What they find at St. Brigid’s is a world beyond their imagination. Little by little they piece together the information of their family’s heritage, their estranged Father, and the legend of the Holder race that decrees Ryland is the one they’ve been waiting for. However, they are all–especially Becca–in for a surprise that will change what they thought they knew about themselves and their kind.
She meets Alex, a Holder who is fiercely loyal to their race, and for some reason, Becca and Ryland. There’s an attraction between Becca and Alex that can’t be denied, but her true nature seems destined to keep them apart. However, certain destinies may not be as clear cut as everyone has always believed them to be.
Becca is lost, but found at the same time. Can she bring herself to leave Ryland now that he’s settled and can clearly see his future? Will she be able to put the the feelings she has for Alex aside and head back to the US? And can Becca and Ryland ever forgive their father for what he’s done?
A Dream of Books
About the Author
While Julianna had always excelled in writing throughout school, she’d never considered it a career possibility until about three years ago, when she’d gotten her first story idea and decided to go for it. She grabbed her laptop, started typing away, and has never looked back.
Author Links:
Captivated by ECHOES IN THE GLASS–Review and Giveaway!
Hi there, and welcome to my stop on the ECHOES IN THE GLASS blog tour sponsored by AToMR Book Tours. For other stops on the tour click here. Today’s read is a YA paranormal romance from Cheri Lasota–and it kept me up most of one night!
Synopsis:
My Review:
I read most of this book in the middle of the night. Ghost stories do that to me. And this book is a two-ghost story, so I had a doubly hard time setting it down to sleep. I liked it a lot. Here’s why:
It’s a two-arc story. One contemporary, one historical. Both Romance. We get two couples, with two plights, in one book. Alternating chapters rock us between now and then, which is fun and keeps the story rolling.
First, the contemporary side: Finnian Bell is a runaway. He fled after a brutal fight with his younger brother Joss–a fight he believes ended Joss’s life. After three years on the streets he’s decided it’s time to make amends to his parents–the only way he can. His dad runs a foundation devoted to restoring and preserving lighthouses in America, so Finnian signs on to help restore the post at Sorrow Island, the lighthouse his father most adores knowing he will be required to confront his dad at the lighting ceremony. Finnian prays this will pave the way to a reunion. Of course, he doesn’t expect to meet the lighthouse keeper’s estranged daughter, Tiria, on the island. And he really doesn’t plan to like her.
Tiria Vaugh is a broken girl. She’s survived a brutal experience that Finnian doesn’t know about but senses has changed her into the angry person she’s become. She knows he’s trying to befriend her, but pushes him away time and again. Plus, she’s mad at the world and her father, and Finnian is an easy target. Despite the tension, they develop an uneasy alliance. Divulging their deepest secrets to each other, Finnian learns that not only is his brother alive, he’s a dangerous person. A chance encounter sets the climax into motion–and pits brother against brother in a battle over Tiria. The ghosts appear from the moment Tiria and Finnian set foot on Sorrow Island–almost as a warning about how dangerous this place will end up being.
Tiria’s father isn’t happy about Finnian being around his girl. She needs time to heal–and warns Finnian to stay away from her. He does his best, but they become adventurers together in the lighthouse’s caverns. It’s a quiet teen romance–chaste and thoughtful–but the attraction simmers. I had a bit of trouble with language in the book–and I mean it simply as this: Finnian doesn’t talk like a contemporary teen. I think the author tries to describe him as Irish, and some of his speech and thoughts have a British ring to them, but it didn’t jive with the “growing up on a commercial fishing boat/raised helping restore lighthouses” backstory that was offered. He’s no foul-mouthed hooligan. In fact, I think he’s more stiff than I can imagine a lad from Eire being–if he is one. Perhaps this is ironed in the finished version, but it struck a chord with me and I wonder if it will cause younger readers to stumble. I still loved Finnian, and I adored his story arc–for the most part. Coincidences aside, the end of his storyline seemed a little forced–but I get why the author wanted the parallel experience. I just had a had time believing Joss was so…obsessed? It seemed a bit cartoon-y, to me.
For the historical part: It’s Depression-era Oregon, and Carina Jane can see Sorrow Island’s light from her family ranch where she serves as a “workhorse.” Lack of funds and men on the ranch leave her as the main hand–under the abusive watch of her father. As bad luck would have it, he takes on a boarder to work as well–Morgan Graves, orphaned son of the lighthouse keeper. Morgan’s mother fell to her death a month prior and his father fled the murder charges. While Morgan works the ranch, he and Carina develop a deep friendship.
Seeing her abuse, Morgan stands up for Carina–only to lose his shelter. They flee together to the only home he’s ever known–his lighthouse. They camp there to regroup and Carina soon learns the rumors of a ghost aren’t rumors at all–and to join Morgan’s grandmother’s ghost a new one has arrived–his mother. New perils arrive as well: the new lighthouse keeper. He’s a shifty sort, willing to allow them to stay–in exchange for their services. Of course, the service he’d like from Carina isn’t decent. And by then she’s head over heels for Morgan–and he, her.
Ready to flee again, the climax builds quickly leading to the rather dramatic scene I had expected, but found well-written and thoroughly engaging. So many delightful breadcrumbs had been sprinkled between the two storylines I felt the payoff was rewarding. Their romance is more passionate than Finnian and Tiria’s, though it still Fades To Black and gets my Safe For All YA Readers seal.
I did enjoy ECHOES IN THE GLASS as both a romance and a paranormal. We don’t get any supernatural powers or flash-dash, but the ghosts add some mystery and play pivotal roles in the action. Won’t give you the Heebie Jeebies, if that’s an issue for you.
Disclosure: An ARC was provided to me to review for this tour, so if the final edition doesn’t match entirely–that’s not me being senile. I say this because some of the description of the book is different from what I read–not much, but I don’t want to be called out for it later.
Interested? You can find ECHOES IN THE GLASS at Goodreads and Amazon.
About this author:
Cheri Lasota has written poetry and fiction for sixteen years, edited fiction for nine years and recently jumped headlong into design work for enhanced e-books. She has a great love for all things techy, so she finds herself pushing the boundaries of e-book marketing and design at every turn. Her passion for fiction and helping other novelists achieve their goals is without limits.
Her bestselling debut novel, ARTEMIS RISING, is a 2013 Cygnus Awards First Place Winner and a 2012 finalist in the Next Generation Indie Books Awards. Cheri just released her how-to e-book DESIGN AND UPLOAD YOUR EPUB and has just finished up her second YA novel, ECHOES IN THE GLASS. You can find her on her website, Goodreads, Twitter, Facebook, Google+ or LinkedIn.
***GIVEAWAY***
Click the Rafflecopter link below for your chance to win:
an e-book Artemis Rising,
or coffee cup and pen swag for Artemis
Good luck!, And, always, keep reading my friends!
Book Blitz and Giveaway for the MIDNIGHT FIRE series
From bestselling author Kaitlyn Davis comes a paranormal romance perfect for fans of Twilight, The Vampire Diaries, and Buffy The Vampire Slayer.
When Kira Dawson moves to South Carolina, she meets Luke, a blond goofball who quickly becomes her best friend, and Tristan, a mysterious bad boy who sends shivers down her spine. Kira knows they’re keeping secrets, but when she discovers Tristan’s lust for blood and her own dormant mystical powers, Kira is forced to fight for her life and make the heartbreaking decision between the familiar comfort of friendship and the fiery passion of love.
Want a taste of IGNITE?
The blast of cold breeze felt fantastic and Kira let Tristan lead her away from the school, past the football field to the big tree overhanging the school’s manmade lake. He sat down and leaned against the tree, motioning for her to sit with him, but Kira ignored it and started dancing to the quiet strains of music they could hear coming from the gym.
“Kira, sit down.” He sounded frustrated.
“No! I want to dance.” She started jumping up and down to the beat of the music and almost lost her balance, but Tristan stood up and caught her before she crashed. He slipped his jacket off and Kira pushed her arms through the oversized sleeves. Finally, she calmed down and swayed to the music with him.
Kira sighed, resigned to the fact that the moment felt completely right.
“What?” he asked.
“I’m supposed to be ignoring you, but it’s not working.”
He laughed quietly. “No, that doesn’t seem to be working for either of us.”
“Is that why you punched Carter?”
“I just couldn’t stand the way he was touching you.” Kira smiled to herself.
“Jelly belly,” she said, wishing she could get her mouth to stop word vomiting. She could feel his chin on the top of her head as he pulled her in closer.
“Maybe.” He said, but it sounded more like a begrudging yes.
Kira yawned.
“Time to sit down,” he told her while helping her down to the spot next to him on the ground and leaning her back against the tree. Kira watched the moon reflect off the water. She looked at the sky and saw it still swerving there, and finally had the realization Tristan must have had in the gym.
“I think my sodas were not just soda,” she concluded as the world continued to spin.
“I think you’re right.” He put his arm around her, letting her head fall to his shoulder. They sat silently in the moonlight, just enjoying one another’s company.
“Are you like one hundred years old?” Kira spat out the first question that came to her mind. She had never even thought of it before, too consumed by his eating habits instead.
Tristan shrugged. “A little older.”
Kira sat up, fascinated, and turned to look him in the eyes. “How old?” She asked, feeling like a little girl.
“About one-hundred and fifty, give or take a year.” Kira’s jaw dropped and her eyelids widened in complete shock.
“Gross!” She clamped her hands over her mouth before she could say anything else. He just laughed it off.
“I look pretty good for someone who’s more than a century old, right?” He grinned. She blushed, thinking of their kiss, and silently agreed.
“So, what do we do now? I’m seventeen and growing, you’re seventeen and stagnant.” Kira finally felt herself coming down from the alcohol Carter had slipped her. The lake still seemed to glow and the stars still danced in the sky, but she was regaining her mental control.
“I don’t know,” he whispered and reached for her hand. Kira intertwined her fingers with his, amazed at his cool touch against her boiling skin. Fire and ice, she thought. That really was what they were, complete opposites. Fire could melt ice and ice could douse a fire, but was there any way for the two to meet in the middle?
of my paranormal obsession are some of my favorite authors: JK Rowling, Raymond Feist, Meg Cabot, Richelle Mead, Lynne Ewing and Tamora Pierce.
Author Links:
Caught up in THE SUBURBAN STRANGE–A Review
What would you do if your life depended upon you losing your virginity before your 16th birthday?
A freaking mind-bender of a question for many out there–I’m sure.
I recently finished Nathan Kotecki‘s THE SUBURBAN STRANGE, a YA paranormal romance and that was one of the many intriguing plot questions the characters struggled to answer.
Here’s what happens:
Fifteen year old Celia Balaustine is new to Suburban High. She’s still saddened by the loss of her father a year ago and is reticent to make friends. Instead she draws. Her skill as an artist makes her a friend in a summer drawing class–Regine, an upperclassman at her new school.
Regine and her friends make up a small clique of “sophisicates” who call themselves the Rosary. They dress in tailored clothing, favoring the darker hues in the spectrum, and alternative music. It’s not Goth, and it’s not emo, but it’s different and the Rosary enjoys being set apart.
Celia buys into this group wholeheartedly as it gives her confidence of friendship and lends an air of mystery that suits her shyness. In addition to her Rosary friends, Celia befriends her lab partner Mariette, who she soon discovers has supernatural powers. In short Mariette is a witch of the Kind, meaning she performs good magic to help people. Those of the Unkind–or dark magic practicioners–are Mariette’s mortal enemy.
It’s handy to have a Kind witch at Suburban High because it soon becomes apparent that an Unkind is working evil on the younger girls at school. A rash of girls are having dangerous, near-fatal accidents on the day before their 16th birthday. These incidents seem to plague only the girls who aren’t sexually active.
As rumors–and deflowering offers–fly through the school, Celia is faced with the choice: Should she? She’s never even kissed a boy. And while she’s interested in one, Tomasi, she’s not sure she’s ready for that at all.
In the end Celia’s decision seems less important than the hunt for the Unkind. Because one girl finally does die, granting that dark witch exceptional power. And Celia’s innate strength is the only thing protecting her from certain death. It’s a fantastic book with layers of art and musical references.
It’s lyrical and fantastical and an intriguing read. While the sex question is prominent, there are thoughtful and conscientious arguments made that (I believe) any teenager faces regarding sexual activity. In this scenario the peer pressure is astounding, and it seems few girls cave. Is it because everyone will assume she ‘did it’ if she isn’t maimed? The promiscuity double-standard all girls experience is laid in plain sight, so the discussions are unencumbered by the usual mores. I enjoyed the sensitivity with which this was handled, but wonder why only the girls were targeted.
The world of SUBURBAN STRANGE is a pretty cool one, no doubt. I half-wished to be one of the Rosary, and ached with Celia as one after another roadblock was erected between her and Tomasi.
Interested? You can fine THE SUBURBAN STRANGE at your local library (that’s where I got it), Goodreads, Amazon and Barnes & Noble. I already have the sequel, PULL DOWN THE NIGHT, on my actual (not virtual) shelf waiting to be read. You’ll probably hear about it soon…
If you pick up THE SUBURBAN STRANGE, don’t forget to let me know what you thought of it in the comments. I’d also love to hear your take on the Sex-Before-Sixteen premise. If you were Celia, would you have done the deed to protect yourself from harm?
And, as always, keep reading my friends!
DAUGHTER OF ISIS–Book Blitz and Giveway
Their worlds collide in California’s high desert.
The last thing Natara “Natti” Stone wants to do is to start anew at Setemple High School. She wished she had never left London. Yet the brutal murder of her maternal grandmother has made her life very complicated. The only clue related to her murder is an ancient, encrypted necklace Natti discovered after her grandmother’s death. And if trying to adjust to American life is not enough, Natti is being stalked by a mysterious, charming high school senior, Seth O’Keefe, who is annoyingly persistent in his attempts at seduction.
Seth O’Keefe is secretly a member of the Sons of Set, an order that worships the Egyptian god of chaos. Seth’s blessing from Set, his “charm,” never failed, except with one person: Natti Stone. Her ability to elude him infatuates and infuriates him, and he becomes obsessed with the chase. But the closer he gets to her, the more his emotions take a dangerous turn, and he risks breaking one of the most valued covenants of his order. The punishment for which is a fate worse than death.
The adventure this unlikely couple becomes engulfed in could cost them their lives and their souls.
*Note: Content for Upper YA*
How about a tease?
“She has always protected our family,” Zofia told her. “And we have always been careful to protect her in return.”
Protected, Natti snorted and picked the box up gently and tilted it upright so she could look at the relief. Then why was her grandmother dead? Murdered in her own home?
She brushed her fingers over the mother-of-pearl feathers of Isis’s wings. Patterns of stars, ankhs, and eyes graced the borders, the mother-of-pearl incasing them in fine lines of shimmering white. Straightening her position on the floor, she leaned her back against the bed frame and studied the figures and images.
As she tipped the box just a bit more, something shifted and clinked against the wood inside. Natti froze. She glanced at her cat, who had stuck her nose over the rim of her fort; her eyes like saucers. Returning her attention back to the cedar box, Natti opened the lid. The maroon, velvet lining greeted her, but nothing more. Natti cocked her head and closed the box again as she thought. She examined the exterior, giving it a small shake. A metallic object scraped and rattled against the wood. A thought hit her, and she looked back inside, this time comparing the interior depth to the height of the exterior.
“Oh shit!” Natti rechecked to make sure her eyes hadn’t failed her. “No, bloody way!”
You can check out my review of DAUGHTER OF ISIS here.
For more information, please visit her site at kelseyketch.com.
***Author Links***
winner will receive an Anubis Plush Toy and a Tyet Necklace (INT)
Blitz Organized by:
Battling with CRYSTAL FIRE–Review and Giveaway
Hi there, and welcome to my stop on the CRYSTAL FIRE Blog Tour sponsored by YA Bound Blog Tours. For other stops on the tour click here. Today’s book is best-selling novelist Jordan Dane’s sequel to the YA paranormal adventure INDIGO AWAKENING.
Summary from Goodreads:
Because of what you are, the Believers will hunt you down.
A storm is brewing on the streets of LA, one that has intensified since a tragic and deadly confrontation claimed an innocent life.
While Gabriel Stewart trains his army of teen psychics to stop Alexander Reese–the obsessed leader of the Believers–the fanatical church becomes more bent on the annihilation of all Indigo and Crystal children. They’re silencing the voices of the telepathic hive, one soul at a time, with frightening experiments cruelly executed on vulnerable minds.
When the Believers torture a mysterious homeless boy, Oliver Blue, they brainwash him into betraying his own. The boy becomes a deadly pawn to take Gabriel down. As the fires of chaos burn around him, Gabe is running out of time. He’ll need to confront his past–and the man who made him–before the hope of peace for the future is silenced forever.
My Review:
Wow. This book is intense. So many themes. So many controversial themes, I should say.
First, a bit of world-building. The setting is contemporary L.A., but this society is heavily influenced by the Church of Spiritual Freedom–an international religious congregation that not only believes psychics aren’t human, and are sure these psychic, or Indigo, children are too dangerous to be allowed to survive. Unfortunately there are a lot of Indigo kids, and they are being rounded up–either for extermination or experimentation.
We open with Caila enlisting the help of Oliver–a powerful but reclusive Indigo–to find their mutual friend Zack. He’s been taken by the Church, and Caila feels responsible. She and Oliver are themselves kidnapped and subjected to horrors at the hands of Church physician-scientist Dr. Fiona. While there Oliver’s powers grow. So much so that he’s able to remotely mind-link with Gabriel Stewart.
Gabe’s so powerful he’s passed into Crystal status and can utilize other Indigo’s powers. As the son of the director of the Church, Gabe is appalled by his father’s edict to hunt down the Indigos. It’s nothing new for that callous man–he did have Gabe’s mother murdered, after all. Gabe cobbles together as many Indigos as he can to build an army against the Church’s henchmen.
When his friend Rafael is taken by the Church, Gabe’s Indigo army seeks to set him free. Aided by Oliver and Caila, Gabe and his fellow psychics discover even more horrific happenings in the Church’s top-secret Zone 8 laboratory. The risks are high, but the payoff is higher. Especially when the showdown pits Gabe against his father.
The world of CRYSTAL FIRE is fantastic without being unrealistic. The kids are compassionate and make good heroes. While I always object to a “Mad Scientist” trope–because, um, I’m a scientist–the story is compelling and will appeal to fans of YA dystopian fiction. There are some hints of romance, but nothing to blush over, so it’s safe for the kiddos… A great read. It’s all wrapped up neatly, but there are certainly elements that can be used to build a third book in this series.
Interested? You can can find CRYSTAL FIRE at Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository and Kobo.
About this Author:
Bestselling, critically-acclaimed author Jordan Dane’s gritty romantic thrillers are ripped from the headlines with vivid settings, intrigue, and dark humor. Publishers Weekly compared her intense novels to Lisa Jackson, Lisa Gardner, and Tami Hoag, naming her debut novel NO ONE HEARD HER SCREAM as Best Books of 2008. She also pens young-adult novels for Harlequin Teen. Formerly an energy sales manager, she now writes full time. Jordan and her husband share their Texas residence with two lucky rescue dogs.
You can find Jordan on her website, Facebook, twitter, Pinterest, blogging at ADR3NALIN3 or her personal blog, or eavesdropping on teen conversations at her local mall so she can get the right flava for her dialogue.
***GIVEAWAY***
Click the Rafflecopter link below to win
one of 10 print copies of CRYSTAL FIRE (US/CAN only)
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Best of luck, and as always–keep reading my friends.
Check out REAP–Book Blitz and Giveaway!
Something’s not right in Mia’s head.
The first thing is that her name isn’t Mia. In fact, she has no clue what her name is—who she is. All that she knows is that she’s not like the ones who found her: Dante with his kind blue eyes, Amy with her child-like demeanor, James with his questioning gaze.
And Briggs.
The one she cannot decipher no matter how hard she tries.
As Mia tries to fit in with these people, a strange occurrence is amidst outside. And as she finally remembers who she is …
Well, let’s just say that things get a little more complicated.
How about a tease?
I opened my eyes but had to squeeze them shut against the harsh lights. My lids felt swollen, heavy with fatigue. My eyes burned, tears leaking from their corners.
It was the most uncomfortable of feelings.
I must have been dreaming.
“Hello?”
Although the word seemed alien to me, almost as if I had never heard it before, I instantly understood its meaning. The voice that had spoken was warm, making me feel as if I were suddenly sitting in front of a fireplace, wrapped in a heavy blanket, flames crackling. The heat of the word practically licked my skin.
Again, I tried opening my eyes, this time a bit more cautiously. Blinking, I slowly adjusted to the artificial lights, now able to see.
I found myself staring back into a pair of bright blue eyes, a look of wariness in their depths. For a brief moment I couldn’t look away as I stared up at him. Then he cleared his throat and glanced away, as if uncomfortable with my gaze. With the spell of his eyes broken, it was then that I noticed I was lying on the ground—no, on hardwood floor.
And with not one, but three interested faces peering down at me.
I sat up, then winced at the abruptness of my movement, bringing my hand to the back of my head.
Pain, my mind whispered.
“Careful now.”
I directed my eyes toward the person who had spoken such kind words. It was the first person I had noticed, the one with the blue eyes and the warm voice. His voice was deep and calming, and as I sat there I tried to think of the emotion I should be experiencing. Inhaling softly, I closed my eyes, ignored the painful throb in my head, and waited for the proper term to flutter into my mind.
Gratitude.
“Where did you come from?”
Satisfied I had found the correct word, I opened my eyes again to the voice speaking to me. It was a pleasant voice, reassuring to say the least, and immediately captured my attention.
At that moment, I didn’t notice the black hair atop his head, a striking contrast against his blue eyes that looked like I was staring into an ocean. I didn’t notice that the corners of his eyes crinkled up when he smiled kindly at me, complementing the single dimple in his right cheek. By just looking at him, anyone could tell that he was someone who knew how to laugh. But I didn’t notice any of that.
All those things I would notice later.
About the Author
A dreamer, Christina Channelle holds two degrees in health sciences but has always had a passion for writing. You will find her reading other young adult novels, or typing up a new story on her computer. When not writing, Christina spends her free time at the movies, listening to music, or eating sushi. She’s a reality TV junkie and has a close relationship with many characters on TV that have been a topic of many heated discussions among friends. She resides in Ontario, Canada.
Her newest project is the YA Paranormal Romance, REAP, was released October 11, 2013.
hosted by:
THE STAR CATCHER Shines–Review and Giveaway!
Hi there, and welcome to my stop on The Star Catcher blog tour organized by YA Bound Book Tours. This YA Paranormal Romance is the finale of The Star Child trilogy by Stephanie Keyes.
Magick and destiny intertwine as Kellen St. James fights to save his kingdom and the goddess he loves. Her kiss…the feel of her skin…the beat of her heart…For seventeen-year-old Kellen St. James, each memory is marred by a single sentence on a lone strip of paper.
Cali has been taken…
Armed with an amulet that channels the ultimate power of Faerie, Kellen searches for his love. However, control of the amulet’s energy comes with a price, and Kellen soon learns that Cali’s captor has plans for the stone. With the threat of the Star Catcher’s evil looming above Kellen and his kingdom, he’ll have to free the Heart of Faerie and break the curse the binds the Children of Danu to the darkness. But before that, he has to find his real father, the king. No pressure, right?
Kellen and Cali will battle bewitched armies and unknown foes as they fight to stay together. Will Kellen embrace his immortal destiny? Or will his world, and the man he is fated to become, be destroyed by The Star Catcher?
“One of the best endings in a trilogy I have seen in a while. Fans will not be disappointed!”-Jackie Jackson, The Book Maven
My Review:
Allow me to sum up…
Kellen is a half-Fae prince. An ancient prophesy has foretold that Kellen will:
1. Save Faerie from a power-hungry being
2. Marry Calienta, an immortal female who lights the stars–literally.
3. Rescue his father, the King of Faerie, and unite Faerie’s fractured realms.
And, the ride is spectacular.
This multi-viewpoint adventure tracks Calienta as she endeavors to escape the Big Bad–Ainmore–a Star Catcher, or usurper of fae magic. He’s also the unwitting father of Cali’s niece.
Kellen can’t believe Cali has been kidnapped on the eve of their wedding–but he won’t rest until he has her safe and by his side. He strikes out to find the keeper of all Fae magic-Sid-and gives up his mortality so that he can safely wield Danu’s amulet.
Now immortal, Kellen can fight the castaway demons of humanity’s fears to rescue his father and fulfill the prophesy. Oh, and get married. Because there is a wedding.
We have the good luck to tag along with Gabe–Kellen’s best friend and a Protector or shapeshifter. He’s bound by honor to protect Kellen at all cost–and he risks much, his life and his love.
Ainmore is willing to destroy all of humanity in his quest for Danu’s amulet and the ultimate universal power. So, he’s a serious adversary. Kellen struggles to undo the dark magic that has bound his father and their subjects in misery.
I loved the many viewpoints–each had its own voice so it didn’t overwhelm. And it was fun to track different sides of a scene through different eyes. This trilogy has a solid footing fantasy. The worlds are well-realized and this book drops you into the action and it doesn’t stop until you turn the final pages. Despite the solid romance the work is innocent. I’d recommend it to my 11 y/o son…so, ya know, it’s middle-grade safe.
The Trailer
Interested to learn more about The Star Catcher? Check out the cool trailer from the award-winning, Kristen Kress of BrainFry Productions!
Read the books that started it all… Click on each of the covers below to learn more…
The Giveaway
So for this giveaway, we’re releasing several cool items. Let me tell you about them!
- 1 The Star Child series E-book Pack (includes all three novels, plus the novelette, After Faerie)
- 2 The Star Catcher e-book
- 1 The Fallen Stars custom faerie bookmark
- 1 The Star Child series swag pack (contains bookmarks, and more!)
Part of The Star Child series swag pack…
The Fallen Stars custom bookmark -The Book Swag Shop
The Book Tour
The Star Catcher tour is running through November 29th, so check out some of the great sites that’ll be participating!
About the Author
Stephanie Keyes, author of The Star Child series
Stephanie Keyes has been addicted to Fantasy since she discovered T.H. White as a child and started drumming up incredible journeys in her head. Today, she’s still doing the same thing, except now she gets to share those ideas with readers!
When she’s not writing, Stephanie is also a graphic designer, international speaker, teacher, musician, avid reader, and Mom to two little boys who constantly keep her on her toes. In addition, she’s best friend to her incredible husband of eleven years.
Mrs. Keyes holds an undergraduate degree in Business and Management Information Systems from Robert Morris University and a M.Ed. from Duquesne University. She is a member of the Society For Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI), as well as a featured author in the global group of writers, Love a Happy Ending.com.
Keyes is the author of the YA Fantasy series, The Star Child, which currently includes The Star Child, After Faerie, The Fallen Stars, and the soon to-be-released finale, The Star Catcher (November 2013), all from by Inkspell Publishing. Mrs. Keyes is hard at work on a new YA Paranormal Romance.
Good luck and, as always, keep reading my friends!
To be FOREVER YOUNG–Review and Giveaway
Hi there and welcome to my stop on the FOREVER YOUNG blog tour sponsored by AToMR Book Tours. Check out other stops on the tour by clicking here. FOREVER YOUNG is a the first in a YA series from bestselling author Sawyer Bennett.
Book Description:
She’s a loner, she likes to fight and, oh yeah…she has the ability to see the demons that lay beneath the faces of ordinary humans. It’s a gift Charlie Wright inherited the night her parents were brutally murdered when she was fourteen years old.
Now in her last year of high school, Charlie just can’t seem to keep herself out of trouble. Rather than taking a one-way trip to juvenile detention, Charlie chooses to join a mysterious group called The ForeverLand Alliance.
And then her life really gets weird.
Charlie finds herself magically transported to an alternate universe. In Semper Terra, no one ages, people fly, and one stunningly gorgeous, immortal man manages to capture Charlie’s heart and awaken the adult woman she is becoming.
But it’s not all fun and games. For Charlie is training to become an Annihilator, a select group of Semper Terrans who protect mankind from all of those things that go “bump in the night”.
It’s only when Charlie finds herself stuck in the middle of a prophecy that could bring about the end of the world that she truly begins to understand the deep sacrifices she will have to make.
My review:
I liked it. Charlie is a little sensitive, a little snarky, and a lot heroic. She’ll brawl to help anyone weak defeat their attackers. She doesn’t tolerate mean girls and can’t understand why the new males in her life find her attractive…particularly Caiden Gallagher, the perpetually youthful 400+ year old Annihilator serving as Charlie’s mentor.
Of course, Charlie’s mean girls aren’t only students–her headmistress Sarah is part of the I-Hate-Charlie club also, mainly because Sarah has a history with Caiden, one she’d like to repeat. The story reminds me a bit of Veronica Roth’s DIVERGENT without the dystopia and recruit maiming. Charlie must master hand-to-hand combat so she can survive battle. With demons. But only the bad demons, because, for an interesting twist, not all demons are bad. Who knew?
I love Charlie’s gay BFF Justas. He’s a beefy character, not stereotypically done–think Tiny Cooper–and he’s a nice foil to Charlie’s occasional pessimism. Plucky Emerson Potts, the tiny black waif recruit, will remind you of Rue (Hunger Games) but we get to know her quite a lot better.
Charlie’s doing well in her training, and Caiden is keeping her fantasies filled, but it’s Charlie’s heart that takes over the story. It’s easy to root for a hero, and Charlie defines the archetype. I wasn’t surprised by the ambush ending, but I was unsettled by the sudden appearance of Charlie’s real father. In all it feels like a good start to a quality series.
Interested? You can find FOREVER YOUNG at Goodreads, Amazon and Barnes & Noble.
About Sawyer Bennett:
USA Today Best-Selling author, Sawyer Bennett, is a snarky southern woman and reformed trial lawyer who decided to finally start putting on paper all of the stories that were floating in her head. She is married to a mobster (well, a market researcher) and they have two big, furry dogs who hog the bed. Sawyer would like to report she doesn’t have many weaknesses but can be bribed with a nominal amount of milk chocolate.
Catch up with her at Facebook or on Twitter.
***GIVEAWAY***
Click the link below for your chance at winning a $50 Amazon gift card!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
And, as always: keep reading my friends!
MY DATE FROM HELL–Review and Giveaway!
Hi there, and welcome to my stop on the MY DATE FROM HELL blog tours, sponsored by AtoMR book tours. Check out other stops here. This YA paranormal romance, just released by best-selling author Tellulah Darling, is a perfect blend of snark, fantasy and swoon!
Book Description:
Sophie Bloom’s junior year has been a bit of a train wreck. After the world’s greatest kiss re-awakened Sophie’s true identity as Persephone (Goddess of Spring and Savior of Humanity), she fought her dragon-lady guidance counselor to the death, navigated mean girl Bethany’s bitchy troublemaking, and dealt with the betrayal of her backstabbing ex, Kai (sexy Prince of Darkness). You’d think a girl could catch a break.
Yeah, right.
With Zeus stepping things up, it’s vital that Sophie retrieve Persephone’s memories and discover the location of the ritual to stop Zeus and Hades. So when Aphrodite strikes a deal that can unlock Sophie’s pre-mortal past, what choice does the teen goddess have but to accept?
The mission: stop media mogul Hermes from turning Bethany into a global mega-celebrity. The catch? Aphrodite partners Sophie and Kai to work together … and treat this suicide mission as a date. Which could work out for Sophie’s plan to force Kai to admit his feelings for her–if she doesn’t kill him first.
Add to that the fact that BFF Theo’s love life and other BFF Hannah’s actual life are in Sophie’s hands, and suddenly being a teenager—even a godlike one—seems a bit like … well, hell. Whatever happened to dinner and a movie?
The YA romantic comedy/Greek mythology fireworks continue to fly in My Date From Hell. Love meets comedy with a whole lot of sass in book two of this teen fantasy romance series. Breaking up is easy; dating is deadly.
My Review:
MY DATE FROM HELL begins where it should—with Sophie being tortured within an inch of her life by her dad, Zeus. Family, ain’t it grand?
Still Sophie—a reincarnation of Persephone—can’t reclaim the memories she’s being tortured to divulge. So she battles on. In the process she frees herself, and Kai—Kyrillos, son of Hades—who is likewise up for execution. Sophie returns to her Vancouver boarding school to learn her magically-enhanced-bully, Bethany, is poised to claim supreme star-status with the help of Hermes—god of tricksters.
Oh, and Sophie has less than two months to regain Persephone’s memories and fall in love with Kai, or humanity is doomed. But Sophie can’t seem to let go of her fears that Kai will only love her for Persephone’s sake, and not her own. And that’s kinda not so okay with Sophie.
Though Eros and Aphrodite toss in some magic, Sophie can’t overcome her own romantic notion that a person should be really in love, not simply faking it. Kai gets it, and he’d like to let her know his own feelings on the matter, but hey, gods have their pride.
In order to unravel Persephone’s memories, Sophie turns to master caster-Hephestus-also known by his hipster name, Festos. And, he’s game to help if Sophie can maybe sway Theo into looking his way again. Oh, and Eros volunteers to rescue the brain-drain, but it’s gonna hurt. So the merry bunch takes off after Hermes, on a date arranged by Aphrodite, to cut the cord on Bethany’s villainous popularity.
The date between Sophie and Kai soon becomes a Game of Death to rescue Hannah and gain Hermes’ cooperation. Along the way Sophie begins to see that Kai isn’t all bubbly over Persephone any longer. No, he’s realized that Sophie’s a pretty extraordinary gal—what with her snark and her magic powers and her saving the day. In fact, Sophie’s willingness to accept Kai is what returns Persephone’s memories. Now she knows who tried to kill her years ago in Hades.
And, sadly, that person is back to finish the job.
Interested? YOU ARE IN LUCK! Promo pricing (for Oct 31 and Nov 1 only) is $.99! So click the linky-links and enjoy your very own copy…. Amazon Barnes & Noble
I reviewed the first book in the trilogy, MY EX FROM HELL, earlier this week. If it caught your eye, well, it’s available here! AMAZON Barnes & Noble
About the Author
Tellulah Darling: noun
1. YA romantic comedy author because her first kiss sucked and she’s compensating.
2. Alter ego of former screenwriter.
3. Sassy minx.
Geeks out over: cool tech.
Squees for: great storytelling.
Delights in: fabulous conversation.
Writes about: where love meets comedy. Awkwardness ensues.
Sassy girls. Swoony boys. What could go wrong?
Find the delightful Ms. Darling on Goodreads, Twitter and Facebook
HEY! Want to help an author? Tellulah’s names for Sopie’s super viney powers stink–Enter here to tell her YOUR IDEA for a power name and if yours wins, you’ll get a signed copy of My Date From Hell, a t-shirt featuring a design of one of Kai’s tattoos and will have their power name featured in the final book of the trilogy. Contest runs Oct 21-Nov 7.
GIVEAWAY:
2 signed copies (1)of My Ex From Hell and (1) of My Date From Hell – International,
(3) eBook copies in mobi or epub – International
a Rafflecopter giveaway
V's Reads... 