Thursday, 30 January 2014

Run To You by Clara Kensie Review of Part 1, 2 and 3!

Run To You Part One: First Sight


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Title : Run To You : First Sight
Author : Clara Kensie
Published : February 1st 2014 by Harlequin Teen
Source : Netgalley

Part One in the riveting romantic thriller about a family on the run from a deadly past and a first love that will transcend secrets, lies and danger…

Sarah Spencer has a secret: her real name is Tessa Carson, and to stay alive, she can tell no one the truth about her psychically gifted family and the danger they are running from. As the new girl in the latest of countless schools, she also runs from her attraction to Tristan Walker—after all, she can’t even tell him her real name. But Tristan won’t be put off by a few secrets. Not even dangerous ones that might rip Tessa from his arms before they even kiss…

My Thoughts :

I really enjoyed this!! Tessa Carson has spent most of her life running! Her family is unique, her mother, father, brother and sister all have physic powers.Her father was an Investigative Reporter and exposed some secrets from some very important people. A hitman was hired to kill them but thankfully they escaped. Every town they move to Tessa hopes is the last but she knows it wont be. She hates lying so keeps a very low profile. She knows the rules and has learned to be invisible. That all changes when they move to the new town and she meets Tristian. She tries to stay away but he gets under her skin and they become friends. 

For such a short book this really packed so much into it. Tessa is the only "normal" in her family. The rest all have different powers and tend to treat her like she is breakable. Her life is nothing but lies and she hates it. 

 Tessa was a really easy character to like. She was insecure but also brave. She tries to stay away from Tristian but their chemistry was evident from the start. She has so many secrets that she doesn't want him falling for Sarah, she wants him falling for Tessa!! I loved their relationship. They are both so sweet and complement each other. Tristian as well was a wonderful character, he is so kind and caring and doesn't push Tessa. He is so understanding that Tessa starts to trust him but is it a mistake? Will she have to run again? How can she leave him now? 

 Run To You : First Sight was packed with suspense, romance and mystery. From the get go you are immediately drawn into this world of secrets and lies. I loved the world the author has created and devoured this book within a few hours. This is a must read!! 


Run To You Part Two: Second Glance


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Title : Run To You : Second Glance
Author : Clara Kensie
Published : February 8th 2014 by Harlequin Teen
Source : Netgalley

Part Two in the riveting romantic thriller about a family on the run from a deadly past and a first love that will transcend secrets, lies and danger…

Tessa Carson has unlocked her heart and her secrets to Tristan Walker—but Tristan has secrets of his own, and his might just mean the end of Tessa’s family. Unaware, Tessa embraces falling in love and being herself for the first time since she was attacked when she was only eight years old. But secrets can’t be run from forever, and sometimes love is too good to be true…

My Thoughts : 

Part Two was even better than the first!! Tessa has settled into life with Tristian. Her parents are still weary of him but Tessa knows she can trust him. They fall into a comfortable routine and Tessa slowly opens up to the fact that she loves him. She realises now that she needs to tell him the truth, he needs to know who she is. She tells him one night that she is on the run and that Tessa is her real name. She struggles with telling him what the hitman did but eventually it comes pouring out. He is shocked and promises to help her but she cant let her parents know she told him or they will have to run again!! What will happen now and what secrets are still to be told? 

This edition of the serial novel was so so good! Tessa and Tristian are stronger than ever and Tessa feels a weight is lifted after she tells him everything. For the first time in years she can truly be herself. You can see the change in Tessa in this one. She is more carefree and stronger. 

I really love the relationship between both Tessa and Tristian but is all as it seems? Who is Tristian and what secrets does he hold?? Well you will have to read it to find out.

Second Glance was an amazing second part. We see Tessa shine and Tristian has his owns secrets that come to light slowly. Filled again with plenty of action, mystery, suspense and lies, Run To You is an addicting serial that will leave you wanting more!! 



Run To You Part Three: Third Charm


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Title : Run To You : Third Charm
Author : Clara Kensie
Published : February15th 2014 by Harlequin Teen
Source : Netgalley

Part Three in the riveting romantic thriller about a family on the run from a deadly past and a first love that will transcend secrets, lies and danger…

Betrayed, heartbroken, and determined to save her family, Tessa Carson refuses to give in to Tristan Walker’s pleas for forgiveness. But her own awakening psychic gift won’t let her rest until she uncovers the truth about her family and her past. And Tristan is the only one who can help her sift through the secrets to find the truth hidden in all the lies…

My Thoughts : 

The third installment of Run To You just about blew me away! So many feels!!! 
After the ending of part 2 Tessa is heartbroken with the betrayal and lies from Tristian. How could he do that to her and how can he spread the lies? She is scared, alone and hurt but who can she turn to? Is her whole life a lie? Who is the real enemy?

I cant say too much about the plot of this one because it will only be spoilers but its breathtaking and had me feeling so many different emotions. Tessa has learned something that is devastating and tries all she can to find evidence its not real but what she finds instead is earth shattering for her. Her whole life has been filled with lies but these ones are beyond anything she can comprehend. The only person she can trust is the one person who broke her trust. How will they come back from this?? 

At the end of part 2 I really thought Tristian was a liar and a fool and I was ready to hate him for what he did but when everything comes to light we see him for what he truly is and I fell in love with his character again!! Tessa was broken and I didnt think she would come back from it but she did and she bounced back stronger than ever and with a new ability. 

Part three was a brilliant addition to the serial and one that took my breath away. It was heartbreaking and emotional. All the lies that Tessa has to sift through just to find the truth had me in tears. She really grew as a character in this one and I'm so glad there is more!! Tessa and Tristian are characters that will stay with you for a long time. I can not wait to read more about them and the world Clara Kensie has created. 


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Carnelian by B. Kristin McMichael Book Blitz and Giveaway!



Title : Carnelian (Chalcedony Chronicles #1) 
Author : B. Kristin McMichael 
Publication date : January 10th 2014 
Genres : Time-Travel, Young Adult


Synopsis:

Everyone has a past, but for most it isn’t so far in the past as Seth Sangre. His past is literally from thousands of years ago. Seth’s past led him to the present seeking something that might help him save his country from destruction. He has been in the present for over three years now and just found exactly what he has been looking for.

Mari had dreams of college being a fresh start, one where she would start over and not fall for the good looking player like high school. Unfortunately for her that’s exactly what ends up falling into her lap on the first day she moves into the dorms. Now she has to hold to her promise to herself and not fall for the handsome Seth. But he doesn’t plan to make it easy for her. Seth has already marked her as his next conquest. As the semester progresses, Mari learns that Seth might just have a past of his own that’s literally in the past. Suddenly Mari finds her future along with her past put into question. She’s connected to Seth far more than she ever wanted to be and maybe the player isn’t who she thought he was. If Mari can trust her heart enough to follow him, Seth will lead Mari on an adventure of a lifetime and reveal family secrets she never knew existed.


Purchase:
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/396328

Excerpt : 
I waited in my room for another twenty minutes and scavenged silently through all our snacks, nothing good enough to be a meal. I checked several times, and he was still sitting outside my door. The last time I checked, he even looked up at the peephole and smiled. I was beginning to feel like Seth knew I was in my room. When my stomach growled for the tenth time, I just had to walk out the door and ignore him. It was the only plan I had. Grabbing my keys and ID, I hurried out the door. It was nice that the doors were self-locking, and I could just walk away. Seth jumped up and followed me like a puppy, as Sim had called him.

“Not even going to say hello?” Seth asked. “Do you treat all your friends that way?” Seth teased and followed close behind me.

“I wasn’t under the impression that we were friends,” I replied. My plan was to ignore him, but I failed at that.

“Ouch,” Seth answered. “Why can’t I be your friend?”

“You really want to be my friend?” I asked, and he nodded. “Then stop asking me out.”

“Fair enough,” Seth replied. I eyed him suspiciously. “New friend, would you mind joining me for supper?” he asked. I shook my head in disbelief. No way he was giving up that easily after waiting for over an hour for me to leave my room, but my growling stomach told me I had no choice but to play his game, whatever it turned out to be.

“Fine,” I replied and kept looking forward rather than at the cute brown eyes.

“You don’t have to sound excited,” he added with a chuckle.



Book Trailer : 





AUTHOR BIO

Originally from Wisconsin, B. Kristin currently resides in Ohio with her husband, two small children, and three cats. When not doing the mom thing of chasing kids, baking cookies, and playing outside, she is using her PhD in biology as a scientist. In her free time she is currently hard at work on multiple novels. Every day is a new writing adventure. She is a fan of all YA/NA fantasy and science fiction.

Author Links:

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6889132.B_Kristin_McMichael


Blitz-wide giveaway


-A signed copy of Carnelian 

a Rafflecopter giveaway
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Wednesday, 29 January 2014

No More Goddesses by Kim Baccellia Blog Tour, Guest Post and Giveaway!



Title : No More Goddesses 
Author : Kim Baccellia
Published by : Zumaya Thresholds
Published : May 28th, 2013
Genres : YA/Fantasy/Mythology


Jordan Lake discovers an ancient bracelet in her grandmother’s house and uncovers a family mystery that links her favorite actress, Audrey Hepburn, a romantic movie, and an aunt she never knew. Jordan hopes the bracelet will bring her love. Instead, it brings one nightmare after another, unleashing Hathor, the Egyptian love goddess, who decides it’s fun to mess with the McKnight High School social scene. Jordan holds the key to vanquish Hathor, but will she figure out what it is in time to save her school, one of her best friends, and get a date to the Valentine’s Day dance?

B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/no-more-goddesses-kim-baccellia/1107758141?ean=2940016626024

Excerpt!


Heart-shaped posters announcing CANDYGRAMS! 25 CENTS! were
plastered all over campus. It was here, the day I had anticipated
with dread and hope, although it would probably end in disappointment.
As if the guy I drooled over would ever send me one.
I dreamed of the moment anyway. Every night since the announcement,
I had played it all out in my head. I would be so
cool, so sophisticated—just like Audrey Hepburn in Tessa’s Treasure.
If I closed my eyes, I knew I’d go right to that dream, but then
I’d risk being battered by the throng of students bumping and jostling
in the overcrowded hall. Thank God there had never been a
real emergency. Us lowly freshmen would be floor splatter.
Then, like the parting of the Red Sea, the crowd flowed to the
sides of the hall as the star of my dreams, Ethan Taylor, and his
bunch of basketball friends walked down the center, flipping their
heads as if they owned the place. Who am I kidding? They did.
They were McKnight High.
“There he is,” said my best friend Selena Garza with a subtle
wag of her eyebrows. Lost in all the Candygram stuff, I’d almost
forgotten she was there. “Go talk to him.”
She gave me a gentle shove, and I stumbled forward. Ethan
stopped talking to Coby Jett. I straightened out my dress, all non-
chalant-like, acting as if nothing had happened, before I chanced a
glance at Ethan. He was watching me with two of the most beautiful
blue eyes ever.
Here was my moment. My chance. Say something, dang it!
I felt as if someone had shoved a load of cotton in my mouth. I
tried to say something clever but I only croaked.
My face burned with embarrassment. I nervously rubbed my
sweaty palms on my skirt while a bazillion thoughts and emotions
went swirling through my head. What do I do? Do I look good
enough? Why is it so hot all of a sudden?
“Hey,” Ethan said, his husky voice setting off fireworks inside
me. My gosh, his eyes were so blue and, at this moment—did I
dare admit it?—inviting?
My heart leaped, doing one somersault after another. I opened
my month again, determined to say something, anything.
“He–ey.”
Now I knew my face was on fire.
The other guys snickered. I thought for sure I’d die right on
the spot. Audrey would never have gotten herself into this situation.


About the author:
I grew up in Sacramento, California, the oldest of seven. I earned an elementary teaching degree from Brigham Young University.
I’ve been a telemarketer, library helper at the university, assistant manager, sales clerk, tutor, and bilingual teacher. Now I’m a stay-at-home mom and writer.
I love to read and write!
I am also a reviewer for Young Adults (& Kids!) Book Central.

Review website: www.yabookscentral.com
Twitter: @ixtumea
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/862733.Kim_Baccellia


Guest Post!

My Top 5 Favorite Gods/Goddesses


Part of my goddesses’ series involves well, goddesses!  I had a fun time researching various ones.  Though I use various different goddesses of love in my series, I also researched other gods.  I thought it would be fun to share a few of my favorites.

1.      Phoenix-Greek mythology



Though the Phoenix isn’t really a god, I’ve always loved what this bird symbolized: Rebirth.  A Phoenix is reborn through the ashes of the bird that lived before him.  The Phoenix also symbolizes the sun and is associated with Egyptian sun-god Re and the Greek Phoibos (Apollo).

2.      Diana-Roman mythology  also Artemis in Greek mythology




Diana probably was the first feminist!  She’s the goddess of the hunt and also a protector of animals.  She’s one of my favorites because she didn’t need a male to help her out and also her love of animals.


3.      Bastet- Egyptian mythology




I love cats!  So did the Egyptians.  They were revered for many things including killing vermin.  The Egyptians even mummified their cats!  **Bastet plays an important part in my novel No More Goddesses!

4.      Spider Goddess- Native American and Mexican Mythology




The Spider Goddess plays a big part of my first book Earrings of Ixtumea.  In Native American legends she is the weaver who spins magical charms and a person’s fate.  She also helps create energy so someone can be on the right path to achieving those goals.  I see the goddess as someone kind and beautiful.  She wants my protagonist Lupe to help her world by weaving in the truths lost so many centuries before.


5.      Aphrodite-Greek mythology



I know some say that Aphrodite is just an airhead, vain goddess but I think she’s much more than that!  I loved the way she was portrayed in the 90s TV series Hercules.  Beautiful, energetic, and misunderstood!  Okay, she did have a fling or two with a couple other gods but what god didn’t?  And yes, she has a part in one of my books too!



 *Thank you Kim for this wonderful guest post!! I love Gods/Goddesses and the mythology behind them. I will say though the spider god would give you nightmares!!!
The Giveaway:

 signed copy of NO MORE GODDESSES and some swag plus a bag. U.S. only
a Rafflecopter giveaway
8 comments:

Tuesday, 28 January 2014

The Warrior & the Flower by Camille Picott Blog Tour and Giveaway!



Welcome to my stop on the tour for The Warrior & the Flower by Camille Picott.  This is an adult high fantasy.

To celebrate Chinese New Year the tour is running Jan. 27th-31st with mostly reviews and only a few interviews and spotlight posts.  Be sure to check out the tour page with additional info and list of tour stops.

The Warrior & the Flower by Camille Picott

 Yi, a retired soldier, has lost everything he loves—his wife, his daughter, and his home. He seeks refuge from his heartache by plunging into a secret mission for the World Emperor. The assignment takes him to the doorstep of a brothel, where he witnesses the madam beating a young girl. Drawn by the child’s striking resemblance to his lost daughter, Yi rushes to her defense and negotiates for her purchase—after all, how hard can it be to care for one little girl? But between the child’s inquisitive nature and the dangerous secret she carries, he gets more than he bargained for.

Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | Smashwords  


Excerpt!
Fire
 
At an easy walk, Fire Foot could have reached the village in an hour. A regular gallop would have taken him half an hour. With a lightning charge, he reached the outskirts of Fen-li in less than ten minutes.
Rushing waves of heat gusted over the hard-packed dirt of the village. Smoke was everywhere, roiling through the air like a mass of angry spirits. Nearly all the buildings burned, including the community hall and the worship house.
Where there were cloud shamans, there was always fire.
Even though he’d officially retired from the military four years ago, Yi had never lost the habits acquired during his fifteen years in the field. He grabbed the kerchief he wore around his neck and pulled it up over his nose. The raw burning left his throat.
From his belt hung a pair of glass-and-leather goggles, a gift from the emperor many years ago. He slipped them on. His eyes stopped stinging and his vision cleared. He nocked an arrow and scanned the chaos around him. Dead bodies—mostly men, but some women and children—were everywhere.
The cloud shaman attack was centered on the village proper. Those villagers yet living formed a bucket brigade to the nearest well. Even small children, tear-streaked and confused, joined the effort. They concentrated on the community barn. The shamans had strategically set several fires around its base.
He counted five shamans altogether. Three hovered above the barn roof, each on his own cloud. Two other clouds floated near a hole that had been blasted in the roof. The owners of those clouds were inside the hole, only their heads visible. They tossed bags of rice from the barn’s loft to their waiting comrades. The sacks were distributed evenly among the clouds.
The fires they’d ignited protected them from the villagers. None of the shamans had noticed Yi. Smoke boiled around Fire Foot, but even the smoke could not conceal his glowing scales. Likely they did not expect to encounter a soldier and kylin in the middle of nowhere.
There was no sign of Sei and Jian. Yi squelched his desire to race past the village and straight to his estate—and the liquid steel vault—outside of town. There were shamans in Fen-li. He could not abandon the villagers. He could not risk having the shamans follow him back to the house.
Yi took aim with his bow, training the liquid steel arrowhead on the nearest cloud. Despite the rage and fear bubbling in the recesses of his mind, a familiar calm possessed him.
Hunting shamans is what he did.
He fired. The first arrow had scarcely left his bow before he fired another, then another and another and another. In the span of a breath, five arrows flew through the gritty smoke. They sliced through the clouds, obliterating them. Shamans tumbled to the rooftop, one yelling as he slid over the edge.
Yi drew his sword and urged Fire Foot into a charge straight at the burning barn. The kylin leaped, soaring at the plummeting shaman.
Yi rose up in the stirrups and shoved the blade upward—hard. He impaled the falling shaman in the gut, barely noticing the hot blood that ran down his arms and soaked his tunic.
Fire Foot, seasoned from years of battle, was undisturbed by the collision. He cleared the three-story building and landed on the roof, hooves barely making a sound on the wooden boards. Yi dumped the dead shaman onto the rooftop without a second glance.
The smoke was thick, the air hot against his skin. He ignored all physical sensation, his attention on the shamans.
Through his goggles, he saw them. Pillaged rice sacks lay everywhere, most of them split open and bleeding white grain across the rooftop.
The four remaining shamans were on the roof now. They formed a line in front of him, honey-jade bracelets raised. Faint light emanated from the jewelry. Fire Foot’s nostrils flared as he scented the lightning inside. Yi grinned behind his bandana. Let them try to strike him. Let them try.
He yelled a wordless challenge, standing in his stirrups and lifting his sword. Fire Foot charged.
The shamans fired at the roof beneath them. It was a good move. If Fire Foot hadn’t been charged with lightning, the shamans may have succeeded in sending them crashing down into the burning barn.
But Fire Foot was fast. His body blurred as he moved. Yi felt the frenzy rise within the beast and made no move to quell it. Wood exploded behind them, splinters and bits of timber bouncing harmlessly off Yi’s back. Fire Foot stampeded straight toward the shamans.
Yi swept his sword in an arc, beheading two of them. Fire Foot crushed the third shaman, plunging his hooves into the man and going for his bracelet. Yi dropped to the ground and buried his sword in the fourth shaman.
He aimed carefully, sliding his sword into the man’s lower abdomen to avoid the lungs and heart. He needed him alive long enough to answer questions. The emperor would want to know of this attack.
“Did you come through the Monkey Province or Ram Province?” Yi asked. The shamans could not have traveled through either province without being detected, and there was no other route to Fen-li—which meant someone had turned a blind eye to their passage. Who? And why?
“Answer me!” Yi put one booted foot on the man’s shoulder and pushed him off the end of his blade.
The shaman moaned. Yi’s stomach clenched. The voice was too light and melodic to belong to a man.
Even after fighting shamans for fifteen years, he never got used to killing the women. He would never understand why the Sky Emperor sent women into battle, or why he made them crop their hair short and wear men’s clothing.
“Why here?” Yi loomed over her. “Why a supply raid here, of all places?”
“A . . . supply . . . raid?” the woman rasped, an amused smile briefly shattering the pain that lined her features. “Check your precious . . . vault.”
Despite the growing heat, her words made gooseflesh rise along his arms. He seized her by the leather collar of her shirt.
“What did you say?”
Blood ran from her stomach and dribbled from her mouth. “You’re too . . . late.” Her eyes rolled back in her head. She died, her body still dangling from his grasp.
Too late. Yi’s mental wall shattered. Panic and fear poured in. Too late.
“Sei.” He dropped the body, turning toward Fire Foot. “Jian.”
The kylin was in full frenzy. He glowed twice as bright, which meant he’d already devoured at least one honey-jade bracelet and the lightning within. The kylin clamped his jaw around the wrist of another dead shaman. The bracelet cracked beneath the pressure of his teeth. He yanked it free and swallowed it in one gulp. The glow emanating from his body intensified, so bright Yi had to squint. Fire Foot looked up at him and belched.
He barely registered the kylin’s contentment or the rising fire around them. All he saw was his beautiful wife and sweet daughter, alone and unprotected in the house.
“Home!” he cried, vaulting into the saddle.
Maybe it was the urgency in his voice. Maybe Fire Foot had gorged himself past the point of frenzy. For whatever reason, the kylin didn’t fight him.
He galloped to the edge of the roof and jumped. He sailed through smoke and over flame. He sailed right over the village bucket brigade. As soon as his hooves touched the earth, he shot out of the village and up the small road toward home.
Men, women, and children cheered and called blessings after them. Yi heard their gratitude and thought of Sei as he had last seen her, waving at him from the porch with one hand as she balanced Jian on her hip with the other. She’d been wearing a blue dress with a matching blue ribbon in her braided hair. The morning light had been in her dark eyes, and he’d been certain he’d never seen anything so beautiful in all his life.
Fear riding on his shoulders like a great demon, he gripped Fire Foot’s mane and leaned over his neck. The kylin ran, his hooves barely touching the ground as he raced for the House of Liquid Steel.
 


About the Author: 
Camille Picott is a fifth-generation Chinese American. She writes science fiction and fantasy books with Asian characters and/or Asian settings. Camille grew up reading speculative fiction stories largely devoid of Asian characters and culture. This, coupled with a passion for her heritage, is the reason she strives to bring some aspect of Eastern myth, legend, culture, and ethnicity to all of her writings. To visit Camille, go to www.camillepicott.com.


Website | Facebook | Goodreads



Giveaway:

 Rafflecopter giveaway


This tour was organized and put together by CBB Book Promotions.
 
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