Book Blast: Unstrung by Kendra C. Highley + Giveaway

 Lexa Pate, seventeen-year-old thief extraordinaire, has burned a bridge or two in her life. You don’t make a career out of stealing other people’s property without making enemies. When a risky job goes from bad to worse, Lexa and her adopted family find themselves on Precipice Corporation’s hit list because they’ve accidentally stolen the wrong thing—plans for a new model of genetically engineered super humans. Now, every bounty hunter, cop on the take, and snitch in the city is after them. Lexa’s world crumbles around her as she fights to keep her family safe even as someone strolls out of her forgotten past. Quinn claims to know who Lexa really is, but can she trust a stranger she met while robbing his boss? More importantly, does she really want to know what Quinn has to tell her? Based on the fairy tale Pinocchio, UNSTRUNG takes you into a near future world where the lines between fake and real are blurred, all that’s pristine isn’t always innocent, and being a criminal isn’t always wrong.

Amazon * Barnes & Noble * Smashwords * iTunes

 

Author Kendra C. Highley

Kendra C. Highley lives in north Texas with her husband and two children. She also serves as staff to two self-important and high-powered cats. This, according to the cats, is her most important job. She believes chocolate is a basic human right, running a 10k is harder than it sounds, and that everyone should learn to drive a stick-shift. She loves monsters, vacations, baking and listening to bad electronica.

Pinterest * Goodreads * Website
Twitter * Facebook

Thoughts from the blogger: It's based on the fairy tale of Pinocchio! That definitely peaked my interest. I can't wait to see what it's like. Enjoy the giveaway you guys!

    BookBlast Giveaway $50 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash Ends 11/2/14 Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. 

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Win The Rings Virtual Book Tour + Author Interview

Hello! Welcome to my stop of the Win The Rings Virtual Book tour. Scroll down to see an excerpt of Win The Rings, an author interview, and then comment.  One randomly chosen commenter will win a $50 Amazon/BN.com gift card. Good luck! :)

Jace has been the property of the U.S. Army since they found out about her when she was five, and now she has become one of its most valuable weapons. But Jace is not the only one of her kind. Gray is one too, but with the help of his sister, he has spent most of his sixteen years hiding from the Army.

Now, the Army has found out about Gray and they cannot allow him to roam free. Operating on the theory that it takes one to catch one, Jace is send out with a special ops squad to hunt Gray down. But Jace is not the only one pursuing Gray, and the competition is after her too. What ensues is a desperate chase through city after city as duty and honor collide with love and sacrifice.

Amazon * Goodreads*  Video Trailer

Excerpt:

Chapter 7

Jace

I’m standing outside the boy’s lounge, out of sight, waiting for Max to signal to me. The dorms conveniently have two TV lounges, which long ago were apportioned one to the girls and one to the boys. Management allows us access to televisions, and all of us have requisitioned one for our rooms, but the channels are restricted—we only get ten. The reason for this, we think, is that ten channels are all management is capable of monitoring. We know they monitor the feeds because occasionally a particular channel will go dark for an hour, or maybe thirty seconds in the case of a commercial management finds offensive. Still, what TV we get is enough to give us a treasured window onto the outside world.

The TV lounges have rules. The boys—that would be Max—makes the rules for their lounge, and the girls—that would be me—make the rules for our lounge. One rule we have in common is that guys and girls can’t enter the other lounge without an invitation. The boys haven’t invited me into their lounge in years, not since Adelee and I led a group of girls on a surprise strike on their lounge one night, taking down a dozen or so of them. Hey, we had to do it; they hit us first and had it coming. Adelee was eighteen at the time, and little twelve-year-old me was her prodigy—God, she was tough as nails. She graduated a while back and I officially took over leadership of the girls, much to the carping and objections of some of the older girls.

I’m here with Carmen and Nessie, who are the closest thing I have to friends. Carmen and I have our issues, but she’s as protective of the girls as I am, so in dealing with the boys she always has my back. She’s a slender Asian girl with long, silky black hair that hangs almost to her waist, but her petite body is deceptive. She’s almost as fast as I am and totally lethal. Nessie, on the other hand, is a pouty little flirt whom I tolerate only because she’s Carmen’s lieutenant, and she fights hard.

I hear a cacophony of voices around the corner in the lounge along with some raucous laughter. Then I hear Max’s voice.

“Okay, settle down,” Max says. “Let’s get down to business.”

“You sure we can trust Max?” Carmen whispers to me.

“He’s a dirtbag,” Nessie snarls.

“Relax,” I say. “Let’s give him a chance.” In the back of my mind, a small voice tells me they’re right and that I’m an idiot to trust him, but I squelch it and stay put.

“We’ve got a special visitor tonight,” Max says to a now-quiet crowd. “She has safe passage. Anybody tries anything, you’ll wish you were dead.” More silence. “Jace, come in.”

I turn the corner and enter the lounge filled with boys sitting on couches, recliners and the floor, all with hatred in their eyes when they see me. Carmen and Nessie follow a step behind, one on either side of me. Immediately, a wave of hisses and boos erupt, and someone lobs handfuls of popcorn at me, until Max rushes over and kicks the bowl out of the guy’s arms sending an explosion of the white stuff into the air.

“Behave,” Max thunders.

The room goes silent again.

“I’m here to listen,” I say to the room full of hostile eyes. “So, let’s talk.”

Viraj Smith immediately shoots to his feet. His last name isn’t really Smith. I don’t know what it is. All of us are given new surnames when we arrive here, as if to reinforce the point that the old us is dead and cremated. Viraj is one of the brainiacs here—so nerdy and geeky that just the sight of him makes me struggle not to laugh. But, next to Max, he’s the best fighter among the guys, so I respect him for that.

“Jace, you can’t lock us out of the pool every time the girls want to swim,” Viraj says, his voice tense with anger.

“Yeah, Mason wants to see Brittany in her bikini,” someone shouts.

Prologue Reveal: How to Get Ainsley Bishop to Fall in Love with You

Prologue Reveal

Today we get a sneak peek at How to Get Ainsley Bishop to Fall in Love with You - a sweet, fun YA romance, coming soon  from T.M. Franklin. Don't forget to scroll down to enter the giveaway for a signed ARC, plus some other fun prizes!

How to Get Ainsley Bishop to Fall in Love with You will be released June 12th.

Ainsley is Now Available for Pre-Order!

Amazon (Paperback only, for now)

Barnes & Noble (Paperback & Nook)

iTunes

Kobo

TWCS 

Add Ainsley to Your Goodreads Shelf

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T.M. Franklin started out her career writing non-fiction in a television newsroom. Graduating with a B.A. in Communications specializing in broadcast journalism and production, she worked for nine years as a major market television news producer, and garnered two regional Emmy Awards, before she resigned to be a full-time mom and part-time freelance writer. Her first published novel, MORE, was born during National Novel Writing month, a challenge to write a novel in thirty days. MORE was well-received, being selected as a finalist in the 2013 Kindle Book Review Best Indie Book Awards, as well as winning the Suspense/Thriller division of the Blogger Book Fair Reader’s Choice Awards.
In addition to MORE and its sequel, The Guardians, Franklin penned the Amazon best-selling short stories A Piece of Cake and Window, which also won a Blogger Book Fair Reader’s Choice Award for Short Story/Fantasy. Her new YA romance, How to Get Ainsley Bishop to Fall in Love with You, is Franklin’s first love story without a paranormal or fantasy element, although she believes love is the best kind of magic.
TWELVE, the final installment in the MORE Trilogy will be released in the fall of 2014.

Connect with T.M. Franklin

Website | E-mail | Facebook | Twitter

Book Blitz: A Dangerous Madness

It's RELEASE DAY for Michelle Diener's third book in her Regency London Series, 
A Dangerous Madness!

A Dangerous Madness

by Michelle Diener

Adult Historical

May 19th 2014

The Duke of Wittaker has been living a lie...
He’s been spying on the dissolute, discontented noblemen of the ton, pretending to share their views. Now he’s ready to step out of the shadows and start living a real life...but when the prime minister of England is assassinated, he's asked to go back to being the rake-hell duke everyone believes he still is to find out more.
Miss Phoebe Hillier has been living a lie, too...
All her life she's played by society's rules, hiding her fierce intelligence and love of life behind a docile and decorous mask. All it's gotten her is jilted by her betrothed, a man she thought a fool, though a harmless one. But when she discovers her former fiancé was involved in the plot against the prime minister, and that he's been murdered, she realizes he wasn't so harmless after all.
And now the killers have set their sights on her...
The only man who can help her is the Duke of Wittaker--a man she knows she shouldn't trust. And she soon realizes he's hiding behind a mask as careful as her own. As the clock ticks down to the assassin's trial, the pair scramble to uncover the real conspiracy behind the prime minister's death. And as the pressure and the danger mounts, Phoebe and Wittaker shed their disguises, layer by layer, to discover something more precious than either imagined–something that could last forever. Unless the conspirators desperate to hide their tracks get to them first.

Amazon * Kindle * iTunes * Kobo * Barnes&Noble

SPECIAL OFFER

It just so happens that In Defense of the Queen, one of the Tudor-set historicals, is on special offer at the moment on Amazon, down to $0.99 from $4.99. The offer ends on May 24th, so if you like historicals with twists, turns and a lot of suspense, be sure to grab a copy.

Connections

I am so excited that my historical novel, A Dangerous Madness, releases today. A Dangerous Madness is set during the Regency period in London, and the plot revolves around the assassination of the British prime minister, Spencer Perceval.

A Dangerous Madness stands alone, but it is also connected to two other of my historical novels, The Emperor's Conspiracy and Banquet of Lies. The fun part of connecting the novels for me was to revisit characters I love from the previous two books (which are also connected to each other) but introducing those characters so that a reader of A Dangerous Madness doesn't have to have read the other two books to understand them. The characters have to stand alone, as much as the books do. But for those readers who have read either one or both of the previous books, they'll see those characters again, and learn a little about what has happened to them since the last book.

I've had so many readers contact me and comment on how much they enjoyed catching a glimpse of one or other of their favorite characters, which I really love. And quite a few people who read Banquet of Lies went back to read The Emperor's Conspiracy, and told me they found it equally satisfying, so readers don't have to read the books in any particular order.

In this way, connected books are more versatile than a series, because most people are hesitant to read a series out of order, and I totally understand that. I also love that so many people wrote to me after Banquet of Lies, asking if the Duke of Wittaker would get his own story. It was very satisfying to tell them I had started working on it straight after I finished Banquet of Lies. :)

From the beginning of Banquet of Lies, the Duke of Wittaker is mentioned by various characters again and again, although readers only 'meet' him near the very end. But when he did arrive on the scene, he made a real impact. I wrote and rewrote the scenes with him in them, because he really shone as a character and I wanted to do him justice. I loved that readers felt the same way, and those who read Banquet of Lies and have been waiting for their Duke of Wittaker fix, I hope they enjoy A Dangerous Madness as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Michelle Diener writes historical fiction. Her Susanna Horenbout & John Parker series, set in the court of Henry VIII, includes In a Treacherous Court, Keeper of the King's Secrets and In Defense of the Queen.

Michelle's other historical novels include Daughter of the Sky, The Emperor's Conspiracy and Banquet of Lies (loosely connected to The Emperor's Conspiracy).

Michelle's first fantasy novel, Mistress of the Wind, is set for a December 23, 2013, release.

Michelle was born in London, grew up in South Africa and currently lives in Australia with her husband and two children.

Goodreads * Amazon * Website * Twitter * Facebook

Blitz-Wide Giveaways:

Grand Prize: Print copies of The Emperor's Conspiracy, Banquet of Lies, and A Dangerous Madness
5 Print or Kindle copies (winner's choice) of A Dangerous Madness
Both giveaway are open internationally.
May 19th - 26th
See Rafflecopter for restrictions.

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Book Blast: Marriage isn't for you + Giveaway

  Marriage Isn't For You: It's for the One You Love
What is the best wedding advice you ever received? For author Seth Adam Smith, it was the advice from his father who said, Marriage is not for you. It is about the person you marry. These few words completely changed the way Seth looked at his relationship with his wife-to-be. Because at that moment he realized that an expression of love is not about the person expressing it. Rather, it is about the person they choose to be with. It is about making the person you marry feel loved. Seth's blog post on the subject was viewed by more than twenty-seven million people, and he has been featured on several national TV programs including The Today Show. Now released as a hardcover book, these sage words make the perfect gift for newly married couples, those who have been around the block a few times, or anyone who wants to learn how to make their relationships stronger. Praise for Marriage Isn't for You This is raw, this is real...it reflects what a lot of couples experience... it pulls you in. ~ --TODAY Show ...a tender, honest story. ~ --TODAY.com ...overwhelmingly heartfelt and touching admission. ~ ABC NEWS This story has become a viral sensation! ~ --The NY Daily News The Internet is loaded with marriage advice, but rarely does one single tidbit resonate strongly with so many people. ~ --Yahoo Lifestyle

Amazon

About the Author

SETH ADAM SMITH was born in Anchorage, Alaska. Since 2004, he has produced videos and articles for businesses, nonprofit organizations, youth groups, artists, and political causes. He is the editor-in-chief of ForwardWalking.com. He and his wife, Kim, live in Florida.

Website| Twitter |Facebook

Blast Giveaway 

 $50 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash 

 Ends 5/31/14 

 Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.    

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Winter Teasers

(Edit: I also have Winter Teasers Part 2 up and running if you're finished with this post and want more :P)

Ok. So don't yell at me guys. I know I haven't been "blogging" per se, but I've still been working on the blog, so that counts. Haha! I added a new page that shows off how much of a Jane Austen junkie I am. I missed blogging about Valentine's Day, but I spent it reminiscing about Emperor Kai's moments in Cress...oh yeah, and eating lots and lots of chocolate! :) Yum!

Well, I love teasers! Why, you ask? Well, it seems that even though I'm already dying for the book to come out, I want the teasers so I can want the book even more. Makes sense? No? Well, I guess it's just me  (doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me, either). So what book do I just NEED right now: Winter by Marissa Meyer!

I've now read all three books in the Lunar Chronicles and I am completely smitten with the series. It almost seems that I've dedicated this whole blog to the series. I read other things as well, guys, I promise. 

Well, as usual, whenever I really want a book, I search the net for all sorts of information on it. This is what showed up for Winter by Marissa Meyer...which doesn't come out till 2015. *tears of sadness*

It's hard to do this without spoilers, so I had to limit my findings. Sorries! :)


1. It seems that unlike Queen Levana, Winter is actually loved by the people of Luna, which Queen Levana hates, so she orders a certain someone to get rid of Winter. We can all take a guess at who Winter's "huntsman" is....my guess is Jacin. ;)


2. Queen Levana has a heart....or atleast had a heart. She was weeping for her late husband who died defending her (now we know why she wears that ring....she must've really loved him). I actually felt a little sympathy for her...but only a little because she did bad things in Cress...really bad things! 


3. Adri and Pearl will make an appearance in Winter....

On with the quotes!!!!! 

Informational

Over time, bats had come to symbolize safe travels through the solar system and keen sight in the darkness of space.

“Evret had died protecting the queen, his wife. They said that Levana had sobbed hysterically for hours.” 

Funny

“What did you bring me today? Delusional mutterings with a side of crazy?” 

“See that eye roll? It translates to, ‘How am I possibly keeping my hands off of you, Captain?”

“If this emperor thing doesn’t work out, you might have a future career in espionage.” 

Life and Lots of Cress Teasers :)

This week has been crazy! Oh the joys of college.... Anyways, during the Scarlet Readathon with NeverEndingStories, I realized that I never really reviewed Scarlet (the second book of the Lunar Chronicles) yet. I have decided to right that wrong as soon as possible...hopefully next week.

In a desperate attempt to find out more about Cress by Marissa Meyer, I have been hunting for info all over the internet, not to mention reading (stalking) a variety of blogs. Now I have a neat little gift for you. In case you didn't already know, Carina over at Carina'sBooks has been hosting Cress Tuesdays on her blog. What is that, you ask? Well, every Tuesday she posts a quote from her arc of Cress on her blog. Isn't that cool? Today, there are about 14 of these Cress Teasers!! And yes, she has permission to do so from the author :) You can go through all her Cress teasers here!



And here are a few more!!! 

"You sound like Cinder. She always blames herself for the stupidest things. The war is her fault. Scarlet's grandmother is her fault. I bet she'd take responsibility for the plague, too, if she could."
-Taken from @FierceReads on twitter.

"Now, let's never talk about you being related to her again, because I'm technically still engaged to her, and that's really weird."
-Taken from LisaIsBusyNerding 

"Android speculation,” Kai said, pointing at Nainsi. “It’s better than regular speculation.”

-Taken from @marissa_meyer on twitter.

There were a few more I found online, but I only wanted to include the non-spoiler quotes. :) I hope you guys are as excited as I am and I hope you enjoyed the small little teasers! This is part of what I've been up to in anticipation for Cress!

And Before I forget Marissa Meyer has a new short story up on wattpad called The Little Android! A retelling of the little mermaid....Cinder is in it as well! Go Check it out! It is all types of amazing! The Little Android

See you next week with the Scarlet Review!

Bye!

Cress comes out in 10 days!

I am unbelievably excited for Cress to come out on Feb 4! You have no idea! I've been trying to cope by checking out reviews and watching *cough* stalking  *cough* Marissa Meyer's twitter. It has been quite an experience. I've also been doing the ScarletReadAlong here and the Scarlet Readathon with Fierce Reads....other than that, I've been checking out every Cress review known to man on every blog in the whole blogosphere. I think  it's fair to say that I'm pretty much obsessed with this book and I can't wait for it to get released!

News for you!
The Cress blog tour has began. You don't want to miss a single post. So here you go! Information from Marissa Meyer's blog....

Monday, January 20 : That Artsy Reader Girl
Find out why Marissa Meyer almost named Cress “Arugula” . . .

Tuesday, January 21 : Mermaid Vision Books
 “Ode to Spaceship Captains.” 

Wednesday, January 22 : MacTeenBooks
Music that inspired the book

Thursday, January 23 : Refracted Light Reviews
In which Meg Tao, Kai’s fan club president, is devastated.

Friday, January 24 : Love is Not a Triangle
 Lunar Chronicles fanart . . .

Monday, January 27 : YA Bibliophile
In which Marissa Meyer talks about my experience riding a real-live camel for research.

Tuesday, January 28 : The Irish Banana Review
Learn how Marissa Meyer relates to Cress’s character . . .

Wednesday, January 29 : Forever Young Adult
The challenges of writing a quartet (and the third book in particular).

Thursday, January 30 : Alexa Loves Books

Marissa talks about food. A LOT of food . . .

Friday, January 31 : FicFare
 10 things that changed from Cress’s early drafts . . .

Monday, February 3 : Mundie Moms
You can take a quiz to find out which Lunar Chronicles heroine you are . . .

I don't know about you, but I am beyond excited!!! :D
 There are also a lot of giveaways to enter, so go ahead and have an awesome time! 

Cress, Feb 4. Only 10 days left!