Saturday, June 29, 2013

**Sidekick Saturday ~ Cocky**

Sidekick Saturday
I'm really excited to be participating in this meme. It's something I've wanted to do but either didn't have time or didn't have the brain power (sometimes both ;) to do it. But this week, I'm doing it.

Sidekick Saturday is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by Jaclyn at JC's Book Haven. There are many secondary characters that are as great as the primaries. In some cases, the sidekicks actually steal the show and you like them better than the heroine or hero. Maybe they didn't have enough page time for how great they were. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Choose a sidekick *or someone other than the hero or heroine* that you would like to put in the spotlight that fits in this week's type
• Share a picture (if possible) and information about the character
• Give the title and author of a book the character can be found in
• Please don't include too many spoilers when describing why the character is such a great sidekick
• Put your link in the Linky thing and comment

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This week's theme is COCKY. And it was a theme that immediately brought a character to mind for me.

My COCKY character is Adrian Ivashkov from Richelle Mead's Vampire Academy and Bloodlines series. Adrian always has a snarky line to deliver. He gorgeous, rich, and a total bad boy. Adrian knows his strengths and he's more than happy to share all about them with you. He always has girls willing to be his arm candy but he's more serious and loyal when he's found the girl. And he is such a complex character. I've really enjoyed peeling back the layers and getting to know all about Adrian throughout both series. 

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"I know how devastated you must be to miss me, but leave a message, and I'll try to ease your agony." --Adrian, Blood Promise
"Takes a lot of tries before you hit perfection." He paused to reconsider that. "Well, except for my parents. They got it on the first try." -- Adrian, Bloodlines
"I need you," said Lissa."I hear that a lot from women," Adrian said. --Last Sacrifice
"No thank you," said Adrian. "These hands don't sully themselves with fighting." -- Adrian, Bloodlines
"I can pick a lock. How do you think I got into my parents' liquor cabinet in middle school." -- Adrian, Bloodlines
"I just rely on natural talent," said Adrian, strolling up to the start of the Dragon's Lair. "When you have such a wealth of it to draw from, the danger comes from having too much." --Adrian, Bloodlines
"You mom seems like someone who gets her way a lot." Adrian cast a covert look to where Lissa and my mom stood talking across the room. He lowered his voice. "It must run in the family. In fact, maybe I should get her help on something.""Getting a hold of illegal cigarettes?""Asking her daughter out."I nearly dropped the plate I held. "You've asked me out tons of times.""Not really. I've made inappropriate suggestions and frequently pushed for nudity. But I've never asked you out on a real date. And, if memory serves, you did say you'd give me a fair chance once I let you clean out my trust fund.""I didn't clean it out," I scoffed. -- Adrian and Rose, Blood Promise
"Who was I to do this?I was Adrian Ivashkov.And I was about to kick some ass."-- Adrian, The Fiery Heart


So, who would you choose for a cocky sidekick?



**I AM JUST JUNCO WEEKEND ~ J.A. Huss**

450_no_sale_Junco_series_5_books

Hey y'all! As y'all know, I'm a total fangirl when it comes to J.A. Huss. So I wanted to share with y'all that she's having an I Am Just Junco Weekend! Clutch, the first book in the series is ONLY 99 CENTS this weekend. (The other books are discounted - only $2.99) She's also sharing excerpts, having contests, and other fun stuff on her blog. Here's the link to her blog where you can join in the fun. And don't forget that Clutch IS ONLY 99 CENTS ALL WEEKEND!!  :)




Friday, June 28, 2013

**Blog Tour & Giveaway ~ Ignite ~ Erica Crouch**



Hi y'all and welcome to my stop on the blog tour for Erica Crouch's Ignite. My post includes an interview with Erica, my review and a giveaway!

This tour is presented by Patchwork Press.


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Ignite by Erica Crouch
Release Date: June 13, 2013
Published by Patchwork Press

Penemuel (Pen) fell from grace over a millennium ago, yet there are still times she questions her decision to follow her twin brother, Azael, to Hell. Now that the archangel Michael has returned, threatening Lucifer’s vie for the throne, she begins questioning everything she has always believed.

As Hell prepares for war - spreading a demonic virus and pilfering innocent souls to build an army - the lines separating the worlds blur. Fates erase and the future is left unwritten. Azael is determined that he and his sister will continue to serve as demons together, but for the first time in her life, Pen is not ruled by destiny. She has the freedom of choice.

With choice comes sacrifice, and Pen must decide which side she’s willing to risk everything fighting for: the light, or the dark.





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Interview with Erica

Can you tell us a little about yourself?

HELLO my name is Erica! I am 20, soon to be 21 in late August, though I’ve been mistaken (multiple times) for a 14-year-old or my 18-year-old sister’s twin. I live just outside of Baltimore, Maryland and am currently in college studying English & Creative Writing. My concentration is fiction but I’ve also dabbled in writing for screen and stage. Ignite is my first book to be published instead of trunked and I am insanely excited/terrified about that. I love reading, writing, and -- above almost all else -- procrastinating.

What do you do when you're not writing?

Reading! That’s cheating, probably, but it’s true. I’m always trying to find a balance between reading and writing and “other” non-book related stuff, but the scales always tip to the literary side of my life. It seems that my to-be-read book list is never ending and perpetually growing, so I’m always checking books out of my library or downloading them on Kindle or Nook and buying paperbacks. If I don’t have a book to read, I would go mad! 

But I also love theatre. A lot of my friends are actors or work somewhere in the context of a theater. I used to act (dance and kind of sing), so I still love getting involved in theatre. When I was in high school, I went to see Rent when it was in Baltimore at the Hippodrome and I have never loved anything more!

Why are readers going to love Ignite?

Hopefully, readers will love the characters and their bonds and the story that unfolds around them. There’s a lot of poetry in the book and a lot of literary references -- generally just a reverence for words in general. There’s action, romance, gore, mythology, astronomy... A bit of everything really. I hope that people can connect with one of these aspects or maybe find something in the story that they relate to or have felt themselves.

Is there a scene in Ignite that was particularly fun or challenging to write? Why?

There’s this one scene, pretty late in the book, that I had envisioned the moment I started writing IgniteIt’s the Star Scene and I think one of my favorite scenes to write. I kept motivating myself to keep writing by saying “just X more chapters!” It’s kind of a culmination of my favorite aspects of the books -- poetry, mythology, and a beautiful moment under a breathtakingly stunning sky drowning in stars. I kept going out every night before writing this scene to lay down and watch the stars, to try to capture the same feeling you get when space just opens up in front of you. Stargazing is one of my favorite things, and I was so excited to be able to try to write a scene that would do it justice.

That is a powerful scene!

What are you working on now?

A lot of stuff! I have a few new projects coming up in the next year, if everything goes according to plan. I’m really excited about Entice, an e-novella prequel to Ignite that will go back to the final battle in the war, where Michael was slain, follows Pen and Az after they first fall from grace and as they venture into Eden. The final book in the Ignite series should be out next spring. I’m also in the middle of writing a New Adult science fiction series that I am very excited for, a 1930s YA romance, and a ghost/horror story. Obviously, I hate having any free time! :)

Thanks so much, Erica!


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My Review

I don't know if y'all have figured this out or not, but I'm a bit of a bibliomaniac and a philologist. (that means I love words! ;) So y'all are going to have to forgive me for geeking out on you on bit in this review...please.

Ignite had me at quoting William Butler Yeats on page 2! And then it goes on to quote Shakespeare, Robert Frost and John Milton!! *squee* Add in the fact that Ignite is a story revolving around the war between Heaven and Hell and has archangels, angels, fallen angels, demons...well, it's exactly my kind of heaven! ;) So if you didn't know I was a geek before, you certainly do now, right?!?
"Words have a power of their own. They build worlds, create lives, shape futures. You can delve into these foreign worlds just by opening the cover of a book and escape from it as quickly as you could shut it again."  --Pen
Penemuel, Pen, is a fallen angel. She loves words. She fell from Heaven for introducing the written word to man. She fell because things in Heaven were becoming unbearable causing angels to question the why's behind their actions. Her brother, Azael, decided he'd rather serve Hell and so Pen, not wanting to be alone, fell with him. They've been serving Lucifer for centuries in various capacities. When Pen is given the assignment to protect the newly reincarnated Archangel Michael, she experiences a metamorphosis of sorts. She begins to question her choices, realizes serving Hell was not her decision as she followed Azael. And she begins to hope that maybe there is a second chance for her. Pen is fragile yet amazingly strong.

Azael relishes being a demon. He never second guesses his decision to fall. He felt it was unjust that angels had no freewill unlike humans. He fell in order to feel as though he had some choice over his life. He's always been iwth Pen since the fall. But Azael is very egocentric and Pen isn't as important to him as impressing Lucifer and rising to a powerful position in Hell.

Michael is not the Archangel he once was. His soul has been imprisoned in Hell for centuries. Now that Heaven released him, they're keeping him in the dark about their plans and how he died. Michael's questioning Heaven and they don't like those questions. Michael believes things aren't all black and white...there's grey areas...he believes there's good in everything. When he meets Pen, he sees that she's different -- that she's good. 

Pen and Michael end up on the run as the apocalypse begins...

Ignite is fascinating in its story and exquisite in its rendering. I loved every moment! There are many details in this story and many, many lovely words. This may not be for everyone but it's certainly for me! I anxiously await the upcoming novella, about Pen and Azael's time after the fall, as well as the conclusion to Pen and Michael's story.




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Giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway




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About Erica



Erica Crouch is a twenty-year-old living on the outskirts of Baltimore, Maryland. She is currently working towards a degree in English and Creative Writing with a specialization in Fiction at Southern New Hampshire University. She spends all of her time writing and reading an overwhelming stack of books. Ignite is her debut novel and she is currently writing its sequel - in addition to two other series!






**Release Spotlight ~ Persephone's Orchard ~ Molly Ringle**

Hey y'all! If y'all like Greek mythology, I have a new book for you! Persephone's Orchard by Molly Ringle sounds amazing! I'm going to be reviewing this one, so be on the lookout for it. I'm so excited! Check it out!

AND in celebration of its release, Persephone's Orchard is being offered for only 99 cents for the next two weeks! Don't miss out on this deal.




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Persephone's Orchard



Persephone's Orchard by Molly Ringle

Release Date: June 28, 2013
Central Avenue Publishing

The Greek gods never actually existed. Did they? Sophie Darrow finds she was wrong about that assumption when she's pulled into the spirit realm, complete with an Underworld, on her first day at college. Adrian, the mysterious young man who brought her there, simply wants her to taste a pomegranate.
Soon, though she returns to her regular life, her mind begins exploding with dreams and memories of ancient times; of a love between two Greeks named Persephone and Hades. But lethal danger has always surrounded the immortals, and now that she's tainted with the Underworld's magic, that danger is drawing closer to Sophie.

**Feature & Follow #24**


Welcome to the Blog Hop! 

Feature & Follow is a weekly blog hop hosted by the talented ladies behind AlisonCanRead and Parajunkee's View. The intent of this blog hop is to get out there and meet other bloggers and gain new followers yourself. What sets this blog hop apart is the Feature. Each week, two blogs are featured, one at AlisonCanRead and one at Parajunkee's View. So make sure to hop over to those blogs to check out this week's Features.

This week's Features are:
Paperbook Princess
Got Fiction?

This week's question is: What is your preferred reading format? Hardcover, paperback, ebook??

I have to say that I read more ebook format than anything else lately. However, I actually LOVE physical books. I love the feel of the paper, the smell...it all enhances the experience for me. :) I do prefer hardcover or trade paper format over mass market but that's mostly to do with the fact that I require reading glasses - I actually have no-line bifocals!! So I like a bigger book because it generally has bigger font! *giggles*

So what about y'all? Which format do y'all prefer??




**Color Me Embarrassed**

Hey y'all. I owe y'all an apology. I recently read and reviewed a book here that I have since learned was plagiarized. I remember thinking as I read certain parts of the book that they seemed familiar...well, I now know why. I have removed the review.

*Edit - The book is Amazingly Broken by Jordin Williams - I apologize (again) for not including this in this post originally. I didn't want to give this person more publicity. But it was brought to my attention (thanks, Lectus) that y'all can't stay away from the book if you don't know what it is. I do believe it's been removed from retailers. And if you did purchase this book, it is my understanding that Amazon is refunding.*

So I'm apologizing to you, my fellow bookworms. My goal is to be a blog with integrity. I want to provide a place where y'all can count on getting the correct information about a book along with my honest opinion of it. My promise to y'all is to make sure I do due diligence when I'm approached by an author for a review. Will I make mistakes again? Well, I'm only human but I will do my very best to prevent something like this happening again.

Indie authors, please know this doesn't mean I will shy away from reviewing for y'all. Just know that I will do more research before I agree to read and review a book from this point forward.

Thanks so much for reading my blog and for all your support!

Thursday, June 27, 2013

**Blog Tour & Giveaway ~ Stupid by Choice ~ Leighton Summers**




Howdy! Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for Leighton Summers' Stupid by Choice. My stop includes all the details about the book, a guest post from Leighton, my review and a giveaway!

To enter the giveaway, leave a comment telling me __________. This giveaway is open internationally and ends on July 3rd. The winner will be chosen randomly. Good luck! :)

This tour is presented by Smith Publicity, Inc.


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Stupid By Choice by Leighton Summers
Release Date:



BIG, RICH, TEXAS: WHAT REALLY LIES BEHIND THE 
High Society, High Style, & High Drama!
GLITTERING FAÇADE OF DEBUTANTE LIFE?

Beautiful, bold, and born with a silver spoon firmly planted in hand, Melanie St. John is, by all outside accounts, the picture-perfect Texan Oil Princess. An independently wealthy daddy’s girl through and through, Melanie has spent her adult years flitting from one exotic, exclusive locale to another, being wooed by handsome, successful men, and in the dizzying center of dazzling, diamond-encrusted society life.

But behind the glittering façade of her debutante life lays a very different story.

In Stupid By Choice, this summer’s must-have beach read from author Leighton Summers, we follow the fictional and fabulous Melanie as she attempts to find true, lasting love amongst the wealthy, jet-set, spoiled, sought-after playboys in the elite social circles of Texas, Monte Carol, Manhattan, Newport, and Palm Beach.

Facing one destructive love affair after another, as well as financial troubles, family drama, unplanned pregnancy, and more, Melanie and her friends traipse through the high high’s and low low’s of elite society, all while negotiating the blows they’re dealt with vulnerability, extravagance, and a resilience that every woman, regardless of social strata, will recognize as her own.

Stupid By Choice is pure fiction, but it’s entirely inspired by the affluent, privileged world that I grew up—and still live—in,” says Summers. “All that glitters is not gold. It’s easy to get caught up in the glamour of it all, but no matter what your age or station in life, we all have to learn—as Melanie does—to not be ‘stupid by choice’ and stay stuck or settle if we’re not happy.”

A celebratory romp through the lives of ladies who have, lose, and ultimately triumph over it all, Stupid By Choice is as juicy a summer read as they come—equal parts entertaining, thought-provoking, and emotionally gripping. Among the topics and themes explored in it are:

• Don’t mess with Texas! An insider’s look—good and bad—at what socialite American society life is really like from a Texans’ P.O.V.

• The ‘problem-free’ lifestyles of the rich and well groomed: does money solve as many issues as one might think?  Or does it just create more?

• Handling divorce, infidelity, family problems, motherhood, and career goals with grace and fearlessness

• Finding courage in the face of the unknown, taking risks, and following your heart!





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Guest Post
What aspect of this novel was the most interesting to write?

What an interesting question, for it took so long to write Stupid By Choice (four years actually, and I often wanted to stop at times because it became so frustrating, but now I’m glad I didn’t!), but as I think about this particular question and reflect back on the times I spent writing it I do remember not all of them were hard or frustrating…  In fact, a lot of it was fun, especially in the beginning when I created my main character of Melanie St. John and got to imagine her being in some of the same, beautiful places I’ve been fortunate enough to travel to throughout my whole life.  And I had a lot of fun reminiscing about great (and often funny) times I had when I was young and carefree, traveling the world on a whim without the responsibility of a family like I have now (though that can have its own perks too!).     

I was very fortunate to be born into this upscale world the novel is based in and be able to experience wonderful, lavish parties, belong to private clubs, and meet many interesting people in some of the world’s most exclusive places.  And though this book is fiction, when I first decided to try my hand at writing I couldn’t help but be inspired by my surroundings, for it’s what I knew best.  (And trust me, there were always both comedic and dramatic situations happening that you couldn’t help but be inspired by!)  

Like most women, I certainly had my share of “stupid choices” when it came to men and relationships too, so when I tried to think of how a female character from my own social circles could “love smarter,” I have to admit it was great fun to be able to have Melanie do things differently than what I had seen (or even done) in real life.  It was nice to have lots of characters with different perspectives than what I had observed in real life too at times, especially when it came to certain themes in the book such as marrying for money.  Everyone seems to have their own view on that (and their own reasons for doing so), but I tried to show many different types of characters and situations that involved that theme, for in my world it’s always a source of conversation, but no matter why the reason it happens it rarely—if ever—turns out well.  No one should ever marry anyone for money, whether they have it or don’t.  The price is never worth it, as readers will hopefully see through several characters’ journeys in this book.

As I wrote up adventures and scenarios for Melanie’s character I found it was a very fun and satisfying experience just to write in general actually.  That’s why I kept doing it on and off for four years.  I learned through the process of writing down my thoughts that all writing is really like therapy.  (And with fiction you can write just what you want to have happen too, even letting out demons if you want to.)  Soon the notes and ideas from things I saw or imagined turned into a whole bunch of little, separate stories centered around Melanie, and the stories kept coming, so I just kept on writing.

I never thought anything would come of them, but I showed them to my husband and some of my friends who liked them.  (And they swore they weren’t just being nice, they honestly thought I had something other people would hopefully enjoy reading too like they did.)  They all encouraged me to keep writing and try to turn my stories into a novel.  So I found an editor to help me and we turned all my notes and individual stories into one complete, more structured story, and then my first novel was finally finished!  

I’m both relieved and glad that I finally did finish it too, so that’s also one of the most “fun” parts of writing Stupid By Choice.  It’s a big accomplishment to have finished this book, for I’m not a trained writer, just someone who always wanted to try to write a novel.  And no matter what happens with it now I’m glad I stuck with it and got it done.  It was a long—but great learning experience actually—and the fact that I never gave up (even when I wanted to) is what I’m most proud of.  But I do hope readers learn something from it by reading about the mistakes the characters make—especially Melanie’s—and how she and the others grow wiser in time.  That’s why I really wanted to write it in the first place.


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My Review
"When life happens, you happen back!"

When I was asked to review this book, I thought it would be a fun read. It's set in Texas during the time I grew up, so I was sold. Stupid by Choice was a fun read in some ways but it's so much deeper than I was expecting. 

Melanie St. John lives an enchanted life. Being the daughter of a wealthy oil attorney, she wants for nothing. She grows up traveling the world while everything is served to her on a silver platter. She's surrounded by affluence and knows she's expected to marry someone who will make her parents proud. She is more grounded, however, than her sister or most others who run her social circle. She's smart and wants more from life than marrying for money. She's fiercely loyal to her family and friends. In so many ways, Melanie is just like any other girl. She suffers through the issues all girls do...

The wealth portrayed in Stupid by Choice is something I'm not familiar with. I am a Texan but I am definitely NOT from an oil family. What I enjoyed about this story is that Ms. Summers portrays these characters who have everything but are also regular people. And by that, I mean they go through all the same adolescent problems as any other person. They navigate early adulthood, etc., trying to figure out where they belong in life, just like everyone else. They just have more means with which to go through it all. The glimpse inside this glittery lifestyle is interesting, to say the least.

It was fascinating to watch Melanie grow up. She, luckily, has very supportive parents (even if they don't always give they best advice) who really do want the best for her. Melanie approaches life, sometimes storming, sometimes stumbling, in her own way. She makes mistakes but, in time, learns from them. And eventually she blossoms.

The supporting cast of Stupid by Choice is amazing. Melanie's dad, Oldie, is larger than life...just like a Texan. ;) Her mom ends up being her "rock". Melanie's sister, Whitney, although quite the wild child growing up, does eventually grow up into an amazing woman. Even friends like Eva (who I wanted to strangle for the life choices she made) and Victoria added so much to the story. 

Stupid by Choice ended up being so much more than the fun read I was anticipating. It's much more a feelgood story with lots of lessons. And it was very satisfying.




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About the Author

Leighton Summers is a sixth generation Texan who has traveled extensively throughout the U.S. and Europe throughout her whole life. During her travels, she was always surrounded by interesting, successful (and often eccentric) people who encouraged her to find her passion and live life to the fullest. Writing novels always 
intrigued her, and so one day while in New York City she took out her laptop in a café and decided to jot down some notes about how a female character, created from her own world, could “love smarter.” Over the next four years, those notes turned into both funny and sad adventures of a woman’s quest to find friendship, love, self, and family and became Stupid By Choice, Summers’ debut novel.

Stupid By Choice is available as an e-book from Amazon.

Website: http://stupidbychoice.net/

Wednesday, June 26, 2013

**Blog Tour & Giveaway ~ Fall from Love ~ Heather London**


Hey y'all! Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for Fall from Love by Heather London. My stop includes my review and a giveaway. This tour is presented by Xpresso Book Tours.


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Fall From Love by Heather London

Publication date: June 7th 2013
Genre: New Adult Contemporary

Synopsis:
Struggling to put her life back together after a tragic mountaineering accident kills her college sweetheart, twenty-one-year-old Holly Treadwell is trying to set aside her grief, forge ahead in school, and find herself again.

When Carter Hansen, a guy who brings back horrible memories from the night of the accident, finds his way back into her life, Holly’s unsure  if she should let him in. He terrifies her in more ways than one and invokes feelings in her that she thought were buried forever. Regardless of her fears, she knows she must face him in order for her heart to heal.

Everyone tells Carter that what happened on the mountain that night was just a terrible accident, but even then, he can’t help but carry around the guilt and is unable to forgive himself. He’s drawn to Holly and being near her helps ease his conscience and gives him the release he needs.

As Holly and Carter’s relationship grows, they begin to realize that the more time they spend with one another, the more their wounds begin to heal—her grief and his guilt. But when Holly learns the details about the night of the accident—what everyone has been keeping from her—it will rip open old wounds and tear apart what they’ve both worked so hard to overcome…







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My Review

Fall from Love is such an emotional and, in my opinion, inspirational read. It alternates POV between the two main characters, Holly and Carter. And each chapter title is a quote about life and love -- and they are always very apropos.

The story begins with Holly, a college student just finishing her junior year, losing her boyfriend. The remainder of the book takes place over the course of the next year. We follow Holly as she is coming out of the dark part of her grief and begins to live again.

Part of the return to living is sparked by Carter. Holly met Carter the night of her boyfriend's death. Carter and Adam, Holly's boyfriend, were both on the Mountain Rescue team. Carter is such a kind and gentle man. He feels responsible for Adam's death and has continually tried to contact Holly to make sure she's okay, but Holly hasn't been able to cope with seeing or talking to him because of the memories he invokes. Eventually they are thrown together because Carter's best friend is dating Holly's best friend. And they manage to form a great friendship. 

I've said before that one of the reason I love the NA genre is that I delight in watching "new adults" during the time in their life when they're trying to figure out their place in the world. Fall from Love is all about this. Holly has been through such a tragedy. But it's Carter that I found myself truly caring for. The things this boy has endured over the last couple of years and the things he's currently enduring, alone, are heartbreaking. So I adored watching him, just as much as Holly, as they navigate through all the darkness.

I did wish Carter and Holly had had better communication at times. If they'd only been more honest with one another, they wouldn't have lost so much time. But I did say this story was inspirational, right? I am rather a romantic -- well, I like to believe love conquers all anyway. And Fall from Love reinforced this belief for me.

I completely adored the two side characters as well. Jenna and Josh, Holly and Carter's best friends, are awesome and such well developed characters. They are integral in the story and added so much color and texture, if you will, to Holly and Carter's story.

I really enjoyed Fall from Love. It is a tender and uplifting story about how love can help you overcome life's struggles. And maybe it also speaks to not wasting a moment of your life!



**I received an ecopy of this book, as part of the tour, in exchange for an honest review

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About Heather

Heather London is a young adult and new adult author who loves to write stories full of romance, fantasy, and science fiction. She is a lover of only the finest of coffee and premium craft beer, but will settle for anything chocolate, regardless of its quality. Heather lives with her husband in Dallas, TX where she is currently working hard on her next project.

Tuesday, June 25, 2013

**Blog Tour & Giveaway ~ The Alyx Rayer Chronicles ~ S.J. Pierce**


I'm so excited to be a part of the blog tour for S.J. Pierce's Alyx Rayer Chronicles. This series is such a unique concept and it's very suspenseful and exciting. I reviewed the first book in the series, Marked for Vengeance, back in January. If you missed it, you can read it hereTethered by Fate is the second book in the series. My stop today includes all the information for both books, my review of Tethered by Fate, and a giveaway.

The giveaway is for ONE ecopy of either Marked for Vengeance or Tethered by Fate. To enter, simply leave a comment. This contest is open internationally and ends July 2nd. The winner will be chosen randomly.

This tour is presented by Xpresso Book Tours. To follow all the participating blogs, click here.


**This week, both Marked for Vengeance 
AND Tethered by Fate are available for only 99 cents!!**

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Marked for Vengeance by S.J. Pierce 

Series: Alyx Rayer Chronicles #1 
Publication date: October 10th 2012 
Genre: Adult Paranormal Romance

Synopsis:
Alyx Rayer’s existence in Atlanta, the eternally bustling capital of Georgia, is one of routine and blending in among the worker bees. But her ‘normal’ life is actually a façade for a higher calling; she's a three hundred year old soul, encased in a human vessel and sent from the darkness between heaven and Earth to capture her Marked when summoned by her superiors.

During the initial, routine stake-out of her Marked, a dream prophet named Isaac Walsh, Alyx is thrown for an emotional loop when his allure captivates her heart from two rooftops away. The event marks the very instance when her sense of what’s right and what’s wrong is brutally challenged as her contact with him is strictly forbidden.

While already trapped between honor and desire, her emotional struggles are further challenged by a man in a black suit who continually pops up when she least expects it, his presence evoking a strange response from the scar she was branded with at birth. The scar tingles like a warning beacon, alerting her that something is amiss. Because her superiors never told her what this would mean, or much of anything except what to do when they summon, she can only conclude to try and keep her sanity, and her life, from completely shattering to pieces.

This engaging first book of the series is a Paranormal Romance novel interlaced with twists, turns, and thrilling suspense that is sure to satisfy readers of any genre.







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Tethered by Fate by S.J. Pierce

Series: Alyx Rayer Chronicles #2
Publication date: November 29th 2012
Genre: Adult Paranormal Romance

Synopsis:
Where fate would take the both of them now, Isaac wasn’t sure, but either way their paths were irrevocably tethered."

Hurled into the midst of a holy war between the sinister fallen Angel of War and their beloved Creator, gifted humans, Angels, and Spirit  Guides unite to create a formidable, ethereal army. With the imminent battle only days away, continue to follow the story that captivated your hearts as a Protector Angel named Alyx struggles with her own inner conflicts between right and wrong, love and honor.

Passionate, engaging, and filled with surprising twists and turns -- see which path fate will lead our beloved Angel down next in this second book of the Alyx Rayer Chronicles.









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My Review

Tethered by Fate picks up right where Marked for Vengeance left us. This installment is equally as suspenseful and well crafted. And I thought it flowed better than MfV since all the world building was complete. I thoroughly enjoyed it! For those of you who haven't read MfV, I'm trying to be as non-spoilery as possible. I do want to give you a bit of backstory though...


Alyx is "...a three hundred year old soul, encased in a human vessel and sent from the darkness between heaven and Earth to capture her Marked when summoned by her superiors."
She's protecting "...her Marked, a dream prophet named Isaac Walsh..."

Tethered by Fate primarily focuses on preparing the Protectors (angels) and the gifted humans for their battle with the demons and therefore saving the souls of humans on Earth. The Elders must train the gifted humans to perfect their gifts (visions of the future, etc.) in order to create a battle plan. They must also ensure the angels can use all their gifts in battle - along with their counterparts, the Warriors.

In this book, we get to know some characters better and are introduced to some new ones. There are some plot twists that had me wanting to pull my hair out (in a good way ;) and I was surprised the story took some of the turns it did.

I like the fact that Tethered by Fate also explores Alyx's differences from the other angels - and the conflict those differences introduce into the story, as well as the feelings of self-doubt and inadequacy they evoke in Alyx. There are also strong threads of fate (obviously), redemption and forgiveness in this story. 

Tethered by Fate also contains action and suspense. Although the action isn't graphic, the Protectors and their Warriors are out to defend the souls of all humans on Earth. Their instruction on using their abilities, such as using their wings for flight and projecting defensive walls, was fascinating to read about. The mystery we first got a glimpse of in MfV also comes to a head and I'll be the first to admit that I was surprised with the reveal. :)

I love Ms. Pierce's storytelling and her unique story line. Tethered by Fate was every bit as exciting and tense as I was hoping it would be. I'm certainly emotionally invested in these characters. Oh, and that ending...Ms. Pierce, what was that?!? I'm very interested to see Alyx and Isaac's story resolve, along with the fate of Earth.





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About S.J.


Susan James Pierce has a degree in Marketing Management, works for a Fortune 500 company in Atlanta, Georgia, and devotes her precious, spare time to writing Fantasy and Sci-fi novels. 

Even though her full-time career has nothing to do with books at all, she has always enjoyed complex storytelling with fascinating characters, and has had a penchant for the written word since grade school. As a matter of fact, her first publishing credit was a poem she wrote at the age of twelve. Why her love for writing never translated into a career, she can only attribute to 'life happens', but her wish is that she can redirect her career path into something that satisfies her creative inner-self.