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. 

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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.

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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.

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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?

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Twitter:  AnnePfeffer1

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Fire Baptized by Kenya Wright ~ Blog Tour: #Review

Welcome to the "Fire Baptized" Mini tour brought to you by the lovely Kenya Wright! 

If you're in the mood for Urban Fantasy, Diversity and Unapologetic characters, you've found your kryptonite!

Book Title: Fire Baptized

Author Name: Kenya Wright

ISBN Number: 0985023007

Publisher: Pursuit

Page Number: 286

Format (e.g. paperback, ebook, etc.): ebook

Genre(s): Interracial Paranormal Romance

Release Date: Jan 28, 2012

Synopsis

Since the 1970s humans have forced supernaturals to live in caged cities. Silver brands embedded in their foreheads identify them by species: a full moon for Vampires, a crescent moon for Shifters, a pair of wings for Fairies, and the list goes on, for each supernatural species has been tagged and categorized by humans. 

Lanore Vesta is marked with a silver X, the brand of Mixbreeds, second-class citizens shunned by society. She stays to herself, revealing her ability to create fire only during emergencies. All she wants to do is graduate college and stop having to steal to survive. But when she stumbles upon a murder in progress, she catches the attention of a supernatural killer. Now all she wants is to stop finding dead bodies in her apartment. 

Enlisting help from her Were-cheetah ex-boyfriend MeShack and a new mysterious friend named Zulu, she is steered through the habitat s raunchy nightlife. But their presence sometimes proves to be more burden than help, as they fight for her attention. 

While the corpses pile up, and the scent of blood fills the air, Lanore is left wondering: will she find the psycho or die trying?

Click on the pic to be directed to the purchase page!

Fire Baptized reminded me how much I love urban fantasy. This story far exceeded my hopes. I found myself immediately hooked on Lanore's world and raced through all the way to the end. I didn't want it to be over, and I'm happy this is the first of a series. Not only that, but it's a celebration of diversity in books, specifically urban fantasy!    

Lanore is a "mixbreed" supe who can create fire and is just all-around kickass. Loved her! She's on her way home when she stumbles upon a murder, and the murderer apparently knows who she is because she finds a threatening note on her apartment door. The murder scene was pretty gruesome, so the note on the door really ratcheted up the tension. I remember shivering a lot during that part.   

Fire Baptized has a really well done love triangle. Neither one of the potential love interests for Lanore annoyed me! Both of them were good with her. It isn't very often I stumble across a triangle where I wouldn't mind the character ending up with both, but this is one of those rare times. I have to say, I think I'd have a hard time resisting MeShack if I was Lanore since they already have a romantic history and live together, but then again listening to him have sex with other women would kill the attraction.

But the love triangle is not the focus of the book by any means. There's action and well fleshed-out characters - all kinds of supernatural beings such as shapeshifters, witches, vampires, and fairies. There's the murderer running about. There's the tension between humans and supes as well as tension between "purebloods" and "mixbreeds" within the supes. All the elements of the plot come together cohesively, and you're left devouring the book because it's just that good. You need to know what's going to happen next! 

I thought it was super clever that each district in Fire Baptized (five in total) of the habitat is named and themed after a Santeria god or goddess. I also thought it was completely realistic that humans discriminated against supes since they know their existence. It seems like that would happen in real life if humans found out supernatural beings live among us.   

I'm a fan of Ms. Wright and am looking forward to continuing this series and checking out her other novels. Fire Baptized is highly highly recommended!       

My Rating:

About the Author:
Writer. Lover. Foodie. Mother. Book Addict.

Masturbator. Comedian. Super Hero. Blogger.

Professional Adventurer.

Stalk her....I mean it, Stalk her!
Kenya is in the league of looking for new minions!
Places of interest she's waiting for you to come out of hiding:

Kenya Wright's Official Site
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Twitter @Kenyawright77

Happy Stalking!

Ill Fated by Rachel Rawlings ~ #Blitz

Welcome to the book blitz for Ill Fated by Rachel Rawlings! I'm a huge fan of urban fantasy, and if you are, too, this sounds like a great series for both of us to try! 

Title: Ill Fated

Author: Rachel Rawlings

Series: Maurin Kincaide #6

Genre: Dark Urban Fantasy 

Publisher: R Squared Publishing 

Release Date: Feb 11 2015

Edition/Format Available In: eBook & Print 

Synopsis:

Some things are destined to end in death. After the first attempt on her life Maurin wasn’t scared. Hell, she was almost flattered. But someone put a price on her head and things are getting complicated. Trouble is brewing in the fae courts and it’s spilling over into Salem. The UnSeelie Dark Guard have answered the call for her head on a platter and people closest to her are disappearing.

Can Maurin master court politics and find her missing men before someone claims the bounty on her head?

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About the Author

I was born and raised in the Baltimore Metropolitan area but my family is originally from Rhode Island. I spent summers in New England with my grandparents, which probably sparked my fascination with Salem, MA. I started writing fictional stories and poems in middle school. In fact I had notebooks and notebooks full of incomplete stories and poems. One of which I managed to hold on to and is safely stashed in a box under my bed. When I was in seventh grade I entered a poetry contest in the back of an Archie comic and won, after that I was hooked on writing after that. Amazingly it took almost two decades to find a voice for my snarky, ass kicking heroine Maurin Kincaide and complete my first length novel. Meeting the love of your life and raising three amazing children together must have caused a rift in time because I still can't believe it's gone by so quickly. I'm fortunate to have a loving and supportive family who don't mind sharing me with all the other people in my head.


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By Rachel Rawlings 

The Maurin Kincaid Series 

TheMorrigna #1

WitchHunt #2

Wolfsbane #3 Novella

BloodBath #4

MistletoeMeltdown #5 Short Story

IllFated #6

Under the Influence by L.B. Simmons ~ Cover Reveal

Cover reveal time! Look at the gorgeous cover for Under the Influence - love it! 

Under the Influence

by L.B. Simmons

Expected Publication May 2015

Synopsis

Dalton, 

I loved you once. A love I thought irrevocable. A love I mistakenly believed could transcend both time and circumstance. Under the influence of my dim-witted, naive, traitorous heart, I became intoxicated with what I now know was simply a figment of my self-indulgent imagination. So drunk on the feeling, I couldn't see what was right in front of my face. So foolishly enamored, I blindly followed my heart into the depths of an emotion that would ravage me. 

Years later, I know now what I wish I knew then. I am stronger. Smarter. Tougher. I will not allow myself to be broken again. 

I loved you.

I raged for you.

I wept for you.

And now, I'm letting you go.

Author's Note: Under the Influence is the journey of two childhood friends that spans the course of five pivotal years in their lives. It is a story about their discovery of true friendship as it blossoms into first love, their experience of crucial sacrifice and ultimate betrayal, and their endurance of agonizing heartbreak on the way to finding lasting redemption. 

Make sure to sign-up HERE for L.B. Simmons newsletter for exclusive sneak peeks into Under the Influence and a first look at Chapter 1. 

About the Author 

L.B. Simmons is a graduate of Texas A&M University and holds a degree in Biomedical Science. She has been a practicing Chemist for the last 11 years. She lives with her husband and three daughters in Texas and writes every chance she gets.

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$.99 Sale! 

The Resurrection of Aubrey Miller

by L.B. Simmons

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