Holding Court Cover Reveal

Posted on May 16, 2015 by The Page Unbound

Holding Court

Release Date: March 2016

Entangled Teen

Summary from Goodreads:

When sixteen year-old Jules Verity, who suffers from what her best friend calls “Psychic Tourette’s Syndrome” (spontaneous outbursts of seemingly absurd prophecies that she can’t control) takes a job at a castle turned dinner theater known as Tudor Times, all she wants is the chance to make some money, wear a fancy gown, and ogle gorgeous-but-taken Grayson Chandler from afar. Instead she’s forced to wear the most mortifying costume ever, stumbles over a dead body that promptly disappears, and becomes a suspect in a jewel forgery scam.

Determined to prove she’s not a total freak who hallucinated a dead girl, Jules goes looking for answers in the secret passageways of Tudor Times. At first she’s thrilled when Grayson volunteers to help her on her quest to find a dead body, but his sudden interest in spending time with Jules becomes suspicious when she discovers his girlfriend may be guilty of a lot more than perfect hair and fabulous cleavage.

And if she can’t unveil the truth in time, wearing an embarrassing costume and her psychic outbursts will be the least of her problems.

About the Author

K.C. HELD was born and raised in California with stopovers in
Honduras, Mexico, and France. Married to her high school sweetheart, and mom to two wee bookworms, she holds an MFA in costume design and is an accomplished seamstress with a background in opera, theatre, film, and television. K.C. is represented by Kathleen Rushall at Marsal Lyon Literary Agency. Her debut young adult novel, HOLDING COURT, will be published by Entangled Teen in 2016.

Author Links:

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A Court of Thorns and Roses Teaser

Posted on May 12, 2015 by The Page Unbound

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A Court of Thorns and Roses (A Court of Thorns and Roses #1)

by Sarah J. Maas (Goodreads Author)

Book Synopsis(Goodreads):

A thrilling, seductive new series from New York Times bestselling author Sarah J. Maas, blending Beauty and the Beast with faerie lore.When nineteen-year-old huntress Feyre kills a wolf in the woods, a beast-like creature arrives to demand retribution for it. Dragged to a treacherous magical land she only knows about from legends, Feyre discovers that her captor is not an animal, but Tamlin—one of the lethal, immortal faeries who once ruled their world.

As she dwells on his estate, her feelings for Tamlin transform from icy hostility into a fiery passion that burns through every lie and warning she’s been told about the beautiful, dangerous world of the Fae. But an ancient, wicked shadow grows over the faerie lands, and Feyre must find a way to stop it . . . or doom Tamlin—and his world—forever.

Perfect for fans of Kristin Cashore and George R. R. Martin, this first book in a sexy and action-packed new series is impossible to put down!

Quote 1:

“Do you ever stop being so serious and dull?”
“Do you ever stop being such a prick?” I snapped back.
Dead–really, truly, I should have been dead for that.
But Lucien grinned at me. “Much better.”
― Sarah J. Maas, A Court of Thorns and Roses

Quote 2:

“Would you like me to grovel with gratitude for bringing me here, High Lord?”

“Ah. The Suriel told you nothing important, did it?”

That smile of his sparked something bold in my chest. “He also said that you liked being brushed, and if I’m a clever girl, I might train you with treats.”

Tamlin tipped his head to the sky and roared with laughter. Despite myself, I let out a quiet laugh.

“I might die of surprise,” Lucien said behind me. “You made a joke, Feyre.”

I turned to look at him with a cool smile. “You don’t want to know what the Suriel said about you.” I flicked my brows up, and Lucien lifted his hands in defeat.

“I’d pay good money to hear what the Suriel thinks of Lucien,” Tamlin said.

A cork popped, followed by the sounds of Lucien chugging the bottle’s contents and chuckling with a muttered, “Brushed.”
― Sarah J. Maas, A Court of Thorns and Roses

Quote 3:

“I was loosened, a top whirling around and around, and I didn’t know who I danced with or what they looked like, only that I had become the music and the fire and the night, and there was nothing that could slow me down.”
― Sarah J. Maas, A Court of Thorns and Roses

Out of Control Book Blitz

Posted on May 12, 2015 by The Page Unbound

Out of Control

by Sarah Alderson
Publication date: May 12th 2015

Published by: Simon Pulse
Genres: Thriller, Young Adult

Synopsis:

A girl looking to escape her past in New York City ends up on the run from a dangerous conspiracy in this sizzling, high-stakes novel.

When seventeen-year-old Liva came to New York City, all she wanted was to escape the painful memories of her past and finally find a fresh start. Her hopes for a new future were dashed the moment she became the sole witness to a brutal murder. When she’s taken into police custody—supposedly for her own protection—she realizes something isn’t right, but it’s too late. Soon, bullets start flying, and Liva realizes that she is not just a witness, but the target—and she needs to escape before it’s too late.

With the help of a sexy car thief that she met at the station, Liva manages to get away from the massacre unharmed, but now the two of them are alone in New York, trying to outrun and outwit the two killers who will stop at nothing to find them. Liva and Jay are living on the edge, but when you’re on the edge, there’s a long way to fall.

Buy Links:

Amazon | Barnes & Noble

BOOK EXCERPT:

The boy snatches the key from my outstretched hand and jams it into the tiny hole. The cuff springs apart, freeing him.

Instantly, he throws himself on top of me. ‘Get down!’

A bullet smacks itself into a filing cabinet just behind us as we tumble to the ground. His chest presses down on mine, my face is buried in his shoulder. Quickly he rolls off me and pushes me towards a desk. I scoot underneath it, banging the side of my head on the sharp metal corner of a drawer unit. I let out a cry.

‘Shhh.’ His hand clamps over my mouth.

I tug his arm away. ‘What’s going on? What’s happening?’ I whisper.

Before he can answer me, the shooting stops and a silence falls that is even more terrifying than the gunfire. The boy and I both freeze, staring at each other unblinking, just a few millimetres between us. Together, enclosed in the tight space beneath the desk, we strain to listen, and over the radio static and the whir of the air conditioner overhead, I pick out faint cries coming from somewhere in the distance; the unnatural keening howl of a wounded animal.

The boy shifts his weight. His back is pressed to one cabinet, his feet to the drawer unit. Carefully, he peers around the edge of the desk then ducks quickly back, breathing fast. A bead of sweat trickles down the side of his face.

‘Shit,’ he murmurs, resting his head back against the cabinet and closing his eyes.

‘Wh— ’ I begin, but stop when I hear the sly creak of the door being pushed open. A boot crunches on glass. The boy’s eyes flash open and lock on mine, holding me in place, silencing the scream that has risen up my throat and is threatening to tear free. My legs begin to shake from holding still in a crouching position. The boy’s right hand squeezes my knee hard – another warning, his eyes wide and burning fiercely into mine, telling me: Do not move.

Something topples off a desk on the far side of the room and, over the boy’s shoulder, through a gap between two filing cabinets, I glimpse the back of a man’s leg. Whose? Is it a cop? Where is everyone else? What happened to the cops who ran out into the corridor?

No. I shut off the thought, not wanting to go there.

The man in the room is standing stock-still with his back to us. What is he doing? I can’t see. He’s facing the wall – the chalkboard with all the homicide cases listed on it. The seconds seem to extend into whole hours, days, centuries, and I’m holding my breath and the boy’s hand is still squeezing my knee and my heart is bursting, literally bursting, as though too much blood is pumping through it. My leg muscles are on fire and, without warning, my foot slips. Not far. But it bumps the edge of the desk. The man spins instantly in our direction. The air rushes from my lungs and the boy shifts beside me, a single word that I don’t catch, falling from his lips like a dying man’s prayer.

The man starts to head in our direction, is almost on us, when someone somewhere else in the building shouts something that’s instantly swallowed in a storm of gunfire and the man rushes out into the corridor.

The boy darts his head out and then he’s out from under the desk and reaching for me.

‘Move!’ he says, pulling me to my feet.

About the Author:

Having spent most of her life in London, Sarah quit her job in the non profit sector in 2009 and took off on a round the world trip with her husband and princess-obsessed daughter on a mission to find a new place to call home. After several months in India, Singapore, Australia and the US, they settled in Bali where Sarah now spends her days writing by the pool and trying to machete open coconuts without severing a limb.

She finished her first novel, Hunting Lila (winner of the Kingston Book Award), just before they left the UK, wrote the sequel on the beach in India and had signed a two book deal with Simon & Schuster by the time they had reached Bali.

A third book, Fated, about a teenage demon slayer, was published in January 2012.

The Sound, a thriller romance set in Nantucket, was published in August 2013 and this was followed by the critically acclaimed Out of Control in May 2014.

She also writes New Adult romance for Pan Macmillan (UK) / Simon & Schuster (US) under the pen name Mila Gray.

You can find Sarah on facebook and at www.sarahalderson.com or follow her blog at www.canwelivhere.com

Author links:

Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter

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The Artisan Release Day Blitz

Posted on May 12, 2015 by The Page Unbound

THE ARTISANS
Author: Julie Reece
Pub. Date:
May 12, 2015
Publisher: Month9Books
Pages: 300

I am so excited that THE ARTISANS by Julie Reece releases today and that I get to share the news, along with an awesome giveaway! If you haven’t yet heard about this wonderful book by Author Julie Reece, be sure to check out all the details below. This blitz also includes a giveaway for 2 eBooks of THE ARTISANS (International) So if you’d like a chance to win, enter in the Rafflecopter at the bottom of this post.

About The Book:

They say death can be beautiful. But after the death of her mother, seventeen-year-old Raven Weathersby gives up her dream of becoming a fashion designer, barely surviving life in the South Carolina lowlands.

To make ends meet, Raven works after school as a seamstress creating stunning works of fashion that often rival the great names of the day.Instead of making things easier on the high school senior, her stepdad’s drinking leads to a run in with the highly reclusive heir to the Maddox family fortune, Gideon Maddox.

But Raven’s stepdad’s drying out and in no condition to attend the meeting with Maddox. So Raven volunteers to take his place and offers to repay the debt in order to keep the only father she’s ever known out of jail, or worse.

Gideon Maddox agrees, outlining an outrageous demand: Raven must live in his home for a year while she designs for Maddox Industries’ clothing line, signing over her creative rights.

Her handsome young captor is arrogant and infuriating to the nth degree, and Raven can’t imagine working for him, let alone sharing the same space for more than five minutes.But nothing is ever as it seems. Is Gideon Maddox the monster the world believes him to be? And can he stand to let the young seamstress see him as he really is?

Praise for THE ARTISANS“The Artisans has all the elements I love – spooky intrigue, strong friendships, and a romantic tension to be savored.” ~ Wendy Higgins, New York Times bestselling author of the Sweet Evil trilogy.“Read The Artisans in the middle of the night with a flashlight if you dare. The perfect blend of romance and horror with a strong female lead kept me reading through the night.”~ L.S. Murphy author of PIXELATED Bloomsbury Spark and REAPERJ. Taylor Publishing“Wowza!!!! That book was so freakin’ good! Intense, insane, freaky at parts and sooooo good! I haven’t had emotions like this about a book in a long time!”~ Mindy Blogger @ Magical Urban Fantasy Reads

“The first thing I thought when I finished this book was ‘dang, I would love to see this as a movie’. The Artisans has such an awesome and haunting concept to it plus I just adore all of the characters.”~Jena Blogger @ Shortie Says

“The Artisans was a unique modern day retelling of Beauty and the Beast filled with mystery, romance and wonderful characters. From the first page I was completely lost in the wonderful setting that Reece created.”~Bridget Blogger @ Dark Faerie Tales

Buy Links:
Amazon, Barnes & Noble

About the Author:

Born in Ohio, I lived next to my grandfather’s horse farm until the fourth grade. Summers were about riding, fishing and make-believe, while winter brought sledding and ice-skating on frozen ponds. Most of life was magical, but not all.

I struggled with multiple learning disabilities, did not excel in school. I spent much of my time looking out windows and daydreaming. In the fourth grade (with the help of one very nice teacher) I fought dyslexia for my right to read, like a prince fights a dragon in order to free the princess locked in a tower, and I won.

Afterwards, I read like a fiend. I invented stories where I could be the princess… or a gifted heroine from another world who kicked bad guy butt to win the heart of a charismatic hero. Who wouldn’t want to be a part of that? Later, I moved to Florida where I continued to fantasize about superpowers and monsters, fabricating stories (my mother called it lying) and sharing them with my friends.

Then I thought I’d write one down…

Hooked, I’ve been writing ever since. I write historical, contemporary, urban fantasy, adventure, and young adult romances.

I love strong heroines, sweeping tales of mystery and epic adventure… which must include a really hot guy. My writing is proof you can work hard to overcome any obstacle.Don’t give up. I say, if you write, write on!

Author Links:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Giveaway Details:

3 eBooks of
THE ARTISANS International

Ends on May
22^nd at Midnight EST!

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The Violet Hour Blitz

Posted on May 11, 2015 by The Page Unbound

The Violet Hour (The Violet Hour #1)

by Andrea L. Wells

Release Date: 05/11/15

Infinity Publishing

309 pages

Summary from Goodreads:

Still shocked over her mother’s mysterious death, California socialite Logan Keller is handed a one-way ticket to her long lost roots in Wyoming where love, deceit and danger await. Though she could forget everything staring into Luke Callahan’s eyes, Logan is quickly thrust into a fight for survival.

Taking fate into her own hands, she begins unraveling the dangerous deceptions that abound at every turn. Her father is keeping secrets and Luke is keeping more. But Logan is keeping the biggest secret of them all.

The Violet Hour is a page-turning captivating twist of young romance and the supernatural.

Buy Links:

Amazon│Barnes & Noble│Kobo Books

BOOK EXCERPT:

I sat up and pulled my knees in close to my chest. Electricity flared in the air as Luke inhaled.

“You know, Logan, you’re not who I expected you to be,” he said, taking a long thought-filled pause. “I thought the next twelve months were going to be hell living with a California socialite, but you’re pretty amazing. I guess I owe you an apology.”

“So, it’s a good thing that I’m nothing like you expected?” I asked.

“It’s a really, really good thing.”

As I started to smile back he craned his neck to look away from me. His eyes focused. Something black flashed across the road but I was more scared by Luke’s reaction. The warmth had vanished from Luke in a heartbeat. The object stopped moving toward us when it got to an opening between the trees. Even though I could feel Luke’s concern, I leaned forward toward the window, curious. It was a wolf – a really big wolf, staring directly at us with bright green eyes. It was close enough I could see quick breaths escape into the crisp rain-drenched air. I was startled when the engine roared to life. Luke threw the car into reverse, and I nearly slammed into the dash as the sound of gravel scattered everywhere. He quickly jockeyed around and pulled back onto the road heading home. I kept my eyes on the wolf until he was no longer in sight.

“Was that a wolf?” I asked. Everything happened so quickly, I had to be sure.

“Yes,” he spit.

“I’ve never seen a wolf before – that thing was huge.”

Luke immediately turned to look at me with an expression that I couldn’t begin to read.

“What’s going on?” I pressed, puzzled.

When he looked toward the road and didn’t answer, I knew my question needed to be more specific to get results.

“Why are you freaking out? It was just a wolf.” I was worried. He had gone from warm and comforting to moody and distant over such a small thing and I second-guessed how quickly I had fallen for him.

“Because I need to get you home, it’s getting late,” he muttered, failing to control his tone.

“That doesn’t make any sense, Luke. I have no curfew and you flaked as soon as you saw the wolf.”

“Wolves are dangerous.”

“We were in the car,” I countered.

“Doesn’t matter.”

About the Author:

The Violet Hour Series has been begging to escape Andrea’s subconscious for more than five years. Focusing on a wonderful career, handsome husband and two beautiful children by day, she began feverishly penning the series by night. Now a full-time writer, Andrea debuts The Violet Hour. Available May 11, 2015.

Author Links:

Website│Goodreads│Twitter│Facebook

GIVEAWAY:

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Author Interview & Giveaway: T.A. Maclagan

Posted on May 7, 2015 by The Page Unbound

They Call Me Alexandra Gastone

By: T.A. Maclagan

Release Date: May 20, 2015

Synopsis:

When your life is a lie, how do you know what’s real?

Alexandra Gastone has a simple plan: graduate high school, get into Princeton, work for the CIA, and serve her great nation.

She was told the plan back when her name was Milena Rokva, back before the real Alexandra and her family were killed in a car crash.

Milena was trained to be a sleeper agent by Perun, a clandestine organization from her true homeland of Olissa. There, Milena learned everything she needed to infiltrate the life of CIA analyst Albert Gastone, Alexandra’s grandfather, and the ranks of America’s top intelligence agency.

For seven years, “Alexandra” has been on standby and life’s been good. Grandpa Albert loves her, and her strategically chosen boyfriend, Grant, is amazing.
But things are about to change. Perun no longer needs her at the CIA in five years’ time. They need her active now.

Between her cover as a high school girl—juggling a homecoming dance, history reports, and an increasingly suspicious boyfriend—and her mission in this high-stakes spy game, the boundaries of her two lives are beginning to blur.

Will she stay true to the country she barely remembers, or has her loyalty shattered along with her identity?

Buy Links:

Amazon| Barnes & Nobles| iTunes| Kobo

AUTHOR INTERVIEW

Q: Who is your intended audience and why should they read your book?

If you’re a teen or adult who likes books with a strong female lead, twists and turns galore, compelling romance, and a believable journey of self-discovery then you’ll like They Call Me Alexandra Gastone.

Q: How did you come up with the title of your book or series?

I wanted a title that was immediately intriguing. Something that suggested spy without having ‘spy’ in the title. I think They Call Me Alexandra Gastone does that, especially when paired with the cover art. It suggests that the protagonist is actually someone other than Alexandra Gastone.

Q: Tell us a little bit about your cover art. Who designed it? Why did you go with that particular image/artwork?

Fiona Jayde was the designer. I was lucky in that my publisher was very keen on me being a part of the design process and asked for my input at each stage. Given the title of the book, we all thought a full on face shot would be good and we wanted to highlight Alexandra’s heterochromia (2 different eye colors) as it’s an integral component of the book. The red and black color scheme was chosen because it practically screams spy. If you look up spy novels on Amazon, most will have the same color scheme. It harkens back to the cold war and all the spy novels featuring the Soviets. Lastly, the rifle scope was added because as the designer zoomed in on the model’s face, her expression started to seem bland. However, once the rifle scope was added, her expression morphed from bland to defiant, which was perfect!

Q: Who is your favorite character from your book and why?

Alexandra is definitely my favorite character! I love how she’s both emotionally and physically strong but also has a sensitive side. I love that she’s willing to fight for what she believes in.

Q: How about your least favorite character? What makes them less appealing to you?

Least favorite is a hard one. All the characters came from me so I have a certain fondness for everyone. I guess I’d have to go with the most despicable of the characters which is Mistress, although I actually love her in all her evil glory!

Q: If you could change ONE thing about your novel, what would it be? Why?

To be honest, I wouldn’t change a thing at this point. I’m more than happy with the final manuscript. On the road to being published, my agent and editors had me do some pretty big rewrites on portions of the book and each one made it better. By the end, I think we’d collectively figured out the way the book needed to be in order to be its best possible self. That’s the version being published on May 20th!

Q: Give us an interesting fun fact or a few about your book or series:

In the book, Alexandra is a sleeper agent from a small country called Olissa, but in my original manuscript she was from Russia and had strong communist leanings. My agent and editors wanted less ‘boring political stuff’ since it was a YA book, so Alexandra was moved from Russia to Olissa.

Q: What other books are similar to your own? What makes them alike?

YA Spy books tend to fall into two broad categories, ‘lighthearted adventures’ like The Gallagher Girls and Also Known As and then the ‘more serious suspense’ novels like Sekret and Code Name Verity. Alexandra Gastone is more in keeping with the second category, although the book differs quite a lot from Sekret and Code Name Verity because of its contemporary American high school setting.

Q: How can we contact you or find out more about your books?

I love interacting with readers! Don’t hesitate to get in touch.

Website: www.tamaclagan.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tamaclagan
Twitter: https://twitter.com/tamaclagan
Tumblr: tamaclagan.tumblr.com/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/tamaclagan/

Q: What can we expect from you in the future?

Lots more books I hope! And a sequel to They Call Me Alexandra Gastone!

Q: What can readers who enjoy your book do to help make it successful?

Tell their friends they liked it! Suggest it for book clubs. Ask the local library to buy a copy. Leave a review on Goodreads or Amazon. They say good word of mouth is one of the best ways for a novel to gain traction with the public so a lot of a book’s success has to do with readers getting the word out.

Q: Do you have any tips for readers or advice for other writers trying to get published?

Don’t let a fear of failure prevent you from pursuing your goals. Don’t let criticism get you down. Learn and grow from it. As far as writing goes, there are few things I value more than constructive criticism. It helps make you better as a writer.

Q: Is there anything else you’d like to say?

I hope you enjoy reading They Call Me Alexandra Gastone as much as I enjoyed writing it! If you like the novel, don’t hesitate to get in touch with me. I love chatting with readers!

Q: And now, before you go, how about a snippet from your book that is meant to intrigue and tantalize us:

“I stared at the video screen. At the girl with my eyes—one blue and one gray-green. I’d seen this video hundreds of times, so I knew it by heart. It was of Alexandra Gastone walking home. “

About T.A. Maclagan

T.A. Maclagan is a Kansas girl by birth but now lives in the bush-clad hills of Wellington, New Zealand with her Kiwi husband, son and four pampered cats. With a bachelor’s degree in biology and a Ph.D. in anthropology, she’s studied poison dart frogs in the rainforests of Costa Rica, howler monkeys in Panama and the very exotic and always elusive American farmer. It was as she was writing her ‘just the facts’ dissertation that T.A. felt the call to pursue something more imaginative and discovered a passion for creative writing. They Call Me Alexandra Gastone is her first novel.

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Book Blitz: Tattered Altered Love by K.D. Ferguson

Posted on May 7, 2015 by The Page Unbound

Tattered Altered Love

by K.D. Ferguson

Release Date: 05/2015

Book Summary:

What if you had the chance to change the future, would you take it regardless of the cost? Could you find the strength to overthrow a corrupt government that filled your life, and the lives of countless others, with lies and sadness?

Krissa Channing seemed to be a Headquarters prodigy, on track for a successful pairing and a lifetime of living by government standards. But her destiny was far more than that which was mapped out for her. Upon the discovery of an underground revolution, Krissa is thrown into a world she never knew existed. The devastating losses she has endured have placed her in the position to help lead the movement.

The glittering future offered by the takeover seems to be bright, but how much of the life she once knew is Krissa willing to sacrifice?

Buy Links:

Amazon

Books in this series:

Links for Torn True Love:

Goodreads│Amazon

Links for Tore Divided Love:

Goodreads│Amazon

Excerpt:

“Braiden’s life was over, and my story with him would now be uncomplicated. There was no more searching for rhyme and reason with us because there was no us when one half was dead. But as for Duke, I didn’t know up from down and what was wrong or right anymore.”

About the Author

I have recently released my first book, Torn-True Love, published by Rebel Ink Press. I am thrilled to be a part of the family!

Author Links:

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Ash and Ruin

Posted on May 6, 2015 by The Page Unbound

This is my stop on the blog tour for the Ash and Ruin series by Shauna Granger! To read more reviews and posts on Shauna Granger check out the Ash and Ruin blog tour schedule here!

World of Ash Book Summary (Goodreads):

There are two inherent truths in the world: life as we know it is over, and monsters are real.

The Pestas came in the night, spreading their pox, a deadly plague that decimated the population. Kat, one of the unlucky few who survived, is determined to get to her last living relative and find shelter from the pox that continues to devastate the world. When it mutates and becomes airborne, Kat is desperate to avoid people because staying alone might be her only chance to stay alive.

That is, until she meets Dylan. Dylan, with his easy smile and dark, curly hair, has nowhere to go and no one to live for. He convinces Kat there can be safety in numbers, that they can watch out for each other. So the unlikely couple set off together through the barren wasteland to find a new life – if they can survive the roaming Pestas, bands of wild, gun-toting children, and piles of burning, pox-ridden bodies.

World of Ash (Ash and Ruin #1)
by Shauna Granger
Release Date: 12/02/13
Rating: 4/5

My Review:

Kat comes from a privileged, happy family, but that does little to prepare her for when the plague arrives. The Pestas are these monster like creatures that spread the plague like wildfire. Most of the population is dead from this virus. The government does what they can to contain the deadly virus but securing cities and bombing them. The virus is spread by touch. When the government plans to bomb Kat’s home, she makes it out just in time, but her family does not. Kat’s father contracts the pox and it doesn’t take too long for her family to realize that Kat’s mom will soon get it. Kat’s parent’s send her to her Uncles house, which is quite a distance from home. Suddenly Kat goes from a life of worrying about hair and make up to a life of brutal survival. On her journey Kat is attacked and beaten, and quickly realizes that she needs to be afraid of people she encounters just as much as she should be afraid of The Pestas. Very a good portion of Kat’s journey she is completely alone, but along the way she meet’s and befriends Dylan and a dog named Blue, and honestly if it weren’t for Dylan I’m not entirely sure she would have survived through book one, even though they both hold their own through out the book and save each other numerous times. Kat is very leery of Dylan at first. Kat has a hard time trusting humans. She’s afraid of them just as much as she’s afraid of The Pestas, since humans are the ones that are going to such extremes in order to contain the deadly virus. Kat and Dylan’s friendship is wonderful, and it was so neat to see their companionship grow throughout the book.

This dystopian world Granger created I found fascinating. The story grips you from the beginning and it’s practically a non-stop heart pounding and palms sweating throughout the entire book, even though there isn’t necessarily a lot of action going on. The world Granger creates it just that scary, and Kat’s story is just so good, it’s a hard book to put down. And it’s hard not to be terrified for them as they set out on their journey.

Both Kat and Dylan were very well developed characters, they each had distinctive personalities and both had much to learn in this new apocalyptic world. Both Kat and Dylan had flaws and growth, and it made them very real. I enjoyed Kat’s character ARC, seeing her from being the teenage girl that pretty much had a perfect life, to having to endure many trials, and toughen up a bit. When we first meet Dylan he’s very naive and believes the government will help them, but over time and with Kat’s help he begins to realize the only ones he can depend on is himself and Kat.

World of Ash is a harsh world, but it’s an apocalyptic, dystopian story you don’t want to miss! It’s AMAZING!

This is my first read by author Shauna Granger, and I can’t wait to read the other two books in the series!

Be sure to enter the rafflecopter giveaway at the end of the post!

Buy Links:

Amazon│Barnes and Noble│Kobo│Smashwords│iBooks

Want more World of Ash? You don’t even have to wait!

Time of Ruin (Ash and Ruin #2)
by Shauna Granger
Release Date: 07/22/14

Summary from Goodreads:

The world has ended, and hope is the most dangerous thing left.

Battered and bruised after barely escaping San Francisco with their lives, Kat, Dylan, and Blue press north – desperate to reach the possibility of a new home.

But strange, monstrous ravens are tracking the remaining survivors, food is becoming scarce, gasoline is running short, and people are becoming suicidal, making survival almost impossible.

And the Pestas are growing bolder. Somehow, their numbers are growing.

The further north they go, the harder it becomes to ignore the signs that they’ve made a fatal mistake. Kat must face the impossible truth that there is no escape, there is no safe haven, and their worst nightmares don’t come close to their new reality.

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Age of Blood (Ash and Ruin #3)
by Shauna Granger
Release Date: 05/05/15

Summary from Goodreads:

Hope is a dangerous thing, but powerful. Hope keeps you going. Hope can keep you alive.

But hope can shatter your world.

Kat and Dylan have found a home, but the monsters are still out there. The pox and plague still ravage the world. They have hope of finding a vaccine, but their encampment isn’t equipped to develop it.

Dylan is still too weak from the pox to leave the encampment, so Kat must decide between staying by his side and protecting her last remaining family member as he leaves to find supplies. Separated for the first time since they came together, Kat and Dylan will have to fight their own battles to save what is left of their bloody world.

Kat will have to hold on to hope that she has anything left to save and someone to come home to. If she can survive.

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About the Author:

Like so many other writers, Shauna grew up as an avid reader, but it was in high school that she realized she wanted to be a writer. Five years ago, Shauna started work on her Elemental Series. She released the first installment, Earth, on May 1, 2011 and has since released four sequels, with the series coming to an end with Spirit. She is currently hard at work on a new Urban Fantasy series, staring a spunky witch with a smush-faced cat named Artemis.

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The Heir Teaser

Posted on May 5, 2015 by The Page Unbound

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The Heir (The Selection #4)

by Kiera Cass (Goodreads Author)

Book Synopsis(Goodreads):

Princess Eadlyn has grown up hearing endless stories about how her mother and father met. Twenty years ago, America Singer entered the Selection and won the heart of Prince Maxon—and they lived happily ever after. Eadlyn has always found their fairy-tale story romantic, but she has no interest in trying to repeat it. If it were up to her, she’d put off marriage for as long as possible.

But a princess’s life is never entirely her own, and Eadlyn can’t escape her very own Selection—no matter how fervently she protests.

Eadlyn doesn’t expect her story to end in romance. But as the competition begins, one entry may just capture Eadlyn’s heart, showing her all the possibilities that lie in front of her . . . and proving that finding her own happily ever after isn’t as impossible as she’s always thought.

Quote 1:

“I was slow to pick up on their hints. I knew what the Selection was, but never, not even once, had it been suggested as an option for any of us, let alone me.
“No.”
Mom put up her hands, cautioning me. “Just listen-”
“A Selection?” I burst out. “That’s insane!”
“Eadlyn, you’re being irrational. ”
I glared at her. “You promised- you promised- you’d never force me into marrying someone for an alliance. How is this any better?”
“Hear us out,” she urged.
“No!” I shouted. “I won’t do it.”
― Kiera Cass, The Heir

Quote 2:

“I could not hold my breath for seven minutes. I couldn’t even make it to one. I once tried to run a mile in seven minutes after hearing some athletes could do it in four but failed spectacularly when a side stitch crippled me about halfway in.
However, there was one thing I managed to do in seven minutes that most would say is quite impressive: I became queen.
By seven tiny minutes I beat my brother, Ahren, into the world, so the throne that ought to have been his was mine. Had I been born a generation earlier, it wouldn’t have mattered. Ahren was the male, so Ahren would have been the heir.
Alas, Mom and Dad couldn’t stand to watch their firstborn be stripped of a title by an unfortunate but rather lovely set of breasts. So they changed the law, and the people rejoiced, and I was trained day by day to become the next ruler of Illéa.”
― Kiera Cass, The Heir

Quote 3:

“Didn’t they know who I was, what they’d trained me for? I was Eadlyn Schreave. No one was more powerful than me.
So if they thought I was going down without a fight, they were sadly mistaken.”
― Kiera Cass, The Heir

Through Fire & Sea Book Blitz

Posted on May 5, 2015 by The Page Unbound

Through Fire & Sea

by Nicole Luiken

Release Date: 05/05/15

Entangled Teen

Summary from Goodreads:

Mirror mirror, hear my call…

In the Fire world, seventeen-year-old Leah is the illegitimate daughter of one of the realm’s most powerful lords. She’s hot-blooded—able to communicate with the tempestuous volcano gods that either bless a civilization or destroy it. But then Leah discovers she’s a Caller, gifted with the unique—and dangerous—ability to “call” her Otherselves in mirror worlds. And her father will do anything to use her powers for his own purposes.

In the Water world, Holly nearly drowns when she sees—and interacts with—Leah, a mirror image of herself. She’s rescued by Ryan, a boy from school with a secret he’d die to protect. Little do they know, his Otherself is the son of a powerful volcano god at war in the Fire world…and he’s about to fall.

As Leah and Holly’s lives intersect, the Fire and Water worlds descend into darkness. The only way to protect the mirror worlds is to break every rule they’ve ever known. If they don’t, the evil seeping through the mirrors will destroy everything—and everyone—they love…

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Parallel Worlds

Guest blog by Nicole Luiken

My fantasy novel Through Fire & Sea features a number of parallel worlds. There’s the True World from which the four other worlds were copied and the Mirror Worlds themselves: Fire, Water, Air and Stone.

Parallel worlds are a favorite trope of mine. Here are some other fictional parallel worlds that I really enjoyed:

Sliders This ‘90s TV show dealt with a group of students and their prof who ended up “sliding” between various parallel Earths in an attempt to find their way back to their own universe. Each universe looked mostly like ours but proved to have a subtle difference. The physics prof was played by Rhys-Davies, who is actually rather tall when not shrunk down to dwarf size for his role as Gimli in LOTR
Buffy the Vampire Slayer featured a parallel universe, in which most of the regular cast were either dead or vampires in the episodes “The Wish” and “Doppelgangland”. My husband and I are rewatching this series with our fifteen-year-old son.
Fringe. This popular SF TV show followed FBI agent Olivia Dunn as she investigated strange paranormal and fringe science phenomena with the help of Walter Bishop and his son Peter. In later seasons, it featured several different versions of Earth. In the main Earth Walter Bishop was a crazed genius, his so-called ‘Walternate’ was the Secretary of Defense. Big difference.
Once Upon a Time TV show. The Evil Queen’s curse removed all the fairy tale characters from their magic lands, gave them amnesia and placed them in an ordinary American town of Storybrook. I loved how each episode featured a flashback retold fairytale storyline as well as the main Storybrook plot.
Awake TV show. This one’s a little more obscure and only lasted a season, but I really liked it. Jason Isaacs (otherwise known as Lucius Malfoy) played a cop who’d been in a car accident with his family several months before. In one world, his son had died, but every time he went to sleep he would wake in a subtly-gray world in which his son had survived but his wife had died instead.

What are some parallel world stories in books, TV or movies that you’ve enjoyed?

About the Author

Nicole Luiken wrote her first book at age 13 and never stopped.

She is the author of nine published books for young adults, including Violet Eyes and its sequels Silver Eyes and Angels Eyes, Frost, Unlocking the Doors, The Catalyst, Escape to the Overworld, Dreamfire and the sequel Dreamline. She also has an adult thriller, Running on Instinct, under the name N.M. Luiken and a fantasy romance series, Gate to Kandrith and Soul of Kandrith.

Nicole lives with her family in Edmonton, AB. It is physically impossible for her to go more than three days in a row without writing.

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