The Awakened Duology ReRelease Launch Day Blitz

Today we are celebrating the re-release of The Awakened Duology by Sara Elizabeth Santana 

with brand new covers, available in both ebook and paperback. There is a pre-order bonus still 

available and a giveaway!

                           

 

About the Series:

 

Title: The Awakened - Book One, The Sanctuary - Book Two

Author: Sara Elizabeth Santana

Pub. Date: June 16th 2020

Publisher: Sara Elizabeth Santana

Formats: Paperback, eBook

 

The Awakened Links -  Goodreads, Amazon, Nook, Apple Books, Kobo

The Sanctuary Links - Goodreads, Amazon, Nook, Apple Books, Kobo

 

The Awakened Synopsis:

 

For Zoey Valentine, the roughest parts of her life are having to go to one of the many self defense classes her dad makes her take and dealing with Ash Matthews.

 

That is, until the Z virus hits.

 

It wipes out a third of the population in a matter of weeks. If that weren’t frightening enough, the bodies of the victims disappear and suddenly reappear, awakened from their dead state. They're faster, smarter, and they work together to get the one thing they crave - human flesh.

 

The United States is in a panic and the government decides to do the unthinkable: bomb every major city across the country overrun with the Awakened.

 

Now Zoey is on the run, with her dad and Ash, desperate to find a place of safety amongst the ruined remains of the country.

 

 

The Sanctuary Synopsis

 

Zoey Valentine is finally safe. Tucked away miles underground in the fortified community of Sanctuary, she no longer has to worry about Awakened - flesh eating zombies - coming after her and her boyfriend, Ash.

 

But Sanctuary is different than she had imagined. She may be safe, but she feels trapped, buried in a hole in the ground, waiting for time to pass. Sekhmet, the evil corporation behind the Awakened, is still out there and nothing can stop the nightmares that plague Zoey every night. Sanctuary feels like a ticking time bomb and she's starting to feel suffocated.

 

Then suddenly, citizens of Sanctuary begin to go missing until their bodies turn up right on their doorstep, mutilated by Awakened. Each one is tagged with a note, a warning, signed by Razi Cylon, the leader of Sekhmet, who Zoey saw die months before.

 

Sanctuary is in a panic and while Zoey and her friends are ready to fight, the leaders are burying themselves further into hiding. Zoey is angry and helpless, until Razi Cylon threatens something really close to Zoey and all hell breaks loose.

 

Sekhmet has existed for far too long and Zoey is tired of running and hiding. Razi and the Awakened need to go down, even if she has to take them down one by one.

 

Join Zoey and Ash in the conclusion to The Awakened Duology! And now as an extra bonus - The Survivor, Liam's novella, is available to be read at the end of your copy of The Sanctuary!

 

 

About Sara:

Sara is a young adult and new adult fiction writer. She has worked as smoothie artist, Disneyland cast member, restaurant supervisor, photographer, nanny, pizza delivery driver, and barista but writing is what she loves most. She has an obsession with baseball, cupcakes, tattoos and peach green iced teas. She runs her own nerd girl/book review blog, What A Nerd Girl Says. She lives in Southern California with her boyfriend and her two cats, Kaz and Kai. Her debut novel is The Awakened. She was originally published through a small press publication but is now solely self published. Her debut new adult romance, Benched, releases this fall.

 

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest | Goodreads

 

 

PreOrder Bonus:

 

If you have preorder ebook copies of The Awakened or The Sanctuary OR purchase either book or physical copies of either book in the first week of release, you get the preorder bonus! This includes a wristband, a bookmark and a signed bookplate for the book you purchased - and you CAN get both! Submit your receipt at this link here.

 

Giveaway Details:

 

2 Winners - Signed Copy of The Awakened.

2 Winners - Ebook Copy of The Awakened

US Only

 

Rafflecopter: a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

 

 

Rafflecopter link:

 

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/8952c82040/?

Sailor Twain or The Mermaid in the Hudson by Mark Siegel

This review was written by: C

Received: Borrowed from Library

Date of Publication: October 2012

Stars: 3.5/5

Official Summary:

One hundred years ago. On the foggy Hudson River, a riverboat captain rescues an injured mermaid from the waters of the busiest port in the United States. A wildly popular—and notoriously reclusive—author makes a public debut. A French nobleman seeks a remedy for a curse. As three lives twine together and race to an unexpected collision, the mystery of the Mermaid of the Hudson deepens.

A mysterious and beguiling love story with elements of Poe, Twain, Hemingway, and Greek mythology, drawn in moody black-and-white charcoal, Sailor Twain is a study in romance, atmosphere, and suspense.

My Thoughts:

I don't often delve into the adult graphic novel world. Sure, I'll read more mature audience mangas (Tokyo Ghoul, Devil's Line, etc.) or comics, but I've never sat down and tried to read something other than those previously mentioned visual storytelling styles. My younger sister loves to try out new YA graphic novels, so I decided I'd try perusing my local library's GN collection -- which is where I came across this little gem.

I'm kind of in a mermaid phase. I guess I'm still trying to find a book that recaptures the magic of Zoraida Cordova's The Vicious Deep trilogy. I haven't found a comparable story yet, but I enjoyed Sailor Twain nonetheless. It was a bit confusing at times, but I'll get to that later.

The first thing I noticed about the book was the artwork. I didn't exactly find it visually appealing at first, but I thought it definitely had unique interpretations of human anatomy. Just take a look at Lafayette's nose (he's the Frenchman in the white wig):

As I read along, I kind of got used to it and really came to appreciate the black and white style and its stylistic details. Thus, I just skirted over the fact that there were some wonky physical characteristics and came to enjoy the odd cartoonesque style.

The story follows Captain Elijah Twain who is in charge of a steamboat known as the Lorelai on the Hudson River. The boat is owned by Lafayette, a Frenchman who never leaves the river and seems to be hiding a dark secret. He's also searching for his eldest brother whom he believes is alive even though most think otherwise. Elijah appears to have fairly strict morals and runs a tight ship. However, this all changes when he finds a wounded mermaid hanging onto the rails of the boat. He takes her to his cabin and begins to nurse her back to health.

As the story progresses, Lafayette's behavior becomes more erratic, and he's obsessed with possessing seven loves at one time. Consequently, he's quite the womanizer and doesn't think much of the opposite sex, especially in terms of their mental capacities. (This is 1887, so I'm wasn't really expecting much in terms of men's respect for women, but I know some people like to steer clear of books like that.) Lafayette also becomes very interested in the supernatural and fantastical, specifically mermaids. He studies a particular book whose author has not yet made a public debut -- they're only a name. Lafayette begins a correspondence with this mysterious individual and wants information on how to break a mermaid's curse. Apparently, he's heard a mermaid's song and is fighting the urge to surrender to the ocean.

Twain becomes more enamored with the mermaid and slowly regains his passion for writing. However, this results in Twain's decreasing interest in visiting his ailing wife. He kind of becomes a douchebag in that regard, but it was an interesting conflict that unfolded within him.

It's also revealed that the mermaid has ulterior motives, as she's been trapped in the Hudson for centuries, trying to find someone to free her from her imprisonment. Thus, she has had many victims whom she's killed either in order to see if they are "the one" who can free her or simply out of anger/spite.

The mystery of the mermaid is unraveled as the story progresses, and (SPOILER ALERT) it's revealed that the author of Lafayette's favorite book is actually a woman (not really a surprise twist). She does play a part in Lafayette's seven loves, but I'll let you find out that part for yourself.

Now to the confusing part. It might just be me, but I'm not entirely sure how someone is capable of freeing the mermaid from the river. It seems that the human has to love her, but Twain ends up not being able to. I'm thinking it's because he still loved his wife in some way. Additionally, it's not entirely clear as to how someone breaks the curse that overcomes them when they hear the mermaid's song. It has to do with seven loves, but the true meaning of this riddle still alluded me. Plus, the whole splitting of a person in two by entering the mermaid's domain was a bit perplexing in terms of what each half was -- was one half the body and the other the soul? I'm still not entirely sure.

Overall, the story was haunting and the lore of the mermaid is spectacular. There also weren't too many dialogue bubbles that convoluted the artwork, which was much appreciated. I truly enjoyed the story, the mystery, and the intrigue that is presented. The story and panels flowed extremely well and my only complaint would be the ambiguity and confusion that arose at certain plot points.

Lastly, I do want to issue some warnings if there are sensitive readers or if parents aren't sure as to whether or not their young reader should venture into this tale:

1) There is quite a bit of nudity. As some may assume, the mermaid never wears any garments to cover her upper half, which seems fairly natural. However, if you don't feel comfortable with naked females or you don't want your child to read a story with this type of depiction, do know that it occurs quite often in the book. There are also sexual situations and a brief moment of male nudity.

2) There are words used within the book that were once used to refer to black individuals but are now considered extremely inappropriate to use in modern society. I believe the author wanted to be accurate with the times in which this story took place in regards to how freed slaves were treated. So this is a fair warning if you're offended by this.

Release Blitz: Her Secret Master by Samantha Calcott

Available now for a special release price of 99c

or FREE on Kindle Unlimited!

She will not bow.

Avery Lourdes is a romance writer, specializing in BDSM culture. Once a week she attends a popular, secretive BDSM club. Not to participate, but to gather ideas. She watches the people and the scenes performed, jotting down notes for her next project.

When famous but problematic actor Geoffrey Underwood begins attending the same club, he immediately sets his sights on the young author. While she's flattered, she has no intention of becoming wife #5, or helping the sexy Dominant divorce wife #4.

But the attraction grows, and Avery soon finds herself stuck in the middle of a love story riddled with pain, lies, and plenty of pleasure.

What is one to do when they've accidentally stepped right into one of their own plots?

One-click this taboo, erotic romance today!

EXCERPT:

Avery was grateful for the liquor. Anything to ease the singing of her nerves would be welcome at that
point.

On the other end of the couch, Tommy and Cindy seemed to be heading off into their own little world.
He had moved closer to her and away from Geoffrey and their voices were low, with the exception of
the occasional giggle from Cindy.

Geoffrey cocked his head at them. “I think my friend quite likes your friend. Good.”

“And if they hadn’t liked each other?” Avery asked.

He shrugged. “I would have hoped he would go off on his own and find a suitable sub like a good
adult.”

“And leave you all alone?” She arched an eyebrow as she sipped her drink.

“Alone? Not planning on running off again, are we, love?” he asked.

She shook her head, steeling her resolve. “No. I’m done running away from what I want.”

His eyes darkened to a slate color and he said, “Well, thank Heaven for small miracles.” He twirled
the cherries around on the stick for a moment and then turned toward her, effectively shutting out
Tommy and Cindy. He cocked his finger, telling her silently to come closer.

That single gesture, the come hither look in his eyes, sent her emotions flying in about ten different
directions. She did as he asked, their thighs pressed together with little room left between their bodies.

He took the edge of the red stick, which was in the shape of a pitchfork, and tapped it to remove
excess soda. He held it out to her and she instinctively knew what he wanted. She closed her lips
around one of the cherries and pulled it off slowly, as seductively as she could. He watched her intently,
not taking his eyes off of her even as he ate the other cherry.

At that moment, Avery knew she was lost. He had her under his spell, and nothing short of a safe
word would save her now.

He put his glass down and took hers as well. His index finger ran through a loose lock of brown hair,
tucking it behind her ear. The finger trailed down her cheekbone to her jaw, to under her chin to tilt
her head up.

“Kneel.”

That one word was spoken like molten chocolate and confirmed that the dynamics had changed.

“Yes, Sir.”

Smoothly, she slid off the couch to kneel on the floor between his legs. She placed her hands behind
her back and looked down, hoping that he asked about hard and soft limits and safe words soon, or
else she’d be forced to leave him once again, and she didn’t want to do that.

“Look at me, pet,” he commanded. She did so, looking straight up into his impossibly beautiful
eyes. “You are to keep your eyes on me at all times unless I tell you not to.”

“Yes, Sir,” she replied. Not like that will be difficult: have you seen yourself?

Geoffrey nudged Tommy. “We need our papers. Get the waitress.”

The ‘papers’ were the forms they had had to fill out to join the club, which featured their
preferences, their limits, and their safe words. Avery felt relief wash through her at that.

“What was that look for, pet?” Geoffrey asked. “Did you think I’d go into this blindly, like a newbie?”

“You never know, Sir,” she replied.

“And what would you have done if I had?”

“Got up and left you with a severe case of blue balls for the fourth time,” she replied. “Sir.”

It was a terrible habit of hers, goading and pushing her Doms to the brink to see what they would do.
She knew she did it to feel more, to get her blood pumping and take her to the edge and over it. Some
played right into her hands. Most of them ignored her, and thus bored her.

Geoffrey didn't disappoint. He reached out and grabbed her by the back of her neck, fingers entwining
in her hair below her ponytail holder. His strength surprised her as he pulled her up so she was close to
his face. There was no anger there, only amusement and arousal.

“You’re going to be fun, aren’t you, pet?” he asked.

“I hope so, Sir,” she replied.

He smirked and leaned closer. The first press of his lips on hers surprised her, soft and insistent. Most
casual Doms didn’t kiss their submissives, though Avery had kissed her subs when the roles were
reversed.

His goatee was soft against her sensitive skin, and his lips were cold and tasted like cherries. The kiss
was soft and searching at first. Then his hand tightened in her hair and he tilted her head just right. His
tongue pressed against the seam of her lips and she opened them to let him in.

His tongue plundered her mouth, licking and moving, twisting around hers and dominating her even
there. He pressed harder, and she knew her lips would be bruised the next day. Not that she minded.

She gasped into the kiss, unused to such an intense level of passion so quickly, melting into his rough
but sure touch.

His other hand trailed down her neck, his fingers tracing over the swells of her breasts, lingering on
her side, leaving a trail of goosebumps in their wake. His lips pulled away from hers, his teeth nipping at
her plush bottom lip.

She watched him intently, feeling like she was high. His eyes had darkened, resembling the ocean during
a storm, and his lips were dark pink and wet. Without meaning to, she let out a shuddery breath to calm
herself.

“If that is what you look like after a kiss, I can’t wait to see you after an hour upstairs,” he said.

Samantha Calcott is a secret lover of romance when it's done right, and after years of writing horror and paranormal books as USA Today bestselling author Lily Luchesi, she decided to dip her toe into a brand new genre.

She's a Midwestern girl who spent nearly a decade in the gritty heart of Los Angeles, where sex, drugs, and rock n' roll reign.

When not writing, she's reading, at a concert, or cooking. She currently lives in her hometown of Chicago. 

Facebook/Twitter/Instagram: NEW RELEASE! http://smarturl.it/HSMSC 99c for a limited time and available on Kindle Unlimited! She will never bow. An age-gap, taboo, BDSM romance from Samantha Calcott (Add hashtags where applicable.)

Cover Reveal: Her Secret Master by Samantha Calcott

COVER REVEAL!

She will never bow.

Pre-order now for 99c!

Cover design by S.L. Perrine of Mayhem Designs

Avery Lourdes is a romance writer, specializing in BDSM culture. Once a week she attends a popular, secretive BDSM club. Not to participate, but to gather ideas. She watches the people and the scenes performed, jotting down notes for her next project.

When famous but problematic actor Geoffrey Underwood begins attending the same club, he immediately sets his sights on the young author.

While she's flattered, she has no intention of becoming wife #5, or helping the sexy Dominant divorce wife #4. But the attraction grows, and Avery soon finds herself stuck in the middle of a love story riddled with pain, lies, and plenty of pleasure.

What is one to do when they've accidentally stepped right into one of their own plots?

EXCERPT

“Miss Lourdes, what a coincidence.”

Oh fucking fuck, she thought, ignoring the stab of lust in her lower belly. She swirled around on the barstool, her knee brushing against his hip by accident. “Mr. Underwood, this is becoming redundant.”

“Is it now?” he asked, sipping something from his glass. He was sober, so she hoped it was just a Coke. “I thought it was serendipity.”

“Great movie,” she said, hoping to deflect him.

His smirk widened. “Have you changed your mind about my offer yet?”

“Not unless you’ve changed your history,” she replied.

He moved his head, brushing a lock of hair from his face. “History doesn't change, but people do, Miss Lourdes. In case you haven’t noticed, I have transformed greatly in the past few years.”

She scoffed. “If you had, you wouldn’t be badgering me.”

He was so close again. Even closer this time, as his body brushed against her legs. He leaned against the bar on one elbow, his eyes never leaving hers. His gaze captivated her, and like a good Dom, he could have asked her to do nearly anything and she would have obliged.

“Tell me, why do you come here if you don’t participate?” he asked.

“Who says I don’t participate?” she asked.

“The first night I saw you, you were at the bar and then left. The second, your hair was still perfect. No one participates in BDSM and comes out looking picture perfect. And tonight, you have been writing in that damned tablet for the past hour. It doesn’t appear to me that you have any interest in letting your hair down,” he observed.

“You have no idea what my interests are, Mr. Underwood,” she said to him. Her poker face was amazing; no one would ever know from her face or her voice that she was struggling not to get up and throw herself at him shamelessly.

“I would understand if you were a voyeur,” he said. “But I can assure you, nothing beats participating when you have the proper partner. Or do you already have a Master, and you’re just being polite?”

She shook her head. “It doesn’t matter. I won’t be doing anything with you, Master or no Master.” She moved to stand, expecting him to step back. He did not, and now that she was standing, she was eye-to-eye with him, and nearly chest-to-chest. She could breathe in the subtle scent of his musky cologne, his spicy aftershave, and something sweet just below that. His scent alone was intoxicating and she hated herself for being so damn virtuous.

“Can you tell me why?” he asked. “I realize you don’t owe me anything, but I am curious.”

“Did I not lay it out for you the other night?” she asked. “You’re married, and you have the reputation of a Casanova. I’m not going to be another notch on your belt, Mr. Underwood. And I would appreciate it if you would stop pestering me. The fact that you can’t take ‘no’ for an answer tells me all I need to know about you.”

With that, she turned on her heel and went to walk away. She had to walk away, or else what remained of her resolve would vanish, and she couldn’t let that happen.

However, he grabbed her arm lightly. She turned back to face him questioningly. He tugged her closer, within kissing distance, and she began to feel dizzy with want. It was absolutely unfair.

“Do you want to know why I refuse to take a ‘no’ from you?” he asked, his voice low in her ear. “It’s because I know your refusal is insincere. If you can look me in the eye right now and tell me that you have absolutely no attraction to me, then I will walk away and never bother you again.”

His thumb began to caress her skin, moving in slow circles as if to relax her. “I can read you like a book, pet. Your resolve is admirable, and if it is true, if you would never submit to me, tell me now. I promise I will leave you alone if you can tell me to my face that you don’t want me to take you upstairs and fuck you to within an inch of your life.”

If he hadn’t been holding onto her, there was a distinct chance that Avery would have fallen with the force of heat that washed over her at his words. And he had her, damn him. He knew she wanted him, and had put her in an awkward position: outright lie to his face, or give in to a sin that would surely send her straight to Hell.

“I…” She couldn’t finish the sentence, because she had no idea what she was going to say. “I can’t.”

“Can’t what?” he asked. “Come on, little girl. Use your words. What can’t you do? Tell me.”

“Can’t be around you anymore,” she said, nearly breathless.

Samantha Calcott is a secret lover of romance when it's done right, and after years of writing under another pen name in the horror and paranormal genres, she decided to dip her toe into a brand new genre.

She's a Midwestern girl who spent nearly a decade in the gritty heart of Los Angeles, where sex, drugs, and rock n' roll reign. When not writing, she's reading, at a concert, or cooking.

She currently lives in Illinois. She also writes horror and paranormal books as USA Today bestselling author Lily Luchesi.