Thursday, November 29, 2012

Just For Fun - Cover/Excerpt Reveal

Contemporary Romance
Title: Just For Fun (Escape to New Zealand #4)
Author - Rosalind James


Date Published: 12/8/12



Synopsis:
    
What if the person who broke your heart turned out to be the only one who could mend it?
 Nic Wilkinson is a responsible, organized, disciplined rugby player at the top of his game. Emma Martens is a sometimes-scattered, often-emotional, and always-broke would-be designer with a big chip on her shoulder where Nic’s concerned.
 They have no history together, except one perfect week. Nothing in common anymore, except the most important thing of all.
 Getting together again would be messy. Complicated. Scary. And, just maybe, worth every risk.

Excerpt:

“Mum!” Zack burst in through the front door. “It was brilliant!” He kicked his shoes off impatiently, dropped his rugby boots next to them before struggling out of his jacket. Nic followed him in, grabbed the jacket and hung it on the brightly painted rack next to the door when Zack would have dropped it on the floor.
Emma reached out for a hug that, Nic saw, the boy was still willing to give his mother, at least here at home. Her eyes met Nic’s as she looked over her son’s head. How did she always look so soft? So . . . pettable? She was wearing another sweater, that was all, he told his troublesome libido. Another light, lacy one, prettily trimmed once again. A pale pink cardigan with pearly shell buttons, edged in cream, over a long stretchy top and leggings. She looked like an invitation to cuddle. Like the best blankie ever.
“Can Nic stay for dinner, Mum?” Zack asked excitedly, offering a welcome distraction from his wayward train of thought. “He could help me tell you all the things we did. We’re having spaghetti!” he told Nic. “It’s really good.”
“Can’t, mate. Sorry,” Nic put in hastily at Emma’s instinctive shake of the head. “But I’ll have a glass of water, if one’s on offer.”
“Sit down,” Emma told him. “Please.”
Nic slipped off his own shoes before heading to the couch with Zack. “Cheers,” he said as she came back from the kitchen to hand each of them a glass, then took her own seat in a small armchair next to the couch, the only other option the little room offered.
“You look tired,” she said abruptly. “And bruised. Are you OK?”
“Just a bit confused on the sleep schedule, still,” Nic admitted. “I took a wee pill on the flight home, but it never works that well.”
“It’s a long way, Mum,” Zack put in. “South Africa’s really far.”
Nic took a long drink of the cold water, looked around for something to set the glass on. “Coaster?”
“Just put it down,” Emma told him.
“Don’t want to spoil this,” he said, looking more closely at the coffee table. The simple rectangle had been transformed into a forest of ferns, with native birds peeping out from underneath fronds, perched in trees. The parson-throated tui making a meal of red fruit, the colorful, stumpy takahe on the forest floor, tiny fantails darting overhead.
“You can’t,” Emma assured him. “It’s all enamels. Everything in this house is pretty indestructible.”
“Did you find the ruru yet?” Zack asked him, leaning forward.
“Don’t tell me,” Nic said. “Let me look.” Zack watched him eagerly as he searched and finally pointed triumphantly to a notch in a tree where the owl blended into the bark. “There.”
“You did this too, eh,” he asked Emma. “Nice.”
“I did everything. That’s my decorating theme. Things I made.”
“I like it,” he assured her. The warm colors of the lounge seemed to cocoon them. Two walls were a rich caramel, the others a warm yellow. She didn’t even paint every wall in a room the same color, he realized. Well, at least in the kitchen it was all the same. Purple. He wondered what color her bedroom was. How it looked. And found himself wishing, against every better impulse, that he could see it.

Author Bio:
Rosalind James is the author of the Kindle bestseller Just This Once and the three subsequent books in the Escape to New Zealand series. She is a former marketing executive who has lived all over the United States and in a number of other countries, traveling with her civil engineer husband. Most recently, she spent several years in Australia and New Zealand, where she fell in love with the people, the landscape, and the culture of both countries.
Visit www.rosalindjames.com to listen to the songs from the books, follow the characters on their travels, watch funny and fascinating New Zealand and rugby videos, and learn about what's new!

Contact Links

Monday, November 26, 2012

Dreaming of Summer Giveaway Hop


Well, I live in Texas so it still feels like summer and I'm dreaming of WINTER!!  But for those of you shivering in the cold I have a great giveaway for you!!





Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Opal by Jennifer Armentrout - Trailer Reveal



No one is like Daemon Black. When he set out to prove his feelings for me, he wasn’t fooling around. Doubting him isn’t something I’ll do again, and now that we’ve made it through the rough patches, well... There’s a lot of spontaneous combustion going on. But even he can’t protect his family from the danger of trying to free those they love. After everything, I’m no longer the same Katy. I’m different... And I’m not sure what that will mean in the end. When each step we take in discovering the truth puts us in the path of the secret organization responsible for torturing and testing hybrids, the more I realize there is no end to what I’m capable of. The death of someone close still lingers, help comes from the most unlikely source, and friends will become the deadliest of enemies, but we won’t turn back. Even if the outcome will shatter our worlds forever. Together we’re stronger... and they know it.

 USA TODAY Bestselling author, Jennifer L. Armentrout, lives in Martinsburg, West Virginia. All the rumors you’ve heard about her state aren’t true. When she’s not hard at work writing, she spends her time reading, working out, watching really bad zombie movies, pretending to write, and hanging out with her husband and her Jack Russell, Loki. Her dreams of becoming an author started in algebra class where she spent most of her time writing short stories….which explains her dismal grades in math. Jennifer writes young adult paranormal, science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary romance. She also writes adult romance under the name J. Lynn. 
Find Jennifer on: Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Website | Blog

Monday, November 19, 2012

Breathe Blitz


Breathe (Atlantis #1)
by Suzanne Cox
Published: October 22nd 2012 by Suzanne Cox Books

17 year old science prodigy, Laney Brookes, is looking for two things: a cure for the flu virus that’s ravaging the world and the truth about what happened to her father. Using clues from her father’s secret journals, she and her two friends Kate and Carter follow what she thinks is the path to the answers.

It’s a path that lands them in the lost world of Atlantis, a world struggling to survive. Laney finds more than just answers in Atlantis. She finds love. To get her friends and herself home, Laney will have to travel into enemy territory, led by Andrew a young Atlantean determined to return his people to power. In the process she’ll even unravel the mystery of her missing father. But first, she’ll have to figure out who the real enemy is. 

Goodreads link:

Author Bio:

I remember writing my first stories when I was about nine or ten years old. I've been writing ever since. In 2002 I decided to seriously try and get some of my work published. On February 14th of 2005 I sold my first book, A Different Kind of Man, to Harlequin Superromance. While trying to decide what I wanted to be when I grew up, besides a writer, I went to college (alot) and worked a variety of jobs. I have a bachelor of arts in English with a minor in secondary education, a bachelor of science in nursing, a master of science in career and technical education with an emphasis in adult education and most recently, a master of science in nursing as a family nurse practitioner. I was also a National Board Certified Teacher in career and technical education. Along the way I've worked as a high school English teacher and an elementary teacher. I've worked as a registered nurse on a cardiac unit, brain injury rehab unit, and several different medical-surgical units. I've also done stints as a home health nurse and a commnunity health educator at a hospital, and many years as an allied health instructor at a high school career and technology center. Presently, I'm working full time as a family nurse practitioner at an inpatient psychiatric facility.

If I'm not writing I like to spend time reading. My husband and I share our home with our four legged children. Our boy and girl in puppy dog clothes, Toby and Sassy, who masquerade as Miniature Pinschers. We are also owned by three cats Chase, Jackson, and Spots.  We are all terrorized by Gray Kitty, a stray who decided to stay and take over.

Author Links:


Buy link:

Giveaway:
US Only

  • (1) copy of Breathe & (1) Marked.
  • Sparkly nail polish that coordinates with the book cover.
  • A stoneware necklace with concentric circle design from Breathe by Kaatee art.
  • Metal bookmark

Thursday, November 15, 2012

Time for some more Fan Fiction!!

Just in case you're a new follower I'll catch you up.  It's no secret I love Ednah Walters' YA series The Guardian Legacy.  Betrayed, the second book in the series is FANTASTIC!  I'm particularly  infatuated with Sykes, one of the side characters in the book.  He's a Fire/Energy guardian which I think explains his hotness.  Well, a few months ago I wrote a little fan fic. about Sykes and now I've gone and done it again.  I'll put the first one up too so you can read both.  If you like it, please consider reading Betrayed.  You'll love it!  I'll put all kinds of links at the bottom to make it easy peezy.

First Touch:


I saw her storm out the front door of the school with her backpack slung over one shoulder.  She hit the door so hard I heard it bang against the outside wall.  Whoa, this girl was feisty.  I ran after her.  “Hey!  Hey wait up.  Jeannette.  It’s Jeannette right?”  She stopped but didn't turn around.  One hand was in a tight fist while the other held on to the strap of her backpack.  I could see her take a deep breath like she was trying to fight down rage or tears, I couldn't tell which.  The breeze blew her brown wavy hair and I could smell her vanilla shampoo.  “Hey, I’m sure whatever it is that’s got you so worked up, it’s not worth getting caught skipping class your first week of school.”  She slowly turned and looked at me.  Anger flashed in her dark brown eyes.  She took another deep breath.  “Why does it matter to you if I get in trouble or not?”  I grinned at her.  “It  doesn't really.  I’m a sucker for a girl who likes a little trouble.”  “Uh huh.  Well I’m sure that adorable smile and bad boy charm works on all the other girls, but my B.S. limit has been reached for the day.  So, I’ll see ya.”  She turned and started walking, completely unaware of how her southern accent affected me.  “Wait, can I at least walk with you?  I've got a free hour and I need to stretch my legs.”  She stopped and without turning said, “Whatever.”  “So, where’d you move from?”  “Texas.”  “Nice.  How are you adjusting?”   Out of the corner of my eye I saw her mouth tighten.  After a few seconds I wasn't sure she was going to answer.  “Well, considering I didn't know we were moving until two days before it happened, my mom is acting all weird, my step-dad is MIA and my only friend is my little brother, I’d say I’m just peachy.  I have no idea why I just told you all of that.”  Grinning, I said, “I have that effect on people.   And hey, you can count me as a friend.”  I looked over at her as she rolled her eyes.  “Oh geez.  Does that crap really work on the girls around here?”  Shaking her head “and y’all question our intelligence.”  We had reached the end of school property and she turned toward the wooded area bordering the football field.  She glanced over.  “Are you just going to follow me like some hall monitor on a power trip?”  I chuckled.  She reminded me a little of another feisty girl with a sharp tongue.  “I’m no hall monitor.  I don’t think they’d trust me to enforce the “no running in the halls” rule.  I just thought I’d get a little fresh air and see what had you damaging school property.”  We came to a small cluster of trees where she chucked her bag to the ground, sat down with her back against a tree.  She leaned her head back and closed her eyes.  Some of the tension left her body as she took another deep breath.  I sat down next to her our knees touching.  She opened one eye and looked at me.  “You do know what personal space is right? “  “Yes, but the presence of another warm body can often ease a person’s anxiety.”  “Seriously, do girls really eat that up?  They must since you seem to have a line for everything.”  Instead of answering her I leaned back with my hands behind my head and looked up at the sunlight shifting through the leaves.  It was one of those days when the weather seemed to make a conscience effort to be enjoyable.  I found it interesting that I just wanted to sit there and relax.  I usually felt like a lightning bolt was zipping through my veins.  Weird.  “Are you going to tell me why you stormed out of school?”  She sighed.  “Algebra and the stupid algebra teacher, whatever his name is.  It’s not like I don’t know how to do the problems.  We just learned a different way of doing them.  I mean who cares what strategies you use as long as you get the right answer.”  I could see her fists clench like she was trying to hold on to something.  Or hold something inside.  “Yah, I guess Landis  is a stickler for his way or no way.  You know I've forgotten my manners.  My name is Sykes.”  She turned her head but didn't open her eyes.  “Oh I know your name.  I've heard it spoken by almost every female in school, faculty included.  Your reputation precedes you.”  She smirked and turned her head back.  “Hey, don’t fault me for being such a friendly guy.  Most people would consider that a good thing.”  “Well I’m not most people.  So if you want to go spread your version of southern hospitality to those who appreciate it, you’re not required to stay.”  I looked over at her.  The breeze picked up a strand of her hair.  I caught it and ran my thumb over the soft wave.  Before she opened her eyes I let it go.  “How long has your step-dad been gone?” She stiffened.  “I don’t know.  A couple of months I guess.”  Shrugging she said, “It’s not like we were that close.  But it hurts my little brother and mom.”  I nodded.  Then she opened her eyes and looked at me.  Her dark eyes standing out against her pale skin sprinkled with freckles.  “She won’t give me a straight answer as to why she moved us here or why he HAS to go to THIS school.  We've never had secrets. “  I could see the confusion and hurt swirling like a storm inside her.  The wind blew a small leaf on to her arm.  I brushed it off and as soon as my hand touched her I felt that lightning bolt zap something inside of me.  She jumped back, shocked.  I breathed out, “What the hell?”  She swallowed.  “What the heck was that?”  I stared at her.  What was it about her that calmed me one minute then electroshocked my heart the next?  “You’re not all human are you?”  She blanched.  “What?!  We shock each other with static electricity or something and the first thing you jump to is I’m not all human?!  Who asks that?  I guess you've reached your nice guy limit.”  She picked up her backpack and stormed off towards the school.  After a few yards she stopped and turned to look at me.  Shaking her head she turned back to the school and rounded the corner.  I had no idea what had just happened, but for the first time in my life a girl had freaked me out.

Two Days Later:

It had been two days since I last talked to Jeannette.  Two days since she looked at me with that disappointment in her eyes.  I couldn’t figure out why it bothered me so much.  Or why I’ve been avoiding her.  And yet I knew where she was every minute of the day.   What is wrong with me?!  Remy even noticed I was distracted when I almost set the chair on fire while I was playing with a plasma ball.  I know she saw me staring at her in the cafeteria.  She must think I really am a stalker.  There’d be no doubt in her mind if she knew I flashed over to her house last night just to see if her bedroom light was on.   Again…what the hell is wrong with me?!  I have NEVER noticed a girl’s finger polish before so how is it that I know she painted hers hot pink with some kind of glitter on top.  They look like they’re sugar coated and I’d love to see if they’re as sweet too.  Holy crap!  I have got to get a grip.
“Sykes!”  “What dude?  Geez, Rem you don’t have to yell at me.” 
“I’ve been trying to talk to you for three minutes.  I guess I could have shaken the floor under you.  I’ll do that instead next time.  So what gives?  You’ve been zoned out the last couple of days.”  Sighing I just shook my head.  “It’s that new chick, Jeannette.  There’s something about her.”  “Whoa, hold up.  Did you just say you’re distracted by a girl?  A girl who’s name doesn’t start with an L?  A HUMAN girl?? I can’t wait to hear this.”  “Shut up Remy!  I’m serious.  I’m not sure she’s entirely human.  What else would explain that shock I got when our fingers touched?  Or why I can’t stop thinking about her?   “Um, well could it be partly because by some miracle she’s immune to your “mojo” as you call it?   Look, why don’t you try talking to her again?  Maybe it’ll help you figure out why you’re acting like a space cadet too. “   I stared at him for a second.  “Yah, I guess you’re right.”  “I’m always right, bro.  Always.”  Rolling my eyes, “I think you’ve mistaken right for cocky.”

The next morning I waited outside by the fence I know she and her brother walk by on their way to school.  I could hear them laughing as they rounded the corner.  She stopped for a second and arched her eyebrow.  He followed her gaze and grinned.  It’s like he knows something I don’t.  “Hey sis, I’m gonna run on ahead.  I’ve got a few questions I want to ask my history teacher.  I’ll, uh, see you after school, k?”  She glares at him, “Fine, see ya.”  He jogs passed me with a smirk.  I notice it’s very much like hers.  She just stands there watching me.  I can see the distrust in her dark eyes.  “Ok, what’s the deal?  I know you don’t walk to school.  So, that means you’re here to talk to me.”  “Well, aren’t you full of yourself?  It’s entirely possible I’m doing my neighborhood watch shift.”  I see her try to fight a small smile.  “I doubt anyone would put you on neighborhood watch duty any more than they would make you a hall monitor.”  She still hasn’t taken a step toward me.  “So, can I walk with you the rest of the way?”   She looks at me puzzled.  “I promise I’ll keep my B.S. to a minimum.”  “Yah, I wouldn’t want you to cause me to reach my limit before school starts.”  I sigh with relief.  She starts to walk and I fall in step with her.  “So, how’re things?”  She glances at me and I can feel the tension causing her to hesitate.  “About the same I guess.  Like my mom says, “Same crap, different day”.  I haven’t damaged anymore school property if that’s what you’re worried about.”  The fall breeze starts to pick up and I see her shiver.  “Here, take my hoodie.”  She stops and looks at me.  “Why?”  The way she says it with that slow drawl full accusation tugs at something inside of me.  Something I’ll have to examine later.  I ignore the question as I take her back pack from her shoulder and hold the hoodie out for her to take.  Much to my surprise she takes it and for some reason it makes me want to fist pump the air.  The royal blue color sets off her chocolate hair and creamy skin.  My breath catches.  After she puts on the hoodie and pushes the too long sleeves up I hand over her back pack and we continue on.  I can’t remember the last time I walked this slowly on purpose.  “I’m really sorry about the other day.   I didn’t mean to be such a jerk.  And I really didn’t want to make your day worse.”  She keeps walking but I can see her shoulders relax.  “Um, thanks.  I get the feeling you don’t apologize for much so I’ll let you off the hook…this time.”  Chuckling and in my best southern accent I tell her, “Why thank ya, ma’am.”  She rolls hers and laughs.  There goes that tugging sensation.  I notice we’re getting closer to school and I’m still no closer to figuring her out.  “Hey, do you want to get pizza with me sometime.  Or something else if you don’t like pizza.”  She stops suddenly.  “A couple of days ago you accused me of not being human and now you want me to go get pizza with you?  I’m not sure what you’re up to, but I have my plate full.  I don’t need to be the butt of any practical jokes.  Or charity social calls for that matter.”  I hold my hands up in the universal signs of surrender.  “Hey, hey, hey.  I promise I’m not up to anything.  I just thought it would be nice for you to have a real friend, ok? “  She glares at me as she looks for any sign of insincerity.  She must not find any as she starts walking again she says “Ok.  I guess I can get pizza with you sometime.  Can my brother come?”  I can easily sense the test she’s just laid out.  “Yah, sure.  The more the merrier.”  She smirks.  I grin at her.  “Well, how about Friday night?  There’s no football game or school stuff going on.”  She looks over at me and smiles.  It’s a smile that makes me feel like I’ve just been busted for something.  “Ok.  I’ll have to check with my mom, but I think it should be fine.”  The warning bell rings as we walk up the front steps of the school.  “Great!  I’ll talk to you later.   And hey, keep my hoodie for a while.  It looks hot on you.”  I take the last few steps in one bound as I laugh at the daggers she shoots at me with her eyes.  I have a feeling it’s going to be pretty entertaining figuring out what sassy, Ms. Jeannette is all about.  I sure as hell need to get a grip on whatever it is tugging at my insides, too. 




What I imagine Sykes looks like.  Image from different internet sites.  STOP droolin'!!

Click for synopsis
You can find Ednah here:
http://www.ednahwalters.com/


You can buy Betrayed here:

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Cover Reveal: Heaven Sent by E. Van Lowe

Chills, butterflies, pounding heart...all at once!  That's what happened when I saw this cover.  Ok, ok, I drooled a little too!  Can you blame me?!


What Does It All Mean?

Readers who devoured Boyfriend From Hell and Earth Angel will be captivated by the third book in the Falling Angels Saga. 

As summer break for Glendale Union high begins, heartsick Megan awaits Guy's return while struggling to control her emerging abilities.  Love is in the air, but can the new loves in Megan, Maudrina, Suze and Aunt' Jaz's life be trusted? Nothing is what it seems.  Meanwhile, the Satanists are set to hatch their most diabolical scheme ever, and if it comes to pass, Satan may finally win out. 

Megan has precious little time to unravel the cryptic message hidden in the riddle she received at the end of Earth Angel. If she doesn’t, the life of someone most dear to her will be lost forever, and Megan may yet find herself living in HELL.

“The third book in E. Van Lowe’s Falling Angels Saga is his most thrilling yet.”


The Falling Angels Saga:


Crown Phoenix Tour

CROWN OF PHOENIX TOUR 
  I am soooooooooooooooooooooooo EXCITED to be apart of this tour for my friend and fellow ninja Alison Deluca!



Here is an interview Alison did with the fabulous Barbara Cantwell.  

My interview is with Barbara Cantwell, from the Crown Phoenix series. How are you, Barbara?

BARBARA: Miss Cantwell, please. I prefer that people respect their betters.

AD: I beg your pardon, Miss Cantwell. How are things going for you?

BARBARA: I was doing very well indeed until that little brat Miriam and her dreadful governess came along. We were poised to take over the brat’s holdings, including her house and her father’s business empire. I’m not finished yet, however – they certainly haven’t heard the last of me.

AD: Why did you want to take over something that belongs to someone else?

BARBARA: I’m certain that the brat is so stupid she won’t even notice. She has no idea how rich she is in real life. And to think of all that lovely money going to a girl who can’t keep her hair brushed – it makes my skin crawl.

Besides, just look at me, darling. I have many admirers and I’m the toast of the surrounding counties, not to mention London, where I cut quite a dash. I need dresses for many occasions, as well as hats of course. Sometimes I wear five or six different changes of dress a day.

AD: Have you heard from Simon?

BARBARA: Unfortunately, Simon seems to have had his head turned by the brat, Miriam, and her governess, Manapalata Postulate. (What a ridiculous name! Did you ever?)

I’m certain that once Simon sees me again, especially if I’m wearing my new lemon-colored silk dress, he’ll come back to me. I’ll be able to wind him around my little finger, mark my words. He was bowled over when he first met me, darling. Simply bowled over.

AD: Do you deny that you imprisoned and tortured him? Men don’t seem to enjoy that, for the most part.

BARBARA: Nonsense. I had to present my case, and since he wouldn’t listen to me, my brother Valiant and I had to take matters into our own hands. Simon was housed and clothed and fed – for the most part.

Perhaps I did use some strong tactics during Simon’s little stay, but it had to be done. If he had seen our point, he could have joined us and become fabulously wealthy. Simon and I would have been rich together, and I know we would be the very cream of society.

It still could happen, once he gets over that ridiculous friendship with that Miriam. If only Miss Postulate would go back to where she came from!

AD: That raises the point of Lampala, the island that is the source of Miriam’s fortune. Are you still involved with the royalty there?

BARBARA: Wouldn’t you like to know? Perhaps I am. King Atol, the man we put on the throne, will lead the country once again. You may lay money on it.

AD: And what of the Crown Phoenix?

BARBARA: Such a heavy, bulky old thing! Who would believe that an old typing machine could move time and space the way it does? I shall get my hands on the device again, and it will be mine, along with its powers.

AD: And what is the point of all this, Barbara? I mean to say, Miss Cantwell?

BARBARA: Darling, it’s all to get me more dresses, servants, diamonds, and admirers, of course. 


About the Author:


Alison DeLuca is the author of several steampunk and urban fantasy books.  She was born in Arizona and has also lived in Pennsylvania, Illinois, Mexico, Ireland, and Spain.


Currently she wrestles words and laundry in New Jersey.


You can find Alison here:

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/alisondeluca/

Friday, November 9, 2012

Owlet Blog Tour & Review


Welcome to my stop on the Owlet tour.  I have a portion of the read-a-long for you, as well as, a guest post from Jarem, a  review AND giveaway!  I know!!  So many goodies in one place.  


Owlet
Somewhere between falling and flying… there is a girl.

Iris has a secret. She lost her memory eight years ago and never told a living soul. After an asthma attack one night she finds out that her dreams of a strange house on a snowy island may be a memory resurfacing but the more she learns about the past the more she realizes the life she has been living is a lie. As the façade her father has built starts to crumble around her she will have to decide which means more to her; the truth or her life.

Read-a-long:

Iris and Falcon watched the rest of the eagles in silence until each of them had found their mate.

“Today is a special day,” Falcon said, watching Iris’ every reaction.

“Yes, it is,” she replied, smiling up at the sky.

“Your eyes still come alive when you watch them,” he mused softly.

“What?” His odd words snapped her out of the hypnotic daze that the beautiful dancing had put on her.

“You...I...uh,” Falcon stammered as she looked directly into his eyes. For once she had the upper hand and wasn’t the one stumbling. Her heart skipped a beat, feeling the giddiness come upon her.

You have always had the upper hand when it comes to him. He has always loved you. That is why...

For the first time since Iris could remember the voice stopped, holding back, keeping something from her that Iris knew she wanted to know. Soon...the giddiness faded back into confusion. As though the voice had changed its mind with Iris’ reaction, it softly continued.

...he waited for you. Why the past is, what it is.

Loves me, Iris thought.

Yes, the voice returned.

Jarem:

Hair:
Dark

Eyes:
Brown

Blood Type:
AB

Aves:
Eagle

Favorite food:
A Turkish dish a maid once made for him that was a special preparation of a kind of beef. He now loves anything with a sauce even close to similar to it because the affection that maid showed him was the first he had ever known.

History:
Jarem was saved from living a life with his father when his mother insisted that he be sent to Ramero. He did not understand what was happening behind the scenes, but within a number of years, his mother passed away and he was not allowed to return for her funeral. He had experienced enough of his father’s cruelty before being sent away to have a very fixed opinion of the man and being a member of the Falcon line and next in line to be a part of the Eyrie, he has been able to monitor his father’s actions somewhat, only securing his feelings on him. While both he and Roger were in love with Elena, he knew that ultimately the choice was hers and when she choose Roger, supported them both because they had been two of the only people to ever show him such support, even though it did break his heart.

Inspiration:
Okay, this is going to sound nuts. I mean it. It is the WERIDEST place I have ever gotten inspiration from. Okay… I guess I may as well admit it; Jarem is based off of a golden retriever named Diggie from when I was a kid. Or at least that is how it started out. My grandmother had a dog I absolutely adored and he was loyal to a flaw. That pup taught me the true meaning of loyalty. His heart was so tightly tied to my grandfather’s that they passed away together, one right after the other. Jarem is that kind of man, the kind that ties his heart to those he loves who have earned his trust and affection and believes in loyalty to almost an extreme even if no loyalty is shown to him in return.

Worst quality:
He tends to take his beliefs to an extreme, especially when it comes to loyalty. He will sacrifice his own happiness for those who have become close to his heart.

Best quality:
He knows when enough is enough. He is almost always the voice of reason when it comes to planning and not going too far while still pushing forward towards the cause.

Unique fact:
Jarem helped Roger with the painting in Elena’s bedroom but he has extremely limited artistic abilities so mostly he helped come up with ideas and stayed locked in there while mixing paint for Roger as he asked for them and taking naps on the bed as Roger worked. He also trained in Muay Thai after leaving Ramero’s because he felt that human ways of fighting should be studied in addition to the Stryx ways.





My Thoughts:                                            Rating: 3.5 out of 5

First, I  loved the concept of this book.  It is 100% original, so I've never read anything like it.  The hardest part for me was that the story was extremely cryptic until over half way through.  That made it hard for me to connect with the characters at first.  Especially when names would pop up and I had to go back and make sure I hadn't missed someone.  Once I finally made it to that point where I could figure some things out, the book got really good and I was glad I hung in there.  I definitely want to read the next book to see how the story develops and how the author's writing improves.  I only say that because that seems to be the way all series go.  I'm so glad I got the opportunity to be apart of this tour.

Owlet GoodReads page:
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/14059271-owlet

Emma Michael's Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/emma.michaels.90

Emma Michael's Twitter:
https://twitter.com/emmamichaels

Emma Michael's Website:
http://emmamichaels.com/

Emma Michael's GoodReads:
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4104941.Emma_Michaels

Tribute Books website:
http://www.tribute-books.com

Tribute Books Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Archbald-PA/Tribute-Books/171628704176

Tribute Books Twitter:
http://www.twitter.com/TributeBooks




Tuesday, November 6, 2012

1000 Followers Giveaway!!


I can not tell you how much I appreciate everyone who has taken some time to read my blog posts, enter my giveaways and left comments.  In my 10 months of blogging I have made some awesome friends and I hope to continue to make more.  
Thanks to Catie at Forbidden Passions Reviews for being the best blog sister.  Thanks to Kathy at I am a Reader, Not a Writer for hosting such great giveaway hops. A huge thanks to all my "Ninjas" at TIE for making me laugh until my sides hurt and for answering ALL my idiotic questions.
Ok now that all the props have been given let's get to the giveaway!

One lucky follower will get a $15 Amazon GC code!  I wish I could afford to give one to you all but well I'm not Donald Trump or Jay-Z.  I hope you'll accept the virtual hug I'm throwing at you.


Monday, November 5, 2012

Excerpt & Review: The Faerie Guardian by Rachel Morgan


Protecting humans from dangerous magical creatures is all in a day’s work for a faerie training to be a guardian. Seventeen-year-old Violet Fairdale knows this better than anyone—she’s about to become the best guardian the Guild has seen in years. That is, until a cute human boy who can somehow see through her faerie glamour follows her into the fae realm. Now she’s broken Guild Law, a crime that could lead to her expulsion.

The last thing Vi wants to do is spend any more time with the boy who got her into this mess, but the Guild requires that she return Nate to his home and make him forget everything he’s discovered of the fae realm. Easy, right? Not when you factor in evil faeries, long-lost family members, and inconvenient feelings of the romantic kind. Vi is about to find herself tangled up in a dangerous plot—and it’ll take all her training to get out alive.

[This novel was originally published in four separate parts: Guardian,LabyrinthTraitor and Masquerade. It includes bonus scenes at the end that were not published in the individual parts.





Excerpt:
A roar from the other side of the warehouse attracts my attention. It’s Dale, barreling straight toward me without bothering to take a look at his surroundings. It’s remarkable how much he reminds me of the goblin I fought last night. I stand still, waiting for him to get closer. And closer. At the last second, I jump aside and grab hold of a metal chain. I scramble up it. Dale tugs the chain to the side, and I almost lose my grip as it swings wildly about.
I keep climbing. As soon as I’m level with a wooden platform, I jump onto it. The whole thing shudders as Dale throws his weight at it. I lose my balance. I fall, but manage to catch onto a metal bar. I swing, let go, and land on Dale’s shoulders. He topples to the ground, taking me with him. His breath escapes him in a grunt as he hits the ground. My head smacks concrete, and for a second I feel dazed. The transparent top of the Fish Bowl swims before my eyes.
I blink and sit up. I twist Dale’s head sharply to the side with my knees, but he’s too strong for me to do any real damage. I kick his face as he lashes out with a broken pipe. The sharp end slices across my arm.
I smell blood. Blood and dust. I roll away from him and jump to my feet. He’s up too. He throws a punch, followed closely by a kick. I dodge both, and while his balance is off, I sweep my leg out behind him. It connects with the back of his knees, forcing him to the ground. I jump onto his back, grab the end of the chain, and wrap it around his neck. He claws at the metal links, then changes tactics. Bringing his elbow up sharply, he knocks me off his back. He turns over, clamps his fist around my neck, and slams me down on the concrete floor. My skull screams in protest. My lungs reach for the air he knocked out of my chest.
“Ready to surrender?” he growls, leaning over me. With his teeth bared and the chain still wrapped around his neck, he looks like a vicious guard dog. I bring my knee up, hard. His face contorts in pain. His grip loosens, and I kick him away from me. I jump up and place one foot on his chest, then grab the chain and pull it tighter. He struggles, but his flailing becomes weaker and weaker, until eventually his eyes begin to slide shut.

My Thoughts:

I can add The Faerie Guardian to my list of favorite fey books.  Rachel Morgan has done a fantastic job creating a new and modern world of fey.  I loved how the characters had many of the same modern conveniences we do but magic being the force behind them.  I always like to focus on the unique qualities of a story and one that makes this one so different is that the main character is the one that’s not human.  Violet is a fairy training to be a guardian and that goal has been her one driving force in life.  I loved that she’s kick-butt and vulnerable all at the same time.  Nate, a human she’s assigned to protect, becomes her first boyfriend, breaking a slew of rules and causing chaos in Violet’s structured life.  When her former friend, turned nemesis, Ryn, ends up rescuing her from a horrible night of betrayal the story takes a turn I did not see coming.  As much as I disliked Ryn at the beginning of the book, I have high hopes that he will make me fall in love with him in the next one.  There were a few parts in the book that reminded me of Harry Potter, but that wasn’t a bad thing.  I am left with several questions that I hope will be answered in the next book.  




Author Spotlight:

Rachel Morgan was born in South Africa and spent a large portion of her childhood living in a fantasy land of her own making. After completing a degree in genetics, she decided science wasn’t for her—after all, they didn’t approve of made-up facts. These days she spends much of her time immersed in fantasy land once more, writing fiction for young adults.

The Creepy Hollow Series

Rachel's Links




Purchase The Faerie Guardian




Sunday, November 4, 2012

Alight Blog Tour & Review

BB Book Tours




Welcome to my stop on the Alight tour hosted by BB Book tours.
Alight is the second book in The Peril series.  





Expected Pub: Summer 2012
When Corinne learns who the second Guardian is, she must find a way to make peace with the last person in the world she wants to deal with. As she struggles, her nemesis unleashes an otherworldly evil, and a mysterious illness strikes Corinne's friends. Faltering under the weight of her destiny, Corinne escapes to the dream world. There, she meets Zane, an Australian guy with a hot accent and a revelation that binds them together and alters the path of Corinne's life. She throws herself into fighting for everything she loves, but just as she s certain she will prevail, she's robbed of the two people she needs most.


Excerpt:

Pyxis, Book 1 in the series, Corinne learns she is destined to protect a gateway between this world and the world of dreams. Pyxis ends with Corinne and Mason bonding with each other in syndesmo, which created a telepathic link between them. In this excerpt from Chapter 1 of Alight (Book 2), Corinne and Mason are still getting used to their telepathic link, which makes for some strange and interesting situations.



Slipping through the doorway just as the late bell rang, I found a seat in the back and tried to tune into the classroom instead of my telepathic link with my boyfriend. My brother, Bradley, sat a couple of rows ahead of me. Even after three years in the same grade, it was still weird to have classes with him. Maybe at a bigger school, no one would have known or cared that he was over a year older than everyone else in his grade. But this was Tapestry. The whole school remembered when he missed most of eighth grade because of cancer.
At least Sophie Marcelle’s pouty face graced a different homeroom. If I had to watch Brad and Sophie bat their eyes at each other for an entire forty-five minutes every morning, I’d have to start carrying around one of those little white airplane barf bags. They’d been dating for about a month, and although I’d accepted the reality of it, I didn’t like it any more now than I did when I first found out.
Aww, but Brad’s so happy! Mason’s voice rang through my head, and I jumped and knocked my pen onto the floor. Stifling a laugh, I glanced around. I probably looked like a freak, jumping for no apparent reason.
Try not to scare me like that, would you? And you said you’d stop eavesdropping!
Sorry about the volume, Mason said. But I wasn’t eavesdropping. That was all you.
Really? I’ve got to get the hang of this.
Don’t worry. You will. If I can do it, so can you. Mason’s tone was warm in my mind, and I grinned. And if you don’t, well, we don’t need to hide anything from each other anyway, right?
My cheeks heated and my smile widened. But what if I want to surprise you?
Hm, yeah, that probably won’t work. You’ll just have to let me surprise you instead.
Some mornings I still woke up clawing at my ears in panic until I remembered I had not only my own thoughts running through my brain, but Mason’s too. This morning I had woken up not to a panic attack, but to Mason simulating the sound of an alarm going off in my head. It took me a few seconds to look at the clock. It was a full hour before my real alarm was supposed to go off. Just hilarious.
At times, keeping my thoughts in my own head proved difficult. Actually, most of the time I truly sucked at it. I wished I understood why, but Mason learned to control his thought projection with ease, whereas I still struggled. Although the chattery background buzz of his consciousness streamed constantly through my mind, he managed to protect his distinct thoughts, except for when he purposely communicated with me. The way Mason described it, he imagined a soundproof wall around his mind. When he wanted to talk to me through our link, he opened a little window in the wall and sent the thought through to me. He made it sound so easy, but the same kind of mental imagery didn’t seem to work as well for me.
You’re coming with me to Aunt Dorothy’s after my shift, right? I asked.
Yep. I’ll meet you at the cafĂ©. Study hard. I could almost feel him smirking. He’d worked ahead while he was abroad, and had already finished his sophomore year.
I sighed, opened my notebook, and tried to focus on the discussion about the use of coincidental events in A Tale of Two Cities.




Corinne soon discovers that keeping her thoughts to herself is the least of her problems. When she learns who’s going to be helping her carry out her destiny, she couldn’t be more unpleasantly surprised. She’s going to have to find a way to bond with the last person in the world she wants to deal with. As she struggles, her nemesis unleashes an otherworldly evil, and a mysterious illness strikes her friends. Faltering under the weight of her destiny, Corinne escapes to the dream world. There, she meets Zane, an Australian guy with a hot accent and a revelation that binds them together and alters the path of Corinne’s life, but could mean danger for Mason. She throws herself into fighting for everything she loves, but her enemy is stronger than she ever imagined.



My Thoughts:

Alight picks up right where Pyxis left off.  Corrine now knows who the second guardian is and the emotional roller coaster that ensues is marvelous!  While her bond has grown deeper with Mason, the appearance of the mysterious Zane throws quite a kink into the story.  As Corrine struggles to unify her pyramidal union she discovers her enemy is growing stronger and wants to take everything she holds dear away from her.  I loved that when it came down to the biggest fight, the last person Corrine ever expected to help her overcome, ended up being her strongest ally.  Corrine really started to embrace her destiny and grow as a leader in this book.  My absolutely, most favorite part, is the history of the pyxis and pyramidal unions.  I hope so much more of that is explained and used in the next book.  If you haven’t read the first book Pyxis, get to it quickly.  Oh how bitter-sweet this book is.  I say that, since I have to wait for the next & final book to come out so I can find out what happens!


Pyxis: The Discovery (Pyxis, #1)
by K.C. Neal

Corinne lives an average teenage life working at her dad’s cafe, hanging out with her best friend, and trying to forget a falling-out with her almost-boyfriend Mason. Things take a strange turn when she uses her late grandmother’s food dyes for a bake sale, and her customers suddenly find her irresistibly alluring. Then she discovers she and Mason are haunted by the same dreams of a dark force that consumes everything in its path.
Pursued by shadowy figures and a crazy woman with secrets from the past, Corinne must find out who her grandmother really was. In her quest to unravel her family’s history, she learns she is destined to protect this world–and the dark world of her dreams. She races to find the answers she seeks before her nightmares break free.

Author Spotlight:


K.C. Neal writes YA books, works in publishing, and is co-founder of StoneHouse University, an educational resource for authors.

Most of K.C.'s days are filled with some combination of writing, reading, gardening, working, and watching stuff on Netflix with her husband and their maltipoo, Oscar. She has an irrational fixation with L.A., and during occasional trips there she pretends her life is more glamorous than it really is ("Entourage" is her guilty pleasure). She likes to surf and hang out on sandy beaches



Author Links:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/kcnealtweets/
FB: http://www.facebook.com/KCNealFanPage
Goodreads: 
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5163997.K_C_Neal
Website:  http://kcneal.blogspot.com/



 
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