Saturday, October 26, 2013

Excerpt: Waterfell by Amalie Howard

JKSCommunications
A literary publicity firm

Waterfell by Amalie Howard


Nerissa Marin hides among teens in her human form, waiting for the day she can claim her birthright-the undersea kingdom stolen from her the day her father was murdered. Blending in is her best weapon-until her father's betrayer confronts Nerissa and challenges her to a battle to the death on Nerissa’s upcoming birthday-the day she comes of age. 

Amid danger and the heartbreak of her missing mother, falling for a human boy is the last thing Nerissa should do. But Lo Seavon breaches her defenses and somehow becomes the only person she can count on to help her desperate search for her mother, a prisoner of Nerissa’s mortal enemy. Is Lo the linchpin that might win Nerissa back her crown? Or will this mortal boy become the weakness that destroys her?

Excerpt
The laws of human attraction are new to me.

I'm breathless.

Just before I walk into the classroom, I glance over my shoulder. Lo's eyes are deep and piercing. I feel the weight of them hovering, watching. Holding me motionless as time, too, stands still. I force myself to peel my gaze away from his compelling stare, making my feet obey weak commands to enter the classroom … one in front of the other, like a drone. Something hot pulses across the back of my neck, racing across my body, and I can't even think.

It's not Ehmora who will be the death of me. 

It's this boy.

About the Author

A rising star among young adult writers, Amalie Howard developed a loyal following after releasing her debut book, “Bloodspell,” in 2011. Now, she is returning with five new books that are sure to excite her devoted fans and catch the attention of new readers.


A bookworm from the beginning, Howard grew up on a small island in the Caribbean with her nose buried in books. When she was just 13 years old, her poem “The Candle” was published in a University of Warwick journal, marking a sign of great things to come. Howard immersed herself into other cultures, globetrotting through 22 countries in North America, Europe, Asia and Australia. After moving to the United States, she earned a bachelor’s degree in international studies and French from Colby College in Maine. She also holds a certificate in French literature from the Ecole Normale Superieure in Paris, France. Traveling around the world, Howard has lent talents as a research assistant, marketing representative, freelance writer, teen speaker, blogger and global sales executive.

Howard is a recipient of a Royal Commonwealth Society award, an international youth writing competition. She is also a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators.

Howard’s first book, “Bloodspell” (June 2011, Langdon Street Press) earned rave reviews and was named a Seventeen Magazine Summer Beach Read. Readers will hear more from Howard as she releases a pair of two-book series, “Waterfell” (November 2013, Harlequin TEEN) and “The Almost Girl” (January 2014, Strange Chemistry), as well as “Alpha Goddess” (March 2014, Skyhorse/Sky Pony Press) over the next two years.

Howard lives in New York with her husband, three children and one willful feline that she is convinced may have been a witch’s cat in a past life.




Bloodspell


The spell was simple...

Cruentus Protectum (Defend the Blood)

But what do you do if your blood is your enemy?

Victoria Warrick has always known she was different. An outcast at school, she is no stranger to adversity. But when she receives an old journal for her seventeenth birthday, nothing prepares her for the dark secrets it holds -- much less one that reveals she's a witch with unimaginable power.

What's more, when she meets the dazzling but enigmatic Christian Devereux, she has no idea how much her life is about to change. Enemies will hunt her. Friends will turn on her. The terrible curse that makes her blood run black will stop at nothing to control her. And Christian has a sinister secret of his own...

Without knowing whom to trust, can Victoria survive her blood's deadly desires? Or will she lose everything, including herself?

Praise for Bloodspell

“You’ll love it if… you’re sick of all the lovey-dovey stuff other books can’t seem to leave out of their supernatural stories. This is just the right amount of romance here, but it doesn’t overpower the plot. The fight scenes are terrific, and much more satisfying than listening to people whine about wanting to be together forever!” – Kara McGrath, Seventeen Magazine

“Conjures up elements of teen angst: forbidden love, loss and, of course, supernatural powers, in this fast-paced tale of a young witch come into her powers.” – Nancy L. Claus, Westchester Magazine

“It takes a calling, skilled writing and more than a little courage to release yet another vampire stories these days, but Larchmont writer Amalie Howard has created a world of vampires and witches that addresses many real-world issues faced by modern teenagers.” – Polly Kreisman, The Loop NY

“The story itself is compelling and interesting, the descriptions of the locales are beautiful, the teen melodrama mostly manages to stay at the level of actual drama, and the ideas are fresher and newer than most in the genre.” – Samantha Holloway, Albedo Magazine

“From the first page this story grabbed me and did not let me go until I closed the book. This narrative moves. It is not kinetic – it is highly compelling. Amalie Howard is a good storyteller and a nuanced writer who knows her material, knows how to draw us in as readers, and clearly cares about her characters – therefore we do. I loved the back story of Victoria’s family and the connections that are brought forward to the present in the narrative as a riddle for both the protagonist and the reader to discover together. They are beautifully woven into the story from beginning to end.”

– Jon Lunievicz, author of “Open Wounds”


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