Winter Reads Cover

Sit back, relax in your favorite reading chair and enjoy 15 Winter Reads from 15 bestselling YA authors. There is something to delight every reader in this box set – paranormal romance, futuristic sci-fi, historical, time travel, and contemporary. Many of the Indelibles have given you access to both the first and second books in their series – you’ll be reading well into the New Year!

LIMITED TIME BOX SET - from 15 bestselling YA authors ON SALE 12/29 - 1/11 for just $1.99


Amazon * Barnes & Noble


15 Winter Reads includes:


 
Iron ButterflyThe Iron Butterfly by Chanda Hahn

Escaping an experimental prison, Thalia tries to hide her past and her gifts, from her friends. But her past isn’t always easy to escape, especially when it hunts you down.

 
TrembleTremble (Celestra Series) by Addison Moore

Sixteen year-old, Skyla Messenger is a dead girl walking. When her newly remarried mother moves the family to Paragon Island, to a house that is rumored to be haunted, Skyla finds refuge in Logan Oliver, a boy who shares her unique ability to read minds.

 
ExiledExiled by RaShelle Workman

Venus wakes to find herself no longer on her home planet of Kelari, but on Earth with a week to get back or she'll die.


Dragonfly CoverDragonfly by Leigh Talbert Moore

Gossip Girl meets VC Andrews in this contemporary family saga. Love, lies, and betrayal become the new normal when Anna enters the world of Jack and Lucy Kyser.

Amazon  * Facebook  * Twitter  * Goodreads  * Pinterest

 
open mindsOpen Minds and Closed Hearts by Susan Kaye Quinn

When everyone reads minds, a secret is a dangerous thing to keep.

 Blog * Twitter * Facebook * Wattpad * Goodreads

 
untraceableUntraceable by S.R. Johannes

When Grace's forest ranger dad disappears on patrol, she fights town authorities, tribal officials, & nature to prove he’s alive. Torn between a new hot boy and cute ex, she heads into the wilderness to find her dad. Soon, she is caught in a web of conspiracy, deception, and murder.

 Twitter * Facebook * Blog  * Goodreads

 
date an alienHow to Date an Alien and How to Break Up With an Alien by Magan Vernon

Alex Bianchi takes an internship at an alien operations center to pad her college applications but doesn't plan on falling in love with one of its residents. But as Alex’s senior year progresses, everything changes and she can’t figure out if it is interstellar or if it is just time to break up with an alien.

 
flutterFlutter of Luv by L.M. Preston

Dawn, the neighborhood tomboy, is happy to be her best friend’s shadow. Acceptance comes from playing football after school with the guys on the block while hiding safely behind her glasses, braces, and boyish ways. But Tony moves in, becomes the star Running Back on her school’s football team, and changes her world and her view of herself forever.

 
watchedWatched by Cindy M. Hogan

It takes more than a school trip to change Christy's life. It takes murder.

 Blog * Twitter * Facebook * Goodreads

   
clockwiseClockwise and ClockwiseR by Elle Strauss

A follow up to Clockwise, Casey and Nate travel back in time and race against the clock to rescue Casey's rebellious brother Tim from frontline battle in America's civil war.

 Website * Blog * Twitter * Facebook * Wattpad * Goodreads

   
5.5"X8.5" Post Card TemplateGlimpse (Zellie Wells #1) and Glimmer (Zellie Wells #2) by Stacey Wallace Benefiel

While working together to figure out what their shared vision means, Zellie discovers that Benjamin is a worthy friend and mentor. If only he could keep his hands off of her - if only she wanted him to...

 Blog * Twitter * Facebook * Goodreads

 
spy like meA Spy Like Me by Laura Pauling

After dodging bullets on a first date, Savvy must decide how far she'll go to protect the ones she loves.

 Blog * Twitter * Goodreads

 
Grasping At Eternity by Karen Amanda Hooper

An eternal soul mate, a supernatural family who has known her for centuries, and lifetimes of erased memories: this is Maryah Woodsen’s life. She just doesn’t know it yet.

 Twitter * Facebook * Blog * Goodreads

 
lacrimosaLacrimosa by Christine Fonseca

In the world of angels and demons, one thing is clear - some sacrifices should never be made. Even for love.

 
spruce knollThe Secret of Spruce Knoll by Heather McCorkle

The town of Spruce Knoll hides many secrets—and many dangers, among them are that the untimely death of Eren’s parents was no accident and that she is far more than she realizes.

 Blog * Twitter * Facebook * Wattpad * Goodreads




Giveaway Details
$100 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash Ends
1/11/14

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the authors. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

  a Rafflecopter giveaway

Title: Unremembered
Author: Jessica Brody
Publication: March 5th 2013
Publisher: Macmillan
Rating: 4/5
Amazon | B&N | The Book Depository

Synopsis:

When Freedom Airlines flight 121 went down over the Pacific Ocean, no one ever expected to find survivors. Which is why the sixteen-year-old girl discovered floating among the wreckage—alive—is making headlines across the globe.

Even more strange is that her body is miraculously unharmed and she has no memories of boarding the plane. She has no memories of her life before the crash. She has no memories period. No one knows how she survived. No one knows why she wasn’t on the passenger manifest. And no one can explain why her DNA and fingerprints can’t be found in a single database in the world.

Crippled by a world she doesn’t know, plagued by abilities she doesn’t understand, and haunted by a looming threat she can’t remember, Seraphina struggles to piece together her forgotten past and discover who she really is. But with every clue only comes more questions. And she’s running out of time to answer them.


Her only hope is a strangely alluring boy who claims to know her from before the crash. Who claims they were in love. But can she really trust him? And will he be able to protect her from the people who have been making her forget?


My thoughts:

What sounded to me like a cliche love story turned into an action packed thriller that I reluctantly came to love. Our story focuses on a girl we call “Violet” though her real name is yet to be found. Violet turned up in the middle of the ocean as the only surviving person from a plane crash into the ocean. Pretty crazy, right. But get this: She is also a super-genuis at math and knows languages she didn’t even think she knew! What is up with this girl?!

To make matters worse; she’s lost all of her memories, and has nobody to come and claim her. This is what I’d like to call, shit out of luck. But there is hope for Violet when a mysterious man comes into her life, but the things he is about to say will feel out of this world, to say the least. 


I did have one technical complaint, however, and that was on dialogue continuity. It’s just that, for a girl who had no command of the English language at the start of the book? She picked up on humor and implied meanings pretty quickly. So aside from that, it was well done. The character development was patchy, but it was focused on the journey and suspense more than relating to the characters. Because honestly, Violet is a Mary Sue in every single way aside from having compromised memory. She’s beautiful, smart, strong, yadda, yadda, so she’s totally not something we could compare ourselves to. But the morals of the book are still heart warming and it’s got an ending that’ll make you smile. Worth a read.

*Reviewed by Otter*

offeringThe Offering by Kimberly Derting True love—and world war—is at stake in the conclusion to The Pledge trilogy, a dark and romantic blend of dystopia and fantasy. Charlie, otherwise known as Queen Charlaina of Ludania, has become comfortable as a leader and a ruler. She’s done admirable work to restore Ludania’s broken communications systems with other Queendoms, and she’s mastered the art of ignoring Sabara, the evil former queen whose Essence is alive within Charlie. Or so she thinks. When the negotiation of a peace agreement with the Queendom of Astonia goes awry, Charlie receives a brutal message that threatens Ludania, and it seems her only option is to sacrifice herself in exchange for Ludanian freedom. But things aren’t always as they seem. Charlie is walking into a trap—one set by Sabara, who is determined to reclaim the Queendoms at any cost.

Barnes and Nobleamazon blogBook Depository blog
  Praise for The Offering "This was a truly epic ending to the series." --Crystal Perkins, Goodreads Review "The final book in Kimberly Derting’s Pledge trilogy is a thrilling conclusion. I was immediately swept up into it and powered right through. It was pretty much what I wanted with a few surprises along the way." --Krys at Bibliopunkk Reads

add to goodreads


Pledge Trilogy


kimberly derting  Author Kimberly Derting Kimberly Derting is the author of the BODY FINDER series, THE PLEDGE trilogy, and THE TAKING (coming April 2014 from HarperTeen). She lives in the Seattle area, with her husband and three children, who often find the outrageous things they say either in the pages of her books or posted on Twitter or Facebook for the entire world to see.  

Social Media Website Social Media Blog Social Media Facebook Social Media Twitter Social Media Pinterest Social Media Goodreads Social Media Google +
   
Offering Tour 



BookBlast $50 Giveaway $50 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash Ends 1/18/14 Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. a Rafflecopter giveaway



Happy holidays to everyone! For this hop you can have any book via TBD $15 or under. Good luck!



a Rafflecopter giveaway




Title: JOLT The Paranormal and Dystopian
Author: K.D. McLean
Genre: Dystopia, Paranormal
Publisher: Monarch Moments
Date of Publication: November 25 2013

Book Description:

What if it cost you NOTHING to put gas in your car? What if you paid nothing to heat your home or cool it in summer? What if your electric bill was only for new light bulbs? How would that change your life? A real pipe dream, right?

Joel Heath, PhD has dedicated his career to making this pipe dream a reality. He’s obsessed with unlocking the secret of cold fusion energy. He’s come so close, but the final piece of the puzzle eludes him.

Which is a good thing, for Joel actually. You see, Phil Devlin’s energy conglomerate earns billions in profits with things just the way they are. He’s been keeping tabs on Joel. Phil was ruthless in attaining his stature of wealth and influence, and he’d protect his position with ferocity. He can crush Professor Joel Heath with a text message.

Neither man knows the planet is 90 days away from global slaughter, triggered by an oil war. One man does know. He has been cursed with prescient visions. These visions have shattered his life, plummeting him from an established career to begging on the street.

Joel’s simple gesture of compassion to this homeless derelict is rewarded with a dazzling insight. He has the key! This jolt of clarity begins with a touch, a touch that can send the world spinning out of control.

Because Phil Devlin sends that text message.


About the Author:

Katie lives in Canada near Lake Ontario with her partner Desmond. They are living the life that they’ve always dreamed about--writing, editing and collaborating on books. Both are alumni of Queen’s University in Kingston and are frequent visitors to the Tyendinaga reservation, where the novel JOLT is set. She has published a series of adult romance books as well as a romantic comedy, recently released – Funny Business.

For relaxation (what is that?) she and Desmond enjoy walking their neurotic pug, trying different recipes together (Des cooks, Katie helps) and watching HBO movies, followed by immersion in their hot tub. There’s almost nothing better than star gazing in the frigid air while being toasty warm…Well maybe skiing at Mont St. Anne is a close second.

In taking on an epic of the scale of JOLT, Katie has been inspired by the words of Goethe.

“Be bold and mighty forces will come to your aid.”


Author: Lisa Acerbo
Title: Apocalipstick

Darkness comes alive at five in the morning when I lurch out of bed and make my way to the Keurig coffee machine by rote memory.  Darkness laughs when it trips me (thank the bowl of cat food that mysteriously moved in the middle of the night and the maze of cat toys scattered across the floor) or bruises my elbow (I really thought the entryway to the bathroom was right there). 

You might wonder whether I enjoy getting up so early and writing in the morning hours, and sometimes I do, but November was different.  November was National Novel Writing Month, and I decided to reach 50,000 words by November 30. 

“Good luck with that,” my non-writing friends offered.    

The high school students I lovingly instruct laughed and asked, “How many pages equal 50,000 words?” 

“About 200 pages,” I replied.

Silence filled the classroom for the first time since day one of class. They were flummoxed.  Then a couple snickers and “Really?”

“Really.”   

Forcing myself up in the early hours of pre-dawn to write might sound strange, but I had to try something.  Anything.  After completing my first novel, Apocalipstick, and having it published by the wonderful people at Eternal Press, the second book languished in a small file folder on my computer.  I would stare at the file occasionally, scoff at the meager contents, and turn away, surfing Facebook or Twitter.

Starting to write again, especially with the demands of a full time job, was hard, but then came the joy and pain of National Novel Writing Month.  I often struggled for motivation, waiting for the first glimmer of sunlight to act as a muse.  At times, writing every day became a struggle, especially when my characters had nothing to say. 

During those mornings I lacked inspiration, the blank page gawked at me.  After an hour I eagerly deleted the disjointed ideas or the few hundred words I managed to squeeze out so.  Those were the days when George Orwell summed up my emotional state best.  “Writing a book is a horrible, exhausting struggle, like a long bout with some painful illness. One would never undertake such a thing if one were not driven on by some demon whom one can neither resist nor understand.”

Other times, words came fast and furious.  I found models to read, which provided inspiration. There were days when my characters sprung off the page, alive and with places to go, zombies to slay, and much to say about it.  

 As November streaked into December, I realized that the writing process, the journey, the adventure of National Writing Month became more important than word count. The fact that I found a way past my writer’s block, created new adventures for my characters, and realized they still had important things to tell each other, made every morning worthwhile.  

I might be tired and cranky until I catch up on sleep, but the next book now has a life of its own.  I reconnected with the characters and they have found new adventures. Unfortunately, they have also run across some minor calamities and nasty-tempered zombies, along the way.  It wouldn’t be the apocalypse without it.

In his amazing book (can you tell I’m a fan), On Writing, Stephen King said, “Amateurs sit and wait for inspiration, the rest of us just get up and go to work.”   

Now that it is December, I have to remember to get to work, not only teaching but also writing every day.  Just like my other job, some days are not as fun and exciting as others, but the process is important.  It is watching the characters come alive and the plot travel down a road of its own.

While National Writing Month might be over, I recommend that more people start writing a little every day.  What is the worst that can happen? So now it is your turn.  Turn on the computer or grab a pen.  Create.  Laugh.  Cry.  I believe people end up living a little more when they write.





sparksSparks the Matchmaker by Russell Elkins Ollie just wants one thing. The girl. Things haven’t been going so well with Anne lately, though; their relationship has become a perpetual study date, and Ollie’s roommates are starting to worry about him. How to fix things? Why, with a marriage proposal, of course. Unfortunately for Ollie, his relationship with Anne has run out of gas. Life feels like it’s counting down to one. And that one is the only person in Ollie’s life he really cares about: Ollie. Perhaps, then, he should get over himself. But first he has to deal with Sparks, the irritating little Yankees fan who invades his life in order to “help” him. And while Keith, his best friend, is doing all he can to help, Ollie’s other friend Richie never fails to show up and threaten to ruin everything just by being himself. Never mind all the drama Sparks brings to the party by forcing Ollie to take a job actually helping people in need. Will Ollie meet the girl? Will it be in history class? On a road trip to Colorado? Can he get over Anne, or should he try to mend the relationship? Should he pursue the new girl Sparks is trying to set him up with? As the strings of the puppeteer tangle with the strings of the heart, only one person can sort out the mess Ollie has made. It seems that the harder he tries, the more Ollie messes things up. Is Sparks a cruel manipulator, or is he really going to help Ollie find his match?

  Praise for Sparks the Matchmaker: I wasn't sure what to expect from this book. How many "romance" novels do you read where the protagonist is male, or even where the author is male? At first, I thought that was going to be the unique focus of this story. I was pleasantly surprised, though. The "Sparks" character was a completely unique take on things. Also, I tend to be one of those people who frequently predicts the endings of books and t.v. shows, etc., but I hadn't seen the ending of this story coming. It was a quick and easy read (which was just what I needed right now) but with plenty of intelligence and creativity woven into the story. I think I can say with confidence that even my teenage son would enjoy it, as well as my Mom. Looking forward to the next installment in the series. Definitely not what I expected from a romantic comedy novel, but in a good way! Can't wait for the next one :)

add to goodreads


russell elkinsAuthor Russell Elkins Russell Elkins has become a leading expert on open adoption through first-hand experience that he now shares in Open Adoption, Open Heart. Russell regularly contributes to Adoption.com. He also writes his own blog at russellelkins.com to educate others in the struggles and beauties of open adoption. Russell has always been a family man at heart, looking forward to the day when he could be a husband and a father. It took him a little while, but eventually his eyes locked onto a beautiful blonde, and he has never looked away. Russell and Jammie were married in 2004. They had the same goals for their home and didn't want to wait too long before starting their family. However, filling their home quickly with children wasn't in the cards, and they found themselves weighing their options to overcome problems with infertility. Their lives changed dramatically the day they decided to adopt. Russell and Jammie have adopted two beautiful children, Ira and Hazel, and have embraced their role as parents through open adoption. Both are actively engaged in the adoption community by communicating through social media, taking part in discussion panels, and writing songs about adoption. Russell was born on Andrews Air Force Base near Washington, D.C., in the fall of 1977. Along with his five siblings, he and his military family moved around a lot, living in eight different houses by the time he left for college at age 17. Although his family moved away from Fallon, Nevada, just a few months after he moved out, he still considers that little oasis in the desert to be his childhood hometown. Even after leaving home, Russell always stayed close to his family. He shared an apartment with each of his three brothers at different times during his college career. They formed a band together back in the 1990s and still perform on a regular basis under the name of the Invisible Swordsmen. After nearly a decade of college and changing his major a few times, Russell received his bachelor's degree in sociology from Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. He later graduated from Ameritech College where he learned the trade of being a dental lab technician. Russell now owns and operates Elkins Dental Lab located in Meridian, Idaho.

Interview:

1. What inspired you to write this book?
Well, a number of things. There's a lot of me in this book. A bunch of the things I put the main charcter (Ollie) through are a lot of the things I went through when I was a young adult. The concept of Sparks came to me when I was watching something on TV that sparked some ideas- what would it be like if someone really could read people's actions? And what would it be like if he wanted to play matchmaker with people?

2. What characters do you connect with most?
Ollie is the main character. He's selfish and self-centered. Although I don't consider myself to be those things, just like everyone, I have those tendencies too. In a way, this was a chance to pick at myself and expose how I could/should work on not being a self-centered idiot. It was fun to drag Ollie through the mud to teach him a lesson or two.

3. What's your favorite book-turned movie?
I'm a big fan of Lord of the Rings, but I like the movies more than the book. I'm a big fan of the Harry Potter series, and I like those books more than the movie. I guess that makes me pretty trendy.

4. If you could be best friends with one of your characters, who would it be?
All of the main characters were based on someone. Keith is Ollie's best friend, and he was based on one of my best friends growing up- the one I always went to when I needed to talk about girls and stuff.

5. Can you tell us about any other books you're writing?
I'm really excited about my next book, which is tentatively called Through the Fence. It will be more adventurous- kind of a Hunger Games type of thing. I'm working on it with an awesome author, Chris White. It's going to be great. That first draft is done, and I'm also currently working on the plot map for part 2 in the Sparks the Matchmaker series.

6. What do you do in your spare time?
I play guitar and sing with my band. I love love love it. We play two or three times a month in restaurants and places around the valley. We're about to record another album (will be our 5th).

7. Who's your inspiration?
My beautiful wife, Jammie, drives every emotion inside of me. She builds me up like nobody I have ever met before.

8. If you were stranded on a desert island which character do you want by your side?
I'd have to say Lynn. She's funny, witty, and always positive. If I'm stuck somewhere dire, like a desert island, I'll need someone positive with me so I don't go bat crazy.

9. Team Edward or Jacob?
Jacob, obviously. Who wants someone cold and dead?

10. Team Peeta or Gale?
Peeta. I just like Peeta. No real reason other than that.


11. What are you reading now?
I'm always reading a bunch of books at once, depending on my mood. Lone Survivor (Marcus Lutrell, a true book about a Navy Seal), Believing Christ (Stephen Robinson), The Falling Part (by my sister, helping her analyze this third draft), Genesis Evolution (B. Russell McConkie), The Host (Stephenie Meyer), Called to Adoption. Yeah, so I'm always reading a bunch at a time. I know. Silly. That's why I love my Kindle so much.


  Tour Giveaway $25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash Ends 1/12/14. Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This post will have Julie Kramer - Riley Spartz TV mystery series: Stalking Susan, Missing Mark, Silencing Sam, Killing Kate, Shunning Sarah, and soon to come, Delivering Death - live chat! She will be talking about her books, herself, and questions you have! Please tweet #JulieKramerChat if you want to ask Julie a question.



Summary:

Two sexy English brothers. One irresistible ghost. Who would you choose as your lover?

Completely broke and with a criminal record to boot, Senna Smith is one day from eviction from her apartment when Brendon, her promiscuous roommate from London, suggests she go to England, marry him, and manage his fortune. With few other options, she agrees to an open marriage. But she’ll never, ever, have sex with him, knowing if she falls in love with him, he’ll break her heart.

As trustee of Brendon’s family fortune, there is no way Brendon’s older brother, Garrison Durran, is going to let him marry a self-professed American gold-digger. As Senna tries to embrace castle life and English society for Brendon’s sake, Gar discovers Senna is the perfect woman for him--beautiful and intelligent, kind and caring. Now, if she wasn’t already engaged to his brother…

The ancestral ghost of Durran Castle has to intervene if the Durran brothers have any chance of an heir. He can’t leave them to fix matters on their own. They are useless buggers when it comes to love. As counselor to Gar, matchmaker for Brendon, and lover to Senna, a ghost’s work is never done. 


CONTENT WARNING: Allergy warning: Ghost cat in book. 


Excerpt:

 “So my brother steals all your money and to compensate you, he suggests you come to England, marry him, and he’ll give you his trust fund.” Only his brother could contrive such an absurd plan.

“Yes.” By her brief answer, he gathered she thought it a perfectly reasonable solution.

His brother might be an idiot, but this gold digger would soon discover Gar a force to reckon with. “Did he steal a half million from your bank account?”

Brendon laughed. “Do you have any idea how long that would take? Cash machines only allow you two visits a day at two hundred dollars a pop.”

“How much did he take?” Gar restated his question.

“Four hundred,” Senna replied.

Gar stared up at the ceiling praying for patience, then glared at Ditz. “So why didn’t you pay her back the four hundred?”

Ditz stubbornly refused to answer, and instead glanced at the girl.


She sighed and faced Gar. “Precisely what I asked. He said he didn’t have the four hundred, but if I married him, he would come into a half million. Since the landlord planned to evict me, I really had no choice but to accept the offer.”


About the author:


Liza lives in Denville, NJ with her dog, Jess. They hike in fabulous woods every day, rain or shine, sleet or snow. Having an adventurous nature, she learned to fly small cessnas in NJ, hang-glide in New Zealand, kayak in Pennsylvania, ski in New York, scuba dive with great white sharks in Australia, dig up dinosaur bones in Montana, sky dive in Indiana, and raft a class four river in Tasmania. She’s an avid gardener, amateur photographer, and dabbler in watercolors and graphic arts. Yet through her entire life, her first love has and always will be writing novels. She loves to create interesting 

Find:
Website | TwitterFacebook





Interview:

1. What inspired you to write this book?
All my books come from dreams I have in the early morning hours. In my dream a handsome ghost made love to me. So in the morning, I researched to see if that actually happens to people, and to my shock, everyone and their aunt claims to have done it, so I declared it fair game for a novel.

2. What characters do you connect with most?
Since I become each of my characters as I write their words and actions, this is like asking me which ‘actress me’ do I like the best. I adore Senna, Gar, The Ghost Cat, Lassier the seductive ghost, Cat and Brendon, maybe in that order, but I’m not sure.

3. What's your favorite book-turned movie?
Pride and Prejudice, the A&E version. They stayed very true to the book. The most recent movie version played too loosely with dialogue and actions.. 

4. If you could be best friends with one of your characters, who would it be?
I think Gar and I would get along very well. Senna and I could have fun too. Brendon and Cat would wear on my nerves. They are too crazy.

5. Can you tell us about any other books you're writing?
The third and final book to my A Long Road to Love series, Coming to Reason will be coming out mid-Feb 2014. Then I plan to publish the first of my favorite series, Xavier & Vic a couple of months later.

6. What do you do in your spare time?
I have no ‘spare time’ I keep a very regulated life. Otherwise, I’d get nothing done. However, I allot 3 hours a day to my dog Jess. In the morning, we take a two hour hike in the woods, and in the afternoon, we take a 1 hour walk around a local park. 

7. Who's your inspiration?
My fellow authors. They not only write and publish, but they have time to do real life stuff too. I’ve no clue how they manage.

8. If you were stranded on a desert island which character do you want by your side?
Of all my characters…Mr. Finch the ghost cat. He has a soothing purr that might keep me calm. 


9. What are you reading now?
I’ve just begun Rebecca Royce’s Finding Her A-Muse-Ment. I love Rebecca’s novels.


a Rafflecopter giveaway




Title: Exit
Author: Shane Filer
Genre: YA, General Fiction, Contemporary
Publisher: Biblio Publishing

Book Description:

"Did you know I spent the whole of my fifteenth year in my room?"

Briar’s impromptu, mid-afternoon confession stirs up distant memories of the lonely time she spent trapped in her home; suffering agoraphobia — fear of open spaces.    

Now it’s six years later.   

She’s free, but the year's isolation has left serious personality disorders; disorders which will resurface as she relates her own story, and that of those in her orbit; Melodie, a pretty valley girl who Briar desires to be, Justine, her oldest friend, who has her own dark secret, and Dermot, a man who thinks he's the reincarnation of Robin Hood — stealing from the rich to give to the poor.  

Slowly Dermot begins to draw Briar into his ever-so-exciting world, but who is leading whom on their slow descent into crime? Duel periods of Briar’s life intertwine like a rope around her neck as her lost year begins to overtake the present. It leads her to the answer to one very simple question:        
     
“Is it what I always feared — am I losing my mind?”




Excerpt  Girl Talk 

“Did you know I spent the whole of my fifteenth year in my room?”
I sit in the trashed corner booth of an empty Indianapolis diner sipping Coke through a red and white striped straw and watch the reaction from my two friends.  
We’ve been here, Melodie, Justine and I, talking, eating, and drinking for hours and we’re all in advanced stages of serious twenty-something afternoon collapse. It’s reached the time where you run out of trivial, conversational-type things to talk about, so you say something deep and personal instead.
Melodie lifts her head from the table and flicks ash haphazardly from her cigarette in the direction of an overflowing ashtray. “You’re kidding?” she asks.
“No, she isn’t,” Justine says. We’ve been friends since school, and she knows me very well.
Elbows all over the table I cup my palms around my chin and explain. “I suffered from agoraphobia. That’s what my doctors said. It sounds awful, but all it means is that I had an irrational fear of being in places or situations from which escape might be difficult in the event of a panic attack. So I avoided those situations. During my Dark Ages I left my bedroom only to eat and go to the bathroom.
“Basically I was worried about death. Abandonment. My health. My mother’s safety. The house catching fire. Food poisoning. Earthquakes. The environment. That kind of stuff.”
I tell Melodie and Justine all these things, and when I open my mouth the words just flood out, like I’ve been wanting desperately to speak them for so long. They sit and listen, perhaps too tired or too hot and bothered to do anything else. I tell them about the first time it happened... the first time I had a panic attack. When I was thirteen. One Saturday in a mall. I can remember the smell of doughnuts and ice-cream, and ferns. I remember ferns. And the sound of a radio playing that dumb Spandau Ballet song — “True” — boy do I hate that song!
“I was standing around, just hanging out with a bunch of my girlfriends, and this boy from my class, who I had, like, this incredible crush on, came up to me and said “Hi!” 
“Those girls pushed me forward. I could hear them giggling behind me, saying ‘Briar’s in love’ and all that junk, and my body froze like a statue. I felt hot and sweaty. My heart was racing. I felt this numbness in my hands and this tightness in my chest like I couldn’t breathe. I had this need to breathe in more air, this need to escape. I just ran out.”
“Shit!” Melodie says.
“Shit,” I agree. “My doctor said later that this overwhelming sensation of terror is similar to the fight or flight response inherent in all animals, including humans. No one seems to know what causes panic attacks, but there are a lot of tell-tale signs that I had right from an early age. I always used to cling to my mother’s leg. I was afraid of Santa Claus.”
“Oh yeah,” Melodie says. “I always hated that old, fat, red, pervert too.”
“I suffered a lot of phobias back then,” I explain further. “I would become possessed by a desire to clean the bathroom. The bathroom and I would literally be covered in Comet cleanser. But then I stopped.”
“Why?” Melodie asks. “Did your cleaning phobia go away?”
“Not exactly. I ran out of Comet.”
Sunlight is pouring in through the diner’s windows and Justine keeps glancing anxiously out there to the street. Am I boring her, I wonder? Anything’s possible — she has heard this one before.
It’s only then that I suddenly notice the sunglasses she wears at a lopsided angle on her face hide a large bruise around her left eye. It’s a horrible purple thing that’s yellowing at the edges like rotten fruit. 
“Oh there’s Addison,” she says suddenly. “I’d better go. I’d better not keep him waiting.”
Following her gaze, I see her boyfriend climb from his red Chrysler LeBaron convertible. Addison Healy has tanned skin and swept-back dark hair, and I’ve never liked him. He’s far too handsome — one of those people who’ve never known what it’s like to be alone — because there’s always someone new throwing themselves shamelessly at him. Someone who’s never had to appreciate the smallest signs of affection.
Justine scoops up her purse, quickly excuses herself, and rushes out to meet him. Leaving a three-quarter full Coke bottle sitting behind on the table, she’s gone almost before I can register it. She’s gone.
I watch them get into the car. She’s talking. Explaining herself. Addison seems agitated; gesturing wildly and I read his lips: “What fucking time do you call this? I told you to be home at three!”
Eventually he throws up his arms in frustration and drives away. I turn back to Melodie.
“Why does she stay with that asshole?” she asks after a long pause. “He hits her, don’t you know?”
“No?”
“How do you think she got that bruise on her face?”
“She said she fell against the... Fuck!” I hadn’t noticed...  well, come to think of it, I have seen signs, but I’ve never put two and two together. Sometimes I wonder if I am so wrapped up in my own problems that I fail to see the suffering of others around me? 
“So what happened with you, Briar?” Melodie asks, toying playfully with the straw in her bottle.
“With me? Oh, after my first panic attack I returned to school and everyone laughed and talked about me, so I stopped going. Slowly I found it harder and harder to leave the house. After a while I gave up entirely.”
“When I did eventually emerge from my room, a week shy of my sixteenth birthday, it wasn’t like a beautiful butterfly emerging triumphantly from her chrysalis, but instead a tired gray moth treading cautiously into the light.”
“My doctor once speculated that my year’s hibernation was due to an irrational fear of growing up, but that’s not right! If I really didn’t want to grow up there are much more reliable methods: sleeping pills, guns, razorblades...”
“God, so how did you, like, get out of it?”
“My brother. My brother helped me. Helped me help myself, I guess.”
“Is this Jeff — twenty-seven and still living at home?”
“No, it’s Paul — twenty and away at college. You haven’t met... oh shit!”
And I suddenly remember: Paul’s arriving home today and I said I’d go with Mom to meet him at the airport. As the afternoon dissolved I’ve lost track of time.
“Is he cute?” Melodie asks as we slip from the diner out onto the pavement.
I can only nod yes.
“Can I come too?”
“No! I’ll see you later!” Melodie is super beautiful. When I first saw her, I wanted to see her again. I hardly ever see really beautiful females. I see pretty ones, hot ones, but hardly ever see a woman that just makes me turn my head and think ‘wow she is stunning.’ I think that people who are attractive just want the world to see something other than their looks. They want other aspects of their personality to shine through. I hate boring people. I hate boring guys. I feel like sometimes if I just be really quirky it will compensate for my lack of looks. Of course this never works.

About the Author:

Shane grew up in provincial New Zealand, a small place where options are small, were people wear PJs to the mall, a small place where dreams of being a writer or artist are not only actively discouraged, they are actively quashed. Nevertheless he fell in love with books, comics and writing at a young age and his early influences include Oscar Wilde, Alan Moore and Dr Seuss. 

After many years of trying to get books, documentaries and films accepted in his own country, Shane gave up and settled for working in the fairly creative world of video-making and advertising. 

A trip to Europe and the USA rekindled his love of writing, and he wrote the American-based novel ‘Exit,’ submitted it this time to American publishers and immediately, received several offers for the work. He chose one and ‘Exit’ will be released December 2nd 2013 in the USA as his first novel from Biblio Publishing.

It is the story of Briar Averill who spent a year trapped in her room, suffering from agophobia. Six years on, she’s free, yet ripples from the year's isolation still lap at the edges of her life, and that of her friends: Melodie, a pretty valley girl who she wishes she could be… Justine, her oldest friend, who has her own dark secret and Dermot who thinks he's the reincarnation of Robin Hood — stealing from the rich to give to the poor. Ripples echo down through the years, leading her to the answer to one very simple question: Is it what she always feared — is she losing her mind?

Shane has since had comic book scripts accepted in the UK by DC Thompson, publisher of the long-running ‘Commando’ comic, fulfilling yet another dream for his child-self.

He lives with a very old and very vocal Tonkinese cat, and they both dream of eloping together to the USA or Europe.

He likes oranges, orange juice, and orange furniture — in fact even the color orange. Why? Well, because it's the best color, of course. While he believes that being a grown up is not all it's cracked up to be, he still enjoys ruining his appetite before dinner, and staying up past his bed time.

Find the author:



a Rafflecopter giveaway




Summary:

Lily Malloy’s life changes forever the night a dark stranger shows up at her door. She soon finds herself growing increasingly attracted to this mysterious man. When Lily is forced to rely on him to find her sister after she goes missing, Lily discovers a secret that could mean life or death.


When Dex’s planet, Jheta, is destroyed, he and his people travel to Earth for a new home. By chance, he stumbles upon fascinating, beautiful Lily. Haunted by the truth of his identity, Dex knows he can never have her. Yet that doesn’t stop his attraction to her. When a threat jeopardizes the lives of Lily and the Jhetans, Dex must fight to protect them, even if it means his own life.

Find the book:
Amazon | B&N



Excerpt:

Lily had never been punched before. That didn’t stop her from feeling as if she had. Right in the chest by her very own twin. She did everything for that girl and this was how she repaid her.

Shay practically skipped out the door to her meeting, leaving Lily and Dex alone. At present, they were riding in her car to the store, not saying a word. However, his presence was all too noticeable even though she tried to ignore it. It was like standing next to a fire and pretending she couldn’t feel the warmth.

When they’d first gotten into the car Dex had ran his long, nimble fingers over the dashboard and leather seats. He rolled the window up and down and changed the radio station again and again. It was almost as if he’d never been inside of a car before. Perhaps it was her 370Z that enthralled him. Men liked cars. It still fascinated her though she drove it every day. She and Shay received new cars from their parents for their most recent birthday. The perks of having well off parents.

“Do you have any idea where you’d like to shop?”

He turned his head to look at her, those dark eyes boring into the side of her face like laser beams. “No. I thought I would leave it up to you. I know little of appropriate fashions.”

She snorted. “Yeah, because you prefer to wear nothing at all.”

“I apologize for frightening you last night. It was not my intention to do so. I sought shelter from the rain and your home was the first I saw.”


Yeah, like she believed that. She was far from gullible.


About the author:

Elaina John is an author from Chicago. She began writing after graduating college and discovering she’d rather write books than work in the corporate world.


Along with Rising Flame, the first book of the Jhetan Chronicles, she is also the author of the States Trilogy and a couple short stories.

Find:
Website | Twitter | Facebook | Blog | Amazon | Smashwords | Google+ | Goodreads





a Rafflecopter giveaway


2013 is coming to an end! This book hop is to give away my favorites of this year. Up for grabs are:



Enter the rafflecopter below to win!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

What is Twilight?

twi·light

/ˈtwīˌlīt/
Noun
  1. The soft glowing light from the sky when the sun is below the horizon, caused by the reflection of the sun's rays from the atmosphere.
  2. The period of the evening during which this takes place, between daylight and darkness.
Synonyms
dusk - gloaming - nightfall

Follow Bloglovin'

Follow on Bloglovin
Follow on Bloglovin

Facebook Page

Twitter

Powered by Blogger.

Blog Archive

Grab My Button

Reading In Twilight

<div align="center"><a href="http://readingintwilight.blogspot.com" title="Reading In Twilight"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v510/glitterberry89/Reading%20In%20Twilight/logo_zpsc75fd5ec.png" width="100%" alt="Reading In Twilight" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

Blogs I Enjoy

The Booksphere
Alison Can Read
Book 2 Buzz


I'm a part of

Total Pageviews