Legacy of Kings Blog Tour: Interview + Giveaway

I'm so pleased today to welcome author Eleanor Herman to the blog as part of the promotional tour for her newest release, Legacy of Kings. Eleanor was nice enough to answer a few questions about her characters as well as the history behind the story for me, so I hope you all enjoy the interview. Be sure and check the bottom of the post for a full list of participating blogs and all the details for a fantastic giveaway!

If all 6 characters were told their names would appear in the history books of humanity in the future, what one word would they each most wish would appear next to their name?

Katerina: the Just
Hephaestion: the Loyal
Cynane: the Victorious
Jacob: the Achiever
Zofia: the Beloved
Alexander: the Great

What are 3 historical tidbits you came across in your research that would make good icebreakers (or not) at a social event?

Great question! Because, armed with these tidbits, I have been the glittering star of cocktail parties for many years. Three of my favorites:

1. Did you know that of all those “warrior king” skeletons archeologists found a hundred years ago in Ukraine—bones with arrowheads and axes in them, and surrounded by weapons—modern research proves that 25% of them were women?
2. Did you know how ancient people bleached their tunics gleaming white before the advent of Clorox? They soaked them in urine!
3. Did you know that at ancient Greek funerals you were supposed to cut off your hair and tie it to the funeral wreath?

Legacy of Kings has a somewhat complicated romance given there are three men who have Katerina in their sights. What’s one famous historical romance you wish you could have witnessed firsthand?

Anne Boleyn and Henry VIII. How did that relationship go from so a love so passionate it set the world on fire to a mangled body on a scaffold? And, because I can never stop at just one, I would love to watch Cleopatra seduce Julius Caesar and Marc Antony.

Let’s say that tomorrow you wake up in the world of Legacy of Kings. What’s the first thing you would do in order to blend in?

Pin up my hair and try to get clothes that fit in. Then I would get some kohl eye liner, green malachite eye shadow, and crushed eggshell face powder. I would really go to town on the ancient make-up. The one advantage to their blurry bronze mirrors was that they must have always thought they looked better than they did.

If you could choose any one author to temporarily borrow Alexander, Katerina, Hephaestion, Jacob and Zofia and write a short story or novella, whose take on them would you be most interested to read?

Sabaa Tahir! I love her protagonists in An Ember in the Ashes. She, too, built a very real, three-dimensional world. I would love to see what she could do with a Legacy novella.

Thanks so much for stopping by Eleanor!

• • • • • • • • • • • • •

LEGACY OF KINGS

Imagine a time when the gods turn a blind eye to the agony of men, when the last of the hellions roam the plains and evil stirs beyond the edges of the map. A time when cities burn, and in their ashes, empires rise.

Alexander, Macedonia’s sixteen-year-old heir, is on the brink of discovering his fated role in conquering the known world but finds himself drawn to newcomer Katerina, who must navigate the dark secrets of court life while hiding her own mission: kill the Queen. But Kat’s first love, Jacob, will go to unthinkable lengths to win her, even if it means competing for her heart with Hephaestion, a murderer sheltered by the prince. And far across the sea, Zofia, a Persian princess and Alexander’s unmet fiancée, wants to alter her destiny by seeking the famed and deadly Spirit Eaters.

Weaving fantasy with the salacious and fascinating details of real history, New York Times bestselling author Eleanor Herman reimagines the greatest emperor the world has ever known: Alexander the Great, in the first book of the Blood of Gods and Royals series.

Goodreads • Amazon • Book Depository • IndieBound • B&N

• • • • • • • • • • • • 

ELEANOR HERMAN 

Before the Game of Thrones craze swept the nation, Eleanor Herman was hard at work entertaining readers with her extensive research on courtly intrigue and romance. She is the New York Times bestselling author of Sex with Kings, as well as three other works of nonfiction: Sex with the Queen, Mistress of the Vatican, and King Peggy.

Obsessed by all things royal and historical, she lives in McLean, Virginia with her husband and four extremely dignified cats. Legacy of Kings is her first novel.

Website • Twitter • Facebook • Pinterest

• • • • • • • • • • • • • •

GIVEAWAY

Thanks to the amazing team at Harlequin Teen, each stop on the tour will be offering up a copy of THE LEGACY OF KINGS, so be sure and follow along for more guest posts, interviews and chances to win! To enter, please fill out the Rafflecopter form. Giveaway is open to US/CA only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Don't forget to check out all the stops on the Legacy of Kings tour!

Monday, August 3rd - Swoony Boys Podcast - Guest Post

Wednesday, August 5th -  Bewitched Bookworms - Guest Post

Friday, August 7th - Once Upon a Twilight - Guest Post

Monday, August 10th - Book Swoon - Author Interview

Wednesday, August 12th - Pageturnersblog - Guest Post

Friday, August 14th - Reading Lark - Author Interview

Monday, August 17th - Two Chicks on Books - Author Interview

Wednesday, August 19th - Supernatural Snark - Author Interview

Friday, August 21st - Mundie Moms - Guest Post

Every Last Breath Blog Tour: Character Interview with Bambi

Happy Friday Everyone! Today I'm absurdly excited to be a part of a very special promotional tour for the final book in Jennifer L. Armentrout's Dark Elements trilogy, Every Last Breath. Each stop on the tour is interviewing a different Dark Elements character, and I had the pleasure of asking a few questions of Bambi, Layla's snake tattoo and demonic familiar. I absolutely love this series, so I hope those of you who haven't read it yet enjoy meeting Bambi for the first time, and those of you who have get to know her a little better. Welcome to Supernatural Snark Bambi!

If you wanted to let Layla know you were less than pleased with her, what part of her body would you wrap around to indicate your displeasure?

I slither around on Layla when I’m displeased to get her attention. 

What are the top three differences between your time living with Roth and your time with Layla? 

1-Zayne is around more when I’m with Layla.

2-I have more company when I’m with Roth because of Thumper and the kittens.

3-I’ve had more time to bond with Roth, so I’m more suspicious of Layla’s activities than Roth’s.

If for one day you were able to manifest into any other creature when you came off Layla’s skin, what type of creature do you think would most surprise her when she saw you?  

Oh, I think I’ve already given Layla quite a surprise.

What would your response be if Layla wanted to get another tattoo?  

I’m okay with Layla getting another tattoo as long as she doesn’t get something ridiculous.

You have a rather unique perspective on Layla given you go absolutely everywhere with her. What’s one small thing you’ve learned about her that we as readers might not know?

She sings cheesy pop songs in the shower.

Thanks so much for stopping by Bambi!

• • • • • • • • • • • • 

EVERY LAST BREATH

Some loves will last ’til your dying breath

Every choice has consequences—but seventeen-year-old Layla faces tougher choices than most. Light or darkness. Wickedly sexy demon prince Roth, or Zayne, the gorgeous, protective Warden she never thought could be hers. Hardest of all, Layla has to decide which side of herself to trust.

Layla has a new problem, too. A Lilin—the deadliest of demons—has been unleashed, wreaking havoc on those around her…including her best friend. To keep Sam from a fate much, much worse than death, Layla must strike a deal with the enemy while saving her city—and her race—from destruction.

Torn between two worlds and two different boys, Layla has no certainties, least of all survival, especially when an old bargain comes back to haunt them all. But sometimes, when secrets are everywhere and the truth seems unknowable, you have to listen to your heart, pick a side—and then fight like hell.

Amazon • B&N • Goodreads

• • • • • • • • • • •
 

JENNIFER L. ARMENTROUT

#1 New York Times and International Bestselling author Jennifer lives in Martinsburg, West Virginia. All the rumors you’ve heard about her state aren’t true. When she’s not hard at work writing. she spends her time reading, watching really bad zombie movies, pretending to write, and hanging out with her husband and her Jack Russell Loki.

Her dreams of becoming an author started in algebra class, where she spent most of her time writing short stories….which explains her dismal grades in math. Jennifer writes young adult paranormal, science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary romance. She is published with Spencer Hill Press, Entangled Teen and Brazen, Disney/Hyperion and Harlequin Teen. Her book Obsidian has been optioned for a major motion picture and her Covenant Series has been optioned for TV. Her young adult romantic suspense novel DON’T LOOK BACK was a 2014 nominated Best in Young Adult Fiction by YALSA.

She also writes Adult and New Adult contemporary and paranormal romance under the name J. Lynn. She is published by Entangled Brazen and HarperCollins.

Website • Twitter • Facebook

Waiting on Wednesday: Sisters of Salt and Iron

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking The Spine and is a fun way to see what books other bloggers just can't wait to get their hands on!

SISTERS OF SALT AND IRON

Sisters of Blood & Spirit 32

Kady Cross

Paranormal Young Adult

Releases March 2016 from HarlequinTEEN

From Goodreads:

As Halloween approaches, twin sisters Lark, who is alive, and Wren, a tethered spirit, find themselves drifting apart. While Lark is happy with new boyfriend Ben, Wren is still hurting over her own still-alive-and-kicking love-interest, Kevin, who may or may not have kissed another girl. Spending more time on the Other Side, and less time with her sister in the land of the living, Lark becomes close with the spirit of a young man, Noah, who was killed years ago. But Noah is not as nice as he seems, and his thirst for vengeance has a dark and sudden influence on Wren. With the veil between the worlds thinning for Halloween, the spirits are getting stronger and it will be up to Lark and her friends to stop Noah and save Wren from becoming a monster. But the only way to do that could be to kill the boy that Wren is falling in love with.

At the time I picked up the first book in this series, Sisters of Blood and Spirit, I was in a reading slump much as I am now, but Lark and Wren hooked me from page one and I blew threw the first installment of their journey in record time. It was just creepy enough to have me reading with all the lights on, but not so scary (scary being a relative term of course because I am a wimp of the first order) that I was up half the night listening to every noise my house made. I'm really looking forward to seeing how things progress in this book, and though Wren is dead, I can't help but want some kind of happily ever after for her!

Goodreads

Review: Stone Cold Touch

STONE COLD TOUCH
The Dark Elements #2
Jennifer L. Armentrout
Paranormal Young Adult
464 pages
HarlequinTEEN
Available Now
Source: Finished copy from publisher for review

THE STORY (from Goodreads)
Every touch has its price

Layla Shaw is trying to pick up the pieces of her shattered life—no easy task for a seventeen-year-old who’s pretty sure things can’t get worse. Her impossibly gorgeous best friend, Zayne, is forever off-limits thanks to the mysterious powers of her soul-stealing kiss. The Warden clan that has always protected her is suddenly keeping dangerous secrets. And she can barely think about Roth, the wickedly hot demon prince who understood her in ways no one else could.

But sometimes rock bottom is only the beginning. Because suddenly Layla’s powers begin to evolve, and she’s offered a tantalizing taste of what has always been forbidden. Then, when she least expects it, Roth returns, bringing news that could change her world forever. She’s finally getting what she always wanted, but with hell literally breaking loose and the body count adding up, the price may be higher than Layla is willing to pay…

MY THOUGHTS
Stone Cold Touch follows a fairly standard second book formula in terms of the romance, the fragile relationship established in book one falling apart in this sequel as a second love interest steps up and tosses his hat in the ring. While those who abhor love triangles regardless of whether or not they’re well done will likely want nothing to do with Layla, Zayne and Roth, Ms. Armentrout does know how to create a believable romantic tension between three people that leaves us torn as to which pairing we want to see get their happily ever after in the end.

Layla is one of the main reasons this triangle is more successful than most, her longtime love for Zayne and her realistic understanding that said love will forever be one-sided making her reaction to the sudden shift in Zayne’s interest feel genuine rather than forced. When everything she’s ever wanted but thought she could never have is suddenly within her reach, it’s hard to blame her for wanting to reach out and grab it with both hands despite her lingering feelings for Roth. Layla isn’t the waffling type though, nor does she play games and lead one party on before moving on to the next and repeating the action, instead she takes things slowly across the board, questioning Zayne’s newfound interest and calling Roth out on his sudden rejection of everything she thought they were working toward.

The guys, while throwing a well-aimed verbal punch at one another on occasion, don’t cause us to roll our eyes in frustration as they prepare to do battle for Layla, choosing instead to thoroughly confuse our feelings for them by proving themselves both worthy of her affection. Stone Cold Touch isn’t all romance however, and Ms. Armentrout gives us plenty of substance in this second installment rather than stringing us along until everything inevitably comes to a head in the third book. Overall, while the love triangle will likely be a deterrent for many a reader, it is well executed and much more than Layla’s heart is on the line by the time we reach the final page, leaving us anxious to buckle ourselves in for the Every Last Breath ride.

Rating: 4/5
 

Find Jennifer:

Website • Facebook • Twitter • Goodreads • Amazon

This book was  sent to me by the publisher free of charge for the purpose of a review. 

I received no other compensation and the above is my honest opinion.

Cover Reveal: A Mad Zombie Party

Today is a very exciting day my friends! One of the greatest things ever for a book lover (for this book lover anyway) is when you think a beloved series is over and you're going to be forced to move on and then BAM! There's an announcement that another book is in the works. *spastic flail* I'm an enormous fan of Gena Showalter's White Rabbit Chronicles, and even though I thoroughly enjoyed the way things came to a close last year in The Queen of Zombie Hearts, I was loath to let Cole, my book boyfriend extraordinaire, leave me forever. Now, though. NOW HE IS MINE ONCE AGAIN (even if the focus is now on his friend Frosty)!

This September Cole (and Frosty!) will be in my grabby little hands in A Mad Zombie Party, and I couldn't be happier today to be a part of the cover reveal for this newest installment. Before I get to the cover iteself though, HarlequinTEEN was so nice as to send me a few behind-the-scenes images from the photo shoot, so I hope you guys enjoy!

And now get ready for A MAD ZOMBIE PARTY!!!!

The battle rages on. 

Ali Bell and Cole Holland's crew of zombie slayers thought they'd won the war against Anima Industries, the evil company responsible for capturing and experimenting on zombies in an effort to discover the secret to immortality. In the last epic clash, the slayers lost many of their crew and closest friends. But Frosty, the ice man himself, has not recovered from one casualty in particular—the love of his life, Kat Parker.

On the path to self-annihilation, Frosty receives a message from beyond—Kat's spirit returns, insisting he partner with rogue slayer Camilla Marks. Frosty will do anything for Kat. Except that. Camilla is the one who betrayed them all, leading to Kat's death.

But when Anima rises from the grave to become a force the slayers may not have the strength to overcome, Frosty, Camilla and all the slayers will have to work together to survive. And one broken slayer will learn that sometimes, the line between hate and attraction is blurred…and the road to redemption isn't through revenge, but in letting go of the past and grabbing hold of the future.

Amazon • Goodreads

Interview + Giveaway: Katie McGarry and Nowhere But Here

I couldn't be more excited today to be a part of the promotional tour (thanks Hannah and HarlequinTEEN!) for Nowhere But Here, the latest release from Katie McGarry. I have been a complete and utter Katie fangirl from page one of Pushing the Limits, and when I found out Katie's new series focused on a motorcycle club, I may or may not have dropped dead of swoon. All Katie's boys are magnificent book boyfriend material, but when she went ahead and added biker to the book boyfriend makeup my little heart nearly exploded in anticipation.

I had the pleasure of asking her a few questions about motorcycle clubs and of course Oz in particular, so I hope you all enjoy the interview. Don't forget to check the bottom of this post for a full list of participating blogs as well as a chance to win a finished copy!

You spent a lot of time researching the ins and outs of motorcycle clubs for Nowhere But Here. What's one small thing about them people might be surprised to learn?

Motorcycle clubs can be extremely family oriented. The club that I shadowed for my research for NOWHERE BUT HERE had a family style potluck dinner several Friday nights during the month. In general though, this club required that anyone under eighteen years of age leave around eight in the evening. After this, the party would go into full swing.

Just for fun, what would Oz or the members of Reign of Terror have to say about the portrayal of motorcycle clubs in Sons of Anarchy?

Oz especially would shake his head. It’s shows like this that shape the public’s perceptions of motorcycle clubs. Oz wouldn’t argue that there are motorcycle clubs that dabble in illegal activities, but those are referred to as 1% clubs—meaning that out of all the clubs there are, only 1% of those clubs participate in illegal activities. This means that a good majority of motorcycle clubs abide by the law. A club like Oz’s is a brotherhood of men.

You've written a number of swoon-worthy book boys over the years. If each of them was asked to describe you in one word, what word would that be?

I think each of them would describe me as hopeful. Noah, Ryan, Isaiah, West, Logan, and even Oz know that I like to put each of them in very difficult situations, but I always have hope that they will find themselves better by the end of the story over where they started.

If Emily could reach out to any of the young women from the Pushing the Limits series and ask for relationship advice as things progress with Oz, who do you think would be the most helpful to her?

Emily would definitely reach out to Echo of PUSHING THE LIMITS and Rachel of CRASH INTO YOU. Emily and Oz of NOWHERE BUT HERE share that attraction yet hate at first sight like Echo and Noah did in PUSHING THE LIMITS. But like Echo and Noah, Emily and Oz end up with a love that is epic.

I believe that Emily would eventually reach out to Rachel of CRASH INTO YOU because there is a connection between Isaiah and the NOWHERE BUT HERE crew. Careful readers will be able to make the connection in NOWHERE BUT HERE, and for those who don’t pick it up right away, stick with the THUNDER ROAD series and it will be explained.

Motorcycle clubs seem to embrace nicknames for their various members. If Reign of Terror was to consider you one of theirs, what nickname might they give you?

That’s a fantastic question! Examples of two of the nicknames of the people I hung out with were Fluffy and Mother.  Maybe my road name would be Writer Girl? Sometimes that’s what I would overhear me explained as when people asked. Road names aren’t something members get to choose for themselves. It’s a name that’s given to the member by the club. I met several members whose nickname was a reminder of a moment that made many people laugh.

Thanks so much for answering my questions Katie!

• • • • • • • • • • • 

NOWHERE BUT HERE

Seventeen-year-old Emily likes her life the way it is: doting parents, good friends, good school in a safe neighborhood. Sure, she's curious about her biological father—the one who chose life in a motorcycle club, the Reign of Terror, over being a parent—but that doesn't mean she wants to be a part of his world. But when a reluctant visit turns to an extended summer vacation among relatives she never knew she had, one thing becomes clear: nothing is what it seems. Not the club, not her secret-keeping father and not Oz, a guy with suck-me-in blue eyes who can help her understand them both.

Oz wants one thing: to join the Reign of Terror. They're the good guys. They protect people. They're…family. And while Emily—the gorgeous and sheltered daughter of the club's most respected member—is in town, he's gonna prove it to her. So when her father asks him to keep her safe from a rival club with a score to settle, Oz knows it's his shot at his dream. What he doesn't count on is that Emily just might turn that dream upside down.

No one wants them to be together. But sometimes the right person is the one you least expect, and the road you fear the most is the one that leads you home.

Amazon • B&N • Goodreads

 • • • • • • • • • • • 
 

KATIE McGARRY 

Katie was a teenager during the age of grunge and boy bands and remembers those years as the best and worst of her life. She is a lover of music, happy endings, reality television, and is a secret University of Kentucky basketball fan.

Katie is the author of the full-length Young Adult novels PUSHING THE LIMITS and DARE YOU TO, and the e-novella CROSSING THE LINE. Her debut novel, PUSHING THE LIMITS, is a 2012 Goodreads Choice Finalist for YA Fiction and an RT Book Reviews 2012 Reviewer’s Choice Awards Nominee for Young Adult Contemporary Novel.

Writing has given Katie an excuse to pursue her passions. Research for her books has provided her with the amazing opportunity to train with baseball players, ride along in a drag car at ninety-six miles per hour and experience boxing and mixed martial arts. The most memorable moments for Katie are when she speaks to groups of teenagers about her research, writing and the truth that no dream is out of reach. Katie would love to hear from her readers.

Website • Goodreads • Facebook • Twitter

Don't miss out on more amazing books by Katie McGarry!

Pushing the Limits: Goodreads | Amazon
Crossing the Line (e-novella): Goodreads | Amazon
Dare You To: Goodreads | Amazon
Crash Into You: Goodreads | Amazon
Red At Night (Harlequin More Than Words) eNovella - Free from Amazon
Take Me On: Goodreads | Amazon

• • • • • • • • • • •

GIVEAWAY

Thanks to the generosity of HarlequinTEEN, I have a finished copy of Nowhere But Here to give away on the blog today. WOO HOO! To enter, please fill out the Rafflecopter form below. Giveaway is open to US addresses only.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

WEEK ONE:

5/18 - Supernatural Snark (Interview)

5/19 - Step Into Fiction (Review)

5/20 - Novel Ink (Review)

5/21 - Mundie Moms (Guest Post)

5/22 - Book Rock Betty (Kiss & Tell Post)

WEEK TWO:

5/25 - The Irish Banana Review (Review)

5/25 - Jenuine Cupcakes (Interview)

5/27 - No BS Book Reviews (Review)

5/28 - Once Upon A Twilight (Guest Post)

5/29 - Fiction Fare (Review & Interview)

Review: Sisters of Blood and Spirit

SISTERS OF BLOOD AND SPIRIT
Sisters of Blood and Spirit #1
Kady Cross
Paranormal Young Adult
288 pages
Harlequin Teen
Available March 31st
Source: ARC from publisher for review

THE STORY (from Goodreads)
Wren Noble is dead—she was born that way. Vibrant, unlike other dead things, she craves those rare moments when her twin sister allows her to step inside her body and experience the world of the living.

Lark Noble is alive but often feels she belongs in the muted Shadow Lands—the realm of the dead. Known as the crazy girl who talks to her dead sister, she doesn't exactly fit in with the living, though a recent suicide attempt and time in a psych ward have proved to her she's not ready to join her sister in the afterlife.

Now the guy who saved Lark's life needs her to repay the favor. He and his friends have been marked for death by the malevolent spirit of a vicious and long-dead serial killer, and the twins—who should know better than to mess with the dead—may be their only hope of staying alive.

MY THOUGHTS
Sisters of Blood and Spirit is entertaining from beginning to end, making us instantly protective of Lark as she returns to school after a stint in a mental institution thanks to a split second desire to join the twin sister no one else can see. Her classmates pounce immediately, poking at her sore spot with relish, but just as soon as our hackles rise at their mockery her sister Wren intervenes in all her ghostly glory. From that moment on we can’t help but root for the pair of them, hoping they find their way to happiness despite the enormous odds stacked against them.

We spend our time split between the first person perspectives of both Lark and Wren, privy to the pros and cons of each of their lives as they prepare for a showdown with a spectacularly monstrous spirit. Lark can be quite abrupt at times, her blunt honesty and single-minded concern for Wren requiring a little getting used to both for us as readers as well as the group of classmates who approach her for help. It’s easy to look past her very to-the-point nature though given what we know of how’s she been treated by friends, family and strangers up until now, and we can do nothing but hope this new group is sincere in their desire for not only her help but also her friendship.

While there are a number of aspects of this story that are left unaddressed by the time we reach the last page, particularly the mystery surrounding Lark and Wren’s unusual bond, they’re the type of questions that give the story legs to stand on moving forward into the next book. The storyline regarding the haunting of Lark’s group of friends and the truly horrifying ghost responsible is wrapped up nicely (if a touch easily) by the time we reach the last page, ensuring we feel as though we’ve read a complete story instead of merely part of one. 

Overall, Sisters of Blood and Spirit is pure fun in a might-need-to-sleep-with-light-on-tonight kind of way, the relationship between Lark and Wren beautifully intriguing, and the promise of deepening friendships and romance in future books enough to have us counting the days until the sequel is in our hands.

Rating: 4/5
 

Find Kady:

Website • Facebook • Twitter • Goodreads • Amazon

This book was sent to me by the publisher free of charge for the purpose of a review. 

I received no other compensation and the above is my honest opinion.

Breaking the Rules Blog Tour: Letter from Katie McGarry + Giveaway

I'm ridiculously excited today to welcome author Katie McGarry back to the blog as part of the promotional tour for her newest release, Breaking the Rules. I fell madly in love with Echo and Noah (as so many did) back when I read Pushing the Limits, and I'm so thrilled Katie decided to give readers a chance to revisit the two of them. I have the pleasure of sharing with you today a very special letter from Katie to Echo and Noah, and I hope all of you are as moved by it as I was.

Dear Echo and Noah,
 
I want you to be happy.
 
I’m not sure I’ve written truer words. I want your happiness so much that at times it hurts. Why is this so important to me? Because combine the both of you together and you have me.
 
Not all of me, but parts of me. The parts that have been bleeding for so long that I wasn’t sure healing was even possible anymore.
 
All three of us understand what it means to hurt, to lose, to grieve, and to be let down. We don’t trust easily and we don’t love easily, but when we do trust and when we do love, we do it unconditionally and to a fault.
 
We would literally hand the clothes off our body, give our last dime to the people we love. But the truth is, because at times we are so closed off, we often have a very limited amount of people who we let completely in and, sometimes, that’s sad.
 
I should use “was” instead of “is”. It was sad because we’re healing. All three of us are. You two are learning not only how to love and trust each other and how to let other people into your world, but you are also teaching me how to love and trust beyond my normal scope.
 
You’re teaching me that there is room for forgiveness. You’re teaching me that it’s possible to set up boundaries with some people in your life, yet still have a relationship. You’re teaching me that it’s okay to take all the passion that’s inside me and let it soar into the world.
 
The two of you have made me brave and you’ve helped me figure out who I really am. You’ve made me comfortable in my own skin and you’ve made me see the talents that I always downplayed. You’ve made me feel like a teenager all over again with my husband and damn my heart still skips a beat when he smiles at me.
 
I love the two of you and I want your happiness. This is the reason why I wrote Breaking the Rules. It’s why I couldn’t keep it a short story and instead let it flow into a full length novel.
 
I wanted your happiness. No, I demanded your happiness and I can’t wait for everyone else to read how you two find yourselves and each other.
 

Love you forever,

Katie

 *Jenny wipes away tear* I couldn't love Echo, Noah or Katie more!

• • • • • • • • • • • 

BREAKING THE RULES

A summer road trip changes everything in this unforgettable new tale from acclaimed author Katie McGarry.

For new high school graduate Echo Emerson, a summer road trip out west with her boyfriend means getting away and forgetting what makes her so... different. It means seeing cool sights while selling her art at galleries along the way. And most of all, it means almost three months alone with Noah Hutchins, the hot, smart, soul-battered guy who’s never judged her. Echo and Noah share everything — except the one thing Echo’s just not ready for.

But when the source of Echo’s constant nightmares comes back into her life, she has to make some tough decisions about what she really wants — even as foster kid Noah’s search for his last remaining relatives forces them both to confront some serious truths about life, love, and themselves.

Now, with one week left before college orientation, jobs and real life, Echo must decide if Noah's more than the bad-boy fling everyone warned her he'd be. And the last leg of an amazing road trip will turn... seriously epic.

Goodreads • Amazon • B&N

Don't miss out on more amazing books by Katie McGarry!

Pushing the Limits: Goodreads | Amazon
Crossing the Line (e-novella): Goodreads | Amazon
Dare You To: Goodreads | Amazon
Crash Into You: Goodreads | Amazon
Red At Night (Harlequin More Than Words) eNovella - Free from Amazon
Take Me On: Goodreads | Amazon

 • • • • • • • • • • • 

KATIE MCGARRY

Katie was a teenager during the age of grunge and boy bands and remembers those years as the best and worst of her life. She is a lover of music, happy endings, reality television, and is a secret University of Kentucky basketball fan.

Katie is the author of the full-length Young Adult novels PUSHING THE LIMITS and DARE YOU TO, and the e-novella CROSSING THE LINE. Her debut novel, PUSHING THE LIMITS, is a 2012 Goodreads Choice Finalist for YA Fiction and an RT Book Reviews 2012 Reviewer’s Choice Awards Nominee for Young Adult Contemporary Novel.

Writing has given Katie an excuse to pursue her passions. Research for her books has provided her with the amazing opportunity to train with baseball players, ride along in a drag car at ninety-six miles per hour and experience boxing and mixed martial arts. The most memorable moments for Katie are when she speaks to groups of teenagers about her research, writing and the truth that no dream is out of reach. Katie would love to hear from her readers.

Website • Goodreads • Facebook • Twitter

• • • • • • • • • • •

GIVEAWAY
 

Katie is generously offering up a number of different prizes for this tour:

• Four lucky winners will each receive ONE signed copy of Katie’s print books: Pushing the Limits, Dare You To, Crash Into You and Take Me On
• One grand prize winner will receive a $100 gift card to Amazon, B&N or iTunes as well as a zodiac necklace.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Be sure and check out the rest of the participating blogs for more unique content from Katie!

• Monday, December 1st - Book Rock Betty
• Tuesday, December 2nd - Page Turners Blog
• Wednesday, December 3rd - Fiktshun
• Thursday, December 4th - Refracted Light Reviews
• Friday, December 5th - Supernatural Snark
  
  

• Monday, December 8th - Xpresso Reads
• Tuesday, December 9th - Bewitched Bookworms
• Wednesday, December 10th - WhoRU Blog
• Thursday, December 11th - Swoony Boys Podcast
• Friday, December 12th - Mundie Moms

Review: Foresworn

FORESWORN
Sisters of Fate #3
Rinda Elliott
Paranormal Young Adult
HarlequinTEEN
Available December 2nd
Source: eARC from author for review

THE STORY (from Goodreads)
It is written that three Sisters of Fate have the power to change the world’s destiny.

But only if they survive…

Kat Lockwood grew up listening to her unhinged mother’s stories about the Norse goddess souls she and her triplet sisters carry, about fiery deaths and a prophecy foretelling the world’s end. Now, to save that world, Kat must find a guy who hosts the soul of a Norse god–a warrior with the lightest blond hair and the darkest brown eyes.

But at a truck stop on her road trip, Kat freezes time while she writes out a cryptic message in runes. The only other person able to see this happen? A gorgeous guy with the lightest blond hair and the darkest brown eyes.

Kat’s not convinced peaceful Arun is the future warrior who will turn the tide in the final battle. Yet, Arun turns out to be a lot tougher than he seems. As soul-carrying teens and underworld creatures gather over the world’s deadliest volcano, Kat finds that no one, including her sisters and mother, is exactly who she thought they were….

Sisters of Fate

The prophecy doesn’t lie: one is doomed to die.

MY THOUGHTS
Foresworn is the final installment in the Sisters of Fate trilogy, Kat's story overlapping that of her sisters' for a few chapters before moving everything we've learned over the course of the series forward and closer to the final showdown with Loki. It takes just a touch longer to settle in with Kat than it did either Raven or Coral, her quiet intensity (love interest Arun calls her “prickly”, an apt description) coupled with the introduction of a large number of new characters creating a distance it takes a bit of time to bridge. Once more and more kids bearing the souls of Norse gods and goddesses begin making their way to Kat's location in preparation for whatever Loki has planned though, the action picks up and Kat shows us what she's made of, her mettle weighed, measured and not found the least bit wanting.

Though all three Lockwood girls have grown up with the prophecy of an early death hanging over their heads, Kat is perhaps the one who bears the brunt of its weight, her nights haunted by dreams in which flames take her to her excruciatingly painful end. Knowing she is the one meant to die is a burden she carries alone, keeping her dreams to herself and putting a little extra distance between herself and the rest of the world. As mentioned previously, its this distance that keeps us from warming to her as immediately as we did her sisters, but once she starts to let Arun in and lower her guard just a touch, it's as though some of the weight she's been carrying shifts to us and we can suddenly feel not only her fear, but her strength as well.

Just as Vanir and Taran before him, Arun is perfectly suited to Kat, his sweet and caring nature as well as the openness in the way he communicates–speaking plainly and truthfully without hidden meaning or agenda–slipping through the chinks in her armor and bringing with them a bit of happiness in the middle of the literal end of the world. He's quick with a compliment (sometimes a super cheesy one that Kat simply can't let slide without comment) and a smile, but there's never artifice in his words or gestures, and he easily wins us over as he does Kat.

The final showdown with Loki himself is over surprisingly quickly and with relatively little fanfare given the way he's orchestrated all the events leading up to this last battle, but the battle itself is suitably epic, lives lost and others irreparably changed as valkyries, giants, dark elves, and those carrying the souls of some of the mightiest in Norse mythology go head to head. Overall this series consists of three quick and captivating reads, prophecy, romance and family–both born to and made–combining to delight and entertain on every possible level.

Rating: 4/5
 

Find Rinda:

Website • Facebook • Twitter • Goodreads • Amazon

This book was sent to me by the publisher free of charge for the purpose of a review. 

I received no other compensation and the above is my honest opinion.

Cathy Reviews: Lies We Tell Ourselves + A Barricade in Hell

I'm pleased today to turn the blog over once again to my mother in law, Cathy, who is one of my bookish partners in crime and so nice as to help me out with reviews on occasion!

LIES WE TELL OURSELVES
Robin Talley
Young Adult/Historical
384 pages
HarlequinTEEN
Available Now
Source: ARC from publisher for review

THE STORY (from Goodreads)
In 1959 Virginia, the lives of two girls on opposite sides of the battle for civil rights will be changed forever.

Sarah Dunbar is one of the first black students to attend the previously all-white Jefferson High School. An honors student at her old school, she is put into remedial classes, spit on and tormented daily.

Linda Hairston is the daughter of one of the town's most vocal opponents of school integration. She has been taught all her life that the races should be kept "separate but equal."

Forced to work together on a school project, Sarah and Linda must confront harsh truths about race, power and how they really feel about one another.

Boldly realistic and emotionally compelling, Lies We Tell Ourselves is a brave and stunning novel about finding truth amid the lies, and finding your voice even when others are determined to silence it.

CATHY'S THOUGHTS
The Lies We Tell Ourselves by Robin Talley is an historical fiction set in 1959. This was a time in our history where segregation was the norm. It was a time of ignorance and fear. Robin Talley captures these emotions with such accuracy that you feel the angst and anxiousness of the characters. She has done her research well and is able to instill these feelings and perceptions in story form and not in a preachy or textbook manner.

There are two main characters: Sarah, a high school senior that is one of several black students to integrate an all white high school, and Linda, a white senior whose father runs the town newspaper and has backward ideas about the differences between races. Before we truly get involved in the story of these two characters, Ms. Talley's opening chapters provide in-depth descriptions of the abuse and humiliation that the black students endure so that they can receive a better education. These chapters are so well written that our emotions rise to the surface, forced as we are to face a bigoted past as well as a barrage negative feelings concerning racial barriers.

Sarah and Linda are assigned to work on a project together. Though this does end up with both of them seeing life and each other differently, it is not written in an overly simplistic format. It is developed over time and with many rocky and violent moments that remind us that life is often neither simple nor easy. There is a twist that gradually becomes entwined in the story–a budding romance. The girls not only have to fight against racial barriers, but also against their developing sexuality.

We always hear that the past was such a simple time, well, this story shows another side, a side we should be aware of and understand. Ms. Talley has told a heart-wrenching tale that brightens with time. It is a story of strength, determination and change. It is well worth reading this story.

Rating: 4.5/5

Find Robin:

Website • Facebook • Twitter • Goodreads • Amazon

A BARRICADE IN HELL
Delia Martin #2
Jaime Lee Moyer
Paranormal Mystery/Historical
331 pages
Tor Books
Available Now
Source: Finished copy from publisher for review

THE STORY (from Goodreads)
Delia Martin has been gifted (or some would say cursed) with the ability to peer across to the other side. Since childhood, her constant companions have been ghosts. She used her powers and the help of those ghosts to defeat a twisted serial killer terrorizing her beloved San Francisco. Now it's 1917—the threshold of a modern age—and Delia lives a peaceful life with Police Captain Gabe Ryan.

That peace shatters when a strange young girl starts haunting their lives and threatens Gabe. Delia tries to discover what this ghost wants as she becomes entangled in the mystery surrounding a charismatic evangelist who preaches pacifism and an end to war. But as young people begin to disappear, and audiences display a loyalty and fervor not attributable to simple persuasion, that message of peace reveals a hidden dark side.

As Delia discovers the truth, she faces a choice—take a terrible risk to save her city, or chance losing everything?

CATHY'S THOUGHTS
I wrote a review for Delia's Shadow and when I finished that book, I hoped there would be a sequel. I so enjoyed the historical setting of 1900's San Francisco and the fact that the story was a mix of genres I love: Romance, mystery, and paranormal. So my wish came true, and Jaime Lee Moyer wrote a follow up story. YEA.

In A Barricade in Hell, we find that Delia and Gabe have been married for a couple of years. Gabe is still the police captain and Delia has been learning to hone her abilities at helping ghosts move on. Ms. Moyer has a knack for merging plot lines beautifully. Gabe is tracking a serial killer and Delia is haunted by a young girl. As the plot thickens, both of them come to the conclusion that a traveling evangelist seems to be at the center of the chaos. They need to join forces to find out what evil is surrounding the city and making people disappear. I love a good mystery and Ms. Moyer knows how to give us only enough information to keep us turning the pages in search of answers.

Yes, there are ghosts in these stories, but they are such a part of the fabric of the story that they're not over the top. If you're unsure about ghosts, you will likely still identify with Gabe who believes in solid police work to solve the crime, but he also realizes that there might just be something else out there given Delia's ability. Even though this is the second in a series, it is a stand alone story. I would recommend reading the first though because the characters are so endearing and the book is such a fun read. As you might guess, I am hoping that I will be able to write a review for a third in the series in the near future.

Rating: 4/5

Find Jaime Lee:

Website • Twitter • Goodreads • Amazon

These books were sent to me by the publisher free of charge for the purpose of a review. 

I received no other compensation and the above is my (or in this case, Cathy's) honest opinion.