Captivated Reading

Blog Tour: Embrace by Cherie Colyer

2012-12-10T00:00:00.000-08:00

Title: Embrace
Author: Cherie Colyer
Find "Embrace":
Amazon / BN

Madison is familiar enough with change, and she hates everything about it. Change took her long-term boyfriend away from her. It caused one of her friends to suddenly hate her. It’s responsible for the death of a local along with a host of other mysterious happenings. But when Madison meets a hot new guy, she thinks her luck is about to improve.

Madison is instantly drawn to the handsome and intriguing Isaac Addington. She quickly realizes he’s a guy harboring a secret, but she’s willing to risk the unknown to be with him.

Her world really spins out of control, however, when her best friend becomes delusional, seeing things that aren’t there and desperately trying to escape their evil. When the doctors can’t find the answers, Madison seeks her own.

Nothing can prepare her for what she is about to discover.

~About the Author~

Cherie's imagination extends far beyond her Illinois roots through her love of books and reading. The discipline of her career as a Network Technician provides an opposing mindset for her fictional stories. Cherie combines her fascination of all things mythical with her passion for writing to weave together middle grade and young adult stories.

She enjoys spending time with family and friends, meeting new people, writing, reading, and loves a challenge. While she has had many great experiences, her most satisfying experience is seeing her children and stories grow into their own exciting and distinct entities.

Website / Facebook / Twitter / Goodreads

Blog Tour: Altered by Aubrey Coletti

2012-12-09T00:00:00.000-08:00

Title: Altered
Author: Aubrey Coletti
Find "Altered":
Amazon / BN / Smashwords

When Toni, Joseph and Charlie arrive at their new boarding school, they are glad to leave their families - and respective problems - behind. Isolated as boarders, they meet a handsome senior with a personality like iced snake's blood, teachers with a penchant for physical punishment, and four other outcasts who reveal that their being brought to the Academy wasn't random at all. When the arrivals discover that their new school is engaged in "behavior modification" through electric shocks, isolation, restraints, and an ever-evolving set of methods to "fix" them, they declare war on their Academy. During their campaign of sabotage, they fight, hate, scorn, love, and begin to uncover the reasons why they were brought to the school. But as their war against the school escalates beyond their control, will they become the very things the Academy believes they are: dangerous, delinquent - and mad?

~From the Author~

I wouldn’t go so far as to say every author nowadays dreams of having their book made into a movie: but probably most of us do. I will openly confess that I spend a good percentage of my day, ahem, planning out the “Altered” film (the rest of my time is spent in the all important acts of perusing the internet, sleeping, and, every now and then, working). So why not join me and encourage my totally productive lifestyle? You agree? Oh, lovely.

Casting for “Altered” would require mostly unknowns, as the main characters are all teenagers, none of whom I can see being played by current young adult actors. What is more, I am not generally a fan of the practice of having twenty-year-olds play fourteen and fifteen year olds in movies and shows. While I understand that due to child labor laws many studios prefer actors over eighteen, as a former anorexic I can say that watching fully physically developed actors in their twenties playing fifteen-year-olds does contribute to our media’s unrealistic body image. I tried to make “Altered” as true to life as possible in the writing, so I would only feel right casting actors within the age range of the characters. In terms of the adult main characters, however, I do have some ideas. Mrs. Carter is, in essence, a loving mother gone too far: and I can think of few actresses who can combine sweetness and steel better than Morena Baccarin. Opposite (and often opposing) Mrs. Carter is the Headmistress, a character who needs to be both alluring and frightening, traits which actress Lucy Lawless has perfected over the years.

“Altered” is a very fast-paced action- and drama-packed novel, so adapting the book to script wouldn’t be difficult. The trick would be striking the balance between the twists and turns of the plot, and the necessity of keeping the characters and their struggles at the forefront. But, like so many authors, it is a challenge I would love to have the chance to meet.

~About the Author~

Aubrey is a twenty year old author, singer-songwriter, dancer and choreographer who attends Sarah Lawrence College. In love with reading since she was young, her favorite writers include Tamora Pierce, Joss Whedon, and Chris Claremont. A passionate fan of those artists and writers she enjoys, she may be found answering questions for fans on her own website any day of the week. Ms. Coletti is currently working on the sequel to "Altered."

Website / Facebook / Twitter / Goodreads

Blog Tour & Giveaway: Hale Maree by Misty Provencher

2012-12-07T00:00:00.000-08:00

Title: Hale Maree
Author: Misty Provencher
Pub. Date: Nov. 19, 2012
Find "Hale Maree":
Amazon / BN

Hale Simmons dreams of climbing out of her impoverished life, going to college, and getting herself a titanium crash helmet, so she can eventually bust through the Plexiglas ceiling of her crappy life. But for now, she’s just a 18-year-old girl with a flimsy hope, barely getting by with her alcoholic father, Jerry.
But for Hale, ‘crappy’ suddenly takes a nosedive, when Jerry becomes the sole witness to a horrible accident. It is an event which means to effect everyone, especially Hale, who wasn’t even involved.
While the depth of the accident has just begun to unfold, Otto Maree, a prominent business man and old family friend, stands to lose everything because of it. Otto is desperate for Hale’s father to stay quiet about what occurred the night the two men met for a drink. Out of mutual moments of desperation, the two fathers forge a deal. Jerry is desperate to gain financial stability for both himself and Hale, and Otto Maree is more than willing to pay to keep his secret just that.
But deals like this need to be made of the strongest vows and bound with the most faithful of loyalties. Otto proposes a marriage between Hale and his playboy-son, Oscar, in order to assure that the secret remains ‘in the family’. The mystery surrounding the accident continues to grow and Hale struggles against her own mysterious feelings that begin to develop for Oscar, who turns out to less of a playboy, but just as fiercely loyal and dedicated as his father.
As the pressure around her continues to escalate, Hale realizes that she’s got to decide if this arranged marriage is really just a big mistake or an amazing twist of fate that has been waiting around for this particular accident to happen.

Please be advised that this book is NOT suitable for Young Adult readers due to language and explicit sexual situations.

~My Review~

How this amazing lady manages to write a winner every time, I'll never know. But, in case you haven't read any of my previous reviews of Ms. Provencher's work, I just so happen to love her!

Hale Maree is so wonderful because I was completely taken aback by how in a world of pretty unoriginal story ideas (MOST of the time), Hale Maree is like a breath of fresh air. I'll be honest, I didn't even read the synopsis before agreeing to review because I was pretty sure this book would rock. But, then, to read it without any idea of what to expect and have the book surprise me was SUCH a treat!

Hale and Oscar's characters are both SO endearing and clever. I loved their chemistry right from the beginning. What started as an intent to read just a "few chapters before bed", ended in me finishing the entire book in one sitting. THAT'S how much I enjoyed the characters and the story.

If you're in the mood for a story about a couple who have chemistry and heat from page one, then Hale Maree is a book I KNOW you would enjoy!

~My Rating~

~Giveaway~

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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~Coming Soon From Misty Provencher~

My will to survive is the first thing to drown.
I know, because I hold it under myself.

After facing severe tragedy in life, Madeline assumes her death will be easy.
But the angels do not come to take her to Heaven.
Instead, what retrieves her is something she never expected: a gargoyle.

Delivered to Truce, the King of the Gargoyles, Madeline now has choices she never wanted. She has the ability to take over the entire Gargoyle Kingdom, if she is willing to kill the king. However, looking to prevent takeover, Truce transforms Madeline, thereby granting her the ability to achieve the thing she wants most—death—if she can just find the human recipient for the Gargoyle Gift that she now has to give. It should be easy.

But lives, whether they are lived or not, are seldom simple, and Madeline’s past still stands in her way. Now, only a voyeur in the life of The Boy with the Golden Rod Voice, Madeline’s must reconcile her own life and death, if she ever hopes to have free reign of her soul.

Scheduled Release Date: 12/8/12

~Mercy Excerpt~

It is a lion, I suppose. A grotesque lion, with a great, smooth hole, arcing through the center of its head, from a broad opening at its crown to its wide and snarling teeth that line its open jaw. If I were a girl again, I could pass my arm through it’s mouth and out the top of it’s head, crooking at the elbow. As a gargoyle, my claws would get stuck.
The snout of the immobile beast is as wide and flat as Moag's, but sculpted to be more lionesque. The eyes are fierce with fat rectangles at the edges, narrowing like an Egyptian queen's eyeliner toward the ears. The mane could be made of snakes, tangling and reaching out its undisciplined fingers on all sides. It’s body is that of a muscular and half-starved king of beasts, but with magnified feet and claws that are as long and sharply arced as a collection of machetes.
To stare at the thing, I must tip my face up and peer out the holes of my bone mask.
I stare at the thing for a long time but it's own gaze never falters from its focus over the city.
I stare a long time more and begin to itch, although I never dare, to touch it.
I stare until the moon has begun its decent and then I finally say, "Hello."
The lion does not move, but its enormous eyes slide, like gravel stones, rolls to the side of it’s head. It looks at me.

~About the Author~

Books by Misty Provencher
The CORNERSTONE Series (Young Adult)

HALE MAREE (Adult)

MERCY, A GARGOYLE STORY (New Adult)

Available in paperback and ebook at:

Barnes & Noble / Amazon / Smashwords
Check Out Misty's Blog

Blog Tour: Glimmers by Barbara Brooke

2012-12-03T00:00:00.000-08:00

Title: Glimmers
Author: Barbara Brooke
Find "Glimmers":
Amazon / BN / Fishpond
Indie Bound / The Book Depository

A simple touch and suddenly, Paige is in the past - living someone else's life, seeing the world through their eyes, and feeling their deepest emotions.

Paige used to think memories only existed in one's mind. But now, she knows better. She can't explain how or why, but she has glimmers: special moments that have remained behind - clinging to a letter, a ring, even a worn-out pair of boots.

When Paige returns from each glimmer, a small part of her has changed. Who is this gourmet cook, fashion designer, feisty lover? And how is she supposed to explain this to her family without them thinking she has completely lost her mind?

Paige thought her new talent was a gift, until…she was suddenly transported into her sister’s memory, and caught a glimmer of her secret life.

Take this humorous and romantic journey, as Paige learns about true love through the lives of three extraordinary women.

Runner-Up in the 2012 New York Book Festival (Romance)

~Book Trailer~

~Audio Book Sample~

~About the Author~

Currently, Barbara Brooke resides in sunny Florida with her supportive husband, two adorable children, gorgeous greyhounds, and scruffy mutt. She is actively creating new worlds and interesting characters for the next book in one of her series. Shhhh, can you keep a secret? Not only does she write spellbinding, heart-pounding women’s fiction, she also writes books for the young-at-heart, adventurous sort who yearn to dive into a good young adult fantasy story. These particular books are written under the name H.B. Bolton, but that is another story altogether.

Website / Blog / Facebook / Twitter / Goodreads

Blog Tour: His Black Wings by Astrid Yrigollen

2012-12-01T00:00:00.000-08:00

Title: His Black Wings
Author: Astrid Yrigollen
Find "His Black Wings":
Amazon

Claren Maidstone has been forced to flee her childhood home after the death of her parents and a vicious assault from a sadistic young man who intends to marry her. Claren changes her identity and finds employment as an assistant to the handsome Fredrick Lowood, a generous yet mysterious benefactor. However, she soon finds out his generosity comes at a price. Fredrick wishes for Claren to befriend his disfigured son who resides in seclusion at their estate, Westwind.

Fredrick Lowood knows what the history books do not teach, that the Grand Council built this new world of peace and beauty on hidden blood and greed. He has plotted for years to bring down the family that enslaved his own people. Suddenly, he has the last living heir in his grasp.

Etrigan Lowood rejects the world that forces him to hide. He is powerful, plagued with a terrible dark beauty: WINGS. It is these wings that carry him out only at night to watch the unwanted intruder in his home. A creature of refined instinct yet little social grace, he is strangely captivated by Claren but knows nothing of how her family’s dark past is intertwined with his own . Through their blossoming friendship, Etrigan realizes he still retains his human heart and yearns for Claren’s love.

Kurten Wandsworth is the only son of the Mayor of St.Marhen. Kurten lives his life fueled by cruelty and lust. Whatever he wants he takes and he wants Claren to be his wife even it if kills her. Scarred by Claren he hunts her down mercilessly until he can set a trap which she will never be able to escape from.

~Teaser~

Prologue

I didn’t know what to say, so I sat there stupidly. He grinned at me from behind white teeth. His ice blue eyes held a coldness and judgment I had not seen before. My heart fluttered and felt like a huge fish was rolling over in my breast.

“Well?” He said as he traced the outline of my knee through my heavy skirt with his slender, white finger.

“What is your wish, Claren?”

My heart, upon hearing him use my real name beat harder. I felt the adrenaline push itself through my veins. He seemed to be aware of it, and licked his lips quickly.

“I don t know what is it you ask Sir.” I stammered, my own voice sounding as a child’s would when confronted with some wrong doing.

He had used my real name. Was it safe to assume he knew who I really was?

He stopped smiling and cocked his head to one side, contemplating me.

“But you do Claren, you know very well what I want, what you want.”

How did it ever come to this? I thought franticly. What was I going to do, now that he knew who I was? He seemed to read my thoughts in my eyes because he answered my question without it ever being posed.

"What will I do indeed? What can I do is the question, Claren. Here we are on a train, bound for the quaint countryside. No alarm has been raised, no Porter is valiantly trying to fight for your honor or to even help and cover your embarrassment, your lies. Thus, it shall remain so. At least, until we arrive at our destination."

“Then what?” I questioned quietly.

I am resolved to die, but not without a fight. He knows this. That is why he will not attempt to take me here, on a train full of people.

My question hangs in the air between us, like a solid thing. He still has not answered as the whistle of our train shrieks into the wind, we race into the tunnel, blackness engulfing our private car.

~About the Author~

Astrid started her writing career when she begun work for the international video game giant, Sega of America. Working her way up the ranks, she began writing companion guides for games. With a love for writing fiction since childhood, she took her short stories out of storage and had her first story ever written published. It was only after that she found out that first stories are never published!

She has resumed writing full time and has succeeded in putting out the titles, The Doughnut Tree, Mysterious Pootkins, and The Mosswoods to name a few. Her short stories have appeared in the literary Threshold Press␣ and Shock and Awe Magazine.
She finds writing for young adults both refreshing and challenging. She always wishes to provide examples of positive role models, conflict resolving methods and communication for young adults with their parents or guardians.

Website / Facebook / Twitter

Blog Tour: The Gifted Ones: The Fairytale by P.G. Shriver

2012-11-27T00:00:00.000-08:00

Title: The Gifted Ones: The Fairytale
Author: P.G. Shriver
Find "The Gifted Ones: The Fairytale":
Amazon

Thrown together by the cruelties of a modern day world in which genuine compassion is rare, evil abounds, and goodness is often tainted by the fight to survive, two unusually gifted teenagers discover they are linked by a fairytale told them repeatedly throughout their youth by their late mothers.

Destiny awaits them, but first they must locate the others, as the fairytale foretells, to defeat the evil monster who waits and change the lonely world in which they live. Only then will they find peace... and family.

~From the Author~

On Hair

A part of The Gifted Ones The Fairytale forms a bond between the two main characters as they seek their destiny. During their journey, a storm brews blowing Cheater's hair about, annoying her new friend, so I though this fitting for the tour.

Today a poem of mystery (written under my other pseudonym)...

The strangest thing
just floating there
before the mirror
one strand of hair.
A perfect question
mark it made,
just hanging there
and there it stayed.
I gently blew
At the strand.
Moved by the breeze
it swung and
it dangled, fluttered,
spun and twisted
no visible tie
of help enlisted.
It’s gentle spin
caught my eye,
made me wonder,
question why?
More so how?
I could only stare
At the motion
Of that strand of hair.
Was it mine?
Was it his?
What unknown source
was the cause of this?
At eye level
it was plain
that simple strand
came from my mane.
But how it floated
without support
I could not tell
A silk of sort?
I peered up
into the light
searchingfor silk
but none in sight.
A ghost behind
this trickery?
A message of
my hair to me?
Gently I pulled
at the long end
and saw it stretch
'til giving in.
The question lingers,
about that hair
of certainly how
it floated there?

~About the Author~

Born in California, and raised in Minnesota and Texas, P.G. spent her early years writing poetry and winning poetry contests, while escaping the drama in her own childhood by reading great books for children. Ever since her earliest days, she loved story telling. She wrote numerous short stories in High School and her early college years, continually trying to relive that first experience at the age of seven of seeing her name in print in the local newspaper.

P.G. sought her education at the University of Texas, where she studied English, literature, and Education. During the entire process of earning her BA and M.Ed, she never stopped writing and trying to be published. It was during this time that her first children's book No More Stinkbugs! was accepted for publication by Castle Keep Press. Many of her stories develop from nature.

P.G. graduated college and began her career in education, another great world that offered real experiences to humor and delight through children's books. She watched children interact, bringing to surface her own experiences as a child and yet more events to write about. While teaching, she discovered many great books for young people, such as The Watsons Go to Birmingham-1963, Maniac Magee, So. B. It and many more. She is a fan of Dean Koontz novels, too, and loves reading fantasy and paranormal books.

P.G. was married 20 years in March 2012 and has a bright, young daughter who has begun her own college career. She lives on a small farm in Texas with her family and animals. P.G. has experienced great love and loss throughout her life. Those her family has lost have dedications in her books.

P.G. has two young adult books published, Dead Perfect and The Gifted Ones: The Fairytale the first book in The Gifted Ones Trilogy. She also has several children's books written under Gean Penny, her pseudonym. P. G. has since dissolved her contract for her first book with Castle Keep Press and moved the title to her own imprint, Gean Penny Books.

Blog / Website / Goodreads / Authorcentral

Blog Tour: Faded by Chloe Miles

2012-11-26T00:00:00.000-08:00

Title: Faded
Author: Chloe Miles
Find "Faded":
Amazon

"Savannah wanted to kiss him, but she had never even kissed a human guy before, let alone a ghost. How was she supposed to kiss him if he wasn't really there?"

Savannah has never been in love before, but she's in love with Hunter Emmerton. He's cute, funny, charming...and a ghost. How can you date someone if nobody else can see them?

After seventeen-year-old Savannah Fraser and her three friends are killed in a car accident, they are given a second chance at life by a group of hundred-year-old teenage earthbound spirits who need their help.

Savannah and her friends learn that they are The Chosen Ones, which means they can switch between human and spirit form, heal people and control the weather. And they are also now invincible.

The Chosen Ones are the only ones who can defeat The Forces - a group of evil spirits who are slowly destroying the perfect little town of Fort Everwick with violent storms and not-so-natural disasters - and stop them from harming everyone they care about.

The Forces are set on destroying everything Savannah knows and loves, but they also have another plan - they want a new member to join them. They aren't willing to give up until they get the one they want...and they have Savannah firmly in their sights.

Savannah had never been confident in herself before, but with her new-found powers, she discovers just how strong herself and her friends really are. But what Savannah didn't count on was falling in love with Hunter. She's never loved anyone the way she loves Hunter and she knows he loves her too. But how can they be together forever if he no longer exists and she's the only one who can see him?

Will Savannah have enough belief in herself to defeat The Forces, or will they be able to lure her to the dark side and turn her against her loved ones...and tear her and Hunter apart?

~From the Author~

Hey everyone. I'm so grateful for the opportunity to share an excerpt of Faded, the first book in The Faded Trilogy. I hope you enjoy it!

Just as Savannah turned, the glass window behind her smashed and sent shattered glass out onto the seats in the cinema below. Everybody screamed and scrambled towards the door.
The girls ducked for cover out of instinct, even though they knew nothing could hurt them. They looked around, but there was still no one there.
“Thought you were alone, didn’t you?’ a deep voice seemed to come out of nowhere. He laughed. “What a shame, you didn’t get to see the end of the movie. I can tell you how it ends,” The movie projector exploded. “With three nosy young girls dying.”
A man appeared in the doorway and looked at each of the girls. It was Griffin. He grinned to himself then looked over at the remains of the movie projector. It burst into flames.
Abigail stood up and glared at him. “Well, what a shame, we’re spirits too. Don’t you know that you can’t kill the dead?”
Griffin looked in her direction and smiled. “Maybe not, but there’s a whole room full of people down there that I can.”
Savannah looked at the burning projector, then back in Griffin’s direction. A gust of wind blew the flames into the air and she sent the projector hurtling straight at him.
Griffin laughed. “If you don’t play nice, I’ll just have to hurt someone.”
“Those people are innocent,” said Savannah. “Leave them out of it.”
Griffin disappeared and then reappeared behind Savannah. “There are so many of them, you can’t possibly protect them all. Why even bother? You can make it easier for yourselves and I won’t even hurt a hair on any of their heads. Or you can choose to protect yourselves. Selfish, if you ask me, but the decision is yours. What’s it going to be?”
Savannah stared him down, showing no sign of giving in. “We’re stronger than you could ever hope to be. We will save everyone,” she said, “including ourselves.”
Griffin shook his head and looked over at Abigail and Madison, then back at Savannah. “Wrong decision, ladies. When will you ever learn?”
He disappeared and the girls looked around the room, waiting for something to happen. Everything was still and quiet. Too quiet.

~Bonus Excerpt~

Savannah made her way across the dark hallway to her own room to get her flashlight out of her drawer. As she felt her way to the drawer, she heard a rattling noise coming from the other side of her room. She looked across the dark room, trying to see where the noise was coming from. Her bedroom window suddenly flung open, sending a gust of wind through the room and scattering Savannah’s homework papers all across the floor.
“Great,” Savannah mumbled as she closed the window and picked the papers back up and put them on her bed. She went back over to her drawer to grab her flashlight and then headed downstairs to the kitchen.
As she got to the end of the stairs, Savannah could hear the front door banging open and shut and the kitchen window rattling. Savannah knew she had locked the door after her parents had left. She ran over to the door to shut it, but it swung shut and locked itself before she got there. Savannah could feel her heart beating fast as she looked over at the kitchen window to see it slide shut and lock itself as well. She shone her flashlight around the room. There was no one there. A sense of fear came over her as she realized who was causing it. The woman at the lake had seen her with Hunter. The Forces knew who she was.
Savannah ran over to the kitchen window to see if she could open it. It was stuck. All she could think about was how to get herself and Annabelle out of there before anything happened to them.
The lights came back on and started flickering on and off around the house. Savannah placed her flashlight on the bench and closed her eyes, bracing herself for whatever was about to happen. She could feel a presence and hear a high pitched squealing around her. Suddenly, it stopped.
Savannah opened her eyes. The lights had stopped flickering and the power was back on. She looked around the room. Everything was still and quiet. Too quiet, she thought. As Savannah reached out her hand to get her flashlight, the kitchen window flew open again, sending another gust of wind through the house.
Hunter appeared beside her and knocked her out of the way just as the light above Savannah’s head exploded and smashed onto the floor, sending glass scattering where Savannah had just been standing. The two of them landed on the floor with Hunter shielding Savannah from the glass.
“Savannah, what happened?” Annabelle yelled from upstairs after she heard the glass smash.
“Nothing, Annabelle. Everything’s OK!” Savannah yelled back. She lifted her head off the floor and tried to steady her breath as she looked up at Hunter. “You saved my life again.”
“I seem to be making a habit of doing that, don’t I?” Hunter smiled. He stood up and helped Savannah to her feet. “They know who you are now, Savannah.”
“I know,” said Savannah. “What did they want with me?” She looked around the room. “Where are they now?”
“They’ve gone,” Hunter explained. “They got what they wanted. They knew I wouldn’t let anything happen to you. This was just a test to see if I would show up and I did. I just confirmed to them what they suspected, Savannah – that you’re a Chosen One.”
“They know where I live, Hunter. My whole family is in danger, aren’t they?” Savannah asked him.
“Everybody around you will be a target, and it won’t be long before they figure out who the other Chosen Ones are either.” Hunter touched Savannah’s hand. “But I promise I won’t let anything happen to you, Savannah.”
“I have to see if Annabelle’s alright,” said Savannah. Hunter followed her upstairs to Annabelle’s room. When they got there, Annabelle was nowhere to be seen.

Savannah could feel a sense of fear coming back. “Annabelle?” she yelled out as her eyes searched Annabelle’s room.
Annabelle crawled out from under her bed. “It was dark and I was scared,” said Annabelle. “And I heard a noise.”
Savannah grabbed Annabelle and held her in a tight hug. “I thought you had…”
“You thought I had what?” asked Annabelle.
“Nothing,” said Savannah, hugging her tighter. “It’s OK now.”
“Savannah?” Annabelle looked up at her. “Where’s my water?”
“Um, it’s…” Savannah looked at Hunter. Hunter grinned and disappeared. He reappeared with a glass of water in his hand and placed it on the bedside table behind Annabelle.
Savannah reached over and grabbed the glass. “It’s here, Annabelle.” She looked over at Hunter again. “Thank you,” she whispered.
Hunter winked at her and disappeared. Savannah smiled to herself. Their lives had come so close to being in danger that night, so why did she feel so happy? She looked down at Annabelle and stroked her hair. There was no way she was ever going to let anything happen to Annabelle. She cared about Annabelle more than anything.
Savannah thought about what Hunter had said. He won’t let anything happen to her. There were four Chosen Ones to protect, so why was he always there for Savannah more than the others? Savannah smiled to herself again. Hunter was probably just doing his job by protecting her, but maybe he cared about her too.

~About the Author~

Chloe Miles is the author of Faded, the first book in The Faded Trilogy. The second book in the series, See No Evil, is due to be released soon.

Blog Tour: Beguiled by RaShelle Workman

2012-11-21T00:00:00.000-08:00

Title: Beguiled (Immortal Essence #2)
Author: RaShelle Workman
Pub. Date: Oct. 19, 2012
Find "Beguiled":
Amazon

Venus has become immortal, just as she always wanted. In the process she hurt Zaren, lost Michael, and destroyed her family.

At least that's what she believed.

Turns out Ramien, the god of her planets' underworld, has her parents, and Michael.

To save them, Venus makes a deal. She must complete three trials. They seem impossible. They certainly won't be easy. Worst of all, someone she loves won't make it out alive.

~My Review~

You know how some books start out slow and you feel like you have to just KEEP pushing to get through to the good stuff? Yeah?

Well, Beguiled is NOT that kind of book. At all. I had to brush up on Exiled since it'd been a while since I'd read it. So, I did. I remembered how great it was, and then jumped right into Beguiled. I was so pleased that Ms. Workman put me right back into Venus' world where I got to fall right back in love with Venus, Michael, and Zaren.

If you enjoyed Exiled then there's no possible way you won't love this installment to the Immortal Essence series.

Because of the quick jump-in to the story, I feel like there was no time wasted with the new challenges that Venus had to face. I grew to love her character even more! And Michael!!! Oh, heavens!!! Michael, is amazing. That's all I can say about that.

I was completely taken aback by the villain in this story because he was evil and hateful and he added so much to the story! Great job, Ms. Workman!

I am most certainly looking forward to the next installment in this series. I canNOT wait!

~My Rating~

Blog Tour: Five by Christie Rich

2012-11-15T02:24:00.000-08:00

Title: Five
Author: Christie Rich
Find "Five":
Amazon(US) / Amazon(UK) / Smashwords
B&N

Rayla Tate’s life is about to turn vertical…again. As if it wasn’t bad enough her mother disappeared under questionable circumstances leaving Rayla to be raised by her aunt in a horrendously small town. Her overprotective guardian is determined to ruin Rayla’s life. She refuses to let Rayla out of her sight or out of the state. Provincial living might be what her aunt demands of her purposely sheltered niece; but, Rayla has other ideas. In a desperate attempt to follow her dreams she flees the safety of her home and runs away to college with her best friend toward a bright future in the art world.

However, excitement over her newfound freedom turns into terror when she is chased by a mysterious stranger on her way to school. When his motorcycle suddenly morphs into a fire-breathing pegasus, Rayla questions her sanity. Worse, the man riding next to her stirs a burning desire in her soul she has never known or could have ever imagined. Using all the will she owns, she manages to resist the compulsion she feels; yet, as he disappears into the night, she is certain he hasn't gone far.

Rayla quickly dismisses the encounter to her overactive imagination. She is determined to settle into her new life, yet the images and feelings of that night still haunt her. To make matters worse, her aunt seems to be in on the act, insisting that Rayla will soon be hunted by a pack of fae lords for a power over the elements she never knew she possessed—a power that could change the world. Quicker than she ever thought possible, she finds herself surrounded by stunning men that all seem determined to win her heart. Why does she feel drawn to each one of them? More importantly, what dark power do they hold over her? Rayla must quickly learn to fend off these beautiful and seductive pursuers using whatever means necessary or find herself lost to the fae world forever.

~Excerpt~

Excerpt Five (Elemental Enmity Book I) by Christie Rich

The view of the sunset reminded me of my favorite bluff back home. Nothing but sky was visible in the horizon. I might as well have been standing on the edge of the world gazing at the gilded gates of heaven.
“I will never tire of seeing that,” a melodic voice erupted behind me.
If I had gotten a bit more air, I would have landed on Mars. “Zach.” I put a hand against my pounding heart. “You scared me.” I hadn’t even heard him come up to me.
“I noticed.” He smirked. “I was trying my best not to disturb you. You looked so peaceful, but I am a selfish man.” He chuckled, moving closer.
My attraction to him was hard enough to handle when he had all his clothes on. My pulse raced with his approach for an entirely different reason. He had the sort of flawless body that belonged on the airbrushed pages of a magazine. His skin glowed golden in the blazing sunset that brought out rusty hues in his dark hair. My fingers itched to trace every angle of his sculpted abdomen and chest.
“Leave it to you to make this thing look good,” he said, running a finger under the strap on my shoulder. “By rights, it should be burned. Are you going to tell me why you insisted on wearing it?”
“No.”
He traced my collarbone. “Really?” In one fluid motion, I was in his arms, and he was carrying me deeper into the water.
I hoped he couldn’t feel the thud of my heart beating against his chest. “What do you think you’re doing?” I asked more calmly than I felt.
“Changing your mind,” he said just as evenly.
I could see where he was going with this, and over the edge of a cliff wasn’t my idea of fun. “Don’t.”
He grinned. “Tell me.”
I stiffened in his arms. “If you do this, I will leave—without you.” His exaggerated exhale tickled my neck, sending goose-bumps down my body.
“Don’t you ever relax?”
I gritted my teeth, hating what I had become in the past few weeks. If he had tried this back home, I would have protested, giggled, and screamed but loved every minute of his antics.
Things were different now. I was on edge constantly. “I’m so not okay with heights. Let me down.”
The set of his jaw didn’t give me any comfort. He walked up a ramp between the two converging rivers that made the waterfall. On sure feet, he stepped to the edge. I honestly didn’t know how he was still standing with the water blasting against his knees. He leaned into my ear. “Tell me.”
I clung to his neck like grime to a barn cat. “I don’t want to.”
He looked over the edge and back at me. The humor in his gaze died. He sighed, stepping back a few paces. My heart found its way back into my chest. He carried me to a lounge chair, setting me down gently.
“You can’t possibly think that thing is pretty,” he commented after a while.
“Pretty isn’t everything,” I said.
He raised his brows, tucking his strong chin inward in mockery then looked at me sidelong. “It helps.” He smiled teasingly.
I shot him a dirty look before giving him my back. He placed a timid hand on my shoulder.
“Come, now. It can’t possibly be as bad as all that.”
Why couldn’t he just let it go? I wasn’t all up in his business, why did he feel the need to be in mine. “Drop it already.”
Zach sat beside me, coaxing my chin upward. His voice was soft. “Aren’t you having fun, lass?”
I wouldn’t look him in the eye. If I did he would see every insecurity I had. “I was before you decided to go all Tarzan on me.”
He thumped his chest, doing a great imitation of the call. I tried to smile, but I didn’t think it helped.
“You weren’t like this the other day.” He turned away as if in thought, glancing at me hastily. “Don’t you like swimming?”
The other day I didn’t have four terrifying men after me. I would have liked to give him an easy out, but I didn’t want to lie. “I usually love it.”
Cassie had an indoor pool back home. On the rare occasion I actually got to stay the night at her house, we would spend hours in the water. She taught me how to float first. I had progressively gotten better. I was an adequate swimmer now. The one thing I didn’t like was the high-dive.
He frowned. “Is it me?” His brows furrowed as though he was really worried. “Have I done something to offend you?”
I closed my eyes, inhaling sharply. “I’m sorry. I’ve had fun today, really. I just have other things on my mind right now.”
He grinned, tucking my hair behind my ear. “I’m a great listener.”
I didn’t like being such a disappointment, but I couldn’t snap myself out of it. I could just imagine how fast he’d be gone if I did tell him everything that was wrong with me at the moment. “I’d rather not talk about it right now.”
He knelt in front of me and took my hands in his. “You can’t expect me to not be curious.”
“It’s a free country,” I said. “Be curious all you like.” I was pushing him away when normally I would have been doing everything in my power to keep him interested in me.
The sun had made its final descent. The haze of twilight settled all around us with the stars spotting the barely glowing sky. In a few minutes, I would be able to relax a little.
Zach tugged my hand. “Do you wish to go join the others?” He sounded dejected.
Why was I acting like this? I needed to snap out of it. My mood wasn’t his fault. “If you don’t mind, I’d rather stay here for a while.”
He nodded then moved to a lounge chair opposite me, wasting no time in getting comfortable. “Why don’t you tell me of your home?”
The subject seemed safe enough. “Have you ever been to eastern Utah?”
He made an odd sound, sort of a half concealed groan. “It has been many years.”
He wasn’t old enough for it to have been that long ago. I leaned back and put my arms behind my head preparing to give him details.
“I see,” he said in a sympathetic tone, his eyes soft with compassion.
I followed his gaze down to my exposed torso. How could I have been so stupid? The bottom half of my scar poked out from beneath the fringe. I bolted up, pulling awkwardly at the fabric.
He shook his head. “Everyone has imperfections, Rayla.” In an instant he moved to the edge of my chair. Calloused fingers caressed my shoulder before skimming down my arm. “Some are just more visible than others.”
I turned away. Then I got mad. “Really, where’s yours?”
His face crinkled thoughtfully. His eyes held haunted shadows. “You’d be surprised.”
I gave him a look. “Enlighten me.”
“There are certain things I want to change so badly about myself that it consumes my life.” Unless he was a fantastic actor, he was being sincere.
“Like?”
He grimaced, only slightly, but it was enough to make me wonder. “I would rather not get into that with you yet.”
I cocked my jaw, clicking my tongue. “It’s okay for me, but not for you, huh?”
He leveled his gaze to mine seriously. “If a scar is all you have to hide, you should be thankful.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
He shoved a hand through his hair. “Only that there are worse things to bear than a scar.”
The truth burned me like a solar flare. I should have been able to put on a pretty bikini without so much as a second thought, but I wasn’t there yet. I hoped I would be some day. I felt ridiculous being so shallow. “You didn’t answer my question,” I said after a moment of hesitation.
The lines of his face turned hard. “I know.”
“There you are,” Natalie yelled, cresting the hill in a sprint with Sam close behind her. “Help me, Rayla!” She crouched down between my chair and the stacked rock wall.
“They can’t save you,” Sam said coldly, standing by my feet. “You will pay.”
I turned back, whispering, “What did you do?”
She smiled proudly. “Put ice in his trunks.”
Zach narrowed his eyes at Natalie. His jaw tightened. “You deserve anything you get.” He grabbed my hand, pulling me to my feet.
Sam swept the chair sideways. Natalie squealed, trying to out-maneuver him. She didn’t make it.
Attempting to wrench away from him, she said desperately, “You can put ice in my suit. Rayla, do you have a drink?”
Sam smiled wickedly. He looked over at the edge of the falls. Did all male minds work the same? “I have something better in mind.”
She put her hands on his cheeks. “Please, Sam. I’m sorry. I won’t do anything like that again.”
He grabbed her wrists, pushing her into the river. She kicked at him and squealed the entire way.
“Not after this,” he said, grinning. Without another word, he pinned her arms to her sides in a bear hug. She smiled at him. I couldn’t see his expression, but her eyes flew wide just before he shouted, “Geronimo.”
Her “No” was squelched when they hit the water. Zach grinned down at me. My smile shriveled.
“Don’t even think about it,” I said when he came closer. Natalie’s laugh rang clear from below.
“Not that I don’t find the idea tempting once more, but I think I will pursue your affections another way.”

~About the Author~

I grew up daydreaming about fairytales, and my love for discovering new worlds has never died. I am not one of those writers who always knew I would write. I thought that was what other people did until one day a few years ago, I took a challenge from a friend and typed my first words. My journey has been wonderful, and I cannot imagine a day where I would ever give up writing now. My love for reading is what fueled my imagination in the first place and still does. When I am not writing or reading, I am enjoying family time with my husband and two children. We live in a quiet community under the Wellsville mountains in Utah, and I am so thankful for the rich life I have been blessed with.

Website / Blog / Twitter / Facebook / Google+
Pinterest / YouTube / Goodreads / Amazon Author Page

Five is now FREE at Smashwords and B&N! Check it out, NOW!!!

So, here. It. Is.

2012-11-11T21:19:00.000-08:00

So, some of you may have noticed my absence around here. Some of you may not. So, if you haven't, well, now you know. I've been pretty much inactive.

So, here's the thing... I absolutely LOVE to review books. It is and always will be one of my most favorite activities. HOWEVER, I have come to realize that the more time I put into Captivated Reading, the more time I take away from my home life. My kids, my house, and my husband get neglected.

And right now, with homeschooling my Kindergartener fully in process and two three-year olds, and a newly-walking-all-over-the-place-and-loving-to-get-into-the-toilet fourteen-month-old, I absolutely CANNOT neglect my family or my house.

It is my belief that God has given me the privilege of taking care of and providing an emotionally stable environment for my family. And, while I'm sure, MANY of you may be able to multitask like there's no tomorrow, I am not one of those people. I find taking care of all of the above mentioned responsibilities plus making sure I'm in a GOOD mood is a little difficult when I check my iPad and realize I have a book review deadline coming up and I have to read the book in two days because I didn't check until just NOW.

That's not fair to the authors who provide me with their AMAZING work or to Captivated Reading. So, here's where it stands.

I'm going to continue to fulfill any of the commitments that I've already made, but they may not be in a TIMELY fashion, unless they're part of a blog tour or the author needs a review on a specific day.

So, at this point, I won't be taking any more book review requests. I'm hoping that when things get to be more calm around here, that that will change. But, I'm not going to lie, I won't make any promises.

I also may be asking for some friends to help. I have a couple people (one of which who has already done a Guest Review) that I may ask to pick up where I can't and do some Guest Reviews. If I feel like I won't make the deadline for a review by myself, I may need some backup. I will let you know ahead of time, but I'm just warning you now.

My plate is full. It's full of WONDERFUL things, but it's full nonetheless.

Thank you all for being understanding. I will be around here, but not often. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to email me at Christyp@captivatedreading.com.

Thanks, all!

Blog Tour: Embrace by Stacey Rourke

2012-11-06T00:00:00.000-08:00

Title: Embrace
Author: Stacey Rourke
Find "Embrace":
Amazon / Smashwords

Whether she likes it or not, eighteen year old Celeste Garrett has come to terms with being the Chosen One. She knew having a “normal life” would be tricky, between intense training sessions and epic demonic battles, but she didn’t know at what cost it would come. That is, until a dear friend is harmed by the malicious forces hunting her.

Now, she’d like nothing more than to retreat into a hermit lifestyle to prevent anyone else from getting hurt. But startling revelations, amazing new abilities, and mortifying moments in front of insanely hot guys won’t allow time for that. Soon, Celeste finds herself surrounded by darkness and wondering who she can trust—if anyone.

~Excerpt~

“So,” I interrupted, before things got too nauseating. “The plan is for us to pretend all is right in the world, and basically be bait, while you guys snoop around for info on what’s going on?”
They all nodded without taking their eyes off Kendall.
“Consider us the Rebel Alliance.” Eddie snort laughed. When he caught my quizzical expression, he clarified. “It’s a Star Wars joke. ‘Cause your lion is wearing Millennium Falcon boxer shorts.”
“My lion’s wearing what?” All eyes turned to my brother. Even Gabe glanced over his shoulder. Our big, intimidating predatory cat still had on his underwear.
Gabe huffed, and changed back to human. The Glee Club members grimaced, cringed and gagged at the sensory extravagance that is my brother’s morphing process.
“Changed in a hurry,” Gabe nonchalantly explained.
“Just so you know,” Eddie replied with a wavering voice. “A lion in underpants doesn’t evoke quite the same amount of fear into the hearts of your enemies. Don’t get me wrong, you’re still scary as all get out. But it does take away your edge a bit.”
“Thanks, I’ll keep that in mind,” Gabe said tightly, and folded his arms across his massive chest.
“Hey, are you the only bad guys out tonight?” Kendall interjected. “’Cause I’m missing America’s Next Top Model.”
“Far as we know, we’re it.” Shrugged Boil Face, as he gazed at my sister with stars in his eyes.
“Awesome! I’m outtee!” Kendall bubbled. She retracted her wings, spun on her heel and started down the mountain. In her wake she left a crestfallen Glee Club.
Gabe followed her lead. “Me too. I’m beat. Going home to crash.”
Red hiccup-laughed. “The lion’s tired.”
“What’s funny about that demon?” Gabe scowled. His chest shook with a low growl.
Kendall and I went on high alert. Keni stopped walking and waited for a signal from me to intervene. I stepped closer to Gabe, anticipating having to pull a cranky lion off a harmless demon that would most likely wet himself at the sight of Gabe’s exposed fangs.
The Glee Club diffused the situation by harmonizing their answer. “Ah-wee-ma-way, ah-wee-ma-way, ah-wee-ma-way…”
Gabe swore under his breath and stomped off. Kendall and I giggled at his misery.
“You have to admit, they’re good!” I yelled after him.
The Glee Club sang him off. “In the jungle, the mighty jungle, the lion sleeps tonight. In the jungle, the quiet jungle, the lion sleeps tonight. Weeeeeee-eeeee-wee-amum-awayy.”

~Book Trailer~

~About the Author~

Writing is something I have always done. I can remember in elementary school creating stories that I would stand up and read aloud to my classmates…whether they liked it or not. As I grew older I didn’t flaunt my writing as freely. It became something I did just for me to vent my teenage angst, or chronicle my journey to adulthood. I never thought about becoming a writer because that title prompted the visual of a grey-haired man in a tweed smoking jacket with suede elbow patches, slaving over an old fashion typewriter while puffing away on a pipe. No way was that stuffy kind of life for me. (Plus tweed is itchy.) Instead I wanted to be in the spotlight! I wanted to be–pause for dramatic effect–an actress! I gave it my best shot, too. Got about as far as any aspiring actress can get in Flint, Michigan. Which is exactly no where. But I did get two great things out of my time delving into the theatrical world; I gained the ability to act out the scenes I write to make sure they’re believable (yes, I really do that and no, you can’t watch) and I met my amazing husband.

My theater ambitions behind me, I decided to do the “mature,” “grown up” thing and went back to college. As I worked toward my Bachelor’s degree in marketing I did a lot of writing. Essays, research papers, PowerPoint presentations. All of it mandatory, none of it what I would ever call fun. Even then, becoming a writer never entered my mind. No, then I was going to be a business tycoon…or somethin’.

Truth be told, I never picked writing. It picked me. During my time as a stay at home mom I needed an outlet to give me a mental break from diapers, formula and midnight feedings. That’s when my hands found their way back to the keyboard. Story ideas began coming at such an incessant rate that my rapidly clicking fingers couldn’t keep up. Post-It notes and scrapes of paper with story ideas decorated every inch of our house. In mid-conversation with my husband I would dart off to jot down things that would come to me. Sweet guy my hubby is, he would just shake his head at my obvious rudeness and hold my place in the conversation.

My first book was completed for an entire year before I told anyone about it. I outed myself as an author and then sent out my first round of query letters to literary agents. Surely, it would be picked up immediately and become an overnight success! Yeah, not so much. For two years I got rejection, after rejection, after rejection, after rejection…you get the idea. Thankfully with the ever increasing pile of rejections came feedback. I digested all the suggestions and applied the usable ones to my manuscript. Little by little, the rough edges were chipped away and the diamond shone through. The work paid off when I received an email from a publisher offering me a contract on The Conduit.

It’s been a long road, and it ain’t over yet. But now, at thirty-mumble, mumble years old I finally know what I wanna be when I grow up–-a writer.

Anchor Publishing / Goodreads

Blog Tour: Awaken (Daughters of the Sea #2) by Kristen Day

2012-11-02T00:00:00.000-07:00

Title: Awaken (Daughters of the Sea #2)Author: Kristen Day
Pub. Date: Oct. 2, 2012
Find "Awaken":
Amazon / B&N

The sacrifices we make have the power to shift the very fabric of who we are, and ultimately who we are meant to be…

After learning of her true destiny as the intended Leader of the Tydes, Anastasia Whitman must now embark on a perilous quest to the Underworld before the age of eighteen in order to plant the seed of immortality and complete her essence to become a true Sea Goddess. But before she can make her legendary journey, an unexpected new student transfers to Lorelei; initiating a sequence of events that will unravel Stasia’s new life, and test the boundaries of her relationship with the mysterious, dark, and sexy Finn Morrison. The line between the Underworld and the Living begins to blur as gruesome ghosts, morbid reveries, and pure evil haunt her waking hours as well as her sanity. Once the details of Finn’s own startling destiny are revealed, the dangerous secrets he’s been hiding will threaten the very love Stasia believed to be indestructible. As time begins to run out, she will be forced to choose between the one she loves and the destiny she cannot escape.

I'm so pleased to have Kristen Day here at Captivated Reading! After reading Forsaken I'm a huge fan! So, everyone welcome Ms. Kristen Day!

~From the Author~

What inspired you to write The Daughters of the Sea series?

Paranormal is my normal: I may or may not be completely in love with YA Paranormal Romance Series. Actually, it’s more of an obsession. I devour them like strawberry shortcake cheesecake (best dessert EVER) and have no control over the need to read them over and over. I’ve read The Hush, Hush series four times so far, but who’s counting? I fell in love with writing since succeeded in writing that pesky letter G in cursive (or Z for that matter). Then I fell in love with it all over again when I learned how to diagram sentences. It became more of a work of art to me. It just…made sense. So anyway, after reading every YA paranormal romance novel on the planet, I found myself craving certain aspects to the story that I wasn’t getting in the books I was reading. I wanted a stronger heroine, less drama with more action, and a different kind of ‘darkness’. That’s when I decided to create my own imaginary world and characters; intertwining all of the things I couldn’t seem to find in other books.

Life’s a Beach: Choosing the beach as my location for the series was a balancing act. I despise mermaids, but love the idea of having a connection with the sea. This is where my favorite classics came into play: The Odyssey and The Iliad. I know what you’re saying - seriously? That awful monstrosity of a story we were forced to read in high school? Yes, that’s the one. I didn’t have the normal gag reflex most of my friends had to reading them though; I fell in love. The challenges, the beasts, the sirens, the twists and turns and the intertwining love story; all sucked me in and had a profound effect on me. Couple that with a love of the beach and it suddenly occurred to me what I wanted to write about. My family lives on Oak Island, with Bald Head Island a mere ferry ride away. Bald Head is truly magical and enchanting (if you have never been, you should go!) and was the perfect setting!

Reality meet Fiction: I desperately wanted to read about a heroine that had a real reason for being strong. Last I checked being gifted with magical powers doesn’t make you an instant leader/hero/bad*ss. Experience is the only thing that can give you that kind of mental strength. So, that’s what inspired me to incorporate a little bit of tough reality into my fiction.

Thank you so much for hosting the Awaken Blog Tour! I hope everyone has enjoyed reading the Daughters of the Sea series as much as I enjoyed writing it!

~About the Author~

Kristen Day is a southern belle at heart with a crazy streak that desperately tries to escape at every opportunity. She loves all things nostalgic, rustic, and quirky. She’s been told she sees the world through rose-colored glasses, but she prefers to think of them as kaleidoscope glasses - swirling and morphing reality into something she can digest (who hasn't pretended those pasty lima beans were really kiwi strawberry jelly beans?).

She is the author of the DAUGHTERS OF THE SEA trilogy, which includes FORSAKEN, AWAKEN (Oct 2012), and CHOSEN (Winter 2012). She loves all books, but really enjoys writing young adult, paranormal romances. She’s loved to write for as long as she can remember. Her first published work was her poem RED in second grade (you guessed it - it was a poem about the color red - life altering, right?) that won her 5 gold stars and a spot in her elementary school's poetry book. That's when her addiction to the written word officially began. She was the only kid in fifth grade that actually enjoyed diagramming sentences. Go ahead and laugh - its okay.

When she’s not writing she’s making jewelry, painting, feeding her addiction to sweet tea, watching the Discovery Channel, or going on random adventures in the mountains of North Carolina with her amazing husband. She was born in Boone, NC and graduated from Appalachian State University with a degree in Marketing in 2001.

Blog / Twitter / Goodreads

Review: A Night at the Bishop House by Ronda L. Caudill

2012-10-31T00:00:00.000-07:00

Title: A Night at the Bishop House
Author: Ronda L. Caudill
Pub. Date: Sept. 5, 2012
Acquired: From author.
Find "A Night at the Bishop House":
Amazon

It was a stormy June night and Victoria Long was forced to spend the night in the spooky Bishop house on the outskirts of town. It is a night that will haunt her the rest of her life.

~My Review~

If you're in the mood for a eerie--but clean--short Halloween read, then right now, I suggest purchasing A Night at the Bishop House. Besides the fact that it's currently free, this short story is sure to give you some entertainment.

A Night at the Bishop House is the tale of a lady named Victoria who, on her way home from a party, is forced to drive past the dreaded Bishop House, which is more mansion than house. She HATES the Bishop house and absolutely refuses, under normal circumstances, to go past it. But, tonight, fate has decided she has no choice.

Once there in the house the reader is given a rather monotone narrative of Ms. Long's adventures and personal discoveries in the haunted mansion. The narrative, itself, is one of my biggest issues. I don't feel like when I was reading the story that I was actually in Victoria's head. I feel like I was reading a script or her, rather unemotional, diary entry.

That said, however, the tale did definitely keep my interest. The story wasn't particularly scary, but was more along the vein of suspense or mystery. I think it's because of this and because the descriptions were plentiful that I really did enjoy this book. I feel like Ronda was stringing me along for a good thirty minutes, while I was just diligently waiting to see where I'd end up.

Remember, it's free on Amazon! Check it out, read it, let me know what you think!

~My Rating~

~About the Author~

Ronda L. Caudill grew up in the small rural town of Glade Spring, VA and married her high school sweetheart. They have been happily married for 23 years. She has two wonderful daughters. Ronda earned her Ph.D. in Education from Capella University. She is the author of Birthright (A Nobleman Novel), and short story A Night at the Bishop House. Ronda is currently working on the sequel to Birthright entitled The Choice.

Webpage / Twitter / Goodreads

Guest Review: Skylark by Meagan Spooner

2012-10-30T15:05:00.000-07:00

Title: Skylark (Skylark #1)
Author: Meagan Spooner
Pub. Date: Aug. 1, 2012
Acquired: From author.
Find "Skylark":
Amazon / B&N / Fishpond / The Book Depository

Sixteen-year-old Lark Ainsley has never seen the sky.

Her world ends at the edge of the vast domed barrier of energy enclosing all that’s left of humanity. For two hundred years the city has sustained this barrier by harvesting its children's innate magical energy when they reach adolescence. When it’s Lark’s turn to be harvested, she finds herself trapped in a nightmarish web of experiments and learns she is something out of legend itself: a Renewable, able to regenerate her own power after it’s been stripped.

Forced to flee the only home she knows to avoid life as a human battery, Lark must fight her way through the terrible wilderness beyond the edge of the world. With the city’s clockwork creations close on her heels and a strange wild boy stalking her in the countryside, she must move quickly if she is to have any hope of survival. She’s heard the stories that somewhere to the west are others like her, hidden in secret—but can she stay alive long enough to find them?

This is the first ever guest post at Captivated Reading, and I'm super excited to have one of my greatest friends on here, giving her opinion.
So, please, say hello to Missy, and tell her what you think of her review!

~Missy's Review~

So, it’s my first guest review here at Captivated Reading. Woo! Not gonna lie, though— kinda feels like the first day of junior high, wondering if it’s gonna be awesome, or if I’m gonna end up with my head in a toilet. Here’s hoping my head stays dry.

Anyway, I read Skylark by Meagan Spooner. From the get-go, this part fantasy, part dystopian, part steampunk story pulls the reader into a world where magic exists as “The Resource”— power harvested from citizens of the last known city on earth to run its machines. The narrative follows Lark, a teenage girl with serious abandonment issues after her older brother’s disappearance, as she discovers the shocking truth behind the horror that is “harvesting” and the terrifying world outside the Wall of the city.

Truthfully, and I’m sorry to say this... I was a little underwhelmed. At first (and let’s keep that in mind, please).

After the initial excitement and intrigue of Part I, I found myself wondering when things were going to get really interesting, you know? Lark, as a main character, isn’t as likable or as strong as I would’ve expected from someone with her history. And as Part II began, with Lark venturing beyond the Wall all alone, I even got— dare I say?— a little bored.

Enter Oren. Ah, Oren. Story-saving, life-altering, cannibal-slaughtering Oren. As soon as Lark meets Oren, a wild boy living outside the Wall, the tables turn. Oren is instantly captivating and mysterious, admirable and heartbreaking. He is, quite frankly, what made this book for me. He singlehandedly turns Lark from a somewhat-flat main character into a compassionate heroine, and takes the story to a new, can’t-turn-the-page-fast-enough level.

And never mind the ending. Twist-o-RAMA.

For me, I can liken Skylark to waiting an hour for a meal at one of Gordon Ramsay’s restaurants. I tapped my foot for a little while, sure. But then my Oren-filet came. Worth. Every. Minute.

Four and a half stars from Missy. Peace out.

~Missy's Rating~

~About the Author~

Meagan Spooner grew up reading and writing every spare moment of the day, while dreaming about life as an archaeologist, a marine biologist, an astronaut. She graduated from Hamilton College in New York with a degree in playwriting, and has spent several years since then living in Australia. She's traveled with her family all over the world to places like Egypt, South Africa, the Arctic, Greece, Antarctica, and the Galapagos, and there's a bit of every trip in every story she writes.

She currently lives and writes in Northern Virginia, but the siren call of travel is hard to resist, and there's no telling how long she'll stay there.

In her spare time she plays guitar, plays video games, plays with her cat, and reads.

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Cover Reveal: Hale Maree by Misty Provencher

2012-10-22T00:00:00.000-07:00

Title: Hale Maree
Author: Misty Provencher
Expected Pub. Date: Nov. 19, 2012

Hale Simmons dreams of climbing out of her impoverished life, going to college, and getting herself a titanium crash helmet, so she can eventually bust through the Plexiglas ceiling of her crappy life. But for now, she’s just a 17-year-old girl with a flimsy hope, barely getting by with her alcoholic father, Jerry.
But for Hale, ‘crappy’ suddenly takes a nosedive, when Jerry becomes the sole witness to a horrible accident. It is an event which means to effect everyone, especially Hale, who wasn’t even involved.
While the depth of the accident has just begun to unfold, Otto Maree, a prominent business man and old family friend, stands to lose everything because of it. Otto is desperate for Hale’s father to stay quiet about what occurred the night the two men met for a drink. Out of mutual moments of desperation, the two fathers forge a deal. Jerry is desperate to gain financial stability for both himself and Hale, and Otto Maree is more than willing to pay to keep his secret just that.
But deals like this need to be made of the strongest vows and bound with the most faithful of loyalties. Otto proposes a marriage between Hale and his playboy-son, Oscar, in order to assure that the secret remains ‘in the family’. The mystery surrounding the accident continues to grow and Hale struggles against her own mysterious feelings that begin to develop for Oscar, who turns out to less of a playboy, but just as fiercely loyal and dedicated as his father.
As the pressures around her continues to escalate, Hale realizes that she’s got to decide if this arranged marriage is really just a big mistake or an amazing twist of fate, that has been waiting around for this particular accident to happen.

Oh my goodness!!! I can't express how much I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Misty AND her books! If you haven't read any of her work, please go right now and check out Cornerstone. If you go to my review, I have the links up for the book, there. Or, just check out one of Misty's page links, below. As for Hale Maree, I'm already positive that I'm going to love this book's guts!

~About the Author~

Author of Cornerstone and Keystone, from The Cornerstone Series. Oh, and I like mustard on my eggs.

Blog / Facebook / Twitter / Goodreads

Blog Tour: Rua by Miranda Kavi

2012-10-12T00:00:00.000-07:00

Title: Rua
Author: Miranda Kavi
Acquired: From author, for honest review.
Find "Rua":
Amazon

A girl with an unknown destiny.

A boy from a hidden world.

When Celeste starts at a new school in a small, Kansas town, she hears whispering voices, has vivid nightmares, and swarms of blackbirds follow her every move. She is oddly drawn to aloof Rylan, the other new student who has his own secrets.

The exact moment she turns seventeen, she wakes to a bedroom full of strange creatures, purple light emanating from her hands, and Rylan breaking in through her bedroom window.

He knows what she is . . .

~Review~

So, the synopsis that I read before reading this story was pretty vague and didn't give me a very clear idea of where this story was going to go. Because of that, I was a little bit concerned with what to expect. But, I REALLY shouldn't have been worried in the least.

First of all, I don't like to do spoilers and Ms. Kavi has obviously wanted to keep the main plotline a little bit mysterious so I'll try to keep my review as such.

There was an immediate understanding in my brain, as soon as I started reading Rua that this book was going to suck me in and keep my attention. The three stand-out characters in this book; Celeste, Rylan, and Tink are all pretty amazing in different ways and, therefore, were enough to keep me reading all on their own.

Let's start with Tink.

Tink is the first friend that Celeste makes at her new school. He's friendly, handsome, funny, charismatic, and gay. Right off the bat the relationship between Celeste and Tink is hilarious and endearing. When Celeste needs a friend the most, Tink is there for her no matter what. He is probably one of my favorite "best-friend-of-the-main-character" characters.

As for Rylan. Well, I can safely say that within the first third, or so, of the book I was kind of imagining ways to torture handsome Rylan. As far as main love-interests go, Rylan was failing pretty badly. And then we see a whole new Rylan once Celeste starts to have...well, issues--for lack of a better word. And, I'll say that I do, in fact, learn to love Rylan by the end of the story. Him AND his mysterious, tortuous ways.

Celeste is spunky, kind, sensitive, and COMPLETELY out of her element. She basically gets thrown into a new school, falls for a boy that doesn't exactly deserve her affections (at first), and then starts to experience some extremely strange occurances in her life.

There are a couple instances where I felt like I didn't know who to trust in Rua. I loved that because it made the story all the more complex. I'm so glad I read this story! I'm so glad that Ms. Kavi picked this particular mythology to focus on (No, I'm NOT telling). And I absolutely cannot wait for the second book in this series!

My Rating:

~Excerpt~

“Rylan?” she whispered into the dark. No answer. She sat down at her desk chair to wait for his return.
“Don’t sit. We need to go.” He was back, holding the window open for her. Her bedroom door was closed.
“Quit showing off,” she said. He went out the window first then helped her down. “Where did you go, anyways?” she asked.
“Just made sure your parents were in a deep sleep, that’s all.” He took her hand then led her through the forest again. It was much easier to navigate with shoes and socks. She followed him, expecting him to lead her to his parked car. But instead, he stopped.
Keeping her left hand firmly grasped in his right, he pulled her close, then rotated her body until they were face to face. He took her other hand with his free hand. Their faces were only inches apart, and she was painfully aware of how close his body was to hers. She looked up into his face.
He said nothing, but watched her with golden-flecked eyes. In the dark, they had some subtle luminescence.
He said nothing, and she stayed still.
Finally, he spoke, in the lowest voice she’d heard him use. “Please be careful. We can’t trust her.”
“Okay,” she said.
“I want to try something.” He dropped her hands, but replaced them with something better. He wrapped his arms around her waist then pulled her against him. Their bodies pressed together, spreading warmth to new places in the cold night.
Her breath caught in her throat.
He leaned closer. “Do you trust me?”
“Yes.”
“Close your eyes.” His breath moved the baby hairs framing her face.
She did, expecting his lips to press on hers in the dark. Instead, her body was ripped violently into motion, like taking the first drop-off on a roller coaster.

~About the Author~

Miranda Kavi is a YA and Paranormal/Urban Fantasy author. She has worked as an attorney, an executive recruiter, and an assistant in a biological anthropology lab. She loves scary movies, museums, and is hopelessly addicted to chocolate. She lives in the Houston area with her husband and daughter.

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Blog Tour: Birthright (The Dark Gifts) by Willow Cross

2012-10-10T00:00:00.000-07:00

Title: Birthright (The Dark Gifts)
Author: Willow Cross
Acquired: From author, for honest review.
Find "Birthright":
Amazon / B&N / Smashwords

For one-thousand years, Druid prophecies foretold of a young witch destined to alter the fate of both human and immortal alike. This witch-turned-vampire would be capable of harnessing the supernatural abilities of both and, in a bloody rise to power, would rule with unwavering control. Unwillingly thrust into a world she never dreamed existed, Liz Markum is catapulted into an ancient war between rival vampire factions. She must choose between those she loves and the ever-present darkness attempting to devour her very soul. Only one question remains: Will Liz claim her birthright or surrender to the dark gift? One choice. One chance. Two destinies.

~Review~

From start to finish this book didn't stop entertaining. I honestly cannot think of one dull moment in this story.

Liz and Michael meet and within a few pages, Liz has been turned into a vampire after a kiss and ONE bite. And, that's just NOT how it's supposed to happen. Just so you know, this is NOT another Twilight. So, if you read "vampire" and it scares you off a little...don't let it. While there ARE vampires, this is no "dreamy-vampire-love-story".

Okay, so Liz has been turned into a vampire and for a while it looks as if she and Michael will be enemies. Again, this is not the case. After Liz's full transformation there is an instantaneous love and bond between her and Michael. And it's all a result of him turning her. An act which is forbidden by the vampire Council.

From here, the book turns into a story of politics, intrigue, and mystery surrounding not just Michael and Liz, but a cast of a few other very lovable characters, as well.

Birthright kept my interest the entire day or so it took me to read it. The ONLY complaint that I have is that the story between Michael and Liz sort of took a backseat to all the rest. I would've really liked to see and get to know more of these two.

But, there was still an amazing story here. One worth reading if you enjoy all things paranormal with a pinch of surprise!
My Rating:

~About the Author~

Willow Cross resides in Arkansas with her husband, two children still young enough to live at home, an enormous cat named Bitsy, and a neurotic dog named Tank. Her home has been known to host the occasional ghost and several of her friends profess to be witches. Although she dearly loves Vampires and Werewolves, they are never invited for dinner.

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Cover Reveal: Weaving Magic by Mindy Hardwick

2012-10-08T00:00:00.000-07:00

Title: Weaving Magic
Author: Mindy Hardwick
Find "Weaving Magic":
Amazon / B&N / iTunes

He loves magic. She loves romance. But the biggest illusion is the one Shantel and Christopher perform together. Sixteen- year- old Christopher fights to stay sober while fifteen-year-old Shantel struggles in the aftermath of her mother’s death and seeks refuge in a fantasy world. But the unacknowledged roots of their problems refuse to stay buried and soon, the two are headed toward a deadly magic trick. Can Shantel and Christopher move beyond magical illusions to find love?

~About the Author~

Mindy Hardwick enjoys writing romance for teens and tweens including; STAINED GLASS SUMMER and WEAVING MAGIC. Sometimes, you can catch Mindy writing contemporary, sweet romances including: LOVE’S STORMS and LOVE’S BID. Mindy runs a poetry workshop with teens in a juvenile detention and credits the teens for the inspiration behind WEAVING MAGIC. You can see some of their poetry at: www.denneypoetry.com. Mindy is included on the Washington State Teaching Artist Roster and holds an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College. She lives in Seattle and is hard at work on her next romantic tale.

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Blog Tour: Flight by Alyssa Rose Ivy

2012-10-07T00:00:00.000-07:00

Title: Flight (The Crescent Chronicles #1)
Author: Alyssa Rose Ivy
Pub. Date: Aug. 16, 2012
Acquired: From author, for honest review.
Find "Flight":
Amazon / B&N / Smashwords

Sometimes you just have to take flight.

A summer in New Orleans is exactly what Allie needs before starting college. Accepting her dad’s invitation to work at his hotel offers an escape from her ex-boyfriend and the chance to spend the summer with her best friend. Meeting a guy is the last thing on her mind—until she sees Levi.

Unable to resist the infuriating yet alluring Levi, Allie finds herself at the center of a supernatural society and forced to decide between following the path she has always trusted or saving a city that might just save her.

~Review~

The moment I read the synopsis for this book, I knew I'd love it! Which is why I agreed to read and review it. I am so glad I did!

Flight is a book that I would consider to be in the "New Adult" genre, as opposed to the "Young Adult" genre. This is mostly because of the age and maturity of the main character, Allie.

Allie is fresh out of high school and out of a relationship. She's visiting New Orleans to spend the summer working at her dad's newly purchased hotel. But, as soon as Allie and her best friend, Jess, arrive, mystery surrounds the group of people that Allie and Jess meet.

Alluring, handsome, and extrememly sure of himself, Levi is obvious interested in Allie...Right from the get-go. He makes himself perfectly clear. However, Allie has decided to put a boy-ban on her life. No relationships. So, of course, it takes a bit for any sort of relationship to really happen between these two.

I have to say, though, that there was no point in this story where I got bored. I feel like I was always finding out something new about the characters. And, what a group of characters!

After Allie decides to give Levi a chance, the story just takes off. I won't say anything else, because I really don't want to give anything away, but there were some SERIOUS plot-twists that had me reeling. Things that I NEVER saw coming. The secret that makes Levi different from regular people is pretty. Dang. Clever.

I loved all of the characters--even the crazy, evil ones because they really added to the story. I loved the plot and where Ms. Ivy took me throughout the story. I honestly never saw most of what happend, coming.

My Rating:

~About the Author~

Alyssa Rose Ivy lives in North Carolina with her husband and two young children. Although raised in the New York area, she fell in love with the South after moving to New Orleans for college. After years as a perpetual student, she turned back to her creative side and decided to write.

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Blog Tour: Mother of Pearl by Kellie Coates Gilbert

2012-10-03T00:00:00.000-07:00

Title: Mother of Pearl
Author: Kellie Coates Gilbert
Pub. Date: Sept. 1, 2012
Find "Mother of Pearl":
Amazon / B&N / Abingdon Press

Barrie Graeber has two great kids, a loving husband, and a respected job as the high school counselor in her close-knit community. Then, without warning, everything unravels when her teenage daughter, Pearl, is betrayed by friends and lashes out.
Barrie’s attempts to steer her daughter back on course fail. Nothing prepares this mother for the helplessness that follows when Pearl shuts her out . . . or when the unthinkable comes to light about her nemesis, the football coach.

~About the Author~

Kellie Coates Gilbert is a former legal investigator and trial paralegal who writes with a sympathetic, intimate knowledge of how people react under pressure. Kellie’s books tell emotionally poignant stories about women in life-changing circumstances. She writes about messy lives . . . and eternal hope.
Kellie currently makes her home in Dallas, Texas.

Her latest book is the Christian fiction, Mother of Pearl.

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Release Day Blitz: Awaken by Kristen Day

2012-10-02T00:00:00.000-07:00

Today is the release day of the second installment of the Daughters of the Sea series, Awaken by author Kristen Day!

Title: Awaken (Daughters of the Sea #2)
Author: Kristen Day
Pub. Date: Oct. 2, 2012
Find "Awaken":
Amazon

The sacrifices we make have the power to shift the very fabric of who we are, and ultimately who we are meant to be…

After learning of her true destiny as the intended Leader of the Tydes, Anastasia Whitman must now embark on a perilous quest to the Underworld before the age of eighteen in order to plant the seed of immortality and complete her essence to become a true Sea Goddess. But before she can make her legendary journey, an unexpected new student transfers to Lorelei; initiating a sequence of events that will unravel Stasia’s new life, and test the boundaries of her relationship with the mysterious, dark, and sexy Finn Morrison. The line between the Underworld and the Living begins to blur as gruesome ghosts, morbid reveries, and pure evil haunt her waking hours as well as her sanity. Once the details of Finn’s own startling destiny are revealed, the dangerous secrets he’s been hiding will threaten the very love Stasia believed to be indestructible. As time begins to run out, she will be forced to choose between the one she loves and the destiny she cannot escape.

~Prologue~

The familiar call of seagulls diving for fish amongst the crashing waves pulled him from his restless slumber. His tired, bloodshot eyes opened and gazed upon that same weathered stone ceiling looming above. As they roamed down the sloped wall where he kept count, he pushed back the agonizing hopelessness encasing his heart. Another long night behind him simply meant another long day before him. He swung his legs over the side of his cot and gently placed his worn feet on the stone floor. It was always bitterly cold in the morning. He shivered as he glanced down at his too-skinny legs and the dirt that clung to his calloused feet. His ragged, cotton shorts now hung low around his emaciated waist and his faded blue shirt had been discarded long ago; traded for a sunken-in, bare chest. He smoothed down his gray hair and thick beard; wondering if today would be the day.

Sighing, he stood and collected the conch shell he kept hidden within a crack in his counting wall. He found the last mark and bent down to add yet another. He never counted days; only nights. The darkness always brought out his worst nightmares and he was continually amazed he had made it through so many. Thousands of marks littered the wall before him; a diary of solitude and sheer will captured forever in stone.

As he did every morning, he padded over to the window and looked out over the rolling sea. The lone window of his small room faced east, allowing him one pleasure amidst the hell that had become his life. Sunrise. At first each sunrise brought only tears to his eyes while the slow ache in his chest grew, threatening to rack his body with a sadness no man should bear. What those brilliant colors dancing across the sky stood for only served as a reminder to his unending loss. Another night bereft of her loving arms. Another day without her magical presence. Over the years the pain had receded, but her memory never faded. Neither did the seed of hope she had planted so long ago. It grew every day, branching out and becoming the only thing that kept him alive. Many nights he had peered out of his window at the white sand far below. He thought of how easy it would be to end this torture and return to her. But he knew he had a bigger purpose and he would not let her down. He would endure and wait until his heart beat no more.

Once a week he was allowed to stroll along the beach and speak to the others. But it was only a brief illusion of freedom. They could feel the eyes that watched their every move. The others had become his only companions. For years there had only been seven. But a couple of months ago, a newcomer had arrived. He could hear her anguished cries at night and her deep despair was evident in the scratches along her arms; the victims of her own fingernails. She too finally succumbed to the seclusion and hopelessness; becoming void of emotion and as hollow as the rest of them. His thoughts moved back to the present and the brilliant ball of light inching its way above the horizon. This is when he felt closest to her. He closed his eyes and called upon the memory of her ever gentle, loving eyes.

“My love, I have lived to see yet another dawn cast its light upon this retched spit of land. Thankfully, this dawn brings new hope for my weary soul. You appeared to me in my dreams once again last night, but for the first time I heard the sweet melody of your voice. You spoke to me and breathed life back into my withered heart. You told me to be patient; to remain steadfast. You assured me the hour is growing near and I know the words you speak are true. Indeed, it is almost time.”

~About the Author~

Kristen Day is a southern belle at heart with a crazy streak that desperately tries to escape at every opportunity. She loves all things nostalgic, rustic, and quirky. She’s been told she sees the world through rose-colored glasses, but she prefers to think of them as kaleidoscope glasses - swirling and morphing reality into something she can digest (who hasn't pretended those pasty lima beans were really kiwi strawberry jelly beans?).

She is the author of the Daughters of the Sea trilogy, which includes Forsaken, Awaken (Oct 2012), and Chosen (Winter 2012). She loves all books, but really enjoys writing young adult, paranormal romances. She’s loved to write for as long as she can remember. Her first published work was her poem Red in second grade (you guessed it - it was a poem about the color red - life altering, right?) that won her 5 gold stars and a spot in her elementary school's poetry book. That's when her addiction to the written word officially began. She was the only kid in fifth grade that actually enjoyed diagramming sentences. Go ahead and laugh - its okay.

When she’s not writing she’s making jewelry, painting, feeding her addiction to sweet tea, watching the Discovery Channel, or going on random adventures in the mountains of North Carolina with her amazing husband. She was born in Boone, NC and graduated from Appalachian State University with a degree in Marketing in 2001.

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I read and LOVED the first book in the Daughters of the Sea trilogy, Forsaken! It was wonderful! To read my review, click here.

Blog Tour: Stealing Breath by Joanne Brothwell

2012-09-28T00:00:00.000-07:00

Title: Stealing Breath
Author: Joanne Brothwell
Pub. Date: March 9, 2012
Find "Stealing Breath":
Amazon / Smashwords / B&N
Indie Bound / Fish Pond
The Book Depository

An ancient evil has resurfaced,
the soul of the Indigo Child is at stake.
Beware those with the Stealing Breath...

Deep in the backwoods of North Dakota, Sarah Ross is searching for a missing child when she is attacked by a glowing-eyed, transparent creature known to the Navajo as a Skinwalker. Using mysterious abilities, Sarah escapes, only to run directly into Evan Valente, a handsome, charismatic stranger who helps her back to safety. But why is Evan out in the forest so early in the morning?

Sarah learns her eyes bear the mark of the Indigo Child, an evolved human with the ability to feel the emotions of others; unfortunately, her indigo aura is highly desirable to those who wish to steal her powerful essence.

Soon, Sarah falls deeply in love with Evan and wants nothing more than to follow her heart, but she can't ignore the lingering feeling that Evan is hiding a terrible secret. The deeper she digs, the more danger she faces, forcing her to face the darkest, innermost parts of her soul.

Stealing Breath is a darkly romantic tale of a young woman’s journey for love within the fearsome realm of the paranormal. It is a spellbinding read that mines the inner workings of the human character. Love, loss and the quest for redemption, these characters will echo in your mind long after you’ve put the book down.

~Excerpt~

“You saw that Evan guy again?” Amber asked. She sucked the last of her frothy pink drink through a straw. The mischievous look on her face was mirrored in the giddy emotions she gave off, emotions that were always especially loud when she was drinking. They resonated within me like a bouncy ball flying around in my stomach.
I downed another shot of “Sex on the Beach”, hoping it would finally be enough to filter out the emotions of everyone here. Smooth at first, then tart, the booze finally burned its way down the back of my throat. The buzz-on was almost immediate, and the effect was wonderful, the way it almost obliterated all of the sex-obsessed feelings that seemed to roll off of nearly ever patron at the bar like a hot blanket being wound around me. Sick.
We sat at a booth right next to the bar. Amber held her glass up, signaling to the bartender who nodded and began to pour. He bobbed his head to the blaring country music from the loudspeaker.
Tables ringed the bar, booths along the wall and stools on the other side. Every few feet a brightly lit neon beer sign provided a dash of garish décor. Right in the middle was the dance floor, a little postage-stamp sized circle of parquet flooring that reminded me of an interlocking puzzle. Alongside it was a raised section with a few pool tables.
“Yeah, I saw him.” I proceeded to explain his land development business to Amber and Kate, who listened with rapt expressions.
“That’s amazing. Nobody ever comes to Slave Lake. People only leave,” Amber said. Our waitress, dressed in skin-tight jeans and a too-tight tank-top, brought us another
round. Behind her, the giant flat screen on the wall lit up with random explosions of fuchsia, neon yellow and acid green, perfectly paced with the lyrics of the canned music.
Kate sat across from me on the bench seating, her copper hair shimmering pink from the neon “Budweiser” sign and the black light hanging on the wall behind her. Her teeth were glowing an unnatural white in the light, and every piece of lint on her black shirt stood out like a 3D movie.
“How interesting that you both were out in the bush that morning,” Kate said.
I nodded. “I know. Quite a coincidence.”
Amber sat beside Kate in the bench seat, facing the bar. She leaned forward in one fluid motion, her black hair sweeping the table. “Sarah. Look who just walked in.” I turned in my seat. “And he’s coming right over—”
“Mind if I join you?” asked a familiar voice, before I’d even had a chance to look.
I turned and smiled at Evan. “Sure.”
He pulled a stool up to our table, his arms rippling with the movement. His very presence seemed to heat the air around me, his cologne eclipsing the bar smell of dirty jeans, stale beer and desperation.
I glanced at Kate and Amber, who both stared at him, bright-eyed. His dark fitted jeans hugged his legs, the denim slung low across narrow hips. A black t-shirt made of a material I couldn’t identify hinted of the peaks and valleys of muscle beneath and a single silver chain with a dog-tag hung at his neck, a crest emblem engraved on it with the name Valente. This guy would look good in a burlap sack. Or nothing.
“You remember Kate and Amber from the campground?” I asked. They nodded in acknowledgement and exchanged niceties. Then Amber and Kate excused themselves and hit the dance floor. They’d been dancing together since we’d become bar age, both of them with the attitude that they weren’t about to wait around for a guy to ask.
Evan and I watched as they twirled each other around, the only people dancing in the whole bar. Then they attempted to two-step, each of them fighting to lead. Goofballs.
I turned back to Evan. “How are you?”
He flashed that thousand-watt smile. “I’m great. You?” He inched closer and the atmosphere around my head seemed charged, like a swelling electrical storm. A shiver traveled through my body.
“Fine, thanks.” I smiled.
“You look great.” He gestured to my outfit.
I looked down at my jeans and a loose white shirt and glanced back up at him, cocking my eyebrow. “Thanks?”
“What? Not used to compliments?”
“Not when I’m dressed like a slob, no, not really.”
He rolled his eyes. “You look awesome. Seriously. Want to dance?”
I stared at him, half-expecting he was kidding. But his face showed no trace of a joke. I glanced at the dance floor where Kate and Amber had begun to dance hip hop to the country beat.
I turned back to him. He held out his hand, across the table. Reluctantly, I took it and he led me to the dance floor where Amber and Kate made room for us, their expressions barely-muted surprise. People rarely danced in Slave Lake. Except for Amber and Kate, of course.
Evan placed his palm in my right hand and set his other hand on my waist. I glanced up at a set of smoldering eyes and immediately looked away, his gaze too intense. Unfortunately, by looking away, I realized that every single person in the bar was staring at us. Some people, who should have had their backs to us, had actually turned around on their stool to gawk. I felt like a fish in a fishbowl.
Evan leaned down, his breath caressing my cheek. I caught a silky coil of his scent, a rich, musky fragrance of expensive cologne, soap and his own unique smell. It was addictive. The hand on my waist snaked around to my back, pulling me closer. Heat radiated over my entire body as we began to move in slow, gentle circles. When the song came to an end, my arm fell from his shoulder. His hands didn’t move.
“One more?” he asked as the music transitioned to a faster song, modern country with a dance beat. Kate and Amber were already dancing to it in a way that looked more fitting for a city club, Amber’s arms reaching up and over her head, hips swinging. Kate had her own little groove going alongside her.
“Sure,” I said.
He smiled and set his hand back on my waist, and suddenly we were in the fastest two-step I’d ever danced in my life. We moved around the dance floor at a dizzying pace, spinning circles around Kate and Amber who were laughing out loud watching us.
He twirled me several times, only to end up back in that break-neck, two-stepping pace once again. Now I was giggling to the point of breathlessness, my head spinning from the four shots I’d just downed and my racing pulse. He spun me three more times, and when the song ended, he lowered me into a long dip.
With his arm around my back, I was gently pulled up, our bodies touching from torso all the way down, so that even the tips of our shoes connected. I looked into his face, expecting to see a grin, but was met with a burning look that made my heart stutter and my breath catch. The whiskey on his breath was all I could think of, the heat of his mouth, so close to mine.
Then a sensation folded over me. A soft lethargy, like I was levitating, weightless. My eyes closed, and explosions of purple and blue light flashed behind my eyelids. I relaxed into the feeling.
“Are you okay?” Evan asked. I opened my eyes. He peered down at me, forehead wrinkled with concern. His skin was flushed bright pink.
My lungs began to re-inflate as my entire body tingled like I’d just had the best orgasm of my life.
Had he even kissed me? I licked my lips, but there was no taste of whiskey, no evidence of his mouth on mine. Obviously I’d had one too many shots. And yet, I felt perfectly lucid, his gorgeous face crystal clear before me.
“Uh…I’m fine,” I said, my voice breathy. There had to be an explanation. Like maybe I was losing my mind. Or maybe my fainting spells were starting to happen again, ever since the stressful Skinwalker incident. Whatever it was, right now I had to make sure this perfect specimen of a man in front of me did not think I was a raving lunatic. I forced myself to speak, my mind scrambling for small-talk. “I…I had no idea you could dance like that.”
The concerned look faded, and he flashed his perfect teeth. “Thanks. You’re not too bad, yourself.”
I dropped my hand from around his shoulder and backed up. He let go of me slowly, as if with reluctance.
“Come on. I need a drink,” I said, motioning back to the bar where Amber and Kate had just sat down. We veered toward them.
Evan made eye contact with the bartender who nodded at both of us. “Scotch, on the rocks, please. What are you drinking?”
“I’ll have a Long Island Iced T—”
“Who’s he?” A guy’s voice said, close enough that I cringed from the volume. I whipped around.
Jeff Hansen. Town drunk that never seemed to do much of anything, other than sit in the bar, hit on locals and look pissed off. And boy, did he look pissed off. Emotions rolled off him like jagged pieces of glass, hurt and anger all twisted up into one gigantic ball of irritation.
“He’s cool, Jeff. He’s with me,” I said. My heart started to pound as I remembered the last time Jeff had picked a fight. He’d bitten a guy’s ear and torn part of it right off.
Jeff stared at Evan, his teeth exposed like he was snarling.
“Is he treating you right, Sarah?”
“It’s all good, Jeff,” I said.
“You think you’re pretty tough?” Jeff said through gritted teeth. He stepped forward and poked Evan in the chest. Evan was pushed slightly off-balance, and he took a step backward.
My stomach clenched. “Jeff, I said it’s cool.”
Evan straightened up. He had at least four inches on Jeff and well over thirty pounds. Jeff stepped back, and the sickly-sweet smell of weed came wafting off of his ratty jean jacket.
Evan looked down his nose at Jeff. “Back off, man.” His jaw muscles popped in and out, and his hands balled up at his sides. The only thing Jeff had going for him was a bad attitude and liquid courage.
“Shut up, asshole!” Jeff slurred, a fine mist of spittle burst from his mouth and rained all over us. Jeff turned his head and flashed a snide grin, probably to impress his buddies who watched the spectacle along the sidelines of the bar.
“Jeff, stop it!” I said. Jeff ignored me completely, staring at Evan. I reached for Evan’s hand, wound my fingers through his and tugged. “Come on. Let’s get out of here.”
Evan nodded, and we strode toward the exterior door. I glanced back to see Jeff running. He ran straight into Evan, knocking him forward.
Evan hit the crash bar of the metal door, his body weight forcing it wide open so that it squeaked when the hinges were pushed to their limit. My heart jumped into my throat as he stumbled and fell onto the cement outside. Immediately, he righted himself and jumped back to his feet.
Jeff smiled, eyes flashing. “I bet that hurt, didn’t it, tough guy?”
I ran toward Jeff. “Stop it! Just leave him alone!”
Jeff smiled at me. “Aww, you’re getting your little bi-otch to fight for you.” Then he turned back to Evan. “Tell you’re ho to shut her pie-hole, or I’ll shut it for her.”
“You’re going to wish you’d never said that,” Evan said, his voice a low, warning growl.
Jeff snorted. “You’re in my town. You’re gonna regret having a mouth.” His arms rose above his head in some kind of attempt to look intimidating, but to me he looked like a bird about to take flight.
“Stop it, Jeff.”
Stepping forward, Jeff hurtled his fist toward Evan’s face but Evan snatched his clenched fist mid-air. I lunged toward them, placing one hand on Evan and the other hand on Jeff’s jacket.
Instantly, the atmosphere around my head changed, filling with static.
The lights above the entryway flickered, humming like dying bees before building into a sizzling pulse. With a bang, the lights exploded in a rainfall of glass shards. I ducked to shield my face.
I opened my eyes and gasped. Jeff lay crumpled on the ground, his torso folded inward, his limbs pulled into a fetal position, moaning as he clutched his stomach. Then his face went slack, and his eyes rolled back into his head. Why was he on the ground? And why did he look like he’d been knocked out cold?
I glanced around, but all I could hear was the retreating sound of footsteps running outside, the parking lot no longer lit up by the overhead light.
“Evan?” I called out.
Silence.

~About the Author~

Joanne Brothwell lives in the country on the Canadian prairie with her family where her stories are inspired by the dead things that appear at her doorstep on a daily basis.

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Blog Tour: Her Loving Husband's Curse by Meredith Allard

2012-09-27T00:00:00.000-07:00

Title: Her Loving Husband's Curse (Book 2 of the Loving Husband Trilogy)
Author: Meredith Allard
Pub. Date: April 20, 2012
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How far will you go to protect the one you love?

Finally, after many long and lonely years, James Wentworth’s life is falling into place. Together with his wife, Sarah, the only woman he has ever loved, he has found the meaning behind her nightmares about the Salem Witch Trials, and now they are rebuilding the life they began together so long ago.

But the past is never far behind for the Wentworths. While Sarah is haunted by new visions, now about the baby she carried over three hundred years before, James is confronted with painful memories from his time with the Cherokee on the Trail of Tears. Through it all, the persistent reporter Kenneth Hempel reappears, still determined to prove that the undead walk the earth. If Hempel succeeds in his quest, James and Sarah will suffer. Will the curse of the vampire prevent James and Sarah from living their happily ever after?

~Excerpt~

Prologue

I am among the masses as they limp and drag toward some foreign place they are afraid to imagine. Even in the dimness of the nearly moonless night the exhaustion, the sickness, the fear is everywhere in their swollen faces. The weaker among them, the very old and the very sick, the very young and the very frail, are driven in wagons steered by ill-tempered soldiers. The riders are not better off than the walkers, their sore, screaming bodies bumped and jostled by the wobbly wheels over the unsteady forest terrain. No one notices as a few drop like discarded rags from the wagon to the ground.
“Here!” I cry. “Let me help you. I will find water for you to drink.”
But they pass me without looking. They see nothing, hear nothing. They walk. That is all they are. Walk. That is their name. Walk. Or “Move!” That is what the soldiers scream in their faces. They struggle under the weight of the few bags they carry and stumble under the musket butts slapped into their backs. And still they do not see me.
I wave my hands in the air and yell to make myself heard over the thumping of thousands of feet.
“Here!” I cry. “Who needs something to eat?”
I push myself into the center of the mass. Men in turbans and tunics, women with their long black hair pulled from their faces as they clutch their toddlers—all focus their eyes on a horizon too far away. One old man, unsteady under the weight of the pack he carries, stumbles over some rocks and he falls. The soldiers beat him with their muskets—their futile attempt to make him stand. The man tries to push himself up but cannot, so the soldiers try the whip instead. The old man prostrates himself on the ground, arms out, face away. He has accepted that this is how he will die.
“Step around him!” the soldiers bark. And they do step around him, their eyes straight ahead. They do not see the old man any more than they see me. To acknowledge the fallen elder would force them to admit that his fate is their fate and they will all die here among unknown land and foreign trees. The old man does not stir. He does not lift his head or seem to breathe. And the people pass him by. When they stop to make their encampment for the night, the old man does not arrive.
I throw my hands into the air again, my frustration boiling the blood in my brain. “Let me help you! Why will you not listen to me?”
“Because they cannot see you.”
I have seen the man before—his blue tunic, his white turban, his solemn bearing—and he has seen me. He is an elder, his hair silver, his face a ridged map of everything he has seen, every thought he has had, every prayer he has said. There is wisdom behind his wary glance and oh so tired eyes.
“That’s ridiculous,” I say. “I am standing here among them.”
The old man shakes his head. “You are the Kalona Ayeliski. They cannot see you.”
“The what?”
“The Kalona Ayeliski. They cannot see the Raven Mocker.”
I watch the walkers, hundreds of them, their heads bowed under the weight of losing their possessions, their land, their ancestors, everything they had in this world and beyond, and I realize the man is right. They do not see me. They have never seen me.
“What is a Raven Mocker?” I ask.
“An evil spirit. All the Raven Mocker cares for is prolonging its own life force, and it feeds from others to do it. It tortures the dying and hastens their deaths so it can consume their hearts. The Raven Mocker receives one year of life for every year its victim would have lived.”
“I am no Raven Mocker. I mean harm to no one.”
“Ever?”
I turn away, watching the families reuniting after the long day’s walk, children crying for their mothers, husbands searching for their wives. They are setting up their campsites, eating the meager gruel and drinking the few drops of water given them. I cannot meet the man’s eyes.
“Not for a long time,” I say. When the man’s stare bores through me, pricking me somewhere I cannot name, I shrug. “I do not hasten death in anyone,” I say. “Not anymore.”
“We shall see,” he says.

~About the Author~

Meredith Allard is the Executive Editor of The Copperfield Review, an award-winning literary journal for readers and writers of historical fiction. She received her B.A. and M.A. degrees in English from California State University, Northridge. She has taught writing to students aged 10 to 60, and she has taught creative writing and writing historical fiction workshops at Learning Tree University, UNLV, and the Las Vegas Writers Conference. Her writing has appeared in journals such as The Paumanok Review, Moondance, Wild Mind,Muse Apprentice Guild, The Maxwell Digest, CarbLite, Writer’s Weekly, and ViewsHound. She lives in Las Vegas, Nevada.

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Blog Tour & Giveaway: Keystone by Misty Provencher

2012-09-26T00:00:00.000-07:00

Title: Keystone (The Cornerstone Series #2)
Author: Misty Provencher
Pub. Date: July 31, 2012
Acquired: From author, for honest review.
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There’s a man-made storm coming, like a rip in the world, and it’s called the Cusp.

Struggling to fit into the destiny she’s accepted, Nalena Maxwell has been left with one objective: she must find her murdered grandfather’s Memory. Stolen and hidden away by her own father over seventeen years ago, the Memory could be the key to ending the Cusp and destroying the Ianua’s rival community, The Fury.

Driven by each individual’s selfish desires, The Fury has always lacked the loyalty and organization it needs to be an actual force of power.

Until now.

Someone masterminded the Fury’s massive attack on the Ianua, slaughtering twelve of their thirteen community leaders, the Addos. Now there are rumors that the 13th Cura, to which Nali belongs, has gone to the Fury, manipulating the last Addo in order to control the other 12 Curas.

As the Cusp brings the Fury and their own communities against them, Nalena’s Cura must preserve the Ianua, but finding the key to the Cusp isn’t as simple as it seems.

~Review~

After an amazing first installment to the Cornerstone Series (which you can read my review for, here), I only hoped that Keystone would be able to rise to Cornerstone's high standards. And, I totally wasn't disappointed.

Keystone picks up right where Cornerstone left off. So, if you haven't read Cornerstone yet, you may not want to keep reading.

I'm just going to say it. I LOVE, love, LOVE Misty Provencher's writing. I love how she writes romance. I love how she builds her story. I just love her. This story is absolutely so unique in that you won't find anything else out there like it, you'd be doing yourself an injustice if you don't pick it up.

After Nalena loses her mother and Garrett loses his father, in Cornerstone, the action and intrigue just keeps going. From there, Nalena is forced to reimpression with her Cornerstone or give up the idea of avenging her mother. She makes a tough choice and then she's given ANOTHER tough choice. Deciding to press on, Nalena, along with some new-found Ianua friends, discovers that she is way in over her head.

Nalena is definitely one of my most favorite heroines, as she is CONSTANTLY doing things that I find myself relating to. She's not perfect, but she's so real that I get lost in this series so easily.

And then you couple her with Garrett, and they are just beautiful together. Nalena is constantly going through changes and discovering new things about her life, and it's kind of wonderful how Garrett is always right there with her, helping her understand her role in the Ianua community, but also letting her be her own person.

By the end of the book, I kept looking at my progress thinking, "I don't want this to be over. I don't want this to be over." But, it did end, And now, I'm left waiting for the third installment.

My Rating:

~Giveaway~

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Blog Tour: Anew by Chelsea Fine

2012-09-23T01:43:00.000-07:00

Title: Anew (Archers of Avalon #1)
Author: Chelsea Fine
Pub. Date: Dec. 7, 2011
Acquired: From author, for honest review.
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Two years ago, Scarlet awoke in a forest alone, afraid, and with no memory. Lost and confused, her past was a complete mystery...until she met Gabriel Archer. Intrigued by his voice and its familiarity, Scarlet immerses herself in his life only to stumble on a secret. Gabriel has a brother. Once Scarlet meets Tristan Archer, her life becomes even more muddled. She’s instinctively drawn to both of them and confused out of her mind. She can’t figure out why Gabriel feels so familiar or why she’s so attracted to Tristan. But the Archer brothers have more than just one secret and they know a lot about Scarlet that she doesn’t—including the fact that she’s cursed. They all are.

~Review~

The following review was written back in February of this year. Because of how much I loved it and because I was SUPER excited to be able to partake in this blog tour, I'm posting my review again! I hope you all enjoy! If you'd like to check out the original review page, click here.

So, last night I (finally!!!) finished Anew. I say "finally" because I kept putting it off and putting it off. NOT because it was boring or I didn't like it. Quite the opposite, actually. I just didn't want it to end! This book was AMAZING! I couldn't stop thinking about this book over the four days or so that it took me to read it.

First off, the characters were nothing short of wonderful. Scarlet, the main character, is very endearing from the beginning. I love her honesty with herself, over the fact that she's sometimes a bit whiney about her situation. But, overall, she tries to have a positive attitude. And she has the support of her best friend Heather.

I think I almost love Heather as much as I love Scarlet. She is witty, sassy, and SUCH a good friend to Scarlet. She picks her up when she's down, by not allowing her to wallow.

Now, this IS a love triangle. And you know how most love triangles are pretty much clear-cut as to who the "winner" will be? Well, in my opinion, so is this one. But, don't let that deter you!!! Because, I STILL find myself loving the underdog, as well. Also, this book has no werewolves, vampires, angels, etc... Well, not yet anyway. But, I find it nice to have a whole different kind of supernatural.

The two love interests are Gabriel and Tristan and they're twins. Identical twins. And they're HOT identical twins. Ms. Fine tries to keep us guessing as to MANY of the details involving Scarlet and each brother, individually. We're given pieces here and there, scattered throughout the book. And they all bring the reader to a GLORIOUS--however, somewhat nail-biting--finale. This is the first in a series so if you read it, you WILL want to read the second. Unfortunately, that's not out yet, so now I have to wait. I'm not very good at waiting, by the way.

Please, pick up this book! It's got romance, mystery, and some hot guys with weapons... What more could you ask for? Oh, and the cover! It's kind of beautiful.

My Rating:

~From the Author~

Start With A Song, End With A Chapter
By Chelsea Fine

I can’t write without music.
Wait. Let me rephrase.
I can’t write WELL without music.

There’s something about a good song that brings stories to life in my head. Every book idea I’ve ever had started because a song I was listening to inspired that story inside me.

When I listen to music, I can see my characters acting out scenes and having conversations to the song in the background. Almost like an epic music video that goes on for 400 pages, haha. But that’s what it’s like for me. Music writes my stories, I just do the typing. ;)

Certain songs have a way of making even the most simple of things emotional, and it’s that emotion I want to tap into while I’m writing. So I’ll throw on a song that best communicates the mood I want my readers to feel, starting writing a scene and, soon enough, I have a chapter.

But song choice is critical. If I want to write a scene where someone is running for their life I probably shouldn’t turn on a happy song about sunshine and daffodils—unless I want my scene to read like something out of a Scooby-Doo episode. :) (By the way, if you know of any songs about both sunshine and daffodils, let me know. That would be a ridiculously cheerful tune.)

My Archers of Avalon series has a lot of humor and silliness in it, but at its core, it is a race against time and love. So most of the songs on my playlist for Anew, Awry, and Avow are somewhat heavy and maybe even a little forlorn. But that’s precisely the emotional tide I need to wade in while writing this series; lost with a spark of hope, in love but lonely, and determined to overcome that which is dark.

Some of my current playlist favorites are:
Heavy In Your Arms by Florence+The Machine
Bleeding Out by Imagine Dragons
Surrender by Digital Daggers
Wires by Athlete
Dark In My Imagination by Of Verona
Titanium by David Guetta & Sia

These songs, along with many others, are the soul of Avow, the book I’m currently working on (book three in my Archers of Avalon series). But I’m also working on a funny YA contemporary romance and the playlist for that book is MUCH different. It’s more sunshine-and-flowers-Scooby-Doo and less doom-and-gloom-Dawson’s-Creek-meets-Vampire-Diaries. So yeah. The playlist all depends on the book.

Or maybe the book depends on the playlist… ;)

~Book Trailer~

~About the Author~

Chelsea Fine lives in Phoenix, AZ where she spends most of her time writing young adult fiction, painting murals, and avoiding housework at all costs. Her obsessions include: superheroes, coffee, sleeping-in, and crazy socks. She lives with her husband and two children, who graciously tolerate her inability to resist teenage drama on TV and her complete lack of skill in the kitchen.

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Archers of Avalon Website