January Black Tour and Review

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January Black Sixteen-year-old genius Matty Ducayn has never fit in on The Hill, an ordered place seriously lacking a sense of humor. After his school’s headmaster expels him for a small act of mischief, Matty’s future looks grim until King Hadrian comes to his rescue with a challenge: answer a question for a master’s diploma. More than a second chance, this means freedom. Masters can choose where they work, a rarity among Regents, and the question is simple. What was January Black? It’s a ship. Everyone knows that. Hadrian rejects that answer, though, and Matty becomes compelled by curiosity and pride to solve the puzzle. When his search for an answer turns up long-buried state secrets, Matty’s journey becomes a collision course with a deadly royal decree. He's been set up to fail, which forces him to choose. Run for his life with the challenge lost...or call the king’s bluff.  

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This book was totally unexpected.  I read the summary, it looked interesting so I signed up for the tour and asked for a review copy.  Boy was I surprised!

The twists and turns this book take will keep you reading. Little hints dropped here and there, to keep your attention.  Did I know what was going to happen in this book? Yes sometimes there were just too many little hints to make it almost obvious.  But I'm good at solving puzzles so that could be why.  However, that being said it still managed to throw a couple surprises in there to keep me going.

I saw such a strong comparison in the story between their lives and our own.  Such strong political views were represented. And I must say as a politically minded woman I enjoyed seeing someone mirror my beliefs.  Freedom isn't Free, it MUST be fought for, sometimes with dire consequences.  I loved how the author mixed in the fantasy world she created along with our own foundation as Americans. *yes I know I live in Australia but I am now and always will be an American*  As such my values get me into trouble here when I open my mouth and my freedom of speech is not protected here as it is in the USA.  So luckily or unluckily I have been on BOTH sides of this story.  One where Freedom rings, and one where things are hidden from the populace for their own good.  Personally like the characters in this book, I would fight for the previous and turn over the later.

I highly recommend this book.  You will immediately love Matty and Iris, and even "Jack".  You will form a strong bond with the characters and you will want good to overcome corruption.  And you will even be surprised at a few things that pop up in the book that you will recognize from your own lifetime.

5 out of this world stars for this book!

Details/Disclaimer: Review copy was provided to me in exchange for a fair and honest review. The free book held no determination on my personal review

Praise Refreshingly intelligent and loads of fun! I lost a few hours as I read this book. It's a Young Adult novel that is refreshingly and astonishingly intelligent, and the love story is perfectly played out. ~Christine Ashworth, Amazon Review The mystery was intriguing - I loved how Wendy Russo weaved in all her secrets throughout the book, how she incorporated just enough to keep you reading, while never actually divulging much of anything. I was guessing for most of it and that's pretty hard to make me do. ~Julie, Clean Teen Reads Wendy Russo has created a masterpiece. ~Ivan Amberlake, Author

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Author Wendy S. Russo Wendy S. Russo got her start writing in the sixth grade. That story involved a talisman with crystals that had to be found and assembled before bad things happened, and dialog that read like classroom roll call. Since then, she’s majored in journalism (for one semester), published poetry, taken a course on short novels, and watched most everything ever filmed by Quentin Tarantino. A Wyoming native transplanted in Baton Rouge, Wendy works for Louisiana State University as an IT analyst. She’s a wife, a mom, a Tiger, a Who Dat, and she falls asleep on her couch at 8:30 on weeknights.  

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January Black 100th Amazon Review Giveaway

  Blog Tour Giveaway $25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash Ends 5/8/13 Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer http://iamareader.com and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. 

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Alexander Drake

Alexander Drake's Extraordinary Pursuit

Meet Alexander Drake, a curious young man living in a drab, oversized mansion with his secretive father. He spent his days playing alone. In the back of his mind he wondered what happened to his mother, and why his father was tight-lipped about the past; but secrets have a way of getting out. It all started with a stay at his grandmother’s cottage. Alexander found strange clues tucked away in his father’s old bedroom. With a mysterious key and several maps in his pack he set off on an innocent search for answers about his family. When he discovered a secret passageway the search took a dramatic turn. He suddenly worried about what was searching for him. Alexander was being hunted by a sorcerer from his father’s past. Answers lead to more questions and the journey of his life. Join Alexander for a thrilling adventure in Azra’s Pith, a place of beauty and magic… but beware—something evil lurks in the shadows.  

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The Return of General Drake

When Alexander arrived in Verhonia, something went terribly wrong. A dark spell delivered from the mountains of Acadia sent him on a dangerous journey in the middle of the night. As he marched into the mountains, the great city of Verhonia was ambushed and burned to the ground by Roman's army of vicious giant murks. With the safety of the realm in jeopardy, General John William Drake was asked to come back to Azra's Pith. He swore he would never return. But after discovering his son was under a spell and in the grips of a dark sorcerer, he had no choice. Things take a wild turn in the mountains, with runaways, a hungry wolf and a mysterious, young empyrean wizard thrown into the adventure. A tight race against time and evil is in full swing. With faith and a little magic, they just might come out on top.  

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Author Elizabeth Parkinson-Bellows

Being the frizzy-haired tomboy with buck teeth gave me a slight case of shyness as a kid. A colorful imagination meant escape and adventure at the drop of a hat. Over the years I learned that the insecurities I carried around were a waste of time. I still prefer a football game to a manicure any day of the week. That indispensable imagination has found its way into my writing providing a sense of joy and a true purpose.  

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Wombstone Tour and Review

Title: Wombstone: A Vampireland Novel
Author: Jessica Roscoe
Genre: YA Paranormal (Warning - Mature Readers only 15+. Book includes violence, swearing and sex scenes)
Publisher: Indiana Ink Publishing
Release Date: March 1st, 2013
Edition/Formats available: Ebook

Mia Blake wasn’t the first girl to be taken by the vampires. She is kidnapped and held prisoner by Caleb, the world’s oldest and most powerful vampire. Turned against her will, Mia must find a way to free herself from Caleb’s grip and get back to those she loves. But defeating the world’s most powerful vampire isn't going to be easy…

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I will begin this review with one word. WOW!  Jessica Roscoe has created a vampire novel unlike all others.  Caleb is the first ever vampire and he has kidnapped Mia.  The first thing you will notice is that although Caleb is mentioned a LOT he is hardly seen in the story.  Who you do see is the vampire who has turned Mia.  

The book starts out with Mia in a parking lot with her best friend.  Mia is walking alone to her car and then BAM every woman's worst nightmare has come to life.  Mia is kidnapped by some men, abused physically when she tries to fight back and knocked unconscious.  When she comes to she is tied up in a room with another half starved woman.  What she thinks is a band of thugs took her, but she is soon to see that there are worst things in life than a group of bullies.

The characters in this book are all well written and strongly described.  I loved Mia and Ryan. I know Ryan was the evil sadistic vampire who kidnapped Mia but he definitely grew during the story and I felt for him.  I loved the open ended-ness of the book. There are so many ways this story can continue on that I can't wait to see the next book.  

I never saw the ending coming and I loved that! You'll just have to see for yourself. I give this book 4.5 stars.  And I'm sure it will get even better in the next book.

Keep them coming Mrs. Roscoe because I can't wait to see what happens next in Mia's and Ryan's life.

Details/Disclaimer: Review copy was provided to me in exchange for a fair and honest review. The free book held no determination on my personal review

“Mia!” Ryan snapped, grabbing my shoulder and shaking me out of my thoughts.

“What?” I yelled. Tears filled my eyes but I refused to let them spill over.

He let go of my shoulder and spoke in a softer voice. “I know this is hard for you. There are things happening right now that you can’t even begin to understand. Just remember this: You’re not dead. It was close – you were almost dead. You can see them again,” he gestured to the photo strip in my hand, “but first I need to make sure you’re safe. The people who were after you in Mexico still want you back.”

I glared at him. “Is this supposed to make me happy?” I asked coldly. “Because it doesn’t. At all.”

He looked genuinely confused. “I saved your life after you jumped out of a window. You nearly bled to death. You should be happy.”

“I never asked you to save me,” I snapped, feeling sick for the thousandth time. “I asked you to leave me there to die, remember?”

He shook his head, got up and left the room. I slammed the door behind him with a satisfying crash.

I took a deep breath and looked around my new cage. It sure was pretty, but it was still essentially a cage. The only things missing were a length of chain hanging from the ceiling and a dead girl in the corner.

You know, I like you. I might just keep you after Caleb’s finished.

I pressed my palms to my burning cheeks and wondered what the hell could possibly happen next.

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Jessica Roscoe is the author of Wombstone, a Young Adult paranormal novel. From a young age, she delighted in the written word and would often scare her poor parents with outlandish stories filled with the supernatural and macabre. Jessica studied film and screenwriting at university before deciding that novels were her calling. The setting for Wombstone was inspired by a six-month stint in the U.S. where she worked as a lifeguard at a summer camp in Mt Freedom, New Jersey. She is currently working on the next book in the Vampireland series. Her other loves in life include good quality tea, delicious wine, reading and hanging out with her husband and baby girl.

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Intangible Tour and Review

Twins Sera and Luke Raine have a well-kept secret--she heals with a touch of her hand, he sees the future. All their lives they've helped those in need on the sly. They've always thought of their abilities as being a gift.

Then Luke has a vision that Sera is killed. That gift they've always cherished begins to feel an awful lot like a curse. Because the thing about Luke's ability? He's always right. 

And he can't do anything about it.

Intangible

I had this book in my TBR pile for a while now, and I'm so very glad that I joined this tour to have a very good reason to finally move it to the top. How happy I am to be able to say that this book is not only a great story, but a definite 5 star read!

Intangible sucked me in, from the very first chapter I felt an attachment with Sera and Luke. And I turned the pages faster and faster praying that everything would work out well!  J. Meyers does a wonderful job with this book by using different viewpoints, sometimes this can be quite distracting but in this book not once was I distracted by that technique.

J. Meyers has created a world that is so like our own but with so many more layers to it.  It makes me wonder if perhaps those layers are all here as well but we are too blind to see them.  The main characters in this book have powers. And to tell you the truth, I would love to be able to heal, I've had some real tragedies in my life and those could have been avoided if I could just heal.

I won't go into any details what-so-ever about this books plot because this is one of those books that I have now officially listed as a MUST READ!!! But not only this book, because I immediately grabbed up the next book in the series and I must say that even that one sucked me in. You have got to give this series a try because it is fabulous!  

As I said before it is a VERY fast paced read. One which when you start you will not want to put it down until you turn that last page.  The book itself is one that any age can read. There is some violence in it, but it is tastefully done.  My ten year old saw the cover and wants to read it, and after reading it I told him he can have it to give it a read.  If that helps you with ages of who can read this book, I am allowing a 10 year old to read it. He is a little advanced in his reading but I'd say easily most people between the ages of 13 and older will definitely enjoy this series!

 
Details/Disclaimer: Review copy was provided to me in exchange for a fair and honest review. The free book held no determination on my personal review

Book Soundtrack

Sarah McLachlan “Angel”

Zac Brown Band “Keep Me in Mind”

Rob Thomas “Ever the Same”

Jewel “Hands”

Vanessa Carlton “A Thousand Miles”

The Calling “Could It Be Any Harder”

Train “Calling All Angels”

Westlife “If I Let You Go”

I would have to agree with this song on this soundtrack!  
But all of them fit so beautifully. I hope you enjoy this video!

j. meyers grew up in Vermont, spent three years in Germany when she was a kid, and now lives in Central New York. When she's not reading or writing, she's chasing after her four kids, exploring the outdoors with her family, baking sweet treats, and forgetting to make dinner. She's the author of Intangible, Intuition, Indomitable, and upcoming Imaginable, due out in April 2013.

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Motherhood Matters Tour and Review

Motherhood Matters Motherhood is a divine calling---but it may not always feel that way. Now you can show the women in your life how much they matter to you, with this delightful and heartwarming volume of wit and wisdom about the divinity, reality, and rewards of motherhood. Fresher than flowers and sweeter than chocolate, it's a perfect gift for the women who give so much. In these hectic days where life's demands can quickly become a heavy burden, Motherhood Matters helps you find more memorable moments and take the stress out of the to-do lists. Written with clarity, concision, and wit, this short, yet indispensable handbook is better than flowers, more guilt-free than chocolate, and gives back to the woman who sacrifices so much of herself every single day.  

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This book was a lovely reminder of what being a mother is all about.  The blessings and the joys that we experience by being a mother.  I loved how the Author used some poetry in the book. As a woman whose only lifelong goal was to be a mother, I can attest to some of the stories in this book.  I relate to so many of the various stories and I know that each of my children is different and required different mothering skills. 

As the mother of 5, I sometimes forget about the joys of motherhood.  Especially with the youngest who has major special needs, but going back over the course of my life with my children I thought of all the times I had stayed up late into the night to finish their costumes, or bake cupcakes that they had forgotten to tell me they needed the very next day, and I realized that I loved every second of being a mother.  I loved all the different stories that were inspired by others.  

While this book is written with LDS mother's in mind it is not strictly an LDS mothers book.  As a woman who is NOT an LDS, I still found the book enjoyable to read.  While the use of scriptures was liberal, I didn't have any issues with their use what-so-ever.

Details/Disclaimer: Review copy was provided to me in exchange for a fair and honest review. The free book held no determination on my personal review

Author Connie Sokol  is a mother of seven, a national and local presenter, and a regular speaker at Education Week. She is a monthly contributor on KSL TV “Studio 5,” and regular blogger for KSL "Motherhood Matters." She is a former TV and radio host for Bonneville Communications, and columnist for Deseret News and Utah Valley Magazine. Mrs. Sokol is the author of several books including the award-nominated romance Caribbean Crossroads, the 8-week Challenge program of Faithful, Fit & Fabulous, Life is Too Short for One Hair Color Series, as well as talk CDs and podcasts. Mrs. Sokol marinates in time spent with her family and eating decadent treats.

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