Hi guys! Today is my stop on the Curse of the Beast Blog Tour! Today I am lucky enough to present an excerpt from Star Cursed, book two of the series! And a giveaway!
Title: Curse of the Beast (book 1)
Author: Ashley Lavering
Genre: YA Paranormal Romance and Fairy Tale Retelling
Publisher: Silvermist Publishing
E-book Published: May 1, 2012
Paperback Estimated Publication date: Aug 17, 2012, to Amazon.
Description: A dark shadow stalks the night, watching her—waiting to claim what is his.
Seventeen-year-old Tayla Jonas longs for a simple life, but after a traumatizing family loss, she is forced to be both mother and sister to her cousins while caring for her mentally unstable aunt. Moving to her grandma’s quiet town of Cody, Wyoming, Tayla finds some normalcy with her quirky green activist friend, Chel, who spends no time converting her to vegetarianism.
A few weeks into her new school, Tayla catches the eye of Kyle Harrington—the high school quarterback and resident millionaire—who can seduce any girl with his charismatic charm, including Tayla. But Kyle is anything but what he seems.
Walking through City Park, Tayla is unaware that an ancient curse has her in its crosshairs. The silver moonlight illuminates the path to her van, sprinkling shadows like evil twinkling eyes. Tayla’s skin prickles, and she turns. Something—or someone—is watching her.
A powerful werewolf steps from the shadows. An iridescent blue chord shoots from him and slams into her stomach, dissolving instantly. Pain wracks her body, and she tries to scramble to safety, but his silver eyes freeze her in place as the curse binds them together. The chord settles deep inside her body, coiling with dread around her heart.
Dismayed by the prospect of a werewolf for a shadow, Tayla fears for the safety of her friends and family. How will she keep the werewolf’s insatiable hunger in check? Her plans for a vegetarian lifestyle quickly dwindle away, and Tayla wrestles to fit her frazzled life back together—piece by piece. But what she didn’t expect was her attraction to the werewolf or the power of the full moon.
Will Tayla be strong enough to survive the Curse of the Beast? Or will it consume her like so many before? Find out in the first installment of this unique retelling of Beauty and the Beast.
Seventeen-year-old Tayla Jonas longs for a simple life, but after a traumatizing family loss, she is forced to be both mother and sister to her cousins while caring for her mentally unstable aunt. Moving to her grandma’s quiet town of Cody, Wyoming, Tayla finds some normalcy with her quirky green activist friend, Chel, who spends no time converting her to vegetarianism.
A few weeks into her new school, Tayla catches the eye of Kyle Harrington—the high school quarterback and resident millionaire—who can seduce any girl with his charismatic charm, including Tayla. But Kyle is anything but what he seems.
Walking through City Park, Tayla is unaware that an ancient curse has her in its crosshairs. The silver moonlight illuminates the path to her van, sprinkling shadows like evil twinkling eyes. Tayla’s skin prickles, and she turns. Something—or someone—is watching her.
A powerful werewolf steps from the shadows. An iridescent blue chord shoots from him and slams into her stomach, dissolving instantly. Pain wracks her body, and she tries to scramble to safety, but his silver eyes freeze her in place as the curse binds them together. The chord settles deep inside her body, coiling with dread around her heart.
Dismayed by the prospect of a werewolf for a shadow, Tayla fears for the safety of her friends and family. How will she keep the werewolf’s insatiable hunger in check? Her plans for a vegetarian lifestyle quickly dwindle away, and Tayla wrestles to fit her frazzled life back together—piece by piece. But what she didn’t expect was her attraction to the werewolf or the power of the full moon.
Will Tayla be strong enough to survive the Curse of the Beast? Or will it consume her like so many before? Find out in the first installment of this unique retelling of Beauty and the Beast.
Excerpt time!
Except from Star Cursed book 2 of the Curse of the Beast Series (It may change some from now to publication):
“Tayla.” A gruff voice came from the cloud, and the tendrils of heat curled around my wrists, stopping their upward climb. “You need to wake up.”
My consciousness stirred. Wake up?
My eyes fluttered open to the dim light of the moon, and I took several things in simultaneously. A mere inch from my nose was a t-shirt covered chest that smelled like musky woods with a hint of spice. My hands were slim bumps under the t-shirt, splayed on well-defined pecks. The length of my body was pressed up against his, lighting my flesh with his heat.
Horror washed through me as understanding hit. Beast is in my bed!
I pushed against him, and he released my wrists. My momentum rolled me off the bed, and I hit the floor with a small thud. “How dare you climb into my bed!” I growled into the darkness.
He chuckled, and I sprang from the floor ready to smack him, but my eyes registered the trundle surrounded by the living room couches. Blood drained from my face, and my mouth opened in shock.
“You’re sick. How dare you grab me from bed just to share yours?” I turned, but a hand shot out and snagged my wrist, whipping me back to him.
“Once again you are wrong.” Silver shone in his eyes.
I glared. “Let—” I tugged on his hold to no avail. “Go.”
But he didn’t release me, and tears of frustration stung my eyes.
“You walked in here and crawled into my bed.”
My mind flooded with the memory of my dream. Of the warm cloud that comforted me, that held me while I wept. My gaze flashed down the hallway and then back to Beast.
“No, I never sleep walk.” I shook my head. “You must have lured me out or…or.” I didn’t want to contemplate the alternative.
“Hmm. And how might have I lured you?” The corner of his lips lifted. “And why didn’t I figure it out sooner?”
Heat flushed my face, and I failed to come up with a retort. The silence felt fathomless with only the stroke of his thumb against my wrist he still held. The memory of his warmth soothing my heart like a balm was something I couldn’t ignore. I had cried in his arms. My tears. I looked back at his shirt, but it was so black that I couldn’t see if his shirt was wet. Avoiding his eyes, I pulled my wrist free and touched my fingers to his chest. They came back damp.
My questioning eyes flicked to his. I had walked to him in my dream, and his shirt was evident of the tears I spilt for Grandma’s betrayal.
“I did sleep walk,” I said with a hint of disbelief.
Beast sat up, a self-satisfied grin on his face. “You were pretty upset.”
I narrowed my eyes at the smirk on his face. Embarrassment tumbled through me, remembering how I’d pressed my body against his and ran my hands up his hairy chest. But I refused to let him see it.
“Aren’t you going to apologize for waking me up?” He winked, clearly enjoying my growing agitation.
“No.” I folded my arms like a pouting child. I was so not saying sorry—not with him grinning like that.
“Then it’s a good thing I didn’t mind.” His silver-streaked eyes danced with a hidden flame that made my knees weak.
I squeeze my arms tighter. “You’re right…you do need your sleep, you look awful.”
He chuckled at my poor attempt to wipe that smirk off his face. I turned on my heels and marched down the hallway with cheeks tomato red. I was in his arms—in his bed! Just remembering the fire his touch left in my gut was enough to falter my step, and I barricaded the door to my bedroom.
Now for the giveaway!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Curse
of the Beast Blog
Tour Schedule:
July
Friday,
27th—Amber’s
Supernatural and YA Reviews
- Book Review and Giveaway of a free ebook, a deck of Curse of the Beast playing cards, and a swag bag
Saturday,
28th— Jagged
Edge Reviews
- Author Interview
Sunday,
29th—I
am a Reader, not a Writer
- Giveaway of a Signed Paperback copy of Curse of the Beast and swag bag
Monday,
30th—Intoxicated
by Books
- Book Review
Tuesday,
31st—
Blkosiner's Book Blog
- Author Interview and Giveaway of a free ebook, a deck of Curse of the Beast playing cards, and a swag bag
August
Wednesday,
1st—Enchanted
Writings
- Character Interview
Thursday,
2nd—The
Stubby Pencil
- Book Review and free ebook
Friday,
3rd—The
Non Reluctant Reader
- Author Interview and Giveaway a free ebook
Saturday,
4th— Why
not? Because I said so!
- Book Review
Sunday,
5th—Creative
Thoughts
- Giveaway of a Signed Paperback copy of Curse of the Beast and swag bag
Monday,
6th—Epilogue
- Character interview and Short except from Star Cursed book 2
Tuesday,
7th—Debbie’s
Inkspectations
- Author Interview
Wednesday,
8th—Once
Upon a Twilight
- Book Review and giveaway
Thursday,
9th—A
Dreamland Teenage Fantasy
- Book Review and Giveaway a free ebook.
Friday,
10th—Fire
Star Books
- Author Interview and Giveaway a free ebook and a swag bag.
Saturday,
11—Read
Between the Lines
- Book Review and Giveaway of a free ebook, a deck of Curse of the Beast playing cards, and a swag bag.
I've never heard of this book so thanks for the introduction. Awesome excerpt too. The story seems really interesting.
ReplyDeleteThis is the best Beauty and the Beast retelling I've read. I couldn't put it down. Finish book two asap! :D
ReplyDelete