Review: Death in Neverland by Heather C. Myers

Death in Neverland by Heather C. Myers 
(Neverland #1) 
Publication date: November 12th 2014 
Genres: Fantasy, Retelling, Young Adult

Description:
In the Neverland, people don’t grow up. Because they’re dead.

Remy Cutler dies, and somehow escapes certain death. She returns to the land of the living with nothing but a ripped gown and a fear of heights.
She plans to escape her arranged marriage by stowing away onto a ship in hopes to leave her home with no one none knowing. However, she is found out, and the sailors aren’t happy. Before any damage can be done, she is yanked from her predicament back to The Neverland, a place where death resides – the very place she escaped from years ago. Souls are ferried by her savior. To her, he’s known as Nick, but to The Neverland, he’s the slippery Nicholas Grey.

The more time Remy spends with Nick and his crew, however, the more she realizes he’s shockingly misunderstood. Pirates aren’t all bad the way gentleman aren’t all good. One such gentleman goes by the name of Peter, and he has nothing but power on his mind and revenge against Grey in his heart. And then there are those that are completely indiscernible, like James Hook, a Viking and ruler of The Other World, whose sole ambition is attaining more souls to rule over, no matter what the cost.

This dark retelling of Peter Pan infuses familiar characters created by J. M. Barrie with new characters and Greek mythology. It is the first in a trilogy.

My Thoughts:
Remy Cutler is a typical upper class girl, sheltered, well trained, snobbish. When she runs away from her arranged marriage, she ends up alive in the underworld; Neverland.
I wouldn't call this a retelling of Peter Pan at all. Yes, it uses familiar characters like Peter and Hook in name, but that's about it. I feel like it's a closer fit to a later period interpretation of Greek Mythology, with Hook taking a sort of Hades position.
That aside, I enjoyed this story. The characters aren't particularly memorable, but the story definitely kept me engaged. I will be reading the rest of the books at some point, since it has a *spoiler* cliff hanger ending. But I found the writing overly heavy with description and "internal dialogue" to the point where it was distracting from the plot and made the pace drag. I think it's also in need of a heavy editor's hand as there were many incorrect spellings/word usage etc.
But, as I said, the plot definitely held my attention, and made me curious enough that I'd like to read what happens in the next book/s.

**Thank you to Xpresso Tours for providing a review copy**

So Different and Yet Alike! Guest Post and Sale

Two Soul Mate historicals are going on sale for 99¢!!  

Al Capone at the Blanche Hotel is on sale for 99¢  May 20-May 27! 

Al Capone at the Blanche Hotel tells a story of lives unfolding in different centuries, but linked and irrevocably altered by a series of murders in 1930.  

Lake City, Florida, June, 1930: Al Capone checks in for an unusually long stay at the Blanche Hotel, a nice enough joint for an insignificant little whistle stop. The following night, young Jack Blevins witnesses a body being dumped heralding the summer of violence to come. One-by-one, people controlling county vice activities swing from KKK ropes. No moonshine distributor, gaming operator, or brothel madam, black or white, is safe from the Klan's self-righteous vigilantism. Jack's older sister Meg, a waitress at the Blanche, and her fiancé, a sheriff’s deputy, discover reasons to believe the lynchings are cover for a much larger ambition than simply ridding the county of vice. Someone, possibly backed by Capone, has secret plans for filling the voids created by the killings. But as the body count grows and crosses burn, they come to realize this knowledge may get all of them killed.  

Gainesville, Florida, August, 2011: Liz Reams, an up and coming young academic specializing in the history of American crime, impulsively moves across the continent to follow a man who convinces her of his devotion yet refuses to say the three simple words I love you. Despite entreaties of friends and family, she is attracted to edginess and a certain type of glamour in her men, both living and historical. Her personal life is an emotional roller coaster, but her career options suddenly blossom beyond all expectation, creating a very different type of stress. To deal with it all, Liz loses herself in her professional passion, original research into the life and times of her favorite bad boy, Al Capone. What she discovers about 1930’s summer of violence, and herself in the process, leaves her reeling at first and then changed forever.

From Soul Mate Publishing:  Al Capone at the Blanche Hotel 

http://amzn.to/16qq3k5

Take a look at the real Blanche Hotel and other actual locations featured in Al Capone at the Blanche Hotel!  https://www.pinterest.com/lindabennettpen/al-capone-at-the-blanche-hotel/

Confederado do Norte, 2015 Honorable Mention in the RONE Awards, is on sale for 99¢ May 27- June 3!!

Set during the aftermath of the American Civil War, Confederado do Norte tells the story of Mary Catherine MacDonald Dias Oliveira Atwell, a child torn from her war devastated home in Georgia and thrust into the primitive Brazilian interior where the young woman she becomes must learn to recreate herself in order to survive.   

October, 1866.

Mary Catherine is devastated when her family emigrates from Georgia to Brazil because her father and maternal uncle refuse to accept the terms of Reconstruction following the Confederacy’s defeat. Shortly after arrival in their new country, she is orphaned, leaving her in Uncle Nathan’s care. He hates Mary Catherine, blaming her for his sister’s death. She despises him because she believes Nathan murdered her father. When Mary Catherine discovers Nathan’s plan to be rid of her as well, she flees into the mountain wilderness filled with jaguars and equally dangerous men. Finding refuge among kind peasants, she grows into a beauty, ultimately marrying the scion of a wealthy Portuguese family. Happiness and security seem assured until civil unrest brings armed marauders who have an inexplicable connection to Mary Catherine. Recreating herself has protected Mary Catherine in the past, but this new crisis will demand all of the courage, intelligence, and creativity she possesses simply to survive.    

Confederado do Norte available from Amazon:  http://amzn.com/B00LMN5OMI

See scenes from Brazil and other locations featured in Confederado do Norte!  https://www.pinterest.com/lindabennettpen/confederado-do-norte/

So Different and Yet Alike

At first glance, my first two novels do not appear to share any similarities. They are set in different centuries, in different parts of the world, are written in very different formats – even the styles of language employed are different due to the eras in which the books are set. Al Capone at the Blanche Hotel takes place in north Florida with dual timelines of 1930 and the present day. Confederado do Norte is set primarily in Brazil in the mid to late 1800’s. The characters speak, live, and dress in the styles of their eras and locations, with Portuguese words embedded throughout much of Confederado and “Southernisms” sprinkled liberally throughout Al Capone. After reading both, however, I believe readers may see some common threads running through the novels, the most obvious being that my stories are either set in the American South or are about Southerners far from home.

Meg, from the 1930 chapters of Al Capone, and Mary Catherine, from Confederado, are Southern girls struggling with odds stacked against them in a world that sees women as second-class citizens at best or mere possessions of men at worst. Though their lives are difficult and even dangerous at times, neither young woman indulges in prolonged periods of self-pity. Instead, they face the realities of their situations head-on with grit and determination. Both Meg and Mary Catherine are based on the women in my family who worked their way through college when girls weren’t supposed to need or acquire educations, survived the Great Depression with their spirits and honor intact, helped win World War II from the home front, and then settled into careers while raising families. They were remarkable for their abilities to deal with and overcome adversity. These were the characteristics with which Meg and Mary Catherine were imbued. They are survivors!

In both novels, I attempt to address issues that represent the uglier side of human nature, and particularly, that are part of the American South’s history and heritage. As a child in the deep South, I never really accepted or understood the way in which some people were treated. It confused me as a child and later appalled me as an adult that we were taught to love our neighbors as ourselves on Sundays, but were then expected to deal with Blacks, Jews, and Catholics in varying degrees of viciousness the remainder of the week. Themes on the devastating effects of racism and of the importance of ignoring societal norms in order to do what is morally right run through both novels. 

I could go on at length with deeper details of similarity, but the one that is nearest my heart is that both novels feature children who are brave, determined, and see more clearly than the adults around them. Jack in Al Capone guards his younger friend Zeke with the zeal of a mother tiger. Mary Catherine protects her adoptive parents at great cost to herself. They are young, but they do what is required to protect those they love.

As you have probably gathered by now, neither of these books are traditional historical romances. They both do contain strong romantic elements, but they also have suspense and themes women generally find important. Finally, probably the greatest similarity is that Al Capone at the Blanche Hotel and Confederado do Norte have as their central theme the triumph of good over evil. Not exactly original, but in reality, this has always been and continues to be the most important issue of any era.

Also by Linda:

BIO:

Linda shares this about herself: 

"I have been in love with the past for as long as I can remember. Anything with a history, whether shabby or majestic, recent or ancient, instantly draws me in. I suppose it comes from being part of a large extended family that spanned several generations. Long summer afternoons on my grandmother's porch or winter evenings gathered around her fireplace were filled with stories both entertaining and poignant. Of course being set in the American South, those stories were also peopled by some very interesting characters, some of whom have found their way into my work.

As for my venture in writing, it has allowed me to reinvent myself. We humans are truly multifaceted creatures, but unfortunately we tend to sort and categorize each other into neat, easily understood packages that rarely reveal the whole person. Perhaps you, too, want to step out of the box in which you find yourself. I encourage you to look at the possibilities and imagine. Be filled with childlike wonder in your mental wanderings. Envision what might be, not simply what is. Let us never forget, all good fiction begins when someone says to her or himself, Let's pretend."

Linda resides in the Houston area with one sweet husband and one adorable German Shorthaired Pointer who is quite certain she’s a little girl.

http://www.lindapennell.com/ 

https://www.facebook.com/AuthorLindaBennettPennell

Twitter: @LindaPennell 

Blog Tour: Under Ground by Alice Rachel

Under Ground by Alice Rachel
(Under Ground, #1)
Publication date: October 30th 2015
Genres: Dystopia, Romance, Young Adult

Synopsis:

Love is a taboo, a mere fantasy— foreign, unreachable, and dangerous.
Raised in a society where women have no rights, seventeen-year-old Thia Clay holds little hope for a bright future. When her parents sell her into marriage to elite member William Fox, Thia slowly gives in to despair. William is nothing but a cruel, selfish young man with no other interest than to serve his own.
Born illegally and forced to hide from the authorities his entire life, nineteen-year-old Chi Richards is an active member of the Underground—a rebellious group seeking to overthrow the government.
Chi only has one goal—to rescue his parents from the work camp they were forced into.
Meeting Thia was never part of the plan, and neither was falling in love with her.
If caught in their forbidden relationship, Thia and Chi could face a death sentence, and when devastating secrets surface from Chi’s past, Thia has to rely on her instincts to make a choice that could save her or destroy her forever.

Goodreads

Amazon

Author's favorite character and why:

My favorite character in my book series "Under Ground" is my antagonist Stephen.

He is also the twin brother of my main male protagonist Chi.

It was interesting for me to create two characters who look exactly the same and yet are so very different that the readers can tell them apart just based on their attitudes. They have very distinct mannerisms and ways of speaking.

Stephen is all darkness when Chi is the sun shining through.

Stephen was the easiest character to create and he is still the easiest to write.

He has a really strong personality, a bad temper, but also a kind heart hiding underneath all the nastiness, and he is completely out of control.

I do not write Stephen. Stephen writes himself, which makes the whole process so much easier.

He will not follow any of my directions, even when those are in his best interest. I often try to force him to be nice, but that's apparently not going to happen.

Writing Stephen is also a painful process that often brings me to tears. If you read his novellas, you will understand why... I cannot reveal the reasons behind the heartaches he causes me. But he is truly heartbreaking.

Stephen is by far my most complex character. He cannot be trusted. He is a liar, a deceiver, and a manipulator. But in the end, he is my most beautiful creation. He is the most altruistic of all my characters, and yet one of the meanest as well.

Stephen is a contradiction.

He happens to be most readers' favorite character as well... Many readers cannot choose between him and his brother Chi (who happens to be the main male protagonist). But there is no need to choose. There is no team, really. One can love them both.

There is always a switch in the readers' opinion of Stephen. Those who have read book 1 despise Stephen. Those who have read his novella love him.

I wrote Stephen that way on purpose, and when readers message me to tell me that they hate Stephen, I chuckle to myself and respond, "Just wait until you read the novella... You might change your mind." ;-)

Stephen is not what he seems to be. He is more than his words and actions.

He has received the most marriage proposals out of all the characters too. *laughs* He is quite popular with the ladies. *waggles eyebrows*

I could go on about him for a very long time. All I will say is that I love Stephen almost as if he were human, but I always push the readers to form their own opinions about him. I don't want them to like him just because I do, or because they don't want to hurt my feelings.

Stephen has his fair share of haters, and that is fine. He is, after all, one of the antagonists... :-)

AUTHOR BIO:

Alice Rachel is the author of the YA Dystopian ROMANCE SERIES “Under Ground.” Originally from France, Alice Rachel moved to the United States ten years ago to live with her husband, and she now also shares her home with two really old foster guinea pigs.
Alice enjoys books of all kinds and more specifically those introducing well-written antagonists and complex protagonists. Alice also loves to draw her own book characters.
The first book of her series “Under Ground” came out in October 2015, and the sequel will be out later this year.
Alice loves to interact with all readers, so feel free to send her a Tweet.

Author links:

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14583678.Alice_Rachel

https://www.facebook.com/alicerachelwrit

https://twitter.com/AliceRachelWrit

http://www.alicerachelwrites.com/

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Release: Between Midnight and Dawn By: Cheryl Yeko

Between Midnight and Dawn

By: Cheryl Yeko

Releasing May 19, 2016
Soul Mate Publishing

Blurb

Kyle Wade has spent over half his life seeking justice for his mother’s brutal murder at the hands of the serial killer known as C.H.K. His efforts lead him to Nicole Chambers, a woman he quickly develops strong feelings for.

Now he’s torn between keeping Nicole safe, or using her as bait to capture the monster stalking her.

Follow Tour

Book Trailer: https://youtu.be/vCzNSmjM6rQ

Goodreads Amazon

Nicole paced nervously, waiting for Kyle to return. She’d thrown on her workout clothes; a black pair of Capris, a long purple T-shirt with large cut-out armholes, and a black sports bra that peeked out from underneath. She was covered practically from head to foot, so why did she get so nervous thinking about Kyle seeing her in the outfit?

Because he’ll be touching me, that’s why. And though not as daring as what a lot of the women wore at the club, it still showed far more skin than Nicole was used to, except when she was working out. Did this qualify?

This is a bad idea.

Her doorbell rang out.

She took a steadying breath. Too late to back out.

When she opened the door and Kyle saw her, his eyes lit with a smoldering fire. But all he said was, “Ready?” as he moved past her, greeting her dog, “Hey, Charlie.

Taking a moment to close the door, and calm her jittery nerves, she turned back to him. The desire she’d so clearly recognized in his heated stare, had lessened to a more neutral expression.

He nodded toward the living room, where she’d pushed the furniture out of the way, clearing a large spot in the middle. “You should have waited for me to help.”

Nicole rolled her eyes. “Please. I do vacuum, you know. The furniture doesn’t move itself.”

A slightly crooked smile curved Kyle’s lips as Charlie headed over to his dog bed for a nap. “Suppose not.”

Her stomach fluttered. He was too damn charming for his own good. How in the hell was she supposed to resist him? No men rule, remember. Gah! What a dumb rule. What had she been thinking?

Maybe that your taste in men is crap, and you needed a good long break after the last guy you dated almost killed you.

Oh, yeah. That was it.

Kyle moved to the center of the room, looking all too fine in a pair of tight jeans that hugged his ass. He waved her over with two crooked fingers. Her cheeks flamed, hoping he hadn’t caught her checking him out. But by the smirk on his face, she figured he had.

“Now,” he said as she approached, his tone shifting to all business. “If someone tries to grab you, whatcha gonna do?”

“Um. Run away?”

He nodded. “That might work. But, let’s say he manages to get ahold of you. What then?”

She licked her dry lips, nerves rolling around in her stomach. “Is this a trick question?”

The smile that split his face stole her breath. Gone was the serious tenant-slash-police officer from her backyard cottage. The man who stood before her now was a total, flat out, hands-down, no-question-about-it, hottie. His sex appeal exploded into the room like an atomic bomb filling up every nook and cranny.

And in just a minute or so, he was going to put his hands on her.

Ohmygod. Trouble. Seriously.

Maybe this really wasn’t such a good idea—

Nicole screamed when she was suddenly grabbed and her back brought up against Kyle’s chest. One arm clamped around her waist, the other across her throat.

Her natural instinct was to struggle, but he had one leg wrapped around her shins, totally immobilizing her. The heat from Kyle’s body burned her up, and she wasn’t unaware of the rising bulge against the small of her back. Excitement tickled through her.

Charlie let out a little bark, but only lazily watched them. She scowled at him. Some guard dog!

Mouth pressed against her ear, Kyle murmured in a seductive drawl, “If I were the bad guy, sweetheart, your pretty little ass would be mine right now.”

Author Info

My writing career began in 2011, after my wonderful husband bought me a Kindle for Christmas and changed my world. I started reading romance novels, and fell in love with them. I decided to write one myself, and disappeared into my room over a long Wisconsin winter and wrote my debut novel, PROTECTING ROSE. I submitted to a few publishing houses and was offered a contract with Soul Mate Publishing, which I quickly accepted.

PROTECTING ROSE went on to win the 2012 Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence in the romantic suspense category. Well, I was hooked.

Today, I'm a multi-published, award-winning author, and live in Wisconsin with my husband Patrick. I love to read, play piano, and spend time with family and friends. I enjoy novels with fast-paced action and steamy romance, protective alpha men and strong heroines. I belong to several writing groups, including Romance Writers of America (RWA) and Sisters in Crime.

Please sign up for Cheryl’s Newsletter, with her two BFF’s, Char Chaffin and Callie Hutton.

http://www.thepowerof3cs.com/

Char and Cheryl also write together under the pen name, CiCi Cordelia, Writing From The Heart.  Find us on Amazon

Cheryl is also an Acquisitions Editor for Soul Mate Publishing. As an Editor, she welcomes Romantic Suspense, Paranormal, Sci-Fi, Contemporary, and Erotica. You can reach her at Cheryl@SoulMatePublishing.com

Author Links:  Website | Facebook | Twitter | GoodReads

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Review: A Taste of Death and Honey by Sharon Bayliss

From Goodreads:
When Samantha’s parents died, she lost everything. Her home. Her friends. Her hope. Then a life-loving spring witch at the children’s shelter fills her life with light and joy once again.

But like the springtime, Samantha’s happiness doesn’t last forever. Her friend dies violently in front of her, the victim of a mysterious killing spell. Furious and grief-stricken, Samantha resents her own weak spring magic. She doesn’t need life and renewal. She wants revenge…and death.

Homeless and alone, Samantha seeks shelter with her old friends, the Vandergraff family, and finds an unexpected ally in the powerful winter solstice witch, Evangeline. The girls’ anger and eagerness lead them to cast a killing spell before knowing the truth behind Samantha’s friend’s death or the identity of her killer. 

Once the spell is cast, they can’t take it back, and they must fight to stop their own curse before it takes away everyone they love.

My Thoughts:
**I was the lucky acquiring editor for this novel**
A Taste of Death and Honey continues following the story of the Vandergraffs. Samantha returns as well, and starts the story as she witnesses the horrific death of her girlfriend. All of this comes back to haunt Patrick and Evangeline, as it's their fault, although an accident, that the girl died.
We meet spring witches and wizards, as this is a spring based story, and old foes return when the son of Evangeline and Xavier's molester and abuser appears on the scene. Although assumed to be a foe, he turns out to be essential.
This next installment to the series will blow your mind. The emotions and the twists are powerful and unexpected. The family has their loyalties to one another tested, and love shows itself in unexpected and beautiful ways. If you've read the first two books, you definitely need to get your hands on this one... and then wait anxiously for the next!

Blog Tour: Competing with the Star by Krysten Lindsay Hager

Competing with the Star

by Krysten Lindsay Hager

Release Date: March 22nd 2016

Limitless Publishing

Summary from Goodreads:

The perfect guy, the perfect location. What could go wrong? 

Hadley Daniels’s life seems perfect…

Before the beginning of sophomore year of high school, Hadley and her family move to a beautiful beach town, where she makes amazing new friends and lands the boyfriend of her dreams—Nick Jenkins. He’s the kind of guy every girl swoons over, and it isn’t long until Hadley discovers some are still swooning.

A famous ex-girlfriend makes matters more complicated…

After some time dating, Hadley and Nick form a deep bond. But insecurity sets in when Hadley discovers her boyfriend once had a huge crush on her friend—who just happens to be the beautiful former teen TV star, Simone Hendrickson.

The past is the past—or so they say…

Hadley confronts Nick, who confesses about his history with Simone. Though he claims to only have eyes for Hadley now, it’s hard to believe—especially when she’s blindsided with the news that Nick and Simone kissed after school.

Now Hadley must determine who is telling the truth. Love, betrayal, friendship…who needs soap opera drama when you’re busy competing with a star? 

Add to Goodreads

Buy Links:

Amazon US│Barnes & Noble│Amazon UK│Amazon CA

Next Door to a Star on Goodreads

Excerpt:

Two days passed and Nick hadn’t called again. I couldn’t blame him. After all, I had pushed for him to be honest and then had bailed on him. I’m sure he was mad at me for telling him he could tell me the truth and then I punished him for it—and he would be right. I couldn’t handle the icky feelings, and instead of being a big girl and dealing with them, I came home from school and retreated into the world of books. A world where people were kidnapped, jewels were stolen, but nobody’s heart ever got broken because in my favorite series, The Raven Chronicles, Raven’s boyfriend, Fernando, was ever faithful and loyal and would never even look at another girl. He was the perfect book boyfriend. In other words, he was fictional and didn’t exist.

I saw I had a text from Simone. Oh great, maybe she was asking for my blessing to go out with Nick, or if I was still planning to go to Watson High School next year so she could make out with him in a different hallway from my locker. 

Simone: Are you mad at me? Nick said you’re upset because you found out he used to like me. 

Oh fabulous. He told her the whole gross story. Well, of course he did, seeing as how he was always over with her clique and he could tell the love of his life anything. 

Me: Whatever. It’s not important. 

Simone: He said he hasn’t talked to you in days because you hung up on him and won’t return his messages. 

Me: It’s not a big deal. 

Simone: It is to him. You hurt him. You know I don’t like him, right? 

Me: Did you ever? 

Simone: Can we talk about this on the phone? I’m calling you. 

I had no choice but to pick up. “Okay, I’m going to be honest with you,” Simone said after I answered the phone. “He was super crazy about me and honestly, it freaked me out a little. And did I think about going out with him? Not right away, but yeah. I thought about it, but he only started to look cute to me once he was with you. I know that sounds super bad, but I didn’t notice him until you guys were a thing.”

“What?” I asked. It felt like my stomach plummeted several stories down.

About the Author

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 also the author of the Landry’s True Colors Series (True Colors, Best Friends…Forever?, and the soon to be released, Landry in Like) 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.

Author Links:

Website│Goodreads│Twitter│Facebook

GIVEAWAY:

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Blog Tour Organized by:

YA Bound Book Tours

Cover Reveal: A Taste of Death and Honey (The December People Series #3) by Sharon Bayliss

The time has come!! I'm happy to present the cover of book three in The December People Series, A Taste of Death and Honey. I'm so thankful to Curiosity Quills Press for their amazing work. I think it's stunning! And just the right amount of creepy. What do you think?

This book will grab you by the throat, challenge your mind, and turn your heart inside out. Sharon Bayliss delivers a powerful, emotional punch with her third book in the December People series. - Amy Bearce, author of  The World of Aluvia Series

When Samantha’s parents died, she lost everything. Her home. Her friends. Her hope. Then a life-loving spring witch at the children’s shelter fills her life with light and joy once again.

But like the springtime, Samantha’s happiness doesn’t last forever. Her friend dies violently in front of her, the victim of a mysterious killing spell. Furious and grief-stricken, Samantha resents her own weak spring magic. She doesn’t need life and renewal. She wants revenge…and death.

Homeless and alone, Samantha seeks shelter with her old friends, the Vandergraff family, and finds an unexpected ally in the powerful winter solstice witch, Evangeline. The girls’ anger and eagerness lead them to cast a killing spell before knowing the truth behind Samantha’s friend’s death or the identity of her killer. 

Once the spell is cast, they can’t take it back, and they must fight to stop their own curse before it takes away everyone they love.

A Taste of Death and Honey comes out on 6/9/16!! If you're interested in reading it early and writing a review, please sign up here. And if you're new to the series, you can get caught up by reading Destruction (Book One) and Watch Me Burn (Book Two), both available on Amazon and Audible. 

Thank you for your support!

  

Blog Tour: All Over You by Ayden K. Morgen

Welcome to my tour stop on the All Over You Blog Tour! Today, Ayden has a brand new excerpt and teasers for us!

Ivy Kendall's only plan for her life was to teach, but then it all fell apart...

When Rory Clark disappears from UCLA after a lengthy online relationship with a "catfish" pretending to be Ivy, the sassy former model turned kindergarten teacher is forced to dive headfirst into the mystery in order to clear her name. The catfishing phenomenon meets good, old-fashioned police work when Cameron Lewis, a bossy San Francisco detective with a dominant streak, offers to help her uncover the awful truth about her stolen identity and Rory's disappearance.

They've barely scratched the surface when Ivy is charged with a murder she swears she didn't commit.

As the evidence against her piles up and the intense attraction between her and Cameron deepens, Ivy wants nothing more than to lean on the tattooed detective. He's already seen her at her worse. Now she has to find the courage to trust him with her heart. But how can she when she's terrified doing so will ruin his career?

Her greatest fear becomes reality when the ugly truth is revealed and their lives come tumbling down around them. 

Betrayed by the one person she never suspected, Ivy makes a reckless decision that puts her in the sights of a murderer and jeopardizes Cameron's career. He will do whatever it takes to save the woman he loves...even if that means becoming a killer himself.
 
Will he be able to reach her before it's too late, or will Rory's catfish take more than just one life?

All Over You is a completely standalone sister novel to the All Falls Down duo, intended for readers aged 18 and over.

AMAZON (Free on Kindle Unlimited!)| GOODREADS

Excerpt

"You gotta be kidding me," I mumble to myself, my gaze catching on Tall, Dark, and Brooding as I take a drink of water before my first set. He's sitting in the back of the room, looking as gorgeous as he did last night.

He's in jeans and a slate gray t-shirt this time, with his tattoos peeking from beneath the sleeves, drawing my attention. The colorful ink looks amazing against his biceps. He's staring at me again, a devilish smirk on his face.

My stomach dips and spins at the look in his gray eyes. It's pure sex.

I sip my water, watching him over the top of the bottle. When the tip of his tongue peeks out to swipe across his full bottom lip, my hands tremble, causing some of the water to spill down my chin before dripping onto my chest. I gasp and wipe it away, but not quickly enough to keep several drops from trickling down my breasts. My sweetheart dress plunges into a deep V that ends in a flirty little bow around my waist. The bottom flares out at mid-thigh. It's retro and very cute, but I can't wear a bra with it, so my nipples immediately tighten when the cold water spills across my chest. I look around for a napkin to dry myself off, but there isn't one in sight, and the nearest waitress has her back to me, flirting with a group of college students sharing a bottle of whiskey at a table near the stage.

Screw it. It'll be burning hot in here in a few minutes, anyway.

My gaze shifts back to the mystery man in the corner, taking in the way his long fingers wrap around the beer bottle on his table. His gaze roves openly over my breasts, which only makes my nipples that much harder.

He notices.

His cocky smirk grows as he meets my gaze again, a dimple in his cheek popping out.

God, he's hot.

No way am I about to let him know that though.

I arch a brow at him, silently telling him to keep his eyes off my tits.

"You ready?" my drummer, Chad, asks, sliding into position behind his drum set.

"Yep, I'm ready." I set my water aside and step up to the microphone as the rest of the band takes their places. I'm not playing the guitar tonight so I grab the mic from the stand so I can move around a little. My gaze sweeps over the crowd as they quiet down a notch. The place is packed, bodies crammed into every available seat in the house.

Situated close to San Fran State, the audience at the Red Room is always a little younger than my audience at Mitch's. They're mostly college kids out to let loose and have fun after a hard week of studying. Except for the gorgeous bastard in the back corner, anyway. He's definitely not a college kid. He's all man and he knows it.

He's still watching me when my gaze flickers to him again.

Who is he?

And since when did blatant staring become sexy to me?

I turn to the band and mouth the name of the song I want to open with.

A couple of the guys chuckle at me, knowing damn well I reserve it for instances when someone in the crowd crosses a line and pisses me off, but they don't argue.

"How y'all doing tonight?" I ask the audience, who clap and whistle and shout their responses.

"I'm fucking horny!" One guy shouts after everyone has quieted, causing laughter to erupt around the room.

"I'm sure you are," I tease him before glancing back at the mystery man in the corner and giving him a smirk of my own. Two can play this game of his. "I gotta ask you guys in the room, has anyone ever turned you on so much you just had to do something about it, but you were too chicken shit to actually make a move so you just kind of stared all night?"

"Fuck yeah!" The same guy shouts.

Some of the girls in the crowd boo. One little redhead yells out that he's a creeper. It doesn't deter him. He just laughs along with the room, obviously too drunk to give a shit what anyone thinks about him.

"This one is for you then, sweetheart," I say to him, before moving my gaze back to Tall, Dark, and Brooding, making it clear that I'm talking to him. "Maybe it'll help you grow a pair."

As soon as the last word leaves my lips, Chad counts off behind the drums and then the first bars of Radiohead's Creep roll across the room. The crowd explodes into cheers and laughter, shouting out, "Because I'm a creep!" at the top of their lungs.

I belt out the lyrics, staring right at Tall, Dark, and Brooding.

The gorgeous bastard throws his head back and laughs before lifting his bottle in a mock salute.

*****

About the Author

Ayden lives in the heart of Arkansas with her childhood sweetheart/husband of twelve years, and their five furry minions. When not writing, she spends her time hiking, reading, volunteering, causing mischief, and building a Spork army. Ayden graduated summa cum laude with her Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice and Forensic Psychology in 2009 before going on to complete her graduate degree in CJ and Law. She currently puts her education to use in the social services and CJ field. 

Ayden also writes Young and New Adult fantasy under the penname A.K. Morgen.

You can find her on Twitter, Facebook, or via her website at http://aydenmorgen.com.

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