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Skeletons
-- EXCERPT: DELICATELY, MATT’S EYES OPENED to a world of white haze. All the objects were silhouettes. That was until, Dr. Brown poked through the gust of blurriness. “Thank God! You’re up,” he wheezed. Matt peered around. The sunlight poured into Room 402, inch by inch. He was in the room as usual. The streaks of sunlight hit the edge of the hospital bed before it dazzled on his skin. His skin was cold and so…fair. Slimmer, shades of purple and pink concaved his cheekbones—a shade of baby blue muddled his skin. “Ah,” Matt groaned, once Dr. Brown flashed a miniature flashlight back and forth at his eyes. At least the reaction was a good sign—the teenage patient could see. Then, a nurse closed the curtains. It was back to the darkened and sinister atmosphere that gobbled up Matt. “I don’t feel too well,” he said, barely audible, as the middle of his bottom lips splintered with red. Another nurse dabbed a tissue against his mouth. He took control of it, as though he was refusing another medical employee’s touch. “It’s because you’ve been in a coma for four weeks,” Dr. Brown chimed in with his patient. “I…What?” Matt scanned the room until his vision settled upon what should have been Captain Obvious to him. His wrists, ankles, and chest were no longer strapped to the bed. Instead, all three areas of his body were wrapped-up. The white puffy bandages resembled the texture of clouds on a springtime afternoon. While Matt’s eyes grew lukewarm, he hoisted his noodle size wrists closer to his eyes. “Wha—Wha—What happened?” he asked. “You had an anxiety attack and went into shock…” It seemed that Dr. Brown dreaded the moment, even though he had scripted out his dialogue for when Matt reawakened, like any good doctor would do. “Sorry, it’s just…I’m not sure…Matt, I’m not sure just how much you remember at all.” The outside world. It was breathtaking, as the cotton ball clouds sailed across the sky like ships out to sea. “What’s the date?” Matt asked moments later. It appeared that the truth cuffed at Dr. Brown’s heart. “August 5th,” he said. Matt winced at the impossible and yet, the possible. He broke down into tears and sheltered his face. Just then, his palms met a rigid paper that was on the bottom of his lip. It made sense now—he was out of it, unaware of what was a possibility…and the impossible… He cried even more. “Your lip bled on and off. The white bandage cloth was too big.” Slowly, but surely, Dr. Brown reached out for his patient. He slid his fingers atop Matt’s hand and gave it a pat. “Thankfully Lisa brought in a Spiderman bandage. She said you’re a fan of the franchise. I heard there’s going to be another installment…” Dr. Brown gave a nervous chuckle. Cat scrabbled onto Matt’s tongue, left speechless and almost…numb. “You know,” Dr. Brown started again, “she comes to visit you almost every day. Usually around lunchtime. She’ll be real happy that you’re awake.” He did not reply. “Look, Matt, I know you’re exhausted”—Dr. Brown selected his words cautiously—“I get that. You’ll need more rest. I just hope you can talk to us. Whenever you’re ready.” The pain took over Matt, as his leg gave a spasm. “I don’t understand how time flies by so…fast…” Silence. “Your heart was beating in a peculiar pattern,” Dr. Brown said. “At first, it was pumping at a rapid rate. And then, it was beating…slowly. And then, it went quickly again.” Off the doc’s studying look, Matt asked, “What?” “I just can’t get that image out of my head. After Lisa was removed from the room, we discharged the bed straps from your body when you began to lose…You lost a lot of blood.” Matt’s eyes descended to his wrists; his mind illustrated all the possibilities and what the memory for both Dr. Brown and his colleagues must have appeared like: nurses and doctors rotated and took his pulse, as well as patched up the holes where the blood oozed out. For some reason, Matt saw it. He imagined that his own blood was a zombie-gut neon green, just like the classic horror films. But it frightened him, and he shut his eyes to erase the horrific illustration. The image stayed with him anyhow. “Matt?” Dr. Brown’s voice echoed through Matt’s state of horror. “Where was I bleeding?” It was mostly rhetorical, as Matt tried to digest the imminent response. “Where was the blood coming from?” When Matt’s eyes peeled open, they were red with angst. Dr. Brown pointed to the upper half of his patient’s chest. “The scars,” Dr. Brown answered. “Lisa—she swore you were dead when she saw us trying to stop the blood.” He sniffled and coughed, as though the rest of the alphabet clogged up his throat. “We all saw the scars when the blood eventually…came to a stop.” Matt glanced away. For a moment, he almost fooled himself while the tears streamed down his face. Dr. Brown was tentative until, “A worldwide search was put out two weeks ago. Matt…” Compressing his fist with his mouth, he prevented a scream. “Matt…” Cat got his tongue. Matt noticed and watched as anxiety and pain consumed his doctor’s shaken body. Before the Spiderman bandage detached from Matt’s cherry rose lips, Dr. Brown ascended to his feet. “Excuse me,” was all he said before he scampered out of Room 402. “Dr. Brown?” Matt listened to his doctor’s fancy schmancy shoes swerve across the tile. The fretful voices of nurses and doctors echoed throughout the hallway as they called out for their boss’s attention. “Doctor…” Even Matt’s voice was lost. “Brown?” Wherever his doctor fled, Matt saw no other reason but to wait…and wait for him. He sniffled, and with a revelation, he gasped. He remembered…and his eyes returned to the cheese holes in the ceiling. ‘They’re missing…They believe you. You are not or will ever be alone again.’ 
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In Command: An Aunare Chronicles Novella
Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo / Google Play -- EXCERPT: “Almya. I’m not wearing—” A throat cleared, and I didn’t even turn around. “Roan. Best friend or not, I’m going to murder you if you keep coming in here.” “Not Roan.” I glanced over my shoulder. Lorne. He was leaning against the edge of the door, watching me with his aquamarine gaze that seemed to see through me. My heart picked up, and I could feel myself giving him a stupid grin, but I couldn’t stop it. “Hey.” “Hi.” His gaze ran down my body and slowly back up, heating every inch of me. “As fashion-forward as I usually am, I think it’s probably best if you find something else for the meeting. Quickly.” I turned back to Almya, who was still smiling—although now it looked too forced—and holding out two dresses for me to choose from. She held one out a little farther, giving it a little shake. “This one would look lovely on you, and it’s perfect for the—” I shook my head. “If you would just listen to me—” “Amihanna. My love,” Lorne said softly. “I’ve been standing here for a moment, and I heard more than enough about what’s going on. The thing to remember—” “Is that I hate dresses,” I said to Almya, hoping that she would listen. “Hate. Dresses.” “That’s not what I was going to say.” I turned to him, annoyed and struggling to remember that I wasn’t annoyed at him. “What?” “The thing to remember is that you are the future queen. Not Almya.” He gave her a short, pitying glance before focusing on me again. “You decide what you do, what you say, what you wear.” He slowly walked toward me as he spoke. “So, put something on already.” He brushed a quick kiss on my lips. 
GIVEAWAY! Hosted by: #Book Blitz (Feb 21-27) #The Wise One (The Scottish Scrolls #1) by K.T.Anglehart @Xpresso Book Tours21/2/2021
The Wise One
-- EXCERPT: Bruised and battered, the young woman was dragged through the screaming, unruly mob. Her wrists were bound behind her by a rope as thick as the noose she now faced. “Buidseach! Buidseach!” Witch. Witch. “Bàsachadh!” Die. She halted in front of the noose, unperturbed, for she knew her death would end swiftly. The man who held the end of her rope looked from her calm expression to the noose, and let out a shrill laugh. “A quick snap of the neck, aye, Bessie girl? You don’t think you’re getting off that easy, do you? Nah, that there isn’t for your kind.” The ugly man, towering and troll-like, hauled her further on like a rag doll, finally leading her to a pit loaded with broken wood fragments, branches, and logs. She was going to be burned alive. In that instant, her body trembled with the fear she had been trying so desperately to conceal. Of dying, no—she knew this life would not be her last, and she was ready to part ways with this physical body. But she would be lying to herself if she said she hadn’t been hoping for a less painful demise. He tightened the rope from her wrists around the wood banister that stood erect in the centre of the pit, then secured more rope round her ankles. “Spill your guts, now or never, buidseach,” he spat. The woman scanned the crowd. Foolish, blind, she thought. They had no idea what would become of their Earth. No, she did not regret her actions. And if she had to burn for them, then so be it. She held her chin up and addressed the spectators. Her voice was steady, knowing. “There will come a day when your fate shall depend upon a witch such as me—and you will beg for mercy.” The crowd cackled and spat back, simultaneously enraged and amused. But no one laughed louder than the troll-man. “Devil-worshipping hag.” He lowered his torch to the base of the pit, and the flames caught quickly. She watched them crawl towards her boots, but her eyes were forced shut by the rising smoke. In an instant, beads of sweat leaked like rain on her forehead, and her lungs swelled to twice their size. Just when she hoped she might pass out from the heat, the flames grew larger, now licking the base of her legs. What followed was an acute, unfathomable pain. The flames travelled higher, higher, until they enveloped the lower half of her body—and she could no longer bear the sheer agony of her skin melting away.
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The Awakening
-- EXCERPT: “Earth to Jameson!” Michael yelled at the top of his lungs. It caused Aaron and Jenna to look over to where we were standing. Something inside of me clicked and I took off like a shot, racing towards them. My anger continued to build as my mind raced. Witches. On the human side of town. Witches. Here. Right here. How dare they? How dare they! As I reached Aaron and Jenna, they were scrambling to grab their backpacks and run. I grabbed Jenna’s backpack strap and pulled, causing her to let out a yelp. As she was jerked back towards me, I reached out and grabbed her. My hand wrapped around her neck. She gasped and dropped the backpack. The weight surprised me and I looked down at it, swinging in my hand. I looked back up at her. She was clawing at my hand, her face full of panic. Her eyes were wide and staring at me. I stared back. My fingers clawed into her neck. I’m doing it! I’m going to kill a witch! “You’re killing her! Let go!” Aaron yelled at me. He ran up to me, yanking on the arm holding the backpack. I glanced at him, my focus still on Jenna. “Jameson! Let go of her!” Michael yelled. He sprinted up beside me, panting heavily. “Why?” I asked, turning to look at Michael. “What do you mean why? You’re going to kill her!” Michael stared at me in disbelief. “So?” I replied. I couldn’t get myself to care about the consequences that would fall on me. All I cared about was revenge. “Jameson, look, man. I know you. You don’t want this. Your mom wouldn’t want this,” Michael said, trying to reason with me. I looked at him, tears in my eyes. GIVEAWAY! Hosted by:   Today is my stop on the blog tour for Sam Taylor's new young adult fantasy book. Thank you to Giselle from Xpresso Book Tours and the publisher (Swoon Reads) for the review copy. Book details: We Are the Fire by Sam Taylor Published by: Swoon Reads Publication date: February 16th 2021 Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult Synopsis: As electrifying as it is heartbreaking, Sam Taylor’s explosive fantasy debut We Are the Fire is perfect for fans of An Ember in the Ashes and the legend of Spartacus. In the cold, treacherous land of Vesimaa, children are stolen from their families by a cruel emperor, forced to undergo a horrific transformative procedure, and serve in the army as magical fire-wielding soldiers. Pran and Oksana―both taken from their homeland at a young age―only have each other to hold onto in this heartless place. Pran dreams of one day rebelling against their oppressors and destroying the empire; Oksana only dreams of returning home and creating a peaceful life for them both. When they discover the emperor has a new, more terrible mission than ever for their kind, Pran and Oksana vow to escape his tyranny once and for all. But their methods and ideals differ drastically, driving a wedge between them. Worse still, they both soon find that the only way to defeat the monsters that subjugated them may be to become monsters themselves. Goodreads Purchase Links Amazon / B&N / iBooks / Kobo My Thoughts: Sam Taylor's debut novel is set in a fictional country of Vesimaa. While the previous ruler was a successful military leader and managed to conquer a lot of neighbouring lands, turning Vesimaa into a powerful empire, not least thanks to his formidable army of monstrous flame throwers, known as Tullikobrets. The most horrifying thing about them is that they are all stolen from their families (mostly from the conquered parts, but also Vesimaa itself) and tortured with poisonous serums and deadly chemicals until they undergo a transformation that turns them into ruthless fire-breathers. The protagonists of the book Pran and Oksana were born in different lands, but they are also best friends (and more)- they have spent seven years trying to survive the poisons, the training and other horrors of their camp and there's nothing they won't do to help each other. They know who their enemy is -the bloodthirsty emperor who hasn't distinguished himself on the battlefield, but is desperate to prove he can enlarge his empire and the cruel Commanders, but this doesn't mean Oksana and Pran will always agree or see the things in the same way. Rebellion appears to be the only way, and rebel they will, it's how that will make or break them.... When I started reading the book I was immediately reminded of the Janissary corps in the Ottoman Empire. Originally, it was made up of children who were kidnapped or bought on the numerous slave markets and given a rigorous military training that turned them into elite soldiers of the most feared kind. Sam Taylor describes the longing little Tuliihave for their homes and their families, but also shows that it's not all that simple. When one of Pran and Oxana's friends, a Vesimaa girl by origin, tries to warn her family of an impending punitive raid, she is not believed or trusted any more. This is just an illustration to the dilemmas and motivations of the main characters. Overall, it felt like this debut novel might be enjoyed more by younger teens. I generally love fantasy books with elemental magic and all the twists that come from the power of controlling something as strong and powerful as fire. My favourite lines from this book are 'Not everything that comes from fire is terrible and ugly' and I have to agree. Just look at this cover. Gorgeous, isn't it? AUTHOR BIO: Sam Taylor grew up in Arizona’s deserts and now lives among Connecticut’s trees. She spends her days writing, being mom to the world’s cutest boys, whirling through dance workouts, and baking too many cakes. She does not possess fire magic, but does have one fire-colored cat. We Are the Fire is her debut novel. Author links: https://www.samtaylorwrites.com/ https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17695143.Sam_Taylor https://twitter.com/jsamtaylor  If you would like to find out what other bloggers thought of the book, you can check out the goodreads link and also the full blog tour schedule which is updated every day with new links:
February 15th –Jazzy Book Reviews >> Interview –Chain of Novels >> Excerpt –Debjani’s Thoughts >> Review –The Writer’s Alley >> Review –Cosmic Lattes and Books >> Review –The Scribe Owl >> Review February 16th –Betwixt The Sheets >> Review –Living in a Bookworld >> Excerpt –Movies, Shows, & Books >> Guest post –Hopelessly Devoted Bibliophile >> Review February 17th –Whispering Pages >> Review –Reading Tonic >> Review –Books, Tea, Healthy Me >> Interview –S.J. Lem >> Review –Lindsey’s Library >> Review February 18th –Viviana MacKade >> Guest post –Sadie’s Spotlight >> Excerpt –a bolt out of the book >> Review –Literary Gold >> Excerpt –A Book Addict’s Bookshelves >> Guest post February 19th –Books Over Everything >> Review –Cranky The Book Curmudgeon >> Review –DEEKAY | Daily Dose of Reading >> Review –Valerie Ullmer | Romance Author >> Excerpt –The Avid Reader >> Review  Can’t-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Tressa at Wishful Endings to spotlight and discuss the books we’re excited about that we have yet to read. Generally they’re books that have yet to be released. It’s based on Waiting on Wednesday, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. The book I can't wait for this Wednesday is ... Blade of Secrets by Tricia Levenseller.  In the first book in Tricia Levenseller's exciting new YA fantasy duology, a teenage blacksmith with social anxiety is forced to go on the run to protect the world from the most powerful magical sword she's ever made. Eighteen-year-old Ziva prefers metal to people. She spends her days tucked away in her forge, safe from society and the anxiety it causes her, using her magical gift to craft unique weapons imbued with power. Then Ziva receives a commission from a powerful warlord, and the result is a sword capable of stealing its victims' secrets. A sword that can cut far deeper than the length of its blade. A sword with the strength to topple kingdoms. When Ziva learns of the warlord’s intentions to use the weapon to enslave all the world under her rule, she takes her sister and flees. Joined by a distractingly handsome mercenary and a young scholar with extensive knowledge of the world’s known magics, Ziva and her sister set out on a quest to keep the sword safe until they can find a worthy wielder or a way to destroy it entirely.
 AUTHOR BIO Tricia Levenseller, author of the Daughter of the Pirate King duology, Warrior of the Wild, and The Shadows Between Us, is from a small town in Oregon, but now lives next to the Rocky Mountains in Utah with her bossy dog, Rosy. She received her degree in English language and editing, and she is thrilled that she never has to read a textbook again. When she's not writing or reading, Tricia enjoys putting together jigsaw puzzles, playing volleyball, and watching her favorite TV shows while eating extra-buttered popcorn. Links: website / Twitter / Instagram Why do I want to read it?
Just the fact that the protagonist is a female teenage blacksmith with social anxiety would be enough, but I also know that Tricia's stories are always full of adventure, intrigue and romance. They are addictive and impossible to put down. I know there's going to be powerful magic with its own set of rules and moral dilemmas, fascinating characters, sisterly love and devotion and lots of fast-paced action. |
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Photos from Simon_sees, Dmitry Karyshev
