The Tower

Book Review

Title: The Tower

Author: Nicole Campbell

Rating: ★★★★★

Date Published: June 21st, 2017

Publisher: Self-published

Genre: YA Contemporary/Paranormal

Page Count:  345

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Buy Book: Amazon
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Synopsis:

"On our sixteenth birthdays, our kind is gifted with awesome powers. Except no, not really because this isn’t Narnia, or Hogwarts, or whatever other mythical realm where witches supposedly live. This is Elizabethtown, Illinois, and much to the chagrin of the local chapter of Susie-Homemakers, we live here."

All witches understand that the universe is a scary sort of powerful on a good day. On a bad day? Well, that’s when The Tower card shows its face during a reading. As summer draws to a close before the beginning of junior year, Rowyn Black is tired of seeing that card stare up at her from the table. Rowyn, Reed, and Rosalyn have made it through just about every dramatic storm their sarcasm could weather during their seventeen year friendship, and it would be nice to have a quiet semester. Rowyn hopes that the only thing The Tower foretells is the frightening sight of the school parking lot come the first day- full of more jacked-up trucks and cut off shorts than a Luke Bryan video. True to its nature, however, the universe doesn’t care much for hopes and wishes, and when the promise of The Tower comes crashing down, they might fall right along with it.


My Thoughts:

I was sent a copy of this book by the author in exchange for an honest review.

This book had my emotions all over the place, I laughed, swooned, got mad, cried, ugly cried and then cried some more! I absolutely loved this book and every character in it! It was not what I was expecting, it was better! Nicole has become one of my favorite authors and has loved to make me cry, but I am not mad because this book was so real and raw! It dealt with friendship, loss, grieve, first love, depression, and family relationships; it tackles so many things that we go through when we lose a loved one and the author did it so well, she did not try to sugar coat it one bit.

Rowyn, Reed and Rosalyn families are in the same circle so, these three have known each other since they were in diapers, they have learned spells together, and now they're all in high school trying to figure life out together! I really liked all these characters, but my favorite must be Reed, I know, I know, I am adding another book boyfriend to my ever-growing list. I absolutely loved everything about him how he treated his friends, the way he joked, how he put Row before himself. Rosalyn was another one of my favorites she was so bubbly, and it was impossible to now feel bubbly reading her chapters. I really liked Rowyn, but I really did feel like shaking her around in some chapters, but at the same time I knew exactly where her emotions where coming from, learning to cope with loss is not easy especially when you are a teenager, she went through such amazing character growth and towards the end I absolutely fell in love with her characters flaws and all. 

The author tackled the topic of grieve so well, like I said above she left nothing out! The emotions the characters were feeling, and the way they were acting was so raw and real. She also talked about how the characters got bullied because they were different, I really enjoyed how the author dealt with those situations.  The author also when into depth about the catchers beliefs, I learned so much about paganism what they believe in, the holidays they celebrate, how they learn about spells and so much more! I absolutely adored this novel and miss the characters so much. If you are looking for a good contemporary look no further this is the book for you and even if you are not looking for a contemporary, I highly recommend it to anyone!

SandraTheBookWorm

Paintbrush

Book Review

Title: Paintbrush

Author: Hannah Bucchin

Rating: ★★★★

Date Published: July 11, 2017

Publisher: Blaze Publishing

Genre: YA Contemporary

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Buy the Book: Amazon

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Synopsis:

Mitchell Morrison and Josie Sedgwick have spent their whole lives at the Indian Paintbrush Community Village, a commune full of colorful characters tucked in the mountains of North Carolina, and they aren't particularly close--at least, not anymore. Josie wishes she could spend all of her time at Paintbrush planting tomatoes, hiking the trails, or throwing giant communal birthday parties, while Mitchell can’t wait to escape the bizarre spiritual sharing and noisy community dinners. Luckily for both of them, high school graduation is just around the corner.

But when Mitchell’s mother makes a scandalous announcement that rocks the close-knit Paintbrush community, and Josie’s younger sister starts to make some dangerously bad decisions, the two find themselves leaning on each other for support – and looking at each other in a whole new light. Their childhood friendship blossoms in to something more as they deal with their insane families, but as graduation approaches, so does life in the real world, forcing Josie and Mitchell to figure out what, exactly, their relationship is – and if it can survive their very different plans for the future.

My Thoughts:

I was sent an eArc by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. 

My summer has been filled with contemporary reads and I have loved it! Paintbrush was one of my summer reads and I fell in love with it! Josie and Mitchell have lived in the Paintbrush Community and known each other for as long as they can remember, but they could not be more different! Mitchell cannot wait to graduate so he can leave Paintbrush, and never comeback. Josie loves the community and feels like she needs to take care of her sisters since her mom likes to be more like a friend than a mother.

I really liked the idea of the Paintbrush Community, they were like a big family, even though they weren’t related they took care of each other like they were; I’m not going to lie though just like any family some of them were kind of a little out there. I have always like the friends turned to lovers’ trope because it shows how the relationship built up and how the characters fell in love! I really loved Mitchell, I completely understood his desire to leave Paintbrush to go to college and travel to different places, it’s something I have always wanted to do and I just found his character so relatable. Josie’s development trough out the story was very well done, I loved the way she cared for her mom and sisters, but I was so happy that she figured out that she needed to do what made HER happy. The author did an amazing job building the character relationships and adding the perfect amount of drama to keep me turning the page. The ending was perfect and I cannot wait to read more about these two characters and see where their stories go. 

SandraTheBookWorm

How One Attempts to Chase Gravity

Book Review

Title: How One Attempts to Chase Gravity

Author: Nicole Campbell

Rating: ★★★★★

Date Published: 

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Buy the Book: Amazon, B&N, iBooks

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Synopsis:

Ethan Fisher is college bound- surprising, even to him. Ethan knows he will run into Courtney eventually, and he is determined to have another chance to be the man she thought he was. If it is even possible for her to speak to him without throwing her coffee in his face. He’s willing to take his chances in hopes that the infatuation of their summer love can hold up in the real world. 

Courtney Ross feels like she just stepped out of a time machine. She thought going away to college involved some sort of "growing up," so why is she now being thrown into last year? She really doesn't know if she's ready to forgive and forget.

In this sequel- equally delicious as its predecessor- learn how this winding tale of love and heartbreak unfolds.

My Thoughts:

I was sent a novel by the author in exchange for an honest review. 

If you read my review for the first novel in this series you know that I absolutely loved it, and was completely devastated with the ending, but I forgave the author because I had the sequel; which I was able to start Immediately.  Just when I thought I couldn’t love Ethan any more I get the sequel written in his perspective and I fall for him even harder; his character growth was immense in this book and I loved every single second of it and the way he treats Courtney had me in the clouds! I loved Courtney so much, she has come a long way her character growth is the most noticeable; even though at some points in the books I did want to tell her to relax a bit and deal with things as they came, but that just wouldn’t be like Courtney.

I loved how the author made this novel show the real struggles that all couples have and showed us that both characters had flaws they had to work on, and how their love for each other was so great that they learned to see past their flaws and love each other more because of them. I have really come to love these characters, I don’t think I have ever read a book where I can relate with the characters so much or where I can see myself meeting them in real life and becoming best friends with them. The ending for this novel could not have been more perfect! I was in tears and just wanted to pull out all the characters and give them the biggest group hug.  Another thing that I love about these novels is that in the beginning of every chapter there is a song title and the author has made a playlist you can listen to as you read, it just takes the reading experience to a whole new level, it makes you feel closer to the story and the characters.

If you haven’t picked these novels up, I highly recommend them! I devoured both book in less than a week. It is the perfect summer read or if you are looking for a good contemporary read.

SandraTheBookWorm

What Comes of Eating Doughnuts With a Boy Who Plays Guitar

Book Review!

Title: What Comes of Eating Doughnuts with a Boy Who Plays Guitar

Author: Nicole Campbell

Rating: ★★★★★

Date Published: June 17, 2015

Genre: Contemporary

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Buy Book: Amazon, iBooks, B&N, Kobo

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Synopsis:

Courtney Ross has lived her whole life doing everything by the book. That’s gotten her good grades, the title of captain of her team, and the gift of being a nervous wreck most of the time. She will be spending the summer before her senior year with her best friend, Vanessa, in her tiny hometown of Gem City, Ohio. Courtney’s hoping for a chance to breathe and maybe to get a tan. What she doesn’t expect is Ethan Fisher and his guitar. She must answer the age old question, what does come of eating doughnuts with a boy who plays guitar? 

In her touching debut novel, Nicole Campbell delivers a perfect summer read. Readers will re-live their first relationships (the good, the bad, and the overwhelming), or imagine the spark of what the future might hold in this story full of the type of intensity only found in young love.

My Thoughts:

I was sent a copy of this novel by the author in exchange for an honest review.

This novel is the perfect summer contemporary! It had me hooked from page one and I could not put it down! I fell in love with every single character, they became my friends and the love interest had me head over heels. The author took me back to my high school summer days, when I would go out with all my friend and falling in love for the first time oh, those were the days. I loved the authors writing, especially when it comes to character development.

Courtney has always been one to follow the rules, she’s top of her class and captain of her cheer-leading squad, but this summer she is going to be spending it with her best friend Vanessa in her hometown Gem City and Vanessa loves to push Courtney out of her comfort zone. I absolutely loved Courtney, she was such a relatable character and I just saw so much of myself in her. I was always the shy friend who had to be pushed to do fun things, still to this day I overthink everything. Courtney’s development throughout the book is phenomenal! She stops holding back, overthinking and decided to just have fun this summer. Ethan is our love interest and gosh, do I love this man! He was sooo swoon worthy, but of course like any real guy, he has his flaws and I loved that about him; it made him feel real! I fell in love with all the characters including Vanessa and her boyfriend, Luke! I cannot wait to read more about those two.

The ending broke me! I was sobbing so much I had to stop and take a breather, I was so happy I had the next book! The authors writing flows so well and she hooks you from the first chapter! This novel made me laugh, cry and reminisce about my old summer days; I can’t wait to devour more of her novels. I also absolutely loved how in the header of each chapter there is a song title. I decided halfway through the book to look up the playlist the author has for her novel and gosh, I was so happy I decided to listen it to it while I read! It was such a whole new experience, and took the book to a whole new level for me. This novel also helped me get over a horrible reading slump, after trying several other books I might add.  I recommend this to anyone looking for a summer contemporary! 

SandraTheBookWorm

The Animal Under the Fur

Book Review

Title: The Animal Under the Fur

Author: E.J. Mellow

Rating: ★★★★

Release Date: March 30, 2017

Publisher: Four Eyed Owl

Genre: New Adult 

Stalk the Author: Website, FB, Twitter, Instagram

Buy Me: Amazon, iBooks, 

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Synopsis:

Orphaned on the streets as a baby, Nashville Brown, a.k.a Kill Operative 3, knows better than to rely on anyone. With heightened senses and superhuman strength to survive, she’s been raised as the perfect assassin.

The trick to her success? Keeping everyone, even her best friend, at arm’s length.

Losing his entire family in the span of a year, Carter Smith left his ability to love buried deep in their graves. His only concerns now are completing his missions and effortlessly charming the next temptress to warm his bed.

The key to his accomplishments? Working alone mixed with a Casanova smile.

But when a deadly weapon needs to be stopped from falling into the wrong hands, the lone wolves find themselves thrown into an explosive partnership. Can Carter and 3 lower their guns aimed at one another long enough to succeed, or will their unwillingness to compromise end up destroying more than their perfect records? Whatever their differences, both agree on one thing—in the game of lies and deceit, the line between friend and foe is often blurred by blood splatter.

My Thoughts:

I was provided with an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review.

WOW, this book blew me away! It was very different from The Dreamer trilogy and I absolutely loved! It really amazes me when an author can venture out to different genres and hit it out of the park. 

Nashville works as an undercover agent, she possesses super human abilities that make her one of the best agents in her agency. Carter is also an undercover agent for a sister agency and he does things a little differently than Nashville. This novel is told from dual perspective; it was nice to see what was going through both our characters minds. 

Nashville was such a kick ass character; I really liked reading about her and her abilities! She also went through some character development trough out the novel that I enjoyed. Oh, Carter what can I say about him I think I enjoyed his chapters more than Nashville’s just because he was so carefree and made me laugh out loud way to many times. The relationship that builds between Carter and Nashville was done very well, Carter had to work for Nashville and it was not insta-love; that’s always refreshing. 

There was one thing that bumped my five starts to four and that was the bits of Spanish throughout the book, sometimes the way the way they were used just didn’t make sense, but other than that I really thoroughly enjoyed this book. Mellow hooked me from the first page and didn’t let me go till the end, she hit me with some unexpected twists that had me at the edge of my seat! E.J. Mellow has become one of my favorite authors and I can't wait to see what else she has in store for us. If you're in the mood for an action packed romance I recommend you give The Animal under the Fur a go. 

-SandraTheBookWorm

Seat 2A

Book Review

Title: Seat 2A

Author: Dela

Rating: ★★★★★

Release Date: March 27, 2017

Publisher: Createspace 

Genre: Contemporary

Page Count: 340

Stalk the Author: Website, Blog, Goodreads, FB, Instagram, Twitter,  

Buy Me: Amazon US / UK / CA / AU

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Synopsis:

When Jessie Evans, a Georgia Southern University cheerleader, leaves for her best friend’s wedding the last thing she expects is for the seat next to her to be taken. After all, she’d only canceled Seat 2A hours prior after catching her boyfriend cheating. 

Kendal Vargas, son of a Spanish emigrant fashion guru, is on his way to Whistler for a “mancation”. Running to buy a neck pillow before his flight, Kendal bumps into Jessie Evans. Kendal is in a hurry. Kendal does not stop to help her. Kendal forgot his neck pillow and the plane is about to leave and hey—who could travel without a neck pillow?

Charmed by Jessie’s beauty, and watching her board his very plane, Kendal takes a whim and changes his seat to one he hopes would be next to her. Jessie ignores Kendal’s attempt to be chatty but when their connecting flight gets canceled overnight, the pair has a chance to make a real connection.

Seven years later, Jessie bumps into Kendal in the produce aisle of a Portland grocery store. No neck pillow is involved, except there is a beautiful little girl who looks just like him. Fate has given them another shot but will Kendal’s whims keep them apart?

My Thoughts:

I was sent an ARC by the author in exchange for an honest review.

I have been looking for a good contemporary read to get me out my reading slump and Dela's Seat 2A did the job. Jessie and Kendal were such fun characters and I really enjoyed reading their story! The way Jessie and Kendal meet is so different from previous novels I have read and I really enjoyed it. Jessie is headed to her best friend’s wedding and the seat next to her is supposed to be empty, Kendal is on his way to his "mancation" and when he sees Jessie, he decides to change seats to be next to her. I really liked the way they met and that they kept bumping into each other while on their vacation, I also found it very interesting that they both decided to give fake names, it made it more interesting. While on his way to meet Jessie Kendal gets an emergency call and has to leave without giving Jessie notice. Kendal looks and looks for Jessie to no avail until one day they bump into each other at the grocery and things get super interesting.

Both Jessie and Kendal are great characters, I especially fell in love with Kendal and he is now one of my top five book boyfriends! His character development throughout the book is so well written! I really liked how Dela wrote him, he wasn’t your typical perfect character and he had flaws, which made him even that more loveable and real. Jessie was a very relatable character; she was always playing it safe and thinking ahead, while Kendal lived without thinking about the future. That’s why Kendal and Jessie are perfect; they bring the best out of each other. Dela made me laugh, cry and had me at the edge of my seat at times! The steamy scenes were perfect and they weren’t used as fillers, they were just the perfect amount and let me tell you they. were. HOT. Oh, and don’t get me started on the ending! It was just perfect! I overall really enjoyed this book and I'm really hoping Dela decides to write more about this two because I will be the first in line to get it!

-SandraTheBookWorm

Seat 2A Cover Reveal!!!!!

Title: Seat 2A

Author: Dela

Genre: New Adult Romance

Cover Design: Sarah, Okay Creations 

Release Date: March 27, 2017

Blurb

When Jessie Evans, a Georgia Southern University cheerleader, leaves for her best friend’s wedding the last thing she expects is for the seat next to her to be taken. After all, she’d only canceled Seat 2A hours prior after catching her boyfriend cheating.

Kendal Vargas, son of a Spanish emigrant fashion guru, is on his way to Whistler for a “mancation”. Running to buy a neck pillow before his flight, Kendal bumps into Jessie Evans. Kendal is in a hurry. Kendal does not stop to help her. Kendal forgot his neck pillow and the plane is about to leave and hey—who could travel without a neck pillow? 

Charmed by Jessie’s beauty, and watching her board his very plane, Kendal takes a whim and changes his seat to one he hopes would be next to her. Jessie ignores Kendal’s attempt to be chatty but when their connecting flight gets canceled overnight, the pair has a chance to make a real connection.

Seven years later, Jessie bumps into Kendal in the produce aisle of a Portland grocery store. No neck pillow is involved, except there is a beautiful little girl who looks just like him. Fate has given them another shot but will Kendal’s whims keep them apart?

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Author Bio

Dela is the author of newly released SEAT 2A, a Contemporary Romance about two strangers having a second chance at fate. She’s also written THE 52NDsaga, a paranormal romance for young adults centered on the bloody Aztec tradition of human sacrifice. The sequel, BEYOND THE NEON SHORE, will release Summer 2017.

You’ll most often find her in gym clothes, taking pictures of books in the desert, or eating peppermint patties writing her next book. She lives in Las Vegas with her husband, three kids, and one exceptionally fat Chihuahua. Her website is www.delaauthor.com.

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Boy Band

Book Review

Title: Boy Band

Author: Jacqueline Smith

Rating: ★★★★★

Date Published: April 21, 2015

Publisher: Wind Trail Publishing

Genre: YA Contemporary/ NA Contemporary

Connect with Author: Website, FB, Twitter, Instagram

Buy Me! B&N, Amazon, 

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Synopsis:

Sam Morneau is Melissa Parker’s best friend. He’s also a member of The Kind of September, basically the hottest boy band on the planet. 

After two and a half years, Mel is all too familiar with the day-to-day occurrences that come with being a member of the band’s inner circle, including hectic schedules, passionate fans, and gossip-mongering celebrity girlfriends. 

Now, with the release of the group’s third album just weeks away, their lives have never been crazier and Mel is doing everything she can to keep up, all the while trying to cope with the ridiculous rumors that follow the band everywhere they go and pretending that she isn’t harboring a secret and hopeless crush on Sam. 

It’s weird enough being in love with your best friend. It’s even weirder when the rest of the world is in love with him, too.

My Thoughts:

I was sent a copy of this novel by the author in exchange for an honest review.

Where do I even start?! This book hooked me from the first chapter, once I began reading it I just couldn’t put it down! I finished it in one sitting, literally I sat down to read it at nine pm and finished it around two in the morning. Sam and Melissa are best-friends the only difference about this friendship is that Sam is a member of The Kind of September which also happens to be one of the hottest bands out there, when they blew up Melissa decided to join her friends in this amazing new journey, but seeing the person you love being adored by millions and be hit on a daily basis isn't always the easiest thing to watch.

saw this and thought to myself, I so picture the boys from TKOS doing this! lol

I absolutely adored this book! I couldn't get enough, I wish I had the next book in my possession just to continue reading about these amazing charters I have fallen head over heels in love for. Jacqueline's writing is amazing! It flows so well and you just can’t get enough of it. I loved reading about a band and how hectic their lives are out of the public eye and what the boys do with their free time. The ending had me in an emotional roller-coaster one minute I was crying the next I was smiling from ear to ear and then she hit me with a twist that had me rereading just to make sure I had read it right. If you have ever wanted to read about how it’s like to live and tour with one of the hottest boy bands, look no further this book is it. 

-SandraTheBookWorm

Finish Him Release Day!

Title: Finish Him (The Games of Love Book 3)

Author: Deanna Dee

Release Date: November 17, 2015

Genre: New Adult

Buy Me! Amazon

Synopsis:

Round One, FLIRT

Sonya Black never expected a petty sibling quarrel could lead to her sister being drugged. Overcome with guilt, Sonya vows to bring the jerk to justice. When she dives into her own investigation, she lands belly up in the company of Jaxon Nyles, the security guard who may have all the answers.

But being a detective isn’t as easy as Sonya thinks. On top of that, Jaxon always seems to be in the right place at the right time. Is he a suspect, or is he falling for her? More important, is she falling for him?

The round has begun. Who will flirt? Who will win? Will hearts break in the process?

Excerpt!

With a complex pressing of buttons, the screen goes dim, and my opponent explodes into a fountain of blood and innards. Take that, pixels. The familiar zing of a victory glides through my blood, and it’s all I can do to keep the smirk off my lips. I haven’t been on Thanksgiving break for three hours, and already I’m kicking ass at video games and racking up the bragging points.

Dawn mutters a string of unintelligible syllables. It’s too bad not everyone’s having as good a time as me. “I will defeat you, Dwarf.”

I hit X on my controller to bring us back to the character selection screen. Dawn is the GM, Game Master, of the Marshalls and Magics campaign our group has going, and I play a dwarf. Possibly, she thinks calling me by my race will unhinge me enough for her to win a round. Not likely. “Yeah, yeah. Pick a character.”

Dawn sighs and selects Kerdwin, a random character who appeared in one of the side stories ten years ago. His combos are weak, and his powers are weaker. I keep all this to myself. Dawn pulls no punches during M and M. It’s not my fault if she’s bad at selecting characters in Bloodrage Anarchy: Silver Edition…or any other edition, really.

“Good choice,” I say instead and, with automatic movements, navigate three down and two over to Dalara, warrior princess of the outer realm of Simenia. The screen goes dark for the loading process, and our characters appear on the top of a narrow mountain. Lightning arcs overhead, and drums pound a war beat.

Round One, the game’s automated voice, which sounds like a constipated ogre, says. Kerdwin stands in a pathetic pose Dawn probably knows a name for. Dalara also stands in a pose she would know, but hers looks kick-ass and involves balancing on the balls of her feet and swaying. FIGHT! The constipated ogre bellows his call to arms.

Constipation or not, the call is all I need. I send Dalara into a flying kick and knock Kerdwin backwards. Next, I close the distance to execute Dalara’s strongest combo, a series of kicks and punches that will result in Kerdwin flying across the screen.

“Damn you.” Dawn blocks, breaking my combo. She jumps back until there’s an entire screen of distance between us.

Unfortunately for her, the reprieve will be slight. I regain my feet and go into attack mode, pressing forward twice and then the A button to activate a special attack. Dalara says something understandable only by the people of some tiny country in Asia, and dark flames erupt from her hands. I do this twice more, and Dawn’s life bar drops to a quarter remaining. She ducks my fourth attempt, leaps my fifth, and comes at me, getting through my defenses and landing a punch. The tip of my health bar turns red.

Oh hell no. That shitake will not fly. “Nice.” I send a high kick into Kerdwin’s face and follow with a punching combo. Kerdwin sways on his feet, and I shoot more black flame. “But not nice enough.” Dalara shifts to her ready stance. Kerdwin falls, and the game constipatedly announces my victory. Vacation has never been sweeter.

“Rah!” Parker screams. He’s sitting across the room on my bed, and somehow, he still almost makes me go deaf. “Excellent! Continue! Piff the Eviscerator desires more bloodshed!”

Dawn’s character staggers to his feet, and Dawn and I exchange the kind of sideways glance gamers use when they don’t want to take their attention from the screen. Parker plays an illusionist mage in M and M and, because he’s Parker, has named his illusionist mage Piff the Eviscerator.

“Silence, Gnome,” Dawn says in her intimidate-everyone-but-Parker voice. She’s probably hoping the boy will one day have enough sense to fear her and be quiet.

“Eviscerate!” Parker punches the air. “Blood!” However, that day is not today.

Meet The Author:

Connect with Deanna: 

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Deanna Dee is strictly human and does not, to her knowledge, own a hyena. She lives by the sea, which she takes full advantage of in the summer time. People, reading, and pop culture make up the shameless downtime of her life. The rest of it is writing, and she’s okay with that.