Blog Tour: Wisteria and Myopia by Bisi Leyton - Promo

Wisteria and Myopia (Wisteria series 1&2)

by Bisi Leyton

Sixteen year old Wisteria Kuti has two options—track the infected around the Isle of Smythe or leave the only known safe haven and face a world infested with flesh eating biters. But even with well-armed trackers, things go wrong and Wisteria ends up alone facing certain death, until she is rescued by the mysterious Bach. Uninfected, Bach is able to survive among the hordes of living dead.

Eighteen year old Bach, from a race known as The Family, has no interest in human affairs. He was sent here to complete his Great Walk and return home as a man—as a Sen Son. The Family regard humans as Dirt People, but Bach is drawn to this Terran girl, whom he has never seen before, but somehow knows. 

Hunted by flesh eaters, cannibals, and the mysterious blood thirsty group called Red Phoenix, Wisteria and Bach make their way back to the Isle of Smythe, a community built on secrets and lies.

And now, for Book 2, Myopia.

Sixteen-year-old Wisteria has embraced her deep bond with eighteen-year-old Bach, a member of a supernatural race called the Family, despite the risk of his family finding out. Should Bach’s people discover his bond with a human, Wisteria will be guaranteed a painful and bloody death—but somehow, being together is more important.

Their bond is tested when empirics, an elite group of Family investigators, are sent to the Isle of Smythe under the orders of Bach’s father to find artifacts stolen by the humans. They’re to find the artifacts at any cost. Among the empirics is Bach’s old friend, the stunning Alba, who has learned about Bach and Wisteria’s secret relationship, and surprisingly accepts this. With no one else in the Family to turn to, she becomes Bach’s ally and confidant, but possibly more.

As the empirics start to take over the town, Wisteria is torn between trusting Bach and the safety of the humans on Smythe. She soon realizes that she and Bach are on opposite sides of the war between the Family and Humans, and there is no middle ground. One of them must choose a side.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 Check out an excerpt from Wisteria!

Thirteen months after the first official case of Nero Disease

“Wisteria, run!” Rebecca O’Leary screamed over the radio.

Wisteria Kuti whipped around and came face-to-face with the blood-red eyes of a hungry flesh-eating biter. The biter was a man, infected by Nero Disease, who had long lost his mind. He looked more animal than human and he wanted one thing—to feed on the flesh of uninfected people. The biter growled and staggered toward Wisteria.

She fled down the deserted road to the nearest house. The front door was locked. She kicked at the door, but it didn’t open. Taking out her handgun, she smashed through the window of the door.

“Ugh,” more biters growled behind her.

She spun around, fired once, and hit one in the head. She unlocked the door by reaching in and turning the lock. Once inside, she chained and bolted the door.

Crash—a biter smashed through another window into the house.

Wisteria’s heart jumped and she darted up the stairs as fast as she could.

“Get out of the house, Wisteria!” Rebecca radioed.

I’m trying.

A biter grabbed her ankle as she ran. Falling hard on the steps, she wailed in pain. “Ah.” No time to cry, Wisteria. She fired at the biter holding her. One bullet left.

Three more biters appeared below and started coming up the stairs. Leaping up, she sprinted to the top floor and dashed into the first open doorway that led to the master bedroom. Locking the door, she headed straight for the window.

The infected clawed at the door, tearing it apart and snarling as they entered.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Check out another excerpt from Myopia!

“I promise when I know for certain what is going on, I will tell you and we will help Coles understand, but right now my father has gotten involved and that makes everything more complicated.”

“Why?”

“For one, if he finds out I am communing with a free human.” He shuddered. “I do not know what he would do.”

 “Probably not any worse that my mum, if she finds out you’re here right now,” she joked and stopped playing. “She’ll kill you and your dad will murder me.”

Pulling the guitar out of her arms, he put his arms around her.

They’d spoken about the gravity of their relationship a few times, but they’ d never been able to figure a way out that would result with one of them walking away unharmed. The threat wasn’t her mother. Although she didn’t like Bach, since Major Coles had welcomed him into the island, the worst her mother could do was lock Wisteria away.

His father was a different story. Bach’s father was the Sen of the Third Pillar within the Family. He was a powerful leader who on more than one occasion had killed free humans for communing with members of the Family. There was no vice considered more heinous, disgusting and malicious as willingly loving a human. The price of that was blood—human blood.

Both factors resulted in them meeting in secret for the last four months. They settled on the church clock tower, weeks before he’d left for Jarthan.

“Do you want me to tell Coles you’re back?” She stretched herself across the lush rug. “Did you get him a present too?”

“There is a lorry full of ammunition parked at the end of the bridge, leading to town. I am sure Major Coles knows I have returned. I also brought him some medicine he said the hospital needed.” He pointed at several white boxes which sat in the corner.

“Bullets and pills,” she murmured. “Nice. Anything for my mum?”

He looked at her as if she were insane. “She would shoot me in the face if she ever saw me. The only reason she would not torture me is because I saved her life.”

“So basically, you’re saying my mother isn’t good enough for a present?” She glared at him.

Rubbing his temple with his right hand, he tried to explain. “Listen—”

Laughing, she hugged him from behind and laid her head against his back. “I’m joking.”

“That is not funny.”

She kissed the back of his neck, and then lay back down.

“Your mother is…” He turned to talk to her and saw her adjusting her skirt over her legs.

He was taken aback by how beautiful she was. Many people, human or Family, couldn’t see it for some reason, but she was the most beautiful woman he knew.

She finally noticed his stare and bit her plump bottom lip. “What’s wrong?” Frowning, she sat up.

He shook his head. The thoughts he was having were not something he could share with her.

“Are you all right? You’re completely red and you never turn red.” She touched his face tenderly.

It seemed to burn him and he backed away. “I am fine.” The images in his mind changed to what he’d like to do with her. He wondered how many escorts she’d had and what it would be like for him to really love her.

More pictures flashed through his mind and some didn’t make any sense. The last one was of him and the Seven Elders standing over the cliffs overlooking the Astolat River, as his brothers tried to drown a tanned half-human half Famila baby—Their baby. Did this actually occur and he was just now remembering it, or was it a fear he had harbored, should they ever conceive a child? “I have no intention or interest in a physical relationship with you,” he abruptly blurted out. Nothing good could come of anything like that happening between them.

She gave him a blank stare. “Okay.”

“You mentioned earlier that we had not talked about something. I am guessing that is what you meant.”

“Um, yes,” she said quietly.

“It cannot happen between us,” he replied.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Bisi Leyton was born in East London in 1978. She grew up in London, Nigeria and the States, listening to the stories life and love from aunts, cousins and big sisters.She lives in London, but has worked around Europe including France, Germany, Ireland, Belgium and the Czech Republic. She has a fondness for reading graphic novels.

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Wisteriabooks

Current Blog: http://bisileyton.blogspot.com/

Old Blog: http://bisileyton.wordpress.com/

Twitter: @bisileyton

http://www.goodreads.com/Bisileyton

BookTrailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_TWuWK_bbY&feature=context-cha

and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fvC9iJckrs4&feature=context-cha

 

A little short promotion is here! There will be a free Paranoia short story for anyone who signs up on Bisi's mailing list (from Smashwords).

Blog Tour: The Exemus by Folami and Abeni Morris

Hey guys! Welcome to today's blog tour! Wow, its sure been long since I last posted! The Exemus is a YA fantasy published by Royal Colours Ink. The book is 504 pages or about 101,595 words. This is the first book in the series! I hope you enjoy it:)

The Exemus

Haylee Smith is dead, she just doesn’t know it yet.

Her short life was devoted to love and to hate. Love of the man who stole her heart, hate for the man who stole the world. Murdered by the government she swore to destroy, fate has given her another chance to make it right. But to save the planet, she needs the help of the most powerful mystic the world has ever seen—unfortunately he hasn’t been born yet.

In a world where fear is the only currency, Dephon has committed the ultimate crime: inspiring hope.

His only goal is to make it safely through ninth grade, but on a post-apocalyptic Earth run by the Treptonian government, it isn’t that simple. Heir to a legendary power, Dephon Johnson is the only threat to the government’s rule. And on Trepton, all threats must be eliminated. When hundreds of assassins are dispatched to neutralize him, Dephon is forced to fight back. His only chance of survival is to enlist the aid of the greatest warrior the world has ever known. The only problem is, she's been dead for 13 years.


Check it out at YouTube (Book Trailer) or Barnes & Noble

Folami and Abeni Morris

Folami and Abeni Morris are a sister-sister writing team. Together they wrote (and rewrote) The Exemeus series, somehow managing to accomplish it without murdering one another. Despite their facial similarities, tendency to finish each other’s thoughts and stick up for each other constantly, no, they’re not twins and thus deserve their own individual bio.

Folami Morris

Folami grew up in the tiny city of San Mateo Ca, where nothing ever happens and no one ever leaves. She went to Xavier University for undergraduate, getting her B.A in physics and her B.S in Biology. After graduation she returned to California, to live in an even smaller city, where even less happens, Antioch Ca. During this time she escaped the monotony by hanging out with her imaginary friends Hyalee and Dephon, and by writing the Exemeus.
She finally escaped to Queens NY and now realizes that quiet and tiny aren’t so bad.

Abeni Morris

As luck (and logic) would have it, Abeni grew up in the same tiny little town as her sister, then she too escaped to the tinier town of Antioch. She has yet to leave. She received her bachelor’s degree in early childhood development from Cal State East Bay. She is the mom of two amazing kids, who swear that they deserve a percentage of the book proceeds and a ton of the credit. At least she raised dreamers.

Website | Blog | Facebook | Goodreads

Time for a short excerpt!

A scream rippled through the emerald-green sea. “You’ve got to be kidding me,” Singleton groaned. I sighed deeply, trying to remain composed. Another scream pierced our ears, this one coming from a different direction. Within seconds the horizon was filled with no less than twenty of the slug-like creatures traveling with chilling military-style precision towards us. They were all swimming from different directions, their eyes flickering in the distance.
“Hyles, leave.”
“No,” I said firmly.
“I'm losing too much blood as it is. I’ll never make it back and who'll avenge my mother? Get out of here. I will not watch you die too! Do it now, Hyles!”
“Would you leave me?” I challenged him, racking my mind for a course of attack.
I gripped my sword awkwardly in my hand as I tried to keep Singleton afloat with the other one. “Hyles, just go or we’ll both die.” The creatures were close enough for us to see their rattling teeth. The combined effect of their screams was enough to shatter our eardrums. “Hyles, go!” he said again. The creatures were no more than eight feet away, and it was clear that neither of us was getting out of here alive.

So yep, that's about it for today! Thanks for visiting! :)

Blog Tour: Koishi by Annie Nicholas - Promo

Hey guys! Welcome to today's post! Koishi is a paranormal romance published by Lyrical Press on the 4th of Feb this year. It is about 40,000 words long. It certainly looks good, if the body on the cover is anything to go by ;P

Koishi by Annie Nicholas

Never make a deal with a dragon.

Sandra’s sister is dying. All the doctors agree that nothing more can be done, but she can’t give up hope. After using all her resources searching for a cure, a little bird whispers in Sandra’s ear about secret worlds, Gates, and the Keepers who protect them. A dragon Gatekeeper, who hoards magical treasure within his volcano home in Japan, can possibly hold an item to cure her sister.

Gates choose their Keepers and Koishi thinks his did an excellent job in picking him. Not many dare to cross and none who try survive. However, one tiny human female with either the courage of an army or the intelligence of a gnat has arrived on the island asking for him. Curious and not wanting to disappoint, he waits for the locals to steer her to his human ‘servant’, which is him in his man form.
Let the games begin…

Annie Nicholas

Annie Nicholas hibernates in the rural, green mountains of Vermont where she dreams of different worlds, heroes, and heroines. When spring arrives the stories pour from her, in hopes to share them with the masses one day.

Mother, daughter, wife are some of the hats she happily wears while trudging after her cubs through the hills and dales. The four seasons an inspiration and muse.

Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter

Time for a short excerpt!

Koishi yawned so wide his jaw cracked. If he didn’t kill something soon, he’d--he’d have to find a hobby. A shudder ran down his human form’s spine. At least the winds were growing stronger so there would be good flying tonight.
Takai Crossing, the gate to Outremer in the east, had been quiet the last two months. Too quiet. Nothing had tried to escape into Inverness, otherwise known as Earth.
Outremer was the realm of magic. All manners of creatures lived there, including his kind. It was a dark and dangerous world. The gates, where both worlds touched, allowed people to cross. Keepers, such as he was, protected the worlds from spilling too much into each other.
The two worlds around his gate were safe for the moment.
The rough seas splashed warm water onto his bare feet and washed away the dirt from the dock. Dark storm clouds brewed over the horizon, racing toward Izu Oshima Island. Bands of orange and red slashed across them as the sun set.
He couldn’t wait until it arrived. Flying against the elements, muscle and sinew versus lightning and rain, would provide some relief from this calm.
Sheep bleated as the cargo ship knocked against the dock wall.
“Moe,” he called out over the noise.
The animals scurried to the far end of their pen and silence fell over the small herd. Sometimes animals were smarter than humans. They could sense a predator in disguise.
“Koishi.” Captain Moe waved from across the ship’s deck. He helped a female to stand, hanging her head and arms over the side rail. “Vomit in the sea, not on my ship,” he told her before shuffling toward the stern.
Clinging to the pens, Koishi kept his balance and surveyed the stock. A few cattle, less than he’d like. Twentyish head of sheep, difficult to count when they squeezed together like that. From the barking--he grinned--a few dogs.
Moe gave him a quick bow, then gestured to the livestock. “This week’s order. Was Master Ishi pleased with last week’s?” His voice shook. Who could blame him? Koishi’s dragon form was fierce, which forced him to hide among them in his man-form, as his own servant. A genius idea.
“Yes, he especially enjoyed the little dogs you brought.” The small bundles had been tender and their hair very short so they didn’t tickle when swallowed. They went well with a movie.
“The Chihuahuas?”
“Yes, those. You should buy a few breeding pair and start producing them. He’ll buy whatever you bring.”
Moe grimaced, but nodded.
Why did humans frown upon him eating dogs? They were delicious. He’d even sent his crazed mother a basket of them as a present. He would have loved to see the expression on her stern face when those arrived. She never played with her food. Her warrior nature wouldn’t allow such nonsense.
The boat jerked from under his feet as a fierce wave knocked the ship once more. “Better unload my--uh--Master Ishi’s--cargo before the storm hits. He finished the last of his prey yesterday and is hungry.” His stomach grumbled and he rubbed it. Not long now.
A groan traveled from the half-conscious female hanging on the side-rails for dear life.
“Your woman looks ill.”
Moe snorted. “Not mine. The ferry won’t run in this weather and she refused to wait. She bought passage with me.” He chuckled. “She fed the fish the whole way across. Where such a tiny thing keeps all that stored is beyond me.”
The smell from that side of the ship soured the air. He shook his head. Tourists. Always in a rush, clogging the beaches and disturbing his home. No matter the rumors of his existence, a few had to be chased down the volcano’s side as a reminder that the area wasn’t safe to play around. He doubted any of them truly wanted to cross through the gate--it would be suicide--but he couldn’t allow concrete evidence of him to surface. Baker Morris, a human company that dealt with the gatekeepers, would have a fit.
The magic realm tolerated some humans, but not the section where his gate exited. Shadowburn was a place where nightmares were born, and Takai gate resided close to a goblin nest. Whatever mortal stepped through wouldn’t survive for long. No, his duty was to keep the vermin from crossing into Inverness, or like the humans called it, Earth.
His memory surpassed those of the short-lived locals, though they did tell their young the goblin stories. He had heard them repeated often in taverns and around campfires. In each one he was the hero. He’d driven back the goblin hordes when the last gatekeeper had been overwhelmed, and he would continue to do so until he fell.
What dragon wouldn’t want such a destiny?
He had easy food, battles at his doorstep, and an island full of people who worshipped the myth of him. The gate had chosen well when it bonded to him.
Moe followed him off the ship. “She barely speaks Japanese.”
“Who?”
“The puker.”

So yep, that's about it for today! Thanks for visiting! :)

Blog Tour: Seal of Destiny by Traci Douglass - Promo

Hi guys! Welcome to today's post, Seal of Destiny. My apologies, its a day late it slipped my mind. Seal of Destiny is the first book in the Seven Seals series. It is a urban fantasy/PNR published by Crimson Romance. It is about 70,000 words long, which is about 263 pages. Hope you enjoy!

Seal of Destiny

Love conquers all… but can it stop the Apocalypse?

Mira Herald is having the worst life ever. Not only is she plagued by horrific nightmares starring the Devil himself, she’s now the target of a power-hungry, rogue minion, freshly sprung from Hell and bent on her destruction. To complicate matters further, she’s acquired a stalker. One who insists he’s a divine warrior sent for her protection because she houses an ancient relic with the power to unleash Armageddon. Last time Mira checked, she wasn’t insane. Still, all this celestial mayhem is enough to drive a girl crazy.

Kagan is a member of the Scion, an elite team of immortal warriors selected by Divinity to aid mankind and save the world. After a century alone, Kagan is summoned for a new mission. He’s eager to begin. Eager until he’s informed his mission consists of protecting a woman with no clue to the power she wields. Plus, his briefing fails to prepare him for his new target’s cosmic-sized attitude problem. As Divinity’s sworn servant, he’s required to fulfill his duty. His oath, however, does not require him to be enthusiastic about his new assignment or warm-and-fuzzy toward his new compatriot. He plans a wham-bam rescue and a quick return to solitude.

The rogue minion attacks—with the backing of a mysterious organization—and all Hades erupts, putting a fast end to any whirlwind escapes. Accustomed to staunch independence, Mira’s survival now requires full cooperation and an unwavering belief in Kagan. The battle-hardened warrior is also forced to chose: between duty and desire. Amidst the turmoil, Kagan and Mira’s undeniable passion draws them closer to each other and down a path neither expected but both yearn for, more than they ever knew.
Will love save the day? The world’s fate depends on the answer.

Traci Douglass

Traci is the author of paranormal/urban fantasy and contemporary romances featuring a sly, urban edge, including her current Seven Seals series. Her stories feature sizzling alpha-male heroes full of dark humor, quick wits and major attitudes; smart, independent heroines who always give as good as they get; and scrumptiously evil villains who are—more often than not—bent on world destruction. She enjoys weaving ancient curses and mythology, modern science and old religion, and great dialogue together to build red-hot, sizzling chemistry between her main characters.
A storyteller since childhood, she began putting her tales down on paper in November 2011 after the idea for the Seven Seals Series occurred to her in a dream. She finished the first draft of what was to become Seal of Destiny in one month and decided to pursue a full-time writing career in January of 2012. Life has now been a rollercoaster, crash course in pursuing your dreams.
Traci is an active member of Romance Writers of America (RWA), Indiana Romance Writers of America (IRWA) and Fantasy, Futuristic & Paranormal Writers (FF&P) and is pursing a Masters of Fine Arts degree in Writing Popular Fiction through Seton Hill University. Her stories have made the final rounds in several RWA chapter contests, including the 2012 Duel on the Delta, the 2012 Molly Awards, and the 2012 Catherine Awards. An earlier draft of Seal of Destiny won the paranormal category of the 2012 Marlene Awards sponsored by the Washington Romance Writers.
Other current projects include upcoming books in the Seven Seals series and a new futuristic detective series with hints of the paranormal and plenty of romance.

Website | Publisher | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Time for a short excerpt!

Exclusive Excerpt Seal Of Destiny

“Basta!” Kagan grabbed her by the arm and twisted slightly, not enough to hurt, but enough to let her know he meant business as he directed her to a corner booth. He ignored the half-full beverages and coats scattered on the seats and shoved Mira into the confined space. When the booth’s original owners took issue with his hostile takeover, Kagan dispatched them with a lethal glare. He wasn’t sure where the girl had gotten the idea his mind was damaged, but he was damn sure he didn’t like it. He moved in behind her to block her escape.

“Oh, hell, no!” After several unsuccessful strikes to his muscled physique, Mira tried to slide out beneath the table. The angle proved too awkward. Defeated, she shoved as far away as she could into the corner and propped those killer boots on the seat in front of her in warning. “You better let me out of here, asshole, before I call the cops! I caught you stalking me, pervert!”

Kagan took a deep breath. He never lost his cool in battle, and he wasn’t about to start now. “Pervert? You’re of age, si?”

Mira glared. Kagan ticked through their earlier interactions, searching for a reason behind her intense hostility. His preternatural instincts sensed her intention before her hand reached his carotid. He blocked her quickly, locking her small hand within his and forcing it to the table beneath his own. Her pulse raced against his palm. He took another swig of beer then flashed his most endearing grin. “Let’s start over.” He released his bottle and extended his hand. “I’m Kagan.”

She refused to acquiesce. Kagan spoke in quiet tones meant to calm, to reassure. “I know I’m a stranger, but we have things to discuss.” He glanced around the crowded club, at the bodies packed tight. “We can’t do it here, though—no privacy. My apartment is close. Why don’t we go there and talk?”

Mira kicked him hard in the thigh.

“Merda!” Kagan grabbed his throbbing leg. “What’s in those damn boots? Marble?”
“Let me out of here, jackass, before I sideline your baby-maker!” Mira struggled within the tight confines of the booth. As she squirmed, the spicy scent of her shampoo wafted, and he was overcome with the strangest urge to plunge his hands into the riotous mass of her hair, to feel it curl around his fingers. She tugged on the hand pinned beneath his, and his thumb traced over her thudding veins. His heart pounding along with hers. The odd tingle sped through his torso, and his mouth turned to cotton. Her gaze blazed up at him, a swirling mix of green and golden brown. He noted the dark smudges below and wondered what kept her from slumber.

Dolce Cristo! Kagan looked away, fought for control. This was getting way out of hand. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d bedded a woman, but apparently it had been far too long.

So yep, that's about it for today! My apologies for the late post!

Blog Tour: My Fallen by Ashlyn Matthews - Promo + Giveaway

Hey guys!

Welcome to today's blog tour stop! I regret that I'm unable to review this book today, I've been extremely busy over the past few weeks, what with school starting and being an orientation group leader for my school's orientation. My apologies. This is My Fallen by Ashlyn Matthews. Enjoy:)

My Fallen

When a normally quiet and polite Vampire Slayer is tasked to help an arrogant and selfish demon, only trouble can ensue.

Guilt-ridden by a mistake that cost her fellow Slayers their lives and the subsequent tarnished reputation of her brother’s business, Slayer-born Elise Castle agrees to work with the sexy, but arrogant and selfish, Xavier Doom, by bringing in his demon-turned-vampire friend. If she succeeds, her brother can hire more Slayers while Xavier’s status guarantees them more clients.

Xavier is a Fallen, a special kind of demon with an insatiable appetite for women, money and power. When his best friend is kidnapped and turned into a vampire, he hires the best Slayer money can buy. If the Slayer fails, Xavier stands to lose not only his childhood friend, but the opportunity to skyrocket his wealth with the top secret information hidden in his friend’s mind.

Xavier’s arrogance grates on her nerves while his concern and charm reels Elise in. But can she give her heart to a creature like her father, a Fallen, who had abandoned his family for the appeal of money and power? Or will she see Xavier for the good and loyal man he truly is?

Defiant and strong-willed, Elise is a challenge. Yet her strength and courage appeals to Xavier while her no sex policy has him hot for her. As his feelings for her grow, he must make a decision. Give his heart and soul to a woman who can only offer him her love, or walk away from her and seize the chance for more money and power?

Lives and friendships are at stake while love and loyalty is put to the test. Will Elise and Xavier come out unscathed and together? Or will a secret from Elise’s past tear them apart?

Ashlyn Matthews

Ashlyn Mathews is a paranormal and contemporary romance author. She is fascinated with strong men and women who walk a fine line between good and evil, happiness and loneliness, and duty to family and love.

A big fan of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Japanese Anime, she incorporates various weapons into her paranormal romances and gives her characters out-of-this-world names just because she can. She lives in the inspiring gloom of the Pacific Northwest with her husband, four young boys and a Golden Retriever that likes to boss her around. When she’s not writing, you can find her at her day job, shuttling her boys to and from soccer practices and games, listening to music, reading, or connecting with others on Facebook and Twitter.

Website | Facebook | Twitter

Time for a short excerpt!

“If you want the truth, then I want something in return.”

Why wasn’t she surprised? “It depends on what you want.”

He took a step, and she held still as he cupped her face in his palms. “You don’t like Fallens. Forget I’m one.”

“Wha—”

“Forget I’m a Fallen and see me as a man.”

The expression on his face, highlighted by the glow from his eyes, told her he was dead serious. In return for him being truthful with her, she only needed to view him as a man instead of a monster? It seemed like an easy bargain. But—

“You won’t know if I’m being truthful or not,” he said. “You’re just going to have to take my word for it.” He smoothed the pads of his thumbs over her cheeks. “And I changed my mind. I don’t plan on staying away from you. Not after witnessing your nightmares.”

She staggered back. “You didn’t—”

“No, I didn’t read your thoughts, but I could see your face.” He advanced and she backed up, against the railing.

“It was either the floor or me plastered to you in the bed, Slayer. I don’t do well when a woman hurts as much as you did in your sleep.”

The concern in his voice blindsided her. He removed her sword out of her grip, placed her weapon on the top rail and leaned in close until his lips nearly touched hers.

“I’m going to kiss you, Elise Castle.”

Giveaway Time!

Ashlyn will be awarding a backlist eBook in the winner's choice of format at every stop. The grand prize will be a jewelry holder (similar to the one in the above picture) to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour, and coffee beans from Seattle's Cafe Vitta and Seattle Theo organic chocolate bar to a randomly drawn host. (US ONLY)

So yep, that's about it for today! Go here to check out the other tour stops! You'll find loads of awesome stuff on the other tour sites too! :D

Blog Tour: Kallos by Khelsey Jackson - Promo

Kallos

Kallos is ashy sixteen year old girl unready to face the world, but when she meets Ian and Sean Hunter the world will open up for her. Secrets revealed are to much to bear and her past life as a goddess, unimaginable. A visit from the goddess Aphrodite, Kallos is told her soul mate must be found or her life will be forfeit. Kallos desperate to find her one true match has discovered she may have two possibilities. Kallos has a choice to make and her decisions may have life ending consequences.

Buy it from Amazon

Khelsey Jackson

I am from California. I moved to Minnesota when I was 11 years old. My grandmother raised my brother and I. When I was 18 I moved to the city of sin, Las Vegas NV. I met my handsome husband and the rest is history.

I love to read, and read almost anything. Some of my favorites are Cynthia Eden, Megan Hart, A.M. Hudson, and Richelle Mead. Another thing I like to do is crochet, I make blankets for the members in my family that have babies!

If there is anything else you wanna know don’t be afraid to ask.
Email me at khelseyrjackson@gmail.com

Website | Facebook | Twitter

Time for a short excerpt!

“We didn’t have any aftershocks,” Sean replies.
“We also didn’t have someone taking our pain. Maybe we’re
causing more pain.” Ian looks concerned. She feels someone touch
her right arm. She feels a cooling sensation enter her body, but the
pain is still there.
“Babe, look at me,” Sean says.
“What do you think you’re doing?” Sean didn’t answer Ian.
“You can’t be serious! What if it doesn’t work? What if you do
more damage?” Kallos finally looks up and notices that Sean isn’t
even looking at Ian. Sean’s gray eyes are looking at her, and they
have gone stormy.
“Good. Where do you hurt?” he asks her.
“My head and my whole left side” she whispers. Sean nods and
puts both of his hands on either side of her head. Along with the
pain, she now feels an intense pressure. It feels like he’s pushing
her skull in. Kallos starts to see dark spots fill her eyes. She is just
about to scream; then, she hears a loud pop. All she can see is
darkness.
“Open your eyes,” Sean whispers against her ear. Kallos didn’t
realize that she had shut them. Slowly, she opens her eyes, and
Sean is only inches from her face. She sees Ian standing not far
behind him. He doesn’t look happy; he looks like he wants to hit
something. “I’m going to put my hands on your body now.” Now,
Ian’s face turns a bright red. If she didn’t know any better, she
would say he’s jealous. Then, he growls when Sean starts to touch
her neck on the left side. Sean hears him because she can see a grin
spread across his face. “Easy, brother,” he says and chuckles.
Kallos glances behind Sean, and Ian isn’t settling down; he seems
to be getting angrier.
“Sean, you don’t know if you are going to help her or do more
damage!” This does alarm her. She really doesn’t want more pain
or damage. Kallos doesn't think she can handle too much more.
She knows that Sean would never hurt her, and her head has
stopped hurting. So, that’s a plus… right?
Sean decides to ignore Ian’s protests. He's moving his hands
slowly down her body. As he does, the same cooling sensation is
there, and so is the pressure. The pressure is almost too much, but
just when Kallos can't handle the pressure, it turns back into
coolness. When Sean gets down to her hip, he pulls his hands away
slowly, and she has no pain. Her head and left side is tingling, but
the pain is gone. She looks back at Ian, and he still looks as angry
as he did when Sean first started touching her.
Kallos thinks back to all the times she has really kissed them,
and she realizes that the other one has never been around. When
they are both around, they would only kiss her cheek or forehead,
and she would always grab both of their hands when they are
together. Looking at Ian now, there is something different about
him. He is Kallos’ sweetheart; she thought that she would never
see him mad.
“Is that better, Babe?” Sean asks, and it brings her attention
back to him.
“It is. What did you do?” she looks into his eyes and notices
that they aren’t stormy anymore.
“It’s part of being part demon. I just took your pain and
replaced it with my cooling energy. That’s why you felt the
coolness.” Kallos remembers something that Ian said, that he could
do more damage.
“How many times have you done this?” Sean looks away from
her and starts to bite his bottom lip. That can’t be a good sign.

So yep, that's about it for today! Thanks for visiting!

Blog Tour: Excuse My Fairy by Kinley Baker - Guest Post + Excerpt

Excuse My Fairy

Her magic breaks all the rules. He breaks all of hers.

Draybeth is broken. Her fairy powers don’t work, her magic is completely dysfunctional, and not even her bad attitude and soft heart can win her back into Fairy favor. Exiled from their land, she struggles to make a life for herself in the human world. But when her bar burns to the ground and she meets one of the Impassables--the devastating Lawman Barrett--things become even more of a struggle. An arrest, murder, and abduction challenge everything she’s worked for, and worse, the Impassable Lawman appears to be her destined mate. But darkness stirs deep within Dray’s heart, and she’s not about to drag the gorgeous lawman down with her.

Barrett never expected to find himself mated to a fairy, let alone one with such a wicked temper and a short fuse. Being an Impassable, he should be immune to fairy magic, but Dray’s magic burns through him like lightning, just as everything else about her ignites him, body and soul. The fairy’s power over Impassables threatens everything this new realm was built upon, and as a Lawman, Barrett’s job is to make sure those threats are eliminated. But his feelings for Dray make him question just where his duty lies.

Buy it from Amazon | Barnes & Noble | All Romance Ebooks

Check it out at Goodreads!

Kinley Baker

Kinley Baker has a terminally tender heart and an inconvenient sense of humor. She loves puppies and cries at celebrity weddings. Kinley believes that romance novels are the keys to world peace, because if you're holding a book, you can't be holding a gun. Kinley supports all supernatural lifestyles and believes "happy ever after" isn't only for the normal. Her books Ruined, Denied and Freed are available now from Crescent Moon Press. Excuse My Fairy is available now from Etopia Press. Look for more in the Misbehaving Magics series and the final book in the Shadowed Love trilogy in 2013.

Website | Blog | Facebook | Facebook Author | Twitter | Goodreads

Time for a short excerpt!

A scream echoed down the hallway and reached Barrett at his desk. He knew they didn’t have a banshee in the vicinity, which always required extra precautions, but his eardrums had never met a sound more sinister than the bellow ringing in his ears.
Captain Syd stormed into the station room, his gaze locked on Barrett.
“Your fairy is driving everyone mad.”
Yep, Barrett had guessed right. His mate was causing a scene. Looked like Barrett would be forced to deal with the consequences.
The rest of the men and women at their desks studied his confrontation with the captain. They weren’t missing any details.
They all knew the fairy was Barrett’s problem, which would reasonably lead anyone to believe the two of them were involved in a relationship. Barrett’s place in the hierarchy among the men just dropped. He was probably going to lose his job.
Barrett pushed back from his desk. “I’ll go talk to her.” Damage control time. Maybe it wasn’t all over.
Captain Syd’s hot breath smacked him in the face. “You better not just talk to her. You better silence her!”
Barrett rarely heard the captain yell. This situation wasn’t going to be easy on anyone. Super.
With a scowl, Barrett headed for Dray. The woman had a sharp hook sunk into his chest. No matter how hard he tried to wiggle free of the catch, the hold buried deeper. She was his problem now. The captain had made the truth public.
Barrett strode toward the prisoner cells. The moment he entered the room, the fairy stopped screaming. He walked right up and glared at her. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”
“Thank the heavens.” The hag two cells down stopped rubbing her temples.
Barrett chose to ignore the older woman.
Dray blinked at him, as wide-eyed and innocent as a doe. Barrett knew well enough not to be fooled.
“Do you have any idea what you’ve done?” Barrett’s own anger mounted.
“Tell me.” Dray threw the words out as though she didn’t have a care in the world.
“Everyone knows you’re my responsibility now.” His heart thudded at the admission. The statement wouldn’t go over well with his mate.
Dray’s eyes flared. “Embarrassed?”
That wasn’t even close to what Barrett felt. He had no idea how to put the chaos inside his chest into words. “You’re not making it easy to like you.”
“Ha! Feeling’s mutual.”
He should have known she would throw the sentiment back in his face. “I’m not your biggest fan, either, sugar.”
Dray snorted. “You couldn’t possibly dislike me as much as I dislike you.”
Now it was personal. “Listen, Beth—”
Her eyes bugged at the nickname. He’d seen her full name on her record.
He smirked. “If you think you can come into my station and run that sassy mouth like the Second Ending is coming and the world will parish without hearing your wisdom, you’re sadly mistaken. I should lock you up for the simple reason that someone thought it was a nice idea to match your surly little temper with those soft and sexy curves.”
Her mouth dropped open.
Using his index finger, he brushed his calloused skin against her soft chin and pushed up so her lips pressed together again. And in that insane moment, he wanted to kiss her.
She smacked his hand. Pain sizzled along his nerves. “If you ever touch me again, I’ll castrate you with my fingernails.”
He looked down at her short, efficient nails, and then back up at her. “You’re welcome to try.”
Her eyes flared, her power shifting behind her gaze. It had been a long time since he’d seen someone this riled. The little firecracker in front of him was set to burst.
“You’re just like every man I’ve ever met.” Dray turned her back on him.
Barrett couldn’t stop the spike of jealousy. How many men had there been? “You’re nothing like every woman I’ve met.” No one else drove him to this level of ball-busted crazy.
Dray’s shoulders hunched, and he couldn’t get a read on her. She refused to continue their conversation, and that was fine with him. He worried about what he might snap at her in his current mood.
His mobile buzzed, a welcomed distraction, and he quickly read the message.
“Jiva’s here to bail you out.” He had no idea how Jiva had known where her friend was. He hadn’t known how to get a hold of the succubus.
Dray continued to stare at the back wall. Barrett couldn’t see any part of her face. A moment of helplessness overwhelmed him. What was he supposed to do with this fairy? He had no idea how to proceed. “Be careful.” He couldn’t prevent himself from warning her. “Don’t go anywhere alone. The soul-sucker is still out there.” He’d never forgive himself if something happened to her, even if his temper peaked at his max.
She didn’t glance back or acknowledge him.
“Please, be careful.” His words scratched from a dry throat.
A long silence stretched. “I don’t need you to protect me.”
Her words struck him in the gut. Air puffed out of him. Rejection raged through him, uncontained. Wasn’t that the point? The little fairy didn’t need him at all. He chose to walk away then. She’d made it clear she wanted nothing to do with him. Maybe he would make it easy on her and just walk away for good.
He turned his back. No matter how much he wanted to give up on their torrid relationship, that wouldn’t be possible. It looked like they would both have to see this through to the end, whether that end included happiness or death.

And now, Kinley's joining us with a short guest post!

Thank you for allowing me to visit your blog! I can completely relate to always loving books because I’ve been reading romance for over ten years, and this has always been my favorite kind of story. Happy endings are definitely the best and entirely necessary.

It doesn’t really matter what genre I’m reading as long as there is some type of focus on the relationship. I think we can really learn a lot about human nature from these books.

Lately, I’ve been on a huge contemporary kick. Something about relationships set in the real world is really intriguing me lately.

That makes me realize that I definitely go through phases. I get obsessed with the paranormal and then that’s all I read. I’ve gone through this with contemporary and historical, too. That must be why my Shadowed Love series has elements of all three.

I enjoy mixing it up with the genres. A lot of romance readers seem to be willing to go along on the adventure as long as they can relate to the characters.

What do you think? Is there a particular kind of romance you like? Or does anything with a romance storyline work for you?

We all have our preferences, but I also find that when we step out of the box, sometimes we discover more things that we never knew we’d like.

So yep, that's about it for today! Thanks for visiting! :)

Blog Tour: Visionary Unleashed by N. Dunham - Promo

Visionary Unleashed

Sixteen-year-old Aislinn Lee Murphy accidentally unleashes her hidden ability to see things before they happen, making her a Visionary. But little does she know that this amazing gift comes with a severe price. She must never tell a soul or she risks putting herself and her family in great peril.

A Visionary is someone who has been chosen to see the future and has the benefit of having spirit animals to guide and protect them, but there is a secret agency whose sole purpose is to terminate all Visionaries and Aislinn has become their next target.

Check it out at Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

N. Dunham

N. Dunham is an author, wife, mother of two children and two precocious dogs. She earned her MSW from the University of Connecticut School of Social Work in West Hartford, CT.

N. Dunham's interest in reading and writing didn't come until early adulthood. She enjoys works of many genres and has a passion for the arts.

VISIONARY-UNLEASHED was inspired by New England's natural beauty and wildlife (especially red-tailed hawks).

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Amazon Author Page

Check out Chapter 1 now!

Chapter 1

Disturbing, yellow eyes stare at me with implication and an ear piercing cry startles me beyond measure. It’s calling me. It wants me to come closer. I freeze not knowing what to do.

My heart begins to beat faster and faster, my ears start ringing, and my fingers clench the sides of my bed. Instantly, I sit straight up in my bed and find myself covered in a cold sweat. It’s only a dream. I’ve had this dream before. There is no message of any sort. It is the same dream time and time again. Something wants me to come closer and for some strange reason I can’t seem to see what that something is. You would think that after having this same dream over and over again that I would fully remember it or begin to make some sense of it, but no.

After a deep sigh of relief that this is only a dream, I peek out my window and find that today is like every other day in March so far. The weather is cold, wet, and damp. I keep hoping for the first actual sign of spring but you never know what you’re going to get in Hingham, Massachusetts or any part of New England for that matter. One day it’s warm, the next it’s cold, and the next it’s a crap shoot. I open my window hoping to feel the opposite of how it looks outside, but all I get is the expected cold draft.

Should I wear my worn out brown boots with the fur or go with my pink flip flops in the hopes that the weather will magically change? Feeling unlucky, I grab the boots and put them aside. Between being a high school student and living in the quaint shoreline town of Hingham, I tend to choose my clothes very wisely. If one dares to dress what’s considered unconventional to the high school’s “matriarchs”, then you can forget about being treated fairly, let alone being popular. One wrong move and I can easily be classified as being a loser.

Outsiders think that our high school is a bunch of snobby, rich kids. But I beg to differ. I believe that we are all individuals and that we should be treated based on who we are and not where we come from. I consider myself to be fairly accepted in the high school environment. I’m not one of the cute and popular cheerleader girls but I make my presence known. I have a handful of wisely chosen friends and I try to get along with pretty much everyone.

After much debate with my mirror, I throw on a pair of dark blue jeans with little holes in them and an oversized pink sweatshirt with a hood. These are probably my mother’s least favorite jeans. She can’t seem to understand why anyone would want holes in their jeans. She doesn’t seem to get the fact that fashion trends change every decade or so and that jeans that have to be ironed are just not cool. She keeps offering to take my jeans to her seamstress and I always grin and say, “No thank you, Mother.” She hates when I call her mother.

I have absolutely no ambition to go to school today. I have math homework that’s due and I can barely get through the beginning without feeling a sense of hatred for that class. Do you really need math in life? I mean I can add, subtract, multiply and divide, but the other stuff- come on! And my teacher, Mr. Grant, doesn’t make things any better. He is a thorn in my side, front, and back! I look at the clock and remind myself that I have exactly seven minutes until it’s time to leave for school. I’ve got the time thing down to a science, although I am still usually late by a couple of minutes. I scurry down the stairs nearly tripping over my dog, Otis.

Otis, my loyal buddy. One who hasn’t told my secrets or laughed at my mistakes. The one true friend that I love dearly. “Sorry Otie,” I say to him. That’s my nickname for him. He just pants and licks my leg. Why can’t friends be more like dogs with the exception of the licking part? Otie is about 10 years old now. That’s like seventy in dog years they say, but whose counting? He is a black, Affenpinscher. A rather rare breed, like myself, lol. He’s very healthy and has a beautiful shiny coat of fur. I can’t picture my life without him. Who else would listen to me complain about friends who are shallow and boys who are players? I think Otie knows more about me than my own parents. I give him a kiss on his furry little head and he follows me towards the kitchen.
“Aren’t you going be late?” yells my mother.

“Aren’t I usually?” I respond in a curt manner as I grab a banana and a store-bought blueberry muffin. That would be the day that my mother has time to bake. She sips her coffee in her “to-go” coffee mug which smells so good but tastes so bad.

“What’s the matter with you this morning?” my mother questions as she stares at me with worry.
“Nothing, I just…I’m just not excited to go to school that‘s all,” I reply while putting together my belongings. My mother gives me this confused look with a small smile trying to understand me. She must be thinking about what she did wrong or how she have raised me better. She’s probably telling herself that she should have gone to more of my soccer games when I was younger or paid more attention to me.

My mother and father started this internet consulting business when I was in first grade. They help failing companies strive by changing their marketing strategies and a bunch of boring stuff like that. It took off and did extremely well. However, ever since then I feel like I have lost touch with them. They are always so busy. I don’t even feel comfortable telling them my problems or anything at all for that matter.

I can remember this one time in third grade when my bus got into an accident because the bus driver was distracted by the radio, or so that’s what people say. He plowed right into a telephone pole. I was really scared. My purple Polk-a-dot book bag and matching lunchbox went flying up to the front of the bus. I fell off my seat because I was sitting on my knees drawing pictures with my finger on the window next to me which had a thick layer of water vapor on it. I can still remember the picture that I was drawing. It was a picture of me and my father flying kites and then all of a sudden, BOOM! Out of nowhere, I felt this jarring force hit my body and I went flying off the seat into the brown plastic seat in front of me. There was no warning. Nothing. I thought that somebody had pushed me. I couldn’t even begin to comprehend what actually happened until I was much older. I remember my mother being called to the scene along with the other parents. I can remember her holding my hand and then releasing it to answer a phone call. That must have been one important phone call because she never did grab my hand back again. I looked around and saw the other parents holding onto their children and I remember looking back at my mother waiting for her to do the same. She never did. I suppose she figured that I was fine since there were no injuries.

It’s now 7:30 am and I need to go, pronto. I grab my little Coach purse, cell phone, and keys and run to my car. I hop into my little Honda Civic Hybrid that my mother and father bought me for my sixteenth birthday last September. I can’t wait to see what they’ll get me this year when I turn seventeen.

The Hybrid is an economical car and I really like it. Alabaster Silver Metallic is the color. I just like saying it because it sounds so upscale. Efficient in gas and small enough to get into those tight little spaces that aren’t meant to get into. Every time I get into my little Hybrid, I can’t help but think that my parents are buying my love in place of spending time with me. Lack of attention and lack of quality time can be fixed by material goodies, right? I suppose I shouldn’t be so hard on them. I know they love me.

As I am about to pull out of the driveway I see my mother running towards the car. “Aislinn! Aislinn Lee!” she yells. I roll down the window to see what she’s so frantic about. “Aislinn, tonight is our dinner party with Mr. and Mrs. Lambert,” she blurts out while trying to catch her breath. The Lambert’s are both college professors at Harvard University in Cambridge. They live here in Hingham. I can’t imagine driving that daily commute. Although, now that we have a new commuter rail service in town, I’m sure they probably both take advantage of that, but still, what a commute. They are both very serious people. They are perfect for one another. I just don’t think that it‘s going to be the most exciting dinner, but at least the food will be good since it’ll be catered.

“You need to be here by 6:00 pm sharp and try to look presentable,” she instructs me with an ever so serious voice. My parents are desperately hoping that I decide to go to Harvard and become something amazing. I thought that I already was amazing. They think that by being friends with professors that I will have a better chance of getting accepted to Harvard when the time comes. As if I couldn’t do it on my own. Shouldn’t the cost of tuition alone be an automatic entry? I nod and smile trying to look excited but I’m most definitely not and I know that she can tell. I know that they want the best for me but I need to figure that out on my own. I’m thinking of maybe going to college somewhere more exciting and tropical, like Florida or a California College.

“Aislinn Lee! Are you wearing contacts?”

“What? No! Why?” I ask her.

“Your eyes! They look different,” she says while reaching for my chin.

“Mom! My eyes are fine,” I say while moving away from her hand.

“I have to go. I’m going to be late!” I fret.

“Ok. Well, have a good day,” my mom says sounding hesitant.

“Bye mom.”

As I try to make it on time by driving exactly at the speed limit and not a mile more, I can’t help but to physically cringe at every red light that I seem to be hitting. To top it off, I am behind a slow horse trailer which is carrying two large, beautiful horses. They look like Thoroughbreds. One is a dark black and the other is a chestnut brown. As I sit behind one of my many red lights, I start to picture myself jumping onto one of the horses and taking off to a land that doesn’t really exist. I picture myself riding bareback on the horse with my long, wavy, dirty-blonde hair flowing in the wind. I feel free. Free to be myself and free to do as I please. I can actually hear the galloping footsteps of the horse and then the repulsive sight of a never ending supply of poop breaks my trance. “Beautiful!” I say aloud with an edge of cynicism.

Luckily, I find a decent parking space considering I am late again. I decide to put on some pink strawberry flavored lip gloss which makes me feel pretty and then I spray on some fruity body spray. You never can smell too good. Then I notice one of the infamous basketball players staring at me from two cars down. Justin Maselin. He has platinum blonde hair, dimples, and a huge head. Literally. Great! Just great! Now I have an audience. I pretend like I don’t care. I shut my car doors, and beep my car alarm twice, for extra security and to show off a little.

As I enter my beloved math classroom, I can feel Mr. Grant’s eyes watch me sneak in. “You’re late Miss Aislinn Lee Murphy.” He couldn’t just say my first name. He had to say my whole name. Really! And how does he know my middle name anyway? Does he stay up late at night staring at our names on his roster because he has no life? Yeah, probably I think to myself. “Sorry Mr. Grant,” I say with an embarrassed shade of red on my cheeks.

Mr. Grant is a middle-aged, angry, lonely man. He has dark hair that sweeps to one side and large glasses that don’t flatter his angular face. He doesn’t socialize much with the other teachers and always has this constipated look on his face.

I take a seat quietly in the back next to my friend Star. I wished that I had a cool name like Star or Moon for that matter. I was blessed with the old Irish name of Aislinn. Who ever heard of Aislinn?
Star looks at me strange and points to her eyes. I give her a confused shrug of the shoulders.

“Contacts,” she whispers.

“No,” I whisper back.

What is with everyone thinking that I’m wearing contacts. I dig through my purse looking for a mirror. Found one. They look fine to me. I don’t know what everyone is talking about?

Star smiles at me and shows me her phone letting me know that she has just sent me a text. I check my phone. She text, “look who’s sittin in front of u, lol.” I look up at her and smile. The boy sitting in front of me is none other than Frank Connolly. He is, in my opinion, the cutest basketball player at Litchbury High. I don’t normally go for the jock type but he is different. He has a sweet disposition and I am sweet on him. The other jocks act like they own the school. I text back, “I can smell his cologne. Yummy yum-lol.” If anyone else ever read that text message I would be mortified but Star is a close friend of mine and I don‘t think that she would ever share that text considering that I have many juicy texts that she has sent me in the past. She giggles and Frank turns around and gives us a look. Star and I look at each other and smile.

Just then I notice Austin Michaels staring at me. Austin Michaels is my ex-boyfriend. The sight of him repulses me. We basically went out when I was a sophomore. Stupid me thought that he was a nice boy. A nice boy who, was pretty good looking and fairly popular.

We went out to a movie once and the next day he spread rumors about me to everyone. He spoke of things that I didn’t even know about. When I found out from my friend Star, I was humiliated. How could he do that to me? I never so much as kissed the boy and he’s telling people all sorts of things that are not true. I asked him about it in the cafeteria one day and he began laughing at me. I broke up with him right then and there.

I guess I’ll never understand some people. It’s rather sad really. The fact that he had to make up stuff to look popular. Well, I believe in karma and one day he will experience the negative consequences for his actions. I roll my eyes at him and try to focus on math.

I decide that I am going to try and draw some positive attention to myself and participate in class for once. Participation is good right? Mr. Grant asks the class a question about quadratic functions and I happen to know the answer. I eagerly raise my h and, but he glances right over me, deliberately I’m sure, and calls on someone that doesn’t even have their hand raised. Mr. Grant asks another question to the class. This question I do not know, but Mr. Grant calls on me. What? Why is he calling on me? I look up and find that my hand is still raised in the air. I must have been lost in my thoughts. “Um, never mind, I forgot,” I mutter. Mr. Grant then goes on to remind students to only raise their hand if they have an actual answer. Like that general statement wasn’t geared towards me. Star shoots me a look of bewilderment. Positive attention my ass! What was I thinking?

Later, Star and I select our lunches which by the way are not that bad given the fact that they are indeed “school lunches”. Star goes for the turkey wrap and I decide to get the chicken fingers with the veggie of the day. It also comes with a side of cole slaw and a peach fruit cup. “I’ll meet you at the condiment area chicky,” Star says.

“Ok chicky,” I tell her as I am trying to enter my number into the pin pad. I keep fumbling on the numbers and I can sense the lunch lady getting a little frustrated with me. “Take your time,” she says. But, what she really means is hurry up.

I finally make my way over to the condiment area. I pump exactly three squirts of barbecue sauce ever so neatly in my tray. I grab some napkins and make my way over to sit with Star, Jeannette, and Ricky.

Jeanette came to our school this year from a private school. She is a tall brunette with gorgeous green eyes. She has super long eyelashes that I envy. I have to apply mascara several times to get that look and my lashes still don’t look that long. She’s really into reading and the arts. She has so much information about many different random things. I definitely enjoy her company.

Ricky has been friends with Star and me since grade school. He is currently exploring who he is. He doesn’t have many male friends at the school. The other boys are just intimidated by his flawless fashion sense and his tendency to be on the more mature side. Star and I love this about him. When he matures, I can definitely see him as a male model. He has it all. Perfect hair and a perfect body. He is unlike the other self-centered guys at school. He has thoughts and opinions that aren’t selfish. He is also a blast to be around. He is our shopping fashionista.

As I approach the table where my friends are sitting, I suddenly slip without warning and my feet fly into the air. My tray of food ejects into the sky, and everything seems to be moving in slow motion. I can see the food particles from my tray floating in the air. I can see the heads of students turning to look at me. I can even see the apple sauce that someone neglectfully forgot to pick up off the floor.
My head slams into the hard, cold, concrete floor. That is all I remember of that moment in the cafeteria. That is the last time that I was really “me”.

I wake up and find myself in a hospital room. I look around and see my mother and father. “Where am I? What happened? What I am I doing here?” I frantically ask while trying to figure out what is going on. I try to sit up only to find out that I have zero physical strength at this time.

“You are in the hospital, you’re going to be fine,” my mother reassures me.

“Fine? Fine from what?” I ask.

“Don’t you remember dear, you fell,” she tells me.

“I fell?” I question with disbelief.

“At school,” my father chimes in.

I look up and see my mother standing over me. I glance at my father on the other side of me. Then I notice my clothes folded up on the bed side table.

Suddenly, I begin to recall some of what happened. It is still so blurry though. “I fell,” I utter softly as I start to fade back to sleep. The painkillers that the hospital administered to me must be very strong. I keep going back and forth from being awake to completely out of it. I feel drowsy. I have never felt as tired as I do right now and I have never had this much difficulty keeping my eyes open. Although, I do tend to feel like this on occasion in math class from time to time.

Time elapses and I sleep for about eleven hours. I’m abruptly awakened by a creak at my door. I look around and notice that my parents are nowhere to be found. The clock reads 1:15 am. I feel a hand on my head and then I look into the eyes of someone who appears to be a doctor. I am a little startled at first. I feel relieved when the man tells me not to worry and that he is just checking my vitals. It seems like some things are so clear and others so murky. Thoughts seem to pop into my head with no warning.

Ok, I think. It is a little early in the morning if you ask me but I suppose he is just doing his job. He doesn’t introduce himself which I find a little odd. He then goes on to ask me if I have been seeing things or experiencing anything unusual. I tell him the only thing unusual is the pain I have in the back of my head. “I see,” he says sounding doubtful. He stares at me like he is waiting for me to say more. His hair is covered in a hospital hat of some sort and his mouth is also covered. It’s as if I have some airborne contagious disease. Something doesn’t feel right here. I have the gut feeling that he is looking for something else. But what?

I hear the chatter of nurses outside complaining about not getting enough over-time or something of that matter. I look around my bed for the call button and I spot it on my right side. I hit it and groggily murmur, “I think I need something to drink.” I try to act a little dazed and confused knowing that I am not. Where are my parents I begin to wonder?

A nurse with short, vibrant, red hair comes in and asks what she can do for me. She looks at the man in my room who is dressed like a doctor and asks, “Working late Doctor?” She looks at him with a peculiar stare as if she has no idea why he is in here this late. Maybe it is just my imagination working over time but things seem a little out of place to me. “Just making my rounds,” he says as he slips out of the room.

The nurse looks at me and says with a chuckle, “You have had so many doctors stop by, I can’t keep track of their names.” She seems embarrassed. I smile trying to show compassion. Even though I am the one in pain I always tend to get drawn into others sorrows.
“Where are my parents?” I ask.

“They are sleeping in the room next to you. Would you like me to wake them?” she questions as she pours me some cold water in a cup. I nod my head in agreement and she goes out to get them.
My father comes in. “Hi honey,” he whispers to me. I am so glad to see him.

“Dad, I need to get out of here, I need to go home,” I plead in a very tired voice.

“You can go home tomorrow, it’s late. Try to rest. I will stay here with you. I promise,” he tells me.

“I’m sorry about messing up our dinner plans with the Lambert’s,” I say apologetically.

“Oh, don’t you worry about that kiddo. We’ll see them another time. Get some rest,” he whispers as he kisses my cheek. I take his hand and hold it while falling back to sleep.

The next morning feels more promising. I wake up and see my Dad sleeping in a chair next to my bed. He looks so peaceful. He really did stay the night. I notice that I feel very refreshed and more like myself. I get up trying not to wake my father and look for my clothes. I soon realize that I can’t put them on. They are filthy. They are covered with my wonderful choice of lunch that I chose yesterday. “Ugh!” My mom comes in at that very moment with a gym bag in her hands and tells me that she has clean clothes for me. That’s a relief. For a moment there, I thought I might actually have to go home wearing those disgusting clothes. I can’t express how fast I am getting dressed and how quickly I want to get out of here. I hate being in Hospitals and last nights encounter was too eerie for me.

My mother and I start to pack up my belongings when Dr. Schwarz comes in. He has been my pediatrician since I was born. He is an older man who has a slight limp when he walks. He has a large grin on his face. “Hi guys,” he says in a very cheery voice.

“Good morning Doctor,” says my mom so professionally and yet somewhat seductively. Dr. Schwartz walks over to me and examines the back of my head. Doctor Schwartz looks at me and says, “Looks like you’re ready to go home Aislinn. But, you’ll have to come back and see me next week so I can see how you’re healing, ok?”

“No, problem,” I reply. At this point, I’ll promise anything just to get out of here.
“Say, Dr. Schwartz. How many doctors have been checking on me?” I dare to ask him before he leaves.

“Doctors? Why it’s just me Aislinn. Unless you’re shopping for a new one,” he jokes. My mother laughs. He hands my mother a brochure to take home on head injuries. Apparently, I suffered a slight concussion. They say it’s more dangerous if you hit your head from the side. The brain reportedly goes back and forth in a linear fashion therefore possibly causing serious harm. But lucky for me, I hit my head in the back. I was hoping to get more time off from school but it looks like I will be in attendance bright and early tomorrow morning.

I feel a strange and uneasy feeling all of the sudden. Who was that man in my room early this morning and what did he really want? I decide not to say anything. I don’t want Dr. Schwartz or my parents thinking that I’m crazy. They might try to keep me here another day and I’ll be damned if I let that happen. As we exit the hospital, I tell my parents to go ahead of me and that I’ll catch up in a couple of minutes. I make up some excuse that I left my watch behind and I hurry back towards the room. When they’re out of sight, I take a sharp turn to the nurse’s station and ask them about the red headed nurse that was working last night. The woman at the desk tells me that they haven’t seen her since early this morning and that maybe she went home early. I go back to my room and look around for anything suspicious. Nothing. I look at the information log on my door to see the names of doctors who have entered my room. There is no mention of any other doctor coming in besides Dr. Schwartz. That’s strange!

That's all for today, thanks for visiting! :)