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January 24, 2016

Shallow Graves by Kali Wallace ~ Blog Tour: #Review & #Giveaway




Shallow Graves
by Kali Wallace
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Release Date: January 26th 2016
Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal, Horror, Zombies, Fantasy, Thriller, Contemporary, Fiction, Mystery, Supernatural
Rating: 5 / 5 


Synopsis:


For fans of Holly Black and Nova Ren Suma, a gripping, hauntingly atmospheric novel about murder, revenge, and a world where monsters—human and otherwise—lurk at the fringes.

When seventeen-year-old Breezy Lin wakes up in a shallow grave one year after her death, she doesn’t remember who killed her or why. All she knows is that she’s somehow conscious—and not only that, she’s able to sense who around her is hiding a murderous past. In life, Breezy was always drawn to the elegance of the universe and the mystery of the stars. Now she must set out to find answers and discover what is to become of her in the gritty, dangerous world to which she now belongs—where killers hide in plain sight and a sinister cult is hunting for strange creatures like her. What she finds is at once empowering, redemptive, and dangerous.

Tense, complex, and wholly engaging, Shallow Graves is a stunning first novel from Kali Wallace.




The premise of Shallow Graves is so awesome! Imagine waking up one year after you died to find out you can sense if a person is a murderer or not. The story is fresh and clever, and I couldn't get enough! 

That first sentence really got me. As far as first sentences go, it was the perfect one to pull me into the story right away. It jumped out at me, and I wanted to find out more about Breezy. She's a character who's interesting and intelligent. She isn't wandering around feeling sorry for herself, nope, she's taking action and has become a sort of vigilante, ridding the world of murderers one at a time. 

I'm not sure I can go out in public anymore without thinking about killers hiding in plain sight. That thought was one that freaked me out the most in Shallow Graves. I was so freaked out that when I tried to go to sleep, I kept peeking one eye open to make sure no one creepy was there. Yikes!  

I can't believe Shallow Graves is Kali Wallace's first novel! The writing is phenomenal, and I was left wanting more. I can't wait to see what she has up her sleeve next. 

If you love suspense, fresh ideas, intelligent main characters and compelling storytelling, you really need to check out Shallow Graves!   






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Follow the Shallow Graves by Kali Wallace Blog Tour and don't miss anything! Click on the banner to see the tour schedule.



Kali Wallace studied geology and geophysics before she decided she enjoyed inventing imaginary worlds as much as she liked researching the real one. Her short fiction has appeared in Clarkesworld, F&SF, Asimov's, Lightspeed Magazine, and Tor.com. Her first novel will be published by Katherine Tegen Books in 2016. She lives in southern California.




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January 15, 2016

Every Big & Little Wish by E.C. Moore ~ Blog Tour: #Review & #Giveaway


Welcome, Donnie Darlings, to my stop on the Every Big & Little Wish Blog Tour hosted by Xpresso Book Tours! Click here to follow along with the full tour schedule.


Every Big & Little Wish 
by E.C. Moore
Published by: Booktrope Publishing
Publication Date: 10/20/15
Genres: Romance, Young Adult
Source: Copy for review 

Purchase: Amazon    





Synopsis


E.C. Moore's young adult novel, Every Big and Little Wish, opens in late spring 1970. Sixteen-year-old Jacy Wilbert's Mom got promoted, so her parents sold their Victorian home in California and moved to a townhouse in Oregon.

Torn away from the only home she's ever known, forced to leave her beloved German shepherd behind, Jacy feels misplaced. Exacerbating an already terrible situation, her dad runs off with the bombshell real estate agent who sold them their townhouse. And, just when it seems things can't get any worse, her mom loses the stupid job they left California for in the first place and begins to drown her sorrows with pink wine, night after night. Jacy's caught in the middle, struggling to maintain a relationship with her AWOL dad while tolerating his annoying, much-younger girlfriend. 

Missing old friends back in California, and feeling like an outsider, Jacy needs to build a new social life in a new school. Not the sort of girl to wait around for what she wants to come her way, she sets her sights on Neil Wilder, the best-looking boy around. 

Everything changes when Jacy Wilbert knocks on the wrong door. 



Every Big & Little Wish really made me feel for the main character, Jacy! She's been through so much change through the actions of her parents, and everything feels out of her control. When she becomes friends with Neil, everything changes all over again, and I couldn't help thinking how unfair it was for Jacy. Once again, where she lived and what she could do was out of her hands. 

I also really felt for Neil. He's been through so much that no kid should ever have to face, and it was difficult to read about his home life. The thing I really admired about Jacy was that she never even thought about running for the hills when Neil told her just how dysfunctional his family is. She stuck by Neil, and I think she was a presence in his life he sorely needed. 

At first I really didn't like Cay, but she grew on me. She doesn't have a positive view of herself like so many girls at her age, and I think her friendship with Jacy brought out self confidence. I just wish (see what I did there?) she didn't think she was only worthwhile because Jacy chose to be her friend.  

I really loved Every Big & Little Wish - the time it takes place in, the characters, and the story itself. I already know this is a novel I'll be re-reading in the future.     
  


About the Author 


When Elizabeth’s not writing feverishly, you will find her out walking or sightseeing. She’s crazy about coffee, books, cooking, good wine, cairn terriers, miniature ponies, historical houses, tapas, and witty people.

She resides in a fifties bungalow in Southern California, with her creative-director, hubba-hubba husband, a yappy blonde dog, and one feisty Chihuahua.







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January 11, 2016

Floor 21 by Jason Luthor ~ Blog Tour: #GuestPost @JL_TheProfessor


Welcome, Donnie Darlings, to my stop on the Floor 21 Blog Tour hosted by YA Bound Book Tours! Click here to follow along with the full tour schedule! 




Floor 21
Release Date: June 2nd 2015
Purchase: Amazon 







Synopsis


As humanity lives out the remainder of its existence at the top of an isolated apartment tower, young Jackie dares to question Tower Authority and their ban on traveling into the tower's depths. Intelligent and unyielding, Jackie ventures into the shadows of the floors below. But will her strong will and refusal to be quiet - in a society whose greatest pride is hiding the past - bring understanding of how humanity became trapped in the tower she has always called home, or will it simply be her undoing?


Guest Post by Jason Luthor 



   FLOOR 21 happened by accident. I had previously written two books, neither of them great. I had an agent in L.A. who told me I was great at building worlds but my characters didn’t pop or stand out. So, November 2014, it’s NaNoWriMo, I’m watching Walking Dead, and this interesting moment happens. There’s this young teen girl trying to escape a hospital by lowering herself down an elevator shaft. I’m watching this, then I have an idea:
What if the horror was on ground level, but nobody had been back to the ground in centuries?
That’s what inspired the book. I opened up a Word document, started typing in a first person narrative from the perspective of a teenage girl, and put out about five pages of it to a writing group. Response? People go nuts about it. So I think with it. I think after years of writing, feedback from my agent, and just tons of practice, I finally nailed the balance between world building and character.
The book itself follows a headstrong girl named Jackie, whose life is lead from a position of privilege inside of an isolated apartment tower. The occupants live on the top 21 levels, and going any lower is forbidden. Nobody has seen ground, or knows why they got trapped up here, but they know there’s a living sickness known as the Creep that reacts to negative human emotions and will attack or kill people further down the tower. Teams, known as Scavengers, are sent out every three months to scavenge the lower floors for food. Not all of them make it back.
Jackie has two questions: Who is running things from the top floor (where nobody is allowed to go), and what’s beneath the 21st floor? The book tries to combine a kind of slice-of-life story that portrays Jackie as a pretty imperfectly perfect teenager who has trouble relating to people, bouts of mild anxiety and depression, but also this bravery to explore where nobody else will.
The greatest response I’ve had to the book has been how much people like Jackie and the characters. That would never have happened a few years ago, when I was still struggling to portray these people as interesting, engaging individuals. So, I’m glad that people are not only fascinated by the world of the tower, but also by Jackie.



About the Author




Jason Luthor has spent a long life writing for sports outlets, media companies and universities. His earliest writing years came during his coverage of the San Antonio Spurs as an affiliate with the Spurs Report and its media partner, WOAI Radio. He would later enjoy a moderate relationship with Blizzard Entertainment, writing lore and stories for potential use in future games. At the academic level he has spent several years pursuing a PhD in American History at the University of Houston, with a special emphasis on Native American history. 

His inspirations include some of the obvious; The Lord of the Rings and Chronicles of Narnia are some of the most cited fantasy series in history. However, his favorite reads include the Earthsea Cycle, the Chronicles of Prydain, as well as science fiction hits such as Starship Troopers and Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? 

Connect with the Author





#CoverReveal ~ In the After by Elisa Dane



Hey, Donnie Darlings! How are you? I have a cover reveal for you all today, brought to you by Xpresso Book Tours. Enjoy! 


In the After
(Fighting Chance #1)

By Elisa Dane
Published by: Swoon Romance
Publication date: February 2nd 2016
Genres: Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult


Synopsis 
Sadie Reynolds is a liar with secrets. At school, she’s part of the popular crowd known as AE, despite being broken inside. She hides it well. She has to. The slightest bit of imperfection will land her in the same shoes as her Geeky neighbor named Ian.

Ian and his only friend are the object of Sadie’s friends’ ridicule, ire, and entertainment. The AE rule the school with intimidation and retribution against anyone who would dare question their supremacy.

Sadie steers clear of most of it, terrified someone will find out her secret. She isn’t the least bit perfect. In fact, she suffers from PTSD stemming from the murder of her mother right before her eyes when she was a child. She can barely cope from day-to-day, hiding her truth and trying to fit in. But she knows it’s only a matter of time.

Hayden is a “Waverly,” a kid with the misfortune of living in the small farming town of Waverly that borders the very affluent Lexington Parrish. The AE doesn’t mix with “Waverlies.” Ever.

Desperate to get away from her oppressive friends, Sadie crashes into Hayden at a bonfire and the attraction that sparks between them is nothing short of electric. But Hayden’s an outsider and when things heat up, Sadie will be forced to choose between her friends and her new boyfriend.

Only Queen Bee Britt isn’t having it. She will not allow Sadie to cross her. Sadie can either do what Britt wants her to do or she will reveal Sadie for the PTSD freak that she is.

Sadie does some soul searching about who she is and who she wants to be. She can’t live her life like this. Not any more. One fateful night will help her see how much things have to change.

She’s determined to no longer allow the AE to rule her life. She will be strong, stand up for Ian and love who she wants in Hayden. Determined and invigorated, Sadie goes to school feeling hopeful for the first time in forever.

But, the unthinkable happens.

Shooters attack dozens of students before the two eventually take their own lives, leaving the school a decimated shadow of what it once was.

Suddenly who lives where, wears what or loves whom seems like the least of Lexington Parish’s problems as everyone and everything changes forever in the after.

IN THE AFTER by Elisa Dane is a hard-hitting and heart-warming story of tragedy, love, loss and redemption. It is recommended for readers 14+.



Author Bio

ELISA DANE is a self-proclaimed book junkie. A lover of handbags, chocolate, and reality television, she's a proud mother to three All- Star cheerleaders. Writing is her absolute passion, and it's her mission to create stories that will not only take you on a romantic journey that will warm your heart, but help you find a new respect and interest in the sport of All-Star cheerleading.


Elisa is no stranger to the publishing world. She writes steamy paranormal romance under her real name, Lisa Sanchez. Her adult works include the Hanford Park series (Eve Of Samhain, Pleasures Untold, and Faythe Reclaimed), Obsessed (an erotic suspense), and a paranormal novella, Cursing Athena. Elisa lives in Northern California with her husband, three daughters, and a feisty Chihuahua who stubbornly believes she's human.



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