Sneak Peek with N.K. Smith

Author to Author presents a special sneak Peek for N.K. Smith's new novel: Are You Mine? Set to release August 7!

Fox and I sit in awkward silence as Myka leaves.

“So,” he starts. “She’s cool, huh?”

“Yeah. She’s. . .Myka,” I finish when I can’t think of a complete enough word to describe her.

“I didn’t mean to, like, crash your day or anything. She’s sort of forceful.”

This makes me laugh because it’s the truth. “Yeah, she is.”

“Did you have plans or anything?”

Obviously this dude doesn’t know me. Plans beyond watching TV? Yeah, right. “Um, nothing important.”

Again, the conversation stalls, and we sit in silence. The ticking of the grandfather clock he pointed out earlier sounds as loud as a steam engine chugging down the line. That seems like a great beginning. “So, this graphic novel we’re apparently now writing, can you draw machines and not just humanoids?”

His eyes sparkle. “Yeah. I don’t have anything with me, but I went through an industrial phase in ninth grade.”

“Which one?” I bite the inside of my cheek hard when it comes out of my mouth.

“Which one what?”

“Never mind.”

Fox widens his eyes a bit. “No, which one what?”

I let out a breath and prepare for an altercation. I doubt he’ll let it drop, so I answer, “Which ninth grade.”

I hope that he’s too stupid to understand my meaning because I didn’t really mean to ask that question, but I can see in his eyes and in the way the constant grin gets smaller that he gets it fast.

To my surprise, Fox’s voice is calm and even when he speaks. “Yeah, so about that. Just so you know, it didn’t take six years for me to graduate. Only five. I was held back in ninth grade, but before that I retook third grade. And if you’re going to keep bringing that up, you should just tell your friend we’re not going to work together.”

I open my mouth but then close it again when I find nothing to say right away. Thinking about Myka and her instructions to be nice, I try to find a way out of the hole I’ve dug with this guy. I hate arguments even though I find myself instigating them regularly.

In the end, I figure a simple apology will be good enough, so I say, “Sorry. I didn’t mean to say that.”

“Maybe not today, but you meant it on Saturday. You don’t know me, and you shouldn’t assume I’m stupid because my academic record isn’t perfect.”

Is he joking? Not perfect? Please, he repeated two grades, and I bet he didn’t even take the SATs. “Sorry. I don’t think you’re stupid.”

I can tell by his expression that he doesn’t believe me, but I don’t know how to change that since I do sort of think his intelligence isn’t as high as mine. I’m sorry, but he can’t be that smart if he just graduated at age twenty.

He wants to say something else, but he’s holding back. I can’t meet his eyes. This is now beyond awkward. Why can’t I keep my mouth closed sometimes?

Finally after what seems like hours, he asks, “What’s white and black and white and black and white and black?” He only waits for me to look up before he answers himself. “A penguin rolling down a hill.”

I shake my head at the stupid joke but allow the corner of my mouth to rise in a smile.

Fox pulls out a pad of drawing paper and says, “So I can draw and you can write. We should be able to come up with something for Myka. How do you think the story should start?”

“With an old-timey train pulling into a wild west station where ladies and gentlemen stand waiting in their Victorian style clothing.”

He’s smiling at me again, but I don’t know why. He moves his hand over the page. It’s fascinating to see how the white paper starts to fill up with gray strokes, then suddenly, there’s a train where once there was nothing.

“I don’t know what Victorian clothes look like,” he admits when he flips to another blank page.

As I grab my laptop, I start to wonder again about his intentions. He barely knows Myka. I know he’s supposed to be an ultra-friendly guy or whatever, but people don’t do stuff for nothing. What’s he getting out of this? I’m not anyone’s first choice on who to spend their summer with.

“What’s in this for you?” I ask as the images of Victorian fashion load.

“What do you mean?”

“Why are you doing this?”

He stops drawing and trains his warm eyes on me. “Because Myka asked.”

I could study him for hours, but somehow I know that superficial answer is the truth for him. She asked, he agreed.

My breath hitches for some reason when he moves to sit on the arm of my chair to see the images on the computer. Are boys supposed to smell this good?

I don’t understand it, but now that he’s sitting so close to me, there’s a flutter in my body that can’t be controlled.

And there’s a part of me that doesn’t want to control it.

~*~

Add it to your GoodReads TBR list here: Are You Mine? on GoodReads & keep a look out for it on Amazon, B&N, Smashwords and other fine retailers!

About the author:

Based in the American Midwest, N.K. Smith is a Technical Writer for a Fortune 100 company. The author of the Old Wounds Series, she is a mother of two who finds the time to write very early in the morning when the rest of the world is still fast asleep.

An avid lover of history, art, music, books, and people, she is interested in telling stories that speak to the human condition.

Other books by N.K.Smith Old Wounds, Little Battles, Weight of the World, Where All Things Will Grow, Old Wounds eBook Set, Ghosts of Our Pasts, My Only & Hollywood Lies

Sneak Peek with Allie Jean

Dreams of the Cursed

Book #2 of theDreamer series by

AllieJean

A secret war has wagedunderneath the notice of humanity since the beginning. The Warriors inheritedthis fight and are honor bound to rid the world of an ancient evil by guardingthe most precious, piercing light against the darkness - their female kin knownas the Oracles.

 

Chantal Breelan has sufferedfrom horrific nightmares for most of her life, believing something to be wrongwith her to have such visions of destruction. But when creatures of darknesscame crawling out of the shadows to hunt her down, her dreams became reality.

 

Now, Chantal has picked up thereigns of her birthright and stood by her Warrior kin. She’s on a mission torescue others like herself. Yet in this challenge a battle of wits is exposed.New players are discovered, throwing strategies into question. When the truthcomes to light, can Chantal hold her band of brothers together, or will theycrumble under the weight of betrayal.

Coming Fall 2013

 

Excerpt

“Come here, my dear.” Merclain smiled at her,revealing yellowing, crooked teeth. “Let me get you to a safe place.”

“Yeah, nothanks.” Chantal laughed. “But if you both survive, tell my brother, Damon, Isaid hi.”

“It isher, Merc!” Bubba pointed at her like a bona fide moron. Chantal smiled at themand bowed low with their arms held wide.

“Theoldest known Oracle at your service.”

Both menbegan walking toward her slowly, pulling their own weapons from beneath theirjackets. Bubba held a stumpy blade with a square tip and gnarly looking sawtooth edges. Merclain clutched a curved sword Chantal had seen in that movieabout the Spartans with half-naked men. She didn’t pay much attention to theplot, much to Mathias’s annoyance. In any case, neither of their weapons held acandle to her lightweight katana, and she fingered the well-suited hilt with afamiliarity that felt almost cathartic.

“Let’sget her, Merc!”

“Oh, comenow. Do you really think I’m that stupid?” The men split up, trying to approachher at both sides. “Do I look like I’m stupid?” Merclain and Bubba stayedsilent, assessing. “I’ll tell you what, let’s make a deal. If you two moronscan defeat me, I’ll go with you. That no-good brother of mine will love youboth. Throw you a parade or something.” The two men exchanged a loaded glance,and Bubba smiled like he’d won the lottery. “But, if I kick both of your pansyasses . . . well . . . I guess that’s just an overall win for me.”

“Thatdoesn’t seem like a fair trade, my dear.” Merclain now stood five feet away,Bubba cutting off any escape to her right.

“Itdoesn’t seem like you boys are into equality.” Chantal pushed off the headstoneand took a couple steps toward them. “Two grown men against helpless littlegirls. Let’s just say I’m evening the odds.”

“You think you can take both of us?” Bubbaguffawed, his belly shaking like pudding. Chantal smiled wickedly.

“Absolutely.”

In the blink of an eye, the fight had beenwon, yet to Chantal, she could see it precisely as if it had beenchoreographed.

The attack came at her quick from the backand the front simultaneously. Merclain brought his scimitar down toward herhead with a vicious swing. Chantal blocked the hit and countered it with anaggressive twist of her wrist, dispelling the weapon. In a flash, she spun onher heel and went down on bended knee, slicing her sword horizontally acrossboth of Bubba’s shins as he tried to grab her from behind, amputating both legsbelow the knee. Bubba fell and clutched at the gushing wounds, his weaponsclattering to the ground. Chantal spun back to Merclain just as he attempted tostrike and plunged her blade deep into his ribs. Eyes rounded with shock, theoddly thin solider fell to the ground and dark crimson fluid bubbled from hismouth.

“You see?” Chantal gripped her sword andwiped her brow, smearing a streak of blood across her face. “Now that’s how yoube cocky.”

Adrenalinezinged through her system but the red haze of rage she’d experienced with herfirst fight with the Kajola hadn’t appeared. Looking at both of her victimswrithing on the ground from their mortal wounds, Chantal sheathed her blade,confident they were unable to come after her.

“Youcan’t keep them hidden from us,” Merclain spat at her, pink foam brimming athis mouth.

“You’re too late.”

“You’re not in much of a position to offer methreats.”

Merclain laughed, more a gurgling wheeze, andpointed to something behind her. Chantal turned to see the orange sun settingbehind the horizon. The Shade would open at dusk and Chantal’s heart clenchedin panic.

Thegirls . . . 

 

Legacy of a Dreamer 

Book #1 Available now!

 

 

 

 

For more information visit AllieJean.net

 

 

 

Release Day Blitz!!!

Today is release day for Sydney Logan’s novel, Mountain Charm! Check out the book trailer and enter the giveaway for a signed copy of the book! 

At the age of thirteen, Angelina Clark followed in the footsteps of her ancestors by casting an Appalachian love spell, which promised she would blossom into a beautiful and gifted woman who would find her true love. A young Angelina had been thrilled to participate in the sacred ritual, but through the years, her father’s untimely death and her mother’s failing health have shaken Angelina’s magical faith to its core. As her twenty-first birthday approaches, she refuses to practice her supernatural gifts and no longer believes in the love charm. That is, until Dylan Thomas arrives on her front porch. Dylan, a Nashville writer, travels to the mountain town of Maple Ridge to unearth the family’s supernatural secrets. While her clairvoyant mother is convinced that Dylan is her daughter’s soul mate, Angelina refuses to see the nosy reporter as anything more than a nuisance. Despite their constant bickering, sparks fly. Dylan admits he feels strangely drawn to Angelina and is in no hurry to leave Maple Ridge or publish his magazine article. Fearful that his emotions are being influenced by the spell, a stubborn Angelina struggles to fight her own budding attraction to the reporter. The two inevitably grow closer just as her mother’s health begins to deteriorate, and Angelina is faced with the possibility of selling the family’s music shop to pay the mounting medical expenses. Desperate to help the woman he loves, Dylan explores his own family tree and finds support from an unlikely source. Can he finally prove his love is real—spell or no spell? A story filled with love, friendship, family, and just a hint of Appalachian magic, Mountain Charm will leave you spellbound.

 Amazon  Barnes & Noble iTunes TWCS Kobo

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Sydney Logan is an Amazon bestselling author and holds a Master’s degree in Elementary Education. With the 2012 release of her first novel, Lessons Learned, she made the transition from bookworm to author. Sydney has a very unhealthy obsession with music, and her iPod is filled with everything from Johnny Cash to Eminem. She is also the author of two short stories: “Mistletoe Magic,” available exclusively on Amazon Kindle, and “Stupid Cupid,” which is featured in the Romantic Interludes compilation. When she isn't reading or writing, she enjoys playing piano and relaxing on her front porch at her home in East Tennessee with her wonderful husband and their very spoiled cat. Visit Sydney’s website at www.sydneylogan.com

T.M. Franklin's The Guardians Trailer reveal

First look at the trailer for The Guardians, coming 11/7/13

Don't forget to add The Guardians to your Goodreads Shelf!

But wait...there's MORE! (Heh!)

That's right - MORE, the first book in the trilogy, will be on SALE for $2.99 starting tomorrow ONLY on the TWCS Website. If you know someone who might enjoy it, please spread the word1

Legacy of a Dreamer by Allie Jean will be on sale too - so check it out! :)

Remember, every purchase at the TWCS website through the end of the month automatically enters you into a drawing for a Kindle Fire loaded with the entire TWCS Catalog!

About T.M. Franklin

T.M. Franklin started out her career writing non-fiction in a television newsroom. Graduating with a B.A. in Communications specializing in broadcast journalism and production, she worked for nine years as a major market television news producer, and garnered two regional Emmy Awards, before she resigned to be a full-time mom and part-time freelance writer. After writing and unsuccessfully querying a novel that she now admits, “is not that great,” she decided to follow the advice of one of the agents who turned her down—write some more and get better at it. Her first published novel, MORE, was born during National Novel Writing month, a challenge to write a novel in thirty days.
She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband, Mike, is mom to two boys, Justin and Ryan, and has an enormous black dog named Rocky who’s always lying nearby while she’s writing. Whether he’s soothed by the clicking of the computer keys or just waiting for someone to rub his belly is up for debate.
In addition to MORE, Franklin penned the Amazon best-selling short story, Window, as well as another short story, A Piece of Cake, which appears in the Romantic Interludes anthology. The sequel to MORE, The Guardians, will be released in the fall of 2013.

Connect with T.M. Franklin

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

So what do you think of the trailer? Let me know in the comments.

Guest Post: WHY I ENDED THE WORLD AS WE KNOW IT by Lissa Bryan

My guest post at JeanzBookReadNReviews:

JeanzBookReadNReview: GUEST POST - WHY I ENDED THE WORLD AS WE KNOW IT B...:

Cover Reveal - Lorenz Font

Cover Reveal for Indivisible Line, Release Date: July 15, 2013!

Summary:

Pre-med student Sarah Jones is back in Beaver, Alaska, for summer vacation. A loyal member of the Gwich’in tribe, she accepts the rules set by her father, the leader of their small town. Raised in a strict household, she learned early on to do what is expected of her and has agreed to an arranged marriage. Despite her reluctance to marry without love, Sarah is unwilling to defy her father’s wishes. She hopes to help usher in an era of independence and stability for the town, but for now, her focus is finishing med school so she can become Beaver’s resident doctor. Business owner Greg Andrews wants to escape his philandering wife and his life in general. Leaving New York City to join a hunting expedition in Alaska, Greg’s plans are turned upside down when he is shot on Gwich’in land and ends up on Sarah’s operating table. In the absence of a qualified doctor, Sarah must operate to save his life. She refuses to wait for the consent of their tribal leader, and her father banishes her from the tribal land in punishment. Grateful for his life, Greg concocts a scheme to help. Plagued by the side effects of her unconventional operation, he convinces Sarah to become his live-in nurse. Without the means to support herself, Sarah agrees to the questionable arrangement, but she soon finds herself in even more trouble. Her new problem is that she is falling in love with this infuriating man, and the choices she now must make are must more difficult than the simple act of saving a man’s life. Together, Sarah and Greg must both decide whether they can overcome the vast differences between them, or if the indivisible line that separates their worlds will ultimately pull them apart.

 

Author Bio:

Lorenz Font discovered her love of writing after reading a celebrated novel that inspired one idea after another. She is currently enjoying the buzz from her debut novel Hunted, the first installment of The Gates Legacy trilogy. Writing is therapeutic for Lorenz, and a perfect day consists of writing and playing with her characters while listening to her ever-growing music collection. She enjoys dabbling in different genres, with an intense focus on angst and the redemption of flawed characters. Her fascination with romantic twists is a mainstay in all her stories. Lorenz currently lives in California with her husband, children, and two demanding dogs. She divides her time between a full-time job as a Business Office Manager for a hospital and her busy writing schedule.

 

 

 

Find her at:

Facebook-

Twitter-

Website-

Blog-

Independent Authors Network-

Linkedin-

Goodreads-

About Me-

Pinterest-

Author 2 Author review - Allie Jean on Sophie Davis

Talented - When Talia Lyons was just a child, her parents were murdered before her eyes. Offered a choice between accepting their fate and exacting revenge, Talia trains to become one of the country’s deadliest assassins in order to kill the man responsible for their deaths: Ian Crane. Luckily, Talia was born with a gift- the ability to read and influence the minds of others. At sixteen, Talia is poised to graduate from the McDonough School for the Talented, where she learned to control her abilities. Now there is only one obstacle standing between her and the retribution she craves... Talia herself.

Caged - Agency Director McDonough has asked Talia to go undercover at the School for the Talented, to find the spy who set the trap for her in Nevada, Talia jumps at the opportunity. As Talia becomes more entrenched in her assignment, she quickly learns the lengths that the Agency and Mac will go in the name of war. With Crane’s influence spreading, Talia learns that there are few Operatives without ties to the Coalition. Forced to face hard truths and dangerous conclusions, Talia realizes that it is those closest to her who are hiding the biggest secrets. As the task of finding the traitor becomes more problematic, desperation and frustration rule Talia’s world. It becomes clear that Talia can’t do this alone. But who can she trust, when everyone around her is lying?

Hunted ~ In need of a distraction, Talia agrees to serve as an administrator for the annual Talent Aptitude Tests. She soon learns it isn't the children who are tested she needs to worry about, it’s the ones who aren't. Life altering choices will be made. Loyalties will be tested. When the war begins, which side will Talia choose?

Where do I even begin with this series??? I am so completely enraptured with it. The whole concept fits right up my alley – tough badass chick with some baggage, but don’t tell her about it or she’ll kick your ass!

LOVE. IT!

Talented

It is not often you see an awesomely written book that has to explain a world that is different from ours and does it well. Meaning, that it makes sense, the reader can easily follow the paths that lead the world to the state it is in, AND it’s plausible. This book set up the series perfectly, with the right amount of action, romance, and mystery to keep us involved.

The relationships in this book are both real and relatable. I could see myself in Talia’s place, especially when she finds herself in a horrible, mind-numbing situation with her boyfriend that made me want to jump through the pages of the book and kick his ass for her. Good thing she took care of business on her own. Another reason why I flove the girl!

Amazing book, awesome plot and storyline. Some mistakes but I’ve been assured that those are being addressed by the author. All-in-all, I highly recommend the book.

Caged

In this part of the story, the plot line takes a bit of a turn. There’s a spy among them and it’s Talia’s job to figure out who it is. The romantic relationships in it takes another twist as well, while Talia is left trying to deal with her haywire emotions.

I do have to say that I wanted to strangle Mac, the Director, who is both Talia’s pseudo-father and boss by the end of this book. He oversteps his boundaries in so many stinking ways that it’s aggravating, and I wanted to scream in protest on the behalf of our heroine! Although he seems to really care for Talia, something about him set my teeth on edge in this book, and I believe that was intended by the author, so kudos for pissing me off! LOL!

I won’t go into too many details about the plot because I don’t want to spoil the awesomeness for everyone else, but the romantic development in this one had me craving for more, shouting in victory, and grumbling in annoyance when Mac laid the proverbial chastity belt on it. Argh!

 Hunted

Holy Be-jezus!!!!

What a great book! It picked up right where Caged left off and took us on a wild ride, where Talia’s world has literally been turned upside down! Any suspicions and questions I had in the first two books were substantiated in this book and then some. I was left with my mouth hanging open and clawing at the sheets when it ended.

I have – and I’m not ashamed to admit this – begged the author for book #4.

It’s. That. Good!

I can’t really say much else without spoiling anything, which I REFUSE to do. All I will say is that this series is amaze-balls!

Pick it up. Go! Now!!!

 And as an added incentive, Talented is

FREE for a limited time! So hurry!!!

For more information and Sophie and her books, visit http://www.sophiedavisbooks.com/