Thursday, December 29, 2016

Love Unexpected by Louise Bay~ Review

Love Unexpected by Louise Bay 


 Contemporary Romance


Synopsis:


When the fierce redhead with the beautiful ass walks into the local bar, I can tell she’s passing through. And I’m looking for distraction while I’m in town—a hot hook-up and nothing more before I head back to the city.

If she has secrets, I don't want to know them. 

If she feels good underneath me, I don't want to think about it too hard. 

If she's my future, I don't want to see it.

I’m Blake McKenna and I’m about to teach this Boston socialite how to forget every man who came before me.

When the future I had always imagined crumbles before my very eyes. I grab my two best friends and take a much needed vacation to the country.

My plan of swearing off men gets railroaded when on my first night of my vacation, I meet the hottest guy on the planet. He’s a gorgeous distraction.

I’m certainly not going to reveal my deepest secrets to him as we steal away each night hoping no one will notice.

And the last thing I’m going to do is fall in love for the first time in my life.

My name is Mackenzie Locke and I haven’t got a handle on men. Not even a little bit.

Not until Blake.







My Review
Poor Mackenzie, I  mean we've all been there before...Well- maybe not to the extent of Mackenzie but, we've all had our hearts broken at least once, or maybe we've even tried to be more like what we think our boyfriend/girlfriend likes as a person. Some of us may of even gotten all the way up to alter, only to realize it wasn't right- or the other had decided such. In Love Unexpected we follow Mackenzie as she tries to find a new direction that will help her find that one "true love" we all dream of. She thinks this getaway with her two best friends will help her find out why she can't seem to find love. Little did she know.........
We meet Blake (The literary man who by now has the hearts of MANY reader), he's back home, with a heavy heart and a lot on his mind. He comes home to help find his way in an important choice in his life, not planning on adding anything else to his plate - or his heart- when in walks a feisty red head to the very bar he's at......

I loved, Love Unexpected! It was a refreshing twist to a romance story. Love Unexpected can relate to many women (and men) recovering from broken hearts or even a loss in ones own identity. It's a believable story that allows you to feel their pain, their passions and understand their wants! There's some novels out there that leave you feeling as if you missed something, or just left you feeling as if it's incomplete. Love Unexpected is definitely not one of those! I couldn't help but falling in love with the concept of their relationship. In such a short amount of time together Blake and Mackenzie teach each other more than each other knew of themselves. Does the novel have some "steamy" parts? Yep! Is it overly graphic? Nope! It's perfectly balanced! Even better? Their story doesn't feel rushed! I don't know about you but, that's one of my pet peeves in books! I can't stand feeling like there is too much detail, resulting in a rushed relationship! So this was absolutely refreshing! I would definitely recommended this novel to any of my romance loving friends! I also look forward to the possibility into seeing more from Mackenzie's best friends (there's absolutely a good story waiting to be had for those two crazy gals)! 



Add to Goodreads




Purchase Links:


About the Author:

USA Today bestselling author, Louise Bay writes sexy, contemporary romance novels - the kind she likes to read. Her books include the novels Faithful and Hopeful and the novella series' The Empire State Series, What the Lightning Sees and Calling Me. The novels and together the series are stand-alone although there are some overlapping characters. Ruined by romantic mini-series of the eighties, Louise loves all things romantic. There's not enough of it in real life so she disappears into the fictional worlds in books and films. Louise loves the rain, the West Wing, London, days when she doesn't have to wear make-up, being on her own, being with friends, elephants and champagne. She loves to hear from readers so get in touch!

Connect with Louise:

Faceboook: https://www.facebook.com/authorlouisebay/ 
Twitter: www.twitter.com/louisesbay 
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8056592.Louise_Bay 
Amazon: http://amzn.to/1WqwGAf 
Website: http://www.louisebay.com

Wednesday, November 16, 2016

Review of ARC, Thirst by Jacquelyn Frank Coming January 17th, 2017!



Expected publication: January 17th 2017 by Loveswept





A hidden society of vampires—and the humans they love—are at the heart of this opening novel in a biting, all-original series from the New York Times bestselling author of the Nightwalkers saga.


Rafe DaSilva is an energy vampire, soaking up nourishment from the sun—and, only when necessary, drawing sweet sustenance from humans who are pure in body and spirit. As the right-hand man to his queen, Rafe is a key player at a historic peace summit in New York City, which will unite the vampire nations against a common threat: the sycophants, who feed on humanity and kill indiscriminately. But Rafe’s fascination with a beautiful blond police detective may put everything at risk.

Detective Renee Holden has never worked a homicide quite like this. The victim has twin puncture wounds on his neck, and the only eyewitness swears she saw a vampire. Now’s definitely not the time to get distracted by a seductive stranger. But the suave, darkly austere, exotically handsome Rafe DaSilva is a hard man to deny, and as Renee falls under his spell, she also falls prey to his enemies. Desperate to protect her, Rafe lifts the veil on a shadow realm she can only visit—a world of intoxicating power, terrifying dangers, and forbidden pleasures. 


REVIEW
3 Star Rating 

I'm really at a loss with this one. I don't want to say I hated it, because I didn't. But it just didn't seem to be the authors best story telling. I've been a fan of Jacquelyn Franks other writings in particular her Night Walker Series but this book seemed to move slow for me. I feel it lacked any sense of humor, or real action. There was a lot of descriptions in the book but we never actually got to see those characters in action. Rafe was supposed to be a pretty awesome and kick butt guy (as well as some of the other characters introduced), yet we really didn't get to see it. The female lead, Renee was a pretty strong character and I enjoyed her determination and strength to remain who she was. She wasn't one of those that drive you nuts once she falls for a guy and seems to forget who they are. I really think if we got to see more of the characters personalities and capabilities more then I would of loved it. I know this is book one, and a lot of times the first book can be overly descriptive in order to let the readers know what they are getting into!


Now, what I did like about this book was that the author brought out a new take on vampires. Instead of the normal just good or bad, can't walk in daylight vamps, we got vampires whom don't drink blood and CAN walk in the daylight. As a matter of fact, they PREFER it! They are called E-Vamps! One's whom thrive off of energy and clean life. I absolutely see potential in this series because it's an amazing concept, so I will be reading the second book in the series whenever it does come out in hopes that we see more of our characters. 

Don't count this series out! It is an amazing new concept with a fresh take on the paranormal world! There's a lot that can happen in books to come!

I received this book as an ARC from Loveswept via NetGalley!

PRE ORDER HERE

Wednesday, November 9, 2016

Review of Descent by Stacey Rourke and MORE!


It's been two years since the lion roared ...
the eagle flew ...
and the fated Celtic warrior embraced her destiny. 
Now, with an unknown darkness swirling and the body count rising, Gainesboro needs a hero more than ever. A new battle is brewing. Who will answer the call to war? 
The time has come.
The stage is
 set. 
And, the Garretts are back in a brand new novella!

REVIEW

If you've been following along and have read all of The Gryphon Series novels then you know my level of joy when I heard Descent was being released! We thought we had all seen the last of our beloved Garretts, favorite pirate and studded Titan but, Stacey Rourke heard the fans requests for more and she didn't let us down! That's right! They're back!!!!!!!!
If you can't tell by the amazing cover, we've got more of that feisty pirate! The majority of this book is in Rowans eyes! I think most of us have had a love to hate relationships with our bad boy pirate but I think even you hard core Caleb fans are going to love Rowan a little more after this book! 
It's been two years, our loving Garretts don't remember their past, they don't recall any of their battles or destiny's. The only one whom seems to remember is Rowan himself, and he's done everything he can to stop the Garrets from remembering what once was, hoping to allow them to finally have a normal life and to allow himself to finally love. However, there's a new threat, one that has found itself on the college campus of the Garretts!
The victims line up, demons are back, peaceful college life is gone and the source of the danger will have your head spinning, your jaw dropped and have you praying it isn't so! True Gryphon fans.... you may want to have a tissue near by, too!
I was at the nail salon, getting a pedicure as I was finishing up Descent.....Let's just say my reaction to the last chapter had me so worked up that I made my nail tech jump and her and my daughter looking at me like I had lost my mind. I can't even hint anything for fear of giving something away and it's so hard because I really want to spill it all, vent my thoughts out here to all of you and have someone to pat my little head and tell me it will all be okay! Stacey Rourke is infamous for leaving us reeling and wanting more but this.....this had me yelling, "what? No. No way. She (Rourke) wouldn't.....would she? Oh crap she did! OMG! What? That's where it ends!?!?!?!?!?!" This followed with me immediately looking for more info on when the next book comes out! Good news people! It comes out in December! Phew!

Each time, Stacey manages to out-do her previous novel, keeping you laughing,yelling,crying and cheering for more! 
 Buy Descent HERE!!
Take a look below to see the upcoming Inferno (The Gryphon Series book 6) new cover!

Haven't even started on The Gryphon Series yet? Don't sweat it! Book one, The Conduit is always FREE!!


  Also keep scrolling for the link to Stacey Rourkes romantic Comedy, Adapted for Film which is currently FREE!







Tuesday, November 8, 2016

Review ~ Sweet Girl by Sierra Hill

Kylah
I’ve always lived in the shadows of my athletic older brother and my charismatic twin sister. And that’s okay by me. I don’t mind being known as the shy wallflower. The gawky geek. The sweet, virginal girl. Well, that’s one label I’ve been trying to shed since starting my freshman year in college this year. The thing is, no one’s ever looked twice at me.
Until I met Van Gerard.
He notices me. He looks at me and seems to like what he sees. He understands and listens to me. He’s become a great friend. The problem is, I don’t want him as a friend.
I want more.
But my brother – along with a state line between us, and oh yeah, Van’s long-time girlfriend – are just a few complications getting in the way of what I want.
Van
I thought my senior year in college would be the best time of my life. I’m a starter on a Pac-12 basketball team, set to graduate with a degree in Finance. I have a girlfriend whom I’d planned to start a future with. I thought my life was already mapped out.
But then the bottom dropped out with a confession I never expected to hear, from the girl I thought I knew.
I thought wrong.
Luckily for me, Kylah Griffin was there to break my fall. She’s the best thing this year has given me. She’s helped me through a devastating blow that could have sent me reeling.
I know she wants more, but I’m not sure I can give it. Now that I’ve been burned, I don’t think I can go there again. Kylah’s not a hook-up, and she’s definitely not a rebound. She’s a sweet girl who deserves more than to be friend-zoned.

If only things weren’t so complicated.


Review
I have a tendency to discuss the covers of books I read first, so.... why change now?!?! The colors on this cover are simply beautiful. The mixture of pinks and purples fading out bring attention to the cover, which of course, all authors want. The cover is sweet and innocent looking, indicating a sweet romance. My only dislike is the models just don't seem to match what I imagine for the two main characters. The model representing Kylah has an elegant outfit on and full on makeup, while the character is more down to earth and a jeans and t-shirt kind of girl. Then there's Van....Where's his Vanbun? I want to see it! WAHH!! No, seriously though. I get it. You wouldn't think a cover with a girl in just jeans and t-shirt girl would be eye-catching or would it? Hmm....... Yeah, I distracted my own self there... Back to the review!

Overall I enjoyed this book. I would probably rate it 3.5-4 stars. Kylah and Van's story was a believable story, where the female lead (Kylah) is the little sister of the main male characters (Van) best friend. Right there you know- oh heck no! Forbidden territory! Retreat, retreat! Stay away from the girl dude! But of course, Van can't stay away from Kylah and vice versa. I'm not going to give spoilers but I will say that you know from the start that Kylah and Van have an instant connection and a friendship that builds quickly. Don't be fooled by the sweet cover though! It's not all sweet and innocent in this book. There's some steam! 
There's a few typos, or errors that you would think would be noticed in final edits but other than that the story moved smoothly, details on each characters past and present were there but not overdone - which I was thankful for. This allows you to get a feel for the characters lives outside of the immediate story but doesn't bog you down with information you just didn't need. 
Overall, Sierra Hill has provided a great mixture of sweet and saucy all in one. I read the whole book in one day and looked forward to finding out how the story ended! Van will probably become your new book boyfriend and wish he had a real life brother just like him!

I will be looking forward to reading any continuing stories in this series!

Buy Link

Add to you TBR

This title is available to read on Netgalley for reviewers at the time of this post!


Wednesday, November 2, 2016

Love Rehab by Louise Bay ~ Cover Reveal and Synopsis




LOVE REHAB

Synopsis

Ever wanted to fast forward to your happily ever after?

My name is Mackenzie Locke and I’m a loveaholic. I haven’t got a handle on men. Not even a little bit.

So I staged an intervention and booked me and my two best friends into Love Rehab, complete with a love shaman, horse therapy and a bunch of stones that promise to change my life. I’m not leaving until I’m cured.

Lesson #1: the first night of your stay, don’t have a one night stand with the hottest guy you’ve ever seen in your life.

Fail.

Lesson #2: make sure your one night stand isn’t planning on sticking around, teasing you, tempting you right back into his Levis.

Big fail.

Lesson #3: Whoops. I forgot this one. I was too busy daydreaming about Blake McKenna’s mouth on mine and the way his five o’clockshadow feels on my thighs.

Epic Fail.

So maybe I’m not the best student. Maybe I wasted my time and money on Love Rehab. But I can’t help that I want to spend every minute with Blake, naked under the stars. Perhaps he can teach me every lesson I ever needed to learn.

Pre-order links
No Amazon pre-order
Add to Goodreads: http://tinyurl.com/hz5lbe5
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Tuesday, October 25, 2016

It's been awhile.....but....I'm BACK and I have exciting changes!!!


   I know, it's been a long time since you all have heard from me and I'm so sorry! Life has been a massive roller coaster! Some turns were slow, some were amazing and some were exhausting and rather nauseating. Sounds just like a real roller coaster ride, doesn't it?!?! But nope, it's just been my life lol. I've been working 50-60 hours a week, I bought a new car and my husband and I bought a new home! Sounds AMAZING, right?! Well, yeah it has but it's also been utterly exhausting! With the new home came renovating - as it was a short sale. Add in my college classes, working overtime and four kids.....well, it's left no time at all for my reviewing! But.........I'm BACCCCKKKKKK!!!We've settled into the house and the major renovations are finally done so I will have a little more time to do some reviewing. Something new though...... I'm not going to just be reviewing books anymore! I'll be reviewing products I've bought, books, coloring books and even recipes I've tried that I found online! I'll be slowly adding these items via different tabs on my blog page, that way it's easy for you to switch to whichever topic you want to see! I'm excited and I can't wait to take this new journey with all of you!

Have ideas for my to review? Contact me at jswiger31@gmail.com! Add an appropriate subject line so I know what it's about! 

Thanks for all the support!
Jennifer

Friday, March 11, 2016

Through Fire and Sea by Nicole Luiken, Blog Tour and Giveaway

TFaS_500amid wind and stone nicole luiken
Through Fire & Sea (Otherselves, #1) by Nicole Luiken: Synopsis: 
  There is one True World, and then there are the four mirror worlds: fire, water, air, and stone. And each has a magic of its own… In the Fire World, seventeen-year-old Leah is the illegitimate daughter of one of the realm’s most powerful lords. She’s hot-blooded—able to communicate with the tempestuous volcano gods. But she has another gift…the ability to Call her twin “Otherselves” on other worlds. Holly resides in the Water World—our world. When she’s called by Leah from the Fire World, she nearly drowns. Suddenly the world Holly thought she knew is filled with secrets, magic…and deadly peril. For a malevolent force seeks to destroy the mirror worlds. And as Leah and Holly are swept up in the tides of chaos and danger, they have only one choice to save the mirror worlds—to shatter every rule they’ve ever known… 



AMID WIND AND STONE 1600x2400 (1)
Amid Wind & Stone (Otherselves, #2)

 Author: Nicole Luiken 
 Release Date: Mar. 7, 2016
 Genre: YA Fantasy  
 There is one True World, and then there are the four Mirror Worlds: Fire, Water, Air, and Stone.   Audrey and Dorotea are “otherselves”—twin copies of each other who live on different Mirror Worlds.   On Air, Audrey has the ability to communicate with wind spirits. As war looms, she’s torn between loyalty to her country and her feelings for a roguish phantom who may be a dangerous spy.   Blackouts and earthquakes threaten the few remaining humans on Stone, who have been forced to live underground. To save her injured sister, Dorotea breaks taboo and releases an imprisoned gargoyle. Brooding, sensitive Jasper makes her wonder if gargoyles aretruly traitors, as she’s always been told.   Unbeknownst to them, they both face the same enemy—an evil sorceress bent on shattering all the Mirror Worlds.  


 nicole-luiken 
About the Author:
 Nicole Luiken wrote her first book at age 13 and never stopped. She is the author of nine published books for young adults, including Violet Eyes and its sequels Silver Eyes and Angels Eyes, Frost, Unlocking the Doors, The Catalyst, Escape to the Overworld, Dreamfire and the sequel Dreamline. Through Fire & Sea, book one of Otherselves, and Amid Wind & Stone, book two of Otherselves, are her most recent releases. She also has an adult thriller, Running on Instinct, under the name N.M. Luiken and a fantasy romance series, Gate to Kandrith and Soul of Kandrith. Nicole lives with her family in Edmonton, AB. It is physically impossible for her to go more than three days in a row without writing. 
 Author Website: http://www.nicoleluiken.com/ 
 Author Twitter: @NicoleLuiken Author Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Nicole-Luiken-50793836133/ 
 Author Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/223320.Nicole_Luiken\ Read below for an excerpt from Amid Wind & Stone:
Copy of AWaSteaser3Stone World The lights went out, plunging the cave into absolute darkness. Dorotea froze on her hands and knees in the tunnel. Behind her, Marta wailed. Dorotea reached back and found her little sister’s hand. “It’s all right. The lights will come back in a moment.” Despite her reassuring words, worry wormed its way into her stomach. It wasn’t unusual for one or two of the light squares embedded in the walls to burn out and stay black for a few weeks before being replaced, but every light in the whole tunnel had winked out at the same instant as if it were False Night instead of an hour short of noon. Instinct prodded at her. Something’s wrong. Marta squeezed her hand with six-year-old strength. “I’m scared! Make the lights come back.” As if being eleven years older conferred magic powers. “The Elect will fix it. All we have to do is wait.” “I’m so scared,” Marta whined. “Crawl up closer to me,” Dorotea said. “The tunnel’s wide enough here.” Marta squirmed up. Dorotea lay on her side and cuddled her sister’s small body. The contact comforted Dorotea, too. Marta’s presence meant Dorotea couldn’t panic. Her eyes remained open, uselessly straining to see in the utter darkness. She’d never experienced anything like it. During False Night, each cavern had a few lights that remained on so people could find their way to the privy. This darkness was blacker than the inside of a coal seam. Maybe only the tunnel’s lights had gone out. Maybe there was still light in the main caverns. “I’m scared of the dark,” Marta whimpered again. “What if the gargoyles get us?” Dorotea’s heart jumped into her throat at the thought of hands reaching up through solid stone, but she made her voice calm. “Don’t be silly. All the gargoyles are safely locked up in the Cavern of Traitors.” “But what if they tunneled through the floor?” “They can’t,” Dorotea said shortly. “They’re frozen in place. Why are you scared of gargoyles? You’ve never even seen one. They were imprisoned before you were born.” They didn’t kill your father, like they did mine. Marta’s father, Martin, was annoyingly alive. Dorotea had been younger than Marta when the gargoyles rebelled. She barely remembered them except for fuzzy images of her father’s gargoyle: a very tall, silent man made of gray stone with a craggy, rough-hewn face. The gargoyles couldn’t have caused the blackout. Could they? Surely not, but anxiety still twisted inside her, keying her nerves to a higher pitch. She shivered in the clammy embrace of the stone tunnels. The rough trousers and tunic she’d donned for weeding were better suited for crawling than her usual robes, but the material was also thinner. Something’s wrong. Something more than a Tech malfunction.
Copy of AWaSteaser2 

  The Tour: March 7th YaReads– Review Book #1 RoloPolo Book Blog – Promo Post Pandora’s Book Reviews – Promo Post March 8th The Perks of Being a Book Girl – Review Book #2 Literary Chanteuse – Promo Post March 9th Bibliophile Mystery – Guest Post Just One More Chapter – Promo Post Rachel’s Book Reviews – Author Interview Long and Short Reviews – Guest Post March 10th Roxy’s Book Reviews – Promo Post The Book Beacon – Review Book #1 March 11th Archaeolibrarian – I Dig Good Books! – Guest Post Phenomenal Reviews – Promo Post March 12th Elizabeth Delana Rosa – Promo Post Nicole Olea – Review Book #1 Happy Tails and Tales – Review Book #2 March 13th YaReads – Review Book #2 The Book Beacon – Review Book #2 Copy of AWaSteaser1

Sunday, February 14, 2016

Greta and the Goblin King by Chloe Jacobs~Promo Post~Excerpt~Giveaway

greta and the goblin king
  Greta and the Goblin King (Mylena Chronicles #1) by Chloe Jacobs 
 Published December 11th, 2012 
 Published by Entangled Teen 279 Pages 
 Genre: YA Paranormal/Fantasy Goodreads 
greta and the lost army chloe jacobs
  While trying to save her brother from a witch’s fire four years ago, Greta was thrown in herself, falling through a portal to Mylena, a dangerous world where humans are the enemy and every ogre, ghoul, and goblin has a dark side that comes out with the eclipse. To survive, Greta has hidden her humanity and taken the job of bounty hunter—and she’s good at what she does. So good, she’s caught the attention of Mylena’s young goblin king, the darkly enticing Isaac, who invades her dreams and undermines her will to escape. But Greta’s not the only one looking to get out of Mylena. An ancient evil knows she’s the key to opening the portal, and with the next eclipse mere days away, every bloodthirsty creature in the realm is after her—including Isaac. If Greta fails, she and the lost boys of Mylena will die. If she succeeds, no world will be safe from what follows her back…

greta and the glass kingdom

Greta and the Glass Kingdom (Mylena Chronicles #2) by Chloe Jacobs Published February 9th, 2015 Published by Entangled Teen 320 Pages 
 Genre: YA Paranormal/Fantasy 
  Once upon a dark time… Greta the human bounty hunter never quite fit into the shadowed, icy world of Mylena. Yet she’s managed to defeat the demon Agramon and win the love of the darkly intense Goblin King, Isaac. Now Isaac wants her to rule by his side—a human queen. And the very announcement is enough to incite rebellion… To make matters worse, defeating Agramon left Greta tainted with a dark magick. Its unclean power threatens to destroy her and everything she loves. With the Goblin King’s life and the very peace of Mylena at stake, Greta must find a cure and fast. Her only hope lies with the strange, elusive faeries in the Glass Kingdom…if she can get there before the evil within her destroys everything.

greta-and-the-lost-army-1600x2400 (1)
Greta and the Lost Army (Mylena Chronicles #3) by Chloe Jacobs Published on February 1st, 2016 Published by Entangled Teen Genre: YA paranormal/Fantasy
 After spending the last four years trapped in a place of monsters, demons, and magick, the last thing the fierce teenage bounty hunter Greta expected was to ever be back on Earth. But a rare opportunity gives her and the Goblin King Isaac the opportunity to do just that. Now she’s home. With a boy in tow. And her parents have lots of questions. Although Greta finally has her heart’s deepest wish—to see her family again—every step she takes to reconnect with them drives her further away from Isaac. Greta and Isaac planned for her to return to Mylena and become his queen, but she’s not sure if she can go back to that harsh world, though staying on Earth means giving up the boy she loves. But a powerful enemy refuses to let Greta escape. A demon who will stop at nothing to destroy her and everything she loves. Even if it means following her to Earth and forcing her to face a fate as unavoidable as love itself. 
   chloe jacobs 
About the Author:
 Chloe Jacobs is a native of nowhere and everywhere, having jumped around to practically every Province of Canada before finally settling in Ontario where she has now been living for a respectable number of years. Her husband and son are the two best people in the entire world, but they also make her wish she’d at least gotten a female cat. No such luck. And although the day job keeps her busy, she carves out as much time as possible to write. Bringing new characters to life and finding out what makes them tick and how badly she can make them suffer is one of her greatest pleasures, almost better than chocolate and fuzzy pink bunny slippers.
 Author Website: www.chloejacobs.com Author Twitter: @Jacobs_Chloe Author Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChloeJacobsAuthor Author Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/chloejacobs Newsletter: http://www.chloejacobs.com/p/contact.html   


  Read below for an excerpt from Greta and the Lost Army:
The streetlamps cast soft cones of light on the sidewalks all the way through the neighborhood. Greta pointed things out as she remembered them. “That’s where my friend Danielle used to live. I guess she probably still lives there.” “Are you looking forward to seeing her again?” She nodded. “And if I remember correctly, she’s more hyper than a Mylean berserker—only less ripping and tearing, and more frenzied hugging and constant talking.” The rumble of his amused chuckle made her grin. He squeezed her hand. She looked up at him, and it hit her. “You know, this is kind of like a date,” she said, tingles of awareness dancing up her spine. His smile was crooked, and his eyes warm as he laid his arm across her shoulders, making her feel like he would rather be here with her right now than anywhere else. It probably wasn’t true. They were both too worried about Mylena for it to ever leave their minds completely, but maybe one day it would be true. “What would be the purpose of a date?” There was such a thing as courtship in Mylena, but she and Isaac had pretty much bypassed anything resembling normal…in both worlds. What if she was wrong and the portal didn’t open again? What if they stayed here? There could be more nights just like this, and eventually maybe they would get a place of their own and… “You know, so a couple can get to know one another and decide if they like each other.” “But we already know we like each other.” When they were alone like this and his voice softened because he trusted her enough to let down his guard, it did crazy things to her. Like popping candy hitting her bloodstream. “Even more important, we know that we fit together. In battle together, or planning for Mylena’s future, even while arguing…and definitely when I kiss you…nobody fits me like you do.”
  The Giveaway: Winner’s choice of $5 Amazon Gift Card or a print or eBook copy of Greta and the Goblin King or Greta and the Glass Kingdom. As well as notebook, a pen with the words "Dream bigger darling," and Hammond's candy. a Rafflecopter giveaway

Wednesday, February 10, 2016

King of Bad by Kai Strand~ Blog Tour~ Excerpt and Giveaway!

2 ed KoB
King of Bad (Super Villain Academy Book 1) by Kai Strand Genre: YA Fantasy 

Box Set Purchase Links:
3 book bundle
Jeff Mean would rather set fires than follow rules or observe curfew. He wears his bad boy image like a favorite old hoodie; that is until he learns he has superpowers and is recruited by Super Villain Academy – where you learn to be good at being bad. In a school where one kid can evaporate all the water from your body and the girl you hang around with can perform psychic sex in your head, bad takes on a whole new meaning. Jeff wonders if he’s bad enough for SVA. He may never find out. Classmates vilify him when he develops good manners. Then he’s kidnapped by those closest to him and left to wonder who is good and who is bad. His rescue is the climactic episode that balances good and evil in the super world. The catalyst – the girl he’s crushing on. A girlfriend and balancing the Supers is good, right? Or is it…bad?






 Kai Strand

About the Author:

When her children were young and the electricity winked out, Kai Strand gathered her family around the fireplace and they told stories, one sentence at a time. Her boys were rather fond of the ending, “And then everybody died. The end.” Now an award winning children’s author, Kai crafts fiction for kids and teens to provide an escape hatch from their reality. With a selection of novels for young adult and middle grade readers Kai entertains children of all ages, and their adults. Learn more about Kai and her books on her website, www.kaistrand.com.

Read below for an excerpt from the book:
An alarm blasted, startling the occupants of the room into silence. The double doors burst open, slamming against the walls with an alarming crack. A swarm of people, clad in black from head to toe, poured through the door. Blue flames erupted from those on the outer edge of the group. The flames weren’t directed at the kids in the room, but acted more like a battering ram to clear the way.
“Blue flame?” Oceanus whispered.
Jeff stepped between her and the melee. He saw a panicked look on Source’s face and wished the intruders didn’t separate them. Jeff knew Source’s lack of skill left him vulnerable.
Oceanus stepped around Jeff. “What do you think you’re doing?”
With her eyes sparking, Oceanus didn’t look as helpless as Jeff would like to think she was. Regardless, the need to protect her was strong and he again stepped in front of her. Hoping to distract her, he said, “Uh…you’re more experienced than me and you can help me fight if we need to. Stay back.”
Oceanus glared at him.
“Uh…for now.” He nodded to give his feeble statement strength.
“But I want to see.” Oceanus stepped sideways. “I’ve never seen blue fire before, Polar. What is it?”
“I don’t know, but it looks like they have more tricks up their sleeve.”
The tight knot advanced militarily to the center of the room. Then they unfurled like a flower bud, revealing a deadly stamen. A small woman, with ebony skin and violet eyes, stood in the center, seeming seven feet tall with the importance she emanated.
She spoke in a smoky, low voice to a ferret-like kid. “¿Dónde está, el?”
The ferret pointed and she raised her long nailed hands above her head. Nets, conjured from thin air, shot up and sailed across the room landing over her surprised target.
“No!” Jeff yelled. He lunged forward, his hands instantly aflame, but when he tried to shoot his fire it balled back on him, burning his own hands. He blew ice onto his hands to squelch the burn. Seeing the frost gave him a thought. “Oci, water!”
He pointed to the floor and indicated that he wanted it to snake across the room.
Oceanus pulled water from the overhead sprinklers and dropped it onto the floor. Jeff drew a deep, deep breath and breathed across the surface of the water. It iced over, immediately sending half the blue flame people to the floor. Jeff blew again, refreezing the water over their hands and trapping them.
“It won’t last forever, let’s move.” He grabbed Oceanus’ arm and they ran. They were halfway across the room when roots burst through the floor and wrapped around their ankles. They sprawled face first on the floor. Another kid fell, knee first, onto Jeff’s back, knocking the wind out of him. Jeff squirmed around until he sat up and grew a small controlled fire in his palm. He showered sparks onto the roots that had snaked up around his calves. The roots shrank away from the fire, loosening their hold and Jeff tore free of their viney grip. He did the same for Oceanus and they scrambled to their feet again.
The intruders hefted their squirming captive toward the door.
Jeff anchored his feet firmly on the ground and gathered all the gravity he could feel around him. As quickly as he could, he bound the feet of those carrying the hostage.
“See if water will work on that blue fire, Oci. Before they get to us.”
Oceanus swung around and saw four of the blue flames approaching. She pulled water from the drinking fountains and doused the flames. But instead of putting it out it seemed to increase it. “No good. I think it’s feeding on it!”
Jeff felt light headed from having to split the gravity in so many directions. He imagined his feet were buried in the ground, giving him a deeper contact with the source, and his head cleared a bit.
“Can you smother it somehow?” Jeff yelled.
“No, I don’t have anything. And the others are getting free.
Sure enough the blue flamers who’d been temporarily frozen were up and re-igniting their fire.
One of the intruders with the blue fire yelled, “¡Detenganlo!” and pointed toward Jeff.
Teachers had joined the fight. In the midst of pelting milk cartons, lightning strikes, and lashing ropes, Jeff was struck by one strange fact. His fellow students seemed to be fighting for the sake of fighting. No one appeared intent on retrieving the hostage. As a matter of fact, Jeff watched a kid blast one of the captors and turn away from the hostage.
Jeff roared. He had to get over there, but if he moved, he’d release the gravitational hold he had on the captors. Experimentally, he slid a foot forward without lifting it from the ground. He felt the hold weaken, but it didn’t break. Concentrating all his efforts on maintaining control, Jeff slid his feet across the floor. The going was agonizingly slow. He felt some of the captors struggle against the gravity that locked them in place, hoping to break free. Someone’s psych ability nudged around his head looking for a way in. With all his efforts focused, he continued to slide across the room.
king of bad kai strand
A blast of steam and heat hit Jeff, knocking him sideways. He slid a couple of feet across the ground and came to a rest in a heap. Dazed, he shook his head and sat up. Then he remembered what he’d been doing. He leapt to his feet and searched the room for the group of captors. Too late. The doors swung closed behind them. Source was gone.
Teasers:
Love a bad boy? Jeff Mean is King of Bad.
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Super Villain Academy, where you learn to be good at being bad.
The Giveaway:
$15 Amazon gift card plus a signed bookmark and a pack of King of Bad playing cards (see attached picture); open US only