Wednesday, January 31, 2018
Tuesday, January 30, 2018
'Til Next Tuesday #5: Defy the World by Claudia Gray
'Til Next Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted here @Lit tle Library Muse. It's allows me to share my love of books and showcase new releases. It's inspired by my work developing the young adult collection.
Expected Release: April 3, 2018
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Series: Constellation#2
Noemi Vidal has returned to her planet, Genesis, as an outsider. Ostracized for refusing to sacrifice Abel, the galaxy's most advanced mechanical man, she dreams of traveling through the stars one more time. And when a deadly plague arrives on Genesis, Noemi gets her chance. As the only soldier to have ever left the planet, it will be up to her to save its people...if only she wasn't flying right into a trap.
Abel, now fully aware of his soul and captaining his own ship, never thought he'd get to see Noemi again, not when the entire universe stands between them. But when his creator, Burton Mansfield, delivers news of Noemi's capture, Abel must go to her, no matter the cost.
In a race against time, Abel and Noemi band together to stop Mansfield once and for all. The depraved scientist has engineered a way to achieve immortality, but that technology comes with perils of its own. Abel and Noemi are about to discover a secret that could save Genesis and Earth...or destroy them all.
Upcoming releases in February!
I'm eager to hear about any other new books that I should consider for my library, feel free to share!
Monday, January 29, 2018
Blitz & Giveaway: Mistress Grim by Jane Redd
On tour with Prism Book Tours
Mistress Grim
by Jane Redd
Upper YA Gothic Romance
Paperback & ebook, 180 pages
December 30th 2017 by Mirror Press
Goodreads│Amazon│Barnes & Noble
From USA Today bestselling author Jane Redd, comes MISTRESS GRIM:
The Grim Reaper has been collecting souls of the dead for hundreds of years, but even the Master of Death has to pass on his reign. Unfortunately, his progeny is not quite ready to replace him.
Cora Grim, daughter of the Grim Reaper, is suddenly thrust into her father’s role. Leaving the Underworld on her own to bring back the dead souls, she discovers that the Master of Death neglected to tell her one thing. She can still fall in love.
Excerpt
Chapter One
I have known from the day of my seventh birthday that I was in training as the harbinger of death. For you see, my father is the Grim Reaper.
“Cora,” he told me when I was but a child of seven. “One day, you will rule the Underworld. One day, you will replace me.”
I stared up at him, my giant of a father with his broad shoulders, powerful arms, and elegant fingers with their black nails. He wore his long, dark hair tied back from his angular face so that his black, black eyes seemed like hollow things against his pale face.
How could I replace my father? In any task? He ruled the Underworld as king. He held the lives of all mortals in his grasp. He could take away the breath of the living with a single touch.
He was called Lord of Death, God of the Underworld, Hades, the Grim Reaper . . .
But to me, he was Father.
About the Author
Writing under Jane Redd, Heather B. Moore is the USA Today bestselling and award-winning author of more than a dozen historical novels set in ancient Arabia and Mesoamerica. She attended the Cairo American College in Egypt and the Anglican International School in Jerusalem and received her Bachelor of Science degree from Brigham Young University. She writes historical thrillers under the pen name H.B. Moore, and romance and women’s fiction under the name Heather B. Moore. It can be confusing, so her kids just call her Mom.
Book Blitz Giveaway
1 winner will receive a copy of SOLSTICE by Jane Redd (ebook or print - print to US only)
Open internationally
Sunday, January 28, 2018
My Sunday Post #49
The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer
I'm also linking up to Stacking the Shelves by Tynga's Review this week.Last Week on the BlogBlitz: Screams You Hear by James Morris
'Til Next Tuesday #4: War Storm by Victoria Aveyard
Review: The Belles by Dhonielle Clayton
Giveaway: Romance is in the Air
Tenative Schedule for this week
Blitz & Giveaway: Mistress Grim by Jane Redd
'Til Next Tuesday #5: Defy the World by Claudia Gray
Audio Review: A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas
Excerpt & Giveaway: I'm With You by Taylor Dean
Giveaway & Excerpt: The Kiss Thief by Rachelle J. Christensen
Review: Akata Witch by Nnedi Okorafor
Mini Review: Sightwitch by Susan Dennard
Mini Review: Sightwitch by Susan Dennard
Giveaways
Giveaway: Best of 2017 Blog Hop! Ends January 31st
New This Week
FOR REVIEW CONSIDERATION
ThoughtsI've been in a reading rut for the last few years because life happened. The one thing that I most enjoyed, I just couldn't do. I got sick in 2014 and couldn't eat because I would have these horrible pains that kept me up for hours. I eventually discovered what it was and had to have surgery for the first time in my life. Before the year ended my grandfather passed away and 2015 began with us laying him to rest. It wasn't all bad though, I got engaged and we got married in February 2016. All those years it felt like I lost my voice, so much was happening but now I can read again.
Thursday, January 25, 2018
Giveaway: Romance is in the Air
– Romance is in the Air –
A Month-Long Celebration of Clean Romance
– February 2018 –
Starting February 1st and running through the entire month of February we will be showcasing 14 fabulous authors. There will be 15 different giveaways, free ebooks and lots of great deals on books.
We’re starting off with a $100 Kick-Off Giveaway. One lucky winner will receive a $100 Amazon Gift Code or $100 in Paypal Cash.
Check out this great list of authors we will be spotlighting!
Kimberley Montpetit
Be sure to stop by each week during February to learn about these amazing authors. You definitely don’t want to miss out on all the giveaways! To be sure you never miss a post subscribe to I Am A Reader’s Mailing List.
Giveaway Details
$100 in Paypal Cash or a $100 Amazon.com eGift Card
Ends 2/28/18
Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use money sent via PayPal or gift codes via Amazon.com. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. This giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the participating authors. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.
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Wednesday, January 24, 2018
Review: The Belles by Dhonielle Clayton
Title: The Belles
Publication: February 6, 2018
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Source: Publisher via Netgalley
Website | Twitter
Synopsis
Camellia Beauregard is a Belle. In the opulent world of Orléans, Belles are revered, for they control Beauty, and Beauty is a commodity coveted above all else. In Orléans, the people are born gray, they are born damned, and only with the help of a Belle and her talents can they transform and be made beautiful.
But it’s not enough for Camellia to be just a Belle. She wants to be the favorite—the Belle chosen by the Queen of Orléans to live in the royal palace, to tend to the royal family and their court, to be recognized as the most talented Belle in the land. But once Camellia and her Belle sisters arrive at court, it becomes clear that being the favorite is not everything she always dreamed it would be. Behind the gilded palace walls live dark secrets, and Camellia soon learns that the very essence of her existence is a lie—that her powers are far greater, and could be more dangerous, than she ever imagined. And when the queen asks Camellia to risk her own life and help the ailing princess by using Belle powers in unintended ways, Camellia now faces an impossible decision.
With the future of Orléans and its people at stake, Camellia must decide—save herself and her sisters and the way of the Belles—or resuscitate the princess, risk her own life, and change the ways of her world forever.
ReviewThe Belles is an interesting read and I liked the concept of this story because our society's obsessed with beauty and the author showcases this very well. I think of the Belles as plastic surgeons but more magical. This world of Orléans hates the way they look and there are those that look to profit from the Belle's ability to change people. They have many rules to follow and the main one is to do as told but Camellia isn't one to adhere to rules. She hopes to use her skill to get people to see how beautiful they are but struggles to overcome the superficial tendencies of her clients. I like the rebellious nature of her character and she grew throughout the book into an amazingly fierce young woman. Her other sisters were too easy to fall in line with the requirements of their role, other than Edel, who was a firecracker from the start. I think the problem for me is they never questioned these rules and were content in their little prisons in a sense.
Now, there is a rule that Belles aren't allowed to interact with men at all and Camellia has an admirer that determined to help her break that rule. I didn't really like him much and the romance seemed false to me but it will make sense in the end. Then there is Princess Sophia, who makes the evil queen look like a saint because she is seriously foul. Also, there are a few moments that may make some people uncomfortable because of the violence.
The writing is good and the flow of the story is steady but the only thing was as colorful as this world seems, I struggled visualizing it in my mind even though the author was very detailed in describing every aspect of it. Overall,I would like to know more about the origin of the Belles and see what happens next in their journey. This would be a good read for someone who wants something that's fantasy with a darker tone.
Tuesday, January 23, 2018
'Til Next Tuesday #4: War Storm by Victoria Aveyard
'Til Next Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted here
Expected Release: May 15th 2018
Publisher: HarperTeen
Series: Red Queen #4
I chose to feature this book because I've read the first 3 books in the series and want to see how this particular story ends.
About the Book
VICTORY COMES AT A PRICE.
Mare Barrow learned this all too well when Cal’s betrayal nearly destroyed her. Now determined to protect her heart—and secure freedom for Reds and newbloods like her—Mare resolves to overthrow the kingdom of Norta once and for all… starting with the crown on Maven’s head.
But no battle is won alone, and before the Reds may rise as one, Mare must side with the boy who broke her heart in order to defeat the boy who almost broke her. Cal’s powerful Silver allies, alongside Mare and the Scarlet Guard, prove a formidable force. But Maven is driven by an obsession so deep, he will stop at nothing to have Mare as his own again, even if it means demolishing everything—and everyone—in his path.
War is coming, and all Mare has fought for hangs in the balance. Will victory be enough to topple the Silver kingdoms? Or will the little lightning girl be forever silenced?
In the epic conclusion to Victoria Aveyard’s stunning series, Mare must embrace her fate and summon all her power… for all will be tested, but not all will survive.
Upcoming releases in January & February!
I'm eager to hear about any other new books that I should consider for my library, feel free to share!
Monday, January 22, 2018
Blitz: Screams You Hear by James Morris
Horror
Date Published: January 22, 2018
Murder and madness infect a small town
For sixteen-year-old Ruthie Stroud, life on tiny Hemlock Island in the Pacific Northwest is an endless sea of boring green, in a place where everybody knows everybody’s business and nothing ever happens. Then her world is ripped apart when her parents divorce and a new man enters her mother’s life. But worse is yet to come.
When she drifts ashore on the mainland, hideously burned, Ruthie has a harrowing tale to tell. It begins with the murder of a family. It ends with her being the sole survivor of a cataclysm that sweeps her little island. As a detective attempts to unravel Ruthie’s story of murder and madness, only one horrifying conclusion can be drawn: whatever was isolated on remote Hemlock Island may now have come to the mainland. Is Ruthie safe? Is anyone?
Excerpt
Chapter One
I wake to pain, pain beyond comprehension, my skin on fire, only to find myself in a hospital bed, my arms bandaged, and wires snaking into machines. The burns are covered in white gauze and every motion, no matter how small, sends my nerves screaming. The air is heavy against my skin. And that smell. I can still smell the bitterness of my singed hair. I feel my head, expecting strands of hair, thick and wavy, but it’s gone. There are only splotches of emptiness, a topography of touch that alarms me. I wonder if it will ever grow back.
Tendrils of anxiety course through me, pulsing steadily. I need to wake up from whatever this is.
In spite of the pain, I caress my face and I have no eyebrows. Only stubble. No matter where I touch, my skin isn’t soft; it’s leather, a mask that rests too tightly against my skull. It’s like my skin is both expanding and contracting, pushing and pulling.
In the cyclone of terror, I remember. I remember everything.
I wish I didn’t. I wish it all away.
Around the room, there are no mirrors, and I know it’s no accident. It’s small comfort. I don’t want to see myself. I may never look in a mirror again. It’s only me and a bed, and colorful murals of elephants and giraffes on the wall, their cartoon smiles mocking me. I must be in the children’s wing, even though I’m sixteen. Next to me, an IV recedes into my vein. To my left is a button. It could be to call for assistance. Or to adjust the bed. But I think it’s something else. I think it’s for pain.
I could press it and disappear into numbness.
I could press it and just drift.
But there is something about pain. It’s the price of being alive.
The button is my litmus test.
I am stronger than my pain. I need to focus on something—anything. I need to distract myself.
I am not my pain.
I am Ruthie Stroud. I live at— wait—not anymore. I have a brother—no, not anymore.
I shut my eyes. I can’t shut them hard enough. Through the darkness, I still see fire. My world engulfed with flickering orange and reds. And the all-encompassing heat, heat beyond boiling, bordering on oblivion. Melting.
My last memory is coming ashore on the mainland, alone and fiercely tired. I didn’t walk, didn’t run. I moved, floating, held aloft by the most invisible of strings, my eyes on the horizon, people on the edges of my vision. Adults. I felt their gaze. The air was cool and moist and my skin so hot. Moving and moving; people staring. I hear them, words like police and 911 and oh my God. They surround me, a horde. They’re feral creatures, circling, their faces distorted. They are coming for me. I have no escape.
I scream and my world goes dark.
“Ruthie?”
I open my eyes. A woman stands in the hospital room doorway. Her skin is the color of teak, her black hair pulled into a tight ponytail, and without a uniform, she’s clearly no nurse. I look down her button-down shirt and a badge is attached to her belt, a gun holstered at her side.
She says, not unkindly, “I’m Detective Perez from the Washington State Police.”
I knew the cops would get involved, even though they’re late. Far too late.
She waits for me to invite her in. “May I?”
I nod and my skin crinkles and cracks. She enters, pulling a chair beside my bed and sits down. Her brown eyes rest on me and then dart away. She can’t bear to look. I must seem a monster. She asks, “How are you feeling?”
I don’t know how to answer that question.
“I’m sorry,” she says.
Down the hall, I hear a child scream. From surgery or fear, I don’t know. I think fight the pain, fight the pain.
She speaks to me in soothing tones. “I need to ask you a few questions. About what happened. Can you talk?”
My mouth is dry, my throat sore, my vocal chords thrashed. I’d forgotten how much I screamed. I feel my skin wrinkle into deep crevices as I move my jaw, and it’s an effort to form words. Even my tongue feels burned; this strange muscle in my mouth. “Is my dad coming?”
“He’s on his way.” We share a bit of silence and I stare at the woman she is, the beautiful woman I will never be, and she says, “I’d like to start at the beginning. And if there’s ever a point where you need to stop, just let me know, okay?”
“There’s just one thing,” and I clear my throat. I force her to find my eyes. To see. To look. To understand.
“What’s that?”
“Don’t judge me,” I tell her. “I did what I had to.”
About the Author
James Morris is a former television writer who now works in digital media. He is the author of the Kindle Scout selectees What Lies Within and Melophobia, as well as the young adult suspense Feel Me Fall and trio of short stories Abraham Lincoln Must Die. Catch him at jamesmorriswriter.com.
Contact Links
Purchase Links
Excerpt & Giveaway: The Trustworthy Groom by Cami Checketts
The Trustworthy Groom by Cami Checketts
Hailey Knight has two choices: fall prey to a predator who is out to own her and destroy her football team, or marry a man she’s just met. True, her fake husband can make her quiver with a touch, gets her jokes, and is patience personified, but she knows better than anyone how quickly charm can turn ugly.
Brady Giles has dealt with a sweetheart stalker for two years and has no hope of shaking the annoyance. He steps in to rescue the beautiful and feisty Hailey Knight from a leering idiot and somehow ends up engaged to her.
The marriage is supposed to help them both out of sticky situations, but instead turns into a media hailstorm with lies and attacks coming from all sides. When Hailey falls in love with her fake husband and danger lurks around every corner, she knows it’s time to run, but Brady has never given up on an impossible battle.
Excerpt
Hailey’s brain scrambled for an out, any out. She put on a fake smile and said, “You don’t know how much I wish I could have dinner with you tonight, but you must not have heard … I’m recently engaged.” She kept a straight face when she wanted to gasp in shock. Where had that come from, and who was she going to claim she was engaged to?
William released her hair and actually took a step back, the scowl on his face ruining all his supposed good looks. “You are?” His eyes strayed to her left hand. She clasped it with her right to hide her naked finger. “To whom?”
A dark-haired man appeared at her table. Hailey dealt with burly football players every day of her life, but this guy’s shape still gave her pause. He was probably around six three and two hundred and fifty pounds. Every inch was muscle, not bodybuilder muscle but lean and functional and covered by smooth, tanned skin. He definitely had some Italian heritage in him as dark and good-looking as he was. Hailey had a strict policy of not checking out her own team’s football players, but she knew every single one of them. This guy wasn’t on her roster.
“Excuse me.” The man’s deep voice washed over her as his dark eyes looked at her with concern then flashed to William with annoyance. “Do you need some help?”
Yes, yes she did. Hailey grasped his arm and cuddled into his side, wrapping her other arm around his waist. “Thank you for coming to check on me, sweetheart.” His body tightened at the way she was trying to manhandle him, impossible to really do as she was almost a foot shorter and less than half his bodyweight, but she needed help, and she needed it now. The solution was so clear. William would back off if she were engaged. He would have to. Then there would be no repercussions on her football team and no coercion to date, and especially not to stay the night with, the slime ball VP.
“Um, sure … anything for you, honey.” The man wrapped his arm around her shoulder, and Hailey had never felt so safe as he gently pulled her close. Safety and reassurance were amazing and unexpected feelings to have at the moment, especially after the fear of William clogging her throat mere seconds ago and the fact that she naturally shied away from well-built men. The emotion of it all made her weak, and she found herself leaning against his muscular chest.
The dark-haired guy glanced down at her and winked. Ooh, he was quick too. She ticked off his positive qualities in her mind—not one of her football brothers, handsome with strong facial features, brown eyes framed with dark lashes, and smart. She might even give this guy a date to prove they were engaged.
“This is my fiancé,” she said to William, inclining her chin with pride.
The man kind of started, but he stayed close to her side as he released her from his hold and stuck his hand out to William. “Brady Giles. Pleasure to meet you …”
Brady Giles? Oh, crap, he was one of her players! He’d recently transferred from New England. He was one of the top cornerbacks in the nation, and they were extremely blessed to get him, but the Brady Giles she’d seen from the sidelines had long, dark wavy hair and a full beard. This guy with the cropped hair and clean shaven model-gorgeous face was a Brady Giles she’d never expected—sharp and way too appealing. What had she done?
$50 Release Day Giveaway
Ends 1/29/18
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Thursday, January 18, 2018
Review: Say You'll Remember Me by Katie McGarry
Author: Katie McGarry
Title: Say You'll Remember Me
Publication: January 30, 2018
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Source: Publisher via Netgalley
Synopsis
When Drix was convicted of a crime--one he didn't commit--he thought his life was over. But opportunity came with the new Second Chance Program, the governor's newest pet project to get delinquents off the streets, rehabilitated and back into society. Drix knows this is his chance to get his life back on track, even if it means being paraded in front of reporters for a while.
Elle knows she lives a life of privilege. As the governor's daughter, she can open doors with her name alone. But the expectations and pressure to be someone she isn't may be too much to handle. She wants to follow her own path, whatever that means.
When Drix and Elle meet, their connection is immediate, but so are their problems. Drix is not the type of boy Elle's parents have in mind for her, and Elle is not the kind of girl who can understand Drix's messy life.
But sometimes love can breach all barriers.
Fighting against a society that can't imagine them together, Drix and Elle must push themselves--Drix to confront the truth of the robbery, and Elle to assert her independence--and each other to finally get what they deserve.
Review:
Drix is your typical bad boy and he's living life fast and hard until one day he gets slammed for a crime he doesn't commit. Elle has everything a girl could ask for but her life isn't her own, she gets sucked up in her the political endeavors of a father she idolizes....yet he doesn't believe in her. These two will collide and development a friendship that will help these two lost souls discover themselves.
Okay, so I liked the book but absolutely disliked the parents in this book. How they treated Elle and Drix for their own personal agendas just because they felt they knew better. They expect Elle to be so perfect that the poor girl can't find herself beneath all the pressure they put on her. They let so much happen to these two teenagers that it's ridiculous.There was one moment in this book that brought tears to my eyes but I won't spoil that here. The writing is slow-paced and the story is well written. Overall, it's an emotional read about friendship, love and growing up that I would recommend to fans of contemporary fiction.