Review: Walk the Edge (Thunder Road #2) by Katie McGarry

Title: Walk the Edge
Author: Katie McGarry
Series: Thunder Road
Genre: Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult
Publisher: Harlequin TEEN
Publication date: March 29th 2016
Pages: 384 (hardcover)
Source: Publisher, Netgalley
Buy links: Amazon | iBooks | Barnes & Noble | Kobo  | Indiebound

One moment of recklessness will change their worlds
Smart. Responsible. That's seventeen-year-old Breanna's role in her large family, and heaven forbid she put a toe out of line. Until one night of shockingly un-Breanna-like behavior puts her into a vicious cyberbully's line of fire—and brings fellow senior Thomas "Razor" Turner into her life.
Razor lives for the Reign of Terror motorcycle club, and good girls like Breanna just don't belong. But when he learns she's being blackmailed over a compromising picture of the two of them—a picture that turns one unexpected and beautiful moment into ugliness—he knows it's time to step outside the rules.
And so they make a pact: he'll help her track down her blackmailer, and in return she'll help him seek answers to the mystery that's haunted him—one that not even his club brothers have been willing to discuss. But the more time they spend together, the more their feelings grow. And suddenly they're both walking the edge of discovering who they really are, what they want, and where they're going from here.

 

Goodreads

 

Katie McGarry is one of my favorite YA contemporary authors. I first fell in love with her Pushing the Limits series and her new series has not let me down either.

Razor and Breanna are probably one of my favorite couples that McGarry has created so far. I liked both characters right from the very beginning. They have such different personalities and a complete different background yet they are so alike. They mad each other stronger in so many ways and that is what every couple should do. It was very clear why they fitted so well together and why they were attracted to each other in the first place. Another thing that was great about them was that they took things slowly and didn’t rush into anything even though that there was chemistry between them from the beginning.

Walk the Edge had all the elements that you can find in all McGarry her books. The main characters that are often from different backgrounds, the slowly burning chemistry between them and of course the personal baggage that the main characters bring with them. And it is exactly this combination of things why I love her books so much. In this book Razor and Breanna had some personal issues but they also shared some of them. Breanna never felt like she truly belonged in her family being the middle kid and the one with a freaky brain. Razor on the other hand felt like he belonged in the club but at the same time he does not know if he can really trust them because of the demons that hunt them. It was great to see how they both helped each other find their place in the world. Another thing that I liked about this book was that it talked an issue that is often present in nowadays society, cyberbullying. People need to pay more attention to this problem, so it is great when an author uses it in her books to show what kind of consequences it might have.

The book itself was pretty long, as most of McGarry’s books, but it did not feel long at all. Walk the Edge sucked me right into the MC world again and at the same time it also showed how it is to grow up in a large family. There was so much going on the entire time that I could not spot one dull moment in this book. The book was paced out pretty well and that is probably one of the things that I loved the most about this book. My only remark is that the ending felt a bit rushed to me. Bu if I had had the time I would probably have finished this book in one day; unfortunately I had work and other responsibilities.

Overall I really enjoyed this book and I would definitely recommend it, especially if you are a YA contemporary romance fan. This book has it all – romance, kickass heroines, swoon worthy boys and though issues. I cannot wait for the next book in this series to come out!

Excerpt

School starts in a few days and tonight is senior orientation. My parents are currently in a meeting with my guidance counselor while I’m being propositioned.

                Propositioned. My lips tilt up sarcastically.

                My goal for this evening was to be noticed. Guess I succeeded. I was noticed, but not for my new choices in clothing, hair style, or because I dumped my glasses for contacts. Nope, I was hunted for my brain. All exciting and swoon worthy romance novels start off this way, right?

                Kyle misreads my body language and his dark eyes brighten. “So you’ll write my English papers for the year?”

                Fifty dollars per paper-that’s his offer. Standing in my sister’s second generation hand-me-downs of a sleeveless blue blouse, shorter-than-I’ve-ever-worn jean skirt and platform sandals causes me to consider his proposal if only for the course of a heartbeat. I’m the middle of nine children and, I’ll admit, new and shiny gains my attention, but this…this is wrong.

                “Do you know this is the first time you’ve spoken to me?” I say.

                He laughs like I told a joke, but I’m not kidding. Snowflake, Kentucky is a small town and everyone tends to know everyone else, but just because we breathe the same air doesn’t mean we communicate, or act like everyone else exists.

                “That’s not true,” he retorts. “We sat at the same table in fourth grade.”

                I incline my head to the side in a mock why-didn’t-I-remember-that-bonding-moment? “My, how time flies.”

                He chuckles then scratches the back of his head causing his styled hair to curl out to the side. “You’re funny. I didn’t know that. Look, it’s not my fault you’re quiet.”

                Kyle’s right. It isn’t his fault I became socially withdrawn. That blame falls solely on me. It’s a decision I made in seventh grade when I was publicly crucified.

                Blending into paint for the past couple of years has kept me safe, but it creates the sensation of suffocation. Everyone says the same thing: Breanna’s smart, she’s quiet. On the inside, I’m not at all quiet. Most of the time, I’m screaming. “I’m not writing your papers.”

                Kyle’s smile that had suggested he had a done deal morphs into a frown and acid sloshes in my stomach. Denying Kyle isn’t what bothers me as much as it worries me what he’ll mention to his friends. They’re the reason why I went voluntarily mute in seventh grade.

                Heat races up my neck as the repercussions of refusing sets in, but I don’t even consider agreeing. Cheating is not my style.

                Kyle surveys the hallway and, it it’s privacy he’s searching for, he’ll be sorely disappointed. He slides closer and a strange edginess causes me to step back, but Kyle follows. “Fine. One hundred dollars per paper.”

                “No.”

                “You don’t understand. My grades have to improve.” Easygoing Kyle disappears and desperation is hardly attractive.

                I steal a peek into the school’s main office, hoping my guidance counselor will beckon me in. Half of me hopes she’ll have life altering news for me, the other half hopes to end this insane conversation. “What you’re asking for is crazy.”

                “No, it’s not.”

                In an answer to the one million prayers being chanted in my head, my guidance counselor opens her door. “Breanna.”

                Kyle leans into me. “This conversation isn’t over.”

And don’t miss the first book in the Thunder Road Series,

NOWHERE BUT HERE!

About the author

Katie McGarry was a teenager during the age of grunge and boy bands and remembers those years as the best and worst of her life. She is a lover of music, happy endings, reality television, and is a secret University of Kentucky basketball fan.

Katie is the author of full length YA novels, PUSHING THE LIMITS, DARE YOU TO, CRASH INTO YOU, TAKE ME ON, BREAKING THE RULES, and NOWHERE BUT HERE and the e-novellas, CROSSING THE LINE and RED AT NIGHT. Her debut YA novel, PUSHING THE LIMITS was a 2012 Goodreads Choice Finalist for YA Fiction, a RT Magazine's 2012 Reviewer's Choice Awards Nominee for Young Adult Contemporary Novel, a double Rita Finalist, and a 2013 YALSA Top Ten Teen Pick. DARE YOU TO was also a Goodreads Choice Finalist for YA Fiction and won RT Magazine’s Reviewer’s Choice Best Book Award for Young Adult Contemporary fiction in 2013.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Tumblr | Pinterest | Goodreads

Giveaway 

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Elien

Release Day Blitz: Darkly, Deeply, Beautifully (The Ceruleans #5) by Megan Tayte

Title: Dark, Deeply, Beautifully
Author: Megan Tayte
Series: The Ceruleans
Genre: YA, Fantasy
Publisher: Heaven Afire
Publication date: February 16th 2016
Pages: 313 (Kindle)
Buy links: Amazon UK | Amazon

DARKNESS HAS FALLEN, AND SHE ALONE WILL SEE THE LIGHT.
With her mother’s life hanging in the balance, Scarlett is devastated – and done with being in the dark. She wants answers, all of them.
But when was her pursuit of the truth ever straightforward?
Pulling a single thread impels a great unravelling. And each revelation will force Scarlett to rethink what she thought she knew about the Ceruleans, the Fallen, her family – herself.
All that came before was a mere prelude to this, the last journey. From London to Twycombe to Hollythwaite to Cerulea, Scarlett will be stalked by the ghosts of what has been, what may have been and what may come to pass. Until she reaches the place where it all began, and it all must end.
But in the final reckoning, none will survive unscathed. And some will not survive at all.
In this explosive conclusion to The Ceruleans series, all must be defined by their actions: sinner, saint… or something more beautiful entirely?

Goodreads

Excerpt

I kissed Luke then. I kissed him. Like I hadn’t kissed him in more than a week – since before London, since before Hollythwaite, since Barcelona: when we’d been just a regular couple on a city break, wrapped up in each other. Through the kiss I heard his sigh, the release of emotion. And then he pulled me to him, onto his lap, and I kissed his lips, his jaw, his collarbone, his shoulder, and he kissed my lips, my earlobe, my neck, my –
     ‘No!’
     My robe had slipped, exposing my back, and I struggled off him and wrestled with the fabric entangled at my waist.
     He stood up. Put his hands on my shoulders. Said my name with so much tenderness that I had to stop. Had to look at him. The room was steamy, the glass doors occluded. No one could see. Only him.
     ‘Trust me,’ he said.
     I did.
     Slowly, he turned me. I steeled myself as he took it in, the brand I now wore. Non Serviam. I will not serve. Emblazoned on my back in the form of angry, jagged scar tissue.
     When I felt his lips on the nape of my neck, I jerked in shock. But his hands on my hips held me still as he traced the path of the scar, one kiss at a time, from its very top to its termination just above my bikini bottoms.
     ‘Beautiful,’ he said.
     I turned to him. He smiled up at me.
     Sinking down so that we were both kneeling, I said, ‘How could you…?’
     ‘How could I not?’ was his answer. ‘I was there, Scarlett. I saw what you did for your mother.     That scar: it’s beautiful.’
     ‘But it’s a punishment, Luke. Because I sinned. That’s not beautiful. It’s dark. Wrong.’
     ‘No! Don’t you say that. Trying to save your mother – that could never be wrong. If I’d had the chance, I’d have done it. My mum, my dad, Cara… I’d have saved them all. And you. I would always save you.’
     His eyes were glistening, and I lunged for him and hugged him hard.
     ‘So stop hiding it from me,’ he finished, his voice muffled in my hair. ‘Please. Because I love that scar on you so goddam much.’
     I nodded into his shoulder and he squeezed me.
     It was calm in our little haven. Still. Warm. Nothing existed but Luke and me. We held each other for a long time, drifting in the haze.
     And then Luke sat back and said, ‘So, you and me. We’re good?’
     ‘We’re good,’ I told him. Then I frowned and added: ‘For now. You know, Gabe, the Fallen: I have no idea what we’re getting into.’
     ‘Me either.’ He reached out a finger and drew, in the condensation on the glass door, a little lightbulb. ‘But whatever lies ahead,’ he said, ‘it has to be better than living in the dark.’

Giveaway

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Author Bio

Once upon a time a little girl told her grandmother that when she grew up she wanted to be a writer. Or a lollipop lady. Or a fairy princess fireman. ‘Write, Megan,’ her grandmother advised. So that’s what she did. Thirty-odd years later, Megan is a professional writer and published author by day, and an indie novelist by night. Her fiction – young adult romance with soul – recently earned her the SPR’s Independent Woman Author of the Year award. Megan grew up in the Royal County, a hop, skip and a (very long) jump from Windsor Castle, but these days she makes her home in a village of Greater Manchester. She lives with her husband, a proud Scot who occasionally kicks back in a kilt; her son, a budding artist with the soul of a palaeontologist; and her baby daughter, a keen pan-and-spoon drummer who sings in her sleep. When she's not writing, you'll find her walking someplace green, reading by the fire, or creating carnage in the kitchen as she pursues her impossible dream: of baking something edible. You can find Megan online at: http://megantayte.com/ 
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Elien

Review + Interview + Giveaway: Gaia (Wings of War #2) by Karen Ann Hopkins

Title: Gaia
Author: Karen Ann Hopkins
Series: Wings of War
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Paranormal
Publication date: July 26th 2015
Pages: 294 (paperback)
Source: Received from author (Thank you!!)
Buy links: Amazon





Watchers and Angels are at war. Which side will Ember choose?

Humankind is on the precipice of the apocalypse.

As the Demons grow bolder and the walls between the planes of existence weaken, Ember is forced to develop her powers as quickly as possible, and she seeks out a powerful earth Watcher to continue her supernatural lessons. Her glimpse of the future demands she fight the dark forces spreading across the earth.

But her new mentor has his own agenda, making her question everyone and everything she ever trusted.

When Ember is thrust into the world of the Watchers, she learns of their plans - ones that defy the scripture and make them enemies of the Celestial Host. Ridding the world of evil gets complicated when it becomes impossible to take sides.

As Ember struggles with morality, she soon discovers that there's something more frightening than anything she's faced before.

Goodreads

Ember ended with a huge climax. So much happened near the ending that my head was about to explode. All this time I have been pretty excited to get my hands on the sequel. It had been a while since I read Embers so I forgot some of the details but since Gaia started right after Embers ended the details came back to me and it was easy to fall back into the world of the Wings of War series.

This series by Karen Ann Hopkins is truly amazing. By now I know that she is an excellent writer but still her books keep blowing me away. It is so easy to get sucked into the world and atmosphere she creates in her books. If you thought that there was already a lot happening in Embers than you are up for a really nice treat because so much happened in Gaia. There was almost no time to catch your breath so many things happened. Were Embers focused a lot on romance, Gaia focused a lot more on the action parts. And I loved it!

Ember was still as amazing as in the first book. She is so fierce, smart and strong. Her determination to do the right thing no matter what the cost is really admiring. It is easy to identify yourself with her because she also has her faults and her weaknesses. She is just a human being like us even though she is not really human. Ember grew a lot in the first book, she learned about her powers and her true identity. In the second book she keeps growing as a character. She tackles the obstacles that are thrown at her with ease and she learns how to control herself and her powers. I loved seeing how she got more confident with herself and her powers.
Swayer the other main character of this book was still the same as in the first book. He is still a bit of a mystery to me. There are still so many things we have to learn about him and his past. And I cannot wait to find out more things about him. I had the feeling that he did not grow a lot in this book. Mostly he was just there for Ember whenever she needed him. So I hope to see more of him in the next book.

The Watcher history is really interesting and I loved learning more about it. The war between the factions, there animosity with the angels…. Everything is just so intriguing. Overall I really liked the book. It was fast paced and it kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time. I would highly recommend this series to any fans of paranormal fiction. And to the ones who love to read fantasy books. The ending of this book like the previous one was great and I cannot wait till the next book in this series comes out!

Interview

Q: Both your other series are contemporary books set in an Amish culture. What made you decide to venture into the paranormal genre?

A: I love writing Amish fiction, but after I’d finished the Temptation series and book one of my Amish mystery series, Serenity’s Plain Secrets, I needed a short break from the Plain culture. Embers had been a daydream of mine for many years, long before I began writing Temptation. Fantasy and paranormal had always been my favorite genres, so I took and chance and created the Wings of War series.


Q: In Embers there were some epic battles between good and evil. Can we expect those again in Gaia?

A: Oh yes, and on a much grander scale! Gaia is a roller coaster ride from start to finish. I also got to add a few scenes in an Amish community, which I think my Amish readers will enjoy very much.


Q: There are a lot of YA books about angels and demons out there. How does your series stand out against all the others?

A: Honestly, I haven’t read any others, so I can’t really compare. It’s the same with my Amish books. I try not to read books in the same genre in fear of corrupting my own ideas and plot development. But I can say that the Wings of War series is epic in scope. I worked hard to create a world that the reader would believe in, even the supernatural aspects. I also did a lot of biblical research on the rapture and angels in general. I infused legend, lore and historical references into the books, along with scripture verses from the bible.


Q: A lot of things happened to Ember and the people she cares about at the end of Embers. How will she deal with all that in Gaia?
A: Ember is a touch cookie, a true survivor. She deals with her actions, justifying them in her mind as just and unavoidable, but they’re always with her, making her question her own goodness deep down. Gaia is an action filled segment of the series and Ember doesn’t have a lot of time to worry about the consequences of her choices.


Q: Ember’s and Sawyer’s relationship is not exactly easy. How would you describe their relationship in five words?

A: Passionate, loyal, honest, frightening, hopeful.


Q: How many books can we expect in this series?
A: I’m planning five books in the Wings of War series. The first four books will focus on Ember learning a new element; fire, earth, water and air. The fifth book will be a culmination of all the books and the conclusion to the series, when Ember and her friends face the apocalypse. The next book in the series is TEMPTEST. It will be available late spring 2016.


Q: Is there anything you would like to tell your readers?

A: Thank you for being a part of Gaia’s blog tour! I love to connect with readers on my Facebook page, Twitter, Instagram or at www.karenannhopkins.com. Please be on the lookout for the release of SECRETS IN THE GRAVE, the third installment in my mystery series, Serenity’s Plain Secrets, in early September! Thanks for reading!


Karen Ann Hopkins

Giveaway

One lucky winner will receive a $50 gift card (Amazon, B&N, iTunes), as well as a complete set of Karen's YA books, including Embers, Gaia, Temptation, Belonging, Forever, and Rachel's Deception! Please enter via the Rafflecopter form. Giveaway is open internationally.

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About the author

Karen Ann Hopkins resides in northern Kentucky with her family on a farm that boasts a menagerie of horses, goats, peacocks, chickens , ducks, rabbits, dogs and cats. Karen's main job is home schooling the kids, but she finds time to give riding lessons, coach a youth equestrian drill team, and of course, write. She was inspired to create her fist book, Temptation, by the Amish community she lived in. The experiential knowledge she gained through her interactions with her neighbors drove her to create the story of the star-crossed lovers, Rose and Noah. 

Karen grew up about a mile from Lake Ontario in Upstate New York. She was bitten by the horse but at the age of five, and after diligently taking riding lessons for several years, was rewarded with her fist horse when she turned eleven. The feisty horse's name was Lady, a Quarter Horse-Thoroughbred cross, who became Karen's steadfast companion. Through the years, the constant force in her life was horses. Eventually, she found her place as a riding instructor herself. Before accepting her fate in the barnyard, she worked a short stint as a paralegal, traveled abroad, and guided tourists on horseback riding tours in the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee. 
Karen is currently working on her Amish mystery series, Serenity's Plain Secrets, along with her YA paranormal/fantasy series, The Wings of  War. Karen is also excited to announce the Temptation series has been optioned for TV by Pilgrim Studios and is available on Audible. more books in the Temptation series are in the works. 
Blog | Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter | Website | Facebook Fan Page

Tour Schedule

Monday, August 24th 

Bittersweet Enchantment (Review)

A Bookish Escape (Review)

Tuesday, August 25th
Behind the Pages (Guest Post)
Lose Time Reading (Review)

Wednesday, August 26th
Taking It One Book at a Time (Guest Post)

Thursday, August 27th
Such a Novel Idea (Review)
The Perks of Being a Book Girl (Guest Post)

Friday, August 18th
Avid Reader Musings (Review/Guest Post)
Books and Things (Guest Post)

Monday, August 31st
Bewitched Bookworms (Guest Post)
Pause Time Reviews (Review/Guest Post)

Tuesday, September 1st
A Dream Within a Dream (Review)
Addicted Readers (Guest Post)

Wednesday, September 2nd
Actin' Up with Books (review)
The Unofficial Addiction Book Fan Club (Guest Post)

Thursday, September 3rd
Sassy Book Lovers (Review/Guest Post)
Fire and Ice (Interview)

Friday, September 4th
Read by Amanda (Review)
Curling Up With A Good Book (Guest Post)

Monday, September 7th
A Book Addict's Bookshelves (Review/Interview)
Bumbles and Fairy-Tales (Review)

Tuesday, September 8th
The Cheshire Cat's Looking Glass (Guest Post)

Wednesday, September 9th
On Writing and Riding (Interview)
Little Miss Drama Queen (Review)

Thursday, September 10th
Book Lovers Life (Guest Post)
So Bookalicious (Review/Interview)

Friday, September 11th
Rainy Days and Pajamas (Review)
Her Book Thoughts (Review)

Monday, September 14th
the bookdragon (Interview)
God's Girl, Books and Coffee (Review/Interview)

Tuesday, September 15th
Don't Fold the Page (Review)
Jessie Marie Reads (Review/Guest Post)
Sassy & Dangerous (Guest Post)

Wednesday, September 16th
Mortal Moments (Review/Guest Post)
Roxy's Review (Review/Guest Post)

Thursday, September 17th
The Forest of Words and Pages (Review)
Hearrs Reading (Review/Interview)

Friday, September 18th
Literary Meanderings (Guest Post)

El

Book Blast + Giveaway: Invaded (Alienated #2) by Melissa Landers

Title: Invaded
Author: Melissa Landers
Series: Alienated
Genre: Sci-Fi, Young Adult
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Publication date: February 3rd 2014
Pages: 368 (hardcover)







The romantic sequel to Alienated takes long-distance relationships to a new level as Cara and Aelyx long for each other from opposite ends of the universe... until a threat to both their worlds reunites them.

Cara always knew life on planet L'eihr would be an adjustment. With Aelyx, her L'eihr boyfriend, back on Earth, working to mend the broken alliance between their two planets, Cara is left to fend for herself at a new school, surrounded by hostile alien clones. Even the weird dorm pet hates her.

Thins look up when Cara is appointed as human representative to a panel preparing for a human colony on L'eihr. A society melding their two cultures is a place where Cara and Aelyx could one day make a life together. But with L'eihr leaders balking at granting even the most basic freedoms, Cara begins to wonder if she could ever be happy on this planet, even with Aelyx by her side.

Meanwhile, on Earth, Aelyx, finds himself thrown into a full-scale PR campaign to improve human-L'eihr relations. Humans don't know that their very survival depends on this alliance: only Aelyx's people have the technology to fix the deadly contamination in the global water supply that human governments are hiding. Yet despite their upper hand, the leaders of his world suddenly seem desperate to get humans on their side, and hardly bat an eye at extremists' multiple attempts on Aelyx's life.

They Way clearly needs humans' help... but with what? And what will they ask for in return?

Goodreads

Note from the author

Hey, fiction lovers. I’m Melissa Landers, author of the Alienated series (YA sci-fi from Disney-Hyperion), and today I’m bouncing with excitement because THE SEQUEL IS FINALLY HERE!

It’s been a year since we left Aelyx and Cara onboard the intergalactic transport, and INVADED begins with an emotional goodbye as they part ways—Aelyx returning to Earth to salvage the alliance, and Cara continuing to L’eihr to serve out her part of the student exchange. While they’re apart, our star-crossed lovers will face assassination attempts, betrayal, crippling self-doubt, and a sadistic alien Phys Ed class. (Because there’s no escaping PE, even in another galaxy.) When Aelyx and Cara finally reunite…well, let’s just say it’s combustive. ;-)

What do reviewers think? I’m glad you asked!

“Readers will love the seamless blend of suspense, humor, and romance set against an interstellar landscape. Dual narratives and a tightly plotted mystery keep the suspense running high, and the chemistry between Aelyx and Cara smolders.” –Booklist

“Excellent character development and integration between modern reality and science fiction. Teens will be rooting for the galactic couple while enjoying the action and suspense that runs through the two volumes.” –School Library Journal

“The protagonists' forced separation gives greater depth to their romance. Each learns to turn a critical eye upon the flaws of their native societies while confronting genuine obstacles to a future together. These complications only underscore the growing sense of menace that propels the narrative to an action-packed climax.” –Kirkus

I hope you’ll make tracks to the nearest bookstore and pick up a copy of INVADED! If you’re snowed in, here are some easy links to bring the sequel right to you:
Amazon | B&N | iBooks | Book Depository | Indie Bound | Indigo | Books-A-Million

Giveaway

To celebrate my book birthday, I’m offering one lucky winner a $25 gift card to Barnes & Noble and an autographed swag pack, complete with mini posters of BOTH books! This giveaway is open internationally, and due to sweepstakes laws, entrants must be 18 years or older to participate.

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Best of luck, and happy reading!

About the author

Melissa Landers is a former teacher who left the classroom to pursue other worlds. A proud sci-fi geek, she isn’t afraid to wear her Princess Leia costume in public—just ask her husband and three kids. She lives outside Cincinnati in the small town of Loveland, “Sweetheart of Ohio.” For more information, or just to say hello, visit www.melissa-landers.com Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Pinterest | 
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El

Book blitz + Giveaway: Magic of the Gargoyles by Rebecca Chastain

Title: Magic of the Gargoyles
Author: Rebecca Chastain
Genre: Fantasy, New Adult
Publication date: October 20th 2014
Pages: 79 (Kindle)
Buy now: Amazon








Someone has kidnapped a nest of helpless baby gargoyles and is using them as pentagram focuses, devouring their magic - and their lives - for a horrific, illegal power boost. Swept into the dangerous underworld of black magic, earth elemental Mika Stillwater must cobble together her limited resources and skills to have a chance at being the hero the baby gargoyles desperately need. If she fails, the city will be at the mercy of the gargoyles' murderers and their overwhelming destructive magic.

But pitting herself against powerful black-magic villains is proving just as deadly for Mika as for the gargoyles.

Goodreads

Giveaway

1 ebook of Magic of the Gargoyles

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Excerpt 

With one last twist of a filament of earth magic, I fused together the delicate seams of the quartz tube. Slumping forward, I braced my elbows on the table and rested my cheekbones on my palms, cupping my weary eyes in darkness. Six down, six finicky tubes to go. The specifications of this project taxed my substantial skills with quartz magic, which was the point. This project would launch my business and prove that even though I was only a mid-level earth elemental, my quartz skills were equal to or better than more powerful full-spectrum elementals. These fussy tubes would fund the down payment on the lease for the shop I coveted in the Pinnacle Pentagon Center. I could finally quit my demeaning job at Jones and Sons Quarry, be my own boss, and begin a career creating one-of-a-kind quartz masterpieces I could take pride in.
       My entire future rested on these fragile vials, and they were due tomorrow at four.
       Dull pain pounded my back muscles. Night had crept over the city while I worked, and my jerky movements as I stood and stretched were reflected in the semicircle of bay windows in front of my worktable. Purple smears of exhaustion beneath my green eyes were exaggerated in the dark windows, and my pale face floated above a dirt-smeared navy shirt. I checked the clock: almost midnight. Sixteen hours until my deadline, and eight of those would be taken up by my Jones and Sons workday. There was no time for a break. If anything, I needed to work faster.
       Groaning, I redid my ponytail, tucking shorter wisps of strawberry blond hair behind my ears before giving my hard wooden chair the stink eye. Mentally chanting Pinnacle Pentagon to motivate myself, I reached for another seed crystal.
      Frantic tapping shook the glass in the balcony door. I pulled the door open, knowing it was Kylie, my best friend and the tenant who shared my second-floor apartment balcony. “I really can’t talk. I need to finish—”
       “Help! Help! They’ve got—”
       Something small and hard slammed into my stomach. I staggered backward into my chair and crashed to the floor. A small boulder skipped across the wooden floor and smashed into the wall. I gaped at the open doorway, stunned.
       “You’re a human!”
       I shrieked. The voice came from inside my room. I twisted, scrambling onto my bed.
       Against the wall, the rock moved.
       Beautiful blue dumortierite quartz veined with green aventurine twisted into a winged panther no bigger than a house cat. A pissed-off, solid-stone, magical, winged house cat. A gargoyle—no, a baby gargoyle. A hatchling.
       Her eyes glowed feverishly. Long polished blue claws gouged into the floor when she launched into the air. Her agile stone wings unfolded with a soft gritty sound.
       I lurched backward across the bed until I pressed into the wall. The mattress shook when the hatchling pounced on the space I’d just vacated. Sharp claws bunched in my yellow bedspread. She raised her muzzle, mouth open, and sniffed the air.
       I eased toward the foot of the bed, readying my escape into the hallway.
       “It’s you! Your magic smells so good. I thought—”
       My magic has a smell?
       The gargoyle’s eyes darted to the open door, then back to me. She arched her stone back and hissed at me, the sound dying to a hair-raising growl. The tip of her stone tail slashed back and forth, gouging my wooden headboard.
       “I need help.”
       “My help?” Gargoyles—even baby gargoyles—didn’t interact with mid-level elementals like me, and they certainly didn’t ask for our help. “There’s a full-spectrum just—” I started to point up the street but froze when she snarled at me.
       “No other humans! Before it’s too late.” The gargoyle’s words were smooth coming out of her rock throat, with just a hint of a lisp from her tongue working around enormous teeth.
        I stared into her glowing blue eyes, seeing past the bared fangs and agitated movements, reading her fear for the first time. I reached for her, then pulled my hand back when she shied from me.
       “Too late for what?”
       “You can save him. Hurry!”
       “Save him? Save who? If someone is hurt, I can send for a healer.” Where were this gargoyle’s parents?
       “No. I need you.” Large blue eyes implored me. “Please!”
       A thousand reasons I should find someone else to help the gargoyle crowded my mind, but the hatchling’s urgency was contagious. Someone was injured. I didn’t want to waste time arguing with her, but was I really the best choice? I could work earth, but healing usually took someone talented with all five elements.
       “Are you sure you don’t want me to get—” someone stronger? I started to ask, but she cut me off with another sharp “Please!”
       Gargoyles were creatures without guile, and this baby was obviously terrified for someone’s life. If she thought I could help, I had to try. I took a deep breath. “Okay. Let’s go.”
       The gargoyle whirled and launched for the open doorway, moving with the silent fluidity
of a flesh-and-blood panther.
       “I’ll take the stairs,” I said. I snatched up my shoes and coat and raced to the door.
       My studio apartment was one of four on the upper floor of a converted Victorian house. At midnight, everyone else in the house was asleep, just the way my landlady Ms. Josephine Zuberrie liked it.
       As I sprinted down the stairs as quietly as possible, shoes in hand, I reviewed everything I knew about gargoyles. It wasn’t much. Gargoyles favored those strongest in magic—full-spectrum pentacle potential, or FSPP, elementals. When they chose, they could enhance a person’s magic, but I’d only heard of them doing so during large-scale rituals conducted by a full five of FSPPs. Despite being creatures of earth, they were not partial to any particular elemental magic; instead, they were attracted to a person’s strength of earth, wood, air, water, or fire magic.
       Which is why, as a mid-level earth elemental, this was the first time I’d spoken with a gargoyle.
       I eased the front door shut and dropped my shoes to the porch, wiggled my feet into them, and yanked the laces tight. When I spun around, the gargoyle dropped from the roof to the porch railing, almost clipping my head with a heavy rock wing. I swallowed a startled scream.
       “Hurry,” she trilled. With a squeal of protesting wood, followed by the crack of stone smashing into stone, the gargoyle leapt from the balcony to the sidewalk ten feet below. Wincing, I raced down the porch steps after her, praying to be out of sight before Ms. Zuberrie investigated the racket.
       By the time I reached the sidewalk, the gargoyle had almost a block lead on me, moving unexpectedly fast for such a small creature made of stone. In wing-assisted leaps, she bounded into the darkness. I sprinted headlong down the center of the deserted street, chasing the sporadic
glimpses of panther-shaped dumortierite in the puddles of lamplight. The baby gargoyle kept me in sight, but only just. My lungs and legs burned after the first five blocks. My vision tunneled to the broken asphalt and gargoyle in front of me. I didn’t notice when the lamps ended, only that the dark blue gargoyle was harder to see, and by the time I did take in my surroundings, we were deep in the blight and I was lost.

About the author

Rebecca Chastain is the author of the fantasy novella MAGIC OF THE GARGOYLES and the urban fantasy novel  A FISTFUL OF EVIL, an Amazon Top 100 Fantasy Bestseller in the United States, Australia, and Canada. She has found seven four-leaf clovers to date, won a purebred Arabian horse in drawing, and once tamed a blackbird for a day. She has been employed as a VHS sales clerk, bookshelf straightener, government pseudo-employee, professional finder of lost sporting goods, and strategy guide wrangler in the video game industry. Dreaming up the absurd and writing stories designed to amuse and entertain has been her passion since she was eleven years old, and she's incapable of stopping. She lives in northers California with her wonderful husband and two bossy cats.

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