Friday, November 22, 2013

Release day! Alive by Megan D. Martin

Title: Alive (Crave, #1)
Author: Megan D. Martin
Genre: New Adult Post-Apocalyptic Interracial Romance
Release Date: November 22, 2013


Blurb:
Flesh-eating zombies, dirty sex, and a shattered past…
What’s more dangerous—the man who broke her heart or those trying to eat it?

Fighting to survive, Eve finds herself alone in the world after the Crave—the only parallel of her former life. On the hunt for her sister, she runs into Gage—the first and only boy to have her heart and break it. It’s been four years and he isn’t a boy anymore, nor is he the same person he used to be. Against her better judgment, Eve agrees to stay with him when he divulges information on a safe haven near the small town they grew up in—but that doesn’t mean she has to like it…

Returning home elicits a myriad of emotions that both Eve and Gage thought they had buried. The past and present collide and they are forced to the face bitter deceits that ruined them in the before and threaten to destroy them now…

Add to Goodreads 

Book Trailer
About Megan:

Megan D. Martin is a multi-published author, mother, student and editor. In her spare time she enjoys decorating her house with strange things that do not match, playing her old school Nintendo Entertainment System, and buying fish for her many fish tanks. To learn more about Megan, check her out on these social networking sites.

Website: www.MeganDMartin.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/authormegandmartin 
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/Megan_D_Martin 
goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6656963.Megan_D_Martin 
Google+: https://plus.google.com/115096823539939478098/posts 

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Wednesday, November 20, 2013

Ascension by Stacey Rourke




ABOUT ASCENSION:



From best selling and award winning author Stacey Rourke comes the heart-pounding continuation of the acclaimed Gryphon Series.



The turning point of the Gryphon saga is at hand …



Battle looms. Three unstoppable forces prepare to clash in a colossal explosion that could wipe Gainesboro off the map. Fate and sacred calling have landed nineteen year old Celeste Garrett in the middle with nowhere to run.



Her trust wavers as she uncovers dark secrets of the Council, powerful enough to test her loyalty and turn her against those she swore to protect. Playing to the longing of her heart, a malevolent enemy uses her weakness against her to form an alliance.



With the trumpets of war about to sound, which side will the Conduit choose, and who will be left standing?


Excerpt:

Somewhere between sleep and awake he came to me. The mattress shifted under his weight as he settled in beside me.
Warm breath teased against my ear. “I could ne’er leave you, lovey.”
His wandering hands gripped my waist and rolled me to face him. This warbled land governed by sleep couldn’t conjure his whole essence—too much time had passed for that. Instead it teased me with glimpses of what I’d been missing; silky hair caressing my cheek. Hot kisses traveling down my neck. Emerald eyes filled with an insatiable hunger. The sensual awakening that jolted through me when his mouth found mine.   
“I’m always with you,” Caleb whispered against my lips.
I twined my arms around his neck and pulled him closer; a move that garnered a low groan of appreciation. His hands roamed up my arms and encircled my wrists. In a sudden, shockingly violent, move he forced them down against the mattress and pinned me there.
I gaped in confusion as green eyes blinked to sapphire blue. His seductive stare twisted into visible disgust and hatred. Like ink dumped from a bottle, the black drained from Caleb’s hair. The dripping color leaked away to reveal long strawberry blond hair ponytailed at the nape of his neck. Alec. Not the latest version of him currently possessed by a three-hundred-year-old demon, but the Alec I first met whilst rolling a tire. The carefree boy I had started to fall for before fate intervened. Yet the look that darkened his gaze was more murderous than welcoming. I thrashed and bucked beneath him but couldn’t seem to summon one iota of strength. His grip on my wrists tightened to the point of pain.
“Is he worth it?” he hissed in my face. “Is he worth the blood on your hands?”
Crimson red blood bubbled up Alec’s throat. It seeped between his teeth and dribbled down his chin. “Will he still want you when he knows what you’ve done and what it cost?”  
Squeezing my eyes shut, I cringed further into the mattress as blood rained down. The warm stickiness, with its pungent rusty smell, dripped on my face and soaked my shirt. 
I risked a glance up to see Alec’s lips curl in an evil grin. “Now, how ‘bout a kiss?”
He bowed his head and crammed his blood soaked lips to mine. My muffled scream quickly turned into a gurgled gasp for air as I fought not to drown in this crimson hell.



LINKS:



My Review:

Book 4 of the Gryphon series starts with a creepy dream that Celeste has. The story picks up where it left off in book 3 and like in the other books, the action doesn’t stop. The Garret family has new joys, and new obstacles in the fight against evil. But in this one Celeste learns how it all started and has to wonder if she is fighting for the right side.  

This series is one of the best action adventure series’ I have read since the Maximum ride series. It keeps you on your toes and each book has new surprises in store for the conduit of the Gryphon and her family. I tore through this book in a couple of days and I thoroughly enjoyed the exciting continuation of the Conduit saga. I give this another 5 stars and am very eagerly awaiting the next book in the series. Write faster Stacey! Or at least give us a novella to tide us over. :)

***


With the release of Ascension comes the newest edition of the entire series, complete with amazing illustrations of these dynamic characters. Here’s a sample:









Illustrator Crystal Ord will be bringing some of your favorite Gryphon Series characters to life! 

Crystal Smalls Ord is a freelance illustrator and writer who resides in the rainy Pacific Northwest. Her art and stories have appeared in the macabre children's lit magazine, Underneath the Juniper Tree. Last year she illustrated her first children's book, Ethan's Story; My Life with Autism which can be found on Amazon.com. Her art has also appeared in hitRECord.com's musical short, Madamoiselle Noir.

In her free time Crystal plays with her kids, cleans house, teaches music in Sunday School, and lingers in the geekery corner of Pinterest.

Contact her at:

Website: wix.com/fynn47/author-website.com

Facebook: facebook.com/smallsord

                         

The demonic and fantasy elements of the Conduit’s journey will jump off the page thanks to Robert Immings;



In 2000 Robert Immings graduated from the Art Institute of Atlanta with a BFA in graphic design. Since then he’s done work in package design, web development and designed training applications and software interfaces. These days he’s a mild-mannered operations technician with an electronic trading firm in Alpharetta Georgia. Earlier this.year he had a chance to enter Sony's "Treasures of Middle Earth" design contest which was a promotion for the hobbit movie. He came in as a runner-up. More recently he had the opportunity to do some sketches and collaborate on the cover for Emily Fogel's wonderful fantasy novel Dragon Wars and created the cover for her soon to be released book "Chasing Flames". Right now he’s excited to be working on a collection of illustrations for Stacey Rourke's Gryphon Series.

He’s always interested in illustration and graphic design projects and can be contacted at robertimmings@hotmail.com.





ABOUT STACEY:



There is nothing worse than being put on the spot and asked to talk about yourself. For me it
brings back that inevitable moment in a new school when the teacher would ask me to stand up, introduce myself and tell the class something about myself. I was always worried I would blurt out something stupid that I would get teased for. Something like, “My name’s Stacey and I like pickles!” Then for the rest of the school year I’d be known as the Pickle Girl and let’s be honest, no one wants that. So to avoid such a faux pas I will simply say that I love to write. It allows me to get my crazy out just enough that I can function as a normal member of society.



Best selling award winning author of the Laugh-out Loud Gryphon Series and the nonfiction book I'm Not Crazy I'm on Lupron; a Journey Through Infertility. Learn more about Stacey's books at www.staceyrourke.com or diaryofasemi-crazyauthor.blogspot.com. If you are a blogger or reviewer interested in reviewing any of Mrs. Rourke's work please contact her publicist Sara O’Connor at info(AT) gliterarygirlmedia(DOT)com












Dangerous Depths by Karen Amanda Hooper Release day!



Title: Dangerous Depths
Series: The Sea Monster Memoirs #2
Author: Karen Amanda Hooper
Release Date: November 20, 2013 


✳ BUY 


Amazon
Barnes & Noble

 ✳ SYNOPSIS ✳


Hell hath no fury like a selkie separated from his true love.

The gate to the sea creature realm is finally open. Yara wants to bask in the glow of her budding relationship with Treygan and explore Medusa’s world, but as the new leader of Rathe her powers are needed to save a sea creature she’s never met. 

Rownan assumes the worst is behind him when he returns home to be reunited with his wife, Vienna, only to discover she’s gone. She traveled to the evil realm of Harte to find another gateway to Earth and was never heard from again. Rownan claimed he would go through hell to be with her, and now he must prove it. 

Rownan, Yara, and Treygan will put their lives and souls at risk by traveling to the most dangerous realm of all. Love is supposed to conquer all, but no one has ever conquered Harte.


✳ TEASER 


 ABOUT THE AUTHOR 


Karen was born and bred in Baltimore, frolicked and froze in Colorado for a couple of years, and is currently sunning and splashing around Florida with her two beloved dogs. She's addicted to coffee, chocolate, and complicated happily-ever-afters.

Karen has been making up stories for as long as she can remember. Due to her strong Disney upbringing, she still believes in fairy tales and will forever sprinkle magic throughout all of her novels.


✳ CONNECT WITH THE AUTHOR 






Friday, November 15, 2013

Fire and Ice by Michele Barrow-Belisle

Mrs Potter’s Book Publicity Services
Presents

Fire and Ice by Michele Barrow-Belisle Blog Tour

October 21, 2013 to November 21, 2013
Fire and Ice (Faerie Song Trilogy)



Blurb/Synopsis:



Adventure wasn’t something Lorelei Alundra was interested in. Gifted with two otherworldly talents for singing and healing, she’s always shied away from her gifts and the spotlight, preferring quiet anonymity, over attention and fame. But when she meets the enigmatic Adrius, with his dark and dangerous mystique and eyes that peer into her soul, her uneventful life becomes irrevocably altered.
Adrius turns up in every one of her classes and knows more about her than any newcomer should. Including the condition of her mother who is suffering from a mysterious illness. Accepting his offer to help leads her into a terrifying and thrilling world, where Elves are even hotter than Legolas, and Faeries.... are nothing like Tinkerbell. Lose the butterfly wings and add a tattoo. The two magical beings are fire and ice opposites. One Lorelei can’t help falling for, and the other she's compelled to be with.
Now she’s trapped in their world, expected to prevent a war between witches and faeries, or forfeit her mother’s life. Nothing is what it seems. Not her family. Not the Fey. Not even Adrius, whose feelings for her balance precariously between danger and desire. 
As secrets unravel and unsettling truths are revealed, Lorelei must fight to save much more than her mother’s life. One mistake could put the fate of his world— and her soul, in jeopardy. 
But hey, no pressure… right.

My Review:
Fire & Ice is a compelling story about love, lies, and a mysterious prophecy that could mean the end of Mythlandia. Only Lorelei can fulfil the prophecy and save this enchanted world from the evil Ice Witch. This story is a very detailed and complicated tale. I have to admit, that there were parts of the story that lost my interest. Weirdly enough, they were parts in the magical world. There was so much information to absorb, and so much to process that it left my head spinning and slightly disinterested in going on. The storyline was interesting enough, but I felt compelled to start skimming because there was just so much going on. I think it’s a good story if you have the time to invest in it. Like I said, the storyline is compelling and it is a great idea. I just thought it was too much for one story.
I wanted to love this book. I loved Lorelei. She reminded me a lot of myself at that age. Very quiet and just wanting to blend into the scenery. She was strong and she knew what she had to do, even if she had a hard time believing she was a fairy princess. I give this book 3 stars. It was a great idea, but it probably should have been at least two books.


Book Link:




Purchase Links:








Author Bio



Michele Barrow-Belisle is chocoholic author and artist living in southern Ontario, Canada with her
super-sweet husband, brilliant son and a ridiculously affectionate cat. Often told by teachers to stop dreaming and get her head out of the clouds, Michele still spends much of her time lost in make-believe worlds, populated with fascinating and occasionally terrifying characters. Her passion for fantasy extends beyond her writing into her clay figure sculpt-ing, creating miniaturized replicas of the paranormal beings she writes about. Michele is as passionate about reading as she is about writing. When she’s not reading or writing, she can be found sculpting tiny fairy desserts in polymer clay. She also loves mocha lattes and watching fireflies at twilight. Did we mention she loves chocolate?




Author Links:










Tour Wide Giveaway



The Giveaway Prize will be a Gift box with the following:



  • one ebook copy of Fire & Ice - Kindle or ePUB  (will not be in the box)
  • one bottle of Fire & Ice nail polish
  • one candle with Fire & Ice charm
  • one mini book key ring
  • one Lemon Balm Cafe charm
  • one Fire & Ice bookmark
  • one $15.00 Amazon gift card










Monday, November 11, 2013

Gates Trilogy: Hidden Gates by D.T. Dyllin

  

Book one of the P.J. Stone Gates Trilogy
New Adult Paranormal Romance  
299 pages  
by D.T. Dyllin
For P.J. Stone, being a “Seer” who has never seen anything is less than fun. And P.J. isn’t known for her patience. To make matters worse, she must choose a suitable mate to continue the Seer bloodline. Duty always comes before her heart…at least that’s what her parents taught her. When she finds herself wanting someone who is considered off-limits, P.J. is forced to question everything she believes. As if navigating her love life isn’t complicated enough, P.J. finally receives a vision—of a threat to her world that only she can perceive. But no one will believe a fledgling Seer’s warnings. With nowhere else to turn, she may decide to trust a stranger with her life, her world, and maybe even her heart.

My review of Hidden Gates:
P.J., Bryn, Jenna, Jeremy and Kohl. These are the characters in this amazingly original story of magic, dragons, and possibly the end of existence as we know it. P.J. is a seer and Bryn is her protector and that is where the extent of their relationship is supposed to end. But they fall in love anyway and against their community’s rules, they plan to run away together. Then a mysterious stranger shows up and everything changes. Who are they really? And how will they stop what P.J. has seen in the visions about invaders posing as humans to take over the world?


This is one of those edge of your seat stories that grabs you from the first page and doesn’t let go. I devoured this book over a weekend and then suffered a book hangover. I was sad that I had to read and review another book and I couldn’t get to the second one right away. This book has excitement, terror, mystery, and of course a love story. In my opinion one of the sweetest love stories I’ve read in a long time. I love how this story had little bit of everything. I definitely recommend it to anyone who likes paranormal, fantasy, YA and romance. 5 stars! Very exciting read!

Book two of the P.J. Stone Gates Trilogy
New Adult Paranormal Romance
241 pages
P.J. Stone is a Seer who saw too little, too late. In the past, her biggest worries were boys and school—but war has a way of changing things. Now, the alien Riders are trying to overrun the world. As the last of their kind, P.J. and her friends must find a way to save humanity before there’s nothing left to save. After choosing a mate, P.J. hoped she'd have time to enjoy her love life. But with everything changing so quickly and major secrets revealed, who knows what the future will bring?
 

Book three of the P.J. Stone Gates Trilogy
New Adult Paranormal Romance  
Bryn is gone. Jenna isn’t…herself, and the world has been taken over by the alien Riders. The only constant in P.J.’s life is Khol. But even he might not be able to help her pick up the shattered pieces of her life.
P.J. finally gets the answers to all of her questions, but will she be able to handle the truth? And will she be strong enough to face her own destiny when the time comes?

 


About the Author
Cynical-Optimist. Chocolate-holic. Sarcasm Addict. Paranormal Believer. Self-Imposed Insomniac. Sci-Fi Geek. Animal Lover. Writer…are just a few words to describe D.T. Dyllin. She was born and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and now lives in Nashville, Tennessee with her husband and two very spoiled GSDs.
 

Wednesday, November 6, 2013

Chasing Terpsichore by Maggie Mitchell

Blurb:
When a goddess lands in modern times there’s bound to be trouble.


Banished from her home in Olympus and trapped in modern day Australia, Terpsichore does her best to fit in, but when she is mistaken for a prostitute she needs the services of straight- laced solicitor James Barrington to help.


James Barrington is a man on a fast track to a stellar legal career. Being involved with a pole dancing tango teacher is not part of the plan.


Together they fight a Titan rebel and a journey through the Underworld but can they find each other on the way?

My Review:
Corey teaches tango in her dance studio and dances in a cage to blow off steam. She may seem like a fiery redhead with a passion for dance, but she's really Terschipone the daughter of Zeus, muse of dance. She's been banished to live on earth by her jealous stepmother, but she's found that she enjoys being around humans and she likes the feelings they make her feel. Then she meets sexy NN. An uptight lawyer with no room in his life for a relationship of any kind. Though he tries to stay away from Corey, he can't help but get drawn in by her beauty and spirit. Soon he's fallen harder than her could imagine. And now he has to save her from Hades and he's in over his head!

This was a fun read. it wasn't terribly complicated or overly serious and it made a great weekend read! It was well written and I liked the characters. Their chemistry was hot! I wouldn't necessarily categorize this as paranormal. It was more of a contemporary fantasy novel. It was interesting for what it was and I enjoyed taking a break from the typical books I read. I'd recommend this to anyone who likes a good romance. Fun read! 4 stars!



About the author:


Maggie Mitchell lives in her dream place by the sea. Of course, sometimes she even gets the dreams written down in a story. Lucky for her she has a musician for a husband who understands the creative spirit. In her other life she teaches undergraduate university nursing students and designs eLearning courses for health organisations. Most days you’ll find her out on her balcony enjoying a glass of Moscato or a cappuccino made on her beloved espresso machine.


Contact Maggie:



Friday, November 1, 2013

Cover Reveal Progeny by S.A. Hutchton

Title: PROGENY (The Endure series, book 3)
Author: S. A. Huchton
Genre: New Adult Science Fiction Romance
Release Date: December 2nd, 2013


Description:

Heartbroken over Lydia's unexplained departure, Daniel Brewer is barely functional. When she left the Endure, she took everything important with her: his purpose, his heart, his reason for breathing. Daniel's convinced Nick Miller has the answers to his questions, but Dr. Gorgeous isn't talking.

A world away, Dr. Lydia Ashley struggles with her choices and mistakes. With one small discovery, everything she thought was true is shattered in an instant.

The buried secrets of the Maven Initiative surface. 

No one is safe.

And Daniel and Lydia must both decide exactly how far they'll go for love.

Links:




Info on the other two books in the series:

(Note: Book 1 is only 99 cents!)

Title: MAVEN (The Endure series, book 1) 

Description:

How far would you go for love?
Since losing her parents at 14, young prodigy Dr. Lydia Ashley has focused on one thing: an appointment on the Deep Water Research Command Endure. Now 21, she’s about to realize that dream, but nothing is how she imagined it would be. Her transitional sponsor forgets her, her new lab is in complete chaos, and, as if that weren’t enough, she’s about to discover something so horrific it could potentially destroy all life on the planet. 
Daniel Brewer, a noted playboy and genius in his own right, may be exactly what she needs… Or he may make everything worse.
Has she finally found a puzzle she can’t solve? 



Title: NEMESIS (The Endure series, book 2) 

Description:

Tech genius Daniel Brewer isn't the only one with a romantic history. Already weighed down with the impossible problem of the Maven Initiative's plans for world domination and disaster, Dr. Lydia Ashley is finding it more and more difficult to keep things in balance. With an old flame reappearing and the schemes of a vindictive new rival thrown into the mix, her hopes for a life with Daniel may be on the brink of annihilation. 
When Lydia's past is brought to light, one big secret could destroy everything.



Author Links:


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review: For your Heart by A.L. Davroe

For your Heart by A.L. Davroe

Blurb:
Experience THE BALLAD OF TAM LIN like you’ve never read it before…

It has been seven years since Jeanette Sauderheim followed her best friend into Carver Hall Park...and came out alone. Jeanette has never gotten over his mysterious disappearance nor has she gone back into the park. While that traumatic night still haunts her, Jeanette distracts herself by balancing her time between trying to pass Spanish, hanging out with her friends, and reading the latest manga.

But, when a promise to a friend drives her back into the park, she's forced to re-live the memories of that night. Lost and confused, Jeanette crosses paths with Tamrin, whose violent reaction to her provides yet another reason to avoid the park.

Tamrin, a knight of the Summer Court, has been sent to Earth to guard a garden of roses that hold special meaning to the queen of the Summer faeries. When his distraction at meeting Jeanette leads to her picking one of the Summer Queen’s roses, Tamrin vows to right his failure to do his duty.

However, the equivalent of one of the queen’s roses is a human heart and Tamrin’s reluctance to readily exact the sum from Jeanette sets in motion a spiral of love, betrayal, and magic that could mean damnation for them both.

*This is an Upper YA paranormal romance novel with NA and contemporary fantasy appeal.


My Review:
I was very torn about how I felt about this story until the last paragraph. The last paragraph had me in tears.
I get emotional about books (what book nerd doesn't?), but it's rare for one to move me to tears.
 

Through most of the book, the strong religious undercurrent was a little too much for me, but the story presented was just too interesting  for me to pass up. As I continued to read, I got lost in the world of Janette and Tam and even her friends Celeste, Emily and Amber. What a great group they are! They have problems, but are so strong and their love for each other is undeniable. They are able to work through their issues and stand strong to support each other thought their hard times. And boy do they have their hard times! I don't want to give any of the story away because you will really want to read this one for yourself. It really has everything. Fairies, demons, magic, witches, heart stopping terror, love and loyalty. You'll have to read it to find out how it all fits together and see for yourself how amazing this story is.

5 stars! I definitely recommend this to everyone since it has a bit of everything. I thought about giving this one a 4 star rating, but honestly I had to read to the end to realize what a gem this book turned out to be!






Author bio:

A.L. Davroe writes both YA and adult speculative fiction.  Her debut YA paranormal romance novel, FOR YOUR HEART, releases October 31, 2013.  By day, she lives in Connecticut her two feline hench-creatures. She’s a terrible blusher, has a weak spot for cuddly animals, loves Laffy Taffy and Cadbury MiniEggs, and she’s a huge advocate of alternative healing methods.  She also wears Vibram five-finger toe shoes and corsets...Though not always in the same ensemble. She’s a Capricorn, a Hufflepuff, and a few nuggets short of a Happy Meal.