Showing posts with label Evernight Teen. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Evernight Teen. Show all posts

Wednesday, September 2, 2015

Interview With The Villain: Always Kiss Me Goodnight






Always Kiss Me Goodnight
MEGAN GAUDINO

Evernight Teen Publishing
YA Paranormal Romance, 67k words
Released: August 28


Sophia Destino is supposed to die. 

All seventeen-year-old Sophia wants is to coast through her junior year. But with her parents obsessed with her Olympic-swimming-hopeful brother, a psychic best friend with a penchant for reading tarot cards, and prophetic dreams that predict her death—that won’t be easy. As her nightmares begin to come true, Sophia finds herself dodging death and longing for the time when getting over her ex-boyfriend was her biggest problem. Until she meets Leo Knight. The mysterious stranger seems determined to keep her alive—and steal her heart. But Leo has a secret that is about to change everything and Sophia is about to learn that sometimes…your number is up.
14+ due to adult situations

Buy Links:   Evernight Teen    Amazon
       



Excerpt:

What a waste last night was. I would’ve laughed out loud about how tragically ironic it all was if I could have. My lungs started to twinge at the thought of laughing. They wanted to be filled with fresh air.

The finale of my life was playing out before me. I recalled the peaceful feeling from my dream. I was just waiting for it to happen. My lungs were screaming at me to breathe. This was it. Time was almost up and I was waiting for my life to flash before my eyes when movement out of the water caught my attention. Leo was standing on the edge of the pool. He was shirtless and surrounded by the light, making me question if I’d died and gone to heaven.

He dove into the pool an instant later and scooped me up in his arms, obelisk and all, just as he had the night before, then pushed up to the surface of the water in no time flat.

The extra couple hundred pounds of weight I and the obelisk—mostly the obelisk…I think—added did nothing to slow him down. We shot out of the water as if we had the help of a cannon, not just Leo’s legs.

I gasped for air as soon as my face was free of the water. The breath felt so good my lungs craved more and more. I kept inhaling the air as if it were being funneled down my throat.

Leo swam to the side of the pool, using only his legs to keep us afloat. With one hand, he threw the obelisk all the way in the bed of wildflowers and pulled us up out of the water.

We sat on the edge of the pool with his feet in the water and me on his lap, vowing to never again take air for granted and wondering what happened that made my dreams start coming true.

Using his thumbs to push the water out of my eyes, he laced his hands through my soaking wet hair and rested his palms on my cheeks.

“Sophia?” I coughed up some water and he turned my head to the side. “Sophia, are you okay?”

The air was flowing easily in and out of my lungs. They felt calmed; they knew they would be getting air on a regular basis.

“I’m okay.” I coughed one more time, then took another deep breath to clear my reeling mind and tried to speak again. “I’m fine.”

Physically I was fine but mentally I wasn’t. The world I lived in up until this point didn’t consist of anything supernatural or unexplainable happening except the occasional perfect hair day and the beauty of an aquamarine crystal.

Leo stood easily from his seated position with me still in his arms and crushed my chest to his. Of course I couldn’t help but wrap my arms around his bare torso but his skin felt so hot to the touch. Between the freezing cold of my body and the warm temperature of his I felt overwhelmed. Everywhere our bodies came in contact with each other little puffs of visible steam arose.

When we made it to the living room Hercules began lapping up the puddles of water we left behind us. Leo yanked the gray blanket off of the armchair and wrapped it around me because I was suddenly shaking.

He moved a salt stone lamp out of his way and sat on top of the coffee table, motionlessly taking in my expression. Before he even spoke I just knew he was reading me all wrong. I felt like I could read him already too.

“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry, Sophia,” he groaned.

“For what? My idiotic carelessness or that you saved my life once again? You shouldn’t be sorry about either of those things.”

“I shouldn’t have let that happen. I shouldn’t have been sleeping still. I promised you I’d protect you and look what happened. Do you have any idea how close you were to dying? Even closer than you were last night. If I was just one second later I would’ve been too late.”

“I know. I was there. But you weren’t too late. It’s all over now—I’m fine.” He put his head in his hands and scrunched his hair in his palms. “Leo.” I reached forward and placed my hand on his arm. He was still so hot to the touch. “Why’s your skin so hot again?”

He flinched away from my hand, stood up, folded his arms across his chest and turned his back to me. His reaction made me question my gesture.

“It’ll go away.”

“Yeah but why does it happen at all?”

He hesitated for just a moment before he answered. “Because I keep saving your life.”

“I thought angels are supposed to save lives.”

“I already told you. I’m not an angel. I’m not supposed to save lives.”

*   *   *   *   *


Interview With The Villain


Aiden Varner, thanks for sitting down with us today.
Well, I’m not really sure why I’m here but you’re welcome.        
                We just think the readers will want more insight into your life and thoughts about the events in Always Kiss Me Goodnight.
I’m always up for talking about myself so fire away.
                You did something pretty horrible to Sophia. How do you feel about being seen as a villain?
Wait. People think I’m the villain? Is that why I’m here today?
                If I’m being honest, yes.
I think that’s a huge exaggeration. Maybe I hurt Sophia’s feelings but let’s not forget someone is trying to kill her. And that person is out there. And that person isn’t me! You’ve got the wrong guy. I’m not the villain.
                To be fair that’s true. But, like you said Simeon is still out there somewhere so we couldn’t really get him in for an interview and that leaves us with you.
Great. So not only am I a villain I’m a second place villain. Let’s not forget that Simeon drugged me. I’m a victim.
                Aiden, we didn’t bring you here to talk about that. We wanted to sit down to discuss your relationship with Sophia. Can you tell us about you two as a couple?
Me and Soph go way back. We’ve been the cutest couple pretty much our whole lives. She’s basically a part of my family and sometimes I think my parents like her more than me. Sophia’s the kind of girl who will always be there for you and when her parents wanted her to move away she did everything she could to stay back. And she did it just for me. That’s the kind of girl Sophia is.
                You make it seem like you’re really fond of Sophia. So why did you cheat on her?
Whoa. Who told you about that?
                Everyone is talking about it
Okay, so I made one mistake. I’m only eighteen and sometimes things happen. I was DRUNK. Does that count for anything? I would never soberly hurt Soph but I make one little mistake and I’m the bad guy? It was all Lauren’s idea to get drunk and Lauren was the one who took her clothes off but no one here is questioning Lauren and calling her the villain.
                You’re getting really defensive, Aiden. I think that means you know what you did was wrong.
Yes, okay? I hurt Sophia’s feelings and that was wrong. But, I didn’t do it on purpose and I don’t think that’s something that should be over looked. I’m a good guy.
                Is there anything else you’d like to add before we wrap this up?
Yes! I play guitar at my grandma’s nursing home every week. Ask any old lady there and she’ll tell you I’m a real catch!



About the Author:

Megan Gaudino works in a high school library by day and on her own books by night. Always Kiss Me Goodnight his her debut novel and was first posted on Wattpad where it gained over two million reads. Megan lives in Pittsburgh where you can find her reading, writing, and Instagramming. 

Tuesday, April 14, 2015

Name Before the Masses Tour: Beacon



Beacon
Ripped Ties, Book 1
Angela Brown

Evernight Teen, Released Nov 21st., 73K
Romance, Dystopian, Urban Fantasy, Interracial

Tsunamis reduced the USA into a shell of itself, called The Fold. Surviving humans and vampires joined forces to form The Colony, where registered citizens do as their told.

They donate blood quarterly and dream of being chosen as Attendees for the Jubilee celebrations, that is, everyone except Macie Breen. With high school graduation near, she’s anxious to ditch the rules in hopes of starting a new life with Thane, an unregistered and also her best friend.

Her hopes fizzle when Macie is selected as an Attendee, forever registered. Any future with Thane…impossible. Being chosen comes with another unexpected price.

Truths about The Colony blaze into ashes and lies when she discovers the vampires haven't kept their part of the bargain. Worst still, Macie’s life unravels as her stint in the city of Bliss forces her to face daunting truths about who, and what, she really is.


Buy Links:     Evernight Teen    Amazon    All Romance eBooks

Excerpt:

"We’re not kids anymore, Macie. You’ve learned what little The Colony had to say about the vampeer, wights and devil spawn. There’s something else they’ve hidden from you. From all registered citizens. I’ve wanted to tell you for a long time why we met. Just how special you really are. But you won’t want to be my friend anymore once you know the truth. Losing you would be…”

Words trickled from my mouth unfiltered. “I, what do you mean I wouldn’t…”

He turned to me, chewing his bottom lip. The last time he did that was the day I broke first blood.

We were playing at knight warriors, a favorite of ours since we were kids. I thrust my wooden sword forward. It clattered to the ground as I doubled over from a sharp spasm in my stomach. I tried to shoo Thane away, deal with the pain on my own. But, noticing the grimace on my face – I really tried hard to be quiet, but I cried out anyway – he wouldn’t have it. When he glanced at my yellow cargo pants, he chewed his bottom lip, eyes wide. My gaze trailed down to the bloody mess I’d become. My face couldn’t have flashed hotter if I set it on fire.

Now he was doing it again, chewing his bottom lip. What could he possibly have to say? He opened his mouth to speak when the tent flap ripped away. We jerked our heads around to face a tall being covered in shaggy, brown fur from scalp to hoof. A shadowy glow encircled it like a dirty aura. Two arms protruded from both sides. Jagged teeth crowded its mouth. Drool leaked down its chin. Reptilian eyes shone bright white with a red slit down the middle. One set of eyelids blinked side to side as the second set followed up and down. It snarled, spat and drooled some more. My bladder felt one moment away from losing it.

“Frag me,” I whispered as my world collapsed into a nightmare.

Guest Post:
Blame it on Anne

Thanks so much for having me here today. Here’s an interesting question I pondered for today’s blog tour stop:

"What is the first Paranormal novel you read that made a real impact on you?" (Great question, by the way)

I sat and wondered, thinking of the various novels I’ve devoured. So many books to consider. It couldn’t be one I simply enjoyed, but that first one to have an impact. Then, it wasn’t the book that made me stop and settle into that familiar feeling of antsy excitement. It was the movie and the book I read AFTER the fact.

I’m sure some of you are familiar with Interview with the Vampire. If not - wait, how could you NOT know this movie? Let me move on before I digress into a bunch of girlish gibberish about how this is a must see movie for any person with the slightest inking of liking vampires or Brad Pitt. This movie captivated me. There was something inherently magnetic about Louis and Lestat. So I had to read the book.

I was drawn to the pain and suffering wrought by the longevity of immortality and the bloodlust required for survival. Love was but a butterfly to flit in and out of their lives, a beautiful thing to behold, capture, and enjoy, but fleeting. Anne Rice made something normally portrayed as cold-blooded evil into something we as humans could understand. Vampires didn’t have to be the bad guys. They could be heroes, albeit faulty ones that had to get their food source from somewhere since they couldn’t just pull up to the local McDonald’s and order a large bag of O negative blood.

I blame Louis, Lestat, Claudia, and Armand for my fascination with vampires and other preternatural beings. I blame the Mayfair witches, too, because that trilogy rocked. I blame Anne.

So for you, what was the first paranormal novel to impact you? What author do you blame? Please feel free to share because I’d love to discover more authors to blame 


Author Bio:

Born and raised in Little Rock, AR, Angela Brown now calls Central Texas home. She's a lover of Wild Cherry Pepsi and chocolate/chocolate covered delicious-ness. Steampunk, fantasy and paranormal to
contemporary - mostly young adult - fill her growing library of books.

Mother to a rambunctious darling girl aptly nicknamed Chipmunk, life stays busy. Her favorite quote keeps her moving:  "You may never know what results come of your action, but if you do nothing there will be no result." ~ Mahatma Gandhi. She's released Neverlove and They All Fall Down of the Shadow Jumpers series, Frailties of the Bond and Atone of the NEO Chronicles, and BEACON, a YA urban fantasy dystopian published by Evernight Teen publishing.


*****


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Thursday, February 5, 2015

Guest Post and Spotlight: Gray Island

Gray Island
J.C. Aster
Evernight Teen/69k
Teen Romance/Paranormal/Shifters

Sage Murdock has always felt different from the other students at his high school in Boston, and being bullied and ostracized has become a way of life he accepts…but at the same time, he worries that the whispers are true and that he is, in fact, mentally abnormal.

After a bullying incident at school provokes Sage to violence, his mother and stepfather tell him he is being sent to live with his biological father on Gray Island, a small weather-beaten island off the coast of Maine. There, Sage encounters many strange people who all seem to be hiding something.

A single bright spot is Cadi, a free-spirited girl about his own age. Unfortunately, Cadi is a member of a strange cult-like group that lives on the opposite side of Gray Island. Before long, Sage learns that his relationship with Cadi must end or the consequences will be catastrophic.


Buy Links:   Evernight Teen    Amazon    All Romance eBooks

Excerpt:

“I was out walking,” she answered, to his relief. She shook her head, sending a cascade of glistening raindrops from her honey-brown hair. The droplets seemed to descend in slow motion, twinkling like stardust.

“In the rain?”

“It isn’t raining anymore. Besides, I don’t mind. Rain is part of nature. We’re part of nature. It all fits, right?”

“I guess. I prefer to stay dry.”

“Oh? I can’t help but notice you’re out here, same as I am.”

“I…uh, yeah. I couldn’t sleep. And then I spotted you from my window.” He paused, fumbling for his next few words. “I…um…I saw Ivar tonight.”

Her rosy lips thinned. “I heard. I’m sorry he tormented you.”

Sage shrugged self-consciously. “It’s a public place. I guess he had a right to be there, same as I did.”

“Stuff like that happens because we have only one restaurant on the island. I know he goes there with his friends once in a while.”

“Do you ever go with him?” Sage asked hopefully.

“No. My parents won’t let me go anywhere that serves alcohol… besides, that place is a little noisy for my tastes.”

“I know what you mean.”

They fell into step together as they trudged through the sodden forest. The water dripping on her skin didn’t seem to bother her at all, nor did the chilly air. She was used to it, Sage supposed. Maybe he’d get used to it one day, too. But, no—he had no idea of staying that long.

Cadi did make it tempting to stick around a while, though.

“What’s the deal with you and Ivar, anyway?” he finally asked, unable to keep a note of strain from his voice. “You said once he wasn’t your boyfriend. But is he…I mean, are you and he…?”

She didn’t wait for him to finish. “I don’t like labels, personally. Do you?”

“I don’t know. It’s kind of hard to tell what’s inside the can without one.”

She laughed, a genuine and easy sort of laugh that banished the cold from his body. He smiled too. They walked on, side by side, not touching but enjoying the moment. At least, he was. And she seemed happy enough to stay beside him.

“I’m glad you have a sense of humor,” Cadi said. “Not many people around here do.”

“The weather makes them that way, maybe. No sun. I’ve been feeling kind of strange myself.”

“Not because of the weather. Haven’t you figured that out yet?” She stopped and looked at him intently.

“No. What do you mean? Figured what out?”

“Sage…you don’t know your father very well, do you? Or much about his life here?”

“Nah. Why would I? My parents split up and he took off when I was less than a year old. I haven’t had much contact with him since. Then, all of a sudden, my mother got this bright idea to send me out here to live with him.”

“She didn’t tell you why?” Cadi seemed genuinely concerned.

“Not in so many words. I figure she couldn’t handle me anymore. You know, hormones, bad temper, the usual teenage stuff.”

“No, Sage. It wasn’t the normal teenaged stuff. Trust me.”

“What do you mean?” He scowled and started walking again. “Are you trying to tell me my father is a serial killer or something?”

“No! No, Jeremy’s all right. I admit, my parents aren’t crazy about him, but they live on the other side of the island, so that’s to be expected.”

Sage scowled. “Don’t you come over to this side for school?”

“No. We have private lessons in the compound. Ivar’s father, Laurent—he’s sort of like our governor—appoints teachers for us. Sometimes he lectures to us, too. We can study at our own pace. I kind of like it that way. I don’t think I’d do well in your kind of school.”

“You’re kidding. That sounds like something from another century!”

“No, it’s modern enough. We have electricity and everything.” Her sardonic laugh ended in a sigh. “There’s a lot about this place you don’t understand, Sage.”

“I’ll be the first to admit that.”

She took his hand. He squeezed back. “You’ll find out a lot, soon enough. Too soon, and I hate thinking about it. I want to remember you like this: just a normal guy from Boston, taking an innocent walk with me through the forest. I wish it could stay like that.”

“What are you talking about? What do you mean? I’m lost.” He looked around at the dark trees that hemmed them in on all sides. Nothing looked familiar. “In more ways than one.”

“Don’t worry. You won’t be for long. Don’t try to answer these questions too soon. Let some things be a mystery. Once you look for answers, everything gets complicated.”

“I guess so. But I’d still like to know the truth.”

“And I like mystery. Maybe we’re not so compatible after all.”

“Don’t say that.”

“Then let some things stay unsaid. Don’t ask me things. Let’s just spend time together and enjoy it.”

“Okay. If that’s what you want.”

“I do, and I want things between us to be special. Like magic.” She grasped his hand, pulling him to a stop. Then she leaned up and kissed him on the mouth. Startled, Sage responded awkwardly at first. Despite what he’d seen in movies and TV shows, he wasn’t quite sure which way to tilt his lips, and at one point his front teeth knocked against hers. When she didn’t move away, though, he decided to let instinct guide him. That worked out better, as their mouths began to slide together in a balanced and highly enjoyable rhythm.

Magic was an understatement.


Guest Post by J. C. Aster
YA THEN AND NOW

Every time I look through the shelves in the YA section of the local big-box bookstore, one thought goes through my mind—“if only they’d had so many cool books like this when I was a kid!” Don’t get me wrong, I read all the time, but almost all of my choices were grown-up books (some of which were so “advanced” that they horrified my teachers and the local librarians).I just couldn’t get into the “age appropriate” stuff they were farming out to us in school, and the mid-seventies was the age of the blockbuster, with books like Roots, Shogun, Jaws, and The Thorn Birds dominating the bestseller lists. I read all of those and more between the ages of ten and fifteen. My parents didn’t object in the least. They were avid readers, too, or maybe it was just that those huge books kept me quiet for long stretches of time and gave them some peace.

It wasn’t until I was older that I began to make sense of my aversion to the typical classroom fare. It occurred to me that most of the books I was forced to read and really disliked were all books that had a decidedly male perspective—The Chocolate War, The Old Man and the Sea, 1984, and even Great Expectations.  Don’t even get me started on the ones where some boy has to prove his manhood by killing a pet or some innocent animal, like Old Yeller, The Yearling, The Red Pony, and A Day No Pigs Would Die. It got to the point where I wouldn’t go near a book with an animal on the cover for fear of what I would find (a policy I maintain to this day, and I’m not the only one—my friend Rachael still has nightmares about Watership Down and avoids covers showing rabbits).

On the other hand, when I did read children’s lit back then, I would find myself captivated by the Little House series, biographies of Helen Keller, and Island of the Blue Dolphins. What made the difference, I realize now, was that all of these stories were about the issues that matter to girls—among them relationships with family, forming a strong sense of identity, and last but not least, compassion for animals and respect for life.

Today, when I look at the new books available for teens and younger readers, I am delighted to see gender and racial diversity and a more humane perspective represented in many titles. I hear that the proliferation of titles about female protagonists came about  because young men and boys don’t buy books at anywhere near the rate girls do. But when you look at what were once considered typical “male” stories, is it any wonder? I can’t help but think the “old standbys,” which are still taught in many schools, are responsible for turning a lot of young males off from reading. Maybe they would rather cuddle an animal than pick up a shotgun, too. I, for one, think that’s a good thing. 

Maybe it’s time for some new paradigms in books meant for boys. I’d be interested to hear what others think!

About the Author:
J.C. Aster is a teacher and freelance writer who is a huge fan of young adult fiction, especially stories with a paranormal twist (they sure didn’t have cool books like that when she was a kid or she might have had a more exciting childhood!).  GRAY ISLAND started as a National Novel Writing Month (Nanowrimo) project and quickly took on a life of its own.  She is currently at work on new projects and hopes to visit the magical shores of Gray Island again soon.


Giveaway:    $10 Evernight Teen Gift Card


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Monday, December 1, 2014

Guest Post by Angela Brown

Beacon
Ripped Ties, Book 1
Angela Brown

Evernight Teen, Released Nov 21st., 73K
Romance, Dystopian, Urban Fantasy, Interracial

Tsunamis reduced the USA into a shell of itself, called The Fold. Surviving humans and vampires joined forces to form The Colony, where registered citizens do as their told.

They donate blood quarterly and dream of being chosen as Attendees for the Jubilee celebrations, that is, everyone except Macie Breen. With high school graduation near, she’s anxious to ditch the rules in hopes of starting a new life with Thane, an unregistered and also her best friend.

Her hopes fizzle when Macie is selected as an Attendee, forever registered. Any future with Thane…impossible. Being chosen comes with another unexpected price.

Truths about The Colony blaze into ashes and lies when she discovers the vampires haven't kept their part of the bargain. Worst still, Macie’s life unravels as her stint in the city of Bliss forces her to face daunting truths about who, and what, she really is.


Buy Links:     Evernight Teen    Amazon    All Romance eBooks

Excerpt:

As promised, a tent hid in the darkest corner. I could barely make it out. Although my long sleeves kept me warm, the inside of the tent felt cozy, quaint and much warmer since it blocked out most of the wind.

“Didn’t think you’d make it.” He offered me a seat on a pillow. I thought that was nice, because I didn’t much like the idea of sitting on the ground.

“I try to be a girl of my word…I mean, when I can.” Breaking my promise about donating still irked me. All I could do was hope he understood. Although we never promised to share every little thing with each other, we practically did. Keeping the bike incident from him needled at my heart. I wanted to tell him, but I still didn’t know how to explain it.

“You’re right, Macie. We got different situations. I shouldn’t have asked that of you in the first place. I overreacted. I’m sorry.” He pulled his pillow closer and sat beside me. The tent grew warmer all of a sudden.

“Good. I’d hate to lose my only friend over something like that.” I tucked a few loose strands behind my ear. I had my hair down the way he’d said he liked it. That was important to me. He was important to me. Since the day he found me hiding in this very same spot, eight years ago––a little girl crushed, confused, and alone––he’d become so much more than a friend. I wanted him to know, so badly. But how to say it?

I checked out the rest of the tent. Small packs of smoked meat and cheese. Two solar powered holo-visors he probably bartered to get for us, green lit and fully charged. They probably had some cool movie from the banned list on them…hopefully a horror one. There was even a flower. A flower?

“Look, can I confess something to you?” His question pulled me from my little survey and stopped my heart. Maybe I wasn’t alone in feeling something special between us.

“Sure. Go ahead.” I gathered my hands in my lap to hide my trembles. I don’t know why I was so nervous. It was just Thane. Okay, so yeah, maybe that was why I couldn’t still my pounding heart.

He cleared his throat. “I’m not sure how you’ll take it.”

My body fought every command. Don’t look at him. That failed, as my gaze trailed the leanness of his arm. His skin held a soft glow, a moonlit cascade that clung to him like an aura. First time I noticed it.

Don’t stare at him. That failed, too.

He took my silence for listening. “I didn’t know what to expect when I first met you. You were so young, innocent, and beautiful.”

The air grew shallow. A breath stuck in my throat. Don’t look in his eyes. Quicksilver pulsed, radiating as I failed that command as well.

“We’re not kids anymore, Macie. You’ve learned what little The Colony had to say about the vampeer, wights and devil spawn. There’s something else they’ve hidden from you. From all registered citizens. I’ve wanted to tell you for a long time why we met. Just how special you really are. But you won’t want to be my friend anymore once you know the truth. Losing you would be…”

Words trickled from my mouth unfiltered. “I, what do you mean I wouldn’t…”
He turned to me, chewing his bottom lip. The last time he did that was the day I broke first blood.

We were playing at knight warriors, a favorite of ours since we were kids. I thrust my wooden sword forward. It clattered to the ground as I doubled over from a sharp spasm in my stomach. I tried to shoo Thane away, deal with the pain on my own. But, noticing the grimace on my face––I really tried hard to be quiet, but I cried out anyway––he wouldn’t have it. When he glanced at my yellow cargo pants, he chewed his bottom lip, eyes wide. My gaze trailed down to the bloody mess I’d become. My face couldn’t have flashed hotter if I set it on fire.

Now he was doing it again, chewing his bottom lip. What could he possibly have to say? He opened his mouth to speak when the tent flap ripped away. We jerked our heads around to face a tall being covered in shaggy, brown fur from scalp to hoof. A shadowy glow encircled it like a dirty aura. Two arms protruded from both sides. Jagged teeth crowded its mouth. Drool leaked down its chin. Reptilian eyes shone bright white with a red slit down the middle. One set of eyelids blinked side to side as the second set followed up and down. It snarled, spat and drooled some more. My bladder felt one moment away from losing it.

“Frag me,” I whispered, as my world collapsed into a nightmare.


Guest Post
Personal Paranormal Experience

Life has a few guarantees. One is the mystery of the unknown.

With so many things in our lives that don’t fit into some snug easy-to-categorize box, it’s no wonder that we are intrigued by things we simply cannot explain. For example, do ghosts really exist? Are their spirits lingering in the plane of the living having difficulty transitioning to the next phase after life? I haven’t had a personal paranormal experience. But…

***My mother, God rest her soul, died in the fall of 1996. I was barely into my sophomore year at University of Memphis - TN when her passing occurred. To say losing her triggered years of subpar living I oft wish to wipe from my memory is an understatement. However, one thing that will remain in my memory is returning home one evening to find a woman sitting on the porch, her leg bopping nervously. I had little to no regard for the woman because she’d accepted moving into my mother’s bedroom, sleeping (whether sex was involved or not, I didn’t care) in my mother’s bed with the person who was supposed to still be grieving for my mother since she’d barely been gone a month.

I asked, “Why are sitting out here?” Mind you, sarcasm dripped from every word. I didn’t care, was just curious because it was kind of chilly out.

She looked at me with shifty eyes, her leg still bouncing like it had its own agenda. She looked away then answered, “I can’t go back in that house, in that room. Your mama’s there.”

*cue the Twilight theme song*

I just had an older cousin who was close to my mother tell me she’d had a long conversation with my mother a couple of days after she died. And another relative mentioned my mom visiting with her for a little while. So when this lady says this, I’m no longer curious, I’m seriously intrigued.

“Why you say that?” I ask. 

She folds her arms like she’s finally cold, leg stuck doing its nervous jig. She looks at me with wide eyes. “She’s in there. I know it. I was wrong. I know. I shouldn’t’ve come here but I was desperate. I needed a place for me and my babies, just for a bit. But your mama, she let me know it’s time to go. That lamp had no good reason to move ‘cross that dresser. It shouldn’t’ve broke on the floor. I’m sorry. We leaving. We leaving tonight.”

I scoot on past her, go inside and see that she has, indeed, packed her and her kids things. I can’t help myself, so I slip down the hallway and open my mother’s door. The lamp is broke to pieces like it was slammed hard against the carpeted floor. There’s no other soul in the house, at least none living.***

If that had happened to me, I’m sure I’d be making my way out of the house as well. Just as ghosts can’t be pinned to one generic box, there are other things in life we may find difficult to explain.

For the main character in my novel, Beacon, she has an uncanny ability to heal and experiences something in the first chapter that leaves her questioning who, or what, she really is.

Author Bio:

Born and raised in Little Rock, AR, Angela Brown now calls Central Texas home. She's a lover of Wild Cherry Pepsi and chocolate/chocolate covered delicious-ness. Steampunk, fantasy and paranormal to
contemporary - mostly young adult - fill her growing library of books.

Mother to a rambunctious darling girl aptly nicknamed Chipmunk, life stays busy. Her favorite quote keeps her moving:  "You may never know what results come of your action, but if you do nothing there will be no result." ~ Mahatma Gandhi. She's released Neverlove and They All Fall Down of the Shadow Jumpers series, Frailties of the Bond and Atone of the NEO Chronicles, and BEACON, a YA urban fantasy dystopian published by Evernight Teen publishing.


*****

Giveaway:  $25 Evernight Teen Gift Card


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