Book Review: Kick Start by Caren Crane

Title: Kick Start
Author: Caren Crane
Publication: May 1, 2013
Publisher: Self-published
Rating: 4/5
Amazon| Goodreads| Smashwords | Website

SYNOPSIS: Sometimes when life stalls right in the middle of the journey, all it needs is a Kick Start...

Linda Dowling is ready to shake the dust of her bitter divorce off her boots and Kick Start her life into action. She level sets her children, goes back to college, meets a younger man and life starts rolling down the post-marriage highway. Until her old life freezes her new one in mid-cruise. Friends and neighbors in Linda’s suburban paradise do not approve of any divorce, much less one in their midst. They certainly don’t approve of Linda’s new love interest. 

Linda does not want to care, but she spent the last 20 years trying to fit in. It would be crazy to turn her back on the life she so painstakingly built–and her ex so abruptly knocked down–for an untried start-up relationship. Or would it? Linda reroutes her journey and decides to make a detour–including side trips to see her hairdresser, her mother, the homicidal Courtroom Barbie who wrecked her marriage and her suddenly psycho ex-husband–and see where else life might take her. All she needs is courage and a good old-fashioned Kick Start.

REVIEW: Kickstart, a novel about starting over and moving on, is one enjoyable read.

Linda, a divorcee mother of three, is starting over and getting her life back on track after her husband leaves her for another woman. Looking for a new start, and an income to help support her family, Linda heads back to school.

Back to school, a makeover, and a sexy young guy seem to be just the things that Linda needs to move on and yet she still finds herself at a standstill. Wondering about what her neighbors and friends will think about her relationship, along with her children, Linda tries to put off her feelings only to find out that in the end, some things are just worth it. 

Kickstart shows that moving on can be scary, but with family, friends, and new love interests, anything can happen. Linda finds out that life is what you make of it, and you are who you want to be....In the end it seems that Linda figures herself out and what matters in life.

Book Blast: Wheel Wolf by January Valentine

Title: Wheel Wolf (Werewolf Horror)

Author: January Valentine

Genre: Horror/Suspense/Thriller

Release date: August 20, 2013

 

Synopsis:
Jack Bailey is just a few weeks away from beginning his dream career as Forest Ranger in the upstate New York town of Angel's Bend. Jenny Rudea, veterinarian in training, is madly in love with Jack, and the animals she cares for.



On the way home from her house one night, Jack takes an unanticipated detour to Hosner Lake. While there, he encounters something that raises the hair on the back of his neck. What is out there, on the other side of the lake? Is it a shadow, a hunter, a wolf? Without a weapon or a flashlight, he is not about to stick around to find out.



He hops on his bike and heads for the main road where something leaps onto his back, causing the accident that steals his mobility, threatens his sanity. As if this isn't bad enough, when he wakes up in the hospital, paralyzed from the waist down, he has no idea what occurred on the lonely road, but is now a prime suspect in a murder investigation because of what was found almost pinned to his body: a naked girl whose throat has been slit. 



In his comatose state, Jack hears detectives interview Jenny at his bedside. He eventually regains consciousness and is transferred to a rehab where he hopes to recover the use of his legs. The police are searching for a serial killer, mutilated bodies have been piling up across the country, as well as in Angel's Bend. While Jack struggles with his physical injuries, he must also defend his innocence.



Jack manages to slip in and out of the window of his room mysteriously, at will, even though he's in a wheelchair. The only one who notices his disappearing acts is his physical therapist, Rachel Huntress, who is almost as weird as the predicament Jack has found himself in; Jack's extraordinary abilities and hairy appearance don't seem to faze her at all. 



There are tense scenes which include violence and raw emotion in this werewolf whodunit. Who is the murderous werewolf? Jack? Or could it be his high school rival, Detective Don Delgado. It's anyone's guess. Along with mangled corpses, there are several possible suspects. This killer is not part of a pack. He's a ruthless rogue. 



Wheel Wolf is a stunningly intense chiller, with gripping internalization from Jack's and Jenny's points of view. Packed with romance, suspense, twists and turns, this bestselling, unpredictable psychological thriller will have you on the edge of your seat from page one until the bittersweet conclusion.

Buy links:
 Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Wheel-Wolf-Werewolf-Horror-ebook/dp/B00EOGP59W/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1380050086&sr=8-1&keywords=wheel+wolf

Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/wheel-wolf-january-valentine/1116860914?ean=2940148808435

Kobo: http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/wheel-wolf-werewolf-horror

 

Excerpt

(Jack has been disabled by a motorcycle accident during which time something attacked him. The result is his legs are paralyzed. He's in a rehab and when the moon begins to rise, he begins to turn. This is his first experience with his transition.)

 

I'm tossing and turning. My brain hurts. It feels like it's fucking bubbling inside my skull. I'm twisting in and out of bizarre stages of sleep. I'm taking colorful naps. Beneath my sealed lids I'm seeing shadows and rainbows. Shuddering. Dancing. Circles. Lines. Dots. I bolt out of a fifth dimension of symbols and strobe lights, picturing faces, hearing voices. It's enough to drive me even more insane. A sliver of moon is filtering through the crack on either side of the blinds. Other than that, my room is dark. A tomb. A sexy tomb.

 

I'm smelling all kinds of mouthwatering aromas. Scents. Female. I'm tasting Jenny on my lips. Inhaling her peach perfume. I'm like a dog in heat, fighting incredible urges to hump something. Someone. I wonder if Rachel's around. Holy shit. Jenny would fucking kill me if she knew what was going through my head right now.

 

Unaware of how I got into this position, I find myself half hanging off the bed. What the fuck? I can move? Your arms dumbass. You're having nightmares, and you're dragging yourself across the bed.

 

No way. I'm awake. Which I know, because I'm sitting up wiping drool from my mouth, and about to jerk off. Then I stop myself. I've got to get this boner predicament under control. My skin is perspiring profusely and is itchy as hell. I'm scratching myself raw, delighting at the smell of my own blood that's seeping from claw marks and pores. My senses are so acute, I believe I'm about to learn the meaning of unearthly. Everything abnormal. Dark. Deadly.

 

Next thing I know, my legs are twitching, dangling over the side of the mattress. I'm wigging my toes. Shit. I think I can walk. I'm balancing on the balls of my feet, padding across the carpet, pushing up the unlocked side of the window with two furry things that don't look like familiar hands. Legs over, I suck in fresh air and leap onto dewy grass. Wearing boxers? The night smells beautiful, exotic, seductive, like Jenny. Jenny.

 

I feel absolutely fantastic. My head is clear. My eyes are like new. Like old ... the old me. Sight without pain. Thank God I'm healed. I'm sidestepping mushroom lights trimming pathways. Leaving the shaded grounds of Shadow Lane behind.

 

Arms cocked at my sides, I'm picking up speed, bounding down the open road. I'm beyond athletic. I'm superhuman. Scenery is flashing past me, like a sped up movie. It's psychedelic. It's fragrant. It's beyond comprehension.

 

The best part, I don't have a care in the world. Just fighting the hunger.

 

The moon is on the rise, sailing through the sky. It's night-dawn. I'm digging the moon ... all silvery, shimmering through branches of trees, sprinkling fairy dust all over creation: all over me. I'm darting in and out of darkness, having no problem seeing, feeling no pain.

 

I'm on my way to Tidalfalls, to Jenny, when it hits me. I'm splashing through streams, cutting deeper into the forest. Running like a demon, with ease, with the wind, covering territory like wildlife. Cruising on two powerful legs. It feels amazing, Exhilarating. Free! I'm scenting everything the world has to offer. The woodlands. The night. The butcher shop on Ninth. Christ, I'm so hungry I could eat a cow. Brilliant idea.

 

I'm going ballistic, like the madman I am. But I'm a creature of the night. A raging beast. I'm the bullet whistling down the barrel of a .45, whizzing through the air, powerful. Deadly. Precise.

 

I'm like a kid with new kicks, a spring in my step. I've got a mind like a steel trap, the physical strength of a dozen men. I don't want to hurt anyone, but I have to know if I'm the badass I think I am. 'Cos I feel like I own the world.

 

I'm loping down 44, in the direction of my house, wondering if I left any steaks in the freezer. The place is dark, looks deserted. It is, asshole. Jack doesn't live here anymore. He's in rehab. Remember?

 

For the hell of it, I'm sniffing around my windows. Mentally staging a break-in. I even take a piss on my front lawn. That's when I notice I'm naked. Not covered with clothes or skin. Fur baby. Nice soft fur. I run my hands up and down my body digging the feel. I'm a beast, yet I can reason. And reason tells me, I'm no longer Jack Bailey. I was bitten by something that turned me into an animal. An animal craving flesh. Raw, bloody flesh. I need to get me some.

 

I'm angry, hungry, all kinds of emotional, but most of all, I'm out for blood. Dying to tear some poor bastard's throat out. Home invasion pops into my head.

 

I pad down a driveway at the end of a cul de sac where the night is murky. Lonely. I creep around the backyard. The entire downstairs seems unoccupied. Dark. Nice and inviting. The best part, a second floor light is glowing, attracting me like a moth.

 

Pause paws. Think. Do I break the back door down and go charging up the stairs? Burst through the bedroom door while he's on top of her? Or climb up that ivy trellis. Crash through the window. The element of surprise makes my heart beat like a drum. Pump my boiling blood more furiously through my arteries. I feed off fear. It makes me stronger. Bolder. I want to suck up every ounce of terror flowing from their human pores. Yeah. That's what it's all about.

 

I'm calculating, climbing, panting, teetering on a ledge, gaping jaws dripping excitement. I still have this fucking erection. I'm about to surrender to castration. I'm peering through the bedroom window, salivating. In soft pink light, they're putting on an interesting show. Sure enough, he's fucking her. Only she's on top of him, meaning, she's fucking him. I'm getting hotter by the minute. Excess saliva is dripping down my throat, so now I'm wheezing.

 

Here I go. Hurl my body through the window. Feet first. Shattered glass is tinkling, sprinkling, falling on white carpet like snow. Her head spins. Her blue eyes bulge. I inhale her wine breath, her passion, her terror. An amazing blend. Arousal never felt this sensational. She's on her feet, a scream lodged in her throat. Deserting the guy, she's breaking for the door.

 

Nah ah, sweetie. You ain't goin' nowhere. Before she can blink, I'm on her, sweeping her off her feet, holding her high over my head, so her feet are dangling off the floor. My nose is in her crotch. I'm inhaling deeply. Losing myself. She's kicking up a hell of a fuss, but I love it. I'm licking my chops. Sniffing her taste.

 

Her old man's still spread eagle on the bed, wearing a blindfold. Cuffed to the headboard. I have to laugh. He's out of commission, so I drop the girl, beat my chest, and let out a blood-curdling howl. I need him awake and wide-eyed to fully enjoy what's about to go down. It's showtime, folks!

About the Author

January Valentine is the pen name of Victoria Valentine, New York writer and indie book publisher. See Victoria's Author pages: http://www.amazon.com/January-Valentine/e/B007Q28DFE

http://www.amazon.com/Victoria-Valentine/e/B005LYVSTM

  

I chose to use a pen name because some of my writing is steamy, and I wanted to separate Victoria, who writes contemporary fiction and children's storybooks. Since my birth month is January, January Valentine seemed an appropriate pseudonym.

 

I also host a blogtalkradio show: Away With Words, every Wednesday evening at 6 PM EST where I interview other writers and poets and discuss writing in general: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/aww1

  

In June, I released my first paranormal romance, Beautiful Experiment, book one of Island of Defiance Trilogy. Wheel Wolf was released on August 20th, and instantly became an Amazon bestseller in Horror/Suspense/Paranormal.

 

I've written three other novels: Love Dreams contemporary romance, Sweet Dreams in the Mind of a Serial Killer, and Head Over Wheels New Adult romance. All are available on Amazon and other booksellers, or will be shortly in ebook and paperback.

 

I publish books for other authors through Water Forest Press, which I founded some years ago. In the past I have written poetry and song lyrics, but now I focus on fiction. I've created multiple websites and blogs that I don't have time to manage very well.

 

My desire to be in a rock band brought me into a recording studio ... where my lyrics sprang to life with the help of a local alternative rock band. Together, we produced a CD.

 

I enjoy designing book covers and YouTube videos, and outdoor activities such as hiking and swimming. I love all kinds of music. Watching horror flicks and Tyler Perry movies are my escape from reality.

 

I have an addiction to engraved pens that I buy to accompany each of my books. My office is filled with paperbacks, t-shirts, silver bullets, wolf head necklaces, crystals, and all kinds of swag. 

My sites and pages.  

Website: http://www.januaryvalentine.com

Blog: http://januaryvalentine.blogspot.com/

Blog: http://victoriaskyline.blogspot.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorVictoriaJanuaryValentine

Twitter: https://twitter.com/VictoriaSkyline
Blog Radio Show: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/aww1

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/janvicval/boards/

Book Review: Getting Rooted in New Zealand by Jamie Baywood

Title: Getting Rooted in New Zealand
Author: Jamie Baywood
Publication: April 21, 2013
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
Rating: 4/5
Amazon| Goodreads| Smashwords | Website

SYNOPSIS: Craving change and lacking logic, at 26, Jamie, a cute and quirky Californian, impulsively moves to New Zealand to avoid dating after reading that the country’s population has 100,000 fewer men. In her journal, she captures a hysterically honest look at herself, her past and her new wonderfully weird world filled with curious characters and slapstick situations in unbelievably bizarre jobs. It takes a zany jaunt to the end of the Earth and a serendipitous meeting with a fellow traveler before Jamie learns what it really means to get rooted.

REVIEW: Getting Rooted in New Zealand i is refreshingly funny and unbelievably true. Baywood's memoir recounts her land after heading there for adventure and to heal a broken heart. 

Baywood's experiences are quite off the wall and humorous. From living situation to machete wielding perverted mime co-workers, Jamie tells it all.

Although Rooted in New Zealand leaves the reader in stitches, you can't help but to feel for Jamie and wonder what you would do if you were in her shoes..

Even with bosses that need anger management, a cubicle of koalas, and  co-workers wearing their dead dog's collar and eating their dead bird's sunflower seeds, Jamie handles herself better than most would in the same situation.

I did have to give this a 4/5 bottles because although it's a good and comical read, it seems to skip around a lot and you never really know when things are happening. Some parts seem to go day to day while others skip months and you never know what is really happening. I did really enjoy the book though.

Although a good, funny read I will NOT be traveling to New Zealand anytime soon!

Cover Reveal: The Sorcery Code by Dima Zales

Synopsis:

Once a respected member of the Sorcerer Council and now an outcast, Blaise has spent the last year of his life working on a special magical object. The goal is to allow anyone to do magic, not just the sorcerer elite. The outcome of his quest is unlike anything he could’ve ever imagined – because, instead of an object, he creates Her.

She is Gala, and she is anything but inanimate. Born in the Spell Realm, she is beautiful and highly intelligent – and nobody knows what she’s capable of.

Augusta, a powerful sorceress, sees Blaise’s deed for the ultimate hubris that it is. She still loves Blaise and wants to save him before he has to pay the ultimate price . . . thanks to the abomination he created.

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18297486-the-sorcery-code?from_search=true

About The Author:

Dima Zales is a full-time science fiction and fantasy author residing in Palm Coast, Florida. Prior to becoming a writer, he worked in the software development industry in New York as both a programmer and an executive. From high-frequency trading software for big banks to mobile apps for popular magazines, Dima has done it all. In 2013, he left the software industry in order to concentrate on his writing career.

Dima holds a Master’s degree in Computer Science from NYU and a dual undergraduate degree in Computer Science / Psychology from Brooklyn College. He also has a number of hobbies and interests, the most unusual of which might be professional-level mentalism. He simulates mind-reading on stage and close-up, and has done shows for corporations, wealthy individuals, and friends.

He is also into healthy eating and fitness, so he should live long enough to finish all the book projects he starts. In fact, he very much hopes to catch the technological advancements that might let him live forever (biologically or otherwise). Aside from that, he also enjoys learning about current and future technologies that might enhance our lives, including artificial intelligence, biofeedback, brain-to-computer interfaces, and brain-enhancing implants.

In addition to his own works, Dima has collaborated on a number of romance novels with his wife, Anna Zaires. The Krinar Chronicles, an erotic science fiction series, has been a bestseller in its categories and has been recognized by the likes of Marie Claire and Woman’s Day. If you like erotic romance with a unique plot, please feel free to check it out, especially since the first book in the series (Close Liaisons) is available for free everywhere. Keep in mind, though, Dima Zales's books are going to be much more PG 13 . . . at least that’s the plan for now.

Anna Zaires is the love of his life and a huge inspiration in every aspect of his writing. She definitely adds her magic touch to anything Dima creates, and the books would not be the same without her. Dima’s fans are strongly encouraged to learn more about Anna and her work at http://www.annazaires.com.

Social media links:

https://www.facebook.com/AuthorDimaZales

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7210511.Dima_Zales

https://twitter.com/AuthorDimaZales

http://www.linkedin.com/in/zalesskiy

http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXQ2V6hPOl3XAqzTmKZxR4A

Author blog page: http://www.dimazales.com/blog.html



Giveaway:

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Author Interview + Giveaway: Cleo Scornavacca

      Today I have the pleasure of interviewing debut author, Cleo Scornavacca. Cleo's book, Miss Taken, went live on Amazon just last week. I had the honor of reviewing an ARC of it earlier this month and you can find my review for Miss Taken, here.

      Hello Cleo! Thank you for joining us today. Can you tell us a little about yourself and your background?
             I  am a wife. My husband is a sculptor. He creates nudes out of old steel as one of his passions.  I'm a mom. My daughter is 21 years. She was an English major turned speech pathology major. I am an avid reader of romance. I started out working in pharmacy and then became a makeup artist for companies such as Princess Marcella Borghese, Bobbi Brown and MAC. I write every chance I get. I love writing adult romance and Miss Taken is my debut novel. When I was younger books were my escape and they still are. 
       What is it that you do when you are not writing? 
I love to read. I love to go to the Jersey shore every chance I get.  Spending time with friends and family.
       What are your ambitions for your writing career?
          I am assuming I am like most people who write and work full time jobs. Someday I hope my passion will be my full-time career. I would love for more and more people to love my   novels  and I hope that people will feel i am a good write. Striving to be recognized in the industry is of a big dream that I hope i will achieve one day.
        If you could turn Miss Taken into a movie, who would you cast as Dominick? As Rain/Raven?
        Its slightly hard for me to say. For me David James Gandy has the look of Dominick. I 'd be curious what the readers think. And Rain/Raven  Nina Dobrev (she is young for the age of  Rain) but I love her and she plays a  dual role now. They would just have to die her hair black. 

         What was the hardest thing about writing Miss Taken? 
           Time and inexperience. I wanted it to be a very good story. My time is limited because I work a regular job. I wanted to put out a great book and was not experienced in the indie world  so I learned as I went. I think being more prepared with time and deadlines will better with book two.

        Can you tell us a little about the Miss Taken series?
          Miss Taken was going to be a series of two. But now it will be three novels.  Miss Taken really is all Dominick and Rain but mostly Rains life before and during her relationship and kidnapping. Identity will still be about the couple but the secondary characters will be more involved and this will be more about Dominick and some surprises he didn't even know about.  The third and final one in the series for and about Tommy. Everyone loves Rain's best friend and sexy business partner. So now he needs to get the girl (maybe).  Its going to be called Sibling Rivalry.
    
      What are your thoughts on writing a series? Is it quite the challenge? 
          I think its a huge challenge. All though you know where you want the story to go, it has to make sense and not repetitive. It has to be fresh, with twists and turns and hopefully a happy ending.

      Who designed your gorgeous book cover and how did it come about?
         Stephanie White of Steph's Cover Design. She helped me learn a great deal about what to ask for. Being clear on my vision for the book. Her work is amazing and I was referred to her by Ryn of First Class Book Blog.

       How do you relax?
           I read and I like to watch movies. I love 80s brat pack movies, Romantic Comedies like Somethings Gotta Give, When Harry met Sally. You've Got Mail.

       What is your favorite motivational phrase to get you going?
          My longtime friend and author Joseph Grant, has been a huge supporter of me venturing out on this journey. We went to school together so he knew how scared I was too do this. But he talks to me everyday. Whether I am in a good mood and excited. Or in a bad mood, he is always there to listen.  No matter what is going on he always says to me "Cleo don't worry, JUST WRITE, KEEPING WRITING.  He's right just keep at it and I do.

        What advice would you give aspiring authors?
           For them to just write as my friend Joe says. Don't worry about what others are going to say. Do it for you and when its done the overwhelming support you get from your readers will tell you it wasn't a mistake.  My mom told me when I was starting this that if I didn't do it i would be the only one to blame. It's worse if you don't try because they you'll will never really know your potential.

         Is there anything else you would like to add that I haven't included?
           I just need to thank everyone who is reading Miss Taken and following and supporting me. Readers are the best fans and very passionate people.  It is an escape and I hope my characters really do that for them. just like many authors have done for me.

         How can readers discover more about you and your work?
                Facebook| Goodreads  | BookLikes  | Twitter    

 Love........................The Ultimate Loss of Control

Rain and Raven Medici are identical twins. Although they come from a loving close-knit family their childhoods couldn’t have been more different. Raven went to school and was exposed freely to the outside world. Rain on the other hand was born with a blood disorder and denied many normal childhood experiences. 

Once grown, Raven becomes a lawyer at their dad’s firm Kane & Medici in NYC. Rain along with her only childhood friend Tommy Conte, builds a very successful business as professional photographers. Traveling between Europe and Manhattan, and enjoying a world that was kept from her, Rain vows never to be controlled again.

Dominick Kane is a product of his upbringing. He’s powerful, self-assured and knows he can achieve anything he desires. Nothing gets in his way. There is only one thing he has ever failed at. A relationship with his father Vincent Kane. Upon his father’s death, Dominick vows revenge. The events he sets in motion put him on a collision course he himself will be unable to control.

In a bizarre twist of fate, Dominick kidnaps Raven as part of his plan for revenge. Only to discover afterward, he has taken Rain by mistake. Rain knows she can never survive being confined again. So she strikes a bargain with the devil and agrees to help Dominick get back what he feels rightly belongs to him. His father’s share of Kane & Medici.

Dominick decides to use the strong attraction growing between Rain and himself to control her in every way imaginable. Too bad no one ever taught Dominick you can’t control the heart. Nothing could have prepared him for the effect Rain would have on his. 
Will this plan of revenge turn into unconditional love? Or will Dominick and Rain’s need for control ultimately destroy them and any possibly chance for a real future together.......

     
                                      Where can readers purchase Miss Taken?
                                             Kindle Edition| Paperback  | Smashwords

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Book Blitz: Everything You Know by Mary Beth Bass

Everything You Know

by Mary Beth Bass

Release Date: 09/27/13

Summary from Goodreads:

A dark forest, a screaming woman and blood. These are the images that haunt seventeen year old Emma from the moment she meets Joe Castlellaw. And so much more awaits.

Emma Mathews never believed she was like everyone else, but neither did she think herself crazy. Meeting Joe Castlellaw, Henry Dearborn High’s newest student, was like waking on a cold rock in a strange place, the world bathed in liquid moonlight. Everything is different now…and fraught. Visions of a dark forest, a screaming woman and blood have begun to haunt Emma’s dreams, and not only at night. But Joe’s lonely beauty makes her float on air, and she would follow him anywhere—out of high school and through the great tree, to a world of poetry and political savagery, of magic and murder, to a life that is entirely theirs and yet unlike anything they have ever known.

About the Author

More than a little obsessed with Keats and MOBY DICK and fueled by loud music and cold grey days, Mary Beth Bass is the author of young adult fantasy and romantic women’s fiction. Her debut paranormal-women’s fiction hybrid, FOLLOW ME received the Book Buyers Best Award for Time Travel, Fantasy, and Paranormal Romance. 

An occasional travel writer, Mary Beth has written about Paris, Bordeaux, and Yorkshire, where she hiked the moors to the legendary setting for WUTHERING HEIGHTS and stood breathless in the parsonage room where Charlotte, Anne, and Emily Bronte talked out their stories with each other.

And if I seem a little strange, well that’s because I am.
Also loves octopuses. 

***Author Links***

  

Book Blitz Organized by:

Book Blast: Beautiful Experiment (Book One of Island of Defiance Trilogy) by January Valentine

Title:  Beautiful Experiment  (Book One of Island of Defiance Trilogy)
Author: January Valentine
Genre:  Teen  Paranormal Fantasy
Release date: June 1, 2013
Synopsis:

Six unruly teens are abducted on their way to a juvie home. Dumped onto an uncharted island. Could things get any worse? Hell, yeah. Hostility and envy run rampant. Throw in some alphas, divas and demons, and what do you have? Beautiful Experiment. Book One of the Island of Defiance Trilogy.

The teens are referred to as waywards, informed their parents have sent them to the island for rehabilitation. While they struggle with their predicament, and each other, they come to a shocking realization ... for once in their lives, they have to follow rules.

Brook has lived on the Island of Defiance his entire life, with no choice but to believe everything he has been taught. As he approaches eighteen, the secret of who he is, and the ultimate fate he must face, begins to unfold. To complicate matters even more, Brook grows to experience something he has never known ... love.

How do you convince a stranger a dreadful mistake has been made? Gabriella Winslow is an honors student who has always helped others, but now has to fight for herself. Something unimaginable wants her as much as the beautiful island boy with whom she is falling in love.

Beautiful Experiment is Book One of The Island Of Defiance Trilogy (paranormal - fantasy - romance - for teens and adults) Mature 16+ for adult language, drugs & alcohol, mild sexual situations & mild violence.

Buy links:
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Beautiful-Experiment-Paranormal-Defiance-ebook/dp/B00DIQU1KW/ref=sr_1_2?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1380051401&sr=1-2&keywords=beautiful+experiment
Barnes & Noble:  http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/beautiful-experiment-january-valentine/1116962776?ean=2940148761211
Kobo:   http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/beautiful-experiment-teen-paranormal-fantasy-romance

Excerpt
(Brook and Father are waiting on the beach for the skiff to arrive with a new delivery of wayward teens. This is Brook's first encounter with the supernatural force that will intensify until he eventually learns exactly what is attempting to overtake him, and why.)


The surging tide is tempting. I'm concentrating on the foam that is quickly erasing my footsteps. It's not the caw of gulls that alerts me, because the winged creatures have vanished. In their place, the air is filled with my name. I lift my face to something startling, and my heart begins to pound.

The sky has burst into flame. Red and gold, it's raging. The sun is the sky. Scorching. Shooting stars, like flaming spears, are dropping all around me. If I don't shut my eyes, I'll be blinded. If I do, I'll be nothing but a solid target. The wind wails like a mother who has lost her child. "When the third moon falls, the beast will devour the sky."

As suddenly as it started, it ends. I'm standing beside Father, totally disoriented. Am I standing? I look down at my feet, because I feel legless. I'm floating. Struggling to regain control of my mind, my body, the shock.

I grip the clipboard and pen with my knees, so that I can draw my palms across my twitching eyelids, astonished that I'm actually still holding onto anything.

"Did you see that flash? Did you hear that creepy voice?" I'm breathless, massaging my pounding temples with burning fingertips. "My head feels like it's about to split open." I rattle each eardrum with a pinky, then plug my ears to listen intently. Was the urgent whisper that turned me to stone inside my head? Phantom sounds? I've never experienced this kind of phenomenon before. "My eyes pain."

Father regards me with a mix of surprise and concern. "You have a migraine?"

"Migraine?" I scoff. What the fuck, loops through my head. I'm freaked out, left with a strange feeling this is not going to be like other days. I try to shake it off, like I shake him off.

The sky is now clear and so perfectly blue, it looks as though it's been painted by deliberate strokes of an artist's brush. It is a seamless dome of beauty. If we were not receiving today, I might be lying on the pristine beach, permitting my thoughts to wander far beyond my own boundaries. Maybe I'd be lounging on my bluff, or climb my watchtower tree, burrow into its welcoming arms where I collect my years, watch over all that is mine.

"Feeling better?" His voice is buffered, but coarse enough to jar me from thought.

Skimming Father, my gaze snaps back to the waves, the skiff that is almost upon us. "I'm fine." I don’t mention how bad my body aches, and feels like it’s being torn apart. I stretch my arms, then my neck, trying to pin down what I did to cause these muscle spasms. The bomb that’s about to explode in my head.

When the ocean is calm it's translucent, sparkling with sunlight as though it's coated with billions of precious gemstones. Today it's not much more than rolling waves and seaweed.

"I've never seen it this rough." Between wind and thunderous surf, I have to face him or my voice will be useless.

"Storms." His reply is blunt.

"You wouldn't know it by the sky." I bring my gaze to a more pleasant sight.

"There's one brewing out there. You'd feel it if you had my knees." Staring gravely at the ocean, his body is rigid.

"Are you in pain?"

"Nothing I can't handle."

"Let's hope the weather holds off until we've settled them."

"Rain or shine, we've got our work cut out for us, Brook."

"As always." My stomach rises to my throat as I watch their approach. I wonder if I'll ever get used to this way of life. Do I want to? Of course not. There are so many other things I'd rather be doing right now, like hopping onto that boat, and for starters, checking out the other side of this island.

Beyond the boat, a floating veil of mist rolls in like billows of steam from a tremendous boiling kettle. I am no longer able to see the large vessel from which the skiff was launched.

The atmosphere of the island is as such, inviting one moment, rejecting the next. Father calls it a gentle beast, with characteristics and charm like the women he has known. My glance shifts, falling upon the shoreline curve where a jetty, composed of rocks chiseled and stacked by nature, projects like the nose of a dolphin and the forest begins. This is as far as my eyes pan.

"Thank you for cutting your hair." For a moment his eyes wash over me, then his gaze refocuses on the others who are struggling against the relentless current. "I know it pains you."

"Don't you mean shearing?" I huff. "I don't understand why I can't grow it long. I have awesome hair, or so I've been told." I smirk.

He shoots me a phony glare. "You've been told, huh? No cozying up to any of these girls. I don't want another batch begging to stay."

"I'm not a womanizer. Just good company." I shrug.

"No nighttime jaunts to the lagoon, either. And I mean it this time." Now his glare is authentic.

"Yeah, yeah. I know. Stay out of the lagoon. Out of the forest. Out of the lockers. Pretend to like my boring life."

He almost looks sympathetic. "One of these days you'll understand."

"What? Why I can't swim at night?"

"You're impossible sometimes, and the reason I ask you to cut your hair is to set a good example."

I let out a tired sigh. My hand runs over my smooth scalp, the shadow of bristles so short and sun-bleached, my reflection in a mirror looks hairless. If not for my deeply tanned skin, I would look anemic.

"Seems a waste. Six or more inches of attractive dark hair again and again swept into the trash." My jaw sets as our discussion continues. "I like my hair long. It makes me feel ..."

"Like a rock star?" He chuckles, scrubbing my head playfully. "In so many ways you remain such a child, yet you desire to be worldly. Do you admire them?"

"Not as you might be thinking." My eyes lower, landing upon my anxious toes digging through a mound of sand.

I swing my gaze across the vast horizon which is now shaded with purples and blues, fantasizing about the places beyond. The order of the world not contained within this globe of existence called Defiance Island. I know the temperament of the waywards, but wonder what others are like. Are they beautiful? Intelligent? Kindhearted? Do they possess the nature that can make a man want to tear another to shreds?

About the Author
January Valentine is the pen name of Victoria Valentine, New York writer and indie book publisher. See Victoria's Author pages: http://www.amazon.com/January-Valentine/e/B007Q28DFE
http://www.amazon.com/Victoria-Valentine/e/B005LYVSTM



I chose to use a pen name because some of my writing is steamy, and I wanted to separate Victoria, who writes contemporary fiction and children's storybooks. Since my birth month is January, January Valentine seemed an appropriate pseudonym.

I also host a blogtalkradio show: Away With Words, every Wednesday evening at 6 PM EST where I interview other writers and poets and discuss writing in general: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/aww1



In June, I released my first paranormal romance, Beautiful Experiment, book one of Island of Defiance Trilogy. Wheel Wolf was released on August 20th, and instantly became an Amazon bestseller in Horror/Suspense/Paranormal.

I've written three other novels: Love Dreams contemporary romance, Sweet Dreams in the Mind of a Serial Killer, and Head Over Wheels New Adult romance. All are available on Amazon and other booksellers, or will be shortly in ebook and paperback.

I publish books for other authors through Water Forest Press, which I founded some years ago. In the past I have written poetry and song lyrics, but now I focus on fiction. I've created multiple websites and blogs that I don't have time to manage very well.

My desire to be in a rock band brought me into a recording studio ... where my lyrics sprang to life with the help of a local alternative rock band. Together, we produced a CD.

I enjoy designing book covers and YouTube videos, and outdoor activities such as hiking and swimming. I love all kinds of music. Watching horror flicks and Tyler Perry movies are my escape from reality.

I have an addiction to engraved pens that I buy to accompany each of my books. My office is filled with paperbacks, t-shirts, silver bullets, wolf head necklaces, crystals, and all kinds of swag. 

My sites and pages.

Website: http://www.januaryvalentine.com
Blog: http://januaryvalentine.blogspot.com/
Blog: http://victoriaskyline.blogspot.com/
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/AuthorVictoriaJanuaryValentine
Twitter: https://twitter.com/VictoriaSkyline
Blog Radio Show: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/aww1
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/janvicval/boards/