago, Jacob closed his eyes. In a park. Playing hide-and-seek. His little brother is still missing. And Jacob’s mom is the FBI agent who couldn’t find him.

Now Jacob has dreams he can’t explain. And draws faces of those about to die.

In a town terrorized by a serial killer, Jacob meets Olivia. Sparks ignite.

Until the voice in Olivia’s head echoes the warning in Jacob’s dream…

You’re next.

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Enjoy this peek inside:

CHAPTER 1: OLIVIA

My dad used to tell me there are people inside of marbles. They were always talking to him. Whenever I wanted to play a game, he would pick the one with marbles. Only we wouldn’t actually move the marbles. My dad would just stare at them. Finally I stopped asking to play games. But that didn’t matter. My dad would still get out the game with the marbles, and he’d put the marbles in their little resting spots and watch them. And listen.

At Samantha’s house, her three-year-old sister, Cara, is playing a marble game with one of her friends. They’re off in a corner by themselves, probably wondering why all these people are stuffed inside the house, wearing dark clothes, crying randomly, and talking in hushed voices. Cara wasn’t at Samantha’s funeral. Does she understand that her sister is never coming home?

I move away from Cara and fill a plate with cubes of cheese, triangles of salami, and round crackers. I chew, swallow, and make small talk. But mostly I just stare out the window at the pool and remember the last time I was here. Sixth grade. A pool party for Samantha’s birthday. She and I were friends then. We stopped being friends sometime in seventh grade. I think it had something to do with green slime, a ham sandwich, and a guy we both liked, though I’m not really sure anymore. It all seems pretty stupid now, which gives me a lumpy ache in my throat, and makes me feel like a fraud for being here. But the whole junior class was at the funeral, all ninety-eight of us.

Make that ninety-seven.

Plus a good part of the rest of the high school. And although not everyone made their way here after the funeral, the house is still packed, with people spilled out onto the lawn, hovering by the pool, and clutching their paper plates as if they’re life preservers.

My best friend, Julia, slides up next to me. Her chestnut brown hair is arranged in its usual French braid, except a lot of strands that she missed are poking out today. She takes a loose bit and wraps it around her finger.

“Brings back memories, huh?” she says, following my gaze to the pool. “Remember that sleepover in sixth grade?”

“Yeah, that was fun.” Except now my brain jumps right from sleepover to sweet dreams. The Sweet Dreams Strangler.

I shake my head, trying to blot out the images seared into my mind by the news media. Images of Samantha, lying in a field wearing a beautiful dress, her head on a pillow, hair neatly arranged, hands folded.

Beautiful. But dead. Strangled. I don’t know what to say, even to Julia. I look back out the window. A cardinal is perched on the feeder, picking through seeds, scattering debris on the ground.

“It sure is stuffy in here,” Julia says.

I’m about to agree when a wall of cold air hits me. “Mrs. Young must have read your mind. Wow. That feels good.”

Julia scrunches up her face. “What are you talking about?”

“The air. She turned on the air. Don’t you feel it?”

“No. Are you under a vent or something?” Julia peers up at the ceiling.

“Here, switch places with me.”

“It’s just as hot here—”

“It’s just as cold—”

We say it at the same time. “I guess it’s just your wishful thinking.” Julia pats my shoulder. “Enjoy. I’m going to get some more to drink.”

I nod and head across the room, by the TV, where hopefully it’s warmer.

Goose bumps pop up on my arms. I rub them, but it doesn’t help.

Next to me Josh Wallace tosses a cube of cheese into his mouth. Is that sweat dripping off his forehead? Why am I the only one shivering?

I spot a decorative blanket on the couch. Should I? I tap Marcus on the shoulder. “Sorry, could you lean forward? I just need to get something behind you.” I tug at the blanket and drape it over my shoulders.

Julia is back with a drink in her hand. “Why do you have a blanket wrapped around you? Are you feeling okay?”

“Not really,” I answer. “What’s that noise?”

“What noise?”

“That buzzing sound. Is that the TV? Maybe someone turned it on without switching on the cable box.” I fumble with the buttons on the TV. An image flashes across the screen, and a voice blares.

Funeral services were held today for Samantha Young, the fourth victim of the Sweet Dreams Strangler.

Mrs. Young hovers in the doorway between the kitchen and the living room. All the color drains from her face.

I can’t seem to move. Julia turns off the TV. The buzzing grows louder, and then I realize that it’s voices I’m hearing, lots of them, all blending together into one big buzzing sound.

And then the buzzing fades away until I hear only one voice.

Olivia.

It’s not real. I know it’s not real.

Olivia.

It’s not real because the voice is Samantha’s, and Samantha is dead.

Olivia!

It’s not real because the voice is not coming from a person. It’s coming from a fricking figurine on the mantel. From a yellow bird with black wings and a black head. I pick up the figurine, and I hold it in my hands. This is what my dad meant when he said there were people living in marbles. And then it speaks again.

Olivia! Stop him!

Even though I’m kind of expecting it, Samantha’s voice scares me all the same. It makes me jump and my hands open up and that figurine smashes on the floor and breaks. And I’m a little glad because maybe now the voice will stop. But suddenly I’m burning up, the salami and cheese rumbles around in my stomach, and before I can sit, the room spins all around me and darkness sets in.

Author Tracy Bilen

Tracy Bilen is the author of What She Left Behind and Whisper. She is a high school French teacher in Michigan where she lives with her husband and children. Tracy studied at the Sorbonne in Paris and taught Spanish at a high school ski academy. She loves biking, traveling, and red velvet cake.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram

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Journey To New Salem
The Witches of Vegas Book 2
by Mark Rosendorf
Genre: YA Paranormal, Urban Fantasy
The Witches of Vegas are back, and their lives will never be the same again.
A year has passed since The Witches of Vegas saved the city from the evil Wiccan vampire, Valeria. Since then, the show has hit an all-time high. So has the romance between teen witch Isis Rivera and teenage magician, Zack Galloway.
Things couldn’t be any better for them until Isis develops seizures that cause her power to spiral out of control. Fires and earthquakes are just the beginning of the chaos caused by the misfired witchcraft. Unable to find a cure, Isis’ family journeys to New Salem, a fabled village of witches which may or may not even exist. Meanwhile, Zack ends up face to face with the only being who may have a cure…Valeria. But does he dare pay her price?
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The Witches of Vegas
The Witches of Vegas Book 1
Where can Witches and their vampire mentor practice their powers without being discovered or persecuted?
By using their magic, the Witches of Vegas become the number one act performing on the Las Vegas Strip—a great achievement for them, but not so much for the magicians—who can’t possibly keep pace.
Isis Rivera is the adopted fifteen-year old daughter of The Witches of Vegas. Zack Galloway is the teenage nephew and assistant to the last magician left in the city. Although they should be rivals, when Valeria, a four-hundred-year-old witch with a long-seeded grudge against humanity arrives in Sin-City, both teens act to bring their families together to stop the evil hag in her tracks.
But can the combined witches’ powers and the ingenuity of the magicians be enough to stop Valeria from taking over the city and possibly the world?
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Mark Rosendorf ‘s writing is based on the personalities and experiences he has come across throughout his life, coupled with his own wild “if only I could do that” imagination. He is the author of the young adult series, The Witches of Vegas. He is also credited with The Rasner Effect series, a suspense/thriller trilogy published between 2009 and 2012.
Born November, 25th, 1974, and raised in Queens New York, Mark holds a Master’s Degree from Long Island University’s Human Development and Leadership program. He is a licensed Guidance Counselor for the New York City Department of Education’s special education district. He began his counseling career in September, 2001. Prior to that, he worked in the hotel industry.
Mark has also moonlighted as a professional magician. Today, he teaches magic and Illusion to his students in order to teach teamwork while developing their confidence.
Having accomplished his goals of becoming an author, Mark decided on an early retirement from writing. Then, one night, at two a.m., a new and unique story shot into Mark’s brain like a lightning bolt, screaming for him to write it. Mark found himself spending several nights taking notes on the characters and their stories. That is how The Witches of Vegas was born.
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Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!
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$15 Amazon gift card,
Print copy of Journey to New Salem (US only),
ebook copy of Journey to New Salem (WW)
-1 winner each
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The Girl in the Storm
A Season of Angels Book 1
by Christopher Stanfield
Genre: YA Supernatural Thriller, Mystery
Seventeen-year old Genevieve Reidell loves to paint, and values her closest friends above all, but when a gunman terrorizes her high school, her near-reckless bravery sets her on a path that will change the entire course of her life. Her best friend is shot and dying but when Genevieve holds her, the bleeding stops and the wounds close. But when she tries to save another friend, she can’t. Overcome with guilt Genevieve struggles to understand.
But when a stranger arrives at her home with a mysterious book and an ominous warning, she learns about her destiny. Angels have protected her, but the time has come to unravel the mysteries that have haunted her for years. Genevieve must learn to harness and control her gifts and accept that whatever she does might not be enough. The Devil must be stopped, and Genevieve is ready to walk into the storm. She’s cheated death before, but can she save herself again without losing those she loves?
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**Only .99 cents until the end of March!**
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She Hunts in Shadow
A Season of Angels Novella
What comes after the Storm? The Hunt.
Genevieve’s simple life has been undone. In the wake of her fateful choice, one thing remains clear: Lucifer Morningstar must be stopped and Hell ripped beyond his reach. But to do so she’ll need a soul who knows the fetid hellscape. A Demon must be sent. A Demon she can trust. All she has to do, is find him.
There are mysteries to unravel, secrets to confront and allies in the strangest places. She knows what must be done, even if it means trusting a red-haired Demon with a sharp tongue and an annoying habit of killing first and asking questions later.
It’s a daring gamble, but with Lucifer scheming in the shadows, it may be the only play she has to make. The War for Souls will soon commence, but before it does, the hunt begins.
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The Woman in Darkness
A Season of Angels Book 2
The War for Souls has just begun, but time is already running out…
In the wake of one tragic, fateful night, Genevieve leaves behind every aspect of her simple life, including her name. Now she’s known as Lilith, and with the memories of her erased from those she loved, it’s as if she never existed. As she seeks her new purpose, dreams of a sad, broken woman with raven hair— a woman in a place more terrible than nightmares— continue to haunt her.
Madeline is a fractured soul trapped in Hell after taking her own life. Lilith believes this stranger may be the key to shattering Lucifer’s hold over that frightful realm. But to find Madeline she’ll need a soul who knows the fetid hellscape. A Demon has been sent. But he must first brave the dark of Hell and survive the madness in himself.
While Lilith sets her daring game in motion, Lucifer plots a scheme that will determine the fate of all souls, both living and in death. Lilith must get to Madeline, fast. For if she fails, there will be no end to the darkness Lucifer will bring.
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Christopher Stanfield is a West Texas native whose love of writing began at the age of fourteen, when inspired by a love of mythology, science fiction and fantasy, he began writing stories by hand whenever the time could be spared. After high school and a brief flirtation with college, he would spend the next eighteen years cultivating a career in Information Security at a small community bank located in his own hometown. But even then, his love of writing endured, and while dreams of characters and stories continued to occupy his imagination, he found an outlet for that creative muse by creating advertising copy for his employer. Through challenges and distractions, hard choices and the rudimentary demands of life, the dream of telling stories never waned. It was and ever remains more than merely a career. With that in mind, he enrolled in the BA Creative Writing program at Southern New Hampshire University, with an eye towards honing his craft and expanding upon his knowledge of the industry so that he might one achieve his dream of becoming published.
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For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE.

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Join us for this tour from Feb 1 to Feb 19, 2021!

Book Details:

Book Title:  Battle of the Bullies by Fenyx Blue
Category:  YA Fiction (Ages 13-17),  301 pages
Genre:  Young Adult Fiction, Contemporary
Publisher:  Wisdom Works, LLC.
Release date:   October 29, 2020
Content Rating:  G. There are not any explicit sex scenes or any excessive use of bad language

Book Description:

Ebony, Eris, and Emani Robertson have been through so much more than most high school freshman. When they were younger, they survived a school shooting that killed their friends and left their oldest sister unable to speak. After giving home-schooling a try, they enroll in a promising new academy, hoping for the best. The Robertsons soon discover, however, that their new classmates are anything but kind. A mysterious group of bullies known as the Dimes rules the hallways and spreads fear everywhere they go. All three sisters end up being targets of the gang and have to find a way to defend themselves. The triplets couldn’t be more different, but their loyalty to each other and to their school never fails. Along with a diverse group of friends, the Robertsons do everything they can to uncover their identity of the Dimes and restore order to the school. As if their lives weren’t complicated enough, they also get sucked in to a much bigger game-discovering who was responsible for the attack on their old school. Can they bring down the Dimes and
bring the murderer to justice, all while trying to make it through ninth grade?

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Meet the Author:

BLUE: Bold, Loving, Unapologetic, and Evolving are words to describe Fenyx Blue. Ms. Blue is an author, Youtuber (FENYX BLUE INK), speaker,
ministry leader, mentor, instructional coach and her school district’s former “Those Who Excel” Teacher of the Year. Ms. Blue is a soldier in the Blue Fenyx movement encouraging every phoenix in the world to rise
up. Blue’s mission is to inspire, motivate and educate. Blue speaks to audiences about their purpose and power and works to coach other authors through their journey to become published. Her novels are tools for teachers while being candy for students. Fenyx Blue has penned four books in her poetic collection in which she shares true life tales and lessons: Her first Young Adult novel entitled Who Failed Johnny? (Book 1 of The Triplet Trilogy), second YA novel Battle of the Bullies, a Children’s book called Worth the Weight: A Rare Gem, and a Poetry Book by the name of The Blue Ink Movement. With the help of her extended family and friends network, her self-published books will touch many lives this year.

connect with the author:  website ~ twitter ~ facebook ~ instagram ~ goodreads

 

Tour Schedule:

Feb 1   – Living in a Bookworld – book spotlight / guest post / giveaway
Feb 1   – Sadie’s Spotlight – book spotlight / giveaway
Feb 2   – Rockin’ Book Reviews – book review / guest post / giveaway
Feb 3   – Books, Tea, Healthy Me – book spotlight / author interview / giveaway
Feb 3   – All Booked Up Reviews – book review
Feb 4   – She Just Loves Books – book review / giveaway
Feb 5   – Literary Flits – book spotlight / giveaway
Feb 8   – Splashes of Joy – book review / author interview / giveaway
Feb 9   – I’m All About Books – book spotlight / giveaway
Feb 9 – Windows to Worlds – book review
Feb 10 – FUONLYKNEW – book spotlight / giveaway
Feb 11 – Book Corner News and Reviews – book spotlight / giveaway
Feb 12 – Lisa’s Reading – book spotlight / giveaway
Feb 15 – Locks, Hooks and Books – book review / giveaway
Feb 16 – The Phantom Paragrapher – book review
​Feb 16 – Cheryl’s Book Nook – book review / giveaway
Feb 16 – High Society Book Club & Reviews – book review / guest post / giveaway
Feb 17 – Jazzy Book Reviews – book spotlight / author interview / giveaway
Feb 18 – Stephanie Jane – book spotlight / giveaway
Feb 19 – My Fictional Oasis – book review
Feb 19 – Writer with Wanderlust – book review / guest post / giveaway
Feb 19 – Reading Authors Network – book review / giveaway

 

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For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

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The Grimm Cases banner
Welcome to my stop during the blog tour for The Grimm Cases series by Lyla Oweds. The Grimm Cases is a Young Adult/ New Adult Paranormal Mystery series with 5 books out so far.

This blog tour is organized by Lola’s Blog Tours. The blog tour runs from 18 till 31 January. See the tour schedule here.

Origins (The Grimm Cases #1)
By Lyla Oweds
Genre: Paranormal Mystery
Age category: Young Adult/ New Adult

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Origins

Blurb:

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The things I see aren’t for the faint of heart.

And I am no longer willing to ignore them. Not even when my family, and my best friend, tell me to keep quiet about what’s happening. They say people will think I’m crazy.

Maybe I am.

But the spirit haunting my professor’s house is definitely trying to tell me something, and I’m the only one who can see it.

The one person who can help me is my best friend’s brother. But I don’t know if I can trust him or his friends. Or if I can step outside the protective bubble I’ve built around myself.

At this point it’s a toss up: the ghosts will kill me or my panic attacks will.

Either way, I figure I’m going to die.

Links:
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Bookbub
Amazon

All books in the series:
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Get the first 3 books and the novella Home as a box set!.

Mu
Mu is the box set collection which combines books 1-3 as well as the novella Home in one handy box set. You can buy it here.

About the Author:

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Lyla Oweds is a paranormal romance author who resides in the beautiful Pocono Mountains, Pennsylvania. She grew up near Gettysburg, Pennsylvania and is a native of Baltimore, Maryland, and has a deep appreciation for the paranormal, hauntings, and Edgar Allan Poe. As such, she loves all things fantasy, mystery, crime, and horror.

She is the author of the Paranormal Reverse Harem series, The Grimm Cases and related novellas. She has also published the first book of Gloria Protean’s story, The Red Trilogy. You can find out more about her current and upcoming works at her website, http://lylaoweds.com.

When not reading, writing, or working as a web programmer, Lyla can be found doing adult-y things such as being a mom, decorating the house, and baking. She also frequently enjoys makeup videos, massages, wine, and coffee.

Author links:
Website
Facebook
Instagram
Amazon
Goodreads

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Giveaway

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Link by Link: An Anthology of Haunted Holidays
Publication date: December 2nd 2020
Genres: Holiday, Paranormal, Supernatural, Young Adult

“‘I wear the chain I forged in life,’ replied the Ghost. ‘I made it link by link…’”-Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol

Link by Link is a collection of 9 stories of ghosts, spirits, and creatures unnamed, all come to teach lessons we won’t soon forget. From sweet Christmas tales to terrifying holiday hauntings, these stories take a dive into the past in the hopes of creating a better—or at least different—future.

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The Stories Stars Tell
C.L. Walters
Publication date: October 13th 2020
Genres: Contemporary, Young Adult

 

Synopsis

Ever felt like the sum total of your choices have fixed your story in the stars?

For Emma Matthews, she feels like all of her choices are rooted in the fear of letting down her parents… God…of never being good enough.

For Tanner James, he’s wearing an identity he has created with his friends and their pact—Bro Code—fixed in sex, alcohol and bad choices.

Both are longing for a new story they look to one another to help them write.

Follow Emma and Tanner as they rewrite stories they thought had already been written into something new. To discover sometimes painful truths about love and identity.

About the ways that love can help us lose ourselves… or find ourselves.

How love can break us… or heal us.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo

EXCERPT:

tanner

[…]I stood. “I’m going,” I told Griff, who had a girl sitting on his lap I didn’t know.

He smiled over her shoulder at me and presented his knuckles. The girl whispered something in his ear, and Griff laughed. She was attractive. Dark haired.

My mind drifted to Emma Matthews (which was strange since we weren’t friends). I’d seen her the day before with her friend, Liam, hanging a poster for some club or function in the hall after school, heads together about something. Under usual circumstances, I wouldn’t have noticed, but in this case, I had because I’d noticed Emma and how cute she was. I had noticed her for a while, but she was out of my league.

Emma wouldn’t be partying like this. She definitely wouldn’t be sitting in Griff’s lap, and if she were, it would piss me off, but I didn’t consider why. She was probably at home, doing something productive, like homework, or a group study session. Perhaps she was doing something fun and wholesome, like a movie with her friends. I wondered if she went to the movies. Though I wasn’t exactly sure why I wondered, because I wasn’t a big movie goer (too boring to sit in one spot for too long).

Why was I even thinking of Emma at all?

It wasn’t like we talked. Sometimes, I thought she might be looking at me in the cafeteria at school or in the hallway as we passed one another. Her pretty eyes always slid away, but they made me curious. What color were they? Was she just glancing at me, or was she looking? I used to think about her. A lot. That started in the eighth grade when she yelled at Cole Butler in science during a lab. She’d been so fiery and funny. The memory still made me smile. We hadn’t had many classes together — one or two, maybe — because she actually tried at school.

I shook my head to get my errant thoughts about Emma out of my mind. Leaving Griff and Wannabe Emma behind, I walked through the living room.

Deb stopped me with a hand on my chest. “Hey, Tanner. Want to dance?” An invitation.

The message was clear: I could have stayed there with her and gotten laid, but it made me tired. Instead I said, “I’m looking for Penelope,” and even as I said it, I was hoping she’d already left.

Deb shrugged, because that was as much as I meant to her. “Upstairs,” she told me and returned to grinding to the music with her group of friends.

I moved through the crush of people toward the stairs, even though I wasn’t sure why I was going through these motions. A different choice seemed an impossibility, though I couldn’t articulate why that was so. Josh and Danny were sitting in a group smoking weed, and they offered me a head nod as I passed. I gave them an eyebrow raise in return and started up the stairs.

Near the top, I almost tripped on someone sitting on the steps. “Whoa.” It was a girl folded over on herself, and because I’m not a complete douchebag, despite what I know has been said about me, I leaned down and asked her, “You okay?”

The girl tipped her head up to look at me, and suddenly, I was looking into the face of…

“Emma Matthews?”

She smiled, and it lit up her eyes — dark blue with swirls of gray — like stars in a dark sky. “Tanner James.”

“Are you drunk?” I asked. I was too, but not enough to help me forget that Emma was the object of my secret fantasies, along with the fact I’d just been thinking about her. I shook my head to make sure I wasn’t dreaming. There wasn’t anything in our experiences that should have contributed to our paths crossing, and yet, there she was, as if I’d conjured her. “What are you doing here?”

“I’m feeling really good.” She smiled again, and I remembered feeling that smile in my stomach like a lead weight had melted into molten liquid.

“Why are you sitting here on the stairs?”

“Waiting.”

“For what?”

“You.” She giggled.

That made no sense. First, why would Emma Matthews be at this party? Second, why would she be drunk? And third, why would she say she was waiting for me? I wondered if someone was playing a joke on me and even looked around, but it was just the two of us in the hallway. I slid down the wall and sat next to her. “You’re definitely drunk if you’re waiting for me.”

“Did I say that?”

“Yeah.”

“Oh. That’s a secret.” She pressed a finger to my lips, and that touch dove all the way from the top of my neck to the base of my spine like I’d been zapped with electricity. “I’m supposed to find Liam.” Then she moved her finger from my lips to hers, her dark blue eyes — flecks of green and aqua too — never leaving my mouth. “Shh.”

My heart pounded in my chest, excited by the form her lips took against her finger. “Damn, Emma. I didn’t know you drank.”

“Me either.”

I attempted an inconspicuous adjustment of my pants, because I started feeling that tingle in my crotch and needed to calm that shit down. I chuckled, amused, because I hadn’t caught wood from just a look and a touch since I was, like, fourteen. I decided the honorable thing to do was help her find her friend, which led to the decision to dump looking for Penelope. I hadn’t really wanted to be with Penelope outside of sex anyway, and that left me feeling dirty. “Shall we go look for Liam?”

Her eyes roved over every inch of my face. She reached up and touched my lips with her fingertips again; it was tender. “You have a nice mouth, Tanner James.”

My stomach tightened. I tried to remember that reaction. It was a hungry craving, the anticipation of the satiation of a voracious appetite, but it was also so distant. I hadn’t been aware I’d been missing it until it resurfaced inside of me.

“You want to hear a secret?” she asked and leaned closer to me, though I had the impression she thought she was whispering. “I’ve wanted to try and kiss it.”

Her admission made me smile, and my heart thumped a little more. I realized that while I’d been fantasizing about her, perhaps she’d thought about me too. Knowing that made me feel buoyant. “You have? Well, I could remedy that for you, but I’m afraid you wouldn’t remember it. I would want you to.” It was a truth. I wanted Emma to remember me.

“I would,” she said, wide-eyed, and nodded. “I promise.”

I stood up, needing the distance, because I was afraid I might kiss her. As I did, she held my arm, and I almost toppled onto her. I self-corrected and took her hand to help her up. Once upright, she stumbled against me, and I caught her waist with my hands while her other arm wrapped around my neck. My heart was now knocking against the wall of my ribs. She was so close, so pretty, so pressed against me. I looked at her mouth, heart-shaped pink. She licked her lips, and my belly buzzed. I wanted to kiss her so badly, but I chickened out, which was part of why I didn’t; it also felt wrong on some level. I could take advantage, but I didn’t want to. On the other hand, I wanted to extend my time with her, so when I said, “Come on. Let’s go look for Liam.” I took her deeper into the house instead of down the stairs, which was probably the more likely place to look. I wasn’t being altruistic.

She put her hand in mine.

I noticed how soft her skin was, and I wondered about the rest of her.

“I don’t want to find Liam,” she insisted as we walked down the hall. “I want to wait for Tanner.”

“I’m right here.” I looked over my shoulder at her.

Her eyes brightened again, the outside corners scrunching with joy. “Oh! It is you.”

“How much did you have to drink, Em?” I asked.

She held up four fingers. “Two.”

“We should get you some water. Let’s find a place for you to sit.”

I started testing doors in the hallway. Honestly, on one level, I knew what I was doing. I wanted to be alone with her, even if I didn’t want to cheapen the moment. I think I justified it to myself. I needed to find her a place to sober up. Deep down, though, it was a lingering understanding of a latent wish buried in the darkness of my fantasies attached to what she’d said: Waiting. For you. You have a nice mouth. I’ve wanted to try and kiss it.

Emma Matthews was waiting for me.

The knowledge made my heart swell even if I couldn’t believe it. Even if I didn’t — couldn’t — trust it. I wanted to keep the idea close, to remember it, to hold it tight. I knew the moment this was over, it would slip away.

“Em?” I asked as I tested another door.

She made a moaning noise to indicate she’d heard me.

“Why were you waiting for me?”

“I like Tanner. I want to be brave.”

My brain wasn’t quick enough, because it was slugging through the marsh of alcohol. I understood what she was saying, but I didn’t quite comprehend it. “You like me?”

She nodded emphatically. “I saw him.”

“What did you see?” I asked her as I tested another door.

“He helped Connor. At lunch. I saw him. I see him. Everyday. He helps Connor.”

Lunch time. Connor Festner, a kid I help with his tray. Griff gives me shit for it, but Connor is pretty badass and probably beats Griff’s butt playing Duty online. Connor’s given me tons of gaming pointers.

She had been watching me at lunch. I’d known it. My expanded heart compressed, constricted in my chest with a pressure that somehow made me feel like I might be floating off into space without oxygen.

I tested another door. This one opened. The bedroom was empty, and I took a deep breath. Relief. “Here.” I helped her sit on the bed. “Let me have your cup, and I’ll fill it with water.”

She handed me her red cup, and I took it into the bathroom. I rinsed it out and put in water. Before I walked back into the room, I glanced at myself in the mirror. I stared into my own eyes and whispered to my reflection: “It’s Emma. Don’t be a dick.”

When I returned to the room, she was curled up on the bed, eyes closed. “Here, Em.”

She turned her head, looked at me and smiled as if it was the first time she’d seen me that night. “Tanner!” She reached for me, and I had the impression she wanted me to stretch out next to her.

Don’t be a dick, I reminded myself and helped her to sit back up. “Drink some water.”

She took a sip. “Liam says I’m dumb.”

“That isn’t nice of him.” Her statement annoyed me. I sat down next to her, suddenly absolved we weren’t looking for him.

She shook her head. “No. Not like that.” She stopped and took another sip. “Because I wanted to come to find you.”

“Why?”

“I’m scared.”

“Of what?”

“Of everything.” She took another sip and then leaned her head against my shoulder.

I could smell her — a nice scent that was clean and slightly sweet, like vanilla or cotton candy. I resisted the impulse to press my nose into her neck to find out for sure, or to run my tongue across her skin to taste it. Instead, we sat like that for a long time — her head on my shoulder, my hands in my lap and my brain chastising me for smelling her like a freak.

The doorknob wiggled several times as people tested the door; I was smart enough to lock it. Habit. I tried to tell myself it was because I was trying to protect Emma from my reputation, but it was also the temptation to maybe just get to kiss her once. I didn’t make a move though, and that was unfamiliar — and kind of exciting — territory for me.

“Tell me what you’re afraid of,” I said eventually, ending the silence, and also because I wanted to know if she’d fallen asleep. I needed to keep my mind occupied with other things besides thoughts about kissing her. I was beginning to feel more coherent and sober.

“I told you. Everything.” Her hands flailed out, and when they settled, one landed on my thigh. My skin tingled under her touch, and heat spread like radiant light from a lightbulb to illuminate all the dark parts of me.

I swallowed and closed my eyes to focus on her words. The words. “Well, name me one thing.”

“Failure.”

“Everyone’s afraid of that.” I looked down at her hand. Casually rested. On my thigh. Emma’s hand. Her fingernails were painted a bright green and matched her hoop earrings.

“Disappointing my parents,” she said. “Disappointing God.”

I looked at her then, the candor of her statement running through me almost as hot as her touch. It wasn’t practiced. It wasn’t her act of being flirty or a ploy to seduce me. It was just an honest statement. Maybe I couldn’t relate to either of those, even if I wanted to. My parents were so blind to me outside of the tug-of-war they played, using me against one another. And God? Never experienced that in my life, unless having an orgasm counted as prayer. “And?”

She moved her head from my shoulder and turned to look at me. “Never kissing Tanner James.”

My stomach did another of those nose dives into my body, toward my groin. The heat of her hand still warmed my leg. I noticed her eyes, fringed in thick lashes, rove over my face. They came to rest on my mouth. Under different circumstances, I probably wouldn’t have cared and would have provided what she wanted. I wanted it — bad — but I’d found some weird sense of honor I hadn’t been aware I had. “I can’t, Em. You’re drunk.” These were those different circumstances. Emma represented a different kind of life I didn’t think I deserved.

“You don’t like me.” She moved back, slumped a little, her shoulders rounding, and folded her hands in her lap. “It’s okay.”

I missed the weight of her hand on my leg. “It isn’t that.” I leaned forward to try and meet her gaze. “I do like you.”

She sat up quickly, her eyes big and bright. “I got it! I will kiss you. Then you don’t have to kiss me. I’ll do the kissing.”

This made me laugh, because I thought it was one of the cutest things I’d ever heard. And she was so excited by the prospect, as if she’d discovered something new. I couldn’t remember having more fun on a Saturday night.

“Unless, you think I’m — ugly.” Her eyebrows arched over her wide eyes, but now she couldn’t look at me.

I shook my head. “Nope, Emma. I don’t think that. At all.”

Her eyes met mine again, and she said with a slight frown, “The easiness is wearing off. We better do this fast, before I come back.”

I scrunched up my face. “What?”

“If I come back–” she tapped her head– “I’ll be too scared. My head will get in the way. My bravery will melt off.”

“Liquid courage.” I tapped her cup.

She nodded. “I made a plan. I was waiting for you.”

“Really?”

“I, maybe, drank a little too much. Miscalculated.”

I smiled. “And you were waiting for me. Why?”

“To kiss you.” She laid her hand on my arm.

I took a deep breath, as if her touch returned a missing piece of my soul, and I needed to breathe it in. Her admission had me unbalanced, however. My usual practiced lyrics receded from the surprise. I’ve had girls try and lure me with their sexuality, but this? This was totally new. “Why again, Em?”

“Because I saw you. You helped Connor. That’s nice, Tanner. And I think it’s sexy. And I don’t want Keven Bennett to be my only kiss.”

I glanced at her mouth, thought about her kissing Keven Bennett, and was annoyed by it. Then I looked at my hands in my lap. She saw me not because of how I looked. It was because I helped Connor that made me sexy to her. It wasn’t partying or being drunk. It wasn’t a rumor that I knew how to have sex. It wasn’t being smart at school. It was because I’d done something unselfish. “Keven Bennett, huh?”

She wrinkled her nose. “He has a lizard tongue.”

I chuckle. “That’s not good.”

She adjusted her body. “So, is it okay if I kiss you?”

“Who would you be kissing? Just for clarification.” I was testing the truth, not believing it.

“Tanner James. You.” She faced me, drawing her knees up between us, where they pressed against the outside of my thigh. “I see you. I’m not that drunk anymore.”

Her words were enough for me to nod, to give myself permission to cross the line, and indulge my curiosity. “Yes. Okay.”

“You have to turn.” She directed me with her hands on my arms, turning me toward her but with her knees between us.

I watched her working out the problem, completely satisfied in the moment, enjoying her and her cute pout. Her dark, curly hair fell around her heart-shaped face as she looked down at our legs.

“This won’t do.”

“It does seem rather awkward.”

She stood. “Stand up.” She remained steady, the alcohol wearing off, and held her hands out to me.

I took them and stood. When I looked down at her, my heartbeat quickened. The movement of her eyes caressed my face, and for the first time, I understood what it felt like to be seen — really seen. For me, Tanner. Not because of some rumor about what I could do, or because there was enough alcohol in my system to lower my inhibitions.

“Tanner?” She reached up and put her hands on my face.

“Yes, Em?”

“Can you bend down? Just a little bit?” She drew me closer.

I leaned forward, cataloguing all of her attributes. My heart went bat-shit crazy inside my chest. I noticed the width of her blue eyes, the fullness of her dark eyebrows, the way her bottom lip was a tiny bit fuller than the top, the way her pert nose was slightly upturned and kissed with tiny freckles that reached out across her cheeks.

I couldn’t believe she didn’t have a boyfriend. Did I want to be a boyfriend? Why was I thinking about that? I wasn’t boyfriend material.

Her gaze flicked to my lips — her tongue darted out to wet her own — then her eyes slipped up to my eyes before sliding shut as she pressed her lips to mine.

It was a gentle kiss, soft. Her mouth was warm and pliable against mine. My heart tripped into a more intense speed. Then her lips parted, and she used her tongue to coax me to be an active participant. As much as I tried to not be a dick, that was the last straw of my self-control. I answered the tease of her tongue with my own. Suddenly, where the kiss started as one-sided and tentative, it exploded, because my whole body was an exposed nerve ending. Every sensation — her hands in my hair, her mouth, her tongue, the whisper of her clothing when she moved, the soft noise she emitted because I became involved —was enough to light me on fire.

I’d dreamed of Emma.

I lifted her.

She wrapped her legs around my waist and hugged me closer with her arms around my neck.

Our tongues moved together, and it all felt like a first time. It was. With her. Exciting. Novel.

She moaned into my mouth.

I stumbled forward until her back was pressed against the wall and then my hands wandered, molded, massaged. I forgot myself. Just let go […]

 

Author Bio:

As a kid, CL Walters, world revolved around two things: stories and make believe. She’s built a real life around those two things: a teacher of stories and a writer of make believe.

With four books now published, she’s looking forward to her fifth release October 13, 2020, a YA Contemporary Romance called The Stories Stars Tell.

Sign up for her newsletter for news, goodies, and fun (www.clwalters.net)

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / Bookbub / Pinterest

 

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Welcome to my stop on the virtual book tour for Silent Scream organized by Goddess Fish Promotions.

Marcia Colette will be awarding a $15 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Don’t forget to enter!

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Silent Scream

by Marcia Colette

55743155. sy475

Synopsis

Psychokinetic teen Phaedra Thorne is back! Her life consists of balancing her high school and college courses while trying to keep the peace between her older brother Kurt and little sister Nadia. On top of that, their schizophrenic and psychokinetic mom remains locked away in the attic. Believe it or not, things are better than they have ever been.

Those “better times” go up in flames when the only sanctuary the Thornes have ever known–their home–is burnt to the ground. With Kurt severely injured and their mother missing, Phae and Nadia have been left in the hands of the supernatural foster care system. Just as the Thorne sisters start to settle in with her temporary family, a blast from their horrific past comes to their foreboding rescue. Phae has good reason to be apprehensive about the new arrangements, considering many supernaturals want to buy the burnt out husk of a home and have taken a liking to her psychokinesis and Nadia’s uncanny prowess. There’s only one thing Phae can do. Find their mother.

Having been kidnapped, assaulted, and sold to the highest bidder, Phae will have to learn how to trust other members of her estranged family, if she has any hopes of saving the immediate one she loves.

Here’s a glimpse inside:

“Phaedra if the house is on fire, you can’t go back inside. Just wait, okay? Wait until the fire department gets there. Hell, wait for me to get there. If nothing else, I heal a lot faster than you.”

“I can’t. The fire looks like it started in the attic and at least a third of the roof is smoldering. One way or another I’ll be blasting my way out of there with my mom and my brother in tow.” I handed the phone to Nadia who was shivering, eyes filled with tears. “Mason’s coming for you. You don’t leave this yard without him, do you understand? If the cops come, don’t scream. Just stay here unless they find you first. I’ll be back. That’s a promise.”

“Phae,” she pleaded. “Don’t go. Stay with me. I’m scared.”

Oh my god. My gut wavered. Why did she have to go there? I pulled her into another tight hug and kissed her head hard enough to leave a mark. Tears filled my eyes until they washed down my cheeks. I hated leaving her. Hated it more than anything else in the world. But there would be at least one guaranteed dead body up there if I didn’t get to Kurt before our mother did. She was a rabid animal when she was in crazed-rage mode. Add fire to it and there was no telling how far her psychotic personality would go to rip him apart. My powers were as strong as hers, so I knew I could take her. The only problem was my powers were just as sporadic as her psychosis. Anything was possible, but my family’s chances were non-existent if I did nothing.

About Author Marcia Colette:

I’m Marcia Colette and I love to write urban fantasy, YA, horror, and paranormal romance. Since I was never a voracious reader until later in life, I try to write stories that I like to read, and for readers who don’t have a lot of time in their busy lives.

My first published novel started with Half Breed (formerly known as Stripped) and my fantasy life took off from there. My next novel was a paranormal romance entitled Unstable Environment and I also released Bittersweet (YA), Hazardous Environment (Paranormal Romance), The Spider Inside Her (Urban Fantasy), and Deadlier by the Dozen (Urban Fantasy). I have sold several short stories and novellas to Mocha Memoirs Press and I continued my Alexa York series with Purple Sword Publications.

When I’m not reading or writing, I live my best life in the real world as an IT Manager and enjoy getting into trouble with my manga-loving daughter. I can’t draw, so she’s out of luck with that one. However, I always write a little piece of her into each of my characters.

And before I forget, I also write science fiction under another pen name.

Author Links: Website / Facebook / Twitter / Blog

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The Caging at Deadwater Manor
by Sandie Will
Genre: YA Psychological Thriller, Horror
“This book is ‘One flew over the Cukoos nest’ on speed.” Goodreads reviewer
A dad with a vendetta. An unsuspecting daughter. A psychiatric hospital known for questionable acts. And staff who keep secrets in the attic.
FIRST PLACE – FLORIDA WRITERS ASSOCIATION – ROYAL PALM LITERARY AWARD FOR YOUNG ADULT/NEW ADULT FICTION
RECIPIENT OF THE 2017 READERS’ FAVORITE HONORABLE MENTION BOOK AWARD IN YA HORROR
On a cold, January evening, fourteen-year-old Jeannie Kynde is told that her beloved mother drowned in the murky waters along Florida’s Gulf Coast. Her distraught father turns on Jeannie, no longer the caring father she once knew. Four years later, Jeannie is finally old enough to escape her father’s clutches, but he has different plans. He imprisons her at Deadwater Manor, a psychiatric hospital with an unscrupulous past. Between endless psychiatric treatments and a hospital staff up to no good, Jeannie faces insurmountable odds as each day ticks away. Will she be locked away forever? Or can she fight against the nightmare that has now become her world?
If you like suspenseful shockers, you’re sure to love this psychological thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat and stay with you long afterward. Check out the great reviews on this novel that debuted on the #1 Hot New Releases bestseller list.
Note: This book is intended for mature young adult, new adult, and older audiences due to profanity and sensual content.
BACKGROUND:
The inspiration for the story came from Sandie’s beloved father who worked in various psychiatric hospitals during short periods of his career. In the attic of one such hospital, he made a disturbing discovery – one that bothered Sandie so much, she had to create a story around it. Though fiction, many parts of the book intertwine the patient routines, treatments and outbursts that she learned from her father and other research in a way that makes the story vivid through Jeannie’s perspective.
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**On Sale for only $2.99!!**
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Sandie Will is an international award-winning psychological thriller novelist who lives in Tampa Bay, Florida, and works as a geologist by day. She has published two novels and another is on the way. Her first novel, The Caging at Deadwater Manor, is a young adult psychological thriller/horror that received first place in the 2018 Florida Writers Association Royal Palm Literary Awards for young adult/new adult fiction and an honorable mention in the 2017 Readers’ Favorite Book Awards for young adult horror. Her second is a recently released adult psychological thriller/horror titled, The Takings that is a Finalist in the 2020 Florida Writers Association Royal Palm Literary Awards for Blended Fiction. She is currently working on the sequel which will be released in 2020/2021. She has been married to her husband, Charlie, for over 30 years and they have two sons. Her favorite place to write is in her back room “treehouse” in the arms of an old oak.
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