Book Blitz: My Friend Jackson + Excerpt

 

My Friend Jackson
by Christopher D. Ochs
YA Urban Fantasy

Date Published: 10/1/2020

Publisher: anigrafx, LLC

 

An ancient guardian chose her. Neither the guilty, nor the innocent, nor she are safe.

Fresh out of the Projects, Jasmine’s days are filled with emotional, physical, and cyber abuse at the hands of her new school’s queen bees. With her parents mostly absent, Jasmine latches onto Bibi, a grandmotherly figure from Tanzania, and her beloved pet chameleon, Jackson. Rivalries, jealousies and hatred escalate the violence toward Jasmine to a murderous level, until a monstrous force intervenes with deadly consequences. When she discovers the secret behind her unholy avenger, Jasmine takes the offensive, becoming a merciless force more terrifying than her worst tormentors. But choices have consequences. Some more horrific than others.

Can Jasmine untangle her life and reclaim her identity, her life—her soul—from her inscrutable guardian, while eluding the police and those who seek revenge?

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Excerpt

Halfway down the latest alley, her ears pricked up at the sound of a footstep. Before she could turn around, her world went blinding white with pain.

Jasmine doubled over in the back doorway of a Chinese food joint, gasping for air between two dumpsters reeking of rotting meat and burnt soy sauce. Her ribs were aflame and the back of her skull felt like it had been split by a jackhammer. She reached for her searing scalp, and her backpack tumbled off her shoulder, clanging against the dumpster.

Bitch, I told you to stay away from Caleb. He’s mine!”

Jasmine gathered her rubbery legs underneath her to stand, steadying herself against the nearest dumpster. Her vision returned, rippled with wet blurs that might have been tears, snot, or blood.

In the long shadows cast by distant streetlights, Nevaeh’s face burned out of the darkness, livid with rage.

Jasmine’s abs clenched, trying to squeeze behind her spine, when she recognized the signs of a girl prepped for a throwdown. Earrings gone. Hair tied tight behind her head. Face slicked with a sheen of Vaseline to deflect blows and scratches.

What the hell do I do now?

The oversized heavy steel ring emblazoned with a prominent gold initial “C” no longer hung from her necklace. It was on the middle finger of Nevaeh’s fist. A tuft of Jasmine’s frizzy hair dangled from it.

That ring—it ain’t her bling, it’s Caleb’s.

The tendons of Nevaeh’s knuckles quivered, taut as bridge cables. She shoved Jasmine backward against the wall with her free hand.

Jasmine whimpered as her head thumped against brick. The world’s loudest gong clanged in her ears. Her legs buckled, helpless against the ground that seemed to spin under her. She kept her eyes glued on Nevaeh’s burning scowl, the only thing that kept her consciousness from tumbling upside-down.

Jasmine’s accusing stare only infuriated Nevaeh even more.

Can’t you take a fuckin’ hint? Don’t you know you ain’t wanted, ho? Our team don’t want you. Caleb don’t need you. And I sure as shit want you gone!”

Nevaeh raised her fist again. “Die, bitch!” Putting her full weight behind it, she swung, aiming Caleb’s ring straight for Jasmine’s face.

A glistening blur of dark umber shot out from behind the other dumpster. It wrapped around Nevaeh’s head, and a muffled scream flooded Jasmine’s ears. Nevaeh clutched at the glistening slimy blob, but her attempts to claw the suffocating mass away from her face proved futile.

A split second later, Nevaeh’s whole body snapped away like a rag doll.

Caleb’s heavy steel and gold ring clattered on the asphalt.

Nevaeh’s strangled gurgling made Jasmine’s gut twist. Somewhere beyond the dumpster came a slurping rasp, as if from a giant bowl of ramen. The sound of tearing cloth and rending flesh was followed by the sickening crack of bone.

Jasmine curled into a ball, raw terror forcing her knees into her chest. Her feet twitched with every shallow ragged breath. She clamped her head between her hands, but the horrific sounds still reached the spinning pit of her darkest fears.

The dull murmur of the streets had reclaimed the alley, and her sense of up and down returned. Righting herself against one dumpster, she wiped the stinging sweat and tears from her eyes and squinted into the murky light.

What the fuck just happened?

 

About the Author

Christopher D. Ochs’ foray into writing began with his epic fantasy Pindlebryth of Lenland: The Five Artifacts. Several of his short stories have been published in the Greater Lehigh Valley Writers Group and Bethlehem Writers Group anthologies and websites. Using his skills learned with the Lehigh Valley Storytelling Guild, he crafted a collection of mirthful macabre short stories, If I Can’t Sleep, You Can’t Sleep. His latest work, the gritty YA urban fantasy/horror, My Friend Jackson, has earned 5-star ratings from Indies Today and Readers’ Favorite.

His current literary projects include:

short fiction in BWG’s and GLVWG’s upcoming anthologies, and Firebringer Press’ next entry in their Eternity series; a sci-fi/horror novel Sentinel of Eternity; a prequel novella and a second novel in the Pindlebryth of Lenland saga. Chris has too many interests outside of writing for his own damn good. With previous careers in physics, mathematics, electrical engineering and software, and his incessant dabblings as a CGI animator, classical organist, voice talent on radio, DVD and anime conventions, it’s a wonder he can remember to pay the dog and feed his bills.

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RABT Book Tours & PR

Spotlight & Excerpt: Mostly Dangerous + Giveaway

On Tour with Prism Book Tours


Mostly Dangerous
(The Women of Ambrose Estate #1)
By Kimberley Montpetit
Contemporary Romantic Suspense
Paperback, Audiobook & ebook, 270 Pages
August 18, 2019 by Spellbound Books

An old mansion with secrets. A deadly curse. Can their love overcome her dark legacy, or is it doomed from the start?

Sofia Ambrose is on the brink of a new career, far away from the opulence and dark secrets of her family’s historic Texas estate, when she and her five sisters are summoned to the Ambrose Estate for a reading of her grandmother’s will—a grandmother who, at 88-years-old, is still alive and kicking. Sofia is both bewildered and intrigued. But the truth is more shocking than she could have imagined. Her grandmother has turned Ambrose Estate over to Sofia, and she must give up every hope of a regular life in order to run it and protect her family’s legacy.

When an oil well disaster strikes, Sofia must act quickly to save the family fortune. Unfortunately, this means working with the rude and insufferable Gavin Spencer who assumes Sofia is just a spoiled, rich oil heiress. But once she gets to know him, Sofia discovers Gavin’s charm, intellect, and incredible bravery, and soon enough she is falling hard for the rugged firefighter.

Despite her feelings, Sofia knows their love is doomed. Ambrose Estate’s mansion, with its Hall of the Dead and an old family curse stands between her and happiness, and she must sacrifice Gavin’s love to save his life.

Desperately, Sofia searches for answers in her great-great-grandmother’s journal. Does it contain the key to breaking the curse—or will her heart have to break into a thousand pieces?

If you like enchanting chemistry, intriguing legacies, and moody mysteries, then you’ll adore Kimberley Montpetit’s sweet and smoldering love story.

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Excerpt

“Oh, my,” Sofia gasped under her breath as she suddenly, and irrevocably knew what it was like to be in Gavin Spencer’s arms. She could feel his hard chest muscles and the biceps outlined by his coat jacket. He smelled incredible, musky and masculine. A heady scent that made her so distracted she missed a step on the dance floor. “Oh, oops!”

“I’ve got you, Sofia,” he whispered into her ear.

“Sorry I’m distracted.”

“You’re distracting me to no end,” Gavin said without missing a beat. “I’ve wanted to hold you like this for the last two weeks.”

“I’m a dangerous woman,” she said lightly, but little did he know that her words were a double entendre.

“Nope, just mostly dangerous.”

After a couple of swing dances, the music changed into a slower two-step. Gavin’s lips were against Sofia’s ear as he leaned in close. “Your instincts were right.”

“About what?” Sofia was trying to stay upright, his breath tingling against her ear. If Gavin asked her to follow him to the moon, she’d go without a second’s hesitation.

“I was a little bit jealous.”

“When were we talking about jealousy?” Then, Sofia remembered Daniel Gentry’s earlier phone call. “Oh, right,” she added.

“When I heard a man’s voice through your cell phone, I was envious because I’ve never been completely sure you were even available. Or didn’t have a secret boyfriend. The night I first saw you coming out of your front door, I was so happy to learn that you weren’t married.”

Sofia pulled back to look into his face. “Are you serious?”

“Dead serious. You might have had a husband and three kids in that big house.”

“I’m glad you’re not married either,” she said with a coy smile. “Because if you were, I wouldn’t be dancing with you right now.”

“Good point,” he chuckled, his cheek pressing against hers. “I’m falling for you, Sofia,” he added gently. “And you’re driving me insane.”

“How in the world am I driving you insane?”

“Because you’re gorgeous and smart and sexy as hell. Pardon my language.”

“I’ve never heard a compliment like that before.”

“The rest of the world’s males must be blind then, but I’ll be happy to tell you every single day, if you don’t mind keeping me around.”

Sofia’s throat closed up. She wanted him desperately, but a relationship could never happen between them. Of course, Gavin didn’t get the memo on that piece of information, and she didn’t have the nerve to tell him the truth. He’d think she was insane.

Gavin would forget about her on his next overseas work trip. He had to. Because she wasn’t meant to have happiness.

Excerpted from Mostly Dangerous by Kimberley Montpetit. Copyright © Kimberley Montpetit. Published by Spellbound Books.

Other Books in the Series


(Linked to an Amazon affiliate link.)

About the Author

Kimberley Montpetit spent her childhood reading a book every day and writing stories while playing dress-up with her best friend. She loves all things romantic and adores turning her daydreams into novels. Kimberley once spent all of her souvenir money at the La Patisserie shops with their beautiful and delicious pastries. Traveling gives her lots of inspiration for new book ideas. She once stayed in the haunted tower room at Borthwick Castle in Scotland and didn’t sleep a wink, sailed the Seine river in Paris, rode a camel in the ancient world wonder of Petra, shopped the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul, and spent the night in an old Communist hotel in Bulgaria.

Kimberley grew up in the fabulous city of San Francisco, loves all things chocolate, and now lives on a dirt road along the Rio Grande with her engineer husband and three sons. She even has a writing cottage in the backyard!

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Tour Schedule
(Posts go live on the day they’re scheduled.)

December 8th: Launch
December 9th: Krystal M. AndersonLove’s Sweet Return
December 10th: Julie Coulter Bellon – The Marquess Meets His Match
December 11th: Delaney Cameron – Because You Loved Me
December 12th: Rachelle Paige CampbellLove Overboard
December 13th: Raneé S. ClarkFinding Taylor
December 14th: Chrissy ElliotFinding Home on Winslow Island
December 15th: Aspen HadleySuits and Spark Plugs
December 16th: Shanna HatfieldThe Christmas Bargain
December 17th: D. E. MaloneLove, Lies and Mistletoe
December 18th: Melissa McCloneSweet Yuletide
December 19th: Sarah L. McConkieThe Promise of Miss Spencer
December 20th: Kimberley MontpetitMostly Dangerous
December 21st: Kate O’KeeffeDating Mr. Darcy
December 22nd: Regina ScottAlways Kiss at Christmas
December 23rd: Grand Finale

Tour Giveaway

One winner will receive a $70 (USD) Amazon eGift Card

Open to US and internationally to those who can receive the gift card through one of Amazon’s branches
Ends December 27, 2020

ENTER HERE

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