Soul Survivor by Michelle Nicole Book Tour

Soul Survivor 

Hailee Mai Hart is just a simple, normal girl. Or so she thought. When she left her one-horse town for a college education in the big city, she never could've imagined what awaited her. She's quickly thrown into a world filled with angels, danger, and a curse ... her curse. Come to find out, she's not so simple after all. She's actually the last of her kind, and the fate of the world rests on her shoulders. She has one chance to save Earth, and it all comes down to one choice: Light or Darkness. What is right and what is wrong is all a matter of perspective, which leaves her heart dangerously tangled. No matter which path she takes people will die, and that's just not an option. Will she be able to save everyone, or will she be the Soul Survivor?

Excerpt #2 (Warning) 

 “Ugh. I’m not arguing with you about this anymore. I can handle myself.” 

 “Yeah, that’s what Areyanna said.” Alex huffed under his breath. 

 I grabbed his arm as he turned to retreat. “Who?” 

 He bit his lip as he studied my face. I could see him battling with himself. “Maybe if I tell you about her, it'll do you some good.” 

 I nodded. 

 We sat on the back patio set as Alex started his story. “Areyanna was a hybrid, just like you. She was more beautiful than you could imagine, with her auburn hair and her soul-piercing violet eyes. She was the first hybrid with a chance since I found her before Seth. I loved her, Hailee. She was so amazing and…” He paused for a moment getting lost in his memories. His voice turned cold. “Well, it doesn’t matter. The Darkness found her walking along the ocean one evening. He used his charms and powers on her and she was hooked. Seth knew I was coming to meet her on this particular evening, so he toyed and flirted with her, prolonging the inevitable. As soon as I was within sight of them, he murdered her. Dagger to the heart—right in front of me. He disappeared into the night before I could retaliate. I got to her bloodied corpse as the ocean waves wrapped its arms around her.” 

 Wow. “I’m so sorry, Alex. I didn’t—” 

 “Don’t apologize, Hailee, just heed my warnings about him. Please. You're our last chance at this. You're the final, the ultimate, hybrid which makes you so much more powerful, and,” he paused, “we can’t afford to lose you.” 

 I was so confused. I looked into Alex’s warm, worried eyes. “Do you really think I have the power to change this world into something better?” 

 “I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t. I know the others failed, but you…you’re different. You have a hybrid’s soul with an angel’s heart.” He winked, causing my stomach to flip. 

 “I hope you’re right.” I wanted to be able to see my Purpose through, but I had no idea how I was going to make it happen.

Michelle Nicole was born and raised in wild, wonderful West Virginia. While her first passion is numbers, not long into adulthood, Michelle rediscovered her love of books and with it the joy and fulfillment of writing her own stories. She spends her days working as a CPA and her nights weaving tales of love, friendship, and everything in between. When she's not working or writing, you'll find her binge watching her favorite TV shows, reading, tweeting, hanging with her husband and furry children, or spending time with her close knit extended family.

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Mythology: The Wicked by Helen Boswell

Book two of the MYTHOLOGY series by Helen Boswell 

IS COMING…

In MYTHOLOGY, readers are introduced to Hope and Micah. Book two belongs to the good bad boy who will capture your heart all over again:

Micah

MYTHOLOGY: THE WICKED

Book description

"A demon with a pure heart, Micah Condie lives his life by a code of ethics, but breaking that code may be the only way for him to survive. A supernatural entity in her own right, Hope Gentry would do anything in her power to protect her loved ones, but she may be the one who puts them in peril.

When the Demon Impiorum challenges the laws that keep guardians and demons in balance, ancient enforcers of justice intervene. Micah, Hope, and their mentor Jonathan become entangled in a conspiracy that will test even the deepest love and trust.

Someone will commit an act of betrayal. Someone will forever abandon a loved one.

Someone will enter The Wicked."

Add MYTHOLOGY: THE WICKED to Goodreads today!

Want to get to know Micah?

Follow Micah on Twitter.

Want to meet Micah and Hope before THE WICKED comes out late summer? (You really should!)

MYTHOLOGY on Amazon:  ebook/paperback

MYTHOLOGY at Barnes and Noble:  ebook/paperback

MYTHOLOGY on iTunes: ebook

MYTHOLOGY on Kobo: ebook

A message from the author, Helen Boswell:

I think every kid is gifted in some way. For me, I was a complete bookworm, and I will always be thankful for my mother allowing me to read at the kitchen table during mealtimes. Reading naturally led to writing by the time I was eight or nine – I started with fantasy stories, dabbled with writing a bit of romance, and finally published my urban fantasy MYTHOLOGY in 2012. I've lived in several places throughout the U.S., including upstate New York (the setting of my novel), and steadily moved out west. I currently live in Utah with my husband and two young sons and spend my time teaching, writing, and playing. I wouldn't trade my life for anything. J

Guest Post by Christopher Waltz: “Out of the Closet and into the Pages: Gay Characters in YA Literature”

Guest Post: “Out of the Closet and into the Pages: Gay Characters in YA Literature” 

by Christopher Waltz 

"When David James asked me to write a guest blog post about diversity in YA lit, not only was I excited and honored, but it also got me thinking. I did internet research, dug through my own collection of Young Adult novels (which is pretty hefty), and had discussions with groups of my friends and fellow writers. We all ended up with the same question: Where are all the gay characters in YA lit? Fans of Young Adult fiction read these stories and witness the inevitable, blossoming love between the main characters. Katniss must choose between Peeta and Gail in The Hunger Games. Bella must choose between Edward and Jacob in The Twilight Saga. Vlad must choose between Meredith and Snow in the lesser-known, but still amazing The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod. We hardly (if ever) see characters dating or even acknowledging feelings for other characters of the same sex. Katniss doesn’t unexpectedly fall for Glimmer, the District One tribute. Bella doesn’t start having feelings for one of the female Cullens, such as Alice. Vlad doesn’t wrestle with emotions involving his sworn enemy, Joss the vampire slayer. But why not? One of the many answer to this question, unfortunately, is because it makes people uncomfortable. Over the past few days, I’ve read several articles, from blog posts, to pieces in The New York Times claiming gay characters in YA lit simply just aren’t wanted, and generally make people feel “weird.” Some of these articles even chronicle real-life experiences of authors trying to get their work published, only to be rejected for having gay characters, or at the least, asked to “straighten them out” to reach a broader span of readers. The only thing I could find myself thinking as I read these stories was “What a load of bull!” In fact, I’m still trying to wrap my head around how making all the characters the same (i.e. straight) opens the story up to more readers. In my apparently skewed opinion, having a wider range of characters, with varying sexualities, would inevitably open the story up to a wider audience. And then it hit me. Having gay characters in stories, writing gay characters into stories; it can be tough. Members of the gay community, like most other minorities (and even some majorities) face certain unfavorable stereotypes. One struggle, I would assume, for many authors, is how to organically insert a proud, realistic gay character into their story without creating a “I’m here! I’m queer!” character parading about during the apocalypse. This was something I particularly faced while writing Ivy League. I knew one of my two main characters, Gabe, was gay, I just didn’t know how to say it. I drafted out ideas, considered dropping subtle hints, and came up with countless ways for my readers to know his sexuality without making it the main point of the novel. By the time I’d finished writing, editing, and was getting ready to publish, there was really nothing in the story solidifying Gabe’s sexuality: he was just a normal guy. But that was it. That was what I had been searching for the whole time. Gabe was just a normal guy… who happens to be gay. He didn’t need a huge coming out party. He didn’t need to remind other characters of his sexuality every chapter; it was just a part of who he was. In the end, it may be a long time before we begin seeing Young Adult bestsellers with openly gay characters that haven’t been “straightened out” by the publishers and editors, but like recent events in real life, I feel like big changes are coming, and hopefully one of those changes is acceptance."

Christopher Waltz was born in Indiana in 1987 and promptly began writing once leaving the womb. While this is a complete lie, Christopher did begin writing around age eight at which point he penned and illustrated a sequel to the film "Jumanji." Since that time, Christopher has continued writing and obtained a degree in secondary education from Indiana University's School of Education. He currently works with a non-profit organization and writes. His novel, Ivy League, was recently published.