Friday 21 June 2013

Blog Hop


 
Welcome to Evernight Teen’s Summer Kick-off Blog Hop!


  You can check out the excerpt of Shrapnel below and enter to win a Kindle Paperwhite



Shrapnel by Stephanie Lawton

What It's About!

It’s been six years since Dylanie and her family visited a Civil War site and the place came alive with cannon fire. Problem was, no one could hear it but her.
Now she’s sixteen, her dad’s moved out, her mom’s come out of the closet and Dylan’s got a spot on Paranormal Teen, a reality TV show filming at historic Oakleigh Mansion. She’ll spend a weekend with two other psychic teens—Jake and Ashley—learning how to control her abilities.

None of them realized how much their emotional baggage would put them at the mercy of Oakleigh’s resident spirits, or that they’d find themselves pawns in the 150-year-old battle for the South’s legendary Confederate gold. Each must conquer their personal ghosts to face down Jackson, a seductive spirit who will do anything to protect the gold’s current location and avenge a heinous attack that destroyed his family.

Excerpt

Dylanie



On the balcony, heavy night air carries the sounds of crickets and frogs. The ancient railing is solid beneath my fingers but slick from humidity. The wet dog/rotting fish stench of a nearby swamp blows past and rustles the live oaks in the front yard. The leaves are so loud that I almost don’t hear it.

My name—soft, slow and deep.

“Dylanie.”

I jump back from the railing and look around. The hairs on my neck and arms stand on end, but I can’t see the threat. I haven’t sensed a thing in my room since Ashley commandeered ghost boy. Slowly, so I don’t make a sound, I inch forward toward the railing again. Whatever it is, it’s down there in the dark. From the balcony, I’m able to see the front yard, the side of the main part of the house, and a massive live oak. Underneath it stands a man.

It must be Riley or Ward taking a smoke break, but I don’t see the tiny orange glow of a cigarette. It’s too dark to make out details. I swat a mosquito on my bare arm, and that’s when the man turns, looking up at me. Into me. His eyes seem to travel over every inch, memorizing details. Despite the shadows, I know a slow smile of approval spreads across his face and it makes my breathing ragged. I see him with my eyes, but also in my head. I can’t look away. I can’t shut him out. I can’t even move or speak.

“Dylanie,” he drawls, “let me in.”

Invisible fingers caress my cheek and smooth my hair away from my face. My mind races, but my body’s reaction doesn’t match. It’s like they separate from each other. I close my eyes and a feeling of well-being invades.

“Dylanie, please.” His voice comes from far away, soft and warm, like Jake’s would feel if …

“No! Ouch!” For the second time today, I smack my head on part of a window. “Who the hell are you and what do you want? God, you almost had me there.”

He chuckles. “Oh, I intend to.”

In a blink, he’s moved from the base of the gnarled tree to the stone patio beneath me. Despite the landscape lights, he looks solid, not like a spirit at all. No haze, no shapeless black shadow figure. Slowly, so slowly, he raises his head. My legs go weak, and I grip the railing for support. Below me is the hot dark-haired man I saw on the steps when I arrived.

“Dylanie, I ask you again. May I come in?”

My brain screams no, no, no!

“Yes.” It comes out like an exhale, one that’s been trapped inside the air-tight cage that is my pathetic life. It feels good to say yes to something unapproved and maybe even dangerous.

Another blink and he’s on the balcony with me. Shit. This close, it’s obvious he’s not much older than me, maybe a few years. He’s the most human, solid-looking spirit I’ve ever encountered—if that’s what he is.

Shrapnel is available here!


*************


What’s up for grabs?



              One lucky hopper will win a KINDLE PAPERWHITE eREADER sponsored by Evernight Teen.

              Every book blogger/reviewer site is giving away one free eBook from Evernight Teen (winner’s choice of any eBook from Evernight Teen’s website).

              Plus, each author offers their own unique prize! So visit each blog hop stop for a host of fabulous prizes to win.



How to enter? Answer this:



What did Dylanie hit her head on?



Be sure to leave your answer and your email address in the comments below to be eligible to win a prize.



Continue hopping to the next stop!


9 comments:

  1. A part of a window...
    farmaki(at)live(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  2. part of a window
    cookiesmasher5@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  3. Thanks so much for helping spread the word about Shrapnel!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Dylanie hit her head on part of a window...twice.

    Thanks for the amazing giveaway!
    elizabeth @ bookattict . com
    GFC: BookAttict

    ReplyDelete
  5. part of a window

    bn100candg at hotmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  6. Dylanie smacked her head on part of the window, for the second time. That sounds like something I would do, but I wouldn't need to see a spirit or other such thing. I would just need a window. I'm just that darn clumsy :D

    The book sounds brilliant and I have added it to my I need this list and will check it out much more after I finish typing this. I really like the way the excerpt drew me in then stopped right when I was getting into it :P I need to read more to find out who this guy is and what exactly he wants from Dylanie and why she invited him in!! You never invite anyone creepy who hangs out behind trees and has "invisible fingers" that "caress" your cheeks from a distance!! Now I need to know what happens next!

    Thank you again for the great suspenseful excerpt and the chance to enter the giveaway.

    I hope everyone has a happy day/night.

    Shelly H
    booski24@hotmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  7. She hit her head on part of the window.

    Thanks so much for the opportunity :)
    caitlinsheahan@hotmail.co.uk

    ReplyDelete
  8. Love the excerpt! This sounds great! Thank you for sharing! She hit her head on the window. Thank you!
    shadowluvs2read(at)gmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  9. That's why I never read Wait For You either! I'm getting so tired of the stereotypical girl with the dark past theme and very few authors have been able to pull it off with a surprising twist (loved Hopeless!).



    Speed Dating For Professionals

    ReplyDelete

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