Welcome to Teaser Tuesday hosted by The Purple Booker, the weekly Meme that wants you to add books to your TBR, or just share what you are currently reading. It is very easy to play along:
• Grab your current read • Open to a random page • Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page • BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!) • Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers! Everyone loves Teaser Tuesday.
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I have been reading Emily Martha Sorensen’s wonderful stories for a while now.
Take a look at Trials of a Teenage WereVulture and you will see why.
“Oh,” she said. She sounded disappointed. “That’s not really a clan. That’s, like…a club. You might as well join Were Scouts.”
(24% on Kindle)
MY REVIEW
Looking for a fun, paranormal story about a young girl coming of age in the wereworld? Look no further.
Something’s wrong. The turning wasn’t what Lisette hoped for. Her wings are all wrong. She’s not a werehawk, she’s a Werevulture.
She went to Werepedia to see what’s what. She’ll be going to Flyer’s Education for flying lessons.
She loved her best friend, Kegan, and didn’t judge her for being different, but when she became different too, her feelings became mixed.
What clan would accept her? Let’s go to Wereconnection.com and find out. She may be the odd man out, but I have a feeling she’ll show us how valuable she would be to any clan.
We have a vampire pumpkin, wereporcupine, wereplatypus, werebutterfly, weretrees….and all the normal vampires, centaurs, mermaids and such.
Her instincts are good and we will find out how good as she investigates the Rarity Clan, who wanter her to join up with them.
It is Emily Martha Sorensen’s ability to surprise me with her creative writing and smiles throughout, even in the tough times, that keeps me reading her work. She has a wonderful ability to create such marvelous characters.
We can anticipate many things to come, but Trials of a Teenage WereVulture is filled with wit and humor, evil and danger. The creatures spark the imagination and I am left with a feeling we are all special in our individual ways. We all have much to offer to those who enter our lives.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Trials of a Teenage WereVulture by Emily Martha Sorensen.
4 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB:Lisette was expecting to be a werehawk. Now she’s a werevulture.
Sure, she can still fly, but the garbage looks delicious. And everyone’s afraid of her! Okay, everyone’s afraid of her best friend, too, but her best friend chose to be a banshee.
Then the mysterious Rarity Clan invites her to join. They offer her friendship, and the ultimate secret: how to be turned a second time so that she could choose a different species instead. She could be a werehawk, or a vampire, specter, giant, lorelei, or whatever else she pleases. There’s only one catch, and it’s a big one.
The tool that’s used to do that is a weapon that could destroy the entire city.
Earth is in a war with aliens – the Bringers – and they are losing. To change that, the Magnus Project was created. Kenley and Joey were chosen. Kenley’s father explained it to them this way, “Super soldiers. Basically, you’ll receive a series of implants that I’ve developed which will modify your biological composition leaving you with enhanced abilities. You’ll be changed forever.” Can you imagine your own father asking you to do such a thing? A small band of Magnus Academy trainees will help Kenley lead the fight. She will also have her faithful companion, an android named Galileo, that will stop at nothing to protect her. I feel there is something very special about him and am curious to find out if I am right. Kenley has an attraction to the war hero, Landon Shaw, but feels now is not the time to be starting a romance. I enjoyed The Modified. It lays the groundwork for the trilogy and I feel it will really take off in Book II. I am looking forward to traveling the galaxy with Kenley’s band of soldiers as they strive to save Earth from those determined to destroy it.
I won this signed paperback in a giveaway by C A Kunz.
You can grab your copy or learn more about C A Kunz by clicking on the cover above.
It’s only been three days, and already everything is different.
Paragon is behind her, but somehow Alessa’s life may actually have gotten worse. In a wrenching twist of fate, she traded the safety and companionship of her sister for that of her true love, losing a vital partner she’d counted on for the ordeal ahead. Her comfortable university life is but a distant memory, as she faces the prospect of surviving a bleak winter on the meager remains of a ravaged world. And if she’d thought she’d tasted fear upon seeing a ghost, she was wrong; now she’s discovering new depths of terror while being hunted by a deadly virus and a terrifying pack of superhuman creatures thirsting for blood.
And then there are the visions.
The memory-altering “stitch” unlocked something in Alessa’s mind, and now she can’t shake the constant flood of alien feelings ransacking her emotions. Haunting memories of an old flame are driving a deep and painful rift into her once-secure relationship. And a series of staggering revelations about the treacherous Engineers – and the bone-chilling deceit shrouding her world’s sorry history – will soon leave Alessa reeling…
The second installment in the electrifying Stitch Trilogy, Shudder follows Samantha Durante’s shocking and innovative debut with a heart-pounding, paranormal-dusted dystopian adventure sure to keep the pages turning.
Shudder Purchase Links
Amazon (Kindle $2.99, print $8.99) Barnes & Noble (Nook $2.99) Smashwords (multiple e-book formats $2.99)
Also available ($2.99 e-book) in the iTunes store, Kobo, and wherever e-books are sold
EXCERPT
She heard one set of footsteps trail away from her doorway, and a moment later, a man stepped through.
He cleared his throat gruffly. Phoenix fluttered her eyelids, feigning disorientation from sleep before she finally settled her eyes on his.
He wasn’t a large man, but there was something intimidating about him, something dark. He was middle-aged, neat, not unattractive exactly, but there was something about his face that pushed her gaze away instead of drawing it towards him. His eyes, maybe. His eyes seemed to drink all the light from the room, flat and cold as they bored into her. Something about those eyes made her shudder inwardly.
She noticed that he was distractedly rubbing a long scar that slashed across his thin lips.
“You’re awake?” he groused.
As she sat up in bed, his eyes slithered quickly over her body, making her feel unclothed. She pulled the blanket up over her thin hospital gown.
“Y-yes,” she answered. Her voice was shaky, but she didn’t understand why. She steadied herself, and more forcefully she added, “And you are?”
He regarded her for a moment before answering in a low growl, “You can call me the General.”
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MY REVIEW OF SHUDDDER
Alessa is finally learning what the Stitch is all about.
Now, she has a mission. She wants to get it done so she can go home. She has no idea if Janie is dead or alive. It had broken her heart to leave her behind.
The Mission:
1. Find the rebels base.
2. Figure out who is the enemy.
3. Avoid the creatures.
5 STARS – Would Buy It For Them (lol)
The cover for Shudder is very pretty. I like that the covers of the trilogy are similar.
Samantha Durante’s second book of the trilogy, Shudder, is another resounding hit. It has so many things going on that, at times, I was torn about where I wanted the story to go. There is much to decipher, while she weaves her way through the hidden pitfalls.
Alessa left Pargon and her sister behind her to be with Isaac. But she could not forget about Joe, even though it was jeopardizing her relationship with Isaac. I’m thinking there must be a reason that Joe is on her mind so much. Will we see him again?
The nuclear winter caused when the bombs fell created famines. As the viral epidemic decimated the population and people became more and more desperate to survive, there was a group of men who figured out a solution. But, it is not a solution that anyone in their right mind could believe would work. I wonder if the same would happen in the real world.
The saying: “History repeats itself” is so pertinent to the events happening to Alessa.
It makes me think of the Holocaust and and the evil that spawned from the minds of some evil men who thought they had all the answers. It, also, makes me think of American politics at this time, how a few can disregard the many, for their own gains.
It is amazing to me that the egos of some people allow them to think they have all answers and, therefore, have the right to play God.
The thought of a virus wiping out the majority of the Earth’s population is something real. Just think – due to rapid means of travel, a virus could be spread world-wide before it is even recognized. I have talked to a doctor who believes that is what will be our downfall.
Would our governments step in and decide who would live and who would die? What do you think?
I received a copy of this book in return for an honest and unbaised review. I was eagerly waiting for Book II of the Stich Trilogy and would have written the review regardless. Now I am waiting for Book III so I can see how Alessa’s story ends.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Samantha Durante lives in Westchester County, New York with her husband, Sudeep, and her cat, Gio. Formerly an engineer at Microsoft, Samantha left the world of software in 2010 to pursue her entrepreneurial dreams and a lifelong love of writing. A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania’s Jerome Fisher Program in Management & Technology, Samantha is currently working full time for her company Medley Media Associates as a freelance business writer and communications consultant. The Stitch Trilogy is her debut series.
Her heart races, her muscles coil, and every impulse in Alessa’s body screams at her to run… but yet she’s powerless to move.
Still struggling to find her footing after the sudden death of her parents, the last thing college freshman Alessa has the strength to deal with is the inexplicable visceral pull drawing her to a handsome ghostly presence. In between grappling with exams and sorority soirees – and disturbing recurring dreams of being captive in a futuristic prison hell – Alessa is determined to unravel the mystery of the apparition who leaves her breathless. But the terrifying secret she uncovers will find her groping desperately through her nightmares for answers.
Because what Alessa hasn’t figured out yet is that she’s not really a student, the object of her obsession is no ghost, and her sneaking suspicions that something sinister is lurking behind the walls of her university’s idyllic campus are only just scratching the surface…
The opening installment in a twist-laden trilogy, Stitch spans the genres of paranormal romance and dystopian sci-fi to explore the challenges of a society in transition, where morality, vision, and pragmatism collide leaving the average citizen to suffer the results.
Stitch Purchase Links.
Amazon (Kindle $0.99, print $8.99) Barnes & Noble (Nook $0.99) Smashwords (multiple e-book formats $0.99)
Also available ($0.99 e-book) in the iTunes store, Kobo, and wherever e-books are sold!
This is the last “Evil” book in the trilogy and I open my Kindle with trepidation. I do it with a feeling of loss, knowing I will be saying good-bye to some dear friends. Their story is told. Of course, I will read them again and I don’t even have to dust them off. lol
“Family isn’t always blood. It’s the people in your life who want you in theirs. The ones who accept you for who you are, the ones who would do anything to see you smile, and who love you no matter what.”
Anonymous
Spoiler alert: This is the third book of the Evil trilogy. Each tells the story of one of three women. Kit. Baylee. Quinn. They were friends and had moved in together when they were only sixteen. They were the only real family each of them had. The evil that happens to them stems from the branches of the legal entity that is Boyd, Boyd, Geller & Getz. Their stories are interwoven and culminate in this, the last book of the trilogy.
“To let evil go unpunished is to breed more evil.”
Anonymous
Trevor Dane left the Medical Center as the LAPD hurried to lock it down. It seemed like his list was never-ending. Jessica. Eva. Alan. Frank. Now Connor. That left Cade and Collin and maybe even some cousins, before he could end the evil reign of Boyd, Boyd, Geller & Getz.
Quinn Tyler was a nurse at the Medical Center and wanted nothing more than to be a pediatrician. She had an overwhelming desire to care for all the babies in the world.
She was working in the ER when Connor Boyd was brought in. She helped work on him but to no avail. She heard his brother, Cade yelling and turned toward him. In his rage, he reached for her, but the cop held him back.
Reese Brennan was there to see his client, William Scott, Baylee’s father. He’d been at the Boyd’s all day, watching the police dig up human remains. One body they found was Sarah Moreland, Baylee’s mother, another was Luc Delaine, Sarah’s friend, the tennis player, but no one knew who the third body was.
Reese was hoping to get more information about the bodies from William and to see Quinn. He heard Cade screaming and yelling. He knew that Cade was a danger to Quinn, so he went to check it out. Cade kept screaming and yelling threats at her as he was drug away.
Reese loved arguing with Quinn. She had a sarcastic wit that he found very appealing. He couldn’t help getting turned on just by thinking of her. Reese had a calmness about him that Quinn was also drawn to, but she wasn’t happy about it, attracted to a lawyer of all things.
Quinn’s father, Nick Tyler, was a famous rocker and singer tor the Irish band, Shatter. She had never had a relationship with him, everything was handled through his lawyers, thus her dislike and distrust of lawyers. Her mother, Ella Canyon, was a crack whore and flake, pretty much non-existent. As a kid, they had slept wherever they happened to be, whether it was a car, or a friend’s house. Then Ella married Tyler’s record producer and they moved to Beverly Hills.
Reese was best friends with Jake and Dylan. Quinn respected them, so she thought Reese couldn’t be all bad. He was looking out for her, trying to get the detective to arrest Cade. To her, loyalty was one of the most important qualities a person could have.
Quinn got in trouble with Dr. Mendenhall, the chief of Emergency Surgery because of her past relationship with Cade. The family power of Boyd, Boyd, Geller and Getz carried a lot of weight and Dr. Mendenhall felt he had no choice but to suspend Quinn. She told Reese that if he got her reinstated, she would make it more than worth his while.
Mr. X was exacting his revenge. Reese finally voiced what they all thought, Mr. X was ending the evil, making sure it stopped now with the sons. No way were any of the six going to help the police catch him. He had saved their lives more than once.
When he had saved Sarah from Connor, he had left the gold cowboy in the shirt the baby had been wrapped in, but it was his own shirt. He had left DNA evidence for the first time.
Max St. John was there to question Baylee, Sarah’s mother. Dylan was trying to protect her, he didn’t want it known that Cade had claimed Connor was Sarah’s father. Dan, Max St. John’s partner, arrived. He had come from the Boyd’s house and was telling Kit and Jake what was discovered.
As Baylee was getting ready to leave, Reese was wondering why Quinn didn’t tell Kit and Baylee about Cade in the ER. She was very private but that didn’t make sense. They were her best friends and they confided in each other.
She had told him her story of Cade. She was 19 and he had made her feel special. After a couple of months she gave in to his charm. She thought he loved her. One night, Cade thought she had laughed at him, so he beat her and choked her. She really thought he would kill her. She was saved by his cousin, Adam Getz. Cade knew she had never told anyone other than the police. Sumner, of Boyd, Boyd, Geller & Getz, had talked her into dropping the charges. She did, but she kept the restraining order and forced Cade to make a deposition to the police.
Connor was so drugged up, he was useless. Cade told him they couldn’t just let it go. Quinn needed to pay. He blamed Quinn for everything, Quinn had had him arrested for domestic violence and he had never forgotten it. This was the last straw. He remembered what is was like, screwing her while he was choking her.
Cade and Collin were coming for Quinn. She wasn’t home, but Cade jimmied the lock to her house. He unhooked the gas line, while Collin looked for a candle. Collin lit the candle, set it on the table and they hauled it out of there.
Trevor had their houses and cars bugged, but the cops were all over both. His only means of tracking them now, was their cell phones. He had been busy with Connor at the medical center and had lost track of the boys.
Quinn and Reese had fun making out in the parking lot. Reese knew he was going to spend the night with her. He was afraid for her and wasn’t going to let her out of his sight until the Cade business was over. Just as they were arriving at her place, an explosion rocked her car, throwing debris. It was quickly followed by another blast, then another. Reese was sure he knew who set the fire.
Everyone (Kit and Jake, Baylee and Dylan, Quinn and Reese) were meeting at Crandall House. It was time to make their own plan for ending evil.
5 STARS – Would Buy It For Them (lol)
The “Evil” trilogy has been the highlight of my 2012 reading season. I have completely fallen in love with the story, the characters and the author, Vickie McKeehan.
The covers of the books have been awesome. The plots have been so detailed and captivating, that I found myself lost between the covers, not wanting the books to end. Every time I turned around, Vickie McKeehan had another suspenseful, nail-biting detail to add to the story.
The characters, well, you will either love them or hate them, but you will feel emotions from beginning to end. They went from disgusting and despicable, to chivalrous, courageous, admirable, loving and sexy. I love books where the characters affect the outcome, not just wait for someone to come and save them.
What would you do and how far would you go to protect and save the ones you love from an evil so horrible that even the police could not stop it?
The ending surprised me, I did not see it coming, but I loved every word of it.
Now that the Evil trilogy is over, I will be moving on to Promise Cove and the Pelican Pointe novels. I can hardly wait to dip my feet into another series of Vickie McKeehan’s books, that I am sure will make me fall in love with an entirely new cast of characters who are screaming for my attention.
And now, I won’t say goodbye to Kit and Jake, Baylee and Dylan, and Quinn and Reese, but see you later.
I received this book in return for an honest and unbiased review.
Just Evil was given Coffee Time Romance and More’s highest rating plus a CTRR award.
Vickie created her first character when she was four years old and came up with her imaginary friend, Marty. Together the two battled, they slayed, they conquered. She and Marty managed to get into plenty of trouble and usually had to come up with a clever way out of it. From the Marty experience a fertile imagination was born.
Today she’s graduated to more grownup characters. And after spending years sitting in a cubicle, writing boring corporate communiques all the while day-dreaming about stories beyond those dreary walls, she finally decided to let her mind run free.
The Evil Trilogy sprang from that.
Though she was born and bred in Texas, she now lives in her adopted home state of California, near the ocean she loves.
4 Stars
3 Stars – Would recommend to others
captivating, that I found myself lost between the covers, not wanting the books to end. Every time I turned around, Vickie McKeehan had another suspenseful, nail-biting detail to add to the story.
Just Evil was given Coffee Time Romance and More’s highest rating plus a CTRR award.
Click on the cover to order.