Wednesday, September 5, 2012

New Releases






Title: Outpost (Razorland #2)
Author: Ann Aguirre

Deuce’s whole world has changed. Down below, she was considered an adult. Now, topside in a town called Salvation, she’s a brat in need of training in the eyes of the townsfolk. She doesn’t fit in with the other girls: Deuce only knows how to fight.

To make matters worse, her Hunter partner, Fade, keeps Deuce at a distance. Her feelings for Fade haven’t changed, but he seems not to want her around anymore. Confused and lonely, she starts looking for a way out.

Deuce signs up to serve in the summer patrols—those who make sure the planters can work the fields without danger. It should be routine, but things have been changing on the surface, just as they did below ground. The Freaks have grown smarter. They’re watching. Waiting. Planning. The monsters don’t intend to let Salvation survive, and it may take a girl like Deuce to turn back the tide.

Available at the following places:
Amazon (Kindle)
Amazon (Hardcover)
BAM 

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 Title: Primal Possession (Moon Shifter #2)
Author: Katie Reus


To protect her, he will unleash the beast within…

As his pack’s second-in-command, lupine shifter Liam Armstrong gives orders and takes what he wants—until he meets red-headed, blue-eyed December McIntyre. Liam knows the human beauty is his intended mate the moment he sees her, but December is far too strong-willed to accept his protection.

December, whose brother is the town sheriff, has every reason to mistrust shifters after one killed her youngest sibling. But the forceful and handsome Liam has gotten under her skin in a way she hadn’t thought possible, and the desire she feels for him is almost too much to bear.

When a radical hate group targets all humans known to sympathize with paranormal beings, December is attacked in her bookstore. Reluctantly, she turns to the only one who can help her: Liam. And he is going to take her to places within herself she never knew existed.

Available at the following places:
Amazon (Kindle)
Amazon (paperback)

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  Title: Carnival of Souls
Author: Melissa Marr

In a city of daimons, rigid class lines separate the powerful from the power-hungry. And at the heart of The City is the Carnival of Souls, where both murder and pleasure are offered up for sale. Once in a generation, the carnival hosts a deadly competition that allows every daimon a chance to join the ruling elite. Without the competition, Aya and Kaleb would both face bleak futures--if for different reasons. For each of them, fighting to the death is the only way to try to live.

All Mallory knows of The City is that her father--and every other witch there--fled it for a life in exile in the human world. Instead of a typical teenage life full of friends and maybe even a little romance, Mallory scans quiet streets for threats, hides herself away, and trains to be lethal. She knows it's only a matter of time until a daimon finds her and her father, so she readies herself for the inevitable. While Mallory possesses little knowledge of The City, every inhabitant of The City knows of her. There are plans for Mallory, and soon she, too, will be drawn into the decadence and danger that is the Carnival of Souls.

From Melissa Marr, bestselling author of the Wicked Lovely series and "Graveminder," comes a brand-new tale of lush secrets, dark love, and the struggle to forge one's own destiny.
 

Available at the following places:
Amazon (Kindle)
Amazon (hardcover)

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 Title: Origin
Author: Jessica Khoury

 Pia has grown up in a secret laboratory hidden deep in the Amazon rain forest. She was raised by a team of scientists who have created her to be the start of a new immortal race. But on the night of her seventeenth birthday, Pia discovers a hole in the electric fence that surrounds her sterile home—and sneaks outside the compound for the first time in her life.

Free in the jungle, Pia meets Eio, a boy from a nearby village. Together, they embark on a race against time to discover the truth about Pia’s origin—a truth with deadly consequences that will change their lives forever.

Origin is a beautifully told, shocking new way to look at an age-old desire: to live forever, no matter the cost. This is a supremely compelling debut novel that blends the awakening romance of Matched with the mystery and jungle conspiracy of Lost.

Available at the following places:
Amazon (Kindle)
Amazon (hardcover)

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 Title: Entice 
Author: Jessica Shirvington

Every day Violet Eden wonders whether she made the right choice.

She still doesn't fully understand these powers she's been granted as a half-angel Grigori. And worse, isn't even sure she's capable of using them. Stab someone through the heart? Really?

No matter how bad things get, though, Violet doesn't run and she doesn't quit. Even if it means she can never allow herself to love the guy she longs for. Even if it means asking her enemy for help. Even if no one is telling her the truth.

The war between Exiles and Angels is on—and she's wanted by both sides.

  Available at the following places:
Amazon (Kindle)
Amazon (hardcover)
BAM 

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  Title: A Tale of Two Vampires (Dark Ones #10)
Author: Katie MacAlister

Time isn’t always on a vampire’s side…

Iolanthe Tennyson has had a very bad year—due in part to the very bad men in her life. So, she’s accepted her cousin’s invitation to spend the summer in Austria indulging in her photography hobby. There, rumors of a haunted forest draw Iolanthe into the dark woods—and into the eighteenth century…

Nikola Czerny is a cursed man, forced by his half-brothers to live forever as a Dark One. But his miserable existence takes an intriguing turn when a strange, babbling woman is thrown in his path. Iolanthe claims to know Nikola’s daughter—three hundred years in the future. She also knows what fate—in the form of his murderous half-brothers—has in store for him. If only she knew the consequences of changing the past to save one good, impossibly sexy vampire…
 

Available at the following places:
Amazon (Kindle)
Amazon (paperback)

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  Title: Monstrous Beauty
Author: Elizabeth Fama

Fierce, seductive mermaid Syrenka falls in love with Ezra, a young naturalist. When she abandons her life underwater for a chance at happiness on land, she is unaware that this decision comes with horrific and deadly consequences.

Almost one hundred forty years later, seventeen-year-old Hester meets a mysterious stranger named Ezra and feels overwhelmingly, inexplicably drawn to him. For generations, love has resulted in death for the women in her family. Is it an undiagnosed genetic defect . . . or a curse? With Ezra’s help, Hester investigates her family’s strange, sad history. The answers she seeks are waiting in the graveyard, the crypt, and at the bottom of the ocean—but powerful forces will do anything to keep her from uncovering her connection to Syrenka and to the tragedy of so long ago.
 

Available at the following places:
Amazon (Kindle)
Amazon (hardcover)

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  Title: Envy (The Fury Trilogy #2)
Author: Elizabeth Miles

Emily Winters knows the Furies have roots in Ascension, Maine—but she’s about to discover that they’re deeper than she ever imagined. With the help of her new friend Drea, she vows to dig them out. But it’s hard to focus when she’s desperate to make up with JD, and to figure out why Crow, a mysterious Ascension High dropout, seems to be shadowing her.

     Meanwhile, new girl Skylar McVoy is determined to leave her own dark past behind. So she’s thrilled when popular Gabby takes her under her wing, and the stunning and sophisticated Meg offers to give her a major makeover. But everyone knows what happens to the vainest girl of all…

     It’s tempting to be naughty. But beware: the Furies are always watching, and their power grows stronger by the day.
 

Available at the following places:
Amazon (Kindle)
Amazon (hardcover)
BAM 

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  Title: Playing to Win (Play by Play #4)
Author: Jaci Burton

Football star Cole Riley is notorious for doing as he pleases—on the field and off. He parties hard and fights harder, but if he doesn’t clean up his act, his career is over—so Cole reluctantly agrees to work with image makeover consultant Savannah Brooks. He’s not used to being told what to do, especially by some (admittedly hot) Southern belle. As for Savannah, she’s not convinced she can transform this cocky (and aggressively sexy) force of nature. But she’s determined to give it her best shot.

When the sparks start to fly, Savannah lays down the ground rules: no personal complications. If she can turn off the tingle she feels every time Cole gives her a hot stare with his gorgeous baby blues, he can turn off his desire as well. But for two people determined to have it all, a hands-off policy can only last so long before one of them yields.
 

Available at the following places:
Amazon (Kindle)
Amazon (paperback)


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 Title: Sweet Shadows (Medusa Girls #2)
Author: Tera Lynn Childs


Three teenage descendants of Medusa, now united, must claim their heritage to fight the monsters escaped from the abyss.

Gretchen may have known she was a descendant of Medusa long before her sisters--after all, she's spent her life fighting the monsters that escape the abyss--but that doesn't mean it will be easy to teach the other girls the ropes.

Greer has pressing social commitments on her plate and precious little time to train in her newfound powers. But that wretched second sight won't leave her alone, and her fabled heritage seems to be creeping into her fashionable life.

Grace has worries closer to home--like why her brother, Thane, has disappeared. He's hiding something. Could it possibly be related to the secret heritage the triplets share?

Available at the following places:
Amazon (Kindle)
Amazon (hardcover)
BAM

 

The Vampire Hunter's Daughter Blog Tour!



Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for The Vampire Hunter's Daughter! I've worked with Jennifer on several occasions and she is just the sweetest person! This is a great young adult paranormal series, so keep reading to find out more about it (and I hear there is a giant giveaway for a $100 Amazon gift card - more details later :)

This special edition of The Vampire Hunter’s Daughter contains parts I-VI, the complete collection. Fourteen-year-old Chloe witnesses her mother’s murder at the hands of a vampire. Before the vampire can kidnap her, there is an unexpected rescue by a group of vampire hunters. Overwhelmed by the feeling of safety, Chloe passes out and they whisk her away to their small community.

When Chloe wakes, she comes face to face with the only other living relative, besides her mother, whom she has ever met: her grandfather. Chloe’s mother kept her hidden from the family; now, Chloe tries to unveil the family secrets. Through her grandfather, she learns her mother was a vampire hunter. In fact, her entire family is descended from the powerful bloodlines of vampire hunters. Chloe agrees to join the family she has never known for one reason only: Chloe vows to kill the vampire responsible for her mother’s murder.

With vengeance in her soul, Chloe is even more determined to follow through on her vow when she discovers the true identity of her enemy and how he is connected to her.

Experience the world of vampires hunter’s, vampires and mythology with Chloe in this exciting series.

Find this book at the following places:
B&N




You can get part 1 in this collection for free at Amazon and Barnes & Noble!


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Excerpt:

Drew let me be until snowflakes began to drift down from the sky. “Come on, Chloe. We have to go now.”
With tears still staining my cheeks, I gave my mother‟s grave one last caress and then stood. “All right, I‟m ready.”
Drew took my hand again and led me between the plots as best as we could manage. The air outside had chilled even more than when we arrived. It was cold. Really cold. When we approached the gates, warmth suddenly filled my stomach and spread through my body.
“Oh, my… what the heck?” I clutched my stomach as the tingling spread all the way into my fingertips.
“Are you okay?” Drew asked. “What‟s wrong?”
“I don‟t know.” I shook my head. Tears threatened to surface again. “I don‟t know.”
“It‟s your senses, Chloe, telling you something is off.”
Drew and I both spun around and Drew whipped his gun out from underneath his jacket.
“Who are you?” Drew yelled.
There, sitting atop one of the gravestones, bathed in the green glow of florescent lights, was a woman. Even though it was freezing, she barely wore anything, and what she did have on looked like leather wrapped around her body and a halter top with crude lacing holding it together. Snowflakes drifted down and passed through her tanned skin, dissolving into nowhere.
“How do you know me?” I shouted. “Who are you?”
My stomach was still flooded with warmth, and it made me feel like I had to pee. I wished I had brought my gun.
She clicked her tongue and tossed a wave of dark brown hair over her shoulder. “You do not need your weapons, my children. I do not come to harm.”
She slid off the gravestone, and I watched her bare feet sink into the snow. They left no footprints.
“Who are you?” Drew demanded again.
She moved forward slowly. “I am your mother, many times over.”
This chick scared me. Was she a ghost? I moved backward a few steps as she approached, using Drew as a shield, since he had the gun.
She smiled, her dark eyes intently focusing on Drew. “Andrew, lower your weapon. You cannot harm me.”
As if under a spell, Drew lowered his arms and his gun came to rest by his side. “What do you want?”
“I am here to help, Chloe.” She nodded at me and smiled. “You need the help of your ancestors. Your mother cannot help you, so I have come to give you guidance.”
The warmth in my stomach turned into fire in my heart. I can‟t explain it, but I felt the connection with this apparition. I moved out from behind Drew.
“Who are you?” I whispered.
She lifted her chin arrogantly. “I am Sostrate, the daughter of Artemis, and as I have told you already, your mother, many times over.”
“Why are you here?”
“I have come to give you the guidance your mother cannot give you. It is my duty.”
“Are you a ghost?”
She only shook her head and gave me a crooked grin. “I am a demi-goddess. I gained immortality from my mother. I do not come as an apparition, because I cannot die.”
“Holy shit.” Drew actually dropped his gun in the snow.
I moved forward, not afraid anymore. I knew she was who she said she was. As we approached each other, I stretched out my hand, wanting to touch her. She also extended her hand and as my gloved fingers connected with the solid fingertips of hers, I gasped. “You‟re real.”
She nodded. “Of course.”
“Sostrate,” I pulled my hand from hers, “How can you help me?”
“Chloe, it is time that you think with a clear head. Revenge has taken over your heart and your soul, taken over so much of you that you cannot possibly win this battle. It takes more than thinking with your brain. You must fight with love,” she pressed her fist against her heart “not only hatred.”
“I don‟t understand,” I told her.
“Wars are not won because of hatred for the enemy; they are won because of love for what is being defended.”

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My Review:





The Vampire Hunter's Daughter: Complete Collection is a collection of 6 novellas that revolve around a teen girl named Chloe. She witnesses her mother's murder, and is rescued by a group of vampire hunters. She learns that her mother was a vampire hunter, and she finds out that she is part vampire hunter too.

This is a pretty fast paced story with lots of action/adventure. Chloe is a very strong spirited girl. She deals with her mothers death very well, and she adapts well to her new life. There is a little bit of romance involved, and a bit of a love triangle. I liked the interaction between Chloe and Drew and hope to see more of them as a couple in the Arcadia Falls series that the author is working on. The romance scenes are very tame so this book would be good for readers of any age.

This is a quick read, but it spans about 1 ½ years. Chloe is 14 when the book starts, and 16 when it ends. The story flows smoothly though and is well written. There are some interesting twists and turns in the second half that make it a fun read. I'd recommend this to those who like young adult paranormal books.

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About the author:

Jennifer Malone Wright resides in the beautiful mountains of northern Idaho with her husband and five children. Between the craziness of taking care of her children, whose ages range from fourteen all the way down to six months, and being a homemaker, Jennifer has little time left for herself. The time she does have left, usually leading far into the night, is spent working on freelance work or her beloved fiction.

When she grew up, Jennifer always had her nose in a book. She has been writing stories and poems since grade school. This love of the written word and her strong interest in the paranormal is what has led to her first novel “The Birth of Jaiden.”
In addition to being a mother and homemaker, Jennifer is also a very proud military wife. Moving around the country for the last ten years has made her a bit of a nomad and she finds it difficult to be in one place for too long.

Jennifer is also the author of The Birth of Jaiden, a paranormal novel filled with action, suspense, and even a love story.








Visit Bewitching Book Tours to see what other stops there are on this tour AND to enter the contest for the $100 Amazon gift card! Good Luck!

Tuesday, September 4, 2012

Review: Red Dawn by J.J. Bonds

 Title: Red Dawn (Crossroads Academy #2)
Author: J.J. Bonds
Source: Received through blog tour in exchange for an honest review

Synopsis:

Katia’s done running. She’s fought fiercely to protect her identity, her secrets, and those she loves most. And while it hasn’t been easy, she’s finally making peace with the past. Katia’s even looking forward to the start of a new school year at Crossroads Academy.

Too bad things at Crossroads are going to be a little different this fall. There are new rules, new students, and new relationships. Katia quickly discovers that navigating the halls of Crossroads is as complicated as ever.

When a friend’s life is at stake, Katia will be forced to choose between the safety of Crossroads and an enemy more dangerous than any she’s ever faced. Will Katia have the courage to risk it all -including her life- for a friend?




Review:





Red Dawn is the second book in the Crossroads Academy series by J.J. Bonds. The story revolved around Katia, who is determined to save her friend from dying of a blood disease. Her friend Shaye had become like a sister to her, and she is willing to put herself in danger to get the info she needs.

This is a fast paced, action packed book. I don't want to give away the plot line, but it's complex. Katia and Nic escape from Crossroads to follow a lead on the missing cure. Not only are they in danger of getting expelled, they end up getting themselves in several dangerous situations.

I liked that Nic and Katia had more alone time together in this book. They were constantly following leads and placing themselves in danger though, so there wasn't a whole lot of romance. I liked seeing them act more like a couple though. Katia is unsure how deep Nic's feeling go, and how serious their relationship is. She's falling hard though. There are some steamy make-out sessions, but nothing that parents wouldn't be ok with their teenage daughters reading.

I liked Katia better in this book. Because of all the revelations at the end of the last book, it lets the reader feel like they know Katia now. She definitely doesn't hesitate to take control of a situation. When she has her mind set on something, there is no stopping her. She's a bit snarky and stubborn, but that's just who she is. If you like a lot of twist and turns, along with adventure, then I suggest you give this book a try!

Visit the author here:

Find Red Dawn at the following places:

Sunday, September 2, 2012

Free Kindle Books!!!

**I have no idea how long these books will be free** 

Title: Indwell (Chasing Natalie's Ghosts #1)
Author: Nicole T. Smith

Ghosts seek her out but the haunting agony never comes until the end, when they have to leave her. All of these partings would never compare to the torment of Adam's 'good-bye'.
A life of constant moving and nervously navigating her father's tumultuous moods has left Natalie clinging to Adam. Her obsession for him leaves her overcome with pain and loneliness when his time to depart approaches.
She foolishly attempts to end her own existence to stay with him. At 17 Natalie is left clinging to life as her phantom lover leaves her in a hospital room, alone. Sinking into a depression she has never reached before she is unexpectedly pulled up by a man she can't resist. Hayden offers her more than she ever dreamed possible for herself.


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 Title: Trapped (Chasing Natalie's Ghosts #2)
Author: Nicole T. Smith 

Trapped follows Natalie in to her new life as a Seeker but her first decision is to return to high school and graduate. Hayden supports Natalie in her decision but unbeknownst to him she is meeting new ghosts. Beth is Natalie’s closest confidant in her new school, although Natalie must remember the warning her childhood angel once told her. People are not always who they appear to be. Natalie is taken into a new world, one in which she can’t find a way out of. Hayden must join forces with Carlos to find her, even though he believes Carlos may have ulterior motives. Trapped is the next installment in the haunting and tragic series, Chasing Natalie's Ghosts.


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 Title: Liar's Fire
Author: Dee Burks


Three Dates. Three Hours. No Commitment. No Kidding. It seemed like a really good idea at the time to Serena Finley, editor of the Cranfield Reporter-Star. Faking a romance couldn't be that hard could it? No one said it had to be real and if everyone thought she was in love, they'd stop hounding her to find a man. Serena knew she could do this and no one would ever be the wiser - best case scenario. Then Tyler Cooper walked into her life and best case scenario became iffy. He fit her idea of Mr. Wrong in every way. From a failing business, to limited social skills, Tyler would never have made her list of datable men. He was a cowboy for heaven's sake, who probably wouldn't know cashmere if it bit him in the butt. But she needed his help and he needed hers, which made him perfect. Until tonight. Somewhere in the midst of the pretend and the lies, her heart had been drawn to his. His kisses stirred her soul while his friendship gave her the strength to deal with old hurts and past heartaches. Serena knew this had no future. She was bound for Manhattan; Tyler was determined to stay in Texas. Would she risk everything for a chance at real love? Or walk away from this flame with her heart in ashes?


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  Title: Legacy of the Witch (The Portal #0.5)
Author: Maggie Shayne

"Once upon a time, there lived three witches…"

As a child, Amarrah loved her grandmother’s stories of three witches who were members of the king’s harem—but they were more than just stories. Amarrah knew she had been there with them…and now their legacy, along with an ancient box that once belonged to them, lies in her hands.

Charged with keeping the box safe, Amarrah is heartbroken when it is stolen from her while she moves to America. Years later, she is shocked to see it on TV and is determined to get it back. Tracking the artifact leads her to Sergeant Harrison Brockson, a handsome soldier who stirs memories of a man she knew centuries ago in ancient Babylon. Is Harrison the key to finding the box—or could he be her destiny?

Prequel novella to Maggie Shayne’s exciting trilogy, "The Portal"
 


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 Title: With This Kiss
Author: Victoria Lynne

Disfigured by a horrible fire, Morgan St. James fears he will never marry and produce an heir. The lovely Julia Prentiss desperately needs to escape her uncle. A marriage of convenience seems a perfect solution, but together, searching London's underworld for the arsonist responsible for the fire, the pair discovers a love unlike anything they dreamed possible.
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  Title: The Five Kisses
Author: Karla Darcy
 If you love Downton Abbey and Jane Austen you’ll love The Five Kisses! Can the daughter of a professor with a very small estate interest the heir to an Earl in not just love but marriage? When 13 year old Chad stands up to a bully and rescues a kitten, Gillian saves him from a beating. A thank you kiss surprises them both. If she was older than 9, she might have fallen in love with him right there. But then…" The journey from friendship to love in this traditional Regency will warm the heart of any reader.
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  Title: Dreams of Gray
Author: Maurice Lawless
 Dreama Cargill is in trouble. She woke up naked, cold, and sporting a back mural. Where did it come from? Tattoos aren’t her usual scene. Then again, neither is blood and a strange attraction to the woods at night. Something is changing her, and not for the better. Can she unravel the mystery before the moon calls her to kill?
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 Title: Become (Desolation #1)
Author: Ali Cross

Sixteen-year old Desolation Black wants nothing more than to stay in Hell where it’s cold and lonely and totally predictable. Instead, she’s sent back to Earth where she must face the evil she despises and the good she always feared.

When Desi is forced to embrace her inner demon, she assumes her choice has been made—that she has no hope of being anything other than what her father, Lucifer, has created her to be. What she doesn’t count on, is finding a reason to change—something she’s never had before—a friend.

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  Title: Before the Moon Rises (Ritter Werewolves #1)
Author: Catherine Bybee
After a twelve-hour shift in a busy emergency room, Janet O’Brien is beat. Her last patient arrives unconscious and naked. She’s lead to believe he’s a psyche patient off his meds. However, once he awakens, Janet is charmed by his million-dollar smile and agrees to give him a ride home.

Werewolf, Max Ritter notices the sassy nurse when he wakes after a night under the full moon. Unfortunately, his archrival is drawn to Janet as well. In order to keep her out of harm's way, he opts to keep her close. When the chemistry between them sparks, Max discovers a completely new reason to keep Janet safe.
 

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 Title: A Hidden Fire (Elemental Mysteries #1)
Author: Elizabeth Hunter
"No secret stays hidden forever."

A phone call from an old friend sets Dr. Giovanni Vecchio back on the path of a mystery he'd abandoned years before. He never expected a young librarian could hold the key to the search, nor could he have expected the danger she would attract. Now he and Beatrice De Novo will follow a twisted maze that leads from the archives of a university library, through the fires of Renaissance Florence, and toward a confrontation they never could have predicted.