Devour Tour! A Review & Giveaway of Devour by Megan Duncan + a Character Bio of Ronan!

Genre: Young Adult (Paranormal Romance)

Date Published: February 26, 2013
Publisher: The Edge

The Blurb:

You never know how strong you are until something makes you choose between humanity, and the beast.

As Claire descended deep into the ancient tomb; laying to rest the bodies of the fallen, she wondered if time healed all wounds, would an eternity be long enough? Still recovering from a brutal attack that nearly killed her, she refused to let evil win. Pain and destruction glared at her everywhere she went. Nothing and no one would ever be safe until Baal was not only defeated, but destroyed. Fueled by her thirst for revenge, she traveled with her father to the ‘old world’, seeking the aide of a long forgotten ally. Will their quest for help lead to their salvation, or is it only the first step in their annihilation?

My Review:

Devour is the third book in the Warm Delicacy series by Megan Duncan. If you haven't read Savor or Indulge, the previous books in the series, please read them before reading this review. Check out my reviews while your at it. I love how we get to meet more and more characters in each book. In Devour, we traveled to the desert and met Titan and his son, Ronon. I liked Ronon quite a bit. I'm probably not supposed to because he's a moose of a man who's cocky, and arrogant, and not always very nice, but I couldn't help it. There seems to be so much more to him. I think he's a diamond in the rough. Needless to say, I'm very curious about him. Claire hopped from Dmitry to Arrick pretty fast, and Ronon has so much in common with Claire already, So I worry that he may be some competition for Arrick in the future. They would be the ultimate power couple. I'm still Team Arrick by the way. So far this series had provided so many twists and turns which I absolutely love. Devour brought together some of the original characters from the first book. At this point, I feel like I know Claire pretty well. Now, I would love to learn more about Dmitry, Arrick, and Ronon. This book wrapped many things up quite nicely, but there is still much to learn. I got worried because I thought this was the final book in the series, but I was snooping around Megan Duncan's blog and was very happy to find there is another book in the works! I'm looking forward to the next adventure in the Warm Delicacy series!

The ARC of Devour by Megan Duncan was provided to me by the SupaGirl Tours for review. The opinions are my own.


Character Bio

Ronon

At first glance, Ronon is nothing more than a handsome face with a cocky disposition. Claire hates to admit it, but she and Ronon have more in common than anyone she’s ever met.

Ronon’s thirst for revenge is strong, and so is his desire to get Claire to embrace the untapped power inside her. The two of them together can make for one deadly combination, but can Claire look past his barbaric nature to see what’s hiding beneath the surface?

About the Author:
Megan Duncan is a YA Author, professional nerd, oddity enthusiast and paranormal junkie. She is continually fighting her addiction to chocolate, and living in her overactive imagination.

To learn more about Megan Duncan and her books, visit her blog.You can also find her on Facebook and Twitter.


The Giveaway!!
Fill out the Rafflecopter form below to win an E-book copy of Devour and a Devour Keychain! International. Good luck!

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Megan Duncan also has a giveaway happening on her blog, so don't forget to stop by there to enter!

 

Of Silver and Beasts Cover Reveal, Excerpt, & Giveaway!!

Genre: New Adult (Dark Fantasy)
Date Published: April 19th 2013

Cover Reveal Organized by: YA Bound

Cover Designed by: Steven Novak

The Blurb:

In the sand-covered queendom of Cavan, the goddess once saved a young Kaliope’s life, preventing the mercury her father attempted to hide in her blood from reaching her heart. Now, a cybernetic clamp filters it, but the silver streaks swirling faintly beneath her skin are a constant reminder that she’s different.

When nineteen- year-old Kaliope is chosen as head of the Nactue Guard, she becomes the sworn protector to her empress. In the midst of an invasion on a neighboring land, Kaliope is placed in charge of guarding Prince Caben, the last heir to his kingdom. But when they’re attacked by the feared Otherworlders, Caben and Kaliope are abducted and taken below to a realm where they must fight for their life in a caged arena.

Kaliope struggles to protect her princely charge, keeping him and herself alive while battling inhumanly opponents, and trying to save the stolen, sacred relic that will restore her empress’s life force and all of Cavan. And if she can somehow awaken the goddess within her, she may save what’s most important.

The Excerpt:

I open my mouth to say something comforting, but I’m unsure of what. In this moment, I’m reminded that I know little about him. Other than the sarcasm and desire to understand nothing of my queendom, he hasn’t allowed me past the surface. But then, I have my own walls, hiding things I’d never want him or any other to know. And I understand that need to hide them. You can’t trust anyone. “Caben…” I start, but still can’t find the right words. He lowers his hand from his face, never taking his eyes off the glinting water top. “You’re right,” he finally says. “Let’s find the access to Lilly’s section.” A hollow pang hits my chest, and I’m not sure why. Something in his voice sounds lost, broken. I imagine the gears around my heart spinning faster, trying to keep up with my racing heart. When he sidesteps me, I reach out and grab his arm. “Caben, I didn’t mean—” “It’s fine, Kal,” he snaps. “We have work to do.” “No, I’ve said something to offend you.” I drop my hand, but keep close to him, not allowing him to leave my side. Goddess, trying to understand the male brain is harder than anything in protector training. I’ve heard people say that you have to tip-toe around a woman’s emotions, but a man’s ego is every bit as fragile, if not more so. He releases a heavy breath through his nose and walks back to the pool. He sits down along the edge and rolls up his pants, then slips off his boots. “I honestly don’t think Bax or his goons will be returning tonight.” He sinks his bare feet into the water and sighs. Glancing at the back of the cave, I plant my hands on my hips. We don’t have time for indulgencies, but the prince is still my charge. If it were my empress, I’d give her anything she’d ask for. Allow her as much time as she needed to collect herself. I have to watch over his mental state as well as protect him, so I try to push the pending need to find Lilly aside and sit down next to him. “Here,” he says, turning his hand out near my crossed feet. “You have to feel this.” A smile tugs at the corner of my mouth. “I can remove my own—” “Have you never been pampered a day in your life?” he asks, lifting an eyebrow. “I know that the Nactue are fierce and will put a hurt on any man for touching them. But try to relax.” “Is that the rumor in Perinya?” “What?” I bite my lip, suddenly regretting my blurt. “Nothing. Never mind.” From the corner of my eye, I see his lips pucker into a pinched smile, as if he’s trying not to. “Ah,” he says, like he’s made some great universal connection. “Well, there are many whisperings about the Nactue. Some I dare not repeat for fear I’d leave here missing a limb, but that’s one, yes.” He takes my booted foot and begins to unlace it. “I’ve heard that the empress’s protectors are untouchable—forbidden to give themselves to men. And that they’ll snap a man’s neck just for making an advance.” My mouth drops open. Appalled, I counter, “That’s not true.” “All right,” he says, as if he hasn’t just insulted my very existence. “It’s only rumors. Things men jaw about in pubs. The unattainable woman is a fantasy, Kal. Don’t be offended.” “Unattainable?” I grit my teeth, trying to maintain my composure. “Tell me, prince. Do men in your country just go around bedding every woman they can in order to keep them compliant?” I shake my head. “If their fantasy is a woman that would have nothing to do with them, it seems to me it’s their way of feeding their egos after being rejected.” His eyes widen. “No! How does your brain come up with these—” He bites off his words, his lips thin as he presses them together. “Look, it was a joke.” I nod, many times. “Another joke. I’m glad that our hard work and sacrifice is amusing to the men of Perinya.” Caben lets out another sigh and slowly pulls off my boot. His warm fingers skim my calf as he inches up my pant leg. “Just stick your foot in,” he says, then adds lower, “while I stick mine in my mouth.” Unexpectedly, I laugh. “At least it’s now clean,” I say. “Would you like some help getting it to your face?”

About the Author:
I’m the author of the YA Steampunk/Paranormal DESTINY'S FIRE (Omnific Publishing) and the upcoming YA Sci-Fi / Utopian FIREBLOOD from Spencer Hill Press, October 2013. My published short stories have appeared in YA literary journals, Fantasy magazines, and anthologies. I’ve written five books in the past three years, and I’m currently working on a new YA Sci-Fi / Dark Fantasy project.

I’m the creator of YA Bound, a promotional blog for the Young Adult genre.  Also a proud  member of YALITCHAT.ORG, SCWW, and The Apocalypsies.

And I’m also a business owner, partnered with my partner, my husband. When I’m not busy doing all of the above, I’m a wife and the mother of a gorgeous teen boy who's the sounding board for my male characters.

To learn more about Trisha Wolfe and her books, visit her website.You can also find her on Facebook and Twitter.

***GIVEAWAY***

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Book Review: Indulge (Warm Delicacy #2) by Megan Duncan

Genre: Young Adult (Paranormal Romance)

Date Published: June 1, 2011
Publisher: Self

The Blurb:

Claire's heart is torn between her first vampire love, Dmitry, and the Blood Mate, Arrick, that she is eternally bonded to with a powerfully deep and emotional connection. A vengeful vampire is haunting her steps, after Claire killed their mate. An ancient evil threatens to rip her world apart. With the danger of war looming on the darkening horizon, will Claire find the strength to fight back and protect those she loves? Even if it means embracing the darkness inside her? Is it worth it to become the evil she fears, in order to destroy it?

My Review:

Indulge is the second book in the Warm Delicacy series by Megan Duncan. If you haven't read Savor the first book in the series, check out my review. Devour started right were Savor left off. The new setting is more peaceful at first. I didn't feel like there were as many secrets being hidden from Claire here. While I thought I would have a hard time with the love triangle, because I liked Dmitry so much in Savor, I found that Arrick really grew on me. I also really like the direction I think Dmitry may go. It all seems like a fast transition, but they've all been through a lot separately and apart, so that's sure to mess with your emotions. Claire seems to adapt to things unnaturally fast anyway, so that must be just the way she is. There is a new guy thrown in the mix as well. I liked him, but I really hope he isn't here to turn the love triangle into a square. I like him as Claire's friend or maybe a possible love interest for someone else. A servant mentioned he was not who he seemed, but nothing ever happened to back that up. So, I guess we'll see. One thing that bothered me was how many times the fact that Claire was the only one of her kind was stated. It was distracting, and at one point her mother even contradicted the statement by saying there were others like her in other kingdoms. So, i was at a little bit of a loss. Overall, i enjoyed this book and I'm happy at the way it ended.

Indulge by Megan Duncan was provided to me by the SupaGirl Tours for review. The opinions are my own.

About the Author:
Megan Duncan is a YA Author, professional nerd, oddity enthusiast and paranormal junkie. She is continually fighting her addiction to chocolate, and living in her overactive imagination.

To learn more about Megan Duncan and her books, visit her blog.You can also find her on Facebook and Twitter.

 

Book Review: The Host by Stephenie Meyer

Genre: Adult Fiction (Science Fiction Romance)

Date Published: May 6, 2008
Publisher: Little Brown and Company

The Blurb:

Melanie Stryder refuses to fade away. The earth has been invaded by a species that take over the minds of human hosts while leaving their bodies intact. Wanderer, the invading "soul" who has been given Melanie's body, didn't expect to find its former tenant refusing to relinquish possession of her mind.

As Melanie fills Wanderer's thoughts with visions of Jared, a human who still lives in hiding, Wanderer begins to yearn for a man she's never met. Reluctant allies, Wanderer and Melanie set off to search for the man they both love.

Featuring one of the most unusual love triangles in literature, THE HOST is a riveting and unforgettable novel about the persistence of love and the essence of what it means to be human.

My Review:

The Host is the first book in The Host series by Stephenie Meyer. I actually read this book when it first came out, but that was long before my reviewing days started. So, I decided to review it now since the movie comes out tomorrow. I have a love/hate relationship with The Host which makes it a hard one to review and rate for me. While I enjoyed the characters and the story itself, the pacing was extremely slow which made it hard to finish. I'm actually excited for the movie though. After I read it, I thought this would make a better movie than a book because with a movie they'll have to cut out a lot of the draggy parts by default. So, if they do it right, I think that will help with the pacing and let us get right down to the good stuff. I love the idea behind the story. It has some truly unique aspects. I want to know what happens next, plus I'm attached to the characters. When book two finally appears, I will definitely be grabbing it.

The Movie Trailer:

Have you read The Chemist?

About the Author:
I was born in Connecticut in 1973, during a brief blip in my family's otherwise western U.S. existence. We were settled in Phoenix by the time I was four, and I think of myself as a native. The unusual spelling of my name was a gift from my father, Stephen (+ ie = me). Though I have had my name spelled wrong on pretty much everything my entire life long, I must admit that it makes it easier to google myself now.

I filled the "Jan Brady" spot in my family-the second of three girls. Unlike the Brady's, none of my three brothers are steps, and all of them are younger than all the girls. I went to high school in Scottsdale, Arizona, the kind of place where every fall a few girls would come back to school with new noses and there were Porsches in the student lot (for the record, I have my original nose, and never had a car until after I was in my twenties). I was awarded a National Merit Scholarship, and I used it to pay my way to Brigham Young University, in Provo, Utah. I majored in English, but concentrated on literature rather than creative writing, mostly because I didn't consider reading books "work" (as long as I was going to be doing something anyway, I might as well get course credit for it, right?).

I met my husband, Pancho (his real name is Christiaan), when I was four, but we were never anywhere close to being childhood sweethearts. In fact, though we saw each other at least weekly through church activities, I can't recall a single instance when we so much as greeted each other with a friendly wave, let alone exchanged actual words. This may have been for the best, because when we did eventually get around to exchanging words, sixteen years after our first meeting, it only took nine months from the first "hello" to the wedding. Of course, we were able to skip over a lot of the getting to know you parts (many of our conversations would go something like this: "This one time, when I was ten, I broke my hand at a party when-" "Yeah, I know what happened. I was there, remember?") We've been married for ten and a half years now, and have three beautiful, brilliant, wonderful boys who often remind me chimpanzees on crack. I can't write without music, and my biggest muse is, ironically enough, the band Muse. My other favorite sources of inspiration are Linkin Park, My Chemical Romance, Coldplay, The All American Rejects, Travis, The Strokes, Brand New, U2, Kasabian, Jimmy Eat World, and Weezer, to mention a few.


To learn more about Stephenie Meyer and her books, visit her website.

Book Blitz! Grimm Diaries by Cameron Jace

Grimm Diaries  by Cameron Jace 

Prequels 11-14 

Publication date: March 28th 2013 

Genre: YA Fantasy/Fractured Fairy Tale

The Blurbs:

10.5) Happy Valentine’s Slay by Wee Willy Winkie The real Sandman Grimm sheds a light on what happened in Jawigi, and tells about how some of the teens in Sorrow spend their Valentine’s Day.

11) Children of Hamlin by the Devil The Devil tells the story of the Piper of Hamlin, who he really is, the historical events he witnessed, and his relationship to Ladle Rat. Most of all, why they call him the Black Death.

12) Tooth & Nail & Fairy Tale by Jack Madly Jack Madly stole a sack full of baby teeth from Bluebeard’s enchanted castle, which reminds him of when he first met the Tooth Fairy when he was a child; a memory he wishes to forget.

13) Ember in the Wind by the Little Match Girl All the Little Match Girl wants is to sell her matches so she uses the money to eat and find shelter from the cold. But no one in the cruel city of crowded London helps her. Eventually, she learns something about who she really is, and it changes her life forever.

14) Jar of Hearts by the Queen of Sorrow The Queen of Sorrow, still trapped in the Dreamworld summons Cassandra, the fortuneteller, to ask her about the identities of Lost Seven. The problem with Cassandra is that she’s cursed that her predictions will never be believed. The Queen is still determined to believe her, but it will cost more than she can bargain for.

The Excerpt:

Dear Wilhelm Carl Grimm,

She is not that giddy, naïve, and helpless princess she pretends to be. Please don’t let her fool you with her innocence if you see her sing to the birds in the forest. Resist her charm from

bringing joyful tears to your eyes, and shield yourself from her devious beauty before she deceives you into wanting to kiss her awake. It'll be a kiss of death. Your death. That’s how she fooled the Huntsman, Prince Charming, and me, her birth mother. I still remember the original script of the fairy tale, the one you wrote in 1812. It clearly stated that she was my own flesh and blood daughter. I don’t have the slightest idea why you altered it fifty years later. What was the point of turning me into an evil, narcissistic, and heartless stepmother, blinded by jealousy and envy of the young princess?

For years, I have been looking forward to telling you the truth about her, but you were impossible to reach. I am glad I found your brother, Jacob. He told me that you wanted to tone the stories down so children could sleep better at night, instead of having nightmares about the Queen who sought to eat her daughter’s heart and liver. Shame on you, Wilhelm.

You, of all authors, knew why I wanted to kill her. My actions were justified. I was trying to save my kingdom from her wrath, before everything we loved was destined to an end. The

same way you had to rewrite the true fairytales after cursing us, so the War of Sorrows would end forever after.

Night after night, and year after year, parents fed their children false bedtime stories, until your lies grew into inescapable memories. Your happily ever after lies, Wilhelm, shaped the so called fairy tale world.

I wondered why you didn’t burn the original scripts, instead of rewriting them. You must have figured out that sooner or later someone would dig up the truth and expose you. Altering

it was the smarter solution. You let children believe that the bites were resurrecting kisses, and that torturing glass coffins were made for sleeping beauties, waiting for a prince to come and kiss them awake.

A wise man once said that the greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he was someone else. You did the same with us, Wilhelm. You turned us into pastiches of the

immortals that we really are, and made it harder for us if wanted to persuade the world otherwise.

I know that you did it to save us from her. And I appreciate how you concealed our real names, or we would have ended up like Rumpelstiltskin, tortured by those who knew of his real name.

But sometimes, I can’t help but wonder why no one ever questioned why I was called the Evil Queen, and why I was never given a real name in the books.

Was I so superficial to the world, so stereotypical and mundane? Why was I treated as if I were the monster of the week?

You know what I think? I think that the world never got the time to hate me. It just wanted to hate me long before it met me.

If I tell those who detest me about the true nature of their little princess, would they ever care about me half as much as they care about her?

I know that deep inside, they adore me. They like the way I talk, walk, dress, and even the way I kill.

They are just afraid to admit how much they love me. I am the Snow White Queen, strong enough that I don’t need anyone’s pity or love, because I am loved by the greatest and most majestic heart in the world:

Mine.

About the Author:
Wonderlander, Neverlander, Unicorn-chaser, enchanter, musician, survived a coma, & totally awesome. Sometimes I tell stories. Always luv the little monsters      I write young adult paranormal romance, urban fantasy, and science fiction mostly. The Grimm Diaries series is a seven book saga that deals with retellings of fairy tales from a young adult POV - it connects most of the fairy tales together and claims to be the truth about fairy tales.      I live in San Fransisco and seriously think circles are way cooler than triangles.

To learn more about Cameron Jace and his books, visit his website.You can also find him on Facebook and Twitter.

Sale!! Bundles 1 and 2 are on sale for 99 cents through March 31st!!!

The Giveaway!! 
Enter to win ALL 3 Grimm Diaries Bundles below: (Click the image to learn more about each bundle)

  

Fill out the Rafflecopter form below to enter. International. Good luck!!

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Book Review: Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

Genre: Young Adult (Paranormal Romance)
Date Published: December 1, 2009 
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company

The Blurb:

Lena Duchannes is unlike anyone the small Southern town of Gatlin has ever seen, and she's struggling to conceal her power, and a curse that has haunted her family for generations. But even within the overgrown gardens, murky swamps and crumbling graveyards of the forgotten South, a secret cannot stay hidden forever.

Ethan Wate, who has been counting the months until he can escape from Gatlin, is haunted by dreams of a beautiful girl he has never met. When Lena moves into the town's oldest and most infamous plantation, Ethan is inexplicably drawn to her and determined to uncover the connection between them.

In a town with no surprises, one secret could change everything.

My Review:

Beautiful Creatures is the first book in The Caster series by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl. I read this book the first time in 2011, and didn't like it at all. In fact, I rated it one star on Goodreads at the time. That was right before I started writing reviews, so I have no idea why I didn't like it at that time. Maybe it was my state of mind while reading it, maybe it was the weather, or maybe I ate some bad squash. I don't know, but after watching the movie I thought to myself: "That wasn't so bad. Why didn't I like the book?" Was it a great movie? Well no, but it certainly wasn't as horrible as I remember the book being the first time around. So, I decided to re-read it. Granted there was a lot of stuff in the movie that I didn't remember in the book. After reading it again, I'm still not entirely sure why I disliked it so much the first time. It was actually pretty entertaining most of the time. There were some parts that seemed to drag, but it was overall enjoyable. Remember how I said there were a lot of things in the movie that I didn't remember? Well, that's because they changed a lot. Especially towards the end, but I like the way the book played out better than the movie. Go figure.

The book is told from Ethan's perspective. He is good for Lena. As broody as she is, and rightly so, he really brings out the positive in her. There are many more characters in the book, and I really wish the movie would have kept some of them as they added that little something extra. Even though she's a dark caster, I think my favorite character is Ridley. I haven't given up on her yet. After it's all said and done, I liked this book, and I'll probably check out the sequel. Is it a favorite? Nope, but it was worth the second look.

The Book Trailer:

About the Authors:
Kami Garcia is the New York Times, USA Today, Publishers Weekly & international bestselling co-author of the Beautiful Creatures Novels (Beautiful Creatures, Beautiful Darkness, Beautiful Chaos & Beautiful Redemption). Beautiful Creatures has been published in 48 countries and translated in 37 languages. The Beautiful Creatures movie releases in theaters on February 13, 2013 from Warner Brothers & Alcon Entertainment, directed by Academy Award nominee Richard LaGravenese, and starring: Viola Davis, Jeremy Irons, Emma Thompson, Emmy Rossum, Alice Englert, and Alden Ehrenrich.
Kami is also the author of Unbreakable, the first book her solo series, THE LEGION (coming Fall 2013), which is currently being developed as a major motion picture.

Kami grew up outside of Washington DC, wore lots of black, and spent hours writing poetry in spiral notebooks. As a girl with Southern roots, she has always been fascinated by the paranormal and believes in lots of things “normal” people don’t. She’s very superstitious and would never sleep in a room with the number “13″ on the door. When she is not writing, Kami can usually be found watching disaster movies, listening to Soundgarden, or drinking Diet Coke.

Kami has an MA in education, and taught in the Washington DC area until she moved to Los Angeles, where she was a teacher & Reading Specialist for 14 years. In addition to teaching, Kami was a professional artist and led fantasy book groups for children and teens. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband, son, daughter, and their dogs Spike and Oz (named after characters from Buffy the Vampire Slayer).

To learn more about Kami Garcia and her books, visit her website.You can also find her on Facebook and Twitter.

Margaret Stohl is the author of ICONS, the first book in the Icons Series, forthcoming from Little, Brown in Spring 2013 – as well as the New York Times, USA Today, Publishers Weekly, Los Angeles Times, Indie-Bound and Internationally Bestselling co-author of the Beautiful Creatures Novels (with Kami Garcia.) Including BEAUTIFUL CREATURES (2009), BEAUTIFUL DARKNESS (2010), and BEAUTIFUL CHAOS (2011), BEAUTIFUL REDEMPTION (2012)– along with DREAM DARK, a Beautiful Creatures story available exclusively online (August, 2011) – the Beautiful Creatures Novels have been translated into 28 languages and 37 countries. The Beautiful Creatures movie based on the books comes out February 14, 2013 from Alcon and Warner Bros. It stars Alden Ehrenreich, Alice Englert, Viola Davis, Emma Thompson, Jeremy Irons, Thomas Mann and Zoey Deuthc with the Academy Award nominated writer/director Richard LaGravenese.

Beautiful Creatures was an ALA William C. Morris YA Debut Award finalist in 2010, as well as a SCIBA award finalist, a NYPL Book for the Teen Age, and a YALSA Teen Top Ten Pick. Beautiful Creatures was named the #1 Teen Pick from Amazon in 2009, and the #5 Editors Pick, Overall.

A longtime veteran of the videogame industry, Margaret’s work includes – to name a few – SPIDERMAN, FANTASTIC FOUR, DUNE 2000, THE PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: THE LEGEND OF JACK SPARROW, DEFENDER, THE SOPRANOS, SLAVE ZERO, APOCALYPSE, ZORK NEMESIS, ZORK GRAND INQUISITOR, SPYCRAFT, COMMAND & CONQUER: RED ALERT RETALIATION, and COMMAND & CONQUER: TIBERIAN SUN.

After working with Activision (now Activision/Blizzard) and Westwood Studios (now EA), Margaret became a co-founder of 7 Studios with her husband, Lewis Peterson. She has previously been nominated for “Most Innovative Game Design” at the Game Developers Conference.

Margaret has participated in the Nashville Screenwriters Conference, the Tribu dei Lettori in Rome, and the BAU Institute/Otranto Residency, as well as the LA Times Festival of Books, Romantic Times, and the Texas Book Festival. She was the Director of Programming for the 2011 YA Capitol Bookfest in Charleston, SC, and a founding member of the Smart Chicks tour.

Margaret has been featured in Amherst Reads, and is a contributor to the Los Angeles Review of Books. She has been a member of the WGA West and PEN West. Margaret’s original screenplays have been optioned by Clasky-Csupo and Nickelodeon Movies for feature film.

A graduate of Amherst College, where she won the Knox Prize for English Literature, Margaret earned a MA in English from Stanford University, and completed classwork for a PhD in American Studies from Yale University. Margaret was a teaching assistant in Romantic Poetry at Stanford, and in Film Studies at Yale. She attended the Creative Writing Program of the University of East Anglia, Norwich, where she was mentored by the Scottish poet George MacBeth.

Margaret loves traveling the world with her daughters, who are epee fencers, and living in Santa Monica with her husband, also a writer, and two bad beagles.

To learn more about Margaret Stohl and her books, visit her website.You can also find her on Twitter.

 

Firefly Book Tour!! Review & Easter Egg Hunt!

Genre: Young Adult (Science Fiction/Fantasy Romance)
Date Published: January 26, 2013
Publisher: Self

The Blurb:

“The darkest days are ahead of us,” Andrew whispered as the drape of shadows slipped away, allowing Blair to awaken. And in her heart of hearts she knew it was true. The unmistakable signs were all around her, growing within her. She was becoming something more than human. All she could do was accept the inevitable.

“I’ve become a freak … an alien. I no longer belong to the human world,” Blair told her true love, and he held her close, determined never to give her up.

“I’d stay in this darkness forever as long as I could be with you. Wherever you are … that’s my home.” Everett meant every word. In fact, he’d willingly give up his own life to protect the girl he’d always loved.

But there was a storm brewing … a firestorm so strong and catastrophic that it could keep them apart forever.

That storm roared into town wearing a brown leather bomber jacket and riding a motorcycle.

Ash was like a secret in human clothing … a dangerous secret. Everything about him was mesmerizing – right down to the swirls of ink that flowed over the smooth muscles across his chest and around his arms. Being with him was like playing with fire.

Blair knew all about playing with fire.

She knew something else, too. A small quiet voice deep within whispered that she really would be separated from everyone and everything she’d known and loved.

Because some secrets run too deep.

My Review:

Firefly is book 2 in the Cicada Series by Belle Whittington. If you haven't read Cicada yet, you definitely need to before reading Firefly. I have been waiting for this one, and oh my goodness was it something! I absolutely loved Cicada, and Firefly was even better. It's not often you can say that about a sequel, but Firefly had me gripping my seat and swooning and sometimes both at once. Blair is coming to terms with who and what she is through this story. She is figuring out she has powers and learning how to use them. It all suits her. But there's more... There is almost a good and evil struggle going on, but not in an angels and demon sense. In fact there are no angels or demons. Just humans and aliens. Blair has two options. Both of them are alluring to her, but her decision will determine whether shes a friend or foe to those she has known and loved her whole life. Everett is coming into his own too. I'm an Everett fan anyway, but this book pretty much sealed it in for me. Everett all the way! He has competition though, and this other guy isn't going to make it easy. There are many things about Blair and her family that come to light within this story. I didn't expect there to be so much history, and I loved learning about it right along with Blair. The ending left me anxious for more!! Check out my review of Cicada!

Fireflyby Belle Whittington was provided to me by Books and Broomsticks for review. The opinions are my own.

The Book Trailer:

Check out my reviews of the other two books in this trilogy!

About the Author:
Belle resides somewhere north of Houston, Texas in a small inconsequential town with the smallest most inconsequential name. There, in the shady reaches of the pines, elms, and oaks, she daydreams of adventures and secrets that she weaves throughout her stories.

Having studied literature at University of Houston, Belle has been known to consider teaching at the college level someday.


To learn more about Belle Whittington and her books, visit her Blog. You can also find her on  Facebook and Twitter.

Don't forget to check out the Cicada Holiday Companion Story By Belle Whittington.

The Giveaways:

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The Fallen Stars Trailer Reveal & Giveaway!

Genre: Young Adult (Paranormal Romance)
Date Published:April 12, 2013
Publisher: Inkspell Publishing

The Blurb:
When all is lost, he will have to make the ultimate decision.

Kellen St. James was just your average seventeen-year-old prodigy, until he eighty-sixed the Lord of Faerie and proposed to the Celtic Goddess, Calienta. But then everything in Kellen’s life gets turned upside-down when he and Cali end up on the run from a seriously irritated group of faeries. The worst part? They have zero idea why they’re being hunted.

Suddenly, Kellen is stuck in the middle of another prophecy that foresees him turning away from Calienta and embracing the dark. He’ll be forced to take sides in a struggle to claim his birthright, while discovering secrets about his father’s past. Meanwhile, his passion for Cali grows stronger, even as the prophecy threatens to tear them apart.

In the end, will Kellen and Cali survive the fates? When the ultimate power is within reach, which side will he choose?

Are you ready for the Book Trailer? Check it out!

About the Author:
Stephanie Keyes has been addicted to Fantasy since she discovered T.H. White as a child and started drumming up incredible journeys in her head. Today, she's still doing the same thing, except now she gets to share those ideas with readers!

When she's not writing, Stephanie is also a graphic designer, international speaker, teacher, musician, avid reader, and Mom to two little boys who constantly keep her on her toes. In addition, she's best friend to her incredible husband of eleven years.

Mrs. Keyes holds an undergraduate degree in Business and Management Information Systems from Robert Morris University and a M.Ed. from Duquesne University. She is a member of the Society For Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI), as well as a featured author in the global group of writers, Love a Happy Ending.com.

Keyes is the author of the YA Fantasy series, The Star Child, which currently includes The Star Child (September 2012) and The Fallen Stars (April 2013), both released by Inkspell Publishing. She is currently hard at work on the third book in the trilogy, The Star Catcher.

To learn more about Stephanie Keyes and her books, visit her website.You can also find her on Goodreads, Facebook, and Twitter.

The Swag Pack Giveaway!!
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Blog Tour! A Book Review & Giveaway of The Boys of Summer by C.J. Duggan

Welcome to my stop on The Boys of Summer blog tour hosted by YA Bound.  Click HERE to check out the full blog tour schedule!

Genre: New Adult (Contemporary Romance)
Date Published: December 17, 2012
Publisher: Self

The Blurb:

It seemed only natural to nickname them the ‘Onslow Boys’. Every time they swaggered in the front door of the Onslow Hotel after a hard week’s work, their laughter was loud and genuine as they settled onto their bar stools. I peeked through the restaurant partition, a flimsy divider between my world and theirs. I couldn’t help but smile whenever I saw them, saw him ... Toby Morrison.

Quiet seventeen-year-old Tess doesn’t relish the thought of a summertime job. She wants nothing more than to forget the past haunts of high school and have fun with her best friends before the dreaded Year Twelve begins.

To Tess, summer is when everything happens: riding bikes down to the lake, watching the fireworks at the Onslow Show and water bomb fights at the sweltering Sunday markets.

How did she let her friends talk her into working?

After first-shift disasters, rude, wealthy tourists and a taunting ex-boyfriend, Tess is convinced nothing good can come of working her summer away. However, Tess finds unlikely allies in a group of locals dubbed ‘The Onslow Boys’, who are old enough to drive cars, drink beer and not worry about curfews. Tess’s summer of working expands her world with a series of first times with new friends, forbidden love and heartbreaking chaos.

All with the one boy she has never been able to forget.

It will be a summer she will always remember.

Warning: sexual references, and occasional coarse language.

My Review:

The Boys of Summer is the first book in the Summer Series by Australian author, C.J. Duggan. The Boys of Summer was a wonderfully entertaining coming of age story full of summer love, drama, firsts, humor, and there were so many other things that I can't say because you need to read it and find out for yourselves. One thing that I enjoyed about this story so much was that it brought me back to junior high and high school. I love that the story took place in the 90's with all it's 90's music references, and that it was set in Australia. I was just a few years younger than Tess when my parents were considering a move from the States to Australia. Although I was young and the thought of such a big move scared the pee out of me, it was also an exciting idea to go someplace so far away and start over completely. We never moved from the US, but that didn't stop the many day dreams that played out in my head of what life would have been like had we moved.  This book was better than any of those day dreams. Wow! Enough about me blabbing about my youth! What I'm getting at is, it always adds to the fun when you can relate to a story in some way, not to mention this was just a super fun book to read. I loved watching Tess come in to her own through this story. She wasn't perfect, but she owned up to it and grew from it. Toby was an imaginary dream come true. Heck, all the Onslow Boys were! Toby and Tess were adorable together. Their relationship was intoxicating. It was easy to disappear within the characters and get caught up in their emotions. The supporting characters were enjoyable as well. I liked Adam and Sean a lot. They were a lot of fun had great personalities. The whole cast of characters are the kind of people you wish were real, because they'd be so darn fun to hang out with! I'm excited that this is a new series. I look forward to reading about more Onslow shenanigans! I need to find a town like Onslow!

The Boys of Summer by C.J. Duggan was provided to me by the YA Bound for review. The opinions are my own.

Don't forget to check out my review of Book 2, An Endless Summer!!

***GIVEAWAY***

Enter below to win one of 5 e-book copies of The Boys of Summer, open Internationally! Goob luck!

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About the Author:

C.J Duggan is an Australian author who lives with her husband in a rural border town of New South Wales, Australia.

The Boys of Summer is Book One in her Mature Young Adult Romance Series.

To learn more about C.J. Duggan and her books, visit her blog and website.You can also find her on Goodreads, Facebook and Twitter. 

 

Meet the Author: Sherry Gloag, Author of Vidal's Honor

Happy Wednesday to everyone! Today, Sherry Gloag, author of Vidal's Honor, will be joining us to answer some questions about herself and her books.

What inspired you to write Vidal's Honor?
Kim Bowman, from Astraea Press asked several AP authors (including me) to write a Regency novel, that took place in 1812 and included a specific ball in the closing scene, in time for the Christmas market of 2012. Although it wasn’t the first time I’d written to request, it was still quite a challenge.

Which of your characters do you relate to most and why?
I did; as expected; relate closely to Honor, Lady Beaumont because the theme of her story turned out to be how someone brought up in the heart of a warm and loving family would handle the deprivations of following the drum during the Peninsula war. I also enjoyed watching Consuela’s character unfolding. She turned up
unexpectedly and I was fascinated by how she insinuated herself into the hearts of all the other main characters, and how strong she was despite the hardships she experienced.

What is a secret about you that nobody else knows?
I couldn’t live in a city.

If your real life was a fictional book, what would you, the main character, be like?
What a terrifying question!! I do think the answer would probably be ‘boring’ and yet when I do talk to others they seem fascinated by some of the things I have done and still do. Lol.

What book have you read too many times to count?
Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice and Nora Roberts Northern Light.

What is the best piece of writing advice you ever received?
If at first you don’t succeed, try, try, and try again.

If you could hop into the life of any fictional character, who would it be and why?
I’m not sure I can answer this one. I have read so many awesome and wonderful stories. So, I’ll just say I started reading Georgette Heyer while recovering from childhood illnesses and thought living during those time would be awesome.

What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating your books?
That my characters rule supreme. If I try to deviate from what they want, I usually end up having to deal with a major re-write. :-)

What do you like to do when you're not writing?
Reading. So much so, I discovered a whole raft of new authors I've come to love because I started reading to review.
Gardening, because the plants don’t answer back! LOL. Well they do in their own way because if they are not happy with what I have done, they simply won’t grow or flourish.
Crystal craft work is so soothing for me I often totally lose all sense of time.

Are any of the things in your books based on real life experiences or purely all imagination?
I deliberately try to keep anything personal out of my stories, and yet, I am currently working on a project that is purely based on a factual incident.

Thank you Sherry, for stopping by today! It's been a pleasure to have you on the blog!
Thank you for inviting me to visit with you today.

About Vidal's Honor:

Genre: Adult Fiction (Historical/Regency Romance)
Date Published: October 31, 2012
Publisher: Astraea Press, LLC

The Blurb:

When plunged into a world of spies, agents and espionage during the Peninsula wars, Honor, Lady Beaumont, flees for her life when the French capture her husband at Salamanca, and relies on his batman to arrange her safe passage back to England.

Viscount Charles Vidal is ordered by Robert Dumas, the First Lord of the Admiralty, to travel to Spain and escort the only woman he’s ever loved, Lord Devlin Beaumont’s widow back home before the French discover her whereabouts.

Their journey is fraught by danger, least of all knowing whether they are surrounded by friends or foe. Will they survive long enough to explore the possibility of a future together or will whispers of treason be enough to see Honor dispatched to Tyburn first?

To learn more about Sherry Gloag and her books, visit her blog and website.You can also find her on Facebook and Twitter.

 

Book Review: I Kissed a Dog by Carol Van Atta

Genre: Adult Fiction (Paranormal/Urban Fantasy Romance)
Date Published: October 20, 2012
Publisher: Charles River Press

The Blurb:

Chloe Carpenter isn't like other women. She can communicate with animals. A gift she unwrapped following one of her frequent dances with death. In her otherwise wacky life, she's finally found a semblance of sanity working at the Plum Beach Wildlife Park, where her unique talents can make life or death differences for the animals in her care. That semblance is shattered when a new veterinarian roars into the park in his spiffed up sports car and sets his golden gaze on her. If she had her way, he'd roar right back out. Problem: He's her new coworker and he's saved her life twice - in the past twenty-four hours.

Zane Marshall, Enforcer for the Pacific Pack of purebred werewolves, has a job to do - figure out who or what is mutilating the young men of Plum Beach.

With orders to find the woman who talks to animals, he accepts a position working alongside the fiery Chloe Carpenter, a female who ignites his interest far more than he ever expected. Remarkably, she's the one elusive female with potential to bring meaning and passion to his empty existence. Problem: She despises him.

Together, they're forced to unravel a mystery of supernatural proportions, a murderous mystery with eternal implications for everyone. In the process, they discover opposites really do attract. Major Problem: Zane is pledged to another woman, and she'll do anything to keep him from Chloe.

My Review:

I Kissed a Dog by Carol Van Atta is book one in the Werewolves of the West series. There is so much going on in this story that I don't even know where to begin. Mysterious murders, mysterious beings, werewolves, mutants, vampires!! Oh my! A romance full of anticipation! OH MY! I'll start with the title, which I thought was completely fitting because of Chloe's attitude from the beginning. Actually, their interactions were pretty entertaining in the beginning as a whole. Zane is hard to ignore though. He commands presence. Even when he's not in a scene, you wish he was. I enjoyed both of these characters immensely. I'll admit though, they both made me mad a time or two through with all the lies. There were many supporting characters. Some will surprise you. One thing I've noticed about some books is when you have a long list of characters, it's hard to keep them all straight. That is not the case with this book, they are introduced sporadically and in such ways that it's easy to remember who was who and why they are significant. I LOVE that animals are such a huge theme through the book, and I think it would be an amazing gift to be able to communicate with them like Chloe does. I've added animal mind reading to my list of super powers I want now. There was always something happening in I Kissed a Dog. I was thoroughly entertained from beginning to end!

I Kissed a Dog by Carol Van Atta was provided to me by the Bewitching Book Tours for review. The opinions are my own.

About the Author:
Like most authors, Carol Van Atta is no stranger to the written word. She penned a short novel at age 12 (somewhat frightening illustrations included) and had a creative writing piece published in her high school newspaper.

Devouring books from numerous genres, she developed a deep thirst for more reading materials, and could almost always be found with her nose in a book.

CAROL has contributed to several popular anthologies and devotional books, her first novel, Slaying the Shadows, a spiritual thriller, was selected as one of Christian Women Today’s Top Summer Reads 2005.

She lives in the rainy wetlands of Oregon with her terrifying teens and a small zoo of animals. She is taking an undetermined hiatus away from inspirational writing to delve into her darker side. It’s been rumored this genre-jumping occurred after Carol discovered two suspicious red marks on her neck.

As a result of this genre-jumping, she has completed, and is awaiting publication for I Kissed a Dog, Book One in the Werewolves of the West Series.

In summary: Carol is a cross genre author with a wide ranging style for a wide range of readers.

Be sure to check out my interview with Carol Van Atta!

To learn more about Carol Van Atta and her books, visit her website & blog.You can also find her on Facebook.

 

Pretty When They Collide Cover Reveal!!

Genre: Young Adult (Paranormal/Fantasy)
Date Published: March 15, 2013
Publisher: Self

The Blurb:

An exciting new novella set in the world of Pretty When She Dies...

Cassandra is a dhamphir-the offspring of a vampire and mortal woman-and a thief of occult relics.

Aimee is a full-blood witch that is bound to a powerful vampire who traffics in the slavery of supernatural beings.

Both are powerful, lonely, and trapped in the dangerous world of the vampires.

When Cassandra steals a relic from Aimee’s vampire master, he targets her as his next acquisition. What he doesn’t realize is that a chance encounter between Cassandra and Aimee ignited a spark between them that they cannot deny.

To survive, the women must find a way to band together and fight against the ruthless evil that conspires to enslave them forever

About the Author:
Rhiannon Frater is the award-winning author of the As the World Dies trilogy (The First Days, Fighting to Survive, Siege,) and the author of three other books: the vampire novels Pretty When She Dies and The Tale of the Vampire Bride and the young-adult zombie novel The Living Dead Boy and the Zombie Hunters. Inspired to independently produce her work from the urging of her fans, she published The First Days in late 2008 and quickly gathered a cult following. She won the Dead Letter Award back-to-back for both The First Days and Fighting to Survive, the former of which the Harrisburg Book Examiner called ‘one of the best zombie books of the decade.’ Rhiannon is currently represented by Hannah Gordon of the Foundry + Literary Media agency. You may contact her by sending an email to rhiannonfrater@gmail.com.

To learn more about Rhiannon Frater and her books, visit her website.You can also find her on Goodreads, Facebook and Twitter.

Promo Blitz & Excerpt!! After the Ending by Lindsey Fairleigh and Lindsey Pogue

Genre: Sci-Fi / Dystopian
Date Published: February 22, 2013
Publisher: Self

The Blurb:

The Virus spread. Billions died. The Ending began. We may have survived the apocalypse, but the Virus changed us.

When people started getting sick, “they” thought it was just the flu. My roommate, my boyfriend, my family…they’re all gone now. I got sick too. I should have died with them—with the rest of the world—but I didn’t. I thought witnessing the human population almost disappear off the face of the earth was the craziest thing I’d ever experience. I was so wrong. My name is Dani O’Connor, I’m twenty-six-years-old, and I survived The Ending.

The Virus changed everything. The world I knew is gone, and life is backwards. We’ve all had to start over. I’ve been stripped of my home, my dreams…all that is me. I’m someone else now— broken and changed. Other survivors’ memories and emotions haunt me. They invade my mind until I can no longer separate them from my own. I won’t let them consume me. I can’t. My name is Zoe Cartwright, I’m twenty-six-years-old, and I survived The Ending.

We’ve been inseparable for most of our lives, and now our friendship is all we have left. The aftermath of the Virus has stranded us on opposite sides of the United States. Trusting strangers, making sacrifices, killing—we’ll do anything to reach one another. Fear and pain may be unavoidable, but we’re strong…we’re survivors. But to continue surviving in this unfamil-iar world plagued by Crazies and strange new abilities, we have to adapt. We have to evolve.

The Excerpt:

Looking around apprehensively, I made my way toward the convenience store in hopes of finding a bathroom. The vacant world around me was eerily silent. All I could hear was the creaking of a giant wooden billboard being assaulted by the wind. How long has it been since anyone was here? Through the dark windows I saw a bathroom sign that looked promising, but I couldn’t bring myself to enter. I wonder if it’s safe… As I stood outside of the store, I noticed a newspaper box still filled with papers. I leaned closer. The headline read, BILLIONS DEAD, and the paper was dated December 9, right before everything had started to shut down. I inserted a quarter and snatched out a paper. Scanning its contents, my mouth grew dry and my body stiffened.

…the H1N1/12 pandemic…

…looting and riotous outbreaks everywhere…

…end of civilization as we know it…

…survivors losing their minds…

…governments can’t control…

…the Apocalypse…

The newspaper slipped from between my fingers. Frozen in place, I was suffocated by the reality of our situation.

This isn’t going away.

The world ended.

Thinking of the strange feelings I’d been experiencing, I once again questioned my own sanity. My thoughts were too loud to silence. My heart thudded, and I couldn’t swallow the lump in my throat. Looking out into the abandoned world around me, I realized how alone we really were. I bent down to reclaim the paper and turned on my heels to head back toward the truck, completely awestruck as the words I’d read replayed in my mind. Each was a reminder that the only world I’d ever known had ended.

About the Authors:
Lindsey Fairleigh lives her life with one foot in a book—as long as that book transports her to a magical world or bends the rules of science. Her novels, from post-apocalyptic to time travel and historical fantasy, always offer up a hearty dose of unreality, along with plenty of adventure and romance. When she’s not working on her next novel, Lindsey spends her time reading and trying out new recipes in the kitchen. She lives in the Napa Valley with her loving husband and confused cats.

Lindsey Pogue has always been a little creative. As a child she established a bug hospital on her elementary school soccer field, compiled books of collages as a teenager, and as an adult, expresses herself through writing. Her novels are inspired by her observations of the world around her—whether she’s traveling, people watching, or hiking. When not plotting her next storyline or dreaming up new, brooding characters, Lindsey’s wrapped in blankets watching her favorite action flicks or going on road trips with her own leading man.

To learn more about Lindsey Fairleigh and Lindsey Pogue and this series, visit The Ending Series Website.You can also find them on Facebook and Twitter.

Kindle Version will be FREE 3/15 - 3/17