28 Jun 2012

Birthday giveaway


It's my birthday, hooray!
To celebrate I'm giving away an uncorrected proof copy of Pushing the limits by Katie McGarry to one lucky person.

SO WRONG FOR EACH OTHER...AND YET SO RIGHT.No one knows what happened the night Echo Emerson went from popular girl with jock boyfriend to gossiped-about outsider with “freaky” scars on her arms. Even Echo can’t remember the whole truth of that horrible night. All she knows is that she wants everything to go back to normal.But when Noah Hutchins, the smoking hot, girl-using loner in the black leather jacket, explodes into her life with his tough attitude and surprising understanding, Echo’s world shifts in ways she could never have imagined. They should have nothing in common. And with the secrets they both keep, being together is pretty much impossible.Yet the crazy attraction between them refuses to go away. And Echo has to ask herself just how far they can push the limits and what she’ll risk for the one guy who might teach her how to love again.
As I mentioned, this giveaway is for an uncorrected proof copy, so the book actually looks like this, but it's brand new, never been read :)

The giveaway is open to all as long as I can post to you from England, you just have to fill in the form. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

27 Jun 2012

UK vs THE WORLD (27)

UK vs. The world is a weekly meme I made up lol.
It's simlair to UK vs. US except the UK covers are battling it out with their foreign counterparts from all over the world, because who doesn't love judging books by their covers!

UK                        vs.                  Poland
The infernal devices book one.
('Mechaniczny AnioĊ‚' translates to 'Mechanical angel.' - According to google translate.)

Mist: It's a bit of a draw for me I think, I love the backgroud of the Polish cover but I prefer the guy on the UK cover, but since I also like the backgroud and style of the UK I guess I'm leaning to that one more, both are pretty cool though.

Ninfa: These covers are so very similar in design and feel it's a difficult choice to make :)
I do think the UK cover is a little more stylish though, and better executed.
 The Polish cover just seems a little "rough on the edges" compared to the UK one.
 Overall this has always been a cover that catches my attention, with its very defined Steampunk style.
 UK win it is

Which do you prefer?

26 Jun 2012

Destined - Review


House of night book nine.
Available now.
www.atombooks.net

What's it about?

Zoey is finally home where she belongs, safe with her Guardian Warrior, Stark, by her side, and preparing to face off against Neferet - which would be a whole lot easier if the High Counsel saw the ex-High Priestess for what she really is. Kalona has released his hold on Rephaim, and, through Nyx's gift of a human form, Rephaim and Stevie Rae are finally able to be together - if he can truly walk the path of the Goddess and stay free of his father's shadow...

But there are new forces at work at the House of Night. An influx of humans, including Lenobia's handsome horse whisperer, threatens their precarious stability. And then there's the mysterious Aurox, a jaw-droppingly gorgeous teen boy who is actually more - or possibly less - than human. Only Neferet knows he was created to be her greatest weapon. But Zoey can sense the part of his soul that remains human, the compassion that wars with his Dark calling. And there's something strangely familiar about him...

Will Neferet's true nature be revealed before she succeeds in silencing them all? And will Zoey be able to touch Aurox's humanity in time to protect him - and everyone - from his own fate? Find out what's destined in the next thrilling chapter of the House of Night series.

My review
As a big fan of this series, (I even have HON tattoos!) I can't help but start to feel short changed with these books as the story drags out and nothing much really happens to progress it, by the end of Destined very little was added to the main story arc and I felt like I could've just skipped to the next book, when it's out, without really missing much.
As with some previous books, at some point there was a poem and a vision that predicted a bad event the gang try to avoid, yet somehow it still happens but not how they imagined it was going to. It made the book predictable, this formula isn't surprising any more because it's happened before and as the reader, I was expecting it, there were other parts that were predictable but I don't want to mention them and spoil. It wasn't shocking or gripping, there's no growth in the characters - except one - and I'm sad to say that I'm starting to feel let down with this series, either it should have ended three books ago or a new story arc introduced. 
Never the less, after coming so far, I expect I'll continue to read the books to see how it all ends in the hopes that they will get better because I do love the girls writing and ideas, it's just the story that's feeling stale.

My thoughts on the cover
I do love these covers and this one is no exception, I especially love the red and the necklace.

Favourite quotes
'We lost ourselves in each other then. Stark's touch chased away death and despair and fear. Together we reminded each other of life and love and happiness.' - Zoey and Stark.

'"Yes. I know." He caressed the side of her head, loving the softness of her hair, and let his fingers trail slowly down her neck and shoulder.' - Rephaim and Stevie Rae.


Find the authors
P.C. Casts Website
House of night website
Facebook
Kristin Cast Twitter
P.C. Goodreads
Kristin Goodreads

24 Jun 2012

Sunday treats (8)

Sunday treats is my brand new meme hosted here by me!
Each week I will be treating you to a hunky treat to drool over because after a week of hard work you deserve it!
To keep it loosely book related I'll post pictures of actors that have played roles in films or TV programmes made from books, unless a guys just so damn hot I have to post him anyway!
If you wanna join in then just post your own hot guy and come and link back so I can come and drool look.
I promise no boys were hurt in the making of this post.

And here's this week’s guy.


Well I couldn't do Sunday treats without this guy at some point! Jensen Ackles plays Dean Winchester in the awesome Supernatural, he's also had parts in Dawsons creek, Smallville and Dark angel. But as far as book to movies/tv, I don't think he's been in any lol


23 Jun 2012

Blog tour: Witchcraft - Guest post and a giveaway

Why I went Indie?
By Emma Mills

Big thanks to Mist for having me on her blog today, as she is a very busy blogger, with mountains of books stacked up (probably to the ceiling). She hasn’t yet read my Witchblood series, so instead of a review…which I hope will happen one day soon… she asked me to write a guest blog.

I thought a chat about why I chose to self-publish might be interesting and would let you know a bit more about me, so here we go…
I wrote Witchblood after becoming, quite frankly addicted to paranormal YA fiction. I happily devoured the Twilight series and then moved on to all the vampire fiction that followed. As a quick aside, some of my favourites are, the Sookie Stackhouse Series, Vampire Academy…I’m a big Adrian fangirl, Wings by Aprilynne Pike and more recently The Hunger Games.
The one thing I couldn’t find, at the time, was anything set in the UK. Now I have read, loved and become friends with some great UK authors, but they are hard to find in this genre. I also couldn’t find any YA fiction with witches in it…I hadn’t come across The Secret Circle then! So I decided to combine my two favourites and mix it up a little... vampires and witches, set against the wet, cloudy backdrop of my local city, Manchester.
I wrote Witchblood throughout 2010 and after a thorough edit I was overjoyed to land myself a UK agent, who loved the book and believed in me. However, by the time she was sending to publishers it was the second half of 2011 and the response was always the same: We like her writing style but we have stopped taking on vampire fiction, or The market is saturated, could she write something else?
In one way their feedback was great…at least they thought my writing was good enough, but on the other hand it was SO frustrating. I knew that Witchblood was different, and I knew that people were still buying supernatural YA, but the tides had turned and there was nothing I could do. I did try writing something new, but my heart wasn’t in it. I still wanted to write the whole three book series I had planned out. My characters had become real to me and I couldn’t shut them away in a drawer, so when a friend suggested I self-publish on Amazon, I looked into it and decided I had nothing to lose.
Would I recommend becoming an indie author? Definitely! Do I still want a publishing contract? Of course I do, but I’d think about it carefully! Basically, self-publishing is hard work. I am the author, editor, cover designer and promotions team all rolled into one! The good thing about it, is that I can set my own timeframes and deadlines. For example I have just had meningitis, and I didn’t think I’d be able to publish on my planned date, which I had brought forward to coincide with this tour, but apart from a promotions angle, it wouldn’t have mattered. If I feel poorly or the words aren’t flowing, the only pressure I’m under is my own. I have total control over my work, when it’s published and what price to set.
On the other hand, I haven’t yet published in print, because self-publishing in print, in the UK, is tricky and can be costly. However, I would love to see my books in print on the bookshelves of my local bookstore.
Do I think supernatural YA fiction is ‘over’? Not from what I’ve seen. Witchblood has had over 5000 downloads in its first six months, and its fans are asking for the second book…
Well, here it is, and I hope you enjoy Witchcraft!


Witchblood book two.
Jess is no ordinary vampire. Protected by the Manchester vampire clan, and initiated by her family’s east coast American coven, she is sought after by every dark witch and warring vampire faction. Jess must fight if she wants to keep hold of her friends, her sanity and finally her existence.



As the dead bodies of human girls begin to stack up, and her recently accepted vampire boyfriend, Daniel, finds himself in prison, Jess goes on a crazy, forbidden trip to London, racing against time to save an old friend and solve the mystery behind Daniel’s incarceration. In battling new enemies and finding new friends, Jess’s confidence finds room to grow, but who will she lose along the way?


Buy Witchcraft on Amazon USAmazon UK, and Smashwords - coming soon to B&N, Kobo and Nook.

If you like the sound of Witchblood then here's your chance to win a copy for your ereader.
The giveaway is open internationally for a week.
Just fill in the form.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Showcase Saturday (8)

'Showcase Sunday' is hosted by Vicky at Books, biscuits and tea.
As I usually post on a Saturday I've altered the name to suit me lol

18th June - 24th June


Hi guys, hope you've all had a great week :) So, I decided not to vlog this week since I only got two books but I will be back next week, it's my birthday on Thursday so I expect I'll quite a bit to show :)
The two books I did get this week are both books I wouldn't normally read but was asked if I would like to review them, so I thought I'd give them a try since they sound pretty interesting, they are:

What did you get this week?

21 Jun 2012

Dreams - Review


The Sarah Midnight trilogy book one.
www.blackandwhitepublishing.com

What's it about?

Ever since her thirteenth birthday, seventeen-year-old Sarah Midnight’s dreams have been plagued by demons—but unlike most people’s nightmares, Sarah’s come true. Her dreams guide her parents’ hunt as Sarah remains in bed, terrified but safe, sheltered from the true horrors of the Midnight legacy. But all this is about to change. After the murder of her parents, she is cruelly thrust into a secret world of unimaginable danger as she is forced to take up their mission. Alone and unprepared for the fight that lies before her, Sarah must learn how to use the powers she’s inherited and decide whom to trust before it’s too late...

My review
It did take me a while to get into this book, something about the way it's written to work well for me, parts of it felt a little over dramatic making it feel cheesy, but I kept going because I enjoyed the story, which was really new and different and I loved the the forbidden love story between Sarah and Harry.
Harry was a great character, so strong and protective and kind of tortured, Sarah was a nice character too, I certainly felt sorry for her with all she's had to go through and what she has to come, but it was all about Harry for me lol.
The story kind of reminded me of the TV show Supernatural to start but it has it's own unique twist to make the genre it's own and kept me interested in what was happening and what was going to happen, and with the way everything came together at the end I'm looking forward to the next book in the trilogy.
We do meet a lot of characters in this book and find out a lot of back story for each, so there's lots to learn, it didn't get confusing but I did have to make sure I was paying attention to not forget anything but all in all I did enjoy the book and am really intrigued to see what happens next, particularly for Sarah and Harry.

My thoughts on the cover
This is a really nice cover, I love the moon and the raven at the bottom and the girls far off look, I also like the colour tones, how it feels like night time as the book is centred on dreams, which we have at night and of course, Sarah's surname is Midnight.


Favourite quotes
'I can never give up the fight. this fight that has been handed down to me, thrust upon my unwilling shoulders. I'd rather be buried with my parents, my brave mother and father, who lived and died my the Midnight motto: Don't let them roam.'

'He wanted to be the one who put his lips on her lips, who broke the spell and woke her up. He wanted to be the one who made sure nobody would ever frighten her again, that she'd never be left alone again. the one who made sure no evil spell would ever be cast on her, that she would not prick her finger on some deadly spinning wheel.'

Find the author
Website
Facebook
Twitter
Goodreads

Same difference (31)


Heavenly book one and


Despite the similarities it's easy to pick a favourite, I much prefer the cover for The next thing I knew, I just love the blue eye and the way the text is to the side and staggers downwards, the cover for Black widow rose is creepy but kinda boring at the same time.

Which do you prefer?

20 Jun 2012

UK vs. THE WORLD (26)

UK vs. The world is a weekly meme I made up lol.
It's simlair to UK vs. US except the UK covers are battling it out with their foreign counterparts from all over the world, because who doesn't love judging books by their covers!

UK                           vs.                         Italy
Werecats book one.
('Il graffio della pantera' translates to 'The Panther's scratch.')

Mist: Both of these covers are nice but I think the UK cover captures the gritty edge that the book has a little bit more, I do love the colours on the Italian cover though and the cats eye that the girl has. I think the scratch on the UK cover is cool to and the animal print belt, I think it's a UK win for me this week.

Ninfa: Both covers are pretty in different ways.
 I like the little hints to the storyline in the UK cover. The scratch on the lower back of the model, and the animal print belt. It's very modern looking and I like the splash of red on the tshirt which kinda makes me think of blood. Very cool cover.
 The Italian cover is also really pretty. It has a more classic feel, and more adult as opposed to the YA feel of the UK cover.
The hints are more subtle in this cover, but I love the animal effect on the eye, and the purple hues are so nice.
I think in a book store, the Italian cover would appeal more to me though, so it's an Italian win this time.

Which do you prefer?

19 Jun 2012

Unravelling - Review

Unravelling by Elizabeth Norris
Unravelling book one.
www.harpercollins.co.uk

What's it about?
STOP THE COUNTDOWN. SAVE THE WORLD…Leaving the beach, seventeen-year-old Janelle Tenner is hit head on by a pickup truck.
And killed.
Then Ben Michaels, resident stoner, is leaning over her. And even though it isn’t possible, she knows Ben somehow brought her back to life…
Meanwhile, Janelle’s father, a special agent for the FBI, starts working on a case that seems strangely connected to Ben. Digging in his files, Janelle finds a mysterious device – one that seems to be counting down to something that will happen in 23 days and 10 hours time.
That something? It might just be the end of the world. And if Janelle wants to stop it, she’s going to need to uncover Ben’s secrets – and keep from falling in love with him in the process…
My review
Unravelling was every bit as thrilling as I was expecting it to be, the plot is gripping and kept me guessing right the way through. I honestly had no clue where the book was going in regards to the big mystery and was pleasantly surprised when I found out what it was - I was totally guessing at something else -  it was really different to anything else I have read.
Janelle and Ben were great characters, I fell in love with Ben right alongside Janelle as they worked together to unravel (get it!) what was happening and tried to save the world. Right up until the end I thought this was a stand alone novel, I've no idea why, but I was happy to find out after that it's the start of a series and I'm looking forward to seeing how the author will expand on the world she's built and what's in store for Janelle and *sigh* Ben.
I admit, this book didn't pull me in straight away, hence the 4* instead of 5, but once it did I powered through the second half of the book in less than a day because I was so floored by the concept that I wasn't expecting, and had to know how it ended.
Unravelling will keep you on the edge of your seat and is full of action, suspense and mystery.

My thoughts on the cover
I love this cover, with the countdown and the title running down the side and the way the girl is getting pulled away, it suits the book so much and is really cool and different.

Sorry, no favourite quotes as I read an uncorrected proof copy that cannot be quoted from.

17 Jun 2012

Swing zone issue one - vlog Review

Swing zone
Issue one.
www.gritcitypublications.com

What's it about?
In the year 2229, cash starved prospector Mia Blancharde uncovers a valuable relic while digging in the Swing Zone, a wild, forested area between two contemptuous futuristic cities.
Mia’s archeological find forces her to challenge the status quo, which places her in the middle of a larger conflict. On one side is her brother, Colonel Zavier Blancharde in her home city of Freedale, the seat of militaristic power and technology. On the other side, Coltis Lawson is an attractive archeology enthusiast in the rural community of Lakeside. His almost magical abilities confuse Mia's loyalties, as she finds herself unwittingly falling for a man who embodies a principled, but duplicitous nature.
A delicate accord between the two cities has ensured a peaceful coexistence, but tensions rise as renegade activists from Lakeside challenge the powers of Freedale. Impassioned blows of battle always appear on the horizon, which threaten to crush all hopes of a maintained peace.
Torn between the powers of love, her family, and her city, Mia must uncover the truth and avoid getting trapped on the wrong side of a perilous line.
My review

Sorry about the focusing issues in the video, not sure what happened there :/
Issue one of Swing zone is a promising start to the series. My first impressions of Mia is that she's a nice, caring girl but with an edgy side too - She rides a motorcycle and digs out in the dangerous swing zone. I'm looking forward to seeing how she develops in future issues and also her relationship with the mysterious man she meets in the forest.
Issue one does a great job of world building and informing the reader how the world has gotten to how it is today and sets the scene for the rest of the series, it pulled me into wanted to know more and see what's going to happen next between the two cities.

Find the author
Blog
Facebook
Twitter
Goodreads

Showcase Sunday (7)

'Showcase Sunday' is hosted by Vicky at Books, biscuits and tea.

11th June - 17th June

Books mentioned
Gifted
For review

What did you get this week?

Sunday treats (7)

Sunday treats is my brand new meme hosted here by me!
Each week I will be treating you to a hunky treat to drool over because after a week of hard work you deserve it!
To keep it loosely book related I'll post pictures of actors that have played roles in films or TV programmes made from books, unless a guys just so damn hot I have to post him anyway!
If you wanna join in then just post your own hot guy and come and link back so I can come and drool look.
I promise no boys were hurt in the making of this post.

And here's this week’s guy.


Chris Evans might be most known for his role as Johnny Storm/The human torch in the films of Marvels The fantastic four comics and as Captain America in the movies of the Avengers comics. He's also been in a ton of other movies but I'm not sure if they were books first lol


12 Jun 2012

The fury - Review

The fury by Alexander Gordon Smith
The fury book one.
Available now.
www.faber.co.uk

What's it about?
Imagine if one day, without warning, the entire human race turns against you.
Every single person you meet becomes a bloodthirsty, mindless savage, hell-bent on killing you – and only you.
Friends, family, even your mum and dad, will turn on you. They will murder you.
And when they have, they will go back to their lives as if nothing has happened.
The world has the Fury.
It will not rest until you are dead.


Cal, Brick and Daisy are three ordinary teenagers whose lives suddenly take a terrifying turn for the worst. They begin to trigger a reaction in everybody they meet, one that makes friends and strangers alike turn rabid whenever they are close. One that makes people want to tear them to pieces
Cal and the other victims of the Fury – the ones that survive – manage to locate each other. But just when they think they have found a safe place to hide from the world, some of them begin to change...
They must fight to uncover the truth about the Fury before it's too late. But it is a truth that will destroy everything they know about life and death.

My review
The fury is an exciting start to a new series, it's full of the action and tension that you'd expect from reading the blurb and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I will say though, it does have a lot of violence in it, which doesn't bother me but might bother some.
The book gets straight into it from the first chapter and had me hooked in right away as the tension builds I found it hard to put down.
There were a few points where I felt the book was a little too long and it kind of lulled a bit, but it didn't stop me wanting to finish it and find out what was happening, and it was not something I could have predicted!
This book is exciting but after reading the end it feels like it was more of a build up to book two which I now high expectations of to be an explosive book!
The stroy is told mostly from three characters, Cal, Brick and Daisy, though more come into it later. I liked all three of the characters and how they were all so different from each other, I could never get confused by who was who because they were all individual and played their own roles towards the story.
The writing flowed easily and I had no trouble switching between characters, I'll be sitting tight for the next book The storm, because I can't wait to see how things play out!

My thoughts on the cover
I really like this simple cover and of course Fire fits the title perfectly, I like the person running away to and the tagline is catchy!

Favourite quotes
'The voice seemed to be the opposite of noise, a profound silence that cushiioned the world and yet which still somehow communicated with him. And in the instant Cal knew exactly what was inside that car.
It was a person, somebody just like him.
And they needed help.'

'This is insane. If we die, I just want you to know that you're an asshole,' he shouted.
Brick grinned back.
'I know.'
Then they both let go.'

Find the author
Website
Blog
Facebook
Twitter
Goodreads

11 Jun 2012

Giveaway - Win Stained and Stolen by Ella James


If you missed Ella James' guest post yesterday then you can check it out here, it has the first chapter of Stained and details of all her other books.
Up for grabs today is an ecopy of Stained and the recently released sequel Stolen as first prize and the second place winner will get to choose an ecopy of any one of Ella James' books.
It's international and open for a week.
There are no follower requirements to enter but they will get you extra entries.
Just fill in the form!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

10 Jun 2012

Stained by Ella James - Chapter one

Stained book one.
After a fire destroys seventeen-year-old Julia's home and kills her foster parents, she chases the half-demon responsible across the country and back, determined to avenge her family and discover why a host of celestial baddies want her dead. With Julia is enigmatic hottie Cayne, who has his own score to settle with the half-demon, and who might be just as dangerous as the creature he and Julia hunt.
Listed as one of the Top 10 Books of 2011, Cayne voted one of 2011's Top 10 Book Boyfriends. Recipient of the Flamingnet Top Choice Award.


Chapter 1

The monster clawed the dark sky, hissing and spitting and belching ash. Its fat orange talons twisted the little house until it cracked, until the walls caved and the roof collapsed.  

Neighbors sprang from their quiet homes and stumbled to the yard, drunk from the light, shouting for help. And for nothing. No one inside was alive.

Julia knew this.

She watched the fire as it swelled, as it swallowed glass and gulped brick. She watched while her clothes and books and, oh God, the bodies of her parents, stoked the beast.

The wet Memphis wind whipped smoke through her hair as the remains of the little house on Galloway Avenue rained over the street.

Sirens wailed—God why were there sirens, hurrying drivers running red lights, when no one was alive?—and as Julia stood there, statue still, something in the smoke plume caught her eye. It looked like…wings. She squinted and the smoke cloud formed a torso, arms, and legs. The wind beat against the cloud and made him corporeal: a huge, dark-skinned, black-winged man with a sick grin and sharp red eyes.

He turned a slow circle, the Angel of Death looking for someone else to claim—but she was tucked into the shadows of the lawn.

Julia would not die this night.

The sirens grew louder and she staggered into the small pine grove behind her house. A straw path led to Dirk and Dwight’s, through two tidy yards and down three doors.

She shook her head, squeezed her eyes shut. It hadn’t been late. Not that late. Dirk had Ms. Botch for pre-cal. Ms. Bitch. He couldn’t do math, and Dwight just plain couldn’t do school, so Julia had laced up her new pink All-Stars, slipped her notes into her pocket, and sneaked out the window. She hadn’t bothered peeking into her parents’ room. They were snorers, so she knew they were asleep.

She had sat on the boys’ front porch and explained trigonometric functions, her cereal-box watch reading 12:40 a.m. when she arrived. Now it read 1:08. Twenty-eight minutes. Twenty-eight minutes and this.

The neighbors stayed near the crumbling curb, bobbing heads together, palms pressed over eager mouths. Soon they would be talking. That foster girl and that poor, sweet couple. Such a shame.

Julia searched for a cue in their script, but she couldn’t find her lines. Because she didn’t have any. Because she would be gone.

She couldn’t go back to the state, not after five years of paradise. Harry and Suzanne had been her parents since she was twelve, and she would follow them into the annals of the neighborhood’s folklore.

As red and white and orange light jumped across cotton gowns and tragic faces, and the sirens out-whined the noise of the inferno, Julia walked away.

                                         

It was the water that startled her out of it—startled her awake. Somehow, she’d gone to sleep standing, and when Julia came to, she was a long way from home. The girl who could barely do two miles for PhysEd had walked—well…her brain didn’t seem capable of guesstimation, but it was a stretch. From Overton all the way to the muddy Mississippi.

She was a gunshot from downtown, her bare feet bunched over the short grass that fringed the river. She took a few wobbly steps back, almost into Riverside Drive, and someone’s import horn reminded her of her place.

Heart pounding, Julia crossed the street. She followed the sidewalk past a steep hill bearing a row of river-view homes, until the neighborhood folded into itself and the pretty painted houses became old gas stations, abandoned buildings, and squalid apartment complexes.

She sank her nails into her palms as she passed a patch of deserted warehouses. One, a white brick ruin with a faded pecan mural, caught her eye. She ripped three weathered boards off a window and shimmied inside.

Suzanne had always bought a giant bag of roasted pecans for Christmas, and that’s what the place smelled like: Christmas. And mildew.

It looked like a nightmare. Crates and boxes and overturned chairs littered the floor. Thick cobwebs covered the corners, and every surface sported a layer of grime.

For just a second, she glanced back at the window, where sickly blueish light from a battered street lamp filtered in. Her stomach flip-flopped. Did she really want to do this? She swayed under a wave of nausea that started with the memory of her favorite Modcloth sweater and ended with thoughts too horrible to think.

Her breaths came loud and hard, and before she knew it, her body was shaking like a seizure. She turned a wobbly circle, trying to get away from herself. Failing. She saw a snapshot image of Suzanne padding to bed in her favorite blue fleece nightgown. And randomly, their toothbrushes: Harry’s green, Suzanne’s purple; always Oral-B. Julia had a hot pink one in her own little cup. She pictured it crumpling in the heat. There had been water in the sink and the rug had been worn-out and Harry’s Bible by his bed, had the pages of the Bible burned surely the Bible wouldn’t burn, what had happened to the water, did the water in the pipes just sizzle dry?

She put a hand to her stomach and heard a wretched keeling cry that didn’t sound quite human.  

“Omigod. OMIGOD!” She stumbled toward the blueish light, tripping on a crate, dry-heaving on the floor. 

She crawled the rest of the way to the window, shoved her boneless body between the nail-riddled boards; one gashed her upper arm and she wiped numbly at the blood.

The ground was damp. As her eyes slid shut, she thought: what about the Angel of Death? He had claimed Suzanne and Harry but not her. Luck or fate, she wondered as she hugged herself.



Sometime much later, Julia opened her eyes and found herself face-to-face with the skinny trunk of a young maple tree. To her shock, she was curled in the fetal position, mere inches from a graffiti’d sidewalk in the old warehouse district. She looked up at the tree then glanced down the narrow, foggy street. It was empty, and it would probably stay that way; no one drove here. It was a miracle she’d made it through the night.

And then it hit her.

Oh God. Oh God,” she exhaled, remembering. She looked down at herself, at her purple t-shirt stamped with Janis Joplin’s face. It smelled like smoke. She stuck out her legs—skinny jeans Suzanne had bought for her from Abercrombie. It was bad enough that they hadn’t helped her win any new friends at school—she just wore them feeling like they made her butt look pretty decent, walking around like a ghost because not many people knew her and no one was looking at her butt. Now her butt was nonexistent.

She was nonexistent.

Fear sluiced through her. The familiar dread of having no one. Group home, smelling of detergent and apple juice. Her lonely little bed. Writing letters for the web site.

My name is Julia. I have brown hair and brown eyes. I don’t have a Mommy and a Daddy but I want to…

She dropped her head into her hands and let horror wash through her like an ocean wave. She’d seen the ocean for the very first time last year. She thought about its pretty blue-green waters—stretching on and on. She inhaled, exhaled till she didn’t feel like she was going to lose her shit anymore, and then she made herself stand up.

Julia thought about the twins as she rubbed her neck. If it went right, the cops would think she was dead, so she couldn’t see Dirk and Dwight again. Not even at school, which she suddenly realized she would never again have to attend. Suzanne and Harry would have knocked her a good one for dropping out, but she didn’t care. School was a non-issue. She’d always been smart.

She was smart enough not to get jumped on the way to a gas station, and to get a good five-finger discount on two Kit-Kat bars, a can of Grapico, and some scissors. Back in the warehouse, she chopped her signature hip-length tresses to her shoulder blades and frowned at the cloudy mirror.

The girl frowning back was a stranger. Without the thick ebony curtain distracting from her face, her smallish mouth and unremarkable nose stood out. Her big brown eyes looked even bigger. She could see too much of her high cheekbones and ivory-white-girl skin.

All she could think was that it didn’t matter. It didn’t matter how she looked. She could let her teeth rot out. Who would know?

The thought made her feel oh so very, very tired.

She found a ratty old tarp draped over a pile of crates and dragged it into the cleanest corner of the warehouse, where she curled into a little ball and tried to pretend the floor wasn’t digging into her shoulder until she counted her way to sleep.

The sleep was beautiful and dreamless. The next thing she stole was a bottle of NyQuil, and she spent an entire day sleeping.

She might have slept forever, but a loud thud woke her sometime late that third night. Julia jerked up, heart pounding, senses alight.

There it was again: a series of thuds on the warehouse roof. She pulled the tarp to her chin as clouds of dust rained over her. The banging continued for probably half a minute before it stopped. Half a minute in which she hoped her death would be a fast one. Julia counted to ten before she opened her eyes, and several more seconds passed before she dared to breathe.

“What the—”

Julia covered her head as wood beams and chunks of concrete crashed down around her. She crouched with her back against the wall, paralyzed with fear until suddenly everything was quiet. When the dust cleared, she peeked over a pile of rubble and gasped.

Dozens of glossy charcoal feathers settled around a hole in the floor at least half a foot deep. A guy was inside. She swiftly registered broad shoulders, hard muscle, and dark hair.

A hot guy. Very hot. He had, too literally, fallen at her feet. 

Author biography
Ella James is the author of Stained and Stolen, books one and two in the Stained Series; HERE, book one in an unusual sci-fi romance trilogy; and Before You Go, a one-shot YA romance beach read that tells the first meeting of Logan and Margo, who will be featured in her upcoming adult release, Over The Moon. She has a YA paranormal romance release scheduled for almost every month of 2012, including Chosen (Stained Book Three) in June and the second HERE book in July. Ella is inviting readers to help her write an adult romance shapeshifter novel, which is plotted via polls and questions on her blog and her Facebook page. Ella lives in Birmingham, Alabama, with her wonderful husband, opinionated baby, and mopey dog. You can visit her blog, or friend her on Facebook. For a list of her award-winning YA romances, visit her Amazon page.

Check out more by Ella James:


STOLEN (Stained Book 2):
With Cayne's fate in the hands of his enemies and Julia spirited away to the covert Stained compound, the two are separated by impenetrable walls and a gulf of unanswered questions. Soon Julia learns the truth about the Stained and the plans they have for her, the compound is attacked, and a new group is running from an unwanted destiny, searching the globe in pursuit of the knowledge that just might save them all.

CHOSEN (Stained Book 3):
Julia has been chosen. While at the Stained compound, she was tapped as The one to win the war against the Nephilim and leashed with an illness that worsens each day she is away from The Three. Determined not to return to the frightening Chosen leaders and desperate to learn the fate of The One, Julia and Co. trek to the Swiss Alps, home of a rogue Chosen clan. In this snowy haven, all Hell breaks loose. Someone is a traitor… Someone changes sides… Someone is dragged to Hades… A new romance blossoms. An old romance is damned. And The Three will stop at nothing to recover the weapon that will help them regain power.

HERE (Here Trilogy Book 1):
Milo Mitchell's life used to be charmed, but that was before her family dissolved, she went a little crazy, and her best friends started acting more like strangers. Spending Saturday morning in a treehouse with a stun gun for company and a herd of deer for friends is the only exciting thing in her life...until she shoots a fawn and finds her dart stuck in a guy.

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


BEFORE YOU GO:
Margo Ford just became an heiress. Not the Paris Hilton kind. Her billions came after her father died and her insanely wealthy, insanely absent mother officially claimed her. Unfortunately, some terrorists noticed, and they hatched a plot to kidnap her. After a news report goes awry, reporting that Margo *has* been kidnapped, and her mother offers the humiliating sum of $500,000 for her return, Margo doesn't want anything to do with her *#$!@ of an egg donor. Then she is sentenced to a summer of "protection" on her mother's private island. Not the Oprah Winfrey kind. This one has an astronomical observatory filled with scientists, including Logan Greer, a super hot, super infuriating planet-hunter. Hiding out from kidnappers has never been so boring... until suddenly it isn't anymore.
Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...