Monday, March 30, 2015

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (73)



It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? is a meme from Book Journey where we spotlight what we finished reading, are currently reading and plan to read next.
{Finished Reading}

Cold Burn of Magic (Black Blade #1)


 {Currently Reading}




{Currently Listening To}

Sweet Dreams (Colorado Mountain, #2)

{What I'm Going to Read Next} 

A School for Unusual Girls (Stranje House, #1)

What about you? What have you read lately? What's next on your list?

Sunday, March 29, 2015

Stacking the Shelves (91)


 Stacking The Shelves, a weekly meme from Tynga's Reviews
where I list what I've read, what I've reviewed, what I've acquired
and anything else worth mentioning
  • The Gamble by Kristen Ashley
  • Dirty Beautiful Rich Part One
  • Pursuing Grace by Anita Cox
  • Stolen by Leslie Georgeson
  • Dangerous Curves by Marysol James
  • The Navy SEAL's E-Mail Order Bride by Cora Seton
  • Whistlin' Dixie by Maggie Adams
  • Jace by T.A. Grey


I've been super busy this week - more reviews next week


Book image property of Microsoft 

Friday, March 27, 2015

{Chapter Three Reveal + Giveaway} Hunted (Sinners #2) by Abi Ketner and Missy Kalicicki #M9BFridayReveals

M9B Friday Reveal: Chapter Three of Hunted (Sinners #2) by Abi Ketner and Missy Kalicicki with Giveaway #M9BFridayReveals

M9B-Friday-Reveal

Welcome to this week’s M9B Friday Reveal!
This week, we are revealing Chapter 3 of
Hunted (Sinners #2) by Abi Ketner and Missy Kalicicki
presented by Month9Books!
Be sure to enter the giveaway found at the end of the post!

Hunted
HUNTED is the electrifying sequel to the bestselling debut BRANDED, A Sinners Series, by Abi Ketner and Missy Kalicicki.
It’s been three months since the revolt against the Commander’s fifty-year-old regime failed.
Under a new ruler, things were supposed to change. Get better.
But can anyone really be trusted?
Lexi and Cole soon find out, as life takes an unexpected turn for the worse.
In this ever-changing world, you must hunt or be hunted.
Lives will be lost.
Dreams will be crushed.
Fears will be realized.
Secrets will be exposed.
When Cole is once again faced with losing Lexi at the hands of a monster, one encounter will change everything.
Forever.
Connect with BRANDED fans on Instagram at:
#abiandmissy
#Sinnersfandom
#Sinnersseries
#Colexi
#Sinnersseriesbranded
#Brandedofficialfanpage
#Brandedfandom
#Lexihamilton
add to goodreadsTitle: Hunted (Sinners #2)
Publication date: March 31, 2015
Publisher: Month9Books, LLC.
Author: Abi Ketner and Missy Kalicicki
Available for Pre-order:
amazonB&N
excerpt
You can read Chapter Three HERE!
Happy Reading and Enjoy!
About-the-Author
Abi and Missy 2
Abi and Missy met in the summer of 1999 at college orientation and have been best friends ever since. After college, they added jobs, husbands and kids to their lives, but they still found time for their friendship. Instead of hanging out on weekends, they went to dinner once a month and reviewed books. What started out as an enjoyable hobby has now become an incredible adventure.

Author Links: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Tumbler
Giveaway
Complete the Rafflecopter below for a chance to win!


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Thursday, March 26, 2015

{Book Blitz + Excerpt + GC Giveaway + Ebook Giveaway} Royal Date by Sariah Wilson



 
Royal Date by Sariah Wilson
Publication date: March 3rd 2015
Genres: New Adult, Romance

Synopsis:
This Cinderella didn’t plan on a prince . . .
Kat MacTaggart is a girl who has a plan for everything—including her holiday ski trip to Monterra with her best friend. Everything is going according to plan until she finds herself careening out of control down a mountainside and being rescued by a guy who looks like Superman’s hotter Italian cousin.
HRH Prince Nico is intrigued by the woman he saved on the slopes and her refusal to date him. He offers Kat a deal—let him show her his country and he’ll pay her to write articles that will help Monterra’s tourism industry. Kat agrees, but given her past and lingering distrust of men, she has one condition—absolutely no kissing.
Thanks to the claims of a jealous British noblewoman and the schemes of a meddling paparazzo, Kat’s rule doesn’t seem to be a problem at first. But the more Kat gets to know Nico and the people around him, the harder it is to remember her keep-your-distance plan. Should she stick to it or risk everything for a chance at happily ever after?



Purchase:

NOTE that the book is currently 50% off with the discount code ScoutOne!

{Excerpt}

Now his fingers were playing with the few tendrils that had escaped my bun. I went still and forgot to breathe. “There is something I’ve wondered since the moment I met you.”
            “What?” My voice sounded breathy and weird.
            “What this would be like.”
            He was going to kiss me, and I was going to let him. My heart started trying to pound its way out of my chest.
            I should have stopped him. I should have been afraid. But I wasn’t.
            His kiss was feathery light, barely touching me. His lips were warm, soft, and strong. If I’d realized earlier they’d feel like this against my own, I probably would have spent a lot more time studying them. My eyes drifted shut as my stomach went completely hollow, and a warm thickness started spreading through all of my limbs. He kissed me again, gentle and persuasive.
            “Relax, bella,” he murmured against my lips, running his fingers along my jawbone. I realized that I was clenching his shirtfront with my fists. I loosened my grip. He continued to plant sweet and soft kisses on my lips. “This works better if you kiss me back,” he said with a smile as he leaned back slightly to look at me, his eyes glittery and intense. He ran his thumb along my lower lip, which made all sorts of unmentionable things happen to my insides.
            Leave it to me to mess something up as basic as kissing. Fortunately, I wasn’t a total idiot. I could do what he was doing. Scared as I was, I managed to give myself a pep talk. I was twenty-four years old. I was the oldest person on the planet who had never been kissed. I couldn’t have asked for a more perfect setting, or a more perfect man. So gathering up every bit of courage I possessed, I leaned in to kiss him. Just a small peck. A little smooch. It was all I could manage.
            I pulled back to see a delighted and appreciative look in his eyes.
            “That wasn’t as bad as I expected.”
            “Not as bad as you expected? Katerina, I can do much better than ‘not as bad as you expected.’”
            I hadn’t meant to issue a challenge, but he accepted it anyway. I thought I heard him growl before he pressed our lips together more firmly, his hands framing and holding my head in place as he kissed me over and over. It was all I could do to keep up. Electricity exploded everywhere he touched and kissed me.
            Was it possible to die from a kiss?
            My hands moved from his shirt to his wrists, and I felt like I was clinging on for dear life. His kisses started to escalate in intensity until he suddenly stopped. He leaned his forehead against mine, and we were both breathing fast.
            “I think . . . I think it’s time for me to return you to your room.”
I nodded, unable to think.
            He could have said, “I think it’s time for us to get on a spaceship and fly to the moon,” and I would have agreed to that, too.

AUTHOR BIO:
Sariah Wilson has never jumped out of an airplane, never climbed Mt. Everest, and is not a former CIA operative. She has, however, been madly, passionately in love with her soulmate and is a fervent believer in happily ever afters--which is why she writes romance. She has published five happily ever after stories. She grew up in southern California, graduated from Brigham Young University (go Cougars!) with a semi-useless degree in history, and is the oldest of nine (yes, nine) children. She currently lives with the aforementioned soulmate and their four children in Utah, along with three tiger barb fish, a cat named Tiger, and a recently departed hamster that is buried in the backyard (and has nothing at all to do with tigers).

Author links:
 
Blitz-wide giveaway (INTL)
  • $50 Amazon Gift Card



a Rafflecopter giveaway

 http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/share-code/ZDA0MjUxMjM1OGRlZWRmZWM1YmUyMmFkYTM3OWE5OjcyOA==/?  

Ebook giveaway:
Sariah Wilson has generously offered an ebook to a Clever Girls Read reader. To win do any or all of the following: add Royal Date to your goodreads to read list, pin the cover on Pinterest, tweet about the giveaway, follow Sariah Wilson on social media. Leave a comment letting me know what you did and your e-mail address and I'll randomly select a commenter. Open internationally. The ebook will be sent out after April 23rd. Giveaway ends 4/5.



Wednesday, March 25, 2015

Waiting on Wednesday (89) Seriously Wicked: A Novel by Tina Connolly



"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, created by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.
This week I'm waiting on: 


Seriously Wicked: A Novel

Seriously Wicked: A Novel by

The only thing worse than being a witch is living with one.

Camellia’s adopted mother wants Cam to grow up to be just like her. Problem is, Mom’s a seriously wicked witch.

Cam’s used to stopping the witch’s crazy schemes for world domination. But when the witch summons a demon, he gets loose—and into Devon, the cute new boy at school.

Now Cam’s suddenly got bigger problems than passing Algebra. Her friends are getting zombiefied. Their dragon is tired of hiding in the RV garage. For being a shy boy-band boy, Devon is sure kissing a bunch of girls. And a phoenix hidden in the school is going to explode on the night of the Halloween Dance.

To stop the demon before he destroys Devon’s soul, Cam might have to try a spell of her own. But if she’s willing to work spells like the witch...will that mean she’s wicked too?
(Blurb via Goodreads)

Expected publication: May 5, 2015
What are you waiting on?

{YA Spring Fling + Giveaway Blitz} Spotlight on Paranormal


 Spotlight on Paranormal



From March 20th to April 3rd, over 70 authors come together to give away hundreds of books. The YA Spring Fling is an opportunity for readers to find new books, new authors and take part in something very special. Here is a sneak peek of some of the books involved in the giveaway.

All are featured in the YA Spring Fling giveaway. Click here to win free books!


Minor Gods and the Complete Summoners series by A.M. Yates

After witnessing her mother's murder by a vengeful Earth Goddess, seventeen-year-old Josie wants nothing more than to seek justice. But when she becomes a target too, a shadowy Fire God comes to her aid.


The Complete Summoners Series
Minor Gods, Lost Gods, and Fated Gods


The 13th: Destiny Awaits and Frozen Destiny by Ela Lond

Kate, the school outcast, has always been able to see ghosts, and she constantly fears that someday, her so-called 'gift' will drive her mad like it did her mother.


In the haunted ruins of an old monastery, seven teenagers have gone missing in recent years. Kate, who is the Soul Reaper, goes there with her friends to investigate


Prophecy Girl by Faith McKay

Destiny: it doesn't really matter if your mother kills you first.


Sound of Sirens by Jen Minkman

An ancient land protected by a Tower of Light,
its people ever tempted by Siren song,
and a girl who falls for the wrong boy.


Untethered by Katie Hayoz

Sylvie is a social misfit who accidentally astral projects. She's been pushing away her power for years.  But when the boy she loves falls for someone else, she finally decides to make use of her gift...for all the wrong reasons.



Grunge Gods and Graveyards by Kimberley G. Giarratano

It's 1996 and 17-year-old Lainey Bloom harbors intense guilt over the death of Danny Obregon, the only boy Lainey's ever loved until the one night when Danny's ghost comes back begging for her help. To save Danny, Lainey must go up against her family, best friend and the entire town.


Kissed and Destroyed by Kimberley Loth

Three Boys. Two Kisses. One Devastating Choice.


Unclaimed by Laurie Wetzel

Getting close to MJ could cost more than her heart--it could cost Maddy her soul.


Guardians: The Girl by Lola Stvil

They told us to walk away from our love but we couldn't........And now the world is burning.....


Aqua by M.A. George

Seventeen-year-old Layla McKelland's new coastal home brings intriguing new friends, who reveal secrets about her missing father that run deeper than the gulf waters.


Sleepless by Michael Omer

Amy knew she’d hate Narrowdale, a boring suburban town. How could it possibly compare to L.A., where she lived her entire life?

And that was before she started having the same nightmare over and over again, Before she woke up every night to a shrill whistle outside her window.

Some things seem to happen only in Narrowdale, where dark secrets are hiding beneath the surface…


Wave Links to Gods by Randall Boleyn

The truth about the links might be deadly for Llad Fleck. Searching for clues about his cryptic lineage to Norse berserkers, he fights for his life against a powerful paranormal enemy. Haunted by dreams of a mysterious girl trying to help him learn to use the bizarre psychic talents, Llad needs sort out the truth—if he is to survive.


Hidden by Shalini Boland

Now an international bestseller. Fans of Twilight and Interview with the Vampire will enjoy this paranormal adventure that spans the centuries. On her sixteenth birthday, Madison Greene inherits a huge mansion house... but the house hides a secret. Eighteen-year-old Alexandre lives in 19th century Paris. Spoilt and bored, he longs for adventure, but he should be careful what he wishes for. Madison and Alexandre's lives are about to collide. Falling in love has never been so dangerous . . .


Hidden Intentions by Stacy Claflin

Clara is keeping a dark and deadly secret from the love of her life. If she tells him, she could lose him. If she doesn’t tell him, she will.


Finned, Rifted and Overfalls by Sutton Shields

Hook (pun totally intended): Take a fish-phobic girl, divide her by one hot merman, add a splash of his crazy ex-merbitch, and you get one stinky school year.


Two secret wishes. Only one will be granted. Let the Mer-Nor Games begin.


Someone wicked walks among them. Heartbreak usually requires time to heal. For Marina Valentine, however, time has other plans: like sticking her with a shiny, stubborn accessory, sending her on a surprising date with someone other than Troy Tombolo, and introducing her lips to kisses that could save or destroy everything and everyone.


Steths Cognition by Karl Fields

A 16-year-old with the ability to hear heartbeats, and the emotions within them, must act to save a wrongly condemned man from the death penalty.


First Impression by Pauline Creeden

Chirac lives as an outcast in her private school until her best friend invites her on a trip with the popular kids to scope out a haunted house. When the malevolent spirit targets the group, the new kid in school, Ben, seems to know more about surviving the situation than anyone else.


The Enchanted Rose by Nadia Nader

When Vivian’s mother dies in a tragic accident, Vivian’s world is turned upside down. A new life, full of her mother’s secrets, begins…


Doppelganger by Milda Harris

Sixteen-year-old Citrus Leahy gets to school late one day and sees herself already inside her classroom. It's probably aliens taking over the world and her life has just turned totally upside down. Luckily, her crush Aedan has the exact same problem!




Q & A with the organiser – Sarah Dalton

How can readers enter the YA Spring Fling giveaway?

Head over to my website Sarahdaltonbooks.com and find the page for the YA Spring Fling (handy hint, it’s HERE). Once you’re there you can browse through the books on offer, or check out more information about the participating authors.

You should see plenty of links prompting you to enter the giveaway. Simply fill out the Google document telling us which books you’d like to win, the format you prefer, and whether you would also like to win paperbacks and swag. It’s that simple. Pick the books you want and sign off.

How will I know I’ve won?

There are so many books on offer that I’d be surprised if you didn’t win something! So you will be hearing from us. J

After April 3rd, I will collate all the entries and pass them on to the participating authors. They will then choose the winners at random and Email the winners to let them know the good news.

Will my Email or personal details be used outside the giveaway?

Absolutely not. We’re all against spam and promise not to use your Email for anything other than contacting you as a winner. If you joined up to the YA Spring Fling mailing list you will receive one Email telling you the giveaway is open, and another warning you it is about to close. That’s it!

Is the giveaway open internationally?

Yes! But there are some paperbacks on offer that are region specific. Not all of our authors are sending paperbacks and swag internationally, purely because it costs us so much money and we ain’t made of it. ;)

We will ask for your country of residence in the Google document. That’s so we can work out the winners for region specific paperbacks more easily. Everything else is open internationally.

I have a question, who can I contact?

Me! Send me a message on Facebook. My Email might be clogged by answering author queries, so Facebook might be the easiest method.

Who can I tell about the giveaway? And what can I do to help spread the word?

You can tell everyone and anyone who might like YA books. If you’d like to spread the word it would be awesome if you could follow or like some of the authors and share their posts about the giveaway. You can find a full list of the participating authors and their social media links here.

GOOD LUCK EVERYONE! MAY YOU WIN MANY BOOKS!



 Click here for all the giveaway details







Tuesday, March 24, 2015

Teaser Tuesday (89) Cold Burn of Magic by Jennifer Estep



Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
• Grab your current read(s)
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) -- or less or more -- “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
"But then, my other Talent kicked in, and the pain crystallized into something else - a brutal, bitter cold so intense it burned."

eARC, location 492, Cold Burn of Magic by Jennifer Estep

{Cover Reveal} The Body Institute by Carol Riggs

The Body Institute
Release Date: 09/01/15
Entangled Teen

Summary from Goodreads:
Meet Morgan Dey, one of the top teen Reducers at The Body Institute.

Thanks to cutting-edge technology, Morgan can temporarily take over another girl’s body, get her in shape, and then return to her own body—leaving her client slimmer, more toned, and feeling great. Only there are a few catches…

For one, Morgan won’t remember what happens in her “Loaner” body. Once she’s done, she won’t recall walks with her new friend Matt, conversations with the super-cute Reducer she’s been text-flirting with, or the uneasy feeling she has that the director of The Body Institute is hiding something. Still, it’s all worth it in the name of science. Until the glitches start…

Suddenly, residual memories from her Loaner are cropping up in Morgan’s mind. She’s feeling less like herself and more like someone else. And when protests from an anti–Body Institute organization threaten her safety, she’ll have to decide if being a Reducer is worth the cost of her body and soul…


About the Author
I'm a YA writer represented by Kelly Sonnack of Andrea Brown Literary. My sci-fi novel THE BODY INSTITUTE explores the themes of society, identity, and body image. I live in the beautiful, green state of Oregon and have a Studio Arts degree; I'm an SCBWI member. 

You'll usually find me in my writing cave, surrounded by my dragon collection and the characters in my head. I also enjoy reading--mostly young adult novels--as well as drawing, painting, and quilting. I also attend writing conferences, walk with my husband, and enjoy music and dance of all kinds. 


Author Links:
 photo iconwebsite-32x32_zps1f477f69.png  photo icongoodreads32_zps60f83491.png  photo icontwitter-32x32_zpsae13e2b2.png  photo iconfacebook-32x32_zps64a79d4a.png

Cover Reveal Organized by:

Monday, March 23, 2015

{Book Blitz + Excerpt + Giveaway} Chronicles of Steele: Raven by Pauline Creeden

Raven Banner

Raven

Chronicles of Steele: Raven by Pauline Creeden
Genre: Steampunk Fantasy
On sale for 99¢ sale from March 16-23! Go get your copy today!
Human life has value. The poor living in the gutter are as valuable as the rich living in a manor. The scoundrel is no less valuable than the saint. Because of this, every life a reaper takes must be redeemed.

Raven has lived by this first tenet since she was trained by her father to become a reaper. But since his death, she’s been spending years redeeming the lives she’s taken. By her count, she’s even and it’s time for that life to end. If she settles down and becomes a wife, she might just feel human again. But on the way to the life she thinks she wants, the baron of New Haven asks her to complete a task which she cannot ignore… Just when Raven decides to give up on her life as an assassin, she’s pulled right back in. 

About the Author:
Pauline Creeden
Pauline Creeden is an award-winning author, horse trainer, and overall book ninja. She becomes the main character in each of her stories, and because she has ADD, she will get bored if she pretends to be one person for too long.

Armored Hearts, her joint effort with author Melissa Turner Lee, has been awarded the Crowned Heart for Excellence by InDtale Magazine. It is also the 2013 Book Junkie’s Choice Winner in Historical Fiction. Her debut novel, Sanctuary, won 1st Place Christian YA Title 2013 Dante Rosetti Award and 2014 Reader’s Choice Gold Award for Best YA Horror Novel.
Website: http://paulinecreeden.com Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/PCreeden Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PaulineCreeden Twitter: https://twitter.com/P_Creeden Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/pcreeden
Read below for an excerpt from Raven:
The fishmonger’s scream broke through the chattering crowd on the bridge. He jumped into the river to avoid an out-of-control carriage pulled by a polished brass automated horse. Steam poured from the nostrils of the metal horse and leaked from its joints in an unnatural manner. Its black lacquer carriage careened on two wheels through the turn onto the bridge before righting itself. Wires shot out of the neck of the metal coachman where the head should have been. The reins in its limp, useless hands were slack and whipping against the horse’s metal flank. Raven jumped to the rail, moving out of the way of the crowd as they stampeded toward her. She gripped the lamppost and her reaper training kicked in. No fear. Breathe deeply. Think ahead. Make quick decisions. The black lacquer carriage squeezed between the bridge railings, and the oak boards of the narrow footbridge splintered apart as though they were balsa wood. The railing to the left gave free another meter and the automated horse jerked in that direction. In a quick, natural motion, Raven unsnapped her crossbow and felt through the quiver attached at her thigh for the right bolt. Pulling the wire from her belt’s winch, she hooked it to the arrow, pointed it at the wooden post of the gas lamp standing closest to the carriage, and pulled the trigger. For a moment, the heavy metal horse hung over the edge with the carriage wedged between portions of broken railing. The horse’s brass legs still poured steam as they struggled in the air, creating the eerie sound of scraping metal. Gouges raked along the black side of the carriage as it inched its way toward the river. A small hand pressed against the window. The door surged past the railing and swung open. The body of a young boy tumbled out. He hung from the door handle with his fingertips. A gasp and a few screams filled the air behind her. A female voice shrieked, “It’s the young baron!” Adrenaline coursed through her veins, and Raven leapt toward the boy—toward the river. She fell in a controlled arc, the wind pulling her long hair as taut as the line from her belt. The carriage broke free from the bridge a moment before she reached it. She thumbed her winch to release more line and grabbed the boy in a full embrace. The cold water enveloped them. The sudden change in temperature forced the air from her lungs, but she held it in as they darted below the surface. Her submerged body jerked to a stop as the line reached an end. The boy’s forehead struck her in the temple. Saltwater burned her eyes, and stars danced in her vision. Bubbles of air escaped her lips. The boy went limp in her arms. She gripped him tightly in one arm and hit the rewind lever on the winch. She grabbed the line, and it wrenched her toward the light above. Streaks of her long, black hair stuck to her face as she emerged from the river. She released her breath and gripped the line. The winch pulled her toward the bridge, and the crowd above applauded. Gasping, Raven struggled with the sudden, heavier weight of the boy, struggling to hold him until they reached the top of the bridge. The line cut into her hand and her arm muscles ached. Her tall black boots squished against the side of the bridge as they were pulled steadily up. She pushed off a tarred pylon to make it over the lip before the cable pulled them against the railing. The winch slowed when it neared the top. She reached up with her free hand and grabbed the crossbow bolt. With a flick of her thumb, she depressed the lever and the grappling hooks withdrew. After pulling the hook free of her line, she replaced the bolt in her quiver. A slow zipping sound continued as the winch on her belt drew in the cable. She allowed hands from the crowd pull the boy from her grasp. She blinked the saltwater from her eyes, her vision still blurred, her muscles quivering. Four armed guards and one skinny man in a bowtie surrounded the boy she’d hauled to the surface, shooing away the people. Two other guards stepped forward to hold back the crowd. With a sputter and a cough, the boy retched water from his lungs. The tension in Raven’s chest relaxed. She smiled and attempted to step toward him, but a vice-like grip took hold of her arm. Her fingertips twitched; she was ready to grab the knife on her hip and fight her way out, if necessary. The hard faces of two guards stared down at her. She could smack one in the jaw with the back of her head, and when he loosened his grip, throw a punch at the other. The taste of escape grew bitter on her tongue when she considered the surrounding crowd. She made a count of the collateral damage and clenched her jaw. The last thing she needed were more kills on her conscience, more lives to redeem herself for. With a deep sigh, she remained still. The man in the bowtie held the wet boy to his chest. His cold blue eyes pierced hers. He pointed and said, “Arrest her.”
The Giveaway:
$10 Amazon Gift Card
a Rafflecopter giveaway