Spin-off to Fight or Flight

As well as a sequel to Jay and Em's story (currently untitled), I'm also writing a spin-off novel, which follows Al back home to her story. The title of which is:

Fall in love all over again with Allie and Dean. Coming SUMMER 2013!

Add it to your TBR list here!

Dissidence #2 or should I say . . .

Defined as:

Vengeance: a harmful action against a person or group in response to a grievance: retribution, revenge.

COMING JUNE 2013!!!!

Haven't read Dissidence yet? It's not too late! Start now, for free! HERE

Already finished Dissidence? Add Vengeance to your TBR list HERE

Reveals, Reveals, Reveals!

Every year I stock up on candy at Halloween and try to make it last. By Easter, the supply is usually dwindling and I can't wait to replace all of those chocolate bars with sours jelly beans (by far the best kind).

In case you all are hurting for a little treat and tomorrow seems too far away, I'll share one with you today. It may not taste as good as sour jelly beans (you know you want some now), but I promise it'll be more fun than hunting down the eggs to get to them :)

So, what do I have for you today???

Reveals! Lots of reveals! 

For starters, let's get a closer look at the third installment of the Heart and Soul novella mini-series, coming April 20th.  

Deception is in the air. But who is being deceived?

Mel and Lucas find everyday evils-like school dances and a high holy hellion of a cheer captain-to be a breeze when Jason swoops back into their lives with danger hot on his heels.

And, as an added bonus, I have some more titles to share with you throughout the day. Who wants to know what the sequel to Dissidence will be called? What about the spin-off novel to Fight or Flight? Well, don't go far. They're coming soon!!! :) 

Add it to your TBR list here!

Who wants more Jay?

Well, you asked for it!


I've heard a lot of talk about wanting to know more about Jay's history. That got my brain turning and, you know what? There is more to tell there. A sequel is currently in the works for Fight or Flight. We'll get to revisit our old friends Em and Jay, as well as some new ones, and take a closer look at the shadows of Jay's past. Em overcame her demons, but can he?


Tentatively scheduled for a Fall 2013 release.

FIGHT or FLIGHT Blog Tour!!!

The Fight or Flight blog tour is headed your way, starting MONDAY! 

Featuring 40 different blogs over two weeks with guest posts, interviews, brand new excerpts, AND your chance to win a signed copy!!!! Be sure to check out each stop for exclusive content and another chance to win!

Here's the schedule:

March 18

Book Crazy (review/author interview)
Colorimetry (excerpt/spotlight)
The Irish Banana Review (guest post)

March 19
Passionate About Books (review)
Kindle and Me (review)
In the Best Worlds (guest post/review)

March 20
Wordpaintings Unlimited (guest Post)
Love Stories (review)
Michelle's Paranormal Vault of Books (spotlight)

March 21
Addicted to Novels (review)
On Emily's Bookshelf (review)
Sassy Cassie's Reviews

March 22
I Blog You Read (review/interview)
Book Marks the Spot (excerpt)
Kindred Souls (review)

March 23
Behind a Million and One Pages (excerpt/video)
Dana Does Read (review/ guest post)
Belle of the Library (review/ spotlight)

March 24
Books Mystify (review/extra)
In Between (guest post)

March 25
Pamela Foreman (review)
Maren Dillie (review)
Heaven is a Bookstore (review)

March 26
Jessica Sorensen (review)
Kim Last (guest post/promo)

March 27
Amina Black
Book Town (review/interview)
Kate's Tales of Books and Bands (review)

March 28
Cindy Bennett
Indie Bookshelf (review)
Coffee and a Book Anytime (review/ spotlight)

March 29
Devoured Words (review)
Best of YA (interview)
Confessions of a Bookaholic (excerpt)

March 30
Book Goodies (excerpt/interview)
Just Bookin' Around (review)

March 31
Tamara Beard (excerpt)
Dana's YA Book Pile (spotlight/review)
Beneath the Moon and Stars (guest post/ review)
The Violet Hour (guest post/ review)

FIGHT or FLIGHT is NOW AVAILABLE!

Fight or Flight is now available!!!

Be smart.
Keep your head down.

And look out for number one.

These are the rules Jay has lived by for the past two years. The rules of surviving life on the streets. But when Em comes bursting into his life, in all of her disastrous glory, the rules go right out the window.

Survive.

Flee what’s been left behind 
And never look back.

Em’s plan was simple. Though, it was easier said than done. The city streets are dangerous and unforgiving to a new arrival. Especially, a seventeen year old girl who’s never known anything but life in the suburbs. Sometimes, however, what’s lurking behind those white picket fences can be more frightening than any dark alley.

Both of them made the same decision when life got overwhelming—to run from their demons. Brought together by fate or circumstance, Em and Jay find the kind of love neither of them ever expected. But when those demons come back to haunt them and their love is on the line, which instincts will they choose to follow this time . . . Fight or Flight? 

You can grab your copy today on Amazon here!

Here is the teaser trailer I made just for you guys:

And a fan made trailer by the amazing Kendall from Book Crazy:

Getting to Know: Maren Dillie, Author of The Faith and Fate of David Ghent + A Giveaway

In the Lucen city dwell the descendants of Righteous and Fallen angels. Kept hidden form the rest of Earth and governed directly by Heaven, each descendant is given a chance to prove themself loyal to Heaven, and obtain salvation. For most, the task is encouraging and fair, but for David, it's devastating. 

David Ghent has waited twenty-one years to  fulfill a prophecy foretelling the destruction of Lucifer’s power on Earth and Heaven, saving himself and the entire world from Hell’s power. His training is complete, the city prepared. As the battle commences, the city’s most beloved daughter, Layla, suddenly appears at the Hellgate.

David is then faced with an impossible choice: fulfill the prophecy, or save her life. The consequences David faces after choosing Layla force him to question his entire life, and his loyalty to Heaven. As the aftermath of failure unfolds, David discovers that the real battle against Lucifer has just begun.

Buy the book at: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Smashwords

About the Author 

Maren grew up in Rochester, NY, which is why much of her work is set in the East. She moved to Provo, UT to attend Brigham Young University in 2004. Meanwhile, she received a license in cosmetology in 2006, and graduated with a B.S. in Home and Family Living-Clothing and Textiles in 2009. After graduation, Maren worked as a cosmetologist/barber, while her husband finished his own degree in Special Education. After he graduated, they settled in Spanish Fork, UT, where they plan on staying for a long time.

Now Maren is a stay-at-home mom, part-time piano teacher, cosmetologist, and writer. Amidst the buisiness of being a housewife, she loves reading, writing and playing music, vacationing, going on dates with her hubby and friends, throwing dinner parties, and sewing. She enjoys collecting books, and hopes someday to have a library big enough to fit all of them. Currently, her two pretty-enough-to-be-displayed-bookshelves are overflowing, and she's got books stashed all around her house. Open a random drawer, you'll probably find one.

Maren's previous work includes a short comedy, "A Tale of Two Cemeteries," and a middle-grade reader, The Treehouse. The Faith and Fate of David Ghent is her first published novel. Find out more about  Maren at www.marendille.com, or on Facebook, Goodreads, and Amazon. 




Excerpt from The Faith and Fate of David Ghent:

David helped Layla wrap Galen in the bed sheets, readying him for the rapid journey to Zeezra’s cave. Her fingers moved steadily and methodically over the guard’s limp body, but when David looked at her face, it was pulled tight.

“I’m sorry, Layla,” he said. “Will you be in much trouble for this?”

“Under normal circumstances, probably. Fortunately, the Heavens have bigger worries than my travels.”

“You agreed to this with hardly any persuasion. Why?”

“Because you asked me to, David,” she said, She flushed and resumed working on Galen. David stared at her, trying to make sense of her last words. He reached out and put his hand over hers. She stilled, but wouldn’t look at him.

“Layla,” he started, uncertain how to continue. He shook his head. His mind felt feverish again, his hand warming over Layla’s.

“Must we do this now?” Layla asked quietly.

“I’m not sure what we’re doing anymore, Layla. Something’s different, something happened.”

“No, nothing happened.” She removed her hand from his. David caught it, forcing her to look at him.

“Something happened,” he said firmly.

Layla winced and squirmed in his grasp. David hopped over Galen and backed Layla into the wall.

“I don’t know how,” he said. “But something changed between us.”

“David, please,” Layla said, her eyes closing. She sucked in a breath as David took her by the chin. “Please, I don’t—”

“It can’t just be me who senses it. I don’t feel any revulsion when I see you. I can hardly remember that I’m supposed to. We’ve never even so much as kissed, yet I’ve never been so intimate with another in my entire life. When I woke and you were gone, I was terrified by your absence.”

“Let me go, please.”

“I won’t release you until you explain this.”

“I don’t know what’s happening.” She cringed as though in pain. “What is there for me to say? How could anything pass between us when you feel the way you do about me? You hate me, you have forever. You despise everything I am, what I did to you. How I care about you.”

“Hate you?” David breathed heavily. This didn’t feel like hate. He hadn’t felt that for a while. He never wanted to be parted from her again. He wanted to do many things that had no founding in hate.

“You’ve never made it a secret,” Layla said. “I was always yours, even to be hated.”

“I don’t hate you,” David said.

“But you must!”

“I don’t!” His frustration softened. He didn’t hate Layla, he couldn’t. He loved her. Whether it was real or not, he didn’t think it mattered.

“Please don’t say that,” Layla begged, her eyes welling up with tears.

“It’s the truth. I can’t lie to you.”

“Please, David.” His face loomed closer, his bronze skin radiant in the candlelight. “Please hate me, please.”

David kissed her softly. 

Galen groaned, and David pulled away from her.

She bit her lip to quell her trembling mouth. David’s lips burned as he stared at her.

“David,” she managed to say. “Don’t ever do that again.”

I don't know about you guys, but I am now dying to get my hands on a copy of this. I don't know how you couldn't be after an excerpt like that. I think I'm in love already! Conveniently, Maren is offering you the chance to win a copy of The Faith and Fate of David Ghent right here, so enter away!!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Even in Darkness Cover Reveal

So many exciting things happening on the blog lately! Today I get to bring you the cover reveal for Cyndi Tefft's new book Even in Darkness. Isn't it absolutely gorgeous? I love it!

Even in Darkness is the third book in Cyndi's Between series. It doesn't officially release until April 1st, but I had the honor of getting an early look and let me tell you, you DO NOT want to miss this one. The first two books were fantastic, but this one takes it somewhere entirely new. Epic amounts of adventure and romance, and so many questions that I didn't even know who I was rooting for half the time and I couldn't stop turning the pages until the very end. 

Haven't read the first two books yet? What are you waiting for?

You can grab book #1 Between here.

And book #2 Hell Transporter here.

Go! Read them. Now! Then you'll be ready on April first to dive right in to Even in Darkness! Enjoy :)

Getting to Know: Mari Mancusi, Author of Tomorrow Land + a GIveaway

Like post-apocalyptic literature like Dissidence? Then you've got to check out 

Tomorrow Land by Mari Mancusi! 

Can true love survive the end of the world?

Imagine finding your first love, only to be ripped apart by the apocalypse. Peyton Anderson will never forget the day she was forced to make a choice--between her family--and Chris Parker, the boy she'd given her heart. And now, four years later, as she steps from the fallout shelter and into a dead and broken world, he's the only thing on her mind.

All Chris "Chase" Parker wanted was to take Peyton away and keep her safe from harm. But he waited for hours in the rain on judgment day and she never showed--breaking his heart without ever telling him why.  

Now the two of them have been thrown together once again, reluctant chaperones of a group of orphan children in a post-apocalyptic world where the dead still walk...and feed. As they begin their pilgrimage to the last human outpost on Earth, can they find a way to let go of old hurts and find the love they lost--all the while attempting to save what's left of the human race?

Tomorrow Land has been receiving some excellent reviews: 

"An apocalyptic coming of age futuristic romance that does the horror film genre proud."

PNR Reviews

"There is action, there is love and there are zombies. What more can you ask for?"

Book Binge

"Marianne Mancusi has returned with an edgy all-new tale, filled with fast-paced action and a heroine strong enough to mold her own destiny."

--SF Scope

"A high-stakes, high-octane tour through a devastating and deftly imagined future. This is Mancusi at the top of her game."

Diana Peterfreund, author of For Darkness Shows the Stars 

I even have an excerpt to share with all you lucky people! I know, I know... You're welcome. Enjoy ;)

As Peyton stepped out from the underground bunker, she was immediately struck with wonder at the outside world. After four years inside, she’d forgotten how vast it was, how beautiful. The sky was painted a vibrant blue, sprinkled with puffy cotton-like clouds. Wildflowers tumbled across sagging porches and poked defiantly through cracked pavement. Her favorite oak tree was still standing, strong and majestic in the center of their front yard, its branches stretching high into the sky, as if to worship the heavens.

The scent of honeysuckle tickled her nose and Peyton sucked in a large breath, delighting in the fresh, clean, and warm air that seemed so much sweeter than the stale re-circulated stuff she’d been stuck breathing for the last four years.

It was strange. For some reason, down in the shelter, she’d always envisioned the outside world to have become a gray wasteland, strangled by stormy clouds that mirrored the loss of humanity below. She’d expected a graveyard, a desolate landscape, a world with acrid winds and a sepia palette. But, it turned out, nature hadn’t mourned man’s destruction after all. If anything, it appeared to be celebrating its newfound freedom from gardeners and landscaping, a once-tamed suburbia transforming into a feral forest full of emerald life.

She stuck out her arms, feeling the warmth of the sun on her skin for the first time in four years. She wanted to skip down the street, dance, cartwheel. Run for ten miles without stopping. Enjoy a world without boundaries after years in a cage.

After doing a little shimmy of joy on the front porch, she stopped herself, looking around, self-conscious, even though she knew there was no one to see her. The thought sobered her a bit. This beautiful world would most likely be empty. Or practically so. And now she didn’t even have her mother by her side. A new emotion gripped her heart: sadness, the beauty of the world fading as reality sank in. Though she’d mourned her previous life for four years on the inside, it was different to suddenly experience its loss firsthand. Back in the shelter this reality had seemed unreal, distant. Like something from a film. Actually stepping out into the world and seeing the empty, debris-filled streets, the houses crumbling from years of neglect, made the whole situation a lot more real and a lot harder to swallow.

It was the silence that felt the eeriest. Not that her middle-class suburb had ever been a bustling metropolis, but there had been sounds all the same: the droning of lawnmowers pushed by dads on their days off, the screams and laughter of kids playing wild games of tag, cars streaming down the nearby interstate, beeping away their road rage. Planes flying overhead. Normal, everyday, take-them-for-granted sounds. All were now swept clear by an overwhelming, almost suffocating silence. There wasn’t even birdsong.

A realization she had half-suppressed for too long rose up and choked Peyton. Everyone and everything she knew and loved was gone. Her friends, her teachers—everyone had succumbed. Only her father was left. Out there. Waiting for her. Waiting for her assistance in rebuilding the world he’d known would fail.

She focused on her dilemma. How was she going to get to where he was? His destination had been far, hundreds of miles away, and she truly doubted she could get the rusted old car in their driveway to start. Not that she had any idea how to drive; after the Highway Congestion Act of ‘24, you had to be eighteen to take driver’s education in South Carolina, and she’d been way too young when they’d gone into the bunker. Besides, with no working gas stations and the streets filled with debris, it was probably better not to depend on cars. Maybe she could find a bike or something.

First things first, though. She should find supplies. And while it was tempting to just hit a few of the nearby houses to see what they had in their pantries, it was also too morbid an errand for her to face. She didn’t want to see the remnants of her former neighbors tucked into their beds or lying sprawled on the floor, thank you very much. She’d try to find a store instead.

Steeling herself, she stepped from her porch and set off. Something in the middle of the pavement a short distance away made her pause. A small figure, more than half decayed, lay in the street, its skeletal hands clutching something shredded and pink. It was… a teddy bear. Peyton fell to her knees, bent over, and threw up, suddenly glad her mother wasn’t here to see this. Wondering if perhaps she was the smart one after all.

“God, Peyton, get a grip,” she muttered to herself a moment later, wiping her mouth, embarrassed by her weakness. She’d known it was going to be like this, after all. That she’d have to be strong and push all the horrors to the back of her mind. She didn’t have time to mourn humanity. She couldn’t be distracted by the past. What was done was done, and it didn’t do any good to cry about it. After all, as her dad would say, a Razor Girl didn’t cry. When they were sad, they spit.

Peyton did exactly that. She felt a little bit better, wiped her mouth again, this time with her sleeve. But just as she was about to rise to her feet, her ears caught a sound in the distance. A voice, cutting through the dead air. She froze in her tracks, straining to listen. Was she hearing things? Was it only the wind? Some old holo broadcast set on repeat?

But no. It came again. Real and human and not that far away either.

“Guy! Where’d you go?” the voice cried. “Hey!”

People? Real-life people? Had her father been wrong? Had humanity survived, or at least more than expected? She felt a surge of hope rush through her, then forced herself to temper it. She’d been locked inside for four years. She had no idea what the outside world had become. These people could be savages, rapists, murderers, thieves. Doing whatever it took to survive in their harsh new reality, even if it wasn’t in the best interests of all mankind. Or to her in particular.

Yes, they could be trouble. But then again, they could be able to help her. And Peyton had to admit, at this point she needed all the help she could get. And if they turned out to be no good, well, it wasn’t as if she was incapable of defending herself, thanks to her dad.

Having made her decision, Peyton staggered to her feet and set off down the street as fast as her legs would carry her. Praying for the best, but preparing for the worst. '

Tomorrow Land is now available on: Amazon - Barnes and Noble

Mari was kind enough to join us today to share a little more about herself and her book. And so, let me introduce Mari Mancusi, author of Tomorrow Land! 

Two time Emmy award winner Mari Mancusi used to wish she could be a vampire back in high school. But she ended up in another bloodsucking profession--journalism--instead. Today she works as a freelance TV producer and author of books for teens, including the award winning Blood Coven Vampire series published by Penguin Books. When not writing about creatures of the night, Mari enjoys traveling, cooking, goth clubbing, watching cheesy horror movie and her favorite guilty pleasure--videogames. A graduate of Boston University , she lives in Austin , Texas with her husband Jacob, daughter Avalon and dog Mesquite. 

To learn more, visit Mari on her: Website - Blog - Facebook - Twitter

What inspired you to write Tomorrow Land?  

I love fish out of water stories. I think the best way to explore a new world is by taking a character who doesn’t belong there—and throw her in head first. My heroine, Peyton, has been living in a nuclear fallout shelter for the last four years and has no idea what to expect when the time-lock doors finally open. Her father has prepared her physically to meet the challenges of a zombie-infested world. But waking up to a world filled with monsters and trying to come to terms with that mentally--well, that would be a challenge for any of us. Also, I wanted to play with a Casablanca’esque trope—of two young lovers meeting again after a bitter separation. Chase waited for Peyton in the rain and she never showed—breaking his heart without ever telling him why. Now, four years later, she’s back. And he’s harboring a lot of resentment. 

How did you come up with the title? 

The book’s characters are on a pilgrimage through a zombie infested wilderness to the supposedly last safe place on Earth—Disney World. So Tomorrow Land is a play on the name of the futuristic section of Disney—called Tomorrowland. Also, since the book jumps timelines in each chapter – from just before the apocalypse to four years after, you’re kind of seeing yesterday and tomorrow in the same book. So it just kind of worked.

Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?

I think the message is the importance of family in times of trouble. And that family may not be a biological family—but perhaps a group of strangers, bonding together and helping one another. Whether you’re just trying to get through a bad day – or the end of the world! – it’s those personal connections you make that make it not only possible, but worthwhile. 

Were there any particular characters in your book that you had a hard time connecting with and writing?  

The hero in the story, Chase, is addicted to pain killers in the beginning of the book and it was a challenge to make sure he remained sympathetic, even when he made stupid decisions based on his addiction. But I felt it was important to explore this idea because I think it’s probably pretty realistic. Imagine losing everyone you love—society disintegrating before your eyes filling up with actual monsters. That’s a lot to take in and I bet there would be plenty of people who would take desperate measures to dull the pain and fear.

Do you see yourself in any of your characters? 

I think all of my characters have a little bit of “me” in them, though probably the most autobiographical work is my “Love at 11” novel, which is a contemporary story about a TV news producer who wants so hard to make a difference, but is always stuck with the fluff/sensational news stories. I was a TV news producer for years and a lot of that book came out of personal experience.

I believe you have several other works published, as well. Would you mind telling us a little about them?

I recently finished an eight book vampire series called The Blood Coven Vampires for Penguin. The series is more like Buffy than Twilight—with a lot of tongue-in-cheek humor and satire, though there’s a fair share of romance and angst as well. And my newest series, Scorched, is coming out starting in September from Sourcebooks. I consider that my “Terminator with dragons” series. We’re doing a cover reveal soon and I can’t wait for people to see it! The artist has outdone himself.

Which of your works is your favorite? Why?  

That’s like picking a favorite child! :) I love them all in different ways. I do have a special place in my heart for my Blood Coven Vampire series since I stayed with them for eight books. It was bittersweet to finally end it and move on. 

If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor/inspiration?

Sherrilyn Kenyon, who writes the Dark Hunter series, amongst other books. She took me under her wing when I was a newbie author and has always been so sweet and supportive. She’s also such an inspiration as an author—the way she treats her fans with such love and respect—sometimes staying at bookstores hours after closing just so no one goes home disappointed. If I were ever as big a success as her, I’d want to be like that, too. Because at the end of the day, it’s the readers who matter above everything else.

What book are you reading now?

I’m on Book #5 of Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin, A Dance with Dragons. I love the HBO series and decided to read through the books, which are even better. Book 5 is the latest in the series and I’m hoping it doesn’t take him too long to finish the next book.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

We Have Our Winners!

We made it to 30 reviews on Amazon!!! So today I let Rafflecopter choose a couple of winners for our giveaway.

to our grand prize winner Aileen Aroma. You are the proud new owner of a Kindle Fire!

And to our second place winner, Erin Strain, who won a digital copy of each of my books!

Didn't win? No worries. Keep your eyes peeled, there will be more giveaways coming up soon :)