Bad me

So I haven't been blogging. The person smashing my window has altered the trajectory of my life. I had planned for this month to be a giveaway month and since my giveaway went into the reconstruction of my window- which has begun to roll down by itself- I don't have the fun prizes to offer. I had also been making some huge media plans for the book, but that has been on hold as  I try to get my life in order again.


However, the holidays are coming up. And for those of you who remember I am a superhero at night and a teacher during the day. So during our break I will be able to catch up on posting and plan the next set of giveaways, and what fun things we should have in store for you guys over the coming year.


I also have Ya books to review like Anomaly and I'm hopefully going to start interviewing some of your favorite authors in the coming year. Stay tuned and hope to see you guys soon.

Shimmer review

I might never read again, because of this book. It truly broke the mold, for amazing. You know when a book is so good, you want to crawl in it and live there. This is that book. It has everything you'll ever want. It has been weeks and I still can't stop gushing about the shear awesomeness of it all.

I had hoped I could calm down and write a decent review without jumping up and down and peeing my pants. Clearly, not gonna happen.

So Shimmer,

'

Is the third book in the rephaim series. When reading it I though it wasgoing to be the last in the series. As I neared the end, it becam clear that unless Paula Weston had a Harry Potter wand
                                           

there was no way she was wrapping up the story by the end of the book. The last page, Paula introduces an unforgettable cliff hanger that is going to make me fly to Australia to get my hands on the last book. I'm not kidding.

I realize, I just gave a review without giving a review. Let me quickly recap. the series is about a backpacker named gabe who's brother died in a horrible accident the yearbefore. She is trying to pull herself back together, but she is haunted of dreams of devil's, hellions and a sexy demon fighter.When she writes her story down and wins a contest she is beyond thrilled, but she quickly realizes she has revealed herself to a world that she doesn't know anything about, and soon there will be hell to pay. 

I love the whole premise of the series. The only problem is the book might have ruined reading for me. It is so good, I'm not sure if there is anyting better. If you haven't tried this book you have too. This is one of the few series that I wish I had written. Happy reading.

Not what I expected

Hello all,

So today, I was supposed to aannounce the winner, announce the newest gieveaway, and provide a review of  the fantasy novel Anomaly.

Well, I can definitely do part 1: the winner is Eloquence. Eloquence will be receiving 50$ in some way shape or form. So congratulations to Eloquence. We will be in touch. congratulations again.
Unfortunately the rest of the list is on hold, because someone broke into my car and stole my purse which had my credit cards, debit card , and cash.

I have a million things to do and getting to work, became virtually impossible. I can't rent a car without my license.  I can't get a license without id. I can't pay for anything to be fixed without my cards. It is a horrible cycle.

These unexpected expenses have altered my timeline for everything. I'm not sure when anything will get done, but I'll do my best to keep this show on track and to keep giving you guys goodies and giveaways. Thanks for bearing with us.


Love YA

More pages of YA book the Azemeon and last day of the Giveway!

The countdown has begun. If you wan to win money just by following us on twitter, following our blog, or liking our facebook page, you've got less than 24 hours to do so. We will be announcing the winners this week and sending out cards in time for Christmas. If You want to win more money with better odds, by making a video review of why you loved the Exemeus and why you think its sequel should come out immediately, you've got 9 days. Submit your entry to Folami (at) folamiandabenimorrisbooks.com. In the subject put Exemeus Video. Enter the rafflecopter below

  a Rafflecopter giveaway

In addition to the 50$ prize you could win  just for entering the video contest the grand prize winner wins 100$.

So go ahead and enter so you can walk away with an amazing prize.

And below is more of the Azemeon. I think I'm going to start compiling it all in one place. For easy access.

Here it is

Chapter 3

“A bomb went off at Lowell high school today. It took the fire department an hour to put out the blaze. Luckily no one was killed in the blast, but several people are in critical condition. Authorities are currently working to find out who is responsible for such a heinous crime. Anderson, back to you.”

Dephon struggled to open his eyes, the throbbing pain in his head encouraged him otherwise. He felt a hand grip his and the pain began to subside. Slowly, he peeked open his eyes and there was Jacqueline and Valentina. Dephon dropped Valentina’s hand and shook his head. This girl was everywhere.

But he couldn’t dwell on her.

“Where’s my mom?”

“She’s just fine. Both of your parents are faring pretty well. Try to stay calm.”

“Calm? How can I stay calm? Everything is a disaster. I’m supposed to be helping, but it looks like I’m in danger of being unborn. How is this happening?”

“When you tamper with time, there are always huge ramifications. Altering just one thing changes the future.”

“Can we stop it?”

“No, but we can try to control it. Maybe you should stay inside for a while, until we can mitigate the effects of you being here.”

“I guess,” Dephon said glumly, “but I’ve got to try to talk to my parents, one last time.”

“I figured you’d say that. I think you’re going to get your wish.” Jacqueline said, turning to look at the door.

Dephon peered over her shoulder and in strolled Singleton with his mother, Joycelyn.  Singleton’s clothes were covered in soot. Smudges were apparent all over his face and his hair was sprinkled with ashes, yet he still looked ready for a model shoot. Some people had all the luck.

“Hello,” Jacqueline said, rising gracefully. She extended a hand to Joycelyn, who stepped forward and shook it firmly. “It’s a pleasure to meet you Joycelyn, Singleton,” she said, shaking his hand as well. “You two must have a lot of questions.”

“You’re an illusionist, among other things,” Joycelyn said, giving Jacqeuline a respectful nod.

Singleton stared at his mother apparently still in shock. “I can’t believe this is happening and that you never told me any of this before I caused an explosion. Illusionists and time travelers,” he said glancing at Dephon. “Is this… can this be real?” he said gesturing at Dephon. “Is this my…” his voice faded like he was incapable of finishing the sentence.

“I believe he is your son and that he has come from the future to warn you. I know it’s hard to handle,” Jacqueline said as Singleton ran his hands through his hair, “but we’re all going to have to work together if we want a better future.”

“I’m not willing to suspend disbelief that much, “Joycelyn said casting a critical stare in Dephon’s direction. Just great, even his grandmother didn’t like him. “Time travelers exist only in fables.”

Valentina stepped in front of him defensively. “He’s telling the truth. I feel it.”

Dephon shook his head as he stared at the ceiling. The one person he didn’t want defending him, was the only person who would. He was going to seem as loony as she was.

Multiple giveaways-More money to Earn

Remember at the beginning of the month I mentioned that there were multiple giveaways going on this month, well I certainly haven't forgotten.




So how many ways can you make money here on our blog? 3!


Yep, 3 different giveaways
             1. The first one is simple. Join our facebook page, blog, and/or twitter and get entered to win 50$. (The rafflecopter is on the homepage)
      
             2. Make a video of why you loved The Exemeus (1-2 min long) and why you're anxiously awaiting the sequel. Email the video to Fmorris(at)folamiandabenimorrisbooks.com then enter the rafflecopter  below to win 50$


             3. If you're video is picked as the best video out of all the submissions you'll win an additional 100$ deposited into your paypal account or money order for those in the U.S. Its just that simple. the contest ends December 19th-- don't miss out.
             

A Thousand Pieces of You-Giveaway reminders

Hello all,

As a writer I try not to write bad reviews. I know how much it sucks to receive them. You have slaved away for months, years or decades (if you're that slow, do take up another career) and someone tells you that your book isn't worth the paper it was written on. People are always telling me that I need thicker skin, so I can take the criticism. 

They're probably right, but with that in mind, if I can't say something nice about a book, then I won't say anything at all.

This all brings me back to A Thousand Pieces of You. I had read works by the author before and hadn't necessarily been awe inspired, but the premise for this was so interesting I had to read it.

A  Thousand Pieces of You is about the daughter of two physicists who perfect interdimensional travel. The main character, Marguerite, jumps into another dimension to chase after the man who murders her father. Jumping into the next dimension knocks the other version of yourself into a sleeping or cocooned status and the jumper takes control. The book talks about a lot of issues and makes you question the ethics of such possibilities, but the book focuses more on the romance and the mystery than the sci-fi, which is perfectly alright if that's what you're looking for.  the character spends most of her time trying to figure out why her father was murdered and why she has lingering feelings for her father's murderer and his avenger.

Overall I rank the book a B

The characters were likeable enough. They were all flawed enough to be believable, no perfectionism syndrome. Nothing about them made them loveable, but they were interesting enough.

The plot was decent. The character loved her family and she was willing to go to the ends of the earth and beyond to avenge the death of one of their own. It was actually quite touching, the love story was also interesting if not believable. She barely spent any real time with the person she loved in the dimension she was herself in. It, and other factors, made the love story a little hard to believe. 

The premise was definitely interesting. I find it an amazing concept. I think it has to be one of the more innovative concepts I have heard all year.

The book is definitely worth a read if you're looking for something off the beaten trail. 

Just a friendly reminder, enter the givewaway if you haven't already; it's almost over. 

The book you never knew you HAD to read-Haze Review

It has been my experience that the second book in a sequel is the weakest.


I don't know why. It is like the author has used up all their good ideas and is saving the rest for the second book. I can't begin to count how many series ended on the second book for me. Especially now, since my time is precious.




I wasn't expecting much out of sequel to Haze. I just wasn't. I knew it wouldn't be as good as the first book, and I was right. It was better.




The book was funnier, so much funnier. there were so many times that I laughed out loud.


The characters were true to form, they had settled into their characters more. It was eventful, suspenseful, touching, gripping. There aren't enough adjectives in the English language to explain how I feel. I guess I should summarize, but I am still reeling from the amount of awesome squared (math geek, I know) that occurred in this book.




Gabby still has no idea who she is. She knows she is half angel, her brother died a year ago, and that most of her memories are lies. She is still flying blind and her only option is to trust everything that Rafa tells her-and he's not telling her much, because apparently she hated him in the past and that's the last thing he wants her to remember. But she can't focus on their relationship because a new threat is on the horizon that makes it impossible for her to remain complacent. She thought the demons were bad enough, but now theirs a group who can trap her kind making it impossible for them to escape.


This could be deadly to the Rephaim, but every time Gabby tries to get a handle on it the crap hits the fan. Again. And again. And Again. There is literally no downtime in this book. It's like a series of unfortunate events on steroids, but Gabby handles it with a wit that makes this book a must read. If you haven't guessed I loved Haze, I'm excited to read a second in a series that is actually better than the 1st.




Happy Reading


Don't forget to enlist in the giveaway.

3 Young Adult books you must read before you die

Every one should read YA. I know thats a bold statement, but life is short. We get old quickly, time passes us by. There are very few things that can remind us what it was like to be a YA. The joys of that first love, the angst of high school, and that freedom to shape our future into whatever we desire.

That being said below are the 3 YA books you must read before you die. (Safely assume that The Exemeus is implied, although not listed:)

 1. Angelfall
           A dystopian story about loyalty, love and beating the odds. Penryn is one of the few remaining humans after the Earth has been destroyed by angels. Her sister is taken by the very same angels who have decimated the planet. The story is original. The writing is crystal clear and the characters are hilarious. Susan EE makes the end of time scary, real, and yet humorous enough that you can't put it down. Every page provides a new reason to fall in love with the characters all over again, especially Penryn. You would be hard pressed to find a more loveable heroine.

2. Shadows by Paula Weston

             This is different because the heroine is living a double life. In most YA novels the character discovers that they have super powers and you get to see them use it for the first time. In Shadows Gabby has lived a full heroic life already, she just doesn't know it.  The premise of this novel is original and the characters are hilarious. There is an underlying mystery and you are dying to know what's real and what isn't, since the p.o.v character has been fed a pack of lies. Paula Weston weaves an amazing tale of friendship, love and deception, and her second book in the series is even better. This is a must read.

3. Demons at Deadnight
 
           A & E Kirk construct an exciting tale about a girl who can track demons. An overall useless skill that normally results in early death. To stay alive and protect her family she enlists the aid of the infamous hex boys, boys with their own set of demon-fighting powers. These YA authors construct a new lore and create a riot of laughter doing it. The characters are funny and extremely original. The book doesn't reuse old tropes, but the authors establish their own world which they deeply root in familial values. One of the best series out there.

Review?

I was hoping to have read and reviewed a book today, but the book I'm reading is so... meh. I can't seem to get into it. I have been making excuses to avoid it. You know how it is when there is just something you don't want to do. You take out the trash, clean the house, wash the dog, count your eyelashes.... I unfortunately can't make any more excuses. I just can't finish the book. I know there are tons of people who loved the book, but its just not for me. So I am moving on.

I just read a review about A Thousand Pieces of You , (I think that's the name) anyway, it looks interesting so I'm going t read that next. If it is a good book I'll post a review, if the book puts me to sleep we'll never speak of this again and I'll pretend I have amnesia if it is ever bought up.

Speaking of reviews, The Exemeus received a fairly good one on Red City Review. We're fairly excited.

Go check it out at red city reviews.


Last but not least, I promised more of The Azemeon so it is included below.But before I let you go, what would you guys like to see more of? what topics, posts, or even giveaways would make you happy? Post it in the comments below.

Dephon was back in his own body gasping for air. He didn’t know if it was the rush of feeling his mother’s emotions or the fear of her killer being so close, but he felt stifled, like there wasn’t enough oxygen.

Jacqueline stood at the foot of the bed, watching him intently. “Welcome back. Are you alright?”

“What happened,” Dephon asked, trying to shake off his confusion.

“Had you waited, which you must always do when presented with a magical artifact, you would have realized that an azemeon helps you to walk in someone else’s shoes. Literally. It was created to help people see things in a different way. It can be a bit disorienting the first time.  I hoped it would draw you closer to Hyalee—so you wouldn’t feel so disjointed from your mother. You don’t look like you’re feeling all warm and fuzzy though.”`

“Something has changed. Today my mom was supposed to meet my dad, but instead she met her murderer. I will kill him if he touches her,” Dephon said, jumping up from the bed. He opened his backpack of clothes and began to grab a change of clothes.

“That is horrible, but not as horrible as you charging off without a plan. What do you intend to do?”

Dephon paused for a moment, looking at her. “I don’t know, but I read a thousand-page book in ten days, I saw my best friend and my dad face down the Treptonian army by themselves—I doubt they survived, and every night for the past 13 years I’ve had to relive my mother’s death. I will not let her die again. This is my chance to make it right, and I refuse to just sit around here while that creep hits on my mom.”

“What have you done?”

“What?”

“The past isn’t changing on its own. You’re doing something. What is it?”

“I don’t know! I just got here. I was followed by Valentina, got maced by Virginia and then I ended up here with you. That’s it.”

“Ok, but the past will follow the same course, unless something changes it.”

“Well, I don’t know what it could be—“

Dephon’s tirade was interrupted by a knock on the door. Without an invitation Valentina strolled in, but with her light steps it looked more like she was gliding.

“I felt like you needed me.”

“Well I don’t!” Dephon yelled. He glanced at her suspiciously, “what have you been doing all day?”

“She stayed up half the night tossing and turning. She didn’t get out of bed until noon, just like you,” Jacqueline said gently.

Dephon shrugged, unconvinced, as he headed into the bathroom. Changing his clothes, he could still hear them talking outside. He tried to focus on a plan, but his thoughts were all jumbled. He doubted he could get the words out even when he did find his mother. He needed someone who could convince her that Dubleton was trouble. He needed his dad.

Fully dressed, Dephon sprinted past Jacqueline and Valentina. He had no way of tracking his father, but he did know where he would be right now.  At the Lowell High football field.  

It took him 20 minutes to get a cab and make it to Lowell high. He dashed through the corridors making it to the field by the time the players were streaming out of the locker room. Dephon eyed everyone walking out. No one looked familiar.

Then a silhouette appeared in the shadows.

Singleton Johnson emerged from the locker room, water still glistening off his hair. He languidly headed to his next class, a small smile playing on his lips. To Dephon he looked so different, not just because of his age, but because of his way of being. He looked … happy.

“Johnson,” a guy called, jogging up the pathway. “Wait up.”

Singleton turned around and smiled: A full-fledged grin, displaying his dimples. Dephon stood in awe, watching the man who would one day become his father.  He would have stared forever if his father didn’t turn in his direction. Singleton’s smile faltered a bit, but he still managed to give Dephon an uneasy nod.

 Dephon turned away until Singleton and his friend entered the main building. He didn’t need to get pepper sprayed twice in a 24 hour period. He waited a few minutes, before trailing after them into the building. By the time he reached inside his father was standing at his locker alone.

“Hi, Singleton,” Dephon said with more confidence than he felt. He didn’t know what he was going to say, but if Jacqueline could believe him, surely his dad would too.

Singleton gave him another one of those uneasy glances, before returning his attention back to his locker. “Hey,” his dad said, sticking his pencil in his mouth, to free up his hands. Dephon realized it had the added benefit of preventing further conversation. Singleton began loading his backpack with books for his next class.

Dephon summoned all of his courage, before beginning to speak. “This is going to sound weird, but I need you to hear me out.”

His father glanced at him out of the corner of his eye, suspicion written all over his face.

“In the future you marry a girl you haven’t even met yet. Her name is Hyalee Smith, But your brother wants her too and he wants to take over the world. He kills your mother and everyone you care about, including your wife. All that you have left is your son, Dephon-that’s me.” Singleton’s eyebrows shot up to the ceiling. Dephon continued, “Your brother ends up ruling the world and you end up with nothing, but a lot of hatred and a son you neglect.

“I know it sounds weird, but you also meet a woman name Jacqueline, who helps you develop your powers. Your mother hasn’t told you yet, but you are descended from a long line of magical royalty. This woman, Jacqueline, has sent me into the past to help you and mom change everything, but things have already started to go wrong, because you were supposed to meet her today, but you’re brother met her instead. We’ve got to do something, dad.”

By this point, Singleton’s expression had changed from uneasy to downright paranoid. His pencil had dropped on the floor, because his jaw was hanging wide open. He kept casting furtive glances around, like he was looking for backup in case Dephon became hostile.

“I know this is hard to believe-“

“Wait a second let me get this straight,” Singleton said holding up his palm like he was directing traffic. “My seventeen year old brother kills my mother, my wife, and takes over the planet? How does he do this exactly? With his calculus text book?”

“He has magical powers too.”

“Magical powers. Right. Look kid, I don’t know if this is a game or if your off some medication, but I can’t help you. If my brother put you up to this tell him he needs to visit a specialist, ‘cause this one was over the top—even for him.” Singleton slammed his locker and hefted his backpack over his back, before briskly walking away.

Dephon ran to catch up. “O.k I’ll make you a deal. Call your mother and tell her ‘it’s o.k., you found out about the family history and you’re not upset’. If she doesn’t backup my story, then I’ll admit I’m crazy and leave you alone.”

“No, you’re going to leave me alone, because I said so. I don’t know what game you’re pulling--,”

The bell rang signaling the end of fifth period. Ignoring Dephon, Singleton rushed down the hall, putting distance between them.

Hyalee emerged out into the hallway. Dephon stared at her in surprise. So did Singleton.

Her face lit up with surprise when she saw Singleton striding toward her. She opened her mouth to speak and then her eyes landed on Dephon. A worried expression crossed her face. Dephon was about to reassure her, but something was wrong. He was overwhelmed by such an unbearable heat that it had to be combustible.

They were getting too close, he needed to warn them. But his father was drawn to her like a moth to a flame. Singleton took the last couple of strides toward her, and it was too late. A cosmic ball of light exploded between the two of them. Dephon was hurled backwards as flames engulfed the hallway. His head slammed against a locker and he slid, barley conscious, to the floor.

Dephon was clearly changing the past, but definitely not for the better.

The last sound Dephon heard before slipping into unconsciousness, were the screams of Lowell high students and the roar of fire as the building burned to the ground.

That's it for today.

Loving YA!

The giveaway just got bigger!

Hello all,

      We are still hard at work on our sequel. And by hard at work, I mean staring at the pages and hoping that it edits itself.
       We are also developing a winning kickstarter strategy. Our campaign hinges on our loyal followers and their feedback about book one and hopes for book two. So we have decided to up the ante. Earlier, I said we would increase/improve on a giveaway, here it is: originally the winner of the video review would win 50$, now the first place winner will win 100$. Just say why you loved the Exemeus, why their should be a sequel, and why people should donate to the creation of the Azemeon. That's it. All Video's should be submitted to Fmorris(at)folamiandabenimorrisbooks.com by Dec 9, 2014. On december 1st the rafflecopter will go up for anyone who submitted video to enter a giveaway just for participating. It is truly that simple.

         Attached is more of the Azemeon. Enjoy.

                      Chapter 2

Dephon tossed and turned in his sleep. His sadness was so heavy it felt like it was pressing down on his chest, making it impossible to breathe. Images of his mother assaulted his mind, the memories of her fighting Dubleton, the shocked expression on her face when she was betrayed. Dephon squeezed his eyes together, trying to keep the errant thoughts at bay… but he couldn’t. His least favorite memory of her came unbidden into his mind: beams of white light uniting and hitting his mother in the heart before she crashed lifeless to the ground.

Dephon sprung up into a seated position, nearly colliding with Jacqueline who was sitting on his bed.

“Uhhh, must you always do that?”

“I don’t know what you mean, but whatever I do, I do for a reason.”       

“Could’ve fooled me,” Dephon said, his eyes latching onto a glittering object swinging from her hand. “What’s that?” he asked, jutting out his chin at her balled up fist.

“I noticed you’ve been trying to sleep for the past 12 hours. It’s almost noon and you don’t look like you’ve slept a wink. What’s wrong?” she asked, ignoring his question entirely.

“Maybe I was creeped out by the thought of someone watching me sleep.”

Jacqueline smiled. “You’re amusing.  What’s the real reason that you can’t sleep? Valentina can’t seem to either. She’s tossing and turning too.”

“Do you spy on all of your house guests?”

“Only the ones whose minds I can’t read.”

Dephon nestled back against his pillow, his eyes roaming the ceiling. “What do you think about Valentina?”

“I can’t get any more of a read on her than I’ve got on you.”

“Then why did you let us stay here. We could be murderers, or assassins hired to kill you.”

Jacqueline burst into laughter, a melodious sound that put Dephon at ease.  “I would love to see you two try, but even with the debilitating fear of you slitting my throat while I sleep, I couldn’t turn you out onto the streets. And she seems hell bent on assisting you, so I viewed it as a package deal.”

“We are not a package. I don’t even know her. And “ Dephon added, leaning forward, just in case Valentina had magical hearing powers “she’s a little bit weird.”

“So are you. And you do seem to share a connection. You both suffer from restless sleep syndrome. What’s the problem? Dreaming about Hyalee?”

“Wait, you think I’m weird?”

Jacqueline waved her hand dismissively, the glittering object catching his attention once more.

“What is that?” Dephon asked again.

“An Azemeon.”

“Uh huh, of course. Never a name I know. What’s it for? It looks like a necklace.”

“It is more or less, and it’s for you.”

“A necklace, just what I always wanted. Too bad I forgot to pack anything that will match.”

“I’m sure you’ll manage,” she said as she gingerly placed the necklace around his neck.

“Why do I have to wear this,” Dephon asked reaching up to grab the sphere shaped pendant.

“Don’t touch i-“ Jacqueline’s words were cut off as the world was engulfed with darkness. Dephon felt his insides split into a million pieces swirling around until they all reconfigured in a blinding flash of light.

And then there was no more.

                                                            ***

“Earth to Hyalee,” Virginia said waving her hands in my face. “Have you heard a word I said?”

“No, I’m so sorry,” I said, looki ng over my shoulder, “but I suddenly get the feeling we’re being watched.”

“Maybe the guy I pepper-sprayed is coming back for more,” Virginia said excitedly, beginning to dig through her purse.

“Stop. No more mace. I can’t believe you even did that, he was just a boy.”

“A creepy boy.”

“I thought he looked sweet.”

“We’ll have to agree to disagree. So, as I was saying, I was online and I saw an advertisement for the hobbit and you know who the lead looked like? David! That’s who he looks like, I couldn’t put my finger on it, but he looks like one of the trolls from those movies.”

“They’re not trolls they’re hobbits, hence the name The Hobbit.”

“Whatever, you know what I mean. Ooooohh fine guy, six o’clock.”

I rolled my eyes at Virginia’s short attention span, but I played along with her anyway. “My six or yours?”

  “Definitely yours,” a smooth Baritone voice said behind me. I turned around and stared up into the most arresting hazel eyes. Dimples winked at me from his cheeks. I’m pretty sure I had stopped breathing.

“I seem to be lost,” he said staring at me intently, “can you help me find my way to English lit; it’s in room,” he glanced at his schedule, “it’s in room 134. Do you know where that is?”

“She sure does,” Virginia said, volunteering my services.  

 “I hope I didn’t interrupt your conversation. I’d just hate to be the new kid who was always late.”

I glanced at the clock on my phone, “No, it’s fine. If you hadn’t come by, I would have been late for class. Again.”

“See,” Virginia said offering him her most endearing smile, “you just saved her from detention. Are you trying to be her superman?”

I gave Virginia a warning look as the boy laughed, an interesting sound that complimented the sparkle in his eyes. “I’ll do my best.”

“Well, let’s get going,” I said to him, “I’ll see you later, V,” I called over my shoulder.

“Call me later and tell me everything!”

I wished the floor would swallow me up. “She’s just kidding, really.”

He nodded indifferently, “Best friends don’t scare me. They normally just want to make sure I’m not the antichrist and that I keep them knee deep in swoon-worthy stories. How am I doing so far?”

I laughed, “Well, I don’t think you’re the antichrist.”

“What a relief: that was the part I was most worried about,” he said giving me that 100 watt smile. “So what’s your story?”

“My story?”

“Tell me about yourself. We can start with your name.”

I came to a halt in front of room 134. “There’s not much to tell really,” I said leaning against the wall. Facing me he did the same. He was so close the tips of our shoes were almost touching. I had to crane my neck to see his handsome face. I brushed a stray hair out of my face nervously.

“You don’t have a name? Your mother must have a hard time when she wants to call you for dinner.”

I smiled, “I’m Hyalee Smith, a senior here at Lowell High.” I shrugged unsure of how to proceed.

“Single, dating, married?”

“Married?” I laughed, “If I got married now, my mother would kill me before I even left the church.”

“That would cut costs if you plan your wedding and your funeral on the same day. The same preacher can preside over both ceremonies. I should market that.”

“Weddings and funerals in one, I don’t know if it will catch on.”

“I can sell anything; Evian to a drowning man.” His eyes roved over my face. “You never told me if you were single or not.”

“I’m definitely single,” I said, staring down at the tips of our shoes.

“Maybe we should change that, what are you doing after class?”

The bell rang.

Shoot, I was late again.

“Detention,” I said glumly. I pushed off the wall. “It was nice to meet you….?” I trailed off trying to remember his name, but realizing he had never given it to me.

“Dubleton. Dubleton Johnson.”

“I’ll see you around, Dubleton” I said, dashing down the hall.

I faintly heard him say, “You can count on it.”

Missed day! Extra special giveaway.

I am so sorry, I missed a day of posting. To make up for it, this weelk's postings will all be extra
pages of the unedited version of The Azemeon. I'll also be cooking up an extra special giveaway for you my loyal followers. Stay tuned and feel free to post, to share, and to tweet. Thanks for being awesome.

Back at Jacqueline’s house, Jacqueline dabbed at Dephon’s eye with a herb that appeared to be … drooling. Dephon tried not to cringe, opting to ignore the abnormal feel of plant spit on his face, because it appeared to be helping. His vision had cleared and the pain had subsided.

“I can’t believe Virginia sprayed me with mace,” Dephon said, blinking against the brightness of the light.

“I can’t believe you’re surprised.  That’s what girls are supposed to do when a strange boy chases them around the mall. Were you expecting a greeting card?” she waved her hand dismissively, “Tell me about future me.”

“I wasn’t chasing them,” Dephon said adamantly. Jacqueline gave him a disbelieving glance. Dephon shook his head. “Whatever. As for future you, she still knows it all and tells nothing. The future you wouldn’t have told me about the mace either.”

“In my defense, I yelled after you, but you ignored me. I was going to warn you, but you didn’t listen. Hopefully, lesson learned. Tell me about the future. I’ve never met a person who has time travelled. Twins are rare and royalty is even rarer. You might be the first time traveler.”

“Lucky me,” he said drily. “There’s nothing to tell really.  The Treptonian government has taken over the planet. We have to stay inside, schools and sports are illegal. The government controls everything and anyone who doesn’t obey is shot to death. ”

“So I sent you back to save the future. Sounds like the type of brilliant plan that I would come up with.” Jacqueline said, smiling to herself.

“Some plan: my mother thinks I’m a stalker, I’m stuck in the past, and I have no idea what to do to keep history from repeating itself.”

“I didn’t give you any instructions at all? That doesn’t sound like me.”

“You told me to read my mom’s Exemeus. That’s it. Some advice.”  

“Well, did you read it?” She asked, resuming her ministrations on his eye.

“Um— ” but before Dephon could evade the question, the doorbell rang.

Jacqueline froze.

“What’s wrong?” Dephon asked.                                      

“The doorbell isn’t supposed to ring.”

“It’s not? Is it broken?”

“No, I just didn’t foresee it happening.”

“Who is it?” Dephon asked peering over her shoulder as though he could see through walls.

“I don’t know,” Jacqueline said, thoroughly perplexed. “I think your presence is throwing everything off. We’ve got to be careful; time shouldn’t change too much.”  She headed to the door. Dephon hopped off the counter and followed her.

The door swung open and on the steps stood a girl in a flowery white and pink dress.

Dephon recognized her instantly. “You,” he yelled pointing at her. “You’ve been following me.”

The girl stepped around Jacqueline and reached out to touch Dephon’s face. He swatted her hand away in surprise and took a tentative step back.

“You two know each other?” Jacqueline asked.

“No,” Dephon said. At the same time the girl responded “yes”.

“Who are you?” Dephon asked staring into her brown oval eyes. Her stare was intense, he shook it off, taking another step back.

“I’m your energy match. I felt like you needed me,” she said, her voice sounding hollow like she was whispering, but managing to do it at a regular volume.

“How could I need you? I don’t know you.” Dephon said, glancing to Jacqueline for confirmation. Jacqueline watched the exchange with barely constrained amusement.

“We’re energy matches. We’ll always know when we need each other.”

Dephon hoped to one day meet a female he didn’t think was weird. Today was clearly not going to be that day. “Firstly, you and I are nothing to each other, but strangers.  Secondly, you can’t just show up at someone’s house rambling on about energy matches and expect people to not think that you’re crazy. What is an energy match, anyway?” Dephon said looking back and forth between Jacqueline and the strange girl. Jacqueline shrugged, clearly as ignorant as Dephon was. Not comforting.

The strange girl reached out and grabbed Dephon’s hand. His skin began to glow an ocean blue color-- and so did hers-- an energy hummed along the surface of his skin, the room was brighter, his vision was sharper, and he felt the strength of his powers practically crackling at his fingertips. It was intoxicating.

She removed her hand way too quickly and Dephon had to forcibly hold himself back to keep from following her hand.

“You need me,” she said simply.

Dephon had to agree.

“That was amazing,” Jacqueline said with excitement. “Who are you?”

“Valentina,” she said, paying attention to Jacqueline for the first time. “ And your Jacqueline.” She said simply.

“How do you know that?” Dephon asked.

“I had a feeling.”

“Of course, you seem to have a lot of feelings.”

“I do. I felt that you needed me and I felt your sadness and your pain.”

Dephon furrowed his brow, “I think your feeling device is off, because I’m not sad.”

Valentina smiled and reached up and brushed her fingers past the corner of his eyes.  Dephon gasped as an overwhelming sadness pervaded his body. He had to grit his teeth to keep from crying. His mind was a jumble of all the times in the future that didn’t exist yet, where he would long for his mother, but she wouldn’t be there. His mind raced through this first time that they met and how she let her friend mace him. He remembered the moments in the book when she was so loving and tender to those around her, but he had yet to experience any of her kindness.

“Make it stop,” Dephon said to her, through gritted teeth. The jumble of thoughts was more than he could handle.

 “Only you can make it stop,” she said taking his hand in hers. “Command it away,” she said to him as his skin lit up and his powers thrummed to life.

Dephon mentally pushed the thoughts away. Almost immediately they disappeared, but the sadness remained. “I’m still depressed.”

“I know, but that is your decision. You’ve always been sad about your mother’s absence and now what you feel is a second betrayal; I just let you feel it. You shouldn’t hide from your feelings.”

Just great. Now he was suffering from depression on top of all of his other problems.

“On that note, I think I’m going to leave you two to get acquainted,” Jacqueline said. “You’re both welcomed to stay as long as you like.”

Dephon didn’t protest. He couldn’t, because Jacqueline was gone, leaving him alone with the girl he didn’t quite trust.

That's all for now, hope you enjoyed.

Loving ya

Folami

Drop Dead Demons book review

If you have paid the slightest attention to my blog you knows I love to read and review books. However, with trying to promote The Exemeus and The Azemeon, figure out what pinterest is and how to use it-- my reading has suffered. I haven't picked up a book to read in over 5 months. For me that is a horrible record. It had to be broken.

So, I was extremely thrilled when the sequel to Demons at Deadnight, Drop Dead Demons, came out. I bought it the moment that it came out and made it through just one chapter, before putting it down. There is something about the opening scene that I could not get through. It was very similar to the beginning of their first book, where the opening demon scene just wasn't.... Believable? Captivating? The exact word escapes me, but I was able to put it down and just walk away.

The other day, I had free time and I picked it up again after months of hiatus. I read a little further in and I was engrossed. I could mentally kick myself for having waited so long to read the book and write my book review. The is was a good read. The characters were just as wonderful as the first time around. The romance was sweet and more solid. A little more of the mystery had grown and Aurora the main character had grown as well.

The second book in a series is hard. There is minimal setup, but you can't reveal too much of the ultimate plot point or you have nothing for the final book. The characters can't always be happy, you have to shake them up a little. Deteriorate their lives and bring it back together again in a way that everyone is happy enough, but wants to read on. The Writing duo of A & E kirk did that. They also wrote an amazing tale where family was key and the parents weren't all in danger of having people call child protective services on them.

I'll end this book review by saying that the Lahey's are an amazing fictitional family, and the Kirk's are the writing team to watch.

Editing Purgatory & More of The Azemeon

People are under the delusion that all writer's should have perfect grammar. Well the truth is that no matter how many times a writer reads his or her own work, there will still be mistakes. Errant letters will skitter across the page, words will be mispelled, vocabulary will be used inappropriately and that is after multiple revisions.

I, however, am even worse than the average writer. I can correct my students' grammar all day, but when it comes to my own writing I miss everything. Subject verb agreement goes out the window, proper use of possessives goes running out the door, and don't even get me started on my own spelling.I will mess up or mix up the simplest words when left to my own devices.

That being said, that is why I hire a slew of editor's to make sure the final project is superb. Why am I telling you this? Beecause I wanted to give more of the first chapter of The Azemeon, but not much of it is edited. So, I've decided to let you read the rough, rough draft. Tell me what you think--but ignore the need for editing.




Chapter 1

Dephon wove his way through the crowded streets, his fear propelling him forward. Out of place in this new time, Dephon wasn’t sure of much, but he was sure of one thing.

He was being followed.

In the sewers of Trepton, the first thing you learned was how to tell when you weren’t alone.  There were no second chances in Dephon’s homeland, but at least there, he knew who his enemies were. Here he had no idea. And that was much worst. He stopped and hid behind a building at the corner of Kezar Drive, peering cautiously down the street in the hopes of catching his stalker unaware. The streets were brimming with so many people that he couldn’t see anything. Or rather he saw too much. A dark-haired man to the left of him looked suspicious, and a masculine-looking woman was staring at him a little too intently for comfort.  Was she evil, or was she just staring because Dephon just looked crazy, peaking at people around the side of buildings?

Dephon tried to clear his head, but everyone was starting to look suspicious. He could have sworn that he saw the girl in the flowery white and pink dress with long, swinging black hair three streets ago.  And there was a man in a blue suit pushing a stroller who looked familiar, too. Dephon wasn’t sure who was following him, but he was smart enough to never doubt his instincts.

Lightning rippled through the gradually darkening sky. Hesitantly he took his eyes off the street and looked up at the clouds.  Droplets of water began to fall from the sky, pounding the concrete.  Pedestrians scattered liked roaches. This was just the distraction Dephon needed. He sprinted down Kezar street; casting furtive glances over his shoulder. He rounded the corner quickly onto the street that he recognized so well from The Exemeus- his mother’s street.

When he reached the corner he saw two figures dashing through the rain. One with long dark-brown hair and the other’s was blonde with tattered ends sticking out of her ponytail. Dephon stood, frozen. He had gotten accustomed to seeing the 3D image of his mother from the book, but now here she was, in the flesh. He tried to shake off his feelings of awe, of shock, but they weren’t going anywhere. His mother was alive and, if it took his last breath, he was going to keep her that way.  

He stood in the rain, long after she had disappeared; simply enjoying that she was alive. It wasn’t until he was drenched that he remembered it wasn’t supposed to rain today. The past was changing.

                                                             ***

            Dephon squatted behind the women’s apparel rack in Macys. He had followed his mom and Virginia to the mall. He was definitely not the best spy on the planet. In fact, if he was honest with himself, he might be the worst. Virginia had spotted him at least twice on their walk over. He’d tried to play it cool, but she’d still looked at him suspiciously.

            Dephon felt a tap on his shoulder. He whirled around. “Jacqueline,” he cried out in surprise. It took all he had not to launch into her, but the puzzled expression on her face made him pause.

“You’re scaring them. Virginia is debating whether or not to call the police.” As Jacqueline spoke, she stared at him with great interest. Finally, she reached out and poked his chest.

“What are you doing and why are you staring at me like that?”

“How do you know my name?”

“What do you mean? Can’t you read my mind?”

“How do you know I read minds?”

            Dephon sighed, exasperated. “We’re going in circles. What happened to your mind reading and future reading skills?” He glanced around quickly, an idea dawning on him. “Is a scalper around?”

            “You seem well versed in magic for someone so young. But if there was a scalper I wouldn’t be able to read anyone’s future—not just yours. So, who are you and why are you skulking around the juniors section of the ladies department?”

            Dephon sighed, “This would be so much easier if you could read my mind, ‘cause you’re not going to believe me.”

            “I can be quite gullible. Try me.”

            “I’m from the future,” Dephon said slowly, trying to gauge her reaction. Jacqueline’s eyes widened, but she remained silent.  Dephon continued steadily, “It was all part of your master plan, that you didn’t tell anyone about. My mom is Hyalee. She was supposed to save the planet, not me, but she failed. So here I am trying to figure out what you,” her eyebrows furrowed in confusion, “I mean, future you, wants me to do.”

            Jacqueline nodded, her expression, as impossible as it was, managed to be a mixture of confusion and understanding. “So that’s why I can’t read your future: You don’t have one. Where did you get an Exemeus from and The Dzitar of Duplicity?” She asked, curiously.

            “Well, I….” Dephon’s voice trailed off as his eyes scanned the store. “Where’s my mom?” he cried out in alarm.

“She just walked out the door,” Jacqueline said, gesturing with her chin.

Dephon hurtled through the maze of clothes, ignoring Jacqueline calling after him. He dashed out the door, searching for his mother’s disheveled ponytail. In the parking lot he noticed two lone figures turning the corner. Running at top speed, he hurried to catch up with them. As he rounded the corner he almost ran smack dab into Virginia, who stood with her arm outstretched, a silver canister clasped between her fingers.

There was no time for him to process what was happening. She released a steady stream of spray directly into his eyes. His vision went blurry; and all he could do was scream. He toppled backwards, landing on his butt with a thud. He clawed at his eyes wishing the pain would subside. He didn’t know how long he sat there writhing in agony, before a comforting arm rested on his shoulder. Calmness settled over him as his brain disassociated from his body, and the world was swept away.

November's giveaway- 3 ways to make money from The Exemeus

November is here and this horrible season of fall is in full swing. On the bright side there are only 141 days until spring and 163 days to the release of The Azemeon. And that means it is time for giveaways!

Join Our Blog

This month we are working on improving our blog and rewarding people who are ready to join us on our publishing journey. So for the month of November you can win a 50$ gift card to amazon or Barnes and Noble simply for signing up on our site and commenting on a post. The rules are simple join our blog, post a comment and enter to win the raffle. Check back frequently for updates and to see if you've won. It is that simple. To the right is the rafflecopter.


Make a Video
                                            

There are two additional ways to win. We are trying to get people to submit videos explaining what they like about The Exemeus and why there should be a sequel. The best response will win a 50 $ gift card, money order, or paypal deposit. The two runner's up will win a 25$ giftcard. The videos provided by the winners will be used all over the net in our promotional campaign and in our upcoming kickstarter campaign. All entrants will be entered to win an early release copy of the sequel and a gift card to the store of their choosing.

Future Giveaways

Stay tuned next month for fun new prizes and more information on The Exemeus and The Azemeon. Also, if you haven't bought and read the Exemeus I suggest you do it now, because the sale is almost over and some of our future giveaways will be for those who can answer questions about the book. The giveaways only get better!




Enjoy your November and if you feel the urge join or post on our blog, we would love to hear from you. Good luck.