tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2191980508294484592024-02-07T10:26:40.276-08:00Merrie DestefanoMerrie Destefanohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04447209247265513676noreply@blogger.comBlogger187125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-219198050829448459.post-88004494990178721562016-07-18T07:30:00.000-07:002016-07-25T10:35:03.650-07:00LOST GIRLS cover reveal & giveawayThank you to everyone who entered the contest and helped to promote the cover reveal for LOST GIRLS!<br />
<br />
THE WINNER IS CATHY A. <br />
<br />
CONGRATS AND THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO PARTICIPATED!!<br />
<br />
ORIGINAL POST:<br />
I’m so excited that I can finally reveal the cover of my upcoming YA psychological thriller novel, LOST GIRLS. Published by Entangled, the book releases on Jan. 3, 2017. Yay! The very cool thing is you can pre-order the book now. Plus, I’m doing a Rafflecopter giveaway (below) for a $25 Amazon gift card. So the winner can buy some BOOKS! (We all want more books, right?)<br />
<br />
<b>First things first, here's the cover:</b><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqtMA1MYpWrSQYXzh0pu9G-JwYDsJO8UbLVkhM0gbHWvjBYZAsZrdgQZ23-luTa2S_Ln79FhZsw7q0TCf89cY-Zk4ePUbL9GrI2zZjHmpcZL6kvS-bpWtxvn1MeawQ7dyqBrMst-xMF4jF/s1600/LOST+GIRLS+1600x2400+.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqtMA1MYpWrSQYXzh0pu9G-JwYDsJO8UbLVkhM0gbHWvjBYZAsZrdgQZ23-luTa2S_Ln79FhZsw7q0TCf89cY-Zk4ePUbL9GrI2zZjHmpcZL6kvS-bpWtxvn1MeawQ7dyqBrMst-xMF4jF/s640/LOST+GIRLS+1600x2400+.jpg" width="427" height="640" /></a></div><br />
(So pretty, right?)<br />
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<i>The LOST GIRLS synopsis is below, and my favorite line is ‘The only rule is: There are no rules.’</i><br />
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<b>Book Synopsis:</b><br />
Yesterday, Rachel went to sleep listening to Taylor Swift, curled up in her grandma’s afghan, worrying about geometry. Today, she woke up in a ditch, bloodied, bruised, and missing a year of her life. <br />
<br />
She doesn’t recognize the person she’s become: she’s popular. She wears nothing but black. <br />
<br />
Black to cover the blood. <br />
<br />
And she can fight. <br />
<br />
<i>Tell no one.</i> <br />
<br />
She’s not the only girl to go missing within the last year…but she’s the only girl to come back. She desperately wants to unravel what happened to her, to try and recover the rest of the Lost Girls. <br />
<br />
But the more she discovers, the more her memories return. And as much as her new life scares her, it calls to her. Seductively. The good girl gone bad, sex, drugs, and raves, and something darker…something she still craves—the rush of the fight, the thrill of the win—something she can’t resist, that might still get her killed… <br />
<br />
The only rule is: There are no rules. <br />
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<b>Book Excerpt:</b><br />
His Harley was parked at the curb, in a pocket of shadow, blocked from the streetlight and behind one of the flowering trees Dad had planted earlier this year. Dylan started to hand me a helmet, but stopped, as if there was something else more important. <br />
<br />
“There’s something I have to do,” he said. <br />
<br />
I thought maybe he needed to give me a few pointers on how to ride a motorcycle, that I should lean into the curves, that I should hold onto him, that I shouldn’t be afraid because he was a great driver. <br />
<br />
I was wrong.<br />
<br />
He slipped one arm around my waist and pulled me close, so close that I couldn’t have gotten away if I wanted to, while his other hand cupped my jaw, thumb just below my mouth, long fingers brushing against my ear. “I’ve wanted to do this since you got back,” he said, his voice a low, hoarse whisper.<br />
<br />
I wanted to say, <i>me, too,</i> but I didn’t get a chance.<br />
<br />
His lips found mine in the darkness where we could barely see each other, where the heat of his body melted into mine. There were two short, gentle kisses as if he didn’t believe I would be here very long, that I might disappear at any moment, and then after that came the third kiss—<br />
<br />
The third kiss stole my heart. <br />
<br />
And my soul.<br />
<br />
I didn’t remember our first date or what we had in common or who was his favorite band, but I remembered this. I remembered a thousand kisses, a hundred nights, a million stars glittering overhead. We leaned into each other, as if we were each drawing an electric charge from the other, as if we’d been unplugged and powerless but now we were stronger, invincible, immortal. The world stopped spinning and we were all that existed; there were no other people, no cities, no countries; there was only this.<br />
<br />
His lips pressed against mine, his scent filling the air, his hands touching me.<br />
<br />
And then at last, the kiss ended and we stared into each other’s eyes, me remembering, him knowing, both of us breathless.<br />
<br />
“I almost lost you,” he said, his words soft as if he couldn’t say them very loud because it would show how strong the emotion was.<br />
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“I’m here, I’m safe.”<br />
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He shook his head. “I’m not going to let anything happen to you,” he said. “I haven’t always been”—he hesitated—“a very good person. But I’m going to do everything I can to make sure no one ever hurts you again.”<br />
<br />
He had a way of enchanting me with his words, maybe it was the poet in him, maybe this was easy for him, but it didn’t matter. I knew he was telling the truth.<br />
<br />
I just didn’t know if I wanted to be safe.<br />
<br />
.............................<br />
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<b>Where You Can Find The Book:</b><br />
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29939399-lost-girls">Goodreads Book Link</a>: <br />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Lost-Girls-Merrie-Destefano-ebook/dp/B01GNZ9GH8/">Amazon Buy Link:</a> <br />
<a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/lost-girls-merrie-destefano/1123683530?ean=9781633756069 ">Barnes & Noble Buy Link:</a> <br />
<a href="https://kids.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/lost-girls-27">Kobo Buy Link:</a> <br />
<a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Lost-Girls-Merrie-Destefano-ebook/dp/B01GNZ9GH8">Amazon.co.uk:</a> <br />
<a href="https://www.amazon.ca/Lost-Girls-Merrie-Destefano-ebook/dp/B01GNZ9GH8/">Amazon.ca:</a> <br />
<a href="http://www.entangledpublishing.com">Entangled Publishing: </a><br />
<br />
<br />
<b>RAFFLECOPTER GIVEAWAY</b><br />
<br />
<br />
<a class="rcptr" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/60ba96143/" rel="nofollow" data-raflid="60ba96143" data-theme="classic" data-template="" id="rcwidget_fz3pcb61">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a><br />
<script src="https://widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js"></script><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcWO_VTb5n8jRipD2_YtpgNWJ10F8KTemzVcDcvGOVHtg1QIWjbQi8nQs4NKeP0PXIaAvtr4gMIHqiH-0pSQQp_e0Lnuodgnmf2y-Tm9iNTXExLlwn6aC-No04LG30xuXSZf2R1W9n_k3n/s1600/Merrie+Destefano.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcWO_VTb5n8jRipD2_YtpgNWJ10F8KTemzVcDcvGOVHtg1QIWjbQi8nQs4NKeP0PXIaAvtr4gMIHqiH-0pSQQp_e0Lnuodgnmf2y-Tm9iNTXExLlwn6aC-No04LG30xuXSZf2R1W9n_k3n/s400/Merrie+Destefano.jpg" width="324" height="400" /></a></div><br />
<b>Author Bio:</b><br />
Born in the Midwest, former magazine editor Merrie Destefano currently lives in Southern California with her husband, two German shepherds, a Siamese cat, and the occasional wandering possum. Her favorite hobbies are reading speculative fiction and watching old Star Trek episodes, and her incurable addiction is writing. She loves to camp in the mountains, walk on the beach, watch old movies, and listen to alternative music—although rarely all at the same time. <a href="http://www.merriedestefano.com/">Author Website Here.</a> <br />
<blockquote><blockquote></blockquote></blockquote>Merrie Destefanohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04447209247265513676noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-219198050829448459.post-19489364364089427492014-08-19T14:24:00.000-07:002014-08-19T14:24:34.187-07:00Adventures of Crash Pow Puppy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAF4SVZ5t_f1vpk53_Ja6I0ZwnT86JoZAFQ_yW6WJl6WunMHn1oWnXA81ZTl82QiYwuw2VPs8ukATvwFWX4MHKD7QraOhbTmhBmSGcN5jpgZ7Mc2pK_IVHoFSjyZh-2WRj4LGfu5GI-Rel/s1600/photo+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAF4SVZ5t_f1vpk53_Ja6I0ZwnT86JoZAFQ_yW6WJl6WunMHn1oWnXA81ZTl82QiYwuw2VPs8ukATvwFWX4MHKD7QraOhbTmhBmSGcN5jpgZ7Mc2pK_IVHoFSjyZh-2WRj4LGfu5GI-Rel/s320/photo+1.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcMuN9EUKNrDj1NUsEI4PDR37moFRXnD4X3rKGqtAK2Fu88jf5I21f1Oq_13Xq_iOiN1BTSlHulRXTW-xYBuEc_lV5Q5zdscq9epV8CUhcMckhIzXueNT1_rAre85FKKWhANU74wxJvfmX/s1600/photo+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcMuN9EUKNrDj1NUsEI4PDR37moFRXnD4X3rKGqtAK2Fu88jf5I21f1Oq_13Xq_iOiN1BTSlHulRXTW-xYBuEc_lV5Q5zdscq9epV8CUhcMckhIzXueNT1_rAre85FKKWhANU74wxJvfmX/s320/photo+2.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrCVCFbp-lATKGhTrlblfjWd8j1GT4tszSK4eDjmjAltNBYnXd5m0FmE9mfDivLoIAIjkCSJMeITjeGcFkPusRrSwIusDUAmLdNe76LEHzAiupEz886-ySLxagTeBUFTpxdGGN7mZd_fOi/s1600/photo+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrCVCFbp-lATKGhTrlblfjWd8j1GT4tszSK4eDjmjAltNBYnXd5m0FmE9mfDivLoIAIjkCSJMeITjeGcFkPusRrSwIusDUAmLdNe76LEHzAiupEz886-ySLxagTeBUFTpxdGGN7mZd_fOi/s320/photo+3.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwUaSZZ6AmyT9yAgkPNXV8zbXsMWx63zxJbR1LJvR6E8gcAlSoMu-Pmuy46xsgRa-AfRIxOsJNj2WRvi5X7lHBCl_SutfTBOykPU0iij5OvUj4VKgSvHCl278_vpqIiDgPNcq1gmNb2_QO/s1600/photo+4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwUaSZZ6AmyT9yAgkPNXV8zbXsMWx63zxJbR1LJvR6E8gcAlSoMu-Pmuy46xsgRa-AfRIxOsJNj2WRvi5X7lHBCl_SutfTBOykPU0iij5OvUj4VKgSvHCl278_vpqIiDgPNcq1gmNb2_QO/s320/photo+4.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixc4dcAHbTgAzNvFTqLRZAIhGva3ZCQ6DAWkZIi-fUHFQ288BwtvDzyaL2GM17g1a-8fEqkyax6YfhmMe8bi5mx7zSkY2IxdN_2SHcYzybkLPmRvxLvBzHNxrWZzf2T_WJH9yWCKMam1aD/s1600/photo+5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixc4dcAHbTgAzNvFTqLRZAIhGva3ZCQ6DAWkZIi-fUHFQ288BwtvDzyaL2GM17g1a-8fEqkyax6YfhmMe8bi5mx7zSkY2IxdN_2SHcYzybkLPmRvxLvBzHNxrWZzf2T_WJH9yWCKMam1aD/s320/photo+5.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXvyaxA0n71TcSqMSbT1yi5uNOdZPWVg8mrjnGgZpKwiy0bXnNGNJbqbHDyWk-avOXhIhztzWcF6ZfJyEL8u03kZ1yLFFiocoHRtuFOsAbKlbRmN0eyHIgpisrGyEJS1L4PtFvHcMk4BCy/s1600/photo+6.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXvyaxA0n71TcSqMSbT1yi5uNOdZPWVg8mrjnGgZpKwiy0bXnNGNJbqbHDyWk-avOXhIhztzWcF6ZfJyEL8u03kZ1yLFFiocoHRtuFOsAbKlbRmN0eyHIgpisrGyEJS1L4PtFvHcMk4BCy/s320/photo+6.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm8_dBh_DAKeCRrgTx3bZKb4tN8GvG8cIwbO3mlbRBypCxyUt_Ik_Tq1JFdZB48DKlWH8xv3rJQtxGonwz9t1i2aPNsVdrDujJF5BR3J9ahj5b5XFoHG06noegXvoDHyetEwek3LpUalJo/s1600/photo+7.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm8_dBh_DAKeCRrgTx3bZKb4tN8GvG8cIwbO3mlbRBypCxyUt_Ik_Tq1JFdZB48DKlWH8xv3rJQtxGonwz9t1i2aPNsVdrDujJF5BR3J9ahj5b5XFoHG06noegXvoDHyetEwek3LpUalJo/s320/photo+7.JPG" /></a></div>Merrie Destefanohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04447209247265513676noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-219198050829448459.post-68203091878768134612013-08-08T10:00:00.000-07:002013-08-08T10:00:03.869-07:00The Man With Eyes Like My Father<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi43_WpQznOyLhb30p3Z2DR9rEle_tuNk4omMhp6i7KGhgrxEzldIqlVczq5-IM2PKtIGz-czFTJhllFNxEt_DZnEAjGqnJilRdksSgOvbVr15lt2Ge55MRr46DCviCX4nVok-zIS2MuBG6/s1600/11879062791UFTOm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi43_WpQznOyLhb30p3Z2DR9rEle_tuNk4omMhp6i7KGhgrxEzldIqlVczq5-IM2PKtIGz-czFTJhllFNxEt_DZnEAjGqnJilRdksSgOvbVr15lt2Ge55MRr46DCviCX4nVok-zIS2MuBG6/s400/11879062791UFTOm.jpg" /></a></div><br />
His name was David and his eyes were the same color as my father’s. Blue with a hint of gray, the color of machines and hard work and oil that got trapped beneath your fingernails. During the day, he lived on the corner of Main and Bristol. No one knew where he lived in the evenings. Some quiet alley or corner behind a restaurant. All I know is that there must have been a roof or an overhang of some kind because I asked him once, where do you go when it rains. He had smiled and said he had a safe place, a dry place. But when the rains got fierce one winter, one very cold winter for Southern California, I noticed that he looked more tired every day, like he’d been fighting that rain all night long.<br />
<br />
I brought him coffee and burritos and warm socks. Once I gave him a rain slicker that could double as a blanket. But it was never enough and I knew it.<br />
<br />
My heart ached whenever I saw him on the corner, legs tucked below him, useless and dead, his wheelchair pulled beneath the awning where people waited to catch the bus. He never begged for money or held up a sign, will work for food. He just waited beside people who had someplace to go, and someone to spend time with.<br />
<br />
His eyes would haunt me at night. My father’s eyes in a crippled body. All alone and forgotten. I wished I had the courage to ask him, where is your family, why are you alone. <br />
<br />
Instead I brought him bottles of water and In-N-Out burgers.<br />
<br />
I worried about him when it was cold outside and when it was hot. Maybe he was someone’s father and they didn’t know where he was. Maybe he’d had a fight with his only son and now they’d never talk to each other again.<br />
<br />
My husband and I went on vacation one year, out of state, and we were gone for a week. When we came back, David was gone.<br />
<br />
There was no one to ask, where is he, is he safe, did he move or did he die. To everyone else he had been invisible and unwanted.<br />
<br />
To me, he had been a man with eyes like my father.<br />
<br />
A man who disappeared with the wind. And the corner of Main and Bristol is now empty and lonely, because he is gone.<br />
Merrie Destefanohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04447209247265513676noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-219198050829448459.post-7914015112096351832013-05-16T21:37:00.001-07:002013-05-16T21:37:59.180-07:00Love Is ...At the end of crazy, frustrating day—that also happened to be interspersed with wonderful, beautiful things—I decided to make something lovely to share with you.<br />
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Enjoy!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg27rKSXiCFrt0oPoCT5tECiG-vaTmcet-g2rPFLh7UsXIDbJcaTifjFpykC8HdWQx916rtZhNuUFCQNHocUgs8xSqxYF9kiMbZ5yzHAxfahROxQzUN5dXtUiHi0g3-7mfBPWd63NDSDCP2/s1600/Love+Is+....jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg27rKSXiCFrt0oPoCT5tECiG-vaTmcet-g2rPFLh7UsXIDbJcaTifjFpykC8HdWQx916rtZhNuUFCQNHocUgs8xSqxYF9kiMbZ5yzHAxfahROxQzUN5dXtUiHi0g3-7mfBPWd63NDSDCP2/s320/Love+Is+....jpg" /></a>Merrie Destefanohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04447209247265513676noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-219198050829448459.post-88883757538414683082013-05-14T15:56:00.000-07:002013-05-14T15:56:04.998-07:00The Five Stages of Writing a BookBelow are the Five Stages I go through when I write a book: <br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi32ytRuKtmzCiYVilaOnNFpnxPIBUCsOO5wQBPVvkv4NdXnGx59rjFItJNbY_9LS2Es_bQG01hlo6yRLYxP9ftSM8RYeaNHO5PeQYvv1xZTtg8e_c0UtMWGEGbLMhVUFSN5Bs35bU9lSBD/s1600/images.jpeg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi32ytRuKtmzCiYVilaOnNFpnxPIBUCsOO5wQBPVvkv4NdXnGx59rjFItJNbY_9LS2Es_bQG01hlo6yRLYxP9ftSM8RYeaNHO5PeQYvv1xZTtg8e_c0UtMWGEGbLMhVUFSN5Bs35bU9lSBD/s320/images.jpeg" /></a><br />
<br />
1. I really want to reach 50 pages. Really. Really. Really.<br />
<br />
2. It's never a REAL book until I reach 100 pages. <br />
<br />
3. What was I thinking?? I'll NEVER get 200 pages done. Who invented the middle of a book? <i>They should be flogged and driven out of Dodge.<br />
</i><br />
4. I have to write the END now? But what's supposed to happen? Didn't I write notes about this, I had to have written some notes...where did I put those notes...wait, didn't I write the ending already? I KNOW I wrote the ending, but what file did I put it in?<br />
<br />
5. It's over. It's OVER??? *sobbing, flailing, laughing, then more crying*<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5qakIdYbzE-Jx0MkZLXY7MKFlBkbZHKBO7h7qFVD7UitdWNxRb7R0nOQZYWBBNSe9sQIKv2viCkU3_wi6KFB1OlG3-HBeUjtGc8lkmU-SJWPxxyZr2uBAG6C2QIxfrXe1hChyphenhyphenZSRwjCkM/s1600/8338534478_251ba42077_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5qakIdYbzE-Jx0MkZLXY7MKFlBkbZHKBO7h7qFVD7UitdWNxRb7R0nOQZYWBBNSe9sQIKv2viCkU3_wi6KFB1OlG3-HBeUjtGc8lkmU-SJWPxxyZr2uBAG6C2QIxfrXe1hChyphenhyphenZSRwjCkM/s320/8338534478_251ba42077_z.jpg" /></a><br />
<br />
<b>NOTE:</b> I am currently in Stage Number Three: What. Was. I. Thinking.Merrie Destefanohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04447209247265513676noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-219198050829448459.post-12413760545105111882013-01-24T10:46:00.001-08:002013-01-24T10:46:20.049-08:00Five Books That Took My Breath Away in 2012Once in blue moon a book comes along that takes my breath away, compels me to read it, astonishes me with its brilliance and makes me wish that I had written it. In 2012, five books came along that impacted me like this. They are:<br />
<br />
<b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Hallowed-Ones-ebook/dp/B0098OHQNS/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1359052688&sr=1-1&keywords=laura+bickle
">THE HALLOWED ONES</a> by Laura Bickle</b><br />
Wow. This book was flawless. I adored the contrast between the peaceful existence found within an Amish community and the horror of what was happening to the rest of the world. Laura’s book grabbed me from the first page and wouldn’t let me go. Even months after reading this story, I am still thinking about it.<br />
<br />
<b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Ironskin-ebook/dp/B0087OSSFU/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1359052771&sr=1-1&keywords=ironskin
">IRONSKIN</a> by Tina Connolly</b><br />
From page one, I was immediately immersed in another world, where Fey and humans lived side by side, and captured by Tina Connolly’s lovely prose. I was also enchanted by the fact that this was a retelling of Jane Eyre, one of my favorite books.<br />
<br />
<b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Scorpio-Races-ebook/dp/B0051WIX24/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1359052808&sr=1-1&keywords=scorpio+races
">THE SCORPIO RACES</a> by Maggie Stiefvater</b> <br />
This book felt timeless, like an instant classic. It could have been written 25 years ago or 25 years in the future. Maggie built a world that was both familiar and alien, and every bit of it was believable. I’d never heard of water horses before, so the legends were all new and wonderful, and expertly woven into the fabric of the story.<br />
<br />
<b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Enclave-Series-ebook/dp/B004H1TC9S/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1359052848&sr=1-1&keywords=enclave
">ENCLAVE</a> by Ann Aquirre </b><br />
This book really amazed and surprised me. On the surface, it read like another post-apocalyptic YA—which I love. But it was so much more. Layers upon layers of deeper meaning surfaced throughout the book, always adding to the story and the complexity of the characters and the world where they lived. The love story was one of the best I’ve ever read and if I say too much more, I might be giving away spoilers. [Note: This book was published in 2011, but I read it in 2012.] <br />
<br />
<b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Ashes-ebook/dp/B004J4X9TC/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1359052915&sr=1-1&keywords=ashes
">ASHES</a> by Ilsa Bick</b><br />
A wonderful example of how horror and literary fiction can be combined. Ilsa’s lovely prose often switched gears to describe gruesome details, but it was always done flawlessly. She made me believe the terrible things that were happening and she made me root for the main character’s survival. [Note: This book was also published in 2011, but I read it in 2012.]<br />
Merrie Destefanohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04447209247265513676noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-219198050829448459.post-78475897715664744062012-11-20T12:04:00.000-08:002012-11-20T12:04:01.888-08:00FATHOM CHARACTER: RileyToday you'll meet the last of the four main characters in FATHOM. This girl is another one of the mysterious teenagers that comes to Crescent Moon Bay during tourist season—Riley.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL6hWMjSjDwSZ6WeRorhTs8csJKWTPgJvXMI1VXB0S259KMaTBanuQj8_tdHtLqeZWnadGU_8WrSoB3d1Zp7QD8iKX6KdgYFkloEEivLOoWhpnLQAI2D8GMd9_Gy4iBx1LHh0cPnTc1oMw/s1600/alexis_knapp_alexis_knapp_2_FOimaPB.sized.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="400" width="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL6hWMjSjDwSZ6WeRorhTs8csJKWTPgJvXMI1VXB0S259KMaTBanuQj8_tdHtLqeZWnadGU_8WrSoB3d1Zp7QD8iKX6KdgYFkloEEivLOoWhpnLQAI2D8GMd9_Gy4iBx1LHh0cPnTc1oMw/s400/alexis_knapp_alexis_knapp_2_FOimaPB.sized.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Played by Alexis Knapp, with short hair. (Doesn't she look dangerous?)<br />
<br />
• Name: <b>RILEY</b><br />
• Has lived so many places, nowhere feels like home<br />
• Should be a junior, but she is so done with school<br />
• Favorite class: Really? None<br />
• Best friend: Herself<br />
• Hobbies: Practicing survival skills<br />
• Favorite bands: No time for music <br />
• Favorite drink: Coffee<br />
• Social standing: In charge and everyone knows it<br />
• Greatest joy: When people finally decide to do things her way<br />
• Biggest nightmare: Being eaten by a sea monster<br />
Merrie Destefanohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04447209247265513676noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-219198050829448459.post-90586155634234932352012-10-31T09:38:00.001-07:002012-10-31T09:38:49.491-07:00Covers I Love<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKHpeNTVGNp6mPkc1ix_LxjbEaH4s-kGp4m2USc7jzycZpU1T5v1nG4F0xZfqukJ6PoXeCvEgEC_TA6kPQ9GZYQ-CNoWEzYhYhhOU93bkc3ciQVQN4h0WxGc5yFHw327vLnk89uFRjclhK/s1600/COVERS+pdf.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="400" width="309" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKHpeNTVGNp6mPkc1ix_LxjbEaH4s-kGp4m2USc7jzycZpU1T5v1nG4F0xZfqukJ6PoXeCvEgEC_TA6kPQ9GZYQ-CNoWEzYhYhhOU93bkc3ciQVQN4h0WxGc5yFHw327vLnk89uFRjclhK/s400/COVERS+pdf.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<b>I love good artwork and I especially love good cover art. <br />
</b><br />
So, I put together a collection of covers that recently caught my attention. These are covers that make me want to know more about the story, they raise my expectations and they seem to whisper that—if I would only take a few minutes, just read a few paragraphs—I would most certainly be hooked.<br />
<br />
And I love to be hooked by good book.<br />
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<i>What covers stand out to you and what do you look for when shopping for a book? <br />
</i><br />
While making this collage, I realized, though was not surprised, that I choose books with similar color palettes. It doesn't surprise me for two reasons. <br />
<br />
One: I know my favorite colors are in the turquoise/blue/green range. <br />
<br />
Two: I know that turquoise is the color that appeals to women most. And I am a woman. Ahem. The red and the orange are across the color wheel from turquoise, so it's almost as if I ran to those covers as an antidote, for a splash of fire to quench my over-watered thirst.<br />
<br />
<b>I am definitely in the mood for a good book right now. I'd love to check out Rough Honey or The Madman's Daughter. Which of these books appeals to you?</b>Merrie Destefanohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04447209247265513676noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-219198050829448459.post-26018548940215010832012-10-29T10:30:00.000-07:002012-10-29T10:36:31.714-07:00My 10 Favorite Movies to Watch on HalloweenQuite possibly my favorite holiday, Halloween is spooky and creepy and filled with things that go bump in the night. It’s the perfect time for telling (or writing) ghost stories, for taking long walks at dusk, for burning candles when the sun goes down, and for watching movies that make you a tiny bit afraid to get up and go to bed at the end of the evening. When I was a teenager, there was a plethora of scary-but-not-super-scary movies, many of them featuring Vincent Price—an actor I fell in love with.<br />
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So, to help you get in the mood, here are my top Halloween movie picks:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh15xkVPi4Nu0pMyb5K3xKM4lU1jw9fevVoFf9KQAXPxf-8NdJ6buGWBf3CX-IsCS84TQ2OFju94zWztKeU2N2zP535Aj5DiomukVTcR4oATcHoz4QoXAMODucv2TxTxK_KKEa8QGpfnWaJ/s1600/Lost_boys.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="400" width="273" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh15xkVPi4Nu0pMyb5K3xKM4lU1jw9fevVoFf9KQAXPxf-8NdJ6buGWBf3CX-IsCS84TQ2OFju94zWztKeU2N2zP535Aj5DiomukVTcR4oATcHoz4QoXAMODucv2TxTxK_KKEa8QGpfnWaJ/s400/Lost_boys.jpg" /></a></div><br />
1. LOST BOYS: A quiet Southern California town is plagued by vampires and brothers, Mike and Sam, must find a way to save their family. This movie combines all the teen angst found in moving to a new town, falling in love for the first time, trying to fit in with a wild crowd and, oh, yeah, trying to NOT turn into a vampire, even though you’ve already sipped vampire blood. Oops.<br />
<br />
2. VAN HELSING: Hugh Jackman plays Van Helsing, a man with a secret so dark and deep that even doesn’t know what it is. His mission: to get rid of the evil creatures that have been tormenting and killing people around the world. Great fun, great monsters and great romance with Kate Beckingsale.<br />
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3. IT’S THE GREAT PUMPKIN, CHARLIE BROWN: Okay, it’s a classic and we all need to watch something heart-warming from time to time. This cartoon brings back the spooky scariness found in being a childhood outcast, something most of us can relate to.<br />
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4. THE LAST MAN ON EARTH: Starring my favorite horror flick actor, Vincent Price, involves a scientist who is hunted by zombie-like plague victims. Most likely this movie was based on one of my favorite novellas, I Am Legend.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2PV6CBuCtCMH4kanqf-YhGF2Tipyv-2ZCniZ3Iy46fS3nZ1mUrsjd4skzds6SL_bNQjHlX-URLVxdfWXF_6bXHRSLj7S3FIhjnAXnnoGcD2fipYlwE4lDnfv-AHcEBrUT3Y6uAF-6fDIn/s1600/Wizard_of_oz_1188_flying_monkey_and_toto.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="300" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2PV6CBuCtCMH4kanqf-YhGF2Tipyv-2ZCniZ3Iy46fS3nZ1mUrsjd4skzds6SL_bNQjHlX-URLVxdfWXF_6bXHRSLj7S3FIhjnAXnnoGcD2fipYlwE4lDnfv-AHcEBrUT3Y6uAF-6fDIn/s400/Wizard_of_oz_1188_flying_monkey_and_toto.jpg" /></a></div><br />
5. THE WIZARD OF OZ: Maybe nobody else thinks of this as a Halloween movie, but I definitely do. Those scenes in the castle where the Wicked Witch of the West gazes into her crystal ball and, then, in the forest where the flying monkeys attack are nothing but pure Halloween crack.<br />
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6. SALEM’S LOT: Based on the book by Stephen King, this story feels like it’s about real, honest-to-badness vampires. Shades of Nosferatu, the vampire in this movie is what all vampires should be—so creepy you want to run away screaming.<br />
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7. THE MASK OF THE RED DEATH: Vincent Price in one of my favorite roles, as Prince Prospero. The story takes place in medieval Europe, when a mysterious plague is sweeping across the countryside. Prospero offers sanctuary to a group of nobility and to an innocent and beautiful village maiden, but once they are inside his castle, sanctuary is the furthest thing from his mind.<br />
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8. THE HAUNTING (1963): Be afraid. Be very afraid. This is one of the creepiest movies I’ve ever seen. A group of people do a paranormal investigation on Hill House, spending the night. Be prepared for a rush of pure adrenaline, for this is a tale of psychological horror that builds and builds until even you want out of Hill House.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIBx6rwU1dSv98wfq9-cNLdq-IFZK9PFo95AKqQt3Cp8CXKheXmIS-PM3eGgPcTldb6EqZeJQVv7r-j66s2gwAWeRrLqraw6aaXUPz497ULVaQ9Olc23L_cJnicNY53D2qRmK2KhFizmiB/s1600/The-Others-movie-02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="271" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIBx6rwU1dSv98wfq9-cNLdq-IFZK9PFo95AKqQt3Cp8CXKheXmIS-PM3eGgPcTldb6EqZeJQVv7r-j66s2gwAWeRrLqraw6aaXUPz497ULVaQ9Olc23L_cJnicNY53D2qRmK2KhFizmiB/s400/The-Others-movie-02.jpg" /></a></div><br />
9. THE OTHERS: Another psychological horror, this movie was inspired by the novella, The Turn of the Screw. Nicole Kidman plays a mother, trying to protect her two children from a houseful of ghosts, or is she? The plot twists and turns as you learn more about this family and the ghosts who live in the house.<br />
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10. E.T.: This movie captures the wonder and magic often associated with both childhood and Halloween and adds in a surprise element. Instead of a monster, vampire, or werewolf, the scary-creature, new-best-friend is an alien who wants nothing more than to go home, just like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz.Merrie Destefanohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04447209247265513676noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-219198050829448459.post-25728441059836003872012-10-15T12:20:00.000-07:002012-10-15T12:20:14.296-07:00Some very cool thingsSometimes I get caught up in working and writing and editing, and I forget to mention some of the very cool things going on. So here's some stuff, most of it relating to FATHOM, my newest release and my first YA novel.<br />
<br />
<b>1. For today and tomorrow only, FATHOM is discounted. You can purchase it on Amazon for 99¢. (YAY!!)</b><br />
<br />
2. I'm currently working on the print version of FATHOM. I have the cover done and I'm almost finished with the interior pages. I'll be sure to let you know when it's finished. You can see the rough version of the cover below.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGtX-CaONDnyQMJq61kU2HBP2t2zUH1s7yhQOAbQI2HZQ0NDWG3GM32YcBbbd3d7maG_oTeEUyOw1Bf25IzLNrLkTsuEt9gUDNkC-bFR7Vm72Lx9plLiIp6UPRMRdpMB3c7Tfwt9fNHR5n/s1600/f+ruby+fathom+cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="291" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGtX-CaONDnyQMJq61kU2HBP2t2zUH1s7yhQOAbQI2HZQ0NDWG3GM32YcBbbd3d7maG_oTeEUyOw1Bf25IzLNrLkTsuEt9gUDNkC-bFR7Vm72Lx9plLiIp6UPRMRdpMB3c7Tfwt9fNHR5n/s400/f+ruby+fathom+cover.jpg" /></a></div><br />
3. I have a number of guest posts and giveaways going on right now. Here are a few:<br />
<br />
• <b><a href="http://www.ismellsheep.com/2012/10/sheep-interview-merrie-destefano.html">I SMELL SHEEP:</a></b> Author interview and giveaway 3 e-book copies of FATHOM, plus a $25 gift certificate for Amazon.<br />
<br />
• <b><a href="http://melissawatercolor.blogspot.com/2012/10/author-blog-post-merrie-destefano-with.html">BOOKS AND THINGS:</a></b> Guest post titled, Walking on the Dark Side, where I give 10 reasons why people like to read scary stories. Also, there's a giveaway of 3 e-book copies of FATHOM.<br />
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• <b><a href="http://urbanfantasyreader.blogspot.com/2012/10/guest-blog-giveaway-merrie-destefano.html">URBAN FANTASY READER:</a></b> Guest post titled, Is It Paranormal or Is It Fantasy? There's also a giveaway of 2 e-book copies of FATHOM.<br />
<br />
<b>Also, FATHOM is now available for <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Fathom-ebook/dp/B009GJBGVS/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&qid=1348615989&sr=8-9&keywords=merrie+destefano">KINDLE</a>, <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/fathom-merrie-destefano/1113116495?ean=2940015542882">NOOK</a> AND <a href="http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/Fathom/book-X1Uj-DsXq0qB61aaGbZ1DQ/page1.html?s=3pkIwMFmeU-hGfxRDhsyGg&r=4">KOBO</a>. As I mentioned above, the print version will be available soon, too.</b><br />
<br />
Thank you so much to everyone who has taken the time to read and review FATHOM!!<br />
Merrie Destefanohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04447209247265513676noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-219198050829448459.post-60845366026922308972012-10-10T08:00:00.000-07:002012-10-10T08:00:01.611-07:00Supernatural Underground Halloween GiveawayOn All Hallows Eve, the sky darkens, the wind blows, and everyone dons costumes, a futile attempt to disguise themselves from the supernatural creatures that are allowed to prowl the streets, one night a year. Ghosts, werewolves, vampires, shape shifters, mermaids and Selkies—these are the sort of creatures that make the rest of the world tremble. But here, well, that’s a different story.<br />
<br />
Here, we invite the monsters inside. We open the door willingly. Monsters and ghosts and shape shifters get the best seat at our table. We sit, rapt, as they tell us their Halloween Tale of Woe. We lean forward, eager to find out what happens next.<br />
<br />
Their stories are like candy to us.<br />
<br />
And isn’t that what everyone freely gives away on Halloween—handfuls of delicious candy? That’s what we’re doing, right here, right now. The authors at Supernatural Underground are giving away candy this month.<br />
<br />
We’re giving away a Supernatural Underground Halloween Book Prize Pack, filled with 24 books, all written by Supernatural Underground authors. All you have to do is fill out the Rafflecopter at the bottom of the page. <br />
<br />
The list of amazing books in this giveaway is below.<br />
<br />
<i>PLEASE NOTE: Some of these books are e-books, so the winner should have access to an e-reader.</i><br />
<br />
<b>THE SUPERNATURAL UNDERGROUND HALLOWEEN BOOK PRIZE PACK:</b><br />
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The Body Finder and swag by Kimberly Derting<br />
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Nightspell by Leah Cypess<br />
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Ascension by Sable Grace<br />
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Afterlife + Fathom (e-book) by Merrie Destefano<br />
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A Blood Seduction by Pamela Palmer<br />
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Wrong Side of Hell + To Hell And Back (both e-books) by Juliana Stone<br />
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The Heir of Night, US edition by Helen Lowe<br />
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Dream of Asarlai trilogy (Secret Ones, Power Unbound, Rogue Gadda) in e-book by Nicole Murphy<br />
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Night Forbidden by Joss Ware<br />
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Angel's Ink by Jocelynn Drake<br />
<br />
A Devil Named Desire by Terri Garey<br />
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Tatsania's Gift (e-book) by Kim Falconer<br />
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Darkness Becomes Her by Jaime Rush<br />
<br />
Last Vamp Standing by Kristin Miller<br />
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Diamond Eyes by AA Bell<br />
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Wanted: Undead or Alive by Kerrelyn Sparks<br />
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One Grave at a Time + Once Burned by Jeaniene Frost<br />
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Diaries of an Urban Panther by Amanda Arista<br />
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Carrier of the Mark by Leigh Fallon<br />
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<b>Just fill out the Rafflecopter below for a chance to win. Open internationally. Contest begins October 10 and ends October 31. Winner will be announced on November 1.</b><br />
<br />
<a id="rc-dgt67cffl" class="rafl" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/dgt67cffl/" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a><br />
<script src="//d12vno17mo87cx.cloudfront.net/embed/rafl/cptr.js"></script><br />
Merrie Destefanohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04447209247265513676noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-219198050829448459.post-24602722558228567392012-10-09T08:00:00.000-07:002012-10-09T08:00:02.876-07:0025 Books to read when the winds howl and you’re home alone<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMxxw7dNY0awnJkfEqwkjqN4AHXFsMCkNdEslF3qKf6eF9UmhrPxLCfN-saclIsJZRzczu9hIOi7TvxvTjfiWFAit0g6azvYqNrbmJAtbIZzFUvvjftlS4y0wNuesf0x_8yGaIVQ-J2-cd/s1600/tumblr_m9p8r4tET71qz71rio1_500.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="400" width="309" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMxxw7dNY0awnJkfEqwkjqN4AHXFsMCkNdEslF3qKf6eF9UmhrPxLCfN-saclIsJZRzczu9hIOi7TvxvTjfiWFAit0g6azvYqNrbmJAtbIZzFUvvjftlS4y0wNuesf0x_8yGaIVQ-J2-cd/s400/tumblr_m9p8r4tET71qz71rio1_500.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Halloween is almost here and with it comes a desire to read books filled with spooky, otherworldly elements. I put together a list of my favorites, including some vampires and fairies and shape shifters, as well as other wonderfully creepy creatures. These are all books I’ve read and loved.<br />
<br />
My list of recommended Halloween reading (and yes, some of my own books are on this list):<br />
<br />
<b>MONSTERS WITH A TWIST: </b><br />
iDrakula by Bekka Black<br />
iFrankestein by Bekka Black<br />
Mr. Shivers by Robert Jackson Bennett<br />
Dark Harvest by Norman Partridge<br />
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<b>SHAPE SHIFTERS:</b><br />
Feast by Merrie Destefano<br />
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<b>THE APOCALYPSE:</b><br />
The Road by Cormac McCarthy<br />
The Plague Carrier by Merrie Destefano<br />
Tomorrow, When the World Began by John Marsden<br />
Dark Inside by Jeyn Roberts<br />
How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff<br />
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<b>FAIRIES:</b><br />
Ironskin by Tina Connolly<br />
The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff<br />
Don’t Breathe a Word by Jennifer McMahon<br />
The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater<br />
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<b>SELKIES/MERMAIDS:</b><br />
Fathom by Merrie Destefano <br />
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<b>SERIAL KILLERS:</b><br />
Ten by Gretchen McNeil<br />
Darkly Dreaming Dexter by Jeff Lindsay<br />
The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting<br />
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<b>VAMPIRES:</b><br />
The Strain by Guillermo del Toro<br />
Let Me In by John Ajvide Lindgvist<br />
I Am Legend by Richard Matheson<br />
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<b>ZOMBIES:</b><br />
Enclave by Ann Aguirre<br />
Xombies: Apocalypse Blues by Walter Greatshell<br />
The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan<br />
Ashes by Ilsa J. Bick<br />
Merrie Destefanohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04447209247265513676noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-219198050829448459.post-13787815958053792242012-09-28T09:46:00.000-07:002012-09-28T09:46:11.069-07:00How can I be two places at once?The FATHOM Blog Tour officially begins today. YAY!!!<br />
<br />
I'm two different places at once. (It's magic. Really.)<br />
<br />
First, I'm at BookHounds, chatting about how my German shepherds "assist" me with the gardening. Ahem. AND we're giving away a copy of FATHOM.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://foreveryoungadult.blogspot.com/2012/09/giveaway-qa-fathom-by-merrie-destefano.html">YOU CAN VISIT BOOKHOUNDS HERE.</a><br />
<br />
<b>Here's a snippet of my interview at BookHounds:</b><br />
<br />
Question: What is the last thing you Googled?<br />
<br />
<i>Great question! I’m working on a blog post about one of the main characters in Fathom, my young adult novel that releases on October 1. This particular character, a seventeen-year-old girl named Riley, is extremely rebellious and has a full-sleeve tattoo. So I was searching for photos of full-sleeve Japanese tattoos to include in my post.</i><br />
<br />
And then, simultaneously, I'm at The Book Pushers, where I've written a guest post titled, When Imaginary People Take Over. *shivers*<br />
<br />
<a href="http://thebookpushers.com/2012/09/28/guest-post-with-merrie-destefano/"><b>YOU CAN VISIT THE BOOK PUSHERS HERE.</b></a><br />
<br />
Here's a snippet of When Imaginary People Take Over:<b><br />
<br />
<i>Imaginary people shouldn’t influence your life. But if you’re a writer or reader, they definitely do. Case in point: Me. I was working on my second novel, Feast, when this character appeared out of nowhere. She wasn’t in my current novel, she wasn’t in anything I’d ever written before. I tried to ignore her but I just couldn’t, because </b>oh my gosh, did she ever have a voice and a story to tell.</i><br />
<br />
<br />
I hope you'll stop by the Tour Stops! <br />
Merrie Destefanohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04447209247265513676noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-219198050829448459.post-77929701493153884022012-09-25T09:17:00.000-07:002012-10-04T19:49:42.061-07:00Fathom Blog Tour DatesI just have to say that I am continually amazed and blessed by all the bloggers and reviewers who have agreed to be part of FATHOM's launch. I am incredibly honored to be surrounded by such an inspiring group of people. <br />
<br />
Thank you all for being so wonderful as I prepare to indie publish my first YA novel. YOU ALL ROCK!!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiahOKUSc81vSx_nfhqReAuGZydy-o1ArbVIvAqOqeLsaMP0ocMbVzpl7LlusE6tpv7UkZwUFiWoyBURadMRG4qjT1O6hkEaDxgPIpjNrVQC6HvtWOUX_htE8NGFWZ2bbIU7I1FPm3B_9M/s1600/hearts-in-row-love-facebook-timeline-cover%252C1366x768%252C66246.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="225" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiahOKUSc81vSx_nfhqReAuGZydy-o1ArbVIvAqOqeLsaMP0ocMbVzpl7LlusE6tpv7UkZwUFiWoyBURadMRG4qjT1O6hkEaDxgPIpjNrVQC6HvtWOUX_htE8NGFWZ2bbIU7I1FPm3B_9M/s400/hearts-in-row-love-facebook-timeline-cover%252C1366x768%252C66246.jpg" /></a></div><br />
So, here is the Fathom Blog Tour. Some of it consists of bloggers who have already or will review the book. Some of it consists of bloggers who will be posting guest posts or author interviews or other various promotional works of wonder. Some of these blogs will also be hosting giveaways (the giveaways are marked.)<br />
<br />
I hope you will stop by and say, Hi!<br />
<br />
♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥<br />
<br />
<b>EARLY REVIEWS:</b><br />
<br />
<a href="http://mybookchatterchat.blogspot.co.nz/2012/09/book-review-fathom-by-merrie-destefano.html">Book Chatter Cath</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://vampirebookclub.net/early-review-fathom-by-merrie-destefano/v">Vampire Book Club</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://ladytechiesbookmusings.blogspot.com/2012/09/fathom-by-merrie-destefano-my-rating-4.html">Lady Techies Book Musings</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://thewriterssword.blogspot.com/2012/09/fathom-by-merrie-destefano-review.html">The Writer's Sword</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.justusgirlsblog.com/2012/09/fathom-book-review.html">Just Us Girls</a><br />
<br />
♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥<br />
<br />
<b>BLOG TOUR DATES:</b><br />
<br />
SEPT. 27<br />
<a href="http://iamalivephotos.blogspot.com/2012/09/fathom-by-merrie-destefano-book-review.html">I Am Alive Blog</a><br />
Review of Fathom<br />
<br />
SEPT. 28<br />
<a href="http://foreveryoungadult.blogspot.com/2012/09/giveaway-qa-fathom-by-merrie-destefano.html">Book Hounds</a><br />
Author Interview<br />
<br />
SEPT. 28<br />
<a href="http://thebookpushers.com/2012/09/28/guest-post-with-merrie-destefano/">The Book Pushers</a><br />
Guest Post: When Imaginary People Take Over<br />
<br />
SEPT. 30<br />
<a href="http://beckysbarmybookblog.blogspot.com/2012/09/book-promotion-fathom.html">Becky’s Barmy Book Blog</a><br />
Fathom Promo<br />
<br />
OCT. 1<br />
<a href="http://www.ismellsheep.com/2012/10/book-launch-tour-dates-fathom-by-merrie.html">I Smell Sheep</a><br />
Fathom Launch Party<br />
<br />
Oct. 1<br />
<a href="http://www.midnytereader.com/2012/10/the-magic-of-halloween-guest-post-by.html">Midnyte Reader</a><br />
Guest Post: The Magic of Halloween<br />
<br />
OCT. 2<br />
<a href="http://www.books-n-kisses.com/2012/10/guest-blogger-merrie-destefano/">Books N Kisses</a><br />
Guest Post: Romance is a lot like Chocolate<br />
<br />
OCT. 4 <br />
<a href="http://www.mybookishways.com/2012/10/guest-post-merrie-destefano-author-of-fathom.html">My Bookish Ways</a><br />
Guest Post: Creating a New Monster<br />
<br />
OCT. 5<br />
<a href="http://iamareadernotawriter.blogspot.com/">I Am A Reader, Not A Writer</a><br />
Author Interview & Giveaway of 2 FATHOM e-books<br />
<br />
OCT. 6<br />
Saturday Spotlight<br />
<a href="www.fwiwreviews.net">For What It’s Worth</a><br />
Guest Post: Making Tough Decisions<br />
<br />
OCT. 8<br />
<a href="http://abackwardsstory.blogspot.com/">A Backwards Story</a><br />
Review of Fathom<br />
<br />
OCT. 8<br />
<a href="http://urbanfantasyreader.blogspot.com/">Sara's Urban Fantasy Blog</a><br />
Guest Post: Is it Paranormal or Is it Fantasy?<br />
Also, giveaway of 2 FATHOM e-books:<br />
<br />
OCT. 9<br />
<a href="http://www.ismellsheep.com/">I Smell Sheep</a><br />
Author Interview<br />
<br />
OCT. 11<br />
<a href="http://melissawatercolor.blogspot.com/">Book and Things</a><br />
Guest Post: Walking on the Dark Side<br />
Giveaway of 3 Fathom e-books<br />
<br />
Oct. 17<br />
<a href="http://shortandsweetreviews.blogspot.com/">Short & Sweet Reviews</a><br />
Author Interview<br />
<br />
Oct. <br />
<a href="http://steelergirl83.blogspot.com/">Black N Gold Girl's Book Spot</a><br />
Guest Post: The Scarier, The Better<br />
<br />
<br />
♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥<br />
<br />
<b>REVIEWS:</b><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.literaryescapism.com/">Literary Escapism</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.goodchoicereading.com">Good Choice Reading</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://thetravelsofsullivanmcpig.blogspot.com/">The Travels of Sullivan McPig</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://book-faery.blogspot.com">Book Faery</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.glitterinthesun.com/blog/">Glitter in the Sun</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://fairytalenewsblog.blogspot.com/">Once Upon A Blog</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://FictionAddict.com/">Fiction Addict</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://melissa-melsworld.blogspot.com/">My World...in Pages and Words</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.ismellsheep.com/">I Smell Sheep</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://littlehyuts.blogspot.com">Little Hyuts</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://booksarewonderfulmagic.blogspot.com/">Books are Wonderful Magic</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://flickspicks1.blogspot.com/ ">Oh, For The Love of Books</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://theyabookworm.blogspot.ca/">The YA Bookworm</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.bittenbybooks.com/">Bitten by Books</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://darkfaerietales.com/">Dark Faerie Tales</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://speedyreader-allthingsbooks.blogspot.com">All Things Books</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://moonsanity.blogspot.com/">Wayfaring Writer</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.thecompulsivereader.com/">The Compulsive Reader</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://donnasbloghome.blogspot.com/">Donna’s Blog Home</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://allthingsuf.com/">All Things Urban Fantasy</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://">Once Upon A Bookcase</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://oneminutebooks.blogspot.com/">Short and Sweet Reviews</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.idsoratherbereading.com/">I’d So Rather Be Reading</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.sweetsouthernhome.net">Sweet Southern Home</a><br />
Merrie Destefanohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04447209247265513676noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-219198050829448459.post-87371981014536720522012-09-24T10:00:00.000-07:002012-09-24T10:00:07.977-07:00Meet the characters from FATHOM<b>FIRST THINGS FIRST:</b><br />
The winner of last week’s giveaway (4 YA ARCs) is…..<br />
Melissa, from My World…in words and pages.<br />
CONGRATS, MELISSA!! (Yay and round of applause.)<br />
<br />
<b>And, before I start this week's character introduction, I'd like to share another amazing review of FATHOM, this one written by Jo at the <a href="http://vampirebookclub.net/early-review-fathom-by-merrie-destefano/ "><b>Vampire Book Club.</b></a></b><br />
<br />
“Fathom had me feeling the entire emotional spectrum, I devoured it in a day. With a mixture of first love, a plot filled with emotional twist and a heart wrenching climax, I can only hope this is just beginning for Kira and Co. Fans of Rachel Vincent’s Soul Screamers series will want to look out for this one!”<br />
<br />
<i>Thanks so much for the wonderful review, Jo!</i><br />
<br />
<b>And now, for the FATHOM CHARACTER OF THE WEEK...</b><br />
<br />
Today you'll meet the last of the four main characters in FATHOM. This girl is another one of the mysterious teenagers that comes to Crescent Moon Bay during tourist season—Riley.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL6hWMjSjDwSZ6WeRorhTs8csJKWTPgJvXMI1VXB0S259KMaTBanuQj8_tdHtLqeZWnadGU_8WrSoB3d1Zp7QD8iKX6KdgYFkloEEivLOoWhpnLQAI2D8GMd9_Gy4iBx1LHh0cPnTc1oMw/s1600/alexis_knapp_alexis_knapp_2_FOimaPB.sized.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="400" width="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL6hWMjSjDwSZ6WeRorhTs8csJKWTPgJvXMI1VXB0S259KMaTBanuQj8_tdHtLqeZWnadGU_8WrSoB3d1Zp7QD8iKX6KdgYFkloEEivLOoWhpnLQAI2D8GMd9_Gy4iBx1LHh0cPnTc1oMw/s400/alexis_knapp_alexis_knapp_2_FOimaPB.sized.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Played by Alexis Knapp, with short hair. (Doesn't she look dangerous?)<br />
<br />
• Name: <b>RILEY</b><br />
• Has lived so many places, nowhere feels like home<br />
• Should be a junior, but she is so done with school<br />
• Favorite class: Really? None<br />
• Best friend: Herself<br />
• Hobbies: Practicing survival skills<br />
• Favorite bands: No time for music <br />
• Favorite drink: Coffee<br />
• Social standing: In charge and everyone knows it<br />
• Greatest joy: When people finally decide to do things her way<br />
• Biggest nightmare: Being eaten by a sea monster<br />
<br />
<b>And now, the giveway...</b><br />
<br />
I'm giving away something different this time, something to inspire you when you're reading or writing—an iTunes gift certificate for $15.00.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR1yP1a4gbvUNHBJVAJAgiidJg__zz9QO86Fz9vrth1R-r07Ym35jKHxl9e1TaP8PNccCsRPNBLGE0XeKY-q-fiWtdz83bP2cRQ4foTOJowmcIG5ZhDrNG2zDVdv2eFBbCjal5wl_kvWi3/s1600/3863_2612_large.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="350" width="350" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR1yP1a4gbvUNHBJVAJAgiidJg__zz9QO86Fz9vrth1R-r07Ym35jKHxl9e1TaP8PNccCsRPNBLGE0XeKY-q-fiWtdz83bP2cRQ4foTOJowmcIG5ZhDrNG2zDVdv2eFBbCjal5wl_kvWi3/s400/3863_2612_large.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<b>THE RULES:</b><br />
To be entered for the giveaway, you must:<br />
1. Follow my blog<br />
2. Post in the comment section below (be sure to include your email so I can contact the winner) <br />
3. Share a link and comment about this giveaway, either on Twitter or Facebook or your blog. Be sure to let me know you did all three of these in your comment.<br />
<br />
Contest ends midnight on Sunday, September 30, and I'll announce the winner next Monday—which is also the official release day for FATHOM. <br />
<br />
Meanwhile, happy reading!Merrie Destefanohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04447209247265513676noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-219198050829448459.post-91273330004937140362012-09-17T08:54:00.001-07:002012-09-17T11:08:16.658-07:00Meet the Characters from FATHOM + a ContestBefore I start this week's character introduction, I'd like to share snippets of FATHOM reviews from <b><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15847229-fathom">GOODREADS:</a></b><br />
<br />
"Wow! Every book Merrie Destefano writes is even better than the last. I loved the books she wrote before, but Fathom is unquestionably my favorite of her stories. The characters, plot, and world are all well-developed and they sucked me right in. I spent almost an entire day immersed in Fathom, and I didn't want to leave when it ended."—Becca<br />
<br />
"Nothing is at it seems. There are surprises and twists everywhere. This book fits right in with Merrie Destefano's past books that tend to swim in their own lane. She has a great imagination and does a wonderful job with imagery and characterization."—Cheryl<br />
<br />
<b>And now, for the CHARACTER OF THE WEEK...<br />
</b><br />
Today you'll meet one of the mysterious teenagers that comes to Crescent Moon Bay during tourist season—Caleb.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5vB0UjLUHC-mhDyTeEkh0OqQ-wNX5S9xEh4p91d6JuLu4lAEz9TA4EwpS8DWT8IlZ_T7Any6SbwUTkGJAySLkRXvl8FhyphenhyphengBA18FHrDJPGFFi1zIchliuxbLDvfRRM5kh8uzPnTMcKZl5U/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="400" width="262" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5vB0UjLUHC-mhDyTeEkh0OqQ-wNX5S9xEh4p91d6JuLu4lAEz9TA4EwpS8DWT8IlZ_T7Any6SbwUTkGJAySLkRXvl8FhyphenhyphengBA18FHrDJPGFFi1zIchliuxbLDvfRRM5kh8uzPnTMcKZl5U/s400/photo.JPG" /></a></div><br />
Played by Liam Hemsworth.<br />
<br />
• Name: <b>CALEB</b><br />
• Lives in Duncarrig<br />
• Not attending high school<br />
• Favorite class: Not really a class, but enjoys studying other cultures and people<br />
• Best friend: Ethan<br />
• Hobbies: Swimming, hunting, <br />
• Favorite bands: Celtic music<br />
• Favorite drink: Water<br />
• Social standing: A quiet leader in his circle of friends<br />
• Greatest joy: Listening to legends<br />
• Biggest nightmare: That he will have to go to war before fulfilling his dreams<br />
<br />
<b>Here's a snippet of text from when Kira first sees Caleb:<br />
</b><br />
This guy was gorgeous and then some. Light brown hair streaked with blonde, skin paler than you’d expect for someone as athletic as he obviously was. I couldn’t tell what color his eyes were, but I had a feeling they were green or blue. Like mine.<br />
<br />
My heartbeat sped up when he stared at the window display. Then he did something unusual—he lifted his gaze, as if he was trying to see through to the inside of the store. He looked around, first at the racks of postcards, then at the display of starfish and shells, then at the ceramic mugs painted with our store logo, until at last, he spotted me at the counter. Our eyes locked and his lips curved in a swoon-worthy grin.<br />
..............<br />
<br />
And now, the giveway...<br />
<br />
I'm giving away FOUR ARCs this time!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRNIykLBfu8dg-nsrXpERdaXRE6bLosLrS_qU4AhOlmM1FsPE8NNsl8uIr1a4bFFl2I71VBjSxV7tD2xGsp_92ETb6mQDwu8YStBHIVUzTQmCT3cmGfJoHHAnnIIOKeyUbcKPVBHREFwvS/s1600/CIMG0815.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="267" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRNIykLBfu8dg-nsrXpERdaXRE6bLosLrS_qU4AhOlmM1FsPE8NNsl8uIr1a4bFFl2I71VBjSxV7tD2xGsp_92ETb6mQDwu8YStBHIVUzTQmCT3cmGfJoHHAnnIIOKeyUbcKPVBHREFwvS/s400/CIMG0815.JPG" /></a></div><br />
Here they are: <br />
THE COMET'S CURSE by Dom Testa<br />
THE INFECTS by Sean Beaudoin<br />
ZOM-B by Darren Shan<br />
GETAWAY by List Brackmann<br />
<br />
<b>THE RULES:<br />
</b>To be entered for the giveaway, you must:<br />
1. Follow my blog<br />
2. Post in the comment section below (be sure to include your email so I can contact the winner) <br />
3. Share a link and comment about this giveaway, either on Twitter or Facebook or your blog. Be sure to let me know you did all three of these in your comment.<br />
<br />
Contest ends midnight on Sunday, September 23, and I'll announce the winner next Monday.<br />
<br />
Meanwhile, happy reading!<br />
Merrie Destefanohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04447209247265513676noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-219198050829448459.post-23012123916468104862012-09-17T07:39:00.002-07:002012-09-17T07:39:29.046-07:00Winner of THE BLESSED ARC announced Thank you to everyone who participated in the giveaway of the THE BLESSED ARC by Tonya Hurley!<br />
<br />
The winner was selected by Random.org and is:<br />
[drumroll here]<br />
<br />
BOOK CHATTER CATH<br />
<br />
Big CONGRATS!!!!<br />
<br />
I've already contacted her via email. <br />
<br />
Thanks again to everyone and stay tuned--there will be another ARC contest starting on in a few minutes, when I reveal another character from FATHOM.Merrie Destefanohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04447209247265513676noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-219198050829448459.post-50206697407379623632012-09-10T08:26:00.000-07:002012-09-10T08:26:29.500-07:00Meet the characters from FATHOMEvery Monday for the next 3 weeks, I'll be introducing you to one of the characters from FATHOM. Plus, I'll have a giveaway.<br />
<br />
This is the second week of Meet the Characters from Fathom. Today you'll meet Kira's best friend, Sean.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikzYtK909S7nv09r5fTaRo-LPceVY7EnKV235eMS0yOxUQhqq_TrThBeD8sZcuw5Vr2vUi8nHPc1aEgh2niRhSnaQ4UJ8dNLkJFIIXN1g6D5wlg-a23sbRfa4bVbplTQn5lukelxuw4bRE/s1600/Sean.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="400" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikzYtK909S7nv09r5fTaRo-LPceVY7EnKV235eMS0yOxUQhqq_TrThBeD8sZcuw5Vr2vUi8nHPc1aEgh2niRhSnaQ4UJ8dNLkJFIIXN1g6D5wlg-a23sbRfa4bVbplTQn5lukelxuw4bRE/s400/Sean.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Played by Steven R. McQueen<br />
<br />
• Name: <b>SEAN O’BRIEN</b><br />
• Lives next door to Kira in Crescent Moon Bay<br />
• Age: 16 <br />
• Sophomore at Crescent Moon High School<br />
• Favorite class: Science<br />
• Best friend: Kira Callahan<br />
• Hobbies: Football, track, swimming, baseball<br />
• Favorite bands: The Foo Fighters,Yellowcard and Flyleaf<br />
• Favorite drink: Sport drinks<br />
• Social standing: Hangs out with the jocks, knows everyone, popular in his crowd<br />
• Greatest joy: When Kira smiles<br />
• Biggest nightmare: That Kira will get a boyfriend and no longer want to be best friends<br />
<br />
<b>Here's a snippet of text from Kira's POV:</b><br />
<br />
A warm breeze teased the curtains beside my bed, stirred my hair.<br />
<br />
Then I held my breath and opened the door to my room. With one hand I smoothed my dress as I walked around the corner, through the hallway and into the living room.<br />
<br />
There he was. Standing by the front door.<br />
<br />
Wearing tight jeans and a black shirt, his long hair messed up like he’d just taken a shower and forgotten to brush it. His eyes looked darker than usual. His mouth opened just a bit when I walked into the room.<br />
<br />
“Wow,” Sean said, so soft that I don’t think he wanted me to hear.<br />
<br />
I think my heart skipped a beat.<br />
<br />
It might have been a perfect moment, if Dad and Gram hadn’t been there.<br />
<br />
<b>And now, the giveway...</b><br />
<br />
I'm giving away an ARC of BLESSED by Tonya Hurley.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbYbJfCQ9CEZVuqEL2k-IJekwu6my4oqde0IRnirEPmmr6LNEyTt8ZSin7v1Ggs1kCeQbKQsE5tayZM2A8e-sBlA_kMO5_ifa5VT6SKxrr28uHVxsNP4g2o-apt68JwFJxuRonJJrx9yOE/s1600/3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="400" width="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbYbJfCQ9CEZVuqEL2k-IJekwu6my4oqde0IRnirEPmmr6LNEyTt8ZSin7v1Ggs1kCeQbKQsE5tayZM2A8e-sBlA_kMO5_ifa5VT6SKxrr28uHVxsNP4g2o-apt68JwFJxuRonJJrx9yOE/s400/3.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<i>Here's the synopsis from Goodreads:</i><br />
<br />
From the author of the New York Times bestselling ghostgirl series, the start to a captivating and haunting teen trilogy about three girls who become entangled with an enigmatic boy—a boy who believes he is a saint. What if martyrs and saints lived among us? And what if you were told you were one of them?<br />
<br />
Meet Agnes, Cecilia, and Lucy. Three lost girls, each searching for something. But what they find is beyond belief.<br />
<br />
<i>Sounds cool, no?</i><br />
<br />
<b>THE RULES:</b><br />
To be entered for the giveaway, you must:<br />
1. Follow my blog<br />
2. Post in the comment section below (be sure to include your email so I can contact the winner) <br />
3. Share a link and comment about this giveaway, either on Twitter or Facebook or your blog. Be sure to let me know you did all three of these in your comment.<br />
<br />
Contest ends midnight on Friday, September 14, and I'll announce the winner on Saturday.<br />
<br />
Meanwhile, happy reading!Merrie Destefanohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04447209247265513676noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-219198050829448459.post-56414311442591067252012-09-08T09:47:00.002-07:002012-09-08T09:47:43.820-07:00Winner of SCARLET ARC announcedThank you to everyone who participated in the giveaway of the SCARLET ARC by Marissa Meyer!<br />
<br />
The winner wqs selected by Random.org and is:<br />
[drumroll here]<br />
<br />
ANOTHER NOVEL READ<br />
<br />
Big CONGRATS!!!!<br />
<br />
I'll contact her via email. However, if I don't hear back from her within three days, the ARC will be given to another winner.<br />
<br />
Thanks again to everyone and stay tuned--there will be another ARC contest starting on Monday, when I reveal another character from FATHOM.Merrie Destefanohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04447209247265513676noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-219198050829448459.post-65609227608272341032012-09-07T09:01:00.001-07:002012-09-07T09:04:09.416-07:00Free download: WAITING FOR MIDNIGHTFor the next three days—today, tomorrow and Sunday—my ebook anthology, WAITING FOR MIDNIGHT, is available for <b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Waiting-For-Midnight-ebook/dp/B0086YC7M6/ref=la_B0048L6NYO_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1347033032&sr=1-7">FREE DOWNLOADS</a>.</b> (Eeeeek!) I hope you get a chance to read it and, if so, that you enjoy it!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVa2A6N-SxwnCbPMV4VrSA5yp_1JEomqIS2KeoMFnjOqpsZl7Bw74YjB21SrqYpuYGRcxtZgSR40pAAiGMACIudZVthDdNt16muL_hwZVmZmi9Vp8ahyYSBHToCCrZdDd7n3zIH3IMesJD/s1600/wfm+final+green+jpg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="400" width="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVa2A6N-SxwnCbPMV4VrSA5yp_1JEomqIS2KeoMFnjOqpsZl7Bw74YjB21SrqYpuYGRcxtZgSR40pAAiGMACIudZVthDdNt16muL_hwZVmZmi9Vp8ahyYSBHToCCrZdDd7n3zIH3IMesJD/s400/wfm+final+green+jpg.jpg" /></a></div><br />
There's a very nice review of WAITING FOR MIDNIGHT, written by Marcy Weydemuller and posted on the Savvy Authors site <a href="http://www.savvyauthors.com/vb/content.php?2154-Reading-For-Craft">HERE.</a><br />
<br />
<b>Here's a snippet of what Marcy says:</b><br />
<i><br />
"Merrie Destefano is the author of the urban fantasy Afterlife: The Resurrection Chronicles and Feast: Harvest of Dreams. She brings a unique perspective to her writing that impacts plot, character, theme and setting in her multi-layered story world. However not only does she accomplish this in her novels, but also, in this collection put together for her fans, we see that she adeptly applies her style—her voice to shorter pieces as well.<br />
<br />
For example in the short story In the Garden, Destefano weaves three distinct narratives through her POV character Francine; which include a memoir, a murder and an unobtrusive sub-text development of ethical choices. Although Francine holds the storyline, many other voices share the details and theme creating a chorus of layers that linger long past the end.<br />
<br />
Her stories and flash fiction range across tone with humor, curiosity, danger, macabre, surprise and grief. Her settings include the house down the street, the otherworldly, and time-less. A flash fiction piece Sentimental Ending will inspire you to create a variety of endings that may or may not be reality."</i><br />
<br />
<br />
<b>And here's a free short story from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Waiting-For-Midnight-ebook/dp/B0086YC7M6/ref=la_B0048L6NYO_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1347033032&sr=1-7">WAITING FOR MIDNIGHT:</a></b><br />
<br />
<br />
DOG BOY<br />
<br />
During the day, he slept amidst rubble and grass, hidden from view, partially because his skin was now the color of dirt. During the evenings, he would creep out, sometimes on all fours—until he knew it was safe. Then he would scamper about beneath the stars and a crescent moon, his limbs lean and his clothes ragged. We all did our best to ignore him. We called him the Perro Muchacho. Dog Boy. He ran with the wild dogs and that name seemed to fit him.<br />
<br />
I watched him with a cautious eye, fearful of the magic that I knew trailed after him. It coiled like a snake in the shadows, dangerous, forbidden. He stole from my trash and I would chase him away. I’d toss small stones in his direction, careful not to come too close, although I know for certain that I struck him once. For after that he kept a distance from me.<br />
<br />
His hair stuck out in thick tufts, never combed or washed. His shirt had lost its color and its sleeves were gone, and I often wondered if he shivered while he tried to sleep. One night, when he and his pack of stray dogs were off prowling through alleys and along the riverbed, I crept out to his hiding place. I found a few toys lying about—a ragged, lopsided rabbit, most of the stuffing gone; a small truck, the paint almost completely worn off. There, I left an old blanket. And a Bible. I doubted that he could read, but I knew that if he could walk on two legs, then he had a soul.<br />
<br />
And there was no doubt in my mind that he needed saving.<br />
<br />
I ran my fingers over my rosary as I hobbled back to my house, the stucco white as bone. A prayer whispered over my lips as I hailed one saint after another, searching for one that could save a creature like him. I tried and found none, so in the end, I merely repeated the same words over and over, as each bead slipped through my fingers.<br />
<br />
Help him, please, help him, please.<br />
<br />
Before the moon swallows the sky.<br />
<br />
She was growing above me, even as I hunched over broken cobblestones. She was eating stars and growing more bloated with each and every bite. In a few days, she would be full.<br />
<br />
I didn’t want to see what would happen then to Dog Boy. I didn’t want him to come to my house and scratch claws across the lattice on my windows. Didn’t want to hear the cries that would no longer sound human.<br />
<br />
For some reason, when the moon has swallowed the sky, on that same day, the sun grows weak. He hides, as if terrified, behind mountain peaks and clouds. His face refuses to reflect in the river water. He turns into an old, weak man. His steps across the heavens falter, as if he could plummet from the sky and burn up the sea, turn the world into a land of mist and shadow.<br />
<br />
That was how he looked today.<br />
<br />
Meanwhile, I saw the boy, awake, playing in the long grass, his hair blowing in the wind, his cheeks ruddy, the dust stirring around him in a thick cloud. He ran from one edge of the wilderness to the other, no longer afraid to be seen. All around him, his furry companions loped, mouths open wide in toothy grins, paws jumping up and down. They whined and yipped, tails wagging.<br />
<br />
They knew his secret.<br />
<br />
He paused, when the wind grew calm, as the sun slid behind the church bell tower, and he looked at me. A smile creased his dirty face and he cocked his head. I realized then that he had made a sling and was carrying the Bible like a talisman. A strap of old cloth hung across one shoulder, then widened to form a pouch that draped in the crescent of his narrow back. When he moved, I could see the glint of gold-edged pages and the gnarled black crust of leather binding.<br />
<br />
I wondered if he ever opened it. If he even looked at the pictures. You can tell a lot from the illustrations. The baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist, the exodus of Moses from Egypt, the ark of Noah with all the animals. Although, without the words or someone to tell him the stories--<br />
<br />
He was just another beast.<br />
<br />
Still I could see the spark of intelligence in his eyes. And despite his wild nature, there was no evil streak. Not like Jose, who beat his wife twice a week. Not like Manuel, who took his wages in tequila and let his children grow weak from hunger.<br />
<br />
I knew all the secrets of this little village, was forced to listen to them every Sunday morning. Then grant forgiveness. My fingers ran over my rosary again, words familiar and sweet pursing my lips. I watched the boy then as he turned and dashed off into the nearby forest, knowing it was just as well. <br />
<br />
If he disappeared, then none of us would see him when he turned.<br />
<br />
And none of us, me especially, would be responsible.<br />
<br />
• • • • •<br />
<br />
A wind like fire blew through the hills, scorched the edge of our village the moment the moon revealed herself. Silver light spilled down narrow streets, turned everything and everyone white hot and still. All doors swung shut and curtains were drawn across open windows, a rabid hush of Hail Marys and Our Fathers murmured while chairs rocked and shoulders bowed.<br />
<br />
I cracked my back door open, slipped outside without a sound, my bare feet padding over a dirt trail that led toward the wildwood and the river. Somewhere along the way, my rosary slipped from my fingers and tangled on the ground, but I did not stop. Every bone in my body ached as I moved, my muscles weary of this journey. I felt a tremor in my leg as I descended the river bank, as I moved closer to the rippling water. All I wanted was to immerse myself in the cool reflection of that damned, swollen moon. My robes fell away and I was waist deep in the sluggish current, fingers trailing behind me. Spasms wrenched my arms, twisted them back and forth and for a moment, I wondered if maybe this time I would fall headlong into the water and drown.<br />
<br />
Part of me wished it to be true.<br />
<br />
Death can be a good companion, if you are ready for him, when he comes.<br />
<br />
My left foot slipped and I tumbled to my knees, up to my chin in blue-back water. That was when I heard him behind me. I turned my head and saw Dog Boy on the river bank, his head cocked as though he were afraid for me.<br />
<br />
“Padre,” he said, his voice timid.<br />
<br />
I waved a hand at him, wishing he would scoot away, deeper into the shadows where he belonged. He had changed, as I suspected he would, but it was amazing that he could still speak.<br />
<br />
His arms and legs and back were covered in thick matted fur and his spine arched wide. Soon he would be down on all fours and his nose would grow long, his teeth jagged. But right now he was somewhere in between boy and wolf.<br />
<br />
He took a step toward me, concern in his eyes. Behind him, his pack growled and howled. They knew me better than he did.<br />
<br />
My own limbs snapped and cracked, my transition nothing like it was when I was younger. Every bit of it as if my bones were being ground into powder. Only the touch of the water on my flesh and the silver light of the moon seemed to offer any release from the pain. I stumbled back toward the shore, temporarily able to balance myself on two legs, although by the time I reached shallow water, I had fallen down on all four. Paws where hands had once been, a long snout instead of a nose.<br />
<br />
A low growl sounded in my throat as Dog Boy approached.<br />
<br />
He recognized me now, of course he did. My scent was like his own. He was the seed of my sin and part of me hoped that he had learned the secrets from the book I had given him. Right now I couldn’t remember what they were, only that they were very important.<br />
<br />
Then I vaulted into a stiff run, paws grasping muddy river bank, pulling myself up toward the shelter of wooded shadow. Dog Boy recognized the look in my eyes just then, a moment too late perhaps. He turned and bounded away from me.<br />
<br />
I stopped to howl at my mistress, the moon, at the same time, giving my son a head start.<br />
<br />
Then I gave him chase that would last all night or longer if necessary, not stopping until one of us was dead. Part of me hoping that this would be my last hunt and that this child would be strong enough to finally end my curse.<br />
<br />
.............<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Waiting-For-Midnight-ebook/dp/B0086YC7M6/ref=la_B0048L6NYO_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1347033032&sr=1-7"><b>YOU CAN DOWNLOAD WAITING FOR MIDNIGHT HERE.</b></a><br />
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<br />
Merrie Destefanohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04447209247265513676noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-219198050829448459.post-47869981536421643452012-09-05T10:50:00.000-07:002012-09-05T10:50:00.652-07:00Sometimes I forget to mention something coolSometimes I forget to mention things—some very cool things. Like the fact that I have a young adult short story for sale on Amazon. I think this is the plight of the writer. We work so hard to write and produce a story that we often forget to even mention it. Argh!<br />
<br />
Anyway, my apologies.<br />
<br />
Here's my new baby...<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8kS5awF7hq9dk4o5XZur0eDBUKhH49es4XIc6lJaAkZm0U7bxG9GVkgYlqzfAPlEINnNLUkVr84VLd0J7Z5PRy-vb6vebEltKPVLqYBucmDiIxwdIj7eqiTxh56ekI51cX9vUo60DBIHD/s1600/Plague+Carrier+Cover+Sept+D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="400" width="269" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8kS5awF7hq9dk4o5XZur0eDBUKhH49es4XIc6lJaAkZm0U7bxG9GVkgYlqzfAPlEINnNLUkVr84VLd0J7Z5PRy-vb6vebEltKPVLqYBucmDiIxwdIj7eqiTxh56ekI51cX9vUo60DBIHD/s400/Plague+Carrier+Cover+Sept+D.jpg" /></a></div><br />
SYNOPSIS:<br />
A teenage runaway’s post-apocalyptic world comes tumbling down when she discovers a survivor in a field of dead bodies.<br />
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Condemned as a runaway and sentenced to work as a Cleaner, fifteen-year-old Anna now spends her days searching for valuables in a field of dead warriors. Her life goes from bad to worse, however, when she stumbles upon a plague carrier, a boy her age who could kill her entire camp with a single drop from the flask he carries around his neck.<br />
<br />
Approximately 26 pages long, THE PLAGUE CARRIER is the first story in my new series set in a post-apocalyptic United States, where survivors are still recovering from a Civil War. East of the Mississippi, peace reigns and the people are free. But west of the Mississippi is a different story. There, the countryside is ravaged by erratic thunderstorms and tornadoes, and the inhabitants continue to battle one another using advanced forms of chemical warfare. There, anyone who breaks the law is sold into slavery, where he must serve in a labor camp until his sentence is fulfilled.<br />
<br />
The short story is .99 on Amazon and a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Plague-Carrier-ebook/dp/B008FSSN9Y/ref=la_B0048L6NYO_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1341005468&sr=1-7">LINK TO THE BOOK IS HERE</a>.<br />
<br />
<b>Reviews from Amazon Readers</b><br />
"In typically flawless Merrie Destefano style, The Plague Carrier is at once evocative, engaging and terrifying."—Auburn McCanta, 5 stars<br />
<br />
"While it was a short 27 pages, it was great! I could not put it down! It will leave you wanting more. I cannot wait to read more about Anna and William."—Allison D. Sautkus, 5 stars<br />
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<b>And, here's the first chapter:<br />
</b><br />
ONE<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
THE SUN WAS SUPPOSED TO BE OUT, shining and bright, on the day I ran away. It was going to help me run faster and longer, was going to light my way through our ruined city, all the way to the river and the train yard on the other side. My wet clothes were going to be dry by the time I climbed inside one of the cars bound for Indiana and I was going to sleep all night long, hidden in a pile of rags, behind large crates of fruit.<br />
<br />
I don’t like to blame everything that’s happened on the weather, but if it hadn’t started raining, then I wouldn’t have gotten caught in that thick patch of river mud—<br />
<br />
And I might have gotten away.<br />
<br />
“Hurry up, Runner! Don’t stand there holding onto yer plate all day long. Field’s awaiting.”<br />
<br />
Laughter barks around me as I finish my breakfast. It’s been a long time since anyone has called me by my given name—but I hear it whispered soon enough. Two men with sallow skin and long braided hair sneer as they pass me on their way to the field. One of them breathes, “Anna,” in my ear as his left hand lingers on my thigh. I shove him away. Behind me, the morning skies fill with a multitude of dark clouds, casting more shadow than light down on our camp. A hundred gray tents line the riverbank—the same river where the Chasers caught me, just last week—and all of the tent flaps are tied down in case the wind picks up again.<br />
<br />
I pause, plate in hand as I glance up at the sky, wondering what it’s going to give us today. Ever since the Last War, everyone west of the Mississippi’s been tormented by lightning storms, demon winds and earthquakes. Sunshine comes like a fiery flash, straight out of nowhere and it always passes before you can enjoy it. <br />
<br />
Never can count on a sunny day anymore.<br />
<br />
Thanks to those Chasers and that blasted sun, today I’m heading into a war field, where I’m almost instantly surrounded by dead bodies, knee-deep in blood and gore, shovel in one hand, bucket in the other. A thick canvas apron covers me from neck to ankle and a plastic visor shields my face. Flies buzz from one carcass to the next while the other Cleaners are already grumbling that I’m taking too long, hunting for valuables.<br />
<br />
“Get a move on there, dearie!”<br />
<br />
“Just look for somethin’ shiny and hurry up—”<br />
<br />
“Never shoulda taken that Runner, she doesn’t have a stomach for blood—”<br />
<br />
I ignore them as I flip a body on its back, then run a gaze over it, looking for anything worth a coin or two.<br />
<br />
Right about then, the sun creeps out like the sneaky devil it is, scaring away all the clouds, charming steam to rise up from the heath and turning the field to haze. I’ve learned that sometimes a sudden change in temperature can cause the dead bodies to shift and moan, and more than one Cleaner has let out a startled cry when that happens.<br />
<br />
Not me.<br />
<br />
I refuse to cry out. No matter how terrified I am.<br />
<br />
Instead, I pretend I don’t hear the other Cleaners as they whisper spells of protection, all of us still working despite the puffs of steam that billow about. Hot sun on my back, sweat dripping down my face, the stench of my plastic visor blocking out the stench of death, I lean forward and rifle through another dead man’s pockets, his yellow eyes gazing to heaven, his open mouth spilling a gruel of spit and blood. <br />
My fingers latch onto his. <br />
<br />
I brush away the mud from his rough knuckles until my thumb rolls across something slippery—a ring, most likely. I tug it off, lift it into a patch of sunlight, and then smile when I see a gleam of gold mixed with ruby. With a soft clink, the ring is dropped into my bucket, where it rolls to a halt atop a shallow pile of silver bullets, ornate daggers and a handful of gold teeth. You have to be careful when it comes to sticking your fingers inside the mouths of these dead creatures—their jaws can snap shut if you’re not paying close attention. You can lose a finger or worse, you might catch their war plague. <br />
<br />
Still, I’m not afraid to do the dirty work. That’s one of the reasons this band of Cleaners took me on.<br />
<br />
That’s when I get a flash of brilliance and I suddenly realize this fellow must have been rich. So, I hunker down, rest my shovel on a nearby body and set the bucket on the ground.<br />
<br />
In a heartbeat, I’m cutting open this dead guy’s tunic to discover three gold necklaces draped around his throat. Just as I’m slicing the seams in his jacket and pulling out an ivory tribal purse, I hear a faint groan to my right.<br />
I stand up, blade ready.<br />
<br />
There are two kinds of groans in a field like this: the ethereal groans of the dead and the kill-it-before-it-kills-you groans of the near-dead.<br />
<br />
I’ve always preferred the groans of the dead. Unfortunately that’s not what I hear today. I run a hasty scan across the field, searching for movement. Puffs of steam rising, sun dancing behind a bank of clouds, a sea of arms and legs and shaved skulls surrounding me, I suddenly realize that all the other Cleaners have moved away. <br />
They’re heading toward the river to wash up for our midday meal. I’ve been left standing alone in a field of dead mountain warriors.<br />
<br />
And right now, one of these plague carriers is moaning back to life, twisting in the mud, trying to push its way free.<br />
<br />
One hand on my knife, I yank a silver chain from beneath my apron, pull a dangling whistle to my lips. I’m ready to call the others back. That’s when I spot the creature, not ten feet away. The whistle stills, my mouth turns dry and a demon wind¬¬—the worst kind, since it heralds both death and danger to those who hear it—circles about me, turning my flesh to ice.<br />
<br />
The whistle slides to my chest and I stand quiet, staring.<br />
<br />
It’s just a boy, not much older than me, probably fifteen or sixteen. And he’s wearing a Runner brand on his left cheek—a big black X that says he’s left his home and his tribe, that he tried to make it on his own but failed. All the Western tribes use the same symbol. It’s how we keep track of our traitors and deserters.<br />
<br />
“Boy,” I call a hoarse whisper in his direction, my blade still lifted and ready to use if necessary.<br />
<br />
Instinctively, he glances up at me.<br />
<br />
His eyes are clear. No sign of the yellow plague. But then why is he wearing the tunic and leggings of the mountain people? It’s a puzzle that confuses me. Their warriors always carry the plague. It’s the highlanders’ way of making sure they destroy their enemies. <br />
<br />
So why is this boy free of the disease?<br />
<br />
“Keep down,” I say, a tiny bit louder. “Wrap your scarf about your neck.”<br />
<br />
It’s no guarantee that a tiny bit of fabric will protect him, but that’s all I can think of. He hasn’t been sprayed for nearly an hour with biochems, like I have. He may not make it out of this field alive, no matter what he does.<br />
<br />
He crouches low, brown hair scuffing in that demon wind, cheeks turning pink from the sudden cold. One slow movement at a time, he crawls over the tangle of bodies, away from the Cleaner camp, toward the forest that stands at my back.<br />
<br />
“Hurry!” I say, lifting my plastic visor to see him better. He’s moving faster than I expect and I now see sun-browned skin peeking out from rips in his tunic and thick black eyebrows bunched together in a frown. He pauses when he’s close enough to see me clearly, a shock of recognition in his eyes when he notices my cheek and the mark I bear like his.<br />
<br />
I touch the brand with my fingers, wondering if the raw skin has darkened yet or if it’s still as red as the day the Chasers caught me.<br />
<br />
“What are you doing here?” he asks. “Children shouldn’t be roaming through a killing field.”<br />
<br />
It’s the first time he’s spoken and his voice startles me. He sounds more like a man than a boy. <br />
<br />
I take a step backward, my foot thumping against a pile of bodies, my right hand remembering the knife and lifting it higher.<br />
<br />
“I should be asking you the same thing.” I glance back toward my camp, wondering if anyone has seen him yet. “What’s a boy doing in a camp of dead men?”<br />
<br />
Still on his hands and knees, he shrugs. “Runners go where they’re told.” He’s watching me like I’ve got a tell, like there’s some mystery inside me that he’ll be able to figure out if he stares long enough. He pulls himself to a shaky stand, never taking his eyes off mine. “Am I right?”<br />
<br />
“You are,” I answer. “But right now, you better do as I say, if you want to live. Head toward that wood and be quick about it!” I point at the forest, still heavy with shadows even though the sun is nigh. “We’ll be burning this field in a few hours.”<br />
<br />
His eyes—his beautiful gray eyes—flash with some dark emotion. He runs a fast gaze over me, head to foot, that makes a strange spark flutter in my gut.<br />
<br />
“I can’t go.” He’s made a decision, I can see it in the resolute set of his jaw. “I can’t leave,” he says again. “My father is here somewhere—”<br />
<br />
“Your father?”<br />
<br />
He nods.<br />
<br />
“Why would a Runner be in the same killing field as his own father? Haven’t your parents disowned you?”<br />
<br />
“Of course, they have—I wouldn’t be wearing this brand otherwise. But my real father never even knew I was born. He’s here somewhere and I have to find him.”<br />
<br />
“Boy, your real father’s dead if he was in this field. You know the mountain folk send their warriors out, never expecting them to return.”<br />
<br />
“But I can’t leave him here to roast in a heathen fire. I have to take his body home and give him a proper burial. He’s a warrior and he deserves to rest in a grave with wreaths of flowers and choruses of song.” There’s a pleading in his gaze that’s softening my heart more than I like.<br />
<br />
“You’re crazy! Your people will never let you back inside their city gates—”<br />
<br />
He tugs a long cord from beneath his tunic, revealing a small flask. “They will let me in.”<br />
<br />
I see the flask he holds and I freeze, unable to speak or move. I can’t even breathe.<br />
<br />
“I’m the Plague Carrier—”<br />
<br />
As soon as those words leave his mouth, I swing my visor down, then I turn and leap over the bodies behind me. In two bold jumps, I put a barrier of dead flesh between us, then I pause to brace my left arm over my chin, protecting that narrow gap between my neck and the visor.<br />
<br />
“Stay back! Or I’ll call the others!” I yell in a muffled voice.<br />
<br />
Already I’ve pulled out my whistle and I’m getting ready to blow it. Just last week I was running through hail and wind, along a riverbank choked with mud. I thought I was going to make it to the Eastern border. I thought I was going to be free.<br />
<br />
Now, I’ve got a Plague Carrier, not five feet away from me and moving closer.<br />
<br />
This monster could kill the entire camp with the virus he’s carrying in that flask around his neck. I try not to let him know how frightened I am. Meanwhile, all I can think is, from bad to worse, that’s the way my luck’s been going lately.<br />
<br />
<br />
Merrie Destefanohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04447209247265513676noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-219198050829448459.post-63300951562712437172012-09-04T09:47:00.000-07:002012-09-04T09:47:00.582-07:00Books I’ve been waiting forThere are three books I’ve been waiting for and two of them release day. Yay!!<br />
<br />
So, Happy Release Day to:<br />
<br />
<i>Releasing on September 4.</i><br />
<b>BOOK ONE:</b><br />
Ann Aguire's<br />
<b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Outpost-Ann-Aguirre/dp/0312650094/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=6JCYB19N3JVC&coliid=I1XO62AJ8G3DNP">Outpost</a></b><br />
<br />
This is the sequel to her young adult novel, Enclave—which I love, love, love. One problem I have with many young adult books is the world-building. There seem to be so many plot holes in the construction in some of these novels and I can’t bring myself to read past ten or fifteen. Not so with Ann Aguire’s books! Her books are so well-researched and constructed that everything falls into place perfectly. It’s been a long time since I’ve read a book as original as Enclave, so I am eagerly awaiting Outpost!<br />
<br />
<b>Here’s the actual synopsis:</b><br />
Deuce’s whole world has changed. Down below, she was considered an adult. Now, topside in a town called Salvation, she’s a brat in need of training in the eyes of the townsfolk. She doesn’t fit in with the other girls: Deuce only knows how to fight.<br />
<br />
To make matters worse, her Hunter partner, Fade, keeps Deuce at a distance. Her feelings for Fade haven’t changed, but he seems not to want her around anymore. Confused and lonely, she starts looking for a way out.<br />
<br />
Deuce signs up to serve in the summer patrols—those who make sure the planters can work the fields without danger. It should be routine, but things have been changing on the surface, just as they did below ground. The Freaks have grown smarter. They’re watching. Waiting. Planning. The monsters don’t intend to let Salvation survive, and it may take a girl like Deuce to turn back the tide.<br />
<br />
<i>Releasing on September 4.</i><br />
<b>BOOK TWO:</b><br />
Gwenda Bond's<br />
<b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Blackwood-Strange-Chemistry-Gwenda-Bond/dp/1908844078/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=6JCYB19N3JVC&coliid=I10AS3DBXFBTCD">Blackwood</a></b><br />
<br />
<b>Here’s a brief synopsis:</b><br />
On Roanoke Island, the legend of the 114 people who mysteriously vanished from the Lost Colony hundreds of years ago is just an outdoor drama for the tourists, a story people tell. But when the island faces the sudden disappearance of 114 people now, an unlikely pair of 17-year-olds may be the only hope of bringing them back. <br />
<br />
Miranda, a misfit girl from the island's most infamous family, and Phillips, an exiled teen criminal who hears the voices of the dead, must dodge everyone from federal agents to long-dead alchemists as they work to uncover the secrets of the new Lost Colony. The one thing they can't dodge is each other.<br />
<br />
Blackwood is a dark, witty coming of age story that combines America's oldest mystery with a thoroughly contemporary romance.<br />
<br />
<i>Releasing on September 18.</i><br />
<b>BOOK THREE:</b><br />
Gretchen McNeil's<br />
<b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Ten-Gretchen-McNeil/dp/0062118781/ref=reg_hu-rd_dp_img">Ten</a></b><br />
<br />
<b>Here’s a brief synopsis of this amazing book:</b><br />
Shhhh! Don't spread the word! Three-day weekend. House party. White Rock House on Henry Island. You do not want to miss it.<br />
<br />
It was supposed to be the weekend of their lives—three days on Henry Island at an exclusive house party. Best friends Meg and Minnie each have their own reasons for wanting to be there, which involve their school's most eligible bachelor, T. J. Fletcher, and look forward to three glorious days of boys, bonding, and fun-filled luxury.<br />
<br />
But what they expect is definitely not what they get, and what starts out as fun turns dark and twisted after the discovery of a DVD with a sinister message: Vengeance is mine.<br />
<br />
Suddenly, people are dying, and with a storm raging outside, the teens are cut off from the rest of the world. No electricity, no phones, no internet, and a ferry that isn't scheduled to return for three days. As the deaths become more violent and the teens turn on each other, can Meg find the killer before more people die? Or is the killer closer to her than she could ever imagine?<br />
<br />
.................<br />
<br />
Wow. Don't those books sound incredible? If you're looking for something to read, I highly recommend you check out these three novels.<br />
<br />
Merrie Destefanohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04447209247265513676noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-219198050829448459.post-77884326684694672352012-09-03T10:00:00.000-07:002012-09-08T09:50:00.451-07:00Meet the characters from FATHOMEvery Monday for the next 4 weeks, I'll be introducing you to one of the characters from FATHOM. Plus, I'll have a giveaway.<br />
<br />
First up, the main character of the book: Kira.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhoBwlMLALam9O-Kd-hePy-4rJDfoOLqK7tF5Cou7TUZvnxX2dxUoW7N4jLl4QUNXomV2mWQVjSK6z9T-Vd5Vogt2ncSMXmsJIvcyUlMZL3n0HZnE6EHXCLfx1Ix9E6VEEfqwvsxJ9b5Vy/s1600/Kira%2527s+Portait+Photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="400" width="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhoBwlMLALam9O-Kd-hePy-4rJDfoOLqK7tF5Cou7TUZvnxX2dxUoW7N4jLl4QUNXomV2mWQVjSK6z9T-Vd5Vogt2ncSMXmsJIvcyUlMZL3n0HZnE6EHXCLfx1Ix9E6VEEfqwvsxJ9b5Vy/s400/Kira%2527s+Portait+Photo.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Played by an unknown breakout actress.<br />
<br />
• Name: <b>KIRA CALLAHAN</b><br />
• Lives in a bungalow atop a cliff in Crescent Moon Bay<br />
• Age: 16<br />
• Sophomore at Crescent Moon High School<br />
• Favorite class: English<br />
• Best friend: Sean <br />
• Second best friend: Brianna <br />
• Hobbies: Swimming and writing down secrets in her journal<br />
• Favorite bands: Kings of Leon, Paramore, Snow Patrol and The Killers<br />
• Favorite drink: Coke<br />
• Social standing: Never been kissed, never been asked to a party, never been popular<br />
• Greatest joy: The ocean<br />
• Biggest nightmare: That she will one day join her dead mother and sister by drowning in the Pacific<br />
<br />
<b>Here's a snippet of text from Kira's POV:</b><br />
<br />
Gray skies gave way to blue, seagulls circled overhead, and almost everyone else in California was still asleep. But I was racing as if my life depended on it. The rest of the world faded away, from the seals that waited back on shore to the homework I hadn’t finished. Sand spun beneath my feet as I ran across the beach, waves curling and snapping as I approached. Hands over my head, I dove into the water.<br />
<br />
He was just a step behind me, I could feel it.<br />
<br />
<b>And now, the giveway...<i></i></b><br />
<br />
CONTEST IS CLOSED AND THE WINNER IS ANOTHER NOVEL READ!! Congrats!<br />
<br />
I'm giving away an ARC of Scarlet by Marissa Meyer. This is just the type of book Kira would read, since she loves fairy tales and legends.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgehlKGmroXJekKAxHjA4BoXBvZSzIdB_b4un4PdNo_R5f2IAiYvjdMG1Mb7A-z40SM9W8DpT7NFFsfe6akiCuGukl3PxUTuskpkVJP32ftq8Ru_tmzd88NM5gdl3u1rwQTKmurxiGQr2HH/s1600/stacking-on-the-shelves_week08_books01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="224" width="146" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgehlKGmroXJekKAxHjA4BoXBvZSzIdB_b4un4PdNo_R5f2IAiYvjdMG1Mb7A-z40SM9W8DpT7NFFsfe6akiCuGukl3PxUTuskpkVJP32ftq8Ru_tmzd88NM5gdl3u1rwQTKmurxiGQr2HH/s400/stacking-on-the-shelves_week08_books01.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<i>Here's a synopsis of Scarlet:</i><br />
<br />
Cinder, the cyborg mechanic, returns in the second thrilling installment of the bestselling Lunar Chronicles. She's trying to break out of prison--even though if she succeeds, she'll be the Commonwealth's most wanted fugitive. <br />
<br />
Halfway around the world, Scarlet Benoit's grandmother is missing. It turns out there are many things Scarlet doesn't know about her grandmother or the grave danger she has lived in her whole life. When Scarlet encounters Wolf, a street fighter who may have information as to her grandmother's whereabouts, she is loath to trust this stranger, but is inexplicably drawn to him, and he to her. As Scarlet and Wolf unravel one mystery, they encounter another when they meet Cinder. Now, all of them must stay one step ahead of the vicious Lunar Queen Levana, who will do anything for the handsome Prince Kai to become her husband, her king, her prisoner. <br />
<br />
<b>THE RULES:</b><br />
To be entered for the giveaway, you must:<br />
1. Follow my blog<br />
2. Post in the comment section below (be sure to include your email so I can contact the winner) <br />
3. Share a link and comment about this giveaway, either on Twitter or Facebook or your blog. Be sure to let me know you did all three of these in your comment.<br />
<br />
Contest ends Friday, September 7, and I'll announce the winner on Saturday.<br />
<br />
Meanwhile, happy reading!<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
</b>Merrie Destefanohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04447209247265513676noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-219198050829448459.post-34414274410276395722012-09-02T14:13:00.001-07:002012-09-02T14:13:48.220-07:00Another taste of FATHOMHere's another quick snippet from FATHOM. Plus, stay tuned. Next week I'll be doing some book giveaways. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2ccat-jnEU5bH_CCBJDCnhuU1k47sNzoSD_uAsDElwVNwD89NskzNIygmk_69SomZ63Ch8qPUQoNH2bXlhePM33bXUalTc4LRMBvXkyU1ijWhJo_5mrMDQG1O35F9FJqs2v03zy9Am07x/s1600/fathom+quote+3+jpg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="400" width="307" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2ccat-jnEU5bH_CCBJDCnhuU1k47sNzoSD_uAsDElwVNwD89NskzNIygmk_69SomZ63Ch8qPUQoNH2bXlhePM33bXUalTc4LRMBvXkyU1ijWhJo_5mrMDQG1O35F9FJqs2v03zy9Am07x/s400/fathom+quote+3+jpg.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Merrie Destefanohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04447209247265513676noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-219198050829448459.post-83906082662118312972012-08-31T08:27:00.000-07:002012-08-31T08:51:19.889-07:00Thank You to Bloggers reviewing FATHOMI just wanted to thank all the bloggers and book reviewers who have already agreed to either read FATHOM for review and/or let me write a guest post during the month of October. This is a list of the amazing blogs who will be taking part in the release of my first YA novel, FATHOM.<br />
<br />
<b>Blogs on the Tour</b><br />
<br />
1. Literary Escapism<br />
2. My Book Chatter<br />
3. Good Choice Reading<br />
4. The Travels of Sullivan McPig<br />
5. Book Faery<br />
6. My Bookish Ways<br />
7. Glitter in the Sun<br />
8. Once Upon A Blog<br />
9. Fiction Addict<br />
10. Vampire Book Club<br />
11. Black N Gold Girl's Bookspot<br />
12. My World...in pages and words<br />
13. Books and Things<br />
14. Lady Techies Book Musings<br />
15. Just Us Girls<br />
16. I Smell Sheep<br />
17. Little Hyuts<br />
18. Books are Wonderful Magic<br />
19. Oh, For The Love of Books<br />
20. Books N Kisses<br />
21. The YA Bookworm<br />
22. Bitten by Books<br />
23. Sara's Urban Fantasy Blog<br />
24. Dark Faerie Tales<br />
25. All Things Books<br />
<br />
<b>Thanks SO much! You all rock!! </b><br />
<br />
However, there's still time to be part of the tour. If you'd like to join, please check out the tour details <a href="http://www.merriedestefano.com/fathom-blog-tour.html"><b>HERE</b></a> or leave a comment below with your email address and a link to your blog URL.<br />
<br />
Merrie Destefanohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04447209247265513676noreply@blogger.com4