Book Highlight and Giveaway: Impostor by Susanne Winnacker

Impostor: A Variants Novel

Harcover: Impostor: A Variants Novel

Paperback: Impostor: A Variants Novel

Title: Imposter
Author: Susanne Winnacker
Series: Variants #1
Genre: Young Adult, thriller

Can Tessa pose as Madison . . . and stop a killer before it’s too late? 



Tessa is a Variant, able to absorb the DNA of anyone she touches and mimic their appearance. Shunned by her family, she’s spent the last two years training with the Forces with Extraordinary Abilities, a secret branch of the FBI. When a serial killer rocks a small town in Oregon, Tessa is given a mission: she must impersonate Madison, a local teen, to find the killer before he strikes again.



Tessa hates everything about being an impostor—the stress, the danger, the deceit—but loves playing the role of a normal girl. As Madison, she finds friends, romance, and the kind of loving family she’d do anything to keep. Amid action, suspense, and a ticking clock, this super-human comes to a very human conclusion: even a girl who can look like anyone struggles the most with being herself.

"An unpredictable page turner with shades of terror reminiscent of a Stephen King novel."—VOYA

"Fresh and inventive. . . . the strongly-written mystery component takes center stage.“—BCCB

Amazon | B&N

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Excerpt

I went over to the window and pried it open. The frame groaned but with a jerk the window slid up and cool air streamed in. The fresh smell of rain in the night was one of my absolute favorites.

A shadow shifted on the street. I poked my head out. Even in the rain, the hooded stranger waited on the other side, staring at my window. I grabbed my cell phone from the nightstand and the pepper spray from my purse, slipped into my ballet flats and rushed out of the room and down the stairs. Devon appeared in the hall, his eyes bleary. I didn’t stop to explain.

My feet carried me outside where the rain plastered my hair down and soaked through my clothes. The stranger turned the corner as I crossed our front yard.

I pumped my legs. I heard Devon’s steps behind me and his shouts of confusion, but I turned a corner and then another until it appeared that I’d lost him. I stormed into the forest at the edge of our neighborhood, where the stranger had disappeared just moments before.

From up ahead, the sound of twigs breaking kept me on the trail. Devon must have given up or lost sight of me because I didn’t hear him behind me.

Without streetlights, the forest’s darkness was absolute. Rain rattled the leaves, and twigs snapped under my shoes. Shape-shifting while running was difficult and straining, but with Madison’s short legs I’d never catch the guy. Who was he? The killer? And I was alone in a dark forest with him. Maybe not my best plan.

I let the rippling wash over me. Tearing, stretching, twisting, remodeling. My clothes strained and ripped. I stumbled a few times over my lengthening legs but then, with Alec’s body, I gained on the stranger. Wind howled in my ears and for a moment I lost my bearings as he disappeared from view.

Up ahead, something flashed in the blackness like a beacon. He’d turned around to check if I was still following. My breath rasped in my throat as I jumped over a fallen trunk. The forest was cloaked in mist, concealing the outline of the mysterious figure.

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About Susanne

Susanne Winnacker studied law before she became a full-time writer. She lives with her husband, two dogs and two bunnies in Germany. She loves coffee (in every shape and form), traveling and animals. When she isn't writing, you can usually find her in the kitchen, experimenting with new vegan dishes.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

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Giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Molly's Diary Reveal Day 7/15 KAMM - A Fields of Elysium Blog Hop

Written and illustrated by A.B. Whelan

The Diary of Molly Elizabeth Bennett

Based on the story of Fields of Elysium 

Day 7: Kamm

Kamm is the oldest brother of the Motley sisters, a Sentinel Master, a retired Ecmentur champion and a sulky man with much pain and sadness in his past. He wants to get rid of all Earth people (Terrakas) on Arkana and not letting more in, so Molly and Kamm don't exactly get along.

(Originally posted on Curling Up With a Good Book's blog)

EXCERPT

Fields of Elysium

A YA romantic fantasy 

A dark figure stepped out of the shadows, its figure clearing as he neared us. It was a man, dressed in a glossy-hooded black cloak, held together on the chest by a metal bird buckle. Red material peeked out from under the tight coat at his neck and over his thighs. His outfit looked like a uniform.   

“Hello, Kamm,” Tulliat greeted him, recoiling.

“You didn’t answer my question,” the deep voice growled.

“Victor brought her here. She almost died from Panicova poisoning.”

I wanted to step forward and shake hands with this Kamm, but my legs refused to obey.

At last, the figure reached the circle of light created by Mynps in the lantern and tucked his hood back. He was in his late twenties and had dazzling blue eyes and thick straight eyebrows. His heart-shaped lips were surrounded with stubble a few days old. Dark grey seemed to dominate his short hair, but that might have been from the dim light and the three moons’ silver glow.

He glowered at me in a piercing and hostile way.

I felt as small as a mouse.

Throughout my entire life I had never experienced such repugnant behavior toward me by so many. I was never outstandingly popular, but neither was I hated so virulently.

“Stop telling her our secrets. Our job is tough enough without you helping them so foolishly,” Kamm growled at Tulliat, all the while keeping his dark eyes on me.

“She’s with me, Kamm,” Victor said, floating in the air on his Ducati next me.

He extended his arm for me.

“Then maybe you should be a more cautious shepherd and not let your sheep wander off,” Kamm said spicily.

He threw another antagonistic glance at me, spun around and was gone, the same soundless way as he appeared.

I climbed onto the railing and jumped over onto the Ducati.

“I’m sorry. I don’t know how I could have fallen asleep like that,” Victor said.

“No harm done. Your friend Tulliat kept me good company,” I said, waving at the boy whose admiration for Victor was plastered all over his face.

“I’ll see you soon, brother,” Victor called.

Tulliat lit up with a broad smile. “I’ll be waiting for your return.”

Victor nodded, turned the protective field on, and we headed off into the darkness of the woodland.

Written and illustrated by A.B. Whelan

Thank you for reading,

                              

Find the series on Barnes&Noble and Smashwords

Paperback on Amazon

424 pages (book 1)

Fields of Elysium

Kindle Edition on Amazon

Fields of Elysium (a romantic fantasy, book 1)

Paperback on Amazon
438 pages (book 2)

Valley of Darkness (Fields of Elysium, #2) (Volume 2)

Kindle Edition on Amazon:

Valley of Darkness Part 1 (Fields of Elysium, #2)

Valley of Darkness Part 2 (Fields of Elysium, #2)

Paperback on Amazon

146 pages (Novella)

Safe and Sound (Fields of Elysium)

Kindle Edition on Amazon:

Safe and Sound (A Fields of Elysium Novella)

Amazon Exclusive!!

Fields of Elysium Book Trailer

From the Author 

I'm a Hungarian born American writer, who was lucky enough to travel Europe, Africa, and The Middle East and live in Ecuador, Crete and Italy. I graduated as a computer engineer, thus if anybody tells you math and literature can't walk hand in hand, don't believe them. *smile*

I'm the author of the Fields of Elysium saga, which I like to call a young adult romantic fantasy. The first book of the series was inspired by amazing movies like Dirty Dancing, Avatar, and Twilight and earned praise from prestigious review companies and readers. I'm currently working on book three and four, and planning to write one more novella to finish the series, dedicated to another very interesting character in my story, The Prophet, the mysterious leader of the Arkanians.


Find me on Social sites. Friend me. Follow me. Message me. I love to connect.

       Blog            Pinterest          Goodreads         Twitter          Facebook

Release Blitz and Giveaway: Whispering Wishes by Jennifer Miller

Be careful what you wish for...

Normally, Aspen Edwards will do anything for her free-spirited best friend, Mischa, but this feels like a bit much. The plan is simple, all Aspen has to do is write down a few affirmations and recite them during the New Moon. But as skeptical as Aspen is, a promise is a promise. So, she whispers each wish to the universe, pondering the possibilities of "what if." Who wouldn't want a promotion at work, a new home, or to become an irresistible sex goddess?

But Aspen’s luck doesn't change with the wishes, or the wind. Each of her whispered prayers produces disaster. She gets fired. Her car breaks down. She gets kicked out of her house. And of course there is the crap icing on the cake of doom, falling for flirtatious and sexy, Wes, who sees her as nothing more than his “little sis”. It might not be so bad if his house weren't the only place she had to go.

Unbeknownst to her, the universe has a few tricks up its sleeve, and Aspen's bad luck streak might just be putting her right where she needs to be!

>> ADD TO GOODREADS <<

SNEAK PEEK

Oh hell, this is so not cool, this is going to be torture. All I want to do is touch him. I take

my glass off the table so I have something to do with my hands. What I want to do is trace

his mohawk or the planes of his face with my fingers. All this does is make me even more

aware of him. I mean he’s lying right here on me for God sakes. I feel aches in my body that

aren’t at all appropriate between friends.

AVAILABLE ON

AMAZON † BARNES & NOBLE

a Rafflecopter giveaway

ABOUT JENNIFER MILLER...

Author Jennifer Miller was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois, but now calls Arizona home. Jennifer’s love of reading began when she was a small child, and only continued to grow as she entered adulthood. Ever since winning a writing contest at the young age of nine, when she wrote a book about a girl with a pet unicorn, she’s dreamed of writing a book of her own.

Quickly learning that dreams don’t just fall into your lap, she knew she had to chase them herself and not be afraid to dream a little bigger. Most importantly, she is a wife and mother, and is very lucky to have a family that loves and supports her in all things. She also has an unhealthy addiction to handbags and chocolate covered strawberries, neither of which she cares to change.

WEBSITE † FACEBOOK † TWITTER † PINTEREST

Molly's Diary Reveal DAy 6/15 TULLIAT- A Fields of Elysium Blog Hop

Written and illustrated by A.B. Whelan

The Diary of Molly Elizabeth Bennett

Based on the story of Fields of Elysium 

Day 6: Tulliat

Tulliat is a young Arkanian boy, whose biggest dream is to follow Victor's footsteps and become an Ecmentur contestant and a Sentinel Apprentice. The problem is that pure blood Arkanians aren't exactly the perfect fit for the Sentinel Academy.

(Originally posted on From The Bootheel Cotton Patch's blog)

EXCERPT

Fields of Elysium

A YA romantic fantasy 

Holding my breath, I slipped off the bed. I tiptoed to the chair by the fire where I found my clothes hanging washed and dried. I changed swiftly, hoping Victor wouldn’t wake up and Ulka De Tino wouldn’t enter until I was done.

I stepped out of the hut onto a rope suspension bridge stretched out between two trees. It was dark and the air was chilly. I shuddered and wrapped my arms around me.

An owl hooted in the distance and I looked up to see thousands of fireflies transforming the forest into a scene as if a starry sky was about to fall upon us.

I lifted my hand but the lightning bugs didn’t let me touch them, only hovered around me everywhere, mesmerizing me.

I stepped forward, the bridge wobbly under my feet.

“They’re Mynps,” a young boy said, peeking out from behind a tree and stepping onto the same bridge. He couldn’t have been older than fourteen. His face was kind, with roundish features. His eyes were bright and honest. His dark, wavy hair swept over his shoulders, tufts tucked behind his ears.

“They’re beautiful. And so many of them!”

“We paint the tree bark with arum oil. The smell attracts them,” he explained, smiling as he captured one in  his  hands. “Do you want to see it?” he asked, walking closer to me.

I nodded.

In front of me he opened his palm and the Mynp flew out leisurely, as if it knew that Arkanians meant no harm, and joined the floating mass of thousands.

“I’m Molly by the way,” I said, once my focus returned to the boy.

“Tulliat,” he said and bowed to me with a beaming face.

  “Do you know Victor Sorren?” I asked, leaning against the rope railing of the bridge.

He laughed out loud. “Of course. He’s like a brother to me.”

“Well, I guess this is a pretty small village, isn’t it?” I observed, blank-faced. 

 “I just wanted to see you when you’re conscious. I’d better go now,” he said and turned away.

Two things immediately sneaked through my head from his statement. The first was the embarrassment that he saw me passed out and helpless. I swiftly dismissed that thought as other possibilities coursed through my head about who else might have seen me and how much they had seen. The other thing was the recognition of my opportunity here to find out more about Victor’s past. I couldn’t let him go.

“Tulliat!” I called out, keeping my voice controlled and low to avoid waking Victor.

He turned and waited.

“Do you think you could show me around the village?” I asked in the sweetest voice I could manage, framed by my pleading eyes and a charming smile.

“It’s too late and dark. Victor wouldn’t like it.”

“He’s sleeping. He’ll never know,” I said, knitting my brows for an even more emotional look.

“Well, perhaps taking you to the tower would be okay,” Tulliat compromised at least.

“I’m sure it would,” I whispered, shuddering, and pulled my arms closer. I had accidentally left my fur coat in Weston’s Araneavi so I had only pants and a long-sleeved shirt to withstand the cold. My teeth chattering, I watched Tulliat capture Mynps and put them into a lantern. After he closed the small metal flap, he noticed my discomfort at once, peeled off his white coat and placed it over my back. It was made of very fine wool and smelled like pine and smoke.

“Thanks,” I said and wrapped myself in it. “But won’t you be cold now?”

“Nah,” he said, waving his hand. “I have two more layers of clothes on.”

I pulled his jacket tighter around me, looked back one more time toward the hut where Victor was sleeping, and followed Tulliat’s lead to the tower. We passed three more bridges and walked around a ledge built to surround a giant tree trunk, then climbed a rope ladder. The branches of the crown had been removed, leaving a clear path to the platform. As I hauled myself higher I looked up and noticed a rectangular slot. An open trapdoor.

Once Tulliat reached the top, he dropped onto his stomach and stretched his hand out for me through the opening. I wrapped my fingers around his forearm and he helped me onto the timber platform that was built on top of the tree, secured against its trunk, about two-cars wide and three-cars long. Behind us swayed the part of the crown that remained untouched. It was dark and ominous, giving me the creeps. Tulliat stepped over to the edge. I hurried to join him.

Written and illustrated by A.B. Whelan

Thank you for reading,

                              

Find the series on Barnes&Noble and Smashwords

Paperback on Amazon

424 pages (book 1)

Fields of Elysium

Kindle Edition on Amazon

Fields of Elysium (a romantic fantasy, book 1)

Paperback on Amazon
438 pages (book 2)

Valley of Darkness (Fields of Elysium, #2) (Volume 2)

Kindle Edition on Amazon:

Valley of Darkness Part 1 (Fields of Elysium, #2)

Valley of Darkness Part 2 (Fields of Elysium, #2)

Paperback on Amazon

146 pages (Novella)
Safe and Sound (Fields of Elysium)

Kindle Edition on Amazon:

Safe and Sound (A Fields of Elysium Novella)

AMAZON EXCLUSIVE!!

Fields of Elysium Book Trailer

From the Author 

I'm a Hungarian born American writer, who was lucky enough to travel Europe, Africa, and The Middle East and live in Ecuador, Crete and Italy. I graduated as a computer engineer, thus if anybody tells you math and literature can't walk hand in hand, don't believe them. *smile*

I'm the author of the Fields of Elysium saga, which I like to call a young adult romantic fantasy. The first book of the series was inspired by amazing movies like Dirty Dancing, Avatar, and Twilight and earned praise from prestigious review companies and readers. I'm currently working on book three and four, and planning to write one more novella to finish the series, dedicated to another very interesting character in my story, The Prophet, the mysterious leader of the Arkanians.


Find me on Social sites. Friend me. Follow me. Message me. I love to connect.

       Blog            Pinterest          Goodreads         Twitter          Facebook

Molly's Diary Reveal Day 5/15 KONDERRA - A Fields of Elysium Blog Hop

Written and illustrated by A.B. Whelan

The Diary of Molly Elizabeth Bennett

Based on the story of Fields of Elysium 

Day 5: Konderra
(Originally posted on Cuzinlogic's blog)

EXCERPT

Fields of Elysium

A YA romantic fantasy 

The hairy creature started to climb a tree with me wedged tightly under its arm. Gripped with fear and panic, I looked back toward the waterfall and spotted Weston and Roger storming out from the maze of trees. They never stopped moving, just bolted through the jungle after us. When Ben and Edwin joined the boys with knives in hands, I felt a sliver of hope for survival, but for only a second because soon they all disappeared from my view.

I twisted my body to get a look at the creature’s face, but I wasn’t able to bend enough; I was too confined. With my face hanging downwards, I could only watch as our increasing elevation dwarfed the terrain under me. I thought of biting the monster’s arm, but the thick layer of dark, rusty fur seemed impenetrable. There was still hope for me to reach one of my knives and stab deep into its side, but my arms weren’t long enough. Besides, from the height we were at by then, the fall would prove fatal.

I gave up the struggle for now while my brain conjured up frightening images . The idea that I was being taken to the creature’s lair to become lunch for its offspring started forming in my mind.

As I was preparing myself mentally for the encounter, for the first opportunity to pull my knife, the creature jumped from one tree to another. At the first landing my forehead hit something and the oozing blood blinded my left eye. The second jump left me with a badly bruised elbow. After the third one I felt like a well-beaten rug dangling languidly from a clothesline.

My tear-filled eye bored into the dense undergrowth, which seemed so far down and scary. I came to the realization that the boys had no chance to keep up with our speed. As all hope that they were going to rescue me slowly evaporated, one wish emerged. Please, God, let it be done quickly. Don’t let this monster devour me slowly, piece by piece.

But dark desires attract dark thoughts. So in the moment between life and death, I became possessed with negativity instead of fighting strength. Images of documentaries started to haunt me: scenes where lions took down a baby elephant and started to rip big chunks of meat out of its legs while it was still alive. Then a new picture surfaced - two orca whales tossing a seal back and forth between them, using their prey as a sporting device, sending me into panic. To stop the flow of these brutal images, I closed my eyes and started to weep quietly.

The abrupt termination of movement caused my eyes to open. I was lying face down on a flat cliff, a crimson smudge from my face on the rock in front of me. I wiped the mixture of blood and tears from my eyes with my shirt and rolled over. Less than an arm’s length away, a giant, furry animal stared at me with bulging amber eyes. Its pupils were split, as if a black almond had been pressed into its eyeballs. Short red fur covered its face and chest, but black tufts of hair stuck out of its overhanging brows, while the rest of its heavily-built and ferocious-looking body was brown and very hairy. Two small, arched ears peeked out from the side of its head and its nose was diamond shaped. But its scariest features were the projecting jaws and saber teeth. The sight of it made me shake like a dry leaf on a branch from a gust of autumn wind. Still I managed to sit up, keeping my head bowed to avoid looking into the animal’s eyes, and holding my injured elbow close to my chest.

 A deafening howl erupted from the animal’s throat. It must have been a calling sound, because similar animals in diverse sizes and colors descended from the mountain. The biggest one of all, with black fur and red chest, came the closest. I looked up into its dreadful, orange-framed eyes, using the last of whatever bravery I had.

If I must die, I’ll die with dignity, I thought, and a single teardrop trailed down my face. The giant raised its right paw at me, baring its four fingers and long sharp claws. The last thing I could remember was the salty taste on my tongue as I licked my quivering lips.

“I’m sorry, Mom and Dad,” I whispered, straightening my posture and accepting my fate.

Written and illustrated by A.B. Whelan

Thank you for reading,

                              

Find the series on Barnes&Noble and Smashwords

Paperback on Amazon
424 pages (book 1)
Fields of Elysium


Kindle Edition on Amazon
Fields of Elysium (a romantic fantasy, book 1)

Paperback on Amazon
438 pages (book 2)

Valley of Darkness (Fields of Elysium, #2) (Volume 2)

Kindle Edition on Amazon:

Valley of Darkness Part 1 (Fields of Elysium, #2)

Valley of Darkness Part 2 (Fields of Elysium, #2)

Paperback on Amazon
146 pages (Novella)
Safe and Sound (Fields of Elysium)

Kindle Edition on Amazon:
Safe and Sound (A Fields of Elysium Novella)

AMAZON EXCLUSIVE!!

Fields of Elysium Book Trailer

From the Author 

I'm a Hungarian born American writer, who was lucky enough to travel Europe, Africa, and The Middle East and live in Ecuador, Crete and Italy. I graduated as a computer engineer, thus if anybody tells you math and literature can't walk hand in hand, don't believe them. *smile*

I'm the author of the Fields of Elysium saga, which I like to call a young adult romantic fantasy. The first book of the series was inspired by amazing movies like Dirty Dancing, Avatar, and Twilight and earned praise from prestigious review companies and readers. I'm currently working on book three and four, and planning to write one more novella to finish the series, dedicated to another very interesting character in my story, The Prophet, the mysterious leader of the Arkanians.


Find me on Social sites. Friend me. Follow me. Message me. I love to connect.

       Blog            Pinterest          Goodreads         Twitter          Facebook