The V Girl Blitz & GIVEAWAY!!!

I've been intrigued by this book from the moment I first heard about it. It sounds so raw and thought provoking, especially because I know that, even now, this is a very big problem that many young girls have to face. Thank you to Mya Robarts for taking it on!

The V Girl by Mya Robarts

In post-apocalyptic North America, rape and sexual slavery are legal. Lila Velez desperately wants to lose her virginity before the troops visit her town and can take it away by force. She makes plans to seduce her only friend, Rey, the most attractive man in her town. Lila does not love him, but he is the only man who has shown her true affection, an affection she is willing to take as a substitute of love.

Lila’s coping mechanism to her mother’s rape and kidnapping is her secret. A secret that will bring her closer to Aleksey, a foreign, broody man. Lila does not trust him because of his links to the troops and his rough, yet irresistible appearance. Aleksey offers Lila an alternative to her plans, a possibility that terrifies her…and tempts her in spite of herself.

All the while Lila will have to find a way to live in the constant company of death, slavery, starvation, sexual abuse and the danger of losing the people she loves the most.

Due to mature content, this book is intended for +18 readers.

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I am a bookaholic and regret nothing.

I spent years trying to become a contemporary dance choreographer. Eventually I realized that I enjoyed writing my stories rather than creating dances for them.

I am obsessed with books that present damaged characters, swoon worthy guys, controversial topics and happy endings.

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Bloomsbury Spark Anniversary: Excerpt & GIVEAWAY!!!

It's Bloomsbury Spark's six month anniversary! Or "sparkiversary," as they're calling it. And to celebrate, they're giving away a Kindle Paperwhite loaded with twelve of their best selling novels! But first, here's an excerpt from The Art of Falling by Jenny Kaczorowski to give you a little sneak peak of what's in store!

Ben sat down on the ramp up to a guard tower. The light over the door traced the perfectly balanced proportions of his profile and shone in his close-cropped hair. He had the kind of strong, chiseled face that made her wish she were a sculptor instead of a painter.

“Sorry my sister is such a pain in the ass,” he said.

“Hey, that’s my best friend you’re talking about.” She settled beside him.

“Yes and I’ve been stuck in the same class as you two since kindergarten.”

“Another nine months and you’ll be free from us.”

He gave her a half laugh. “Don’t remind me.”

Bria shifted, leaning against the handrail. “Have you made a decision yet?”

“Not officially. I don’t sign until February, but I gave Oregon a verbal no last week.”

“Seriously? Abby said you had a full ride.”

He shrugged. “It didn’t feel right.”

“But Oregon is one of the best schools for football, right? Kind of seems like a big deal.”

Ben looked around the beach, still deserted save for a lone seagull, before his eyes settled on her. “I want there to be more to me than football, more than being that guy.”

She stilled, aware of her heart beating in her chest and the air filling her lungs. “Yeah. Yeah, I get that.”

“I don’t know.” He stretched out his long legs, gazing at the ocean. “I guess that’s why I’m out running after spending the entire day in practice. When I run, there’s no expectations, no demands. Just me and the sand and the sky and the surf.”

“I’m not exactly built for running,” she said, eyeing her figure, much too tall and all soft around the edges.

“You’re fine, Bria. Girls like Alyson Kane are the ones who aren’t built for running.”

Bria snorted. She’d give anything to squeeze into Alyson’s tiny cheerleading uniform. Her body just wouldn’t agree.

“So what about you?” Ben said. “Abby told me you visited some fancy art school in New York?”

“Oh. Yeah.” She looked down at her hands, picking at a fleck of paint clinging to her cuticle. “Pratt. I just have to get my application and portfolio in by November first for early decision, but admissions said I’m basically in if I want it.”

“Good for you. Wow. New York.”

“I know.”

He tapped his foot against hers. “Why don’t we do this anymore? Just hang out and talk.”

“Come on, Ben. It’s bad enough that you and Abby ended up in the same grade. You don’t need to feel bad for finding your own friends.”

“Abby says I’m not cool enough to hang out with you guys.”

Bria burst out laughing. Ben – star quarterback, perpetual crush, best smile in school – not cool enough? “The Queen of Cool herself is probably passed out drunk by now.”

“Hey. That’s my sister you’re talking about.”

“Sorry about that.” She bumped her arm against his, lingering a little longer than necessary. When she pulled away, something in his gaze made her hands fidget and her tongue trip over her words. “I mean, I love her, but you know...”

“Yeah. I know.” His laughter faded away, leaving something sweet and tender and totally unfunny in his eyes. He brushed his thumb along her cheekbone, the kind of simple, casual touch that made her insides turn to mush. “I’ve really missed you, Bria.”

And here's that giveaway!

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Love After Dark Release Day Blitz

Love After Dark releases today! This amazing anthology includes nine complete novels, and for this week, IT'S ONLY $.99!!!!!!!!!!!! You need to snatch this one up now!

Love After Dark

Love After Dark features nine bestselling authors who create worlds and love within them. Not only will you find love between the pages but new content relating to their fabulous series! This bundle will include Brina Courtney, Ella James, Quinn Loftis, A.O Peart, Alivia Anders, Heather Hildenbrand, Julia Crane, Melissa Pearl and Anna Cruise.

Books included in the bundle are:

Reveal by Brina Courtney

Here by Ella James

Elfin by Quinn Loftis

Illumine by Alivia Anders

Dirty Blood by Heather Hildenbrand

Anna by Julia Crane

Forged By Greed by A.O. Pert

Golden Blood by Melissa Pearl

Set In Stone by Anna Cruise

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And here are all of the books in the anthology:

Reveal by Brina Courtney

Shay could be the key to ending a war that humans don't know exist. Of a race of beings that aren't real, or are they?

Shay Tafford's childhood has been fatherless, filled instead with memories of speaking to the dead. She is forced to hide her unique ability from those living around her. That's why it's been comforting to have Jeremy, a child ghost, as her confidante. But recently he's been absent, perhaps lost as her father is. When Shay meets Hugh, the guy she's had a crush on for weeks, and finds he can speak to ghosts too she's just starting to find a normalcy in her life.

But as Hugh reveals the truth to Shay, about who she really is and about what it is she can do, he erases all chances she had at a normal existence. Turns out talking to ghosts is just scratching the surface of her genetically engineered gifts. Shay learns she may be part of an age old prophecy that could save the entire race of cryptids. But can she?

Here by Ella James

Milo Mitchell's life used to be charmed, but that was before her family dissolved, she went a little crazy, and her best friends started acting more like strangers. Spending Saturday morning in a treehouse with a stun gun for company and a herd of deer for friends is the only exciting thing in her life...until she shoots a fawn and finds her dart stuck in a guy.

Her gorgeous victim is dressed in a Brioni tux and armed with a hanky. He has no idea who or where he is. Afraid her dart caused his amnesia, Milo takes him in, names him Nick, and vows to help him solve his mystery. Soon the pair find Nick's face in a newspaper obituary, and Nick beings to have strange, ethereal memories of Milo--who is sure she's never met him. Suddenly Nick knows things he shouldn't know and is doing things he shouldn't do. When the Department of Defense shows up, Nick and Milo run--toward a shocking conclusion that could destroy both their worlds.

Elfin by Quinn Loftis

Before tonight Cassie Tate’s biggest concerns were whether she could pass Algebra and how she was going to keep Elora, her best friend, from dressing her in a skimpy fairy costume for Halloween. Her feet were firmly planted in suburban reality and she had no reason to believe her life would be anything but that of a typical teenager. That is until tonight, when Cassie saw something that no human was ever supposed to see; in the blink of an eye she was thrown into the world of the Light and Dark Elves.

He comes from a realm where light and dark have fought for millennia. He is of a race known to humans only in myths and legends. The darkness that lives inside him is a part of both who and what he is and it makes him the most gifted spy and assassin in the history of his time. His life is not his own; he lives in the service of the Dark Elf King. He slays who he must, has mercy on no one, is relentless in his hunt, and never tires of seeing his prey fall. He is Triktapic, assassin, spy, most feared of the Dark Elves.

Now, in the midst of his King’s complicated plans to expand the Dark Elves’ holdings into the mortal realm, for the first time, Trik finds his loyalties divided. For no Elf, Dark or Light, can turn away from their Chosen.

Unbeknownst to the mortal realm, the battle between Light and Dark is being brought to their doorstep. The only one who can keep it at bay holds darkness in his heart like a lover, and the one who can sway that heart must decide if she can look beyond his black past, beyond his evil nature and see the man he is destined to be.

The question must be asked, does love really cover a multitude of sins? Can true love actually conquer all or will his darkness consume those around him until all that stands is an assassin with the blood of the mortal realm on his hands?



Illumine by Alivia Anders

For the past five months Essallie Hanley has been trying to forget about the frightening murder of her boyfriend. Haunted by vivid nightmares and hallucinations of the event she does anything she can to pretend she's like every other normal girl in High School.

Only Essallie is far from normal. Able to conjure blue fire and a shimmering silhouette of wings from her body, she seeks the only known solace left to her name; her first home in Belfast, Maine.

But she soon realizes that her return home is only the beginning of a long and twisted road taking her as far from her humanity as possible, with Kayden, the demon originally summoned to slaughter her, leading the way. Unable to touch her but oddly curious, he joins Essallie in her search to find out just what she is. But neither of them were prepared for the secrets they've begun to unravel, secrets that will change Essallie and everyone around her forever.



Dirty Blood by Heather Hildenbrand

I killed a girl last night. I did it with my bare hands and an old piece of pipe I found lying next to the dumpster. But that’s not the part that got me. The part that scared me, the part I can’t seem to wrap my head around and still has me reeling, was that when she charged me, her body shifted – and then she was a wolf. All snapping teeth and extended claws. But by the time I stood over her lifeless body, she was a girl again. That’s about the time I went into shock… And that was the moment he showed up.

Now, all I can do is accept the truths that are staring me in the face. One, Werewolves do exist. And Two, I was born to kill them.

Anna by Julia Crane

Seventeen-year-old Anna is an unskilled, natural witch still seeking a way to access her magick. When she moves to Seattle for college, she encounters two powerful witches who need her as much as she needs them. For the first time, Anna believes she's found someone who can help her explore her own magick.

Her dream quickly turns into a nightmare.

Creatures of the Light have gone missing, and the witches she admires so well are a part of the mystery.

Before she knows it, Anna is knee deep in the disappearances and trying to forge a relationship with a certain soldier named Tommy, all while trying to find her way. Will she have time to save the creatures of the light or will she become the next victim?

Forged By Greed by Angela Orlowski Peart

Two Seattle 16-year-olds, Jatred and Jasmira, are not your typical star-crossed lovers. They are not even your typical Shape Shifters. Sure, they try to live an ordinary life. At least, as ordinary as the Prince and the Princess of the rivaling ancient Races--the Winter wolves and the Summer leopards--can live. But eventually they learn that not much about their existence can be normal. Especially when the Races' two commanding Goddesses are involved.

One of the Goddesses is on a quest to tilt the scale of power to her side. The other will never let it happen, even if it means kicking Jatred and Jasmira's love to the curb. Nothing is off limits, including removing Jatred's memories of Jasmira.

To complicate things even more, there are the Universe's powers to consider. They are trapped in an ancient Amulet in order to protect the stability of the world. But the Universe has a mind of its own, and when the powers are unleashed, the forces of nature are disturbed; earthquakes, tsunamis, and volcanic eruptions shake the Earth. All Shifters of both Races are summoned by their respective Goddesses to fight in the name of, or against, the normalcy of the world.

Set in Stone by Anna Cruise

Fifteen year-old Valerie is used to losing things–she lost her dad to his job ages ago and her best friend moved with no warning...and hasn't been heard from since. During a weekend camping trip with her emotionally distant parents, she stumbles upon a hidden, mysterious stone and she finds herself desperate to keep it, to possess it. Two strange and beautiful boys have other plans, however. They follow her home–Leo, warm and seductive, who covets the stone and will stop at nothing to get it; and Noel, dark-haired and wise, who pledges to protect her and keep her safe.

As she delves deeper into the magic of the stone and the Celtic lore that surrounds it, Valerie realizes that she's losing. Again. But this loss might involve more than a magical stone – this time, she just might lose her heart.

Contact Release Day Blitz

This cover is gorgeous, and I love how the blurb is described too! I'm really excited about this one! It's only available at Amazon right now, but more vendors should be carrying it soon!

Contact by Laurisa White Reyes

It takes only half a second…

…Like those commercials where a crash test dummy rockets forward at high speed and slams into a wall.
…In that instant, every thought in Emma Lynn Walsh’s head collides with mine—every thought, memory, hope, disappointment and dream.
…I open my eyes to see Dr. Walsh peering at me, a puzzled expression on her face.

“Let—go—of—me,” I order though clenched teeth.

Mira wants to die. She’s attempted suicide twice already, and failed. Every time she comes in contact with another person, skin to skin, that person’s psyche uploads into hers. While her psychologist considers this a gift, for Mira, it’s a curse from which she cannot escape.

To make matters worse, Mira’s father is being investigated in the deaths of several volunteer test subjects of a miracle drug. Shortly after Mira’s mother starts asking questions, she ends up in a coma. Although her father claims it was an accident, thanks to her “condition” Mira knows the truth…but proving it just might get her killed!

Amazon

After earning her B.A. in English in 1995, Laurisa White Reyes spent many years writing for newspapers and magazines before gathering enough courage to live her dream of writing novels. Contact is her third published book. She is currently pursuing her Master’s degree in creative writing, is a book editor for Hamilton Springs/Xchyler Press, and is the Editor-in-chief of Middle Shelf Magazine. She lives in Southern California with her husband and five children.

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Mind Static Blitz: Excerpt & GIVEAWAY!!!

Mind Static is back! A few weeks ago, I helped debut this beautiful cover here, and now it has returned to the blog once more, this time with an excerpt!

Mind Static by Jen Naumann

Keyanna Sanders is about to get everything she could ever wish for on her 18th birthday: a hot guy who’s really into her, the sports car she’s always dreamed of owning, and the party of a lifetime that no one will forget any time soon.

But before long, she’ll understand these wishes are more than a coincidence, and that they come at a steep price. Keyanna is more than just an average high school senior, her best friend is more than the innocent boy next door, and her sudden good fortune isn’t just by chance. When her estranged father suddenly re-enters her life, she’ll have to decide who to trust, and whether or not the man she loves has become the enemy.

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Jen Naumann grew up in southern Minnesota as an addict of such flicks as Indiana Jones and The Goonies until she discovered John Hughes, and spent her high school days locked away writing love stories with a sci-fi twist. Married to a farmer in southern Minnesota, she tries to follow the madness of her four active children while balancing an imagination that never shuts down. As the author of CHEATING DEATH, SHYMERS, AND PARANORMAL KEEPERS, she writes stories with strong female leads who have a good sense of humor and tend to fall in love despite their better judgment.

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The smell of burning leaves mixed with the usual stench of the big city drifts through the cooler air when I step outside. Nestled on the edge of residential homes, our school starts just blocks from where chain businesses like tanning salons and women’s boutiques begin. The large oak trees lining the busy street have just begun to turn a bright orange, bringing color to the otherwise dull grassy courtyard. I’ve always loved this time of year, although it may just be because of my birthday.

Nora waits for me in the half-full parking lot, leaning against the BMW with her arms crossed. Although it’s halfway mild for a Minnesota fall, she almost looks ridiculous in a miniskirt short enough to fail the school’s somewhat loose dress code. The skinny jeans and knee-high boots I wear are more my style. I’m thankful for them when a cool wind throws strands of wet hair across my face.

When I’m a few strides away, Nora scowls. “Took you long enough. Didn’t you have to come outside for the fire drill? And why are you wet?”

“It was no drill.” I walk around to open the passenger’s door, wringing out my hair in the process. “It was the real deal. There was an actual fire in my class.”

With her eyes wide, Nora opens her own door and slides in next to me. “What do you mean? Did you have something to do with it? I always knew you had a dark side to you, but pyromania is taking it a bit far.”

I shut my door. “I didn’t start it.” Then I stop a minute and add, “Well, not technically.”

“What in the hell is that supposed to mean?” Nora sighs dramatically when shutting her own door. “Either you started it, or you didn’t.”

“You know that thing that happened in chem earlier? It happened again. I wished the new guy would come over and talk to me—”

Her jaw drops, and she punches my shoulder. Hard. “You totally hooked up with him!”

Rubbing my tender shoulder, I frown. “Right. We did it right in the middle of communications class with everyone watching. It was magical.”

“That’s never stopped me before.” A smug smile crosses her lips, as if she would really do such a thing.

I click on my seatbelt, giving her a sideway sneer. “Yeah well I’m not like you. I have boundaries and a little thing I like to call morals.”

“Yeah, well, you’re just jealous.” She pulls down the visor to check herself out in the mirror. “You should totally try it some time.”

“Are you going to let me finish?” I cross my arms.

Nora waves her hand in a whatever motion before flipping the visor back and starting the car. “Talk fast, because we have a lot to do before the party.”

Just the mention of the party brings butterflies to my stomach. The feeling that this night will get out of control has multiplied throughout the day. “Anyway, Lock came over and—”

Mid-backing out of the stall, Nora slams on the breaks and we both jolt in our seats. “Wait! His name is Lock? What kind of name is that? Lock and Key? Are you jerking my chain?” She begins to giggle manically.

“I think it’s British or something. Seriously, Nor. You’re killing me here.”

She stops giggling and squints, her lips pushed out. “What? I can’t ask any questions?”

“Not until I’m done. Are you going to let me talk now?”

A few cars honk at us. It’s no wonder—we’re sitting at an angle in the middle of the parking lot. Nora rolls down the window to flash them her middle finger before driving forward.

“You’re right. That hand signal was totally called for, ‘cause they’re the idiot,” I mumble.

“I thought you were so eager to talk to me about something,” Nora volleys back.

“I’m trying to tell you that there are way too many strange things happening to me today. Whenever I wish for something, it happens. I don’t know if I’m going crazy, or if maybe there really is some kind of birthday fairy, but something is going on and it’s really starting to freak me out!”

Nora raises her hand. “Can I say something now?”

I huff, waving my hand at her. “Go ahead.”

“This totally sucks. Why hasn’t anyone told us about this magical eighteenth birthday fairy thing before? Is it like some secret adults are sworn to keep or what?” She bursts out in an evil laugh, and slaps my arm. “Really? You think there’s more to this than just dumb luck?”

“You’re saying you don’t believe me?” It suddenly strikes me how completely ludicrous this whole conversation sounds. Birthday fairy? Magic? Yet there has got to be some kind of reasoning behind all of it. “Fine, we’ll test it out some more. See if my ‘wishes’ are really coming true.”

Nora pulls alongside a semi on the highway. After a beat her face lights up, and she claps her hands together with a squeal. “I know!”

“Hands!” I yell, reaching for the steering wheel.

She casually takes the wheel back. “You should totally wish for the Imagine Dragons or some other awesome band to show up for your party! It would be so epic!”

Although the thought of Dan Reynolds showing up to wish me a happy birthday in person is so appealing I could die, somehow I think my “wishes” have all been of coincidence or just “dumb luck” as Nora suggested. “That seems a bit ambitious. Maybe I could wish for the most epic party to end all parties, only we don’t get caught and no one steals anything of value.”

Nora snorts, slapping the wheel as if taking her aggression out on the car instead of me for once. “You are so lame! That’s seriously what you’re going to wish for? What if you only have one more?” “I haven’t done this before!” I throw my hands up to the roof. “I don’t know how it works! What if I only had a few and I’ve already used them up?”

The whites of Nora’s orbs expand. “You mean like a genie with the three wishes and shit?” She laughs in more of a cackle, taking in gulping breaths until her face turns red. “You’re totally making yourself believe in this crap, aren’t you?”

“Do you have a better explanation for what’s going on?”

“Fine. I won’t laugh at you if you can prove this is really happening. But you have to come up with a really good wish. Something that we can see actual proof of. Something that would never happen to you, like a guy getting down on one knee and asking you out on a date or something.”

I cross my arms. “Remind me again why we’re friends?”

“Because you love me.” Her dark lashes flutter as she flashes a toothy smile.

Grumbling, I tap my fingers on my knees. “Okay, fine. A good, plausible wish...hmmm...”

“Just make sure it’s not dumb. Wish for something really good, like—”

Looking back at her, I yell, “Nor! Shut up!”

The car becomes silent. Nora glances between me and the road with her mouth held in a tight line. I groan loudly, knowing she’s a good one for giving the silent treatment when I piss her off. “I’m sorry!” I say. “You just never let me think.”

She shakes her head wildly, her eyes the size of saucers.

“I said I’m sorry.” I huff deeply. “What’s your problem?” She continues shaking her head, her expression filled with alarm. Panic, even. For a minute I worry she’s going to either be sick or she’s having an adolescent heart attack.

I grab her arm. “Nor, are you okay?” Just like that, it hits me. I totally made her shut up! I gasp. Even though I’ll admit I get a little fangirlish about Harry Potter, I’m not an idiot. I know magic is not real. But how do you explain this?

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Author Spotlight with Ella James

Here at MarkedbyBooks, we read, review, and host. Sorry, couldn't find another "R" word. And in this particular case, my lovelies, I am given the honor of being able to do an author spotlight for the author Ella James!! If you keep up with our lovely blog, a while back, you will remember I did a review for her book Here. And if I might repeat, it was AMAZING.

So, while trying to come up with this, Taylor and I decided that a playlist would be an ideal spotlight to try. Luckily, on her website, she has a few songs that inspired her to write each book. And here they are!!!

Promoting

Here Series

Here by Ella James (Book 1)

Milo Mitchell's life used to be charmed, but that was before her family dissolved, she went a little crazy, and her best friends started acting more like strangers. Spending Saturday morning in a treehouse with a stun gun for company and a herd of deer for friends is the only exciting thing in her life...until she shoots a fawn and finds her dart stuck in a guy.

Her gorgeous victim is dressed in a Brioni tux and armed with a hanky. He has no idea who or where he is. Afraid her dart caused his amnesia, Milo takes him in, names him Nick, and vows to help him solve his mystery. Soon the pair find Nick's face in a newspaper obituary, and Nick beings to have strange, ethereal memories of Milo--who is sure she's never met him. Suddenly Nick knows things he shouldn't know and is doing things he shouldn't do. When the Department of Defense shows up, Nick and Milo run--toward a shocking conclusion that could destroy both their worlds.



Now for her chosen playlist:
1. Whistle- MGMT
2. ET- Katy Perry (MY personal favorite)

Trapped by Ella James (Book 2)

When Milo Mitchell falls for the beautiful, tuxedo-clad guy she found wandering her family’s rural Colorado property, she never dreamed he was a scout from another galaxy, or that their relationship would leave him with an impossible choice: eradicating humankind, or initiating the end of his own people.

Nick’s job is finding the elements his people need to power their elaborate interweb of minds. Being a scout means he is capable of traveling to other planets on his own. It also means that, unlike The Rest, he has access to primitive feelings and individual desires. For eons, he was part of the whole, but when he encountered Milo, his obsession with her changed everything.

Nick’s partner, Vera, is capable of independent thought, but not compelled by it. She is satisfied with her existence as one of The Rest, and she won’t agree that humans are worth sparing; not when their planet has a precious cache of the gold her people need so badly.

While Vera tries to force Nick into endorsing an Earth invasion, working behind the scenes to tie his hands, and the Department of Defense lays a trap for them with Milo’s mom as bait, Nick and Milo are waging their own war – against a primal desire that can only lead to one thing: heartbreak.

Selling Scarlett by Ella James

Elizabeth DeVille doesn't belong at a party like this—one where the gowns cost more than her Camry and cigars run higher than her grad school utility bills. Dragged out of seclusion by her best friend Suri, Elizabeth is merely playing dress-up, rubbing elbows with a crowd that banished her troubled family years ago.
Hunter West is tired. Tired of parties, tired of pretending, and tired of trying to right a wrong that haunts him every day. Bourbon heir and professional poker player by day, by night Hunter is gambling with his life in a high-stakes game of crime and blackmail.

When Elizabeth stumbles into Hunter's den of vices, she's a light in the darkness, a flame in the void. And, just like everything he touches, Hunter mars her in a record time. To rectify the damage done, Elizabeth needs money she doesn't have, and she's come up with a foolproof way to get it.

Follow Elizabeth—code-named Scarlett—to the lush Nevada brothel where she'll auction her virginity and risk the only thing that's not for sale: her heart. The highest bidder is a familiar face, with wicked hands and the devil's mouth. And a secret so dark that it could cost her life.

**Mature Content Warning** Not recommended for readers under the age of 17, due to mature language, sexual content, and violence.




Now for her chosen playlist:
Wait...she doesn't have one....But that does not make the book any less interesting! To me, sounds like something I would most definitely read!!

Stained series

 


Stained by Ella James (Book 1)

After a fire destroys seventeen-year-old Julia’s home and kills her foster parents, she chases the half-demon responsible across the country and back, determined to avenge her family and discover why a host of celestial baddies want her dead. With Julia is enigmatic hottie - Cayne, who has his own score to settle with the half-demon, and who might be just as dangerous as the creature he and Julia hunt.







Now for her chosen playlist:
1. Roll Away Your Stone- Mumford and Sons
2. Skinny Love- Bon Iver
3. Fog- Mason Proper
4. Talk to Me- Bon Iver 

 


Stolen by Ella James (Book 2)

With Cayne's fate in the hands of his enemies and Julia spirited away to the covert Stained compound, the two are separated by impenetrable walls and a gulf of unanswered questions. Soon Julia learns the truth about the Stained and the planes they have for her, the compound is attacked, and a a new group is running from an unwanted destiny, searching the globe in pursuit of the knowledge that just might save them all.






Now for her chosen playlist:
1. Holocene- Bon Iver
2. Blood Bank- Bon Iver
3. Heavy in Your Arms- Florence + The  Machine 

Chosen by Ella James (Book 3)

Julia has been chosen. While at the Stained compound, she was tapped as  The One to win the war against the Nephilim and leashed with an illness that worsens each day she is away from The Three- and her destiny. Determined not to return to the frightening Chosen leaders and desperate to escape her fate, Julia and her friends journey to the Swiss Alps, home of a rogue Chosen clan.
In this snowy haven, all hell breaks loose.

Someone is traitor. Someone changes sides. Some is dragged to Hades. A new romance blossoms. An old romance is damned.  
And The Three will stop at nothing to recover the weapon that will help them regain power.





Now for her "Chosen" playlist....(no pun intended)
1. Calgary- Bon Iver
2. Stacks- Bon Iver
3. Rabbit Heart- Florence + The Machine
4. Hopelessness Blues- Fleet Foxes
4. Michicant- Bon Iver 

 

Exalted by Ella James (Book 4)

Ripped apart by the betrayals of two friends and ensnared by Celestial captors, Julia and Cayne are poised to fulfill their sacrificial role in The Three's return to power. Their Chosen friends will move Hell and Earth to win their freedom, but how will they fight fate when a powerful deity gets the upper hand? 

The net will come down. Someone will be sacrificed. A dear friend will die. And a Celestial battle will play out on Earth, with everything-and everyone-at stake.






Now for her chosen playlist:
1. Little Lion Man- Mumford and Sons
2. Without You- Dakota Suite
3. My Love-Sia
4. Rabbit Heart- Florence + The Machine
5. Perth- Bon Iver
6. The Shrine- Fleet Foxes
7. An Argument- Fleet Foxes

About the Author:

Ella James is a Colorado author who writes teen and adult romance. She is happily married to a man who knows how to wield a red pen, and together they are raising a feisty two year old who will probably grow up believing everyone's parents go to war over the placement of a comma.

Ella's books have been listed on numerous Amazon bestseller lists, including the Movers&Shakers list and the Amazon Top 100; two were listed among Amazon's Top 100 Young Adult Ebooks of 2012.

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The Artful Blitz: Guest Post, Excerpt, & TWO GIVEAWAYS!!!

I have so much to share with you guys in this post! The wonderful Mr. Wilbert Stanton, author of The Artful, provided SO many interesting things for the blitz that I had such a hard time choosing! In the end, I couldn't pick between the guest post and my favorite of the excerpts, so I just decided on both! And then there's going to be TWO GIVEAWAYS at the end! This is so exciting!

The Artful by Wilbert Stanton

New York City, 2025: Everything is changed. The city that never sleeps is now a land of death and decay. A rampant virus has taken over and the survivors have become carriers, quarantined from the rest of the world.

Twist and Dodger grew up in the streets, the sewers and underground tunnels – their playground. They aren’t heroes. They just like attention; and stealing meds from the rich and giving them to the poor is their golden ticket.

On their latest raid, they unknowingly steal a cure that puts them square between the ailing Emperor of Manhattan and the war hungry Governor of Brooklyn and forces them on a quest into the darkest shadows of their putrefying world.

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Wilbert Stanton was born and raised in New York City. From an early age, Wilbert decided he would either write books or take over the world; everything else was just a precursor to his end game.

Along the way, he has studied Psychology, English, and Computer Science. He’s held jobs in a wide range of fields and met people from all walks of life. Wilbert is constantly learning and growing as a person, in order to solidify his dreams.

In the end world domination was a bit tedious, so he decided to focus on writing books.

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Guest Post

The Artful Guide to the City

New York City 2025 isn’t the place of glitz and glam that it used to be. The city that never sleeps is pretty much the city that never breaths. No more tourists blocking up Times Square, taking pictures of God knows what. No longer are the trains filled with both late passengers and uncomfortable smells. There’s no more hustle and bustle… there’s rarely a bustle. But most noticeable is the silence, the silence that fill the city streets is quite unsettling. That being said, if you, dear reader should still choose to visit New York City, here is a handy guide of things to avoid and sites to see… before you die of sickness, or scavenger attack.

Grand Central: Grand Central was once a busy station where people came in and out of the city. Travelling on business or pleasure, it didn’t matter, this was a mecca of diversity and you could see it all here; people from all walks of life as they travelled about their day. Now, Grand Central is a shanty town made up of people who were lucky enough to find its safe dwellings. Only accessible from the subway stations and treacherous tunnels of the underground, it offers a great sense of security. It is also said to be where the Gutter Punks make their home.

Central Park: What was once a beautiful park situated in the center of the city is now a wild land. Over grown with unkempt vegetation and reckless abandonment the park is not what it once was. It is overrun by the ferocious beasts that were once confined to cages of the Central Park Zoo, but now prowl the shadows looking for a human feast. The park is also the home of the Runts, a group of feral children who live like a pack of wolves. Their alpha, a boy named Peter, is said to be a child prodigy who protects his cubs, not with strength but intellect.

Union Square: It was where all the artistic people hung out. Skaters, artists, people competing in games of chess while street entertainers played instruments behind their hungry tip jars. Now it is home to The Tribe, modern day hippies, who flock to the flag of their leader Red, a woman who can wield a sword as easily as a smile. The Tribe spends their days passed out in drunken heaps while their nights are filled with paryting, music and storytelling. They are a fun bunch but when the call to war is upon them they will easily pick up arms and protect their own.

The Cathedral of Eden: The vast cathedral takes up a number of city blocks; the place of worship is now host to the Sons of Adam, a religious cult that follows their leaders Adam and Eve with a sick ferocity. Followers of the faith are known as Angels, mostly reformed criminals seeking salvation during the end of times. This is a place one must steer clear at all costs. If you are not quickly indoctrinated and seen as a follower, your death will not be pleasant.

Beyond the Brooklyn Bridge: There are many rumors as to what waits in Brooklyn. Lord Chrysler rules the borough with an iron fist. The well-to-do live at its center but to get there you must first pass through savage lands run by Skinlickers, heavily pierced and tattooed men and women who relish the taste of human flesh. If you should be so lucky to make it past them, you’ll have to deal with the Slavers who make sport of catching errant men, women and children to sell into slavery or for unwilling contestants in the Barclay Center arena. Once you have made it past them, what waits is a land of beauty and wealth. A land not seen by many who live outside of Brooklyn.

These are only some of the places that await you in New York City. Tread lightly though, because there is danger around every corner. And if you should be so lucky, perhaps you might run into the Gutter Punks. These modern day Robin Hoods who steal from the rich and give to the poor are wise cracking, quick witted and brave boys, who are making a difference. Know their names well, because their names will one day go down in history.

Cigar turned his head to the side until his neck cracked, then again to the other side. He reached for one of his guns. I knew my face went pale, my hands began to shake, and the prospect of throwing myself through the glass window seemed more and more inviting. He put the gun on the counter with a noticeable thud, taking care to aim the muzzle at Dodger.

“Now, now, Fred, we’re all friends here.”

“Name’s not Fred, and you’re no friend of mine.”

“And here I invite you into my place of business and offer you my liquor, thinking we shared the bond that comes with supply and demand―”

“I’m beginning to wonder how you came to own this place. Last I been here, the bartender was a lot older.”

Dodger slammed a cup down on the counter. Prying the whiskey bottle from my frozen fingers, he poured a drink and chugged it down. “Maybe you don’t want to find out.”

This made Cigar laugh, a slow chuckle. “You got a set on you, huh? Now why don’t you tell me where this vault is, and pray to God that there’s more value in it than in turning over a couple of Gutter Punks!”

The game was over. He knew who we were. Frankly, it wasn’t surprising. Dodger and I had made quite the reputation for ourselves, but this, this wasn’t in our favor. And the threat was on the table in the form of a shiny gun.

Dodger held up his hands in mock surprise. “Ahh, you made us. Fine, maybe we can help each other. I tell you where to find the vault, and you walk away?”

“I’ll decide on that when I see fit.”

Dodger looked at me and winked. I knew the look. It meant I had to stay on my toes. After taking a swig of the whiskey, he went through his pockets and produced the lighter I stole at the Empire. I sat on the tip of my stool as he held it out to Cigar, who smiled in turn.

“Smart boy,” he said, holding out his cigar in Dodger’s direction. Dodger opened the lid and flicked the wheel, causing the flame to spark. As soon as Cigar leaned in close enough to light his cigar, Dodger spit the whiskey at him, and the lighter’s flame in-between ignited the flammable liquid, shooting a hail of fire into Cigar’s face.

He yelled, clawing at the flames. His beard caught on fire; the smell of burning hair was instant. I used the distraction to my advantage and jumped for the gun before his wild hands could find it, training the muzzle on him before he could regain composure. Dodger and I tensed as he got up, brushing the last of his scorched beard from his face.

“You boys really made a mistake. What you fixing to do, huh? Shoot me? Look at you, ain’t no man in you! Shaking like a leaf. What makes you think I think you have the balls to shoot me? You got the fear of God in your eyes, but you know what, boy? I ain’t God… I’m the Devil.”

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