If you love romance, check this out.
Thursday, July 17, 2014
YA Storyteller Contest
If you love romance, check this out.
Sunday, July 13, 2014
BOOK BLAST: WARRIOR
Official Release Date: 7/13/14
This is the third book in the Order of the Spirit Realm Series. If you haven't read them, start with BAIT. It is free at most online ebook vendors such as Amazon, B&N, Kobo, Smashwords, etc.
This book begins two years after HUNTER ended. Bay-Lee is fighting a Devil Tree while her mentor and boyfriend, Nick Gallos, watches from the sidelines. Things are tense between them. She wants to amp up their relationship, but Nick has put on the brakes. He's got one foot out the door, and she doesn't know what to do about it.
WARRIOR brings about closure and change, some good and some bad. Together, Nick and Bay-Lee will take on the werewolf pack that killed her mother, face their twisted pasts, and face a friend turned enemy.
Quotes from WARRIOR:
Bay-Lee: You never told me I wasn't supposed to kill it. You told me I couldn't kill it.
Nick: I should have known you'd take that as a challenge.
Keisha: Oh, don't play Miss Innocent with me, girl. It was your idea for me to trade places with Nick's banshee, but you've been wearing a pouty face ever since.
Bay-Lee: I don't have a pouty face.
Keisha: Sure you don't.
Bay-Lee (after knocking Keisha down): You hit on my boyfriend, so I thought I should hit on you.
Little girl: There's a monster in my closet.
He added, "Reapers aren't supposed to care.They don't have compassion or love inside of them."
"But you're still human."
"Because of you!" It sounded like an accusation instead of gratitude. "I haven't lost my humanity because I still have you. His facial muscles tightened. "I can't keep living like this."
Nick threw the talisman down and stormed off, heading for the castle.
She scooped the talisman off the ground. It was precious, even if it was malfunctioning. Without it Nick wouldn't be able to stay with her. She ran until she caught up with him. Slipping it into his hand, she begged him to keep using it. "At least until we find something else. Please."
The purple half-circles beneath his eyes attested to his lack of sleep and made her want to cry. She cringed when he slipped the thing around his neck. Asking him to live like this was horrible, but she couldn't let him go, not yet.
Warrior at Amazon
Warrior at B&N
Warrior at Smashwords
Official Release Date: 7/13/14
This is the third book in the Order of the Spirit Realm Series. If you haven't read them, start with BAIT. It is free at most online ebook vendors such as Amazon, B&N, Kobo, Smashwords, etc.
This book begins two years after HUNTER ended. Bay-Lee is fighting a Devil Tree while her mentor and boyfriend, Nick Gallos, watches from the sidelines. Things are tense between them. She wants to amp up their relationship, but Nick has put on the brakes. He's got one foot out the door, and she doesn't know what to do about it.
WARRIOR brings about closure and change, some good and some bad. Together, Nick and Bay-Lee will take on the werewolf pack that killed her mother, face their twisted pasts, and face a friend turned enemy.
Quotes from WARRIOR:
Bay-Lee: You never told me I wasn't supposed to kill it. You told me I couldn't kill it.
Nick: I should have known you'd take that as a challenge.
Keisha: Oh, don't play Miss Innocent with me, girl. It was your idea for me to trade places with Nick's banshee, but you've been wearing a pouty face ever since.
Bay-Lee: I don't have a pouty face.
Keisha: Sure you don't.
Bay-Lee (after knocking Keisha down): You hit on my boyfriend, so I thought I should hit on you.
Little girl: There's a monster in my closet.
He added, "Reapers aren't supposed to care.They don't have compassion or love inside of them."
"But you're still human."
"Because of you!" It sounded like an accusation instead of gratitude. "I haven't lost my humanity because I still have you. His facial muscles tightened. "I can't keep living like this."
Nick threw the talisman down and stormed off, heading for the castle.
She scooped the talisman off the ground. It was precious, even if it was malfunctioning. Without it Nick wouldn't be able to stay with her. She ran until she caught up with him. Slipping it into his hand, she begged him to keep using it. "At least until we find something else. Please."
The purple half-circles beneath his eyes attested to his lack of sleep and made her want to cry. She cringed when he slipped the thing around his neck. Asking him to live like this was horrible, but she couldn't let him go, not yet.
My faves:
Favorite Action Moment: This is a hard one to answer because I loved the werewolf battle where Bay-Lee finally gets her revenge, but I also enjoyed the fight between her and former friend Keisha.
Favorite Romantic Moment: Bay-Lee gets a splinter and Nick sucks on her finger before removing it. By the time he finishes, her mind is not on the splinter anymore.
Favorite Funny Moment: When Nick and Bay-Lee revisit the past by playing their special version of twenty questions, and she finds out Mike had wanted to name the band Bam-Bam.
Favorite Dramatic Moment: Avery has to attend Orientation as Bait, and Bay-Lee is in the crowd for the first time, watching instead of participating.
Favorite Line from a Supporting Character: Keisha says, "It was your idea for me to trade places with Nick's banshee, but you've been wearing a pouty face ever since." Also have to give an honorable mention to little Taylor who says, "There's a monster in my closest."
Last thing Bay-Lee says to Nick: I think you are a bad influence on me.
Favorite Reunion: Nick and his mom
Favorite Relaxing Moment: Avery tries to polish Bay-Lee's fingernails in an effort to bond with her.
Favorite Monster Moment: Bay-Lee hears a soft growl in the library and sees a flash of fur. There is a werewolf in the room with her.
Favorite Death (can't tell you because I don't want to spoil it for you) :)
Warrior at Amazon
Warrior at B&N
Warrior at Smashwords
Saturday, July 5, 2014
Wednesday, July 2, 2014
Sneak Peek: WARRIOR
Chapter One:
"Can I get a little help over here?" Bay-Lee shouted.
She lifted the heavy shield attached to her arm as a demonic tree tried to pound her into the ground. Using a thick branch as a hammer, it slammed against the metal barrier, driving her to her knees, and the sword slipped from her cold fingers. She used the flat of her empty palm to brace the shield. Frantic, she glanced over her shoulder, wondering why her mentor wasn't yelling out instructions or encouragement.
Where was Nick?
If a resident of the Spirit Realm stepped out into the clearing at that precise moment, they would think she was worshiping the giant tree. On her knees, she stared up at it in a combination of awe and terror. The most shocking thing about the situation was that she was still alive.
She cursed Nick's teaching methods beneath her breath. Every muscle in her body ached. Tomorrow--if she made it to tomorrow--she was going to be covered in endless bruises.
She felt around for the sword, fingers tapping the soft dirt, but her gaze stayed locked on the Devil Tree. During yesterday's lecture Nick said they were close to extinct, and she was lucky to be able to battle one. Yeah, right. In less than ten minutes the thing had almost killed her... twice.
Bare, mangled branches twisted this way and that in constant motion. Rough bark fit together like a mosaic puzzle, covering the huge trunk. A few pieces were missing, rotted away to reveal trails of dark red sap resembling blood, and that wasn't even the worst part.
Nick insisted it had a mouth that spit fire; although she hadn't spotted it yet. If the mouth appeared, she had a surprise for it. No way was she going to let a stupid tree set her on fire.
Her hand searched loose black soil for cold metal as the tree continued to twist. The borrowed weapons came from her father's private collection. Nick's idea. Since she was training to become a Warrior, he thought she should have the best stuff at her disposal. She'd chosen the shield, the sword, and a secret third item currently tucked into her ankle sheath. Her mentor didn't know about it. If he'd seen her reach for it, he might have objected.
She found the sword's hilt, and her eager fingers grasped it tight.
"You're doing fine." Nose in a book, Nick spoke from a few feet away, leaning against a 'harmless' tree. His tone lacked interest. "Keep it up."
She mumbled, "Some mentor you are."
Gunshots in the distance stole her attention. Nick didn't seem bothered by the noise or by the fact a war raged nearby. Hunters and monsters fought over the border, growing in intensity with each passing week. Casualties on both sides...
A soft creaking sound reached her ears. It rose in volume to an ominous level. She turned a split second before a branch tried to decapitate her.
She dove, hit the ground hard, and banged her elbows and knees against the deceptively soft-looking surface. It felt like there was concrete beneath the top layer of dirt. The branch swung over her head. Dark hair obscured her vision. She blew it out of the way just in time.
Another twig covered bough sliced through the air, coming straight at her.
Want to know what happens next?
Warrior is available for pre-order at B&N, and will be available everywhere on 7/13.
"Can I get a little help over here?" Bay-Lee shouted.
She lifted the heavy shield attached to her arm as a demonic tree tried to pound her into the ground. Using a thick branch as a hammer, it slammed against the metal barrier, driving her to her knees, and the sword slipped from her cold fingers. She used the flat of her empty palm to brace the shield. Frantic, she glanced over her shoulder, wondering why her mentor wasn't yelling out instructions or encouragement.
Where was Nick?
If a resident of the Spirit Realm stepped out into the clearing at that precise moment, they would think she was worshiping the giant tree. On her knees, she stared up at it in a combination of awe and terror. The most shocking thing about the situation was that she was still alive.
She cursed Nick's teaching methods beneath her breath. Every muscle in her body ached. Tomorrow--if she made it to tomorrow--she was going to be covered in endless bruises.
She felt around for the sword, fingers tapping the soft dirt, but her gaze stayed locked on the Devil Tree. During yesterday's lecture Nick said they were close to extinct, and she was lucky to be able to battle one. Yeah, right. In less than ten minutes the thing had almost killed her... twice.
Bare, mangled branches twisted this way and that in constant motion. Rough bark fit together like a mosaic puzzle, covering the huge trunk. A few pieces were missing, rotted away to reveal trails of dark red sap resembling blood, and that wasn't even the worst part.
Nick insisted it had a mouth that spit fire; although she hadn't spotted it yet. If the mouth appeared, she had a surprise for it. No way was she going to let a stupid tree set her on fire.
Her hand searched loose black soil for cold metal as the tree continued to twist. The borrowed weapons came from her father's private collection. Nick's idea. Since she was training to become a Warrior, he thought she should have the best stuff at her disposal. She'd chosen the shield, the sword, and a secret third item currently tucked into her ankle sheath. Her mentor didn't know about it. If he'd seen her reach for it, he might have objected.
She found the sword's hilt, and her eager fingers grasped it tight.
"You're doing fine." Nose in a book, Nick spoke from a few feet away, leaning against a 'harmless' tree. His tone lacked interest. "Keep it up."
She mumbled, "Some mentor you are."
Gunshots in the distance stole her attention. Nick didn't seem bothered by the noise or by the fact a war raged nearby. Hunters and monsters fought over the border, growing in intensity with each passing week. Casualties on both sides...
A soft creaking sound reached her ears. It rose in volume to an ominous level. She turned a split second before a branch tried to decapitate her.
She dove, hit the ground hard, and banged her elbows and knees against the deceptively soft-looking surface. It felt like there was concrete beneath the top layer of dirt. The branch swung over her head. Dark hair obscured her vision. She blew it out of the way just in time.
Another twig covered bough sliced through the air, coming straight at her.
Want to know what happens next?
Warrior is available for pre-order at B&N, and will be available everywhere on 7/13.
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