Cover Reveal of Into the Storm by Melanie Moreland

Into the Storm

by Melanie Moreland
Publication date: Late 2013
Genres: Adult, Romance

Designed by Mayhem Cover Creations

Synopsis:

She is a woman on the run. Pain, loneliness and terror are what she is leaving. Where she is headed doesn’t matter as long as it’s away from the hell her life has become.Joshua Bennett is trapped in a prison of his own making by the memories of his past. Traumatized and isolated, he is a reclusive writer, living a quiet, lonely life, his only companion his dog, Bear. It is what he knows, what he has accepted to be his life.

One dark night, one huge storm, and one ice patch brings them together. He finds himself with an unexpected houseguest with no memory. She wakes up a stranger to herself and the man watching her. Even more mysterious is the lack of any sort of identification with her or in her car. She is an enigma to both of them.

Trapped by the storm and isolated from the outside world, they slowly open up, learning to trust and love, until the world once again shows up, threatening the fragile peace of their newly discovered world, and tearing them apart.

There are many twists and turns as they struggle to find each other, overcoming both the mental and physical elements that keep them apart.

A story about overcoming our fears, finding love and learning to live again.

 

AUTHOR

Melanie Moreland lives a happy and content life in a quiet area of Ontario with her husband and fur children. Nothing means more to her than her friends and family, and she cherishes every moment spent with them.Known as the quiet one with the big laugh, Melanie works at a local university and for its football team.  Her (box) office job, while demanding, is rewarding as she cheers on her team to victory.

While seriously addicted to coffee, and somewhat challenged with all things computer-related and technical, she relishes baking, cooking, and trying new recipes for people to sample. She loves to throw dinner parties and socialize, and also enjoys travelling, here and abroad, but finds coming home is always the best part of any trip.

Melanie delights in a good romance story with some bumps along the way, but is a true believer in happily ever after.  When her head isn’t buried in a book, it is bent over a keyboard, furiously typing away as her characters dictate their creative storylines, to let her share them with her readers.

Author Links:

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/MelanieMoreland

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MorelandMelanie

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Melanie-L-Moreland/512254118848084

Tour Review of Shadow Jumpers Series: They All Fall Down by Angela Brown

BOOK 1

Neverlove by Angela Brown
(Shadow Jumpers #1)
Publication date: October 8th 2012
Genres: New Adult, Paranormal, Romance

Synopsis:

For seventeen-year-old Abigail, one rash decision leads to an unexpected chance for redemption. At V'Salicus Academy, a unique institute where she trains to become an agent of heaven, she struggles with the pain of her past, the changes of the present and accepts a loveless future until her path – and heart – crosses with Basil’s.Basil's off-chance slip of the tongue binds him to a life of servitude to the Devourer, the master of hell. His existence has no upside until a chance meeting with Abigail brings new perspective.Keeping the truth of their present lives from each other brings disaster when secrets are brought to light and the life of Abigail’s mentor is put on the line.

Can Abigail and Basil save her mentor and salvage their love amid the chaos? Or will they lose it all, destined forever to NEVERLOVE?

Purchase:    Amazon          Barnes&Noble

 

BOOK 2

They All Fall Down by Angela Brown
(Shadow Jumpers #2)
Publication date: October 1st, 2013
Genres: New Adult, Paranormal, Romance

Synopsis:

Abby and Basil: New love reaches new heights as they finally give in to their lust and desire for each other.Q: Consumed by the Devourer within and his base need to claim Abby as his own.The crave: What it all boils down to. A crave for souls. A crave to keep love intact beyond betrayals. A crave for a second chance. A crave for power and The Fall of mankind.

“Love can conquer all” is put to the test and salvation may be impossible when they all fall down.

 

Purchase:    Amazon        Barnes&Noble

AUTHOR

Born and raised in Little Rock, AR, Angela now calls Central Texas home.

Reading and writing have been lifelong passions. It was around the time she gave birth to her forever-love, nicknamed Chipmunk, that she really took writing seriously. After all, how could she teach her child to follow her dreams if she hadn't tried herself?

As a YA fantasy/sci-fi reader and author, she favors the magical, mysterious, the darker side of life...even harbors a secret fright for things that go bump in the night.

Author links:
Goodreads     Website     Twitter

*REVIEW*

-I received a copy Ebook to change of a honest review-

This is cute and beautiful part where your blogger Alice says:
These books really surprised me!

Well, if you have followed the blog know that will most likely (very noticeable) I love the paranormal genre. When I was reading the sinospsis of the 2 books Jumpers Shadow saga, I was attracted, perhaps more at this time. So I decided to read these books and do not regret.

Angela Brown creates a different interpretation of the afterlife, I like when authors take risks and create their own interpretations. Recall that the books also give us that advantage, explore more there.

Well, starting with Neverlove, first book of the series, I always fixed on the main characters, as it is they who will lead us on this journey of adventure, different worlds and stuff. In this part we will know the stories of Abigail and Basil.

Abigail in the first pages I was surprised, his life, and his suicide. To then turn around and a second opportunity is there, And of course, this second chance comes with everything and decisions including love.

Basil, he also has something to say, he was not happy with his life and has a second chance very different from Abigail.

Abigail and Basil have one goal in common: the souls. But in different ways. And those paths will cross with something unplanned: love.But there will be more and some other character you'll want to keep that love.

This brings us to the 2nd book in the series Shadow Jumpers, They All Fall Down.

“Love can conquer all” is put to the test and salvation may be impossible when they all fall down... In this book, the things will get interesting!

We know many more things, emotions are more intense and sincerely want to continue reading, reading and keep reading.Your reading will flow through the well written materials. It has the well-defined characters and, yes, there is a villain in the story! I really recommend these books, if you have a chance to read these days, do it! and if not, too.

My stars for the books:

4.5

*****

***GIVEAWAY***

Grand prize giveaway

Prizes open internationally:

--2x Amazon Gift Cards (or Paypal cash)

CLICK ON THE IMAGE OF RAFFLECOPTER BELOW:

Book Blitz with Chapter and Giveaways of The Unseen by J.L. Bryan

The Unseen

by J.L. Bryan
Publication date: October 31st 2013
Genres: Horror

Synopsis:

Cassidy is a young tattoo artist living in the Little Five Points neighborhood of Atlanta. She’s always suffered terrible nightmares, and sometimes the hideous creatures seem to follow her out of her dreams and into her waking life, though she’s the only one who can see them. Drugs and alcohol can blot them out, but never entirely chase them away.

When a demonic cult begins to take control of the people in her life, including her younger brother, Cassidy discovers that the unseen world of monsters is very real. She can no longer avoid it. To protect those she loves, she must accept her own hidden supernatural talents and face the forces of evil before the sinister cult achieves its twisted goals and casts the world into darkness.

Purchase:

  Amazon      B&N     Author Site

 

THE UNSEEN

 by J.L. Bryan

CHAPTER ONE

Years later, Cassidy would remember the night of the party as her first encounter with the unseen world.  It began with broken glass, blood, and a homemade Ouija board.

The day after Cassidy’s seventeenth birthday, her mother was away at work for the night, inadvertently giving Cassidy the best possible present: a Saturday night alone at the apartment.  Her younger brother Kieran was staying at a friend’s house for the weekend.  Cassidy’s mother had forbidden her to have any guests except for her best friend, Barb.  Boys, as always, were doubly forbidden while Cassidy’s mother was working the night shift at the hotel.  Her mother called her on the land line to make sure she was home—never Cassidy’s cell, always the land line.

The night started out calmly, with no sign of the horror to come.

Cassidy and Barb stood in the narrow kitchen, spreading sauce and mozzarella on a pre-made Boboli crust. Cassidy opened a jar of olives.

“Seriously?” Barb asked. “Why you are always trying to sneak olives into everything?  You’ve got an olive fetish.”

“Olives are awesome on pizza,” Cassidy said. “Way better than one of your Hawaiian-style travesties.”

“I like things that follow a theme.”

“Even though pineapples and ham actually taste terrible and ruin it?” Cassidy scattered olives on one half of the pizza. “There.  I’m saving you from any olive deliciousness.  Tamila and I can eat this half.”

“You really invited Tamila?” Barb frowned.

“I told you I was.”

“I thought you were kidding.” Barb had never particularly liked Tamila Evans, who was Cassidy’s “old” best friend from middle school.

Barb was the sort of sixteen-year-old girl who dressed in black lace, corpse-white face powder, purple lipstick, and hair dyed “Black Death,” just one of the colors offered by Barb’s beloved Horror Girl Cosmetics.

Cassidy’s old friend Tamila, by contrast, played trombone in the marching band and had joined groups like Math League to pump up her college application, while Cassidy and Barb spent the football games getting high or drunk under the bleachers.  Cassidy and Barb also struggled to pass Science and Society, a boring remedial class better known as Science for Slackers.

Cassidy had tried for a couple of years to create a friendship between Tamila and Barb, but neither girl had any real interest in the other.  Cassidy had found herself drifting away from Tamila and closer to Barb, and having both girls to her apartment at the same time could get awkward.

“Reese said she’s coming, too,” Barb said.

“Ugh,” Cassidy said.

“I’m telling you, you’d like her if you just give her a little bit of a chance.”

“What’s to like about Reese?”

“She’s fun,” Barb said.

“Let’s not confuse loud with fun,” Cassidy replied, shaking her head.

Cassidy couldn’t stand Reese Warwick, but the skinny blond girl was Barb’s latest girl-crush.  Barb was always hunting for a third girl to link into her and Cassidy’s friendship so they’d be a “clique” instead of “just a couple of losers.”

Barb had been hopeful about Reese as a third Musketeer because she was pretty and had a salty tongue, able to cut down the lame preppy kids with a few choice words.  Cassidy thought Reese was a big fake—her blond pageboy-type hair, the golden ring in her nose, the skimpy tops and ultra-short skirts she wore, as though being pretty wasn’t enough and she just had to snag the attention of every male in the room at all times.

Barb herself was chunky, with a low build a bit reminiscent of a bulldog.  Cassidy was tall and gangly, with a hideous number of freckles and long, unmanageable red hair.  Cassidy was five foot eleven and holding, hoping each day she didn’t grow another inch and cross over into six-foot territory.  She already towered over her mom and her brother.

Cassidy’s unusual height had led to her being recruited for the girls’ basketball team as a freshman.  She had sucked at basketball and quit after one season—Cassidy liked the Art Club, she liked painting backdrops for school plays, and she liked getting high in the woods behind the gym.  She did not like chasing a ball and putting it through a hoop like some kind of trained hamster.

Cassidy thought Barb just wanted a hot girl like Reese around to make their small group look more attractive.

The doorbell rang.  Cassidy opened it and hugged Tamila, who gave her an uncertain smile that said everything about the deteriorating state of their friendship.  Tamila was devolving toward a gross preppy look, too.  She wore a blue and white Abercrombie dress with two matching bows in her long, soft black hair.

Tamila’s smile, weak enough to begin with, faltered more when she saw Barb.

“Hi, Barb.” Tamila waved.  Tamila was a shapely, dark-skinned black girl who had grown out of middle-school gawkiness to become a real beauty with large, deep brown eyes.  If Barb wanted a cute girl for their group of friends, Tamila should have been a top pick, but she was too bookish and not wild enough for Barb.

“Tamila!” Barb said with fake friendliness, then turned her attention to sliding the pizza into the hot oven.

“Want some wine?” Cassidy offered.

“Is it a merlot?” Tamila asked.

“It’s a…pinot noir.” Cassidy read the words off the label, pronouncing thempeanut no-wire, since she had no idea how else to say it.

“Just a little, thanks. I don’t want to get dizzy,” Tamila said.

“This should be fun, right?” Cassidy asked them, handing Tamila her wine.

“Sure.” Barb refilled her own glass, avoiding eye contact.

The evening was quiet and awkward until Reese arrived, at which point it became loud and awkward.  Barb let Reese in the door while Cassidy and Tamila sliced the finished pizza in the kitchen.

“What’s up, bitches?” Reese announced as she entered, waving a tall vodka bottle like a trophy.  The blond girl staggered into the room, dressed in a transparent mesh shirt with a skimpy bra top underneath, her tight low-rider denim shorts strategically slashed in several places. “So you call this a party, huh?”

“Want some pizza?” Barb offered.

“Um, do I look like I want a giant ass?” Reese unscrewed the vodka bottle and swigged. “So can we have some fucking music up in here?”

The group moved back to Cassidy’s room to blast Cassidy’s stereo.  Cassidy sat on her daybed, which was lined with cushions, between Tamila and Barb.  Reese was left with the sagging armchair in the corner.

“So what’s for entertainment tonight, ladies?” Reese asked.

“I brought a pack of Uno cards…” Tamila reached into her purse.

“Uno?  Because we’re a bunch of kindergarteners?” Reese snorted. “Let’s play ‘Hot or Not.’”

“What’s that?” Cassidy asked.

“Where we judge the boys at school like the pieces of meat they are,” Reese said. “I’ll start:  Hot or not?  Dexter McKenna.”

“Ew, not,” Tamila said, frowning.

“How is he not?” Reese scowled.

“Because he’s a dick.” Tamila sipped her glass of wine.

“You don’t like dicks?  You’re a chick-licker, aren’t you?” Reese laughed and stuck out her tongue, pierced with a stud that looked like a black pearl. “A preppy little dyke.”

“I am not!” Tamila snapped.  She gave Cassidy a desperate look, her eyes pleading for rescue.

“Come on, leave her alone.” Cassidy held out her glass to Barb, who had the open wine bottle. “Let’s drink more.”

“What do you think, Cassidy?” Barb poured until Cassidy’s wine glass was dangerously full. “Is Dex hot or not?”

“He’s kind of cute, but Tami’s right.  He’s a dick.” Cassidy drank her wine and fought down the urge to grimace at the bite of the alcohol.  She had a feeling Reese would make fun of her for it.

“I think he’s hot,” Barb said.

“Thank you, Barb!” Reese said. “All guys are dicks, people.  You just have to pick the hot ones.”

“Wisdom from Reese.” Barb toasted her and drank.

“I’m full of it.” Reese lit a Parliament.

“You really are,” Tamila said softly.

“What was that?”

“I’m going to let the smoke out.  It’s getting hard to breathe in here.” Tamila stood and opened the glass door to the balcony, letting in a warm, damp April breeze from the night outside.

Cassidy’s apartment was crappy and small.  The air conditioner smelled like sour rust, the plumbing was unreliable, and she could hear her neighbor’s dog barking day and night on the balcony below hers.  She and her brother shared a small hallway and a bathroom.  Their mother had the master bedroom, all the way across the living room.  The only good things about her apartment were that it was on the top floor of the three-story building and it had the little corner balcony.  Doors opened onto the balcony from both the living room and Cassidy’s room.

“Does my smoke bother you?” Reese asked, blowing a thick plume toward Tamila.

“It bothers anyone who doesn’t smoke,” Tamila said.

“Can I have a Parliament?” Barb asked.

“Oh, sure!” Reese stuck a cigarette in Barb’s mouth, then held out the open pack to Cassidy. “And you, ma’am?”

“Let’s go outside.” Cassidy took one and led the way out.

The balcony wasn’t large, but Cassidy and her mother had decorated it with outdoor shelves full of small, blooming plants.  It overlooked a broken concrete walkway next to a chain link fence.  Past the fence lay a big sinkhole thick with pine brush and kudzu.  Tires, beer cans, and an old boxspring had accumulated in the weedy sinkhole over the years despite the high fence around it.

“Oh, yeah, we wouldn’t want to bother all the non-smokers here.” Reese just happened to blow a big cloud of smoke into Tamila’s face on her way out.

Tamila hung back, standing inside Cassidy’s room and watching the three girls stand at the wooden railing.  The railing’s blue paint was faded and peeling, neglected for years by the apartment complex’s cheapskate management.

Cassidy wondered what Reese was secretly thinking about her tiny apartment.  She’d been to Reese’s house for a party once.  Reese had a big princess bed, a flower garden and swimming pool in her back yard, and a pool table and a bar in her finished basement.

“Full moon tonight,” Barb said. “The werewolves will be out.”

“So, Dex McKenna…?” Reese said.

“We already did him,” Cassidy replied.

“I haven’t done him,” Reese snickered. “But I will.  I know he’s kind of a douche, but…so hot.  So, so hot.”

“I’m not sure he deserves the double ‘so hot,’” Barb said. “A single one, maybe.”

“That’s why I invited him over tonight,” Reese told them.

“What?” Cassidy asked.

“It’s cool, he’ll bring some goodies if he comes.” Reese touched the side of her nose. “I was going to let it be a surprise, but…”

“A surprise?  Like a present?” Cassidy asked. “Isn’t a present supposed to be something you actually want?”

“I told him he could bring Kyle Bowers, too.  Kyle’s totally up for grabs.  Who’s calling him?  Barb?  Cassidy?”

“I made out with Kyle at Jerry Krazinksi’s party freshman year.” Barb shuddered. “He tasted like bologna.  It was like sticking my tongue up Oscar Meyer’s crack.”

“I don’t want those guys in my house,” Cassidy said. “Reese, you should have asked me.”

“First of all—‘apartment,’ not ‘house.’  Let’s not mangle the English language.  Second, I’ve been after this guy forever, for like four weeks.  It’s cool if we use your mom’s bed, right?” Reese asked.

“Gross.  Use my little brother’s bed,” Cassidy told her.

“Um, even grosser?  I am not hooking up with Dex on your brother’s snotty-caked little Star Wars sheets.”

“Then go somewhere else.”

“Fine.  The living room couch?”

“Like somewhere not in my apartment,” Cassidy said. “I’m not cleaning up those stains.”

“We’ll use a towel!” Reese offered.

Cassidy shook her head. “I can’t believe you invited them without asking me.”

“They probably won’t even come, okay?” Reese said. “Dex said he was busy.  It was just my fantasy that he would show up anyway, and take me right to the…couch…Cassidy, does your mom’s bathroom have a Jacuzzi tub?”

“Nope,” Cassidy said. “So those boys are not coming?  Right?”

“Almost definitely not.  But maybe.”  Reese shrugged and flicked her cigarette out into the sinkhole, where it landed among dry weeds and brush.

“Watch out!  You could start a fire.” Tamila leaned out to see where it had gone.

“Don’t be such a panty-pisser.  Your friend is boring me, Cassidy.” Reese nudged Tamila aside with her elbow as she returned inside Cassidy’s room.  Tamila gave Cassidy a look of disbelief and shook her head.  She mouthed the word bitch, and Cassidy laughed.

“What’s funny?” Reese looked back, frowning.

“Nothing,” Cassidy said.  She stepped inside and grabbed the vodka bottle from her dresser.  Barb followed her in and closed the balcony door behind them.

When they sat down, Reese stole Tamila’s previous spot at the head of the daybed and Barb sat beside her, leaving Cassidy to sit at the foot of her own bed.  Tamila rolled her eyes and dropped into the sagging old armchair instead.

“So, yeah, probably no boys,” Reese said. “What do we do instead?”

“Vodka shots.  Everybody empty your glass,” Cassidy said.  All four girls turned their glasses up and drained the wine.  Reese poured vodka.

“That’s too much!” Tamila gaped at her wineglass, filled to the lip with clear liquor.

“If you get drunk, maybe you’ll be more fun!” Reese gave her a chipper smile, and Barb laughed. Reese raised her glass. “Here’s to me hooking up with Dex, and to whatever you bitches want for yourselves.”

“Cheers!” Barb replied, clinking her glass against Reese’s.  Vodka sloshed over her fingers. Barb turned to Cassidy and held up her glass. “To whatever us bitches want for ourselves.”

“Cheers.” Cassidy clinked her glass against Barb’s, then leaned and stretched toward Tamila, but it was too far to reach, and neither of them made the effort to stand up and cross the room.

Cassidy, Barb, and Reese downed her entire drinks, but Tamila took a small sip, wrinkled her nose, and coughed.  She waved her hand in front of her mouth and set her mostly-full glass on Cassidy’s dresser, shaking her head.

“What?  How can you wuss-gag on vodka?  It has no taste,” Reese said. “Who wants seconds?”

“We don’t want to waste all of it right away,” Cassidy said.

“It’s not wasted if we drink it.” Reese winked, and Barb laughed.

“You know what we should do?  A full moon is the best time to contact the dead,” Barb said.

“Why would we want to do that?” Reese asked.

“To see what’s on the Other Side,” Barb replied.

“Isn’t that why the chicken crossed the road?” Tamila asked, but only Cassidy laughed at her joke.

“I’m serious, let’s do it,” Barb said. “Let’s talk to the spirits.”

Cassidy bit her lip.  Barb thought death was dark and romantic, but Cassidy didn’t find it romantic at all.  Her own father had died when she was six years old.

“How do you want to contact the dead, Barb?” Cassidy asked. “A séance?”

“Oh, this is all part of your ‘Look at me, I’m so Gothic and mysterious and weird’ thing,” Reese said to Barb.

“It’s better than your ‘Look at me, I’m wearing a see-through shirt’ thing,” Barb countered.

“Bitch!” Reese replied.

“Slut!”

Reese gasped and slapped playfully at Barb, who tackled her in return.  Cassidy watched them, drunk and friendly on the bed beside her, and still couldn’t think of a single good reason to ever hang out with Reese again.

“Want to do the séance, Tami?” Cassidy asked.

“That’s not funny,” Tamila said. “Let’s talk about something else.”

“Yeah, a séance!” Reese suddenly seemed interested now that Tamila was clearly uncomfortable.

“We used a Ouija board at my cousin’s house during Christmas,” Barb said. “It really does move by itself, it spells out words.  It was creepy.”

“Those are dangerous,” Tamila said. “We did a study unit on them at church.  Ouija boards, Tarot cards, Satan-worshipers, Wiccans—”

“Hey, Wiccans worship nature,” Barb interrupted, sitting up and looking serious. “Not Satan.  Satanists don’t worship Satan, either.  I read the Satanic Bible.  Well, like three pages of it.”

“Then that’s a rip-off,” Cassidy said. “What are people who worship Satan supposed to call themselves if they can’t use the word ‘Satanist’?”

“They need a name,” Barb said. “They should organize.  They need like a devil-pope, and a whole Satanic bureaucracy—”

“Stop it.” Tamila said. “Stop saying ‘Satan.’”

“Are you fucking serious right now?” Reese asked. “Let’s break out that Ouija board, ladies.”

“No!  They can make people crazy.  There’s demonic possession, ghosts…if you really read up on this, Reese, you’d know.  It’s dangerous,” Tamila said.

Reese and Barb looked at each other, then burst out laughing.

“Dangerous?  They’re made by Parker Brothers,” Reese said.

“I don’t have one here, anyway.  I bought one in middle school, but my mom found it and threw it away before I could use it,” Cassidy said.

“Did she throw it in the sinkhole out back?  Like next to the old homeless-person mattress?” Reese asked, and she and Barb broke down laughing again.

Cassidy felt herself blush—part anger, part embarrassment—and she poured herself more wine.

“We can make one!” Barb, who knew Cassidy’s room as well as Cassidy herself, stumbled across the room and opened the door to Cassidy’s tiny closet.

The closet door was covered in drawings, as were all the walls in Cassidy’s cluttered room.  Her oldest works were approximate drawings of Oscar and Elmo from Sesame Street, in the medium of Crayola, just above the springy doorstop that had fascinated her as a small child.

From there, the drawings had spread up and out, bats and dragons done in colored pencil and marker, then attempts at portraits of people she knew—her mother, her father, her kindergarten teacher, and some preschool friend whose name she’d long forgotten.  Later works included paintings of trees, spiderwebs, and a homeless one-eyed cat who lived in the parking lot.

“You could draw an awesome spirit board, Cassidy!” Barb carried out poster board and a shoebox with markers, glue, scissors, and bottles of glitter, which Cassidy had used to create the colorful, shimmering flowers on her dresser drawers back in middle school.  “It would be so much better than the store-bought ones, anyway.  You know it would.”

“You want me to make it?” Cassidy smiled, a little excited by the idea of creating something new.  Somewhere in the back of her mind, she wondered if they might contact her father’s spirit, wherever it was, but she certainly didn’t say it out loud.

“We’d better not,” Tamila said.

“Come on, Tami, it’s something we can all do together.  What goes on a Ouija board?  Just letters and numbers, right?” Cassidy asked.

“You also need a YES and a NO so the spirits can answer questions, and a GOOD-BYE so they can leave when they’re done,” Barb said. “Use the glow-in-the-dark markers.”

“Good idea!” Cassidy replied.  Barb hopped up to light the three scented candles in Cassidy’s room.  Tamila frowned.

Cassidy carefully wrote out the alphabet in three rows of green letters, then added numbers from zero to nine.  She wrote YES and NO in the upper corners and GOOD-BYE at the bottom.

“And maybe a big FUCK YOU in case they get annoyed,” Reese suggested, and Cassidy snickered and added FUCK YOU between the YES and the NO.

“This isn’t a joke,” Tamila said. “I’m not doing this.”

“Blah, blah, blah.” Reese rolled her eyes.

“Now we just need to decorate it,” Barb said. “There’s usually a sun and a moon…”

“We can do better than that.” Cassidy drew a blue moon, a green clover, a red heart, and a purple horseshoe before realizing she was imitating the ingredients of a Lucky Charms box. “Wait, this is stupid.”

“That’s what I’ve been saying,” Tamila said.

“It looks good!” Barb countered.

“Make it more occult-y,” Reese said, with a sharp grin at Tamila.

Cassidy used the nozzle of her Elmer’s Glue bottle to sketch stars in each corner of the poster board.  She dusted them with red glitter and blew off the excess, leaving four sparkling red pentagrams.

“That seems like a bad idea,” Tamila said. “Just take off the pentagrams, okay?”

“The pentagrams are great!” Barb said.

“Hell, yeah, keep them,” Reese nodded.

“What other occult symbols are there?” Cassidy asked.

“Inverted crosses?” Reese suggested, then smirked at Tamila’s shocked look.

“There’s a symbol for each horoscope sign. I’ll sketch them…” Barb drew the symbols on a scrap of notebook paper, and Cassidy copied them in marker around the edges of the posterboard—blue waves for Aquarius, a red bull pictogram for Taurus.

“The symbol for Cancer is a sixty-nine?” Reese snickered, looking over Barb’s shoulder.

“That’s what Cancers like.  I’m a Cancer, so I know,” Barb replied.

“Here it is—the ultimate Ouija board.” Cassidy held up the colorful, glittering poster board. “We should be able to talk to ghosts from all over the world with this thing.”

“Sweet, international ghosts!  Let’s see how it looks in the dark.” Barb turned out the light, leaving the room in the dim glow of three candles.  The letters and numbers glowed an eerie green.  Outside, the trees rustled in the wind and light rain tapped on the balcony.

“Maybe I should go,” Tamila said quietly.

“Maybe you should!” Reese snatched the newly made board from Cassidy’s hands and tugged Barb down to the carpet with her. “Come on, let’s call up some dead people.”

“What do we use as a pointer?” Cassidy asked.

“You mean a planchette?” Barb drained her wine glass, then placed it upside down in the center of the board.  A few droplets of red wine dribbled down and blurred the glowing letters M and N.  Barb and Reese laid their fingertips on the base of the inverted glass.

“Let’s do this!” Reese said.

Cassidy slid down from her bed and sat across from Reese.  She placed her own fingertips on the glass along with the other two girls.

“One spot left,” Cassidy said to Tamila, who had made no move to leave the chair.

“I’m not doing it.”

“Come on, Tami.  It’ll be fun.  Please?” Cassidy resorted to a begging tone, locking eyes with Tamila.  What she wanted to say was: I am desperately trying to make you part of the group here, so please stop acting like such a tromboner tonight. “As a favor to me?”

“It does work better with four people,” Barb added.

Tamila sighed, looked at the board, and reluctantly left her chair to sit next to Cassidy, while offering a shaky, frightened smile to no one in particular.

“Okay.  Let’s get it over with,” Tamila whispered.  She placed her trembling fingers on the base of the upside-down wine glass. “We should say a prayer first.”

Barb and Reese found this hilarious, and Tamila frowned at their peals of drunken laughter.

“Let’s go,” Barb said.  She closed her eyes. “Are there any spirits—”

“Come talk to us, spirits!” Reese interrupted, closing her eyes and also swaying from side to side.  In her best drama-club voice, she projected, “Speak to us, give us messages from the world of the dead…”

The glass trembled under their fingers, and Cassidy gasped.  Everybody leaned in for a closer look, but the glass became still again.

“You should say only good spirits,” Tamila whispered. “Or we could end up talking to demons, or evil ghosts, or dead murderers…”

“Calling all demons, evil ghosts, and dead murderers!” Reese cried out in a slurred voice, then doubled forward, laughing.

“Be serious, Reese,” Barb said.  In a louder, more formal voice, she asked, “Are there any messages from the Other Side?  Like from our spirit guides or totem animals?”

“Totem animals,” Reese snickered.

“We all have one.  Mine’s a frog,” Barb told her, and Reese laughed and shook her head, tossing her blond hair.

“You look like a frog!” Reese said.

“Sh!  It’s moving,” Cassidy told them.

The wine glass shuddered again, and this time it began to slide over the poster board, the lip scraping and smearing a few of the still-wet letters, gathering glowing paint around its rim.

The glass moved across the alphabet to the word YES in the upper left corner of the poster, scraping up glue and glitter from a sparkly red pentagram along the way.

“Who’s doing that?  Are you doing that?” Reese asked Tamila, who shook her head, her wide eyes fixed on the board.

“Hello?  Are you a spirit?” Barb asked.

The glass slid half an inch, then right back into place.  YES again.

“Who are you?” Barb asked. “I mean, to whom do we have the pleasure of speaking?”

The wineglass lay still for a moment, then vibrated and hummed as if someone had plinked it with a fingernail.  The glass slid over the alphabet.

Cassidy felt her heart racing.  She hadn’t expected it to work at all, and it was starting to freak her out.  She wished they hadn’t turned off the lights.

The wine glass smeared its way across the board, its entire rim glowing green now.  It stopped at the letter N, and didn’t move again until Barb said the letter aloud.  It stopped again on the I.

“N…I…” Barb said.

“Nipple?” Reese suggested.

The glass continued on to the B, then H…A…and then it stopped on Z.

“N-I-B-H-A-Z,” Barb said.

“It’s just nonsense,” Cassidy said.

The wineglass jerked under their fingers, then flew to the word NO, dragging their fingers with it.

“Who’s doing that?” Reese asked. “Is it you, Cassidy?  Barb?  It’s you, isn’t it, Barb?  You big Goth girl.”

“Sh,” Barb said. “Nib…haz?  Is that right?”

The wineglass zipped over to YES.

“What does that mean?” Cassidy asked.

The wineglass spelled out N…A…M…E.

“Your name is Nibhaz?”

YES.

“Sounds like a demon’s name to me,” Tamila said in a soft voice.

“Pfft, shut up,” Reese told her. “Like you would know.”

“Do you have a message for someone here, Nibhaz?” Barb asked.

YES.

“For who?” Barb asked.

C…A…S…S…

Cassidy felt her blood turn cold.

“Oh, shit, for Cassidy?” Reese asked.

YES.

“Nibhaz, what is your message for Cassidy?” Barb asked.

The four girls watched as the glass crept back and forth along the top row of text.  D…I…E…

“Die?  It’s telling her to die?” Tamila gasped.

“Sh, it’s not done yet,” Barb told her.

“Yeah, it’s not done yet,” Reese echoed, her eyes fixated on the glass.

Cassidy shivered, trying to think of any non-scary word that started with “die.”

“Diesel?” Cassidy asked in a shaky voice.  She expected someone to laugh at her, but nobody did.

The glass moved back to the letter D.

“Died,” Barb said. “He’s saying he died, I think.  He’s a ghost.”

The glass whipped over to the word NO, then returned to the letter D.

D…I…E..

D…I…E…

D…I…E…

 

“Does it stand for something?” Cassidy guessed, trying not to sound scared.  Her heart was thundering inside her chest.

“Is it somebody’s initials, Nibhaz?” Barb asked.

NO.

“He’s telling her to die!  Are you people blind?” Tamila snapped.  She took her fingers off the glass and stood. “I’m gone.  Forget this craziness.”

“You can’t let go until the spirit says GOOD-BYE!” Barb yelled at her. “That’s how people get possessed!”

“Oh, now you believe in demons?” Tamila asked, brushing off her knees.

“Please don’t leave me, Tami,” Cassidy whispered.  She was genuinely scared now. “Not until this is done, okay?”

Tamila looked at her a long moment, then sighed and reluctantly sat on the floor again.

“Make it quick.” Tamila returned her fingers to the glass. “I mean it.”

“Nibhaz, is there more to your message?” Barb asked.

YES.

“What?” Cassidy whispered.

The glass flew back to the top row of letters.

D…I…E…

 

It moved faster, back and forth, never leaving the top row.

 

DIE

DIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIE

Cassidy watched in horror, spellbound as the glass raced back and forth, smearing the top row of letters into an illegible green streak, but still sliding back and forth, back and forth, touching the spots where the three letters D, I, and Ehad been.

She wanted to let go and pull away, but her fingertips felt glued to the wine glass.  The glass became icy, burning cold under her fingertips, a crust of smoking frost forming inside the bowl and along the stem.

Crafty Witchcraft: How to Make Your Own Ouija Board!

Last month, we told you how to brighten up your home with magic-wand toilet paper dispensers, shrunken-head pull tabs for your ceiling fans, and a cheerful cauldron made from the skull of a demented gorilla. This month, Crafty Witchcraft magazine is happy to bring you some tips and tricks for making your own spirit board, for when you want to speak to the dead but just don’t have time to visit in person.

There are a few important considerations when making a talking board for your own use:

1.The board itself—this is an important choice! Skp the boring poster paper and consider all your options: wood from a lightning-struck tree, dark obsidian rummaged from ancient temple ruins, or cursed cardboard from an evil factory are all great places to start! Remember, this will do more than anything else to determine the look, feel, and demon-summoning power of your board.

2.Decorate! If you’re going to speak to the really interesting evil spirits out there, you’re going to need a little something extra. Consider a black-lace doily edging and pentagrams drawn in goat blood. A bit of glue and a dash of glitter or ground bone powder from the corpse of a serial killer will really make your board stand out to the dark ghosts of the unseen world.

 3.Modernize! There’s no reason to stick with just the old-fashioned, humdrum letters and numbers. These days, you’ll want to include a hashtag and an @-sign for more modern communication with the Other Side. All your witchy friends will see how hip you are when you’re getting messages like this:

 Lucifer Morningstar (@TheFallenOne)

GIVE ME YOUR SOUL, WRETCHED MORTAL!

 That’s right! Even fallen angels are hip to social media—shouldn’t you be?

 4.Improvise! There’s no reason to stick with a little rectangular board game model. Consider painting an entire room with the letters, numbers, and other symbols. Instead of a pointer, use a glass-top table on wheels. Invite your occult-oriented friends over for a spirit-summoning party, and watch those other witches turn green with envy!

 5.Accessorize! Why keep it to a simple, boring old pointer? Adds some bells and whistles! Literally. Maybe your spirit wants to express itself through spooky music or flashing lights. Be creative, and you’ll attract all the coolest ghosts.

 We hope today’s article has helped spur a few ideas of your own! Remember, you’re speaking to the dead—there’s no reason to bore them to death all over again!

AUTHOR

J.L. Bryan studied English literature at the University of Georgia and at Oxford, with a focus on the English Renaissance and the Romantic period. He also studied screenwriting at UCLA. He enjoys remixing elements of paranormal, supernatural, fantasy, horror and science fiction into new kinds of stories.

He is the author of The Paranormals series (starting with Jenny Pox), The Songs of Magic series, Nomad, and other books. He lives in Atlanta with his wife Christina, his son John, and some dogs and cats.

Website: www.jlbryanbooks.com
Twitter: @jlbryanbooks

The Unseen by J.L. Bryan has a special release price of 99 cents through Halloween.  See his website for details and links: http://jlbryanbooks.com/books/theunseen.html

 

***GIVEAWAYS***

Grand prize giveaway

Prizes (open to US/CAN):

--'spell book' pendant, handbag, and a signed copy of The Unseen

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Individual giveaways:

A Giveaway of ONE EBook copy of The Unseen.

Open internationally.

 by latest November 15th, 2013

FILL THE CONTACT FORM iF YOU LIKE THE EBOOK GIVEAWAY

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Cover Reveal of Ovialell Book 2 and 3 by Tish Thawer

Queen of The Witches & Witch Won by Tish Thawer
(Ovialell #2 #3)
Published by: Amber Leaf Publishing
Genres: Adult, Paranormal Romance

Synopsis book 1 & 2:

Queen of the Witches:

Aryiah has taken her rightful place as Queen of The Witches. She now faces the challenging task of helping the Goddess Diana to find out who is behind the increased attacks in Ovialell.

With another war on the horizon, Aryiah and Damarius will have to face an old friend and a new enemy…one that is close to Aryiah’s heart.

Recently reborn, newly married, and suddenly in charge, Aryiah struggles to find a balance between her previous life and her present one

Witch Won:

With enemies revealed and another Great Rift in progress, now is the time for Aryiah to use her powers to save all of Ovialell from destruction.

With the help of The Witches, Aryiah leads the fight using all her magick. But with her heart still in pain from her recent loss, will her magick be enough to win the war?

With enemies at the door and her world on the brink of ruin, Aryiah has to once again make a decision that could possibly lead to her own demise.

Aradia Awakens:

To claim her destiny, Aryiah must die...but dying's just the beginning.

After waking from a dream where all she remembers is the word Wicca, Aryiah is determined to re-educate herself with this magical religion of her youth.

When a gorgeous man materializes in her living room, vampires start knocking on her door, and books literally start to glow, she soon realizes this dream was just the beginning of a nightmare.

Aryiah has been triggered to become one of The Witches, a coven charged with protecting the citizens of Ovialell with their magick and healing abilities. The only catch? In order to take her place with The Witches, Aryiah will have to die.

AUTHOR:

Tish Thawer writes paranormal romances for all ages, including her new adult series The Rose Trilogy, and her adult paranormal romance, The Ovialell Series, as well as young adult short-stories. Her magickal elements and detailed world-building are a welcome constant in every novel.

Before becoming a writer she worked as a computer consultant, a photographer and a graphic designer. She also operates a custom glass etching business, in addition to being a wife and the mother of three wonderful children.

She's been a fan of the paranormal for as long as she can remember. Anything to do with superpowers, myth and magic has always held a special place in her heart. From her first paranormal cartoon, Isis, to the phenomenon that is Twilight, this genre has always been a part of her life.

You can find Tish on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/AuthorTishThawer

A common FAQ: "How do you pronounce her last name?"

Answer: Think "Bower" or "Thow-er". It's Persian!

Website      Twitter      Goodreads

***GIVEAWAY***

-EBOOK COPY OF  Aradia Awakens

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Tour Review of Darkness Watching by Emma L. Adams

Darkness Watching
(Darkworld #1)

by Emma L. Adams
Publication date: September 30th 2013
Genres: New Adult, Paranormal, Urban Fantasy

Synopsis:

Seventeen-year-old Ashlyn is one interview away from her future when she first sees the demons. She thinks she’s losing her mind, but the truth is far more frightening: she can see into the Darkworld, the home of spirits– and the darkness is staring back.Desperate to escape the demons, Ash accepts a place at a university in the small town of Blackstone, in the middle of nowhere – little knowing that it isn’t coincidence that led her there but the pull of the Venantium, the sorcerers who maintain the barrier keeping demons from crossing from the Darkworld into our own world.All-night parties, new friendships and a life without rules or limits are all part of the package of student life – but demons still stalk Ash, and their interest in her has attracted the attention of every sorcerer in the area. Ash is soon caught between her new life and a group of other students with a connection to the Darkworld, who could offer the answers she’s looking for. The demons want something from her,  and someone is determined to kill her before she can find out what it is.In a world where darkness lurks beneath the surface, not everyone is what they appear to be..

Purchase: 

Amazon US     Amazon UK     Barnes and Noble     Kobo

AUTHOR BIO

Emma spent her childhood creating imaginary worlds to compensate for a disappointingly average reality, so it was probably inevitable that she ended up writing fantasy and paranormal for young adults. She was born in Birmingham, UK, which she fled at the first opportunity to study English Literature at Lancaster University. In her three years at Lancaster, she hiked up mountains, skydived in Australia, and endured a traumatic episode involving a swarm of bees in the Costa Rican jungle. She also wrote various novels and short stories. These included her first publication, a rather bleak dystopian piece, and a disturbing story about a homicidal duck (which she hopes will never see the light of day).Now a reluctant graduate, she can usually be found in front of her writing desk, creating weird and wonderful alternative worlds. Her debut novel The Puppet Spell, published in 2013 by Rowanvale Books, is a fantasy tale for young adults and the young at heart, inspired by her lifelong love of the fantastical, mythology, and video games. Emma also writes supernatural fantasy novels for older teens and adults. Her next book, Darkness Watching, is the first in the upper-YA/New Adult Darkworld series, and will be published in September 2013 by Curiosity Quills Press.

 

Website      Blog      Facebook Page     Twitter      Goodreads

***REVIEW***

-I received a Ebook copy at change for a honest review.-

I'm going mad. It's not real. Cara's superstitions have made me start seeing things.

Darkworld is a place to be explored more, both for readers and for Ashlyn, our protagonist.

In this first installment of the Darkworld, Watching Darkness, is the base for you to meet your main character: Ashlyn, who like every girl protagonist has a normal life. everyday problems and more, until he discovers she has a feature that is no ordinary girl: see demons, creatures of the night or as you like to call them.

Something that at first glance might be crazy! But take form gradually .

For me the story is well thought out, I feel it has potential as a first delivery as most clearly seeks to identify which will be the protagonist. And I think that's where a little failure, only I have that little feeling that I needed to feel to the characters that accompany our protagonist in this story.

Although I feel that most likely in the second part we see more full these interactions and what will be the underworld with the world and the way of Ashlyn.

Part of this factor funny thing is that it is the same thing that attracts you to read more history. To know more about the Darkorworld, and more action than it is to play with these underworlds.

This reading and more these days is highly recommended, is subtle and is easy to read, leaves you wanting to know more, wanting to know more about demons, which sees Ashley and that is the mystery of Venantium.

I really wanted to start reading this series, but I need more enjoyment! I have doubts and I particularly think those questions are good. And that make the reader think more of what could have happen, or what or who is behind all this.

 

I hope in the second installment see more action, and discover some important secret that has the key to what will happen, So do not delay Emma please :-)

And as the author says; Warning: contains demons, monsters, and students behaving badly.

This book could be the start of the young readers that provide insight into the world of Indie Paranormal slowly.

My StarReview is:

****

4 stars

 

Giveaway:

Grand prize giveaway

Prize (open internationally):

- One paperback copy of Darkness Watching

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Book Blitz: Breaking the Storm by Sedona Venez

Breaking the Storm
(Credence Curse #1)

by Sedona Venez
Publication date: August 6th 2013
Genres: New Adult, Paranormal, Romance

Synopsis:

I wanted Knox. There was no need to deny that fact.

Knox was the type of guy you gravitated to, who stood out in the crowd. It wasn’t just his classically good-looking features and perpetual five o’clock shadow. It was his raw energy that entranced me, that made me feel like a giggly, fumbling high school girl, happy to be in his presence.

Yes, there’s no denying it, front man Knox Gunner was a sexy badass.

It didn’t matter that he initially thought I was some bored, rich girl trying to live out some wild fantasy of being with a starving musician. It was uncomplicated and that’s what we both wanted. At least that’s what I convinced myself. I wasn’t ready to admit to myself that my feelings for Knox were getting dangerously deep—waiting to lay siege on my heart. I was falling for him… and this was dangerous. The rules were clear: falling in love would obligate me to expose what I truly was, setting in motion his slow march to death.

  BARNES&NOBLE

 

EXCERPT

BREAKING THE STORM (CREDENCE CURSE, #1)

BY SEDONA VENEZ

I instantly recognized the heavy, sensuous beat of the music as it thumped and echoed throughout the room. Damn those two. They picked Knox's hit single for me to dance to. I blew out anxiously, feeling like I was about to throw up. Damn, maybe I should just concede victory to Knox and go home with my tail between my legs. That's when I saw Knox with his wide muscular back deliberately turned away from me, in what I knew was an intentional you're not even worth paying attention to slap in the face. Okay, Mr. Gunner, it's time to wipe that fucking disdain from your face.

“Let's get ready to rumble… New York style,” I mumbled under my breath as I paraded about a bit before strutting my stuff. Releasing all of the tension, my body relaxed, fully taking in the magnitude of the utter power and sexiness of my captive audience. Unleashed dominance pulsed around me. Yep, I could do this. It was Seduction 101, and from the lustful hooded stares of the men that were now sitting up

at attention, they were very interested in seeing exactly what I brought to the freaky boardroom.

Licking my lips seductively, I flipped my hair, strutting forward with a deliberate sway to my hips. Chest out. Head up. My gaze swept to every man as a hush filled the room. Knox turned around, giving me a blank stare.

The lights flashed while the music wove a hard rhythm around me. I loosened the tie, running it through my hands seductively, then over my shoulders. A man with sexy black hair peppered with gray at the temple beckoned me over with a nod. Placing one foot directly in front of the other, I strutted over, proud and sexy.

Twirling the tie in my hand a couple of times before leaning forward with my stomach in and ass out, I swung the tie around his neck to draw him close. Gracefully swaying my hips from left to right as his eyes followed my hips in perfect synchrony. Releasing my grip on the tie and with a simple lift of my leg, my heel dug into his wide, muscular shoulder. His eyes dilated, turning a light yellow. A tiger-shifter. Bumping my hips sensually, I glanced at the wide-screen. The bid was at $80,000.

“Absolutely beautiful,” he said with a sexy Texas drawl. He pressed the button, moving the highest bid to $110,000. “You, I definitely want.”

“Tiger, you might be asking for way more trouble than you can handle,” I responded with a wink before digging my heel deliberately farther into his broad shoulder, knowing that the pinch of my heel would give him what he wanted—pain. A growl rumbled deep in his chest, his hands clenching his glass. Just like I thought, the tiger was into pain. He pressed the bid button again.

AUTHOR

T.L. Clarke writing as Sedona Venez

TLC is a NYC girl (go Brooklyn!) and is obsessed with books. She also has a borderline unhealthy obsession with her iPad. Her favorite books… anything with rockers, hot alpha men and wolf shifters!

Her true love for writing blossomed when she began to write New Adult and Adult novels with romance, music, and sexy men as her alter ego "Sedona Venez".

Find me on pinterest to get some great Breaking the Storm inspiration!! http://www.pinterest.com/tlcauthor

Facebook          Twitter

*** GIVEAWAYS ***

Grand prize giveaway

Prizes (open internationally):

-50$ Amazon Gift Cards

Individual giveaways:

One  ebook copy of

Breaking the Storm.

Open internationally.

By latest November 20th, 2013.

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Cover Reveal of Peaceful Genocide by J.A. Reynolds

Peaceful Genocide

by J.A. Reynolds
Publication date: November 25th 2013
Genres: Science Fiction, Thriller, Young Adult

Synopsis:

Seventeen-year-old Mitzi and Deuce can recall how many drops of water were on a leaf from a rainstorm five years ago and conversations from last week, month, or year. They have the ability to remember every second of everyday—since birth.

This gift has blessed Mitzi with a history of being sexually assaulted by researchers and abused by her own parents. She trusts no one. Likes no one. Deuce, however, is a high school standout. His gift has made him a superstar on the football field and his memory promises him endless opportunities.

When they both end up at an Alzheimer’s research facility under false proviso, they quickly realize this place isn’t what it seems to be. They endure crazy military-style tests, are forcefully drugged, and complete real-life simulations that haunt them.

Mitzi and Deuce have no idea what the researchers want to do with them or their memories. But one thing is clear: the researchers will go to any lengths to get what they want.

Promotional Event for Collared (Going to the Dogs, #4) by Zoe Dawson.

The Adult Contemporary Romance/Mystery, Collared (Book #4, Going to the Dogs)

by Zoe Dawson has release! To help celebrate, we have an excerpt and giveaway below.

Release: October 14, 2013

Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Goodreads

 

Diamonds are a dog’s best friend.

Harper Sinclair discovers that her champion, award-winning standard poodle, Ch. Edgewood Sky High Blue is missing her $50,000 diamond dog collar that was given to her by Harper's eccentric, indulging grandmother. Harper calls the robbery division of the NYPD and reports the theft. The detective they send is surly and tough with a pair of blue eyes that make even this calm, cool socialite's lungs claw for air.

Rough and tumble Detective Caleb Shaw has better things to do than run over to the penthouse of a frigging socialite to find a frigging collar for a frigging pampered poodle---award winning or not. He has real cases to solve, but when he gets a load of the poodle's owner, his interest in the case...heats up. Satin sheets or not, he wants Harper.

Can a lovely socialite collar a hard-boiled detective or are they worlds apart?

Excerpt

“So, Harper, has he let you handle his loaded weapon yet?” Brooke asked, taking a sip of the soda she had in her hand. 

“She has a trigger finger that’s…very dangerous.” Caleb’s deep voice made Harper’s head jerk around to find him standing behind the bench with an amused look on his face.

Callie and Poe whipped their heads around at the same time. Brooke was too busy spraying her soda all over her lap and the ground.

He leaned his elbows on the back of the dog park bench and gave Brooke a deadpan look. “It could go off unexpectedly.”

Brooke turned a deep red. Never had they ever been caught red-handed gossiping about the men they were seeing. The fact that Caleb had only made Harper giggle, and her heart bounced at the sight of him. She could hardly breathe as her eyes took in everything. 

“Is this the drop-dead gorgeous cop?” Poe asked. 

Everyone burst into laughter.

Author’s Favorite Quotes from Collared

“Either you’ve gotten much furrier overnight, and that’s terrifying, or I’m feeling up your poodle.”

Zoe: This quote just makes me laugh every time I read it. Yeah, funny.

 ____

He left and Harper went up to a mirror that was near the locker room. She checked her hair to make sure it was all still in place. Then she narrowed her eyes at her reflection and brought her hands up in a fighting stance. She started dancing back and forth and thumbing her nose. “Do you feel lucky, punk?” She jabbed at the mirror. “Take your best shot. Yeah, that’s right. You look yeller.” She jabbed again. “I’m taking that championship belt and there’s nothing you can do about it, punk. It’s KO time.”

“Hey, Rocky. You’re intimidating the hell outta that mirror.”

Zoe: This whole exchange takes place at Caleb’s fighting gym as one of Harper’s “fitting into his world” challenges and shows their character so well. Love the way she checks her hair in the mirror before going into her Rocky stance. And, Caleb’s short quote is so “him.”

 ____

 She pushed back her chair and headed toward him. When she got there, she went right for his mouth, no greeting, no preamble, just heat and moist lips.

He crushed her to him. Her hand went into his hair.

“I was just thinking about you,” she whispered against his mouth. “Are you busy?”

Zoe: Sigh, love the way they are together, intimately and without words before she says something.

 _____

“You’ll never fit in here, Shaw. No matter how you try. You and Harper won’t last. What the hell do you have to offer her?” He eyed the Scotch in Caleb’s hand. “She has expensive tastes. How are you going to handle that?”

Zoe: This hits Caleb hard and is his black moment. Little does he know that Harper has all the money in the world. What she doesn’t have is love and money can’t buy that.

 _____

 About the Author

Zoe Dawson is the alter ego of Karen Anders, award winning, multi-published author. Her writing journey started with poetry and branched out into fiction. With a couple of college English courses under her belt, she penned a historical, then moved onto contemporary romance fiction. Today, she is happy producing romantic suspense, romantic mystery, urban fantasy and paranormal novels. The words feed her soul and the happily ever afters feed her heart.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Blog | Goodreads | Newsletter

*** GIVEAWAY ***

- $10 GIFT CARD TO AMAZON OR BARNES&NOBLE

INTERNATIONAL

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Note: THIS POST SHOULD HAVE RAISED THE DAY 26 - OCT-2013, ALL THINGS IN THE CLOUD SWEET AND ALICE, GIVE AN APOLOGY TO THE AUTHOR, PROMOTER AND ATOMR TOURS.

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