tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-71919948604009849042024-02-06T21:54:17.983-05:00Marked By BooksMarked By Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06921329332711897690noreply@blogger.comBlogger305125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7191994860400984904.post-83126172066775632872014-10-13T08:00:00.000-04:002014-10-13T17:23:00.868-04:00Seven Seeds of Summer by Chantal Gadoury<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8Sg4P5clLfz1B6e5POU5JpLbwOemArBUF_QEuZM5jNGWQvVAYgS0pRST-CHZOi2R2yUH43bauP9-qG68yUUDQYaNPyHqKIUvDGMKDUtaW-RcBzOJ-cEHXk-Voa7YHBxXx9Jlc9SRVFNjv/s1600/SSOS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8Sg4P5clLfz1B6e5POU5JpLbwOemArBUF_QEuZM5jNGWQvVAYgS0pRST-CHZOi2R2yUH43bauP9-qG68yUUDQYaNPyHqKIUvDGMKDUtaW-RcBzOJ-cEHXk-Voa7YHBxXx9Jlc9SRVFNjv/s1600/SSOS.jpg" height="320" width="211" /></a>What if you were the missing piece in one of the most famous Greek Mythology Romances?<br />Seven Seeds of Summer follows the story of Summer, a college art student who has grown up in a house full of Greek mythology and legends. Summer grew up with a love for the darkest of all Gods: Hades, which caused tension between her and her mother. Summer comes home to Point Judith, Rhode Island, to find a mysterious figure on their family beach. The figure comes to her with questions about a familiar myth of her childhood: of Persephone and Hades. He proceeds to tell her of a new version of the story with a different ending that Summer never knew; an ending that includes herself.
A trip to Greece leads to tragic twists, leaving Summer in the arms of the strange figure whom she had met before. He takes her on a whirlwind through the busy streets of Athens, to the lowest point of Greece where his lair awaits: The Underworld. Determined to find out the secret of herself and her piece in the story, Summer goes with him, and tries to make herself at home in his world.<br />Summer has to decide to follow her heart or follow the same footsteps of the mysterious woman in her past life.</blockquote>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Seven-Seeds-Summer-Chantal-Gadoury/dp/1630684775/">Amazon</a> <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/seven-seeds-of-summer-chantal-gadoury/1119500642?ean=9781630684778">B&N</a> <a href="http://www.lulu.com/shop/chantal-gadoury/seven-seeds-of-summer/ebook/product-21539088.html">LuLu</a> <br />
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“You don’t have to be so negative all the time,” my mother sighed, pushing her sunglasses over her eyes.<br />
<br />I could tell this was going to be a long drive. The New England Art Institute was only an hour away from Point Judith, where we lived in a small house by the ocean. It was probably my favorite place in the whole world. There was nothing but ocean, and sand, and more opportunities to paint quietly.<br />
<br />“Your father is back in Greece,” my mother murmured after a few minutes of nothing but the silence and the soft hum of the air conditioner.<br />
<br />“Again?” I asked, opening my eyes to glance at her. She nodded, not looking away from the road. “He was called out about three days ago. They found something more on the Hades location.”<br />
<br />“Elis?”
“Yes,” she said with a grin. “Elis.”<br />
<br />“They found something more than rock and rubble?”<br />
“Well, they just asked your father to come out and give his opinion on their recent findings. I’m not even sure what exactly they wanted him to look at.”<br />
<br />“Rock and rubble,” I finished, lowering my head back down onto my pillow. My family loved anything that had to do with Greek Mythology. Our house was filled with relics, and pictures of relics, statues, and temples. My mother was fascinated by Aphrodite, the Goddess of Love. I was sure it was because my mother was in love with the idea of love. She lived for Valentine’s Day and stories of Cupid, and was fascinated by how love worked in stranger’s lives. It could have been the fact that she was a psychologist and loved studying people, but I had a feeling the reasons for her fascination delved much deeper than what surfaced.<br />
<br />There were pictures that littered our fridge and our hallways of my parents in their younger years, posing in front of all sorts of different temples. I imagine this is where or why my mother began her fascination with the Greek Gods and Goddesses. It must have started out as just an admiration, until she started to pray to them. The only part of her decision to pray to them that bothered her was my growing adoration for Hades through my childhood, into my adolescent years. I had the freedom to explore and learn more about my dark friend, and even at times, prayed to him in the quietness of my mind.<br />
<br />I started at a very young age, after being told of the story of Hades and his love, Persephone. In my eyes, he was the perfect man. I became obsessed with him.<br />
<br />“Do you have to be so morbid?” my mother asked me when I told her of my fascination in our kitchen one morning. “Can’t you choose another God to like?”<br />
<br />“Why should I have to? You can't make fun of me for liking him when you decided against going to church like all the other normal families.” I asked, hoping I'd make my point with her.<br />
<br />“Normal is over-rated, honey. Don’t be ashamed to be different.”<br />
<br />“Then I’ll stick with Hades,” I said, giving her a smile. “He’s different, and I like him.”<br />
<br />It could have been the story that I heard growing up as a child. It could have even been the Disney version of Hercules, when Hades was given blue hair that started my admiration for him. I always felt a tug toward him that I couldn’t understand. There were several paintings that littered my room, filled with black oil paint and faces that longed for love and daylight. He was something that I had created in my imagination, and I desperately wanted for him to be alive and real.<br />
<br />But I knew they were only stories.
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Hey there! It's been a while, huh? Luckily, I am returning with a book review!!! Exciting, now isn't it? Now let me get the review started.<br />What do you think about when you hear the term Greek Mythology? I know I think of the Gods, I think of Greece, and I think about Percy Jackson. No joke. I am being dead serious here. Now, what do you think of when you hear the name Hades? Or better yet, Persephone? I know that I think of a pomegranate and a really messed up love, one almost as sad and terrible as that of Shakespeare's <i>Romeo & Juliet.</i><br />Now, one last question. What do you think of when you hear about Fate? Do you think that there is a higher power who has a hand in it? Do you believe in Destiny? (Sorry, I know I said there was only one more question,). Make sure you are firm in your answer before reading this book.<br />Everyone has heard the story of the three little pigs, correct? How there were three pigs and all but one of them were not intelligent enough to build a strong house to keep out the big, bad Wolf? Well, in this lovely new novel, think of the story of Persephone and Hades. Got it in your mind? Ok. Now throw that out of the window. All of it. Only keep those two names.<br />Hades.<br /> Persephone.<br />I love authors who know how to <i>twist. </i>Not physically, but metaphorically speaking. I love those who can twist a plot, twist around a story we have all heard and make it into something different, but essentially the same as what it originally was. In <i>Seven Seeds of Summer, </i>that is what Ms. Gadoury has done. She has taken a story just about everyone in America is familiar with and made into something no one else has been able to think about.<br />I can recommend this book to any reader with no reservation. I love it because it starts off slow. At the same time however, there is enough detail in it to keep a reader entranced. It then delves into what one can assume to be the problem. Slowly but steadily, the reader is given details of who Summer is and why she is going through what she is going through.<br />The climax is the best. Remember everything I said before about throwing the Hades and Persephone story out the window? This is the part where that comes into play. It is not at all what one would suspect. And I loved it. I loved how something so regular, something so original, something like an old Greek Mythology story, could be made into something so much more original. </blockquote>
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My Rating</h4>
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About the Author</div>
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Chantal Gadoury is young author who currently lives in a small town in Delaware with her two cats, Theo and Harper and her boyfriend, Robert. Chantal likes anything Disney, plays a mean game of Disney trivia, enjoys painting, and has a interest in British History. Chantal first started writing stories at the age of seven and continues that love of writing today. As a recent college graduate from Susquehanna University, with a degree in Creative Writing, this is her first book.<br />
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<a href="http://www.twitter.com/cgadoury16">Twitter </a> <a href="http://seiyachan16.wix.com/chantalgadoury">Website</a> <a href="http://blogspot.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=76c91d8a216e860d8c2acc2e7&id=64a6a289cb&e=46e6bc799b">Facebook</a> <a href="http://blogspot.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=76c91d8a216e860d8c2acc2e7&id=110f2f498a&e=46e6bc799b">Tumblr</a> <a href="http://blogspot.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=76c91d8a216e860d8c2acc2e7&id=995ef679c4&e=46e6bc799b">Goodreads</a></div>
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Marked By Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06921329332711897690noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7191994860400984904.post-91559068780261145402014-09-23T14:24:00.000-04:002014-09-23T14:26:32.024-04:00Wishful Thinking Blitz: Guest Post & GIVEAWAY!!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Such a cool plot line! Will James ever figure out what happened fourteen years ago?<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Wishful Thinking by Elle Jefferson </span><br />
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<p>Seventeen year old James Castle Jr. has rugby to deal with the pressures of high school. Fights with his girlfriend, his dad’s constant blame game and graduation anxieties all work out on the field. Every pass, tackle and scrum works out a kink.
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That is until rugby gets suspended.
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Without rugby as an outlet he has no idea how to deal with stress or the feelings of fear plaguing him since the break-in at home. James walked in on a burglar who knocked him out and left him with a concussion. Now, James keeps seeing a little girl with pigtails everywhere. Great, he can add delusional to the list of shit he can’t deal with.
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What makes the situation weirder, if that’s possible, is this little girl looks a lot like the new girl at his school, Claudia.
He can’t explain the connection he feels to Claudia, it’s not lust or friendship even, but it’s there.
Everything ties to one event; a hit and run accident he was the victim of fourteen years ago. An accident he doesn’t remember. An accident his father never told him about. An accident that wasn't in fact an accident. It seems someone from his father’s past is hellbent on revenge and this time they plan to make sure James is dead. James will have to remember the past or else be caught in a killer's crosshairs.
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***Parents strongly cautioned due to minor drug use, underage drinking, sex and foul language***</p></blockquote>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Wishful-Thinking-Elle-Jefferson-ebook/dp/B00NRBFJY6/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1411496171&sr=1-1&keywords=wishful+thinking+elle">Amazon</a> <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/wishful-thinking-elle-jefferson/1120376863?ean=2940150655973">B&N</a> <a href="http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/wishful-thinking-22">Kobo</a></h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0zDQV8MjLgQq4Wa4Gd5u6UYCdO8bRJY_EHbH_AidaHgB07uci5i6tGnd_HNJW1wl-9oBD1_y1BHz15DOi3YZjJ0QkLUc5i_r8jGwPIz-9KjM5eCdAOv7pgLGrr0YTSFLzpHtDwNw7BphD/s1600/ElleAuthorpic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0zDQV8MjLgQq4Wa4Gd5u6UYCdO8bRJY_EHbH_AidaHgB07uci5i6tGnd_HNJW1wl-9oBD1_y1BHz15DOi3YZjJ0QkLUc5i_r8jGwPIz-9KjM5eCdAOv7pgLGrr0YTSFLzpHtDwNw7BphD/s1600/ElleAuthorpic.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a><br />
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Elle Jefferson lives up in northern Arizona with her two beautiful sons,
wonderful husband and her German Shepard Dorrie. When she's
not reading or writing she's painting or enjoying the great outdoors.<br />
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<a href="http://ellejefferson.blogspot.com/">Blog</a> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ElleJeffersonAuthor?fref=ts">Facebook</a> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6875832.Elle_Jefferson">Goodreads</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/oohlalakrysa">Twitter </a></h3>
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<span style="font-size: normal;">Guest Post</span></h4>
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Did you know that my life as a writer started when I was pregnant with my second child? I had just finished my fifth or sixth read through of Harry Potter and was left going "now what?" And thus I started writing. In the beginning I started reading all the books I could find on writing ... on editing ... on plots ... on characters ... on grammar. I took classes, mostly online, and then I plunged head-first into the world of writing. It was in the seas of writing while trying to tread water but mostly drowning that I learned of a forum. It was a magical forum where other wannabe writers talked, shared, laughed and mostly gave each other encouragement (I also happened to meet Colleen Hoover there long before Slammed became a NY Times bestseller).
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It was through this forum that I met some amazing people and five particular women who became my betas. Later they became my sounding boards and then even later became my everything in the writing world. So without further ado, here is my post on writing.
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<b>1. What am I currently working on?</b>
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As of today I'm working on book three in my vampire series ADIB. It's the final book and ties up everything and it's making me a total mess. To say "no pressure" is a lie. There's so much pressure that yesterday after I took a shower and went to clean my ears I actually saw some of my brain oozing out. Have you ever tickled your brain through your ear with a q-tip? Needless to say I looked like a dog whose owner had found her favorite scratching spot. But on a more serious note I love this series and want the final book to blow the other two out of the water.
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<b>2. How does my work differ from others of its genre?</b>
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You got me. I'm still working on figuring out genres. Books never fit neatly into a box, although you'd think they would since they're rectangular, but whatever. I do know that my books no matter what level i.e YA, NA, or Adult (yes I'm a genre hopper so sue me) always have a hint of the paranormal. I also like my characters to be diverse which is a trend I'm seeing more and more in books and it makes me happy. Since I can only be me it's awesome to read books where the MC is different from me. Either by sex, race, religion or even sexual orientation, I love it!! Diversity in books? One word, WONDERFUL.
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<b>3. Why do I write what I do?</b>
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I will say no matter what I write, whether it be paranormal, or sciency (so not a word but should be) there is always a romance. You ask why and I'll tell you why, because I'm a romantic, because I'm in love with love. Personally, I don't believe there is nothing more powerful or more beautiful than two people falling in love. Probably makes me terribly sappy but I can't help it I love love man!! I totally just sounded like an aging hippie.
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<b>4. How does your writing process work? </b>
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Okay here's a visual to end all visuals, picture a monkey. Are you picturing it? Is he skinny? Hairy? Maybe has a bald butt? Okay, now that you have your monkey I want you to imagine said monkey picking up a pile of his poo and flinging it at the wall. Can you see it? Is it making you laugh? Because it's totally making me laugh. You and your monkey just hanging out flinging poo. HAHAHAHA!!! Well that's me only instead of poo its words and I fling them and some stick and are actually pretty good, but some? Man some stink.
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Keep your eyes out because I have lots more stories brewing in my head. Thanks for reading.
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Elle
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<a href="http://markedbybooks.blogspot.com/search/label/Taylor"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjTKwaJrxDhRwDkU4KfmPb6820UBSZx1k7K8rbdpgUclIaY2LjbbJpmWoAcFayBhH3X6qcxb7g5ugDSiSNardHOKf1zDc7NiIrV2CbeLUzf4ndmI1lzhVloCd9W6XOOZa0QXIwqIX2Wb7B/s320/Taylor%2527s+Signature.png" width="450" /></a></div>Marked By Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06921329332711897690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7191994860400984904.post-58941691322619950162014-09-12T08:30:00.000-04:002014-09-12T08:30:01.902-04:00Phobic Blitz: Guest Post & GIVEAWAY!!! <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpqxWjhNSmNo5hZ3_TBoLYj3CdDx2cl8oijGQPSYls1y99OrXAcsTdpDLLlm79_mxsGW8hoOp_iKMLKtkDp0jgslh-Iq15XURbGmPj7sPc9hs4MqiyVqRNe4dn-CunM3ogaIYPxvZSiMoe/s1600/PhobicBlitzBanner.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpqxWjhNSmNo5hZ3_TBoLYj3CdDx2cl8oijGQPSYls1y99OrXAcsTdpDLLlm79_mxsGW8hoOp_iKMLKtkDp0jgslh-Iq15XURbGmPj7sPc9hs4MqiyVqRNe4dn-CunM3ogaIYPxvZSiMoe/s1600/PhobicBlitzBanner.png" height="236" width="640" /></a></div>
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And here is yet another book blitz! Just in time for Halloween, too! Maybe a tad bit too early, but here at Marked By Books, we like to keep our followers on their toes! I hope this blitz gets you in the right mindset for Halloween!<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22465896-phobic" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzoZgJT3qXTAEKz0Hz_wk77pElpvriDp7AT-CWtMJbvqd_hP5DGguZ2qngmZQcIyG9hyQ7RWnegfvmsSZ0tEVjVH_2twHKpt6eKgkqzLFWruOSgPxkobPlm4llIymb5D_Dbh29rLMMGp0R/s1600/Phobic.jpg" height="400" width="265" /></a>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Phobic by Cortney Pearson</span><br />
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<p>Fifteen-year-old Piper Crenshaw knows her house is strange. It’s never needed repairs since it was built in the 1800s, and the lights flicker in response to things she says. As if those things aren’t creepy enough, it’s also the place where her mother committed murder.<br />
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To prove she’s not afraid of where she lives, Piper opens a forbidden door, which hides a staircase that leads to the ceiling. That’s when the flashbacks of the original residents from 1875 start, including a love affair between two young servants. Each vision pulls Piper deeper into not only their story, but also her house. Piper confides in her best friend, Todd, whom she's gradually falling for, but even he doesn't believe her. At least, not until her house gets axed during a prank, and the act injures Piper instead, cutting a gash the size of Texas into her stomach.<br />
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Piper realizes her house isn’t haunted—it’s alive. To sever her link to it, she must unravel the clues in the flashbacks and uncover the truth about her mother’s crime, before she becomes part of her house for good.</p></blockquote>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22465896-phobic?from_search=true">Goodreads</a> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Phobic-Forbidden-Doors-Book-1-ebook/dp/B00MZNJ3CG/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&sr=8-1&qid=1409925731">Amazon</a> <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/phobic-cortney-pearson/1120254474?ean=9781500497194">B&N</a></h3>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Guest Post</span></h4>
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I love teasers, and am so excited to share mine with you! PHOBIC is not only mega creepy with a great mystery surrounding the house Piper lives in…<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidtsX4JTkduThS0ANRNMeq32O72I_23c-5Dj1EIjyqQTdIwg-v0nVrsaV491T9BqrRn4LuJuQTMqVptkECatUMGlkVEvirjj2NnFAYQQ1IqQjkeq3yCmw0s30gWRER1KGITccyuR4i_VU9/s1600/phobic'.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidtsX4JTkduThS0ANRNMeq32O72I_23c-5Dj1EIjyqQTdIwg-v0nVrsaV491T9BqrRn4LuJuQTMqVptkECatUMGlkVEvirjj2NnFAYQQ1IqQjkeq3yCmw0s30gWRER1KGITccyuR4i_VU9/s1600/phobic'.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a></div>
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I’ve played the clarinet for 18 years, and I’ve always wanted to write a character with the same trait because it’s been such a huge part of my life for so long.
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Piper plays the clarinet in PHOBIC and music for her provides an escape from the horrible life she’s had. Her mom’s in prison for murder, her dad pretty much ignored her after that (except for the times when he gave all these crazypants rules about places she wasn’t allowed to go IN HER OWN HOUSE), and then he died. Not to mention she’s hoping to win a scholarship that will provide a way to get her out of her creepy house for a while.
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But it’s not just Piper. Who here doesn’t love music? *checks for any raised hands*
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I don’t know about you, but not only do I love to play music I’ve constantly got music playing. While I work, while I clean, while I write, while I drive.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiLfcSkBw0cyweAEFEpylyRIetVO2UNPrxplGCaUzelxBDcqNSDqDXAdnZDKSNlnLSM16vedxsnGC6zGc_rCufhFI8DGt_9J-BC39ig5BMBdH-tL3U21rIkCjA6r4e-fIkanQKmovFylUZ/s1600/emperor.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiLfcSkBw0cyweAEFEpylyRIetVO2UNPrxplGCaUzelxBDcqNSDqDXAdnZDKSNlnLSM16vedxsnGC6zGc_rCufhFI8DGt_9J-BC39ig5BMBdH-tL3U21rIkCjA6r4e-fIkanQKmovFylUZ/s1600/emperor.gif" height="258" width="640" /></a></div>
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And this is something I’ve thought about, what my personal theme song would be. It’s so hard to choose just one! I know on the day I announced I’d be publishing PHOBIC it was this song:<br />
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g3hUlCV4Hlc">BEST DAY OF MY LIFE — Glee Cast</a></div>
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But music definitely needs to fit our moods, our current situations.
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What about you? If you had to choose, what would your personal theme song be?
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivkg3229BnkOP0sreSSL6ymxrPz03xEV-MctAQrjXCm6PA65SWJkkYJdJ5Xodfg4G0M3pTITm679CAnFbcUNsSgzui8supSMF4hFF7ECpHLz557XlhJKILvo6_Eo9OpuC_ytSufR8o5JV-/s1600/Cortney.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivkg3229BnkOP0sreSSL6ymxrPz03xEV-MctAQrjXCm6PA65SWJkkYJdJ5Xodfg4G0M3pTITm679CAnFbcUNsSgzui8supSMF4hFF7ECpHLz557XlhJKILvo6_Eo9OpuC_ytSufR8o5JV-/s1600/Cortney.jpg" height="200" width="133" /></a></div>
<h4 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;">About the Author</span></h4>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Cortney Pearson is a book nerd who studied literature at BYU-Idaho, a music nerd who plays clarinet in her local community orchestra, and a writing nerd who creates stories for young adults. Cortney lives with her husband and three sons in a small Idaho farm town.</div>
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<a href="http://www.cortneypearson.com/">Website</a> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/cor2ney">Facebook</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/cor2ney">Twitter</a> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8304331.Cortney_Pearson">Goodreads</a></h3>
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Marked By Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06921329332711897690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7191994860400984904.post-71803320203525783452014-09-10T22:52:00.000-04:002014-09-10T22:52:31.371-04:00Play of Light Cover Reveal & GIVEAWAY!!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWRzntUCcsy8jsW3MgQo8X6iLfhtse5TQKTBh-_nN16UwHuSb49kt3g_9PT6irrSQ5F_iAQ7S_4JThXNX-WxYCVZbZ7YyUjgDY-BrB26EIfQnxmlT_e4baGaGcHz6PjbFYuX03VbLDWS-l/s1600/ddoxer_PlayofLight.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWRzntUCcsy8jsW3MgQo8X6iLfhtse5TQKTBh-_nN16UwHuSb49kt3g_9PT6irrSQ5F_iAQ7S_4JThXNX-WxYCVZbZ7YyUjgDY-BrB26EIfQnxmlT_e4baGaGcHz6PjbFYuX03VbLDWS-l/s1600/ddoxer_PlayofLight.jpg" height="640" width="426" /></a></div>
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Another beauty from Okay Creations! Seriously, this may be my favorite one from them yet. For more, check out their newly designed <a href="http://okaycreations.com/">website</a>, it looks great!<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22881797-play-of-light" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWRzntUCcsy8jsW3MgQo8X6iLfhtse5TQKTBh-_nN16UwHuSb49kt3g_9PT6irrSQ5F_iAQ7S_4JThXNX-WxYCVZbZ7YyUjgDY-BrB26EIfQnxmlT_e4baGaGcHz6PjbFYuX03VbLDWS-l/s1600/ddoxer_PlayofLight.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></a></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Play of Light by Debra Doxer</span><br /><br />
<p>I lived in paradise, and I loved Spencer Pierce.<br />
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At fourteen, my life was perfect. The beach was my playground, and the boy who stole my heart lived just around the corner. But perfect never lasts. In one horrifying moment, I lost it all. My family was destroyed, and the boy I believed in turned his back on me. Paradise became a nightmare.<br />
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That was five years ago. Everything changed when we moved from our home by the sea. I’ve changed, and I don’t like who I’ve become. I miss the smiling, carefree beach girl who disappeared that terrible night. I want to find her again. I want to face the people we ran from so long ago. Most of all, I have to face Spencer. So I can prove that when he broke my heart, he didn’t break me.<br />
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But when I see him again, Spencer Pierce is no longer the boy from my memories. He’s now a man who could devastate me if I let him. He watches me when he thinks I’m not looking. There’s regret written on his face when he’s near. Each time I see him, my heart aches for what might have been, and I think his does too. How can I convince myself I’m over him when I suspect he never got over me?<br />
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~ This is a standalone story. ~</p></blockquote>
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<i>Play of Light</i> releases December 8th!</h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwjtYLv-QUpYHSmDwmTz4SkdDzIVOAJmrDqVql85n1IWIpVLuXf5jMmmkY66UOGDQ9PKmIlUMPL15_0XgCCwS4TCKzctRjzhfhL_1nnidYqvjAW1eHkl2eKQvpmVDx5Q_9ZNicU33tbNw7/s1600/Debra.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwjtYLv-QUpYHSmDwmTz4SkdDzIVOAJmrDqVql85n1IWIpVLuXf5jMmmkY66UOGDQ9PKmIlUMPL15_0XgCCwS4TCKzctRjzhfhL_1nnidYqvjAW1eHkl2eKQvpmVDx5Q_9ZNicU33tbNw7/s1600/Debra.jpg" height="200" width="160" /></a>Debra Doxer was born in Boston, and other than a few lost years in the California sunshine, she has always resided in the Boston area. She writes fiction, technical software documents, illegible scribbles on sticky notes, and texts that get mangled by AutoCorrect. She writes for a living, and she writes for fun. When her daughter asks when she'll run out of words, her response always is, "When I run out of time."
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<a href="https://www.facebook.com/AuthorDebraDoxer">Facebook</a> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6876249.Debra_Doxer">Goodreads</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/DebraDoxer">Twitter</a></h3>
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<a href="http://markedbybooks.blogspot.com/search/label/Taylor"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjTKwaJrxDhRwDkU4KfmPb6820UBSZx1k7K8rbdpgUclIaY2LjbbJpmWoAcFayBhH3X6qcxb7g5ugDSiSNardHOKf1zDc7NiIrV2CbeLUzf4ndmI1lzhVloCd9W6XOOZa0QXIwqIX2Wb7B/s320/Taylor%2527s+Signature.png" width="450" /></a></div>Marked By Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06921329332711897690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7191994860400984904.post-34358517387803759732014-09-08T00:00:00.000-04:002014-09-08T00:00:00.027-04:00The Undead: Playing for Keeps Blitz: Excerpt & GIVEAWAY!!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI7LhyphenhyphenITfrsgQU406bvukYz9rM0MWjsF45uDYreyJEvuHkXQzkEvfh5NWhl24VePbV5z8s4KbIkUs9_jzEGuCRzq-VLgkmrOzwjqvmRNz39c7J_jb1iGR3V61___qO7meOAyAmLBX1-kOv/s1600/TheUndeadBlitzBanner.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI7LhyphenhyphenITfrsgQU406bvukYz9rM0MWjsF45uDYreyJEvuHkXQzkEvfh5NWhl24VePbV5z8s4KbIkUs9_jzEGuCRzq-VLgkmrOzwjqvmRNz39c7J_jb1iGR3V61___qO7meOAyAmLBX1-kOv/s1600/TheUndeadBlitzBanner.png" height="236" width="640" /></a></div>
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I LOVE the idea for this novel! It's been so long since I've read a good reaper/resurrection book, so I'm really excited to check this one out! Don't forget to enter into our exclusive giveaway for the chance to win a copy!<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22131059-the-undead?ac=1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1409241424l/22131059.jpg" width="263" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">The Undead: Playing for Keeps by Elsie Elmore</span><br /><br />
<p>When an undead woman with serious de-comp issues stalks sixteen-year-old Lyla Grimm, her hope of rescuing her rock-bottom reputation takes a back seat. Especially once Lyla’s new talent of resurrecting the dead draws the attention of Eric, a Grim Reaper with a guitar and a chip on his shoulder.<br />
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While Lyla navigates the gossip-ridden halls, Eric works to gain her trust and discover why Death’s clients aren’t staying down. If she passes on her gift, his death-messenger destiny might be altered. But the closer he gets to Lyla, the less sure he is of his plan. The dead are way easier to deal with than the living.<br />
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Gossip explodes, the Grimm family implodes, and desperation sets in. Death wants the gift and a soul. Lyla and Eric face hard choices with hidden consequences. Sometimes life’s choices aren’t really choices at all.</p></blockquote>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Undead-Playing-Keeps-Elsie-Elmore/dp/1620075997/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1409682395&sr=1-1&keywords=9781620075999">Amazon</a> <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-undead-elsie-elmore/1120208213?ean=9781620075999&itm=1&usri=9781620075999">B&N</a></h3>
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<a href="https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1400787334p5/8213277.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1400787334p5/8213277.jpg" width="132" /></a>Elsie Elmore lives in North Carolina with her husband and two kids. She loves the color red, has an appreciation for chocolate and coffee that borders on obsession, writes stories that challenge the laws of nature, and wishes fall temperatures would linger year round.
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Elsie is a member of several writing organizations: RWA, SCBWI, and WSW. The Undead : Playing for Keeps is her debut novel.<br />
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<a href="http://elsieelmore.com/">Website</a> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/elsieelmorewriter">Facebook</a> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8213277.Elsie_Elmore">Goodreads</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/ElsieWriter">Twitter</a></h3>
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Her straw wrapper refuses to tear off in flakes larger than two millimeters. “What are you doing here?” she asks, tearing off tiny pieces.
“Having lunch with you.”<br />
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“Why would you do that?”<br />
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“Once you understand my intentions, you’ll realize that I only want to protect you.” I point to her tray. “You should eat something.” Her blushes show up too easily. She looks tired and thin.<br />
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“I can’t.” She eyes the Salisbury steak on her tray and then slides it toward me. “You want it?”<br />
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I press my forefinger on the tray’s edge and scoot it back towards her before the smell becomes too clear. “No thanks.” For the first time, the food doesn’t look disgusting and the smell doesn’t bother me, but I might not be able to fake my reaction once I put a bite in my mouth. Repulsion is hard to hide.
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“Why do you wear gloves all the time?” She looks at my hands resting on the table. “It’s not even that cold yet.”
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“I like the way they feel. I have cold hands.” I watch her eyes as I speak, hoping she’s buying what I’m selling. I’d rather not confess why. My label is hard to live with. “So, what happened with the table of jocks before I walked in? I feel like I missed the main event.”
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Her gaze drops to her tray. She rips off a corner of her napkin and rolls it into a tiny ball. “Nothing really. He was making comments about the missing bodies and my family.”
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“That bothered you?”
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Her expression crumbles when I say that. “Yeah. He was making fun of my family being twisted. I’m not ashamed of what my dad does. It’s a business. He and my mom treat the families who lose people with a lot of care and compassion.”
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“I don’t doubt that. Your mom seems like a good person.”
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At the mention of her mom, a small smile lifts her lips. I bet she doesn’t realize she did that.
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“So the fact that the corpses aren’t staying is bad for your family, huh?”
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She nods. “Can we change the subject, please?” Her fingers trace the edge of her tray. “Where are you from?”
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I pause. That’s a loaded question.
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“Did you forget? You an Army brat that moves around or something?”
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“Nah,” I shake my head. “I lived in Miami last.”
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“You have brothers or sisters?”
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A chill rushes down my back and I zip up my jacket. But the leather is no match for the demons crawling beneath my skin right now. This interaction, this conversation becomes an inquisition, a cross-examination as I sit here. The chill settles in my bones, aching. “Yeah,” I say in a cough. “But I haven’t seen them in a while.” Is that right? Did I?
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“I’m sorry. You must miss them.” Her eyes look misty. She’s probably thinking of Ben, who’s somewhere on the campus alive. Her world is near perfect, yet she doesn’t see.
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I exhale harder to push away the cold infecting my body, chilling my insides, and churning anger. “We can talk about your gift, if you want.”
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“I already told you, this isn’t a gift,” she whispers.<br />
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<a href="http://markedbybooks.blogspot.com/search/label/Taylor"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjTKwaJrxDhRwDkU4KfmPb6820UBSZx1k7K8rbdpgUclIaY2LjbbJpmWoAcFayBhH3X6qcxb7g5ugDSiSNardHOKf1zDc7NiIrV2CbeLUzf4ndmI1lzhVloCd9W6XOOZa0QXIwqIX2Wb7B/s320/Taylor%2527s+Signature.png" width="450" /></a></div>Marked By Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06921329332711897690noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7191994860400984904.post-48353763510336306972014-09-05T07:30:00.000-04:002014-09-08T15:00:28.646-04:00Undertow Review by K.R Conway <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Luckless Eila is unknowingly the last of her kind: Rare. Gifted. Breakable. Stunning Raef is her kind's historic enemy: Soulless. Lethal. Lost. A legendary death 160 years before would set their lives to collide, forcing a beautiful killer to become a savior, a simple wallflower to become a warrior, and ruthless destiny to become a death sentence.<br />
Seventeen-year-old Eila Walker’s new home has defied the brutal Atlantic for over 160 years. Abandoned since her 4th great grandmother Elizabeth vanished, the town legend declares that she drowned . . . or was struck by lightning.<br />
Unbeknownst to the town and Eila, however, is that someone does know what really happened to Elizabeth, and he has returned, determined to protect the last surviving Walker from a history of violence.<br />
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But what starts out as a quest for redemption, evolves into something more and soon young guardian, Raef, is forced to reveal the truth to Eila. As hidden secrets about their warring
families come to light, Eila begins to realize that she may be their best shot at survival, even if it means following in her grandmother’s fearless footsteps to save her killer bodyguard. </blockquote>
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Every once and a while a reader comes across a book that just <i>speaks</i> to them. Ok, maybe not speak per se, but a book that catches the attention of the reader with just having read the first page. <i>Undertow </i>is that book for me. The summary did not really tell me exactly what the book is about. Personally, I like to know what is going to happen in the book beforehand so I do not get confused. I took a chance with reading this book and I do not regret it at all.<br />
The first chapter was a prologue. That is what hooked me from the start. I had no idea what was going on but the scene itself that I read was impressive. With fresh diction, structural syntax and creative ideas, Ms. Conway did a superb job of capturing my attention.<br />
Now for the rest of the book. Yes, this a supernatural, teenage romance book. However, as with some of my other reviews about there being too <i>much </i>teen romance in the book, this one had just enough to make a person blush, but also not too much to question the genre of the book. All teenagers are going to have romantic notions and Eila Walker is not any different. What I appreciated about this book is that it was not solely focused on the romantic portion of the book, but the supernatural aspect of it as well.<br />
There are many different supernatural creatures that have been written about. I am not going to list them all because I am pretty sure that everyone is familiar with supernatural creatures.<br />
<i>Undertow </i>is so creative because what Raef O'Reilly is not something you hear about in just <i>any </i>book. Neither is that of Eila Walker. The mere idea of what they both are is impressive because they are original, not something that has been written about time and time again. The history of their kind that has been created in this book is also a piece of literature that cannot possibly be surpassed in the supernatural world. Not many authors can create something such as Eila and Raef and have it make sense. Ms. Conway did so and I applaud her.<br />
However, as with all books, there is one little detail that questions the sanity of the author. The end. Sure, in most books, you can predict what will happen. The boy and the girl will end up together and everyone will live happily ever after. I cannot tell you if that is what happens in this book or not because that would be the world's worst spoiler of all time. There would be no point in reading the book, now would there? Despite all the good things I have to say about this book, of which there are many, the end is the one thing that puzzled me.<br />
All in all, I would recommend this book to anyone who is ready to explore a whole new world of supernatural creatures. </blockquote>
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My Rating </h3>
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About the Author<br />
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I have been a journalist for 15 years and serve on the Board of Directors for the Cape Cod Writers Center. I also drive a 16-ton school bus because I am ENTIRELY NUTS.<br />
In addition to working jobs that should come with a warning label , I hold a BA in Psychos (Forensic Psych), torment the tourists about Jaws, and occasionally jump from the Town Neck bridge in an attempt to reclaim my youth.<br />
I live on Cape Cod with two smallish humans who apparently are my kids, my fishing-obsessed husband, two canines (adept at both flatulence and snoring), and a cage-defiant lovebird that sleeps in a miniature tent. Nope - that's not a type-o. The bird is quite the indoor camper.</blockquote>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7212275.K_R_Conway">Goodreads</a></div>
Marked By Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06921329332711897690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7191994860400984904.post-41198251564147618982014-09-03T00:00:00.000-04:002014-09-03T00:00:07.429-04:00Embers Cover Reveal, Excerpt, & GIVEAWAY!!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitL2mwQqNb_MVDcU8tuc-hUg71QY4LaWIvhurrKK5xhqhsmQCTIvK7qf7WxliGndel1qJGCQuzZUqVqG2SS1U0yjycV_nkDULrVrMb0yrq8wAAtA2N-X2vv7K5ojpP_SPElPNHmCPfbyXD/s1600/Embers_FC_FNL.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitL2mwQqNb_MVDcU8tuc-hUg71QY4LaWIvhurrKK5xhqhsmQCTIvK7qf7WxliGndel1qJGCQuzZUqVqG2SS1U0yjycV_nkDULrVrMb0yrq8wAAtA2N-X2vv7K5ojpP_SPElPNHmCPfbyXD/s1600/Embers_FC_FNL.png" height="640" width="400" /></a></div>
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What a beautiful cover! I love the touches of fire coming up from the title!<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22755233-embers" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22755233-embers" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitL2mwQqNb_MVDcU8tuc-hUg71QY4LaWIvhurrKK5xhqhsmQCTIvK7qf7WxliGndel1qJGCQuzZUqVqG2SS1U0yjycV_nkDULrVrMb0yrq8wAAtA2N-X2vv7K5ojpP_SPElPNHmCPfbyXD/s1600/Embers_FC_FNL.png" height="400" width="250" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Embers by Karen Ann Hopkins </span><br />
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<p>There are descendants of angels walking among us. Ember is one of them. And she may be the only hope mankind has as the rapture approaches and evils rises.
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Embers is an epic paranormal adventure about an eighteen year old girl who discovers that she's immune to fire and any other injury when she’s in a horrific car crash that kills her parents. Following a violent episode with her aunt's boyfriend, Ember flees Ohio to live with an old relative in the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee. Ember's exuberance at escaping a bad home life soon turns to trepidation when she finds out that she's a Watcher, a descendant of angels. While Ember learns about her heritage and the powers that go along with it, she strikes up friendships with two young men who live in a frightening walled compound in the forest. Inexplicitly drawn to one of the men in particular, an impossible romance develops. But it is cut short when Ember discovers that her new friends are fighting on the opposite side of a war—one that’s been raging between two factions of Watchers for thousands of years. When the compound’s inhabitants threaten the townspeople, Ember takes action, sealing her fate in the ancient battle of good versus evil—and the grayness in between. Ember is up to the challenge, until she realizes that she isn’t only fighting for the lives of the locals and the souls of her new friends. She also might be one of the few champions who will make a stand for all of mankind as the rapture approaches and the end of days begin.
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Embers is a dark and gritty YA novel that’s the first book in the series, The Wings of War.</p></blockquote>
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<i>Embers</i> releases October 21st!</h3>
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<a href="https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1334864691p5/5386283.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1334864691p5/5386283.jpg" /></a>A native of New York State, Karen Ann Hopkins now lives with her family on a farm in northern Kentucky, where her neighbors in all directions are members of a strict Amish community. Her unique perspective became the inspiration for the story of star-crossed lovers Rose and Noah. When she’s not homeschooling her kids, giving riding lessons or tending to a menagerie of horses, goats, peacocks, chickens, ducks, rabbits, dogs and cats, she is dreaming up her next romantic novel.<br />
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<a href="http://www.karenannhopkins.com/">Website</a> <a href="http://www.karenannhopkins.com/#%21blog/c112v">Blog</a> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/temptationbook">Facebook</a></h3>
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5386283.Karen_Ann_Hopkins">Goodreads</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/karenannhopkins">Twitter</a></h3>
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“How can this be? My hands were closer to the flame than yours, yet mine are all right, and yours are ruined.” I was confused and weak, yet I was still trying to think rationally. “I need to get you to a hospital.”
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“My dear child, I know this is going to be difficult for you to accept. You have been conditioned your entire life to not believe the things I’m about to tell you, but the truth is in front of you. You can’t deny it now.” Aunt Ila paused and wrinkled her nose as if she was in pain, but she continued to talk.
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“The fire can’t harm you, because it’s inside of you. It’s part of your essence, your soul. Of course you know that humans are made up of water, bones, tissue and organs. And you have all those things in your body, but the fire is in there too, just hiding. But it is in there just the same.” She poked her bloody finger into my belly. “That’s why you weren’t injured during that horrible accident. All the others had to try to explain it away somehow, but you knew the truth in your heart all along. You just couldn’t face it or didn’t know how to. You were in the fire and the only thing it did was make you stronger. You are what you are and you can’t deny it.”
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Her voice was soft, yet it boomed in my head.
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In a shaky voice I asked her, “What am I?”
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“A Watcher, my dear—you are a Watcher.”
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<a href="http://markedbybooks.blogspot.com/search/label/Taylor"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjTKwaJrxDhRwDkU4KfmPb6820UBSZx1k7K8rbdpgUclIaY2LjbbJpmWoAcFayBhH3X6qcxb7g5ugDSiSNardHOKf1zDc7NiIrV2CbeLUzf4ndmI1lzhVloCd9W6XOOZa0QXIwqIX2Wb7B/s320/Taylor%2527s+Signature.png" width="450" /></a></div>Marked By Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06921329332711897690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7191994860400984904.post-64326620188681229262014-09-02T00:01:00.000-04:002014-09-02T00:01:00.191-04:00To the Stars Cover Reveal<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGrFJecouZSKfH9OcRiK60CrDXuNSMHAAEGhkYqGi6B-lnSc2h_7WWLvvEjAA4_E6ryt9UMj3jun3Fz1ltwejMJIsOLW0xKstDw3e3aUTZqRU_O3GVmQaN7YmFMS7seAWUtobxRQhHNsd2/s1600/ToTheStars_Cover_Ebook.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGrFJecouZSKfH9OcRiK60CrDXuNSMHAAEGhkYqGi6B-lnSc2h_7WWLvvEjAA4_E6ryt9UMj3jun3Fz1ltwejMJIsOLW0xKstDw3e3aUTZqRU_O3GVmQaN7YmFMS7seAWUtobxRQhHNsd2/s1600/ToTheStars_Cover_Ebook.jpg" height="640" width="422" /></a></div>
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I love the plot for this book! Sounds like it belongs on the big screen to me, and the cover is gorgeous! It's very unique and perfectly models the feel for the novel. Great job!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGrFJecouZSKfH9OcRiK60CrDXuNSMHAAEGhkYqGi6B-lnSc2h_7WWLvvEjAA4_E6ryt9UMj3jun3Fz1ltwejMJIsOLW0xKstDw3e3aUTZqRU_O3GVmQaN7YmFMS7seAWUtobxRQhHNsd2/s1600/ToTheStars_Cover_Ebook.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGrFJecouZSKfH9OcRiK60CrDXuNSMHAAEGhkYqGi6B-lnSc2h_7WWLvvEjAA4_E6ryt9UMj3jun3Fz1ltwejMJIsOLW0xKstDw3e3aUTZqRU_O3GVmQaN7YmFMS7seAWUtobxRQhHNsd2/s1600/ToTheStars_Cover_Ebook.jpg" height="400" width="263" /></a></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: x-large;">To the Stars by Tiaan Lubbe </span><br />
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<p>One boy. One girl. One world about to end.
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When the world finds out its inevitable end will come in sixty years, it seems like all hope is lost. Until a man steps from the darkness. He offers salvation, but demands total control. The world accepts.
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Sixty years later, the old saviour’s son is leader and watches over the last proceedings of his father’s plans – Seven Ark ships called the Astrum Portas.
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Noah is the next leader. He doesn’t want to be.
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Zara is the girl he’s in love with. She doesn’t know it.
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Three lives become complicatedly intertwined when a bomb on the Astrum Porta unexpectedly throws them into a whirlwind of secrets, forbidden love and violent clashes all while the looming apocalypse approaches rapidly.
The final adventure awaits...</p>
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Release information to come.</h3>
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Tiaan Lubbe lives in Pretoria, South Africa where he spends his time teaching little monsters, directing plays, doing what he calls writing and dreaming up the future. Mostly all at once.<br />
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<a href="http://www.tiaanlubbe.com/">Website</a> <a href="http://www.facebook.com/tiaanlubbeauthor">Facebook</a> <a href="http://www.twitter.com/@Tiaan_Lubbe">Twitter</a> <a href="http://www.instagram.com/tiaan_lubbe">Instagram</a></h3>
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I just love books like this. When the main character has no memory of her past and wakes up trying to figure out what really happened to get her where she ended up, I feel like it really draws you into the story. There aren't any moments where you have to wait for the main character to mention something that's apparently important; you just get to jump right in and discover it with her.<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23013595-cuts-run-deep?ac=1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZbd2oEFK0yqFkflW8KAyPgdpOlZLNypzu-Rc3WKmTYU1YdkdZiyi76iXTsXUX9PcSbWYyxuHJB67edLblDTFsSZNRxhrRdntjPzCXfUqC3Lmsy8PjPT7ca_DxklPlW5kQjPnx9zF8dxXZ/s1600/cutsrundeepfront.jpg" height="400" width="257" /></a>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Cuts Run Deep by Amber Garza</span><br /><br />
<p>Piper wakes up in the hospital with no recollection of how she got there. Only fragmented memories surface – her boyfriend Jackson on the ground covered in blood, Piper standing over him, her hands slick and red. Then she is told the awful truth: Jackson was killed the night she was injured, and she is the only witness.<br />
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If only she could remember what happened.<br />
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Piper searches through her memories, recalling her entire relationship with Jackson in order to piece together what happened. Meanwhile, as Jackson’s family is trying to make sense of the tragedy, they find his journal and begin reading through it to find answers.<br />
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As the chilling truth begins to unfold, Piper has to face the darkest secrets of her relationship with Jackson and the part she played in his murder.</p></blockquote>
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<h3 style="text-align: center;">
<i>Cuts Run Deep</i> releases October 8th!</h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7lgpMmyYGZiZXqOE_HVQd9tE7yfHrpFYh_Vrw4BTH892rikaPygRWk1p-2p_nDVLvvOq7IBxRDtco3Av5icfQUJfpDjggQ-CKPX_6pPeOYoYFHABlnVYTJZwE9ISj8PA5vEyTh-vsvr2L/s1600/Amber.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7lgpMmyYGZiZXqOE_HVQd9tE7yfHrpFYh_Vrw4BTH892rikaPygRWk1p-2p_nDVLvvOq7IBxRDtco3Av5icfQUJfpDjggQ-CKPX_6pPeOYoYFHABlnVYTJZwE9ISj8PA5vEyTh-vsvr2L/s1600/Amber.jpg" height="200" width="132" /></a>Amber Garza is the author of the Delaney's Gift Series and many contemporary romance titles, including Star Struck, Tripping Me Up and Break Free. She has had a passion for the written word since she was a child making books out of notebook paper and staples. Her hobbies include reading and singing. Tea and wine are her drinks of choice (not necessarily in that order). She writes while blaring music, and talks about her characters like they're real people. She currently lives in California with her amazing husband, and two hilarious children who provide her with enough material to keep her writing for years.
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<a href="http://www.ambergarza.wordpress.com/">Website</a> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5582891.Amber_Garza">Goodreads</a></h3>
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<a href="http://markedbybooks.blogspot.com/search/label/Taylor"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjTKwaJrxDhRwDkU4KfmPb6820UBSZx1k7K8rbdpgUclIaY2LjbbJpmWoAcFayBhH3X6qcxb7g5ugDSiSNardHOKf1zDc7NiIrV2CbeLUzf4ndmI1lzhVloCd9W6XOOZa0QXIwqIX2Wb7B/s320/Taylor%2527s+Signature.png" width="450" /></a></div>Marked By Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06921329332711897690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7191994860400984904.post-85911335512107551642014-08-21T14:32:00.000-04:002014-08-21T18:51:47.484-04:00The Summer We Fell Blitz<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Summer is almost over, but this book isn't about to quit now! <i>The Summer We Fell</i> officially released today, so go grab a copy and enjoy another fun summer read!<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22912588-the-summer-we-fell?ac=1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22912588-the-summer-we-fell?ac=1" border="0" height="400" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1407946030l/22912588.jpg" width="280" /></a></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: x-large;">The Summer We Fell by Amber Garza </span><br />
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<p>Adam Stewart is every girl’s fantasy – captain of the football team, smart, funny, hot. I’ve had a crush on him for years but he never noticed me. Until now.
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Dating Adam is a dream come true. I should be happy about it, but it’s hard because my best friend Cruz is acting strange. Almost like he’s jealous. But that can’t be. Can it?
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Cruz and I have been inseparable since we were kids. He’s always been like a brother to me. But lately things have changed. He’s different, and I’m starting to see him in a new light. Our relationship is evolving in a way I never thought possible. I don’t want to lose him, but am I willing to give up Adam for him?</p></blockquote>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Summer-We-Fell-Amber-Garza-ebook/dp/B00MUESU74/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1408661097&sr=8-1&keywords=The+Summer+We+Fell">Amazon</a> <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-summer-we-fell-amber-garza/1120166847?ean=2940150336780">B&N</a></h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy_mJd_fBDA_CyyxPbwh0aVq8C4LVgpRgDyBBR-hhnANFJ23S726RBHSE77VcxaFEKTFxbLO_gYqIs-tCEgb4y7FSXGuATwScKFlKyOEZP7U_gGb33G8lSogjFscF769Q0Vk8coOtSKD3l/s1600/Teaser.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy_mJd_fBDA_CyyxPbwh0aVq8C4LVgpRgDyBBR-hhnANFJ23S726RBHSE77VcxaFEKTFxbLO_gYqIs-tCEgb4y7FSXGuATwScKFlKyOEZP7U_gGb33G8lSogjFscF769Q0Vk8coOtSKD3l/s1600/Teaser.jpg" height="335" width="400" /> </a></div>
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<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1346446991p5/5582891.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1346446991p5/5582891.jpg" /></a>Amber Garza is the author of the Delaney's Gift Series and many contemporary romance titles, including Star Struck, Tripping Me Up and Break Free. She has had a passion for the written word since she was a child making books out of notebook paper and staples. Her hobbies include reading and singing. Tea and wine are her drinks of choice (not necessarily in that order). She writes while blaring music, and talks about her characters like they're real people. She currently lives in California with her amazing husband, and two hilarious children who provide her with enough material to keep her writing for years.</div>
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<a href="http://ambergarza.wordpress.com/">Website</a> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5582891.Amber_Garza">Goodreads</a></h3>
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<a href="http://markedbybooks.blogspot.com/search/label/Taylor"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjTKwaJrxDhRwDkU4KfmPb6820UBSZx1k7K8rbdpgUclIaY2LjbbJpmWoAcFayBhH3X6qcxb7g5ugDSiSNardHOKf1zDc7NiIrV2CbeLUzf4ndmI1lzhVloCd9W6XOOZa0QXIwqIX2Wb7B/s320/Taylor%2527s+Signature.png" width="450" /></a></div>
Marked By Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06921329332711897690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7191994860400984904.post-85869971994087134372014-08-18T22:20:00.000-04:002014-08-18T22:20:57.634-04:00The Gray Horizon Released!The second book in <i>The Horizons Trilogy</i> by M. Kircher has released! I loved <a href="http://markedbybooks.blogspot.com/2014/01/review-of-war-inside-by-m-kircher.html">the first one</a>, and I'm so excited to continue the story here!<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22698566-the-gray-horizon?ac=1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1404913467l/22698566.jpg" width="250" /></a></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: x-large;">The Gray Horizon by M. Kircher</span><br />
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<p>What does it mean to be brave? This is the question Caden must answer as he accompanies Thea, Ben, Rain, and Naomi back out under the dark clouds of the canopy, to rescue Viv from the deadly shadows and save a shattered Earth from the brink of destruction. Caden’s lazy, arrogant nature is tested as the group draws closer to finding Viv, forcing him to confront his inner demons and admit his feelings for Thea—even as their relationship is threatened by her ever-growing connection to Ben.<br />
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Will Caden discover his true potential? Or, when the group uncovers a devastating secret and faces a betrayal that has the power to turn the tide in the war with the shadows, will he abandon his friends and go back to a life of never-ending darkness?<br />
<br />
Find out in The Gray Horizon, the exciting, action-packed sequel to The War Inside.</p></blockquote>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Gray-Horizon-Horizons-Trilogy-Book-ebook/dp/B00MNK7ATO">Amazon</a> <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-gray-horizon-m-kircher/1120146457?ean=9781500502904">B&N</a></h3>
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<a href="http://markedbybooks.blogspot.com/search/label/Taylor"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjTKwaJrxDhRwDkU4KfmPb6820UBSZx1k7K8rbdpgUclIaY2LjbbJpmWoAcFayBhH3X6qcxb7g5ugDSiSNardHOKf1zDc7NiIrV2CbeLUzf4ndmI1lzhVloCd9W6XOOZa0QXIwqIX2Wb7B/s320/Taylor%2527s+Signature.png" width="450" /></a></div>
Marked By Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06921329332711897690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7191994860400984904.post-32069320455348303732014-08-17T16:16:00.000-04:002014-08-17T16:16:41.697-04:00Shades of Chaos Blitz: Excerpt & GIVEAWAY!!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu8PEQgrR_pa1lgn7jJaUiF8_S7N15lQ6T6U65uwNT7fBtcEegl4FRfT4EyGPsxZXou9WrQQyKz2bnVXpH8EshltQbYzkdkJbbUXm-l6GMhiEW3OwCr9yjHoFiOHJjjZAl45uB3hv2iQWT/s1600/ShadesofChaosBlitzBanner2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu8PEQgrR_pa1lgn7jJaUiF8_S7N15lQ6T6U65uwNT7fBtcEegl4FRfT4EyGPsxZXou9WrQQyKz2bnVXpH8EshltQbYzkdkJbbUXm-l6GMhiEW3OwCr9yjHoFiOHJjjZAl45uB3hv2iQWT/s1600/ShadesofChaosBlitzBanner2.png" height="236" width="640" /></a></div>
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Oh, anthologies. Those wonderful little packages full of books for when you simply can't choose just one. Walking into a bookstore, seeing all of those glorious options spread out in front of you, how are you supposed to choose? And when that one person who doesn't know what the heck they're talking about comes up to you and asks, "Do you really need that many books?", you can simply shove it in their face and say, "What? I only bought one."<br />
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<h4 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">AND FOR A LIMITED TIME ONLY, THESE <b>NINE</b> BOOKS ARE AVAILABLE FOR $.99!</span></h4>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22558121-shades-of-chaos?ac=1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22558121-shades-of-chaos?ac=1" border="0" height="400" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1403355692l/22558121.jpg" width="265" /></a>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: x-large;">
Shades of Chaos by Cameron Jace, Katie Salidas, Chrystalla Thoma, Alexia Purdy, Megan Duncan, and Nadége Richards</span><br />
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<p>Dare yourself to enter into post-apocalyptic future with this gritty
collection of first-in-a-series books by six bestselling authors!
Discover unique worlds packed with non-stop action, adventure, and
suspense set against a gritty, futuristic backdrop.<br />
<br />
NOTE: Together, these books have over 320 5-star reviews on Amazon!<br />
<br />
Over 1400 pages of stories, with *exclusive* content from Alexia Purdy, Katie Salidas, and Chrystalla Thoma!<br />
<br />
Best for ages 16 and up~<br />
<br />
I AM Alive: I am not my heart rate. I am not my skills. I am not how I
look like. My name is Decca Tenderstone. I live in a future America
where teenagers are ranked on a scale from 1 to 10 on graduation day.
There has never been a 10. Those below the rank of 5 are considered
Monsters, a liability to society. The system says I am a Monster. I will
not let them kill me. I will survive.<br />
<br />
Initiation: Being a Vampire is a crime punishable by eternal
servitude in the arena as a Gladiator of the Iron Gate. Mira, a newly
turned vampire, must prove she has what it takes to survive in the
human’s world. It’s kill or be killed. Immortality is not guaranteed.<br />
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Dissension: In the aftermath of the great cataclysm, vampires are
enslaved by humans and used for blood sport as gladiators in the arena.
Mira is undefeated, uncompromising, and unbreakable, but when an escape
attempt leads her into the path of the city’s Regent, her destiny is
changed forever.<br />
<br />
Finding Hope: After the death of the one person he called mother,
Elei leaves the Trashlands of Ost for the city – looking for other
people and for answers. But he soon finds out that people are
complicated and answers hard to come by…<br />
<br />
Rex Rising: In a world where parasites create new human races, Elei
leads a peaceful life as aircar driver — until a mysterious attack on
his boss sends him fleeing with a bullet in his side and the fleet at
his heels.<br />
<br />
Resonant: As the first days of the end of humanity tumble across the
City of Las Vegas, turning everyone into vampire-like creatures, April
Tate will find out what it really means to survive.<br />
<br />
Reign of Blood: April Tate is a seventeen-year-old ferocious vampire
killer who lives in the remains of Las Vegas one year after a viral
epidemic has left the world decimated. After her family is abducted, her
world tilts when she discovers they’re not truly alone.<br />
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Released: After a demon apocalypse kills everyone they know, 17-year
old Abby Phillips, her brother and her friend Max flee their home to
travel through the wastelands of America, chasing a radio transmissions
of a resistance offering shelter. But soon enough Abby and her
companions discover what awaits them is much worse they could have ever
imagined.<br />
<br />
Burning Bridges: In a world divided between Hunters and Warriors,
where prisoners are forced to fight in the arena until death, young
Princess Echo must fight to find out who she really is and to put a
world that has been swallowed by lies back together again.</p></blockquote>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00KXIIZ5Q/ref=x_gr_w_bb?ie=UTF8&tag=httpwwwgoodco-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00KXIIZ5Q&SubscriptionId=1MGPYB6YW3HWK55XCGG2">Amazon</a> <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/shades-of-chaos-cameron-jace/1119709426?ean=2940149302543">B&N</a> <a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/447167">Smashwords</a> <a href="http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/shades-of-chaos">Kobo</a></h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeWEsyx04RC34hbOq15XD4_0SPC2NsUZ1_DFEHmc8M_cdd8BWd-2pYePlt6ii5pQZ45kZp99V7c5l8av42zHLha0MaBNw4oR_3rnqsw46BAicVT8cGLalQx0ah-XwHpJ5bmVJTMLsxhmaE/s1600/Post+Divider+&+Siderbar+Title.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeWEsyx04RC34hbOq15XD4_0SPC2NsUZ1_DFEHmc8M_cdd8BWd-2pYePlt6ii5pQZ45kZp99V7c5l8av42zHLha0MaBNw4oR_3rnqsw46BAicVT8cGLalQx0ah-XwHpJ5bmVJTMLsxhmaE/s1600/Post+Divider+&+Siderbar+Title.png" height="42" width="200" /></a></div>
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And here are all of the full-length novels in the anthology. Just click on the cover to read more about them.<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/14058781-i-am-alive?ac=1"><img height="320" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1389445738l/14058781.jpg" width="216" /></a>
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20769125-dissension"><img height="320" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1392094841l/20769125.jpg" width="216" /></a>
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12372058-rex-rising"><img height="320" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1327907818l/12372058.jpg" width="216" /></a>
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13271555-reign-of-blood"><img height="320" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1329073391l/13271555.jpg" width="216" /></a>
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10530700-released"><img height="320" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1298215591l/10530700.jpg" width="216" /></a>
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15743048-burning-bridges"><img height="320" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1389210386l/15743048.jpg" width="216" /></a>
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<h3 style="text-align: center;">
Excerpt from <i>Resonant</i> (<i>Reign of Blood</i> Prequel) by Alexia Purdy
</h3>
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Morning’s here. Another restless night. I’m up before the others, unable to attempt any more sleeping. My mother still tosses and turns, constantly reaching next to her, subconsciously touching the empty mat where Randy should be. It makes my heart squeeze for a moment as I feel her longing, but it also ignites my determination to go find him and get more food and supplies.
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I grab a duffle bag sitting near the front door. Lacing up my boots, I can feel my mom watching me, but I don’t meet her eyes. The question is coming.
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“Where are you going?
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I pull out my shoulder holster for my 9mm and strap a sheath to my thigh for a machete, which had belonged to my father. I was okay with the machete, but I know how to use a gun thanks to him.
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“Out.”
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“Where?”
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I flick my eyes up to my mother and do my darnedest to not roll them.
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My hand flicks out into the air. “Out there.”
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She says nothing but watches as I finish prepping. I’m turning to walk toward the garage when she grabs my arm, holding it with an iron grip.
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“Don’t look for Randy.” She pauses, swallowing as her voice breaks. “Get as many supplies as you can. Food. Guns. Water.”
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I nod. Her face is stoic, but I see the tears fighting to slip from her eyes.
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“Okay.”
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“I’ll see you back here before sunset.” With that, she lets go and turns away to go sit on the couch near a sleeping Jeremy. The silence lingers around us, but it says so much, it’s overbearing. Something tells me things are never going to be the same after today. For her, for me, or for anyone else.
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<a id="rc-ad648a9133" class="rafl" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/ad648a9133/" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a>
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<a href="http://markedbybooks.blogspot.com/search/label/Taylor"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjTKwaJrxDhRwDkU4KfmPb6820UBSZx1k7K8rbdpgUclIaY2LjbbJpmWoAcFayBhH3X6qcxb7g5ugDSiSNardHOKf1zDc7NiIrV2CbeLUzf4ndmI1lzhVloCd9W6XOOZa0QXIwqIX2Wb7B/s320/Taylor%2527s+Signature.png" width="450" /></a></div>Marked By Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06921329332711897690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7191994860400984904.post-91234884348305987692014-08-08T00:00:00.000-04:002014-08-08T00:00:05.349-04:00Rook Blog Tour: Review<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://i1249.photobucket.com/albums/hh501/myreadingaddiction/new-272_zps4c5951e0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i1249.photobucket.com/albums/hh501/myreadingaddiction/new-272_zps4c5951e0.jpg" height="166" width="640" /></a></div>
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The summary for this book is completely entrancing. Described in it is a beautifully complex world that I absolutely couldn't wait to dive into. See for yourself! <br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18939988-rook" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18939988-rook" border="0" height="400" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1404758089l/18939988.jpg" width="250" /></a></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Rook by JC Andrijeski
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<p><i>The world is dying. Everyone feels it, and yet, no one knows.<br />
They said that when the end was near, a Bridge would come, and lead them out of the darkness of that dying world.<br />
Allie Taylor's life was relatively normal...<br />
Until Revik showed up.<br />
And told her she was that Bridge.</i><br />
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"You are the Bridge..."
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Like most humans, Allie spent her life distancing herself from Seers, a race of human-like beings discovered on Earth in the early 1900s. Then she catches her boyfriend in the arms of a hot band groupie, and Allie goes from San Francisco artist slacker to the girl wearing the GPS anklet.
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That's the least of her problems, though, compared to the shock of discovering who--and what--she really is.
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Yanked out of her life by the mysterious Revik, Allie finds out that her blood may not be as "human" as she always thought. Through Revik she learns the truth: that Seers are nothing like she thought, that the world is nothing like it appears to be...and she has far more in common with Seers than she ever wanted to believe.</p></blockquote>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Rook-Allies-Episodes-Episode-Collection-ebook/dp/B004TXR6FG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1407460832&sr=8-1&keywords=rook+allies+war">Amazon</a> <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/rook-jc-andrijeski/1102492476">B&N</a> <a href="http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/rook-allie-s-war-book-one">Kobo</a></h3>
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<a href="https://sites.google.com/a/myaddictionisreading.com/summer-2014/_/rsrc/1403307124032/jc-andrijeski/Author-2013-a.jpg?height=174&width=200" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://sites.google.com/a/myaddictionisreading.com/summer-2014/_/rsrc/1403307124032/jc-andrijeski/Author-2013-a.jpg?height=174&width=200" /></a>JC Andrijeski writes new adult urban fantasy, dystopian, paranormal romance and crime fiction. Current works include the new adult urban fantasy series, Allie’s War, new adult dystopian series, Alien Apocalypse, and the Gate Shifter series, about a shape-shifting alien and a tough-girl PI from Seattle. She also has a new crime series in the works, with a quirky, brilliant and deeply dangerous hero named Quentin Black.
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Her work has been featured in anthologies, online literary, art and fiction magazines as well as print venues such as NY Press and holistic health magazines. JC travels extensively and has lived abroad in Europe, Australia and Asia, but currently lives and works full time as a writer in Portland, OR.<br />
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<h3 style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.jcandrijeski.com/">Website</a> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/J.C.Andrijeski">Facebook</a> <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4470130.J_C_Andrijeski">Goodreads</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/jcandrijeski">Twitter </a></h3>
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The concept for this book KICKS BUTT. If you've read the summary (and if not, then what are you already doing over here, hmmm?), then you know that much already. Renegade aliens, impending apocalypse, all shrouded in an air of mystery, both within Allie's own life and the world she's living in. <i>Rook</i> promises so much, and for the most part, it delivers.<br />
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<i>Rook</i> kicks things off with what may be one of the best introductory chapters I've ever read. Seriously, it's funny, it's candid, and it reveals so many interesting things about what's to come. It's just an amazing prologue, and it really gave me high hopes for the rest of the book. In a way, that was both a good thing and a bad thing.<br />
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Now, don't get me wrong, there are a lot of wonderful things in this book. Besides the AMAZING intro, the world building is incredible, and those few pieces where Allie was supposed to be hypnotized or entranced.... ooohhhh, let me tell you. Too often with pieces like that I always stop and think, <i>mhmm, I don't know about that</i>. There's always something that seems forced or out of place, but I NEVER thought that in <i>Rook</i>. Not even once. Those few sections were so well-written, so believable, there wasn't even a single blip that pulled me out of the story.<br />
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And then things started to get weird.<br />
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With books like this, where so much is different from our own world, certain things need to be explained. I don't need everything all at once, but somebody has to give me something. I was actually a little disappointed when Terian (one of the villains in the beginning) went away for a little while because he was the only one who told me anything! Yes, it was one of those "I have you right where I want you" evil-doer monologues, but at least he was helping me out!<br />
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At times, it almost felt like the story was dragging me along. Some things just didn't make sense, and Allie offered so little reflection in some places that I didn't know what to do aside from just keeping on and hoping I would figure it out eventually.<br />
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Still, no matter how confusing or grey the story got towards the middle and the end, there were still those bright spots wedged in there. The comedic timing in this book was FABULOUS. There were so many little moments that just made me smile, and quite a few longer conversations that had me laughing (I'm looking at YOU, Mr. Canadian Border Guard). Regardless of how out of tune I may have felt with it at times, <i>Rook</i> still has a lot going for it and is definitely something I would recommend to the right reader.<br />
<h4 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;">My Rating:</span></h4>
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And here's my favorite quote, right from the beginning:<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
The real problem, as they explained to me much, much later in time, was that I made myself visible. That little freak-out of mine with Jaden and the broken bottle and the bimbo band groupie was like sending up a great, big, noisy flare, one that got all the wrong people looking in my direction.<br />
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<i>Why</i> is that, you might be wondering?<br />
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Well, it's simple. See, what I did was only crazy if you're human.<br />
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If you're not human, I was later to discover, it's pretty much run-of-the-mill normal.</blockquote>
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<a href="http://markedbybooks.blogspot.com/search/label/Taylor"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjTKwaJrxDhRwDkU4KfmPb6820UBSZx1k7K8rbdpgUclIaY2LjbbJpmWoAcFayBhH3X6qcxb7g5ugDSiSNardHOKf1zDc7NiIrV2CbeLUzf4ndmI1lzhVloCd9W6XOOZa0QXIwqIX2Wb7B/s320/Taylor%2527s+Signature.png" width="450" /></a></div>
Marked By Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06921329332711897690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7191994860400984904.post-68807257945887894762014-08-06T10:34:00.000-04:002014-08-06T12:36:22.910-04:00Kissing Frogs Cover Reveal<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMUMl5XWlO3nXfrzIXizseDLO-1BVLslBssRYw9aVT9pi-S0So4iuIX1AVkquOg61pTAyWEI46WWDkZklH3AWzA6OoIdssHr1rxGOz_2bRyEyN2HkGQ9cycGUGooXl0Y6eTsdP5htN5zdo/s1600/kissing-frogs-sevingy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMUMl5XWlO3nXfrzIXizseDLO-1BVLslBssRYw9aVT9pi-S0So4iuIX1AVkquOg61pTAyWEI46WWDkZklH3AWzA6OoIdssHr1rxGOz_2bRyEyN2HkGQ9cycGUGooXl0Y6eTsdP5htN5zdo/s1600/kissing-frogs-sevingy.jpg" height="640" width="426" /></a></div>
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It's a retelling of "The Frog Prince." I'm so excited!<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Kissing Frogs by Alisha Sevigny </span><br />
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<p>Popular party girl and high school senior Jessica Scott has a secret: she used to be a nerd — a big one; a goody two-shoes, grade-skipping, all-state spelling bee champ. But she lost the braces, put on some contacts, and applied all her academic genius to studying and imitating the social elite. Now she rules the school from the upper echelon of the high school realm. With her cool new friends and hottest-guy-in-school boyfriend, life’s a beach — and that’s where she’s headed for Spring Break. That is, until her teacher breaks the bad news that she’s failing Biology — and her only chance to make up the grade is to throw away the culminating trip of her hard-earned popularity and join the Conservation Club in Panama to save the Golden Frog.
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Unable to let go of her faded college dreams, Jess finds herself in a foreign country with a new social crew, and one handsome face that stands out as a blast from the past, threatening to ruin her queen bee reputation. Travis Henley may have grown up, but he still likes to play childish games and as payment for retrieving Jess’ lost ring from the bottom of a jungle pool, he wants three dates. While Jess does battle with spiders, snakes, wildfires and smart mean girls, she desperately tries to hang on to the last vestiges of her popular existence like the Golden Frog from its webbed toe. But as she starts to care about something more than tanning and texting – a species on the verge of disappearing forever – she may realize the worth of her inner nerd, and the one frog in particular that could be her prince in disguise.
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Set in the lush and tropical El Valle de Anton, this modern fairytale re-imagining of “The Frog Prince” is toe-curling contemporary romance with an environmentalist heartbeat, in the tradition of Stephanie Perkins.</p>
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<i>Kissing Frogs</i> releases November 18!</h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiojgLUbu2njGbwOWpmtQdxXUi9AFJMP4WJnN1CQkRK5qQN1ctBCSQo8eeS98C-1mcDPVMA2aXs3bMJZKE4PmHez5LilGZ4gLlnGaxgYBTo9oERtUpsQTebB3OdTAokAjLZfvPA7hbvMDFo/s1600/alisha+s.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiojgLUbu2njGbwOWpmtQdxXUi9AFJMP4WJnN1CQkRK5qQN1ctBCSQo8eeS98C-1mcDPVMA2aXs3bMJZKE4PmHez5LilGZ4gLlnGaxgYBTo9oERtUpsQTebB3OdTAokAjLZfvPA7hbvMDFo/s1600/alisha+s.PNG" height="200" width="198" /></a></div>
Alisha Sevigny holds a degree in Sociology and Professional Writing from the University of Victoria, is a film school graduate, former literary agent and current Social Media and Communications Director for an award-winning English school. A shameless romantic, Alisha and her husband have travelled the world together. On a recent trip to Panama with their new daughter, Alisha fell in love with the country, culture, and their national emblem, the Golden Frog. She was inspired to write her first Young Adult novel, Kissing Frogs. Born and raised in Kitimat, British Columbia, Alisha has always had a strong connection to the environment and conservationist spirit. She now lives in Toronto with her family.<br />
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<a href="http://www.alishasevigny.com/">Website</a> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/alisha.sevigny">Facebook</a> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8420657.Alisha_Sevigny">Goodreads</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/alisha7e">Twitter</a></h3>
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<a href="http://markedbybooks.blogspot.com/search/label/Taylor"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjTKwaJrxDhRwDkU4KfmPb6820UBSZx1k7K8rbdpgUclIaY2LjbbJpmWoAcFayBhH3X6qcxb7g5ugDSiSNardHOKf1zDc7NiIrV2CbeLUzf4ndmI1lzhVloCd9W6XOOZa0QXIwqIX2Wb7B/s320/Taylor%2527s+Signature.png" width="450" /></a></div>
Marked By Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06921329332711897690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7191994860400984904.post-38908748058592980452014-08-05T09:00:00.000-04:002014-08-05T09:00:05.435-04:00Tortured Souls Blog Tour: Review, Playlist, & Excerpt<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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And here we go with yet another magnificent book and its even more magnificent review! I know that we all want to read a new book about ghosts and haunted houses! Right? I would certainly hope so because otherwise this poor reviewer wasted her time writing this review. Luckily though, I have faith in you all, my lovelies! Read on!<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Tortured Souls by Kimber Leigh Wheaton </span><br />
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<i>Sometimes Rest in Peace isn't an option.</i><br />
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Kacie Ramsey sees ghosts—and it's ruining her life. Her mother left, her father blames her, and no matter how hard she tries, she can't keep the ghosts away. Now a new power has emerged. Nightly visions of grisly murders and a relentless predator draw her to the brink of insanity.
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When the phantom appears at a party, Kacie's longtime crush, Logan, saves her. He invites her to join the Orion Circle, a group of supernatural hunters with chapters in schools all over the country. Through the Circle, Kacie learns to embrace her spiritual powers, and for the first time in her life she feels in control rather than a victim.
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But the Foxblood Demon will not give up so easily. A demented serial killer in life who trapped the souls of the thirteen children he murdered, imprisoning them within the walls of his mansion. Now in death, he plots his return while drawing power from the pure souls of the children. He recognizes something in Kacie he's never seen before—a medium powerful enough to provide a vessel for his tainted soul.
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Kacie can't ignore the tortured souls of the children crying out to her every night. With Logan at her side, she will fight the Foxblood Demon. But can they banish this powerful phantom, or will Kacie lose not only her body, but her eternal soul to the monster.</blockquote>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Tortured-Souls-Orion-Circle-Book-ebook/dp/B00LDWTU8W/ref=sr_1_cc_1?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1404781563&sr=1-1-catcorr&keywords=9780990402626">Amazon</a></h3>
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There are many books that I used to <i>love </i>to read. Some of those are romantic, paranormal books. Like <i>Twilight </i>for example. Yes, there was an extreme problem in those books. I mean hey, the man was a <i>vampire </i>for crying out loud! What problems wouldn't arise?<br />
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But, as I have grown older and matured a bit, I have come to see a pattern in a <i>lot </i>of these paranormal, supernatural books. There is ALWAYS some kind of romance with the teen protagonists. No, I do not think that there is anything wrong with that. Hell, <i>Harry Potter </i>had romance in it, but it was not as <i>prominent </i>as some books that have been published in recent years. There is nothing wrong with a little romance, but when there is so much that it seems to take away from the actual plot and purpose of the book, then we have a problem, and I begin to wonder what the genre of the book is: paranormal or romance. It is most definitely possible to be both, but only in a balance. When the one is in more abundance than the other, the romance for example, then I start to think that it's just another romance book written for teens.<br />
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<i>Tortured Souls </i>seems to me to be one of those books. Yes, it has a great plot and great characters, but for me, there was entirely <i>too much romance</i>!!! One of the most refreshing things about the book, though, was the idea of it. Vampires are starting to wane off a little bit in their popularity, and it seems as though werewolves, zombies, and the Fey are what's replacing them. In this book, however, there are clairvoyants and psychics. How many books have those? Not many. What I adored most about this was the difference in what was being told. Despite the romance problem I had, I enjoyed meeting the different characters who balanced one another out.<br />
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One of the things that I love reading so much about though, is when characters are able to build relationships and are able to solve a problem. They are able to come to a resolution. I suppose that I find it refreshing because, in reality, not many people are able to do that. Therefore, I love to imagine another dimension with all the book characters I have read about living together in their awesomeness and accomplishing things that people here on Earth cannot seem to be able to do. Now, that is another good thing that I can say about <i>Tortured Souls</i> - the characters are compatible. They get along well and have their differences, but in the end, they know what true friendship is about.<br />
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Also, the reality in this book is incredible. What Kacie and her mother have as a relationship is something a lot of people have. Mothers are not as old-fashioned and nurturing as they once were. There are the very few that are, but most are not. I loved how Ms. Wheaton expressed that in this book. She did not make it so that everything is happy-go-lucky; she made it real. I appreciated that.<br />
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All in all, this is a good book. Despite the romance aspect of it that I did not like, it is something I would most definitely recommend.
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<span style="font-size: small;">My Rating:</span></h4>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Playlist</b></span></div>
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Sooo.....you know how you always see a scene in a movie or read a passage in a book and a song just <i>pops </i>into your head and then you're just like, "This song <i>really </i>fits the scene?" Well, that is what this playlist is for. See if you can determine which song goes to what passage, scene, or chapter! Challenge yourself! </div>
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<iframe allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="380" src="https://embed.spotify.com/?
uri=spotify:user:cymberle:playlist:5j0fIcdVyak9YxOUlIgClv" width="300"></iframe><br />
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Everything hurts. My arms are wrenched behind my back, and I’m curled up in the
fetal position on my side. When I try to move, to ease my screaming muscles, I realize
my arms are tied together. Panic surges through me as I squirm against my bonds.
Shivers race along my body from the frigid cold. A sharp pain bites into my cheek. As
I shift my head, I realize a small rock is embedded in my cheek. My eyes open to inky
darkness. Though I can hear shuffling and scraping, I can’t see anything. My heart races
and I choke back a sob.<br />
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<i>Where am I?</i><br />
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Light flares to life, burning my eyes and leaving me blind for several moments.
When I can see again, I cringe at the ghastly vision. Several spirits surround me in vivid
corporeal form. They appear as they did in death—bloody, mutilated, bright images of a
horrible tragedy. I recognize the raven-haired girl. I’ve seen her broken body numerous
times in my nightmares. She teeters on legs shattered beyond any hope of repair were
she still alive.<br />
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Two spirits flank her, both boys around ten years old. Their forms are so solid,
they appear alive, but the grievous injuries make it clear these boys couldn’t possibly be
among the living. No one could survive such extensive injury. One boy’s head hangs to
his shoulder, only attached by a band of sinew. His blond hair is soaked in blood where
it brushes his chest. Bile rises in my throat. I wonder if I can vomit during a vision.<br />
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My eyes move to observe the other boy. It’s hard to tell anything about him because
his face has been destroyed. The right side is concave and his nose is missing. Gulping
down a breath of air, I hold it in, willing the overwhelming nausea away.<br />
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<i>It’s just a vision. </i>I repeat this over and over in my head until I can breathe again.<br />
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“Help us,” the girl rasps in a voice that sounds like she’s gargling gravel. “He won’t
stop hurting us. You can save us. Please!”<br />
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“I’m so scared,” the boy with the dangling head whispers. “He’s getting worse. What
will happen if he destroys our souls?”<br />
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“I-I don’t—” Before I can continue, an angry voice cuts me off.
“You left!”<br />
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The accusation comes from the boy with the smashed face. His voice
echoes all around me, loud, furious. “You were here and you left! You left us alone with
the monster. How could you?”<br />
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“Where?” I ask in a hoarse whisper, flinching at the raw pain that sears through my
throat. “Where are you?” <br />
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“Be quiet!” the girl orders in a whisper. “He’ll hear us.”<br />
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“Who will hear you?” I ask becoming desperate. “Where are you?”
“The manor,” the girl replies, her head darting around in frantic movements. “He’s
coming!”<br />
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“What manor? Who’s coming?” I ask in an urgent whisper.
“Foxbl—” The girl disappears in a flash before she can finish.<br />
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“Kassandra Ramsey,” a deep male voice says from the shadows. “How nice to see
you here. You can’t help them, you know. Soon you will belong to me and my reign of
terror on the mortal plane will begin.”<br />
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“Who are you?” I shout to be heard above the sinister cackling. Someone has been
watching too many melodramatic old movie villains. “What do you want?”<br />
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“You, my dear,” the voice says in my ear.<br />
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I jump, trying to scramble away from the phantom’s breath against my face. With
my arms tied behind my back I don’t get far. A hoarse scream leaves my throat, but it
seems to make my tormentor laugh harder. Pain sears through my ankle, such horrible
pressure. I can feel the outline of fingers ending in what feels like sharp claws.<br />
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“Soon, Kassandra, soon.” The dark voice is hollow in my ears as I slip into blessed
unconsciousness.
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About the Author</span></h4>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0U-HRQjtQ5sqw0qXanRQAiyDuCdMxbXqXK7mjqLfupd3DuOaX7ypRAbC6AuFFB6WZMWowPTimuifvBvb5hq7oi7rgN0GaUTaqF_YHzAksvA044g8cmqa5BZqzIV6YhUlKdyB6zq8nh9fi/s1600/KWheaton.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0U-HRQjtQ5sqw0qXanRQAiyDuCdMxbXqXK7mjqLfupd3DuOaX7ypRAbC6AuFFB6WZMWowPTimuifvBvb5hq7oi7rgN0GaUTaqF_YHzAksvA044g8cmqa5BZqzIV6YhUlKdyB6zq8nh9fi/s1600/KWheaton.jpg" /></a><br />
Kimber Leigh Wheaton is a YA/NA author with a soft spot for sweet romance and is a member of Romance Writers of America. She is married to her soul mate, has a teenage son, and shares her home with three dogs and four cats. No, she doesn’t live on a farm, she just loves animals. Her house is filled with dragons, though she does lament that they are the porcelain, non-flying variety. Kimber Leigh is addicted to romance, videogames, superheroes, villains, and chocolate—not necessarily in that order. (If she has to choose, she’ll take a chocolate covered superhero!) Her debut novel, Shadow Fire, is the first book in The Light Chronicles series. Watch for book two, Stolen Moon, a standalone sequel, coming soon.<br />
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She currently lives in San Antonio, TX but has been somewhat a rolling stone in life, having resided in several different cities and states. Her family enjoys travel, anime & are video game fanatics. Zelda, Fire Emblem & Namco 'Tales of" are some of her favorite franchises. Kimber Leigh is addicted to fairy tales, both the dark and the light. The Brothers Grimm is one of her favorite reads.<br />
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<a href="http://www.kimberleighwheaton.com/">Blog</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Cymberle">Twitter</a> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7885752.Kimber_Leigh_Wheaton">Goodreads</a> <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/Cymberle/">Pinterest</a> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/KimberLeighWheaton">Facebook</a></h3></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhriAmIkda3TPFJrj9fbLwZYddNz6fNhXfmWLZx34NoQexYMSFxNaAWAGb8EszTVZlFb_Fv_zb8vpATncIdBWw9OY3OrXMtoy_cJNtyGrU1ya8f6gZveBcKjRHXxdrGKnCUZN87qjhKCLMx/s1600/Gabby's+Signature.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhriAmIkda3TPFJrj9fbLwZYddNz6fNhXfmWLZx34NoQexYMSFxNaAWAGb8EszTVZlFb_Fv_zb8vpATncIdBWw9OY3OrXMtoy_cJNtyGrU1ya8f6gZveBcKjRHXxdrGKnCUZN87qjhKCLMx/s1600/Gabby's+Signature.png" height="85" width="400" /></a></div>Marked By Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06921329332711897690noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7191994860400984904.post-67003041182293977472014-08-04T14:40:00.000-04:002014-08-04T14:44:47.560-04:00Being Blog Tour: Guest Post & GIVEAWAY!!!I LOVE the summary for <i>Being</i>! It paints such a mysterious and enticing image of what may be going on with the main character, and I think it's going to be one of those books that you just can't wait to figure out. Take a look!<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Being by Mechelle Morrison</span>
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<p>Seventeen-year-old Shepherd doesn’t believe in stuff he can’t explain, like ghosts or life after death. So when he awakens in a strange city, seventy-five years ahead of where he was at breakfast, he’s understandably confused. But not alone. His sister’s there. So is the family cat.<br />
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Five minutes into their new future, Shepherd witnesses a murder. He finds a strange marble with a sun-colored shadow. It begins to rain, his sister wants to go home, the cat runs away. Stranger still, the people on the sidewalk don't seem to see him. No one can hear him. Until he meets Tienne. It’s not love, but it could be. She’s got fabulous blue eyes. At least that’s what Shepherd thought right before she fainted.<br />
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What he doesn’t know is that Tienne knows everything about him—even the dark secret he created in a previous life. His secret would explain his situation and a whole lot more, if he could remember it. Which he can’t. Tienne wants to help, but she once swore she’d keep his secret—even from him. And she’s not the kind of girl to break her word.<br />
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Deep down, Shepherd knows he’s forgotten something major. But he doesn’t want to remember; in fact, he does everything in his power not to.<br />
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Until someone tries to kill Tienne.<br />
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BEING is a different kind of ghost story about the power of memory, the nature of the universe and just how far one boy will go to ensure the love of his life lasts . . . forever.</p></blockquote>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/being-Mechelle-Morrison-ebook/dp/B00KYIEVOO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1407176945&sr=8-1&keywords=being+mechelle+morrison">Amazon</a></h3>
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As a child I filled my journals with someday-my-prince-will-come fantasies. Then one day my prince arrived, driving a silver Tundra, and we adopted a fine daughter. Life got busy—work, family, daily cooking—but I still spend my evenings giving voice to the stories inside my head. Only now instead of locking them away, I publish them.
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<a href="http://www.mechellemorrisonbooks.blogspot.com/">Blog</a> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7135801.Mechelle_Morrison">Goodreads</a></h3>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Guest Post</span></h4>
BEING takes you on one boy’s journey to find himself and his true place in the universe. The complexity of his journey required years of thought to get it right—not to mention endless drafts. I love how all that thinking found its way into my character’s dialogue. Here are six of my favorite quotes. <br />
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“Hell is a mortal word for trash can.” – Luq Marton (<i>Tienne’s brother</i>)<br />
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“You didn’t know any better than to lose yourself to becoming something other than who you are the instant you were exposed to a different point of view.” –Luq Marton<br />
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“Gods concern themselves with being worshipped, <i>non</i>? They get their fingers dirty in the little details of who did what to whom and why.” –Sabine Vantard (<i>Tienne & Luq’s cousin</i>)<br />
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“Madame Françoise does not easily part with her fruit.”—Tienne Marton (<i>Shepherd’s love interest</i>) <br />
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“There’s no joy in it, but I feel vindicated.”—Elly Sebastian (<i>Shepherd’s younger sister</i>)<br />
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“My love for her becomes my voice.”—Shepherd Sebastian (<i>the main character</i>)<br />
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<a id="rc-f6237fd5452" class="rafl" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/f6237fd5452/" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a>
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You can check out the rest of the tour <a href="http://atomrbookblogtours.com/2014/06/10/cover-reveal-blog-tour-being-by-mechelle-morrison/">here</a>!
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<a href="http://markedbybooks.blogspot.com/search/label/Taylor"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjTKwaJrxDhRwDkU4KfmPb6820UBSZx1k7K8rbdpgUclIaY2LjbbJpmWoAcFayBhH3X6qcxb7g5ugDSiSNardHOKf1zDc7NiIrV2CbeLUzf4ndmI1lzhVloCd9W6XOOZa0QXIwqIX2Wb7B/s320/Taylor%2527s+Signature.png" width="450" /></a></div>Marked By Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06921329332711897690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7191994860400984904.post-8105212297949908872014-07-23T01:29:00.003-04:002014-07-27T12:50:18.995-04:00Matt Archer: Redemption Blog Tour: Review & GIVEAWAY!!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i>Sigh</i>.<br />
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I can't believe it's over. The <i>Matt Archer</i> series is really over. Done. Finished. Completed. Gone. After over a year of being completely in love with these books, the end has finally come. I think I may go into mourning! <br />
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In all seriousness, this has been an incredible journey since I started <i>Monster Hunter</i> not so long ago. I've come to love so many of these characters and the world that they're in, and I can't thank Mrs. Highley enough for bringing their stories to life. It's been quite a ride, and while I'm very sad that it's over, none of that compares to how happy I am that I was even a part of it in the first place.<br />
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If you're just now discovering this series, you can learn more about it <a href="http://markedbybooks.blogspot.com/2013/07/matt-archer-legend-book-tour-review.html">here</a> (books 1-3) and <a href="http://markedbybooks.blogspot.com/2014/01/review-of-matt-archer-bloodlines-by.html">here</a> (book 4). I also did a cover reveal for <i>Redemption</i> a few weeks ago, and <a href="http://markedbybooks.blogspot.com/2014/07/matt-archer-redemption-cover-reveal.html">that post</a> contains an excerpt from the first chapter if you want to go on over and check it out.<br />
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And now, back to Matt!<br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">BEWARE OF THIS SYNOPSIS FOR SPOILERS FOR THE PREVIOUS BOOKS ARE CONTAINED WITHIN.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">READ AT YOUR OWN RISK.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Matt Archer: Redemption by Kendra C. Highley</span><br />
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<p>“There’s more to me than you know…”<br />
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When Matt Archer’s sister, Mamie, said those words to him three years
ago, he had no idea how prophetic they were, or what this would mean for
his family.<br />
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Now, he knows. And it changes everything, bringing the war right to Matt’s doorstep.<br />
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In the epic conclusion to the Matt Archer series, the endgame is near.
Betrayed by an enemy, the wielders have been called off the hunt by
their own government, despite increasing reports of paranormal
activity—and deaths—worldwide. Matt is forced to sit on the sidelines,
knowing that proving monsters exist means revealing who—and what—he is.
Soon the world will know his name…which will only make his job harder.<br />
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Matt’s only hope resides with a man he barely knows—his father. If Erik
Archer can put together the final puzzle before the monsters do, maybe
they’ll have a chance. Maybe.<br />
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Mystery, tragedy and the power of family combine as Matt races to win
the war and save the people he loves. There’s just one thing he’s afraid
of…<br />
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It might already be too late.</p></blockquote>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Matt-Archer-Redemption-ebook/dp/B00LIA5WP4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1406086815&sr=8-1&keywords=matt+archer+redemption">Amazon</a> <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/matt-archer-kendra-c-highley/1119907345?ean=2940149758852">B&N</a> <a href="http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/matt-archer-redemption">Kobo</a></h3>
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Kendra
C. Highley lives in north Texas with her husband and two children. She
also serves as staff to two self-important and high-powered cats. This,
according to the cats, is her most critical job. She believes chocolate
is a basic human right, running a 10k is harder than it sounds, and that
everyone should learn to drive a stick-shift. She loves monsters,
vacations, baking and listening to bad electronica.
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<a href="http://www.matt-archer.com/">Website</a> <a href="http://www.facebook.com/kchighley">Facebook</a> <a href="http://www.twitter.com/KendraHighley">Twitter</a> <a href="http://www.kendrachighley.com/">Blog</a></h3>
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The summary for <i>Matt Archer: Redemption</i> describes this book as "the epic conclusion." EPIC. Now I'd say that's a fairly accurate description.<br />
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Everything has been leading up to this. When Matt saw the vision of his team riding through the sand dunes to face an unspeakable, oncoming evil, that day was always far off somewhere in the future. But now that day is here, and there is nothing anyone can do to stop it. The darkness is tired of waiting, and it's coming for the Archers.<br />
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And can I just say, will somebody PLEASE make a movie out of these books? From the very beginning, they've had that big screen, action movie quality to them, coupled with Kendra C. Highley's beautifully clear writing that just makes the story jump right off of the page. These books are GORGEOUS, people! Somebody please give them the glory they deserve!<br />
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Anyway, in case you haven't noticed, I really liked this one. I can't exactly say it was my favorite of the series (but to be fair, it's got some pretty stiff competition), but it was without a doubt a very worthy conclusion to such an incredible series.<br />
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Oh, but it was sad. So very sad. Without saying too much, I can only mention that there are a lot of deaths in this one, a few very close to Matt. Kendra C. Highley does a very good job of putting me in Matt's mind during the battle scenes, so, just like him, I don't feel like there's any time to be sad until it's all over. But once it is.... man, it hits hard. Have you ever had those moments when you read something, and then seconds later have to put the book down and just breathe because you can't take it anymore?<br />
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That doesn't happen here.<br />
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You see, the thing with these books is that I can't put them down. Ever. Even if I want to, I'm so completely stuck with Matt through it all that all I can do mourn with him and keep on pulling through. And sadly, that happens a lot in this book.<br />
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It's not all sadness, though. There are still so many wonderful moments of happiness and life in a book where the world should be coming to an end. As Mamie put it, <i>"None of us know how this is going to turn out. If the end is coming, if the darkness wins, I want to feel the sun on my face while I can. I want to eat cookies for dinner and ice cream for breakfast. I want to enjoy life, not hide. And I want the same for you, too."</i><br />
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Matt's all grown up now, and from where I see it, it does seem like it's all coming to an end. Horrible sacrifices were made, so many lives were taken too soon, and through it all, I have to keep reminding myself that it's just a book. That's the thing about the <i>Matt Archer</i> series, though: I believe in it. I believe in the talking knife spirits, and the mutant monsters, and the fact that a seventeen-year-old boy is being tasked with saving the world from darkness. It shouldn't make any sense; I should laugh at the whole thing, but I don't. Because sometimes you find a book with something behind all of the magic, something real that you can believe in. You find the story of a boy, who became a man, who became a hero. And you see the stories of everyone else around him: the soldiers who fight against a threat that shouldn't be real, the friends who never give up when you need them there at your side, and the family who will give everything to protect what they love. Yes, the <i>Matt Archer</i> series does throw a few things out there that seem a little ridiculous, but through all of that, the story remains as one that will pull you in and never let you go. And to that, all I can say is hang on and enjoy the ride.<br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">My Rating:</span></h4>
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<a href="http://markedbybooks.blogspot.com/search/label/Taylor"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjTKwaJrxDhRwDkU4KfmPb6820UBSZx1k7K8rbdpgUclIaY2LjbbJpmWoAcFayBhH3X6qcxb7g5ugDSiSNardHOKf1zDc7NiIrV2CbeLUzf4ndmI1lzhVloCd9W6XOOZa0QXIwqIX2Wb7B/s320/Taylor%2527s+Signature.png" width="450" /></a></div>Marked By Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06921329332711897690noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7191994860400984904.post-87713305486987911002014-07-16T00:17:00.000-04:002014-07-16T01:05:19.832-04:00Mindwar Blog Tour: Guest Post & GIVEAWAY!!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The premise for this book is so good! Think a more contemporary version <i>Ender's Game</i>, and then throw in bits and pieces of that old Scooby Doo movie called <i>Cyber Chase</i>. Does that sound awesome to you or what?<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18850680-mindwar?ac=1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18850680-mindwar?ac=1" border="0" height="400" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1387710344l/18850680.jpg" width="265" /></a></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span id="freeText13087081781783695390"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Mindwar by Andrew Klavan </span></span><br />
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<span id="freeText13087081781783695390"><p>Rick Dial has the potential to be a hero. He just doesn't know it yet.<br /><br />Rick's
high school football team couldn't be stopped when he was leading them
as their quarterback. He was going to Syracuse on a scholarship. But
then his dad abandoned them and a terrible accident left him crippled.<br /><br />Certain
his old life is completely lost, Rick spends months hiding away in his
room playing video games. He achieves the highest scores on so many
games that he's approached by a government agency who claims to be
trying to thwart a cyber attack on America that would destroy the
technological infrastructure of the entire country. The agents say that
the quick-thinking of a quarterback coupled with Nick's gaming
experience make him perfect for this assignment. The problem is that
there are no extra lives and this isn't just a game . . . but Rick
doesn't have many other options at the moment.<br /><br />Entering "The
Realm" gives Rick the one thing he thought he'd never have again: a body
that's as fast and as strong as he ever was before the accident. But
the more time he spends in The Realm, the more questions he has. What
secrets are these agents keeping from him? What really happened to his
father? How many others have gone into The Realm already . . . and
failed? And perhaps most important, is he the hero they think he is?</p></span></blockquote>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1401688926/ref=x_gr_w_bb?ie=UTF8&tag=httpwwwgoodco-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1401688926&SubscriptionId=1MGPYB6YW3HWK55XCGG2">Amazon</a> <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/mindwar-andrew-klavan/1117260739?ean=9781401688929&itm=1&usri=9781401688929&cm_mmc=AFFILIATES-_-Linkshare-_-GwEz7vxblVU-_-10:1&r=1,%201">B&N</a> <a href="http://www.bookdepository.com/Mindwar-Andrew-Klavan/9781401688929">The Book Depository</a> <a href="http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/mindwar-2">Kobo</a></h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxCzQuid5ZdvJxBth5SecpMl-s_i8EWVFu3xgF1lat4UspFiFf1eolcs9ZVmhoiDJfBvVFPuBaABU7otB67h24SqKJrmn_BXlF9sVoJ7lXu-SZj7jBwfXl7Pa0XWmMJhXi6llCnv6XL5Ai/s1600/andrew+klavan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxCzQuid5ZdvJxBth5SecpMl-s_i8EWVFu3xgF1lat4UspFiFf1eolcs9ZVmhoiDJfBvVFPuBaABU7otB67h24SqKJrmn_BXlF9sVoJ7lXu-SZj7jBwfXl7Pa0XWmMJhXi6llCnv6XL5Ai/s1600/andrew+klavan.jpg" /></a>Andrew Klavan is a best-selling, award-winning
thriller novelist whose books have been made into major motion pictures. He
broke into the YA scene with the bestselling Homelanders series, starting
with <i>The Last Thing I Remember</i>. He is also a screenwriter and
scripted the innovative movie-in-an-app <i>Haunting Melissa</i>.<br />
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<a href="http://www.andrewklavan.com/">Website</a> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/aklavan">Facebook</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/andrewklavan">Twitter</a> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/271685.Andrew_Klavan">Goodreads </a></h3>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Guest Post</span></h4>
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The Hero of Your Own Life</h3>
The hero of <i>MindWar</i> is a guy named Rick Dial and when you first meet him he’s in really bad shape. You know how sometimes you sit around and worry that something really bad might happen to you? Well, in Rick’s case, his worst fears came true and it really happened.
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Rick was a high school football hero, the quarterback of a winning team. Good looking guy, good student, great athlete. Coolest guy around, the guy who got all the girls, the guy everyone wanted to be friends with. He even had a full scholarship to college based on his athletic skills.
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Then one day, his car gets broadsided by a panel truck. His legs are crushed. There’s no chance he’ll ever play football again. In one second, everything he values most about himself is wiped out.
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His answer? He gets angry, depressed. Locks himself in his room. Plays video games all day long. Hardly ever comes out. Hardly ever says even hello to his mom or brother. He doesn’t even open the curtains because he doesn’t want to look at the outside world. That’s what he’s like when we first meet him. A defeated guy. A guy who’s lost everything. And that’s where his story begins.
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I think everyone is afraid sometimes, afraid of what might happen to them, afraid of failing, afraid of looking foolish, afraid of getting hurt. Most of the times our fears aren’t realized. But sometimes... well, sometimes bad things really do happen. The question is: what then? Is your life over? Is there any way to keep going?
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I think the truth is: sometimes our worst moments are also our best. Which sounds weird at first, but when you think about it, it’s only logical. Sometimes the moment when we’ve lost everything is the same moment when we’re given the chance to demonstrate real strength, real courage, real grace. That moment when you just want to give up, put your head in your hands and cry — that’s the exact same moment when God is giving you the chance to be the hero of your own life.
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So that’s the chance that Rick is given, and the story of MindWar is about whether he’ll take that chance or not.
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Don't forget to check out the rest of the tour <a href="http://yaboundbooktours.blogspot.com/2014/05/blog-tour-sign-up-mindwar-by-andrew.html">here</a>!</div>
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<a href="http://markedbybooks.blogspot.com/search/label/Taylor"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjTKwaJrxDhRwDkU4KfmPb6820UBSZx1k7K8rbdpgUclIaY2LjbbJpmWoAcFayBhH3X6qcxb7g5ugDSiSNardHOKf1zDc7NiIrV2CbeLUzf4ndmI1lzhVloCd9W6XOOZa0QXIwqIX2Wb7B/s320/Taylor%2527s+Signature.png" width="450" /></a></div>
Marked By Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06921329332711897690noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7191994860400984904.post-70265629373817366412014-07-15T00:00:00.000-04:002014-07-15T00:00:08.971-04:00Prophecy of the Most Beautiful Blog Tour: Excerpt & GIVEAWAY!!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I haven't even read this book, and I already love it! The words "Greek mythology" are HUGE buzz words for me - if you throw them out there in a synopsis, you automatically have my attention. And then you talk about the Oracle of Delphi, ONE OF MY FAVORITE CHARACTERS IN ALL OF THE STORIES, and I'm pretty much a done deal. Then on top of that you throw in the "Most Beautiful" competition between the goddesses, and you don't even have to try to get me to buy your book. It's kind of sad when you think about it. Then I read the synopsis again and realize it's the best thing in the world.<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13598104-prophecy-of-the-most-beautiful?ac=1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1395666029l/13598104.jpg" width="262" /></a></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Prophecy of the Most Beautiful by Diantha Jones</span><br /><br />
<p>She has a destiny so great that even the gods fear her.<br />
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Constant hallucinations and the frequent conversations with the voices in her head, have earned eighteen-year-old Chloe Clever the not-so-coveted title of "Whack Job" in her home town of Adel, Georgia. Fed up with prescription meds and therapists, she wishes for a life where she is destined to be more than the butt of everyone's jokes and mockery.<br />
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Be careful what you wish for has never rung more true.<br />
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After a vicious attack and learning that her favorite rockstar is an Olympian god, she is thrust into her new life as the Oracle of Delphi, the prophesier of the future. Setting out to fulfill the prophecy she has been given, Chloe learns of how great she is to become, all the while fighting mythical monsters and trying to outwit the ever-cunning Greek gods who harbor secrets of their own. While on a mission to discover the Most Beautiful, she strives to uncover the mysteries of the demigod Prince who has sworn to protect her with his life…and threatens to win her heart in the process.</p></blockquote>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007FH32Q0/ref=x_gr_w_bb?ie=UTF8&tag=httpwwwgoodco-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B007FH32Q0&SubscriptionId=1MGPYB6YW3HWK55XCGG2">Amazon</a> <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/prophecy-of-the-most-beautiful-gabrielle-jones/1109211023?ean=2940013917729">B&N</a></h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxVHTPAMFsr7zht6gKT1hpijuZ7hQ1HYjGsNrd3_zLRnD9nQxqqNqcON2p96ucQLBzVx3lVze-wkQVqE14zwlnwA0dZnBDuWStAaVI_Dg1cfG85V8RDKoPHpyzGak9Luj_sQsOJnA4vo6d/s1600/diantha+jones.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxVHTPAMFsr7zht6gKT1hpijuZ7hQ1HYjGsNrd3_zLRnD9nQxqqNqcON2p96ucQLBzVx3lVze-wkQVqE14zwlnwA0dZnBDuWStAaVI_Dg1cfG85V8RDKoPHpyzGak9Luj_sQsOJnA4vo6d/s1600/diantha+jones.jpg" /></a>Diantha Jones was born the day thousands of turkeys sacrificed their lives to fill millions of American bellies on November 22 which also happened to be Thanksgiving Day (Her mother says she owes her a turkey). She is a Journalism graduate who wants to be a career novelist (of books, not Facebook posts). When not writing or working, she is reading on her Nook, being hypnotized by Netflix or on a mission to procure french fries.<br />
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The Oracle of Delphi fantasy series is her first series. She is also the author of Mythos: Stories from Olympus, a companion series, and there is another fantasy series in the works. She also writes (new) adult fantasy/paranormal romance under the name A. Star.<br />
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<a href="http://www.diantha-jones.com/">Website</a> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/dianthajones">Facebook</a> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5815616.Diantha_Jones">Goodreads</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/DianthaJones">Twitter</a></h3>
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She took a long time getting dressed for someone who wore jeans and t-shirts every day of her life. But from what Mystic had told him, she still had a pretty good eye for fashion. He smiled to himself. So she was picking out the perfect outfit for him to see her in. <i>Nice</i>. He wouldn't tell her that it was unnecessary to try and impress him, that she already had him, and that he couldn't even comprehend how he had let it happen. <br />
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<i>Gods</i>, he was such a <i>pansy</i>.
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She emerged after several more minutes. "I'm ready." His eyes came up to meet her.
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<i>Bollocks</i>, he was in trouble. She looked sooooo <i>hot</i>.
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She loved boots, he had noticed, and she wore a pair of short, gray leather ones with a pirate's cuff at the ankle. Hm, a black frilly blouse. Now that was something he hadn't expected, but he liked it. Black was very becoming on her and it was his favorite color. But it was the jeans that drove him mad. Her long legs were meant to wear the slim, gray-wash denim pants, and when she moved over to straighten her bed, which he failed to tell her she didn’t have to do, he bit his tongue––<i>hard</i>.
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<i>How dare those pants have studded patches right on her rear end? Bloody hell. Now he would never stop looking at her ass.</i>
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<a href="http://markedbybooks.blogspot.com/search/label/Taylor"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjTKwaJrxDhRwDkU4KfmPb6820UBSZx1k7K8rbdpgUclIaY2LjbbJpmWoAcFayBhH3X6qcxb7g5ugDSiSNardHOKf1zDc7NiIrV2CbeLUzf4ndmI1lzhVloCd9W6XOOZa0QXIwqIX2Wb7B/s320/Taylor%2527s+Signature.png" width="450" /></a></div>Marked By Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06921329332711897690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7191994860400984904.post-81961926383628818772014-07-08T00:02:00.000-04:002014-07-08T00:02:00.245-04:00Game Changer Cover Reveal<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_8EE1C3ypMnXPX0pmaW5f_oC5Kiz7A8gFrvWqrxpimmcy3y3Ox1TcX7VvFKTHgRTiJEnyKk6R0uxFN669F9uymk4T23h0T7GpizHI5BCoWLZTw6jBhKsmvTMXKagDYC8JAT5gbbKk4kSa/s1600/GC+AmazonGRSW.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_8EE1C3ypMnXPX0pmaW5f_oC5Kiz7A8gFrvWqrxpimmcy3y3Ox1TcX7VvFKTHgRTiJEnyKk6R0uxFN669F9uymk4T23h0T7GpizHI5BCoWLZTw6jBhKsmvTMXKagDYC8JAT5gbbKk4kSa/s1600/GC+AmazonGRSW.jpg" height="640" width="426" /></a></div>
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Another beauty from <a href="http://www.okaycreations.com/">Okay Creations</a>! Man, I love baseball.<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22464513-game-changer" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22464513-game-changer" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_8EE1C3ypMnXPX0pmaW5f_oC5Kiz7A8gFrvWqrxpimmcy3y3Ox1TcX7VvFKTHgRTiJEnyKk6R0uxFN669F9uymk4T23h0T7GpizHI5BCoWLZTw6jBhKsmvTMXKagDYC8JAT5gbbKk4kSa/s1600/GC+AmazonGRSW.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></a></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span id="freeText1482741985803405943"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Game Changer by Collette West </span></span><br />
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<span id="freeText1482741985803405943"><p>Young, rich, and unaware
of how seriously hot he is, Brooks Davison is tearing it up as the
latest shortstop for the New York Kings, despite his tendency to blush
whenever girls scream his name. <br /><br />When a health scare forces his
best friend, Kyle Roberts, off the team, no one can stomach the thought
of replacing him, especially so close to the playoffs.<br /><br />Until
Kyle's sister, Sasha, steps in, convincing management to let her take
his place. The idea of signing the first female player in Major League
history proves too tempting for the Kings to resist.<br /><br />Nevertheless, Brooks doesn't want any part of it. Sasha is Kyle's little sister, not some sideshow.<br /><br />Yet
when Kyle takes a turn for the worse, Brooks promises to do everything
in his power to help Sasha win a championship for him. Because there's
no way he's letting either of them down. Not now, not ever.</p></span></blockquote>
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<i>Game Changer</i> releases July 25th!</h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJABiIbK13hSWD_Kk4UtspcjFZMn6cAFMetf2sza7y3Isstw7LTeGhtE4PXwJG4LOc7_RVLrP8gdnhgsmUb2ZlZlDUXrMLkfXjTOXu-Qldy7NX8pLt_ODAJ4WlT4YFE5h_KV3N6ADOZ8-2/s1600/Collette+Author+Photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJABiIbK13hSWD_Kk4UtspcjFZMn6cAFMetf2sza7y3Isstw7LTeGhtE4PXwJG4LOc7_RVLrP8gdnhgsmUb2ZlZlDUXrMLkfXjTOXu-Qldy7NX8pLt_ODAJ4WlT4YFE5h_KV3N6ADOZ8-2/s1600/Collette+Author+Photo.jpg" /></a>Collette West grew up as somewhat of a jock-nerd hybrid. Entering the
world three weeks premature, her dad nearly missed her birth because
he had seats behind the dugout for a sold-out, highly-anticipated
match-up between two of baseball's biggest rivals. Not to be outdone,
her book-loving mom taught her how to read by the time she was three. A
love of the game coupled with an appreciation for the written word were
instilled in Collette's impressionable brain from a young age. No wonder
her characters believe in the philosophy: sports + romance = a little
slice of heaven.<br /><br />Splitting her time between the Pocono Mountains
and Manhattan, Collette indulges her inner fangirl by going to as many
games as she can from hockey to baseball and downloading every sports
romance novel in existence onto her iPad. When she's not clicking away
on her laptop, she enjoys walking her dog in Central Park, satisfying
her caffeine craving at the Starbucks on Broadway and keeping an eye out
for Mr. Right. But above all, she loves dishing with her readers. Email
her at <a href="mailto:collette_west@yahoo.com" target="_blank">collette_west@yahoo.com</a>.<br />
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<h3 style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7539982.Collette_West">Goodreads</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Collette_West">Twitter </a></h3>
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<a href="http://markedbybooks.blogspot.com/search/label/Taylor"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjTKwaJrxDhRwDkU4KfmPb6820UBSZx1k7K8rbdpgUclIaY2LjbbJpmWoAcFayBhH3X6qcxb7g5ugDSiSNardHOKf1zDc7NiIrV2CbeLUzf4ndmI1lzhVloCd9W6XOOZa0QXIwqIX2Wb7B/s320/Taylor%2527s+Signature.png" width="450" /></a></div>Marked By Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06921329332711897690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7191994860400984904.post-73145285370326973822014-07-07T10:18:00.000-04:002014-07-07T10:18:31.518-04:00Goodness of Fit Blitz: Excerpt & GIVEAWAY!!!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmHkN4wQIREuyztE5lrRN-mOb70hFg4Fc74RHm0Y2vLaydAT9FjfR6gSJr-PN6pD7iYrMsZQd91009H8L7yKuDaDfwzIW1cNt9FUfsWAesR7l7swMU4lrhbeNEJ45lPHCHZAJSjmDNMSYg/s1600/GoodnessofFitBlitzBanner.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmHkN4wQIREuyztE5lrRN-mOb70hFg4Fc74RHm0Y2vLaydAT9FjfR6gSJr-PN6pD7iYrMsZQd91009H8L7yKuDaDfwzIW1cNt9FUfsWAesR7l7swMU4lrhbeNEJ45lPHCHZAJSjmDNMSYg/s1600/GoodnessofFitBlitzBanner.png" height="236" width="640" /></a></div>
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The premise for this book is awesome. Fed up with dating, Zoe Tawn decides to take the scientific way out and creates a model to determine a person's perfect match. Before long, her friends take it upon themselves to enter her information into the program, and to everyone's surprise, a match comes back. And she knows him. He's her boss.<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22060937-goodness-of-fit" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22060937-goodness-of-fit" border="0" height="400" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1403115309l/22060937.jpg" width="260" /></a></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Goodness of Fit by Missy Marciassa </span>
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<p>Zoe Tawn is about to finish her bachelor’s degree and start a PhD
program in quantitative psychology. Yet her friends don’t think she’s
quite ready to graduate: she still hasn’t played her v-card. Zoe’s
friends don’t know her v-card was played years ago; she doesn’t talk
about that crap. She does agree that dating would make her a more
well-rounded individual, however, so she tries, and realizes the dating
game isn’t for her: she’s a geek, not a flirt. Zoe decides to utilize
her strengths with the mantra “Smart is the new sexy” and develops a
predictive model for companionship to replace those outdated
compatibility questionnaires. Her model goes viral in no time, so her
friends secretly enter her profile into it. When a match comes back, it
shocks them all: it’s Wesley Williams, the twentysomething
CEO billionaire of Quantitative Solutions, where Zoe is doing an
internship. Zoe insists the error in her model must be unacceptably high
until she gets an email requesting she stop by Mr. Williams’ office at
her earliest convenience…</div></p>
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<i>Goodness of Fit</i> releases July 2014!</h3>
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Missy Marciassa loved getting lost in novels from the time she could read, so it’s no surprise she wanted to write. Her very first “novels” were re-writing the books she read to get the endings she wanted in second grade. Missy continued to read and write through grade school and high school.
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After becoming rather disillusioned with fiction after writing literary criticism as an English major in college, however, Missy focused on her enjoyment of learning about people and studied psychology. Reading fiction fell to the wayside with all the reading and writing required for college and graduate school, but once Missy became a doctoral candidate, she rediscovered her love of fiction. Then she started getting the urge to write, an urge that wouldn’t go away (she refuses to diagnose it as a compulsion). Covert Assignment is the end result of that urge.<br />
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<a href="http://marciassa.com/">Website</a> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/MsMarciassa">Facebook</a> <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7254740.Missy_Marciassa">Goodreads</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/MissyMarciassa">Twitter</a></h3>
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“So, Zoe.” Laurence gave me another smile that was surely meant to encourage me to spill my guts. “Why don’t you tell me a little bit about yourself?”
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Oh, right. We were supposed to get to know each other, but I didn’t have time for the niceties. “Did you get my records from my old therapist, Dr. Mayweather?”
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Laurence blinked. Maybe I was moving a little too fast for him, but I’d had those records sent up for a reason: so we could get going. After a moment, he nodded. “Your therapist- Emily Mayweather?- sent us your files, provided a lot of information.”
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“Good.” I nodded and drank some more water. “So you can see that we talked- extensively- about what happened.” For five frickin’ years. I paused to see if he was still with me.
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He simply nodded.
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My throat still felt a little dry, but I spoke anyway. “I wanted you to see that so you would know my history, obviously, and so it’s clear that I’ve dealt with all that stuff.”
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Laurence’s eyebrows went up. “All that stuff?”
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Were they trained to act like parrots? “Yes, all that stuff.” I leaned forward. He was probably looking for a lot of juicy trauma to cut his clinical psychology trainee teeth on, but it wasn’t going to happen with me. “I’m not interested in rehashing the past. It’s over. Done with. I’m interested in focusing on the present, moving on with my future.”
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Laurence nodded again. “That’s the ultimate goal of therapy,” he started, “but sometimes we need to talk about the past-”
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“Not me,” I interrupted. I was going to cut this line of inquiry off right at the beginning. “I’m not here to talk about past bullshit, like my family, my childhood, or what happened. I’ve talked- processed- it all, as you can see from my records.” I figured I’d throw some psychological terms in (like “processing” as opposed to “talking”) to show I wasn’t as naïve as a layperson, even if I was still an undergrad psych major. “I’m here to get some strategies.”
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Laurence blinked again as if trying to make sense of that. “Strategies.”
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“Yes.” I nodded my head a little too vigorously: I could feel the pull in my neck. “Strategies.”
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He shifted in his chair as he regarded me. “Strategies for what?”
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“Dating.” I answered without hesitation. There was no use being coy. “I’ve met a guy, and I really like him, and I just need some strategies to figure out how to- well-” I hadn’t thought this part through. How to phrase this? “How to- how to enjoy him- my time with him-” My voice died out, something it never did, but of course this had to be another first time for something. I swallowed some more water, grateful I didn’t choke on it.
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“Enjoy your time with… your boyfriend?” Well, I had to give him some credit: he got what I was trying to say.
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“Yes.” Again I nodded too hard, so my head felt like a damn bobble doll. “I’ve been busy in college, so I haven’t had much- well, any- time to date, and I started dating a guy, and I really like him, but- but I’m having… problems.” Now I sounded like an idiot.
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He looked at me for a long moment before repeating, “Problems.”
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This parroting was really getting on my nerves. I looked at him to see if he could come up with something better than that. This was supposed to be a conversation, after all. Did I have to spell it out for the guy? The clinical psych department here was one of the top-ranked programs in the country; their students were supposed to be the best and the brightest. Let’s see how bright Laurence was. Hopefully I hadn’t gotten a dud.
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After a long pause, Laurence asked, “Are these problems related to… intimacy issues?”
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Okay, so he wasn’t a complete idiot. I restrained myself to nod only once. “Yes. And I’m looking for some strategies to deal with these, well, intimacy issues.”
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“But you don’t want to talk about what happened?” Was that a note of incredulity in his voice? It would be incredibly unprofessional if there was one, but I couldn’t be certain.
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Well, ultimately, I was the client. This was supposed to be about what I wanted. “I’ve already talked about it. I know the guy’s a dirty rat-bastard, it wasn’t my fault, all that stuff. I’m just looking for some strategies. Can you do that?”
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Laurence seemed to consider this for a moment before he gave me a nod of his own. “We can develop some strategies to help with specific issues.” He didn’t shrink from my gaze as he regarded me for a moment before he continued talking. “But I think you need to be prepared for the possibility that we won’t be able to develop successful strategies without talking about what happened.”
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Jesus. What other options did I have, though? What I was doing on my own wasn’t working, and although I’d even considered a sex surrogate, I just wasn’t sure if that was a legitimate form of treatment. I wasn’t looking to get arrested for soliciting prostitution. I guess I needed to give Laurence a try.
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Hopefully this wouldn’t suck too much.
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<a class="rafl" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/ad648a31/" id="rc-ad648a31" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a>
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<a href="http://markedbybooks.blogspot.com/search/label/Taylor"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjTKwaJrxDhRwDkU4KfmPb6820UBSZx1k7K8rbdpgUclIaY2LjbbJpmWoAcFayBhH3X6qcxb7g5ugDSiSNardHOKf1zDc7NiIrV2CbeLUzf4ndmI1lzhVloCd9W6XOOZa0QXIwqIX2Wb7B/s320/Taylor%2527s+Signature.png" width="450" /></a></div>
<br />Marked By Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06921329332711897690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7191994860400984904.post-57507422388995802152014-07-03T00:00:00.000-04:002014-07-03T14:55:18.828-04:00Matt Archer: Redemption Cover Reveal & Excerpt<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://s1249.photobucket.com/user/myreadingaddiction/media/Promo%20Images/Matt-Archer-Redemption-80020Cover20reveal20and20Promotional_zpsd54372ee.jpg.html" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo Matt-Archer-Redemption-80020Cover20reveal20and20Promotional_zpsd54372ee.jpg" border="0" src="http://i1249.photobucket.com/albums/hh501/myreadingaddiction/Promo%20Images/Matt-Archer-Redemption-80020Cover20reveal20and20Promotional_zpsd54372ee.jpg" height="640" width="400" /></a></div>
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Look at this cover! Oh, the nostalgia! <i>Redemption</i> is the FINAL NOVEL in the Matt Archer series, a group of books that I have adored from the very beginning. I can't believe it's almost over! I've loved Matt and his crew since he was fourteen years old, and now is the time when it's all coming together! The final battle is upon us!<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;">BEWARE OF THIS SYNOPSIS FOR SPOILERS FOR THE PREVIOUS BOOKS ARE CONTAINED WITHIN.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;">READ AT YOUR OWN RISK.</span></div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22306618-matt-archer?ac=1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i1249.photobucket.com/albums/hh501/myreadingaddiction/Promo%20Images/Matt-Archer-Redemption-80020Cover20reveal20and20Promotional_zpsd54372ee.jpg" height="400" width="250" /></a></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Matt Archer: Redemption by Kendra C. Highley</span><br /><br />
<p>“There’s more to me than you know…”<br />
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When Matt Archer’s sister, Mamie, said those words to him three years ago, he had no idea how prophetic they were, or what this would mean for his family.<br />
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Now, he knows. And it changes everything, bringing the war right to Matt’s doorstep.<br />
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In the epic conclusion to the Matt Archer series, the endgame is near. Betrayed by an enemy, the wielders have been called off the hunt by their own government, despite increasing reports of paranormal activity—and deaths—worldwide. Matt is forced to sit on the sidelines, knowing that proving monsters exist means revealing who—and what—he is. Soon the world will know his name…which will only make his job harder.<br />
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Matt’s only hope resides with a man he barely knows—his father. If Erik Archer can put together the final puzzle before the monsters do, maybe they’ll have a chance. Maybe.<br />
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Mystery, tragedy and the power of family combine as Matt races to win the war and save the people he loves. There’s just one thing he’s afraid of…<br />
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It might already be too late.</p></blockquote>
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<i>Redemption</i> releases July 4th!</h3>
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<a href="http://s1249.photobucket.com/user/myreadingaddiction/media/Promo%20Images/Kendra20Pic202010_zpse46d2366.jpg.html" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo Kendra20Pic202010_zpse46d2366.jpg" border="0" src="http://i1249.photobucket.com/albums/hh501/myreadingaddiction/Promo%20Images/Kendra20Pic202010_zpse46d2366.jpg" height="200" width="132" /></a>Kendra C. Highley lives in north Texas with her husband and two children. She also serves as staff to two self-important and high-powered cats. This, according to the cats, is her most critical job. She believes chocolate is a basic human right, running a 10k is harder than it sounds, and that everyone should learn to drive a stick-shift. She loves monsters, vacations, baking and listening to bad electronica.
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<a href="http://www.matt-archer.com/">Website</a> <a href="http://www.facebook.com/kchighley">Facebook</a> <a href="http://www.twitter.com/KendraHighley">Twitter</a> <a href="http://www.kendrachighley.com/">Blog</a></h3>
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When I was fourteen, I picked up a knife, ignorant of the destiny that awaited me. That night seems like a lifetime ago, even if it’s only been three years.
<br />
<br />
A lot of things can change in three years.
<br />
<br />
A boy can become a man. A man can become a soldier. And that soldier can witness things he’ll never forget. Earn scars that won’t fade. Cut down enemies. Save lives.
<br />
<br />
Lose them, too.
<br />
<br />
Through it all, I’ve tried to remember who I am, where the legend ends and the man begins. Not to lose myself to my blade-spirit and become a monster. Some days are harder than others. I’ve seen friends die in this war, injured myself, and nearly lost the girl I love more than anyone, all for the cause. The price for being named the guardian of humanity is high, especially when my own government is calling me a criminal.
<br />
<br />
Despite all the obstacles, despite the pain, one thing remains true: it’s still worth the fight.
<br />
<br />
My name is Matt Archer. And I’m going to save the world.
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<br />
Or die trying.
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<br />
* * *
<br />
<br />
Packed into a black government SUV with five other people on the way to a Congressional hearing wasn’t my idea of fun.
<br />
<br />
That it was my reality made it even worse. Especially since riding with these particular men gave me a migraine of epic proportion. Being in close contact with the other knife-wielders always caused me pain. It was better than usual—I’d gotten used to the sensation of overwhelming power somewhat. Still, not the best way to start this day.
<br />
<br />
My new suit wasn’t heavy, but a trickle of sweat ran down my back the closer we got to the Capitol and my tie felt like it was trying to strangle me slowly. If I’d had my way, I’d be going to the hearing in bloodstained BDUs and my oldest combat boots—the ones with African sand still on them. The House Armed Services Committee wanted to call me a hardened juvenile delinquent? Fine, at least let me look the part.
<br />
<br />
Everybody else—except Will—told me that was a terrible idea. So Mom and Aunt Julie took me shopping and wrangled me into the suit. Complete with shiny new wingtips.
<br />
<br />
I felt, and probably looked, very stupid.
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<br />
“I heard CNN was going to carry C-SPAN live during the hearings,” Will said. He stared out the window with his shoulders bunched up around his ears. “Everyone in the world will know who we are after today.”
<br />
<br />
Everyone in the world would know…but how we’d be judged was the question. Would our accusers accept that everything we’d done was to protect and defend the defenseless? Or would we go down in flames, remembered by history as the very worst of violent offenders?
<br />
<br />
What worried me most was that the world wouldn’t learn the truth until it was too late: that the war wasn’t over. Pentagram Strike Force had been pulled off of active duty to participate in this political circus. Meanwhile, the Dark Master had gained a toehold in our world. The search for the Chinese shaman, our final lead—along with hunting the last two prime monsters—should’ve been our priority, and necessary to putting an end to the Master’s reign of terror. Instead we were here, sold out to Congress by the enemy’s favorite human servant.
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<br />
As we made our way through the streets of D.C., Tink made a sullen noise in my head. I’ve never liked this place. Too many skeptics.
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<br />
“Insulted some people don’t believe in you?” I asked, biting back a nervous smile. “Do we need to clap and bring you back to life?”
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<br />
Will laughed, while Tink growled. The nickname is bad enough without the jokes, thank you very much.
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<br />
The other wielders didn’t react. Parker was more pale than usual, and his freckles stood out like measles on his face. Ramirez glared out the window. Jorge had his hands folded in his lap and his eyes were closed, almost like he was praying.
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<br />
“Anybody else coming to the party?” I asked.
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<br />
“This is it, far as I know,” Parker said, the faintest hint of Alabama twang coming through. “We brought a couple of our guys as character witnesses, but they aren’t allowed to testify unless they’re called. So it’s just us.”
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<br />
Ramirez flashed me a rare smile. “Murphy’s here.”
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<br />
“I heard,” I said. “He’s driving my family over to the hearing.”
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<br />
“He can’t wait to see you.” Now Ramirez was chuckling. “Said he’d watch as we do the walk of shame through the crowds at the Capitol.”
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<br />
“Wait…crowds?” I asked. “What crowds?”
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<br />
“Haven’t you been watching the news?” Parker raised an eyebrow. “That’s why we’re taking a caravan with draconian seating arrangements. They wanted the wielders to be the first out.”
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<br />
“We gave up on watching the news a few days ago when that anchor on MSNBC called me and Matt ‘budding psychopaths,’ who’ve become trained killers,” Will said.
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<br />
“You’re in for treat, then,” Parker said.
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<br />
He wasn’t kidding. As we turned down First Street leading past the Capitol steps, people choked the sidewalks. Some had signs saying we were saviors. Some yelled that we worshiped Satan. Every single one of them watched the cars pass. We were sacrificial lambs, going to the slaughter, and it would all play out on television.
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<br />
“This…is gonna suck,” Will said as an egg splattered against the SUV’s window.
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<br />
“They can’t get near the entrance,” Johnson told him. “They have barriers holding everyone back.”
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<br />
Yeah, because a little bit of plywood would be an excellent deterrent against mob violence.
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<br />
We turned the corner on Independence, heading for the Sam Rayburn building. It was one of the House’s office buildings and where we’d have the hearing. You’d think the President was coming to visit, because we were led by a police car and followed by two motorcycle cops.
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<br />
More people crowded the mall around the Capitol building and lined the streets all the way to our destination. Tink was jumpy, twitching around my skull. Instinctively, I reached for my knife handle, sheathed in my thigh pocket.
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<br />
Ramirez’s eyes tracked the movement. “The knives have to stay in the car.”
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<br />
“I thought they’d demand to see them,” I said.
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<br />
“We don’t want members of Congress to get a hand on them, so the plan is to lock them up and leave them with Johnson.”
<br />
<br />
Being without my knife in tense situations usually caused me physical pain and leaving it behind sounded like torture. “But—”
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<br />
“This is the only way we’ll be certain to get them back,” Ramirez said as he handed his knife to Johnson, looking as if it hurt to loosen the handle from his fingers. “General’s orders.”
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<br />
We followed his lead. I set the blade in its metal box and locked it in. My head ached the instant contact was broken.
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<br />
I’ll be nearby no matter what. You aren’t forsaken just because you aren’t wearing the knife, Tink said. All the same, don’t do anything stupid.
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<br />
“Okay,” I murmured. Will whispered something similar and Captain Parker smiled at us. Instructions were universal sometimes.
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<br />
A rap on the window announced the MPs’ arrival—military escort from the SUV to the hearing rooms. I didn’t know if that was for our protection, or to make us look more like criminals.
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<br />
We slid out of the vehicle, all of us steely-eyed and standing erect. The MPs led us along the barricaded street. Cameras pointed our direction and reporters screamed questions. As of now, anonymity wasn’t a luxury I had anymore. Everywhere I looked, people were staring at us. I could almost hear the gasps of surprise zooming through Billings as our faces started showing up on television. Greenhill High was on fall break, but that only meant the news would travel faster.
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<br />
The building itself was white stone, with two massive statues guarding the front door. Crowds of people surrounded them, pressed against the blue police barriers and jostling to get a better look.
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<br />
As we headed for the stairs, someone shouted my name and the voice sent a shock wave through my chest. I stopped dead in my tracks and searched the crowd for the source, finding who I was looking for when I spotted a flash of auburn hair. I wasn’t sure how she’d gotten here…but I was sure she would be grounded for six months for coming.
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<br />
Ella stood at the edge of the barrier, scowling at the MPs. I knew how she’d gotten such prime real estate—by holding a sign that read “No more monsters under your bed, courtesy of my boyfriend!”
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<br />
Penn stood next to her, directing the crowd in a chant. Something about “stupid politicians.”
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<br />
“What are they doing here?” I asked.
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<br />
“No idea,” Will said.
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<br />
Before the MPs could react, I ran for Ella. I heard Will pounding the pavement behind me, but she was all I saw. Ella dropped her sign and flung out her arms. We got in one long kiss before one my escorts put a hand on my arm.
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<br />
“I can’t believe you came,” I told her in a rush.
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<br />
She lifted her chin. “There’s no way I wouldn’t be here for you today.”
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<br />
The MP’s grip tightened around my bicep. I dug my heels in. “I love you.”
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<br />
A second MP had joined the first, tugging at my arms. As they dragged me away, she yelled, “I love you, too!”
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<br />
The frenzy from the press got more chaotic, jostling to shove microphones in Ella’s face. The last thing I saw as the guards pushed me into the building was her granting interviews, looking like the queen of all she surveyed.
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<br />
Our handlers led us to a small room off the hearing chambers. A few minutes later, my family showed up. My uncle and his wife, Colonel and Captain Tannen, came in first, followed by General Richardson. Not long after, Mom, Mamie and Brent arrived. Mamie looked anxious, twirling a pigtail around her finger, but Mom was angry. The night she’d found out about the hearings…well, I’d never seen her that pissed off, and her mood hadn’t improved much over the last few weeks. She paced the room, looking like she wanted to punch something really hard.
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<br />
Once we were all settled, Army counsel gave us last minute pointers. Mom glared at him several times, finally saying, “Enough. You’re making them nervous.” She put her hand on my shoulder. “Tell the truth. That’s all you can do. Don’t let them twist your words.”
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<br />
I would do my best, because I needed to focus on getting through the proceedings without slipping up. If I did, Uncle Mike, Badass Aunt Julie and General Richardson could lose their jobs. Or go to jail for endangering minors. Take your pick.
<br />
<br />
The general and Uncle Mike talked quietly in one corner, wearing their Class As. It was the first time since his wedding that I’d seen my uncle in full dress uniform. The large section of commendation ribbons on his jacket made him look impressive and I stared longingly at the uniform. I hated being in this suit. I belonged in uniform, but when I begged to enlist with Mom’s permission, no one had gone for it.
<br />
<br />
“You wouldn’t complete basic in time for the hearings,” Captain Johnson had said.
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<br />
Mike had ground his teeth a full minute before adding, “Before he died, you promised Colonel Black you’d go to West Point. Stay the course and we’ll get you there.”
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<br />
Mom’s answer was even simpler. “No.”
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<br />
So here Will and I were, looking awkward in coat and tie, as if this was some joke of a graduation ceremony instead of a moment that would decide the fates of every single person in this room. I tugged at my collar, wondering if it would suffocate me before the hearing was over.
<br />
<br />
Mamie touched my hand. Brent loomed behind her, an ever present watchman to keep our sister out of harm’s way. Despite the gravity of our situation, she smiled. “Go get ‘em, Tiger.”
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<br />
And so I was laughing when someone knocked. A House page about Mamie’s age stuck his head in. The guy eyed Will and me warily, then said, “I’m here to escort you to the proceedings.”
<br />
<br />
The general stood. “All right, gentlemen. Time to go.”<br />
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<h4 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Check back for my review at the end of July!</span></h4>
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<a href="http://markedbybooks.blogspot.com/2013/07/matt-archer-legend-book-tour-review.html">Review of Book 1</a></div>
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<a href="http://markedbybooks.blogspot.com/2014/01/review-of-matt-archer-bloodlines-by.html">Review of Book 4</a></div>
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<a href="http://markedbybooks.blogspot.com/search/label/Taylor"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjTKwaJrxDhRwDkU4KfmPb6820UBSZx1k7K8rbdpgUclIaY2LjbbJpmWoAcFayBhH3X6qcxb7g5ugDSiSNardHOKf1zDc7NiIrV2CbeLUzf4ndmI1lzhVloCd9W6XOOZa0QXIwqIX2Wb7B/s320/Taylor%2527s+Signature.png" width="450" /></a></div>Marked By Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06921329332711897690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7191994860400984904.post-62943206868891604522014-07-02T00:00:00.000-04:002014-07-02T00:00:00.996-04:00The Dare Blitz: Excerpt<i>The Dare</i> is back! This lovely little book was over here almost a month ago, and now it has returned! (You can check that original post out <a href="http://markedbybooks.blogspot.com/2014/06/the-dare-cover-reveal.html">here</a>.)<br />
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This time, <i>The Dare</i> brings with it an incredible excerpt, which I just so happen to find very entertaining. HELLO, Grandma Nadine!<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: x-large;">The Dare by Rachel Van Dyken<br />
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<p>Boring Beth Lynn has always lived up to her nickname… until she wakes up in a hotel bed next to a sexy as sin state senator she re-connected with at a wedding the previous night.<br />
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The biggest problem? She can't seem to remember anything about the night before except for crying into a box of cookies, and she’s pretty sure Grandma Nadine slipped something in her drink. And what should have been a one night stand turns into a six day adventure when Grandma whisks them off to Hawaii to save them from the ensuing media firestorm.<br />
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Jace isn't looking for commitment — he believes he made that clear when he left the wedding with Beth. Then again, he can't remember much of anything other than the way her skin felt beneath his hands. Now he's stuck with her at some lame couple’s retreat and trying his hardest to fight the attraction only a woman like Beth could invoke.<br />
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He doesn’t think it can get any worse.<br />
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But one spider attack… A donkey ride from hell… And an unfortunate episode with Viagra tea — and there’s one thing Jace knows for sure: He should never have agreed to Grandma Nadine’s suggestion in the first place.<br />
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Because if this isn’t paradise, and it isn’t a vacation — that only leaves one option.<br />
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Survival.</p>
</blockquote>
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<h3 style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00KLJCUIK/ref=cm_sw_su_dp">Amazon</a> <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-dare-rachel-van-dyken/1119573016?ean=2940045955768">B&N</a> <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/the-dare/id880917031?mt=11">iTunes</a></h3>
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Rachel Van Dyken is the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today Bestselling author of regency and contemporary romances. When she's not writing you can find her drinking coffee at Starbucks and plotting her next book while watching The Bachelor. She keeps her home in Idaho with her Husband and their snoring Boxer, Sir Winston Churchill. She loves to hear from readers!
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<a href="http://rachelvandykenauthor.com/">Website</a> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/RachelVanDyken">Facebook</a> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4882127.Rachel_Van_Dyken">Goodreads</a></h3>
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“Beth!”
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Jace knocked on the door. “If you’re done freaking out, we need to go.”
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“Right.”
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I wiped my wet cheeks and clenched the dress in my hands. It wasn’t magic. If anything, it was just a reminder that I was exactly where I’d been when I’d graduated in 2000. A loser. A loser with a small rack who preferred math and science to Facebook.
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“Beth, I’m serious. It’s not looking good.”
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“Keep your pants on!” I yelled, irritated that he was making me hurry. With a curse, I pulled on the dress, put my wet hair in a quick pony tail, and opened the bathroom door. “What’s the big hurry?”
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<br />
Jace held up his phone. It said Grandma Nadine.
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“Hello!” a loud voice yelled. “Jace! Beth! Hurry! Grandma has this all figured out.”
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“Famous last words.” Jace nodded.
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“But we have no choice.”
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“No choice?” I repeated. “What? Is the mafia after us or something?”
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“Worse.”
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“I highly doubt that.”
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“Look.” He pointed to the TV. Reporters were in front of a hotel, looking excited as hell.
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“The news?” I asked. “Why is that worse than—”
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“Special reports say the senator took a prostitute back to his room at midnight last night and has yet to check out! Which raises the question, has the senator truly put his murky past behind him? Sources close to the senator’s ex-fiancée say the cheating scandal from two years ago nearly destroyed him. One more scandal won’t bode well for the youngest senator in state history. Could a trust issue in his personal life have a reflection on his public one?”
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“That’s enough.” I grabbed the remote from Jace’s frozen hand and threw it onto the bed. Great. So not only had I lost my virginity to a politician, but now I was a prostitute. I reached for his cell phone and growled into it.
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“We’ll have words later.” Grandma snorted. “But get us out of here first.”
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“Say the magic words.”
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“Uh, please?” I nudged Jace out of his paralyzed state.
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“Not those words.”
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I closed my eyes and allowed visions of my calm and sterile office to bring back the peace into my body. That didn’t work. I needed to think about Vampire Diaries. Damon Salvatore. Damon Salvatore. Damon Salvatore. And happy place found!
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“I can’t read minds. What words do you want me to say?”
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Grandma chuckled. “Why, thank you, of course!”
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“For?”
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“How was he?” She giggled like a school girl. “Men with power seem to have a special type of—”
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“Thank you!” I all but shouted. “Now get us out of here.”
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“Roger.”
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The phone went dead. I looked to Jace for help, but he seemed to be fighting a losing battle with his tie as he tried to pull it from his neck.
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“Stop.” I swatted his hands away. “You’re going to hang yourself if you keep doing that.” He shrugged.
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“What?” I loosened the tie. “No snappy retort?”
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“Not feeling snappy,” he said dryly. I slapped him. I never said I was good with emotions.
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“What the hell was that for?”
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“Singing Katy Perry.” I grinned. “Now snap to it, Mr. Senator. We’ve gotta make it out of this hotel without that skinny bitch reporting it on the evening news.”
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“Grandma?”
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“The reporter.”
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“You understand my confusion,” he added, just as someone knocked on the door. “Stay here.”
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“It feels like a bad movie,” I whispered to myself as I chewed the nail polish off my thumb.
“Shit.”
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Jace looked through the peephole and then said shit about five more times before slowly opening the door. Why was he so upset? Why the hell would…
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“Aw, shit.” I repeated. Because there really wasn’t any other word that existed in the English language that would fit as well. So I repeated it again. As did Jace. Grandma shrugged and pulled off her sunglasses. “Let the fun begin!”
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Marked By Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06921329332711897690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7191994860400984904.post-24187692026975875872014-07-01T00:30:00.000-04:002014-07-01T00:30:01.675-04:00Beyond the Sea Cover Reveal<div style="text-align: center;">
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And here is the cover reveal that we have all been waiting on! Book number one of the <i>Beyond the Sea </i>series by author Emily Goodwin. One thing that makes me excited about this new series is the new supernatural creatures in it. It is like a refreshing drink of cool water... not trying to make a pun here... Still, having a new series that does not involve vampires, werewolves, or some other shapeshifter is quite refreshing.<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13494641-beyond-the-sea?ac=1" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYCrTqc3ZVXa73lHwE6-UyTJv7vIuaQxJ-6Xd_U6TNZhSAWvhtPq9CDHEIIX1RwvPiyT9XfvumYNsdEwiF3G0ltwtb8V9gG6JVzAwTcnTyjUx8joZp7dzh0xOrwjnw8O7jmEPiJt3e62xV/s1600/BeyondTheSea_v2_EmilyGoodwin.jpg" height="400" width="259" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Beyond the Sea by Emily Goodwin</span><br />
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<p>After the brutal and mysterious murder of her sister, Melia is forced to leave her life as a<i> merrow</i> and live on land, pretending to be human. Feeling very much like a fish out of water, Melia struggles to fit in and to accept that the Pacific Ocean she loves so much may never again be her home.<br />
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Melia is unable to hide her fins from outsider Jamie Forester, who possess the gift to see into the Otherworld. Jamie—and everyone she knows—views her ability as a curse, isolating her from the rest of society. Melia sees the curse as a gift…and a way to find out what really happened to her sister.<br />
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Eighteen year old Peter Anderson thinks college is the most extraordinary thing that will ever happen to him, until he meets Melia. He is immediately bewitched by her beauty and spirit, sensing but not seeing that there is more to her than meets the eye.<br />
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Caught up in Peter’s affection and human affairs, Melia is too distracted to notice the darklings surfacing from the depths of the ocean. It isn't until a body is found that Melia realizes parts of her old life have come back…with a vengeance.</p></blockquote>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007PWG0IM/ref=x_gr_w_bb?ie=UTF8&tag=httpwwwgoodco-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B007PWG0IM&SubscriptionId=1MGPYB6YW3HWK55XCGG2">Amazon</a></h3>
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About the Author</span></h4>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj08ukUEyLTv1Rg5b3s5jg5DCOU6DMs93o5yvXjQtqAfcO0W5Z9KnZpAuWRG0gElvjDJ1amo1xhDPEqCcbzeQnOjFF7EFV8A-k50MTct6tbT0z8-05kfTlMq6Cxv78Pdl8z425VcES0rcYe/s1600/EG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj08ukUEyLTv1Rg5b3s5jg5DCOU6DMs93o5yvXjQtqAfcO0W5Z9KnZpAuWRG0gElvjDJ1amo1xhDPEqCcbzeQnOjFF7EFV8A-k50MTct6tbT0z8-05kfTlMq6Cxv78Pdl8z425VcES0rcYe/s1600/EG.jpg" height="200" width="156" /></a><br />
Emily resides in Indiana with her husband,ferrets,horses and their beloved dog, a German Shepherd named Vader. Emily has a degree in psychology, likes anything paranormal, listens to too much 80's rock and loves going on crazy adventures with her friends. <br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1635425.Emily_Goodwin">Goodreads</a> <a href="http://www.emily-goodwin.blogspot.ca/">Blog</a> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/emilygoodwinbooks?ref=hl">Facebook</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/0emilygoodwin">Twitter</a></h3>
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Marked By Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06921329332711897690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7191994860400984904.post-32800016464997789852014-07-01T00:00:00.000-04:002014-07-01T00:00:07.354-04:00Hideous Blitz: Guest Post & GIVEAWAY!!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I'm so excited for this book! I LOVE the premise behind it, and Devon McCormack's guest post is really incredible. Please check it out!<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Hideous by Devon McCormack</span><br /><br />
<p>Eight years ago, Luke Retter witnessed the brutal murder of his mother and sister at the hands of his demon-possessed father. He survived but lost a hand and an eye. The demon also burned its emblem into his skin, marking him as a cursed. Those who bear this mark are at risk of becoming possessed themselves, so they are monitored and enslaved by the state-run UCIS. Working as a slave is hard, but Luke prefers it to the possibility of being controlled by a demon.<br />
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One night, Luke wakes to find his worst nightmare coming true. His father's demon has returned. In a panic, he runs to the only person who might be able to help: Zack, a cursed who ran away from the state and created an underground community to protect other fugitive curseds. Zack helps him suppress the demon. But the city's become a time bomb, and Luke's demon itches to escape.<br />
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With the UCIS closing in on Zack's underground operation and Luke's demon crafting its own, nefarious plot, Luke realizes that he must take a stand.</p></blockquote>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Hideous-Devon-McCormack-ebook/dp/B00L48ZWFK/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1404179477&sr=8-2&keywords=Hideous">Amazon</a> <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/hideous-devon-mccormack/1119798899?ean=9781632161420">B&N</a> <a href="http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/hideous-2">Kobo</a></h3>
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Devon McCormack spends most of his time hiding in his lair, adventuring in paranormal worlds with his island of misfit characters. A good ole Southern boy, McCormack grew up in the Georgian suburbs with his two younger brothers and an older sister. At a very young age, he spun tales the old fashioned way, lying to anyone and everyone he encountered. He claimed he was an orphan. He claimed to be a king from another planet. He claimed to have supernatural powers. He has since harnessed this penchant for tall tales by crafting whole worlds where he can live out whatever fantasy he chooses.
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A gay man himself, McCormack focuses on gay male characters, adding to the immense body of literature that chooses to represent and advocate gay men's presence in media. His body of work ranges from erotica to young adult, so readers should check the synopses of his books before purchasing so that they know what they're getting into.<br />
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Guest Post</h4>
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Why YA Needs more LGBT Heroes
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I'd like to start off with a big thanks for having me on the blog today to promote the release of my first Young Adult novel, Hideous. I jokingly pitch it as "a sweet little book about a boy and his demon." The more accurate version is: a twisted tale of a boy whose demon-possessed father severed off one of his hands and gouged out one of his eyes. Years later, the demon returns to possess him.
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My protagonist, Luke, is a young, gay man. He bears the mark of the demon that possessed his father. Those who bear a demon's mark are forced to work for the state so they can be monitored, as they're more likely than most to become possessed themselves. Luke works at an all-boys high school, where he has to watch all the other boys getting to go on dates and to school dances. Being gay, this is what much of high school felt like for me. I was an outsider. I could watch all the other guys go on dates and to the dances with their girlfriends, but how did I fit into that system? At the time, I harbored a lot of self-hate and anger about the attraction I felt for guys, and it didn't feel fair that I didn't get to walk along the easy path that everyone else seemed to have carved out for them. If I felt attracted to a guy, I didn't get eager and excited. I got worried and fearful. What had I done wrong? Was this a punishment from God? Surely, it had to have been. Otherwise, there wouldn't have been such severe stigmas around it.
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It was more than just what I felt around my peers, though. The absence of gay representations in media seemed to indicate that, not only was it abnormal to be gay, but it was something that people didn't want to look at. I gradually came to believe that being gay meant that I didn't matter to the rest of the world and that somehow being out about my sexuality would mean I was agreeing to be shunned and ignored--which was something I desperately feared. I kept my secret through high school. In fact, I didn't even start acting on my attraction to guys until I was twenty. This certainly isn't as long as it is for some people, but it was a long time to bottle up emotions and denial, and it took a toll on me emotionally. Fortunately, I discovered some great people who supported me as I started accepting who I really am, and for that, I'm so appreciative.
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Looking back, I realize it didn't help that there were no gay role models I could look to--nothing to help me with coming to terms with my sexuality as a teenager. I'm glad to say that isn't the case today. Teenagers have more access to gay heroes and gay representations than ever before, and it's a great step in the right direction, because it's a smoke signal--an indication that "Hey, you're not alone, and we can get through this together." When I wrote Hideous, I wanted to create a story about a young, gay man who felt the sort of lonely isolation that so many of us push through in our formative years. I wanted to be able to reach out to someone who experienced something similar to let them know we're all going to get through this together. And fortunately, gay heroes in YA stories just keep coming. Publishing companies are becoming more and more accepting of gay characters, and I think we're going to see a big shift in the next few years. Of course, it’s not just gay men who aren’t being represented. The entire spectrum of the LGBT community isn’t getting the attention that it deserves, and this needs to change.<br />
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<a href="http://markedbybooks.blogspot.com/search/label/Taylor"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjTKwaJrxDhRwDkU4KfmPb6820UBSZx1k7K8rbdpgUclIaY2LjbbJpmWoAcFayBhH3X6qcxb7g5ugDSiSNardHOKf1zDc7NiIrV2CbeLUzf4ndmI1lzhVloCd9W6XOOZa0QXIwqIX2Wb7B/s320/Taylor%2527s+Signature.png" width="450" /></a></div>Marked By Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06921329332711897690noreply@blogger.com0