Sunday 29 September 2013

Book Blitz: Leap of Faith by Jamie Blair + Giveaway


Synopsis

Can true love be built on lies? A teen on the run seeks relief and redemption in this gripping, romantic read.Leah Kurtz has finally found a place to call home, a town where she and baby Addy can live in peace, far from the drug-infested place she grew up. Chris is one of the best parts of her new life, the only person who’s ever made her feel safe. And now that she’s found him, there’s no way she can tell the truth:

Her real name is Faith, not Leah. She’s seventeen, not nineteen. And the baby isn’t hers—Faith kidnapped her.

Faith’s history catches up with her when a cop starts asking questions and Chris’s aunt spots her picture in the newspaper. She knows it’s time to run again, but if Faith leaves, she’ll lose Chris. If Chris is in love with a lie, though, did Faith ever really have him in the first place?

Excerpt

“I’m Chris.”  His eyes are hazel.  They’d be bluer or greener depending on what he wore.  His gray shirt keeps them the in-between shade.  He plays a few more chords and sets his guitar on the couch beside him.  “Well?  What do you think?”
I glance around.  There’s not much to it, but it works.  “How much?”
He rubs his chin.  It’s covered in stubble.  I imagine how it would feel against my cheek, and my face gets hot. 
Addy squirms and lets out a small shriek.  Chris’s eyes dart to her.  This could be the deal breaker.
She squawks again.  “What time is it?” I ask, realizing she’s probably hungry. 
He shrugs.  “Around five or six.  She need to eat?”
“Yeah.  Guess I better go so I can feed her.”  I take a step toward the door.
“Here,” he comes forward, reaching his arms out.  “I’ll hold her.  Go on out and get her a bottle.  You have one with you, don’t you?”
I nod, watching him take Addy out of my arms, place her against his chest, and rub her back.  “Do you have kids?”  It seems like a dumb question, but he’s a natural with Addy.
He laughs.  “No.  Fortunately, I’ve never been in that predicament.”  He looks from Addy to me, and his face falls.  “I mean…” 
Right.  He thinks I got knocked up.  I’m a teen mom.  “It’s okay.  Don’t worry about it.”  I smile, trying to put him at ease.  “I’ll be right back.”
After opening the door to the stairs, I glance over my shoulder.  He’s running his fingers over the top of her head and bouncing her gently.  “Shh, baby, don’t cry.  Mommy will be right back.”

Guest post: Jamie Blair

Is kidnapping ever justified?
In Leap Of Faith, the main character, Faith, kidnaps her newborn sister, Addy, in order to give her a better life. Faith’s mother is a drug addict. Faith has grown up in a neglectful and mentally abusive home, often with no food to eat. In her mind, there is no way she can let this baby grow up the same way she has.
I was approached by a woman who had a very similar situation in her family, so the question I never expected to be asked and never even considered when writing Leap Of Faith was asked: Is it ever okay to kidnap a child from an abusive or neglectful parent?
Approaching the topic from a fictional standpoint as I had, I felt that Faith was justified in her actions, but it was illegal, so I can’t in good conscious say it’s a measure that should be taken in a real-life situation. On the other hand, a child should never be left with an abusive or neglectful caregiver. There are steps to take, authorities to involve—it might take a while and be frustrating to wait for a resolution, but kidnapping can’t actually be an option, can it?
Is there ever a time when it’s justified? When a child you love is in danger? What are your thoughts?

Playlist
 
About the authorJamie Blair spent most of her teen years choreographing moves for her dance team routines, kissing boys on the couch after her mom went to bed, and pondering the mood enhancement qualities of Lemon Heads when consumed with Diet Coke. Writing under Kelli Maine, she’s the USA Today bestselling author of Taken. Leap of Faith is her debut New Adult novel.
 
Giveaway
 Prizes (open US only):
10 winners:
--5 prize packages of a signed hardback, a t-shirt and a guitar pick, 
--5 e-books with an autographed Leap of Faith notecard, a guitar pick and stickers
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Extra
Title: Leap of Faith
Author: Jamie Blair
Published by: Simon & Schuster BfYR
Publication date: September 3rd 2013
Genres: Contemporary, Young Adult

Links:

El

Wednesday 25 September 2013

Waiting on Wednesday #24: Love Letters to the Dead by Ava Dellaira

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine. It spotlights books that have not yet been released, but ones that you should pre-order today! This week's book that I am anxiously awaiting is:

18140047
 
It begins as an assignment for English class: Write a letter to a dead person. Laurel chooses Kurt Cobain because she thought he’d understand since he died young just like her sister, May, did. Soon Laurel is writing letters to lots of dead people—Janis Joplin, Amy Winhouse, Ameilia Earhart, Heath Ledger, and more—although she never gives a single one of them to her teacher. She writes about what it’s like going to a new school, meeting new friends, falling in love for the first time, how her family splinters apart after May dies. She even writes about the abuse she suffered—while May was supposed to be looking out for her. Only then, once Laurel has written down the truth about what happened to herself, can she truly begin to accept what happened to May, and to see her as the person she was: lovely and amazing and deeply flawed.

Trained as a poet at the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, Ava Dellaira brings a lyrical, haunting beauty to her prose.
 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Why I can't wait: First look at the cover I really love it. Second the synopsis looks really great. Maybe a little dark, but I'm pretty sure that I'll love this book.
 
Publication date: April 1st 2014
 
What's your pick this week? Link me up!
 

El

Monday 23 September 2013

Book Blast: Alpha Goddess by Amalie Howard + Giveaway

 
Synopsis
In Serjana Caelum’s world, gods exist. So do goddesses. Sera knows this because she is one of them. A secret long concealed by her parents, Sera is Lakshmi reborn, the human avatar of an immortal Indian goddess rumored to control all the planes of existence. Marked by the sigils of both heaven and hell, Sera’s avatar is meant to bring balance to the mortal world, but all she creates is chaos. A chaos that Azrath, the Asura Lord of Death, hopes to use to unleash hell on earth.

Torn between reconciling her past and present, Sera must figure out how to stop Azrath before the Mortal Realm is destroyed. But trust doesn’t come easy in a world fissured by lies and betrayal. Her best friend Kyle is hiding his own dark secrets, and her mysterious new neighbor, Devendra, seems to know a lot more than he’s telling. Struggling between her opposing halves and her attraction to the boys tied to each of them, Sera must become the goddess she was meant to be, or risk failing, which means sacrificing the world she was born to protect.
 
Teaser
"Dev grasped her hand and drew it over to him, running his thumb over the mark on her left palm. Sera felt her cheeks redden at his gentle touch. Something electric unfolded inside of her, and her vision tunneled into a memory. This time it was different, though, full of light instead of darkness.

A flutter of firelight from the magical little clay pots lit all around them . . . the discordant aching sounds of a sitar strumming in the background. It was a glorious display, a triumph of good over evil in celebration of their love. His kiss was light upon her cheek, his touch a gossamer caress. She spun in a slow circle, the light on her beloved’s face glowing from within him. She laughed because she was glowing, too."
 
Giveaway
Amalie Howard also has an upcoming release with HarlequinTeen on October 29th for her brand new series, the Aquarathi, WATERFELL. To celebrate the upcoming release she is hosting an EPIC giveaway! And we mean EPIC. Readers have THREE chances to win an iPad mini! Check out the post here on how you could win: www.AmalieHoward.com
 
 
About the author
Seventeen Magazine Summer Club author Amalie Howard grew up on a small Caribbean Island where she spent most of her childhood with er nose buried in a book or being a tomboy running around barefoot, shimmying up mango trees and dreaming of adventure. 22 countries, surfing with sharks and several tattoos laters, she had traded in bungee jumping in China for writing the adventures she imagines instead. She isn't entirely convinced which takes more guts. She currently resides in New York with her husband and three children.
 
She is the author of The Aquarathi series from Harlequin TEEN (Waterfell and Oceanborn), The Almost Girl form Strange Chemistry, Alpha Goddess from Sky Pony Press, and Bloodspell form Langdon Street Press. She is represented by the Liza Royce Agency. Viset her at www.amaliehoward.com or on Twitter (@AmalieHoward).
 
Extra
Title: Alpha Godess
Author: Amalie Howard
Publisher: Sky Pony Press
Pages: 400 (hardcover)
Expected publication: March 4th 2014
Links: Website | Twitter | Facebook | GoodReads
 

El


Sunday 22 September 2013

Stacking The Shelves #15

Showcase Sunday's/Stacking the Shelves aim is to showcase our newest books or book related swag and to see what everyone else received for review, borrowed from libraries, bought in bookshops and downloaded onto eReaders this week. This Sunday meme is hosted by Books, Biscuits and Tea and Tynga's Reviews:

Netgalley:
17564270

For review:
18482726

Sia by Josh Grayson
(you can win an ebook copy of this book on my blog check it out)

What did you get this week? Link me up!

El




Friday 20 September 2013

Book Blast: Let Me Go by L.L. Akers

 
Synopsis
A scarlet dragonfly tattoo—meant to be a beautiful, family mark of freedom, but instead becomes a prophetic brand for those who wear it, to forever be suffering. Wounded and broken, they find themselves flittering back into the cycle of abuse that relentlessly clings to their family, a reality they can never seem to escape. 
One mother and her daughters, bound by blood—torn apart by abuse. They begin their lives intertwined but are forced to fight for their survivals separately, struggling to hide their fear and undeserved shame from each other and the world. One of these women finds herself trapped—alone—and she battles to survive the terrifying darkness. With long hours of nothing to do but wait in fear, she grapples through her obscure dreams and memories of the past, sorting which memory belongs to whom: physically harmed, mentally damaged, raped, sexually abused, an unwanted pregnancy… and even the vivid memory of a dangerous dance with death in a last attempt to escape the shambles and horrors of a seemingly unchangeable situation.
Twin sisters, Gabriella and Olivia, dive blindly—and much too early—into adulthood. They are soon followed by their younger sister, Emma, all running from a not-so-idyllic past; chasing the happiness they believe they will find, by abandoning their childhoods to be “grown-up” and start their own lives. 
Deeply evocative, Let Me Go is a coming-of-age story: the struggles of one mother and her daughters trying to survive life—marred by abuse and misplaced blame—and their need to reach peace, forgiveness, and reconciliation.

About the author
L.L. Akers is a married mother of: one very intelligent and handsome tween, a chubby beagle who looks like a mini-cow, and a deranged terrier, as well as five very elegant Koi fish, a herd of tiny but boastful lizards and dozens of obnoxiously loud, but beautiful frogs. She left a twelve-year career in the human resource arena—and eventually dipped her toes into the world of writing: beginning with proofreading/beta-reading, and content-editing while contemplating writing her own novel. She has made huge efforts (and progress) at becoming a professional recluse; happy to hang out in her pajamas all day with just her laptop, iPad, Burt’s Bees lip balm and posse of creatures. Regardless of her recent self-isolation from the world, she can still be lured outside for brief moments by the scent of freshly mowed grass and a bowl full of cherries. Let Me Go is her first novel.

Giveaway
2 Paperback of Let Me Go (US  only) & $15 Amazon Gift Card (international):

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Dragonfly bracelet (US only):

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Extra
Title: Let Me Go
Author: L.L. Akers
Series: Let Me Go #1
Release date: July 5th 2013
Publisher: SmArt Group Consulting, LLC
Average Rating: 4.27

Links:

El

Thursday 19 September 2013

Book Blitz: Sia by Josh Grayson + Giveaway


Synopsis
When seventeen-year-old Sia wakes up on a park bench, she has no idea who or where she is. Yet after a week of being homeless, she’s reunited with her family. At school, she’s powerful and popular. At home, she’s wealthy beyond her dreams. But she quickly realizes her perfect life is a lie. Her family is falling apart and her friends are snobby, cruel and plastic. Worse yet, she discovers she was the cruelest one. Mortified by her past, she embarks on a journey of redemption and falls for Kyle, the “geek” she once tormented. Yet all the time she wonders if, when her memories return, she’ll become the bully she was before…and if she’ll lose Kyle.

Author bio
Josh Grayson was born in Mexico, raised in Massachusetts, and now lives in Martinsville, Virginia. It was his move to the South that stirred his imagination and gave him the courage to start writing. During his free time, Josh enjoys reading, jogging, swimming, and watching YouTube videos.

Josh currently works as a medical driver, shuttling people all over Virginia and North Carolina. He has also worked as a machinist, film sales rep, administrative assistant, and telemarketer (he apologizes if he called you).

Sia is his debut YA novel.

Giveaway
ebook of Sia (open international)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Reviews for SIA

(1)“A compelling read full of intrigue, romance, and lots of surprises. I couldn’t wait to see what happened next!” - Jennifer Read Hawthorne, #1 New York Times bestselling author

(2)“An original and captivating story with a beautiful message.” –Lola’s book Reviews

(3)“There have been very few books that made me think they made to someday become a movie (i.e. Warm Bodies, The Host). And I guess Sia can join the club, because this book, I say, is perfect for it. I felt like I was reading a script for a movie, the plot is fantastic and the characters are great, there's a little of humor as well as tragic situations.-Bookish Randomness

(4)“Sia completely blew me away. Within the first few pages I was hooked and the book refused to let me go until I reached the end.” – Obsession is a Book

(5) Sia would be an excellent novel for the Disney Company to adapt for film. Hers is a story of cruelty and kindness, pain and redemption and ultimately of making the world in which you live a better place. A good example for any teen who might choose to read this exciting work of fiction.” –Rabid Readers

(6) “Well I finished this book amazingly fast. This whole book will leave you amused, intrigued, in awe, and most importantly in love with the whole story line until the very last word. I'll have to go with 5 stars for this book.”  - Lovely Reads

(7) “Beautifully written…this one will have you reflecting on your current and past actions. Although a fiction, Sia inspires.” –A Starry-eyed Heart Review 

(8) I started this book and finished it in one day. It's the type of story that makes a person feel good inside…a story filled with hope.” –Musings of a Reader Geek

(9) “A beautiful story about forgetting the past and living in the present to make a better future.  Sia is a heroine we can all relate to and aspire to become. I really enjoyed it, and I had a smile almost the whole time reading this.  Because if a mean-girl like Sia can change her ways and overcome her meanness, can't we all? If you've got an afternoon, go read this one.  It'll make you happy.”  -Manda-Rae Reads a Lot

(10) “A heartwarming, sometimes tear jerking story that reignites one’s faith in humanity. An excellent debut!” – Alexia Purdy, Bestselling author


Q&A
If you could fly anywhere in the world to do research on an upcoming book, where would you most likely want to go?
Italy, simply because it’s always ranked as having the best food in the world. Its beaches are nice too. I’ve Googled it.

What is your favorite genre to read/write?
Young adult (YA), because those stories carry universal themes we can all relate to, a peek into the lives of characters who are more intriguing, real, and raw.

What is one silly fact about you?
I can mimic Enrique Iglesias’s voice pretty well. I sang “Hero” at a friend’s birthday party once and received an enthusiastic response. Some applauded, others laughed. Overall, though, I felt good about my performance.

What got you started on your writing journey?
My move from Massachusetts (where I’d lived most of my life) to Virginia. The first year here was difficult. I was alone, depressed, and in completely new surroundings. But it was here in the South that I began seeing all these stories in my head, and that my “writing gene” got activated. So it seems the old saying is true, everything does happens for a reason.

Why do you choose to write clean/sweet romance? 
I don’t choose, per se. I just write whatever I see in my head. And so far, all the romantic parts have been sweet and clean, which is fine with me.

What other things do you have planned with your writing for the rest of the year 2013?
I’m working on another YA novel that Sia fans should enjoy as well. If things go according to plan, I’ll publish that in the summer of 2014.
 
What is the most rewarding thing about being a writer?
Being able to partake in the wildest adventures imaginable, all without ever leaving your house.

Do you have a favorite comment or question from a reader?
One reviewer said, “It, without a doubt, inspired me to find ways to help others in need. I’m looking into charity work.” I loved hearing that, because that’s exactly what I wanted Sia to do: to motivate others to become their best self, to make positive changes in the world, wherever they are.

Where do your ideas come from?
I find muses everywhere! In books, magazines, poems, movies, YouTube videos, and so much more. I always try to be receptive. You never know what might trigger your next story.

What inspired you to write Sia?
Initially? Oprah. (laughs). I saw an interview she did on a man with fugue amnesia that impacted me. Fugue amnesia occurs when someone, usually in response to excessive stress, takes off on some unexpected travel. And during the travels, that person assumes either a partial or complete new identity. I found it both fascinating and frightening to think that stress alone can cause the human brain to demand a reset like that. I often wonder why I haven’t gotten fugue amnesia yet!

Is it true you wrote the screenplay adaption as well?
Yes! I wrote it as soon as the book was finished. I’m about to hire a seasoned Hollywood screenwriter to polish it. When it is up to industry standards, we’ll submit it to film companies and cross our fingers. I think Sia would translate wonderfully to film.

If you could sum your main character into five words, what would they be?      Determined. Compassionate. Humble. Kind. Brave.

Use no more than two sentences. Why should we read your book?
Because I believe it will leave you touched, encouraged, and—of course—entertained.

Excerpt
        By the time we return to the bakery, it’s ten o’clock. We stand outside the door talking for a while. I glance at my wristwatch. “I have to head home,” I say reluctantly.
“Let me drive you,” Kyle offers.“You have a car?”
   He offers a little shrug. “Not exactly. Wait here.” He disappears into the store, leaving me to wait on a bench outside. A few moments later he returns via a side alley, astride a small, beat-up motorcycle. Exhaust rattles against the alley's brick walls. Kyle grins at me and holds out a white helmet. “Climb on!” he shouts over the noise.
    I look at the bike, hesitating.
     Kyle laughs. “What? You’ll take on the psychos of LA at night, but you’re afraid of a little bike ride?”
     Determined not to appear weak, I garner my courage and climb on behind him. He tugs his sweater over his head and hands it to me.
     “It’ll be cool once we get going,” he warns. “You should wear this.”
     “But what about you?”
     He shrugs. “I’m used to it.”
    There's already a chill in the air, and I have no doubt the bike ride will be freezing. As much as I want to refuse, I decide the sweater is a necessity. “Okay, thanks.” I pull his sweater on and can't resist inhaling as it slides over my head. I think of Amber complaining about him, but again my nose is graced with that doughy, cinnamony sweet smell, and I don’t see how she could insult him. I hug my soft, woolly arms around my body, feeling absurdly pleased. Being with Kyle is making me happy. I start to wonder if he feels the same way about being with me. Could he? After everything I've done in the past? Probably not. I mean, really, we have nothing in common. Until a few hours ago he couldn't stand me. There's no point in getting interested in him that way, I tell myself.
     “Do you know where I live?” I ask.
      He rolls his eyes. “Everyone knows where you live, Sia. Helmet.”
      I slide it over my head.
      Kyle looks back. Once he sees that it’s on right, he gives me a thumbs up. “Hold on,” he suggests.
     Battling an insane rush of shyness, I lean against him and wrap my arms around his waist. He’s lean, I discover, but not as skinny as I'd originally presumed. Muscular, not weak. When he pulls into the street I squeeze my eyes shut, expecting a crash at every turn. But after a while I relax and start to enjoy the ride. And though I know I have no right, I secretly relish the strong, solid feel of his body within my arms. By the time we get close to my house, I wish we could just keep on driving.

Extra
Title: Sia
Author: Josh Grayson
Publication date: November 20th 2013
Genres: Contemporary, Young Adult

Links:

El


Wednesday 18 September 2013

Waiting on Wednesday #23: Sea of Shadows by Kelley Armstrong

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine. It spotlights books that have not yet been released, but ones that you should pre-order today! This week's book that I am anxiously awaiting is:

17236366
 
In the Forest of the Dead, where the empire’s worst criminals are exiled, twin sisters Moria and Ashyn are charged with a dangerous task. For they are the Keeper and the Seeker, and each year they must quiet the enraged souls of the damned.

Only this year, the souls will not be quieted.

Ambushed and separated by an ancient evil, the sisters’ journey to find each other sends them far from the only home they’ve ever known. Accompanied by a stubborn imperial guard and a dashing condemned thief, the girls cross a once-empty wasteland, now filled with reawakened monsters of legend, as they travel to warn the emperor. But a terrible secret awaits them at court—one that will alter the balance of their world forever.
 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
Why I can't wait: Armstrong is such an amazing author and I'll read anything by her. Plus the synopsis of this book sounds promising!
 
Publication date: April 8th 2014
 
What are you waiting for this week? Link me up!
 

El

Tuesday 17 September 2013

Book Blast: The Prodigal + Giveaway


Synopsis
Pride, betrayal, forgiveness . . . and the eternal sea. The Prodigal tells the mystical tale of four people on Ocracoke Island whose destiny is tied to an abandoned schooner, thought to have been lost at sea more than a century ago, that one day drifts ashore. Marcus O’Reilly, a renegade Catholic priest, must confront his inner demons. Ibrahim Joseph, a Bahamian fugitive, must face his past. Aidan Sharpe, a fallen lawyer, struggles with self-doubt and his growing affection for Molly McGregor, a fearless towboat captain who cannot find the courage to love. They will all be drawn into a 2,000-year-old mystery that unfolds with the reappearance of the ship.

Amazon
B&N
Goodreads

About the author
Michael Hurley lives in Raleigh, North Carolina with his wife Susan. Together they have four children ranging in age from 19 to 23.  Born in Baltimore in 1958, Michael studied English at the University of Maryland and law at St. Louis University. He is licensed to practice law in Texas and North Carolina.  A lifelong sailor, he obtained his captain’s license from the U.S. Coast Guard in 1992 and took six months off from the practice of law to work as a sailboat charter captain in New Bern, North Carolina. Between 1995 and 2003, while practicing law full-time, he also wrote and published Paddle & Portage, a quarterly literary journal on wilderness canoeing enjoyed by more than 10,000 subscribers in 48 states.  When he is not sailing or writing or canoeing, Michael continues a hopeless quest to prove that his piano teachers at Baltimore’s Peabody Institute were wrong about him all along.

Website

Giveaway
Must be 13+ To Enter
Open internationally
1 Winner will get a $50 Gift Card to Amazon 
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Booktrailer



El

Top Ten Tuesday #11



Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted over at Broke and Bookish. This weeks is: Top Ten Books On My Fall 2013 TBR List

13065327 16045296 9833184
 
17233800 13617556
 
15811405 17374029
 
17372472 17844678 16172638
 
Apparently a lot of my favorite authors are still going to release a book this year! Can't wait to read them all! Link me up!
 

El