28 April, 2014

Announcement: BookJunkie Virtual Tours

Hey guys! I'm sure you've noticed I do a lot of blog tours with Amy over at Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours! She's a really lovely person to work with and always extremely professional at getting things handled in a timely manner. Well, she's just opened a new Virtual Book Tour site, BookJunkie!

If you enjoy reading and reviewing any of the following genres, she'd love to work with you!

• Chick-Lit
• Christian/Inspirational Fiction
• Contemporary Fiction
• Erotica
• General Fiction
• Historical Fiction (see our sister company, Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours)
• LGBT
• Middle Age Fiction
• Mystery
• New Adult Fiction
• Non-Fiction
• Romance
• Suspense/Thrillers
• YA Fiction

Wanna be a tour host? You can sign up right here.

Review: Inceptio (Roma Nova #1) by Alison Morton

17328184

GoodReads.com Summary:

New York, present day, alternate reality. Karen Brown, angry and frightened after a kidnap attempt, has a choice - being eliminated by government enforcer Jeffery Renschman or fleeing to mysterious Roma Nova, her dead mother's homeland in Europe.

Founded sixteen centuries ago by Roman exiles and ruled by women, Roma Nova gives Karen safety, at a price, and a ready-made family. Just as she's finding her feet, a shocking discovery about her new lover, special forces officer Conrad Tellus, isolates her.

But the enforcer has crossed to Europe to pursue her. Unable to rely on anybody else, she undergoes intensive training, develops fighting skills and becomes an undercover cop. But crazy with bitterness at his past failures, Renschman sets a trap for her, knowing she has no choice but to spring it...

An alternate history adventure, first in the Roma Nova series


Review:

Series: Roma Nova #1
Genre: Historical Fiction/Thriller
Release Date: 1 March, 2013
Publisher:  Silverwood Books
Purchase: Amazon
ISBN: 9781781320624
Edition: Kindle
Rating: 
Review Written: 28 April, 2014


25 April, 2014

Book Tour Review: Justice Buried by Hilary Thompson

Displaying justiceburiedblogtour.png


 BOOK DESCRIPTION:


Displaying JusticeBuried.v3.jpgThe people need Justice, but she's not listening. One hundred years before, the Great Sickness reduced the world to three cities. Now the community of Asphodel is trapped underground, waiting for the prophesied maiden of Justice to return and save them from their Fates. 

Sixteen-year-old Astrea is supposed to be this savior - too bad for them she isn't a believer. Trea fights against her false destiny: she rebels against her family and friends, then refuses her arranged marriage to the charming but deceitful Lexan. Learning her life is in danger, Trea is forced to trust Lexan - until she discovers a power she never knew she had, and one he already knew he did. 

As betrayal closes every door, Trea decides she must submit to her stars and accept her fate. Then a handsome stranger offers her an unexpected escape and the chance to create her own destiny.



Displaying hilarythompson.jpgABOUT THE AUTHOR


Hilary Thompson is an independently-published author who released her debut Young Adult novel, Justice Buried, in January, 2014. Justice Buried is the first in a dystopian fantasy series incorporating mythology and astrology, with the second full-length title due later in 2014.


She also teaches high school English, which gives her some insight into her target audience, and helps her maintain a thick skin.

Hook up with Hilary Thompson at:

Don't forget to enter our Rafflecopter giveaway to win a free copy of Justice Buried.

Review:

Series: Starbright #1
Release Date: 15 January, 2014
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
Purchase: Amazon
ISBN: 9781494833299
Edition: Kindle
Rating: 
Review Written: 17 April, 2014

23 April, 2014

Book Blitz: Five Out of the Pit by Holli Anderson

Displaying FiveOutofthePitBlitzBanner1.png

Book Details:

Displaying FivePit.jpgFive Out of the Pit by Holli Anderson
Series: Five #2
Published by: Curiosity Quills Press
Publication date: March 31st 2014
Genres: Paranormal, Young Adult

Synopsis:
The Five find their way to Moab, Utah where, before they’re even settled in, evil finds them.

As Paige fights to keep from succumbing to the pull of an Incubus that has her marked as his next conquest, Johnathan seeks to find a way to rid her of a curse she willingly accepted in order to save him.

A surprising revelation initiates a long-awaited, yet unexpected, reunion for Alec who discovers a new magical talent he possesses.

The FIVE, along with their mentor, Joe, must figure out what was meant by the last words of a Demon as it was sent back to the Netherworld—a promise of Gathering darkness—and stop the evil before it’s unleashed on the small town of Moab. And, the world.

AUTHOR BIO
Displaying Holli.jpgHolli Anderson has a Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing—which has nothing to do with writing, except maybe by adding some pretty descriptive injury and vomit scenes to her books. She discovered her joy of writing during a very trying period in her life when escaping into make-believe saved her. She enjoys reading any book she gets her hands on, but has a particular love for anything fantasy.

Along with her husband, Steve, and their four sons, she lives in Grantsville, Utah—the same small town in which she grew up.

Author Links:

Excerpt:

20 April, 2014

Liebster Award!


Hi guys! The purpose of this award is to support new bloggers who have less than 200 followers. 'Liebster' means 'nicest, dearest, or sweetest' (etc.) in German. The award is a great way to spread the word about awesome up-and-coming bloggers!

RULES FOR ACCEPTING THE AWARD:

  • link back to the blog that nominated you
  • answer the questions they asked on their post
  • nominate ten other blogs for the award and make sure to let them know (with a link to your post)
  • ask ten questions for the blogs you nominate to answer
  • share some random facts about yourself

HERE ARE THE QUESTIONS I GET TO ANSWER:
  1. When and why did you start blogging?

    I started blogging in August of 2013. I decided I needed something more to make me stand out from the rest of the librarian pool out there. Thankfully it's seemed to work.
  2. What is your favorite color?

    I'd definitely have to say blue.
  3. What's your favorite type of book?

    Historical Fiction seems to be a genre I enjoy a lot, I also really love science fiction and High Fantasy too. Though to be honest, if the book hooks me within the first 100 pages, I'm going to probably be sold on it.
  4. What is your favorite city?

    Mmm, Vienna was really pretty and I loved Salzburg. I wish I could go back to either of those.
  5. What desserts do you like?

    Things involving fruits or marshmallows. Pies. Cakes. Anything sweet is nice as long as there's no coconut involved.
  6. Reading or/and writing?

    Both please! 
  7. Any hobbies besides reading?

    I enjoy drawing, writing, sewing, cooking, gaming... there's a whole plethora of things I enjoy doing!
  8. If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

    I really love the way I am, but I would change my motivational drive a bit.
  9. If you could live forever, would you- and why?

    Mmm, that's a tough call. It'd be tempting, but then you get into the fact that everyone you love is eventually going to die, and when people start realizing that you're not aging and they are, you have to move on. It also raises the question of whether or not you have unlimited funds as I'm sure at some point you'd have to change your name a fair number of times so people stop realizing how old you actually are. So, I guess I don't have a good answer for this since I'm going to be philosophical about it.
  10. How many books are on your to-be-read shelf?

    805? And that's not counting all of the ones that I have in my own collection that just haven't made it on there yet.
Random Facts about Me:
  • I have one cat and she's a handful. I spoil her a lot and buy her things she probably doesn't need like stuffed ducks and lots of treats. I wouldn't trade her for anything in the world though.
  • I work as a Children's and Young Adult librarian in a public library. 
  • I have so much tea that it almost takes up one entire shelf in my cupboard/pantry space. 
  • I love animated films, especially Disney, Pixar, and Dreamworks. 
  • Starting in the middle of series really bothers me. I've actually purchased copies of the first books in series before just to read them before I read the other novels for book tours. 
  • Rise of the Guardians is one of my favorite movies right alongside Brave and Beauty and the Beast.
MY NOMINEES:

QUESTIONS FOR MY NOMINEES:
  1. When and why did you start blogging?
  2. What's your favorite book?
  3. What's recently been read on your bookshelf?
  4. Do you have a favorite book to movie translation?
  5. Has blogging helped you in your professional career?
  6. Favorite season?
  7. Favorite Literary Character?
  8. Favorite Genre?
  9. Name a favorite Literary Villain.
  10. Any pets?
That's it! Congrats to those who I nominated, and read the rules before posting! (and also post the link to your answers on my blog so I can see them!)

16 April, 2014

Book Tour Review: Night in Shanghai by Nicole Mones

Displaying Night in Shanghai_Tour Banner_FINAL.png



Book Summary:

Displaying 02_Night in Shanghai.jpg
Formats: Hardcover, eBook
Genre: Historical Fiction
In 1936, classical pianist Thomas Greene is recruited to Shanghai to lead a jazz orchestra of fellow African-American expats. From being flat broke in segregated Baltimore to living in a mansion with servants of his own, he becomes the toast of a city obsessed with music, money, pleasure and power, even as it ignores the rising winds of war.
Song Yuhua is refined, educated, and bonded since age eighteen to Shanghai’s most powerful crime boss in payment for her father’s gambling debts. Outwardly submissive, she burns with rage and risks her life spying on her master for the Communist Party.
Only when Shanghai is shattered by the Japanese invasion do Song and Thomas find their way to each other. Though their union is forbidden, neither can back down from it in the turbulent years of occupation and resistance that follow. Torn between music and survival, freedom and commitment, love and world war, they are borne on an irresistible riff of melody and improvisation to Night in Shanghai’s final, impossible choice.
In this impressively researched novel, Nicole Mones not only tells the forgotten story of black musicians in the Chinese Jazz age, but also weaves in a stunning true tale of Holocaust heroism little-known in the West.

Praise for Night in Shanghai

“Based on true episodes and peppered with the lives and experiences of actual characters from the worlds of politics, music, the military, and the government, Mones’ engrossing historical novel illuminates the danger, depravity, and drama of this dark period with brave authenticity.” — Carol Haggas, Booklist
“Mones’ breathless and enlightening account of an African-American jazzman and his circle in prewar Shanghai… keep(s) the suspense mounting until the end.” — Kirkus Reviews
“Amid the plethora of World War II fiction, Mones’s fourth novel (after The Last Chinese Chef) offers a rarely seen African American and Asian perspective. Fans of works such as Amor Towles’s Rules of Civility will appreciate the use of jazz as the backdrop to a world at war. Historical fiction fans will not be disappointed.” — Library Journal
“With a magician’s sleight of hand, Nicole Mones conjures up the jazz-filled, complex, turbulent world of Shanghai just before World War II. A feast for the senses…the lives and loves of expatriate musicians intertwine with the growing tensions between the Communist Party and the Nationalist Party, while the ominous threats from the Japanese stir the winds of war. A rich and thoroughly captivating read.” – Gail Tsukiyama, author of The Samurai’s Garden
“What an incredible thing Mones does in this novel of the compelling, sexy, rich and complicated world of historical Shanghai. Every page reveals some custom, some costume, some food, some trick of language that exposes a fascinating moment in history — the Japanese invasion on the eve of World War II. Mones weaves the multiple strands of her story much the way themes and melodies are woven into the jazz her protagonist plays, with subtle and suggestive undertones of human greed, power, and passion.” – Marisa Silver, author of Mary Coin

Buy the Book

About the Author

Displaying 03_Nicole Mones.jpgA newly launched textile business took Nicole Mones to China for the first time in 1977, after the end of the Cultural Revolution. As an individual she traded textiles with China for eighteen years before she turned to writing about that country. Her novels Night in Shanghai, The Last Chinese Chef, Lost in Translation and A Cup of Light are in print in more than twenty-two languages and have received multiple juried prizes, including the Kafka Prize (year’s best work of fiction by any American woman) and Kiriyama Prize (finalist; for the work of fiction which best enhances understanding of any Pacific Rim Culture).
Mones’ nonfiction writing on China has also appeared in the New York Times Magazine, Gourmet, the Los Angeles Times, and the Washington Post. She is a member of the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations. For more information visir www.nicolemones.com

Virtual Book Tour Schedule

Monday, April 7
Review at Ageless Pages Reviews
Tuesday, April 8
Spotlight & Giveaway at The Bookworm
Wednesday, April 9
Review at Flashlight Commentary
Thursday, April 10
Review at Oh, for the Hook of a Book
Friday, April 11
Interview at Oh, for the Hook of a Book
Monday, April 14
Review & Giveaway at A Lovely Bookshelf on the Wall
Tuesday, April 15
Review, Interview, & Giveaway at Drey’s Library
Wednesday, April 16
Review at A Bibliotaph’s Reviews
Friday, April 18
Review & Giveaway at Our Wolves Den
Monday, April 21
Guest Post at Jorie Loves a Story
Review at WTF Are You Reading?
Tuesday, April 22
Spotlight & Giveaway at Passages to the Past
Wednesday, April 23
Review at Jorie Loves a Story
Thursday, April 24
Interview at Mina’s Bookshelf
Friday, April 25
Guest Post & Giveaway at Bibliophilia, Please
Monday, April 28
Review at Svetlana’s Reads and Views

Review:

Series: N/A
Release Date: 4 March, 2014
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
ISBN: 9780547516172
Edition: Hardback
Rating: 
Review Written: 15 April, 2014

11 April, 2014

Announcement: Alabama Book Festival


What it is: 
Saturday, April 19, 2014
 Free Admission

The ninth annual Alabama Book Festival will be in historic downtown Montgomery at Old Alabama Town on Saturday, April 19, 2014, with approximately 50 authors and more than 40 vendors and exhibitors. This free public event is the state’s premier book festival, with some 5,000 people from around the state and the southeast converging in the capital to meet with and hear from their favorite authors and scholars. A  children’s activity area is sure to make this a day of fun for the entire family. The 2014 Festival will continue the tradition of promoting reading and  literacy to Alabamians of all ages and backgrounds while helping to continue celebrating the Year of Alabama Parks.

If you happen to be in the Montgomery area on Saturday, April 19th, you should come on down to Old Alabama Town and check it out. The Montgomery City-County Public Library will have a place there along with many authors and writers. There will be free writing workshops, a scavenger hunt, children's activities, and much more. As I said, I encourage anyone who's in the Montgomery Area to attend. 

Book Tour Review: The Winter Siege by D.W. Bradbridge

Displaying The Winter Siege Tour Two_Banner _FINAL.png


Book Summary:

Displaying The Winter Siege.jpgPublication Date: October 1, 2013
Electric Reads
Paperback; 488p
ISBN-10: 1492795712



1643. The armies of King Charles I and Parliament clash in the streets and fields of England, threatening to tear the country apart, as winter closes in around the parliamentary stronghold of Nantwich. The royalists have pillaged the town before, and now, they are returning. But even with weeks to prepare before the Civil War is once more at its gates, that doesn’t mean the people of Nantwich are safe.
While the garrison of soldiers commanded by Colonel George Booth stand guard, the town’s residents wait, eyeing the outside world with unease, unaware that they face a deadly threat from within. Townspeople are being murdered – the red sashes of the royalists left on the bodies marking them as traitors to the parliamentary cause.
When the first dead man is found, his skull caved in with a rock, fingers start being pointed, and old hatreds rise to the surface. It falls to Constable Daniel Cheswis to contain the bloodshed, deputising his friend, Alexander Clowes, to help him in his investigations, carried out with the eyes of both armies on his back. And they are not the only ones watching him.
He is surrounded by enemies, and between preparing for the imminent battle, watching over his family, being reunited with his long-lost sweetheart, and trying, somehow, to stay in business, he barely has time to solve a murder.
With few clues and the constant distraction of war, can Cheswis protect the people of Nantwich? And which among them need protecting? Whether they are old friends or troubled family, in these treacherous times, everyone’s a traitor, in war, law, or love.
When the Winter Siege is through, who will be among the bodies?

Buy the Book

About the Author

D.W. Bradbridge was born in 1960 and grew up in Bolton. He has lived in Crewe, Cheshire since 2000, where he and his wife run a small magazine publishing business for the automotive industry.
“The inspiration for The Winter Siege came from a long-standing interest in genealogy and local history. My research led me to the realisation that the experience endured by the people of Nantwich during December and January 1643-44 was a story worth telling. I also realised that the closed, tension-filled environment of the month-long siege provided the ideal setting for a crime novel.
“History is a fascinating tool for the novelist. It consists only of what is remembered and written down, and contemporary accounts are often written by those who have their own stories to tell. But what about those stories which were forgotten and became lost in the mists of time?
“In writing The Winter Siege, my aim was to take the framework of real history and fill in the gaps with a story of what could, or might have happened. Is it history or fiction? It’s for the reader to decide.”
For more information please visit D.W. Bradbridge’s website. You can also find him on Facebook and follow him on Twitter.

Virtual Book Tour Schedule

Monday, April 7 Spotlight & Giveaway at Passages to the Past
Tuesday, April 8 Review at Must Read Faster
Wednesday, April 9 Review at Staircase Wit
Friday, April 11 Review at A Bibliotaph’s Reviews
Monday, April 14 Review at Princess of Eboli
Wednesday, April 16 Review at Caroline Wilson Writes
Interview at Layered Pages
Thursday, April 17 Interview at MK McClintock Blog
Review & Giveaway at Unabridged Chick
Friday, April 18 Review at bookramblings
Review at Svetlana’s Reads and Views

Review:

Series: N/A
Release Date: 23 September, 2013
Publisher:  CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
Purchase: Amazon
ISBN: 9781492795711
Edition: Paperback
Rating: 
Review Written: 10 April, 2014

09 April, 2014

Book Blitz: Unearthed by Rachael Wade

Displaying UnearthedBlitzBanner.png


Book & Author Details:


Displaying Unearthed.jpgUnearthed by Rachael Wade
(The Resistance Trilogy #4)
Publication date: August 25th 2013
Genres: Paranormal, Young Adult

Synopsis:
*Warning*
This is a short novella (approximately 25,000 words) and is intended to be read after The Tragedy of Knowledge. It takes place after the events of The Resistance Trilogy.

For Gavin and Camille, the Amaranthian war is over. But they’ve evolved since then, and so has the realm they’ve come to know as home. Now comfortable and happy in their new life, they soon discover that something groundbreaking is brewing, threatening to disrupt the peace they’ve worked so hard to secure. And whether they’re prepared or not, it’s about to be unearthed.
----


Displaying Rachael.jpgAUTHOR BIO

Rachael Wade writes edgy New Adult and Adult romance and science fiction. She is the author of the Amazon bestselling PRESERVATION SERIES, THE REPLACEMENT, and LOVE AND RELATIVITY, as well as the paranormal romance series THE RESISTANCE TRILOGY. When she's not writing, she's busy going to concerts, watching too many movies, and learning how to protect animals and the environment. She's an avid Brandi Carlile fan and loves all things Tim Burton. Visit her at RachaelWade.com and LightsOnLove.com, and come chat with her on Twitter @RachaelWade.






Excerpt:

07 April, 2014

Review: The Maze Runner by James Dashner

6186357

GoodReads Summary:

"If you ain't scared, you ain't human." 

When Thomas wakes up in the lift, the only thing he can remember is his name. He's surrounded by strangers--boys whose memories are also gone.

Outside the towering stone walls that surround the Glade is a limitless, ever-changing maze. It's the only way out--and no one's ever made it through alive.

Then a girl arrives. The first girl ever. And the message she delivers is terrifying.

Review:

Series: The Maze Runner #1
Release Date: 6 October, 2009
Publisher:  Delacorte Press
Purchase: Amazon
ISBN: 0385737947
Edition: Kindle
Rating: 
Review Written: 7 April, 2014