Posts Tagged ‘YA’

I’m thrilled to announce that Starkiller, Book #3 of the Undermountain Saga is now available!

You can get Undermountain for free on Smashwords here. Get started with this series today!

Starkiller (The Undermountain Saga, #3)

Starkiller is the stunning final act in The Undermountain Saga.

While the wicked bigfoot leader, Hanameesovenama, plans First Contact with the human race, Danny and Breyona race to stop the vile tangoga boss, GorVit, from using the starkiller weapon to destroy the sun.

In their search, they find an ancient king who may hold the key to preventing the apocalypse.

Keep reading to learn about the beginning of this saga.

Undermountain (The Undermountain Saga, #1)

Two teens from different worlds . . .
Seeking refuge from their troubled home lives, sixteen year olds Danny Michaelson and Breyona Lewis join a group of teens in the Canadian Rocky Mountains for a ten-day hiking excursion.

. . . the encounter of a lifetime . . .
Six days in, Danny and Breyona come face to face with a creature of legend–an eight foot tall beast they tag as “bigfoot.” But this is no mere animal, and it doesn’t want humans knowing its secrets.

. . . friendship, love, and loyalty . . .
Swept into the hidden city of Undermountain, Danny, Breyona and their friends find themselves in a race for survival against alien forces determined to take control the earth.

Afterlife (The Undermountain Saga, #2)

Afterlife is the stunning second book in The Undermountain Saga!

They think their adventures are behind them . . .
The six teens who were rescued from a mountainside in the Canadian Rockies are now famous. But only they know the true story-of what they discovered, what they survived-of Undermountain. Those secrets bind them together and pull them toward an ill-fated reunion.

. . . the war between tangoga and bigfeet still rages . . .
The tangoga boss GorVit searches for a lost technology, the terrible weapon of a vanished race. And he’ll happily use Breyona as leverage to get Danny’s help.

. . . the power of ultimate destruction hangs in the balance . . .
Thrust into the midst of war, and into the arms of a beautiful queen, Danny races on a collision course with destiny. And Breyona, still testing the limits of her amazing powers, must choose between what she desires and what is right.

. . . friendship, loyalty, and temptation . . .
One will give in.

One will give up.

One will give all.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y8j926g4C1A]

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To read my reviews of Undermountain and Afterlife go here.

About the author and where to find him.

Eric Edstrom

Eric is an author, songwriter, husband, father, and guitarist. He is the author of UndermountainAfterlife, and Starkiller,  the YA science fiction series The Undermountain Saga.

He’s also written Shadow of the Oak, Book #1 in the Sal Van Sleen series and is currently working on the next installment.

Eric loves working out with kettlebells and eating pretty much anything with peanut butter.

Website

Goodreads

Twitter

Facebook

Click on these covers to purchase the books.

and Book #1 of the Sal Van Sleen Series

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.

Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page.
•Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!
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My teaser for today is from Glory Alley And The Star Riders by C. Deanna Verhoff
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Glory Alley and the Star Riders (The Glory Alley Series, #1)

Here’s my tease!

According to legend, Wybbils are small hairy creatures who live deep underground in caves. Ancient people both feared and venerated them.  It is said that Wybbils leave their tunnels at night to snatch Tullahn children from their beds and bring them to their lair.

ADD To Goodreads

Go here to get your copy. It’s free right now for Amazon Prime members.

I have another giveaway. But first let me tell about Mercy Amare’s debut.

Don’t Tell

by Mercy Amare

Don't Tell

ADD To Goodreads

When people look at Lucy, they see a beautiful, vivacious girl.

But it’s just a mask she wears. A mask to hide her pain, like the long sleeves and make-up she wears to hide the bruises.

Bruises left by Charles, her father.

It hadn’t always been like this. They’d been happy once, when her mother was still alive. Now, Charles is a mean, abusive drunk and he blames Lucy for her mother’s death. After all, she was on her way to pick up Lucy when the drunk driver smashed into her car, killing her.

Now everything is wrong. Her self-esteem is shattered and she’s afraid to trust anyone. The only one she let’s past her defensive walls is Tess, her best friend since grade school. But even Tess doesn’t know her secret.

Lucy’s never had a boyfriend, never been in love, but she yearns for it. If only she could be like a normal teen-age girl.

If there is anyone she could tell her secret to, it would be Ian. But as much as she likes him, she can’t bring herself to tell him the truth.

Ian’s the pastor’s son, captain of the football team, and every girl at school is crushing on him. He also has a secret. He’s been in love with Lucy since the first time they met. They were four years old and she kissed him on the cheek.

He’s seen her bruises, old ones and new ones. Someone she’s close to is abusing her, but Ian’s not sure if it’s her dad.

Should he tell someone? Wouldn’t that be betraying Lucy’s trust.

My heart went out to Lucy. She had her good days, especially when she was with Tess or Ian. She could almost believe everything was normal, was as it should be. Then the memories would sneak up on her, never letting her forget.

Then there’s Ian. He’s in a difficult situation. I’m sure teenagers have been in Ian’s and Lucy’s shoes. I wish it wasn’t so.

As for Charles. It’s sad and ironic that he becomes an abusive drunk. After all, a drunk driver was the cause of all his anguish. Instead of grieving and healing with his daughter, he uses the very thing that caused all this to numb his pain.

It’s very hard to feel sorry for a drunk. Everything about them can be so repulsive.

The author knows how to write about a tough subject and writing this story from Lucy’s and Ian’s points of view enables you to see how abuse has many victims, like ripples in a pond.

Having Lucy refer to her father as Charles shows how she doesn’t recognize him as her father any longer. She doesn’t know this monster.

I really enjoyed reading about the budding romance between Lucy and Ian. It had me smiling and remembering the sweetness and intensity of first love. I was really pulling for these two and was happy that Lucy had someone on her side.

I usually avoid reading about abuse, but I’m glad I read Don’t Tell. Mercy Amare showed me why someone wouldn’t or couldn’t tell anyone about being abused, and she told it in an entertaining and enlightening manner. While this is a story of darkness, there is also light, the shining light of love, friendship, hope and letting go!

     

Giveaway

The author has offered  5 e-books to give away.

Easy to enter. Just leave your email address and answer this question. “If a friend told you a secret and made you promise not to tell, would you break that promise if their health or life was at risk,  even if it meant you might lose their friendship?”

Giveaway ends December 22nd.

Merry Christmas and Good Luck!

About the author

I write YA contemporary fiction books. I have a slight addiction to NOS. My guilty pleasure is Pretty Little Liars.

Here are a few cool things about Mercy Amare:

1. I am very musically talented. I can play the guitar, bass, and drums. I also sing.

2. I got started writing at a very young age (2nd grade, I think)… My writing career started out with writing songs.

3. I am addicted to the energy drink, NOS. It’s amazing. But I only like the NOS in a blue can. Purple, green, and red? GAG.

4. My favorite color is pink. Pink is happy.

5. I’m very clumsy. I fall down a lot, and I always have. If it’s raining, I stay inside. (Me + slippery ground = bad).

6. I love to do zumba with my best friends, however, I suck at it.

7. I love books. Especially books in a series.

8. Vampires are awesome. Seriously. I love vampire books, shows, movies, etc. They’re all awesome.

9. I’ve had a LOT of jobs in my life. (Most ALL of them very crappy). Writing is the first thing I’ve found that actually makes me happy. So, I’m going to go for it, and hope I don’t fail.

10. My hair is naturally red (and curly). I love red hair. If you have red hair, you rock 🙂

Author contacts

Goodreads

Website

Twitter

To purchase Don’t Tell, click on the cover.

Merry Christmas To You And Yours From FUONLYKNEW!

Today is very exciting! I’m doing a cover reveal for Elisabeth Wheatley’s upcoming release Fanged Princess!

It isn’t available for purchase yet. Watch for it in January 2013. As soon as I get my hands on it, I’ll be sure to tell you about it at a later date.

Without further ado!!!

I love the purple and black colors and I’m curious to find out if this girl will stay in my mind when I meet Hadassah. What do you think? Pretty isn’t it?

About Fanged Princess

I will not let my brother suffer the same loss…

Hadassah’s father, the Vampire King, punished her for her choice to love a human. Now her brother, the only person in the world who still matters to her, has fallen for a human girl. Determined to keep the girl safe, the three of them flee from their home in New England and find themselves cornered with their father’s minions closing in. If they want to escape, their only hope may be to join forces with the mortal enemies of their kind…

Be ensnared in this dark tale of enduring love, loyalty, and revenge from teenage author, Elisabeth Wheatley.

Book Info

Genre: YA, Urban Fantasy
Paperback, 95 pages
Expected publication: January 22nd 2013 by Chengalera Press

ADD to Goodreads

Check out this awesome trailer for Fanged Princess.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_HaRcOwYaY&w=420&h=315]
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About Elisabeth and where to find her.
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Elisabeth Wheatley
Elisabeth Wheatley started writing very short (and rather silly) stories when she was around six. She became a voracious reader and after being practically forced by her cousins to watch Disney’s version of “The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe,” she developed a chronic passion for fantasy.Elisabeth eventually went to work on what would become “The Key of Amatahns” when she was eleven. “The Key of Amatahns” is the first in the seven-book series, “Argetallam Saga.”She is also now working on an urban fantasy/paranormal romance vampire novella.When she isn’t spellbound by reading fantasy books and writing her own, Elisabeth trains and shows her Jack Russell Terrier, Schnay, makes goat cheese, and studies mythology.
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If you could peek into the future, would you?

KM Breakey gives much more than that with this story.

The year is 2083. Of the 16 billion people who inhabited Earth, only a little over one billion remain.

This extermination was not done by the Hand of God, nor was it done by Mother Nature. No. this was done by men.

That’s no surprise. We are one of the few living creatures on the planet who regularly wage war on each other. But this was not caused by war. Rather, it was by design. One man’s attempt to stave off humanity’s very extinction.

There were too many people on the planet. people were starving, wars were rampant and the violence and corruption were pandemic. Something had to be done. Hence the culling. Fifteen billion lives were extinguished in the name of Earthism – The Greatest Good for the Greatest Number.

But greatest for who? If you were a P-Classer(slang for the People), you can say ignorance is bliss. They have no idea of the existence of C-Classers(the Creator Class). However, the C-Classers are very aware of the People. They keep close tabs on all of them, using PST’s or Personal Safety Trackers, which all P-Classers are required to have.

There are one million C-Classers and one billion P-Classers. The C’s keep the People ignorant of their existence. They look on them as necessary to keep the gene pool fresh. To ensure man’s survival.  And the C’s have it pretty good. Living large, enjoying  all of the benefits of the upper class. Enjoying freedom. Sound familiar? Not all of man’s foibles were left behind.

For the P-Class, life is much different. Creative thinking is discouraged. There are no competitive activities, no one is allowed to stand out, stand apart. The Creators fear we would just make the same mistakes all over again.

The population in all of the 450 Areas, spread world-wide, are tightly policed. Culling is done to keep the ratios of boy, girl, and young to older in balance. Pregnancy is controlled and encouraged, as long as you don’t go over your quota. If you do, the offender is culled. Nice word, eh?

One young man is breaking all of the rules in P-Class. Shawn, a perfect male specimen, athletically built, handsome, and intelligent, is cursed. He’s cursed with a curious and questioning nature. He’s also a bit of a rebel as he thinks for himself. Free thinking is a big no-no. He’s already been flagged numerous times for his damning statements. Too many more, and he’ll be subject to termination, but he just can’t help himself. Curiosity killed the cat. Satisfaction brought him back. But does Shawn have nine lives?

The specter of a dull life loomed. A life of meaningless tedium was impossible to embrace, but his recklessness wouldn’t be tolerated forever. Others had vanished without a trace. The risk of termination was real. Or worse. The rumors were discussed in whispers. Conscription into dentured servitude. Slavery. But for whom? The mystery (and fear) ate into his soul.

Was his restlessness intrinsic? Or the result of careless commentary by an anachronistic grandmother? Didn’t matter. It was there. And strong. Not to be denied.

In a few weeks, Academy would start. Not less than two years, not more than four. His window was closing. Wheels were turning. A spouse would arrive(okay, there was a thrilling aspect to that; he had an eye trained on multiple candidates). Then children, middle age, and….

There had to be more.

Didn’t there?

Shawn is soon to find out the answer to that very question. Two men are waiting for him in his house. Pedro and Sarge are from Protective Services. They are there for Shawn. But this is an unusual task for the two men. Their orders were explicit. Do not terminate. Extract the subject and transport him safely to C-Class. He is being relocated.

Good for Shawn. He’s not being terminated. Bad also. He has to leave right now, taking only what he can carry. He does manage to leave a hidden message for his family stating that he is alive and will be okay. Not much, but all he could do at the time.

Now Shawn will see what he knew deep down inside. There is more to this world. So much more. Will this be the happiness he wished for, or the crushing of his soul?

This is the second book by KM Breakey I’ve read. The World Clicks was fascinating. You can read my review here .

I had no idea what this book was about when KM sent it to me. I loved his first book, so I didn’t hesitate to read this one.

This is not my usual genre to read. It’s Action/Adventure, Science Fiction and YA all rolled up in one.  I got into the swing of it and was captivated.

KM does a superb job of world building. It’s amazing how he was able to make me visual it and become involved in each different class they live in. His story has a ring of truth to it. Our society is guilty of many of the prejudices and indulgences that occur in this book. The politics are not too far-fetched either. I could see it happening.

Shawn was my favorite. He is the main character in this story and quite the rebel. The author weaves many colorful characters into this adventure. Some of them are self-centered and act entitled and snobby, some are quite funny and made me laugh a lot, and some of them were despicable and dirty dealers.

It’s odd that I was drawn to two of the characters, Pedro and Sarge. They are Protective Services Officers and, for the most part, the bad guys. I must have connected to them because of how well the author wrote them in.

There is something for everyone in Creator Class. It is very unique and fresh. There are dark periods in it, but also much humor and empathy. This book reads like real life. Life in a near future.

It makes one ask the question, “Will man ever learn?”

  5 Stars because I loved it! Super writing, super world building!

I don’t usually use the book blurbs, but I feel this will add to my review and pique your interest even more!

Book Summary

Decades have elapsed since The Creators inflicted their vision on the planet. The population menace is tamed, resources are plentiful, and climate concerns abate. A sustainable world order has been achieved.
But Shawn Lowe chafes at P-Class restrictions. Movements are tracked, conversations scrutinized, conformity enforced. It’s wrong. The Laws of Earthism are wrong. When a treasonous outburst cements Shawn’s fate, an unexpected communication from Creator Class sparks changes he could never have imagined.
A new life. A new family. Boundless opportunity. Destiny, it seems, has been rewritten. But an evil nemesis emerges, and a lust for vengeance points Shawn down a treacherous path.
Creator Class is the first book in The Creator Class Series.

Author Bio

K.M. Breakey was born in Toronto, Ontario, and educated at Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, British Columbia. He is an IT professional, writer and dreamer. He is the author of Creator Class and The World Clicks. To learn more, visit www.kmbreakey.com.

Creator Class is now available. Click on images below to purchase K M Breakey’s books.

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Title: A Demon Made Me Do It

Demonblood Series #1

Author: Penelope King

 

My review
When an Amazea demon curses Lucky her soul is split in half. During the day she lives as Liora, a 17 years old human and by night she lives as Lucky, an Aequitas demon whose duty is to dole out justice and torment those that deserve it. While they share one body, each one lives in their own realm with totally different lives. Not particularly caring for each other, they have developed an uneasy truce.

Enter Kieron, a demon that moves through both worlds.When Liora meets him she begins to hope that she has a chance at a normal relationship and happiness. The s*#t hits the fan when Lucky finds out that they have been hanging out together. She doesn’t trust Kieron and feels that he is a threat to both of them.

The author makes you feel a strong connection to all of the characters, which I find new and refreshing. She tells the story from Liora’s and Lucky’s points of view and writes it so well that you have no trouble following along. Actually, you can’t help but keep reading as you are drawn deeper into the story and discover a world of incubi and demons of all kinds.

The ending is exciting and satisfying with plenty of room for more. I am anxious to read Fire with Fire, Book 2, which is out now.

Also available: Witchy, Witchy (Spellbound Trilogy #1)

4 STARS

This book is appropriate for mid-teens to adults. I would recommend it to anyone that loves YA/ paranormal romance and fantasy.

About the author

Penelope King is a native Californian who now lives in beautiful South Carolina. She says “ya’ll” more often than she’d like to admit, eats more fried food than is probably healthy, and still hasn’t gotten used to the scary thunderstorms that seem to appear out of nowhere.

She stays up way too late and does the bulk of her writing in the witching hours. She rarely misses a sunrise, and needs to include a special “thank you” to Starbucks caramel frappuccinos.

When she’s not writing, she’s reading any and all YA out there, swimming, kayaking at the river, doing Zumba and kickboxing, or watching a trashy reality show. She can BBQ better than most men, and if she had to marry a food it would probably be pizza, but she’d cheat on it with sushi.

You can find her at:

http://authorpenelopeking.blogspot.com

Title: Enchantment, Book 1

Author: Charlotte Abel

A YA Paranormal Romance

 

You know that saying about something tickling your funny bone? Most people’s funny bones are on their elbow. Mine is in my heart and that is where this story tickled me.

Channie grew up in a community of witches in the Ozarks. When children are born the parents bestow upon them a magic name and bind it to them. Channies older sisters name is Abundance, Abby for short. When she gets pregnant and has triplets you can see how her name fits. Prudence is her mothers name and as you get to know her you will see that it suits her just fine.  Her father has a problem with gambling. He can’t hang on to his money and maybe that is because his magic name is Money. When his gambling problems endanger the family they have to run for their lives, winding up in Louiseville, Colorado.

Now. Let me tell you about Channie. Enchantment is her magic name and now that she has turned 16, her body has blossomed. In Louiseville she must hide the fact that she is a witch since everyone there is an Empty, slang for MD or Medically Disabled. They don’t know that witches are real. The boys at her school can’t shield themselves from Channie and her magic draws them like bees to honey. This is new and exciting for Channie and a cause of great concern for her parents.

They decide that the only way to protect Channie is to change her magic name. She is very upset and begs them not to. Her father tells her, “We made the mistake of naming your sister Abundance, and look what happened to her.” Her argument that it doesn’t mean she will get pregnant like her sister did falls on deaf ears. They’ve made up their minds.

My first spontaneous outburst of laughter was at Channies response when she learned her new magic name. “What?No! You can’t name me Chastity – not when our last name is Belks.”

Her new name comes with a curse. Any boy who gets too close to her gets zapped. This becomes a problem when she meets Josh. As their friendship grows into attraction, Channie is forced to tell him her secret in order to protect him from the curse. After several electrifying episodes Josh comes to believe her. They put their heads together, trying to come up with a way around it. This is what lands them in a pickle.

Channie is the girl I wished I could have been when growing up. She is strong-willed and confident, with plenty of sass, and Josh has stolen my heart. That grin of his! He is loyal and self-aware and never wavers in his affection towards Channie.

The whole time I was reading, I was rereading parts of it out loud to my mother. She is down here visiting for the summer and I am using her as a sounding board for my reviews. We were both chuckling and, at times, laughing out loud as I read to her. The book had me so excited that I told my sister about it also and she is now demanding that I tell her the ending. We were all wet-eyed from laughing about the IFB’s and had plenty of snickers throughout the day when one of us would say, “Those IFB’s!”

This is a delightful journey, filled with humor, drama and plenty of action. The pacing is smooth and the sexual content is handled delicately, suitable for young adults. I am still aglow about this book and I want everyone to read it and feel like I do. You too will fall in love with Channie and Josh. My fingers are itching and I am off to start reading Taken, Book 2 of this story. I’ll be back later to tell you all about it!

I gave this 5 Heart Filled STARS. The highest rating I could give.

Some praise for Enchantment

“If you crave excitement and danger with your romance and can’t get enough of Stephenie Meyer, Suzanne Collins, or Cassandra Clare, make room for Enchantment.”

“Every girl wants their prince charming to be just like Josh. It made me cry and laugh and gasp … a make your heart warm and tingle kind of love story!”

About the author

Charlotte Abel was born and raised in Oklahoma. She spent many happy summers visiting relatives in Arkansas. She now lives in Colorado with her husband Pete, and loves hiking, biking, snowshoeing, and skiing in the Rocky Mountains, but will always have a special fondness for the Ozarks. Visit her at www.TheChannieSeries.com