Book Blitz: Excerpt + #Giveaway: Marked by Amy Saunders

Marked
Amy Saunders


(The Birthright, #2)
Publication date: January 31st 2016
Genres: Science Fiction, Young Adult

Starting over for Rosamund Brandt is more complicated than it sounds. Especially when the past keeps coming back to haunt her. As she and her mom and brother try to pick up the pieces in a new home, the universe seems determined to tear them apart even more as secrets multiply, and distrust grows.
While new threats and unknowns emerge, Rosamund struggles with her own inner battle. Her new powers are growing whether she wants them or not, and their origins and nature are sketchy at best. The more that’s revealed to her, the more uncertain she feels.
Choosing allies and facing new and old enemies alike may not be their biggest problems. Not if Rosamund’s worst fears come true. Could she be the one they should fear the most?

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EXCERPT

Xavier turned his back to me, disappearing among the students walking in all directions. I gulped down the lump in my throat, and headed toward my locker on autopilot. I walked straight down the middle of the hallway, students veering around me one way or the other. Each step was like the last, until gravel crunched beneath my boot.
I stopped walking and glanced down. Instead of tile, I saw charred black gravel. When I looked back up, I was standing in a virtual field of the stuff. There was nothing else around me except some hills the same color. The sky was gray and wind blew strands of my hair across my face. When I brushed the hair away, I saw something glint among the rocks near my feet.
I bent down, brushing the blackened dirt away, revealing something silver. I grazed the edge of it with my fingertips, then plunged my fingers into the gravel, pulling out the object. I stood again, my hand wrapped around it. When I glanced up, I was back in the hallway, students parting around me.
Another memory. Each one seemed to get more vivid and real.
But then I felt something cold in my hand.
I slowly unwrapped my fingers, and charcoaled dirt sifted between them onto the floor, leaving behind a 3-D silver serpentine object the size of my palm. My hand shook. That wasn’t just a memory. I’d physically done something. Or, more to the point, I’d gone somewhere. And I was pretty sure it wasn’t on Earth.
I covered the object in my hand again. I took a step forward, totally ready to skip class to go have a meltdown in the bathroom, when someone grabbed my arm, dragging me across the hall into an empty classroom. I wrenched away, facing the guy from detention–who didn’t exist in school records.
“What are you doing?” he hissed. “Didn’t you grow up like this? I thought you’d know better.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR 

Amy is a sci-fi/mystery addict with a soft spot for humor and romance. She lives in Massachusetts, and loves to bake and watch movies. Learn more about Amy and her books at http://amysaundersauthor.com. 

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Review: Breaking the Darkness Series by Felicia Starr

You must betray your heart and walk amongst the darkness in order to find the truest light.

Opening her eyes to an imposing prison of complete darkness, Kasha is accused of possessing powers and abilities she had no previous knowledge of until the moment she comes face to face with herself while meditating. Haunted by memories strung together by lies and deceit, she soon discovers that maybe her beloved grandmother kept a few secrets she hadn't been aware of. Secrets that could be her salvation... or her undoing.

As she struggles to control her newfound powers, only time will tell if they will be enough to help her decipher who has imprisoned her or what they want from her. She must search for the answers and the freedom she so desperately desires.

Could a handsome guy who vows to help her get away prove to be the man of her dreams... or perhaps her worst nightmare? Not knowing who to trust, she must find a way to escape before she pays the ultimate price and finds herself taken by the darkness.

REVIEW

I was extremely intrigued by this story from the very first page. A million questions flooded my mind the more the story developed, and I was excited to find the answers. Why was Kasha imprisoned? By whom? What powers did she possess? Could she really trust anyone? and so on they went.

This book was uniquely written in the fact that many of Kasha's interactions with other characters were through her astral projection.

The suspense of whether she'd ever escape her prison, or whether her captors would take from her whatever they were looking for was a constant, and held me captive. And, the final moments in the book added a fantastic twist that has me wanting more.

A Breaking the Darkness Series Novella...

While Kasha gets ready to graduate from college, her grandmother, Magenta Alexander, prepares for her return. Mage wanted Kasha to grow up and have a normal life, even knowing there was a possibility that Kasha would be anything but normal. Mage has kept things from her granddaughter, secrets that she must be told.

Dangerous pacts are made, while magic and darkness lurk around every corner, and even those with the purest intentions must make tainted choices to protect the ones they love.

Deals are struck, secrets are revealed, sacrifices will be made...but will it be enough to ward off the darkness?

Warning: This book is intended for readers that have read Taken; there are spoilers in this book.

REVIEW

Even though this was only a novella, it was filled with so much back story and so much interesting information, much of which sparked even more stories as moments from book one were given more clarity, whilst even more suspense and intrigued was added to the mix.

Although I knew the inevitable outcome of this story, I still hoped that Gram would have been able to stave off her attacker. The events of this novella have fueled my need to read the next book, and I only hope that those evil enough to destroy such a beautiful soul will be brought to justice.

This was a great set up and back story for the rest of the series.

 

Kasha Alexander has been through a great deal since the death of her Gram, kidnapped, and abused, she has fought her way out of captivity with the help of the one man who just might be her saving grace, Graven.

Graven has been searching for Kasha for a millennia and now that he’s found her, he’s not about to let her go. He will protect her in any form, no matter what the cost…
Little does he know how high that cost will be….

REVIEW

I couldn't wait to read this book, and I was so excited that it started off right where book one ended. I was hoping to get all the answers to my many questions and to see where things would lead after the ending of the first book, but this story didn’t quite develop the way I was expecting.

It was more about Kasha and Graven’s relationship, not that I’m complaining because I enjoyed seeing them together, but I was expecting more from the Uni paranormal aspect because I still felt the details of this were a little vague.

When Nate appeared on the scene things seemed to be coming together and after everything I’d learned in Marked the level of deception became quite clear. When the truth about his ability/powers came to the forefront it was obvious what role he’d played within this series and I couldn’t wait to see him get what was coming to him.

I would love to continue this series to see what more lies in store for Kasha and the rest of the characters.

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Author Felicia Starr lives five miles from her favorite Jersey Shore destination with her amazingly supportive family. She loves to spend time creating special memories with her husband and two young boys
Everyone expected her first publication to be a cookbook, but her love for writing has surpassed her love for cooking.

Felicia graduated magna cum laude from Kean University with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a post baccalaureate in elementary education. She is a licensed real estate sales person, a certified yoga instructor, and most importantly, a stay-at-home mom.


http://www.feliciastarr.com/
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