Wednesday, March 29, 2017

{Nerd Blast + Giveaway} The Courage Test - By James Preller



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The Courage Test - By James Preller
Release Date - 9/13/2016
Genre - Adventure, Middle Grade, Children's


Will has no choice. His father drags him along on a wilderness adventure in the footsteps of legendary explorers Lewis and Clark--whether he likes it or not. All the while, Will senses that something about this trip isn't quite right.

Along the journey, Will meets fascinating strangers and experiences new thrills, including mountain cliffs, whitewater rapids, and a heart-hammering bear encounter.

It is a journey into the soul of America's past, and the meaning of family in the future. In the end, Will must face his own, life-changing test of courage.

A father-and-son journey along the Lewis and Clark Trail--from Fort Mandan to the shining sea--offers readers a genre-bending blend of American history, thrilling action, and personal discovery.

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Praise for THE COURAGE TEST

"Preller stirs doses of American history into a first-rate road trip that does traditional double-duty as plot device and coming-of-age metaphor. Will is initially baffled and furious at being abruptly forced to accompany his divorced father, a history professor, on a long journey retracing much of the trail of Lewis and Clark. ...Will survives a meeting with a bear and a spill into dangerous rapids—tests of courage that will help him weather the bad news that awaits him at home." --Booklist

"Whatever young explorers look for on their literary road trips, they’ll find it here."--Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

"The lively narrative is interspersed with Will’s entries for a school writing assignment, which contain lots of facts about the original journey, as well as postcards to his mother. Despite the emotional heft, there is plenty of action, including white-water rafting and a close encounter with a bear. A middle grade winner to hand to fans of history, adventure, and family drama."--School Library Journal

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Excerpt
 

 My mother pushes me out the door, and I don’t know why.


“I don’t want to go,” I tell her.


“I know,” she says.


“But why now?” I ask again.
 “All-Stars starts this week. I don’t want to miss it.”


“We’ve been over this,” she says.


She might as well say what every parent resorts to when they run out of good answers: Because I said so. There’s no explanation, no more discussion. It’s time for me to go.

I feel ridiculously, stupidly, helplessly annoyed, and there’s nothing I can do about it. I see in that instant my mother is getting old. Stray gray hairs, wrinkles around the down-turned corners of her mouth. She looks tired and thin, sick of arguing with me. I carry a fully loaded metal-frame backpack on my shoulders and a smaller gym bag in my right hand—stuff for the long drive, all my technology’s in there. 
I don’t want to go, but I can’t stand here forever. 
So come on, Mom, let’s do this.


“You’ll have fun,” she says. “It’s good for you and your father to spend time together.”


“Please, Mom.”


“He’s the only father you’ve got,” she says.


I give her nothing in return. Not a nod. I’m not even listening. I turn my back to her.


“Bye,” she says, and adds, “I love you, Will.”


I walk away like I don’t hear.

“Will?”


I raise my hand in good-bye without looking back.


My father waits in the car. He steps out as I approach. I nod to him, hey. None of this is my idea. I have no say, no choice. I refuse to be happy about it. I’m not going to make this easy.


“Here, um, let me help you with that.” He reaches to take my backpack.


“No, I got it,” I say, leaning away.


“Oh, okay, sure,” he says.


He stands there, not knowing what to do.


“Are you going to pop the trunk?” I ask. Because: obviously.


Flustered, my father moves to the driver’s side door. He fumbles in the front pocket of his water-resistant khakis, drops the keys on the road, stoops to the ground. I glance sideways, slyly, to check how this is playing from the front window. But my mother is no longer watching.


She’s gone.
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About the Author



James Preller (born 1961) is the children's book author of the Jigsaw Jones Mysteries, which are published by Scholastic Corporation. He grew up in Wantagh, New York and went to college in Oneonta, New York. After graduating from college in 1983, James Preller was employed as a waiter for one year before being hired as a copywriter by Scholastic Corporation, where he was introduced (through their books) to many noatable children's authors. This inspired James Preller to try writing his own books. James Preller published his first book, entitled MAXX TRAX: Avalanche Rescue, in 1986. Since that time, James Preller has written a variety of books, and has written under a number of pen names, including Mitzy Kafka, James Patrick, and Izzy Bonkers. James Preller lives in Delmar, New York with his wife Lisa and their three children.


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Giveaway
 
Rafflecopter Link (Needs to be added on your post)
--Giveaway is open to International. | Must be 13+ to Enter

3 Winners will receive a Copy of The Courage Test by James Preller  

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tuesday, March 28, 2017

{Book Blitz + Giveaway} Ivory Queen - By Jacob Devlin

   
Hello readers!
Are you looking for your next read?
Well, let us help make things easier for you!
Welcome to the Book Blast for
Ivory Queen (Order Of The Bell #1.5) by Jacob Devlin
presented by Blaze Publishing!
Be sure to enter the giveaway found at the end of the post!
Looking for more books to read? Read on and find a book that’s waiting for you to devour!
     
 
Twenty-five years ago, the venomous Queen Avoria was banished from the enchanted realms of Florindale and sentenced to spend eternity inside a cursed mirror.
After a seemingly endless tumble through the mirror’s abyss, Avoria awakens in a gloomy metropolis in the darkest corner of Wonderland. There she meets the shrewd King of Hearts, Cornelius Redding, and the two strike a turbulent alliance. As Avoria helps Cornelius execute his conquest of Wonderland, she plots her own vengeance against the world that cast her out. In the city's cold shadows, Avoria finds pawns in the souls that defied her, truth in the reflection that calls to her, and power in the past that forged her. And thus, the Ivory Queen begins carving a path to the ultimate throne.

Ivory Queen (Order of the Bell #1.5) by Jacob Devlin
 Publication Date: January 10, 2017 
Publisher: Blaze Publishing

 
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About the Author



When Jacob Devlin was four years old, he would lounge around in Batman pajamas and make semi-autobiographical picture books about an adventurous python named Jake the Snake. Eventually, he traded his favorite blue crayon for a black pen, and he never put it down. When not reading or writing, Jacob loves practicing his Italian, watching stand-up comedy, going deaf at rock concerts, and geeking out at comic book conventions. He does most of these things in southern Arizona.

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YOU SHOULD ALSO CHECK OUT:
   

 
The asteroid hurtling toward the earth will kill billions.
The Emperor and his Gold Court will be safe in their space station, watching from the stars. The Silvers will be protected underground. But the Bronzes must fight it out at the Shadow Trials for the few remaining spots left on the space station.
When an enigmatic benefactor hands Maia Graystone a spot in the Trials, she won’t just get a chance at salvation for her and her baby brother, Max: She gets to confront the mother who abandoned her in prison, the mad Emperor who murdered her father, and the Gold prince who once loved her. But it’s the dark bastard prince she’s partnered with that will make her question everything, including her own heart. With the asteroid racing closer every day, Maia must trust someone to survive.
The question is who?
 
Shadow Fall (Shadow Fall #1) by Audrey Grey
 Publication Date: November 22, 2016 
Publisher: Blaze Publishing

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    the-surrendered-case-maynard-blaze-publishing-ebook  
After a financial collapse devastates the United States, the new government imposes a tax on the nation’s most valuable resource—the children.
add to goodreads
BAM | Chapters | Indies | Amazon | B&N | Kobo | TBD | iBooks

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    the-carver-ebook-m2  
Crescenzo never would’ve thought his father’s figurines were modeled after real people, but when his loved ones start vanishing from his life, he must unite their real life counterparts and seek their aid to save his family.
add to goodreads
The Carver by Jacob Devlin
 Publication Date: July 19, 2016 
Publisher: Blaze Publishing

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Giveaway


Complete the Rafflecopter below for a chance to win!
 

Sunday, March 26, 2017

{Blog Tour: Review + Giveaway} The Bone Witch - By Rin Chupeco


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Author: Rin Chupeco
Website
Release Date: 3/7/2017
Purchase Info: Amazon ~ B&N

The beast raged; it punctured the air with its spite. But the girl was fiercer. 

Tea is different from the other witches in her family. Her gift for necromancy makes her a bone witch, who are feared and ostracized in the kingdom. For theirs is a powerful, elemental magic that can reach beyond the boundaries of the living — and of the human.

Great power comes at a price, forcing Tea to leave her homeland to train under the guidance of an older, wiser bone witch. There, Tea puts all of her energy into becoming an asha, learning to control her elemental magic and those beasts who will submit by no other force. And Tea must be strong — stronger than she even believes possible. Because war is brewing in the eight kingdoms, war that will threaten the sovereignty of her homeland ... and threaten the very survival of those she loves.

Memorizing!!

Such a graceful way of spinning paranormal with a twisted version of an ancient culture. Seeing this entire book through the eyes of Tea I feel was a very smart move on the authors part. Tea is one of those main characters that took me a while to warm up to. She has the potential to blow everyone's mind, but she just hasn't come to that point yet. 

One thing that I appreciated was the amount of stunning detail that was woven into this novel. From the skies, to the description of the Bone Witch, you could tell that the author spent countless hours bringing her vision for this entire world to life through these pages. Allowing room for this world to grow, the plot really picked up about half way through the book. All the build up that happened within Tea's journey is coming to a beautiful head. Embrassing what she's meant to be is always fun to watch, so I can only imgaine what the next book in this series will bring!

Overall I enjoyed this unique tale, it was out of my normal setting & I always have a place in my heart for something a little different.


4/5





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About the Author


Rin Chupeco wrote obscure manuals for complicated computer programs, talked people out of their money at event shows, and did many other terrible things. She now writes about ghosts and fairy tales but is still sometimes mistaken for a revenant. She wrote The Girl from the Well, its sequel, The Suffering, and The Bone Witch, the first book of a new
YA Fantasy trilogy. 
Find her at rinchupeco.com

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GIVEAWAY

**Open International**

1 winner will get a signed hardcover of The Bone Witch
by Rin Chupeco & a crochet Tea doll
2 winners will get a bottlecap necklace and a crochet doll each




a Rafflecopter giveaway

Monday, March 13, 2017

{Release Blitz + Giveaway} Bellamy and the Brute - By Alicia Michaels

 
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Bellamy and The Brute - By Alicia Michaels
Published by: Clean Teen Publishing
Release Date: March 13th 2017
Genres: Fairy Tales, Retelling, Young Adult


A fresh twist on a classic story, Bellamy and the Brute proves true love really is blind.
When Bellamy McGuire is offered a summer job babysitting for the wealthy Baldwin family, she’s reluctant to accept. After all, everyone in town knows about the mysterious happenings at the mansion on the hill—including the sudden disappearance of the Baldwin’s eldest son, Tate. The former football star and golden boy of Wellhollow Springs became a hermit at the age of sixteen, and no one has seen or heard from him since. Rumors abound as to why, with whisperings about a strange illness—one that causes deformity and turned him into a real-life monster. Bellamy wants to dismiss these rumors as gossip, but when she’s told that if she takes the job, she must promise to never, ever visit the third floor of the mansion, she begins to wonder if there really is some dark truth hidden there.
Tate’s condition may not be the only secret being kept at Baldwin House. There are gaps in the family’s financial history that don’t add up, and surprising connections with unscrupulous characters. At night there are strange noises, unexplained cold drafts, and the electricity cuts out. And then there are the rose petals on the staircase. The rose petals that no one but Bellamy seems to be able to see. The rose petals that form a trail leading right up to the 3 rd floor, past the portrait of a handsome young man, and down a dark hallway where she promised she would never, ever go…
As Bellamy works to unravel the mysteries of Baldwin House and uncover the truth about Tate, she realizes that she is in way over her head… in more ways than one. Can her bravery and determination help to right the wrongs of the past and free the young man whose story has captured her heart?


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About the Author
Ever since she first read books like Chronicles of Narnia or Goosebumps, Alicia has been a lover of mind-bending fiction. Wherever imagination takes her, she is more than happy to call that place her home. With several Fantasy and Science Fiction titles under her belt, Alicia strives to write multicultural characters and stories that touch the heart. V-Card, the first book of the Sharing Spaces series, was her first Contemporary Romance.
The mother of three and wife to a soldier, she loves chocolate, coffee, and of course good books. When not writing, you can usually find her with her nose in a book, shopping for shoes and fabulous jewelry, or spending time with her loving family.
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GIVEAWAY

Clean Teen Publishing Mystery Box (Intl winner would get eBook prizes)
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Thursday, March 9, 2017

{Blog Tour: Review + Giveaway} Rose Petal Graves - By Olivia Wildenstein

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Author: Olivia Wildenstein
Website
Release Date: 3/29/2017
Purchase Info: Amazon 
Ancient secrets cannot remain buried forever.

Founded two centuries ago by a powerful tribe of Gottwa Indians, Rowan was a quiet town, so quiet that I fled after graduation. Staying away was the plan, but Mom died suddenly.

Dad said she suffered a stroke after she dug up one of the ancient graves in our backyard, which happens to be the town cemetery. Creepy, I know. Creepier still, there was no corpse inside the old coffin, only fresh rose petals.

As we made preparations for Mom’s burial, new people began arriving in Rowan, unnervingly handsome and odd people. I begged them to leave, but they stayed, because their enemies—my ancestors—were beginning to awaken.



Let me mend my heart back together.....


ABSOLUTELY LOVE BEYOND MEASURE!!!

If anyone knows me, they know that I have a no-holds-emotional escape forFae...and I mean anything Fae! Whether it's Karen Marie Moning's series, or it's a new indy artist, Fae it my original love!

All I can say is that Rose Petal Graves did not disappoint for me personally. I love how the novel was set up, how the story line played out for Catori. So many curve balls and twists in the road. It was eloquently written and thought-out more than I could have asked for. The journey started from a grave that didn't have any bones and stopped in a place you'd never expect...it was stunning!

Now I have to WAIT for #2, while drooling over this amazing book and it's gorgeous cover! Make sure you pick up this novel, you will not be upset!


5/5




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About the Author



Olivia Wildenstein grew up in New York City, the daughter of a French father with a great sense of humor, and a Swedish mother whom she speaks to at least three times a day. She chose Brown University to complete her undergraduate studies and earned a bachelor’s in comparative literature. After designing jewelry for a few years, Wildenstein traded in her tools for a laptop computer and a very comfortable chair. This line of work made more sense, considering her college degree.


When she’s not writing, she’s psychoanalyzing everyone she meets (Yes. Everyone), eavesdropping on conversations to gather material for her next book, baking up a storm (that she actually eats), going to the gym (because she eats), and attempting not to be late at her children’s school (like she is 4 out of 5 mornings, on good weeks).


Wildenstein lives with her husband and three children in Geneva, Switzerland, where she’s an active member of the writing community.


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Tuesday, March 7, 2017

{Cover Reveal + Giveaway} Illusionary - By Desiree Williams

 

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Illusionary - By Desiree Williams
Release Date: April 4th 2017
Genres: Urban Fantasy, Young Adult

Dorothy got sucked into a tornado.
Alice fell down a hole.
Wendy flew to Neverland
Kamryn? She tripped down the stairs.
Now, Kamryn Kensington finds herself in a strange new world. Within minutes of her arrival, she dodges an archer’s arrow and avoids getting sliced up by a cosplay reject holding a dagger to her throat. And that’s before the storyteller’s breath brings stories to life.
Home is the mission—to return to her family and pursue her life’s dream of art and travel. Yet the longer she’s in the Land of Ur, the harder it is not to feel for the people she meets. Even her artistic side can’t help but breathe in the beautiful wonder and magic of this new world. So when the Oracle hands her a different quest, she takes it on the condition he sends her home afterward.
No one thought to warn her of a jealous queen and her dragon minions. Or that, by helping her, the cute storyteller would go crazy. Or that her heart would rip in two when she left. Those would’ve been great facts to know ahead of time.
Considering that nothing in Ur is what it seems, the mission proves to be more than she ever imagined. But more than her own future will be in jeopardy if Kamryn doesn’t succeed.
Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / iBooks

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About the Author
Desiree Williams is a dreamer by day and chocoholic by night. She lives in the beautiful state of Kentucky with her husband and daughter, where she juggles life as a wannabe supermom. Desiree is a lover of food and avoider of dirty dishes. She delights in making people laugh and strives to bring hope and love with her wherever she goes.
You can find out more about Desiree and her books at www.desireewilliamsbooks.com

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{Cover Reveal + Giveaway} The Girl Who Could See - By Kara Swanson


Today Kara Swanson and Rockstar Book Tours are revealing the cover for THE GIRL WHO COULD SEE, which releases June 1, 2017! Check out the gorgeous cover and enter to win a $5 Amazon Gift Card and a copy of the eBook!

On to the reveal!


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Title: THE GIRL WHO COULD SEE
Author: Kara Swanson
Pub. Date: June 1, 2017
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform

Find it: Amazon | Goodreads


All her life Fern has been told she is blind to reality—but what if she is the only one who can truly see?

Fern Johnson is crazy. At least, that’s what the doctors have claimed since her childhood. Now nineteen, and one step away from a psych ward, Fern struggles to survive in bustling Los Angeles. Desperate to appear “normal,” she represses the young man flickering at the edge of her awareness—a blond warrior only she can see.

Tristan was Fern’s childhood imaginary hero, saving her from monsters under her bed and outside her walls. As she grew up and his secret world continued to bleed into hers, however, it only caused catastrophe. But, when the city is rocked by the unexplainable, Fern is forced to consider the possibility that this young man isn’t a hallucination after all—and that the creature who decimated his world may be coming for hers.

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Exclusive Excerpt!

CHAPTER ONE
Present Time


On television, they never tell you how cold it is.

They might show you the dimly lit room or the hard, uninviting chairs—stark reminders that you have no power here. They may depict the lonesome table separating you from the elderly agent with the stone-grey eyes. But those cop shows never depict what a chilly affair an FBI interrogation truly is. If their aim is to make this process as intimidating as possible—it’s working.

I wrap my hands around bare shoulders, fingertips far colder than the skin exposed by my red tank top. Brilliant move, Fern. Wear a scarf, but forget your jacket. Stifling a shudder, I try to meet the sharp gaze of Agent Barstow standing rigidly across from me.

“I don’t know where you’re from, miss Johnson—but in LA, state-of-the-art buildings don’t just crumble.” His voice is gravelly, matching the jagged lines of his dark skin and weathered face. 
“Federal buildings, no less. There one minute and the next…destroyed.”

His tone chills me even more, and I tug nervously on my scarf. His arms slowly unwind from his chest as he takes a deliberate two steps toward me. “We’ve had everyone on the disaster—CIA, local police, firemen…heck, we even called NASA. No one can find a plausible reason why a skyscraper, in excellent repair, would collapse like that. No one, that is, except you.”

I fight the urge to bolt for the door as he leans down, palms flat on the table, so close I can make out the creases on his dark suit. “You warned us of an attack in that area two weeks ago. How did you know?”

I suck in a deep breath as his voice lowers, dark fists tightening on the edge of the table. “Are you involved with a terrorist organization?”

I almost laugh at his words, at how they couldn’t be farther from the truth. I’m here to save LA, not destroy it. To save everyone. And I don’t have much time—none of us do. If I can’t gain this man’s trust, a shattered building is nothing compared to what will come next.

“No, sir.” I shove my shaking hands beneath my legs as I glimpse a pair of lucid blue eyes over the agent’s shoulder. They shouldn’t be there—and I know not to stare. But those eyes that only I can see are the reason I warned the FBI in the first place. Their owner the reason I’m even sitting in this room.

Licking my lips, I keep my attention on Barstow. I’ve wanted this for years. Someone to listen. Really listen. And it’s the FBI, no less. Be careful here.

When I open my mouth, the words are calm and steady. I hope they’re convincing—they have to be convincing. “I knew about the incident, Agent Barstow, because my friend warned me.” Throat suddenly dry, I look away. “My imaginary friend.

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About Kara


As the daughter of missionaries, KARA SWANSON spent sixteen years of her young life in the jungles of Papua New Guinea. Able to relate with characters dropped suddenly into a unique new world, she quickly fell in love with the speculative genre and was soon penning stories herself.

At seventeen, she independently published a fantasy novel, Pearl of Merlydia. She has since published many articles, including one in the Encounter magazine. Kara received the Mount Hermon Most Promising Teen Writer Award in 2015. You can find her on Facebook as Kara Swanson, Author, or attempting to be artistic over on Instagram (@karaswanson_author). When she’s not creating new stories and placing characters in peril, she’s probably binge-watching Marvel movies, playing with her huskies, reading till two in the morning or experimenting with a dairy-free mocha Frappuccino (skills, I’m telling you).


Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads




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Giveaway Details

(1) winner will receive a $5 Amazon Gift Card, US Only.
(1) will receive an Advanced eBook Copy of THE GIRL WHO COULD SEE, International.


a Rafflecopter giveaway