RELEASE DAY: Angeline M. Bishop "Jacmuir - Trust Stained Lies"

 

Blurb:

Oastomin, a university freshman and the newest Crimson Knight, consents to rigorous training so he can follow in his father’s footsteps and be accepted among his peers. A few months into his preparation, his dad, King Natro of Jacmuir, dies.  Oastomin soon discovers his father’s power came at the high price of a long buried secret.

Seventeen year old Maia has a daily habit of pushing the “gray” boundary between right and wrong, but when she secretly rallies college-aged young men to undermine her father’s petitions for an alliance, her parents to deliver a harsh punishment.  Maia is forced to leave home but she decides to use her eviction as the perfect time to learn the secrets of the Crimson Knights.

Oastomin and Maia must decide if they are willing to sacrifice their principles in order to preserve their way of life. They will discover if it’s possible to slide across a moral line and openly challenging their parents’ expectations, while trying not to be held accountable for their powerful fathers’ mistakes.

 

Author:

Angeline Bishop writes contemporary romance fiction and has a growing fan base.  Angeline’s novels are thought-provoking, refreshingly entertaining, fast paced, and with a strong romantic elements. She was born in Washington, D. C., but lived most of her life in New Jersey and considers the 'Garden State' her home. Her childhood passion for writing led to a degree in English Literature and a membership in Romance Writers of America.

Aside from writing her own novels and blogging, Angeline is the Vice President of the Cultural, Interracial, and Multicultural Special Interest Chapter of Romance Writers of America and enjoys helping authors strengthen their craft.  She co-hosts the AMB Talk Radio podcasts each Fall with her pop-culture loving, college-aged daughter. And she’s the founder of the AMB Ovation Awards (The Angie) which provides honor and recognition of authors’ outstanding achievements in the multicultural romance literary profession.

She is looking forward to partnering with Astraea Press to present the Jacmuir Series, a multicultural New Adult series inspired by her college-age reader fan base.

 

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Excerpt:

Chapter One

OASTOMIN

I hate my father...most of the time. I know a prince should never utter those words to another living, breathing soul, but it’s the truth.

My ears often bleed at the sound of his imperious voice because his tormenting commands swim in my head constantly. Every waking hour, he tells me how to act, what to say, and how to say it. When I get a moment alone, I don’t even recognize the sound of my own thoughts.

If I were an ordinary teenager, I could put in my digital music system earbuds and zone out to American music imports like Imagine Dragons or Bruno Mars, but I’m far from ordinary. See, even when I was in my mother’s womb, my father was determined to make me the splendid symbol of a modern monarchy.

So no one knows I daydream about what it would be like to tie him to a chair, gag his mouth, and hold his head back while I pour water up his perfect royal nose. The same nose he enjoys declaring he gifted to me. Some part of me always believes, in order to remedy my agony, he needs to feel some of my suffocation.

What a detestable wicked thought, yes, I know, but thinking of milder therapies never eases my suffering. Locking him up and forcing him to hear his own voice forever parroting lectures is too wimpy. He would thrive on the physical pain he orders me to face every training day since I’ve reached the age of eighteen.

Sometimes I still can’t believe my own father tortures me every day at the crack of dawn, except on worship days, because he believes this training is part of my royal duty. It’s the fifth month of this ritual.

“Take the blow or avert it, Oastomin,” my father, King Natro, exclaims in irritation from the far corner of the arena. His instruction always makes me tense when I should relax and hesitate when I should strike.

He stands in front of his royal box seat scrutinizing me, dressed in a formfitting silver and burgundy sparring jacket and black trousers. His appearance is reminiscent of his former battle days and a bit different from American fashion. I guess you would call Jacmuiran fashion cutting-edge or ethereal.

The Jacmuiran crest is displayed on the left side of his jacket close to his heart. To most people, the only thing denoting his majestic rank is the ring on his hand, but for me, it’s his arrogant stance.

He always stands erect with his hand under his chin when he’s watching or thinking. He believes it’s the best way to display his ring and make his eyes appear more piercing, but I sense it’s his preeminent way to be perceived as intimidating and pompous.

My mother wants me to believe he wasn’t always so robotic, void of some emotion. He used to be carefree and more empathic, but becoming a ruler changed him. He’s more private now, cautious of the paparazzi and the stalking of glory seekers.

I kind of believe the power of the crown corrupted him, just as it does many kings, presidents, and emperors.

When a man gains power over others, power to force them to do his bidding when they don’t believe it’s right, a moral weakness will always develop within the person who exercises absolute power. It may take time for this flaw to become visible to the public, but their family members will see it first. And my everyday torture is a glaring indication of his unreliable moral compass.

“Stay alert and aware of your surroundings.” My father sounds terse, exasperated.

He is a dark, striking figure of a man, tall and majestic. When he ventures out of the castle’s walls to royal functions, children’s mouths drop open in awe because he seems larger than life. They wonder what it would be like to be his heir, to be so close to the power of the throne, but I’m telling you right now, the enchanted façade only masks hellish royal expectations.

RELEASE DAY: J.F. Jenkins "Inquest"

 

Blurb:

Teague Willam was sent on a mission from the future. He must go back in time to save his family. But in doing so, he might unleash the greatest evil the world has ever seen. The fine balance between the natural and spiritual is in his hands as he tries to not only save the life of a dear loved one, but also keep a rogue demon from taking control of the land of the liv-ing and the dead.

One wrong move and the demons win.

 

Author:

J.F. Jenkins lives in Minneapolis Minnesota with her husband, son, and two cats. She graduated from Bethel University in 2006 with a degree in Media Communication with minors in both writing and film

 

 

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Excerpt:

Chapter One

Teague Willam watched Persephone the First. She huddled in the corner of the small room that made up her "cell", curled into a ball as she hugged herself. With one hand, she held her head, as if in some kind of pain. Tears streamed down her face.

"Keep it together. You have to keep it together," she whispered to herself.

He wanted to offer her words of comfort, but in the dream world, all he could do was observe and take note of everything happening around him. As a Fate, Teague often dreamed about different events in vivid detail. Most of them were of the past — that was his specialty. Each Fate had a time frame they saw the most. His father Anj saw the present most often but was known to have visions of all three time frames: past, present, and future. However, Teague's abilities were nowhere near as strong , even though his visions were much more detailed than anything his father experienced. The few times they'd talked about it, Anj described his dreams as being short and to the point but not necessarily specific.

While Teague may have been dreaming about the past, it was also his present — confusing, but that was how time travel worked. He'd been sent to the past to right a terrible wrong. Whatever was happening to Persephone was technically occurring in the time frame his body was presently in. Because he was from the future, the incident represented his past. He wasn't about to complain. The more information he had, the better. He needed all the help he could get to complete his quest.

Teague couldn't provide Persephone with any direct comfort, but maybe in some small way, she could sense his presence. Magic had a way of making itself known even if no one could see it at work. If anything, it made him feel better inside.

"You're not alone," Teague said. "I won't leave you if I don't have to." He sat next to her, wanting to touch her but unable to do so.

When Persephone lifted her gaze, she did so and looked directly at him. Though, the young woman he saw wasn't Persephone but Cheyenne Loveless, the teenage girl Persephone had possessed. The whole possession thing confused Teague. There were a lot of pieces he was still trying to put together. From what he did understand, Cheyenne was the chosen vessel for Persephone to be reincarnated into and a long lost descendant of the original deity. Persephone's true love, Hades the First, was reincarnated into a teenage boy named Denver Collins. Together, they would fulfill an ancient prophecy that was supposed to bring back power to the Divine Council, the ancient political circle of the gods and goddesses who controlled the laws of all magical beings.

Poor Cheyenne. There was so much sadness in her gaze, and confusion. Teague felt sorry for her. She didn't always make the best decisions, but she also wasn't always in control of her life. The part of him that wanted to hate her for all of the pain she'd caused his family, got shot down by the compassion he held for her in his heart. Seeing her sad, fear-filled eyes, he realized she was nothing more than a girl and no different than himself. Because even though he was a teenager, there were days when he felt like a small child — and the world was a big place for him to get lost in. She was the same, a pawn being used for a greater scheme that she didn't understand. The world of magic was foreign to her — a fact he hadn't realized until that moment.

Footsteps could be heard from outside of the room. Cheyenne was still in control of her body, and she gazed at the door with a whimper. "He's coming. Stay strong."

There was a jingling of keys in a lock. The door opened and in walked the dark angel Lucien. Teague had seen him a few times before in other dreams. He could never forget what the creature looked like. On first appearances, he was just like any other normal young man. Lucien could have passed for being around twenty years old and was the typical tall, dark, and handsome thing that supposedly made girls swoon.

On his back was a pair of large, blood-red, wings speckled with flecks of silver that brought out his cold, lifeless, steel-gray eyes. First encounters with him suggested he was innocent enough, that he meant well. But the demon had a manipulative tongue and an evil heart. Nothing he said could be trusted. He didn't flat-out lie, but in every deal he proposed and in every truth he spoke, there was also a hidden loophole present, and he had no qualms with using it for his advantage. Or at least that was what Teague had observed over his many visions of the monster.

RELEASE DAY: J.F. Jenkins "Opheliac"

Blurb:

Orlando Holmes, Cadence Sinclair, JD Smith, and his sister Angela,  have been fighting in the Alturan battle on Earth for a while. Over the past six months, they've had everything they've ever believed in be tested and forged an unbreakable bond.

That bond is tested to a new degree as they learn of a way to be “normal” again. First, the Alturans must try their new technology out on their enemies. As the war grows more intense between the Alturan tribes, so do the relationships between the teens. Each must give up something in order to gain, and each must come to terms with the betrayals they'll need to commit in the name of war.

 

 

Author:

J.F. Jenkins lives in Minneapolis Minnesota with her husband, son, and two cats. She graduated from Bethel University in 2006 with a degree in Media Communication with minors in both writing and film. When she is not busy writing, she spends her free time playing games, reading, and spending time with her family.

 

 

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Excerpt:

 

Prologue

 

Alan helped restrain Sprout on the medical table while one of his comrades strapped her down with thick leather belts. He’d sworn to his charge, Orlando Holmes, that no harm would come to the teenage girl, and so far he’d been able to keep his promise. She was a feisty one, so it was a bit easier said than done. The restraints may have seemed harsh. After all, she was still technically a child. Earlier on, however, Alan’s fellow officer had made the mistake of underestimating her and ended up with a black eye and broken nose. Sprout would not come quietly.

“Tuveen, if you think I’m going to tell any of you anything, you’ve got another thing coming,” she spat.

His comrade, Sir Ulan, rolled his eyes, an Earth expression the entire ship was starting to pick up. Alan nodded at him, and a gag was placed over her mouth. He glanced over at Bean, Sprout’s twin brother and partner in crime. They both had normal, family-given names, of course, but Alan only knew them by their code names. The teenage boy was a drastic contrast to his sister. His blue eyes were wide and sweat trickled down his face. He was terrified. Alan actually pitied him.

But not Sprout, Alan felt little for her. She had committed many crimes against her own people, aiding in the murder of her peers, theft, and who knew what else. Ever since Alan had begun his mission on Earth, she had been a thorn in his side, both literally and figuratively. She could control plants, and she had no issues with attacking him with massive vines back in the fall. Beyond that, she also seemed to get in the way of all his tasks. If it weren’t for Orlando, Alan would have never known her true identity. With that information known, his tribe could possibly pull ahead in the war on Altura—a war that was bleeding over onto Earth.

With the two teenagers bound and gagged, the rehabilitation process could begin. Each had been tapped by an enemy tribe and manipulated into believing in the horrible things that tribe stood for. Rehabilitation was the only way to keep both Bean and Sprout out of intergalactic jail, and possibly saving them from execution as well. Children or not, they were knowingly committing the horrible acts they had been instructed to perform. They had a choice, and there would be consequences when everything was said and done.

Alan’s job, along with the rest of his tribe, was to stop the Alturan war from impacting the people of Earth too much. Outside of a few government programs scattered throughout the world, no one knew about Altura or of the Alturan ships in orbit around the planet. Technology allowed for Alan and his people to stay hidden. Because the Alturans were identical in appearance and genetics to the Earth humans, they were able to blend in well on the planet’s surface. That was also why his enemies had chosen Earth as their next battlefield. With so many similarities, the humans would be easier to manipulate and use.

The rehabilitation program was supposed to be painless and easy, but time-consuming. Thanks to an ancient technology Alan’s tribe was able to gain access to, his ship could make it so Bean and Sprout were once again normal Earth teenagers. While the program was old, it was new to Alan and his comrades. They were all still learning the ins and outs of how it functioned. There were other programs available to them that did the same thing, but not only were they painful, but they were also not as precise. He would rather take his time with the process rather than rush. His ship had tried the other technologies on other Earth teenagers already, and the results were not quite what he desired.

Multiple treatments would be necessary to make the process complete. Unfortunately, time was not something Alan and his team had. There was no way he could kidnap the two teens from home for longer than a few hours at night. If their parents noticed they were gone, a lot more memories would need to be wiped clean. He had to handle the process delicately. Many factors needed to be weighed in as well.

Not only did the teens have normal home lives to consider, but also the impact the rehabilitation would have on the tribe they worked for. If their boss suspected anything was amiss, Alan’s entire operation would be compromised, and he didn’t want to think about the consequences of such a thing happening. Eventually the rehabilitation would be made known, one way or another, but it needed to happen after the process was complete for the safety of all the teens. The enemy would not want their help anymore if they couldn’t remember the war in the first place. All of the previously rehabilitated teens had been abandoned by the enemy tribes; he could only hope the same when it came to Bean and Sprout. The two were much higher-ranked than the other teens had been.

The whole point of rehabilitation was to take away the memories of his enemies. As the captives were made normal once again, Alan and his tribe would be able to access the memories from the teens and hopefully make sense of everything they saw. That knowledge could give his people a huge advantage in the war. He already had centuries’ worth of memories stored on the device. If his people could understand what was happening better, then perhaps they could find a fast end to the conflict before things got worse and even more planets were harmed in the process. The Alturan war had already devastated another planet besides their own. Earth would be the second alternative battlefield being fought on. It could not spread to a third.

Perhaps Alan’s plan was a bit unethical. Memories were a personal part of an individual’s psyche. He certainly would not want to be taken captive and have his enemies do the same thing to him, even if the process was supposedly painless. His life was his own. At the same time, hard decisions needed to be made. For the sake of the entire planet’s safety, the more people from Earth who did not know about what was going on, the better. Panic would spread worldwide if it was ever made known that aliens walked among the people.

Besides, how could Bean and Sprout live with what they had done? If he were doing it to anyone else, he’d feel guiltier. The two teens were directly linked to the experimentation on and murder of other Earth youth. Alan would personally not be able to handle continuing on like everything was normal if he held such a shameful and disgusting secret.

I’m doing them a favor. Children should not hold so much weight on their shoulders. While Alan’s teen charges would argue that they were not children, but bordering adulthood, the fact still remained that they were sheltered to the ways of war.

All the more motivation to end the war on Altura so it no longer leaked over onto Earth. His planet’s problems needed to stay on his planet.

“Begin.” Alan nodded at Sir Ulan.

His comrade flipped a switch and the Ilotus, the machine that was being used to help with the rehabilitation, turned on.

Alan faced away, not wanting to watch. “Let me know when this round is complete.”

RELEASE DAY: Maria Ann Green "In The Rearview"

Blurb:

When Meagan’s secret is found out, and she realizes there is no way to outrun her habit of cutting, she tries to work through it, and her depression, before she cuts too deep, making a mistake that can never be undone.

Meagan is introduced as a typical adolescent who struggles throughout her teen years. Though she has problems, like any other teenager, hers are worse. They've pulled her down into the depths of a depression that is anything but normal.

She begins her pattern of self-harm as her depression threatens to drown her. She starts with one cut following a discovery of the behavior from another friend. After starting it is apparent that there's no stopping, and Meagan spirals into a dark and cruel world she doesn't understand. Meagan cuts to feel better, but that comfort doesn't last long enough, and soon life is worse than it ever was before.

While learning to quit cutting Meagan faces life-altering obstacles and grows up in the process.

 

IN THE REARVIEW is a story of pain, loss, confusion, and hope told through Meagan’s poems, journal entries, and a splash of narrative.

 

 

Author:

Maria Green currently lives in Minnesota, despite its bitter winters, with her husband. She graduated with a degree in Psychology and a minor in English. When she isn’t writing, Maria loves to read with a cup of strong coffee or a glass of sweet wine, craft, and spend time with her family. This is her first published novel.

 

 

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Excerpt:

Chapter One

This is me

 

As her chin dipped down, and she noticed the soft raised skin, her heart skipped a beat. Meagan hated that an accidental glimpse still shot anxiety through her like knives. Her stomach could drop to her feet while her heart raced, all from just seeing a part of herself. It was a stupid reaction Meagan didn’t often have, but when she was already nervous about judgment it was inevitable.

She hoped against hope it wouldn’t always be that way.

Meagan was strong, she wasn’t a kid anymore, and she loved herself. It was stupid to feel such turmoil over something that was so far in the past. And it was truly overcome. But the visual, the tangible marker she could touch, the fact that her skin was marked and different forever, that’s what sent her nerves into overdrive every once in a while.

Even after all this time, it could still catch her off guard. After everything, as much as it represented her strength, it also represented the wastelands of hurt she had waded through; she tried to remember that some badges of honor weren't pretty. And hers were small enough. But just like her past, they would never go away. Life didn’t have rewind or pause buttons. There weren’t real un-dos or re-dos. Life only had the present, the here and now, and it only had a play button.

She wished so often the tiny pink reminders were easier to hide. Though they didn’t stand out too much, their placement was inconvenient. If she could take them off, she would consider it, because she always had her memories and the lessons she'd learned. There were little pink reminders inside her head as well. Those could never be removed. The rest, even if they were badges of honor, weren’t as necessary anymore.

She would always remember.

It sounded shaming, to want to hide them, but that wasn’t Meagan’s intention. She wasn’t embarrassed or ashamed of who she was, but others still questioned or judged when they noticed a scar. They pried and probed about personal experiences that weren’t any of their business to be nosey about. Then they went quiet after she answered. That was the worst. Eyes averted and the subject always changed, but not until a pregnant pause passed between them first.

She absolutely despised awkward silences that followed a forced explanation.

That’s not how Meagan liked to open up.

Because that’s what it was to tell people about what had happened. It was opening herself up for examination. She had to be vulnerable and share history that wasn’t always easy to talk about when she was honest about her scars. Trust was needed in order to be comfortable in giving parts of herself away like that. Otherwise it felt wrong. But when Meagan was the one to choose on her own to share with individuals she cared about, it was only when she deemed both parties ready. It was always better if everyone was ready.

She just preferred to give the information instead of have it pulled from her. That wasn’t too tough a concept.

Because sometimes when it was demanded or requested of her before she was ready, somehow Meagan felt violated. She loved herself, she was proud of who she was despite what she’d faced, so she never lied about how she got her scars. Even if she was unprepared and surprised by the questioning, or reluctant to answer, she always told the truth. But it felt like betraying herself, violating her own security, when she gave out the information before she was ready.

RELEASE DAY: J.J. Nite "Beginnings of the Heart"

 

Blurb:

When sixteen year-old Morgan finds herself unexpectedly pregnant, she’s not sure what her life will be like. With her boyfriend Cole, they try to navigate this new road that fate has set them on. Neither knows what to expect or how life will change.

Their family’s reactions to the news of their pregnancy are polar opposites. Cole’s parents are supportive while Morgan’s are much less making an already difficult situation even more so.

When tragedy strikes this new, small family, can everyone pull together or will it forever drive a wedge between them all?

 

 

Author:

J. J. Nite lives in North Alabama with her husband, 3 kids, a dog, turtle, and 5 goldfish.  She writes young adult sweet romance for Astraea Press and loves reading as much as possible. J.J.'s also found that if she doesn't write something everyday, her mood is that of a bear waking from hibernation. Don't worry though, the children have learned to let Mommy write a little before ap-proaching.

 

 

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Excerpt:

 

Chapter One

 

I grew up in what could possibly be the smallest town on earth. As with most small towns, people always knew what everyone else was doing. This never really bothered me much because I never did anything to hold the gossips’ interest for longer than one minute.

Cole and I had been dating for almost a year, but until the summer when he got his license, we rarely saw each other outside of school. I lived in town, and he lived about ten miles outside of town. Not really a distance anyone wants to walk and neither of us could get a ride very often. So when he was finally able to drive, we had our first real date. My parents, especially my mom, were not overly enthused about it. They were civil to him, but they weren’t sure about me dating quite yet.

“No teenage daughter of mine is going to get into a car with a sixteen- year-old boy. All he’s going to do is want to show off for you, and I’d like you to get back home in one piece.” Mom said.

Fortunately for me, my father came up with a compromise. We would be allowed to go out, but we had to be back before dark. And if anyone saw him drive recklessly, then I wouldn’t be allowed to go again. My dad was more willing than my mom to give a little trust. I’m also fairly certain he wanted to see how much he could give us before we really got into trouble.

Cole and I weren’t thrilled with the arrangement, but we were still excited to get out just the two of us. No one walking through the room every ten minutes to check on us or sitting out on the porch eavesdropping. It would be nice to just talk without someone listening in.

We decided to go to Riverside, which was about fifteen miles away. It was the only town near us with a movie theater and Cole was going to take me out to lunch and a movie.

Cole came to get me around eleven o’clock. He pulled up in front of the house in the black pickup truck his dad gave him when he got a new one. I couldn’t tell, but I think he had washed it for our date. This made the smile I already had on my face even bigger.

He took my breath away when he got out of the truck. No matter how many times I saw him, the air flew from my lungs and my stomach contracted in nervousness. He had on a blue T-shirt, making his eyes stand out even more than usual, blue jeans that hugged his legs, and tennis shoes. This was his standard way of dressing, but today for some reason I couldn’t tear my eyes away from him.

It didn’t matter I had taken at least an hour to get dressed so I would look just right. I had finally decided on a blue jean mini-skirt and a yellow T-shirt with flip flops. My sister said the color made me look like I had more of a tan, as I was perpetually pale.

I started off of the porch to meet him halfway down the walk, my eyes never leaving his face, when I heard the screen door groan open behind me. I looked over my shoulder and saw my mother standing there.

“Remember what we said, home before dark.” She was staring at Cole with a disapproving look in her eyes.

I nodded my head with my bottom lip clenched between my teeth, trying very hard not to say anything.

“We’ll be home on time, Mrs. Taylor. I’ll take good care of her.” Cole said.

I heard my mom mumble something under her breath. Neither Cole nor I understood her though. We weren’t listening.

As he took my hand and we turned toward the truck, I saw my sister in the window and I waved at her. I think her smile was as big as mine.

The drive to Riverside was more than pleasant. We talked about everything and nothing of consequence all at the same time.

 

RELEASE DAY: L.E. Fred "Lucid"

Blurb:

Devon Alexander is a 15 year-old teenager coping with the monotonous reality of his average life. His life receives an interesting reprieve as he has his first realistic dream of a spaceship. The strangest thing about the dream is that he seems to be the only one on board who isn’t in a dream-like trance. Before he can figure out anything about the dream or his strange shipmates, he manages to. The next day, Devon catches a news story about inexplicable comas taking place all over the world. Devon’s life becomes increasingly interesting as he recognizes some of the victims from his spaceship trip.

Devon, and an unlikely group of other teens, start devising a plan to find out who is behind the strange dreams and the comas. Their plan is not only successful but immerses them in to the fantastical world that only resides in dreams. While in the dream world, the teens learn about the power of teamwork, a new world of culture, and their hidden potential to be heroes.

Suspenseful, funny at the worst times, and just a hint of teenage romance, Lucid takes a group of young adults and throws them into a fantasy world that they only thought could exist in their dreams. In a sense, they’re right.

About the Author:

L. E. Fred is a young adult with a head full of stories. Lucid is her first completed work, though she has many more on the way. She currently lives in New Orleans at her messy writing desk with her red-furred dog.

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Excerpt:

Chapter 1

Day 1: Morning

       

Sometimes I feel like denying the morning exists and staying asleep forever. Waking up in my dark, frigid room isn’t exactly my idea of a great way to start the day. I rolled over on my side to check my clock.

Nine-thirty; time to get up for summer camp.

As I tumbled out of bed and pulled on my socks, I recounted the dream I had last night. Normally, I’m not one for remembering my dreams, but this time I don’t think I could’ve forgotten it even if I wanted to. It was so real. It started with me sitting in a spaceship. I could tell I was in space, not because of the stars outside my window, but because of the darkness around the stars. I couldn’t recall any other time I had seen such a deep emptiness except for the time we watched a video in physical science on space.

There were other people on the spaceship with me, sitting in different aisles; it was sort of like a galactic school bus. I remember having a conversation with an elderly man sitting next to me. He repeated at least seven times that he must’ve been dreaming. Finally, I realized that I, too, was dreaming. I voiced my thoughts to the man, and he said that even though it felt like a dream, he doubted we were both sharing the same experience.

How could you be conscious in a dream, anyway?

And since when did more than one person dream the exact same thing?

This seemed to be the topic of conversation on the ship; everyone sounded confused and most felt like they were transported from their bed to this alien place. The idea of abductions was slowly becoming a possibility, and the atmosphere in the spaceship became extremely tense.

Although the other people on the ship were partaking in nervous chatter, I remained silent. I knew that I was merely dreaming, and that this was not an alien abduction. There was no other explanation for why I remained calm. Also, I had always pictured an alien invasion being a lot cooler than something eerily similar to my morning bus ride. After twenty minutes of dream time, the ship landed on a dock. We had reached our destination.

The doors of the ship slid open, and almost automatically, the people started filing out. I thought this was a rather stupid move on their part; if this was an alien invasion, why would they willingly walk out to meet their captors? I do remember feeling a sort of sensation pulling me outside along with the other people, but I was able to fight it off. I figured it was the change in atmospheric pressure or something.

I know better, now.

As I was walking down the aisle, I saw something glittering underneath one of the seats. Maybe one of the passengers dropped a watch. I bent down to figure out what the source of the light was, and I found… nothing.

The light continued to shine from underneath the chrome seat, but there was nothing causing the incandescent light. It was strong, and for the first time on my voyage, I felt heat. I think that was when I was sure I was dreaming; everything other than this light was simply not real. I knew the light represented the only fragment of reality in the bus (other than me,) so I did the only thing I could; I reached out and grabbed the burning ball of light.

As soon as I touched the light, I woke up. I untangled myself from the sheets and stumbled to my mirror. Staring back at me was the reflection of a fifteen-year-old, brown-haired and hazel-eyed boy. I’ll admit I was a bit paler than usual. The dream of the space ship was causing goose bumps to emerge all over my arms and on the back of my neck. Even though I knew it was an illusion the entire time, I didn’t like how the other people in the dream thought that it was real. As I was sorting through the confusion in my brain, my mom came into the room.

“It’s time for work, Devon,” she said with a no-nonsense look on her face. Mom dropped me off to camp on her way to work, and she was never late. “You’ve got five minutes to get ready. Just grab a granola bar on your way out.” She closed the door with a snap.

I shook myself from the silly dream. It was just a dream after all. There were more pressing matters at hand, like getting to camp before the Senior Counselor did. The jerk would fire a Counselor-in-Training like me for showing up two minutes late. I dressed with haste and ran down the stairs. As I climbed into the back seat of my mom’s van, I couldn’t stop dwelling on my spaceship bus ride. It spooked me so much, it even made me forget my granola bar.

31 Days of Halloween-- AFTERSIGHT by Brian Mercer

Paranormal, Halloween

 

 

Becky Reynalds is a girl with otherworldly powers she doesn’t want. Having survived a car accident in which all her friends are killed, Becky has been “gifted” with the ability to hear spirits, a gift that brings with it the power to divine other people’s feelings and innermost secrets, whether she wants those secrets or not. Recruited to Waltham Academy for Psychic Sensitives in Northwest England, Becky meets three hauntingly familiar girls with unique psychic talents, only to discover that their meeting is no accident.

BUY LINKS

AMAZON

BARNES AND NOBLE

ASTRAEA PRESS

31 Days of Halloween (books): Day 3: IN SHADOWS OF MAGIC by ALISON F. PRINCE

**31 Days of Halloween (books)** Day 3: IN SHADOWS OF MAGIC by ALISON F. PRINCE.

 

Paranormal, Coming of Age

 

Have you been checking out the books to get your in the mood for Halloween? We love Halloween at my house... and fall in general. Leave a comment if you get this book. Let us know what you think. ~Kelly

 

$2.99

 

 Mandy McKinney lives the charmed life. She is beautiful, athletic, popular, dating the hottest jock in school, and certainly doesn't have any time for her loser twin sister. But Mandy also has a secret. When the truth is unveiled, her world is twisted upside down, and her very life is at stake.

Mandy's twin sister, Brianna, has never had any success in the dating department. When Brianna finally meets the guy of her dreams, it turns out that he has secrets of his own. Dangerous secrets. Just her luck....

The twins are about to be swept away into a world of beauty and power beyond their wildest imaginations where nothing is what is seems, danger is lurking in the shadows, and their only chance of survival is finding themselves, and each other, once again.

 

BUY LINKS

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Astraea Press

 

 

This Week's New Releases: Uncharmed, Deadline, and Home Alone

Happy Saturday!!! We had a big week at Astraea Press. We hit over 2000 likes on our facebook page and gave away a $50 Amazon gift card! We also had great discussions on the facebook page on which movies shouldn't be remade and if you had to be stuck in a tv show for a month, which would you choose?

Most exciting of all was the three releases that came out this week! Two brand new ones and one that had previously only been sold through Amazon.com.

NEXT WEEK: We have FOUR releases!! It would be a good time to join the Astraea Press STREET TEAM to see the book covers and first chapters before anyone else :) OH, and you can win one of the free releases :) Not a bad deal. Join today :) https://www.facebook.com/groups/287644554704711/

 

$1.99  

Dystopian, Science Fiction, Adventure

 

Wynne Layuman doesn’t hate Hector Primuman IV, but she can’t bring herself to like him much, either, even if he does understand her when she recites the periodic table. Eventually, her mother uses the outdated Earth adage, “The third time’s the charm,” even though the third attempt to set Wynne up with Hector happened before they hit Dyad (age sixteen).

Hector Primuman IV, great-great grandson of the man who founded the original colony, has long known he’s odd. With the genegineering that advanced his mind at the expense of his body (genegineering specifically designed to enable him to keep the colony’s secrets hidden), the clos-est thing he has to a friend is the one girl who can (usually, sort of) keep up with him: Wynne Layuman. But Wynne’s highly competitive, leaving him aware that while she’s the closest thing he has to a friend, the feeling isn’t mutual. And she’s smart enough that she’ll eventually figure out what he can’t tell her, and he can’t be sure she won’t hate him for it.

Because there’s more behind the Arzon colony than genegineering and assigned Partnerings (as-signed if you don’t find your own before you hit Triad, that is). Hector’s grown up knowing the truth (and hating it); Wynne’s never suspected (but finds herself unsurprised when he starts help-ing her notice it). Between the lies he’s had to tell her—and the truths he’s tried to help her find—will Wynne and Hector get past the rivalry and secrets to develop something more, or will others’ meddling and the lies of their lives drive them apart?

 

BUY LINKS

Amazon

Astraea Press

 

~*~*~*~

 

$2.99

coming of age, contemporary

 

Sassy, strong-willed, and pregnant, Farah Menins plans to be married at sixteen after her dad dumps her in a “special home” to be rid of her. Trapped in a place full of rules, Farah refuses to admit defeat — not when marriage would give her an out.

Farah’s roommate Lizbet hides her own painful secrets, and together, they forge an unlikely friendship when Farah sneaks off to confront her baby’s father. A dead baby, a mystery brother, and a house fire threaten to derail Farah’s plans. The confusion is compounded when Lizbet’s brother shows interest in her. With time running out, will Farah be able to salvage any of her dream?

 

BUY LINKS

Amazon

Astraea Press

 

~*~*~*~

 

 

$0.99

early reader, pre-teen, adventure

 

Eleven-year-old Winnie Frazier feels very grown-up and mature. When she con-vinces her mother she is old enough to babysit her younger brother, she thinks life can get no better. How-ever, when a hurricane- force storm moves in, Winnie is left in charge. She faces danger-ous winds, a power outage, and no phone service. What is that noise in the basement? And is that a man lurking in the yard? Can Winnie act like the grown-up she professes to be, or will she give in to her fears and crumble when her brother needs her the most?

 

BUY LINKS

Amazon

Astraea Press