Monday, February 4, 2013

YA Bound Presents Manipulation Blog Tour by Jolene Perry

Insight (Shadows #1)
Release Date: 09/03/12
Paperback/e-book
367 pages

Summary from Goodreads:
Micah hates her ability to “see” things when she touches people. She’s terrified of relationships, holds on to guilt over the death of her classmate, Lacey, and has no idea what to do with a vision from Landon, a boy from her school. She feels him falling for her, but Micah doesn’t do friends, much less relationships.

Enter a spooky history project about a tragedy from three hundred years ago, and voodoo dolls that Micah somehow feels has to do with her gift. Suddenly she’s sure the shadows in the woods are following her every move—without Landon’s relaxed attitude about what’s happening in her life, Micah would be sure she’s going crazy.

With no ideas on timing or specifics, the visions of both herself and the people she cares about are turning dark—and it appears the shadows around her house do move on their own. But as Micah and Landon try to prevent Micah’s visions of the future, the shadows close in, and they’re now afraid they’ve become the cause…

Micah's story is the first of three girls, with unique talents, who are part of a 300 year old tragedy that follows them in the shadows.

My Review
5 of 5 Insight

First I have to say that Jolene Perry is BRILLIANT! I absolutely loved Insight. It is the first story in the trilogy and I have to say that I have never ever read a book that has gripped me so much that I was yelling at the kindle and having a conversation with myself. The world created by Jolene is one where things are not always as they seem and people or things are lurking in the background and causing disturbances. Can you imagine when you touch people you can see any part of their life. You can see glimpses of their past, present, and future. You don't mean to but when you touch them that is what happens. So you spend your life avoiding people and situations that would cause you to touch people and get close to them.

This is what Micah has to endure every day. She stays away from people and refuses to have relationships because if she does she would have to touch them and she would feel their pain and sorrow and she does not want that. She wants to live a somewhat normal life but she knows that she can;t with the gift she has. As it is she still feels guilt over the death of her classmate Lacey. But one day things change for Micah. Micah has these visions involving another one of her classmates Landon. When she touches him she feels safe and secure with him and she sees that there is goodness and protection in him.

Landon is kind of the bad boy next door and has a reputation with the girls but he sees something in Micah that captures his heart and he has to be with her. The only thing is is that Landon knows Micah does not trust anyone nor does she hang with anyone so how can they become a couple when she keeps herself isolated? Then to make matters worse they have a history project to research a tragedy that happened 300 years ago and as they unravel it they find that some things go bump in the night. Will Landon help or hurt Micah? 
Manipulation (Shadows #2)
Release Date: January 2013
Paperback/e-book

Summary from Goodreads:
Addison Prince has almost always gotten what she wants.
Dean Courser only wants to find his brother, but it's the one thing he’s failed at... Even with his unusual ability.

Dean and Addison share the gift of Manipulation—a brief touch that forces others to do what they wish. But when they meet and realize their connection, they find more questions than answers. Suddenly Dean is seeing shadows move on their own, and Addison is learning her father’s mysterious group may know more about her abilities than he’s ever let on.

As Dean and Addison second-guess every decision about who they are and why they're wanted, time is running out. With shadows following their every move, they're losing hope they’ll ever get to safety—if such a thing exists.

My Review
5 of 5 Manipulation

Jolene Jolene Jolene she has done it again! Holy Hades the second book in this trilogy took me by storm and Lord Have Mercy I could not put this one down either. My poor family they had to eat take out because I refused to put this book until I was finished reading it. Addison is a spoiled rich brat who gets what she wants and wants what she gets. Her parents are not really around so she and her little sister are left alone to do whatever it is they want. This gives Addison a pretty bad attitude and when she wants something she will stop at nothing to get it. She also knows she has a secret and that secret is she can manipulate people into doing things she wants. A simple touch and she wishes them to do something and they do it no questions asked.

As this gift of hers is used she finds out that she is not the only one that has this gift. Enters Dean lord I loved this boy. He did not have the best life growing so he does not abuse his gift like Addison. All Dean wants to do is find his brother and move on from his tragic life. But as fate would have it the two of them are paired to do a project and Addison and Dean soon realize that yes they have a gift but something or someone is lurking in the background and Addison's father may know more than what he is letting on to. Dean sees the shadows but what do they mean? Are they there to harm him and Addison? 

Addison will have to press her father for answers and she is not so sure she wants to hear them. If she and Dean are going to solve this shadow mystery they will have to uncover the secrets of the shadows. Will they be able to in time?
"A couple hundred years ago, my gift was considered one of the weaker ones, but with the way The Middle Men has grown, people who can seek out talents the way I can have become imperative. We’re both the collectors of new talent, and police the talent that we’ve already collected. No one else could. Insighters can see us coming, and Manipulators could tell us we don’t want to be there. Shields can slow me down. But Seekers, as Mom puts it, see through all the BS, and do what needs to be done.
We also have to be the best at blocking the talents of everyone else. It’s the perfect job for someone like me—structured and methodical with room for creative hunting.
Seeker. It's what I do best." 

Told from the perspective of "the bad guys" Seeker is the final book in The Shadows Trilogy...

Expected publication:
 March 15th 2013 by Next Door Books
About the Author
Jolene kissed a boy on her high school graduation night. One she’d wanted to kiss for a long time. They got married two years later, have built two homes together, survived military deployments, law school, student loan debt, and two children.

Jolene plays the guitar, takes pictures, and loves to hike. She doesn’t like rivers, but loves the ocean. She loves to fly, but gets motion sick. Her ultimate vacation would be to sail through the deserted islands in The Bahamas. Two years ago, she got that wish when her parents retired on a sailboat.

She taught high school French when she was only a few years older than her students, and then taught middle school math with her degree in political science and French.

She spends grocery money on designer fabric, shoes, and books.

Jolene cannot express how many times she wished she could write a whole novel. And now she has. Several times. Life is good.


***GIVEAWAY***
Prize #1: (1) Paperback copies of Insight and Manipulation (International)
Prize #2: (1)Paperback copy of Manipulation (US only)
Prize #3: (3) e-book copies of Manipulation. Kindle or Nook (International)

a Rafflecopter giveaway
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Who s Marcus Finch Monday Morning Clue.......

Woo Hoo Happy Monday! Have you guys figured out who Marcus Finch is yet???????
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Xpresso Presents A Cover Reveal For Volition by Lee Strauss

Volition by Lee Strauss (Perception, #2)-- April 16th, 2013

Volition is the exciting continuation of PERCEPTION
Zoe Vanderveen is on the run with her captor turned rescuer, Noah Brody.
They're in love.

Or at least that’s what he tells her. Her memories have returned but her feelings are dreamlike—thin and fleeting. Her heart can’t be trusted. Just look at what happened with Taylor Blake.

Senator Vanderveen’s new team of cyborg agents are in hot pursuit, and a reward for their capture is broadcast nationwide. Record breaking cold and snow hinder their escape. Someone dies helping them.

And their fight for survival has only begun.

Goodreads: 
Purchase Links for Perception: 

Amazon:

B&N:

New Perception tag line: Eternal Life is To Die For
AUTHOR BIO
Lee Strauss

Lee Strauss writes historical and science fiction/romance for upper YA and adult readers. She also writes light and fun stuff under the name Elle Strauss. To find out more about Lee and her books check out her facebook page. Follow her on Twitter https://twitter.com/elle_strauss to find out about new releases sign up for her newsletter at www.ellestraussbooks.com

Author Links:

Giveaway:
To celebrate Lee is giving away a $200.00 Amazon, Nook or itunes gift card.

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Ashes & Ice by Rochelle Maya Callen Release Day Blitz‏

Title: Ashes & Ice 
Author: Rochelle Maya Callen 
Release Day: February 4th, 2013 
Genre: Young Adult 
Blitz Host: Lady Amber's Tours

Synopsis: 
She is desperate to remember.
He is aching to forget.
Together, they are not broken.
But together, one may not survive.

​Jade wakes up with no memory of her past and blood on her hands. 

Plagued by wicked thoughts, she searches for answers. Instead, she finds a boy who doesn't offer her answers, but hope. But sometimes, when nightmares turn into reality and death follows you everywhere, hope is not enough. 

LUST. LOVE. LOSS. Sometimes, all that is left are Ashes and Ice
Excerpt #1 
Jade 
The girl’s glassy, dead eyes stare into me, through me, pierce me with a fierce urgency, with a wicked accusation. The blood is still on my hands. 

Red hair, blue eyes, a constellation of freckles on pale skin. She was fragile and innocent, a lovely thing. That is what I think until I see the gashes on her wrists and throat. With her blood spilling out, she looks delicious. She’s mine. Possessiveness shocks me, stabs into me. I run, tearing away from a craving I don't understand. 

Breathless, I grit my teeth and run harder, faster. 

My feet pound against the earth, away from the lifeless body and toward the lights of the city lingering on the horizon. Rot and death linger in my nostrils. Unscarred skin stretches taut over my freezing bones. Echoes of an empty memory reverberate in my mind, taunting me. The ice chases me, clutches me, and bites at my heels, sending shivers up my spine. The ice wants me back, but I run forward, toward the lights, toward the heat, toward a world that burns me, because I have no other choice. 

The lights are so close. Heat scalds my skin. 

Images race through my mind, paralyzing me. I skid to a stop, my boots digging into the mud. The vision’s blurred edges materialize into solid shapes. 

I gasp. 

A new horror rakes my insides. Desperation propels me forward; the pictures nagging at my seams threaten to tear me apart. 

Scorching fire licks over my skin. In my vision, I contort like a vile, ugly creature, eyes as black as decay. My frame hunches over the small, dead girl, like a demon looming over a defenseless child. Her blood drips from my mouth. 

I lick my lips and taste only salty sweat. 

I run, desperate to trample the vision under my feet, to crush it deep into the ground. 

I refuse to believe the image, refuse to acknowledge the monster within me demanding to be unleashed—and the possibility it has already been unbound. An unrelenting tide of fear washes over me. Past the denial, the fear, and the hope, I think I can still taste her. 

The cold stillness inside me cracks open just as the lights of the city slam into me.
Excerpt #2
Connor 
Tears burn. I never realized it before, but they do. Tears reach down my throat and settle in my gut until the pain cripples me. I clutch my stomach as I look into the casket. His face doesn’t even look the same. Bloated like a Mardi Gras float, discolored like a mannequin. This isn’t my father. 

But it is. 

If I have learned anything in my short life, it is this: funerals are bullshit. People dress in carefully pressed black suits. Parents give me “meaningful” nods as if that could ease the grief. It doesn’t. 

Then there are the kids from school, the ones dragged along by their parents. People drag their kids along as if filling the church was a necessary thing. As if the more pews filled somehow expedite the dead’s trip to heaven. I doubt it does. Maybe some of the girls went shopping to buy just the right outfit so their cleavage to respectability ratio was just right, or their ass to waist ratio was cinched properly. 

People sit in the pews dressed in their finest let’s-go-pay-our-respects-to-the-dead-guy-we-never-knew wear, smacking the gum in their mouths, cupping cellphones so they can LOL any comment buzzing in, and drumming their fingers because the pastor is going on too long. All they want to do is go home, sneak in a make-out session with their girlfriends, eat their dinners, and maybe catch a 7 o’clock movie. 

I hate these kids. The ones who stare at me, roll their eyes, and yawn. The ones who trip me at school and slam me into lockers. The ones who sit in a pew, contributing to the headcount, while I sit up here in front, holding back the tears fighting to make their appearance. I swallow them down. I won’t cry. Not here. Not with these people. 

Dad’s funeral should be an empty church with mom, his three brothers, and me. It should be the five of us having a messy, sloppy, sobbing affair where we cling to each other because we are all we have left. The marble floors should be slick with our tears. It isn’t. We sit here, straight backed, completely composed as if death is just a passing expiration date and our small, insignificant world has not been split open and left gaping. 

*** 

I’m in my room, staring at the ceiling. The funeral service was hours ago. 

The house feels empty and cold. I hear a stifled whimper from down the hall. 

Mom. 

Probably crying into a pillow so the house can’t hear, but it can. It seems unfair she can’t wail aloud, so loud the house’s hundred-year-old studs tremble. 

She doesn’t. I don’t either. We cry in our own rooms, remembering a man who will never be here again. 

The house creaks. Maybe it feels the weight of our grief, maybe the floorboards are buckling because the burden is too heavy. 

I ache, desperate to forget the long battle with cancer, the blood sputtering out of his mouth with his last words—what where they? I can’t remember because the fear in his eyes overshadowed anything he said. Now the loss. I don’t want to feel this loss. Some divine entity has taken dull scissors and cut out a piece of my life and now I have jagged scars to remind me I lost too much. Too much. 

I want to forget, because it hurts to remember. 

I bury my head in the pillow, hoping to suffocate the memories, to choke out the pain.
Autrhor Bio: 
Rochelle grew up dreaming up stories. When she entered high school, she tucked away her creative side and jumped head-first into academics, work, and service projects. She graduated summa cum laude with a degree in Political Science and Communication when she was twenty years old. After years away from her writing, Rochelle picked up a pen and started fleshing out a character sketch that she outlined when she was twelve. That sketch was the start of the Ashes and Ice story. Rochelle lives in the DC metro area with her husband and daughter. By day she works as a behavioral therapist. By night, she is a dreamer and is busy tapping out new stories on her keyboard. 

Links: 
twitter: rockyiswriting 
goodreads: 
facebook:

Excerpt #3 
“Have you ever been in love?” 

I spill my popcorn on my lap. “I, uh, what?” I say, swiping off the kernels. The question catches me off guard. 

“You know, in love.” 

“No. No, I haven’t.” I shift on the couch, needing more space between us. “What about you?” 

“Nah.” She flicks her hand toward me as if she is brushing away nonsense, but the hard look in her eyes says something different. 

“Why?” 

She points to the TV screen and the couple making out there. “Figured if you had been, then you could explain that to me.” 

The guy sweeps the girl up and carries her into bed before they… you know. “Uh, sex?” 

She bursts out laughing. “That too. But I was talking about what it feels like to be, you know, in love. Totally, without question. Like, does that,” she points to the screen again, “exist?” 

“Yeah, I think it exists.” I think of mom and dad—the way they kissed every morning, hugged a few moments longer than anyone else, laughed so hard they cried, and cuddled, shutting out the world, looking more content than these fakers on the screen. “It exists. And in real life, it’s better than that crap.” I say, suddenly uncomfortable by the moaning coming from the TV. 

“I thought you said you’ve never been in love?” 

“I haven’t. But I’ve seen it. And I haven’t ever seen anything come close to that in the movies.” 

She opens her mouth as if about to ask a question, but then closes it and smiles, accepting my answer. “Well, it’s good that there may be something in life to look forward to.” She drops a kernel of popcorn in her mouth. 

“May be?” 

“Well nothing is guaranteed. Who knows, I may die an old spinster.” She’s smiling, but her eyes aren’t. 

I think about the movie store guy’s possessive eyes, Jesse’s chair fiasco, and Dominic’s leering, my heart. “I doubt that.”
Excerpt #4 
He smiles a bit wider and hands out the pin. 

As, I reach to pluck it from his palm, he snatches my wrist with one hand, my bicep with the other and crushes me against his chest. 

His grip is tight—too tight, it hurts—and the bend of him hovers over me, leaning in. I try to shake him off, but he doesn’t let go. I squirm as I feel his thumb trace circles on the inside of my wrist. The touch sends a skitter of sensation over me. Something tinges the air; a sweet, cool feeling brushes over my skin, making my knees want to buckle. He smells like mint, his breath tickles my face. I pull back, hating the sensations that please my skin and curdle my insides. Bile surges in my throat. I tear myself away from him, glaring. 

“What?” He says coolly as if he hadn’t just bruised my arms with his clutching fingertips. 

“That. Hurt.” I say. I don’t say he smells sweet or his breath is refreshing on my skin or his touch sends chills up my spine, delicious chills. I step away. 

His smile is unnerving. “Don’t worry, Jade.” He winks at me. Damn that wink of his. “One day, you’ll like it.”
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Sunday, February 3, 2013

Entwined Publishing Scavenger Hunt Birthday Bash

Welcome to the Entwined Publishing Birthday Bash! We want to kick the party off right, and this is the eighth stop along the Scavenger Hunt. It is a ten day event and to find the answers to all of the questions, you’ll have to dig down in Entwined’s books to pull out the answers. We do have a couple author questions and publishing questions along the way as well. For more info, please visit Uniquely Moi Books for all the details and a full schedule of all the stops. 

Now, let’s talk prizes! There will be two winners. The EASY question will count as three points. The HARD question counts as five points. Choose your question wisely, as points will be added up! 

The winner of the HARD questions will receive seven Entwined Publishing books, swag, and a $25 Gift Card of Choice. 

The winner of the EASY questions will win four books of choice by Entwined Publishing, swag to go with them, and a $15 Gift card of choice. 

Follow Entwined Publishing at 

Twitter: @EntwinedPub


Website: http://entwinedpublishing.com/ 

Today’s question comes from SPORADICALLY INSPIRED BY by Ashly Demi. 

(These questions are taken from the first 500 words of her novel, as it has yet to be published yet. Find out more on her blog.) 

EASY: Where does the first scene take place? 

HARD: Who else is with Samantha? 

Have fun answering the questions and don't forget to check out all the books published by Entwined! I love all of Mia Castille's books!
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The Golden Link (The Castellum Novels #1) by Keira Moyer Book Review

Kain is a rebel leader, a hired protector of the lost princess, and one of the seven chosen to yield an amulet. Tristan is an elitist, the head of the palace guard, and stronger and faster than anyone else with magic; except magic’s source, Arianna. When their three worlds collide, secrets of Arianna’s royal lineage are discovered, and the murderer of her family is revealed. On this tale of betrayal, Arianna learns that all choices come with a price, and hatred can consume the ones you love.

My Review
5 of 5 Golden Links

The Golden Link is one of those rare to find books. I was asked by the author to read her book and I am so glad she asked me to read it because I would have missed out on a great series. I love books about magic and finding ones self. The Golden Link had so much more when I started reading it I could not put it down. Plus girls it had two swoon worthy guys in it that just made the main characters story more interesting.

Can you imagine not knowing your parents and being raised by a caretaker in a house with other people? Well that is life for Arianna. She lives with her caretaker lita and two boarders Kain and his brother Sam. When the three boards lives collide you get the greatest story ever told. Arianna finds out that her family and caretaker has kept secrets from her. When she finds out who she is and what she is destined to do she is in shock at first but then as Kain and Sam help her through everything she realizes that she can either fight or lay down and cower and let others ruin things for her and others.

Kain is the protector of the lost princess and one of the seven chosen to yield a very important amulet. Kain will do anything it takes to keep Arianna safe. Then there is Tristan who is in charge of the Palace guards and he wields magic but he realizes he is not the strongest magic wielder and when he finds out who does hold the strongest magic he has to figure out what that means for him and his people.

Arianna will have to make choices and decisions that will effect all but she knows she has to make them. Yes she will struggle but she will find friends in the unlikeliest places. The story end on a HUGE cliff hanger and I am sometimes a fan of cliffhangers so this one was so epic and done so well I kept laughing because I said dam Keira got me! 
ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Writing is my passion! Follow me on facebook for updates on my upcoming novel, The Seven Keepers, book two in The Castellum Novels.


Website: http://thecastellumnovels.wordpress.com/
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Xpresso Books Presents The Crescent Chronicles Book Blitz

Flight Excerpt 
Preface 
Closing my eyes, I tried to block it all out. Convinced I was about to die, I was only partly aware of his arms around me. 

“You said you wanted an adventure,” he said quietly, teasingly, as he tightened his hold. 

My stomach dropped out as an intense and complete feeling of weightlessness engulfed me. The wind stung my face as memories flooded my mind. I thought of my parents, of all the things I wanted to tell them but never did, my friends from home, and the experiences I longed for. Quickly my thoughts changed to more recent memories, to Levi. 

“Open your eyes,” he whispered, somehow knowing my eyes were clenched shut. 

Against my better judgment, I listened. The scream died in my throat as we hurtled toward the water that had seemed so beautiful from the roof above.
Flight Excerpt 
I glanced up. Intense gray-blue eyes stared back at me, as I recognized the guy from the hotel. Surprised to see him again, I merely nodded before bringing the shot to my lips. 

“What was that?” I spat out while the liquor continued to burn my throat. 

“A jaeger shot.” He laughed lightly. “Feeling better?” 

“Yeah. I can’t believe I did that.” I peered over my shoulder at the stage where another group was starting their rendition of Time of my Life. 

“It really wasn’t so bad. It was more entertaining than if Cyndi Lauper performed it herself.” Raking his eyes from my toes back up to my face, he spent an annoying amount of time studying my legs. Long legs were nice, but not when they attracted the wrong type of attention. Normally I would call a guy on mentally undressing me, but I was too busy taking my own inventory. Finished, I glanced around for Jess but couldn’t see her in the crowd. 

“So, thanks for the shot, but I need to find my friend.” 

“Hey, you can’t run off on me again.” He didn’t say it like a question, more like a demand and it annoyed me. “Besides, your friend appears to be unavailable.” 

I followed his gaze and noticed Jess flirting with Dave again. “Run off on you again? That implies we have run into each other before.” I tried for coy; I wasn’t going to let this guy unnerve me. Sure, he had the most amazing set of eyes I had ever seen, but I wasn’t interested. 

“I saw you at the Crescent City Hotel this afternoon, but you took off before I could say hello.” He leaned in closer to me, trying to be heard over the loud music. 

“Oh, I didn’t notice you.” 

He smiled, ignoring my comment. “You here for vacation?” 

“I’m here for work actually, at the hotel.” 

“Are you around for the whole summer then?” 

I allowed myself to really look at him. My earlier estimate of his height was dead on; he was much taller than my 5 feet 9 inches. 

I finally answered. “Yeah, I’m here until I start school in the fall.” 

“All right, so where are you going to school?” 

“Princeton.” I braced myself for his response. 

“Nice,” he said in a way that suggested he wasn’t impressed. 

“You in school?” 

“Yeah, I’m going to be a senior at Tulane.” 

“Oh, so you live here?” 

“Born and raised,” he said proudly. 

“I didn’t think locals hung out at places like this.” 

“We don’t usually, but they’re great spots to meet girls from out of town.” 

I shook my head. “Ah, so you’re one of them.” 

“One of who?” 

“The type to prey on innocent tourists.” 

“Innocent tourists? You make me sound like the big bad wolf.” 

“And you’re not?” I questioned. 

“Only if you’re Red Riding Hood,” he said flirtatiously. 

“Wow, that’s original.” I caught myself staring at his eyes again and decided it was time to end the conversation. “Well, nice talking to you.” 

“Hey, I didn’t even get your name yet.” 

“Allie.” 

“Is that short for Allison?” 

“Yes, but no one calls me Allison.” I cursed myself. Why couldn’t I just walk away from this guy? I briefly regretted my decision to swear off men because if I hadn’t this one would be exactly my type: tall, strong, and confident. He was exactly the kind to avoid.
Flight by Alyssa Rose Ivy (The Crescent Chronicles #1) - Publication date: August 2012
Sometimes you just have to take flight.
A summer in New Orleans is exactly what Allie needs before starting college. Accepting her dad’s invitation to work at his hotel offers an escape from her ex-boyfriend and the chance to spend the summer with her best friend. Meeting a guy is the last thing on her mind—until she sees Levi.

Unable to resist the infuriating yet alluring Levi, Allie finds herself at the center of a supernatural society and forced to decide between following the path she has always trusted or saving a city that might just save her.

Goodreads:

Purchase: 
Barnes & Noble: 
Amazon: 

Flight Excerpt
We walked through the French Quarter slowly, and I tried to take it all in. The music, the crowds, and the atmosphere still felt surreal. Music spilled out of the endless bars and clubs. 

“Wow, are those people seriously dressed up as vampires?” I asked, looking in at a dark bar on the corner. Inside I watched a man and woman holding up a chalice and smiling with fangs showing.

Levi laughed. “If you think those people are weird, you’d be freaked out by the real thing.”

“The real thing? Very funny.”

“What, you don’t think vampires are real?”

“No, and I’m glad they aren’t.”

“Why? Do they scare you?” Levi stopped walking, and turned me to look at him.

“Does the thought of blood sucking monsters scare me? Hell yes. Who wouldn’t be scared of that? ”

He laughed again even louder. “Trust me sweetheart, in New Orleans vampires are the least of your worries.”

“What do you mean?” Something about the glint in his eyes made me feel a little uneasy.

Levi’s face turned into a faint smile. “I’m really glad you asked that.”

“What are you talking about?”

“You’ll have to wait and see.”

“Okay, listen, scaring me isn’t a good way to get me interested, so if you have any weird tricks up your sleeve just shelve them.” I wondered if this was the time to tell him I avoided horror movies like the plague.

“No tricks, hon.” Levi pulled his phone out of his pocket and texted a few times.

I continued my people watching. I’d never seen so many middle-aged people laughing and partying before. It almost felt like the twilight zone.

Levi slipped his phone back in his pocket. “We’re meeting everyone over at Club 360.”

“What’s that?”

“The lounge on the top of the World Trade Center down by the river.”

“Okay, is it a cool view?”

“Yeah, it’s got a good view.” Levi laughed again and I had the distinct impression he was hiding something from me.

“You promise you aren’t luring me into some trap?”

“A trap? No. Let’s just call it a new experience.”

My stomach dropped. What the heck did I get myself into?
Focus by Alyssa Rose Ivy (The Crescent Chronicles #2) 
Publication date: January 31st, 2013
Freshman year of college is hard even when you're not tied to the future king of a supernatural society.

Allie dives into college head first with Hailey as her roommate and the city of New Orleans as her backyard. As things within The Society heat up, Allie realizes that whether she’s with Levi or not, she's in far too deep to turn back.

I closed my eyes, trying to ignore the dull ache inside that made me want to reach out and touch him. He took advantage, but really I left myself open. 

His lips met mine as his arm wrapped around my shoulder, turning me toward him. A voice in my head told me to cut him off, but I ignored it. He pushed to deepen the kiss, and I let my resistance fall away. He leaned into me, moving me so I was lying down. I felt his weight shift on top of me, his lips moving to my neck and trailing downward. I snapped myself out of it. Kissing Levi was a really bad idea. 

“Stop!” I pushed against his chest. He didn’t respond at first, but he reluctantly moved to let me sit up. “What the hell was that?” 

He grinned. “Don’t say you didn’t want that.” 

“Don’t look so proud of yourself. It’s never happening again.” I straightened my hair out with my fingers, trying to get rid of the evidence. 

“So about tonight?” 

“What about it?” I snapped. 

“What do you want to do?” He sat up, still looking way too proud of himself. 

“I’m going to a party with Hailey. She says all the freshman will be there.” 

“Please tell me you aren’t talking about Disorientation, are you?” 

“Yeah, I think that’s what it’s called.” 

He shook his head. “No way. You’re not going!” 

As if on cue, the door started to open. “Are you two decent in there?” Jared yelled obnoxiously. 

I groaned “Of course, we are.” 

Hailey and the boys pushed into the room. 

“Are you sure about that?” Owen asked. 

I probably blushed wondering what evidence still existed. I followed his gaze and realized my tank top was pulled up on one side. Levi pulled it down before I could, letting his hand graze my skin in the process. The goose bumps that formed were completely coincidental—or so I told myself.

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Michelle moved her arms and stood up straighter. “Yes, and I definitely get why you chose her. She’s amazing.” She gave me the biggest, fakest smile. 

The forced nature of it didn’t go unnoticed by Levi. “Good. As nice as it is to see you, I’m going to be taking Allie now. We’ve got some plans of our own.” 

I groaned internally. I tried to help and, of course, he had to take advantage of it. “Before we go, let me make sure my friends don’t mind.” 

“We don’t mind at all,” Anne said immediately. “Go have fun.” She winked at me. 

“If you want to go, we understand.” Tiffany was trying to figure out what I wanted her to say. 

“Yeah, go ahead.” Hailey grinned. She was in so much trouble. 

“Bye, Michelle. Great meeting you.” I let Levi lead me to the front door. 

“You guys staying?” Levi asked his friends. 

“Yeah.” Jared was eyeing Tiffany. 

“Okay, but remember the rules,” I warned him. Tiffany was too sweet of a girl to have to deal with Jared. 

He glared at me. “Yes, how could I forget?” 

Levi led us off the porch and away from the house. 

“Nice kiss.” 

“You know why I did it.” I looked up at the perfectly crescent moon. 

“Do I?” 

He traced a line down my arm. 

“Of course. Michelle would have told your dad if she thought something was up. Why would it mean anything else?” 

“A chaste kiss could have accomplished the same thing. That wasn’t chaste—your tongue was in my mouth, Al.” 

“Are you complaining?” 

“Hell no. I happen to like your tongue… and the rest of you.” His eyes let me know exactly what he was implying.
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Alyssa Rose Ivy
Alyssa Rose Ivy is a Young Adult and New Adult author who loves to weave stories with romance and a southern setting. Although raised in the New York area, she fell in love with the South after moving to New Orleans for college. After years as a perpetual student, she turned back to her creative side and decided to write. She lives in North Carolina with her husband and two young children, and she can usually be found with a cup of coffee in her hand.

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