Saturday Sample

My sample today comes from Rest Thy Head. In this excerpt my hero and heroine have taken a group of guests from Rest Thy Head on a camping trip. They're sitting around the fire telling ghost stories.

Mrs. Feldman slid a little closer to her husband. “Have you
ever actually seen a person, I mean an apparition?”

Jake hesitated and the thoughtful look on his face made
Peyton think he wasn’t trying to scare anyone now. “Maybe.
Several times I’ve been outside working, and when I looked back at
the inn I thought I saw a face watching me, but the moment I
blinked it disappeared.”

“Why does it surprise you to see someone looking out the
window?” Feldman scoffed. “You do run an inn.”

Jake struggled to explain himself. It seemed to Peyton that
he wanted to understand what he’d seen as much as he wanted his
guests to understand. “That’s true, but…well, it didn’t look right
some way or other. I know that isn’t a good description, but it’s the
best I can do.”

“Would you say that perhaps it looked a bit insubstantial?”
tiny Lucille Chastain broke in.

“Yes, I think so.” He nodded. “Yeah, that’s a good
description.”

Lucille smiled. “Most of the time you can see through them.”

“You sound as if you believe in ghosts,” Nanette the teacher
observed.

“Oh, I do. In fact, I’ve written several books on the subject.
Jake, you said you saw a swirling mist on the landing, right?”

“Yeah, that’s right.”

Her voice was so matter of fact it lent credibility to her
words. “I’m not surprised. Some people think spirits take a
vaporous form before they become full apparitions.”

Peyton repressed a grin when one of Jake’s men looked over
his shoulder and stared into the darkness with a wary expression
on his face.

“Why would a spirit hang around Rest Thy Head?” Feldman
snorted. “Honestly, Lucille.”

“Honestly, Morris. Apparitions often haunt older homes.
Hotels, theaters, and cemeteries too.”

“What do you think ghosts are?” Peyton asked, playing
along. She knew good and well there was no such thing as a ghost.
If there were, she’d have seen one by now. Hadn’t she lived in an
older home her entire life? She’d been to plenty of cemeteries and
theaters too. Besides that, her room at the inn was supposed to be
haunted.

Pie Girls: Book Review

If you came for Fashionista Friday, scroll on down, but why not enjoy this post first?

Pie Girls

by Lauren Clark

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

BLURB:

Princess, Southern belle, and spoiled-rotten social climber Searcy Roberts swore on a stack of Bibles she’d never return home to Fairhope, Alabama. After marrying her high school sweetheart and moving to Atlanta, Searcy embraces big-city life—Carrie Bradshaw style.

But now, Searcy has a teeny, tiny problem. Her husband’s had a mid-life crisis. He’s quit his job, cancelled her credit cards, and left her for another man.

Searcy returns to Fairhope, ready to lick her wounds. But when her mother falls ill, she’s is thrust into managing the family business—only to discover the beloved bakery is in danger of closing its doors forever.

Enlisting the help of the adorable bike store owner next door, an array of well-heeled customers, and her soon-to-be ex-husband, Searcy hatches the plan of the century to save Pie Girls.

EXCERPT:

Chapter 1

           

This cannot be happening.

           

This cannot be happening.

           

I steal a glance at the clock. Where is my husband? And my anniversary gift, for that matter. The robin's egg blue box, the crinkle of the white tissue paper. The gasp of surprise, well-practiced, when I lift the diamond-encrusted pendant from its nest.

           

Alton, always the gentleman, will insist on helping. He'll clear his throat, looking rather pleased with himself, stand up, and sweep my long blond hair off to one side. With flourish, he'll ever so carefully drape the platinum chain around my neck, plant a soft kiss on my bare shoulder, and ease the clasp into place.

           

When my eyes blink open, the room’s still empty. Alton, who's been on a business trip for a full week, promised he'd make it home for our anniversary. If he doesn't, he’s going to be in huge trouble.

           

I fold my arms across my chest and walk over to our huge picture window. Elegant skyscrapers glow in the dark night, windows twinkling white and gold. Below them, steady streams of traffic wrap like ribbons around the maze of interstate highway.

           

Away from the roadways, Atlanta is surprisingly lush and dense, with rolling hills and trees—beautiful magnolia, dogwoods, old Southern pines, and magnificent oaks. The expansive green space, well-manicured parks, and flower-lined sidewalks remind me a bit of home.

Buckhead—where I live—is a mecca for shoppers, visitors and businesses, with its upscale boutiques, restaurants, and hotels. Trendy bars, dance clubs, and bistros all come to life when the sun melts into the horizon. A place to see and be seen. It truly is the Beverly Hills of the South, as my friend Phillipa likes to call it.

My Review:

Pie Girls is wonderful Southern fiction. I loved the story of Searcy, a spoiled, unfulfilled wife whose life is turned upside down when her rich husband runs off with another man. Searcy heads home to mama to hide out from her shallow friends, and once she gets there she finds that everything she ever really needed is in the place she tried so hard to get away from. She exchanges a superficial life for something meaningful and worthwhile, and she also finds that her heart just might be ready for a new relationship. 

Wonderful story. Read it and see if you don't love it. 5 out of 5 stars.

  

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

                                            

Lauren Clark writes contemporary Southern novels sprinkled with sunshine, suspense, and secrets. A former TV news anchor, Lauren adores flavored coffee, local book stores, and anywhere she can stick her toes in the sand. Her big loves are her family, paying it forward, and true-blue friends.

She is the author of four award-winning novels, Dancing Naked in Dixie, Stay Tuned, Stardust Summer, and Pie Girls, as well as a short story, A Very Dixie Christmas, published in the Merry & Bright holiday collection. Lauren is a member of the Gulf Coast Writers Association and the Mobile Writers Guild. Check out her website at www.laurenclarkbooks.com.

Website

www.laurenclarkbooks.com

Blog

www.laurenclarkbooks.com/blog

Twitter

@LaurenClark_Bks

Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lauren-Clark/235315706518284

Pintrest

http://www.pinterest.com/laurenclarkbks/

Kindle: http://amzn.to/X8rCq1
Nook: http://bit.ly/1pHBVuo

iBooks:  https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/pie-girls/id906182442?mt=11

Lauren will be awarding a $20 Amazon GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Use the link below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

You can find her tour schedule at http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2014/08/review-tour-pie-girls-by-lauren-clark.html

Fashionista Friday

Show Your Fall Sparkle With BRAGANZIA by fattie-zara featuring bracelet charms

Lipsy bodycon dress
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Christian Louboutin black shoes
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Jimmy Choo black handbag
shopsavannahs.com

Bracelet charm
braganzia.com

Lara
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Sarah
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Book Review: Merry Christmas, Henry

Blurb:

Henry, a shy and talented artist, moonlights as a security guard at a museum and loses his heart to a beautiful, melancholy woman in a painting. As his obsession grows, he finds a kindred soul who helps him in his search for happiness. On Christmas Eve, Henry dares to take a chance on love and fulfill his dream.

Book Information:

Publication Date: November 5, 2013

Genre: Contemporary Romance/Fantasy (Holiday)
Word Count: 10,000
Formats Available: ePub, MOBI, PDF

Book Review:

This is my first holiday romance of the season, and it certainly is filled with holiday miracles. It was easy to feel sorry for Henry, the main character, because he had such a ho hum kind of life. He had artistic talent that he refused to develop and spent his time as a guard in an art museum. As time passed, he obsessed over a portrait of a beautiful woman. Finally, at Christmas time, he decided to add his own touches to the painting.

I had an idea where this story might go, but it didn't end the way I thought it would even though Henry does find happiness in a Christmas miracle.

While the story ended well, I wasn't a fan of the ending. I wanted to give Henry a kick and tell him to shape up. The story is well written with some great description, and it's possible that someone else may be kinder to poor Henry than I was. On a scale of 1-5, I'd give it a 4.

Hymns of the West Book #2

 

Welcome to Faith Blum's blog tour. Faith, thank you so much for visiting. Could you tell us who designed your cover?

Perry Elisabeth at www.perryelisabethdesign.blogspot.com. She does an awesome job finding pictures that will work.

Did you learn anything from writing your book and what was it?

Don't rush the publishing. Connecting with other authors is also helpful.

Do you have any advice for other writers?

Write, rewrite, edit, and rewrite again. Take breaks, but not for too long. Do NOT rush into the publishing process.

Blurb:

Anna Stuart is comfortable with her life. She may be a 30 year old spinster, but she has her routine and enjoys taking care of her father and older brother. One letter shatters all her routines, comfort, and enjoyment. After learning of her brother’s death, Anna feels like her life will never be the same again.
Then she meets two motherless boys. Did God place them in her life to lead her to a new vision of life? Can she trust God to give her the desires of her heart before she even knows what they are?

EXCERPT:

The church was empty when I dragged myself out of the pew and headed out the door. As I opened the door, the corner of my eye caught a flicker of movement which I chose to ignore. I walked down the steps and was nearly bowled over by two wild boys. With arms grown strong and quick from man-handling two brothers growing up, I grabbed the two boys before they had a chance to escape me.

AUTHOR INFO:

An avid reader, Faith Blum started writing at an early age. Whether it was a story about the camping trip that summer or a more creative story about fictional characters, she has always enjoyed writing. When not writing, Miss Blum enjoys reading, crafting, playing piano, moderating on the Holy Worlds Historical Fiction Forum and playing games with her family (canasta, anyone?).
As a history enthusiast who has been fascinated for years with the Old West, Faith has endeavored to create a clean, fun, and challenging Western story. Faith lives with her family on a hobby farm in the Northern Midwest, where she enjoys the many cats they have.
You can find Faith on her Website, Blog, Facebook, and Twitter

http://www.faithblum.com/

Facebook: www.facebook.com/HymnsoftheWest

Twitter: www.Twitter.com/Faith_Blum

Google: https://plus.google.com/u/0/102215478367164319526/posts Be Thou My Vision (Hymns of the West Book 2)
http://www.amazon.com/Thou-Vision-Hymns-West-Book-ebook/dp/B00NF3QV52/

What Casts the Shadow?

What Casts a Shadow?

by Seth Mullins

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

BLURB:

A troubled young rock musician, a mystic mentor, and a generation of lost souls longing for a new voice to emerge from thewilderness...

When an altercation outside of a performance venue nearly proves fatal, Brandon Chane begins to realize how far his life is spinning out of control. His efforts to channel his pain, frustration and thwarted loves into his music may not suffice to save him. Then he meets Saul, a crisis counselor with the soul of an ancient medicine man, and a far-reaching journey of healing - one that may teach him how to steer away from the very edge of the abyss - begins.

EXCERPT:

The Edge

I suppose you could compare it to driving on a high mountain road. You don’t realize how close you are to free-fall, or how sheer and far is the plunge, until you go around a bend where one side is exposed to open air and then there it is: The Abyss.

There’s this edge that you can come to – I imagine it’s a different place for each of us – and you just know that once you get swept over it you won’t be coming back. By the time you’re close enough to see it it may already be too late. You could find yourself teetering, suddenly hearing the warnings that life had been giving you all along, knowing that it’s become impossible to step back; because by that time, those other forces – the ones pounding like the rapids at your back, always trying to push you towards that edge and then over it – have grown too strong.

Tommy and I first talked about forming a band together before either of us had learned to play an instrument. We both perceived music – particularly, its heavy, extreme underside - as the ideal vehicle for our personal salvation. The first guitar that I purchased, a Fender Telecaster that I immediately spray painted black to my father’s horror, became my refuge. It was my best friend and confidante. It gave me a convenient excuse to avoid social situations that, more often than not, would only remind me of how far off the beaten path I really was.

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Seth Mullins draws upon the great sweep of human soul-journeying to weave his tales. He's inspired by music, shamanism, dreams and the mysteries and miracles of our inner life. His greatest love as a writer is for fiction that depicts a journey towards self-awareness in the deepest sense.

"Probably the most valuable thing that I learned throughout my spiritual journey in this life is the importance of trusting in one's self. Many of our cultural lessons encourage us to ignore or even fear our inner reality. And yet it is this realm that really does hold the answers to all of our questions, and can point the way towards the most fulfilling life experiences possible for us."

Mr. Mullins has lived in Maine, Connecticut, New Mexico, Oregon and Vermont.

http://www.humanityswayforward.com (Humanity's Way Forward - my website)

http://frontiersofconsciousness.blogspot.com (The Edge of the Known by Seth Mullins - my blog)

"What Casts the Shadow?"  (The Edge of the Known) on Amazon: http://amzn.to/1rkhffS  

My Amazon author page: amazon.com/author/sethmullins

https://www.facebook.com/seth.thomas.37454

http://twitter.com/SethMullins1

https://www.facebook.com/WhatCaststheShadow

 One randomly chosen winner via rafflecopter will win a $50 Amazon/BN.com gift card. Use the rafflecopter link below to enter. You can find Seth's schedule at http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2014/09/vbt-what-casts-shadow-by-seth-mullins.html

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Halloween Costumes

My Halloween costume is simple but fun, and if you need one at the last minute it's easy to do. Look at the picture and guess what it is.

Can't guess? I'm a serial killer, and Rascal is wearing a crown.  If you'd like to see the slideshow I made for Rest Thy Head, you can see it here. I think it's pretty.

Beyond the Book: National Chocolate Day

Welcome to Beyond the Book, your chance to interact with the characters you've come to know in my writing. Today's guest is Jake Douglas, hero of Rest Thy Head. Jake is a former marine who was badly burned in Afghanistan. He operates a beautiful mountain inn, Rest Thy Head. Here's Jake.

Okay, like Elaine said, I'm Jake Douglas. My brother and I operate the inn together, and I was the one who got charge of the kitchen. I try to learn one new recipe a week. This week, in honor of National Chocolate Day, I'm offering chocolate cake for dessert. Oh, you didn't know October 28 is national chocolate day?  LOL. Now that you know you can try this recipe. It's good, very moist and decadent according to my wife Peyton. Let me know if you try it.

Wet Chocolate Cake

2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1 stick butter
½ cup cooking oil
1 cup water
4 TBSP cocoa
½ cup buttermilk
1 tsp soda
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla

Sift flour and sugar together in a large mixing bowl. Place butter, oil, water, and cocoa into a saucepan and bring to a rapid boil. When mixture boils, remove from heat and pour over sugar and flour mixture. Mix well with spoon and add buttermilk, soda, eggs and vanilla. Beat lightly and pour into greased and floured 13 X 9 X 1 ½ inch pan. Bake at 325 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes.

Wet Chocolate Frosting 1 stick butter 4TBSP cocoa 6 TBSP evaporated milk 1 box powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Place butter, cocoa, and milk in saucepan. When mixture comes to a boil remove from heat and add 1 box powdered sugar and 1 tsp vanilla. Pour over cake while hot.

Secrets

BLURB:

Someone is making homeless cats disappear and Michelle Slade wants to put a stop to it. The office manager at Aegar Investigations and owner of cat rescue Cats Alive, she struggles to keep together the life she’s forged since the one she knew shattered five years ago on the night she was raped. She couldn’t have predicted that the rape’s impact would reach into her present life and put a strangle grip on all she holds dear, thanks to the evil machinations of powerful businessman, William Carter.

When Michelle’s problems with Carter escalate, friends rally to help her, with private investigator Casey Mitchell at the top of the line. When Casey finds his investigation takes him down a very dark path of diabolic and life-threatening research conducted by Carter Enterprises, he attempts to keep his work life and his private identity as a were-lynx separate. However, though he’s been trained his whole life to keep his identity and his colony of were-cats protected, he now struggles with terrible aloneness.

As they are thrown together to save the missing cats and remedy worse problems, Michelle and Casey can triumph and find true love, or lose everything.

Excerpt One:

Casey parked under a large tree down the street from the William Carter, Enterprises campus and turned off the car. He sat in the dark, desperation warring with detachment.

When Michelle had broken off with him, the loneliness didn’t simply return, it nearly took him over. It shouted in his head, brutal thoughts of getting what he deserved for letting her get close. It tainted his dreams with endless dark hunts searching for her in nameless and unfamiliar forests.

6:35 PM 8/31/2014Casey shrugged off the clamor of loneliness, and focused his vision on the building down the street. It was his prey tonight.


My Review:

Things I liked:
1.The best thing of all about the book is that the author expressed a concern for homeless cats. People are so mean to animals, and I loved that the author had a story where someone cared for them.
2. I liked learning about werecats. I'd never heard of one before.
3.I thought the author did a good job on making her characters seem three dimensional and real.
4.The author created some memorable villains. 
5.I'm a sucker for a happy ending, and the author gave us one.

Things I wondered about:
1.After the heroine found out about the werecats, it was okay for them to protect her, but it's kind of scary to me to think that anyone was cruising around my yard without my knowledge.

All in all, I enjoyed the book. If you're a paranormal fan, I think you'd like this one. 5 stars.

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Lynn Crandall lives in the Midwest and writes in the company of her two cats. She has been a reader and a writer all her life. Her background is in journalism, but whether writing a magazine or newspaper story or creating a romance, she loves the power stories hold to transport, inspire, and uplift. In her romances, she focuses on vulnerable, embraceable characters who don't back down. She hopes that readers discover, over and over, stories of ordinary people who face ordinary life challenges and are transformed by extraordinary love.

Links:

www.lynn-crandall.com

@lynncrandall246

https://www.facebook.com/LynnCrandallAuthor?ref=hl

Lynn will be awarding a $25 Amazon GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Use the link below to enter. You can find her schedule at http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2014/08/review-tour-secrets-by-lynn-crandall.html

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Terra Cotta Beauty

Book Title: Terra Cotta Beauty #TerraCottaBeauty

Paperback: 142 pages

Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (June 12, 2014)

ISBN-10: 1491271671

ISBN-13: 978-1491271674

Genre: Fiction

About The Author

Jola Naibi was raised in Lagos, Nigeria and studied in in the United Kingdom. She enjoys writing and blogging as a way to satisfy and extremely eager imagination.

About The Book

Follow the daily lives, loves, and hopes of an entire community in Jola Naibi’s moving debut, Terra Cotta Beauty. A carefully crafted selection of short stories, this collection examines life in Lagos, Nigeria, during the era of military rule. It reveals the struggles, loves, and hopes of a disparate group of people whose lives always manage to intersect—sometimes in the most devastating of ways. With each brief conversation and split-second decision containing consequences that reach further than anyone could ever imagine, each of the book’s seven tales is a delicate thread that helps form the social fabric of a nation divided. From a woman whose journalist husband is jailed for criticizing the government to a young man’s reluctant descent into crime, Terra Cotta Beauty acts as a carefully crafted ode to the essence of Lagos itself: its people.

Social Links

Buy Link

Tour Hosted by WLN Book Tours

Author Tour Schedule

Snippet Sunday and Weekend Writing Warriors

Welcome to Snippet Sunday and Weekend Writing Warriors. This is your chance to sample snippets from the work of some amazing authors. After you finish here, you can find more excerpts at:
http://www.wewriwa.com and https://www.facebook.com/groups/SnippetSunday/

My excerpt today is from my latest release Rest Thy Head. In this excerpt my hero is asking my heroine if she regrets leaving her fiance at the altar. He's finally starting to relax his guard around her.

“If you had it to do over, would you leave him at the altar?”

Peyton laughed and bumped him with her shoulder. “I sure
would. The more I think about him, the clearer things become. I
escaped a fate worse than death when I got away from him.”

Jake’s shoulders shook with laughter. “I’ve never heard
anyone really use that term before.”

“Jake Douglas, are you laughing at me?”

“Yeah.”

Buy Link:  http://amzn.to/1tawNSO

Saturday Sample: Rest Thy Head

Welcome to Saturday Sample. My excerpt today comes from Rest Thy Head. In this excerpt, my hero makes a wrong assumption. Buy link: http://amzn.to/1uSne7m

The urge to hold her hit him with the force of a wrecking
ball. Unable to resist, he pulled her against him. His breath almost
left him when she hugged him back. For a brief moment, he
allowed himself to feel the warmth of her curvy body and bathe in
the feminine scent clinging to her, but almost immediately he
pulled out of her arms. “I’m okay. You don’t have to worry about
me.”

“Oh, but…”

He ran his hands through his hair and got to his feet.

“Jake, stop. We should talk…”

Without a word he left the tent with Peyton trailing along
behind him. The last thing he wanted to do was talk to her. As he
well knew, talking wouldn’t change a thing. His heart warmed as
everyone exclaimed and fussed over him. He had avoided people
for months, assuming his scars would frighten them, but none of
these people acted like his scars were a big deal.

For that matter neither had Andy. Somehow, since Peyton’s
arrival things had changed. He knew he still had his scars, but
maybe he shouldn’t see himself as a freak anymore. Naturally, he
wasn’t handsome like he used to be, but it didn’t seem to matter so
much now. Maybe…maybe a girl like Peyton wouldn’t…

No, forget about it. He had seen Patrick kiss her. Even if she
did agree to go out with him, he’d never betray Patrick. A brother
didn’t do a thing like that to a brother.

Fashionista Friday

Good as gold by helleka featuring a vivienne westwood anglomania coat

Cable knit jumper
$335 - apc.fr

Vivienne westwood anglomania coat
matchesfashion.com

Rag & bone boyfriend jeans
$315 - net-a-porter.com

Aldo boots
heels.com

ALDO ankle booties
heels.com

Mulberry leather handbag
forwardforward.com

Oscar de la Renta necklace
$675 - net-a-porter.com

Oscar de la Renta resin jewelry
saksfifthavenue.com

Mulberry buckle belt
mulberry.com

FWSS summer hat
$51 - youheshe.com

My Little People

Book Title: My Little People A Social Worker's Journey

Genre: Self- Help, Instructional, Healthcare Workers,  Caregivers, Social Workers

Author is giving away (4) $25.00 Amazon Gift Cards (4) Winner will be announced!

Link to raffle is here

About The Book

When facing terminal illness the shock of the news that there are no more medical treatments (chemo or radiation) only comfort measures available can turn your world upside down. Hospice? What is that? Many people have never heard of the word or if they have it has been presented in a negative light.

Annie Brown writes as a hospice social worker giving informative information for patients, caregivers, healthcare professional, and social workers who might have an interest in working in the field of hospice. What services hospice provides for patients, grief issues, emotional support, and resources are discussed in an easy to understand fashion. Annie also shares some stories from her experiences that will touch your heart.

About The Author

My name is Annie Clara Brown. I am from Alexander City, Alabama and currently reside in Sylacauga, Alabama. I am passionate about serving my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I serve as a licensed minister and secretary at my local church. I am definitely family oriented and enjoy spending quality time with my children, grandchildren and great-grand child.

My professional skills and areas of expertise include providing emotional support and grief support to patients and their families. My professional title is Medical Social Worker at Lakeside Hospice, Inc. in Pell City Alabama, where one of my qualifications is individualized psycho-social care for each family. I received my Masters in Social Work from the University of Alabama with a Concentration in children, adolescents, and families. My interests include working with veterans who suffer from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorders (PTSD) and Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI) as well as being an avid reading. I recently joined the National Alliance for Mental Illness (NAMI) became certified to teach Family to Family.

Hosted by WNL Book Tours

Author Tour Schedule

Terms and Conditions: NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. The winner will be randomly drawn through the Rafflecopter widget and will be contacted by email within 48 hours after the giveaway ends. The winners will then have 72 hours to respond. If a winners does not respond within 72 hours, a new draw will take place for a new winner. Odds of winning will vary depending on the number of eligible entries received. This contest is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook. This giveaway is sponsored by Annie Brown and is hosted and managed by Paulette at Write Now Literary Book Tours. If you have any additional questions - feel free to send an email to info@pauletteharper.com

Contest Ends: October 27, 11:59 pm, 2014

Enter Contest here

Project Firebird

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Nick will be awarding a $20 Amazon GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Don’t ask Leo Lloyd-Jones. Ask him how to steal a car, or why he got excluded from every school in Salford, but don’t come to him for help. This whole thing must be a daft mistake – and if anyone finds out, he’s done for.

Earth is on a deadly collision course that nothing can prevent. The only real hope is Project Firebird, deep inside a blast-proof bunker that shelters the brightest and bravest young people. Leo has got mixed up with the likes of Rhys Carnarvon, the celebrated teenage polar explorer, and other child prodigies chosen to keep the flame of civilisation.

Among them is the streetwise Paige Harris, a girl Leo likes a lot (but not in that way). Paige is desperate to rescue her little sister from London before the catastrophe strikes. But no-one is crazy enough to try that. Almost no-one.

Enjoy an excerpt:

Kian tried to break the ice by spinning the bottle.

‘Okay.’ His eyes flickered at Lucy. ‘Next question. Who do we think is the prettiest girl in the room?’

Lucy blushed at once. Isabel looked merely curious, perhaps forgetting that she herself was a girl. But Paige shifted on her beanbag chair and turned her face away. Leo had to feel a bit sorry for her. Great though she was to have around, no-one’s choice was ever going to be Paige, in his expert opinion. He realised that the bottleneck had stopped on him again.

‘Truth or dare!’ said Kian. ‘Who’s prettiest?’

‘The bottle seems to think it’s me.’

‘Only ’cos it’s drunk,’ Lucy smirked.

‘Prettiest girl. Come on,’ said Kian.

Leo laughed. ‘That’s easy.’

It was now. Their three supervisors had appeared in the lounge: David followed by Lenka and the long-haired Chris. Even in workaday jeans and her very uncool Firebird Foundation t-shirt, Lenka remained drop-dead gorgeous. She might have been a Hollywood actress relaxing between takes. The noise levels plunged as most of the boys stopped talking. Rhys pretended to throw a glass of water over Leo.

‘She’s too old for you.’

Leo shook his head. ‘Age can’t stop true love. See the way she looks at me.’

‘You mean like she’s about to be sick?’

‘She’s playing hard to get.’

‘So that’ll be game, set and match to her,’ said Rhys.

Leo gave him a friendly dead arm.

About the Author: Nick Green lives in the UK. He is the author of seven fiction books to date, including the middle-grade CAT KIN trilogy published by Strident. His other books include THE STORM BOTTLE, a fantasy adventure about the dolphins of Bermuda, and most recently the FIREBIRD trilogy, a YA science fiction epic.

www.nickgreenbooks.com
https://www.goodreads.com/nickgreen_catkin

Buy the book at Amazon.

a Rafflecopter giveaway