Thursday, June 20, 2013

Sweet Oblivion and Sweet Escape

We were given the great honor of being able to share with all of you the awesome new cover for Sweet Oblivion and the never before seen cover of book 2 Sweet Escape.
-About the Authors-

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.



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 laid 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¢!




Now time for more delicious fan art by Me :)


















Tuesday, June 11, 2013

YA Crush Tourney!!!!

YACrush Banner

Micah is up in the very first round of voting - click here to go vote for him - and I've even included the post that is being shared over there. BUT - and they can't share it there, IF our boy makes it to the next round there is a giveaway! He has graciously offered to sign some swag and give a winner $10 to either Barnes & Noble or Amazon. All you have to do? Share the word about the tourney! (The giveaway is international!) We only have 24 hours to get as many votes as we can - so share share share! The Rafflecopter is at the bottom of the post - pre-made tweets and links making it easy peasy for you.

And now ... THE POST!

There it is. At last. The rumble of a motorcycle out front. My heart stops for a few beats. I feel like I’ve been waiting forever for this moment – the moment when I finally get to meet the love of my life, the star of my dreams, my fictional fantasy come to life.

photo

“It’s Micah, and he’s on a black classic Triumph. His golden hair is windblown and tangled. He looks glorious in the sunlight…And I know that his smile is meant for me.”
Micah Condie is 6’2” of blonde hair, blue-eyed sexiness. A devoted brother, loyal friend and loving boyfriend, he has the biggest heart of any YA crush I’ve ever read. He isn’t afraid of his feelings, and he will do whatever it takes to protect the people he cares for. The only thing not perfect about him is that he isn’t real, and I can’t tackle hug him and swoon over him in person!

But there is more to Micah than heart and looks. You see, Micah is a demon – as in literal, fire-and-brimstone, demon from hell. To survive, he must take souls, and if he doesn’t, he will die. It’s a horrible choice, and it would be so easy for Micah to just give up and be the monster everyone claims he is.
image
“You can’t reduce me down to that, like I’m some sort of wild animal that only acts on instinct. I made a decision to be with Hope. And she made the same decision to be with me.”
Micah doesn’t believe in taking the easy way out. He refuses to accept that he is somehow “destined” to be a bad guy because he was unlucky enough to be born a demon. So instead, he fights. Every day he wages a war with the darkness, battling his own nature for the right to create his own destiny and be with the girl he loves.
“I’ll choose you. I’ll always choose you.”
(c) 2013 Helen Boswell. Design by Allie B Designs, original images by Shannon Eberhard/James Stamos
Micah is the ultimate good bad boy. Yes, he has blackness inside of him, but he won’t yield to it, no matter what. And isn’t that what we all do? We all have our dark sides, and we all strive to be the best person we can be. Micah reminds me of that, and when he wins the fight, it’s like I’m winning too. That’s why I choose him as my YA Crush. Because he is the most real, the most human. Demon darkness and all.
Exclusive excerpt from MYTHOLOGY: THE WICKED. Coming September, 2013.
© 2013 Helen Boswell. Used with permission.
“I’m fine,” she says, a small smile playing on her face.

"Convince me,” I say.
She slides her hands up my chest, around my neck. Her eyes
don’t leave mine, the uncertainty of the moment gone for both of us.
We step toward each other at the same time, my arms drawing
her even closer at the moment our lips meet. Her mouth opens, lips meld with
mine in total perfection, and I take in her breath as my own. I run my hands
down to the small of her back, and she knots her fingers in my hair and curves
into me. The slight movement of her body pressing against me stirs up an
entirely different sort of hunger.
Nothing matters except for her.
Nothing.
A small sound escapes from her throat, and my need ignites
like flames against all of the darkness.
Way too soon, the bell rings, totally killing the moment.
Doors burst open, and the hallway overflows with people and commotion.
“There you are! I’ve been looking everywhere for you,” a
voice says.
I groan and press my forehead to Hope’s for just a second
before breaking away from her.
“Hey, Sylvia,” she says brightly, linking her fingers with
mine. She squeezes my hand before letting go and turns her face up to mine. “See
you later.”
Her cheeks are flushed, her lips parted. I let out my breath
slowly.
“See ya.”
I drag a hand over my face as I watch her leave, the urge to
chase her growing exponentially with each step she takes away from me. It’s not
just some stupid possessive needy thing. I know she’s mine as much as she knows
I’m hers.
But the second she disappears around the corner, the feeling
resurfaces. The one that will always stick with me. The one when I thought she
was leaving me for good, right after she saved my life last semester. That
moment when I was full of regret that I let her down.
Ok folks - now that you have read that you know you want Micah to win right?! So go vote here and help spread the word. The rafflecopter makes it easy to share links and such. Remember - a winner will only be chosen if he makes it to the next round! AND IT'S INTERNATIONAL. Go go go!

a Rafflecopter giveaway