Sunday, March 31, 2013

Review of 'Kasadya (Hellhound Awakened)' by Karen Swart

Book Blurb from Amazon:

In a constant battle between good and evil, evil is dominating the battle field and leading mankind to its destruction. With our Creator's intervention a creature destined to concur and destroy is created. He gives mankind hellhounds to fight back and reclaim freedom.

Join seventeen year old Kasadya Levourne as she fights against evil to protect us. With each step she faces destruction, and yet she has the talent to give it back tenfold. Stubborn and hardheaded she makes her mark in the fallen world and starts a battle none can escape. Not even her trainer, the very attractive Chax de Luca, was prepared for her presence.

Will evil prevail? Or will Kas and her fallen friends succeed in protecting us against it?

Hold on to your seats, this is going to be one hell of a ride.

**My thoughts**

I usually love books that are published by the Anchor Group, and purchased this one during one of their sales. I bumped it up on my TBR list when my book club decided to read it. 

Honestly, demons are not usually my thing, but I found myself engrossed in this story once it got going. Kasadya has a lot to learn about being a hellhound - all of her powers, how to fight, and whom to trust in this new world. She makes some mistakes along the way that can be very costly, but is a fun kick-ass heroine. The book is action-packed and ends in a cliffhanger!

The writing as far as the storytelling got better and better as the book continued. My biggest complaint is a problem with grammatical mistakes throughout the book. Sometimes they detracted from the story, though I tried hard to overlook them for the story itself. I love the story and want to read the next book for that reason.

Buy links: Amazon \ Barnes & Noble \ Smashwords 

Review of 'Taming Tyler' by Rebecca Rembish


YA Contemporary Romance
2nd In the Texting Tyler Series
Date Published: 2/18/13

Synopsis:


In Rebecca Rembish's premier novel, 'texting tyler', Chris lives in the shadow of his older brother, struggling to be the popular one... the good looking one... the one all the girls adored.

No doubt about it, Tyler Clarke is hot. Tyler Clarke has a reputation. Tyler Clarke has been with every girl in school. Tyler Clarke is also a virgin... or at least he was until his first date with Lori Matthews.

One thing Tyler could never seem to avoid was a label. Good or bad, no label had ever bothered him quite as much as the one he received from Lori. What was it about her that made him care so much? Why was she different from all the other girls he ever met?

While Tyler never made decisions on a future beyond high school, Lori is a planner. After graduation, she decides to spend her first year at home and attend the community college for two reasons. She needs more time to plan her future and she needs to save money. Tyler and what came next were never part of her plan.

With an uncertain future, a pregnant girlfriend and not many people to turn to, Tyler struggles with one of the toughest years of his life.

Lori's careful plans are turned upside down. The fear of raising a baby in the same difficult circumstances she grew up with and a relationship that scares her to death, Lori must make the most heart wrenching decision of her life.

**My thoughts**

I really enjoyed 'Texting Tyler,' so I was happy to take on the second book in the series. I enjoy getting to know the real Tyler better. He was a huge part of that first book, even though his character wasn't physically present for most of it. I suspected that Tyler was damaged in one way or another during that book, but not to what extent. This story presents Tyler in all of his broken glory. You even start to feel sorry for him as his thoughts and feelings come into play.

Lori is a perfect match for him, even though neither one of them every imagined that they would be in any kind of situation together. They especially didn't expect to have all of this happen, with a baby on the way and everything. You will find yourself wondering what you would do if you were in their situation.


Buy links: Paperback \ Kindle

Author Bio:

Rebecca Rembish is a stay at home mom to a mini super-hero. To help balance out her adventurous days with a pre-schooler and grown-up married life, she escapes by writing Young Adult Romantic Fiction.

She is a compulsive nail biter, who makes daily trips to 7-11 for blueberry coffee. Rebecca grew up in Rockland County, New York, and now resides in New Jersey with her husband and son. Although Rebecca loves to text, amazingly, she and her husband of ten years have never once sent each other a text message.

Contact Links:

Texting Tyler Website
Twitter: @justsendatext

Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Get to know P.B. Azeltine & M.E. Drewry, authors of 'Monster Night'


Today, please welcome authors P.B. Azeltine and M.E. Drewry to the blog! They are sharing a bit more about themselves and working together as a team on their new book, 'Monster Night.'

What was the inspiration behind 'Monster Night'?

We were inspired by the Dresden Files books. ME and I are big fans of Jim Butcher and the series and we thought there should be a young adult Dresden running around in books. And that’s how we came up with David Finkleman. But as we brainstormed our story it took on a life of its own and we stopped following the Dresden Files and made it our own.

Which character was your favorite to write?

David is definitely our favorite to write because of his sarcasm and quick wit. Plus he is human (and wizard), makes mistakes, and has flaws. We like to write characters that are real and true to life.

Which scene is your favorite?

PB: I think my favorite scene is at the end of the book when David finds Mr. Otto in the bedroom upstairs and recues him, but takes his time removing the gage from his mouth and the conversation the two of them have. I think David redeems himself in his teacher’s eyes, which gives him great satisfaction.

ME: My favorite scene is where David meets Sabrina for the first time in the coffee shop. He is so awkward with girls, it’s cute. While it’s not a particular scene, I love David’s sarcasm throughout the story.

If you could wake up on day and be endowed with magical powers, would you want them? What would you do with them?

PB: I’m not sure, because it’s a lot of responsibility. But if I did have them, I would want my powers to heal people. I would want to heal the sick and suffering.

ME: Of course I would! I would love to have magical powers. Apart from using magic to keep my plants from dying around my house, I would use my powers to help others, in particular children. Kids deal with so much more nowadays than I ever had to, I would like to help them out more than I can as a teacher.

So, do chupacabras really exist? Inquiring minds want to know!

Of course they do!

In a genre that is filled with stories of wizards and magic, what makes yours stand out? Why should we read it?

We tried to approach our wizard/magic story from a different angle because we knew the market was saturated with them. We feel having David work for the FBI as an undercover agent is a different approach, one not many if any have used, and we are also using mythological creatures from all over the world, different cultures and nationalities, mixed with a little science fiction sprinkled in (just a touch), while at the same time keeping it real with David dealing with his “normal” life as a teenager, i.e., girls, school, older brother, best friend, parents, bullies, teachers, etc. We always add humor to the stories and David grows and learns from his experiences in a positive way. David starts out like the Danny DeVito of the two brothers off the movie, “Twins.” But he grows and learns about the depth of his own character, his own strength within, and becomes the true hero, even though not many will ever know about it. So we think you should read it because it is entertaining and for its underlying message that we all have strength deep inside us, no matter the package shape we come in.

How did the two of you come together to write this book?

Well, I bet you won’t hear this answer from anyone else. ME is my daughter and her husband, Jake, has Cystic Fibrosis, which is a disease of the lungs. In 2011, when the Swine flu was going around the country he ended up getting it and it landed him in the hospital literally on is deathbed. The only way they could save him was if he could get a double lung transplant, which he was going to eventually have to get anyway because of his disease. ME and I started doing fund raisers for this $1.5 million dollar operation, in which insurance (at the time) only paid half of. One of the fund raiser ideas we had was to write an ebook and sell it on Amazon. And that was how Monster Night was born. Since then, Jake has had his operation, it was successful, and he is doing fantastic! It was a real miracle though. The lungs came in an hour before they were sending him home to die. It was a long ordeal that took many months and literally changed all of our lives in so many ways. You can read about it on my web site: www.pbazeltine.com under Charities. In about a month, I will have a new web site with more information.

Do you have any other projects in the works as a team?

We are currently working on the third book in the Monster series called, “Monster Luck.” We actually have two other books in the series fifty-percent completed, but we decided not to put either one of those books next because of where the characters are in those stories.

On what kind of individual projects are you working?

PB: I am in the editing process for the second book in the Jesse Skylock Holmes Mystery series (middle-grade) titled, “A Race Car Named Dangerous,” and I recently got my reversion rights back on my old published romances and I intend to rewrite them and put them out as ebooks under PK Burian, plus I have a number of historical and contemporary romances I plan to publish as an indie writer.

Me: In my copious amount of spare time (insert laugh track here), I am working on a young adult fantasy about a girl who has been chosen to find a mysterious sword to save her world. The story will have a lot of twists and unexpected turns riddled throughout it. Other stories I have in the works stay in the magical realm with witches, wizards, and vampires.

What does each of you bring to the writing table? How do you complement each other?

PB: I bring twenty-two years of writing experience, the motivation and determination to start and finish the books. I belong to many writing groups and take classes throughout the year, study other writers, research, and work with the editor, cover artist, format the books and put them online. It has been a real learning curve for me this past year with ebooks!

ME: While I don’t have the years of experience in writing, I bring creative ideas and humor to the books. Also I am computer savvy, so I help in that capacity a lot. PB is the real driving force behind the books. Her dedication and persistence in her writing is very inspiring to me.

We attend conferences together and share writing tips and information. We feed off of one another when we brainstorm for story ideas. This is where we complement one another the most.

What are the pros and cons to working as a team on a book?

Pros: Having more than one person’s ideas to add to the book. Like the saying goes, “Two heads are better than one!”

Cons: Finding the time to get together! We both work full-time jobs that take a tremendous amount of our time, so we have to use the computer and cell phone texting to communicate our ideas much of the time.

What is something readers may be surprised to learn?

That originally David’s father and brother had magical powers, but we changed that and decided not to give them any powers because it would create more of a conflict between David’s grandfather and his father on several emotional levels, and it gave David and his brother, Henry more of a conflict on different levels.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

Andrea,

We would like to thank you for selecting us to interview. We appreciate your interest in us and you taking the time review our work. We hope you and your viewers have as much fun reading it as we had writing it.

Warm Regards,

PB Azeltine and ME Drewry

You're welcome! Thank you so much for your time!

P.B. Azeltine has been writing for many years. She is a Land Surveyor Instrument woman by day and a writer at lunch time, traveling in the car time, any spare moment time, days off time, and evenings. She loves writing young adult, middle-grade, historical romance, and contemporary romance. She tries to put humor in all her writing. She has learned that as she goes through life, humor can make it much easier to get through. She lives in Olympia, Washington (U.S.A.) with her husband, two daughters, son in-law, future son in-law, two dogs, one cat, and one lovebird.

Visit her website: www.pbazeltine.com


M.E. Drewry is a teacher and writer. An avid fan and reader of fantasy, she decided to co-write her own fantasy story for young adult. She lives in Rochester, Washington (U.S.A.) with her husband, Jacob and her overly pampered black lab Shadow.

Find her on Facebook.

Young Adult Fantasy
Date Published: November 2012

When a drug surfaces in town that turns teens into the mythological creature of the chupacabra, David Copperfield Finkleman is called in to help. Why? Because David possesses a rare gift. He is a true blue, magic out of the fingertips, potions and spells, wizard. Well, that and because his grandfather is the lead investigator on the case and the drug is circulating in David's own high school. David is thrust into a world of danger and monsters he never knew existed, all the while living his normal daily life. He learns that he will have to save the very bullies who torment him in school and the chemistry teacher who wants nothing more than to flunk him. Adding to his problems, he deals with girl troubles, a boss who doesn't appreciate his sarcasm, and saving an agent's life before it's too late...no pressure!


Read an excerpt:
"That crazy creature they had in the book?" I asked. I'd never heard of anything like this before. “Wow!” I ran my hand through my hair and stared wide-eyed at my grandfather. “I don’t think I’m in Kansas anymore, Toto.”

"And this isn’t the Land of Oz,” Gramps said. “This is my world and now yours, where magic comes to life and threatens people and their lives. As wizards it’s our duty to protect the average person from bad magic. That’s why I need your help. I can’t do this in the condition I’m in.” He patted his heart. “My ticker’s left me weak, which weakens my powers. You’ve got to take my place, David. You’re the only who can. I don’t know anyone else who has the power you do and could take on someone like this.”

“Gramps, I don’t know what I’m doing.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll help you. Keep reporting to me. Now, Tom had a lead on the man who brought the drug into the country. He'd come to the Northwest, because he thought the area would keep him hidden."
**My thoughts**

This book is definitely different from other paranormal, supernatural, fantasy YA out there. One thing that stood out is that David is already fully aware that he has powers. He has grown up in a magical family and is just learning more about how to use them as a part of the agency while he tries to save his high school and town from the chupacabras and drugs.

Another thing that stands out is the mix of different creatures from all around the world, such as the chupacabra, that don't often find their way into this genre of books right now. 

David is a typical sarcastic teenage boy, whose mouth can easily get him into trouble. Gramps is one of those fun characters who likes to egg on his grandson and embraces him for who he is. He also helps to get him both in and out of trouble throughout the story. It is a quick and fun read that even some middle grade kids will enjoy.

Buy links: Paperback \ Kindle \ Smashwords

Cover Reveal! 'Frostbite' by Lynn Rush

Coming soon...

A new trilogy from author Lynn Rush...

Check out FROSTBITE...

Book Blurb:
Amanda gives a whole new meaning to cool…

Amanda Smith is sick of getting chased from town-to-town. So when she lands in tiny Trifle, Arizona, she hopes it’s her last move for a long time. Despite hating the smallness of the town, she settles in and finds a best friend, and even a boyfriend. Normality at its finest.

But for a girl who can shoot snow from her hands and lift a two-ton truck over her head like a bag of feathers—normal is not an option.

The scientists who murdered her mother come barreling into Amanda’s quiet life. She must decide if she’ll run again or stay and fight. The price of either choice might be her life or the lives of those she’s come to love


Title: Frostbite (Touch of Frost #1)
Author:  Lynn Rush
Date of Release: September 17th, 2013
Publisher: Lynn Rush, LLC
Author Bio: 

Driven to write, Lynn Rush often sees her characters by closing her eyes watching their story unfold in her mind. Lynn Rush is a pen name that is a combination of two sources – Lynn, the first name of her mother-in-law, who passed away and Rush – since the author is a former inline speed skater and mountain biker. All of Rush’s books are dedicated to Lynn, her namesake, and a portion of the proceeds benefits cancer research and awareness.

 

Saturday, March 23, 2013

Win an ecopy of 'The Magic Warble' by Victoria Simcox

Book reviewer Rebecca Wilson at Manic Mama of 2 wanted to share with all of you her thoughts on 'The Magic Warble' by Victoria Simcox, as well as to share with you the giveaway for the book. The following are her honest thoughts about it. Please enter the RC below to win your own copy!



I had never heard of Victoria Simcox or any of her books until I won one of her books. I dove right into reading it and she is allowing me now to do my review and have a giveaway attached. She is offering 3 e-copies of the book, so make sure you get your entries in.


Synopsis:

Twelve-year-old Kristina Kingsly feels like the most unpopular girl in her school. The kids all tease her, and she never seems to fit in. But when Kristina receives an unusual Christmas gift, she suddenly finds herself magically transported to the land of Bernovem, home of dwarfs, gnomes, fairies, talking animals and the evil Queen Sentiz. In Bernovem, Kristina not only fits in, she's honored as "the chosen one," the only one who can release the land from Queen Sentiz's control. But it's not as simple as it seems. To save Bernovem, she must place the gift she was given, the famous "Magic Warble," in its final resting place. She must travel through the deep forest, climb a treacherous mountain, and risk capture by the queen's "zelbocks" before she reaches her destination. Guided by her new fairy friends, Clover and Looper and by Prince Werrien, a teenage boy, and an assortment of other characters, Kristina sets off on a perilous journey that not only tests her strength but her heart.

Review:

I immediately fell in love with Kristina's character because I was that awkward girl when I was twelve. She doesn't seem to fit in with anyone her age and has formed a bond with her teacher. Her only real friend and confident is her pet rat, Raymond. This book has a great fantasy feel and is great for kids that are younger in age. Being 24, I also found myself engrossed in the story and trials and tribulations that it would take to get the magic warble to her destination in order to save Bernovem from Queen Sentiz. The Queen makes a great young readers villian. Anyone that came in contact with the warble is also transported to Bernovem, and even though they are not the nicest to Kristina in their world, you find yourself also rooting for them against the Queen and the zelbocks.

Every girl that feels like she doesn't fit in wants that satisfaction that she does indeed have a purpose. Kristina happened to find hers in a world that was nothing like her own. There is also a love twist when Kristina meets Prince Werrien. It is that type of puppy love and infatuation that leaves you saying "Awwww." You remember back when you had that first sense of wanting a member of the opposite sex to like you just for who you were.

The land of Bernovem has gnomes, dwarfs, and fairies. I remember loving the Chronicles of Narnia when I was younger, and this is just like that for this generation of children. It has all the magic and fantasy a younger person would want. You become so engrossed in the story line and wanting the heroes to reach their destination that before you know it, the book is over, and you are wanting more!

I will definitely be starting in on the second book today, The Black Shard. Be on the lookout for that review very soon.

About the Author:

Victoria, known as Vicki, was born in 1966, in Scarborough, Ontario, Canada, to an Austrian immigrant mother, and a Dutch immigrant father. She has one older sister, Jeannette. When Vicki was 7, she moved with her family to British Columbia. In her early twenties Vicki moved to Western Washington and now resides in Marysville WA. She has been married to her husband Russ, for nineteen years and they have three children; Toby, who is fifteen, Kristina, thirteen, and William, eight. She has home schooled her children for the past nine years, and she also teaches elementary school art. Vicki’s other family members are, a Chihuahua, named Pipsy, two cats, Frodo, and Fritz, and two parakeets, Charlie, and Paulie. She did have a pet rat named Raymond when she started writing The Magic Warble, but sad to say, he has since passed away of old age. Vicki enjoys writing, painting watercolors, watching movies, hanging out with her family, and chauffeuring her kids around to their many activities. Her favorite author is C.S. Lewis, and one of her fondest memories is when she was twelve. She would sit at the kitchen table and read The Chronicles of Narnia to her mother while she cooked dinner. These magical stories were very dear to Vicki and she remembers wishing, If only I could go to Narnia like Lucy and Susan. Vicki hopes that maybe, she can touch someone with her story in a similar way.

You can find the Magic Warble on: Barnes and Noble and Amazon

There are also many other sites you can purchase the book, so make sure you check out the Goodreads page!

Giveaway:

Enter on the link below for the chance to win one of three ecopies of The Magic Warble.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: Manic Mama of 2 nor Andi's Young Adult Books is responsible for the fulfillment of prize. Prize will be awarded in the form of an e-copy by the author. My review is that of my own and I was not in any way compensated. This review may differ from your own.

Thursday, March 21, 2013

Cover Reveal! 'Precious Things' by Stephanie Parent


Precious Things
Release Date: May 2013
Cover Deisgned by: Allie Brennan of B Design 
Cover reveal organized by: YA Bound

Summary from Goodreads:
Isabelle Andrews isn’t supposed to be here. She isn’t supposed to be a freshman at Hartford Community College, she isn't supposed to be living at home and working at her dad’s failing bakery, and she definitely isn’t supposed to be taking Intro to Electronic Music Production, a class that will get her nowhere toward her goal of an English Ph.D. by age twenty-five. But when her dad’s latest business fiasco eats up her college fund, Hartford Community College is exactly where Isabelle finds herself—and thanks to her late enrollment, she doesn’t even get to choose her classes. Stuck with Electronic Music and way-too-easy English courses, Isabelle is determined to wallow in all the misery she feels entitled to.


But community college brings some unexpected benefits…like the fact that a certain overworked, over-scheduled Electronic Music professor hands over most of his duties to his teaching assistant. His tall, green-eyed, absolutely gorgeous teaching assistant. When TA Evan Strauss discovers Isabelle’s apathy toward electronic music—and, well, all music—he makes it his mission to convert her. The music Evan composes stirs something inside Isabelle, but she can’t get involved—after all, she’ll be transferring out as soon as possible. 

Still, no matter how tightly Isabelle holds on to her misery, she finds it slipping away in the wake of all Hartford Community offers: new friendships, a surprisingly cool poetry professor, and most of all, Evan. But Evan’s dream of owning his own music studio is as impractical as Isabelle’s dad’s bakery, and when Evan makes a terrible decision, everything Isabelle has gained threatens to unravel. Soon Isabelle discovers that some of the most important lessons take place outside the classroom…and that in life, as in Evan’s favorite Depeche Mode song, the most precious things can be the hardest to hold on to.


About the Author

Stephanie Parent is a graduate of the Master of Professional Writing program at USC and attended the Baltimore School for the Arts as a piano major. She moved to Los Angeles because of Francesca Lia Block's WEETZIE BAT books, which might give you some idea of how much books mean to her. She also loves dogs, books about dogs, and sugary coffee drinks both hot and cold.

Follow Stephanie at:
Blog
| Twitter|Goodreads 

'Enchanter: Giver of Life' Book Barrage

Enchanter (Giver of Life #1)
by Kristy Centeno
YA Romance
Category: Adventure
Publisher: Lazy Day Publisher
Release Date: January 23, 2013
Heat Level: Sweet
Length: 164 pages

Blurb
Leah Parker is furious when she finds out she’s been paired up for a class project with deadly silent, tough as nails, and incredibly intimidating Brandon Morris. Though she’s known him for years, Leah has made it a priority to stay away from him for a reason. As they are forced to spend time together however, Leah comes to find that there is more to Brandon than what meets the eye.

When a series of unexpected events forces Brandon to reveal his true identity, Leah suddenly finds herself fighting to come to terms with who he is and with the fact that by fulfilling his destiny she will come to lose the only guy she’s ever loved. As a family secret is unveiled and old threats possess new risks, they both have to find the strength to do what is expected of them. Even if that means losing each other in the process.

Love brought them together. His bloodline threatens to pull them apart. Will Brandon choose duty over love? Or will other forces far beyond their control separate them first?

Read an excerpt:
Brandon is destined for someone else.

“You forgot to mention this secret of yours from the very beginning.”

“What was I supposed to say?” He wrapped both arms around my waist and held me tightly against his hard body so that I could not move away. “All these years I’ve been aware of your complete disregard for me, I could see it in your eyes. Despite what your friends and you thought, I’m not blind, nor am I deaf. I could hear you all murmuring things about me, but I ignored it. In spite of all the condescending comments, I still hoped that one day you’d look at me like you do now.

“I can honestly say that I never imagined that you would ever give me the time of day, much less touch me, kiss me, caress me, or show any desire for me in any way.” His lips were everywhere, planting soft kisses over my cheeks, forehead, jaw, nose, and finally my lips. He pulled away only so that he could continue talking, “Never in a million years did I think that we would end up spending as much time as we are now. How was I supposed to know that this week was going to change my life forever? How was I supposed to know that I would finally get to hold you this close and even kiss you?” He used his left hand to lift my chin up so that our gazes met and he took my lips with his. For a few heart-stopping moments, he kissed me. And when I say kiss, I mean his mouth made love to mine. As his demonstration began to escalate in intensity, he withdrew and looked down at my eyes. “Having you as a partner for this assignment was like a dream come true. Even when your attitude annoyed me, I was still looking forward to spending some one-on-one time with you.”

“You weren’t exactly an angel, either.”

He laughed. “Well, I was guarding my heart. God knows I didn’t want you to see just how much your beautiful smile took my breath away, or how much I wanted to hold you against me and kiss you until we needed to stop for air.”

“I don’t think I’ll ever want to stop kissing you,” I admitted.

“Me neither.” And to make his point, he pulled me in for another mind-blowing kiss before reluctantly pulling away. “It’s the best feeling in the world.”

“It is,” I agreed. “But it can’t go on.”
 
About the Author
As a child, I used to lose myself in an imaginary world by the means of a good book. Now that I’m all grown up, I get to create my own fictional realms and make them come to life in ways that most readers might not expect.

I’ve always had a passion for writing but never had the opportunity do so until now. After trying out numerous options I realized that writing was what I loved the most so when I found myself with some free time on my hands, I decided to give it a shot. As it turned out, my very active imagination helped me achieve my goals of creating believable plots with some ordinary, and some not so ordinary characters that helped the stories move along in one way or another.

As I keep moving along in achieving my dreams of becoming a published author, I divide my time in between my four children and my very understanding husband.

Connect with Kristy Centeno

Wednesday, March 20, 2013

'Russian Dolls' by Cristelle Comby Review Tour

Russian Dolls
By
Cristelle Comby

BLURB:
Alexandra Neve is a student at University College London whose world suddenly falls apart. When her best friend jumps from the university’s rooftop, she can’t stop herself from asking, ‘Why?’ The police rule her friend’s death a suicide and for them the case is closed — so whom can she turn to for help?

Sometimes the person you need the most is the one you least expect to find, and in this case it’s none other than Ashford Egan, a blind middle-aged history professor, who’s more willing than most to listen to what she has to say.

Neve and Egan are as different as they come. She’s restless, careless at times, and fearless when the need arises, while he’s almost the complete opposite: a deep thinker with an analytical mind, a highly rational and collected individual.

As they enter the violent world of the Russian mafia, they must overcome their differences and learn to work together. It’s their only chance if they want to survive. 

Read an excerpt:
I skip lectures on Thursday morning and head for a shop which specialises in surveillance equipment. They have everything from miniature bugs to cameras hidden in pencils. I would never have thought that it could be legal for anyone to just enter their shop and buy such equipment, but apparently it is. The young clerk who serves me even goes as far as explaining in great detail which product is the best and why. Well... welcome to the twenty-first century, I suppose.

I take two microphones and two cameras. It’s not cheap and I cringe a little when I see the total. I guess I can always try to resell this equipment to some fellow students if I don’t end up using it. I’m sure I can find a few girls who’d love to keep close tabs on their boyfriends.
  
 **My thoughts**

This was definitely a different type of mystery novel. Alexandra and Ashford (aka Neve and Egan) are the most unlikely duo I have ever come across. Even when they first hook up to do their sleuthing, it is a little hard to believe. Somehow, their differences serve to balance each other out and they are actually able to learn from each other.

Alexandra is convinced that her best friend didn't commit suicide, though the supposed evidence all points to that being true. She finds a list in a secret hiding place that gets her asking questions and leads to her hooking up with Egan. The next thing she knows, she is knee deep in the Russian Mafia and other shady groups with all kinds of twists and lots of action.

This is a shorter New Adult read that looks to be the beginning of a series featuring the professor and his student solving a bunch of mysteries together. 


Buy links: Paperback \ Kindle


AUTHOR INFORMATION:

Cristelle Comby was born and raised in the French-speaking area of Switzerland, somewhere between Geneva and Lausanne, where she still resides.

Thanks to her insatiable thirst for American and British action films and television dramas, her English is fluent.

She attributes to her origins her ever-peaceful nature and her undying love for chocolate. She has a passion for art, which also includes an interest in drawing and acting.

Russian Dolls is her first new-adult novel, and she’s hard at work on the next titles in the series.

Find out more at www.cristelle-comby.com

Cristelle will be giving away one autographed copy of Russian Dolls to a randomly drawn commenter. Follow the tour for more chances to win!

'Awakenings' by Hally Willmott Facebook Event 3/20/13


When sixteen-year old Jacey Adison’s parents tell her they must move again, she has never questioned their life style. Until now. When Jacey was two, her parents fled the protection of their birthplace, the mystical dimension of Nemele. Leaving was the only solution her parents believed might allow them to keep their family
together and alive.

The Adisons have been running from a sect of iniquitous beings from Nemele who covet Jacey. Her parents have repressed their adversaries’ relentless tracking efforts by not utilizing their own mystical powers. They have chosen to conceal themselves within the only realm they knew they’d be able to survive. They are living under their self-imposed powerless sanctions on Earth, which constitutes the nineteenth nation of Nemele.

Her parents have never revealed their true identities to Jacey, consequently keeping her true lineage and unique birthright from her. Jacey’s family has pretended to be non-magical humans as a ploy to prevent an ancient omnipotent entity from killing more innocent beings in its relentless quest to possess Jacey.

Born as an anomaly, Jacey possesses rare abilities that both virtuous and corrupt entities seek to use as their own. Should either side prevail, Jacey may be the saviour or downfall of every world within Nemele’s domains. Blindly thrust into life and death situations, Jacey learns of her true powers within her dreaming and conscious states.

Read an excerpt:
I close my eyes and within seconds, they begin again, swirling colors mix together, forming kaleidoscope patterns, setting me up for the dreams to come. I know some of the colours without any problem, but the ones which catch my attention are the ones I can’t begin to describe. 


Please join Release Day Diva and Hally Willmott Wednesday March 20th from 12:30-2:30 EST for a fun filled afternoon. We have some fun prizes for you all, and a chance for you to get to know Hally!!




ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Hally was born in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada. She is a Police Officer with the Greater Sudbury Police Service. Hally enjoys reading both fiction and non-fiction novels. She is a self-proclaimed writer of all things imaginative (both poetry and novels). She also holds a strong belief in –if you put your mind to it, you can accomplish anything!
She met her forever partner Jerry, and married him thirteen years ago.
Together, they have accomplished the greatest feat, being blessed with two gifts from God, their sons Jacob and Jordan.

Between working full time, being a wife and mother, Hally finds the time to write when her kids go to bed, when Jerry’s at work or when their new puppy Jersey decides to wake her up every morning around five a.m. She and her family enjoy long summer nights by the campfire and cold winter nights snuggled up watching movies in their home.

In 2009, Hally had an idea to write a novel. The idea for Awakenings came to her in a dream, the first in a series of four.

Facebook: www.facebook.com/hallywillmottnovels

Twitter: www.twitter.com/HallynJerry

Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/author/show/6982761.Hally_Willmott

Website: www.hallywillmott.com


 Hope to see you all there!!










Brought to you by the Release Day Diva

 

Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Angela Scott's 'Desert Rice' & 'Desert Flower'

Desert Rice & Desert Flower
by Angela Scott

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

BLURB:

Bodies have an uncanny way of finding Samantha Jean Haggert—the first, the dead body of her mama; the second, a naked man in the middle of the Arizona desert. For Sam, dealing with one dead body in her lifetime is more than unfair. Two is downright cruel.

Seven years after running from West Virginia, Sam's now a young woman of nineteen, trying to put the pieces of her life together with the help of her family—Jacob, Boone, and Laura. But the naked man in the desert spirals her world out of control, resurrecting past hurts and revealing old secrets. It also pits against one another the two men who vie for her heart: Carson, her friend, her first kiss, and the one man who knows everything about her past and loves her despite it; and Turner, the stranger who knows nothing, but who excites and frustrates her all at once.

When bad choices made as a child lead to more bad choices as a young adult, Sam finds herself at a crossroads, forced to face her demons head-on if she plans to have any future at all—with Carson, with Turner, or with anyone. But fixing the wrongs of the past takes time, and learning to forgive one's self is damn near impossible.

Visit old friends in this harrowing sequel to Desert Rice, in which award-winning author Angela Scott brings back the characters so many readers have loved.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Read an excerpt from 'Desert Flower':
He felt my hesitation, and instead of kissing me, he whispered, "Close your eyes, Sam."

My heart pounded faster. His close proximity was nearly too much, claustrophobic, but I did as he asked. Just hurry, do it before I change my mind.

His thumb brushed my lips, exploring, but not demanding. He gently parted them, leaned forward, his breath on my skin, and softly captured my mouth with his own. His movement was tender and kind. He took it slowly, meeting my weak response with an equivalent desire, holding back.

Every kiss I had ever experienced had been forced upon me, hurting me, including Turner's.

But this... this was different. It didn't scare me as I'd expected it to.

It was okay. I was okay. It was a beginning, and tears of relief ran down my cheeks.

He pulled away from me and wiped the tears away with his thumb and kissed my forehead. "I'm so sorry, Sam."

I shook my head. "Don't be." I smiled through tears that kept coming. "Your kiss was wonderful."

Dr. Marslow would be proud.


**My thoughts**

I am one of those readers who so dearly loves this series by Angela Scott. When I read 'Desert Rice' last year, I was haunted by it for days. I remember sitting in my favorite corner booth at my local pub, completely engrossed in this tragic tale of two siblings who have had to endure some unthinkable situations and tragedies in their young lives. I was wiping away tears from my eyes, which probably freaked out some of my friends and fellow patrons. I had to leave before I finished the book, because I didn't want to embarrass myself bawling in public. 

Sam has had to endure so much trauma in her young life. She has so much life left to live, if given the opportunity. But it isn't going to be easy for her. I was so happy when I saw that there was a sequel, so that I could check in on her in a few years!

'Desert Flower' takes us seven years into the future. Sam is doing better, but still has so many hurdles to overcome. While my heart wasn't quite as torn in the second book as in the first, I still wanted to crawl within the pages to protect Sam and prevent her from making stupid decisions. She definitely makes some more mistakes that are going to affect her for the rest of her life. She has grown up a lot and learned a lot, but still has a ways to go.

This book ends in such a way that it leaves open the possibility of a third book. Angela has said that she isn't planning a third book in the series, but I have a feeling that Sam and her family and friends will soon speak up and drive her to do so. If not, I can guarantee that we fans will do so! Until then, I shall have to continue to reread these two gems.

Angela Scott truly has become one of my new favorite authors because of this series. I have also been enjoying her Zombie West series, though I am not a huge fan of zombies, nor the Wild West. Add her to your must-read list.

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

I hear voices. Tiny fictional people sit on my shoulders and whisper their stories in my ear. Instead of medicating myself, I decided to pick up a pen, write down everything those voices tell me, and turn it into a book. I’m not crazy. I’m an author. For the most part, I write contemporary Young Adult novels. However, through a writing exercise that spiraled out of control, I found myself writing about zombies terrorizing the Wild Wild West—and loving it. My zombies don’t sparkle, and they definitely don’t cuddle. At least, I wouldn’t suggest it.

I live on the benches of the beautiful Wasatch Mountains with two lovely children, one teenager, and a very patient husband. I graduated from Utah State University with a B.A. degree in English, not because of my love for the written word, but because it was the only major that didn’t require math. I can’t spell, and grammar is my arch nemesis. But they gave me the degree, and there are no take backs.

As a child, I never sucked on a pacifier; I chewed on a pencil. I’ve been writing that long. It has only been the past few years that I’ve pursued it professionally, forged relationships with other like-minded individuals, and determined to make a career out of it.

You can subscribe and follow me on my website, where I blog obsessively about my writing process and post updates on my current works. I’m also on Twitter and Facebook, but be forewarned, I tweet and post more than a normal person.



Twitter: @whimsywriting



LINKS:

Amazon:


DESERT FLOWER http://amzn.to/XR6QDj




Angela will award one commenter at every stop a Mobi or ePub copy of WANTED: Dead or Undead or Survivor Roundup from her backlist, and one randomly drawn commenter on the tour will receive a $15 gift card to Amazon. Also, a $15 Amazon gift card will be awarded to a randomly drawn host. Follow the tour for more chances to win!