Sunday 7 September 2014

Spirit Warriors Tour and Review



Title- Spirit Warriors: The Scarring
Series- Spirit Warriors Book # 2
By- D.E.L. Connor
Genre- YA Fantasy
Expected Publication Date- July 21st
Published By- Booktrope Publishing

“One of us would finally end what had been started by the machayiwiw so many years ago. I would have to kill him. It was just that simple. I never thought I would want to kill anybody or anything, but maybe I never had anything worth killing for before.”
-Emmeline Rima Belrose, The Scarring (Spirit Warriors, Book 2)
In the majestic beauty of a Montana summer, Emme and her friends celebrate her near-drowning survival and their defeat of the powerful evil spirit, the machayiwiw. But even as they rejoice, things are amiss. Emme watches helplessly as her family divides, and her friends struggle to hold their relationship together. Worse yet, the love-of-her life, Charlie, announces that he will move back to the reservation, without Emme. Different nightmares take over and Emme realizes she must fight and kill—or watch those she loves be killed. Friends from the reservation reach out to Emme and show her what evil can steal from her. Emme believes that evil can never break her bond with the Spirit Warriors or the love she shares with Charlie. Or can it?


Links-

 While this book can be read as a stand alone, I do suggest reading book 1 first. I really liked that this book did reference the events from book one so I wasn't lost.  It was a very quick read and an enjoyable one. But it made me wish I had read book 1 first.  The characters are relatable and they deal with things that a lot of teens deal with.  This book left me wondering what is going to happen next.  I for one can't wait to read book 3 and having read this one I plan on reading all three again when book 3 comes out.




Book Info-
Title-The Concealing (Spirit Warriors #1)
By- D.E.L. Connor
Release Date: November 24, 2013
Length: 191 pages
Publisher: Booktrope

Blurb-
Sixteen-year-old Emme Belrose has it all: four best friends, a horse of her own, a hidden tepee hangout, and a blossoming romance with tall and handsome Charlie. These friends also have a secret. They can move their spirits into animal bodies: an osprey, a mustang, a grizzly, a mountain lion and a coyote.
But when Charlie, who has a gift for seeing the future, has a vision of Emme drowning in the icy Yellowstone River, the Spirit Warriors must train their animal bodies to kill an enemy they know is coming… but know nothing about. Suspenseful, romantic, and awash in Native American magic, Spirit Warriors captures the tragic enchantment of the American West—and confirms the power of friendship.

About the Author-
Della was born in South Dakota and raised in the vastness and beauty of Montana on a farm. When she longed for the big city life, she moved to Texas where she attended college and received a PhD in nursing. When not nursing people back to health you can find Della huddled over her Mac writing the stories that have occupied her mind for so many years, or traveling with her best friends, the NOLA’s, riding bikes across the Golden Gate bridge or exploring botanical gardens. She is the proud mother of a champion triathlete, two aging dogs and 1 grand-cat. Della has admittedly confessed to her coffee addiction and swears that her two hour coffee crawl while on vacation in Seattle –was the best two hours of her life!


Social Media Links-




Saturday 6 September 2014

Dead Girl Walking



Title- Dead Girl Walking
Series- Royal Reaper Book #1
By- Ruth Silver
Genre- YA, Paranormal, Royalty
Published By- Patchwork Press


Blurb-
Forget everything you know about grim reapers.


Princess Ophelia Dacre sneaks out of the castle to visit her boyfriend in secret. A perfect night cut short when she’s brutally murdered.


Ophelia is given the rare chance to become a grim reaper. She must become Leila Bele, cut ties with her old life, and follow the rules of the reapers. Her greatest adventure begins with death.







Links-
Goodreads -
Barnes & Noble -

Ruth Silver is the best-selling author of ABERRANT, a young adult dystopian adventure series published by Patchwork Press and Lazy Day Publishing, in 2013. Author, YA Blogger, and Book Manager with Booktrope Publishing, Ruth keeps busy with writing, updating her book blogs Write Away Bliss and YA Book Deals, and promoting authors.


With a passion for reading, photography, and traveling Ruth has plenty of stories and experiences to share. She loves dystopian, paranormal, and fantasy young adult novels most of all. Ruth has been actively writing since she was a teenager. She currently resides in Plainfield, Illinois.


Tuesday 2 September 2014

Eyes of the Enemy Review







Eyes of the Enemy
BlackMyst Trilogy
By: Kelly Hess
Genre: YA/MG Fantasy
Publication Date: August 26, 2014
Published By: Booktrope Publishing

When a rogue band of the dreaded Sorak attacks his village, twelve-year-old Beynn Firehand escapes into the darkness of BlackMyst Forest to find help. During his quest, Beynn discovers his own powerful magic abilities.

The price of his newfound powers, however, may be higher than he ever imagined.

  

Saturday 9 August 2014

The Witches of the Glass Castle


Title: The Witches of the Glass Castle
Author: Gabriella Lepore   
Genre: YA FantasyHosted by: Lady Amber's Tours

Blurb: Sixteen-year-old Mia's life is turned upside down when she uncovers her family secret—that she and her brother Dino are witches.  Seeking refuge in an ancient castle, the siblings begin down a path that will change their lives forever. Suddenly thrust into a world where handsome warriors command the power of nature and peoples thoughts and actions can be manipulated at will, Mia and Dino struggle to navigate their own allegiances and do what they know to be right, even when everything around them seems beyond their control.
Gabriella Lepore lives on the coast of Wales in the United Kingdom. She began writing at an early age and grew up with a passion for all things supernatural. She currently has three young adult books in print: How I Found You (2012), Evanescent (2013) and The Witches of the Glass Castle (2014).
Author Links: Twitter: @GabriellaBooks
Buy Links: Amazon: smarturl.it/GlassCastle_Lepore

Monday 4 August 2014

Two Breaths Too Late



Two Breaths Too Late
Rochelle Maya Callen
Young Adult
9.10.14 (World Suicide Prevention Day)
www.RochelleMayaCallen.com 





Ellie Walker is a high school senior who commits suicide and then is forced to face the brokenness she leaves behind. 


EXCERPT:
1.

Death,

You aren't a tunnel of light, a choir of angels, or even an ascension of the soul. You are a twitching leg, a spasm of breath, a moment of fear when I realize that the noose I tied didn't snap my neck and I am left dangling with the chair tipped over too far from my toes. You are blackness blotting out my vision, my lungs heaving in breaths that aren't there, because the rope cuts into my throat choking the life out of me, slowly. 

Too slowly.

My fingers claw at the rope that I found in the closet behind liquor bottles and expired cans of vegetables. Life seeps out of me; the oxygen choked out, the carbon dioxide choked in. Where was the peace and quiet? Where was the release? The absence of fear? That is why I hid the rope under my mattress, why I waited till mom and dad left for work, why I climbed on a chair and tied the noose, why I wrapped it around my neck and pulled it tight, said a prayer, squeezed my eyes shut, and stepped off the chair. 
Leaving the screams, the bruises, the scars, the secrets and loneliness behind.

But you aren't taking me away.

I am suffocating in silent screams and the smell of ash. The floor is too far and I am too high. My chest caves in and just as blackness eats my last sliver of being conscious, I realize I regret. I realize I am too late. Death, you aren't beautiful or free or romantic like in all of the novels I have read. You are a girl who had no hope left, dangling from a ceiling beam who, two breaths too late, realized she wanted to live.

I thought you would save me, Death. 
But you are a liar.
Just like everyone else.


The Day He Died...
A Message from the Author of Two Breaths Too Late.


 He was about 6 when I met him. He was my new friend's younger brother and all long limbs, brown hair, and big brown eyes. He had one of the biggest smiles I had ever seen.

 The kid was brilliant. He read constantly. Loved learning. By 11, he was taking college classes. Languages. Science. His mind was a powerful beast that conquered many subjects. We all knew he would do amazing things with the brilliance he had within him.

 He would shine. He would soar.

 We were all ready and waiting to see it happen. We all grew up. I went to college. Gradated. Got married. He became a handsome teenager and was still wining over hearts (everyone loved him and that big smile). He joined a church band. Got his associates degree before 15. He had friends and a family who loved him.

 Then one night, he ran out of his house—his parents running after him—to the bridge that went over highway 95...and jumped.

 As a mother, I can't imagine that moment—that split second when you are looking at your child and his feet are solidly on the ground and he is so close to being within reach and that defining, heart breaking moment when he isn't any longer.

 He was 19.

 I heard the news by phone while standing in my kitchen. The shock rendered me breathless. What had happened to this brilliant young man? We found out later that he had been recently diagnosed with schizophrenia and after watching his brother have a fierce battle with the illness, he couldn't find the hope to live on.

 His family had everyone wear brightly colored shirts and his band played at the funeral. The music was joyous and beautiful and people hugged and danced as pictures of his beautiful smile were projected onto a huge screen.

 It had been the week of Easter. It was a beautiful celebration of his life—a life that ended far too soon.

We have all suffered loss in some way. We know the ache. The feeling of too much space because something or someone is supposed to be there to fill it.

 The loss of someone to suicide happens everyday. Every minute. It is estimated that worldwide nearly a million people take their own lives. One million fathers, mothers, sisters, brothers, sons, daughters who are lost because they had no hope left.

 The day I found out about this brilliant young man's suicide, I was brought back to a moment years earlier, when I was 11 years old and standing on a chair with a noose dangling in front of me. I had stepped down from that chair that day—despite bruises, pain, loneliness, and secrets—and lived. Lived to see heart breaks, awards won, graduations, friendships, jobs, and a million other happy and terrible moments. Ugly or perfect, those moments were mine and there I stood in my kitchen with my round and pregnant belly and listened as my mother told me the news about a boy who had all those moments taken away.

 Almost a year ago, I posted a flash fiction piece I had written about suicide and a reader contacted me and said that I should write a novel based on it. I was intimidated. Scared. How could I take on something like that? It hit such a personal chord with me that I thought I might unravel in its creation.

 I am not going to lie. This novel always brings tears to my eyes. Not because I am a literary genius or a masterful story-teller, but because with every word I write and second that passes, I know there is someone out there who is deciding to give up on on their beautiful and terrible moments and my heart breaks and I wish I could type faster, or yell louder, or reach out and squeeze every single one of those one million souls and whisper, “Hold on...just a little longer.”

 This novel isn't about happy endings. It isn't about happily-ever-afters. It is about the beautiful and terrible moments that make up a life and the possibilities that live in even the darkest of places that sometimes we are just too blind to see. I will use a portion of the proceeds from this novel to donate to To Write Love On Her Arms as well as launch a suicide prevention project entitled, HoldOn2Hope.

The project will launch in September. If all goes well, there will be a LIVE event for teens in the DC metro area as well as the project's online media awareness component will last a full year. My heart is in this project and I know that a project like this needs a ton of love and support to thrive.

 That's where you come in. I hope together we can change this staggering statistic. I send you love and light today. Please know that you are precious in this big 'ol world and it would not be as bright or beautiful without you in it.
 XOXO,
Rochelle


*Website will be LIVE on Sept 1st.*





  a Rafflecopter giveaway

Wednesday 30 April 2014

Review of Coping by J. Bennett



This exciting follow-up to Falling (Book one of the Girl With Broken Wings series) finds Maya intent on joining her half-brothers in their secret war against the genetically-enhanced killers that call themselves angels. Still trying to cope with her new abilities and the hunger that threatens to overwhelm her, Maya may be more of a hindrance than a help to her brothers as they take on a new mission and make a grisly discovery. 


Coping is a fast-paced novella that brings readers back into Maya’s darkly humorous world, where angels are not the good guys, the heroes don’t wear tights, and getting in over your head just means it’s Tuesday. Join Maya, Gabe and Tarren for more blood, bullets, and Chuck Norris jokes in Coping




This is the second book in the "Girl with Broken Wings Series". It is a very quick and short read. I finished in less than an hour. 

The character development is much greater defined. You get to be inside her head a bit more and can understand her a bit more.

All in all, a great short story, with some unique aspects. Again it is very short for a second installment in the story and it really doesn't help answer any questions you may have or give you a clear idea of where the story is going. Also beware the language in Coping is quite a bit more risque than in Falling with a pronounced use of the F bomb.

I would consider this a great stepping stone to book 3. But I was a little let down by it not being longer. I give it a 3.5, mostly due to its length and not answering questions I had at the end of Falling.


Thursday 3 April 2014

Stepping off a Cliff




An otherworldly, evil and dangerous force infests America’s oldest and most haunted city, St. Augustine, Florida. Everyone living there, or visiting, is at risk in ways too horrible to imagine.

Standing between this invader and the people of St. Augustine are teenagers Jeff and Carla, the mysterious Native American shaman, Lobo, and Lyle, the homeless guy.

In their quest to save themselves and all the inhabitants of this ancient Florida city, Jeff and Carla uncover lost parts of St. Augustine history, push past the limits of space and time, and come face-to-face with what they come to realize are the true walking dead.









This book is the second book in the St. Augustine Trilogy. You will not be disappointed with this book! It will keep your flipping the pages to find out what happens next. We get to not only deal with the kids again. Carla and Jeff, but also get another dose of Lobo and Lyle.

This time the kids with the help of the adults are dealing with some REAL BIG NASTIES!!! I won't go into details, I hate spoilers, but we will see a bit of time travel again. Gotta love time travel. A bit of a fight, and learn a bit of history.

If you loved book one as I did, you will definitely love book 2! I can't wait to see what happens in book 3 of this trilogy!


Author Bio
Doug Dillon has been writing for adults and young people since 1984, especially in the paranormal realm. An award winning educator, he spent many years as a classroom teacher, school administrator, and coordinator of programs for high-risk students. Prentice Hall, Harcourt, Mitchelle Lane Publishers, Boys' Life magazine, Learning Magazine and The Orlando Sentinel have all published his work.

Thursday 13 February 2014

Few Are Angels Blog Tour

Book Info-
Title-Few Are Angels
Series-Few Are Angels # 1
By- Inger Iversen

Blurb-
After a fatal hit and run accident, Ella Monroe fears that she’s lost more than her beloved parents. Horrifying visions of a past life and a disturbing voice in her head have psychiatric professionals convinced that she’s lost her sanity as well. But when Kale--a dark and handsome stranger with a mysterious past--reveals the true meaning of her visions and the tremendous power she wields through them, Ella must come to terms with the devastating truths of her own past, while eluding an ancient Dark Prince who seeks to control not only her future, but all of mankind’s, by means of abilities that Ella is only beginning to understand.

Enter the shrouded world of an age old battle between an ancient race known as the Immortals and their bitter enemy Laurent, the so-called Dark Prince, who commands an army of half-breed vampires known as Chorý. Both sides have been desperately searching for the prophesied emergence of the Arc, a clairvoyant with unparalleled power to recall the past and a soothsayer with clear vision into the future.

The Council of Immortals has sworn to protect the Arc, whom they have identified as young Ella Monroe, a college freshman from Virginia living quietly and unaware of her powers or her past. But a renegade Chorý has other plans for the protection of a girl he has loved through the ages. Can Kale convince Ella of who she is, what she is destined to become, and what he once meant to her? Is he truly the best protector to shield the world from the devastating misuse of her powers that Laurent is bent on controlling? Or will the forbidden love they share and Kale’s cursed condition as a wretched and hated Chorý be used against them both?

This paranormal romance told from the heroine’s perspective builds in intensity and intrigue to a finale you won’t see coming. Heart pounding action mixed with heartwarming friendships and heartbreaking romance will leave you breathless and begging for more.

Saturday 8 February 2014

Resurrection The Apocalypse Chronicles Blitz


Title: Resurrection
Author: Laury Falter
Series: The Apocalypse Chronicles
Genre: Teen Dystopian
Publisher:  Audeamus LLC
Release Date: January 16 2014
Editions/Formats Available In: eBook
Blurb/Synopsis:
The second and final installment in the two-book series, Apocalypse Chronicles...
a dystopian romance about five high school seniors who set out to cure an apocalyptic world of a contagious infection.
Bestselling author Laury Falter finishes off this two-part series--a dystopian romance filled with an electrifying plot, a powerful romance, and unexpected twists.







Laury Falter is a bestselling author of young adult romantic suspense and urban fantasy. She has three series out: the Guardian Trilogy, the Residue Series, and the Apocalypse Chronicles.

Places to find Laury


Places to find Resurrection
Amazon

Wednesday 5 February 2014

Grimnirs Review and Tour


Book Title: 
Grimnirs
Series:  A Runes Novel
Author:  Ednah Walters
Release Date:  December 2nd 2013
Genre:  YA Paranormal Romance
Publisher:  Firetrail Publishing
Presented by:  As You Wish Tours
Banner Made by:  Jamie Turner-Norton

BLURB

One lost love.

One lost best friend.

One hot soul reaper.

Straight out of the psyche ward, Cora just wants her life to be normal. She doesn’t want to see souls or the reapers collecting them. The love of her life, the guy she’s loved from a distance for years, has moved away without saying goodbye. So yes, she’s nursing a serious heartbreak. It’s no wonder love is the last thing on her mind when Echo storms into her life.

The chemistry between them is mind-blowing. The connection defies logic. It doesn’t help that Echo is the poster boy for everything she hates in a guy—hot, beautiful, and cocky. A general pain-in-the-butt. Being around him makes her feel more alive than she’s ever felt before. But more important, the souls leave her alone when he is around.

Echo is perfect for her. Echo might even be her soul-mate. There is only one problem. Echo is a freaking soul reaper. A Grimnir. The very beings she wants out of her life. Maybe normal is overrated because Cora wants it all. Answers. Love. A life. You see, once you fall for a Grimnir, your life will never be the same again.

Cora is straight out of the asylum.  After her parents death she can suddenly see ghosts.  She winds up having a break down, but strange things are happening to Cora.  Now I won't go into details here but suffice it to say her life is not as clear cut as she always thought it was. Cora is well written and an amazing character, but she isn't the only amazing character.  Echo is a total love.  He has such strong convictions, such character that you actually forget he is just a person in a book.

Add in that touch of mythology, and you have the makings of a fabulous story.  I must say I was so very frustrated when the story came to an end. I wanted to keep reading.  I actually came close to throwing my kindle (heaven forbid).  I just was not ready for this story to end.

I loved the little twists and turns this book took.  And I loved how the story progressed.  I have to say this book is a great addition to any personal library, and I highly recommend this book.  By the way, you should probably grab Runes and Immortals while your off grabbing this book.


EXCERPT

Kicker’s eyes widened, and even Drew stared at me with a weird expression. Then I realized what I’d said. Dang, another thing I should have known about. Seriously, I should just keep my mouth shut when people talked about what had happened the last several weeks.

“What? That’s messed up,” Drew said and I realized they were talking.

“I know,” Kicker said. “I was shocked when she told me.”

“You seriously can’t remember anything that happened?” Drew asked, staring at me and standing smack in the middle of the hallway. Students were forced to walk around him.

I shrugged. “The doctors said everything would come rushing back whenever.”

“It’s my fault,” Drew said.

“It’s no one’s fault. Things happen.” Especially when the supernatural are involved. “I have to go. I don’t want to be late for class.”

He grabbed my arm. “You don’t understand. We were, you know, kissing after we won, and I didn’t realize the crowd was surging toward us. One second you were in my arms. The next someone pulled you away while others pushed me down. I tried to find you. I should have tried harder or held you tighter or—”

“Don’t say that. I’m sure it was a crazy evening, and no one is to blame.”

“I agree,” Kicker added.

Drew smiled at her. He walked me to class and somehow ended up inviting Kicker to his party, too. The look on her face was comical. She’d never hung out with football players.

For the rest of the morning, I searched for the Valkyries and hoped Echo would do his appearing act. I was beginning to worry about him, even though I knew I shouldn’t. He could take care of himself.

Still, he’d better show up soon. I had enough crap to deal with without worrying about him. When I didn’t see Raine near our lockers, I sent her a text message.

During lunch, Kicker filled me in on everything I’d “missed” and it wasn’t pretty. My anger shot up as they talked and laughed about someone defacing Raine’s locker and people treating her like crap because she’d known something bad was about to happen during that disastrous meet. Apparently, Eirik and the other me were the only ones who’d stuck by her. That they found that amazing made me want to smack them.

AUTHOR BIO
EDNAH WALTERS grew up reading Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys and dreaming of one day writing her own stories. She is a stay-at-home mother of five humans and two American short-hair cats (one of which has ADHD) and a husband. When she is not writing, she’s at the gym doing Zumba or doing things with her family, reading, traveling or online chatting with fans.

Ednah is the author of The Guardian Legacy series, a YA fantasy series about children of the fallen angels, who fight demons and protect mankind. AWAKENED, the prequel was released by Pill Hill Press in September 2010 with rave reviews. BETRAYED, book one in the series was released by her new publisher Spencer Hill Press in June 2012 and HUNTED, the third installment, was released April 2013. She’s currently working on the next book in the series, FORGOTTEN. Visit her at www.ednahwalters.com.

Ednah also writes YA paranormal romance. RUNES is the first book in her new series. IMMORTALS is book 2. She is presently working on book 3, GRIMNIRS [Book 2.5] was released in December 2013. Read more about this series and the world she's created here www.runestheseries.com.

Under the pseudonym E. B. Walters, Ednah writes contemporary romance. SLOW BURN, the first contemporary romance with suspense, was released in April 2011. It is the first book in the Fitzgerald family series. Since then she has published five more books in this series. She's presently working on book seven. You can visit her online at or www.ebwalters.com.


AUTHOR LINKS

BOOK LINKS