Release Day Launch Chosen by Paulina Ulrich

Chosen by Paulina Ulrich Excerpt #1!

Happy freaking Tuesday!

 

23 Days.

 

 

“Kaddy, wait.” I heard Mike trailing me as I turned out of the Wheel Barrel.

            I pressed a hand to my temple and sighed. “Yeah?”

            “You okay? I know you didn’t get a lot of sleep last night.” Mike scratched the back of his head and looked down at me, worried. “Maybe some lunch will help.”

            “What I need is sleep, and what needs to happen is for me to stop having these stupid night terrors.” I leaned back against the hot brick building for a moment.

            “You can’t help it. It’s not your fault.” Mike leaned on his shoulder next to me, his hands deep in his apron pockets.

            “I know, but I hate it. Why can’t they stop?” I smacked my hand to my forehead and sighed. Against my palm, my skin felt too warm. Was I getting sick? Great. It was the last thing I needed. “Do I feel warm to you?” I dropped my hand and looked over at Mike, giving him permission to touch me with a simple confirmation from my eyes.

            Slowly raising his arm, the back of his hand pressed against my cheek. “Damn, Kaddy. You’re burning up! Do you feel all right?”

            I shrugged. I did feel all right, just a little warm. “I feel fine. I need some sleep. Promise to plan on going to bed early tonight?” I doubted he would keep this promise. He and I always stayed up late writing music.

            Mike got a playful glint in his eye. “You know I’m a night owl. No promises there.”
            I sighed and rolled my eyes. “We both are.”

            Mike still had his hand pressed against my cheek until it shifted up to tug his gray beanie down on my forehead. “Maybe it’s just my awesome hat that’s making you overheat. Who wears a beanie in August?” he joked and I playfully scowled at him as I readjusted the knitted beanie.

            “Oh, I’m sure that’s it,” I laughed and gave him a gentle punch on the arm.

            “Whoa.” He took a step back. “You been working out or something? That hurt.” Mike held his upper arm like I had socked it with everything I had. I stood there waiting with my “really?” look and raised my eyebrows in anticipation for his mischievous face to appear. If Mike was anything, he was a jokester. Just like I expected, a few seconds later, he cracked a smile on his lips and started laughing.

            “You always think your little jokes are hilarious!” Even when I rolled my eyes, I couldn’t stop his infectious laughter from causing me to laugh.

            “Kadster, we know I tell the best jokes. I eat sarcasm for breakfast every day.” He winked and wrapped his arm around my shoulders. I didn’t shy from his touch.

            “So do I, but no one but you find anything I say funny.” I looked up at him as he walked me to the corner of the block, the direction of home. Only Mike called me the Kadster. Actually, he had a lot of nicknames for me and I didn’t mind it. He was one of the few I would let getaway with calling me things other than my name.

            “It’s because everyone is just jealous of the awesome friendship we’ve had since we were eight. Haters gonna hate.” He shrugged and his other hand pretended to dust off his shoulder. Mike was the only friend I counted on for anything. Long ago, we made a pact, and so far, he’s kept every word he promised to keep.

 

 

And there was your excerpt! A little introduction to characters and the mystery. Ooohhh! Insert 'ohhh's and ahhhh's' here.

 

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Flightless Bird by Paulina Ulrich (NEW) Cover Reveal

Flightless Bird (NEW) Cover Reveal

TITLE: Flightless Bird (Book 1 in the Flightless Bird series)
AUTHOR: Paulina Ulrich

GENRE: YA Paranormal Romance
COVER DESIGN: Amber @ eThink Graphics

A secret from the past...

The summer of her seventeenth birthday, Livy Eckels was faced with something she wasn't ready for. In the midst of a crumbling family, devastated, she grabs her bicycle and heads out of town to escape the atmosphere at home. Livy unexpectedly crashes into the lives of two mysterious people living on the outskirts of town. As she prepares to start her final exhaustive year of high school, she already has enough on her plate. Then with the entrance of Gregory Mason, her life becomes even more complicated. Tall, handsome, and ever so annoying, Livy can't stand being around him until she finds herself being pulled closer and closer to things she cannot explain.

She was determined to understand why Gregory Mason was so interested in her until she discovered something that may put her curiosity to an end. Before she knows what is happening, Livy becomes entangled in the mystifying plots of a secret society, a vengeful ex-lover, and a situation she never expected to find herself in: falling in love with a boy whose secret she should have never known.

AUTHOR BIO: I am the author of the Flightless Bird series, the Fighting Fate series and many more stories to come. I was raised to big dream or don’t dream at all and my highly active imagination has been the cause behind many of my stories. With my insanely fluffy cat and a glass of iced tea nearby, you can find me writing and when I’m not, I’m out buying way too many cute shoes.

LINKS: Blog   Twitter    Facebook    Goodreads    Pinterest   Amazon

 

Chosen by Paulina Ulrich COVER REVEAL

I am very excited to be able to share with you the cover reveal for author Paulina Ulrich's new YA/NA Paranormal Romance book series, Chosen!! Check it out!!!

Title: CHOSEN (Book 1 in The Fighting Fate series)

Release Date: March/April 2013

Genre: Mature YA/NA Paranormal Romance

Nothing can stand in the way of outspoken, rule-breaker-extraordinaire, Kaddy Richston…except destiny. Born with wildly colored hair and piercing gray eyes Kaddy knew she was different, but she set her sights on her ambitious dreams of being in a rock band and leaving her small town behind along with the painful memories of her past.

But destiny has other plans for her.

When the calm, cool, and always collected Cole Huntington enters her life he takes a strange interest in her, his striking blue eyes never wandering far from her every move. Despite her efforts to push him away, he plans on unraveling every single one of Kaddy’s dark secrets even though he has some of his own.

Despising each other from the start, Kaddy is determined to undermine whatever intentions he has until she learns of a destiny she never asked for. The fate of the world lies in her hands as she learns how different she really is. The only person she can turn to for answers is the last person she’d want help from: Cole Huntington who seems to dislike her rule-breaking as much as she dislikes his rule-following.

Sometimes destiny sucks.

Author Bio: Paulina Ulrich has always loved writing, telling stories, and the idea of dreaming big. An English Major with emphasis in Creative Writing, she is now a full-time author and has her very fluffy cat Juey to keep her company while she writes. Not to mention she always has a full glass of iced-tea nearby and music blaring in the background. Paulina is the author of the Flightless Bird series and the Fighting Fate series. When she’s not writing she’s out buying way too many cute shoes…

Ways to contact Paulina:  Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Fair Feathered Excerpt: 2 - Paulina Ulrich

As I walked back through the woods, it took me a little longer than I expected to reach the lake, but when I did, I walked to the edge and stopped. I stared at the water that barely washed over my toes and it was cold and beckoning. My body trembled with fear, but I had to do this. My feet took a few steps forward until they were ankle deep. I stopped again, catching my breath in my throat at the iciness. Keep going. My thoughts commanded my body to will itself forward. The saddest part of it all was that I knew what the consequences of this would be…and I was willing to accept. I hoped that this time, it wasn’t a dream. I wanted to escape the dread I had been suffering from for weeks now. It would all be over soon.
            Wading deeper, I continued walking into the lake farther and farther until my head went under the surface. Silence. There was only the silence. I savored the momentary peace that I felt had been taken from me. This would be the last thing I heard but not the last thing I saw. Behind my eyelids was a brilliant image, an image of the boy I loved desperately but would never see again. I was selfish but I couldn’t bear the thought of one more day, going through the same painful routine that I had been forced into. If I left him a letter, it would have been burned. I knew it wasn’t long before someone found me. It was time.
            Exhaling all the oxygen from my lungs, I watched the bubbles fly up to the surface that was now far above me. The ache in my lungs was unmistakable but I closed my eyes, ignoring the pain. Conjuring up the best memories I had in my last minutes, I replayed them over and over until I could feel my conscious slipping away. I finally felt free, like a bird that could fly. I wouldn’t be flightless anymore. (©) Paulina Ulrich

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Fair Feathered Excerpt - Paulina Ulrich

I was sleeping loosely in Gregory’s arms and thought I was dreaming until I heard a noise in my room. I stirred but I heard it again. Forcing my heavy eyelids open, I searched for the source of the sound. My phone was vibrating wildly on my nightstand and I reached over to grab it. Who could be calling me? The screen was too brightly lit for me to read who had dialed me so I just answered.

 

            “Hello?” My voice was thick with sleep. I most likely sounded like a zombie.

            “Don’t think that this is over.” Suddenly I was wide awake like someone had splashed a bucket of ice cold water on me. Her voice was too recognizable and could only belong to one person: Amelia. “Wherever you are hiding, I will find you and I will ruin you for what you have done.” I was still too stunned to speak. Even from a phone call she could instill fear in my heart. I knew this wasn’t a dream. Not even in my nightmares was her voice this chilling. “So listen here bitch, I will do whatever it takes to get my father back. It’s your fault he is where he is. I can’t even begin to tell you how much you will suffer for this. If only you knew…”

 

            I swallowed down the lump in my throat and tried to keep my voice from shaking. “Please leave us alone.” My voice was just barely above a whisper. What did she have planned? How could I protect everybody if she threatened them?

 

            She laughed coldly. “Leave you alone? What pathetic world are you living in? You stole the love of my life! You got my father arrested! You forced my mother and I to go on the run! You think that you can just sit back and destroy my life while you get to have Gregory and live your life? You are gravely mistaken.”

 

            With shaking fingers I ended the call and threw my phone on the floor, terrified. My breathing was erratic and my heart thumped along at a quickened pace. I didn’t feel safe anywhere anymore. Jumping out of bed, I flicked a lamp on and went over to the dresser, taking handfuls of my clothes and dumping them onto the floor. I ran to the closet and found my duffel bag to stuff my things into. Tears welled in my eyes as I blindly shoved pieces of cotton clothes into my bag; the faster I packed the quicker I could get away. Why was this my life now? Why did I live in constant fear? I jumped when my phone started vibrating violently again. I ignored it like it didn’t exist but it echoed in my head until I heard it stop. She was probably capable of reaching through the phone and strangling me to death.

 

            I felt arms encircle me and I screamed, not thinking of who it could be. “Livy, calm down.” Gregory’s voice whispered worriedly into my ear and I buried my face in his shirt, crying. “What’s wrong? Why are you so upset?” The two of us sat in a pile of my clothes as he pulled my face back to see my eyes.

 

            I pointed to my phone that sat across the room on the floor. My shaking wouldn’t stop. “Amelia called. She’s threatened to find me no matter what.” I was completely distraught until a thought occurred to me…was she calling to say she has one of my loved ones? Scrambling from Gregory’s arms, I crawled over to my phone and quickly dialed my dad’s number. I didn’t care if it was the middle of the night. Fear was the only thing I could feel.

Check out more about Fair Feathered over at Paulina's Blog!!

Interview with Paulina Ulrich

Welcome! Today I am very happy to welcome Paulina Ulrich, author of The Flightless Bird Series, to my blog and thank her for granting me an interview!! I hope you all enjoy the interview, and pick up her series!!

 

Support Indie Authors: Thank you so much for sitting down and doing an interview with me!!
Paulina Ulrich: Thanks so much for having me!! 

SIA: When did you first know that you wanted to be a writer?
PU: Thanks so much for having me! This is awesome. I’m not sure there ever a time where I decided I was one. This is going to sound cheesy but honestly, I’ve always been one. I have home videos of myself from my childhood sitting at the kitchen table writing stories, drawing pictures, and stapling them together like books. Not to mention my parents always told me I was quite the chatter box. I was always talking about my dreams or telling stories. If not, I was scribbling them on paper. It wasn’t really until high school when I decided to take my career seriously. I have boxes of manuscripts from things I’ve written. It’s scary. Writing is in my blood! I definitely live for it.

SIA: Is there a book that inspired you to write? Or was it a person?
PU: I feel like if you’re a writer, you definitely have to be a reader. I love books! I devour them constantly but it wasn’t any book that really inspired me to write. It really comes down to two people who really pushed me to take my writing seriously. My aunt Heather who is like my second mom and my best friend Adrienne. They’ve been with me through a lot in my life and even when I felt like giving up, they really shoved me back on my feet and believed in me. Not sure where I would be without them.

SIA: What is your favorite genre to write in?
PU: My favorite genre to write in…well at this point in time is young adult paranormal romance or I suppose young adult in general. It changes from time to time but with everything I had going right now with the Flightless Bird series and my upcoming new series The Chosen series, I’m really rooted in the paranormal and naturally I like a little romance so that’s a must! I love exploring the angst of the teenage years and the emotional highs and lows. These years can be such a traumatic time! My teenage years weren’t exactly spectacular and I know a lot of people can relate with a rough decade of the teens so I enjoy revisiting those years to write a story filled with ups and downs but with an *ideal* happy ending because there aren’t enough happy endings in real life sometimes.

SIA: What is your favorite genre to read?
PU: This is so hard! I enjoy so many genres…I’ll have to settle on anything YA genre right now. Lately I’ve been swept up in the hype surrounding so many great YA reads that have come out. I’m always a sucker for a good YA romance so I read a lot of those too…

SIA: What has been the best advice you have received when it comes to writing?
PU: The best advice has been: to just keep writing and stay true to yourself. Many people have so many different opinions and paths they think I should follow but the advice that comes through to the end is always to keep writing despite what others think. So I’m doing just that! I realize the whole ‘true to yourself’ sounds cheesy but it’s honestly great advice. I don’t listen to what others think I should do or their opinions of me. I write because I love it and being a writer is who I am. That will never change.

SIA: Who is your favorite writer at the moment?
PU: Yikes! There are so many. I recently finished Onyx by Jennifer L Armentrout and I really enjoy her work with the Lux series. But I’m also anticipating Unlikely Allies by Tiffany King and…alright I’m going to stop myself before I get going. I can’t decide!

SIA: Do you feel online book reviewers help or hinder the sales of your book(s)?
PU: I think online book reviewers are great and they definitely help sales for authors through their posts. Reviewers are so endearing and truthful. If someone is passionate about my book and wants to blog about it, I encourage it! If someone doesn’t like it, well that’s life and everyone has their own opinions. As long as people are honest then they are entitled to say what they want. But a good review never hurt anyone! I always appreciate good feedback!

SIA: If you weren’t a writer, what would you be doing?
PU: Good question because I have no idea really. I was hoping I could pull off the whole rockstar thing (I’ve been told I have quite the voice when I do sing which is rare) but I think that’s a little out of my league now. So to answer the question I guess…I would have been a historian. I’m such a history geek. I’m definitely the girl who announces to a room full of people what happened on this day and in what year. I’m kind of like a walking history book! Literally. All my friends ask me questions for their classes like: “Hey Paulina! When, where, and who signed the Treaty of Versailles? When was the French Revolution? What happened at the Battle of Waterloo?” Not even with a second thought I know the answer like the back of my hand. Not sure if that’s really normal or not…*laughs* My major is Creative Writing but I’m a History minor…so I could still probably pull something off with history while writing at the same time. I love history but not nearly as much as I love writing.

SIA: If you could switch places with any author for a week, who would it be?
PU: Any author…Hmm…I’d have to say Richelle Mead. I really enjoy her work and her writing style. The knowledge she uses about myths, legends, and folklore and are really interesting and I like how she incorporates it into her writing. Not to mention that she’s just an all around awesome writer!

SIA: Bonus – Favorite Ice Cream flavor?
PU: Daiquiri ice from Baskin Robbins. I could eat that stuff all day! Actually, I did go get some in a waffle cone today. Yum!

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You can check out more information about Paulina and her Flightless Bird Series here at her blog!

Cover Reveal for Fair Feathered

Fair Feathered is the Third installment in the Flightless Bird Series! Check out the new cover!!

 

Livy’s life is now anything but normal. After spending her summer after graduation in hiding, Livy tries to return to normalcy by attending college but nothing goes according to plan. Mistakes are made and secrets are unveiled. Livy had finally accepted the heartache that she can’t have Gregory forever and his new found abilities undermine the time she does have left with him, making the thought of her eventual goodbye even more painful. But with her life still constantly being threatened by the Society of Seven, the vengeful Amelia, and a new enemy, Livy realizes that she can’t keep everyone she loves safe. When she thought she had it all figured out, disaster destroys everything she tried to protect. Now Livy must make perilous decisions between desperately fighting for her life and finally facing her looming death.

Paulina Ulrich's Blog