From the Diary of Jake - The Akasha Chronicles

The Akasha Chronicles, in the third book, Emily’s Heart, Jake is a first-person narrator (in addition to the main protagonist, Emily). This bit is from Jake’s “private” diary and it’s from the period of time before the book begins.

From the Private Diary of Jake Stevens:

Sterling Beaumon as "Jake"

I used to be a pretty happy-go-lucky guy. So long as I had books to read and a frig full of Coke (regular, not that diet crap), I was happy. Well, and I guess I needed one more thing.

To be near her. The spicy, citrusy scent of her hair in my nostrils. The sound of her throaty laugh in my ears. The way her green eyes got bright and twinkly when she smiled. And her smile. When she smiled at me, it filled me with a joy I’ve never felt with anyone else.

Her smile. That was all I needed. Oh, I wanted more of course. But I’m a patient guy. I was content to wait. I figured if I treated her well enough long enough, she’d come around. She’d see the truth of it. She’d see that I loved her and I’d always loved her.

And I thought I always would love her.

But that was before. Before she loved someone else. Before she went and messed it all up.

Now? I don’t love her. I wish I never had.

The world is blanketed in a cover of darkness and it’s all her fault. My little brother and sister are always scared. My mom is filled with terror. We’re afraid all the time. And it’s all her doing.

And she loved him and not me. Now my heart is a torn up mess. And that’s all her fault too.

I wish I’d never loved her. I wish I didn’t still love her.

* * *

Emily's Heart (Book 3 of the Akasha Chronicles)

Seventeen-year-old Emily Adams unintentionally unleashed a shadow god's dark energy power into the world and started an Apocalypse. But Emily is also the only one that can end the dark god's reign. Though the powerful faerie magic of the golden torc is still coiled around her arm, self-doubt threatens to undo her. Emily wants nothing more than to feel the soft kiss of her one true love, but he won't even speak to her. Her first crush is still quite dead and her best friend remains a prisoner in the dark god's house of nightmares. A growing legion of black-eyed shadow people, devoid of conscience, roam the streets. Emily needs help now more than ever, but redemption seems far off indeed as she faces the expanding darkness alone.

Emily will need an army of her own if she is to save the world from being taken over by pure evil. But will a small band of Lucent geeks and freaks be enough to send the dark god packing?

Amidst chaos and ruin, will love blossom in Emily's Heart?

Excerpt:

We had a few minutes until class – or longer if our prof never showed up. We were shootin’ the shit about sports when I felt my phone, tucked inside my bag, wedged between the pages of my notebook, vibrate.

I dug the phone out and checked the caller ID. ‘Gabriella Hoffman.’ I didn’t know any Gabriella. But Hoffman. Could it be?

“You going to answer that?” Tristan asked.

“I’m not sure who it is.”

“They can’t beat you up over the phone, man. Answer it.”

I hesitated another second, but when it rang again, I hit the answer button.

“Hello?”

“Jake?”

“Yeah. Who’s this?”

“It’s Greta.”

Silence.

“Greta Hoffman.”

* * * 

Series Boxed Set: an Amazon Exclusive: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00HY474BS

Author Bio:

Natalie is the author of The Akasha Chronicles, a young adult paranormal fantasy trilogy. When not writing, blogging, Facebooking, Tweeting, Wattpadding or eating chocolate, Natalie nurtures her young daughter, plays with her two young cats, and feeds her dog too many treats.

Natalie enjoys walking in the high desert, snorkeling in warm waters, travel, and excellent food shared with family and friends. She was raised an Ohio farm girl, now lives in the desert Southwest, and dreams of living in a big city high rise.

Natalie enjoys chatting with readers, so stop by and say hi:

Blog: http://www.NatalieWrightsYA.blogspot.com
Twitter: http://www.Twitter.com.NatalieWright_
Facebook: http://www.Facebook.com.NatalieWright.Author
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Wattpad: http://www.wattpad.com/user/NatalieWright_
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/natwrites/

BUY LINKS:

Amazon U.S.:
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Paperback: http://www.amazon.com/Emilys-Heart-Natalie-Wright/dp/1493697587/ref=tmm_pap_title_0
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Apple iBooks: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/emilys-heart/id775369037?mt=11&uo=4

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Banshee Screams from Natalie Wright

Natalie Wright avoids cat scratch fever and vacuums up a LOT black cat hair after hosting Cait Sidhe, the cat fairy from Scotch Broom.

* * * Here's Natalie * * *

NATALIE'S TREATS:

Visit Natalie Wright's blog and learn how to enter to win a signed copy of her book, Emily's House, some swag, and an Amazon gift card! 

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Irish Celtic mythology and spirituality inspired me while writing my first novel, Emily’s House. Emily lives in the modern world, but she learns that she is the last of the line of the Order of Brighid, an ancient order of Irish women priestesses.

Before I began the research for Emily’s House, I knew nothing about Celtic mythology. I soon learned that Ireland is rich with mythic creatures and entities.

I came across two beings that I just had to use. The first you may be familiar with: the Banshee (in modern Ireland it’s Bean SÍ). While there are many variants of the Banshee myth, the one thing they have in common is that she keens for the dead. Sometimes her keening is a premonition of the death to come. At other times she wails for the newly dead, often said to announce the death of one from an important Irish family. At times Banshee is described as beautiful:

At other times she is described as terrifying.

You’ll have to read Emily’s House to see how my mind imagined Banshee!

The Irish leanan sidhe (also spelled Lianhan Sidhe) is a lesser known mythological creature. She is most often depicted as a beautiful muse who offers inspiration to an artist, but at a price. It is said that the men who fall in love with her live brief but inspired lives. In the mythos, Lianhan Sidhe seeks the love of mortal men. If they refuse, she must be their slave. But if they consent, they are hers and she essentially feeds on their life, wasting away. The Lianhan Sidhe reminded me of the siren who lures sailors with her irresistible song, only to crash on the rocks and perish.

As I read about these two faery women, I thought, “What if they are sisters?” And what would be unleashed if something happened to one of them? Would the other have her sister’s back? Would she seek to avenge her sister?

I used other aspects of Irish Celtic mythology and spirituality in Emily’s House, but maybe the most fun was coming up with my own spin on the very old myths of the Banshee and the Lianhan Sidhe.

I hope you are all enjoying the fabulous Summer Teen Reading Party where fun reads abound at summer sale prices with great prizes thrown in for good measure.

My Summer Teen Reading Party giveaway is going on now through May 21 so enter through the Rafflecopter below for your chance to snag swag from me.

Here's the Rafflecopter link again.

From Kirkus Reviews: With her two best friends by her side and her mother’s memory in her heart, a teenager undertakes a journey to save the world from an ancient evil.

Emily Adams has always known she’s special. Throughout her whole life she’s had visions of things that haven’t happened yet and she could always read her mother’s mind. At least, she could until her mother died. Emily thinks her abilities are just about gone, but the arrival of a strange creature in her backyard one night proves otherwise. Emily discovers she is the last of the Order of Brighid, an ancient society of women sworn to protect the portal to the Netherworld. Now, with the portal under attack, it’s up to Emily and her two loyal, wisecracking friends to stop a villainous man before his actions destroy the world.

Author Bio:

Natalie Wright spent her formative years growing up on a farm in Ohio. It was a fertile environment for an active imagination and inquisitive mind. She is, however, a city girl at heart and now finds inspiration in her travels and in the desert environment of her home in Tucson, Arizona, where she lives with her husband, daughter and her dog Molly.

You can “find” me here:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/NatalieWright_

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/NatalieWright.Author

Blog: http://NatalieWrightsYA.blogspot.com

Website: http://NatalieWright.net

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/468945.Natalie_Wright

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