Sabrina's Paranormal Palace: Allusive Aftershock Blog Tour

I'm so excited to be participating in this blog tour. I love the cover and even though I was nervous about reading this book I am so happy I did. So let's get started and get to know more about the author, the book, oh and giveaway.

I daydream often. If I didn't write, I think my mind would explode from an overload of fantasy and weirdness. To the annoyance of my friends and family, my characters sometimes become a part of my world. During my childhood, I would frequently get in trouble in school for daydreaming. Eventually, my vivid imagination paid off and I had the privilege of writing and co-directing my sixth-grade class play--a dreadful disaster; though not from my writing, of course, I must blame it on the acting.

The craft of writing, although dormant for years, never really left me. Many years later, and with the help of technology, I let my imagination run wild again.

Born in a small town in Pennsylvania, I enjoy writing about characters living in small quaint towns. I tend to lean toward the unusual and spooky. I read all genres but I love reading paranormal romance and like writing in that genre.

My paranormal playing field delves into a different milieu, abandoning vampires and werewolves, but not discounting them. Someday I might like to write a novel about vamps and those furry creatures. But for now I like the bizarre mixed with romance. A strong hero or heroine confronted with extraordinary forces of nature, powers and capabilities gets my blood running.

I live in Northern California with my very romantic husband, my small yippy dog, Riley, and my humungous black cat, Saké. My family consists of his and her children; four wonderful sons, one beautiful daughter, and seven grandchildren. My greatest love in life is my family and those large and ever growing holiday dinners.

I enjoy traveling. I hate running, but do it once in a while. Reading and writing are my favorite pastimes.

Stalker Links:

What happens when a major earthquake changes life as you know it and the boy you thought you hated ends up saving you? Three times!

Courtland Reese is the guy everyone hates and makes fun of because … well, he is weird. He communicates with animals. Strange or interesting, seventeen-year-old Adela Castielle can’t quite figure out, but when he saves her from being trampled by her own horse, she begins to understand him a little better and wants to learn more about him. But, Max--her best friend/dream guy/someday-to-be-her-husband-only-he-doesn’t-know-it-yet--hates Courtland with a passion. Adela wants to know why, except neither boy is talking. When Max leaves her stranded in his parents' wine cave with his worst enemy, Courtland, after what the experts are calling a “megathrust” earthquake, Adela starts to question her loyalty to Max as steamy kisses in a dark damp cellar only fuel her emotions with more conflict. But does she really have time to worry about that when fire, destruction and mayhem surround her?

Excerpt:

An explosion burst through the air and I almost jumped out of my skin. I turned toward the noise and stared in horror at the sight of the Arco gas station completely engulfed in flames. The fire immediately spread into a clump of trees between the station and the half-demolished grocery store about six feet from where Max stood.

“Max!” I screamed and leaped up forgetting about the clenching in my stomach.

Max hurried back and grabbed my hand again. We ran, hopping over broken brick, concrete, glass, and wood from collapsed buildings, swerving between and around abandoned cars stopped or smashed along the road. Max never let go of my hand. Trees and buildings consumed in flames glowered around us, the heat almost too much to bear. The scent of gas permeated the air along with the muck of smoke and debris. Water spewed up from a broken fire hydrant, knocked on its side by the delivery truck now perched on top of it and I gasped at the sight of a bloodied man’s head hanging out the window.

I wanted to be home more than anything now. Did we even have a home? Were my mom and dad okay? The twins? What about Big Blue? I fought back tears, trying to convince myself they were all fine and probably wondering where I was. I squeezed my eyes shut to picture my mom pacing the living room, worrying and telling my dad they needed to find me.

All of a sudden, we stopped running. I glanced up to see why and gaped with horror at the road in front of us. The broken asphalt had buckled into a pile about twelve feet high, obstructing our way. The crumbled debris from the buildings on both sides blocked the entire area. With the newly formed abyss in front of us and the out-of-control inferno behind us closing in fast, we were trapped.

My Review:

I wasn’t sure I would like this story due to the earthquake and aftershocks destroying California story line but I was so wrong. I loved it and could not put it down.

California is rocked with devastating earthquakes and aftershocks. Adela and Max who have been best friends forever set off to find their families and on their way they run into Court another boy from their school who is hurt. The three of them have to come together to try and survive while trying to find out if their families are still alive. With Court hurt Max leaves to try and find food and help while he is gone another quake happens trapping Adela and Court in the cellar. They start to have feelings for one another.

I really loved how the story is told from Adela and Court so we really get to see how the devastation affects everyone from different perspectives. I immediately felt a connection with Court. He is just a sweet guy that you just fall in love with. He is so compassionate towards animals and people in general. Not to mention he is cute and his love for Adela really comes through. Adela is a sweet girl who loves her family even though at times she annoyed me when he came to Max and her treatment of Court. But as I read more I really started to connect to her. Max I just didn’t like. He was such a jerk at the beginning of the story but as the story went and things happened I started to like him a little. We really get to see the growth in the characters as the story goes and see how mature they become in dealing with such hard decisions.

With the real possibility of the events happening in this book I was nervous to read it at first but I am glad I got over my fears and made myself read. Allusive Aftershock is filled with love, heart break, and loss that will have you laughing, crying, and finally left with hope that things will work out even when it feels like it won’t. 5/5 Bloody Fangs