Thursday, May 29, 2014

Featured Title--Through the Lens by Shannon Dermott!



How Sweet is this?

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Excerpt:

And that’s when I saw the color of his eyes. They were the bluest of blue that would make the sky want to cry from jealously. He was hot, a ten on the Richter scale. We’re talking catastrophic heartbreak. But the way his eyes bore into my lens-. Crap, he looked at directly me. Saw me. My nervous finger clicked off the shot before I shifted away in embarrassment. I did a 180 towards good old Abe and walked a couple steps, feigning more interest as I started to line up an extreme long shot of that memorial. I needed to get out of there. Had he known I was taking pictures of him? I was poised to walk away in the direction of the memorial and make my escape when I heard a voice behind me. He was too close and I knew because I felt his breath on the back of my exposed neck. And I knew who it might be by the sheer amount of baritone in the voice. Slowly, I turned around, heart knocking against my chest.
It was him. And he was like really tall. I was already tall but he had a good head over me, making me look up at him, guiltily while he looked down at me with no hint of shame. In fact his face was surprisingly empty, devoid of anything I could read. With his head at an angle, he spoke again, “So, do I get to see?” 
With no experience at all with guys other than Bradley—I mean who dates the fat girl— I was struck by his proximity, the fact that he, looking like that, was talking to me. And I was barely able to stutter out, “See what?”
Chuckling, he exposed impossibly white teeth, he said, “My picture.”
The duh, must have crossed my face and I tilted the camera, which had been cradled in my palm, to reveal the ancient thing I was using. “This isn’t digital.”
“That’s a problem then,” he said, his face expressionless again. No, there was something, I thought looking up at that face, hands shaking. And the look I saw there made me swallow hard.
“Why?” I asked, feeling like cotton had filled my throat.
 “I think there must be laws about that or something.”
“Laws,” I repeated, perplexed.
“Yeah, laws. I don’t think I gave you permission to take my picture.”  His posture said he was dead serious. Were there laws? I had no idea. And would he try to call the police or something. I didn't mean to do anything. I had been caught up in the feeling of the new camera, caught up in the sheer amount of attractiveness one person could have.
Taking my camera in his hand, the strap around my neck pulled me closer to him. He didn’t seem to notice that we were basically sharing too much personal space. He studied my camera like he knew a thing or two about them turning it over this way and that.
“You’re not going to open it, are you?” I asked meekly, scared he would press charges. And that if he'd open it carelessly, try to force it open, the vintage camera might break let alone ruin the film inside.
With a sardonic arch of his brow, he said, “I should. Do you have a release form? I mean, you can’t go posting these pictures without permission.”
“I, I never,” I stammered. I had no idea how many laws I might be breaking. “I promise I won’t post any of your pictures.”
Not looking at all convinced, he said, “How do I know that? Do you know how much my face is worth?”
Priceless, I wanted to say but kept that little comment to myself. I didn't want to seem creepier than he probably already thought me to be. I found myself licking my suddenly dry lips.  Was he a model? There was no doubt he could be.
Sighing, at my lack of response, he said, “Well, I guess you owe me then.” Owe him, I didn’t even know him.
“Look, I promise to destroy your picture,” I said, quickly. “I really didn’t mean to break any laws.”
And then he broke out in a brilliant smile, a truly bright genuine smile that caught me off guard. "What did you mean to do?"



Tuesday, May 27, 2014

Paperback Giveaway--Shannon Dermott!




Loved this book! Check it out!

Beg For Mercy Excerpt

Maggie made a noise that sounded like she was trying to clear her throat to get my attention. My head snapped back to her.  I didn’t quite get the message that I saw on her face. Tilting her head at an odd angle, she gestured for me to give my attention to something. I gave her a quizzical look, mouthing ‘What’ until I followed her eyes down to the center of our circle. What I saw chilled me to my very core.  I really shouldn’t have come here tonight. 
A hand on my arm jolted me. I turned to the offender only to meet Flynn’s gaze. I hated how looking at him always seemed to render me speechless. It was the same effect he had on most girls including me, unfortunately. He was too gorgeous for words and worst yet he knew it. And being a junior and football team captain didn’t help his inflated ego. It had only given him the respect of the seniors above him as well as the rest of the school. His abilities to throw the ball and lead the team to state the past two years had sealed his position as the most popular boy in school. He walked down the halls of school like he owned them and to tell the truth he did. I hated him because of it. Girls were aware of his reputation of breaking hearts yet they continued to throw theirs at him time and time again. But I wasn’t going to fall for his shenanigans. Nope, not me.
“Flynn, she has a choice you know,” a voice came from somewhere beside me.  Turning my head, I saw Luke, I-couldn’t-remember-his-last-name. He too, I realized was crush worthy but paled in Flynn’s shadow.  It was hard to imagine that looking at him now. He was all golden skin and blond curls, looking much like the perfect California surfer. How had I forgotten he was sitting next to me? Staring at him only made me realize more just how cute he was.
Flynn and Luke were best friends. Yet, I’d hardly paid any attention to Luke these past two years.  I’d been too busy ignoring Flynn with the best of my abilities to know much about him. Then the light skirted the horizon of my brain. I had forgotten to count Luke. There weren’t seven of us. Luke made eight. Each pair was a couple except Luke and me. God help us all that I being set up with him?  
Dimly, I remembered hearing rumors that he’d broken up with his girlfriend a few weeks ago.  But at the moment I couldn’t remember the full story. I was too busy trying to reconcile with how I’d allowed myself to get into this situation. And how I could even be in the same room filled with what most of our classmates dubbed as the wealthiest and most beautiful people of our school, “the elite.” No one else in the school compared to them.
When Flynn’s hand dropped from my arm, I turned my head to fate as it pointed at me. “Come on, what are you going to do?”

I looked up this time to find it had been Amanda who’d spoken. Her voice was filled with disapproval but not with the anger I would have expected if I’d been Flynn’s girlfriend. But that was not how I operated. In fact, I simply didn’t date. I couldn’t even if I wanted to. It wasn’t just a moral decision as most would assume. I did it because I didn’t want anyone to die.

Sunday, May 25, 2014

Featured Title--Beg for Mercy by Shannon Dermott!

Beg for Mercy by Shannon Dermott
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I read this book a few years ago, and it's stuck with me all this time. If you haven't given it a chance, and you're looking for an exciting paranormal, I think you should. This is my review from all that time ago. I still feel attached to these characters.

I received a copy of this book through read2review. Thank you to Paranormal Romance and Urban Fantasy Fanatics Group and to Shannon Dermott for giving me this opportunity.

It's a bit difficult for me to decide how to review this book. At the end of the day, I am rating this 4 out of 5 stars because I enjoyed reading it quite a bit. The premise is unique and I liked Mercy as a character. The middle lagged a little, but the beginning and the end made up for that.

Mercy is a fun character who is in the dark about who she is until one fateful day when her world falls apart. I enjoyed her spunk, and I loved her banter with bad-boy, Flynn. Even though Luke seems perfect, it feels like an act. Then there is the poor best friend who gets left in the dust, or does he? This story is about choices and facing the consequences of those decisions. I will definitely be checking out the sequel. If you're looking for a unique take on the paranormal world, I recommend Beg for Mercy.

View all my reviews

Sunday, May 11, 2014

Jen Minkman Giveaway!

Enter the JEN MINKMAN Giveaway

Check Out More of Jen's Books!

The Space in Between
Coming Soon
When Moira helps out her sister and brother in a Wiccan ritual on Halloween, the last thing she expects is to be swept away to a mystical wilderness. Sitting within the stones of the ancient circle of Penmaenmawr, Wales, she's convinced it's an illusion. But the dark-haired, handsome man with amnesia that Moira meets during her trance cannot be blinked away like a dream.
Hayko, the mysterious stranger, won’t let go. After returning home from her stone circle adventure, she is beckoned back night after night to the outlandish dreamland by an invisible force. But the hardest part isn't having to fight the terrifying creatures of these nightmares--it's realizing she’s falling for a guy without a past who isn’t real.
What if you really can fall in love with the man of your dreams?
All Hannah needs is a nice and quiet vacation after her first year of teaching French at a high school. She joins her brother Ben for the summer in their mom’s log cabin in Arizona. There, she meets Josh again, Ben’s childhood friend from the Navajo reservation. The little boy from the rez has grown up fast, and Hannah can’t help but feeling more for him than just friendship.
But fate apparently has something else in store for her. And it’s not peace and quiet. Night after night, Hannah is plagued by strange nightmares about the past of Navajo Nation and terrifying shadows chasing her. They seem to come closer – and why is Josh always present in her dreams?
Sometimes, the past has a way of catching up with you.
 
*****
Julia has been in love with Michael for years. He’s the hottest guy in school, and she can’t believe her luck when they finally hit it off during Senior Prom. Her dream doesn’t last, though: after a few dates, he callously dumps her out of the blue. Summer vacation starts with Julia feeling heart-broken and miserable.But then she rescues Michael in the woods when he has a motorcycle accident in a heavy thunderstorm. From that point onward, her life is turned upside down. Michael has changed completely after the blow to the head that nearly killed him... and he wants her back. But why is he so different? And will she be able to trust him this time around?Can the boy who broke your heart ever win it back again . . ?
 
*****
#1 The Island Series
'I walk toward the sea. The endless surface of the water extends to the horizon, whichever way I look.
Our world is small. We are on our own, and we only have ourselves to depend on. We rely on the Force deep within us, as taught to us by our forefathers.
If I were to walk westward from here, I would come across a barrier - the Wall. Behind it, there are Fools. At least, that's what everyone says. I have never seen one.'
Leia lives on the Island, a world in which children leave their parents to take care of themselves when they are ten years old. Across this Island runs a wall that no one has ever crossed. The Fools living behind it are not amenable to reason - they believe in illusions. That's what The Book says, the only thing left to the Eastern Islanders by their ancestors.
But when a strange man washes ashore and Leia meets a Fool face to face, her life will never be the same. Is what she and her friends believe about the Island really true?
Or is everyone in their world, in fact, a Fool?
 
 
*****
#2 The Island Series
The first memory I have of my grandfather is of a moment that we share together. I'm sitting on his knee looking out over the harbor. Grandpa is smoking a pipe. He points at the horizon.
"Look, Walt. Our ships are out there. And one day, another even more beautiful ship will appear at the horizon. A mighty ship to take us all away. And Annabelle will be at the front deck with open arms, inviting us all to join her on board."
"Why don't we sail to her ourselves?" I inquire wide-eyed.
"Because she promised she would come," granddad replies. "And in that promise we trust. It's only the Unbelievers who think they can do everything themselves. They have no faith in the Goddess."
Walt lives in Hope Harbor, an island community that has put its trust in salvation from across the sea. The townspeople wait patiently, build their ships to sail out and welcome the Goddess, and piously visit the temple every week. Horror stories to scare their children are told about the Unbelievers on the other side of Tresco.
But not all is what it seems. Walt has questions that no one can answer, and when his best friend and cousin Yorrick is killed in an accident, he digs deeper to find out the truth about the origins of Hope Harbor's society... and the secrets of the temple.
Return to the world of The Island and discover what Walt's life was like before and after he met Leia!
*****
 
#3 The Island Series
‘The world is never-ending.I never realized just how much space there is – how far and wide the water around our island stretches out. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I may have believed that a second Wall ran around Tresco, containing the infinite waters so we wouldn’t all wash over the edge and plummet down into the depths.’
Leia and Walt are on their way to the Other Side, where the legendary land of Cornwall awaits them. Tony, their new friend, has told them that all wars of the past have been forgotten and the citizens of Bodmin and Dartmoor live in peace. People adhere to the tenets of an old religion that preaches forgiveness and non-violence.However, Walt and Leia soon discover that even a peace-loving, ideal society like this one may have its flaws. While on a forbidden trip to Exeter, the old city of their ancestors, the two Islanders discover more about the new world than they ever bargained for.
Secrets run dark and passions run deep in this thrilling conclusion to the Island novella series.

Smashwords: Smashwords Romance Authors Promoted at RT Booklove...

I'm pleased to say that Five is among some great books offered on a Smashwords flashdrive! This is a really cool promotion, and I'm so grateful to have been included. Check it out.



Smashwords: Smashwords Romance Authors Promoted at RT Booklove...: Hundreds of Smashwords authors are participating in an exclusive promotion this week at the RT Booklovers Convention in New Orleans.  In...

Thursday, May 1, 2014

Morgan Wylie Calandar and Giveaway!

It's 2014 and we're celebrating with an awesome fantasy themed calendar. This calendar is for the background on your computer and you can get this month's image below.

Each month will feature a different book or series, so if you want to challenge yourself, try reading each book or series that is featured before each month is over. The series for May is The Age of Alandria Series by Morgan Wylie! This month also marks the one year book birthday for Silent Orchids, the first book in the series. Morgan is also giving away a $20 Amazon Gift Card, so don’t forget to enter the Rafflecopter at the bottom of the post!


Click here to download the full size image. Then set as your background!


Silent Orchids (The Age of Alandria:Book One)


A dying realm.
The ancient evil of the Droch-Shúil has been unleashed.
The Orchids have been silenced… but for how long?

Daegan, elite of the Ferrishyn warrior tribe of Faeries, is charged with a mission to find the Sol-lumieth, a mysterious new power that could change the fate of all in the realm of Alandria. But he is conflicted by his purpose, and he cannot trust the motives of those he serves. He has too many questions and they must be answered.

Kaeleigh, a girl abandoned as a small child just outside Missoula, Montana, is now 18. She is trying to discover who she is and where she belongs. In her heart, she feels she has family out there… somewhere. Desperate to unravel the mysteries of her past, she embarks on a journey that will forever change her along with her two best friends, Finn and Chel—who have secrets of their own.

Get your free ebook copy!


Veiled Shadows (The Age of Alandria: Book 2)


Shadows linger where light is obstructed, and truth is veiled.
Evil is an untreated disease in the once beautiful realm of Alandria.

Kaeleigh is faced with a revelation that she must reconcile. She will decide if discovering the truth is worth the unknown consequences to both herself and her friends.

Daegan, the Ferrishyn warrior, is conflicted by more than his loyalties, and is confronted with emotions he doesn’t know how to deal with. A choice must be made. A choice… that may cost him more than he ever wanted to give.

The Droch-Shúil—enforcers and servants of the ancient darkness—continue to cast their shadow over Alandria seeking those who can be turned to their side.

The magic of The Orchids is growing, but not everyone will survive what is to come.

Veiled Shadows is the second installment in The Age of Alandria series: the story of the Sol-lumieth’s quest for freedom of self and the power to battle the evil of the Droch-Shúil.



Daegan (The Age of Alandria: A Companion Novella)


Everyone has a story, and Daegan's began with darkness...

As a child, Daegan Waethní witnessed the murder of both his parents. He buried the tragedy in the past, desperate to forget, but the past seems to be haunting him from the Beyond.  Now he is an Elite in the royal guard for the Paladin, the rulers of Feraánmar. A loyal Ferrishyn Faerie warrior, he battles the darkness that is once again stirring in Alandria.

Things are not what they seem in Alandria, and Daegan must find light before the darkness consumes himself and all he cares about. Against his will, the darkness is using him to destroy his own people. Daegan is determined to fight it with all that he is, but will it be too late? And if he can’t stop it, who will he hurt next?




Author Bio:

Morgan Wylie, originally from the Pacific Northwest, now resides near Nashville, TN with her husband and daughter. She and her husband work everyday at their individual and combined creative pursuits while she learns to balance being “Mama”, wife, and mediator to the many voices and muses constantly chattering in her head.



Giveaway:


a Rafflecopter giveaway