Red by Alyxandra Harvey ~ Blog Tour: #Review & #Giveaway @entangledteen @alyxandrah

Welcome to my stop on the Red Blog Tour hosted by YA Bound Book Tours. Click here to follow along with the tour schedule. 

Title: Red
Author: Alyxandra Harvey
Release Date: March 2015
Publisher: Entangled Teen
Source: Copy for review

Purchase: Amazon | B&N | Kobo 

Synopsis

Bad girls burn hot...

Red is the color of Kia Alcott's hair. 

It's her temper, which blazes hot and always gets Kia into way too much trouble. 

And it's the color of fire. Fires that Kia can start...just by thinking about them.

When her latest "episode" gets her kicked out of school, Kia is shipped off to her grandmother, who works for the wealthy Blackwoods. It's an estate shrouded in secrets, surrounded by rules, and presided over by a family that is far from normal...including the gorgeous and insolent Ethan Blackwood. 

Ethan knows far more about the dangers of the forest surrounding the estate than Kia can ever imagine. For this forest has teeth, and Ethan is charged with protecting the outside world from its vicious mysteries. 

But inside, even the most vibrant shade of red doesn't stand a chance against the dark secrets of the Blackwood family...

Red's synopsis sounded intriguing to me, and that cover is gorgeous! Alyxandra Harvey is an author who's been on my to-read list for quite a while, and I'm thrilled to say I'm a fan. 

I really liked Kia right away - she's snarky (I'd snark right along with her any day!), clever, and oh yeah, can start fires with her mind. As you can probably imagine, that's a problem, especially because she can't control it - she gets kicked out of her school and sent to live with her grandmother, Abby. 

One of my favorite television series of all time is Heroes, so when Kia decides not to tell the truth about things she's getting in trouble for even though they aren't her fault, I totally get that. She's afraid the truth could go one of two ways - no one would believe her, or she'd become a government experiment. In Heroes, the characters had extraordinary abilities like Kia, and they were hunted down by the government, so Kia's reasoning was solid to me. 

I kept wondering why Kia calls her grandmother Abby instead of Grandma. They saw each other once a year before Kia goes to live with her, so they don't know each other all that well. But still, it seemed odd to me. I liked Abby. 

Ethan runs hot and cold. At times I liked him, and other times I didn't. He can be kind and generous but also just plain rude. Because he's in the know about the mysterious woods from the start and Kia isn't, I guess he was going for the tough love thing? Maybe he thought he was helping her out? But he can see there's more to her than she lets on, and he's smart. There's much more to her than meets the eye. 

Red is fast paced with plenty of twists and turns to keep you interested and turning the pages. You can feel Kia's struggle to control her ability, and I wanted her to come out with the truth but understood why she was hesitant about the idea. For me, Red is a quick read, and I was engrossed from the beginning. Kia had a lot to do with that. I just really loved her character from the first page. I recommend this to anyone who loves a good young adult paranormal read. 

  

About the Author

Alyxandra Harvey lives in a stone Victorian house in Ontario, Canada with a few resident ghosts who are allowed to stay as long as they keep company manners. She loves medieval dresses, used to be able to recite all of The Lady of Shalott by Tennyson, and has been accused, more than once, of being born in the wrong century. She believes this to be mostly true except for the fact that she really likes running water, women's rights, and ice cream. 

Among her favourite books are 'The Wood Wife' by Terri Windling, 'Jane Eyre' by Charlotte Bronte, and of course, 'Pride and Prejudice' by Jane Austen. Elizabeth Bennet is her hero because she's smart and sassy, and Mr. Darcy is, well, yum.

Aside from the ghosts, she also lives with husband and their dogs. She likes cinnamon lattes, tattoos and books. 

Connect with the Author

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Pawns by Estelle MacDonald ~ #Review

Title: Pawns
Series: Timeless Games #0.5 
Author: Estelle MacDonald
Publication date: January 8th 2014
Genre: Young Adult Paranormal
Source: Complimentary copy for review

Purchase: Amazon  

Synopsis

Leslie, the fifteen-year-old red-haired spitfire, starts life the daughter of nameless, uncaring parents. Abandoned at the side of the road, she stands shivering, with no skills beyond knowing how to pace her way through weeks of starvation. A group of runaways take her in, led by a particularly charming, strange boy. They take her in, giving her a chance at a new start with a full belly and a place to sleep - but nothing comes for free. How will she survive her new life, with her options slowly disappearing as this fateful night wears on?  

In the novella, Pawns - a prequel to Rook, the first book in the Timeless Games series - we find out more about Leslie, who was a character I despised in Rook. Here I find out she's got to be in the running for worst parent ever. Her mother and father are terrible, horrible people, especially as parents. I can't describe just how awful they are to their only child. Pawns starts out with her mother calling her a "needy little snot," which was the very first line. I couldn't help myself - I had a strong desire to slap her mom!

Leslie's background fleshed out explains a lot about her, and I understand her much more than I did in Rook. She was jealous and willing to murder in that book, and now I know why with the events that happen in this novella. I think Rook should be read before Pawns - my experience with Leslie might have been altered dramatically had I read Pawns first, and I wouldn't want it to be different than what it was for me. She's meant to be hated in Rook for good reason. 

I wonder what the next book will be like, and with this surprising ending, I'm looking forward to more in the Timeless Games series! 

Click here to read my review of Rook! 

Chasing Bristol by Shane Morgan ~ #Spotlight

What do you do when your freedom and privacy is threatened?

About the Book:

Bristol is trying to move on from a cheating ex. The last thing she wants are roses, gifts, and suggestive notes popping up at her apartment and at work.

When Bristol meets Mason—a charming and sweet guy who wants a chance with her—she’s convinced that he is the mystery guy trying to capture her heart. The thought fizzles when what appeared to be harmless turns into something much more terrifying, and Bristol realizes that Mason isn’t capable of such things. Not in his position. Bristol’s secret admirer is determined on having her for himself, no matter what. Will she have the courage to fight when control and privacy is being taken from her?

Release Date: April 20th 2015

Publisher: TSW Books

PRE-ORDER LINKS: Amazon US | Amazon CA | Amazon UK | Amazon FR | Amazon AU

Author Bio:

Shane Morgan is a Amazon Bestselling author of contemporary romance, suspense, and urban fantasy. She lives in Rhode Island with her amazing husband, who doesn't mind being surrounded by so many books or inspiring the male characters in her stories. Aside from writing, Shane enjoys blogging, helping other authors, reading, listening to music and watching movies.

WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TWITTER | GOODREADS 

What do you guys think? Sounds fantastic, doesn't it! Let me know your thoughts in the comment section below! <3 

Chasing the Star Garden by Melanie Karsak ~ Audio Book Review Tour: #AudiobookReview

Title: Chasing the Star Garden

Series: The Airship Racing Chronicles #1

Author: Melanie Karsak

Genre: Steampunk

Publisher: Clockpunk Press

Release Date: Audio Book Sept 2014

Narrator: Libby Clearfield

Length: 6 hrs, 52 min

Formats Available: Audio / eBook / Print

Source: Copy for Review

Purchase: Audible | Kindle | Amazon Print | B&N | Books A Million     

Synopsis

An opium-addicted beauty.

An infamous poet living in self-imposed exile.

An ancient treasure about to fall into the wrong hands. 

Melanie Karsak's Chasing the Star Garden takes readers on a thriller adventure from the gritty opium dens of gaslamp London to the gem-colored waters of the ancient world. Lily Stargazer, a loveable but reckless airship racer with a famous lover and shattered past, reluctantly plunges into a centuries-old mystery in a romantic adventure best described as Dan Brown meets Mary Shelley. 

It all begins on one of the worst days of Lily's life. She just lost the London leg of the 1823 Airship Grand Prix. To top it off, a harlequin fleeing from constables shoved a kaleidoscope down her pants, told her to fly to Venice, then threw himself from her airship tower. What's a girl to do? For Lily, the answer is easy: drink absinthe and smoke opium.

Lily's lover, Lord Byron, encourages her to make the trip to Venice. Lily soon finds herself at the heart of an ancient mystery which has her running from her past and chasing true love and the stars along the way.

**Due to steamy scenes and depictions of drug use, this novel is intended for mature readers.**  

I bought Chasing the Star Garden just a couple of months ago in eBook format but have been getting into audio books lately. I've been dying to read this book and so jumped at the chance to review this story in audio book format. 

Listening to Chasing the Star Garden is a beautiful experience. I love the narrator, Libby Clearfield! She can speak in a variety of accents, including Italian and French. She brings the story to life and speaks clearly. I'd definitely listen to another audio book narrated by her.

Chasing the Star Garden is engrossing and action packed with romance sprinkled throughout. The heat level to some of the love scenes definitely makes this a book for adults! 

Lily is a character who quickly became a favorite of mine. She has a painful past she escapes from by smoking opium and drinking absinthe, and you see what her past is like through flashbacks. While Lily is strong, independent, and fierce, she also has a vulnerability. 

I didn't realize at first how much Lord Byron and Sal meant to her, but it soon became clear they were much more than just her lovers. They both know about the other, and I think it was harder for Sal to accept that she also has Lord Byron. I think Sal loved Lily and didn't want to share her with anyone, but I also think Lily knew that and was scared of that kind of love.  

The way Greek mythology ties into the treasure hunt in the story was interesting and well done. As if airship racing wasn't exciting enough, there's more excitement with the danger and adventure that comes with searching for the treasure before it falls into the wrong hands. Lily's very life is on the line. 

Chasing the Star Garden confirms my love of the steampunk genre, and I'm looking forward to the next installment of the Airship Racing Chronicles, Chasing the Green Fairy! The title alone would make anyone want to dive into the story even if she/he didn't know what it was about, I'm certain of it! I definitely need more Lily!   

My Rating:

About the Author

Melanie Karsak is the author of the Amazon best-selling steampunk series The Airship Racing Chronicles, the award-winning horror/dark fantasy The Harvesting Series, and The Saga of Lady Macbeth. She grew up in rural northwestern Pennsylvania and earned a Master's degree in English from Gannon University. A steampunk connoisseur, Shakespeare nerd, and zombie whisperer, the author currently lives in Florida with her husband and two children. She is an Instructor of English at Eastern Florida State College. 

Connect with the Author 

Amazon Author Page | Blog Dispatches from Melanie | Facebook | Google+ | Goodreads | Newsletter | Pinterest | Twitter     

Blog Tour organized by:

Helia's Shadow: Part One by K.C. Neal ~ Blog Tour: #Review & #Giveaway

Welcome to my stop on the Helia's Shadow Blog Tour hosted by Xpresso Book Tours. Click here to follow along with the tour schedule! 

Title: Helia's Shadow: Part One
Series: The Starlight Age #1
Author: K.C. Neal
Publication date: November 23rd 2014
Genres: Science Fiction, Young Adult
Source: Copy for review 

Purchase: Amazon 

Synopsis

Helia's Shadow is for fans of The 5th Wave (Rick Yancey), The Hunger Games (Suzanne Collins), Divergent (Veronica Roth), and Legend (Marie Lu). 

When the aliens arrived, they were hailed as the saviors of a dying Earth and dwindling human race. But the aliens didn't come to help. Now, one human girl's ingenious invention and one alien boy's awakened heart are humanity's last hope...

Nineteen years ago, aliens arrived on a barely habitable Earth with advanced technology and the promise of ensuring human survival in exchange for a place to settle. They were hailed as the saviors of humans and Earth. 

Today, 16-year-old Helia wants two things in life: to step out of her over-protective mother's shadow and become an engineer, and to stop hiding her relationship with alien boy Kalo. But the world definitely isn't ready for a human-alien romance. And worse, the human-alien partnership is crumbling. Humans are arrested without explanation. Some of them are never seen again. 

When the alien leader imprisons her mother on a false charge, Helia discovers the aliens never intended to help humans at all. Now, she must join forces with alien rebels. If she succeeds, humans have a chance at survival and she has a chance at love. If she fails, the dwindling human race dies out in slavery.

Wow, after reading the synopsis for Helia's Shadow, I remember thinking how freaky would it be if aliens not only landed on Earth but helped us while secretly plotting to destroy us? The idea is genius to write about!! The human/alien relationship also caught my attention. It sounded like it would be fraught with complications - how can Helia trust her alien boyfriend knowing his species wants her species dead? How would that all play out? I had to find out!   

Helia's Shadow begins with humans still mostly trusting the aliens. This doesn't last long, however, because soon large numbers of humans start getting arrested, others disappear, and still others start dying. It becomes apparent the aliens never intended to help the human race; instead, they came to enslave human beings.  

What I love about this book is how well written it is - there's romance, action, suspense, and everything I love about sci-fi. The characters are distinctive each with her/his own personality. There are twists in the story I didn't see coming. I like that everyone thinks the aliens were here to help at first. That seems so scary to me but also really smart for the aliens to gain the trust of Earthlings before beginning their plan. Not that I'm on the aliens' side or anything! The ones who want to enslave humans, that is. No way, no how would that be okay with me. 

I'm looking forward to reading the next installment of this series and see where Neal takes me next! 

My Rating

About the Author

In previous iterations of my professional life, I worked as a bench chemist, a lab equipment tester, a biotech researcher, and a medical writer. Strangely, this sequence has not led to my dream job: drummer in a rock band. But my current gig is pretty sweet. 

I love colored pens and sticky notes, sunsets and sunrises, digging my fingers into the dirt and nurturing the things that grow in it, and learning anything and everything. I'm a scientist who studies astrology, a go-with-the-flow Type A, and an impatient practitioner of daily meditation. A big bag of contradictions, just like everyone else. 

Connect with the Author

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Age of Blood by Shauna Granger ~ Cover Reveal

 I'm so excited to help take part in the cover reveal for Shauna Granger's Age of Blood - the third book in her Ash and Ruin trilogy! 

Age of Blood (Ash and Ruin #3) by Shauna Granger

Hope is a dangerous thing, but powerful. Hope keeps you going. Hope can keep you alive. 

But hope can shatter your world. 

Kat and Dylan have found a home, but the monsters are still out there. The pox and plague still ravage the world. They have hope of finding a vaccine, but their encampment isn't equipped to develop it. 

Dylan is still too weak from the pox to leave the encampment, so Kat must decide between staying by his side and protecting her last remaining family member as he leaves to find supplies. Separated for the first time since they came together, Kat and Dylan will have to fight their own battles to save what is left of their bloody world. 

Kat will have to hold on to hope that she has anything left to save and someone to come home to. 

If she can survive.

Available 5/5/2015

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About the series:

World of Ash - Book #1

There are two inherent truths in the world: life as we know it is over, and monsters are real.

The Pestas came in the night, spreading their pox, a deadly plague that decimated the population. Kat, one of the unlucky few who survived, is determined to get to her last living relative and find shelter from the pox that continues to devastate the world. When it mutates and becomes airborne, Kat is desperate to avoid people because staying alone might be her only chance to stay alive. 

That is, until she meets Dylan. Dylan, with his easy smile and dark, curly hair, has nowhere to go and no one to live for. He convinces Kat there can be safety in numbers, that they can watch out for each other. So the unlikely couple set off together through the barren wasteland to find a new life – if they can survive the roaming Pestas, bands of wild, gun-toting children, and piles of burning, pox-ridden bodies.

Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Smashwords

Time of Ruin - Book #2

The world has ended, and hope is the most dangerous thing left.

Battered and bruised after barely escaping San Francisco with their lives, Kat, Dylan, and Blue press north – desperate to reach the possibility of a new home. 

But strange, monstrous ravens are tracking the remaining survivors, food is becoming scarce, gasoline is running short, and people are becoming suicidal, making survival almost impossible. 

And the Pestas are growing bolder. Somehow, their numbers are growing. 

The further north they go, the harder it becomes to ignore the signs that they’ve made a fatal mistake. Kat must face the impossible truth that there is no escape, there is no safe haven, and their worst nightmares don’t come close to their new reality.

Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Smashwords

About the author

Like so many other writers, Shauna grew up as an avid reader, but it was in high school that she realized she wanted to be a writer. She released the first installment of her Paranormal YA Series, The Elemental Series, Earth, on May 1, 2011 and has since released four sequels, with the series coming to an end with Spirit. In December of 2013 she released the first in her Paranormal Post-Apocalyptic trilogy (Ash And Ruin Trilogy), World of Ash. 

Be sure to also check out her newest series: The Matilda Kavanagh Novels about a spunky witch just trying to pay her rent in West Hollywood. Shauna is currently hard at work on one too many projects, trying to organize the many voices in her head. It's a writer thing.

Stalkables

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About the Cover Artist Stephanie Mooney

I am a 25-year-old graphic designer, artist, and aspiring author currently living in Cincinnati, Ohio. I’m a renaissance girl — a lover of all things creative and artistic. From the moment I learned to use my hands, I was writing stories about princesses and sketching ballerinas. I guess I never really stopped. 

Most of my training has been informal, and many of my skills are self taught. In 2006-07, I spent a year interning at a church in Louisiana where I worked in their art and design department. In July 2007, they hired me as one of their designers. I worked there for three years, gaining experience in graphic design, advertising, set building, event planning, and product design. From there, I began my career in freelance design. 

Many of my clients are indie authors looking for affordable cover designs. I love working with authors and getting excited about their stories with them. I’m still building my web portfolio, but I really enjoy designing and developing websites as well.

Stalkables

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Just Pru by Anne Pfeffer ~ Blitz: Excerpt & #Giveaway @AnnePfeffer1

Contemporary Women's Fiction

Date Published: March 2, 2015

When twenty-five-year-old Pru Anderson—braless, pajama-clad, and clutching her cat, Chuck—is rescued from her burning Los Angeles apartment, the thing that scares her most is meeting the neighbors. New people make her hide in the bathroom, counting by sevens, but when her home is destroyed, she must turn strangers into friends …  or crawl back to the controlling parents she only recently escaped.

What would her idol, Pepper Hathaway, do? That’s a no brainer: the detective-slash-supermodel heroine from Pru's favorite TV series would take no prisoners while looking fierce in a tankini and stilettos. So when the chance comes up to live with playwright Ellen, Pru sets aside her fears and goes for it.

Thus begin the adventures a girl who's never had a job, a friend, or a first kiss. Swept into Ellen's whirlwind life, Pru begins to build her own, as director's assistant for a new play, muse to brooding actor Blake, and possible love interest to adorably neurotic neighbor, Adam.

Only one thing can derail Pru's exhilarating journey. Well, actually, it's two things—and they're in a car headed straight for LA to torpedo her life. When the past that nearly destroyed her comes calling, who will she be: a Prudence or a Pepper?

Early Reviews of Just Pru

"Just Pru is a laugh out loud, heartwarming story ….Pfeffer does an amazing job with Pru’s character…. The supporting cast is … easy to fall in love with and to cheer for...." 5 Stars

The Self-Publishing Review

"A five star read all the way.... a happy, funny tragicomedy of errors with a cast of delightful neurotics."  Literary homebody.com

"Pru is hilarious..... Totally a perfect story, IMO. How often does that happen? Like never." 5 stars Candacesbookblog.com

Excerpt

Chapter One

From Pru’s Journal:

How can you know if you’re normal when you’re always alone? You have no one to compare yourself to. I mean, I have my mom and dad, and I’m pretty normal compared to them. But then… a lot of people are normal compared to them.

**

As the rich CaraMellow ice cream slipped along my tongue, I popped a few potato chips in my mouth for contrast. Ah, the soothing combination of sweet, salt, cream, and crunch.

No good. Its magic wasn’t working.

Shifting my size 16 tush around on the sofa, I focused on the TV. It played an old episode from Model Cop, my favorite show ever on the Wholesome Family Channel.

Today, the show’s awesome heroine, Pepper Hathaway, was tracking down a serial killer in between fittings for a runway show at Fashion Week. It was hard to juggle her two jobs as a police detective and supermodel, but she excelled at both. Pepper ended every episode with a wink to the camera and her life motto: Remember, folks. Do Good, Look Good!

She was amazing.

I sighed. I bet Pepper didn’t get job rejections like the one I’d had today. Dear Loser, the letter said. We are relieved to say we cannot offer you the position of Low-Level Proofreading Gnome at our crummy little start-up online encyclopedia. No matter how unknown and undesirable our company is, you are more so.

Sincerely,

Executive Drone

Okay, so they didn’t use those exact words, but it’s what they meant. As I lifted my spoon, caramel dribbled down the front of my flannel nightgown. I scraped it off with a potato chip and ate it.

Mmraow. My cat emerged from one of his many hiding places. I suspected he hid on purpose, just to annoy me. “Hey, Chuck-Chuck.” I scratched his orange-and-white striped back. It lasted only a few seconds. Done with human contact, Chuck strolled away, tail in the air.

On the TV, Pepper was returning home to her elegant apartment in the Big City. Hey, girlfriend, she called out to her funny, devoted homosexual roommate Tad. They sat down and sipped Chardonnay. She was so cool.

I bet Pepper could pay her rent. I bet she didn’t run out of money just two months after moving into her place. I could justify having bought a used car, but perhaps the fifty-inch flat-screen TV had been excessive. Then there were those unfortunate yard sale purchases, but I had needed furniture, after all. I needed that Victorian-style vanity and the faux-leather recliner.

I could still hear my father’s voice, cool and cutting. You won’t last a month in Los Angeles. Mark my words, you’ll be back in Oregon before you know it.

 Well, ha ha on him, I’d lasted two months now.

And ha ha on me, because I didn’t know if I could last a third.

 Tears prickled the backs of my eyes. I wished I could talk to Dr. Abbot, my wonderful therapist back in my hometown of Clayton. He had died unexpectedly last week. I’d hardly left my apartment since I’d gotten the news.

On the TV, Pepper was modeling her latest fashion purchases for Tad. I scraped the bowl with my spoon while contemplating her minuscule waistline. Was that real or digitally enhanced? Could a person’s body organs really fit into such a tiny space?

Not mine—I was sure about that. My body organs undoubtedly filled giant caverns, which was why I’d been blessed with my five foot ten inch, big-boned body.

A ringing began—yet another fire alarm. Great. We’d had two go off already this month, I thought grumpily, and they’d turned out to be cases of burned toast—a total waste of time.

I struggled up from horizontal, made my way to the living room window, and peered out. It was 8:00 on a June evening. It had just turned dark. Below loomed the building’s quiet, empty courtyard.

Just as I thought—no flames, no people fleeing for their lives.

The sofa called to me, yet the alarm blared on.

I should probably investigate, even though it meant I might have to talk to someone. And for what was probably a false alarm. I stumbled to my bedroom dresser and wrestled a pair of plain white panties up under my nightie. Where had I thrown my bra? When you’re a size 36D, you do not venture forth into public without one.

My eyes swept my twin-sized bed, the flowered rug, the vanity whose drawers I used to store cat toys. No bra to be seen.

Feet thudded down my hallway.

WHOMP! A fist hit my front door.  “Vacate the building now! Everyone out!” The man’s voice resounded through my door, then grew fainter as he moved away from me.

In an instant, sweat beaded my forehead. Vacate the building?

A siren, then others, wailed from the street. A megaphone-amplified voice blared from outside. “Immediate evacuation is required.”

“Chuck!” I shrieked. That ingrate. He’d probably hidden from me again. I dropped to my belly and crawled commando-style around the bedroom, checking under the bed and dresser. No sign of his malevolent green-eyed gaze. I checked the open laundry hamper. He wasn’t there either.

Outside, shouts and cries came to me from a distance, sirens grew louder, and banging noises intensified. I rushed again to the open living room window. Spotlights now lit the courtyard below, which had transformed into a disaster scene. Groups of people milled behind barricades. Firefighters twice the size of ordinary humans unfurled hoses and set ladders up against walls, while smoke drifted from some windows on the fourth floor, where I was.

Holy moley! Were we really on fire?

Author Links

Website

Twitter:  AnnePfeffer1

Purchase Links

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Giveaway

$125 Amazon Gift Card

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