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Wednesday, October 18, 2017

Goth Girl Virgin Queen by JoAnne Keltner

Welcome to the 2-week blog tour for Goth Girl, Virgin Queen by JoAnne Keltner.

Follow the tour and connect with bloggers, read reviews of the book, read guest posts, and meet the author.




Book Information:



Title: Goth Girl, Virgin Queen

Author Name: JoAnne Keltner

Genre(s): Young Adult Paranormal

Length: Approx. 298 pages

Release Date: December 3, 2015

About Goth Girl, Virgin Queen:

Calling Jackie Turov psychic makes her cringe. But Jackie’s no normal seventeen-year-old. She picks up emotions from people and objects like a freak. The emotions make her sick, and the guilt she feels for lying to her church when she was twelve causes her to deny her psychic abilities.

So Jackie goes goth to make others stay away from her and forget her past. But her past is soon resurrected when her jealous friend Trish invites a demon, a persecutor of healers, to steal away Jason’s love for Jackie. The demon causes Jackie to be bullied for the lie she told and puts her best friend, Jason, in danger.

Jackie must learn how to use her gift to protect Jason and herself and to heal the negative energies of those around her. To do so means she must overcome her guilt and accept who she is before the demon claims her soul.


 Enter the Goodreads Giveaway (ends October 31, 2017)







https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/252425-goth-girl-virgin-queen



Read an Excerpt:

The medicine cabinet mirror—dotted with rust and turning gray—made the powder foundation on Jackie’s face look ashen and her jet-black hair, blurry. She looked like a shadow of a girl. She smeared black lipstick on her lips and shook out her shoulder-length hair. Her straight-cut bangs veiled her mascara-lined eyes, and the layered ends of her hair stuck out in defiant wisps.



Some of the kids at school—the ones she didn’t hang out with—called her Goth Girl. Some, whose memories wouldn’t die, called her VQ for Virgin Queen.



Jackie preferred Goth Girl, to be one of the living dead, to be numb to the emotions that plagued her. But this was what she wanted, not what she got.



Goth Girl or Virgin Queen, she was a freak, absorbing the emotions around her like a sponge. Sometimes the emotions made her sick. Sometimes they made her see things.



Because of this, she kept to a tight-knit group of goth friends—Jason, Zeta, and Trish—and avoided social activities. She attended high school only because Mom wouldn’t let her homeschool. Mom was afraid she’d hang with Babu all day, making piroshki and doing needlepoint instead of studying. Jackie, afraid of what life offered a freak like her beyond high school, had to admit that hanging with Babu all day was tempting.



Typically, Fridays were movie nights for Jason and her, but tonight would be different. Tonight, she’d subject herself to a hodgepodge of emotions from crowds and rides and the very ground she’d walk on to protect Jason. For this, she would need physical and spiritual strength, which she sought from Babu these days.



Babu’s door was cracked, and Jackie slowly pushed the door open. “Babu?”



The room smelled of beeswax and down. A candle burned on the shrine on the dresser. The flickering flame animated the icon of the Virgin of Vladimir and cast shadows across the picture of Babu, Grandma, Mom, and Jackie. Although Babu didn’t speak English, and Jackie didn’t understand much Russian, Jackie knew Babu kept that picture on her shrine to pray for Grandma, who passed away several years ago; for Mom, who divorced Dad; and for the girl who saw the Virgin when she was twelve—for the girl she had become as a teen.



Babu sat in bed, a country quilt spread over her legs, her thumb pressed against a knot of her prayer rope, her head bowed sleepily, and her lips wording prayers.



“I wanted to say goodbye,” Jackie whispered.



Babu crossed herself and then smiled at Jackie, her gold eyetooth shining from the light of the bed-stand lamp. She patted the empty space beside her. “Sadees.”



Jackie sat down beside Babu at the edge of the bed and took Babu’s hand in hers. Babu’s hand was warm and knotted with arthritis. Jackie rubbed her thumb over the bumps on Babu’s knuckles; her black fingernails were a sharp contrast to Babu’s flour-white skin.



She wasn’t afraid to touch Babu’s hands and absorb her emotions. Jackie got a good feeling from her. Babu filled Jackie’s inner vision with white light. She renewed her spirit. And this is what Jackie needed for the commitment she had made for tonight.



“Kooda eedyosh?” Babu asked.



“I’m going out,” Jackie said as if Babu understood her. This is how they communicated: Babu telling her stuff she couldn’t understand, Jackie telling Babu stuff she couldn’t understand. Somehow they carried on fine this way.



“Eedyosh sdroozyamee?”



“I’m going with Jason.”



Babu rubbed the top of Jackie’s hand and ran her thumb over black fingernails. “Fsyevo kharoshevuh,” she said in a comforting tone and gently squeezed Jackie’s hand. Then she cupped her hands around Jackie’s jaws and pulled her forehead to her lips. Jackie imagined Babu’s kiss imprinted on her forehead and carrying Babu’s blessings and love with her tonight.

Meet the Author:

Excerpt
The medicine cabinet mirror—dotted with rust and turning gray—made the powder foundation on Jackie’s face look ashen and her jet-black hair, blurry. She looked like a shadow of a girl. She smeared black lipstick on her lips and shook out her shoulder-length hair. Her straight-cut bangs veiled her mascara-lined eyes, and the layered ends of her hair stuck out in defiant wisps.
Some of the kids at school—the ones she didn’t hang out with—called her Goth Girl. Some, whose memories wouldn’t die, called her VQ for Virgin Queen.
Jackie preferred Goth Girl, to be one of the living dead, to be numb to the emotions that plagued her. But this was what she wanted, not what she got.
Goth Girl or Virgin Queen, she was a freak, absorbing the emotions around her like a sponge. Sometimes the emotions made her sick. Sometimes they made her see things.

Jackie Turov of Goth Girl Virgin Queen Guest Post

Meet seventeen-year-old Jackie Turov of Goth Girl Virgin Queen. Jackie hangs with a tight-knit group of goth friends: Jason, Zeta, and Trish. She especially loves hanging out with her best friend Jason, enjoys their routine—caffeine buzz at the coffee shop, snacks and loitering at the pharmacy, movies at her house on Friday nights. On weekends she works at Photo Junction, and her favorite comfort food of all is the mocha frappé with tons of whipped cream. But Jackie’s no ordinary teen. When she’s not with Jason, she’s usually spending time with her great grandmother, needle pointing, helping her cook, recouping in her healing light. She attends high school only because her mom won’t let her home school, and she avoids crowds whenever she can. You see, hiding behind her goth attire and make-up and her semi-normal life is a girl with psychic abilities and a huge guilt-trip about having them.
Jackie picks up people’s emotions just by being near them. Her empathic ability is the most crippling for her because she absorbs emotions into her body. This makes her sick, especially when the emotions are negative, such as toxically hateful or unbearably sad. Sometimes, she can’t distinguish if the emotions are her own or someone else’s. She also picks up emotions and information through touch. This information tells her things about the past and about the present. The objects she is most susceptible to are objects that have been affected by traumatic events.
If you ask Jackie if she’s psychic, she’ll most likely deny or downplay her abilities, saying, “I’m just really sensitive to everyone’s emotions. All I do is piece the impressions I pick up together like a jigsaw puzzle. They tell me things about a person’s past and about the present.” Jackie does her best to keep her distance from others just so she doesn’t have to deal with the effects of her so-called “gift.” Because Jackie is so guarded, I thought it would be interesting to dig deeper into her character by asking her some really personal and sensitive questions. Here is what she said:
1.) What trait do you like most in yourself?
I haven’t really thought about it before. I guess maybe that I don’t judge others—at least I try not to. Although, that’s kind of easy for me as an empath, knowing how others are feeling.
2.) What trait do you hate most in yourself?
My so-called gifts—okay I’ll say it—my psychic abilities. Totally ruined my life. My great grandma quit going to church because of it. My grandma died of a heart attack not long after my psychic church incident. My dad left me and my mom because of all the attention I got.
3.) Do you ever lie?
No, of course not ... ugh, yes. But only to protect others. Like when I had my first psychic vision (in church!) and Father Dmitriev accused me of being possessed. I was so afraid he’d throw my grandma and great grandma out of church for good, that I lied about my vision, saying that it was a sign from The Virgin. If you read my story, you’ll know how that turned out.
4.) What trait do you value most in your friends Trish, Zeta, and Jason?
I like that they’re not afraid to be themselves and that they’re open and honest with me.
5.) What’s the best thing that ever happened to you?
Becoming friends with Jason. He accepts me as I am. He makes the guilt I carry for my lie and for the way I am more bearable.
6.) Have you ever been in love?
I don’t really know. Insane, right? But I tend to not trust my feelings, as I often pick up other people’s emotions. It’s hard for me to tell which emotions are truly my own.
7.) What do you fear most?
Besides having my church lie discovered (I don’t want to ever have to relive that ordeal), ironically, I fear being alone for the rest of my life.
8.) What is your idea of ultimate happiness?

Being normal. Not having people talk about my past or speculate about my true nature.




JoAnne Keltner is the author of Goth Girl, Virgin Queen (Solstice Publishing, 2015) and Obsession. As an only child and avid daydreamer, she spent hours alone in her backyard on the South Side of Chicago, which she imagined to be everything from an alien planet to the Antarctic. She currently lives in Raleigh, North Carolina, with her husband, four dogs, cat, and three chickens. When she isn't writing or freelance editing, she's obsessively streaming popular TV shows.

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Halloween Spooktacular tour for Blackmoore by Marcus James





Blackmoore
The Blackmoore Legacy
Volume 1
Marcus James

Genre: Gothic horror/paranormal romance/
M/M romance/supernatural

Publisher: Candiano Books

Date of Publication:  06/08/2017

ISBN: 1547266651
ASIN: B071KH64VZ

Number of pages: 416
Word Count: 127,046

Cover Artist: Ransom Graphics

Tagline: The Devil shall come for his witches...

Book Description:

Welcome to South Hill, a neighborhood of wealth, secrets, gracious Victorians, and austere manor homes overlooking the port of Fairhaven and the dark waters of Bellingham Bay. Seventeen year old Trevor Blackmoore has lived here is entire life, shunned and feared, along with the rest of his clan, by the elitist and superstitious families that surround them and who regard the Blackmoores as the devil's concubines.

As a young clairvoyant dealing not only with the dark secrets of his family but also with his homosexuality-two things which have made him an outsider-he struggles to find normalcy. Trevor's life is made extremely difficult by his tormentors and former childhood friends Cheri Hannifin, Greg Sheer, and Christian Vasquez; the school gods of the prestigious Mariner High School. His only saving grace is Braxton Volaverunt, a captivating young man with secrets of his own.

A diabolical plan sets in motion a chain of events that will fulfill the doomed prophecy of the Blackmoore family. A centuries old curse comes to an end, releasing an ancient and bloodthirsty evil, set on wiping out the family, and Trevor learns that he is at the center of it. Realizing that he is all that stands between this darkness and his family's survival.

"2017 E-Festival of Words award winner for Best Literary Fiction"

Amazon


The
Best Halloween Songs You Need To Be Listening To This Holiday Season

Halloween, in my opinion, is one
of the most magical times of the year. From the autumnal leaves in all of their
wonderful colors just before they completely brown and dry, to the perfume of
rotting apples, sickly sweet, and to the darkening sky so early in the day.

There are pumpkins carved with
ghoulish grins on porches and in windows, and there is the feeling that at any
turn, you may walk right into a ghost.

Parties are planned, decorations
are bought and spider webs strung like the anti-garland of Christmas (which has
it’s own horror roots), and the food is made.

There’s only one more thing
needed, that one thing to set the mood, and it can often be the hardest to put
together; the playlist. There are plenty of Halloween records out there, a
Halloween station on Pandora, and they all contain familiars like ‘Monster
Mash' and ‘Thriller', but there are so many other gems out there. So many
unknown and not used. Treasures that have existed for as long as the
record.  

Below is a list of these relative
unknowns and the one’s not thought about but are known by everyone. There are a
couple of recognizable sonic faces on this list, but for the most part, these
songs will be new friends and give you a unique touch to your Halloween romp.

I didn’t include all of my
favorites, that would be too long, but I included those that I go back to again
and again.

1.       Robert Johnson-Cross Road Blues: This 1936 Delta
Blues track is haunting. In it, Robert sings of going to the crossroads and
selling his soul to the devil for the gift of guitar playing. It is more
likely, that as with all early blues, there was a great Hoodoo influence and
who he refers to as the devil, is actually Papa Legba; the deity ruler of the
gates to the other realms.

2.       Claudine Clark-Walkin' Through a
Cemetery:
This 1962 track is great with its early funk sound and her throaty voice.

3.       Jack Rivers-Haunted House Boogie: Another fun
Halloween hit with Blue Grass elements is a great 1951 hit.

4.       Jack Teagarden-Putting Salt on the
Devil's Tail:
This 1941 big band has lingering elements of hoodoo found in early blues
tracks.

5.       Cris Kevin-Haunted House: 1959 Halloween
Rockabilly that is just plain fun.

6.       Louis Prima and his New Orleans Gang-Mr.
Ghost Goes to Town:
this 1936 Jazz hit tells a tale of a ghost looking for a good time. Considering
Prima was from New Orleans, of course a ghost was walking around looking for a
good time.

7.       Bauhaus-Bela Lugosi's Dead: This iconic
1982 hit from Bauhaus is a must have for Halloween, and the opening sequence of
the seminal Vampire film, The Hunger, is downright decadent in its darkness.

8.       Judy Garland and the Scarecrow, Tinman,
and the Cowardly Lion-The Jitter Bug: this song was cut from the 1939 film.
In lost archival footage, they sing this song while in the haunted forest. It
is a fun swing track that perhaps was cut because of how different from the
rest of the songs are. Fits right in there with Jeepers Creepers.

9.       Screaming Lord Sutch-Jack The Ripper-this 1963 rock
song is a blast. Opening with a woman running and then screaming in terror.

10.     Marilyn Manson-Sweet Dreams: this 1995
cover is dripping with nightmare. I find it to be a constant source of inspiration
when I am writing a terribly dark scene.

11.     Michael Jackson-Thriller: one of the most
iconic Halloween songs of all time. This 1982, Release will get you moving in
all the right ways. A love letter to horror films, my favorite lyric-the one I think
is the most powerful and yet so often over looked is “I’ll save you from the
terror on the Screen-I’ll make you see that this is Thriller-Thriller night.”
It harkens to “keep telling yourself, it is only a movie.” Like most children,
the John Landis directed music video film scared me to death.

12.     Datura-Tori Amos: this almost
psychedelic 1999 track celebrates the herb that was essential to a witch's
ointment. This dangerous and psychotropic herb got into the pours and is
believed may have been the reason witches felt as if they were flying.

13.     Robert Johnson-Hellhound On My Trail- Johnson is back
with another 1937 Delta Blues track with heavy Hoodoo influence.

14.     Donovan-Season of the Witch: this 1966 track
was a celebration of all of the mystical psychedelic occult revival of the
hippie movement. It got a resurgence when it was featured in an episode of
American Horror Story: Coven. Give this song a listen and let loose your inner
Fiona Goode.

15.     Henry Hall-Here Comes the Bogeyman: this 1932 classic
taught young kids how to ward themselves from the bogeyman. It plays like a
creepy lullaby and has seen a new life in video games and horror films such as
Jeepers Creepers and Sinister 2.  It’s
haunting melody reaches out through time and has the ability to give anyone the
wiggins.

16.     The Four Modernaires-Jeepers Creepers: One of my
childhood favorites. Like Here Comes the Bogeyman, this 1938 hit has found
infamy in no small part to the film of the same name.

17.     Ted Cassidy-The Lurch: this song (and
the video, which I encourage you readers to watch) premiered October 30th, 1965
on the ABC music program Shindig! It is a great, poptastic number with an
accompanying dance, and Ted Cassidy-the actor who portrayed Lurch in the Addams
Family television show-appeared in costume on set and is featured in the song
saying his signature “You rang?” and groaning and moaning in all his creepy and
kooky glory.

There you have it! Grab these
songs, add them to your party playlist, and have a scream!

About the Author:

“Some writers have great ideas, but fail with the delivery. That is not the case for our author. He has clearly developed his craft and whittled it to perfection”-Wesley Thomas, bestselling author of Nightmare Fuel

Marcus James is the author of five novels, including The Blackmoore Legacy series. He has contributed to a dozen anthologies from Alyson Books, has been a featured writer for the Seattle Gay News, is the host of Brews and Books at Ravenna Brewing Co. and is host of Queerly Spoken. When not writing he’s cooking, drinking champagne like water, and watching horror films with his husband and their Staffordshire terrier, Nikita. He is 32 years old and lives in Seattle.

Website: https://marcusjamesbooks.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/mjamesbooks

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/marcusjamesbooks



Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mjayftw/
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Dream Mental Damnation Part 2 by Konn Lavery


Dream
Mental
Damnation Part 2
by
Konn Lavery
Genre:
Epic Dark Fantasy

Thought
to be banished to the underworld by the humans, Krista mysteriously
finds herself as the first of her kind to walk on the surface in
centuries. This was caused by one of the underworld’s corrupt
leaders, Danil, who uses her in an unholy ritual to set their people
free. Danil’s infectious touch gives Krista the nightmarish disease
known as Mental Damnation.





She
becomes the key interest of two men, Paladin and Dr. Alsroc, who
struggle to make sense of her sudden appearance and how it relates to
Mental Damnation. Her friend back in the underworld, Darkwing,
abandons his gang to begin his search for her.

Krista
finds herself torn between two worlds, gaining acceptance among the
humans while experiencing inner turmoil from hallucinations caused by
her disease. These visions paint a hellish dream world known as
Dreadweave Pass where the realm’s ruler, a corrupt god known as the
Weaver, is on the hunt for her. Krista’s blood is believed to be a
key component for the Weaver’s retribution against the Heavenly
Kingdoms that once banished him!










Reality
Mental
Damnation Part 1

Having
her family murdered by the humans during her people’s banishment
from the surface world, Krista and her only friend, Darkwing,
struggle to remain alive. The pair of reptilian street scum live in
their newfound home, the City of Renasence, dictated by a fascist
military known as the Renasence Guard. The two find themselves at
odds when Krista puts her faith in the Five Guardians’ goal of
unification, while Darkwing chooses to stand with a notorious gang,
the Blood Hounds, who are known for their anarchist views


This
divide in their friendship forces Krista to persist on her own as the
Five Guardians become crazed from an unknown disease - Mental
Damnation. After their infection, the Guardians develop a bizarre
interest in her, claiming they must reap her innocence for their
newfound master, the Weaver.


With
a military dictatorship, politically-driven gangs and their guardians
infected and on a hunt for her, Krista has limited options for
survival: Does she fend for her life in the City of Renascence,
against menacing forces, or risk leaving everything behind and enter
the uncharted realm of the underworld?






Konn
Lavery is a Canadian horror and dark fantasy writer who is known for
his Mental Damnation series. The second book, Dream, reached the
Edmonton Journal’s top five selling fictional books list. He
started writing fantasy stories at a very young age while being home
schooled. It wasn’t until graduating college that he began
professionally pursuing his work with his first release, Reality.
Since then he has continued to write works of fiction ranging from
fantasy to horror.





His
literary work is done in the long hours of the night. By day, Konn
runs his own graphic design and website development business under
the title Reveal Design. These skills have been transcribed into the
formatting and artwork found within his publications supporting his
fascination of transmedia storytelling.



Follow
the tour HERE
for exclusive excerpts, guest posts and a giveaway!










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Blurb Blitz: Travesty of Justice by Heather Butler



Travesty of Justice
by Heather Butler
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GENRE: Romance drama
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BLURB:
Samuel, a strong black African man, Nicole a beautiful white woman, that has mystical visions meet in the year of 1999, in the city of Halifax, a small university town in the heart of Nova Scotia. They are living in a society that has been torn with racial tension for centuries. They struggled with discrimination, and are facing too many obstacles.


Samuel, now a medical doctor, is working hard to gain access to his chosen profession. He knocks on many different doors asking for just one chance, to demonstrate his capabilities as a qualified doctor, but his efforts and knocks go unanswered. When they appeal to their government for help and intervention; it is then that they will discover a conspiracy, which will nearly destroy their lives. As Samuel and Nicole work hard to overcome the injustice that is thrown at them. Samuel realizes he is out of time, and the secret he has buried for years from Nicole, can no longer be hidden.


This true-life story called Travesty of Justice, will touch you on a human level, allowing you to look beyond the color of one skin, and see two people, their minds, their hearts, and hear their cries, as they fight for courage and strength, in a society that goes to extraordinary measure to deny access.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Excerpt Two:
He knew the truth would be devastating to Nicole. He only hoped she would be able to bare it. Maybe if his career had advanced the way he had hoped it would, but they didn’t even give him a fair, or a fighting chance.
Now he had to make some hard choices, and it was keeping him up at night, and making him horribly sad. The stress was starting to show, in his eyes, when he looked at her.
The one thing that kept Samuel going through it all, was his deep love for Nicole, and now he may have to let her go. The very thought of losing her, distressed him, and hurt him, to his very core. For now, only he knows the reality of his past life, and his secret.  He also knew he couldn’t hide it much longer. And that soon the truth would come to light. May God have mercy on his soul, he thought, and give them both strength, to deal with what is about to happen.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Heather Butler Designer and Owner of The Butler Collection of Jewelry. Author of Travesty of Justice, a compelling drama romance novel, and Thoughtful Moments, a book of inspirational poetry. Heather was born in Nova Scotia, but began her career in the Toronto apparel Industries, where she worked for over 10 ten years. With a talent eye for colors, and good sense for style, she quickly worked her way to the top, managing mutli -million dollar operations. Heather began her jewelry career in 2000, designing jewelry, which was showcased on Canadian shopping channel, under the trade name Unban Chic. She was also the on air sale person, for this line of jewelry, for several years. In 2012 Heather founded The Butler Collection, and worked in the company full time. The Butler Collection is a contemporary, and sophisticated fine line of gemstone jewelry, which reflects the modern women of today. Her signature collection is intricate bead work of rare exotic gemstones, pearls and crystal in sterling silver and gold. These one of a kind designs, and limited edition pieces are, distinctive, imaginative, colorful wearable piece of art. The Butler Collection jewelry has been worn on the red carpets, and awards show of, The Juno’s, the Academy of Television and Film, The Canadian Music Awards, and short film Crystals awards. The Celebrities that’s have worn The Butler Collection are, Taylor Swift, Catherine Zeta Jones, Michelle Wright, Terri Clark, George Canyon, Amber Marshal, Kira Isabella, Caroline Dawn Johnson, just to name a few. The Tag line for The Butler Collection - (We design jewelry for the woman, who loves to be beautifully different.)
Our mission is to provide beautiful high quality handcrafted jewelry at an affordable priced for women across Canada. The Butler Collection endeavors to maintain new unique jewelry to keep our existing customers returning, and purchasing additional jewelry. We design with current seasonal colors, and fashion trends in mind. Our target market is women 30 to 70 age range, celebrities, business women, corporate executives, tourist’s boutiques, gift shops, galleries, fashion stores, as well as the wedding and special occasion market. Heather published her books in 2016, and have gotten great reviews for both books, and is presently working on the sequel to Travesty of Justice, which is called” The Magic in the Little Gemstone Kiosk “. Many churches and schools, often read from her book Thoughtful Moments.
http:// www.authorheatherbutler.com




~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GIVEAWAY INFORMATION


Heather Butler will be awarding a paperback copy of the book (North America Only) to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.







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André by Sybil Bartel blitz


André
Sybil Bartel
(Uncompromising #3)
Publication date: October 16th 2017
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

André

The Marines trained me to set my sights and wait for the shot. For eight years, I guarded my brothers and defended my country. Now I protect my clients. My personal security firm is the best in the business because I leave nothing to chance… until a dark-haired, hazel-eyed spitfire crosses my path.

She and her sexy-as-hell striptease were supposed to be a one-night distraction. But too late I noticed the branding on her back and my blood ran cold. This woman wasn’t a distraction—she was a death sentence.

Knowing who she was left me no choice. I took her on as my client. But running from her past wasn’t an option.

The Marines didn’t train me to retreat. They taught me to engage.

One shot. One kill.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo

—

EXCERPT:

“Kendall,” I whispered, half in disbelief, half in fucking horror.

“You can’t save me.” No intonation in her voice, her statement was pure resignation.

I asked the only question that seemed relevant. “Who else knows?”

“Candle.”

“No handler?”

She shook her head. “No. No witness protection. I refused.”

It was probably the only thing that’d kept her alive. Anyone knowing where or who she was would’ve been a target. Adrenaline pumping, my pulse Mach one, I stared at her in complete fucking shock. This woman had just signed my death warrant.

My nostrils flared with an inhale. “Chica—”

“Walk away, André.”

I opened my mouth to say something I’d regret, but she beat me to it.

“You can’t stop this,” she warned. “Go back to work. Pretend you never met me. Deny everything.” She picked up her dress. “I’ll be gone before you get home.”

I ran a hand over my face. “I don’t even know what to call you.”

“If you say my real name, you’ll be dead before you utter the last syllable.”



Author Bio:

Sybil Bartel grew up in Northern California with her head in a book and her feet in the sand. She dreamt of becoming a painter but the heady scent of libraries with their shelves full of books drew her into the world of storytelling. She loves the New Adult genre, but any story about a love so desperately wrong and impossibly beautiful makes her swoon.

Sybil now resides in Southern Florida and while she doesn’t get to read as much as she likes, she still buries her toes in the sand. If she isn’t writing or fighting to contain the banana plantation in her backyard, you can find her spending time with her handsomely tattooed husband, her brilliantly practical son and a mischievous miniature boxer…

But Seriously?

Here are ten things you probably really want to know about Sybil.

She grew up a faculty brat. She can swear like a sailor. She loves men in uniform. She hates being told what to do. She can do your taxes (but don’t ask). The Bird Market in Hong Kong freaks her out. Her favorite word is desperate…or dirty, or both—she can’t decide. She has a thing for muscle cars. But never reply on her for driving directions, ever. And she has a new book boyfriend every week—don’t tell her husband.

To find out more about Sybil Bartel, be sure to follow her on Twitter (she loves to hear about your favorite book boyfriend!), visit her website, like her on Facebook or join her Facebook group Book Boyfriend Heroes for exclusive excerpts and giveaways.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter


GIVEAWAY!

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Voodoo Angel by Erin Hayes blitz


Voodoo Angel
Erin Hayes
Publication date: December 26th 2017
Genres: Adult, Fantasy

Ruled by a demon. Bound by a curse.

Life in the new Big Easy is hard.

In the sunken ruins of New Orleans, everyone has been cursed to a life of protecting their bakas—talismans that hold pieces of their souls. That is if a person can find theirs. If a baka is destroyed before it’s located, the owner dies too.

Lost without hers, the fallen angel Nadège has been desperately searching for her baka while trying to stay hidden in this hellhole. With it, she’ll have access to her full angelic powers and the ability to break the curse. But without it, she’s at the curse’s mercy like everyone else.

Meanwhile, the witch doctor Emmanuel has been trying to escape his demons—literally. The last thing he needs is the Voodoo Angel on his trail, but that’s exactly what happens.

When Nadège learns the terrible truth about her baka’s connection to Emmanuel, there’s nothing she won’t do to break the curse. Even if that means killing the one man whose love could save her.

Pre-order

Pre-order today for only 99c!

—

Erin traveled to New Orleans to research this book, where she went to the Voodoo Museum:



Author Bio:

Sci-fi junkie, video game nerd, and wannabe manga artist Erin Hayes writes a lot of things. Sometimes she writes books.

She works as an advertising copywriter by day, and she's an award-winning New York Times Bestselling Author by night. She has lived in New Zealand, Hawaii, Texas, Alabama, and now San Francisco with her husband, cat, and a growing collection of geek paraphernalia.

You can reach her at erinhayesbooks@gmail.com and she’ll be happy to chat. Especially if you want to debate Star Wars.

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Wicked Fallout by Kelly Charron blitz


Wicked Fallout
Kelly Charron
(Pretty Wicked #2)
Publication date: July 17th 2017
Genres: Adult, Thriller

“Wicked Fallout is a twisty cat and mouse psychological thriller that will keep you turning pages right up to the unexpected end. A creepy mix of horror and psychological insight, Charron takes you into the mind of a killer and doesn’t let go.”

~Eileen Cook, Author of WITH MALICE

Convicted of six murders when she was just fifteen, the notorious Ryann Wilkanson hasn’t been able to act on her darkest, deadliest urges for twelve years. She’s exhausted her appeals and has little hope of ever getting out of prison and back to hunting.

Until a media-hungry legal team mounts a campaign to do the impossible—get her immediately released with a commuted sentence.

Forensic psychiatrist Nancy Clafin has mere weeks to evaluate Ryann’s current mental state against her grisly past to determine if she’s changed. But under the shadow of her own questionable history, it’s not easy to separate her personal life from her professional duty.

At least that’s what Ryann is counting on.

Behind the cold steel doors of a Colorado maximum-security prison, will Nancy find a cold-blooded killer or a newly redeemed woman determined to right her past wrongs?

**This novel can be enjoyed as a standalone or as part of the Pretty Wicked series.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo

—

EXCERPT:

I spin around and see two women rolling on the ground, hair flying. Fights are a pretty rare occurrence, but when they happen it’s nasty. I once read that men fight to injure, but women fight to kill.

Sounds accurate.

The women roll closer to our table, and we all jerk out of the way in case some of the action heads toward us. I can hardly see who it is, but Georgina is quick to say it’s Roxie and Jinx. And they are going at each other: hands whacking, hair pulling, face slapping, and rib kicking. The whole nine. But it doesn’t go on for too long. Two guards descend on them, yanking the women apart. Some damage is already done. Jinx has a bloody nose and a swelling eye, and Roxie’s lip is split open.

“Fuck, man. Did you see that? Roxie almost killed the bitch! Bam!” Margot slams her hand on the table and my head rings. Jodi laughs. Must be nice for her to sit back and chuckle, since she’s never actually fought in here.

“Enough, Margot, or the guards are gonna be over here next.” Steph eyes her and Margot settles down.

The cafeteria is returning to normal so we sit again, and I try to force a spoonful of my cold, lumpy lunch down. It takes all my concentration to swallow the disgusting mouthful. My stomach clenches, so I drop my spoon.

“No offense, princess, but you look like shit,” Georgina says in between shovels. She’s a fat pig. No matter how disgusting the food is in here, don’t take your eyes off your plate or it’ll be in her goddamn mouth before you know what’s happening.

I lock my gaze on her. “Thanks. Just giving you a chance to feel a bit better about your ugly ass.”

She shoots me the finger.

“Seriously, you look pale, like even more than normal,” Stephanie chimes in, sounding far too motherly for my liking.

I smile. “Thanks, ladies. You sure are the fucking cheer committee today.”

“This shrink is really taking the piss outta you, huh? I ain’t never seen you so frazzled before,” Jodi says.

“I’m just tired. Been sleeping like shit, the food is inedible, and yes, talking in circles about your feelings is agony. So I’m taking donations—any booze, pills, or weed is welcome.” Most of what I say is bravado. Keeping up appearances is key to survival in this hellhole. I can’t afford to get caught with any contraband in case a miracle happens and I have a chance of getting out. What a kick in the tit that would be, if I got approved only to have a stupid joint found in my bunk.

“We’re all suffering in here, princess, so buck up.” Georgina braces her gigantic noggin on top of her propped arms.

It takes all my strength to stay calm. Sometimes people in here forget what I’m capable of. Maybe some of them don’t believe in my history and are willing to take a chance by coming at me.

Too bad I’m on my best behavior.

Margot puts a hand in Georgina’s face. “Lay off her, Gina. Ain’t none of us know what being examined under a microscope like that feels like. I know I’d be stressed to fucking shit if my whole future relied on talking to one damn bitch for a couple of weeks.”

“Thanks, Margot, but you don’t have to defend me.”

“Yeah, princess is a big girl. She can take care of herself, or so she wants us to think.”

I glower at her and swallow the scream that threatens to explode out of me. I’m afraid if I release it, I’ll never stop. “You got something to say?” I sit on my hands. Just in case I’m a little too tempted to gouge her eyes out.

Georgina stands up from her spot at the table across from me and walks around to my side. “Actually, yeah. I think you’re a fucking weak-ass bitch who ain’t no one afraid of in here, especially not me. You walk around all high and mighty, thinking you’re better than us, smarter and prettier than us, but guess what—you in here just like the fucking rest of us, and I ain’t scared by your supposed past.” She makes finger quotations an inch from my face.

I stand. We’re eye to eye. I can feel her hot, stinky breath on my face. Her finger jabs me in the chest. My blood fills my ears and I can’t hear much past the intense rushing. I clench my fists at my sides. Ready. I want her to come at me so badly. “Is that so? You gonna do something about it then?” I say, smacking her finger away from me. My eyes narrow on her acne-scarred face.

Before I can register what’s happening, I feel her two bony hands dig into my chest. The air is pushed out and I gasp. My legs tremble. Teeth clench.

It only takes me a second to leap onto her. Her fingers are entwined in my hair and I can feel the pressure as she yanks. I elbow her, and she lets go. The top of my hand swings across her cheek and I hear a loud slapping sound. Her head flies back, her arms wave wildly as she tries to grab a hold of me, but my adrenaline is pumping so hard that I don’t feel anything. My hands find their way to her neck. I squeeze and squeeze. Teeth gritting.

The power of my fingers pressing into the flesh of her neck makes me shiver with excitement. It feels like I can breathe for the first time since that day in the library all those years ago.

I have tunnel vision. I only see her eyes rolling back and her mouth attempting to suck in air. My heartbeat increases in my ears. Thump. Thump. Thump. My hands and wrists must be aching, but I don’t feel them.

Her arms keep flailing. Her fingers attempt to dig at my face. I don’t feel that either, I just keep pressing my hands into her. Squeezing. I wonder how much longer until she dies. I’m tingling all over.

And then I feel hands on me—pulling and yanking me off her. I fight harder, and then so do the hands.

My grasp is broken. I’m being lifted into the air. I’m screaming and swearing. I’m shaking, ferocious with rage. It’s a sensation from a time very long ago, yet it’s so familiar to me.

A man’s gruff voice breaks into my trance. My arms are twisted behind my back where I’m cuffed. Tightly. “That’s enough, Wilkanson! You’re done! You’re done!”

Now that I’m off her, I realize in a sobering moment that he might not be talking about just the fight. A hurtling wave of nausea makes my stomach twist and my mouth water.

I may have just ruined any chance I ever had to get out of here.

***

I’m whisked away by two guards who throw me into solitary.

They aren’t gentle with me as they literally launch me inside the room. I’ve never been in here before, but I’ve heard enough horror stories to know I never wanted to see it. I land on the ground with a thud. My bones vibrate from the motion. My arms are sore and bruised above my elbows where I was manhandled.

“I got to say, I’m surprised to see you in here, Wilkanson. There goes your perfect record. Was it worth it?” The guard, Han, shakes his head. He looks like a disappointed daddy and not some guy who’s getting underpaid to deal with us lowlifes.

I remain quiet, as is my right. It’s about the only thing I can control in here.

The other guard that has kindly accompanied me to the hole is Rickers. Unlike Han, has a smug smile on his face, like he’s been waiting for this moment with a lousy fifty bucks riding on it.

Han spins me around and unlocks the handcuffs. My wrists are sore from being forced into the cold, hard metal. I rub them, trying to get the circulation back into my hands. My brain finally registers where I am as I look around the closet-sized room. There’s nothing in here but a sweat- stained pad on the floor and a disgusting dirty blanket that I wouldn’t touch for fear of contracting scabies or countless other contagious diseases.

“Someone will be in later to bring you to your hearing. Do you want anyone else there with you?” Rickers asks.

“What do you mean? I don’t understand what’s happening,” I say, and it’s the truth. I’ve never committed an offense before. My anger has dwindled, and I’m left in a state of confusion and shock. My body trembles. I can even feel my ribs shaking. What did I fucking do?

Han stands tall, shoulders squared, with his hand on his baton. He looks like he’s ready to take down a linebacker and not some hundred-and-ten-pound chick. “You’ll be taken in to see an adjudicator. You can bring in witnesses if you think it’ll help your case. You’ll tell them what happened and plead guilty or not guilty of the offense—in this case, assaulting a fellow inmate.”

“But Georgina started it. She hit me first!” Ugh. I hear the pitiful whine in my voice and I wonder how I suddenly became a petulant child. I need to get my shit together before the hearing if I have any hope in hell of being taken seriously. “Can you ask Stephanie Harvey and Jodi Brown to come? They were there.”

“We’ll see what we can do,” Han says.

“So what, I have to stay in here until then? How long does this hearing take to set up?” I ask. My palms are slick, and I wipe them on the thighs of my pants.

“It could be a few hours.”

“Oh, great,” I exhale, relieved.

“Or it could be tomorrow,” Rickers adds.

My eyes and mouth widen. “What? You mean to tell me that I could be stuck in this hell

hole overnight?” My mind reels. My bunk is shitty, but it’s the Westin compared to this hovel. “That’s right.” Rickers smiles. “Shoulda thought about that before you tried to kill someone in here.” He walks out with Han right behind him.

My hand goes up and I wave for them to stop. “No, wait. You can’t leave me.”

Han takes another step away. “I’m afraid we can, and just in case we’re not back today, sleep tight.” The hefty steel door slams shut. The sound reverberates, echoing painfully in my ears. I’m dizzy. The walls look like they’re getting closer. The air is cold and stale. My stomach turns over.

Think, Ryann. Lunch was served at one o’clock. The fight happened just after, which puts it around two. There’s got to be enough time to get a judge or adjudicator to see me. What if the warden won’t let Steph and Jodi out to testify for me?

I need water. My mouth is so dry.

Surely someone will come soon. In twelve years at this prison, I’ve never so much as hid a candy bar I wasn’t supposed to have. I don’t deserve this.

Fighting is a major infraction. Georgina wanted this. This was probably her fucking plan the entire time.

What the fuck did I do?



Author Bio:

Kelly Charron is the author of YA and adult horror, psychological thrillers and urban fantasy novels. All with gritty, murderous inclinations and some moderate amounts of humor. She spends far too much time consuming true crime television (and chocolate) while trying to decide if yes, it was the husband, with the wrench, in the library. She lives with her husband and cat, Moo Moo, in Vancouver, British Columbia.

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