Wednesday, April 30, 2014

BOOK BLAST [Excerpt + Giveaway!] Scents and Senses by Loren Secretts

scents  Scents and Senses: 

Supernatural Friends. What the fairy tales didn’t tell you

 Playing the role of a knight in shining armor is more complicated than it seems in the storybooks, as sixteen-year-old Joy discovers when she repeatedly comes to the rescue of a fifteen-year-old human. But when she meddles in the girl’s social life, Starra sends her packing. Starra is determined to completely dissociate herself from the subterranean creature that has manipulated her life and cast her into the limelight. However, her resolve is soon tested when she becomes involved in a critical situation where supernatural assistance can enable her to carry out a daring plot. Eventually, Starra’s involvement with her new other-wordly friends extracts a heavy price when she is beset by challenges that range from the down- to-earth struggles of a typical teenage student, to the realm of the fantastic. Nothing prepares her, however, for the ultimate challenge.  



Excerpt

Joy Ever since I’ve been old enough to kick off on a condor with my own two chicken feet, I’ve been drilled to mind my own business. Mind your own business, the first of the American Ten Commandments. It’s not one I subscribe to, even though in our community, not minding my own business means more than social suicide; it’s a crime when we ascend above ground. For thousands of years we deeems have kept away from the creatures running over our heads with their five-toed feet. So if anyone in my community gets wind of the risky job I’m on these days, I’m practically a goner. But that doesn’t stop me from shadowing a certain teenage fivetoe. There’s also a totally different occupational hazard involved in this position I’ve created for myself, one I’m suffering from right now: this job occasionally makes school seem relatively stimulating. Yawn. I’ve played too many Angry Condor games to count since Starra got involved in some fantasy book a couple of hours ago and lost contact with the real world. Even if I knew how to become visible to the fivetoe eye and suddenly revealed myself, I bet she wouldn’t notice me, the cute teen perched on her windowsill. Time simply refuses to advance, and I have to resort to counting the spider eggs cocooned in their nest on a nearby tree branch. A sudden sigh interrupts my lame occupation. There’s a starry look in the big eyes, and I notice the novel is slipping out of Starra’s dreamy grip. This is my window of opportunity! I finger the starchy edge of the book jacket and coax the book forward. Thud. The book falls to the floor, and the movement seems to bring Starra back to her senses. At last she grabs a hoodie and sets out, probably for one of her night excursions on the Vista Del Mar Path. Are we running or biking tonight? Running it is. I jog behind her, finding the excursion by the shoreline an improvement to watching her read. At least we are moving. She runs for half an hour, at a speed faster than the sea turtle pace usual for fivetoes. Then she slows to a stop at a jagged rock, half-submerged in the ocean. I groan quietly and contemplate leaving. From experience, I know she’ll climb to the top of her rock and dream away. I start backing off, but when I’m some fifty feet away, I look back. Starra makes a pretty picture there, her silhouette perched high on the rock. Her long legs are tucked under her, and her head hangs back as she keeps her gaze on the stars above. If only she would let loose the heavy dark mane of hair she always twists up at the back of her neck, she would truly look like a mermaid risen from the sea. Something pulls me back to her. I can’t explain it, but I have a feeling trouble is lurking nearby, waiting to snatch her in its net. My chicken feet make an about face and follow Starra home as she takes the shorter route through town.

Scents and Scenses Blog Tour


Author Loren Secretts 

 Loren Secretts was raised in a book-filled home, in a sleepy east coast suburb of the US. These factors are undoubtedly responsible for her early design of a number of exciting imaginary worlds that she could escape to from time to time during her childhood. In her teen years, between schoolwork and lending an ear to her friends, Loren had less opportunity to go AWOL. Instead, her experience as a confidant to others inspired her to major in psychology in college and earn her M.A. in the field on the west coast. As an adult, Loren has found fulfillment in her work with children and families for more than a decade. Her passion for writing was revived when she discovered that she enjoyed delving into the human psyche to write psychological reports. But clients' reports are safe with Loren, who guards secrets fastidiously. Indeed, one of her aspirations is to work as a psychotherapist for the CIA, but since she now lives with her family in Canada, that dream will have to await its turn…


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  Blast Giveaway 

 $50 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash Ends 5/27/14 Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. 

Tuesday, April 29, 2014

BOOK TOUR [Playlist + Giveaway!] Fragile Line by Brooklyn Skye




Fragile Line 
by Brooklyn Skye
Release date: April 21, 2014
Imprint: Entangled Teen


Book Summary:
It can happen in a flash. One minute she’s kissing her boyfriend, the next she’s lost in the woods. Sixteen-year-old Ellie Cox is losing time. It started out small…forgetting a drive home or a conversation with a friend. But her blackouts are getting worse, more difficult to disguise as forgetfulness. When Ellie goes missing for three days, waking up in the apartment of a mysterious guy—a guy who is definitely not her boyfriend, her life starts to spiral out of control. 

Perched on the edge of insanity, with horrific memories of her childhood leaking in, Ellie struggles to put together the pieces of what she’s lost—starting with the name haunting her, Gwen. Heartbreakingly beautiful, this poignant story follows one girl’s harrowing journey to finding out who she really is.


Entangled Teen Links:




Fragile Line Playlist

Nothing Left to Say—Imagine Dragons
Hurricane—MS MR
Stubborn Love—Lumineers
Scarlet—Brooke Fraser
Never be the Same—Red
Down—Jason Walker
Been a Long Day—Rosi Golan
Vintage (Sans Drum)—Break of Reality
Breathe Me—Sia
Hello—Evanesence
I’m in Here—Sia
Cleaning Apartment—Clint Mansell and Kronos Quartet
Broken—Lifehouse
Redeemer—Paul Cardall
Beautiful Ending—BarlowGirl
All I Need—Mat Kearney
What I’ve Done—Marie Digby (Acoustic)
Falling Slowly—The Frames
Wish You Were Here—Pink Floyd
Shattered—O.A.R
Give Me Heart—Susie Suh
Speck—Deep Dark Robot ft. Linda Perry
The World Spins Madly On—The Weepies
Zombie—Cranberries
It’s Ok With Me—Manchester Orchestra

Iris—Goo Goo Dolls


Brooklyn Skye grew up in a small town where she quickly realized writing was an escape from small town life. Really, she's just your average awkward girl who's obsessed with words. She writes young adult and new adult fiction. You can follow her on Twitter as @brooklyn__skye or visit her web site for updates, teasers, giveaways, and more. www.brooklyn-skye.com


Book Links:







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BOOK TOUR [PROMO + Giveaway!] Psi Another Day by D.R. Rosensteel




Psi Another Day 
by D.R. Rosensteel
Release date: May 6, 2014
Imprint: Entangled Teen

Book Summary:
THERE’S A NEW SUPERHERO IN TOWN.

By day, I'm just another high school girl who likes lip gloss. But by night I'm a Psi Fighter—a secret guardian with a decade of training in the Mental Arts. And I'm about to test those skills in my first battle against evil.

BAD GUYS BEWARE.

When I was six, the Walpurgis Knights, our deadliest enemy, murdered my parents. The Psi Fighters put me into hiding, and all traces of my existence evaporated. Then I went through the most accelerated Psi Fighter training possible. And now I go to your school.

’CAUSE I WILL TAKE YOU OUT.

Unfortunately, so do the bad guys. My parents’ killer has sent his apprentice to infiltrate the school to find me. And everyone is a potential suspect, even irresistible new kid, Egon, and my old nemesis-turned-nice-guy, Mason. Fingers crossed I find the Knight before he finds me…


Entangled Teen Links:



Name: The Dweeb League
Age: All of them are 16
Classification: Superhero Wannabe
Special Skills: Getting into trouble that I have to get them out of.
An ever-growing team of politically imperfect high school outcasts, the Dweeb League banded together under my unwilling tutelage to stop the Red Team’s bullying. Dweeb League members include Tish (Whatsisface's semi-goth girlfriend), Whatsisface (the most oddly-shaped human I have ever seen), and Bobby Blys (Kathryn's crush).



D. R. Rosensteel is a research consultant who had no intention of writing anything but technical papers describing his theories of metaphysical psychometry. But when a hoodied teen showed him a device that turned her thoughts into weapons, and told him about a secret society of protectors who trained her in their underground Academy, he knew her story had to be written.

He has put his research on hold to document the adventures of a girl whose face he’s never seen and whose real name he’ll never know.


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BOOK BLITZ {Excerpt + Giveaway!] To Know Me by Marcy Blesy (To Know Me #1)



To Know Me 
by Marcy Blesy 
(To Know Me #1) 
Publication date: August 21st 2013
Genres: Romance, Young Adult

Synopsis:
To know me is to die.

Seventeen-year-old Mae is convinced that the consequences of her poor decisions have caused the untimely deaths of her dad, sister Laura, and grandma who all die within a year, no matter how ludicrous her thoughts seem to those she loves. The solution? Run away so no one else she cares for gets hurt (even if she has to keep a GPS tracker on her phone at all times).

Desperate to earn her diploma and salvage something of her life, she transfers schools when people get too close. After switching to Woodson Prep with only two months to go until graduation, Mae keeps her goals in sight. But when she meets Ty, the “perfect boy” with his own secrets and a relentless interest in Mae, she must decide if she can stop running from the past and still protect those she loves.

___

TO KNOW ME is the first book in a new YA romance series that follows Mae from her senior year in high school through her first two years in college as she learns to accept the consequences of her past mistakes that keep impacting the relationships with those she loves...and those she shouldn't.      Out now:  TO KNOW ME...TO LOVE ME...TO FORGIVE ME...and coming in summer 2014: TO CHOOSE ME.



To know me is to die. I mean, to really know me, like when you know I can run for hours without so much as a water break, or that cinnamon sugar doughnuts are my weakness, or that my dad gave me a whole different name. But I don’t let people get that close. I’ve learned the hard way. Too many people die in my life. Grandma said I was only unlucky.

“It’s not your fault all those people you love die. It’s just bad luck that you’ve had to deal with grief so young. Not fair at all,” she’d said. That was right before she died on my seventeenth birthday and right after my sister Laura, my dad, and my dog Petie.

I direct Mom Number 4 toward the front door of the high school. I always get a new mom when I transfer schools. I have yet to find a school that allows a seventeen-year-old to register herself. I wanted to graduate in Ohio, but too many people started asking questions. They weren’t important questions. Just stuff like, “How come I can’t ever come over to your house?” or “Why won’t you ever talk about yourself?” or when I do, “That’s not what you told so-and-so.” I had to leave. To let people into my life isn’t an option anymore. But, there’re no worries anyone will start to ask questions here. It’s already March. That diploma is as good as mine. Then I can enroll in online college and try to salvage something of my pathetic life.


Marcy Blesy is the author of several middle grade and young adult novels and short stories. Her picture book, Am I Like My Daddy?, helps children who experienced the loss of a parent when they were much younger. She has also been published in two Chicken Soup for the Soul books as well as various newspapers and magazines. By day she runs an elementary school library and enjoys spending time with her husband and two boys.

Marcy is a believer in love and enjoys nothing more than making her readers feel a book more than simply reading it. She likes to connect with her readers via twitter (@marcyblesy), email (mablesy(at)yahoo.com), or her blog(www.marcyblesy.com).

Author links:

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Blitz-wide giveaway
Prizes: 5x ebook copies of To Know Me (Open INTL)

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Monday, April 28, 2014

VIRTUAL BOOK TOUR [Interview + Giveaway!] Firebolt (The Dragonian Series Book One) by Adrienne Woods




Firebolt 
The Dragonian Series
Book One
by Adrienne Woods

Genre: YA Fantasy

Publisher: GMTA  Publishing – Mythos Press

Book Description:

For the love of blueberries, Elena Watkins was destined for greatness, even though she didn’t know it. Before entering Paegeia Elena was not special, she wasn’t even average until the night her father was killed by a creature she thought only existed in fairy tales – a dragon. With her father’s death leaving her orphaned, Elena is whisked away to her true birthplace, Paegeia.

Arriving at Dragonia Academy, the premier school for young Dragonians; a school she was never meant to attend because her father was a dragon. Unbeknownst to Elena danger is lurking behind the enchanted vines concealing the once thriving capital of Paegeia – Etan.

Goran, the darkest sorcerer in the realm, has lain dormant for over a century behind the crumbling city. There, in the shadowy ruins he plots his revenge to destroy the only weapon that can kill him – the King of Lion Sword.

When the sword is stolen without a trace Elena doesn’t think twice about seeking it; knowing deep down that it is her destiny to save her new home.





 If you could have any superpower what would you choose?
To have more than two arms. In today’s life, it would be so useful and reading minds. It comes handy when you have a family. hahahaha

 Tell us your most rewarding experience since being published.
The people that loves Firebolt. It is the most amazing feeling in the world and when you get a notice saying you won a website award or are on best seller’s list. Firebolt got both, so I’m so happy for it.

Please tell us in one sentence only, why we should read your book.
If you don’t, you’ll die. Hahahaha. Two sentences sorry, if you like a world where you can lose yourself in, escape from reality, Firebolt is the book to read.

Favorite food?
Pasta

What book are reading now?
Many. I’ve got a review site that I’m a bit behind schedule, but I’ll try to catch up in the next few weeks.

What’s your favorite season/weather?
Summer, hot, warmth.

What was your favorite children's book?
Otto, it’s about a dog and in a form of a flip up book. I loved it still.

Beach or Pool?
Easy, beach. I’ve got a pool in my back yard, so overated, needs cleaning on a weekly basis if not more.

What is one book everyone should read?
Harry Potter and the Bible.

Any other books in the works? Goals for future projects?
Plenty. Where do I begin.
Thunderlight book 2 of the Dragonian Series
Frostbite, book 3
Moonbreeze, book 4
Moondust, book 5
Starlight, book 6
Dragon Love, book 7
Firedust, book 8
Thunderbolt book 9. The last five novels isn’t part of the first four, but they do form part of the Dragonian Series.

Riptide, Pregnancy Diaries 1
Changing the Tides, Pregnancy Diaries part 2
Turning the Tides, part 3

Blaze, book 1 of the Aswang Series
Morgan, Book 2
Chase, Book 3
UNTITLED, BOOK 4, I have the story, but not the title.

I have two other series, The elemental Series but don’t know yet how many novels. So when all the above are published, I’ll have more time to day dream about them. The second one is a fairy tale series. Think Epic with a dash of Romeo and Julliet. It should be fun.

Thank you so much for having me Michelle and thanks to all the readers out there for your support. I couldn’t have done this without any of you.

Kind Wishes,
Adrienne Woods



I was born and raised in South Africa, where I still live with my husband, and two beautiful little girls. I always knew that I was going to be a writer but it only started to happen about four years ago, now I can’t stop writing.

In my free time, If I get any because Moms don’t really have free time, I love to spend time with friends, if it’s a girls night out, or just a movie, I’m a very chilled person.

My writing career is starting with Firebolt, book one with the Dragonian Series, there will be four books in total and two to three books that is about the stories taking place inside The Dragonian Series.

I do write in different Genres, I have a woman’s fiction called the Pregnancy Diaries, but it would be published under another name. And then I have a paranormal series, called the Watercress series. There are about ten novels in that one.

So, plenty of novels to come out, so little time.

I hope you are going to embrace the Dragonian Series as much as I loved writing them.



1-print copy Firebolt by Adrienne Woods with beaded book mark  open to US Shipping

5 e-copies Firebolt by Adrienne Woods

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COVER REVEAL ~ The Harvesting by Melanie Karsak (The Harvesting #1)


The Harvesting 
by Melanie Karsak 
(The Harvesting #1) 
Genres: Dark Fantasy, Young Adult, Zombies

Synopsis:
“The world, it seemed, had gone silent. It was something we knew but did not talk about. We were alone.”

While Layla Petrovich returns home to rural Hamletville after a desperate call from her psychic grandmother, she never could have anticipated the horror of what Grandma Petrovich has foreseen. The residents of Hamletville will need Layla’s cool head, fast blade and itchy trigger finger to survive the undead apocalypse that’s upon them. But even that may not be enough. With mankind silenced, it soon becomes apparent that we were never alone. As the beings living on the fringe seek power, Layla must find a way to protect the ones she loves or all humanity may be lost.

This exciting new dark fantasy/horror hybrid blends the best of the zombie genre with all the elements a fantasy reader loves!

It’s all fun and games until someone ends up undead!







Melanie Karsak grew up in rural northwestern Pennsylvania and earned a Master's degree in English from Gannon University. A steampunk connoisseur, white elephant collector, and zombie whisperer, the author currently lives in Florida with her husband and two children. She is an Instructor of English at Eastern Florida State College.

Author links: 

BLOG TOUR [Book Feature] The Landfill by Kevin Hopson

The Landfill banner 2

The Landfill 7

The Landfill
by Kevin Hopson

Publisher: MuseItUp Publishing
Pages: 53
Genre: YA Dark Fiction/Horror
Format: Kindle
Billy, a high school senior, has lost a lot in the past year, including his younger sister, Sara. Billy lacks excitement and purpose in life until his curiosity takes him and his best friend, Connor, to an old, abandoned landfill along the river. Connor would rather forget the experience, but Billy can’t help but feel invigorated by their findings. Taking it upon himself to uncover the mystery, Billy finds his life coming full circle – but is that a good or bad thing?
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Discuss this book in our PUYB Virtual Book Club at Goodreads by clicking HERE

Kevin Hopson 2Prior to hitting the fiction scene in 2009, Kevin Hopson was a freelance writer for several years, covering everything from finance to sports. His debut work, World of Ash, was released by MuseItUp Publishing in the fall of 2010. Kevin has released several other books through MuseItUp since then, and he has also been published in various magazines and anthology books. Kevin’s writing covers many genres, including dark fiction and horror, science fiction, and crime fiction.
His latest book is The Landfill.
You can visit Kevin’s blog at www.kevin-hopson.blogspot.com.

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Sunday, April 27, 2014

VIRTUAL BOOK TOUR [Excerpt & Trailer] Wanderamid's Crystal Ball by I.V. Phillips


 

Wanderamid's Crystal Ball 
by I.V. Phillips

A devious young girl, Devilea, tricks Emera, the powerful witch of Wanderamid, stealing her crystal ball and sending her through to another dimension. For the past three years, Emera has been living as Ms. Biddock, the principal of Whilom Elementary.
      On the last day of school, Emera crosses paths with Rena Winterton, a student who, soon after, discovers her hidden identity. To prevent Rena from revealing her long kept secret, Emera recites an incantation that will send Rena away to retrieve the clear stone she believes can bring her  home, Wanderamid's Crystal Ball. However, when the chosen spell emerges, Emera is 
surprised to see Rena already has it in her possession! She attempts to stop the spell, but her powers fail. It's too late! The summoning has begun and for Rena, an unexpected journey begins.
      An electrifying force directs her through a portal, leading to future encounters, as she ventures into an unfamiliar world. In this world between many, curses, revenge and magic delay Rena's search for her intended destination, the entryway back to her home town, Whilom.




The police officers finished setting up the tent, and the volunteers helped placed the tables and chairs inside. Neighbors brought flashlights to the entrance to prepare for nightfall and coffee shop owners donated fresh coffee for those involved with the search. All who heard of Rena’s disappearance offered their assistance in every way possible.
“I need somebody to move some of these fallen limbs back. They're still too close to the entrance!” yelled an officer who just started his shift.
He went inside the tunnel and stood along the entryway to Wanderamid, looking around where they had discovered color sequins, lined on the floor. Suddenly, above his head, he heard an unusual and frightening heavy swoosh sound, over the roof, followed by a sound of wings flapping, just as Micah experienced on Tarot’s trail.
“What the heck!” He ducked his head slightly.
The only thing he could come up with that would make such a noise, or any sense, was that there had been another storm brewing outside. Nevertheless, when he found the weather calm, he became extremely nervous. There was no other logical explanation.
Were the sounds coming from Wanderamid, in the core of the tunnel?
“It must be my imagination,” he murmured nervously.



Irene V. Phillips is the author of Wanderamid's Crystal Ball. Her fascination with magic, dreams and paranormal beliefs transpires throughout the Young adult fantasy novel.
Born and raised in New Jersey, she currently resides in Florida with her teenage son.

Saturday, April 26, 2014

BLOG TOUR [REVIEW + Giveaway!] RecruitZ by Karice Bolton (Afterworld #1)




RecruitZ 
by Karice Bolton 
(Afterworld #1) 
Publication date: December 27th 2013
Genres: New Adult, Post-Apocalyptic

Synopsis:
Scientists are the new rock stars. The infection has been contained for nearly three months, and the world is celebrating. But humans are still dying. Rebekah Taylor has seen it firsthand. Her husband was killed right in front of her by the very creatures that humans were told they no longer had to fear.

Rebekah is determined to find out who is responsible for the death of her husband and the obvious cover-up. Fueled with revenge, she begins to find answers that lead to one frightening conclusion. The apocalypse might be over, but the battles are just beginning.



I really enjoyed this book. If you know me at all you know how much I enjoy the zombie genre and this book was no different. But I have to say this was a new take on this genre for me. Scientists had developed a vaccine to keep the living from becoming the undead. In the post apocalyptic world where the zombies were supposedly under control,  Rebekah Taylor’s world was turned upside down.  Her husband Gavin was ripped apart by zombies in front of Rebekah, and they didn't want anything to do with her. Rebekah is determined to find out what happened, who were these controlled zombies and she wants to get revenge! 

Rebekah was the ultimate zombie genre heroine. She was a strong willed, head strong, zombie butt kicker. She was determined to figure out what was going on and one day she walks into a bar and finds a gorgeous guy who has also lost someone in a controlled zombie attack and he has plans for his very own revenge. Rebekah was so heartbroken and had had a hard time trusting others. But with time they joined efforts to find out who was behind the controlled zombies. Rebekah started to trust and the walls she had put up began to come down.  

There was the perfect amount of romance. I love books that show the “falling in love’ part. This book was heartbreaking, gory, sweet, fast paced, and very enjoyable. I totally recommend this one to anyone and cannot wait until the next one.

5 Hoots for RECRUITZ





Karice Bolton lives in the Pacific Northwest and is a writer of Young Adult and New Adult books. She loves to read anything and everything. She also enjoys baking, skiing, and spending time with her wonderful husband and two English bulldogs.

Books currently available:
*Beyond Love Series: Beyond Control (Book 1) Beyond Doubt (Book 2) Beyond Reason (Book 3) – Feb. 28th
*Afterworld Series: RecruitZ (Book 1)
*The Witch Avenue Series: Lonely Souls (Book 1), Altered Souls (Book 2), Released Souls (Book 3) Shattered Souls (Book 4)
*The Watchers Trilogy: Awakening (Book 1), Legions (Book 2), Cataclysm (Book 3), Taken Novella (Watchers Prequel)
*The Camp

Karice would love if you stopped by her blog or FB page to find out the latest news on giveaways and upcoming releases, or you can just send her an email. She loves hearing from her readers and responds as soon as she can.

Author Links:


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