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Wednesday, August 26, 2015

Andy Lewter's Follow-up to Gifted

Fellow Clean Reads author Andy Lewter will soon release the next installment in the Valens Series!




“Through the body, strength and healing prevail.”

After her experience during spring break, Abigail Everett battles to fill the role she inherited as the leader of Valens – people that possess unparalleled strength and dangerous mind powers.

Being forced to choose between what her heart wants and what is right, contending with captivating peer pressures, and nearing the brink of war, she must prove herself worthy. Not only to those who follow her legacy, but to herself.

Will she be able to stop this war before it begins?

Pre-order link:

Also by Andy Lewter:




Saturday, August 22, 2015

Tamie Dearen's New Young Adult Fantasy Cover Reveal!

See below for special pricing on both books through August 31, 2015.

Cover Reveal for Alora: The Portal

The compelling story of the young soulmates, Alora and Kaevin, continues...

The adventure begins with Alora: The Wander-Jewel.


Fifteen-year-old Alora has visions.

Only while in the shower. And only of one stranger: a handsome boy with long brown hair, intense green eyes, and the oddest clothes. A boy who vanishes whenever she opens her eyes.
And then one day, he doesn't…
Alora's safe world is soon turned upside-down as she's thrust into another realm where her soulmate waits, magic abounds, and unfathomable evil seeks to claim her.




The epic fantasy continues in Alora: The Portal.


Cover design by StunningBookCovers.com

If one of them dies, they both die.

Bound together as soulmates, something compels Alora and Kaevin to abandon the safety of their refuge for the dangers of Kaevin’s realm.

The soulmates arrive in the midst of a raging battle as Stone Clan warriors defend their capital, an attack made more deadly by the pervasive evil of her father. Alora and Kaevin face mortal danger as they fight against man and magick to preserve Kaevin's home and heritage.

For Alora's father will have her allegiance. Or her death.



Praise for Alora

"...I have to admit - I wish the book had not ended! ...The romance is sweet rather than steamy making this a clean read for young adults, but the action and adventure is thrilling enough to keep any age reader turning pages..." Today's Visions

"I found Alora to be a breath of fresh air in the YA fantasy genre! ... A YA fantasy with characters you will adore and cheer for, Alora is a book I would recommend to any of my friends!" Books Are Sanity

Alora: The Portal is available on Amazon for the special pre-order price of 99¢ through the August 31 release date! As a bonus, Alora:The Wander-Jewel will be FREE on August 30 through August 31!

Find Tamie Dearen on her website, Amazon, Facebook, and Twitter.



Excerpt from Alora: The Wander-Jewel

Alora fought the urge to beat on the tile wall. He’d disappeared again. Who was this
boy she kept seeing? Why did he only appear when she was in the shower? He seemed so
real, and she could have sworn he looked as confused as she felt. As if he was trying to
figure out who she was, as well. Was he a figment of her imagination? His eyes were so
unusual. They were green. Not an ordinary green, but a deep, intense jade, the color of
her aunt’s emerald ring. He was really cute, although he wore his wavy brown hair a little
long for her taste. Yet she could only see his head—never his clothes or the background.
Today he’d tied his hair back in a ponytail. Surely the fact he’d changed his hair was
significant. Wouldn’t a figment of her imagination have his hair the same every time?

She peeked around the shower curtain at the clock on the bathroom counter. It was
five a.m. on a Saturday, and she had chores to do, feeding the horses and letting the
chickens out. But it was winter, so she had plenty of time to spare before the rising sun
tolled the beginning of her responsibilities. Living on a ranch in the backcountry of
Montana meant cold winters, lots of work, and little time for leisure. It was the only life
she’d ever known, and she usually enjoyed it, despite the heavy work involved.
But right now, she wanted another stab at seeing that boy. The image was always so
fuzzy. If only he wouldn’t disappear when she opened her eyes. She couldn’t summon his
visage at will. He didn’t come every time she closed her eyes in the shower; it seemed to
happen when she was relaxing and letting the water beat down on her head and shoulders.
Maybe, if she were soaking in the tub, she might see his image again.

She pushed the curtain back, put in the stopper, and turned the faucet on full blast. As
an afterthought, she added bubble bath, filling the tub with fragrant suds. Soon the bath
was full, with aromatic bubbles foaming on top. She eased into the soothing water,
closing her eyes at the blissful caress of the heat on her tight muscles. And she waited.
Anticipating. Would he come? She tried to stay alert, but the relaxing warmth seeped into
her skin, lulling her to sleep.

Awakening with a start in the cold water, disappointment formed a knot in her
stomach—he’d never appeared. She released some water down the drain and added hot
water, swirling it around until the temperature was comfortable again. She had five more
minutes before she had to abandon her bath to start her workday. She lay back down,
sinking below the water with her eyes closed, swishing the fresh water over her skin to
remove the bubble bath film, her face floating above the surface to breathe.

He appeared. She held her breath, clamping her eyes shut tight, trying to hold the
image as long as possible. Though the apparition was still slightly blurry, she could see
all of him, head to toe. She took advantage of her increased perception, thoroughly
studying his image. She almost clapped her hands when her mental measurement
estimated his height at over six feet. At five feet ten, she was taller than most boys her
age. But she scolded herself for examining him as if he were a potential boyfriend. He
wasn’t even real. His clothes were made of supple-looking brown leather. The attire was
odd—held together with ties and toggles rather than buttons or zippers. The fit was close
enough that his well-formed muscles were evident. She noted his long hair was tied back,
as it had been earlier. She could only see the front of him as he stood frozen, stock-still,
with his mouth agape, his jewel-green eyes wide and... moving. His eyes were moving, up
and down, as if he were scanning her body as she had done. And it occurred to her if she
could see all of him, he might be able to see all of her.

She gasped, opening her eyes to dispense with the specter. But his image remained,
now sharp and clear. And he seemed to be standing in her bathroom. She cowered under
the water, attempting to hide under the few remaining bubbles. His eyes dropped down to
her navel, and as they widened, he whispered, “Wendelle?”

Lunging for her towel on the floor, she screamed at the top of her lungs. Hastily
covering herself and preparing to leap from the tub, she looked up, only to discover the
vision was gone—if indeed it had been a vision.

Wednesday, August 19, 2015

Ballet and Multicultural Sweet Romance from Kathy Bosman

Do you love ballet? Sweet romance? Me, too.
That's why one of the characters in the Teen Wytche Saga is a former ballerina.

Today's spotlight is on The Dance of the Firefly, a multicultural, second-chance-at-love contemporary romance set in the world of ballet.
Welcome Kathy Bosman and her novel, The Dance of the Firefly.


The Dance of the Firefly
Kathy Bosman

Blurb:

Mix together a beautiful ballerina and ballet teacher, a sexy single dad, and a precocious-yet-sweet daughter, and emotions run high. Add racial and cultural differences, work contracts coming to an end, and hurts and memories from the past and sparks fly.

Rowena loves to dance but has ended up teaching ballet instead. When she helps out Cameron’s difficult daughter, a bond develops between the two dancers. Cameron makes Rowena uncomfortable because he stirs up new, unwanted feelings which make no sense when he intends to leave Zambia soon when his contract ends.

Cameron can’t resist sanguine live-wire Rowena who makes his daughter smile for the first time in years. But can he risk his heart again when memories of his late wife come back to haunt him? And Rowena has a lot more at stake in giving her all.




Excerpt 

Cameron slipped out the door before Rowena spotted him watching her. His heart rate betrayed his surprise. He’d never seen anything so beautiful. Samantha used to dance beautifully, but not with so much feeling. His late wife’s ballet had been a perfect craft. Each step melded into the next neatly and graciously, without anything out of line. He felt like he could almost see the imaginary lines on the stage when she danced. The perfect spaces she kept on.

Not this woman. Her dancing was rough, raw, and deep. In those few moments of watching Rowena through the high studio window from the dark outside, his whole soul had been shaken to the core. It was as if she’d touched something deep inside of him.

Since Samantha died, the only human being who mattered was Jamey. Few people understood what it was like to lose a spouse after six years of marriage and eight years together. It was like losing a leg or an arm. Everything you did was crippled. Every moment of every day, you remembered your loss and felt less capable of achieving your goals.

So how could he be so fascinated with another woman? He climbed into his Land Rover and took a potholed road to Kalundu to pick up Jamey. The familiar jarring of the huge gashes in the tar forced him to drive slowly. In some places, the surface of the road consisted of more dirt than tar. Boredom lulled him into a dream world.

Flashes of the teacher’s dance came back to him. Why couldn’t he stop thinking of it? Why did he suddenly long to take the woman in his arms and kiss her thoroughly? Her pertinence had attracted him. The raw energy she displayed had drawn him. The young woman’s unusual appearance had fascinated him. He’d been mesmerized by her fake blonde streaks against dark, straightened locks pulled into a tight ponytail, clear green eyes, and caramel skin. The unusual coloring and bone structure, with her high cheekbones and pointy chin, were softened by the smoothest-looking skin he’d even seen and rounded cheeks.

Saturday was going to be interesting. Not like he would pursue anything. He wasn’t ready for a romantic relationship. But browsing was free. Experiencing a person from a distance should be safe. Pity he couldn’t spy on the class. He had the means to, but would his conscience let him? A small smile tugged at his mouth. He could watch her before and after the lesson. In his mind’s eye, Samantha peered at him from the stage, her body poised in an elevated step, questioning him with her gaze, her gentle smile warming his heart. Yeah, it wasn’t time yet. Would his memories ever let him think of anyone other than his late wife?



Excerpt 2

After supper, Jamey pulled Rowena down the passage.

“Wow,” she said. “What a pretty room.” She wasn’t just saying it. Cameron had put everything into his daughter’s space: Disney Princess curtains and matching duvet set, with fluffy soft toys displayed on floating shelves shaped as crowns. In the corner sat a four-poster, with a pink net cascading down the sides, a requirement in Zambia to keep malaria mosquitoes away at night. The nets were inconvenient, but Cameron had used hers to add a dreamy effect.

“Even your mosquito net has lacy edges,” she said, picking up a corner and fingering the sturdy lace. 
“Where did you get it?”

“My daddy asked a lady to make it girly.”

“He’s very kind.”

“Look at my Barbie dolls. I have three ballerina ones. This one….” Her voice went quiet, almost reverent. “My mommy bought me this one a few months before she died. Her legs and arms bend, and she has a second pair of ballet shoes. Some black ones.”

“Now that’s pretty. I love black ballet shoes.”

“Really?”

“I did my first principal role with black ballet shoes. I was the bad witch in a show we danced in.”

Jamey stared at her. “Why did you want to be the witch?”

She suppressed a laugh. “I didn’t want to be a bad person, but the role was the hardest, and I considered it a privilege to be chosen.”

“Did you get a curtain call?”

“We all did. My teacher did a great job in writing the story and choreographing the ballet steps for us. The dance was so popular, we even did it in front of the president of Zambia.”

“Wow. My mommy used to dance in front of thousands of people. She was very popular.”

“What was her name?”

“She used her old name for her ballet name. Samantha Palmer.”

“Oh.” Rowena swallowed a lump in her throat. Samantha Palmer had been a well-known prima ballerina who danced for the South African Ballet Theatre, now called the South African Msanzi Ballet Company. She should know. She’d tried to get in there, with no success. Samantha had been one of her idols. The most graceful, delicate dancer she’d ever watched. Her role in Romeo and Juliet had been the highlight of her career, giving her international recognition. That had been five years ago. How long ago had she died? How had she died?

“Your mommy was a very talented dancer. You must have inherited some of her talent.”

“You think so?” Jamey asked. “It’s hard, though.”

“What?”

“Trying to dance like her.”

Her breath hitched. The girl had a difficult act to follow.

“You don’t have to dance like her. You must dance your own way. Everyone has his or her own style. You need to work on your strengths and concentrate on what you can do.”

Jamey nodded. “But Daddy misses watching Mommy. I’ve seen him play her ballets on the DVD player all through the night. If I could dance like her, maybe Daddy would be happy again.”

She suppressed a gasp. No wonder the kid had hated her ballet lessons. The pressure had been enormous on her.

“Your daddy is happy with you being a child and having fun. You don’t have to be too serious with your ballet, yet. It takes years to learn how to dance like your mother did.”

She nodded, her lips quivering.

“Your mommy would have wanted you to enjoy ballet. She wouldn’t want it to be something hard and too serious.”

“I suppose.”

“And it’s not your mommy’s ballet Daddy misses,” she said, taking Jamey into her arms and giving her a tight squeeze. “It’s her company at home. He watches her so he can remember her as a person.”

Jamey’s face was wet with tears.

“I’m sorry your mommy died.” Rowena wiped a tear away with her hand. “My mommy died a few days ago. I miss her so much.” She swallowed the lump in her throat. “I can imagine how you must miss her, being a kid.”

“I do.”

“But your daddy loves you whole bunches. He cares for you deeply.”

Jamey jumped off her lap and grabbed a puzzle. “This is my favorite. It’s of a hedgehog and a mole.”

“It’s cute.” Rowena was relieved to get away from the difficult subject of her deceased mother. She couldn’t bear to see how much it hurt Jamey not to have her mother with her. As much as she hated being without her mom, at least she’d had her growing up.

“We can make the jigsaw on the table in the lounge while the others watch rugby. I can hear them all cheering in there.” She lowered her voice to a whisper. “Don’t tell anyone, but I hate rugby.”

The girl giggled. “Me, too.”

She linked pinky fingers with Jamey. “Perfect. Then we can build the picture together and pretend to watch. Okay?”

The child nodded, the box gripped in her arms, her eyes shining. The smile came back, and Rowena let out a breath she hadn’t known she’d been holding. How could she become so attached to a kid so quickly? Something weird had happened. From worst student to tiny friend, a miracle had occurred. How could she push her new little friend away because her father made her feel uncomfortable—and too aware of her womanhood?


Author Bio:

Kathy loves reading and writing even more. She homeschools her three kids, so in between unsuccessfully explaining the difference between subject and predicate or how to divide fractions, she enters an imaginary world of troubled and passionate characters whose stories take over the page. Kathy lives in Kwazulu Natal, South Africa, where the summers are hot, the winters cool, and bugs thrive. Her first published novel, Wedding Gown Girl, came out in 2012 with Astraea Press. She belongs to the Romance Writers of South Africa Group (ROSA) which has been her greatest support and inspiration the last few years.

Buy Links:


Kobo:http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/the-dance-of-the-firefly




Online Links for Kathy:

Website and blog: http://www.kathybosman.com/







Newsletter Subscription: http://eepurl.com/NokET



Thursday, August 13, 2015

Cover Reveal: Krysten Lindsay Hager's Next Door to a Star

I am pleased to reveal this gorgeous new cover for 
Krysten Lindsay Hager's upcoming Young Adult Romance!

We are extremely excited to reveal the cover of NEXT DOOR TO A STAR by Krysten Lindsay Hager! This Young Adult Romance releases September 1st! 




They like me...they like me not.




NEXT DOOR TO A STAR by Krysten Lindsay Hager


Genre: Young Adult Romance


SYNOPSIS 


Hadley Daniels is tired of feeling invisible.





After Hadley’s best friend moves away and she gets on the bad side of some girls at school, she goes to spend the summer with her grandparents in the Lake Michigan resort town of Grand Haven. Her next door neighbor is none other than teen TV star Simone Hendrickson, who is everything Hadley longs to be—pretty, popular, and famous—and she’s thrilled when Simone treats her like a friend.


Being popular is a lot harder than it looks.

It’s fun and flattering when Simone includes her in her circle, though Hadley is puzzled about why her new friend refuses to discuss her former Hollywood life. Caught up with Simone, Hadley finds herself ignoring her quiet, steadfast friend, Charlotte. 

To make things even more complicated, along comes Nick Jenkins…

He’s sweet, good-looking, and Hadley can be herself around him without all the fake drama. However, the mean girls have other ideas and they fill Nick’s head with lies about Hadley, sending him running back to his ex-girlfriend and leaving Hadley heartbroken. 

So when her parents decide to relocate to Grand Haven, Hadley hopes things will change when school starts…only to be disappointed once again.

Cliques.

Back-stabbing.

Love gone bad.

Is this really what it’s like to live…

Next Door To A Star?


KRYSTEN LINDSAY HAGER  






Krysten Lindsay Hager is an obsessive reader and has never met a bookstore she didn’t like. She’s worked as a journalist and humor essayist, and writes for teens, tweens, and adults. She is the author of the Landry’s True Colors Series and her work has been featured in USA Today and named as Amazon’s #1 Hot New Releases in Teen & Young Adult Values and Virtues Fiction and Amazon’s #1 Hot New Releases in Children’s Books on Values. She’s originally from Michigan and has lived in South Dakota, Portugal, and southwestern Ohio. She received her master’s degree from the University of Michigan-Flint.