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Tuesday, 30 September 2014
Book Blitz + Giveaway - A Little Like Fate series by Cheyanne Young
Find the blitz schedule here.
Release date: October 1st 2014
Publisher: 336Love
Purchase: Amazon
SYNOPSIS VIA GOODREADS:
A New Adult Clean Romance told in 3 novellas.
Part 1
Robin Carter made a promise to her grandfather on his deathbed: to stop killing herself climbing up the corporate ladder and to follow her heart- wherever it may lead. Her plan is to quit her life and hit the road in the middle of the night. When her knocked up teenage niece begs to come along, the pair find themselves stranded in the middle-of-nowhere Texas. Too much alcohol and one redneck festival later, she’s starting to regret everything until she trips over a handsome cowboy named Tyler. Whether it’s the alcohol or his sexy southern voice that sways her, she doesn’t know. But she’s going to find out.
Part 2
Robin and her niece Miranda have decided to stay in the tiny but friendly town of Salt Gap, Texas while they figure out what to do with their lives. With only a picture to go by, Robin goes on a scavenger hunt through town trying to discover the link between her late grandfather and coincidence that brought her to the same place.
She’s still afraid of relationships, so when the hot cowboy Tyler starts to get a little too friendly, she’s more than happy to spot all the red flags she can find to help her avoid liking him. Like the waitress Elizabeth and her weirdly close relationship with Tyler. But as Miranda is quick to point out, they’re on a journey guided by fate and that can only mean one thing – if she’s meant to find love in Salt Gap, it will happen with or without her permission.
Part 3
With Tyler’s help, Robin discovers the secrets of her Grandfather’s past and learns what it means to be a part of the community at Salt Gap. Miranda’s baby is due soon and with the holidays around the corner, Robin and her niece are forced to confront the people and the drama they left behind when they moved.
When everything starts to fall apart, the guys in their new life help pick up the pieces of their old one and put everything back in place.
About the Author
Cheyanne is a native Texan with a fear of cold weather and a coffee addiction that probably needs an intervention.
She loves books, sarcasm, nail polish and paid holidays.
She lives near the beach with her family, one spoiled rotten puppy and a cat who is most likely plotting to take over the world.
Excerpt:
Tyler says something about Galveston Island, but all I hear are the words Galveston and Island. Last night he was a stranger and now we’re talking as if we were friends. Even though I wanted to ignore him and go back to my boring day, I’m finding it really hard to end our conversation. I haven’t talked like this with someone in a long time. This isn’t even professional work-related talk or rushed, pointless Facebook status comments—it’s something more. I smile and nod and make a joke about the real estate in Galveston and he laughs.
My cheeks flush, my head tilts back and my laugh is girly. I barely recognize myself. I’m having an amazing time here, at this small town bar talking to a new friend who is totally gorgeous. I’m not worrying about getting back to the office on time, plummeting market values, open houses and piddly fights with Maggie. I’m free here.
Monday, 29 September 2014
Blog Tour + Guest Post + Giveaway - Shadows Fall Away by Kit Forbes
Find the tour schedule here.
Shadows Fall Away by Kit Forbes
Publication Date: September 23, 2014
Publisher: Month9Books
Mark
Stewart is one incident away from becoming a juvenile delinquent, and
his parents have had enough. They ship Mark off to London England to
stay with his eccentric aunt Agatha who is obsessed with all things Jack
the Ripper. After a strange twist of luck, Mark is struck by lightning,
and he wakes to find himself in 1888 Victorian London.
His
interest in a string of murders Scotland Yard has yet to solve make him
a likely suspect. After all, why would a young boy like Mark know so
much about the murders? Could he be the ripper they’ve been searching
for? Convinced the only way to get back home is to solve the murders,
Mark dives headfirst into uncovering the truth.
Mark’s
only distraction comes in the form of the beautiful Genie Trembly, a
girl who is totally out of his league and who may have already caught
the attention of the infamous ripper. To save her, he’ll endanger both
their lives, and risk being trapped in the past forever.
Purchase links:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Chapters Indigo! | TBD
About the Author
Kit
Forbes has been a lover of books, history, and all things paranormal
for as long as she can remember. She lives in Western Pennsylvania with
her youngest daughter and an assortment of cats who give new meaning to
the world bizarre.
You’d think a mom would give her son—her only son—a break after he’d
been through what I’d been through. You’d think that but you obviously
don’t know my mom.
People think my dad is the family harda** by virtue of being a police detective, and they’re mostly right; but when Mom gets a bug up her butt, she can stare down the biggest, baddest thug on the block and send him off with a smack to the head.
I know, because that thug was a former acquaintance of mine, a foot taller and at least 60 pounds heavier but he didn’t ever mess with Mom.
And that’s why I’m sitting on a day just made for chilling in the sun at Point State Park “flexing my writing muscles” before I write my college application essay. Mom suggested that I do a sort of travelogue about Olde London, but really, who wants to read that sh*t? Instead, I’ll give you something you can use should you ever find yourself zapped back a century and a half.
Ten Things Mark Stewart Hated about 1888 London
10. Sanitation or rather the lack thereof. Holy crap, the amount of actual crap you could accidentally step in was unreal. Sure the guys who had to clean the muck from the carriage horses made a living but, damn.
I won’t even get into what you might step or fall in the back alleys of Whitechapel. Trust me, you don’t want to know. Way too nasty for me in the absence of antibiotics. (Hey, Mom is a nurse as well as a writer, I know what kind of nasty lurks in waste of the world.)
9. The clothes. After a week in the past I was ready to bow down to the greatness that was Chuck Taylor and whoever invented cargo shorts. I can count on one hand the times I willingly put on a shirt, tie, and dress shoes in 2014. But back in the day that’s all there was if you wanted to be even remotely “respectable” looking.. On the flip side I can’t deny that the ladies looked fine in their corsets and swishy dresses.
8. Shaving. You know how in those old photos all the Victorian guys has beards? There’s a reason for that and that reason is: Keeping your head attached firmly to your neck.
Sure, the whole safety razor thing existed, only the guys I was around in 1888 didn’t seem to know or care.
Add to that the fact that I remember when Mom got dad to try and use a big straight razor so she could describe it from a male character’s viewpoint. It was a real good thing she’d trained as an ER nurse.
7. Indoor plumbing. Do I really need a reason why not having hot and cold running water and flush toilets everywhere was a pain?
6. Electricity not ruling the world. Dark and atmospheric Time <--(no 'e' here) Burton movies are fun to watch but living in one is not something I recommend.
5. No TV.
4. No Internet.
3. No cell phone.
How the hell did people ever live without these things?
2. Not being treated like a kid. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I know every teenager wants nothing more than to stop being treated like a dumba** kid who can’t make their own decisions.
But really, knowing that you can always sneak back into a soft, warm, bug free bed and raid the fridge for leftovers is a long way from not having dime pence one and having to figure out how to put a roof over your head and something, anything into your stomach. And the absolute top of the list that kept me from getting a decent night’s sleep more times than anyone will ever know:
1. Genie Trambley and thinking how I’d feel once I was home where I belonged, knowing Genie was still there and probably letting the expectations of society hook her up with a guy who couldn’t possibly understand or appreciate her.
People think my dad is the family harda** by virtue of being a police detective, and they’re mostly right; but when Mom gets a bug up her butt, she can stare down the biggest, baddest thug on the block and send him off with a smack to the head.
I know, because that thug was a former acquaintance of mine, a foot taller and at least 60 pounds heavier but he didn’t ever mess with Mom.
And that’s why I’m sitting on a day just made for chilling in the sun at Point State Park “flexing my writing muscles” before I write my college application essay. Mom suggested that I do a sort of travelogue about Olde London, but really, who wants to read that sh*t? Instead, I’ll give you something you can use should you ever find yourself zapped back a century and a half.
Ten Things Mark Stewart Hated about 1888 London
10. Sanitation or rather the lack thereof. Holy crap, the amount of actual crap you could accidentally step in was unreal. Sure the guys who had to clean the muck from the carriage horses made a living but, damn.
I won’t even get into what you might step or fall in the back alleys of Whitechapel. Trust me, you don’t want to know. Way too nasty for me in the absence of antibiotics. (Hey, Mom is a nurse as well as a writer, I know what kind of nasty lurks in waste of the world.)
9. The clothes. After a week in the past I was ready to bow down to the greatness that was Chuck Taylor and whoever invented cargo shorts. I can count on one hand the times I willingly put on a shirt, tie, and dress shoes in 2014. But back in the day that’s all there was if you wanted to be even remotely “respectable” looking.. On the flip side I can’t deny that the ladies looked fine in their corsets and swishy dresses.
8. Shaving. You know how in those old photos all the Victorian guys has beards? There’s a reason for that and that reason is: Keeping your head attached firmly to your neck.
Sure, the whole safety razor thing existed, only the guys I was around in 1888 didn’t seem to know or care.
Add to that the fact that I remember when Mom got dad to try and use a big straight razor so she could describe it from a male character’s viewpoint. It was a real good thing she’d trained as an ER nurse.
7. Indoor plumbing. Do I really need a reason why not having hot and cold running water and flush toilets everywhere was a pain?
6. Electricity not ruling the world. Dark and atmospheric Time <--(no 'e' here) Burton movies are fun to watch but living in one is not something I recommend.
5. No TV.
4. No Internet.
3. No cell phone.
How the hell did people ever live without these things?
2. Not being treated like a kid. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I know every teenager wants nothing more than to stop being treated like a dumba** kid who can’t make their own decisions.
But really, knowing that you can always sneak back into a soft, warm, bug free bed and raid the fridge for leftovers is a long way from not having dime pence one and having to figure out how to put a roof over your head and something, anything into your stomach. And the absolute top of the list that kept me from getting a decent night’s sleep more times than anyone will ever know:
1. Genie Trambley and thinking how I’d feel once I was home where I belonged, knowing Genie was still there and probably letting the expectations of society hook her up with a guy who couldn’t possibly understand or appreciate her.
Tour-wide giveaway
Open internationally
Sunday, 28 September 2014
Showcase Sunday #4
Showcase Sunday is a feature hosted by Books, Biscuits, and Tea.
Read:
Perfect Ruin (The Internment Chronicles, #1) by Lauren DeStefano
3/5 stars
Shadows (The Rephaim, #1) by Paula Weston
3/5 stars
Bleed Like Me by C. Desir
2.5/5 stars
Read my review here.
Bought:
The Infinite Sea (The 5th Wave, #2) by Rick Yancey
Out of Control by Sarah Alderson
For Review:
Thanks to Orion Publishing Group!
Currently Reading:
Hidden Sins (Luke Fletcher Series, #1) by Karice Bolton
Review - Reckoning (Silver Blackthorn, #1) by Kerry Wilkinson
Title: Reckoning (Silver Blackthorn, #1)
Author: Kerry Wilkinson
Pages: 378
Publisher: Pan Macmillan
Release date: 22nd May 2014
Blurb from Goodreads:
In the
village of Martindale, hundreds of miles north of the new English capital of
Windsor, sixteen-year-old Silver Blackthorn takes the Reckoning. This
coming-of-age test not only decides her place in society - Elite, Member, Inter
or Trog - but also determines that Silver is to become an Offering for King
Victor.
But these are uncertain times and no one really knows what happens to the teenagers who disappear into Windsor Castle. Is being an Offering the privilege everyone assumes it to be, or do the walls of the castle have something to hide?
Trapped in a maze of ancient corridors, Silver finds herself in a warped world of suspicion where it is difficult to know who to trust and who to fear. The one thing Silver does know is that she must find a way out . . .
But these are uncertain times and no one really knows what happens to the teenagers who disappear into Windsor Castle. Is being an Offering the privilege everyone assumes it to be, or do the walls of the castle have something to hide?
Trapped in a maze of ancient corridors, Silver finds herself in a warped world of suspicion where it is difficult to know who to trust and who to fear. The one thing Silver does know is that she must find a way out . . .
My Review:
*I
received a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Thanks to Pan Macmillan and NetGalley*
2.5/5
stars
Silver
Blackthorn - so called because of the streak of silver hair she was born with -
lives in a version of England which is split into the North, East, South and
West. Windsor is now the capital and King Victor rules after having ended a
war.
Ever
since the war finished every sixteen-year-old undergoes the Reckoning, a test
that will determine what function the teen will have in society as either an
Elite, a Member, an Inter or a Trog. Each region then has to give a certain
number of these four divisions as an Offering to the king.
Silver
becomes an Offering but soon discovers that it isn't as glamorous as everyone
has been led to believe and that, in fact, it could be deadly.
This
book was like a mixture of The Hunger Games and The Selection but Reckoning
does have its own unique aspects.
As a
Brit I like dystopians set in the UK. I would have liked more detail on the war
though and more development on what the Elites, Members, Inters and Trogs did
and more information on how the system came about.
I liked
the first half as the build up was good. The second half was quite slow in
places and dragged. However, I found the plot to be very predictable. I even
saw the 'big' surprise at the end coming.
Silver
was an okay protagonist but every now and then she'd comment on something that
would make me think 'did we really need to know that?'.
I wasn't
keen on Silver's relationship with Imrin who I didn't like at all. Team Opie
all the way!
Overall
while this was a unique dystopian it was predictable.
Book Blitz + Giveaway - Rush (The Game, #1) by Eve Silver
Release Date: June 11, 2013
Publisher: Harper Teen
Summary from Goodreads:
So what’s the game now? This, or the life I used to know?
When Miki Jones is pulled from her life, pulled through time and space into some kind of game—her carefully controlled life spirals into chaos. In the game, she and a team of other teens are sent on missions to eliminate the Drau, terrifying and beautiful alien creatures. There are no practice runs, no training, and no way out. Miki has only the guidance of secretive but maddeningly attractive team leader Jackson Tate, who says the game isn’t really a game, that what Miki and her new teammates do now determines their survival, and the survival of every other person on this planet. She laughs. He doesn’t. And then the game takes a deadly and terrifying turn.
Buy Links: (US/CAN)
On sale for $1.99 at the following only:
Other books in this series:
Excerpt:
“You can lean on me,” Jackson says.
“I—”
“Lean on me.” Not an offer this time, an order.
I scoot over and lean my weight against his arm.
“Not like that.” He shifts both of us around until my back’s against one side of his chest, my head lolling sideways onto his shoulder, our legs stretched out in front of us, side by side. Not perfect on the comfort score, but better than it was a minute ago. He rests his chin lightly on the top of my head and tells me, “Sleep.”
“What about you?”
“I’ll keep watch. I’ve been doing this long enough that I don’t need rest while we’re on a mission.”
“What about Luka and Tyrone?”
“They won’t need to rest, either. You’re still getting used to the jumps. By the next mission or the one after that, you’ll be like us. A robo-soldier.” And there it is again, that thread of humor, like he’s laughing at himself.
“Is that supposed to reassure me? ’Cause I gotta tell ya, thinking about upcoming missions doesn’t exactly thrill me.”
I jump when his hands settle on my shoulders. Then I sigh as he kneads my muscles. Long fingers. Strong hands. Some of my tension slips away.
About the Author
Eve Silver lives with her gamer husband and sons, sometimes in Canada, but often in worlds she dreams up. She loves kayaking and sunshine, dogs and desserts, and books, lots and lots of books. Watch for the first book in Eve’s new teen series, THE GAME: RUSH, coming from Katherine Tegen Books, June 2013. She also writes books for adults.
Author Links:
Book blitz organised by:
Saturday, 27 September 2014
Book Blitz + Giveaway - Distance by Andrea Heltsley
Distance by Andrea Heltsley
Publication date: September 23rd 2014
Genres: Comedy, New Adult, Romance
Publication date: September 23rd 2014
Genres: Comedy, New Adult, Romance
Synopsis:
Lexi has sworn off guys for good.
She’s always been a hot mess, but accidentally finding her boyfriend of three years cheating on her is just too much for her to handle.
All she wants is to get this summer done and over with, so she and her best friend Elena can travel cross country for college. Then she will finally be free of this town, the friends that dropped her in favor of her ex, and her klutzy reputation.
Lexi’s policy was working perfectly, until a guy named Mason comes to her rescue. Not once but twice in one night. For once, her mishaps have led to something good.
She’s feeling things that scare her, but she’s drawn to him. Can Mason break through her walls, or will she stick to her plan and steer clear of him?
This is a new adult romantic comedy. Recommended for ages 17+ due to mature content.
She’s always been a hot mess, but accidentally finding her boyfriend of three years cheating on her is just too much for her to handle.
All she wants is to get this summer done and over with, so she and her best friend Elena can travel cross country for college. Then she will finally be free of this town, the friends that dropped her in favor of her ex, and her klutzy reputation.
Lexi’s policy was working perfectly, until a guy named Mason comes to her rescue. Not once but twice in one night. For once, her mishaps have led to something good.
She’s feeling things that scare her, but she’s drawn to him. Can Mason break through her walls, or will she stick to her plan and steer clear of him?
This is a new adult romantic comedy. Recommended for ages 17+ due to mature content.
Purchase:
AUTHOR BIO
Andrea Heltsley is a new adult and young adult author. She left the world of science, started writing in 2012 and hasn't stopped since. She lives in Tennessee with her husband and two Italian Greyhounds. Ice cream, coffee and candy are always necessities. When writing, Andrea loves to listen to all kinds of music and always has a candle burning. When she's not writing, you can find her nose in a book. Her favorite forms of entertainment are reading, listening to Shakira and watching Bitten and The Vampire Diaries.
Excerpt:
My headache was too bad to listen to music, so I rolled my windows down and listened to the sounds of birds chirping in the background. It was a peaceful break from reality.
I was engrossed in my own thoughts and I didn’t realize how close I had gotten to the side of the road. Before I knew what was happening, my car clipped the side of the road and I ended up veering to the right.
My foot mashed on the brakes, but not before I ran down poor Ms. Davenport’s birdhouse mailbox. Ugh, hopefully she wouldn’t be upset. The gray-haired old lady opened her front door and the screen slammed behind her.
“Oh, dear, are you all right?”
“Yeah, Ms. Davenport, I’m just a little shaken up right now. I’m so sorry about this; I’ll purchase you a new one right away.”
“Oh pish-posh, dear, I know you’ll take care of it. I’m more worried about you. What on earth happened? You should be lucky it was just a mailbox and not a tree. We wouldn’t be having this conversation then.”
“Well, I was too close to the curb, clipped it and lost control of the car. Thank heavens I was only driving about thirty miles per hour.”
“Be careful driving home, dear. I’ll talk to you soon.”
Ms. Davenport gave me her friendliest smile and then headed back inside her house. At least I got lucky enough to hit her mailbox and not Mr. Jenkins next door. He would have my ass in a sling before I could apologize. The old man was a retired drill sergeant.
I was engrossed in my own thoughts and I didn’t realize how close I had gotten to the side of the road. Before I knew what was happening, my car clipped the side of the road and I ended up veering to the right.
My foot mashed on the brakes, but not before I ran down poor Ms. Davenport’s birdhouse mailbox. Ugh, hopefully she wouldn’t be upset. The gray-haired old lady opened her front door and the screen slammed behind her.
“Oh, dear, are you all right?”
“Yeah, Ms. Davenport, I’m just a little shaken up right now. I’m so sorry about this; I’ll purchase you a new one right away.”
“Oh pish-posh, dear, I know you’ll take care of it. I’m more worried about you. What on earth happened? You should be lucky it was just a mailbox and not a tree. We wouldn’t be having this conversation then.”
“Well, I was too close to the curb, clipped it and lost control of the car. Thank heavens I was only driving about thirty miles per hour.”
“Be careful driving home, dear. I’ll talk to you soon.”
Ms. Davenport gave me her friendliest smile and then headed back inside her house. At least I got lucky enough to hit her mailbox and not Mr. Jenkins next door. He would have my ass in a sling before I could apologize. The old man was a retired drill sergeant.
Blitz-wide giveaway
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