Friday, December 26, 2014

NERD BLAST [Trailer + Giveaway] ANGEL BURN by L.A. Weatherly




Synopsis 

They're out for your soul.
And they don't have heaven in mind...


Willow knows she's different from other girls, and not just because she loves tinkering with cars. Willow has a gift. She can look into the future and know people's dreams and hopes, their sorrows and regrets, just by touching them. She has no idea where this power comes from.
But the assassin, Alex, does. Gorgeous, mysterious Alex knows more about Willow than Willow herself does. He knows that her powers link to dark and dangerous forces and that he's one of the few humans left who can fight them. When Alex finds himself falling in love with his sworn enemy, he discovers that nothing is as it seems; least of all good and evil.












ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Lee Weatherly was born in 1967 and grew up in Little Rock, Arkansas, USA. She lives with her husband in Hampshire, England, where she writes, goes on walks, tries out new recipes and has a cat named Bernard.

L.A. Weatherly is the pseudonym for Lee Weatherly. You can follow her on Twitter at @LA_Weatherly





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Wednesday, December 24, 2014

BOOK TOUR [Interview + Giveaway] TRANSCENDENT by Lesley Livingston



Title: TRANSCENDENT 
Author: Lesley Livingston
Pub. Date: December 23, 2014
Publisher: Harper Teen
Pages: 352
Formats: Hardcover, eBook, audoibook
Find it: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Goodreads

LOVE CONQUERS

On a storm-swept terrace high above the streets of Manhattan, Mason Starling holds the fate of the world in her hands as her beloved Fennrys lies bleeding at her feet, his life hanging in the balance. The ancient Norse prophecy of Ragnarok stands poised on the knife edge of fulfillment. Mason’s transformation into a Valkyrie—a chooser of the slain and the one who will ultimately bring about the end of the world—is complete. Still, she remains determined to thwart her father’s apocalyptic desires. Whatever is to come, it won’t happen because of what the prophecy foretold, or what Gunnar Starling has planned, or what the fates have already decided. What happens next will be up to Mason and the Fennrys Wolf. The world had better hope they haven’t reached the limits of what their souls and swords can survive.


Perfect for fans of Cassandra Clare’s Mortal Instruments series, and set in the same universe as Lesley Livingston’s much-loved WONDROUS STRANGE trilogy, with roots in Greek, Roman, Norse, Egyptian, and Celtic myths and legends, this thrilling conclusion to the acclaimed Starling trilogy is filled to the hilt with sweeping adventure and soaring romance.


About Lesley:
Lesley Livingston is a writer and actress living in Toronto. She has a master's degree in English from the University of Toronto, where she specialized in Arthurian Literature and Shakespeare. She frequently performs with the Tempest Theatre Group, of which she is a co-founder. She is also the author of WONDROUS STRANGE and DARKLIGHT.

You can visit Lesley online at www.lesleylivingston.com






Top 5 songs on your playlist?
For this project, it varied wildly from day to day, but a typical iPod session would undoubtedly include some combination of U2, Pink Floyd, epic movie soundtracks (Gladiator is pretty great for writing battle scenes), Roxy Music, and something random and weird to shake things up. 

How much time do you spend reading each week?
As much as I can. Sometimes that’s reduced to reading in elevators. Sometimes it’s hours curled up with the cats. 

What is the last thing you Googled?
Ancient incense.

Favorite places to travel?
New York City. Britain. Places I haven’t been yet, but suspect I would fall in love with.


What is your favorite way to spend a rainy day?
If it’s warm rain, wandering around in it while I think up cool storm scenes. If it’s cold rain, listening to it hit the window while I write cool storm scenes.

Favorite TV Shows?
Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, M*A*S*H, Arrow, Lost, Rome… to name a few.

If you had a time machine, where would you go (past or future) and who would you like to visit?
Fifth Century Britain. Just so I could get the straight scoop on King Arthur, once and for all. (Preferably, while avoiding all the death, disease, dirt, and whatever they were serving for dinner that night.)

What’s next on you TBR Pile?
The latest Harry Dresden book by Jim Butcher – Skin Game. Yay for wizard noir! 

Where is your favorite spot to read?
Planet Earth.

If you were on Death Row what would your last meal be?
A cake with a hacksaw backed into it.

Favorite vacation spot?
New York City. I love that place. (Which poses the question, why then am I so fond of blowing up chunks of it in my books?)

Can we get a hint on what you are working on? What are your future plans?
Hah – I don’t wanna jinx it! I’ll just say that “future” has nothing to do with it. Just the opposite! I know, I know… cryptic much?

You’re AWESOME!!
So are you!!
Thanks!
You’re welcome!



Giveaway Details:
4 Finished copies of TRANSCENDENT US/Canada Only


Tuesday, December 23, 2014

BLOG TOUR [Favorite Fictional Couples + Giveaway] Love and Other Theories by Alexis Bass




Love and Other Theories

by Alexis Bass

Publisher: HarperTeen

Release Date: December 31st 2014



Synopsis:


If you want more, you have to give less.


That’s the secret to dating in high school. By giving as little as they expect to get in return, seventeen-year-old Aubrey Housing and her three best friends have made it to the second semester of their senior year heartbreak-free. And it’s all thanks to a few simple rules: don’t commit, don’t be needy, and don’t give away your heart.


So when smoking-hot Nathan Diggs transfers to Lincoln High, it shouldn’t be a big deal. At least that’s what Aubrey tells herself. But Nathan’s new-boy charm, his kindness, and his disarming honesty throw Aubrey off her game and put her in danger of breaking the most important rule of all: Don’t fall in love.


BOOK LINKS:




Also available as an AUDIOBOOK. Listen to a sample HERE

Favorite Fictional Couples in Books

·       Mr. Darcy & Elizabeth Bennet of Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen: One of my favorite will-they-won’t-they stories.
·       Amelia and Chris from Love and Other Perishable Items by Lauren Buzo: Chris is someone I would have had a crush on when I was fifteen, and I love his confused friendship with Amelia in this tale of bad timing.
·       Min and Ed from Why We Broke Up by Daniel Handler (illustrations by Maira Kalman): Even though their story is one of destruction, it perfectly captures the high highs and low lows of relationships at that age.
·       Belly and Conrad from The Summer Series by Jenny Han: One of the sweetest, but most complicated relationships I’ve ever come across.
·       Alina Starkov and The Darkling from The Grisha Trilogy by Leigh Bardugo: Okay, so, I know it’s walking a fine line calling them a “couple,” but I found the way they were drawn to each other, and how there were certain things only the two of them could do together, very alluring. 
·       Peeta and Katniss from The Hunger Games Series by Suzanne Collins: Their love story of fake-love turned real is as remarkable, and I adore that they were able to find love under such duress.

·       Pip and Estella from Great Expectation by Charles Dickens: She was trained to break his heart and he couldn’t help but fall in love with her—a tragedy with a sliver of hope for a happy ending.


Read an EXCERPT HERE




ADVANCE PRAISE 

“Careful, subtle and aching. ” - Kirkus Reviews (starred review)


“Warning: Bass’s debut novel will ignite ALL your feelings!” - Wendy Higgins, New York Times bestselling author of the Sweet Evil trilogy


“I loved LOVE AND OTHER THEORIES. Alexis Bass writes a compelling critique of the ways society expects girls to behave in their relationships, the lies girls tell each other–and themselves–to keep from getting hurt, and, when all is said and done, how only the heart knows the truth.” – Kristin Halbrook, author of Nobody But Us and co-founder of YA Highway


“Alexis Bass masterfully captures all the complexities of high school relationships. A lovely debut.” – Amanda Maciel, author of Tease


“A bold debut that authentically captures the frenzy of love, lust, and senior year of high school!” - Julie Murphy, author of Side Effects May Vary


“Love and Other Theories challenged my assumptions, dared me to think differently and burrowed into my heart. A heart-achingly beautiful story about whether it is better to protect your heart or to take the biggest risk of all.” - Daisy Whitney, author of The Mockingbirds


“In her debut novel, Bass provides honest, incisive, and sometimes uncomfortable insights into the complicated intersections of friendship and romance, the ways sex can be wielded as a weapon, and the measures some teens take to protect themselves from pain.” — Publishers Weekly


“Bass’s debut is an entertaining perspective on the battlefield of the teen dating world.” —Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA)






ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Alexis Bass grew up in Washington, went to college in Arizona, and spent her early twenties in Seattle. She currently lives in Northern California with Dylan McKay, her gorgeous and rambunctious golden retriever. She loves good fashion and good TV as much as a good book, and is a huge advocate of the three C’s: coffee, chocolate, and cheese. LOVE AND OTHER THEORIES is her first novel.


AUTHOR LINKS:




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Monday, December 22, 2014

BOOK BLITZ w/ Excerpt: Bittersweet by Shewanda Pugh




Young Adult Romance

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Date Published: December 9, 2014

In the aftermath of one tragic and uncertain night, Edy and Hassan shut out the chaos with a kiss. But when Hassan's traditionalist mother sees that kiss … well, a nightmare of a different sort begins. After all, he still has an arranged marriage on the horizon.
Love attacks the glue of their two bonded families; while the slow tug of success pulls Edy and Hassan in opposite directions. After denying their feelings for so long, they now have each other, but are forced to ask themselves if being together is worth it.
 


Excerpt

Hassan examined the gash on his right hand with mild interest, curious as to what point he’d earned it. His hand shook; his whole arm shook, and the tightness in his chest worked like a vice. He believed he could whittle away the panic. He believed he could wish away the night. He closed his eyes, opened them, and found all exactly as it had been.
He swatted at the EMT impatiently as his legs dangled from the rear of the ambulance. “That’s enough,” Hassan said. “I’m good.”
The man frowned down at his work. He’d cleaned the wound, applied an ointment, and looked at a roll of gauze longingly. “Really, you should let me—”
“I said ‘no.’” Hassan snatched his arm free and stood.
They’d rolled Wyatt away on a gurney. When that happened, the wheel of the stretcher had bumped on the door frame’s ledge, causing his arm to swing out from the bed. Long, white, limp—that was Hassan’s last image of him. He thought of it now as he stared at the Green’s front entrance. A uniformed officer banged at the door. Another stood at his side. The wind howled in response.
He couldn’t watch that. He couldn’t stand this. Swarming, aimless flashing lights, the methodical sectioning and combing of here and there, and Wyatt’s swinging arm, slipped out to greet him.
He’s dead. No one loses that much blood and lives.
Hassan’s thoughts turned to Edy, Edy whose friend had been shot. Quick steps brought him to her, in the cold, in the dark, in the madness they’d rushed home. Get to her was his only command.
She stood underneath a winter-stripped oak wrapped in a fleece Patriots blanket. Seeing her reminded him of his own bare arms and of how cold he should have been.
He slid in with her, wrapped her in the circle of his arms so tight, and exhaled a puff of exhaustion. Better, he thought. Best. Because he couldn’t think just now. He could only feel and breathe in drafts, so wrecked was he from the senselessness of it all. Some part of him, some inner part, fractured and burned, fluttering off in winter winds ashen piece by ashen piece.
“Hassan,” Edy said. “I—I’m freaking out. I’m going to lose it completely.” Her eyes swept the lawn without seeing, watering to overflow, sliding into panic.
“Edy,” he said, but she didn’t hear.
“Edy,” he repeated, but she still didn’t hear. She gripped the fabric of his shirt at the waist, fisting it with a hand and twisting. He pulled her in so they were forehead to forehead and trembling.
She would keep it together or he would unravel right with her.
“Don’t leave me,” Hassan said. “You know you can’t.”
He yanked at her as if he could rouse her into forgetting, into going backward, into being yesterday’s Edy and therefore okay. In this tighter, fiercer embrace, he was hyper aware of his every clenched muscles, of her fingers first touching, then digging into his side, and of the snow that eventually began to fall.
He’d hold them together if it took all night.
She ran a hand across his face and he caught her by the wrist. Funny how the noises dulled then, how the rushing thuds of footsteps and the commanding voices drifted to insignificance when she looked at him. While he couldn’t will every muscle in his body to release, or his heart to slow down on the gallop, he could do this. He could hold her and she could him. They could ground each other, help each other. It worked two ways.
Luckily.
She licked her lips.
And he kissed them.
It happened that fast.
“Hassan!” his mother cried.
Yeah.
His mother.




About the Author

Shewanda Pugh is a tomboy who credits Stephen King with being the reason she writes romance. In 2012 she debuted with the first novel in a three part contemporary adult romance series, Crimson Footprints. Since then, she's been shortlisted for the AAMBC Reader's Choice Award, the National Black Book Festival's Best New Author Award, and the Rone Award for Contemporary Fiction in 2012 and 2013. She has an MA in Writing from Nova Southeastern University and a BA in Political Science from Alabama A&M University. Though a native of Boston, MA, she now lives in Miami, FL, where she can soak up sun rays without fear of shivering.

Author Links



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Friday, December 19, 2014

BLOG TOUR [Excerpt & Interview + Giveaway] Seed: Keepers of Genesis I Keepers of Genesis Series Volume I by DB Nielsen



Seed: Keepers of Genesis I
Keepers of Genesis Series
Volume I
by DB Nielsen

Genre: YA PNR/ Urban Fantasy

Publisher: LBLA Digital

ISBN: 1908879181
ASIN: B00K75I06E

Number of pages: 432
Word Count:  160,000

Cover Artist: XLintellect PTY LTD

Book Description:

A powerful, hidden artefact is unearthed and, with its discovery, an ancient conflict is reignited. Seventeen-year-old Sage Woods, the daughter of an eminent archaeologist, uncovers the artefact’s disturbing secret and is placed in terrible danger.

Unwittingly, she has stumbled into an invisible war between two primordial dynasties of a supernatural order – a war in which she has a fateful role to play in a race to control the power of the SEED.    

Embroiled in a quest that takes her from the British Museum to the Louvre to the Vatican Secret Archives, Sage realises that her blossoming romance with the mysterious, alluring St. John Rivers is inextricably tied to the artefact.

Up until now, St. John has managed to keep his true identity hidden, but Sage is determined to delve deeper to uncover his dark secret and his connection to the SEED.

It is a decision that will have a devastating effect on humankind…

Available at Amazon



If you could have any superpower what would you choose?

Can I say that I’d like to manipulate time? I would really like to be able to time travel or stop time or reverse time – probably because I never seem to have enough hours in the day to do all the things I love and need to do. And I could also go back in time and visit those loved ones that have passed away or tell my younger self not to waste time on people who don’t really matter. Oh, yeah, and tell my younger self to chillax once in a while (I was a bit intense in my youth!)

Tell us your most rewarding experience since being published.
Being recognized on Twitter (probably because, at the time, I had no idea how to Tweet!) and the readers’ generosity, their interest, their love of my novel was truly humbling. I think one of the greatest compliments from a reader that I received was that they thought I must have a background in archaeology and history. I may not be an archaeologist or historian but I do have a love for history and romance. 

Please tell us in one sentence only, why we should read your book.
Because it’s for all the lovers and believers in beauty and true love and mystical talismans, angels and ancient artefacts.

Favorite food?
Smoked salmon or gravlax (served with French champagne), though I’m also really partial to a High Tea (complete with scones/ jam & cream, finger sandwiches and petit fours)

What book are reading now?
Aravind Adiga’s The White Tiger

What’s your favorite season/weather?
Autumn/ Fall – I love the burst of colours of the leaves on the trees and I appreciate it being neither too hot or too cold (but just right to curl up with a good book).

What was your favorite children's book?
P.D. Eastman’s Are You My Mother? was my favourite children’s book. A newly-hatched bird searches for his mother which leads him to a dog, cow, plane and bulldozer, but there’s a happy reunion with his mother when he finally recognizes her.

Beach or Pool?
Pool with a sexy cabana boy.

What is one book everyone should read?
Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird – the best book ever as it teaches so many important life lessons through the memorable characters of Scout and Atticus.

Any other books in the works? Goals for future projects?
Finishing off book three, SWORD, in the KEEPERS OF GENESIS series and then to eventually try writing a futuristic dystopian text (maybe). I have a million ideas for novels but not enough time to write (that is, until I develop my superpower!)


One thrilling quest, twin sisters and their sweeping and adventurous romances, a perilous rivalry, intriguing exploration of some of Western culture's greatest mysteries, a magical tale of angels and demons throughout the ages. Incorporating historical facts intertwined with myth, fantasy, fascinating esoterica and love story, SEED is a captivating read which marks the arrival of a wonderful new voice in YA and crossover escapist literature.

Excerpt:

I had no idea where to begin in my quest, so I decided to simply follow the path of least resistance, working my way around the exhibition. It was like a jigsaw puzzle; reconstructing pieces of the past and trying to find the bigger picture. I didn’t really know what I was looking for, I only hoped that there would be something, some tablet or bas relief, that would be able to shed some light on the artefact and, more importantly, on what I’d seen. I would have sworn that I saw it transform before my eyes in Dad’s office but I didn’t know whether I should doubt myself now. I’d only seen the artefact for a few moments and yet it had felt like it was speaking to me, imparting some ancient knowledge. Of course, I didn’t understand any of it, but I hoped to.
Because I was in a reverie, I almost missed the piece altogether. It was a tablet not much more than ten centimetres in length, containing a cuneiform inscription and a unique map of the Mesopotamian world. The symbols on the tablet were an exact copy of some of the symbols I’d seen on the artefact though a little more crudely formed.
The cuneiform inscription composed the top section of the tablet whilst, underneath it, was a diagram featuring two concentric circles. The outer circle was surrounded by triangles at what seemed to be random distances. The inner circle held more geometric symbols and cuneiforms. A rectangle in the top half of the inner circle in the centre of the tablet represented Babylon. Assyria, Elam and other cities were also depicted. The tablet and its inscription were by no means complete as it had been reassembled from the broken pieces found by archaeologists. Information was obviously missing but I was elated at finding anything that could tell me more about the artefact.
It was because I was so transfixed with my find that I initially failed to notice that I was being scrutinized from across the room. The first I became aware of it was a prickling sensation down my back, the hairs on my neck and arms raised giving me goose bumps. I turned my head round nervously, looking back over my shoulder.
He stood at a distance, a young man in his mid-twenties perhaps, taller than average. No mere accident of lighting, his slightly curly locks, the colour of polished brass, formed a halo around a face that was much too beautiful to be called handsome. The only way to describe him was golden. His skin was golden, his hair, which he wore slightly longer than was fashionable, curling into the nape of his neck, was golden and I suspected his eye colour was, if not golden, amber like mine.
When I caught him staring at me intently, he neither looked away in embarrassment nor did he pretend to know me. Instead, he continued to assess me with an unblinking, hypnotic gaze. It was I who broke contact first; flushing with embarrassment, I dropped my eyes at once.
This can’t be happening! I thought, feeling panicky. Dragging in a deep breath, my eyes skittered back to his. He was still staring at me, his indescribably beautiful face unmoved.
My heart fluttered in my chest. I didn’t know what to think – was this some random stalker or had he seen me before around the museum and couldn’t place my face, seeming familiar to him? No serial killer looked the way he did. He was dressed immaculately all in black; a pair of black trousers was topped by a fine woollen black turtleneck. He wore the sleeves rolled up, exposing his sun-kissed skin. And the black only accentuated the perfection of his face. Of course, I had no idea what a serial killer looked like, but I was fairly certain it wasn’t this golden god.
As curious as I was, I did the only thing that made sense; I ignored him – or pretended to. Deliberately turning my back on him, I tried to refocus on the tablet in front of me. But I was merely staring blankly, nothing was registering. It was all so unreal.
‘It’s not real.’ A low, attractive voice remarked by my side.
I almost jumped out of my skin, whirling to face the owner of that voice.
‘Sorry if I startled you.’ He smiled, apologetically. ‘I saw you looking at the map of ancient Mesopotamia.’ He nodded in the direction of the display case.
I blinked. He was even more stunningly golden up close. He belonged in a museum – he had the kind of face and figure that artists used as a model. Statues should have been made of this man, posing as Apollo, Phaenon or David. I almost envied him his looks; such beauty on a guy wasn’t fair.
I had been wrong about the eyes though; they were an impossible jade green flecked with gold and framed by the longest eyelashes on any guy I’d seen. He was also taller than I imagined; a good few inches above six feet. All in all, he was quite a package and way out of my league.
I somehow regained my scattered wits to stutter, ‘S-s-sorry?’
Great! Now he was going to think I was an idiot! An idiot with a stutter!
I almost groaned aloud.





About the Author:

db nielsen was born in British Hong Kong and immigrated to Australia in childhood. db likes to travel the world with family; dividing time between residing in Sydney and visits to the cathedrals, crypts and museums the world over, doing research for new projects. The author is a university lecturer in Linguistics and Semiotics, and continues to teach English Literature and Language whilst writing fiction.










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Thursday, December 18, 2014

BOOK BLITZ [Playlist & Teaser + Giveaway] Storm Fall by Tracy Banghart (Rebel Wing #2)




Storm Fall
by Tracy Banghart
(Rebel Wing #2)
Published by: Alloy Entertainment
Publication date: December 16th 2014
Genres: Science Fiction, Young Adult

Synopsis:
In the action-packed sequel to Rebel Wing, Aris battles for life and love . . . and not everyone will survive.

Aris Haan gave up everything to join the Atalantan Military: her family, her boyfriend, even her identity. In the end, though, it didn’t matter that she was a war hero. When the all-male Military discovered that she was actually a woman, she was sent home and erased from history.

Now she has a chance to go back to the battlefield—as herself. But as hard as it was to be a soldier in disguise, it’s even more difficult now. The men in her unit undermine her at every turn. The Safaran army has spies everywhere, perhaps even on Aris’s stationpoint. And she’s falling for her mysterious superior officer, Milek. But their relationship is forbidden, just stolen moments between training sessions and missions. There’s no room for love in war.

Then Aris discovers that Safara’s leaders have set their sights on her, Atalanta’s hero. And she must find them before they find her . .


STORM FALL PLAYLIST


Normally, I use the same approach to music with every book I write. I begin the process with a long playlist that includes whole albums, and as I’m writing, the songs that stick out and resonate with me get copied into another, shorter playlist, which I then listen to over and over again as I revise.

With STORM FALL, I wrote the manuscript very quickly, so I skipped right to the shorter playlist. The songs on this list aren’t all thematically connected to the book, though some are (the songs from Mulan definitely connect with the themes of the Rebel Wing series). A lot of times, music clicks for me based on its general vibe, rather than lyrics. 

Here’s the list of the songs I listened to the most while writing STORM FALL, with a little breakdown on what appealed to me about each one. I hope you enjoy!

1. Breath of Life – Florence + The Machine
I write to Florence a LOT. Her music makes it onto almost every writing playlist I have because it’s so dramatic. It really gets the creative juices flowing! Breath of Life began every STORM FALL writing session because it was ominous, cinematic, and driving. Perhaps that gives a hint to the type of story STORM FALL is?

“To get a dream of life again / A little vision of the sun in the end”

2. I’ll Make a Man Out of You – Mulan Soundtrack
The Rebel Wing series is about a girl who infiltrates her country’s all-male military, so this song fits pretty much perfectly. Also, it’s super fun to sing along to. It pumps me up!

“Did they send me daughters when I asked for sons?
You're the saddest bunch I ever met
But you can bet before we're through
Mister, I'll make a man out of you”

3. Radioactive – Imagine Dragons
This song resonated with a lot of the early, ominous scenes. 

“I raise my flags, don my clothes / It's a revolution, I suppose”

4. Devil’s Backbone – The Civil Wars
The eerie, gritty vibe of this song worked well with the darker sections of STORM FALL, though the lyrics don’t really fit with what happens in the story.

“Give me the burden, give me the blame / I’ll shoulder the load, and I’ll swallow the shame”

5. Best of You – Anastacia
This is from Anastacia’s “It’s A Man’s World” album, where she covers iconic songs by male singers. It’s a badass album, and this song works for all the badass women kicking butt in STORM FALL.

“My head is giving me life or death
But I can't choose
I swear I'll never give in
I refuse”

6. Demons – Imagine Dragons
This song makes me think of Dysis and her relationship with Lieutenant Daakon. They both have a lot of demons.

“Your eyes, they shine so bright
I wanna save that light
I can't escape this now
Unless you show me how”

7. From This Valley – The Civil Wars
This song calls to mind scenes later in the book. That’s all I’ll say. ;-)

“Oh won't you take me from this valley
To that mountain high above
Oh I will pray, pray, pray till I see your smiling face”

8. Use Somebody – Anastacia
Another one that fits the girls-kicking-butt vibe.

“Off in the night, while you live it up, I'm off to sleep / Waging wars to shape the poet and the beat”

9. Wrecking Ball – Miley Cyrus
This is Dysis’s jam. Sadly.

“I never hit so hard in love
All I wanted was to break your walls
All you ever did was wreck me”

10. Reflection  - Mulan Soundtrack
So much of the entire series comes down to identity. How does Aris fit within her world – how do women in general fit within her world?

“Must there be a secret me
I'm forced to hide?

Must I pretend that I am someone else for all time?
When will my reflection show, who I am inside?”

Take a listen to the soundtrack below! I hope you enjoy! 





AUTHOR BIO
Award-winning author, Army wife, and mom Tracy Banghart has an MA in Publishing and an unhealthy affection for cupcakes. Her quiet childhood led to a reading addiction, writing obsession, and several serious book boyfriends. She writes novels featuring strong women, realistic romances, and tight female friendships because she believes in cultivating worlds where women support rather than compete with one another, and first kisses happen en route to new adventures, instead of in lieu of them.

Author links:





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BOOK BLAST: The 13th Descent by Ky Lehman


The 13th Descent
by Ky Lehman

BLURB:

ONE CHOICE CAN MAKE AN IMMORTAL HUMAN.

BUT WHAT CHOICES NEED TO BE MADE TO GO BACK AGAIN?

The revolutionary year following Serenay "Ren" Avalon's eighteenth birthday could rival Clark Kent's entire adolescence.

After her mother and her grandmother were killed in a car bomb explosion at the heart of their sleepy hillside town where nothing extraordinary usually happens, she discovers that her mother is actually alive and in hiding, her long lost father is a Father, and her best friend, who turns out was once an Archangel, has taken a gargantuan step back in his evolution to live on Earth with her for the past thirteen lifetimes. And besides being the only one in her immediate circle with a serious case of past life dementia, she learns that during her first lifetime, she was married to one of the greatest teachers history has ever known who is now the gorgeous lead singer of a hot new rock band taking the world by storm, and who is keen to meet up with her again in the twenty first century.

As Ren realizes that the powerful family name she bears also brings with it the promise of an unnatural death, she is reminded that it has always brought hope to people on both sides of the veil, human and Tor. As the world draws closer to being completely shrouded by the dark cloaks of her age-old enemies, the Bloodstones, she now, more than ever before, has to draw strength from her origins to protect her family and their ancient truth from this global force responsible for torturing and killing centuries of her ancestors.

As she struggles to unearth who she was, who she is, and who she chooses to be, as well as the expectations of her first mortal love and the heavenly love she has always guiltily denied, she has until midnight on the Solstice find a way to bring light to a compromised heart and to a world on the brink of perpetual darkness.

This first book in The Rosefire Trilogy by debut YA author, Ky Lehman, is a reminder of how the choices we make in the throes of love, loss, hope, and adversity are what makes the divine human, and the human divine.





EXCERPT

“Come on, Renay! You’re as slow as a wet week,” she snaps.

“Right behind you,” I grumble, trying to coax my jelly legs to step out of the car.

She bustles us inside and disarms her house alarm. She grabs my hand, leads me straight to the navy blue comfy couch and gestures for me to sit. “Drink?” she asks.

“No, thanks.”

She goes to the kitchen and gets me a tall glass of water anyway.

Then everything goes from strange to downright bizarre when she sits down, squishes in next to me, puts her arm around my shoulders and rests her cheek on my hair. I am wedged in-between her and the armrest: I couldn’t move if I tried, and I honestly don’t want to. Hugs from my one and only aunt are like sunny days in the winter. They are rare. They are warm. They smell of cream and cinnamon. They go by too quickly. And you know you’ll have to wait a while for the next one.

“Look at me, Renay,” she gently commands. Bleary eyed, she carefully scans my face and sighs.

It seems she is already regretting what she is yet to say. A chill of forewarning forces a shiver: it sets my heart pounding and my legs that have finally regained feeling start to twitch and shake, preparing to run. She senses my panic and holds me tighter, and starts to softly hum a familiar tune that Nanna must have used to calm her down too. Slowly, the dread resides and the warmth returns. My stiff posture thaws allowing me to slump into her side. Realising she has been given the green light, she takes a deep breath and starts talking.

Aunt Romey has never been one to beat around the bush. Simple English. No fluff. The bare facts followed by her opinion of them. But this time, the candour I usually appreciate brings with it a realisation that hits me so hard, that, for the first time since the bomb went off, I am relieved the undercooked takeout chicken kept me home that night.

Bedtime stories that once lulled me into sweet dreams now leave me feeling cold, heavy and sick.

Horrifying truth gives a voice to the intoxicated mutterings of a grieving husband and father.

Nanna’s fairy tales.

Georgie Pa’s drunken rants.

All of the frayed strands and loose ends I’ve obliviously left hanging tangle and weave into the blood stained tapestry that is Aunt Romey’s history lesson.

Three versions of the same unfathomable story, each with its own conclusion. The fairy tale ends in hope.

The drunken rant ends in fear.

And the history lesson will only end with the death of the Three Roses, who my newfound enemies believe are Nanna, Mum and me.

Surrounded by the ghosts of our ancestors and their vindicating screams, I cling to the only olive branch within reach.

Mum may be on the run, but she is alive and well.

But the sinewy little branch is not strong enough to bear the weight of centuries of lost life. It snaps, and I limply fall into large, familiar, bloodstained hands that carry me off into the black quiet.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~

AUTHOR


KY LEHMAN is a novelist, a children's author, a teacher of swimming and water safety, wife to her high school sweetheart and the proud mother of their three very tall sons. She lives in the Yarra Ranges, Victoria, Australia with her husband and their children where she is currently writing the second book in The Rosefire Trilogy, The 13th Rising.

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Wednesday, December 17, 2014

COVER REVEAL: Greta and the Goblin King (Mylena Chronicles #1) by Chloe Jacobs


Greta and the Goblin King (Mylena Chronicles #1)
Release Date: 12/11/12
Entangled Teen

Summary from Goodreads:
While trying to save her brother from a witch’s fire four years ago, Greta was thrown in herself, falling through a portal to Mylena, a dangerous world where humans are the enemy and every ogre, ghoul, and goblin has a dark side that comes out with the eclipse.

To survive, Greta has hidden her humanity and taken the job of bounty hunter—and she’s good at what she does. So good, she’s caught the attention of Mylena’s young goblin king, the darkly enticing Isaac, who invades her dreams and undermines her will to escape.

But Greta’s not the only one looking to get out of Mylena. An ancient evil knows she’s the key to opening the portal, and with the next eclipse mere days away, every bloodthirsty creature in the realm is after her—including Isaac. If Greta fails, she and the lost boys of Mylena will die. If she succeeds, no world will be safe from what follows her back...




Greta and the Glass Kingdom (Mylena Chronicles #2)
Release Date: February 2015
Entangled Teen

Summary from Goodreads:
The sequel to the Hansel & Gretel retelling Greta and the Goblin King ups the stakes of danger and romance. As conflict surges across Mylena, the tough Greta struggles to save those she loves.

Against all odds, Greta and the Goblin King miraculously survived the battle against the evil Agramon. Greta should be happy to be alive and ready to claim her place in Mylena by Isaac's side. Yet nothing is the way she thought it would be. The battle against Agramon left a dark magick inside Greta that will eventually kill her. Isaac hasn't been the same since he almost went Lost. And there are whispers of a rebellion brewing throughout Mylena...

Determined to save Mylena from a bitter civil war, they travel to the mysterious Glass Kingdom to form an uneasy alliance with the deadly Faerie race. But when an unexpected disaster tears Greta and Isaac apart, she must make the journey on her own. Along the way, she discovers a conspiracy stretching back to events she never thought she would have to revisit, betrayal from allies whose loyalty she never questioned, and an enemy vying to control all of Mylena.

Follow Greta into unexpected romance, explosive secrets, and shocking betrayals that will leave her and all of Mylena forever changed in the stunning second installment of The Mylena Chronicles.

About the Author
Chloe Jacobs is a native of nowhere and everywhere, having jumped around to practically every Province of Canada before finally settling in Ontario where she has now been living for a respectable number of years. Her husband and son are the two best people in the entire world, but they also make her wish she'd at least gotten a female cat. No such luck. And although the day job keeps her busy, she carves out as much time as possible to write. Bringing new characters to life and finding out what makes them tick and how badly she can make them suffer is one of her greatest pleasures, almost better than chocolate and fuzzy pink bunny slippers.

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