Wednesday Flourish: Embers Cover Reveal + Giveaway

Hey Everyone!

Those of you who follow this blog with any frequency might note something a little off about the title of today's post, as usually the word "flourish" accompanies a Friday post wherein I share one of my recent cover designs. Today though, I'm part of a larger cover reveal for Embers, the first book in a new paranormal YA series from Karen Ann Hopkins, so I switched things up a touch and am doing my flourish post on a Wednesday.

I was lucky enough to "meet" Karen when Danny and I worked on the Kismet tours for her YA Temptation series from HarlequinTEEN, and the timing was one of those perfect twists of fate because Karen just happened to be getting ready to self publish Lamb to the Slaughter and was in need of a designer. I was thrilled to have the chance to work with her again on the cover for the first book in this new YA series, and am so in love with the final product.

Let me know what you think in the comments, and don't forget to check the bottom of the post for all the details on a fantastic giveaway!

EMBERS

There are descendants of angels walking among us. Ember is one of them. And she may be the only hope mankind has as the rapture approaches and evil rises.

Embers is an epic paranormal adventure about an eighteen year old girl who discovers that she's immune to fire and any other injury when she’s in a horrific car crash that kills her parents. Following a violent episode with her aunt's boyfriend, Ember flees Ohio to live with an old relative in the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee. Ember's exuberance at escaping a bad home life soon turns to trepidation when she finds out that she's a Watcher, a descendant of angels. While Ember learns about her heritage and the powers that go along with it, she strikes up friendships with two young men who live in a frightening walled compound in the forest. Inexplicitly drawn to one of the men in particular, an impossible romance develops. But it is cut short when Ember discovers that her new friends are fighting on the opposite side of a war—one that’s been raging between two factions of Watchers for thousands of years. When the compound’s inhabitants threaten the townspeople, Ember takes action, sealing her fate in the ancient battle of good versus evil—and the grayness in between. Ember is up to the challenge, until she realizes that she isn’t only fighting for the lives of the locals and the souls of her new friends. She also might be one of the few champions who will make a stand for all of mankind as the rapture approaches and the end of days begin.

Embers is a dark and gritty YA novel that’s the first book in the series, The Wings of War.

Intrigued by Embers? Then be sure and sign up to be a part of the blog tour running from October 20th to November 7th!

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EXCERPT

“How can this be? My hands were closer to the flame than yours, yet mine are all right, and yours are ruined.” I was confused and weak, yet I was still trying to think rationally. 

“I need to get you to a hospital.”

“My dear child, I know this is going to be difficult for you to accept. You have been conditioned your entire life to not believe the things I’m about to tell you, but the truth is in front of you. You can’t deny it now.” Aunt Ila paused and wrinkled her nose as if she was in pain, but she continued to talk.

“The fire can’t harm you, because it’s inside of you. It’s part of your essence, your soul. Of course you know that humans are made up of water, bones, tissue and organs. And you have all those things in your body, but the fire is in there too, just hiding. But it is in there just the same.” She poked her bloody finger into my belly. “That’s why you weren’t injured during that horrible accident. All the others had to try to explain it away somehow, but you knew the truth in your heart all along. You just couldn’t face it or didn’t know how to. You were in the fire and the only thing it did was make you stronger. You are what you are and you can’t deny it.”

Her voice was soft, yet it boomed in my head.

In a shaky voice I asked her, “What am I?”

“A Watcher, my dear—you are a Watcher.” 

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KAREN ANN HOPKINS

A native of New York State, Karen Ann Hopkins now lives with her family on a farm in northern Kentucky, where her neighbors in all directions are members of a strict Amish community. Her unique perspective became the inspiration for the story of star-crossed lovers Rose and Noah. When she’s not homeschooling her kids, giving riding lessons or tending to a menagerie of horses, goats, peacocks, chickens, ducks, rabbits, dogs and cats, she is dreaming up her next romantic novel.

Website • Blog • Twitter • Facebook • Goodreads

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GIVEAWAY

Karen is generously offering up a $25 Amazon gift card to one lucky winner! To enter, please fill out the Rafflecopter form.

a Rafflecopter giveaway