Daily Archives: April 12, 2017

She Won’t Stop Til She Finds Her Bestie – Shade by Marilyn Peake @marilynpeake

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Shade by Marilyn Peake is more than just a supernatural/paranormal mystery.

It is a look inside a trouble teenager’s life and how she more than rises to the challenge.

Shade (The Shade Series #1)

Amazon  /  Goodreads

MY REVIEW

Shade is a YA Paranormal mystery that includes some difficult subject matter, such as cutting and alcohol and drug abuse. More than anything it is the journey of Galactic Shade Griffin as she struggles with life and the danger and difficulties that cross her path.

A drug addict, a ghost, faeries, a troubled teen girl, her missing friend, a messed up mom, an amulet…will Shade be the hero she created in her graphic novel?

Shade has pretty much raised herself and hasn’t done too bad of a job, considering…no father and a mother who drank and drugged herself into oblivion.

Her mother moved them again, and things changed for Shade. She met Brandon Yates, a ghost that haunted their new home. When her best friend turns up missing, they band together to figure out the mystery.

More girls go missing…

I love how Shade struggles and grows to develop. I knew a girl who cut herself and I cannot stress how upset and sad I was for her. I could not understand how hurting yourself could make you feel better. Or maybe it was just so she could feel…something.

I love a good mystery and the paranormal is a nice touch. It adds an extra element I always appreciate. The danger rises and the the mystery is darker than Shade could have imagined. I have read of what can happen to girls who go missing and I fear how vulnerable the female species is…how unprepared and innocent we can be about the evil men do.

Marilyn can spin a wonderful tale that is easy to read and contains lovable characters that will wiggle their way into your heart. I would love to have Shade as my best friend too.

Amongst the dark, there is light.

In the tragic and sadness, there is hope and love.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos  4 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

Finalist in the 2015 National Indie Excellence Book Awards, Young Adult Fiction category

Thanks to her offbeat mother, Shade’s full name is Galactic Shade Griffin. Having a name like that while being the new girl in school is pretty much catnip for bullies. The summer before Shade’s junior year of high school, her mother breaks up with yet another boyfriend and moves them once again to a new town.

This time, they move into a dilapidated old house where Shade has an entire attic bedroom to herself—at least until she discovers it’s haunted by the ghost of a teenaged boy named Brandon Yates. When Shade’s best friend goes missing, her life becomes even more complicated. With the help of Brandon who’s struggling with his own issues in the world beyond, Shade faces the question of whether or not she has what it takes to become a true hero.

Although this novel deals with a number of serious issues—drug and alcohol abuse, cutting, and disturbing world events—it’s primarily a novel about a teenaged girl finding out who she really is and that she’s capable of so much more than she ever thought possible.

Shade is a Young Adult Paranormal Mystery novel.

ABOUT MARILYN PEAKE

Marilyn PeakeFrom Goodreads:

Marilyn Peake is the author of both novels and short stories. Her publications have received excellent reviews. Marilyn’s one of the contributing authors in BOOK: THE SEQUEL, published by The Perseus Books Group, with one of her entries included in serialization at THE DAILY BEAST. In addition, Marilyn has served as Editor of a number of anthologies. Her short stories have been published in seven anthologies and on the literary blog, GLASS CASES.

Awards: Silver Award, two Honorable Mentions and eight Finalist placements in the ForeWord Magazine Book of the Year Awards, two Winner and two Finalist placements in the EPPIE Awards, Winner of the Dream Realm Awards, and eight Top Ten Finisher Awards in the Preditors and Editors Readers Poll.

Stalk Marilyn Peake:  Website  /  Twitter
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MY REVIEWS FOR MARILYN PEAKE

 

Giveaway – Before The Tempest by Tani Hanes @TaniHanes @XpressoTours

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Before the Tempest
Tani Hanes
(UK Crush, #4)
Publication date: March 21st 2017
Genres: Contemporary, New Adult, Romance

Aileen Foster, poor, orphaned, musically gifted, never imagined her life could change so much, so fast, but getting a job as interpreter for boyband UK Crush pitched her headfirst into tumult and a glamorous life she never thought she’d have. Now, engaged to band member Theo Shelley, and having survived her audition to Hamilton Conservatory in Manhattan, she’s off to the Bahamas with the boys while they write their new album. Life has never been easy for her, but she’s trying.

Goodreads / Amazon

Find the previous books in the series on Amazon!

—

EXCERPT:

I leaned forward and kissed him, and even though he was sleeping, he kissed me back, and I felt him stirring against my leg, making me smile. I pushed my hips against him gently, and felt him push back, again, while remaining asleep, a purely sensitized response. I wondered if it was possible to have, not “sleepy sex”, which we had all the time, but actual “sleeping sex”? I kissed him again, wanting to get busy, but feeling guilty about waking him up. He kissed me back, but remained peacefully, almost obstinately, asleep. I sighed.

I put my hand on him, feeling more than a stirring this time, and on a whim, went under the covers, head first, pulling the blanket up from the bottom first to make sure I could breathe (I’d gotten caught in that situation before, and nearly suffocated from a lack of oxygen).

I took care of business, so to speak, knowing he was definitely awake by the time I finished. And he finished. I crawled out from under the covers, blinked in the bright light of day and smiled at him.

He smiled back at me.

“Good morning, tiger,” he said in his gravelly morning voice, pulling me up to kiss me. “What was that for, hmm?” He squeezed me.

“You said in the taxi, remember? The night we walked across the bridge into the city and took the cab here?” I looked up at him. He shook his head.

“You said that smiles and blow jobs were all the thanks you’d ever want from me for you making me so happy.” I snuggled down into his arms. “So now I’ve given you both already for today.”

He snickered. “So is this something that’s supposed to have been occurring every day, then? Because if that’s the case, I think we’re a few days behind, love.” He lifted the covers. “You’d better get down there and do a bit of catch up.” He looked at me.

I looked at him. “Dude, I’m up for it if you are.” I began to crawl back under the blankets. He looked horrified and pulled me back.

I smirked at him. “All bluster, I knew it.”

He made his mouth into a round O of offended shock. “You’re so rude. How can you impugn my manhood like that? Have I not kept you good and thoroughly fucked pretty much each and every day since we got together?”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” I acknowledged. “The thing is that I don’t know what other guys are like. Maybe any man out there could be doing what you’re doing, you know? Or even more?” I looked up at him.

He pursed his lips and looked at me through narrowed eyes. “You take that back, right now, or I will make you suffer. I will tickle you until you wee. Never was a threat made more seriously.”

“No!” I shrieked. “I take it back I take it back!” I turned to straddle him and leaned forward to hug him. “I love you I love you I love you, Theodore Shelley.” By the last time I said it, all traces of humor had left my voice, and I was left looking into his smoke-gray eyes, feeling emotional.

“Wow,” he said softly. He took a deep breath. “You look enchanting, Ms. Foster.”

I smiled. “I think that’s just because you’re looking through those eyes of yours, Teddy,” I said with a little laugh, touching his nose with my finger.

He sat up, hugging me. “Shower?” he whispered.

“Shower,” I responded with a smile.

 

Author Bio:

Tani Hanes was born in Yokosuka, Japan. She spent the first few years of her life traveling back and forth between Japan and the US, making the permanent move to the Central Valley of California when she was five. She visited family in Japan on a regular basis, and attended college in Tokyo for one year at ICU before getting her degree in Language Studies from UC Santa Cruz. She has two children, and was a substitute teacher for fifteen years. Hanes currently resides in New York City with her husband and cats, Moss and Lily.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Amazon / Pinterest

 

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  • You can see my Giveaways HERE.
  • You can see my Reviews HERE.
  • If you like what you see, why don’t you follow me?
  • animated smilies photo: animated animated.gifLook on the right sidebar and let’ talk.
  • Leave your link in the comments and I will drop by to see what’s shakin’.
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  • Thanks for visiting fundinmental!