Desert Star (The Desert Series) by Lisette Brodey (Giveaway, Excerpt, Interview, Review)

The Siren (Laments of Angels and Dark Chemistry # 1) by Meg Xuemei X (Excerpt, Giveaway)

Title: The Siren

Series: Laments of Angels and Dark Chemistry # 1

Author: Meg Xuemei X

Published: August 9th, 2014

Word Count: 80,000

Genre: YA Fantasy Romance Action Adventure

Synopsis:
Two boys tied to her irrevocably. One offers life disguised as death; the other leads to death with unfathomable love. Her choice decides whether the world turns or ends.

Lucienne Lam, born to rule as the last of the Sirens, is running out of time. If she fails to find the TimeDust, an ancient power, her enemies will have their wish–her head on a spike. And she’ll never know the love promised by Vladimir, a fierce warrior of the Czech royal bloodline.

Except Ashburn, a genius ‘farm boy,’ has found the TimeDust first, and its power binds Lucienne to him. She must convince him to sever this forced bond so she can return to her first love. But breaking the link seems insurmountable when the TimeDust launches its own ominous agenda and the two boys prepare to duel to the death over her.

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Excerpt:

Vladimir reacted instantly, catching her before she hit the wall. The impact drove them both to the ground. “I’m glad you’re on top,” said Vladimir with another groan. “I absorbed most of the hit.”
“That’s very kind of you.” Lucienne turned to Vladimir, their faces inches away. His warm breath and pheromone made her forget where she was. Rushing footsteps brought her to her senses.
“Vlad?”
“Yes, Lucia?” he whispered, his hands pressing against the small of her back.
“We’ve been discovered.”
“I know. But there’s no need for them to yell. That’s kind of rude.”
“They’re not yelling.”
“No, but they will.”

About the Author:

Meg Xuemei X is an award-winning author. She grew up in a backward, southern town in China, went to college in Akron, and dropped out from Tisch School.

She’s the author of Laments of Angels & Dark Chemistry series. Her science fiction novel, Ghost Star, was published by the China Federation of Literature Publishing House. Her romance novella, Dance with Your Enemy, won an International Editorial Award.

She lives in Sherman Oaks, California.

She’d love for you to sign up to her mailing list at eepurl.com/YxOcn

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Skateboard Xombies: Search for the Crystal Coffin by Ace Antonio Hall (Sylva Slasher Novel #2) (Cover Reveal, Excerpt, Giveaway)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Ace Antonio Hall is an actor, former music producer, and ‘retired’ educator with accolades as a Director of Education for the Sylvan Learning Center and nearly fifteen years experience as an award-winning NYC English teacher. He has a BFA degree with a concentration in screenwriting and has published poetry, short stories and fiction in magazines, anthologies, newspapers and novels.

Inspired by his father, Chris Acemandese Hall, who penned the lyrics to the Miles Davis jazz classic, “So What”, sung by Eddie Jefferson, and his sister, Carol Lynn Brown, who guest starred in the 1970’s film, “Velvet Smooth”, Ace spawned his creativity into developing the beloved but flawed teen character, Sylva Slasher.

Ace was the Vice President of the Greater Los Angeles Writers Society (2009-2011), and continues to head the Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror (ScHoFan) Critique Group as Co-Director of critique groups within the society. He is also a member of LASFS and the International Thriller Writers.

On April 14, 2013, Montag Press published his YA zombie novel Confessions of Sylva Slasher. His next release, Skateboard Xombies, is coming out later this year, and he has already begun working on Skateboard Xamurai for the third installment in his Sylva Slasher series.

Amazon Author Page | Facebook | Twitter | GoodReads | Website | Blog | Instagram

Looking for some zombie gear? Check out Ace’s Zombie Pop Store!

EXCERPT

HoloBleet – @sylvaslasher. Entry 526: I heard this song on my mother’s Visual iPod I bought her last Christmas. Here are the lyrics to the song which literally blew my mind: “The lunatic is on the grass … The lunatic is in the hall … And if your head explodes with dark forebodings too, I’ll see you on the dark side of the moon … And if the cloud bursts, thunder in your ear, you shout and no one seems to hear …” –Pink Floyd, Brain Damage

601 ReBleets, 11,493 Followers

DON’T THINK, FEEL

I stared into Jun Lee’s delightful violet eyes. His spirit wavered around me in a twisted battle of angst and charm. He was bald, except for a lone purplish-blue ponytail that nearly touched the Travertine-tiled floor. His smile broadened as helifted the thoughts from my head the way a cat burglar lifts a priceless diamond from the confines of a highly secured jewel display. He was a mind-dweller, a seer of thoughts, just like his father.

I gazed toward his flawless face, yet trembled like a statue that had been bumped by a reckless quake. I was frozen, declared inanimate from the moment his warm hand brushed against my neck, and his strong fingers grasped the back of my head, pulling my lips within a whispered breath of his own.

The mind-dweller’s audience salivated with anticipation. I, who had raised hundreds of the dead from the grave, and stared death in the face more times than I can count, sat in a blend of awe and terror of this beautiful vampire.

I fought to keep my mind, struggled to hide my thoughts. Yet, every fiber of my being burned with an intensity that mirrored the sweltering heat of the reddened night air outside of his parlor. I fought his intrusion the way an eagle’s feather argued with a strong breeze. It was futile. My memories opened to him like prey into a dragon’s mouth.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Title: Skateboard Xombies: Search for the Crystal Coffin

Series: A Sylva Slasher Novel #2

Author: Ace Antonio Hall

To Be Published: December 2nd, 2014

Word Count: 80,000

Genre: YA Horror

Synopsis:

Sylva Slasher is about to drop out of high school … again. Thanks to another zombie outbreak that made her ditch graduation the first time. And that’s just for starters. Ever since the initial undead invasion, she’s been suffering from an anxiety disorder called PTSD–the same that soldiers returning from war get–but she’s only a teenager and her battles fighting the walking dead is more than traumatizing.

Now, Sylva is facing the most powerful zombies she’s faced yet: deadheads with telekinetic power. Help for Earth seems hopeless and a clan of vampire monks help Sylva, her skateboard-fanatic friends and her family escape to their home on an alternate world. Somehow, the telekinetic zombies find the same portal to that world and the only way to stop that world from total annihilation is to help a devious sorceress find her lost daughter’s soul; hidden in a secret crystal coffin.

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A Magic Within by Sara V. Zook (Book Blitz)

Title:  A Magic Within

Author:  Sara V. Zook

Published:  June 18^th, 2014

Genre:  YA Paranormal

Synopsis:

Normalcy. I need to get back to a state of normalcy. What’s happened to me? Why am I here in this orphanage, and why am I forbidden to leave? Everyone is so very cruel here. I can’t eat. I can’t sleep. It’s the paranoia getting to me. It’s like someone’s always watching, always listening. There’s a general fear around here, and for some reason, it seems fueled by my arrival, but why are they afraid of me? I didn’t ask for this. I don’t even know how I got here. I need to go home. My parents must be worried sick. There has to be someone here who can help me, who can give me answers and lead me in the right direction so I can get out of here. There is this one boy, Lydic. Could he be my key to getting out? I can see it in his eyes he feels sorry for me. He seems to know more than he’s letting on. These people aren’t like anyone I’ve ever met before.

| Goodreads |

Excerpt from A Magic Within:

“What is that sound?” I asked in a whisper.  It was still far away but growing louder and closer by the minute.

            Lydic put his arm behind his back and opened his hand for me to take it.  I slid my fingers into his and waited for him to let me know what to do next.  My heart was pounding out of my chest.  Another second passed and then Lydic turned, his eyes locked on mine as he nodded his head.  We took off to try to outrun whatever it was that was coming for us.  We had only gotten two steps in before I felt Lydic’s grasp on my hand slip away.  I turned around to see what was happening.  I screamed out in horror as Lydic was frozen in place.  He was still on his feet, but his head was drawn back and his eyes rolling into his head as if in extreme pain.

            “Lydic!” I cried out.

            The old woman was behind him.  She had that stick, the same one I had tripped over, held up in the air and aimed at Lydic’s head.  There were bright colors, green and yellow, pouring out from the end of the stick and going directly into his skull.  The woman’s expression was one of determination.  Her eyes were closed and her lips pressed together as she mumbled something I couldn’t understand.

            What are you going to do?  Panic seized me.  Lydic was supposed to help me, not the other way around.  I didn’t know what to do.  I had to stop this, but how?

            The high-pitched whistling grew louder and more intense.  It was starting to hurt my ears.  My gut told me that if I didn’t make a move now, it was going to be too late.

            I took a step toward the stick and reached out and grabbed it with my hand.  I used all the strength I had to yank it from the grasp of the old woman.  Lydic fell to his knees.  The woman glared at me, a low growl escaping from her throat.  She lunged toward me.  Without having time to think, I instinctively swung the large stick at her, using it as a bat and she was the ball.  It collided with her head making a grotesque sound.  She collapsed to the ground.  Lydic looked up at me.  I was breathing hard, trying to understand what had just happened. 

            “What do we do?” I asked.  The whistling noise was almost to us, but I still couldn’t see anything.

            Lydic glanced over his shoulder at the woman.  “Run!” 

About the Author:

Sara V. Zook is a paranormal/fantasy writer. She is the author of the Strange in Skin Trilogy, Clipped and Evanescent, Book 1 in The Sempiternal Series. She lives in Pennsylvania with her 3 small children and husband.

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Giveaway Details:

There is a tour wide giveaway. Prizes include the following:

Two Custom Bookmarks, an eBook copy of A Magic Within, and a print copy of A Magic Within

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The Pact by Graeme Brown (Feed Your Imagination with Fantasy Tour) (Guest Post, Excerpt, Giveaway)

 

Title:  The Pact

Author:  Graeme Brown

Published:  May 2013

Publisher:  Champagne Book Group

Word Count:   17,000

Genre:  Dark Epic Fantasy

Recommended Age:  12+

Synopsis:

Enter the world of Will Lesterall, a boy who’s grown up in the safety of his father’s castle.

Tales of the outside world ruled by warring kings and creatures of nightmare have never seemed a threat, yet on the night celebrating two hundred years of the sacred Pact that has kept Fort Lesterall safe, intrigues ripen, and in the course of a few hours Will is confronted with a choice greater than he can comprehend.

Join an unlikely hero as destiny pulls him into the middle of an ancient conflict between fallen gods and ambitious women, one that demands blood, both holy and wicked, and the power of an ancient fire bound in steel. As swords clash below a watching wood, hope and betrayal war as fiercely as fear and valor.

Whether he lives or dies, Will Lesterall will never be the same.

Excerpt

 Will felt a hand on his shoulder.

“Lie down,” the woman cooed.

The blade glowed like the moon through its sheen of blood and Will obeyed slowly, feeling the stone’s icy kiss against the back of his neck. He cursed himself in his mind, but the voice had no power. That was your only chance. You’re dead now. There’s no stopping her.

He still shook with grief, his whole body cold. He saw Robin and the fear in his brother’s eyes. The pain. Will wanted to run, but his body wouldn’t move. Finally, he closed his eyes, whimpering, folding up his legs and turning on his side.

He waited and waited, but the moment didn’t come. He waited more, before finally summoning the courage to open his eyes...

THE THREE MASTERS OF FANTASY, by Graeme Brown

Every time I visited my grandmother as a child, I would spend time in front of the bookshelf. She had an exotic collection of books—Shel Silverstein’s Where the Sidewalk Ends, a fifty-year-old medical reference book, and Beezus and Ramona. One of them was tiny, and it had lots of words that I couldn’t read, but I enjoyed opening it up and looking at the maps inside. The Hobbit, it said, a book with a faded cover and picture of a dragon on a pile of gold.

I would spend hours in front of that shelf over the years to come. Night when I was sick, I’d hover over the humidifier and flip through the books. As I got older, I looked at the pictures in this book called The Hobbit, and wondered what it was about.

I was a late-bloomer not just to fantasy, but to reading. I started with horror, but nothing ever held my interest. It wasn’t until I was a teenager that I picked up a fantasy book and realized I loved it. Finally, my eye turned not just to The Hobbit, but to Lord of the Rings and the works of this guy named J.R.R. Tolkien.

Just like that, the engine inside Graeme Brown started chugging, and out came the stories. By the time I was an adult, I had a stack of paper that was half my height (most of it abandoned starts). With Tolkien came a love for maps and discovering other worlds. I tried others—Goodkind, Brooks, Dennis L. McKiernan—but it was Robert Jordan who brought me into the present day of fantasy.

Tolkien hinted at what it meant to write an epic. Robert Jordan went in and dared to dream without relent. When he passed away I was devastated. With each book, Mr. Jordan peeled back yet another layer, a series of Russian Dolls that took us closer and closer, deeper and deeper. His work was a perfect blend of endless imagination and mystic realism, and with his departure, I felt this light he showed us was forever gone.

My own writing turned from beginnings into unshapely novels—the first bad pancakes. I was reluctant to start a third, until I met the third master of fantasy, one who dared me not just to dream, but to seek realism to fantasy unlike I’d ever considered. I’m talking about George R. R. Martin.

I’d say Mr. Martin helped me find my voice. It was not his style or his work that had this effect on me. No, it was a live reading of his. I observed the way he paused before reading, the way he shifted slightly and became...something else. When the story commenced, he was living it. That made such an impression on me I realized this was what was lacking still in my writing. I started to read my work aloud, to see it not just as music, but as a sort of life of its own. Shortly after this, The Pact was born, a story whose germ was shaped in my mind for more than a decade, a blend of evolving ideas and approaching to writing, a thing that finally worked.

My grandmother has passed away, and that apartment where I once crouched before the bookcase is gone. But sometimes, when I write, I take a moment to close my eyes and imagine I’m there again. If only I’d known where that little book would have led me, as I pored over its pages, full of intrigue and wonder—as only a child can.

If only I’d known; and here I am now, grown up, but a child nonetheless, staring at maps and stories, daring to venture into their terrain, to discover their secrets, to take the journey into one place where I will never be the same.

 

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 About the Author:

Graeme Brown has been enchanted by the epic fantasy genre since he was a child, and consequently he started creating his own world with its stories at the age of thirteen. Influenced by writers like J.R.R. Tolkien, Robert Jordan, and George R. R. Martin, he has finally brought the first of those stories to life with his debut title, a short story called The Pact—48 pages that will whisk you away to a dark, medieval fantasy world with gritty realism. When he’s not writing, he can be found exploring number theory problems or writing computer programs, training for a marathon, or unwinding in a yoga hot room. He has also explored other facets of art, both as a hobby and a profession, including vector graphics, pen and ink, classical piano, and web design. He just finished writing the first of many sequels to The Pact, A Thousand Roads.

Amazon Author Page | Twitter | GoodReads | Website

 

Giveaway Details:

There is a tour wide giveaway. Prizes include the following:

• GRAND PRIZE:  One winner will receive 5 surprise fantasy eBooks from Champagne Book Group.

 

Giveaway is International.

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Palace of the Twelve Pillars: Book One (Palace of the Twelve Pillars) by Christina Weigand (Excerpt and Spotlight)

Title – Palace of the Twelve Pillars: Book One

Series – Palace of the Twelve Pillars

Author – Christina Weigand

Genre – YA Fantasy

Publication Date – April 26, 2013

Publisher – MuseItUp Publishing

Cover Artist – Marion Sipe

BOOK SYNOPSIS

The Peace Summit was in shambles, the prince kidnapped.

When the rival king realizes he kidnapped the wrong prince, hostilities escalate. Loyalties to each other and country are tested for the twin princes of Crato, Joachim and Brandan.

Joachim, captive of King Waldrom, faces deception and betrayal as he struggles to find his way home. Brandan, at home with a father focused on rescuing Joachim, wrestles with his own demons as he searches for his place in the world and the favor of his father.

Torn from the safety and peace of their childhood, they are thrust into a world where bonds of family, brotherhood and roles as heirs to Crato are tested. Through war, spiritual journeys, death and marriage, will they choose the path of good or evil? Who can be trusted, as the world they know slips into a whirlpool of chaos?

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BOOK EXCERPT

Then his gaze fell on Waldrom. Here was the man, so smug and condescending, who sought to destroy Crato and threatened his parents. He didn’t seem the least bit imposing reclining upon his throne. Disgust overwhelmed the prince, and it was all he could do not to spit on the floor. The man was the antithesis of his father, who, with his broad shoulders and compassionate demeanor, commanded the respect of all who knew him.

The king rose from the throne and waved for the guard to bring Joachim forward.

“Prince Brandan, I presume. I’m King Waldrom.”

“Prince Brandan? No, I’m Joachim.” Waldrom stepped back, and Joachim saw the fire burning in his eyes.

“What do you mean, you’re not Prince Brandan?” Waldrom looked at the guard holding Joachim and waved his hand. A candelabrum flew from the wall, hitting the guard and igniting his beard. The guard swatted wildly at the flames while Waldrom advanced on Melvane, standing by the door. “How could you grab the wrong prince?”

The wizard dropped to his knees. “My Lord, our spies told us Prince Brandan would be in the training room.

Title – Palace of the Three Crosses: Book Two

Series – Palace of the Twelve Pillars

Author – Christina Weigand

Genre – YA Fantasy

Publication Date – September 20, 2013

Publisher – MuseItUp Publishing

Cover Artist – Marion Sipe

BOOK SYNOPSIS

Brandan and Joachim have returned from the brink of Hell, but everyone questions if they are truly healed and one with Asha.

As each prince tries to readjust to life, they must face the funeral of their father and their missing mother.

They each take on the responsibility of ruling a country with new wives by their sides, but can they and the countries survive the trials that will ensue because of their choices?

BUY LINKS

MuseItUpPublishing | Amazon | Barnes & Nobles | Smashwords | Kobo Books

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BOOK EXCERPT

Rupert looked through the window in his tower room at the landscape of Wyrzburg. Months had passed since the Battle of Harable Valley and the spring planting season faded into the wonderful summer growing season. The land progressed in its healing and would soon be returned to its former state. As he turned from the window, he thought about the things that hadn’t healed…the twins. Brandan and Joachim still had a long way to go to erase the darkness that infected them. Joachim seemed better, but at night he still dreamed of Sidramah, and the doubts about what happened still haunted him. Brandan appeared even further from the boy that left to find his brother. The darkness appeared to follow him day and night. He withdrew to chambers as far away from Joachim as he could get.

Walking down the stairs to the great hall, Rupert remembered when the princes first returned; both had seemed healed and better than ever, maybe. But it appeared as if the tentacles of Sidramah still lingered. Any small opening the evil one could find, he exploited, and both boys were once again haunted by dark dreams.

Title – Sanctuary of the Nine Dragons: Book Three

Series – Palace of the Twelve Pillars

Author – Christina Weigand

Genre – YA Fantasy

Publication Date – February 2014

Publisher – MuseItUp Publishing

Cover Artist – Charlotte Volnek

BOOK SYNOPSIS

Joachim banishes Brandan to prison island of Hyogo. His infant son, Prince Airyn disappears from his cradle. A chain of events is set in motion that will pit brother against brother, friend against friend, parents against children as Brandan and Joachim struggle for control of their sanity and their very lives.

With Brandan declared dead and his son missing Joachim sinks into despair and anger, where those close to him fear he may never return.

Is Brandan really dead and if he is, who is manipulating the Mantion and enemies of Crato?

Can Maeve save her country and her husband from the tentacles of evil pervading the land?

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BOOK EXCERPT

“I have sent one who can save them, but he can also bring about their final destruction.

“You, my Guardians, must seek him out. Protect him and ensure he is guided on the right paths.”

Alorn lifted his great ruby-red head. “Tell us who is he, Lord, that we may fulfill Your wishes.”

“I cannot reveal his identity…yet. Just know there are three who need you now. My power will be seen in all, but only one will be the savior in the end. However, all are needed to bring My Will about, and they must all be protected and nurtured.”

“How will we know them?” Stefano leaned forward.

“All will be children of Brandan or Joachim, and they will blend the lineage of the three races.”

“We know of Joachim’s children, but Brandan has none.”

“He has one, a half Mantion-half human child. Gorou is the third, and he will be the hardest to protect and nurture.”

“Why a child of Brandan?” Cielo asked. “Brandan has already chosen the path of evil time and again. Would not a child of his be exposed to that same evil?”

“Although, he fathered the child, Brandan knows not of his existence.

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AUTHOR BIO

Christina Weigand’s a writer, wife, and mother of three grown children and a middle school daughter. She is also Nana to three granddaughters. She lives with her husband and youngest daughter in Pennsylvania, returning there after a short sabbatical in Washington. Currently, she’s working on fantasy novels and inspirational writing. Through her writing, she strives to share the Word of God and help people young and old to realize the love and mercy He has for everyone.

When she’s not writing, she’s active in her local Church as a lector, Bible Study, or with the church theater group, volunteering at her daughter’s school helping the children develop a love for reading and writing. Jesus fills her home with love as she shares Him through her writing.

STALKER LINKS

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AUTHOR GIVEAWAY

1 eCopy of all Three Books in the Trilogy (Palace of the Twelve Pillars, Palace of the Three Crosses & Sanctuary of the Nine Dragons).

***Note – Sanctuary of the Nine Dragons will be awarded upon its release.

CLICK HERE TO ENTER THE AUTHORS GIVEAWAY

 

Mystical High by Lisette Brodey (Excerpt, Review and Interview)

Title:  Mystical High

Author:  Lisette Brodey

Published: October 7th, 2013

Publisher: Saberlee Books

Word Count:  72,700

Genre:  YA Paranormal

Content Warning:  Mild sexual content and non-gratuitous profanity

Recommended Age:  14+

Synopsis:

In Mystekal, a small, dying town in the Southern California desert, only 75 students attend the old, sometimes creepy high school dubbed “Mystical High,” where strange things have been known to happen. Jessie Dalworth and Jinxsy Patterson are juniors and lifelong best friends. At home, Jessie deals with the pain of an absentee mother who has abandoned the family for the lure of Hollywood; Jinxsy contends with a 17th “birthday present” she never wanted or expected.

Meanwhile, at school, the unexplained activity begins to escalate when Jinxsy keeps seeing a long-haired guy in the hallway checking her out. Jessie can’t see him, but her younger brother, River, can.

Then, in English class, a stapler mysteriously flies off teacher Eve Carrow’s desk, hitting a student in the face who has just mouthed off to her. The beloved teacher is in the unenviable position of having her brute of a father as principal, so she hates sending any student to his office. As Principal Ernest Carrow begins to terrorize Eve and others more openly, something or someone unseen decides that it’s payback time.

School is getting stranger, and Jinxsy and Jessie are faced with mind-boggling changes in their home lives that complicate everything. When a string of shocking events expose explosive secrets, decades-long mysteries are finally revealed.

Excerpt from Mystical High by Lisette Brodey

Eve Carrow, Mystekal High’s English teacher, glanced at the giant wall clock as Jessie and Jinxsy slipped into their seats seconds before the bell.

“Welcome, you two. I wasn’t sure you were going to join us today. I like to be fashionably late at parties sometimes, but school is a different story.”

The old bell sounded loudly.

Jessie opened her notebook, grabbed To Kill A Mockingbird, the current class book, from her backpack, and sat upright in her chair. “See? We’re on time. Ready to go.”

“Yes, you are.”

Jinxsy, still fumbling through her backpack, looked at her friend, then at her teacher. “Jess had a mishap with her locker. Cut her finger.”

From the back of the room, Taylor cackled. “Yeah, it took her ten minutes for Her Vampiress to suck a few drops of blood and ten more minutes for the Jinx to calm her down.”

Jessie turned abruptly in her chair. “You are so exaggerating, Taylor. Keep out of my business.”

“Your boring business.” Taylor ran her fingers through her blond and purple hair. “No wonder you don’t have a boyfriend when the biggest part of your day is a little boo boo on your finger. Waaaaaaaah!”

Eve, though usually of the sweetest demeanor, slammed a book down on her desk. “Taylor Dennison. Stop. Now. Everyone else, face front.” As she looked around the room, her angry look softened. “Okay, who wants to begin our discussion about Boo Radley?”

Sophia Chavez raised her hand. “I will.”

“Thank you, Sophia. Please go on.”

“Well, I know the kids made up a lot of stories about him, but it’s only natural, you know? I mean, he never came out of the house. There were creepy rumors, like how he stabbed his dad in the leg with scissors. If I heard that about someone, I would be thinking the same way that Scout, Jem, and Dill did.”

Eve nodded her head in agreement. “It’s very easy to assume all kinds of things when we don’t know the truth.”

“So why is that, Ms. Carrow?”

“Well, Sophia, I think it’s because as human beings, we like answers. If an answer can be looked up or found out, most of us will choose that route. But when the answer to a question isn’t readily available, we tend to make things up, to satisfy our inquiring brains. It’s not a good thing to do, but human beings engage in this practice quite liberally. What do you think of my assessment?”

Jessie, with little animation on her face, responded to her teacher’s question. “I think you’re right.”

Taylor yelled from the back of the room. “Why? Because people talk crap about your hermit crab aunt?”

Jessie turned and glared at Taylor. She bit her lip so hard it almost bled. She knew that if she responded, the words would be ugly ones she wouldn’t want to be heard saying.

Eve was furious. “Taylor, that was positively uncalled for. And just plain cruel. I’m being extraordinarily generous by not sending you to the principal’s office. But one more outburst and I won’t hesitate.”

Silence fell over the room. The principal of Mystekal High was Eve’s father, Ernest Carrow. He had been the principal since Eve herself was a student. The only person who seemed to tolerate him at all was his secretary, and he seemed to like children as much as picnic goers like ants.

Carrow was the wealthiest man in Mystekal and owned a large percentage of the real estate, both commercial and residential. He didn’t need the salary he earned as Mystekal High’s principal, but he liked to control people, and being in charge of everyone at the school helped him to do just that.

Even though she couldn’t stand sending students to her father’s office, Eve hated making empty threats even more. She despised him, and sending a student for discipline meant that she had to deal with her father as well. She would have to endure a lecture about how she wasn’t able to control her class or how she had failed to mete out proper discipline. Eve pretended not to hear Taylor’s last remark and prayed she would not step over the line again. At least for the remainder of class.

“Would you all please take out your class assignment for this week? We’re going to share.”

Cade Swift raised his hand.

“Yes, Cade?”

“Do you mean the paper you asked us to write on who we thought Boo Radley really was? The one where you wanted us to write a description of how we saw his life inside that house?”

“The one and only.”

Cade bit his lip. “Uh, would you mind calling on me last?”

“Since when are you shy?”

“I’m not. But after what you said to Sophia I’m thinking maybe I need to rewrite my paper.”

Taylor’s boyfriend, Santino Vega, laughed. “Dude, don’t you mean write it. Period.”

Cade, the dark-haired boy known for his smiling eyes was quick to respond. “No, Vega, I mean rewrite it.”

Eve Carrow was intrigued. “Why do you want to rewrite it, Cade?”

Cade looked embarrassed and responded more softly than usual. “Um, I think maybe I was too judgmental. Just want to do it over.”

Jessie looked admiringly at Cade, then at her best friend. Jinxsy knew Jessie had a crush on him but had been denying it. Jessie’s glance confirmed that she was ready to admit it. But whether or not she was ready to seek out Cade’s affections was an entirely different story.

Eve Carrow smiled. “Actually, Cade. I’d like you to read your paper as you wrote it and then tell us how you’d like to change it.”

“Oh, man. Do I have to?”

The class giggled and Jessie’s eyes grew wide with anticipation.

“As your teacher, I would truly appreciate it.”

“Read it, dude. Then tell everyone how you’ve gone soft on Radley.”

Eve looked sternly at the class loudmouth. “Mr. Vega, I can only surmise by your comments that you would prefer to lead the class into this exercise. By all means, why don’t you go first?”

Santino looked angry. “Listen, Ms. Carrow. I think it was really a stupid assignment. I mean, Harper Lee already wrote the character. There’s no point in us rewriting the dude. Sorry, didn’t do it and I’m not gonna do it. Any questions?”

As Santino’s words fell on the shocked class and the disrespected teacher, a gust of desert wind rushed through the open window, blew a small stapler off Eve Carrow’s desk, and sent it flying through the air before it landed sharply on Santino’s mouth.

“What the —?” Santino wiped the blood from his mouth.

As the class focused on the freak accident, Eve looked out the window and noticed that it was a very still day. The sagebrush was not moving. There was not even the faintest trace of wind.

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Review for Mystical High

Jessie and Jinxsy are just trying to get through their junior year of high school in the dying town of Mystekal. Jessie is just starting to build up some normalcy after her mother Arielle's abrupt departure for Hollywood (and a sleazy producer) and she thinks she's ready to start dating thoughtful (and cute) Cade. Now if only her aunt and brother River could be a little less eccentric, home life might not seem quite so bizarre.

But bizarre is just beginning for Jinxsy, who finds out a terrible secret the day she turns seventeen that turns her life upside down. But that's nothing compared to what she runs into after she tries to run away, and that doesn't stack up to what saves her after.

What does this have to do with the boy only Jinxsy and River can see, why is their English teacher Miss Carrow starting to get increasingly nervous around the girls and what finally pushes Jessie's aunt over the edge? And is Arielle's return going to mean life's going to get easier for Jessie, or is that going to make everything much worse?

While I don't read a lot of YA or paranormal, I found this short novel engrossing and finished the book in a day. Throughout the story, I was deeply impressed by the themes of second chances, complicated motivations and secret identities. While I could figure out pretty quickly who some of the mysterious characters were, I was genuinely surprised by others. The only disappointments I had were that the villain's motivations weren't explained as thoroughly as the other characters (but I wonder if this will be addressed in future installments) and that the ending wrapped up a little too neatly. However, I was still excited by the prospects that were hinted at for the characters and the town as a whole. I look forward to reading the next installment.

Recommended for fans of YA and paranormal.

About the Author:

Lisette Brodey was born and raised in Pennsylvania. After high school, she moved to New York City where she attended Pace University and studied drama. After ten years in New York, several of them working in the radio industry, she moved to Los Angeles, where she held various positions at Paramount Studios in Hollywood and CBS Studio Center in Studio City, CA.

Back on the East Coast, she worked for many years as a freelance writer, specializing in PR and the entertainment industry. In 2010, she returned permanently to the Los Angeles area.

Her first-published book, CROOKED MOON (General Fiction) was published in both the trade paperback and Kindle editions in 2008. Her first-written, second-published book, SQUALOR, NEW MEXICO (Young Adult/General Fiction) was published in the Kindle and trade paperback versions in 2009.

Her third novel, MOLLY HACKER IS TOO PICKY!, a romantic comedy, was published December 1, 2011. The author blogged as her character, Molly Hacker, for over a year. All blogs can be found at www.mollyhacker.com.

In January 2013, the author edited and published a book of her mother's poetry (written 50 years earlier) called MY WAY TO ANYWHERE by Jean Lisette Brodey.

Lisette's fourth novel, MYSTICAL HIGH, is the first book in her YA Paranormal Desert Series trilogy.

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Author Interview

This is the second YA novel you've written. What do you like about the genre that keeps you coming back?

Oddly enough, when I wrote my first YA book, Squalor, New Mexico, I had no idea I was writing in that genre. I only found out when an agent, responding to my query, wrote to me and said something like, “I love your writing. Darla is a delightful narrator. I’m sorry, but I don’t represent YA.” Sounds silly now, but I was stunned.

I wrote the Squalor, New Mexico because I wanted to tell a story about a girl growing up in a family (in 1970s East Coast suburbia) who were consumed by the past and by the lies they kept telling to protect what they believed to be true. I came back to the genre because I believe that the teen years, when we transition from being a child to an adult (or to feeling like one), are a critical time in our lives. For that reason, it’s a special time to write about.

This time you went with a paranormal angle. What made you decide to venture into that category?

I’ve had a lifelong interest in the paranormal. Not only have I experienced some events, but also I know many people who have. I think it’s fascinating because there’s always that part of me that wonders, Could this really happen?

I also believe that the paranormal may be a bigger part of our lives than we think. Paranormal events may not always reveal themselves as such, but I believe they exist in ways we may never imagine.

In a lot of novels, especially for this age group, the story centers on one character. This story follows best friends Jessie and Jinxsy pretty evenly. What was your thinking behind having two protagonists?

Friendships have always been important to me, as I believe they are to most people, and many of my childhood friends are still my friends. My novel Crooked Moon also has two protagonists whom I write about evenly, but it’s a very different story. It’s about two women who went their separate ways at age 18 and reunite 23 years later after having lived drastically different lives. All of my novels to date have a strong theme of friendship.

In Mystical High, Jessie and Jinxsy are two girls who live in a dying desert town, so their friendship and close bond is of special importance, because there aren’t many people left in the town of Mystekal. The closeness they share is an integral part of their growing up. They learn not only from their own life events, but also from one another’s. I find it interesting, both in real life and in fiction, how the circumstances in people’s lives can change so quickly. For Jessie and Jinxsy, having an inside look at each other’s personal lives, not just their own, offers them a more complex view of the world as they come of age.

Not surprisingly, a lot of strange things happen in this book. They trace back to a pivotal event, but are we going to find out there's something about Mystekal that makes it conducive to the paranormal?

I don’t want to give away any spoilers, but I can tell you that there is more to the story I tell in Mystical High that will be revealed in the second book. Each book in The Desert Series can be read as a standalone novel but, of course, will be even juicier if you’ve read the previous one.

As much drama as was created by certain paranormal phenomena, there was much more created by the unreliable adults. Do you think that's something that's gotten worse or better in real life since you were a teenager?

Certainly not better. This is an interesting question and one someone could write a book about. For one thing, since I was a teenager, the world has become a different place. Although I had pen pals growing up, that was pretty much the only way for me to learn about the lives of others in different countries. Now, with technology, the Internet, and social media, our world is very small. People are mingling in ways that they never did before. There are pros and cons to almost every innovation. I think life is much more complicated in today’s world, though I never felt it was uncomplicated when I was a child.

Mystekal was really a short drive to Hollywood and Beverly Hills, but they're worlds apart in every other way. While there isn't such a place as Mystekal, did you have a particular location in mind when you were creating this world?

Mystekal and Beverly Hills are about two hours and change apart. I’ve visited many desert towns, both in the area where this book takes place and in other parts of California. Mystekal is not meant to be one particular town. It is a hybrid of places that I have seen. In all of my novels, I fictionalize neighborhoods and small towns.

Leaving aside Jessie and Jinxsy, which character did you most enjoy writing for?

Fourteen-year-old River, Jessie’s brother, is probably my favorite character. He’s smart, has a passion for knowledge and words, and sees dead people, plus his mouth is usually two steps ahead of his brain. He works hard to hide his vulnerability and sensitivities that have been formed through the hurts in his young life. He’s a quirky and complex character.

Most of Jessie and Jinxsy's classmates had a lot of shades of gray; I found myself rooting for people toward the end who had made me sneer in the beginning. I also found myself horrified in the middle by someone who had started out as a "good guy." Taylor, however, was consistently bad news. Are we going to find out more about her story in the next installments?

Perhaps. I can’t give away too much, but I can tell you that Taylor’s younger sister will be a main character in the second book in this series. So, at the very least, readers will hear about Taylor and know where she ended up after high school.

Without giving anything away, which character can we expect to see the most changes in as the series continues?

I can tell you that River will be a high school senior in book 2 and one of two main characters. (Yes, I’m doing it again: two protagonists, only this time with two boys who are best friends.) The Dalworth family will be a part of the story, especially Arielle. Many of the characters from Mystical High will be present, but I will be introducing brand-new characters/families and fresh stories that will add more intrigue to the story already told. There will be new paranormal elements as well. That’s a promise.

Giveaway Details:

There is a tour wide giveaway. Prizes include the following:

• $35 Amazon Gift Card (INT)
• Print copy of Molly Hacker Is Too Picky! (US only)
• Print copy of Squalor, New Mexico (US only)
• Print copy of Mystical High (US only)
• Tote bag (US and CAN only)

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