Aura is $.99 For a Limited Time

What if the greatest weapon in the age-old war between good and evil was inside of you?
 
Crystal Scott has always felt different but tried hard to blend in.  Now that she's scored the lead in the school play, has a boyfriend she adores, and a best friend she can't live without, she finally feels like she belongs. 

A few days before prom, a mysterious young man appears and suddenly she has to figure out how to use the weapon of Light she has inside her or mankind is doomed.

Demons are determined to tip the war in their favor no matter what the cost and they're hot on Crystal's trail.  With danger around every corner, she doesn't know if she can save herself, never mind anyone else.  When things look darkest and there's nowhere to turn, Crystal must find the strength to use her newfound gifts against the tide of evil threatening all of them--or die trying.

You can purchase Aura here.

Young Adult Paranormal Giveaway Hop

Young Adult Paranormal Giveaway Hop

February 21st - 27th

Co - hosted by YA Between the Lines

Featuring Young Adult Books with Paranormal elements.

Welcome to the Young Adult Paranormal Giveaway Blog Hop. I will be giving away a copy of my YA paranormal, Aura. The winner may choose a print copy or the ebook
.

"I half-turned to her and shrugged, still processing what I'd seen, or at least what I thought I'd seen, in Ms. Neal's eyes—like they weren't hers. Obviously, they were her eyes, but it looked like she'd plucked them from someone else's head. A dead someone else's head."

In the fight between good and evil, Light is your only weapon.

Crystal Scott finally feels like a normal teenager. She has a lead in the high school play, a best friend, and a gorgeous boyfriend. With prom only a few days away, Crystal’s ordinary life seems perfect.

Endowed with great Light because of her virtuous choices and her inherent gifts, Crystal’s aura has become visible to those with the ability to see auras. Unfortunately, her power has also attracted the attention of demons intent on destroying all Light.

When Vincent Crandall, the human host for a powerful demon, discovers that Crystal’s Light is strong enough to disrupt the connection between demons and their hosts, he realizes she may be able to sever the connection altogether. Determined to stop her from interfering with his plans to rule the world, he sends operatives to neutralize her.

Crystal is thrust into battle against a demon army she didn’t even know existed. With the help of a mysterious young man and his mother, Crystal must learn to use the power within her before the demons kill her parents and Vincent harnesses her Light for himself.

To enter the giveaway you can:

1. Follow this blog
2. Like my Facebook page
3. Follow me on Twitter: rebeccatalley
4. Join my newsletter
5. Add Aura on Goodreads.

Each one is worth one entry. If you do all five, you have five entries :). I will pick a winner using www.random.org on February 28th.

Please leave a comment and let me know what you've done or email me: rebecca(AT)rebeccatalley(DOT)com.

Good luck and thanks for hopping with us. Please hop on over to the following blogs for a chance to win some fantastic prizes!

Aura, Chapter 1, Part 2

She reluctantly walked down the hall toward their bedroom. He rushed into the kitchen and emptied his pockets of the money he'd cashed out earlier from their bank account. Rummaging through a drawer, he found a piece of paper and pen and scribbled a note to the landlord. He didn't want any loose ends when they left—no trail that could lead back to them. Not if he hoped to protect his wife and unborn child from the monster who had once been his best friend.

He slammed his fist against the counter. Why hadn't he noticed it sooner? The muscles in his neck constricted. All he'd wanted to do was provide for his growing family by working for a legitimate business. He shook his head at his stupidity and misplaced trust.

Pam's footsteps interrupted his thoughts as she neared the kitchen. He finished the note telling the landlord they were leaving and wouldn't be coming back. He tucked it under a cup with enough bills to cover the remainder of the lease and turned to Pam. She stood in the doorway, wearing a solemn expression, dressed in a grey sweatshirt and jeans with a brown suitcase in hand.

"I packed as much of our stuff as I could." She tried to smile, but it didn't reach her eyes. Matt sensed her misgivings. How would he ever explain this to her?

"Good." He took the suitcase.

She stood firm. "I want you to tell me what's going on and why we're leaving in the middle of the night."

"We don't have much time—"

She crinkled her forehead. "What does that mean?"

"It means we need to go." He reached his hand out for hers but she didn't reciprocate.

"I don't understand what's happening."

Matt stepped close to her and ran his hand down her arm, grasping her hand in his. "I know this all sounds confusing and crazy, but I need you to trust me. Please. I'll try to explain everything after we leave." His eyes pleaded with her, hoping she wouldn't ask any more questions or weaken his resolve.

"You're acting so erratic. You're scaring me."

Matt set the suitcase down and pulled her to him, losing himself in the familiar strawberry scent of her hair. He wished things were different. But they weren't. All he could do now was run—run fast and run far, without looking back. Their lives depended on it. He stepped back and gazed deeply into Pam's eyes. "We have to go before they realize that I've left."

"But—"

"Our lives are in danger."

Pam's eyes widened. "Danger?"

Matt nodded. "Yes. Let's go."

"Where are we going?" A tear snaked down her cheek. "What are we going to do?"

"Disappear."

 

You can purchase Aura here.

Writing Stuff

I actually finished cutting down my new novel, The Upside of Down, from over 80,000 words to about 74,000. It was brutal, but I think the end result is a much tighter story. I ended up taking out some redundant dialogue and scenes, combining tags with actions, and purging it of some of my "pet" words. I'm hoping it didn't harm the story, but rather made it better.

I still don't have a release date but I'm thinking it'll be springish 2011. I hope it'll be out before the next LDStorymakers Conference in May.

I'm now taking an online class on characterization through WriterU, http://www.writeruniv.com/, with CJ Lyons, a popular novelist. I'm enjoying the class because it also covers plotting. Her method is somewhat similar to Larry Brooks' method over at  http://www.storyfix.com/. I'm going to use this new information to help me plot my next novel.

My next novel, the one that won't leave me alone, is a YA paranormal. Think Twilight meets Supernatural, but without vampires. I'm currently fleshing out ideas using Randy Ingermanson's Snowflake method. Summer doesn't give me a lot of writing time, especially since my daughter decided she wanted to get married and on top of all the planning, I'm sewing bridesmaids' dresses. How cool is that? Not. I'm hoping to have a first draft complete by September.