HOMECOMING blog tour--Day 4

Woot! Homecoming's tour is still on, courtesy of ATOMR. Today's stop is:


Kindle and Me - Kelly reviewed HOMECOMING and I'm really floored by the review! Want to know what she thought of the story? Check it out plus the on-going giveaway


Laura at Bookish Treasures was kind enough to host me on her blog. If you would like to read an exclusive chapter for A NEED SO INSATIABLE, check out: Bookish Treasures.


It's swoon thursday! My lovely friend, Debbie, read HOLDING OF FOREVER and has a super-yummy teaser for you. It's all about Frey ;) I HEART YA BOOKS.

Happy Thursday!!

seNsational summer blog tour -- Katlyn Duncan

 

Today I'm really excited to host Katlyn Duncan, the author of Soul Taken here on the blog. This cover just makes me tingle all over, it's sooo pretty! For a chance to win Amazon Gift Card worth US$ 20 from the author, the rafflecopter is located at the end of this post.

Soul Taken by Katlyn Duncan

Release date: June 4, 2013, Carina UK

Genre: YA Paranormal

ISBN: 978-1-472-01709-3

Summary: After-life just got a lot more complicated

Maggie is a Soul Collector. It’s her job to transport souls from the Living Realm to the After – but during a mission to find a stolen soul, she ends up stuck in a teen mean girl’s body.

Trapped, Maggie’s soul is catapulted into Ally’s life – and the human world she hasn’t experienced for one hundred years. But, as a descendant of the most powerful beings in the After, Maggie must rescue Ally before the girl’s soul dies…

To survive, Maggie must uncover devastating secrets – because with one soul taken by a terrifying enemy, Maggie’s could be next!
   
Excerpt:

I knelt down again next to Ally and reached out to touch her skin. Even though the sensation was unpleasant, I could feel her pulse as it rapidly declined.
"No," I moaned. I looked up again to see if any of the Guard could help, but no one was around.
I looked back down at Ally. Her face was paling by the second. My soul started to tingle. I leaned closer to her body, reaching my hand out to touch her face again, when her arm moved toward mine.
I jumped back.
Heather pushed through the crowd. “Did she just move? Did I see her move?” Streaks of black mascara ran down her cheeks.
A ringing sensation tickled my ear and I tuned in to the True Soul’s presence. I looked at each human. The True Soul was close, but who had it? They all seemed equally shocked at the tragedy.
An uncomfortable pressure in my chest drew me closer to her body. My soul slanted toward hers until I was practically on top of her. I helplessly watched my hand morph and stretch toward her body.
"What the—?” I tried to pull back but the strength of whatever was happening had other ideas. My hand disappeared first, then my arm, then my torso.
But before I could call for help, my world went dark. 

Buy Links

Mills & Boon Kindle US Kindle UK Nook UK Kobo Google Play Sony Diesel ebooks  iBooks US
iBooks UK

Add Soul Taken on Goodreads

 About the Author

Katlyn Duncan was born and raised in a small town in western Massachusetts. Her overactive imagination involved invisible friends, wanting to be a Disney Princess and making up her own stories. Her bibliophile mom always encouraged her love of reading and that stayed with her since. Even though she works full time in the medical field Katlyn has always made time for books, whether she is reading or writing them.

Katlyn now lives in southern Connecticut with her husband and adorable Wheaten Terrier and she is thrilled to finally share her stories with the world.




Contact Links
Website | Twitter | Facebook | Google+ | Goodreads | Carina UK

Interview with Katyln

Tell us a bit about Soul Taken. How did you come up with the idea. Did you plot or let the story tell itself?

Soul Taken is quite a different story compared to what I submitted initially. The idea came to me one day as a question then I explored it for about four drafts. When I was offered a three-book deal I had to narrow the scope of the story to tell the first part to get the ball rolling for readers.

I didn’t plot the first few drafts since I was just doing it for fun. I did a general outline after deciding on what story was to be told, but it was a very loose outline. When writing the second in the series, Soul Possessed, I created a more detailed outline, which is very helpful for me.

I know that when I am writing, I can’t help but put a little bit of myself, say a quality in a character. Does Maggie have some of your characters traits or quirks or is she modelled after anyone in particular?

Maggie came to me fully formed and she just happens to share a few of my physical qualities (blue eye and brunette hair) but I don’t see her as me, not at all. Her personality is a lot different from mine and she is quite an extrovert while I am not. We do share a love for cemeteries though.

If I would cast her in a movie, Sarah Hyland from Modern Family comes to mind. Adorable yet feisty with strength behind her eyes.

 If you were to choose a song to describe Soul Taken which one would it be?

I do have a playlist for my main characters which get me in the mood for writing but for the overall story I feel that “Moonlight Sonata: Adagio “ encompasses the whole story for me. It’s eerie enough to tell you to stay on your toes the whole time, which is what I wanted for my readers.

Do you have upcoming projects you would like to share with us?

I am currently working on the second book in The Life After trilogy, Soul Possessed, which should be out this fall.

Music or books?

Books! Hands down.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Blog tour spotlight: My Life as a Lumberjack by Sara V. Olds

Hello friends! Today I'm really happy to be part of Sara V Old's blog tour. I'd like to thank Elana Johnson for including me in this tour. I am supposed to post the review today-- and I really wanted to, because this book is awesome!!-- Unfortunately I wasn't able to finish reading on time. Please keep an eye on the review in the coming days.  In the meantime, if you would like to win one of the 5 ecopies of this book, the Rafflecopter is located at the end of this page.

Description:

Me, Mercedes Bennion? Working for the US Forest Service? I’ve never thought of myself as the outdoorsy, hard-working type. But one quick glance at those mouth-watering forest rangers and oh, baby, sign this seventeen-year-old up for a whole summer of fresh air, mountains and starry, starry nights!

About Sara Olds: 

Sara V. Olds has been telling stories for as long as she can remember. One of her favorite memories is of unfolding a tale for friends while they were all bundled in sleeping bags watching a comet shower in the Uintah Mountains.

Mother of three: Large, Medium and Small, she welcomes her newest role, that of mother-in-law.

Life has taken her from thither to yon and back again—she's moved 22 times during her marriage. She breathes to travel. Longs to fulfill a lifelong dream of owning a horse. Is an addictive reader. Enjoys swimming, skiing, violin and movies. Wonders if she'll ever get to SCUBA dive again. And has found a calling that fulfills her in ways she never could have imagined—teaching history to—wait for it—8th Graders.

Her stories consume her. There's nothing she'd rather do than spend all day, all night and the next day conversing with her latest set of characters. History, adventure, action, romance, humor. Adults, YA and kids. Yep, she does it all. Looking for something to enjoy on a quiet rainy afternoon? Or wanting a pulse-pounding, stay up all night turning pages adventure? Or a you've-GOT-to-be-kidding romp? You'll find them in her pages.

Sara’s social media links:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/saravolds

Website: http://www.saravolds.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaraVOlds

Buy links for LUMBERJACK:

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Life-Lumberjack-Fell-Wrong-ebook/dp/B00D3D42KK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1369924206&sr=8-1&keywords=my+life+as+a+lumberjack

Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/my-life-as-a-lumberjack-or-how-i-fell-for-the-wrong-guy-sara-v-olds/1115454537?ean=2940016705811

  a Rafflecopter giveaway

Today Only by D.Love - Blog Tour + mini review

Today Only by D. Love

Published: May 11, 2013

Editor: Lizzy Ford

Cover Designer: Airicka Phoenix


Blurb: In life, there are times you are granted a miracle. It may not be the one you wanted exactly, but it will be the one you need. It will prepare you for the next step in your journey and help you learn to accept the life you are given, even if that life can be heartbreaking.



Buy Links

Amazon: http://amzn.to/161ETTr

B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/today-only-derinda-love/1115283732?ean=2940016701103

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/317656

Excerpt : Jett's POV

I cross to the area that Jett has claimed for his garden. He appears to be in the zone as he works, oblivious to everything.

"Good morning," I call.

Jett throws dirt in the air and screams like Em.

"Good grief! You scared me to death, Rye!" he exclaims, turning.

I try to apologize but am laughing so hard, my ribs start hurting. I sit down. When his surprise wears off, Jett laughs as well. It takes me a few minutes to recover.

"So, tell me, Jett," I say when I’m able to breathe and speak again, "what is the importance of a garden?"

"It’s the healthy way to live," is all he says.

"Hmmmm," I reply. There’s got to be more. Any other day, I’d probably ask him more questions. But right now, I’m completely captivated by his work – and his body. He’s always in a t-shirt. Sweat makes it cling to his upper body, outlining the muscles of his wide back.

Tracing the definition of each muscle would take me all day, but I would definitely accept the job. He’s the sexiest man I’ve ever seen, and the kindest. He’s pretty much perfect.

"You wanna help me, or just stare at my ass all day?" he asks, twisting to see me.

 

So, this is going to be a mini-review, because I am 70% into the story. My Kindle had some problems, therefore I had a slight delay in finishing the book.

I love D.Love's book. The story is emotional and romantic and raw!!! There was a scene I was reading while on my way to work, and dear Lord, I teared. And then another scene, I melted on my seat. It's a great book. D. Love did a great job writing such a realistic story.

I will finish this tonight, and put up my review tomorrow, or as soon as I finish. 

Please bear with me.

In the meantime, for a chance to win a copy, please scroll down and enter using the Rafflecopter.


Author Bio

I live in Maine. My biggest passion is for my family and friends. I adore loving others as if it is the biggest gift life can offer. I'm a read-a-holic, loves chocolate, cowboys and everyone on Young Adult & Teen Readers Facebook page. My dream is to travel to Australia one day and see a kangaroo. I am nothing but simple. I do a lot of volunteer work. I have 2 beautiful daughters. 4 grandchildren, that constantly ask me if I lived in the black & white days.

My inspiration would be my daughters. Rita for her strength to keep fighting and constantly trying to take care of me, even though sometimes she can’t get out of bed & Kayla, for helping to pick up all the pieces that seem to fall when times get rough, and the love they have for me.

Blog: http://yesterdayandtomorrowsreads.blogspot.com/

Author Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/D-Love/460898927326110?ref=hl

Personal Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/derinda.love

Twitter: https://twitter.com/DerindaL


a Rafflecopter giveaway

All The Broken Pieces by Cindi Madsen--Blog Tour

Hey Friends! Today I'm taking part in Cindi Madsen's All The Broken Pieces blog tour. Thank you Entanlged Publishing for including me on this. Without further ado, may I present...

About ALL THE BROKEN PIECES: What if your life wasn’t your own?

Liv comes out of a coma with no memory of her past and two distinct, warring voices inside her head. Nothing, not even her reflection, seems familiar. As she stumbles through her junior year, the voices get louder, insisting she please the popular group while simultaneously despising them. But when Liv starts hanging around with Spencer, whose own mysterious past also has him on the fringe, life feels complete for the first time in, well, as long as she can remember.

Liv knows the details of the car accident that put her in the coma, but as the voices invade her dreams, and her dreams start feeling like memories, she and Spencer seek out answers. Yet the deeper they dig, the less things make sense. Can Liv rebuild the pieces of her broken past, when it means questioning not just who she is, but what she is?

Praise for All the Broken Pieces:

"Kept me guessing and frantically flipping the pages. A unique story I couldn't help but fall in love with." -- Nyrae Dawn, author of Charade

"[An] interesting story of a girl who can't remember her early life…Liv's high school relationships, especially her conflicts with the popular girls and her first dealings with romance, ring nicely true. Intriguing." – Kirkus Reviews

My thoughts

Thank you Entangled Publishing for this review copy.

All the Broken Pieces is about a girl, Liv, who wakes up from a coma with no memories of who she is. On top of that, she has two voices, snarky one and one that strives to be good. Sort of the angle and the devil. :) And then her own voice.

I really enjoyed reading Liv's story, see her develop to be this wonderful girl with great ideas and opinions. Choosing not to go with the flow--the popular girls in school. And then there is Spencer, Liv's love interest. And wow. Cute. Seeing their friendship grow to a romantic one was a real treat. Ms Madsen kept me glued to the story, unwrapping the intrigue behind why Spencer was aloof to everyone, and also why Liv had this voices in her head. I LOVED the ending, and glad the decision Liv made in the end.

Looking for the next YA book to read? This is a wonderful story, and I highly recommend it.

Rating: 5 stars.

 About the author:

Cindi Madsen sits at her computer every chance she gets, plotting revising, and falling in love with her characters. Sometimes it makes her a crazy person. Without it, she’d be even crazier. She has way too many shoes, but can always find a reason to buy a new pretty pair, especially if they’re sparkly, colorful, or super tall. She loves music, dancing, and wishes summer lasted all year long. She lives in Colorado (where summer is most definitely NOT all year long) with her husband and three children.

Cindi’s Links:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/cindimadsen

Website: http://cindimadsen.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CindiMadsenBooks

Blog: http://cindimadsen.blogspot.com/

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13425135-all-the-broken-pieces