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Havenwood Falls Series ~ Cover Reveal ~ FORGET YOU NOT by Kristie Cook

6/30/2017

*¨*.¸¸.✶*¨`*COVER REVEAL*.✫*¨*.¸¸.✶*¨`*
Here it is! 1 of 3 cover reveals today for 3 releases on Aug. 4!!! We're so excited to launch the new Havenwood Falls series and introduce this special little town to you.
FORGET YOU NOT
By Kristie Cook
Series: Havenwood Falls
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Release Date: Aug. 4, 2017
Cover Design: Regina Wamba, MaeIDesign.com
Preorder on iBooks: http://havenwoodfalls.com/fyn-ib
Coming soon on Amazon | Kobo | B&N | Google Play
Welcome to Havenwood Falls, a small town in the majestic mountains of Colorado. A town where legacies began centuries ago, bloodlines run deep, and dark secrets abound. A town where nobody is what you think, where truths pose as lies, and where myths blend with reality. A place where everyone has a story. This is only but one…
Two years ago, Kaela Peters nearly killed her fiancé by ripping his throat out. Once she gained control over her vampire urges, she hoped to rekindle their love, only to find him on one knee again—now with her best friend. She can’t blame them for their betrayal, though. They’ve been compelled to forget that she even existed. But she can’t forget them, so when she receives an unexpected job offer far away in the Colorado mountains, she seizes the opportunity to escape her past and the painful memories.
If only she’d known she was running right into her true past and memories that cut even deeper.
Her real name isn’t Kaela Peters, Havenwood Falls and her new job are not what they seem on the surface, and the love of her life isn’t the ex in Atlanta. As she starts piecing together the fragmented memories of her past and her moroi heritage, the passion of old love reignites. Until she discovers that the triggering of her vampire gene may have been foul play with dire consequences—and Xandru Roca, the epic love she’d left behind, has something to do with it all.
This is a New Adult paranormal romance in the Havenwood Falls series of New Adult and Adult fantasy novellas featuring a variety of supernatural creatures. The series is a collaborative effort by multiple authors. Each book is generally a stand-alone, so you can read them in any order, although some authors will be writing sequels to their own stories. Please be aware when you choose your next read. We do recommend that you read Forget You Not first as introduction to the town and its eccentricities.
Other books in the main Havenwood Falls series:
Fate, Love & Loyalty by E.J. Fechenda
Old Wounds by Susan Burdorf
Coming soon are books by Randi Cooley Wilson, Lila Felix, R.K. Ryals, and more.
Watch for Havenwood Falls High, a Young Adult series launching in October 2017.
Immerse yourself in the world of Havenwood Falls and stay up-to-date on news and announcements at www.HavenwoodFalls.com. Join our reader group, Havenwood Falls Book Club, on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/groups/HavenwoodFallsBookClub/

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Havenwood Falls Series ~ Cover Reavel ~ Old Wounds by Susan Burdorf

6/30/2017

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*¨*.¸¸.✶*¨`*COVER REVEAL*.✫*¨*.¸¸.✶*¨`*
Here it is! 1 of 3 cover reveals today for 3 releases on Aug. 4!!! We're so excited to launch the new Havenwood Falls series and introduce this special little town to you.
OLD WOUNDS
By Susan Burdorf
Series: Havenwood Falls
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Release Date: Aug. 4, 2017
Cover Design: Regina Wamba, MaeIDesign.com
Preorder now on iBooks: http://havenwoodfalls.com/ow-ib
Coming soon on Amazon | Kobo | Barnes & Noble | Google Play
Welcome to Havenwood Falls, a small town in the majestic mountains of Colorado. A town where legacies began centuries ago, bloodlines run deep, and dark secrets abound. A town where nobody is what you think, where truths pose as lies, and where myths blend with reality. A place where everyone has a story. This is only but one…
Betrayed by love, Sherry Grimes flees the city seeking solace in an unfamiliar place that calls to her from deep in the mountains. But her search for comfort goes awry when she’s chased by a wolf through the forest, falls, and blacks out. She awakens in a strange room with a mysterious and foreboding, yet undeniably sexy man by her side. So much for finding solitude. But despite the craziness that brought and keeps her in the small eccentric town, she discovers herself drawn into the magic that’s Havenwood Falls.
Russell Higgins had long ago given up the idea of finding the one he could trust his secrets to until he met Sherry. One look at the feisty woman with a broken heart and he finds himself defying his pack and his own ideas of his perfect mate. What he can’t deny is the wolf inside claiming the human as his.
Bradley Monahan wants Sherry back, and he would do anything to make that happen. Even fight the mysteries of a town that doesn’t forgive transgressions.
While love may heal old wounds, it’s the fresh ones that Sherry must overcome to find her way back home. Wherever that may be.
This is a New Adult paranormal romance in the Havenwood Falls series of New Adult and Adult fantasy novellas featuring a variety of supernatural creatures. The series is a collaborative effort by multiple authors. Each book is generally a stand-alone, so you can read them in any order, although some authors will be writing sequels to their own stories. Please be aware when you choose your next read. We do recommend that you read Forget You Not first as introduction to the town and its eccentricities.
Other books in the main Havenwood Falls series:
Forget You Not by Kristie Cook
Fate, Love & Loyalty by E.J. Fechenda
Coming soon are books by Randi Cooley Wilson, Lila Felix, R.K. Ryals, and more.
Watch for Havenwood Falls High, a Young Adult series launching in October 2017.
Immerse yourself in the world of Havenwood Falls and stay up-to-date on news and announcements at www.HavenwoodFalls.com. Join our reader group, Havenwood Falls Book Club, on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/groups/HavenwoodFallsBookClub/

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Havenwood Falls Series ~ Cover Reveal ~ FATE, LOVE & LOYALTY by E.J. Fechenda

6/30/2017

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*¨*.¸¸.✶*¨`*COVER REVEAL*.✫*¨*.¸¸.✶*¨`*
Here it is! 1 of 3 cover reveals today for 3 releases on Aug. 4!!! We're so excited to launch the new Havenwood Falls series and introduce this special little town to you.
FATE, LOVE & LOYALTY
By E.J. Fechenda
Series: Havenwood Falls
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Release Date: Aug. 4, 2017
Cover Design: Regina Wamba, MaeIDesign.com

Preorder now on iBooks: http://havenwoodfalls.com/fll-ib
Coming soon on Amazon | Kobo | Barnes & Noble | Google Play
Welcome to Havenwood Falls, a small town in the majestic mountains of Colorado. A town where legacies began centuries ago, bloodlines run deep, and dark secrets abound. A town where nobody is what you think, where truths pose as lies, and where myths blend with reality. A place where everyone has a story. This is only but one…
Aster McCabe couldn’t be happier with her job managing Coffee Haven and baking blueberry scones the whole town raves about, especially her sweet and sexy boyfriend Patrick. She loves her simple, small-town life in Havenwood Falls. At least, until her sister suddenly shows up with trouble not far behind.
The sisters’ relationship has always been volatile, especially with the pressure of being the Alpha’s daughters and the expectation to be perfect. Reeve never failed in that department, and Aster grew up in the shadows of her sister’s success. But when Reeve left for college, Aster blossomed. So she’s dealt a painful blow the moment her sister walks in the door and meets Patrick—a mountain lion’s call to its mate couldn’t be any more obvious. Neither can it be controlled or refused.
When an unstable Alpha from another den claims Reeve as his mate, Aster, bitter over the recent betrayal, practically draws the guy a map to Reeve’s location, unknowingly putting her entire family and den in danger. Aster must figure out how to right her wrong and save her family. But loyalty and love are further tested when a stranger appears with the potential to forever change Aster’s fate.
This is a New Adult paranormal romance in the Havenwood Falls series of New Adult and Adult fantasy novellas featuring a variety of supernatural creatures. The series is a collaborative effort by multiple authors. Each book is generally a stand-alone, so you can read them in any order, although some authors will be writing sequels to their own stories. Please be aware when you choose your next read. We do recommend that you read Forget You Not first as introduction to the town and its eccentricities.
Other books in the main Havenwood Falls series:
Forget You Not by Kristie Cook
Old Wounds by Susan Burdorf
Coming soon are books by Randi Cooley Wilson, Lila Felix, R.K. Ryals, and more.
Watch for Havenwood Falls High, a Young Adult series launching in October 2017.
Immerse yourself in the world of Havenwood Falls and stay up-to-date on news and announcements at www.HavenwoodFalls.com. Join our reader group, Havenwood Falls Book Club, on Facebook athttps://www.facebook.com/groups/HavenwoodFallsBookClub/

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Roommating

6/30/2017

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Title: Roommating
Series: Preston's Mill #1
By: Noelle Adams & Samantha Chase
Publication Date: September 7, 2016
Genre: Romantic Comedy

Blurb

Forget all those other roommate romances you might have read.

Heather and Chris don't hate each other…very much. And they don’t have sex all the time…at least not at first. Chris doesn’t go around shirtless, flexing his muscles and driving Heather wild…too often. And he doesn’t get jealous and possessive every time she goes out with another man…well, maybe occasionally.

But they definitely don’t fall in love…right away.

When Heather comes back to her hometown, she plans to take over her father’s historic restoration business and move into a beautiful converted apartment in Preston’s Mill. Then she finds out she’ll have to partner up with the one man she can never forgive. Chris Dole, who abandoned her father and betrayed her trust three years ago.

It gets even worse. They don’t just have to work together. They have to become roommates for six months to prove they can get along. That means Heather will have to play nice with Chris and put up with his obnoxiousness, his drop-dead sexiness, and his ugly recliner named Flo.

She’ll do what she has to do out of loyalty to her father, but she isn’t going to like it.

At least not much.

Crystal's Review

Roommating by Noelle Adams
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

So I had written a review last night on my kindle, and lost it, so lets try this again.

I liked most things about this book, however Heather was very unlikeable to me. She was acting like a whiny teenager towards the end and I just wanted to smack her and tell her to grow up. BUT that is also part of why I like the book, it takes alot to NOT like the main character. This was very well written and I can't wait to move on to Speed Dating.

ETA: I forgot to mention that the enemies to lovers was very believable, usually I don't like that sort of thing because to me it's unrealistic.

View all my reviews

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In Pursuit of Charity by Alexandria Sure

6/30/2017

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Title: In the Pursuit of Charity

Author: Alexandria Sure

Genre: New Adult â€“college/sports

Publisher: Beaumont Tower Press

Editor: Richelle McFate

Cover Designer: Jake Sager

Hosted by: Lady Amber's PR

Blurb:

He expected her to recognize him.

He expected her to be seduced by his charms.

He expected her to fall for him.

Expectations are a funny thing â€¦

When his parents named him Herbert Lincoln James, they already had expectations that Linc would attend an ivy league university and go into politics. Linc didn't. As captain of his swim team, he was expected to win the big relay to carry his swim team to the state championship for the first time in decades. Linc didnâ€™t. Society expected him to walk past her. He couldnâ€™t.

She expected him to see through her.

She expected him to make her into a joke.

She expected him to be cruel.

Expectations are a funny thing â€¦

Alexandria Sure is from Michigan and adores her supportive family, her two rescue pups, and her mighty Spartans. Her coffee obsession leads her to writing in local coffee shops where characters come alive between salted caramel lattes and large cups of "cold brew extra cream two Splenda," which are usually on the counter when she walks in because the baristas know her car. (Thanks, Biggby!)

When she is not writing, she spends a great deal of her time perfecting her craft. She is an active member of Capital City Writers Association and attends several writing conferences each year.

Sure's first novel, Before Him Comes Me, is an unconventional romance of self-discovery, described by readers as "the first BDSM book with no sex."

Author Links:

Amazon: http://amzn.to/2pqQ8DR

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Alexandria-Sure-283345031858469/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AlexandriaSure

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwBP8A7XIMZub-rMph6uFKA

Instagram: https://instagram.com/authoralexandriasure/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/9841965.Alexandria_Sure

Website: https://alexandriasure.com/

Buy Links:

US: http://amzn.to/2s7BLC0

UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B072WMDTN4

CA: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B072WMDTN4

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Goodreads Book Giveaway

In the Pursuit of Charity

by Alexandria Sure

Giveaway ends July 31, 2017.

See the giveaway details

at Goodreads.

Enter Giveaway

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Elise Marion's Fight for Vengeance

6/29/2017

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Fight For Vengeance is a perfect FBI thriller with a paranormal twist. Elise Marion took two of my favorite genres and combined them in a suspenseful, sexy, thrill ride. Two things...1. Mateo is HOT. 2. Fans of The Guardian Series will be thrilled to know that Sexy Jack guest stars in this series too! Without says anything else, that alone is worth the price of admission.
~Lynn

This is book 1 in the Melody and Mateo trilogy, part of the Operation Underworld Series.

FBI Agent Mateo Garcia has spent the past year working to bring down a serial killer known simply as ‘The Satanist’. But as time drags on with fewer and fewer leads, he begins to wonder if he will ever solve the case—that is, until his wife becomes the latest victim. With revenge consuming him and his daughter’s life in danger, Mateo is now more determined than ever to bring the murderer to justice. But how is The Satanist able to kill without leaving any evidence behind, and what does that mean for his investigation?

When a mysterious invitation turns up on his doorstep, Mateo’s eyes are opened to a brand new world—one he never could have imagined, even in his worst nightmares. His suspect is actually a demon, and there’s only one way to bring him down: join Operation Underworld, a secret organization dedicated to policing paranormal entities. With the resources they offer, Mateo finally has what he needs to catch his wife’s murderer once and for all.

What he doesn’t expect is Melody Frank, a waitress working at a club frequented by ‘The Satanist’ and his followers. The attraction that sparks between them can’t be denied, but Mateo is after vengeance. He can’t afford to lose his head over a woman. However, Melody’s secrets run deeper than he knows. Before long, what she’s hiding begins to his intertwine with case, making it impossible for him to separate business from pleasure. When the truth about Melody comes out, he is left wondering whether she can be trusted, or if his connection to her will ultimately kill his one shot at revenge.

Read more books in the Operation Underworld Series.
Operation Underworld is a Paranormal Romance series co-authored by Elise Marion and Carly Fall, about a secret organization of people who police the spiritual underworld … because sometimes regular law enforcement just won’t cut it.
Each story arch features 3 books about the same couple, and each ends with an HEA!

Current books include:

Melody and Mateo by Elise Marion

Fight for Vengeance
Fight for Freedom
Fight for Love

Connor and Sami by Carly Fall

A Touch of Blood
A Touch of Love
A Touch of Death

MEET THE AUTHOR

I first picked up a pen with with dreams of writing at the age of 12. Sitting at a little desk in front of my bedroom window, I wrote (by hand with pencil and paper) my first novel. It wasn’t very good, but I’d never been more proud of anything in my life. I’ve been writing ever since, and have found a love of romantic stories both sweet and sensual.

When I’m not wrangling my three rambunctious kids, or spending time with my retired Army husband, I’m stretching the imagination with stories of people from all walks of life (and worlds) falling in love.

I love coffee, chocolate, music (listening and singing), shoes, jewelry, and food! I am always in the kitchen whipping up something new or watching the pros do it on TV. You can often find my characters eating or cooking something delish and sucking down mass quantities of coffee.

*3-Time In'Dtale Magazine Rone Award Finalist*

Stalk her on Facebook

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Preorder Blitz with Jennifer Malone Wright

6/29/2017

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Title: Keeper Under Fire

Author: Jennifer Malone Wright

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Expected Release Date: August 15^th, 2017

Cover Designer: Molly at We Got You Covered

Hosted by: Lady Amberâ€™s PR

Blurb:

The Reapers are comingâ€¦

The Keepers are ready to fight â€¦ to defend their home and the souls, no matter what the cost.

Olivia Estmond is tired of waiting to be attacked. It is time for the Keepers to strike first against the Reaper Empress. Preparing to fight is not a new concept for Liv, but living with a target on your back is not something she has ever dealt with. The Reapers were ordered to take out the entire Estmond family, and unless the Keepers did something about it, they wouldnâ€™t stop until their mission was complete.

Not long ago, Aiden was a high-ranking soldier in the Reaper Army, but now he has fallen from grace in the eyes of the Empress. More than that, he wants his best friend back. He grew up with Jack and the two were once like brothers. Now, more than ever, he needed his brother. However, what he didnâ€™t expect from becoming a double agent, was the attraction to a sexy red headed Keeper that came with the job.

Jennifer Malone Wright is best known for her short story series, The Vampire Hunter's Daughter. Other works include the follow up to The Vampire Hunter's Daughter series called The Arcadia Falls Chronicles, The Graveyard Guardians series, and her vampire novel called Savior. Jennifer also co-authors a series called Once Upon A Zombie Apocalypse as well the Beary Tales series.

She resides in the beautiful mountains of northern Idaho with her husband and five children where she practices preparing for the zombie apocalypse. Just kidding!

But seriously, between the craziness of taking care of her children, Jennifer has little time left for herself. The time she does have left, usually leading far into the night, is spent working on her beloved fiction or chatting with her equally crazy friends.

Jennifer also loves coffee, has a passionate affair with red bull, wishes the sushi were better where she lives and dances while she cleans.

Author Links: Website: www.jenniferwrightauthor.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Jennichad217

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorjennifermalonewright

Instagram: https://instagram.com/jennifermalonewright/

Amazon: http://amzn.to/2tkYBue

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4824985.Jennifer_Malone_Wright

Pre-Order Links:

Amazon: http://amzn.to/2skTsDb

ibooks: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id1240442217

Nook: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/keeper-under-fire-jennifer-malone-wright/1126456231?ean=2940154752609

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/keeper-under-fire

Pick up Book One now, always free on all platforms: Amazon: http://amzn.to/2tlGwfU

ibooks: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/keeper-vs.-reaper-graveyard/id892600959?mt=11

Nook: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/keeper-vs-reaper-jennifer-malone-wright/1119856913?ean=2940046026269

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/keeper-vs-reaper-graveyard-guardians-1

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Freebie from Michelle Dare

6/27/2017

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Title: Daylight Follows

Author: Michelle Dare

Genre: NA Romance Standalone

Hosted by: Lady Amber's Reviews & PR

Blurb:

Daylight Follows is a standalone new adult romance.

Direction and a sense of purpose for her life evaded Daniella Archer. She was in college, but her classes didnâ€™t hold her interest. She had a boyfriend, but never got butterflies when he was near. Her two best friends were her lifelines, the ones who always stood by her. Then tragedy shattered her world and she sunk into a deep depression. She watched helplessly as the rainy sky mimicked her tears and the dark clouds, her mood.

Garrett Ramsey secretly loved Daniella throughout their high school years. When he moved away, he finally put those feelings behind him and moved on with his life, or so he thought. Just seeing Dani again brought all of the feelings he thought were long dead, straight to the surface again. She never saw him as more than a friend, so he didnâ€™t tell her how he truly felt.

Two people, two paths, both missing something significant. Storms swirled all around and the blackness of night seemed to last forever. They dared to hope daylight would follow.

Michelle Dare is a romance author. Her stories range from sweet to sinful and from new adult to fantasy. There arenâ€™t enough hours in the day for her to write all of the story ideas in her head. When not writing or reading, sheâ€™s a wife and mom living in eastern Pennsylvania. One day she hopes to be writing from a beach where she will never have to see snow or be cold again.

Author Links:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authormichelledare

Facebook Reader Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/daresdivas/

BookBub: http://bit.ly/2bgyYn3

Twitter: https://twitter.com/michelle_dare

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/michelle_dare/

Instagram: https://instagram.com/m_dare/

Amazon: http://amzn.to/2sHnFJe

Website: http://michelledare.com/

Newsletter Sign-Up: http://eepurl.com/bt14zX

Buy Links:

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/2rUqTYU

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/2c4V3Sj

Amazon CA: http://amzn.to/2p5pUWW

Amazon AU: http://amzn.to/2p5pNut

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Happy Release Day to Victoria Flynn

6/27/2017

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Book 1 in the series is
#FREE in Kindle Unlimited
or purchase for $2.99

Title: A Soulâ€™s Surrender

Author: Victoria Flynn

Genre: Urban Fantasy/Paranormal Romance

Cover Designer: Airickaâ€™s Mystical Creations

Hosted by: Lady Amberâ€™s PR

Blurb:With great power, comes great responsibility. Thatâ€™s something Maya Thibodeau has found out the hard way.

Maya thought she had it all. She had defeated the man that sought to destroy everything she held dear and in the process, found the love of her life and saved her best friend. However, that was before the Loas decided to meddle in her life. If only she hadnâ€™t signed that contract...

Now, she finds herself whisked away to the Land of the Dead and facing her own impending nuptials to the Baron Samedi.

Far from home and anything familiar, she must navigate the muddy waters of royal politics among those who would love nothing more than to see her fail. As if that werenâ€™t hard enough, she must do it all while finding the Baronâ€™s missing wife and battling the growing seed of darkness left by Drake.

The clock is ticking.

Only one thing is certain. War is coming and she will decide who wins and who losesâ€¦But, which side will she be on?

Victoria Flynn is a married mother to two daughters and a recent graduate of the University of Michigan. She married her high school sweetheart and together, they travel as often as possible. Mostly, frequenting the wonderful city of New Orleans. When she's not writing or working, she can be found with her nose buried in a good book or outside enjoying the unpredictable Michigan weather and doing mom stuff.

Author Links:

Amazon: http://amzn.to/2tdPGaM

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VictoriaJFlynnAuthor/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16004152.Victoria_Flynn

Buy Links:

A Soulâ€™s Sacrifice: http://amzn.to/2sglAG9

A Soulâ€™s Surrender: http://amzn.to/2te3BSg

Years ago, when I was sixteen, my friends thought it would be fun to visit one of those tarot card readers and have our fortunes told. At the time, I didnâ€™t believe in such things, but being at the tender age of sixteen and needing to fit in overrode those thoughts. I went along, thinking maybe at the very least, the fortune teller would be a good laugh and weave some pretty fantasies for me and my friends, very generic ones that could apply to just about everyone.

The fortune teller had a small storefront in the local shopping district in Lafayette. She was gorgeous with her mocha skin and opulent garb covered in sequins and gemstones. Her presence demanded attention and respect when she entered the small room from behind a crushed velvet curtain. The stereotypical costume and her initial predictions didnâ€™t stray from my expectations. My girlfriendâ€™s fortunes held a man in her future, a death in the family for another, some would come into money, and others would be greatly successful.

Things changed though when she came to me. The tarot cards started off fairly run of the mill, but changed as she turned over each of the six cards. The Emperorâ€”I would have success and achievement and an important man would help support me in my endeavors. The Loversâ€”I would have a great choice ahead of me, one with considerable risks. Death and the Towerâ€”a turbulent or catastrophic change was coming to my life and such changes would conjure a lot of fear within myself. Strengthâ€”my negativity could become my downfall. The World cardâ€”I would be successful on my journey.

Madam Jeanine had seen great potential in my reading.

â€œMay I read your palm?â€ she had asked, hand outstretched and concern carving deep lines into her face. Those lines grew deeper as she gazed at my hand while shooing my friends out of the room.

Waiting for her to say something, anything, I had simply looked around the room at all the trinkets she had fastened to the wall. Antique mirrors, tall pillar candles, and patchwork quilts decorated the space. In the corner of the room was a large alter covered in feathers, skulls, and a large brass bowl where incense smoke billowed up.

â€œVery strange indeed.â€

Madam Jeanine, had sprung up from her seat and shuffled over to the small bookcase that sat hidden in the corner by draped tapestries. She had ran her finger over the spines before finding whatever it was she was looking for and plucking it up from its resting pace.

It was a black, leather bound book with no discernable title etched into its cover. Madam Jeanine had turned and looked me straight in the eye.

â€œI have a theory, but I just want to do one more test to make sure, you know, just to confirm my suspicions.â€

I had nodded indifferently, going along for the ride. The fact that I was being held up, irritated me to no end, but I remained courteous as ever and tried not to let my irritation show. Madam Jeanine had walked about the room, blowing out the candles as she came upon them. She had grabbed a large white pillar candle and placed it in the middle of the table before me. She had fished a cloth sack out of the lower half of the altar and returned to the table. She inhaled deeply.

â€œReady?â€ sheâ€™d asked.

I shrugged. â€œI guess so.â€

I wasnâ€™t sure where she was going with this or what was waiting in the bag, and I was a tad nervous to find out.

She had pulled a small pile of bones out of the bag and held them between her hands. Madam Jeanine started whispering to them too low for me to make out what she was saying; I knew from growing up in New Orleans that this was voodoo at its finest.

At sixteen, you think you know everything, both about yourself and about the world without ever really experiencing it. This situation was no different. I thought voodoo was superstitious bullshit that was ingrained into the very fabric that Louisiana was cut from. I paid no real attention to what Madam Jeanine told me on that very ordinary day with my friends.

Angie had poked her head into the room. â€œYou going to be much longer?â€

Iâ€™d waved her back into the other room and returned my attention to Madam Jeanine. The woman hadnâ€™t wavered in her attentions to her tasks at all. My momentary distraction was all it took for Madam Jeanine to swoop in and prick my finger. Blood welled up where she had punctured my fingertip. She brought the bloodied metal into the flame of the candle.

My finger stung and I popped it into my mouth. I tasted the metallic tang of my blood as I attempted to staunch its flow.

Her eyes had popped open and she dumped the contents of her hands onto the table top, scattering the bones in every different direction. I looked down at the bones, not seeing how someone could make sense of those things. My gaze shifted back and forth between Madam Jeanine and scattered bits, waiting.

Madam Jeanine had looked back up at me, the twinkle in her eye shone brightly. â€œMaya, you have a hell of a road ahead of you.â€ She patted my hand. â€œOne that will be filled with heartbreak and loss.â€

â€œYou will find great love, to be sure. The everlasting kind,â€ she said with a kind smile. â€œBut it will not last. He will be lost to you.â€

I asked no questions of the woman, nor did I give much acknowledgment to her prophecy. Despite her ominous statement, sheâ€™d looked radiant, like she had just discovered a diamond mine.

I guess in a way, she had.

Itâ€™s funny the things you remember years later, when hindsight is twenty/twenty and crystal clear. Madam Jeanine had been right in everything she had said. I had experienced great loss; my parents had died when a megalomaniac murdered them so they wouldnâ€™t be able to interfere with his future plans. My destiny had been written long before I was born, and I would be great. But would I be happy? I doubted it.

What the fortune telling voodoo woman had been the most right about was the very thing that hurt me the most. I had known great loss, but nothing greater than the despair I felt in that moment. Sitting there in my new bed chamber where the Baron Samedi had promptly deposited me upon my arrival to the Land of the Dead, I pondered how my life had come to this.

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Stacey Rourke's Rise of the Sea Witch ~ Review

6/27/2017

1 Comment

I cannot stop gushing about this book!!!!
Snag yours now on Amazon!

BUY NOW

Lynn's Review
5 Stars

We all know the story of Ariel in The Little Mermaid. I had preconceived notions about Vanessa going in. But as her story unfolded, I couldn't help but trumpet her cause. In a way only Rourke can she weaves and turns the tide so that the villain is the one you find yourself championing behind. I will never look at The Little Mermaid the same way.

Rise of the Sea Witch opens with the absolute best prologue ever! It vividly played out in my mind like a Disney movie and you can't help but read it in a sing song Ursula voice. Go ahead. Try it.

This novel is going to make Stacey Rourke a household name. If you thought she painted a ghastly story that leapt from the pages in the Legends Saga, wait to see her flowery prose paint a world under the sea in Rise of the Sea Witch.

*ARC received from author in exchange for an honest review. This did not affect or influence my review.

Title: Rise of the Sea Witch

Author: Stacey Rourke

Genre: YA Fantasy/ Fairy Tale and Folklore

Cover Designer: Najla Qamber Designs

Publisher: Anchor Group Publishing

Hosted by: Lady Amberâ€™s PR

Blurb: Details of the sea witchâ€™s banishment have been exaggerated. The body count that preempted it was not. Once an illustrious princess, her hands and tentacles were stained with the blood of thousands. No one could comprehend how the hooks of madness dragged her down from her life of privilege.

Born Princess Vanessa of Atlantica, the ambitious young royal was one of two children born to the great King Poseidon. She and her brother, Triton, were groomed from birth to rule. Yet only one would ascend that coveted throne. While carefree Triton flits through his training with a cavalier demeanor and beguiling charm, Vanessaâ€™s hunger for her fatherâ€™s acceptance drives her to push herself to the limits of magic, and combat to become a leader worthy of her people.

When war against the humans ravages their once regal kingdom, political sides are chosen. Factions from the seven seas challenge the existing leadership, pitting Vanessa against her brother in a vicious battle for the crown. Traitors are exposed, dark family secrets revealed, and a once strong sibling bond is strained to its breaking point.

Only when the ink black waters from the ultimate betrayal rescind, will the truth be known of how the villainous sea witch rose with one name on her vengeful lips--Triton.

RONE Award Winner for Best YA Paranormal Work of 2012 for Embrace, a Gryphon Series Novel

Young Adult and Teen Reader voted Author of the Year 2012

Turning Pages Magazine Winner for Best YA book of 2013 & Best Teen Book of 2013

Stacey Rourke is the author of the award winning YA Gryphon Series, the chillingly suspenseful Legends Saga, and the romantic comedy Adapted for Film. She lives in Michigan with her husband, two beautiful daughters, and two giant dogs. She loves to travel, has an unhealthy shoe addiction, and considers herself blessed to make a career out of talking to the imaginary people that live in her head.

Visit her at www.staceyrourke.com

diaryofasemi-crazyauthor.blogspot.com

Facebook at www.facebook.com/staceyrourkeauthor

or on Twitter or instagram at Rourkewrites.

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1OJcVNO

Buy Link: Amazon: http://amzn.to/2th8hTW