Saturday, November 29, 2014

Blog Tour: Review: Transformed **GIVEAWAY**

Blog Tour: Review: Transformed by E.V. Fairfall **GIVEAWAY**


Such a wonderful, and beautiful story. Completely awe-inspiring.


Thea, all-mighty Mother Earth, only had one rule to follow above all else, one promise to keep to her brother: never take a human form. She would've kept that promise if it weren't for Brice. He's handsome and confident, but above all he's merciless.
He's also a hunter who has tormented Thea for years. She believes if she could teach Brice compassion, she might finally be able to save her creations and herself from his savage ways. Then she meets Chamber: another hunter.
She soon finds herself fascinated by−and torn between−the two boys: Brice and Chamber. Lost within a torrent of human emotions, Thea starts to lose who she is as she falls in love with the one thing that she's always hated: a hunter… a human.
:*:・。,★゜・:*:・。,★゜・:*:・。,★゜・:*:・。,★゜・:*:・。,★゜・:*:・。,★゜・:*:・

★★★★

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This was a totally an adventure I'm glad I did not miss.

The storyline was very strong in explanations from the characters, but also held a bit of a mystique vibe which I fell prey too. The author created such a rich plot was such amazing characters. The development was so raw and pure with the many protagonists and antagonists. The main concepts I was able to pull out were life and death, and of love and hate. The scenarios were so enriching, sending a pretty powerful message if you get my drift.

I dived in completely blind, and I recommend anyone to do the same. It will literally open your eyes and make you question things about the book, especially in the middle, and my questions never went unanswered. Except toward the end because I wanted more insight, more to read. However, in a way the questions I still have were indirectly answered, I still feel as if more elaboration is in order. There was always something new being revealed and that was one of the things that kept me engrossed with the story.

I can really feel the author's passion in the writing style which is so easy and simple, but at the same time describing something that is being put into play on a higher comprehension level. Very enlightening with its both light to dark contrast. This has a guideline of something basic, but in turn executed into something more meaningful and pretty amazing.

These characters felt so real, I was able to vividly see them, picture them. As well as understand them, and recognize there true colors for what they were.

Overall, I very much enjoyed this book and look forward to more of this author's work.

View all my reviews


=US & UK ONLY=

Displaying t-shirt_giveaway_fairfall.jpg


a Rafflecopter giveaway


About the Author:


I love to write just as much as I love to read. I try to read a book per week, which doesn't always work out, but it's the thought that counts. Aside from all that I am a huge animal person.
Transformed is my first novel, but it isn't my first publication; I've had several short stories published over the last two years. My main goal as a writer is to explore humanity and to give people something fun to read.






Connect with Fairfall



Buy Links

Amazon | BN




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Tuesday, November 25, 2014

Blog Tour: Review: Claiming Carlos **GIVEAWAY** + Excerpt

Blog Tour: Review: Claiming Carlos by Rachelle Ayala **GIVEAWAY** + Excerpt


Such an outstanding story, surprised me to no end. The feels are just crazy.


Claiming Carlos
Click To See On Goodreads
Choco Sanchez is stuck in a rut. She's never hit a softball and has been friends forever with Carlos Lopez, the head cook at her family's Filipino restaurant. When flashy restaurant consultant Johnny Dee hits her with a pitch, she falls head over heels and gets a makeover. 
Carlos Lopez is not about to lose one for the home team. Johnny launches a full scale change on the menu, and Carlos sends him straight into the dumpster. Claiming Choco's heart proves more difficult, especially when her secrets threaten to doom their love. But never underestimate a man who can cook hot, spicy, and steamy, and we ain't talking just food.
:*:・。,★゜・:*:・。,★゜・:*:・。,★゜・:*:・。,★゜・:*:・。,★゜・:*:・。,★゜・:*:・ 


Displaying CC-teaser2.jpg


Excerpt:


I stick to par on that hole. Ha, ha. These miniature golf courses have many trick holes.
There’s one where the ball has to go over a bridge, and of course there are all the curbs to bounce off. But the worst are the mounds. Carlos sucks at those.
Livy, meantime, maxes out at six shots each hole. “My club’s crooked. Can we trade?” 
“I don’t see anything wrong,” I say. 
Carlos takes her club and balances it. “Ah, you see here? It’s curved and off balanced. Here Livy, have my club.” 
Oh no he doesn’t. Then he’ll have an excuse why he lost. Besides, the clubs were handed out by height. 
“Livy, take mine. His is too long for you.” 
“Whatever.” She grabs it. 
After she’s out of earshot, Carlos whispers, “My club’s definitely too long for you.” 
“You wish.” I tally the scores, my cheeks burning. “You’re still five strokes behind.” 
He bends toward me and waggles his eyebrows. “I’ll make up those strokes tonight. Where would you like them?” 
“You nasty boy.” I wait until he lines up for his putt before pretending to trip and bump into him. “You’re not even up to par. Tsk, tsk, tsk. You sure you can keep up with me?” 
“I know how you like me driving into your hole.” He winks and swats the ball. It rolls into the hole, and he does a golfer’s fist pump. “As for keeping up with you? I can go all night.” 
“I don’t know about that. You’re going into the water trap.” I line up the ball near the windmill. 
“If it gushes like you, I’ll gladly take the plunge.” He bumps my hip and my ball hops and skips into the running water. 
“Why you!” I gingerly climb over the fence and duck under the bridge. 
“Ha, you’re all wet.” He helps me climb back. “Just the way I like it.” 
“Shhh … Livy,” I hiss, but fortunately she’s staring at her smartphone.
The next one is a right angle shot. If I can hit that diagonal perfect, it’s a straight shot into the hole. I line up my shoulders, square my hips, and wait for Carlos to jeer. I fake up, about to swing. 
“Wait, wait.” He claps his hands right beside my ear. “Your ball still wet? You better compensate for the drag.” 
“I think your club’s all wet.” I quickly take a swing and whack the ball hard. It flies straight at the diagonal, then rolls down the green toward the hole. The carpet is uneven, dang. I didn’t account for it, but it goes closer and plop. It lands in the hole. 
“Whoo!” I raise my club in the air and jump up and down. “A hole in one. Ha, ha, you’ll never catch me now. Loser cooks.” 
He puts his finger down his throat, gagging. “The way you cook, I better lose.” 
“You guys are silly.” Livy yawns, bored with our antics. 
“Let’s see how silly you are when you fall in love,” Carlos says. He gives her a noogie and she screams, “Ewww. Love is yucky.” 
I screw up the next two holes. Did Carlos say he was silly because he’s in love? The
thought it could be me is so delicious, I quiver, the same way I do when a dessert is super sweet and cold.


Displaying CC-teaser3.jpg


★★★★★

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I cannot believe this book!. My first impression at first, especially with the writing style along with the vibes it was giving off, I thought it was just going to be like any other romance; just an okay story.

What kept everything going for me with this story was how spontaneous the author was in many of the scenes as well as the characters that were created.

I liked how the perspective switched between the main characters, Choco, and Carlos. I was a bit iffy when it came to Choco, because she was a bit unhappy with the way everything was at in her life and with herself. And then things start to change. For a time I felt so strongly, sympathizing with her, until she derailed a bit, but then eventually came back to her senses. Carlos I really really liked. The feels are going through the roof. He was just so cool, and hot, and caring and hot, and just an awesome cook. My stomach growled every time the setting took place in the kitchen with him or cooking something for Choco. I still got frustrated with him too for a little bit but then I'd become smitten with his cooking skills as well a some other skills he excelled at... The only character I did not hate, and truly loved, as well as had their head screwed on straight was Tita Elena, the one with the bakery. I just love her to death. She was the only one that I did not get irritated by. And gave great advice. Julia, however was the one character that was completely confusing, and irritating too. She just seemed unstable and weird.

I really appreciated the mini glossary at the end defining the meanings of word, phrases and honorifics used throughout the story.

I actually have a Filipino aunt, although she's still pretty young, but her parents still live in the Philippines so I liked how this story helped a bit with knowing more about my aunt's heritage.

This author truly did amaze me with their writing style, and character development.

Overall, I very much enjoyed this read and would recommend this romance to those looking for one that is out-of-the-box unpredictable as much as it is very entertaining.

View all my reviews


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a Rafflecopter giveaway

About the Author:


Displaying clare-rico.jpgRachelle Ayala is a bestselling Asian American author of dramatic romantic suspense and humorous, sexy contemporary romances. Her heroines are feisty and her heroes hot. She writes emotionally challenging stories but believes in the power of love and hope. Rachelle is the founder of an online writing group, Romance in a Month, an active member of the California Writer's Club, Fremont Chapter, and a volunteer for the World Literary Cafe. She is a very happy woman and lives in California with her husband. She has won awards in multicultural and historical romance.



Connect with Rachelle



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RELEASE: Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy: Diamonds and Dust (Lonesome Point, Texas #3) **GIVEAWAY**

RELEASE: Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy: Diamonds and Dust (Lonesome Point, Texas #3) by Jessie Evans **GIVEAWAY**


Jessie Evans' DIAMONDS AND DUST releases today
and we're celebrating by honoring some of our favorite cowboys!

We've got a great giveaway from a ton of authors - check out the details below!


Displaying DaD AmazonGRSW.jpg
Click To See On Goodreads
A sexy second chance romance from NYT and USA Today Bestselling author Jessie Evans
The home run neither of them expected… 
Pike Sherman is a legend in Lonesome Point, a hometown boy who made it to the big leagues. Literally. Professional baseball acquired one hell of a pitching arm and its latest celebrity bad boy when the gifted Pike was drafted seven years ago.
Pike’s broken heart came along for the ride, too, but he kept that private, and since leaving Lonesome Point has kept his distance from his hometown. But when Pike’s little sister, Mia, begs him to be the Dude of Honor at her wedding, he can’t refuse. He takes advantage of a break in the season and returns home to find himself thrown together with the one woman he
never wanted to see again. 
Tulsi Hearst is on the verge of losing her Equine Therapy business, and letting down all the kids she’s come to love. After a mix-up with the grant board, she needs to concentrate on finding more funding, not dealing with Pike Sherman, the boy she sacrificed so much for, and the one person she’s ever lied to. And what a lie it is… Pike would hate her if he found out. She knows she should stay far away from the brooding man her summer love has become, but Tulsi can’t resist a slow dance with the only boy who ever made her blood rush. 
After just a few days back in Lonesome Point, Pike can’t imagine life without the girl he left behind, but when Tulsi’s secret is revealed, his heart is broken all over again. The only thing worse than losing Tulsi, is losing six years with the daughter he didn’t know he had.

:*:・。,★゜・:*:・。,★゜・:*:・。,★゜・:*:・。,★゜・:*:・。,★゜・:*:・。,★゜・:*:・


Y'all know everything is bigger in Texas...


Oh my freakin' goodness, doesn't that cover give you the feels, bookgasm!! Haha

That book is something you need to get a hold of, I've already read it, believe me. I should be posting my review on Goodreads soon, and then here with the Blog Tour so be on the lookout for that.

So, I'm from Texas. I live in Lonesome Point, Texas. Wait, let me explain. I actually live in a small town, that has an annual event, bringing people from all over. Everybody in town knows everybody, and everything. There are several families that own large parts of town. We have several bars that people frequent 24/7. Literally. Love line dances. There are historical landmarks scattered across town, a bunch of buildings from a century ago that are still standing. I can prove it, having been part of the 100th graduating class of our little Podunk town a few years ago. We even have a cowboy from here that made it HUGE in the music industry.
Only several miles, straight-shot, from San Antonio, and a few hours from Austin. I have a handful of friends I still talk too from school and used to always play pranks and jokes around town. And what Texas town doesn't have a DQ. Mmmm blizzards and fries. Now I'm hungry.

Okay, I kind of went off topic. We have a variety of cowboys, although my town is more Hispanic populated than anything but there are both Country cowboys, and TexMex Cowboys. Let me better explain with an image. You can probably tell which is which..


                    

I am totally 100% serious with these pictures though, we have cowboys walking around looking exactly like this: HOT. I see this one guy every time I go out with my mom (I know how that sounds, who goes out with their mom, right? I do!) and I remember asking my mom who he was since she goes out more than me, and he ended up being an older brother of a guy I graduated with. We call him big booty because his butt looked freakin' huge in them Wranglers. Lmao

Okayy, now you know what I see on a daily basis, now this is the cowboy I grew up with.



He was really good-looking was he was young. I grew up with this cowboy always on TV and we used to have a mini statue/sculpture of John Wayne that my cousin gave to my grandpa for his birthday, but he sold it at the flea market smh. My grandpa loves his movies, so it was inevitable for me to love them as well. I may be biased, but his movies are the best. My grandpa actually kind of looks like John Wayne.

And last but not least, the other cowboy that I was bound to love also because of my grandpa. He actually lived around here, but got recognized in San Antonio, I think. I mentioned it a bit earlier that he made it big, you might've heard of him.



My grandpa would always take me to school, or Head Start when I was little, and he always had the country station on playing George Strait, George Jones, etc. I love his music now. I may be a bit biased, but his songs are the best. My grandpa actually kind of looks like him too. Don't take my word for it, see for yourself.




I forgot, He can be a bit camera shy at times haha


Hope you enjoyed this post and until next time,

Happy Reading!

Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy!



a Rafflecopter giveaway


About the Author:


Jessie EvansNew York Times and USA Today bestselling author, Jessie Evans, gave up a career as an international woman of mystery to write the sexy, contemporary Southern romances she loves to read.

She's married to the man of her dreams, and together they're raising a few adorable, mischievous children in a cottage in the jungle. She grew up in rural Arkansas, spending summers running wild, being chewed by chiggers, and now appreciates her home in a chigger-free part of the world even more. 

When she's not writing, Jessie enjoys playing her dulcimer (badly), sewing the worlds ugliest quilts to give to her friends, going for bike rides with her house full of boys, and drifting in and out on the waves, feeling thankful for sun, surf, and lovely people to share them with.


Connect with Jessie




Buy Links



Other Authors Participating:


Connect with Becky Website | Twitter | Facebook

Connect with Beth Williamson Website | Twitter | Facebook

Connect with Cora Seton Website | Twitter | Facebook

Connect with Donna Michaels Website | Twitter | Facebook

Connect with Elle Casey Website | Twitter | Facebook

Connect with Jennifer Faye Website | Twitter | Facebook

Connect with Kimberly Krey Website | Twitter | Facebook

Connect with P.T. Michelle  Website | Twitter | Facebook

Connect with Roxxane Snopek  Website | Twitter | Facebook

Connect with Ruth Cardello  Website | Twitter | Facebook

Connect with Vivan Arend Website | Twitter | Facebook










Thursday, November 13, 2014

Review: Dire (The Dire Wolves Chronicles #1)

Review: Dire by Alyssa Rose Ivy

Dire (The Dire Wolves Chronicles, #1)
Click To See On Goodreads
Publication: September 15, 2014

Gage was the first guy I ever wanted. He was my first crush and my first fantasy, but he wasn't my first in any other way because he never saw me as anything more than a friend— at least not until the night that changed everything.
It was all Gage's fault. He insisted we drive through the storm and take the back roads. By the time the storm hit full force we had no chance. One night of snowbound sex changed our relationship forever. The problem was at the same time I caught another guy’s attention. This other guy happens to be the alpha of a pack of shifter wolves.








:*:・。,★゜・:*:・。,★゜・:*:・。,★゜・:*:・。,★゜・:*:・。,★゜・:*:・。,★゜・:*:・ 

 ★★★★

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



Wow, super awesome! I had a book hangover, unbelievable!.

This story was totally different, a common theme but there were so many different aspects that really stuck with the stereotypical werewolf/ paranormal story, like the main concept, but was able to branch off into new and fresh territory. I just love what Ivy brought to the table with these characters. I definitely got served.

College students Mary Anne and Gage are leaving campus and heading back to their hometown. Mary Anne is completely smitten with Gage while he barely started to see her in that kind of light. Weather turns bad and gets them stranded in a ditch with a snow storm underway. This trapped-together-in-the-snow kind of thing leads to snuggling-together-naked-to-keep-warm kind of thing. (I only thought this worked when you were in clothes soaking wet but it'll do) Then this is where the mysterious men come in. Hunter invites them to stay in his home but is adamant that Mary Anne sleeps separate from Gage. They try to come up with a plan to leave once Hunter lets them know that there is no way he is letting them leave. If they thought these people were trouble, they spoke to soon.

Almost throughout the whole story I was thinking about how werewolves are usually over-protective and possesive and domineering most of the time, and also the way the usually treat their mates with the utmost respect, love and adoration. It was completely lost to Mary Anne, and sense the story more often is in here perspective, or in a human perspective in general, it was great to get the picture of what she was thinking when everything was happening and while she was discovering new phenomenons.

I always had that thought in my head that Mary Anne should just give in to Hunter, but then again I have personal experience with pining over somebody you grew up with your whole life and to finally be able to catch there eye.


In the end, I wasn't really shocked on how things generally played out because I was already analyzing how things would andd could work out in the end. I just didn't see the ending coming. I kept swiping my finger for the next page thinking it may've froze or something. Then I looked at the page number and BAM! It hit me, I did not want it to end, of all places and moments, right there. It was just getting to the even juicier parts, argh! But I was still ecstatic and giddy about how things are going to be from now on.

Overall, I had an amazing time reading this story. I literally wanted more to read near the end, I was starving for more, more Hunter, more Gage, more Mary Anne and see how everything turned out and what these wonderful characters were planning to do next. I can't wait for the next installment in this series.



About the Author:


Alyssa Rose IvyAlyssa Rose Ivy is a bestselling New Adult and Young Adult author who loves to weave stories with romance and humor. Although raised in the New York area, she fell in love with the South after moving to New Orleans for college. After surviving law school and earning her masters in library science, she turned back to her creative side and decided to write. She lives in North Carolina with her husband and two young children, and she can usually be found with a cup of coffee in her hand.









  Connect with Alyssa                                         Buy Links


Website | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest                                Amazon | Kobo | iTunes | Google Play









Wednesday, November 12, 2014

Wrap-Up #4: October 2014

2014 October Wrap-Up


Ugh, this month was just crazy!. My Halloween ended in a big fight at a party I went to haha
How was your Halloween, however I can probably say yours couldn't be as eventful as mine, or at least I hope it wasn't heh heh *runs finger over throat*

I feel like I just got lazy this month, with the weather changing to where I will actually want to go outside and just sit on the porch and watch all the birds and trees and feel the breeze brush against me soothingly. I live in rural area, but right next to the highway, so for the most part I can enjoy some outdoor peace, excluding mosquitoes and the occasional vehicle passing by.

I am so bad at staying on track, I will try to multi-task, but then get solely focused on one particular thing till the end (especially when I read multiple books) and sometimes completely forget the other thing I was trying to do and take on something totally new. Its not a very good habit.

I didn't really get to stick with my TBR, I don't even know how many books I read this month so as I begin to list them down below I will count and see how I did this month, but I can already tell I did HORRIBLE, ARGH!!


:*:・。,★゜・:*:・。,★゜・:*:・。,★゜・:*:・。,★゜・:*:・。,★゜・:*:・。,★゜・:*:・


The Collectors' Society
Click To See Review

The Collectors' Society by Heather Lyons





Love Me Later (Second Chances, #1)
Click To See Review

Love Me Later by Libby Rice



17 (SAKURAI Machiko) 1 Page 1

17 Vol. 1 by Machiko Sakurai



17 (SAKURAI Machiko)  Vol.2 Ch.5 Page 1

17 Vol. 2 by Machiko Sakurai



17 (SAKURAI Machiko) 9 Page 1


俺様合体計画 [Oresama Gattai Keikaku]

Oresama Gattai Keikaku by Saeko Kamon



A Beautiful Purpose (Beautiful, #6)
Review Coming Soon

A Beautiful Purpose by Alicia Rae



Fractured Lines (Out of Line, #4)
Review Coming Soon

Fractured Lines by Jen McLaughlin



Kalona's Fall (House of Night Novellas, #4)

Kalona's Fall by P.C. Cast



Redeemed (House of Night, #12)

Redeemed by P.C. Cast



The Understatement of the Year (The Ivy Years, #3)
Review Coming Soon

The Understatement of The Year by Sarah Bowen



Dragonfly in Amber (Outlander, #2)

Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon






:*:・。,★゜・:*:・。,★゜・:*:・。,★゜・:*:・。,★゜・:*:・。,★゜・:*:・。,★゜・:*:・


Yupp! I knew it!! This puts the 'hor' in horrible, BUT... I kind of saw this coming from the very beginning so the only surprising/scary thing in all this was just how bad I did. No worries, next month I have a feeling I will read a bit more. Not only because I'll be able to choose more freely what to read first instead of those I've committed to review within a certain time frame like blog tours and such but also because I don't have to review if I don't feel like it. I still have several reviews to write for books that I read last month and those that I have already read but have not posted so there is that.

Nevertheless, I believe myself to be reading lots more in the month of November, so please don't expect many reviews. I'm thinking about doing a What Book I'm Thankful For post in the spirit of this month's holiday of Thanksgiving. I don't know whether I'll post it before of after Thanksgiving day but for sure it will be posted so be on the look out for that as well as my November TBR. This time for sure I will stay on track with it and follow through, because lately my Wrap-Ups' hardly ever match up with what I'd start with with the TBRs'. And speaking of a TBR, I've decided to make a TBR jar starting this November and I will have a separate post about that later.

Well I hope you enjoyed this post. Leave in the comments below if you've read any of these books or plan to later on.

Happy Reading!








Review: The Collectors' Society

Review: The Collectors' Society by Heather Lyons

From the author of the Fate series and The Deep End of the Sea comes a fantastical romantic adventure that has Alice tumbling down the strangest rabbit hole yet. 
After years in Wonderland, Alice has returned to England as an adult, desperate to reclaim sanity and control over her life. An enigmatic gentleman with an intriguing job offer too tempting to resist changes her plans for a calm existence, though. Soon, she’s whisked to New York and initiated into the Collectors’ Society, a secret organization whose members confirm that famous stories are anything but straightforward and that what she knows about the world is only a fraction of the truth. 
It’s there she discovers villains are afoot—ones who want to shelve the lives of countless beings. Assigned to work with the mysterious and alluring Finn, Alice and the rest of the Collectors’ Society race against a doomsday clock in order to prevent further destruction . . . but will they make it before all their endings are erased?

:*:・。,★゜・:*:・。,★゜・:*:・。,★゜・:*:・。,★゜・:*:・。,★゜・:*:・。,★゜・:*:・

★★★★★
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Such MAGNIFICENT writing! Heather Lyons has an tremendous gift of making things vividly come to life with only a mind full of ideas and a passion so great. The story told leaves many more stories to be written.

I fell in love with the cover at first sight. Then once I read the synopsis, I knew I just had to get ahold of this story.

I was completely intrigued from the very beginning. Totally in awe of how right the mixture of characters, timelines, and different time periods felt as many events began to unfold. I believe that a book is only as good as it's ending. It's even greater when the ending is unpredictable.

The adventure was engrossingly easy to fall prey to , and the romance was just phenomenal!.

Meet Alice. Yes, in Wonderland. But not quite...

As an adult, Alice is left to her own devices at an asylum in England. She is to be released soon, for which she has made progress concerning her 'Wonderland' infatuation. But apparently she is in for a whole lot more adventures when a man by the name of Abraham Van Brunt comes by for a visit, informing her of the danger Wonderland will be subjected to in the near future. She must decide whether or not this is the truth and if so, what she must do in order to save Wonderland.

Overall, I was so enthralled in this book, I could not get enough of these so-called well-known characters when really they are so much more. Emotionally invested would probably be the best way I can explain how I feel about this story.

In a nutshell: I am totally getting this tattooed!.

In paginis mundus inveminus, in verbil vatim inveminus




Displaying TCS Teaser 1.png


Excerpt:



“Do you find my ability to converse lacking, Doctor?” 
He chuckles softly, no doubt remembering how I wasn’t chatty with anyone, himself included, for the first month of my stay. To be fair, it is difficult to carry on an invigorating discussion when one is shaking so hard from withdrawals they fear they might shatter into thousands of painful pieces before a single word can be uttered. Plus, there was the whole bit of how once I did open up, I raved liked a lunatic about things no normal person could imagine being true. 
“Certainly not,” he says to me. “But as I must stay at the Pleasance and you must go forth into the world, it will do you good to practice on somebody new.” 
“Then send in one of the orderlies. Or one of the nurses. I’ll happily chat with a staff member.” 
One of his bushy, out-of-control eyebrows lifts high into his forehead. 
“There are people out there who are quite content being solitary,” I point out. 
“Who do not need to converse with anybody but themselves
and their dogs.” 
He sets his pen down. “What about cats?” 
Rigor mortis sets in ever so briefly at this question. 
“You father said you were quite fond of cats growing up. There was one in particular that you favored. Dinah, was it not?” 
“I’m—” I have to clear my throat. “Lately, I wonder if perhaps I’m more of a dog person after all.”

Displaying TCS Teaser 2.gif





About the Author:


Displaying Author Photo.jpgHeather Lyons has always had a thing for words—she’s been writing stories since she was a kid. In addition to writing, she’s also been an archaeologist and a teacher. Heather is a rabid music fan, as evidenced by her (mostly) music-centric blog, and she’s married to an even larger music snob. They’re happily raising three kids who are mini music fiends who love to read and be read to.



Connect with Heather









Displaying TCS Available now.jpg

Buy Links


Amazon | iTunes | Kobo








Tuesday, November 11, 2014

Blog Tour: Review: The Book of Ivy **GIVEAWAY** + Trailer

Blog Tour: Review: The Book of Ivy by Amy Engel **GIVEAWAY** +Trailer 


This was mind-boggling, breathtaking, heartbreaking, intriguing, intense, and thrilling to the bone!



After a brutal nuclear war, the United States was left decimated. A small group of survivors eventually banded together, but only after more conflict over which family would govern the new nation. The Westfalls lost. Fifty years later, peace and control are maintained by marrying the daughters of the losing side to the sons of the winning group in a yearly ritual. 
This year, it is my turn. 
My name is Ivy Westfall, and my mission is simple: to kill the president’s son—my soon-to-be husband—and restore the Westfall family to power. 
But Bishop Lattimer is either a very skilled actor or he’s not the cruel, heartless boy my family warned me to expect. He might even be the one person in this world who truly understands me. 
But there is no escape from my fate. I am the only one who can restore the Westfall legacy. 
Because Bishop must die. And I must be the one to kill him...

:*:・。,★゜・:*:・。,★゜・:*:・。,★゜・:*:・。,★゜・:*:・。,★゜・:*:・。,★゜・:*:・




★★★★★

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



Argh!. What a story!!!!!



This wondrous story takes place in the near future, after the world as we know it is utterly destroyed, and turned into complete chaos. There are survivors. Those survivors found a place to reside in and thus, over time, became the new "nation" as it is so called with the population of approximately eleven thousand. The way things work in this society is the new orthodox. And one of those "traditions" is arranged marriages amongst teenagers in order to reproduce and continue the growing population. The story follows a girl, being the founder's daughter, whom is to marry the President's son. Their two families are at odds, to put it lightly, with one another because one is in power, while the other is not. The rest is basically self-explanatory.

The plot was so good, there were many scenes that were invigorating, fangirl-inducing, uplifting, and down right unbelievable. The character development was so spot on, each character seemed so real, some were intense, others were completely down to earth.
The main characters, Bishop and Ivy, were just troopers, and Bishop literally a boy-scout to the bone. I loved them so much. Their connection grows every turn of the page and that was what I really liked about there situation. I got to learn there characters along with them learning about each other.
There was one person, okay two, but the one I am willing to mention is Callie. She is the character that I truly despised, completely. And I have a sister so I know what it's like.

Throughout the whole story, this reminding me of the Hunger Games, Vampire Academy (the trial scene), and Outlander (the fangirl-inducing scene), and Romeo and Juliet, I know, such an odd combination, but that was what popped into my head at times while reading.
However, that did not, in any way, take away my full reading experience. I am able to think and read this story on its own spine(I would've said two feet but a book doesn't have any).

The ending, let me tell you, was just perfect. A perfect place to end things, literally leaving me mad that I was even more engrossed into the happenings of the story that I suddenly get cut off from my mind-projected movie reel. I do not think of this as a cliff-hanger because I myself cannot think of any other place to end the story.

Overall, I had an amazing time reading this book and following Ivy and seeing her become more her own person and her ability to love and overpower hate. 





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About the Author:



Displaying amy engel.jpgAmy Engel was born in Kansas and after a childhood spent bouncing between countries (Iran, Taiwan) and states (Kansas; California; Missouri; Washington, D.C.), she settled in Kansas City, Missouri, where she lives with her husband and two kids. Before devoting herself full-time to motherhood and writing, she was a criminal defense attorney, which is not quite as exciting as it looks on TV. When she has a free moment, she can usually be found reading, running, or shoe shopping. The Book of Ivy is her debut YA novel. Find her online at http://amyengel.net/ or @aengelwrites.









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