EXCERPT: Heist by Laura Pauling

Heist by Laura Pauling
Genre: YA Psychological Thriller

No release date yet (will be in 2013)

Can one decision change the past?

Jack Brodie has a sixth sense that someone has been watching him. Following him.

One night he travels back in time to one of the world’s largest art thefts, known as the Gardner Heist. Why that one moment in time? And what does it mean for Jack?

When he returns, his world is different. His best friend is rougher, meaner. His dad hasn’t been around in years. And then there’s Jetta. The girl who took over his heart the moment she stepped into his life. No one is safe.

Each time Jack goes back to the heist to fix his mistakes, he returns to face the fallout. Disaster strikes in the present until Jack must make a choice. His family and his own happiness. Or the girl he loves. Except, he learns that his sixth sense was right.

Someone has been watching him and wants him dead.

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EXCERPT

The cops return. Their fake swagger and cop routine is gone. Now they move and talk quickly, with purpose, with no one to impress or fool. They leave the lobby and take the stairs two at a time. I follow them on silent feet up a wide and smooth marble staircase into a small alcove on the second floor. I hover in the hall and peek around the corner, afraid of what I’ll find.

Light from fake candles cast a ghostly shadow on the mix of large and small paintings hanging on the walls. The room drips with elegance, like two old ladies should be sitting on the velvet love seat, sipping Earl Gray Tea and nibbling on rye crackers. 

The cops survey the room like they’re kids in a toy store. Dad’s partner moves close to a painting and a screeching alarm sounds. The blaring noise echoes through the entire museum. They mutter curses, and I jump back and clap my hands over my ears, the sound drilling into my head. 

Seconds later, it stops. My heart pulses in my throat, and I dare to peek into the room again. Dad has kicked in a motion sensor on the wall. The plastic is shattered and wires hang out. He stands on one of the three chairs, not caring about the street grit on his black shiny shoes, and pulls a large painting of a boat on the ocean from the wall.

Together, they smash the painting from the frame. A knife glitters. Dad pierces the painting and cuts it like he’s slicing an apple for his kid’s snack. Flakes of paint drift to the floor. 

I lean against the wall in the hallway, a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach. My legs shake. I cringe at the sound of another painting being smashed from its frame. I want to go home. I want to party with my friends, eat a roast beef sandwich with Mom. I want to laugh with Jetta. I want to hold her hand and trace my thumb across her smooth skin. I want to pull her to me and feel her heartbeat against mine.  

A strong hand grips my arm and jerks me into the room. “Looks like we have a little friend.”

I stare into Dad’s gleaming eyes. Eyes I don’t recognize. There’s no hint of a smile of recognition. Of course not. 

The Gardner Heist happened in 1990. I wasn’t even born yet.

AUTHOR BIO

Laura Pauling writes young adult fiction. She lives the cover of suburban mom/author perfectly, from the minivan to the home-baked snickerdoodles, while hiding her secret missions and covert operations. But shh. Don't tell anyone!

Her YA Circle of Spies Series includes A SPY LIKE ME and HEART OF AN ASSASSIN. Book three, TWIST OF FATE will be released in the fall of 2013.

HEIST, a young adult, psychological thriller, will be released the summer of 2013.

Author Links:

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REVIEW: Visited by Janine Caldwell

Visited 

by Janine Caldwell
Publication date: May 25th 2013
Genre: YA coming-of-age fantasy

Synopsis:

Seventeen-year-old Joanna Murphy has lost faith in her life. Vying for her mom’s attention, she’s resentful of her stepdad’s intrusion to their family. Her best friend, Tommy, has no clue she’s in love with him as he dates girl after girl without noticing how it tortures her. The final kicker, though, is God’s sick joke to make her freakishly tall when everyone knows boys prefer petite girls.

Then in a bizarre accident Joanna meets James, a breathtaking teen who appears to her after an unusual falling star sighting. Suddenly, her dream for an alien encounter becomes all too real. But when she finds her life has been made unrecognizable, she’s forced into an explosive study of the original design for her life that just may have her regretting every wish she ever made.

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REVIEW

Visited is a young adult novel about learning to think of others before yourself.  Joanna is dealing with a lot of changes in her life – changes she’s not necessarily on board with.  Her relationship with her mother has changed a lot in the past year – especially since her mother remarried after being a single parent for a very long time.  Joanna’s father died of cancer when she was younger and her mother had to struggle to raise her alone.  So when Stan comes along, and then a new baby on top of that, Joanna is not feeling very generous.  In fact, she’s rather bratty for a seventeen year old. 

This is how she finds herself outside on her roof star-gazing – feeling sorry for herself that her family backpacking trip in Europe the next summer will need to be cancelled because her mother and Stan are expecting a new baby.  Joanna is a total science nerd and I liked that about her. It wasn’t really explored much in the book since this story is mostly about relationships.

In addition to problems with her mother, her best friend, Tommy, is interested in a new girl. And this leaves Joanna feeling jealous – why doesn’t Tommy like her in that way? Joanna figures it’s because Tommy like petite girls and she’s six feet tall.

To top off her great day, she’s asked by her volley ball coach to give up the promised volleyball team captain position to another girl for reasons other than talent.

So while on the roof, Joanna sees a bright light and figures it’s a falling star – so she makes a wish. She wants all the troubles she’s experiencing, fixed.

BAM. She gets what she wants, courtesy of an alien boy named James. Soon Joanna’s wishes all come true, but all changes have consequences and she learns the hard way that not everything is as it seems.

Visited is a story about faith in one’s purpose in life, being generous, empathetic, and satisfied.  Joanna learns a lot of lessons as she walks in the shoes of her new self, and while this book was a little predictable with the good and evil theme, it was sweet and I’d recommend it to any young adult that enjoys stories about aliens, family, friends, and dealing with conflicting feelings about what they want out of life as they grow up.

AUTHOR BIO

Janine Caldwell was born in Concord, CA and raised in the small San Francisco Bay Area town of Clayton. Four days after her high school graduation, Janine attended California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo and graduated with a degree in English.

Janine now lives in Anthem, AZ with her husband and two sons. As a lifelong literature fanatic, she knew it was only a matter of time before she would become obsessed with writing her own work. With relatives like the Brothers Grimm and Anita Loos (Gentlemen Prefer Blondes), she figured fantasy writing had to be in her DNA.

Books published by Janine include Visited, a YA coming-of-age fantasy, Rematch and Double Fault—the first two books of The Vortex Series. The final book in this YA fantasy romance, Deuce, will be released fall 2013.

LINKS:

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COVER REVEAL: Awakening by Christy Dorrity

Awakening

Book One of The Geis 

by Christy Dorrity
Publication date: September 24th 2013
Genre: YA Fantasy

Synopsis:

. . .because some Celtic stories won’t be contained in myth.

A little magic has always run in sixteen-year-old McKayla McCleery’s family—at least that’s what she’s been told. McKayla’s eccentric Aunt Avril travels the world as a clairvoyant for the FBI, and her mother can make amazing delicacies out of the most basic of ingredients. But McKayla doesn’t think for a second that the magic is real—it’s just good storytelling. Besides, McKayla doesn’t need magic. She just moved to beautiful Star Valley, Wyoming, and already she has an amazing best friend, a solo in her upcoming ballet recital, and the gorgeous guy in her physics class keeps looking her way.

 When an unexpected fascination with Irish dance leads McKayla to seek instruction from the mute, crippled, janitor at her high school, she learns that her family is not the only one with unexplained abilities.
After Aunt Avril comes to the valley in pursuit of the supernatural killer that she has been chasing her entire career, people in the valley begin disappearing, and the lives of those McKayla holds most dear are threatened. When an ancient curse, known as a geis, awakens powers that defy explanation, McKayla is forced to come to terms with what is real and what is fantasy.
A thrilling first novel, Awakening is a gripping contemporary fantasy rife with magic, romance, and mystery.

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AUTHOR BIO:

Christy Dorrity lives in the mountains with her husband, five children, and a cocker spaniel. She grew up on a trout ranch in Star Valley, Wyoming, and is the author of The Book Blogger’s Cookbooks. Christy is a champion Irish dancer and when she’s not reading or writing, she’s probably trying out a new recipe in the kitchen.

Author links:
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EXCERPT: Scorched Treachery by Rebecca L. Ethington

Scorched Treachery 

by Rebecca L. Ethington 
Series: Imdalind #3
Publication date: July 12th 2013
Genre: YA Paranormal Romance

While Joclyn is trapped in the tormenting hell of Cail’s mind, the battle around her only continues to grow and spread.

Edmund has infiltrated the underground hallways of Prague, guiding the massacre that would end the lives of the last of the great magical race. In her attempts to stop him, Wynifred has been captured and her magic restrained. Chained up in the ancient dungeons of Prague, her fate is left in the hands of her father, who has tried to kill her before.

With Ryland’s screams and Sain’s fragmented sights as her only company, Wyn must rely on something that has been hidden deep inside of her for centuries to help them break free.

Ilyan’s whole life has been building up to one purpose. Protect the Silnỳ. He knows what he must do, and he has no doubt in his ability to do so.

But when his father’s magic removes Joclyn’s mind from her body, he is left protecting the shell of the one person he loves. Desperate to find a way to break her free of her prison, he makes a choice. And that one choice changes everything.

Now, Ilyan finds himself bound to Joclyn in a way that he never knew to be possible.

They say that blood is thicker than water, but Black Water burns, and Ilyan’s heart may not be strong enough to keep it pumping through his veins and give the girl he loves back into his brother’s care.

Even if he can, it may not be safe to do so.

Scorched Treachery is the third book in The Imdalind Series

Clean Young-Adult Paranormal Romance
Language: Low
Violence: Moderate
Sexual Content: Low to None

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EXCERPT
“Run!” I screamed, when I was within distance.

Sain looked up at me, confused for only a moment before he turned and bolted down the hall, toward the large chapel.

I didn’t slow my speed for landing. I flew right into the courtyard, my hard landing exploding bricks into the air at the rough impact. I straightened myself and turned to face the courtyard just beyond the gates.

The few tourists in the courtyard looked through the rubble, for the most part, confusion covering their faces.

Edmund was right behind me. I set my jaw and raised my hand, a shimmering shield flowing from my fingers to cover the large opening of the golden gate.

My magic surged out of me as it spread in a curtain between the giant arches. I looked through the magical barrier to see Edmund change his course in order to intercept me.

Edmund was almost here, and the shield had not set yet. I pushed harder, my teeth clenching as I grunted through the pressure, yelling as the exertion hit its maximum and my magic pushed and pulled to escape from me.

My mouth opened as I screamed, the shield setting itself into the stone the moment Edmund’s body hit hard against the barrier. The impact of his collision rumbled through me, shooting me away from the shield and slamming me into the high wall behind me.

I straightened myself the same moment Edmund did, his jaw as set as mine as he turned to face me. Edmund’s eyes stared into mine, the whites blood shot with anger and power. I had never seen him this worked up. I could tell at once that this shield would only hold for a matter of minutes once he decided to come at me.

Edmund uncoiled his body as he faced me, his hand lifting to his face. A large chunk of his arm was missing, the edges blackened with ash. Even with all of my power, that was all I had been able to accomplish against him.

He smiled at me as he bit down on his finger, the one I had burned off all those centuries ago, the replacement forcibly taken from one of his many servants. He bit down on it and pulled, the flesh separating slowly, his hand dripping with blood as he ripped the finger from his hand.

“I have a present for you, Wynifred,” he sneered, his breathing shallow as some power-based insanity threatened to take over him.

“Keep it,” I spat, turning from him.

AUTHOR BIO:

Rebecca Ethington has been telling stories since she was small. First, with writing crude scripts, and then on stage with years of theatrical performances. The Imdalind Series is her first stint into the world of literary writing. Rebecca is a mother to two, and wife to her best friend of 14 years. She was born and raised in the mountains of Salt Lake City, and hasn’t found the desire to leave yet. Her days are spent writing, running, and enjoying life with her amazing family.

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REVIEW: Uninvited by Leah Spiegel and Meg Summers

Uninvited 

by Leah Spiegel and Meg Summers
Series: South Hills Sidekicks #1
Publication date: February 11th 2012
Genre: Humorous YA Chick-Lit

When Alley started her senior year at Upper East High in the South Hills area, it was supposed to be the usual drag of hanging out with people who spent more on one outfit than Alley did on her entire wardrobe. That was until Kirsten, a girl in their clique, suddenly goes missing and the only people who seem to care are her friends.

All evidence leads to the new comer Shane, a cocky and self-pretentious person in Alley’s opinion, but the police seem uninterested so she and the rest of the girls start a little investigation of their own. But they are nowhere closer to finding Kirsten than when they started and now they had the police’s attention; just not in the way they expected. The girls have to start over and discover that maybe it wasn’t an outsider who took Kirsten, but someone within their own clique who has something to hide; a secret that just might have gotten Kirsten killed.

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REVIEW

What a fun book! Alley is part of one of the “popular” girls in high school, except that this label comes by association with her BFF, the klutzy, crazy, impulsive, Val. Alley can take or leave most of the other girls but when one of them goes missing, they band together to try and figure out what happened.

Uninvited is a young adult amateur sleuth story with a mystery, a forbidden romance, and your typical array of teen issues such as drug use, bullying, mean girls, friendship, and family relationships.

I was drawn into the story immediately because of Alley’s voice, which is told from first person point of view, which is my personal favorite. I enjoyed all the characters but it was really Shane, Alley’s love interest, who kept me reading. I loved how they verbally sparred, how he grew to care for Alley, and how she grew to depend on him as the story progressed. They don’t even get to first base in this book, but it’s got great build-up and even though it should technically not even be possible for the two of them to be together (can’t tell you why, that’s a spoiler!) I secretly hoped he’d kiss her the entire time. I will probably pick up the next book just so I can see how this plays out because it’s got an interesting little twist in the first chapter, which is included at the end of Uninvited.

I did not guess the mystery so that really held my attention the entire time and I enjoyed the setting because I had relatives who lived in South Hills when I was kid. You don’t see many novels set in Pittsburgh, so for me, that was fun.

I highly recommend this read, it’s clean, it’s fun, and it’s got a bunch of good messages for teens. I also loved the style of writing – Leah Spiegel and Meg Summers really have a fun character voice going and their writing is easy to follow and not filled with a lot of extra words (as can sometimes be the case) that detract from the actual storytelling.  Pick it up, if you enjoy a fun mystery with great characters!

AUTHOR BIO

Although we moved down to North Carolina several years ago, we’re originally from the Pittsburgh area. (That’s why a lot of our characters either live in the Burgh or reference our hometown football team, The Pittsburgh Steelers.) And yes, we even have the Southern accents to show for it now. Although Megan’s is considerable thicker, Leah still can’t understand the locals.

We are known as ‘the sisters’ among our neighborhood; when actually we’re probably really known as ‘the sisters with the Yorkies’. Our pups, Skippy Jon Jones and Captain Jack Sparrow, were given long names to compensate for their small size but not their large personalities.

If Leah’s not glued to her electronic devices, AKA her Kindle Fire and various laptops, you can find her training ‘the attack dogs’, running on the treadmill while conceiving the next great book idea with the Dave Matthews Band, Muse, Florence and the Machine, The Lumineers, and Pink (just to name a few) blaring out of her earphones. 

If Megan’s not glued to her electronic devices AKA her iPad and Nook Color, you can find her teaching fourth graders, swimming marathon style at the pool, or cuddling with ‘the attack dogs’ as she watches Duck Dynasty, Gold Rush, Scandal, Person of Interest, Morning Joe, etc.

Leah graduated from Edinboro University with a BA in Art Education.

Megan received her teaching degree from Edinboro University and Masters in Curriculum and Instruction with an emphasis in Technology from Grand Canyon University. 

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GIVEAWAY: Radiant by Christina Daley

TITLE: Radiant
AUTHOR: Christina Daley
PUBLICATION DATE: February 12th 2013
GENRE: YA Paranormal Romance

Mary is part Vietnamese. Carter is a complete jerk. Normally, they don't talk much.

But when Mary's in an accident on the way to school one morning, Carter nearly dies saving her life. The doctors say his chances of living are slim, and Mary's feeling the full weight of survivor's guilt.

However, Carter's back at school in a matter of days, as if nothing had happened. Although, he is a little "glitchy," and he's developed a sudden and intense interest in Mary. She thinks he's suffering from major brain trauma from the accident. Or that he's been possessed.

As it so happens, Carter really is possessed. And the thing controlling him is having the time of its life learning to be human.

Featuring a diverse cast of characters, RADIANT is a funny "paranormal-lite" story about being human, being in love, and being healed.

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EXCERPT

A voice called to her. It seemed close, and it was getting louder as the pain got sharper. "Hey? Hey! Are you all right?" it asked.

Mary blinked several times before she could finally see again. She was in the middle of the street. The cars had stopped and people on the sidewalk were staring.

"Are you all right?" the voice asked again. It was coming from a man wearing some type of uniform.

"What…?" Mary tried to say more, but her voice suddenly stopped working.

"Careful," he said as he helped her up. "Looks like you can move all right. Here, let's get you out of the street."

He helped her over to the sidewalk. "Stay here. Someone's calling the paramedics." And then he was gone.

Mary sat there, still in a daze. She started noticing familiar stuff all over the ground—an open book bag, books, folders, unused tampons, a shoe, and an apple with one bite mark. Her eyes followed the trail of debris to a brilliant red sports car, half of which was smashed in by a city bus.

What had happened? Mary studied the whole scene, trying to puzzle together the pieces. Then it dawned on her. The car had hit her. Not intentionally. She had run in front of the bus without knowing it. It was about to hit her, but the car had gotten in the way first. It had saved her life.

Mary thought about looking in the car. Then her feet sorta moved without her meaning them to, and she made her way to the passenger door. She recognized the person inside. Carter. She knew his last name, but she couldn't think of what it was. He was slumped over the seat with blood oozing all over his face. His eyes were shut.

Mary knocked on the window. The tears in her hand stung.

No response.

She beat the window with her fist.

Still nothing.

Mary stared. She couldn't believe it. On any other day, she wouldn't exchange two words with this guy. Just yesterday, he nearly mowed down an elderly couple while driving out of the school lot. Mary had secretly wished he'd be taught a lesson. But she didn't mean this.

She tried the door handle, but it was still locked. Suddenly, Carter's eyes flickered opened. He looked straight at her.

Mary gasped and pressed her face against the window.

Carter's eyes closed.

She stared at him, waiting for him to open them again. Waiting for any sign of life. But he was still like he was before.

Hands suddenly took hold of Mary, pulling her away from the car. Her feet moved on their own again. Someone was yelling "Miss" a lot. Parts of her brain found other noises too, like sirens, voices, beeping, and other things. The hands directed her to sit on something hard and cold.

"Miss? Can you hear me? Can you tell me your name?"

Mary didn't answer. She still hadn't found her voice, and her mind was fuzzy, too.
"Is that her bag there? Does she have a driver's license?"

A different person spoke. "No license, but I found a student ID. Her name's Mary Phan. She's seventeen and a junior here at Lewis Prep."

Mary heard a third voice. "I just talked with some of the kids on the sidewalk. One of them said her mom's a nurse at the memorial hospital."

"Find out how to contact the mom. Anyone see what happened?"

"Cops are questioning witnesses right now. Looks like she ran in front of the bus. It would've nailed her if that sportster hadn't gotten in the way."

"Anything on the bus or the driver of the car?"

"Everyone on the bus looks fine. The car belongs to a kid named Carter Maxwell. Also a junior." A sigh. "I wouldn't hold my breath. He looks really bad in there."

Mary tuned out everything else. All sights. All sounds. The only thing she could see in her mind was Carter staring at her.

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AUTHOR BIO

Christina Daley made her first book with neighborhood friends when she was four years old. They "wrote" out some semblance of lettering with crayons, cut up a cardboard box for the cover, and bound it all together with clear adhesive tape. It was brilliant.

Quite a few years later, Christina is trying her hand at writing "real" books. She lives in Dallas, Texas, with a pet plant named Herb.

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COVER REVEAL: Not Pretty Enough by Jaimie Admans

Not Pretty Enough 

by Jaimie Admans 
Publication date: August 1st 2013 
Genre: YA Contemporary

 

 

BOOK DESCRIPTION

“New Year’s Resolutions:

1. Lloyd Layton will know I exist. He once said three whole words to me, so this is obviously progress. If I don’t get a proper conversation out of him soon, then I’ll take my top off and streak through the cafeteria, because nobody could fail to notice these boobs.

2. I will not get expelled for streaking through the cafeteria.”

Those are the words that begin her mission.

Chessie is fourteen, not pretty enough, and very much in love. Lloyd Layton is hot, popular, and unaware of Chessie’s existence.

Her goal is clear: to get Lloyd to love her as much as she loves him, and she has exactly one year to do it.

As Chessie’s obsession with Lloyd reaches boiling point and she starts to spin a web of lies that spiral out of control, Lloyd turns out to be not quite the prince she thought he was. Can Chessie avoid the gathering storm before things go too far?

Not Pretty Enough is a contemporary young adult comedy suitable for ages thirteen and over.

Book two in the series will be released early 2014.

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COVER REVEAL: Creatura by Nely Cab

 

Creatura 

by Nely Cab
Publication date: August 6th, 2013
Genre: YA Paranormal

Isis can control her dreams. Or she could-until recently. The creature in her nightmares has been haunting her for months. As if being dumped wasn’t bad enough, now she dreads going to sleep. She decides to confront the creature and win back some of her peace; only, she finds that he’s not a monster and he’s not a dream.

A sacrifice for love, a shocking discovery and a jealous ex-boyfriend blur the lines between reality and dreams, making it hard to tell who the real monsters are.

Who would’ve known…that sometimes love is lethal?

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AUTHOR BIO

Nely Cab was born on December 9, 1974, in Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico. She has lived and resided in a small, quiet South Texas town most of her life. Putting her Computer Accounting skills to use, Nely worked in banking for several years. In 2001, the author relocated to Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico, where she dedicated time to the study of culinary arts and the art of oil painting. After her return to the U.S., Nely resumed her employment in banking and later transitioned to the field of Social Work.

Today, Nely Cab writes from the comfort of her home, where she lives with her husband and son. Her life goal is to check-off Bucket List Item No. 95,623,351: To conquer the world. While she aspires world domination, Nely continues to work on her debut series Creatura.

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EXCERPT: Program 13 by Nicole Sobon

Program 13 

by Nicole Sobon 
Publication date:  August 15th 2012
Genre: Young Adult Science Fiction - 15+

Two identities. One Body.

17-year-old Emile Reed, may have died, but she isn't dead. Her body now belongs to Program Thirteen, where her every thought, every movement, is controlled. Until Emile begins to find her way back inside of Thirteen's core, where she manages to fend off Thirteen’s programming to reclaim the life that she lost. But Charles McVeigh, the owner of Vesta Corp, isn’t willing to let Thirteen go. And he will stop at nothing to reclaim control of Thirteen's programming. Because without her, McVeigh has nothing.

What makes you human?

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EXCERPT

“May I present to you your new caretakers?” McVeigh turned to his left, pointing at the on-looking White Coats. From left to right, there was Tina, the friendly White Coat, Roger, Rhys, Mark, and Sterling. “These will be the five people responsible for you at all times.” 

Had I not known better, I would have assumed the male White Coats were like me. Their faces were cold and their bodies rigid. Standing beside Tina, they looked lifeless...almost like me. But unlike me, they were actually alive. They each had a beating heart, blood flowing through their veins, and a conscience of their own. I did not. My exterior was flesh, but my insides were constructed of computers and wires. My mind was not my own. My words, my movements, my emotions...they were all fed to me, to my core. I did not have blood flowing through my veins, for I had no veins, only wires connecting to the Program built inside my mind. They might have looked like me, but they were not like me. 

Lowering my head, I walked over to the White Coats. The men parted so that I could stand beside Tina. I was grateful for their gesture, though I knew it was not meant to be friendly. Charles McVeigh and Douglas Todd made their way towards us with their arms open and face’s beaming with joy. I was their new toy, their new test in Level Three. I was everything McVeigh wanted out of this operation, or so it seemed. Both men threw their arms around me, not even wincing as their skin touched mine. Even through their suit jackets and long sleeve shirts that they wore underneath, I suspected they felt the coolness radiating off my flesh. But if they did, neither of the men made an effort to back away. 

“Program Thirteen.” McVeigh broke his hold on me, leaving Douglas Todd by my side. “Your caretakers will now be taking you into your hard drive evaluation. Since you have excelled two levels, there will need to be some changes made to your programming.” 

Without further ado, the White Coats grabbed hold of my arms and pulled me off into the evaluation room behind us, placing me in the metal chair before securing the restraints. This was the part I hated most, feared even, at least, inside. I was at the mercy of the scientists whom I’d yet to meet. These strangers controlled my core. Unlike my caretakers, they would never become a part of me. They would continue to remain strangers who stood behind the glass, clipboards and pens in tow, marking down my every flaw and my every strength. Whoever or whatever they wanted me to become, I would and that was all I could do. I was nothing without this place, these people. 

“And we’re ready to begin,” a voice rang through the speakers surrounding the top of the room. There were no lights. Just darkness. 

I could feel the restraints pressing against my flesh. Do not move, I had to remind myself. I could not bleed, but my flesh could still tear. I closed my eyes as I heard the charge running through the wires, tugging on the hard drive in my back. I pushed forward against my will, acting strictly on what my mind was feeding me. There were flashes of lights around the room. I looked down at my right wrist and noticed a large tear revealing the wires beneath. A pale blue light pulsed where the flesh once was.

AUTHOR BIO

Nicole Sobon is the author of the Emile Reed Chronicles, Capture, No Place Like Home, and various short stories.

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COVER REVEAL: Djinn by Laura Catherine

Djinn 

by Laura Catherine 

  

Series: Djinn, #1 
Publication date: December 2013
Genre: YA Paranormal Romance

Synopsis:

Kyra’s life is far from normal.

She's been on the run for as long she can remember and her father is the only stable thing in her life, but everything changes when the people pursuing them finally catch up.

Kyra is abducted by the handsome and mysterious, Will. He takes her to a secret compound where she is told the truth: She's a Djinn, a genie-like creature with super powers and a love of dogs.

Kyra has to adjust to the Djinn and their rules, but her new life is far from perfect. Everyone is hiding something and the one person Kyra  cares about most is forbidden to her.

There are secrets around every corner and more dangers than Kyra could ever imagine as she struggles to find herself and be with the one she loves.

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AUTHOR BIO

Laura Catherine is Young Adult author focusing on Paranormal Romance, Dystopia, and Fantasy.

She writes stories full of action, secrets, and magic. She loves creating worlds where anything is possible and everyone has a story to tell. She has an over-active imagination, spends a lot of her time daydreaming, and wishes pokemon were real so she would have one.

Laura Catherine lives in Melbourne, Australia.

Author links:

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

COVER REVEAL: Devious by Suzannah Daniels

Devious 

by Suzannah Daniels  
Series: Dangerous, #2
Publication date: August 22nd, 2013
Genre: YA contemporary romance

Stone Hamilton had never been known for being the good guy. Just ask anyone who knows him. But things have changed since he started dating the sultry goody-two-shoes that he met over the summer. Now that it’s his senior year at Quail Mountain High, can he manage to hold on to the girl who’s stolen his heart or is it only a matter of time until he screws it all up?

If someone had told Dara Golding last school year that she’d be dating an ominous, wheelie-popping, biker boy her senior year, she would’ve scoffed. But she’s learned there’s a lot more to Stone Hamilton than she originally thought. Or is there?

How far will Stone go to hold on to the girl who has changed his world?

Goodreads

Details for book 1

AUTHOR BIO

Suzannah Daniels has had an affinity for words for as long as she can remember. She grew up in North Georgia with four brothers, so she learned at an early age to admire snakes and motorcycles. When she wasn't pestering her brothers, she could usually be found reading or writing.

She is the author of Viking's Embrace, a historical romance, and Ghostly Encounter, Book One of her Ghostly series (young adult paranormal romance).

Currently, she lives in Chattanooga, Tennessee with her husband and her teenage daughter. Her son lives nearby. The family pets include a Lab mix, a Basset Hound, a Shih Tzu, and a sweet, little kitty.

Author links:

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter