{Blog Tour: Review + Giveaway} Captivate Me - By S.J. Pierce

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Author: S.J. Pierce

Website

Release Date: 4/1/2014

Purchase Info: Amazon ~ B&N (.99 On sale during tour ONLY)

“My mom had always told me – when you meet “the one”, you’ll know; they’ll captivate your heart the moment you lay eyes on them. I had always wondered, though, if my mom’s words of wisdom were finite – if they applied to everyone. Maybe those who had found their one great love were the lucky few, and maybe the rest of us would have to settle for less than earth-shattering.”Seventeen-year-old Kat Walsh is a Gifted – a human with paranormal abilities. With her mom a former Angel and her dad a dream prophet, it’s always been in her genetic make-up to be extraordinary. Unfortunately for her, the world can’t handle the strange or unusual. So when she slips up and uses her powers at her high school in Ireland, the entire student body treats her like a freak – even the ones she thought were her closest friends.

Broken, but hopeful for a fresh start, she allows her parents to enroll her in a boarding school buried deep within the forests of a small Colorado town. At Midland Pines, School for the Gifted, she feels as though she can finally be herself; she makes new friends and even has the attention of the most popular guy in school – Levi. Everything feels normal again… or does it?

Not long after her arrival, weird dreams of an alluring boy whom she’s never met surface during the night, and the eerie, shadowy trees encircling their school seem to call to her. As these disturbing, yet enticing developments intensify, other bizarre occurrences happen – students and staff turn up missing, and mystery visitors leave gifts while she sleeps. With all of these other things vying for her attention, a desperate Levi has to fight even harder to keep her interest. But with the dreams of the attractive boy slowly captivating her heart, Kat has to make a choice – will she settle for ‘great’ Levi, or will she search for her elusive dream visitor, possibly stumbling across ‘amazing?’

Mysterious....always go with mysterious!

Where do I begin?? How about with how extremely awesome this book was! I loved Kat, loved that she was from Ireland, loved that she was different, and LOVED how far she came as a character in this book. 

In the beginning there were some similarities to other books that I've read regarding teens who are "different" going to a special school off in the middle of nowhere, but that's where the similarities ended with Captivate Me. Kat's back history between her parents really gave the whole story that feel like it could go in a completely different direction at any time! Then with Levi & MM (Mysterious Man) yes there was that YA emotional struggle of who Kat should be with, but I always say going with mystery is never a bad idea.

The progression of this book was perfect! There was never a dull moment, though I never felt like there was any type of filler just being through into a scene to make it longer. With all the side plots and twists I can honestly say this book ended in the perfect way. No massive cliffhanger, no throwing the book at the wall because it made me mad, and no screaming WHYYYYYYYY, it all just came together.

I can't wait to read book #2, because there will be a book number 2.......(I'm saying this in my threatening deep voice) Now go out and grab this bad boy while it's on sale!

4/5

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GIVEAWAY:

Open to US and Canada:

--A ecopy of Captivate Me

--The complete Alyx Rayer series in ebook (three novels and novella)

--A necklace with a white flower (relates to book)

{Blog Tour: Review + Giveaway} If Only - By A.J. Pine

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Author: A.J. Pine

Website

Release Date: 3/24/2014

Purchasse Info: Amazon ~ B&N   

Sometimes it takes crossing an ocean to figure out where you belong.


It's been two years since twenty-year-old Jordan had a boyfriend—which means it's been forever since she, well, you know. But now she’s off to spend her junior year in Aberdeen, Scotland, the perfect place to stop waiting for Mr. Right and just enjoy Mr. Right Now.

Sexy, sweet (and possible player) Griffin may be her perfect, no-strings-attached match. He’s fun, gorgeous, and makes her laugh. So why can’t she stop thinking about Noah who, minutes after being trapped together outside the train’s loo, kisses Jordan like she’s never been kissed before? Never mind his impossible blue eyes, his weathered, annotated copy of The Great Gatsby (total English-major porn)…oh, and his girlfriend.

Jordan knows everything this year has an expiration date. Aberdeen is supposed to be about fun rather than waiting for life to happen. But E. M. Forster, Shakespeare, and mistletoe on Valentine’s Day make her reconsider what love is and how far she’s willing to go for the right guy

Holy HAWT Scotts!!

There is something about that accent that drives me NUTS! I've always had a thing for Scottish guys, and let me tell you Noah & Griffin put the cherry on that dream sundae!

Even though Jordan may be having some dude drama, I can say completely guilt free that I enjoyed it all. It was like yumminess, wrapped in sexy. But if you're the kind of person who wants emotional gratification right away, or obvious happy endings, If Only will not be giving that to you. You'll be dragged through an emotional roller coaster that is well worth it!

Jordan initally struck me as the girl who was just along for the ride, I mean she vicariously was living through her roommates love life at one point....but that's not important.....like any great character she grew during her journey. Not only emotionally, but mentally. She made hard decisions, and was able to make them with her head and her heart. (That shit isn't easy)

I can't wait to read more from A.J. She is brilliant! Her writing style is absolutely on point, every character was well developed and there wasn't a single thing that didn't seem realistic. Being an author now-a-days is an extremely hard thing to do, standing out as an author is even harder....well I think that A.J. has done that!

4/5

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About A.J. Pine

AJ writes stories to break readers’ hearts, but don’t worry—she’ll mend those hearts with a happily ever after…maybe. The first book she wrote was YA, but now she’s two-timing her first love Pine4BWwith NA. She’s always in the middle of reading two to three books, adores online shopping (everything from groceries to shoes), and she still loves vampires, whether it’s Eric Northman or the Salvatore brothers. When she’s not writing, AJ is sneaking off to her day job as a high school English teacher or hanging with her husband and kids in the Chicago burbs.

AJ’s debut NA novel, IF ONLY, releases with Entangled’s Embrace line on March 24!

Representation: Courtney Miller-Callihan at SJGA.

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GIVEAWAY:

1) If Only Swag Pack -An “I love you from here to Scotland” print, Ahava pendent, A pack each of Much Ado about Nothing and A Room With a View confetti, Much Ado about Nothing travel mug and A Room With a View Blu-ray (a $25 Amazon gift card will be substituted if winner is outside the US)

 

{Blog Tour: Review + Giveaway} The Sowing - By K. Makansi

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Author: K. Makansi

Wesbite

Release Date: 8/19/2013

Purchase Info: Amazon ~ B&N

The Famine may be over, but the Resistance has just begun.

When Remy Alexander is fifteen, her older sister is murdered in a cold-blooded classroom massacre. When the Okarian Sector hides the truth behind the attack, Remy's family goes underground to join the clandestine and growing Resistance movement. Now, three years later, Remy is beginning to find clues about why her sister was murdered. But at the same time, Valerian Orlean, the boy Remy once loved, is put in charge of hunting and destroying the Resistance. As Vale fights to protect his people and Remy seeks justice for her sister, the two are set on a collision course that could bring everyone together - or tear everything apart.

THE SOWING, the first book in The SEEDS Trilogy, is set in a post-apocalyptic world. In the wake of environmental destruction and a devastating population crash, the Okarian Sector was forced to fight to establish a civil society in a chaotic world. After the loss of seed biodiversity in the destruction of the Old World, genetic modification and artificial agricultural techniques are the Sector’s only choice. Science reigns supreme. The Okarian Agricultural Consortium, a corporation dedicated to perfecting these modified seeds and providing only the best food and medicine to its citizens, becomes the government’s most important arm. But even the purest gold is tarnished over time, and the Sector’s noble goals devolve into manipulation, control, and oppression.

Yes, yes, yes!

Love, I absolutely LOVED this book! Maybe it's because I haven't read a ton of Dystopia type books, unless they include zombies, but The Sowing sucked me in from page one. 

Remy was smart, resourceful and a free thinker. She has a mission from the beginning, and though obsticales are put in the way, she keeps focused regardless. She isn't one of those main characters who relies on a male, and I for one find that to be an absolutely amazing quality in a characters. Don't get me wrong, having some eye candy always helps, but independence is something that can't be broke in my eyes.

It was really interested to see how these authors manipulated this world and made it their own. Most Dystopia worlds get pegged as copy-cat, or "very similar", I will say in the books I've read there weren't any of those. It was strange, but I could actually visualize so much with this book, totally found my bug-out place, lol.

Overall, I want more! More Remy, more Val, more of this amazing world! More secrets, more twists....yes, you could say I'm hooked on The Sowing!

5/5

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GIVEAWAY

Open internationally 

--25$ Amazon Gift Card

--Signed copy of The Sowing

{Book Blast + Giveaway} Evacuation - By K.D. McAdams

Today I'm thrilled to have K.D. McAdams stopping by to share, Evacuation, book #2 in The Seamus Chronicles!

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Evacuation ~ K.D. McAdams
(The Seamus Chronicles #2) 
Publication Date ~ March 7th 2014
Genres ~ Post-Apocalyptic, Young Adult

Synopsis:

They have only one chance for survival, leave… the planet.

The virus that wiped out most of the human race is adapting to defeat the vaccine and kill the survivors. There is a government response protocol but it will kill them too, it involves a nuclear winter. The NASA scientists believe they can leave Earth and achieve faster than light travel, but Seamus doesn’t want to slog through space. He knows that to survive they have to go somewhere fast. To save them all he needs to invent a warp drive and evacuate the planet.

Goodreads

Purchase:

Amazon

B&N 

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What’s in your planetary go bag?

Food, water and a 3-D printer may be keys to survival

What if Earth was going down the tubes and you had to Evacuate the planet? What would you put in your go bag?

Thanks to the Mayan apocalypse and the popular Doomsday Preppers show on National Geographic the concept of a survival “Go-bag” has gained mainstream understanding. Survival experts can debate the best contents for one of these go bags but in general they contain food, water, security and some protection from the elements. The idea is that when civilization goes down the tubes you grab the go bag on your way out the door and use its contents to survive.

Here on Earth a go bag has to help you get by. Get by until order is restored. Get by until you can make a supply trip to a safe place. But if you have to leave Earth you can’t just get by, you have to start over. You could bring plenty of stuff, but what happens when you run out? Even if you brought enough of something to last your lifetime what would your ancestors do?

Our world is littered with finished goods. Even after an electromagnetic pulse or a collapse of the world financial markets if you needed a nail, screw or fastener you could find one with just a few minutes of looking. You may have to recycle or up cycle it from a previous use, but it’s there. Even a straight or flat piece of wood is only a few miles away from the places in America where most people live.

Imagine building something without screws, nails or dimensional lumber.

Many of us are familiar with assembling things from furniture to power tools, but can you manufacture anything? Given a tree, can you make a straight board? The earliest pieces of steel are four thousand years old, but could you smelt ore?

Following directions from Ikea doesn’t mean you can make furniture.

There are a few things I’m on the fence about; seeds (would they grow?), weapons (will they work) and a bicycle (can it carry enough?) for example. Given unlimited space these would certainly make it but space will be tight. For the purposes of this exercise lets assume you are leaving Earth in Nissan Maxima; doors, windows and trunk have to close. What do you bring?

You need to figure out all the firsts. The first mill, the first sewer system, the first farm all things that won’t fit in your bag. So in addition to food and water here are five things that I would bring if I had to bug out from Earth and start over on another planet.

1.      A tent. The new planet will likely have a different weather system and you’ll need to protect against hot or cold.

2.      Basic hand tools. Hammer, shovels, axes etc.

3.      A hand crank or pedal generator for electricity

4.      A 3-D printer. You can make some of the core pieces needed to build almost anything.

5.      A tablet loaded with manufacturing how-to documents; How to build a sawmill, How to build an iron mill, How to make plastic etc.

What would you bring if you had to bug out from Earth and start over on another planet?

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About the Author:

K. D. McAdams writes stories about young people who make choices with their heart and not their head. ‘Don’t talk to strangers’ is the most common phrase in our house, I have failed several art classes and I can’t remember what I ate for breakfast. I have a son that loves to talk to strangers, my daughter is an incredible artist and I have another son that is a stickler for details with a near eidetic memory. We nurture our kids everyday with advice and information but deep down they all have an element of nature that overrides our nurturing and influences their choices. Kids who have the courage to follow their instinct and make their own choices are the ones who make life memorable.

Stalker links:

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7026813.K_D_McAdams

http://kd-mcadams.com/

https://www.facebook.com/pages/K-D-Mcadams/126526127525773

https://twitter.com/K_Mcadams

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GIVEAWAY

{Book Blast + Giveaway} Dark Hope - By H.D. Smith

Happy Friday people!! 

What better way to end the week than with a Blast & Giveaway!? 
Today I'm happy to introduce you all to, Dark Hope, by HD Smith!

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DARK HOPE

The Devil’s Assistant, Book 1

Publisher: www.ChampagneBooks.com

Publication Date:  March 3, 2014

Loving a demon isn’t the end of the world—losing him is.

Claire, the Devil’s assistant, knows very little about the world she was dropped into five years ago, when she inherited her mother’s unpaid debt to the Demon King. She certainly didn’t expect to be a contender for the Fallen Queen’s throne, a target for the Druid King’s mafia, or a suspect in the murder of Junior, the Devil’s oldest hell spawn.

In a last ditch effort to save her life and get out of her deal with the Devil, she sets out to solve Junior’s murder only to be taken prisoner by the four most dangerous immortal hell spawn alive.

Not to be out done, the Pagan Queen Mab, claims Claire for entering her realm uninvited. She has an old debt to settle with her brother the Devil. Taking Claire from him after losing her years ago is just icing on the cake.

Will Claire win her freedom, and save herself from the Devil? Or be trapped by Mab forever?

Book Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pBvtfAmOPNk&feature=youtu.be

Available March 3, 2014:

B&N:  http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/dark-hope-hd-smith/1118724651?ean=2940045711326

Kobo:  http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/dark-hope-2

Champagne Books: http://www.champagnebooks.com/hdsmith.htm

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

HD Smith has been writing as a hobby for over ten years. DARK HOPE is her first traditionally published full length novel. She has previously self-published two middle grade novellas in ebook format. She is a software developer by day, working for an awesome cruise line in Celebration, FL.
HD grew up in South Carolina, but has called the Sunshine State home since 1997. She has Computer Science degrees from Clemson University (CS) and Florida Institute of Technology (MS). Her other hobbies include painting and screen printing. She enjoys creating t- shirts inspired by the places in her books. For more information, visit HD’s website at http://www.hdsmithauthor.com/.

Website:  http://www.hdsmithauthor.com/

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/hdsmithauthorpage

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/floridaHeather

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7352038.H_D_Smith

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Giveaway:

$25.00 gift card to Amazon

 

{Blog Tour: Review} Donna of the Dead - By Alison Kemper

Author: Alison Kemper

Website

Release Date: 3/4/2014

Purchase Info: Amazon

Donna Pierce might hear voices, but that doesn’t mean she’s crazy. Probably.

The voices do serve their purpose, though—whenever Donna hears them, she knows she’s in danger. So when they start yelling at the top of their proverbial lungs, it’s no surprise she and her best friend, Deke, end up narrowly escaping a zombie horde. Alone without their families, they take refuge at their high school with the super-helpful nerds, the bossy class president, and—best of all?—Liam, hottie extraordinaire and Donna’s long-time crush. When Liam is around, it’s easy to forget about the moaning zombies, her dad’s plight to reach them, and how weird Deke is suddenly acting toward her.

But as the teens’ numbers dwindle and their escape plans fall apart, Donna has to listen to the secrets those voices in her head have been hiding. It seems not all the zombies are shuffling idiots, and the half-undead aren’t really down with kids like Donna…

There goes my zombie stereo type!

 

Have you ever gone into a book with preconceived notions about zombies and had them altered completely? Well that’s what Donna of the Dead did for me! Though I will never truly change from my automatic, “Every zombie is exactly like The Walking Dead”, scenario, but I was able to open my mind to a different type of zombie. 

 

In Donna of the Dead the zombies very much reminded me of I Am Legend, they were crazed, light fearing savages. Having a zombie who doesn’t like the light is probably the one thing that made me slow down while reading this. It wasn’t; blood, guts, body part, repeat. It was more than that & I really appreciated having to take my time while reading.

 

With the main characters in this book there were things I loved about them, and then there were those moments when wanted to lock them out the high school and let them fend on their own! *cough, cough* Gretchen *cough, cough*

 

Donna of course was a great blend for me. She had wit, smarts and a little bit of kickass-ness without going over that post-apocalyptic badass line. You know, the one where the heroine obviously shouldn’t know how to use a sword that way without having some sort of Supernatural blood flowing through her veins…yeah. She’s just trying not to become zombie bait, while pining over the boys she’s liked forever. Is that so wrong?

 

Another thing that I loved was that the book started with Donna & Deke on a family cruise. It totally added a twist that made getting to shore safely a massive task within itself. Overcoming obstacles is probably one of my favorite parts of the book, this was a great one!

Now I must sit here and patiently wait for book #2, hurry up Alison, PLEASE!!

4/5

 

{Book Highlight + Giveaway} Shadow Fire - By Kimber Leigh Wheaton

 

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Title: Shadow Fire
Author: Kimber Leigh Wheaton
Series: The Light Chronicles Book #1
Genre: YA Fantasy/Romance
Publication: February 24, 2014 by Astraea Press

Ashlyn – a free-spirited teenager whose peaceful life is shattered when the village elders honor her with a perilous quest to recover a stolen relic.

Zane – a jaded mercenary, torn by his undeniable desire for Ashlyn and the dark secret that could make her hate him forever.

Delistaire – a malevolent sorcerer driven by an insatiable lust for power.

All three are bound together by an ancient relic supposedly infused with the power of a Goddess.

Shadow Fire – adventure, passion, secrets, and betrayal

As Ashlyn and Zane race to stay one step ahead of the evil lurking in the shadows, their passions are ignited and their bond strengthens. But will they find the relic before Delistaire? Or has their entire quest been orchestrated from the very beginning by a madman in pursuit of ultimate power?

Each installment of The Light Chronicles is a standalone story.

Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Smashwords

We walk in silence for what seems like several hours. The sun is at midday, yet we still haven't stopped to rest. Zane isn't holding my hand like he was in the forest. Of course, there's nothing for me to trip over on this wide clear road, with the exception of the ruts from the wagon wheels. I miss feeling his strong hand gripping mine. Perhaps I should just be bold like Celeste and take his hand if I want to hold it. The thought leads to a tiny giggle escaping my mouth. I'm mortified when Zane glances back at me, his right eyebrow arched.

"Are you okay?" he asks as he stops walking. My face must be crimson. When I don't answer, he places his hand on my forehead. "You're quite warm. Maybe we should rest for a little bit."

I nod my agreement and sit down in the tall grass on the side of the road. Hopefully the grass will conceal my red face from view. Zane does one last survey of our surroundings before lowering himself to the ground next to me.

"Here," he says, handing his canteen to me, "Have some water. It'll help you feel better. Be sure to tell me in the future when you need to rest."

Nodding, I take a slow drink while trying to calm my racing heart. Then another unbidden thought enters my mind, and I picture his lips on the same flask. I choke on the drink I'm taking. Zane pats my back as I sputter and cough. So embarrassing. I wonder what other evils my mind has planned for me.

"I'm okay," I say, handing the flask back, "but I think I'll hold off on water for a while."

Settling on my back in the thick grass, I hide my red face beneath my arm. Just a couple of minutes and the flush will fade. If I don't stop blushing around him, he'll start to think red is my natural skin color. I feel movement in the grass beside me. His fingertips trace a feather light caress along the arm slung over my face. Lowering my arm, I breathe out a tiny gasp. Zane's face is within inches of mine. I watch his lips curl into a slight smile as his hand moves from my arm to caress my cheek. His garnet eyes are mesmerizing, trapping me within the twin pools of fire.

He leans closer, his lips so close yet still too far away. My heart pounds in my chest, my eyes still ensnared by his gaze. His lips meet mine, softly at first, then more demanding. A soft moan escapes my throat, and my eyes flutter closed.

"Is this okay?" he asks in a breathless whisper, his lips brushing mine when he speaks.

Instead of answering, I wind my arms around his neck, pulling his body closer. My mouth opens under the soft pressure of his tongue, granting him entrance. He explores my mouth with excruciating slowness. My body feels like it's on fire as tiny shivers of pleasure race up and down my extremities. I bury my fingers into his auburn hair trapping him against me. He groans, pulling me against him, tightening his arms around my upper body, and I feel a delicious warmth pool deep within my body.

When his lips leave mine I'm still lost to the sensations, all so raw and new. Opening my eyes, I gaze up at him, my limbs not quite ready to function yet. His eyes are darkened with passion, which sends another wave of desire coursing through my body.

"As much as I'd like to stay like this all day," he murmurs, nipping at my lower lip. Clearing his throat he continues, "We need to get moving."

Leigh Wheaton is a YA/NA author with a soft spot for sweet romance and is a member of Romance Writers of America.

She is married to her soul mate, has a teenage son, and shares her home with three dogs and four cats. No, she doesn’t live on a farm, she just loves animals. Her house is filled with dragons, though she does lament that they are the porcelain, non-flying variety.

Kimber Leigh is addicted to romance, videogames, superheroes, villains, and chocolate—not necessarily in that order. (If she has to choose, she’ll take a chocolate covered superhero!)

Her debut novel, Shadow Fire, is the first book in The Light Chronicles series. Watch for book two, Stolen Moon, a standalone sequel, coming soon.

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