Sneak Peek: House of Falling Embers by Krystal Jane Ruin with Giveaway

House of Falling Embers

by Krystal Jane Ruin

Paranormal/Retelling 

The Narcissistic Rose

October 1^st, 2018 

Hosted by: Lady Amber's Reviews & PR

Once upon a time there was a witch. She was a kind witch, but that didn’t matter. The people were afraid, and fear often turns to hatred.

When Artemis was thirteen, her best friend Aris was swallowed by the crumbling house they found in the woods. Like a coward, she abandoned him to the horror within.

She moved away. She tried to forget. But when she finds herself back in her old neighborhood after college, the ghosts—and her guilt—are waiting. A charred figure stalks her dreams, and someone, or something, haunts her from the trees.

Going back into the woods might be the only way to save her sanity.

Because nine years later, the house is still there. Still waiting. Still restless.

I read this one and LOVED it!!! 

If you'd like to see my review, just head over to Kidbits here!

Krystal Jane is the author of supernatural and paranormal fiction, living in the Tennessee Valley with a collection of swords and daggers. When she's not hoarding stuffed pandas, hourglasses, and Hello Kitty replicas, she can be found drinking chai tea or blogging about books, writing, and random things at KrystalSquared.net.

Author Links:

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2OV3bYc

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/krystaljaneruin/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/planetkrystal

Web: www.krystalsquared.net

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16465460.Krystal_Jane_Ruin

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/krystalsquared/

Buy Links:

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2OXW7Kp

Apple: https://itunes.apple.com/book/id1429647583

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/house-of-falling-embers-krystal-jane-ruin/1129324286

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/en/ebook/house-of-falling-embers

Fenton leads back against the bar, looking every inch the rich playboy. A woman I vaguely recognize as being a country music artist comes up to plants kisses on Fenton’s cheeks.

“Thank you so much for coming.” She bats her lashes at him and doesn’t spare me a glance. She uses her wine glass to gesture to the artwork and tables set up at the front of the room. “The silent auction is over there with all the usual fun stuff. When you have a minute, find me outside. I want to introduce you to someone.” She drifts away, the heavy scent of a flowery perfume trailing behind.

“So, I take it your boyfriend was okay with you going out tonight.” His eyes are fixated on something, or someone, outside by the pool. 

I’m not entirely sure why, but both his voice and what he said infuriate me. “I don’t need his permission.”

“You didn’t tell him.”

My fingers tighten around my glass. “I told him.” Not that it’s any of his business.

“Cute house you guys have. Off in the country like that. Surrounded by all those trees.” He shifts so his body is angled my way. “Isn’t that close to where that Asano kid grew up?” He’s still not looking at me when he says this, so he probably doesn’t see me nearly choke on my drink.

“What?” My voice wavers.

“You were friends with him, right?” He shifts his eyes to my face. “How are you holding up?”

It feels like the floor just dropped from under me. I clutch the cold trim of the bar for support. A thick mass of unshed tears fills my throat, and I have to mentally talk myself off a panic cliff.

When I don’t say anything, he continues. “The wellbeing of my employees is important to me.” His eyes trail over the dance floor before stopping back on my face. “I care.”

I lean away from him and drain the rest of my drink.

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Cover Reveal: House of Falling Embers by Krystal Jane Ruin

House of Falling Embers 

by Krystal Jane Ruin 

Paranormal, Retelling

COMING...

OCTOBER 5th, 2018!!!

Once upon a time there was a witch. She was a kind witch, but that didn’t matter. The people were afraid, and fear often turns to hatred.
When Artemis was thirteen, her best friend Aris was swallowed by the crumbling house they found in the woods. Like a coward, she abandoned him to the horror within.
She moved away. She tried to forget. But when she finds herself back in her old neighborhood after college, the ghosts—and her guilt—are waiting. A charred figure stalks her dreams, and someone, or something, haunts her from the trees.
Going back into the woods might be the only way to save her sanity.
Because nine years later, the house is still there. Still waiting. Still restless.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo / Google Play

And here she is...

Krystal is the author of supernatural and paranormal fiction, living in the Tennessee Valley with a collection of swords and daggers. When she's not hoarding stuffed pandas, hourglasses, and Hello Kitty replicas, she can be found in a YouTube hole or blogging about books, writing, and random things at KrystalSquared.net. 

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

Review: Whisper by Krystal Jane Ruin

WHISPER

by Krystal Jane Ruin

April 3rd 2018

Upper YA/NA Paranormal

Jade has been hearing voices since she was five. No, not voices. One voice.
After her twin brother is appointed vice president of their father’s company at the old age of twenty-two, the family starts falling apart. Her parents hate each other. Her brother is stressed. His girlfriend is a gold-digger if Jade’s ever seen one. And worse yet, it turns out she isn’t crazy-the voice in her head is real.
If she ignores it, it’ll drive her off a cliff, like it has done to every single woman on her father’s side for over 1000 years. If she listens, she’s told something terrible will happen.
The choice should be simple.

Goodreads / Amazon

MY TIDBITS

Despite a more usual beginning, this book is a growing mountain of completely unexpected twists, harsh decisions and moments which simply leave one wanting more.

Jade is the only daughter of a very wealthy family, but despite financial security, her life isn't glamorous. Thanks to a 'voice' she heard in her head as a small child, she's spent her life with psychiatrists and still is under constant surveillance. Her two brothers, on the other hand, receive everything, including higher ranks in the company business. When the voice returns after years of silence, Jade uncovers a dark, family mystery. The females of her family tree have all died young and often under mysterious circumstances. Her father cages her, her mother fears her and her other relatives claim it's a family curse. But Jade is about to uncover something far worse than most of them suspected.

The opening scene lays the foundation for what, at first, appears to be an average, paranormal romance with a slightly dark twist. Jade, as a little girl, hears a voice and is shunned by her family because of it. In her older years, despite the disappearance of this voice, she's under constant scrutiny, which is driving her crazy. She enters the scene as a trapped heroine seeking freedom with no exceptional qualities of her own. Even the other characters start out as rather mundane and fitting into the usual paranormal romance drawer. But this soon shifts into a delightfully, completely unexpected direction.

The voice Jade is haunted by is anything but what Jade (or readers) might expect. The book takes a sudden dive into the legendary world of King Arthur, which not only caught me off guard but was a delightful treat! This idea is fresh, and I can't think of a book to compare it to. 

And it's dark. 

Jade embarks on a mystery behind her family which takes her in directions she never wanted to go. The author manages to create a tug-a-war in an area of gray, where the reader isn't sure (for awhile) which side is evil and which can be considered good. Jade's stuck in the middle and although she's basically kind, she's human and has her own moments of selfishness and self-preservation. It's exactly this more realistic battle which makes her such an interesting character.

There is a touch of romance, but this never controls the plot nor does it hold a huge influence on Jade's decisions, but rather jogs a little along the sidelines. But then Jade, despite her inner battles, sometimes misses a bit of self-reflection and emotional digging which would have made this a story that grips hard and doesn't let go—in the romance as well as her own mistakes. Still, her character is more than exciting to follow.

I'd highly recommend this read to paranormal fans who love a dance on the darker side and are looking for a story packed with surprises. 

SNEAK PEEK

Logan jokes loudly at the other end of the lobby, entertaining a group of men with lewd jokes and wild stories from their recent trip abroad. My sweet, idiot brother leans against the wall grinning over at him, his stupid gray eyes full of trust.
My leg bounces under my desk, spreading irritation through my body. There are no words for how pissed I am. I wish I could bring the ceiling tiles down on Logan’s head. My water bottle teeters in time with my agitation, and I clamp a hand over it to still it.
Of course, I could. Probably. But if my father suspected me of being responsible, he’d have me carted off in a straitjacket.
“Don’t worry about Logan. He will suffer. Come back and open the door.”
“How?” I force my eyes away from Logan and try to keep my voice low. No one is paying attention to me that I know of, but it’s awkward, talking out loud in an open space. For a second I wish the stupid voice could read my thoughts, but then I think better of it.
Honestly though, how crazy am I that the voice in my own head can’t hear me think?
“Sacrifice.”
“Yeah, you said that, but—” I cut myself off. David walks towards me with a small rectangular box full of padded envelopes.
He drops it on my desk. “This is for Juliane.” He speaks slowly and stares at me hard like he’s trying to read my mind. He caught me talking to myself, I know it. And likely not for the first time.

And here she is. . .

 

Krystal is the author of supernatural and paranormal fiction, living in the Tennessee Valley with a collection of swords and daggers. When she's not hoarding stuffed pandas, hourglasses, and Hello Kitty replicas, she can be found in YouTube hole or blogging about books, writing, and random things at KrystalSquared.net. 

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

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Review: Winter's Siren by Krystal Jane Ruin with Giveaway

Winter’s Siren 

by Krystal Jane Ruin

November 1st 2017

YA Paranormal

For the last five years, Fawn has been the star soprano of a secluded opera house, forced to sing for her kidnapper.
His daughter, Devi, waits patiently in the shadows, hiding a face so horrible that no one who’s seen it will look at it again.
As Fawn plots her escape, whispers spread through the shaded corridors of dark sorcery, warning her that she must flee by the next opening night.
But when Fawn draws close to the exit, it’s Devi who’s standing in her way, leading Fawn to suspect that Devi has something to gain if she fails.
(a dark reimagining of Swan Lake)

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo

MY TIDBITS

Dark, eerie, beautiful and with a touch of magic—this tale draws into a creepily lovely world, pulls at the heartstrings and leaves a biting trail of goose bumps behind.

Kidnapped from an orphanage as a small girl, Fawn is held captive in a reclusive opera house, which flaunts the grandness of a castle. And she is the star. Every day, she sings her heart out for her captor, only to be locked away in a tower at night. But that's not the worst of it. She knows that he's waiting for something, something to do with his deformed daughter Devi, who hides her face behind a veil—a face to ugly to see.

I loved this book. It is dark, creepy and haunting, yet flaunts a touch of beauty in the luxury of a successful opera house. The two girls, Fawn and Devi, each share the story, the plot switching between both points of view in a masterful way, which leaves no room for confusion and lets the intrigue blossom and grow. The longing of both touches the heart, as they each seek their own version of freedom. But both are caught in a very dark scheme. 

The writing brings the world to life in all of it's senses. The beauty of the opera house offers a lovely contrast to the dark shadows of those dwelling within. And each person's mask plays an enticing role in this deadly game like a well trained ballet. It's hard to determine who's right and who's wrong, each desire hitting the area of gray. The good and evil within both girls adds a terrific tension, making it hard to decide who to love and who to hate. 

Fans of darker fiction with a touch of fairy tale and musical beauty are sure to get lost in these pages. Especially the end guarantees a perfect finish for such a tale and leaves a bitter-sweet sense of longing lingering behind. 

EXCERPT

Frosty air nips at my nose. I stand almost knee deep in fresh fallen snow, letting the diffused sunlight hit my face. There is no sound. Peace settles over me. In this moment, I truly feel like I’m in the middle of nowhere.
Something cold and wet explodes on the back of my neck. For a moment, I fear the worst. A boil. Pus. My father’s description of my mother’s face plays out in my mind.
But then I hear Andrew laughing behind me. I touch the rough skin on my neck and bring a shaky and damp glove to my face. Snow. It’s just snow.
It’s the middle of the day, and my face is uncovered. To make everything worse, it’s bright outside. Freezing and overcast, but bright.
My hands fly to my face automatically.
“Are you going to let me get away with that?” Andrew laughs again.
I twist around and peek at him through my fingers.
He stands before me, his arms spread wide. A thick coat covers his arms, and in his gloved hands, he holds another snowball. “You have two seconds to stop me!”
I flip my hood over my head and drop down to gather snow in my hands.
Another snowball bursts against my head. The wetness plasters my hair to my face. I hurl my deformed ball in his direction. It misses him completely.
Another wad of snow lands on my neck while I gather a larger, rounder ball of snow. “Cheating!” I throw my handful at him. It lands weakly by his knees.
“Here, let me help you.” He climbs towards me and gathers a nice, solid ball in his fist. He hands this to me, and then stands back and spreads his arms wide again. “Try again.”
I throw it square at his nose.
“Ow!” He covers his face and cries out dramatically. “It’s in my eyes!”
“Stop it! Are you serious?” I navigate closer to him, and he falls back into the snow. I run to his side and hear laughter bubbling out from behind his hands. “Jerk!” I shovel snow over his body, and he laughs all the while.
Then he goes still. I stop.
“Andrew?” I lean in close. “Andrew?”
He lunges out of his shallow grave and tackles me to the ground.
A panicked scream leaves my body as he lands on top of me, heavy and warm. Then a strange sound comes out of my mouth. Something that’s never come out of it before. Laughter.
His braid hangs down, inches from my sunken cheek. Suddenly aware of how close his head is to mine, the laughter dies in my throat, and I slap my gloves to my cheeks.
“You have such beautiful eyes,” he says.
My breath is trapped in my chest. It hurts. I don’t know how much he can see of my face—my hood is pulled low and my hair and hands cover everything else—but I fear it’s too much.
“Andrew . . .”

And here she is. . .

 

Krystal is the author of supernatural and paranormal fiction, living in the Tennessee Valley with a collection of swords and daggers. When she's not hoarding stuffed pandas, hourglasses, and Hello Kitty replicas, she can be found in YouTube hole or blogging about books, writing, and random things at KrystalSquared.net.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

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Happy Book Birthday, No Rest For The Wicked by Krystal Jane Ruin with Giveaway

NO REST FOR THE WICKED

by Krystal Jane Ruin

 Paranormal
(appropriate for YA)

271 pages

Since her release from the psychiatric facility and into the smothering guardianship of her aunt, twenty-one-year-old psychic Tatum Torabi has been sneaking away to hock curses and plagues in the underground, a black market known for illegal and supernatural wares.

Tatum’s unique abilities catch the attention of a hella-creepy trash peddler who offers her a job tracking down people who owe his boss “a favor.” She couldn’t be less interested, but when she refuses, the company forces her compliance by threatening the lives of the only family she has left.

Because tracking barely scratches the surface of what they really want from her. There’s a reason Tatum is so good at making curses, and they want her to use those skills for a much darker purpose.

Amazon – Barnes & Noble – Goodreads – iBookstore – IndieBound – Kobo

EXCERPT

The coffee can is almost empty. I swear there was more in here an hour ago. In fact…my eyes scan the darkened cabinet. There were three canisters of coffee in here an hour ago. Now there is only this one, and it’s missing seven-eighths of the contents it had last time. A groan emits from my throat. “Freaking Kalin.”

“What?”

I shake my head and dump what’s left into the coffee maker. “No one trusts me in this house.”

Emmerick pulls the lid off the lasagna and starts eating it cold, dipping his fork right into the container. “I trust you.”

“Shut up.”

He smiles. “I’m going to let that slide because you’re cranky.”

I rest my elbows on the counter and drop my head into my hands as I wait for the pitiful amount of coffee to drop into the pot.

“Wanna play blackjack?”

When I lift my head, Emmerick is holding up a pack of playing cards.

“You just carry playing cards around with you?”

“Maybe.” His grin widens.

I look over his pocket-less lounge pants and tank top. “How?”

Without answering, he flips on the overhead light and sets up on one side of the island. I reluctantly drag my heavy feet to the other side. He shovels cold food into his mouth with one hand and divvies out cards with the other.

“So, tell me,” he says, peeking at his facedown card, “why aren’t you sleeping?”

I peek at mine. Queen of Spades. On top I have an ace of clubs. My face brightens into a smile before I can stop it. “What makes you think I’m not sleeping?”

The coffee maker starts to steam, and he gives it a pointed glance.

“Oh that? I always wake up in the middle of the night to drink a pot of coffee. It helps me sleep.” I meet his gaze and smile. “It’s why I look so great all the time.”

Laughter escapes his lips. “I was wondering what your secret was.” He flips his cards over. Ten of diamonds to go with his nine of hearts. “Hold.”

I flip my queen over. “I win.”

And here she is. . .

Krystal Jane is the author of supernatural and paranormal fiction, living in the Tennessee Valley with a collection of swords and daggers. When she's not hoarding stuffed pandas, hourglasses, and Hello Kitty replicas, she can be found drinking chai tea, knee deep in Sudoku, in a YouTube hole, or blogging about books, writing, and random things at KrystalSquared.net.

http://krystaljaneruin.net/about-the-author/

http://krystalsquared.net/no-rest-for-the-wicked/

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