Book Tour: The Demon’s Grave by E.M. MacCallum with Giveaway

Title: The Demon’s Grave

Series: The Demon’s Grave #1

Author: E.M. MacCallum

Published: June 2015

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Recommended Age: 16+

 

Synopsis

 

When strange shadows and messages plague Nora’s daily life she fears for her sanity. To escape questions from her family, Nora joins her friends on a weekend getaway. Despite not liking Aidan Birket, Nora finds his remote, Victorian house charming. Until they discover the marble doorway on the third floor and, against Nora’s better judgment, they open it.

 

Trespassing into an unfamiliar world called the Demon’s Grave, the group face a charismatic demon and six nightmarish Challenges as punishment. Those that make it to the end can go home, but those that don’t will be his forever. Friendships are tested, secrets revealed and sacrifices will be made.

 

Nora battles zombies, doppelgängers, eyeless bikers, and the demon—whose interests are more than just a game of cat and mouse. If it’s all in her head, then it should be easy. But, if not, it means the demon knows about her sticky past, and the death of her twin sister.

 

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Excerpt from The Demon’s Grave by E.M. MacCallum

 

“Aidan,” I insisted in a whisper.

 

A few car lengths north of the Chevy a stereo crackled to life. An echoing voice sang followed by a choir of voices that doo de doo’ed in the background. The slow song sounded like something from the 1950's.

 

Read and I exchanged a curious glance as the echoing main voice mentioned a game. Read pulled his hand from mine and we both wiped our slick palms on our jeans.

 

“What is it?” I asked Aidan. “What should we be looking for?”

 

He didn’t answer, his eyes kept wandering to the cars then down the street and to the motorbikes.

 

Read’s shoulders sagged, exasperated. He looked ready to say something when the roar of an engine smothered the music as well as my yelp. It stopped Read cold.

 

Aidan jumped and grabbed my arm as if I were the one to save him.

 

Craning my neck to see if there was a single vehicle taking up the roadway, I saw none. It had been so loud I couldn’t pinpoint the direction it came from.

 

The music began to take over the street once more, a new song erupting from the crackling speakers.

 

Between shallow breaths, Aidan said, “come on.”

 

Before Read or I could question him, Aidan stood up and started in long, purposeful strides, the kind that was harder to stop.

 

Read nudged me to move, or rather shoved me. Panicked, we hurried to Aidan. Looking to him, our pace quickened to keep up. Aidan stared straight ahead. His lean figure was rigid, but he hadn’t slowed.

 

Keeping close to the buildings, we passed the occupied car playing music. I could see three teenage boys inside. The muffled vintage music carried through the window.

 

I felt the scream choke in my throat as we passed. The passengers didn’t have eyes.

 

Their shapeless pale faces lacked not only the eyes but also mouths. The skin where lips should be had stretched horizontally, sealing any opening. The only portion of their faces that was noticeable was the lump of their nose—without nostrils. Even their hair was all the same color, styled the same, with a part in the middle, and they wore the same collared shirt and slacks.

 

I thought to myself, it’s just a few of the faceless, nameless people of this city, like any other...right? Maybe the demon had a sense of sick, very sick, humor.

 

I could hear, the eerie chorus of voices within the car, making it all the more surreal.

 

The three boys in the car watched us pass, as is if they could see. They turned their heads as we hurried along and I found myself staring back for as long as I could.

 

About the Author

 

E.M. loves long walks through bookstores, Disney, horror movies/books, anything supernatural, and researching random facts. She lives by a lake out in the Canadian wilderness with internet access, her husband and rag-tag band of pets.

 

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Giveaway Details

There is a tour wide giveaway. Prizes include the following:

GRAND PRIZE is a $25 Amazon gift card

and an ecopy of The Demon’s Grave.

 

Giveaway is International

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Tour: The End Is Now by Connor Titus with Giveaway

Title: In The Foothills of Mt. Empyreal: The End is Now

Author: Crystal Connor, writing as Connor Titus

Published: August 6th, 2014

Genre: Horror, Dark Fantasy

Content Warning: Adult content and violence

Recommended Age: 17+

 

Synopsis

 

The Order of The Sentinels. The Order of The Learned. The Order of The Writs. The Order of the Cloth. Angels. Demons.

 

Trapped and isolated, the residents of Fates Keep come to realize that they are not alone…

 

In a world with two realities the imaginations of author’s Crystal Connor and Lori Titus are unleashed upon the unsuspecting people living in the Foothills of Mt. Empyreal and the fate of all the world hangs in the balance.

 

One town. One catastrophe. One story told two different ways. What started in the foothills of Mt. Empyreal could be the end of us all.

 

Excerpt from The End is Now by Connor Titus

 

When deception and lies ascended to paradise, all silver-tongued and golden haired, Emerson was already dead, Jerrod was on earth, Jason was on patrol, and William, the youngest of the Celestials, was on duty.

 

Rythy was chained to her cell with irons of fire; the bars of her chamber had been fortified with the blessings from God himself and her wings had been clipped. She was fed, but only given enough to eat to sustain life ... not strengthen it.

 

Regardless, William was terrified of her.

 

And more so of late as she no longer yanked her chains while hurling protest and insults. Instead, she sat, like a cat with her tail wrapped around her feet.

 

He liked it better when she acted like a caged animal.

 

William hadn’t seen Emerson or Jerrod for days, but was just as relieved when he looked up from the logbook and saw Dianna.

 

Looking into her golden face was like being roused from some terrible dream. “Boy, I am sure glad to see you; did you come to audit the log?”

 

He turned the book so that she could see it. There was only one problem, the officer he was speaking to was not Dianna.

 

“Oh, William, I almost forgot,” Dianna started as she rounded the corner and came face to face with her...self.

 

Rythy started laughing, and with impeachable timing and flawless execution, all hell broke loose in heaven.

 

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About the Author

 

Washington State native Crystal Connor has been terrorizing readers since before Jr. high School and loves anything to do with monsters, bad guys, rogue scientific experiments, jewelry, sky-high high heel shoes & unreasonably priced hang bags. She is also considering changing her professional title to ‘dramatization specialist’ because it’s so much more theatrical than being just a mere drama queen.

 

Author Interviews

 

1. Where’s home for you?

Seattle Washington, the crown jewel of the Great Pacific Northwest! (Well I’m not sure if it’s the crown jewel or not but it does have a pretty nice ring to it. Cause if you liked it then you shoulda put a ring on it, Wuh uh oh … lol)

 

2. What’s the most valuable thing you’ve learned?

Ever? Holy crap ummm…I think I need to call a lifeline.

 

3. What is your most embarrassing moment?

Ok, but don’t laugh. When I was 17 my friends and I were at Venice Beach in California and I saw a man with a standard size poodle. After gawking at that dog for some time I skated myself right up to the owner and asked, “Mister, how did you get your dog to grow so big.” If you could have seen the look on his face. Luckily for me he explained the three sizes without being condescending, and I’ll bet you a dollar he has told this story as many times as I have.

 

4. What’s your favorite line from a book?

“She awoke in darkness.” That’s the opening line for Octavia E. Butlers Fledging

 

5. Are any of your characters inspired by real people?

No. And that’s a good thing because some of the things my characters are doing is going to send them straight to Hell on the scholarship program.

 

6. Do you have a routine for writing?

No, the way I write is pretty hectic. There have been times when I’ve been awake for days writing and sometimes I go weeks sometimes longer without picking up my pen.

 

7. Where and when do you prefer to do your writing?

I always keep pens and paper with me because when I am writing, I write all the time, and it doesn’t matter where I’m at. Once I even wrote while I was at the movies.

 

8. What’s the best compliment you’ve ever received about your writing?

Can I pick two? Thanks! So my all-time favorite compliments are the ones about how diverse the characters in my books are.

 

When I 1st started writing The Spectrum Trilogy I envisioned my two main characters as black but because horror and science fiction is dominated by white men I was super afraid that no one would read a horror/sci fi novel with a black woman lead so I went out of my way to make them as racially ambiguous as I could. But then something awesome happened. Six months before my release date I was on the bus and found a book called Fledging by Octavia E. Butler. That was the very 1st time I experienced reading about a character that looked like me. So I went back and changed my description of my two leads because I wanted the reader to know these women in their entirely and that ended up being one of the best decisions I have made as an author.

 

And the 2nd all-time favorite complete is this one:

 

“If Poe was reincarnated into an African American woman of the 21st century. Connor would be it! I soooo enjoyed her stories, and the narration was superb. I cannot get out of my mind "Best Friends Forever." So tasty and from left field. Thanks for sharing!”

 

9. What’s the hardest thing you’ve ever had to write?

The ending of Amber’s New Friend, the 4th story from And They All Lived Happily Ever After! It ended up being a little too close to home. So much so that I almost didn’t publish it but the feedback has been incredible and it’s become a fan favorite.

 

10. What are you working on now?

A book called The Family which is set in a fictional city in Washington State. I am also gearing up for my 1st international convention, IFCon in Victoria BC =D

 

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Giveaway Details

There is a tour wide giveaway. Prizes include the following:

 

Grand Prize (INT):

Signed Copy of The End is Now

Signed Copy of The Guardians of Man

Signed Copy of The Darkness

 Free Code for the audiobook ...And They All Lived Happily Ever After!

 

First Prize (US):

Signed Copy of The End is Now

Signed Copy of The Guardians of Man

Free Code for the audiobook ...And They All Lived Happily Ever After!

 

Second Prize (US):

Signed Copy of The End is Now

Free Code for the audiobook ...And They All Lived Happily Ever After!

 

Third Prize (INT):

Free Code for the audiobook ...And They All Lived Happily Ever After!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Tour: Into the Myth by R.L. Weeks with Giveaway

Title: Into the Myth

Author: R.L. Weeks

Published: August 27th, 2015  

Publisher: Crushing Hearts and Black Butterfly Publishing

Genre: YA Urban Fantasy

Recommended Age: 13+

Synopsis

“Your myth, my reality”

College can’t come soon enough for Lily. That is until Kyle, the new transfer, shows an interest in her. Except, since he’s been in town, strange accidents have been happening. Accidents that Kyle seems to be insinuating are Lily’s fault.

When she learns the truth, she is thrown into a world she didn’t believe to be true, but she is in danger. There are many forces against her, ones she has to try and protect herself and her loved ones from. The problem is, the biggest threats could be concealed in the lies of the people she loves. She has to quickly decipher who she can trust and who’s against her, if not, she could lose a lot more than her life.

 

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Excerpt from Into the Myth by R.L. Weeks

 

“So there is no actual proof. I mean, they say that’s what happens, but it could be a fairy tale to prevent people from doing those rituals. Her lover could have been miserable because she died and he loved her.” Everyone in the class is now staring at me, their mouths open a little. I raise an eyebrow to my perplexed professor. “Umm… I…” he splutters, looks at the picture of her then back to me. “You could be right.” He presses his lips together and manages to produce a half-smile. “But it would be unwise for someone to try and prove those theories wrong.” He pauses, everyone stares at him. I follow the bead of sweat trickling down the side of his head. “As there’s a good chance they could be right.”

 

“I would never attempt to do black magic. I was just making a point,” I lie. He nods and turns his attention back to the class. He recites a script written by one of her lovers. I sit at the desk, a little amused. Although I feel a little happier knowing it hasn’t actually been proven, his words still echo in my mind. They could be right, the theories. I spend the rest of the lesson admiring the picture of the woman who risked everything to bring back the one she loved. I wonder if there’s a way to find out if she really did damn herself to an eternity of pain in the underworld. I doubt it. I wonder how many sorcerers have tried and failed to find out.

 

“Produce a six-page essay on her years between twenty and twenty-five. Most of her spells were created within this time. Bonus points to anyone who can find out what ritual she created, that later affected the King of England, Henry the Eighth,” he hollers, bringing me out of my daydream.

 

What was that about Henry the Eighth? Never mind. The professor steps back and picks up several books, everyone gets up.

 

“That was awesome,” a guy says from behind me. I turn and look up at a tall muscular man with pale brown eyes.

 

“Umm… thanks.”

 

I smile nervously and go to walk out the door. I spot Miles just in front of me.

 

“Miles.”

 

“What’s your name?” The muscular guy interrupts me and Miles disappears out of view. I allow three girls to pass me, all of whom shoot Mr. Muscles a flirtatious smile. Then look at me with annoyance or envy, I can’t tell.

 

“Lily,” I say and look out the window. I can’t see Miles anywhere.

 

“Pretty name. I’m Sean, Sean Pelletier,” he says, extending his hand. I shake his hand and pull my fingers out of his tight grip.

 

“Nice to meet you. Wait, Pelletier, isn’t that?”

 

“Yes, my ancestors founded the society,” he says proudly. His surname is engraved on almost every wall in the building.

 

“Awesome.”

 

“So, how are you finding it here?” he asks. He glides his hand through his raven black, shoulder-length hair. I follow him out onto the courtyard and spot Miles on one of the benches.

 

“Things are going great.”

 

His face splits into a grin as he eyes up my bear necklace. “In good with some Berserkers?” How does he know?

 

 

About the Author

 

Rebecca is an author living in Exeter, UK. She grew up in Devon, surrounded by local folklore, which she incorporates into her writing. She doesn’t believe there are enough books for teens with strong female protagonists tackling real issues whilst incorporating the fantasy elements that offers teens the ‘escape from reality’. Her first book, a new adult dark fantasy was published in August 2015 by A-argus publishing. Into the Myth, a young adult urban fantasy, the first in a series of four, is set to release on the 27th August 2015 by CHBB publishing. As well as writing full-time, Rebecca works part time as a support worker. Editing others works, studying for her psychology diploma, blogging about various supernatural news and writing tips for other authors, are among the other things that Rebecca enjoys doing in her spare time. She hopes to write novels that inspire and help young people, in the same way, as she believes fantasy books helped her through tough times.

 

Author Interviews

Where’s home for you?

My home is wherever my family and my laptop is (so I can write), I don’t mind where I am as long as I have them.

What’s the most valuable thing you’ve learned?

To be modest no matter what you do and to be grateful for the people in your life that are there for you at your best and at your worse.

What is your most embarrassing moment?

Honestly, I have had so many, but being sick in front of a pub of people after eating something bad, then slipping on my own sick and my dress going over my head tops the rest. Not my best moment.

What’s your favorite line from a book?

After all this time? Always.

Are any of your characters inspired by real people?

All of my characters are completely made up, but I’d be lying if I said a lot of my characters have the same traits as a lot of my friends and family (and people who I don’t like).

Do you have a routine for writing?

No, whenever I feel inspired and I feel like writing I write, I wouldn’t like to force it. J

Where and when do you prefer to do your writing? In the evenings, downstairs in the armchair with my headphones in listening to music.

What’s the best compliment you’ve ever received about your writing?

When a woman messaged me saying she was going through a tough time and my book took her away from it all, how I drew her into the fantasy world and made her laugh at Lily’s humor. That made me smile knowing that my writing had made someone’s day better.

What’s the hardest thing you’ve ever had to write? When I wrote about Lily’s stepdad dying, my stepdad a couple of years back and when I wrote it, it took me back to that moment as I wrote her stepdad with him in mind.

What are you working on now?

I’m writing book two in the series, I have almost finished the first draft and I’m really enjoying watching them all grow.

 

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Giveaway Details

 

The author is hosting an awesome giveaway where you can WIN a bunch of prizes! Up for grabs are 2 Kindle Paperwhites with cases, 8 signed copies of Into the Myth, 15 bookmarks, 5 pens, 3 chapsticks, 2 Iphone 5/5s cases, 1 Into the Myth keyring and 5 fridge magnets.

 

Enter the two giveaways at the links below:

 

Giveaway

 

Book Tour: Serena’s Fall by MK Smith with Giveaway

Title: Serena’s Fall
Author: MK Smith
Published: August 4th, 2015
Publisher: Champagne Books

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Content Warning: Minor language

Recommended Age: 14+

 

Synopsis

 

Betrayed by her once-upon-a-naive-time friends, Serena, the last Water Fey, can’t touch any man she would ever want without dooming him to a hero’s brutal death. So she lives outcast among her own kind, caring for orphaned Fey children, casualties of an ancient war that broke magic and doomed the Fey to possible extinction.

 

Now her friends are back, desperate to use her powers to stop the return of the greatest evil the Fey have ever faced. Prophesy says if she doesn’t magic-up a hero and bond him to a mysterious, mystical sword, the human world will be the next to fall.

 

Two potential heroes surface—Lance, the free spirited surfer, and the doomed warrior Gramm. Both men want her, both need her, and both have a claim to her heart.

 

But Serena’s tired of human heroes dying because some Water Fey said so. With her combat boots strung tight and her corset even tighter, maybe it’s time to weave some new lines of destiny. Goth style.

 

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Excerpt from Serena’s Fall by MK Smith

 

I couldn’t stand still. I paced alongside the boxes and ran my nails down the cardboard. If I were a cat, my hair would have stood on end, and my tail would have twitched.

 

Chloe said nothing. Her eyes darted between Rachel’s and mine but couldn’t find a place to land.

 

I waited for her to say something brilliant, but I didn’t expect anything would make me want to be part of her Alice in Wonderland insanity. This was Morían. Morían Le Fey. The walking genocide who painted the White Isle in blood, broke the flow of magic, and decimated every Fey clan this side of the veil in a single night—oh, and started a war that killed millions of humans.

 

Sure, we’ll handle her.

 

Heat radiated out from my core, and my skin tingled as if I were breaking out in a cold sweat. But Water Fey didn’t sweat. I tugged at my corset and wished I had laced tighter. We didn’t stand a single chance in all the nine hells at fighting one of the most powerful Fey in history.

 

“Well, I’m listening. But this is beyond crazy. We’re eighteen years old, not one hundred eighty. We’re barely old enough to even have powers by Fey standards. And the Incarnates, the most powerful Fey from each clan, who stopped her last time were thousands of years old.” I hoped I wasn’t sneering too loud.

 

Rachel ignored me and threw her best you’re wasting my time look at Chloe. “So, where is she staging her comeback?” Her tone said she wasn’t expecting much of an answer.

 

“The vision’s…complicated.” Chloe focused on Rachel, with less naked hostility, but her voice rose sharply. She chewed her bottom lip. Complicated my ass. She was hiding something.

 

“So you don’t know.” Rachel went right for the kill. “Was it even your vision?”

 

Chloe stomped her right foot. “Yes. It was.”

 

The proximity alarm sounded in my head. Crash imminent, I decided to speed it up so I could go home. Chloe’s moment to take the lead had passed. If she had straight answers she would have spoken up by now. She had to be hoping we could roll back to the days when—details irrelevant—we’d have done anything for each other.

 

Those days were gone.

 

About the Author

 

MK Smith writes urban fantasy with attitude, telling stories filled with quirky imperfect characters trying to survive life, friendship, and each other. Part Choctaw, all storyteller, a neighbor taught him to love fantasy when she gave him his first book. Since then he has flown on dragons, carried baleful magic in faraway lands, fought supernatural powers, and lived the melancholy of the eternal elves. But the Fey are closest to his heart. And he loves telling their stories round the fire or at his keyboard late into the night. And he’ll keep telling those stories until he becomes a story himself.

 

Author Interviews

 

Where’s home for you?

My home is wherever I can brew coffee, enjoy time with family and friends, and write. Mostly I live in the North Texas, but I spend a great deal of time on the coast and in the mountains.

 

I know it sounds a little vague, but I’ve seen my share of good and bad times and I’ve learned that home is where you can enjoy the simple private things that make your own life worth living. Add to that people who know you, smile when you come up the walk, and genuinely welcome you inside—and you have all the home you need.

 

I’ve known billionaires who had less.

 

What’s the most valuable thing you’ve learned?

When I learned how to be a good friend, I learned how to be my authentic self.

 

What is your most embarrassing moment?

So many to choose from…a few months ago some friends came over to help me lay wood flooring in my gameroom. Less than 5 minutes after they arrived I slid on a small plush toy, went airborne, and hit my head against the wall. Half stunned I had to be helped onto a bed, and I lay there wondering if I had a concussion. So I picked a number over 100 at random, 127, and tried to factor it in my head. Well 127 is a prime number so it has no factors other than itself and 1. But since I couldn’t do the math, I became convinced I had a concussion so I lay still, and an ambulance was called.

 

Meanwhile my friends kept putting in floor. By the time everything had been sorted out my floor was installed, and I was ruled concussion free and a major geek.

 

What’s your favorite line from a book?

I know not all that may be coming, but be it what it will, I'll go to it laughing.

 

Are any of your characters inspired by real people?

Absolutely, while most of my characters are a collection of different people, some of them are strongly inspired. For example, Amanda is a combination of one of my elementary teachers and one of my mother’s close friends. While Chloe is equal parts one of my children and my mother’s free spirit—particularly in her wild teen years.

 

Do you have a routine for writing?

Yes, I’ve had to put some serious discipline in place to manage the juggling act of my media presence and my writing. Ideally, I’m up early and do all my social media and email. Then I slip into the kitchen and knockout breakfast. Once breakfast is done, and everyone else is out the door, I take coffee or tea and put on my headphones. Once the headphones are on, I’m writing for 4-5 hours minimum before I stop to catch up on mid-day media. Then the afternoon is a key time for me to edit other people’s work and get in some down time before everyone gets home.

 

Where and when do you prefer to do your writing?

I prefer to write in the morning or late evening, but morning writing is usually my most productive. Physically I have a space that I created to be my own when I write. I like polished wood and so I write on an antique table from Thailand with a multi monitor setup: one screen for my work in progress, and another for writing references like google to fact check and an online thesaurus to use when my software tells me the same word is showing up too often in a chapter.

 

What’s the best compliment you’ve ever received about your writing?

“I couldn’t put it down.” Seriously, I know that is a cliché but the effect on an author of hearing those words is powerful. For someone to appreciate what you have written so much that they stayed up late to finish is a thrill that sinks into my soul.

 

What’s the hardest thing you’ve ever had to write?

The cabin scene between Rachel and Serena. Rachel needs Serena to open her end of a magic bond that connected them when they were thirteen. But that bond led to Rane, Serena’s boyfriend, dying. In the cabin they are contending for dominance, arguing over guilt and innocence, and making decisions about who they want to be relative to each other. And for much of the spoken conversation many issues are indirect. So I also had to juggle keeping the words in contact with the meaning of what the girls are really discussing.

 

As a writer, I find weaving that kind of multilayered tension is a far greater challenge than crafting an alien world or a magical duel.

 

What are you working on now?

I edit for other authors in many genres: romance from sweet to high heat, Scifi, Dystopian, children’s books, and, of course, Urban Fantasy.

 

Personally, I am currently working on a series romance project with an amazing author. The sequel to Serena’s Fall, and a YA fantasy about a very feisty cat.

 

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Giveaway Details

There is a tour wide giveaway. Prizes include the following

A $50 Amazon gift card.

Giveaway is International.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Tour {Interview} Scarred by Elizabeth Montgomery with Giveaway

 

What are 10 weird things about you?

 

(Chose this option because who doesn’t like to know weird facts about others ;) )

 

1) I have an irrational fear of all bugs, spiders especially but I loathe them all equally and turn into a crying ninja when I see them.

 

2) I make fancy shmancy cakes, but don’t really like to eat cake.

 

3) Stray cats are attracted to me like lent to static.

 

4) I have a fear of being murdered while in the shower, even when the door is locked I am afraid something will crawl out of the mirror or toilet so I keep my eyes open the whole time…even when washing my face (it is possible).

 

5) I totaled my first car going 3 (yes three) miles an hour.

 

6) I totally believe in aliens. In my head I picture them all as Luxen aka Daemon (The Lux Series by Jennifer L Armentrout)

 

7) I could eat avocados, chicken and watermelon for the rest of my life and be completely content.

 

8) Short arm T-rex jokes get me every time haha!

 

9) I had the brilliant idea of going by a pen name of Summer Rayne until I said it out loud and ugly laughed at how ridiculous it was.

 

10) I have an issue with whiteboards. I will redo them a million times till the words/lines are straight.

 

ABOUT THE BOOK

 

Title: Scarred

Author: Elizabeth Montgomery
Published: June 26th, 2015

Publisher: Crushing Hearts and Black Butterfly Publishing

Genre: YA Coming of Age, Antibullying

Recommended Age: 13+

 

Synopsis

 

For those of us who come into the world different, we see it for what it really is.

 

Harsh.

 

Avery Chamberlin is special, unique. Beautiful words to gloss over the fact that she is different. She has never felt like she fit in. Why should she?

 

She was reminded on a daily basis that she was not like her peers.

 

Flawed. Damaged. A freak.

 

Avery will have to come out of her shell to prove that even the bullies have their own insecurities.

 

LIFE ISN’T ABOUT LABELS

 

20% of proceeds go to an antibullying foundation.

 

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Read FREE with Kindle Unlimited

 

Excerpt from Scarred by Elizabeth Montgomery

 

The halls were crowded with kids trying to get to class, but one person stood out in the crowd as she always did. Harper Clarke. The bane of my existence. I learned early on in middle school that she came from the upper crust, but her love was bought by her alcoholic mother and absent father. She was beautiful, popular, and I’m pretty sure she could wipe her butt with hundred dollar bills if there was no toilet paper.

 

Walking into class, I saw the one person I wished would just move out of the state, Harper. She was draped over my desk. Our English teacher thought it was a good idea to assign seats in tenth grade. It had not been conducive to my fading-into-the-crowd plan since my desk was toward the front of the room.

 

“Can you remove your butt from my desk please?” I asked as sweetly as I could.

 

“Aww, what’s wrong, Scarface? Didn’t bring your guns?” she asked with a bogus frown and then doubled over laughing. She had called me Scarface ever since I could remember. One of the downfalls to growing up in a small town: everyone knows everyone. Forever.

 

“What are you talking about, Harper?” I asked, dropping my backpack to the ground beside the desk.

 

“Don’t you get it? Scarface…guns…Al Pacino.” Her head tilted to the side like a confused puppy. “Whatever,” she said as she rolled her eyes. “I heard you’re coming to Blake’s party?” she asked, crossing her legs across the desk.

 

“Who told you that?” I was starting to get annoyed, but I didn’t want to push her; she was ruthless and would tear me to shreds in a public humiliation scene.

 

“Well, Blake himself, silly. I think he likes you.” She had a southern twang in her voice and a pageant smile plastered across her face.

 

“That’s nice. Can I have my desk back please? Class is about to start and you wouldn’t want a smudge on that perfect image you have, would you?” I winked at her as she wrinkled up her face at me before grabbing my backpack and dumping its contents on the floor. Flipping her hair over her shoulder, she walked away like nothing happened.

 

MY REVIEW (repost)

 

5 STARS

 

This fast paced, easy to read book quickly grabbed my attention and I read it all in a short afternoon.  The stereotypical characters interacted together fairly typically.  I liked the writing style and the voice.  I particularly liked Avery’s mom.  It was refreshing that Avery and her mother had a very close loving relationship;  not adversarial.  I really enjoyed their interactions.

 

I enjoyed the story and felt it did a good job pointing out how hurtful and harmful bullying is.  It also did a good job showing how teens can react to being the target of a bully in generally non-combative, positive confrontations.  At the end Avery used the hard-life lessons she had endured to show compassion and friendship to a girl who truly had no right to expect such generosity.

 

This book packs a wallop not soon to be forgotten.

 

This book was provided to me in exchange for my honest review.

 

Reviewed by Laurie-J

 

About the Author

 

Author Elizabeth Montgomery was born in Williamsburg, Virginia and raised a hop, skip, and a jump away in Yorktown, Virginia. Paranormal inspiration was easily obtained during her childhood in the Historic Triangle. This helped to spur her love of Paranormal romance stories, but she also enjoys reading YA and NA.

 

She is currently raising four children and a husband while elbow-deep in the depths of the writing cave. You can often find her searching on Google for an appropriate, or sometimes inappropriate, photo to insert in any random conversation. If not on Google, or Facebook chat, she can be found drinking coffee (like any normal writer), eating Gummy Bears, baking fanciful cakes, reading, or writing.

 

“I always wondered what authors meant when they said that their characters tell them what to write – I get it now!”

 

Author Interviews

 

Where’s home for you?

Yorktown Virginia, born and raised!

 

What’s the most valuable thing you’ve learned?

To be myself and take pride in everything that I do!

 

What is your most embarrassing moment?

Oh my, there are so many lol Hmmm…let’s see, I drove through the exit of a parking garage recently while asking my son “Why does this say WRONG WAY?” *facepalm*

 

What’s your favorite line from a book?

I’m really not sure I could name one to be honest :/ Again there are sooo many lol

 

Do you have a routine for writing?

I do actually, I make a cup of coffee, put my headphones on, find the perfect music for the scene I’m writing and bribe my kids to give me like an hour of peace lol

 

Where and when do you prefer to do your writing?

I prefer to write at night at my desk, I don’t know why but my brain works better between the hours of 10pm and 2am.

 

What’s the best compliment you’ve ever received about your writing?

Biggest compliment I have ever received is that my books need to be longer. Some people may not think it is a compliment, but to me it is the biggest compliment an author could ever receive. It means they love your work so much they wanted more, they didn’t want it to end.

 

What’s the hardest thing you’ve ever had to write?

Hardest thing I ever had to write was in Dylan’s story OUT, I can’t give anything away because that book isn’t out yet but when you read it you will see why, it was painful.

 

What are you working on now?

Currently I am finishing up my retelling of Alice in Wonderland for an amazing anthology I am a part of called Fairy Tale Confessions. After that I will be finishing up The Dyphillum Series with book 3 and OUT will be after that. I have a list of 12 books that I have started so I will be a busy bee once my kids go back to school!

 

Amazon Author Page | Facebook | Twitter | GoodReads

 

Find Elizabeth on the Periscope mobile app: @EMontgomeryAuth

 

 

Facebook | Twitter | Website

 

Giveaway Details

There is a tour wide giveaway. Prizes include the following:

A $25 Amazon gift card and 5 ecopies of Scarred.

Giveaway is International.

a Rafflecopter giveaway