Showing posts with label Nook. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Nook. Show all posts
Unknown


-About the Author-

Bailey Ardisone is a collaboration between two sisters who were born and raised outside of Chicago, Illinois. They combined their creative forces to write the first book in their series, called Sweet Oblivion. Though the name Bailey Ardisone applies to both of them, for the sake of answering questions they will each take on one of the names to make things easier.

The older sister of the two in Bailey Ardisone, has always loved getting lost in books, movies, music, and art. Fantasy is her favorite genre. She gets her love of words from their grandmother who together used to write poems, short stories and even greeting cards. Her biggest goal would be to travel and explore the world. She loves going to the beach, enjoys football sundays, and spending time with friends and family.


The younger sister of the two in Bailey Ardisone, has always held a strong love for anything art related. Whether it be drawing, music, or constantly day-dreaming, her mind never stops imagining wonderful stories and possibilities. She finally got to put some of those ideas to use with her new found love of writing novels. Some other things she is forever obsessed with are Japanese Anime and Manga, animals, traveling, her home city of Chicago and anything in miniature form. One thing she can never get enough of is sleeping/taking naps and sour skittles.


-About Sweet Oblivion-

Sweet Oblivion received a MAKEOVER! We truly hope you enjoy the new cover art!




When two worlds collide, nightmares become reality. And some secrets...are best kept in Oblivion.
...Until there is hope.


Have you ever wanted to forget? Nariella Woodlinn has. Many times. Especially when her already frustrating life gets turned upside down by a mysterious boy who randomly shows up in her small town. And she can’t seem to understand anything about him, despite how much she tries.
​Nari hates everything about her life, except for her best friend Rydan, but now that they’ve been separated during their senior year of high school, she has to learn to make new friends without him. When strange, unexplainable phenomena start becoming an every day part of her life, Nari struggles to come to grips with reality. And with love.
~​
Naminé has responsibilities. Duties. It is her obligation to fulfill all that is asked of her by their King. But when a glimmer of hope is introduced to her by a prisoner she tends to, it means life or death for her and her people. She does all that she can to turn that hope into reality, and finally end the vicious war that has been ensuing since she was born. Even if that means keeping it secret from her King. Even if it means carrying out the biggest betrayal against the King ever seen during her time.

She has hope. She will fulfill her duty. She will not let her people down.

-Excerpt-


~Nari~

I suddenly felt anxious, excited even, at the prospect of laying eyes on Mycah again. On being enveloped in his woodsy scent. The way my soul felt complete and whole again only his presence alone could accomplish. ...Were we really just friends?
And then there he was.
As I took the last stair, his eyes found mine from the "Greeting Room" he quietly sat in, drinking from an antique teacup.
He watched me carefully as he slowly put the cup to his alluring lips and took a sip. My heart danced wildly in my chest with every step I took, drawing closer and closer.
I waved at him, not able to speak just yet.
“Morning, beautiful,” he whispered. His English accent made the words sound musical. Or maybe it was his silky voice that did it. Or it could have been the combination of the two, I really didn’t know. Either way, my stomach did a flip.
And then I thought, it must have been the way he was looking at me, not even trying to hide the desire that flooded his aqua eyes as soon as they locked onto mine.
The sun played with his eyes, bringing out the unique colors and making them more vivid. Even though he was lit up by the streaming sun that shone brightly through the large bay window, he never looked more dangerous.
And he never looked more sexy.
Well, that could be debatable.
I mean, if you wanted to count the time he was dripping wet and practically naked, well then, one really couldn’t say.
But this moment was definitely a top contender for first place.

He stood up, keeping perfect posture and foreign demeanor exquisitely intact, and came over to me.
“You alright?” he asked, lips pulling up in a side smile. I nodded, half hating the spell he always put me under, half totally loving it.

He reached out and slowly slid his hand into mine, intertwining our fingers together and pulling me toward the front door. He chuckled and slightly shook his head at the ground.


Published: December 30, 2012
The Sweet Series, Book One


Fan art provided by Megan Elliott


Grab your copy everywhere ebooks are sold! Also available in paperback through Amazon.
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iTunes


And now....for the second book in the Sweet Series, we present: Sweet Escape!

-About Sweet Escape-


Life will never be the same for Nariella Woodlinn. Just when she thought she had it all figured out, her world comes crumbling down around her - yet again. She has no idea who she is. She has no idea where she came from.
She once thought her biggest problems were ones brought on by the mysterious man she had refused to fall in love with...Mycah. But she quickly discovers none of that compares to what she is about to encounter next.
This time, it isn't because of who Mycah is.
This time, it's because of who she is.
~
Naminé risked everything to save her people. Her goal was to bring their only hope back to their Kingdom. As the war rages on, Naminé gets thrown right into the lion's den - the false King's chambers. Forced to do his bidding, can she prevent the downfall of the only hope she worked so hard to bring home?

...Can any of them Escape?

-Excerpt-


~Nari~

I lay mesmerized from the position on my back, staring up at the cloudless sky. It was as blue as a Robin’s egg. If not more blue. The sun shown extremely bright, but the rays did not scorch my skin. The air was comfortable. Very comfortable. It was the perfect temperature. Warm, without being too warm, and no humidity.
I did not move.
I was afraid to move in case this was all just a dream, and any slight stir would make it vanish, throwing me back into tormented reality. It must be a dream, right? Clearly, I had busted my head against the tree trunk and knocked myself out...And I was only imagining this while Zaylie, I was sure, was worried and trying to wake me up.
Right?
I could feel the grass beneath me. Soft, lush, exquisite. As if I laid against the perfect bed made just for me. I was Goldilocks and it was just right.
A colorful bird soared above me. But as it descended closer, obscuring my view of the sky, I realized it was not actually a bird at all. It was the strangest butterfly I had ever seen. Its wings were a rainbow of colors - and it was huge. Bird-like huge.
But I didn’t feel frightened or grossed out like I usually did by insects. This was different. It felt different here. The butterfly flapped its wings so gently and effortlessly. I numbly reached up while it landed weightlessly on my fingers.

The moment it touched me and started cleaning its antennae, even though I could barely feel it on me, I got the striking feeling that this was real. Very real. I quickly sat up, causing the vivid butterfly to take flight again, and gazed around the beauteous expanse encircling me.

Coming July 25th, 2013!

In celebration of the new cover and the up-coming release of Sweet Escape, FOR A LIMITED TIME ONLY: Sweet Oblivion is now on SALE! Get started on The Sweet Series by reading the first book, Sweet Oblivion, now only 99¢!



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I am really excited to share this new release - The Never by Kristina Circelli. It sounds SUPER good (I am a huge fan of Peter Pan!) Check it out and please go pick it up for your ebook reader (paperback soon to come!) I know I will!




“Out of nothing, we create something.”

Arianna has spent her entire life being called a dreamer, an artist who created a world no one else can see. And for her entire life, she has taken the medication that keeps that world – and the one who brought her there – at bay.

Now an adult, Arianna reawakens that part of herself kept locked away in the darkest corners of her mind. When she hides her medicine from her fiancé’s ever-watchful eye, he returns – the shadow in the night who collects her for an adventure known only in her fantasies.

But something is different about this world called The Never. It is no longer the cheerful place filled with light and laughter that she knew as a child. Now, the sea creatures drag their visitors into the depths of murky waters. The natives battle to the death against the tribe of children. And the pirates, led by the feared captain called The Hunter, seek out Arianna for their own sinister plans.

As Arianna goes deeper into The Never, she discovers just what her connection to the land means – and must choose between her life rooted in reality, and the world where anything is possible.

Foreword:

            They say that in time, we all must grow up.
            Keep your feet on the ground. Get your head out of the clouds. You dream too big. Such words force us out of childhood, out of our dreams, and into reality - if we let them. While our bodies may grow up and our minds may mature, our imaginations transcend the meaning of time.
            To say that I grew up would be the truth. To say that I stopped dreaming would be a lie. My love for writing was born out of dreams, both waking and sleeping, that took me to worlds everyone else said could never exist. Perhaps this life is too limited in its possibilities, or maybe it is our lack of sight that keeps us from truly seeing.
            You might even say that writing was, for me, an act of rebellion. Mermaids aren’t real? People can’t fly? Luck dragons are made-up creatures? Well, let me prove the many ways in which you are wrong. In books, there is no such thing as “impossible” - and that is what I love most.
            The Never took hold in my mind many years ago, a story of what happens after we grow up, but cannot forget our dreams. Some of you may recognize its origin, the long-ago told tale of magic, or you may have heard my endless chatter about the boy who never says good-bye. The Never is not a story of what happens next, but rather, what happens when one woman decides to stop believing in the limitations around her and instead believes in herself - what she can do, what she can see, and what she can dream.
            It is an unfortunate reality that we all must grow up. But, The Never has allowed me the rare opportunity to step back into a childhood that was all too short and be among the stories that keep my dreams alive, even during those pestering waking hours.
            Even now, I am the one who stays on shore for fear of sea monsters. I am the one who looks for faeries in the flowers. I am the one who is terrified by the thought of being possessed, yet still hopes to meet a ghost or alien. I am the one who lives in The Never, if only in my dreams.
            I hope you too enjoy the trip into the impossibly possible, and in the end, let your dreams take flight.
Like what you've read so far? Check this out:

Prologue - A Child Dreams

            The child sat with her arms crossed, green eyes staring vacantly at the woman before her, mind and imagination in a world not of this realm. The woman, frustrated and bored, watched the girl carefully, tired of this game.
            A clock ticked in the background, a steady tick, tick, tick of time that did not exist for the child, but drove the adult to her last frayed nerve. Not even the tranquility of her office, purposely decorated to best set every heart at ease with soft colors and peaceful seascapes, could ease the tension in her shoulders.
            “Arianna, we have been through this,” the woman said, speaking the first words of the day. Her voice sounded too high-pitched and nervous, betraying the stern expression her face had settled into. “You cannot keep lying to people. People don’t like lies.”
            Those green eyes shifted ever so slightly, latching on to her in an eerie, unsettling way. The woman’s breath caught in her throat, making her next question sound almost frightened. “Can you tell me why you make up these stories?”
            The girl hardly moved when she answered. “I don’t tell stories. I tell memories.”
            The answer only annoyed the woman more. “Memories of what?”
            “Of the land I dream of.”
            “And where is this land?” At that, the girl unfolded her arms and slowly raised a hand, curling her fingers until just one was pointing toward the ceiling. “Up? Where is up? Heaven?” The girl only lowered her arm and narrowed her eyes in a way that told the woman exactly what she thought of her. “And who showed you this place?”
            “A friend.”
            “Does this friend have a name?” The child didn’t answer. “Is he nice to you? Or does he tell you to do bad things?” Another blank stare. “Are you afraid of him?”
            “I’m not afraid of my friends.”
            “If he is a friend, why does no one else know him?”
            “No one else can see him.”
            The woman smiled softly, gently touching the girl’s arm. “Because he does not exist.”
            “Because they have forgotten how to see,” the child retorted, bitterness in her voice. “He only comes to those who still believe in magic.”
            “I see. And who told you to say that?”
            “I think for myself.”
            The woman sighed, rising to her feet and gesturing to the girl to do the same. “Magic is for children who cannot think for themselves, Arianna. It is time to grow up, and forget these stories. Then you won’t have to see me anymore.” The green eyes locked on her once again, sending a chill down the woman’s back.
            “I see you always. But you never see me.”

            The girl allowed her mother to tuck her in that night, obeying the soft commands to brush her teeth, put on her pajamas, and slip beneath the sheet. Bedtime was the best time for her, the time when dreams came, when she was visited by memories.
            Her mother, a beautiful lady in every sense of the word, pulled up the comforter, smiling down at her daughter. “Tomorrow is a new day, sweetheart,” she said, kissing her on the cheek. She held out her hand. “Here, take this.”
            The child looked down at the small blue pill, taking it in her slender fingers. “What is it?”
            “To help you sleep,” her mother replied, handing her a glass of water. Not a trace of anger or deception filled her words, as she was a good mother, one who knew what was best for her only child and refused to show distress. “So you won’t have to visit your doctor anymore.” As expected, the oath had her daughter eagerly swallowing the pill, never knowing what truths would come of the broken promises.
            “Will I sleep better now?” the girl asked, settling down against her pillows.
            “You will sleep like an angel, my beautiful little Arianna, with silk wings and a long, flowing white dress.”
            “Will I dream?”
            “Of all the most wonderful things in this world.” Her mother leaned over and kissed her daughter on the forehead. “Sweet dreams, my love.”
            But on that night, the little girl didn’t dream at all.

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<3 Ardisone