'Witch Way to Turn' Review and Giveaway

Witch Way to Turn

Witch Way Series Book #1

Genre: Young Adult Paranormal Romance

Publisher: Lyrical Press, Inc.

Date of ePublication: August 6, 2012

Print: October 1st

ISBN: 9781616503994

Number of pages: (epub) 237

Word Count: 78,000

Lyrical Press

Blurb/Book Description:

Can you give one guy your heart and another your soul?

The last thing eighteen-year-old Breena Cross needs in her life is more complications. It’s all she can do to balance studying, working, trying to keep her foster-sister safe and drooling over the new guy at work. But things go from complicated to crazy when a fit of rage ignites the dark magic inside her and she finds herself fending off the supernatural underworld.

Myles, Breena’s drool-worthy coworker and vampire convict, is carrying a load of secrets--one of which is that he’s fang-over-lip in love with Breena and in danger of violating the terms of his sentence.

Orin is a soul-hungry assassin sent to kill Breena. However, he takes one look into her eyes and sees his own lost humanity. For once thinking of someone other than himself, he chooses not to end her life, even though it means risking his own.

Despite a convict and an assassin fighting over her, all Breena wants is custody of her sister. But to do this, she will need help from both Myles and Orin. And if Breena doesn’t learn to control the darkness within, she could lose her sister…forever.

WARNING: Contains strong language and some graphic content.

Read an excerpt:

She caught his look. Oh God, she’d been staring. Her mouth was practically watering. The heat forming in her cheeks brought her back to reality. And the way he watched her nearly brought her to her knees. Looking into those pale-green eyes with the golden rim made her weak, left her breathless. He couldn’t be more than eighteen or nineteen but there was a knowing look in his eyes that made her want to find out what, exactly, he knew.

She took a step toward him and the knowing look turned darker, hotter. There was something raw about it. Something ravenous, and so powerful she could barely keep herself from being consumed.

He tilted his head slightly in her direction, and it seemed almost as if he was…listening to her. As if he were trying to puzzle her out by catching the subtle beat and hum of her body.

It finally dawned on her that they’d been standing there a good while in complete silence. She managed to shake herself out of her lust-filled stupor long enough to recover something vaguely resembling her manners. “Ah, about the other night…Thanks.” 

My thoughts:

Breena is a tough character. She has a hard edge to her, which is no surprise after being in foster care for her first 18 years. She was abused for a lot of it, yet managed to come out with a big heart. Her foster sister, Jenny, means the world to her. She will do whatever it takes to protect her.

Her swinging devotion between the two men in her life almost makes you seasick. Whenever she is with one, she wants the other. In the heat of the moment, she can quickly change her mind, adding to the frustration she already has about her true situation. You personally feel the frustration. You want her to make up her mind, already! Ah, to be so lucky as to have two alluring men after you at the same time! You can forgive her, though, because you are just as confused as she is.

You also have to wait a frustratingly long time to get any of the truth out of anyone. Situations keep popping up that make no sense. Tidbits of information are revealed after each one. Granted, your head (and hers) is already swimming, trying to process the current knowledge, let alone adding any more. Again, this allows you to really feel what Breena is feeling at that point in the story. It's hard to know which way to turn and whom to trust. Even at the end, she still isn't sure. Her story is just beginning...

Buy links: Paperback | Kindle | Barnes and Noble
 

About the author:

Karen Y. Bynum is an author of young adult paranormal fantasy.  Her novel Witch Way to Turn is published through Lyrical Press.  She grew up in Hickory, North Carolina where mountains and magic surrounded her.  Even as a child, she wrote her own faery tales and prattled incessantly to her imaginary friends.

After graduating from UNC Charlotte with a Bachelor’s degree in Mass Media Communications, she went on to become certified in culinary arts from The Art Institute of Charlotte.  But it wasn’t until her aerospace engineer husband accepted a job in Virginia and they relocated that she knew what she wanted to be when she grew up.

With the support of family and friends, Karen embarked on a journey with the voices in her head.  They wouldn’t stop talking (yes, she does answer back) and their stories took shape.

Karen currently lives in coastal Virginia and enjoys reading, tweeting, writing and spending time with her husband and their spoiled rotten Vizsla named Rusty.

http://www.karenbynum.com/

http://karenbynum.blogspot.com/

https://twitter.com/karenybynum

http://www.facebook.com/KarenYBynum

http://pinterest.com/karenybynum/

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5781888.Karen_Y_Bynum

 

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Promotional Book Tours August Group Tour and $100 Gift Card Giveaway

Welcome to Promotional Book Tours Group Tour taking place August 3 - 24. We have teamed up with 9 Amazing Authors and several awesome bloggers to bring you a $100 Amazon Giftcard!
Brought to you by these 9 books!
Don’t miss out on these great reads even if you don’t have a kindle yet. You can download the kindle app for you phone, desktop, or ipad HERE. All of these books are less than a Starbucks Coffee! 

Incredible Dreams

Incredible Dreams is the story of a modern-day ghost whisperer who travels through time to save the life of a WWII fighter pilot, and ends up jeopardizing her own existence.

Izzy Miller prefers to call herself a spiritual therapist because she thinks it makes her sound more professional than plain old ghost-whisperer. She expects her latest project to be quick and easy because exorcising military personnel is pretty routine.

But there's nothing easy or routine about Captain Jack Baker—he's a rather forgetful spirit and somewhat mischievous. And even though he's intrigued by the US Government's latest attempt to remove him from the only place he can ever remember being... he has no intentions of going anywhere.

Plans to exorcise Jack are quickly sidelined when Izzy discovers a portal into the past inside her dreams and sets out to change his fate. Trouble is...when she gets back there, she can't remember anything but her name. She still sees ghosts, but is far less accepting of her gift. And, to make matters worse, a demonic force pretending to be the forgetful heroine's sister has her own plans—to steal Izzy's soul.

Purchase Here

50 Parent Commandments: "The Essential Guide to Hiring a Good Nanny"

50 Parent Commandments is a must have book by childcare expert, Tosi Ufodike. Parents all over the world struggle with how to hire and retain good nannies to look after their children. In this book she offers simple, yet effective advice on Hiring a Good Nanny.

This book answers many questions: Should you offer your nanny a bonus? What should you do if the nanny is a flirt? Should you allow the nanny to spank your child? How much should you pay a nanny? Nanny Cams?should you have one? Tosi Ufodike relied on numerous parent and nanny interviews to write this book.

50 Parent Commandments is the only book that gives parent tested advice that is not based on theory but practical experience. With humor, insight, and proven experience, Tosi Ufodike breaks down the daunting task of hiring a good nanny. Purchase HERE

Murder & Mayhem in Goose Pimple Junction

When Tess Tremaine starts a new life in the colorful town of Goose Pimple Junction, she thinks she's moved to a quiet little burg.

Curiosity leads her to look into a seventy-five-year-old murder, and suddenly she's learning the foreign language of southern speak, resisting her attraction to local celebrity Jackson Wright, and dealing with more mayhem than she can handle.


Purchase Here

Bitten Shame

Jill Prescott returned from self-imposed seclusion to help save her best friend Devan’s life. Throwing herself into Devan’s problems and bringing an evil organization to its knees might just be the distraction she needs to keep living without the only man she’s ever loved. Her life changed forever when she was hired to spend a week with Doc Massey.

On the day she became a vampire her youthful innocence ended, but Doc’s love rescued her from being consumed by the darkness. The shadow of that former life continues to loom over her, keeping her from realizing her own self-worth. Running from her past only brings her closer to a destiny that is inextricably connected to what she is trying to escape…

Every gift has both a reward and a price, because All of it fits…

Purchase HERE

As Above~ So Below: A Channeled, Assisted, Unfolding Story

A thought-provoking, journey of fantasy, through the experiences of a new writer that has moved back to the mountains of Upstate New York with his wife. He encounters a spirit who has passed over, and together, they touch upon many issues and beliefs of society and the concerns thereof; those that weigh so heavily upon their minds.

Often controversial, at times extremely passionate, and usually very captivating, this work exudes food for thought that "Magickally" keys forth a possible spirtual awakening for those yearning to grow and learn. The opinions and beliefs presented within, may or may not be similar to those of the reader~ however it will provoke the reader to think about what is said.

The author believes this to be a "channeled" work, as much that is wriiten, he believes to have received form the "powers that be." Purchase HERE

Restless

When she agrees to allow Ms. Lacusta to help develop her powers, Tasmyn has no idea how deep and dark the journey will become. Trapped between fascination and fear, she moves farther away from friends and family, even her boyfriend Michael.

Leading a double life forces Tas into decisions that will threaten her sanity and her future… and the very lives of those she loves.

Purchase HERE

The Unsacred Gift

When Sissy was six, she had her first vision of her sister’s (Misty) disappearance. Her mother (Tina) said she had a bad dream, but not long after that Misty vanished before Sissy’s eyes. No one believed her, so Sissy pretend to act like everyone else, like Misty never disappeared and never existed. For the past fifteen years Misty’s disappearance has haunted Sissy’s dreams. She could hear the ear piercing screams at night of her sister begging for help. Sissy tries to help her, but never succeeds.

Sicily “Sissy” Monroe attends the University of Washington and is in her senior year majoring in Psychology. She has all the makings of a perfect young lady, ageless skin, flawless long black hair, full kissable lips and eyes that are shaped like almonds. She is almost where she wants to be in life. But laying deep in the pupil of her eye’s hold something that she cannot get rid of, which interferes with her plans.

Purchase HERE

Night Game

The exclusive King's Club resort casino is a glittering playground for gamblers with everything to gain and the hunting ground for a killer with nothing to lose. Until casino owner Jay King hires P.I. Kasey Atwood. Kasey's attraction to King is immediate.

As their love affair heats up, she becomes a pawn in a dangerously seductive game of passion and revenge

Purchase HERE

Phantom

The “Phantom” was a musical phenomenon that Rebecca had always found enchanting. She had no idea that her life was about to mirror the play that was her obsession. When her high school drama club chooses “Phantom” as their annual production, Rebecca finds herself in the middle of an unlikely love triangle and the target of a sadistic stalker who uses the lines from the play as their calling card.

Rebecca lands the lead role of Christine, the opera diva, and like her character, she is torn between her two co-stars—Tom the surfer and basketball star who plays the lovable hero, and Justyn, the strangely appealing Goth who is more than realistic in the role of the tortured artist.

Almost immediately after casting, strange things start to happen both on and off the stage. Curtains fall. Mirrors are shattered. People are hurt in true phantom style. Read more and purchase HERE


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'Embrace' Blog Tour - Review and Giveaway

Embrace by Stacey Rourke
Book Blurb: 
Whether she likes it or not, eighteen year old Celeste Garrett has come to terms with being the Chosen One. She knew having a “normal life” would be tricky, between intense training sessions and epic demonic battles, but she didn’t know at what cost it would come. That is, until a dear friend is harmed by the malicious forces hunting her. Now, she’d like nothing more than to retreat into a hermit lifestyle to prevent anyone else from getting hurt. But startling revelations, amazing new abilities, and mortifying moments in front of insanely hot guys won’t allow time for that. Soon, Celeste finds herself surrounded by darkness and wondering who she can trust—if anyone.

My thoughts:
I loved the first book, The Conduit. That was why I agreed to do this blog tour. However, any time I prepare to read a sequel, I always worry that it won't hold up to the first one and that I will be gravely disappointed. I didn't need to worry.

I was actually sitting in a local diner, enjoying my breakfast when I started this book. I almost embarrassed myself snickering and snorting. By the time I was home to finish reading, I was prone to actually laughing out loud. Celeste has a spunky sense of humor that Stacey captures ever so well. She knows that she is the Chosen One, but is still so self-deprecating. It helps to keep her more down-to-Earth and relateable as a character. 

Back when I was just "normal" Celeste I was accustomed to embarrassing myself in front of the opposite sex on a fairly regular basis. But never like this. As the Conduit I now had supernatural ways to humiliate myself. Awesome.

Add to the angst a brother who is making out with a three hundred year-old Guardian, a lion in superhero underwear, and a demon Glee club, you can understand why Celeste is going crazy and I am publicly humiliating myself.

I also do not envy Celeste in her role as The Chosen One. She never knows whom she can trust, which continues to make her dating life a disaster. The Dark Ones are on her side; her friends are really Dark Ones. Her family picks on her even more than before, because they have come to terms with their gifts.

Stacey Rourke has delivered another comical page-turner with a cliffhanger. I can't wait for the new installment to come out this fall! 

[I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.] 

Buy links:  Kindle | Paperback | Barnes & Noble | Smashwords

About Stacey Rourke  

Writing is something I have always done. I can remember in elementary school creating stories that I would stand up and read aloud to my classmates…whether they liked it or not. As I grew older I didn’t flaunt my writing as freely. It became something I did just for me to vent my teenage angst, or chronicle my journey to adulthood. I never thought about becoming a writer because that title prompted the visual of a grey-haired man in a tweed smoking jacket with suede elbow patches, slaving over an old fashion typewriter while puffing away on a pipe. No way was that stuffy kind of life for me. (Plus tweed is itchy.) Instead I wanted to be in the spotlight! I wanted to be–pause for dramatic effect–an actress! I gave it my best shot, too. Got about as far as any aspiring actress can get in Flint, Michigan. Which is exactly no where. But I did get two great things out of my time delving into the theatrical world; I gained the ability to act out the scenes I write to make sure they’re believable (yes, I really do that and no, you can’t watch) and I met my amazing husband.

My theater ambitions behind me, I decided to do the “mature,” “grown up” thing and went back to college. As I worked toward my Bachelor’s degree in marketing I did a lot of writing. Essays, research papers, PowerPoint presentations. All of it mandatory, none of it what I would ever call fun. Even then, becoming a writer never entered my mind. No, then I was going to be a business tycoon…or somethin’.

Truth be told, I never picked writing. It picked me. During my time as a stay at home mom I needed an outlet to give me a mental break from diapers, formula and midnight feedings. That’s when my hands found their way back to the keyboard. Story ideas began coming at such an incessant rate that my rapidly clicking fingers couldn’t keep up. Post-It notes and scrapes of paper with story ideas decorated every inch of our house. In mid-conversation with my husband I would dart off to jot down things that would come to me. Sweet guy my hubby is, he would just shake his head at my obvious rudeness and hold my place in the conversation.

My first book was completed for an entire year before I told anyone about it. I outed myself as an author and then sent out my first round of query letters to literary agents. Surely, it would be picked up immediately and become an overnight success! Yeah, not so much. For two years I got rejection, after rejection, after rejection, after rejection…you get the idea. Thankfully with the ever increasing pile of rejections came feedback. I digested all the suggestions and applied the usable ones to my manuscript. Little by little, the rough edges were chipped away and the diamond shone through. The work paid off when I received an email from a publisher offering me a contract on The Conduit.

It’s been a long road, and it ain’t over yet. But now, at thirty-mumble, mumble years old I finally know what I wanna be when I grow up–-a writer.

Follow Stacey:

http://www.facebook.com/staceyrourkeauthor

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5309409.Stacey_Rourke

https://twitter.com/Rourkewrites

http://www.staceyrourke.com/

http://www.diaryofasemi-crazyauthor.blogspot.com/

Follow the tour:

August 1^st http://www.delphinareadstoomuch.com/ (Review)

August 2^nd http://andisyoungadult.blogspot.com/ (Review)

August 3^rd http://youngadultbookaddict.blogspot.com.au/ (Author interview)

August 4^th http://paranormalbooks.blogspot.com/ (Character interview)

August 5^th http://www.curiositykey.blogspot.com/ (Review)

August 6^th http://addicted2bookreviews.blogspot.com/ (Review)

August 7^th http://jennswiger.blogspot.com/ (Character interview)

  

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CIN Book Tour - Review and Giveaways

Book Blurb:
Seventeen year old Lisa Brown’s life is falling apart. First, her mother and father divorce, then their house forecloses and now, her mother has decided to commit herself to a psychiatric hospital.

If that weren’t enough, she must leave sunny south Florida to attend a boarding school full of geniuses in cold, Lynn, Massachusetts. The city where the locals chant “Lynn, Lynn, city of sin; you never come out the way you went in.”

And, they aren’t kidding. Lisa must live in a tiny shack with two strange teenagers, a dog named Pig who growls when you look at him and a cat named Rat. “Mind the cat,” everyone says. What the heck is wrong with this place?

Lisa thinks she’s landed in her own house of horrors with the anti-social Alex and his facetious sister Ally. But, the real drama begins the day she is struck by lightning… 

Excerpt:

The Doctor said I should be dead.

My heart beat furiously. I looked up at the flashes of lightning in the sky. Yes, I should be dead.

Why wasn’t I?

One

Amber Checks In

“Lisa, if you don’t finish packing your things, I swear you’ll go with nothing.” My mother, Amber, threatened. She wrapped duct tape around a medium sized box and carried it out to the car.

Our home foreclosed and it was eviction day. My mother couldn’t keep a job; no matter how simple or easy it was. She was beautiful with long blond hair and bright green eyes that sparkled when she spoke. She landed every job she applied for but several weeks later and her new employer realized all Amber really was; was a pretty face.

I looked nothing like my mom. I was seventeen but still didn’t fit into my body. My hips were too big, my boobs too small and I had Dumbo ears which of course meant that I had to wear my hair down—always. I had long bangs that helped cover up my oddly round, black eyes and I could never find shoes that fit my big feet.

“Lisa, I’m not going to tell you again, we leave in twenty minutes. I can’t afford to miss your train.”

“Yeah well you could try to hide your enthusiasm.” I rolled my eyes and grabbed an empty box. I surveyed my room. What could I possibly take? I lived in Florida, the sunshine state. I was going to Lynn, Massachusetts. The old saying, “Lynn, Lynn, the city of sin” played over and over inside my mind. How could my mother just drop me off in such a place? Lynn was filled with high crime rates, lack of good paying jobs and supported virtually on nothing more than fish markets and the GE factories. At least it was by the water. I couldn’t imagine life without the ocean and sand between my toes. I could do without the sun tans, I guess, or the hot skaters who practiced on the benches but not the salty water and my toes buried in the warm sand.

“LISA! Get in the car.”

I evaluated the few things I had. I grabbed two pairs of jeans and anything with sleeves. I picked up my sneakers and my Adidas jacket from off the floor and I tossed my book bag over my shoulder. Inside the box, I put the only family heirloom I had; a picture of my mother and father; before I was born. …When they still loved each other, still laughed, still hoped. That must’ve been something to see. The only time my mother smiled or laughed was during an interview. It was never real and when her eyes set on me, she only frowned.

I placed the few articles of clothing on top of my picture and carried the box out to the trunk. My mom had an old 1993 Mitsubishi Mirage with hardly any paint left. The worst part—the air didn’t work; complete suicide in a place where the temperature stayed around ‘90 degrees.

“Just take your sweet, precious time there Lisa.” She tapped her fingers on the steering wheel. “I hope you don’t act up with your Aunt Millie. She would be just devastated and when she falls over with a stroke or heart attack from your disrespectful behavior you will have to carry her twenty miles to the nearest town.”

“A little dramatic, don’t you think?” I snapped, tossing my book bag into the back. The seat belt automatically locked me in when I closed the door. (The air conditioning didn’t work, there was hardly any paint left on the vehicle but, hey, at least the automatic seat belts still worked!) “Roll the windows down, mom, it’s hot in here.” I leaned my head out the window to catch the last, hot Florida breeze I’d probably ever feel.

“Aunt Millie said you could help her out with her chickens and she’d pay you so that you could buy some warmer clothes while you’re there. I’m sorry I am such a bad mother.”

“Why are you leaving me with some woman I don’t know? That’s bad parenting. Mom, you’ve never met this lady. What if she’s a serial killer or a chicken thief or some kind of lunatic?”

“I have to do this.” Her eyes stayed glued to the road, “I need to figure out what is wrong with me. I ran off your father with my emotional problems and I don’t want to drag you down with me too.”

“Mom, I don’t want to go stay with some stranger.” She couldn’t hear me. She blasted the radio and sang loudly, bouncing her head from left to right. She slapped me in the shoulder. “Stah—op!”

“Sing with me, Lisa, it may be a long time before we get to do this again. I may be in that loony bin for a while.”

I didn’t think it was funny at all. Who wanted a mother that was crazy? What would I tell people when school started? So, Lisa, where is your mother? Oh, new potential friend, she’s probably in her padded cell wearing a strait jacket. How about your mom? I’ll be miss popularity for sure.

My thoughts:

The concept of a young girl discovering that she has supernatural powers of some sort, including longevity, seems to be a hot topic in YA books these days. This one stands out as being different because it doesn't include mythology like many of the others I have recently read. The origin of the powers is still somewhat of a mystery.

Poor Lisa is a mess. She misses her parents, yet has a lot of unresolved anger toward them. She discovers some secrets about her past that seem to shed some light on her inner angst. She has extreme emotions toward people in her life, often lashing out and jokingly hitting at everyone. Something tells me there is a lot more going on there.

Alex and Ally, the two teens who live next door to Aunt Millie and appear to be in charge of things, are quite strange. As I am reading about them, I can't help but think of kids who have Asperger's. They also remind me a bit of the brother and sister in Escape to Witch Mountain (the original, not the remake). I still haven't decided if I like them or if they can be trusted. Even Lisa goes back and forth through the entire story.

The true situation going on at C I N is slowly unraveled throughout this first novel in the series. This one seems to be necessary to understand what is yet to come.

About the author:

Christina Leigh Pritchard was born and raised in South Florida. Her first stories were written at the age of nine in $0.15 wide ruled, spiral notebooks (which were supposed to be used for class), and in the various diaries she kept. Stories she wrote
from age nine to twelve fill about four storage boxes!

Since she's upgraded to a computer, she's completed over fifty books and still going strong. Her genres include dark fantasy, young adult, drama, suspense,
historical romance, multicultural, comedy, poetry and many more.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Christina-Leigh-Pritchard/118941638145057

C I N Series Blog: http://cinseries.com/

Author Blog: http://teeny120.wordpress.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/teeny120

Amazon: Kindle | Paperback

CASTING CALL! Please join the raffle to be one of four new characters in upcoming CIN books! Submission Form. (No purchase necessary to win)

CASH PRIZE PHOTO CONTESTS AVAILABLE TO EVERYONE! Submission Form. 

Giveaways

Ally's Giveaway

A Dufonte Lucien Piccard gold tone bracelet and watch set MSRP $195.00

Ally may be a bit facetious but she’s far from stingy, even with those she terrorizes…

Michael's Giveaway

A  ZYLOS  George Machado Men's watch MSRP $95.00

Michael’s not interested in keeping time anymore. He’s got too much of it to care…

eBook Giveaways

Winner 1

The C I N Series eBook Set

Book One: C I N

3 Short stories:

Donna Denning

Jimmy and Amber

Pete and Marie

Book Two: Traitor

Winner 2

The 3 CIN Shorts eBooks

3 Short stories:

Donna Denning

Jimmy and Amber

Pete and Marie

CASTING CALLS

http://cinseries.com/casting-call/

PHOTO CONTESTS

http://cinseries.com/photo-contest/

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The Color of Snow Book Tour and Review

The Color of Snow

Book Blurb: 

Can a troubled young girl reenter society after living in isolation?

When a beautiful 16-year-old girl named Sophie is found sequestered in a cage-like room in a rundown house in the desolate hills of Arbon Valley, Idaho, the entire community is shocked to learn she is the legendary Callidora--a baby girl who was kidnapped from her crib almost seventeen years ago and canonized in missing posters with portraits of what the fabled girl might resemble. Authorities soon learn that the cage was there to protect people from Sophie, because her biological father believes she is cursed.

Sophie is discovered after the man she knows as Papa, shoots and injures Damien, a young man who is trying to rescue her. Now, unsocialized and thrust into the world, and into a family she has never met, Sophie must decide whether she should accept her Papa’s claims that she is cursed and he was only trying to protect others, or trust the new people in her life who have their own agendas. Guided by a wise cousin, Sophie realizes that her most heartbreaking challenge is to decide if her love for Damien will destroy him like her Papa claims, or free her from past demons that haunt her mind. 

My thoughts:
Sophie's story is a tough one to read. She suffers from what is called "Stockholm Syndrome." Yes, she should love her father, but what he has done to her is unforgivable. She doesn't know any better, though, and is quick to defend him. At the same time, she is torn because she senses something isn't right. She deserves love but is brainwashed to think otherwise. She doesn't understand that people can love her. She doesn't understand what a normal teen's life is like. She has no idea what beauty is. I think one of the most heartwrenching parts is when her cousin finds a self-portrait that Sophie drew. It is all distorted, because the only reflection of herself she has ever seen is the one in the toaster. You just want to reach in and beat the man she calls "Papa." The more you get to know, though, you also start to feel a little sorry for him. It's heartbreaking.

Living with her grandparents, it is like the cycle begins all over again, only by different means and from multiple directions. Thank God for her cousin Stephanie, who is the source of truth and light in her life now.

Three stories are being told at the same time. One is present-day, told by Sophie in the first person, as she gets used to her new life with her family and away from Papa. A second one is set a few years before, also told by Sophie, about her growing relationship with Damien. The third is told in third-person about a man named Luke and the love of his life, Vee. Their story is also a tragic one. At first, when the story shifts to this first flashback about Luke, you're thrown off for a bit. As the book progresses, you begin to see how the stories eventually merge together.

What is frightening about this story is how plausible it could be. Think of the high profile kidnapping cases we have seen over the last several years. It doesn't even have to be a kidnapping case for some girls to be abused in this way. It's really sad, and unfortunately, that is what makes it so intriguing to read. I felt protective of Sophie, just like I would for any of my own "kids."

Where to buy:
Kindle buy link - $2.99 | Nook buy link - $4.95 | iBookstore buy link - $4.99 | Google buy link - $3.79 | Smashwords buy link - $4.99 | PDF buy link - $4.95

About the author:  

Brenda Stanley is the former news anchor at her NBC affiliate KPVI in Eastern Iadho. Her writing has been recognized by the Scripps Howard Foundation, the Hearst Journalism Awards, the Idaho Press Club and the Society for Professional Journalists. She is a graduate of Dixie College in St. George, Utah, and the University of Utah in Salt Lake City. Brenda lived for two years in Ballard, Utah, within the Fort Duchesne reservation where the novel is set. She and her husband live on a small ranch near the Snake River with their horses and dogs.

'Doll House' Review and Giveaway

Book Blurb:

Fifteen-year-old Aisha disappears in the dark forests on a school hiking trip. She's the latest in a string of children to vanish there over the past five years. The towns surrounding the forests are on edge and they want answers. And wildboy Ethan—Aisha's boyfriend—is on the run after he and his grandfather are blamed for her disappearance.

Cassie is just about the only friend Ethan has left. She's been secretly in love with him ever since her mother dragged her to the wilds of Australia from Florida six months ago. 

 

Desperate to prove Ethan's innocence, Cassie searches the forests with Ethan to find out what really happened to Aisha. But Ethan's growing strangely silent, and Cassie's left questioning if her feelings for him are clouding her judgment. 

 

Cassie discovers a dark secret lurking in the heart of the forests; a secret world of nightmarish horrors—where nothing is as it seems, where the supernatural invades your soul, where the people she trusts most might be the people she can trust least, and where escape exists only in dreams.

A YA Paranormal Mystery/Horror

My thoughts:
This was one of the creepiest stories I have read in a long time. I mean creepy in a good way, and not quite scary. The first third of the book seemed okay and did go by quickly. The friends were out and about, trying to find their missing friend. Suddenly, they are swept into a dark and macabre world that is absolutely horrifying. What's real? What isn't? Your head spins like the dizzying hands on the clock as you try to figure out what is going on and how they can get out of this. I was absolutely riveted for the rest of the book and sad when it ended. This is just the first book in a trilogy, though, so there will be more to read. I even want to reread this book, to see if I can pick up on more clues, now that I know the truth about what was going on.

The whole time I was reading the book, I could easily picture it all in my head as if I was watching a movie unfold. I think it would make a great horror flick. I can guarantee you will never look at your Raggedy Ann doll nor a carousel in the same way again.
 

Buy links: kindle | paperback

Find it on Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13565822-doll-house

About the author:

 

Anya Allyn lives near the beach an hour north of Sydney, Australia. She loves anywhere outdoors that is natural and wild. Or anywhere indoors where Black Forest Cake is on offer. She has four amazing boys and enjoys their energy and happy-go-lucky spirit, and wishes she could plug into some of that energy on days when her 'get up and go' has packed up and gone! She is a former Features' Editor/Community Manager for a media organisation in Australia. The idea for Doll House was born after a trip to the beautiful Barrington Tops region of Australia--sparked by places there such as Devils Hole, Ladies Well and Thunderbolt's Way.

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'Knee Deep' Blog Tour - Review

Knee Deep

Summary

Shawn is the guy Ronnie Bird promised her life to at the age of fourteen. He's her soul mate. He's more uptight every day, but it's not his fault. His family life is stressful, and she's adding to it. She just needs to be more understanding, and he'll start to be the boy she fell in love with. She won’t give up on someone she’s loved for so long.

Luke is her best friend, and the guy she hangs with to watch girlie movies in her large blanketopias. He's the guy she can confide in before she even goes to her girlfriends, and the guy who she's playing opposite in Romeo and Juliet. Now her chest flutters every time he gets too close. This is new. Is Ronnie falling for him? Or is Juliet? The lines are getting blurry, but leaving one guy for another is not something that a girl like Ronnie does.

Shawn’s outbursts are starting to give her bruises, and Luke’s heart breaks as Ronnie remains torn. While her thoughts and feelings swirl around the lines between friendship and forever, she’s about to lose them both.

My Thoughts:

This is the kind of book that all teenage girls need to read. Even grown up girls need to have a reminder to stay true to themselves. Don't let a man hurt you, ever. It's not okay, no matter how much he says he is sorry.

Most of us have known someone like Ronnie. Their stories may not have been exactly the same. Maybe the bruises were more emotional than physical. The denial and excuses are always the same, as is the devastation that occurs. Perhaps you have even been Ronnie on some level in a relationship. Her story is familiar and painful to read. The whole time you just want to reach in and shake her for sticking with Shawn and not seeing what she can have with Luke. She is so fortunate to have the friends and family that she does.

This book is an emotional one. I actually cried toward the end of it. I was also choked up at one point when Ronnie's father, who is a therapist, says something along the lines of, "This is my job. This is what I do. And even I didn't realize what was going on." The sad thing is, we can miss it when we are too close to the situation.

Yes, this is a story that has been told time and time again. But it is different this time, because it is Ronnie's story. And it needed to be told.

Buy Links:
Kindle | Nook | iBookstore | Google Books | Smashwords | PDF

About the Author:

Jolene grew up in Wasilla, Alaska. She graduated from Southern Utah University with a degree in political science and French, which she used to teach math to middle schoolers.

After living in Washington, Utah and Las Vegas, she now resides in Alaska with her husband, and two children. Aside from writing, Jolene sews, plays the guitar, sings when forced, and spends as much time outside as possible.

She is also the author of Night Sky and The Next Door Boys.

Knee Deep web site:
http://knee-deep-book.blogspot.com/
 
Knee Deep Twitter hashtag:
#KneeDeep

Knee Deep GoodReads page:
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12987551-knee-deep

Jolene Perry's Facebook:
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Jolene Perry's Twitter:
https://twitter.com/#!/JoleneBPerry

Jolene Perry's Website:
http://www.jolenebperry.com/

Jolene Perry's Blog:
http://www.jolenesbeenwriting.blogspot.com/

Jolene Perry's GoodReads:
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4944599.Jolene_B_Perry

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Winners of the Birthday Giveaway!

Thank you so much to all of the wonderful authors who donated ebooks to my birthday giveaway! We had a lot of entries and a lot of winners. All winners were chosen randomly by Rafflecopter, powered by Random.org. Thank you to everyone who entered! Winners have all been notified via email. Here are the winners:

Breanne W. - mystery swag pack surprise! (A bonus prize not listed on the original post!)

Jaime C. & Amy B. - An e-copy of The Vampire Hunter's Daughter ( Complete Collection!) by Jennifer Malone Wright

Lori O. - The King Series by Tawdra Kandle

Shanna R., Rose H., Belinda G. - First Call by Kary English

Lyndi B. & Giedre S. - The Gryphon series by Stacey Rourke

Jennifer S. - $10 gift card

Congratulations to all of the winners!

Review of 'A Passion for Victory: The Story of the Olympics in Ancient and Modern Times'

It's the Summer of 2012, which means it is time for the Summer Olympics in London, England. This athletic tradition has deeper roots than some kids can imagine. A Passion for Victory seeks to tell the story of that tradition, starting with the Ancient Greeks through the early modern era.

It opens with a chronology that highlights major events. The first story is about a man who survived the icy waters after the Titanic sank and went on to be an Olympic champion. The timing of that story is also notable because 2012 marks the 100 year-anniversary of the Titanic sinking.

The first two chapters go into a lot of detail about the original Olympic games that took place in Ancient Greece. It compares those games to the modern ones. The next several chapters focus on the revival of the modern Olympic games in the 1800s, particularly the first 100 years. The epilogue focuses on the Olympics around WWII and includes several photographs. An appendix features lists of medal records won from 1896 to 1948.

This book reads very much like a textbook and isn't as engaging as others I have read. The language used is more appropriate for older readers, which is why I have it classified as young adult and not so much as a chapter book. Also, discussions of Hitler and political topics are more appropriate for older students. These aspects of the Olympics are not as often discussed when talking about the topic. I did also notice much more discussion of women in the politics, as well. It is full of lots of information and resources for further study.

I received a complimentary eARC in exchange for my honest review.