Love & Muddy Puddles by Cecily Anne Paterson ~ Blog Tour: Review & Giveaway

Hey guys! Welcome to my stop on the Love and Muddy Puddles Blog Tour hosted by Reading Addiction Book Tours. Click here for the full tour schedule.

Love and Muddy Puddles

by Cecily Anne Paterson

Published January 2014

Young Adult Romance

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Synopsis

Thirteen-year-old fashionista Coco Franks has finally made it into the popular group when her dad decides to move the whole family to the country so they can 'bond'. Social death is looming, her shoes are covered in mud and all Coco wants to do is get herself back to her city friends. After all, things can't get any worse, right? 

LOVE AND MUDDY PUDDLES is a cute story about a teen girl named Coco who gets the bad news she and her family are moving from the city to a farm out in the country. Well, it's bad news for her while everyone else - her parents, twin sister, and older brother - are all stoked about the move. Coco has just hit the popularity lottery after a lot of hard work and doesn't want to give it up. Moving to a farm? Social suicide! 

From what I'm about to say you might think I didn't like Coco, but I actually did. Yes, she was superficial and cared way too much about what Saffron and the group thought about her, but I think it's normal behavior for her age. I understood how she felt insecure, jealous, and overlooked by everyone because her twin sister excels at everything she does. It was easy to see Coco is still quite young and has a lot of life ahead of her to experience. 

Picture the clique from Mean Girls as thirteen-year-olds, and you've got the idea of what Saffron and the group are like. I never cared much about being in the popular crowd, so I couldn't relate with her on working so hard to make it into the exclusive group. It just didn't seem worth it to me - Coco had to watch everything she said and did so carefully it was comical. Painfully comical. 

Luckily, the entire book isn't about Coco trying to say all the right things, talk to the right people, and wear the right clothes. Once she and her family move to the farm, she soon meets Cupcake - one of the horses belonging to a neighbor. The bond that forms between Coco and Cupcake is unique, and this is when Coco really starts to shine. She begins learning how she's special in her own way from her twin and that it's okay to be a girl with character rather than a girl with a great manicure. Not that there's anything wrong with having a great manicure! 

And then there was James. The initial meeting between Coco and James gets off to a rocky start when Coco thinks she's better than him and can talk down to him. She was in for a huge surprise because he speaks his mind and isn't interested in playing games. I thought he was a great person for Coco to be around - just the person who could help her see things beyond  the surface. 

Love and Muddy Puddles was a terrifically cute and witty story. Coco was so clueless in the beginning, and it was a pleasure to see her transform throughout the story. The cast of characters will grow on you quickly, and while you might be able to guess the story's ending, it's still enjoyable to see how exactly it plays out. 

My Rating:

Cecily Anne Paterson desperately hopes that someone will develop a self-cleaning house soon so that she gets more time to write. She should probably also teach her four children to cook for the same reason. 

Cecily creates true-to-life stories for young teenage girls, mostly because she never really grew out of being a young teenage girl herself. She grew up in Pakistan, went to boarding school in the Himalayan mountains and now lives a much quieter life in country New South Wales, Australia.

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Blog Tour: Review ~ Wakefield by Erin Callahan & Troy H. Gardner

Welcome to my stop on the Wakefield Blog Tour hosted by Reading Addiction Book Tours. Click here for the full tour schedule. 

Title: Wakefield

Series: Mad World #1

Authors: Erin Callahan & Troy H. Gardner

Release Date: October 5th 2012

Genre: Young Adult Paranormal

Source: Review copy

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Synopsis

Orphans Astrid Chalke and Max Fisher meet when they're sent to live at Wakefield, a residential and educational facility for teens with psychiatric and behavioral problems. Astrid's roommate cuts herself with anything sharp she can get her hands on and Max's roommate threatens him upon introduction.

Just as Astrid and Max develop a strong bond and begin to adjust to the constant chaos surrounding them, a charming and mysterious resident of Wakefield named Teddy claims he has unexplainable abilities. Sometimes he can move things without touching them. Sometimes he can see people's voices emanating from their mouths. Teddy also thinks that some of the Wakefield staff are on to him.

At first, Astrid and Max think Teddy is paranoid, but Max's strange, recurring dreams and a series of unsettling events force them to reconsider Teddy's claims. Are they a product of his supposedly disturbed mind or is the truth stranger than insanity?

My Thoughts

WAKEFIELD is told from the alternating points of view of Astrid and Max, two new patients who end up crossing paths and becoming friends. I was pleasantly surprised to find out there was a wide variety of characters who were more involved in the story than I thought they would be.  

Astrid and Max didn't seem like they belonged in Wakefield, especially Max - I couldn't figure out if there really was a misunderstanding or if he was in denial of some issues. Later, the pieces began to fall into place. 

I liked both Astrid and Max. I hated it when Max was tormented by his roommate. I wanted him to stand up for himself so many times! Astrid is perceptive, and I admired that she stood up for Laura against a staff member. That took courage because that staff member could have retaliated against her. 

Teddy was always a mystery even before he begins talking about his powers. When he told Max he can see his words as different colors, I wanted Max to believe him because I could already sense there was more to the story than what was on the surface. And because I knew I was reading a paranormal story, lol.  

There seemed something "off" about Dr. Lycen to me even before patients began complaining about him. I could just imagine him hypnotizing a patient to get what he wants. Two staff members, one male and one female, were just evil to some of the patients. I was impressed Astrid stood up to the female staff member when she noticed unnecessarily rough treatment of Laura.  

My only complaint is that it took a while to get to the paranormal aspect of the story (unless I missed clues before then?), but other than that, WAKEFIELD is well written with believable characters. I liked the paranormal twist involving a residential treatment facility. I've never read a story like this before. There were pop culture references I thought were fun, too. I'm looking forward to the next installment!    

My Rating 4 / 5    

About the Authors

Erin Callahan lives with her husband in the bustling metropolis of Hooksett, New Hampshire, and works for the federal government. She enjoys reading and writing young adult fiction, playing recreational volleyball, and mining the depths of pop culture for new and interesting ideas. A year after graduating from law school, she found herself unemployed and took a job as a case manager at a residential facility similar to the one featured in Wakefield. Though she worked there for just over a year, the strange and amazing kids she met will forever serve as a well of inspiration. 

Troy H. Gardner grew up in New Hampshire and graduated with a B.A. in English/Communications with a dual concentration in film and writing from the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts. He spent ten years working in the banking industry dreaming up numerous stories to write. When not writing, which is seldom, Troy busies himself jet-setting from Sunapee, NH to Moultonborough, NH.

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Blitz ~ Fathoms of Forgiveness by Nadia Scrieva

Fathoms of Forgiveness - PROMO Blitz

By Nadia Scrieva

Paranormal Romance - Epic Fantasy

Date Published: March 2012

Meet the brave and fearless Visola; a woman unlike any you've ever encountered. Her wit and humor take her through the darkest of dangers with a smile always on her face--and her smile only grows larger as the odds become more impossible. With no concern for her own safety, Visola dives headfirst into the throes of battle to protect the people and country she loves, even if it means facing her worst enemy--the one man who can get inside her head and break her down like no other: her own husband...       

There is no divorce in the undersea kingdom of Adlivun. Marriage is a bond that lasts until death--even if death comes in several centuries, and in that time your spouse happens to become your sworn enemy. This is the conflict that General Visola Ramaris faces when she learns that the mighty Vachlan is behind the attacks on her kingdom. She has sworn to protect Adlivun with her life, but long ago, she also swore to love and honor her husband...

Visola must choose whether she will destroy Vachlan once and for all, or attempt the hardest thing conceivable: communication. After two hundred years of desertion, she knows she can never forgive him. When he threatens the person dearest to her, she must take action. Confronting Vachlan on enemy territory would be nothing short of suicide. She knows that if she falls into his custody, the deranged mercenary would relish torturing her and making her lose her own sanity.

Princess Aazuria forbids Visola from taking matters into her own hands. She will do anything it takes to protect her friend from the man who wants to crush her. Alas, Visola is a crazy, uncontrollable warrior with the blood of Vikings in her veins. Why would she ever consider doing the safe and predictable thing?

EXCERPT

When Aazuria entered the room, her eyes were immediately drawn to Visola’s wild red hair, which had recently been a lustrous mass of audacious curls. Now, her hair was limp. It hung against her head flat, frizzy and defeated. Aazuria’s eyes darted to the warrior’s sunken cheekbones and gaunt face. She saw the bruises on Visola’s neck before her eyes traveled further to the withered, wasted limbs. Every visible part of her friend’s body was covered in fresh scars. She saw the bandaged hands. Visola had been starved and tortured.

Perhaps in these modern times, even under the surface of the sea, kings, queens, and the aristocracy had close to zero significance. Perhaps the words and decrees which left Aazuria’s mouth would have minimal consequences. No one in the throne room felt this way as they awaited Aazuria’s judgment with bated breath. Sionna was standing aside, with her arms crossed. The newly-crowned queen gripped her husband’s sword tightly in her fist as Trevain and Elandria entered the room behind her.

Aazuria shifted her eyes to the man standing beside her friend. Her face was expressionless.

“Approach me, Vachlan,” she whispered.

The man began walking toward her. Although his stride was dignified, there was hesitation on his face. Visola began speaking, pleading words which Aazuria could not hear over the sound of her heart pounding in her ears.

When Vachlan was close enough to strike, Aazuria gazed at him with death in her eyes.

“Kneel,” she commanded him. Her chest was rising and falling perceptibly.

Vachlan knew that this would be a very unwise thing to do, but he owed it to Aazuria. He owed it to Visola, and to Adlivun—the nation he had once called home.  He lowered his head and dropped to one knee before the queen, saluting her across his chest. His eyes were level with the sword she held, and he could see the veins bulging through her translucent pale skin from how tightly she clutched it.

“It would be futile to order you punished,” she said slowly. “No one can even attempt to hurt you as much as you have hurt her.”

“I know,” he answered quietly.

“But it is my duty to try.”

She struck out with her sword, slicing the air until the blade collided with his face, knocking Vachlan off his knees and onto the floor. Aazuria could vaguely hear Visola screaming for her to stop, but she was already standing over Vachlan and forcing the tip of her sword between his teeth. Her previous strike had resulted in a huge bleeding gash along the side of his handsome face, but it had not been enough to kill him. She was poised to finish the job.

Vachlan moved his tongue against the steel, tasting the freshly-sharpened metal edge garnished with the metallic taste of his own blood. It is rare that the wine so perfectly accompanies the main dish, he thought as he swallowed the coppery fluid accumulating in his mouth. Kind of like a German Pinot Noir. He looked into the azure eyes of Adlivun’s queen and realized that this was no longer the innocent, charitable philanthropist he had known hundreds of years ago. She was hard. He wondered what percentage of the tempered rage behind her eyes he was responsible for generating.

“One reason.” Aazuria was demanding. “Give me one convincing reason that I should not thrust my blade directly through your skull.”

Nadia Scrieva

Nadia Scrieva lives in Toronto, Canada with no husband, no kids, and no pets. She does own a very attractive houseplant which she occasionally remembers to water between her all-consuming writing marathons.

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The Upside of Being Let Down by London Casey ~ Promo Blitz

The Upside of Being Let Down - PROMO Blitz

by London Casey

Date Published: 1/7/2014

New Adult Romance

The fact that AJ's sister is a stripper has been the bane of AJ's existence for as long as she can remember. Every guy that has showed interest only wanted to get closer to her sister. After being kicked out of college, and subsequently out of her apartment, AJ heads to the strip club for some sisterly advice. Instead, she lands in the apartment of a cute stranger who seems way too eager to help.

Bryan is a regular guy looking for the simplicity in life. A strip club is definitely not his idea of simplicity, but he is pleasantly surprised at who he finds not prancing around on stage.  In the middle of a strip club his eyes are glued to a woman that is fully dressed and thus begins a rollercoaster romance that he never saw coming.

When a risky dare is set in motion, an earth shattering truth is unraveled and AJ no longer knows who she can trust.  Can Bryan prove that he loves AJ and help save her bond with her sister before it's too late? 

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I'm definitely snagging a copy of this asap! I love the title, the cover, the synopsis - I think the strip club setting will prove to be interesting to say the least, lol!   

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Promo Blitz ~ After Alex Died by Dakota Madison

After Alex Died - Week Blitz

Dakota Madison

New Adult Romance

Date Published: 11/28/2013

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"Don't be someone who defines her life by someone else's death."

Dee Dee DeMarco's brother, Alex, was funny, free-spirited and creative. He was also gay. Tormented by bullies, Alex killed himself on his 15th birthday. 

Two years later, and now in college, Dee Dee believes getting a summer job working with a college-prep program for disadvantaged high school students is a stroke of luck, until she discovers that the guy assigned to co-lead her group is Cameron Connelly, a star basketball player and one of the bullies who tormented her brother to death. How can Dee Dee possibly spend the entire summer working so closely with one of the boys she blames for her brother's death?

EXCERPT

I could feel my heartbeat quicken as I entered the auditorium. The kids were talking and messing around as they waited for the class to begin. The other counselors, with the exception of Cameron, were also seated in the audience with the kids. Cameron was standing at the podium with Dr. Jones.

When Cameron saw me walk in, he winked at me. I didn't know whether to slap him or hug him. Therein was the problem. 

Dr. Jones waved her arms to get everyone's attention. "Quiet everyone. We have a special presentation today. Cameron is going to talk to you about bullying and how it impacted his life."

"Who would bully him?" one of the kids cracked and the other kids laughed.

"Enough," Dr. Jones reprimanded. "I expect you to give Cameron your attention and utmost respect."

Cameron took the podium. "Thank you, Dr. Jones. I'm here today to talk about bullying. Not because I was bullied when I was your age but because I was a bully. And it ruined my life."

When I looked out over the sea of faces, all eyes were trained on Cameron.

"I thought I had everything. I was one of the school's first string basketball players. We were all-state champions. I already had a full basketball scholarship to Penn State. I was popular. I had tons of friends. I could get a date with any girl in the school. And I lost it all."

Dakota Madison

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