Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Teaser Tuesday: Painted Faces by L.H. Cosway

Are you ready for a brand new tease? This week's tease comes from one of the first authors I've ever met on Twitter, and since then I have become a huge fan of her work. I had the pleasure of reading Painted Faces, and a month later I still think of this beautiful love story.  L.H. Cosway has created a love story like I've never read before. All the characters stay with you as if they are your friends in your real life. Here just read this week's tease.

Synopsis: Come forth with an open mind, for an unconventional tale of love..
Dublin native Freda Wilson considers herself to be an acquired taste. She has a habit of making offensive jokes and speaking her mind too often. She doesn't have the best track record with first impressions, which is why she gets a surprise when her new neighbour Nicholas takes a shine to her. Nicholas is darkly handsome, funny and magnetic, and Freda feels like her black and white existence is plunged into a rainbow of colour when she's around him. When he walks into a room he lights it up, with his quick wit and charisma. He is a travelling cabaret performer, but Freda doesn't know exactly what that entails until the curtains pull back on his opening night. She is gob-smacked and entirely intrigued to see him take to the stage in drag. Later on, Nicholas asks her if she would like to become his show assistant. Excited by the idea, she jumps at the chance. Soon she finds herself immersed in a world of wigs, make-up and high heels, surrounded by pretty men and the temptation of falling for her incredibly beautiful employer. In this story of passion and sexual discovery, Nicholas and Freda will contend with jealousy, emotional highs and lows, and the kind of love that only comes around once in a lifetime.

~Tease~

Chapter One

Can I Call You Viv?

Dublin, Ireland, Present day.

The mascara stings my eyes as it drips down my cheeks. It's a good thing I'm not wearing lipstick or I'd look like some sort of circus clown. A lunatic escaped from the asylum perhaps. I could certainly give Alice Cooper a run for his money.
A sudden downpour of rain is soaking through my clothes, leaving my skin full of goose pimples, my curly hair a soggy mess and my boots squeaking with the liquid that has gotten inside. I'm the picture of a modern woman who doesn't own a car and doesn't possess the forethought to carry an umbrella.
This is what we call summer in Ireland ladies and gents. One minute the sun is beating down on you, making you all sweaty, and the next it's lashing rain. Either way, you're going to end up damp. I'm carrying what feels like about a million plastic shopping bags, though in reality it's only three. The bags are most likely adding to my appearance of being an escaped psychiatric patient. Is it just me, or do the psychologically unstable always seem to carry plastic bags around?
I live in an apartment block just off Aungier Street. It's a bit of a dive truth be told, but at least it's central. I fumble for the keys in my handbag which is slung over my shoulder, as a couple of the local kids walk by me, snickering at my struggle. I want to tell them to go fuck themselves, but of course societal rules prevent adults such as myself from swearing at children. I suppress a snort at the idea, it would again add to the façade I'm unconsciously cultivating of being off my trolley.
Finally, I manage to retrieve the keys from their hiding spot at the very end of my bag - wouldn't you know - beneath a half empty bottle of spring water and a half eaten bar of chocolate. I live on the third floor and the building doesn't have an elevator. I have to trudge my way up the stairs, soggy clothes, plastic bags, open handbag (since I'm too lazy to zip it back up after finding the keys) and all.
As I mentioned, the block is a bit of a dive and I don't have the nicest of neighbours, so I always tend to hurry getting from the front entrance up to my apartment. Just as I'm slotting in my keys, the door from the recently empty apartment next to mine flies open.
I'm curious to see who my new neighbour is this time. A single mother with three little brat kids who'll make an unholy racket day and night perhaps? Knowing my luck it'll be something like that. Only it isn't, instead a very smartly dressed man emerges. He has a crisp white shirt on, the first two buttons casually undone, expensive black trousers and black dress shoes. Well, well, well, perhaps Nora and I are going to have a respectable neighbour for once.
Myself and my best friend Nora have been living together for almost three years now in our two bedroom apartment in the city. Not as glamorous as it sounds, let me tell you. In those three years we've lived next to a junkie couple, a single mother with two obnoxious children, and a young husband and wife with a baby who, when the baby wasn't crying the building down, would have noisy rows at two o'clock in the morning. The couple moved out about three weeks ago, providing myself and Nora with some much deserved peace and quiet.
The man I'm currently staring at looks like he belongs in this place about as much as an Indian tiger belongs in the Dublin Zoo. He has jet black hair, sort of midway between long and short, ice blue eyes and a classically beautiful face. His physique is lightly muscled in that kind of athletic way, and when he smiles at me politely his whole face lights up. His eyes are all shines and sparkles.
Hello there,” he says, shutting the door behind him and locking it with his key. His accent is mildly Australian, not Irish. He steps toward me, holding his hand out for me to give it a shake. I give him a look that's probably somewhere between confused and exasperated, as I clearly can't get my hands free for the shake he's waiting on.
You must be Freda, your flatmate Nora invited me in for a cup of tea earlier. Lovely girl.” He says.
Oh, I'm sure she did. Nora is quite the opportunist when it comes to men, and I'd say she thought this fellow was a fine specimen. Even within this short conversation, I've noticed something sort of electric about his personality, something addictive. His eyes pull me in, like they hold secrets that could make my boring old life so much more exciting. You don't come across men this alluring very often.
Fred, you can call me Fred,” I tell him stupidly, placing the plastic bags down on the floor so that I can finally shake his hand.
Our palms touch, our fingers entwine, and I can't believe I'm admitting this, but the tiniest tingle goes through me at the contact. Of course, he doesn't know that, and thank fuck, because he'd probably think I was some kind of a pervert. I mean, who exactly gets tingles when they shake a person's hand? You might as well say, Hello, you'll be starring in my dirty dreams tonight, Mr Blue Eyes. Not creepy in the slightest. Perhaps it's been too long since I last had a boyfriend.
I let go first and try to ignore his magnetism. He laughs, a wonderfully low sound that vibrates through to my toes. “Okay Fred, you can call me Vivica.”
Our eyes connect and we both smile at his joke. It's funny, but not funny enough to solicit a laugh. “Cool, if we become close friends can I call you Viv?” I respond.
He mock flicks his hair over his shoulder, a very feminine gesture, and puts on a sweet Marilyn Monroe voice. “You can call me whatever you like, Frederick.” The gesture suddenly opens my eyes to a certain fey aspect in his demeanour, maybe he's gay. He certainly dresses well enough.
Why thanks, I'll keep that in mind, Viv. It was a pleasure to meet you. I hope you're finding the place to your liking.”
Oh it's a palace fit for a queen, Freddie, a real find.”
I take note of his obvious sarcasm. He still faces me, walking backwards down the hall, twirling his keys around his fingers. Clearly he has somewhere he needs to be.
I laugh. “Well, that's good to hear. Drop in for tea any time.”
He nods and leers at my wet top, where my purple D-cup bra is blatantly visible through my cream t-shirt. “Damn it,” he says humorously. “Did I miss the wet t-shirt competition, again?” The way he's staring at my top makes me 99% sure he isn't gay.
Ah you did I'm afraid, in Dublin we put on some great ones too. We all gather down by the river Liffey and dive in with our clothes on. When we climb out the junkies on the board walk give us marks out of ten.”
He smirks at me. “If that's the case then you must have gotten an eleven. Sounds like a real classy affair Fred, I'll make sure I don't miss the next one.”
Come along whenever you like. We always welcome newcomers.” I tell him, running with the joke.
He salutes me then, smiling at me fondly, and disappears around the corner. It's only at that moment that I realise he still hasn't told me his real name.

{End of Tease}

Find Painted Faces at


About the Author


L.H. Cosway is a self-employed writer, editor and proofreader. She has a BA in English Literature and Greek and Roman Civilisation and an MA in Postcolonial Literature. She lives in Dublin city. Her inspiration to write comes from music. Her favourite things in life include writing stories, vintage clothing, dark cabaret music, food, musical comedy, and of course, books. 

Visit L.H. Cosway at her blog: http://lhcosway.blogspot.ie



Monday, February 25, 2013

Book Review: Beautiful Creatures

Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl
563 pages

We've established the fact that I'm a paranormal junkie. That's why when I tried reading 'Beautiful Creatures' last year and couldn't get into it, I was extremely surprised. When I researched reviews on Goodreads, however, I discovered that I wasn't alone. A lot of other people said they had a hard time getting into the story and gave up on it. I still can't tell you what it was. Flat characters? Slow plot? Whatever it was, I had zero interest in continuing on.

Fast forward to the movie trailers that were released later in the year, and I was seriously perplexed. Teen angst mixed with magic; what wasn't there to like? The movie looked extremely good and right up my alley, so I decided to give the book one last try.

And I wasn't disappointed.

At one point, I was so into the story that I had a hard time putting it down and spent the better part of a day reading. Part of the reason I'm not a fan of reading digital copies is that I never have any clue how many pages are in the book I'm reading. I was completely blown away to discover this one was over 500 pages long. I personally felt that it could've been cut down a little (especially the odd scene with the great aunts and the squirrels), but overall it was a great read. I already bought the next book in the series.

When I review books, I like to keep it short and sweet as I hate giving out any kind of spoilers and I don't think it's necessary to rehash every scene. The story itself was very engaging - boy meets girl, girl is extremely weird and comes from an even stranger family, girl may be in danger, boy protects girl. Simple enough formula, yet really interesting and pretty unique as far as what I've read in the past. The action in the ending had me on the edge of my seat and there was enough going on with these characters that I really gave a damn how things turned out.

So if you're into paranormal, I definitely recommend this one. Hopefully in the next week or so I can also say whether or not I think the movie is worth seeing. Based on the book and the trailers I've seen, I can pretty much guarantee that it will be worth the time.

~Jen

Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Yay We Were Nominated!!

Both Jen and me have individually been nominated for the Liebster Award for our personal blogs, but now we have been nominated for the blog we co-author. We would like to thank Marisa Reichardt from one of my favorite blogs Young Adultish. Thank you so much Marisa, we are so honored.



The rules of the Liebster Award are as follows:
1. Thank your Liebster Blog Award presenter on your blog and link back to the blogger who presented this award to you.
2. Answer the 11 questions from the nominator, list 11 random facts about yourself and create 11 questions for your nominees;
3. Present the Liebster Blog Award to 11 blogs of 200 followers or less who you feel deserve to be noticed and leave a comment on their blog letting them know they have been chosen. (No tag backs)
4. Copy and Paste the blog award on your blog.

11 Questions From Our Nominator

1.    What made you want to start a blog?

We basically started this blog because both Jen and I were horrible about blogging on our own blog and thought if we had to share a blog with someone else we both would have to blog.

2.   Did you like high school? Why or why not?

Maria ~ No I hated high school. I always felt out of place. I had a lot of friends, but it was hard to be me. I had to pretend to like a certain style and certain music to fit in. I didn’t really want to wear the baggy jeans or listen to rap music. If my friends knew I loved rock music they would say I was trying to be “white.” It was very frustrating. I also could not stand my teachers. If you didn’t live in the right side of town and your parents was not part of the PTA you were pretty much ignored.

Jen ~ I actually adored high school. I was friends with a lot of people and a major social butterfly. My music tastes were almost the same as they were now - I hated boy bands and loved rock, rap and especially all the grunge bands that were so hot. My senior year I went at the fun a little too hard and did some things I regret, but for the most part it was a really happy, carefree time for me. I'm planning our big high school reunion this summer out on my farm and can't wait to reconnect with old friends!

3.   How does reading a good book make you feel?

Maria ~ I love reading a book. Every time I start a new book it’s like I’m starting a new life with new friends and a new guy to swoon over.

Jen ~ I totally get lost in a good book and actually separate myself from reality. It's a great way to escape. But I also fall into a little funk every time I finish one and it sometimes takes me days to recover.

4.   How does a good writing session make you feel?

Maria ~ It makes me feel so good. It’s just like when you finish working out. I feel like closer to my goal.

Jen ~ there's nothing like it. I feel invincible, like I could accomplish everything. It puts me in an amazing mood and I have a hard time stopping!

5.   Name one song that instantly takes you back to a memory and describe that memory.

Maria ~ Candlebox’s song Far Behind. It reminds me of Woodstock 94. They were on stage singing that song when I arrived. It was my first real concert. Every time I hear it I remember the night sky, the smells and the excitement I felt being there.

Jen ~ I'm laughing at Maria for picking a memory from 1994. Every time I hear Nirvana's 'All Apologies' I remember when they played it at Lollapalooza also that year (when I was still young and dumb). Nirvana was supposed to appear but Kurt had just killed himself a few months earlier. The whole crowd sang and cried together. It was a brutal time in history for my generation. Seriously, imagine how today's teens would lose it if Justin Bieber killed himself. We were totally shocked.

6.   Quote one of your favorite lines of writing--a book, a poem or a song.

Maria~ “Don’t you ever quit, Don’t you ever stop” from the song That Was a Crazy Game of Poker by O.A.R. I always thinking about it when I do want to quit.

Jen ~ So I have to go with The Beastie Boys on this one. When MCA (Adam Yauch) became a Buddhist and realized how they degraded women earlier in their career (which did not offend me as I take song lyrics with a grain of salt), he wrote a line in 'Sure Shot' that said, "to all the mothers and the sister and the wives and friends: I want to offer my love and respect to the end". That line has stuck with me over the years. After MCA died I had "love and respect to the end" tattooed on my foot to remind me that's how I want to live my life in general, plus I felt it paid proper respect to MCA.

7.   Where is your favorite place to write?

Maria~ I have this amazing office with a big comfy couch. I hate sitting at a desk.

Jen ~ I'm with Maria on this one. After I quit my day job I vowed never to sit at a desk again. We have a large master bedroom with a comfy arm chair in the corner. It's so serene in there...I never write anywhere else.

8.   What one moment in your life do you wish you could relive?

Maria ~ My wedding day. I had the best time parting with family and friends. I loved the feeling I had when I looked at my husband and knew I married my best friend.

Jen ~ Having my 10 and 13 year-old as a baby and a toddler. They were so sweet and adorable for the most part back then. Now they talk back and sometimes don't like me.

9.   What music do you listen to when you write?

Maria ~ Mostly rock music and jam bands. Right now I’m writing a story about your first love so I’ve been listening to a lot of love music. Mostly 80’s love songs.

Jen ~ It all depends on what my WIP is. With my last one it was really creepy music, like the soundtracks from Supernatural, Se7en and Fright Night. Otherwise it's a lot of alternative music like The Black Keys, Citizens!, Imagine Dragons, Coldplay, etc.

10.  What are your top three favorite books of all time?

Maria ~ Going Too Far and Forget You by Jennifer Echols, and Forever by Judy Bloom.

Jen ~ This is a tough one! I would say 'Warm Bodies' by Isaac Marion, 'Full Dark No Stars' by Stephen King and 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows' by J.K. Rowling.

11. What are your top three favorite books of 2012?

Maria ~ All three of them come from three great authors I’ve met on Twitter. Not because she’s my blog partner but because I really loved this book The Day Zombies Ruined My Perfectly Boring Life by Jen Naumann, Painted Faces by L.H. Cosway, and Heart Waves by Danielle Sibarium.

Jen ~ Ha, Maria, you're a dork. Most of my answer is a bit mainstream, but I seriously enjoyed them: John Green's 'The Fault in Our Stars' and Isaac Marion's 'Warm Bodies' and honestly, Maria's 'Hold on Tight'!

11 Random Fact About Us

  • We met on Twitter when Jen told Maria the title of her book 'Hold on Tight' was a tattoo on her arm.
  • We are both huge fans of The Beastie Boys & The Foo Fighters.
  • We both like to party like twenty-one year olds at concerts but pay for it the next couple of days.
  • Jen's birthday is February 15th while Maria's is May 15th of the same year!
  • We have never met in person, or talked on the phone. Hopefully that will change this fall when Jen plans to travel to New York!
  • Jen loves rap music, while Maria can't stand it.
  • Jen designed all her book covers and all of Maria's too.
  • Maria's an author and a pre-school teacher while Jen's an author and a photographer.
  • We both love our beer.
  • We both have an addiction to tattoos and want more.
  • And finally, we both need our sugar free Red Bull to start the day.
Now it's our turn to nominate. Our nominees are:

Danielle Sibarium @ http://www.daniellesibarium.com
Emma Meade @ emmameade.com
C. J. Sullivan @ cjsullivanauthor.blogspot.com
Katrina Monroe @ authorkatrinamonroe.wordpress.com
KellyAnne Blount @ kellyblount.com
Shanah Wooldrage @ risurockets.blogspot.com
Laura Diamond @ lbdiamond.wordpress.com
Faith Sillivan @ http://faithsullivanwrites.blogspot.com


Our questions for our nominees
  1. Which book do you wish you would of thought of first?
  2. What is one thing you really love about yourself?
  3. What is the best thing about blogging and what is the worst?
  4. Do you prefer to talk on the phone or text and why?
  5. What do you do to avoid distractions from writing?
  6. If you could travel anywhere were would it be?
  7. If you could "live" in a movie, which movie would it be and why?
  8. What's one book character you wish could be your real life friend?
  9. Is there an author that really influenced you/your writing career?
  10. What's one thing you can't live without?
  11. What's do you dream of happening in your writing career that would make you feel like you've made it big?

Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Teaser Tuesday: Hold on Tight by Maria E. Monteiro

I'm back with a new tease just for you. This week I've decided to give you a tease from my first book Hold on Tight. Writing this book has changed my life. It's not only lead me to becoming an author its also allowed me to meet some of the most amazing people ever. Publishing this book has been a dream come true. Here you go a tease from my book Hold on Tight.


Synopsis: After suffering a great loss, Emma is ready to get her life back to normal. She is spending her summer, before her junior year, with her new boyfriend Court. They are both working at Fairland Park alongside her best friend Britney. Emma is spending all her time with Court and is really falling for him. But things change when she meets Nash. She begins to question her feelings for Court. Is Court the right choice? Or is Nash the right choice? Emma will fall in love this summer. But will it lead her to happiness or a broken heart? It will be a summer full of romance, music, and moments Emma will never forget.

~Tease~


1

HANGING BY A MOMENT


    “Court wants to talk to you, after school,” Adam states, as he prevents me from entering my last class. I open my mouth to object but he walks away before I can respond, I think I’m about to lose my lunch. Court Dobberson is the last person I want to talk to, especially after being ignored by him for the last couple of days.
    It has been six days since Court and I shared an incredible kiss at Laura Burn’s party. For six days, I’ve waited for Court to call me, but he never did. For six days, I’ve waited for Court to talk to me, but he never did. And for six days, I have felt really guilty for kissing someone who was not Jason.
    Now, after six long days, he finally wants to talk to me. He probably wants to tell me he regrets kissing me, I already know he’ll use the “I was so wasted” excuse. Well, I don’t care! I don’t even like him. In fact, as of a month ago, I hated him. If I hadn’t been forced to work with him on our economics project, I would have never even spoken to him.
    Now, here I sit in history class trying to listen to Mrs. Levy explain the events that lead to the Korean War, but I haven’t really heard a word she’s said, instead I keep watching the clock on the wall. What is going on with it? Every other day the seconds seem to take minutes, but today the minutes seem to take seconds.
    My stomach spins as the bell gets ready to ring. Somehow, I need to get to my car before Court even has a chance to look for me. RRIIINNNNGGGGG! I grab my bag and rush down the hallway, I don’t even stop at my locker to wait for Britney, like I always do. She’ll understand when I explain the whole situation to her. She thinks Court is a dick for dissing me after kissing me. Ohmigod, did I just rhyme? I’m such a dork when I’m nervous.
    I push open the glass doors, step outside, and absorb the hot sun. It’s mid May but feels more like mid July. The high school parking lot is already full of teenagers eager to escape the walls that have held them captive for the last seven hours.
page9image21384
    I make my way to my car focusing on the black steaming pavement, believing if I keep my eyes down, Court will not be able to find me. I know it’s a little egocentric of me.    Unfortunately, staring at the ground doesn’t allow me to see where I parked my mom’s car. I quickly look up and feel all the air escape my body—Court is speaking to Adam in front of my silver Toyota, right in front of the driver’s side. Damn him!
    I try to move, but can’t. Air refuses to re-enter my lungs, I try to breathe again, but it doesn’t work, I need this air to stop my heart from racing. Come on Emma, you don’t really care about what he has to say, I tell myself. Who am I kidding? In a few seconds the wrong words can easily shatter my heart.
    For the last six days, all I’ve thought about has been that stupid kiss, trust me I’ve tried hard not to. After Jason, I never thought anyone else would invade my mind like this again.
It’s all that damn project’s fault. For two weeks straight I’ve worked closely with Court on it. At first I thought I would have to do all of the work, but I was wrong. Court ended up being incredibly smart and an awesome person, he was not at all the rich spoiled brat I always made him out to be.
    He began to talk to me outside of class, and even sat with me at lunch, which in Cypress Oak High School society is a huge deal when you’re not in each other’s social circles. We were actually becoming friends—until that kiss. That damn kiss! I didn’t even want to go to that stupid party, but Britney insisted I’d go with her.
    She dragged me to Laura Burn’s house, which happens to be on the wealthy side of     Cypress Oak, uninvited. The last time I had gone to a party was with Jason by my side. It was awkward walking into that enormous house by myself, especially since it was surrounded by the people I once wanted to be like, but now could hardly tolerate.
    Britney left my side two minutes after we arrived to find Derek Peterson, her new conquest, and the only reason we had gone to that stupid party. She hated these people as much as I did.
    I was hoping to become invisible and blend in with the unadorned eggshell walls, as hip-hop music blared out of the speakers. The beautiful people were all packed in drinking, dancing, hooking up, and making me sick. I didn’t belong, and the truth was I didn’t want to.
Hold on Tight Maria E. Monteiro
    I stood against the wall missing Jason, and trying not to make eye contact with anyone, but I soon learned that was unavoidable. Christy LeVandal was glaring at me from across the room, with pure hatred in her cold sapphire eyes. She sent me violent messages as she twirled around her fake blond hair.
    She hated me, but because of what happened with Jason, she had stopped making her nasty comments towards me. I knew she wanted to attack me for being at that stupid party, but I also knew she wouldn’t, so I smiled and waved hello. Before she could respond someone blocked my view, and tried to share my personal space. Court was standing right in front of me, offering me a drink. He looked so good in his green Hollister T-shirt and blue jeans,
    “Thanks,” I said, taking a small sip of beer. I held the cup in my hand and wished it was water, I hate alcohol.
    “No problem. I’m glad you’re here.” He formed his perfect smile.
    “I wish I wasn’t.”
    “What, you’re not having a good time?”
    I lowered my voice and with a sly grin I said, “Well, this is not my scene. I can’t

stand these people, and you’re the worst of them all.” He started laughing, as he stood next to me.
    Court and I started talking about the books we are reading, the latest episode of Shameless, and about the obsession people have with collecting friends on social networks and letting them know what they are thinking or doing every minute of the day. Court admitted he was guilty of this obsession. He, himself has over two hundred and fifty friends, and minutes earlier had updated his status by writing “Ready to drink 1 too many at Laura’s party.”
    I couldn’t stop laughing when he told me. At first he looked upset I was laughing at him, but seconds later he began laughing too. He stepped in front of me with his perfect smile and said, “I love that about you.”
    “What?” I asked, trying to breathe.
    “That you make me laugh, but most of all that you make me think.”Court’s electrifying baby blue eyes were swallowing me up. Before I knew it his light pink lips began to come closer, making my heart pound even harder. 


{End of Tease}

Find Hold on Tight at:
iBooks
Reader Store
Copia
Gardners
eBookPie
eSentral

About the Author


I was born in Chile and moved to America when I was only three years old. I was raised in Sleepy Hollow NY. No I've never run ito the Headless Horseman. Growing up all I've known is I wanted to write. I got my BA in English and my Masters in Literacy. I became a preschool teacher, and though it's been fun, it has never been my dream to teach. I have always wanted to write.
When I moved to the Catskills, I became inspired in a different way. Music became very important in my life; I think it's because I only live 10 miles from the grounds of the 1969 Woodstock festival. Yes sometimes I like to think I'm a hippie from the 1960's. I really think I was born in the wrong decade. My surroundings helped and inspired Hold on Tight, my debut YA novel.
Watching my dream become a reality has been a lot of hard work, but I have enjoyed every minute of it. Right now I'm working on my third book Austin-n-Jade. I hope to write for the rest of life, only taking breaks to rock out at concerts and dance around my house.

Visit me at my other blog: http://mariamonteiro.net

~Maria


Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Teaser Tuesday: Shadowless by Brittany Severn

It's another week and I have another tease for you. This one comes from a book that came out this week. I first met Brittany on Twitter when we both decided to drink and write. Ever since Brittany and me have shared pictures with each other on Instagram. I am really excited to bring to you the following tease, I know after I read it I knew right away I need to get this book. I'm sure you will feel the same way after you read this tease. So here you go a tease from Shadowless.




Synopsis: All Quinn Murdock wants is to get her soul back.
With no shadow and no reflection, life in a small beach town poses its risks.
Her supernatural roommates try to keep her feet on the ground, but they also keep her head spinning.
When a human named Conrad Archer moves in, the mystery of Quinn's stolen soul grows deeper as does her affection for him.
But when a conflict arises among the roommates, Quinn realizes they all might be more dangerous than she had originally thought.

~Tease~

It's terrible to look in a mirror and see nothing there, or to go outside and know you'll have no shadow.  My name is Quinn Murdock and I have no soul.  I could go into detail with my sob story, like how Stealers attacked my town, killed my parents and stole my soul.  How Runa found me six months ago and that's how I came to live at the boarding house.  But I'd rather not right now.  Because a human is coming to the boarding house, and I can hardly contain myself.  Before the news of the human coming, it was just the four of us.  Me, Lot, Runa and Grey.  We aren't really strange looking, by that I mean we look like humans.  Well, except for Grey who is our resident mermaid.  She’s kind of hard to miss.
I heard movement above me.  It was two a.m.  I wondered if the excitement of the human had Lot up as well.  It sounded like he was doing construction upstairs.  But whoever knew what Lot did up there.
"Lot, shut up!"  I threw a book at the ceiling.  I got two sharp thuds in response and then things got quiet.  I glanced at the ceiling to make sure it didn't start to collapse.
See, the boarding house, which sits just off the edge of the northern Atlantic, needs some serious repairs.  The house stands on tall pillars so the tide rushes underneath.  The house itself is a faded turquoise color, tall with gothic-looking towers and balconies that overlook the town and the ocean.  There are cracks in the walls, holes in the decks, and many shingles missing.  Our side of the town used to be a prime vacation spot until people started building bigger and better houses on the other side.  Now ours is the only house left on our side.
The boarding house has four floors.  The bottom floor has the kitchen and other main rooms, Runa has the second floor, and Lot has the top floor.
The third floor is where I live, sometimes with Grey.  Grey stays out in the ocean most days and spends most of her nights in the bathtub.  I adore Grey, but I always have the sneaking suspicion she likes my floor because it has the biggest bathtub.  My floor also has two bedrooms, mine and a spare that hasn't been touched since I moved in, and a living room that I use as a library.  Books are my second favorite things after the rain.
I paced in my room and chanted, "Human, human."  I didn't know what time the human would be here but I didn't want to sleep incase I missed the arrival.
Rain and singing made me stop thinking about the human.  Rain began to make a tapping sound at my window and I could hear soft singing coming from down the hall.  Had to be Grey.  The tide should have brought her in by now.  I walked to the bathroom and saw that the door stood open a crack, so I pushed it open and spotted Grey in the tub.
“Uh oh.  Did I wake you?”  She looked concerned.
“No, not at all.  I was awake and you know I like when you sing.”
“Mermaid gift.”  She shrugged her delicate shoulders.
Singing was not the only gift the mermaids had.  Grey was beautiful.  Despite her name, she sported a bright turquoise and silver tail, the fluke resting outside of the water in the tub, her hair pale amber with the same turquoise highlights as her tail.
{End of Tease}


About the Author


I'm Britt.
Indie YA novelist, ARMY brat, beach walker, hug giver, dog lover.

I was born in Kansas on an ARMY base, and within the year we moved to California.  From there, we moved to Texas.  Three years later we moved to Germany.  Three years after that, we moved to Alabama.  I'm still in Alabama and am not a fan.  
At all.  Really.  
The South isn't a terrible place (except for the HUMIDITY), I've just never felt like I fit in down here.  
I don't like sweet tea,
I don't like things fried,
I don't understand the fascination of watching cars go in circles for six hours,
I don't spend much time on the front porch,
and I've tried my hardest not to gain that Southern drawl
(pretty sure I failed).
But what I do love about the South is how polite (most) people are
and how people help out total strangers
because it's how they were raised.
Chivalry...I'm a fan.

I kind of fell into writing. I had no desire to write seriously until I was probably 19.  
Up until then it was a hobby.
Before the world of writing enveloped me, I was going to work for the FBI.
Yep, this girl was going to be on the FBI's CyberCrime Unit.
But because of several reasons, that didn't work out
and it's just as well because if it had
I may have missed my calling.

I think we all have dark moments in our lives
and mine has had its share.
I've seen and been through a lot of things that I think most people should never have to see and hear,
and I think those things are a large part of why I enjoy writing.
To me, writing is an escape
but it's also a way to have control.
In writing, you have total control over your characters.
What they do, what they say;
it can be very therapeutic.
Writing has gotten me through some dark times,
and I owe it a lot.


Visit Brittany Severn at her blog: http://www.brittanysevern.com

~Maria