Title: Something Like Voodoo by Rebecca Hamilton
Publisher: Bastei Entertainment
Genre: Paranormal, Young Adult
Length: 280 pages
Summary:
NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author, Rebecca Hamilton, is releasing her first young adult paranormal romance.
High School can be a witch.
A teen girl with the ability to predict deaths through her drawings shouldn’t need to lie constantly to make her life sound interesting. But that doesn’t stop Emily from spinning stories faster than she can keep up.
After transferring to a new school, Emily’s ‘dull’ life is shaken by the appearance of a boy who seems unfazed by her far-fetched stories. A too-handsome-for-his-own-good senior, Noah has some secrets of his own. He needs Emily’s special gift to save him from Sarah, queen bee of the school’s It Girls, whose own supernatural abilities have forced him into a life of silence and solitude.
But when Emily tries to free him from Sarah’s voodoo curse, things go belly up, landing Emily on Sarah’s hit list. Soon, Emily and Noah are on a collision course with the It Girls, leading to a shocking revelation that ties them together in unimaginable ways. If their powers remain unchecked, this teenage popularity contest could spell the death of them all …
Romantically charged and eerily chilling, Something Like Voodoo weighs the choice of saving your life versus fighting for a life worth saving. This young adult paranormal romance will put a spell on you.
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Purchase Links: Amazon * B&N * iTunes * Kobo
Excerpt
Unfortunately, Heather was not as convinced as me that Noah wasn’t a selfish a-hole, and there wasn’t much I could say to convince her otherwise.
We were sitting in my room watching “Becoming Jane” on my laptop, and I thought the ballroom scene would distract her long enough to agree. Instead I got:
“Huh? Sure,” as she slowly lifted popcorn to her mouth. Then her hand fell back into the bowl. “Wait—what? No. Did you say you were telling your dad we’re spending the weekend together, but you’re really going somewhere with Noah?”
I winced, but offered a small nod.
She leaned over and paused the movie, then turned her whole body toward me. “Emily, have you lost it? What are you thinking? Are you like, gonna sleep with him? Is he pressuring you to have sex?”
I grabbed her shoulders. “Heather, breathe. No one is having sex. I will have to sleep at some point, and he will probably also be sleeping, but we won’t be sleeping together. At least not in the colloquial sense, okay?”
She eyed me warily, the glow of the screen lighting up her freckled face and casting a reflection in her glasses. “I still don’t feel comfortable lying about it. Could I go with you guys?”
I rubbed my face. “I’m not sure… He’s taking me to meet his family. That would be kind of weird.”
“You’re meeting family of his that lives hours away but haven’t met his parents yet?”
I picked a piece of popcorn out of her brown waves. “They’re cousins or something,” I said, flicking away the small crumb. “It’s different.”
Heather pressed her lips together and stared into the popcorn bowl, as though the answers to her moral dilemmas were hidden in the un-popped kernels.
“Heather, please. I need this. I need to get out of this town for a bit. Noah and I spend all of our time hiding out from Sarah. You know, because she would make my life hell if she knew he was into me. We never get to just…be together.”
“If I do this,” she said slowly, “you have to promise to answer my texts right away, so I can know you’re safe.”
I sat up straighter. “Done. I will. You can bet on it.”
“I’m not sure about betting on anything you say.”
My heart sank. Heather had me figured out. I would have to make it up to her. What I lacked in honesty I could…well, I didn’t know what, but I would come up with something.
“I promise,” I added, the words now seeming meaningless.
“If you don’t, I’ll tell your dad.” She lifted her chin. “I’m not kidding. Better keep that phone glued to your hand.”
I wasn’t sure how to promise her I wasn’t lying this time. Pinky swearing seemed old hat. Instead, I forced a smile. “Thank you. You’re like, totally one hundred percent the best friend a girl could ask for.”
“Maybe,” she whispered. Standing, she grabbed her coat. “It’s getting late. I should probably go.”
I walked her downstairs. “See you soon?”
“Yep,” she said in a clipped tone. She turned to leave, but then quickly turned back again, a hint of panic in her eyes. “Just stay safe, all right? Promise me?”
She was asking for another promise she couldn’t trust, but it was the least I could give her.
“Okay,” I lied.
I should’ve known better than to make a promise I couldn’t keep.
Author Bio
Rebecca Hamilton writes Paranormal Fantasy, Horror, and Literary Fiction. She lives in Florida with her husband and four kids, along with multiple writing personalities that range from morbid to literary. Having a child diagnosed with autism has inspired her to illuminate the world through the eyes of characters who see things differently.
Rebecca Hamilton is represented by the ever-more-amazing Rossano Trentin of TZLA.
Author Links: Website * Facebook * Twitter * Goodreads
Giveaway
The premise sounds intense and cool!
Quite an intense premise and I am intrigued. Thank you for the excerpt!
Sounds good. Thanks for the excerpt.
Sounds good!