Friday, January 30, 2015

{Cover Reveal + Giveaway} Lion's Share - By Rachel Vincent



TGIF!!


Happy Friday peeps, hope your week treated you well & you have some amazing plans for the weekend!

But before we start celebrating the impending freedom that 5 o'clock holds, I must show you the cover to Rachel Vincent's newest beauty, Lion's Share.


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Lion’s Share - By Rachel Vincent
(Wildcats #1)
Publication date: February 23rd 2015
Genres: New Adult, Paranormal

Synopsis:

Abby Wade has a dangerous secret.

Two months ago, she disobeyed an order, but instead of kicking her out of the Pride, Jace offered her a job. Since then, she’s been battling a completely inappropriate crush on the young, hot Alpha. But when accepting his job offer seems like the only way to keep her skeletons safely in their closet, Abby doesn’t hesitate.

Jace Hammond has a big problem.

A rogue is slaughtering humans in his territory, and he must eliminate the threat before the entire shifter species is exposed. There could not be a worse time for Abby to accept a job he only offered as a boost to her confidence. Abby is smart, beautiful, and resilient—more than enough to distract any man from the mission. Unfortunately, she may just be the worst enforcer ever to hold the title.

As they hunt the killer, Abby’s secret becomes a threat to Jace’s authority and to her own life. But the real danger is the grip she has on his twice-shy heart.




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AUTHOR BIO:
Rachel Vincent is the author of the Shifters series and the Unbound series for adults, as well as the Soul Screamers series for teens.

Rachel's next young adult book is THE STARS NEVER RISE, coming from Delacorte in June of 2015, and her new series for adults will debut with MENAGERIE, coming from Mira books in the fall of 2015

Rachel Vincent is a former English teacher and an eager champion of the Oxford comma. She shares her home in Oklahoma with two cats, two teenagers, and her husband, who's been her # 1 fan from the start. Rachel is older than she looks and younger than she feels, and she remains convinced that writing about the things that scare her is the cheapest form of therapy--but social media is a close second.

Author Links:
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GIVEAWAY:
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tuesday, January 27, 2015

{Cover Reveal + Giveaway} Amber Smoke - By Kristin Cast

YAY!!!!!

I'm can't even begin to tell you how excited I am to share the cover of Kristin Cast's newest beauty with you!

IT....IS.....GORGEOUS....



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Amber Smoke by Kristin Cast
(The Escaped #1)
Published by: Diversion Books
Publication date: June 9th 2015
Genres: New Adult, Paranormal

Synopsis:

The door to the massive New York Times bestselling HOUSE OF NIGHT series has closed.  Now, Kristin Cast kicks down a new door to welcome her millions of fans to her latest sizzling series.

There is a world that runs parallel to our own, a world in which the souls of the damned are caged, where they are looked over by the Furies, and where they spend eternity in torment, mirroring the devastation and mayhem they created when alive.
Someone has opened the cage.

The worst of terrors has crossed the barrier that separates our world from theirs, and the Furies send a great, albeit untested warrior—their only son, Alek—to try to bring those souls back.  He is young and handsome, headstrong and impulsive, and he won’t be able to do it alone.

Eva has grown up, beautiful and beloved, but surrounded by secrets.  First, she will be hunted in an ancient feud that will threaten her life.  Then, she will become the hunter.

With the police closing in and two worlds on the verge of crumbling around them, Alek and Eva must find each other, discover the limits of their powers, and work together to save everything they hold dear, including one another.  Blending elements of mythology with the dazzling storytelling that her fans have devoured through the HOUSE OF NIGHT series, Kristin Cast weaves a spellbinding and passionate tale that starts a thrilling new series with an explosive charge.



Pre-Order: 

 B&N




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AUTHOR BIO:

Kristin Cast is a NY Times and USA Today bestselling author who teamed with her mother to write the young adult House of Night series. She has stories in several anthologies, as well as editorial credits, and a thriving t-shirt line. The first book in her new adult paranormal romance series releases June 9th, 2015!

Author Links:

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GIVEAWAY:

The publisher is hosting a giveaway for an ARC (US only)
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Monday, January 26, 2015

{Cover Reveal} The City Beneath - By Melody Johnson


Happy Monday everyone!!

I'm super excited to share with you today the fantastic cover of Melody Jackson's, The City Beneath!


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Title: The City Beneath (The Night Blood Series)
Author: Melody Johnson
Publisher: Kensington Books

As a journalist, Cassidy DiRocco thought she had seen every depraved thing New York City’s underbelly had to offer. But while covering what appears to be a vicious animal attack, she finds herself drawn into a world she never knew existed. Her exposé makes her the target of the handsome yet brutal Dominic Lysander, the Master Vampire of New York City, who has no problem silencing her to keep his coven's secrets safe…

But Dominic offers Cassidy another option: ally. He reveals she is a night blood, a being with powers of her own, including the ability to become a vampire. As the body count escalates, Cassidy is caught in the middle of a vampire rebellion. Dominic insists she can help him stop the coming war, but wary of his intentions, Cassidy enlists the help of the charming Ian Walker, a fellow night blood. As the battle between vampires takes over the city, Cassidy will have to tap into her newfound powers and decide where to place her trust...

FOR MORE INFORMATION
  • The City Beneath is available at Amazon 
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About the Author:

 





Melody Johnson is the author of the Night Blood series. She graduated magna cum laude from Lycoming College with her B.A. in creative writing and psychology. While still earning her degree, she worked as an editing intern for Wahida Clark Presents Publishing. She was a copyeditor for several novels, including Cheetah by Missy Jackson; Trust No Man II by Cash; and Karma with a Vengeance by Tash Hawthorne. Book #1 of the Night Blood series, The City Beneath, is her debut novel. When she isn't writing, Melody can be found hiking the many woodsy trails in her Pennsylvania hometown or sunning and swimming at the beach.

You can learn more about Melody and her work at elodymay.blog.comFacebook and Twitter.

For More Information

Monday, January 19, 2015

{Book Highlight + Giveaway} Final Life - By Rose Garcia




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Final Life by Rose Garcia
Book #1 in the Transhuman Chronicles

Nothing sucks more than being forced to move cross country during senior year. And Dominique Wells doesn't think things can get any worse until she's invited to a quirky neighbor's party. When pressured into playing a magical card game, Dominique's world goes from sucky to terrifying. She begins having visions of a red desert and an evil presence--a presence who hints at past lives and promises to kill her.

Plagued by fear and suspicion, and unaware of a family secret kept hidden from her, Dominique is determined to live. Together with a mysterious and gorgeous guy who's moved in while his parents are away, and a hot, popular guy from school, Dominique must seek clues to her past if she's to survive. That, and keep her emotions in check for the two guys she suddenly can't stop thinking about because if she doesn't, she'll be dead. For real.



Available on  Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

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EXCERPT

            The image of blue sky, white sand, and calm waters popped into my mind, edging out the fear and panic that had taken over me.
            My body slipped to the ground. My knees sank into the cool, pebbly sand. A soft breeze flowed through my hair. Farrell stood beside me at the water’s edge, staring out at the still water. He extended his arm and helped me to my feet. I brushed myself off, recalling the terror and pain I had just left behind in the red desert. I patted my chest.
            “Am I really here?”
            “No,” Farrell said sadly. “Only your mind is here.”
            “Farrell, am I—?” I paused, not wanting to say the words, as if keeping them to myself would change my fate. “Am I dying?”
            “Yes.” He took my hand. “There’s nothing I can do.” His calmness filtered into me. And for a minute there, death didn’t seem so bad.
            My attention turned to a bird in the distance that soared through the cloudless sky. For eight lifetimes now I had died, and this was my last time. The world would never be the same, and it was my fault.
            Farrell squeezed my hand. “Remember what I said? The last time we were here?”
            Of course I remembered. “You told me the end is not yet written, and to trust myself.”
            The bird, a white Egret, flew closer and glided right over us, wings outstretched. A lone, feather escaped its plumage. The delicate quill drifted back and forth in the sky. Just like the feather from my dreams and the feather Ms. Ryken had given me that I had later seen at Jan’s. And then it dawned on me that it was the same color as Farrell’s aura. I extended my hand, reaching out for it. When it touched my palm, it disappeared.
            Like flipping a switch, I was back in the desert. Heat exploded inside me. The air in my lungs had almost emptied. Warm, thick blood dripped from my fingers. Farrell and Trent were on the other side of Tavion’s dark energy force, and I was still inside, barely alive. Tavion continued to lift me at my throat, squeezing the life out of me.
            “Dominique! Fight!” Trent yelled.


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About Rose:

Rose Garcia is a lawyer turned writer who's always been fascinated by science fiction and fantasy. From a very young age, she often had her nose buried in books about other-worlds, fantastical creatures, and life and death situations. More recently she's been intrigued by a blend of science fiction and reality, and the idea that some supernatural events are, indeed, very real. Fueled by her imagination, she created The Transhuman Chronicles--a series of books about people who have overcome human limitations.

Rose lives in Houston with her husband and two kids. You can visit Rose at www.rosegarciabooks.com

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GIVEAWAY


a Rafflecopter giveaway


Friday, January 16, 2015

{Book Highlight + Giveaway} Thunderstone - By Barbara Pietron



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Thunderstone by Barbara Pietron
Genre: YA paranormal romance
Published: November 12, 2013

Sneaking out at night, driving without a license, and falling for a guy weren’t things fifteen-year-old Jeni expected to do while visiting Lake Itasca, Minnesota.  Then she meets Ice, the local medicine man's apprentice.  Suddenly, her simple family gathering becomes an exciting – and terrifying – week of self-discovery.  At first Jeni doesn't believe Ice's claim that she can touch the spirit world and has somehow released a mythical underwater monster. However, she's forced to reconsider when a teen swears a monster killed his father while fishing on the lake. Just as she comes to accept truth, Jeni finds she is the only one who can imprison the monster, making her the creature's next target.  She'll need immense faith in her newfound ability to put herself in harm's way and face down the monster.  And even if she succeeds in delivering the local population – and Ice – from the creature's wrath, there is no guarantee Jeni will escape with her own life.


Purchase:

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The Prequel:


Heart of Ice by Barbara Pietron

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Excerpts

Heart of Ice Excerpt:

Ice's ankle was held fast in a large leg-hold trap. He groaned as the metal teeth seemed to press deeper into his skin and grate on his bones. Stooping, he attempted to pull the jaws of the trap open and release his foot, but was unable to get the right leverage. Teeth gritted against the pain radiating up his leg, Ice dug his phone from his pocket then heard the crunching sound of footsteps. "I'm here," he shouted, relieved that the medicine man had heard his cry.
He waited as the footsteps drew near, calling out again.
But the figure that emerged from the forest wasn't the medicine man.
It was Nesbitt. And he carried an axe.

Horror engulfed Ice and he froze momentarily, his thoughts scrambling for a means of defense. He had no weapon. No bear spray. Nothing. Then he realized he still held his phone in his hand and fumbled it in his numbed, shaking fingers.

Nesbitt was making his way through the trees quickly. Humming.
Ice thumbed to the contacts in his phone and found his favorites. He glanced up and realized Nesbitt's eyes glowed with an odd, yellowish hue from out of his emaciated skull. He managed to get his thumb on Nik's name before the demented man smashed into him.
Dropping the phone to free his hands, Ice grabbed Nesbitt's arm that held the axe and shoved it away from him as he fell. Before the man could topple onto him, Ice scurried backward, yowling in pain as the trap bit harder into his ankle bone. He'd reached the end of the chain fastened to a tree and the more he jerked against it, the tighter the jaws clamped down on his leg.

Nesbitt rose first to his knees and then to his feet, in no hurry since he knew his prey was tethered.

Ice crawled sideways using his elbows and feet, although he realized if he wrapped the chain around the tree, it would only grow shorter. His hands clawed the ground around him, searching for a branch or stick, anything he might be able to swing at Nesbitt.
The madman moved forward, breathing heavily and drooling. Ice found a stick and wrapped his fingers around it, yanking it from the dead foliage. He jabbed at the man as he came forward and yelled in despair as the stick snapped easily.

A foot rammed into Ice's chest and he hit the ground hard, gasping for breath. Before he could rise to his elbows, the foot pressed down with force, pinning him. "Don't do this," Ice begged, his voice ragged. "Mr. Nesbitt!" he shouted."Please don't do this!" He hoped somewhere inside the crazed man a person still resided: a teacher, a human who wouldn't kill another human.

Nesbitt paused for a second, his face blank, eyes distant. Then he rasped, "Hungry," and swung the axe.

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Thunderstone Excerpt:

     Ice sat motionless, staring at his knees. How had he managed to make such a mess of things?  He'd felt comfortable with Jeni and her family too; thought the evening had progressed smoothly.
     Then he'd looked down into Jeni's upturned face and lost it. Despite the smoky bonfire, he could smell her; the fragrance of an apple orchard in the fall. Then his gaze fell to her glossy, ripe lips and the reasonable explanation he had in mind vanished. Instead he'd just blurted something out and completely blew it.
     With a heavy sigh, Ice stood. His footsteps dragged as he headed between the cottages to the resort drive.
     "Ice."
     Engulfed in despair, Ice didn't register the whisper until it came the second time. He turned to see Jeni's head poked out the side door. She edged outside when she saw him stop. She took a step toward the porch rail. "I'm sorry. I overreacted." She hugged her arms around her torso.  "I…I do that sometimes. I should've at least given you a chance to explain why you wanted my statue."
     Ice moved closer. "Yeah…well, I didn't mean to say…ask…not like that." Jeni watched him, waiting.  Ice took a deep breath. "Thing is, you're not going to like the explanation anyway."
     "Well," she contemplated the toe of her shoe as she bounced it on the rail. "I can't promise I'll like it, but I'll listen." When she looked up she wore the ghost of a smile.
     Ice searched her face and thought for a long moment. No more lies; time to lay the cards on the table.  He wasn't hopeful for any particular outcome, only resigned to do what he felt was right. "I owe you a story about the monster your statue represents, don't I?"
     She nodded slowly, wearing a puzzled expression.
     "Let's start there then." So he told her how long ago, when the underwater monster swam freely, the people were plagued by bad fishing, overturned canoes, and children drawn under by whirlpools when they went swimming. "Eventually," Ice explained, "the medicine men of neighboring tribes joined together to lure the creature here. They trapped him in a cavern near the sacred burial mounds of Lake Itasca and charmed him to sleep." Ice paused, and then finished his story with the events of the past two days. "Then, about a hundred years later, a priestess…” He stopped to look at her, “…buys an artifact and falls into the water with it in her pocket. Her connection to the spirits combined with the power of the statue wakes the underwater monster. So the local medicine man sends his apprentice to find the girl and get the statue back. If he fails, the monster will likely escape and people will start disappearing."
     Jeni narrowed her eyes at him for a moment and then laughed. "I get it. Cute. You made it sound like I was part of the story."
     Ice maintained a level stare. "You are part of the story."


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About the Author


After years in the corporate world, Barbara found herself with a second chance to decide what she wanted to be when she grew up.  Her lifetime love of books and the written word returned one answer: writer.  Drawing from her experience with technical writing, she began by writing non-fiction magazine pieces and achieved both regional and national publication.  Her success encouraged her to complete a novel.  She learned much from her first manuscript, critiques, books, contests, and blogs.  In 2012, her novel Thunderstone, was a quarterfinalist in the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award contest and won a critique by Publisher's Weekly.  A few months later, she was offered publication by Scribe Publishing Company.

 Barbara has a few other novels in the works, including a Thunderstone sequel. If she's not reading or writing, Barbara likes to walk, garden, and sew.  She works in a library and lives in Royal Oak, Michigan with her husband, daughter, and their cat – who often acts like a dog.

Find Barbara online:

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GIVEAWAY

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Win a new young adult novel!
(Before it's in stores!)

Barbara Pietron, author of Thunderstone, is running a contest to title her next novel.
If your title idea is chosen as one of the top four suggestions, you will win the book!

Here's how it works:

Based on the cover summary below, you think of an amazing title. You know, the kind of title that compels a potential reader to take the book off the shelf.

Then go to www.barbarapietron.com and click on the News/Events page. You can make your suggestion in the comment section of the post about the contest, or click on the link which will take you to the Scribe Publishing website suggestion form. Your email will be added to Barbara's list so she can keep you in the loop about the contest and the book.

If your suggestion is chosen as a top four, you will win the new novel! Those top four entries will be posted for readers to vote on their favorite. If your suggestion becomes the book title, you'll be mentioned in the book!

Summary:

Sixteen-year-old Jack Ironwood knew exactly what he wanted. Until he got it.
Jack was content to stay unnoticed by pretty and popular track-star, Natalie Segetich, until her best friend Emma disappears. Natalie swears something took Emma, and though most people write Natalie off as traumatized and confused, Jack is a soulshifter and he knows the human-stealing Enuuki—hell's messengers—are real.

As a soulshifter, Jack can cross into the underworld so he sees Emma's rescue as an opportunity to prove himself a valuable member of his transcendental sect—and a way to secure a future otherwise out of his reach. Although he needs Natalie's help to prepare for the mission, Jack intends to go to the underworld alone. But as a viable plan takes shape, it's clear the best chance of success means Natalie must accompany him.

On the eve of the quest, when Jack is promised the hand of a respected elder's daughter—a dream come true—he realizes he's no longer sure what he wants. But it's too late to back out, not with the sect and Natalie counting on him. Pursued by the dark lord's henchmen and ghastly mutant creatures, Jack and Natalie struggle to come out ahead in a battle and barter for souls. In the end, Jack will have to decide his own fate, because nothing short of a deal with the devil will get all three of them out of hell alive.


Part one of the contest will run through January 31st, 2015 and the voting will take place in February.


Thursday, January 15, 2015

{Blog Tour: Review + Giveaway} Raven - By Pauline Creeden





Author: Pauline Creeden
Website  
Release Date: 10/2014     
Purchase Info: B&N ~ Amazon 

Human life has value.
The poor living in the gutter are as valuable as the rich living in a manor.
The scoundrel is no less valuable than the saint.
Because of this, every life a reaper takes must be redeemed.

Raven has lived by this first tenet since she was trained by her father to become a reaper. But since his death, she’s been spending years redeeming the lives she’s taken. By her count, she’s even and it’s time for that life to end. If she settles down and becomes a wife, she might just feel human again. But on the way to the life she thinks she wants, the baron of New Haven asks her to complete a task which she cannot ignore… Just when Raven decides to give up on her life as an assassin, she’s pulled right back in.

 
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LOVE, LOVE, LOVE!!!!!
There are too many aspects of this book that I fell head over heels in love with. Raven is amazing,  Darius is quiet the character, and the reapers add a fantastic punch!
Starting off my 2015 reads with Raven, was a daring choice for me since I've never read anything with a steam-punk twist before. Though I had some preconceived notions in my mind, they were all shattered with how well balanced this book was. It wasn't too new age, or too much UF, there was a fine balance. Between all the plots, side character's and mystical type turns, I have to say there wasn't much of this book that didn't have my on my toes!
Looking back after reading Raven, I can honestly say that I was satisfied completely. Raven has such depth as a character in her faults, strengths and showing she truly does have compassion...which even surprised her. If anything was lacking in this book it was more chapters, I want more.....which hopefully will happen....I mean when you leave a book off the way this one was it would be cruel not to have more in the series.
I am super excited to see where Pauline takes Raven throughout this series, I for one will be waiting on the edge of my seat for #2!!
5/5

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About the Author:
In simple language, Pauline Creeden creates worlds that are both familiar and strange, often pulling the veil between dimensions. She becomes the main character in each of her stories, and because she has ADD, she will get bored if she pretends to be one person for too long. Pauline is a horse trainer from Virginia, but writing is her therapy.

Armored Hearts, her joint effort with author Melissa Turner Lee, has been awarded the Crowned Heart for Excellence by InDtale Magazine. It is also the 2013 Book Junkie’s Choice Winner in Historical Fiction. Her debut novel, Sanctuary, won 1st Place Christian YA Title 2013 Dante Rosetti Award and 2014 Reader’s Choice Gold Award for Best YA Horror Novel.

Author links:


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GIVEAWAY:

Tour-wide giveaway (INTL)
  • $20 Amazon Gift Card
a Rafflecopter giveaway