Check out the Evan Elemental Series- Evan Elemental Book # 1 by Crystal Groszek!
Blurb:
Seventeen-year-old Evan O’Fion has it all: excellent grades, shining extracurriculars, and a loving family that wants nothing but the best for her. The problem is, something is missing. For as long as she can remember, there’s been a hole inside of her that she can’t quite fill, not with drugs, or drinking, or mosh pits. It’s a hole too deep to fix and it’s slowly consuming her.
When a terrible tragedy rips away everything she’s known, Evan is sure she’s going to lose it. Then a mysterious package arrives and it changes everything. After a lifetime of feeling powerless, Evan is now the keeper of a power greater than she could have ever imagined and it scares the hell out of her. It also has her questioning everything she thought she knew about her parents and her past. On top of it all she has to face a new town, new home, new school, and a sexy dangerous guy…or two. Dealing has never been her strong suit, but Evan is up for the challenge; especially when her life and her newfound power are on the line. How she’s going to handle it all and come out alive, she has no idea; but she’s stronger than ever and she’s not going down without a fight.
Excerpt:
“Evan meets Lex”
Two or three wrong turns lead me down a long corridor lined with paintings. I stop before a portrait of a woman with an expression of secret amusement painted across her face. She's dressed in eighteenth century garb and her soft brown hair is piled high on her head in a careful arrangement of curls. A ghost of a feeling passes through me. It starts with a twinge and erupts in a tremble. The stone heart, forgotten beneath the high neckline of my black cotton dress, burns a white-hot heat that radiates across my skin. I'm so engrossed in the sensation that I fail to notice that I'm no longer alone.
Someone nearby clears their throat softly and shakes me from my trance. Startles, I turn to face the intruder. My eyes fall on a devastatingly handsome boy. No lie, the boy is gorgeous. He has hair the color of wet earth and eyes that are almost black. He's dressed entirely in black, from his fitted t-shirt and tight leather pants down to his scuffed motorcycle boots. In his hand he's holding a soft-looking, well-worn, black leather jacket.
"Lost?" the boy asks. His voice is somehow light and dark at the same time and his dark eyes dance with amusement.
"No," I reply in a strangled voice that makes me cringe on the inside.
His mouth turns up at the corner and he takes a few steps toward me. Reflexively, I step back. The boy stops mid-step and smiles. He reaches up with his free hand and rubs his jaw thoughtfully, as if he's considering his approach. I feel heat rising to my face. In seconds I'll be neon pink and there's nothing I can do to stop it. My hands itch to tug at my clothes or the end of my ponytail, but I force my limbs to remain still and my shoulders straight.
There's something about him that makes me feel uneasy, but in a good way. It's like we're old friends who haven't seen each other in years because we're having a silent conversation that seems too intimate for strangers. My inclination is to break the silence with nervous chatter, which isn't something I would normally do, but I let it go on until it's so deep I'm forgetting to breathe.
I'm afraid that if I open my mouth and say something stupid it'll cause him to leave. I let his eyes, the perfect contrast to my own light gray, bore in to me until he seems to reach some sort of conclusion. He nods once and clears his throat again.
"I apologize, for the intrusion," he says, his lips turning up into an easy smile. "Evangeline?"
Unnerved, I nod. His eyes warm slightly and his smile widens. "Let me introduce myself. My name is Lex." He pauses and bows deeply before continuing; I stifle a giggle. "I work for your grandmother.
She sent me to make sure you have everything you need and that you transition easily."
"What about Greta?" I manage, after a pause. I know she's leaving, but surely this is more her kind of thing. The boy in front of me is just that, a boy. The way he speaks is strangely formal, and doesn't fit at all with how he's dressed, but I doubt he's older than twenty.
"Greta has to leave and join Ms. Price. I'm afraid I'm all you've got." Lex gives me a half shrug and waits for me to respond. He takes a few tentative steps towards me. When I don't protest, he closes the rest of the space between us until he's standing unnecessarily close.
"When will she be back? Ms. Pr- my grandmother, I mean," I practically stutter, undone by the sensation that being so close to him causes.
"I'm not quite sure but, trust me, you'll be the first to know," he says with a wink.
I frown at his condescending tone. He's talking to me like I'm a mental patient about to have a meltdown any second. All things considered, I feel like I've been handling myself pretty well in the last few weeks. I square my shoulders and make to walk by him, back the way I came. A shock jolts me when he reaches out and gently grabs my arm, stopping me.
Lex looks down into my eyes, searching for something and coming up short. "Evangel..."
"Evan. You can call me Evan," I say, cutting him off, my voice stronger than I feel.
His hand falls away from my arm and I feel a pang of loss that I can't easily explain away. A dark look passes over his face and his eyebrows knit together. "Evan, then," he responds, his voice strained. His eyes no longer hold any hint of amusement.
I wait for him to continue but he doesn't say anything. I cock my head to the side and raise an eyebrow questioningly.
"Well," he says finally in that same strained voice. "I just wanted to let you know that if you need anything I'll be in the guest house. Greta will get hold of you before she leaves and fill you in on the details."
Without excusing himself, he saunters away and disappears down a bend in the hall. I'm left with a cold feeling that penetrates deep into my bones. I don't understand how he went from being polite, and maybe even flirty, one minute to giving me a distinct brush off the next. Something happened when he touched me and I have no idea what. Great. My first day here and things are already starting to get complicated.
Book Playlist:
Ride- Lana Del Rey
(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction- Cat Power
Coffee And Cigarettes- Acoustic Version- Jimmy Eat World
Save Me- Aimee Mann
Radioactive- Imagine Dragons
You’re My Incentive- Kevin Devine
Teenage Dream (Glee Cast Version)- Acoustic- Glee Cast
Kiss Me- Ed Sheeran
Hide- Acoustic Version- Yellowcard
Dark Paradise- Lana Del Rey
Apologize- Silverstein
Young and Beautiful- Lana Del Rey
Gloria: In Excelsis Deo- Patti Smith
Make Tonight- Emanuel
Sweet Nothing- Burns Remix- Calivin Harris, Florence Welch
Feel So Close- Benny Benassi Remix- Calvin Harris
Hey, That’s No Way To Say Goodbye- Leonard Cohen
Blame It On Bad Luck- Bayside
Sowing Season (Yeah)- Brand New
We’ll Be Coming Back- Killsonik Remix- Calvin Harris, Example
My Review:
About the Author:
Crystal Groszek is the author Evan Elemental, the first book in a new paranormal romance series. Crystal began thinking about and plotting Evan Elemental while attending Utica College where she earned her bachelor’s degree in English Literature. She currently lives in upstate New York with her fiancé, Patrick, and her lovably insane puppy, Lenni.
Links:
Website
Facebook
Twitter
Goodreads- Author
