Giveaway: Sneak Peek of STRANGE THE DREAMER

Happy Friday Everyone!

I hope you guys have fun weekend plans, or not-plans as the case may be. Usually there's nothing I like better than parking myself on the couch and not moving for 48 hours ;-)

To help you get in the weekend spirit, I have a very special giveaway to share today! One of my all-tine favorite books is Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor, so when I heard earlier in the year that we'd be getting a new Laini series, I may or may not have done a spastic excited flail the likes of which you've never seen before. Which is for the best really, since it probably would have scarred you guys for life if you'd witnessed it ;-)

The first book, Strange the Dreamer, releases in September from Little, Brown, but today you can enter to win a sneak peak! I have a chapter sampler of the book as well as some fun buttons for one lucky winner, all put together in a pretty metallic gold bag thanks to the awesome team at the NOVL. Before we get to the actual giveaway though, here's a little more about the book!

Strange the Dreamer is the story of:

the aftermath of a war between gods and men.
a mysterious city stripped of its name.
a mythic hero with blood on his hands.
a young librarian with a singular dream.
a girl every bit as dangerous as she is in danger.
alchemy and blood candy, nightmares and godspawn, moths and monsters, friendship and treachery, love and carnage.

Welcome to Weep.

Goodreads • Amazon

Who's excited? THIS GIRL! To enter the sampler giveaway, please fill out the Rafflecopter form below. Giveaway is open to US addresses only.

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Cathy Reviews: The Unexpected Everything

My amazing mother in law Cathy is back today with her latest review!

THE UNEXPECTED EVERYTHING
Morgan Matson
Contemporary YA
Simon & Schuster
519 Pages
Available Now
Source: ARC from publisher for review

THE STORY (from Goodreads)
Andie had it all planned out.

When you are a politician’s daughter who’s pretty much raised yourself, you learn everything can be planned or spun, or both. Especially your future.

Important internship? Check.

Amazing friends? Check.

Guys? Check (as long as we’re talking no more than three weeks).

But that was before the scandal. Before having to be in the same house with her dad. Before walking an insane number of dogs. That was before Clark and those few months that might change her whole life.

Because here’s the thing—if everything’s planned out, you can never find the unexpected.

And where’s the fun in that?

CATHY'S THOUGHTS
The Unexpected Everything by Morgan Matson lives up to its name. In Ms. Matson's newest YA romance, Andie thinks she has her life planned out and she likes it that way. Then her politician father gets caught up in a scandal and Andie's plans–and world–are turned upside down. Not only is her father home all summer, but Andie's camp plans fall through and she has to find a job. I was laughing out loud while reading about Andie's job search. It was treated with such humor. I could especially relate to when she was learning to be a dog walker. Her initial ineptness reminded me of me when I would try and walk Jenny's two boxers! It was all a little chaotic. (Jenny interjects - NONSENSE! They were low-energy, perfectly behaved dogs at all times. ALL TIMES! ;-)

Since this is a romance–meet Clark. He is the exact opposite of Andie and this adds some depth to the story. We get to enjoy a slow build up in the relationship. It's endearing reading about all the longing looks and early yearnings of young love. There was a nice natural progression to the romance. As with most YA novels, there is some teenage angst, but I found all the emotions to be real and not over exaggerated. It was a storyline that kept you turning the pages to see how the relationship was progressing. I do want to add that this is a big book but isn't a slow read.

Another enjoyable aspect of this book was the cast of characters that made up Andie's circle of friends. Several of them had their own side story that would intersect with Andie's, but each character was well-developed and engaging. Andie and her three best friends spend a lot of time texting. I found that to be imaginative and on trend. All the stories wrap up neatly by the end of the book but not in an overly contrived manner. They ended realistically. This book makes for a great summer read!

Rating: 4/5

Find Morgan:

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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, or in this case Cathy's, honest opinion.

Waiting on Wednesday: Poison's Kiss

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!

POISON'S KISS
Breeana Shields

Young Adult/Fantasy

Releases January 2017 from Random House BFYR

From Goodreads:

Marinda has kissed dozens of boys. They all die afterward. It's a miserable life, but being a visha kanya--a poison maiden--is what she was created to do. Marinda serves the Raja by dispatching his enemies with only her lips as a weapon.

Until now, the men she was ordered to kiss have been strangers, enemies of the kingdom. Then she receives orders to kiss Deven, a boy she knows too well to be convinced he needs to die. She begins to question who she's really working for. And that is a thread that, once pulled, will unravel more than she can afford to lose.

This rich, surprising, and accessible debut is based in Indian folklore and delivers a story that will keep readers on the edge of their seats.

Normally when the synopsis for a YA book starts with a line about kissing dozens of boys, I'd be moving right on by as it sounds like a recipe for high angst and romantic drama, BUT, the second sentence above is a game changer. Executing men via kissing sounds miserable indeed, and I'm now infinitely curious about Marinda and how she's going to change her world. Though this sounds like a fairly straightforward YA fantasy with romantic elements at first glance, the Indian folklore aspect is really intriguing and not something I've read much about, so this is on my list for sure!

Goodreads • Amazon  

Review: Rock Hard

ROCK HARD
Rock Kiss #2
Nalini Singh
Contemporary Romance
387 pages
TKA
Available Now
Source: Bought

THE STORY (from Goodreads)
Wealthy businessman Gabriel Bishop rules the boardroom with the same determination and ruthlessness that made him a rock star on the rugby field. He knows what he wants, and he’ll go after it no-holds-barred.

And what he wants is Charlotte Baird.

Charlotte knows she’s a mouse. Emotionally scarred and painfully shy, she just wants to do her job and remain as invisible as possible. But the new CEO—a brilliant, broad-shouldered T-Rex of a man who growls and storms through the office, leaving carnage in his wake—clearly has other plans. Plans that may be equal parts business and bedroom.

If Charlotte intends to survive this battle of wits and hearts, the mouse will have to learn to wrangle the T-Rex. Game on.

MY THOUGHTS
Rock Hard is another shining example of Ms. Singh's ability to write an engaging, poignant and funny romance all wrapped up in layers of sexual tension, keeping us on the edge of our seats waiting for the moment our lead couple is going to combust.

Thanks to an abusive ex-boyfriend, heroine Charlotte suffers from severe anxiety in her day to day life, anxiety that spikes to extreme levels when she's faced with imposing men like her new CEO Gabriel. It's impossible not to want to spend a good portion of our time reading wanting to hug Charlotte and never let her go as her nerves get the better of her repeatedly, but she is in no way meek, and finds a spine of steel when she needs it most. Once Gabriel makes his romantic interest in her known, she opens up to him about her past, and continues to be upfront with him when something he says or does triggers a flashback so that they can move forward instead of getting stuck in the past.

Gabriel is every bit as good at communicating as Charlotte (with a few small exceptions which only add to the humor and tension), asking for her honesty but never demanding it, and letting her know when his protective instincts are at an all-time high so she can take a step back and let him work through it. They two of them together are ridiculously adorable, and while waiting until well past the halfway mark for things to really heat up between them physically seems like it would kick their romance into frustrating territory, it instead feels perfectly paced, and Ms. Singh ensures that we're not left wanting for swoon.

Overall, Rock Hard is an outstanding contemporary romance, and one that easily stands alone despite being the second book in the Rock Kiss series. Longtime fans of Nalini Singh or newcomers to her work should add this one to the TBR list for a sweet and sexy summer read!

Rating: 4/5

Find Nalini:

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Friday Flourish: They Mostly Come Out At Night

Happy Friday Everyone!

It's been a little while since I've shared a recent cover design, and in light of a very cool honor for the one I'm posting today, I wanted you guys to see it!

Author Benedict Patrick told me early on in our talks that he had his heart set on one of my illustrated covers, and as soon as I read through the design memo he submitted, I knew what we came up with was going to be one of my very favorites. You all already know how much I love illustrated covers in general, and when they're in the dark fantasy genre I get even more excited (if that's even possible), so I was essentially vibrating with glee when I started the initial artwork for They Mostly Come Out At Night.

Benedict had asked that the focal point of the illustration revolve around the mask his Magpie King wears as it plays a vital role, so I started putting the core elements in place with a strong emphasis on movement and texture, and then added a large full moon and bare tree branches to up the ominous vibe. Lastly, I added the type, incorporating a font I fell madly in love with the moment I saw it and knew I had to have it for this cover.

After a few small tweaks, we had our finished cover! As I said before, it's in my top 5 covers I've done, so I was inordinately pleased and honored when Benedict entered They Mostly Come Out At Night into the Self-Published Fantasy Blog-Off and, out of hundreds of entries, it was shortlisted (along with Masque!) and joined 30 others for final voting. I'm in some exquisite company, so be sure and check them all out when you get a chance!

THEY MOSTLY COME OUT AT NIGHT

Releases June 16th

He locked himself away from the dark, but in the Magpie King’s forest nowhere is safe…

Lonan is an outcast, accused of letting the monsters that stalk the night into the homes of his fellow villagers. Now, he will not rest until he wins back the heart of his childhood love and reclaims the life that was stolen from him. However, locked safely in his cellar at night, in his dreams Lonan finds himself looking through the eyes of a young prince…

Adahy has a destiny, and it terrifies him. How can he hope to live up to the legend of the Magpie King, to become the supernatural protector of the forest and defender of his people? But when the forest is invaded by an inhuman force, Adahy must rise to this challenge or let the Wolves destroy his people.

Watching these events unfold in his sleep, Lonan must do what he can to protect his village from this new threat. He is the only person who can keep his loved ones from being stolen away after dark, and to do so he will have to earn back their trust or watch the monsters kill everyone that he holds dear.

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You can check out more of my design work at Seedlings Design Studio!  

 

Torn Tour + Giveaway: Interview with Cynthia Eden

Today I have the immense pleasure of welcoming Cynthia Eden back to the blog as part of the promotional tour for the fourth book in her LOST series, Torn. I absolutely adore this series and highly recommend it to all who love a little thriller action mixed in with their romance. Cynthia was nice enough to answer a few questions for me about lead couple Wade and Victoria, so I hope you guys enjoy the interview!

To introduce those who haven’t yet met Wade and Victoria in the previous books, how would each member of the LOST team describe them in one or two words?

Now that is a fun question! ;)  So, for Wade, the quick & dirty description would be: Hard ass. (Yes, I’m afraid that is how the other agents of LOST—would describe him. Wade is a tough, ex-detective, a real rule follower, and he isn’t the most charming sort.

For Victoria, she’d be described as: Intense. Quiet.
Victoria is a forensic anthropologist, and she’s far more comfortable working with the dead, and not the living. 



If Victoria was to teach a class on forensic anthropology, what’s the first thing she would say or lesson she would teach her students?

The first thing she would say is, “The dead have secrets. Your job is to uncover those secrets, no matter how long it takes.” 



Though their work often leaves them little time for relaxing or leading any kind of social life, what would Victoria or Wade say their dream date would entail?

LOL, I think Wade would enjoy a night at a local bar, maybe a football or a baseball game, then some alone time with his lady. 

Victoria would be the total opposite. Her dream date would be a day at the beach, far away from crowds, a cozy picnic, and private time with Wade.

Opposites attract, right? 



You clearly do a great deal of research in order to write this romantic suspense series. What’s the weirdest thing you’ve typed into Google for research purposes?

Sometimes, my Google searches scare even me! Okay, the weirdest one may have been…How do you survive being buried alive in a coffin? I wanted to know exactly how long one would survive and if there were any possible ways of escape.  



What is one interesting tidbit or piece of trivia you learned about forensic anthropology that you didn’t know before you wrote Victoria’s character?

I actually learned a great deal, thanks to Victoria.  (She was a helpful lady. Now I have all kinds of conversation starters.)  One weird tidbit I picked up was this…if you are trying to determine the age of a person’s remains (say you are working with a skeleton and you want to know how old the victim was at death)…try looking at the ribs.  It turns out that as people age, the ends of our ribs will be less flat and more ragged right in the area where the cartilage connects with the sternum.  So if you’ve got a skeleton with ragged ribs, you’re looking at an older victim. 

Another little fact (sorry, now I can’t stop!) I picked up…if you are trying to determine ethnicity, the skull is the key.  You can measure the distance between the eyes or you can study the shape of the victim’s teeth in your quest to figure out ethnicity. 

Thanks for taking the time to interview me—and for letting me talk forensic facts! ;) It has been fun!

The more facts the better! Thanks so much Cynthia!

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

TORN

In New York Times bestselling author Cynthia Eden’s latest novel featuring the Last Option Search Team (LOST), one agent’s investigation entices a killer into making her his prey.

PARTNERS . . . FRIENDS . . .

Forensic anthropologist Victoria Palmer has always been better with the dead than the living. Shutting down her emotions, she lets few people in. But then Victoria’s latest investigation takes her and agent Wade Monroe to Savannah, Georgia. Handsome, dangerous, and more than ready to play dirty on any case, Wade weakens Victoria’s aloofness with just one glance.

. . . LOVERS

Wade knows their recent cases have pushed Victoria beyond her limits. But her skills are crucial to finding a college student who went missing five years ago. Victoria is able to determine she was murdered, and that the killer is still on the loose.

And when the vicious murderer targets Victoria, Wade must do everything in his power to protect her . . . because he refuses to let a woman he loves be torn from him . . . again.
 

Amazon • B&N • iBooks • HarperCollins

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

CYNTHIA EDEN

Award-winning author Cynthia Eden writes dark tales of paranormal romance and romantic suspense. She is a New York Times, USA Today, Digital Book World, and IndieReader best-seller. Cynthia is also a two-time finalist for the prestigious RITA® award (she was a finalist both in the romantic suspense category and in the paranormal romance category). Since she began writing full-time in 2005, Cynthia has written over thirty novels and novellas. Cynthia lives along the Alabama Gulf Coast.

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GIVEAWAY

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May 30

·         Got Fiction? – Review
·         Live to Read – Guest Post

May 31st

·         My Secret Romance – Review
·         Jeep Diva – Review

June 1

·         The Reading Café – Review
·         Waves of Fiction – Review

June 2

·         Book Reader Chronicles – Review
·         The Book Binge – Guest Post

June 3

·         SOS Aloha – Guest Post
·         Romance Junkies – Guest Post

June 6

·         Good Choice Reading – Review
·         Book Reading Gals – Guest Post
·         Paulette's Papers – Guest Post
·         HEAs Are Us – Spotlight

June 7

·         Romancing the Readers – Review
·         Books Books More Books – Review

June 8

·         Book Beacon – Review
·         Literacy Etc. – Q&A
·         Book Lovin' Mamas – Guest Post

June 9

·         Supernatural Snark – Q&A
·         I Heart YA Books – Review
·         Truly Simply Pink – Review
·         Sophia Loves Reading – Review

June 10

·         Cocktails and Books – Guest Post
·         Toots Book Reviews – Q&A
·         Ramblings From This Chick – Guest Post
·         Reese's Reviews – Guest Post