Monday, September 30, 2013

Cover Reveal: Seal Of Awakening By Traci Douglass




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Seal Of Awakening
Seven Seals Series
Book Three
Traci Douglass

Genre: Paranormal Romance/Urban Fantasy

Publisher: SpinTale Publishing

Date of Publication: October 28th, 2013

ISBN: 978-0-9897829-0-6

Number of pages: 261
Word Count: 70,000

Cover Artist: Kim Killion

Book Description:

Socially awkward geneticist Quinn Strickland has willingly forgone the pleasures in life to reach her career objectives. Alone and approaching thirty, she uses her independence to mitigate any risk of a broken heart. Her strategy works until the day a handsome stranger bursts into her lab and her orderly plans shoot straight to Hades. He claims to be her personal divine protector, a powerful, ancient warrior sent to defend a prophetic time bomb existing within her own genetic code.

The Scion's alpha-geek Wyck is offered the opportunity of his immortal lifetime as head of his own covert operation. He arrives at a Colorado lab expecting starched white coats and sterile surroundings-not a redheaded spitfire in charge of both his project and his libido. His skills have carried him from the battlefields of ancient England to the pits of Hell and he has no plans to be felled by one woman, regardless of her shag-worthy charms. Divine duty requires him to protect the apocalyptic Seal encrypted within Quinn's DNA, but his heart has other ideas. When his personal feelings interfere with his age-old vendetta, he's forced to decide between desire and retribution.

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Excerpt:

For the band of adopted heavenly brothers known collectively as the Scion, covert ops generally fell into two categories, crashing bore or glorious adventure. And after more than nine hundred years of divine missions, Wyck could tell the difference before the first volley fired.

He double-checked to make sure his ID badge was prominently displayed. Divinity had finally given him a second chance as mission leader and he intended to make sure this operation fell squarely into the epically awesome range despite his less than glamorous surroundings. This time, he vowed, there'd be no messy diversions to waylay his goals, no damsel in questionable distress to shred his heart to smithereens. Nope. This time he was fully prepared and would see his mission through to a successful end.

Wyck trudged up the sidewalk toward the imposing glass and steel Eugenicorp Labs building, craning his neck to see the top of the six-story structure. He was so engrossed in his perusal he nearly squashed a bedraggled squirrel limping across the pavement in front of him. Wyck glanced down and spotted a half-cracked acorn near the toe of his boot. Poor bugger must've dropped it in his hasty retreat.

His first inclination was to reach down and retrieve it, maybe place the nut near the roots of the giant tree where the squirrel now hid. But now wasn't the time to get sidetracked. As his commander, Xander, had already warned him, such kindness had only added to his past failures.

He kicked the nut, watching as it hurtled through the open grassy area surrounding the complex, then strode through the automatic doors and into the cavernous lobby. Empty. Sterile. Utilitarian, covered in gleaming metal and glass. The décor - neutral grays and bland beiges - screamed restraint.

Okay, he amended. Maybe epic and awesome were pushing the envelope for this mission. Best to start with solidly successful. He blinked several times in the early morning sunshine and spotted the pinched, schoolmarm expression of a receptionist across the expanse.

Brilliant.

In his experience, mulish females appeared to be the rule in academia. Just one more reason he steered clear of the smart ones and stuck to his technology. Emotional evisceration was another, but he refused to dwell on that now. Gadgets and science had always been his safe refuge. They trustworthy.

He proceeded across the pristine white-tile floor and when the receptionist steadfastly ignored him, Wyck coughed and summoned his most charming smile. "Hi, I'm Orson Parrot, the new bloke."

The woman glanced up from her computer screen and ran a disdainful eye over him, her glare burning a hole through his extended hand. Her scowl increased as she snatched a clipboard from the desk's immaculate surface and skimmed a bony digit down the list. She tapped her finger twice beside one line and stared back at him, her demeanor cold enough to freeze hydrogen, then pointed toward a pair of glass doors across the lobby. "Through there."

He leaned forward to thank her only to be confronted by a strip of red fabric. Dangling from the receptionist's hand, it swung in crazy, lopsided circles to tap him squarely on the chest. "You'll need this," she said, her tone a perfect match for the Queen's after a distasteful tabloid scandal.

Wyck caught the twirling lanyard, with its attached security keycard, and placed it around his neck. He couldn't resist giving the woman a wink and a grin on his way out, and was delighted when she stiffened like rawhide. A fellow had to have some fun.

He headed toward the double doors across the atrium, his mind ticking with details. This rare shot at redemption, plus the added potential for delivering a digital smackdown to his longtime enemies, the Nephilim, had him jumping at the chance to infiltrate the Eugenicorp's computer system. Getting back in the field again would prove more enjoyable than his usual long hours of tedious research for his brother's quests. Not to mention turning down an assignment from Divinity wasn't really an option. She'd given the Scion many blessings, but freewill over their assignments wasn't one of them.

If his hunches were correct, his new logic bomb would blow the fucking cork right off the half-breeds' schemes for a new world order. By utilizing their legitimate business arm in the human realm, Tolbert International, the Nephilim had been quietly amassing huge quantities of money for centuries, branching out into everything from pharmaceuticals to produce. The Internet had been buzzing for months with rumors of an eminent Tolbert takeover of a genetics research facility and Divinity had sent him to Eugenicorp to make sure those takeover plans didn't include the Seal currently hosted by one head scientist or the top-secret project she commandeered.

He used his new keycard to enter a glass-lined walkway and caught sight of his reflection. Christ Almighty. He'd done a wicked job of turning his normal hipster persona into Orson Parrott-Super Brain Extraordinaire.

Attired in a scholarly turtleneck and khakis, he couldn't have been further from his normal choice of t-shirt and jeans. Between his helmet hair and the tatty, empty briefcase he carried, there was little sign of the tousled charmer who'd enticed a cute barista to bed during his last reconnaissance mission here a few months earlier.

Goodbye quick tumbles. Hello brainy celibate.

Wyck passed from the atrium into another adjoining lobby and glanced at the office number scribbled across his palm in blue ballpoint ink. 5324. He pushed the button for the next arriving elevator, whistling while he waited.

Sure, he'd performed a teensy bit of cyber-fraud by uploading his own credentials and employee demographics into the Eugenicorp HR files and he'd picked out a nice cushy office with a window, close to his target and close to the vending machines. Perfect.

Speaking of his target, the buttoned-down woman wasn't one he looked forward to meeting. From everything he'd read about the third Seal's unwitting host, she was smarter than sin and as enticing as a good bout of bubonic plague. No thank you.

A determined clack of heels echoed against the tile behind him and he swiveled toward the noise, just in time to see a flash of bright red hair barge through the gathering crowd and into the elevator. People stepped back, some headed for the stairs, as if the woman now occupying the compartment might spontaneously combust at any moment.



About the Author:

Author photo Author.jpg

Traci is the author of paranormal romance/urban fantasy and contemporary romances featuring a sly, urban edge, including her current Seven Seals series. Her stories feature sizzling alpha-male heroes full of dark humor, quick wits and major attitudes; smart, independent heroines who always give as good as they get; and scrumptiously evil villains who are-more often than not-bent on world destruction. She enjoys weaving ancient curses and mythology, modern science and old religion, and great dialogue together to build red-hot, sizzling chemistry between her main characters.

She is an active member of Romance Writers of America (RWA), Indiana Romance Writers of America (IRWA) and Fantasy, Futuristic & Paranormal Writers (FF&P) and is pursing a Masters of Fine Arts degree in Writing Popular Fiction through Seton Hill University. Her stories have made the final rounds in several RWA chapter contests, including the 2012 Duel on the Delta, the 2012 Molly Awards, and the 2012 Catherine Awards. An earlier draft of the first book in the Seven Seals Series, Seal of Destiny, won the paranormal category of the 2012 Marlene Awards sponsored by the Washington Romance Writers. Other current projects include upcoming books in the Seven Seals series, a new contemporary novella series due out in early 2014, and a new futuristic suspense series with hints of the paranormal and plenty of romance.



Author Links:

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Bewitching Book Tours

Book Blitz: Embrace & Hold Tight by Cherie Colyer


Embrace (The Embrace Series #1)
by Cherie Colyer
Release Date: 12/20/11
Omnific Publishing

Summary from Goodreads:
Madison is familiar enough with change, and she hates everything about it. Change took her long-term boyfriend away from her. It caused one of her friends to suddenly hate her. It's responsible for the death of a local along with a host of other mysterious happenings. But when Madison meets a hot new guy, she thinks her luck is about to improve.

Madison is instantly drawn to the handsome and intriguing Isaac Addington. She quickly realizes he's a guy harboring a secret, but she's willing to risk the unknown to be with him.

Her world really spins out of control, however, when her best friend becomes delusional, seeing things that aren't there and desperately trying to escape their evil. When the doctors can't find the answers, Madison seeks her own.

Nothing can prepare her for what she is about to discover.
Dangerous, intoxicating, and darkly romantic, Embrace is a thriller that will leave you spellbound.


Excerpt:
He had a large mix of alternative and rap music, and mostly male singers, so when I hit a country CD with a blonde on the cover I held it up.

"Taylor Swift?" I asked.

"What?" A red flush crept into his cheeks. "I had a crush on her."

I looked at the cover. Maybe that was his secret. Maybe he was into blondes. What if I was an experiment to see if they really did have more fun? My dark chestnut hair was about as far from Goldilocks as it could get.

He reached for the CD, but I raised my arm over my head before he could grab it.

"I was young," he said, lunging forward and missing my hand.

"And you're so old and wise now," I teased, moving the CD behind my back.

He grabbed for it, his body practically on top of mine as he tried to catch my hand. I leaned back, laughing.

"Maybe we should play it," I said, squirming to keep him from being able to reach it.

He wrapped an arm around my back, pulling me closer. "Let's not."

We were a jumbled mass of arms and legs. His belt buckle rubbed the bare skin of my stomach, and his neck was in perfect kissing distance. My gaze traveled to his lips. His close proximity had me forgetting I was winning the game of keep-away…


Hold Tight (The Embrace Series #2)
by Cherie Colyer
Release Date: 08/20/13
Omnific Publishing

Summary from Goodreads:
What's one little spell?

When you're new to magic, one spell can be the difference between getting what you want...and ruining the lives of everyone you love.

Sixteen-year-old Madison has just embraced her magical powers. The trick now is learning how to control them. She and her boyfriend -and fellow witch- can't even enjoy a simple kiss without getting shocked when their powers collide. Instead of mastering her new skills, though, Madison is stuck watching her kid brother and doing chores.

But being a witch does have its benefits. With a simple spell, Madison instantly conjures the help she needs around the house. Or so she thinks. Her idea of "help" invites trouble of its own as a pair of dangerous yet enticing beings enter her life. When a classmate disappears soon afterwards, Madison discovers she's the next victim of a threat she's powerless to resist...and there's nothing it won't kill to make her surrender.

Caught in the crossfire between two dashing but deadly creatures, Madison must figure out which one to trust and how to rid her world of the other-before one of them destroys her and everyone she cares about.


Excerpt:
He vanished from our sight, but we heard him speak. "You got to keep the last girl we fought over in your realm. It's only fair I get Madison." His voice bounced off the walls, making it impossible to tell where he was.

Until his cold breath skimmed the back of my neck. I spun around.

"I am not an object up for auction to the highest bidder," I spat either to his face or to thin air. It was impossible to tell.

"You don't want to upset me further than I am, or you won't be the only Riley I claim as my own."

Fear paralyzed me. "You wouldn't."

Long fingers wrapped around my biceps, pinning my arms to my side. He materialized, tugging me upward so that I was on my toes, my ear inches from his mouth. "A better question would be, have I already? Stop fighting and come with me."


About the Author
A little about myself: I write young adult and middle grade novels. I love finding new stories that keep me up late reading. While my favorite genre is fantasy, if the book is beautifully written with characters that come alive I'm all over it.
My debut novel EMBRACE is now available from Omnific Publishing.





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Sunday, September 29, 2013

Book Release Blast: Immortal Heart By Inger Iversen


Immortal Heart
Few Are Angels Book # 3 (Prequel)
By-Inger Iversen
Expected Publication Date- September 30th, 2013
Genre-New Adult/Mature YA-*Contains sexual content* 

More than a century after the tragedy of Hélène's death and before Ella found Kale bruised and broken on her doorstep, Kale moved through the world in a haze of personal punishment allowing it to consume him. Until his friend, Detective Deacon, a newly infected Chorý calls on him for a favor. 

In this prequel to the Few Are Angels series, Kale is thrown into a world of human blood trafficking and is introduced to a Chorý that offers him a chance at happiness- in blood.

Saturday, September 28, 2013

Cover Reveal: WitchHunt By Emma Mills




WitchHunt Cover photo WitchHunt.jpg

WitchHunt
Witchblood #4
By Emma Mills
Expected Publication Date: November 4, 2013
Format: Kindle Edition

Blurb:

As the Christmas season is ripped apart by the news that Jess' old friend Alex has been turned into a vicious killer, festivities are dropped, Jess returns to England and the hunt begins. But Alex isn't the only one being hunted, for Mary has found a way to extinguish the entire bloodline of Malden witches, and it is Jess's book of shadows that's the key. As things hot up, Jess finds she must leave Daniel and the safety of Manchester in a final hunt for her nemesis, Mary. In a fight-off that only one of them can survive, loved ones will fall… daemons will rise… but who will survive?

Excerpt:

'I know it's selfish, but I don't want you to go,' Daniel said, a couple of minutes later.

I looked at him and smiled.

'I'll be fine, I will.'

'You'd better be. I don't know what I'd do without you. Those months I stupidly spent apart from you… they were torment for me,' he said.

'They were torment for me too.'



About the Author:

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Emma is one of the new wave of successful indie authors. Her first YA novel, 'Witchblood', has been nominated for the CYBILS (Children & Young Adult Bloggers Literary Awards) and has also been in the Top Ten Kindle Download Charts for its genre. Since January 2012 she has gone on to publish 'WitchCraft' and 'WitchLove' which have respectively hit the top ten charts and have sold 20,000 copies in their first year. She is currently relocating her family from Manchester to Somerset, and is a stay-at-home mum to her two children, whilst writing the fourth and final book in the series, 'WitchHunt'.



Author Links:

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The Ripple Effect Romance Series Giveaway



The Ripple Effect Romance Novella Series 
Enjoy this exciting new series of clean novellas by six critically-acclaimed authors.

"Like a pebble tossed into calm water, a simple act can ripple outward and have a far-reaching effect on those we meet, perhaps setting a life on a different course—one filled with excitement, adventure, and sometimes even love."

Book 1: Home Matters by Julie N. Ford
Book 2: Silver Linings by Kaylee Baldwin
Book 3: Righting A Wrong by Rachael Anderson
Book 4: Lost and Found by Karey White
Book 5: Second Chances 101 by Donna K. Weaver
Book 6: Immersed in Love by Jennifer Griffith



Home Matters by Julie N. Ford

According to her mother, Olivia Pembroke was born to be a star. But how is she supposed to be famous when she can't even get a decent acting gig? Her lucky break comes when she lands an audition for a wildly popular home improvement show. Even though she has no design training and has never even held a power tool, she refuses to let that stop her. She's confident that her destiny is finally within reach.

When her affections are torn between her heartthrob co-host and the irritating, yet somehow endearing lead contractor, does she continue to reach for the stars? Or does she design a new happily ever after? One that leads not to the fading lights of fame and fortune, but to a love that will burn forever.



Silver Linings by Kaylee Baldwin

Drew Westfall wants nothing more than to forget what he had to do in the name of "smart" business. Cutting off all ties with his parents—including handing over the entire contents of his trust fund to a charity—he takes off for Bridger, Colorado where his best friend has an extra room for him. It doesn't take long for him to realize that his business degree won’t do him much good in a town as small as Bridger, but he's broke and has nowhere else to go.

Eden Torresi has every reason to wallow. Not only did she lose her mother, but she had to drop out of nursing school and is in a relationship with a guy unwilling to commit. But Eden isn't the wallowing type. Instead, she chooses to spend most of her time taking care of the seniors at Silver Linings Nursing home. When she learns that her boyfriend's new roommate is down on his luck, her caring nature makes her want to reach out to him and offer what help she can. But the more time they spend together, the more complicated things get, especially when the seniors of Silver Linings decide to play matchmaker.



Righting a Wrong by Rachael Anderson

Seven years ago, Cambri Blaine fled her small hometown of Bridger, Colorado after her senior year ended in a fiasco. Only Jace Sutton knew the real reason why—that she was a spineless coward. Now, seven years later, her father's been in an accident and needs help, and Cambr has no choice but to return home. So with trepidation, she takes a leave of absence from the landscape architecture firm where she works and boards a plane, hoping against hope that Jace is no longer around and that the past can stay where it belongs—in the past.

If only life worked that way.

Jace never expected to see Cambri again. After she’d led him on, bruised his heart, and left town without a backward glance, he was forced to pick up the pieces and try not to hate her for it. Eventually, he put it behind him and moved on, creating a life for himself in his beloved hometown. But now that Cambri is back and looking more beautiful and sophisticated than ever, some of those old feelings resurface, and Jake instinctively knows, for the sake of his heart, that he needs to avoid her at all costs.

If only it were that easy.


Lost and Found by Karey White

Lydia was supposed to have an adventurous and exciting summer. Instead she's done nothing more than read and eat takeout. Now it's time to go home, and what does she have to show for it? A big fat nothing. Unless, of course, her trip to the airport somehow turns into something more than just a flight home.

Blake feels like he's been sent on a wild goose chase. While work is piling up back in Denver, he's on the other side of the country, hunting for some mysterious box that his grandfather left him. Well, no more. Nothing inside that box could possibly be more important than the opportunity to make it as the youngest partner at his firm. So he's going home, and that's that. But that's before he discovers his flight has been cancelled.

When these two strangers meet at the airport, they make a split-second decision to search for the box together. Maybe with both of them on the hunt, Lydia can have her adventure and Blake can find the box. And maybe, if they’re lucky, they’ll even find some romance.



Second Chances 101 by Donna K. Weaver

Thirty seven year old Francie Davis, a recent widow and empty nester, gets to attend college at last. She’s sure her luck has changed when she also lands a job on campus that will pay her tuition, as administrative assistant to a history professor. When her handsome new boss yells at her on the first day of work, Francie worries she will never be good enough.

For Professor Alex Diederik, life is going downhill fast. Not only is his bitter ex-wife trying to poison their only daughter against him, but now his one place of solace—his work environment—is being complicated by his attractive new administrative assistant. She drives home his feelings of failure as a husband and father, and Alex wonders if hiring her was the right thing to do.

Francie will have to put aside her hurt and insecurities or risk her dreams, while Alex must look outside himself if he’s to mend the breach with his daughter. And, perhaps, find someone who can help heal his pain.


Immersed in Love by Jennifer Griffith

Lisette Pannebaker speaks five languages and has a brilliant business plan—personal language immersion. Clients can hire her to shadow them and speak all day in any language they need to learn for business or travel—whatever.

But there’s a major hitch: she’s far too pretty. Clients with less than honorable intentions sign up just have Lisette at their side. Solution? A make-under. Way under.It works like a charm. None of her male clients show her the least bit of interest.

Until… Erik.

Erik Gunnarsson is charming, kind, and smart—everything she’s ever looked for. Even though he seems to have a secret and she swore she'd never date a client, Lisette is tempted to shed her disguise—even if it means jeopardizing her career.



Giveaway Details
$25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash
Ends 10/31/13

Bloggers who put up a spotlight post about these books on their blog can enter to win an additional $25 gift card or paypal cash.  See details in the Rafflecopter.

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


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Friday, September 27, 2013

Cover Reveal: Enhanced By Courtney Farrell

Welcome to the Cover Reveal for "Enhanced" by Courtney Farrell.  Enjoy the first chapter provided for your pleasure. If you were a fan of the television show Dark Angel you will really enjoy Enhanced!

 Michelle was born into the Institute's eugenics program, where doctors breed people like livestock. One powerful man decides which children grow up, and which disappear. Culls are dumped in the slum outside Institute walls, and those kids never come back. Michelle has survived every purge, and she's about to win a luxurious life as a breeder. When her brother and her boyfriend are both mysteriously culled, despite their high scores, she goes over the wall to find them. Alone in the ghetto, she's in trouble until handsome, streetwise Dillon stakes a claim to her. She's mortified because the Enhanced see Norms as little more than animals. But the doctor is using the missing boys in a twisted experiment, and she needs Dillon's help to stop him. Michelle must rescue the boys, but a plague is spreading, the doctor is after her, and Dillon isn't thrilled to help her find her lost boyfriend.
Buy Now:   Crescent Moon Press    Amazon     B&N
Enhanced: Chapter 1 

     The door slammed open and a team of white-coated technicians filed grimly into the classroom. Michelle Atherton automatically relaxed her face into the expressionless mask Enhanced offspring used to greet any bad news, but under her desk, her fingers gripped each other hard enough to hurt. The techs lined up against the wall, arms folded and jaws set in identical hard lines. They stared over her head, refusing to make eye contact with anyone. Doctor Williams came in last, rolling a gurney outfitted with sturdy nylon straps. He parked it behind the last row of chairs, and teenagers twisted in their seats to stare. Pressure rose in Michelle's throat like a scream, but she didn't dare make a sound.
     Williams dismissed Professor Cole with a perfunctory twitch of his jowly chin. In agonizingly slow motion, the old teacher set the stack of standardized tests down on her desk and walked stiffly from the room. Williams closed the door after her. The click of the latch made Michelle flinch.
    "Seth Atherton," Doctor Williams said.
     Blood rushed from Michelle's head.
     Michelle's seventeen-year-old brother stood up. "Sir?"
    "You have been selected for a…procedure." Williams motioned Seth to the gurney. "Come with us."
    "What procedure?" Seth's voice sounded calm and polite, as always, but everyone knew what he was thinking. People selected for procedures didn't always come back.
     Williams didn't answer-not that anyone expected him to. At the doctor's gesture, a couple of male technicians stepped up and locked eyes with the rangy dark-haired boy. The bigger one, a swarthy young man with thighs like tree trunks, pointed Michelle's brother toward the gurney. Seth stood his ground.
     He turned to Doctor Williams. "I'll cooperate, sir. You don't need the stretcher, I can walk."
     Technicians drifted from the wall like wraiths, slowly surrounding him. Michelle's head felt like it floated a little way above her body, as if somehow it wasn't quite connected. Objects in the room had bright edges, and the coats of the technicians gleamed in brilliant, painful white. Her brother's strong hand gripped her shoulder, but she didn't remember getting out of her chair. He pulled her close and leaned down to whisper.
   "Michelle." Seth's eyes were so dilated that they almost looked black. Narrow rings of indigo surrounded the reflective pools of darkness. "Don't do this. You have a chance to grow up here, become a breeder. I…I just can't watch you walk out the gate alone."
    She stared at him with wide eyes, and slowly nodded. Seth inclined his head in that unconsciously noble way of his, and the technicians fell back, making room. His fingers gripped Michelle's arm. Pain dimly penetrated her nightmare, so she let her brother walk her a couple of steps and press her back down in her chair.
    "Stay here, Michelle. I'll be fine."
     Michelle blinked hard at the tears that threatened to shame them both. "Sure. You'll…be fine."
     Seth nodded once and turned away. He strode to the gurney, climbed aboard and stretched out on his back. With sharp metallic clicks, technicians ratcheted down the straps.
     They rolled him away.
     The teens sat for a moment in stunned silence before the whispering began. "I can't believe they're culling him!" Sylvia blurted.
    "That's not how it's done," Jeanette said disdainfully. "They didn't line us up at the gate, and besides, with his scores, that's not going to happen."
    "Maybe they don't like his attitude," said Seth's best friend Brian. "The way he plays the system."
     Michelle glanced sharply at the big blond-haired senior. "You mean the way you both-"
    The door opened again and the technicians came back in with a second wheeled stretcher.
    Carissa's face blanched as the technicians marched toward her. "It's me, I knew it."       The tawny-haired girl stumbled out of her chair and squeezed behind Brian's broad back, like that could save her. He murmured to her softly and reached up to cover her hand with his.
    "Brian Halstead," the swarthy tech said, flexing his thick shoulders in an unspoken challenge. Carissa's breath caught audibly in her throat.
     Brian stood up slowly, with the oiled grace of a predator. "Yes, sir."
     He emphasized the word a little and the tech's eyes narrowed. Nobody called technicians sir. A little smirk played along the corners of Brian's mouth. He took a step or two toward the gurney, but hesitated by Michelle's chair until she looked up.
    "For Seth," Brian whispered, giving her a wicked little smile.
     Michelle sat up straight and scanned the white-coats. Doctor Williams had gone, leaving a bunch of low ranking techs to deal with Brian alone. Big mistake. What's he going to do?
     As Brian sauntered down the aisle, people in the back of the classroom scooted out of their chairs and clustered in front by Professor Cole's desk. That should have alerted the technicians, but it didn't.
    "Clearly, there's a reason that they're only technicians," Jeanette Morley said, right out loud, and her girlfriends giggled.
    "Get on the stretcher," the burly technician growled at Brian.
     Brian grinned. "Thanks, but I'm not interested in participating."
    "It's not optional."
    "That's not the way I see it." Brian cocked his head and waited until the tech made the mistake of grabbing his arm.
     "I turned eighteen last fall," Brian said, and the guy let go fast. It was too late.
      With both hands, Brian lifted the stretcher off its wheels and slammed its edge into the man's stomach. The swarthy one went down, along with another white-coat with the bad luck to be standing next to him. Techs swarmed the big blond-haired teenager, trying to overcome him by sheer numbers. Michelle cheered along with the rest of the class when Brian made a hole in the drywall with some guy's head, but a petite female nurse snuck up behind him with a syringe.
     "Look out, behind you!" screamed Carissa.
      Brian slumped horribly to the floor, and four white-coated men lifted his body onto the stretcher. They rolled him away while Michelle wrapped her arms around herself and shook. After the last technician filed out, Doctor Williams stuck his head in, surveyed the damaged wall with a slightly sick expression, and then closed the door like a dog owner making sure his pets didn't get out.
      Jeanette laughed until her face turned pink. "Did you see how Brian set that up? The Conclave can't touch him for that!"
     "What!" Michelle snapped.
     "Don't you get anything, Michelle?" Jeanette rolled her eyes. "Brian's eighteen. Technically that makes him an adult, whether he's finished high school or not. With the scores he gets, he outranks every technician at the Institute. He doesn't have to follow their orders."
      "So when he wakes up from whatever sick experiment they're doing on him, they can't punish him any worse. Sure, that's just hysterical, Jeanette. I'm glad you enjoyed it so much." Michelle abruptly fell silent when the door opened once again.
     This time, when they came, they came for her.
     Michelle trembled on the exam table in the Genetics Clinic. A puncture wound in her leg slowly dripped blood onto the polished floor, but she ignored it. Technicians were testing the biopsied muscle segment, and Norms existed to clean up the mess. A child sobbed softly on the other side of the wall.
      Don't go. Doctor Salomon could walk in any second, Michelle told herself, crumpling her disposable hospital shift in sweaty hands. But he won't, another part of her mind whispered, the buried part that knew exactly what Salomon was doing in the room next door. He's not finished with her yet. Michelle fidgeted on the paper-covered bench, trying to repress the thought. She smoothed away the telltale wrinkles in the horrible white paper poncho, but they'd be able to tell. They could always tell.
     Michelle tucked her chin and wrapped her arms across her flat stomach, as though she could hide under her veil of long dark hair. The antiseptic scent of the clinic always twisted her guts into a knot. Suddenly she pushed off the table, landing barefoot on the freezing cold tiles. Crimson droplets of blood marked her passage toward the door, but the bleeding quickly stopped. In another hour the wound would be completely healed. She hesitated, calculating the odds. Can I go find Seth and get back before Salomon does? Not likely. But if I don't, I'll go crazy.
      Michelle eyed the closed door, considering escape. But escape was only for the losers who got culled. Brian claimed that would be a relief, but he tried as hard as anyone to avoid it. No one knew what happened to the culls after they were dumped in the slum. They probably live out there like kings, ruling over the Norms. Even a cull could out compete them.
      In a savage motion Michelle tore off her paper shift and let the fragments drift to the floor. Glaring surgical light reflected off her sleek muscles, golden skin, and the flawless features of her face. She snatched up her clothes as fast as she could. A child's shrill scream paralyzed her with one leg in her pants.
      Doctor Salomon's voice rumbled through the wall, taking that quietly insistent tone he used with little girls. "Be quiet, Jennifer, or I'll bring one of your sisters in here instead. Is that what you want?"
     Michelle took a ragged gasp as everything she'd tried so hard to forget flooded to the surface. She yanked on her clothes and skidded across the floor in her socks. The door had been locked from outside. She rattled the doorknob frantically, but no one came. The child next door got louder, and something in there crashed to the floor. The little girl's hysterical pleading shifted into a high-pitched scream. A man bellowed, followed by the unmistakable sound of someone being slapped hard with an open hand.
      "Help, help!" Michelle pounded on the door and twisted the doorknob so hard that the metal itself sheared and broke off in her hand.
       She half expected to hear nurses' running feet, but no one came. Without thinking, she kicked the door open, bolted into the hall and slammed a shoulder into the closed door of the next room. It unexpectedly flew open, and Michelle tripped over an overturned chair just inside. She crashed to the floor and whipped her head around, but the doctor was already gone. A red-haired girl about nine years old peered over the edge of the exam table. A sore pink handprint stood up across the child's face. Blood speckled the front of her little paper poncho.
     Michelle scrambled to her feet, feeling stupid. She reached gently for the child, who flinched away. "Jennie? Sara? Which one are you? Um, sorry," Michelle trailed off, embarrassed. Everyone else seemed to be able to tell the triplets apart.
     "I'm Jennie."
     "Easy, Jennie. I won't hurt you. You're bleeding."
     "It's not my blood," the little redhead said, her blue eyes flashing defiantly. "I bit him."
      Michelle couldn't help laughing, but she stifled the sound behind her hands. Around here, anyone could be listening. "Good. He had it coming, I'm sure."
      The child slid off the table, clutching her paper shift tightly to her chest with both tiny fists. "He told me he had to check and see if I had cancer, you know, inside."
     "Oh, that's--" Michelle cut herself off before blurting, "just what he used to tell me." Instead she said, "That's not true. The Enhanced can't get cancer, sweetie. That flaw got bred out generations ago."
     Jennie bit her lip, trying not to cry. "He lied."
     Michelle squatted down to get on eye level with the little girl. "Yeah, he did. So tell your mom right away."
    "They showed her the gate when I was a baby." An angry tear escaped down Jennie's cheek, but she flushed and quickly wiped it away. Michelle politely pretended not to notice.
      The little redhead crept in to whisper. "You shouldn't try to help me. You know what he'll do."
      Michelle went cold, imagining the consequences. "I know, but I heard you scream, and…"
      Jennie surprised her by giving her a hug. "Don't be stupid, Michelle. It's bad here, but it's worse Outside."
      Michelle walked down the hall alone, feeling like a prisoner about to face the firing squad. A couple of young male technicians chatted outside the surgical suite. They'd know she had no business in there, and with her genetically enhanced IQ, getting lost wasn't an excuse. She smiled a little, trying not to look guilty as her heart pounded. Their eyes roamed over her body, but they stepped aside to let her pass. Michelle was an Atherton, after all, the daughter of not only one, but two members of the Conclave. That made her royalty here. At least until my first citation for noncompliance.  
      Michelle glanced over her shoulder at the men, pretending to check them out. They winked and leered, and laughed when she blushed. She bent her head over her papers as though double-checking a room number and pushed through the double doors. She held her breath, expecting them to stop her. They didn't. Michelle slowed her stride at the receptionist's desk, hoping Seth's mysterious procedure would be listed on the computer there. A young female receptionist sat behind the clear plastic counter. The brunette's short legs and pudgy body gave her away as an Augment, a Norm enhanced only enough to qualify her for a job. Augments instinctively obeyed orders from Enhanced adults, but not from the kids. Am I old enough? Will she tell me?
     Salomon's petulant voice came from an office opposite the receptionist's desk, making Michelle forget all about the little brunette. "You're worthless, Williams! I can't leave you alone for a minute. That's why you're still a technician, so stop asking."
      The door opened and Michelle ducked around a corner, but caved in to the temptation to peek. Doctor Salomon emerged, trailed by Doctor Williams, the eternal technician. The unfortunate man took shallow breaths, sucking in his tubby stomach, but it still made him look like a Norm.
      The small white-haired director poked a bandaged finger at Williams' face. "All you had to do was remain in the room, but apparently that was too complicated for you. Those damages are coming out of your paycheck. Now I'm late for surgery, and you're assisting."
     "Thank you for the opportunity, sir," the balding technician said. His eyes remained downcast, but a note of hope crept into his voice.
      Salomon's overpowering cologne drifted around the corner and stung Michelle's throat. It smelled like pain. She pushed off the wall and hurried away. Ahead, a line of Enhanced offspring waited for Augment security guards to inspect their documents. She abruptly changed direction and rushed down another corridor, fighting down panic. Sweat began to soak through her blouse, and her breath came in rapid gasps. Orderlies scooted out of her way, and one of them flicked his wrist, activating his implanted cell chip. Is he calling security? Michelle fought against the wave of irrational terror, but had no hope. She dodged a couple of white-uniformed nurses and gave in to the impulse to run.
       Anxiety disorders sometimes manifested in kids selected for extremely high IQs, and doctors doggedly rooted out the flaw. Most of the other carriers had already been selected for procedures. Speaking their names was forbidden, so it felt safer to forget them. Michelle brought their faces to mind in a desperate bid for self-control. The little brown-haired girl who used to cry on the high ropes course-that one never made it past fifth grade. The freckle-faced seventh-grade boy who got eliminated when he refused a two-on-one sparring match in karate class. The images of the lost slowed her headlong rush, but not quickly enough.
     A group of students crowded the hall around the corner. Michelle careened sideways, slammed a hand loudly against the wall, and plowed right into Jeanette Morley, of all people. Beauty wasn't the goal at the Institute, but Jeanette sure acted like it was. The team that designed her pulled out all the stops, giving her a slender, sculpted body, large breasts, and blonde hair that cascaded down her back. Looks weren't supposed to count here, but they did, especially when it came to influencing people.
      The blonde shoved Michelle away and then started ripping her a new spleen. "Yeah, instead of arriving on time, go ahead and run us all over, you cull. God, Michelle, you're so…Normal. No wonder you have no friends."
      "I'm her friend," Carissa said softly, stepping between Jeanette and Michelle with a visible effort.
      "Thanks, Carissa," Michelle told the mousy girl, trying to be kind. "I'm your friend too."
      "Low-ranks and recruits." Jeanette gave Carissa a critical once-over and rolled her eyes. "Like they count. I guess, if that's the best you can do."
      Jeanette's younger brother Todd wove through the crowd, slipping easily between the muscular boys. On him, the genes that gave Jeanette her delicate beauty just looked scrawny. "Hey, Michelle. Worried you'd be late?"
      "Um, yeah." Michelle peeled a sweaty curl off her forehead and looked back down the hall. No one followed, and she felt like an idiot for losing control.
      Todd took her by the elbow and guided her to the wall. His touch calmed her pounding heart. "This test isn't for freshmen," he murmured, almost inaudibly, but she heard him through her bones. "What are you doing here?"
      She didn't answer. His eyes searched hers as he lightly lifted the truth from her mind. "Oh. Living dangerously."
      "Get out of my head, witch!" Michelle snapped, way too loud, but Todd only laughed in that wheezing nerdy way of his.
       He put his mouth to her ear and whispered. "They're in outpatient surgery, room seven."
      "Thanks! I've got to go, I'm not supposed to…" Michelle faltered and fell silent.
      "Obviously," Todd smirked. "Get going before the wrong people notice." He shot a fast glance at his sister, who clustered with her followers.
       Michelle turned away and stepped on someone's foot. "Oh, I'm sorry," she said, and then saw who she'd crunched. A green-uniformed Norm hurriedly pulled his laundry cart out of her way. Sniggers broke out among the teens and Michelle blushed. One didn't speak to Norms, except to give instructions. Apologizing to them was unheard of. They were little more than animals, and they wouldn't understand.
       "My fault, Miss," the small black-haired Norm mumbled, eyes respectfully downcast. A muscle on the young man's jaw clenched and released, and he cast a glance of veiled hatred toward the smirking crowd of kids. Michelle wouldn't have thought a Norm would know when he was being laughed at, but this one obviously did. A flush of anger rose to her cheeks, but her glare didn't stop her classmates' giggles. Suddenly she hated them too.
       "It wasn't your fault!" Michelle blurted, startling the pimple-faced boy into meeting her eyes for a second. "I ran into you."
       The entire hallway fell silent as the Normal teenager flushed under the scrutiny of dozens of impossibly beautiful Enhanced. Michelle shrugged apologetically, and the worker surprised her with a wry grin. Mentally kicking herself for attracting attention, she slipped around a corner and walked away.
       One advantage of breaking rules when no one else did was that authorities never expected it. In the outpatient surgery wing, nurses and orderlies bustled everywhere, but no one noticed one girl standing against the wall. Michelle peeked through the tiny window in the door of room seven. Her brother sat rigidly on an exam table. Seth's handsome face remained impassive, but he kept running a hand through his hair, making it stand on end. He stopped when Salomon walked in. Williams followed, carrying a tray shrouded under a blue surgical cloth. Instead of asking, the chubby technician just put a hand on Seth's chest and shoved him down on the table. Two thick nylon straps pinned the boy on his back. Salomon chose a gleaming silver scalpel from his tray.
       Seth averted his eyes from the scalpel and spotted his sister standing in the doorway. A flicker of fear crossed his face, quickly masked. The doctor bent over the boy's arm and made a quick incision without bothering to numb it first. Seth's night-blue eyes glazed with pain, but he didn't even twitch when the doctor pulled the edges of the incision wide and used a couple of stainless-steel clamps to hold it open. Michelle couldn't look at the blood dripping down her brother's arm, and focused on his dark eyes instead. They looked strange to her, too old for his young face.
       When Salomon turned away to open an incubator, Seth mouthed something at her. It took Michelle a moment to make out her brother's words. "Go! Before you get one too!"    
 "One what?" she mouthed back, just as Salomon returned to Seth's side. The petite gray-haired man now wore a surgical mask, and he cradled something carefully in his gloved hands. He glanced up and Michelle recoiled just in time, jerking back around the corner. That did it. A suspicious middle-aged nurse strode toward her, elbowing aside some low-ranking aids and a Normal janitor. Clutching her fake documents to her chest, Michelle fled.
Courtney Farrell was once a molecular biologist, but her habit of daydreaming destroyed far too many experiments. As it turned out, writing down the movies behind her eyes was a lot more fun than lab work. Courtney is the author of fourteen nonfiction books for young people, mostly on social and environmental topics. She lives with her family on a Colorado ranch where they support a barn full of freeloading animals, including a fat draft horse and a bunch of crazy chickens. Enhanced is her first novel.
ONLINE LINKS:
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o Crescent Moon Press 


Wednesday, September 25, 2013

Book Tour: The Guardians By Wendy Owens




Sacred Bloodlines Book 1 Cover photo SacredBloodlinesCover.jpg

Sacred Bloodlines (Book 1)
by Wendy Owens
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Blurb:

Tragedy has defined Gabe's short existence in this world. An ominous darkness lurked on the edge of his existence until one day in a subway, strange things start happening. A series of events lead Gabe into a new and fascinating life filled with angels and demons, but he isn't sure if he wants to be a part of it.

Gabe is thrust into the middle of this exciting world that is full of things he has longed for in his life but it comes with a price. This new life also promises constant terrifying dangers that Gabe fears he may not be able to survive.




Excerpt:

Gabe closed his eyes and leaned his head back against the cool subway tiles. The pungent smell of urine and burnt electrical wires filled his nostrils as the loud roar of a passing train erupted in his ears. His social worker's words replayed again and again in his head, "difficulties with home placement," "a past filled with tragic incidents," "more time needed to find the right parental candidates." Gabe knew what that meant, after years of being shipped from one foster family to the next, it was clear what people thought of him. He was cursed. "And why wouldn't they," he thought. It was even obvious to himself.

The bustle of the station increased as the train squealed to a halt. Gabe grabbed his ragged black backpack and headed to the nearest set of open doors. He twisted and turned, trying to make his way through the thick crowd. A chill came over him, one that was all too familiar and Gabe found himself filled with dread. Coming to a sudden stop he looked around at the sea of people. Just steps from the train doors he was unable to move. He was staring and searching, his breath now shallow. The voices around him were instantly silenced as a pulsing white noise consumed his mind.

Gabe's hands were clammy and he felt his legs weaken. "Are you getting on or what?" the man behind him shouted. The man was wearing a plain, tan trench coat and carried a briefcase. Gabe looked back at him, not able to hear what he was saying for a moment, still distracted by the deafening white noise in his head.

"Come on, some of us have places to be," the man grumbled as he rudely pushed past Gabe and boarded the subway car. Stumbling to a nearby column, Gabe steadied himself, attempting to regain his composure.

As sounds came flooding back, he heard the buzzer warning that the doors would soon be closing. Gabe looked up and prepared to make a dash for the opening. Before he could make his move, he caught sight of a young woman standing in front of the subway doors. She was wearing a long, black leather coat that was cinched at her waist. There was an odd grey color that surrounded her, creating a halo effect around her entire body. He had seen this before, actually more times than he cared to recall. He even saw the same grey aura the night his parents died.

Gabe stared intensely at her back as she stepped into the subway car. She slowly turned around, her black hair was short, cut just above the chin, which she wore slicked back, tucked behind her petite ears. Gabe thought she looked as though she were trying to remove the femininity from her small frame in any way she could. Her skin was pale; the color reminded Gabe of milk.

He watched, frozen, as the girl lifted her head and looked directly into his eyes. She flashed him a small, wicked smile as the doors closed. He saw her eyes flicker a hint of red. A moment later, the train pulled away. Gabe slid to the cold floor as the crushing weight of impending doom filled him.

Gabe had been plagued by these feelings and visions his entire life. He could remember being sent to at least a dozen different therapists all over the city. Their diagnoses were all the same; however, 'hallucinations brought on by depression caused by the tragic loss of his parents.' Some had him writing his feelings in journals, but most of them found it easier to load him up on medication and send him on his way. He had learned a long time ago that the easiest thing to do was to lie about the visions.

Gabe wondered if the therapists were all right. Perhaps he was just crazy with grief. His parents had died when he was only five years old. He found it hard to believe such grief could plague a person for eleven years, but what did he know, he was no ...

A loud explosion suddenly interrupted Gabe's thoughts. He reached out his hands to try and steady himself as the ground under him shook violently. He threw up his arms to cover his head, plaster crumbling and falling like rain from the high ceilings.




 photo CursedCover.jpg

Cursed (Book 2)
by Wendy Owens
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Blurb:

Some people are born into love, some people are born into war, when Gabe discovered he was a Guardian Angel, his life was suddenly thrust into both. If this hidden war wasn't enough to deal with, Gabe learns he is fated to be the great protector who will one day deliver the last prophet to either safety or death. All of these revelations didn't matter for Gabe, he only cared that his new life included Sophie.

Sophie and Gabe grew closer over the summer. She is now a fixture in his life that keeps him moving forward. Evil doesn't stop stalking him just because he found happiness. This time darkness finds it's way into Rampart manor and Gabe will have to decide if he is willing to risk everything to try and stop it.




Excerpt:

As the door creaked open, a small hint of candle light peeked out.

"Why is it so dark in there?" Gabe asked, glaring back at Haim.

"The overhead light seemed to agitate her; she seems to like the candle light. The barrier shield can only be removed by Michael, but if you want, you should be able to cross in," Haim explained.

"Wait, what are you talking about? What barrier shield?" Gabe demanded.

"Michael thought it would be best if Sophie couldn't leave the room in her condition," Haim said, attempting to delicately shed light on the reasoning behind the imprisonment.

"And a guard isn't sufficient?" Gabe asked defensively.

"I just think Michael wanted to make sure she was safe," Haim replied.

Gabe hung his head; he had no words left to say. Part of him just wanted to close the door and walk away. To close the door on the entire situation Sophie was trapped in. Somehow, if he could close that door, perhaps everything would return to the way it was. Things could go back to the way they were over the summer when Sophie and he were happy and together, back to when Sophie was the light that made all of this worth it.

Gabe took another deep breath. He knew there was no going back, this was their reality now. He needed to go in and confront his fears, confront the situation they found themselves in. He had to be strong for Sophie's sake.

As Gabe stepped inside he heard Haim interject, "Stay close to the walls," just before the door closed.

Gabe squinted, trying to readjust to the darkness. To the side, he saw a small table with a candle perched on it. Under his feet he heard cracking. Looking down he could see the floor was covered in straw. Gabe's stomach twisted. He couldn't stand the thought of Sophie being kept like this.

In the far corner of the room, Gabe saw a figure curled up in the corner. A pale blanket wrapped around them. In the dark, Gabe could not even make out the color of the person's hair.

"Sophie?" Gabe spoke softly.

The figure trembled, but barely stirred at his voice.

"It's me, Gabe."

Gabe watched, holding his breath as the figure slowly turned. The body moved in an almost unnatural way as it shifted and crawled slowly on all fours across the floor. When the candlelight at last fell on the figure, Gabe could make out the auburn hair of his beloved Sophie. Her hair was matted, greasy, and hung in her face.

Gabe saw her shoulders were hollow looking and her skin was almost glowing white. Gabe caught sight of Sophie's fingers, her knuckles were bloody, and her nails cracked and peeling. Instinctively, Gabe fell to his knees and crawled to Sophie. Without even giving it a thought, he grabbed her hands and pulled them closer to the light.

"Oh Sophie, what happened to your hands?" Gabe cried.

Sophie jerked her hands from Gabe's grasp. Arching her back she sharply hissed as she flipped her hair back and glared at him. Gasping, Gabe fell back on to his butt, crawling towards the door backwards on his hands. His beloved Sophie's blue eyes were gone; instead a deep full blackness stared back at him. Her lips were dry, cracked, and appeared almost blue in color, at least at the places that weren't covered with spots of dried blood. Unlike the skin on the rest of her body, her face her face was the color of ash. It was marbleized by black veins that crawled up her neck and splintered around her eyes, making them appear even more haunting.

"Oh God, Sophie!" Gabe shrieked.

"Hst!" Sophie spat and bared her jagged, sharp teeth at Gabe, the spaces filled with a rotting blackness. She hovered close to the ground like an animal.

"Sophie, please! It's me, Gabe. Don't you recognize me?" Gabe begged as he searched for any part of Sophie.

Blankly, the creature stared back at Gabe. There was nothing left of her true eyes, nothing of what they had been, nothing of his former love.




The Prophecy Book 3 Cover photo TheProphecyCover.jpg

The Prophecy (Book 3)
by Wendy Owens
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Blurb:

Five years have passed since Gabe abandoned Rampart, deserting his destiny and closest friends. The struggles Gabe has endured to stay alive have changed him, hardening him into a man unwilling to trust anyone or anything, dealing with difficulties connecting with the outside world.

Gabe has finally found a certain paradise--a peace in solitude--until a familiar stranger shows up on his doorstep, pleading for Gabe's help.

Now he has to decide if he is truly content in his new life, or if he is willing to risk his solitary happiness for a little piece of the world he left behind.

Should he choose to accept the most important duty of his life, one failure could mark the beginning of the end for all mankind.




Excerpt:

"I always loved the smell of rain. Even as a kid, I was never sad when it would rain. My friends always complained because it meant they couldn't play outside. You would find me curled up on the box seat, the window cracked, a blanket across my lap, and a book in my hands. My aunt always said I had an old soul, just like her."

"You were close to your aunt?" Gabe asked.

"Oh very. She took my brother and I in after my mom died," Rachel explained.

Gabe shuddered at the familiar story. Almost all of the students he met at Rampart shared the theme of a parentless upbringing. Many of those parents had been torn away in violent scenarios, including his own. "I'm so sorry about your mom."

"Don't be. The cancer took years. In the end we were glad it was finally over. My dad didn't stick around long after my brother was born. Once mom got sick my aunt moved right in. I guess it just became our normal. We went to live at her house once my mom did pass away. It just seemed natural, living with her. She made us feel like we had a home and like we were wanted," Rachel continued with her story.

"Your aunt sounds pretty amazing," Gabe added.

"Oh she is. I want you to meet her one day," Rachel said. The idea of meeting her family made Gabe blush, though he didn't know why.

"Does your brother still live with her?" Gabe asked.

Rachel hesitated, looking back out the front door to the rainy night. "I'm not sure. He was getting ready to head off to college when I left with Uri. I haven't spoken to them since that night, so I don't really know what happened.

Gabe could hear the sadness in her voice. When Uri had found him he was leaving nothing behind. Gabe had no friends or family of any kind. He never imagined how hard it would be for someone to leave when they had something to stay for. "I'm sorry this happened to you."

"What? Don't be silly. You all are protecting me, I'm grateful," Rachel replied. Without hesitation she dashed out the front door, squealing as the cool rain fell on her face.

Surprised by Rachel's sudden sprint into action, Gabe leaned forward and pulled himself to the open doorway. Midway into the clearing in front of the cabin Rachel danced. Spinning in a circle, her face and palms turned upwards, she was basking in the moonlight and embracing the rain drops. Rachel's tongue slipped out, mouth open, lapping up the water as it fell.

"Hey, crazy woman, what are you doing?" Gabe called out.

"It's refreshing, you should join me."

"Yeah, no thanks, I think I will stay in here where it's dry and warm," Gabe replied.

"Oh come on, you big wuss, live a little," Rachel goaded, not shifting her gaze from the heavens. "It's beautiful! The moon, the stars. All of it."

Using the door handle, Gabe pulled himself to a standing position with a groan. "How is it you always do that?"

"Do what?" Rachel asked, glancing at him for a brief moment.

"You look at everything with such a positive attitude. It's pouring rain out there and you're talking about how beautiful it is. I wish I had been born with that ability. I can move mountains, but I can't find the silver lining in things," Gabe grimaced stepping onto the porch, careful to stay under the shelter of the roof.

Rachel stopped spinning and looked at Gabe intensely.

"What? Is it something I said?" Gabe asked, glancing over his shoulder and acting confused.

Rachel didn't say a word; she calmly walked up to face him. Silently they stared at each other for a moment. She leaned in and planted a wet and gentle kiss on his cheek. "Gabe, it's not something you're born with. If you want to be happy, then be happy. You only need to make the choice to let go of your sadness."

With that, Rachel walked past Gabe and back into the cabin, the rain water dripping from her drenched clothes that now clung to her curves, leaving very little to Gabe's imagination.

Gabe realized he was standing there alone, with a goofy smile on his face. Limping inside, he closed the door behind him, her words still lingering in his mind. Gabe wanted more than anything to be able to choose happiness. He wanted a rain storm to make him smile. He desired that the simple task of cooking would make him dance. To Gabe, however, it didn't seem as simple as just making a choice. He hoped her joy was contagious, because he was in uncharted territories.




The Lost Years Book 4 Cover photo TheLostYearsCover.jpg

The Lost Years (book 4)
by Wendy Owens
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Blurb:

Gabe's world was forever altered by the people he came to know and love at Rampart Manor. Although, it wasn't only his life that was changed when he made the choice to leave them all behind.

During his five year absence, they each had a battle with personal demons. Dina is faced with a moral dilemma, the path of good leading to certain heartbreak, or evil, and a possibility of happiness.

Uri meets a mysterious woman who seems to have a lot of the answers that he has been searching for, and she certainly has a place in his heart, if he can only hold onto her.

Sophie is faced with choices she never knew would be so difficult. The question now is: will the personal demons of the remaining Guardians of Rampart be too much for them to overcome?




Excerpt:

Running forward into the smoke, a hundred yards in, their weapons were met with a clash of steel and tearing flesh. The demons burst into fluttering piles of ash and flame as their swords sliced through them. Confidently, the men bounded further into the battlefield.

The earth began to shake and tremble beneath their feet. Uri thought perhaps it was an earth quake until he heard his friend's voice.

"You have got to be kidding me!" Haim groaned.

"What is it?" Uri called back, squinting as the smoke stung his eyes.

"They have a hydra!"

"Huh?" Uri gasped in disbelief. Taking a step closer in Haim's direction, he peered into the distance, trying to make out the dark figure that loomed above them. As the air began to glow orange, Uri soon realized that what he saw were the flames coming from one of the beast's five heads.

"Oh, shit!" Uri cried.

"What do we do?" Haim asked, his brutish tactics no match for a hydra.

"This is the stuff Sophie's good at, damn it!" Uri grumbled. "Just kill as many of them as you can. Love you, brother!"

With those final words, Uri pushed deeper into the mob of demons. It was hard to determine where one monster ended and the next began. Their eyes glowed, their teeth gnashed, hungry for flesh. It only took a moment for Uri to be lost in the sea of unholiness, losing any sight of his friend.

Uri took stock of his situation. Circling above his head was an alp, a trail of smoke streaming behind it. Alp's were known for haunting one with nightmares. Uri knew he had to keep his guard up and not allow the creature into his thoughts. A bajang was creeping closer to his left. Its feline features did nothing to soften the glare of its exposed fangs. He knew, given the chance, the bajang would suck every last drop of blood from his body. Behind the bajang was a cluster of cambion, their skin blue in color, their skeletal-like frames shaking as they screeched a high-pitched battle cry. A cambion was the offspring of a human and succubus; they had always turned Uri's stomach.

To Uri's right were three goblins; their skin was a putrid green, which appeared to always be secreting a slimy fluid of some kind. The goblins clutched their daggers tight, cackling as they prepared to attack. Directly in front of him stood a rokurokubi, which caused Uri to do a double take, at first thinking perhaps Baal had recruited a human. The male foe was the first to attack, running towards Uri and swinging wildly. As Uri brought his green, glowing blade towards the man's throat, he was surprised to see its neck flex backwards and to the side, growing at least six feet in length. The being laughed at Uri's failed attempt to slice its jugular. Uri quickly realized he was not dealing with a human.

Instead, he had come face to face with a being he had only ever read about in books. A rokurokubi by all appearances was merely a human, a character trait that allows them to blend into society on Earth. They have an amazing ability to extend their necks to unnatural lengths, a handy trick they use to spy on the humans and report back to their demon masters.

Uri stumbled, careful to avoid the swiping blades of the goblins. After assessing the dangers, Uri was prepared to destroy the ravenous cluster of demons, and they were all prepared to do the same to him. Lunging forward at the rokurokubi, this time Uri was prepared for his evasive maneuvers. He watched as its neck stretched, the shades of its flesh turning an eerie white as it did. Uri was not trying to slash again at the man's throat; instead he had his aim focused on the creature's chest. Pushing his blade forward, the heel of his hand thrusting at the butt of it mightily, Uri knew exactly where to penetrate to slide between the ribs. Slicing into his chest with great precision, Uri pulled the blade back out and brought it to rest at his side. His movements had been too quick for the rokurokubi to see.

Thinking the Guardian had foolishly missed again, he started to laugh, but instead of laughter exiting his mouth, there was simply a gurgle. The monster's blood had already begun to seep into the lung Uri had sliced. Rather than wait for the being to die the slow and agonizing death it deserved, Uri stood and swiped at it's now exposed, lengthened throat. Cutting clean through, a spurt erupted from the beheaded neck before the body fell to the ground with a thud. At the sight of the fallen demon, the cambion increased the intensity of their shrieking. Uri fought the urge to cover his ears.

Looking in their direction, a glare in Uri's eyes caused them to hiss as they coward briefly. He was prepared to put an end to them, but the bajang had other plans. The creature moved as though he were floating. He swiped at Uri's chest, and though he missed his target, his claws managed to grab a piece of Uri's arm as he pulled away. Uri winced, the wound only angering him.

The goblins were too hungry for Uri's flesh to resist the fight any longer. Seeing their opportunity after Uri was injured, the three moved in for their attack. Sensing the blade as it sliced through the air, Uri fell to the ground under its reach. In only a moment, he was back on his feet; it was as though his injury did not faze him. The goblins growled with fury at the failed attempt.

"He's mine!" the bajang shouted furiously at the goblins. They hissed and howled in contempt at the command, but it was clear who ranked higher as the threesome backed away. Their attention was quickly refocused on a group of freshman guardians that were fleeing.

"Run!" Uri bellowed as he saw the beings give chase, unable to shift his attention away from the bajang.

"Are you ready to die, Guardian?" the creature proposed.

"Not today. But you're about to meet the end," Uri replied, his arm finally beginning to sting from the scratch.

"The Guardian is going to die, he's going to dieâ€" yesssâ€" he's going to die," the cambions taunted from behind the bajang.

"Will you shut up already!" Uri shouted back as he dodged another attempt from the bajang. "If anyone wanted your opinion, they would ask."

The cambions cry reached a feverish pitch in response to Uri's words. The bajang didn't hesitate to move in, piercing Uri's side with its claws. The shallow wound was not life threatening but painful enough.

"Damn it!" Uri growled, climbing back to his feet.




The Guardians Crown Book 5 Cover photo TheGuardiansCrownCover.jpg

The Guardians Crown (book 5)
by Wendy Owens
Goodreads

Release Date: September 27th

Blurb:

Gabe is finally forced to answer the ultimate question, will he give his life to save the world? What about just to save the one he loves the most? The Guardians struggle to find another way--ideas that don't involve Gabe's death--to defeat Baal. Time is running out. What will Gabe choose? What price will he pay for that choice?




Excerpt:

Releasing one last big breath, pushing all the air from his lungs, Michael emerged into the room. He opened his eyes, wide, and prepared to greet his brethren. The room shrank inward, all around him, as his eyes took in a sight he had not expected. He had accepted the idea this was a trick, that perhaps he had offended the council one too many times with his unorthodox methods. He had accepted they might, in fact, be luring him there to imprison him for his insubordination. What he saw now though, was not what he had expected.

A half circle of handmade bamboo tables was sprawled out before him. At each table, a small stool perched behind it with an elder seated in it. None of them looked up at him, their heads lying on the table tops, the blood from their slit throats draining, and spilling onto the dirt floor. All of them, they were all dead.

Michael's head began to spin. He fell to his knees, purging himself of all of his stomach contents. A tear ran down his cheek, as he wiped away a string of vomit with the back of his hand, from the corner of his mouth. "No," he gasped, shaking his head, as if trying to make the reality before him disappear.

"I knew you'd come!" a voice called out behind him.

Michael staggered to his feet and turned to face his worst nightmare. Baal stood before him, a smirk on his face. He wore his signature grey, pinstripe, three-piece suit, and casually twisted his pinky ring on his long and slender well-manicured finger. As it rotated Michael caught a glimpse of the rubies in the skull's eye sockets. His black hair was slicked back, the sight of his false appearance made Michael sick to his stomach.

A slight panic rushed over him as he thought, you need to get the hell out of here. But he knew transporting would be pointless. If he fled back to Iron Gate, Baal would most certainly pick up the tracer and follow him. He would bring the same fate of the council down on everyone he cared about. There was only one option. He would stand and fight, even if it meant perishing like the council.




Author Bio:

Wendy Owens Author photo WendyOwensAuthor.jpg

Wendy Owens was raised in the small college town of Oxford, Ohio. After attending Miami University, Wendy went on to a career in the visual arts. After several years of creating and selling her own artwork, she gave her first love, writing, a try.

Since 2011, she has published a young adult paranormal series, The Guardians, which will contain five books total, as well as a novella.

Wendy now happily spends her days writing-her loving dachshund, Piper, curled up at her feet. When she's not writing, she can be found spending time with her tech geek husband and their three amazing kids, exploring the city she loves to call home: Cincinnati, OH.




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