Book Blitz: Unrequited by Emma Grey & GIVEAWAY

Unrequited

by Emma Grey 

Release Date: 05/26/14

Summary from Goodreads:

Seventeen-year-old Kat Hartland loathes Unrequited, the world's biggest boy band. Is she the only girl in Sydney who can't be bothered with perfect-looking Angus Marsden?

Give her 5 Seconds of Summer. Now.

Or maybe the seriously-hot med student who rescued her on a train—and who could be Douglas Booth's twin! Perfect formal partner, much?

But when Kat comes face to face with Angus Marsden himself, things start to get complicated. Very. Throw in a deranged female popstar, final exams, a part in the musical and a mum who just doesn't get it—and where is her best friend?

When did life get so crazy? Kat's just an ordinary schoolgirl.

Isn't she?

Buy Links:
Amazon * Barnes & Noble * Kobo Books

Book Excerpt 

Is he going to kiss her? How would she know? She’s never done this before. Not with anyone. Pop star or otherwise …

He is. He’s going to kiss me. She thought they couldn’t get any closer on this piano stool but she was wrong. His face is near hers now, his green eyes intent. He touches her cheek with his fingers and traces a line to her chin, which he lifts, gently, almost like he’s done this a million times before.

His breath is on her lips and she can actually hear her own heart thudding. She’s sure he can, too, particularly when his other hand finds the curve of her waist and pulls her closer.

There’s nothing rushed about this manoeuvre. Yep. He’s definitely done this before. Maybe two million times. Maybe three million. After all, he’s got at least twenty million followers on social media …

‘Kat,’ he whispers. ‘Turn your brain off.’

About the Author
Emma Grey has two teenage girls, a three-year-old boy, a couple of businesses and another teen novel in the pipeline. Her first book, 'Wits' End Before Breakfast! Confessions of a Working Mum' was published in 2005.

Author Links:

   

GIVEAWAY:

3 - $10 Amazon Gift Cards (INT)

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Book Blitz Organized by:

Cover Reveal: The Artisans by Julie Reece & GIVEAWAY

Welcome to the Cover Reveal for

The Artisans by Julie Reece

presented by Month9Books!

Be sure to enter the giveaway found at the end of the post!

They say death can be beautiful. But after the death of her mother, seventeen-year-old RAVEN WEATHERSBY gives up her dream of becoming a fashion designer, barely surviving life in the South Carolina lowlands.
To make ends meet, Raven works after school as a seamstress creating stunning works of fashion that often rival the great names of the day.
Instead of making things easier on the high school senior, her stepdad's drinking leads to a run in with the highly reclusive heir to the Maddox family fortune, Gideon Maddox.
But Raven's stepdad's drying out and in no condition to attend the meeting with Maddox. So Raven volunteers to take his place and offers to repay the debt in order to keep the only father she's ever known out of jail, or worse.
Gideon Maddox agrees, outlining an outrageous demand: Raven must live in his home for a year while she designs for Maddox Industries' clothing line, signing over her creative rights.
Her handsome young captor is arrogant and infuriating to the nth degree, and Raven can't imagine working for him, let alone sharing the same space for more than five minutes.
But nothing is ever as it seems. Is Gideon Maddox the monster the world believes him to be? And can he stand to let the young seamstress see him as he really is?
The Artisans is a delectably rich, layered and dark YA Southern Gothic inspired by Jeanne Marie Leprince de Beaumont's classic Beauty and the Beast.

"The Artisans has all the elements I love - spooky intrigue, strong friendships, and a romantic tension to be savored." ~ Wendy Higgins, New York Times bestselling author of the Sweet Evil trilogy.

Title: The Artisans
Publication date: May 2015
Publisher: Month9Books, LLC.
Author: Julie Reece

Born in Ohio, I lived next to my grandfather’s horse farm until the fourth grade. Summers were about riding, fishing and make-believe, while winter brought sledding and ice-skating on frozen ponds. Most of life was magical, but not all.

I struggled with multiple learning disabilities, did not excel in school. I spent much of my time looking out windows and daydreaming. In the fourth grade (with the help of one very nice teacher) I fought dyslexia for my right to read, like a prince fights a dragon in order to free the princess locked in a tower, and I won.

Afterwards, I read like a fiend. I invented stories where I could be the princess… or a gifted heroine from another world who kicked bad guy butt to win the heart of a charismatic hero. Who wouldn’t want to be a part of that? Later, I moved to Florida where I continued to fantasize about superpowers and monsters, fabricating stories (my mother called it lying) and sharing them with my friends.

Then I thought I’d write one down…

Hooked, I’ve been writing ever since. I write historical, contemporary, urban fantasy, adventure, and young adult romances. I love strong heroines, sweeping tales of mystery and epic adventure… which must include a really hot guy. My writing is proof you can work hard to overcome any obstacle. Don’t give up. I say, if you write, write on!

Connect with the Author: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Complete the Rafflecopter below for a chance to win!

(Winners will receive their book on release day)

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Book Review: Tested (New World #3) by Janelle Stalder

Tested (New World #3)
by Janelle Stalder

This series was love at first page for me and I am really glad that the books just keep getting better. Tested is the third book in the New World series and it's the story of Missy and Tyler. So there are a few tiny spoilers from the previous books in this review, just so you know.

After Tyler gets abducted by a white van in the middle of the street, Missy is the only one who can go after him, since she is the only one the enemy hasn't seen yet. For the first time after her incident, Missy is out on her own, traveling from her home to the Eastern ghetto where is gets a job in the Institute where Tyler is kept. But the man she finds there is not the silent, gentle Tyler she once knew. Together the two of them have to find an escape before it's too late.

Janelle Stalder has a way of building amazing worlds that even if it's a messed up world as the New World you still want to live there. Also she creates these amazing characters you can't help but fall in love with. I mean each guy portrayed in this story is a fictional crush for me. Even the bad guy.

The only thing that I missed in this book was more Charlotte and Bridge time. There are so many cahracters and PoVs that we hardly got anything from their prespective. But at least we got a new set of sisters to follow around. And I am really excited for the next book, Underground, since it's about Phoenix and Trent. I love the chemistry between those two. I love couples that can't really stand each other in the beginning.

Anyway, this was my huge fangirl rant about this book. You seriously need to check this series out if you are a fan of New Adult, Sci-Fi, Post-Apocalyptic, Action, Fantasy and pretty much anything.

Book Blitz: Pieces of Me by Kira Adams & GIVEAWAY

Pieces of Me

by Kira Adams 

Release Date: 08/11/14

Summary from Goodreads:
For sixteen year old Peyton Lane, life has never been easy. She’s not popular, overweight, and oh yeah, her sister is embarrassed of her. But over the course of a tumultuous year, everything changes for Peyton. 

Suddenly all eyes are on her and it’s not because she’s fat. From a pair of handsome twins to a couple of dangerously sexy rockers, Peyton will have to find out who she can trust with her heart. From the ups and downs to the twists and turns—this is Peyton’s story of finding one’s voice and growing into your own.

This is a coming of age romance that involves realistic situations and raw emotions. This is Pieces of Me.

Buy Links:
Amazon * Barnes & Noble * Createspace

Excerpt:

We were seated on the couch in his hotel, close enough to touch, but far enough away to be appropriate in any situation. I was wiping away tears in the corner of my eyes from laughing so hard at something Colton had said, when he changed everything. “Do you have any idea how beautiful you are?” he asked out of nowhere, tucking a stray piece of hair behind my ear.

I was suddenly aware I was shaking, uncontrollably. It was an uncomfortable sight, so I got up suddenly and retreated to an adjacent wall, which I leaned upon. I couldn’t even look at him. No one had ever called me beautiful before; it had to be too good to be true. He obviously felt the awkward tension and didn’t waste any time addressing it. “Hey, are you okay?” he asked, as he rose and started slowly coming towards me.

My heart was beating faster and harder with each step he took forward. I couldn’t remember how to breathe. I was pretty sure I was going to faint, but was surprised to see I was still alert when he finally made his way to me. “Hey.” He touched my cheek softly, “What’s wrong?”

I couldn’t look him in the eyes with such an embarrassing confession, so I did my best to look away. “No one has told me that before.”

“What? That you’re beautiful?” Suddenly something seemed to click for him. I saw pain in his eyes, the realization finally making its appearance. “You are beautiful, Peyton.” He looked down into my eyes for a long time, willing me to believe him, willing me to see what he saw. 

About the Author
Krista Pakseresht has always been a dreamer. From the first time she opened her eyes. Creating worlds through words is one thing she is truly talented at. She specializes in Young adult/New adult romance, horror, action, fantasy, and non-fiction under the pen name Kira Adams.

She is the author of the Infinite Love series, the Foundation series, the Darkness Falls series, and the Looking Glass series.

Author Links:

  

GIVEAWAY:
$10 Amazon Gift Card (INT)

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Book Blitz Organized by:

Release Day Blitz: Tested (New World #3) by Janelle Stalder & GIVEAWAY

Tested (New World #3)
by Janelle Stalder

Sometimes the heart sees what is invisible to the eye.

Faced with the scariest decision of her life, Missy is going behind enemy lines to save the rebel that seems to haunt her every dream. Finding courage is one of the hardest things she’s ever done, especially when she comes face-to-face with a terrifying reality. The green eyes that have fascinated her, no longer gleam with recognition. Now Missy must find a way to not only get them out alive, but to save the mind of the man who is quickly capturing her heart. And she must do it all without getting caught. Put to the test, will Missy be able to rise above her fears and find love, or watch it all blow up in smoke?

*This book is for mature audiences due to sexual situations, violence and strong language.*

Purchase Links:

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1kGYccy

Smashwords: http://bit.ly/1oAHUmF

Barnes and Noble: http://bit.ly/1wdawql

Stay tuned for my review of this amazing book tomorrow!

AUTHOR BIO
Janelle Stalder was born and raised in Brampton, Ontario. At an early age she developed a love for literature. Her debut novel, Eden, was the first book in a series of four, released in September of 2011. Since then she has released an Adult Dystopian Romance series, the New World Series, hitting the best sellers list on Amazon. She has also released a Mature YA/NA novel, Brush Strokes, that stayed on the best sellers list for contemporary romance for sixteen straight weeks. She is a strong supporter of other independent authors, and loves to interact with her readers. When she's not writing, Janelle is at home with her husband, two children, Aiden and Elora, her little bun in the oven that is on the way, and her two furry children, Alice and Lily. She now resides in a small town in Ontario in her old, possibly haunted, century home.

GIVEAWAY

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Bout of Books Wrap Up

The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda @ On a Book Bender and Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, August 18th and runs through Sunday, August 24th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure, and the only reading competition is between you and your usual number of books read in a week. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 11 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. 

- From the Bout of Books team

Wrap Up

The end is here! I can't believe it, the days just flew by. This Bout of Books was the most successful for me. I read so much! I've don't think I've ever read so many hours in a week. I was really fosuced, especially the first days, when my boxset of Death Note arrived.

My goals for Bout of Books 11.0 were:

• Read at least 100 pages each day
• Read a total of 1000 pages
• Finish at least 4 books
• Visit 10 new update posts each day

 I have to say I managed to do everything and then some! So here are all the books I read and my reading stats for this read-a-thon.

I read 11 volumes of Death Note (I had already read the 1st one before Bout of Books). I have to say I loved it. It is one of the most insane and brilliant mangas I've ever read. Even though I gave every single volume 5 stars I believe that the first half of the story was a bit better. I love L. so much and I preferred him being the lead investigator in the Kira case.

Then I read two short stories: Four Houses and Predator & Prey. I loved Four Houses, I think the book is brilliant. 

Finally I read a bit of To The Blight and a lot of Tested, but didn't manage to finish either. Loving both of them, though and I can't wait to finish them.

Total number of books I’ve finished: 13

Total number of pages I've read: 2557

I didn't participate in any challenge or twitter chat, I was really focused on reading this time. Still I commented in as many update posts as possible and spend a few minutes each day going through twitter updates. 

So how did you do?

Book Blitz: Dead Girl Walking by Ruth Silver & GIVEAWAY

Welcome to Ruth Silver's Dead Girl Walking promo tour hosted by Itching for Books.

Genre: YA Paranormal
Release date: April 25th 2014
Series: Royal Reaper #1

Publisher: Patchwork Press

Purchase: Amazon | B&N

Synopsis via Goodreads:

Princess Ophelia Dacre sneaks out of the castle to visit her boyfriend in secret. A perfect night cut short when she’s brutally murdered.

Ophelia is given the rare chance to become a grim reaper. She must become Leila Bele, cut ties with her old life, and follow the rules of the reapers. Her greatest adventure begins with death.

About the Author

Ruth Silver is the best-selling author of Aberrant. The Young Adult/New Adult Romantic Dystopian Adventure, Aberrant is the first in a trilogy, released April 17th, 2013. Silver first began writing poetry as a teenager and reading heaps of fan fiction in her free time. She attended Northern Illinois University in 2001 and graduated with a Bachelor’s in Communication. While in college she spent much of her free time writing with friends she met online and penning her first novel, Deuces are Wild, which she self-published in 2004. Her favorite class was Creative Writing senior year where she often handed in assignments longer than the professor required because she loved to write and always wanted to finish her stories. Her love of writing, led her on an adventure in 2007 to Melbourne, Australia. Silver enjoys reading YA/NA novels and sharing her favorite books with other readers. She also enjoys photography, traveling and of most of all writing.

WEBSITE | TWITTER | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM

GUEST POST

=======================

Casmerelda, The Black Plague, and How a World was Born 

I began with an idea for a story. Isn’t that normally how books are written? I loved the series Dead Like Me on Showtime. It was on from 2003 to 2004. Way too short a lifespan for a fabulous show. So I got to thinking, I haven’t read any books about grim reapers and certainly not any that were geared to a teen audience, quirky, and different. That was the thing about Dead Like Me, it was different. It was humorous, light-hearted, had a love story mixed in, and had characters you were rooting for the entire way through. 

As I was beginning to let my story take shape, I wanted something that went beyond reapers and pushed the boundaries into something fantastical. A mix of paranormal and fantasy. The princess idea was born. 

I didn’t want my main character, Princess Ophelia to solely be a princess from our current land, there had to be more. So, the initial plot took place in the 1400’s, specifically 1346 when the Black Plague spread along the Silk Road. What better way to kill off massive amounts of people than let a virulent disease do it? 

Complication: There were no monarchies (no princesses) where the story was taking place. At least not in that time period. Which obviously made things difficult. Either pull the novel away from historical fantasy or get the facts right. 

I tugged with the idea of how to make it historically accurate, and then decided the language would have to match. I didn’t like the sound of, “You're going to kill my beau.” I preferred it read “boyfriend.” That was just one instance, there were several language issues and I strongly felt the story would be better set in a fantasy world that parallels our history. Casmerelda was born.

EXCERPT

====================

“Listen, kid, I don’t care what you believe in. It’s not for me to say what’s true and untrue, real or unreal. My assignment was you. You get to be one of us, if you want it. Otherwise, you move on, life is over, kaput.” 

Ophelia backed away from the stranger. For the first time, she realized she didn’t feel cold and wasn’t shivering. Is this what being dead was like? “One of you?” 

“A grim reaper.” He held out his hand to properly introduce himself. “Edon Montgomery, head reaper and old soul.”

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Bout of Books Day 6 Update

The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda @ On a Book Bender and Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, August 18th and runs through Sunday, August 24th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure, and the only reading competition is between you and your usual number of books read in a week. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 11 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. 

- From the Bout of Books team

Updates

Didn't do much reading yesterday. But I love what I am reading right now so much and that awesome. Here are my stats:

Which of the books I read from today: Tested
Number of pages I read today: 70
Total number of books I’ve finished: 13
Total number of pages I've read: 2440
Comments: The final day has finally arrived. I hope I can manage to finish Tested for Bout of Books. But even if I don't I am very pleased with my results.

Bout of Books Day 5 Update

The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda @ On a Book Bender and Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, August 18th and runs through Sunday, August 24th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure, and the only reading competition is between you and your usual number of books read in a week. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 11 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. 

- From the Bout of Books team

Updates

I had such a lazy day yesterday. I didn't do much reading, I mostly watched Hart of Dixie episodes. I did start reading Tested by Janelle Stalder and so far I love it. It sucked me in and reminded me why I am such a huge fan of the author. However, I don't know the length of the book since it's an ARC, but if I had to guess I'd say somewhere between 250 and 300 pages. So for my page count I am just going to assume that the book is 280 pages long.

Which of the books I read from today: Tested
Number of pages I read today: 56
Total number of books I’ve finished: 13
Total number of pages I've read: 2370
Comments: -

Book Review: Death Note, Vol. 1: Boredom (Death Note, #1) by Tsugumi Ohba, Takeshi Obata

Death Note, Vol. 1: Boredom (Death Note, #1)
by Tsugumi Ohba, Takeshi Obata

It's been a long time since I watched half of the anime episodes of Death Note. Ever since then, I knew it'd come a time when I will pick up the manga and actually finish the story. I am so excited to get back into the Death Note world. Here is a quick intro to the story.

A Shinigami, or death god, drops his Death Note in the human world, mainly because he is bored, and a japanese teenager, Light, picks it up. Light is not your average kid, on the outside he is an exremely bright student, the best at anything he does, but on the inside he has a dark personality. Light finds out the by writing people's name on the Death Note they die. So he sets out to clear any kind of bad people from the face of the earth. Basically he has a God syndrome and with the power of the Death Note he might actually get what he wants. People are even calling him Kira, the god that comes to kill the criminals.

But Light's actions don't get unnoticed. L works with the police from time to time to solve whatever mysteries cupture his attention and the Kira mystery is one of them. L is not your typical investigator, he never showed his face and noone knows his real name and he sometimes works his cases from a distance but he always has the results he wants.

Both Light and L are very smart. And seeing them trying to outsmart each other makes one of the most intriguing stories ever.

Bout of Books Day 4 Update

The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda @ On a Book Bender and Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, August 18th and runs through Sunday, August 24th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure, and the only reading competition is between you and your usual number of books read in a week. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 11 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. 

- From the Bout of Books team

Updates

The fourth day of Bout of Books is over. Is it just me or are these days passing so fast? Anyway, I am finally finished with Death Note. I am so glad I read the whole series and that ending...OMG! It blew my mind. I didn't know what to expect, who would do what, but I loved it. So that's pretty much all I read yesterday. And here are my stats:

Which of the books I read from today: Death Note vol.10, Death Note vol.11, Death Note vol.12
Number of pages I read today: 564
Total number of books I’ve finished: 13
Total number of pages I've read: 2314
Comments: Now that I am done with reading manga, I am back to my actual bout of books TBR. Next up is Tested by Janelle Stalder.

Bout of Books Day 3 Update

The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda @ On a Book Bender and Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, August 18th and runs through Sunday, August 24th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure, and the only reading competition is between you and your usual number of books read in a week. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 11 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. 

- From the Bout of Books team

Updates

Third day of Bout of Books is over. I had a lot of homework to do so I only spend 2-3 hours reading and that was mostly right before bed. I finished Death Note vols.8 & 9 and a few pages from vol.10

Which of the books I read from today: Death Note vol.8, Death Note vol.9, Death Note vol.10
Number of pages I read today: 440
Total number of books I’ve finished: 10
Total number of pages I've read: 1750
Comments: I am dying to finish Death Note only 3 more volumes to go and then I can go back to reading actual books.

Cover Reveal: Captured Love by Juliana Haygert & GIVEAWAY

Captured Love by Juliana Haygert 

Publication date: November 2014

Genres: Contemporary, New Adult, Romance

Warning: strong language, sex scenes

Word count: ~70,000

It’s been four years since twenty-year-old Jessica Hayes has been home, but when she discovers her father is dying, she must return to her hometown in South Carolina and face her past. Jessica thought patching up her relationship with her father would be her biggest challenge, but when she runs into Ryan Dawson—the catalyst of all her problems—she wonders if coming home was a mistake.

Ryan knows he screwed up. Hell, he paid the price…with interest. But when he runs into his best friend’s little sister, Jessica, he’s reminded that his debt will never truly be paid. He may have turned his life around, but he can’t undo the damage. So, he does what he should have done all those years ago. He stays away from Jessica, and all the other personal demons that still haunt him.

Jessica thought she wanted nothing to with Ryan, but something is different about him and she needs to know why. When she discovers the truth behind his change, she puts her troubles aside and tries to help him. But is putting her heart back in the line of fire worth disrupting her stable life back in Ohio, or will the past repeat itself, leaving her brokenhearted once again?

GOODREADS

AUTHOR BIO
While Juliana Haygert dreams of being Wonder Woman, Buffy, or a blood elf shadow priest, she settles for the less exciting—but equally gratifying—life of a wife, mother, and author. Thousands of miles away from her former home in Brazil, she now resides in Connecticut and spends her days writing about kick-ass heroines and the heroes who drive them crazy.

Author Links:
http://www.julianahaygert.com/
www.goodreads.com/user/show/4952544-juliana
https://www.facebook.com/juhaygert
https://twitter.com/Juliana_Haygert

GIVEAWAY

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