Skin Deep Teaser

You've all been waiting patiently but I'm here to assure you, Skin Deep IS coming. April 24 is the official release day, and there will be plenty of things between now and then. Next week is the cover reveal (and if you're a blogger who would like to host the reveal, you can sign up here.) but this week I have goodies for you.

Skin Deep toes the line between YA and NA, so I definitely recommend it for older teens. It's a paranormal story jam packed with stuff. This is the book about bullies you've all heard so much about. Please add it to your shelves on Goodread!

This week I was featured on YA Podcast. Give it a listen to learn more about the book and hear me read a teaser. Or if you can't listen, I'll share the teaser here. The lead character, Bethany Watson, has come out of an event to discover her car won't start and her phone is dead. She has no choice but to walk home, taking a short cut through the park.

Once in the park, darkness swallowed me. My eyes darted around as I rubbed my palm on my pant leg. The sweeping fields seemed ominous, though there was nothing out of the ordinary I could put my finger on. I walked faster than usual, trying to get out of the deserted park and back onto the well lit streets.

The pitch black field lay out before me like a scratchy blanket. Deprived of vision, my hearing picked up the faint sound of a struggle, meaty thuds and metallic clashes. I considered ignoring it, but I couldn’t walk away when someone was being hurt. Knowing I would regret it, I veered to my right and followed the sounds. They were coming from the playground area, or maybe the picnic shelter beyond.

The normally vibrant plastic and metal equipment were black shadows in the darkness, but nothing moved among them. Metal clanged further away, towards the pavilion, so I crept forward. I tried to look in every direction as I carefully picked my way around the shadowy mammoths that were usually the slide and the merry-go-round, my fit sinking into the cool sand. Every nerve in my body screamed at me to turn around, but I couldn’t back out now.

My foot caught on the old railroad tie used as an edger so the sand wouldn’t spill over into the grass, nearly causing me to faceplant in the mud. I swore under my breath before crossing the hundred foot span between the playground and the parking lot, with the pavilion mediating their meeting.

Horror weakened my legs and my heart pounded in my ears as the fighters came into view. A lone lamp stood proud over the pavilion, bathing the tiny square of asphalt in an orange glow. Two figures fought in the circle of light, one a strange man I had never seen before. He moved like he had no bones, shifting in ways a human body simply could not. His eyes glowed like vibrant rubies and his teeth all came to sharp points. Perhaps the strange tint of the lamp was to blame, but his grayish skin was dull and waxy. I swallowed, taking an involuntary step back.

The figures spun and I got a clear glimpse of his opponent. My heart sank at the sight of his golden skin and long dark curls. Anderson. An audible gasp slipped from me as I stumbled over something. I landed hard on my butt, my teeth clicking shut painfully. The night was still as both figures stared at me lying on the ground in a graceless heap, shiny jean-clad legs reflecting the light. The inhuman thing —and despite everything in me screaming it was impossible, I knew it couldn’t be human — eyed me. Unnatural lips spread in a smile that turned my stomach to a rock. A scream clawed its way up my throat, and it took everything in my power to choke it back.

The creature slowly stepped towards me, the tattered remnants of a hooded cloak and billowy pants shifting to reveal more gray skin stretched taut over prominent ribs and a hallowed out stomach. The emaciated arms and legs seemed too long, the joints pointed where they should have been found. I crab walked away as it stood over me, knowing this was the last breath I would take. My life flashed before my eyes. All the stupid pointless diets that never worked. All the tears I shed over my classmates’ cruelty. The rancid hatred churning in me every time I caught a glimpse of my own reflection… My entire life was made up of pointless moments. And now it was about to be snuffed out. My lips parted to thank him for rescuing me from my own miserable existence, but something stilled my tongue. Pushing to my feet, I stood with my back straight and my chin high. If I was going to die by this foul creature’s hand, I would not do it wallowing in my own shame and misery.

Anderson appeared between the monster and I. Grabbing my arm, he yanked me behind him. “Watson, what are you doing here?”

I shook my head, unaware he couldn’t hear the dishwater slosh. When he didn’t respond, I struggled to find my voice. “My car died. I… I was going home.”

He sighed, but that was the end of our conversation. The thing lunged at us, knocking me to the ground. I clutched at my arm as waves of fire shot down from the shoulder that had slammed into one of the large rocks edging the grass. Tears welled in my eyes as I fought to sit up. Anderson was locked in combat with the creature, slashing out with what I could only classify as a sword. Steel glowed in the dim light as he slashed out, meeting the bony plate covering the beast’s arm, the blade recoiling in a shower of sparks. I rolled over, trying to scramble away on my hands and knees. A jolt of pain from my injured shoulder sent me back to the ground with a cry. The two continued to scuffle as I sat up again. The monster feinted toward me, causing Anderson to rush to put himself between us. With an evil chuckle, the creature took a step back, fading until only a bit of vapor remained in the circle of light. After a moment, it too faded, leaving me blinking at nothing. 

First Dark Reflections teaser

So, today I'm happy to release the first ever teaser for the first book of my Dark Reflections series, coming in April.

I was running out of options when my phone chimed. Expecting it to be Maggie, I dove for it. I hissed when I realized it was a video. I recognized the parking lot of the coffee shop and knew it must be one of the phones I spotted in the crowd of douche bags.

Within seconds my phone chimed again with another video, then another. It went on and on, one video after another. I turned the ringer off, setting the phone on my desk. I felt like I was going to be sick. All the numbers were blocked, so I couldn't be certain if it was the same person or a different one. The notification light kept flashing for a long time, but I refused to pick up my phone. I just stared at it helplessly as nausea wormed through my belly.

The house phone ringing jarred me from my thoughts. Figuring someone had tried my cell and got no answer, I jogged to the unit in the hall and picked it up. There was a long silence, then some heavy breathing. As I was just about to hang up, someone mooed, then more heavy breathing. Disgusted, I put the phone in the cradle and yanked the cord out of the wall. I went around the house doing the same with all the phones.

When the doorbell started to ring, I ignored it, returning to my room and huddling on the bed. I wrapped a pillow around my head, a wailing sound coming from my throat no matter how hard I tried to stop it. I heard a phone ringing, realizing too late I hadn’t unplugged the one in my dad’s room.

I have no idea how long I sat rocking on my bed, pillow wrapped around my ears as the phone rang, the doorbell chimed, and knocks sounded at the door. Glass broke in the living room, but I didn’t move to examine it. I just sat there, rocking and crying and praying to die.

Silence didn’t register when it fell at long last for a good long minute. At first I didn’t trust it, though I was finally able to still myself. I dropped the pillow from my ears, though I kept it in my hands. There was no sound except for the normal ones - the refrigerator running, the crickets chirping outside. I slid to the edge of my bed, afraid to move for fear of the torment starting again.

My door swung open and I screamed, turning to bury my face in the pillow as sobs wracked my body. Hands pulled at me, trying to turn me but I fought them, refusing to give them the satisfaction of my tears. An urgent voice suddenly registered and I turned and threw myself into my dad’s arms, sobbing.

Let me be real with you....

I'm going to be releasing the first real teaser from Dark Reflections next week, but before I do, I wanted to share the story behind the teaser.

Maybe you don't realize this, but most life-long authors like me aren't popular in school. We tend to be quiet and thoughtful, observing when our peers are acting. We pour angst onto page after page, leaving ourselves raw and bear with nothing left to give the world around us. Much of our time is spent lingering in world's of fantasy until the real world is too abrasive for us. Or maybe that's just me.

I rarely had many friends. Maybe it's because I was dirt pour and moved twelve times in my thirteen years of schooling. Always the new kid. Never wearing clothes that fit the trend. I never even went on a real vacation until I was seventeen. I was a victim. To my family. To pervy neighbors. To the other kids.

I'm not saying this because I'm looking for sympathy, just setting the stage. Because I was always on the outside, i had no idea I was bullied at the time it was happening. Not when I was shoved so hard my knee swelled to the size of a baseball. Not when I was stabbed with a pencil, leaving the lead that is still under my skin to this day. Not even when another girl told the entire school I had molested her cat.

My story isn't unique.

Kids everywhere have stories like these and worse. I know because so many people have shared their amazing stories with me. I have been blessed and even healed a little, having others share their own pain and vulnerability with me. Because of it, I have the courage to share some of my own experiences in Skin Deep. The teaser I will be releasing is a slightly dramatized experience from my own childhood.

It wasn't long after the girl had told the school I molested her cat. I was thirteen. (Yup, that's me in the picture.) Two girls followed me home, poking me,  calling me "rapist" and "molester" as they threw pebbles and candy at me. I kept walking faster and faster until I was running. When I got home, I locked the door. What happened after that was fairly accurately recreated in the teaser I'm releasing on Wednesday.

When it's ready, I will hotlink the teaser here.

Again, I don't really need sympathy. What I hope to get from sharing my story is maybe - just maybe - I can reach someone else who is struggling with something like this and give them strength. Give them hope. Maybe even give them a shoulder to cry on. Because if I can help just one person then it will all be worth it.

Discover the land of Kaldalangra

In 2012, it all began...

~ * ~ * ~

The man gave a hollow laugh that echoed off the walls of the basement.

Rhea grabbed an old volume off the shelf and threw it at him, using the precious seconds of confusion to force her feet to move and run down the next aisle. She could see the main aisle, could see freedom streaming through the door and took a precious second to inhale for a scream of help. A large hand clamped across her mouth, an arm lifted her from the ground and took that precious freedom.

“It is not worth it to struggle, little one. You have no chance of winning.”

Rhea caught a finger between her teeth and bit down hard, wildly kicking her feet out to try to contact any body part of her assailant. She growled, “It’s always worth trying,” and then cried out in pain as he grabbed her by the back of her neck like a kitten. He forced her on her knees into a stillness born of agony
as the second man approached.

“I thought she was going to be an easy one, eh, so much for a painless job."

The man holding her laughed, “I suspect it will be well worth it, my brother. They do not come this feisty all the time!” His grip hardened on her neck as he dragged her onto her feet. “Now, are you going to come quietly girl, or will you be taking the hard way out?”

Rhea spat at him and tried to twist out of his grip. She felt a quick, hard blow to her head and the world began to move like slow molasses around her. She fought a quick wave of nausea and tried to coerce her feet to move, to will the stars to stop creating a tunnel in front of her face. She saw the mirror in
front of her slide to the side, and felt herself being forced into the space it once occupied. She had the momentary thought of, that’s crazy, the mirror doesn’t do that, as the darkness consumed her.

~ * ~ * ~

Journey into the land of Kaldalangra during this holiday season.

Kristi Strong is holding a limited time give-away, with a free Kindle or Nook version for all three of her books in the Land of Kaldalangra series. 1 lucky contestant will receive a free Kindle or Nook version of The Lady of Steinbrekka, Heart of Kylassame, and her newest release, Soul of Asimina.

Can't wait? Then pick up your copy of The Lady of Steinbrekka and Heart of Kylassame, for Kindle or Nook, for only 99 cents during the month of December!

Rhea Aralia lived an uneventful life in Virginia, until the fateful night of her kidnapping. Taken to a strange realm of destruction, despair, and mysterious people with dark secrets, the young woman must learn a new way of life to survive.

With the help of her new companions, Rhea discovers the courage to defy the tyrant King Verikhan and his heir, the cleverness to deceive the court, and the power within herself to transform this world of darkness into one of beauty and hope.

Will Rhea triumph over those who seek her destruction, or will she be forever lost in the darkness known as Kaldalangra?

Kindle    Nook

It has been two years since the reign of the tyrannical King Verikhan has ended, and the realm of Kaldalangra flourishes.

Nyssa has taken her place as Queen of the realm, with her secret love, Sebast, now openly at her side. She rules with a fair hand, striving for justice and prosperity for all of her people.
Rowan and Rhea travel the realm, spreading peace and healing wherever they go. In Kylassame, they have formed a strong bond with friends and spread deep roots in the community.
The people of Kaldalangra are joyful, and life in their world is better than ever before.
But a string of tragedies has the ability to bring Rhea to her knees, and with her, the entire realm. While Rowan struggles to recover the village of Kylassame from a devastating crime, Rhea’s faith in her own strength weakens, with dire consequences.

Re-enter the world of Kaldalangra, and join the adventure as Rhea and Rowan endeavor to continue upon their chosen destiny.

Kindle

Nook

Sabina de Nespa has known a life of freedom and peace, thanks to the actions of her heroic parents. As a child of royalty, she has kept her intentions pure and her heart guarded, always aware that the crown of the realm may one day rest upon her brow.


When two strangers stumble across her path, she finds her peace shattered as dangerous family secrets begin to emerge, along with a malignant force that threatens to destroy her entire world. These men have the ability to help her rise to brilliant heights, or cause a devastating plunge into darkness.


It is now up to Sabina to continue her parents’ legacy of honor, courage, and strength through adversity. With the fate of Kaldalangra upon her shoulders, she has vowed to follow the path of righteousness, or die trying.

Coming soon!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Indie-licious blog Hop Teaser

So today I've decided to share with you the best opening line I've ever written. It's from Bloodfire, the stand alone spin of the Forces of Nature series. This book will follow Amelia's brother after the events of the series. I know I'm being a little bit of a tease because this one won't be out until summer of 2014 at the earliest.

"Of all the djinn joints in all the world, she had to walk into mine. Ok, so the line's not a Xander Hoffman original, but some things are classics for a reason. I didn't need any supernatural senses to tell me she was Otherworldly. The exotic array of red and gold feathers scattered over her head in lieu of hair told me she was a phoenix, but her scantily clad body told me all I really needed to know."

If you enjoyed my teaser, the fun doesn't have to stop here. Hop on over to these other Indie-licious blogs and see what goodies they have to share.1

Andrea Heltsley

Elizabeth Sharp

Bethany Lopez

Elle Chardou

Lisa Collicut

Morgan Wylie

Michelle Miller

Indie-licious blog hop

It's getting so these are the only blog posts I do! Anyway, this comes from just before the big surprise I got this week. I don't think it needs any set up, so enjoy.


“What did he mean, what’s happening between us?” I looked at Logan shyly through my lashes. It was one thing to crush on a boy—which certainly wasn’t happening here, of course—but a whole different ball game when someone else just assumes you are because you’re trying to help the other person.




“I’m guessing he means the connection I feel to you, like I know you and just forgot. It’s like having something on the tip of your tongue, and if I could just remember…”


I cocked my head at him. That was a fitting description for the connection I felt with him. But what did it mean?

Like that? Well check out these other great teasers (if you haven't already)!

Indie-licious blog hop signups

Filling in for Indie-Licious, where we love blog hops. We love them so much that we host one once a week on Sundays.

Sign ups are from 12:00 am Tuesdays through 11:59 pm Saturday, EST. Just enter your info into the Linky List. We only ask that you post teasers no longer than a paragraph. Anything longer than this will make it difficult for everyone to read and comment on your entry.

Have fun!