Torn: A Debut Urban Fantasy from Ashley Stambaugh

Ashley Stambaugh is in the spotlight today with her debut novel, Torn.

Back cover blurb

Three months have passed and Melina thought she was safe. Safe from the effects of the angel powers and safe from the Noxin demons. But she thought too soon.

Just as she’s starting to enjoy her new powers and her new relationship with Lee, the slight pain she still experiences after using the powers starts to grow worse. As the pain becomes more and more unbearable, she finds herself lashing out at innocent people with unexplained anger and hatred. Then to make matters worse, she sees a Noxin demon again.

No one, not even the elders, seems to know what’s happening to Melina, or how a Noxin demon found her. And when she’s introduced to Dean, another unique human like herself, she learns that his pain is completely gone, which only makes her situation even more confusing.

Grasping for any type of answer, Melina throws out one possible explanation after another. But as her angry feelings intensify, and her angel powers grow weaker, she begins to think there might be something malevolent inside her that’s trying to take over. It’s not long before her internal struggle spirals out of control, and her body is turned into a battlefield that’s torn between good and evil.

Melina fears that if no solution is found, then she might lose all the people she loves, especially Lee. But what scares her even more is that she might lose herself to evil.

Torn

Choosing between good and evil isn’t always that easy.

Excerpt

            Melina released his hands and nodded again as she turned to gaze out the front windshield. "I'll talk to him as soon as I…ʺ Her voice trailed off as she continued to stare out the window.

            "Is it the pain again?ʺ Lee asked.

            "No," Melina replied, her face turning paler by the second.

            He glanced out the window and then back at her, a look of concern in his eyes. ʺWhat’s wrong then? What do you see?"

            "A demon." She continued to stare out the window, her body frozen stiff with fear.

            Lee's brow furrowed. "Why are you so scared? I know you can see angels all the time now, but I thought you could see all sorts of different demons now, too. "

            Melina's eyes remained fixed out the window. The demon's black, billowy figure wasn't exclusive to his particular group, but the fiery red eyes were unmistakable.

            "This isn't just some random demon. It's a Noxin demon."

            Lee's expression turned serious. "Those are the ones I saw on the video footage from my apartment, right? The ones you said were really dangerous?ʺ

            She gave him a stiff nod, but kept her gaze locked on the demon. Out of the corner of her eye she saw him looking out the window to see if he could spot the demon himself.

            "Where is he?ʺ Lee asked.

            "He’s behind the antique store across the street, lurking back in the alley.ʺ

            Lee leaned forward in his seat and squinted his eyes as he looked in that direction. ʺI don't see it."

            Melina's breath suddenly caught in her throat. "It's gone. It's gone!ʺ She sat up in her seat, her eyes frantically searching the area outside. A few seconds later she turned to look at Lee, her bright green eyes wide with fear. "This is serious. We need to go.ʺ

About the author

Ashley Stambaugh grew up in a small town in Illinois where she and her two siblings created some of the best memories playing on their family’s farm. She stayed in the southern region of the state to attend college where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree and also met her husband.

Now, she and her husband live in central Illinois and spend their time creating new memories with their two rambunctious boys and their comical black Pug. She also enjoys reading, taking long walks, and finding great bargains. When her sons are a little bit older, she has a great desire to travel with her family. Oh, and she also has a slight obsession with chocolate.

When she’s not busy chasing after her two young children or losing herself in a good book, you can find her curled up on her couch with her laptop, writing.

Social media links

Website: www.ashleystambaugh.blogspot.com
Facebook author page: www.facebook.com/ashleystambaughauthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ashleystambaugh

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8054295.Ashley_Stambaugh

Purchase Links

Amazon US: www.amazon.com/dp/B00SS399IU

Amazon UK: www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00SS399IU

Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/torn-ashley-stambaugh/1121118308?ean=2940149979264

Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/514533

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/torn/id962089053?mt=11&uo=4

Accepted: A debut New Adult Sweet Romance

Young/New Adult author Coleen Lahr is in the spotlight today with her debut contemporary romance novel, Accepted. 

Blurb

Ashley Smith spent her life being shipped from one family member to the next. When Ashley’s estranged father dies, she finally has the money to go to college and the chance to find a place where she belongs.

Within days, Ashley has found the one thing she’s always longed for – a family. She may have even found love. There’s only one problem. Ashley likes Colin…a lot, but so does Randi, and everyone likes Randi. Randi’s approval is the single easiest way to belong. Falling in love with Randi’s crush is the single easiest way to find oneself on the outside for the next three years.

When Ashley arrived at college, she never dreamed she’d find this kind of happiness. Will she allow herself to hold on to this happiness, and Colin, or will her fear of losing her friends, the only friends she’s ever known, dictate her actions?

Excerpt

As I sat next to Colin in Organic Chemistry, I wondered if having classes together was actually a good thing.

            Unlike my first professor, the Organic Chemistry professor comprehensively explained the syllabus, including course requirements, objectives, policies and assignments. All things I was sure were going to be important in the grand scheme of the course.

            And I didn’t hear a word she said.

            Once again, I was completely distracted by the man sitting next to me.

            We were in another massive classroom dominated by stadium seating. We would, over the course of the semester, split our time between this room and the chemistry lab. There were no spaces between the seats, just a thin metal arm rest jutting out from the spot where the seat backs met each other.

Every time Colin moved — to grab his notebook, to turn off his cell phone, to turn the pages of the syllabus we were reviewing — his body brushed some part of mine. By the time we were on the third page of the syllabus, he had brushed me three times with his arm and once with his leg.

And I was frozen.

Every time he touched me, albeit accidentally, my stomach dropped, and my cheeks flamed. My entire face was on fire within the first twenty minutes of class, and I couldn’t concentrate on anything but the boy to my left. I was afraid to move even a quarter of an inch for fear that I would inadvertently shift myself too far away for his unintentional brushes.

To make matters worse, my mind, which never wanders in class, began to drift away and I, the girl who rarely loses focus on a task, drifted with it.

As I sat frozen in my seat, waiting for the next time Colin brushed against me, I wondered what it would be like if his brushes weren’t accidental — if he was touching me on purpose…leaning his leg against mine casually as he relaxed in his seat, running his fingers down my arms, holding my hand in his, entwining our fingers together…

And as I imagined this, I felt myself smiling, my fantasy becoming so detailed that I could actually feel his warm hand, his long fingers, wrapping around my wrist. I could hear him saying my name again and again, the concern in his voice growing each time he repeated it…

Wait…what?

“Ashley?  Ashley?”

Oh no. I looked over at him. His face was filled with concern. I cringed.

“Sorry.” I smiled sheepishly. “I’m just…” I closed my eyes and rubbed my face, which was on fire, in my hands. “…You know, taking it all in. E-everything’s a little o-overwhelming,” I stuttered. I hoped that being overwhelmed was a good excuse for acting like a lunatic.

He smiled. “Don’t worry, Ash. I’ll help you.” And as he stood, he put his hand under my elbow to help me up.

Thank goodness next class is in the lab.

Buy Links

Amazon:  http://amzn.to/13CDeEB

Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/accepted-coleen-lahr/1120679923?ean=2940150383920

Bio

Coleen writes young adult novels, loves running, rock music, the shore, daisies and bread.

When Coleen's not plotting or writing her next book, she can be found making sandwiches in her family's restaurant, running (but mostly walking) Disney marathons, reading any book she can get her hands on and playing with her adorable kid. She lives in New Jersey with her husband, daughter, two dogs and lizard. 

Connect with Coleen

www.coleenlahr.com

facebook.com/coleenlahr

Interview with Young Adult Fantasy Author, L.E. Fred

1Young Adult fantasy adventure author L. E. Fred answers probing questions about her debut novel, LUCID.

a.    Q: What inspired the creation of Lucid?

A: I started writing Lucid after experiencing my first lucid dream. It’s a very out-of-body and surreal experience. We’re used to dreaming every night, but being able to control your actions and fate in the dream world is almost a magical thing. After figuring out how to wake up (yes, you have to oftentimes find your way out of the dreams,) I started pondering the idea of a dream world actually existing, and before I knew it, I had Devon and the plot for Lucid.

b.    Q: You write from the P.O.V. of a 15 year-old boy. Is there anyone who shaped Devon’s character as the protagonist.

A: A wonderful counselor-in-training that I worked with actually inspired Devon’s character. Real-life Devon, who shall be nameless, was one of those campers that turned into a CIT when he outgrew the camp’s age groups. I never went to summer camp as a child, so working at one was a very interesting experience. I got to witness real-life Devon change from being a happy-go-lucky camper to a miserable CIT. As for Devon’s personality, that was shaped by my own sense of humor. I wrote Lucid through Devon’s eyes, and my own commentary sort of slipped through. It fit his sarcastic nature, though, and rereading some parts still makes me laugh.

c.    Q: What about the villains? How did they come to be?

A: Ever since I can remember, I’ve been fascinated by mythological monsters. There seems to be a common thread of villainous snakes and lions. A chimera combines these two deadly creatures, along with a goat, into one evil creature. I liked the idea of having three diverse villains; the more you get to know a villain, the scarier they can become for the reader and the heroes. As I wrote, Serpentine, Gruff, and Leona, seemed to appear out of nowhere to fit the evil villain’s roles. The Nightmares were a little trickier. I thought long and hard about how they should be portrayed, and I eventually started combining features of animals and creatures that people feared the most into one character. That’s why they have shark teeth and devil horns.

d.    Q: Lucid is your first novel. Are you currently working on anything else?

A: Since Devon and his friends’ story didn’t want to finish at the end of Lucid, I’m currently working on the sequel. The story will continue our heroes’ adventure, but you’ll get to hear from other characters in it. It will also have much more of a fantasy element with an even crazier cast of characters. Aside from Lucid, I’m working on two more stories, both in the YA fiction genre.

e.    Q: What inspired you to write YA fiction?

A: I’m a teacher, so I love working with young adults and teens. I’ve seen the power of books transform kids’ ways of thinking about the world and boost confidence. Never underestimate the power of reading. I know it played an important role in shaping my future, and I hope to reach out to as many young adults to inspire them to find their inner heroes and go change the world for the better.

    

Excerpt:

I know that most adventure/fantasy/whatever-you-would-like-to–call-these-stories start with something magical, but my story starts with something ordinary, dreams. I’m talking about the “I’m taking a test and don’t realize I’m in my underwear” kind of dreams. We have them every night, whether we remember them or not. Sometimes they leave us waking up with excitement or inspiration. Sometimes they cause us to wake with a shriek and to look around our rooms. Sometimes they leave us waking up confused or ashamed. These experiences are probably commonplace for most people, but I doubt any of you could ever say your dreams caused you to stay asleep for a long period of time.

            What if your dreams made you disappear?

2.     Bio:

L. E. Fred is a perpetual dreamer who writes about worlds both within and without this realm. With a degree in psychology, L. E. Fred tends to get lost in the mind, the greatest adventure of all. L. E. Fred is currently traveling the world, finding more adventures to inspire new tales of dreams and beyond.

3.    Social media links:

a.    Facebook: http://facebook.com/only.but.a.dream

b.    Blog: http://marsjaws.blogspot.com

c.    Goodreads: http://goodreads.com/marsjaws

   

  

Buy Links Amazon

5.    Favorite 5s:

a.    5 favorite YA books/series

1.    Harry Potter by J. K. Rowling

2.    Percy Jackson by Rick Riordan

3.    Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld

4.    Deltora Quest by Emily Rodda

5.    A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket

b.    5 fun facts about the Lucid crew.

1.    Devon’s favorite thing about the Dream World is the pink grass.

2.    Kyle is deathly afraid of insects. Devon hinted that his older brother screams like a small child when they find roaches in their houses.

3.    Mitch, despite his love for water sports, is afraid of open water. He saw JAWS one too many times to trust the murky deep.

4.    Viv fights with Elis frequently, but she is secretly jealous of his sword skills.

5.    Iven researched the history of human music (with the help of Sophia.) His favorite tunes come from 15^th century Gregorian chants and 1980s pop.