BOOKS AND BLOGGING PHILOSOPHY

Philosophy is defined as a theory underlying or regarding a sphere of activity or thought. Well, my theory is if I can add at least 10 new books to my Wishlist and move at least 5 older Wishlist selections to my TBR list every month, then life is a ice cream sundae. And if I can find those 10 books from at least 5 new blogs each month then that's the cherry on top.

NEW VISITORS AND OLD- WELCOME!

NEW VISITORS AND OLD- WELCOME!
Well, I've made it almost 5 years now, so for better or worse, I continue on. I tend to blog in spurts as the urge to be creative erupts. As I don't have an artistic bone in my body, you will see very few changes in the layouts. Hey, I'm a reader not an artist like so many of the awesome bloggers I follow. I know you don't always have the time but if you stopped and looked, take a half a minute and say your piece. Recommend a book that you have enjoyed or hated for that matter. Thank you to all who visit.
Oh, and I moved my Google Friend Connect info and share this buttons to the top, as without our friends, who are we?


Monday, March 28, 2016

Once a Rancher by Linda Lael Miller- 5*

Title: Once A Rancher
Series: Carsons of Mustang Creek

Author: Linda Lael Miller

Genre: Western Romance
Rating: * * * * *
Publishers: HQN Books  
(Mar 29, 2016)
Paperback: 320  pages
ISBN: 978-0373779680
FTC Disclosure: ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley
The Carsons of Mustang Creek: three men who embody the West and define what it means to be a rancher, a cowboy and a hero in this brand-new series from the queen of Western romance 
SLATER CARSON might be a filmmaker by trade, but he's still a cowboy at heart—and he knows the value of a hard day's work under the hot Wyoming sun. So when he sees troubled teen Ryder heading down a dangerous path, he offers the boy a job on the ranch he shares with his two younger brothers. And since Ryder's guardian is the gorgeous new Mustang Creek resort manager, Grace Emery, Slater figures it can't hurt to keep a closer eye on her, as well… 
GRACE EMERY doesn't have time for romance. Between settling into her new job and caring for her ex-husband's rebellious son, her attraction to larger-than-life Slater is a distraction she can't afford. But when an unexpected threat emerges, she'll discover just how far Slater will go to protect what matters most—and that love is always worth fighting for.

Miller never fails to leave me satisfied after reading one of her western romances and always has me checking to see when the next book in a series is being released. As always, I'm never disappointed in the characters or the storyline. I love how each book I pick up is always a fresh read and a new take on a cowboy. I never feel that I've read this story before and she is simple amazing at intertwining suspense with romance.  Miller's books continue to be on my auto buy list as I've yet to read one that didn't leave me sighing and wishing I'd grown up in the west. 

Carsons of Mustang Creek

Once a Rancher (2016)
The Shut Eye (Apr 6, 2016)
Always a Cowboy (Sept 27, 2016)

Saturday, March 26, 2016

Book Blast for EDGE: A Young Adult/New Adult Paranormal Collection


Edge cover


Limited Edition Paranormal Boxed Set

20 New York Times, USA Today, and International Bestselling Authors.
20 of today’s most magical, sought-after titles.
Yours for only $0.99.

Twenty Edgy Young Adult & New Adult Paranormal Tales

Twenty of today's favorite young adult and new adult authors have come together to bring you a collection packed with full-length, spellbinding reads sure to keep you keep you on the edge of your seat and up way past your bedtime!

But reader beware: These novels take everything to the edge--and not just the edge of your seat. With authors who aren't afraid to push the boundaries, you get stories that take everything to limit, creating whimsical reads that teens can actually relate to and that adults can enjoy, too.
Pre-Order it today to save over fifty dollars from the cost of purchasing each book individually!
Last Chance to Pre-order!
Edge 99 cents


What's Inside?

Edge Covers
New York Times Bestselling Author
Riley J Ford, INTO YOU - What if you could know exactly what your friends are thinking? High school student Winter Reynolds can, but there's a catch... She can only read people's thoughts when she's kissing them.

USA Today Bestselling Authors

Rebecca Hamilton, THE FOREVER GIRL - When a spell Sophia casts goes wrong, her personal demons get company, and the newcomers are dangerous.
JC Andrijeski, THE CULLING - Jet grew up free, hiding out on Earth after it was conquered by an alien species, but now she might learn about her alien overlords the hard way.
Apryl Baker, THE PROMISE - Armed with kick-ass shoes, can CJ save the town from a maniacal coven leader, still get Mr. Melt In Your Mouth Gorgeous, and somehow survive the darkness?
Angela Fristoe, WAKEN - If Janie hopes to survive the people of Everod, she'll need to confront who and what she really is.
April Aasheim, THE GOOD GIRL'S GUIDE TO BECOMING A DEMON - What's a nice girl to do when she develops horns...and a hunger?
Angel Lawson, WRAITH - Classmates think Jane Watt's is a freak, but she knows her best friend, Evan is real and needs her, even if he's dead.
Katie Salidas, PRETTY LITTLE WEREWOLF - This little werewolf is looking for her fur-ever home.

International Bestselling Authors

Sarah Dalton, MARY HADES - Mary has a special relationship with the spirit world -- a connection that brings her face to face with her worst nightmares...
Debbie Herbert, CHANGELING - A wannabe witch who sucks at spells must find her inner magic to nab a pixie serial killer.
Shalini Boland, HIDDEN - When Maddy inherits a mansion, she also inherits something sinister in the basement. Falling in love has never been so dangerous.
Eva Chase, CAUGHT IN THE GLOW - Assigned to protect a hot indie rocker from demons, the secret he's keeping puts Avery's heart and his soul on the line.
Rachel McClellan, FRACTURED LIGHT - Discovering the strength of her power may cost Llona her life.
Kimberly Loth, KISSED - Three Boys. Two Kisses. One Devastating Choice.
Shannon Eckrich, OTHER SIDE OF FOREVER - Forever is only a portal away.
H.D. Gordon, SHOOTING STARS - A tale of star-crossed lovers and magic.
Stacy Claflin, SAVED BY A VAMPIRE - A new vampire must face something more ancient, powerful, and deadly than she ever imagined...
Marissa Farrar, TWISTED DREAMS - Upon starting college, half-vampire Elizabeth hadn't expected to happen upon a travelling carnival, or sexy, dare-devil biker.
Cindy Thomas, BECKON ME - Her heart...and her soul are on the line.

Award Winning Author
Laxmi Hariharan, THE MANY LIVES OF RUBY IYER - To become herself, Ruby must turn her back on everything she ever knew.

Amazon Pre-order

add to goodreads

50_Amazon_Paypal


Blog Tour Giveaway

$50 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash

Ends 4/5/16

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.
a Rafflecopter giveaway



Friday, March 25, 2016



Siren's Song (The Storm Siren Trilogy #3)

Author: Mary Weber

Publisher: Thomas Nelson / HarperCollins

Release Date: March 1st 2016
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Magic, Fiction, Paranormal

Rate: * * * * 1/2



Nym and Draewulf prepare to face off in a battle destined to destroy more lives than it saves.
With the loss of Tulla still fresh in mind, Rasha’s fate unknown, and Lord Myles taken over by the dark ability, Nym and the few Bron soldiers rush to warn Cashlin’s queen. Only to discover it may already be too late for the monarch and her eerie kingdom. As the Luminescents are sifting through Nym’s past memories and the queen is reading into her future, Nym is given a choice of how to defeat Draewulf, but the cost may be more than she can bear. And even then there are no guarantees.
With that reality burrowing into her bones—along with the guilt of the lives she will sacrifice—Nym returns to her homeland of Faelen to raise an army of peasants through promises of freedom. But when the few friends she has left, along with the world and citizens she loves, are staring down the face of a monster and his undead army, will Nym summon every element her blood is capable of controlling . . . or surrender to a different strength—one of sacrifice?
Because in the end, death may be more merciful for them all.


First of all can I say how simply gorgeous these covers are! This is one of the drawbacks to reading on the Kindle as you don't get to see these vivid covers each time you pick up the book.
This series has gotten better and better with each book. Now that the series is over, I think I'm going to do a reread as it has been awhile since I read the earlier books and got lost a couple of times. One of the best things about trilogies is that you can do a reread in a nice long weekend and with Easter coming up should be able to accomplish that easily. 
It's difficult to say much about the book without spoiling it for someone who is yet to start the series. The characters are strong, vivid individuals that you will fall in love with and I love how much Nym has changed throughout the series. The world building is magnificent and the romance just right, it rather makes you swoon.
If you enjoy fantasy, YA and romance you owe to yourself to read this incredible series.




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Follow the Siren's Song by Mary Weber Blog Tour and don't miss anything! Click on the banner to see the tour schedule.



Mary Weber is a ridiculously uncoordinated girl plotting to take over make-believe worlds through books, handstands, and imaginary throwing knives. In her spare time, she feeds unicorns, sings 80’s hairband songs to her three muggle children, and ogles her husband who looks strikingly like Wolverine. They live in California, which is perfect for stalking L.A. bands, Joss Whedon, and the ocean. Her debut YA fantasy novel, STORM SIREN and SIREN'S FURY are available now in bookstores and online, and SIREN'S SONG will be out March 2016 from TN HarperCollins.

Wednesday, March 23, 2016

Blog Tour-Playing Defense (Corrigan Falls Raiders #2) by Cate Cameron- AUTHOR INTERVIEW

PlayingDefenseTour

1600x2400_PlayingDefense_CRUSH

This Entangled Teen Crush book contains adult language, swoon-worthy kisses, and sexy hockey players. It may cause you to watch a hockey game...or ten.
Sixteen-year-old Claudia Waring has never kissed a boy. Never been popular. Never been to a hockey game. All that’s about to change. Assigned to tutor Chris Winslow, a prank-loving, gorgeous hockey player, Claudia’s perfectly planned life immediately veers off course. And she kind of likes it. But as fun as Chris is, she knows she'll never fit in his world.

After his latest prank lands him in hot water, Chris has to get serious about school or lose hockey. Not an easy thing for someone as carefree as the defenseman. The biggest problem, though, is how much he wants to help his cute, buttoned-up tutor loosen up a little. But while confidence has never been a problem for him, around Claudia, Chris is all nerves. Why would a girl as smart as her ever fall for a jock like him?
add to goodreads
Playing Defense (Corrigan Falls Raiders #2) by Cate Cameron
Publication Date: March 14, 2016
Publisher: Entangled Teen Crush


AUTHOR INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

Tell us a little about yourself?

I’m a bit of an undercover author – very few people in my life know that I write, and I like it that way. It helps me keep my day job separate from my “hobby”, and also avoids those awkward conversations I hear about from other authors. “Did you put me in your book? You’d better not put me in your book!”

So, while I like being undercover, it makes it a bit hard to answer questions like this…

Oh, I know, I’m a hardcore INTJ. Like, so far into the extreme ends of each of the letters that my results never vary when I take the tests (Myers-Briggs – probably not a reliable tool for serious research, but lots of fun!). Abstract sequential thinker. Green with a little bit of gold. An Owl. Ravenclaw. Hmm… what other tests are there?

When and how did the idea for "Corrigan Falls Raiders" come about?

This series actually started as a single book, and it originally wasn’t a romance, it was a coming-of-age story focused almost exclusively on Karen. That book evolved, turned into a romance, and when it sold to Entangled, turned into a series. So—it definitely evolved!

What was your favorite part about writing the book and is there a character you had the most fun with?

I love Chris Winslow. He’s such a teddy bear of a guy, in terms of his personality, and having all that heart and good humour crammed into a big, tough guy’s body was really fun. And it was fun to make him interact with people because I really felt like he brought out the best in the other characters – he’s so easy-going, it made it much easier for other characters to be themselves around him.

Personally I love books about "sports & romance", are there any you enjoyed reading and what ones are they?

I like Sarina Bowen’s Ivy Years series quite a bit. A nice mix of authentic sports action and interesting romantic drama.

But I have a bit of an allergy to alphahole heroes, and that can get in the way of my enjoyment of a lot of sports romances. I like my heroes to be a flawed, sure, but not as arrogant as some of the popular athlete main characters. So I’m a bit picky in my sports romances, really.

Can you tell us more about the series and what plans 
you may have for it?

There’s one more book planned for this series – Winging It, which follows Toby Cooper and his hockey-playing love interest, Natalie West. It’s really fun, and I hope it’ll be out sometime… I don’t know, maybe late spring or early summer? But maybe not until later… (It’s written, but I don’t think it’s scheduled yet)

How long did it take to write the book and tell us a 
little about your writing process?

It took about six or seven weeks to do the first draft, and then maybe a week to tidy it up? And then probably another week to work through edits. I write pretty fast, just starting at the start and working through to the end. I keep trying to write outlines and follow them, but it never works out… my outlines feel flat and boring, and I end up chasing after butterflies once I start actually writing.


Who inspires you to write? Do you have a favorite
 author you look up to?

I’m probably inspired more by TV, movies, music… anything but writing! I find that since I started writing myself it’s really hard to let go of my inner editor and immerse myself in a story and characters like I used to do. So reading for me tends to be a bit too conscious of an activity to really serve as an inspiration.

Describe your book in 6 words
 hot jock, cool brain, melted ice!

When did you begin writing?

I started writing seriously about seven years ago – I started in m/m romance as Kate Sherwood, and only started writing as Cate Cameron a couple years ago. It’s fun to have two versions of myself I can experiment with!

What do you hope readers will take away from reading this book?

Mostly I hope they just enjoy the characters. This isn’t a deep, angsty, message-heavy read. I don’t mean it’s stupid – I try really hard to write smart books. I just mean it’s light. It’s fun. I think that’s more than enough!


OTHER BOOK(s) IN THE SERIES:

CenterIce_500

The hometown hockey hero won’t know what hit him…
Karen Webber is in small-town hell. After her mother’s death, she moved to Corrigan Falls to live with strangers—her dad and his perfect, shiny new family—and there doesn’t seem to be room for a city girl with a chip on her shoulder. The only person who makes her feel like a real human being is Tyler MacDonald.
But Karen isn’t interested in starting something with a player. And that’s all she keeps hearing about Tyler.
Corrigan Falls is a hockey town, and Tyler’s the star player. But the viselike pressure from his father and his agent are sending him dangerously close to the edge. All people see is hockey—except Karen. Now they’ve managed to find something in each other that they both desperately need. And for the first time, Tyler is playing for keeps…
add to goodreads
Amazon |B&N | iBooks | Kobo | Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.ca | Entangled Publishing
Week 1:

March 14, 2016 – A Dream Within A Dream – Guest Post
March 14, 2016 – The Avid Book Collector – Spotlight/Excerpt
March 14, 2016 – MrsLeif’s Two Fangs About It – Review
March 15, 2016 – AmberCarroll – Review
March 15, 2016 – Chapter by Chapter – Interview
March 16, 2016 – The Book Adventures of Annelise Lestrange – Review
March 17, 2016 – Between Books – Review
March 17, 2016 – A Book Addict’s Bookshelves – Guest Post
March 17, 2016 – BooksChatter – Interview
March 18, 2016 – U.S. – Brazil Book Review – Review
March 18, 2016 – booklovercircumspect4 – Spotlight/Excerpt

Week 2:

March 21, 2016 – Reader Girls – Guest Post
March 21, 2016 – Margay Leah Justice – Review
March 21, 2016 – EskieMama Read – Spotlight/Excerpt
March 22, 2016 – Adventures in Writing – Review
March 22, 2016 – Rockin’ Book Reviews – Spotlight/Excerpt
March 22, 2016 – The Page Unbound – Spotlight/Excerpt
March 23, 2016 – Rachel’s Book Reviews – Review
March 23, 2016 – Lisa’s Loves(Books of Course) – Interview
March 24, 2016 – Haddie’s Haven – Spotlight
March 24, 2016 – Her Book Thoughts – Review
March 25, 2016 – Book Briefs – Review
March 25, 2016 – WS Momma Readers Nook – Guest Post
March 25, 2016 – Diana’s Book Reviews – Review

About-the-Author2

Cate Cameron grew up in the city but moved to the country in her mid-twenties and isn’t looking back. Most of her writing deals with people living and loving in small towns or right out in the sticks—when there aren’t entertainment options on every corner, other people get a lot more  interesting!
She likes to write stories about real people struggling with real issues. YA, NA, or contemporary  romance, her books are connected by their emphasis on subtle humor and characters who are trying to do the right thing, even when it would be a lot easier to do something wrong.



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Monday, March 21, 2016

No One Knows by J.T. Ellison- 5 *

Title: No One Knows 
Author: J.T. Ellison
Genre: Thriller Suspense
Rating: * * * * *
Publishers: Galley Books
(Mar 22, 2016)
Hardback:384  pages
ISBN: 978-1501118470
FTC Disclosure: ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley

In an obsessive mystery as thrilling as The Girl on the Train and The Husband’s SecretNew York Times bestselling author J.T. Ellison will make you question every twist in her page-turning novel—and wonder which of her vividly drawn characters you should trust.

The day Aubrey Hamilton’s husband is declared dead by the state of Tennessee should bring closure so she can move on with her life. But Aubrey doesn’t want to move on; she wants Josh back. It’s been five years since he disappeared, since their blissfully happy marriage—they were happy, weren’t they?—screeched to a halt and Aubrey became the prime suspect in his disappearance. Five years of emptiness, solitude, loneliness, questions. Why didn’t Josh show up at his friend’s bachelor party? Was he murdered? Did he run away? And now, all this time later, who is the mysterious yet strangely familiar figure suddenly haunting her new life?

In No One Knows, the New York Times bestselling coauthor of the Nicholas Drummond series expertly peels back the layers of a complex woman who is hiding dark secrets beneath her unassuming exterior. This masterful thriller for fans of Gillian Flynn, Liane Moriarty, and Paula Hawkins will pull readers into a you’ll-never-guess merry-go-round of danger and deception. Round and round and round it goes, where it stops…no one knows.


I've read twisty murder thrillers before but nothing, nothing on the scale of "No One Knows". Just as soon as you feel comfortable that you've got a hold on the truth and what's really going on, the rug gets ripped out from under you and you realize you don't know Jack! And this happens again and again. But it works! You don't feel cheated by the reveals because they actually feel right and make sense. The layers are peeled back one by one and until the very final paragraph do you feel that it is done. The characters are amazingly fleshed out and I never felt like they were acting out of character. I don't reread many books (who has the time with the awesome selection of good books out there) but this one is one I'll make an exception on and I know that it will be fully enjoyed and relished even though I now know the ending.

Friday, March 18, 2016

Cover Reveal & Giveaway for THE PALADINS by Julie Reece



Today Julie Reece and Month9Books are
revealing the cover and first chapter for THE PALADINS, book 2 in THE ARTISANS Series
which releases May 3, 2016! Check out the gorgeous cover and enter to be one of
the first readers to receive an eGalley and a eBook of THE ARTISANS!!

Here’s a message from the author.

Book covers are tricky things. My respect for
cover artists has grown exponentially after entering the world of publishing. I
learned the challenge of a good cover artist is to hint at the story beneath
using a single image. They must create a picture that suggests to perspective
readers what lies within those hundreds of pages—using nothing more than
specific font and a few square inches of graphic design. It seems impossible,
yet most of us agree that art evokes emotion. And when I saw my cover, I was overwhelmed.

The Paladins is dark. And this cover is dark.
The story is a Gothic tale, mysterious and eerie. And while parts of this world
are beautiful, beauty is often deceptive. You’re never quite sure if something
lurks in the shadows, where the path you tread is leading, or even if what you
see is real … until it’s too late. For me, the cover encompasses all those
story elements. I hope you like it as much as I do.

On to the reveal! 



Title: THE PALADINS (The Artisans #2)
Author: Julie Reece
Pub. Date: May 3, 2016
Publisher: Month9Books

Format: Paperback

& eBook

Find it:
 Amazon | B&N

|
TBD | BAM


The Artisan curse is broken. Souls
trapped in a mysterious otherworld called The Void are finally released. Now,
Raven Weathersby, Gideon Maddox, and Cole Wynter can finally move on with their
lives...or so they thought. If the ancient magic is truly dead, then why are
mystical fires plaguing Gideon at every turn? What accounts for Raven’s
frightening visions of her dead mother? And who is the beautiful, tortured girl
haunting Cole’s dreams?

Last year, a group of lonely teens
sacrificed secrets, battled the supernatural, and faced their own demons to set
one another free. Yet six months later, the heart of evil still beats within
The Void. And the trio is forced to face the horrific truth: that their only
way out is to go back in.

The Paladins completes this eerie YA
Southern Gothic where loyalties are tested, love is challenged, and evil seeks
them on the ultimate battlegrounds—in their minds, their souls, and their
hearts. 

In case you missed it here's the redesigned cover for THE ARTISANS!


Title: THE ARTISANS
Author: Julie Reece
Pub. Date: May 12, 2015
Publisher: Month9Books
Pages: 300
Find it: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | Goodreads

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?





Excerpt




Prologue




The Before




Cole




It’s been four years since I planted the fireworks in Gideon Maddox’s locker that burned a third of his face.




Four years since his father took revenge, trapping me with a spell that kept me prisoner in The Void.




Three months since the magic found me again.




Two months since my parents put me in therapy.




One day since my parents left for Paris on a month long business tour.




This morning, a mysterious girl no one else can see beckoned again from The Void.




Tonight, I’m standing on the balcony of my parent’s palatial home, buying an airline ticket back to the states—back to Maddox mansion—the heart of my nightmares.




People say the more things change the more they stay the same. I hate them for being right. I lived with the monsters in my prison until I thought I might go mad. Repentant of my past, I made peace with my fate, my eternity. Until the day I was freed, because a stranger had the courage to help.




This time someone needs me.




How can I doom a girl to a fate I barely escaped?




There’s only one answer.




I can’t.




Chapter One




Cole




A bottle-green fly hums, rubbing his tiny legs together as though he’s plotting something. The insect seems a dirty ornament on the shiny desk nameplate he sits upon. Gold on gold, the engraved letters read Navin Cahvan M.D. This is the third psychiatrist I’ve met in as many weeks. Part of my mother’s plan to fix me. Jumpy nerves, insomnia, nightmares about demons when I finally do fall sleep—these are her justifications. Everyone tries to shrink me like a cheap T-shirt in the dryer.




The tawny-skinned man across the desk folds his knotted fingers over his belly and stares. Dark eyes track my movements beneath two bushy white eyebrows. “Mr. Wynter?”




Right. He asked a question. The fly hums again, wings fluttering against his hairy back. My head pounds, my clothes scratch, eyes burn, and my ears are raw with the smallest sounds echoing deep inside.




When Dr. Cahvan shifts, the leather seat groans in protest. “I can help you. But you must tell me the truth.”




All I hear is Jack Nicholson screaming the line from A Few Good Men: “You can’t handle the truth!”




“Trust me, Cole. Tell me your secret thoughts.”




Trust you? Sure. I tell you what happened and you lock me away forever on meds that keep me drooling, while I play dominoes with people who see giant, pink rabbits. No thanks.




He leans forward. His fingers thread together as his hands rest on the desktop. He taps his thumbs together. “I assure you this is a safe place. I call it … the circle of trust.”




Give me a break. You want me to tell you how I was a mean, dangerous kid. Confess that because I tormented a crippled boy, his father used a magic camera to trap me in an alternate universe as punishment. Explain how I lived a half-life in the Maddox mansion for four years until Raven Weathersby rescued me. About how much I miss her and think about going back someday … Maybe I am insane.
“Let’s discuss something else.”




I find his suggestion amusing since I’ve barely said ten words in the past hour, and our time is almost up.
The good doctor shifts again. “Instead of talking about the past, why not speak of the present. How are you adjusting to life at home? I understand your parents had a welcome home party when you first arrived. How did that go?”




How do you think? “Swell.” I would have preferred stuffing my hand in a high-speed blender. A hundred people that I hadn’t seen since I was fifteen—and couldn’t care less to see again—showed up to shake my hand and recite all they’d ever read about amnesia, the lie Gideon made up to cover my absence. “I really just need some space.”




“And you got your wish, did you not? I understand your parents left town yesterday. How does being alone again so soon make you feel?”




Incredibly pissed. “They’ve always been busy people. I’m used to them traveling.” But I wasn’t. I thought with all the time apart, my parents might want to stick around a while. Be a family. Nope. Since appearances mean everything, they threw a party right away to show their friends and colleagues how fine I was. The powerful and highly regarded Mr. and Mrs. Wynter pulled out all the stops to prove their love for their long lost son: fine wine, catered dinner, china, crystal, even a string quartet. Yet, my father couldn’t keep the disappointment from his face any more than my mother could drown her misery in vodka.




Perhaps to appease their consciences, my folks hooked me up with doctors and provided for my physical needs before bailing. But a new car and an obscenely padded bank account wasn’t what I needed. So easily brushed aside again, I couldn’t help but wonder if parts of them were relieved when I’d disappeared four years ago.




Dr. Cahvan’s eyes narrow. “So, you remember your life up until your trip to the States?”




“Yes.” I’m lying about my amnesia. I know it. He knows it. So do my parents, but it’s too late to come up with a better story … like being the victim of a cult brainwashing or joining a psychedelic commune. I drank a different brand of Kool-Aid in Sales Hollow, South Carolina, and I can never tell a soul.




The fly zings to the window. I flinch as the buzzing is magnified ten times in my head. It takes all my will not to jump up and smash the bug against the glass. The doctor watches me with sharp eyes trained to interpret body language. I hold his gaze, though my skin breaks out in a sweat. A sudden wind rattles the panes, and I startle.




Cahvan’s mouth crimps at the corners. “Rather breezy today,” he says, glancing out the window at the quiet, blue sky.




Who cares about the weather? I have to give the old guy something before I start whining about magic spells, heightened senses, or worse: how my daddy never loved me.




I blow out a breath. “Look, some things seem familiar, others are confusing. I don’t need a doctor. I need time.” I only meant to throw him a bone so he’d have something to report when my parents call, but my body heats as I talk. Anger, resentment, and fear all claw their way up my throat and charge out of my mouth before I can stop them. “Time I can’t get back where I finish school, date hot girls, and grow up like normal kids do. I’m trying. Doing the best I can, but what I don’t need is to sit in rooms with smug strangers who are paid to dissect my brain over things I can’t explain, and neither of us will ever understand!” I drag my fingers through my shaggy hair. “That time is gone. I’m pissed off, and I guess I’ll be pissed off until I’m not anymore.”




Dr. Cahvan rubs his jaw. “That’s very interesting, Cole.”




My laugh is harsh. Not that any of this is funny. “Is it?”




“Yes. Thank you for your honesty today.” His bushy eyebrows push together. “Thank you for entering the circle of trust and allowing me to help you. Please see my secretary on your way out and make another appointment for next week.”




Seriously? I stand and head for the door. Oh, I’ll see your secretary, all right. I’ll nod as I walk right past her. He didn’t help me. No one can. There are a lot of things I need. But touchy-feely therapy with Doctor Eyebrows isn’t one of them.




***




After the awkward “circle of trust” episode, I can’t decide what to do with myself. I don’t want to be around people, but I don’t want to go home to an empty house either, so I wind up in the rambling cemetery a couple miles from our house.




I like it here and come pretty often just to think. Crumbling grave markers bear witness to France’s rich history, even with the chiseled dates worn and fading with time. Moss, ivy, and ancient trees lend beauty and peace to a place that soothes my soul. I’m not trying to be morbid. I never kept company with the dead. We were the undead, in a non-sparkly kind of way.




I’m not stupid enough to think I’ll discover the meaning of life. I’m just trying to find meaning in mine.




After surviving a half-death, I’ve been given a second chance. Trouble is, I don’t know what to do with it.
The sun is too hot on my back. No sooner does the thought cross my mind, when a friendly breeze tousles my hair like an old friend. I pull my cell from my pocket and stare at Raven’s number. She said to call her anytime, and I do. Gideon said to call her if I wanted my arse kicked. Typical. He’s still that insecure kid deep down. Still trying to prove himself, as he tries to control everyone and everything within his reach, just like his old man taught him.




Should have known something was wrong when I first got the invitation to visit Gideon in America all those years ago. My parents were so happy Maddox Senior wasn’t pressing charges; they actually thought the gesture was an attempt at friendship. Of course, Mum and Dad sent me packing complete with an olive branch in my mouth. That gesture of goodwill got my picture taken and a trip to The Void with a bunch of vengeful old guys from the early nineteen hundreds and a hot blond with twisted taste in men. We spent our days trying to escape that hell. The labyrinth’s ghouls, the surreal existence of consciousness without a physical body, and the constant pain of regret all earmarked a life that wasn’t.




Until her.




My fingers comb the grass at my sides. I close my eyes and feel the day’s warmth on my face, the wind threading through my thin tee. I may look like a freak, but I can’t stop touching everything around me. While I was gone, I missed the sensation of air in my lungs, the taste of coffee, the sweet sensation of a kiss …




My thumb starts dialing Rae’s number.




Cole …




Shite. Here we go again.




Come to me, Cole …




I wonder if I sounded this creepy to Raven when I begged for her help.




Veins at my temples pulse. Leaves shake and laugh in the breeze, the echo reverberating in my head. “Who are you? What do you want with me?” I want to stand, but my limbs weigh a hundred pounds each. My lungs deflate under the crushing pressure, and I struggle to breathe.




The scenery of oaks and elms surrounding the cemetery blur into a muddy gray-green wall, and I know what’s happening. Gravestones push up from the ground like gnashing teeth and recede again until the ground transforms into a smooth, stone floor. The world of pedestrians, car horns, and singing birds around the graveyard fade to a quiet worse than death. My body rejects the idea of gravity. The weightlessness of being sucked back into The Void again invades my person like a virus, spreading into my muscles and bones, my very essence.




I will the door of my mind closed to shut out the transformation. I place a mental shield before the magic so it won’t consume me, but magic has a will of its own. It snakes under the imaginary door I’ve erected in my head, enveloping me. I thrash, but it’s useless. My soundless screaming and mind-withering despair only seems to feed The Void’s strength.




When I open my eyes, the cemetery is gone. I shift on a cold, damp floor, taking in my new surroundings. I’ve seen this place before, several times. The space is a circular stone room with two tall, skinny windows allowing diffused light inside. A bed sits across from me. Downy quilts worn and faded with use cover the straw mattress. On the wall, a huge, gilt-framed mirror reflects the room where a pretty blond sits in a hardback chair. Watching me.




I’m familiar with strange, but not with sad, soul-eating eyes like hers.




When she rises, I feel like I should thank her, because light from the window shows her curves through an ultra-thin nightdress. The sight chokes my airflow for a whole different reason.




ThinkofRaventhinkofRaventhinkofRaven.




I’m so not thinking of Raven. For all my faults, I’m not the cheating type, but I am a guy, and this girl is seriously fit! I want to touch her in the worst way, but I swallow instead. Attempting to be a gentleman, I lift my gaze and focus on the far wall, yet somehow—because I’m still a guy—I end up watching the way her hair hangs in white blond waves to her thighs. Her rosebud mouth opens slightly. Pleading eyes, more silver than blue, threaten to pull me under and drown me. None of this helps curb my impulse to reach for her.




Then I think about how she brought me here against my will, and that helps tamp down the hormones.




Cole.




What do you want?




Can’t you guess?




I can. I pleaded with Raven for the same help not too long ago. Inside The Void, I thought I’d met everyone. The ones that Maddox had imprisoned, and the indigenous inhabitants of the labyrinth. I hadn’t known there were any others.




The drip-drop of a leaky faucet is the only sound as I gather my thoughts. “Who are you? Where are you? I don’t understand what’s happening. Where is this place? Did Gideon put you here?” I rattle off my questions not pausing for a response.




She doesn’t answer. Maybe she can’t.




Wind picks up, whooshing through the hollow room, though the windows are shut. The sound grows, as though someone dropped a microphone in a washing machine. I grit my teeth against the noise. My mind squeezes in the pressurized vacuum.




Cole … She extends a thin, white hand.




I remember Raven. How she fell to her knees on the floor of the mill house when we first met. Pain rips into my psyche, claws at my sanity. The same way I’m sure it did hers.




“I’m sorry. Forgive me, Raven. I didn’t know.”




… My name is Rosamond …




Stone walls smear and fade, the beautiful girl along with them. I can’t breathe. Then, the faint outline of tree tops bleed back into view.




… Rosamond Bryer …




My panting rivals an overheated Saint Bernard. Grass pokes my palms. Rough bark scrapes my spine through my T-shirt. Any trace of the castle turret is erased as the same decrepit cemetery I know solidifies, and the garden is as it was before.




Almost …




I’m leaning against an old tree, yet my cell and sunglasses still lie next to the rose bushes where I was sitting, almost twenty feet away. I have no memory of moving. How did I get way over here?




Both hands plow through my hair with my exhale. What the bloody hell just happened? Am I imagining this? A nightmare left over from the reality of my imprisonment. Or is the girl real? Trapped like I was and waiting for someone with the courage to free her.




Is that someone me? I’ve been a lot of things, but brave isn’t one of them. To help her means going back to the mansion.




No. I definitely do not need this shite. I’m starting over, leaving that life behind. Yet, the haunted expression on the girl’s face tugs at me. Something about her seems familiar. I’m gutted over how she reached for me. Raven doubted, too, but not for long. If the blond is real, then she’s really in trouble. And if she’s really in trouble, what, if anything, are you prepared to do about it, Cole Wynter?





As a child,
Julie’s summers were about horseback riding and fishing, while winter brought
sledding and ice-skating on frozen ponds. Most of life was magical, but not
all. She struggled with multiple learning disabilities, and spent much of her
time gazing out windows and daydreaming. In the fourth grade (with the help of
one very nice teacher) she fought dyslexia for her right to read and won.

Afterward,
she invented stories where powerful heroines kicked bad-guy butt to win the
hearts charismatic heroes. And then she wrote one down…

Writing ever
since, Julie weaves southern gothic, contemporary, fantasy, and young adult
romances. She
enjoys sweeping tales of mystery and epic adventure… which must include a
really hot guy. Her writing is proof a dream and some hard work can overcome
any obstacle.


Where you can find Julie: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads







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