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Monday, March 31, 2014

Tithe: A Modern Faerie Tale by Holly Black

Author: Holly Black
Title:Tithe (Modern Faerie Tales #1)
Publication: October 1, 2002
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Genre: Fairy Tale, Urban Fantasy, Young Adult
Pages: 336
Audience: 15 and up
Rating: 4 out of 5
Source: Public Library

Synopsis (from the cover):

Sixteen year old Kaye is a modern nomad. Fierce and independent, she drifts from place to place until an ominous attack forces Kaye back to her childhood home. There, amid the blue collar New Jersey backdrop, Kaye, finds herself an unwilling pawn in an ancient and violent power struggle between two rival faerie kingdoms- a struggle that could very well mean her death.
My thoughts:
This book has been on my to-read-list for a while. I finally got around to reading it. I'm not sure what I was expecting, but it was different than I thought it would be. I guess part of it was I did not read the back cover before I dove into the book. I was expecting most of the book to take place in the faerie kingdoms. not in the modern world, or as the faerie call it, the Ironside, which is also the title to the third book in the trilogy. I read this book in about 4 days or so.  However, there are so many characters and places to keep up with, that by the end of the novel I had confused myself. I was wondering who certain characters were, but I finally got it all figured out.
If you like fairy/faerie tales, then I recommend this book. Kaye is an interesting character who is strong willed and fiercely loyal. I liked her a lot because I too am stubborn and loyal. I don't want to say too much about the other characters, but it appears just like faerie glamor some people are not as they seem.
It is a quick, fun read especially if you like faeries. I hope to find and read the second book eventually. Unfortunately, my public library does not have the complete trilogy.

Excerpt, Interview & Giveaway: All My Restless Life to Live by Dee DeTarsio

Title: All My Restless Life to Live 
Author: Dee DeTarsio
Publication: April 29th 2013
Genre: Adult, Romance


Synopsis:
Award-winning author Dee DeTarsio combines life’s darker side with humor and tenderness in a wonderfully charming look at love and the afterlife.

Life is a soap opera, especially for Elle Miller, who is a TV producer. (Ellen dropped the “n” in her name in hopes of finding a better ending for herself.) When her laptop crashes, she borrows her dead dad’s computer and gets way more than she bargained for.

As Elle tries to save her career with a storyline featuring a trip through Atlantis, she takes a trip to the Emmys, and finds herself in the middle of a romance between a real doctor and a hunk who just plays one on TV. Friends, family, and clues from “the other side” all help Elle figure out the difference between living the good life . . . and living a good life.


Excerpt: 
“I cant believe that Im really not that nervous,” I kept saying being takes. “Acting is so easy. Way easier than writing. Maybe I should be an actress.”
Liam just smirked at Tanya McGonya, who flipped him off with both middle fingers as her arms were folded across her chest.
“This is good for me to get in character and see what its like. I can write better drivel than Liam. Sorry.” I shot a quick look at him and covered my mouth.
Stop talking,” Liam ordered. “Start kissing.”
“Oh.” I guess I was nervous.
“You are doing great,” Brad whispered. He leaned down as his arms wrapped around me, pulling me and my Bra Vo in close.
“Where do I put my hands?” I asked, both palms against his bare chest. Please dont squeeze the Charmin.
“Over his coat, around his waist,” Liam said.
Brads smooth mouth kissed me, bending my head slightly so the camera could get an angle.
“Hold it,” Liam said. “Christ, move around a little.”
I couldnt move. I was just enjoying smelling Brad and feeling his breath on my upper lip, and really, really liking his two lips resting on mine.
Hair,” Liam directed. Brad started softly pushing back my hair. My hair was nothing special shoulder-length, that Tanya McGonya curled into a natural tousled look. In Brads fingers, it became an erogenous zone. He cupped his hand and pushed my hair behind my ear. He ran his finger and thumb over my ear, and massaged my lobe ever so gently, before getting back to the business of fondling my curls.
My heart was cartoon loud. I wouldnt have been surprised to hear a horn ahooga. Liam had us stop and start several more times for different angles.
And then I forgot where I was and started kissing Brad. I wasnt acting, I didnt know how. The music got louder, the light seemed to dim, and Brad kissed me back.

“And cut. Cut. Cut. Jesus.”

Thursday, March 27, 2014

Excerpt & Giveaway: Kiss Me Twice by Lauren Hawkeye

Title: Kiss Me Twice
Author: Lauren Hawkeye 
Series: Three Little Words #3
Publication: TBD
Genre: New Adult, Romance

Audiance: 18+

Synopsis:
Can three people have a happy ever after in a world that runs two by two?

After two years of hiding, Adele Cavanaugh has finally found happiness with her first love, serious law student Malachi Hunter… and with sexy Australian rocker Dorian Marshall, the lead singer of the band Three Little Words.

But the universe doesn't seem to want Adele to be happy. Just when she thinks she can finally be free, the demons from her past make a devastating reappearance… and so does Malachi’s ex-girlfriend. Combined with an opportunity for the band that will take Dorian away from her, Adele wonders if she has been fooling herself all along.

Will Adele find the strength to let love win, even when it comes in a non-traditional form?

The third book in the Three Little Words series, Kiss Me Twice is a steamy New Adult romance that explores the love between two men who would rather share their woman than let her go. Two years ago Adele’s world fell to pieces… this books asks if she’s strong enough to put herself back together again.

Wednesday, March 26, 2014

Cover Reveal: Collide by Christine Fonseca

Title: Collide 
Author: Christine Fonseca
Publication: April 29th 2014
Genre: Thriller, Young Adult


Synopsis:
The most dangerous secrets are the ones that kill.

When a surprising mental breakdown draws too much attention from a secret government group call the Order, 17-year-old Dakota discovers that her so-called boring life isn’t so boring after all. Between the lies, secrets and assassins out to kill her family, Dakota discovers there’s more to paranormal activity than ghosts and cheap mind tricks. Now she must uncover the truth before a new breed of terrorism takes everything away – including her life.


Author Bio:
Critically acclaimed nonfiction and YA author Christine Fonseca is dedicated to helping children of all ages find their voice in the world. Drawing on her expertise as an educational psychologist, her nonfiction titles address issues of emotional intensity, resiliency and giftedness. In fiction, she explores the darker aspects of humanity and delivers gothic thrillers that take you on a rollercoaster ride of emotions. In life, she teaches her own children to embrace their unique talents and find their voice by being a force of positive change in the world.
When she’s not writing or developing programs to support children with exceptional needs, she can be found spending time with her family, sipping too many skinny vanilla lattes at her favorite coffee house or playing around on Facebook and Twitter. For more information about Christine Fonseca or her books, visit her website or her blog.





Tuesday, March 25, 2014

Review & Excerpt: Falling by J. Bennett

Title: Falling
Author: J. Bennett
Publication: January 1st 2012 
Publisher:Endeavor Writing
Source: Author
Genre: Paranormal
Audience: 18+


Synopsis:
The intellectual challenge of college and the warm embrace of a serious boyfriend have given Maya the wings she needs to break away from her bookish and shy reserve. Her ideal life comes crashing down when she and her boyfriend are accosted by a stranger. A stranger with glowing hands.

Maya's boyfriend is killed. She is kidnapped. Changed.

A rescue comes, but not soon enough.

Maya’s senses sharpen, her body becomes strong and agile, and she develops the ability to visually see the emotions of those around her as colorful auras…beautiful auras…tempting auras.

And then there’s the song…

Now, Maya must struggle to control the murderous appetite that fuels her new abilities, accept her altered condition and learn to trust two vigilante half-brothers she never knew she had. As she joins the battle against a secret network of powerful and destructive beings that call themselves "Angels", Maya vows to find and destroy the one who changed her.
On the bright side, at least Maya's oldest half-brother has stopped trying to kill her.

My Thoughts:  Maya was just an ordinary college student going to get something to eat with her boyfriend when her life changed and her journey as a "monster" begins. Everything is new and confusing to Maya. She has always known she was adopted but she never expected to be found by her brothers and infected by her father. Maya's struggles to control her abilities, emotions, and most importantly her appetite. This is the beginning of Maya's voyage with hunger, loss, and revenge. 

I'm thrilled that I get a chance to read the entire series and can't wait to see what is in store for my in the next book. Come back next month to see what I have to say about Coping (Girl With Broken Wings #2). 

Excerpt:
Chapter 6
“Your head,” the boy with elf eyes murmurs as he puts me into a car. Then, “this is, um, awkward.” He can only get me half in. I hear his steps moving quickly around the back of the car. He opens the opposite door and pulls me the rest of the way across the back seat.
“Thank you,” I say. I want to touch the blue glow around him. This will soothe the pain inside of me. Not pain. Hunger. Great, gaping hunger. I am shivering, still sweating. The strap of my bra has fallen to my elbow.
“Do we, uh, have a blanket in the trunk or something, Tarren?”
“Get in the car.”
I hear sirens. They sound closer than they could possibly be. Just like I think I can hear the boy’s heart thudding in his chest, but that can’t be real.
“Yeah, it’s a warm night. She’ll be fine.” The door by my head closes. I flinch at the sound. After a moment it opens again.
“Seatbelt.” He leans over me, grappling with the buckle under my back. His heart is a drum.  I hear the whoosh of air in and out of his lungs. I smell him, the sweat on him, the damp of his clothes. Glowing spirals of blue cloak his body like colored steam. I must touch the color. I am moving my arm, dizzy with even this effort but desperate. He is so close. My hands grow hot. Something is happening to them. The skin of my palms is puckering, splitting open.
“There we go.” The boy is gone. The door closes. I keep reaching up hoping to catch any lingering wisps of the glow. The skin furls back over my palm, seaming itself up into a dark X across the center. The car is moving. Every breath smells like blood. I’m giggling like a maniac, but only in my head. I shove my hands under my body, because this will somehow help. I’m still burning to death, by the way.
The driver whispers to himself, “We had him. We had him.”
The one with the backwards ball cap and elf eyes says, “Look, we got her; that was the whole point.” He turns to look at the driver. “We’ll kill Grand some other time.”
The driver doesn’t say anything, but the color ratchets around him, bright along the edges. I close my eyes, but I can still feel the skin pulling away from my palms again. 
“Your eye is swelling up,” the passenger says.
“I’m fine. You?”
“Ankle. Just twisted it a little. I’ll throw some ice on it whenever. No cops behind us. We need to switch our plates when we stop. Ditch the guns too. We left shell casings. Damn shame, though.” The passenger pulls a gun from his belt, hefts it in his hand. “My guy went through a lot of trouble to get this baby. Not that you care. Anyone can get Glocks.”
“Put that away,” the driver says. “We’ll cover cleanup later.”
The passenger turns to stare at me. I watch the delicate shades of blue pulse around him.
“We should probably get her a shirt,” he says. The driver doesn’t reply, but his eyes flick up to the rearview mirror when we stop at a light.
After a while, the elf turns to the driver and asks, “Is there any way this isn’t going to totally fucking ruin her life?”
I can’t stop shivering. My body jerks, so that I fall back painfully onto the buckle. The fire is starting to separate. There’s the part ripping up my bones and evaporating my blood, but there is something entirely different lifting out of the flames. This is an exquisite hurt, all neural and twitchy. It’s hunger, but not like a hunger I’ve ever known before. This hunger is cutting me wide open with a song, carving out its own channels in my brain and snuffing out the human parts of me.
I think that I am going to die, and I don’t want to, except that I do, because Ryan is dead, at least I think he is, but maybe he isn’t, because he can’t be. He can’t be.
The hum of the car seems so loud, and the passing street lamps blaze like sudden flares in the night.  We leave behind the highway and then the street lamps and then the other cars. I cry, but these are silent tears, hot by the time they tip over my chin. We sail through the night for a long while, and the tears eventually dwindle. All that is left is the hunger growing louder and louder in my bones.
Eventually, the car stops. The driver gets out. The door by my head is wrenched open. He grabs my shoulders and pulls. The seatbelt digs into my hips, and I cry out.
“Damn,” he mutters. He grabs my wrists in one hand and pins them against the back of the seat while he leans over and undoes my buckle. The passenger side door opens.
“Jesus, where are we? You gotta piss?”
The driver pulls me roughly out of the car. I hit the ground and curl my legs into my chest. There is only the hunger and the pain and the shadow of Ryan lingering behind the trees that edge each side of the road.
The driver pulls a gun from his waistband, and I am not afraid. The amber glow is so bright around him that it looks like some sort of unnatural fire. Everything is fire. I stare at the scar running along his jaw and recognize him. The enforcer of Avalon levels his gun at me. The blood stains across his shirt and jeans are already turning dark. In his eyes I see a cold that I would never be clichĂ© enough to call arctic except that I can’t think of anything else. There’s a lot of blood on him.
“Tarren, no!”
Pant legs intrude into my visual field.
“She’s infected. We have to do it now while she’s weak.”
“One shot Tarren. She only got one shot. She’s like…a hybrid or something.”
“We can’t take the chance.”
“Yes we can, because, uh, because you could use her in your research. She could be, like, the key. The hybrids are always the key in, you know, stuff.”
“We’ll take the body back to Lo’s lab.”
“Cold hearted bastard! She’s blood.”
“His blood.”
“Our blood. She’s our blood Tarren.” The elf boy’s voice has gone harsh. “She’s our family, and you can pretend that you don’t care about anything anymore, that you’re suffering the weight of the entire world on your shoulders, but you’re just afraid. Fuck you. I’m not moving.”
“You done?” The gun doesn’t move.
“Yeah.” The elf takes a shaky breath. “I mean no! She could help us. Think about it.  She’ll get strong. She’ll get fast. She can fight with us. We can…”
“And the hunger?”
My protector turns and looks at me. I can hear how fast his heart is beating, the faint rush of blood as he clenches his fists. The light around him swells. So blue with sudden streaks of lavender lashing across. The song. They act as if they can’t hear the music flowing in hot torrents all around us.
“We’ll buy her rabbits,” he says finally.
“She’ll lapse and feed on humans.”
“No, she…”
“THEY ALWAYS FEED ON HUMANS.”  The enforcer’s voice echoes into the trees. He pulls in a deep breath. “You know that. She is Grand’s daughter. He’ll come after her again and by then she’ll be strong. I’ll take care of it. Just get out of my way.”
“I’m on fire,” I say for no reason. I lift myself up to my elbows with difficulty. I don’t know which one I want to prevail. A bullet would be quicker than this slow burn.
“No.” The legs in front of me step a little wider. “No,” the elf says again. “We’ve crossed a lot of lines, but I’m not going to let you cross this one. She may feed on humans one day, maybe not. Until she does, she’s an innocent, and we don’t kill innocent people. Not today. Not ever. She deserves a chance; I don’t care who the fuck her parents are. If she crosses over, I’ll kill her myself, but not today.”
The enforcer keeps his gun steady.  “Gabe,” he says.
“I’m not moving.” Gabe spreads his arms. “If you’ve got to kill her, then do it, but I’m sick of this shit. You kill me first, ‘cause killing innocent people is what bad guys do. I’m not a bad guy, and I’d rather be dead then see you turn into one.”
I hold my hands out in front of me and stare at the new dark slits running through my palms.
“Am I a monster?” I whisper. “Is that what this is?”
“No,” Gabe looks at me over his shoulder. “Well, kinda, but we’re going to help you. We’re family.”

Tarren lowers his gun. A slow descent. 


Author Bio:
J Bennett is a professional copywriter, as well as a novelist. She lives and writes in Southern California.
She also writes the blog www.ShyWriter.com
Find J Bennett online at www.jbennettwrites.com or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/jbennettwrites

Works by J Bennett
Girl With Broken Wings
Falling (Book One)
Coping (Novella, 1.5)
Landing
(Book Two), To Be Released Jan 2013
The Vampire’s Housekeeper Chronicles
#1 Employment Interview With A Vampire (Short Story)
#2 The Vampire Hunter Comes to Call (Short Story)
#3 Duel With The Werefrog (Short Story)




Monday, March 24, 2014

Cover Reveal: Prophecy of the Most Beautiful by Diantha Jones

Title: Prophecy of the Most Beautiful
Author: Diantha Jones 
Series: Oracle of Delphi #1
Publication: March 1st 2012
Genre: Fantasy, Mythology, Young Adult

Synopsis:
She has a destiny so great that even the gods fear her.

Constant hallucinations and the frequent conversations with the voices in her head, have earned eighteen-year-old Chloe Clever the not-so-coveted title of “Whack Job” in her home town of Adel, Georgia. With the onslaught of prescription medications and therapists threatening to push her over the edge, she wishes for a life far away from the one she has, a life where she is destined to be more than the butt of everyone’s jokes and mockery.

Be careful what you wish for has never rung more true.

After living through an attack from her worst nightmare, she awakens to find herself far from home, surrounded by glorious riches and servants…and a few demigods who enjoy killing things. Upon learning that her favorite rockstar is an Olympian god, she is thrust into her new life as the Oracle of Delphi, the prophesier of the future, and the great Pythia that the gods have been anxiously awaiting to arrive for centuries. Setting out to fulfill the prophecy she has been given and to keep her family safe from a demigod Princess that wants her dead, Chloe learns of how great she is to become, all the while fighting mythical monsters, evading divine assassins and trying to outwit the ever-cunning Greek gods who harbor secrets of their own. In the hopes of discovering the Most Beautiful and the truth of her destiny, she strives to uncover the mysteries of the demigod Prince who has sworn to protect her with his life…and threatens to win her heart in the process.


Author Bio:
Diantha was born on Thanksgiving Day so that explains why her mother calls her a "turkey." She spent the first 16 years of her life as an official Army brat (now she's a retired one), and has spent the last twelve years living in Georgia (Atlanta, then Savannah). She now resides in Washington D.C. She loves to read and watch movies (Quentin Tarantino is her fave director), and she loves cold weather and french fries (with cheese if possible).
 



Saturday, March 22, 2014

Audio Review: Unbreakable by Kami Garcia

Title: Unbreakable
Author: Kami Garcia
Narrator: Candice Accola
Publisher: Hachette Audio
Format: Unabridged Audio
Length: 6 hrs 46 mins
Publication: October 1, 2013
Source: Library
Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal Fantasy


Synopsis:
I never believed in ghosts. Until one tried to kill me.

When Kennedy Waters finds her mother dead, her world begins to unravel. She doesn’t know that paranormal forces in a much darker world are the ones pulling the strings. Not until identical twins Jared and Lukas Lockhart break into Kennedy’s room and destroy a dangerous spirit sent to kill her. The brothers reveal that her mother was part of an ancient secret society responsible for protecting the world from a vengeful demon — a society whose five members were all murdered on the same night.

Now Kennedy has to take her mother’s place in the Legion if she wants to uncover the truth and stay alive. Along with new Legion members Priest and Alara, the teens race to find the only weapon that might be able to destroy the demon — battling the deadly spirits he controls every step of the way.

My Thoughts: I enjoyed this read yet by the end I was saying "What?? Really?? You've got to be kidding me!! Kennedy went through all of that and then this?" I found my self yelling at Kennedy throughout the story trying to get her to rethink her actions and do what I wanted her to do. Garcia did a wonderful job developing the characters and the plot. 

It was easy to empathize with Kennedy's situation and understand why she made the decisions she did. I was left with several unanswered questions at the end of the book. I will definitely continue with this series since, I must know what happens next.

This is a single voiced unabridged production. Candice Accola is a wonderful narrator. I did find it difficult to distinguish between Jared and Lukas but they are twins. Consistent pace is maintained throughout the production. The original material lends itself well to audio presentation. 

Friday, March 21, 2014

Cover Reveal & Giveaway: Summoned by Rainy Kaye

Title: Summoned
Author: Rainy Kaye
Publication: March 28th 2014 
Publisher: Immortal Ink Publishing
Genre: New Adult paranormal, urban fantasy
Cover Design: Kris Wagner 
Model: Adam Jakubowski 
Photographer: Marcin RychĹ‚y 




Synopsis: Twenty-three year old Dimitri has to do what he is told—literally. Controlled by a paranormal bond, he is forced to use his wits to fulfill unlimited deadly wishes made by multimillionaire Karl Walker.

Dimitri has no idea how his family line became trapped in the genie bond. He just knows resisting has never ended well. When he meets Syd—assertive, sexy, intelligent Syd—he becomes determined to make her his own. Except Karl has ensured Dimitri can't tell anyone about the bond, and Syd isn't the type to tolerate secrets.

Then Karl starts sending him away on back-to-back wishes. Unable to balance love and lies, Dimitri sets out to uncover Karl's ultimate plan and put it to an end. But doing so forces him to confront the one wish he never saw coming—the wish that will destroy him.

Summoned is represented by Rossano Trentin of TZLA.

Author Bio:
Rainy Kaye is an aspiring overlord. In the mean time, she blogs at RainyoftheDark.com and writes paranormal novels from her lair somewhere in Phoenix, Arizona. When not plotting world domination, she enjoys getting lost around the globe, studying music so she can sing along with symphonic metal bands, and becoming distracted by Twitter @rainyofthedark. She is represented by Rossano Trentin of TZLA.

Giveaway: This giveaway is for a $25 Amazon gift card. 
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thursday, March 20, 2014

Excerpt, Interview & Giveaway; Clarity by Loretta Lost

Title: Clarity 
Author: Loretta Lost
Series: Clarity #1
Publication: February 23, 2014
Genre: Contemporary, New Adult, Romance

Synopsis:
Fiercely independent Helen Winters was born completely blind, but she vowed never to let her disability keep her down. She did not expect a traumatic event to devastate her life and force her to drop out of college. Disillusioned by the cruelty of people, Helen retreated from society to live by herself as a reclusive writer in the woods—where no one could ever hurt her again.

When a brilliant young doctor shows up on her doorstep, promising her that his new research can give her the ability to see for the first time, Helen stubbornly refuses. She has learned not to trust anyone, and to rely only on herself. But Dr. Liam Larson will not take no for an answer. He makes it his personal mission to rescue Helen from her loneliness, and bring joy into her world once more—the joy she has denied herself for so long.

When Helen’s demons come racing back into her life, threatening to rip her apart and destroy the strength she has carefully rebuilt, Liam is the only one who might be able to save her.

Can he reach the broken girl in time, helping her to heal and see the world in a different light? Or will Helen’s grief send her spiraling out of control, lost to him forever?

Excerpt: 
“Be quiet,” he whispers. “No screaming, or I’ll rip your tongue out. I’m going to release you, but keep your mouth shut, okay?”
I nod. The silence in the room is deafening. My skin is prickled by rising goose bumps, and my heart furiously pumps hot blood through my body. As soon as his hands release me, I swivel and smash my fist into his face. He roars in pain, and I fling my foot outward, letting my heel connect with his knee. Feeling his leg beginning to buckle and crumple, I quickly duck away from him and lunge for the door. Grasping the handle, I pull the door halfway open before I feel it being slammed shut. The boy grabs a fistful of my hair at the back of my head and uses it to smash my face against the door.  I cry out at the sharp pain in my nose, and my lip splits open against my teeth. I taste a bitter, metallic liquid against my tongue. My head spins and I grow dizzy. I feel my body being hauled away from the door and thrown to the ground amid boxes and other debris. I struggle to raise myself onto my elbows to fight against my assailant, but there is suddenly a heavy, crushing weight on top of me.
A large hand clamps around my neck and squeezes. He is suffocating me.
“I can make you feel better, Helen,” he says in a tender voice. “Shhh. Just relax. Relax and let me take care of you.” I feel his hand reaching down to slip under my skirt. “Relax and spread your legs.”
“Are you insane?” I hiss, clawing at the hand he’s holding over my throat. He’s too strong. Tears flood my eyes once again. “I thought you were nice.”
“I guess you missed one too many psychology classes, huh?” he says with a laugh. He leans down and puts his lips very close to my ear. “Just don’t worry, sweet thing. You can’t see me, so I’m not even really here. Out of sight, out of mind.”
“You monster!” I scream hoarsely, struggling against him. “How could you...”
He removes his hand from my neck and hits me across the face. My already bloody lip is swollen and pulsating. I am afraid for my life. Maybe I should stop fighting and let him do whatever he intends to do? My sister and father need me, and I can’t die. It would destroy them. They’ve lost too much already. I can’t seem to stop sobbing. I think of my mother. Maybe I should fight with the two-hundred-pound football player, and hope that he kills me so that I can be with her? My mind is a mess. I don’t know what to do. I don’t know where I am. I don’t know if I’m going to survive this.
“Think about calm ocean breezes,” the man on top of me says in a soothing voice. “Shhh. My sweet Helen. Think about soft waves of the ocean. Shhh. That’s all we are. Soft waves of the ocean.”
His sadistic banter chills me to the bone. Why is this happening to me? Why is this happening to me now? Why, at my lowest moment, has the universe found a way to drag me down even further—into an even deeper pit of despair? Is this some kind of sick joke? I must be dreaming. This can’t really be happening.
But his thumb and forefinger continue to press down painfully on either side of my windpipe. I gasp for breath as he steals the life away from me. This is very real.
“Helen,” he coos in a singsong voice as he moves on top of my body. “Helen, Helen, Helen. Such a pretty name, for such a pretty girl. My sweet, sweet Helen. The things I’m going to do to you.”
I am not sure what this man looks like, but I imagine that if I could see him, I would be staring up into the face of pure evil. Perhaps I should be thankful that I will never have to behold something so hideous. If I survive this, I inwardly promise myself, I will have to get stronger, somehow. I can never let something like this happen to me again.

Author Bio: 
Loretta Lost knows how dark the world can be, but chooses to believe in happily-ever-afters despite all evidence to the contrary.

Interview: 
1. Why did you choose to write about a blind heroine? 
Due to the first person narrative, the whole story is colored by the filter of the main character’s point of view. It can make for an excellent reading experience to have a unique personality who is special or charming in some way—maybe they’re just incredibly witty or perceptive. Maybe they’re a hilarious pessimist or self-deprecating downer. I thought it would be challenging and rewarding to allow the reader to experience the story without vision to really put us inside Helen’s world. I feel that since we get to know other characters based on who they are instead of what they look like, there is a greater potential for deep connections.

 2. The first scene of your story is very heartbreaking and difficult to read. Why did you choose to write about the subject matter of rape?
I posted on one of my Facebook fan pages about rape once, and I had several of my readers message me in private and share their experiences. It was quite shocking and disturbing, and I was simply stunned at the frequency of these horrible events. While I do believe there is little I can do to prevent this type of behavior by simply writing, I hope that I can advocate compassion and caring for the victims of abuse by showing the way it has affected Helen.

 3. It was interesting to read about Helen’s retreat deep in the woods. What made you choose this location? 
The concept of a reclusive writer living peacefully tucked away in the woods has always been enchanting to me. I often dream of having a similar little writing haven someday. I think being surrounded by nature and removed from the hustle and bustle of the city, and the annoyances of people would be the ideal situation for any writer. The specific location of New Hampshire was inspired by Walt’s cabin in Breaking Bad. The winter scenery was so gorgeous; and just outside the window, the sky has been dumping heaps of magical snow on us for months. I couldn't resist writing about such a pretty landscape and sanctuary for a girl who likes to call herself Winter. 

4. What about your male lead? Why did you choose to make him a doctor?
I briefly dated an ophthalmologist who shared plenty of interesting surgery stories with me. However, he was boastful and condescending, and simply a horrible person. It was like he used his job and helping people solely as a lure to impress chicks. Sometimes, when people disappoint me in real life, I like to reimagine them as better and more likable people and write them into stories. Liam is a man who wants to help Helen because improving someone’s life will give him joy—not because he gets something in return. (However, I did put some of the negative attributes of my doctor into Owen’s character!) 

5. What’s next for Helen?
You will simply have to read on to see where her story leads. Helen has a difficult struggle ahead of her, coming to terms with her past and trying to move forward into a brighter future. She is a clever and strong girl, and if anyone can do it, I know she can!

Giveaway: This giveaway is for one (1) ebook copy of Clarity and is open internationally. This giveaway is sponsored by the author and/or Xpresso Book Tours. Please use the rafflecopter form below to enter. 
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