Blog Tour: The Undesirable Release Day Blitz!

Today is the release day of the new book The Undesirable by S. Celi!

Title: The Undesirable
Author: Sara Celi
Publisher: Lowe Interactive Media
Pages: 225
Book Description:
*This book is Mature YA/ New Adult. It is recommended for readers 14 and over.*
What if everything you knew turned out to be a lie? Charlotte Walker knows how to live under the rule of The Party. She has managed for 18 years. She helps out her drunken mother and keeps life going at a familiar, steady pace. She doesn’t ask questions, even though she has many of them in her heart. Fostino Sanchez knows how to live under the rule of The Party, too. For 19 years, he’s worked to be the perfect Party member. He knows what must be done to keep Maxwell Cooper in power, and how find the The Undesirables that threaten to take away everything that matters. As the months go by, what matters most to Fostino is Charlotte Walker. While their love blooms, danger comes to Charlotte and Fostino’s small hometown of Harrison Corners, OH. Threats they never knew existed could take away all that they care about. And just when these two teens think they know what will come next, Charlotte learns the truth about a secret she has long suspected. What Charlotte finds out changes everything. EVERYTHING. THE UNDESIRABLE is Charlotte Walker’s story, from her point of view. It is a thrilling, suspenseful tale of love, curiosity, adversity, and maturity against the backdrop of a futuristic war. Should Charlotte trust Fostino with what she knows? Can she trust anyone? Will she find it in herself to rise up against terrible odds? What if the ultimate Undesirable is her?

 

Excerpt

CHAPTER ONE

Fostino’s frown mixes with his tightened jaw. “Are you serious about this, Charlotte? Really serious? I just — I can’t believe you’re breaking up with me.” His eyebrows pull tighter than any seam I have ever sewn.“God. I’m so stupid.” His mouth sets in a hard line. My heartbeat jumps to my ears. I bite down hard on the inside of my bottom lip. Oh, God. Did I make the right choice? Will he understand? Will he always hate me? My breath quickens as the air constricts all around the two of us. I almost taste the awkwardness in the air. I pray my pain doesn’t show on my face. How do people manage to stay friends after something like this? I can’t. No, I won’t. Not this time. I stand in this apartment and know that I failed to make this breakup painless.My words cover this small dusty room. All the muscles in my back tighten and twist from the stress. We will never be just friends — ever. He gets up from the couch and pulls on his worn, muddy combat boots. He seems wounded, broken, and defeated. He radiates pain. He picks up my keys to the apartment from the coffee table. Awkward. My mind flickers to the beginning. I remember the moment in the town square when The Party transformed our lives. I want to go back and change everything since then. “I wanted to take care of you and shield you from—” He stops and gestures to the windows and the crumbling world outside this room. His soulful brown eyes glint with anger. “Everything.” Now he exhales. “I guess I’m not surprised. Not after all that happened.”His shoulders slump. Sweat beads on the back of my neck. I swallow some of my uneasiness. My plan just might work. I taste the hollow victory in the back of my throat. Good. “I—I’m sorry.” I have nothing else to say, no words to make this better. In minutes, I’ll leave the apartment and flee my life because I have no other choice. “I’ll never understand you. Or this.” Fostino shakes his head of dark waves. He fixates on the bare wall behind me. His words hurt, but Fostino can’t know how much he affects me. I push away the urge to reach out and hold him tighter than I ever hugged anyone. Instead, I shudder a little in my shapeless black dress — the one the government issued me last month. I hate this. I am not a cold person. I don’t hurt people on purpose. “Fostino, I—“ In a few steps, I reach his side. My shaky hand reaches out and the keys link our hands together. I smell him through all the dust in this studio apartment with the Murphy bed in the corner. I inhale just remember how he smells. I’m so afraid I will forget it. Each second ticks by worse than the last. This conversation is hard, so very hard. I bite down on the inside of my cheek to stop myself from saying something I can’t back up. If only I could tell him the truth, share my terrible secret, and find a way out of my bleak future. If only. “Did you ever mean anything you said? I mean, even for one second. Did you ever even like me?” He balls his hand into a fist once I raise my arm to stop him. He keeps talking anyway. “I told you I loved you right here in this room, even though you didn’t say it back. I meant it.” My stomach twists and heart pounds while I keep up the lies. “Well — I did like you.” I emphasize my next words as my toes curl in my sandals. “I thought I loved you once. I wanted to say it, but—” “But, I’ll always love you. I will.” He mutters something else I can’t understand, and his words undo me. I give in and kiss him. His lips are a gentle push against mine, and the kiss is so good it hurts. His lips taste like a nectar I want to savor forever. But I can’t. This moment must stay cold and Fostino needs to know this is goodbye for good. Before the kiss intensifies, I pull away and remember my task. The black Humvee full of people waits around the corner. We all must leave soon. They gave me fifteen minutes to make sure this break-up is a clean one. Time is up. Now. His eyes lock mine. “Why won’t you tell me what’s really going on?” Oh no. He can’t know the truth. Hurt him. They told me I must end it.Loving me will destroy him. It will destroy everything. My teeth bite my lip hard on the inside as I search for the words. “It’s — well — we just…we aren’t right for each other. I don’t want you to come after me. We need to end this. This relationship—” “Whatever. It’s fine. You shouldn’t make stuff up.”Fostino sounds very weary and haggard with each sentence. I take my keys and slide them into the black wool satchel on my left shoulder. Then I take the deception a step further. “I won’t ever love you, Fostino Ahmed.” The words taste like rusted metal. “I just won’t.” My hands open the door with purpose. A few steps will take me through an ancient hallway that links this apartment with sixteen others. I push myself through the doorframe and pull the door shut behind me. Then I take the first steps of what I know will be a lifetime of solitary strides. With each step, I sever this connection. Once outside, I round the corner and slide into the alleyway as the armored vehicle hums a signal. The Humvee’s fat tires set off its flat black paint, tinted windows, silver chrome handles, and a large armored grill on the front and the back. This car is a fortress, made for combat and intimidation. All the cars the government owns mirror this one. I slip inside and sink into black leather. Soon, we will all leave Harrison Corners, Ohio. This small band of rebels will take me some place. And I don’t care where. I just want to disappear, and need to more than ever. After I close the Humvee door, Thompson speaks first. “Did he believe you?” Thompson throws the vehicle into gear and drives it down the alley. He gets irritated when I don’t answer right away and runs a thick hand through his long dreadlocks. “Well?”

 Author’s Links
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  The Undesirable Twitter: @undesirablebook

About Sara Celi

  New Orleans born Sara Celi has lived all over the United States. She calls the Greater Cincinnati area and the Queen City home. She's currently a TV reporter and anchor in Oklahoma City, and has spent more than a decade working in journalism. She graduated cum laude from Western Kentucky University in 2004. Celi is also a contributing author to Chicken Soup for the Soul: The Power of Positive. The Undesirable is her debut novel. In her spare time, she likes to read, shop, write, travel, run long distances, volunteer with the Junior League, and fundraise for Cooperative for Education, a non-profit providing educational opportunities for Guatemalan kids.

Forbidden Forest Promotional Blitz

Title: The Legends of Regia: Forbidden Forest

Author: Tenaya Jayne

Pages: 236 Genre: YA Fantasy Romance

Book Blurb

Born in shame. Cast from society. Shape Shifter/Elf hybrid, Forest must fight for any respect she can get. Targeted in her youth by a vampire noble who placed an illegal slave mark on her, she is forced to obey him, no matter what. Slipping the grip of her master and abandoning the prejudice of Regia, her native world, Forest takes a job on Earth, guarding the portal, using her skills as a warrior to enforce Regia's laws. Now, called home for a black ops mission, Forest must put aside her own prejudice to transport the vampire prince, Syrus, through enemy territory in a time of war. Prince Syrus, mage and master of the Blood Kata, wants Forest more than he's ever wanted anything. In spite of their mutual mistrust, their attraction cannot be denied. Through the danger of their mission, and the secrets they both keep, it doesn't matter what they feel. Forest is forbidden.



 Excerpt
 Forest pressed her back against the cool concrete wall, wanting to remain aloof from the entity of the crowd. She chose her position in the shadows, out of the paths of the roving, multi-colored spotlights. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the feeling of the undulating human pheromones flying around on the air. At the beginning of every shift, she allowed herself a few minutes of this alien/human experience, though she didn't fully comprehend the combination of dancing, drinking, and ear-breaking sound waves. They loved it, however, and never seemed to deviate from the recipe. These were the people she was sworn to protect. She had developed a light affection for the human race and considered them a benign, if not slightly silly, bunch of creatures. Her religious passion for her job was rooted in hatred of that which harmed the humans, not a superhero tendency to protect the weak. Forest opened her eyes and focused all her senses to sniff out the illegal suckers that tried to sneak through the portal. She was in the zone tonight, and not for the first time did she feel that hers was the best job in existence. It was a shame she couldn’t legally kill suckers in her native world. Over the next two hours, Forest didn’t move from the wall. She monitored the light traffic through the portal: two shifters and one elf, each of which nodded to her respectfully as they passed. Yawn. The shifters left the club to enjoy the delights of Austin’s nightlife elsewhere. The elf would have been breaking Regia’s law had he left the club, but he dutifully seated himself at the bar and ordered a fuzzy navel. He wore a plaid, porkpie hat, pulled down over the tops of his pointed ears. Forest didn’t know him personally, but she had seen him in here before. The bartender surveyed him with narrowed eyes as the elf nervously tugged his hat down further and ordered a few more girly cocktails. Intent on making sure that not one sucker was able to sneak past her, Forest was blindsided by the drunk bubba who had been trying to catch her eye for the last twenty minutes. He had finally decided to stagger over to hit on her. “Hey babe, you’re too beautiful to look so lonely. How’s ‘bout I buy you a drink?” “How’s ‘bout I call you a cab instead?” Forest mimicked his drawl. “Only if you share it with me, Darlin.” He leaned in closer, and Forest’s throat began to sting from the noxious fume of booze mixed with his natural musk. “While I appreciate the offer, Jethro, It seems only right to inform you that I’m not actually attractive at all. If you leaned in a little closer, you’d see that you’ve fallen victim to the effect of beer goggles. A hag like me can’t take advantage of a stud like you.” As he leaned in, Forest instantly enlarged her nose, pockmarked her skin, evaporated her front teeth, and added a large black mole with a long hair sprouting from it for good measure. “You’re no hag, baby! You’re the sexiest little thing in…I…uh… ” He stumbled backward. “Good grief! Sorry, sorry…” he stammered, retreating. “I’ve gotta quit drinking,” he mumbled as he turned away. Forest chuckled to herself once he absorbed back into the crowd. Being a shape shifter sometimes had unusual perks.
 About Tenaya Jayne Hello. My name's Tenaya and I'm an addict. I mean author. When I was growing up, writing was just something I played at from time to time. I knew I wanted to be a writer, but I was one of those people who could never finish anything. When my eldest son was diagnosed with Autism, I began to write seriously. Writing became a necessity for me in the midst of my heartbreak. It was either that or take up drinking. I 'm thankful I chose writing as my escape because I discovered it truly is my thing. I want to be swept away when I read. That's what I want my books to do for you.The main goal of my writing is to entertain you. I want to help you escape everyday life for a little while. I hope you enjoy my stories as much as I enjoy sharing them with you! I have a wonderful husband and two beautiful sons. I'm an advocate for Autism awareness, and women trapped in abusive relationships. I try to always look on the bright side and help others do so too. I've lived many places but I currently reside in Missouri. I love reading, indie and foreign films, gardening, and moody music.
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Blog Tour: Birthright Teaser

Author Willow Cross has stopped by today with a teaser of Birthright (The Dark Gifts Series). Check it out!

Teaser: 

Another growl rumbled through her chest as she took a step forward and to the side. The man’s hands went up in front of him. “Now just calm down.” Still eyeing the door, he made a running break for it. She slammed it shut before he could make it out. Cat-like, she pounced. She saw nothing other than the red haze covering her vision. Hot, slightly bitter fluid poured down her gullet, squelching the burn. Dizzy with the nearly orgasmic feel of it, her jaw tightened and she felt her teeth sink deeper into his flesh. His shrieks could not block out the slurping-sucking sounds as she drank. Inwardly screaming at herself to stop, she had no control. Nothing would stop the darkness from draining every last drop of the delicious nectar. Within seconds, his cries of terror changed to barely audible pleas for mercy. “Don’t. You don’t have to. Please.” The door behind them splintered from the hinges and slammed into them. Flying backward, Liz lost her hold on the man and scrambled to her feet. The raven haired man from the night before stood between her and the prey. “Get out of my way,” she hissed.

  

Book Blurb: For one-thousand years, Druid prophecies foretold of a young witch destined to alter the fate of both human and immortal alike. This witch-turned-vampire would be capable of harnessing the supernatural abilities of both and, in a bloody rise to power, would rule with unwavering control. Unwillingly thrust into a world she never dreamed existed, Liz Markum is catapulted into an ancient war between rival vampire factions. She must choose between those she loves and the ever-present darkness attempting to devour her very soul. Only one question remains: Will Liz claim her birthright or surrender to the dark gift? One choice. One chance. Two destinies.


  




About Willow Cross Willow Cross resides in Arkansas with her husband, two children still young enough to live at home, an enormous cat named Bitsy, and a neurotic dog named Tank. Her home has been known to host the occasional ghost and several of her friends profess to be witches. Although she dearly loves Vampires and Werewolves, they are never invited for dinner.
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Blog Tour: Forsaken Teaser +Giveaway

Today is another teaser for a blog tour by YA Novel Reader! I'm really excited to have time to read and review this one! Lets see what y'all think!



Title: Forsaken A Daughters Of The Sea Novel

Author: Kristen Day

Publisher: Self Published

Pages: 268

Official Blurb:

Once you’ve been touched by darkness, it never leaves you…

Abandoned by her parents as an infant; seventeen year old Hannah spent her childhood wading through countless foster families until being adopted by the Whitmans three years ago. Unfortunately, Atlanta’s high society wasn’t quite ready for Hannah…or the strange events that plague her.

Chilling visions of murder, unexplained hallucinations, and a dark, mysterious guy who haunts her nightmares all culminate to set in motion a journey of self-discovery that will challenge everything she’s ever believed; not to mention her sanity.

Sent to live at The House of Lorelei on Bald Head Island, NC for ‘kids like her’, Hannah quickly realizes things are not what they seem. Her fellow ‘disturbed’ teens are actually the descendents of mythical Sea Gods and Goddesses. And so is she.

But when Finn, the ghost from her dreams, appears in the flesh; her nightmares become reality and her dark visions begin coming true. Inexplicably drawn to him, she can’t deny the dangerous hold he has on her heart. The deadly secrets he harbors will ultimately test her courage and push the boundaries of her love.

She must decide if she is ready to embrace the ancient legend she is prophesized to be a part of. The fate of all the descendents will forever depend upon it.

About Kristen Day:

Kristen Day is a southern belle at heart with a crazy streak that desperately tries to escape at every opportunity.  She loves all things nostalgic, rustic, and quirky.  She’s been told she sees the world through rose-colored glasses, but she prefers to think of them as kaleidoscope glasses - swirling and morphing reality into something she can digest (who hasn't pretended those pasty lima beans were really kiwi strawberry jelly beans?). 

She is the author of the DAUGHTERS OF THE SEA trilogy, which includes FORSAKEN, AWAKEN (Oct 2012), and CHOSEN (Winter 2012).  She loves all books, but really enjoys writing young adult, paranormal romances.  She’s loved to write for as long as she can remember.  Her first published work was her poem RED in second grade (you guessed it - it was a poem about the color red - life altering, right?) that won her 5 gold stars and a spot in her elementary school's poetry book. That's when her addiction to the written word officially began.  She was the only kid in fifth grade that actually enjoyed diagramming sentences. Go ahead and laugh - its okay.

When she’s not writing she’s making jewelry, painting, feeding her addiction to sweet tea, watching the Discovery Channel, or going on random adventures in the mountains of North Carolina with her amazing husband. She was born in Boone, NC and graduated from Appalachian State University with a degree in Marketing in 2001. 

Author’s Links

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Teaser:

I registered the icy cold first – a slow, painstaking ache felt all the way down to my soul.  The realization that I was swimming at a dangerous depth came next, followed by an absolute and suffocating panic.  The pressure around my body had become utterly relentless, and my lungs screamed for oxygen.  Suspended in the darkness, I couldn’t see anything except for a thin ribbon of silver appearing in my line of sight.  Slithering side to side, twisting and turning, it taunted me.  I froze as it slowly wrapped around my neck, leaving a trail of icy pin pricks across my bare skin.  It continued down my body – encasing me in fear.  All of the sudden, it tightened with such force that the small amount of the air I did have in my lungs was forced out.  As I heard the sickening crack of bones and felt a paralyzing pain searing through my body, I knew no amount of struggling would help.

Unable to do anything but watch the last of my oxygen bubble up to the surface above, I tried to come to terms with what was about to happen.  I was going to die. Completely alone and scared, I was going to drown in this darkness.

Unbelievably, just as quickly as it had locked around me, I was released.  Looking around frantically, I braced myself for another attack, only to find a pair of piercing blue eyes watching me.  The same deep blue eyes I’d seen in so many other dreams glared back at me with something resembling rage.

“Why are you here?” I barely heard his next words as my lungs began burning and my vision blurred. “Your soul will never survive.”

He turned abruptly and my vision cleared just enough to catch a glimpse of the horrors lurking behind him.  Hundreds of silver ribbons quickly morphed and twisted into shadowy human forms.  They turned in my direction in unison and descended upon me.

I bolted upright, my heart relentlessly hammering against my chest.  Warm water surrounded me, but it was of the bubbly, lavender scented sort, not the cold, murky darkness I had just come from.  I was still in my bathtub.  No wonder I had dreamed I was drowning. Shaking my head, I tried to erase the vivid memory of it.  Unfortunately those eyes - his eyes - never fade.  They’ve haunted my dreams for years. 

I rolled my eyes at my own unruly imagination and slid down into the tub, so my head and shoulders were the only things above the thick layer of bubbles.  My heart rate eventually slowed and I began to think straight again.  I closed my eyes and tried to relax…

“Hannah Elizabeth Whitman!!!”  So much for the slow heart rate.  I rocketed back into a sitting position, covering myself with my hands.

“You scared the crap out of me, Dee!”  Doris Whitman stepped all the way into the steamy bathroom.  The smell of baby powder and freesia followed her in.  She shook her head at me, “You’ve been in there so long I swear I can hear your fingers and toes wrinklin’ up.  Now get washed up and get dressed – we’re gonna be late!” 

            “I’m hurrying, I’m hurrying.” I mumbled as she walked back downstairs, already giving out orders to the rest of the family. 

            I decided I’d rather hide under the blanket of soapy bubbles and try really hard to disappear into an alternate universe, instead.  Submerging my body completely underwater, a smile crept across my face as the sound of the outside world instantly became muted.  All I could hear was the faint lapping of the water on the sides of the tub, my own beating heart, and a faint melody tickling at my ear drums.  It reminded me of wind chimes blowing in the wind….wait.  Wind chimes?  I listened harder and heard them again; this time louder and something else… like someone singing… 

With ninja-like speed, I jumped out of the claw foot tub in one swift movement and stared down at the water in shock.  I tried to convince myself I was just hearing things.  There were no wind chimes hiding in my bathtub.  I’d just add that to the long list of weird things that had been happening to me over the last couple of years.  That list was getting way too long for my taste.

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As I'm sure a few of you noticed, Ms. Day has decided to have a giveaway! She's offering the chance for 7 people to win a free e-book copy of Forsaken. Just enter with this Rafflecopter and good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Are you excited to check this one out? Have you already read it? What are you thinking?