Seventeen-year-old Emma Harris is drowning on dry land.
No one knows what’s happening to her, and she’d like to keep her
evolution from human to mermaid a secret, but the truth is getting
harder and harder to hide. From her adoptive family, from her friends,
and especially from the irresistible James Phelps.
Her time in the ocean is spent dodging a possessive merman, while her
time on land is split between caring for her special-needs brother and
squeezing in every last possible moment of human life. She soon realizes
falling for James is unavoidable when he constantly comes to Emma’s
rescue and somehow manages to see through her carefully constructed icy
facade to the vulnerability she lives with every day. Everything about
James makes Emma yearn for a life on land she just can’t have.
When Emma’s brother disappears on her watch, James is the only person
she trusts to help her save him. But even if they can save her brother,
nothing can prevent her return to the sea. Whether she likes it or not,
Emma is changing—unable to breathe without yielding to the tide—and
it’s only a matter of time before she’s forced to surrender forever.
BY THE TIME SHE HIKED down the steep embankment and around the tide pools to her
cove, the pressure in her chest squeezed so tight, black spots floated in her vision. Not a good
sign. It had only been five days since her last swim— usually she was good for seven.
Emma hung her bag on a rock that jutted out of the cave wall and stripped off her clothes,
breathing deep, squeezing her hands into fists to avoid the panic creeping up on her. Panicking
stole precious air from her half-converted lungs, and she was already on the verge of passing
If she did pass out, she couldn’t get to the water, and if she couldn’t get to the water, this
terrible pressure wouldn’t ease, and if the pressure didn’t ease, she would soon stop breathing
altogether. It would be hours before anyone missed her and came looking, and by that time,
she’d be shriveled like a washed-up fish, and probably just as dead.
By the time she’d put on her suit, her vision blurred and she had to step carefully, trailing
her hand along the wall of the shallow cave so she wouldn’t trip and hurt herself before she got
to the water. Finally at the edge, she sucked in a last breath of air and dove, relieved as slits
opened up to gills in the side of her neck and water filtered through them, finally allowing her
lungs to expand.
Author Nichole Giles
Nichole Giles, the author of the Descendant trilogy, has lived in
Nevada, Arizona, Utah, and Texas. She loves to spend time with her
husband and four children, travel to tropical and exotic destinations,
drive in the rain with the convertible top down, and play music at full
volume so she can sing along.
The Rabbit and the Raven (Book Two in the Solas Beir Trilogy) by Melissa Eskue Ousley
Genre: Young Adult
Release Date: March 15, 2014
Published by: Gazebo Gardens Publishing
Darkness is beguiling…and power always comes with a price.
Adopted by loving parents, David Corbin had no idea his life was a
lie. Then he met a girl. Abby Brown freed David from the spell keeping
him from the truth, that he was the lost heir to the throne in a magical
realm.
Even though he got the girl and gained a kingdom, David had no clue
about the unfathomable power he would inherit, nor did he realize how
much he would have to sacrifice to keep the throne.
If there is any hope of winning the war against the deadly
Kruorumbrae, David and Abby will have to journey to the outer edges of
the realm to secure the loyalty of the four Oracles. Along the way, they
will learn just how seductive darkness can be.
Out of the shadows of the labyrinth, a massive beast emerged.
He was bigger than Calder had been, but while Calder had been a
hairless, muscled brute, this feline creature was lean, muscled in a way
that was beautiful and terrible at the same time. He had the look of a
sophisticated and efficient killer—covered in thick, shiny fur with
black-on-black stripes. He approached Abby with a menacing
deliberateness, bearing long, primeval fangs.
“Hello, Rabbit,” the creature said as he circled her slowly. “I’ve been waiting for you.”
Abby could feel the beast’s hot breath on her skin. Don’t show fear, she thought, planting her feet in a fighting stance and drawing herself up to look taller, brawnier. Look him straight in the eye. If you’re going to die, at least have a little dignity about it. She stared into his eyes and spoke his name: “Tierney.”
The creature stared back, eyeing Abby’s clenched jaw and defensive
stance, and then he smiled apologetically. “Oh, I’m so sorry,” Tierney
said. “I forget this face can be, shall we say, rather off-putting.
Allow me to present a more pleasing visage.” His form changed, melting
away like smoke, leaving black ashes lingering in the air. In the
creature’s place stood a handsome young man with dark eyes—nothing like
the beast he had just been. Don’t be fooled by the illusion, Abby told herself. He’s the same monster he was before—it’s just a mask. She stood her ground, infusing her voice with authority. “On the contrary. You know that face is off-putting. That’s why you wore it.”
To her surprise, Tierney started laughing—not a mean, condescending
laugh, but one of genuine, unguarded amusement. It wasn’t quite the
response Abby had expected.
“Well, now,” he chuckled, “you are a surprisingly perceptive one. Do you know why I’m here?”
“I assume it’s to get to the Solas Beir by killing me,” Abby said.
“Oh, come now, Rabbit, I’m hurt. I have absolutely no such plans. None at all,” Tierney replied.
“I have trouble believing that—your reputation precedes you,” she said.
“Well, dear Rabbit, a reputation is really quite subjective, don’t you think? And you must concede that your
sources may be a bit biased when it comes to me.” He began circling her
again, looking her up and down. “Actually, I’m here because I heard a
very interesting story about you. And I must say, I think there’s
more to you than I was originally led to believe. I heard that an
ordinary human girl rescued the Lightbearer by killing a Blood
Shadow—and not just any Blood Shadow, mind you, but one of the strongest
among us. And I wondered to myself, an ordinary human girl? How can that be?”
Abby noticed that Tierney used the term “Lightbearer” rather than
David’s formal title of Solas Beir. She didn’t think it was an accident.
In fact, she was certain that Tynan Tierney never said or did anything
that wasn’t calculated. “What is it you want, exactly?” she demanded,
putting her hands on her hips.
“Only to see if the story was true. I can see now that you’ve been
underestimated. Clearly, you are no ordinary human girl. You are turning
out to be much more interesting than I thought you would be, pretty little c’aislingaer,” he said.
Abby glared at him. “Thanks, but you can’t fool me into falling for flattery.”
Suddenly Tierney stepped close to Abby, his arms pulling her to him,
his breath on her neck as he whispered in her ear. “No, indeed I cannot.
For I have met many a fool, and you are not one.”
He was so warm, and his touch made her skin tingle, much to her
chagrin. She fought to show no response, reminding herself to keep her
guard up.
He continued, his lips almost grazing her skin as he talked. “What I
want, Abigail, is to show you the truth—to help you see my side of the
story so you can decide for yourself if my so-called reputation is
deserved.” He pulled away suddenly, his head cocked to one side as if he
had heard something.
Abby heard nothing.
Tierney turned back, his dark eyes on her. “Your boyfriend is coming.
Better not let him catch you fraternizing with the enemy. Until we meet
again, little Rabbit.” Taking her hand, he held it to his lips, kissing
it with a disarming tenderness. Then he was gone—not in some magic puff
of smoke, but simply not there anymore.
Abby heard the crack of a twig breaking as someone approached. Rather
than feeling a sense of relief, she felt oddly guilty, like she had
been caught in the act of doing something wrong. She had just survived
what should have been a lethal encounter with a monster, but instead of
being frightened of Tierney, she found herself attracted to him. And
that terrified her.
a Rafflecopter giveaway Melissa Eskue Ousley lives in the Pacific Northwest of the United
States with her family and their Kelpie, Gryphon. When she’s not
writing, Melissa can be found hiking, swimming, scuba diving, kayaking,
or walking along the beach, poking dead things with a stick.
Before she became a writer, she had a number of educational jobs,
ranging from a summer spent scraping road kill off a molten desert
highway, to years spent conducting research with an amazing team of
educators at the University of Arizona. Her interests in psychology,
culture, and mythology have influenced her writing of The Solas Beir Trilogy.
Teresa
is having a rough year - she’s in love with Jase, her big brother’s
best friend, but she hasn’t seen him since they shared a (truly amazing
and mind-blowing) kiss last year. Now her dance career is in jeopardy
because she injured her ACL during a recital and her chances of being
able to dance again are slim. But a new year at a new school (where Jase
just happens to go) should help mend her emotional injuries, at least. But Jase has a huge secret that he can’t let anyone know. As much as
he wants to let his best friend’s incredibly hot sister into his life,
he knows that he has responsibilities that must take priority.
Everything
changes when Teresa’s roommate is killed by an abusive boyfriend.
Suddenly Teresa is being threatened and Jase is coming to realize just
how important she is to him. But will it be too late?
#
1 NEW YORK TIMES and USA TODAY Bestselling author Jennifer lives in
Martinsburg, West Virginia. All the rumors you’ve heard about her state
aren’t true. When she’s not hard at work writing. she spends her time
reading, working out, watching really bad zombie movies, pretending to
write, and hanging out with her husband and her Jack Russel Loki. Her dreams of becoming an author started in algebra class, where she
spent most of her time writing short stories….which explains her dismal
grades in math. Jennifer writes Young Adult paranormal, science
fiction, fantasy, and contemporary romance. She is published with
Spencer Hill Press, Entangled Teen and Brazen, Disney/Hyperion and
Harlequin Teen. She also writes Adult and New Adult romance under the name J. Lynn.She is published by Entangled Brazen and HarperCollins.
