In high school, everyone has secrets... Check out #TheBestKeptSecret by @ladynunnery #YA

In high school, everyone has secrets. Even well-brought-up Emma Fraser.

Emma’s sophomore year started out all wrong. First, her best friend Andy confessed to losing his virginity leaving Emma all alone in the V-Club. Then the rest of her friends got weird and suddenly Emma finds herself feeling like the people she knows best have become total strangers. And total strangers are becoming friends. 

When Deegan Burke, a rich, gorgeous senior, asks Emma to be his date for the prom, Emma thinks her luck has begun to change. But rather than being able to bask in this newfound glory, her whole world starts to unravel. And when secrets that once seemed so innocent start to take a very dangerous turn, Emma discovers that true friends are friends no matter what…and some secrets aren’t worth keeping.

Author backstory...
Wendi Nunnery is the author of The Mayfield Family Story. She is also a regular contributor to The Huffington Post and The Simply Beloved, a lifestyle website for women of faith. She is a proud alumna of Georgia Southern University and, at any given time, you can find her with a cup of coffee and a book. She lives, loves, and mothers in Atlanta, Georgia. The Best Kept Secret is her first novel.

Stalk Wendi...

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A #DeadNewWorld...coming October 13!!! Zombies aren't mindless anymore. #YA via @CuriosityQuills

Check out the cover wrap for the upcoming YA zombie novel, DEAD NEW WORLD, from author Ryan Hill (THE BOOK OF BART). October 13 zombies aren't mindless anymore.

Excerpt: 

I ran my hand across the wall, groping for a light switch. After a minute I found one, and pulled it down. Nothing happened. I raised my rifle, and peered through the target sight, but forgot to turn on the scope’s night vision.

Breathe easy. 

Before I could use the feature, a fluorescent light flickered once, revealing a group of zombies.

Enter to win an autographed copy of DEAD NEW WORLD on Goodreads!

Find Ryan Hill at:

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Pre-order here!!!

What's a Banshee's writing process like? Lots of screaming and swooping :P #writerslife

I've been tagged by my talented and lovely friend Lola Karns to participate! You can stalk her here ;)



1) What am I working on?

I'm currently taking a break from New Adult (NA) because of a Young Adult (YA) that has been gnawing at me since last year. The title is Hear Me (Tagline: Gotta scream to catch the dead), set in San Francisco. It's about a banshee ghost hunter who is terrified of ghosts. You knew I'd write a banshee story eventually :P That's all you get for now though! I'm pretty hush-hush about my works-in-progress (WIPs) until I've completed the first draft. Yes, I'm a tease.



2) How does my work differ from others of its genre?

I write NA/YA supernatural (which is a sneaky way of saying NA/YA paranormal romance...bwahaha). And a lot of my stories have LBGT themes. I strive to make my stories unique and diverse while weaving the paranormal elements throughout modern-times. Whether I'm writing about dragons or genies or banshees my characters always seem to want to live in present day. When I write a LBGT character I don't always make it a "coming out" story. My current WIP follows a banshee who is bi-sexual. She knows she is and isn't ashamed. It's totally normal for her to like both guys and girls. She is self-conscious about something though...the fact that she has a huge vertical scar down the center of her eye. Nothing can cover it, not even make-up.

3) Why do I write what I write?

Simple. I write NA/YA supernatural because I just love it. Boom! It's my fave genre to read. Being able to have abilities or turn/shift into fascinating creatures is totally my cup of tea. I write gay and bi-sexual characters because there aren't enough diverse stories out there. All characters need their stories told! Writing from a diverse character's point of view (POV) is so rewarding.

4) How does your writing process work?

Slowly... Like, this slow.

The doggie represents all the heavy thoughts and day-to-day responsibilities I carry with me as I'm plotting, day-dreaming, and writing. And the fact that the gif replays itself over and over is how my mind works. I re-think and over-analyze everything about my story from the very beginning. One of these days I'd like to just write a story without all the analyzing. But! for now that's not how I roll--erm, crawl. ;) My current WIP has been a unique experience for me though. Normally I always have an opening--inciting event--in mind, and the ending is nowhere in sight. However, Hear Me has a definite ending (and it's set-up to be a standalone novel with spin-off potential), but the opening was the hardest thing for me to figure out. I'm super pumped about how the opening turned out though! Sometimes I get upset with myself because I don't write four or five books a year. I'm doing good to write ONE. The thing I've come to learn and appreciate is that my style is my style. I don't have to keep up with anyone or compare myself to anyone. Writing is a continual process and will take as long as it takes. Being a writer means you're never done writing. No matter if you've finished a story there's another one nibbling at your soul awaiting the chance to be told. And frankly... 

But! I love it. 

You writerly types will totally relate...

Teaser time!! If a genie found you... What would you wish for? #BETWEEN #LORE #YA

Hello, my lovelies! I am sooo SOOO excited to have been asked to participate in this anthology! The group of authors are extremely talented and their stories are fantastic, fun, and full of angst! Gotta love Young Adult stories!!!

Our anthology (Lore) is releasing in March... Official date coming soon!!!

Have you added Lore to your Goodreads TBR list? You totally should. Just sayin'. There are fairies, and mermaids, and genies, and and and sooo much more paranormal legend!! Ahhhh!

Okay, now for more on Between, which is my story in the anthology. It's a YA LGBT set in NYC about a girl, a genie, and a ton of bad decisions. Would you like to meet the main characters? Yup? Hooray!!! Prepare yourselves for all the awesome!!

Everything Lucy wants is so close and so far away. Even a wish won't bring her any closer...

Lucy is our heroine. She comes from an uber rich family--mother's a model and father's a movie-star agent--but all Lucy wants is her mom to pay attention to her...for someone to love her.



Natasha is a curvy, Russian beauty with a sexy accent. She's from a working-class family. Her mother is dead, and her father is abusive. All she wants is to be free of him and to find someone who cares about her.

Sienna is perfection. She's got the perfect body, the perfect rich family, and the perfect I-can-make-or-break-you attitude. But she's not happy. Everything she does is for the one girl she can't have.

****

Between

by

Karen Y. Bynum (me!)



All my graphics were created by the UBER talented Danielle Fine.

She's got a promo special going on until the end of March! Check her out for graphics, covers, and editing services here.

If a genie found you... What would you wish for?

Blog Tour Stop for #TheLastThreeWords by @justbishop #YAPNR #EvernightTeen

Title: The Last Three Words
Genre: Young Adult
Release date: November 15, 2013
Publisher: Evernight Teen

Blurb

Seventeen-year-old Christian Marx never belonged anywhere but with his best friend Maye. Life with her beats the hell out of the dingy apartment he shares with his neglectful mother. Mom may be blood, but Maye and her little sister Rowe are family. Life would be perfect if only Maye loved him the way he loved her.

Last night, she did. Today, she's dead—a tragic accident no one could have predicted.

With Maye gone, it's up to those she left behind to figure out how to move on. Only one person can drag Christian away from the ledge. Only one person can save Maye's little sister from making a huge mistake.

Sometimes the only way to un-break yourself is to fix someone else.
 

Stalk Ashley here: Goodreads | Twitter | Webiste

Ashley's bio

Ashley is a thirty-something perpetual teenager. She (slowly) writes young adult fiction that pulls no punches and rarely conforms to the unspoken rules. Home is upstate South Carolina, where Ashley lives with her daughter, working for a living and striving to better herself and her craft.

Excerpt

“Yeah, 387 Greer Highway,” my voice was flat over the sound of sobbing, begging, in the background. “Overdose…barely…bourbon and something prescription, I’m not sure.”

The dispatcher pledged to stay on the line until the ambulance arrived, but I abandoned her first, setting the receiver on the kitchen counter and grabbing the car keys before walking out the front door, unnoticed. What was one more unforgivable act? Besides, I'd done my part. The rest would have to be on the two of them. I stood in the driveway looking back at for a few moments at this place that used to feel like home, and continued on my way to anywhere but here.

I don’t remember the three point turn, or creeping under the canopy of trees that shaded the long gravel drive from the house to the road. Time was lost and instinct took over steering, the gas pedal, and the brake, though I had no need for it. There was no traffic this time of night, when morning hung only a couple of hours over the horizon. I just drove, the lazy speed of the car moving through the dark echoing the numbness I’d succumbed to after struggling against it for so long. It felt almost nice.

I watched, lost in thought, as the darkened houses and pastures passed. I'd considered the existence of fate many times in my life, but only for the past few weeks with any real seriousness. The mistakes made tonight were no accident, no coincidence. Had any of it ever been?

Without realizing, I pulled the car off to the shoulder and into the grass, at that place on Greer Highway that had haunted me for what seemed like a lifetime. It felt like another life, when we’d been happy. I stared out the windshield, willing myself to see something real, something to anchor me in reality, but there was nothing.

I needed to feel it, this road I'd been avoiding in the weeks since. To touch it, know if there was anything left there. It felt like the natural place to make peace with all that had happened, apologize. There had been a purpose to all of it. Maybe she could forgive me. But would I ever forgive myself?

Author Spotlight wherein Melissa Frost takes over my blog with THE DATING TUTOR! #YA via @EvernightTeen

Blurb
 
Ellie is hardly the most sought after girl at Noble High, so she is completely surprised when the boy most likely to become prom king asks her out. Her short-lived glee quickly turns to panic as she admits to herself that she doesn’t know the first thing about dating.

After a fair amount of wheedling, she convinces her best friend and hockey star, Alec, to tutor her in the ways of love. Only once things start, she finds she knows even less than first suspected. Dating is full of more codes and unspoken rules than she ever imagined.

Even more difficult is the effort not to cross lines with Alec. Every lesson brings her closer and closer to the boy next door whom she’s never had a romantic thought about before in her life. Each caress and playful scenario has Ellie wishing more for her best friend’s affection than the boy he’s teaching her to woo.

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Meet Melissa!

Excerpt

Ellie walked to her front door with her arm tucked into Alec’s. “This actually was a really fun night,” she reluctantly admitted. “I had my doubts, but date Alec is actually an okay guy.”

“You had doubts?” His tone was light and playful as he led her up the front walk. “You should have known I’m quite the catch way before now. I don’t know why it took you so long to figure it out.”

She shrugged a shoulder. “Oh, I don’t know. Could it be the usual behavior I see from you?” She poked him accusingly in the ribs. “Spraying me with your garden hose, burping, leaving your dirty gym shorts on your bedroom floor for weeks on end, and the many other boy faux pas you commit.”

“Dating Alec and hanging out at home Alec are like two different men.” He winked. “You’re one of the rare people who have ever gotten to see both sides of the coin. In fact, you might be the only one.”

She nodded with an affectionate smile. “No one knows you like I do.”

“No one,” he agreed.

As she reached the first step of the porch Alec tugged her hand to pull her to a stop. As she spun to face him, the question died in her throat when he cupped her face in his hands and pressed his lips to hers.

The kiss caught her by surprise. It came so suddenly that she didn’t have time to worry over what to do or how to react. She simply melted against him with a content sigh.

Alec swept her hair back from her face and deepened the kiss. His body moved forward to brush ever so gently along the front of hers.

This was unlike any kiss she’d ever experienced before. The few attempts she’d made of it in the past had been anything but spectacular. An awkward brush of lips. A quick, shy peck. This was…ethereal. This was what it was like to really be kissed.

Just when she thought it couldn’t get any better, he nudged her lips apart. His tongue grazed ever so gently across her bottom lip before flicking up to caress her own.

Her heart nearly stopped as she leaned closer to him, wanting more.

And just as suddenly, he pulled back. He took a few steps backward with an amused chuckle. “Very good. Do that Saturday and Jake will be putty.” He shoved his hands deep into the pockets of his slacks and bobbed his head in farewell. “I’ll see you Monday for the game?”

Ellie felt as if her brain had been fried. She couldn’t think. She couldn’t breathe. She just stared at him feeling numb. Yet warmth was radiating through her chest, and she felt as if her skin was electrically charged. Knowing she needed to respond, she forced her head to nod. “Y…yeah. I’ll see you Monday.”

“See ya Monday.” With that, he turned and sauntered down the driveway to head to his own home.

She watched him retreat and tried to convince her heart to…stop…whatever it was it was doing. He’d kissed her. So what? It hadn’t meant anything. To either of them….right?

Cover Reveal blog take-over for SEIZING FATE by @HLVanFleet!! #YAPNR #series #book2

Seizing Fate (Predetermined #2) Young adult Paranormal romance

Seizing Fate by Heather Van Fleet

Blurb:

And you thought Emmy’s life was a hot mess before…

Jack’s gone off to Arizona with his brother, but for how long? Emmy doesn’t have a clue. In his place, though, is Zachary. The whiny, miserable, alpha wolf–boy who is more than ready to take on the duty of her mate/boyfriend — if she’d let him, that is. But the last thing Emmy wants is to deal with a boy who believes that the world should fall solely at his feet whenever he demands it.

But hey, at least her step–douche is gone, and her life is back to an almost normal sense, right?

Wrong again, Emmy’s life will never again be normal…

With her Uncle Prick in town and her best friend acting as secretive as ever, Emmy finds new challenges to overcome — challenges that no seventeen–year–old girl should ever have to deal with. For one thing, what is up with her dream–liaison status anyway? What does it mean, really? And why does her little brother have to go through it too? And then there’s her mom. The lady is acting a tad bit odd, to put it nicely. After all these years, she finally wants to step up and be a parental figure? Heck no! Emmy’s definitely not copacetic with that idea.

But with the bad, there’s got to be some good out there for her somewhere, right?

Add in the wolves, witches, drama, and lots of kisses and you get Emmy the Extraordinaire, the girl with strawberry–colored hair, and a chip on her shoulder. She’s finally on her way to finding out what her life and her future both have in store for her, even if the road to getting there is nowhere near as easy as she hoped it would be. But Emmy is tough, and more than ready to take on life with her bare hands.

It’s just too bad she’s madly, desperately, insanely in love with a boy who insists on making her life both a miserable hell and utter perfection at the same time.




Special deets:

Seizing Fate (book 2) on Amazon | Resisting Fate (book 1) on Amazon | Seizing Fate (book 2) on Goodreads | Resisting Fate (book 1) on Goodreads

Excerpt:

Pressure, fire, wetness, tongues — single words were all I could think as our mouths battled. God, I’d never been kissed like this before. Ever, and if we stopped, I’d die a happy woman from his lips touching mine alone. He tugged his hand into the back of my hair, pulling my chin upwards, yanking me towards him. I clawed at his shirt, ready to rip it from his massive body. I pulled at his jacket first, lowering it over his shoulders until it fell to the floor. The buttons jingled against the tile, scattering over our feet. Damn, if he didn’t care about his signature black coat falling apart, then I had to wonder what else I could get away with.

Stalk Heather here!! Twitter | Facebook | Website | Goodreads

More about Heather!

Young Adult paranormal and contemporary author Heather Van Fleet is an Illinois born native, raised in a town that borders both Iowa and Illinois. She’s a wife to her hubby (and high school sweet heart) Chris, as well as a mom to her three little girls, Kelsey, Emma and Bella. When she’s not obsessing over her fictional book characters, cooking dinner, or running around chasing her crazy kiddos, you can usually find her with her head stuck in her Kindle, drinking White Chocolate Mochas like they were water.

Release day for GILDED by Renita Pizzitola!!! #book2 #YAPNR #teaser

Hello my darlings! Today I'm excited to take part in the release day blitz for Gilded by my lovely friend Renita Pizzitola!!! Check out this gorgeous cover! More deets on book one (Gossamer) here.

Deets...

Title: Gilded (Gossamer #2)
Author: Renita Pizzitola
Genre: Romance / Young Adult / Fantasy
Release Date: September 2, 2013
Blurb...

True love comes with a price.

Kyla Ashbury, half-fae, must learn to wield her Earth magic to protect herself from the king’s guard. Fleeing her betrothal to the prince, she takes refuge among the woodland fae, who are experts at Earth magic. Before she can learn to control her gift, she has to return to the castle to undo some of the damage done when she ran away with Grant. Wielding power she can’t control makes the situation worse.

Grant will do anything for the girl he loves. Even with his power to foresee danger, keeping Kyla safe is a constant challenge. As answers lead to more questions, he wonders if he is endangering her further.

Kyla’s growing talent destines her to a power struggle she doesn’t want. Every choice she makes seems to jeopardize those closest to her. She must learn to control the angry magic coursing through her if she ever hopes to live a normal life with the man she loves.

A Lyrical Press Young Adult Fantasy Romance

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes and Noble | iTunes | Kobo

And now for a little teaser action... Bwa. Ha. Ha.

Author Bio...

Renita lives in Texas with her husband and two children. She graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with an English degree. She writes both fantasy and contemporary romance for Young
Adult/New Adult and Adult readers. While splitting between magical worlds and contemporary stories, she promises romance. Lots of it! She writes about swoon-worthy boys and the girls who love them! When not writing, she enjoys reading everything she can get her hands on, drinking copious amounts of coffee and playing referee to her two typically adorable children.

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Giveaway time!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Excerpt action...

Worried my reluctance to leave would irritate the king, I trudged to my escort but while walking away my skin prickled and back tensed.

I spun around.

Alastar nodded at a guard and in seconds, even more uniformed men surrounded Grant.

Conor was shoved to the side and almost lost his balance. He raked a hand through his hair and shook his head.

My heart sank and I raced back to Grant, slamming into the wall of guards. Clawing at the impenetrable barrier, I tried to find a crack to slip through.

A large guard jerked Grant’s hands behind his back and shackled them, an unnecessary step. He’d put up no resistance.

“What are you doing?” I screamed, not even caring I spoke to royalty. “You promised.”

Alastar stood tall and his voice boomed. “Grant, you are charged and convicted with kidnapping the future princess of Tir na nOg. You shall be taken to a cell at once. Since I am a fair man and promised no harm--” He glanced at me, a smug expression plastered on his face. “You will not be sentenced to death but instead to lifetime imprisonment.”

My world stopped.

Weekend Writing Warriors: But why me? RUNNING FROM SHADOWS #8Sunday #Unicorns #YA

Today I'm sharing from my (unpublished) young adult paranormal romance Running From Shadows, currently being read by a lovely agent!! Squee!! 

Follow Greta Shore (a 17-year-old, black-haired wiccan beauty) and Paxton "Pax" Craig (an 18-year-old, blond-haired college student with a dark secret) as they discover the fate of their forbidden love.

 ****

Set-up (last week)... Greta runs away from her surprise engagement party through the woods. Pax saves her from a shadow demon. Oh, and he's a unicorn! 
Back at Pax's cabin, Greta and Pax talk. He tells her that he'll do everything he can to protect her...The start to Chapter 4: Blood

Cover Art by Danielle Fine

I got that he wanted to keep me safe. Obviously. It was his job. But why me? What did any of this have to do with me?

“I don’t understand. If your blood is so important to the shadow demon, why am I the one who’s marked?” Carefully, I pulled my hand from his, walked to the couch and perched on the edge.

Tune in next week to find out why Greta needs protecting!

Thanks again for stopping by! Your support and feedback is greatly appreciated!

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Because being a warrior is hard work, here's a vid from the Running From Shadows playlist to reward all you sexy, sweaty peeps ;)

 Born This Way by Lady Gaga
(Track #6)
 
   
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Extra! Extra!

*Would you like to see some pics of Greta and Pax? Check them out here! Gotta love Pinterest!! Ooo, stalk me there too, please...uh, here! ;) 

*Self-publishing? Need an editor and cover artist? Check out my uber-talented editor, Danielle Fine, she's wonderful to work with and does exceptional work! Click here for more info! 

*Check out the USA Today recommended book trailer for Witch Way to Turn!! here

Cover reveal for UNBREAKABLE LOVE by @YeseniaVargas32!! #firstlove #contemp #YA #indie

Cover reveal for Unbreakable Love by Yesenia Vargas!!!

Blurb:

Ariana is almost seventeen years old, and her parents won’t let her go out with friends or do anything else that’s fun. She can’t wait until her birthday, when she’ll finally be able to get her driver’s license, her car, and hopefully, a little more freedom.

Meanwhile, she’s met Carlos, a hot senior who mesmerizes her. Ariana lets first love sweep her away after she finds out Carlos feels the same way about her.

The problem is she’s not allowed to have a boyfriend.

With the help of her best friend and reluctant younger brother, Jimmy, Ariana finally experiences what everyone else in high school has already gone through: love, parties, and not telling her parents everything she’s up to.

However, everyone around her soon realizes her boyfriend, Carlos, isn’t such a great guy. But she’s fallen in too deep and realizes Carlos isn’t all bad. He just has a troubled past and needs help, someone to be there for him.

But if Ariana doesn’t find the courage to finally leave him or help him change, she, her best friend, and Jimmy could be placed in harm’s way.

*Looking for something different? Good because Unbreakable Love is not your typical YA romance. It also showcases and tests the bonds of friendship and family.*

Unbreakable Love will be released September 2013! 

*****

Stalk Yesenia here...

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Cover reveal day for Resisting Fate by @heatherlpowell!!! #YAPNR #werewolves

Hello, my darlings! So excited to participate in my dear friend Heather Van Fleet's cover reveal day!

 

Title: Resisting Fate
Genre: Young Adult Paranormal Romance
Release Day: June 14th 2013
Publisher: Sunshine Press

 Blurb: 

Seventeen-year-old Emmy O’Connell is the epitome of a hot mess.

Her boyfriend’s been shipped out of town to some boarding school four states away. Her step douche is constantly drunk and badgering her. And then there’s her good-ole-mom… The lady is nothing more than a miserable shell of a woman. She’s turned off all of her feelings and her ability to be a good mother as well, leaving poor Emmy and her four year old brother Jamie to suffer. Life couldn’t get much worse, right?

Enter the elusive, cocky, and oh-so-broody Jack Hartman…

The jerk cousin of her boyfriend becomes Emmy’s worst nightmare…times ten. He’s cruel. He’s insensitive. But he also has this strange little ability over her – he makes her weak in the knees with the single touch of his hand. But no matter how miserable or amazing Jack makes her feel, Emmy can’t seem to deny him, especially when he takes on the role of her protector –her pseudo-knight in a black leather coat. A knight who also just so happens to ride in on his black Harley, instead of a white horse…

And to make a bad situation worse…

Werewolves and teens shouldn’t mix! But what can Emmy do when she finds herself thrown head first into the center of it all? Can she handle the supernatural mess her life rapidly becomes or will she fight against the inevitable fate her heart desires?

Website ~ Goodreads ~ Facebook

About Heather:

Heather Van Fleet currently resides in northern Illinois, with her three little ladies, and fabulous hubby, and high school sweetheart, Chris. She’s a stay at home mom by day, and an avid and completely obsessive writer and reader by night.

She’s always had a soft spot in her heart for books, and has been creating her own little stories since the age of seven. But she never really had the confidence or the time to actually sit down and really do something about it until her youngest daughter Isabella was born just two years ago. Bella, as well as her older sisters Kelsey and Emma, are and always will be her greatest inspirations.