Revenge and the Wild Blog Tour: Interview + Giveaway!

I'm super excited today to welcome author Michelle Modesto to the blog as part of the promotional tour for Revenge and the Wild, her debut novel. I loved so much about this book - it was dark, unnerving, romantic, and a little nightmare-inducing and I highly recommend it. I was thrilled to have the opportunity to ask Michelle a few questions about her hugely memorable cast of characters and the cannibals on whom they seek revenge, so I hope you guys enjoy the interview. Be sure and check the bottom of the post as well for a full list of participating blogs and all the details on a fabulous giveaway!

Nigel is a brilliant inventor. If you could ask him to create or build one thing for you, what would top your list?

A hidden soundproofed office so I can write without my kids and dogs being able to find me.
 
Having survived cannibals on the wagon trail once before, it's safe to say Westie is a bit of a badass. Who are a few other YA heroines whose badassery you think she'd most relate to or like to learn from?

I think Westie could learn a thing or two from GRACELING’S Katsa. That girl is fierce. Also Katniss, for obvious reasons—it must be in the name? Also Deryn, from LEVIATHAN—who could outwit and outperform any male and they wouldn’t know the difference.

On a scale of 1 to 10 how well would you estimate you'd fare if you ever found yourself in the middle of a saloon brawl?

As a teen I was scrappy and probably could’ve held my own, so I’d say a 9 or 10. Adult Michelle wouldn’t stand a chance. Definitely a 1.
 
If you ever came face to face with a group of cannibals (*shudders*) what's the first thing you might say in order to convince them to leave you be?

I would let them know that I exist on junk food and would probably taste horrible. I’d let them know grass-fed people would be their best bet.

Though losing her family was a tragedy, what would Westie say she's found with Nigel and Alistair that she likely wouldn't have if they'd lived?

Without Nigel and Alistair, I don’t think Westie would’ve known how loyal friends could be. They stood by her no matter how many really terrible decisions she made—even if they were made with the best of intentions.

Thanks so much for taking the time to answer my questions Michelle!

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REVENGE AND THE WILD

The two-bit town of Rogue City is a lawless place, full of dark magic and saloon brawls, monsters and six-shooters. But it’s perfect for seventeen-year-old Westie, the notorious adopted daughter of local inventor Nigel Butler.

Westie was only a child when she lost her arm and her family to cannibals on the wagon trail. Nine years later, Westie may seem fearsome with her foul-mouthed tough exterior and the powerful mechanical arm built for her by Nigel, but the memory of her past still haunts her. She’s determined to make the killers pay for their crimes—and there’s nothing to stop her except her own reckless ways.

But Westie’s search ceases when a wealthy family comes to town looking to invest in Nigel’s latest invention, a machine that can harvest magic from gold—which Rogue City desperately needs as the magic wards that surround the city start to fail. There’s only one problem: the investors look exactly like the family who murdered Westie’s kin. With the help of Nigel’s handsome but scarred young assistant, Alistair, Westie sets out to prove their guilt. But if she’s not careful, her desire for revenge could cost her the family she has now.

Goodreads • Amazon • B&N • iBooks

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MICHELLE MODESTO

Michelle Modesto is a writer, hockey fanatic, lover of most art forms, terrible cook and her social skills aren't that great either. Her debut YA novel, REVENGE AND THE WILD comes out from Balzer + Bray/HarperCollins, early 2016. She lives in Northern California in a double-wide mobile asylum with two mastiffs who don't listen to her and two teenagers who also don't listen to her.

Michelle Modesto is represented by John Cusick at The Greenhouse Literary Agency.

Website • Facebook • Twitter • Instagram • Pinterest • Goodreads

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GIVEAWAY

Ten lucky winners will each receive a finished copy of Revenge and the Wild (yay!)! To enter, please fill out the Rafflecopter form below. Giveaway is open to US addresses only. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway  
WEEK ONE
1/25/2016- IceyBooks- Interview  
1/26/2016- Book Briefs- Review   
1/27/2016- Two Chicks on Books- Guest Post  
1/28/2016- Novel Novice- Review  
1/29/2016- Good Choice Reading- Interview

WEEK TWO
2/1/2016- Brooke-Reports- Review

2/2/2016- The Irish Banana Review- Guest Post

2/3/2016- Bookish Lifestyle- Review + Interview

2/4/2016- Supernatural Snark- Interview

2/5/2016- Ex Libris- Review

Review: Revenge and the Wild

REVENGE AND THE WILD
Michelle Modesto
Young Adult/Western/Paranormal
384 pages
Balzer + Bray
Available February 2nd
Source: ARC from publisher for review

THE STORY (from Goodreads)
The two-bit town of Rogue City is a lawless place, full of dark magic and saloon brawls, monsters and six-shooters. But it’s perfect for seventeen-year-old Westie, the notorious adopted daughter of local inventor Nigel Butler.

Westie was only a child when she lost her arm and her family to cannibals on the wagon trail. Nine years later, Westie may seem fearsome with her foul-mouthed tough exterior and the powerful mechanical arm built for her by Nigel, but the memory of her past still haunts her. She’s determined to make the killers pay for their crimes—and there’s nothing to stop her except her own reckless ways.

But Westie’s search ceases when a wealthy family comes to town looking to invest in Nigel’s latest invention, a machine that can harvest magic from gold—which Rogue City desperately needs as the magic wards that surround the city start to fail. There’s only one problem: the investors look exactly like the family who murdered Westie’s kin. With the help of Nigel’s handsome but scarred young assistant, Alistair, Westie sets out to prove their guilt. But if she’s not careful, her desire for revenge could cost her the family she has now.

MY THOUGHTS
Revenge and the Wild is a dark and twisted tale, one full of blood and horror that won't soon be forgotten, but also one featuring a charmingly flawed heroine who brings a smile to our faces just when the darkness threatens to overwhelm.

Westie is the type of young woman who sends the gently bred ladies of her creature-infested town screaming in terror, a badass mechanical arm the perfect fit for her unapologetic attitude and delightfully foul mouth. She doesn't care what anyone thinks save those who are closest to her, is in possession of quite possibly the thinnest brain-to-mouth filter in existence, and to top it all off fights (and sometimes loses) a daily battle to stay sober. As a result of her addiction she often makes decisions we wish she wouldn't and seeks a magical cure for her alcoholism rather than trying to find the strength to do it on her own, but while those things may sound as though they would be frustrating for us as readers, the way in which Westie is written simply makes her feel human instead. She's a patchwork of impressive faults and inspiring strengths, and certainly one of the most memorable characters to ever strut across the pages of young adult fiction.

In addition to the dual mystery surrounding the arrival of cannibals in town and the major issue of magic disappearing from Westie's world, there's also the development of a friends to lovers romance between Westie and fellow cannibal-survivor Alistair. There are a number of guys who flit in and out of Westie's orbit in this tale, but her heart is Alistair's alone and their relationship is one full of the type of tension and pain that can only come from a longtime friendship on the cusp of something more. The romance definitely takes a backseat to the revenge plot, but it's prominent enough to give those like myself who live for a little swoon in their stories something to smile about.

Overall Revenge and the Wild will likely not be a story for everyone, the gore of the cannibal attacks paired with a protagonist who's a bull in the china shop of polite society a recipe that might turn a number of readers away, but there's something undeniably fascinating about the darkness of this world and its beautifully damaged inhabitants.

Rating: 4/5

Find Michelle:

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.

Review: Vengeance Road

VENGEANCE ROAD
Erin Bowman
Young Adult/Historical
336 pages
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Available Now
Source: BEA

THE STORY (from Goodreads)
Revenge is worth its weight in gold.

When hers father is murdered for a journal revealing the location of a hidden gold mine, eighteen-year-old Kate Thompson disguises herself as a boy and takes to the gritty plains looking for answers—and justice. What she finds are untrustworthy strangers, endless dust and heat, and a surprising band of allies, among them a young Apache girl and a pair of stubborn brothers who refuse to quit riding in her shadow. But as Kate gets closer to the secrets about her family, a startling truth becomes clear: some men will stop at nothing to get their hands on gold, and Kate’s quest for revenge may prove fatal.

MY THOUGHTS
Vengeance Road is gripping from first page to last, sucking us immediately into Kate’s story as her world burns down and revenge rises from its ashes. From the moment she finds her father’s body we’re taken on a darkly beautiful journey, the richness of the setting and the authenticity of the dialect drawing us even deeper into Kate’s life as she seeks to return the brutal favor bestowed upon her father.

Kate is a young woman who could have made it exceedingly difficult to really like her, revenge having a way of casting a character in so many shadows and shades of gray that it becomes nearly impossible to find the real person they mask. Instead, what we find is a girl who sets out with dark purpose but who isn’t so blinded by her need for vengeance that she literally rides in with guns blazing without the benefit of any kind of plan or forethought. While she might have done just that without the Colton boys there to intervene, she listens to them and allows their logic to filter through the haze of her anger until she sees reason.

The romance between Kate and Jesse is woven beautifully into this story, the two of them at odds for majority of the book (due in large part to the fact that both Jesse and his brother Will believe Kate to be a boy when they first meet her), but while they take verbal swings at one another on a daily basis, their relationship never comes across as frustrating. Rather than drama for the sake of drama or a couple that runs hot one day and cold the next, Kate and Jesse feel utterly genuine, caught up in a number of emotional and physical conflicts that never once act as a reminder that we’re reading a piece of fiction thanks to the over the top nature of what unfolds.

Overall, Ms. Bowman delights with Vengeance Road, giving us a heroine to root for with every fiber of our being, a villain to hate with gleeful intensity, and a subtle romance to keep a dopey grin plastered to our faces just when we need it most.

Rating: 4.5/5
 

Find Erin:

Website • Tumblr • 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.

Tracy Reviews: At Wolf Ranch

I'm thrilled today to welcome back my sister-in-law Tracy with a review for a fun and sexy Avon western. Cowboys for the win!

AT WOLF RANCH
Montana Men #1
Jennifer Ryan
Contemporary Romance/Western
384 pages
Avon
Available Now
Source: Finished copy from publisher for review

THE STORY (from Goodreads):
After years on the rodeo circuit, Gabe Bowden wants nothing more than land of his own and a woman who will claim his heart for more than one night. When he has the chance to buy the enormous Wolf Ranch spread, he snaps up the incredible deal. Everything is set, until Gabe rescues a woman on the deserted, snowy road leading to the property, and the half-frozen beauty changes everything.

Ella Wolf rushes to her family's abandoned Montana ranch after her twin sister is murdered. She knows she's next . . . unless she can uncover a secret hidden somewhere at Wolf Ranch. The last thing Ella expects is to be rescued by a rugged rancher with his own agenda. A man who almost makes her forget how dangerous love can be.

As an unlikely partnership sparks into something so much more, and a killer closes in, can Ella and Gabe learn to trust one another before it's too late?

TRACY'S THOUGHTS

Hello Again Supernatural Snark Readers!

Thank you, Jenny, for entrusting me with your blog for a second time - I appreciate the chance to flex my writing muscles!

When I first looked at the cover of this book, my head immediately queued the Big & Rich song "Save A Horse, Ride A Cowboy".  :-)  I was not exactly sure what to expect from At Wolf Ranch, and I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this easy read!

Ms. Ryan flings us into action immediately, and rather unexpectedly, into an intense scene. Ella Wolf witnesses her twin sister's murder, and goes on the run to uncover whatever secrets her sister investigated at her family's ranch that caused her life to be taken from her too soon. While Ella is running, the sexy cowboy Gabe Bowden comes to her aid. While some parts of the book are slower moving, the overall pace of At Wolf Ranch was good.

The storyline was full of mystery and intrigue - much more than I expected out of a romance novel - which pleasantly surprised me.  That being said, if you are looking for a book with a lot of steamy erotic sex scenes - this might not be the book to pick up. Ella and Gabe only kiss 1/3 of the way through the book, and the sparse sex scenes that follow are more of the loving and comforting variety.

During the second half of the book, much focus is put on the superficial differences of the 'Rich City Girl' and 'Cowboy', and questioning whether their budding relationship could last long term. What strikes a cord with me (because it reminds me of myself and my husband) is that despite their outward dissimilarities, Ella and Gabe both value family, friendship, commitments, and hard work.  These principles bind them to be more alike than people could ever imagine.  

The characters of Ella and Gabe were both extremely likable, and I appreciated the fact that Ms. Ryan wrote Ella's character not to be a 'damsel in distress', but rather a smart, strong young woman who just needed a sturdy shoulder to lean on during a horrific and terrifying point in her life. Gabe was a perfect gentleman, and the cowboy that every girl dreams about. More than just killer biceps (which make me swoon...) and a pretty face, Gabe is written as intelligent, driven, and caring. Gabe is the whole package of goodness - what is not to like about that! :-)

Overall, At Wolf Ranch is an enjoyable read, with lots of action and emotion. I will definitely check out the Montana Men series to come and welcome the opportunity to meet Gabe Bowden's brothers!

Rating: 3.5 to 4 out of 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 Tracy's honest opinion.