Friday, May 30, 2014

Blog Tour: Dream On by M. Kircher


Blurb:

Seventeen-year-old dreamwalker, Em, might have to choose—leave her mother forever in the dreamworld or save the life of hot, rebel Gabe. Emily Dal Monte and her mother, Lily, are special. They’re humans with a
glitch in their genetic code that allows them to explore the fantastic, and often terrifying, world of their dreams for as long as they choose to remain asleep. But when Em’s father is killed in a tragic accident and her distraught mother loses herself more and more in the dreams of her crumbling mind, Em is forced to support the two of them the only way she knows how, by writing down her mother’s amazing dreams and selling them as books. Enter Gabriel Sobel, the handsome punk newcomer at Em’s high school who realizes Em is the daughter of his favorite, reclusive author. Gabe can’t figure out why Em keeps brushing him off and makes it his mission to find out what’s really going at the Dal Monte household. He stumbles upon their shocking family secret just as Lily takes a turn for the worse. It’s up to Em, Gabe, and one very nosy book editor to hop from one extraordinary dream to the next to find Lily and convince her to wake up before she loses her mind...and before Em loses her first chance at love.

Buy Links:

Excerpt:

Tiny shafts of sunlight stream down from the treetops above us, forming small rings that illuminate the red pine-covered ground below. It’s weird how quiet it is here. There are none of the sounds you’d normally associate with a forest, like the scurrying tread of small animals or the soft breeze rustling through the trees.

Everything is completely still.

I rest my forehead against the warm bark of the tree and try to calm my racing thoughts. How do I get us out of this mess? Mom and Evan aren’t here with Gabe and me. At least, as far as I can tell, they aren’t here, and we don’t have any time to find them. Evan and Gabe need to wake up now, or they could die. It’s so simple, yet so complicated. Do I save Gabe’s life? Or do I continue to risk killing him and try to save everyone? If I pull Gabe out, I could risk losing both Mom and Evan inside this dream. I have no idea if Mom’s recognition of me was a moment’s clarity, or something more lasting. I might never be able to locate her and Evan again.

A sob rises in my throat. I can’t help it. I’m so tired and overwhelmed, and we’re all so deeply in trouble. Despite my best efforts, the sob escapes, and then I can’t seem to stop another one from bursting out of my mouth. And then another one. Huge, wrenching cries tear through me, and I double over, my face in my hands, as the tears stream through my fingertips.

It’s all just too much.

I hear Gabe come to stand beside me, and before I can protest, he draws me back into his arms. I can’t seem to stop crying. I’m so embarrassed, but I just can’t stop. His rough fingers catch the bottom of my chin, and slowly he tilts my face up toward his, so we’re gazing into each other’s eyes. My breath hitches, and it’s not just from all the crying.

“I’m sorry, Em,” Gabe whispers, his soft words loud in the silence surrounding us. “But there’s no one I’d rather be with right now than you.”

About the Author:


M. Kircher graduated with a B.A. in Fine Arts from Gordon College. She devours YA, science fiction, fantasy, and romance on a regular basis and is immensely happy to pour her time and energy into creating stories for other people to enjoy. Bob Ross and J.R.R. Tolkien tie for her two favorite people of all time. M. Kircher lives in Connecticut with her husband, energetic son, and new baby girl.


Where to Stalk M. Kircher:


Meagan's Review:

Okay so this book was an amazing read. But even more than that this book was so different from anything else that I've ever read and in this day and age. Emily and her mother are both able to walk through dreams and this is both a good and bad thing. While they could stay in their dreams as long as they want, the world keeps moving around them and with that their body still ages, even though the person is still asleep. So while being in a dream is often times better than reality, it isn't always better for the body or the person. Well this is the conflict that Emily finds herself dealing with, with her mother. Her mother doesn't seem to want to come back to reality with some recent events that have happened. Emily has had a rough childhood that she overcame and now she needs to find a way to help her mother and of course now Gabe comes into her life. The author kept me guessing until the very end, but it was well worth it. I very much enjoyed this book and unfortunately my review is a little shorter than normal because I don't want to give too much away from the story, so make sure to pick up your copy!!!


                    
Incinerate

Giveaway:

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Friday, May 23, 2014

Blog Tour: Synchrony by Cindy Ray Hale


Blurb:

When her parents discover she’s been sneaking out with Isaac Robinson, the forbidden Baptist boy, Mormon girl Destiny Clark decides it’s time to keep their relationship quiet. As their relationship moves to
shakier ground, Destiny discovers that Isaac has a terrible secret, and she is left completely shattered.

The moment Destiny feels all hope is lost, Preston Nelson, her longtime church friend and Isaac's bitter rival, arrives like a beacon of light. It isn't long before two separate disasters strike for Preston and Destiny's best friend, Hannah. As Destiny helps them through their issues, she discovers that sometimes the best way to forget about your own problems is to help a friend in need.


Just as her heart begins to mend and her friendship with Preston begins to heat up, Isaac walks back into her life, threatening to rekindle the feelings she’d hoped to bury forever. Will Destiny and Preston find the synchrony they so desperately need, or will she find a way to forgive Isaac and return to his outstretched arms?

Buy Links


Excerpt:

We were out of snowballs, so we had to go back to our piles to restock. Then we were all back on the field, colliding in a flurry of white. I hit Destiny right above her ear with a huge snowball. She shrieked a feminine war cry and clobbered me with two snowballs, one on either side of my face. My cheeks stung with the cold, and I ran back to the fort to get more snowballs.
As I was reaching down behind the shed to restock my supply of ammo, Destiny barreled into me, knocking me off balance. Her arms wrapped around me, and we fell into the snow on my side. I struggled to break free, but she had me pinned at a strange angle. Technically, I could have thrown her off at any time, but that would have ruined the fun.
I howled as she shoved snow down the back of my shirt, and we rolled several times down the slope as I struggled to get free. But her arms were locked around my neck. And then, somehow, she was pinned under me. Every vein in my body was on fire as I gazed into her crystal clear blue eyes. She released her arms from her vicelike hold on my neck, and her eyes grew wide and her lips parted slightly as though she’d just realized how close our faces were.
I had no idea what possessed me to do it, or when all reason had suddenly flown from my mind, but as I leaned forward and kissed her tenderly, all I could think about was how beautiful and pure she’d looked lying there in the snow with her hair splayed all around her in wild waves of perfection.

Honestly, if I’d stopped to think about what I was about to do, I never would have been able to go through with it. I mean, come on, how many years had I imagined what it would be like to kiss Destiny Clark? But
that had always been pure fantasy. Especially after her nasty breakup. If I’d taken the time to consider kissing her, I would’ve convinced myself that the last thing she’d wanted was a kiss.


Guest Post:

Complexity

Olivia

Hope, excitement, anticipation, dread, and guilt. The emotions cycled through me one-by-one as I gawked at my phone. I had another text from Hudson.

Meet me in the woods.

Meeting Hudson in the woods was absolutely out of the question. I typed in a quick reply. And why would I do that?

Because you know you want to.

I did want to. But I was hardly willing to admit that to myself, let alone Hudson. You wish.

So you’re too afraid of getting caught?

No, I’ll prove it.

How?


Look for me. I’ll meet you by the old homestead. I hit send and the blood rushed from my face. What the heck had I just done? I ignored my racing heart and glanced at the clock.

About the Author:

Cindy Ray Hale lives in a little slice of wooded heaven near Atlanta, Georgia with her husband and children.
She spends way too much time following up-and-coming musicians on YouTube and dreams of joining their ranks one day. She’s a bit of a health food nut and can’t live without her daily green smoothies. She tries to stay sane as she juggles writing with four kids, staying active on social media, and keeping up her book blog at http://cinnamoncindy.blogspot.com/. In addition to writing and self-publishing two Young Adult Contemporary novels, she has also written articles for "New Era" magazine and The American Preppers Network.


For more information on The Destiny Trilogy and Cindy’s upcoming books visit http://destinybycindyhale.blogspot.com/ or follow @CindyRayHale on Twitter.

Where to Stalk Cindy:



Team Isaac or Team Preston???? I am definitely.....




Giveaway:


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Wednesday, May 21, 2014

Apology...

Hey guys, so for any of you out there still following me, I want to give you my deepest apologies because I've been MIA for almost a month. I've had a lot of personal and family issues come up at one time and I've been dealing with a lot on that end and dropped the ball on my blog. But things are starting to get better and I'm hoping to come back to my blog because I miss it, and the people and the authors and closeness and comfort I always find from this little community. So if you're still following me please don't give up on me just yet!!! And look for some new posts to come VERY soon.

Thanks guys!!!!
~Meagan

Friday, April 25, 2014

Blog Tour: Finding My Way by Heidi McLaughlin


Blurb:


Liam Westbury has the world at his feet. He’s the quintessential golden boy. He’s the superstar quarterback
for Beaumont High. His girl, Josie, is head cheerleader. He has his choice of colleges just waiting for him.  Except he’s suffocating from all the pressure he’s under and no one understands.
Liam Page is the heartthrob he never wanted to be. He’s successful, smart and in demand by record companies and his adoring fans. Music is his passion, his love, but something’s missing. His nights are lonely and he longs for the girl he left behind. Seeing her in every face in the crowd haunts him with the knowledge that she hates him. Going home has never been an option until now.
Be there when Liam Westbury becomes Liam Page and follow the highs and lows of the Quarterback turned Rockstar as he finds a way back to Beaumont in this prequel to Forever My Girl.


Guest Post:


Why FINDING MY WAY was needed… 
For a year now I’ve received questions about why Liam left Josie or why his parents are the way they are. I always thought I’d be able to answer those questions when and if I wrote another story for Liam and Josie. It wasn’t until someone suggested I do a novella of Liam at eighteen. I weighed the thought of doing a novella, but thought if I stopped at eighteen, the next questions will be about his life in Los Angeles.
Writing the first twenty-five chapters of FINDING MY WAY were very hard. Each day, I felt such an immense emotional drain, always on the verge of tears and asking myself if I’m the same type of parent because of the pressure my daughter is under with basketball. I’d ask her nightly, if we’re the same way and she assured me that we’re not. It still didn’t help Liam has these parents that don’t know how to parent.
Once Liam made it to Los Angeles the story had a shift in emotion and became much easier to write. I found myself writing about 10k a day and it felt like I could breathe again. I know for a lot of readers they don’t want to hear about Sam, but sadly she’s an integral part of Liam’s past and I can’t tell readers how Liam Westbury became Liam Page without including her. 

About the Author:


Heidi is the author of USA Today, Digital Book World, Amazon and Barnes & Noble Bestselling novel, Forever My Girl.

Originally from the Pacific Northwest, she now lives in picturesque Vermont, with her husband and two daughters. Also renting space in their home is an over-hyper Beagle/Jack Russell and two Parakeets.

During the day Heidi is behind a desk talking about Land Use. At night, she's writing one of the many stories planned for release or sitting court-side during either daughter's basketball games.

Where to Stalk Heidi:






Giveaway:



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Friday, April 18, 2014

Release Day Launch: Night After Night by Lauren Blakely


We are thrilled that Lauren Blakely's NIGHT AFTER NIGHT is available today!!! NIGHT AFTER NIGHT is the first full-length novel from her first Erotic Romance Series, The Seductive Nights Series! The prequel novella, FIRST NIGHT, is included in NIGHT AFTER NIGHT!! Grab your copy today and don't forget to enter to win a signed paperback copy of NIGHT AFTER NIGHT! 




About NIGHT AFTER NIGHT: **Warning: Spare panties are needed for reading this book...you're welcome.*** "You are being rewarded for turning me on. But we're doing it my way. You teased the hell out of me, and now I want to watch you squirm. Crawl up on my bed and get on your hands and knees." Their world was sex, love, and lies. He intoxicated her. Commanded. Consumed. With a dirty mind and a mouth to match, Clay Nichols is everything Julia never knew she wanted and exactly what she cannot have. He walked into her life one night and unlocked pleasure in her that she never knew was possible. Possessing her body, captivating her every thought. Which makes him way too dangerous for Julia to risk her heart, given that she has a price tag on her head. She ran after one mind- blowing week with him, but now he's back, and determined to make her his own. No matter the cost. She was a sexy drug to him. Fiery, unforgettable, and never enough, Julia is an enigma, and Clay isn't willing to let her go without a fight. But she's got dark secrets of her own that threaten to destroy any chance of happiness. She's a wanted woman - the stakes are high, her every move is watched, and yet the lure between them can't be denied. Can two people burned by love trust again when desire and passion are met by danger at every turn? 

 A sensual, emotionally-charged erotic romance from the New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author Lauren Blakely...




Please note: This book is intended for 18+ due to dirty talk, light bondage, and lots of sexy scenes. This ebook edition also includes the prequel novella First Night, which precedes Night After Night.


Night After Night 

Teaser

BUY LINKS: 
 Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1ijJ9Sz 


Also, the sequel in The Seductive Nights Series, AFTER THIS NIGHT, is up for pre-order now! Here are the links! 




About Lauren Blakely: 

Lauren Blakely writes sexy contemporary romance novels with heat, heart, and humor, and her books have appeared on the New York Times, USA Today, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and iBooks bestseller lists. Like the heroine in FAR TOO TEMPTING, she thinks life should be filled with family, laughter, and the kind of love that love songs promise. Lauren lives in California with her husband, children, and dogs. Her novels include Caught Up In Us, Pretending He’s Mine, Playing With Her Heart, and Trophy Husband. She also writes for young adults under the name Daisy Whitney.     

  a Rafflecopter giveaway    

Links: Website Blog Facebook Twitter NIGHT AFTER NIGHT Goodreads Lauren Blakely Goodreads




Thursday, April 17, 2014

Spotlight: Awakening by Cassandra Carr


Blurb:

Vanessa Clark is doing a research paper for one of her last classes – Psychology of Sex – before receiving her Bachelors’ degree. Once she discovers the topic of BDSM, everything else pales in comparison. But where will she learn about it? The Internet has its limits, and Vanessa needs to talk to real-life practitioners of BDSM to really understand the lifestyle and write about it.

Will Astin, who serves as a dungeon master at a local BDSM club, doesn’t expect to find a gorgeous, irresistible young woman when he agrees to a meet and greet with a college student as a favor to the club’s owner. Even better, she’s interested in learning about BDSM for what he suspects are more than scholarly reasons, and Will decides he’s just the man to teach her about it, hopefully claiming
her for his own.


Will and Vanessa begin a journey which teaches both of them there’s more to BDSM than meets the eye. In the process, they grow closer, but when Will’s job puts him in the line of fire – literally – their roles are reversed and Vanessa has to take charge. Can they handle the rapid shift in their burgeoning dynamic, or is their relationship doomed?

About the Author:

Cassandra Carr is a multi-award winning romance writer. When not writing she enjoys watching hockey and hanging out online. Cassandra's books have won numerous "Best Book Of" awards and her novella Unexpected Top was nominated in the E-book Erotic Romance category of RT's Reviewers' Choice Awards.

She thinks the best part of being a writer is how she writes about love and sex while most others struggle with daily commutes, micro-managing bosses and cranky co-workers. Her inspiration comes from everywhere, but she'd particularly like to thank the Buffalo Sabres, the hockey team near and dear to her heart.

For more information about Cassandra, check out her website, "like" her Facebook fan page or follow her on Twitter.

Links:







Wednesday, April 16, 2014

Blog Tour: Affair in Athens by Matina Nicholas


Blurb: 

Fulfilling her mother’s dying wish to discover her roots, Athena Vallas journeys to Greece and finds more than history as she reunites with a part of her family she didn’t know existed. While documenting her grandfather’s heroic role as a Greek Orthodox priest in Plaka, sheltering Jews during the Resistance in WWII, Athena meets Luke, a dangerously charismatic man who sees her as the ideal wife.

Drawn into an extravagant lifestyle, her attraction to Luke is intense until she discovers that he plays a high stakes game of illegal pursuits. When she attempts to distance herself, Luke refuses to relinquish his plans. Ruthlessly, he keeps his eye on the prize—Athena—who won’t compromise love for wealth or fidelity for
lifestyle.


Affair in Athens includes a set of authentic Greek recipes at the back of the book, passed down through Matina’s family. Read, eat, and enjoy!

Buy Links:

Excerpt:

The old priest’s Byzantine chant, the heady smokiness of burning incense, the power of icons hundreds of years old staring down on her intoxicated her senses. She looked about the ancient Greek Orthodox church tucked under the Parthenon with a deep sense of awe and respect. This was where her grandfather had been priest for fifty years, where her mother had been christened and prayed and left behind so long ago. There were no pews, no chairs in this church. After all, “orthodox” meant upright. Dozens of candles in ornate brass candelabras flickered and cast mysterious shadows.

Athena’s eyes brimmed with tears. The altar swam before her. She was overwhelmed with a sense of coming home, of belonging. She knelt, covering her face with her hands, remembering her mother’s last days. Filled with love for her daughter, Amalia grieved that she would not live to see Athena married or have children. How could any daughter deny her mother’s last wish? Athena had promised to visit the tiny church in Plaka, learn of her Greek roots and her grandfather’s role in sheltering Jews during the Resistance.

Tears slipped through her fingers and dropped to the stone floor, the same stones where her grandparents had stood when they married, baptized their children, where their coffins had rested before they were buried. This was where her grandfather and his parishioners heroically stood when the Nazis trained their machine guns on them—Father Peter, in his black robes, face and arms raised in prayer, radiating strength and courage to his parishioners as they stood facing him. They had done God’s will by hiding and smuggling the Salonika Jews out of Athens into the remote countryside.  “Pater Ev-lo-i-son Emas. Father bless us,” they chanted, their voices abruptly silenced by the sharp, staccato bursts of the machine guns.


“My daughter.” Athena felt strong hands on her shoulders. She raised her tear-stained face to see an old priest in the customary black robes, looking down at her. His bright blue eyes peered over his wire spectacles, his face creased in concern. “I am Father Nicholas. My child, how can I help you?” His English was quite good.

Interview:

  • Hello, Matina and thank you so much for stopping by Books to Get Lost In. Let's get started into some fun and interesting questions, that I'm sure will give just as fun and interesting answers. So how much of your personality and life experiences are in your writing?
            I suspect no author can totally separate his personality and experiences from his writing.     
            My writing is based on my perceptions and experiences. If an author attempts to write in
            another voice except his own, the writing may not have authenticity.

  • What kinds of things do you do for fun?
Fun is an early morning at the beach with my dogs, breakfast with my editor, lunch on the run before a movie with a friend, cooking dinner for family or better yet, dinner out at a waterfront café.

  • Do you ever ask boyfriend/husband/significant other for advice and/or input for a particular scene?
No, I don’t. Ever. Input from a significant other can deter the plot’s path or create a problem if the advice isn’t taken. Input from my writing group is another  matter. They are detached from any emotional ties to me or my writing.

  • Do you have a particular writing routine once you start a book?
I start writing the minute I wake up, usually around 5:00 a.m., before the world around me awakens. It’s the purest time that produces the most effective writing for me.

  • What comes first for you? The story? Characters? Or setting?
The germ of a plot usually hatches just before the characters come knocking…and they always do, sometimes taking the plot out of my hands and into theirs! The setting is usually involved in the plot so that would be simultaneous to plot development.

  • What would you say are your biggest influences and/or inspirations in your writing?
Past experiences and certainly personalities in my past and present life ignite sparks of writing energy. Being of Greek descent, there’s always drama in my life…or what I perceive as drama with deep emotional roots. Those roots send up energy that flower into characters and how they react to situations.

What kind of research do you do? And what’s the craziest thing you’ve ever done in the name of research?

            I do a thorough research on the history and geographical areas my plots will be based on.
            Authenticity is important.

I contacted a photographer I found on Google who travels world-wide taking incredible photographs. I asked for permission to use his photos in essays I wrote for a news publication and for the cover of my book, Affair in Athens.  He was gracious in granting me that request.

  • For you what makes it a great/epic romance?
            Great romance = selfless devotion, no matter what the cost.  It’s as simple as that!

  • What do you find is the easiest part of writing?
The easiest part is actually writing the story with dialogue and plot. The hardest is finding the spark that will ignite my imagination to develop a plot and the characters to carry it out.

  • What’s in your TBR pile?
I have best sellers and issues of Time Magazine piled up . . .  and on hold. I find when I’m writing I tend to put aside any reading I have to do and concentrate on getting my writing in the best possible form I can.

  • What are three facts about you that no one knows and should?
    1. That I’m sometimes psychic
    2. That I am still a street-smart kid from Brooklyn, able to size up people situations in an instant
    3. That I have endless patience but once I “lose it,” watch out!

  • Do you have an embarrassing guilty pleasure that you partake in?
            Eating ice cream out of the box!

  • If you weren’t a writer, what other path might you have followed?
A chef…with a Greek family in the food business, what else would I have been!

  • If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would it be?
Probably back to Greece, to Sounion, truly an idyllic spot on the earth.

  • What are your feelings toward Zombies?
Bah! Humbug!

  • Who is your favorite superhero/heroine?
My mom and dad who overcame great odds to become successful in raising an American family through hard work and conscientious upbringing. They were superheroes who emigrated from family and country to make their adopted country their own.
           
  • If you could meet someone alive or dead who would it be? And why?
I’m conflicted between Christ and Cary Grant!  Christ for the obvious reason of his being and Cary Grant because he seemed to be the epitome of charm and debonair maleness.

  • If you were stuck on an island and could only have one type of food and one other “object” what would they be?
Anything dark chocolate.
One object wouldn’t be a cell phone or any electronic device. I’d love to be rid of those. An endless supply of matches would be a life-saving object.

  • Do you have any encouraging words for aspiring writers?
Join a writing group. Don’t try to go it alone. And read, read, read, all the newest books that are published so you can see what’s selling.

  • Is there anything else you’d like to share with our guests today?
Develop a pattern you follow for writing. Set times for writing and times for proofreading. Share you work with other fellow writers but try to choose those who write better than you do so you can benefit from their experiences and advice.

And read, read, read the writing of others and study their styles to develop your own.


EPPP!!!! Those were some awesome answers and (for me) such an insight into this amazing author. Thank you sooooo much for taking the time to answer my questions and giving such great answers and stopping by my blog today!!!!




About the Author:

With a background in English and Education, and a dedication to transmit her love of writing to her students, Matina Nicholas taught writing and literature at university and high school levels. She has been published in educational texts, professional periodicals, and journals. Currently, she writes for the Condo News under the name Tina Chippas. Her writing pieces can be read at condonewsonline.com under Commentary and
Essays.

A confirmed dog-lover, Matina is involved with her two dogs, Chelsea, a geriatric-but-far-from-over-the-hill toy red poodle and Lukie, a spunky, stubby Miniature Pinscher. Their eagerness for adventure and fine canine dining is the source for some of her essays for the Condo News.


This is her first novel.

Where to Stalk Matina: 

Tuesday, April 15, 2014

Release Day Launch: Don't Look Back by Jennifer L. Armentrout



We are extremely excited that Jennifer L. Armentrout's DON'T LOOK BACK releases today!! DON’T LOOK BACK is a young adult suspense being published by Disney Hyperion!

  don't look back  


  BUY LINKS:


  EXCERPT: 

I didn’t recognize the name on the street sign. Nothing about the rural road looked familiar or friendly. Tall, imposing trees and overgrown weeds choked the front of the dilapidated home. Windows were boarded up. There was a gaping hole where the front door had been. I shivered, wanting to be far away from here…wherever here was. Walking felt harder than it should be, and I stumbled off the chilly asphalt, wincing as sharp gravel dug into my feet. My bare feet? I stopped and looked down. Chipped pink nail polish peeked through the dirt…and blood. Mud caked the legs of my pants, leaving the hems stiff. It made sense, seeing as how I wasn’t wearing any shoes, but the blood…I didn’t understand why there was blood staining the knees of my jeans. My vision clouded and dulled, as if a gray film had been dropped over my eyes. As I stared at the weathered asphalt under my feet, large and smooth rocks replaced the tiny stones. Something dark and oily seeped over the rocks, slipping through the cracks. Sucking in a sharp gasp, I blinked and the image was gone. Hands trembling, I raised them. They were also covered with dirt and scratches. My nails were broken, bloodied. A silver ring wrapped, encased in soil, around my thumb. Air froze in my chest as my gaze crawled over my arms. The sleeves of my sweater were torn, revealing pale flesh covered in bruises and gashes. My legs started to shake as I swayed forward. I tried to remember how this had happened, but my head was empty—a black void where nothing existed. A car drove by, coasting to a stop a few feet in front of me. Somewhere in the trenches of my subconscious, I recognized the flashing red and blue lights as a source of safety. Elegantly scrawled along the black-and-gray side of the cruiser were the words ADAMS COUNTY SHERIFF’S DEPARTMENT. Adams County? A flash of familiarity came and went. The driver’s door opened, and a deputy stepped out. He said something into the radio on his shoulder before he looked at me. “Miss?” He started around the cruiser, taking tentative steps. He looked young for a deputy. Barely out of high school and able to carry a gun seemed wrong somehow. Was I in high school? I didn’t know. “We’ve received some calls into dispatch concerning you,” he said gently. “Are you okay?” I tried to respond, but only a hoarse squeak came out. Clearing my throat, I winced as the motion scratched and pulled. “I…I don’t know.” “Okay.” The deputy held up his hands as he approached me, as if I were a skittish deer about to bolt. “My name is Deputy Rhode. I’m here to help you. Do you know what you’re doing out here?” “No.” Knots formed in my belly. I didn’t even know where here was. His smile strained. “What’s your name?” My name? Everyone knew their name, but as I stared at the deputy, I couldn’t answer his question. The knots started twisting more. “I don’t…I don’t know what my name is.” He blinked, and the smile was completely gone. “You don’t remember anything?” I tried again, concentrating on the empty space between my ears. That was how it felt. And I knew that wasn’t good. My eyes started to tear up. “Miss, it’s okay. We’ll get you taken care of.” He reached out, lightly taking hold of my arm. “We’ll get this sorted.” Deputy Rhode led me around the back of his cruiser. I didn’t want to sit behind the Plexiglas, because I knew that wasn’t good. Only bad people sat behind the glass in police cruisers. I wanted to object, but before I could say anything, he settled me into the seat and wrapped a coarse blanket around my shoulders. Before he locked me in the bad part of the car, he knelt and smiled reassuringly. “Everything’s going to be okay.” But I knew he was lying, trying to make me feel better. It didn’t work. How could everything be okay when I didn’t know my own name?   

  ABOUT DON’T LOOK BACK: 

 Samantha is a stranger in her own life. Until the night she disappeared with her best friend, Cassie, everyone said Sam had it all—popularity, wealth, and a dream boyfriend. Sam has resurfaced, but she has no recollection of who she was or what happened to her that night. As she tries to piece together her life from before, she realizes it's one she no longer wants any part of. The old Sam took "mean girl" to a whole new level, and it's clear she and Cassie were more like best enemies. Sam is pretty sure that losing her memories is like winning the lottery. She's getting a second chance at being a better daughter, sister, and friend, and she's falling hard for Carson Ortiz, a boy who has always looked out for her—even if the old Sam treated him like trash. But Cassie is still missing, and the facts about what happened to her that night isn't just buried deep inside of Sam's memory—someone else knows, someone who wants to make sure Sam stays quiet. All Sam wants is the truth, and if she can unlock her clouded memories of that fateful night, she can finally move on. But what if not remembering is the only thing keeping Sam alive? 

  “This engrossing thriller packs a heady atmospheric punch with plenty of theatrical scares,” Kirkus Reviews “Armentrout has written another winner. From the first page to the last, she builds both terror and confusion to the point where readers will be hooked and on the edge of their seat. This standalone contains all of Armentrout’s usual trademarks– a strong and determined heroine, witty comments and hot guys–but she adds in an extra layer by ratcheting up the suspense to the highest degree and follows it up with an ending no one will see coming.” RT BOOK REVIEWS 4 1/2 Stars TOP PICK  
      

About Jennifer L. Armentrout:

Author Photo # 1 NEW YORK TIMES and USA TODAY Bestselling author Jennifer lives in Martinsburg, West Virginia. All the rumors you’ve heard about her state aren’t true. When she’s not hard at work writing. she spends her time reading, working out, watching really bad zombie movies, pretending to write, and hanging out with her husband and her Jack Russell Loki. Her dreams of becoming an author started in algebra class, where she spent most of her time writing short stories….which explains her dismal grades in math. Jennifer writes young adult paranormal, science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary romance. She is published with Spencer Hill Press, Entangled Teen and Brazen, Disney/Hyperion and Harlequin Teen. Her book Obsidian has been optioned for a major motion picture and her Covenant Series has been optioned for TV. She also writes adult and New Adult romance under the name J. Lynn. She is published by Entangled Brazen and HarperCollins.   

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