Guest Blog: Alina Popescu

Title: The Breaking of Bonds
Series: Bad Blood, Book Two
Author: Alina Popescu
Genre: paranormal, supernatural, paranormal romance, vampire
Length: Novel

Synopsis

A human sacrifice throws vampires of two worlds, trueborn and baseborn, into an escalating conflict. One side pushes for revenge, the other for freedom. The trueborns stubbornly hunt for Anthony and Louis, pushed by Hesrah’s desire to avenge her human best friend, Alexa. The baseborns are divided between rallying with those challenging the rule of Ankhsis and obeying the trueborns.

What emerges from the portal between Earth and Ankhsis in the middle of the turmoil rocking both worlds is more dead than alive. Neither human, nor baseborn, and certainly not trueborn. This new being will either damn them all or be their race’s most powerful weapon. Will they trust it not to destroy them, or will Ankhsis decide putting it down is the only solution?

In the end, who is guilty? Who will pay? Will anyone survive its wrath?

Book Trailer

Buy Links:

Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00Y4P5C5U
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00Y4P5C5U
Amazon AU: http://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B00Y4P5C5U
Amazon DE: http://www.amazon.de/dp/B00Y4P5C5U
B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-breaking-of-bonds-alina-popescu/1122051367?ean=2940151945226
ARe: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-thebreakingofbonds-1814960-140.html
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/546554

Make sure you read book one of the series before enjoying book two!

The Edge of Hope – Bad Blood Trilogy, Book 1

Everyone she loved betrayed her. She felt lost and broken. Getting away from the pain and embracing a new path, Alexa decided to leave her old life behind and chase a long forgotten dream in Malta. There she met a gorgeous man, bearing the scent of fresh love. He led her to a new city to explore, Amsterdam. Is the tall, dark, and delicious man a dream come true or just a risky gamble?

Alexa chose hope and new beginnings over fear and warning signs only to be brutally dragged into a world she never really thought existed. Vampires, their feuds, and her future held tightly in their hands.

Trapped in a mysterious world, Alexa gives love chance after chance. Following her quest of self-discovery in a blood bound world, will she survive the journey?

Take advantage of the sale for The Edge of Hope – $0.99 everywhere
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00JEBJXDQ
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00JEBJXDQ
Amazon AU: http://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B00JEBJXDQ
B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-edge-of-hope-alina-popescu/1119064391?ean=9781497436305
ARe: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-theedgeofhope-1472664-143.html
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/424918

Excerpt

I shook my head, trying to focus on Seth. “Don’t move,” I said in what I imagined was a stern voice, but to be honest, it shook a little. “Not a muscle.”

“What are you doing,” Seth asked. He did not seem scared either, but he certainly did not trust me around him. 

“Just shut up and do as I say!”

I got closer to him and it all became harder to bear. The smell of his blood, the sight of it, the sound of it running through his veins, the scent of his sweat, it all made my vision blurry. My head was pounding and my stomach hurt worse than ever before. I reached out and put one hand on his shoulder, right next to the bite. I took a few deep breaths, but I tried to get used to the feeling of his skin under my touch and all that closeness to… well, my favorite dish. When it seemed to become something I could take without sucking him dry, I pushed his head toward his right shoulder. He resisted the move but finally moved it. 

The closer my lips got to the bite, the harder it was to keep in mind what I was supposed to do. I was breathing heavily and moaning, I think. There were some sounds coming out of my throat, but I was unsure what it all was. I licked tentatively and stopped when my brain registered the taste of his blood. I had vivid images about bleeding him dry distracting me, but I pushed through and continue to lick the fang marks a little longer, till I was sure I had covered it all in my saliva. 

All I wanted was to be far from him, fast. And the moment the thought formed in my mind, I started running backwards. I bumped into the furthermost wall and stopped. Seth and Magnus seemed to react very slowly, as if they were moving in slow motion. I could see their startled expressions at the sudden move but only long seconds after I had touched the wall. 

“All right, it seems you also have speed. Almost full feral powers on Ankhsis. That will certainly be a problem,” Magnus said in a surprisingly steady voice. In my experience, people tended to panic a little when they discovered a problem. Oh, shit was one of my go-to phrases. 

After making it through the earlier challenge, I started to trust my abilities of self-control more. So I walked back to the bed and sat on the very same chair that Seth had been sitting on when I had woken up.

“Are you OK?” My shaky voice made me cringe a little.

“Yeah, fantastic,” Seth mumbled, arching a brow and staring right at me. It did not take a genius to figure out he was being sarcastic; even Sheldon Cooper would have picked up on it that one time. 

“I’m really sorry.” I winced at the thought of what could have happened and averted my eyes. 

“I’m sorry, that was harsh,” he said, taking me by surprise. I hadn’t expected him to let it go so quickly. I sure as hell wouldn’t have gotten over someone trying to suck the life out of me so quickly. “We’re both new to this, I guess. I am not used to be someone’s prey; you don’t know how to control your urges. My ego is what you have bruised the most.’

“I truly am sorry, Seth! It really is unlike me to behave like that.”

“You mean bleed strange men dry after trying to sexually take advantage of them?” He smirked but his smugness was not funny in the least.

“I don’t remember you resisting that second part much.” I sneered and clenched my fists, starting to feel less guilty for having attacked him. 

“Now, now, kids! Don’t fight,” Magnus said, getting closer to us, probably imagining they could have done a better job at stopping me together. 

The anger was so thick I could have cut it with a knife… if it took a material form. Oh, damn it, who cared, I felt it seething and my stomach coiled with the need to cause some damage and fill up on blood in the process.

“Oh, no, Alexa, I wouldn’t dare say I wouldn’t have… encouraged you to have your way with me,” Seth continued on the same half-amused, half-mocking tone. “But see, I was not the one calling some idiot’s name when I finally emerged from the portal.”

I couldn’t say if I ever had a chance to even think I should try to control my rage. I just threw Magnus across the room, grabbed Seth by the neck and jumped on top of him, on the bed. I could have just squeezed his neck a little and there would be no more mocking me. 

The skin on my inner thighs was touching his abs. A perfect six pack, I could feel it without looking. The raw sexual desire slowly overpowered the anger and the hunger. He was smiling, I eventually noticed. His hands were suddenly moving and I shivered at his soft but steady touch. He caressed me from my ankles upward over my knees and finally settled around my waist. I could smell his arousal and it only made my physical reaction worse. 

“Want to forget about him for a while?” Seth asked and I realized I had stopped holding him by his neck and I was tracing his upper arm muscles instead. I ran across the room once more. I heard him laugh, so I just ran out of the room and out the door. I kept running down the stony alley and into the woods.

Guest Post by Alina Popescu

Sometimes things don’t go according to plan

I’ve spoken about my writing process at length. I start to write the script in my head, I see the characters interacting as their journey comes to life, and when every piece of the puzzle is worked into the thread, I start writing. By the time I start typing it all out on my computer, I know where I’m going. But sometimes characters are nothing but menaces that just won’t go along with my initial plan. 

With the Bad Blood trilogy, that happened twice so far. The first time was easy. I was planning out The Edge of Hope and Louis came out of nowhere, demanding his place in my story. He wouldn’t shut up about it, so I included him in Alexa’s story line early on. It turned out she needed Louis, in more ways than I could have guessed. 

The second time… well, this happened during my planning phase for book two, The Breaking of Bonds. I was used to it by now, but then it happened again while I was writing the story. Seth refused to be a good little supporting character. His relationship with the female lead was supposed to be a sexually charged one, but never move past an initial distraction. Seth was not supposed to play a more significant role in the story. 

Boy, was I wrong! I was dead wrong about him and his importance, or so he kept claiming. I went along with it because I now know better than to fight it. I suppose it’s up to the readers to decide if it was the right call. 

The bottom line is things don’t always follow the path you’ve imagined they would. Characters are loud mouths that refuse to let you shut them up. Stories change, and sometimes the shift is so shattering, you can’t help freaking out a bit. Okay, a lot. The right thing to do? Breathe, relax, and trust the story you’ve imagined and the characters you’ve created. For all intents and purposes, they are not real. But they are the voices of your instincts, telling you where you should go. 

Giveaway

Prizes: 3 e-copies of The Edge of Hope, 2 e-copies of The Breaking of Bonds, 1 bundle of Bad Blood, books 1 & 2
a Rafflecopter giveaway

About the author

Writer, traveler, and coffee addict, Alina Popescu has been in love with books all her life. She started writing when she was ten and even won awards in local competitions. She has always been drawn to sci-fi, fantasy, and the supernatural realm, which explains her deep love for vampires and is also to blame for this trilogy.

Social Links
Site & Blog: http://alina-popescu.com
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/authoralinapopescu
Twitter: http://twitter.com/alina_popescu
Instagram: http://instagram.com/alinapopescuwriter
Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/alina-popescu
Google+:  https://www.google.com/+AlinaPopescu
Amazon:  http://amazon.com/author/alinapopescu

Guest Post and Spotlight: 2 Worlds 2 Men

BLURB:

Jocelyn and Neely are having a perfectly pleasant dinner at the Sheep Heid Inn when it happens: Jocelyn suddenly finds herself sitting across the table, not from Neely, but a strange man dressed in medieval garb. This man is no apparition. His eyes, the deepest brown, clearly look on her in intimacy; his touch causes her pulse to rise.  Jocelyn realizes two things: from his clothes, he is clearly an aristocrat, and that she, Jocelyn Stewart, seems to be in some sort of romantic relationship with him! Minutes later Jocelyn returns to Neely, in the present day, weak and terrified. Together they begin to unravel the forgotten past and find themselves facing the reality of medieval Scotland. A strange world steeped in folklore and superstition; where life begins and often ends with the sword. 

As Jocelyn travels back to medieval times she learns that the man she keeps seeing is no other than Sir Colin Campbell of the powerful Campbell Clan. When Jocelyn is with Colin, she wants never to leave his side; then she returns to the present and cannot imagine herself with anyone but Neely. Jocelyn struggles with a choice. 

Which man will gain her heart when both offer such different love? She is in love with two different men in two different worlds.

Excerpt:

Jocelyn looked around for the driver who was supposed to be waiting for her arrival with a sign. She had hired someone to pick her up because, as an American and first-time visitor to Scotland, she had figured it would be less stressful.

She didn’t see the driver anywhere; then, just as she started feeling nervous, she saw a man holding a sign with her name on it. And what a man he was! He was broad shouldered, strong and had dark brown hair with reddish tints. He exuded masculinity like some cologne, and even across the airport, she thought she could smell it. Smoothing her unruly hair, she started to walk over to him.

The man, seeing her approach him, took a step toward her. “Are you, Jocelyn?”

When he spoke her name, she found herself frozen in place unable to respond. She’d heard this voice before; she knew this voice. This man spoke her name exactly like the dream she had had all those years ago! She had been stirred awake in bed by a voice of a man, who spoke her name with a Scottish accent. His voice was gentle and low; as if he wanted to gain her attention, but not cause her alarm. Jocelyn had clutched the sheets to her chest and stared out into the darkness of her bedroom almost feeling his intimate presence beside her. She lifted her hand up to her ear having sworn his warm breath had brushed her skin. Jocelyn remembered she had turned her head, anxiously, toward the pillow next to her and almost thought she would be looking into the eyes of a stranger; yet she had not been frightened. This man, his voice, somehow comforted her.

Now, she stood in the airport and caught her breath as she faced the man before her. Her eyes searched his face for something; though what it was she wasn’t sure. Jocelyn felt her heart beating so fast she was certain the man could hear it as memories flooded her mind of that night so long ago when he or someone spoke her name in the darkness. Was that the reason for her vacation to Scotland? Was she unconsciously trying to find the man?

“Have you always been a fan of Paranormal?” 

By Joy Frawley

As a kid I remember being inspired by Paranormal stories, such as C. S. Lewis’s The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. I was totally smitten with the idea of walking into a wardrobe that led to another world filled with strange creatures and adventure. What child wouldn’t want a talking lion as a friend and protector? However, I had no idea that one day I would write my own Paranormal adventure with Two Worlds Two Men. 

For me, the attraction with Paranormal stories is that we can be transported into a completely different realm. There are no limits or boundaries to imagination. When we read a standard modern day story we can somewhat predict what kind of lifestyle the characters live such as housing, foods, and the workplace. We often have those same habits or features in our own lives. When reading Paranormal the reader breaks free of probabilities or the ability to necessarily know what is going to happen next. In Two Worlds Two Men the reader goes back and forth between modern day Edinburgh and medieval Scotland. Most of us, myself included, do not have firsthand experience in the lifestyle of a woman in the medieval Highlands so that aspect alone leaves the reader somewhat uncertain what features he/she will read next. I find that exciting. Paranormal is fun on both sides, both as a reader and a writer, because our imagination is one of the most unique aspects of humanity. Having an outlet like Paranormal books gives us all an opportunity to stretch that imagination to whatever limits we allow ourselves. What do you feel like today? A bit of futuristic space travel or maybe a trip back to King Arthur’s court? Whatever your poison may be you can rest assured you will find that passion quenched in a Paranormal book. 

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Joy Frawley is an author and writer of the upcoming romance novella; Two Worlds, Two Men due to release on October 2014 by Resplendence Publishing. Joy lives in beautiful Traverse City, Michigan relishing in living the life of the classic “townie” with her two dogs Piggs and Diggs. 

http://www.joyfrawley.com

https://twitter.com/joyfrawley

Buy Links:

Amazon:  http://www.amazon.com/Two-Worlds-Men-Joy-Frawley-ebook/dp/B00OJMWNUK

Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/two-worlds-two-men-joy-frawley/1120564491

Resplendence Publishing: http://www.resplendencepublishing.com/m8/706-978-1-60735-807-7--two-worlds-two-men-by-joy-frawley.html

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Name Before the Masses Tour: Beacon

Beacon

Ripped Ties, Book 1

Angela Brown

Evernight Teen, Released Nov 21^st., 73K

Romance, Dystopian, Urban Fantasy, Interracial

Tsunamis reduced the USA into a shell of itself, called The Fold. Surviving humans and vampires joined forces to form The Colony, where registered citizens do as their told.

They donate blood quarterly and dream of being chosen as Attendees for the Jubilee celebrations, that is, everyone except Macie Breen. With high school graduation near, she’s anxious to ditch the rules in hopes of starting a new life with Thane, an unregistered and also her best friend.

Her hopes fizzle when Macie is selected as an Attendee, forever registered. Any future with Thane…impossible. Being chosen comes with another unexpected price.

Truths about The Colony blaze into ashes and lies when she discovers the vampires haven't kept their part of the bargain. Worst still, Macie’s life unravels as her stint in the city of Bliss forces her to face daunting truths about who, and what, she really is.

Buy Links:     Evernight Teen    Amazon    All Romance eBooks

Excerpt:

"We’re not kids anymore, Macie. You’ve learned what little The Colony had to say about the vampeer, wights and devil spawn. There’s something else they’ve hidden from you. From all registered citizens. I’ve wanted to tell you for a long time why we met. Just how special you really are. But you won’t want to be my friend anymore once you know the truth. Losing you would be…”

Words trickled from my mouth unfiltered. “I, what do you mean I wouldn’t…”

He turned to me, chewing his bottom lip. The last time he did that was the day I broke first blood.

We were playing at knight warriors, a favorite of ours since we were kids. I thrust my wooden sword forward. It clattered to the ground as I doubled over from a sharp spasm in my stomach. I tried to shoo Thane away, deal with the pain on my own. But, noticing the grimace on my face – I really tried hard to be quiet, but I cried out anyway – he wouldn’t have it. When he glanced at my yellow cargo pants, he chewed his bottom lip, eyes wide. My gaze trailed down to the bloody mess I’d become. My face couldn’t have flashed hotter if I set it on fire.

Now he was doing it again, chewing his bottom lip. What could he possibly have to say? He opened his mouth to speak when the tent flap ripped away. We jerked our heads around to face a tall being covered in shaggy, brown fur from scalp to hoof. A shadowy glow encircled it like a dirty aura. Two arms protruded from both sides. Jagged teeth crowded its mouth. Drool leaked down its chin. Reptilian eyes shone bright white with a red slit down the middle. One set of eyelids blinked side to side as the second set followed up and down. It snarled, spat and drooled some more. My bladder felt one moment away from losing it.

“Frag me,” I whispered as my world collapsed into a nightmare.

Guest Post:

Blame it on Anne

Thanks so much for having me here today. Here’s an interesting question I pondered for today’s blog tour stop:

"What is the first Paranormal novel you read that made a real impact on you?" (Great question, by the way)

I sat and wondered, thinking of the various novels I’ve devoured. So many books to consider. It couldn’t be one I simply enjoyed, but that first one to have an impact. Then, it wasn’t the book that made me stop and settle into that familiar feeling of antsy excitement. It was the movie and the book I read AFTER the fact.

I’m sure some of you are familiar with Interview with the Vampire. If not - wait, how could you NOT know this movie? Let me move on before I digress into a bunch of girlish gibberish about how this is a must see movie for any person with the slightest inking of liking vampires or Brad Pitt. This movie captivated me. There was something inherently magnetic about Louis and Lestat. So I had to read the book.

I was drawn to the pain and suffering wrought by the longevity of immortality and the bloodlust required for survival. Love was but a butterfly to flit in and out of their lives, a beautiful thing to behold, capture, and enjoy, but fleeting. Anne Rice made something normally portrayed as cold-blooded evil into something we as humans could understand. Vampires didn’t have to be the bad guys. They could be heroes, albeit faulty ones that had to get their food source from somewhere since they couldn’t just pull up to the local McDonald’s and order a large bag of O negative blood.

I blame Louis, Lestat, Claudia, and Armand for my fascination with vampires and other preternatural beings. I blame the Mayfair witches, too, because that trilogy rocked. I blame Anne.

So for you, what was the first paranormal novel to impact you? What author do you blame? Please feel free to share because I’d love to discover more authors to blame 

Author Bio:

Born and raised in Little Rock, AR, Angela Brown now calls Central Texas home. She's a lover of Wild Cherry Pepsi and chocolate/chocolate covered delicious-ness. Steampunk, fantasy and paranormal to
contemporary - mostly young adult - fill her growing library of books.

Mother to a rambunctious darling girl aptly nicknamed Chipmunk, life stays busy. Her favorite quote keeps her moving:  "You may never know what results come of your action, but if you do nothing there will be no result." ~ Mahatma Gandhi. She's released Neverlove and They All Fall Down of the Shadow Jumpers series, Frailties of the Bond and Atone of the NEO Chronicles, and BEACON, a YA urban fantasy dystopian published by Evernight Teen publishing.

Contact links:
e-mail: tomewriter@gmail.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AngelaLBrownWrites
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ALBrownwrites
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6476148.Angela_Brown

*****

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Virtual Blog Tour: The Ragnarok Chronicles

Title: The Ragnarok Chronicles
Author: Nicki J. Markus
Length: novel (678 pages)
Genre: Fantasy, Adventure, Mythology, Romance, Young Adult
Suitable: 16 years and above

Synopsis

For Ragnarok will be completed….
Nothing marks Cassandra out—except her visions. She’s only ever seen small, insignificant things. That is until the strange frost arrives.

With her normal life turned upside down, Cassandra is plunged into an extraordinary and terrifying world of Norse gods and rampaging giants, ancient feuds and broken prophecies.

A handsome stranger offers aid. But can Cassandra really trust him? More importantly, can she trust her own judgment when his slightest touch sets her heart and her body aflame?

Book trailer

Buy Links:

Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00SW0TV46/
Amazon UK: www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00SW0TV46/
Amazon AU: http://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B00SW0TV46/
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-ragnar-k-chronicles-nicki-j-markus/1121134764?ean=9780994234612
Kobo: http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/the-ragnarok-chronicles
Paperback
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/Ragnarök-Chronicles-Nicki-J-Markus/dp/0994234600
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Ragnarök-Chronicles-Nicki-J-Markus/dp/0994234600
The Book Depository: http://www.bookdepository.com/Ragnarök-Chronicles-Nicki-Markus/9780994234605

Excerpt 

   When the frost came, clinging murderously to every leaf and blade of grass, Cassandra was not surprised. Others viewed the carnage and bewailed the death of their summer gardens, muttering about climate change, but she knew better. For days now she had felt it coming. Her joints ached and she saw ice in her mind’s eye; glittering stalactites dripped into her field of vision, growing more persistent as the days passed. Ignoring the scoffing glances of her neighbours, she had carried the few potted plants she had not already killed off indoors where they would be protected from the coming chill.

   Cassandra gazed out of the window at the frost-bitten world beyond her ground-floor flat. The summer sun had reached its peak, its rays warm even through the glass, yet strangely it was not enough. The frost gripped its victims still, refusing to budge, refusing to surrender. It stayed within her mind too, bringing a vague, pulsing chill to her bones. She crossed her arms and retreated to her reading chair, flopping down onto the cushions and hugging one tightly to her chest. It will pass, she told herself over and over.

   For as long as she could remember she had had an uncanny ability to sense things before they happened. As a child, she would announce suddenly at dinner that it would rain in the morning, even though the weather report had just predicted a fine day. Or she would inform her frantic mother that the missing mobile phone was in the glove box and not in the house at all. It had freaked out her parents when she was small, but her grandmother had always winked at her and called it a gift, before launching into another of her famous tales of fairies and magic, gods and giants. Usually the message Cassandra received was fleeting—a flash of an image or a vague sensation in her mind, gone as quickly as it had arrived—but not this time. No, this time it lingered, icy tentacles wrapping around her, passing back and forth before her eyes. Tomorrow I’ll be fine again. Tomorrow when the frost clears.

Of Gods and Giants: Writing the ‘Other’ in Fantasy Fiction

Nicki J Markus

   One of the great challenges in fantasy writing is to find a way to represent non-human figures so they maintain their alien qualities while also being recognisable and believable to readers. There are a number of ways writers can approach this. It can be accomplished through the character’s appearance, mannerisms, mode of speech, beliefs and values, and in the way they dress. I have tried to employ all these techniques in my new book The Ragnarök Chronicles in the hope of creating characters that are realistic to readers but retain their quality of being ‘other’. 

   All my mythological characters speak differently from the modern day humans. They never contract words and their language and sentence structure is more archaic to give an impression of their age and the fact English is not their native language. The different races of the nine realms have different styles of dress, reflecting their respective cultures and ways of life. Their appearances too are diverse. The two groups of giants have visages that relate to the realms in which they dwell, while all the gods are handsome beyond compare.

   

   All these elements set them apart from the humans, and yet their motivations remain deeply familiar—love, hate, jealousy, lust, a desire for power, and the will to survive—because fantasy fiction is not just about strange new worlds and beings, it is, at its heart, a reflection of our own world, and the characters need to show that in order to engage the reader.

   So let me invite you all to my world of gods, giants, and ancient prophecies. I hope you will enjoy the journey.

Giveaway

Prizes: 3 x eCopy of The Ragnarok Chronicles and Swag signed by Nicki J. Markus

About the author

Nicki J Markus was born in England in 1982, but now lives in Adelaide, South Australia with her husband. She has loved both reading and writing from a young age and is also a keen linguist.
Nicki launched her writing career in 2011. She published works through Wicked Nights Publishing and Silver Publishing before both companies closed their doors. She is now self-publishing some of her works.
Nicki also writes M/M fiction under the alternate pen name of Asta Idonea and has had several short stories published by Wayward Ink Publishing.
Nicki works as a freelance editor and proofreader and in her spare time enjoys: music, theatre, cinema, photography, sketching, history, folklore and mythology, pen-palling, and travel.
Social media links
Blog: http://www.nickijmarkus.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/NickiJMarkus
Twitter: https://twitter.com/NickiJMarkus
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolamarkus
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4567057.Nicki_J_Markus

Guest Post and Spotlight: Gray Island

Gray Island

J.C. Aster

Evernight Teen/69k

Teen Romance/Paranormal/Shifters

Sage Murdock has always felt different from the other students at his high school in Boston, and being bullied and ostracized has become a way of life he accepts…but at the same time, he worries that the whispers are true and that he is, in fact, mentally abnormal.

After a bullying incident at school provokes Sage to violence, his mother and stepfather tell him he is being sent to live with his biological father on Gray Island, a small weather-beaten island off the coast of Maine. There, Sage encounters many strange people who all seem to be hiding something.

A single bright spot is Cadi, a free-spirited girl about his own age. Unfortunately, Cadi is a member of a strange cult-like group that lives on the opposite side of Gray Island. Before long, Sage learns that his relationship with Cadi must end or the consequences will be catastrophic.

Buy Links:   Evernight Teen    Amazon    All Romance eBooks

Excerpt:

“I was out walking,” she answered, to his relief. She shook her head, sending a cascade of glistening raindrops from her honey-brown hair. The droplets seemed to descend in slow motion, twinkling like stardust.

“In the rain?”

“It isn’t raining anymore. Besides, I don’t mind. Rain is part of nature. We’re part of nature. It all fits, right?”

“I guess. I prefer to stay dry.”

“Oh? I can’t help but notice you’re out here, same as I am.”

“I…uh, yeah. I couldn’t sleep. And then I spotted you from my window.” He paused, fumbling for his next few words. “I…um…I saw Ivar tonight.”

Her rosy lips thinned. “I heard. I’m sorry he tormented you.”

Sage shrugged self-consciously. “It’s a public place. I guess he had a right to be there, same as I did.”

“Stuff like that happens because we have only one restaurant on the island. I know he goes there with his friends once in a while.”

“Do you ever go with him?” Sage asked hopefully.

“No. My parents won’t let me go anywhere that serves alcohol… besides, that place is a little noisy for my tastes.”

“I know what you mean.”

They fell into step together as they trudged through the sodden forest. The water dripping on her skin didn’t seem to bother her at all, nor did the chilly air. She was used to it, Sage supposed. Maybe he’d get used to it one day, too. But, no—he had no idea of staying that long.

Cadi did make it tempting to stick around a while, though.

“What’s the deal with you and Ivar, anyway?” he finally asked, unable to keep a note of strain from his voice. “You said once he wasn’t your boyfriend. But is he…I mean, are you and he…?”

She didn’t wait for him to finish. “I don’t like labels, personally. Do you?”

“I don’t know. It’s kind of hard to tell what’s inside the can without one.”

She laughed, a genuine and easy sort of laugh that banished the cold from his body. He smiled too. They walked on, side by side, not touching but enjoying the moment. At least, he was. And she seemed happy enough to stay beside him.

“I’m glad you have a sense of humor,” Cadi said. “Not many people around here do.”

“The weather makes them that way, maybe. No sun. I’ve been feeling kind of strange myself.”

“Not because of the weather. Haven’t you figured that out yet?” She stopped and looked at him intently.

“No. What do you mean? Figured what out?”

“Sage…you don’t know your father very well, do you? Or much about his life here?”

“Nah. Why would I? My parents split up and he took off when I was less than a year old. I haven’t had much contact with him since. Then, all of a sudden, my mother got this bright idea to send me out here to live with him.”

“She didn’t tell you why?” Cadi seemed genuinely concerned.

“Not in so many words. I figure she couldn’t handle me anymore. You know, hormones, bad temper, the usual teenage stuff.”

“No, Sage. It wasn’t the normal teenaged stuff. Trust me.”

“What do you mean?” He scowled and started walking again. “Are you trying to tell me my father is a serial killer or something?”

“No! No, Jeremy’s all right. I admit, my parents aren’t crazy about him, but they live on the other side of the island, so that’s to be expected.”

Sage scowled. “Don’t you come over to this side for school?”

“No. We have private lessons in the compound. Ivar’s father, Laurent—he’s sort of like our governor—appoints teachers for us. Sometimes he lectures to us, too. We can study at our own pace. I kind of like it that way. I don’t think I’d do well in your kind of school.”

“You’re kidding. That sounds like something from another century!”

“No, it’s modern enough. We have electricity and everything.” Her sardonic laugh ended in a sigh. “There’s a lot about this place you don’t understand, Sage.”

“I’ll be the first to admit that.”

She took his hand. He squeezed back. “You’ll find out a lot, soon enough. Too soon, and I hate thinking about it. I want to remember you like this: just a normal guy from Boston, taking an innocent walk with me through the forest. I wish it could stay like that.”

“What are you talking about? What do you mean? I’m lost.” He looked around at the dark trees that hemmed them in on all sides. Nothing looked familiar. “In more ways than one.”

“Don’t worry. You won’t be for long. Don’t try to answer these questions too soon. Let some things be a mystery. Once you look for answers, everything gets complicated.”

“I guess so. But I’d still like to know the truth.”

“And I like mystery. Maybe we’re not so compatible after all.”

“Don’t say that.”

“Then let some things stay unsaid. Don’t ask me things. Let’s just spend time together and enjoy it.”

“Okay. If that’s what you want.”

“I do, and I want things between us to be special. Like magic.” She grasped his hand, pulling him to a stop. Then she leaned up and kissed him on the mouth. Startled, Sage responded awkwardly at first. Despite what he’d seen in movies and TV shows, he wasn’t quite sure which way to tilt his lips, and at one point his front teeth knocked against hers. When she didn’t move away, though, he decided to let instinct guide him. That worked out better, as their mouths began to slide together in a balanced and highly enjoyable rhythm.

Magic was an understatement.

Guest Post by J. C. Aster

YA THEN AND NOW

Every time I look through the shelves in the YA section of the local big-box bookstore, one thought goes through my mind—“if only they’d had so many cool books like this when I was a kid!” Don’t get me wrong, I read all the time, but almost all of my choices were grown-up books (some of which were so “advanced” that they horrified my teachers and the local librarians).I just couldn’t get into the “age appropriate” stuff they were farming out to us in school, and the mid-seventies was the age of the blockbuster, with books like Roots, Shogun, Jaws, and The Thorn Birds dominating the bestseller lists. I read all of those and more between the ages of ten and fifteen. My parents didn’t object in the least. They were avid readers, too, or maybe it was just that those huge books kept me quiet for long stretches of time and gave them some peace.

It wasn’t until I was older that I began to make sense of my aversion to the typical classroom fare. It occurred to me that most of the books I was forced to read and really disliked were all books that had a decidedly male perspective—The Chocolate War, The Old Man and the Sea, 1984, and even Great Expectations.  Don’t even get me started on the ones where some boy has to prove his manhood by killing a pet or some innocent animal, like Old Yeller, The Yearling, The Red Pony, and A Day No Pigs Would Die. It got to the point where I wouldn’t go near a book with an animal on the cover for fear of what I would find (a policy I maintain to this day, and I’m not the only one—my friend Rachael still has nightmares about Watership Down and avoids covers showing rabbits).

On the other hand, when I did read children’s lit back then, I would find myself captivated by the Little House series, biographies of Helen Keller, and Island of the Blue Dolphins. What made the difference, I realize now, was that all of these stories were about the issues that matter to girls—among them relationships with family, forming a strong sense of identity, and last but not least, compassion for animals and respect for life.

Today, when I look at the new books available for teens and younger readers, I am delighted to see gender and racial diversity and a more humane perspective represented in many titles. I hear that the proliferation of titles about female protagonists came about  because young men and boys don’t buy books at anywhere near the rate girls do. But when you look at what were once considered typical “male” stories, is it any wonder? I can’t help but think the “old standbys,” which are still taught in many schools, are responsible for turning a lot of young males off from reading. Maybe they would rather cuddle an animal than pick up a shotgun, too. I, for one, think that’s a good thing. 

Maybe it’s time for some new paradigms in books meant for boys. I’d be interested to hear what others think!

About the Author:

J.C. Aster is a teacher and freelance writer who is a huge fan of young adult fiction, especially stories with a paranormal twist (they sure didn’t have cool books like that when she was a kid or she might have had a more exciting childhood!).  GRAY ISLAND started as a National Novel Writing Month (Nanowrimo) project and quickly took on a life of its own.  She is currently at work on new projects and hopes to visit the magical shores of Gray Island again soon.

Giveaway:    $10 Evernight Teen Gift Card

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Spotlight and Guest Post: Suicide Forest

Suicide Forest by Jeremy Bates

Published December 14, 2014 by Ghillinnein Books

Horror

Suicide Forest:

Just outside of Tokyo lies Aokigahara, a vast forest and one of the most beautiful wilderness areas in Japan…and also the most infamous spot to commit suicide in the world. Legend has it that the spirits of those many suicides are still roaming, haunting deep in the ancient woods.

When bad weather prevents a group of friends from climbing neighboring Mt. Fuji, they decide to spend the night camping in Aokigahara. But they get more than they bargained for when one of them is found hanged in the morning—and they realize there might be some truth to the legends after all.

Book Trailer:

Jeremy Bates Bio:

Jeremy Bates is the author of the #1 Amazon bestseller White Lies, which was nominated for the 2012 Foreword Book of the Year Award. He has spent the last ten years traveling the world, visiting more than thirty countries. He has lived in Canada, the United States, Australia, Japan, South Korea, and the Philippines. Bates is a graduate of the University of Western Ontario with a degree in English literature and philosophy. He is an active member of Horror Writers Association, Mystery Writers of America, International Thriller Writers, Inc., and Crime Writers of Canada.

Links

Website  http://www.jeremybatesbooks.com/

Twitter https://twitter.com/jemacba

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/pages/Jeremy-Bates/192655100796017

Goodreads  https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5327980.Jeremy_Bates

Guest Post by Jeremy Bates

Top 5 Man vs. Environment Movies.

In Suicide Forest, a group of friends get lost in Suicide Forest—where they have to contend with the elements, among other things. Given the plot, I figured a post listing my top five man vs. environment movies would be appropriate. So here it goes:

1)      The Blair Witch Project

Yeah, I know. Some people are probably groaning at this choice. But this is one of the few movies that have genuinely freaked me out. This is due to the fact I watched it in the theater while I was teen working at some secluded resort. I hadn’t heard any hype about it, and I believed it was real found footage (as the found-footage genre was a novelty then). Later that night I had to cut across a dark golf course bordered by forests to return to my cottage—a truly freaky experience.

2)      Open Water

A couple go scuba diving. When they surface they discover their boat is gone, along with all the other scuba divers. Add to this scenario a lack of drinkable water, a lightning storm, and circling sharks, and you have yourself one hell of a nightmare.

3)      Wolf Creek

The Outback is big. Really big. I live there right now. You can drive for hours without seeing much of anything. Imagine being lost out there, chased by a crazy bloke with a knife that makes Crocodile Dundee’s look small. Scary, scary, scary.

4)      Frozen

No, not the Disney flick. This one’s about three friends who pay off a ski lift instructor to let them do one last ski run after closing hours. Unfortunately fort them, the ski lift shuts down while they’re halfway up the mountain. I don’t think it’s a spoiler to say the freezing weather eventually drives them to make the decision to jump or not. A classic, What would you do in that situation?

5)      All Is Lost

Robert Redford’s a retired old guy plying the ocean on his small sailboat. Sounds nice, right? Well, when a storm knocks out his radio, and his boat springs a leak, it soon becomes a life or death battle against the elements. There are maybe five words of dialogue spoken throughout the entire film, so it might not be for everyone. But to tell you the truth, the story and acting was so engrossing I barely noticed.

Honorable mention: The Gray. The Reef. The Ruins. Wrecked. 

Author Spotlight: T.W. Luedke

THE SHEPHERD by Travis Luedke

Release Date: September 27, 2014

After saving a mysterious girl from a hit and run, 16 yr. old Mike Evans soon finds his life spiraling out of control. Facing clairvoyant visions of grisly death, Mike struggles to avert disaster and make his way through the chaos.

 ~Synopsis ~

Skate punks, kleptomaniacs, clairvoyant visions and reincarnation...

THE SHEPHERD is unlike any other Young Adult novel you have ever read.

For me, Mike Evans, a skate punk living in a white-trash trailer park, high school blows.

My dad's an out-of-work drunk. My ex-girlfriend avoids me like the plague. My best friend, Anita, won't keep her hands off me...then there's Moses Lake's champion wrestler. The a-hole is waiting for an excuse to beat my face into the skate park concrete.

Worse, my visions of grisly death are back again, and if I tell anyone what I've seen I might actually cause these terrible events to happen.

I'm in way over my head, and Natasha? The girl I rescued from a hit-and-run? The girl who's stalking me nightly and climbing through my window? There's something seriously wrong with that girl.

Sharp, witty, dark and gritty, The Shepherd is a paranormal thriller for all ages. Get your copy now! 

Excerpt:

Chapter 4

Monday, September 16th

Apart from worrying about Hoodie Girl, who had disappeared for an entire week, I now had a big fat problem with Justin.  He was not happy about the video I posted to my Facebook.  Though I had called him every day, left voicemails and text messages asking how he was doing, he ignored me.

And then a few days ago the text war began.

Justin:  WTF?  (What The Fuck)  I cant believe U sent that video 2 every 1!

Mike:  Sorry dude, it was pretty cool.  You screamed like a girl.  Did U see all the comments it got on my FB?

Justin:  PBIAB!  (Pay Back Is A Bitch)  Im gonna stomp UR ass when I see U!

Mike:  Come on! U got 2 admit that was some funny shit!  ROTFLMAO  (Rolling On The Floor Laughing My Ass Off)

Justin:  U better run the next time I see U!

Mike:  Sorry Jus, Im only playing around.  U posted that pic of me pissing on the roadside and that video when I railed my nuts at the skatepark.  What’s the big deal?  I’ll take it down.

Justin:  Im not playin bitch!  Im gonna beat you like the white trash U R!

I tried calling Justin several more times to apologize.  He ignored me, the wicked silent treatment.

Silent indifference is pure evil.  It means they don’t even care enough to rise to the bait.  Silence takes away all your power.  I had always enjoyed getting a rise out of Justin.  He handled it so poorly.  Made for great entertainment.

So, I had stopped by Justin’s house on Northshore drive.  I’d never seen him so mad before.  I had hoped to calm the situation down.  Justin answered the door in a t-shirt and boxer shorts, a scowl painted on his face.  “What the hell do you want.”

“I just wanted to say I’m sorry.  I wasn’t trying to be cruel or anything.  I thought it was funny.  I guess it wasn’t very funny to you.”

“Ha, ha, ha.  Really fuckin’ funny.  See how I’m laughing?  You know what else is gonna be funny?  Me and Tommy and the whole friggin’ wrestling team are gonna beat the shit out of you in front of everyone.  I’ll be laughing really hard then.”

“Dude, I’m sorry, I deleted the video.  I was just playin’ around.  Look, you can check my Facebook page. It’s gone.”  I held out my cell phone to prove it.

“Gimme that.”  He snatched my cell out of my hand and threw it across the yard.  “You’re not sorry, but you will be.”

I chased that phone like a dog after a Frisbee.  I had saved up for two months to buy that phone.  Luckily it landed in the grass, nothing broken.  “Asshole!”  I had a mind to put a foot up his sore ass.

“Get the hell off my property!”  He stood there pointing his finger out to the street, Mr. Righteous.

“You wanna be an ass?  Fine!  Send your gay wrestler buddies after me.  See if I give a shit!”  I stomped off.

“Better watch your back Mikey!  Moses Lake is a small world!”

“Did they test you for drugs at the hospital?  I bet they’d like to know how much of your mom’s Xanax you were on.  Butt plug.”

“Go fuck yourself, Mikey.  Post that on Facebook.”

He used to be my best friend.  We used to tease each other all day long, joking.  Nothing was ever really serious.  So why was he being so serious?

After stewing on the situation for a day, I decided I didn’t owe Justin anything.  And if he was really planning to jump me, why should I be apologizing?  And what made him so special that he could treat me this way?  So what if he had money, and a nice house on the waterfront.  So what if my Dad doesn’t have a dime, and we live in a white trash trailer park.

What gives him the right to treat me like trash when he’s climbing up the side of the damn playcenter high on drugs?

I don’t have very many friends.  I can count them on one hand.  I was so angry with Justin.  I couldn’t leave it alone.  They say you shouldn’t text when you’re angry, but I was too pissed off to care.

The text war resumed.

Mike:  What up Jus?  R U still walkin funny?  Maybe U should stock up on the hemorrhoid cream.

Justin ignored me.

Mike:  Hey ramrod, what up?  A couple extra inches in the pooter?  Have U been able to take a crap yet?

Justin ignored that one too.

Mike:  I hope this has been an enlightening experience.  Im sorry U had to fall on a fence post 2 finally realize U R gay J.  R U planning on coming out of the closet now?

He couldn’t let that one slide.

Justin:  Stop calling me! Im never talking 2 U again!

Mike:  S2BU  (Sucks To Be You)

Justin:  RUFKM? (Are You Fucking Kidding Me)  SFT2M! (Stop Fucking Talking To Me)

Mike:  ILT? (It’s Like That)

Justin:  ILT!

Mike:  Whatever J  Hope U get well soon.  U don’t want to miss out on the video shoot next week because UR ass hurts.

The group of skate punks we hung out with had planned a skate video shoot for the following week.

Justin:  mlm (digital middle finger)

Mike:  BIOIYA! (Break It Off In Your Ass)

Our friendship was officially cancelled for the season.  And I guess it was serious, Justin missed two weeks of school after his playcenter adventure.

As friends we had been somewhat competitive, especially when it came to filming skate videos.  We had constantly tried to outdo each other, to prove who was better.  As enemies, the friendly rivalry morphed into a bitter war.

Friends make the worst enemies.  They have all that personal, inside knowledge to hurt you with.

About the Author

Travis Luedke is a NY Times & USA Today bestselling author of urban fantasy and paranormal romance, best known for his violently sexy NIGHTLIFE SERIES. Travis can be found catching a third degree sunburn in San Antonio, Texas, while arm-wrestling a bottle of red wine. Though often defeated by merlot and shiraz, he never gives up the fight.

As the author of the Nightlife Series novels, Travis lives very vicariously through his writings. He invites you to enjoy his macabre flights of fancy, but be warned: The Nightlife Series is violent, sexy, and occasionally violently sexy.

Facebook // Twitter // Goodreads // Website

Guest Post

Is Teen Fiction Loyal To Teens?

As an author, I write both teen and adult fiction.  Though there are many similarities between the two styles and novels, there is one major difference that seems to be missing from some of today’s teen fiction:  teenage life and issues.

Teens live in a world dominated by school, peer pressure, raging hormonal drives, bossy adults (parents?) and on many occasions, a highly dysfunctional family setting.  Teens are mostly dependent on these family members who may not be very trustworthy or dependable.  Teens have all the thoughts, feelings and urges of adults, but they haven’t quite adjusted to that world yet.

Their existence is a purgatory floating between childish carefree abandon and the weight of responsibility and freedoms of adulthood.

These young adults are told to behave, as though children, and yet, at the same time, they are expected to tackle adult tasks like college applications, job hunting, dating, driving, and all the pressures of the real world.  It’s no wonder they seem schizophrenic at times.  The constant mixed signals are enough to confuse anyone.

Do we expect them to act like adults while treating them as children?  Yes, we do.

In the world of teen fiction, there are many novels today that seem to have forgotten what it means to be a teenager.

So, as you scour the shelves for YA/teen novels, ask yourself, how many books have you found that are loyal to teens and the challenges they face?  Many of these books are simply a platform for some adult to talk down to teenagers in an attempt to preach adult values and morals.

In writing for teens, please remember that acne-ridden, awkward, voice-breaking, hair-growing time in life when very little made sense, especially if it was coming from a math teacher, but somehow, someway, we survived to adulthood.  Remember how it felt when some adult started preaching about making choices and taking on responsibilities, and growing up, and then proceeded to tell you that you cannot have the shoes you want, and you cannot go out past 10:00 p.m., and if your hands ever touch that girl’s ass again, they will be hacked off with a blunt instrument.

In writing my first ever YA novel, I endeavored to craft a story about teens, for teens, a snapshot of that insane, difficult time in our lives when nothing makes sense, but we are expected to understand it all anyway.

Ten books that should be made into films:

The Dark Tower Series by Stephen King – One of those HBO series like True Blood.

The Stars My Destination by Alfred Bester – An epic scifi-adventure feature film

Under By Treaty by Kayla Stonor – Epic space opera BDSM romance film (It would probably turn out far better than the upcoming 50 Shades Film)

Rogue Genesis (Shimmer In The Dark Series) by Ceri London – Epic military scifi series on Syfy network like Stargate

The Waeld Fae Journals by Christopher Shields – A trilogy of young adult fantasy films (would be awesomely epic)

Anita Blake Vampire Hunter – another one of those HBO series like True Blood.

A Kingdom of Dreams by Judith McNaught – a hilarious romp medieval adventure romance film

Hyperion Cantos by Dan Simmons – epic space opera series like Star Trek

Bill The Vampire by Rick Gaulteiri – awesome comedy horror film

And of course: THE NIGHTLIFE SERIES by Travis Luedke – another HBO series like True Blood. At least 6 seasons long.