Promotional Event: Drawn

Drawn by Chris Ledbetter
Age Group: Young Adult
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Release Date: June 5, 2015
Buy Links:

Amazon
Book Description:

Caught between the sweltering fall landscape of Wilmington, NC beaches and southern illusions and expectations, all sixteen year-old Cameron Shade thinks about is art. That, and for Farrah Spangled to view him as more than just a friend. Cameron longs to win her heart through art.

After several warm interactions with Farrah, including painting together at the beach, Cameron discovers just how complex Farrah’s life is with her boyfriend and her family. Following a tense run-in with Farrah’s father, she forbids Cameron to ever speak to her again, but Cameron’s convinced there’s more behind the request.

To impress Farrah with a last-ditch effort, Cameron sketches her portrait. But the sketchbook he uses hides a dark secret. Farrah’s now in grave danger because the sketch he drew of her siphons her real-life’s soul into the sketchbook. Cameron now has twenty days to extract Farrah. To save her, he must draw himself into the book.

If he fails… they both die.

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Diversity and Interracial Romance

Diversity is a topic near and dear to my heart. I realize I’m not alone in this but the traditional publishing industry as a whole hasn’t exactly caught up to demand. I certainly believe that everyone should be able to read stories about characters that are like they are. It’s not necessary, mind you. There’s nothing wrong with reading about characters that are unlike you. How else can you learn about other cultures and develop tolerance?

But accepting racially diverse stories is a subtle move that helps readers to know they matter. I applaud Evernight Teen for taking a chance on a young African-American protagonist and his artistic and romantic endeavors as they relate to a young Caucasian girl. After all, romance is romance. Emotions are universally the same for everyone, despite skin color, ethnicity, or nationality.

I attack this concept in the story within the pages of the cursed sketchbook, wherein the citizens are distinguished not by the color of their skin, but by how they were introduced to the world. Those who were sketched in from the outside have more heft, shall we say, than those that were created within the book itself. It’s a complicated concept that is fully explained in the story. But, there are people in Terra Sempre that are as multi-colored as the rainbow.

Book Blitz: Fabled

Fabled by Vanessa K. Eccles
Age Group: Young Adult
Genre: Fantasy
Release Date: May 5, 2015
Buy Links:

Amazon ♥ B & N

Book Description:

Rowena thinks the Grimm’s infamous podcasts are simply another teen fad until she finds herself trapped in a land of nightmarish storybook characters. 

She tries desperately to flee Mezzanine and return home, but Dresdem, Mezzanine’s wicked monarch, plans to use Rowena’s access to her world to bring dark magic and absolute rule into Georgia and beyond.

But when Rowena’s dear friend Madeline falls into Dresdem’s grasp, her battle with him becomes war, and all hopes of home are temporarily thwarted. With the help of an invisible hero, a beast, and an owl, she sets out to free Madeline from a deadening sleep. 

But Rowena must become her own hero when she finds herself bound by the kingdom’s darkest family. She must make the ultimate choice – align herself with her enemies or live on the run forever.

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Excerpt:

The dirt shifted beside me, and the end of the tunnel opened. The crevice felt like it plucked me up in a whirlwind. In seconds, I landed on the ground face first on the surface of whatever lay beyond the tunnel. It smelled like nature after a storm. When I opened my eyes, I stared down at my mud-covered hands.

The darkness that I once thought would be my tomb was now gone, and two low hanging moons lit the forest where I found myself. Even though I had no idea where I was, the fact that I was out of the hole sent a surge of relief that filled my entire being. I stood up, dusted off all the mud I could, and looked back. Strangely, there was nothing but trees.

As I moved closer to the spot where I’d most certainly came from, all I saw was a mirror that reflected the woods. An illusion. I touched its smooth surface, tried to find the end of it but couldn’t. Another dead-end.

Before I could figure out what to do, I heard a voice and spun around to confront it.

Book Blitz: Hope In Every Raindrop

Hope In Every Raindrop by Wesley Banks
Age Group: New Adult
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Release Date: May 26, 2015
Buy Links:

Amazon ♥ B & N

Book Description:

“Small towns have big stories.” That was a lesson Katie’s father taught her years ago. A lesson she’s taken to heart. And right now, Katie is desperate for a big story. Reeling from the recent loss of her father and with her agent breathing down her neck for the next book, the twenty-one-year-old writer picks a spot on the map and finds herself bound for a middle-of-nowhere town called Bishopville, South Carolina.

Taking a chance on the words of a local grocer, Katie stumbles upon a rare breed of dogs raised by the town doctor and his nephew Kyle. The only problem? Kyle isn’t interested in telling stories—especially not to a big-city girl who can’t seem to sit still. In an attempt to win him over as the clock winds down, Katie finds herself immersed in Kyle’s world, doing everything but writing.

When inspiration finally strikes, Katie is faced with an unforeseen catastrophe and a truth she can no longer ignore. While she has come to love the dogs, the real story may be about Kyle Walker.

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Excerpt:

From where Katie stood, they looked down on what appeared to be an empty pasture. A myriad of different trees surrounded it. The land was flat, and quiet. Yet, it almost felt as if all of nature were crowded in around it just waiting for something to happen.

Book Blitz: Pretty Little Werewolf

Pretty Little Werewolf by Katie Salidas
Age Group: Young Adult
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Release Date: June 9, 2015
Buy Links:

Amazon

Book Description:

All Giselle ever wanted was a family... who can accept her for what she is, a werewolf.

In a world where supernatural creatures are not out and proud, this has been a problem for 16 year old Giselle. A child of the system, she's been bounced from home to home for as long as she can remember. As soon as the moon calls out her inner wolf, it's back into the system she goes.

Against the odds, a new family is found for Giselle. One that may prove the answer to all her dreams and wishes. But this family comes with a deadly secret that could send Giselle six feet under instead of back into the system.

Amid factions of warring witches and werewolves, and deadly curses with no hope for a cure, the way will not be an easy one, but if Giselle can call upon her skills as a lone wolf, she may just be able to unearth the truth keeping her from the one thing she's ever wanted... family.

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Giveaway

Book Blitz: Saving London

Saving London by Taylor Dawn
Age Group: Adult
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Release Date: June 9, 2015
Buy Links:

Amazon ♥ B & N

Book Description:

The List. That Signified Finality.
The Journey. That Would Span The Globe.
The Sacrifice. That Would Decide The Outcome.
The Choice. That Could Unleash Evil On Earth.
The End Is Only The Beginning…

“You have terminal cancer.”

London Patterson, a seemingly healthy young woman, had her entire life ahead of her. That was until four little words brought everything to a screeching halt. As the shock and grief begin to fade, London decides to map out her last year and embark on an epic journey to complete a bucket list. She wants to do the things she’s been afraid to do in her life, step out of her self-contained box, and see the world. What she didn’t expect was for a mysterious stranger named Adam to breeze into her life like a breath of fresh air.

Adam offers to help London complete her list on one condition…that she sees it through to the end. Agreeing on those terms, the two set out on an adventure of a lifetime. But London soon realizes that Adam isn’t quite…human. Along their journey odd occurrences happen that cause London to question who or what Adam is and why he’s helping her.

Follow London as she checks off her bucket list in this inspiring new Urban Fantasy novel from Taylor Dawn.

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“What’s On Your List?”

Taylor Dawn

How are you using your time on this earth?

In the giant picture that we call life, many of us tend to forget what all of this is really about. We are so caught up with trying to find success and happiness, that we miss the things that are right there in front of us. We fail to do the things we’ve always wanted to do because they become daunting tasks that might involve some sort of pain, or even sponge too much of our time. But what if you found out today that you only had a certain amount of time left?

What if you were able to look at your life’s clock and see the remaining minutes tick by? Would that make you stop and think about the things you haven’t done? Would it make you kick it into high gear and get to it? I choose not to wait until I hear the tick of the clock hands as they pass by each number. So much so, that this entire premise inspired a book. A book that took on a new life and morphed into so much more than I could’ve ever imagined. So I ask you…what’s on your list?

I’ve had a bucket list for quite some time now. On it are items that some would say are completely out of reach for someone like me. What type of person am I? Well, I’m the person whose spine is partially made up of rods and screws. I’m the person who shouldn’t be able to do much, but I refuse to cave to the fact that I am not the same as I was years ago. My body may be broken, but my spirit burns bright.

Book Blitz: Implanted (Ascension #2)

Implanted (Ascension #2) by Heather Letto
Age Group: Young Adult
Genre: Dystopia
Release Date: June 2015
Buy Links:

Amazon

Book Description:

After a narrow escape from the city of Impervious, Fran’s heart aches for the ones she left behind. Will her brother ever connect the dots? And, what about Pete? Could he, along with the remaining Rebels, have survived the Council’s violent oppression?

As Fran ponders the fate of her friends, an even more disturbing revelation drops into her world—the knowledge that she, along with anyone who had lived underground remains implanted with the sinister presence of the Council. A fate rendering her powerless to save.

Yet one with pure blood, untouched by the Council’s defiling, lives among them. Could he be the new lifeline of hope? Is salvation of the city worth risking the life of this one-and-only?

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Excerpt:

Suddenly, another bellow filled the air, causing tiny bumps to rise on Ret’s forearms. He dumped the bowl and swiped an extra rock from the dirt, tossed it into his pouch and took off in the direction of Sophie’s wails.

As he raced along the river’s edge, Sophie launched another battle cry. If she was this upset, her cubs must be in danger. Ret broke into a full run, loading his sling as he followed the sound.

But when he reached the clearing, the cubs appeared safe, wrestling and rolling in the meadow as usual. Sophie, on the other hand, stood on her hind legs, knee deep in the river, with the rapids splashing up high on her furry form. Her cry of distress continued and Ret wondered if she’d been injured.

He slowed to a walk as he approached, clucking his tongue in a soothing manner. What had always worked in the past, however, didn’t seem to faze the mother bear. Once near enough, Ret assessed her from head to toe. No obvious wounds. She stood upright and strong, and bellowed again, filling the air with thick vibrations.