Gracie, Dead or Alive by Sofia Diana Gabel ~ Blog Tour: #Excerpt @sofiadianagabel

Happy New Year, Donnie Darlings! Today is my stop on the Gracie, Dead or Alive Blog Tour hosted by Reading Addiction Virtual Book Tours. Click here to follow along with the full tour schedule.   

Gracie, Dead or Alive

by Sofia Diana Gabel

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Published: 09/15/15

Purchase: Amazon | B&N 

Synopsis

A story of the living, the undead, magic, betrayal, love, more betrayal, and blueberry pancakes.

Gracie Daniels has it all. She's young, pretty, in love and about to graduate from the University of Southern California, but her world is turned upside down when she wakes up, dead, in the morgue. 

But that's only the beginning of Gracie's new undead life. She has to learn to survive impending decomposition from a Wiccan spell that went wrong and numerous betrayals, all while searching for a mysterious alchemical spell book. 

Then along comes handsome Troy Scott. How can Gracie balance being dead and falling in love? 

It would be easier to give up, but that's not Gracie. 

Excerpt 

Why was I in the morgue? I struggled to sit up and quickly realized I was naked. Buck naked, not a stitch on. I blinked and saw the origin of the voice, a petite young woman wearing an open white lab coat and blue scrubs. Her name tag said Sarah.

She yelped and clamped a hand over her mouth. “I can’t believe it. Talk again.”

Okay. “Hi. What am I doing here?” My voice was stronger now, and I didn’t feel quite as cold.

Sarah giggled like a high school girl. “I’m Terra.”

“Name tag says Sarah.” I grabbed the sheet that had bunched around my waist when I sat up and pulled it up to my chin.

“That’s a vanilla name. My coven name is Terra. And you’re Gracie. Nice to meet you face-to-face, Gracie.” She smiled a broad, look-what-I-did smile. Two other bodies lay on tables, their feet poking out, each with a toe tag dangling in the air. That made me think. I pulled up the sheet to expose my own feet. What the hell! I had a toe tag as well.

“Sarah, I mean Terra, what’s going on?” I brought my foot up and slipped the tag off.

Terra was still smiling. “You, um, you...I did something.” She shoved a piece of paper into her pocket.

“Why am I here, in the morgue?” I wrapped the sheet around me like a toga and swung my legs over the side of the table, dangling them over the sterile white tile floor. There were strange little glass jars around my table.

“Oh, that’s easy. You’re dead.”

“No, I’m not. I’m sitting here in a morgue talking to you.”

“Yeah, you are dead. You’ve been dead for six hours. I couldn’t wait much longer because they might start the autopsy. I had to get to you before it happened, obviously.” Terra clapped her hands together. “So, what do you feel like? Are you breathing? Do you feel like yourself, you know, before you died? What’s it like to be not dead anymore?”

“What?” It was hard to concentrate on Terra’s endless questions.

She pulled out a little compact mirror from her pocket, along with the piece of paper she’d just put in there, and held the mirror near my lips. “Can you breathe? Are your lungs working? The mirror isn’t fogging up. How are you not breathing? This is so cool. Oh my God! What’s it like?”

I shoved her hand away, making her drop the mirror. It shattered. “Can you shut up for a minute? I need to think.” Her voice was like an icepick stabbing my brain. The piece of paper was clutched in her other hand, and I wanted it. While she looked at the ground, I grabbed the paper and saw what looked like a couple of recipes and…an incantation?

“That’s mine. And you broke my mirror.” Terra pointed to the shards. “Damn it! I don’t need bad luck.”

“Sorry,” I mumbled.

She pouted. “You can keep the spell, I don’t need it anymore. Hey, I’d better run. Nice to meet you.”

“Wait!” I reached out and held her by the sleeve and waved the paper in the air. “You’re not leaving me here. Is this an incantation? What’s going on? Where are my parents and Raf? Are you a doctor?”

She didn’t look, or act, like a doctor. She was maybe in her early twenties, like me, but unlike me, her hair was platinum blonde with pink highlights. Heavy black kohl outlined her eyes, she had her eyebrow pierced and had two cheek dimple-piercings. Doctors didn’t look like that, did they? She looked like a groupie at a boy band concert. I hated groupies.

She giggled. “No, I’m not a doctor. I got a job here as a tech so I could be near the bodies when they came downstairs.” She tugged her arm free, bent down and picked up several of the open jars that now I could see were filled with dried plants floating in liquid; the herbs I’d smelled. “I’m kind of a Wiccan alchemist. I made up the name. But don’t tell my coven what I did! They’ll excommunicate me or whatever for practicing without a license.”

“Practicing? Practicing what, exactly?” I lifted the sheet away from my body just enough to check myself out. I didn’t have any cuts or wounds. Was this a joke? Raf had tried to prank me once, by swapping my guacamole with wasabi, but I managed to subvert it by switching it back when he wasn’t looking. He knew how much I hated wasabi and in fact, anything spicy. But this time it looked like he got me.

About the Author

Sofia Diana Gabel is a multi-genre fiction writer who was born in Sydney, Australia, but is now living in the United States with her family. With degrees in environmental science and archaeology, she enjoys being out in nature when she's not glued to her desk writing or researching a new story idea. Writing is a true passion of hers, born from a love of the written word that can transport the reader to different places or worlds and deliver them back to reality, safe and sound.

Connect with the Author

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Blog 

Thanks for visiting Donnie Darko Girl! 

The Quirky Tale of April Hale by Cathy Octo ~ #BookBlitz & #Giveaway

Welcome, Donnie Darlings, to the Book Blitz for The Quirky Tale of April Hale! The title is so catchy; I just know this is going to be an awesome book. Plus it has a cute cover! :D   

The Quirky Tale of April Hale 
by Cathy Octo

Publication Date: October 27th, 2015

Publisher: Blvnp Publishing Incorporated

Genre: YA Contemporary Romance

Purchase: Amazon 

Synopsis

Tall, dark, and mysterious—Ryder Black is everything a girl wants. The catch? He’s trouble. Naturally, he’s irresistibly charming. Surprisingly, he’s impressively academic, too. But it’s his knack for getting into fights that makes him notorious.

Dorky, clumsy, and just plain odd—April Hale talks like Yoda, eats her food based on the day of the week, and prefers binge watching TV shows to partying. She has also spent the past few years eavesdropping on the Blacks’ morning fights. It was her daily routine. Until that one morning that Ryder catches her looking into his bedroom window… and she becomes all but anonymous in his eyes. 

Hell-bent on making contact, Ryder gets a sneak peek into the quirky world of April when she stuffs all of her fingers in her mouth and faints the first time he talks to her. 

She’s unusual. He’s captivated. 

In this delightfully wacky and fun story, we discover that sometimes what makes us outcasts from the world are the very things that make us special. Join April and Ryder in their journey to discovering more about life… and about each other. It will give you butterflies in the stomach, tickle your funny bones, and pull at your heartstrings until the very last page.  

About the Author

 

Part writer, part illustrator. Cathy’s life has always been filled with imagination and stories that will keep her up all night. For years, Cathy had read and written lots of stories, stemming from a deep love for flawed characterizations and interesting relationship dynamics. Finally, she started posting on Wattpad before getting discovered by BLVNP. Aside from writing, Cathy draws quite a bit and also plays a ridiculous amount of Dota 2. 


Read below for an excerpt from the book:

"Ryder 'Heart-Stopping' Black at two o clock, approaching us in alarming velocity!" Corinne was panicking.

"Oh my God, he looks so cute." Since Corrine and Marcy were mostly associated with books and the whiteboard, the closest thing that they could count as contact with the male was when they were dissecting frogs. 

They didn't know how to react around boys, especially the confident ones. Marcy would resort on twiddling endlessly at her sweaters and sputtering random Tumblr quotes. Corinne, on the other hand, would go to a total frozen state, and was only capable of talking in Science lingo. 

As for me, Quentin often had his hormone-crazed, rambunctious friends over so I could manage boys better than them. But Ryder Black was different. The closest I'd ever been from him was ten meters, and anything closer than that? 

I went into a Yoda-mode. 

"Stars, my darned." Said I. 

"Hey." Ryder's voice was now behind me. 

The total lack of commotion that my friends emitted confirmed me that both of them had already spiraled into temporary brain deaths. 

I stared at the wall. Ryder didn't say my name, so there was still possibilities that he was trying to talk with someone else. Maybe someone a little more normal. Maybe someone who hadn't just witnessed the way he and his family bickered earlier this morning. 

"Hey." He tried again. 

Closer, this time, and I could practically feel his breath fanned my back. 

"Neighbor." 

"Idon'tknowanyneighborsIwon'ttellanyonewhatIsaw, don't kill me, please!" I was shaking all over due to fear that blossomed uncontrollably fast. 

There was no record of Ryder hitting women, but everyone was talking about how good he was at transforming people's faces into unrecognizable pulps. My face quality certainly wasn't as good as Emma Watson, but I didn't want my face to turn into a blob of pulp. 

"What the hell are you talking about?" Ryder put a hand on my shoulder and spun me around, so that I was facing him. 

He wrinkled his nose a bit, when he saw that all ten of my fingers were inside my mouth in a sad attempt to control the quivering of my mouth. 

"You can.. You can take out all of your fingers, Neighbor. I'm not going to bite." He said, mildly amused and mildly disgusted at the same time. 

I took out all of my fingers, slowly. 

"Now, we need to talk." He said again, slower this time, as if he was trying to communicate with a starfish. 

And boy, I did feel like a starfish at this very moment. 

"Oh-uh." I shook my head. 

"No. Please? Scared I am. Talk we never." I hated myself for letting my Yoda-mode take over me like that. 

"It's about this morning." He took a glance at my friends, both were gaping at him and in the verge of drooling. 

"Can I kidnap your friend for five minutes? It's kinda important." Neither Marcy or Corinne looked like they were capable of answering. 

"Cool." Ryder said, before then, he once again shocked me to the oblivion by grabbing my elbow, and dragging me with him. 

It was even worse than I imagined. I thought that we were going to talk in the corner, but he went deeper than that. When I thought we were going to have audience for our talking at the stairs, he went even deeper than that. 

A few minutes, lots of tugging, and three near-death-experiences by heart failure later, the word 'Janitor' was approximately one meter above my head, and I stared at the door with aghast horror.  
We were going to talk in the Janitor's closet. As the realization was sinking in, I felt every hair on my body falling out. This place was legendary, not because of the smell, but because of the history that it preserved. This was where a lot of relationship was made. This was where a lot of innocence was lost. This was where women turned insane, and men showed their demons. 

And Ryder wanted me to talk with him here. 

"Let's talk here." Ryder said. "We'll have privacy." 

My whole existence wasn't built for this. 

In my whole seventeen years of living, I hadn't spent even one second preparing myself for this kind of experience. Talking with boys was a chore. Talking with bad boys was a torture. Talking with bad boys in a very secluded, very historical area, was... Well, it was pandemonium.  
And so my defense-mechanism took over, and I did something I never thought I would. 

I fell into Ryder's arms, and the moment my head crashed against his chest, I lost consciousness.

So much for talking to the Bad Boy for the first time.   

 (5) ecopies of The Quirky Take of April Hale 

by Cathy Octo

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Trapped with the Blizzard by Adele Huxley ~ Blog Tour: Excerpt & #Giveaway

 Hi Donnie Darlings! Today I have teasers, an excerpt and a giveaway for you guys, so get ready to get TRAPPED WITH THE BLIZZARD!! :D 

Trapped with the Blizzard
by Adele Huxley
Genre: Romantic Suspense/Sports Romance
Published: November 17, 2015

Synopsis

A new danger lurks in the storm...

All I wanted was the perfect quiet Christmas in our new home with my growing family. A huge tree, cookies, carols, you know… some basic frickin’ Yuletide cheer. Of course, because we’re Liz and Bryan “The Blizzard” Marsh, nothing can go to plan.

First, we agree to take in Bryan’s cousin Dani for the winter. In the cult of moody teenagers, she is their Queen. I’d hoped we could connect, but to say we haven’t gotten along would be the understatement of the century.

Then there’s the Market Price Pyro, a local arsonist who is torching buildings all over town. Cops can’t stop him and no one knows what to do. I don’t care what Bryan says. Even though we haven’t been directly targeted, I know we’re linked in some way.

And to top it all off, Mother Nature has veered the storm of the century right to our front door. With a three-day blizzard barreling down on Tellure Hollow, we’re forced to evacuate everyone in town to the Powder Mountain lodge. As the resort caretakers, Bryan and I try to make Christmas as comfortable as we can.

Once we settle into the lodge to wait out the storm, strange things start to happen. It’s only when we’re completely snowed in I start to wonder… Maybe by trying to keep everyone safe from the storm, we’ve put them at even greater danger.

Trapped with the Blizzard is a standalone romantic thriller that takes place after Devoted to the Blizzard. The books in the Tellure Hollow series can be read individually, but are best read in order. This book is a great combination of contemporary and new adult romance featuring two main couples of different age ranges. This novel contains adult language, sexual situations, and violence. It's intended for adults.

BOOK LINKS:

Amazon

OTHER BOOKS IN SERIES:

Caught by the Blizzard – http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00PM4RREQ/

Saved by the Blizzard – http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00QKSJML4/

*Bundle* Caught and Saved by the Blizzard – http://www.amazon.com/dp/B015BX29V8/

Devoted to the Blizzard - http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ZYYUGOC

Troubled (Trapped Prequel) - http://www.amazon.com/dp/B017X1LTFS/

EXCERPT

Liz

December 21st

“Another fire has turned deadly. A 19-year-old woman has been found dead after a nighttime blaze in Tellure Hollow started late last night. Jen Wachowicz is live at the scene but first, a look at the weather. Dan?”

The broadcast flipped to a middle-aged man with a middle-American accent. “Thank you, Hillary. As you can see, this storm is a monster and still hasn’t finished growing yet. We’ve been keeping an eye on it and the system seems to have shifted slightly. The jet stream is dipping down from the north a lot further than we originally expected while this swirl of moisture from the south is going to sit and rotate. This could mean one of two things.” The TV flashed with a graphic depicting two possible paths the storm could take. One showed the storm system shearing off to the north, missing us by hundreds of miles. The second, less likely track put the storm almost dead center on Tellure Hollow.

“The storm has the potential to dump two to three feet of snow in some locations,” the weatherman continued. “Other spots, mainly in the mountains, may see twice as much. There are a lot of variables at work with this storm, so there’s plenty of opportunity for this track to change. Anyone in this area,” he said, gesturing to a broad swath of the Rocky Mountains, “should keep an eye on this evolving situation.”

“Dan, what’s the timing of this storm?” Hillary asked.

“Well, Bing Crosby would be happy,” he said with a fake smile. “Timing for this storm in our area should mean we’ll have a very white Christmas. Back to you.”
"Thank you, Dan. As we reported at the top of the hour, the small mountain town of Tellure Hollow is rocked by yet another fire, this time, with deadly consequences. We now go live to Jen at the scene. Jen?"
The young reporter had her finger in her ear, the bright lights washing out the layers of makeup plastered on her face. Wide-eyed, she jumped at the introduction. "Yes, thank you, Hillary. Residents are shocked by the latest development in the 'Market Price Pyro' arson spree. The charred remains of the building you see behind me is all that is left of a vacation rental. 19-year-old Rachel Swank, a Denver native, was staying in the cabin with five others. The teenage friends had minutes to escape when the fire broke out in the early morning hours." 
The TV cut to a prerecorded scene. A distressed young woman with tears streaking her face stood wrapped in a rough blanket. She stared at the cabin in disbelief as she spoke into the microphone. "My boyfriend smelled the smoke first. We were able to crawl out on the deck. By the time we realized Rachel wasn't with us, it was... there was no way." 
The camera returned to Jen's somber face. "Firemen have confirmed the smoke detectors were stripped of batteries prior to the fire. Because of the incendiary materials used to start the blaze, and the letter found pinned to a tree at the scene, police are pinning this fire on the same arsonist who has plagued the area for weeks. Residents are asked to remain vigilant and report any suspicious behavior." 
I turned off the TV, set the remote on the table with a trembling hand, and spoke without looking at Bryan. I was afraid if I did, the tiny hold over my emotions might crumble. 
"You recognized the cabin, right?"
He sighed and leaned forward to put a hand on my back. "It doesn't mean anything." 
I rolled my eyes. "How many times have we gotten ourselves into trouble by ignoring the obvious? There's a connection here. I can feel it." 
"Maybe there is, but that doesn't mean we have anything to do with it. Other things can happen in Tellure Hollow that don't involve us, you know?" he quipped. "The world doesn't revolve around us." 
I didn't completely believe that, but I snorted despite myself. "Of course it does. We're the most important people in this town," I chuckled quietly.
"Come on," Bryan comforted, sliding an arm around my waist. "Don't borrow trouble. Let's get Jack fed, start dinner, and enjoy a quiet night."
"A quiet night?" I scoffed. "With Miss Moody stomping around upstairs? What if she brings the cloud down with her?" Still, sitting so close to him was giving me all sorts of ideas. 
"We'll put on America's Got Talent or something equally lame to scare her back to her bedroom," Bryan added. 
"Well, aren't you full of solutions?" I bumped his shoulder with mine, still trying to shake the sinking feeling in my gut.
"That's me, solving the world's problems, one compromise at a time."

About the Author

Adele Huxley is many things. A coffee addict, bad at math, oh... and an author. Her college degree proves several professors believed she is capable of stringing multiple sentences together. Her college debt proves she's bad at math. Adele also doesn't like writing in the third person, so she's decided to finish the rest of this bio like a human being.

If I had two fictional best friends they'd be Luna Lovegood and Wednesday Addams. In fact, I wish with all my heart I was the love child of both.

I'm married to my very own hunky Englishman, love to travel, and enjoy creating new elaborate swear words. I have three cats and move so often I don't bother unpacking anymore. Seriously. In the past six years I've lived in 5 different states, 3 different countries, and, for a short time, out of my suitcase!

   

The best part of this job is meeting and talking with people who love words as much as I do. Come say hi! All contact info can be found on www.adelehuxley.com

Connect with the Author

Twitter | Facebook | Amazon Author Page | Goodreads Author Page  

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