(Dark Sky #2) Publication date: August 2nd 2016 Genres: Dystopian, Fantasy, Young Adult
There are secrets, there are betrayals, and there are sacrifices…
The Behemoth has been destroyed, and the bloodthirsty Hellions seem to have left Westraven. But Claire Abernathy’s mind is not at ease. A terrible disease plagues her sister, appearing to have been brought on the Vesper, the leader of the Hellions beyond the tear between worlds– the Breach.
To save Abby and stop the Hellions for good, Claire must find the machine her parents built before the attacks, and fix it before the monsters return. To do so, she needs the help of her crew, and must ignore the secrets and rivalries between her captain and the man she saved.
Because the Hellions are not the only dangers following Claire. Twisted humans and old enemies surface to stop her and destroy all she loves. While she is determined to endure the trials, a single betrayal could shatter the hope of a better world, and force Claire to make a choice that will cost her dearly…
Amy is a Canadian urban fantasy and horror author. Her work revolves around monsters, magic, mythology, and mayhem. She started writing in her early teens, and never stopped. She loves building unique worlds filled with fun characters and intense action. She is the recipient of April Moon Books Editor Award for "author voice, world-building and general bad-assery," and the One Book Two Standout Award in 2015 for her Cursed trilogy. She has been featured on various author blogs and publishing websites, and is an active member of the Writing GIAM and Weekend Writing Warrior communities. When she isn't writing, she's reading, watching movies, taking photos, gaming, and struggling with chocoholism and ice cream addiction.
(The Lost Knight Series, #1) Publication date: May 20th 2016 Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult
How am I supposed to save the world when I’m not strong, not brave, not smart, and not particularly good at most things? I ran away from home the day after my thirteenth birthday when Auntie and her weird friend attacked me. Now I’m on the run with the Grim Reaper and a scary soldier. And I’m no longer on Earth. They were expecting me to be a Knight. The savior that’s supposed to stop a war and prevent the invasion to Earth. But I’m not. They grabbed the wrong girl. I just don’t know how to tell them.
There’s no furniture except for a naked table and chairs standing alone in the family room. I remember the table being a lot bigger, so I must have been about five the last time I saw it. We have a fireplace? A sad sigh escapes my lips. It would’ve been so nice to sit by a fire on cold nights.
I numbly inspect the apartment and try to fathom how this happened. It’s impossible to remove everything from this place in the few hours I’ve been gone. Even with a crew of twenty and heavy equipment, it should’ve taken at least a week.
Auntie steps out of the kitchen and greets me with a ridiculously wide grin. “Oh, there you are, dear.”
The dear at the end of Auntie’s statement must mean she wants to impress the tall man standing next to her. Just looking at the guy, it’s obvious he’s important. His perfectly tailored wool suit is an expensive shade of charcoal, and his black shoes are
very shiny. Lawyer, obviously.
Auntie’s treasures are the most important things in the world to her. They’re gone, and she’s delighted. She should be bawling her eyes out or, more accurately, screaming her head off. She’s definitely enthralled with the stranger beside her. Maybe she’s just happy she was able to keep her cats, which are sitting in a row against the wall, staring at her. I’ve never seen cats line up like that: twenty cats, each sitting an equal distance apart.
I’m still dreaming. I bet I never woke up. This is part of my nightmare. At least, I hope it is. “Well, say hello!” Auntie demands.
I drop my gaze to the floor. “Hello.”
Auntie’s visitor nods as he walks past me, closes the door and ushers me in to sit at the table. His long braid falls over his shoulder when he sits in the other chair. He gives me a selfconscious smile when he flings it back over his shoulder.
I shiver when he slides Auntie’s beautiful carved chest with the crystal ball in it over to me. Maybe it is valuable if a lawyer is involved. “Do you know who I am, Agatha?”
“No, sir,” I whisper.
“This is Grand Wiz—” Auntie begins, but he silences her with a wave.
“My name is Duradin. I’m a friend of your foster mother, and I knew your parents.”
This information is supposed to give us a connection, but I don’t want to talk about my parents. I want to know why he’s here. He’s expecting a reaction, but I just sit there and wait for him to tell me whatever it is he wants me to know. We stare at each other for an uncomfortable amount of time until he gives up and nudges the chest. “Do you know what this is?”
“It’s Auntie’s box.”
Duradin smiles. “No. It’s your box. More precisely, it’s your Orb.”
By the way he says it, he’s trying to impress me, but it’s just the crystal ball that Auntie always makes me look at. This man is crazy. Auntie is crazy, and it’s becoming quite clear that I’m crazy, too.
Duradin lifts the box, opens it carefully, and formally presents it to me. I grab the marble and he places his hands over mine, closing my fingers around the orb. The contact causes waves of revulsion to travel up my arms, but I don’t know how to yank my hands back without making Auntie mad.
He leans in and puts his face close to mine. I can smell the mint on his breath as he stares into my eyes. “This Orb has special powers, and I’m here to help you use them.”
The marble slides around my sweaty palm as I fight the urge to stand. I put my head down to break his stare, and glare at the hands holding mine captive. I just want to get this over with so this man will leave and I can ask Auntie what happened to her stuff.
“I need you to relax,” he instructs as he shakes my arms. “Take a few deep breaths. Close your eyes.”
I do as he orders, but I’m not relaxed. My heartbeat is matching pace with my anxiety. Mr. Duradin starts chanting in the weird language Auntie always uses when she
makes me do the birthday ritual. His chant is longer than Auntie’s and more powerful, if that’s possible.
“Now, open your eyes and peer into the Orb,” he whispers.
I do what he wants, but as always, it’s just a ball. I want to lie to him and tell him I see something, but then he’ll ask questions, and I won’t answer them correctly, and then everyone will be mad at me. So I look at the ball and wait for the question I dread.
“This isn’t an ordinary orb, Agatha. Look at it. See through it. How deep does it go?”
I figure it goes about an inch, maybe an inch and a half. I’ve never measured Auntie’s ball—I mean, Orb. However, I can’t answer because he’s chanting again. If everyone around you loses their mind, does that mean you’re really the one who’s insane?
“Look into the eyes of the Orb,” he whispers. “Look into it.”
I do my best to appear as if I’m trying. I would laugh at this man if he weren’t so scary. I want to throw the ball in his face and inform him it’s just a glass marble—so no eyes. I gaze down at the distorted reflection of my hand while Duradin chants louder and Auntie joins in. I focus on keeping my trembling hands still and my breathing even. I don’t want them to know how badly they’re scaring me.
I’m fixated on keeping an appearance of concentration on my face when a dim orange pinlight appears in the center of the Orb. I glance around the room, trying to find what the ball is reflecting.
“You saw something! What do you see?” Duradin grabs me by the hair and forces me to look down at the ball.
Tears spring to my eyes, blurring my vision. Why does he need to hurt me if I’m doing what he wants? I try to lift my head, but he pulls my hair again. The ball is glowing brighter, but I won’t say anything. After he’s gone, I’ll tell Auntie what I saw, and maybe she can explain what’s happening. Until then, I open my hands and let the ball drop to the floor.
Auntie yelps and dives for the ball. Her bulky body bounces me out of my chair. A shriek bursts from my lungs, more from surprise than from the actual fall. I land with a thud and hit my head on the now uncushioned floor.
Duradin’s fingers bruise my skin when he grabs me and drags me to the Orb. “Pick it up.” His tone is quiet and more terrifying than Auntie’s ranting. I do, and he forcibly sits me back down in the chair. He grips the back of my head and demands, “Look at the Orb. What do you see?”
My head hurts, my stuff is gone, and this vile man is forcing me to stare at a marble. I refuse to tell him anything until Auntie explains what’s happening.
“Tell me what you see!”
There’s a hiss, and the man hollers. I snap my head up. Oberon, one of Auntie’s cats, is wrapped around Duradin’s head, sending him to the floor. I launch myself out of the chair toward the door, but Auntie tackles me. I crash to the bare subfloor and slam the air from my body.
“You’re not going anywhere!” she screams, trying to pin me to the ground.
“Let me go!” I try to wiggle out of her grasp. I’ve never been in a fight in my life, and I never in a million years thought Auntie would attack me. She’s never been a violent
person. Who is this man, and why do they care so much about a stupid marble?
The other cats join the fray, and the scary guy gets caught in the middle. Auntie’s tiring, so I’m able to squirm free. I only take one step when the man seizes me by the ankle and knocks me down, smashing my face against the floor, and jarring the ball loose. The cats rush after it.
“What did you see?” Duradin demands as he picks me up and shakes me.
My body shuts down and my brain follows. I go limp and close my eyes tightly. They fly open when he drops me. My elbow connects with the wood floor and sends an electrical shock up my body. I flip onto my stomach, ready to run, but freeze when I see what made him let me go.
The large black monster that came through my window last night is in my family room, brutally striking Duradin in the stomach with a long white staff. It follows that hit with a blow to his face that sends him tumbling backward. Then the hooded creature turns toward me.
Auntie leaps onto its back. She’s only there for a second before the monster shrinks into nothingness. She hits the floor with a loud smack and a groan. It’s only gone for a second before it’s back and lunging at the man.
Duradin shouts, and ten soldiers appear from thin air. They’re in red armor with raised gold swords, crowding our tiny apartment, and charging the monster. They end up crashing into each other when the hooded creature vanishes and reappears again a few feet away. It swings its staff and bashes the soldier in front of it. Then it thrusts the staff back, taking out two behind him.
That buys it some time. The glowing eyes search the room and find me.
Maybe if I play dead, the monster won’t come after me. I lie still so it can tell I’m not a threat to it. “Run!” it screams.
I spring to my feet, but only make it a few steps when I trip over one of the cats and hit the floor again. It’s Oberon, the small black and white tabby that attacked Duradin. The cat trots to the side of the room where the glass ball rolled and bats it to me. I capture the marble without thinking and sprint out of the apartment.
Author Bio:
Candy Atkins is a full‐time writer who lives with her husband and two kids in Orlando, Florida. She’s an avid reader and lover of all things fantasy and sci‐fi. Her debut novel, The Lost Knight, is volume one of the six‐part Lost Knight Series.
Her life’s journey has taken her from dining with the President to being on food stamps to running her own company. And since all author bios end by naming and quantifying pets...she also enjoys spending time with her boxer, Butler, and Wynona the cat.
(Fighting Chance #2) Published by: Swoon Romance Publication date: August 9th 2016 Genres: Romance, Young Adult
Sadie Reynolds is drowning. Months have passed since Ian Daniels and Newton Daily opened fire at Atwood High school, killing dozens of students before turning the guns on themselves. Determined to pay tribute to her fallen classmates and teachers, Sadie’s thrown herself into the memorial project at the newly rebuilt school. But it’s not enough. Horrific dreams of the shooting intertwined with memories of the night her mother was murdered keep her up at night and haunt her during the day. The constant stream of hate raining down on her from faceless social media trolls only make matters worse. Her boyfriend, Hayden brings the only source of relief when he sneaks in to sleep next to her on nights her dad is at work. Desperate for normalcy, Sadie fills every waking moment of her day with anything to take her mind off her pain. If she’s exhausted, she’ll be too tired to acknowledge the new threat gunning for her. BENEATH the VOID is book 2 in Elisa Dane’s Fighting Chance series, a hard-hitting and unapologetically raw look at teen violence in schools and the aftermath of learning to pick up the pieces and heal.
“It’s a damn shame what happened to that girl. A damn shame what happened to all of you.”
I bit down on the inside of my lip and lifted my tray off the counter. If I didn’t get away from Moe before he started in, things would get awkward fast. “Heading out,” I called over my shoulder as I rounded the counter. The last thing I wanted to do was talk about the shooting. I’d lived, breathed, ate, and drank nothing but the shooting for months on end. I had funeral music burned into my brain and had cried myself into a stupor more times than I could count. I was done crying. It didn’t help. It didn’t change what had happened, and it didn’t make anything better. Moving forward and staying busy were the only things that made life bearable. Well, that and spending quality time with Hayden. The memorial project I was heading up at Atwood High was the only shooting related activity I involved myself in anymore. It was positive. It had meaning. It was my way of paying respect to poor Tara Chung.
And everyone else.
A loud boom sounded in the not too far distance.
My body reacted on instinct. My heart leaped inside my chest. The tray full of drinks I’d been carrying crashed against the black and white checkered tile. My knees buckled, and with a frightened scream, I dropped like a stone to the floor and covered my head with my arms. Not again. Not again. This can’t be happening again.
The people in the booths next to me weren’t moving. Were they insane? There was a shooter in the building! I rose up onto my knees and lurched sideways, grabbing onto the jean-clad knee of the older man sitting at the edge of the booth. “Get down! Quick!”
AUTHOR BIO: ELISA DANE is a self-proclaimed book junkie. A lover of handbags, chocolate, and reality television, she's
a proud mother to three All- Star cheerleaders. Writing is her absolute passion, and it's her mission to create stories that will not only take you on a romantic journey that will warm your heart, but help you find a new respect and interest in the sport of All-Star cheerleading.
Elisa is no stranger to the publishing world. She writes steamy paranormal romance under her real name, Lisa Sanchez. Her adult works include the Hanford Park series (Eve Of Samhain, Pleasures Untold, and Faythe Reclaimed), Obsessed (an erotic suspense), and a paranormal novella, Cursing Athena. Elisa lives in Northern California with her husband, three daughters, and a feisty Chihuahua who stubbornly believes she's human.
(Outcast, #1) Publication date: August 13th 2016 Genres: Dystopian, Young Adult
In a society where rebels are unwanted, the Outcasts have their own underground world.What type of society applies the word Defective to healthy young humans? IT IS ALMOST A PERFECT WORLD. One government rules earth—the Commonwealth and one people—the Commoners. The pure society of the Commonwealth has but one contamination, the 1%, the Outcasts—rebellious kids and young adults who for some puzzling reason cannot or will not conform. When Dante’s girlfriend vanishes like thousands of other Outcasts before her, he enlists the aid of friends to find her. They discover the shocking secret of what extreme the Commonwealth of Earth will go to ensure that Outcasts reform and obey the rules!
You can also pre-order book 2 – 5 Chances – today!
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EXCERPT:
The lights are out in the Brooklyn Underground since the birthday party is supposed to be a surprise for my girlfriend, Kiara. The only thing visible are 324 glow-in-the-dark red No circles on our clothing marking all of us as Outcasts like the way the Nazis marked the Jews with a yellow Star of David before gassing them 131 years ago. Only our Outcast symbols are more in-your face, bold red circles with a red diagonal down the center. The Commonwealth is sending Outcasts a blatant message by forcing us to wear the symbol as if marking us as illegal, broken, untouchable, and unwanted.
The Commonwealth longs to be known as The Republic of Free Will. Their rules allow us to wear what we want but if our clothing is not the required silver jumpsuit for our age group, and then we must wear the Outcast No symbol. There is no cheating the
system either. Like dogs, the Commonwealth has shot every Outcast through our necks with scanning ids.
Our scanning ids propagate throughout our bloodstreams so there is no beating the scanners. In fact, Scanner Droids are equipped with image processing and a camera eye. Scanners roam the Commonwealth. Scanners are magnetic and if a Scanner catches an Outcast being out of compliance, the Scanner will latch onto him or her and hold the Outcast in place against the closest magnetic field until the FRE (Fanatic Rule Enforcers) arrive. Scanners are like giant refrigerator magnets. It really pisses me off to see Outcasts dangling from walls of buildings, which are all equipped with magnetic holding places.
Outcasts are in the minority, our numbers fading fast into the endangered species category along with animals, which the Commonwealth has replaced with robotic countertypes. A mechanical dog cannot shit in your yard, right.
We Outcasts only feel safe in our undergrounds. Below the streets of New York City exists a subterranean city consisting of secret crypts, forgotten or abandoned subway stations and tracks, and tunnels known only to Outcasts. The NYC Underground has been here for centuries, and the Commonwealth has pretty much forgotten the underground ever existed. The Commonwealth does not care to look back at past mistakes, which is what the underground is. Besides, the Perfections are germ freaks. They would never dirty themselves by climbing down into our grimy world. We are beneath them. See, I made a pun. Get it. Underground. Beneath them. And the Commonwealth thinks Outcasts are dumb.
Everyone on earth is called a Commoner, which is a joke to Outcasts. There are Perfections and there are Outcasts, period.
Crap! It has been an hour and Kiara still is not here. I glare at everyone acting fidgety. Quit whispering about starting the party without her. Dammit! Kiara is coming.
I scroll through my text messages. Where are you, Kiara? I am waiting for you Kiara, you know where. Don’t you dare stand me up for your birthday! Are the parents giving you problems? Hurry up! Why don’t you answer? I am beginning to get worried. Quit joking around. Are you sick? Have you had an accident? Kiara, please let me know that you are okay. Kiara, this is Dante. This message I followed with a secret code to let her know that the texts are not a trick.
Finally, I send one more message and my finger is shaking, my breath is raspy, my eyes are stinging. Kiara, have they taken you? Have the FRE
Quick, I hit the delete button. Worry about Kiara made me almost forget about the airwaves. We may be invisible in the Underground but the Commonwealth is always listening. My text mentioned the FRE and had I completed and sent that text, the
Commonwealth might discover that we suspect the FRE of involvement in the disappearance of Outcasts. The Perfections think Outcasts are stupid because of the way we dress and act but Bones Outcasts hang out in the Brooklyn Underground. We would notice if one of us went missing. Last year, Luca vanished and a few days ago, Adrian disappeared.
The clock ticks and Kiara still does not show up for her 18th birthday party. Everyone is thinking of Sebastian. The President’s son vanished two years ago, and no one has seen him since. We are a class-based society and even though we Bones Outcasts do not like the Powerfuls (Manhattan Outcasts), we were all concerned about Sebastian and believed his father was holding him prisoner because Sebastian wanted to solve the global mystery of why and how Outcasts disappear without a trace. Thus, I broke into the President’s penthouse in Manhattan from an outside window. I am talking 90 stories up a slick building using suction cups. They call me the Spider and the Bones bet the Powerfuls that I could do it. It turned out the President for Life is not that big a dickhead. Well, maybe he is since Sebastian is probably…no, do not even think it! Sebastian is simply missing. He must be alive else Kiara…
If Sebastian being the only child of the President of the West Commonwealth, the richest man on Earth, could not be saved then Kiara… Oh, God, where is the air?I cannot breathe. That night climbing the 90 stories, I never felt so weak before until now; only this time helplessness surrounds me. As we wait for Kiara there is only silence in the Brooklyn Underground, our underground of the Bones Outcasts, except for a few sniffling girls scared of disappearing next, and me. My stomach rumbles and a panic attack is coming on. Kiara is the best thing that ever happened to me in my sorry life on this crappy planet that frowns on Outcasts because we dare to be who we are with no excuses.
(Raven #3) Publication date: August 2nd 2016 Genres: Paranormal, Young Adult
A BANSHEE.
A DEATH REAPER.
LOVE TRANSCENDING.War is coming. The veil between the living and the dead no longer exists. Evil is running rampant and the universe’s symmetry balances on my fingertips. No big deal. Of course, nobody knows how or when the hallows will strike, or who among us is a traitor. Hordes of vengeful spirits are multiplying by the minute, closing in ranks. Zane is poised to strike, but it’s going to take more than his killer instincts, more than swords and shadows to vanquish the hallows back where they belong. Stakes are higher than ever, yet I am determined to protect those I care about—to save the world. Restoring the veil isn’t as easy as a snap of my fingertips. Nothing worth fighting for ever is. Friendship and loyalties are tested to the limit, sacrifices of unimaginable proportions are made, but in the end, all that matters is whether I succeed or fail.
“Zane,” I placed my hand on his chest, looking over my shoulder into the woods. The scent of death overpowered my nostrils, making them burn. “You better put on your superhero cape. We’re about to get some unwanted villains.”
He glanced down at me, eyes unfazed. “Piper, how many times do I have to tell you? I’m not the hero.”
My hands clutched his shirt. “You are to me.” Ice coated my insides. Hallows. They were approaching, fast.
The hardness in Zane’s expression softened. “Declan, I hope you’re ready to unleash your inner Chuck Norris.”
Declan cracked his knuckles. “I’m already game. Let’s use these assholes as dartboards.”
“Should I call—” …for backup, but it was too late. They were already here. A strange, almost prickling of anticipation twisted through me as the hallows emerged from the tree lines. Their eyes appeared first, breaking through the darkness like a dozen lanterns. They dipped and glided along the ground, coming straight for us.
I braced myself as the frightening hissing filled the air. The sight was jarring, and I was so glad to have Zane, Declan, and even Crash present.
The four of us were lined up in front of my car, the clearing quickly filling with the cold mist of the departed. “I love when people come back from the dead. Juices my zombie fetish,” Crash said dryly. “You up for this, cupcake?”
I remained in place, trying to control my inner turmoil and ignored Crash.
Zane, on the other hand, didn’t have my self-control. He pointed a finger in Crash’s face. “By God, if you try any funny business, I’ll kill you with my bare hands. And she’s not your cupcake.”
The sucky thing about being in the middle of nowhere…no streetlights. The only light we had was the measly bit of moonlight illuminating through the thick trees, hitting small sections of the clearing. I was going to have to rely heavily on my other senses and instinct.
A strip of darkness filled the center of the glade, and that was where the ghosts came from. Straight down the middle. As they drew closer, so did the scent of decay. It was a noticeable smell I’d never detected before, but as my banshee abilities strengthened, so did my other senses.
“Game on,” Crash said, and stepped out of his body, emerging a wolf. He let a howl, long and high.
Author Bio:
Award-winning and Bestselling author J.L. Weil writes Teen & New Adult Paranormal Romances about spunky, smart mouth girls who always wind up in dire situations. For every sassy girl, there is an equally mouthwatering, overprotective guy. Of course there is lots of kissing. And stuff.
Most of her books are for ages 16+. They usually have what she considers the good stuff - sexual content (oh yeah) and swearing. You have been warned ;)
An admitted addict to Love Pink clothes, raspberry mochas from Starbucks, (yum!) and Jensen Ackles (double yum!). She loves gushing about books and Supernatural with her readers.
Piper is your typical teenager who rebels for her own reasons. But, she has good reasons, right? Having her mother taken from her at a young age and a father who distances himself for reasons unknown, what else is she to do? Then, to top it all off, Piper and her brother are sent to live with her grandmother, whom she has never even met! What is up with that!? Piper decides she is just going to be her normal rebellious self for the summer and hopefully get sent home. That is, until she starts to learn the secrets of the island she is sent to. Raven Hallow isn't just an island for summer tourists. There are so many more secrets there, and Piper is determined to discover what they are. White Raven is a Teen and Young Adult book written by J.L. Weil that I would suggest for older readers. The language and certain situations in the book isn't for younger readers. (Her books are suggested for 16+ readers for these exact reasons.) With all of that being said up front, this was a fabulous book! I couldn't put it down and wanted to know what happened next! There was a lot going on in the book, and a lot to keep up with, but that is what kept it fast paced and kept me involved! I wanted to know what was coming. The characters are truly believable. I still want the answers to questions that Piper has, but I also know that is to come. These are teenagers, so they don't always come right out with answers - and that can be frustrating. So there is that... But overall, the book is great and I can't wait to read what is to come! I think I have just found a new favorite author! Amazon Purchase Link: https://goo.gl/UHqiB1
My name is Bridget O'Malley and this is my story. I am an enchantress, but most would call
me a witch. I was working at my grandmother's shop, Hemlock Hollow, when I met Keegan. With just one touch we are now destined to live our lives cursed. Only one other problem, people want us dead because of it.
There has been lies, murder, and sabotage because of this blasted curse, and it's not done yet. Two people who once loved one another, set this curse on our families, and they won't be happy till every last one of us is dead. Only one issue, they weren't expecting anyone to fight back.
Will the curse take it's next victim or will Bridget be the one to end the curse?
Dee King is a Best Selling Fantasy and Paranormal Romance author. When her first book came out Charming Selene she was terrified of how bad the editing and formatting had turned out, but to her surprise people read the story anyways. That's when she knew she may have told an interesting story that was based loosely on her life. (She knows that gods don't walk among us, but she likes the idea that they might.) When Dee isn't writing she's either listening to alternative music, blogging, finding cool Indie bands, or hanging with her family. Her two daughters and husband keep her on her toes, but she wouldn't have it any other way. Often with her cat, Fox (whom you can meet on her Instagram) and her beloved Alice, (Her cat that she may treat like a Princess and doesn't care who judges her) and her two dogs, she tries to keep them busy so that more work can be done.. but she fears that they are attention hogs. Dee King lives in the state of Missouri (Misery as some would call it) and enjoys the beauty that surrounds her. (She also likes people from all around the world, which she likes to connect with and finds it to be very interesting.) Contact the Author:
