Book Highlight : Not Quite Dead by Lyla Payne

A Lowcountry Ghost Story
Publication date: April 1st 2014
Genres: Mystery, New Adult, Paranormal

A broken engagement sends Graciela Harper crawling back to Heron Creek with her tail between her legs, but finds the sleepy little town too changed to set her life right. Not even her budding drinking problem can obscure her Gramps’s failing health, or erase the mental picture of her first love happily married to her childhood best friend. To top it all off, she’s having a heck of time convincing the town’s dashing young mayor of her unfit-for-dating status.

When the ghost of 18th century lady pirate Anne Bonny starts insisting on a near daily audience, Graciela has to confront something else she never expected—being certifiably nuts at twenty-five years old.

Her brand new “I don’t give a crap” attitude makes it easy to dismiss the mysterious threats that seem to be tied to her search for more information on the long dead pirate, but when her family becomes a target, Gracie knows she needs to find out why the ghost insists on being a constant, reeking companion.

If Graciela can put aside her prejudice against people without a pulse, she may discover that Anne Bonny’s problems are intricately linked with her own. The past harbors answers could help the cantankerous spirit find closure, but she is, after all, already dead. If Graciela doesn’t move fast, she might find herself doing the haunting, instead of the other way around.

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About The Author

Lyla Payne has been publishing New Adult romance novels for a little over a year, starting with Broken at Love and continuing with the rest of the Whitman University series. She loves telling stories, discovering the little reasons people fall in love, and uncovering hidden truths in the world around us - past and present. In her spare time she cuddles her two dogs, pretends to enjoy exercising so that she can eat as much Chipotle as she wants, and harbors a deep and abiding hope that Zac Efron likes older women. She loves reading, of course, along with movies, traveling, and Irish whiskey. Lyla's hard at work, ALWAYS, and hopes to bring you more Whitman University antics and at least one more Lowcountry ghost tale before the end of the year.

Lyla Payne is represented by Kathleen Rushall at Marsal Lyon Literary Agency.


If you want to know more, please visit her at http://lylapayne.com

If you're a fan of Young Adult fiction--science fiction or otherwise--please check out her work that's published under the name Trisha Leigh. http://trishaleigh.com

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Sneak Peak

In retrospect, perhaps drinking myself to sleep in my grandparents’ driveway hadn’t been
the best idea.
The epiphany arrives with a blast of sunlight and a knock on the driver’s-side
window that explodes my brain into pain soup. I manage to make out a shadowy form
through the tightest eye squint in history, its elderly, feminine hand shading a gaze that’s
directed more or less toward the two empty wine bottles on the passenger-side
floorboard.
Annoyance mingles with nostalgia, because the hand can belong to no one but Mrs.
Walters. She’s made a career out of being the neighborhood busybody, and spent half my
childhood chasing me back toward this very house with a garden hose turned on to full
blast.
After driving for almost a full day with no sleep, last night’s alcohol spectacular only
amounts to one of this morning’s problems, and my face and breath would be more at
home on a hooker who just came off a double shift. Not the fancy kind of hooker, either.
There’s nothing to do but crank down the window, which ushers a refreshing wash of
cool morning air into my oven of a car. Late May in South Carolina isn’t exactly
temperate. Regardless of the thin, disapproving line of her mouth, no amount of
childhood memories can summon a smile.
"Good morning, Graciela."
"What time is it?" I ask without acknowledging her greeting.
The grooves beside her lips deepen. "A little after seven."
"Christ. It had to be sunny." I shove the door harder than necessary but she steps
back, avoiding a good smash to the knees. I press my toes to the concrete, taking a few
gulps of fresh coastal air before grabbing the doorframe and wobbling to my feet.
"Are you ill?"
"What? No, not exactly."
"Is Martin well?" She crosses her arms over her chest, her faded brown gaze flicking
toward the house.
"I just got here. You’re the one who called me, remember?" Maybe Mrs. Walters had
gone batshit crazy since I’d last spent any real time in Heron Creek. Maybe I should have
considered that option before packing my entire crappy life into my crappy car and
hauling it from Iowa to South Carolina.
"He’s no worse off than when I called. I just wondered why you arrived in
this…harried state."
"Oh." I put my back to the rising sun, refusing to follow her eyes as they take in the
giant pile of clothes and shoes and hangers and toiletries crammed in my backseat. The
distaste curling her lips toward her chin says she might be wondering how many Iowa
City rats hitchhiked with the rest of the mess. "I was in a hurry."

Book Highlight : Channel 20Something by Amy Patrick

20Something #1
Publication date: August 12th 2014
Genres: Contemporary, New Adult, Romance

From award-winning author and two-time GOLDEN HEART® finalist Amy Patrick comes a New Adult contemporary series about twenty-somethings entering the world of TV broadcasting, where what happens behind the scenes is the real news.


22-year-old Heidi Haynes is almost one year into her “real life”. She has her first reporting job, her first apartment, and a comfortable relationship with her college sweetheart. But for some reason she’s not as eager to talk about walking down the aisle as he is.

Heidi secretly longs for big cities, big-market breaking news, and real independence from her way-too-close-by helicopter parents. Problem is, the last time she left the security of home for new places and new people, things didn’t go so well. Disastrously, in fact, and she came running back to a local college and a “safe” boyfriend.

Aric Serrano is definitely not safe.

He’s six-feet-four-inches of missing-Hemsworth-brother-hotness and plans to stay in small-market-Southern-Hell just long enough to grab a cup of coffee and put together a kick-ass “escape tape”. He’ll serve his one-year contract, then he’s taking off for a higher rung on the TV sports ladder—alone—the way he likes it. Then he meets his new co-anchor.

Heidi would be so much more comfortable if she could simply ignore Aric. He’s just her type—the type she’s so careful to avoid these days. But that becomes impossible when she's forced to work closely with him on the weekend newscast. Now the attraction between them is growing even faster than the ratings, and what happens behind the scenes is the real news.

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About The Author

Amy is a two-time Golden Heart finalist (2013 and 2014) who writes Young Adult fiction as Amy DeLuca and New Adult romance as Amy Patrick. She lives in Rhode Island with her husband and two sons and actually craves the heat and humidity of Mississippi, where she grew up. She's been a professional singer and news anchor and currently narrates audio books as well as working as a station host for a Boston TV station.

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Sneak Peak

The song segued into another Michael Jackson hit—the DJ must’ve been encouraged by the sudden influx of dancers to the floor and didn’t want to take a chance on losing the mojo. Mara jostled me with a hip-bump, and I laughed, beginning to move to the music more fluidly, relaxing, enjoying myself more than I had in a long time.
The girls from the station were spinning and showing off, thrilled to find a guy who would actually dance, and Aric served as a sort of group-partner for us all. Though we were all together, every time I glanced up at Aric’s face, he was watching me. He studied how my body moved, responding to my motions, matching them with moves of his own. We didn’t touch at all, but it felt like we were… connected somehow.
After another song or two, I grew used to the feel of his eyes on me, grew to like it. And the focused attention made me brave. I sang along with a song I knew, closing my eyes and moving to the hypnotic beat, as Michael advised me to let the madness and the music get to me.
“It’s fun to watch you dance.”
The nearness of Aric’s voice jolted me out of the moment. My eyes opened, and I took a step back, the seductive warmth of his breath still caressing my ear. “Um… you too. You’re good.”
He leaned in close again to be heard over the pounding music, his fingers gripping my shoulder lightly. “No. I mean I really like watching you.”
I stopped cold, right there on the dance floor. Literally feeling cold, as if someone had poured a post-game Gatorade bucket over my head.
“I’m—going to the ladies room.” I spun around and headed for the lighted sign in the back of the club as if the hounds of hell were at my back.
I’d recognized him. Not him, of course. But I knew what kind of guy he was—I’d met his breed before. The elite players, the sexual Heisman candidates, genetic freaks who produced bionic pheromonescapable of turning even the smartest girl stupid, at least temporarily.
How could I not have seen it right away? The beautiful face, the enticing scent, the self-assured way he walked and talked and danced. If I could’ve left the club right then, I would have. But I’d promised to drive Kenley and Mara home. I couldn’t strand them. I fled to the restroom and gave myself a narrow-eyed look in the mirror. Not going there, girlfriend. I did not return to the dance floor.

Book Highlight : Stone of Destiny by Laura Howard

Title: Stone of Destiny

Author: Laura Howard

Series:The Danaan Trilogy #2

Genre: New Adult, Fantasy

Allison thought it was crazy enough when she found out her father, Liam, wasn't entirely human. But now she has to join his magical allies to unravel his former mistress's plans. Aoife wants to keep Allison's parents apart forever.


Despite Allison's efforts to keep Ethan, the only guy she's ever cared about, out of this supernatural mess, fate keeps throwing him back into the mix.


Will Allison be able to find the amulet that holds the enchantment Aoife placed on Liam and destroy it? Are Ethan' s feelings for Allison strong enough to endure the magic of the Tuatha De Danaan?

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About Laura

Laura Howard lives in New Hampshire with her husband and four children. Her obsession with books began at the age of 6 when she got her first library card. Nancy Drew, Sweet Valley High and other girly novels were routinely devoured in single sittings. Books took a backseat to diapers when she had her first child. It wasn’t until the release of a little novel called Twilight, 8 years later, that she rediscovered her love of fiction. Soon after, her own characters began to make themselves known. The Forgotten Ones is her first published novel.

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Book highlight : Stealing Third by Marta Brown

Publication date: July 2014
Genres: Contemporary, New Adult, Romance

For Emily, going to camp, the summer before college starts, means leaving her feuding parents alone for the next eight weeks, and coming back to divorce papers is a risk she can’t take.

But no matter how many meddling phone calls, questionable hair decisions, and possibly illegal hookups she plans, her parents still march her off to Camp Champ totally against her will.

No matter. A few broken rules, and Em will be home free. That is, until she learns Tyler Ford, her baseball coach father’s star player and her drunken party hookup, is at camp, too.

For Tyler, summer is the onramp to the biggest decision of his life: med school or major leagues. Mega hot, possibly underage Emily? A complication he does not need.

But as the summer heats up with strikeouts and stolen bases will Tyler and Emily hit a home run and get what they’re after? Or will they both be thrown a curveball…in the game of love?

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About The Author

Marta Brown grew up in the Pacific Northwest and was a teenager when Doc Martens, Pearl Jam and flannel were the norm and Dylan loved Kelly forever. (Beverly Hills 90210 shout out)

She still lives just outside Seattle, now with her husband and cat, and loves the rain.

When she’s not writing about cute boys, first kisses and the magic and wonder of being seventeen, she’s watching The CW. And she sleeps in. Late.

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Sneak Peak

I move more quickly to the office now, having to know the answer. I pull the key from my pocket when a noise startles me from behind.
Spinning around, I expect to see one of the camp’s owners, but it’s not Gale or Walter. It’s Emily.
She’s in a pair of short shorts, with her hair piled high on her head in a messy ponytail, and she’s still wearing my sweatshirt, which hangs loose from her tiny frame. And she looks amazing.
Damn it.
“What are you doing?” I ask, barely above a whisper, the key dangling in my hand.
“Sneaking out,” Emily says in her full voice, sauntering towards me, clearly not trying to be stealthy.
“Well, you’re not doing a very good job at it.”
She laughs at my assessment, and judging by her volume, I can’t tell if she’s just not adept at the art of sneaking out, or if she’s purposely trying to be overt.
“Shhhh. Keep it down.” I glance around, not particularly wanting to get caught myself.
She keeps a smile on her face, but her eyes narrow. “Better question is—what are you doing?”
I take in the girl, hoping the answer I’m searching for in the middle of the night will be as obvious as a big red flashing sign that says ‘eighteen’ above her head, but no luck. In the dim moonlight, surrounded by the flickering light of fireflies, she looks as innocent and young in a pair of red flip-flops as she did in the out-of-control sexy red heels she wore a few nights ago.
“I uh…” I stammer, not sure if I should just come right out and ask.
She takes another step forward, so close I can smell the soft scent of bubble gum on her breath. “Yes?”
I run my hands through my hair. I might as well just admit what I’m doing, find out the truth, and call it a night. Because standing out here in the dark with her—all alone—is seriously tempting me to not give a shit. I want to kiss her again. Bad.