Unleashed: New Hot #paranormal read by Rachel McClellan

Guest Post

What I’ve Learned From Watching Movies

Top Ten Countdown

10. Always turn the lights on when you walk into an empty house at night.

9. To hot wire a car, all you have to do is touch a bunch of wires together under the dashboard.

8. While driving in the car with a passenger, looking at the road is optional.

7. One man shooting at 20 men has a better chance of killing them than 20 men firing at 1 man.

6. It’s never a good idea to build a home on top of an old cemetery. “You moved the headstones, but you forgot the bodies!”

5. An electric fence, powerful enough to kill a dinosaur will cause no lasting damage to an eight-year-old child.

4. If a dark haired, serious-faced man approaches you with an air compressor in his hand, run.

3. If you discover your super rich boyfriend is a dark, super hot vigilante at night, don’t leave him. Accept him for who he is.

2. The more a man and a woman hate each other, the more likely they will fall in love.

1. If a vampire sneaks into your room to watch you sleep, it’s not cool. It’s creepy.

Unleashed: Young Adult (YA) twist on Jekyll and Hyde[/caption] Unleashed by: Rachel McClellan Genres: Romance, Thriller, Science Fiction 355 pages Release Date: September 9, 2014

Seventeen-year-old Claire Williams’ tough upbringing has taught her how to throw a punch or two to survive, especially when it involves a man’s unwanted attention. But her strength waivers when she visits Bodian Dynamics, a medical research facility, and stumbles upon classified information—someone has stolen a drug that not only changes a person's appearance, but will also unleash a dark and evil alter ego. After an intimidating security guard threatens the lives of her friends if she speaks to anyone about the incident, Claire pretends the drug never existed. That is until she meets Gage, a teenage boy who doesn’t seem to have a conscience and who is hell-bent on making her just like him by unleashing her dark side. But Claire knows a secret—he can only die while in his normal state. And since Gage knows personal information about her, Claire thinks she knows who it is: either her best friend or her recent boyfriend. And once she figures out which boy Gage is hiding behind, she’s going to kill him, even if it breaks her heart.

Check out the music that inspired the book!

My Review:

I loved this YA take on Jekyll and Hyde. It was a dark, moody, and suspenseful ride from beginning to end. As usual, Rachel McClellan's writing style keeps me on the edge of my seat and reading late into the night when I was supposed to be sleeping. 

This story lets you see the darker nature that resides in us all and asks the question of what would happen if that nature was enhanced scientifically. The story is told from two different points of view and those characters were rich in their flaws. I especially loved how the book kept me guessing on who had been Unleashed.

This is a fast paced story that will send chills down your spine and may make you sleep with a light on.

Excerpt:

A burning grew in his chest, and at first Albert thought it was because he had exerted 

himself too much, but when he stopped and the searing heat continued, he knew. He frantically 

looked around. The forest's darkness surrounded him and pushed on him at all sides. There was 

no help in this place, or anywhere for that matter. Gage was coming and there was nothing he 

could do to stop it. 

Albert sunk to the cold ground, a sharp stick pressing against his back. If only it would 

puncture his heart.

"Don't think like that," he heard Gage whisper, but it was his own lips moving. And then 

he slipped away into a terrible black hole.

Gage stood up, smiled into the night, and stretched. His bones popped into place as 

they finished their transformation. "So they think they can get rid of me?" he said to the 

creatures hidden within the forest. He laughed long and hard. The sound was heavy and cold 

and full of such evil that it bathed the forest in poison, silencing even the crickets.


"We’ll see about that," he said and disappeared into the darkness.

Buy Unleashed on Amazon US, UK, and CANADA/B&N

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  Author Rachel Mclellan[/caption]

Rachel McClellan, author of Unleashed and many others, was born and raised in Idaho, a place secretly known for its supernatural creatures. When she’s not in her writing lair, she’s partying with her husband and four crazy, yet lovable, children. Rachel’s love for storytelling began as a child when the moon first possessed the night. For when the lights went out, her imagination painted a whole new world. And what a scary world it was…

Website • Blog • Twitter • Facebook • Goodreads

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Wicked Glory Blog Tour: A #Book Playlist to Remember

Welcome Delshiree Gladden as she talks about the playlist that inspired her new release: Wicked Glory!

I was so glad Noree asked me to share a playlist for Wicked Glory, because after visiting local schools and telling them some of my favorite bands and songs only to get blank looks on at least half of them, clearly, teens today need some better music to listen to. So, here we go!

1. Mumford and Sons: This is one probably most people have at least heard of. They’ve gotten more popular in mainstream over the last few years, but they aren’t new. I love their folk music sound because it’s so much more authentic than so many other bands today. They put everything they have into their music and cover tough themes without ever bogging down their listeners. “Little Lion Man” and “White Blank Page” are two of my favorites from them, but all of their songs are amazing. They even covered the theme song for Disney’s Robin Hood (the cartoon) and it was awesome!

2. The Oh Hellos: This is another one that’s kind of folksy and upbeat, but if you listen to the lyrics, they’re much deeper than you realize at first. I love the poetic quality of their lyrics too. Everything doesn’t have to rhyme and sound cliché to be poetic. “Hello My Old Heart” is one of mine and my kids’ favorites.

3. Angus and Julia Stone: These two have such unique voices, it’s the first thing that pulls you in, but like the others, the lyrics have a lot of depth to them. Their sound is something you don’t hear from other duos, too. “And the Boys” is one of my favorites of theirs.

4. The Airborne Toxic Event: Honestly, I don’t know why more people haven’t heard of them. Their freshman album was amazing, and so was their follow-up album. It’s hard to choose a favorite from them, because they’re all so good, but I definitely like “Sometime Around Midnight” and “All At Once.”

5. Of Monsters and Men: Not only are the song titles always interesting, they also have a great unique sound that will catch your attention right away, and keep it with their voices and lyrics. “Dirty Paws” is a great one.

6. Florence + The Machine: This band isn’t so unfamiliar, but some of her most entertaining songs are ones I never hear on the radio. With a title like “Kiss With a Fist,” don’t you want to pop over to iTunes and listen to it? I love their tempo and lyrics and the creativity they put into their songs.

7. Fistful of Mercy: Ben Harper is the lead singer of this band, and he is amazing all on his own, but I really love his work with the new band as well. His voice is so memorable, and even though it doesn’t always sound like you might expect, it sticks with you. “As I Call You Down,” is a great one from their first album.

8. Vampire Weekend: I think this group is fairly well known, though I don’t get to hear them on the radio much where I live. Their fun tempos, clever lyrics, and interesting topics get me every time. I love that they have a song called, “Oxford Comma!”

9. Passenger: I love that their newer song, “Let Her Go,” made a huge splash, but everyone needs to check out their other albums, too. “Night Vision Binoculars,” is still one of my favs from them!

10.  Maroon 5: I know they are anything but unknown, but I have to add them to the list because I LOVE their music and Adam Levine is simply awesome, even when signing “Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes” in a Frank Sinatra voice.

Thank you so much for letting me share some of my favorite bands and songs! Hopefully the next time I talk about some of these bands, people will know who I’m talking about.

You can get your copy of Wicked Glory and the rest of the series here: 

Wicked Hunger is FREE on most platforms.

Kindle/Amazon: Wicked Hunger, Wicked Power, Wicked Glory
B&N: Wicked Hunger, Wicked Power, Wicked Glory
Smashwords: Wicked Hunger, Wicked Power, Wicked Glory
iTunes: Wicked Hunger, Wicked Power, Wicked Glory
Kobo: Wicked Hunger, Wicked Power, Wicked Glory

About the Author

DelSheree Gladden was one of those shy, quiet kids who spent more time reading than talking. Literally. She didn't speak a single word for the first three months of preschool, but she had already taught herself to read. Her fascination with reading led to many hours spent in the library and bookstores, and eventually to writing. She wrote her first novel when she was sixteen years old, but spent ten years rewriting and perfecting it before having it published.

Native to New Mexico, DelSheree and her husband spent several years in Colorado for college and work before moving back home to be near family again. Their two children love having their cousins close by. When not writing, you can find DelSheree reading, painting, sewing and trying not to get bitten by small children in her work as a dental hygienist. DelSheree has several bestselling young adult series, including "Invisible" which was part of the USA Today Bestselling box set, "Pandora." The Date Shark Series is her first contemporary romance series.  

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Hot Calender Reads: November

It's 2014 and we're celebrating with an awesome fantasy themed calendar. This calendar is for the background on your computer and you can get this month's image below.

Each month will feature a different book or series, so if you want to challenge yourself, try reading each book or series that is featured before each month is over. The series for November is the Evolutionary War series by Thomas Winship. He will be giving away a set of Vaempires eBooks. Be sure to enter the Rafflecopter below!

Click here to download the full size image. Then set as your background!

New Release!

Roadside Assistance (Short Story)

For Hannah, a long trip home seems a small price to pay for a little peace ... until her journey takes a turn for the worse. Now, injured and alone, she must test the limits of her courage, endurance, and love.

Amazon

Vaempires: Revolution (The Evolutionary War-Book 1)

It is the morning of Princess Cassandra's sixteenth birthday. Everyone's attention is focused on the heir to the vampire throne. World leaders, the rich and famous, and VIPs from every corner of the globe have gathered in the nation's capital to celebrate the momentous event.

Cassandra's boyfriend, Daniel, is late for the party. He's still outside the city when all hell breaks loose. What he believes is an act of terrorism proves to be a full-fledged revolution. Væmpires--former vampires who mutated into warm-blooded creatures with an insatiable hunger for cold blood--have launched coordinated attacks across the globe, with three goals: the eradication of humanity, the enslavement of vampires, and the ascension of væmpires as the dominant species on the planet.

The vampire and human leaders are killed. Cassandra is missing. Daniel is the acting king. Desperate to find the princess, Daniel and his friends fight their way across the besieged city. With the hopes of the free world resting on the shoulders of four vampire teenagers, væmpires unleash their secret weapons: a new breed of væmpire that is far deadlier than any ever seen before.

What can four teens do against an enemy that can shape-shift, fly, and walk through walls?

Amazon | Other Formats

Vaempires: White Christmas (The Evolutionary War-Book 0)

It's almost Christmas. With the global holiday days away, the people of the world should be turning their attention toward celebrating peace and goodwill, but tension between humans, vampires, and væmpires is at an all-time high. Desperate for solutions, King Brant schedules a secret summit deep in North America's Northern Forest. Along with Queen Anne, Princess Cassandra, Daniel's family, and the human president and First Lady, the vampire leader seeks to reaffirm the ties between humans and vampires, while brainstorming ways to respond to the growing hostility among væmpires.

Meanwhile, Daniel and Cassie's relationship is at an all-time low. The princess is still reeling from her breakup with Vielyn, and Daniel doesn't know what he should or shouldn't do to help. Little does he know that the summit will be flooded with surprises--guests, allegations, accusations, proposals, and even Christmas Eve revelations--but not all of the surprises will be pleasant.

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Vaempires: Zombie Rising (The Evolutionary War-Book 2)

The tale of the Evolutionary War resumes in Væmpires: Zombie Rising.

Væmpires have taken control of twelve major cities. Their leader, Vielyn, seeks the atomic weapons that will bring the rest of the world to its knees.

Vampire forces are reeling. As Linq and Ray race to the royal estate to rendezvous with Cassandra and Daniel, the princess is captured and Daniel falls.

With the fate of world shifting to their teenage shoulders, Linq and Ray must deal with tremendous losses while battling a most unexpected—and undeadly—new foe.

Amazon | Other Formats

Vaempires (The Evolutionary War-Book 3)

Coming Soon!

2015

Author Bio:

Thomas Winship lives in New York. He currently serves as MBA Director for a private liberal arts college in southern New York, where he also teaches courses in English Composition, Communications, and Business. Prior to this, he spent fifteen years working for a global pharmaceutical company, specializing in organizational development, talent management, and training.

Tom writes in his spare time. His first novel, Temporary Insanity, was a 2008 finalist in a national contest but failed to garner industry attention. Væmpires: Revolution, his second novel (first in the Væmpires series) and Væmpires: White Christmas were published in 2011. His latest work, Væmpires: Zombie Rising, was published in late 2012.

He is an avid collector of books, comic books, music, and movies. His interests are diverse: on any given day, Tom is likely to be found watching a horror movie, attending a hard rock concert, or enjoying a Broadway show.

He is currently working on the next installment of the "Væmpires" series.

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Giveaway:

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#CoverReveal The Oath by Apryl Baker

The Oath Book 2 of The Coven Series By Apryl Baker Release Date: 10/07/2014 Summary from Goodreads: She killed herself. Everyone asked why, but when I got my hands on my sister's diary, I understood exactly why. I stared at the girl in the mirror as I removed my nose ring. Gone was the black hair, replaced by golden blonde locks that made my sapphire blue eyes shine and my California sun-kissed skin glow. The Goth chic clothes had been put away and I wore a pink tank top and a pair of khaki colored Capri’s. Stylish sandals completed the outfit. I wanted to barf. The snotty little would-be witches would pay for what they'd done. By the end of the week, they’d all be praying to whatever god they worshiped to hide them from the hell coming for them. May the Fates have mercy upon them, because they would pay the same price they’d demanded of her. Their lives. Add to your Goodreads to be read list now! Available for pre-order now! Amazon US | Amazon UK | Apple | Kobo Read book 1of The Coven Series, The Promise!

Summary from Goodreads: Armed with kick-ass shoes, can CJ stop a maniacal coven leader, save the town, and still get Mr. Melt In Your Mouth Gorgeous while surviving the darkness coming for her? The smoke from the fire burned her eyes, its heat caressed her skin and the taste of fear choked her. She was going to burn just as her ancestor did all those centuries ago in New Salem Village. How could she have been so wrong about everything? Cassie Jayne Bishop grew up the only non-believer in town of Coven. When a stranger comes to the sleepy town of New Salem, everything she thought was true unraveled around her. Ethan made her question everything, even her sister’s death. Clues start to pile up and Cassie is determined to find out if the Coven was the real reason her sister died. What she uncovers terrifies her to the very depths of her soul.... Buy Links: Amazon US | Amazon UK | Apple | Kobo | B&N

About the Author So who am I? Well, I'm the crazy girl with an imagination that never shuts up. I LOVE scary movies. My friends laugh at me when I scare myself watching them and tell me to stop watching them, but who doesn't love to get scared? I grew up in a small town nestled in the southern mountains of West Virginia where I spent days roaming around in the woods, climbing trees, and causing general mayhem. Nights I would stay up reading Nancy Drew by flashlight under the covers until my parents yelled at me to go to sleep. Growing up in a small town, I learned a lot of values and morals, I also learned parents have spies everywhere and there's always someone to tell your mama on you. So when you get grounded, what is there left to do? Read! My Aunt Jo gave me my first real romance novel. It was a romance titled "Lord Margrave's Deception." I remember it fondly. But I also learned I had a deep and abiding love of mysteries and anything paranormal. As I grew up, I started to write just that and would entertain my friends with stories featuring them as main characters. Now, I live Huntersville, NC where I entertain my family and watch the cats get teased by the birds and laugh myself silly when they swoop down and then dive back up just out of reach. The cats start yelling something fierce...lol. I love books, I love writing books, and I love entertaining people with my silly stories. You can reach me at any of these places: Facebook | Twitter | Wattpad | LinkedIn | Google+ PS: DO NOT GET IN MY WAY IF THERE IS A SALE ON AT TARGET - my home away from home!

#CoverReveal Next of Kin by Aray Brown

I'm pleased to introduce Aray Brown with her debut novel:

Designed by All Authors Cover Design

Guest Post:

The original cover just came to me when I was knee deep in the story. I wanted it to be more gruesome looking (a thick trail of black blood, leading up to woman’s corpse and the K carved in her) lol but I’m not knocking this cover at all. Less is more.

The story however, was originally a script I was working on before I even started converting it. I remember thinking “this should be a book” That was back when I was a little confused on which path I should take (screenwriting or novel writing), I just went with my gut and haven’t regretted since.



Blurb:
Medina Price always wanted to be a cop, just like her successors, until she gets thrown into a corrupt life at an early age due to witnessing her mother being slaughtered at the hands of a hired gunman. Now that she's been seduced by darkness, she vows to get revenge, but she gets more than she bargained for. What will Medina do? At this juncture in her life Medina realizes that... Everyone is capable of something.



Excerpt:

“You don’t wanna play this game.”

“Ah, how we soon forget.”

“Don’t do this.”

“Never pegged you for the begging type.”

“Not me. You.”

“Watch her.”

He made a huge mistake trusting him. Made a bigger one double crossing me.

Who’s to say he won’t kill you? Or I won’t? He was a wealthy man but he wouldn’t be alive to spend it. He wasn’t a gangster but he knew enough not to carry around dead weight. He didn’t need him anymore and couldn’t trust him. He made his bed and he had to rot in it. If you’re not a friend you’re an enemy. It’s as simple as that. It didn’t take a genius to see that we lived by the same rules. The same code. He was brought up in Youngstown. So did someone else, which brought me back to the source. Alex. They didn’t just meet by chance. There’s a reason for everything. Cause and effect. Have we met someplace before? I traveled back in my mind, trying desperately to remember. Trying to piece it all together. Slowly it came rushing back to me, in bits and pieces. We HAD met before. 2 years before the murder. Alex introduced us to him. Zoe shook his hand, greeted him with an audacious smile. He was very friendly. I looked through him. Didn’t think much of him at the time. He was his colleague. He needed someone he could trust. But why did he pay him off? He didn’t seem like a man who had a squeaky clean reputation. What did he have on him?

“He taped him and threatened to go public with it.” He confessed.

“We don’t have much time.” He blurted out, rushed to remove the tape from the legs. Then made his way to my arms. I noticed the handle of his gun dangling from his pants. BANG! The bullet merely grazed my skin while he crumpled to the ground in a dead faint.

“Leaving so soon?”

My arms were almost free. I studied the men who were in front of me. King and Alex. Each one equipped with a revolver, aiming at my head.

“Hi honey. You’ve grown into a beautiful woman. You still have your mother’s eyes.”

“And my father’s cunning.”

“Let’s finish this.” He growled, cocking his gun.

“Gladly.” Alex uttered, shot him in the head. I broke free. He turned around and put the smoking gun on me.

“Trust me, you won’t feel a thing.”

He placed his fingers on the trigger. I reached for the gun behind my back. This was how things were settled out in the west. I knew it would come to this.

Shots were fired. I saw the bullet holes on his shirt, pulsating to his chest. His heart was next. I opened my mouth to speak but nothing came out. He died right there. I’ve always know he had something to do with it. That he was apart of it. He didn’t have a motive. He did it because he could get away with it. He was a monster. But I believe he had an ounce of decency left in him. Instead of being like my mother, I ended up being the monster he created.



I looked at King. He was injured but still alive. I had to put an end to this. I raised my gun, pulled the trigger but someone got to me first. It was Ava. I felt the bullet penetrate my insides as I stumbled to the floor. I scrambled to get the pistol back in my clutches. She tossed it.

“Goodbye.” She said with a sardonic smile, tucking a hair behind her ear.

I kicked her before it went off. The gun spewed out of her hand. I pummeled her to the ground, popped three bullets in her. One in the chest. One in the head. And one in the heart. I had one bullet left. And I knew just who to use it on. His name was on it. His blood was calling out to me. I could almost smell it. He was screaming before I was through with him.



I retrieved my trusty knife and carved her like a turkey. This probably would be my last so I took my time. Made damn sure they would remember me. This wouldn’t bring them back but I was hoping it would bring me peace. Some kind of relief. There were a few things I believed in. Revenge just happened to be one of them. It was at the top of my list. It was my religion, my sanity. It became my scared realm. Our special place.

Next of Kin, a 126 page novella, will released on October 21.

Add to Goodreads!

Author Bio:

Born and raised in Louisville, Kentucky, Aray Brown emerged as a bright eyed scribe at an early age, which began her journey to self discovery.

Her short stories consisted of characters such as She-ra and He-man. Later on she decided to delve into something more real and personal.

She always had a passion for storytelling even though she couldn’t express it verbally.

After dabbling in other areas, she found her true calling and vowed to share her gift with the rest of the world.

Just like every other kid he grew up on Stephen King and Alfred Hithcock, she became obsessed with horror. Most importantly gore.

While she has different genres in mind for her next up and coming projects, her love of gruesome tales will always be eternal.

Author Links: http://facebook.com/ArayBrownfloacistms, http://www.twitter.com/araybrown, http://www.goodreads.com/AraySBrown , http://araybrown.blogspot.com, http://amazon.com/author/araybrown,https://plus.google.com/+AraySBrownAuthor, http://linkedin.com/in/arayb

2014 Hot Calender Reads: September

It's 2014 and we're celebrating with an awesome fantasy themed calendar. This calendar is for the background on your computer and you can get this month's image below.

Each month will feature a different book or series, so if you want to challenge yourself, try reading each book or series that is featured before each month is over. The book for September is Where the Carnies Are by Kayla Curry. She will be giving away a deck of Where the Carnies Are playing cards in the rafflecopter at the bottom of this post.

Click here to download the full size image. Then set as your background!

Where the Carnies Are

Olive is having a very bad day. She caught her boyfriend cheating on her, she lost her job, and she stumbled into a portal leading to a secret carnival kingdom which she can’t escape. The good news is she meets an eccentric, but stunningly handsome knife thrower. The bad news is she can’t go home for another two months.

The world she lands in is full of sideshow characters, terrifying amusement rides and her biological parents’ past. She was born a carny, but raised as a normal human. Magic lives in her blood, but it hasn’t reached her heart. To find out who she really is, and why carnies are disappearing, Olive must deceive the king with the help of Alex the knife thrower.

Olive and Alex play a dangerous game with their emotions when they decide to have a fling during Olive’s stay. They both lead very different lives and being together would mean one of them giving up the life they've always known.

Tricks and traps are around every corner in this kingdom. Few can be trusted and Olive will need all the help she can get to make it through unscathed.

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Author Bio:

Kayla Curry’s creative mind never sleeps. Literally.

As Kayla sleeps, her active imagination keeps up the work by making her dream all night long. It’s those dreams that provide much of the inspiration for her stories.

Her works include Where the Carnies Are, Obsidian (Mystic Stones Series #1), and many short stories.

She lives in North Platte, Nebraska with her husband and two sons and she plans to keep writing and creating for the rest of her life.

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Giveaway:

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Pandora #Paranormal Box Set Author Showcase: Riley J. Ford

Happy Release Day!. Pandora is now Live. For our last show case I present New York Times and USA Today best Selling author, Riley J. Ford.

Blurb:

What if you could know exactly what your friends are thinking? High school student Winter Reynolds can, but there's a catch...

She can only read people's thoughts when she's kissing them.

When a member of the track team is murdered, Winter has an opportunity to use her special ability to find the killer. Trouble is, kissing everyone on the track team isn't such a good idea when you have a new boyfriend. Talk about complications!

Should Winter persevere using her secret power to catch the murderer still in their midst, even if it means risking her relationship with her one true love?

Disclaimer: Mild profanity and a graphic murder scene. While humorous, this book also explores the underbelly of teen life. May not be suitable for younger teens.

Excerpt:

 It happens in the movie theater when I finally kiss Ethan Cooper. Her body rocks, I hear him say, except he doesn’t speak. Not out loud, anyway. At first I think it’s someone whispering behind us. Then I wonder if Miranda’s playing a joke on me until I remember she’s sitting four seats away making out with Billy Timmons.

When Ethan’s lips touch mine again and I hear his voice—she needs a breath mint—loud and clear like a TV announcer in my brain, I yank back and stare at him. My neck prickles with fear and my heart pounds hard. What the hell is going on?

“Did you say something?” I ask. I hope he has some kind of ventriloquist powers and I’m not losing my mind.

“Uh, no. I was in the middle of kissing you.” He sort of laughs, his fingers stroking my neck. I pull away and look at the screen. Julia Roberts blathers on about something with her big horse teeth. My heart races uncontrollably, thumping so loudly I can almost hear my ribs rattling, and not because I’ve just kissed the boy who I’ve crushed on since June.

No, it’s racing because something really freaky has just happened—twice—and I can’t deny it.

“What’s wrong?” Ethan asks. I can feel him staring at me in the dark.

“You said I need a breath mint,” I mutter. I wait for him to react. After all, it was his voice I’d heard. It just happened to be inside my head when he said it. But maybe he was playing some sort of trick on me. Maybe I’m mistaken. I sure hope so.

Ethan is quiet for a long moment before speaking. “Uh, I didn’t realize I said it out loud.”

“So you did say it?”

Someone behind us shushes us.

“I must have,” he says. “How weird.”

“Well, thanks a lot for telling me I have bad breath. Makes a girl feel real special.”

“Hey, don’t be pissed. I didn’t mean it in a bad way.”

As if there’s a good way to mean it. I slump down in my seat. Inside I’m actually sort of relieved. Ethan did say it out loud. Not inside my head. Maybe I’m just tired. Or whacked out on soda. All that caffeine can mess you up, especially those huge paper tankers of soda they sell at the movies. I would hate to think I have a mental problem or am crazy or something.

Being a normal girl from Redondo Beach suits me fine, a normal girl about to enter her junior year of high school who is just enjoying her summer. I go to the beach with my best friend Miranda, talk about boys, hit the mall, eat cheese fries with ranch dressing, experiment with different kinds of make-up, and watch TV after dinner. Nothing too out-of-the-ordinary or weird has ever happened to me—unless you count the time I made a half-court throw at a RBHS game and won a hundred dollars and a wheel of Brie. See, being normal is exhausting enough. Definitely no room in my life for being psychic or reading minds!

Ethan pokes my arm. “You okay?”

“What’s good about bad breath?” I whisper, moving my body away from him. My face is hot, stinging with embarrassment. I shouldn’t have had those grilled onions on my burger before our date. What was I thinking? Dragon breath is not an accessory a girl should wear.

“Dude, it’s really no big,” he says. “Just get some gum later, okay?”

More shushing behind us, loudly.

I sit fuming in silence, not knowing if I should get up and leave or what. But then Ethan’s arm snakes slowly around my shoulders and that tingle returns—the one I’ve gotten every time I’ve seen him at the hot dog place where he works at the mall. I’ve spent all summer going there, using every cent of my allowance on corn dogs, hot dogs, fries, mozzarella sticks, and lemonades (and gaining a friggin’ five pounds because of it), just so I could see him. I finally got up my courage to give him my phone number, and he’d grinned and said he would call. He finally did, and now here we are with Miranda and her sometimes-boyfriend sitting four seats away while I try not to breathe oily onion fumes on this hot guy with spiked blonde hair and a nice laugh.

“I’m sorry,” he whispers in my ear. He leans in and kisses me again with those soft full lips that I’ve stared at for so long. His face this close feels nice. He’s so cute. If he doesn’t mind my breath, I shouldn’t either. Okay, Winter, chill, I tell myself. I’ll just go buy some mint gum the second we leave the theater.

Ethan’s lips are warm and moist on mine. I relax against his body. 

What’s her problem? She’s acting so uptight. His voice reverberates through my head again. And it is definitely in my head because his mouth is still on mine!

I didn’t mean to mention the breath, but if she’s gonna be so lame about it, I’ll ditch her after the flick and go find my bros. Who needs this shit? Chicks come into Diggety Dog a dime a dozen, and I can have any of them. There’s always another ho around the corner.

I yank out of Ethan’s embrace, my body trembling. What is happening? His voice was in my brain, loud and clear and unmistakable. Am I losing my mind? I need to know.

“Why would you talk to me like that?” I ask. “It’s rude.” I hope he’ll admit he was messing with me, talking out the side of his mouth or something, joking in a lame sort of way.

“I didn’t say anything.” Ethan’s tone sounds pinched, weird.

“Yes, you did. I heard you say you’re going to ditch me to hang out with your bros, that I’m uptight, that girls are a dime a dozen, and that there’s always another ho around the corner!” Anger seizes me. “Did you just call me a ho?”

A voice behind us hisses loudly, “Quiet!”

Ethan doesn’t say anything. His silhouette is stiff, like a cardboard cutout of himself.

He jumps up. “I’m outta here!” Then he’s gone, loping up the aisle.

About Riley:

Riley J. Ford is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author. She graduated UCLA graduate with a degree in English and taught at both the high school and college levels for a number of years before turning to writing full-time. Her non-fiction books are used in college classrooms around the country, and her essays have been featured on such websites as MSNBC.com. She is the author of seven fiction books, INTO YOU, a new adult mystery, CARPE DiEMILY, a romantic comedy caper, FIFTY SHADES OF FIFTY SHADES OF GREY, a satire, CIRCUS OF LOST SOULS, a thriller, SIMONE: ADVENTURES IN DATING, a romantic comedy series, JUST US, a contemporary romance, and JUST YOU, a new adult romance. When on vacation, she enjoys running with the bulls in Pamplona and downhill skiing.

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Pandora #Paranormal Box Set Author Showcase: Susan Stec

Blurb:
Toni's grandmother is a psychopath.
Her sister is a ghost.
Her boyfriend is possessed.
And she has no idea who she is.

Summer vacation is ruined when Toni's twin sister, Sara, dies. Instead of walking into the light, Sara stomps directly away from it, totally pissed she didn't die in her skinny jeans. That's when Sara finds out their grandmother has a gift for talking to dead people, and two spritely spirits and a nasty soothsayer named Bartholomew are all working their angle with Toni's future caught in between.

Dear old Granny's determined not to be the last necromancer in the family, but with the death of her promiscuous granddaughter, her only option is Toni, who must remain a virgin until her eighteenth birthday without any ghostly interference from Sara.

Sara's not having any of it; especially since the guy Granny's conspiring with is the same guy that assisted in Sara's demise. Toni needs help! But protecting her sister is complicating all the ghostly fun on the other side!

Can death stop a twin? Maybe not, but Granny knows Dead Girls Never Shut Up.


***(PG rating) Contains mild adult content and profanity

Excerpt:

Several things happened at once.

Behind Toni, Sara lost her fight with the steak knife—it sliced through her throat—and blood squirted from her jugular all over the stout guy, and then she promptly fell face first into her salad. Paul let out an anguished cry, grabbed his throat, jumped out of his chair, and staggered back several steps, choking.

The room sounded like one big gasp.

Toni pounded on Paul's back.

Sara's date jumped up, knocked over his chair, and fumbled back a few feet, wiping blood from his face and chest. He lost his footing in the mess on the floor, passed through Ruth, and landed in an ass-cracking fall at her feet.

At the same time, the knife hit the floor and slid a bloody trail a few feet before it tripped a waitress. She sent a tray laden with food and drinks flying. Two patrons in the path of the tray yelped, slid into each other, and began to do what looked like an inebriated tango as they tried to stay afoot.

Toni put her hands around Paul's torso and began to administer the Heimlich maneuver. "Will everyone calm down? You're not helping! Someone call an ambulance. He can't breathe!" Toni shouted, face against Paul's back as she made a two handed fist and squeezed his torso.

Ruth steadied herself, stepped into the stout guy's stomach, and then leaned under the table as the whole bar fell into uncontrollable chaos around her. Several patrons ran through her buttocks on the way to the front door and her rear-end looked like a fluttering sail in the wind. She asked, "Will y'be needin' some help, Martin?"

Martin growled at her and wiggled out of the floor. He floated up from under the table about the time a fragmented puff of smoke started to rise from Sara.

"Oh dear, I'm afraid we'll 'ave some explainin' t'do, Godrest'ersoul," Ruth whined, stepping through the table to stand next to the smoke forming into a cloud of mottled pink and white, looking an awful lot like Sara.

"What the hell? Where am I?" Sara's ghostly image croaked. "Is that me in my salad?" 

"Yes, dear, I'm afraid so," Ruth answered.

"Sara, help me, dammit!" Toni shouted from across the room as she tried to maneuver Paul around so she could see her sister.

"Help you?" Sara spat, floating over her dead body. "I'm the one with her face in her salad. You idiot! Let go of the stud-muffin and get your ass over here!"

"I'm afraid she can't 'ear ya, dear."

Toni caught sight of her sister and screamed, "Ohmigod! Sara! That's my sister!"

Paul grabbed Toni's shoulder, gagged, and choked out, "I'm so sorry."

"Great! Just great!" Martin spat. "Bartholomew did it again. Let's hope incredibly noisy and obnoxiously vain over here can at least give us some information about Old-Navy-Boy over there." His finger pointed from Sara to Paul.

Martin whipped to one side as Toni ran past, Paul following like a well behaved marionette.

"Is that blood on my neck?" Sara shrieked, swiping her hand through the cadaver's throat.

"We 'ave a bit o'bad news, dear," Ruth said, patting the tips of her fingers through Sara's shoulder.

"You've friggin' got to be kidding me. I'm dead? Dead as in… freakin' dead? This has got to be a nightmare!" Sara lunged for her flaccid body and fell right through it.

"Oh my, now we 'ave t'get 'er out o'the cellar, we do. Come along, Martin," Ruth said, taking a nosedive into the floor.

Martin tapped his foot in and out of the floor, watching the chaos as lookey-loos congregated around the table.

Several teens, cell phones filming, were carrying on frantic conversations as Ruth burst through the floor with a screaming Sara in tow. Sara erratically hovered over the table and glared at her sister. Toni stood beside Sara's body, with her hands over her mouth, face horror stricken, head moving back and forth.

"Give me a good shake," Sara said. "Just shake me, Toni! I know if you shake me I'll come back to life."

Toni wrapped her hands around her stomach and rocked as tears streamed down her cheeks. She gagged, retched, and then vomited all over the table in front of her sister's body.

Sara's fists streaked through Toni's torso several times as she shrieked, "Uck! Eck! She pukes? She F'n upchucks? That's just nasty! Now I not only have Bleu cheese salad dressing all over my face and a gaping hole in my neck, but puke in my hair!" She tried to grab a handful of Toni's red curls but only made them flutter like leaves in a soft breeze.

Working up some attitude, Sara slapped her hands into her hips and shook her butt; fists embed in her pelvic bone. "Just kick me—slap me—do something to get my friggin' heart beating again! I need a damn shower!"

Paul tried to hand Toni a napkin and guide her away from the table.

Sara shoved her nose halfway into Paul's face. "Oh-no-you-don't!" She turned on her sister. "Stop your blubbering! Grab the napkin! Wipe that shit off my face; I've about had it with you!" Sara kicked her smoky foot through Toni and ended up floating horizontally in front of her.

"Don't you think we should say something to her?" Martin asked.

"Godbless'er, I think we should let 'er carry on a bit, love," Ruth said from the ceiling above the table. "Won't be long, it won't. They should be draggin' 'er carcass out o' 'ere soon enough."

About Susan:

I've always been weird, even as a child. Might've been influenced by all those fairies and trolls living in and around the streams behind Grandma's house. Today it probably has something to do with five crazy vamp-women, a fanged tyke, fairy, troll, werewolf, demon, and several sexy immortals living in my head.

In reality I live with my husband and my three King Charles Spaniels on 50 acres of woods, fields, and streams in upper Michigan; hunt deer with my Ruger or crossbow, paint watercolors, sculpture stained glass, and chase butterflies with my dogs.

One's real life is so often the life that one does not lead~~Oscar Wilde

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Pandora #Paranormal Box Set Author Showcase: Rachel Walter

Blurb:
It’s going to take a fight, I know that. But it’s more than just a fight for my life. It’s a fight for my soul and my soul mate.’
Jazzy Williams is not your average coffee-loving teen. She's battling depression, an overprotective big brother, and a depressed mother, all while trying to make friends at her new school. In the first week, she meets a gorgeous green-eyed hottie who turns out to be more than just some high school crush -- he's more than human. And she unknowingly enrages a dangerous breed of demon who wants her soul and life as payment. With the help of supernatural friends and protectors, Jazzy thinks she's safe until what remains of her family is put in danger. Does Jazzy have what it takes to save her family, life, soul, and soul mate, or will all be lost?
*Warning* Mature Content. This contains some profanity, mild sexual situations, innuendos, and violence. Recommended for ages 16 and up, depending on maturity level.

Excerpt:

I watch him as he drives. Seeing the veins in his arm pop out as he turns the wheel and the muscles ripple when he shifts a gear, I wonder what those arms would feel like wrapped around… Stop it!

Every damn time I’m around him, I think like a pervert! I inwardly growl and press my head back onto the headrest. I’ll just look out the window then.

Trees are in no way erotic, or sensual, or perverted.

Focusing on the trees is easy, but I can still smell him. His amazing smelling cologne mixed with his clean, spicy scent assaults my nose and begs me to lean in close. This car ride is taking forever.

The longer it takes, the more nervous I get. I shift in my seat, cross and uncross my legs, and bite my lip as I stare at endless trees.

‘The way she bites her lip makes me want to pull the car over and…’

I gasp, and choke on my breath or saliva.

What was that?!

Who was that?

“Jaz, are you okay? Do I need to pull the car over?”

I stare at him with saucer-like eyes. Oh, my God, “pull the car over.” It was him, he was in my head.

His voice, in my freaking head!

“Stop the car! Stop the car, now!”

He glances in my direction looking concerned. “We’re about five minutes to the lake. Can’t you…”

“Stop. The. Car. Seth.” I demand between rasping breaths.

He pulls over alongside the road. There’s a fallen tree next to the car on my side, but there’s enough room for me to open the door. I wrench that sucker open and stumble out.

I need a minute to myself. Or twenty.

I walk towards the back of the car, step over the log and sit on it so I’m facing the trees, and away from him.

Good Lord, I just heard his voice in my head.

Was that really his thought? Can I hear thoughts now? Wouldn’t that be mind reading?

Wow, maybe I am crazy.

Mind readers don’t exist.

Henry will have to admit me to the hospital, and I’ll share a room with Mom. Maybe I’ll have my own room, and the walls will be padded. I’ll get a straightjacket, and they’ll have to give some really strong medicine to knock me out.

Was I really biting my lip at the time?

Should I ask him if he thought that?

Oh, my God! No, I cannot ask him that!

He’ll think I’m a loon for sure! Maybe I should test it first. I’ll bite my lip and see if that voice pops in my head again.

I lean on my knees and put my head in my hands.

This is ridiculous! Just get back in the car you’re being a jagoff!

I resist the urge to pull my hair out, and with a sigh, I stand. When I step back over the log, I look up to see Seth leaning against his back bumper, watching me.

“Is everything okay?” he asks me slowly, like if he talks too fast I might run away. He has his arms crossed over his chest.

His muscular arms, over that perfect... Stop it already!

I squeeze my eyes shut. “Umm…well…” I take a deep breath, open my eyes, and look at him. Gathering whatever courage I can conjure up, I bite my lip on purpose.

He shifts a tiny bit and licks his lips.

It really was him in my head! I wasn’t hearing things! I was hearing him!

He takes a step towards me, and I take one back. But I forget about the log and end up landing on my ass with my legs draped over the log. I burst out laughing, and Seth laughs, too.

He reaches out his hand to help me up. With him laughing this hard, it’s easy to knock him off balance and pull him down to me. So I do.

It feels nice having him like this, the pressure of his body on mine. I have one hand on his chest, the other grips his bicep.

Suddenly, we aren’t laughing anymore. We’re just staring into each other’s eyes. He leans down towards me, and I bite my lip again. He groans and closes his eyes as he gets closer to my mouth.

“I heard you, Seth,” I whisper against his lips.

About Rachel:

Rachel is a wife and mother from Central Pennsylvania. Her favorite season is fall, for hockey, changing leaves, pumpkin everything, and bonfires often. She's also a coffeenista with an insomnia problem. When Rachel isn't playing with the people inside her head, making her family believe she belongs in the loony bin, she enjoys spending time with her family, friends, species confused cat (he believes he's part dog, love him), and finding new books and music.
Regarding writing, her first love is Young Adult Paranormal, but she's venturing outside of her comfort zone and opening up to writing more genres. Be on the look out!
Rachel looks forward to hearing from and interacting with her fans and readers.

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Pandora #Paranormal Box Set Author Showcase: Conner Kressley

I have featured Conner and the Breaker's Code before, but it's such a great book and part of Pandora that I'm going to do it again.

Blurb:
Three weeks shy of her sixteenth birthday, Cresta Karr wakes to find she has a pimple the size of Mt. Vesuvius, that the necklace her father left her is mysteriously missing, and that her house is minutes away from exploding. To top it off, Owen, the enigmatic, if slightly off-kilter guy of dreams, tells her that not only is he NOT interested in going out with her, but he's also a superspy sent by a clandestine organization to keep tabs on her.

Turns out Cresta is the subject of a 500 year old prophecy, and if Owen and the other “Breakers” can't find a way to circumvent the future before she turns sixteen, Cresta is destined to bring about the end of the world -- something she'd rather not have on her college applications. That is, of course, if the gun-toting cult members piling onto her front porch don't get to her first.

Happy birthday, Cresta.

My Review:

The first chapter drew me in and didn't let go. I think it was the fast pace of the novel. I LOVE fast paced novels. Of course, fast pace can't completely hold my interest. The story itself was intriguing. It was based on the debate of free will vs. destiny. Can one really fight the events that unfold and seem to lead them down one path?

The characters themselves were pretty deep and enjoyable. I would ahve liked to a little more about some of the antagonists, but that was minor. I can say I am a major Casper fan and can't wait to see more of him in the next book.

In fact, I'm really looking forward to the next one. Get to writing, Mr. Kressley.

Excerpt:

I stared at myself; half in shock, half in horror. A wedding dress, an honest to God wedding dress. It fit perfectly, hugging all the right places, and flattering all the wrong ones. I almost looked like a woman. I almost looked beautiful.

“You forgot the veil.” A man’s voice sounded from behind me. I spun, the fabric of my gown ruffling, to find Allister Leeman leaning against the doorway. He smiled a wide, dark smile. The raven at his throat seemed to caw and move; its wings flapping against his Adam’s apple. His dark hair was slicked back, and a toothpick peeked out from between his lips. His eyes cut into me. A delicate white veil danced around in his fingers, and he was dressed in a tuxedo that, sickeningly enough, seemed designed to match my dress.

“Where are my friends?” I asked, trying to steady my voice. 

“You don’t have any friends.” He plucked the toothpick from his mouth. “If you mean the people that were captured with you; they’re fine.”

“And my mother?”

“She’s fine too,” he answered, and started to make his way toward me.

I flinched away. “I want to see them. I want you to let them go. I’m here. I did what you asked.”

“You did part of it,” he thumped his toothpick onto the floor in front of him. “I’ll let them go when you do the rest. “ He reached for me, and ran his disgusting hand through my hair. I shivered and slapped it away. “Though, I don’t know why you’re so attached to them,” he grinned. “They don’t care about you, my darling. Not really.”

“They risked their lives for me,” I snorted. 

“They don’t even know you. To them, you’re something to kill, something to change. Even your mother-Or, more appropriately, the woman who calls herself your mother, has only the most conditional of loves for you. None of them accept you for what you are. They would never try to understand you, or embrace the truth of who you are. That’s why they’re here, Cresta Karr. Not for you; it was never for you. They’re here because they can’t stand the idea that you are more than them; that we’re more than them. I’m the only one who understands you, Cresta. Because I know what it is to be called for something so monumental. I share your pain and your exhilaration in the same way that I will soon share your bed and your life, because it is mine as well.”

“We’re not sharing anything!” I couldn’t help it. I slapped his stupid face. I probably shouldn’t have done it. After all, he did have everyone I cared about in the entire world in his clutches. But he was just so smug, pushing all my buttons. “What the hell is the matter with you anyway?” I shouted. “What kind of lunatic actually wants the world to end?”

He put a hand up to his quickly reddening face. “The kind that knows it has to.” A broad dangerous smile crept across his face. His eyes glowed menacingly. “They haven’t told you all of it, have they?” He did a little shuffle with his feet, almost like he couldn’t wait for what came next. “This isn’t about the way the world ends. It’s about what comes next. The world has ended a hundred times before; with ice ages, and floods, and meteors that have purged this planet of everything it could find. But each time, the world has come out of it for the better, stronger, and more evolved.”

There it was, that word, evolved. 

“Just as human replaced the dinosaurs, we will replace humans. It’s the way of the world. The strong always replace the weak, my darling.” He held the veil out toward me. “And you are the one who will set it all in motion.”

I slapped it away too. “I would never hurt anybody.”

“Just as the wave would never hurt the mountain. Still, the mountain erodes. “He picked the veil up, folded it, and put it in his pocket. “They paint you as an antichrist, but you are a messiah.”

“I’m not,” I said. “I’m not the Bloodmoon. I’m not anything. Look, I’m not going to kill anybody. So, I can’t be the Bloodmoon. The sun will be up soon, and then everybody will know. So, just give me my mom and my friends, and let me go.”

“Still, with these friends, “he muttered. “Come here. Let me show you something.”

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Pandora #Paranormal Box Set Author Showcase: Christi Goddard

Today I have a great YA novel than will be a part of the Pandora Box Set from Amazon bestselling author Christi Goddard.

Blurb:
When a smartass magical creature invades Kathleen’s life, a boy she hates turns up dead and her mother goes missing. Then a letter she wrote for an old friend becomes a key piece of police evidence—implicating Kathleen. As she fights her way out of a web of lies, the trust she has in those closest to her shatters. In the end, she’s pushed to a terrible choice: who lives, and who else dies.

Excerpt:

My mom’s a liar.

What parents aren’t, right? They tell their kids lies about Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, and the Tooth Fairy. Even the Boogeyman who crouches in the shadows beneath beds has his legend whispered into the ears of young green bean-haters.

I wished my mom would use her power of deception for good. For one, I wouldn’t have to chase down people in the dark, braving the muggers and would-be rapists who lurk in the bushes on my street. 

If she’d told the boy who came knocking I was upstairs in my room, then we could have had a quick—though unlikely civil—conversation on the front porch. Instead, she told him I was out with another boy.

And she didn’t just tell this to anyone. No, of course not. She told this to Josh Colby. 

It was the equivalent of having some celebrity knock on your door after their car broke down. Except, as far as celebrities go, Josh’s status didn’t reach beyond the doors of our high school. We’d known each other for the many years of our educational careers, and mostly succeeded with our mutual effort to avoid speaking to one another.

Mocking doesn’t count.

“Josh!”

I was too lazy to run for more than a block. To scream seemed an easier solution. When a male voice called back, I smiled at my small victory of intelligence over physical prowess.

“Yeah?”

He sounded close, within a block or so, but I couldn’t see him. The sliver of moon lacked radiance as it was smothered by dark clouds, but the streetlights were enough to confirm there was no silhouette of him on the sidewalk. He must have cut through a neighbor’s yard to head back to his house on the next street over.

“What did you want?” I winced at the sudden, sharp brilliance of lightning. Spots did flip-flops against the stretched shadows on the grass as my vision tried to recover. The scent of ozone carried on the cool breeze blended with that of a fresh cut lawn.

“That you, Elchubba?”

Elchubba is not my name. Not even close. Not that many of the kids at my school cared, and several might even be shocked to discover my real name was Kathleen. Not Kathy. Definitely not Elchubba. To my eternal frustration, I won that clever little nickname in junior high. Mostly because Ryan Dixon is a jerk, but also because I was horizontally challenged and usually clad in black from hair strand-to-toenail polish. It’s to do with Elvira. Lame, I know.

I just hoped Josh hadn’t asked my mother if Elchubba was home. I wouldn’t put it past him. Instead of correcting him, I turned on my heel and headed home. I didn’t answer him on principle. 

My house was still a sadistic distance from me when I heard Josh stumble through some bushes near the sidewalk behind me. Oh, heavy black boots, how you’ve failed me again.

“Wait!”

He mumbled a curse behind me after the distinct sound of his rubber soles tripping over a crack in the sidewalk. I didn’t slow down. Maybe he would follow me all the way back to my front door so I could slam it in his face.

He outpaced me to step into my path. I considered knocking him on his boney ass. I had the weight and momentum to do it. A whiff of whatever cheap, man-scent product he used to attract girls assaulted my nose. It reminded me of dish soap and burnt popcorn.

“Please, would you just stop?” Josh said. 

“Fine. What do you want?”

A car horn blared a few blocks away, followed by the squeal of tires. Josh glanced around like a super secret spy. 

My response was an eye roll and crossed arms. If he didn’t want to be seen talking to me, then he shouldn’t have answered me. For that matter, he shouldn’t have come over.

Josh said, “I need you to do me a favor.”

The laugh that escaped me sounded more maniacal than I expected. “You’re high.”

Great. I wound up chasing a boy I hated down the street to do a favor for him. It was not the pinnacle of my existence. At least I hope not.

“No, I’m serious.” Josh leaned closer and dropped his voice. “I’ll pay you.”

“Then it’s not a favor. It’s a business proposition,” I said. “If you’re going to pay me for services—of the non-prostitutional variety—then it’s a business arrangement, not a favor. A favor I’d do for free.”

The hopeful look that passed his face prompted me to add, “For friends, not for you.”

“Okay, whatever.” Josh fished in a pocket of his too-baggy jeans and pulled out a folded bill. It was too dark for me to see which president. He smiled, his teeth a perfect picket fence of glaring white. “I want you to write a letter for me.”

My eyebrows lifted without my permission. “A letter? To who?” I didn’t ask why me. I was editor for the school paper and wrote for the quarterly lit magazine. 

“I’m not telling you unless you agree to do it.”

 

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