Review - Piece Keeper by Antwan Floyd Sr.

About the Book:

Teresa Prince, a small town girl with a big heart, had dreams of working in law enforcement her goals put on pause in the worse way possible. Will she overcome this tragedy and emerge triumphant with her mind and soul intact? Or will the mental anguish be too much for her to bare? 

James, a twisted soul with ideas of love and grandeur with a woman that doesn’t feel the same for him, at least not yet. That will all change if he has anything to do with it. Also, her old flame has stepped into the picture. Will James be able to win her over and make her the love of his life before the flame is rekindled between her and her ex? Or will he be left in the cold while they live happily-ever-after?

Black Love was always a white collar kind of guy more so than a gangster when an unfortunate incident occurs in a small town in Illinois he rushes to the side of his ex-fiancé to attempt to save the day. It does not take long to figure out that not everyone wants to see justice served. On top of that, his feelings for his past love may not only cause conflicts in the case but also add a rift to his new relationship. Will Black put his past behind him and find out who violated Teresa? 

In this fast-paced tale of pain, misguided passion, and lost love we follow these three souls as they embark on a journey of romance, rape, and retribution. When there’s no one to count on but yourself will you stand and deliver? Or bend and break? Each will face that question in the midst of what they once thought was true. They all find out that when love turns to war, someone has to be the Piece Keeper! 

Piece Keeper via Amazon   Piece Keeper via Barnes & Noble   Piece Keeper Paperback

Review:

Teresa Prince is raped at the place of her work by the people who are supposed to protect the masses. Things only complicate a bit when her ex fiance drops into town to help her.

I found the name of the protagonist to be very odd. 'Black Love', even with an explanation sounds very odd. I read an interview of the author on this book tour, where he said that he wanted to create a black male character who can hold his own. But hey, there are different ways of making a point. One can either use subtlety, or put things bluntly, or (like in this case) rub it in your face. Antwan Floyd seems to think that readers wouldn't believe in the character completely unless he literally hammered it into them that the protagonist is a black male of means and character! We all love characters like Alex Cross and Mma Precious Ramotswe even though the authors do not make it a point to tell us that they are Black people. And it is not just with this character, he has taken the same approach with his narrative at a lot of points. 

Okay! now that I have got that out of my system, let me also tell you this that I did love the premise of the plot. It works towards showing that corruption has filtered through everywhere and that not everyone in the position of power can be trusted. Sometimes we are betrayed by the people who are supposed to protect us. The pace is also well set. The character of James was mercurial but also quite interesting.

This book had the potential to be a 5* book but I wished for a bit of subtlety from the author. It seems that this is only the first book in the series and though it is too late to change the name of the protagonist, I would definitely advice the author to at least try and be not so 'in your face' all the time.

3.5 Stars out of 5 Stars 

Read an Excerpt:

Prologue

The streets were desolate and cold. James shook off the chill that shot through his bones as he pulled the skull cap slightly down over his eyebrows not leaving very much of his face to be seen. He took his time moving to the ATM machine. He had transferred a small portion of his money from the offshore account to his account in the states. He had been in Burr Ridge for almost a week now. Nothing or no one, other than Witherspoon, was connecting him to what happened to Teresa or the others he'd dumped in the river over the past year. He knew Witherspoon would never speak and their employer had no idea who it was and didn't want to know. He felt bad about not trying to bring Teresa. He contemplated that she was better off without him. He slid the bank card into the machine, keyed in the code followed by the amount he wanted to withdraw, and then waited for the machine to spit the bills out. Once the money was out he retrieved his cash and card and went back to his car. He had nothing to worry about yet he still felt compelled to get out of Illinois. He wanted to see his sister before he left because he didn't know when he would see her again. As he climbed into his car and started the engine, he heard the sound of a click behind his head.

"You can have the money and car,” he said. The person behind him remained silent.

James spoke again. “It doesn't have to end badly. I haven't seen your face so you can just take the cash and go. Everyone's happy."

“This isn't just a robbery,” the woman's said as she pulled the trigger.

About the Author:

Antwan Floyd Sr. is a Publisher, Author, and Reviewer. He publishes Crime Fiction novels under his publishing company Maleah Solange Books. He has released two titles in the Black Love Detective Series: Piece Keeper & Cannibal in the City. He has also written Dope Fiction and Dope Fiction pt. 2 "Greed Between the Lines". Originally from Chicago, IL he currently resides in Indianapolis, IN where he is penning his next novel.

Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / Blog

Don’t Look at Me by J.P. Grider

Don’t Look at Me
J.P. Grider
Publication date: March 29th 2018
Genres: New Adult, Romance, Suspense

Haven:
A diligent hand carved this hole in my face.
It stole my confidence, my identity, and ended my short-lived career as a broadcast journalist.
I am now unemployed. Alone. Ugly.
And expected to get over it and move on.
Go on living life as usual—as if the world doesn’t judge the grotesquely unattractive.
Quest:
It’s been three years since I was kicked out of the Army for nearly killing the opposition’s militia commander with my bare hands.
I am now unemployed. Alone. Angry.
And expected to forget the nightmares that hold me hostage and move on.
Go on living life as usual—as if the world doesn’t judge a dishonorably discharged ex-soldier.
Don’t Look at Me is a modern-day Beauty and the Beast tale—reversed and twisted. Because even the ugly need a good story, and even the beautiful are ugly deep down.

Goodreads / Amazon

—

EXCERPT:

(I know all too well that transitions are difficult)

When I moved to Jersey from California, I had no idea that days would go by where I wouldn’t think of the incident that led to my being other-than-honorably discharged. For me, the events of that night have been branded into my brain—the consistent nightmares the hot iron that won’t let the scars heal. But since finding out about Haven’s attack, I find myself thinking about her more and more—why was she walking alone in the middle of the night? What was going through her mind when she was so viciously attacked? What is going through her mind now? Was she raped? It isn’t part of the slasher’s modus operandi to sexually assault his attackers, but he also doesn’t carve out whole sections of skin in the faces of his victims. According to reports I’ve read over and over online since learning of Haven’s attack, his approach is to leave two parallel slash marks down the right side of his victims’ cheek. From what I could see in the dark, the heft of Haven’s lacerations are on the left side of her face. It doesn’t make sense. The Stratford Slasher has only attacked each of his victims once, but if Haven’s wounds weren’t inflicted by this same man, could the one that did hurt her return to finish the job? I wish she’d take me up on my offer to help me in the store. Then I could keep an eye on her and make sure that doesn’t happen. But she barely stays on the phone with me for two minutes when I call her to ask. And the only time she’s ever called me was to thank me for the supplies she very much needed during the storm two weeks ago. I know she has a lot to work through since her attack, but I wish she’d let me help her to get through this transition from on-air personality to whatever she needs to do next. Because I know all too well that transitions are difficult. Especially when that transition requires living an entirely different life than before.
With Haven at the forefront of my mind, I can’t help but blurt out a question during one of our group sessions. “How can I help a friend who doesn’t seem to want my help?”
“You don’t,” Warren says at the same time Mary asks, “What kind of help does your friend need?”
“She needs help getting her life back. It was pretty much taken from her when some loser used her face as a canvas to do with as he pleased.”
“Poor girl,” Mary says while the others mumble something similar.
“And now she won’t go out in public. She has her food delivered to her. She only goes out in the middle of the night, wearing a getup she thinks hides her face.”
“Does she trust you to help her, Quest?” Mary leans forward, crossing her hands over her lap. Mary’s name suits her. She’s kind, soft-spoken, and nurturing. The Virgin Mary, my mother would say. The Mother of all mothers.
I answer honestly. “She hasn’t known me long enough.”
“Until she can trust you, I don’t think she’s going to accept your help. Is she getting counseling?”
“I don’t think so.”
“It sounds like she could use some professional counseling, but would she be open-minded about giving this group a chance? To get her headed in the right direction?”
My eyes go to the fluorescent lights on the ceiling. “I doubt it.”
“Then, just be her friend. Don’t try to help her overcome this, just be there for her until she finds her way.”
So, that’s what I resolve to do. Be her friend.

Author Bio:
J.P. Grider is a New Adult/Young Adult author who is a sucker for a good love story—whether it's reading one or writing one. And when she's not reading or writing a fairy tale, she's living one with her husband, four children, and her little Auggie Doggie.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

GIVEAWAY!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Owl Eyes: A Fairy Tale

Owl Eyes: A Fairy Tale
Molly Lazer
Publication date: March 20th 2018
Genres: Fairy Tales, Fantasy, Young Adult

Nora knows three things: she is a servant, her parents are dead, and she lives in the kitchen house with her adoptive family. But her world is torn apart when she discovers that her birth father has always been right there, living in the house she serves.
This discovery leads Nora to more questions. Why was she thrown in an ash-covered room for asking about her father? Why is a silver-bladed knife the only inheritance from her birth mother? Why is magic forbidden in her household—and throughout the province of the Runes? The answers may not be the ones Nora hoped for, as they threaten a possible romance and her relationship with the adoptive family she loves.
With the announcement of a royal ball, Nora must decide what she is willing to give up in order to claim her stolen birthright, and whether this new life is worth losing her family—and herself.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo

—

EXCERPT:

“Hi.”
I shot up from the bed, screaming, and scrambling backwards before falling off the mattress onto the planked wood floor. A boy crouched next to me with his elbows balanced on his knees and his chin resting against his palms. He wore an old, light blue shirt that was much too large for his small frame. A piece of hay stuck up from the mop of brown hair on his head.
“Jack!” Liana called from the kitchen. “Don’t wake Nora.”
“Too late,” the boy called back.
“Who are you?” I pressed my hand to my chest to keep my heart in place. “Why were you watching me sleep?”
“I wasn’t watching you sleep,” the boy said. “Peter and me just got back from the Market, and I got up here and found you on my mattress.”
“Your—” I sputtered. I took a deep breath and tried to inhale the motherwort from the candle. “This is my bed.”
“Well, no one said it was yours, did they? I claimed this bed when I got here, and no one made a peep.” He crossed his arms and looked at the floor. “They were probably too worried if you were okay to care about where I was sleeping. You looked pretty rotten.”
“I was sick,” I said, staking my spot on the mattress again.
“No, I mean you actually looked like you’d rotted. Your skin was all black. Are you sure you’re not a spirit who’s talking to me now?”
I grabbed his arm and pressed my palm to his. “No spirit,” I said. “I’m here.”
He grinned. I shoved him on the floor.
“I’m Jack,” he said as he picked himself up.
“Nora.”
“Are you Greta and Peter’s daughter?”
“No.” I regretted the words as soon as they came out of my mouth. They were true, but I chewed them like a lie. “I mean yes. Sort of.”
“How are you only ‘sort of’ their daughter?”
“I mean, yes, I’m their daughter. They’re just not my real parents. My real parents are dead. Or gone. Or something. My mother is dead.” I was rambling. I pulled the candle closer to the mattress, hearing Greta’s voice in my ear warning me that the flame could catch the straw on fire. I didn’t care. I lowered my face and breathed in.
“Does your ma’s spirit ever talk to you?” Jack asked.
“What?” I stared at him. “That’s stupid. How old are you that you still think that can happen?”
“I’m thirteen.” Defensiveness crept into his voice. “And I only asked because I can talk to my pa anytime I want to. Or at least I could when we lived in the Vale. His spirit lives in the river there.”
Sir Alcander had hired a crazy person to work in the kitchen house.
“No, he doesn’t.”
“He does so! I’ll show you sometime, and you’ll see.”
I flopped back down on the mattress and rolled over so I was facing away from him, pulling the candle to the other side with me. I could feel Jack watching me.
“Your ma is nice,” I said, still not facing him.
“Thanks. I think so too.” There, finally, was something we agreed on. “I’m going to bed now. You can keep your spot. I didn’t want it anyway.” I peeked over my shoulder. Jack lay down on a new mattress I hadn’t noticed next to the wall.
“Thanks,” I said. In the dim light of the candle, his eyes looked almost gold. I smiled.
“It’s all right,” he said. “I can sleep almost anywhere as long as I’ve got enough space. I don’t like feeling closed up in small places.” The dark room pulsed behind me. “Me neither.”
Now we had two things in common.

Author Bio:
Molly Lazer is a former associate editor at Marvel Comics, where she worked on books such as Fantastic Four, Captain America, New Avengers, and cult favorite comic book Spider-Girl. After returning to graduate school to receive a degree in education, she began a career as a high school reading, writing, and drama teacher. She also serves as a professional critiquer for Comics Experience, helping aspiring comic book writers finesse scripts for publication.
In 2016, Molly received a MFA in Creative Writing from Rosemont College. Her short stories have been featured in numerous literary magazines including Gone Lawn, LIT, and Silver Blade. She lives outside Philadelphia with her husband and twin sons. Owl Eyes is her first novel.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

GIVEAWAY!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Coming Home Book Blitz

Coming Home Boxed Set 
Meli Raine
Publication date: February 4th 2016
Genres: New Adult, Romance, Suspense

When a mysterious job offer brings Carrie Myerson back to the town where her father was set up for a federal crime, she returns—to face a past more dangerous than she ever imagined.

And a love more passionate than she ever dreamed.
Drug crimes, kidnappings, set-ups and betrayal all unfold as Carrie and her ex-boyfriend, local police officer Mark Paulson, untangle the complicated web of deceit at the heart of her past.
Nothing is what it seems.
Including Mark.
This boxed set includes all three books in the Coming Home series:
Return
Revenge
Reunion

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo / Google Play

99¢ for a limited time only!

—

EXCERPT FROM RETURN:

It’s him. Mark. My ex-boyfriend.

I can’t look. I just…can’t. Too many memories are in that face. That rugged, handsome face. My heart jumps up like an excited puppy, wagging in my chest, eager to be acknowledged and touched. The rest of me shoves it down.

Officer Mark Paulson stands in front of me in uniform, soaking wet, his hat making the rain fall in streaks in front of him. The curtain of water catches my eye. It’s easier to watch it than to stare at him. If I did stare, though, I know what I would see.

Broad shoulders under that crisp black uniform shirt. A thin scar running under his jaw, where he was knifed in a fight when he did a tour in Afghanistan. Wet, blonde hair I used to love to stroke. Gentle hands that once cupped my face. Eyes that could draw me in with a hot breath. The tender taste of lips meant only for me.

He speaks, pulling me out of the memory. Stop it, Carrie, I think. Stop with the dreams you destroyed.

“You okay?” he asks, looking around swiftly. He’s worried. That’s really touching. It’s nice to know he cares. Three years is long enough for him to stop hating me, right?

And I know he hates me.

He has to. I disappeared one day and never said goodbye to him. When you do that to someone, they tend to really resent it. Especially if they love you.

“I’m, uh…” My voice fails me as I watch the water fall in sheets down his cap. “My tire blew.”
He thumps his hand on the car door. “She’s still around, huh?” I know he means the car, but it feels like a dig. Like he’s cutting into me for leaving.

Like he’s still hurt.

If he’s still hurt, that means the feelings haven’t faded, and if his feelings are still that strong, then mine make more sense. I thought when I left town I would shed so much damage and hurt. Because leaving town meant I could leave behind so much pain.

But leaving Mark? That meant the pain came with me.

I start to shiver. It’s not from the cold and the rain. Those arms. The rain drops gather and ripple down his taut muscles, dotted with a sprinkling of dark hair. I remember when I was in those arms.
I remember every single time he touched me.



Author Bio:
USA Today bestselling author Meli Raine writes romantic suspense with hot bikers, intense undercover DEA agents, bad boys turned good, and Special Ops heroes -- and the women who love them. Her books include the Breaking Away series (Finding Allie, Chasing Allie, Keeping Allie), the Coming Home series (Return, Revenge, Reunion) and the Harmless series (A Harmless Little Game, A Harmless Little Ruse, A Harmless Little Plan).
Meli rode her first motorcycle when she was five years old, but she played in the ocean long before that. She lives in New England with her family.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

GIVEAWAY!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Hollywood Heartbreak Book Blitz

Hollywood Heartbreak 
C.J. Duggan
(Heart of the City #5)
Published by: Hachette Australia
Publication date: March 25th 2018
Genres: Contemporary, New Adult, Romance

The fifth standalone novel in CJ Duggan’s HEART OF THE CITY series from the internationally bestselling author of the SUMMER and PARADISE series.

Hollywood isn’t all sunglasses and autographs.
Abby Taylor is heading for the hills – the Hollywood hills. All she has to do first is exorcise some old demons, namely Cassie Carmichael, the character she has been playing on Australia’s number one television drama for the past three years.
Wanting to escape the fear of typecasting and malicious magazine covers, Abby is in desperate need of a change. With a new city, new friends and a sweet new condo in West Hollywood, it’s time to take her career to the next level. But with disastrous auditions and countless rejections, Abby is going to need to numb the pain in the hope that her next big break comes along, and it does. She just never dreamed that it would be in the form of waiting tables and splitting tips at one of the hottest nightspots on the strip.
Action-packed late nights and VIP parties are a sure distraction, but nothing distracts her quite like her new boss, the infuriating Jay Davis. Suddenly living the dream takes on a whole new meaning, but when something in Jay’s past is revealed, Abby has to question, who is the greatest actor of them all?
In the land of broken dreams, all Abby can do is hope that hers is not going to be one of them.
HOLLYWOOD HEARTBREAK is the fifth standalone book in CJ Duggan’s sassy, sexy new adult series, Heart of the City.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo

—

READ CHAPTER 1:

I lay motionless; the machine’s long, pained beep sliced through the room. The infamous tone was drowned out only by a heart-wrenching scream as a body collapsed over mine, gripping and yanking at my limp corpse, causing my nasal cannula to be pulled out.
‘No, dear God, no!’
‘I am so sorry – we did everything we could.’
My hand was crushed by a vice-like grip as another voice entered the fray, a deep, sexy whisper.
‘Goodbye, my sweet Cassie.’ A kiss warmed the back of my hand. ‘I will never forget you.’ A hand cupped my cheek, as the very same lips pressed gently against my mouth. ‘Always and forever.’
He spoke the promise upon my lips, lingering for a long moment before the darkened shadow lifted and his warmth was gone, leaving me with the over-perfumed woman sobbing at my shoulder – Stephanie Vanderbelt.
‘Damon, wait – where are you going?’ she cried.
‘To find Kane,’ he gritted.
‘To tell him?’
‘No . . . to kill him.’
I heard the hospital doors swing open so violently that a breeze brushed against my cheeks, leaving behind the long, haunting beep of the machine and the wailing sobs of Stephanie at my side.
‘Oh no, Damon, nooooooo!’ She screamed loudly again, her voice bouncing off the walls. Her tears dripped on my cheek while her arm draped dramatically across my chest. One thing echoed through my mind: Get. Off. Can’t. Breathe.
‘Annnnd cut! Thanks, everyone, that’s a wrap!’
I waited until the applause sounded, then I opened one eye, then the other, seeing the crying Stephanie continue to hold me as if I had indeed slipped from this life. I guess I kind of had. Slowly pulling myself to sit upright, I had little time to remove the oxygen cords when Damon – or, rather, Scott Johnson – burst back through the hospital doors so fast the fake wall frame shook.
‘Great job, everybody. I really think we nailed that scene. Especially you, Abby; I mean, wow! Powerful stuff.’
A coldness swept over me as I plucked off the wires taped to my body, my brows pressing downwards.
‘Trust you to compliment my acting when I play dead.’
‘Yeah, well, I can appreciate it wasn’t as easy as it looks,’ he said, shoving his hands into his pockets. He was trying for sincerity, but it only made me want to glower some more.
What a total suck.
I peeled back the covers. I could appreciate how awkward I was making the situation, but whenever Scott was around I couldn’t help exuding a certain amount of disdain. Whenever I looked into his big, stupid, sorrowful eyes, I felt the urge to imprint his cutesy, crooked grin on my knuckles.
Derek, the director, never missed a thing. He hovered between us, and asked perhaps the most overused question of the past few agonising weeks: ‘Are you alright?’
There was no way to prepare for this. Right now it all seemed so surreal as I passed my chair with my name on the back. Well, the name I had come to think of as mine these past three years.
Cassie Carmichael, the youngest daughter and heir to the Carmichael shipping dynasty on Australia’s number one drama, Ship to Sea. The cast jokingly referred to the show as Shit to Sea because, for a small coastal town, a whole lot of shit went down. Over the years I had survived a bushfire, a flood, a hostage situation, an explosion, three broken hearts, a pregnancy scare and a mystery illness. I had survived it all, until the tragic car accident that had spelled my end. But all of the above situations were a walk in the park compared to what I had to face on a daily basis.
Calling upon my professionalism, I smiled brightly – my finest acting performance of all time. ‘Fine, absolutely fine.’
I pushed past Scott and the set crew, slamming my palms on the makeshift hospital doors and padding my way down the corridor, sporting a butt-crack gown and a thick bandage wrapped around my forehead. I was glad no cameras were allowed on set to capture my glamourous ensemble, set off by the novelty pink flamingo pyjama bottoms I sported beneath the gown and the lime-green Crocs I slipped onto my feet. I stole a biscuit from the refreshment table before continuing my storming, squeaky steps down the hall.
I was getting those looks again; sympathetic glances, this time accompanied by whispers of concern for the crazy lady. Usually I wouldn’t be caught dead in my weekend slob attire but, let’s face it, I didn’t have anyone to impress. Well, not anymore, I thought bitterly, stepping up into my trailer and slamming the door behind me. I slumped against the rickety barrier, wishing it were made of something stronger, a sturdier defence against the realities of the outside world.
I felt strangely numb, but not due to shock that my character had been killed off. You see, the Ship to Sea executives had chosen something different with this season’s cliffhanger. We had all been given three alternative endings to the season – three alternative deaths – so none of us knew who was really going to die – a ploy to keep the tension high. But I knew Naomi Kline’s bee-sting death was the most likely ending; Naomi’s contract was up and, rumour had it, she had her eye on a new pilot for an opposing network. It was the worst-kept secret ever and, safe in the knowledge that we’d be staying in the show, we’d embraced our death scenes. My car-crash-coma death seemed kind of mundane, though, considering Brian Formosa’s character had been killed off by suffocating in a shipping container. How did they come up with this stuff?
I fell into my favourite chair in my trailer, the one that I spent hours in remembering my lines. I tried not to worry about the energy I wasted on my death scene that would go nowhere, which was a tragedy in itself. A smile crossed my lips as I recalled the looks on the faces of the crew and audience at the end of the scene; it felt bloody amazing to shove it in the faces of the naysayers. I didn’t want to admit it, but a large part of me wanted to impress Scott, my on-screen – and, at one time, off-screen – love interest. We had kept it on the down-low, but we’d been pretty bad at it.
My smile slipped away, the way it always did whenever Scott entered my mind, which seemed to be every damn minute of my solitude. That’s why I wanted to keep busy: to pause was to remember, and I really didn’t want to remember. But as my eyes landed on the corner of a tabloid magazine sticking out from underneath my script, images flashed in my mind.
Scantily-clad lovers embracing on what I had thought was a private beach, but long lenses have a way of seeking you out. We were laughing, having a good time, and my arms were wrapped around Scott’s shoulders as he grinned down at me like I was the only girl in the world. Unfortunately, as the magazine stated, I was not the only one he had eyes for. I know you are not meant to believe everything you read, but when ‘Homewrecker’ is the caption under your picture it makes you sit up and take notice.
I stared at the caption now, having slid the offending publication out from under the pile. The magazine was tattered and dog-eared, thanks to the fit of rage that had seen me throw it across my trailer, then attempt to rip it in half. As I looked over the pictures again, I saw nothing but ugliness. The dimples of cellulite on my thighs, the sandy wedgie of my bikini. The shot of Scott checking his phone while I sunbaked beside him held a whole new meaning. As I’d blissed out on our weekend getaway, little did I know that waiting at home was Scott’s very pregnant girlfriend. Reading over the article for the hundredth time, it still didn’t seem real.
Scott Johnson had been dating Sydney model and socialite Danielle Kendall for the past eleven months. I thought back to all the dinners, the late-night talks, the trips we’d taken over the past year – it just couldn’t be possible, could it? I felt sick. I really needed to get rid of this magazine.
Instead, I slid it into the drawer, at the ready should I feel the need to torture myself again. I felt dead inside, a fitting emotion considering my last scene. I recalled the feeling of Scott’s lips upon mine, the first real contact we had since I’d whacked the shit out of him with the rolled-up magazine.
He hadn’t denied it.
Guess he didn’t have much of a defence when her Instagram was loaded with photos of them together. Thanks to a fake alias, I’d managed to get myself befriended onto her private profile for a bit of detective work. I wasn’t proud. It wasn’t my finest moment, but neither had been discovering all of their happy snaps on their loved-up weekends away, and even mountain family get-togethers. It was like shoving a dagger into my heart and twisting it. We didn’t remain Insta friends for long; I couldn’t stomach it.
A part of me had wanted to be killed off from the show, so I wouldn’t have to see Scott every day, and act in emotion-laden scenes with him that hurt like hell. Though it probably made me look like an amazing actress, my feelings were all too raw, too real. Had it not been for the support of my manager, Ziggy Forsyth, I might have given up long ago.
And just like that, as if I had summoned her from my very imagination, a knock sounded on my trailer door, and she whipped it open – as always – before I’d given permission to enter. But as she stood before me, still, silent, in a way I had rarely seen before, I knew something was wrong. ‘Cyclone Ziggy’ was always filling the space with movement and noise, but not today, and that could not mean anything good.
I straightened in my chair, still wearing the hospital nightgown and head bandage. I cared little for how I looked as I focused on Ziggy’s solemn face, her wild, woolly hair and cherry-red glasses failing to soften her expression.
‘What’s wrong?’
‘Crisis meeting.’
‘How bad?’
‘It’s bad.’
‘On a scale of one to ten?’
Her lips pressed together in a grim line. ‘Put it this way, I think we might have broken the machine.’
Oh shit.


Author Bio:
C.J Duggan is a number one internationally bestselling Australian author of seven independent titles of her popular New Adult Summer series. In addition to her chart-topping indie novels, C.J is set to publish two titles with Hachette, Australia with her brand-new Paradise Series in 2015 (Paradise City and Paradise Road).
C.J lives with her husband in a rural border town of New South Wales, Australia. When she isn't writing books about swoony boys and 90s pop culture you will find her renovating her hundred-year-old Victorian homestead or annoying her local travel agent for a quote to escape the chaos.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

GIVEAWAY!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Lucifer’s Pride

Lucifer’s Pride
G.P. Ching
(Soulkeepers Reborn, #3)
Publication date: May 29th 2018
Genres: Fantasy, Paranormal, Young Adult

No one comes between the Devil and his pride.
To save his friends, Finn Wager opened a bridge between worlds. But the dark magic he used exacted a terrible price. Unable to remain on the Soulkeeper team, he joins a coven of magicians in New Orleans, vowing to undo the damage he’s caused. But when he tries to save the day, he ends up making everything worse.
Numbers dwindling, the Soulkeepers are more vulnerable than ever. The new Healer is reluctant to replace Hope on the team. Even if he decides to try, he’ll have to pass an initiation by the Immortals with life or death consequences. Meanwhile, the Soulkeepers are without the leader they need.
Twice, the Soulkeepers have evaded Lucifer’s clutches and injured his pride. Now it’s personal. He’ll stop at nothing to exploit their weaknesses, take back his power, and end the Soulkeepers for good. Unless through courage, loyalty, and self-sacrifice, they can find a way to become a team again.

Add to Goodreads

—

For more information and preorder links visit: https://gpching.com/books/lucifers-pride/

Author Bio:
G.P. Ching is a USA Today bestselling author of science fiction and fantasy novels for young adults and not-so-young adults. She bakes wicked cookies, is commonly believed to be raised by wolves, and thinks both the ocean and the North Woods hold magical healing powers. G.P.'s idea of the perfect day involves several cups of coffee and a heavy dose of nature. She splits her time between central Illinois and Hilton Head Island with her husband, two children, and a Brittany spaniel named Jack, who is always ready for the next adventure.
Join her VIP list to receive a free story and be eligible for specials and perks!

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / Bookbub

My Lullaby of You by Alia Rose

My Lullaby of You 
Alia Rose
Publication date: June 2018
Genres: Contemporary, Young Adult

AMY
It’s the summer after high school. Amy can’t wait to leave her small hometown in North Carolina for the vibrant city of Chicago, where she plans to go to her dream college and hopes to build a stronger relationship with her father.But as she deals with her mother’s resentment over her leaving and an intriguing yet provoking college student, Amy’s reminded of things she’s tried to forget and forced to face emotions she never expected.

SETH
It’s the summer before the last year of music school. Seth would rather be anywhere else than a small beach town in North Carolina, reopening wounds he thought he’d patched long ago and facing the father he hasn’t seen since his mother’s death.
While he’s on his mission for answers, Seth is drawn to an observant and driven local he can’t seem to figure out.

Add to Goodreads

Author Bio:

Alia has been writing since she fell in love with reading and now the characters in her head refuse to leave her alone. Her debut novel, My Lullaby of You, comes out in June 2018!
When she's not writing, She works full time as an architectural designer and enjoy drinking too much coffee, making to-do lists, and traveling.
You can find her rambling about all of the above on Instagram and Twitter.

Website / Goodreads / Instagram / Twitter

Curse of a Dragon's Claim (The Forsaken Series #2) by Ciara Lake

About the Book:

 The flame within a dragon warrior's heart awakens Arianna's passion as she begins a journey in which she will discover she's something more than she ever imagined possible.

The realm of the dragons is a world of magic, danger, and mystery. For centuries they've been at war with the vampires, but now the two enemies must work together to save all immortals, and the mortals they co-exist with, from an ancient evil. In order to do so, they need the help of the Forsaken, descendants of immortals who were cast out into the human realm, their memories wiped clean of their true heritage.

Clayne MacDagon is a powerful dragon warrior who is sent on a mission to find one of the Forsaken. Although he's told that this woman is his fated mate, he can't believe it could possibly be true. Arianna Mergliano possesses both dragon and vampire blood, and Clayne has an intense hatred for anything even remotely related to vampires, the evil beings who were responsible for his beloved twin's death.

When Arianna meets Clayne, she's convinced that the man is insane, or maybe he's a warlock or even the devil himself, but whichever it is, she wants nothing to do with him.

Clayne knows he can't fail at his mission. And once he meets Arianna he also knows that what he's been told is true—she is, ironically, his intended mate.

Convincing her to accept him is only the beginning. He has to protect her from those who might want her dead. Together, they must face the shadows and evil that have long plagued the immortal realms and find a way to survive the coming war.

Book Links:

Goodreads * Amazon

Read an Excerpt:

Kissing her forehead, he took her hand in his. His lips were cool, but the heat off his body was intense. The contrast made her tremble. Clayne placed her hand over the bulge in his breeches. Arianna cupped him, rubbing him with her palm.
“Oh, feels good. Do you feel how I want you?” Nuzzling her neck, an animalistic sound escaped from him. His voice roughened. “I want you to ride my cock.” Kissing her face, his tenderness made her heart flutter. Faint, dazed, she yearned for him. “You make me burn, my beautiful mate. My dragon’s heat boils within me.”
“I love how it rushes through me too.”
“It soothes me, stimulates me, and makes me want to fuck you more. I can’t get enough of you.” His words caused a volcano of desire to erupt inside her. “Let’s take your clothes off so I can feel your skin against mine.” Clayne pushed her hair behind her back. Gently, he placed his hand on the back of her neck, pulling her to him. He kissed her face and neck. Arianna pressed herself against him, encouraging his touch.
“Clayne,” Arianna said between his kisses. “I want you between my legs.” Wetness escaped her pussy and dampened her thighs. Emboldened by the press of his erect cock against her, she said, “I want you inside me.” She rubbed her hands up and down his back. He was strong, muscular, an exceptional specimen of masculinity. “I love being with you.”
“You smell perfect. Like a woman who’s eager for me.” Inhaling deeply, he turned her around and began to undo her dress’s buttons. “I need to get you out of this gown. I’m impatient to give what you ask of me.” He nipped the back of her neck. Juices flowed to her pussy.
“Oh sweet lord, you bite.” A shiver of desire raced down her spine, pooling in her womb.
“Nah, I just tease. But I do have fangs.” He flashed a suddenly fanged mouth. “I can look like a vampire, but they’re my dragon teeth. We have sharp ones too.” His large hands cupped her breasts. They were heavy, aching with need. When he squeezed them, she moaned, leaning back against him.
“Take me, Clayne.”
“I’m going to rip this gown off. I need you naked.”
A loud ripping sound followed his words. Tiny seed buttons bounced on the floor as the gown fell to her feet. A thin chemise still covered her. Clayne picked her up, and then her back hit the soft mattress as she bounced on the bed. Standing naked by the side of the bed, he watched her. His penis jutted from his body.
“Arianna, take your undergarment off,” he ordered. “I need you free of all clothing. I want nothing between us, and I want to be inside you.”
Sitting up, she quickly removed her chemise, pulling it over her head and tossing it on the floor. Her heart beat fast and hard. Dazed with the rush of desire his words inspired, she spread her legs in bold invitation. She swung her hair back over her shoulder and rose up on her elbows, beckoning him.
Standing before her with his cock in his hand, he rubbed its firmness. It was swollen and long. The tip was darker, redder than the rest of the firm organ. She was thinking he was gorgeous.
“Beautiful.” He echoed her thoughts. “You’re the most beautiful female I know.”
Clayne stole her thoughts right from her brain. Their unique communication continued to amaze her. In an instant, he was upon her. Pushing her thighs further apart, he settled between them. His cock rested against her leg. She kissed him, closing her eyes as she absorbed the exquisite sensations. The heat and ecstasy of his kisses made her surrender completely to him. She reached for his cock, rubbing it with her hand. It fascinated her. The feel of the smooth skin stretched over the incredible hardness excited her further.
“It’s so large and firm. I like the feel of it inside me.” More moisture escaped her, dampening her inner thighs. “I like what we do.”
With a quick thrust, he was inside her, deep until she swallowed up his entire length.
“Arianna, you like that?”
“Yes.” She opened her eyes to stare into his shiny blue ones, bright as diamonds. His stare was hot. It penetrated her, warming her insides even more than the heat she was already experiencing.
Continuing to watch her with intensity, he moved within her. He closed his eyes, and his face relaxed as if he were experiencing pure joy. Arianna wrapped her arms around him, holding him close. She ran her hands over his firm buttocks as he worked in and out of her. The man made her feel dainty under his massive body. She liked that feeling as well.
“You’re nice and tight.” Clayne rested fully against her as he pushed inside her tight pussy. Skillfully, he pulled out and pushed in again. The gratifying friction against her clit made her squeeze his cock, release, and squeeze him again. He moaned. “You like how I’m fucking you, my beautiful mate?”
“Yes.” Arianna could barely answer him.
Clayne pounded harder into her, and then stopped, partially withdrawn from her. Kissing her sensitive nipples, he laved them with his tongue. He made love to her breasts with his mouth. Pulling his cock fully from her body, he turned her onto her stomach.
Arianna whimpered. “Clayne, I want you to…”
“To what?” He pulled her to the edge of the bed until her feet touched the floor. He pushed his cock into her wet pussy. Standing behind her, he pounded with great efficiency. With each push into her, the enormous bed moved across the floor. “You feel so good.” Resting, he lay against her, fondling her breasts with one hand and rubbing her clit with the other as he pounded into her. “I love fucking you. I’m pleased I’ve found you.”
“Clayne… Clayne,” Arianna screamed. Intense shudders passed through her, silencing her.
“Yes, my mate. You’re fucking good.” His body shivered as he fully rested against her. For a few moments, he was completely still. “Mate, you make me burn. The passion I feel races hot.”
“Clayne…” Before she could say more, he grabbed her under her arms, pulling her to the head of the bed. Moving the bedding out of their way, he positioned her under the covers, following her beneath.
“Let’s rest, my mate. We’ve had a very long, intense day.” Curling her into him, he held her in his arms. The great heat he’d generated had waned, yet his arms were still comfortably warm.
More questions for him danced through her head. Her mind was fully charged with activity, thinking over every detail he’d shared with her. However, exhaustion took over, quieting her. The bed was comfortable. It smelled of lilacs, soothing her further. The mattress cushioned her body softly along with his warm embrace. She decided to close her eyes, only for a few moments. Darkness enveloped her. Involuntarily, sleep overtook her.

About the Author:

Welcome to Ciara Lake's World. Meet Gorgeous Werewolves, Vampires, Dragons, Mermaids, Wizards, Witches, Mythological Gods and Goddesses, Mere Mortals And More! Fiction has always been a passion of mine. Creating worlds and developing characters is a great way for me to relieve the stress and strain of my everyday world. In fantasy (paranormal) and sci-fi stories, the author has the unique ability to invent wonderfully exotic places and people. I do that in my books. These fantastic genres provide a limitless ability to be creative and inventive. My stories provide an escape into a special world filled with unique and otherworldly things. And there is always a happy ending.

Contact the Author: 

Website * Twitter * Goodreads

My First Break Up Book Tour

About the Book:

“Oh God, why me?”

This is perhaps what we think of when we go through a ‘breakup’.
This story is about Anirudh and Anvi.
Both of them have their own thinking which are not alike.
The story begins with Anirudh meeting with and accident. As he slowly succumbs to the pain, he starts reflecting about his bygone college days where he found his love for music. He loves Anvi dearly who is a long-lost friend of Anirudh.
The story reveals how Anirudh struggles as the hands of reality strikes him down.





Book Links:
Amazon * Goodreads

Read an Excerpt:

Just a Thought about Love

'Love' is a strange feeling. My upcoming novel talks a lot about 'Love' and the silly things we tend to do when we are in 'Love'. So without any further ado let me talk a little about love and what you can expect from my novel - My First Breakup.

*********************************************************************

When we guys are in love with a girl, we tend to notice every minute details about our girl. We tend to notice everything, what makes her laugh? What makes her open her eyes wide in utter surprise? And what makes her angry? The little things that she does, catches our attention. Little things do matter a lot in ‘Love’. 

They say it’s a hormonal thing that makes us to think about the other person. Well, science isn’t everything and although it might be correct, but I don’t want to be that scientific here.

What can ‘Love’ be according to you? Smiling when he or she smiles, crying when he or she cries or caring for each other through thick and thin. I know ‘Love’ includes all of these statements that I have mentioned. Well, as for me, I believe ‘Love’ has even more depth than one can imagine.
I feel ‘Love’always brings changes in someone's life. There are many changes that take place while we are in 'love', but I will basically talk about the changes corresponding to a ‘Yes,  I love you too’ reply and the changes corresponding to a ‘Sorry, I don’t feel the same way for you’ reply. 

Let me talk about the ‘don’t love you’ situation first. These changes basically are  in the way of thinking. We tend to suffer from a severe agony which is not physical, but emotional that is more likely to break our will. This is when we hit the depression zone, so how exactly can we get rid of it?? That’s totally up to us. Either we can think “Well, it’s a no…. so let’s move on” or else we can think…. “It’s a no, but I believe that I can turn it in to a yes”.

I do not think that anyone can point out which of the either thought is correct, letting things go or holding on to it. Don’t you think both the thoughts are correct on their own grounds?  ‘Letting go’, it’s very easy to say, but the reality is, sometimes 'letting someone go' can be even more difficult than holding on to someone.

This brings me to the next change, the changes corresponding to a ‘Yes, I love you too’ reply.

Seriously, are there any changes at all happening for a ‘Yes, I love you too’ reply??

Yes, there are many changes that we won’t even realize, but are already happening within us… and what exactly are these changes again? Well, we become used to each other. It’s not a bad thing to get used to someone, just that things become more of a ‘we’ from an ‘I’. It always feels good if there is someone who would care for us, ask us every night about “How our day was? And if we had our dinner?” and if the answers to these questions were negative, he or she would cheer us up and at the same time get angry and deliver a big lecture regarding meals and their importance. We grow used to these small little things and if by any chance we don’t get these little tender feels, we tend to miss it dearly.

‘Love’ has many definitions and all are perfect in their perspective, eternal love, never ending love, true love…all are correct. But, what I feel is… a relationship can be built only when there are two other important factors present and contributing…. ‘Hope’ and ‘Trust’.

Hope in the sense that:
“If I would come to know that I would die tomorrow, a look at her beautiful face and the melody of her smile would give me enough ‘Hope’ to come back to life after dying tomorrow”.
Trust has its own flavor in ‘Love’. Trust in the sense that:

“Wait a second, God…. Are you serious…. She is never ever an option. She is my ‘choice’….  I 'Trust' in her decision that even I am her 'choice' and not just an option”.

Yes, we do get hurt in love many a times, but it doesn’t mean that it’s not true or it’s just a legendary word that can only be found in books. No…. We might 'love' someone and yet our love might fail just because we had either 'hope' or 'trust' missing in it.  But, that shouldn't pull us down, we should just open up and have ‘Hope’ and ‘Trust’ that we will find our love someday no matter how many hardships we have to go through and when we do find that perfect one, we will never let go.

"My First Breakup" is a story about how hard hitting 'Love' can be at times. 'Love' indeed is a beautiful thing.

#Dhruba D Roy


About the Author:

Dhruba Das Roy  is a freelance writer, a musician by passion, and a software engineer by profession. He is from Assam, but born in a small town of Meghalaya, where he finished his schooling. He then obtained his degree in engineering from the esteemed college of National Institute of Technology. He discovered his love for music there and was the lead vocalist of his band, “The Rozarts”.

He loves rock and roll and is a great fan of the pioneers of rock and roll-(Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Queen and the list goes on).Unfortunately, as engineering life came to an end, the band had to split. Recently, he moved to Kolkata where he is working in one of leading software service based companies in India.

Not everyone can put their thoughts into words. Dhruba had never tried his hand in writing; but he had an experience, an experience which changed his life for the better. Being a vocalist, his only way of expression was through the creative way. He decided to pen down his thoughts and he discovered that writing came naturally to him. His thought process in the novel relates to the general mass in many ways. He decided to stretch his limits and ended up voicing his thoughts in a different way this time.

Contact the Author:
Website * Facebook * Twitter

Forsaken Heart (The Forsaken #1) by Elise Whyles

About the Book:

Punished for sins not her own, can a mortal claim her vampire mate?

The world of immortals must unite to save both themselves and the mortals they co-exist with from an ancient evil.

For Bede MacTaggert this means trusting in the warrior sent for her sister—a man of mystery, of power, and one who could easily sweep her into a world she's destined to be part of.

An imperial guard to the king of vampires, Gawain has always tuned out the needs of the flesh. Dedicating himself to the service of the royals, he's lived on the fringes of his people for centuries. Now he's forced from the shadows and into the arms of a woman who will awaken his heart and body to a passion unequaled.

Book Links:
Goodreads * Amazon

Read an Excerpt:



Bede gasped at the touch of his hand. Her eyes widened, and the fire coursing through her veins throbbed to life. Heavy, full, her breasts ached beneath the fabric of her dress. She could feel a hollow throb between her legs, a hunger building. Her eyes darted to his, and she recognized the feelings in his gaze. Lust flared, hotter, stronger than any desire to feed any morality. Leaning closer, she trailed a finger down his face, her nail gathering blood.

Slowly, her eyes locked to his, she lifted her bloody nail to her lips and sucked, a moan of pleasure echoing on the night. His eyes darkened, lips curling up to reveal his extended fangs. The pounding of his blood echoed in her head.

“Yes.” Gawain’s guttural reply vibrated through her body.

With a groan, she grabbed the front of his tunic, her lips crashing into his. Clumsy, untutored, her tongue traced over his lips, demanding entrance. When he gasped she took full advantage, her tongue darting past his teeth to duel with his. Scrambling closer, she pressed against him, her hands tangling in his hair, tracing his shoulders, his neck. Again and again she kissed him. Her body on fire, shuddering and moaning with each response from him. Her blood pooling with each caress, each brush of his tongue against hers.

“Gawain, please…” Whimpering, she threw her head back, exposing her throat, desperate for him to sink his teeth into the flesh there. Pressing his head downward, she guided him toward the throbbing pulse of her life’s blood.

“Nay, nay, we cannot.” Gawain licked, suckled, his muted protest at odds with the way his hands palmed her breasts, teasing her nipples into hardened peaks. “Bede, stop. Gods above, stop me…”

“No, take. Drink.” Bede reached up to scratch at her throat. “Take what you need. I am yours.”

Screaming in pleasure, she shook when he sank his teeth deep. Her body trembling, every nerve alive, the pain bordered on pleasure and she writhed against him. “Yes!”

Pressing closer, she licked her lips, her head shifting, resting against his shoulder. Her hand darted down his body, her fingers seeking the waistband of his trews. His fingers, rough and calloused, grabbed hers as she palmed his hardened cock.

“Nooo, let me.” She whimpered, her eyes rolling back in her head as darkness swam within her vision. Each pull on her throat echoed in her womb, and she hovered on the brink. Clinging to him, she pressed closer, tighter, the need to share beyond any control she had.

Stars exploded behind her eyelids as he lapped at the blood oozing from the wound. Already she could feel her body hovering, waiting on the precipice. She flew apart when his fingers touched her bare skin, the nails scoring the insides of her thighs before he cupped her womanhood. Arching her hips into his palm, the friction against her clit shattered her. Screaming out his name, Bede fell into the darkness that hovered around her. Whole, fulfilled for the first time in her life.


About the Author:

Born in Northern British Columbia, Elise is a small-town girl. She writes in a variety of genres including paranormal, contemporary suspense, m/m in various lengths. Currently, she lives in British Columbia with her husband and son, one dog, one cat, and a gecko. Elise enjoys reading as much as she does writing, with some of her favorite books being read until they fall apart. 
She is currently working on the next book in the Forsaken Series, Burning Rain. As well she has a new contemporary she’s working on. For more information on Elise, or to check out her books you can find her on Facebook, twitter, and her website.

Contact the Author:

Website * Facebook * Twitter * Goodreads

Unstrung Series by Kendra C. Highley

YA Sci-Fi Series Blitz

UNSTRUNG (Book 1)

Lexa Pate, 17-year-old thief extraordinaire, has burned a bridge or two in her life. You don't make a career out of stealing other people's property without making enemies.

When a risky job goes from bad to worse, Lexa and her adopted family find themselves on Precipice Corporation's hit list because they've accidentally stolen the wrong thing - plans for a new model of genetically-engineered super humans. Now every bounty hunter, cop on the take, and snitch in the city is after them.

Lexa's world crumbles around her as she fights to keep her family safe even as someone strolls out of her forgotten past. Quinn claims to know who Lexa really is, but can she trust a stranger she met while robbing his boss?

More importantly, does she really want to know what Quinn has to tell her?

UNFINISHED (Prequel Novella)

In a world where genetically-engineered humans serve as slave labor to “real” humans, ten-year-old Quinn is an anomaly. Designed with superior intelligence and physical attributes, he lives and trains at Maren DeGaul’s lakeside mansion, being readied for some mysterious purpose as dictated by Precipice Corporation. Despite the comfortable surroundings, Quinn is frequently pushed to his limits by his human guardians, often learning lessons in pain and loneliness.

That all changes the day they introduce him to a new artificial, one who is both his equal and his soulmate. But when Maren decides the new artificial is flawed and should be decommissioned, it’s up to Quinn to find a way to save his only friend.

UPRISING (Book 2)

Master thief Lexa Pate always prided herself on never being caught. That changed the night she freed the artificial humans of Triarch City, a people she’s still learning to identify with. Now, imprisoned by the government, she’s separated from her family—and the love of her life—while facing murder charges. What she doesn’t know is something far worse awaits her: the Quad intends to make her pay for her crimes.

After helplessly watching Lexa be captured, Quinn has to place his trust in a group of people he barely knows to save the girl he loves. The rebels outside Triarch City have the equipment—and the information—he needs to rescue Lexa. But, knowing the Quad has sophisticated brainwashing techniques, his biggest worry is who she’ll be even if they do manage to bring her home.

Pawns in a game they barely understand, Lexa and Quinn will have to use all the gifts they possess to fight the powers seeking to control them and find a way back to each other.

Before it’s too late.

UNIFIFED (Book 3)

Lexa Pate has been called many things: thief, artificial, lover, friend. Now, as she faces the biggest crisis of her life, she realizes there’s another title trying to define her: murderer.

After she was freed from the Quad’s clutches, Lexa thought her life would go back to, if not normal, something resembling that. Sure, the band of rebels she’s joined have ideas of freeing the world from the Quad (delusions of grandeur might be more accurate), but Lexa is reunited with the men who’ve become her ragtag family. In her new home, she’s safe, she’s surrounded by people who care for her, and Quinn is always close at hand, ready to show her how much he loves her. So why does she feel like killing him every time they’re together?

Quinn thought rescuing Lexa from the Glass House would be all he needed to find his happy ending. But Lexa’s incarceration has changed things between them, and he fears the Quad altered more about Lexa than anyone suspects. With tensions in the rebel camp rising between the humans and the artificials, Quinn knows the war will reach a boiling point soon, and he may be the only one who can stop it. But if the rebels continue to believe Lexa is dangerous, he could lose more than the war—he could lose the girl he loves.

Excerpt From Book 1

I stare blankly at the wall in my room. My Exeprin high has worn off and I changed back into my pajamas at the first chance, unable to get the chip off my mind. Our little team has ceased being annoying but forgettable and has become a critical target. Everyone from cops to bounty hunters to the Quad’s security team will be after us. All because we stole the wrong thing. Sure, we hadn’t planned to steal that particular chip, but our mistake doesn’t change one simple fact.

We are so dead.

“…run another diagnostic,” Turpin calls from the hallway. He’s been holed up in the lab with Jole, examining the data on the chip. A moment later, he knocks. Unlike Jole, he waits for me to say “come in” before opening the door.

“Hey,” he says, taking a seat on my desk chair. “You okay?”

I drop my pillow over my face. Maybe I should suffocate myself with it. “If I hadn’t tripped and set off the alarm, there’d be no trace of how the chip was taken. Now…they’ll find us.”

“Lexa, there’s no way to plan for the unknown. Besides, anyone else probably would’ve set that security device off sooner and not gotten away.”

A headache starts throbbing behind my eyes. Stars, this is the worst time to be coming off Exeprin. “I’ll remind you how you said it wasn’t my fault when we’re rounded up by Maren’s people.”

“You won’t have to,” Turpin says. “I’m the one who took the job. We go down, you can blame me.”

He sounds so dejected, I sit up, hugging the pillow to my chest. Maybe I should be scared, but a morbid curiosity about Maren’s artificials gets the better of me. “What are the new versions like? Can you tell from the plans?”

“Most of it is over our heads—the genetic engineering data is very complex—and part of the chip is heavily encoded. But I understand enough to know these are the most human-like versions I’ve seen. Circulatory systems that actually regenerate synthetic blood cells, skin cells that scab over when cut, fully functional digestive tracts. Stars, even their hair, fingernails and bodies will grow like a human’s.”

My headache intensifies. “Wait, what do you mean their bodies will grow?”

Turpin goes to my window. “Instead of making adults, like usual, these prototypes appear to be equivalent to six-year-old children. All of them with critical thinking processors akin to a person with a one-forty I.Q. The plans cover maturity cycles and learning rates by age. The only thing I can guess is that her scientists want to mimic the learning capability of a child’s brain.”

My room suddenly feels cold. “We stole the plans for a super-race of fake human beings?”

“It would seem that way. And all of them programmed to think the way the Quad wants them to think. Hyper-intelligent, but without the experience or knowledge to have true free will. I’m wondering about that, though,” he says, coming to sit on the edge of my bed. “If Maren’s playing God to this extent, how will she maintain control of her ‘kids?’ Can you imagine them as teenagers?” He gives me a rueful smile. “You’re hard enough to handle.”

I punch his arm, more out of respect than annoyance. Everything is so topsy-turvy, I wonder if I’m going soft. Soon I’ll be letting Jole off the hook for coming into my room without knocking. “Maybe it’s good we stole those plans. The new K600s are advanced enough that I can hardly tell they’re artificials. These new…things would be an abomination. A crime against nature.” I stand and pace, needing to put my nervous energy into the ground. If I don’t, I’ll blow, and I can’t afford a meltdown. “Bolts shouldn’t be so human. It blurs way too many lines, don’t you think?”

“The bigger question is what we tell our clients,” Turpin says. “Because we can’t give the chip to them. It’s too dangerous.”

He has a point. “I say we tell them the chip self-destructed as we decoded it. Who cares if they get angry. I’m less scared of them than I am of Maren.”

About the Author

Kendra C. Highley lives in north Texas with her husband and two children. She also serves as staff to four self-important and high-powered cats. This, according to the cats, is her most important job. She believes in everyday magic, extraordinary love stories, and the restorative powers of dark chocolate

 Contact Links

Website

Facebook

Twitter

Goodreads

Purchase Links

Amazon

Unstrung

Unfinished

Uprising

Unified

Barnes and Noble

Unstrung  

Unfinished 

Uprising

Unified

Kobo

Unstrung

Unfinished

Uprising

Unified

a Rafflecopter giveaway