Sunday, June 22, 2014

Giveaway: I Become Shadow by Joe Shine

I Become Shadow
by Joe Shine
just released: June 10, 2014
Amazon | Goodreads

This debut thriller combines a pulse-pounding thriller (like False Memory or Starters) with a new adult coming-of-age story set at Texas A&M University.

When Ren Sharpe was fourteen, she was kidnapped by a shadowy organization called FATE and trained to be a human weapon.

Now, four years later, she receives her assignment: protect Gareth Young at all costs. Currently a student at Texas A&M, Gareth will someday change the world. FATE calls people like Gareth “FIPs”—future important people—and they’re everywhere, each with a FATE-trained shadow.

But when disaster strikes, Ren will have to turn on her maker. Together with Junie, a fellow abductee and the one person she trusts, Ren takes Gareth on the run.

Because whatever else happens, failure is not an option.


ARE you up for a YA sci-fi thriller this summer...

--~ Book Giveaway ~--

WIN my review copy of this book!

Open to US only.

Offer ends: July 31, 2014

TO DO: (2-parts)

1. ADD this book to your Want To Read list on Goodreads.

OR

Tweet about this giveaway.

OR

Recommend this on Google using the mini-button at end of this post (g+1).

OR

Facebook or Instagram or Pinterest or Tumblr the Book Cover image.

2. TELL me what you did in comments.

AND, leave your email.

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Contest has ended - winner is here

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~*~

* review copy courtesy of book tour sponsored by SOHO Teen.


Saturday, June 21, 2014

Stacking the Shelves - 6.21.14

Stacking the Shelves
hosted by Tynga's Reviews (details)

Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!

~*~

For Review:

Burning Bright
by E.J. Stevens
-paranormal
courtesy of tour
Thanks E.J.!
Amazon | Goodreads


My Last Kiss
by Bethany Neal
-thriller, YA
courtesy of BookSparks Summer Reading Challenge 2014
Thanks Janay!
Amazon | Goodreads

~*~

* some of these may be offered as giveaways within the next two months

* comment and TELL me what you have acquired for your shelves recently

* per usual, check out the sidebar for my current giveaways offers

Tuesday, June 17, 2014

Blitz: Burning Bright by E.J. Stevens (with giveaway)

Today we are celebrating the release of BURNING BRIGHT, the third full-length novel in the Ivy Granger urban fantasy series by E.J. Stevens.

Let's party!

We have two very special book excerpts to share with you and, of course, A GIVEAWAY!

Keep reading for a chance to win.

Burning Bright
(Ivy Granger #3)
by E.J. Stevens

Things are not going well at the offices of Private Eye. Jinx is having demon problems, the city is overrun with pyromaniacal imps, and Ivy's wisp powers are burning out of control, attracting the attention of both the Seelie and Unseelie courts.

Along came a faerie queen... It's the worst possible time for the Green Lady to call in a favor, but Ivy's bound by her deal with the glaistig. Too bad there's no wiggle room in faerie bargains.

Ivy must rid the city of imps, keep Jinx from murdering her one solid link to Hell, and fulfill her bargain with the Green Lady--with sidhe assassins hot on her tail.

Just another day's work for Ivy Granger, psychic detective.

Release Date: June 17, 2014
Genre: Paranormal, Urban Fantasy
Add to Goodreads.

Previous books in this series: Shadow Sight (Ivy Granger #1), Blood and Mistletoe (Ivy Granger #1.5), Ghost Light (Ivy Granger #2), Club Nexus (Ivy Granger #2.5).

Burning Bright available now on Amazon, Amazon.UK, Smashwords, iTunes, Barnes and Noble, and other fine retailers.

Book Excerpt #1 (Ivy gets wet.)

My first impression of Emain Ablach was that it was wet. Very, very wet. But I didn’t have much time to think about that fact. I was too busy drowning.

I struggled to swim to the surface—wherever the hell that was—the weight of my clothes, leather jacket, and weapons weighing me down. My lungs burned and my brain screamed at me to find a way out of this wet torment. I needed air, badly.

I forced my eyes open, salt and whatever else was in the water burning like acid, but being able to see my surroundings didn’t help matters. It did, however, make me glad for quick reflexes and muscle memory.

At the first sign of my assassin stalkers, back in a Harborsmouth alley, I’d grabbed one of my throwing knives.  I may not be able to throw it now, not in this water, but the pressure of the blade in my gloved hand made it easier to face the grinning corpses smiling back at me.

There were hundreds of them.

Bloated bodies in every state of decomposition drifted at the ends of seaweed infested chains that rose up from the ocean floor. I would have assumed that the people on the ends of those chains were dead, a warning to anyone foolish enough to trespass here, except for the hands reaching outward and the curve of their rotting lips.

Grins like frightened, blue worms curled up toward vacant eyes. The eyes, or what was left of them, were coated in a white film and looked as though they’d been nibbled on by grazing fish.  The chained corpses may not be able to see, but I had no doubt that they could sense my presence. Their hands clawed at the water and their faces were all turned in my direction. Perhaps they could scent me, like sharks on a blood trail.

Now that was a cheery thought.

I kicked away, trying to put more distance between myself and the grasping dead. I recoiled as my boot hit something squishy. Mab’s bones, I didn’t realize there was a chained corpse that close to where I swam. I did not want to touch these things or the chains that bound them. Those were visions I’d never survive.

The delay alone would kill me.

Heart pounding, I propelled myself upward, but I had a nagging suspicion that I wasn’t going to make it. I’d sunk too deep into this watery hell. Already my lungs burned and dizziness sent my head spinning like a ride on an otherworldly merry go round. My limbs were cold and heavy
and I could barely feel the knife in my hand.

How ironic would it be to die here, within spitting distance of a tree that grew magical apples capable of reviving the dead?

Air bubbles sprung from my nose and I fought not to breathe.  Inhaling water would mean my death. I made one more sluggish stroke through the water and felt strong hands grip my waist and haul me upward. I was sailing through the water, away from greedy hands and the hundreds of
faces that grinned hungrily after me.

My rescuer was a strong swimmer and I doubted Torn would have gone to so much trouble to save me. I felt a tingle of energy zing through my system, helping me to hold onto the slippery tendrils of consciousness.

Ceff, it had to be Ceff.

I gasped as my head broke the surface of the water, gulping air and choking on a mouthful of water. I coughed up phlegm and who knows what else—with those corpses steeping down below, I didn’t want to think about it—and pushed wet, bedraggled hair from my face. I was alive, but it wasn’t pretty.

I grimaced and pushed the floating evidence of my humiliating coughing fit away. Ceff had a grip on my jacket, still helping to keep my head above the water’s surface.

“Are you alright?” he asked.

With his wet hair slicked back from large, dark green eyes and his chiseled jaw, he looked gorgeous. He was completely in his element here, unlike his half-drowned girlfriend.

“I just swallowed a gallon of salty corpse tea and sea monkeys,” I said, a rueful grin on my face. “I’ve been better.”

Book Excerpt #2 (Spiders, why does it have to be spiders?)

“Have you both lost your minds?” Torn asked.

“What would you have us do, leave them here to become spider food?” I asked.

“Yes,” he said. “Yes, exactly. It’s the cycle of life, a beautiful thing best left alone.”

I shook my head.

“That could have been any one of us,” I said. “Hold still, we’re here to help!”

The last I yelled at the cocoon. I didn’t know if the person inside could hear me, or how far gone they were if they could, but I had to try to comfort them. Plus, I really didn’t want to risk maiming the person I was trying to save.

“You have no idea what kind of monster is inside that thing,” Torn said.

I scowled at Torn. No one deserved to be hung out like prosciutto and gobbled up by some huge spider.

“This is a hero’s path,” Ceff said. “It is highly probable that they are honorable. If not, at least we tried.”

Torn sighed and shook his head.

“Fine, it’s your funeral,” he said.

“Ready?” Ceff asked, holding the bundle as still as he could.

“I was born ready,” I said, doing my best tough guy impersonation.

I carefully cut away at the tough fibers of the cocoon. Almost there…

Thousands of baby spider fae poured out of the cocoon, skittering in every direction. Except it wasn’t a cocoon. It was an egg. I screamed—though I’d deny it if I lived long enough for Torn to tell anyone—and stumbled away from the horde of spiders. So much for my tough guy act.

I stomped on the spiders as I backed away, halting their progress. A brave one ambled forward and sank it’s dripping mandibles into its nearest kin. The other spiders followed suit, joining in the feeding frenzy.

“Oh, look, aren’t they cute?” Torn asked, pointing to where baby spiders were busy cannibalizing each other.

“Freaking adorable,” I growled.

I inched further up the trail, relieved to see that most of the spiders were too busy attacking each other to notice my retreat.

“Perhaps we should have listened to the cat sidhe, just this once,” Ceff said, whacking the more determined stragglers with his trident.

“I told you so, princess,” Torn said.

I flexed my fingers, hands itching to wring the cat sidhe’s neck and wipe that smug look off his face. Instead, I stormed past him and around the corner.  I’d had it with this place and its creepy inhabitants. We needed to find Ailinn’s grave, grab a magic apple, and get the hell out of dodge.

Burning Bright Release Party Giveaway

We are giving away SIX Ebook copies of BURNING BRIGHT by E.J. Stevens.

To enter, please use the easy peasy Rafflecopter form below.  This giveaway is INTERNATIONAL.  Giveaway ends July 2nd.

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Learn more about the Ivy Granger urban fantasy series by visiting the Official Ivy Granger Website.


Thank you for partying with us!


Monday, June 16, 2014

The Walk In Closet by Abdi Nazemian (with giveaway)


~*~

The Walk In Closet
by Abdi Nazemian

Visit Abdi:
Amazon
Website
Blog
Facebook
Goodreads
Instagram
Twitter @abdaddy

Just released: May 21, 2014
Publisher: Curtis Brown Unlimited
Genre: LGBTQ, Middle East, Romance
Paperback: 274 pages
Rating: 5

Kara Walker has never found much glamour in her own life, especially not when compared to the life of her best friend Bobby Ebadi. Bobby, along with his sophisticated parents Leila and Hossein, is everything Kara always wanted to be. The trio provides the perfect antidote to what Kara views as the more mundane problems of her girlfriends and her divorced parents.

And so when the Ebadis assume that Kara is Bobby’s girlfriend, she willingly steps into the role. She enjoys the perks of life in this closet, not only Leila’s designer hand-me-downs and free rent, but also the excitement of living life as an Ebadi.

As Kara’s 30th birthday approaches, Leila and Hossein up the pressure. They are ready for Kara to assume the mantle of the next Mrs. Ebadi, and Bobby seems prepared to give them what they want: the illusion of a traditional home and grandchildren.

How far will Kara be willing to go? And will she be willing to pull the Persian rug out from under them when she discovers that her own secret is just one of many lurking inside the Ebadi closet?


About the author:

Abdi Nazemian is the screenwriter of The Quiet, Celeste in the City, Beautiful Girl, and the short film Revolution, which he also directed. 

He is an alumnus of the Sundance Writer’s Lab, a mentor at the Outfest Screenwriter’s Lab, and has taught screenwriting at UCLA Extension.  

He lives in Los Angeles with his two children, and his dog Hedy Lamarr. 

The Walk-In Closet is his first novel.

My two-bits:

While this story does not take place in the Middle East, you will get a sense of the culture as it is in America.

The main character, Kara, who is not of middle eastern descent gives her perspective on the L.A. and Hollywood singles scene. She also has some hilarious experiences of a 29 turning 30 year old.

I liked the interaction between all the characters and their issues with lies and truth.

Loved how this story unravelled and revealed itself from the "walk in closet".

Some steamy sex scenes and references.

Praise for the book:

”Absolutely engrossing read from page one- Abdi Nazemian has painted a world so vivid and real that even if you know nothing of ‘Tehrangeles’, by the end you feel as if you are a part it. I simply COULD NOT put this book down! ” -Busy Philipps

”I relished every moment of this warm, funny, brutally engaging novel. Abdi Nazemian’s Los Angeles is both uncannily familiar and entirely foreign. Put this in the canon of LA literature: Nazemian has written a side of Los Angeles prevalent in real life but rarely seen in fiction.” -Katherine Taylor, author of Rules for Saying Goodbye

“The Walk-In Closet is a contemporary fable of love, loss and redemption, set between cultures and between the sexes. Written at a spanking pace, with humor, suspense and a heart, it captures the voice of a generation and paves the way to a new genre of literary fiction.” -Lila Azam Zanganeh, author of The Enchanter: Nabokov and Happiness

Wanna give this a try?

--~ Book Giveaway ~--

WIN my review copy of this book!

Open to US only.

Offer ends: June 30, 2014

TO DO: (2-parts)

1. ADD this book to your Want To Read list on Goodreads.

OR

Tweet about this giveaway.

OR

Recommend this on Google using the mini-button at end of this post (g+1).

OR

Facebook or Instagram or Pinterest or Tumblr the Book Cover image.

OR

Join the BookSparks Summer Reading Challenge 2014 here.

2. TELL me what you did in comments.

AND, leave your email.

~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

Contest has ended - winner is here

~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

~*~

* review copy and giveaway courtesy of Summer Reading Challenge 2014. It's not too late, join the reading challenge here. @booksparks #SRC2014!



Sunday, June 15, 2014

The Witch of Belladonna Bay by Suzanne Palmieri


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The Witch of Belladonna Bay
by Suzanne Palmieri

Visit Suzanne:
Amazon
Website
Blog
Facebook
Goodreads
Instagram
Pinterest
Twitter @Thelostwitch

Just released: May 18, 2014
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Genre: Romance, Witches
Paperback: 368 pages
Rating: 5

Series:
The Witch of Little Italy
The Witch of Belladonna Bay

Bronwyn "BitsyWyn" Whalen hasn’t set eyes on the red dirt of Magnolia Creek, Alabama, for fourteen years—not since her mama died. But with her brother, Patrick, imprisoned for the murder of her childhood best friend, and her eccentric father, Jackson, at his wits’ end while her eleven-year-old niece, Byrd, runs wild, Bronwyn finds herself once again surrounded by ancient magnolia trees and the troubled family she left behind.

She becomes immersed in a whirlwind of mystery and magic as she tries to figure out what really happened that fateful night her friend died. And as her bond with Byrd deepens, Bronwyn must face the demons of her past in order to unravel her family’s uncertain future.

In Suzanne Palmieri's thrilling new novel, The Witch of Belladonna Bay, readers will learn if love and magic are enough to bring a broken family back together.


About the author:

Suzanne Palmieri Hayes is the author of The Witch of Little Italy and the forthcoming The Witch of Belladonna Bay (May, 2014).

She is also the co-author of I’ll Be Seeing You under the name Suzanne Hayes.

She lives by the ocean with her husband and three darling witches.

She is currently hard at work on her next novel.

My two-bits:

One of those gem of a books with lots of poignant and heartfelt statements and ponderings sprinkled throughout.

This story definitely had a magical feel to it with paranormal incidents and doings.

Loved how the characters loved each other - especially between the main characters Wyn and Byrd which was of the mother-daughter sort.

Really got a sense of the small town and its colorful array of townsfolk in regards to its relationship with Byrd.

~*~

Praise for the book:

"Suzanne Palmieri has crafted a riveting tale that will keep you up late at night guessing what will happen next. It is a story that will intrigue both male and female readers. Guys, don't let this one slip past you."—Jason Mott, New York Times bestselling author of The Returned

"Ms. Palmieri's authentic dialogue, and ability to paint a family in crisis, is both charming and layered. If you're a lover of Southern fiction, magic in its many forms, and the kind of storytelling that keeps you turning the pages, you've come to the right place, y'all."—Lesley Kagen, New York Times bestselling author of Whistling in the Dark

"Murder, mystery and magic meld in a novel of absolute enchantment. About the lies we tell, the love we struggle for, and the way we find our way back to our rightful place in the world, Palmieri's book is a stunner."—Caroline Leavitt, New York Times bestselling author of Pictures of You and Is This Tomorrow

"Magic weaves its way through this beguiling southern gothic, swirling from the moss-laden trees around the Big House through the misty and menacing Belladonna Bay, and settling into the hearts of Bronwyn and her niece, Byrd, whose Strange Ways most people just don’t understand. Reminiscent of Sarah Addison Allen’s Garden Spells, this bewitching tale of ghostly mystery, love and family ties will enchant you from the very first page and linger in the air around you long after the last."— Wendy Webb, bestselling author of The Fate of Mercy Alban


~*~

* added this to Bookish Bingo challenge

* review copy courtesy of Summer Reading Challenge 2014. It's not too late, join the reading challenge here. @booksparks #SRC2014!


Saturday, June 14, 2014

Stacking the Shelves - 6.14.14

Stacking the Shelves
hosted by Tynga's Reviews (details)

Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!

~*~

For Review:

How to Be Parisian Wherever You Are:
Love, Style, and Bad Habits

by Anne Berest, Audrey Diwan, Caroline De Maigret, Sophie Mas
-France, how-to
courtesy of Edelweiss
Thanks!
Amazon | Goodreads

I Become Shadow
by Joe Shine
-thriller, YA
courtesy of tour - SoHo Press
Thanks Meredith!
Amazon | Goodreads

The Witch of Belladonna Bay
by Suzanne Palmieri
-romance, witches
courtesy of BookSparks Summer Reading Challenge 2014
Thanks Janay!
Amazon | Goodreads

Library:

We Were Liars
by E. Lockhart
-mystery, YA
Amazon | Goodreads

A beautiful and distinguished family.
A private island.
A brilliant, damaged girl; a passionate, political boy.
A group of four friends—the Liars—whose friendship turns destructive.
A revolution. An accident. A secret.
Lies upon lies.
True love.
The truth.

We Were Liars is a modern, sophisticated suspense novel from National Book Award finalist and Printz Award honoree E. Lockhart.

Read it.
And if anyone asks you how it ends, just LIE.


~*~

* some of these may be offered as giveaways within the next two months

* comment and TELL me what you have acquired for your shelves recently

* per usual, check out the sidebar for my current giveaways offers

Thursday, June 12, 2014

Girl Unmoored Ultimate Summer Blockbuster Giveaway

Girl Unmoored Ultimate Summer Blockbuster Giveaway
enter to win here

Books include:

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
Love and Other Foreign Words by Erin McCahan
Will Grayson, Will Grayson by David Levithan and John Green
Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell
The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan
Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins
My Most Excellent Year: A Novel of Love, Mary Poppins and Fenway Park by Steve Kluger
Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews
The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl by Barry Lyga
Like No Other by Una LaMarche Razorbill

~*~

The above giveaway is in celebration of...

Girl Unmoored
by Jennifer Gooch Hummer
Amazon | Goodreads
my review

Per BookSparks:
Jennifer Gooch Hummer's Girl Unmoored was recently optioned for a movie and has won more than a dozen awards for young adult, teen and cross-genre fiction, including a Bronze for YA Fiction-Mature Issues from the Moonbeam Children’s Book Awards and a Finalist in the 2013 Maine Literary Awards.

BUY your copy and find out for yourself what everyone has been raving about!

Grab your copy of Girl Unmoored on Kindle for only $3.99 on Amazon here while it's on sale!

"Girl Unmoored breaks through the wall around your heart, giving it room to expand."- Susan Henderson, bestselling author of Up from the Blue

"A quirky coming-of-age tale that will break your heart one minute and have you laughing out loud the next."- Beth Hoffman, New York Times bestselling author of Saving CeeCee Honeycutt

"Girl Unmoored by Jennifer Gooch Hummer may be the undiscovered young-adult novel of the summer"- Entertainment Weekly


Wednesday, June 11, 2014

The Revealed by Jessica Hickam


~*~

The Revealed
by Jessica Hickam

Visit Jessica:
Amazon
BookExcerpt
Website
Blog
Facebook
Goodreads
Instagram
Pinterest
Twitter @JHickam

Release date: June 17, 2014
Publisher: SparkPress
Genre: Dystopia, YA
Paperback: 314 pages
Rating: 4

Series:
The Revealed
The Engaged - tba

Lily Atwood lives in what used to be called Washington, D.C. Her father is one of the most powerful men in the world, having been a vital part of rebuilding and reuniting humanity after the war that killed over five billion people. Now he’s running to be one of its leaders.

But in the rediscovered peace on Earth, a new enemy has risen. They call themselves the Revealed – a powerful underground organization that has been kidnapping 18 year olds across the globe without reservation. No one knows why they are kidnapping these teens, but it’s clear something is different about these people. They can set fires with a snap of their fingers and create a wind strong enough to barrel over a tree with a flick of their wrist. No one has been able to stop them, and they have targeted Lily as their next victim.

But Lily has waited too long to break free from her father’s shadow to let some rebel organization just ruin everything. Not without a fight.


About the author:

After graduating from Arizona State University in 2011, Jessica relocated to Los Angeles where she now works in the film industry.

From acting to assisting on the Paramount feature Star Trek: Into Darkness, her experiences have only reinforced her love for living in other worlds – whether they be from her own imagination or someone else’s. 

The Revealed is her first novel.

My two-bits:

Action and touch of romance in a world of the future.

The first half of the book concentrates on the main character, Lily - heroine in the making. I liked Lily's character development of a sheltered girl striving for her independence and starting to come into her own.

The second half of the book introduces more characters and reveals The Revealed - some of whom have interesting talents and amusing personalities. I'm guessing we will learn more about them in the the next book in this series.

A tinge of a Romeo and Juliet romance occurs in that the families are rivals. So, we are kept wondering if, how, when the love will happen.

~*~

* added this to my Dystopia Reading Challenge

* review copy and giveaway courtesy of Summer Reading Challenge 2014. It's not too late, join the reading challenge here. @booksparks #SRC2014!


Sunday, June 8, 2014

Jane's Melody by Ryan Winfield (with giveaway)

Jane's Melody
by Ryan Winfield

Visit Ryan:
Amazon
BookExcerpt
Website
Facebook
Goodreads
Instagram
Twitter @WinfieldRyan

Just released: April 8, 2014
Publisher: Atria Books
Genre: Romance
Paperback: 336 pages
Rating: 4

Jane's Melody series:
Jane's Melody
Jane's Harmony
Book 3 - tba

What boundaries would you cross for true love?

That’s the question a grieving mother must answer when she takes in a young street musician she believes can tell her more about her daughter’s death – only to find herself falling for him.

A sexy but touching love story that will leave you both tantalized and in tears, JANE’S MELODY follows a forty-year-old woman on a romantic journey of rediscovery after years of struggling alone. Sometimes our greatest gifts come from our greatest pain. And now Jane must decide if it’s too late for her to start over, or if true love really knows no limits.


My two-bits:

Despite grief and sadness a romance buds for a single forty year old woman living near Seattle, Washington.

Many tender moments and some steamy scenes move this story along well.

The main character, Jane, struggles with commitment mainly because of the age factor. On the other hand, the love interest, Caleb, holds true throughout.

Got me thinking of love relationships between people where age is quite significant.

~*~

Q&A with author (excerpt):

Your last book, Jane's Melody was your first romance novel. Where did your inspiration and story come from for this story?

I wish I knew. I think I was taking a bath when Jane came to me. I had the opening image of her sitting in her car watching the rain fall on her daughter's grave. I started writing about her right away. Caleb's character had been with me for a long time in the form of a notebook filled with songs I had been writing over the years, but I had no idea it would be him who would show up to change Jane's life.

Music plays a big role in Jane's Melody, not to mention, the double meaning in the title itself. Did you listen to music while writing the book If so, was it the same tunes we "heard" in the story?

I never listen to music while writing. Stories come to me largely in images, and the words themselves make the music. I'd hate to have someone else's melody slip into or influence my prose. I wrote Caleb's songs in the book. The few that are mentioned when Caleb plays covers just happened to be songs that I love.

Did you learn anything about your characters while writing Jane's Melody?

Yes. Almost everything the reader learns. Writing is a very exploratory process for me and I'm often surprised by my characters and the choices they make.

Can you relate to any of the main characters from Jane's Melody, through personality, preferences or struggles?

I relate in some way to every character I write. The protagonist, in this case Jane, takes on most of my own struggles dealing with family dysfunction, grief, and finding the courage to start over, although in different ways but each character has some kernel of my own experience working in them.

~*~

Want a romance to read this summer???

--~ Book Giveaway ~--

WIN my review copy of this book!

Open to US only.

Offer ends: June 30, 2014

TO DO: (2-parts)

1. ADD this book to your GoodreadsWant To Read list.

OR

Tweet about this giveaway.

OR

Recommend this on Google using the mini-button at end of this post (g+1).

OR

Facebook or Instagram or Pinterest or Tumblr the Book Cover image.

2. TELL me what you did in comments.

AND, leave your email.

~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

Contest has ended - winner is here

~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

~*~

* review copy and Q&A excerpt courtesy of publisher

* part of Bookish Bingo challenge

* hey, check out the online Romance Festival happening this weekend
-details for June 7
-details for June 8

Saturday, June 7, 2014

Stacking the Shelves - 6.7.14

Stacking the Shelves
hosted by Tynga's Reviews (details)

Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!

~*~

For Review:

Feral
by Holly Schindler
-paranormal, thriller, YA
courtesy of Edelweiss
Thanks!
Amazon | Goodreads

Horrorstor: A Novel
by Grady Hendrix
-horror, art, unique
courtesy of Edelweiss
Amazon | Goodreads

Winterspell
by Claire Legrand
-magic, YA
courtesy of Edelweiss
Thanks!
Amazon | Goodreads

~*~


From Powell's Indiespensable club package (details):
Powell's subscription club delivers the best new books, with special attention to independent publishers. Signed first editions. Inventive, original sets. Exclusive printings.... Every six weeks, another installment to read and admire.

Plus, every package is stocked with exciting surprises!


This is package #47.

All the Light We Cannot See
by Anthony Doerr
-France, Germany, historical, WWII
Amazon | Goodreads
SIGN up to win this book here -expires June 15, 2014

From the highly acclaimed, multiple award-winning Anthony Doerr, a stunningly ambitious and beautiful novel about a blind French girl and a German boy whose paths collide in occupied France as both try to survive the devastation of World War II.

Marie Laure lives with her father in Paris within walking distance of the Museum of Natural History where he works as the master of the locks (there are thousands of locks in the museum). When she is six, she goes blind, and her father builds her a model of their neighborhood, every house, every manhole, so she can memorize it with her fingers and navigate the real streets with her feet and cane. When the Germans occupy Paris, father and daughter flee to Saint-Malo on the Brittany coast, where Marie-Laure's agoraphobic great uncle lives in a tall, narrow house by the sea wall.

In another world in Germany, an orphan boy, Werner, grows up with his younger sister, Jutta, both enchanted by a crude radio Werner finds. He becomes a master at building and fixing radios, a talent that wins him a place at an elite and brutal military academy and, ultimately, makes him a highly specialized tracker of the Resistance. Werner travels through the heart of Hitler Youth to the far-flung outskirts of Russia, and finally into Saint-Malo, where his path converges with Marie-Laure.

Doerr's gorgeous combination of soaring imagination with observation is electric. Deftly interweaving the lives of Marie-Laure and Werner, Doerr illuminates the ways, against all odds, people try to be good to one another. Ten years in the writing, All the Light We Cannot See is his most ambitious and dazzling work.


The Empathy Exams:
Essays Paperback
by Leslie Jamison
Amazon | Goodreads

From personal loss to phantom diseases, a bold and brilliant collection, winner of the Graywolf Press Nonfiction Prize
A Publishers Weekly Top Ten Essay Collection of Spring 2014

Beginning with her experience as a medical actor who was paid to act out symptoms for medical students to diagnose, Leslie Jamison’s visceral and revealing essays ask essential questions about our basic understanding of others: How should we care about each other? How can we feel another’s pain, especially when pain can be assumed, distorted, or performed? Is empathy a tool by which to test or even grade each other? By confronting pain—real and imagined, her own and others’—Jamison uncovers a personal and cultural urgency to feel. She draws from her own experiences of illness and bodily injury to engage in an exploration that extends far beyond her life, spanning wide-ranging territory—from poverty tourism to phantom diseases, street violence to reality television, illness to incarceration—in its search for a kind of sight shaped by humility and grace.


~*~

* some of these may be offered as giveaways within the next two months

* comment and TELL me what you have acquired for your shelves recently

* per usual, check out the sidebar for my current giveaways offers

Friday, June 6, 2014

Kissed by Kimberly Loth

Kissed
The Thorn Chronicles #1
by Kimberly Loth

Visit Kimberly:
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Twitter: @kimberlyloth

Just released: May 1, 2014
Publisher: self
Genre: Paranormal, YA
eboook: 250 pages
Rating: 4.5

The Thorn Chronicles series:
Kissed
book 2 - tba

Trapped in a dark cult, sixteen-year-old Naomi Aren has lived a quiet, albeit unhappy, life nestled deep in the hills of the Ozarks. With uncut hair, denim skirts, and only roses for friends, Naomi seldom questions why her life is different from other kids at school. Until the day her abusive father, who is also the cult’s leader, announces her wedding. Naomi must marry Dwayne Yerdin, a bully who reeks of sweat and manure and is the only one person who scares her worse than her father.

Then she meets Kai, the mysterious boy who brings her exotic new roses and stolen midnight kisses. Kisses that bring her a supernatural strength she never knew she had. As the big day approaches, Naomi unearths more secrets of about her father’s cult. She learns she has power of her own and while Kai may have awakened that power, Naomi must find a way to use it to escape Dwayne and her father—without destroying herself.


~*~

Excerpt:

Birthdays are supposed to be special like my Kaiser Wilhelm rosebushes. They bloom once a year, huge violet and crimson cups full to bursting with petals. When I part the petals with my nose and inhale, I go weak in the knees from the fruity perfume. But my birthdays are more like the daisies that grow alongside the roses. Ignored.

The sink looked odd next to our front door. My mother had it installed after I kept tracking in dirt and fertilizer from my green house. I washed the soil off my hands with the warm water and used a file to clear the dirt out from under my nails. Then I exchanged one dirty pair of ugly tennis shoes for a pair of clean ugly tennis shoes and made my way into the kitchen. Mother didn’t allow a speck of soil from my greenhouse to dirty her home.

Paint on the cabinets peeled away in white curls. A single light bulb gave enough light to cook but not enough to read a recipe. My mother stood by the tiny window, her bottle blond hair twisted in a bun on the back of her head. She wiped her hands on her apron then smoothed a stray hair from my braid. I knelt down to tie my shoes, anything to avoid her touch. Physical touch burned, even something as little as a finger brushing my forehead.

“Wash your face. We have guests for dinner.” My stomach knotted. I tied and untied my shoes three times, wondering how to respond. Years ago, my father had closed our home to visitors. No one crossed our threshold. I was allowed to leave only to go to school and to church. Well, if you want to call it that. I’ve watched movies in school and I went to the Baptist church until I was eight. Our new church, Crusaders of God, was a bigger shock than no more pants. But Mother and Father called it church.

“Why?” I asked. My curiosity overrode my memory of the last question I asked when Grandma died and I wanted to know why I couldn’t go to the funeral. I stood and waited for the slap and a lecture.
Instead, she smiled like she was hiding something important.

“For your birthday. They’re friends of your father’s from church. We have a big surprise for you.”
Of course. Friends of my father. Nothing ever happened in our house unless he was the center of attention. Even on my birthday. At least they remembered. The surprise concerned me though, as the last surprise they announced turned out to be a drastic lifestyle change complete with long denim skirts and strict obedience. Oh, and no more birthdays. Until now, apparently. Maybe the surprise would be that my father finally found his sanity. That would be an amazing birthday present. I doubted I’d get that lucky.

Dinner took place in the dining room. The cheap chandelier struggled to fill the room with light as two of the bulbs were out and nobody bothered to replace them. Our mysterious dinner guest turned out to be familiar. And not the good kind of familiar either.

Dwayne Yerdin sat at the table. He was a senior at my school but ended up in quite a few of my classes even though he was two years older. I probably shouldn’t judge him. But with his heavy lidded, half closed eyes, buzzed head, and classic bully laugh, I had disliked him the moment I saw him. Perhaps he would prove my judgment wrong tonight. Seated next to him was a pudgy man in a suit. He wore a tie, but his neck was too thick to fasten the top button. He had the same heavy lidded eyes as Dwayne.

My father, a tall thin man with thick blond hair, saw me waiting in the doorway.
“Naomi, it’s about time. Come and meet Dwayne and his father. They go to church with us. Here, sit.”

My father indicated the chair next to Dwayne, but I sat across from him instead. My head buzzed with the act of disobedience and the air smelled faintly of wisteria. I almost smiled. A look of irritation passed over my father’s face, but he didn’t say anything. Next to my father, the pudgy man stared at me with piercing gray eyes.

My mother served us all pot roast and baked potatoes. She piled every plate high but hers and mine. Hunger kept me humble. And skinny. I focused on my food most of the dinner, not wanting to meet the pudgy man’s gaze. Or Dwayne’s. His eyes shifted rapidly around the room as if he were looking for the nearest exit. But when his eyes met mine he smirked, like he knew something I didn’t.
My father and Mr. Yerdin talked of politics and religion, not once acknowledging that anyone else sat at the table. Of course, I shouldn’t have been surprised since more than one sermon had been preached about the place of women and children. We were inferior and didn’t deserve an opinion that differed from our husbands’ or fathers’, so it was best that we just didn’t say anything at all. As the conversation turned to the medical experiments Dad performed on the dog that had been dumped in our yard last week, I tuned out and tried to think of what I would get if I crossed an Iceberg rose with a Sunsprite. A nice pale yellow and only a few thorns. Could be interesting. If Grandma were still alive, she’d appreciate it.

A quick glance at the clock told me they’d only been here forty-five minutes, but it felt like days. After another excruciating hour, Mother presented the cake. The carrot cake (my father’s favorite) had sixteen candles on it. I had not had a cake with candles since my eighth birthday. On that day, the cake was chocolate, my favorite, but that was before Father went insane. I missed those days, the ones before he went crazy. When he would come home and take me canoeing and fishing. When we would wake up early on Saturdays and go to breakfast at Sheila’s Café. I blinked back tears thinking of the father he used to be.

After the cake, I moved to help my mother clean up, but Father put a hand on my wrist, a signal to stay seated. The skin burned where he touched it.

“See,” my father said, “she’s obedient.”

Mr. Yerdin grinned. “Yes, of course she is. I wouldn’t expect anything less from you, Dr. Aren. Dwayne, what do you think?”

Dwayne shrugged and shifted his eyes. Me, I kept my mouth shut and listened for the words that weren’t being said.

Mr. Yerdin eyed me up and down. “Well she certainly has the required blond hair and blue eyes.”

“And she’s a virgin.” My father spoke this a little too loudly and I flinched. My mother paused before picking up Mr. Yerdin’s plate. She met my father’s eyes and nodded. Then the corners of her mouth turned up ever so slightly.

My stomach sank at the thought of what my birthday surprise would be. Although part of me did not want to hear the rest of the conversation, but to escape back into the quiet world of flowers and dirt, another part of me needed to know what my future held, where being a virgin was important.
I cleared my throat. Dwayne smiled a wide toothy smile and my father glowered like I’d done something wrong. Which, of course I had, but it would be worth the punishment if I got the answers I needed.

“Could someone please explain?” There. I asked the question. So out of character for me and yet satisfying in a strange way, like the way I felt when a teacher praised me for a good job. I bit my bottom lip and tasted butterscotch, which was weird because the cake we had, contained nothing of the sort. While I knew asking questions was not an act of disobedience, I also recognized the power in the asking. As if I was taking control, even if that control was small. I took a sip of my water. Father hesitated for a moment and then frowned. He looked up and saw my mother standing in the kitchen, her eyes boring into his. He didn’t look away from her when he answered me.

“You’ll be marrying Dwayne.”

~*~

My two-bits:

This is one of those stories that keeps you on your toes with interesting twists and turns.

While primarily a dark tale, it has light moments which balances things out. The story touches on many topics from cults to mental abuse to paranormal activities. And, sprinkling of romance included.

I liked the character growth of Naomi, the main character and look forward to seeing more. Her perseverance, strength and honesty is turning her into one of my favorite heroines in fiction.

I also loved the references and tie-in of roses and its facets.

~*~

* review copy courtesy of author

* part of Bookish Bingo challenge

Thursday, June 5, 2014

Life Lived Twice by Sherrie Wouters

Life Lived Twice
by Sherrie Wouters @sherriewouters

Visit Sherrie:
Buy link for Sherrie's shop
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Release date: June 6, 2014
Publisher: Bermingham Books
Genre: New Adult, Parnormal, Romance
eBook: 229 pages
Rating: 4

Some promises are made to last forever...

What if you fell in love with a stranger...but that stranger had come from your past, a past you never knew existed until the moment your eyes met?

When Tess Winters locks eyes with a stranger at an airport bookstore, it ignites a feeling of passion somewhere deep inside her that she can't explain.

Although the encounter is innocent and brief, the intensity of it lingers, leaving her overwhelmed by a yearning for the mystery man now consuming her every thought.

Struggling to break the powerful hold he has over her heart, Tess starts to experience strange but familiar dreams...dreams from the turn of the twentieth century of the charming Mr Addison Taylor.

As her dreams start to materialize into reality, and past and present begin to blur, Tess is forced to put the pieces of a forgotten time together, and soon discovers that love isn't the only thing that can find you after an eternity.

Captivating, mysterious, and romantic, Life Lived Twice will leave you wondering whether love is so powerful it could last more than a lifetime.


PeekAbook:



My two-bits:

I found this to be an enjoyable new adult, paranormal, light romance read.

The story takes you through instances in the main character's present, past and way past lives which is presented well and believably.

Got me thinking of love, ghosts and reincarnation.

~*~

* review copy courtesy of author

Wednesday, June 4, 2014

The Metaxy Project by Layton Green

The Metaxy Project
by Layton Green

Visit Layton:
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Just released: May 9, 2014
Publisher: Sixth Street Press
Genre: Mystery, Paranormal, Thriller
Paperback: 390 pages
Rating: 4.5

From bestselling author Layton Green comes a dark and riveting new mystery . . .

Rising above a hardscrabble childhood to become a star at one of Atlanta’s most prestigious law firms, Derek Miller is reliving The Great Gatsby in his own backyard. The spell is broken, however, when Derek’s investigation into the death of his mentor, a prominent psychologist, runs afoul of a mysterious government project involving research into psychic phenomena.

As Derek digs deeper, convinced his mentor was murdered, he is plunged into a rabbit hole of government experiments, clandestine figures, and supposed paranormal events. His investigation also puts him at odds with shadowy forces deep within the corridors of power -- including those on the top floor of his own law firm.

With his career in shambles, a warrant out for his arrest, and his life in jeopardy, Derek is running out of time to unravel the secrets surrounding his mentor’s research. And if he fails, it’s not just his own life that will be at risk, but the lives of those he holds most dear.

From a theoretical physicist to a clairvoyant housewife to the charismatic pastor of a mega-church, from lavish Southern mansions to desperate urban wasteland, Derek’s investigation turns into a race for survival that hinges on one thing alone: finding, and stopping, the most powerful psychic the world has ever seen.


My two-bits:

This mystery includes a nice blend of legal thriller and paranormal activity.

I found this to be a medium-paced thriller and enjoyed following the main character as he learned about paranormal related people and events in this story.

Got me thinking of themes of power and control.

~*~

* review copy courtesy of author

Tuesday, June 3, 2014

Cover reveal: Mirror X by Karri Thompson (with giveaway)

Mirror X
by Karri Thompson
Publisher: Entangled Teen
Pub. Date: June 23, 2014
Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iTunes

I was born more than a thousand years ago.

Put into a cryogenic tube at age seventeen, forgotten during a holocaust that decimated the world, I've finally been awakened to a more serene and peaceful future.

But things at the hospital are new and strange. And it’s starting to scare me.

Everyone is young. Everyone is banded and tracked. And everyone is keeping secrets. 

The cute geneticist Michael Bennett might be the only good thing in this crazy new world where “life is precious” but no one seems free to live it. The problem is, I don’t think he’s being totally honest with me, either.

When I’m told only I can save the human race from extinction, it’s clear my freeze didn’t avoid a dreadful fate. It only delayed the horror…


Exclusive Excerpt:
Michael took a seat on the edge of my bed, rocking me toward him. When the side of my thigh met his knee, my heart rate doubled, and I drew in a deep breath.

“Before you were awakened I spent hours at your bedside imaging what you were like, how your voice would sound, how you looked when you smiled. When your red lips pulsed, when your chest heaved, and you took your first breath, I kept my emotions in check. But now, now that you’ve ‘awakened,’ everything is different. I can’t sleep. I can’t stop thinking about you.”

I ignored the pain and tilted closer until the space between our faces was less than a foot. My heart, my mind, my soul—everything yearned for his affection at that moment.

“I feel the same way, too.”

I closed my eyes, wanting this handsome, earnest guy to take me into his arms and tell me he’d make them let me go. My lungs expanded with his warm breath and spicy scent. When his lips met mine, every atom in my body danced, urging me to pull him closer and tighten my grip upon his back.
His kissing became more fiery and I reacted by kissing him harder. It wasn’t until his mouth moved to my neck, that I came to my senses and drew away.

“Not yet,” I said, scooting away.

“I know,” he said between breaths, rising from the bed. His wiped his forehead with the sleeve of his uniform and returned to the chair. “I can’t…we can’t. We can never…,” he said abruptly. “It’s against protocol. I-I should go.”

About Karri:

Karri’s debut YA novel, Amateur Angel, was released May 1, 2012. The next book in that series, Hollywood Angels, came out September 1, 2013.

The first book in her upcoming dystopian trilogy, The Van Winkle Chronicles, will be released by Entangled Publishing Spring 2014.

Visit Karri:
Website
Blog
Twitter @KarriThompson
Facebook
Goodreads


--~ Book Giveaway ~--

1 eGalley of MIRROR X

Open to all.

a Rafflecopter giveaway


~*~

* cover reveal sponsored by RockStar Book Tours

Monday, June 2, 2014

Winners for June pt1


Here are the winners for giveaways that
ended May 31, 2014

Thanks to all contestants!

~*~

The Falconer by Elizabeth May -signup
Winner: Carrie at In The Hammock Blog

The Meaning of Maggie by Megan Jean Sovern -signup
Winner: The Girl Who Loved To Write

Love and Other Foreign Words by Erin McCahan -signup
Winner: traveler

Cure for the Common Breakup by Beth Kendrick -signup
Winner: erin

The A-Word: A Sweet Dead Life Novel by Joy Preble -signup
Winner: Mary Preston

For Zombie Giveaway HOP:

A Zombie Ate My Cupcake:
25 delicious weird cupcake recipes by Lily Vanilli
Winner: PamM

~*~

* easter egg giveaways: are surprise giveaways embedded in posts that sometimes have an egg image at the bottom or simply hints at a giveaway for comments participation throughout the event or just because i'm feeling generous

* to see the original giveaway offer, click on the signup link

* I will email winners for mailing addresses within two weeks.
Winners, feel free to contact me with your info if you don't get my email
or if you are just too darn excited and want to let me know -- like NOW ;-D

* contest policy

* keep in touch with my giveaways and learn about other book giveaways by subscribing via email on my sidebar (you may want to go digest mode)

* if not this time, maybe next time

--> check out the current giveaways and upcoming events on my sidebar

Your Perfect Life by Liz Fenton & Lisa Steinke

Your Perfect Life
by Liz Fenton & Lisa Steinke

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On tour: find out it Liz & Lisa will be at a bookstore near you here

Release date: June 10, 2014
Publisher: A Washington Square Press/Atria Paperback Original
ISBN: 978-1-47673-057-8
Genre: Chick-lit
Paperback: 304 pages
Rating: 4.5

Just in time for summer, lifelong friends and co-authors Liz Fenton and Lisa Steinke offer readers YOUR PERFECT LIFE (Washington Square Press/Atria; June 10, 2014; trade paperback original), a clever, honest, and touching debut novel about friendship, jealousy, and unexpected second chances. Fenton, a working mom with a demanding job and two school-age kids, and Steinke, who left a successful career as a television producer to move halfway across the country for love, a newborn baby, and domestic life in a small town, wrote this charming and hilarious story together from their disparate locations. Blending their on-the-page voices perfectly in the narrative, the authors explore the journeys of two women—characters whose lives have many similarities to their own.

Casey Lee is a single, 38-year-old career-driven Gossip TV co-anchor who seemingly has it all, including a penthouse in the chic Wilshire area of Los Angeles and an Emmy award on the shelf. Casey’s best friend, Rachel Cole, is a dedicated stay-at-home mother married to her high school sweetheart, John, and together they have a house in Culver City, a minivan, and three children—two teenage girls Audrey and Sophia, and a baby girl named Charlotte.

In alternating voices and chapters, Casey and Rachel share their perspectives in the novel. The two friends have known each other since the 7th grade and, as the book begins, they’re headed for their 20-year high school reunion. Attending the event with mixed emotions, the women reflect on their lives as not all they’d imagined when they were young girls with a shared love of the Sweet Valley High series. Casey has realized most of her dreams professionally but still hasn’t settled down with that special someone to start a family. Rachel was voted most likely to succeed in high school but sacrificed a career in broadcasting when she found herself pregnant upon college graduation. After an unparalleled argument reveals the deep-seeded resentment they’d never before shared openly, Casey and Rachel ply themselves with drinks, including a magical elixir whipped up courtesy of a handsome and mysterious bartender who proposes a fortuitous toast: “To your perfect life.”

The next morning, the women wake up to discover they’ve switched identities and must masquerade as each other. Rachel is forced to face the broadcasting dreams she forfeited to have a family, and Casey finally steps out of the spotlight to confront the real reason why she’s never committed to a relationship with a man. As a result, they realize they don’t know themselves—or their best friend—nearly as well as they thought they did.

From the hip boutiques on Robertson Avenue to tucked-away Italian eateries on Santa Barbara’s State Street, with Culver City, Santa Monica, Malibu, Laguna Beach, and everywhere in between, the novel’s references to familiar geographical locales—and celebrities—as the story unfolds will delight Angelinos everywhere. And readers of all kinds will relate to and cheer for the two enduring friends as they confront the oft-used idiom that The Grass is Always Greener…

Like Rachel and Casey, co-authors Liz Fenton and Lisa Steinke discovered just how much they didn’t know about each other (while writing the book), despite the fact they’d been best friends for over two decades. And like their characters, their friendship is much stronger for the experiences they shared. Liz and Lisa hope readers of YOUR PERFECT LIFE will be reminded why friendships are so important and be inspired to pick up the phone and call their best friend.


About the Authors:

Liz Fenton and Lisa Steinke have been best friends for 25 years and survived junior high, high school and college together. Liz lives in San Diego, CA with her husband and two children. Lisa, a former talk show producer, now lives in Chicago, IL with her husband, daughter and two bonus children. Your Perfect Life is their first novel.

My two-bits:

Fun Freaky Friday moment which lasts longer than a day.

I liked this fuzzy feel good chick-lit read. Had a blast stepping into the lives of a celebrity talk show host and stay-at-home mom in a state of switcheroo with moments of friendship bonding and light romance.

The character development and growth progresses well for both main characters.

This book also gets you thinking of analyzing your life by stepping out of your shoes and viewing it from a different perspective. Being we all can't have the body switch phenomena, a vacation from your life's normal routine might give a similar effect.

~*~

--~ Book Giveaway ~--

signup to win this book at Goodreads here
-expires June 10, 2014

~*~

* review copy courtesy of book tour sponsored by Simon & Schuster.

* part of Bookish Bingo challenge

 
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