A terrible tragedy forced Alana McCarthy to forget a year of her life and now she is to be executed for a crime she does not remember committing, the murder of her entire family. Lost and alone, Alana is terrified of unlocking secrets buried so deep inside her mind that she's willing to forget the one person who could set her free.

Daniel Costello hasn't forgotten about Alana and will do anything and everything to protect the girl he loves But first Alana needs to unlock her memories and find out the truth about what happened the night her family were killed.

The day of her execution is set. Together, will Alana and Daniel be able to uncover the truth behind her family's deaths before it's too late?

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​Do you read for pleasure from the same genre you write in?
Yes! I love YA dystopian, paranormal, fantasy novels. It takes a very special book or author to drag me from that genre! 

Do you have any interesting writing quirks? Rituals?
When I’m getting ready to start writing, the first thing I have to do is compile a playlist with all the songs I think suit the book I’m writing. All my playlists are available on my website! www.susanharrisauthor.com. Another must have for me is pens in every colour and a refill pad to make notes. I also write up character profiles in case I forget a character’s eye colour or something like that.

What would you be doing right now if you were not an author?
That’s easy! Either a criminal profiler or a personal assistant for Dave Grohl or Jared Leto! 

How long does it typically take you to write a book?
It differs depending on life and pesky work, but most of the time it takes me three to six months to write the first draft.

Do you listen to music while you write?
Oh hell yes! I can’t even type a word without it. Music helps me concentrate and dull out then background noise. Music is such a major part of my writing ritual that I used song lyrics for the chapter breaks for Shattered Memories. 
Why do you write?
I’ll leave Joss Whedon explain why I write. “I write to give myself strength. I write to be the characters that I am not. I write to explore all the things I'm afraid of.” 

Do you have tattoos? Piercings?
Yes, I do! I currently have thirteen ranging from Chinese, music, memorial, skulls and a quote on my arm about writing. My next tattoo will be the series logo for The Ever Chace Chronicles, my new series coming out in June that our fabulous cover designer Marya came up with for me  

Do you have a favourite television series?
OMG! That’s such a long list! I know I’m going to forget some but here goes: The Walking Dead, Game of Thrones, Supernatural, Criminal Minds, Agents of Shield, Arrow and The Flash, The 100, Madam Secretary, Quantico, Shadowhunters, all of the Chicago’s, SVU and Blue Bloods. 

What are your current writing projects?
At the moment I am about halfway through writing Collateral Damage, the sequel to Skin and Bones, which is my new fantasy adult series called The Ever Chace Chronicles.  

Susan Harris is a writer from Cork in Ireland. 
An avid reader, she quickly grew to love books in the supernatural/fantasy and Dystopian genre.  She writes books for young adults and adults alike.
When she is not writing or reading, she loves music, oriental cultures, tattoos, creepy snow globes, DC shoes, stationary, anything Disney, Marvel movies, psychology and far too many TV shows. If she wasn't a writer, she would love to be a FBI profiler or a PA for Dave Grohl or Jared Leto.

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If you've been waiting to one-click The Forsaken (the Abandoned series #2), or want to share the love by gifting to a friend, it's just $2.99 this weekend! After all, books last longer than chocolate ;) so why not give a gift of a book?

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Just your average boy-meets-girl, boy-kills-people story. 

The Native American Navajo tribe has stories of a monster so wicked, so blood-thirsty, that they are to be hunted down and slaughtered. But are they just legends? Or is something sinister lurking in the shadows? The Yee Naaldlooshi—skinwalkers—have the ability to transform themselves. And they can be anyone. Anything. 

The Hunters—a group dedicated to tracking the creatures—are hot on their trail and they won’t stop until every last one is dead. But are they all as evil as foretold? Seb, alpha of the Taylor, Arizona reservation pack, begins to question the acts of their kind. But he’s broken a rule and must choose between killing the girl he loves or risking everything to save her. Cassie must fight for her survival. The pack is after her. And they’re no joke. Cass is about to find out how sadistic they can be.

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Visiting Faythander is a nasty business. Forget the fairies and unicorns, most people come back with lost memories and mental problems. Olive Kennedy knows. She's the therapist who treats patients suffering from Faythander's side effects. Despite her empty bank account, she takes pride in her job as Houston's only Fairy World medical doctor. She's never failed to cure a client--until now.

Traveling back to Faythander wasn't on Olive's to-do list. But she has no choice. The fate of both Earth and Fairy depends on her ability to stop an ancient being called the Dreamthief. To complicate matters, she may be losing her heart to someone who can't love her in return. Saving the world, she can handle. Falling in love--not so much.

As if battling the forces of evil wasn't difficult enough...

Everyone please welcome Houston’s only Fairy World psychologist, Olive Kennedy. Dr. Kennedy has a medical degree in psychiatry. Since graduating medical school, she spent a year doing research in Boston, and now lives in sunny Galveston, Texas, where she counsels her clients who have mental abnormalities. 
Today we’re going to learn a little more about who she is what she does in her spare time when she isn’t saving Fairy World…

Moderator: Olive, can you tell us how you made your career choice?
Olive: Yes. After living on Earth for several years, it was apparent to me that there was no treatment for patients who’d visited Faythander and returned with no memories. I would meet people suffering with depression or some type of psychoses, and realize that they’d been to Fairy World. Also, many of the people collected fairy world figurines of some sort or another, which clued me in that these people were true Fairy World travelers. I did a year of research in Boston where I crafted my laptop box, and where I developed my methods for diagnosing patients. My mentor, Dr. Hill, helped me to accomplish this, although I still have yet to convince him that Faythander exists. After I moved away from Boston, I set up my practice in Texas where I’ve been helping my clients ever since.

Moderator: When you’re not working, what do you do for fun?
Olive: Talking walks (but not on the beach!), reading, and knitting. I enjoy making something from almost nothing, and it takes my mind off my problems. I know I don’t fit the stereotype, but there are some days where I would much rather sit at home and knit. My cat is also appreciative of my hobby, as he has proclaimed himself the master of my yarn basket.

Moderator: If you could visit anywhere, where would you go?
Olive: There’s a lovely fortress in Faythander up in the mountains that I wouldn’t mind going back to.

Moderator: Favorite color? Sports team? Animal?
Olive: Color--red—because it’s my natural hair color. Sports team--? No idea. What are sports? Animal? Cat, or dragon, depending on which world we’re speaking about.

Moderator: Do you have a favorite book?
Olive: Do I have to choose just one? I guess I’ll have go with The Dragonsmith (a Faythander novel, so don’t try to find it at your local B&N.) My step-father read it to me as a kid, and it brings back fond memories.

Moderator: What advice would you give to those struggling with depression?
Olive: Get help. You’re stronger than you think, but you can’t do it alone. Depression is a nasty disease. It’s worse than any illness you can catch, because it brings you to a dark place, and those feelings of sadness can become so overwhelming that many people choose to take their own life rather than suffer anymore. My methods are designed for those who’ve visited Fairy World, but there are many reasons for depression, and the only way to get treated is to talk to someone. Do not try to go it alone. When you’re depressed, your brain has trouble handling even simple situations, so it’s best to get treatment.

Moderator: What’s one thing about yourself that’s quirky or different?
Olive: Just one thing? Let’s see—I hate coffee. They didn’t have it on Faythander, and it tastes absolutely disgusting if you’re not accustomed to it. I much prefer a steaming mug of hot cocoa with whipped cream and peanut butter. Hey, don’t knock it till you try it.

Moderator: Describe yourself in three words:
Olive: Impulsive, resilient, determined.

Moderator: Do you consider yourself a hero?
Olive: No. I’m an ordinary person. Others might call me a hero, and I wouldn’t want to disappoint them, so I probably wouldn’t argue, but I have faults just like everyone else.

Moderator: Is there anything you want people to know about you?
Olive: I love to laugh. Sometimes the best cure for gloom and doom is laughter, and I try to bring humor into tough situations. 
Also, I’ve heard through the grapevine that some of my heroics have been recorded. I’ve read the book and it’s wildly entertaining, so if you get the chance to pick up Dreamthief, I am sure it will add a little laughter, a little adventure, and a lot of fun to your otherwise ordinary life, which, I believe, is why the author wrote the book in the first place.

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Tamara Grantham was born and raised in Southeast Texas. She earned a Bachelor's degree in English from Lamar University. After marrying her husband David, she followed him through his training to become a burn surgeon, which consisted of moving from Vidor, Texas to Galveston, Texas, then to Tulsa, Oklahoma, back to Galveston, and they finally settled in Wichita, Kansas. Tamara and David have five active, sweet, and almost always well-mannered children, ages zero to ten years. Their two pets, June--the Jack Russell Terrier, and Chester--a black cat, help to keep the house lively (in addition to the children.)

When Tamara isn't writing or tending her children, she enjoys taking walks through the woods, eating chocolate, and very infrequently, she enjoys a good night's sleep.

After sixteen years on the run, Bay-Lee joins her emotionally distant father at his New Zealand school. On her first night there, he dumps her on the doorstep and walks away. Big surprise. Minutes later, a bag is thrown over her head, and she’s kidnapped for Orientation. The hunter in charge calls her Bait. According to him, that’s all she’s good for, to be used to draw out monsters for experienced hunters to kill. 

Before Bay-Lee can move up to the rank of Hunter, she will have to prove herself, battle wraiths, a reaper in disguise, and a stampeding border monster. With the addition of her classes, she’s going to be way too busy for a social life. Falling in love is not on the agenda. 

Then, she meets Nick Gallos. With the intimidating rank of Warrior, Nick is gorgeous, arrogant, and just plain rude to her. It’s obvious from their first meeting that Nick is hiding a dark past overflowing with secrets, and her father is right smack in the middle of it. Nick seems to be using her to get even with her father, and she won’t tolerate that. What a jerk. 

So, why can’t she stop thinking about him?

Connor vacated the couch long enough to take the knife from her.  He tossed it on the coffee table.  It landed between his sawed-off shotgun and his .38 caliber.
“Leave the artillery at home.”
“What?”  She blinked at him, uncomprehending.  He couldn’t seriously want her to walk out of the house unarmed.  “Are you serious?  Something could attack me.  What do I do then?”
“Depends.  If you are alone, use your extensive combat training and put some of those tricks I taught you to good use.  You don’t need a weapon to take a monster down.  If there are witnesses, I want you to scream like a girl and run in the other direction.”

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Kasi Blake is a YA Paranormal Romance/Urban Fantasy writer with a semi-serious addiction to chocolate. Born in sunny California, she now lives on a farm in the Midwest with a dog, two cats, ducks, chickens and cows. When she has the time, she haunts local bookstores, hangs out with friends, and tries to catch up on her reading list. The rest of the time she’s working on her next novel.

Meara Quinn is about to find out there are worse things than moving to a tiny oceanside town before her senior year. Like discovering there's a secret being kept from her and knowing it's a life-changer.

After experiencing vivid visions of her absentee father, Meara decides she deserves answers. With the help of her new friend Evan, a guy she happens to be falling for, she embarks on a journey in the hopes of unlocking family history and finding her true self. But when she meets a handsome stranger at a local club who knows far more about her than he should, her world is again shaken. In him, Meara may have uncovered the key to the very secret that will reveal not only who she is... but what she is.



​Risser keeps her focus on the little details of Meara’s everyday life, lending the book a nice, homey charm. ~Kirkus Reviews

"NEVER FORGOTTEN is a sweet romance with a paranormal twist!" ~InD'Tale Magazine

USA BEST BOOK AWARDS (2014) AND INTERNATIONAL BOOK AWARDS (2015) FINALIST.

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​Do you read for pleasure from the same genre you write in?
My favorite books are young adult and fantasy. I have always been a big reader, but in my early twenties, I was mostly reading romance novels. Harry Potter was the series that reopened my eyes to middle grade and young adult and reminded me those stories are not just for kids. (I’ll always be young at heart!)

What is the biggest influence/interest that brought you to this genre?
I always wanted to be a writer, but after high school, I let my creative writing go, trading it in for the world of business, which was in some ways still creative, just different. When I started discovering the early indie writers on Amazon, like Amanda Hocking, that’s when I first thought that I could do this too, if I just put my mind to it.

What were you doing five years ago? 
Five years ago, I was working through revisions on Never Forgotten, my first book.

How long does it typically take you to write a book?
Never Forgotten took me five years of on and off writing and revising. The remaining books in the series were about 9 months each. I am not a fast writer, and I do not write every day. I find that it does me no good to force my writing; I’ll just end up junking those pages.

When writing a book, what is your favorite part of the creative process (outline, plot, character names, editing, etc)?
My favorite part of writing a book is when I finish the first draft. It’s such a sense of accomplishment. My favorite part that has little to do with me is when I get to see the cover art for the first time. It’s so exciting!

What is your favorite thing to do on your day off?
What day off? I kid, but not really. I work full time during the week and fit my writing in around the rest of my life. Between writing, blogging, and promoting my books, I don’t have a lot of free time. When I do, I like to shop or hang out with my family.

What are your current writing projects?
I’m revising a dystopian short story that was the result of being a finalist in a Utopia Con/Little Bird Publishing contest. I’m writing a contemporary romance short story with a breast cancer theme that will go into a fundraiser anthology to raise awareness for breast cancer research, and I have started two new books that are very different from each other. One is a clean young adult fantasy novel, and the other is a historical fiction adult novel.

Do you have hobbies that don’t involve writing or reading?
I like to make my own swag. I find it relaxing. I also enjoy decorating cakes. I make the cakes for my children, as well as my nieces and nephews.

Do you have pets? 
We have a soft-coated Wheaten Terrier/Poodle mix named Clyde and a tank full of fish.

Coffee or tea? Juice or Soda?
Coffee and tea. I try to avoid juice and soda. Too much sugar. I get enough of that in my chocolate. ;-)

Money being no object, what is your dream getaway?
That’s easy. Hawaiian cruise.

Do you have tattoos? Piercings?
My ears are double pierced. I also have a Claddagh tattoo just below  my collarbone.

Do you have a favorite television series?
Grimm. I love how unique the series is. And Nick Burkhart is a cutie.

If you could be any animal (living or extinct, real or imagined), what would it be and why? So yes, dinosaurs and unicorns count.
Unipeg, which is a cross between a unicorn and a pegasus. In grade school, I was pretty much obsessed with drawing unipegs with rainbow manes.

If you knew tomorrow you'd be dropped into a post-apocalyptic world, right where you currently live, what five things would you want to have with you and why? (Don't worry, you're the hero, so you rescue your family, friends and pets - at least the ones worth saving.)

• Airplane
• Pilot
• Plenty of Fuel
• Food
• Fresh Water

Yeah. You’re not going to catch me staying HERE. If it’s post-apocalyptic, I’m flying to some tropical island. I’ll wait out my time in paradise. (Paradise is not Wisconsin.)

What is your favorite thing about being an author?
When readers contact me and tell me how much they loved my book. It absolutely makes my day!

Kelly Risser knew at a young age what she wanted to be when she grew up. Unfortunately, Fairytale Princess was not a lucrative career. Leaving the castle and wand behind, she entered the world of creative business writing where she worked in advertising, marketing, and currently, eLearning instructional design.

When Kelly is not immersed in the middle of someone else's fantasy world, she's busy creating one of her own. Never Forgotten is her first complete series, which includes Never Forgotten, Current Impressions, Always Remembered, and Sea of Memories, a novella collection. Kelly is one of the authors of award-winning Fractured Glass and 7: The Seven Deadly Sins. She also has a short story in the Twists in Time anthology, and will be part of several other anthologies releasing in 2016. You can visit her at www.KellyRisser.com.

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After losing her father, Emma Bennett moves to her aunt's small town of Westport to finish out her senior year of high school. Emma wants to forget the pain and loss of the past few weeks, and finds relief in the company of Ben Parker—a local boy who she has an instant attraction and uncanny connection with. When Ben seems a little too preoccupied with other responsibilities and has no time for her, Emma turns to the town's hottest flirt—Lucas Crandon, for affection. Unfortunately, she realizes a little too late that sometimes bad boys, really can be bad for you. 

Life as an undercover agent for the Afterworld's Bureau of Investigation isn't an easy job. When Ben Parker finds his soul mate, Emma Bennett in a small town, he finds himself forced to choose between doing his job or rekindling a relationship with the love of his existence. After Ben is notified that a notorious criminal immortal is loose somewhere near Westport, he realizes that his love life will just have to wait. There is a criminal to apprehend before he can have his girl. 

When lives are at stake and immortals are on the loose, can two soul mates find their happy ever after?

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Emma Meets Ben.

As I got closer, I realized Chester didn’t run after any ordinary boy. He ran toward the Prince Charming I saw at Lake Bell. Chester jumped on the prince, but didn’t bark.
I was out of breath and at a loss for words by the time I reached them.
“Sorry,” I squeaked out between deep inhales. I hadn’t run that fast since coach had us doing sprints last season. Guess I need to start working out more. 
Prince Charming never looked up, but said, “No problem.” He was kneeling, and with both hands, he was scratching Chester’s ears. Chester was in heaven, wagging his tail uncontrollably. It was as if they were long lost buddies. 
“Hey, my dog likes you,” I managed to say. I didn’t know what was more embarrassing—my inability to control my dog or the fact that I was so out of shape. Either way, I probably looked ridiculous.
“Yeah, I see that,” he said.
“Ahhh… sorry…” I mumbled. “He’s not usually like that.” 
There was an awkward moment of silence before he spoke. “He usually doesn’t like people? Or he usually doesn’t charge toward them?” I saw his smirk, though he still didn’t look up at me. He was focused on Chester who was now licking him in the face.
I was too nervous to laugh. That was a pretty stupid thing for me to say. “Ah, both.”
“Really? Seems pretty nice to me,” he answered still petting Chester. I couldn’t believe what an attention seeker my pup turned out to be. 
I reached for Chester’s leash on the ground and inhaled deeply. “He’s usually more protective… More standoff-ish, I guess.” Chester proved me wrong. “Chester, stop.” I tried to sound firm, and tugged on his leash. “Come here.”
“It’s okay,” Prince Charming said and stood up. He was suddenly looking directly at me. 
My chest ached. His brown eyes were focused on mine.
“Maybe he just likes me,” he said and flashed me a grin.
My palms began to sweat and I could feel my heart beating faster. He was the most beautiful boy I had ever seen. Say something! I lost my train of thought. “Yeah… I guess.”  
I sounded stupid. I looked stupid.  What was I even wearing?
“Well,” he said.  Could the moment could be any more awkward?
“Yeah, sorry… again…. I’ll get him outa here.” I tugged on Chester’s leash, but he was firmly planted on his butt.
Prince Charming nodded. The silence was uncomfortable.
I’m not sure where I got the confidence, but finally said, “My name’s Emma.”
“Nice to meet you, Emma. I’m Ben.”  He smiled. 
I felt a tingle in the pit of my stomach and found myself grinning in return. 
Ben kicked the soccer ball up and caught it with one hand. “You play? Or just lounge in the goal?” 
“Yeah… I mean, I play.”
“Nice,” he answered. 
My cheeks burned and I could tell I was turning red.
“Maybe I’ll see you around, then.” He turned to walk away.
Chester sat obediently by my side. “You were pretty friendly with him,” I said and chuckled. Prince Charming had a name. 
Ben.

​
Sandy Goldsworthy was raised in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, blocks from the rocky shores of Lake Michigan. As a child, she fantasized about becoming an author. She jotted story lines in spiral notebooks and drew images of characters that never came to life. Her passion for putting pen to paper began when her high school English teacher inspired her to be more descriptive in her work. Ever since, Sandy dabbled in creative writing, searching for that perfect shade of red and that character you want to get to know.

Admittedly, Sandy is addicted to coffee and dark chocolate, and is obsessed with all things paranormal. She records more movies and television shows than is humanly possible to watch in a lifetime, and swears there's a ghost in her house. When not writing, Sandy can be found curled up on the couch nose-deep into a book, or trying to catch up on that recorded season of some paranormal series.

Sandy graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, where she majored in marketing. She spends her days managing corporate client programs, and her nights and weekends drafting new plot lines in spiral notebooks. She resides in southeastern Wisconsin with her husband, two children, and an energetic puppy. 

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Guarding Brecken Shaefer-a dark and dangerous rebel-is harder than it looks. Death was nothing like sixteen-year-old Alisa Callahan thought it would be. Resting on pink, fluffy clouds for eternity with her gram and best friend sounded like a dream come true. After all, enduring one torturous experience after another in her short life deserved some kind of reward, right? Unfortunately, eternal rewards aren't given out so freely when you take your own life. Required to pay the debt for committing suicide, Alisa must become a guardian. It sounds easy enough, but not when the boy she is forced to protect has a dangerous secret and wants absolutely nothing to do with her. Brecken Shaefer isn't any normal teenager. He has special gifts that are sure to make Alisa's afterlife miserable. When feelings develop between them, everything spins out of control. Not only must Alisa face her own demons- but to protect Brecken, she must face an evil so heinous that it threatens to destroy their souls completely. Alisa is tired of hiding from her past. When the easiest thing to do is run, can Brecken give her the strength to stay?

​This is it. This is my moment, and I'm not going to let some stupid boy and a bunch of his idiotic friends scare me into failing. Closing my eyes, I float through the closed door, letting myself enjoy that slight pull on my soul as I meld with the wood for one second, feeling its aliveness, its purpose. This is one part of being a spirit that is genuinely cool. Everything is alive.
            Once through, the brightness in the room surprises me. As unexpected as that is, what amazes me even more is that the glow radiates around one person in particular.
            Brecken.
            He sits sprawled at his desk, his feet clad in heavy, black combat books, his ankles crossed. A thick, ratty sweatshirt stretches over his wide shoulders, and even though his hair is a mess, it fits him, making him much sexier than is healthy for a seventeen year old boy.  (pg 62)

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What is your next project?  
The third book in the Ransomed Souls Series, The Undoer, is coming out this spring! It’s by far my favorite out of any books I’ve written!

Name 5 of your favorite movies.
The Count of Monte Cristo, because Jim Caviezel is beautiful and I love how it’s a story of redemption and coming back from your lowest point (which I too have had to do). The Lord of the Rings, and do I really need to explain why? LOL The Hobbit, because I love Lord of the Rings. Princess Bride, because it’s a classic with some of the best one-liners ever written. I could watch it over and over. Pitch Perfect, because I’m a music buff. I used to be a music major in college. I sing, play guitar and piano, and used to write music. Now I write stories. 

If we Googled your name what would we see? That would depend on if you put my middle initial in there! If you don’t, you get an actress who is my same age and dresses like a porn star. But I’m right beneath her! (on the Google page) 

What’s your pet peeve?
Dang! I can’t even think of one! I can think of a bunch my husband has though!

What is your favorite poem?
I love, love, love Invictus. But I have quite a few I like. My grandmother and mother were both wonderful poets, so I have that talent flowing through my veins if I ever put it to good use.

What is your best advice for aspiring writers?
​Just keep going! Never stop. You’ll get better and better as you go. If I could find a publisher while dealing with neurological Lyme Disease and publish FOUR books while sick and crazy, you can too! (I don’t recommend being sick and crazy, but to each their own) 

Thank you SO much for having me on your blog! Check out my other books and enjoy the ride!!

​Melissa Cunningham (also known as M.E. Cunningham) was born in Oregon but grew up in Utah, where she was raised on a steady diet of fine literature from Charlotte's web to the The Trumpeter Swan, and then plenty of romances in her teen years. She now lives with her husband on a little farm in northern Utah where all she can see out of her back door is miles of pasture and stunning sunsets. Not only does she raise horses, dogs, cats, and chickens, but her five kids also. When Melissa is not writing you can find her spending time in the outdoors with her family or dancing wildly to rock music in her living room. She loves running, camping, and all things fiction--scary, mind-numbing stories preferred. Find her at www.melissajcunningham.com 

​All Blythe Sol ever wanted was to be a normal girl. Yet, her dreams of following in her father’s footsteps by joining the military after graduation are crushed when nuclear war comes to the United States in the year 4006. Tens of thousands are killed in a series of attacks on many major cities, while thousands more are left injured from the devastation of the blasts, or terminally ill from the effects of radiation. 

When the government offers the sick and injured a second chance as part of the Restoration Project, how could they refuse? Hoping to put her life back together after the blasts take both her arm and her eye, Blythe enrolls in the program filled with hope. She never expects that the bionic additions will change her life so drastically. When it is discovered that those outfitted with the robotic parts have become enhanced beyond the limits of ordinary human ability, normal can never exist for her again. 

The Bionics become targets of the government, as fear of them spreads across the nation, further enflamed by media propaganda and political conspiracy. Forced to go into hiding or face execution, society’s outcasts band together to form the Restoration Resistance—an underground rebellion which Blythe becomes a part of in order to survive. She could never imagine that joining them would thrust her at the forefront of an imminent revolution, or that it would put her in a confusing tug-of-war between two of her fellow soldiers—Gage Bronson, the mysterious new addition to the Resistance, and Dax Janner, her best friend. Even though Gage is rapidly capturing her heart, she is forced to face the possibility that her feelings for Dax might just go beyond friendship. However, with impending war and the threat of death hanging over her head, Blythe hardly has time to worry about anything as trivial as a love life...

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​Why did you choose to pursue the art of writing?
I have always loved books, and around the age of 12 I discovered I had a flair for writing and storytelling. I wrote several books during my young adult years (which were not very good and will never see the light of day, LOL!), and always had English and Creative Writing teachers tell me that I would be crazy not to pursue a writing career. Through my college years, I toyed with the idea of other jobs and careers, but I never stopped writing. Poetry, short stories, even a few short plays … I was always writing. After quitting my job to stay home full time, I found the time to write my first novel and work to get it published. I haven’t looked back sense.

When you sit down to write do you listen to music, and if so what do you like to listen to?
I do listen to music when I write. What I listen to depends on what I’m writing. The music sets the mood for me. For the Bionics series, I like to listen to Fallout Boy, Evanescence, Ellie Goulding, Lana Del Rey, Florence and the Machine, and sometimes movie scores from films like The Hunger Games.

What inspired you to write The Bionics Series?
I was really struck by the state of America in current times, and toying with the idea of how things could be if we don’t wake up and make some changes. Conflicts are popping up all over the world, we’re destroying our environment, politics has gotten out of control and divided people … I loved the idea of exploring the possibilities of a world that has advanced so far in technology, yet has had so many political and social setbacks that it’s crippled us.

What is the one thing (or multiple) you always have with you while writing?
My Beats by Dre headphones (they’re noise cancelling), my laptop of course, a snack (usually something crunchy or sweet), coffee or water, and a blanket to drape over my legs (I’m cold natured).

What should we expect from you in the future?
Who knows, really? I’m so eclectic in my writing that people should always expect the unexpected. I have ideas for suspense, time travel, romance, fantasy, you name it! But at the heart of all that, always expect strong characters (particularly strong young women), as well as diverse characters!

Ever since she first read books like Chronicles of Narnia or Goosebumps, Alicia has been a lover of mind-bending fiction. Wherever imagination takes her, she is more than happy to call that place her home. The mother of three and wife to an Army soldier loves chocolate, coffee, and of course good books. When not writing, you can usually find her with her nose in a book, shopping for shoes and fabulous jewelry, or spending time with her loving family.

​For seventeen-year-old Samantha Campbell, running back woods trails usually means freedom from her less-than-perfect life. That is, until the day a morning run turns into a living nightmare. When Samantha wakes up to find herself bound to a dirty, pinstriped mattress, she realizes she’s anything but free. With a masked abductor repeatedly injecting her arm with an unknown substance while holding her captive, Samantha tries in vain to find out what he wants, but he refuses to speak. Until the day he breaks his silence and his twisted words are worse than what she’d imagined. He promises her one day she will fall in love with him but the best part will be that she won't know who he is... until it's too late. 

Finding herself freed from captivity, with her captor still at large, Samantha is on guard against everything and everyone around her. Unfortunately, walling up her heart proves difficult when eighteen-year-old Blake Knightley moves in next door. When Samantha starts experiencing strange changes within her, she realizes her captor may have left her more damaged than she originally thought. Now she must turn to Blake for help in order to unearth the truth behind the monster who started this all... or risk experiencing worse things than just falling in love.

​Step, step, breathe, breathe, step, step, breathe, breathe. My shoes kept a steady rhythm with my burning lungs. I veered off my regular path, opting to hear the crunch of the leaves beneath my feet. The image of my mom’s disapproving face was ignored as I leapt across a gurgling brook. Breathe, breathe, crunch, crunch.
    If I wasn’t mountain biking, I was running. I craved speed and freedom. I had to escape the oppressive perfection of living in the Campbell home. Thinking of my two older sisters, one model and the other a star volleyball player, my legs lunged, lengthening their stride. Not good at team sports and terrified by cameras, I knew my family felt my height was wasted on me. 
    Even Jeremy gives me a hard time. 
A stitch pinched my side. Breathe, breathe. I knew I was going too fast, not pacing myself right. Something was urging me on, pushing me to scale the hill before me, and plunge deeper into the woods. I refocused on my rhythm, my inhales and exhales, and my body realigned itself, goose bumps shooting across my arms. There it is. I’d hit my second wind and I surged on, not caring where my feet led. 
     It’s freedom! Complete and--
    There was a rush of air, a whistling in my ear, and a sting to the back of my arm. Instantly, I tumbled to the ground, sliding into the damp morning dew. Cold dirt filled my nostrils as blackness enveloped me. 

​
     I heard my own labored breathing long before I realized I was somewhere in between awake and asleep. Forcing my eyes open, I gasped. My senses took everything in at once—the smell of wood shavings, the scratchy ropes on my wrists and ankles, and the pressure of the mattress beneath my body. I screamed, but the empty room with wooden floors and stacked logs for walls was empty. No one burst through the door in the corner.
Realizing it was useless and only making my throat raw, I fell silent. Panic flooded me. How did I get here? I pressed my thoughts to retrace my steps, but my mind felt sluggish. My last memory was running in the woods just before sunrise. I could still feel the burn from the autumn air hitting my lungs. Now the solitary window painted a yellow rectangle on the floor. The room felt stuffy. It’s probably late afternoon. But is it the same day?
The minutes rolled slowly into hours, the silence suffocating. What had my therapist said to do when I was scared? Breathe deeply and don’t panic. It was too late for that; all the years of therapy after my childhood accident were rendered useless. I’m drowning all over again. Only this time, it wasn’t water filling my lungs but pure fear and terror pressing down on my chest. I gulped in dry air, my eyes burning with tears.
No one’s coming to save me. A sob escaped me as the real horror of the situation washed over me. I’m tied up. Someone knows I’m here. What would happen when they came back? As the last rays of light were snuffed out by the shadows of the night, that someone came through the wooden door.

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Amanda Strong is the author of two paranormal, young adult series: The Watchers of Men and Monsters Among Us.  
Amanda has loved to spin tales since childhood.   As a child, it was not uncommon to find her hiding in some random corner, scribbling away in her spiral bound notebook, with her bright pink glasses.  You could say some things have not changed. 
Amanda signed with Clean Teen Publishing in the fall of 2013 and has been blown away by the love and support she’s received from her readers since.  Both series have been Amazon best sellers.  Hidden Monster, book one in Monsters Among Us, finished as a Finalist in the 2014 USA Best Book Award: Young Adult Category. 
When she isn't writing, you can find her chasing her three rambunctious children around the house and spending time with her wonderful and supportive husband. On some occasions you can still find Amanda with her not-so-pink glasses, hiding in a corner reading her favorite latest fantasy novel, or working out only to blow her diet by eating chocolate.