Book Blitz
Kiss Kill Love Him Still Book Blitz + #Giveaway
Kiss Kill Love Him Still
Dawn Rae Miller & Jamie Blair
Release Date: November 10th 2015
Genre: New Adult Murder Mystery
Jackson Landis kept secrets. It’s how he got girls into bed, the grades he wanted, and a reputation for being the life of the party.
But now he’s dead, and no one knows how or why. Especially not the four girls whose secrets he protected. Secrets so scandalous they could cause each girl to lose something valuable. Secrets so dark, someone may have killed for them.
The four girls – a campus drug dealer, an overweight bookworm, a closeted lesbian, and a spoiled princess have one thing in common – they’re terrified the things Jackson knew may not have died with him. As Reggie, Haddie, Val, and Livie try to piece together her own role in Jackson’s death, each girl realizes Jackson had some not-so-pretty skeletons of his own.
Which makes a girl wonder, who really wanted Jackson Landis dead?
Amazon / Amazon UK / B&N / iTunes / Kobo
About The Author
About Jamie:
Young adult author of the Kirkus-starred novel Leap Of Faith (Simon & Schuster 2013), and Lost To Me (2014), featured in the New York Times and USA Today bestselling anthology, Dirty Boys of Summer. Represented by Rebecca Friedman of RF Literary.Website / Goodreads / Twitter / Google+ / Facebook / Instagram
—
Dawn is a Twitter and fashion addict whose favorite things in life are her family, gorgeous dresses, tea leaf salad, and French macarons. She splits her time between San Francisco and Northern Virginia, and is always up for a trip to Paris.
Enter The Giveaway Here
Thanks for stopping by,
Revealers & Uninvited by Amanda Marrone Book Spotlight + #Giveaway #TipsySpooktacular Stop 5
Ahem.
Ohai there!
Today I have a treat for you all. It’s another book spotlight BUT there are 2 and they are NOT part of a series :O I know that seems odd from someone like me who absolutely LOVES to read book series, serieses… Ehh I know, not very English major or author-y of me but whatever, I think the first one is correct.
So back on topic, this is more of an Author Spotlight. I don’t exactly remember when I bought these books just that I love them and I really hope you all take a chance on them. I know the goodreads rating isn’t all that great for one of them but I think the books rock.
The books in question are ‘Uninvited’ and ‘Revealers’ by Amanda Marrone. Uninvited is an out of the box vampire read. Abso-freaking-lutely like nothing I have ever read when it comes to vampires. Sure I got a Dangerous Girls by R.L. Stine vibe from it BUT it was a novel all on its own. The similarity starts and ends with the age of the main character, the vampire thing and how dark it is. Literally that is it. This book, and other vampire books sit at 2 vastly different ends of the spectrum. There is no romantizing the vampires. And personally, I liked that this was not really marketed as a vampire book. Aside for my knowledge of vampire invitations, the night time visits and the eerie but beautiful cover, there was no giveaway to the vampire tidbit. Now, before you go all crazy reader on me, this is not a spoiler. The author has mentioned that it is a vampire story and this in no way gives away the plot of the series of events that follow. I literally love this book. It is dark and can seem a bit slow to start with but it’s worth the wait.
Revealers is an interesting and fun magical read. I was initially drawn in by the cover because well come on who wouldn’t be, it’s gorgeous! I love the blue smoke and the simplicity in the design. So I did what most do when a book cover jumps out and snags their attention I flipped it over and got to reading the synopsis. I was all for it! I got to reading and I couldn’t put it down. I even remember where I was sitting for the couple of hours it took for me to finish it. It’s full of plot twists and interesting magic and witches. Its spooky to an extent
but really keeps you on your toes. This too stands on its own as a paranormal novel and book featuring a witchy cast. When all was said and done, I was super sad to see this story was over. They are not spooky in your typical sense but I do feel like these are great books to get you into the Halloween/Samhain mood. See what I did there 😉
Also, funny story guys, I penned a character who was a witch years ago when I was 14, before having read any of these books but she was nameless… I just kept using ‘insert name’ then I read Revealers years later, I loved the characters, all of them. But one name just kept haunting me. Fast forward 1 year and I actually met a woman with this name while shopping for incense. She was a pagan woman like my sister, but her personality was so similar to this witch I had written and it felt like it was meant to be. So in a weird chance of fate, this woman and the book ‘Revealers’ helped me name one of my main characters in The Birth Curse Series, I give you, Zahara Frost ladies and gentlemen.
Revealers
Amanda Marrone
Genre: YA Paranormal Fantasy, Supernatural Fiction
Release Date: September 30, 2008
Publisher: Simon Pulse
ISBN: 978-1416958741
ASIN: B004KKXN3W
Goodreads Rating: 3.58
Witchin’ ain’t easy.
Jules has a rebellious streak, a massive crush on Connor, and the abilities of a Revealer witch. By day, she and her coven friends seem like typical high school seniors. By night, they have the power to make werewolves, vampires, and ghosts reveal themselves, so they can destroy them. It’s not exactly cheerleading, but at least the girls know they’re doing the world some good.
One by one, Jules’s friends turn eighteen and are initiated into the coven’s inner circle. And one by one, they are getting completely freaked out. Jules is the youngest, and though her friends are too scared tell her what’s going on, something’s clearly not right. As her birthday approaches, Jules realizes she’s got to find out what’s behind the shadows of her coven before it’s too late to save her friends…and herself. But what she discovers may be too powerful for even the toughest witches to defeat.
Genre: YA Paranormal Fantasy, Supernatural Fiction
Release Date: October 23, 2007
Publisher: Simon Pulse
ISBN: 978-1416939788
ASIN: B003YFJ1DK
Pages: 224
Goodreads Rating: 2.95
Jordan’s life sucks. Her boyfriend, Michael, dumped her, slept his way through half the student body, and then killed himself. But now, somehow, he appears at her window every night, begging her to let him in.
Jordan can’t understand why he wants her, but she feels her resistance wearing down. After all, her life — once a broken record of boring parties, meaningless hookups, and friends she couldn’t relate to — now consists of her drinking alone in her room as she waits for the sun to go down.
Michael needs to be invited in before he can enter. All Jordan has to do is say
the words….
About The Author

Not surprisingly, she was extremely scared of the dark—living in fear of cats meowing at the door at night (she was sure they were really monsters pretending to be her cats), and things lurking in basements, attics, dark rooms, and closets.Amanda successfully avoided monster attacks by leaving all the lights on in her house, and convincing other family members to let the cats in—eventually earning a B.A. in Education at SUNY Cortland. She taught fifth and sixth grade in New Hampshire, where she was known for putting on mini-musicals, and dissecting eyeballs and owl pellets with her students.
After taking a very early retirement to raise a family and write novels—some of which have vampires and other creepy creatures, Amanda now lives in Connecticut with her husband, Joe, two kids, two cats, a crayfish, hissing cockroaches, and
their newest addition is Griffin, a havanese dog who can say “Hello” and “I love you”. Check the links page to see Griffin’s YouTube videos where you can see him in action.
Amanda loves reading, going to Broadway shows, creepy crawly things, hiking, annoying her husband with show tunes, and is thinking about getting another tattoo. She is still scared of the dark.
Amanda’s first two books for teens, Uninvited and Revealers are available now, and her next book Devoured will be out in September of 2009. Her middle grade series The Magic Repair Shop Chronicles: The Multiplying Menace, Kobold Blues
and The Shape Shifter’s Curse will be available starting in the summer of 2010.
Enter The Giveaway Here
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The Morganville Vampires Series by Rachel Caine Spotlight #TipsySpooktacular Stop 3
Hello again my little ghouls and goblins! Next up on the #TipsySpooktacular month long giveaway is another one of my favorite series ‘The Morganville Vampires’.
I came across this gem shortly after the 3rd was published. I was searching for a completely non-romantic vampire book and this seemed perfect. I read the book in all of one afternoon, handed it to my sister to read and when we were both well and hooked rushed to buy the next 2 the series. I got to book 6 and then life kind of took over and the series fell to the back burner. I discovered a really cool site not too long ago (review of that site coming soon) and may have gone a little book buying crazy so on my free time I’m happily finishing this series and loving every second of it.
The cool thing about this series is the super short web series online hosted on ‘Geeks & Sundry‘ youtube page thanks to the producers Rachel Caine/Pen Ultimate Productions, Sheri Bryant/Geek & Sundry and the ever wonderful Felicia Day/Geek & Sundry (nerd/geek queen extraordinaire). There is currently only 1 season, with six 9ish minute long episodes. The acting isn’t superb so don’t go hoping for a blockbuster hit but its fun. Plus as a bonus you get Amber Benson (Tara from Buffy the Vampire Slayer) playing The Founder!
So with out further ado, I’m introducing you to the first 3 and linking the rest down below on the banner. If you’d like to check out the web series I highly suggest taking a weekend and reading at least the first 2 books! There are multiple covers and omnibus versions so the choice is yours but I personally am a fan of the images I used on this post cause that’s how I was introduced to this series!
Glass Houses
The Morganville Vampires
Book #1
Rachel Caine
Genre: YA Paranormal Fantasy
Release Date: October 3. 2006
ISBN: 978-0451219947
ASIN: B000O76NAK
Pages: 239
Goodreads Rating: 3.93
Book Description:
From the author of the popular Weather Warden series comes the debut of an exciting new series set in Morganville, Texas, where you would be well advised to avoid being out after dark.
College freshman Claire Danvers has had enough of her nightmarish dorm situation. When Claire heads off-campus, the imposing old house where she finds a room may not be much better. Her new roommates don’t show many signs of life, but they’ll have Claire’s back when the town’s deepest secrets come crawling out, hungry for fresh blood. Will she be able to face the town’s terror or will she drown like everyone else?
The Dead Girls’ Dance
The Morganville Vampires
Book #2
Rachel Caine
Genre: YA Paranormal Fantasy
Release Date: April 3, 2007
ISBN: 978-0451220899
ASIN: B000Q3628U
Pages: 256
Goodreads Rating: 4.07
Book Description:
Claire Danvers has her share of challenges—like being a genius in a school that favors beauty over brains, dealing with the homicidal girls in her dorm, and above all, finding out that her college town is overrun with vampires. On the up side, she has a great roommate (who tends to disappear at sunup) and a new boyfriend named Shane, whose vampire-hunting dad has called in backup: cycle punks who like the idea of killing just about anything.
Now a fraternity is throwing its annual Dead Girls’ Dance and—surprise!—Claire and her equally outcast best friend, Eve, have been invited. When they find out why, all hell is going to break loose. Because this time both the living and the dead are coming out—and everybody’s hungry for blood.
Midnight Alley
The Morganville Vampires
Book #3
Rachel Caine
Genre: YA Paranormal Fantasy
Release Date: October 2, 2007
ISBN: 978-0451222381
ASIN: B000UZJR9K
Pages: 245
Goodreads Rating: 4.12
Book Description:
Claire Danvers’s college town may be run by vampires but a truce between the living and the dead made things relatively safe.
For a while.
Now people are turning up dead, a psycho is stalking her, and an ancient bloodsucker has proposed private mentoring. To what end, Claire will find out. And it’s giving night school a whole new meaning.
Honestly, this series brought me back to a time when vamps were NOT your friends… Not to mention my love for the characters! There are 15 official books with a lot of short stories floating around to help you get a better understanding of certain past events and why our beloved characters are the way they are! This series is also the one that inspired me to pick up a pen and create Sienna from The Birth Curse Series!
Check out the Rest of the Series!
About The Author 
Rachel Caine is the NYT, USA Today and internationally bestselling author of the Morganville Vampires series – Glass Houses, The Dead Girls’ Dance, Midnight Alley, Feast of Fools, Lord of Misrule, Carpe Corpus, Fade Out, Kiss of Death, Ghost Town, Bite Club, Last Breath (Nov. 2011) and Black Dawn (May 2012). There are currently FIFTEEN books planned for the series, which has been released in more than 25 countries around the world, and is available in audiobook, ebook, and compilation editions.
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Tumblr
Enter The Giveaway Here
I’m giving away some paperback to US residents and a few ebooks.
Books will be from the ones you find on the #TipsySpooktacular Tour
Thanks for stopping by,
Moonflower by E.D.C. Johnson Interview and $0.99 Sale Promo!!!
Moonflower
E.D.C. Johnson
Moonflower Trilogy #1
Release Date: March 29, 2013
ISBN: 978-1476232003
ASIN: B00CIE5P4C
Summary:
After Josephine Woods’ father dies of cancer, her mother up-roots the two of them and moves to the city. Josie hates her city life, but her teenage issues are of little consequence when they have a car accident and she wakes up in a strange land (reminiscent of Victorian Europe) alone. Lost, with her school backpack as the only connection to her world, Josie struggles to find her way home. She is found by Lucius Conrí, the son of a Marquess, who possesses royal blood and the gift to shift into a wolf’s form at will. Can the kind-hearted Lucius help her find her way while winning her love, or will she fall for Donovan Conrí his older, more serious brother and heir to the Conrí wealth?
ON SALE JAN. 30rd – FEB. 5th!!!
Starting Jan 30th (12:00am PST) til Feb. 2nd (11:59pm PST) you can purchase this book via Amazon for $0.99. The ebook is normally $4.99 so your looking at a massive discount (about 80% to give you a ball park est.)
Then, on Feb. 3rd at 12:00am PST the price will go up to $1.99 (still a pretty good deal if you ask me). That deal will go on until the 5th of Febuaray. Obviously, the earlier you purchase the book, the more you save!
Interview with the Author
(Interview provided by Author E.D.C. Johnson)
1) First, tell us about yourself – where you live, your family, and those sorts of details.
I live with my husband and 5 month old daughter in Palm Harbor, Florida. I’m a transplant from Michigan, but relish in the sunny weather. Before my daughter arrived my two dogs, a 5lb. Chihuahua and an 75lb. lab mix, had all of my attention. Well, at least what energy I had left after coming home from hundreds of children as a public school art teacher.
2) How long have you been writing?
I have enjoyed writing ever since I was in grade school (I even won a Young Author Award). I was told I had a talent for it by teachers, but never really gave it any consideration as a career—until now. And, of course, going through college to get my Bachelors and Masters degrees involved a great deal of writing. Art theory is one of my favorite parts of what I do and expressing your ideas in writing is essential.
3) Do you have a favorite place to write?
<sheepish smile>
Well, my favorite place to write is in bed. After all the hustle and bustle of the day is over I can truly focus on what is flowing out of my mind. Night is the most creative time of the day for me. The story unfolds like a daydream or movie in my head. I fell obligated to give public safety announcement though and say that writing in bed is horrible for your neck and back.
4) Why did you decide to write Moonflower?
It may seem cliche, but it came to me in a daydream. Right before I was about to fall asleep I imagined this scenario and it began to play like a movie in my mind. Then I incorporated my favorite necklace into the idea. It is made of moonstone. This then made me wonder if there was an actual moonflower, and, well, the rest is history.
5) Who is your favorite character in your book and why?
I’m going to have to choose someone other than the main characters. Even though I like them all it just seems so predictable. That being said, I would have to pick Konrad the old alchemist that acts as mentor and tutor to Lucius Conrí. I can picture him so clearly. He is brilliant, yet disheveled. But when it comes down to it he is like an old oak. Konrad is wise from his years of life and strong when you need someone to lean upon. He has such a comfortable demeanor that makes him very approachable, like a grandfather figure.
6) How about your least favorite character? What makes them less appealing to you?
My least favorite character is Roderick. Not that I dislike the poor guy, he is simply an extremely reserved butler. There isn’t much to get excited about him, but his character is a necessary supporting cast member.
7) Do you proofread/edit your own books or do you get someone to do that for you?
Of course I have read, reread and had my husband read the book. I go to a writing group and we exchange reading our pages and edit each other’s work. Finally I did have an editor, a woman who is my writing coach and coordinator of our writing group, yet you may find a sneaky error in there. It seems almost impossible to win.
8) What do you like to do when you’re not writing?
Well, as of late I am all about being a mommy. My 9 1/2 month old takes up a lot of my time. My other hobbies are creating my art and gardening.
9) Do you read much and if so who are your favorite authors?
I don’t get to read as much as I would like. I have been reading lately to vlog for a review site. This allows me to keep up with what other paranormal authors are writing and to continue to analyze what makes a good book. One of my favorite classical authors is Jane Austen. She is a real inspiration to me.
10) What question do you wish that someone would ask about your book, but nobody has? Write it out here, then answer it.
What do you want readers to take away from reading your book?
I genuinely hope people enjoy reading my book. Without giving away the end I want people to debate the outcome and what it all means. Most of all I hope readers think it was entertaining and are left wanting more.
Author Bio 
EDC Johnson grew up in the Midwest, graduating from Michigan State University with her BFA in Art Education and her MA in Art Education from Western Michigan University. She currently lives with her husband in Palm Harbor, Florida. Her decade of experience as a public school art teacher has inspired her to write fiction novels that will entice young readers. You may see some of her illustrations in Renee Mallet’s: Fairies, Mermaids, and Other Mystical Creatures.
Author Links:
Thanks for stopping by and stay tuned for my review on this title,
Darkness Watching Book Blitz Giveaway + Excerpt
Darkness Watching
Emma L Adams
Reviews of DARKNESS WATCHING:
Normal every day teen situations felt completely believable.” – Erin at Erin Albert Books
I have to say, I didn’t see the ending coming! … the final showdown left me speechless (You will have to read it!)” – Julia at Never Judge a Book by its Movie
Excerpt from Darkness Watching
Sarah.
out of the darkness.
moved, it seemed to solidify into an animalistic shape, crouched on all fours. Shadows blurred around it like a long shaggy coat.
About the Author
Enter The Giveaway Here
Book Blitz Hosted by:
AFTER DARK Pre-Order Book Blast & Giveaway!
The AFTER DARK Anthology featuring Gena Showalter’s The Darkest Angel and Kait Ballenger’s Shadow Hunter is being released in mass market paperback on December 31 and to celebrate we are giving away lots of goodies.
ENTRY RULES:
PLEASE BE SURE TO READ ENTRY RULES COMPLETELY!
In order to enter, you must email a picture, screen shot or attach a copy of your receipt from your purchase of either the MASS MARKET PAPERBACK or MASS MARKET EBOOK version of After Dark.
PLEASE NOTE: It MUST be the MASS MARKET format to be eligible for the giveaway.
Email your receipts to kaitballengergiveaway@gmail.com
PRIZE PACKAGES:
GRAND PRIZE:
Two (2) random entrants will each receive a $100.00 gift card to Amazon.
FIRST 10 ENTRANTS:
will receive a giant SWAG pack that contains a signed bookplate plus bookmarks from Gena along with SWAG from 50+ authors, courtesy of Book Monster Promotions.
FIRST 50 ENTRANTS:
will receive a goodie bag from Kait that includes bookmarks, magnets, pens and other goodies.
FIRST 500 ENTRANTS:
will receive the first chapter of Immortal Hunter, Book #2 in Kait’s Execution Underground series for an exclusive peek.
You have until 1/10/14 to purchase your Mass Market edition and submit your receipt. Winners will be announced by 1/15/14.
AFTER DARK
Mass Market Paperback: 400 pages
Publisher: Harlequin HQN (December 31, 2013)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 037377852X
ISBN-13: 978-0373778522
A Timeless Seduction
A Unique Temptation
And a Whole World of Dark Desires…
From New York Times bestselling author Gena Showalter….
The Darkest Angel
Winged warrior Lysander has been alive for centuries, and yet he’s never known desire—until he meets Bianka. Spawned from the bloodline of his enemy, the beautiful but deadly Harpy is determined to lead the untouched Lysander into temptation. He may try to evade her attempts, but even the most iron-willed demon assassin can resist for only so long….
And from debut author Kait Ballenger….
Shadow Hunter
Vampire hunter Damon Brock’s newest assignment with the Execution Underground is Rochester, New York, a city crawling with the undead. But he isn’t the only hunter in town gunning for vamp blood. Tiffany Solow is fierce and ruthless when it comes to slaying the monsters that destroyed her family—and she works solo. But being alone is no longer an option when she meets the mysterious hunter who wants more than just her turf. Forced to unite against the local covens, the line between good and evil blurs when they must decide between their lifelong beliefs…and their newfound desires.
MASS MARKET EDITION AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER NOW:
AMAZON PAPERBACK: http://www.amazon.com/After-Dark-Darkest-Angel-Shadow-Hunter/dp/037377852X/ref=tmm_mmp_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1384759881&sr=1-1
B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/after-dark-gena-showalter/1113942026?ean=9780373778522
Thanks for stopping by,
Seeress (Runes Book 3) Cover Reveal!!!
Seeress
Runes Novel #3
Ednah Walters
I love Torin St. James…
I crave his touch…
I need his strength…
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
EDNAH WALTERS grew up reading Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys and dreaming of one day writing her own stories. She is a stay-at-home mother of five humans and two American short-hair cats (one of which has ADHD) and a husband. When she is not writing, she’s at the gym doing Zumba or doing things with her family, reading, traveling or online chatting with fans.
Ednah is the author of The Guardian Legacy series, a YA fantasy series about children of the fallen angels, who fight demons and protect mankind. AWAKENED, the prequel was released by Pill Hill Press in September 2010 with rave reviews. BETRAYED, book one in the series was released by her new publisher Spencer Hill Press in June 2012 and HUNTED, the third installment, was released March 2013. She’s working on the next book in the series, FORGOTTEN. Visit her at www.ednahwalters.com.
Ednah also writes YA paranormal romance. RUNES is the first book in her new series. IMMORTALS is book 2. She just released book 3, GRIMNIRS December 2013. Read more about this series and the world she’s created here www.runestheseries.com.
Under the pseudonym E. B. Walters, Ednah writes contemporary romance. SLOW BURN, the first contemporary romance with suspense, was released in April 2011. It is the first book in the Fitzgerald family series. Since then she has published five more books in this series. She’s presently working on book seven. You can visit her online at or www.ebwalters.com.
BOOK LINKS
Cover Reveal Organized By:
Ominous Tour: Order of the Seers Book 1 & 2 Review + Giveaway and Never Before Seen Content
On Tour with Prism Book Tours
What would you do if you held
infinite power in the palm of your hand?

Order of The Seers
(Order of The Seers #1)
Cerece Rennie Murphy
Order of the Seers begins with the journey of Liam and Lilith Knight, a brother and sister who are hunted by The Guild, a ruthless world organization that seeks to capture and exploit Lilith s unique ability as a Seer to envision the future. Soon after they are forced to leave their home, Lilith and Liam discover that she is not alone. Other Seers like Lilith are routinely kidnapped and enslaved by the Guild for the purpose of consolidating wealth and power around the world…
The Red Order
(Order of The Seers #2)
Cerece Rennie Murphy
The Quest to Control the Power of the Seers Continues…
‘
see the future, honing their skills to become the ultimate threat against the Lost Seers. But the question remains – will the power of The Red Order be enough to defeat them?
The Red Order continues the epic battle for freedom which began in Order of the Seers, revealing the secret motives behind an organization that exists to exploit and a renegade movement that seeks to usher in the next phase in human evolution.

Cerece Rennie Murphy lives and writes just outside of her hometown of Washington, DC. In addition to completing the Order of the Seers trilogy, Ms. Murphy is also developing a children’s book series titled Enchanted: 5 Tales of Magic in the Everyday, and a 2-part science fiction series set in outer space.
Enter The Giveaways Here:
1 free ebook of Order of the Seers to giveaway at each blog post
(That’s alot of chances to win!)
Raffle 1
Tour-wide Giveaway:
Raffle 2
Twisted Release Day Blitz
Today is the release day of Twisted (Deathwind Triolgy #1) by Holly Hook!
Twisted
Deathwind Trilogy
Book #1
Holly Hook
Summary:
Sixteen-year-old Allie isn’t like other girls. Instead of spending her summer break sitting around on the beach, she takes the epic vacation of a lifetime.
Tornado chasing.
And she’s not disappointed. Just a few miles from the town of Evansburg, Nebraska, Allie meets her dream of seeing a tornado. In person. She can’t wait to tell her friends back home. Never mind that her parents are going to kill her.
But her dream soon turns into a nightmare, and a strange event leaves her shocked. Confused. When she returns home to Wisconsin, something’s…different. Allie now bears a curse so awful, it could destroy everyone and everything she’s ever known.
With her best friend, Tommy, Allie must return to the plains to find a way to reverse it. She enters a world that she had never imagined, where she becomes a pawn in a fight to save the people of Evansburg from her fate…or to destroy them.
Purchase on Amazon Purchase on B&N Purchase on Smashwords
Teaser
My very first tornado touches the grass of the plains.
I stand next to the van, mouth dropping open, heart pounding. It’s the moment I’ve been waiting for, saved money for, begged my uncle to book us for the Wild Weather Storm Chasing Tours for.
Uncle Cassius swears next to me, equally in awe. It barely cuts over the wind rushing towards the distant funnel. Waves of grass bow down to the twister, whipped down by the surrounding air flying in to feed it. The perfect white cone stands out against the coal sky, slim and graceful. A skirt of dust spins around its base, signaling its dance through a field a few miles away.
“Beautiful!” Kyle, our storm chaser guide, snaps a photo for his website. He steals a glance at me and smiles. He’s all enthusiasm, joy that we’ve found our prey. “Don’t worry. We’re safe. It’s heading to the east. It’ll pass no closer than a couple of miles to our north.”
I want his job someday.
“I’m not scared,” I said, but my shaky voice betrays me. Who am I kidding? Kyle’s an experienced chaser–twenty years–but this is a real tornado. In person. Live. I never realized it would be this intense, this breathtaking. A hollow feeling fills my stomach like I’m plunging down the first hill of a roller coaster.
The tornado curves, almost like it’s leaning to the side for a better look at something. At us? It’s a silly thought, one that makes me laugh. The thunderstorm spins slowly above it, low and menacing. Thunder claps. It’s enough to remind me that the storm in front of me isn’t just beautiful. It’s a predator, entrancing like a cobra and ready to strike.
Good thing there’s no houses or buildings in its way. Only farmland stretches from horizon to horizon.
“Allie. Forget your camera?” Uncle Cassius slaps me on the arm, smiling. It’s a tense smile. So I’m not the only one with some nerves going.
Camera.
Yes. Duh.
I pull it out of my pocket and fumble with the slim case, fingers hunting for the button. The camera zings to life. Behind it, the tornado looms a bit larger, gaining strength and racing across the ground. More dust kicks up around the perfect white of the twister.
“Now I can really prove to everyone at school how crazy I am.” I give Uncle Cassius a nervous chuckle. The camera trembles in my hands as I catch the tornado in my view, click, and seal it in my memory forever.
I’m having the most insane summer vacation of my entire high school.
I lift the camera for another shot, backing up to squeeze the tornado into the viewport. I click another picture and lowered the camera again for another look.
My heart jumps.
The tornado looms larger, taller. Kyle holds his hand up to his face, squinting for a better view. Even Uncle Cassius goes quiet, stiffening and taking a step back towards the tour van.
All at once I understand.
The tornado has changed course.
Kyle turns. Real fear widens his features.
“Get in the van,” he shouts.
* * * * *
The one big thing I can recall from those first ten seconds is the roar, like a distant train growing closer. The wind whips my hair back, trying to pull me back out of the van. It feels like the twister’s right behind me already, coming down for the kill.
I slam the door on it. The funnel’s much bigger behind the glass, so much that I can’t see the top of it anymore.
Uncle Cassius snaps on his seat belt next to me. Kyle starts it up, punches the gas, and gets us back on the road to nowhere.
I toss my camera to the floor. My hands fumble with the seat belt. The van speeds up, slamming me into the seat. The specter of the tornado closes in, whipping across the field towards us. I’ve heard of tornadoes making sudden turns like this but I never realized it could happen this fast. It rips across the field, coming straight at us. My heart beats on a runaway course. My mind locks into overdrive. I feel like that news crew they always have on tornado shows, that one that survived by hiding under that overpass. Will Kyle make us get out and climb under one? They’re actually bad places to hide. That news crew got off lucky. Kyle knows better. He’s been chasing storms longer than I’ve been alive.
Only green and yellow spreads out ahead. No shelter for miles. Worse, no ditches. The radar on Kyle’s laptop is covered in ugly red and orange blotches like Nebraska has sores.
A hole of panic opens up inside me and for the first time, I regret coming on this vacation.
“Can’t you go faster?” Uncle Cassius leans forward in his seat, gaze hard, arms trembling.
Uncle Cassius never loses his cool.
Ever.
Not even when I accidentally set his Persian rug on fire when I was seven and broke my arm at the age of nine.
Outside, the tornado grows so close that I could only see the bottom half of the funnel. The van bounces along every speed bump on the highway, every uneven spot. My stomach heaves. I’m going to be sick right here. It’s my stupid fault we’re in this mess.
“I don’t understand.” Kyle punches the gas harder, making the van jump. He turns his head like Linda Blair in the Exorcist, eyes widening. “The tornado should not be moving this way.”
He’s right. It shouldn’t. But it is.
The funnel reaches the road behind us, twisting harder, kicking up earth higher and higher. We’ve gotten out in front of it. I breathe a sigh of relief. Kyle and Uncle Cassius do the same. It’ll cross the road and forget all about us.
Kyle lets off the gas a little and the whine of the engine calms some. “We’re safe now. That was highly unusual. I’ve never seen a tornado turn like that in my career.” There’s a hint of an apology in his voice.
“Well, that was a close one, wasn’t it, Allie?” Uncle Cassius hugs me from the side.
“Yeah,” I say, willing my heart to slow down. At least I can think straight now. Can I even do another two days of this?
Wow, what a dumb idea this was.
But I still can’t resist another look at the storm. I turn as far as my seat belt allows.
My guts fall out of me all over again.
The tornado’s still on the road, bigger than ever. It can’t be.
The twister has turned again. It’s coming right up behind us. Rolling dust eats the entire highway. There’s tornado taking up the whole view of the back window. Dust rips to the sides. The bottom of its funnel spins with fury, big enough to swallow a house whole. Its roar screams against the outside of the van, shaking the seat, pushing the whole van to the side.
It’s no longer beautiful.
“Ohmigod,” I say, sucking in a breath. “Um…Kyle? Stomp on the gas. Just saying.”
“I know!” he snaps. His knuckles turn white on the steering wheel. The van lurches again but he maintains control.
“Allie, get down!” Uncle Cassius puts his huge hand on my back and pushes me towards the floor. The seat belt cuts into my throat.
What good is it going to do? If the tornado lifts the car–
I’m going to die.
I begged to go on this trip and now Uncle Cassius is going to die too.
The windows shatter with a deafening boom and the wind screams in my ears. AllieAllieAllieAllie…
I can’t breathe.
We’re floating.
Uncle Cassius shouts something. Kyle yells. If I’m screaming, I can’t tell. The storm’s sucking it right out of me. Windy hands seize my arms, my legs.
They pull.
My safety belt snaps, whipping against my leg. I cry out with the sting. The seat disappears under me.
I’m flying.
The tornado’s ripping me right out of the van.
The world turns to a white and brown roar. The van’s gone. I have no time to cry out to Uncle Cassius before the world snaps to black and silence takes the place of all.
About Holly Hook
Holly Hook is the author of the Destroyers Series, which consists of five young adult books about teens who are walking disasters…literally. She is also the author of the Rita Morse series, a young adult fantasy series still in progress, and After These Messages, a short ya comedy. Currently she is writing Twisted, a spin-off of the Destroyers Series due out in December. When not writing, she enjoys reading books for teens, especially ya fantasy and paranormal series with a unique twist.
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