Blog Tour (Excerpt, Book Trailer, Giveaway): SOMEONE I USED TO KNOW by Patty Blount (YA)

It’s been two years since the night that changed Ashley's life and two years of hell for Derek. When it all comes to a head at Thanksgiving, will these siblings be able to salvage their relationship? From the award-winning author of Some Boys comes an unflinching examination of rape culture that delves into a family torn apart by sexual assault.

SOMEONE I USED TO KNOW
by Patty Blount
Release date: August 7th, 2018
Published by: Sourcebooks Fire
Genre: Young Adult Contemporary
Format: Paperback, eBook
Trigger Warning: Rape

SUMMARY

It's been two years since the night that changed Ashley's life. Two years since she was raped by her brother's teammate. And a year since she sat in a court and watched as he was given a slap on the wrist sentence. But the years have done nothing to stop the pain.

It's been two years of hell for Derek. His family is totally messed up and he and his sister are barely speaking. He knows he handled it all wrong. Now at college, he has to come to terms with what happened, and the rape culture that he was inadvertently a part of that destroyed his sister's life.

When it all comes to a head at Thanksgiving, Derek and Ashley have to decide if their relationship is able to be saved. And if their family can ever be whole again. 

Add to your TBR list:  GOODREADS

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BOOK TRAILER - SOMEONE I USED TO KNOW

EXCERPT

Copyright© 2018 Someone I Used To Know

Patty Blount

Derek

Now

Long Island, New York

My sister hates me.

Ashley’s hated me for a couple of years now and it’s okay. I wanted her to hate me and did whatever I could to make it happen. Of course, that was before I knew what hate really meant. Now that I get it, I can’t change it, can’t undo all the shit I did, can’t fix what went wrong. So I suffer.

See, hate is a meaningless word. Everybody tosses the word around like it’s confetti, diluting it, rendering it about as effective as a Band-aid over an amputated limb to describe how they feel about every little thing that annoys them. They hate this song, that food, that person, or this movie. They hate homework, hate their teachers, hate their parents. They hate this team and that game. They hate every damn thing but nobody has even the smallest clue what hate really means unless they’re the object of it. 

The focus of it.

Hating somebody is more than you stop caring about them, and it’s more than not wanting to see that person ever again. It’s this need—an urge you can barely control—to make that person suffer. True hate goes all the way down to your bone marrow. Sometimes, it’s glacier cold and infinitely patient; other times, it’s surface-of-the-sun hot and bullet fast.

Ashley hates me in that glacier cold, slow-moving kind of hate. It leaves me permanently frost-bitten and has this really annoying habit of shadowing me around even when she can’t. Like right now—I’m surrounded by flyers. One was slipped under my dorm room door, another was stuck on the exit door of my building, the third was stuffed into my hand when I ordered some breakfast and this one is folded into one of those little tent cards and placed on top of every single table in the dining hall. I’ve been on campus at Rocky Hill University—several states and hundreds of miles away from my sister—for a few weeks, relieved to be away, to be anonymous, to be on my own. Mom and Dad wanted to come with me, set up my dorm room, have the big sloppy farewell like they did when Justin left for college four years before, but I wanted no part of that. I just wanted to be gone. Free. When Dad got the last of my crap into the car and asked if I’d said my goodbyes to everybody, I’d said yes.

But I hadn’t.

I’d tried to say goodbye to Ashley. She held up a hand and said. “Just go.” It had cut deeply, but I knew I deserved it, so I did.

I’d climbed into the passenger seat. Mom came to the front door and waved as Dad pulled out of the driveway. Ashley stood behind her, freezing me with that same cold, dead stare she’d been saving just for me since the trial. I kicked back, happy to be rid of her for the next four years.

And what happens?

Everywhere I look…reminders of her.

The flyers announce You Can Stop Campus Sex Assault! Blue paper, white text, announcing we’re gonna Take Back The Night.

Great.

There’s a huge rally being planned for Homecoming week—Rock Stock here. Because we’re the Rockets.

Of course, it would be homecoming week, because, like I said, I must suffer.

There will be guest speakers and live music and a candlelight vigil for all the survivors of sexual assault. I flip it over to read my favorite part: Are you a guy against rape? Join GAR today!

GAR. I wonder if people say it with a rolling R, like a pirate. Garrrrrrrr.

Oh, and the coach informed us the entire football team would don special uniforms for that game, showing our support. 

Awesome.

I crumble up the collection of flyers into a single giant ball and shove my breakfast aside, my stomach churning up acid. I was already planning on being hurt, injured, or maybe both that day.

“Hey, Derek.”

I glance up into the smiling face of Brittany Meyers, my girlfriend. We actually met in high school but didn’t hook up until we both arrived here. “Hey, Britt.” I sit up a little straighter, shove thoughts of my sister the hell out of my brain. Brittany’s hot in that girl-next-door way. Her long blond hair’s tied up in a loose knot with strands hanging loose. She’s wearing a tank top, shorts and flip-flops and her toes are painted an electric green and my mouth goes suddenly sand-paper dry. Happens every time.

Quickly, I take a sip of orange juice. A big one.

“What’s this?” She indicates my balled up collection of flyers and I shrug. Understanding dawns a second later. “Oh. The rally.”

“Yeah. That.” I rub the side of my face, scratch at the scar near my temple.

“You’re gonna go, right?” 

Hell, no. I shake my head. “No way. I’m the last person who should be there.”

She slides into the chair opposite mine, covers my hand with hers and my whole body heats up. “Derek, you’re the best person to be at that rally. You get it. A lot of guys claim they get it and have no clue. But you do.”

I look into her big blue eyes for a minute and finally decide she believes her own bullshit. And then I decide she’s right. I do have a clue. In fact, I have the whole mystery solved. And because I do, there’s no way in hell I’m going anywhere near that rally because I don’t need the entire university knowing I’m Derek Lawrence, the guy whose sister is the Bellford High School Rape Victim.

That’s what the media called her.

Ashley was barely fourteen when it happened. A minor. So her identity was protected. But she took her story public, posting a detailed account to her do-it-yourself website. And she included my role in it. Now, everybody from feminist bloggers to Matt Lauer knows our names.

So, yeah. I don’t want my whole school saying, “Oh! You’re that Derek Lawrence.”

Yep. The Derek Lawrence that played a stupid game that got his sister raped and then told a court of law that to go easy on her rapist. The same Derek Lawrence who drove away and left her standing alone in an empty parking lot, putting the whole friggin’ ordeal into motion.

Self-hatred runs another ice cold finger across my bare skin and I shiver, reminding myself I deserve this…deserve every second of it.

GIVEAWAY

Rafflecopter for SOMEONE I USED TO KNOW First Look Giveaway!!!

Patty is offering Five (5) lucky winners a special prize pack consisting of:

- a $10 Amazon Gift Card, 

- a paperback copy of Some Boys, 

- and an advanced e-copy of SOMEONE I USED TO KNOW. 

To enter for your chance to win one of these exciting prizes, 

please fill out the Rafflecopter link below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

*Bumbles and Fairy-Tales is not responsible for any lost, damaged, unclaimed, etc. prizes.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR - Patty Blount

Patty Blount grew up quiet and somewhat invisible in Queens, NY, but found her voice writing smart and strong characters willing to fight for what's right. 

Today, she's the award-winning author of edgy, realistic, gut-wrenching contemporary and young adult romance. 

Still a bit introverted, she gets lost often, eats way too much chocolate, and tends to develop mad, passionate crushes on fictional characters... and actors like Gilles Marini... and Sam Heughan. Okay, so Patty's not nearly as cool as her characters, but she is a solid supporter of women's rights and loves delivering school presentations.

Patty is best known for her internet issues novels, including SOME BOYS, a 2015 CLMP Firecracker winner and RWA Rita Finalist, and SEND, a 2012 Junior Library Guild Fall Pick. Her upcoming release, SOMEONE I USED TO KNOW, has already been selected as a 2018 Junior Library Guild Fall Pick. 

Visit her website at pattyblount.com, where you can sign up for her newsletter. 

She blogs at YA Outside the Lines and is also active on Twitter and Facebook.

When she's not writing, Patty loves to watch bad sci-fi movies, live tweeting the hilarity, and scour Pinterest for ideas on awesome bookcases.

Patty lives on Long Island with her family in a house that, sadly, lacks bookcases. 

She loves hearing from readers, especially when they tell her she's cool (even though she knows it's not true), and is easily bribed with chocolate. Never underestimate the power of chocolate. 

Connect with Patty: 

WEBSITE / FACEBOOK / TWITTER / GOODREADS / AMAZON / BOOKBUB

Release Day (Excerpt and Giveaway): THIS RAGING LIGHT by Estelle Laure (YA)

I am very excited for today's release today!!! 

THIS RAGING LIGHT by Estelle Laure sounds amazing!!!

I cannot wait to get a copy of it!!!

If you haven't heard about this book yet, be sure to check out all the details in this post... 

This blitz includes a giveaway for a finished copy of the book!

And, a bottle of nail polish that matches the cover! Courtesy of Estelle, HMH and Rockstar Book Tours!!! 

Be sure to enter using the Rafflecopter towards the bottom of this post.

http://www.rockstarbooktours.com

THIS RAGING LIGHT

by Estelle Laure

Release date: December 22nd, 2015

Published by HMH Books for Young Readers

Genre: Young Adult Contemporary

Format: Hardcover (288 pages), eBook, Audiobook

SUMMARY

Can the best thing happen at the worst time?

Her dad went crazy. 

Her mom left town. 

She has bills to pay and a little sister to look after. 

Now is not the time for level-headed seventeen-year-old Lucille to fall in love. 
But love - messy, inconvenient love - is what she's about to experience when she falls for Digby Jones, her best friend's brother. 

With blazing longing that builds into a fever pitch, Estelle Laure's soulful debut will keep readers hooked and hoping until the very last page.

BUY IT NOW

Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks

Praise for THIS RAGING LIGHT

"A funny, poetic, big-hearted reminder that life can - and will - 

take us all by surprise.” 

- Jennifer E. Smith, THE STATISTICAL PROBABILITY OF LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT 

EXCLUSIVE EXCERPT

When Wrenny and I roll up the hill to Eden’s house in Mom’s ancient Corolla, Digby and his dad, John, are outside playing basketball, and I want to get in the house as fast as possible,

because otherwise I might be trapped here all day, staring. I get a little twinge of something seeing a dad and his kid playing ball like dads and kids are supposed to. That’s a real

thing, and my hand wants to cover Wren’s face so she can’t see all that she is missing.

            Which reminds me. “Wren.”

            “Yeah?” She’s wiping at her shirt, reading a book on her lap, and she’s a little bit filthy, her hair greasy and knotty in spite of my efforts this morning. At some point the braids came out, and she’s reverted to wild.

            “You know how Mom hasn’t been around lately?”

            She stops. Tightens. “Yeah,” she says.

            “Well, we don’t want anyone to know about that, okay?

            Even Janie and Eden and Digby and John.”

            “But Mom’s on vacation. She’s getting her head together. She’s coming back.”

            “Okay, yes,” I say, “but still. We don’t want to tell anyone, because they might not understand that. They might get the wrong idea.”

            “Like that she left us permanently?” There is so much more going on inside that Wrenny-head than I can ever know.

            “Maybe, or at least for longer than she was supposed to.” I reach for the handle to the door because I can’t look at her. “Someone might think that.”

            “She didn’t, though,” she says. “She’s Mom.”

            “Of course she didn’t.” Lie.

            “So who cares what anyone thinks?”

            “Wren, just don’t, okay?”

            “Okay.”

            “Some things are private.” I open the door, then lean back across and wipe uselessly at her shirt with my thumb. “Like Mom being on vacation. So, okay?”

            “I said okay, okay?” She gets out and waits, stares at me like I’m the most aggravating person on earth. “Hey, Lu?”

            “Yeah?” I say, bracing myself for what’s next.

            “Your mama’s so fat, she left the house in high heels and came back in flip-flops.”

            I would tell her that I hate her new obsession with fat jokes, but I’m not in the mood for any dawdling, so I half laugh and get moving. I want to get inside and quick because there’s also the other thing. And by “other” I mean what makes me sweat just standing here. And by “thing” I mean Digby, who I have known since I was seven but who lately makes a fumbling moronic moron out of me, a full-on halfwit. Ask me my name when I’m in his presence and I’m not likely to be able to tell you. I’d probably just say, “Lllll . . . lllllllu . . .” and you’d have to catch the drool running down my chin.

            I know. It’s not at all attractive.

            But really. Tall, sweaty, and not wearing a shirt, so the muscles are all right there for the watching. He doesn’t exactly glisten, on account of the fact that he’s whiter than white, that he tans by getting freckles so he’s covered in them now after a whole summer outside. But seeing his hair all plastered to his forehead, his body so long and lean, looping around his dad to get the ball into the hoop, I want to fall out of the car and onto my knees in the driveway, say Lord have mercy, hallelujah, write sonnets and paint him, and worship that one little curve where his neck meets his shoulder that is just so, so perfect.

            He is beautiful.

            Which is why when he says hi as I pass him, I barely raise a pinky in response. There are two main problems here, aside from the fact that he is Eden’s twin and that’s all kinds of weird.

            One, he’s had the same girlfriend since the dawn of time. They’re pinned, she wears his jacket, their marriage certificate is practically already signed. Angels bless their freakin’ union. And two, if I ever did get a chance with him, like if he ever kissed me or something, I would die of implosion. I know I sound like a twelve-year-old mooning over some celebrity, and not the extremely self-possessed woman-tobe that I actually am, but something about him makes me lose my mind. Something about the way he moves, about his himness — it shatters me all the way down. So I hope he never does kiss me. That would be nothing but a disaster. No one needs to see me fall apart like that. Least of all him.

            Actually, maybe least of all me.

GIVEAWAY

- One winner will receive a hardcover of THIS RAGING LIGHT 
and a bottle of Essie Nail Polish that matches the book cover!
- US only. 
- Giveaway ends December 31st at midnight EST.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

(*Bumbles and Fairy-Tales will not be held responsible for any lost, damaged, stolen, etc. prizes.)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR - Estelle Laure

Estelle Laure is a Vonnegut worshipper who believes in love and magic and the power of facing hard truths. 

She has a BA in Theatre Arts from New Mexico State University and an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts, and thinks everyone should have to wait tables or work in a kitchen at least once in their lives. 

She lives in Taos, New Mexico with her children.

Website / Twitter / Facebook / Goodreads / Instagram

Blog Tour (Deleted Scene, Interview and Giveaway): SING SWEET NIGHTINGALE (The Dream War Saga #1) by Erica Cameron (YA)

SING SWEET NIGHTINGALE
The Dream War Saga #1
by Erica Cameron
Release date: March 4th, 2014
Published by: Spencer Hill Press
Genre: Young Adult
Format: Paperback, eBook


SUMMARY

Mariella Teagen hasn't spoken a word in four years. 

She pledged her voice to Orane, the man she loves—someone she only sees in her dreams. Each night, she escapes to Paradise, the world Orane created for her, and she sings for him. Mariella never believed she could stay in Paradise longer than a night, but two weeks before her eighteenth birthday, Orane hints that she may be able to stay forever. 

Hudson Vincent made a pledge to never fight again.

Calease, the creature who created his dream world, swore that giving up violence would protect Hudson. But when his vow caused the death of his little brother, Hudson turned his grief on Calease and destroyed the dream world. The battle left him with new abilities and disturbing visions of a silent girl in grave danger—Mariella.

Now, Hudson is fighting to save Mariella's life while she fights to give it away. And he must find a way to show her Orane’s true intentions before she is lost to Paradise forever.



Dream War Saga Links
Website / Tumblr

DELETED SCENE

The bell rings and I follow the line of students plodding like cattle toward the door. I wonder how anyone can find anything enlightening or stimulating in this kind of environment. The very building seems to sap the life out of everything within its walls. 

"Hey, Mariella?"

The sound of my name pierces through the music and I jerk to a stop, looking around. My eyes meet the pale blue eyes of the brunette who left class early. I'm surprised she knows my name; I would have bet only people with access to my attendance records know I exist. I switch my hand from my iPod to my nightingale and nod at the girls since she seems to be expecting some kind of a response. 

Stepping to the right to pass her, she surprises me again by quickly blocking into my path. I glance at her and slowly pull one of my headphones out. What is wrong with the world today? Do I have a sign on my back that says, "Talk to me, please?"

"Um, you're the only person left in Honors who hasn't served as a mentor." She tucks a strand of hair behind her ear as she shifts her weight. "There's a student waiting in the main office. Will you do it?" 

You have got to be kidding me. Without even remembering what in the word "mentor" means within the context of her request, I know it's a job I do not want. Suddenly, an old memory surfaces and it clicks. Mentors play tour guide to new students for their first week. They provide directions, explain the rules of the school, and are generally helpful. In othr words, they're the complete opposite of me. Being a mentor will mean paying attention in school. It will mean knowing things like people's names and will definitely mean speaking. I can barely remember what my own voice sounds like - I only open my mouth after I've gone to sleep. 

Turning to Blue Eyes, I raise an eyebrow and shake my head. 

"It won't be easy for you and I would do it myself, but I can't. Just..." Blue Eyes trails off and starts rubbing a silver bracelet on her left wrist. "Ask someone if you don't know the answer to his questions and use a notebook to talk to him."

I look down at my empty hands. I don't even own a notebook. I stopped bringing anything to school a couple of years ago after realizing I never used any of it. I don't even have a pen. 

Blue Eyes sighs. I'm either annoying her or she thinks I'm pathetic. I can't tell. She reaches down and unzips her messenger bag, digging through it for a minute and coming back up with a black and white patterned book and a blue pen. She flips the book open and leans against a locker to write something on the inside cover before passing the notebook and pen to me. 

"Here," she says. "I wrote down my info for you, just in case."

Opening the book, I see KT Dowling and an email address written there. Her thoughtfulness surprises me. She must know I won't use a phone number. I ponder turning her down, but the bell rings; we're already running late. The moment is now. Yes or no.

Refusing will mean more than not dealing with a new kid. KT will plead with me for a while, hoping change my mind. She'll tell whoever is in charge of the mentor program that I refused. They'll probably tell my parents. Who knows what my parents will decide to do about it, especially since they're working on this new let's-get-Mariella-into-college scheme. Refusal will be complicated but submission is impossible. 

Shaking my head, I try to pass the notebook back to her. 

"Really?" Her eyebrows pull together as she takes the book and spins it in her hands. "Um, all right. Guess I'll see if anyone else can do it. Just don't forget to let the office know when you're doing your community service project."

Wait. What? I cock my head to the side and stare at her, waiting for an explanation. She never mentioned a community service project. Blue Eyes sighs a third time and I start to feel guilty for bothering her so much... well, almost feel guilty. 

"The students who opt out of the mentor program have to participate in community outreach instead. It's not so bad, you just have to put in about thirty hours somewhere in town and write a two page paper about the experience."

I've been backed into a corner I didn't even know existed. What kind of stupid requirement is this? I do not want to guide a stranger around school but I really don't want to waste time on some pointless after-hours project. Damn. Today is going downhill so fast. 

Covering my eyes for a moment, I take a deep breath and nod. I'll mentor. It's the lesser of two evils. "Great!" KT quickly gives me back the notebook and pen, a wide smile curving her lips and lighting up her eyes. "He's waiting for you in the office. I have to get back to class. I'll see you there, okay?"

She practically runs away, probably scared I'll change my mind again, so I turn and head in the opposite direction. Walking through the empty halls is odd, almost eerie. As much as I ignore the people who usually surround me, I've never passed through these halls without them. It's almost as though their presence strengthens my resistance. Now my resistance is met by nothing. A fizzing sensation begins to fill my body, starting in my stomach and traveling out to the tips of my fingers and the bottom of my feet. I shift the notebook and pen into one hand and quickly reach for my nightingale. It soothes me as soon as I touch it, but the uncomfortable feeling falls away only after I breathe like Orane taught me and expand the light of the nightingale until it covers my entire body. 

I hold tight to my token for the rest of the walk, moving as slowly as I can manage without actually stopping. A sign sticking out from the wall on my left tells me I've reached the office. Now all I have to do is open the door and go inside. Right. Easy. If I want to do it. I take down my hood and adjust my headphones, stalling for time. 

At last I admit there's nothing else to do except reach forward an push the door open. 

"That should be your mentor now," I hear someone say before I step inside. Sighing, I wonder if this poor schmuck has any idea what he's in for.

PURCHASE LINKS
Amazon
Barnes and Noble 
The Book Depository
Kobo 

INTERVIEW

The questions to this interview are based on not having read the book and 
concentrating solely on the deleted scene... 

1 - What was your inspiration to create a story about a 'nightingale', Mariella, who can only sing in her dreams? 

The original inspiration for the story came from a combination of two songs played back to back at just the right time. “Mariella” is a song by Kate Nash and the whole thing is basically the story of a girl named Mariella who decides not to speak. After that came a song by Silversun Pickups called “Creation Lake.” The lyrics there talked about 24 parts of the day, which led me to wonder “what happens during the 25^th part of the day?” When I combined the willingly silent girl with a world that only exists at midnight (in the 25^th part of the day), I had the beginnings of Sing Sweet Nightingale. Once I started writing, I knew I wanted a special nickname for Mariella, something with mythology and weight behind it, but something still seemingly harmless. I remembered the (very short) song from Cinderella and looked into the stories surrounding the nightingale. After some research, I realized it was a perfect fit in more ways than one. Everything else unfolded from there!

2 - How did you come up with the names to your characters? Like Mariella's, and especially, Orane's and Calease's?

Mariella is named after the Nate Nash song that inspired her character, but Orane and Calease were more complicated. Orane is actually a girl’s name in French that means “rising,” but Calease is a name I invented. I wanted their names to be distinct yet not attached to anything people would already know. The associations people have with certain names can be very strong! That’s one of the many reasons character names are so important. Choose the wrong one and readers can get the wrong impressions of the characters.

3 - What does the nightingale mean to Mariella?

The nightingale represents the promise she made to Orane and, really, her relationship with him in general. It’s a reminder of how much, in theory, he cares about her. It’s also a way for her to remember Orane’s world during the other 24 hours of the day.

4 - How is Mariella in the Honors program when she doesn't pay attention or bring her school supplies to school anymore?

She studies at home a lot. There’s really only so much of a class that involves a participation grade and so if she can pass the tests and turn in papers, then she gets the grades to stay in the honors program! Also, because she’s labeled as having a “disorder” by the school system, Mari is allowed certain extensions and loopholes. She turns in extra papers every semester in every class, for example, to make up for her silence and distraction during class. Because she’s so studious, she’s actually in the running for Valedictorian. She and K.T. are practically tied.

5 - How do you switch back and forth writing two different points-of-views? Did you find yourself favoring one over the other?

Writing Sing Sweet Nightingale was the first time I’d tried writing a story that switched POV within the same story. It had to happen! Trying to tell this story from only one person’s perspective meant missing out on so many details. So, yes, I knew it was necessary. Writing it was a whole different story. Although writers can try to make their characters as distinct as possible, they all still originate from the same place—inside your brain. Keeping the voices of all the different characters distinct is really a challenge. I didn't necessarily favor Hudson, but with him it was easier. With Hudson, he appeared in the first draft much the same way you see him in the published version. Mariella was the one whose voice I had to tweak and modify (and then outright change) throughout the writing and revising and editing process. I really enjoyed it, actually, figuring out how to portray the inner monologues of two very different humans. Not every book I ever write will include the dual POV (sometimes a dual POV destroys the suspense of a story and some stories simply don’t need it) but I like playing with it if I can.

GIVEAWAY

First-Place Prize: Signed copy of Sing Sweet Nightingale, bracelet, two bookcover pendants

Second-Place Prize: Bracelet and two pendants

Third-Place Prize: Two pendants 

a Rafflecopter giveaway
(*Bumbles and Fairy-Tales will not be held responsible for any lost, damaged, unclaimed, etc. prizes.)


ABOUT THE AUTHOR - Erica Cameron

After a lifelong obsession with books, Erica Cameron spent her college years getting credit for reading and learning how to make stories of her own. Erica graduated with a double major in psychology and creative writing from Florida State University and began pursuing a career as an author.

Erica is many things but most notably the following: writer, reader, editor, dance fan, choreographer, singer, lover of musical theater, movie obsessed, sucker for romance, ex-Florida resident, and quasi-recluse. She loves the beach but hates the heat, has equal passion for the art of Salvador Dali and Venetian Carnival masks, has a penchant for unique jewelry and sun/moon décor pieces, and a desire to travel the entire world on a cruise ship. Or a private yacht. You know, whatever works.

Her debut novel, Sing Sweet Nightingale, released March 2014 and it was the first volume of The Dream War Saga, a four-book young adult series.

Goodreads / Website / Facebook / Twitter / Tumblr / YouTube / Pinterest

Blog Tour (Exclusive Excerpt and Giveaway): VAMPIRE TROUBLE (Dead in the City #2) by Sara Humphreys (A)

VAMPIRE TROUBLE

Dead in the City #2

by Sara Humphreys

Expected release date: July 1st, 2014

Published by: Sourcebooks Casablanca

Genre: Adult Paranormal

Format: Paperback, eBook

SUMMARY

Shane Quesada, a four-century old vampire sentry, is known for cold, unemotional precision when hunting rogue vampires. 

Maya Robertson is a youngling vampire who will not be controlled — and to prove it, she rejects Shane’s protection — only to find herself in over her head with an alpha werewolf.

Soon, a war between the coven and the werewolf clan ignites, and Maya and Shane flee to Louisiana, where their passion for each other grows — as does Maya’s power. When she finds herself at the center of the conflict, will she finally trust Shane with her life — 

and her heart?

EXCLUSIVE EXCERPT #10

 “You’re killing me, woman.” Doug linked his arm around her waist and kissed her cheek, which had her smiling wistfully. “You have got to come back to bed and get some rest.”

“Fine,” Olivia said, feigning an angry tone. She looked back at Shane and gave him a sad smile. “Whatever you do, Shane, go easy. Maya may act tough, but it’s all bullshit. Which is one reason I’m less than thrilled she’s going to work for Rat.”

“No she’s not.” Shane folded his arms over his chest and ignored the smirk on Doug’s face. “I will not allow it.”

“Good luck with that ‘not allowing it’ shit, man.” Doug shook his head. Linking Olivia’s fingers in his, he started pulling her toward their apartment. “That’s a surefire way to piss off any woman, human or vampire.”

“It’s not up to you, Shane, or me,” Olivia said. “Maya is not my property—­she’s my family. She’s got every intention of starting work at Rat’s club tomorrow night, and as you know, I gave her my reluctant blessing.” Shane opened his mouth to protest, but Olivia held up one hand, silencing him. “I am letting her do this because I’m assigning you as her personal babysitter. If it will make you feel better, you can tell her that you’re her bodyguard. And I’m only doing this because the wolves will be hanging out there, okay?”

“Good move, babe.” Doug tried to pull her down the hall, but she held her ground. “Shane can handle Maya. After all, she’s a youngling and he’s older than dirt.”

Shane ignored the jab because Doug was even younger than Maya. His angel bloodline and the bloodmate bond with Olivia had not only made his transformation seamless, but had also fast-­tracked all of his abilities. Doug may have been turned only a few months ago, but he was one of the most powerful vampires Shane had ever met. “I already told her that was the deal, and she’s about as happy about it as you would expect.”

“What about my sentry patrols?” Shane asked out of duty, not because he wanted to be away from Maya. “We can’t leave the city unprotected.”

“Doug can handle things,” Olivia said with a wink to her mate. “Besides, the big concern is the wolves, and they’ll be hanging out at The Dollhouse. We kill two birds with one stone. You can keep an eye on Maya and the wolves at the same time.”

“Bed.” Doug swept Olivia off her feet as she shrieked in protest. “Now.”

“Remember what I said, Shane,” Olivia shouted through a laugh while Doug carried her away. “And don’t let her out of your sight around those wolves.”

Shane watched the czars disappear down the hallway, with Van and Oreo close behind, and his thoughts immediately went to Maya. He opened the door to his apartment and stepped inside, and when the door closed shut behind him, Shane marveled at the silence. His gaze flicked around the large studio apartment with a new perspective. The place was decorated in shades of gray, void of all color, but this was the first time Shane felt the dullness.

Shedding his clothes, he made his way to the queen-­size bed, still unmade from the day before, and slipped between the sheets with one thing on his mind—­Maya. If he got pulled into Maya’s 

dreamscape again, he would do a hell of a lot more than watch. He drifted into a quiet slumber, and as his eyes fluttered closed, Shane hoped for the first time in centuries to dream.

GIVEAWAY

TWO winners will be chosen to win: 

- A copy of the first book to the Dead in the City series: TALL, DARK and VAMPIRE

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Go HERE to learn more about the DEAD IN THE CITY series!!!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR - Sara Humphreys

Sara has been a lover of both the paranormal and romance novels for years. Her sci-fi/fantasy/romance obsession began years ago with the TV Series STAR TREK and an enormous crush on Captain Kirk. That sci-fi obsession soon evolved into the love of all types of fantasy/paranormal; vampires, ghosts, werewolves, and of course shape shifters. 

Sara is married to her college sweetheart, Will. They live in New York with their 4 boys. 

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