Monday, October 28, 2013

Blog Tour, Review & Giveaway: They All Fall Down by Angela Brown


They All Fall Down
by Angela Brown




Shadow Jumpers #2 - They All Fall Down

BOOK 2

They All Fall Down by Angela Brown
(Shadow Jumpers #2)
Publication date: October 1st, 2013
Genres: New Adult, Paranormal, Romance



Synopsis:
Abby and Basil: New love reaches new heights as they finally give in to their lust and desire for each other.


Q: Consumed by the Devourer within and his base need to claim Abby as his own.



The crave: What it all boils down to. A crave for souls. A crave to keep love intact beyond betrayals. A crave for a second chance. A crave for power and The Fall of mankind.



“Love can conquer all” is put to the test and salvation may be impossible when they all fall down.




PURCHASE
_________________________________________________________
MY REVIEW:
Lets start with the cover, three words... hot, hot, hot! I really loved the cover of this book, it makes me want to know who these two are. I love how the man on the cover looks almost vunerable and like the woman is in control of the situation. That alone made me want to learn more.

I read the book as a stand-alone, I have not had a chance to read the first book Neverlove, and for They All Fall Down to be a novella, this book stood its ground very strong. I was not lost trying to piece together what on earth is going on. I love that in a book, when you can grab it at any level of a series and read it without information of the previous books. Of course because it is a novella, some questions I had were not answered, BUT my questions did not hinder the storyline or rather me understanding the story-line.

From the jump, author Angela Brown made the book was interesting, she peaked my interests on the characters and really makes me excited to read Neverlove to learn even more about these characters as well as look forward to her upcoming books to see how Basil and Abby grow and what is to come in their world. And of course, Q has peaked an interest. 

Author Brown was able to make me really hold my interests wondering what was going to happen, she packed a lot of action in the novella which kept me turning those pages to find out more, and honestly sad when it was over.

I do have one hope about the series, and that is, that I hope the current story line or Q's end goal takes a dramatic twist of some sorts. I say this because I am currently reading two series already with a story line very similar and I feel like this story of Basil, Q and Abby can be something spectacular!   Even if author Brown doesn't change things up, it will still be a fun read. 
All in all the series is very promising, the novella was a fun quick read. I would defiantly recommend to put this on your "to read" lists.

I give this one a ...
  (Also, please keep in mind, if you haven't viewed the Hotties rating system. We have a 4 flame rating system. Most others are 5 star rating system. So our 2 flames would be equivalent to 3 stars.)

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Shadow Jumpers #1 - Neverlove

BOOK 1

Neverlove by Angela Brown
(Shadow Jumpers #1)
Publication date: October 8th 2012
Genres: New Adult, Paranormal, Romance

Synopsis:
For seventeen-year-old Abigail, one rash decision leads to an unexpected chance for redemption. At V'Salicus Academy, a unique institute where she trains to become an agent of heaven, she struggles with the pain of her past, the changes of the present and accepts a loveless future until her path – and heart – crosses with Basil’s.

Basil's off-chance slip of the tongue binds him to a life of servitude to the Devourer, the master of hell. His existence has no upside until a chance meeting with Abigail brings new perspective.

Keeping the truth of their present lives from each other brings disaster when secrets are brought to light and the life of Abigail’s mentor is put on the line.

Can Abigail and Basil save her mentor and salvage their love amid the chaos? Or will they lose it all, destined forever to NEVERLOVE?


PURCHASE


______________________________________


AUTHOR BIO:

Born and raised in Little Rock, AR, Angela now calls Central Texas home.

Reading and writing have been lifelong passions. It was around the time she gave birth to her forever-love, nicknamed Chipmunk, that she really took writing seriously. After all, how could she teach her child to follow her dreams if she hadn't tried herself?

As a YA fantasy/sci-fi reader and author, she favors the magical, mysterious, the darker side of life...even harbors a secret fright for things that go bump in the night.

Author links:

GIVEAWAY





Cover Reveal: The Wolf of Descarta by Daniel Pike



COVER REVEAL OF....

The Wolf of Descarta
by Daniel Pike





Title: The Wolf of Descarta
Author: Daniel Pike
Release Date: November 21, 2013
Series: The Dream Box
Genre: Sci-Fi /Fantasy
Publisher: The Zharmae Publishing Press (Zharmae.com)




Book Description:  

Jaren Reese is just another red collar trapped at the bottom of Descarta’s genetic caste system. But in the Dream Box, he has forged a new digital identity for himself: Balmus, the Wolf Knight.

Balmus has long since carried a torch for the Linker Petra, but he doesn’t know her, not really. Outside of the Dream Box she is just another one of his fantasies. But Brea Morgen is the real thing– a living, breathing person who desires Jaren for who he truly is, not merely what he pretends to be. 

When the Dream Box that Jaren depends on crashes due to the evolution of a hostile A.I. life form, a secret military branch commissions a team of gamers and hackers to go back into the corrupted Dream Box to eliminate the threat and Jaren is given the chance of a lifetime—though it comes at a price—and Jaren now needs to decide just how much he’s willing to lose because the war about to be waged will be one on two fronts - the corporeal and the virtual.





Author Bio:


Daniel Pike is a high school English teacher, author, blogger, and father of two energetic daughters, Aurie and Kiera. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature from ASU as well as his Masters in Education. His first novel, Repressed Memories, was written when he was 17 years old and high on anime. He openly admits that most of the writing took place in his Algebra class. We may forgive him for that.

His most recent offerings include The Wolf of Descarta, book one in his Dream Box Trilogy




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Coffee and Characters

Book Blitz - Breaking The Storm by Sedona Venez


Breaking The Storm
by Sedona Venez



Book & Author Details:

Breaking the Storm by Sedona Venez 

(Credence Curse #1) 
Publication date: August 6th 2013
Genres: New Adult, Paranormal, Romance

Synopsis:
I wanted Knox. There was no need to deny that fact.

Knox was the type of guy you gravitated to, who stood out in the crowd. It wasn’t just his classically good-looking features and perpetual five o’clock shadow. It was his raw energy that entranced me, that made me feel like a giggly, fumbling high school girl, happy to be in his presence.

Yes, there’s no denying it, front man Knox Gunner was a sexy badass.

It didn’t matter that he initially thought I was some bored, rich girl trying to live out some wild fantasy of being with a starving musician. It was uncomplicated and that’s what we both wanted. At least that’s what I convinced myself. I wasn’t ready to admit to myself that my feelings for Knox were getting dangerously deep—waiting to lay siege on my heart. I was falling for him… and this was dangerous. The rules were clear: falling in love would obligate me to expose what I truly was, setting in motion his slow march to death.



Purchase:








AUTHOR BIO:

T.L. Clarke writing as Sedona Venez

TLC is a NYC girl (go Brooklyn!) and is obsessed with books. She also has a borderline unhealthy obsession with her iPad. Her favorite books… anything with rockers, hot alpha men and wolf shifters!

Her true love for writing blossomed when she began to write New Adult and Adult novels with romance, music, and sexy men as her alter ego "Sedona Venez".

Find me on pinterest to get some great Breaking the Storm inspiration!! http://www.pinterest.com/tlcauthor

Facebook: www.facebook.com/SedonaVenez
Twitter: @tlclarke_tlc


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Thursday, October 24, 2013

Cover Reveal - Beneath Manhattan Skies by Emma Meade

The wait is over...

The Cover is revealed...

Beneath Manhattan Skies
by Emma Meade
designed by Najla Qamber


BOOK INFO:

Beneath Manhattan Skies by Emma Meade 
Publication date: November 2013
Genres: New Adult, Paranormal, Romance


Synopsis:
November in New York is cold but full of possibility for college freshman Erin Harris. When her twin brother, Nick, shows up on her doorstep for a surprise visit, Erin is delighted. Unfortunately, Nick’s arrival coincides with the discovery of a body outside her apartment building, a body drained of blood. Right away, Nick assumes vampires are involved. He’s not exactly their biggest fan since Erin dated one in high school.

Juggling nosy roommates, a first date with a gorgeous guy from college and a brother on a Van Helsing kick is enough to keep any nineteen year old girl busy – And then Erin’s old flame walks back into her life.

Is Erin destined to be caught up in supernatural shenanigans, or will she choose a different path?

(A 45,000 word Novella).

Goodreads


AUTHOR BIO:

Emma Meade writes paranormal fiction.
She lives in rainy Ireland and loves all things supernatural. Stephen King's The Stand is one of her most loved books and she's lost count of the number of times she's read L.J. Smith's trilogy, The Forbidden Game.

Books, DVDS & TV show boxsets take up lots of space in her home and she collects all the Point Horror books she can get her hands on.

She is not ashamed to admit that Dirty Dancing and Twilight make her top ten movie list but wishes to point out that The Last of the Mohicans, Reality Bites, Dead Poets Society, Stand by Me and The Goonies are in there too.

Writing supernatural stories & watching marathon re-runs of Buffy are some of her favourite ways of escaping reality.

Friday, October 18, 2013

Book Blitz - The Tempering by Adrianne James


 The Tempering
by Adrianne James 



Excerpt



“Is this normal?” Mackenzie asked in a whisper not wanting to wake Liam. She figured sleeping was probably the only way to keep the pain away.

“Yes. Every bitten Were goes through this. You did, but the body shuts the mind off for a reason. His bones are breaking and healing. Cartilage is shifting or growing. Muscles are stretching. It’s a whole process that the body goes through. The only thing to do now is wait.”

“Okay. I’ll be right back.” Waiting might be part of the process, but maybe she could make him more comfortable. He may not recognize what she was doing, but she did.

Grabbing a bucket of cool water, a washcloth, and some blankets, she went back to the den. Margret and Geoff stood off to the side, whispering with one another so low that even with her super hearing, she couldn’t tell what they were saying.

“I am so sorry, Liam. You can’t hear me, but I won’t leave you. We can figure this whole thing out together. You are not alone.” Her voice was soft and she knew the others could hear her, but she didn’t care.

Dipping the cloth into the cool water then ringing it out, she placed it on his forehead.

“Mack? Come on. Let’s leave Margret to deal with this. You need to rest.” Geoff stood so close she could feel his breath on her neck. As much as she wanted to turn around to see how close he was and to go wherever he asked her to, asshole or not, she couldn’t leave Liam. He was her responsibility. She would be his sire. He needed her.
“I can’t leave him. Not yet.” Tears slipped from her eyes but for the first time in ages, she didn’t wipe them away or force herself to stop. Someone needed to grieve for his lost life even if no one knew it was gone yet.


Book & Author Details:

The Tempering by Adrianne James
Publication date: September 13th 2013
Genres: New Adult, Paranormal Romance

Synopsis:
The Mythology department at prestigious Harvard University is tiny—and Mackenzie Duncan has just been selected as one of the lucky few. Her love for myths and legends is deep, but she never thought any of it could be real.

After being attacked by a large wolf while walking home alone, Mackenzie realizes something is not right. She heals quickly, has suddenly become super strong, and is experiencing mood swings that can’t possibly be normal. The myths she’s studying aren’t myths at all. Werewolves are real, and she’s one of them. Fear of what she is, and who she might hurt sends Mackenzie running from the life she’s worked hard to build–and straight into the arms of a handsome Were named Geoff and into the home of his pack. Living with her new pack takes the edge off her confusion and self-loathing, but the arrival of new pack members changes the dynamic, and tests Geoff and Mackenzie’s growing relationship.

The hardest part of being a werewolf is to have no control and no memory of her time as a bloodthirsty beast. When a moon cycle passes, and she is actually able to remember bits and pieces of the night, she starts to ask questions, and the more questions she asks, the more she realizes she doesn’t like the answers. Can she set aside her own sense of morals to belong to a pack that is like a family or will she leave everything behind yet again in search of a life she can be proud of?


Get your Copy Now!!

AUTHOR BIO:
Growing up, Adrianne couldn't get her hands on enough books to satisfy her need for the make believe. If she finished a novel and didn't have a new one ready and waiting for her, she began to create her own tales of magic and wonder. Now, as an adult, books still make up majority of her free time, and now her tales get written down to be shared with the world.

During the day, Adrianne uses her camera to capture life's stories for clients of all ages and at night, after her two children are tucked in bed; she devotes herself to her written work. Adrianne is living the life she always wanted, surrounded by art and beauty, the written word and a loving family.

As a young adult and new adult author, Adrianne James has plans to bring stories of growing characters, a little romance, and perhaps a little magic and mythology down the line for her readers to enjoy.

Author Links:
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Enter to win an E-book of The Tempering!


 


Thursday, October 17, 2013

Getting Rooted in New Zealand by Jamie Baywood

Getting Rooted in New Zealand
by Jamie Baywood 

 

(information taken from Amazon and Goodreads)

Paperback: 224 pages
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (April 21, 2013)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1482601907
ISBN-13: 978-1482601909



Craving change and lacking logic, at 26, Jamie, a cute and quirky Californian, impulsively moves to New Zealand to avoid dating after reading that the country's population has 100,000 fewer men. In her journal, she captures a hysterically honest look at herself, her past and her new wonderfully weird world filled with curious characters and slapstick situations in unbelievably bizarre jobs. It takes a zany jaunt to the end of the Earth and a serendipitous meeting with a fellow traveler before Jamie learns what it really means to get rooted.


My Review
In keeping with tradition, lets start with the cover and how it spoke to me prior to reading the book.
The first thing that I honestly noticed where the butterflies, I love butterflies and I wondered what did the butterflies and New Zealand have in common. I thought the figure of the young lady sporting her red hat with luggage bag was really cute. But most of all I was most intrigued on the title, and what the book had in store for me.
The book is truly a walk in author Jamie Baywood's shoes from the moment she touches down in New Zealand. I will admit I was wondering how would a daily account of life's events really be an entertaining read. What can I say, Baywood made it happen and then some!
I could without a doubt see a TV series or movie out of her book. She left me laughing until I was in tears from her candid accounts of what she was going through, the people she met and the jobs she had. 
Some people have a natural funniness about them, even when they are trying to be serious, Baywood is one of those people. I loved how the people of New Zealand responded to the California born American. How although both are English speaking countries, the dialects and meanings behind words were so different, that some of Baywood's conversations literally reminded me of something off "I Love Lucy." And I promise you one thing, after reading this book, you will always laugh at the word "deck" and "rooted". This I promise!
Baywood managed masterfully to make her day to day life a sensationally funny and warm lighthearted story that left me staying up late to read and wondering what was going to happen the next day in her life.
The New Zealander's or Kiwi's that Baywood introduced were so intriguing and some were just down right comical. I found myself on numerous occasions bursting into a laugh that I quickly had to stifle because everyone around me would turn and look at me crazy. I also found myself in at night bargaining with myself, "just one more day" before going to bed and ended up much longer than expected.

If you are looking for that book that will make you laugh but also has true sincere moments that make you reflect on things, this is by far the book for you. 

For me, on the Hottie scale, this book was without a doubt a...
HOT PAGE TURNER

Jamie Baywood took a few moments out of her busy schedule to allow the Hotties to interview her.



Thank you so much Jamie for taking the time to do this interview. Your book was so much fun to read. I had never thought that someone’s life would be so comical.
With that being said, my first question is:



Where all the characters in your book based off real people you met?

Yes, all of the characters in my book are real people I met. Some of the names of the characters and organizations, but not all have been changed to preserve privacy. 



Recently on Twitter, the characters in Getting Rooted in New Zealand are described as, “Wicked. Lots of heroes and villains. It’s a story you can read again and again- it’s laugh out loud shocking in parts and cringe worthy, some office peeps are monsters!” by Colin Mathura-Jeffree, a male model and judge for the TV show New Zealand’s Next Top Model. Colin is one of my favorite characters that I meet in New Zealand.

­­­I had good, bad and weird experiences in New Zealand. I’m grateful for all the people I encountered, heroes and villains, the experiences I had turned me into a writer. 


Do you still keep in touch with any of your new found New Zealand friends?

I do keep in touch with most of the people I met in New Zealand. Some of my dearest friends in the world are in New Zealand. Although it is technically not home to me or my Scottish husband, it feels like home to us as a couple because that is where we met. We have been feeling homesick for New Zealand and really miss our friends there. 


Have you been back to New Zealand to visit after writing your book?

I haven’t been back to New Zealand, but would love to return. I think I had to move to England to truly appreciate New Zealand. Publishing the book made me dreadfully nostalgic and homesick for New Zealand. I organized the stories in February – summer in New Zealand winter in the UK. It was the longest winter of my life in England; I was ready to get on the next plane to Auckland.

I have been living in the UK since winter 2011. I am currently on a visa in the UK called an Extension to Stay as the Spouse of a UK Citizen. This visa will expire in 2014. We are deciding now if we should go through another round of visas for me to stay in the UK or if we want to try living somewhere else in the world.  We are seriously considering moving back to New Zealand next year.

Dealing with visa restrictions has been the most difficult things about moving abroad. In New Zealand, it greatly limited my options for employment.  Overall, I found the New Zealand immigration office significantly easier to deal with than the UK Border Agency.  From my personal experience the New Zealand immigration office were efficient. All of my visas in New Zealand were processed in a couple of weeks.  Although I was married in January 2012 in the UK, my marriage visa was not approved by the UK Border Agency until September 2012. While my marriage visa was being processed, my only right was to not be deported. I wasn’t allowed to work, study or even leave because they had both my passport and my husband’s.



Nothing could have prepared me for the soul-crushing bureaucracy of the UK. My husband is in the middle of a two-year MA in Landscape Architecture in England. We plan to move internationally again in 2014, I’m not sure where yet. I currently have to live in the center of England. I desperately miss the ocean and being warm at the beach. I really miss the warm, friendly nature of the people in the South Pacific. As crazy as my job experiences were in New Zealand, I would actually like to return to New Zealand and give it another try working as a writer. It would be great to return to New Zealand to make Getting Rooted in New Zealand into a TV show with director Thomas Sainsbury. 


What made you decide to publish your personal journals or was that your intentions from the beginning?


I didn’t go to New Zealand with the intentions of writing a book about my experiences there. I didn’t start keeping a diary or writing until I moved to New Zealand. I wrote to keep in touch with friends and family.  I saved the emails that eventually became my book.  Most of the book was written as the events happened; it just took me a few years to work up the nerve to publish. I consider myself an accidental author. I had funny experiences that I had trouble believing were true. I wrote the stories down to stay sane. I wrote situations down that were happening around me and shared them with friends. The stories made people laugh so I decided to organize the stories into a book and publish in the hopes to make others laugh too.

Publishing my book was my way of transforming poison into medicine. I hope that it can help people that have had bad dating experiences or bad work experiences – make them laugh and not give up hope.  


How did you come up with the title?

In New Zealand, I had a lot of culture shock.  One of the most memorable moments was learning the meaning of the Kiwi slang word “rooted.” One night I was brushing my teeth with my flatmate Liam and I said, ‘I’m really excited to live in this house because I have been traveling a lot and I just need to settle down, stop traveling and get rooted’. He was choking on his toothbrush and asked me if I knew what that meant because it had a completely different meaning New Zealand than it does in the States.


What are your current project(s)?

I plan to divide my books by the countries I've lived in.  I've lived in five countries; America, American Samoa, New Zealand, Scotland and now England.  My next book will be about attempting to settle in Scotland. 


If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor?

Traveling alone and being celibate for a year was how Elizabeth Gilbert found her husband in Eat, Pray, Love. I probably took it too literally like an instructions manual, but it worked for me.  


What was one of the first books you read that is still your favorite?

Is Your Mama a Llama? 


What book are you reading now?

May I Ask You Something? by Cyan Corwine. 


Did you learn anything from writing your book and what was it?

I wrote, designed, published and have been marketing my own book. Self-publishing is one person taking on all of the responsibilities typically held by teams of people in traditional publishing companies. Writing, designing, publishing and marketing books are each valid full time careers.  I have been figuring out everything as I go. It’s been a steep learning curve.

The whole process has taught me to trust myself, believe in myself and follow my dreams. 


What was the hardest part of writing your book?

The hardest part has been trying to promote the book while simultaneously attempting to stay anonymous. My life is literally an open book, but Jamie Baywood is a pen name. I haven’t told my family that I’ve written or published a book. They think I’m just living in the UK working on a MA in Design studying book covers. 


Do you have any advice for other writers?

Believe in yourself. No one else is going to do it for you. 


Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers?

I feel very grateful that most readers understand my sense of humor. I’m always relieved and grateful when I receive a positive review. I love hearing from readers that my book is making people laugh out loud.

It’s frustrating when people don’t understand my humor. The main criticism I get is that my book isn’t a representation of the entire country of New Zealand.
It’s my dairy, not a travel guide.  I have been in a lot of situations where I had two choices: laugh or cry. I’ve chosen to laugh. I write my experiences from a purely personal standpoint. Compared to other travelers who worked abroad in New Zealand my experiences have been very unusual. I would highly recommend everyone goes to New Zealand to experience their own adventure.
 



About the Author

 Jamie Baywood grew up in Petaluma, California. In 2010, she made the most impulsive decision of her life by moving to New Zealand. Getting Rooted in New Zealand is her first book about her experiences living there. Jamie is now married and living happily ever after in the United Kingdom. She is working on her second book.

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