Clover has always been a plain farm girl. But when her uncle has a horrible tractor accident, she discovers just how extraordinary she is.
She thought magic only existed in fairy tales, and that vampires and werewolves were stuff for the movies. She’s wrong. Now Clover is thrust into a world where she must trust people she’s never met before, run from those who hunt her, and choose to start a war or end one. What a way to celebrate her 18th birthday…
Pauline Creeden is a horse trainer from Virginia, but writing is her therapy. In her fiction, she creates worlds that are both familiar and strange, often pulling the veil between dimensions. She becomes the main character in each of her stories, and because she has ADD, she will get bored if she pretends to be one person for too long.
Please welcome Garren Lowe, a lead character from CK Kelly Martin’s new YA book Tomorrow, due out this month!
INTERVIEWER: When and where were you born?
GARREN LOWE: 2045 in Billings, Montana, the capital of United North America – the single nation that was formed from the merging of Canada and the U.S.A. in 2032.
INTERVIEWER Do you believe that what will happen in the future? That Canada and the United States will join together?
GARREN LOWE: It happened once already so it’s possible. But I don’t know. The future is subject to change. I’ve seen that firsthand.
INTERVIEWER: In your opinion what’s the worst thing about the future?
GARREN LOWE: Either the lack of freedom or people’s denial about our situation, take your pick. Androids do so many of the jobs that used to belong to people decades ago. That leaves over a third of the U.N.A. unemployed and living in social welfare camps. Then there’s the constant threat of terrorists attacks, the government’s abuse of eco refugees and crippling environmental degradation that meant our days were numbered. But we couldn’t talk about any of that back in 2063. The government controlled the media. If they didn’t like what you said or did they’d have your memory wiped and then covered with a profound desire to obey the state. Then they’d send you off to a toxic waste site to ‘clean-up’ until your body gave out from contamination. Meanwhile the majority of the population was addicted to “gushi,” a virtual reality system indistinguishable from real life. It had its roots in things like videogames and the internet. The technology got better and better, and lots of people couldn’t do without it. They’d rather live mostly in a virtual where they can have whoever or whatever they want than deal with unpleasant realities.
INTERVIEWER: That sounds brutal.
GARREN LOWE: It was.
INTERVIEWER: But there must have been good things about the future too? Were there any things you preferred to the place that became your second home, 1986?
GARREN LOWE: Yes, there were good things. The Bio-net for one. It meant most diseases were a thing of the past for citizens of the U.N.A. No more deaths from cancer or heart disease. No more AIDs, allergies or diabetes. All of those things were cured long ago. In the future people lived a long, long time. But there were a few things they couldn’t fix. The Toxo virus for one. And radiation levels from the Pakistan-India War meant women had begun to lose their unborn babies to damaged D.N.A. at an unprecedented rate. Also, many of the prejudices I’ve seen in the 1986 didn’t exist anymore by 2063 – racism, homophobia and sexism. Those were things of the past by then.
INTERVIEWER: It’s good to hear there are some positive things about the future.
GARREN LOWE: Well, I’m hoping that by the time 2063 rolls around again things will be better in a lot of different ways. Like I said, the future is subject to change.
INTERVIEWER: You seem to enjoy quotes so I picked one out to share with you for this interview. “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” ― Eleanor Roosevelt
GARREN LOWE: That’s a great one, thanks. I like it, and I believe it.
INTERVIEWER: I do too. Okay, we’ve talked about the good and bad things about the future, now what are the best and worst things about living in 1986?
GARREN LOWE: I have to tell you, the food was disgusting. Full of fat, sodium and chemicals no one should be ingesting. But I started to crave the food anyway. And then cigarettes, which were even worse because with no Bio-net I didn’t want to get cancer, but smoking is a hard habit to break. People act ridiculously in 1986 – junking up the environment without a second thought and giving themselves skin cancer from oiling themselves up in the sun. It’s crazy in some ways and fantastic in others. All these amazing animals we lost to extinction later – rhinos, elephants, polar bears and whales – you’d only find those in zoos in 2063 but in 1986 they were out in the wild for people to see. There’s also an incredible amount of freedom for people lucky enough to live in the west. They can travel the globe freely, unlike in the future when environmental damage and terrorist threats made that impossible. People had to remain within their national borders. Finally, 80s music is pretty great. It’s incredible to be able to see the talented musicians I’d admired from the future live. In 2063 the musicians were mostly clones, genetically spliced hybrids like Chena (a Tina Turner/Cher clone) and Supreme (another female solo act who was an amalgamation of all the original members of the Supremes) created in Chinese labs.
INTERVIEWER: How old are you during the events that occurr in 1986 Vancouver in Tomorrow?
GARREN LOWE: Nineteen. Freya and I were in Vancouver a year after we were sent back in time to 1985. The future was doomed and our parents – especially hers – were powerful people. They thought they were saving us by having us sent back and in some ways, they were right. But things got messy. And U.N.A. security started to search for us. We stayed in Vancouver too long. They got to Freya.
INTERVIEWER: I’d ask you how what happened after that but it would be a major spoiler so instead can you tell me what was the hardest thing you’ve ever had to deal with?
GARREN LOWE: There are so many. What happened to Seneval (you’ll read about that), never being able to see either of my mothers again, the day Freya was taken and knowing that I might never see her again and that even if I did, she might be a vegetable. But the most painful thing was seeing what the Toxo virus did to my sister, Kinnari. She became a monster, and for a long time I believed I could’ve prevented that if I’d only been with her in Chicago when the virus started spreading. I’ve begun to forgive myself for that because so much has happened since and I can’t live in the past or the future. I need to make the most of my life and live in the moment. She would want that for me too, I know.
INTERVIEWER: After all you’ve been through, is there anything that still scares you?
GARREN LOWE: The same things as always – losing my freedom, losing my mind to a memory wipe and losing Freya. But you can’t live in fear. You always have to have hope.
INTERVIEWER: Is there anything else you’d like to share with readers?
GARREN LOWE: Just the obvious message about taking care of the planet. And if you’re in a tough spot you think you can’t get out of, don’t give up. I don’t know who said it’s not over till it’s over, but that’s the truth.
The sci-fi adventure that began with Yesterday continues with a thriller that can also be read as a standalone.
2063, United North America: climate change has rendered great swathes of the country uninhabitable, the rise of robot workers has created mass unemployment, eco-terrorism is a constant threat and a 2059 nuclear exchange between Pakistan and India has torn large holes in the world’s ozone layer and pushed humanity’s existence towards a cliff.
Garren and Freya have managed to escape that nightmare world and lose themselves in 1986 Vancouver. But the future’s reach is long, and they’re no longer safe there. No one is. Shadowy forces are intent on influencing the past’s path. And when Freya is taken, it’s up to Garren to save both her, and the future.
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“I’m not gifted like Freya. I never saw what was coming back then and if it wasn’t for her I wouldn’t remember my past now either.” —Garren Lowe, Tomorrow
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About the Author
C.K. Kelly Martin always thought she’d get around to writing in earnest eventually and began writing her first novel in a flat in Dublin, finishing it in a Toronto suburb. By then she’d discovered that young adult fiction felt the freshest and most exciting to her. You have most of your life to be an adult but you only grow up once!
Martin currently resides near Toronto with her Dub husband. She became an Irish citizen in 2001 and continues to visit Dublin often (although not as often as she’d like!) while working on teen novels.
Release date: November 28th 2013
Publisher: 336Love
Maci Might’s sixteenth birthday is supposed to be the day she’s awarded Hero status. But thanks to a tiny anger problem and a questionable family tree, King City’s elders think it’s best if she doesn’t join the Hero ranks. Determined to change their minds, Maci will break whatever rule it takes to prove she’s Hero material. As her hair darkens and her anger grows, everyone turns against her except Evan; a childhood friend turned scientist who may be able to unlock the secrets hidden in her DNA.
When a villain attacks King City and her dad is held prisoner, Maci discovers a truth she refuses to believe. She may not be a Hero after all—but this time the Heroes of King City need her more than she needs them. And she won’t let them down.
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Be sure to add Powered to your Goodreads bookshelves!
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About the Author
Cheyanne Young is the Amazon Best Selling author of Motocross Me. She is a native Texan with a fear of cold weather and a coffee addiction that probably needs an intervention. She loves books, sarcasm, nail polish and paid holidays. She lives near the beach with her daughter, one spoiled rotten puppy and a cat who is most likely plotting to take over the world.
Blurb: The world is dangerous – but love will kill you.
Little did Serena Jackson know that one simple, flirty remark to an anonymous guy online would lead to her world being changed forever.
She doesn’t know him, but inexplicably, is drawn. She knows it is wrong but she agrees to meet.
His real name is Kai. He is beautiful. And immediately Serena feels herself blindly falling for him even though she senses a lie. She knows he is hiding something and it terrifies her.
What she doesn’t realise is that her entire life has been built on secrets and lies. The people she loved left her in the dark for a reason.
She trusted them. She trusts Kai. But as he pulls her straight into the heart of the danger the lies and deadly secrets are revealed. They overwhelm her, and the person she once was no longer exists as she is thrown into a ruthless world of elemental forces. The price of truth is her life—and now the world wants her dead.
Available from:
Amazon (Kindle) | Amazon (Paperback) | Lulu and only 99c / 77p on Kindle for September!
Praise:
“I couldn’t put it down. So I finished it last
night and all I can say is WOW! This book was amazing and different.”Brianna (Book Blogger)
“I loved how the author took a different
approach to writing a love story in modern times with the paranormal element present.
I thought it was absolutely wonderful and refreshing. Marvelous!”Kathy H (Amazon Reviewer)
“I will admit I scoffed at the way it
started but in the end I had fallen in love with this story…completely
untraditional it was a very original idea, not to mention modern.This story had
such a good plot and the story structure was sound.”Kacii – The Kooky Bookworm (Book Blogger)
About the Author
Mia Hoddell lives in the UK with her family and two cats. She spends most of her time writing or reading and loves anything paranormal. Mia always had a love of writing but never reading. She was more interested in sports and hated sitting still – despite getting three poems published before the age of sixteen. Finally though, she found some novels that captured her interest and developed a love of reading which is now one of her favourite hobbies.
Mia began with poems before moving on to short stories. Although she enjoyed this, Mia found she had too much to tell with too little space, so later on she created her first series ‘The Wanderer Trilogy’ and from there other ideas have emerged. With a total of nine books planned at this moment, she is busy working on her second series ‘Elemental Killers’ before moving onto the next idea on her ever growing list.
***Excerpt***
Happy with the amount of photos I had collected I started to head back out of the forest, still flicking through my shots. As well as close ups, I had taken a few landscapes and as I was almost at the edge of the forest I noticed something in one of the photographs that made me stop.
In the left hand corner was a figure that looked mostly human, but was blurred as if they were moving on the spot.
A cold shudder shot through me.
Looking over my shoulder I became slightly panicked and felt as if someone was following me.
My eyes flicked and searched the shadows. Even though there was no sign that anything had ever been behind me, the forest looked different now – dark and threatening.
Instinctively I broke away and ran, still clutching the camera that was displaying the freaky image. Surrounded by trees I didn’t stop until I was free of the forest and back in the open light and sight of my house.
Throwing open my door, I slumped against the inside of it, regaining my breath from the short sprint. Once I had recovered I looked down at the photo once more, just to make sure that I hadn’t been seeing things. The old saying “the camera never lies,” came into my mind and for the first time I wished it not to be true. Sure enough though, as I looked down at the screen, the figure was still there and this time I noticed a red and orange glow around where its feet should have been. The image almost looked like the person was on fire but I thought I would have surely noticed if there had been a burning man in front of me.
***GIVEAWAY***
Mia Hoddell is giving away an Amazon gift card this month only there is a slight twist: the more entries she receives the more money she will put on the gift card to giveaway! For example:
No matter what = $5
100 entries = $10
150 entries = $15
200 entries = $20
and so forth…
So if she gets 1000 entries she will give away $100, there’s no limit!
To enter all you have to do is buy or have bought Deadly to Love. It’s only $0.99 or £0.79 on Amazon for the duration of the giveaway! This will also unlock extra entries for you so you can earn more points by sharing the giveaway. Remember the more entries she gets the bigger the prize for you so share!
First of all, I want to thank Margo for being gracious enough to let me post on her blog today. I am so excited about the release of my novella, BREATHLESS.
What if one touch could unlock a thousand memories?
Eighteen year old Claire Summers has a rare gift she must keep secret, she’s a Breather—someone who can see other people’s memories by touching an object they’ve touched. When she stumbles across a memory of her friend in danger, she’ll do anything to help rescue him. The problem is, her secret will be revealed. If the wrong people find out about her ability, they’ll hunt her because Breathers are powerful weapons.
I started writing when I was … well I actually can’t remember not writing. It’s kinda my thing. I love fantasy—epic, urban, sword and sorcery, all of it—so that’s what I write. You can learn more about me and what I’m writing on my website.
Breathless is an urban fantasy. For those of you unfamiliar with whatever that is, it’s fantasy set in a city, sometimes it’s in the future, sometimes present.
The story takes place in a few cities—Podunk towns actually. Yup, there’s a road trip involved, and it’s in this awesome, awesome ride.
Yeah, I know.
And for your reading pleasure, here’s an excerpt:
My shoes crushed the thick grass. Thunder rumbled in the distance. Damp, summer air swirled around me unable to cut through the heavy fog. Headstones, cracked and crooked, spread across the grassy hill. I’d been here before. My dreams often brought me to this cemetery. The full moon lit my way down a familiar path. Even though I was dreaming, I was chilly in my tank top and shorts.
I headed toward the tallest headstone on the hill’s crest. No flowers or American flags decorated this soul’s final resting place. I reached out, like I had the other times I’d dreamed this, and I knew what to expect. Before I could touch the stone, my subconscious would pull me back and I’d wake on my bouncing bed feeling like I’d fallen from somewhere high.
The rough stone was cool beneath my fingers.
Three translucent figures walked away from me, passing through the untouched fog. Two men, one held a young boy’s hand, the other followed them. The boy looked so familiar. They walked through the headstones littering the hillside as if they were insubstantial, and then flickered out.
My hand jerked back. A chill skittered across my chest and spread over my whole body leaving me with goose bumps. Heart racing, I willed myself to wake.
I didn’t.
My chest tightened. Was I dreaming or not? Thunder rolled closer. I backed away from the creepy headstone and stepped on something slippery. Arms flailing, I lost my balance. I landed in the moist grass. Pain shot up my elbow as it connected with rock.
“Back here. Quick.” The whisper turned my blood to ice.
“I’m dreaming,” I said aloud since this was too freaky to be real.
“Dream? No, sweetheart, you’re in a trance. Snap out of it or whatever it is you Breathers do.” The stranger’s voice rasped.
I froze, watching him inch closer. Breather? What was he talking about? My head cleared like a fan turned on and blew the fog from my brain, and I realized my situation. I so wasn’t dreaming. This was real. This was real?
I faced the stranger hiding behind a headstone and caught a glimpse of his rifle. Oh holy night.
Please enjoy this guest post by Stephanie Fleshman, author of the enticing Paranormal YA, Render. Then read on to learn how you can win huge prizes as part of this blog tour, including a Kindle Fire, $550 in Amazon gift cards, and 5 autographed copies of the book.
The 5 Guys You’ll Meet in YA Fiction:
A Guest Post by Stephanie Fleshman
According to GalleyCat, YA eBook revenues increased 120.9% last year. The great news is whatever YA male character types keep you reading, it’s unlikely you’ll run out of books anytime soon. After a while contemplating my favorite YA reads, I noticed a pattern when it came to the male heroes in these stories. Without further ado, here’s a run-down of the 5 guys you’re likely to meet when reading a Young Adult novel…
Guy #1: The Broken and Vulnerable
When I think of broken, I think of Josh from Barry Lyga’s Boy Toy. The sad thing about Josh is that he knows he’s broken but blames himself instead of the person at fault.
When I think of vulnerable, two characters come to mind: Sam from Maggie Stiefvater’s Wolves of Mercy Falls series and Cabel from Lisa McMann’s Wake series. Cabel is doused with gasoline, then set on fire by his alcoholic father. He wants to be loved, yet is scared. What makes him strong in a not-in-your-face kind of way is that he wants to love. His lack of resentment and hate is what makes him attractive.
Guy #2: The Abusive
In Jennifer Brown’s Bitter End, Cole is the product of “like father, like son.” In Swati Avasthi’s YA novel Split, however, Jace is the product of being victimized by his own abuser. Unlike Cole, Jace is capable of remorse and guilt. He not only owns up to his actions, but he wants to pay for them. By comparison, Jace makes Cole look like a sociopath.
Guy #3: The Obsessive
It’s no secret that Edward from Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight Saga is borderline stalker when it comes to Bella. She is his world entirely. In his mind, though, he is only being protective. So, is Edward protective, overprotective, or obsessive? You decide:
Protective: Capable of or intended to protect someone or something.
Overprotective: Having a tendency to protect someone, esp. a child, excessively.
Obsessive: Of, relating to, characteristic of, or causing an obsession; Excessive in degree or nature.
Guy #4: The Dominant
A good example of this type of YA male lead character is Patch from Becca Fitzpatrick’s Hush, Hush series. Patch is 100% boy. He’s self-confident, strong, and stands his ground against Nora. Though he is dominating, I don’t believe it’s in a harmful or abusive manner.
In the second book, you get to see more into his heart as he begins to really care for Nora’s well-being.
By the third book, he’s thinking of Nora’s safety and how he can stay with her. He sacrifices what he wants in order to protect her and their relationship, which seems non-existent to Nora by this stage. Not everything is what it seems, though.
Other good examples are Alex from Simone Elkeles’s Perfect Chemistry and Avi from the same author’s How to Ruin series.
Guy #5: The Lovable
I’m going to start with Koldan from my own YA novel, Render. Koldan is firm but not so dominating that he feels the need to control. He’s confident and strong, but recognizes his weaknesses. He’s romantic in the sense that he will do whatever it takes to keep Raya safe, even if it means risking his own life. And he’s not afraid to show his feelings for Raya.
Now, I cannot move forward without mentioning Holder from Hopeless by Colleen Hoover. Thirteen years! Thirteen!!! That’s all I’m going to say. Those of you who have read Hopeless know exactly what I’m talking about. For those of you who haven’t, there’s nothing about this guy not to love.
Now I’ve got a question for you: What’s your favorite YA male character type?
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As part of this special promotional extravaganza sponsored by Novel Publicity, Render, the debut YA Paranormal novel by Stephanie Fleshman, is on sale for just 99 cents! What’s more, by purchasing this fantastic book at an incredibly low price, you can enter to win many awesome prizes.
The prizes include a Kindle Fire, $550 in Amazon gift cards, and 5 autographed copies of the book.
All the info you need to win one of these amazing prizes is RIGHT HERE. Remember, winning is as easy as clicking a button or leaving a blog comment–easy to enter; easy to win!
To win the prizes:
Get Render at its discounted price of 99 cents
Enter the Rafflecopter contest below
Visit the featured social media events
Leave a comment on my blog for a chance at a $100 prize.
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About Render: A betrayal born of blood. A curse for a gift. A love worth saving…Seventeen-year-old Raya Whitney thought she knew Koldan–until a sudden turn of events threatens both their lives. Get it on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or iTunes.
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About the Author
Stephanie Fleshman graduated with a degree in psychology and has family throughout the United States as well as in Thessaloniki and Athens, Greece. Visit Stephanie on her website, Twitter, Facebook, or GoodReads.
Purchase the eBook at Amazon or Solstice Publishing
(print copies available later this year)
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Excerpt
I got home from school one afternoon and there were heaps of cars parked outside Nonno and Nonna’s place. Something was wrong. Nonno hadn’t been feeling so good that morning.
I could hear moaning. Did I really want to go inside? I walked down the side to the backyard and found Nonno asleep on the garden chair. He was under his olive tree with a big bottle of vino on his lap. Phew! He was OK.
The moaning from inside sounded like chanting. Had Nonna joined a cult or something? I went in and found the house full of Italian women. They were on their knees praying to a huge statue of Mary! Mumbling and fiddling with their rosary beads, but at the same time checking me out. Multi-talented women!
Oh no! It was Nonna’s monthly rosary meeting. But this time it was at our place. If I’d known I’d have gone to the library with Sarina.
“Angelina! Mamma Mia how you have grown!” Signora Romanelli was looking straight at my boobs.
“Oh, you look just like Elena, you mudder,” Signora Vesta did the sign of the cross and looked at me sadly. It’s not me that’s dead, you idiot.
“Madonna, is dis little Angelina? She’s a big gal!” Signora Della Something was looking at my bum. I needed a quick escape, but the statue blocked the way to my bedroom. There it was – halfway up the stairs.
“Angelina, vieni qua,” Nonna called. “Come on”. She had her arm around one of her friends.
“Dis is Signora Bertolini.” This lady I’d never met before grabs me by the cheeks with her fingers and thumbs.
“Quanda si bella!” She was shaking my face but half of my face was still in her hands. Yes. I’m beautiful, but I’m going to need plastic surgery if you don’t cut it out!
“You know who dis is?” Nonna asked. “Signora Bertolini. The Nonna of dat boy I tell you about.” She winked.
Ohhhh! Dat boy! The one you want me to marry.
Nonna and Mrs. Bertolini knelt at the bottom of the stairs and looked up at the statue. I looked at the statue of Mary, I looked down at Nonna and Signora Bertolini – two interfering grandmothers. What if the statue lost balance? The very heavy statue would topple down and … that would be the end of the matchmaking!
The original version of My Family Sized Pizza was titled Wogaluccis and published 2002 in Australia only. This version has been rewritten to today’s audience and has been made more international. My parents migrated from Italy in the early 60’s therefore I grew up with not only coal dust and drizzly days but with a strong Italian community who had settled together in Australia.
Although famous for my salami, melenzane and stinky cheese sandwiches at primary school, they didn’t particularly make me a social hit! This upbringing brought fodder to the story of Angela and her family.
My Family Sized Pizza is semi-autobiographical–a lot of the school, wedding and restaurant scenes actually happened. The characters are a mix of my mother, sister, neice, and myself as a teen and are sprinkled with elements of my Italian former mother-in-law. The angst and dramas suffered by main character, Angela, were real and there was many a day when writing the book that Angela and I commiserated together!
I like to tell a story but with humour, thus the true, gritty, racial, and emotional moments told through comedic moments.
Josie is an award-winning author of over 40 books. She has been internationally published and writes fiction under the name of Josie Montano and non-fiction resources on Asperger Syndrome under the pseudonym of Josie Santomauro.
From age nine Josie annoyed her librarian by shelving her self-published books for borrowing and being the most diligent library monitor there was! She then went on to receive her first rejection letter from Golden Books at age thirteen. But that didn’t stop her, and decades later finally she has ‘real’ published books on those shelves!
Josie draws on her varied life experiences to help her with her writing, interesting experiences such as being involved in a bank robbery, working within the primary school environment, surviving cancer, growing up within an Italian community, winning the major prize on ‘Wheel of Fortune’ and as a volunteer member of the State Emergency Services.
She loves coffee, chocolate, amateur theatre, going to the movies, and being silly, witty and humorous.
Pauline Creeden
![Pageflex Persona [document: PRS0000035_00021]](https://margobondcollins.files.wordpress.com/2013/10/tomorrowcover.jpg)
Please enjoy this guest post by Stephanie Fleshman, author of the enticing Paranormal YA, Render. Then read on to learn how you can win huge prizes as part of this blog tour, including a Kindle Fire, $550 in Amazon gift cards, and 5 autographed copies of the book.
Words, Words, Words 