You can read the first four chapters here on Wattpad.

Sophie’s Secret Crush, Whispers Book Five
Sophie Sinora’s life is centered around three things: her growing telepathic powers, a cute witch named Ethan and her starring role in the school play.

Needless to say, she doesn’t have time for much else.

But someone is bound to come along and screw up her little slice of happiness.

That someone is her very first boyfriend, Frankie Salas.

Welcome to Sophie’s world: two crushes, one heartache, and a whole lot of drama.

Prize Pack One:

Prize Pack 2

Welcome to my stop on the Heroes and Villains blog hop. Read below to see how you can win a free signed copy of my YA fantasy, Curse of the Ice Dragon. A few months ago I talked about my villain, Madhea, an evil goddess from Curse of the Ice Dragon.  You can read about Madhea here.

For this blog post, I wanted to focus on one of the heroes in my book, Alec. Though he’s plagued with illness and not able to hunt or defend himself like his brother, The Mighty Hunter, Marcus, Alec is a hero to me because he’s never afraid to stand up to his tyrannical father. Despite their father’s best efforts to make Markus a monster, Alec serves as Marcus’s moral compass, teaching his brother right from wrong, knowing their father will beat him for it. To me, a true hero isn’t measured by physical abilities and strength, but the strength of heart and willingness to stand up for what he/she believes is right.

Curse of the Ice Dragon scene from chapter one:

“I wish I never had such skill. I wish I was more like you.” Tossing the blade aside, Markus turned toward Alec.

                Eyes narrowing, Alec’s gaze intensified. “Do you wish for every breath to be a struggle? To be weak and infirm, and hardly a man even at nine and ten winters!”

                “You are the strongest man I know, Alec. It takes strength and courage to stand up to our father. And your kindness to me…” His voice quavered as he dropped his gaze. “I do not understand.”

                “You are my brother.” Alec gripped Markus by both shoulders, looking up into his face with a pained expression. “What is there to understand?”

                Markus shrugged and swallowed the lump in his throat that seemed to originate from a hollow pit in his belly. “He beats you, even for my mistakes. A lesser man would despise me.”

                “You have good in you, brother, despite our father’s best efforts to make you a monster.”

                “I do not stand up to him as you do. I do not defend you as I ought.”

                “You might be as strong as an ox, but you are a lad still. Your time will come, brother.” Alec’s voice cracked before he coughed into his hand for several interminable seconds.

                Finally, Alec righted his posture and looked at Markus with a glazed-over expression. “On the night you were born, I made a promise to the Goddess that I would teach you compassion. A promise I will give my last dying breath to uphold. This is why I scold you when you kill more than you can eat. A kind hunter respects those animals he kills and does not take their lives unnecessarily.”

                Markus turned back to his kill. Picking up the knife, he cut through the meat of the rabbit before ripping open the ribcage with the tip of his blade. “Aye Brother, but when I see an easy target, I cannot stop the blood that pumps through my veins, driving me to kill the beast. It is a feeling I cannot explain.”

                With a hand on Markus’ back, Alec breathed at barely a whisper. “You must not surrender to your impulses.”

                Repressing the urge to laugh at his brother’s request, Markus pulled down the animal’s innards before ripping them free of its body. A smile crossed his face as the gutting was finally finished. All that was left were meat and bones for the stew.

                “I cannot help it.” He shrugged before tossing the organs in the bucket.

                Alec stood speechless behind him, leaving nothing between them but the wheezy sound of his strained breathing and the odor of fresh blood.

                Finally, he cleared his throat. “Killing comes too easily to you, Markus. It would seem your gift is more of a curse.”

Do you have a favorite fantasy or sci-fi hero? Leave your answer in the comments below and one random winner will be chosen to receive a free signed copy of Curse of the Ice Dragon. 

THANKS for stopping by! Tara                                              

Blog Hop Participants — Visit them to win other prizes!

1. Nyki Blatchley
2. Martin Bolton
3. Mike Cooley
4. Karin Cox
5. Joanne Hall
6. Jolea M Harrison
7. Tinney Sue Heath
8. “K. Scott Lewis
9. Paula Lofting
10. Liz Long
11. Peter Lukes
12. Mark McClelland
13. M. Edward McNally
14. Sue Millard
15. Rhiannon Douglas
16. Ginger Myrick
17. David Pilling
18. Kim Rendfeld
19. Terry L Smith
20. Tara West
21. Keith Yatsuhashi

In the meantime, YA licious is giving away several book download prize packs. My Whispers series is included. Enter HERE for your chance to win one of several great prizes!

Here’s the blog lineup. The more you enter, the more chances you have to win!

April 22:  Voicu Mihnea Simandan
April 23:  Books in the Hall
April 24:  Long and Short Reviews
April 25:  Lindsay’s Scribblings

April 26:  Shelley’s Book Case
April 26:  Journey of a Bookseller

And guess what? Even if you don’t win a download, the book is marked down to .99 on Amazon this week, too.  Click here to purchase.

Tara

Hey, friends! Sorry I’ve been absent but I’m working hard trying to finish my Whispers book five in time for release this May. In the meantime, I’ve got a treat for my more mature readers. Troll or Derby, a critically acclaimed dark fantasy is now just .99, but hurry and download your copy. The sale is just for this weekend!  Tara

Download Troll or Derby on Kindle, Nook, iTunes, Smashwords and Kobo.

Debra Wheeler seems like any other high school reject: at fifteen, she’s more into roller skating than boys, and Mom plays favorites with big sister Gennifer, the homecoming princess. With little to love in ultra-rural Bedrock, Indiana, Deb’s counting down the days until she can skate away to join the roller derby.

When Gennifer is kidnapped, Mom’s breakdown forces Deb to take charge. With no clue where to start and thugs on her tail, she turns to the only adult who has ever helped her out in a jam: Coach, the owner of the skating rink. So what if he has tusks and might be a troll? Coach gives her a pair of magical skates and sends her off into a world that reveals a magical, if somewhat sinister, nature. Deb soon discovers that beneath the “glamours” of everyday life flit a million fantastical stories–and her own might be the juiciest gossip in town.

The Midwestern lifestyle every teenager loves to hate is turned inside out as Deb careens through Rumspringa, biker gangs, flea markets and tractor pulls–all teeming with fae. The valiant troll Harlow tries to intervene before Deb strays from her mission into romance and roller derby, but will they join forces to save Gennifer, or be lost to this strange new realm, forever?

Readers will find Deb a smart and witty narrator who–like them–says the wrong thing, wishes she could be someone else, and falls for the wrong person. They’ll be drawn in by a girl who is independent and street smart, and they’ll fall for her destined BFF, the whimsical troll loner who guides them through this quirky dark fantasy romp.

Download Troll or Derby on Kindle, Nook, iTunes, Smashwords and Kobo.

“Red Tash delivers again with this tale of rockin’, rollin’ and full metal fantasy! I love this damn book.” ~Axel Howerton, author of Hot Sinatra, and Living Dead at Zigfreidt & Roy

About the Author

Red Tash is a journalist-turned-novelist of dark fantasy for readers of all ages. Monsters, SciFi, wizards, trolls, fairies, and roller derby lightly sautéed in a Southern/Midwestern sauce await you in her pantry of readerly delights. Y’all come, anytime.

Hey, readers! Here’s your chance to enter to win a HUGE ebook giveaway featuring my books and many other awesome YA reads.

CLICK HERE TO GO TO SARAH BILLINGTON’S BLOG AND ENTER!

Due to the upcoming release of the second book in the series, The Kiss Off has a brand new cover! Isn’t it pretty? Scroll down some more and you’ll find the cover for Over It (The Kiss Off 2).

Warning: Sexual References, occasional coarse language.

CLICK HERE TO GO TO SARAH BILLINGTON’S BLOG AND ENTER!

Hey, friends. Well, the good news is that I’m now 2/3 finished with my latest Whispers book. Yes! That’s right. I’m working hard to bring you more Sophie, Krysta and AJ. In the meantime, here’s an excerpt from Falling for Hadie by my friend, Komal Kant, with 60 reviews and a 4.8 average. If you loved the romantic tension between Sophie and Frankie, I think you’ll love this book as well. Download it HERE for just 1.99. Don’t know how long that price will last. Tara

Lincoln was dressed in gym shorts and a white wife beater that stretched across his muscular chest and displayed his arms for the world to see. Obviously, the guy was confident about his body which just made him come across as arrogant and self-assured. The kind of guy I wanted nothing to do with.

“Hairdresser?” he asked, seeming surprised. “What are you doing here?”

Was this guy dumb too?

I pointed at Halo. “Obviously, I’m walking my dog. And I’ve already told you, my name is Hadie.”

Lincoln ignored me and bent down on one knee so he was at eye-level with Halo. Halo began sniffing his shoes cautiously. I was kind of hoping he’d take a bite out of Lincoln’s face, but instead he began licking Lincoln’s outstretched hand.

My dog was a complete traitor.

“Hey, buddy,” Lincoln was saying in a voice you would normally use to address an infant under the age of five. “What’s your name?”

“Halo,” I spat out.

Lincoln stood up and smirked. “I don’t believe it. Hades has a dog named Halo. What are the odds?”

“You are seriously messed up, you know that? My name is Hadie, not Hades, so stop calling me that.” I gave him my best glare.

“Why are you so uppity?” Lincoln asked, drawing closer to me.

His proximity to me made me uneasy, and I inhaled sharply and took a step back. “I am not uppity. I just don’t like arrogant jerks.”

Lincoln raised an eyebrow. “You think I’m an arrogant jerk?”

“I don’t think you’re an arrogant jerk; I know it.”

“Oh, yeah? How do you know that?”

I tapped a finger against my chin as if contemplating his question, even though I already knew the answer.  He watched me in amusement, and, for some reason, it bothered me the way he was studying me.

“Hmm, it couldn’t have anything to do with the fact that you told me you’re used to girls throwing themselves at you, and then you implied that I was one of those girls. I get that you’re hot and everything, but-”

I stopped mid-sentence as a broad grin spread across Lincoln’s face.

“What?” I demanded.

“You think I’m hot?” he asked, leaning in so close that I forgot to breathe.

The way he was looking at me made my stomach flip backwards. For a moment, we just looked at each other, our breaths entangling in the cold air—neither of us said a word. Something unspoken was passing between us, making my heart thrum and my hands shake.

Coming to my senses, I placed a hand on the center of his firm chest and pushed him back. When Lincoln was that close it made it hard to think.

“That’s not the point,” I argued.  “The point is that I know your type and I don’t like your type, so stay away from me.”

Lincoln’s smile faded and he actually looked hurt for a moment. He turned to the side, lost in thought. For a second, I couldn’t help but admire his profile—the strong jaw, the straight and narrow nose and the thick, dark lashes that stood out against his face.

When he turned back to me, those azure eyes were on fire. The look in them was so scorching, so intense, that my knees went weak. It felt like the wind had been knocked out of me. No one had ever looked at me like that before.

“It’s going to be hard to stay away from you, Hadie.”

My breath caught in my throat, and I swallowed. “W-why?”

Lincoln tilted his head to the side. “Because you’re…” He trailed off, the words hanging in the air.

“I’m what?” I squeaked.

It was amazing the affect Lincoln was having on me. I’d been adamant that I would stay away from him, that I wouldn’t get close to him, but he was making that increasingly difficult for me. The boy was definitely attractive and now I knew how Mariah had felt earlier on.

A smile lurked around his mouth. “Because you’re my buddy for the week.”

The spell between us broke instantly, and I took another step back and glared at him. “I’d rather stab myself in the eye repeatedly with a hot poker.”

Lincoln laughed, raising his hands in front of him. “Whoa, settle down there, Hades. No need to get your panties in a bunch.”

My mouth fell open and I pushed him back again. I couldn’t believe the audacity of this guy. “You are so gauche!”

Lincoln raised an eyebrow. “I’m a what now?”

“Look it up in the dictionary!” I snapped, and stormed back the way I’d come.

Get Falling for Hadie on Amazon today! 

* * *

I also wanted to let you know about another YA bestseller. Chosen by Jolea Harrison, the first in an eight book completed fantasy saga is FREE today as well. Won’t you download and give it a try? All of her books in this saga have rave reviews!

The entire Guardians of the Word series is on sale for a limited time. Chosen, the first book of the series is free. The other 7 books are also on sale. Get the entire series for a little less than $21!

Dynan Telaerin finds himself on a corpse-strewn hillside, uncertain if he’s dead or alive, charged with saving his ancestor, the most powerful telepath to ever exist. Dynan has telepathic powers of his own, only he doesn’t know how to use them. With monsters and minions hunting him down, the demon’s lair isn’t the place to learn anything – except how to run and how to hide. Will courage alone be enough to face the greatest evil to exist? Will he lose his soul to save everyone else?The running starts, and doesn’t stop to the end of this action packed adventure of a young man coming to terms with his life while he’s barely a spirit, through horrors he thought existed only in dreams.Chosen is the first book of the series, The Guardians of the Word, and is suitable for mature young adults. The Chronicles are Chosen, Myth, Telepath, Legend, Union, Seer, Adept and King.

For the last 10 days of March, Betwixt is on sale on all Amazon stores. Click HERE to purchase for just 1.99 and help support a worthwhile cause.