Exclusive Cover & Excerpt Reveal: Playing with Fire by Christy Trujillo + Giveaway

Today we are thrilled to share the cover reveal for PLAYING WITH FIRE written by Christy Trujillo. This is Trujillo's first book written that will be in print. 

Trujillo is known for her Maldito series that was only available in eBook format. Here at OUaT we gave 5 stars to the full Maldito series and we are eager to read Playing with Fire too.

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Playing with Fire
Fire Series #1

Author: Christy Trujillo

Release Date: December 16th 2013

Publisher: Crescent Moon Press

Playing With Fire blends history with fiction, creating an epic tale through one family’s path to forgiveness and one race’s desire to chose unity over extinction.

"Adopted by Dominic, the head of the North American DragonKind Council, Lea Conti is told on her eighteenth birthday that she will take his place once he resigns. Even though she's the first Dragon in a thousand years who can control her fire, she's not ready for the responsibility such a title would bring and her life spirals out of control. She goes against direct orders, lies to everyone who has ever cared about her and does the unthinkable by falling in love with a human.

To be the dragon the world needs she’ll have to get it together and figure out who the hell she is before it's too late. Stuck between two worlds, she will make her choice, but fate doesn’t always allow us to have the final say. In fact, sometimes fate doesn’t listen to what we have to say at all."

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Playing with Fire Exclusive Excerpt

The man across the street was an otherworldly mix of symmetrical difference, his features striking and literally stopping me in my tracks. Though the sun had long since retired for the day, his golden skin radiated under the streetlights; his light brown hair a mop of unruly curls atop his head that blew in the wind. When I looked into his eyes I found the best parts of the ocean on a perfect summer day. Blue fought with green and swirled around smooth black sand that whispered promises of secrets buried deep within.

I couldn’t move.

I couldn’t think.

I stood in the middle of the street watching him, watch me. I’d gone unnoticed in the chaos but he seemed to look past all of that and see only me. He came toward me, running for me. My heart pounded in my ears and all I could hear was the thud it made against the walls of my chest trying to get to him.

He tackled me, knocking us both to the ground and just barely missing the out-of-control motorcycle that had been about to hit me.

I gasped, shaken from the movement. When I realized what had just happened, I considered picking the guy up, putting him back on his bike and telling him to just put me out of my misery. What the hell was wrong with me? I just went all girly over a guy, a human guy!

“You all right?” he asked his voice finding an area of my stomach that I didn’t know existed.

“I’m fine,” I said, pushing myself up.

“Yeah, um, you’re welcome.” He stood up next to me, brushing off his jeans. “The name’s Philip David.” He offered me his hand, which I just stared at.

“Got a last name?” I asked, still staring at his outstretched fingers. They were long and smooth, capped with short, clean nails. He had the kind of hands that didn’t get dirty, the kind of hands that would feel like satin against your skin. I shook the thought from my head.

“David. First name Philip, with one L, last name David.” He put his hand down and I shifted my gaze to meet his. He was aggravated. Good. Me too.

“Whatever, Phil. Nice to meet you. Have a nice life.”

“The name is Philip and doesn’t the man who just saved your life deserve a little more recognition than that?”

“No,” I said and turned to walk away.

“What about a name?”

“Lea,” I called over my shoulder, refusing to turn around.

“Watch out for motorcycles, Lea. I might not be around to save you next time.”

I sincerely hope not, I thought, breaking into a run. I’d rather face a thousand Red Dragons than ever be anywhere near Philip David again.

I was a horrible liar, even to myself.

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Christy Trujillo was born in a small town in Northeast Florida near the Saint Marys River. As an only child, her love for reading was born from necessity and blossomed into a love for the written word that bolstered the completion of her first novel, Emmy's Song.

Trujillo has published six novels including the multi-cultural Maldito Series and an adult romance under the pen name, Lee Ralaine. She currently resides in Jacksonville, FL with her husband, son, two black cats who seem to be very lucky and one tuxedo cat whose morning antics are more reliable than an alarm clock.

Blog | Twitter | Google + | Goodreads

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Christy is awarding one winner with a $15.00 Amazon gift card in effort to hold you over until the book is released 12/16. 

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Book Review: True North by Christy Trujillo + Giveaway

True North
Author: Christy Trujillo

Reading Level: YA

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Released: October 1st 2011

Review Source: Author

Available: Amazon

Summary:(from goodreads) We’ve all heard them, the never-ending comparisons our parents make of us to our siblings and those around us. Why can’t you be more ambitious, Sahar? Why can’t you be more like your uncle, Sahar? Why can’t you flip into animal form like everyone else, Sahar? The small town of True North, Colorado is a serene and tranquil place if you happen to be a shape shifter, which as it turns out, Sahar North is not. Though she’s the daughter of one of the most prominent families in town, she just doesn’t seem to fit in. Thanks to Dana, the Wicked Witch of the North, her junior year is sure to be one of utter misery and she’s counting the days to graduation when she can finally put this small town in her rear view mirror. When out of the blue, the alpha of the wolf pack, and her crush for like…ever, Cameron, starts to pay more attention to her and she manages to befriend the witch’s human cousin, Dean, Sahar doesn’t feel so alone and thinks she may just make it out of high school alive.

Of course, nothing is as it seems and when dead bodies start showing up in the woods, Sahar and her family partner with the pack to solve the mystery and will stumble upon a secret the town has kept for hundreds of years. Armed with this new knowledge, Sahar will fight for her family, fight for her town, and fight for her people because when you realize what you’re fighting for nothing can stop you…right?

I must say Christy Trujillo as become one of my favorite authors and True North is just one of the many books she’s written to prove that theory. She’s a delightful, beautifully well written author who can write up a romance novel that will entrap you from page 1. 

This is how I felt as soon as I opened True North and began reading. I especially loved the cover because it helped me visualize Sahar North and the beau Cameron. I immediately feel in love with Sahar North. A teenage girl who lives in Colorado among all types of shape shifters. When the unexpected happens to Sahar’s on her 16th birthday her parents quickly begin examining all possible reasons why this could be happening or in Sahar’s case not happening. But when the only person who they believed they can trust betrays them, all hells break loose and one very special thing happens to Sahar that no one expected. The surroundings of the story are very well detailed and I felt as if I’ve visited True North Colorado. The characters are all likable, with the exception of some bad characters in the story line but even those you manage to like them somewhat because they are the ones who make a great story. The romance between Sahar and Cameron is super cute. I loved how it started and was almost a love triangle until the true secrets in Sahar’s family come out. Oh yeah the “Family Secrets” that was a whole new twist to the story that made it all the better. 

I exceptionally enjoyed reading this story and hope to read more of Christy’s books. I highly recommend this book to any YA book lover, you will truly enjoy it.  

To go along with this review, Christy is giving the chance to one reader to win all her books in ebook copies and a $25.00 Amazon gift card. So make sure you tweet or Facebook Christy and tell her thank you for this chance. 

To Enter: 

• Fill out the FORM
• Giveaway ends April 8th
• Open Internationally
• Must be 13 year for older to enter
• Read our Giveaway policy HERE
• Do not leave email or any personal information below
• CHECK OUT THE REST OF THE GIVEAWAYS GOING ON NOW HERE

Sarah's Fate Book Review

Sarah's Fate
The Maldito Series #3
Author: Christy Trujillo
Pages: ebook (245 pgs)
Reading Level: YA
Published: September 1st 2010

I am in love with this series and wished it never ended. I especially loved this story because of Sarah's character. She is charismatic, funny, strong, intelligent, talented and her no bull personality made for an amazing story. The author integrated all the characters from the previous books and made a more challenging story line with an unexpected end. Although I feel that she rushed the end a little and was a little disappointed that the attack with Casey was just too fast and too easy it was still a great story. I'm wondering if she's going to tell Cale's story next or if she will tell the story of Sarah's and Andres child next. That would be interesting and I will definitely read that!

This story begins with the story of Emmy's and Cale's daughter. She is human among all of her super powered family and has lived her life learning self defense taught by her mother. She has been accepted to the University of Trenton in New York City and is excited to leave all this vampire hunting aside and live like a normal human. When she's all settled in and lands the perfect job as a singing waitress, she falls in love. (I won't mention anything else because them I'm giving away too much.) Anyways, all hell breaks loose when her roommate/best friend is bitten and strange disappearances are happening at the University of Trenton. They are new super natural beings in this story and old characters come in the story to help save the world! 

Great book, I would recommend it.

Summary: Sarah: 

Could my life be any crazier? Wait, don’t answer that. I’m sure it could. When you grow up with vampire hunter parents, crazy kind of comes with the territory. Thank goodness I moved completely across the country to New York for college. My roommate and best friend, Maria, was able to get me a job at this posh restaurant where all the wait staff perform on stage, I’m so excited. Oh, and the owner is, how do I say this, H-O-T. This is going to be great! New school, new job, there’s no way this can get screwed up. Right? Wait, don’t answer that. 

Andres: 

New York is my city. I do what I can to protect her. I know I can never redeem myself, never be forgiven for what I have become, but night after night, I try. It was an existence I had become accustomed to. I didn’t need to have anyone come waltzing into my life and turn it upside down, but we can’t always plan for fate. Sometimes it just happens. Sarah happened to me. In a matter of weeks, she changed everything I wanted, everything I needed. She can’t know what I am, or what I used to be. She can never find out. I will protect her, even if it means protecting her from me. 

Emmy's Heart Book Review

Emmy's Heart
The Maldito Series #2
Author: Christy Trujillo
Pages: ebook
Reading Level: YA
Published: July 1st 2010

As soon as I was finished with Emmy’s Song, I had to pick up the next installment. I just could not sleep until I finished both books. I had to know what happened next, that’s how these books will entrap you. This story has all you can find in a romance story and more. It has endearing love, comedy, action, suspense and much much more. There are love scenes which are not explicit and I thought that the author did an amazing job at captivating that part. I fell in love with the story from the very start. When I first received these books I was unaware that it had vampires involved as the title does not indicate anything of the sort. But don’t judge the book (title) but it’s cover!

Emmy has fallen in love with Cale Cruz. A half human/half vampire in the Maldito race who have been cursed. In this installment Emmy has learned why her connection with Cale is so strong as well as she’s the cure for the Maldito cruse. When a three hundred year old vampire Nathaniel kidnaps her, and has learned that he’s been after her and her family for over 60 years, she is caught in between the war of the vampires and the Maldito race. With Cale, her best friend Chris and the entire Maldito elders by her side, she must choose between the good and the evil. But what if the evil is good too? OMG too good! I especially loved the ending! Can’t wait to read the third installment Sarah!

Summary: The day she met him, Emmy thought she was meant to be with Cale Cruz. After discovering her blood was the cure to the curse his family had suffered generation after generation, she knew it was true. Now Emmy is the center of an ancient battle between vampires and Maldito, a race of half-vampire, half-humans, and is fighting for her own life. Betrayed and alone, Emmy will come face to face with the enemy, and the lines will blur. Caught between good and evil, she will have to make a decision which side she is on. Will her love for Cale help her to stay in the light or will her taste of darkness send her spiraling out of control to a place where no one can reach her? With each passing moment a choice is not made, the possibilities for disaster grow. But as we know, when love is stronger than death, anything is possible.

Emmy's Song Book Review

Emmy's Song
The Maldito Series #1
Author: Christy Trujillo
Pages: ebook
Reading Level: YA
Published: October 1st 2009

This book hit straight home. I love that it has Hispanic culture in it and that it has FLORIDA cities involved! I myself am from Miami and hearing the book name that city filled my heart with joy. The author did an amazing job captivating the food, culture and family love in a Hispanic family. I love every part of that! Another favorite, all the songs she mentioned in the book! WOW. I know of a couple songs, but the ones I did not know I quickly looked up and enjoyed listening to them. It felt as if I was apart of the book while reading it. It was such an amazing way to share the story with the songs. I enjoyed this book entirely and read it as well as the second installment in 1 day! 

Emmy has everything at the palm of her hands. She has two best friends that took her under their wing when she transferred to a new school in the middle of junior year. She has been given the opportunity of a life time, to sing a solo at a concert in school and impresses the recruiter from Berkley. Berkley is the school of her dreams. But all goes down south when a new boy comes to town. She has this amazing connection with him and does not know why. When one of her best friends is unexpectedly killed, she hears the entire truth from the new boy and why he is in their town. 

That’s about all I will share with you, trust me you will love this book and be unable to put it down from the moment you start.

Synopsis: Life is good for eighteen-year-old Emellia Ortega! Not many teenagers can say that, but Emmy isn't your average teenager. On the fast track to making her dreams come true, she has her sights set on a scholarship to Berklee College of Music and nothing can stop her. Nothing, that is, except Cale Cruz. 

With perfect pitch and unbelievable good looks, he quickly weaves his way into the hearts of everyone around him. Drawn to him with an intensity she cannot explain, Emmy soon finds out that Cale has a secret. He is Maldito, half-human, half-vampire and has returned to seek revenge on the vampires that slaughtered his family. Thrust deep into a world she never knew existed, Emmy will risk everything she has worked for to join Cale in his fight as tragedy slowly tears her perfect world apart.

When a link between their past is discovered, fate's perfect plan begins to spin a web around them stronger than anyone could have imagined. Together they tackle impossible situations, fight impossible battles, and embark on an impossible journey that will change both of their lives. But when love is stronger than death, anything is possible 

"Bienaventurados los malditos porque son los únicos que pueden salvarnos." Blessed are the cursed for they are the only ones who can save us.