Category: Giveaway

Heather Demetrios’s Exquisite Captive Blogger Caravan Giveaway Relay

Posted November 13, 2014 by Jana in Giveaway / 16 Comments

Welcome! You have reached the next giveaway relay stop along the Exquisite Captive Blogger Caravan! In case you were unaware of this giveaway relay, visit this page for more details. Basically, 24 different blogs are giving away 24 finished copies of Exquisite Captive (+ a signed bookplate) to 24 different winners across 24 week days from November 3rd through December 4th. Phew! What a mouthful. It’s my job to announce the winner of yesterday’s giveaway over at What Sarah Read. To find out if you won my giveaway head on over to A Glass of Wine tomorrow morning at 9 AM (Eastern) to see!

The winner of What Sarah Read’s giveaway is…

Ashley Jellison

Woo! Congratulations! Sarah will be contacting you shortly for your mailing address.

Ok, so getting down to the business at hand. Here’s everything you need to know about Exquisite Captive.

Exquisite Captive by Heather Demetrios
Series: Dark Caravan Cycle #1
Published by: Balzer+Bray on October 7, 2014
Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance, Mythology, Magic
Pages: 480
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Forced to obey her master.
Compelled to help her enemy.
Determined to free herself.

Nalia is a jinni of tremendous ancient power, the only survivor of a coup that killed nearly everyone she loved. Stuffed into a bottle and sold by a slave trader, she’s now in hiding on the dark caravan, the lucrative jinni slave trade between Arjinna and Earth, where jinn are forced to grant wishes and obey their human masters’ every command. She’d give almost anything to be free of the golden shackles that bind her to Malek, her handsome, cruel master, and his lavish Hollywood lifestyle.

Enter Raif, the enigmatic leader of Arjinna’s revolution and Nalia’s sworn enemy. He promises to free Nalia from her master so that she can return to her ravaged homeland and free her imprisoned brother—all for an unbearably high price. Nalia’s not sure she can trust him, but Raif’s her only hope of escape. With her enemies on the hunt, Earth has become more perilous than ever for Nalia. There’s just one catch: for Raif’s unbinding magic to work, Nalia must gain possession of her bottle…and convince the dangerously persuasive Malek that she truly loves him. Battling a dark past and harboring a terrible secret, Nalia soon realizes her freedom may come at a price too terrible to pay: but how far is she willing to go for it?

Inspired by Arabian Nights, EXQUISITE CAPTIVE brings to life a deliciously seductive world where a wish can be a curse and shadows are sometimes safer than the light.

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Monarch by Belle Whittington | Mini Book Review + Giveaway

Posted October 20, 2014 by Jana in Blog Tour, Book Review, Giveaway, Young Adult Fiction / 1 Comment

Monarch by Belle Whittington
Series: Cicada #3
Also in this series: Cicada, Firefly
Published by Self on October 1, 2014
Genres: Romance, Science Fiction
Pages: 493
Format: eBook
Source: Author
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Blair Reynolds was born to rule. Worlds, that is. Destined to reign over an ancient intergalactic race, it may seem her fate is written in the stars. But she’s willing to risk it all for another chance to spend forever with her true love – even if it means traveling through time and space to the other side of the universe.

As far as Ash is concerned, Blair's happily-ever-after involves him, not the mere mortal with whom she seems so infatuated. She was bequeathed to him by her father, and Ash will go to any lengths to keep Blair and her true love apart.

And Ash isn’t the only one.

Deep in the jungles of Brazil, where tribal drums call to Blair and her true love, other forces carry out dangerous secret plans.

However, Blair has secrets of her own … secrets so lethal she dares not even remember them.

Secrets so painful they could ruin everything.

Because some secrets kill.

I really loved Cicada (my review) and Firefly (my review) and was on the blog tours for both of those books, so I was very excited to be given the opportunity to be on the last blog tour for this last book in the trilogy. I’m feeling nostalgic! Monarch is a bit of a hard book to review, just because I feel like the things I loved about this book are the same things I loved about the first two. Plus, I don’t want to give anything away!

Monarch is probably the most exciting book in the trilogy, as things are getting real and intense. Decisions and sacrifices have to be made. Blair is discovering herself more and more (and getting more comfortable with who she is), and learning about how all the various, seemingly unrelated puzzle pieces in her life fit together into one big revelation of a puzzle. I love how Belle pieced all these details together. I had a lot of “ah ha!” moments. I also had a lot of “YES! I KNEW it!” moments. It was exciting to finally be in the know, as the first two books were mysterious and left me with a lot of questions.

In Monarch Blair, Andrew, and Everett leave their home, possibly forever, and travel to Brazil. The tribal drums are calling her, and it’s time for Blair to return to her alien people as their queen. She ditches Andrew and Everett at a bus station, fearing their safety, and takes to the jungles alone. Did she really think they would not search for her, though? Blair soon learns she is being hunted. She is forced to awaken her Royal Guard from a centuries-long slumber, and the fight between sides and loyalties begins. Blair must choose between her true love from her human life, her true love from her alien life, and the man who was promised her hand in marriage by her father. She also has to figure out how to survive it all.

I was so happy to see Andrew again. I love her big brother, and his loyalty to her. I was happy to see swoony Everett again. He’s not as nerdy as he once was! We don’t see as much of them as we do Blair, though. We spend a lot of time with her hiding out in the jungle and remembering things from her former life. She makes a lot of discoveries about herself and who she used to be. She learns more about who Ash really is. This is a very enlightening experience for Blair and the reader, but I found things to move a bit slowly at times. Because she was alone we did not get much dialog for a while, and I missed that interaction. Things did pick up, though, and then it was non-stop action and suspense. I loved watching everything unfold. I LOVE Blair’s Royal Guard. Each member has this incredible loyalty and amazing personality. Xi is my favorite, and I saw his as almost a father figure for Blair.

I’ve always loved Belle’s writing, and I still do. She paints such immaculate pictures with her words, and made the jungle come alive in my mind’s eye. She wrote such detailed descriptions of the Royal Guard and what they look like and their apparel. She brought everyone’s emotions to life and I felt their loyalty and love for one another. I felt the aching love between Blair and Everett as well. Theirs is a very special and unique love story. I have become so invested in all of these characters, even the ones I just met in this book. That’s the sign of a truly wonderful author. I loved how the story wrapped up, and am sad to see it end at the same time. I hope Belle continues to write more!

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Author Kelly Fiore on Just Like the Movies | Interview + Giveaway

Posted July 25, 2014 by Jana in Author Interview, Giveaway / 7 Comments

I’m so excited to have Kelly on the blog today to talk about her new book, Just Like the Movies, as part of the official blog tour hosted by Bloomsbury Children’s! This book is absolutely adorable (keep an eye out for my raving review next week!), and so is the author. I had so much fun learning more about her and her book. Before we jump in to the interview, let me give you some info on the book. And make sure you get to the very bottom of the post so you can enter the giveaway for a finished copy of Just Like the Movies!

Just Like the Movies by Kelly Fiore
Published by Walker Books for young Readers on July 22, 2014
Genres: Romance, Contemporary, Contemporary Romance
Pages: 300
Format: ARC
Source: From the Publisher
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Pretty and popular track star Marijke Monti is confident about almost everything – she’s got great friends, a great family, and she’s on her way to the State Track Championship. In fact, the only thing Marijke isn’t confident about is her relationship with Tommy Lawson.

Lily Spencer has spent her entire high school career preparing for the future – she’s participated in every extracurricular activity and volunteer committee she could. But, at home, she watches her mother go on date after date with dud-dudes, still searching for “the one.” Lily realizes that she’s about to graduate and still hasn’t even had a boyfriend.

While they live on each other’s periphery at school, Lily and Marijke never seemed to have much in common; but, after a coincidental meeting at the movie theater, Lily gets an idea – why can’t life be like a movie? Why can’t they set up their perfect romantic situations, just in time for their senior prom, using movie techniques?

Once the girls come up with the perfect plans, they commit themselves to being secret cohorts and, just like in the movies, drama ensues.

Author Interview

TARG: Thanks for taking the time to answer some questions today, Kelly!

KF: Thanks so much for having me, Jana.

TARG: If you only had five words (or less) to sell your book to a potential reader, how would you describe it to them?

KF: Friendship’s it’s own happy ending.

TARG: Oh, I absolutely love that! I love books with a strong friendship element, and Just Like the Movies definitely has that.

One can only assume you had specific movies in mind while you were writing. You mention quite a few throughout the book itself, but which movie(s) made you go: “I’ve got to write this book.”

KF: I think Say Anything is the biggest reason – that boombox scene is iconic – but also a lot of movies that didn’t make the cut were movies I loved and wanted to “live” in. Movies like French Kiss or Romy & Michele’s High School Reunion were movies that I saw during high school and thought, “Oh, that could never happen.” Adult Kelly thought, “Wait… what if it could…?”

TARG: I’ve actually never seen Say Anything, but you’ve got me wanting to! It sounds super sweet and romantic.

Just Like the Movies features two girls who are very different from one another, but bond over their love of romantic movies. You’ve got Marijke, an outgoing track star with a sexy boyfriend and Lily, a shy, studious wallflower. Which one of these girls do you see yourself in?

KF: Lily. So much of Lily is me. Which is funny, because I wasn’t exactly quiet or anything in high school. But the sarcastic snark, the biting wit – that’s me to a fault. Like Lily, I’ve used that to keep people entertained, but at a distance.

TARG: I also identified a lot with Lily as I was reading. I’ve always been the quiet, organized type, but I can whip out a little one-liner or a sarcastic comment every now and then and make people laugh. I was also the girl in school people looked over, or even through. I loved Lily a lot because I saw her living my life.

Anyone who follows your blog knows you’re a total foodie (and your debut novel, Taste Test, definitely confirms it.) Lily mentions that she loves the Saturday morning tradition of peanut butter pancakes with bananas for breakfast. Does a recipe for these exist? She also says she loves to cook for her family. What other kinds of things does Lily cook?

KF: I’m sure a recipe exists! I don’t have one, but they sound way too delicious not to be a real thing. ☺ I don’t know if Lily is much of a cook besides the basics – she’s pretty great at ordering pizza, though! (Joe Lombardi, on the other hand? He’s one of those guys I can imagine has some great date night staple recipes under his belt to impress the ladies – like Pasta Carbonara or Shrimp Scampi.)

TARG: Ahh, Joe. I love Joe a lot! And I can totally see him whipping up some yummy Italian.

Which Just Like the Movies scene was your favorite one to write? Why?

KF: I love writing climactic scenes in most cases, although I really loved writing the preface/beginning part of JLTM when the girls are in Tommy’s yard. It was the very first thing I wrote for the book and I felt their friendship starting to root in that section. Oh, and I loved writing Marijke’s running scenes. Chapter One specifically.

TARG: What’s your favorite quote from Just Like the Movies? Why?

KF: From page 269 – the last Marijke section:
“And there it is – the last aspect of the perfect movie romance: chemistry. It’s the one thing that the movies capture that real life has in common. It’s the one thing you can’t fake, because it’s as certain as science.”

TARG: I highlighted that quote! It’s definitely one of my favorites as well.

Just Like the Movies comes off as being a light contemporary romance, but there are some heavier issues and a lot of feelings. What do you hope readers take away from this story?

KF: This is a great question. In the end, this story is about relationships with other people and how we value ourselves in our relationships – romantic and friend-oriented. Marjike and Lily both make choices based on what other people – boys, in particular – might think of them. By the end of the book, both of them have learned that their opinions of themselves are the ones that matter the most. If I could hope for anything of my readers, it would be that they recognize and appreciate that growth.

TARG: Mission accomplished, Kelly! I loved watching these girls grow in their relationships with each other, as well as with the boys. And I particularly loved watching them stand up for themselves, because that’s something high school girls (and even adult women!) just don’t do enough of.

By nature, writers are extremely passionate about their craft. What has becoming an author done for you as a person?

KF: Becoming an author, specifically, has made me far more thick-skinned. And a little more patient. It’s given me the opportunity to leave something behind and it’s made me stronger. It’s made me both exceedingly happy and extremely miserable – sometimes at the same time.

TARG: I love that. I know I’ve done things in my life that have made me a strong version of who I was, and they are some of my most rewarding experiences.

Finally, do you have a love story worthy of the movies?

KF: I think every love story is worthy of a movie – it’s love, man. It’s the exception. It’s the reason to get out of bed. I met my husband when we were basically kids. Thirteen years later, he still makes me laugh until I snort coffee and makes me so mad that I want to punch holes in everything we own. He’s given me the most beautiful little boy and the most beautiful life. And almost none of our story would fit within the parameters of a romantic comedy. But, you know what? Every single second of it has been love. We are the lucky ones. And I wish everyone – everyone – that kind of imperfect, infuriating, frustrating, intoxicating, endless love. It’s why those movies are made in the first place.

TARG: *swoon* I don’t even know how to respond to that statement! I hope I find your kind of love one day for myself.

Thanks so much, again, Kelly! It has been a lot of fun getting to know you today. I absolutely adored Just Like the Movies, and can’t wait for your next book, The People vs. Cecelia Price!

Meet the Author

Kelly Fiore has a BA in English from Salisbury University and an MFA in Poetry from West Virginia University. She received an Individual Artist Award from the Maryland State Arts Council in 2005 and 2009. Kelly’s poetry has appeared in Small Spiral Notebook, Samzidada, Mid Atlantic Review, Connotation Press, and the Grolier Annual Review. Her first young adult novel, Taste Test, was released in August 2013 from Bloomsbury USA. Forthcoming books include Just Like the Movies, again from Bloomsbury, in 2014 and The People Vs. Cecelia Price from HarperTeen in 2015.

Kelly teaches college composition in Maryland, where she lives with her husband and son.

Connect with Kelly!
Website | Twitter | Tumblr | Facebook | Goodreads

Giveaway

The wonderful people of Bloomsbury Children’s have a great giveaway for you! Enter below for a chance to win a finished copy of Just Like the Movies! USA only, please.
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Be sure to follow the rest of the tour for more awesome content!

7/22 Teen Scene Mag
7/23 Anna Reads
7/24 Dream Within a Dream
7/25 That Artsy Reader Girl
7/28 Alexa Loves Books
7/29 Jenuine Cupcakes
7/30 The Lifelong Bookworm

The Kiss of Deception by Mary E. Pearson | Book Review + Giveaway

Posted July 15, 2014 by Jana in Blog Tour, Book Review, Giveaway, Young Adult Fiction / 28 Comments

The Kiss of Deception by Mary E. Pearson
Series: The Remnant Chronicles #1
Also in this series: The Heart of Betrayal, The Beauty of Darkness
Published by Henry Holt and Co. on July 15, 2014
Genres: Fantasy, Romance
Pages: 496
Format: ARC
Source: Publisher (Mail)
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In a society steeped in tradition, Princess Lia’s life follows a preordained course. As First Daughter, she is expected to have the revered gift of sight—but she doesn’t—and she knows her parents are perpetrating a sham when they arrange her marriage to secure an alliance with a neighboring kingdom—to a prince she has never met.

On the morning of her wedding, Lia flees to a distant village. She settles into a new life, hopeful when two mysterious and handsome strangers arrive—and unaware that one is the jilted prince and the other an assasin sent to kill her. Deception abounds, and Lia finds herself on the brink of unlocking perilous secrets—even as she finds herself falling in love.

People. I do not know what to do! I have no idea how to review this book, because I really, really loved it. There were a few slow moments, but I became so enthralled and excited about it as the story went on. By the end, I was just dying to get my hands on the second book! As always, my main points are bolded. :)

1. This book grabbed me from the first sentence, which does not happen. Ever. “Today was the day a thousand dreams would die, and a single dream would be born.” How great is that? Don’t you want to read more?

2. The Kiss of Deception has a really complex plot that I totally was not expecting. It was a pleasant surprise, because this book is LONG and we need that complexity to keep us going.

3. I think my absolute favorite part of the story is Pearson’s ability to weave things together in a way that keeps you guessing and/or questioning everything you think you know. When two men show up in Lia’s new hometown, she has no idea that one of the men is the prince she was supposed to marry and the other one is the assassin who was sent by her father to kill her. And the best part? The reader is not entirely sure which man is which either! And as Lia begins to feel things for one of the men, the reader agonizes over whether she fell for the prince or the assassin. It does not get better than this.

4. I love it when an author can blow my mind. She DID. I mean, I might have screamed.

5. Lia is a wonderfully spunky character. I love that she fled an arranged marriage, and I love that she cared more about finding the right man and falling in love than marrying the wrong one for wealth, recognition, and prosperity. She knew betraying her father would have extreme consequences, but she did it anyway. She’s also amazing at standing up for herself. I wish I could tell people off like she can!

6. The assassin and the prince, even though we do not always know which is which, have very unique and separate personalities. I found this to be incredibly important because these men HAD to not blend in to one person, or Pearson’s story would not have worked. Pearson did a wonderful job painting a mysterious pair of characters.

7. There’s a hint of a love triangle, but mainly because you don’t know which man is which. Again, this was done so well! I loved the mystery of trying to figure out which man she fell for!

8. In addition to the main story of Lia’s fleeing her kingdom, two men vying for her attention, and tons of deception… there’s side stories of Lia figuring herself out, kingdom politics, treks across barren lands, gypsies, adventure, and supporting characters you’ll fall for. AND it all takes place in a world you can’t wait to learn more about. It’s the total package.

9. I love the writing. It’s beautiful and funny and I loved immersing myself in it.

You know an author has done a wonderful job with their book when it takes me over FOUR MONTHS to write a review. I was so spellbound and captivated by The Kiss of Deception that I was seriously rendered speechless. I’ve already decided that I need to go read Pearson’s Jenna Fox trilogy, not to mention I’ll be moving mountains and slaying dragons to get my hands on The Heart of Betrayal, which comes out next year!

Thanks to Macmillan for providing a giveaway for the readers of That Artsy Reader Girl! Make sure you enter for the chance to win a hardback copy of The Kiss of Deception. This giveaway is open to residents of the USA and Canada.

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Suddenly Last Summer by Sarah Morgan | Book Review + Giveaway

Posted June 23, 2014 by Jana in Adult Fiction, Blog Tour, Book Review, Giveaway / 3 Comments

Suddenly Last Summer by Sarah Morgan
Series: O'Neil Brothers #2
Also in this series: Maybe This Christmas, Sleigh Bells in the Snow
Published by Harlequin on June 24, 2014
Genres: Contemporary Romance, Romance
Pages: 384
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher (Netgalley)
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Fiery French chef Élise Philippe is having a seriously bad day. Not only have the opening day plans for her beloved café fallen apart, but Sean O'Neil is back in town, and looking more delectable than ever. Last summer, they shared an electrifying night together…and the memories have Élise really struggling to stick to her one-night-only rule! Her head knows that eventually Sean will be leaving, so all she can do is try to ignore her heart before she spontaneously combusts with lust.

Being back in Vermont—even temporarily—is surgeon Sean O'Neil's worst nightmare. For Sean, returning home to the Snow Crystal Resort means being forced to confront the reasons and the guilt he feels about rejecting his family's rural lifestyle years ago. But discovering that Élise has settled in Vermont and still sets his blood racing is a very welcome distraction! Thinking he can persuade her into a replay of last summer is tempting, but remembering how good they are together is going to make walking away more difficult than he could imagine…

Words can not begin to express how excited I was when I finished book #1 in this series, Sleigh Bells in the Snow (see my review), last Christmas and found out that each of the fine O’Neil brothers was going to to get their own book and their own love story! Just so you know, this book can totally stand on its own. But why would you want it to? You’ll be sad you missed Jackson and Kayla’s love story. Anywho, I loved reading about Sean (the sexy surgeon) and his relationship with his brothers in this first book, and I was very eager to get my hands on his story! While I did not love it as much as I loved Sleigh Bells in the Snow (because this book had no Christmas in it, and I’m kind of a crazy Christmas person), I did enjoy this sweet romance. As always, my main points are bolded. :)

1. As was with the first book, I LOVE the setting of this series! The Snow Crystal, a quaint ski resort in Vermont, is just as charming in the middle of summer as it is the week before Christmas. And since the weather is warmer now, our beloved characters spend more time outside doing things like kayaking, hiking, camping, and repairing the lodge. I think the best thing about summer here, though, is watching a shirtless, glistening Sean build a deck in the sun. Oh, and kissing in the rain happens. Up against trees. Summer is good in Vermont.

2. Yay for familiar faces! I loved seeing Kayla and Jackson (cute couple from Sleigh Bells in the Snow) again. It was fun to see how their relationship has developed, and listen in on some of their future plans. The entire family at the resort is back, and they are just as sweet and welcoming as ever. I said this book can stand alone, but readers who already know these characters will be delighted to catch up with them.

3. Élise was not really my kind of girl, which was disappointing. She’s a French chef, and is very fiery and dramatic. She jumps to a lot of conclusions, forms opinions without having all the facts, talks before she thinks, and uses her painful past as a crutch way too often. This girl is high maintenance to say the least. But that’s ok! She was definitely a unique character to read about, and did not fit the usual mold. I did wish she would loosen up a little, though. As readers learn more about her, though, and discover her story, they will understand why she is the way she is. I did end up liking her more at the end of the book than I did at the beginning.

4. I really, really liked Sean. He’s devoted to his work, yet he’s got a pretty big soft spot for his family. He is constantly thinking about the people he has the opportunity to save through his talents as a surgeon. He has a pretty heroic moment in this book, and I just love how he is so passionate about helping people. If only everyone felt about their jobs the way Sean feels about his. This characteristic makes him extremely likeable, and that passion makes him, well, passionate.

5. I felt like a lot of the same conversations kept happening. Élise thinks about her past, and how Jackson (Sean’s brother) basically saved her from a pretty sucky life. Then Jackson thinks about this same thing. Then Élise talks to Jackson about it. Then Jackson talks to Sean about it a little. Then Élise tells Sean about it. And all the while, grandpa has known about Élise‘s past, and hopes someone will be able to help her. There’s just a lot of repetition in conversation topics, and I got a bit bored with the hashing and rehashing.

6. The romance in this story is more lust-based and passion-driven than I felt Kayla and Jackson’s was, which was an interesting change of pace. Élise and Sean have this boiling chemistry that is very hard for them to put a lid on, much as they would like. I’ve always been a fan of the more traditional love stories filled with stolen glances and a slow burn. There was no slow burn here at all. While it’s not my favorite kind of romance, some of the kissing scenes… holy moly. Phew! Swoony. And, don’t get me wrong… sweet moments happen too. We’ve just got two very passionate people here.

7. Probably my favorite thing about these books is the family dynamic. I love this family so much, and I love how they stick together and protect one another.

8. LOVE Sarah Morgan’s writing style. I still adore her descriptions of the scenery, and she sure knows how to write scenes that leave you weak in the knees!

All in all, Suddenly Last Summer is a fun read that I would definitely recommend to lovers of Sleigh Bells in the Snow, as well as lovers of summer romances. The O’Neil family is too wonderful for words, and I think everyone should take a trip to the Snow Crystal. Even though I did not love this book as much as the first, I can’t WAIT to get my hands on Maybe This Christmas (CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!!!) so that I can finally see Tyler O’Neil (sweet single dad of a teenage girl) fall in love.

About Sarah Morgan

USA TODAY bestselling author Sarah Morgan writes hot, happy contemporary romance and her trademark humour and sensuality have gained her fans across the globe. She has been nominated three years in succession for the prestigious RITA© Award from the Romance Writers of America and has won the award twice, in 2012 and 2013. RT Book Reviews has called her ‘a magician with words’ and she has made numerous appearances in their ‘Top Pick’ slot. Sarah lives near London, and when she isn’t reading or writing she loves being outdoors, preferably on vacation so she can forget the house needs tidying. She loves chatting with readers by email and on Facebook and Twitter. More information can be found on her website.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

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