First Light (Forever After Series) by Michele Paige Holmes + win a copy of this book!

Seventeen-year-old Adrielle doesn’t believe in magic; she merely possesses it, though no one has ever mentioned that her unusual gifts—exceptional speed, a flair for fire, and an intimate knowledge of flora—aren’t things she was born with. When Adrielle starts a fire that burns down the family home, she must deal with both her grief and her siblings’ hurtful rejection.

While journeying to far away Tallinyne, in search of her older, estranged sister—the only relative who might take her in—Adrielle is separated from her escort when the carriage is beset by thieves. Alone, she is thrust into a dangerous and unfamiliar world where she encounters fairies and gypsies, a wild boar, a drunk cook, and an evil queen whose curse is sweeping death across the land. Adrielle also finds love, falling hard for a kind, funny, handsome—and completely unavailable prince.

From the glowing pearls tucked beneath her mattress and keeping her awake at night, to Queen Nadamaris’s curse that seems to thwart Adrielle’s every effort, Adrielle struggles to navigate a world of magic she never imagined, where people she knows and loves are not always what they appear to be. With the glowing pearls—and her fondest desire—within her grasp, she is forced to make a choice no girl should ever have to—satisfying her own heart or saving the kingdom.

 * Amazon * Goodreads *

Here is where I admit, yet again, that I don't always read the blurbs for books.  Or, I just skim them a bit for a general feel and I don't really, really commit it to memory.  So, yes, I didn't read the blurb and was so surprised at the course this book took.  Ha.  I know.  I really should read the blurbs.  But, sometimes it's fun to be surprised by an author you know and love.  This book isn't like the other books that I've read by Michele Holmes but I've loved her books so far and I knew I wanted to read this one.  Simple as that.

The words that keeps coming to mind for this book is "mish mash".  There were so many connections to fairy tales and moments of familiarity but they were just that- moments, because it all felt very new and fresh and nothing like the old fairy tales.  I wasn't expecting that.  I just thought this was a book with some magic in it.

I loved Adrielle and I loved the handsome prince.  (oh, I feel a love paragraph coming on. . .)  I also loved how all the characters were woven together as part of that mish mash.  It gave the book a fun edge.  I loved the fairies.  The twist at the end was clever and I loved that too.

It took me a few chapters to really get into this book but once I was there, I couldn't read fast enough.  I had to purposefully slow myself down because I was trying to race through it get to the end.  Yeah, I was invested.  So good!

This is a book I'll pass off to my teenagers.  It was clean and full of magical, fairy tale fun.  The ending will feel perfect.  I can't wait to read the next book in this series!

Content:  Mild romance, some kissing.  Some violence. 

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* I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Imperfect (Disappeared Book 1) by Bronwyn Kienapple

England, 1813. Lady Theodosia feels she has no choice but to marry a man she doesn't love. That is until she stumbles into a different universe — an astonishing, mystical forest inhabited by the Nextic, a peaceful people who live close to nature.

Ahuil is fiercely independent until he meets Theodosia. Cut off from his own people, he nurses a dark secret. But in Theodosia he sees someone he can trust ... and love.

As her visits to his universe become more frequent, Theodosia is convinced she's found paradise. But a great change is coming to Ahuil's world. Half-beings roam the ruins of an unknown civilization and a growing mist appears to be preparing to wipe out his people — forever.

Torn between her family and a profound love, Theodosia is haunted by a question she cannot shake — in the face of terrible danger, how much is she willing to risk for love?

Two imperfect worlds. One unlikely romance. An impossible choice.

Imperfect takes you on an incredible journey that spans Regency England and a fantasy world unlike any you've ever imagined. Embrace the power of love and the yearning to be known in this tale of an irresistible heroine and the man who loves her, despite everything.

 * Goodreads * Amazon *

This is a regency, time travel, fantasy romance.  All in one.  Crazy stuff, I'm telling you.  It was interesting to see how the author meshed all those genres together.

This book was on the shorter side, I thought.  It starts off a bit slow but it did pick up and it didn't take me long to read through it.  The end is a bit of a cliff hanger so it leaves you wanting more.  

I thought this was a good book, mostly surface for me as my emotions never got involved, but I appreciated the creativity as the author is obviously trying to create something different from most books out there.

The Gift of Lies by Norma T. Rudolph

The locals call the place Jake’s Hell after Summer McCalister’s crazy uncle Jake who claims to have seen impossible things there. It’s a badlands of rugged rock cliffs and sharp pinnacles that no sane person would attempt to enter. The Atomalians call it Daneye, a secret alien city of unequaled beauty, masked behind illusion. Atomalians believe that natives of Earth must never know about them and their powers of the mind or it will destroy the Atomalians’ peaceful lives. When Summer is drawn out of bed and pulled to Jake’s Hell by an urge she can’t control, she fears she’s crazier than her uncle. But when the young Ahtomalian, Bentri, steps out of thin air, she knows she’s either crazy—or dead. Taking her to his unbelievably beautiful city doesn’t erase the fact that he’s keeping her hostage in a room with no door and no way out. Bentri’s world is suddenly and completely devastated by the appearance of the native Earth girl. If she’s discovered within the city, law decrees she be destroyed. As Bentri is bonded with her, that means he would also die. Their only chance might be to escape—but can Bentri survive in her world?

 * Goodreads * Amazon *

This book is a young adult sci-fi, fantasy/paranormal kind of mix.  I would say it would probably please the younger end of the YA spectrum better, maybe even middle grade readers.  The story here is very simply written.  It had more telling and less feeling but it was a good story with a lot of imagination.  I can imagine a 12 or 13 year old (boy or girl) reading this and enjoying it.

As for me, I felt it lacked the tension and emotional build up that I like to see in books. I could easily picture the places and scenes described which was a fantastic thing, but I just wasn't feeling it. There were points that I did some skimming and was still able to keep up with what was happening.  The "history" read from the scrolls went on for pages and it was hard to read. It felt like the author needed to explain a whole bunch of things and needed a way to do that in one fail swoop.  It read just like a history lesson.  

Bentri probably had the most character development.  He has always been taught that "natives" are lesser beings with little intelligence and he treats Summer accordingly.  Actually, he treats her abominably.  Gradually he realizes that "natives" are intelligent and gifted.  His prejudice's diminish and he becomes kinder.  There is a good lesson in that.  What we think we know may not always be correct- especially regarding people.  The more time we spend knowing and trying to understand others, the better off we will be.  Prejudices are never good, and rarely correct.

This book is clean- no swearing or sexual content, which I always greatly appreciate.

On Tour with Storm Siren by Mary Weber: Review and Giveaway!

Storm Siren (Storm Siren #1)

by Mary Weber

Publisher: Thomas Nelson / HarperCollins

“I raise my chin as the buyers stare. Yes. Look. You don’t want me. Because, eventually, accidentally, I will destroy you.”

In a world at war, a slave girl’s lethal curse could become one kingdom’s weapon of salvation. If the curse—and the girl—can be controlled.

As a slave in the war-weary kingdom of Faelen, seventeen-year-old Nym isn’t merely devoid of rights, her Elemental kind are only born male and always killed at birth — meaning, she shouldn’t even exist.

Standing on the auction block beneath smoke-drenched mountains, Nym faces her fifteenth sell. But when her hood is removed and her storm-summoning killing curse revealed, Nym is snatched up by a court advisor and given a choice: be trained as the weapon Faelen needs to win the war, or be killed.

Choosing the former, Nym is unleashed into a world of politics, bizarre parties, and rumors of an evil more sinister than she’s being prepared to fight . . . not to mention the handsome trainer whose dark secrets lie behind a mysterious ability to calm every lightning strike she summons.

But what if she doesn’t want to be the weapon they’ve all been waiting for?

Set in a beautifully eclectic world of suspicion, super abilities, and monsters, Storm Siren is a story of power. And whoever controls that power will win.

I feel like I've been waiting forever to get to read this book.  I signed on to do the review tour months ago and this book has been sitting there, staring at me for SO long.  It took great restraint to leave it alone until now.  Isn't the cover amazing?  I love it.  It is perfect for this story.

I seriously don't know where to start with this book.  There is so much to say but I have to be so careful as not to give anything away.  That is going to be hard.

The words in this book had such beautiful moments -flowing, full of imagery and emotion.  Worlds were created for me with those words.  I loved it.

This book literally sucked me in from the very first page and did not let up at all.  I felt like I was on one continuous roller coaster ride- start to finish.  And it was a fast roller coaster.  This book was always on the move.  There was nothing stagnant or lulling.  I started this book in the morning and finished it at night.  There was no way I was putting that book down for long.  Honestly, I couldn't read a book like this every day not just because nothing would get done, but it was emotionally exhausting!  I loved every minute of it.  Ha.  (I just read back through this paragraph and it sounds like I'm a crazy person but I'm leaving it just the way it is because I feel kind of crazy right now)

I loved Nym.  Yeah, she's a tough girl but mostly that toughness protects her beaten down spirit.  Nym has been through so, so much.  My heart ached for her.  As a reader, I am always looking for characters who are challenged and grow in some way.  I want to see enlightenment and empowerment through that growth.  I got that one hundred percent with this book.

Yeah, this book was good.  Great even.  BUT.  Anyone who has read this book will know exactly what I'm ranting about and those of you who haven't yet read this book (I say "yet" because you really ought to pick this book up) will just have to wonder at my adamant and heartfelt ranting vagueness.

<start rant>

WHAT!?!  That is the ending?  That is what you just gave to me?  The faithful, invested reader.  I am NOT happy with that ending.  The last few chapters- WHAT?  You cannot do that.  But, wait.  Yes you can because you just did it.  I thought the first two heart wrenching things were bad and I was ready to rant about that but then you went and ruined everything with that LAST LINE?  WHAT?!  I don't even know what to do with this right now.  Yeah, I'm annoyed.  I feel like everything was just ripped away from me.  EVERYTHING.  All I can say is that there better be a book two, and it better come out soon.  That was just mean.

<end rant>

Don't let the rant scare you.  If a book can evoke feelings like that, there must be something good about it.  It would be worse if I closed the book and didn't care much about not getting the ending I wanted.  SIGH.  

This was so well done.  If you love fast paced paranormal fantasy type books with magic and danger, you are going to LOVE this book.  I'm now handing this book off to my daughter.  I can't wait to see how she reacts to this book.  I know she is going to love it.

Content:  No swearing (there are some words in place of swearing that mean nothing to me in my world but were obviously swear words to them) and no sexual situations.  There is quite a bit of violence.

Goodreads * Amazon paperback  * Barnes & Noble (B&N) * Bookdepository * Kobo

Aside from Goodreads, I hang out on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, and my BLOG. Come say hi!

Officially though: Mary Weber is a ridiculously uncoordinated girl plotting to take over make-believe worlds through books, handstands, and imaginary throwing knives. In her spare time, she feeds unicorns, sings 80’s hairband songs to her three muggle children, and ogles her husband who looks strikingly like Wolverine. They live in California, which is perfect for stalking L.A. bands, Joss Whedon, and the ocean. She likes orange trees, tattoos, and ALL the music. ;0) 

BOOK 1 in my YA fantasy STORM SIREN trilogy releases Aug 2014 from Thomas Nelson, HarperCollins. Eep!

Website: http://mchristineweber.com

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7391763.Mary_Weber

Twitter: https://twitter.com/mchristineweber

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/marychristineweber

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/maryweberYA/

GIVEAWAY:

Win (1) of (5) copies of Storm Siren by Mary Weber

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The Iron Traitor by Julie Kagawa

In the real world, when you vanish into thin air for a week, people tend to notice.

After his unexpected journey into the lands of the fey, Ethan Chase just wants to get back to normal. Well, as "normal" as you can be when you see faeries every day of your life. Suddenly the former loner with the bad reputation has someone to try for-his girlfriend, Kenzie. Never mind that he's forbidden to see her again.

But when your name is Ethan Chase and your sister is one of the most powerful faeries in the Nevernever, "normal" simply isn't to be. For Ethan's nephew, Keirran, is missing, and may be on the verge of doing something unthinkable in the name of saving his own love. Something that will fracture the human and faery worlds forever, and give rise to the dangerous fey known as the Forgotten. As Ethan's and Keirran's fates entwine and Keirran slips further into darkness, Ethan's next choice may decide the fate of them all.

This book is, in my opinion the best of the series so far.  Well written, engaging, pushing forward and just the right balance of intense and softer moments.  It was so easy to pick this book and not put it down.

I love to see the softening in Ethan.  Especially in regards to Kenzie.  He's still got the walls but they are slowly coming down.  He is loyal and I like that.

I like that we still get little glimpses of Meagan and Ash.  I still miss them being the center of attention though.  Yeah, I miss them.  

Keirran is obsessed with saving his love.  You can just feel his desperation to do anything to save her.  Keirran and Ethan's lives have been circling around for a bit but now they are definitely entwining.  It just keeps getting more and more intense.  Especially with those prophesies and warnings!  And Kenzie being sick.

Oh, the ending.  Why do we have to have such cliff hangers??!?!?!  uugh.  My heart can hardly take it.  It will be a long, long wait for the next book.

My only problem with this book is the swearing.  Not a fan.  I wish I could take it all out so I could recommend this book and series to ALL my friends.

Content:  Swearing (including the F word), profanity, some dark magic and some talk of sexual things.

You can purchase The Iron Traitor at Amazon.

The Unbounded Series: The Change and The Cure by Teyla Branton

There are only two ways to kill Unbounded, and fire isn’t one of them—as law school dropout Erin Radkey learns the hard way. By fluke of a recessive gene, she has become Unbounded, a nearly immortal being with paranormal abilities.

Erin’s Change separates her from her loved ones and alters everything she believes to be true. A week earlier she was considering a marriage proposal; now she contemplates the best way to stay alive. Caught in a battle between two Unbounded groups, she is also hunted by a secret mortal society sworn to eradicate the Unbounded gene. Worse, a new identification software could mean death for all Unbounded—or enslavement for the entire mortal world.

As Erin plunges into this dangerous new life, she must carve out her own place in the madness, protect her mortal family, and decide which group she should join. Her powerful attraction to Ritter Langton, whose family was massacred by opposing Unbounded two hundred and forty years ago, complicates her choices. There are no second chances. Death, life, or love—Unbounded always play for keeps.

Non-stop action, terrifying consequences, and powerful romance make this an exciting addition to the world of urban fantasy.

Erin Radkey remembers all too well what life was like as a mortal—and it’s not something she wants to repeat, though there were a lot fewer people trying to kill her before her Change made her one of the Unbounded.

Over the centuries the long-lived Unbounded have divided into two groups, the Emporium who craves money and power and will do anything to achieve its ends, including experimenting on its own people, and the Renegades who protect unsuspecting humanity.

Now the Renegades are close to discovering a cure that will save many lives, and the mortal husband of Erin’s closest friend is first in line. But cures cut into Emporium profits, and their agents will stop at nothing to destroy the research and assassinate anyone who gets in their way.

Erin’s new abilities are tested as she and fellow Renegades fight against the Emporium in a struggle that soon becomes all too personal and where lines of loyalty are blurred by relationships of the past. Everything is at risk, including the lives of her friends—and the love of Ritter Langton, the Renegade Unbounded who both infuriates and excites her.

From the busy streets of Portland to the jungles of Mexico, The Cure is a page-turning urban fantasy that will keep you guessing until the end.

Okay, so here is a new book series that I picked up this last week.  The first book, The Change was free on Amazon a few weeks ago so I picked that up then but I didn't get to read it until this last week.  Needless to say when I finished it, I was right back over at Amazon looking for the next book.  Lucky me, the second book was out too.  :)  I love instant gratification.  It should never be underrated.  :)

The first book, The Change, started out a bit slowly for me.  It took awhile for me to become invested and "all in" but it did happen.  The pace picked up and honestly it hardly ever let up.  As I got to know the characters, I grew to like them.  Well, or not like them, depending on who the character was.  The first book had good character development and setting descriptions so I could easily picture the book playing out in my head.

Like I said, I was glad to be able to read right into the next book in this series.  Not having to wait was awesome.  

There is good tension between Erin and Ritter but I didn't feel like it ever progressed farther than attraction.  I didn't see the "love" developing based on the interactions they had.  Hope for love maybe.  The attraction and tension were palpable and real though as they were in the first book.

There was violence in both books, but especially in the second book.  It was a bit bloody.  The Unbounded get hurt a lot but lucky for them they heal quickly and can get right back in the game.  And get hurt again.  And again.  And again.

In the first book there is, I think, one instance of mild swearing.  What bugged me was the progression of that in the next book where I encountered the B word within the first few pages.  I felt like it was unnecessary and out of character with the rest of the writing.  Aside from those couple of instances there was nothing more.  

As far as writing goes, I enjoyed these books a lot.  I would say that this author has greatly improved her writing here from the other books she has written.  She is using a pen name for this series so I know her from other books written primarily in the LDS fiction genre.  These books are so much better than those and aside from my gripe about the two random swear words, I loved reading these books.

I would describe these books as fast paced and engaging.  I was caught up in the world of the Unbounded and I really liked it there.  I'm looking forward to the next book and will definitely be picking it up.

You can find The Change and The Cure at Amazon.  (titles are linked)

The Siren's Secret by Heather Ostler

"She screamed in agony. Deep down, she really thought she wouldn’t be cursed. She had lied to herself, given herself hope."

Julia already knows she is different. After all, she is a werecat, a shapeshifter. But she has other secrets—deeper secrets about her heritage that threaten to overtake her identity altogether. Spirited away to Sirenity, Julia learns that she is a siren—cursed to be alone forever. Her plans for a future with Terrence now seem futile, and what’s worse, her friend Caleb seems convinced that they are destined to be together despite her curse (and despite Terrence).

But beyond her complicated love life, Julia is still a princess, and she must keep her siren identity a secret. Soon, however, Julia fears that she might lose herself to this new heritage when she is needed most. She can’t afford to have an identity crisis when Alexis, her scheming mother, is plotting against the kingdom!

Filled with secret plots, dual identities, and hidden agendas, this adventure will leave you breathless. Fall into Julia’s world and discover what happens when secrets stay buried for far too long.

It's lovely to be a part of the blog tour for The Siren's Secret today.  Siren's Secret is the second book in this series, the first being The Shapeshifter's Secret.  My thanks to Heather Ostler for allowing me to read and review her book.

One of the things I appreciate most about this book is that it's clean.  Heather does a great job with this.  

Julia is definitely on a journey of discovery.  By the end of the last book and at the beginning of this book you get the feel that Julia thinks she has a good handle on things.  She is efficient at shape shifting and her studies are going well.  She has a boyfriend and seems pretty content despite the ongoing struggles with the Guild.  Of course, we all know that when a character in a book gets comfortable, things are really going to get shaken up.  Poor Julia.  It was inevitable.  ;)

I loved the world of Sirenity and I loved how the Siren's basically proved the prejudice's against them wrong to some degree.  It was a great new addition to the plot line.  

I have an on again off again like for Julia.  There are so many times that she does or says things that I just don't like.  Her friends and family are incredible loyal and patient with her even when I'm not sure she does much to instill that in them.  Maybe it's because she is the princess?  I don't know.  I think it's the selfish attitude that she'll do what she wants even if it hurts people and then say sorry later.  But, Julia isn't always selfish.  She puts everything on the line in multiple times to save her family and friends when it all explodes, but it's just the stuff leading up to that, I guess.

I think Terrance really gets the shaft in this book and I feel sorry for him.  I think he was treated so coldly by Julia.  Boo.  I like Terrance.

Things are left up in the air for Julia so I'll be looking forward to seeing how things unfold next.  I'm hoping for a more mature Julia and maybe a kinder one.  Julia's BFF has some secrets of her own that were never exactly resolved in this book so I'm hoping we get some answers there too.

This book hasn't been released but look for it in June.  The 11th, I believe.  You can find the pre-order at Amazon.  You can also find out more at the author's website.  The link is in her bio below.

I like fortune cookies, lucky pennies, shooting stars, and implausible coincidences. I’m always cold and have at least 5 different flavors of hot cocoa on hand at all times. I’m a sucker for happy endings and like to eat dessert first. I think Muppets Christmas Carol is one of the best movies ever, along with The Parent Trap. English accents, cloudy days, and family inside jokes make me smile. I am a writer, and I love finding inspiration in art, music, nature, seasons, and relationships.  http://www.heatherostler.com/

On Fabulous Tour! daynight by Megan Thomason + Giveaways!

On Tour with Prism Book Tours...

It's time to leave Earth and cross over to the other side... it's not as far away as you think!!

daynight
by Megan Thomason
Paperback, 324 pages
Published November 26th 2012 by Creatspace



Meet The Second Chance Institute (SCI): Earth’s benevolent non-profit by day, Thera’s totalitarian regime by night. Their motto: Because Everyone Deserves a Second Chance™. Reality: the SCI subjects Second Chancers to strict controls and politically motivated science experiments like Cleaving—forced lifetime union between two people who have sex. Punishment for disobeying SCI edicts? Immediate Exile or death.

Meet Kira Donovan. Fiercely loyal, overly optimistic, and ensnared by the promise of a full-ride college scholarship, Kira signs the SCI Recruit contract to escape memories of a tragedy that left her boyfriend and friends dead.

Meet Blake Sundry. Bitter about being raised in Exile and his mother’s death, Blake’s been trained to infiltrate and destroy the SCI. Current barrier to success? His Recruit partner—Miss Goody Two Shoes Kira Donovan.

Meet Ethan Darcton. Born with a defective heart and resulting inferiority complex, Ethan’s forced to do his SCI elite family’s bidding. Cleave-worthy Kira Donovan catches his eye, but the presiding powers give defect-free Blake Sundry first dibs.


Daynight is one of those books with such an interesting premise. An alternate world that mirrors Earth? There are so many cool ideas in this book. I thought everything was so creative. It was honestly a parade of crazy good ideas.


There are some pretty interesting characters going on in this book. The beginning of the story sets up so much in this book. It really gave me the hook I needed to become involved in this story.


While I loved the premise of the book and individually I like all the characters, I did have a hard time with how the story was laid out. Sometimes it was hard to follow and I got distracted. I'm really not a fan of love triangles for the most part. I just don't love them. This was no exception. As I said, individually I like all the characters, it's just the triangle thing.


While this is a YA book, I would recommend an older YA audience. There is lots of talk about sex in this book. The book calls it "cleaving" and there is a LOT of cleaving talk. It started to annoy me a bit. In addition, there is drinking, drugs, mild swearing and violence.

Introducing...  the new Novella:  FREE for the Tour!

On Smashwords!

clean slate complex

by Megan Thomason

Meet The Second Chance Institute (SCI): Worldwide non-profit and do-gooder organization. Their motto: Because Everyone Deserves a Second Chance at Life(TM). Reality: hidden behind every kind act is a dark agenda designed to gain control and force societal and moral extremes. Currently, the SCI’s pushing Project Liberate, a program to woo the poor and downtrodden into their Clean Slate Complexes—where “everything is provided” from jobs to food, shelter, clothing, and education. Unfortunately, as with all things that sound too good to be true, there’s a catch…

Meet Alexa Knight. Feisty, tough and currently homeless in Los Angeles, Alexa agrees to help the SCI in return for medical care for her sick mother. When she starts to suspect there’s more to the SCI than meets the eye will she believe Adam—the boy who saved her life and the SCI’s biggest champion, or Joshua—the attractive enigma who sings about conspiracy theories and pretends to be someone he’s not?

Full of action, humor, romance, twists and turns, clean slate complex is a companion story to the highly-praised dystopian novel, daynight. It can be enjoyed before or after reading daynight.


LINK: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CFQY0JY

I actually enjoyed the novella more than the book, I think. It really helped me link the whole story of the SCI in my head. In the book we get to enter the alternate world and in this novella we get to see how things are connected to the Earth and what is happening here. It was cool to be introduced to new characters. I really liked them.

We get a glimpse of the characters from daynight in this novella and it definitely perked my interest in the next book to see how everything fits back together and intertwines.

As with the other book, there is mild swearing and violence but not any cleaving talk which I really appreciated.

Megan Thomason lives in paradise aka San Diego, CA with her husband and five children. A former software manager, Megan vastly prefers writing twisted tales to business, product, and marketing plans. When she isn't typing away on her laptop, she's reading books on her phone—over 600 in the last year—or attending to the needs of her family. Megan’s fluent in sarcasm, could potentially benefit from a 12-step program for road rage, struggles with a Hot Tamales addiction, loves world travel & fast cars and hates paperwork & being an insomniac. Daynight is Megan's first published novel, but fourth written one.

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daynight Second Chances Giveaway:

Choose what you enter to win wisely. Your stay on Thera may be extended indefinitely.

Highlighting a different giveaway every daynight of the Tour... International Winners will receive a $25 Amazon Gift Certificate and US Winners may choose $25 GC in lieu of Prize Package.

US only. International winners will receive $25 Amazon gift certificate. US winners can opt to receive $25 Amazon gift certificate in lieu of any prize package.Open only to those who can legally enter. 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 on Rafflecopter and Grand Finale posts as well as emailed and the winner 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 Burgandy Ice @ Colorimetry and Prism Book Tours and sponsored by Megan Thomason. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

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Become an SCI Recruit
The Second Chance Institute (daynight's Dystopia)

April   22 - Launch!
                - My Seryniti - Review
                - Little Library Muse
           23 - Tressa's Wishful Endings
                - Buckeye Girl Reads - Teaser
                - Marked by Books - Review
                - Red Headed Bookworm

Welcome to Thera!
Building Thera

           24 - Coffee Books and Me
                  Stressed Rach
                  Snuggling on the Sofa - Review
           25 - Christy's Cozy Corner - Teaser
                - All Fantasy Words - Review

Kira * Blake * Ethan
Character Backgrounds & Posters

           26 - Susie Q-Pons and Giveaways - Review
                - My Passion for Books - Review; Ethan
                - Paranormal opinion - Blake
                - The Cozy Reading Corner - Kira
                - Book, Books, the Magical Fruit - Teaser
                - Bookaroo-Ju - Teaser
           27 - Bookworm Lisa - The Characters
                - Getting Your Read On - Review

Cleaving
daynight's Controversy of "Cleaving"

           28 - Fantastical World of Wonders - Review
                - Pause Time
                - A Backwards Story
                - Beck Valley Books
           29 - I Am a Reader, Not a Writer - Teaser
                - Books Mystify - Review
                - Mel's Shelves - Review

Vacation on Earth!
Escapism

           30 - The Broke Book Bank - Review

                - Letters to the Cosmos - Review

                - Arriane Cruz 

                - Candace's Book Blog

May      1 - Life of a YA Girl - Review

                - Fuonlyknew - Teaser

                - Jack's Junk Drawer - Review

Risking Exile
Dystopian Survival 101

             2 - A Tiffyfit's Reading Corner - Review
                - Lovin' Los Libros - Review
                - Paulette's Papers
                - Becky's Barmy Book Blog 
             3 - Backing Books - Teaser
                - Book Snob - Review
             4 - Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks
                - Living a Goddess Life - Review; Recipe

Clean Slate Complex

             5 - Mortality Bites
                - The Book Eater
                - Deco My Heart - Review
             6 - Passion and Life - Teaser
                - The Reading Diaries - Review
             7 - Grand Finale Blast!!

Review: Luminaire by Ciye Cho

Being the only human in a world of merfolk... isn't easy. Florence Waverley chose to stay in Niemela, but things have gone awry. Secrets have risen and the prince she cares about has pulled away. All the while, dark dreams warn her of a tragedy that only she can stop. But in order to save the merman she loves, Florence will have to enter the Life Path tournament: a brutal test of fear and madness.

The tournament is a rite of passage--a maze where young mermaids and mermen battle to find their purpose. It is also a place where Florence will face grave danger: mermaids with evil magic, tunnels filled with sea fire, and guardians who wish to use her as a pawn in their secret plans. But will Florence be strong enough to survive the tournament... or will she perish inside it?

Everything hangs in the balance: her life, her world, and her love.

("Luminaire" is the second book in the Florence Waverley series.)

If you love the underwater world and mermaids/mermen, you are going to want to check this book out.  It is full of magical creatures and mystical places.  I love the jellies that show you what they've seen like a movie inside them.

This book has romance, danger and deception.  Florence is brave.  Not only is she on the outs in the mer world because she is human, but she is also in love with the king.  Florence is trying to fit in and be like the mers but it is a struggle.  She keeps trying though.  Determination dominates.  That's the thing I like best about Florence.  She doesn't quit.  Even when it seems everything is against her.  But it's not in an "in your face" kind of way. It's quiet and never ugly.

I enjoyed the secondary characters in this book as well.  Florence makes some new friends that help the story move along.

The book ended with a foreshadow of things to come.  I'll be looking forward to the next installment of this series.

My thanks to Ciye for asking me to read and review this book.  You can find out more about the author and the book at http://www.florence-books.com/luminaire.

You can purchase Luminaire at Amazon for just $2.99.

On Tour with Keepers of the Zodiac + Giveaway!

The stars have shifted and the Earth is rapidly moving into the throes of chaos.

Four god-like beings known as the Zodiac High Council, send their winged herald, Syrie, out with twelve sealed envelopes. His mission? To bring a chosen group of thirteen future Zodiac Keepers, including a set of mesmerizing twins, to the Isle of Oriba for training.

Syrie never could have imagined that he would fall in love along the way--ultimately forcing him to choose between betrayal and death.

Keepers of the Zodiac is an enthralling tale of obligatory fate, temporary hope, and impossible love.

I love the premise of this book.  The world in turmoil, in need of "keepers"  to put the stars back in order.  Each set of keepers is over a zodiac sign, for me it would be Sagittarius.  :)  The keepers have to go through training to develop their skills and hopefully reign in the chaos of earth.  Great idea, right?  I've always loved the stars and the zodiac star constellations.  

I also love the idea of Syrie.  He sounds so mythical and magical and well, handsome!  He is a great character.

While I did enjoy reading this book, I felt like I was being told a lot of things instead of shown.  Our first glimpse of the Zodiac High Council is a long list of This is so and so.  He is this, this, this and this.  It just felt like I was getting a run down on who everyone was and what they looked like.  For me, the connection with the characters was missing.  I will say though that I think there is promise for the next book.  I think the build up of book one will hopefully lead to some exciting things.  We sure do get a bit of a cliff hanger ending so for me, this will be a book to follow up with.

If you are a fan of insta love, this book is full of it.  Insta, insta love.  

Oh, my favorite part of the book was the island that Syrie takes Simone.  It's also the place Simone visits and sees the two stars light up.  :)  You'll have to read the book to find out why the stars light up!  

Content:  a sexual situation and some swearing.

Enjoy this excerpt from Keepers of the Zodiac!

It was around four in the morning, and Gabe was having trouble sleeping. Rather than lie in bed and toss and turn, he decided to get an early start to his chores. Before heading outside, he stopped in the kitchen to pour himself a glass of milk. Staring out the window into the darkness, he saw something bright fall from the sky and land in the field. Grabbing the same rifle that had been pointed at him not too many years ago, Gabe ran out to, thanks but no thanks to the moonlight, find a naked man standing before him. He cocked back the gun and pointed it at the trespasser.

Knowing that Gabe normally didn’t start working until six in the morning, Syrie hadn’t even settled on an outfit for the day yet, which explained his lack of clothing. Hands up in surrender, Syrie carefully said, “I’m just going to reach over here and grab my clothes.” In reality, there had been no clothes on the ground, but just by thinking about them, he made them appear. He reached for his new pile of clothes, and, hesitating a bit, said, “Now, I’m going to put them on.” Gabe nodded an approval, and although he wanted to turn away, he wasn’t about to let the naked man out of his sight.

Syrie finished dressing into his plaid and flannel shirt, tight jeans, cowboy boots, and cowboy hat. He couldn’t help but be annoyed with himself for his outfit choice, but as he had had little time to think at the moment, he’d just thrown the word cowboy out there, and those were the clothes that appeared. He would really have loved a pair of underwear, seeing as how the jeans were so tight, but knew that beggars could not be choosers when one had a gun staring them in the face. Pointing to the gun, he asked, “Do you think you can put that thing away?”

Buy Links

Amazon

Amazon Paperback

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Sharon Wood is a married, mother of two boys. She was born and raised in Northern California, and attended college at San Jose State University, where she studied Marketing. A self-proclaimed Disney fanatic, Sharon enjoys collecting Vinylmations and talking about Disney related things to anyone that will listen. Besides writing, she enjoys playing and coaching volleyball, dancing, and reading. Keepers of the Zodiac is her first novel, and she is currently hard at work on the sequel!

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Tiger's Destiny by Colleen Houck

With three of the goddess Durga's quests behind them, only one prophecy now stands in the way of Kelsey, Ren, and Kishan breaking the tiger's curse. But the trio's greatest challenge awaits them: A life-endangering pursuit in search of Durga's final gift, the Rope of Fire, on the Andaman Islands in the Bay of Bengal. It's a race against time--and the evil sorcerer Lokesh--in this eagerly anticipated fourth volume in the bestselling Tiger's Curse series, which pits good against evil, tests the bonds of love and loyalty, and finally reveals the tigers' true destinies once and for all.

AAAHHH!  We've finally come to the end of the Tiger's series.  It's the most bitter sweet thing ever.  It's so hard to say goodbye to characters that you've been invested in for YEARS now but on the other hand, it is so nice to finally have an ending with no desperate cliff hangers.  There is something to say for closure.

This book took my emotions all over the place.  It was an awesome ride and I was fully invested from the beginning to the end.  I love how all the gifts were brought together and how all the pieces of the puzzle finally fit.  This was a fantastic ending to a fantastic series.  One of my very favorites.  My daughter loves these books.  She's read them so many times I've lost track.

I love Ren, Kishan and Kelsey.  I really can't say too much about the book without giving away the surprises and such, but I am satisfied and mostly happy at the ending.  :)  I'm so glad I own all these books so I can revisit this series whenever I want.  

I'm love Colleen Houck's writing and I can't wait to see what she has in store for us next. 

Review & Giveaway: Florence by Ciye Cho

Seventeen-year-old Florence Waverley is out of her depth.Literally. Kidnapped and taken below the waves to the mer world of Niemela, she is the ultimate gift for merman Prince Kiren: a human familiar tied to his side. But nothing is what it seems amid the beauty and danger of a dark ocean.

Every Niemelan has a role to play, from the mermaids who weave towers out of kelp to the warriors who fight sea monsters. But in trying to survive, Florence will end up in the middle of a war between the mer and the Darkness. A conflict that will push her between two brothers: Kiren, the charmer inexplicably drawn to both her and the monsters; and Rolan, the loner who has been pushing her away since the day they met. But in order to take a stand--and find out where she belongs--Florence will have to risk it all: her life, her heart... and her very soul.

Ciye Cho has created a beautiful underwater setting for her book, Florence.  It is filled with vivid scenery and underwater creatures.  I've always been fascinated by what lies beneath the oceans.  There are so many cool plants and animals.  Mermaids are what every little girl dreams about at some point or another, I think, so they make a good subject for writing.  I'm glad that this book wasn't too dark and that the mermaids (for the most part) are kind and happy creatures.  

The book started out really slow for me.  It was hard to get into and connect with the characters but about half way through things picked up a bit and I found myself enjoying the book a lot more.  By the end I was really rooting for Florence, Rolan and Kiren.  

The ending leaves things wide open for another book.  The Darkness is just beginning to wreak their havoc, I think.  There might just be more to Florence than meets the eye.  I'm going to be looking forward to reading the next book in this series.

Content:  There is some mild swearing.

Here is a book trailer for Florence:

And now for the giveaway! Ciye has generously agreed to give away one ebook copy of her book, Florence. Just fill out the rafflecopter below. Thanks, Ciye!
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Emerald City by Alicia Leppert + GIVEAWAY!

Olivia Tate is a broken shell of a girl haunted by the tragic events that fill her past. She has closed herself off from the world, each day grasping at something—anything—to live for. Convinced there will never be a way out, she seeks solace in the depths of her medicine cabinet. When she wakes up days later in the hospital she is introduced to Jude, the quiet stranger responsible for saving her life. She never could have guessed then that her mysterious rescuer would end up saving her life a second time, while simultaneously turning her world upside down. A modern-day romance with a twist, Emerald City has a little bit of something for everyone!

I'm so happy to be a part of the blog tour for Emerald City!  My thanks to Cedar Fort for allowing me to participate and for providing for the giveaway.  Cedar Fort is an awesome publisher to work with.  

Doesn't Emerald City have a pretty cover?  I really like it.  The line on the front is so true, too.  I think that one line is perfect for the story of Emerald City.

I think I forgot what this book was about in the time between when I signed up for the blog tour and the day I actually read the book.  I was a bit surprised when I started reading it.  It wasn't what I was expecting.  That's not a bad thing.  I kinda like good book surprises.  :)  

I would call this book "real life drama with a paranormal twist".  Olivia has been dealt a sad and difficult hand in life.  Her story is really heart breaking.  I felt so much sympathy for her.  She was so sad and lonely.  Her life had become almost no life at all as she was wasting away to nothing.  Which leads me to my favorite thing about this book.  In her darkest, worst moment, someone steps in with some light.  A small kindness, followed by another, followed by another that ends up making all the difference in the world to Olivia.  Isn't that what can make all the difference to any of us on any given hard day?  A small kindness can change everything.

Olivia goes from a shell of a person to someone who believes she can maybe survive.  Then when she is surviving, she starts to believe that maybe she can find some happiness somewhere.  It starts a chain of events that move Olivia to a better place.  A place where love is found.

I loved the transformation for Olivia.  I love that she found hope and light and love of life again.  Of course Jude, the rescuer and friend, is at the center of Olivia's transformation.  He ultimately shows us how showing kindness and love can change a person's whole life.  What a good, good man.  <sigh>  Jude.  (that was my romantic heart sighing)  At first I was like, "what's up with Jude?!"  And then a bit later I said, "Oh, that's what's up with Jude."  Just wait until you find out what's up with Jude.  :)

So, if you'd like to read Emerald City, enter the giveaway!  Cedar Fort will be giving away a copy of Emerald City ~ ebook to INT readers, print or ebook to US readers.  To enter just leave a comment with your email address.  Giveaway ends March 15th.

Here is a link that will take you to the author, Alicia Leppert's, website.  You should pop over there and check her out.  She tells a very funny story there about bidding for her new book on ebay.  It is classic.  You can also find her on Facebook, Goodreads and Twitter.