Blog Tour: Concealed by Victoria Michaels + Giveaway

Concealed

Hidden 1

Author: Victoria Michaels
Pages: 242 pgs
Genre: Contemporary, Romance, Suspense
Release Date: December 10th 2013
Review Source: Author

Life has been complicated for Sydney Ross. Desperate for a new start, she leaves home but, during her travels, witnesses something that will forever alter the path of her life. On the run for the last six years, Sydney finds herself living the life of a nomad until she one day stumbles into a small town and hopes she’s finally found a place to put down roots. With a good job in a local diner and, for the first time ever, friends who feel like family, things start looking up for Sydney. The biggest shock of all is catching the eye of the town’s most eligible bachelor, the sexy sheriff, Wade Jenkins.

Sparks fly between them, and it’s not long before Sydney believes Elton, Missouri could be the home she’s always wished for. But Sydney’s past and her secrets have a way of catching up with her. When a brutal murder shakes the small town, Sydney is terrified that the countdown has begun on her time in Elton.

Have the shadows from her past found her again? The people who mean the most want her to stay, but that would put everyone, including her daughter, at risk. Can Sydney put her faith in Wade or will she keep running from a danger that even she doesn’t fully understand?

I've enjoyed reading Victoria's for quite a while now, so when I saw that there was a blog tour for her latest release I jumped at the opportunity to be a part of it.

From the get-go we are introduced to a pretty intense situation, but don't really know why or what's happening. As the story progressed, though, we slowly got the information. I really enjoyed the suspense and mystery, trying to figure out just what was going on and if they'd be able to.

The two main characters that we got to hear from were Sydney Ross and Wade Jenkins. They were so fun to read about, especially getting to see how they both felt about one another without the other knowing. They were sweet and frustrating and adorable. I really loved their journey and didn't want it to end.

Whenever I get to the end of one of Victoria's stories, I always find that I want more. And from what I can tell, this will be the first book in a series. I hope that is the case and definitely can't wait to read more. If it's possible, I'll be one of the first in line to get my hands on her next book!

*GIVEAWAY TIME*

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About the Author

Victoria Michaels is a wife and mother of many who lives her life in what seems like a constant state of motion. Kids’ sports, meetings, homework and general family fun take up twenty-seven hours of her day. In her thirty seconds of free time, Victoria likes to read, write and travel the country with her husband.

She most enjoys writing about love and laughter, two things that are central to her everyday life. If you would like to know more about what’s coming next from Victoria, please check back at victoriamichaels.net for updates, news and sneak peeks of future releases.

Connect with the Author:  Twitter | Facebook |Website | Goodreads

Purchase Links:  Amazon |Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Createspace

Blog Tour: Beautiful Dreams by Alicia Rae + Giveaway

Beautiful Dreams

Beautiful 3

Author: Alicia Rae
Genre: Contemporary, Romance
Release Date: January 20th 2014
Review Source: Author

Kyle has mended Lily’s broken heart, and as they have fallen in love, all she dreams of is finally having her happily ever after.

But as time goes on, Lily can no longer ignore the desire to know more about Kyle's past. When she learns more, she will discover if she can heal Kyle’s heartache as he has done for her.

Will his past break them apart? Or will their love be enough to strengthen their bonds?

*Book Contains Mature Content

One of the things I've enjoyed the most about this series is the sweet, sweet romance. Sure there's some angst and hurt that Lily and Kyle have to work through, but overall we get a lot of love and romance.

The first two books were not only about Lily and Kyle finding one another and falling in love, but also about Lily working through the heartache and loss of no longer having her family. With Kyle by her side she found a way to heal. And in this book, it was Kyle's turn to work through his struggles with Lily by his side. Even though dealing with it was difficult, they managed to get through it with one another.

The best part I have to say would be the couple of surprises they had along the way, ones that I don't want to give away. I've enjoyed following them along this journey and only watching their love deepen along the way.

It's sad that their story has come to an end, but there will be more to come with Lily's cousin Jason and Kyle's sister Abbey in the next book. I'm pretty excited to see what happens with those two.

*GIVEAWAY TIME*

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~About the Author ~

Alicia Rae is a Contemporary Romance Author who lives in Dekalb, Illinois, with her husband and three beautiful boys. Alicia has a passion for reading all types of romance, writing to bring a story to life, and photography.

Thank you to my dear sister, Kels, who showed me a few years ago how much I truly missed reading. And to my loving husband, for not throwing away my Nook, and planting the seed of writing into my mind. I am forever grateful. Xo

Readers, words cannot thank you enough for supporting me along this incredible journey. I hope you enjoy my novels as much as I do writing them. I thank each and every one of you. 

Believe in yourself and follow your dreams...

Connect with the Author: Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Add Beautiful Dreams to Goodreads

Beautiful Dreams (Beautiful #3) Purchase Links:  Amazon | Barnes & Noble

My Beautiful (Beautiful #2) Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Beautiful Chances (Beautiful #1) Purchase Links:  Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Waiting on Wednesday: Ignite Me by Tahereh Mafi

Waiting on Wednesday is a meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, which spotlights upcoming releases we are eagerly anticipating.

(Coming February 2014)

The heart-stopping conclusion to the New York Times bestselling Shatter Me series, which Ransom Riggs, bestselling author of Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, called "a thrilling, high-stakes saga of self-discovery and forbidden love"

Juliette now knows she may be the only one who can stop the Reestablishment. But to take them down, she'll need the help of the one person she never thought she could trust: Warner. And as they work together, Juliette will discover that everything she thought she knew-about Warner, her abilities, and even Adam-was wrong.

In Shatter Me, Tahereh Mafi created a captivating and original story that combined the best of dystopian and paranormal and was praised by Publishers Weekly as "a gripping read from an author who's not afraid to take risks." The sequel, Unravel Me, blew readers away with heart-racing twists and turns, and New York Times bestselling author Kami Garcia said it was "dangerous, sexy, romantic, and intense." Now this final book brings the series to a shocking and climactic end.

 I have been anxiously awaiting this book for a while now and am so excited that it's finally almost here. This has been such an interesting ride: Tahereh's amazing prose, the characters, the world. It pulled me in from the very beginning. I'm probably one of the few people who still doesn't like Warner after reading Unravel Me, so I'm curious to see where everything's headed in this conclusion.

What are you waiting on?

Red Rising Release Day Event

 

RED RISING by Pierce Brown

Published by Del Rey – Random House

Hardcover: 978-0-345-53978-6

Ebook: 978-0-345-53979-3

See what all the buzz is about on Goodreads

“Ender, Katniss, and now Darrow.”—Scott Sigler

Darrow is a Red, a member of the lowest caste in the color-coded society of the future. Like his fellow Reds, he works all day, believing that he and his people are making the surface of Mars livable for future generations. Yet he spends his life willingly, knowing that his blood and sweat will one day result in a better world for his children.

But Darrow and his kind have been betrayed. Soon he discovers that humanity reached the surface generations ago. Vast cities and sprawling parks spread across the planet. Darrow—and Reds like him—are nothing more than slaves to a decadent ruling class.

Inspired by a longing for justice, and driven by the memory of lost love, Darrow sacrifices everything to infiltrate the legendary Institute, a proving ground for the dominant Gold caste, where the next generation of humanity’s overlords struggle for power.  He will be forced to compete for his life and the very future of civilization against the best and most brutal of Society’s ruling class. There, he will stop at nothing to bring down his enemies . . . even if it means he has to become one of them to do so.

*GIVEAWAY TIME*

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BUY LINKS (print and ebook)

Amazon  |  B&N  |  iBookstore |  Google Play |  All other retailers

About Pierce Brown

Pierce Brown spent his childhood building forts and setting traps for cousins in the woods of six states and the deserts of two. Graduating from college in 2010, he fancied the idea of continuing his studies at Hogwarts. Unfortunately, he doesn’t have a magical bone in his body. So while trying to make it as a writer, he worked as a manager of social media at a startup tech company, toiled as a peon on the Disney lot at ABC Studios, did his time as an NBC page, and gave sleep deprivation a new meaning during his stint as an aide on a U.S. Senate campaign. Now he lives Los Angeles, where he scribbles tales of spaceships, wizards, ghouls, and most things old or bizarre.

Connect with Pierce

Facebook  |  Twitter

Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas

Crown of Midnight

Throne of Glass 2

Author: Sarah J. Maas
Pages: 420 pgs
Genre: YA, Fantasy
Release Date: August 27th 2013
Review Source: Purchased

An assassin’s loyalties are always in doubt.
But her heart never wavers.

After a year of hard labor in the Salt Mines of Endovier, eighteen-year-old assassin Celaena Sardothien has won the king's contest to become the new royal assassin. Yet Celaena is far from loyal to the crown – a secret she hides from even her most intimate confidantes.

Keeping up the deadly charade—while pretending to do the king's bidding—will test her in frightening new ways, especially when she's given a task that could jeopardize everything she's come to care for. And there are far more dangerous forces gathering on the horizon -- forces that threaten to destroy her entire world, and will surely force Celaena to make a choice.

Where do the assassin’s loyalties lie, and who is she most willing to fight for?

I got to meet Sarah during one of her tour stops for this book last year and was even more excited to delve into this series again afterwards. She was such a sweetheart. And, when I finally got a chance to read this, I listened to Throne of Glass to remind me of the events that had taken place.

Now after finishing book 2, all I can say is that September can't get here fast enough! Throne of Glass was absolutely fascinating and set the tone for this incredible world that Sarah has created, but Crown of Midnight completely blew its predecessor out of the water. I went through such an emotional roller coaster and never wanted it to end.

Celaena is a fabulous character. My sister and I have discussed how much we loved her attitude and strength, and the fact that she was an assassin. In this book we got to see her in a different light since she had officially won the tournament and was no longer being held under lock and key. This also put Dorian and Chaol in different positions for me as well.

I don't want to give anything away in case there are those who haven't had a chance to read this yet, but I will say that by the time I'd reached the end I'd gone from excited to shocked to broken hearted to anxious. There was just so much that took place, and I loved the fact Celaena's basic mission had been revealed in this book while leaving room for so much more to be revealed as the rest of the series continues.

And after reading Sarah's post about book 3 I'm even more anxious for it to come out. My sister and I are crossing our fingers that she'll pass through our neck of the woods again, I mean who wouldn't want to meet her?

The Burning Sky by Sherry Thomas

The Burning Sky

The Elemental Trilogy 1

Author: Sherry Thomas
Pages: 464 pgs
Genre: YA, Fantasy
Release Date: September 17th 2013
Review Source: Publisher

 It all began with a ruined elixir and an accidental bolt of lightning…

Iolanthe Seabourne is the greatest elemental mage of her generation—or so she's being told. The one prophesied for years to be the savior of The Realm. It is her duty and destiny to face and defeat the Bane, the greatest mage tyrant the world has ever known. A suicide task for anyone let alone a sixteen-year-old girl with no training, facing a prophecy that foretells a fiery clash to the death.

Prince Titus of Elberon has sworn to protect Iolanthe at all costs but he's also a powerful mage committed to obliterating the Bane to avenge the death of his family—even if he must sacrifice both Iolanthe and himself to achieve his goal.

But Titus makes the terrifying mistake of falling in love with the girl who should have been only a means to an end. Now, with the servants of the Bane closing in, he must choose between his mission and her life.

This was quite definitely another favorite of mine for the year. Sherry Thomas's YA debut was fun, fantastical, and full of intrigue. I highly recommend it.

Iolanthe and Prince Titus are our two main characters. Both had distinct voices and add a little something different to the story. I really enjoyed getting to see them through the others eye and better understanding where each was coming from.

Sherry created such an amazing world with fantasy elements, creatures, and such that we've heard of before. She just made them her own. Everything from wands and spells, to struggles with certain elements and untapped power, Sherry gave us a little bit of everything within the magical realm set it all in 1883 London. Brilliant.

The deeper I delved into this story, the more I wanted to know, and the more difficult it became for me to put it down. I already want to re-read it as I wait for book 2, The Perilous Sea, which can't come out fast enough!

These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner

These Broken Stars

Starbound 1

Author: Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner
Pages: 374 pgs
Genre: YA, Sci-Fi Fantasy
Release Date: December 10th 2013
Review Source: Publisher/Purchase

It's a night like any other on board the Icarus. Then, catastrophe strikes: the massive luxury spaceliner is yanked out of hyperspace and plummets into the nearest planet. Lilac LaRoux and Tarver Merendsen survive. And they seem to be alone.

Lilac is the daughter of the richest man in the universe. Tarver comes from nothing, a young war hero who learned long ago that girls like Lilac are more trouble than they’re worth. But with only each other to rely on, Lilac and Tarver must work together, making a tortuous journey across the eerie, deserted terrain to seek help.

Then, against all odds, Lilac and Tarver find a strange blessing in the tragedy that has thrown them into each other’s arms. Without the hope of a future together in their own world, they begin to wonder—would they be better off staying here forever?

Everything changes when they uncover the truth behind the chilling whispers that haunt their every step. Lilac and Tarver may find a way off this planet. But they won’t be the same people who landed on it.

--

A timeless love story, THESE BROKEN STARS sets into motion a sweeping science fiction series of companion novels. The Starbound Trilogy: Three worlds. Three love stories. One enemy.

For anyone who read my Top Tens for 2013, you'll remember that I mentioned this book a number of times as one of my favorites for the year. Well now I get to tell you why.

The description was the first thing to pull me in, it sounded so intriguing and unlike anything else I'd read as of late. Then I saw the cover and knew that I had to get my hands on it. Getting to read it early has only made me anxious for the next book, but I know it will be worth it.

My sister and I discussed how this book didn't read like a debut (yes it is co-authored). It read like a book written by seasoned authors. I'm not sure how else to say it, but I hope that makes sense. These two, Amie and Meagan, are a dynamic duo.

One of the best parts about this book was that each chapter alternated points of view. So we got to hear from both Lilac and Tarver. Normally that's not my favorite thing, but I loved how Amie and Meagan did it. Both characters voices were strong and distinct. We got to see not only the changes in their relationship through each of their eyes, but also got to see how they viewed their new circumstances.

When I think of the sci-fi genre, I tend to lean more towards movies and sometimes television shows, but this book changed my mind. I loved everything about it and at one point found it almost impossible to put down. Again, Amie and Meagan did an absolutely brilliant job with this first book and I can't wait for more from them.