Thank you for joining us on the Virtual Book Tour for Elemental Secrets, a Young Adult Fantasy by Elle Middaugh (27 February 2016, Elle Middaugh, 368 pages). This is the first book in The Essential Elements series. Elemental Secrets is FREE on Kindle Unlimited and Kindle Owner's Lending Library.
Don't miss our interview with author Elle Middaugh.PREVIEW: Check out the book's synopsis and excerpt below. Read the first four chapters with Amazon Look Inside.
Author Elle Middaugh will be awarding the following prizes to randomly drawn winners via Rafflecopter during the tour: 1 fire opal necklace, 2 signed paperbacks of Elemental Secrets, 3 $10 Amazon gift cards, 4 kindle downloads of Elemental Secrets.
Please do take part: comment on our post and follow the tour where you will be able to read other excerpts (☀), interviews (ℚ), reviews (✍) and guest blog posts (✉).
Synopsis | Teaser | Author Q&A | About the Author | Giveaway & Tour Stops
Synopsis
Valerie Moore was a beautiful, headstrong girl with below-average social skills and above-average anxiety (including a flair for over-analyzing).With her mother long deceased, and her father recently deployed, she ends up being sent to live with her eccentric aunt in a tiny town nestled in the mountains of Pennsylvania. But, being a Navy brat had made her into a bit of a loner, and making friends certainly wasn’t her strongest suit. As if the life of a typical teen wasn’t hard enough.
But Valerie soon discovers she’s not a typical teenager. Not by a long shot.
SECRETS are revealed…
…About her family, about her newfound friends and relationships, and about her whole world… Things that have been kept from her for her entire life…
But the biggest secret of all is revealed when Valerie discovers that she has Elemental powers, and a chain of inexplicable and irrevocable events unleashes throughout the little town…
Teaser: Excerpt
Avenelle jabbed Benjamin in the ribs before announcing, “Oh. My. God. You’re totally wearing Holden’s football jersey.”
I slid into a chair at our lab table as everyone else reluctantly looked away, whispering. “Well, it’s not exactly his. He’s obviously wearing his—”
She silenced me with a hand. “You know what I mean. What the hell did I miss, Holden?” she asked as he took his seat beside me and picked up our assignment.
“Nothing,” he said casually, but the smirk that crept up onto his face was contradicting that entirely.
“Uh huh.” Her flat tone almost belied her insane interest, but that was just how Avvie spoke. She always sounded like the world bored her to death. “Seriously, someone explain to me how we went from yesterday to football jersey.”
I laughed out loud.
“I’ll tell you how,” Holden whispered. He leaned in closer. “I’m awesome.”
“Obviously,” Avvie agreed with a grin.
Eyebrow raised, I glared his way. “Holden. Don’t start this again.” He knew what I meant: Don’t be asshole Holden again. I snatched the sheet of paper from his hands and reviewed the instructions.
“Sorry,” he whispered before divvying out goggles and gloves between us.
“Wow! ” Avvie sounded genuinely shocked. “And completely whipped already, too! I guess I should be asking Valerie what I missed.”
I sucked in my lips and tried my damnedest to crush the smile that threatened to erupt across my lips. It wasn’t funny, it really wasn’t funny…and then I laughed out loud.
Holden smirked and shook his head, amusement tickling his features as he patiently waited for me to sober up. Surprisingly, he let the comment die on the air. “What’s the plan, Val?”
“I’m a one-woman crew today, remember? Just relax and I’ll give you my notes after class.”
“Jesus,” Avvie muttered, astounded. “Even Valerie’s whipped. You two are just… the vision of complementary excellence. My god.” She eyed her boyfriend with mild interest. “Benjamin, you should be taking notes.”
“I am,” he protested without glancing up.
“Not chemistry notes, relationship notes!” She flicked him in the head with her pencil.
Holden glanced at me, but never said a word. I was kind of hoping he’d deny it and save me the embarrassment, but he was enjoying it way too much. We weren’t together, and we certainly weren’t whipped! He knew that! Someone had to clear it up.
So I tried.
“Avvie, listen,” I began timidly, “it’s not like that.”
“Of course not.”
“Seriously, we’re not ‘whipped’. We’re not even-”
“Of course not,” she stressed more determinedly, then smirked. Oh, for goodness sake!
“Avenelle! Holden and I are not-”
Again with her all-silencing hand. “Let’s play a game, shall we? It’s called ‘I Heard.’ It’s where I tell you a rumor that’s been going around about you, and you tell me if it’s true or not. Ready?” But she didn’t wait for my response. “I heard that Holden snuck a bouquet of roses into your locker this morning. True or false?”
I sighed and began the lab experiment, heating the first of five metal wires. “True.”
Avvie smirked. “I heard that you’re going to his game this evening.”
“True.” I wished the damn flame would heat faster.
“I heard that he specifically asked you to wear his number.”
I rolled my eyes. “True.”
“I heard that Holden kissed your hand after class yesterday.”
My eyes darted to hers in a panic. “People are seriously saying these things?”
She shrugged. “It’s a small school, Valerie. If one person sees it happen, everyone does. True or false?”
I recorded the temperature and color of the flame, then grabbed another wire. I glanced at Holden, but he just looked amused. “True.”
She leaned across the lab table and lowered her voice. “I heard Mr. Branson caught you two making out outside of his classroom this morning.”
“False!” I hissed before checking to see that no one else heard the accusation. Not that it mattered, if that was the rumor going around, anyway. “Holden and I have never kissed.”
Avenelle sat back in her chair with a plop. “Shame.”
This chick seriously fed off of gossip and emotions. She was like a pack of piranhas chasing the blood, never relenting until there was nothing left of the poor wounded animal.
I glared at Holden. “Seriously? No backup?”
He opened his mouth defensively, then closed it. “What do you want me to say, Val? I agree with Avenelle; it’s a damn shame we weren’t making out in front of Branson’s room this morning.”
With a sarcastic shake of my head, I recorded the data and stabbed another wire through the flame.
“I’m serious!” he insisted.
“I’m sure you are!”
He narrowed his eyes and leaned in close—too close. His lips brushed my ear and my insides curled deliciously. “Don’t you think so?”
“Secrets don’t make friends,” Avvie added loudly.
Holden’s scent swirled like a whirlwind around my head, like a breeze across the ocean, carrying a subtle spice. I took a deep breath, but it was dizzying. I had to focus intently on not dropping the glowing-hot wire in my hand. Well, in the tweezers. Which, I had…in my hand.
Apparently it was a rhetorical question. He backed away slowly, no answer required, and busied himself with tossing the mini football.
I slid into a chair at our lab table as everyone else reluctantly looked away, whispering. “Well, it’s not exactly his. He’s obviously wearing his—”
She silenced me with a hand. “You know what I mean. What the hell did I miss, Holden?” she asked as he took his seat beside me and picked up our assignment.
“Nothing,” he said casually, but the smirk that crept up onto his face was contradicting that entirely.
“Uh huh.” Her flat tone almost belied her insane interest, but that was just how Avvie spoke. She always sounded like the world bored her to death. “Seriously, someone explain to me how we went from yesterday to football jersey.”
I laughed out loud.
“I’ll tell you how,” Holden whispered. He leaned in closer. “I’m awesome.”
“Obviously,” Avvie agreed with a grin.
Eyebrow raised, I glared his way. “Holden. Don’t start this again.” He knew what I meant: Don’t be asshole Holden again. I snatched the sheet of paper from his hands and reviewed the instructions.
“Sorry,” he whispered before divvying out goggles and gloves between us.
“Wow! ” Avvie sounded genuinely shocked. “And completely whipped already, too! I guess I should be asking Valerie what I missed.”
I sucked in my lips and tried my damnedest to crush the smile that threatened to erupt across my lips. It wasn’t funny, it really wasn’t funny…and then I laughed out loud.
Holden smirked and shook his head, amusement tickling his features as he patiently waited for me to sober up. Surprisingly, he let the comment die on the air. “What’s the plan, Val?”
“I’m a one-woman crew today, remember? Just relax and I’ll give you my notes after class.”
“Jesus,” Avvie muttered, astounded. “Even Valerie’s whipped. You two are just… the vision of complementary excellence. My god.” She eyed her boyfriend with mild interest. “Benjamin, you should be taking notes.”
“I am,” he protested without glancing up.
“Not chemistry notes, relationship notes!” She flicked him in the head with her pencil.
Holden glanced at me, but never said a word. I was kind of hoping he’d deny it and save me the embarrassment, but he was enjoying it way too much. We weren’t together, and we certainly weren’t whipped! He knew that! Someone had to clear it up.
So I tried.
“Avvie, listen,” I began timidly, “it’s not like that.”
“Of course not.”
“Seriously, we’re not ‘whipped’. We’re not even-”
“Of course not,” she stressed more determinedly, then smirked. Oh, for goodness sake!
“Avenelle! Holden and I are not-”
Again with her all-silencing hand. “Let’s play a game, shall we? It’s called ‘I Heard.’ It’s where I tell you a rumor that’s been going around about you, and you tell me if it’s true or not. Ready?” But she didn’t wait for my response. “I heard that Holden snuck a bouquet of roses into your locker this morning. True or false?”
I sighed and began the lab experiment, heating the first of five metal wires. “True.”
Avvie smirked. “I heard that you’re going to his game this evening.”
“True.” I wished the damn flame would heat faster.
“I heard that he specifically asked you to wear his number.”
I rolled my eyes. “True.”
“I heard that Holden kissed your hand after class yesterday.”
My eyes darted to hers in a panic. “People are seriously saying these things?”
She shrugged. “It’s a small school, Valerie. If one person sees it happen, everyone does. True or false?”
I recorded the temperature and color of the flame, then grabbed another wire. I glanced at Holden, but he just looked amused. “True.”
She leaned across the lab table and lowered her voice. “I heard Mr. Branson caught you two making out outside of his classroom this morning.”
“False!” I hissed before checking to see that no one else heard the accusation. Not that it mattered, if that was the rumor going around, anyway. “Holden and I have never kissed.”
Avenelle sat back in her chair with a plop. “Shame.”
This chick seriously fed off of gossip and emotions. She was like a pack of piranhas chasing the blood, never relenting until there was nothing left of the poor wounded animal.
I glared at Holden. “Seriously? No backup?”
He opened his mouth defensively, then closed it. “What do you want me to say, Val? I agree with Avenelle; it’s a damn shame we weren’t making out in front of Branson’s room this morning.”
With a sarcastic shake of my head, I recorded the data and stabbed another wire through the flame.
“I’m serious!” he insisted.
“I’m sure you are!”
He narrowed his eyes and leaned in close—too close. His lips brushed my ear and my insides curled deliciously. “Don’t you think so?”
“Secrets don’t make friends,” Avvie added loudly.
Holden’s scent swirled like a whirlwind around my head, like a breeze across the ocean, carrying a subtle spice. I took a deep breath, but it was dizzying. I had to focus intently on not dropping the glowing-hot wire in my hand. Well, in the tweezers. Which, I had…in my hand.
Apparently it was a rhetorical question. He backed away slowly, no answer required, and busied himself with tossing the mini football.
Elemental Secrets
Available NOW!
About the Author
Elle Middaugh is a newly published author, born in the sticks outside of Clearfield, Pennsylvania. After moving around the east coast a number of times, she now lives in her hometown with her husband and three children.
Reading has been a favorite past time since Elementary School and choose-your-own-adventure books. Writing has been her dream since Middle School when she first began penning her own material. Being published is the most awesome achievement in her writing career so far, but she hopes for more exciting landmarks and stepping stones in the future!
She’s a proud Navy wife; a frazzle-brained mother; a homebody who dislikes cleaning; a fan of tennis, and fitness in general; a lover of hot tea, mountain dew, and all things fiction; and she’s a bigger My Little Pony fan than her children.
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Giveaway and Tour Stops
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I'm sad I missed this one! I love opals because October is my birthday month.
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