Monday, 30 June 2014

Smolder by Kelbian Noel Cover Reveal and Giveaway!


smolder

I'm excited to share the cover for Smolder, book three in The Witchbound series by Kelbian Noel.  This is a YA urban fantasy series and the first two books are Roots and Sprung.  Check out the gorgeous cover and then enter to win a $25 gift card!

Smolder Book Cover

Smolder (Witchbound #3) by Kelbian Noel

About Smolder:
Calida Cevallos has never been special. In fact, as far as she’s concerned, there isn’t an exceptional bone in her body. But, this summer, she’ll discover extraordinary literally runs through her veins.
I’ve always been a burden. The girl people put up with, the one they tolerated. When I finally found someone who actually wanted me around, I couldn’t have be happier. But lately something’s been bubbling at the surface. Something wants to break free…and I’m afraid it’s me.
I love him. And, for a time, I thought I needed him. Now I’m not so sure. These days, I get the feeling I’m the one who’s needed. By whom? I’m about to find out.

Goodreads 


Roots (Witchbound Book One) by Kelbian Noel

 288 pages

 Seventeen-year-old Baltimore Land just wants to be normal, but magic has other plans.

I don’t consider myself a witch, that’s my parents’ thing. I’ve never really believed in magic either. Sure, I tried it a few times. Fell for the whole “magic happens” thing. But it didn’t happen to me. No amount of rhyming stopped my parents from moving me halfway across the country. Not one spell stopped me from being labeled the town freak.

 And worst of all, no matter how many times I begged the Universe to bring my twin back, I was ignored. Until now.

 He’s back all right. And in a magical bind of his own. Not the magic-won’t-work-for-me kind either. In fact, it’s working a little too well. Too dark. Too deep.

 It turns out our entire family’s magical roots run just as deep and my brother didn’t end up where he is by accident. So I’m going to help him. But magic isn’t really on my side. Nope. Once I finally get the craft under control, I’m expected to abandon the one person in the world who’s closest to me, just to save myself.

Sprung (Witchbound Book Two) by Kelbian Noel

 336 pages

 Since she discovered magic, seventeen-year-old Skye Jackson’s life is almost perfect. Almost. Even perfect has its glitches.

What happens when the one with all the power makes the biggest mistakes? Welcome to my life.

 Four months ago, I couldn’t have been happier. When my parents got divorced, I wasn’t exactly thrilled. Especially when Mom married a guy half her age. But then I found out I wasn’t the average Joana. Discovering magic existed and, best of all, I could use it, made everything easier to deal with. That is until I got a little too spell happy. But what girl wouldn’t defend her best friend against a world-class creep? Now I’m stuck in a nightmare, forced to make life and death decisions I never dreamed I’d face.

 Love the magic, hate the responsibility.



KelbianNoel

About the Author:
Kelbian Noel was born on a warm June night in Moncton, New Brunswick. From a very young age, she loved to read. She found herself engulfed in novels by Janette Oke and L.M. Montgomery, but never seemed to find herself in the pages. At the age of 11 she declared she would simply have to rewrite them, and become the youngest author in history. But life was full of baseball, homework, BFFs and boys. Decades later, having studied writing in college and pursued it as a career, she rediscovered her hobby. She is excited to introduce The Witchbound Series to the world with hopes someone will love this story as much as she does. Kelbian lives in Toronto, Ontario with her two children (where, thanks to a thick layer of smog, Junes are much warmer than they used to be).

She is the founder of www.diverse-pages.com and blogs there often, in the company of some pretty cool people.


 Giveaway:
$25 Amazon Gift Card (INT)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This event was organized by CBB Book Promotions

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8 comments:

The V Girl by Mya Robarts Book Blitz and Giveaway!



The V Girl 
Mya Robarts 
Publication date: July 1st 2014
Genres: Dystopia, New Adult


Synopsis:
In post-apocalyptic North America, rape and sexual slavery are legal. Lila Velez, desperately wants to lose her virginity before the troops visit her town and can take it away by force. She makes plans to seduce her only friend, Rey, the most attractive man in her town. Lila does not love him but he is the only man who has shown her true affection, an affection she is willing to take as a substitute of love.

Lila’s coping mechanism to her mother’s rape and kidnapping is her secret. A secret that will bring her closer to Aleksey, a foreign, broody man. Lila does not trust him because his links to the troops and his rough, yet irresistible appearance. Aleksey offers Lila an alternative to her plans, a possibility that terrifies her…and tempts her in spite of herself.

All the while Lila will have to find a way to live in the constant company of death, slavery, starvation, sexual abuse and the danger of losing the people she loves the most.

This book is recommended for readers over the age of 18 due to strong language and sexual content.
Rey is the only man I can think of who can serve my purpose. He’s the only boy in town who doesn’t despise me. He even protects me. Hopefully, he won’t find a reason to protect me from himself.
I don’t want to develop feelings for my best friend.  Because of my plans, Rey has been in my thoughts constantly since the troops announced their arrival, and I hate it. To distract my mind from Rey, I venture a little further in the water current.
Feeling fresh now that I’m clean and shaved, my mood improves. I splash and swim in the water, allowing myself to relax and play.
If I swim to the other side, I might catch Divine and Joey making love in the river beach. Perhaps I should get a little bit of last minute instruction.
A rumble brings me out of my reverie and then I hear some distant shots. My survival instincts wake up and I’m instantly alert.
More shots. It isn’t possible. Nobody in town has access to gun powder or explosives. You don’t get caught with them unless you want to get executed. They have to be soldiers. Patriot soldiers.
Just then I hear sounds above the current noise. Steps on the river beach. I’m barely armed not to mention undressed and unprepared. My razors might keep Starville peeping toms at bay, but they’ll be useless against soldiers.
I hear steps approaching and I wade away. In no time I find myself far from where I left my clothes. My best chance to safely get out of this situation is to avoid a fight. I can remain hidden if I move to the other side of the river behind the rocks. If soldiers see me so vulnerable and naked, I’m doomed.
I need to hurry. I have to head home soon and make sure my dad and siblings are safe.
The steps sound like they come from only one person but I can’t be sure. As they sound closer, I notice they come from my right.
I don’t know what I’m more afraid of: the intruder being an armed soldier or the fact of being caught so exposed.
Trying to not splash attract attention, I put distance between me and the steps. Hiding behind some bushes and rocks, I submerge myself, leaving only my head above the water line.
I stand still. Several minutes pass and I hear nothing. When I consider it safe to leave my hiding place, I swim, splashing as little as I can.
Then I notice something that makes my heart skip a beat.
I’m not the only person here.  There’s someone else treading the water.  I can’t see how many people are around, but I can hear as someone else splashes.
A feel of panic rushes hot through my veins.
I’m surprised no one’s attacked me yet.  Haven’t they seen me? Does the splashing come from Starvillers hiding from the shots as well?
For a moment there’s only silence. Then another shot startles me and I fight my body to keep calm. I swim as fast as I can, not caring about silence anymore. Better to put distance between myself and my possible enemies.  The water and the current make my escape slow. I reach a point where the water is only at my knees and I’m hiding behind a trunk.
Then I see him.
A young man, so tall and built that for a moment, I think he’s Sasquatch minus the fur. The water only covers him around the thighs. No one in Starville, not even Rey, is so big or built. His strong muscles reveal years of military training and hint at the drug use that makes Patriot soldiers so inhumanly tall and big. Wet strands of sandy blond hair run down his broad shoulders. A tattoo on his back tells me he has been in combat and is to be respected. A soldier! Something tells me he’s alone.
My stomach clenches in panic. I’m terrified of Patriot soldiers. They are sadistic giants and killing machines. The tonics they take to build their muscles and stature make them extremely dangerous and violent. And horny.
I lose sight of him for a moment. He emerges in a different spot where the water is deeper. He is so tall, the water covers only up his waist while he’s standing. He must be at least seven feet tall. When he moves I can see his most private areas. Every part of him is enormous.
He’s in the very spot I left my clothes. I could wait for him to go, but what if others come to join him? What if they plan to camp here? I want to go home to check on my dad and the twins. The possibility of being discovered with no one to witness when he rapes me makes the hairs on the back of my neck prick. I won’t wait for the coast to be clear, risking discovery and gang rape.
He doesn’t seem to be in attack mode. The soldier is inclined and rubbing foam around his huge torso. He is bathing! I suspect he has a good reason to be unbothered by the shots. If he’s not startled, it’s likely whoever’s making the racket will take his side.
Suppressing the fear that runs through my veins, I force my mind to remain focused. For a moment, I consider attacking him while he’s so naked and defenseless. I’ve been practicing knife throwing with my rebel group. But I’m still learning and suck at it. I rarely hit the target. Besides, Sasquatch’s nakedness and apparent relaxed behavior are deceiving.  I’m armed while bathing, so he probably is too. What if he alerts his companions?
I don’t stand a chance fighting against a trained unit of steroid-injected soldiers. At this moment my only advantage is my knowledge of the hiding places of this river. And stealth. I can do stealth.
  He’s blocking the only way to get my clothes and the safer spot to get out of the river.  There’s a gargantuan rock behind him that reaches not far from where I’m hiding. If I could climb it unseen, I could get back my clothes and escape. The only other option is to swim to the other side, where the current is too strong.
The soldier submerges frequently and emerges several minutes after. I pay attention to the soldier’s face.  He looks extremely sad.  Sadness isn’t an emotion I associate with soldiers.
When he rubs his face with foam and closes his eyes, I silently approach the low part of the current and climb the rock. I’m still naked and holding a knife awkwardly. If I can pass him, I’ll hide on the other side and then dress completely unnoticed.
I put my foot on the base of the rock. The water has made it smooth and slippery. There are few places to put my fingers and climb on. But I manage to climb my way up.  
When I’m almost at the top, I toss my knife over the rock to free my hands. From here I can confirm the soldier is by himself. 
Sasquatch is back under the water now and hasn’t resurfaced for a while. In spite of the danger, I’m impressed. He has lung capacity. 
The higher I climb, the less visible I become to him. He finally emerges to take air, but I hide until he goes back under.  
I’m close to my goal when my feet become slippery traitors.
 I fall to the water below me.
Butt first. Straight toward the soldier’s head.

AUTHOR BIO
I am a bookaholic and regret nothing.

I spent years trying to become a contemporary dance choreographer. Eventually I realized that I enjoyed writing my stories rather than creating dances for them.

I am obsessed with books that present damaged characters, swoon worthy guys, controversial topics and happy endings.

Author links: 

GIVEAWAY




Blitz-wide giveaway

Open INTL - Ends July 14th
3 x eBook copy of The V Girl + 20$ Amazon Gift Card
3 x T-Shirt + 20$ Amazon Gift Card
(So 6 winners)

a Rafflecopter giveaway
8 comments:

Hideous by Devon McCormack Book Blitz and Guest Post!



Hideous by Devon McCormack 
Publication date: June 19th 2014
Genres: Paranormal, Young Adult


Synopsis:
Eight years ago, Luke Retter witnessed the brutal murder of his mother and sister at the hands of his demon-possessed father. He survived but lost a hand and an eye. The demon also burned its emblem into his skin, marking him as a cursed. Those who bear this mark are at risk of becoming possessed themselves, so they are monitored and enslaved by the state-run UCIS. Working as a slave is hard, but Luke prefers it to the possibility of being controlled by a demon.

One night, Luke wakes to find his worst nightmare coming true. His father’s demon has returned. In a panic, he runs to the only person who might be able to help: Zack, a cursed who ran away from the state and created an underground community to protect other fugitive curseds. Zack helps him suppress the demon. But the city’s become a time bomb, and Luke’s demon itches to escape.

With the UCIS closing in on Zack’s underground operation and Luke’s demon crafting its own, nefarious plot, Luke realizes that he must take a stand.

Guest Post : 
When I was little, my aunt bought me a hardback copy of the Brothers Grimm fairy tales. They aren’t the cute, clean ones we see in Disney movies. They’re dark…twisted…sometimes even a little perverse. I remember being very surprised to read the sadistic punishment that Cinderella and her new hubby had in mind for the evil stepmother. Then there were other stories that I hadn’t seen watered-down versions of in movies and TV shows. “The Little Brother and Sister” was one of my favorites. In this story, a brother and sister escape their abusive stepmother, who is also a witch. The brother ends up being turned into a faun by a magical spring, and a man hunting him turns out to be a prince. The prince meets the sister, they marry, and they all live happily ever after, right? Wrong. The sister marries the prince and has a baby, but the stepmother murders her and has her other, disfigured daughter pose as the queen.

As a kid, that blew my mind. It was insane and unlike the sorts of fairy tales I’d previously been exposed to. But another story fascinated me even more. It was called “The Handless Maiden.” In this story, a demon talks a miller into cutting off his daughter’s hands. She ends up alone and wandering through the wilderness, where she runs into her Prince Charming. Again, this is not a happily ever after moment. Rather, after she gives birth to their child, her husband goes off to war. Meanwhile, the demon intercepts letters between the husband and his mother, trying to convince the mother to kill the queen and the baby. Ah! They end up having to flee the castle, and the king has to set out into the wilderness to find them. Of all the fairy tales, this one fascinated me the most, because it was one of the few that represented a physically flawed princess.

About a year ago, I decided I wanted to do a modernized retelling of “The Handless Maiden.” I liked the idea of a physically imperfect character—one that had to survive despite their handicap. I created the character of Luke in Hideous, who only has one eye and one hand, injuries he sustained when his father was possessed by a demon. I also wanted demons to exist in this story the way they exist in fairy tales. In “The Handless Maiden,” demons aren’t discussed as some bizarre anomaly, but rather something that is a known and common threat in the world. In Hideous, demons are a rampant problem in the world. They’re almost viewed as an epidemic. Those who are possessed are even referred to as “infected.”

Hideous tells the story of a sixteen-year-old boy trying to survive this sort of world. Not only does he have his physical handicap, but he also was scarred with a mark from his demon. Those who bear this mark are referred to as “cursed,” and they are more likely to be possessed than most. However, monitoring curseds discourages demons from possessing them, so the government enslaves curseds and forces them to work in low paying jobs. Luke has worked for the state since he was eight, and now he works at an all-boys high school, where he has to watch all the other kids enjoying life, going about as if there isn’t this global demonic threat. Luke just wants to blend in. He plays by the rules, because he doesn’t want to end up in jail, which is where noncompliant curseds are likely to end up. His desperate attempt to follow the rules falls apart when the demon that possessed his father returns to possess him...

This is the story behind my new young adult novel, available through Harmony Ink Press. If you get a chance, head over to Amazon or my publisher’s site and pick up your copy today.

Thanks for having me on the blog today!
AUTHOR BIO

Devon McCormack spends most of his time hiding in his lair, adventuring in paranormal worlds with his island of misfit characters. A good ole Southern boy, McCormack grew up in the Georgian suburbs with his two younger brothers and an older sister. At a very young age, he spun tales the old fashioned way, lying to anyone and everyone he encountered. He claimed he was an orphan. He claimed to be a king from another planet. He claimed to have supernatural powers. He has since harnessed this penchant for tall tales by crafting whole worlds where he can live out whatever fantasy he chooses.

A gay man himself, McCormack focuses on gay male characters, adding to the immense body of literature that chooses to represent and advocate gay men's presence in media. His body of work ranges from erotica to young adult, so readers should check the synopses of his books before purchasing so that they know what they're getting into.

Author links:


1 comment:

Sunday, 29 June 2014

The Truth Is A Cave in the Black Mountains by Neil Gaiman Review!

18635092  Buy The Book Now at The Book Depository, Free Delivery World Wide 

Title : The Truth Is A Cave in the Black Mountains
Author : Neil Gaiman
Pages : 80
Published : 17th June 2014
Publisher : Headline
Source : From Publisher
Beautifully illustrated by renowned artist Eddie Campbell, this is a four-colour edition of Neil Gaiman’s award-winning novelette “The Truth is a Cave in the Black Mountains”- a haunting story of family, the otherworld, and a search for hidden treasure.

The text of The Truth Is a Cave in the Black Mountains was first published in the collection Stories: All New Tales(Headline, 2010). This gorgeous full-colour illustrated book version was born of a unique collaboration between writer Neil Gaiman and artist Eddie Campbell, who brought to vivid life the characters and landscape of Gaiman’s story.
In August 2010, The Truth is a Cave in the Black Mountainswas performed in the concert hall of the Sydney Opera House to a sell-out crowd – Gaiman read his tale live as Campbell’s magnificent artwork was presented, scene by scene, on large screens. Narrative and art were accompanied by live music composed and performed especially for the story by the FourPlay String Quartet.
My Thoughts : 
The Truth Is A Cave in the Black Mountains tells us the story of two men taking a journey to find the mythical Misty Isle and the cave that is said to hold treasure, cursed treasure, but treasure all the same. Thus begins the story of a dwarf and a man searching for treasure and finding a lot more. Will they survive?
This book is unlike anything I've ever read and its both thanks to the story itself and the amazing illustrations that accompany the tale. When I first started reading, the tone of the story and the way its written reminded me of the Seanchaí, Eddie Lenihan. I saw him once at a party and Ill never forget the stories he told, and its not even the stories, its the way they are told! He had a way of pulling you into the story and of making it come alive. The Truth is a Cave in the Black Mountains does the same thing. 
Apart from Neil Gaimans writing, which by now everyone knows is amazing, the illustrations make the book so much better. They really make the story come alive. Its definitely a book every book worm should have on their shelves. Its a story of greed, of survival, of heartache and loss, of love and revenge. Its a book that you will open again and again simply to savour the writing and the pictures.
From its unique drawings to its darkly addictive story. The Truth is a Cave in the Black Mountains is a must have for everyone. 


4 comments:

The Geography of You and Me by Jennifer E. Smith Review!


20499195Title: The Geography of You and Me
Author: Jennifer E. Smith
Publisher: Headline
Release Date: April 10th 2014
Source: Review copy received from publisher

For fans of John Green, Stephanie Perkins and Sarah Ockler, THE GEOGRAPHY OF YOU AND ME is a story for anyone who's ever longed to meet someone special, for anyone who's searched for home and found it where they least expected it.

Owen lives in the basement. Lucy lives on the 24th floor. But when the power goes out in the midst of a New York heatwave, they find themselves together for the first time: stuck in a lift between the 10th and 11th floors. As they await help, they start talking...

The brief time they spend together leaves a mark. And as their lives take them to Edinburgh and San Francisco, to Prague and to Portland they can't shake the memory of the time they shared. Postcards cross the globe when they themselves can't, as Owen and Lucy experience the joy - and pain - of first love.

And as they make their separate journeys in search of home, they discover that sometimes it is a person rather than a place that anchors you most in the world.

Julies Thoughts : 

To be honest, I had to step away at the end of Jennifer E. Smith’s The Geography of You and Me to compile my thoughts and decide my views on it. I think this mostly has to do with the fact that the only Smith book I’d read prior to this was The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight, and as I adored that book immensely, my expectations were very high before I’d even opened the first page. And sadly, whilst I did very much enjoy The Geography of You and Me, it didn’t wow me quite as much as the other did.

So let’s touch on the characters. I love Smith’s characters. They always seem to have a slightly whimsical air to them. A quirkiness. In the way that they’re different and aren’t afraid to be so. And Lucy especially fit this type. I loved following her side of the story. From feeling for her that she’d been left alone and that she felt abandoned by her parents, though she’d never admit it to herself, to being hauled to the UK, where she ends up moving to for her father’s job. How could anyone not feel sorry for this? I mean, going from being allowed to pretty much do whatever she wants and left to her devices, to a complete life upheaval—right after she’s met this dude she can’t stop thinking about.

Which leads us to Owen. Said dude. Whilst he’s didn’t charm me quite as much as I’d expected, I forgave him because he truly had good reason to not be an upbeat kind of guy. His mother recently died, leaving him and his father floundering and unsure of where they now fit in the world without her there to anchor them, and he, too, ends up unearthed right after meeting this girl called Lucy he can’t stop thinking about.

But all is not lost. Because, due to a joke shared during their initial and almost magical rooftop rendezvous regarding postcards, Owen sending them to Lucy fast becomes their ‘thing’. Just as emailing him and not expecting a response becomes her thing. I love their little interactions. Love their patience with the weird relationship and willingness to try and be understanding of one another, even though they’re no more than acquaintances who spent quality time together due to circumstance but whose memories of the other linger in their minds and hearts. There are some sad moments—and amongst those can be counted each of the MCs finding a boyfriend/girlfriend and almost losing their way toward each other. Though, even attempting to move on from a situation they’ve decided is impossible—and the reader is left hoping that they won’t have to.

Thankfully, after a bumpy one evening meeting that went horribly wrong before they went their separate ways again, Lucy comes to terms with the fact that she’s not over this guy, as well as learns that her views on her parents and their motivations—her mother in particular—were pretty far from the mark, and Owen and his father get the opportunity they need to move on in their lives with Owen’s mother. And both of these lead to an agreement to meet up with Owen and Lucy—which is such a lovely way to draw the book to an end.

Without a doubt, The Geography of You and Me is enough to make your heart swell and ache, and your eyes shine with smiles and tears, and your soul fill with sorrow and hope and adoration and yearning.

In short: this book is enough to make you feel young again. 





2 comments:

Love Edy by Shewanda Pugh Book Blitz and Giveaway!



Love Edy by Shewanda Pugh
Publication date: June 24th 2014
Genres: Romance, Young Adult


Synopsis:
When Edy Phelps falls hard for her best friend, she knows nothing can come from it. Forget actual chemistry, or the fact that she cherishes his mother more than her own; centuries of tradition say that Hassan will grow up, marry the girl his parents pick, and forget his best friend: the dancer with the bursting smile. Except he can’t. In a world erupting with possibilities for the boy with a body of steel and dreams of the NFL, everything seems promised while nothing at all is; when he’s denied the girl he wants most.

Two hearts. Two families devoted through generations of friendship. Could Edy and Hassan really risk all that? And yet … how could they not?


Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22075460-love-edy?ac=1

Excerpt : 

Friday night. The sky hung heavy, seamless, with heaven’s stars blotted out by overbearing skyscrapers. Shrieks and a cacophony of cheers rang out, hysteria supreme in a microscopic stadium rocking on the edge of Boston’s South End. Thin and buckling bleachers rattled with the stomps of impending mania, shrill whistles and hefty shouts: those were the true sounds of redemption. Fourteen years and not a single touchdown against Madison High; fourteen years, but no more.
It had come at the hands of a freshman running back who couldn’t stop moving, a last-minute, fidgeting substitution. To others, his appearance must have seemed a concession, but Edy Phelps knew better. Edy Phelps knew him better.
He was hunger and discipline, jittery and ravenous, so rattled that nerves kept him shifting and stretching and pacing along the sidelines. Obsession fueled him, and kept him keen on an opportunity unwilling to come. Except that night, chance came to Hassan Pradhan. His chance. Finally.
It happened in a breath. A snap of the ball. A fake pass and Hassan thundered downfield at a speed only fear could sustain. His moment. His only moment. Take it. Take it. Run. Fly.
He could hear her thoughts—no, feel her thoughts. Edy was sure of it. They’d always had a connection. And it was in that way she aided him. Fists pressed to her lips, teeth slammed together, screaming with her soul. Soar. I know you can do it.
Just as the clock whittled to nothing, Hassan vaulted into the end zone.
A collective roar swallowed Edy and the crowd leapt as one. A win. Few would recall the last.
On her left, Hassan’s parents cheered: mother in a starched linen suit and pumps too prim for a game, father in a white button-up, belly pressing the fabric, sleeves rolled to the elbow. His mother, Rani, was without the brilliant red bindi she couldn’t do without, giving her forehead that naked look. On Edy’s opposite end were her parents, their absolute best friends, in the long-sleeved alumni tees reserved for football season, mother free of the skirt suits that dictated her days. Edy abandoned them all for the sidelines, for Hassan. She weaved round patches of shrieking upperclassmen, hopped over rows of empty benches, apologized to the fat man whose cocoa she sloshed, and ignored the slice of a sudden, early winter wind.
He’d done it.
All those nights, all those talks, round and round about the possibility of getting in a game, the two of them in bedroom shadows, careful to keep their voices low. Some nights he thought a chance would never come; others, he insisted it had to. Either way, he always said that if it did, when it did, he would do something worth remembering. And he had.
At the sidelines, Edy’s gaze swept a team clustered so thick, so honeyed together with the sweetness of victory, that she worried she might never find her neighbor, her best friend. 
Ice cut the air, and the glare of stadium lights had her like an ant under a magnifying glass in the noonday sun. She remembered the way the Dyson twins would burn insects and snicker, and she thought no, she’d be hot if she were a tortured ant, not cold. The fog of her breath seconded her motion.
She spotted him.
Edy had come to hug someone already occupied, someone surrounded by sweeping blonde curls, dark curtains of perfect hair, nestled by an endless supply of short skirts. Hassan draped an easy arm around a cheerleader with shimmering flaxen locks, mouth curling into a grin when a brunette of with pouty lips cried foul and claimed him as her own. Soft tans and the curves of certain womanhood donned them both. Edy looked from them to her own angular body and knew what she would find: all edges and sharpness, slender, muscles sculpted from a life of dance. The baggy jeans, football jersey, and sloppy poof of a ponytail she wore didn’t give her much to run with either. That hair used to be the brunt of Hassan’s endless jokes. Big enough to tip you back,” he’d say, before tugging it in absentminded affection. She fingered that hair with the same sort of absent- -mindedness, before looking up to see a blonde plant rosy lips on Hassan’s cheek.
Ugh.
Edy didn’t care about the movies, the books, the popular culture that insisted football player and cheerleader, jock and pretty girl, were a natural sort of fit. It wasn’t. They weren’t. It absolutely couldn’t be.
A girl like that couldn’t understand what made him him. So what if he was . . .  obscenely gorgeous, with sun-licked bronze skin, silken black locks, and eyes an ever-glimmering, gold-flecked green. He had a quiet sort of beauty, made for old Greek sculptures and timeless works of art. Not that he was quiet. He was explosive, with good looks and athleticism. But beyond that were pleasures and disappointments, what he loved and could not bear. Imprinted on Edy’s mind were the crinkles at the corner of Hassan’s eyes when he smiled, the clench of his jaw when irritation set in, the rich and sonorous laugh that had slipped octaves lower in recent years. A girl like that blonde could be nothing to him—could know nothing of him. She knew a moment and a touchdown. That was it.
Edy’s hands made fists.
The blonde moved in to kiss his cheek again, just as a teammate shouted his name. Hassan jerked back, only to be caught at the corner of his mouth by her lips.
A whoop rang out from the guys.
Heat flushed Edy’s veins and her fingernails dug, digging, digging, until tears blurred her vision.
Wait.
He was her best friend, family really, if you considered the way they were brought up. So, she really had no reason to—
The blonde threw her arms around Hassan. The team swarmed and the two disappeared from sight.
They were kissing, weren’t they?
Edy closed her eyes, forcing back the hottest tears and the bitterest taste of sudden envy.
She loved him. Dear God, she loved her best friend.
It fell down on her at once, uncompromising truth and the weight of reality like a cloak too heavy to bear.
The boy that had grown by her side, promised to another in a tradition as old as marriage itself, another girl of his ethnicity, religion, beliefs: that’s the boy she loved. A single line existed between Edy’s family and his, between the Pradhans and Phelps, who otherwise acted as one.
But Edy loved him.
And, of course, there was no recourse for that.



AUTHOR BIO
Shewanda Pugh is a tomboy who credits Stephen King with being the reason she writes romance. In 2012 she debuted with the first novel in a three part contemporary adult romance series, Crimson Footprints. Since then, she's been shortlisted for the AAMBC Reader's Choice Award, the National Black Book Festival's Best New Author Award, and the Rone Award for Contemporary Fiction in 2012 and 2013. She has an MA in Writing from Nova Southeastern University and a BA in Political Science from Alabama A&M University. Though a native of Boston, MA, she now lives in Miami, FL, where she can soak up sun rays without fear of shivering. Her first young adult romance, Love Edy, is scheduled for release on June 24th, 2014.

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Saturday, 28 June 2014

The Golden Cage by Kaitlyn Davis Blog Tour, Review and Giveaway!


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The Golden Cage (A Dance of Dragons #0.5) by Kaitlyn Davis

Description: 
From bestselling author Kaitlyn Davis comes a fantasy adventure perfect for fans of Throne of Glass, Graceling, and Game of Thrones.
In the land of Ourthuro, cruelty is a way of life. The king rules with an iron fist and no one dare defy him--no one except his daughter. Princess Leena is keeping a dangerous secret, she has fallen in love with a soldier and it would mean both of their lives if her father ever discovered their affair. But Leena will risk it all to be with the man she loves--her heart, her life, her freedom. And when her brother's birthday celebration takes a dangerous turn, Leena is forced to make a decision that will change the fate of her nation and eventually the world. The Golden Cage is a prequel novella to The Shadow Soul (A Dance of Dragons #1)--available now!




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My Thoughts : 

Princess Leena hates to see her 5 year old brother turning out like her father. He is King of Ourthuro and is very cruel. On her brothers birthday a servant drops the sword the King had made for him and the king makes the 5 year old cut off the mans hand. Leena hates this and they way of life in the Kingdom. Her sisters wedding is coming up and Leena knows that if she doesn't do something soon, she will be next. See Leena is already in love with Mikza, the soldier assigned to be her personal guard. 

When her father introduces her to the match he made for her she knows now is the time to forsake her kingdom and run. She makes plans with Mikza to leave but will they be able to? 

Well, what a tiny surprise!! Being only 51 pages long this novella sure packs a punch. I literally gasped when this ended because I was like NOOOO!! This is my first Kaitlyn Davis book and it definitely wont be my last.  

Its only the prequel and already I love the world and characters she has created. The king seems pure evil and is trying to make his son like him. Leena hates to see it but is powerless to stop it. I loved Leenas character, she is brave, kind and strong. She loves Mikza and is willing to forsake her fortune and life for him. Mikza is a soldier and is handsome and brave and will do anything for her and is the only one who knows her secret. Reading their story was heartbreaking but so sweet.

The Golden Cage was a breathtaking love story and the start of something that's sure to be amazing. Its an emotional roller coaster and one that leaves you wanting more. Cant wait to read book 1 and see where the book takes us.




Author Bio:
Kaitlyn Davis is the bestselling author of the Midnight Fire series, a young adult paranormal romance, and
the A Dance of Dragons series, a young adult epic fantasy. Kaitlyn graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Johns Hopkins University with a B.A. in Writing Seminars. She's been writing ever since she picked up her first crayon and is overjoyed to finally share her work with the world. She currently lives in New York City and dreams of having a puppy of her own.
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