*Book Blitz* Carnelian by B. Kristin McMichael

Accepted Readers,

I'm a fan of YA books, in case you haven't noticed. I'll read just about anything if it's in the YA genre, I just can't help myself I suppose. One type of book I've never read is one dealing with time-travel, so when I came across the blitz for Carnelian (YA-Time-Travel) I couldn't resist to participate. I will be sharing an excerpt/teaser along with multiple giveaways and info about the book! Enjoy guys!

ABOUT THE BOOK

Title: Carnelian

Author: B. Kristin McMichael

Series: (Chalcedony Chronicles #1)

Publication date: January 10th 2014
Genres: Time-Travel, Young Adult
# of Pages: 200

Price: $2.99

Buy Links: | Amazon | B & N | Smashwords |

Synopsis:

Everyone has a past, but for most it isn’t so far in the past as Seth Sangre. His past is literally from thousands of years ago. Seth’s past led him to the present seeking something that might help him save his country from destruction. He has been in the present for over three years now and just found exactly what he has been looking for.

Mari had dreams of college being a fresh start, one where she would start over and not fall for the good looking player like high school. Unfortunately for her that’s exactly what ends up falling into her lap on the first day she moves into the dorms. Now she has to hold to her promise to herself and not fall for the handsome Seth. But he doesn’t plan to make it easy for her. Seth has already marked her as his next conquest. As the semester progresses, Mari learns that Seth might just have a past of his own that’s literally in the past. Suddenly Mari finds her future along with her past put into question. She’s connected to Seth far more than she ever wanted to be and maybe the player isn’t who she thought he was. If Mari can trust her heart enough to follow him, Seth will lead Mari on an adventure of a lifetime and reveal family secrets she never knew existed.

Add Carnelian to your GoodReads TBR today:

Short Story Weekly #10- Stealing Promises by Brina Courtney

Accepted Readers,

I signed up to be a tour host for Stealing Promises but held off on my review... so I'm here today to finally share my review and explain why I posted it after the tour.

If you want to see my full tour post, including an interview with Brina Courtney and exclusive teasers just click here.   

ABOUT THE BOOK

Title: Stealing Promises

Author: Brina Courtney

Genre: NA Contemporary Romance
Published: December 19th, 2013
# of Pages: 144
Buy Links: *Located below*

Promises are made to be kept, never stolen. But that’s exactly what happened to Victoria Blane and Levi Manor. Tragedy strikes their perfect relationship leaving Victoria struggling to overcome the darkness that threatens to bury her.

With Victoria’s life in tatters she decides that running away is easier than dealing with her troubles. But when a friend finds her on the floor in her kitchen, she knows it’s time for a change.

Brighton Hanley knows what it’s like to lose someone. He knows what it’s like to be haunted by things that can never change. When he meets Victoria he recognizes the pain she’s trying to bury deep in her eyes. He knows she’s trying to run away, but he also knows that you can’t run forever.

Victoria is drawn to Brighton in ways she never expected. He becomes her champion, her life line… her sunshine in the darkness. But is Victoria ready to let go of the past and grab on to her future? Or will she run away from Brighton before she can be hurt again?

MY REVIEW

 

The Reason for the delay posting:

I waited to post my review because while I enjoyed Stealing Promises, I didn't quite love it. I don't like to post reviews with mediocre ratings when I'm part of a tour because they are meant to promote the book positivity. I guess it comes down to a matter of respect in my opinion. 

Writing Style:

Brina Courtney's writing is articulated well but vague at times. I feel the storyline progressed too quickly and lacked substance. The plot was far too predictable; it needed something unique to make it stand out from other books dealing in the same subject manner. The character development was quite good, possibly the best aspect of the writing.

My Opinion:

I felt like I've heard this story before. It's a classic tale of how to deal with the devastating loss of a loved one. Everything starts off too good to be true and falls apart all at once after the death. Stealing Promises had the potential to be outstanding, but due to the lack of details and originality it became rather boring at times.

What I enjoyed most about this book was the characters. Each stood apart from one another, each unique in their own way. I especially have a soft spot in my heart for Victoria. Her reaction to losing Levi was hard to digest and extremely believable. Her emotions were expressed beautifully. I just wish we could have seen more effort put into other aspects of the story in the same manner as the character's emotions... this book would have been AMAZING!

Overall, Stealing Promises was an okay and quick read. I say give it a chance, never judge a book by it's cover or just one mediocre review.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR 

Brina Courtney is a young adult author obsessed with chocolate, crime shows, and fantasy movies. She's spent the last few years as an elementary teacher and a high school cheering coach. She lives in a small town in Pennsylvania with her husband and two very loud, small dogs.

Author Links:
| Facebook | Website | Twitter |

        Get Stealing Promises for .99 cents

Nook Users Click on Brighton            Kindle Users Click on Victoria

Forsaken Release Day Blitz!

Forsaken

Daughters of the Sea-Book #1

By Kristen Day 

Once you’ve been touched by darkness, it never leaves you…

Abandoned by her parents as an infant; seventeen year old Hannah spent her childhood wading through countless foster families until being adopted by the Whitmans three years ago.

Unfortunately, Atlanta’s high society wasn’t quite ready for Hannah…or the strange events that plague her.

Chilling visions of murder, unexplained hallucinations, and  dark, mysterious guy who haunts her nightmares all culminate to set in motion a journey of self-discovery that will challenge everything she’s ever believed; not to mention her sanity.

Sent to live at The House of Lorelei on Bald Head Island, NC for ‘kids like her’, Hannah quickly realizes things are not what they seem. Her fellow ‘disturbed’ teens are actually the descendants of mythical Sea Gods and Goddesses. And so is she.

But when Finn, the ghost from her dreams, appears in the flesh; her nightmares become reality and her dark visions begin coming true. Inexplicably drawn to him, she can’t deny the dangerous hold he has on her heart. The deadly secrets he harbors will ultimately test her courage and push the boundaries of her love.

She must decide if she is ready to embrace the ancient legend she is prophesied to be a part of. The fate of all the descendants will forever depend upon it.

*COVER REVEAL* Captivate Me by S.J. Pierce

ABOUT THE BOOK

Title: Captivate Me 
Author: S.J. Pierce
Publication date: April 1st 2014
Genres: Paranormal Romance, Young Adult

Synopsis:

“My mom had always told me – when you meet “the one”, you’ll know; they’ll captivate your heart the moment you lay eyes on them. I had always wondered, though, if my mom’s words of wisdom were finite – if they applied to everyone. Maybe those who had found their one great love were the lucky few, and maybe the rest of us would have to settle for less than earth-shattering.”

Seventeen-year-old Kat Walsh is a Gifted – a human with paranormal abilities. With her mom a former Angel and her dad a dream prophet, it’s always been in her genetic make-up to be extraordinary. Unfortunately for her, the world can’t handle the strange or unusual. So when she slips up and uses her powers at her high school in Ireland, the entire student body treats her like a freak – even the ones she thought were her closest friends.

Broken, but hopeful for a fresh start, she allows her parents to enroll her in a boarding school buried deep within the forests of a small Colorado town. At Midland Pines, School for the Gifted, she feels as though she can finally be herself; she makes new friends and even has the attention of the most popular guy in school – Levi. Everything feels normal again… or does it?

Not long after her arrival, weird dreams of an alluring boy whom she’s never met surface during the night, and the eerie, shadowy trees encircling their school seem to call to her. As these disturbing, yet enticing developments intensify, other bizarre occurrences happen – students and staff turn up missing, and mystery visitors leave gifts while she sleeps. With all of these other things vying for her attention, a desperate Levi has to fight even harder to keep her interest. But with the dreams of the attractive boy slowly captivating her heart, Kat has to make a choice – will she settle for ‘great’ Levi, or will she search for her elusive dream visitor, possibly stumbling across ‘amazing?’

From the author of the Alyx Rayer Chronicles, comes a refreshingly different Young Adult series with plenty of love, suspense, and a new take on the Paranormal.

Recommended for readers 16 and up due to mature content.

Add Captivate Me to your TBR List on GoodReads:
 

MY OPINION

I'm loving all the green accents on this cover! Green happens to be my favorite color so it's possible I'm impartial... but right down to the color of the young woman's eyes and eye shadow, it's quite enticing! The leaf detail with the flowers is gorgeous and draws your eye directly to the title; the white overlay of the same design works beautifully to enhance the elegant appearance of the font used.  

The models are stunning as well. You can sense how much he is "captivated" by her. She resembles a goddess and has such striking features that it's hard to not just keep staring at her. *swoon alert*

Pair this cover with the blurb and you got one heck of an "captivating"  combo. I LOVE that the story takes place in Ireland and then in a forest...nice play with the green scheme! I want this book, right now! 

What do you guys think? 

Do you like this cover and does it make you want to read the book?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Susan James Pierce has a degree in Marketing Management, works for a Fortune 500 company in Atlanta, Georgia, and devotes her precious, spare time to writing Fantasy and Sci-fi novels. Even though her full-time career has nothing to do with books at all, she has always enjoyed complex storytelling with fascinating characters, and has had a penchant for the written word since grade school. As a matter of fact, her first publishing credit was a poem she wrote at the age of twelve. Why her love for writing never translated into a career, she can only attribute to 'life happens', but her wish is that she can redirect her career path into something that satisfies her creative inner-self.

Links:

| Website |  Goodreads | Facebook | 

*TOUR+ REVIEW* Windows: A Broken Fairy Tale by Casey Bramble

Accepted Readers,

Today is my tour stop for Windows: A Broken Fairy Tale by Casey Bramble! I'm super excited! I hope you enjoy my stop and make sure to check out Sage's Blog Tours for more information about this tour and other current tours happening right now!

ABOUT THE BOOK

Hush little baby don’t say a word
The Darkness hides in an ivory bird
But if that ivory bird can’t sing
That’s when the Witches’ Hammer swings.

-- Nursery rhyme

Title: Windows: A Broken Fairy Tale

Author: Casey Bramble

Genre: YA, Fantasy, Lesbian

# of Pages: 293
Part of a Series?: Yes. 
Published: April 19th, 2013

Price: $2.99

Buy Links: | Amazon | B & N |

A year ago Sarah Petty could not dream of the life she now lived. In those days she was one of the downtrodden masses; an unremarkable body upon which the upper caste built their castles of gold. Luckier than most, she at least had her blacksmithing skills to keep a roof over her head, though she went hungry more often than not. All of that changed with one fatal decision.

She said yes.

Lady Raven Chandlish, a sorceress with a smile that lit up the night and enough magical power to level a city, asked Sarah to open a shop with her in a different duchy. After moving things felt like they were on a definite upswing. There was food in the cupboard, money in the bank, and someone she might be falling in love with. Sarah didn’t dare pinch herself just in case it was all a dream. Like all dreams, this sunlit world was a feeble defense against the encroaching darkness.

Buried deep within Raven’s soul was Malleus Maleficarum, an ancient demon that nearly destroyed the world twice before. Drawing on feelings stronger than the weapons she forged, Sarah learned to trust Raven could contain the demon. Malleus had other plans.

When enemies of the Chandlish family attacked, Malleus used a momentary distraction to take over Raven’s body. While hundreds of soldiers battled for the fate of cities, a terrified blacksmith battled for the fate of a world. With no hope of rescue, Sarah whispered into the leering face of madness, praying love would save her.

Add Windows: A Broken Fairy Tale 

to your TBR Pile today! 

MY REVIEW

Writing style:

Windows: A Broken Fairy Tale is a debut novel from the mysterious author Casey Bramble. The world she creates is one sure to strike awe and astonishment. Her character development is quite amazing, proving to be her strong suit.  Her characters are unconventional and have many conflicting issues that give them layer upon layer of depth. The plot is jammed packed with various elements of fantasy, action, deceit, lies, humor, romance and even murder; an interesting mix of good versus evil. My only gripe is the way the chapters are organized; I feel that some needed to be divided up with chapter breaks. At some points the plot jumps from one scene to another without notice, jumbling together and causing confusion. 

My Opinion:

I absolutely loved the fantasy elements this book had everything from dragons, witches, sorceresses, portals to other realms, demons, to magic of every kind. Not to mention the royal family with castles let’s just say I’m smitten.

Raven is quite an intriguing woman. She has the red hair to match her fiery and mischievous ways.  Sarah however is quite the opposite of Raven, reserved and gallant. Both ladies share their snarky attitude and bravery but the similarities end there. True to the old saying that opposites attract, Raven and Sarah are drawn together like a moth to fire. I would have loved to see more romance to their relationship or for them to express more of their feelings… you get just a taste of it throughout the book.   

The demon Malleus Maleficarum is a whole another story within this novel. She is one terrifying creature, the true definition of evil. She is the reason behind Raven’s ultimate power and it appears she is set to destroy her. The scenes when the demon appears are insane and filled to the brim with gore. I wouldn’t want to come face to face this Malleus under no circumstance. I just hope Raven can keep her control…

This novel basically boils down into good versus evil, rich versus poor, and love versus treachery. In the end what will win out against the other? It is true that good always prevails? Hmm… one can never be too sure when demons are involved. I guess you will have to read Windows: A Broken Fairy Tale yourself to find out.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

I graduated from the University of North Alabama with degrees in English and Psychology.  I live in Florence with my husband and five year old son. Our son suffers from Alport's Syndrome, a genetic disorder that affects the kidneys, so 10% of all book sales go towards kidney research.  My two passions are football and reading.  Although I've recently started reading more fiction, most of the time I read historical non-fiction, particularly Gaelic and English history.  Which is why all my bios start out with how boring I am.

Contact Links:

| Facebook | GoodReads | Amazon Page |