In the depths of the ocean a war is brewing. Ka Moho-ali, ruler of the sharks, has joined forces with the ruthless Lua Pele to destroy Queen Tessa and the city she loves and protects. But Queen Tessa holds a secret that could change everything. Will revealing this knowledge be enough to pierce the darkest of hearts?
Evil permeates the sea and threatens the very survival of those who call it home. The time has come for Queen Tessa and her friends to stand and defend their city once and for all. How much will the ocean queen be willing to sacrifice to save the souls of those she holds dear? She is about to find out.
Author Bio
Dr. Fairfield is a licensed psychologist with her doctorate from Northern Arizona University.
Tara grew up in Southern California and loves being near the ocean. Some of her fondest childhood memories are of swimming and snorkeling around Catalina Island. She has three grown children, three grandchildren and four dogs. Life is good!
When she's not writing, you'll find her having fun on the ocean, playing with her dogs or just hanging out with family in the Pacific Northwest.
Thrust into a world of men, can a timid girl find bravery as the first female Death?
Thirteen-year-old Suzie Sarnio always believed the Grim Reaper was a fairy tale image of a skeleton with a scythe. Now, forced to enter the College of Deaths, she finds herself training to bring souls from the Living World to the Hereafter. The task is demanding enough, but as the only female in the all-male College, she quickly becomes a target. Attacked by both classmates and strangers, Suzie is alone in a world where even her teachers want her to fail.
Scythes hungry for souls, Deaths who subjugate a race of mysterious magicians, and echoes of an ancient war with Dragons.
As her year progresses, Suzie suspects her presence isn't an accident. She uncovers a plot to overthrow the World of Deaths. Now she must also discover the reason she's been brought there: the first female Death in a million years.
AUTHOR BIO
ChristopherMannino’s life is best described as an unending creative outlet. He teaches high school theatre in Greenbelt, Maryland. In addition to his daily drama classes, he runs several after-school performance and production drama groups. He spends his summers writing and singing.Manninoholds a Master of Arts in Theatre Education from Catholic University, and has studied mythology and literature both in America and at Oxford University. His work with young people helped inspire him to write young adult fantasy, although it was his love of reading that truly brought his writing to life.
Reds, yellows, hots, colds. Sensations blended and faded. Suzie’s head spun in a whirlwind of sensation. Two suns appeared for an instant, and she watched the building where she’d signed the contract. Athanasius, the first ’Mental she’d met, seemed to smile at her, and then was gone.
Stars burned her.
Oceans drowned her.
Clouds suffocated her.
Noise deafened her.
The tether slackened. She opened her eyes.
Billy still held the scythe; the blade dripped with tiny beads of white light.
“You okay?” asked Frank, turning.
“Yeah,” she said. “Are we there?”
“Yes,” said Frank. “We’re in the Mortal World. The scythe will never bring you anywhere near anyone you ever met here. That’s one of the rules, but we’re here. This is the closest to home most of us will ever get.” His voice trailed off, and he looked away. Suzie patted his shoulder. She could imagine his pain.
“We’re not here to talk,” said Billy. “The target will be here in a minute.”
“The scythe tells you the target as you cross the portal,” explained Frank.
“They explained in Theory class,” she said. “But it’s still weird to be here.”
She looked around. They stood in an alley, with gleams of starlight visible above them. Flies buzzed over a trash can, overflowing with pizza boxes. A cool breeze blew candy wrappers across the pavement, to graffiti-covered walls. Behind her, a cement building rose, with barred windows. In front of them, a larger street met the alley, with part of a neon sign glowing around the corner. It smelled like urine.
She heard shouts in Spanish from a dilapidated cement building with iron bars. More shouts and someone pleading. Then a gunshot and the shouts moved away from them.
A young girl staggered into the alley. Suzie was about to speak, but Frank shook his head.
The girl fell onto her face, a pool of blood leaking out from under her. In the distance, Suzie heard another gunshot.
“We have to help her,” said Suzie.
“It’s too late,” said Frank.
The girl lay motionless. Time seemed to stop. Suzie had never witnessed someone’s death. Who was this girl? Who had shot her?
Even as the questions started to form in her mind, the girl sat up and stared at them. Suzie started to move, but Frank grabbed her arm, holding her.
“Where am I?” said the girl.
She was sitting up, but she was also laying face first on the ground. The sitting girl looked at Billy with terrified eyes and struggled to her feet. Suzie realized they were each wearing black robes; even with their training badges, they must look frightening. Billy still held the scythe.
“Is this a joke?” said the girl. “I’m not dead—”
“You are,” said Billy.
The standing girl had no gunshot wound in her chest. Her dress seemed to shine as she moved a step away. She never looked down at her own body, or the blood continuing to run.
“Who are you three?” asked the girl.
“We’re in training,” said Billy. Suzie admired how calm his voice was. He was cool and collected, while she wanted to yell.
The girl took another step back and tripped on something. She tried to get up again but Billy held up a hand.
“Please,” he said. “Allow me.”
He raised the scythe and let it fall. The girl screamed, and Suzie screamed as well.
CHARACTER INTERVIEW
An interview between author Christopher Mannino (CM) and Billy Black.
CM: Billy, I understand you're entering your second year as a Death. What is it like Reaping souls for a living? BILLY: Honestly, it's just a job. We're in transportation, but the cargo happens to be souls. On a day to day basis, I don't think about death too often. Especially since this is only my second year. I went on three Reapings so far, and only held the scythe myself in one of them. Most of my time's spent at school studying.
CM: What do you think of your new housemate, Susan? BILLY: I'm really conflicted. There's never been a girl here. A lot of the other Deaths, particularly the older ones, are complaining, saying she'll mess everything up. If she hadn't been housed with Jason and me, I'm not sure how her arrival would affect me, but living with her, even though it's only been a couple weeks so far, I think she's pretty nice. I was kind of annoyed at first, particularly since they had to choose my house to stick a girl in, but it's not that bad. She's a kid, just like all of us.
CM: Speaking of kids, how did you become a Death? BILLY: Back in the Mortal World I started losing a lot of weight. Suddenly a Death showed up, swung his scythe, and offered me a contract. Live as a Death for a year, and then take a test. If I failed the test, I'd be a Death forever. If I didn't sign the contract, I'd die. Wasn't much of a choice. All Deaths are living kids, snatched in a similar manner. At first, you're really resentful, but once you get used to the World of Deaths, you find it's not so bad.
CM: So you failed your test, and were forced to remain a Death? BILLY: Not exactly. In the end, I decided I liked being a Death. After Dad left us, life was... rough for my mother and me, to say the least. At the College of Deaths, I made friends. I'm on a boskery team, I do well in classes, and I even work a part-time job for money. I didn't feel compelled to go back.
CM: What's the one thing you miss most about the Mortal World? BILLY: TV and computers. There are times when life feels a little slower in the World of Deaths On the other hand, that's not always a bad thing.
CM: So what do you do for fun? BILLY: As I mentioned, I play boskery. I was one of only a few kids my age to make a team. It's meant as a way to see how well we use scythes. Deaths are monitored, and their positions in the Senior College are determined by skill with the blade, since scythe skills allow you to Reap more souls in a shorter time. But it feels more like a game, with four teams competing at once. We use double-blade scythes, which paralyze you if you get nicked. It's a really tough sport. When I'm not playing, I like to read, hang out with friends, or even head up to Mors, which is a city nearby. They have some rides there, like an amusement park.
CM: Is there anything else you'd like to tell us? BILLY: I think everyone should give Susan a chance. She seems nice to me. I know the last time there was a female Death, she was a witch who betrayed the Deaths to Dragons, but Susan's different. Don't judge her before you get to know her.
First off, getting the hang of normal human life is hard enough, toss in the fact that you parents are working on a top secret project, your mother is from a different planet and then the fact that you’re not ‘human’; yet it’s not going to be a slick of cake, that’s for sure! I enjoy this page turner of a book. The pacing of the book worked, characters played well off each one another and there were a few twists I didn’t see coming as I read. I feel like this is a great all-around story. Good for anyone want an adventure story, perfect for sleep away camp!
About the book & Author
A Brief Stay at Earth Human Camp: Book 1 of the Secrets of Farbookonia SeriesOnce you find out your mother is an alien, what ISN’T possible?!
That’s what 12-year-old Anne and 10-year-old Atticus Reade want to know. Minutes after learning that their mother is from the planet Farbookonia and that their parents’ secret project has put them all in danger, the children are wrenched from their sheltered existence in the Midwest and whisked off to a safe sleep-away camp in New Jersey — each with a tiny, protective “Globot” on one shoulder.
Painfully aware they’re not like the others at camp, Anne and Atticus do their best to fit in while concealing their alien background and the “special talents” that go with it. But everything is so new to them, they have a hard time sorting reality from fiction. Quirky campers, campfire ghost stories, a bizarre camp director, Anne’s mysterious dreams, and Atticus’s unusual animal encounters are all equally disturbing.
Just as they start getting the hang of life among young Earth humans, a broadcast on the Rec Hall TV shakes things up, and things that are truly strange emerge from normal newness. It turns out Anne and Atticus — and their new friends — may not be safe at camp after all. A Brief Stay at Earth Human Camp soon thrusts them into a reality they wish was fiction.
Marie C. Collins lives in Lambertville, New Jersey (USA), with her two dogs, George Eliot and Henry James, who — in spite of their snoring and a tendency to sniff horrifying things — are very good company (and in return, willingly endure Marie’s insistence that they love being kissed on their snouts). Marie holds a bachelor’s degree in English and Journalism from Douglas College at Rutgers University and a master’s degree in English Literature from Temple University. She has held sundry jobs throughout her life, like caregiver, cook, waitress, newspaper reporter, and even a brief, misguided stint as a ballroom dance teacher. However, for most of her adult life she has written for hire, usually on topics related to education, as writing is the thing she likes to do best. Marie has a daughter she adores, Laurel Pellegrino, who is now a doctor in Seattle. Throughout Marie’s life, she has at times felt like an alien — mostly because she was extremely shy and didn’t react to things the way other people did. When she decided it was time to try to write a novel, she found herself wondering what it would be like to actually be an alien — then it struck her that that might be a good place to start. But since she’s also intrigued by the way cultures blend to make each of us feel a bit “different,” she decided her aliens should be half Earth human as well. Marie is currently writing the second book in her Secrets of Farbookonia series: The Quest for Normal. Her goal is to publish it at the end of 2015.
A Brief Stay at Earth Human Camp: Book 1 of the Secrets of Farbookonia SeriesOnce you find out your mother is an alien, what ISN’T possible?!
That’s what 12-year-old Anne and 10-year-old Atticus Reade want to know. Minutes after learning that their mother is from the planet Farbookonia and that their parents’ secret project has put them all in danger, the children are wrenched from their sheltered existence in the Midwest and whisked off to a safe sleep-away camp in New Jersey — each with a tiny, protective “Globot” on one shoulder.
Painfully aware they’re not like the others at camp, Anne and Atticus do their best to fit in while concealing their alien background and the “special talents” that go with it. But everything is so new to them, they have a hard time sorting reality from fiction. Quirky campers, campfire ghost stories, a bizarre camp director, Anne’s mysterious dreams, and Atticus’s unusual animal encounters are all equally disturbing.
Just as they start getting the hang of life among young Earth humans, a broadcast on the Rec Hall TV shakes things up, and things that are truly strange emerge from normal newness. It turns out Anne and Atticus — and their new friends — may not be safe at camp after all. A Brief Stay at Earth Human Camp soon thrusts them into a reality they wish was fiction.
Marie C. Collins lives in Lambertville, New Jersey (USA), with her two dogs, George Eliot and Henry James, who — in spite of their snoring and a tendency to sniff horrifying things — are very good company (and in return, willingly endure Marie’s insistence that they love being kissed on their snouts). Marie holds a bachelor’s degree in English and Journalism from Douglas College at Rutgers University and a master’s degree in English Literature from Temple University. She has held sundry jobs throughout her life, like caregiver, cook, waitress, newspaper reporter, and even a brief, misguided stint as a ballroom dance teacher. However, for most of her adult life she has written for hire, usually on topics related to education, as writing is the thing she likes to do best. Marie has a daughter she adores, Laurel Pellegrino, who is now a doctor in Seattle. Throughout Marie’s life, she has at times felt like an alien — mostly because she was extremely shy and didn’t react to things the way other people did. When she decided it was time to try to write a novel, she found herself wondering what it would be like to actually be an alien — then it struck her that that might be a good place to start. But since she’s also intrigued by the way cultures blend to make each of us feel a bit “different,” she decided her aliens should be half Earth human as well. Marie is currently writing the second book in her Secrets of Farbookonia series: The Quest for Normal. Her goal is to publish it at the end of 2015.
Explosions, body parts, and black magic are all part of Abby Collins’ typical day. As the top Paranormal Investigation Bureau agent, she only gets the best cases, but when the Cult of Ra comes to play she might in be over her head. Finding a murderer while up against a hex, an overprotective coven, and a stubborn werewolf reminds her that nothing in the paranormal world is easy. As the death toll rises and a decades old crime, linked to Abby, is uncovered, disturbing information is brought to light. Abby must unlock an ancient language steeped in black magic to uncover the truth before the murderer comes for her.
Excerpt (from the ARC):
I pulled up to the crime scene, a farm property in the middle of nowhere, and parked my SUV next to a State Trooper’s cruiser.
The one thing I loved about crime scenes is the amount of people who gather around them. We’ll feign terror and true desire to know what happened, but in reality we are curious as to what kind of creature or person would commit such a crime. Human curiosity was disgusting. This scene lacked that. How odd.
A tall man started towards the yellow crime scene. His hair was cropped close to his head giving no hint to the color. His black jacket had his detective shield attached to it.
“Bout’ time you got here Abigail.” He’s blue eyes met my gaze. “I was starting to think you were going to chicken out.”
“Yeah, not an option.” I shrugged and ducked under the crime scene tape. “Where are the gawkers?”
“No idea. Just the lady whose dog found the body. Corpse’s been out here for a couple days at least.”
Great. That meant it was going to smell. “And the markings you want me to take a look at?”
“Are all over the barn walls. That’s all I’m going to tell you.” He started walking towards a barn in the distance. My long legs were great for treading through the tall unkempt weeds that had taken over the area. The uneven ground made it a struggle to keep balanced, but there was no way I’d let myself fall. I already caught enough flack out on the field, being a witch and a woman.
I grumbled as we got to the barn and scrunched up my nose. “Oh God.” The smell churned my stomach and it was times like this I wish that I had a spell or something to mask it.
An officer at the door handed me a facemask and then motioned for me to go in. I walked in and looked around. A tarp covered a lump that I imagined was the body, dried blood coated the packed dirt floor and it looked like whatever it was had exploded. Well, that explained the arm.
I tried to focus as my gaze crawled up the wall. Symbols were scattered over the wall drawn in something black and I could see the faint glowing of whatever magic it held.
I frowned and pulled out my phone taking pictures of them. “They’re still active.”
“How do you know that?”
“Because I’m trained in magic. I can see the power behind the marks.” I took a few more pictures.
“You can’t take pictures, Abby.”
“I don’t know them on sight, I’m going to have to do some research.” Hopefully the camera could capture the symbols without going haywire. A chill went down my spine and I cursed at the feeling of malevolent magic being activated.
“Get out, get out!” I shoved at Detective Mason and ran out after him. I felt the magic trail after me and I cursed. Grabbing Mason and the uniform at the door, I held on to their wrists and muttered a protection spell under my breath. In my mind I envisioned a purple circle and threw my energy into that vision to make it manifest.
The barn exploded the moment my circle went up. Shrapnel flew around us and the blast was hot enough to feel through the purple haze of my magic. Had I not managed to get my circle up, we’d be crispy humans. Holy shit. When the smoke cleared all that was left was a smoking pile of wood and the smell of burnt flesh in the air. I let the circle down when I felt the magic in the air fade.
“What the hell was that?” Mason snapped spinning me around to face him.
“Magic. Strong, terrifying magic.” I took a deep shuttering breath and pulled my own magic back into me.
Character Interview (thank you to my Beta team who helped with questions):
Q. Do you have a nickname?
A. Depends on who I’m talking to. Sometimes it’s Abby other times it’s Agent A.
Q. Do you have any siblings?
A. Nope, only child here. I don’t know what Levi would have done if he had to adopt two children. I’m pretty sure one was enough for him.
Q. What’s the most embarrassing thing that’s ever happened to you?
A. I brought a date home with all intentions of sex, I was a grown adult, and I was living in the guest house. Apparently, Levi did not appreciate it and decided then was going to be the best time to tell me about my new assignment. Needless to say my long term relationship ended then. That was also about the time I decided I needed to move.
Q. Did you date in high school?
A. A little bit, but a lot of people were scared of me. They knew I was a witch and that my guardian was one of the most powerful vampires in the area. That tends to make dating rough.
Q. Why won’t you date Simon?
A. People I love and get attached to die way too often for me to consider dating him. Even if that’s what Levi wants I can’t date Simon, not right now.
Q. What’s the one place you always feel at home?
A. My chamber, Levi had it constructed especially for me. I can let my magic go and practice there. Most of the time people leave me alone while I’m in there and the whole room just brings peace to me.
Q. What are you most afraid of?
A. Becoming a psychopath. You laugh, but there are rumors that people in my family have gone insane with the amount of power they hold. I’ve also seen it happen, I’ve track down serial killers who have lost control of their magic and their mind. I’m not okay with becoming that and it scares the living shit out of me.
Q. What’s the worst thing you’ve ever done?
A. I’ve killed someone…okay a few people, always in self-defense and always as a last resort, but the guilt still eats at me.
Q. Would you ever consider getting a familiar?
A. Normally a familiar choses you, they offer you companionship and you accept. The closest I’ve gotten is considering getting a cat, but mostly so I have something to come home to. If the right creature comes a long and choses me, then I’d be okay with adopting a familiar.
Q. How do you think your life would be different if your parents hadn’t died?
A. I think I would have grown up with more control over my magic than I have now. So many things in the past wouldn’t have been hidden from me. I might have been a linguist like my father or maybe a healer like my mother, not a Paranormal Investigation agent. It’s hard to say what else would have changed and who would or would not be in my life at this point.
Q. Did you ever have a crush on Levi growing up?
A. No, not really. Since he took me in when I was for I’ve only seen him as a parent figure and he’s always made sure he stayed as such. Nothing weird going on here, despite what the supernatural tabloids say!
Character Bio:
Twenty-four year old Abigail Collins is the best of her age and the top Paranormal Investigation agent. Raised by the vampire of the local territory, she didn’t grow up with a normal childhood. Levi did the best he could when it came to her magical education. She prefers to work alone and doesn’t always do things by the book. She’ll charm you with her humor and burn you with her sarcasm. If you have a paranormal baddy to catch, Abby’s your girl. She always gets her man. When she’s not chasing bad guys, solving murders or learning her abilities, she can be found enjoying a glass of wine and junk TV. Don’t get on her bad side, she’s got abilities that go far beyond other witches her age and she knows how to hide a body.
About the Author
A.L. Kessler is a paranormal romance, urban fantasy and steampunk author residing in Colorado Springs. Since she was a teenager she's loved weaving stories and spinning tales. When she's not at the beck-and-call of the Lord and Lady of the House, two black cats by the names of Jynx and Sophie, training a playful puppy named Zelda, playing with her daughter, or killing creepers and mining all the things with her husband, she's either reading, participating in NaNoWriMo, or writing in her Blog Writing Rambles.
Cayce Zeta awakens to discover her life has been a lie. She is taken to Chronicle, the last remnants left of Atlantis, to fulfill her destiny. At Chronicle, she is quickly befriended by Emily, a fast talking Mermaid, who takes Cayce under her protection. She also meets Quinn, the one person everyone warns her to stay away from and to keep her distance from Dark Triad. Yet there is something about Quinn, a dark and mysterious, nearly electrifying lure that Cayce can't explain. Small pieces of Cayce's memory start to return, she learns her true name, who her real parents are, why the choice was made to place her with mortal keepers, and how remaining in the shadows is key to her survival. The time of her awakening approaches quickly, allowing little time for the young woman once known as Cayce Zeta to master the powers of the Twelve Olympians. She must face Zeus to save not only her new family but also what remains of Atlantis or Zeus will destroy Chronicle and its inhabitants forever.
AUTHOR BIO Hargrove Perth
A perpetual night-owl and lover of all things horror related, Hargrove finds inspiration in the most unlikely places. Whether inspiration is found in the hidden truths of the serial killers of antiquity or in the present day, it truly can be said that truth is always stranger and often more horrific than fiction. A penchant for research and a dedication to creating literary indulgences that the reader is unable to forget, Hargrove spends a great deal of time researching the larger than life characters of history to formulate characters unforgettable, despised, and strangely adored. She writes horror, dark romance, and paranormal in the Adult, New Adult, and YA categories. Currently a resident of the central midwest, she recently paired with her long time friend, author Dorothy Dawson, (who is the author of the acclaimed Banesville Series) to write House at Whispering Oaks, their first dual novel together that is a Paranormal Clean Read. Hargrove is a Top 100 Amazon Seller and was recently nominated by Double Decker Books Awards for the 2014 Author of Year in Historical/Horror.
In a world decimated by death and disease, evil threatens to descend upon the small clan of survivors Elle calls family. Things are not what they seem and dark forces are at work. When a bear savagely attacks her friend, rumors suggest the incident might be more than coincidence. Nobody is safe. Armed with a sense of determination, Elle joins forces with a young lion keeper to save those she loves. Together, they embark on a quest to journey to the City of Light and seek the protection of King Elohim. Will this king have the answers they seek? Every choice has a consequence. Will Elle choose to embrace the truth or succumb to the pressures of her clan? The future depends upon her decision.
Author Bio: Dr. Fairfield is a licensed psychologist, author and speaker with her doctorate from Northern Arizona University. She has been a featured guest on Teen Talk and Parent Talk radio and writes a monthly column for teens. With over twenty years of experience working with youth and families and as a mother of three grown children, Dr. Fairfield understands the issues youth face in the world today.
