To Rule and Guide (To Light and Guard Book 2)

To Rule and Guide is now live on Amazon.com as an ebook.  Paperbacks will be available by February 2014.  This book came out a little bit longer than Book 1, and I actually had a bit more fun writing this one.  Feel free to send me an email at authorpiperhannah@gmail.com.  I love getting feedback.

Here is the link for the ebook for your Kindle or Kindle app.  Click here.

TO RULE AND GUIDE Excerpt #2:

(Copyright Piper Hannah)

After taking a quick shower, I dressed in my pajamas and went to my sister’s bedroom.  I needed to talk to her about ‘the voice’ and get some answers.  Like always, I entered her room without knocking.  Paige was sitting on the floor next to her bed, and she was giving her dog, Buffy, some doggie treats.

I sat down on the floor next to her.  From underneath her bed, I saw several plastic bags of chocolate peeking out:  M&Ms, Twix, Reese’s Pieces.  I pulled the bag of M&Ms with a frown.

“You’re hiding chocolate under your bed?” I asked.  This was a side of Paige that I never knew existed. I mean, sure, chocolate was good, but hiding it under your bed?  For what?  A midnight snack?  

My sister must have seen the confusion in my face.

“Those are for Wyatt,” she explained. “He loves chocolate.”

Oh, thank God, there was a reason.  “You’re trying to seduce your boyfriend with chocolate?”  I asked.  Then, I laughed… hard; I even snorted a couple of times.  This was so funny.  

“That’s genius,” I said, “That is so going to work.”  It totally would.  I loved chocolate, and if Wyatt was anything like me, he would totally fall for someone handing him sweet pieces of heaven.   

Paige’s cell phone rang.  I stood up quickly.  I picked up her phone on her nightstand and looked at the screen.  It was Wyatt calling.  

Ugh!  Can’t this guy just give my sister some space?  

Paige reached for her phone, and I pulled my arm back, keeping it away from her.  I kicked off my flip flops, climbed on top of her bed, and stood up.

“Hello,” I said, growling as I answered the phone.  Before Wyatt could say a word, I quickly followed my hello with, “What do you want?”  Paige climbed on top of the bed, and I started jumping up and down.  I pushed her when she tried to grab her phone away from me.

“Can I please talk to Paige?” Wyatt asked.  

Awww.  The ‘please’ was really sweet, but… “No,” I said harshly as I pushed my sister’s hands away from my face.  “You just saw her.  You just talked to her.  Give her some breathing room, will you?”  Then, I pressed the 'end call' button with my thumb.

I stopped jumping on the bed, and I tossed my sister’s cell phone on her nightstand.  Paige sat on her bed and glared at me.

“That was rude,” Paige said.

“Right?  I mean it’s like twelve-thirty a.m.  What decent guy calls at this time?”

“No.  I meant you were rude.  He was just going to tell me that he made it home safely and to say goodnight.”

Gag me now and stick chopsticks through my eyeballs… please.  “He was just here a few minutes ago.  Tell him to get a life.”

Paige’s lips tightened.  “Do not EVER touch my phone EVER again.  EVER!”  I froze in stunned silence.  Her angry tone startled me.  Why was she being so mean?  Looking at her face, I seriously believed that she was mad at me right now… and all because of stupid Wyatt.  I get it.  She’d rather talk to Wyatt… or hang out with Wyatt.  Maybe she’d even want to do her mani/pedis with Wyatt.

“Fine.” I said.  My sister didn’t deserve my conversation today when she was being irrational like this.  I mean, seriously, who would ever pick Wyatt over me?  Not me, that’s for sure.

I slipped my flip flops back on my feet.  Then, I bent down and picked up the bag of M&Ms from under her bed.  Like a rabid squirrel, Paige ripped the chocolate from my hand.  I backed away because her eyes were wide and scary-looking.  

“Not for you,” the rabid squirrel said.

“Fine!” I said again.  I walked out of her bedroom and slammed the door behind me.  

Cover for To Rule and Guide

Here is my new cover for To Rule and Guide.  It is releasing on Amazon.com on December 18, 2013.

Ever This Day update and promotional days

Ever This Day is live on Amazon.com.  I am giving it away to all for free on the following dates:  

October 27, 2013
October 31, 2013 to November 3, 2013

Hope you like it!

To Rule and Guide - Release Date

The release date for To Rule and Guide (To Light and Guard Book 2) is on December 18, 2013.  I'm about 50% done, and it is probably going to be as long as Book 1.

Ever This Day - Cover Reveal & Release Date

Ever This Day (To Light and Guard Prequel) will release on Amazon.com on October of 2013.  I'm going to put it out there for free for a few days.  It's just a short story with a lot of background information.  It was going to be the prologue for Book 2, but I think it's better to keep it as an independent.

I tried pricing it for free permanently, but as an independent author, I am not allowed to do that at Amazon.com.  This prequel is very short.  It is approximately 7,000 words.

To Light and Guard, Book 2 Title Change

To Light and Guard, Book 2 is now (tentatively) titled:  To Rule and Guide.  I'm not too attached to it, and it may change again, but for now, this is what I am calling it.  I just needed to call it something other than Book 2.  Anyway, I'm still sticking to a December 2013 release date.

To Rule and Guide book description

(Copyright Piper Hannah and subject to edits)

My name is Emma Harper, and my plane just landed in Hell. Don’t feel sorry for me, though, because even if I die today, I’m pretty sure that I’ll be okay. As I see it, no one ever truly dies. It’s all about the placement of this itsy bitsy thing we call ‘the soul.’ Eventually, when it’s time, the soul will get transported to either somewhere really nice or somewhere really awful. Location, location, location. That’s what life is all about. Unfortunately, at this very second, I’m standing in the worst plot of land. I’m in Hell, actually. So, what’s a nice girl like me doing in a place like this? Well, it’s simple. I fell in love with a demon, and I followed him here. There you have it… and here I am, waiting for a giant fire-breathing cat to bite my head off. No worries, though, because like I said before, no one truly ever dies. It’s all about the real estate of the soul, and when this cat kills me, it would be the cue for my soul to move on to my next property. Maybe I’ll see you there.

To Rule and Guide Excerpt #1

(Copyright Piper Hannah and subject to edits.)

     The living room was turned into a dance floor. I pulled Sam into the living room, and we started dancing. We were dancing a little bit too closely, but it didn't matter. It was really packed. People kept bumping into us, pushing us together. It wasn't like Sam was doing it on purpose. Sam grabbed my hips, pulling us closer. Okay. Now he was doing it on purpose, and I let him. What the heck? I was young, and I happen to like Sam. I looked at Sam. I inched closer to him until our bodies were pressed together as we both danced to the beat of the music.

     Sam ducked his head and whispered in my ear, “You look really cute tonight, Emma.” He slurred a bit. That’s because Sam already had three cups of beer. I was counting, and there was no way he was driving me home after the party.

     “I know,” I replied. “I’m cute every night.” Sam kissed my cheek, and I could feel his smile when he kissed me. I wrapped my arms around his neck.

     “Hell no.” I heard a male voice grumble from behind me. The voice was deep and scratchy. Grainy. Sexy. It was a voice that made a girl wonder who it belonged to. I turned around quickly, but there were only teenagers surrounding me, dancing. I shrugged and turned towards Sam, facing him again. I wrapped my arms around his neck, and Sam placed his hands on my waist.

     “I said, HELL NO,” the voice said again. I actually felt his breath on my ear. That was when I felt two hands clamp around my hips from behind. Then, I was literally pulled away from Sam. My arms were yanked away from his neck. I bumped against several bodies as I was pulled away backwards. Then, I felt an arm wrap around my waist. I looked down, but I didn’t see an arm, which was really weird because I totally felt him.

     I was pulled backwards. I clawed at the air in front of me. I would dig in my heels on the carpet, but my feet weren’t even touching the ground. I was floating, sort of, bent at the waist slightly, while an invisible arm dragged me backwards.

     My heart was beating very fast, and I felt my heartbeat with one hand. I was having a panic attack, a heart attack, an asthma attack. All of the above. Oh, my God. I can’t breathe. I took several deep breaths. Breathe, Emma. You know how to breathe. I tried scratching the invisible arm that was wrapped around my waist, but the arm wouldn’t budge.

     I looked around, my eyes wide and desperate, and my eyes locked with Sam’s. I saw his stunned face as he watched me being dragged away from the dance floor… and floating. Let’s not forget that I was floating. That’s the scary part. He looked down at my feet, and I saw the horror in his eyes. I could tell that Sam can’t keep it together much longer. He is about to lose it in about three seconds. Some screaming may be involved.

     “You’re drunk,” I yelled at him. “This is not really happening.”

     Sam looked into my eyes. I gave him two thumbs up. “I’m good. No worries, and you are so drunk right now,” I said very loudly. I don’t even know why I’m covering for the arm that was pulling me away. I should be screaming my head off and asking for help. Should. Would. Could… but I didn’t. Something really weird was happening, and when it comes to weird, I knew exactly who to call. My sister. She was the expert on everything weird. Somehow, I already knew that this was related to her, and she will get me out of it.  She better.

Book 2 - The Sequel

I am currently working on the sequel.  It is going to be about Joshua and Emma Harper.  I hate making any commitments, but the tentative release date will be December 2013.  I will release an excerpt of book 2 in the next few days in my blog and in my facebook page. The title is going to be To Rule and Guide.

To Light and Guard is now available at Amazon.com.

The paperback just came out today at Amazon.com.  

The Kindle ebook came out on July 25, 2013. 

A Note Regarding the Title

In case you were wondering, the title "To Light and Guard" comes from a prayer to the guardian angel.  It goes something like this...

Angel of God
My guardian dear
To Whom His love
Commits me here
Ever this day
Be at my side
To light and guard
To rule and guide.
Amen


There are different versions online, but this is the one I liked the best.  The original title of my book was "My Heaven", but I thought it might sound too religious. 

PIPERHANNAH.COM

My website is now up and running.  You can now find me at www.piperhannah.com.  You can also find me at my Facebook page at www.facebook.com/authorpiperhannah.

To Light and Guard is now available!

The eBook version is now available at Amazon.com.   Click here to purchase. 

I have a promotion that runs from July 27, 2013 to July 29, 2013.  You can get it as a free download on your Kindle or Kindle app during these dates. Happy Reading! 

To Light and Guard eBook cover

 

 

Here is the eBook cover for To Light and Guard.  It will be available on Amazon.com shortly. 

 

A big thank you to Robin at Robin Ludwig Design Inc. for helping me with the book cover.  You can find her at
www.gobookcoverdesign.com.

Excerpt #1 - To Light and Guard

Here is the entire Chapter 1 of To Light and Guard.  (There may be a few edits before the book is released.)
          

Copyright © 2013 Piper Hannah

            “I wasn’t trying to kill myself.  Someone was trying to kill me.”   My psychiatrist, a woman in her fifties with dark green eyes, just stared at me.  Trust me.  It wasn’t the response I was hoping for. 

I leaned back against my chair and waited for a response because that was how conversations are supposed to go.  I say something, and she should say something back… but shrinks were paid to listen, weren’t they?  Maybe she was just doing her job then.

Why am I here?  Well, I’m here to answer this million dollar question:  Am I crazy?  I think the jury is still out on that one, but before I leave her office today, my psychiatrist will definitely answer that question.  

“I wasn't trying to kill myself.  Someone was trying to kill me,” I said again.  Only this time, I said it with force - with conviction.  Maybe the second time around, I can get a verbal response from my non-verbal shrink. 

Dr. Anne McKenna’s gaze traveled from my face to my bandaged left wrist, arching one eyebrow.  I gulped.  So, we both knew why I was here.

 “Okay.  That looks bad,” I said as I lifted my left wrist, showing her the bandaged reminder of a knife slicing my wrist five days ago.  “But there is a perfectly good explanation.  This is not what it looks like.” I shook my head for emphasis.

What are the odds of shrinks believing their patients anyway?  Right.  Stupid question.  She’s probably thinking that I’m really messed up in the head right about … now.  

Dr. McKenna flipped a page of her notepad. “Tell me about your family,” she said.  She clicked her pen. 

  I sighed.  My family wasn’t the problem, but her question was expected.  Didn’t all problems start at home? 

“They’re great.” The entire Harper family wasn't to blame.   The blame was all on me – little eighteen year-old me.  Let’s just say I’m special.

“My parents are perfect, but believe me, that’s not always a good thing,” I said rolling my eyes.  “My little sister, Emma, she is two years younger than me.   She lives a very charmed life.  Very intelligent, outgoing, a bit dramatic and moody sometimes, but…” 

I paused. Was I coming off resentful towards my little sister? I had so many problems that I didn’t want another mark on my long list of unresolved issues.  I bit my lower lip.  I’m now embarrassed for the things I just said about my sister.   

“Don’t get me wrong.  I love my sister.  I’m not jealous of her, okay?  I mean we are exactly alike.”  We had the same long, dark brown hair cut by the same hairdresser since we were in third grade, the same brown eyes.  We had the same smile rescued by the same orthodontist in seventh grade, the same shoe size...  The list was endless on how we were the same, same, same… but I wasn’t here to talk about my sister. I was here to talk about myself.

Dad always said that ‘time is money.’ How true he is in this instance since he will end up paying Dr. McKenna’s hefty bill. So, I had to remember, while I was in this room, time is definitely money.  I should get to the point then, and save Dad some money.

“I used to see white feathers everywhere; big feathers, tiny feathers, in my room, around the house, outside.  I always thought that the feathers were from pillows, but the feathers…”  I leaned forward in my chair and whispered, “they were from… angels.”  I had to force the words from my mouth.  It isn’t easy for me to open up like this to strangers.  Let’s just say I’d rather be at the dentist getting a root canal - whatever that is.

Dr. McKenna frowned.  “Do you see angels in here?” she asked.

“No, and don’t get me wrong.  I could only see one angel.” I held up one index finger.  “Just one.”  And a bunch of demons, but I’m saving that jolly tidbit of information for much later.  I think she needs a moment to process the information.

“What does your angel look like?”

 What an angel should look like.  “Divine,” I said with a perfectly straight face.

 Dr. McKenna smiled at that, but unfortunately, I wasn’t trying to be funny.  

“When did you first see your angel?”

“About four months ago. It’s strange, but when I first saw him, I kind of knew that we were supposed to be together.  Although, even then I already knew that we were only supposed to be together and not that we would ever be.  Do you know what I mean?”

Dr. McKenna didn’t answer my question.  Instead, she looked down and scribbled something quickly in her notepad.  I frowned.  I couldn’t help but feel self-conscious.  This session was not going good unless her notepad only had doodles.  I leaned forward in my chair trying to decipher her notes; apparently, I couldn’t read backwards, and her scribbles were definitely not doodles. 

Would it be so difficult to believe that I was able to see one perfectly divine angel?  We were in Los Angeles, for crying out loud.  This was the City of Angels.  If an angel were to appear, I think that it would be here.  I’m just saying. 

 “So tell me about your angel,” Dr. McKenna said. 

She didn’t appear condescending, and she wasn’t laughing at me.   She didn’t even blink as she waited for a response.   I took a deep breath, gearing up to tell her my story from the very beginning, and I wasn’t going to hold back.  

“Wait.  Everything is confidential, right?”  I asked.  Dr. McKenna nodded.  That’s how shrinks roll.  If I weren’t so sad, I would have smiled.

All righty then.   Here we go…         

“It all started about four months ago.  It was going to be just another ordinary day in Los Angeles. That was the plan..." 

Welcome

Hi.  Welcome to my blog.  I am a self-published author of "To Light and Guard," which is a teen romance novel.  It's in its final stages, and it will be available soon on Amazon.com as an eBook. 

The book was something I started when I didn't sleep at night when my daughter was very young.  If you are a new mom, then you know what I am talking about.  Amazingly, years later, here I am with an actual finished book.  It's like I gave birth to a new baby.  I'm calling this book-baby 'Harper'; it's the name I would have given my second daughter, if I had one.  It's also the last name of my main character in the book.

Through this writing process, I learned so much. I learned that I like to write, but I hate to edit.  I learned (and I'm still learning) how to manage my way through the internet with my website, blog, and Facebook page. I'm a bit of a hermit, so managing the internet is a daunting task.  I'm learning...  I'm growing... and I think I'm a better, more creative person for this experience.

Thanks for stopping by, and if you have any thoughts you'd like to share, shoot me an email.