Blog Jog, Baby!

Welcome to Blog Jog Day! Please enjoy my site then click over to Misadventures with Andi  at http://www.misadventureswithandi.com to see what the next Blog has to offer! Lost in the links? You can always go back to the main Blog Jog Day Blog at http://blogjogday.blogspot.com and find a new link to jog from. Thank you for stopping by my site!

 

To kick it all off, I'm going to give you a short excerpt from CURSED. *Gasp!* And after the excerpt, check out the contest I have to offer.  

***

           I thumbed the book open, preparing myself for the bizarreness that was Oscar Wilde.  Only ten or fifteen minutes had passed before a shadow blocked the sunlight streaming through the window behind me. No one ever approached me when I was reading, not even Mrs. Compton. Curious and a little bit weary, I lifted my head and my heart stuttered.

            I was hallucinating again, because Hot Dude was standing in front of me.

            The sun cast a halo around him, making him appear surreal. His arresting mouth formed a crooked grin and one lock of brown hair, tinted red by the light, fell over his forehead. I blinked, but he didn’t vanish.

            “Hi,” he said in a deep, soft voice that sent a pleasant shiver down my spine.

            I looked around, checking to see if anyone else noticed him, but there was no one near us. My gaze fell back to him. Up close, he was actually sort of breathtaking, with his hair tousled and olive skin tone.  His sooty eyelashes had to be the envy of every girl he crossed paths with.

            H ran a hand through his hair and rocked back on heels.  Awkward silence stretched out, and I suddenly became painfully aware of how different I was from two years ago. I’d used to always have something witty and flirty to say. Now I just stared up at him like an idiot. A fierce blush stole over my cheeks, spreading down my neck.

            “I’ve seen you around here a couple of times,” he tried again, staring at the book I held.  “‘I had come face to face with someone whose mere personality was so fascinating that, if I allowed it to do so, it would absorb my whole nature, my whole soul, my very art itself.’”

            I stared. “What?”

            His lopsided grin spread into a full one, and it felt like someone had socked me in the chest. “It’s a quote from Oscar Wilde’s Dorian Gray? It’s one of my favorite books.”

            Hot and smart. And apparently he was a real life boy. I was still staring. Snapping out of it, I shut my book and shoved my hands between my legs, hoping to hide the gloves as pointless as it was. “I’ve never seen you here before. I would’ve noticed you.”

            His gaze landed on my face, eyes dark and warm. “You would? That’s flattering.”

             I kind of wanted to kick myself in the face. At the very least, hide my flaming cheeks. Embarrassment and confusion triggered my flight response. Shoving my book in my bag, I unfurled my legs.

            “I was just teasing.” He held up his hands harmlessly. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to embarrass you.” He nodded at the chair across from me. “Do you mind?”

            I gripped the strap on my messenger bag as I stared up at him, caught between wanting to bolt and to stay here with him. Boys, beside Adam, rarely spoke to me. Well, unless it was to hurl an insult in my face. “I… I have to leave soon.”

            He smiled fully then, momentarily stunning me into further stupor.  He slid into the chair and leaned on the little table separating us. “You come here often, don’t you?”

            “Yeah.” I dropped my hands to my lap, hoping he hadn’t noticed the gloves. “I… I saw you at school today.”

            His dark brows rose as he leaned back in his chair, folding his arms across his chest. “You did?”

            “Yes. You were standing next to our trophy case.” Accusation colored my words without my intentions. My social skills were sorely lacking. I tried to make up for it. “Are you transferring to the school?”

            “I was checking it out.”

            My lips pursed. That hadn’t been an answer. “You’re new to this town.”

            “Must be a small town for you to notice me.” He tipped his head to the side, his gaze so intense that I know he was studying me. “I’m from a small town, too. By the way, I never introduced myself. My name is Hayden Cromwell.”

            “Hayden Cromwell?” His name rolled off my tongue smoothly. I realized he was waiting for me to tell him my name, and I started too, but my cell took that moment to bounce around the table as the alarm went off in vibrant mode. Jumping to my feet, I snatched the phone. “I’m sorry. I have to go.”

            He stood fluidly, shoving his hands into his pockets. “Walk you out?”

            The girl inside me screamed and did a happy dance, but I quickly smacked her upside the head. I started backing off.  “No. Uh, no thank you. There’s no reason. My car is just right outside.”

            Disappointment flashed across his face, but he covered it with a quick smile. Shoving my hands under my arms, I turned away before he could say anything else. Now I felt a little sad about not being able to stay and chat longer, but what was the point?

            “It was nice talking to you, Ember.”

            My legs stopped moving as a shiver tip-toed down my spine.  “I never told you my name….”

            He was gone.

            I quickly scanned the narrow stacks and aisles for his well over six foot frame. There was no way he could just disappear like that. I felt pretty confident I hadn’t made ‘Hayden Cromwell’ up.  And I had never once mentioned my name. That was twice he had disappeared into thin air.

            More than a little creeped out by that, I hurried out of the library without saying goodbye to Mrs. Compton.  Thick gray clouds had rolled in, warning of an early fall thunderstorm.  I hurried to the side of my car, daring a look over my shoulder.

            My gaze went right to the window I had been sitting in front of.  A dark shadow stood there, tall and lean. I took a step back, bumping into the car door as my heart rate sped up. He was just standing there, watching me.

            Hayden Cromwell.

*****

Now for the giveaway!  

What can you win?

A signed paperback copy of DAIMON

Daimon, Half-Blood, Pure and Cursed Bookmarks, all signed

A Touch Mortal Bookmarks (2) signed
A Touch Mortal Stickers (2)
Elemental Bookmarks (2)

Witch Eyes Bookmarks (2) signed

Minder Series and Angelia's Secret Bookmarks (2) 
Half-Blood Guitar Picks (10)
Deity Island Stickers (6)

Rune stones 

Requirements

1. You must comment on this blog post

2. You must be a follower of this blog

3. You must spread news of this post via any social media outlet

Contest is International

Ends August  13th 12:01pm EST

Thanks for stopping by. Don't forget to check out  Misadventures with Andi  at http://www.misadventureswithandi.com to see what's next!

Also don't forget I will be doing a live Q&A on Tuesday August 9 at 6:30pm EST on BLOGTV, bring your questions and I will also be giving away some swag and a copy of Half-Blood.