Wednesday, September 11, 2019

Blog Blitz & Giveaway: Shadow Caster by Debbie Cassidy

Shadow Caster
Debbie Cassidy
(The Nightwatch Academy #1)
Publication date: September 10th 2019
Genres: New Adult, Romance, Urban Fantasy

Murdering humans is a huge no-no and comes with an off-with-your-head sentence. Doesn’t matter if you don’t remember doing the crime.

I killed a human, and no, it wasn’t on purpose, but that shit doesn’t matter to the council. I’m facing death. So, when I’m offered a deal to avoid execution, I’d be a fool not to take it, even if it means leaving the human world and urban life behind to enroll in the Nightwatch Academy – a gothic monstrosity hidden from human eyes, located way too close to the largest tear in the fabric of our reality.

It would be fun if I had any inclination of becoming a member of the Watch or supporting the shadow knights at keeping the Formorian threat at bay. But heck, the monsters beyond the mist aren’t my problem. I have personal demons to deal with.

Once I’m out, the Watch can shove it.

But one sip from the ceremonial goblet and my plans to coast are out of the window as my powers spark to life.

I’m an anomaly, one the Watch won’t be letting walk any time soon.

My only comfort is a man who prides himself on his ability to harness pain. Battle scarred and formidable, he’s my tutor, my mentor, and the object of some super saucy dreams. He’s completely off limits and my only hope of surviving my first test.

I’ll need to harness my powers fast.

There can be no distractions.

But when my fellow cadets start going missing then returning with no memory of who they used to be and my best friend is taken, turning a blind eye is no longer an option.

Allies are limited when you’re a freak. Luckily, I don’t need a cheer squad to get shit done.  Whoever is responsible better watch out. I’m coming for them, and I’ll be bringing the pain.

The Vampire Academy meets Game of Thrones in this kick-ass, supernatural academy, Urban Fantasy Romance.

Goodreads / Amazon

EXCERPT:

“Wake up, Indie.”

A hand landed on my shoulder and had the audacity to give it a shake.

Fuck off was the desired response, but the word that came out was harrumph.

“Indie, come on. You promised you wouldn’t miss today.”

Today? Oh, yeah, the team exercise, as in there is no I in team, as in I didn’t give a shit. But the exam was the last lesson of the evening, and my bio clock told me the sun had only just set.

Still, Minnie’s shadow loomed over me, and the heat of her gorgon glare burned holes in the back of my head.

“The whole day, Indie. You promised to do a whole day.” She reminded me with that stern edge to her tone, which told me that ten-inch-thick steel would break before she would.

Me and my big mouth. Maybe if I faked sickness, she’d piss off and leave me be. Going to shitty classes was the last thing I wanted to do tonight.

I coughed and made a gagging sound.

“Nah-uh,” she said. “The whole frickin’ day and the exam. You skip the test, and we all get a fail. And you don’t want me to fail, do you?”

Urgh. Emotional blackmail, which coming from anyone else I’d be immune to. I rolled onto my back and stared at the pixie-cute woman looking down at me. Her crimson bob grazed her delicate jaw as she leaned over me, and her wide jade eyes were hard with determination.

Over the last two months, I’d learned three things about Minnie Faraday. First, that she wasn’t a stuck-up arsehole like the rest of the Faraday family. Second, she had a soft spot for kittens, and anything small and furry, and third—the most important—that she did not take no for an answer.

Trust me, I’d tried to keep her at a distance. I mean, sharing a room with her didn’t mean we had to be friends. I didn’t need or want any friends here. But Minnie had decided that’s exactly what we were going to be, and she’d pursued me unrelentingly until she’d worn me down.

So, here we were. Two friends in a glare off. One I knew I was about to lose, because yeah, I’d promised not to skip out on the simulation today. Team exercises were graded based on team performance, if one member was a no show, the whole team suffered.

I closed my eyes and blew out a breath. “Fine. Give me five minutes, and I’ll meet you in the lobby.

“Five.” She narrowed her eyes. “I’ll be back to get you if you don’t show.”

I flashed my teeth at her. “Have I ever let you down, pixie -boo?”

“Do not call me that.” She crossed her arms. “You know I hate it.” She sniffed.

“Riiight. So, you just wrote it in the back of your notebook and decorated it with tiny flowers for no reason then?”

She opened and closed her mouth a couple of times and then took a deep breath. “Five minutes.”

She grabbed her book bag and headed out of the room.

The door didn’t slam behind her.

Not too pissed off then.


Author Bio:

Debbie Cassidy lives in England, Bedfordshire, with her three kids and very supportive husband. Coffee and chocolate biscuits are her writing fuels of choice, and she is still working on getting that perfect tower of solitude built in her back garden. Obsessed with building new worlds and reading about them, she spends her spare time daydreaming and conversing with the characters in her head - in a totally non psychotic way of course. She writes Urban Fantasy, Fantasy and Reverse Harem Fantasy. All her books contain plenty of action, romance and twisty plots.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter


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Cover Reveal: Feather by Olivia Wildenstein

Feather
Olivia Wildenstein
Published by: January 16th 2020
Genres: New Adult, Paranormal, Romance

FEATHER is a modern ROMEO & JULIET retelling featuring an epic sinner and the angel who’ll stop at nothing to save him. Perfect for fans of NALINI SINGH and BECCA FITZPATRICK.

With only a month left to earn her missing feathers, nineteen-year-old Leigh embarks on a trip to Paris to meet her newest project, twenty-five-year-old Jarod Adler, leader of the Parisian mafia and the worst kind of sinner . . . a Triple.

If Leigh can get Jarod to accomplish a single act of kindness, she stands to win 100 feathers, more than enough to complete her wings and ascend to Elysium, the land of angels.

What she doesn’t count on is Jarod’s dark charm costing her feathers.

She’s dead set on saving him, and he’s dead set on destroying her.

Until he realizes destroying her wings is also destroying her heart.

A heart he longs to hear beat only for him.

 

Add to Goodreads / Pre-order


Author Bio:

USA TODAY bestselling author Olivia Wildenstein grew up in New York City, the daughter of a French father with a great sense of humor, and a Swedish mother whom she speaks to at least three times a day. She chose Brown University to complete her undergraduate studies and earned a bachelor’s in comparative literature. After designing jewelry for a few years, Wildenstein traded in her tools for a laptop computer and a very comfortable chair. This line of work made more sense, considering her college degree.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram


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Tuesday, September 10, 2019

Blog Tour: Awakening the Trinity by Brittany Elise

Book Blurb:

Awakening the Trinity by Brittany Elise

Genre: YA Supernatural Fiction

Publisher: Black Rose Writing

Date of Publication: September 12th 2018

ISBN: 9781684331260

ASIN: B07HB3QMLH

Number of pages: 269

Word Count: 90,000

Cover Artist: Brittany Elise and David King

In the seventeenth-century, an all-powerful witch called Rionach the Dark ruled the Celtic nations with an army of enslaved werewolves. In order to restore balance between Light and Dark, the Trinity of Light was summoned to vanquish the Dark Witch and end the Battle of the Dark Ages.

Seventeen-year-old Quinn Callaghan lives in the small, rustic town of Silver Mountain. Its location may be rural, but it is home to an ancient pine forest that surrounds a supernatural hotspot–a nexus of raw and powerful energy.

When a charismatic witch from Ireland, and a mysterious guy with a secret of his own are drawn to the area, Quinn finds out that she inherited her rare abilities from a revered ancestor. Could it be that she shares a bloodline with the Original Trinity? Nearly 300 years later, the Darkness is returning to Silver Mountain, and the Trinity must stop it.

Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | Black Rose Writing

I could feel the slow burn of Wren’s gaze from the side and knew he was watching me. He seemed to always be watching me, and I wondered what thoughts were circling through that pretty head of his. I looked up at him demurely. “What?”

“Nothing.”

“You’re watching me,” I stated.

“Do I make you uncomfortable?” He shifted toward me, hovering.

“I haven’t decided yet.”

My Review:

3.5 Out Of 5 Stars

Genre: Heart-Wrenching, Mystery, Romance, Supernatural, Suspense, Teen, Werewolves, Witches--

Quinn is content with her life, going to school, running, and usually avoiding all things having to do with her untrained witch skills. When a new boy shows up in town, her senses tell her that he too is some kid of supernatural. Trying to continue her regular life is thrown on it's head when Quinn tries to battle her attraction to the new guy, attempting to learn more about her gifts and save a classmate from doom.

Awakening the Trinity had a mystery, with paranormal flair, regular teenage drama and a epic romance all wrapped up together in this book. I'm not going to lie, when I first saw the cover and the hint of a wolf I was super interested in getting my hands on the book because I was hoping that there would be a werewolf within the story (we all know my love of all things werewolf!). Once I started the book, it was completely different from what I anticipated or had read before and I enjoyed the world that Brittany was able to create as well as the spunk that Quinn had as a character.

The one thing that I struggled with in the story was at times there were flashbacks that randomly popped in to give the reader more backstory but I was never sure where the flashback fit into the story or even that I was in a flashback causing more confusion. It took me a while to feel like I was fully engaged in the story, but once the action picked up and the mysteries started being unraveled I found myself fully invested and I sped through the rest.

Overall this was a very different kind of supernatural story and based on the ending there is so much more to come. The mystery was well done, a surprising twist as to who and what was responsible for all the issues in the story. I would be interested to see what the author throws at Quinn and company next.

I reviewed a complimentary copy of this title.

Author Bio:

Brittany lives in Ohio with her husband, Benjamin, and their four-legged children. Brittany graduated from college with a degree in photography, and later became a canine obedience instructor. During the day, Brittany manages an FBO at a local hometown airport and services aircraft.

Awakening the Trinity is Brittany’s second book, and she is currently working on the sequel with hopes of turning it into a trilogy. Writing has always been her greatest passion. She enjoys the outdoors and exploring new places in an endless quest to keep that artistic inspiration burning.

Goodreads | Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

Monday, September 9, 2019

Blog Blitz: The Crane Diaries Box by Apryl Baker

Title: The Crane Diaries Box Set
Author: Apryl Baker
Genre: NA Horror/Paranormal
Cover Designer: Deranged Doctor Design
Publication Date:  September 10th 2019
Hosted by: Lady Amber’s PR
Blurb: From USA Bestselling Author of the Ghost Files series, Apryl Baker brings you a new kind of chill in The Crane Diaries…
I Am Death.
I Am Darkness.
I Am Creation.
These are the simple truths Emma Rose Crane, AKA Mattie Hathaway, has run from for the last two years.  
Emma thought she could start over by escaping her past, trying to live a semi-normal life. But her ability to see ghosts seems to attract paranormal mysteries and keeps landing her and her friends in life-threatening situations.
Long-kept family secrets come to light, and Emma realizes she’s unable to run from her past anymore.
Haunted houses, cursed beasts, and a supernatural hit lists are all part of the dangers Emma needs to face. In the end, will her past save her future…or will it take everything she cherishes from her?
This box set includes book 1 -3 of The Crane Diaries series.
Universal Buy Link: https://books2read.com/u/mgG7Dz
So who am I?
Well, I’m the crazy girl with an imagination that never shuts up. I LOVE scary movies. My friends laugh at me when I scare myself watching them and tell me to stop watching them, but who doesn’t love to get scared? I grew up in a small town nestled in the southern mountains of West Virginia where I spent days roaming around in the woods, climbing trees, and causing general mayhem. Nights I would stay up reading Nancy Drew by flashlight under the covers until my parents yelled at me to go to sleep.
Now, I live in a small town in West Virginia where I entertain my niece and nephew and watch the cats get teased by the birds and laugh myself silly when they swoop down and then dive back up just out of reach. The cats start yelling something fierce…lol.
I love books, I love writing books, and I love entertaining people with my silly stories.
Author Links:
Universal Buy Link: https://books2read.com/u/mgG7Dz

Blog Tour & Giveaway: Lycan's Blood Queen (Randolph Duology #1) by Catherine Edward

Book Blurb:

LYCAN’S BLOOD QUEEN (Randolph Duology #1) by Catherine Edward

Pub. Date: August 22, 2018

Publisher: GenZ Publishing

Formats: Paperback, eBook

Pages: 358

Aaron George Randolph, ruling King of the Lycans, is hell-bent on revenge for his mother’s brutal death at the hands of Vampires. But when a suspicious student takes up resident on his turf, he can’t help but be drawn to her despite knowing what she is.

Taken into custody by the ruling family of Brookedge, Mia’s life is complicated by the whole different world of mythical creatures living among humans. Now she must survive the impending civil war between old rivals, all the while learning about her true self and the power she holds. Torn between the nature of who she is and the overwhelming desire for the Lycan king, her choices are minimal.

What begins as vicious hostility changes into defying desire as Aaron and Mia are brought together by an unforgiving grudge that miraculously blooms into something unexpected that neither knew they needed.

With the war on the rise and a powerful enemy at the head of it, will their feelings for each other heal them in time? Or will they be forced to part ways and deny each other what was fated to be?

Goodreads | Amazon

Author Bio:

Hailing from India, Catherine is an author and law graduate, specializing in Intellectual Property & Copyright Infringement. She is passionate about Lycans, Werewolves, Witches and Vampires, and writes sizzling tales of love and betrayal.

Her love for books started from a very young age, when her loving father would gift her books like Russian Tales woven with fantasy. But it was in late 2015 when she found the books of Paranormal Romance author Cynthia Eden, whose books introduced her to the whole new world of paranormals. The more she read the more she got enticed and she penned her first novel in 2016. Since then, she has resigned her full time job as the HR and Operations Manager at a marketing/event management firm to pursue her passion as a writer.

When she isn’t writing, she likes to travel and read. Music and writing goes hand in hand for this night owl. Her family and furbabies are her world.

She also loves to chat with her readers and fellow authors. You can find Catherine often chatting on Twitter or on her Facebook page.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube | Pinterest | Goodreads

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Week One:

9/2/2019- A Dream Within A Dream- Excerpt

9/2/2019- BookHounds- Excerpt

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9/3/2019- Country Road Reviews- Excerpt

9/3/2019- Two Chicks on Books- Excerpt

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9/4/2019- Book Sniffers Anonymous- Excerpt

9/4/2019- Jaime's World- Excerpt

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9/5/2019- Cindy's Love of Books- Review

9/5/2019- Colorimetry- Excerpt

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9/6/2019- Jypsylynn- Review

9/6/2019- A Gingerly Review- Review

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Week Two:

9/9/2019- Risah's Book Blog- Excerpt

9/9/2019- Books a Plenty Book Reviews- Review

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9/10/2019- Smada's Book Smack- Spotlight

9/10/2019- Simply Daniel Radcliffe- Review

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9/11/2019- Book Briefs- Review

9/11/2019- Owl Always Be Reading- Excerpt

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9/12/2019- the suburban lifestyle- Review

9/12/2019- Parajunkee- Excerpt

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9/13/2019- Good Choice Reading- Spotlight

9/13/2019- Mythical Books- Excerpt

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Review tour provided by Rockstar Book Tours

Blog Blitz & Giveaway: The Last Huntsman by Page Morgan

The Last Huntsman
Page Morgan
Publication date: September 9th 2019
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult

No women. No children. No torture. The Huntsman has his rules.

For years, Tobin has done his emperor’s bidding, eliminating threats to the Empire of Morvansk. But when he is ordered to kill the lovely Princess Mara, Tobin’s absolute loyalty ends. The emperor’s punishment is swift and lethal, and Tobin is left with only one desire: vengeance.

Stay quiet. Stay hidden. Stay free. These are the rules Ever lives by.

Raised as a boy by her overprotective father, Ever has something the Morvansk emperor covets: mirror magic. With it, she can see anyone, anywhere, through the mirror’s glass. The emperor stole her mother years ago for this same magic, and now, he wants Ever, too.

When Ever’s mirror shows the wounded rebel huntsman approaching her village, she’s compelled to help him. But as Tobin and Ever grow closer, and their secrets intertwine, they’ll have to follow the rules they’ve always lived by—or break free from them, once and for all.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo

EXCERPT:

The shriek of a bird drew my eyes to the trees above. When I looked down, Mara stepped into the clearing. The call of the nuisance bird muted, as did everything else in the world surrounding the glade. She came through the tall grasses, her lavender colored skirts gathered in her hands to keep the hem from getting soiled against the ground.

I closed my eyes and forced forward the image of my mother. Of Kinn, of Lael. The worst five minutes of my life were about to unfold, and I had to keep those three faces present if I had any hope of following through.

I opened my eyes as Mara searched the glade for Orin, the man she believed had beckoned her there. She lifted her face to the sun, most likely chilled from the walk through the dim forest.

Mother.

Kinn.

Lael.

I looked into the hushed wood. Her ladies would have made plenty of noise had they followed, and her guards’ steel swords and metal fixtures would have been a clattering racket. She’d come alone, just as the note had bid.

She fiddled nervously with the front tucks of her skirt, not seeing me as I stood. I parted the flexible pines and stepped past the young green needles, coming to the edge of the brook’s banking. It was then that the princess spotted me. She let out a small yelp and dropped her skirts. Covering her mouth with her hands, Mara released her breath.

“Huntsman, you frightened me.” She lowered her hand and sent me a small smile, though it quickly fell. “What are you doing here? You didn’t…did you read the note you delivered this morning?”

Don’t look at her. Don’t listen to her.

“Forgive me, of course you didn’t. Are you hunting?” she asked as I stepped across the three rocks in the brook and into the glade.

The sun hit me, and my legs turned to dead weight. They didn’t want to move any closer. My hands, too, stayed heavy at my sides. The blade with the prince’s crest was inside my trouser waistline, and my own personal blades were where I always kept them.

“I’m meeting the prince,” she said, her voice notched louder. “It’s not very indecent, considering we are to be married,” she added with a half smile.

I strode through the grass toward her, pushing the slab of stone in my chest lower to crush the rapid beating of my heart. Mara’s shrewd eyes narrowed. My presence made her nervous, yet she didn’t back away as I came to within a foot of her.

Mother.

Kinn.

Lael.

“The prince is not coming.”

Mara looked sideways at me. “How do you know this?” Her facial muscles went slack. “You’ve done something to him.”

“I’ve already told you,” I said. Level. Clear. “The emperor did not send me to kill the prince.”

She wanted to believe me. Just like she believed me the other night when I said we were friends. I could see it in the way she shifted her bottom lip side to side, gripping the inside of it with her teeth.

“Then why have you followed me here?” she asked.

There was not supposed to be any conversation. I’d been taught to be brief, to make sure the target knew who had come for him and why, and then to finish before the target could beg or offer money in return for leniency.

“I didn’t follow you.” I reached inside my jacket and gripped Orin’s blade, the gold of the crossed hilt cool under my hot, sweaty palm.

She stared at me with a confused grimace, paying no attention to my hand.

“I led you here,” I said. “It is Emperor Frederic’s order, princess. I am only his servant.”

The last sentence spilled out of my mouth unintentionally, and with it, I caught the first whiff of my decaying will. The Huntsman didn’t explain himself. The Huntsman didn’t make excuses.

I pulled the dagger and stepped forward so swiftly Mara didn’t know to resist. She was taller than me, but I was stronger and faster; I wrapped my arm around her neck and her knees buckled, her chin wedging tight inside my crooked elbow. She screamed, but my bicep and forearm squelched it into a sputtering croak.

Mother.

Kinn.

Lael.

My Review:

5 Out Of 5 Stars

Genre: Fairytale, Heart-Wrenching, Retelling, Romance, Royal-Court, Supernatural, Suspense, Teen--

The Huntsman is indebted to the king and can’t refuse his commands, but when the king commands him to kill his most recent target, the Huntsman can’t complete his task. Ever has spent her life hiding as a boy, knowing that nobody can ever discover that she is a girl or what she is capable of. When the two inadvertently meet, neither will ever be the same and life just got a whole lot more dangerous.

I am always on the prowl for new fairytale retellings and I have always wanted to read Page’s gargoyle series so when I saw she had a new book coming out that was a retelling I was happy dancing at the opportunity to read The Last Huntsman. Hands down, The Last Huntsman is easily one of my favorite fairytale retellings, most certainly my favorite having to do with the Snow White story most definitely. This had everything I had hoped it would have, and even some things I did not expect and it was wrapped up in an easy to read, engaging package. This is not the Snow White that you know, instead we get the Huntsman who is actually an assassin with a heart of gold buried very deep inside, and a girl who can see anything through the mirror but is not an evil queen. I seriously blew through this story in one day, only stopping briefly to pretend to adult because I had to know how it would end.

I found the story to be incredibly romantic, even while only like one kiss and maybe one hug even took place, I felt the slow burn of their romance, the exchanges eye contact and subtle touches that were so chaste. I really hate insta-love (usually- unless a werewolf mate bond is involved) and this was the perfect amount of tension and character development that I needed. And yes I did just spend time talking about romance, but I am not sure I would classify this as a romance story. It whole heartedly was an action/adventure that just so happened to have a romance that made me giddy (Think The Princess Bride vibe here where the adventure was the biggest part of the book but you still rooted for the couple to get together and defeat the villain.) As a side note, there were some every dark topics in the story such as sexual assault, torture and murder yet when I was reading I did not feel like I was bogged down by the darkness or despair, instead I was caught up in the fast pace of the plot and the magical potential.

In case you can't tell, I absolutely loved The Last Huntsman, it was the perfect mix of romance, action and fairytale in a standalone story (not that I wouldn't love another book in this world with my new favorite characters). I now need to get my hands on all the other books by Page because she has made a true fan out of me! I reviewed a complementary copy of this title.


Author Bio:

Page is the author of THE BEAUTIFUL AND THE CURSED, THE LOVELY AND THE LOST, and THE WONDROUS AND THE WICKED, young adult gothic thrillers critically acclaimed by Booklist, Publisher's Weekly, Kirkus, School Library Journal, VOYA, and The Bulletin. Page's novels have been an IndieNext selection, a Seventeen Magazine Summer Book Club Read, and a #1 Amazon bestseller. Her next book, THE LAST HUNTSMAN, is a reimagining of the Huntsman and Magic Mirror from the tale of Snow White. She lives in New Hampshire with her husband and their three daughters, an English Pointer, an arrogant cat, two boring bearded dragons, a one-eared bunny, a bunch of chickens, and during the summer and fall, their neighbor's two sweet horses.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram


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Sunday, September 8, 2019

Review: Awakened Within, a Lost Souls Novel: A Lost Souls Novel (Lost Souls #1) by Michelle Ann Hollstein

Book Blurb:

In order to make the nightmare stop, Vienna Rossi, realizes she must take matters into her own hands. She’s compelled by an unseen force to hop on a last minute flight to track down a murderer.

Awakened within her is a psychic gift she never knew she had, a handsome spirit guide who drives her nuts, and the ability to help lost souls crossover to the other side.

Vienna and her spirit guide, Jack, team up with Vienna’s best friend, Kim, for a dangerous, murder solving, ghost hunting adventure.

Learn more about the book on Goodreads

My Review:

4 Out Of 5 Stars

Genre: Ghosts, Mystery, Supernatural, Suspense--

Vienna has been experiencing a nightmare, causing her to escape a way on a whim to her father's vacation house in Palm Springs. But instead of the relaxing getaway she was hoping for, instead she gets some family drama and some odd things she can't explain. Next thing Vienna knows, it is up to her and her best friend Kim as well as mysterious Jack to solve a deadly mystery.

I am always up for a paranormal mystery so when I read the synopsis for Awakened Within I was very interested to read it. I found this to be an engaging mystery with some creepy elements and with a great cast of characters. I loved that we get to meet Vienna just when she is starting to develop her gifts so we can learn how it works right along with her. I really really want a unlikely romance to occur between Jack and Vienna, but I can't see that happening but I will keep hoping! The paranormal aspect of the book was interesting and I would love to know more about her gifts, her agreement and her spirit guide. And the mystery was a nice twist that I did not expect. Michelle kept me on my toes guessing what would happen next and I love that in my mysteries.

I listened to the audiobook and I found it very enjoyable. The narrator was able to give personality and spunk to the characters (her voice for Bunny was my absolutely my favorite!!) and it was easy to get lost in the mystery. The one downside to the audiobook was that occasionally the perspective would switch between characters with no warning and their internal voices were the same so it took a minute for me to figure out what was going on and who was talking. Overall though I think this audiobook was well done and I would love to listen to the rest of the series. I enjoyed getting to know Vienna, Kim, Bunny and Jack and I want to see what mystery they solve next.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this title.

Saturday, September 7, 2019

Blog Blitz & Giveaway: First Flyght by S.J. Pajonas

First Flyght banner

This is my stop during the bookstagram blitz for First Flyght by S.J. Pajonas. This bookstagram blitz is organized by Lola's Blog Tours. This bookstagram blitz runs from 6 till 13 September. See the tour schedule here.

99cents sale!
First Flyght is the exciting first book in S.J. Pajonas’ new Flyght series. It’s only 99 cents for a limited time only. You can buy your copy here.

First FlyghtFirst Flyght (The Flyght Series #1)
By S.J. Pajonas
Genre: Science Fiction Romance/ Reverse Harem
Age category: Adult
Release Date: September 6, 2019

Blurb:
Her future is brighter than the stars. But one betrayal will change everything…

Vivian Kawabata can't wait to claim her privileged destiny. But when the heir to the family agricultural empire finds her bank account empty while shopping for expensive shoes, she’s horrified to discover that her own brother has financially stabbed her in the back. To stand a chance of restoring her rightful place in the universe, the honest and rule-following Vivian may have to break a few intergalactic laws.

After securing an old ship from her aunt, Vivian takes on two new roles: a sexy heiress collecting eligible husbands and a hard-nosed captain rebuilding a lost fortune by any means necessary. Completely out of her depth, she'd be sunk without the help of a relationship broker, a handsome ex-boyfriend, a hacker with a heart of gold, and the other potential partners she meets along the way. With a business that runs the razor’s edge between trade and smuggling, can the former high-society socialite get the money she needs or will her brazen ambition lead to a deadly crash landing?

First Flyght is the first book in the Flyght Series of sci-fi reverse harem romance. If you like action-packed space operas and a universe full of twists, then you’ll love S. J. Pajonas’s interstellar adventure.


First Flyght 99 cents graphic


You can find First Flyght on Goodreads

You can buy First Flyght for only 99 cents here:
- Amazon
- Barnes & Noble
- Kobo
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- All links

Check out the author’s inspiration board for the Flyght series here on Pinterest

First Flyght teaser


Excerpt:
“How will we get shipping contracts if we can’t get a license?”
Skylar rubs her hands together. “Times are changing. The STRA doesn’t run everything anymore. There are two startups out of Palo Alto, Ampla and Flyght, that have found a way to match smaller customers with smaller ships. Independent contracting at its finest. We just need to get in with one of them, and we’ll be set.”
“I… I really need a chair to sit down,” I say, my voice shaking. One of my cousins runs into the next room and brings in a side chair from the smaller kitchen table.
“Flyght. Really?” I plead to Mom and Aunt Fusako as I sit. “I can’t believe you’re even suggesting it after all I went through.”
I did my finance degree first in my early twenties on Rio, the other major metropolis planet in our system. I was young, and it was my first time away from home. Naturally, I met a boy in class, and we fell in love. Ken Mata wasn’t anything extraordinary, but he was tall, handsome, kind, funny, and smart, and he was mine for a short time. I can still close my eyes and see his swoop of hair and the beautiful body he cultivated playing football in every spare moment he had.
My parents, though, were not so in love. He came from a poor family with no real prospects for an alliance, and I was “too good for him.” Ugh. I hated that stuck-up and pretentious attitude. I never saw myself as better than anyone else, but my parents saw differently.
When Ken and I got our finance degrees, he begged me to move to Palo Alto with him, to run away for love. He even proposed with a ring and everything. And I wanted to go. I wanted to marry him. I really did. But my parents threatened to disown me and hand the farm down to one of my female cousins. I agonized over the decision, but I chose my family over Ken. He left, brokenhearted and angry, and I returned to Ossun to get my second degree. It took me over a year to break out of the cycle of crying every day, and I’ve barely dated anyone since. One or two guys have come into my life and then flitted right back out.
Ken, though, turned out to be plenty talented. He took his finance degree and started Flyght, the hippest and most financially solvent startup in the last five years. I’ll never forget seeing him on the news the first time with his hair and a new beard and his sneaky smile. Pangs of jealousy clutched my stomach, and I had to walk away from the news that day.
Now, I have to face him again?
“You made me say no to him. You made me stay here,” I say, pointing my finger at Mom. “And now you want me to crawl back to him so I can get into Flyght? Are you mad?”
No one says anything.
Skylar shrugs at me. “We could try Ampla, but their terms are not as lucrative.”
“You don’t know how sorry I am,” Mom says, but I don’t want to hear it. I don’t think I’ve ever been so angry at her, at Dad, at everything.
“You’re going to have a hard time with either Ampla or Flyght,” Aunt Fusako says, flipping on her wristlet and gesturing to whatever she sees there. “They both have a long application process, and once you qualify, you have to submit to an interview every six months. I’m sending you the documents you need to study up on before you get going.”
My wristlet chimes, but I don’t check it.
I don’t know where things went so wrong in my life.
I lean forward and rest my head on my hands. This is a nightmare.
“Is this really my only option?” I ask, lifting my head. “Is there nothing else we can do?”
This time, Dad steps forward and comes to kneel beside me, taking my hands in his. “Vivi, this isn’t just the only option, it’s the best possible option. Not only will you be making contacts with influential people, but we’re hoping you’ll meet men you want to settle down with.” He kisses my fingers, and my heart melts. “Many someones who will bring joy not only to you but to the whole family.”
He stands up, and I wipe away a few tears before I look up at him.
“You will make us proud. I’m sure of it.”
Translation, “Your brother already fucked up big time.”
Now, I have to clean up after him.



Book 2 coming soon!
Broken Flyght
Fallen heiress, ship’s captain, entrepreneur — Vivian will do whatever it takes to restore her family’s empire, even if it means sacrificing her own happiness…

Broken Flyght (The Flyght Series #2) is releasing on October 4, 2019. You can pre-order it now:
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- All links



SJ pajonasAbout the Author:
Stephanie (S. J.) is a writer, knitter, amateur astrologer, Capricorn, Japanophile, and USA Today Best Selling author. She loves foxes, owls, sushi, yoga pants, Evernote, and black tea. When she’s not writing, she’s thinking about writing or spending time outside, unless it’s winter. She hates winter. Someday she’ll own a house in both hemispheres so she can avoid the season entirely. She’s a mom to two great kids and lives with her husband and family outside NYC. They have no pets. Yet. When it comes to her work, expect the unexpected. She doesn’t write anything typical. Find her online at https://www.spajonas.com.

You can find and contact S.J. Pajonas here:
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Giveaway
There is a tour wide giveaway for the bookstagram blitz for First Flyght. There is an international and US Only prize:

Grand prize (US Only) that contains the following products (picture below):
1 signed paperback copy of FIRST FLYGHT
1 signed paperback copy of PIRATE NEMESIS by Carysa Locke
1 FIRST FLYGHT branded mug
1 stainless steel tea strainer
$15 gift card to Adagio Teas (adagio.com)
Plus a surprise Japanese treat!

Starter Library of S. J. Pajonas ebooks - REMOVED, CRASH LAND ON KURAI, SUMMER HAIKUS, FIRST FLYGHT, and THE DAYDREAMER DETECTIVE (Open International)

First Flyght grand prize

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Friday, September 6, 2019

Blog Tour & Giveaway: She's the Worst by Lauren Spieller

Book Blurb:

She's the Worst by Lauren Spieller

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young

Release Date: September 3rd 2019

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Realistic Fiction

Sisters April and Jenn haven’t been close in years. Jenn’s too busy with school, the family antique shop, and her boyfriend, and April would rather play soccer and hang out with the boy next door.

But when April notices her older sister is sad about staying home for college, she decides to do something about it. The girls set off to revive a pact they made as kids: spend an epic day exploring the greatest hits of their childhood and all that Los Angeles has to offer.

Then April learns that Jenn has been keeping a secret that could rip their family—and their feuding parents—apart. With only one day to set things right, the sisters must decide if their relationship is worth saving, or if the truth will tear them apart for good.

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My Review:

4.5 Out Of 5 Stars

Genre: Heart, Romance, Teen--

April is the black sheep of her family, seen as the irresponsible younger sister, but in reality she works hard at soccer and even may have a future due to her skills. Jenn is the diligent, hard working older sister who just can't deal with her parent's fighting anymore- and has a secret looming over her. April knows that something is bothering Jenn but since they are not close anymore she has no idea what. Instead, she decides to make a special day for Jenn, a day that goes horribly wrong- in the best of ways.

I can't remember the last book I read that had a positive or important sibling relationship in it. Actually, I can't remember the last book that had any kind of sibling relationship. Usually, siblings either do not exist or are briefly mentioned as world building, not as real people which is pretty unrealistic if you think about the story as real life. That being said, I was really excited when I heard about She's the Worst and it was a book that was predominantly about the love hate thing between two sisters. And sure there are other topics like growing up and a cute unexpected romance, but the focus of the book was the up and down relationship dynamic between Jenn and April and I was so there for that!

Overall I really liked getting to know April and her spunk and Jenn and her steadfastness- but I absolutely could not stand the parents in the story. This was my first book by Lauren and I loved her writing style and pacing, she was able to get me to read "just another chapter" until I had finished the book without being able to put it down. I will gladly read more from her in the future. I highly recommend She's the Worst if you are a fan of YA contemporary, relationship drama, cute blossoming romance and coming of age stories.

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Here is my playlist for She's the Worst- it is full of all the feels that the book had!

1. Good Riddance (Time of Your Life) by Green Day

2. Mine by Taylor Swift

3. Hey Soul Sister by Train

4. Ho Hey by The Lumineers

5. Why Did You Run by Judah & The Lion

6. I Lived by One Republic

7. All To Well by Taylor Swift

8.100 Bad Days by AJR

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Author Bio:

Lauren Spieller is an author and literary agent who lives in New York with her husband. When she isn’t writing, she can be found drinking lattes, pining for every dog she sees, or visiting her native California. She is the author of Your Destination is on the Left and She’s the Worst. Follow her on Twitter @laurenspieller and Instagram @laurenspieller. You can also visit her website at www.laurenspieller.com

Photo Cred: Dave Cross Photography

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You can follow the She's The Worst blog tour HERE

Blog tour provided by Fantastic Flying Book Blog