Showing posts with label YA. Show all posts
Showing posts with label YA. Show all posts

Friday, March 20, 2015

Cover Love! The Artisans by Julie Reece #YAlit #Gothic

M9B-Friday-Reveal

Welcome to this week’s M9B Friday Reveal!

This week, we are spotlighting Julie Reece, author of
The Artisans
presented by Month9Books!

Be sure to enter the giveaway found at the end of the post!

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Get to Know Julie Reece in 10 Questions or Less!

Twitter or Facebook? -Both
Favorite Superhero? –One hero to rule them all: Thor
Favorite TV show? -Sherlock (British)
Sweet or Salty? -Ice cream is a food group.
Coke or Pepsi? -Tea (I’m a rebel)
Any Phobias? –Sharks and, ew, spiders … oh and drowning.
Song you can’t get enough of right now? –Caroline (or anything) by Kill It Kid *dies*
Who is your ultimate Book Boyfriend? ‘Weaver’ from May Webb’s, Precious Bane *swoons*
What are you reading right now or what's on your TBR? -Saving Francesca , by Melina Marchetta
Fall Movie you’re most looking forward to? –OMG! Crimson Peak and Mad Max:Fury Road
Born in Ohio, I lived next to my grandfather’s horse farm until the fourth grade. Summers were about riding, fishing and make-believe, while winter brought sledding and ice-skating on frozen ponds. Most of life was magical, but not all.
I struggled with multiple learning disabilities, did not excel in school. I spent much of my time looking out windows and daydreaming. In the fourth grade (with the help of one very nice teacher) I fought dyslexia for my right to read, like a prince fights a dragon in order to free the princess locked in a tower, and I won.
Afterwards, I read like a fiend. I invented stories where I could be the princess… or a gifted heroine from another world who kicked bad guy butt to win the heart of a charismatic hero. Who wouldn’t want to be a part of that? Later, I moved to Florida where I continued to fantasize about superpowers and monsters, fabricating stories (my mother called it lying) and sharing them with my friends.
Then I thought I’d write one down…
Hooked, I’ve been writing ever since. I write historical, contemporary, urban fantasy, adventure, and young adult romances. I love strong heroines, sweeping tales of mystery and epic adventure… which must include a really hot guy. My writing is proof you can work hard to overcome any obstacle. Don’t give up. I say, if you write, write on!

Connect with the Author: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads


The Artisans
Publication date: May 2015
Publisher: Month9Books, LLC.
Author: Julie Reece

They say death can be beautiful. But after the death of her mother, seventeen-year-old RAVEN WEATHERSBY gives up her dream of becoming a fashion designer, barely surviving life in the South Carolina lowlands.
To make ends meet, Raven works after school as a seamstress creating stunning works of fashion that often rival the great names of the day.
Instead of making things easier on the high school senior, her stepdad’s drinking leads to a run in with the highly reclusive heir to the Maddox family fortune, Gideon Maddox.
But Raven’s stepdad’s drying out and in no condition to attend the meeting with Maddox. So Raven volunteers to take his place and offers to repay the debt in order to keep the only father she’s ever known out of jail, or worse.
Gideon Maddox agrees, outlining an outrageous demand: Raven must live in his home for a year while she designs for Maddox Industries’ clothing line, signing over her creative rights.
Her handsome young captor is arrogant and infuriating to the nth degree, and Raven can’t imagine working for him, let alone sharing the same space for more than five minutes.
But nothing is ever as it seems. Is Gideon Maddox the monster the world believes him to be? And can he stand to let the young seamstress see him as he really is?


The Artisans is a delectably rich, layered and dark YA Southern Gothic inspired by Jeanne Marie Leprince de Beaumont’s classic Beauty and the Beast.
The Artisans has all the elements I love – spooky intrigue, strong friendships, and a romantic tension to be savored.” ~ Wendy Higgins, New York Times bestselling author of the Sweet Evil trilogy.

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Giveaway

Complete the Rafflecopter below for a chance to win!
The book will be sent upon the titles release.



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Thursday, February 19, 2015

Cover Love: Castle of Sighs by Jennifer Murgia #YAlit #Fantasy



Castle of Sighs
By: Jennifer Murgia
Young Adult Fiction - Historical Fantasy
Publisher: Spencer Hill Press
Release Date: September 15, 2015

Some secrets cannot be kept—in life or in death. 

Months have passed since Rune has heard a single whisper from her long-dead mother, the great witch of Bavaria. But the absence of one evil has only made room for another. 

After rightfully inheriting her ancestral home, Pyrmont Castle, Rune settles into a quiet life taking care of two orphans left in the wake of the terrible witch hunt that claimed dozens of lives in the nearby village. As the days grow colder, the castle’s secrets beckon and Rune finds herself roaming where no one has set foot in a long time. In the bowels of the fortress is a locked room full of memories that hang like cobwebs—shelves stacked with jars, strange specimens, putrid liquids, and scrolls of spells. Rune is undeniably drawn to what she finds there, and she begins to dabble in the possibilities of magic, hoping to find a cure for the strangeness overwhelming the castle. 

As secrets unspool, the delicate thread of Rune’s world is threatened when she realizes the key may lie in the dark forest she once called home and the boy she thought she knew.







~~~oOo~~~

Jennifer Murgia has long loved the dark and speculative -- and it's from these dark places that she weaves fantastical stories, often hoping to find truth in them. Her Young Adult novels include the  Historical Fantasy FOREST OF WHISPERS (9/9/14 -- Spencer Hill Press), BETWEEN THESE LINES, ANGEL STAR, LEMNISCATE & THE BLISS. She is the co-founder and coordinator of YA FEST and currently resides in Pennsylvania.
 
Jennifer is available for book signings, book fairs, interviews, library and school visits. Please contact
her directly for scheduling at: jennifermurgia8@gmail.com.  
 
Publicity inquiries: brooke@spencerhillpress.com


Thursday, September 11, 2014

What's your must have when writing? #WritersLife #TensList #TORN #Giveaway

I'm thrilled to have Ms. McMann here for part of her TORN blog tour! I wanted to know...

What top ten things she must have or like to have when writing.

Here's what she had to say...



10. My lap top. Yeah, I know, easy one. ;)

9. My flat screen monitor. This isn't a must have if I'm working away from my desk, but it makes life a lot easier when my words are very much in my face. ;)

8. I like, but don't have to have, chocolate. Dark. Only dark.

7. Eye drops. This writing thing will work your eyes out hours on end.

6. My iPhone. Yep.

5. Google. Of course Google is a must have because I research A LOT.

4.  Hot tea or a cup of ice. Usually hot tea in the morning and ice in the afternoon.

3. My notes, which can be on just about anything. My phone, notebooks, ripped pieces of paper, napkins, whatever I have nearby when ideas strike.

2. Papermate pens. No other kind. Only papermate. Specifically green, but they're hard to find, so usually blue.

1.  Music. Always music. And with music, come earbuds. ;)

Thank you!!

~~~oOo~~~


TORN (Book #2)Releasing September 8, 2014
For more info: J Taylor Publishing
Target Audience: Young Adult
Key Words: Urban Fantasy, Dark Fantasy, Paranormal Romance, Mystery, Mythology


Find Max.

That’s all Layla cares about. Not healing from the Fomore attack. Not finding answers to how she survived a fall that nearly killed her. Nothing will stop her. She will find him. She’ll even pair up with an overbearing Fallen Angel who’s hell bent on making everything harder than it needs to be if she has to.

Protect Layla.

For Max, nothing else matters. Not the bruises covering his body. Not the pain radiating from his broken bones. Not even his hands tied behind his back. He will find a way to save Layla, and the Fomore will pay if they’ve hurt her.

Every. Single. One of them.

In the second installment of The Fire Born trilogy, a new breed of villain looms—one Layla and Max will never suspect, and this killer has nothing to lose. Better yet, with Max and Layla’s deaths, victory is in the grip of the enemy.

Will Max and Layla find each other in time, or is it already too late for them both?




Purchase Links:

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With a passion for the supernatural and all things magical, Laney developed a voracious appetite for reading fantasy at a young age. A vivid imagination helped set the stage for creating her own worlds and placed her onto the writing path.

By the time she reached her teens, she'd accumulated notebooks full of poems, which led to short stories and finally novels. Young adult dark fantasy, paranormal romance, and mythology are among her favorite genres.

A former classical dancer and chef, she grew up in sultry Florida where she still resides with her family.




Twitter  /  Goodreads  /  Facebook Profile  /  Facebook Author Page  /  Pinterest  /  Tumblr  /  Laney McMann  /  laneymcmannyaauthor(at)gmail(dot)com


~~~oOo~~~

GIVEAWAY!

Signed paperbacks of TIED (Book 1) &TORN (Book 2) to ONE winner, and E-book copies of TIED & TORN to ONE winner.


~~~oOo~~~

And until September 15th, TIED will be on sale in honor of TORN's launch.

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Tuesday, July 1, 2014

FREEDOM To Read #Giveaway Hop: Perry Road by @emijgayle #Dystopian #YAlit #NA



Without freedom, life isn't worth living.


That is why for my part in this year's Freedom to Read hop, I'm offering up a NA / YA novel that really hit home for me last year. 

Perry Road is the first in Emi Gayle's Revoltion Series and this story truly has the power to begin a revolution.

Check out the goods...



Perry Road
Revolution Series
Release Date: September 3, 2013
Target Reader: New Adult/Young Adult
Keywords: young adult, 2132, pawn, Dystopian, New Adult, bucket list, believe, citizens, national registration program, future, candidates, Revolution, oblivious, adult-classification, American Union, history


Description
In 2132, “We the people …” means nothing, and it hasn’t for a hundred years.
Like all the citizens of the American Union, eighteen-year-old Erianna Keating is not to ask questions. She is not to believe anything except what the A.U. tells her. More importantly, she’s not supposed to know what she doesn’t know, nor that she’s a pawn.
Like everyone else, though, she is, and like everyone else, she is a hundred percent oblivious to what’s going on.
Or is she? Are they?
Erianna thinks going to Perry Road and joining the national registration program is her next step toward adulthood; the 2132 candidates for adult-classification, though, are in for a big surprise. Especially Erianna.
Thanks to Zane Warren, an awkward but hot guy who won’t shut up about a history that doesn’t—or shouldn’t—matter anymore, Erianna will know. Will learn. That includes finding out what actually happens after registration and doing something, anything, about it.
Fixing what went wrong, what caused the U.S.A. to split into two countries, though, is not on Erianna’s bucket list, but as she faces her future, she must decide whether to fall in line with the American Union’s plan for her, or to consider that Zane might not be wrong, and the time for revolution begins now.
Reviews

“This one, by far, is Emi’s best. Of anything she’s written.”
— Julie Reece, author, Crux

“I really hope [this] stirs up controversy and changes some youngsters thinking. God knows we could use that today in this society!”
— Terri Rochenski, author, Eye of the Soul

“… this was a total pleasure to read.”
— Kelly Said, author, Tidal Whispers & Make Believe

“… [this] will inspire an extreme diversity of opinion. It kept me involved and interested throughout, and I love novels that make me question my current understanding/viewpoint on life.”
— Amaleen Ison, author, Remember Me


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Friday, May 23, 2014

Happy Book Birthday Dream Home! #YAlit #Paranormal


What if you could see everyone else’s dreams?  That’s the question Sara has to wrestle with in the Dream Series.  We first meet her as a shy, bookish college student who doesn’t think there’s anything extraordinary about herself.  And then the dreams start…

Over the course of the series, Sara learns to live with these supernatural dreams and all the trouble they plunge her into.  At the same time, she grows from a student to a practicing doctor; and from a single girl to a wife and mother.  But every time she thinks she’s got everything figured out, life – and her extraordinary dreams – teach her that she’s always got more to learn…

~~~oOo~~~

“Oh, my God, I’m not even starting the job for four months!  How can I have an enemy already?”

Sara thought she had found the perfect job, the perfect new house and the perfect place to build a bright future for herself and her family.

But her new life is not quite perfect.  Her husband and her children are fitting right in, but before Sara even shows up for her first day of work, her coworkers are dreaming about getting rid of her. 

If that wasn’t bad enough, the one friend she’s made is dreaming nightly about a disaster that could wipe out the entire town…and Sara is beginning to think he might be right…

Dream Home is the exciting seventh book in the Dream Series.


Purchase Links:

Dream Home

Dream Student (Book 1)

Dream Doctor (Book 2)

Dream Child (Book 3)

Dream Family (Book 4)

Waking Dream (Book 5)

Dream Reunion (Book 6)

A Box of Dreams (Books 1-5 in one Box Set)

Excerpt:

The rest of my shift is quiet, and at two o’clock I come home to an empty house.  I don’t know where anyone is, and, considering that this is the first time I’ve been completely alone in the house since we moved in, I don’t really care.  This is a golden opportunity to do one of my favorite things, and I’m not going to pass it up. 
Remembering what happened the last time I tried this, I make a point of not bringing the phone with me into the bathroom.  Just the opposite; I even turn my cell phone completely off.
I lock the bedroom door, undress, go into our bathroom, and lock that door, too.  Now, no one can get to me.  I’m free to completely relax.  I run the water until it’s good and hot, and, following the directions on the bottle, I pour in three capfuls of the lavender bubble bath Brian got me for my birthday, and which I haven’t had the chance to use yet.   Then, I throw caution to the winds and pour several more capfuls in. 
This is so nice; the water is just right, the bubbles are – well, very bubbly, and there’s no one calling for my attention.  I lie back, resting my head on the little inflatable bath pillow I also haven’t had the chance to use until today, and I think about absolutely nothing.
At some point, I think I hear something that might be scratching at the bedroom door, but it’s much too far away to be sure.  It could be Chrissy, needing to go out.  Or it could be nothing.  That’s probably exactly what it is, nothing, and I ignore it.  Sometime later, I think I hear knocking, and then banging, but that might also be nothing, so I ignore it, too. 
I just lie in the bath, basking in the wonderful steam and the calming scent.  It’s heaven.  I’m in – what the hell was that
I jump up, cursing as I bang my knee on the faucet, and nearly losing my balance.  I reach out and grab the handhold set in the wall above the tub, and I somehow keep my feet.  It was – there’s a little window, high up on the wall, and something hit it.
There it is again!  I saw something for a moment, something small and dark hitting the window.  It’s still vibrating.  So much for relaxing – my heartrate feels like it just doubled, and my mind is racing, too.  Who’s throwing rocks – oh.  Someone must be home.  I’ve already sloshed water all over the floor, so there’s no point in worrying about dripping.  I climb out of the bath and grab a towel.  I dry off as best I can, and emerge into the bedroom.  Of course I left my bathrobe out there.  I put it on and unlock the bedroom door.
I’m greeted by my mother, Lizzie and Steffy, all standing about three feet away from the door, and directly behind a yellow puddle on the floor.  I guess Chrissy was scratching at the door, needing to go out.  Mom has a phone in her hand.  “Sara, what is wrong with you?  We’ve been banging on the door for fifteen minutes!  Thank God Howard got your attention throwing rocks at the window.  I was ready to call the paramedics!”

~~~oOo~~~

J.J. (James) DiBenedetto was born in Yonkers, New York. He attended Case Western Reserve University, where as his classmates can attest, he was a complete nerd. Very little has changed since then.
He currently lives in Arlington, Virginia with his beautiful wife and their cat (who has thoroughly trained them both). When he's not writing, James works in the direct marketing field, enjoys the opera, photography and the New York Giants, among other interests.
The "Dreams" series is James' first published work.


Tuesday, February 11, 2014

Check out the PURDY! The Shadow Prince









This prequel novella will be FREE and available on Goodreads, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble on March 25, 2014!

Every sacrifice has consequences.

Sixteen-year-old Rowan has spent most of his life living among the mortals—learning to control the element of fire, impatiently awaiting the day his vengeful mother, Queen Prisma, will abdicate her throne. When he finally returns to Avalon for his coronation, his mother insists he must first prove his loyalty to the court by completing a secret mission:

Kill Kalin, the half-human, half-elemental daughter of the air court king.

Willing to do anything to remove his mother from power, he agrees to sacrifice the halfling. He returns to the mortal world with his best friend, Marcus, determined to kill the princess. But as he devises a plan, he starts to question whether or not he's capable of completing such a heinous task. And what price he will pay if he refuses?




Mortal Enchantment (Book 1)
ebook262 pages
Expected publication: May 20th 2014 by Phoenix Reign Publishing


GoodReads







a Rafflecopter giveaway




Stacey O'Neale started her career in publishing as a blogger turned publicist for two successful small publishers. She loves to write stories with swoony paranormal heroes, snarky heroines, and lots of kissing.

When she's not writing, she loves blogging and fangirling about books on twitter. Occasionally, she leaves her computer to go outside.

Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest







Thursday, January 30, 2014

FINALLY Got To Read A Book! #Review of Ghosts in the Mirror #YAlit #Paranormal

Seeing as how I had a baby and two releases in the last four months, is it any wonder I haven't had time to read?!?

So, finally having a moment's silence I wanted something easy. Light. 

YA, I thought. They're rarely intense enough to keep me up late into the night.

Ghosts in the Mirror has been on my TBR pile since its June release - LOVE the purdy - so I pulled it up on my kindle.

Well.

Paranormal at its finest, folks. While it started out a smidge slow and I was confused for perhaps the first two pages or so, let me tell you ... this puppy picked up and creeped me the H E double hockey stock right out.

The MC, Jeremy, is a host for spirits waiting to cross over to 'the other side'. While he desires to help put them to rest, thus releasing himself from their hold, they take a tole on his young body.

Just cocky enough to be true to the YA genre, Ms. Mangola doesn't disappoint. The kid spews more than a breastfed infant. I know, I know. Gross. BUT the rasons for those purges?

Brilliant.

This debut novel is fresh in a genre clogged by paranormal yawn-ness IMO. It's all been done already from what I've read, but Ghosts? Never read another story like it.

Definitely worth the read! I'm looking forward to what else Joyce Mangola cooks up!


Click on image to add on Goodreads

Release Date: June 2013
Publisher: Lycaon Press

Sixteen-year-old Jeremy Riggs has lived his life in and out of the hospital. While the doctors are clueless as to why he lapses into comas, he is well aware of his unique ability to merge with a wandering spirit. With his own soul too weak to sustain life, it's the only thing keeping him alive.


Waking up from a coma a year after being found at the county dump—next to the remains of the last spirit to inhabit him—Jeremy finds the newest spirit is nothing like the previous ones. It's bent on revenge and has the will to take control over his body. With the police lining him up as a murder suspect and an ancient evil pursuing him, Jeremy must help the ghost hitching a ride in his body find eternal rest without seeing his own soul snuffed out.


Purchase Links



Tuesday, January 14, 2014

January New Release #Giveaway Hop: Darkest Day by @emijgayle #YAlit #PNR


I just adore giving goodies away!  :)

This time up for grabs ...


Darkest Day
Click on image to add on Goodreads

The 19th Year #3
Release Date: January 6, 2014

Mac Thorne’s time as a Changeling is coming to an end.

It may have taken eighteen years, but Mac did finally manage to do what the Council wanted: she chose a teacher and renounced the in-between.

There’s just one last step. She must say goodbye to her human. Forever.

After being challenged in every way possible, Mac leaves what she thought would be the easiest task for the last possible moment. As midnight on July fourth draws near, though, she hasn’t found a way to give up Winn Thomas.

Nor does she want to.

With time running out, Mac stands at a literal crossroads.

Choose Winn, and she’ll be stripped of the only family she’s ever known—vampires, dragons, and her favorite demon. Even her own mother. Accept her position on the Council and rule as an equal to her twelve peers, and she’ll forget Winn ever existed.

Independence and freedom have never before been so limiting.

In this final chapter of the 19th Year Trilogy, it’s time for Mac to decide.

Responsibility? Or Love?


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Friday, January 10, 2014

Cover Love! Night & Day by @emijgayle #YAlit #Paranormal


Its no secret I'm a fan of Emi's 19th Year series - it rocks to say the least! Anyhoo. She invited me to participate in the reveal of a little goodie - purdy! - of a short Suze story that takes place after well after the 19th Year trilogy.

Check out the cuteness!

Click on image to add on Goodreads

Night & Day
A 19th Year Novella
Release Date: Feb 10, 2014
Print & ebook 

Something is wrong with Suze. His memory, his magic, even his muscles have all gone mental. If he's not careful, the underworld's version of the loony bin may be his next stop.
 
Not ready to give up the goat yet—if he had one he didn’t eat that is—Suze sets out to stop the mystical mayhem. Unfortunately, this isn't a fairy tale, and Suze isn't Snow White felled by an apple waiting for a kiss. Nor is he Prince Charming. 
 
Nope, he's just Suze. A destroyer demon stuck without the one person who probably kept him sane for the last eighteen years. Mackenzie Thorne. Or, maybe, just maybe, Mac made him insane, and what was once wrong is now right.

The only thing Suze is sure of—maybe—is that he needs to find the cure. However, with boy wonder memory-less and Mac in California, he’s not even sure where to start.

Of course, once he does figure it out, everything will fall into place like a well designed set of dominoes. Where the path leads, though, is a place Suze never would have expected.

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

Coolness, eh?

For more on this kick@$$ trilogy, visit Emi Gayle - you can thank me laters.

Wednesday, January 8, 2014

Altering Mythology To Fit Your Story #YAlit #WriteTip Darkest Day by @emijgayle


So excited to have Ms. Gayle here for part of her Darkest Day (19th Year #3) blog tour! 

I asked how she researched mythology for this kick@$$ series. 

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

It's amazing to me that people do so much research into their characters to create them. In a sci-fi world, I get it. Historicals too because for accuracy, it would be important to know exactly what did/could and could not happen in century 'x'. However, in a paranormal world, the sky's the limit when it comes to the creation of a supernatural, paranormal, mythological creature.

Yes, there are standards and beliefs that are already widely known - such as centaurs in Greek mythology or the gods in Roman and Indian mythology. There are werewolves and vampires that have been 'altered' by way of Hollywood and general creativity. 

In my research, all I did was skim the surface. I looked more at the names of creatures than what they were by typical convention. I looked at the word 'changeling' for example and determined that while I know the mythology, I wanted to alter it to be what I made up vs. what everyone would expect.

Now for the other creatures in the book - vampires, fairies, demons, etc. in order to keep the world building smaller, they were mostly standard convention because I wanted readers to have some normal expectations. But not in the main character. Not in the one around whom the entire trilogy was written. There I took liberties with what she could be and what she would be.

And to do this I just opened up my mind to the possibilities. For everyone else ... that's where Wikipedia comes in. 

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


Click on image to add on Goodreads
Darkest Day 
The 19th Year #3

Mac Thorne’s time as a Changeling is coming to an end. 

It may have taken eighteen years, but Mac did finally manage to do what the Council wanted: she chose a teacher and renounced the in-between. 

There’s just one last step. She must say goodbye to her human. Forever. 

After being challenged in every way possible, Mac leaves what she thought would be the easiest task for the last possible moment. As midnight on July fourth draws near, though, she hasn’t found a way to give up Winn Thomas. 

Nor does she want to. 

With time running out, Mac stands at a literal crossroads. Choose Winn, and she’ll be stripped of the only family she’s ever known — vampires, dragons, and her favorite demon. Even her own mother. Accept her position on the Council and rule as an equal to her twelve peers, and she’ll forget Winn ever existed. 

Independence and freedom have never before been so limiting. 

In this final chapter of the 19th Year Trilogy, it’s time for Mac to decide. 

Responsibility? Or Love?

Purchase Links:



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


POLL TIME!

What will Mac choose upon her 19th birthday?

Angel
Demon (of any kind)
Dragon
Elf
Fairy
Griffin
Gnome
Goblin
Human
Shape-shifter
Siren
Sphinx
Vampire
Wizard
Other ___________

Head over to Ms. Gayle's website HERE to vote!


Want an autographed ecover of Ms. Gayle's releases? Head over HERE cuz she's just that special.

:)

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

Group Giveaway:

One set of paperback copies of After Dark, Day After AND Darkest Day for the US
only.
Two sets of ebooks of the complete trilogy - this is for International participants
Three set of bookmarks of the complete trilogy - also open to international participants

a Rafflecopter giveaway