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Tuesday 24 June 2014

Promo Event & Giveaway - The Girl Who Believed in Fairy Tales by Heidi Garrett


The Girl Who Believed in Fairy Tales
by Heidi Garrett
Sub Genre: Magical Realism
Release Date: June 23, 2014

Book Summary:
Heather Baker believes in fairy tales, and she turns to their timeless wisdom whenever life gets difficult. 

Again and again, the playfulness, symbolism, and deeper meaning in fairy tales have filled Heather with hope, nurtured her spirit, and fired her imagination. Sometimes touching, and sometimes humorous, these tales capture the three most transformative experiences in her life: 

—Heather reframes her childhood sorrow in “The Girl Who Watched for Elves” 
—She embarks upon a life imbued with meaning in “The Girl Who Dreamed of Red Shoes” 
—And after taking several wrong turns, she finds the place where she belongs in “The Girl Who Couldn’t Sing” 

The Girl Who Believed in Fairy Tales chronicles the journey of someone who was willing to change the way she viewed the world... and never stopped believing.

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Book Blast & Giveaway - Contact by Laurisa White Reyes

Contact
Contact
by Laurisa White Reyes

Book Summary:
Mira wants to die. She’s attempted suicide twice already and failed. Every time she comes in contact with another person, skin to skin, that person’s psyche uploads into hers. While her psychologist considers this a gift, for Mira it’s a curse from which she cannot escape.

To make matters worse, Mira’s father is being investigated for the deaths of several volunteer test subjects of the miracle drug Gaudium. Shortly after Mira’s mother starts asking questions, she ends up in a coma. Although her father claims it was an accident, thanks to her “condition” Mira knows the truth, but proving it just might get her killed.


Buy Links:








PRAISE FOR BOOK:

"CONTACT is a page turner that will keep you guessing right along with Mira, right up until the last revelation. And it will make you reconsider the next time you wish you knew someone else’s secrets!" - Margaret Petereson Haddix, author of the Missing and The Shadow Children series

Book Blitz & Giveaway - Killer's Instinct by Dawn Dalton & Judith Graves




Killer's Instinct
by Dawn Dalton & Judith Graves

Book Summary:
Where there is NO life there s Hope Hope has always been a bit of a freak. But when her mother crawls from her grave and her undead corpse goes MIA, Hope s last thread of normal snaps with a vengeance. Enrolling in a militia-style school for monster hunters seems her best bet for tracking down Mommy-dearest and putting what s left of her mother to rest. But the stakes are raised when she s partnered with three unique male recruits each with their own personal demons to slay if they want to survive basic training. But does Hope have a true killer s instinct? If she finds her mother, will she have the guts to do what must be done to save her soul? In a place like Le Manoir, all bets are off. What could be creepier than hunting down your own zombie mommy?....A single page in, I was hooked. Jacqueline Mitchard, author of What We Lost in the Dark and The Deep End of the Ocean Killer s Instinct is going to knock other YA monster-battling books off the shelves. Gary Braver, bestselling and award-winning author of Tunnel Vision

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Monday 23 June 2014

Blog Tour Interview & Giveaway - Fires of Man by Dan Levinson




Fires of Man
by Dan Levinson
Date Published: June 17, 2014
Genre: Science Fiction

Book Summary:
In a world where a gifted few can manipulate reality with their minds, two great nations—Calchis and Orion—employ these psionic powers in a covert war for global superiority.

In the heart of Calchis, a powerful young psion named Aaron Waverly is kidnapped, and forcibly conscripted. To the north, in the capital, a plan is hatched to decimate Orion, to be carried out by the ruthless operative known only as “Agent.”

In Orion, fresh recruit Stockton Finn comes to terms with his incredible new powers, and learns firsthand how dangerous they can be. Meanwhile, officers Nyne Allen and Kay Barrett navigate the aftermath of their shattered love affair, oblivious to the fact that Calchis draws ever closer to destroying the tenuous peace.

Finally, in the arctic land of Zenith, Calchan archaeologist Faith Santia unearths a millennia-old ruin. This lost temple might just hold the hidden history of psionic powers, as well as hints of a deeper mystery . . . that could shake the foundations of all mankind.

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Cover Reveal - With Tide and Tempest by Kate Avery Ellison


With Tide and Tempest
by Kate Avery Ellison 
(Secrets of Itlantis #3) 
Publication Date: June 2014
Genre: YA Fantasy

Synopsis:
Free or not, life beneath the sea in the republic of Itlantis is less idyllic than Aemi might have imagined when she’d been just a surfacer slave. She’s been accused of spying for the enemy thanks to her connections with the traitorous Nautilus family, not to mention her own tangled and mysterious family history. Her mother has arrived, and is determined to take over her life. Oh, and someone is trying to kill her. Again.

When Aemi receives word that her best friend might still be alive in a village on the surface, she and a crew of friends set out to find him, regardless of the danger from Nautilus’s men patrolling the open sea and the mysterious threats on her life. But the sea is not the only thing that holds secrets.



About The Author
I live in Georgia with my wonderful husband and two spoiled cats. When I'm not writing, I'm usually catching up on my extensive Netflix queue, reading a book, giggling at something funny online, or trying to convince my husband to give me just ONE bite of whatever he's eating.


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Sunday 22 June 2014

BOOK REVIEW: Drawing Amanda by Stephanie Feuer


Drawing Amanda
Author: Stephanie Feuer
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary
Publisher: Hipso Media
Release Date: June 15, 2014

Book Summary:
Inky draws his crush for a game–and paints her into real danger.

DRAWING AMANDA is set in the under-parented, high-expectation world of a Manhattan international prep school. Fourteen-year-old budding artist Inky Kahn is still smarting from the death of his father. He thinks he’s found his big break when he bonds with the developer of a new computer game and snags a coveted drawing assignment, for which he uses his secret crush–Amanda–as a model.

But unbeknownst to Inky, the developer has a dangerous past, and is using his computer game to lure and stalk teenage girls. And Inky has inadvertently led Amanda right into his path. Blinded by his own ambition and sulking from his father’s death, Inky hides from the truth. Will Inky, with the help of Rungs, his cybergeek pal, discover the treachery in time and save Amanda before the creep ensnares her–or anyone else?


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Cover Reveal - Street Food and Love by H.A. Enri


Street Food and Love
by H.A. Enri
Publication Date: Summer 2014
Genres: Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult

Synopsis:
Sole Eaby, seventeen, has a few complaints he’d like to lodge against life, the main one being that his dad, Cedro, has recently quit his job and withdrawn his entire life savings, which included Sole’s college fund. Why? To launch a food truck business he knows nothing about.

To cope, Sole uses his knifelike wit to moonlight as a stand-up comedian, and so far, it’s paying off. He’s not only replenishing his college treasury, he’s making people laugh; but it’s one person in particular he performs for. Her name is Ava. When the fated bond of humor joins the two, and they begin a sort of quasi-romance, things begin to seem somewhat bearable. Of course, that’s when an ill-timed event decides to put another spin on things. Just when Sole is ready to move on with his own life and disconnect himself from his father and the family business, he suddenly finds himself in charge of the food truck he desperately loathes. Here is where Sole must realize that the answers to love and life are not to be found apart but, rather, are more like a savory recipe: only by combining the ingredients will the wonderful flavors reveal themselves. When comedy isn’t enough, the future seems ever bleak, and a fledgling love has barely had a chance to bloom, where will Sole turn?



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BOTM - Falling For The Opposite {Wattpad}

Falling For The Opposite
Genre: Teen Humour

Wattpad Book Blurb:
She's rich, he's not. She's the student body president, he's struggling to pass math. She's the queen bee, he's the loner in school. 

Celeste Graham is on the top of the high school food chain. Students look up to her, but some just plainly feel intimidated. Being popular isn't exactly the greener side of the meadow, but just one night of getting locked into the school with a "nobody" made Celeste feel normal and genuinely happy.  

Both of them bring a hidden side to each other. They might disagree most of the time, but that was a little price to pay for falling for their polar opposite.

Author Links:






Author Interview

1. Please tell the readers a bit about yourself.

I have a big difficulty in writing. English is not my native language, my English grades are not exactly top notch and I rarely speak it in person. It’s a struggle, but I chose to write with it so that more people will be able to understand the stories I want to tell.  Being on the optimistic side, at least there’s a lot more room for improvement.

2. What types of books do you write?

Mostly teen fiction. People have noticed this but I tend to go to cliché’s but at the same time, placing my own twist on it. It’s usually about the dramas of a teenager in his/her everyday life, as she uses her wits and sarcastic remarks to get her through them.

3. How many books have you written?

About 36 stories in total. The thing is, I only have three on wattpad right now. The other 33 is scattered on other story sharing sites.

4. What movie and/or book are you looking forward to this year?

The movie that has been on my calendar since last year was The Fault In Our Stars, I’ve read the book and I’m currently anticipating for the film version. So far on books, I don’t keep track on anything particular, I just go with whatever interesting I find.

5. What type of books do you enjoy reading?

Much like what I write, teen fiction that is reaching more on the romance side. I have a huge collection of YA books, and I never get tired of buying more pieces to add to it.

6. If you were stranded on a desert island what 3 things would you want with you?

I’m going to be practical here and bring one thing, a pocket knife. Let nature slap me on the face on this one.

7. Are you considering a sequel?

Nope, never, don’t even think about it. You could say that I have a slight trauma in writing sequels. I tried to make one, failed miserably, never attempted to do another one ever since. Maybe when I finally have the guts to do it, I may just find the inspiration to write one.

8. What inspired you to become a writer?

I started writing in the sixth grade, a few months before I started high school. My genre in books was a little different back then, and I leaned for more innocent humor than anything. Back then, my mind was already exposed to dozens of entertainment that the media provided. It was kind of a difficult time for me back then, and when I attempted to write a story about how I wanted my life to go, I found enjoyment in it. When I write, I have control in how I wanted to live a life and it’s a nice escape from reality.


Falling For The Opposite Scavenger Hunt

Click the image below for more details

Saturday 21 June 2014

Release Week Blitz & Giveaway - Blood Lust by T. Lynne Tolles



Blood Lust  (Blood Series #3)
by T. Lynne Tolles
New Adult Paranormal Romance
Date Published: June 18, 2014

Book Summary:
A surprise visit from Blake and Devon's uncle, Dominic, demanding both vampires, come home immediately to find what is ailing his son Anton, puts everyone on edge. Can vampires get sick? Devon doesn't appreciate Dominic's demands, but agrees to fly back to Connecticut with Darby, since Blake has a job to finish up in California. Excited to meet more of Devon's family, Darby is confused by Devon's distance and coldness since Dominic's visit.

In Connecticut, this only gets worse when a gorgeous Libby, Anton's estranged wife, shows up unexpectedly and seems to have her sights set on Devon. To top it all off, there's seems to be some pent up animosity, Anton and Devon have towards each other.

What is this strange power Libby has over the men in this family? And what's wrong with poor Anton? Why does it seem that Anton and Devon hate each other? These are all questions Darby sets out to answer in this third volume of the Blood Series.


Buy Link:
Amazon

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The Summer Sacrifice Teaser Tour Post

summerrelease (1)

Upper middle grade fantasy THE SUMMER SACRIFICE will be available to buy from major online retailers as of June 21st 2014. Available in ebook and paperback form. (Audiobook to follow.)

Click here to read Chapter One of The Summer Sacrifice.Click here to listen to the first chapter of The Summer Sacrifice's audiobook.

Click here to watch Holly visiting Dancing Ledge: the birthplace of The Summer Sacrifice.


Praise for The Summer Sacrifice

"The present world is often terrifying to a sensible adult. Hinton reflects its effect on youngsters in a powerfully imagined world that hums with poetry. In its pages, in the words of Yeats, a terrible beauty is born.

Herein lies empathy, barreling adventure and an iconic heroine, Jamie Tuff."



Charles Bane Jr., award winning author of The Chapbook, and Love Poems; creator of The Meaning Of Poetry series for The Gutenberg Project, and nominee as Poet Laureate of Florida.

Meet Jamie Tuff and her friends:

Jamie Tuff

"I just happen to drop into other people’s bodies now and then, but don’t worry, I can't control it!"

portrait-seveny

Seveny Brown

BOTW - List #58 {Wattpad}

BOTW WEEK 58:




Friday 20 June 2014

Blog Tour Spotlight & Giveaway - Falling by A.J. Hawkins




Falling: A Spirits & Shards Novel
Author: A.J. Hawkins
Genre: Science Fiction Fantasy
Length: 324 pages
Release Date: April 2014
Imprint: Zengothenian Temple Press

Book Summary:
They say love heals all wounds, but what if the path to that love was the very cause of those wounds?

So it is with Jerin Endersul. Despite the love he found in Juli, their union has left him isolated and impoverished, and every time a potential solution appears on the horizon, life throws another obstacle in the way.

Living with Julianos Tenzalin meant getting a job closer to their new home, and all that was left in the desolate town of Sendura was the module plant, where an accident necessitated Jerin to undergo drastic surgery that left his dreams in tatters.

Just as he allowed himself to believe he may be improving, the crippling headaches that once blighted Jerin’s existence make a very unwelcome return. His consultant offers him a solution in the form of a new wonder-drug, PSI-626, that has the most bizarre side-effects, allowing him a glimpse into the secret life of the partner he now rarely sees.

Buy Links:
Amazon US ¦ UK ¦ DE ¦ FR ¦ ES ¦ IT
IN ¦ JP ¦ AU ¦ BR ¦ CA ¦ MX


Bookvie: Gone Girl - out October 3, 2014 (USA)

  

Who's in it:
Ben Affleck, Rosamund Pike, Neil Patrick Harris

What's it all about (book blurb from Goodreads):
On a warm summer morning in North Carthage, Missouri, it is Nick and Amy Dunne’s fifth wedding anniversary. Presents are being wrapped and reservations are being made when Nick’s clever and beautiful wife disappears. Husband-of-the-Year Nick isn’t doing himself any favors with cringe-worthy daydreams about the slope and shape of his wife’s head, but passages from Amy's diary reveal the alpha-girl perfectionist could have put anyone dangerously on edge. Under mounting pressure from the police and the media—as well as Amy’s fiercely doting parents—the town golden boy parades an endless series of lies, deceits, and inappropriate behavior. Nick is oddly evasive, and he’s definitely bitter—but is he really a killer?

Gone Girl Official Trailer


Movie Stills:







Thursday 19 June 2014

Blog Tour Interview - The Sense of Touch by Ron Parsons




The Sense of Touch
Author: Ron Parsons
Publisher: Aqueous Books
Pages: 252
Genre: Short Story/Literary Fiction
Format: Paperback; Kindle

Book Summary:
Old friends uncomfortably reunited and lovers who cling to their distance from one another; disappearing fathers, fiercely loving grandfathers, and strangers who pass through and radically change lives...These are among the characters who populate the rugged Midwestern landscapes of the mesmerizing fiction world of Ron Parsons. In his debut collection, THE SENSE OF TOUCH (Aqueous Books; May 1, 2013), Parsons captures people of various ages in the act of searching for meaning and connection and themselves. Firmly set in South Dakota, Minnesota, and Michigan, the lush but often brutally cold heartland of America, the eight stories explore universal themes--loneliness, betrayal, transformation, hope--in fresh, sometimes fanciful, sometimes comical, sometimes jarring, and always moving and memorable ways.

In THE SENSE OF TOUCH, readers will meet:

* Naseem Sayem, the brilliant, troubled, and mystifying young man at the center of "Hezekiah Number Three." A native of Bangladesh abruptly transplanted to the stark white suburbs of Rapid City at age nine, Naseem never fit in and eventually moved on to study physics at MIT--where, shortly before graduation and after shocking news of his father's infidelity and abandonment, he apparently unraveled and vanished. Three months later, he reappeared out of the blue on his stepmom's doorstep, holding a three-legged cat. Naseem's long search for belonging reaches its apex in a hot air balloon floating over the Crazy Horse Monument.

* Waylon Baker, wheat farmer from birth, and Evie Lund, his wife of twenty-four years and counting, even though she had chosen to live far away--in the alien world of the Twin Cities--for eight years. The odd couple at the heart of "Beginning with Minneapolis," Waylon and Evie can't bear to live together or to divorce because they still love each other with a passion, reignited when they find themselves deep in the dirt, in a hole Waylon dug in his wheat field to serve as Evie's grave.

* The nameless narrator of "The Sense of Touch," a serious, young freshman at the University of Minnesota, fleeing yet still attached to his youth in Texas, haunted both by its predatory demons and its romantic dreams. His liberation comes through an alluring muse: his fiction-writing teacher. A ravishing, wild-haired, Memphis-born African-American graduate student, Vonda speaks directly to him when she makes her dramatic pronouncements. Like, "Our masks are not worn, people. They're grown, day by day." And "Never trust anything, not until you can touch it. With touch, you know you know."

The old friends in "The Black Hills," long separated by distance and tragedy, who unexpectedly compete for the affections of a lovely, vulnerable, and married Lakota woman...the young woman who, in the midst of a Halloween blizzard, stumbles into saving an elderly piano teacher's life and faces hard facts about her own snow-bound relationships and emotions in "As Her Heart Is Navigated"...the exceptional grandfather in "Big Blue" and the playboy reformed by someone else's grandson in "Moonlight Bowling"...and the professor of dead languages facing the mysteries of mortality in "Be Not Afraid of the Universe"... Through Ron Parsons, they all come to life, vividly and with emotional resonance, and work their way into the minds and hearts of readers.

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Author Interview

1. What inspired you to want to become a writer?

When I was in college at the University of Minnesota, a friend of mine loaned me copies of two short story collections: “Like Life” by Lorrie Moore and “The Watch” by Rick Bass.  I think I read them on consecutive evenings.  I thought they were perfect; collections of small, brilliant gems.  And I resolved that someday, somehow, I would publish a short story collection of my own.  The road to transforming that resolution into reality was long and filled with curves, but I was finally able to make that happen.

2. Tell us your most rewarding experience since being published.

I lived part-time in Brooklyn, New York, for several years, right in the middle of thousands of very talented, aspiring writers.  After publishing this collection, I was invited to be part of a panel of short story writers as part of a Brooklyn Book Festival Bookend Event in Park Slope.  It was exciting and uniquely rewarding to return to a place that I love and interact with some talented authors I have admired.

3. If you could have a signed copy of any novel what would it be and why?

The Brothers Karamazov by Dostoyevsky.  It’s one of the greatest achievements both in literature and philosophy, and Dostoyevsky tragically passed away shortly after its publication.

4. If you could have any superpower what would you choose?

Time travel. It would be incredible to be able to go back and witness some of the great events in world history, meet the great minds and characters that have shaped our current world, and try to solve some of the mysteries about our past that still exist.  And there is a wonderful film that came out last year called “About Time” that warmly and inventively explores how time travel might affect one’s personal life.

5. Please tell us in one sentence only, why we should read your book.

“The Sense of Touch” is a unique collection of stories about a diverse ensemble of familiar souls who will stay with you and comfort you with wisdom and companionship long after you set the book down.

6. Any other books in the works? Goals for future projects?

I am continuing to work on short stories to submit to literary reviews, but am also in the beginning stages of a novel.

7. Do you write as you go or do you have the book planned before you start the first draft?

A little of both.  But once the characters have been established and become real, they are ultimately responsible for determining what will happen to them.

8. What movie and/or book are you looking forward to this year?

I am very much looking forward to reading Bark, the new collection of stories released by Lorrie Moore a few months ago.  I already have my copy but have yet to dig in.

9. If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be?

I would love to divide my time between New York City, England (from which many of ancestors hailed), and Sioux Falls, South Dakota, a growing metropolis located in the fertile Missouri River Valley at the gateway to the Great Plains of North America.  One out of three isn’t bad!

10. Can you see yourself in any of your characters?

Oh, I can see myself in all of them.  If I couldn’t, they would have never come to be.


Excerpt from The Sense of Touch

They were relaxing at the top of a waterfall, in a small, still pool where the mountain waters hit an upward slope of folded granite. It was sort of a rounded bathtub, carved out of the rock throughout the centuries by the rushing river, a river so hidden that it was without a name. Just below were the falls, about a 30-foot drop into another, much larger pool of clearest water that was gathered for a respite, a compromise in the river's relentless schedule downward, between split-level decks of flat rock. Further on, the river reanimated and released into a sharp ravine, pulling westward, down through the rugged mountains and faceless forest--the Black Hills National Forest--gaining force until it joined with the rush of the Castle River, near the old Custer Trail, and was swallowed into the Deerfield Reservoir to collect and prepare for the touch of man.


About the Author
RON PARSONS is a writer living in Sioux Falls. Born in Michigan and raised in South Dakota, he was inspired to begin writing fiction in Minneapolis while attending the University of Minnesota. His short stories have appeared in many literary magazines and venues, including The Gettysburg Review, Indiana Review, Storyville App, The Briar Cliff Review, Flyway, and The Onion. His debut collection of stories, THE SENSE OF TOUCH, was released by Aqueous Books in 2013.

You can visit his website at:

Author Links:
Blog |  Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads







Discuss this book in our PUYB Virtual Book Club at Goodreads by clicking HERE


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Wednesday 18 June 2014

Promo Blitz - Claiming Callie by Paige Rion




Claiming Callie
by Paige Rion
Contemporary Romance / New Adult / Chick Lit
Date Published: June 3, 2014

Book Summary:
Her love of Michael Kors might be her downfall.

Callie Cartwright is a college senior on the verge of graduating and getting the job of her dreams. But her illustrious shopping habit and expensive tastes backfire when her future employer gives her an ultimatum. She has less than six months to lower her debt or she’ll lose the job she’s worked so hard for.

His secret crush may be his undoing.

Dean Michaels has everything going for him. He’s a manager at the local coffee shop, a sophomore in college, star of the university basketball team, and don’t forget, gorgeous. The only thing he needs is the girl of his dreams to make his world complete. And he’s finally ready to go after her. The only problem: it’s his sister’s best friend he’s crushing on. And all she sees in him is the love for a brother.

But desperate times call for desperate measures.

When Callie concocts a crazy plan as a way to make quick money and pay down her debt, Dean’s feelings go into overdrive. It’s time to show her how he feels.

And the plan he proposes, just might be the one to finally catch the girl.

*Claiming Callie is part one of a series of four serial novellas and is approximately 28,000 words in length (about half the length of a full novel).*
*Contains adult language.


Buy Links:

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Author Spotlight - Neerunni {Wattpad}


First Kiss and Broken Promises
Author: Neerunni
Genre: Teen Romance

Wattpad Book Blurb:
First Kiss can be earth-shattering and so can ‘broken promises’, especially when both are sealed and delivered by the one who has held your heart in the palms of his hands since the day you turned a teen. 

Seventeen year old Divya Narayan is a high-spirited young girl with an adventurous streak in her, who doesn’t think twice before taking a risk. She learns very early in life that broken promises by ones you love equals a broken heart. So she makes two promises – Never to fall in love and never to break a promise. 

One fateful night four years ago, Aryan Diaz not only broke Divya's heart but also her trust and their unique bond of friendship. When the charming heart-breaker returns next door to Divya, he holds more than a key to her locked heart; he has answers that can set her free to break the promises she made.

Join me as I paint their love and their first kiss with vibrant colors that dull the promises they both had to break. 

Author Links: