Review - Pixieland Diaries (Pixieland Diaries #1) by Christina Bauer

If you don't like pixies, don’t read this diary.

If you don't like loud-mouthed pixies who are really cool but sometimes get told they're immature (for no reason), then definitely stop reading.

a treacherous world - Curse of the Fae Queen by Delia Castel

18+ "Danger lurks around every corner in this fast-paced tale, where a young woman tries to escape the most secretive and vicious creatures, which most humans don't know exist. [...] Action is laid thick and keeps the story going full speed ahead. Yet, the author does a nice job building the world and laying out a fairly solid foundation." Tonja, Goodreads

the clock runs out - OF LUNOS (Power of Five #4) by Alex Lidell

POWER OF FIVE Series by Alex Lidell is complete with LERA OF LUNOS available now and that I get to share the news!
If you haven’t yet heard about this wonderful series by Author Alex Lidell, be sure to check out all the details below.

Four cords of power. Three trials ... Trial of Three (Power of Five #3) by Alex Lidell

18+ "This book begins with a bang. And just keeps going. (It's 3:00 AM so my brain is throwing out automatic weaponry vs revolver analogies, but since I know almost nothing of guns this could end up nonsensical.)" Lissa, Goodreads

The Passage, a Dance, & a Little White Dress (Enlighten Series #2) by Kristin D. Van Risseghem

"This book has a lot happening, new characters are introduced, battles are won and lost, and love is abound. There is intrigue, mystery, excitement, loss and the appearing characters continue to grow and develop. It is a fast paced very enjoyable read, that ends on a real cliff hanger that leaves you yelling, "NO! It can't end there!" I look forward to reading the next book." Goodreads, Rabid Reader

Join the Resistance - Ruined (Dolan Prophecies #1.5) by Allana Kephart, Melissa Simmons

Patrick and Maeve Dolan left the safety of their New York human settlement on a sultry summer night and never returned. Ambushed by the Winter Court guards during their search for information on how to free humanity from faery rule, they are now ensnared in the Winter King Landric’s web, and he has some questions of his own.

New Cover for Ruined (Dolan Prophecies #1.5) by Allana Kephart, Melissa Simmons

Patrick and Maeve Dolan left the safety of their New York human settlement on a sultry summer night and never returned. Ambushed by the Winter Court guards during their search for information on how to free humanity from faery rule, they are now ensnared in the Winter King Landric’s web, and he has some questions of his own.

She never wanted to be - Summer Queen (Fairy Queens #2) by Amber Argyle

Poised to become the most powerful priestess in Idara, Nelay doesn’t have time to become a pretty bauble for the king. She’s too busy saving her people from the invading army sweeping across her kingdom.

There is screaming in Exhile. - The Age of Alandria series by Morgan Wylie

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.

You just might find your next read! To Bear an Iron Key by Jackie Morse Kessler and Crown of Ice by Vicki L. Weavil

This week, #T4T presents to you:
To Bear an Iron Key by Jackie Morse Kessler and Crown of Ice by Vicki L. Weavil
Two titles that may tickle your fancy,
and we’ll share what readers have to say about these titles!

Queen Neriti brought the darkness of the human world - Ring of Ice (Beyond the Crystal River: Frost Worlds 1) by Kailin Gow

From Goodreads: "I got thrown into a paranormal world that has a little bit of everything - you have Feys, Pixies, Fairies, Witches, Vampires, Humans, Wolf Fey, half & halfs - all different worlds colliding together, learning to accept and live together - evil carectors turning good, evil carectors that stay really evil, sex, love, loves that where lost, all in this lovely story ☺I highly recommend!!!!!"

to confront the very face of death - Chasing Ravens by Jessica E. Paige

"If you like fantasy and folklore, then I highly recommend Chasing Ravens. I think this is a great book for all ages, not just YA-- I would definitely recommend it for voracious middle-grade readers. Fantasy, adventure, bravery, and a touch of sweet romance make Chasing Ravens a winner in my book." - Goodreads

The world of magic will collide with the human world - Ring of Ice (Beyond the Crystal River: Frost Worlds 1) by Kailin Gow

About the author:

Kailin Gow's life is sometimes more fascinating and stranger than fiction, which is being chronicled in a feature film based on a treatment optioned and in development for a release date of 2018. (IMDB.com - The Colorful Worlds of Kailin Gow 2018). Her true life experiences as a world traveler where she has traveled to over 25 countries, logging hundreds of thousands of miles, absorbing the cultures and collecting stories relating to places and the romance of the land, and incidents in her personal life, has inspired her to write and publish over 170 books with over 30 series.

She is noted as an indie pioneer, as one of the first to publish in 2001.

Special Offer: Mortal Enchantment series by Stacey O'Neale

Description:

“Mortal Enchantment spins a unique twist on elemental mythology. This series is not to be missed.” - Jennifer L. Armentrout, #1 New York Times Bestselling Author

In Kalin Matthew's world, elementals control the forces of nature. They are divided into four courts: air, woodland, fire, and water. At sixteen she will leave the life she's built with her mortal mother. Kalin will move to Avalon to rule with her father—the elemental king of the air court. Along the way, she's attacked by a fire court assassin and saved by Rowan, a swoon-worthy elemental with a questionable past. 

Worst of all, she learns her father is missing.

To rescue him, Kalin will have to work with a judgmental council and a system of courts too busy accusing each other of deceit to actually be able to help her. But, they aren’t her biggest challenge. With the Midwinter’s Ball only five days away, Kalin must take over her father’s duties, which includes shifting control of the elements—power Kalin has yet to realize.

As Rowan attempts to train her, a war looms between the four courts. If Kalin fails, her father will die and the courts will fall, but the betrayal she’s about to uncover may cost her even more...

Every sacrifice has consequences.

Sixteen-year-old Rowan has spent most of his life living among the mortals—learning to control the element of fire, impatiently awaiting the day his vengeful mother, Queen Prisma, will abdicate her throne. When he finally returns to Avalon for his coronation, his mother insists he must first prove his loyalty to the court by completing a secret mission: 

Kill Kalin, the half-human, half-elemental daughter of the air court king. 

Willing to do anything to remove his mother from power, he agrees to sacrifice the halfling. He returns to the mortal world with his best friend, Marcus, determined to kill the princess. But as he devises a plan, he starts to question whether or not he's capable of completing such a heinous task. And what price he will pay if he refuses?

It’s been a week since all hell broke loose…

Rumors of King Taron’s weakened powers have left the air court vulnerable. Kalin is desperate to awaken her akasha powers, except she doesn’t know how. Tension within the court is at an all-time high. Pressure is mounting for her to ascend to the throne, but a halfling has never ruled over any court. To solidify her position, the council has advised her to marry Sebastian—a high ranking air elemental she’s never met and her betrothed. 

Will Kalin sacrifice her relationship with Rowan to strengthen her court?

Rowan and Marcus return to a fire court in turmoil. Liana’s death has fueled the fire elementals’ distrust against the air and woodland courts. The unbalanced elements have set off natural disasters all over the mortal world. Rowan takes the throne to restore balance, promising to unite the fire court. But not all elementals are happy with his leadership. Many are secretly loyal to Valac, which means Rowan needs to find allies for his cause.

Can Rowan unify the court of fire before the elements destroy the world?

Click HERE for $0.99 Kindle Deal!

The prequel novella, THE SHADOW PRINCE is still FREE!!!

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About the author:

Stacey O'Neale started her career in publishing as a blogger-turned-publicist for two successful small publishers. She loves to write stories with swoony paranormal heroes, snarky heroines, and lots of kissing.

When she's not writing, she loves blogging and fangirling about books on twitter. Occasionally, she leaves her computer to go outside.

Website ** Goodreads ** Twitter ** Facebook ** Pinterest

Happy Release Day! Special Offer: A Dangerous Season (For Love of Fae Book Three) by Olivia Hardin

Description:

Pain, joy, death, life, magic: All of it fits. Or does it…

The faery realm is in a frenzy now that the Women on the Hill are no longer united in power. The fabric of life as the fae know it is changing, and with it the dynamics of friends, lovers and neighbors.

Devan will risk both her life and Kent’s love to locate her missing father. Nicky must follow Gerry headfirst into danger as she runs from the new demons within herself. Doc and Jill choose an ally in the cold war between faery factions as Robin struggles to help McKenna recover from a loss that could cripple her forever. Kristana and Langston seek answers and follow a ghost into enemy territory, while Rooney confronts the challenges of Belle’s growing powers and the path revealed for their lives.

A collision of forces could create a new order between the faery and human realms, but will everyone survive the fallout of the cataclysm?

The characters of Bend-Bite-Shift and For Love of Fae all converge in A Dangerous Season (For Love of Fae Trilogy Book Three). 

JUST 99CENTS RELEASE DAY SPECIAL - ONLY GUARANTEED TODAY!!!

(check the seller's price/geographical policy)

Amazon ** iTunes ** Barnes&Noble ** Kobo

About the author:

When Olivia Hardin began having movie-like dreams in her teens, she had no choice but to begin putting them to paper. Before long, the writing bug had her and she knew she wanted to be a published author. Several rejections plus a little bit of life later, and she was temporarily “cured” of the urge to write. That is until she met a group of talented and fabulous writers who gave her the direction and encouragement she needed to get lost in the words again.

Olivia’s attended three different universities over the years and toyed with majors in Computer Technology, English, History and Geology. Then one day she heard the term road scholar and she knew that was what she wanted to be. Now she “studies” anything and everything just for the joy of learning. She’s also an insatiable crafter who only completes about 1 out of 5 projects, a jogger who hates to run, and she’s sometimes accused of being artistic.

A native Texas girl, Olivia lives in the beautiful Lone Star state with her husband, Danny and their puppy, Bonnie.

Website ** Goodreads ** Facebook ** Twitter ** Pinterest 

Event organized by Promotional Book Tours

Guest Post and Giveaway: Divide by Jessa Russo

Cover Artist: Michelle Johnson of Blue Sky Designs

Description: 

From senior class president to dejected social outcast, with just the flick of a match.

After accusations of torching her ex-boyfriend’s home are followed by the mysterious poisoning of her ex-best friend, seventeen-year-old Holland Briggs assumes her life is over. And it is. But not in the way she thinks.

As Holland learns the truth about her cursed fate—that she is descended from the Beast most have only ever heard of in fairytales—she unites with an unlikely ally, good-looking newcomer Mick Stevenson. 

Mick knows more about Holland’s twisted history than she does, and enlightening as it is to learn about, his suggestion for a cure is unsettling at best. Holland must fall in love with Mick in order to break the spell, and save their future generations from repeating her cursed fate. Having sworn off love after the betrayals of her ex-boyfriend and ex-best friend, this may be difficult to accomplish. 

Complicating things further for Holland and Mick, time runs out, and Holland’s change begins way before schedule. With Holland quickly morphing into a dangerous mythical creature, Mick struggles to save her. 

Should they fail, Holland will be lost to the beast inside her forever.

GUEST POST

Why a Retelling? 

I’m not quite sure how to answer “why a retelling?” aside from the boring fact that my brain decided it wanted to rewrite Beauty and the Beast . . . with a twist. Exciting stuff, huh? Honestly, I was driving down my street, and the question came to me . . . what if the beauty was also the beast? It was a light bulb moment, and from then on, the story took hold. Unfortunately, I was still trying to finish up the second book of The Ever Trilogy, so my B&tB redux would have to wait. 

Fat chance. 

A little while later, I sat down to begin NaNoWriMo for the first time, with the full intention of making myself finish Ever’s story—or, well, the second installment, at least. But when my fingertips hit the keyboard that morning, something else entirely flowed onto the pages. 

Holland’s story. My beauty. My beast. She walked through the halls of her once-beloved high school, torn between wanting to be ignored and hating the fact that she’d gone from princess to social leper in such a brief moment in time. The fallen prom queen. I can remember thinking I’d just get those first words down, that I’d just get the idea out, then return to Ever’s story. Holland had other plans. 

Holland’s story was easy for me to write. She’d captivated me. What made this girl tick? What made her loveable, relatable? How could I make my readers care for the scorned princess? These questions arose, and I answered them—I hope well—but it wasn’t until later on that I realized the difficulty in writing a new take on an old classic: how do you honor the original(s) without making your story predictable? 

I wanted to honor the base elements of the original version of B&tB: the curse, the love, the magic, but I wanted to make my own twsit, my own unique version of the story. The funny thing is I’d already started doing that without even knowing it. My critique partner commented once about how much she loved that I mashed up B&tB with Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. I scratched me head. Huh? She explained, teasing me for not even realizing I’d created this mash up! But I had . . . subconsciously, maybe? I mean, where do the stories come from anyway, right? So from that moment on, I wrote with those two stories in mind, and DIVIDE was born. 

And, after all is said and done, I’m proud of the story I wrote. DIVIDE stays true to the main ingredients of a fairytale, the elements I wanted so badly to honor, while standing on its own two feet. And that’s the true test of any story, not just a retelling. 

TOUR SCHEDULE

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About the author: 

Jessa Russo believes in fairytales, ghosts, and Jake Ryan. She insists mimosas were created for Sundays, and that’s not up for discussion. She’s obsessed with the great city of New Orleans—where she’s collected too many beads to count, eventually married her sweetheart, and visited graveyards they don’t include on maps. 

She’s loud, painfully honest, and passionate about living life to the fullest, because she’s seen how abruptly it can be taken away. 

What began as a desire for reading and writing young adult paranormal has bled into stories of all kinds. From fantasy to pre-dystopian to erotic contemporary, Jessa’s stories always include romance, though she’s given up on pigeonholing her work into a category or genre box. 

Jessa was born and raised in Southern California, and remains there to this day with her husband (a classic car fanatic), their daughter (a Tim Burton superfan), and a Great Dane who thinks he’s the same size as his Chihuahua sister. 

ENTWINED, the final installment of Russo’s Ever Trilogy, will be released later this year, as well as an erotic romance written under the pseudonym Parker Jameson, so please stay tuned! 

If you'd like to connect with Jessa online, please visit the following pages: 

Website ** Goodreads ** Twitter ** Facebook

Author's Giveaway

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Happy Release Day! Excerpt and Giveaway: The Frozen Star (Star #2) by Jessie Lane

Description:

The journey continues:

Kay had discovered secrets, lies, shocking truths, and even love in a strange new world hidden from humans. Everything she thought she knew was turned upside down when she found out three things:

- She wasn’t human.

- She has a power she can't control.

- And there was a possibility that she had found a way to cure the cancer that was rapidly killing her with that very same power.

Then, just when she was on the precipice of gaining everything she wanted and saving her own life, tragedy struck. Will she be able to fight her way back to Ryan and save herself in the process?

Kira had lived a terrifying and confusing life of servitude and abuse under Lord Donovan and his son, Cole. It was an existence that had stripped away her emotions, and eventually, her reason to keep fighting. Just when she thought freedom was within reach, Lord Donovan struck again, ruining her plans and almost killing her in the process. When she awoke from her injuries, it was to stunning revelations that would change her life forever. Changes that she was not entirely sure she wanted to embrace.

Persistent individuals such as Prince Kane refuse to let her walk away, though. Will she embrace all of the sudden fortune in her life? Or will she walk away from those who need her most, forsaking their acceptance and love?

Kay’s journey of a lifetime started in the woods outside of Asheville, North Carolina. It was there that the 17 year old met a beautiful man along with a monster. The chance encounter led her to an unbelievable world that shouldn’t exist; a place where myths and fairy tales were real, and in some cases, deadly. Kay knew she would have to brave this new world if she hoped to find a cure for her terminal cancer.

With a strange yet beautiful cast of characters that she would meet along the way, Kay uncovered truths that would change her life forever. However, before it was all over, it would become clear that Kay wasn’t the only one with problems.

Yet another 17 year old young woman was fighting for her freedom and her life.

Kira had lived in a magical world that Kay had only dreamt of. Despite this, her life had not been filled with many good things. As a matter of fact, she considered her empty, emotional solitude the only positive aspect of her life. She fought daily battles to escape abuse and torture.

Trained to be an expert assassin, she was charged with kidnapping Kay and delivering her to Kira’s master, Lord Donovan.

As the two young women set forth in their journeys, their paths would cross in unimaginable ways. The only question that would remain was who would come out alive and whole in the end?

EXCERPT

Kay’s POV:

As Lord Donovan left me to my own personal stone hell, the only sounds reaching my ears were the bricks grinding against one another as they moved this way and that way, reassembling the doorway into a solid, impenetrable wall once again. Solitary confinement. This boxed prison was going to be the last thing I would remember. Except I now knew that I had a sister. Had a sister. Maybe he was lying. He had to be. I mean, I would know if she’d died, right? 

“Why can’t I remember anything?” I thought out loud as I tugged on my restraints again in hope the unbreakable thread would loosen its crippling hold on me.

“What’s worth remembering?” whispered a man through the cracks in the wall.

“Who’s there?” I hissed through clenched teeth in case the creepy man, or worse yet, his son, could be hiding in the shadows.

“Thoughts are fleeting and forever lost to time.”

“Where are you?” I asked as I shifted my head from side to side in hopes of catching a glimpse of where the voice could be coming from.

“There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so,” whispered the man’s voice as if he was reading a page from a book.

I thought I had heard that somewhere. An old memory perhaps? Or a newer one that I was meant to hold onto? A name was stuck on the tip of my tongue and with superglue nonetheless. It hurt to think about it, but I knew I had to keep trying. 

I squeezed my eyes shut and tried to focus on something, anything other than the feeling of the stone walls closing in on me.

A flash of blue eyes and messy blonde hair danced in front of me but was still out of reach. The image shifted, and he turned around to face me again as his face drew closer. I watched with immense concentration as a breathtaking smile graced his handsome face and his eyes lit up with his devious intentions. I felt myself smile and the heat rise to my cheeks with just the mere thought of him. 

He’s real; I can feel it in my bones. There was no way my imagination was that good. He was looking for me. I knew it just as I knew my heart was still beating. And I knew he was mine. I analyzed every millimeter of his face as if he was only an inch away, cementing it in heaps of concrete to make sure I would never forget the gorgeous man again. 

There was a faint buzzing in the back of my head. It wasn’t strong, but it was constant. I could feel it getting stronger the more I stared at his eyes. It was a connection; our connection. 

“Be alert, my muse, and stand your ground. She comes for you. Evil comes in the most beautiful forms and smells so divine to those to whom she feeds on. But to you, my dear, she will reek of the rotting flesh of her last victim. Hold your breath and look away.”

Wait a minute, hold my breath and look away? 

“Is her breath so disgusting that I would need to suggest a Listerine big gulp, or maybe even a Tic-tac with a battery?” I replied without missing a beat and instantly heard his laughter echoing off the walls of his own cell and into mine. 

“Full of life you are, my dear child. Hold on to that. It will be your saving grace in this forgotten prison.”

Full of life? Yeah, right, Yoda. I knew my days were numbered. It sounded so cliché, but I could feel it coursing through my veins. Something wasn’t right; it felt as if I was on fire on the inside. Only some inner voice told me the burning sensation was not only okay, it was good for me. How insane was that?

Book #1 (The Burning Star) is on sale for only 99 cents for a limited time!

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About the author:

Jessie Lane is the best selling author of The Star Series, Big Bad Bite Series and the Ex Ops Series.

She lives in Kentucky with her two little Rock Chicks in the making and her over protective alpha husband. She has a passionate love for reading and writing naughty romance, cliff hanging suspense, and out-of-this-world characters that demand your attention, or threaten to slap you around until you do pay attention to them.

Jessie writes Upper YA Fantasy/Paranormal Romance & Adult Paranormal and Contemporary Romance. She's currently working on her next two novels, The Demon Who Loved Me (Big Bad Bite Series #3) and Stripping Her Defenses (Ex Ops Series #2).

M.L. Pahl (Melissa) has departed from the Jessie Lane pen name to pursue other things. She will be sorely missed, but I know she has an amazing future ahead of her. You can follow M.L. Pahl at: Facebook and Twitter

You can also check out her Facebook page that she shares with her older brother Matthew Leo for their upcoming book, Zombies Don't Ride Motorcycles, HERE

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Guest Post Giveaway: Scents and Senses (Scents and Senses, #1) by Loren Secretts

Published: April 15th, 2014

Description:

Scents and Senses: Supernatural Friends. What the fairy tales didn’t tell you Playing the role of a knight in shining armor is more complicated than it seems in the storybooks, as sixteen-year-old Joy discovers when she repeatedly comes to the rescue of a fifteen-year-old human. But when she meddles in the girl’s social life, Starra sends her packing.

Starra is determined to completely dissociate herself from the subterranean creature that has manipulated her life and cast her into the limelight. However, her resolve is soon tested when she becomes involved in a critical situation where supernatural assistance can enable her to carry out a daring plot.

Eventually, Starra’s involvement with her new other-wordly friends extracts a heavy price when she is beset by challenges that range from the down- to-earth struggles of a typical teenage student, to the realm of the fantastic. Nothing prepares her, however, for the ultimate challenge.

GUEST POST

TOUR SCHEDULE

Dangers of writing Scents and Senses

Sipping nana tea may trick the mouth into feeling cool, but I’m still sweltering under the North African sun.  The proprietor of the café makes his rounds with flaky, honey glazed pastries. These rich-in-caloric content sweets, which would burn right off in these temperatures, approach my table at the back of the courtyard. Though I dread my engine overheating, fear of offending his hospitality is greater.

His tray emptied, the proprietor grabs his oud, plops down on a rug in the front of the courtyard, and releases a catchy tune from his instrument.  

Some men with white whiskers, arguing over a game similar to backgammon, drop their pieces and grab up darbukas. A song in their native dialect breaks out, and the occupants of the café’s outdoor seats all join in the chorus. 

Bereft of the regional drums, I tap my foot and strum my fingers on the table. I’ve got to shoot this so my friends see what I’m experiencing here. Most of them can’t fathom why I’d want to vacation in this primitive country, and with the help of my video maybe they’ll figure I’m enraptured with the rich cultural norms here. Of course, that’s not it though. Only my best friend knows the real reason I’m here — to check out for myself one of the significant settings my heroine, Starra, finds herself in.

I bend over to fish out my phone, which is squished between old coke bottles filled with rosewater. 

“You pay. You need.”

I jump. At my shoulder stands a slightly-built boy in a beige djellaba and dusty sandals. How did he creep up on me?

He dangles a crude piece of metal tied to a red string on his arm. Oh, just another peddler, like the many others who have badgered me. But I can’t turn away the kids. Who knows if they won’t be beaten if they don’t meet their quota of sales? Or maybe my change can buy them pita with a sprinkling of za’atar and olive oil to fill their hungry bellies.

That’s why my purse is bulging with those bottles. Buried beneath them are used pencils that won’t sharpen, watches that are accurate in a different time zone, an assortment of cheap trinkets.  And another piece is about to squeeze in with them.

I hold out a dollar bill. 

The boy shakes his head.

Huh? This is a first. Usually his fellow countrymen take the green paper and run off.

“One hundred dollars.”

“You’ve got to be kidding.”

“You need. Big need.”

Oh, I get it. He’s not desperate. From his tactics, he must be a child of a souk merchant. I hold up my pointer finger “One dollar. One, or nothing.” I’m not playing any games. 

“One hundred.”

He’s not even making an attempt to bargain? That’s the routine for any sale here! Does he think I’ll meet his outrageous demand because I look like a naive American? “No thank you. I’m not interested.” I turn away to watch some patrons who are belly dancing.

“No pay, they get you.”

“Are you threatening me?”

“No. No. Me warn you. They watch you. They near you. Always near.”

My head spins around, but every pair of eyes in the vicinity is on the belly dancers.

“You no see them. No one see.”

“Then how do you know they’re watching me?”

The boy bends over and whispers in my ear “I smell. Me good nose. Me feel they here. At pyramid too, me smell them near you. Me follow you here, and all time, smell.”

Oh my. Is this a prank? Has the boy read Scents and Senses?  But I use a pen name, so how would he have connected me to the book? If this is not a joke…no, this can’t be. 

Not only the bellies rotate, the tables, the hanging rugs, the people, all spin.

“You shake. No fear. No fear if you pay.”

“Me? I’m not afraid. They don’t bother people these days.”  

 “Here they do. You witch?”

“No! I’m no witch! Why do you think that?”

“They follow you. Near you. They watch witches, if witches mess with them.”

“No. No. I’m no witch.” That’s all I need. If the locals suspect me of witchcraft, they’ll lynch me.  “But I did write a story about them.”

“Ah. They no like. No like story, no like talk. They watch you now. You no safe. In my country they do mischief.”

Dancers, décor, and diners whirl around as if they’re in a blender.   

“No fear, no fear if you pay.” 

 “You’re bothering me with this nonsense now?”

“No, no! No nonsense. This amulet — help you. From Seer, see letters?” He holds it up to my eyes and points to scratches in the metal.   

I whip out a Benjamin.

“Good. Come.”

“What do you mean come? Just hand me over the amulet.”

“No give amulet away! Me need. Only one. Me take you to plane, you go home.”

“So I paid you for what?”

“You hold my sleeve. Amulet help you too. But you go.”

A stifling cab ride gets us to the teeming airport. After check in, we head to the gate, but Security doesn’t allow the boy in.

“What should I do now?” I whisper.

The boy flashes a bill.

I’m another Benjamin poorer, but my dingy clad protector is seated next to me. “What’s next? I can’t fly you home with me.”

“Ah, no fear. They no like plane. Too many people squeeze. Too smell.”

“So once I get on the plane, I’m safe, right?”

“Safe, but no more story, no more mess. Too danger.”

My heart hasn’t settled into its normal place, and my arms are still covered in goose bumps, yet the thought of not staying true to Starra and Joy breaks my dislodged heart. Is this where their saga will end?

What do you say – to write or not to write?

Goodreads ** Smashwords ** Amazon  ** Barnes&Noble

About the author:

Loren Secretts was raised in a book-filled home, in a sleepy east coast suburb of the US. These factors are undoubtedly responsible for her early design of a number of exciting imaginary worlds that she could escape to from time to time during her childhood. In her teen years, between schoolwork and lending an ear to her friends, Loren had less opportunity to go AWOL. Instead, her experience as a confidant to others inspired her to major in psychology in college and earn her M.A. in the field on the west coast. As an adult, Loren has found fulfillment in her work with children and families for more than a decade. Her passion for writing was revived when she discovered that she enjoyed delving into the human psyche to write psychological reports. But clients' reports are safe with Loren, who guards secrets fastidiously. Indeed, one of her aspirations is to work as a psychotherapist for the CIA, but since she now lives with her family in Canada, that dream will have to await its turn…

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Author's Giveaway
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Excerpt and Giveaway: Scents and Senses (Scents and Senses, #1) by Loren Secretts

Published: April 15th, 2014

Description:

Scents and Senses: Supernatural Friends. What the fairy tales didn’t tell you Playing the role of a knight in shining armor is more complicated than it seems in the storybooks, as sixteen-year-old Joy discovers when she repeatedly comes to the rescue of a fifteen-year-old human. But when she meddles in the girl’s social life, Starra sends her packing.

Starra is determined to completely dissociate herself from the subterranean creature that has manipulated her life and cast her into the limelight. However, her resolve is soon tested when she becomes involved in a critical situation where supernatural assistance can enable her to carry out a daring plot.

Eventually, Starra’s involvement with her new other-wordly friends extracts a heavy price when she is beset by challenges that range from the down- to-earth struggles of a typical teenage student, to the realm of the fantastic. Nothing prepares her, however, for the ultimate challenge.

EXCERPT

SOON
TOUR SCHEDULE

Joy

Ever since I’ve been old enough to kick off on a condor with my own two chicken feet, I’ve been drilled to mind my own business.

Mind your own business, the first of the American Ten Commandments.

It’s not one I subscribe to, even though in our community, not minding my own business means more than social suicide; it’s a crime when we ascend above ground.

For thousands of years we deeems have kept away from the creatures running over our heads with their five-toed feet. So if anyone in my community gets wind of the risky job I’m on these days, I’m practically a goner. But that doesn’t stop me from shadowing a certain teenage fivetoe.

There’s also a totally different occupational hazard involved in this position I’ve created for myself, one I’m suffering from right now: this job occasionally makes school seem relatively stimulating. Yawn. I’ve played too many Angry Condor games to count since Starra got involved in some fantasy book a couple of hours ago and lost contact with the real world. Even if I knew how to become visible to the fivetoe eye and suddenly revealed myself, I bet she wouldn’t notice me, the cute teen perched on her windowsill.

Time simply refuses to advance, and I have to resort to counting the spider eggs cocooned in their nest on a nearby tree branch. A sudden sigh interrupts my lame occupation. There’s a starry look in the big eyes, and I notice the novel is slipping out of Starra’s dreamy grip. This is my window of opportunity! I finger the starchy edge of the book jacket and coax the book forward.

Thud. The book falls to the floor, and the movement seems to bring Starra back to her senses. At last she grabs a hoodie and sets out, probably for one of her night excursions on the Vista Del Mar Path. Are we running or biking tonight?

Running it is. I jog behind her, finding the excursion by the shoreline an improvement to watching her read. At least we are moving.

She runs for half an hour, at a speed faster than the sea turtle pace usual for fivetoes. Then she slows to a stop at a jagged rock, half-submerged in the ocean. I groan quietly and contemplate leaving. From experience, I know she’ll climb to the top of her rock and dream away. I start backing off, but when I’m some fifty feet away, I look back. Starra makes a pretty picture there, her silhouette perched high on the rock. Her long legs are tucked under her, and her head hangs back as she keeps her gaze on the stars above. If only she would let loose the heavy dark mane of hair she always twists up at the back of her neck, she would truly look like a mermaid risen from the sea.

Something pulls me back to her. I can’t explain it, but I have a feeling trouble is lurking nearby, waiting to snatch her in its net.

My chicken feet make an about face and follow Starra home as she takes the shorter route through town.

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About the author:

Loren Secretts was raised in a book-filled home, in a sleepy east coast suburb of the US. These factors are undoubtedly responsible for her early design of a number of exciting imaginary worlds that she could escape to from time to time during her childhood. In her teen years, between schoolwork and lending an ear to her friends, Loren had less opportunity to go AWOL. Instead, her experience as a confidant to others inspired her to major in psychology in college and earn her M.A. in the field on the west coast. As an adult, Loren has found fulfillment in her work with children and families for more than a decade. Her passion for writing was revived when she discovered that she enjoyed delving into the human psyche to write psychological reports. But clients' reports are safe with Loren, who guards secrets fastidiously. Indeed, one of her aspirations is to work as a psychotherapist for the CIA, but since she now lives with her family in Canada, that dream will have to await its turn…

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Blast Giveaway $50 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash Ends 5/27/14 Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. a Rafflecopter giveaway

Giveaway: The Descendant : A Caitlyn and Jason Beale Memoir by Ellie Hart

Description:

An otherworldly war is raging and the descendants of Merlin must die.

Caitlyn “Cat” Beale doesn’t know it yet, but her life is in serious danger. Because Cat’s normal everyday world is about to collide with the treacherous, magical world of Fairies. 

If only she’d heeded her visions…

After her family is killed in a tragic accident, Cat’s psychic abilities begin to slowly emerge. But she never would’ve guessed the truth…that a vengeful fairy wants to destroy everything she holds dear.

Now Cat must discover why she’s a target and a way to stop the killings. With the help of her friends and her enigmatic, best friend Joseph, Cat sets out to learn more about her dark heritage, which includes daring wizards, vengeful fairy queens, and horrible curses. Together they’ll enter a dark world of deception and peril...but not everyone will come out alive.

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About the author:
Ellie Hart lives with her family at Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Her passion for writing came to life when her son was diagnosed with Autism. Her first Novel The Descendant brought part of her past to a whole new experience. She’s working on her second Novel The Call of the Siren.

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Author's Giveaway

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