The Rhodi Saga
By: Megan Linski
Published by: Gryfyn Publishing
Genre: Dystopian, Fantasy, Young Adult
Welcome to my stop on The Rhodi Saga blog tour with Xpresso! You can find the full list of participants, with many reviews HERE. Read more of this post for an incredible giveaway, including multiple books and a $100 giftcard!
Deceived (Soul Keeper Series #1)
By: L.A. Starkey
Publication Date: August 28, 2014
Genres: Paranormal, Young Adult
They say a soul is the immaterial essence, the animating principle, the actuating cause of an individual life.
But what if you had to share yours with the one person you hated the most?
The soul mate principle states that for every one soul there is another that will recognize its match, hence creating the perfect union.
But what if you had two soul mates, which would you choose?
What if your choices had eternal ramification?
Deceived, the debut novel in the Soul Keeper Series, is a modern day love story about the implications of having more than one soul mate, and having to choose between the two of them. The decisions of the gods has left the next generation, their heirs, torn between fate and reality, and the balance of the future hangs in anticipation of what’s to come.
Excerpt
Julie finished picking up her room and quickly changed into her pajamas. She slid into bed, finding comfort in the darkness. Something was off, but she couldn’t quite put her finger on what it might be. She tossed and turned in her bed, sleep evading her, worry starting to consume her thoughts.
“Sister …”
Julie sat up, full of fright. She slid out of bed, tip-toed to the window and peered through the misty glass. A young man about her age, beautiful and enchanting, stood in the grass below, smiling up toward her as the night wind tousled his dark hair. She jumped back from the window with a soft yelp leaving her lips.
Brother. The thought came and went like a ghost in the night.
Brother? Who is he for real? Julie asked herself as she slipped on her slippers and rushed down the stairs, heading straight for the back door. Seriously? Am I seriously rushing out the back door toward some random person I think I know? And from where? It was useless. Her feet were moving faster than her senses could keep up with, rushing to get to him before he disappeared.
Julie burst out the back door and ran across the yard, stopping a few feet from him. As she reached out, instead of touching him, her hand passed through his body, warmth teasing her fingers. Her widened eyes filled with tears. She knew this boy and loved him.
“Is it you, Brother? Am I asleep?” Julie’s voice was no more than a whisper.
“Yes, you’re asleep. I’ve missed you so much over the last few years. To see you here on Earth breaks my heart.” He ducked his head, but it was too late. She could see the tears rimming his deep jade gaze.
“I don’t understand. How am I breaking your heart?” Much to her discomfort, she took another step toward him. “Where have you been, I haven’t seen you in a lifetime. Why have you not visited me more often? What is this Earth you speak of?” Julie’s mind was overloaded, trying to catch up.
Where are these words coming from? This guy is my brother? As in, real brother? Because he is certainly not Brent.
What is Earth? Uh, how about Earth to Julie?
I’d better be dreaming. She shifted uncomfortably.
“The prophecy’s coming near. You being born to this plane tells me this much. My grief for you over the events to come is more than my soul can bear. I shouldn’t have come here …” He turned and began to pace, having a conversation half with himself and half with her.
“Why do I do this to myself?” He shook his head. “I wish I were here in the flesh so I could reach out and hug you. I’d implant in you the memory and strength of my love, but I can’t. It’s against the rules, Sister, and everything has to be fair. However, you know all of this as well as I do.”
He chuckled sarcastically. “These rules are supposedly ingrained in all of us at a cellular level. What a load of crap.” Nick paced back and forth with disgust drawn in the deep worry lines of his forehead.
“Fair, ha, as if,” he huffed. “Where is our even playing field? Where is fairness to us, you evil witches?” he loudly cursed the sky, as if daring someone in it to strike him dead where he stood.
Julie shivered in fear, overwhelmed by his tirade. Her brow wrinkled in confusion at who he was addressing.
“Why don’t you just end this battle of wills, this ridiculous prophecy, even before it begins?” he continued. “No, of course not. I’m not that lucky, am I, Sister?”
“Please, stop this madness,” Julie pleaded with him, reaching to take his hand into hers and finding nothing of tangible essence. “No matter what happens, I love you. Tell our brother I love him too. That his sister cries for his fate, as she cries for yours.” Julie shook her head, desperately trying to wake herself.
She was merely an onlooker, staring out of her own body, watching someone else pull the strings.
*~*
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23109999-deceived
Purchase:
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Author Bio:
Laurie Starkey is the author of the upcoming Soul Keeper Series, a supernatural young adult series, and The Liarus Detective Series, a supernatural middle grade series. She lives in Houston, Texas with her husband, Jacob and three beautiful kiddos.
She is a CPA by trade, a church planter and entrepreneur at heart; however, writing and reading are passions she just can’t help but indulge in. With more ideas than one person should be allowed, she is blessed to have a muse that doesn’t seem to take a vacation and more energy that one might consider healthy.
Author links:
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Stupid Girl
By: Cindy Miles
Publication Date: May 13, 2014
Genres: New Adult, Romance
Synopsis
Only fools fall in love…
After her senior year of high school leaves behind nothing but heartache, Olivia Beaumont is sure of this: She’s no stupid girl. She sets out for Winston College, promising herself that she will remain focused on her first and only love – astronomy. But all it takes is cocky sophomore Brax Jenkins and an accidental collision with a football, to throw her entire year off course.
A quick-tempered Southie who escaped the inner city streets of Boston to pitch for Winston, Brax is known to play way more fields than just the baseball diamond. So, when his name is drawn to take part in his fraternity’s hazing dare, Brax eagerly accepts the mission to take Olivia’s virginity. But he doesn’t plan on falling hard for the sweet and sassy Texas girl who sees right through his bad-boy persona.
As Olivia and Brax battle their feelings for each other, echoes of the past year begin to surface. A boy who once turned Olivia’s whole world upside down reappears, and “harmless” pranks wreak havoc. Pretty soon the aspiring astronomer is on the verge of revealing her most difficult, heartbreaking secret. All the while, Brax must wrestle with the irrevocable dare, and Olivia struggles against all logic as she does the one thing only a stupid girl would do: fall in love.
Excerpt
Brax: Wake your ass up, Sunshine.
I grinned as I stared at his text. What a charmer.
Me: I’ve been up, Boston. I had celestial homework on the rooftop. What’s up?
Brax: I’m running late. Celestial you say? Sounds sexy. Meet u in class?
Me: Of course. Everything sounds sexy to you, weirdo. Last one there’s a rotten egg.
Brax: A dare? You’re on. But it’ll be worth more than eggs, sweetheart.
Me: We’ll see.
Brax: L8R beautiful.
Me: You’re crazy.
Brax: I know.
I set my phone down and glanced over at Tessa, still curled up in a ball on her side, buried in the covers. She’d come in late last night, long after Brax and I had said goodbye. “Tess? Are you okay?”
She turned her head and one eye cracked open as she peered through a mossy mass of tangled hair. She groaned. “I don’t feel so good, chica. I’m going to skip class.”
I stared and shook my head. “For shame. Can I get you anything?”
Tessa pulled the covers completely over her head. “Yeah. A hammer. Then you can bonk me on the head with it.”
I laughed lightly and continued getting ready for class. Steven had agreed to take my shift so I could go to Brax’s baseball game Saturday, and I’d taken his shift for tonight. Excitement coursed through me at watching Brax pitch. I could barely wait.
Pulling on a pair of jeans, a cami top and a three-quarter sleeved snap up shirt to wear over it, I hurriedly dressed, pulled on my All-Stars and grabbed my pack and bag. One final glance at Tessa’s huddled form beneath the covers, and I headed out. I hit the stairwell and jogged down to the first floor, but the second I entered the common room, I noticed quite a healthy amount of heads had turned my way. A little self-conscious, I wondered why they were all looking at me. Making my way to the front door, I stepped outside and noticed more students in the parking lot. As I walked, heads turned. What was going on?
“Hey, Olivia.” A hand reached for my arm, and I turned to find a girl named Becca from my astronomy class. In her expression I immediately saw pity. “Do you know who did it? Pretty lame.”
“Did what?”
She pointed. “Isn’t that your truck over there?”
I followed her gaze and pointed finger to where my truck was parked. Several people stood around it, holding their cell phones up. My feet started moving before my brain kicked in, and I started pushing my way through the gathered students toward it. With my heart in my throat, I finally got close enough to see what the fuss was all about. White letters slashed across the hood, fender. Pushing ahead of the people who stood gawking and taking pics, I could do nothing but stare, horrified at the vulgar words scrawled against the blue paint.
Gutter Fuck.
Embarrassment washed through my body, and anger, shock, almost paralyzed me. A few voices filtrated through my brain as I continued to stare. Oh shit, man, that’s harsh, and Oh. My. God. I didn’t look up. Didn’t look at anyone. I just turned, pushed through the crowd and headed back to the dorm to find something to wash it all off. Eyes followed me, of course, all the way back through the common room, and I eased up stairs and into mine and Tessa’s dorm. She lay sleeping, just as I’d left her. Quietly, I grabbed a few older towels I’d brought with me specifically for washing the truck, and just as I was slipping back out the door Tessa stirred.
“Something wrong?” she asked feebly.
“No, go back to sleep,” I said. “
AUTHOR BIO
WHIMSICAL FANCY 