The White Aura Excerpts and More

So in case you didn't know Felicia Tatum is the author of The White Aura (book 1) and The Vessel (book 2)! Currently she's working on Mangled Hearts which is slowly climbing in word count. If her wrists weren't against the book worms in America, she'd be done but alas carpal tunnel is a bitch.
This week she's being featured as Author of the Week on Passionate About Books <-- Click on the link and enter the giveaway! Yay! Everyone likes free things, well free bookish things. Some things people try to give you (like my Grandma) have seen better days. But that giveaway is for some swag and ebooks.

**Love this cover. Guilty as charged. I even bought it for my bookshelf after reading the ebook**

Book Blurb

How do you live with the gut clenching truth that the one you love will die if you meet them? Twenty year old sorcerer Scott Tabors is learning how. After seeing seventeen year old Olivia Whitehead outside of a coffee shop, his heart will never be the same. He longs for her, he wants her, and he knows she will be his. They are heart mates. …but due to a curse on his family, he can’t meet her. Not yet. So for now, he visits her in her dreams. Her dreams where he can tell her everything but his name.

Olivia Whitehead is a typical junior in high school. She and her best friend are having the time of their lives, but she can’t help but notice the changes happening to her. Especially the changes in her heart after she begins dreaming about a mysterious dark haired young man. But what will happen when the school heartthrob decides he wants Olivia? Will she realize the dream man is real or will she move on?

Time for the Excerpts 

Number 1: Olivia's POV

I’m outside. The moon is high and glowing, there are trees all around. This is a new location. I look around for Mr. Sexy, but I can’t see him anywhere, it’s too dark. Looking around, I realize this place is familiar. Wait…I’m in the field I was day dreaming about earlier. The soft green grass is like silk between my toes. There are yellow daisies everywhere. Trees line the perimeter, it’s almost like I’m in a box. I’m wearing my shorts and cami, but I’m not cold. The wind is blowing just enough to ruffle my hair. “Hello?” I call timidly. Nothing. It’s completely silent out, not even birds are chirping. I glance around and walk forward. My arms are wrapped around the front of me, not for warmth, but for comfort. I know I’m dreaming, but this is still kind of weird. I see a deer to my left, just watching me. She’s beautiful and majestic. She starts to come towards me the moment I wish I could pet her. My hand slowly reaches out and touches her course coat. Huge brown eyes look into mine, there’s no fear.

“You’re beautiful,” I whisper.

“So are you,” a deep voice says from behind me.

I turn violently, scaring the deer off into the trees. Mr. Sexy is standing five feet in front of me. Jeans and a fitted white t-shirt clothe his fit body.

“You’re here.”

“Of course I am, where else would I be?”

“I thought…well I wasn’t sure if this was our dream or just mine.”

“It’s ours Livvie, it’s ours. Always ours.”

Number 2: Olivia's POV

Aiden followed closely behind me. We sat and our hands brushed as we both reached for the same arm rest. I giggled with embarrassment and moved the opposite rest instead. I breathed deeply, trying to relax myself before the theater went dark. I moved my eyes slightly, trying to get a sideways glance at Aiden. His chiseled face looked as stormy and dangerous from his profile as his eyes did from the front.  As I studied him, he seemed to sense me and turned slowly. His eyes seemed to swallow my soul and I felt my hand moving toward his. Just as I was inches from gripping his fingers, J cleared her throat behind me.

               My mind seemed to clear, like the fog lifting from the ground. I turned slowly, almost feeling like my mind and body were not my own anymore. I looked at J, my eyes looking deep into hers but my mind still felt disconnected. I felt like I was screaming inside, like I was trapped in my own body.

“Liv?”

The voice coming from mouth didn’t seem like my own. It sounded distant and disconnected.

“Yeah?”

She reached out grabbed my arm, gripping me tightly and shaking me slightly.

“Liv, what’s wrong?”

I glanced back at Aiden, still looking like a wild storm brewing, and I shrugged my shoulders in confusion.

Number 3: Scott's POV

My reflection was much calmer than my inside. I was an absolute wreck inside, worried and scared about the events that would happen tonight at the dance. Wearing black dress pants and a white buttoned shirt, I looked dressed up enough to blend in if I had to go in the building for any reason. My pockets were loaded with stunning charms that would stun the attacker if I threw them at him. I had a knife in my back pocket, big enough to do damage if needed. I didn’t want this fight to become that violent, but I was prepared to protect Livvie if I had to.

Mark had similar charms and weapons to guard himself with. I had given them to him after he had left school. Grandma and Sadie were prepared with spells they had memorized. Immobilizing spells, memory erasing spells (for the dance goers), slumber charms, and they had found a few control spells that would be handy if we needed the crowd to leave without putting up a fight. Overall, I felt that we were well prepared. I couldn’t help the sinking feeling in the pit of stomach, a feeling that told me The Crimson Calamitous was much stronger and this may all be for naught. T

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Emerald Isle Cover Reveal

Today is the new cover reveal of Emerald Isle by Kate Hinderer!

Title: Emerald Isle (Fascination Island #1) Author: Kate Hinderer Description: To escape a bad break-up and fighting parents Audyn takes a job as a lifeguard at Fascination Island. The posh five-star resort lives up to its name in every way, including the strange rules the owner has about entering the water at night. Despite declaring it a boy-free summer, it isn’t long before the shy, endearing Levi and the mysterious, tattooed Tristan begin vying for her attention. When Levi tries to push his advantage and Tristan comes to the rescue, Audyn realizes there is more to both these boys and the island they inhabit. Suddenly, she’s forced to acknowledge a reality she’d never considered and to pick a side in the conflict that has been waging for decades.                  

 First let's check out the old cover:




  And now lets take a the new and improved cover:

Excerpt

Beginning of the story… I never believed in love at first sight until I stood on the stage in the Moonlight Serenade. The uncomfortable churning of my stomach, that plagued me from the moment I boarded the plane from California, finally settled. The nerves that mocked me for taking this internship moved to the background as I stood looking out over the empty restaurant tables surrounding the stage and bandstand. I closed my eyes, envisioning the warm spotlights causing my skin to glow, the soft timbre of the band playing the melody, all eyes on me as I opened my mouth to sing. My heart swelled as my body swayed to the music in my head. It was love; I was meant to be here, to sing on this stage. “Ah! Collette, my singing song bird,” Jim Riche called, his arms out to embrace me as he walked into the empty restaurant. Minutes before, a Fascination Island staff member dropped me off at my worksite and left me promising to find the resort’s owner. Swallowing the fear that threatened to choke me in this moment, I offered the middle-aged millionaire a meek smile. “Mr. Riche. Thank you again for inviting me to sing here this semester.” “I should be thanking you. I had the privilege of hearing your mother on the stage three different times in New York. It was close to divine. I heard your demos and had to have you here.” I blushed and looked at my feet, embarrassed both by the compliment and the mention of my deceased mother. She’d been dead three years and still even the mere mention of her name or her renowned talent, caused my heart to break again. “It’s an honor,” I mumbled feeling the familiar shyness overtake me under his close scrutiny. I had hoped the decision to pack up and move to Fascination Island for five months would alleviate some of the utter fear I felt in a stranger’s presence. But it hadn’t worked any miracles yet. “Well, Paul Stein won’t be back until tomorrow afternoon. He took a little, needed vacation after the intense summer months. I’m sure you’re eager to start working with him on your repertoire and routines.” I simply nodded. Paul Stein happened to be one of the main reasons I took the job in the first place. Known over the world, Mr. Stein was considered by many to be the pre-eminent vocal coach and mentor for anyone considering a career on the stage. My mother had worked with him for several months at the height of her career and couldn’t say enough about how he had helped her. But now, he had relegated himself to this small five-star resort in the middle of the Fiji Islands and only worked with the select few lucky enough to claim jobs on Mr. Riche’s payroll. I was one such lucky girl.

About the Author

In a nutshell: Writer. Blogger. Journalist. Marathon runner. Social media enthusiast. Beer drinker. Avid YA reader. Traveler. Chicago native. Milwaukee resident. Music fanatic. Fashion lover. Oldest of nine.   Writing has been in my soul from the very beginning. In grade school I started my own local paper for the street I lived on. In middle school I wrote for the school paper and loved any English writing assignment. I started writing novels in high school. At the time my friends were the characters, the setting was almost always Regency England, and I scratched the story into lined notebooks. Now, I have a journalism degree and a dozen various business writing gigs under my belt. I’ve lived in a handful of US cities including Milwaukee, Chicago, Boston, St. Louis and New York. I pen a personal fashion and lifestyle blog, ModlyChic.com, and continue to write about commercial real estate. My first book, Aurora Undefined, was published in 2011. The Emerald Isle, the first Fascination Island book, came out during the summer of 2012, at which time I immediately began writing the second book in the series. Next up . . . stay tuned! I’m working on a new contemporary novel as well as the third book in the Fascination Island series.

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Inseparable by Missy Johnson

Ahhh, I've been waiting for DAYS to share my love of this book. Days. Having to wait to gush is unbelievably hard. So please my pretties keep reading and remember that Inseparable is .99cent for another two days (and the rest of Missy Johnson's books are on sale as well<---I plan on snatching up some copies myself for sure).

Inseparable

By Missy Johnson

**BTW the cover whore book lover in me LOVES that Lily looks like the girl on the cover. I was relieved when the main character wasn't a brunette--it happens**

Synopsis

Can you imagine losing your twin?

Nineteen year old Lily is still struggling with the death of her identical twin, Abby, a year later when she moves away from home for college. Even in death though, their bond is still strong, with Abby visiting Lily in her dreams.

When a chance encounter with Twenty-One year old Dane Hansen changes Lily’s life, Lily’s friends warn her off becoming involved with Dane. He’s bad news, according to the rumors, anyway.

Dane has experienced loss himself, he understands Lily, and the more time he spends with her, the harder he falls. There is something he hasn’t told her though, something almost nobody knows, and it’s something that might stop Lily from feeling the same way.

Abby holds the key to something that will change Lily and Dane's life forever, but how do you get someone else to believe something you don't quite understand yourself?

My Review

4.5 Stars

Diving into Inseparable by Missy Johnson was a leap of faith. I’ve read a lot of Romance novels recently and the “automatic book judger” in me was worried it was going to be just another superficial college love story. You know the ones. Girl meets boy (boy who happens to be ridiculously rich or into BDSM and facing personal demons), Girl falls in love cue drama, boy saves girl or vice versa and then wham bam tie it together with a happy ending. Although Inseparable does have a happy ending (and I’m thankful) it doesn’t follow any of the standards. Missy Johnson threw them out the window and created an amazing story, its foundation stemming from tragedy before blossoming into more. Inseparable captured my attention and drew me in until the wee hours of morning when pre-dawn rears her ugly head. Nothing anyone could say would convince me to put down Lily and Danes story. 

***You want me to what? No. Eat dinner? No. Sleep? No. Study? No. Magic word when reading is “No”

Lily is my favorite blonde ever. Missy Johnson worked magic with Lily as her female lead. I was so glad she wasn’t a perfect girl. She had issues, she was starting college late, she was quirky and awkward. All those qualities and then some made her believable. I loved her personality and how well Missy wrote her in regards to losing her twin. She paid a great respect to those of us that have lost a sibling and my heart ached for her after every dream with Abby as if it was my own twin. Lily had moments of humiliation, grace, confidence and self-doubt. Each adding to her credentials and pulling her off the page a bit more and into my heart, seriously, once I read that she put on Metallica to go to sleep…it was over. I already knew I loved her and just how awesome she was. That sentence just made it official and a fangirl moment. I’m sure I squealed. Overall she was genuine and relatable, becoming a better main character with each turn of the page.

The entire cast was such a joy to read. Kella had my heart when she was introduced with her “matter of fact” attitude and blunt approach. Then Gem who sits next to Lily in class was sweet and had me crossing my fingers in hopes that she turned out to be a good friend and not a later plot twist. Both supporting characters held their own and added their own sparks throughout the book. 

Now I loved Dane and his mysterious nature. For starters, he got some brownie points for not spending the entire book denying his feelings. He was everything Lily needed to flourish and she was his key to finding himself and his way home (along with some answers were a long time coming). Their dialogue exchange was witty and dynamic. Missy set up some really great scenes that held precious moments between the two and their journey down the darkened path together. Between Dane and Lily there was never a dull moment. Their relationship was another nice change for me because Lily didn’t make Dane jump through a million hoops or have him on some extreme pedestal. She liked him, was able to admit it and oh, another plus was that she didn’t constantly think of how she wasn’t good enough. I loved how it was simple but sometimes less is more. Their relationship fit into the plot wonderfully and was realistic. I like my Romance novels to have some realism in there (I mean I’m not reading Fantasy) and Missy Johnson balanced everything beautifully.

**You'll have similar experiences where you wonder what just happened and keep reading as Missy throws another wrench in the story line** 

There were epic plot twists everywhere! Inseparable kept me on my toes the whole way through. Even if I wasn’t already attached to the emotional aspects of the plot by the third chapter, the secrets each character has would definitely keep me reading. That’s why I stayed up all night reading it and as much as I’d love to gush about them I try not to fill my reviews with too many spoilers. You may think you even have it figured out after reading the blurb but I promise you, you don’t. With every puzzle piece Missy Johnson reveals on Lily and Dane’s path, she creates another missing piece. She ties everything together smoothly and with precision.

I liked how some secrets worked themselves out throughout the book and the questions you find yourself asking are also answered before the story ends. The deeper meaning is never lost underneath what’s going on with the characters and they have to work every step of the way to cope with their losses. They cleared their own paths and the moments of truth…the one’s where the characters have to face themselves in order to move forward could have been a bit longer in my opinion. But I wouldn’t necessarily call that a fault because it could have simply been my desire for the story not to end. And I found that when they were on their trip, I lost track of time but it didn’t hinder the story line at all (I could quite possibly be the only one that notices these things).

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Last but not least my pretties, you really must enter Missy Johnson's giveaway. There's a kindle Paper White on there!!!

Missy Johnson's Giveaway

Brand New Series

Risen 

By Christine James

Synopsis

Witness the Beginning...

A fun night in a small town carnival will change Erin’s life forever with a simple visit to a bizarre and mysterious fortune teller. Scared to death by what the haggard woman reveals, Erin quickly 
flees and quite literally collides with Angelo, a mysterious and captivating carnival worker. Later 
that night, he appears in her dreams but he’s not the only one visiting her slumber. Evil is
lurking on the edge of the shadows and it's coming for her. Angelo is not what he
seems, but then again no one ever is. Not even Erin.
Loyalties are tested and the lines of friendship begin to blur as long hidden truths
come to light and fate bears down upon them all. Everyone has secrets but when
some turn out to be more than heart wrenching, Erin has decide who she can
trust.
Can Erin deal with the harsh past that Angelo has been harboring or will it prevent her from doing what she's been chosen to do?

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Risen (The Chosen Chronicles)