Welcome to
Evernight Teen’s Summer Kick-off Blog Hop!
It’s a great
opportunity to get to know Evernight Teen: Gritty Fiction for Today’s Young
Adult. Our stories include fresh teen fiction that’s raw, gritty and real.
My spotlight
is on Sylah
Sloan’s Elysium
Blurb:
Meadow Caldwell is about to learn a very dark secret about herself.
When she is taken away from the only family she has ever known and
thrust into the world of the paranormal, she learns not everything or everyone
is what it seems.
Arcane Manor, a school for creatures of myth and lore, is all Meadow
knows now. The only person she can rely on is herself in this strange, new
world, especially with the secret of her true identity.
When Dr. Cadeon Frost, an enigmatic vampire, helps her unravel her past,
Meadow finds herself falling for the quiet, intelligent doctor.
When she is thrust out of reality and into the arms of a mysterious man,
she is trapped between the world she knows and one that nightmares are made of.
It is up to her to stop not only an evil that threatens her, but everyone she
cares for.
14+ for brief
sexuality
Excerpt:
“I’ve never
been kissed.” I wasn’t looking for sympathy, not in the least, and I was
probably embarrassing myself with my admission, but I wanted him to know. I
wanted him to be the first guy I kissed. I wanted to share that experience with
him. He didn’t speak, and I worried I had screwed up anything which might have
been created between us. He almost had a troubled look on his face, but then he
let out a deep breath, his hand going back to my face and his fingers trailing
along my jaw.
“You’re so
special, Meadow.” He whispered the words.
I didn’t feel
special, not in the least, but I would have been lying if I didn’t admit that
hearing him say those things about me had butterflies in my stomach. My eyes
widened when I noticed his head coming closer. Oh my. This is it. He’s going to
kiss me. I didn’t move and held my breath as he stopped an inch from my lips.
It was torture, pure and simple.
“Just a small
kiss.”
I nodded and
braced myself, as his lips pressed against mine. The setting was perfect, the
kiss magical. He smelled so good, and I was being kissed for the first time in
a romantic place. The beautiful flowers blooming all around me, their intoxicating
scents surrounding us, just made the experience that much more incredible.
Soon that small
kiss became more heated, and he cupped my cheeks with his hands. Whatever I had
imagined it to be like to kiss, it had never compared to this. His lips on mine
were demanding, yet soft, like he wanted to show me all the passion he had, but
didn’t dare let loose. He pulled away and looked at me, his breathing as fast
as my own. I was glad he had the same reaction to me, as I did to him.
He cleared his
throat and sat back, running his hand through his hair and looking around. “We
should get back.”
In a few short
hours it would be dawn and even though I didn’t know if I would fry out in the
sun, I wasn’t ready to test my luck. I nodded, letting him take my hand and getting
tingles all over my body when our skin touched. We slowly made our way back to
the Manor, my mind a whirlwind of emotions. He seemed more aloof, more distant,
and I wondered if I had done something wrong. Had I pushed him into kissing me?
Made him feel sorry for me and now he regretted doing it? He was older and
maybe he feared he would get in trouble. I certainly considered the kiss
innocent, but now felt shame for what we had done. I didn’t want him angry at
me and worried about it.
“Cadeon?”
He stopped
before we reached the front doors, the wind blowing by us and ruffling his dark
hair. “I’m sorry.” I tightened my coat, suddenly feeling embarrassed.
He knitted his
brows and took a step towards me. “For what?”
“For the kiss.
I didn’t tell you to make you feel sorry for me. I just, I don’t know, wanted
you to know.” He didn’t say anything, his attention on the greenhouse.
“You have
nothing to be sorry about. I’m just frustrated with myself. I find it difficult
to keep my control around you, but I should. I need to stay strong and
levelheaded because it won’t do anyone any good if I let my emotions control
me. Do you understand what I’m saying?”
I didn’t, but I
nodded anyway. I kind of thought he was telling me he cared for me, which was
what I deciphered back in the greenhouse. I was happy to know he couldn’t keep
his control around me, but not so happy that he wanted to keep it. When he
kissed me, he showed me a side of him that was wilder, more intense. It was
another part of his life, a part more exciting. The kiss showed me what it
could be like, what I had been missing this whole time. It sounded silly, even
as I thought about it, but it was true. We stared at each other for another
suspended moment and then he smiled.
“Goodnight, Meadow.” He turned,
and I watched him walk away. I didn’t close my door until he was gone.
What’s
up for grabs?
•
One
lucky hopper will win a KINDLE PAPERWHITE eREADER sponsored by Evernight Teen.
•
Every
book blogger/reviewer site is giving away one free eBook from Evernight Teen
(winner’s choice of any eBook from Evernight Teen’s website).
•
Plus,
each author offers their own unique prize! So visit each blog hop stop for a
host of fabulous prizes to win.
How to
enter? Leave a comment and your email address in the comments section below to
be eligible to win a prize.
Continue
hopping to the next stop! Click here to HOP on over to the next blog!! Have fun and good luck!
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