Sunday, November 30, 2014

Walled (The Line Book 2) by Anne Tibbets ~ Blitz ~ Excerpts


Walled by Anne Tibbets
(The Line #2)

Published by: Carina Press (HQN)
Publication date: December 1st 2014
Genres: Dystopia, New Adult

Synopsis:
Freedom means making brutal choices.

Rebel lovers Naya and Ric have survived one year in hiding, raising Naya’s twins from infants to toddlers in the shadow of the brutal Auberge dictatorship. They’re alive, and they’re together, but the city is crumbling around them and the haunting memory of Naya’s dark days on The Line have never fully left them. Living in isolation won’t be an option forever.

When a mysterious revolutionary seeks their help to infiltrate Auberge’s electronic heart and shut it down, it’s an opportunity—it’s risky, yes, but if it works they’ll get out of the city and taste freedom for the first time. Naya needs this. They need this.

Beyond the broken walls of Auberge, Naya and Ric find the paradise they’ve always longed for. But with anarchy reigning and Naya’s children lost amidst the chaos, they’ll need to forfeit their post-apocalyptic Eden…or commit an unspeakable act.

Book two of two.


Purchase:




AUTHOR BIO:
Anne Tibbets is an SCBWI award-winning and Smashwords.com Best Selling author. After writing for Children’s television, Anne found her way to young/new adult fiction by following what she loves: books, strong female characters, twisted family dynamics, magic, sword fights, quick moving plots, and ferocious and cuddly animals.

Along with CARRIER, Anne is also the author of the young adult fantasy novella, THE BEAST CALL and the young adult contemporary, SHUT UP.

Anne divides her time between writing, her family, and three furry creatures that she secretly believes are plotting her assassination.

Author Links:

Excerpt #1:

“No!” Sonya shouted, clenching her jaw as her eyes bugged wide. “Not enough! It’s our fault we got those girls killed. Her fault!” She pointed at me again, and I felt my insides burst into flames and scatter like ash. “So don’t stand there and tell me how feeling compassion is the way to go. Compassion only gets people killed faster. It’s using your fucking brain, and thinking, planning, strategizing, that’s going to end this war. It’s following your goddamned mission and not getting distracted! And guess what? People are still going to die. So go ahead, stay behind because it feels right. Choose the fate of hundreds of thousands of people based on your fucking feelings.”

Excerpt #2:

He peeled open my shirt, pulled up my bra and kissed and licked my body, my nipples, my ribs, navel—everywhere his hands roamed, so did his mouth.
To my surprise, I moaned with pleasure. His touch was having a strange effect on me. I could hardly think straight. He was soft, gentle, hot and wet. He was painting me with his hands and it enveloped me whole.
          I’m not ready for this! But oh, my God! It feels so good.



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Monday, November 24, 2014

#Review ~ Blog Tour ~ The 13th Descent by Ky Lehman (Rosefire Trilogy #1) ~ Character Cast


The 13th Descent by Ky Lehman
(Rosefire Trilogy #1)

Publication date: August 30th 2014
Genres: Paranormal Romance, Young Adult

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Synopsis:
ONE CHOICE CAN MAKE AN IMMORTAL HUMAN. BUT WHAT CHOICES NEED TO BE MADE TO GO BACK AGAIN?

The revolutionary year following Serenay “Ren” Avalon’s eighteenth birthday could rival Clark Kent’s entire adolescence. After her mother and her grandmother were killed in a car bomb explosion at the heart of their sleepy hillside town where nothing extraordinary usually happens, she discovers that her mother is actually alive and in hiding, her long lost father is a Father, and her best friend, who turns out was once an Archangel, has taken a gargantuan step back in his evolution to live on Earth with her for the past thirteen lifetimes. And besides being the only one in her immediate circle with a serious case of past life dementia, she learns that during her first lifetime, she was married to one of the greatest teachers history has ever known who is now the gorgeous lead singer of a hot new rock band taking the world by storm, and who is keen to meet up with her again in the twenty first century.

As Ren realizes that the powerful family name she bears also brings with it the promise of an unnatural death, she is reminded that it has always brought hope to people on both sides of the veil, human and Tor. As the world draws closer to being completely shrouded by the dark cloaks of her age-old enemies, the Bloodstones, she now, more than ever before, has to draw strength from her origins to protect her family and their ancient truth from this global force responsible for torturing and killing centuries of her ancestors. As she struggles to unearth who she was, who she is, and who she chooses to be, as well as the expectations of her first mortal love and the heavenly love she has always guiltily denied, she has until midnight on the Solstice find a way to bring light to a compromised heart and to a world on the brink of perpetual darkness.

This first book in The Rosefire Trilogy is a reminder of how the choices we make in the throes of love, loss, hope, and adversity are what makes the divine human, and the human divine.



Purchase:
Amazon 




AUTHOR BIO:

KY LEHMAN is a novelist, a children's author, a teacher of swimming and water safety, wife to her high school sweetheart and the proud mother of their three very tall sons. She lives in the Yarra Ranges, Victoria, Australia with her husband and their children where she is currently writing the second book in The Rosefire Trilogy, The 13th Rising.


Author links:



I have to say first is that I did enjoy this book, alot, liked the characters and all that. But had one issue, and this could be my fault, but I had trouble catching on to what was going on. I got confused often, and just had trouble grasping it all. I wonder if it's just me, or will others also have this issue.

The prologue was great, but then the confusion hit when I started into the rest of the book. Took me awhile to figure out that we were reading more about the child (i think) from Prologue. If   I am right, then thats cool, but maybe that could have been a bit clearer for us.

I usually can grasp books storylines better than  I did this one. I guess its the remembering past lives she has to do that got me confused. I was not always sure when I was reading about her. Also there is so many questions, many that I feel should have been addressed in this book, but maybe they will be told in the next book. I did get pulled into this world the author created, and still really enjoyed it. I wasn't pleased at the end, as I really do not like to be left hanging, so hope the next book wont be too long of a wait.

I still recommend this book, because even though I was a bit confused, doesn't mean everyone would be.
I give this book 4 1/2 out of 5 stars.

I received a copy of this book from the author for my honest review.

This review is also at Amazon, and Goodreads






Some of you have asked what Ren, Mike, and Josh look like, so I have attached the pics I have on up my study wall: the ones I gazed at back when I was writing THE 13TH DESCENT, and now as I am in the process of writing the sequel! These pics are frighteningly close to the Ren, Mike, and Josh I have always seen in my head, and my interpretation of their public personas together with where they hail from has a little something to do with it too...

Our feisty protagonist and trail blazer, REN - the naturally beautiful and talented Aussie girl, Isabel Lucas 



Resident Archangel Royal who has loved and fought alongside Ren for 13 lifetimes, MIKE - the new world boy with an old world heart whose physical strength is only a precursor to the strength he holds within, Henry Cavill



Once a great leader history has written countless stories about, who, these days, is the front man of a popular local rock band quickly going global, JOSH - a straight talking, innovative, warm hearted, hot Scot with a smile that'll make you stutter, Sam Heughan 


Some of you have asked about what Benni Dhoo looks like...where to begin...he's a unique one...I think I'll have to get someone to draw him for me! Will keep you posted :-)

Love and best wishes to you and yours, Ky xx

The rest of the blogs on this tour can be found, here.

Sunday, November 23, 2014

#Giveaway ~ Transformed by E.V. Fairfall ~#Paranormal #YA ~ #Review ~ Excerpt







Transformed by E.V. Fairfall
Publication date: January 1st 2014
Genres: Paranormal, Romance, Young Adult
Synopsis:

Thea, all-mighty Mother Earth, only had one rule to follow above all else, one promise to keep to her brother: never take a human form. She would’ve kept that promise if it weren’t for Brice. He’s handsome and confident, but above all he’s merciless.
He’s also a hunter who has tormented Thea for years. She believes if she could teach Brice compassion, she might finally be able to save her creations and herself from his savage ways. Then she meets Chamber: another hunter.
She soon finds herself fascinated by−and torn between−the two boys: Brice and Chamber. Lost within a torrent of human emotions, Thea starts to lose who she is as she falls in love with the one thing that she’s always hated: a hunter… a human.


Purchase (on sale for 1.99$ during the tour!):
Amazon /  B&N


AUTHOR BIO:
I love to write just as much as I love to read. I try to read a book per week, which doesn’t always work out, but it’s the thought that counts. Aside from all that I am a huge animal person.

Transformed is my first novel, but it isn’t my first publication; I’ve had several short stories published over the last two years. My main goal as a writer is to explore humanity and to give people something fun to read.




Author links:

Transformed Review

I was not expecting what this book was about. I must have not read the blurb well, or not all of it as I had no clue that this was basically about a girl (Thea) who is actually Mother Nature or actually think Mother Earth was the term used, she can change forms and is not supposed to take a human form, but she does anyway. She is the one who creates animals and more all in nature.

I think I would have preferred that her 'brother' not have been God, would have been better not to mention that, let us come up with our own ideas on who her brother might actually be. He was a real asshole too... I mean major one.

I hated Brice right away, what a jerk. Loved Chamber, he is the real deal, great guy. Guess one of my favorite characters is Cricket, loved that one.

I do not want to spoil this story by saying too much. I think really, anyone who likes paranormal books will like this one.  This is a first of its kind for me, not sure how many paranormal books are about the "creators" mother nature and god.

It was also unique and interesting that the Earth itself was looked at as an entity all of its own. That was kindof cool too.

I do give this book 5 out of 5 stars, as its really written well, and completely original.

I received a copy of this book from the author for my honest review.

This review is also at Goodreads



Excerpt (Chapter One) Transformed

She let the wind carry her high above the ground, the sky breezing by, making her weightless. Trees below danced with the wind, swaying to create their own music. She could see her creations building their homes, playing, grazing. Her wingsflapped unconsciously to keep her aloft. A silence hung over the forest, not a true silence, but a soft, encompassing quiet that let the light inside her relax with belonging. She shut her eyes, taking in the scent of fresh air. It wasn’t as sweet as it had been centuries before, but it still filled her lungs in the same way it always had.
She circled, eyeing one of her creations below in the meadow. She could tell it enjoyed the foliage and its variety. She had taken time to develop textures and variances even with the simplest things for her beloved creations. She picked a sturdy branch to perch on while admiring the fine animal. Her talons gripped around the bough as her wings settled against her body. The deer had a graceful figure, strong muscles, a beautiful neck that curved softly as it—
The deer collapsed, its body going rigid before crumpling on top of itself. The ringing of a gunshot echoed across the mountain as birds screamed, fleeing into the air with warning whispers. Branches rustled as squirrels hid from the danger. In the distance the patter of hoofs ran delicately and swiftly away. Birds could not cry, but her light pounded unforgivingly in her chest. The forest went deathly still. The trees pushed her back, begging her not to look.
She hopped to a closer branch, her small body shaking as she watched the blood seep from the deer’s gaping mouth. Its large, dark eyes now shone glossy: blank. Then it happened. A small ribbon of gold light emerged, creeping out from the deer’s mouth like a child afraid to round a corner. Another joined it, parts of it glistening in the sun as it weaved through the air. She reached out, feeling it drift through her wing, up and up, until it was gone.
Her light throbbed to join it, to disappear forever, but the Earth’s hold never faltered. Each form had light, and when each form died its light drifted into the atmosphere, gone forever. As Mother Earth, she had given light to each of them. And though she had it too, hers never vanished. She, like her brother, had been cursed by the Earth with immortality. For centuries, the two had been forced to watch their creations die as they lost their light forever, but as to where the light would go, they’d never know.
She hung her head, mourning the creature’s short life.Another creation gone. Her head lifted at the sound of her grass being crushed, flowers being unearthed by careless feet. Humans. Hunters. She cursed their creation and their self-serving notions of superiority. She grew silent, not wanting the hunters to see her. For centuries the Earth had trapped her in the forest surrounding the small town, begging her to teach the Willipord family compassion, and it would continue to keep her from the rest of the world until she succeeded.
Brice Willipord kneeled by his kill.
“Wasn’t as big as I’d thought. Damn it.” He pulled a knife from his belt, the blade hovering near the deer’s belly. “Dad, I’m over here, come help me.”
More crushing. She closed her eyes, unable to bear the sight of the large man trampling her creations. She would rather he destroy her carefully planned grass and meticulously crafted flowers than the creations that tread upon it, but now, after this—
“I’m here, I’m here.”
Brice looked up, and the blade nicked the skin on the tip of his finger. A burgundy drop fell to the stained grass below, mixing with the blood of his kill. Brice hissed a curse.
“Carelessness isn’t going to help anyone out here, boy.”
She could hear Brice huff out a breath, clearly annoyed by his father.
“I have to go, I don’t have all day. Just skin it for me.”
“You’re not going to help me with it to the car?”
“It’s not that big.”
“Now wait just a minute. You aren’t taking my car and leaving me here. I know you’ve got a date tonight, but you can go when we’re finished here.” Mr. Willipord took the knife from Brice and plunged it into the carcass. The warmth still clung to the corpse, but quickly dissipated.
She released the branch, crying into the sky as she soared away. Her light twisted with regret.
She would see the hunter again, tonight.

Her wings fluttered as she lowered herself onto the ground beside the apartment complex where she was staying for the time being. Her little bird body hopped behind the nearby bushes beside the back entrance.  The light inside of her slowly released from her talons, moving upward to gather in her abdomen. It sat inside her as she envisioned her human form. Seeing it clearly, she released her hold on the light, sculpting it into a new shape. When she finished her transformation, the remaining light drifted out of her head into long, soft, golden locks.
She opened her fingers, testing their movement. Her hand formed into a fist as exhaustion settled into her bones. Creating her human form drained her light of its strength, and what a horrible inconvenience to need clothing. The brisk air unforgivingly teased her bare skin as she stood naked. The bushes, having adequately concealed her previous form, now failed to do her any good.  The tender skin of her soles threatened to rip against the jagged edges of the gravel path that led to the back door of the apartment complex. She struggled to move her feet, but with each movement the burning intensified.
Grabbing the metal railing in a struggle to stay on her feet, she looked up at the large sign above the door, which read Lobby. She opened the door just enough to wiggle through.  She let out a breath, thankful no humans were inside. Pushing herself forward, she staggered up the stairs on her ungainly feet. Door 39 sat in the middle of the hallway.
The world grew smaller as she entered the apartment. A dull green sofa hugged the yellow walls, the colors emulating sunflower petals. A cramped hallway led to the bedroom that was painted to mimic the shade of sky blue. She had discovered some clothes concealed in a chest of drawers that leaned against the bedroom wall. The apartment she was borrowing had been carefully chosen; the girl who lived there looked nearly the same size as she did in her human form. Aside from that, she had deserved to be turned into a squirrel, for the time being.
There was a short black dress in the chest. It would be perfect for her date with the hunter. As she pulled it down over her body, it clung to her as if it were two sizes smaller than her own skin. The suffocating material caused a lump to form in her throat. Her date—her plan—with the boy named Brice, involved love, lies, and betrayal. It was the ultimate equation to inflict change, a change the Earth demanded. Her punishment for taking matters into her own hands would be of her brother’s choosing. Her hands tugged her long curls loose from the clutches of the dress to let them travel freely down her back.
A soft knock on the door startled her.
“One second.” The voice fluttered in her throat like butterfly wings. Was it her nerves or the voice of this form that made her sound so delicate and fragile?
      Glancing in the closet she saw the shoes she should wear, the black high heels resembling a shiny bear trap. She slipped her feet into the pair beside them; their flat bottoms and rounded toes felt less threatening.
Another knock came at the door. Could she allow the young hunter to be so close to prey? To be close enough to touch her? The door swung open.
He wore an ebony jacket, a grey cotton T-shirt, and dark jeans. His eyes, which earlier had reflected the scarlet blood of a fresh kill, now shone like emeralds with gold flakes scattered through their irises.  His hair sat tight on his head, styled flat, making his face more intriguing.
“Ready to go, Thea?” Brice asked.
Thea, her human name. She wondered why she had chosen it. Their introduction had happened so quickly, and she hadn’t been prepared to give him a name. Now as the name rang from his lips, it sounded young and innocent, incapable of finishing the job ahead. Gertrude would have been better, stronger.
She nodded in response, closing the door behind her.  Her name didn’t matter that much anyway. Her work would be over soon. It had to be.

You can find the rest of the blogs on this tour, Here
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Friday, November 21, 2014

#Giveaway ~ Book Blitz ~ The Expatriates (#1 Song of the Sending) by Corinne O'Flynn ~ #Fantasy


The Expatriates #1 by Corinne O’Flynn
(Song of the Sending)

Publication date: October 15th 2014
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult


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Synopsis:


They told him his world was destroyed.
And they were the last to escape.
They thought he was safe.
They were wrong.


Jim Wales can communicate with animals, but that’s not why he lives with a traveling carnival. Turns out his family’s been hiding him there since he was little, since someone started hunting all the scholars. Jim is a scholar—someone who can manipulate energy using magic—and he has no idea.

When a message arrives from Jim’s father—who supposedly died twelve years ago—Jim’s whereabouts are discovered, their carnival is attacked, and his mother is kidnapped. On the run with a strange glass map and a single coin, Jim finds himself racing to reclaim the father he thought he’d lost, plotting to save his mother, and discovering the truth about who he is.

But going home isn’t the same as being safe, and trust is everything.

What readers are saying:

"Told in a beautiful, flowing style full of colorful images and adrenaline-pumping action."

"Pop some popcorn, sit back ... and enjoy the thrill ride, right up to the end, which leaves you begging for more."

"Captures your attention from the start and then guides you through a roller coaster of adventure, drama, mystery, magic and young love."



Purchase:



AUTHOR BIO:
Corinne O'Flynn is a native New Yorker who now lives in Colorado and wouldn't trade life in the Rockies for anything. She loves writing flash and experimenting with short fiction. Her novel, THE EXPATRIATES (Oct. 2014) is a YA fantasy adventure with magic and creatures and lots of creepy stuff. She is a scone aficionado, has an entire section of her kitchen devoted to tea, and is always on the lookout for the elusive Peanut Chews candy.

When she isn’t writing or hanging with her family, Corinne works as the executive director of a nonprofit. She is a member of Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers, Mystery Writers of America, and the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators. You can find her online at her website, Facebook, or Twitter @CorinneOFlynn.



Author Links


Excerpt 1 from
The Expatriates, Book One: Song of The Sending by Corinne O’Flynn
“Well, it’s not dead.” Charlie let out a nervous laugh.
“What should we do with it?” Sam asked.
Hollis took off his t-shirt and proceeded to wrap the bird like a burrito. “We need to protect her wings in case she thrashes. She’ll wake soon.”
I looked at Hollis, stunned. “How do you know that?” I asked. And what else did he know?
“This,”—he cradled the wrapped bird in his arms—“is a very important messenger. It’s called a Sending. They don’t do that sort of thing anymore—change an animal like that.” He shook his head as if lost in thought. “It changes them. Their brain. Something big must be going on back home. There’s only one person who could have sent her to you. And if I’m right, then something’s really wrong.”
“What kind of wrong?” Sam asked, his forehead wrinkled with worry.
Everything in me flashed to attention at what Hollis said. “Back home?” I asked. There was no way.
Hollis stared at me, saying nothing.
“Hollis, what do you mean back home?” I repeated. I’d always known we weren’t from here, from the Modern World—the human world. All of us, everyone in Sweetwater’s, were originally from a place called Bellenor, which used to be connected to this world by some magical force—until the bridge collapsed. Or so I’d been told. “You all said Bellenor was destroyed. Back when my mother was a kid. Before I was born.”
“I’m sorry, Jim,” he said. “We had no choice.”

Excerpt 2 from
The Expatriates, Book One: Song of The Sending by Corinne O’Flynn

 “Shh!” Charlie stepped toward the midway, her head cocked to listen. “What in the world?”
I followed her gaze across the fairgrounds where the big top towered over the smaller event tents. Festive red, white, and blue flags atop each of them blew in the morning breeze.
“Do you guys hear that?” she asked.
“Hear what?” Hollis said, wiping sweat from his face. He held the swaddled bird against his chest.
The peaked canopy of the big top stood tall over the row of concession stands. The old marquee twinkled faintly in the sunlight, its red and yellow light bulbs spelling out Sweetwater’s Traveling Show. Everything was quiet.
“Charlie?” I knew better than to question her ears.
“What is it?” Sam asked.
“Shhh.” She closed her eyes and cupped her hands around her ears.
“I don’t hear anything,” I said. “Actually I don’t hear anything at all.”
Usually, on the day we arrived in a town, the fairgrounds were so noisy you could barely have a conversation without shouting. The roustabouts and canvasmen made a terrible racket erecting the tents and hammering the steel spikes into the ground. Then there was the constant hum of generators and cranes and trucks permeating everything as we all got things ready for the weeklong stay. Not to mention the animals screeching and squawking and the regular people noise. But from where we stood, it was eerily quiet. The whole place felt like a ghost town.
A mushroom of black smoke billowed above the big top in the distance. A rolling boom reached us a moment later.
“Whoa,” Sam whispered.
“Sweet Sisters. They’re here,” Hollis said.

A short interview with Corinne O’Flynn, author of THE EXPATRIATES.

Tell us about your book.

THE EXPATRIATES is the first book in a new YA fantasy series about a teenage boy, Jim Wales, who discovers his family’s been hiding him in a traveling carnival because he’s being hunted for his powers.

What inspired you to write THE EXPATRIATES?

This is such a cliché!! But, the truth is the book was inspired by a dream I had almost 14 years ago. It was a little scene where this dark-haired kid is walking through a meadow of golden grass with a tiger and there’s a falcon hovering in the air over him. He’s communicating with the animals telepathically. The whole thing is still so vivid, all these years later.

What can you tell us about the main character?

The main character in THE EXPATRIATES is a seventeen year old named James Wales. His friends call him Jim. He has the ability to communicate with animals telepathically, which comes in handy living with a traveling carnival! The story opens with him training a tiger to do some new moves for their carnival act. It doesn’t go well, and Jim’s concerned the tiger can understand the insults coming from Jim’s best friend, Sam.

Your cover is fantastic! Who designed it and do you think a good cover is important part of publishing?

My cover was designed by Steven Novak at www.novakillustsration.com. He’s super to work with, and I can’t wait to see what he does with my next cover. I think a good cover is absolutely vital to capturing a reader’s attention. I learned something important while working on the cover, and that is to focus on the concept and the theme you want to portray, and not get stuck trying to be too literal in showing an actual scene from the story. Keeping that in mind really helped me get my head around what we needed to do.


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