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Tuesday 30 April 2013

Shudder (Stitch #2) by Samantha Durante ~ Cover Reveal



Shudder

by Samantha Durante


Series - Stitch Trilogy #2
Expected Release Date - June 15, 2013


Synopsis


It's only been three days, and already everything is different. 

Paragon is behind her, but somehow Alessa's life may actually have gotten worse. In a wrenching twist of fate, she traded the safety and companionship of her sister for that of her true love, losing a vital partner she'd counted on for the ordeal ahead. Her comfortable university life is but a distant memory, as she faces the prospect of surviving a bleak winter on the meager remains of a ravaged world. And if she'd thought she'd tasted fear upon seeing a ghost, she was wrong; now she's discovering new depths of terror while being hunted by a deadly virus and a terrifying pack of superhuman creatures thirsting for blood. 

And then there are the visions. 

The memory-altering "stitch" unlocked something in Alessa's mind, and now she can't shake the constant flood of alien feelings ransacking her emotions. Haunting memories of an old flame are driving a deep and painful rift into her once-secure relationship. And a series of staggering revelations about the treacherous Engineers - and the bone-chilling deceit shrouding her world's sorry history - will soon leave Alessa reeling… 

The second installment in the electrifying Stitch Trilogy, Shudder follows Samantha Durante's shocking and innovative debut with a heart-pounding, paranormal-dusted dystopian adventure sure to keep the pages turning.


About The Author

Samantha Durante





Samantha Durante lives in Westchester County, New York with her husband, Sudeep, and her cat, Gio. Formerly an engineer at Microsoft, Samantha left the world of software in 2010 to pursue her entrepreneurial dreams and a lifelong love of writing. A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania’s Jerome Fisher Program in Management & Technology, Samantha is currently working full time for her company Medley Media Associates as a freelance business writer and communications consultant. The Stitch Trilogy is her debut series.

~ Giveaway ~  


Enter the Giveaway HERE!!!

This event is presented to you by 

Monday 29 April 2013

Bout of Books 7.0 Read-a-thon

Bout of Books

The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda @ On a Book Bender and Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, May 13th and runs through Sunday, May 19th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure, and the only reading competition is between you and your usual number of books read in a week. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 7.0 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. - From the Bout of Books team
This is the second time I'm participating in Bout of Books (#BoB) and I'm so excited as I didn't do real well in the last one, so I'm hoping to redeem myself, which is also perfect timing as I've got a gazillion books to get through!

To sign up, do a sign up post like this one include the official blurb (block quoted above) and the event banner/button, these are both available in the Bout-of-Books official website, and link your post here. Link your Goal post here. Daily, check out the Bout of Books official website for new linkys where you can add your update posts. Your Sign Up, Goal and Update posts can all be the same post (like I've done) just add the same link daily. For more info check out the FAQ page which is very detailed and very helpful, it also gives you contacts if you have any questions that weren't answered on the website.

Bout of Books 7.0 Schedule 

Challenges/Giveaways 

Challenges I Participated In

Mon, 5/13: Book Spine Poetry hosted by Escape Through the Pages 
Tues, 5/14: Book to Music hosted by Medusa's Library 
                  Alternate Titles hosted by The Book Barbies 
Wed, 5/15: Create a Cover hosted by I Talk Books! 
Thurs, 5/16: Acrostic Poem hosted by Harley Bear Book Blog 
                    Personify a Book hosted by Kimberly Erskine 
Fri, 5/17: Resummarize a Cover hosted by Queen Ella Bee Reads 
Sat, 5/18: Book Spine Poetry hosted by Smash Attack Reads! 
Sun, 5/19: If You Like...Then You'll Enjoy... hosted by Snarky Bird, Uber Nerd 

Twitter Chats 


(chats last approximately one hour) 
TZC = Time Zone Conversion 
Participated in these chats

Monday: 1pm CST (TZC
Wednesday: 8pm CST (TZC
Saturday: 10am CST (TZC)

Goals

Read for at least 4 hours/day OR 150 pages/day
I completed this but one day, Thursday when I only read 71 pages. However, the other days I either read 4hrs worth which is approximately 120 pages for my reading pace or I read over 150 pages. I was a lot closer than I realised to my goal, I actually thought I failed miserably after seeing all the >150 but when I worked out my pace which I timed several times through the read-a-thon it seems I wasn't far off.

Participate in at least 4 challenges
I participated in exactly 4 challenges, check out the Challenge section below where my challenge replies are.

Participate in at least 1 Twitter chat
I participated in 1.5 Twitter chat, the first one which was very overwhelming for me, I just couldn't keep up with the Tweets, and the second one I participated in the last half hour.

Visit & Comment on at least 50 blogs
I wish I had continued to count but when I had done at least 50 I just stopped counting, it was hard to also count because I'd visit some blogs that I already had visited and commented on, on different days, but those blogs I counted as one visit only.

Book List


These are the books I'm choosing from, I probably won't get through all of these books, and it is subject to change if I'm not feeling any of it:-

I'd like to also finish the following:-

Challenges


Book Spine Poetry by Escape Through The Pages


The Last Sacrifice Marked with Blood Promise,
created for Destined, Chosen Ones…the Misguided Angels.
Fallen from the City of Lost Souls.
Revelation from the Prophecy of the Sisters

Alternate Titles by The Book Barbies 


My New Title ~ Secrets at the Masquerade 

Acrostic Poem by Harley Bear Book Blog

I did mine on Dualed by Elsie Chapman…pic to come shortly.

Double
Unexplained World
Altruistic Character
Live or be Killed
Endurance
Death

If You Like…Then You'll Enjoy… by Snarky Bird, Uber Nerd

For this challenge, Snarky Bird is asking that we recommend books. I do a lot of book blog tours and many of these books aren't very well-known but are absolutely fantastic so I'm going to concentrate my recommendations on lesser known books.

If You Like ~ Recommendation

Born Wicked by Jessica Spotswood ~ Residue by Laury Falter
Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins ~ I Am Alive by Cameron Jace
Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce (or any fairytale retellings) ~ Blood & Snow by Rashelle Workman
Harry Potter ~ The Templar Chronicles by Jeff Gunhus
Vampire Academy Series ~ Chronicles of Kerrigan by WJ May

Updates 


Monday 13th May 

Book/s Read ~ Venom by Fiona Paul (20 pages) & Darkness of Light by Stacey Marie Brown (100 pages)
Total Pages Read ~ 120
Challenge ~  Book Spine Poetry hosted by Escape Through the Pages
Notes ~ Finished Venom by Fiona Paul, but I only had 20 pages to go. Started Darkness of Light by Stacey Marie Brown as I'm part of the blog tour. I've visited some blogs and commented on people's goal posts.

I also participated in the first Twitter chat! Oh my, it gave me a headache, I just couldn't keep up! I used the Twitter app and even though I paused, and changed the refresh to every 1 minute I still couldn't read the Tweets fast enough!!! I was thrilled to have been able to participate though.

Tuesday 14th May

Book/s Read ~ Darkness of Light by Stacey Marie Brown (73 pages)
Pages Read ~ 73
Total Pages Read ~ 193
Total of Finished Book/s ~ 1
Challenge ~ Alternate Titles hosted by The Book Barbies
Notes ~ Did very poorly today :( I really should change my goal to 50 pages/day but that may not challenge me enough. I've visited several Bout of Books participants and commented, so lets see if I get close to my 50 blog visits.

Wednesday 15th May

Book/s Read ~ Darkness of Light by Stacey Marie Brown (77 pages) Cinder by Marissa Meyer (43 pages)
Pages Read ~ 120
Total Pages Read ~ 313
Running Total of Finished Book/s ~ 3
Notes ~ Finished Darkness of Light by Stacey Marie Brown, just in time for my blog tour tomorrow. I also finished Cinder by Marissa Meyer, but I only had six chapters of that to go. I also participated in half an hour of today's Twitter chat, didn't set my alarm and only remembered when it was already half way in. I've already crossed off 2 out of my 4 goals.

Thursday 16th May

Book/s Read ~ The Boys of Summer by CJ Duggan (71 pages)
Pages Read ~ 71
Total Pages Read ~ 384
Running Total of Finished Book/s ~ 3
Challenge ~ Acrostic Poem hosted by Harley Bear Book Blog

Friday 17th May

Book/s Read ~ Between The Lives by Jessica Shirvington (174 pages)
Page/s Read ~ 174
Total Pages Read ~ 558
Running Total of Finished Book/s ~ 3
Notes ~

Saturday 18th May

Book/s Read ~ Between The Lives by Jessica Shirvington (153 pages)
Pages Read ~ 153
Total Pages Read ~ 711
Running Total of Finished Book/s ~ 4
Notes ~ Absolutely loved Between The Lives, this is the second book EVER that I've cried about. This is definitely one of those life-changing, always keep books! My review will be posted this Friday the 24th as part of blog tour.

Sunday 19th May

Book/s Read ~ Prophecy Girl by Cecily White (72 pages) & The Heiresses by Allison Rushby (48 pages)
Pages Read ~ 120
Total Pages Read ~ 831
Running Total of Finished Book/s ~ 4
Challenge ~ If You Like…Then You'll Enjoy by Snarky Bird, Uber Nerd
Notes ~ I missed out on the last few days Challenges due to the time difference, so I was a bit worried that I wouldn't be able to make that goal, but so glad I was able to complete the last #BOB challenge, which allowed me to tick of my challenge goal.

Finished 

Final Summary 


Total No of Pages Read = 831
Total No of Books Finished = 3
Challenges Completed = 4 check out the Challenge section above for my Challenge responses
Twitter Chats = 1.5

I finished the following books:-

Between The Lives by Jessica Shirvington - Review on Friday 24th for tour
Darkness of Lighy by Stacey Marie Brown - Review
Cinder by Marissa Meyer
Venom by Fiona Paul

I read the following books but still reading:- 

The Boys of Summer by CJ Duggan
Prophecy Girl by Cecily White
The Heiresses by Allison Rushby

Blitz ~ Debt Collector Serial 1-3 by Susan Kaye Quinn {Giveaway & Excerpt}


Welcome to Susan Kaye Quinn's

Debt Collector's Book Blitz


I'm thrilled to be hosting Susan today as she writes about "serials" and it's perfect timing as I just finished writing my review for Rashelle Workman's Blood & Snow and as I wrote on my review, I wasn't quite sure why it was separated into volumes, but alas, Susan answers that for us.


About The Author

Susan Kaye Quinn



Susan Kaye Quinn grew up in California, where she wrote snippets of stories and passed them to her friends during class. Her teachers pretended not to notice and only confiscated her stories a couple times. Susan left writing behind to pursue a bunch of engineering degrees, but she was drawn back to writing by an irresistible urge to share her stories with her niece, her kids, and all the wonderful friends she’s met along the way. She doesn’t have to sneak her notes anymore, which is too bad. Susan writes from the Chicago suburbs with her three boys, two cats, and one husband. Which, it turns out, is exactly as a much as she can handle.

What's a Serial and Why Would I Read One?  

by Susan Kaye Quinn, author of a new future-noir serial called The Debt Collector

Covers for Debt Collector, Episodes 1, 2, and 3
A serial is a series of episodes - or short stories - that are connected to tell a larger story.

Must Read TV 

Serials are actually a lot like a TV series, which themselves vary a lot in type. Series like Law&Order and House are more self-contained, with only a few character storylines carrying over from episode to episode. Series like Lost or Heroes would be difficult to watch out of order because the storylines carry more strongly, sometimes with cliffhangers, sometimes not. Some readers like the week-by-week suspense of Must Watch TV; others would rather wait until the season is done and get it from netflix so they can watch it back-to-back. Likewise, some readers enjoy the suspense of reading a serial episode-by-episode as they're released. Others would rather wait until the entire serial is complete and read it all at once. Either is fine!

Is a Serial a New Idea? 

Ebook serials are a new thing, because ebooks are a new thing - but serials have been around since Charles Dickens wrote and released Great Expectations (self-published through his own literary magazine!) in 6,000 word "installments" every week for nine months. Readers today aren't accustomed to reading in serial format because publishing serials was restricted to magazines, which didn't have wide circulation. Now with ebooks, the cost of transmission is low and the distribution is wide. Ebooks have revived the short story form! But for readers raised on novels, who crave longer works and more in-depth stories, serials are the next natural step.

Is a Serial a Novel Cut Into Pieces? 

No. A serial is not a chopped up novel, just like a TV episode is not a chopped up movie. It's a different way of telling stories. In a way, it's more demanding to write than novels - you need to immediately draw the reader in, you have to reach some kind of reader-satisfaction-level by the end of the episode (even if you have a cliff-hanger), and you have to maintain that pace and storytelling arc over multiple episodes. But all that hard work on the part of the author makes it (potentially) more enjoyable for the reader.

Can You Name Some Successful Serials? 

Yes! Hugh Howey's Wool RaShelle Workman's Blood and Snow Platt &Wright's Yesterday's Gone These are all recent bestselling serials that drew audiences in and helped revitalize the serial form.


Why Would I Read a Serial? 


Readers tell me that they're enjoying the short episodes - they can read them quickly over lunch or in an evening and get a full "story" worth of entertainment. The fast pacing means there's a lot of story packed into a short number of words. Readers also say they enjoy the anticipation of finding out "what will happen next" much like a TV series where you get invested in the characters. Think about how a favorite TV series will sometimes focus one episode on one character or another, diving into their backstory. As a writer, I like that I can go in-depth a little more in each "episode" than I could in a novel, giving a richness to the story and characters that might be more difficult to do in a novel format.

All serials eventually come to an end, just like a "season" of your favorite TV series. Whether you enjoy reading serials as they release, or want to wait until the complete season is out so you can read the episodes back-to-back, serials are a fast-paced, exciting way to enjoy a story.

As a writer, I find serials are the hardest writing I've ever loved.

Debt Collector 

by Susan Kaye Quinn

Series - Debt Collector Serial 1-3
Genre - NA Future-Noir


Synopsis 


EPISODES 1-3 (Delirium, Agony, Ecstasy) of the Debt Collector serial. Contains mature content and themes. For young-adult-appropriate thrills, see Susan's bestselling Mindjack series.

What's your life worth on the open market? 
A debt collector can tell you precisely.

Lirium plays the part of the grim reaper well, with his dark trenchcoat, jackboots, and the black marks on his soul that every debt collector carries. He's just in it for his cut, the ten percent of the life energy he collects before he transfers it on to the high potentials, the people who will make the world a better place with their brains, their work, and their lives. That hit of life energy, a bottle of vodka, and a visit from one of Madam Anastazja's sex workers keep him alive, stable, and mostly sane... until he collects again. But when his recovery ritual is disrupted by a sex worker who isn't what she seems, he has to choose between doing an illegal hit for a girl whose story has more holes than his soul or facing the bottle alone--a dark pit he's not sure he'll be able to climb out of again.

The first three episodes of the Debt Collector serial are collectively the length of a short novel, or 152 pages. These are the first three of nine episodes in the first season of The Debt Collector serial. This dark and gritty future-noir is about a world where your life-worth is tabulated on the open market and going into debt risks a lot more than your credit rating. Episode 4, Broken, releases 4/17/13. For more about the Debt Collector serial, see DebtCollectorSeries.com.

Excerpt


My jackboots are new, the latest ultra-light material out of Hong Kong’s synthetics district, and they make a strange squeaking sound against the hospital floor. It’s the kind of sound that might gather snickers or a raised eyebrow, but no one looks at me, at least not on purpose. I stroll past the ICU desk, taking my time, breathing in the antiseptic smell that masks the odor of death held back by machines and drugs and round-the-clock care. The nurses duck their heads and study their charts, ignoring me. As if catching my eye might mean I’m coming to collect their debt, rather than Mr. Henry’s in Room 301. 

The floor is so highly polished that I see the reflection of my trenchcoat running ahead of me, black as a midnight grave, a spook that lives on the surface of the oft-scrubbed tiles. It reaches the door to 301 before me and disappears in the dim, flickering light coming from the room. The spook has gone back where he belongs, into the dark recesses of my soul, assuming I still have one. If I was a betting man, I would say the odds of having a soul keep getting longer with every transfer I do. The older debt collectors, the ones who are still alive, don’t have anything shining out of their dull-glass eyes, even when they’re hyped up on a transfer. There’s no telling what my eyes look like. 

I stopped looking in the mirror a long time ago. 

Mr. Henry’s hooked up in all the usual places—tubes in his arms and monitor patches hovering over his temples and the blue-veined skin of his chest. His knobbed knees and shriveled legs stick out the end of the blanket. I don’t know if he’s tossed the blanket aside or the nurses just forgot to cover him up again after his sponge bath or whatever they do to prepare patients for a debt transfer. Goosebumps raise the hair on what’s left of his legs into a small forest of gray fur. I tug the thin, white-weave blanket over his exposed legs, and Mr. Henry opens his eyes. 

They’re pale green and watery—washed out and used up like the rest of him. 

“You’ve come for me,” he says.


~ Giveaway ~ 

a Rafflecopter giveaway


This event is presented to you by 

Blitz ~ Siege (As The World Dies #3) by Rhiannon Frater {Guest Post & Giveaway}


Welcome to Rhiannon Frater's

Book Blitz for

Siege, Book 3 in the 

As The World Dies Series

Rhiannon Frater



Rhiannon Frater is the award-winning author of the As the World Dies trilogy (The First Days, Fighting to Survive, Siege,) and the author of three other books: the vampire novels Pretty When She Dies and The Tale of the Vampire Bride and the young-adult zombie novel The Living Dead Boy and the Zombie Hunters. Inspired to independently produce her work from the urging of her fans, she published The First Days in late 2008 and quickly gathered a cult following. She won the Dead Letter Award back-to-back for both The First Days and Fighting to Survive, the former of which the Harrisburg Book Examiner called ‘one of the best zombie books of the decade.’ Rhiannon is currently represented by Hannah Gordon of the Foundry + Literary Media agency. You may contact her by sending an email to rhiannonfrater@gmail.com.

Let Me Frighten You 

by Rhiannon Frater 


I am inspired and intrigued by what frightens me. Writing about what I fear compels me to step outside my comfort zone and forces me to confront issues and themes that are not always easy to discuss. Creating an imaginary world where terrible things happen to fictional characters is an easier (and safer) way to deal with issues we must all face at some time in our lives such as loss of loved ones, overcoming adversity, and evolving in the face of hardship. But it also allows me as a writer to also delve into much more frightening and rare occurrences such as war, natural disasters, and apocalyptic scenarios. 

When I sat down to write the AS THE WORLD DIES zombie trilogy, I wanted to address the zombie apocalypse in a realistic manner. Though the scenario of the dead wandering the earth and eating the living is highly unrealistic, I wanted the characters of the story to be everyday people who somehow manage to live past the first terrifying days of the plague. I didn’t want any Rambos or Ripleys in the mix. I wanted people who would resemble me and the reader. 

Within each character in AS THE WORLD DIES there is familiarity. The characters are people we know or maybe even aspect of ourselves. They all have different strengths and weaknesses, personality flaws, and issues to overcome. Because I wanted my characters to be everyday folks, their reactions to their terrible circumstances are grounded in reality. 

For example, Jenni is a battered housewife/trophy wife at the beginning of the first book in the trilogy, THE FIRST DAYS. After the devastating death of her children, Jenni is rescued by Katie. At first she is in shock, but slowly evolves throughout the series into a much stronger (yet not always stable) person. To make Jenni realistic, I drew on the coping mechanisms victims in abusive situations develop. The mind is amazing in its capacity to adapt to dire circumstances in order to ensure survival. Jenni’s ability to basically cut off her emotions and compartmentalize allows her to survive better than people who have yet to develop these coping skills. Also, Jenni is extremely used to living in a life-threatening situation on a daily basis, so the zombocalypse is not much different in some respects. Though sometimes readers get mad at Jenni for her immaturity (she was married at 17 and isolated from the world by her husband) and her bizarre actions, she remains one of the most popular, if not the most popular, character in the series. 

Oftentimes readers of the series tell me how the characters in the book feel like friends. They worry about them, fear for them, and sometimes mourn them. I have also been told how readers feel so attached to the world and the characters they feel like they are in the action. I contribute this to the fact that they characters feel like people we know in our everyday lives, it is easy to slip into the dangerous world of AS THE WORLD DIES with them. 

Though I love superheroes and magical/supernatural characters, in the end they are far removed from me with their abilities. I know I can’t do the things they can do. But I can easily imagine myself on a rescue run with Jenni and Katie, clutching a gun, sweating with anxiety, and feeling sick to my stomach with fear. Somehow this translates to the reader as well. I’ve heard so many stories of people having to put the book aside so their wildly beating heart could calm down. Honestly, I’ve stopped typing for the same reason. 

There is a certain magic that sometimes happens in books that is hard for the author to explain to the reader, but after a lot of thought I do believe the reason why my books can be so terrifying is because the characters are not so far removed from you and me. 

So when a zombie is moving relentlessly toward a character in SIEGE, the fast beating of your heart and the tremor of fear flitting through your mind is probably because you could be character facing uncertain outcome. 

Now the question is…do you survive?

About The Series



Siege

by Rhiannon Frater


Series - As The World Dies #3
Release Date - April 30, 2013
Publisher - Tor Books
Genre - Adult Horror

Synopsis


Siege is the conclusion to Rhiannon Frater’s As the World Dies trilogy, which should appeal to fans of The Walking Dead. Both The First Days and Fighting to Survive won the Dead Letter Award from Mail Order Zombie. The First Days was named one of the Best Zombie Books of the Decade by the Harrisburg Book Examiner. 

The zombie illness has shattered civilization. The survivors who have found tenuous safety in Texas defend their fort against the walking dead and living bandits. 

Katie has made peace with the death of her wife and is pregnant and married to Travis, who has been elected Mayor. Jenni, her stepson, Jason; and Juan—Travis’s righthand man—are a happy family, though Jenni suffers from PTSD. Both women are deadly zombie killers. In Siege, the people of Ashley Oaks are stunned to discover that the vice president of the United States is alive and commanding the remnants of the US military. What’s left of the US government has plans for this group of determined
survivors.

~ Buy It Now ~ 


As The World Dies Series


(click on the covers for more info, linked to Goodreads)



~ Giveaway ~ 

a Rafflecopter giveaway


This event is presented to you by 

Sunday 28 April 2013

Review ~ Residue by Laury Falter {Giveaway}


Welcome to my tour stop for

Residue by Laury Falter

hosted by ATOMR Tours

Please follow the remaining stops, schedule can be found here. We've also got, not one, but two giveaways, so read till the end to find out how you can enter. 

Residue

by Laury Falter


Series - Residue #1
Released - April 13, 2013
Genre - YA Paranormal

When Jocelyn Weatherford is whisked away from a preparatory academy in upstate New York to live with her extended family in New Orleans, she is unprepared to encounter the dangers awaiting her. Yet even as she is thrust into an unfamiliar world of witches and voodoo magic, the greatest threat of all may be the boy she has fallen for. 

While handsome and charming, he is also a Caldwell... a member of the family the Weatherford's have been feuding with for centuries. As their forbidden love grows it becomes the volatile spark that forever changes their world and everyone in it.


Paperback Princess Review


Residue by Laury Falter is a modern day Romeo & Juliet kind of story. Two families that have been feuding for centuries and two people from those families falling in love. The difference? Laury added paranormal elements into the mix which made it so much more interesting. Residue was an amazing and interesting read.

Jocelyn Weatherford is thrust into a new life and world, and not just any world, the Caster world, where people can cast spells and levitate. Here in this new world, Jocelyn and Jameson meet, however, their attraction is doomed from the start as Jameson is a Caldwell, the Weatherfords and the Caldwells have been feuding for centuries, will their families allow truce for the sake of one of their own?

Residue was simply amazing! From the first few pages I was hooked! Residue is one of those books that started with a bang and didn't slow down. Jocelyn was a likeable and realistic protagonist, I enjoyed the fact that she didn't just accept the world she was introduced to. She reacted as most normal people would have and there were some funny moments when she was trying to make sense of her new world.

Jameson and Jocelyn's romance is hard to distinguish, I don't know if I should label it as "instant-love". When they first met there was definitely a connection and Jameson found himself constantly wanting to protect Jocelyn from the very beginning, but neither of them understood why they were feeling like this for each other. However, even if others were to describe their romance as instant love, I felt that the growth of their relationship was well paced and realistic. Laury unfolded their love story brilliantly that I was actually feeling it rather than reading about it…yes I actually got the butterfly-feeling LOL.

I'm really intrigued with the world that Laury created for Residue and I'm looking forward to starting her Guardian series as the Residue series is meant to be a spin-off, so I'd love to understand more about this world. The reason that Laury's world in Residue stood out more from the ever growing paranormal books around, is the in depth explanation that Falter provides. Each question has an answer, each revelation has a meaning and I loved this, it felt like I was Jocelyn, walking into this new world and learning about this world, rather than simply just reading about it. I absolutely enjoyed Residue and I'll definitely be sourcing the consecutive books to this series.


About The Author

Laury Falter



Laury Falter is the author of the bestselling Guardian Trilogy. She writes young adult paranormal romances and urban fantasy when she's not taking her stray dogs for a walk or enjoying a date night with her husband. Laury has released two series, the Guardian Trilogy and the Residue Series (a spinoff of the Guardian Trilogy books), and is currently releasing her third series, the Apocalypse Chronicles.


~ Giveaway ~ 

a Rafflecopter giveaway
a Rafflecopter giveaway

This event is presented to you by 

Saturday 27 April 2013

Let's Talk #3

Let's Talk is a weekly meme I'm trialling as I love the discussion topics! Hosted by KT at A Book Obsession and Smash at Smash Attack Reads. It's main purpose is to help everyone get to know each other better. To suggest topics click here. To view the schedule for future topic discussions and to read more info regarding the meme please click here or the event button. 

This week's question:-

Do you accept review requests? If not, why? If so, then how many review requests do you get in a month? How many do you accept? How do you balance between review requests and reading your own books? Have you ever gone out of your way to reduce your incoming review books? With so many reviews books being offered (solicited or not) to book bloggers, have you ever emailed a publicist to reduce the number of books sent? Do you ever feel guilty over receiving these review books that you know you won’t be able to get to knowing other book bloggers could benefit from them? How do you deal?

Do you accept review requests?  

Yes

If so, then how many review requests do you get in a month? 

I'm a fairly new blogger so I don't get a huge deal of review requests to be honest. 

How many do you accept? 

There are just so many books from both Publishers, Tours, Netgalley and my personal TBR pile that I just don't want to overload myself, which I do already LOL so I only really accept requests when I know I'll like the book or I'm most likely going to like it. 

However, having said that, I do have issues with signing up for tours. Initially being a new blogger I really wanted to be part of these tours as there are so many fantastic books on tours, but I've slowed that down. I've signed up for heaps but you'll see through from next month onwards my calendar isn't so tour filled as I've got so many more content planned for my blog, but it's just hard with so many great sounding books.

How do you balance between review books and reading your own books? 

I haven't done a great job to be honest. When I first started blogging and the request, Netgalley and tours have come up I've committed to those more which in turn has made me really slack off on my actual pile. I'm now trying to figure out a better schedule/routine. From now on I'm going to schedule x amount of tours/month and if I've already signed up for that many then tough luck. I'm just not happy with the time I've got to read my own books, so I'll be looking at the answers to this question as I need help in this department :D 

Have you ever gone out of your way to reduce your incoming review books?

I have recently. I'm now being more selective on the tours that I request to join. I'm also banning myself and trying not to visit Netgalley so I don't get tempted to request books. 

With so many reviews books being offered (solicited or not) to book bloggers, have you ever emailed a publicist to reduce the number of books sent?

I can't say I've been that popular yet LOL 

Do you ever feel guilty over receiving these review books that you know you won’t be able to get to knowing other book bloggers could benefit from them?

Yes definitely, so when I get review books I commit to review them, no matter what. 

Review ~ Blood & Snow by Rashelle Workman {Tour & Giveaway}



Welcome to my tour stop for

Blood & Snow by Rashelle Workman


Please follow the remaining stops of this tour, schedule can be found here

Blood & Snow Complete Set 

(Volumes 1-12)

by Rashelle Workman


Series - Blood & Snow
Released - February 17, 2013
Publisher - Polished Pen Press
Genre - Fairytale Retelling 

Synopsis 


Every thousand years the Vampire Queen selects a new body, always the fairest in the land, and this time she's chosen Snow White. 

Snow isn't an ordinary girl. She doesn't know that yet. 

When Snow gets bitten by a Hunter, her life is thrown into a whirlwind of change where instead of worrying about what to eat, she has to fight not to drink the blood of fellow high school students. She becomes a revenant - not quite human, not quite vampire. 

With the help of an eccentric old Professor, his seven adoptive sons, and her best friend, Snow learns to control her blood craving. Sort of. She drinks a bloodlust tea, but she'd rather drink from her Hunter. 

Or, a human. 

She also discovers a whole other realm, one filled with fairies, dragons, and magic. And not only does the Vampire Queen want her, but there's a pendant called the Seal of Gabriel created for Snow by the Vampire Queen's twin sister. And Snow's supposed to use it to restore balance to all magical creatures. Including vampires.


Paperback Princess Review


Blood & Snow is a series of twelve volumes. Initially I thought that each volume is a different fairytale retelling, but it's not really the case, it's about one person, one story. The volumes can be viewed in two ways, long chapters or short stories.

Blood & Snow is a modern fairytale retelling of Snow White and the seven dwarves with paranormal elements. Snow is "marked" as a revenant from childhood, a revenant is a potential body host for the Vampire Queen. Every thousand years the Vampire Queen must choose a new human body to occupy to survive. In this story, Snow is the "chosen" one in both elements…the Vampire Queen believes she's the one that's going to be the new body host, whilst the good side that know of this other paranormal world believes that she's the strong one that will finally be able to put an end to the reign of the Vampire Queen. This story revolves around Snow's journey as she finds out about being a revenant, how she copes with it and the efforts she makes to stay more human than vampire.

Blood & Snow by Rashelle Workman was an interesting read, it's concept was very unique and the weaving of paranormal and fairytale was well put together. I found this less of a fairytale retelling and more of just a paranormal story. It was an enjoyable read and I was flipping through the pages wanting to know what happened with Snow, the seven male best friends who represents the seven dwarves and their Adopted Father,  and her best friend Cindi who's meant to be Cinderella, I believe.

What made me really enjoy this story is the characters. I wasn't 100% in love with Snow but I really enjoyed the seven best friends, the Professor (seven best friend's adopted Father) and even the Hunter, Chase Charming…yes that was actually his name. He's one of the Hunters for the Vampire Queen and was the Hunter that marked Snow but he ends up having feelings for her and tries to protect her. The interaction between the characters was what made me enjoy this story more than anything else.

Whilst I don't know if I rate this heaps for the fairytale retelling part, I did thoroughly enjoy the story nonetheless, I just didn't see much collaboration between the original Snow White and the Seven Dwarves Story. I still enjoyed the read, I haven't finished it completely as it is a long book with all the volumes, but it is an enjoyable read. Looking forward to finishing it and I'll definitely be checking Workman's other books from here on end.


~ Buy It Now ~ 


About The Author 

Rashelle Workman



RaShelle Workman is the bestselling author of the Dead Roses series ("Sleeping Roses" is being translated into Turkish, and will be available in print wherever Turkish books are sold in 2014), the Immortal Essence series, and the Blood and Snow series. She's sold over two hundred thousand copies of her novels worldwide in the past year, including Japan, Canada, and Europe.You can find RaShelle all over the web, but the best place to start is on her blog: www.rashelleworkman.com.

~ Giveaway ~ 

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Friday 26 April 2013

$25 Gift Card + Goodies ~ Beyond The Iron Gate by Alicia Michaels

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$25 Amazon Gift Card, Tote Bag, Rubber bracelets (2), Handmade beaded necklace and earrings set, Keychain, Autographed postcard and bookmark, Magnets, Series trading cards



Chat LIVE with Alicia Michaels
Saturday, April 27 at 2 pm ET
#IronGate
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Beyond The Iron Gate

by Alicia Michaels


Series - The Lost Kingdom of Fallada #0.5
Released - April 1, 2013
Publisher - Anchor Group Publishing


Synopsis


In the year 1845, before the mystical land of Fallada was separated from the realm of men forever, the two worlds coexisted in harmony. Man could mingle freely in the world of the Elves and Faeries at will and peace reigned.

In the hills of Shropshire, England, just miles from the gate separating the village of Ludlow from the world of mystical creatures, farmerís daughter Zara Wells longs for answers. It is not only the golden hair that trail feet behind her, or the strange hue of her violet eyes that separates her from the other girls her village. There is something inside of her, something touched by magic that longs to know more about what lies on the other side of the gate.

In Fallada, darkness has begun to spread. As the youngest and most beautiful girls of her village begin to disappear, Zara comes closer to discovering the true circumstances surrounding her birth. Little does she know, that the closer she comes to the answers she so desperately desires, the closer she will come to being ensnared in the dark queenís web of growing treachery.



About The Author 

Alicia Michaels


Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter


Ever since she first read books like Chronicles of Narnia or Goosebumps, Alicia has been a lover of mind-bending fiction. Wherever imagination takes her, she is more than happy to call that place her home. The mother of two and wife to an Army sergeant loves chocolate, coffee, and of course good books. When not writing, you can usually find her with her nose in a book, shopping for shoes and fabulous jewelry, or spending time with her loving family.

 ~ Giveaway ~ 

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Wednesday 24 April 2013

Blast w/ $50 Amazon Gift Card Giveaway ~ Love at 11 by Mari Mancusi


Love At 11 

by Mari Mancusi


Re-Release Date - April 24, 2013
First Published - May 6, 2011
Genre - New Adult Contemporary 


Synopsis


When Maddy graduated from Columbia University, she was ready to change the world. She'd get a job at Newsline, meet a nice guy, and live happily ever after with a real designer handbag on her arm. Two years later, she's stuck producing puff pieces for News 9 San Diego--where "if it bleeds, it leads." She's still single, her family's falling apart, and so is her knock-off Kate Spade. 

Then Jamie Hayes walks through her newsroom door. The former filmmaker is now her cameraman and everything Maddy has ever dreamed of. Creative, smart, and sweet—with eyes that could make a girl melt. The perfect guy…but perfectly unavailable. And the more Maddy tries to stay away—the further she starts to fall. 

Now a secret scoop from her favorite knock-off purse guy has Maddy chasing a lead that could make her career. Or destroy it forever. How far is she willing to go to broadcast the truth? And will this breaking news lead to more broken dreams…or an exclusive on Jamie's heart? 

Stay tuned… It's the story of a lifetime.

Excerpt 


“So, got any fun plans for the weekend?” Jamie asked, interrupting my musings. 

Well, I had planned on painting my bedroom forest green, but suddenly that sounded overwhelmingly lame. After all, he was a filmmaker. He probably spent his weekends going to trendy parties with movie stars and complicated cocktails. I couldn’t possibly tell him I had no plans and was going to stay home and paint. 

“Actually, I’ve got a hot date.” 

Oh, Maddy? Why did you say that? Once again, my mouth had blurted before my brain could rationalize that the impulsive idea to tell Jamie I had a hot date was an extremely bad one on many, many levels. The most basic being because it was a complete and utter lie. 

“Oh yeah?” Jamie turned to look at me. “Who’s the lucky guy?” 

He said it so casually it made my stomach ache. Not a hint of jealousy in his voice. He’d obviously moved on from last night’s encounter already. Couldn’t care less that I had a potential new lover. And why would he? He had his fiancée, after all. I was nothing to him. 

Get a grip, Maddy. Forget about last night. Or you’re in for a world of hurt. 

I realized Jamie was waiting for me to describe imaginary-date man. “Um, well, he’s this surfer guy.” Yeah, surfers were cool. “With blond hair, blue eyes. About six foot.” If I were going to have an imaginary date, he might as well be a hottie. “He’s sponsored, actually. Does all these competitions.” 

“Really? What’s his name? I did a documentary on surfing in So-Cal. I know most of the guys.” 

Argh. Maddy, why? Why not just say he was some normal guy Jamie would have never heard of? 

“Oh, you probably wouldn’t have heard of him . . .” 

“Try me.” 

“. . . because he’s from, um, Czechoslovakia, ” I said, naming the country farthest away from So-Cal that I could think of. “Just moved here last month.” 

“A Czech surfer?” Jamie asked, sounding intrigued. “Interesting, since the country’s so far inland. How’d he become so good at surfing?” 

Oh yeah, I’d conveniently forgotten the Czech Republic wasn’t exactly beachfront property. Duh. 

“His father sent him to, um, Ibiza every summer as a kid. He learned there.” Ibiza was an island, right? I was saved. 

“The Spanish Island with all the nightclubs? I didn’t realize it was a kid-friendly place.” 

Darn. “Um, no, no. Ibiza, Florida. It’s near, um, Fort Lauderdale.” I laughed nervously. 

“Hmm. Never heard of it.” Jamie shrugged. “I spent a few months in Miami last year, too. Must be a small town.” 

“Yeah. Real tiny, evidently.” Please don’t press me on it, I begged silently. I was running out of lies. 

Luckily at that moment, we turned in to the doctor’s office. I breathed a sigh of relief. Jamie parked the SUV and turned to me. “Well, I hope you have fun on your date. You just let me know if this blond-haired, blue-eyed Czech surfer who grew up in a tiny town in Florida gives you a hard time, okay?” 

I felt my face heat. Was he teasing me? Did he know I made the whole thing up? I narrowed my eyes in anger. I wanted to protest, tell him I did have a real date. But problem was, I didn’t. 

I know! I’ll find one! 

Jodi had been trying to get me to sign up for that online dating service for months. She said it had tons of cute guys. From all over. I was sure out of the thousands available I could find a blond-haired, blue-eyed Czech surfer who summered in Florida, right? 

Yup, that’s what I’d do. I’d go home from the shoot, find myself a surfer and go out on a date. Then I’d take pictures with my camera phone and casually show them to Jamie on Monday to prove that I wasn’t some pathetic lying girl who made up a whole person because she was too embarrassed to admit she planned to stay home and paint her bedroom. 

“What are you up to this weekend?” I asked as I waited for him to unload his gear from the back of the Expedition. 

He groaned. “Nothing as exciting as your weekend. I’ve got to paint the bedroom of my new place.” 

Oh.

About The Author

Mari Mancusi




Mari Mancusi used to wish she could become a vampire back in high school. But she ended up in another blood sucking profession --journalism -- instead. Today she works as a freelance TV producer and author of books for teens and adults. When not writing about creatures of the night, Mari enjoys traveling, cooking, goth clubbing, watching cheesy horror movies, and her favorite guilty pleasure--videogames. A graduate of Boston University and a two time Emmy Award winner, she lives in Austin, Texas with her husband Jacob, daughter Avalon and dog Mesquite.

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