Release Day Blitz! Ruby: A Mystic Stones Jewel is OUT!

Ruby: A Mystic Stones Jewel is now available! Ruby is a short story companion to the novel Obsidian: Mystic Stones Series #1 and can be read before or after the novel. The story will be listed at $.99, but I will be offering FREE copies for anyone interested. First, I'll post the blurbs for Ruby and Obsidian, then a little teaser from Ruby and last but not least, 4 ways to get Ruby for FREE!

Ruby: A Mystic Stones Jewel

Attraction pulls Ava Tanner to her client Tom Walker, but her professionalism prevents her from making any moves.

Tom wants Ava in more ways than one and his desires are almost too much to keep inside. He needs her, but he doesn't want to scare her away for fear of angering the council.

Will the spark between Ava and Tom turn into something more, or will Ava allow it to fizzle out?

Available Now

Amazon
Smashwords




Obsidian: Mystic Stones Series #1

Ava Tanner finds herself in a world without satellite technology in a time of GPS, Smart Phones and Tablets. When she discovers that a corporation headed by vampires with a sinister motive is to blame, her world is turned upside-down. After a narrow escape, she learns a mystical secret about herself that could aide her in her fight against the vampires. Unfortunately, the vampires see her either as a valuable asset or a target for destruction.

When the world is on the brink of complete social and technological devastation, one must ask themselves: Would I give up my blood for the modern ideal way of life, or will I wage war with the overlords of chaos?

Available Now

Amazon

All Available Formats (Martin Sisters Publishing)

Here is a  little teaser from Ruby:

The metal elevator doors glided open to the luxurious seventeenth floor of the Herrick-Peyton building. Fresh, colorful hibiscus flowers welcomed Ava as she stepped into the reception area. She glanced around and made eye contact with the man she was looking for: Tom Walker. His face lit up when he saw her, and his handsome grin made Ava’s own smile spread across her face.

“Miss Tanner, what brings you up to the seventeenth floor?” Mr. Walker asked.

“Well, it’s been almost a year since you signed your last lease, and since you seem so comfortable up here, I thought I’d bring up the renewal papers,” Ava said as she looked around the lobby.

“Wonderful! Let’s step into my office, shall we? I’ll sign them right away. Otherwise, they’ll get lost on my desk.”

Ava nodded and followed Tom to his office. He stopped short and let her enter first as he gently placed a hand on the small of her back. Butterflies erupted in her stomach.

He closed the door behind them and gestured at one of the guest chairs while taking the packet of papers from her. She could smell his cologne as he approached her. It reminded her of rain and fresh cut grass. He took a seat behind his large desk, which shined in the sunlight from the window behind him.

“So the papers would get lost on your desk, huh?” Ava asked.

“Well, I might have exaggerated a bit,” he replied. Silence followed as he flipped through the pages of the lease.

He cleared his throat, “So, since I’m signing papers—”

“Oh, no. Let’s not start that, Mr. Walker. You know I can’t work for you,” Ava said, before he got the question out.

“How did you know?” He grinned.

“You ask me every time we see each other.”

“I wish we would see each other more often. Then maybe I would wear you down.”

“I just don’t think I’d fit in at Psytech, and I like where I am now,” Ava replied.

Tom sighed. “I know you do. I just can’t figure out why.”

The pen dragged on the last page of the renewal papers as Tom signed his name with a flourish. He stood and rounded the desk with a predatory look on his face. It was one that Ava had seen often. She couldn’t convince herself it was only the look of a man who wanted her to work for him. To her, it sometimes seemed that he wanted so much more. She took a deep breath as he came closer. She was about to stand, but he surprised her by sitting in the guest seat next to her.

“I hope that one day you will say yes to me. Psytech could really use you—I could really use you.”

There are four ways you can get Ruby for free and these offers will stand for an UNLIMITED TIME. Here is how to get Ruby for free:

Leave a review of Obsidian.
Buy Obsidian.
Post about Obsidian/Ruby on your blog.
Post about Obsidian/Ruby on Facebook or Twitter everyday for one week.

Just pick one of the options above and fill out this form:

About the Author: Kayla Curry

Kayla Curry, author of Obsidian: The Mystic Stones Series, lives in North Platte, Nebraska with her husband and two children.

She likes spending time with family and friends when she’s not writing or marketing.

Her other hobbies include reading and arts and crafts. You can visit her website at http://sites.google.com/site/kaylacurryauthor/ to keep up on her progress in the Mystic Stones Series.

Links to Kayla Curry:
Website
Blog

Twitter

Facebook

Content from Blog Tour: Final Post Infographic!

Today I'm posting the infographic I made for Obsidian. If you’ve never heard of an infographic, it is basically a graphic with info embedded into it. This helps create a visual and more interesting way to display information! So, here it is:

Content from Blog Tour: Post #11 Paranormal Beings

BEWARE! This post contains spoilers in the second half!

 

Obsidian and the upcoming books in the Mystic Stones Series has a range of paranormal beings. Today we’ll talk about the ones that appear or are mentioned in Obsidian.

Paranormal Being #1 VAMPIRES:

The vampires in Obsidian are unique because they can only be killed by obsidian to the heart. They do not need to fear sunlight or silver or wooden stakes for that matter. They are strong, fast and have superior senses. They crave blood but the cravings can be minimized by the consumption of chocolate or wine.

Paranormal Being #2 WITCHES:

Witches don’t make an appearance in Obsidian but they are mentioned. They will be more prominent in later books in the series. Witches in the Mystic Stones Series often specialize in a certain area of magic. Some are good at putting spells on stones, others are able to transport from one place to any other place in the world. Witches must study their craft to see where their strengths are. They also have their own language of symbols that evolves within each family.

Paranormal Being #3 SPOILER ALERT! SIRENS:

In Obsidian you find out that Ava Tanner is a siren. She doesn’t know this yet because her mother never got the chance to tell her. Siren’s in Obsidian have the power to control men and animals of the sea with their songs, some can control the weather, some can control the ocean and some can even see into the future. Sirens are born to other sirens and only women can be sirens. Sirens live can live forever, but olivine (A green rock that looks like peridot) can kill them. They also cannot be very far from the ocean. Going too far inland will make them sick and weak enough to kill without olivine.

Paranormal Being #4 SPOILER ALERT! JESSE SUTTON:

Jesse Sutton is a unique individual in Obsidian. He has been cursed by a witch to turn to stone during the night. He is also immortal and as strong as a vampire, but not as fast. He has lived a mysterious life and we are only beginning to see what he has done in his cursed life.

Content from Blog Tour: Post #10 Vampire Hierarchy

Okay, so every group of vampires normally has their leader. In Obsidian there is a whole system of vampires.

At the top of the hierarchy, you have the Emperor, followed by his chosen family. You don’t see the Vampire Emperor in Obsidian, but he becomes a main character in the next books.

The council is next on the list. The council advises the Emperor and watch over the districts. These are the men you see at Psytech just before and after they buy the Herrick-Peyton building in Hilo.

Down the line are the vampires who are employed by Psytech. These vampires are given more power since they are especially loyal to the Emperor.

After Psytech employees are all other vampires. This includes vampires who are simply loners and some who are rebels. Rebel vampires, like Perry Eberly in Obsidian, are frowned upon, but the Emperor believes they are still better than drudges and humans.

Drudges are humans who want to be vampires and seek out ways to become one. Once they pass many tests and prove their loyalty they may become Vampire Guardians. These are special vampires who are charged with protecting important vampires.

Lowest on the “food” chain are the humans. According to most vampires, once the vampire race rules, they won’t have any rights.

And that is that. Here’s a little chart to give you a visual look at the Hierarchy.

Content from Blog Tour: Post #9 Meet Alani Kalei

Here is an excerpt from the first time Alani Kalei (Ava's best friend) shows up in Obsidian:

Ava’s cab arrived at Alani’s house after a short drive. Ava paid the cabby and tipped him before quickly going to the front door. It was twelve-thirty, but she had to knock anyways. She had nowhere else to go. After a few seconds, the window illuminated and Alani finally made it to the door.

“Ava! Oh my gosh!” Alani squealed. She gave Ava a big hug. “What happened to you? I’ve been trying to find you for days. I went to your house a few times but you weren’t there, and the Herrick-Peyton building is no longer Herrick-Peyton. At least that’s what the guy at the gate said.”

“It’s a long story. Can I come in and explain everything?”

“Of course! Get in here!” Alani pulled the door open wider.

Ava stepped inside and went to the couch. Alani started water for hot tea and then went to sit on the couch. She was already in her pajamas, which consisted of a bright green tank top and a pair of colorful printed shorts. Alani’s black hair hung just below her chin and flared out a little. She was thin like Ava but had much more tone to her build. Alani’s dark eyes were curious and weary.

“So, where were you?” Alani asked.

“Well, it all starts the day that the satellites went down. I went to dinner with one of my clients, Tom Walker. He’s the head of the Hawaiian branch of Psytech.”

“Oh, yeah, I remember him from when I worked at Herrick-Peyton.”

“The guy at the gate was telling the truth, Herrick-Peyton no longer exists. Psytech bought the building. I knew about it before everyone else because Tom told me when we were at dinner. I went on a date with him.”

Alani gasped, “You actually went on a date! I’m so happy for you!”

“Wait ‘til you hear the rest of it, you’ll wish I hadn’t gone on a date, at least not with him. There was a big meeting on Wednesday and that’s when Herrick-Peyton sold the building. Tom told me that I could work any position I wanted at Psytech and to meet him at the warehouse when the news broke.”

“What about everyone else?”

“Psytech had jobs for them too, but everyone was to be accessed and then place in a position that suited them if they wanted the job. But anyways, I went to the warehouse after a staff meeting with the shareholders, and this is where things get really crazy, Alani.”

“Okay, let me get the tea really quick and you can finish.” Alani got up and poured the hot tea into two cups. She handed a cup to Ava and sat down again. She looked at Ava, ready for her to begin, but she hesitated.

“You can tell me, Ava. I’ll believe anything you say,” Alani pressed.

Ava sighed. She took a minute to think about how she could tell this part of the story. “Well, I went to the warehouse and there were these corporate men there. They were video chatting, Alani. They had a device that made the internet work for them.”

“Wow, why haven’t they released it to the public?”

“Because Psytech is responsible for the satellite viruses.”

“Oh my gosh! Are you serious? Why haven’t you gone to the police?”

“They asked me to stay and work for them. They wanted me to be like them.”

“What do you mean ‘be like them'?”

Ava took a deep breath and prepared herself to tell the truth, even though Alani might just throw her in the nut house if she didn’t believe her, “They are vampires, Alani. The whole Psytech Corporation.”

“What? Like figuratively speaking?”

“No, I mean they are vampires. They drink blood and everything. They planted the virus in the satellite so that they could control humans and make us give them our blood in return for technology.”

“What? You can’t be serious. That’s impossible,” Alani said slowly.

“That’s what I thought, until Tom tried to change me. He was coming at me with fangs. I tried to get away. I stabbed him with my pocketknife but it only distracted him. I climbed up a ladder in the warehouse and I found these big crates with the all the shareholders in them. They were alive but they were just lying there. The vampires were feeding off them.”

“How did you get away?”

“I didn’t. Tom convinced me to come down. He said he’d wait three days to change me. He wanted me to see things his way. It bought me time, so I agreed. They put this wristband on me that would inject me with vampire venom if I tried to go too far from Tom. So I spent Thursday and today with him and his plan was to change me at midnight. I’d earned his trust, so when he took the wristband off I made up an excuse to go up to the room I was using and I slipped out the back.”

“And now you’re here. I’m so glad you got away!” Alani said giving Ava another hug. Then Alani pulled away and looked at Ava’s face. “You seem like something else is bothering you though.”

Content from Blog Tour: Post #8 A Jesse Sutton Teaser

Here is a little teaser from when Ava Tanner meets Jesse Sutton:

Ava noticed right away that Jesse’s appearance was superior. He was extremely handsome with dark hair that fell freely around his face. There were lighter highlights throughout the untidy mess of hair. It came to the middle of his cheek, and some of it was swept back out of the way. He had a small amount of facial hair that was well groomed and made him look somewhat rough. His eyes were dark green and deeply set, framed by eyelashes that no man should ever be allowed to flaunt.

She made herself take her concentration from him and tuned out a little after she learned who was who. After a while her eyes noticed Jesse Sutton again, sitting on the chaise lounge. He looked statuesque. He sat very still and she saw that his eyes were the only part of him that moved frequently. He had no nervous ticks, no itches, no moments of repositioning and he only said a few words—none of which were directed at Ava, although, she did feel his stare every once in a while, but when she would look over, his eyes darted elsewhere.

He seemed very bored with the conversation. His arrogance troubled Ava—she couldn’t see how he could be so nonchalant about the subjects they were discussing. Soon he stood up and announced that he was going to ‘retire’ even though the sun hadn’t even set. Although it was almost dark, it was only about eight o’clock. Ava thought it was an early bedtime for someone who didn’t even have to work a day in his life. It was obvious that Jesse was well off. His house was filled with things you’d see in a museum and the way he dressed was opulent.

Ava watched as Jesse left the room. The rest of them continued to talk. Making some plans but nothing concrete. They would have to wait until morning to finalize anything because Jesse had to approve. Apparently, Jesse governed the rules in the house. It was strange to Ava that he didn’t seem to care about anything that was going on, yet he was to make the decisions. Ava pushed the thoughts out of her mind. She had more to worry about than the business of a complete stranger. Soon, the conversation turned to lighter subjects and everyone was just trying to get to know each other.

Content from Blog Tour: Post #7 Vampire Development

Ever wonder what it’s like to turn into a vampire from Obsidian? Well, this video will tell you all about it!

Content from Blog Tour: Post #6 Interview with Hiu

Here is an interview with Hiu Kalei:

Kayla: So Hiu, Howzit?

Hiu: Howzit, Kayla! Just hangin’ local style.

Kayla: How is Kapono?

Hiu: He wen surfin’ da onreal waves! He make act, but I tell him no make ass.

Kayla: He is quite the show-off.

Hiu: He got no shame!

Kayla: So in the book, you say a lot of things my readers may not understand. Can you explain some of the words and phrases you use?

Hiu: Sure ting!

Kayla: Okay, so the first one I have is “make-die-dead.” What exactly does that mean?

Hiu: It means that someone or something is REALLY dead. A car battery that needs a jumpstart is just dead, but a vampire that I stab with one obsidian dagger is make-die-dead.

Kayla: I see. Okay, well the next one is something that Kapono said. He said to you, “Things are getting funny ‘round here. I ‘bout had-it with these lolo guys.”

Hiu: When Kapono said, “Things are getting funny ‘round here.” It doesn’t mean there’s a clown on the docks, it means things are getting crazy—hectic. When he said, “I ‘bout had-it with these lolo guys.” It meant he was fed up with these stupid guys.

Kayla: Okay, so he was having a bad day because of the guys who couldn’t understand that there was no more room at the docks?

Hiu: Right.

Kayla: One more for you, what does futless mean?

Hiu: It means you are frustrated. Things can make you futless, like when they put a tracking device on my boat--that made me futless!

Kayla: Yes, that was rather evil of Tom.

Hiu: No one touches Palila without my permission.

Kayla: Okay, I think that’s pretty clear. I’ll catch you later, Hiu!

Hiu: Leddahs!

Don’t forget to grab the calendar page for today and enter the giveaway!

Content from Blog Tour: Post #5 Psytech Training Video

Now you can watch the Psytech Hawaii Branch Training video! Don’t get brainwashed!

Content from Blog Tour: Post #4 Hilo, Hawaii

The book starts out in Hilo, Hawaii in the year 2020. Setting it so far in the future gave me a little room to make some stuff up about the setting, but I still did a TON of research.


First I had to research the town itself. I found out that Hilo is the rainiest city in the United States. You might say, “I thought Forks, Washington was.” Turns out Forks is the rainiest city in the continental US. I had no idea that Hilo was the rainiest city until after I set the book in Hilo.



The reason I picked Hilo is because in my dream that gave birth to the book, it was clear that I was on an island, so I thought why not pick a Hawaiian island? I wanted a city that was large yet isolated so that’s why I did not pick Honolulu.



Another reason I picked Hilo, was for its surroundings. The island is tropical on one side and rocky on the other. It’s also home to the most active volcano in the world which will likely come into play in the last book.



Hilo is also not far from Punalu‘u or “Black Sand” Beach which is the exact beach you see on the cover and also the setting for a pivotal scene in the book. The black sand is due to the volcanic rock that has been ground up by the sea. The beach is very rocky and not recommended for swimming.





















The symbolism of the Black Sand Beach is that it is beautiful and unique, but also dangerous like so many other elements in the book. The scene that takes place on the beach is a scene between Ava and Tom. Ava realizes her true feelings towards Tom and makes a big decision while lounging on the beach with him.

Content from Blog Tour: Post #3 Tom Walker Takes Over

On day three of my blog tour, the villain from Obsidian took over S.M. Boyce's blog. See what he had to say:

I know Kayla and Boyce had planned a nice little post about me and my relationship with Ava Tanner, but I thought I'd take it in another direction. So, I took over S. M. Boyce's blog much like I helped in the takeover of technology in Obsidian: Mystic Stones Series #1.

How did I take over the blog? I work for Psytech, the most technologically advanced company in the world. I think I can figure out how to hack into a blog.

So, as you’ve probably gathered by now, I’m Tom Walker. I’ve been called things like “manipulative,” “cold-hearted” and sometimes “charming.” I do bite, so keep your distance if you want to leave this blog with all your blood. The word “evil” has been thrown around, but that is a matter of where you stand on the Vampire-Human War that is quickly approaching.

I don’t know if you can actually call it a war. After all, vampires are much more advanced in every way. We are faster, stronger and are immortal. The only thing that can kill us is obsidian. Good luck on getting your hands on enough of that to take us all out. No, it’s not a war, more like an enslavement of the human race.

I’m the President of the Hawaiian Branch of Psytech. Sure it’s a nice, cushy job at an all vampire company. I have drudges and vampires working below me, but what I really want is a spot on the council and Ava Tanner is the key to getting that spot. I won’t stop until I have what I want.

Being on the council is about as high up as you can go in the vampire world, except for being the Vampire Emperor, of course. I hear that job is really hard to get, but perhaps we’ll see just how hard it is in the upcoming books of the Mystic Stones Series.

The March Desktop Calendar!

Feel free to grab this and use it as the background on your desktop!

 

Content from Blog Tour: Post #2 Message from Ava Tanner

Hey guys! Here is some more content from my recent blog tour. This one is a message from Ava Tanner.