Giveaway and Book Review
of Phoenix
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Publisher: Fire & Ice Imprint of
Melange Books LLC
Release Date: May 27th, 2012
Genre: YA Paranormal/Fantasy Romance
Blurb
:
Elora
Rae Gannon believes her life is over. On her
sixteenth birthday she receives
news that she is a mythical monster of hellish proportions and if that's not
bad enough, she receives this information in the form of a letter from her dead
mother who also informs her that she must become part of an elite secret
society of others like herself or die. Sucky birthday, huh? And just when she
thinks she's got it all figured out, her new-found family in the Elite forces
her to break ties with her human BFF shortly before her BFF just up and
vanishes. With her world in utter upheaval, Elora makes the move to a new
school- Marlind Prep, with full intentions of finding out exactly what is going
on behind the scenes and why her best friend has vanished- all while trying to
figure out how to successfully make out with her boyfriend without sucking the
very life out of him!
About the
Author:
Melissa Starr is a small town, country gal from deep in
southern Oklahoma. Born in Altus and raised in Frederick, it only seemed right
to put down roots there with her own family; a husband, two sons and two
daughters. She resides and writes from her home in Frederick where she spends
her free time attending her children’s various sporting activities and just
enjoying being a mom.
Melissa
is also a freelance photographer who enjoys camping and riding ATV’s when the
weather permits and snapping a million and one pictures of her family and
friends against much protest. *Smiles*
Contacts:
BUY
LINKS
Excerpt:
The
world through Elora Gannon's eyes...
A
life for a life I vow...by embrace of fire and spirit, I conquer death.
High
is the price of immortality, a life for a life I vow...
There’s
just something about waking up on your sixteenth birthday to find that you are
the equivalent to everything your worst nightmares are made of. And that’s
exactly what happened to me. My name is Elora Rae Gannon. I’ve been raised in a
home that has frequently been hosed down by testosterone since birth. My mother
Avril died during childbirth, my childbirth leaving me to be raised by my
single father Sam Gannon.
I
believe I’m somewhat getting off the subject, so let me start again. I woke on
November 17th to find that my mother had belonged to a unique club or society
of people, if you will, known as the Phoenix Elite. No big deal, right? Wrong.
As with any other secret society the Elite have their secrets. Secrets that
would set me apart from my fellow students at Frederick High School and my best
friend of nine years, Chloe Salas. Chloe despised the small group of Elite in
our school and with good reason for the most part. Most of them were serious
snots with the talent and looks to back it up. But what she despised the most
was the secrets. Chloe had been doing research on the Elite for over three
years and wanted to expose them in a newspaper article that she hoped would
catapult her career into stardom before she ever set foot on college campus.
But there was one little problem, I, her BFF, was the Elite’s new inductee.
I
wish I could say I had a choice in the matter but the truth is…Phoenix is in my
blood. You see- Phoenixes aren’t entirely human and humans for the most part
don’t know it. Supposedly we came from an ancient Egyptian bloodline of Gods.
The Ennead or something like that, sons and daughters of Amun Re and that
wasn’t even the half of it.
I
was pulled from school the Monday following my birthday by my crush and fellow
Phoenix, Ezra Denton and taken to Elite headquarters where I was given the
choice to join the Elite or die. Yeah, you heard right, D-I-E. I wish I’d
chosen death over the monster I was becoming. Little did I know that in exactly
one year’s time I would have to choose again between life and death and every
year after. After taking the Oath which solidified me as a Phoenix the spirit
of Amun Re matured in my body and with it I was given a thirst. An abhorred
thirst which made me the monster I am today. Everything I’d ever read growing
up of vampires, werewolves and the like made me feel like the devil in
comparison. The Phoenixes steal lives. Like the mythological Phoenix which
lived off of air alone, we live off of the air in humans’ lungs. Their very
life force. And the real kicker is that our taking of life will only prolong
our own for one more year.
The
logical choice, you would think, would be to let our own life force die out.
One by one rid the Earth of our kind, right? But it’s not that easy. When
nearing the day when you must renew, it’s like drowning. Your lungs burn like
molten fire and nothing but taking life can stifle that pain. Few have been
strong enough to let themselves die and save the life of those we’re supposed
to protect. See, we haven’t always been monsters. It started before the first
Egyptian Dynasty when a half human half god named Set or Seth took his cousin
Osiris’s wife, Aset, and impregnated her with his son whom he called Isaac.
Isaac was the first of his kind, a creature called the Ruhk. The Ruhk had wings
the color of coagulated blood and eyes so black they rivaled night itself.
Before
Seth’s life was finally taken because of his betrayal, he spoke a curse into
existence. His son Isaac would fall into a deep sleep upon his sixteenth
birthday and would only awaken to avenge him when the strongest of Aset’s
descendants was born into the Phoenix world. Then he would rule Aset and the
Elite with the lowly humans planted firmly under his feet.
Apparently
I am that descendant. And now my best friend is missing for sticking her nose
where it doesn’t belong, I’m moving to a new school specifically for Phoenix
kind four hours from my father, the only family I’ve ever known and I can’t
even make out with my new boyfriend for fear of sucking out his life!
My
life is in utter upheaval and I’d do anything to get it back on track. Even
face down a god- and I had a feeling that’s exactly what I was going to have to
do. But not before my best friend would throw our relationship in the trash and
emotionally handicap me before I could say apocalypse!
A
black, cloth was pulled over my head and I was flung effortlessly over
someone’s shoulder in a fireman’s carry. I could tell my captor was jogging as
I felt the jarring of his shoulder in my gut, I thought I might puke at any
second and would’ve if I thought it’d stop my captor in his tracks, but I
doubted it. I swallowed against the bile, juice and Pop Tart churning in my gut
and tried to take a deep breath. He stopped abruptly and thrust me into the
seat of a vehicle. Front or back seat, I wasn’t sure but the door closed behind
me with a thud and that’s when I realized my hands were bound. I was so
distracted and terrified I’d never even felt my captor bind me. Zip cord, I
could feel the hard plastic cutting into my skin. I struggled to sit up but
couldn’t see anything but the tiny fibers of my black hood. The light outside
did very little in the way of penetrating the material.
“Where
are you taking me?” I spat to whoever was listening. A slight shadow of
movement caught my eye.
“In
due time, Elora. You are in no danger.”
“I’ve
been bound and abducted but I’m in no danger? I don’t know what tree you fell
out of but where I come from it's called kidnapping and it carries a prison
sentence in all fifty states!”
The
man (I could tell my captor was a he, by his deep voice.) sighed and chuckled
to himself as he made a left turn suddenly causing me to slide toward him.
Okay, front seat. I tried to focus on how many turns he was making, left or
right and how far he drove on each stretch of road but it was pointless, he was
clearly trying to throw me off.
“Who
are you?” I managed to sit up and turned my head in the direction I believed
him to be seated.
“I
am a senior at Frederick High and a Phoenix but you already knew that, didn’t
you?”
“So,
people do have reason to fear Phoenixes.” I breathed only a small sigh of
relief that my abductor was a Phoenix. “Tell me, do all of the Phoenixes
partake in the kidnapping of innocents?” My nerves were beginning to settle a
bit now that I knew I wasn’t a victim of some deranged nutcase. At least he didn’t
sound like a deranged nut. But I guessed insanity was no respecter of persons-
was it?
“You
are quite a handful aren’t you? I believe you were informed that you would be
taking the Oath today, don’t play dumb Miss Gannon. You’ve been told who and
what you are. And with that knowledge come secrets and the whereabouts of our
headquarters will be kept secret from you until you’ve taken the vows.”
“It’s
not like I was told I’d be kidnapped!” I growled. “And what happens if I
refuse?”
“You
will die.” A sick feeling washed over me and now I really did feel like
vomiting. Maybe my captors really were deranged.
“Now
the Phoenixes are involved in murder? Kidnapping and murder. Terrific, sucky
birthday to this-”
“Don’t
be stupid. We won’t kill you.” Memory of his voice surfaced but I couldn’t
place-
“Who
then?” I was afraid to find out. My breathing became shallow and I could feel
myself beginning to hyperventilate.
“Are
you okay?” The car slowed.
“No,”
I croaked. “I feel sick. And it’s hard for me to breathe under this- stupid-
THING!” I panted as I tried to slow my breathing. It wasn’t working. “It’s-
not- everyday that a- person- finds out that they,” I took a deep breath, in,
out, in, out, and began to gain control but now tears were welling in my eyes.
“They must choose- to become a freak or die-” I finished. The dang dam broke
and I began to sob.
The
car came to a stop. The man turned to me and slid his hands beneath the hood
covering my head and lifted it just above my nose and held it firmly against my
eyes. I could feel his hot breath on my face and a tingle rose within my core.
His voice was so freaking familiar…my heart thrummed. I wasn’t scared anymore,
just angry.
“It’s
okay. Everything is going to be fine,” he whispered soothingly. “Calm down.” He
brushed away the tears that trailed both sides of my cheeks with his thumbs. I
immediately felt better for some reason as a strange feeling come over me.
“Are
you ever going to tell me who you are?” I sucked in another breath and
shivered. The air around me smelled of leather and woodsy-type cologne mingled
with the salt from my tears. I’d smelled that scent before, minus the salt. I
blew out noisily waiting for his response. I knew I must look a mess, probably
had snot streaming from my nose so I sniffed hard. Nope, not yet.
“You
know me,” he whispered again. His breath swept my flushed face causing me to
shiver, but not from the cold this time. Then the familiar voice owner pressed
his lips tenderly against mine. I stopped shaking instantly. How did he do
that? A dozen faces flashed before my eyes but only one felt right. Ezra
Denton, the most amazing, most perfect guy in Frederick High School or maybe
any school for that matter. He was a five foot eight track and baseball star
with steely-gray eyes which at times appeared almost silver with messy, burnt
chestnut locks, which most days he wore in an unkempt, faux hawk. He was also a
senior and teacher’s aide to Ms. Batton in my first hour choir class. I’d only
drooled over him for the past three years, but he had really come into his own
in the last year and no one and I mean no one could compare in looks or talent
to him as far as I was concerned. A lot of guys went through that awkward stage
where you were unsure of how good looking they would be when they were fully
matured, but not Ezra. He had always maintained a strong, well-defined frame,
great skin and oozed self-confidence.
His
lips were soft and warm and I suddenly liked the idea of being taken captive by
this Phoenix. He pulled back far too soon for my taste; instinctively I felt my
body inchworm closer to his.
“Ezra?”
“I
told you, you knew me,” he breathed, then gently tugged the cloth down over my
face again and pulled the car back onto the road.
I
drew my knees to my chest unsure of how to respond to what just happened. I had
just been kidnapped and then happily un-kidnapped by the same extraordinary man
who had been the center of many of my day dreams and night dreams for years,
yet, I was still bound and didn’t know where I was being taken. And suddenly I
didn’t care as long as I was with Ezra.
A
life for a life I vow...by embrace of fire and spirit, I conquer death.
High
is the price of immortality, a life for a life I vow.
Book Review:
Initially
the story reminded me of Sci-Fi’s “Lost Girl” … without the sex. Here is a girl that can suck the life out of
someone. Indeed, she has to do so to
survive. But the book is much more than
that. The story has a kind of Romeo and
Juliet feel and a fight against the evil all powerful.
This
product or book may have been distributed for review; this in no way affects my
opinions or reviews.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
PRIMAL by D.A.
Serra 
Deborah Serra was a screenwriter for twenty years and
recognized by the Writer's Guild for her long term continuous employment. She
has written ten TV movies, four feature films, and numerous TV episodes
including two years as a staff writer for NBC. She worked for top producers,
directors, and actors. She has taught writing at the University of California,
San Diego, Wofford College and at writers' conferences nationwide. Serra has
now turned her attention to novels, and she was honored as a recent recipient
of the prestigious Hawthornden Literary Fellowship, and as a semi-finalist for
the William Faulkner-William Wisdom Creative Writing Award given by the
Faulkner Society in New Orleans, LA.
