Review & Giveaway: Inhale - By Kendall Grey

Author: Kendall Grey

Website

Release Date: 5/1/2012

Purchase Info: Amazon, B&N

Strangers in reality, inseparable in dreams… After years of suffocating under her boss’s scrutiny, whale biologist Zoe Morgan finally lands a job as director of a tagging project in Hervey Bay, Australia. Success Down Under all but guarantees her the promotion of a lifetime, and Zoe won’t let anything—or anyone—stand in her way. Not the whale voices she suddenly hears in her head, not the ex who won’t take no for an answer, and especially not the gorgeous figment of her imagination who keeps saving her from the fiery hell of her dreams. Gavin Cassidy hasn’t been called to help a human Wyldling in over a year, which is fine by him. Still blaming himself for the death of his partner, he keeps the guilt at bay by indulging in every excess his rock star persona affords. That is, until he’s summoned to protect Zoe from hungry Fyre Elementals and learns his new charge is the key to restoring order in the dying Dreaming. He never expects to fall for the feisty Dr. Morgan…nor does he realize he may have to sacrifice the woman he loves to save an entire country.

 

First Thought: Holy McHottness!!

If there was one thing that I wasn’t expecting going into this book it was Gavin! This should have been the synopsis: “Brodding rocker with tattoos and wrecked past, seeks wholesome female to soothe his aching heart. “

(Oh, oh pick ME!!!)

Diving head first into Inhale was like a breath of fresh air for me, a break away from the true romances I’ve been reading, and giving me a MASSIVE dose of some true adult steaminess. As I met Zoe I love the fact that her background is different from most of the heroines I’ve read about. The passion that she holds for whales is so strong that she’s willing to risk her life for these creatures. 

With her job sending her to Australia, she suddenly finds the same mystery man invading her dreams…..oh but hold on! It’s actually Gavin, who’s been sent to protect her from Fyre Elementals who are suddenly invading, and striking fear, into the dreams of thousands of people. As the Dreaming (basically dream land) becomes more and more “infected” with Fyre the connection that Zoe & Gavin share intensifies with each dream. It seems as though Zoe not only could be the key to Gavin’s heart, but quite possibly the key to saving the whole Dreaming from these nasty little creatures. I will have to say that there is this absolutely raging Fyre bitch named Scarlet, who I just want to punch in the face with a bucket of water & then see her ass evaporate! She was definitely on a, “GET GAVIN BACK AT ALL COSTS”, kind of trip. Though she did see something inside of Gavin, that she wanted to wrap her little hands around, I love the way the story unfolded between both of them…hahaha!

Ok, as I mentioned before this book is slammed with steaminess! Honestly I was taken aback by it, and that’s quite possibly because I, for whatever reason, thought that this was more of a young adult book. 

Silly, silly Jessica…..this book is FAR from it. Twists, turns, beach scenes, element twisting, it seemed this book had a little of everything. Though I was absolutely dying for Zoe & Gavin to meet sooner….yep that’s right all of their interaction in the first ¾’s of the book are in dreams. Which truly added to the build up and created 2 stories sort of. Overall this book really packed a unique punch, I would def. recommend it for anything looking for a little spice in their literary life. 

4/5

Now the GIVEAWAY!

Whisper Tour & Giveaway Hildenbrand: Cherokee Legends

Who: The absolutely FABULOUS & AMAZING Heather Hildenbrand

Stalk her here:

Website

Goodreads

Twitter

What: Whisper

Today we're talking about Cherokee Legends. Heather thought it would be a great idea to incorporate some of her main characters heritage into this post. I was ALL for it!

Cherokee Legends:

The Cherokee believe when a person dies, their soul is reborn. Life is repeated. An endless cycle of lessons to be learned, love to be found, destiny to be fulfilled. For the past six months, in every flower, every bird, I’ve imagined my parents, relieved of their human forms.

Now, after five months at the Skye View Wellness Center, it was summer. A time for parties and friends, but that’s the last thing I want to do. So when my best friend Erin convinces me to attend a bonfire at Eagle Point, I can’t handle the crowd full of sympathetic stares or drunken class clowns who would use my tragedy as a way into my heart – or my pants. The solitude of the woods offers an escape, until I stumble upon a boy, unconscious and bleeding, his pockets stuffed not with identification but with poetry illustrating the beauty of dying. I’ve seen enough death. I will not leave this boy’s side.

Even after he wakes, when the only thing he can remember are visions of events that haven’t happened yet…

*

Pretty cool huh!? There are some really great Indian fables out there!
Now, for some character action! Enjoy these quotes that Heather selected just for all of you !

Quotes:

I stood on the porch, trying not to look at the police cruisers parked in the driveway. And when I did look at them, I tried not to let the memories come. But that was like trying to stop water with your hands. Enough of it got through that you were going to get wet.

*

“How would you know I was there?”

His gaze locked on mine and I stilled, barely able to breathe. All trace of laughter disappeared from his expression. His stare was heavy to the point of paralyzing.

“My soul would recognize you and wake me.” His voice was gravelly and low, barely above a whisper, but it filled my ears and raced straight to my heart. I felt a keen familiarity with this moment and with Dylan himself. It was more than déjà vu. It was something inside me recognizing something inside him.

*

“I want to,” I answered, breathless and aching. 

“Are you sure?”

I didn’t even have to think about his question. Our past was heartbreaking and our future  uncertain. All we had was this moment. “Yes.

 *

I told myself it was nothing; fancy fabric couldn’t manifest a destiny any more than a person could fight it. But, although the sun still blazed with late afternoon heat, the day felt ominous. Or maybe it was me.

Ready for the Giveaway?!

Just give the Rafflecopter what it wants and you'll be set!

Quotable Quotes & Giveaway: Jus Accardo

Yay!

I am SO excited to be a part of this amazing Quote Tour!

Bio

Jus Accardo is the author of YA paranormal romance and urban fantasy fiction. A native New Yorker, she lives in the middle of nowhere with her husband, three dogs, and sometimes guard bear, Oswald. Her first book, Touch, is available now from Entangled Publishing. She is represented by Kevan Lyon of Marsal Lyon Literary Agency.

Give Jus a yell on Twitter, or visit her on Facebook, and her website.

A great quote can be inspirational. It can make us laugh, or swoon. It can make us feel connected when we’re lonely. A quote is the perfect example of the power words can hold. They can come from anywhere. Movies, books, people… I thought today I’d share some of my favorites with you.

Let’s start with people. Some of my absolute favorites come from Lord Byron.

For truth is always strange; stranger than fiction – Simple and says it all. This describes my life perfectly. Example? My 60 something year old neighbor mowing the lawn at midnight wearing nothing but a red Speedo. Seriously. You can’t make this stuff up…

If I don't write to empty my mind, I go mad – My brain is a random idea generator. Some pan out, others get filed away in a WTF were you thinking folder. Either way though, I need to get them out. If I don’t, it gets really crowded in there…

            And what about movies? Everything from creepy to hilarious. Movie quotes stick with us.

I’ll be back... – You know you think badass, unstoppable killing machine when you hear that.

I see dead people – Tell me you didn’t get the chills when you saw Haley Joel Osment turn to Bruce Willis and confess his big secret?

I want my two dollars! – I don’t care how old you are, if you don’t know this quote, a small part of me just died…

            Of course I saved the best for last. The book quotes. Funny, swoontastic, and all around awesome! I’ve seen everything from t-shirts to tattoos honoring these puppies. A few weeks ago, I even saw a van that had Jacob’s face (Twilight) and I'm gonna fight for you, until your heart stops beating airbrushed across the driver’s side. On the passenger’s side, Edward's face and Look after my heart - I've left it with you. Crazy, right?

Pick up your clothes. I am not your maid. How do I know this? A maid cannot kill you with a tube sock. I can. – If you haven’t read Rob Thurman’s Cal Leandros series, you need to snap it up ASAP. There are so many awesome one liners, it will make your head spin.

            So, since I’m a sucker for book quotes, we’re going to play a little game! There are 15 participating blogs for this event. At each stop there will be a teaser quote from TOXIC. It will be your job to figure out who said what. A random commenter from each blog will be picked to receive a swag bag and an eBook copy of UNTOUCHED, and then those winners will be pooled and one grand prize winner will get a signed copy of TOUCH and a Touch key chain. On the last day of the event, I’ll pop by each of the blogs and give the answers! 

- Jus

Here's a  list of all the participating blogs! Check them out for more chances to win some of these amazing prizes!

(There will be one (1) prize for each stop. One winner will receive a Denazen Swag Bag + an eBook copy of Untouched. Then Jus will take those winners and pick one (1) grand prize winner that will will receive a signed, print copy of Touch + a Touch Key Chain)

The Bookish Brunette
Waiting For Wentworth
The Magic Attic
The Fairy Tale Nerd
Doctors Notes
Books Movies Reviews Oh My
My Reading Room
Young Readers
Paranormal Book Fan
Coffee Books and Me
Better Read than Dead
Jelly Loves Books
Nightly Reading
Always YA at Heart

 Now what you've all been waiting for....the EXCLUSIVE Toxic Quote:

Vlog: Current Road Blocks

Late last night (and when I saw late, I'm talking 10:30, lol) I decided to do a vlog about something that has been weighing me down lately.....

 

 

 

The Gates Blog Tour & Giveaway

The Gates On Tour!

Everyone say hi to the Lovely & Talented Rachael Wade!!

Website
Goodreads




Book 2 of The Resistance Trilogy, a paranormal fantasy romance series. Available 4/25 from Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

This tour is ALL about the music! Rachael is kind enough to give us a glimpse into The Gates via Smashing Pumpkins:

• Song: Bullet with Butterfly Wings

• Artist: Smashing Pumpkins

• Venue: The Amaranthian Villages

• Scene Snapshot: Gavin and the resistance take center stage.    

• Anthem: The world is a vampire, sent to drain Secret destroyers, hold you up to the flames And what do I get, for my pain? Betrayed desires, and a piece of the game
  Despite all my rage I am still just a rat in a cage

Getting There is Half the Battle...

Armed with more unsettling knowledge about Gavin Devereaux and her circle of friends, Camille Hart is faced with new adversities and lethal propositions when she returns to the Amaranth exile to carry out Gavin’s risky crusade.

Realizing her journey through the bayou was only the beginning of her struggle to stay with Gavin, she finds that leaving her Louisiana home is the least of her worries. New evils await her on the other side, and as she and her friends press on with their mission, they are confronted with the reality that everything doesn't always go according to plan.

As secrets unfold and alliances are formed and broken, only the strongest will survive and the power of love will be tested when a war between witches, humans, and vampires erupts into an all-out power struggle and all is on the verge of being lost.

And now for the GIVEAWAY!

Taste - By Kate Evangelista (Excerpt & Cover Reveal)

What: Taste

At Barinkoff Academy, there's only one rule: no students on campus after curfew. Phoenix McKay soon finds out why when she is left behind at sunset. A group calling themselves night students threaten to taste her flesh until she is saved by a mysterious, alluring boy. With his pale skin, dark eyes, and mesmerizing voice, Demitri is both irresistible and impenetrable. He warns her to stay away from his dangerous world of flesh eaters. Unfortunately, the gorgeous and playful Luka has other plans.

When Phoenix is caught between her physical and her emotional attraction, she becomes the of a deadly secret that will rock the foundations of an ancient civilization living beneath Barinkoff Academy. Phoenix doesn’t realize until it is too late that the closer she gets to both Demitri and Luka the more she is plunging them all into a centuries old feud.

Who: Kate Evangelista

When Kate Evangelista was told she had a knack for writing stories, she did the next best thing: entered medical school. After realizing she wasn't going to be the next Doogie Howser, M.D., Kate wandered into the Literature department of her university and never looked back. Today, she is in possession of a piece of paper that says to the world she owns a Literature degree. To make matters worse, she took Master's courses in creative writing. In the end, she realized to be a writer, none of what she had mattered. What really mattered? Writing. Plain and simple, honest to God, sitting in front of her computer, writing. Today, she has four completed Young Adult novels.

Author Website: www.kateevangelista.com

Twitter: @KateEvangelista

Facebook

Find Taste on Goodreads

Crescent Moon Press page for Taste

Kate was kind enough to provide us with an exclusive excerpt from Taste:

-----------------------

I mentally stomped on the intimidation their perfection brought into my mind and said, “Excuse me.”

The group froze, startled by my words. The girls had their brows raised and the boys stopped mid-speech, mouths agape. They stared at me with eyes the shade of onyx stones.

Review: Shift (The Protector, #2) - By M.R. Merrick

Author: M.R. Merrick

Website

Release Date: 2/1/2012

Purchase Info: Amazon

Devastated by the loss of his mother, Chase is trying to balance the life he’s been left with, a family he’s still getting to know, and power he never thought he’d have. He doesn’t understand why the Goddess has named him the Protector and granted him two gifts: the Mark, a tattoo that now covers his back, and the ring. But between getting interrogated by the Circle and psychic attacks from Riley, the Mark is the least of his concern. There’s a demon inside Rayna that’s fighting to be released, and it’s not her inner witch. It’s something else—a monster threatening to tear her apart.

As Chase struggles to control his magic, his enemies are closing in. Everyone has staked a claim on his ring, and destroying it may be his only chance to stop Riley. But Chase must decide if stopping him is worth risking the lives of everyone he cares about, or if protecting the ring will be enough to save his world.

First Thought:  EPIC!!

Holy Damn! Out of all the things that I thought would happen in book #2, THAT happened!

What's, "THAT", you ask.....like I'm gonna ruin it.

OK, deep breath.

 This book blew my mind, so I'm going to try my damnedest not to ruin it for everyone else. Coming off the death of his mother, Chase is trying harder than ever to  control these new elements fighting inside of him. So, to make matters worse, the Council now wants to know EVERYTHING about Chase, his friends, and why he is receiving all gifts from the Goddess. But with Chase being himself, he tells the Council where they can shove.

 (Avoiding them is the best possible thing for him and his friends....right?)

Running, fighting, and being afraid are like the 3 rules in this book, I know you wouldn't associate Chase with fear, but sometimes when you have no where to hide, it can bring any emotion out in someone. But as you read on seeing Chase over coming all of these things is what really had my pulled in, because it seemed like whenever anyone was in a corner, there was always that moment that turned the tables and gave you hope!

Cover Whore {4,260,221}

Cover Whore, you know you LOVE it!

And look what I've found - 

Crewel - By Gennifer Albin

It's SO bright, whimsical & GORGEOUS!

Defiance - C.J. Redwine

Mysterious! Love how you can see the city in sweeping in the cape :)

Personal Effects - E.M. Konkie

The synopsis of this book sounds truly moving, I can not WAIT to read it!

Iced - KMM

SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

Moonglow - Kristen Callihan

Finally a historical romance that really catches my eye!

 Silence - Michelle Sagara West

L-O-V-E!!!!!!!!

What great covers have you seen lately?!