August #InkRipples #Giveaway – Things That Drag You Down

Hosted by Mary Waibel, Katie L. Carroll, and Kai Strand 

What drags you down? I'll tell you what drags me down.

Mean people. People who need to belittle you to feel better about themselves. People who always have to correct you, almost as if they automatically take the counterpoint to feel superior in their opinion. Those who employ name calling, especially when they label everyone in a group by the name (ex: Blondes are dumb ßuh, I know several who aren’t & I know brunettes who are!)

The current temperament online often falls into this description of mean people and it drags me down. The campaigning for the next election has only just begun and I’m worried that I’ll have to abandon the internet altogether long before we go to the polls. So if I suddenly disappear, you’ll know I just had enough. Maybe I’ll return again in 2017.

Okay, so the funny thing is, though I decided that mean people drag me down, the very first thing I thought of when I looked at this topic was the Devil. In the symbolic way that he is down. You know, under us. In hell. So instead of focusing this month’s giveaway on mean people and sort of glorifying them, I've decided to focus on books I’ve read (and one I wrote) that have an aspect of the Underworld. 

One lovely, randomly chosen winner will receive a Kindle copy of the book they enter to win. Read the descriptions. Enter to win any book that intrigues you. Enter as many times as you want. You have until 11:59 pm on August 23^rd.

Amazon

Sweet Evil by Wendy Higgins

Tenderhearted Southern girl Anna Whitt was born with the sixth sense to see and feel emotions of other people. She's aware of a struggle within herself, an inexplicable pull toward danger, but it isn't until she turns sixteen and meets the alluring Kaidan Rowe that she discovers her terrifying heritage and her willpower is put to the test. He's the boy your daddy warned you about. If only someone had warned Anna. 
Forced to face her destiny, will Anna embrace her halo or her horns?

Amazon

My Sister’s Reaper by Dorothy Dreyer

(This book doesn't take place in the Underworld, but I generally associate Reapers with that address)

Sixteen-year-old Zadie's first mistake was telling the boy liked she could bring her dead sister back to life. Her second mistake was actually doing it. When Zadie accidentally messes with the Reaper's Rite that should have claimed her sister Mara, things go horribly wrong. Mara isn't the same anymore--Zadie isn't even sure she's completely human. And to top it off, a Reaper is determined to collect Mara's soul no matter what. Now Zadie must figure out how to defeat her sister's Reaper, intent on claiming both girls, or let Mara die . . . this time for good. This refreshing paranormal love story envokes a deeper lesson about sisterhood, consequence, and facing one's responsibilities.

A cheerier version of the Underworld
Amazon

Beware of the White by Kai Strand

     As is tradition, Terra learns on the Saturday past her twelfth birthday that she is a Nature’s Spirit. It is her legacy to serve in the peaceful underground city of Concord. Learning she is named in a prophecy and being threatened by the leader of the death tribe…that part breaks tradition.

     The Trepidus are the death janitors of the Underworld, responsible for delivering fatalities with a smile and cleaning up after themselves. Until Blanco, leader of the Trepidus, decides the day of reckoning for his species is coming, at Terra’s hand. He begins organizing the creatures and leads them toward an uprising. The prophecy says there is one person who can stop him. Terra.

      With Spirit of Security, Frank, protecting her, Terra attempts to complete her training and discover her Spirit talents. Together, they go on a rogue investigation to learn out how to defeat Blanco. In the end, it comes down to a battle of the minds. The future of Concord is at stake. Will Blanco, the older, more experienced being win? Or will Terra, the young, new Spirit earn back the peace of the city?

Amazon

Abandon by Meg Cabot

Though she tries returning to the life she knew before the accident, Pierce can't help but feel at once a part of this world, and apart from it. Yet she's never alone . . . because someone is always watching her. Escape from the realm of the dead is impossible when someone there wants you back. 

But now she's moved to a new town. Maybe at her new school, she can start fresh. Maybe she can stop feeling so afraid. 

Only she can't. Because even here, he finds her. That's how desperately he wants her back. She knows he's no guardian angel, and his dark world isn't exactly heaven, yet she can't stay away . . . especially since he always appears when she least expects it, but exactly when she needs him most. 

But if she lets herself fall any further, she may just find herself back in the one place she most fears: the Underworld.

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Ripples in the Inkwell is a themed meme hosted by Mary Waibel, Katie L. Carroll, and Kai Strand posting on the second Monday of every month. To participate compose your own post regarding the theme of the month, and link back to the three host blogs. Feel free to post whenever you want during the month, but be sure to include #inkripples when you promote so readers can find you. The idea is that we toss a word or idea into the inkwell and each post is a new ripple. There is no wrong interpretation. Themes and images and more information can be found here.