Blog Tour ~ Katerina's Hope by Sabrina Rawson

I am happy to be a part of the month long blog tour for Katerina's Hope:

About the Book

Title: Katerina’s Hope

Series: A Four Realms Novel #2

Author: Sabrina Rawson

Published: September 23rd, 2014

Word Count: 100,000

Genre: NA Urban Fantasy

Content Warning: Non-graphic sexual content and minor violence

Age Recommendation: 16+

Synopsis:

Lady Katerina Kastekanos believes Striker Wells is the other half of her heart. Assisting the High Council in talks of peace she struggles with deep rooted fears of abandonment, but can she be true to the man she has fallen in love with before her darkest secret can destroy any hope for a future with him? Before anyone can embark on the quest for the Firing Sword Katerina is kidnapped.

Striker Wells is son to Queen Briksanna and knowing Katerina is her best friend he does not feel ashamed of his love or his commitment to pledge his life to her. Before their lives can begin Katerina is kidnapped. Devastated, Striker searches for his lost love sworn not to stop until she is found. The woman he finds is not the same woman when she was taken. Will Striker be able to overcome his personal demons of abandonment to accept the man Katerina will need him to be for them to have a lifetime of happily ever after?

Amazon | Barnes & Noble

About the Author

Although Sabrina Rawson had been physically writing for two years the ideas that conceived her first novel had been percolating in her mind for many years. In many ways she found life experiences had influenced her story although written in fantasy format.

Nelson Mandela’s words inspired her:
“There is no passion to be found playing small – in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living.”

No truer words could have been said. After her first cancer battle four years ago, she was in the mindset to survive, get back to my swing of things. Problem was she couldn’t. She wasn’t the same person anymore. She relapsed by the end of the first year. She survived that experience exhausted and has had multiple tumors pop up ever since. To say her health presented a mental and physical challenge was putting it mildly. She wanted to be more, do more, and was determined to reinvent herself along the way.

What she left behind after that first surgery, was her passion for life. Cancer didn’t take that away, she put buried it along with her drive and ambition. Her creative muse happily skipped right along with the rest of her dreams leaving her disconnected. She had to rediscover herself and it was a slow personal process. Four years post her first surgery and even if she had to do it all over again tomorrow, so what! She refused to settle for a life less than what she could create for herself.

Sabrina has published works with Survivor’s Review Online Magazine and Titan InKorp Online eMag. She published the two novels within a New Adult Urban Fantasy Romance called A Novel of Four Realms, titled Briksanna’s Sacrifice (Book One) and Katerina’s Hope (Book Two). Book three is due to publish early spring 2015.

Sabrina lives in Sonoma County heart of the wine country of California enjoying life in the rural land happily married to a wonderful supportive husband. You can always find her reading a book or cooking a meal for her multitude of children.

Amazon Author Page | Facebook | Twitter | GoodReads | Website

Giveaway:

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Fall for New Reads Giveaway

I'm excited to announce some new releases and a great giveaway!

Ten New Adult and Young Adult authors team together to bring readers some hot new reads this fall season. So while the weather’s cooling down, your e-reader is just warming up! Enter the Rafflecopter giveaway for a chance to WIN a $10.00 Amazon gift card and an eBook prize pack from one of the featured authors. The eBook prize packs are showcased next to each author's bio. Enjoy, and good luck!  

Featured authors:

International Bestselling Author Mary Ting/M. Clarke resides in Southern California with her husband and two children. She enjoys oil painting and making jewelry. Writing her first novel, Crossroads Saga, happened by chance. It was a way to grieve the death of her beloved grandmother, and inspired by a dream she once had as a young girl. When she started reading new adult novels, she fell in love with the genre. It was the reason she had to write one-Something Great. Get updates from Mary Ting by signing up for her newsletter here. GIVEAWAY eBooks: FROM GODS, CROSSROADS, SOMETHING GREAT & MY CLARITY.

Bella's motto has always been that you can choose to watch life pass you by or your can be the one spinning the world. You have to get out and live, life won't come to you! Bella has always seen things in the world with a different view and has been an avid story-teller. She is enjoying putting her crazy musings into print for others to enjoy. To her, one of the most exciting parts of writing is getting a chance to interact with readers. To stay current on new releases please consider joining Bella’s mailing list here. GIVEAWAY eBooks: The INK Series. 

 Amelie Howard grew up on a small Caribbean island where she spent most of her childhood with her nose buried in a book or being a tomboy running around barefoot, shimmying up mango trees and dreaming of adventure. 22 countries, surfing with sharks and several tattoos later, she has traded in bungee jumping in China for writing the adventures she imagines instead. She isn't entirely convinced which takes more guts. Stay connected to Amalie and receive current updates by “liking” Amalie’s Facebook page here. GIVEAWAY eBooks: SEA MONSTER & THE ALMOST GIRL.

Kristie Cook is a lifelong, award-winning writer in various genres, from marketing communications to fantasy fiction. She continues to write the Soul Savers Series, a New Adult paranormal romance/contemporary fantasy, with the first five books, Promise, Purpose, Devotion, Power and Wrath available now. Besides writing, Kristie enjoys reading, cooking, traveling and riding on the back of a motorcycle. Keep uptodate on Kristie’s books and news by “liking” her Facebook page here. GIVEAWAY eBooks: The Book of Phoenix Series.

Raine Thomas is the award-winning author of bestselling Young Adult and New Adult fiction. Known for character-driven stories that inspire the imagination, Raine recently signed with multiple award-winning producer Chase Chenowith of Back Fence Productions to bring her popular Daughters of Saraqael trilogy to the big screen. She's a proud indie author who is living the dream. For more updates on Raine and her books, sign up for her newsletter here. GIVEAWAY eBooks: The Ascendant Series: books 1 & 2.

From an early age, Trisha Wolfe dreamed up fantasy worlds and characters and was accused of talking to herself. Today, she lives in South Carolina with her family and writes full time, using her fantasy worlds as an excuse to continue talking to herself. To keep in touch and receive updates on sales and new books, sign up for Trisha’s newsletter here.

GIVEAWAY eBooks: THE DARKEST PART & LOSING TRACK: first & second novels in the Living Heartwood NA Contemp series.

Allie Juliette Mousseau writes sexy, emotionally-charged New Adult and Adult Romance in a variety of genres and temperatures. Allie Juliette also creates captivating YA worlds through the magic of ink. She can always be found writing, playing in puddles with her children, hiking with her husband, or adventuring somewhere in the world. Stay up to date on Allie’s new releases by signing up for her newsletter here.

GIVEAWAY eBooks: TRUE NORTH & HUNTED.

I write fiction for teens and adults and teach writing and literature at a university in San Antonio, where I live with my husband, three kids, and two dogs. I'm also an avid reader. I've always said I never want to give up reading for writing or vice versa. I want to do both. Keep in touch with Eva Pohler and receive updates on new releases by signing up for current updates here.

GIVEAWAY eBooks:  The Gatekeeper's Saga & The Purgatorium Series Book 1 & 2.

Cambria Hebert is a bestselling novelist of more than twenty books. She went to college for a bachelor's degree, couldn't pick a major, and ended up with a degree in cosmetology. So rest assured her characters will always have good hair. She currently resides in North Carolina with her children (human and furry) and her husband, who is a United States Marine. Besides writing, Cambria loves a caramel latte, staying up late, sleeping in, and watching movies. Get updates of Cambria’s sales and new release by signing up for her updates here. GIVEAWAY eBooks: Take it Off Series.

Alexandrea Weis is an advanced practice registered nurse who was born and raised in New Orleans. Having been brought up in the motion picture industry, she learned to tell stories from a different perspective and began writing at the age of eight. Infusing the rich tapestry of her hometown into her award-winning novels, she believes that creating vivid characters makes a story memorable. A permitted/certified wildlife rehabber with the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries, Weis rescues orphaned and injured wildlife. She lives with her husband and pets in New Orleans. Stay connected to Alexandrea and get current updates on her books by “liking’ her Facebook page here. GIVEAWAY eBooks: THE BONDAGE CLUB & COVER TO COVERS.

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Book Review - Straight from the Heart by Breigh Forstner

I read a published version of this ebook on August 14, 2014

Bryn Schaefler didn’t like living under the pressure her rich parents placed on her so she left home after graduating high school. She had no where to go and her two best friends took off for California to try their hand at modeling. Bryn, her suitcase and guitar set off for a restaurant downtown, where she happens to be friends with the owner. Lucky for Bryn, the owner just happens to have an available loft right next to the restaurant that Bryn can use free of charge. She could also work at the restaurant for extra money. 

The owner tells Bryn about an audition for a band and she goes running over there with her guitar. Bryn’s luck continues as she plays phenomenally, looks beautiful, attracts the attention of the lead singer and gets accepted into the band (who will be touring very soon).

Bryn gets thrust into the touring rock star life and gets to have romantic interludes with not one, but two very hot guys from two different bands. Bryn has to grow up this summer, work hard on her music and choose the right guy for her.

This book has the potential to be a great read. As of August 14, the novel reads as a rough draft that has not been edited. It is filled with many grammatical errors, missing words, misspellings, plot and character inconsistencies and plot points that do not make sense.

The main character, Bryn, was difficult to connect with because her view points kept changing throughout the book. She was all over the place and I couldn’t figure out many of her actions and why she kept reacting to similar situations in different ways. I found her to be very shallow, a romantic tease, kind of slutty and unrealistic.

Cale (the last love interest), was also all over the place with his feelings, actions and romanticism. He also had a nasty tempter that would flare up at odd and inappropriate times.

Damon (the semi-love interest) was the best character in the novel because he was the most consistent; his actions were true to his character and he seemed to have more depth to him than Cale or Bryn.

I felt that the end of the book did not work. The dramatic reveal felt out of place and wrong. I would have liked to have seen more action/dialogue in the end and the cliffhanger moved out a bit – it was just too rushed and farfetched. 

I was given free copy of the book for my honest review. Per the copy I was given to read, I give Straight from the Heart 2.5 paws.

If a corrected version is available, I would be happy to reread that copy and change my review accordingly.

Book Review - Healed by Becca Vincenza

Title: Healed (Rebirth Series, #2)
Author: Becca Vincenza

Genre: New Adult, Paranormal romance
(some mature situations)

Release Date: August 11, 2014 (first publication, May 2014)

I get to continue the Rebirth Series with a review of HEALED (book two) by Becca Vinzcenza.

Healed is book two in the Rebirth series and I thought it was a great sequel to Damaged. I recommend reading Damaged prior to Healed because it provides key information about the characters, the paranormal world and the paranormal problems that could help to clarify any confusing details.

Elijah was sent on a mission at the end of Damaged to bring a girl back to the York Clan. Since Elijah is a wraith, many people fear his presence. His cold, flat, expressionless demeanor sets him up to always be the bad guy and that is no exception when he goes off to get Valentine.

Valentine lives with her best friend, Amani (Ami), and Ami is more familiar with the paranormal world. Valentine grew up not knowing her family or her paranormal heritage and Ami’s family kept all paranormal information on a need-to-know basis. Valentine does know that she is able to heal animals and people but doesn't know why.

When Elijah comes to get Valentine, Ami recognizes him as being one of the bad guys and immediately does everything in her power to get both her and Valentine away from the wraith. The result is that Ami gets kidnapped and Valentine is left alone to fend for herself… even if that means she must side with Elijah to help get her friend back.

Elijah and Valentine’s story was engaging and I loved watching the romance blossom. Elijah could have been less possessive but this could be a trait of the paranormal men in this world. At least he wasn’t as possessive as Stone (yes, Stone made an appearance in this book and he still had a tight hold on Audrey). The author has created a fun and unique world that can host many more books based on all the paranormal characters.

Something that bothered me: both Valentine and Audrey have the same lip biting quirk.

I read an ARC copy of the story last week so mine was an unedited version. There were some grammatical errors, a few plot holes, confusing sentences and repeated paragraphs that I believe will be fixed by the book’s release date.  

The appendix is given at the end of the book (like in Damaged), so if you need a refresher on the paranormal creatures, refer to that first prior to reading the story.

I give this book 4.5 paws.

I can’t wait to read more books in this series!

Release of Healed (Book 2 of Rebirth series) by Becca Vincenza

Today I get to share with you the release of Healed (Book 2 of the Rebirth series) by Becca Vincenza. 

Title: Healed (Rebirth #2)

Author: Becca Vincenza

Genre: New Adult Paranormal Romance

Warnings: Language, sexual content, and violence

Cover Designer: Airicka Mystical Creations

Formats: eBook & paperback

Synopsis:

The race is on to find the Rebirth paranormals.

Elijah doesn’t have feelings. He doesn’t care, nor does he empathize, until the day Audrey was found. While searching her mind telepathically, things suddenly changed for him. He never imagined that he would face all the emotions plaguing him. Now he is on a mission to find the rumored Rebirth creature. What happens when a creature never meant to feel anything suddenly becomes attached to another?

Valentine always knew there was something…different about her. While she hated even the thought of blood, she loved to help those in need. She felt an instant connection with her patients and always strived to save lives. Her adoptive sister always told her that she cared too much. That she couldn’t save everyone. And now there is a colder than ice man in her life that won’t go away, and won’t take no for an answer. The problem is, she never wanted to push him away, even though she knows he will be her downfall.

Goodreads Link:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20691419-healed

Buy Links: Amazon, Smashwords, Barnes&Noble, iTunes 

Catch up in the series with book one!

Title: Damaged

Author: Becca Vincenza

Release Date: Released

Cover Designer: Airicka Mystical Creations (https://www.facebook.com/pages/Airickas-Mystical-Creations/462373910480084 )

Genre: NA Paranormal

Warnings: Language, sexual content, abuse and violence

Formats: eBook & paperback

Synopsis:

There are some beings in this world, long thought to be extinct. Some seek to protect them, others want control, but some . . .  some are hell bent on their destruction.

Audrey was taken from her father, hidden away from the world, and tortured for five years. She was rescued, but is she really safe, or is there someone else waiting to betray her? Can she trust those who saved her? Can she learn to accept who she really is?

Stone was on a routine mission to extract valuable information from a rival clan of paranormals. Instead, he and his team find something much more valuable: a scarred, damaged young woman who holds many secrets, and whose power is beyond anything they could ever have imagined. There is much more to Audrey than meets the eye and Stone is determined to protect her.

Audrey and Stone are about to find out it’s hard to know who to trust.

Buy Links: Amazon, B&N, Smashwords

About the Author:

Becca Vincenza lives in wonderful Michigan. She has a love for Skittles, rainbows, Star Wars, and reading about hot men. When she’s not wearing her author hat, she’s working to pay off her student loans for her recently acquired English degree. She recently released the first book in her Rebirth Series and is set to release the second book before the beginning of summer.

You can find Becca around the internet at these sites:

Want to meet Becca in person have her autograph a copy of Damaged? Come see her at UtopYA.

Stalk Her if you Dare:

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/BeccaVincenza 

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/goodreadscombecca_vincenza 

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Becca-Vincenza/e/B00I5BJL5Q/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_pop_1 

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/rvmisura/ 

Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/1/  

Website: http://beccavincenzaauthor.wordpress.com/

Book Review - Damaged by Becca Vincenza

 

Title: Damaged (Rebirth Series, #1)
Author: Becca Vincenza

Genre: New Adult, Paranormal romance
(some mature situations)

Today I get to review the book, DAMAGED by Becca Vincenza. This book is book one of a series and it’s the first introduction into the author’s paranormal world.

Damaged is an interesting story about a paranormal girl, Audrey, who has secrets locked away inside of her and has blocked them from her memory. Other people want these secrets and we find out that Audrey has been tortured and locked away in a prison cell for five years.

She gets rescued from this prison but she lives in constant fear that these new people are going to punish her, torment her, and torture her like her previous captives. She is scared of having common things like a soft bed, blankets, a large room, food and kindness. She thinks that the new people will suddenly take these things away from her to further torture her.

One of her rescuers, Stone, is a paranormal creature. We later find out that he is a shape-shifter and he can change into another human or animal.

For some reason, Stone is drawn to Audrey and the pull is so strong that he gets very possessive of her. He feels compelled to keep her safe and has to be with her constantly. He fights with other paranormal creatures if they touch her, talk to her for too long or take her away from him.

The first third of the book was very confusing to me. I didn’t understand who all the people were; I didn’t understand the world and the clans. Audrey’s paranormal identity was kept a secret for half of the book and while I enjoyed the reveal, the lack of information in the beginning made it difficult to follow.

I also thought that Stone was way too possessive of Audrey. He always had to be near her, touching her, staring at her, etc.

(Example: A paranormal that was known to Audrey asked her if she could come with him so they could speak privately. Audrey was in a bedroom with Stone when she was asked and she went willingly with the paranormal.

Audrey and the paranormal had a nice moment and I was y enjoying their time together when suddenly the door crashed in and there was Stone, rushing to Audrey’s side. She didn’t need any help and she wasn’t in any danger but he just couldn’t let her be with anyone else but him.)  

There were a few plot holes in the story (Audrey has one eye that’s cloudy and one eye that is normal. A character mentioned how her eyes were bright blue – which is impossible because one eye is always cloudy). Another plot hole: Stone, Audrey and other characters were going into a large conference room. Several sentences later, it was mentioned that they were in a small space.

There was another scene where three characters were talking and two were telling Stone about an event that happened in the past. That particular scene was very confusing and needed clarification. I read it ten times and I still could not figure out what had happened.

There were some spelling errors, grammatical errors. The author did mention that this book will be reedited so I will definitely read that.

Things I did not like:

1. There was a lot of repetitive information in the story. Audrey’s quirks were abundant and repeated constantly. Some of that could have been cut out. Her biting her lip later in the story could have been taken away – it wasn’t necessary to give her a new, distracting quirk (that and Stone’s possessiveness reminded me about Christian and Ana in Fifty Shades of Gray).

2. I also did not enjoy that repetitive comments about how Stone was so possessive about Audrey. It made me like him less as a character and thought that he was a bit overboard with his drastic actions and possessive comments.

3. I did not know that here was an appendix in the back of the book that explained who all the paranormal creatures were (the appendix was listed in the table of contents but it did not indicate that it was a glossary of the paranormals). If that was introduced in the beginning of the book, it might have helped me make sense of the first third of the story.

4. I liked Marcus but I found it difficult to understand what he was saying a lot of the time because it was written in a Scottish dialect.

Elijah was an interesting character. I really enjoyed reading about him and I hope to read more about him in the future.

Overall, the storyline was very interesting and I thought that the overall premise of the world was unique. I enjoyed the plot and the different types of characters, plus I found myself really getting into all the back stories of the paranormals.

Here is some advice that might make the book a little less confusing: There is an Appendix in the back of the book that explains the paranormal creatures. I recommend reading that first!

I give this book 3.5 paws.

I will definitely read the next book in the series.

Excerpt from Witch Hunter Olivia by T.A. Kunz

Today I am excited to tell you about a book that was just released, WITCH HUNTER OLIVIA by T.A. Kunz. 

Here's what New York Times and USA Today bestselling authors are saying about Witch Hunter Olivia by T.A. Kunz:

"Witch hunters and sexy tattoo artists? This New Adult Paranormal is EVERYTHING fans of romance and action are looking for."
- #1 New York Times bestselling author Jennifer L. Armentrout

"A fun, action-packed, enjoyable read!"
- New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Cora Carmack

"The perfect blend of New Adult and Paranormal. It's absolutely fantastic!" - New York Times bestselling author Nichole Chase

~ ~ ~

Reviewers are calling Witch Hunter Olivia "amazing, fun, well-written, and entertaining." You don't want to miss the hottest New Adult paranormal romance of the summer!

ABOUT THE BOOK:

In the town of Piedmont Pointe, where paranormal is the norm, a girl can easily get herself in over her head with a single wrong move. Unfortunately for Olivia Adams, she's about to make several.
Starting over is never easy, but it seemed like the only option to Olivia. The decision to turn her back on the Guild of Witch Hunters, the very group she devoted her entire life to, was one of the hardest things she ever did. It meant leaving her family, her friends, and her old identity behind forever. Coming to terms with what caused her to abandon her duties in the first place was even harder.
While trying to lay low and stay off the Guild's radar, Olivia finds herself thrust back into her old ways after unknowingly interrupting an assassination hit on a powerful witch. What follows is the last thing she ever thought she'd agree to do--protect the very thing she was groomed to hunt.
To complicate things even further, Olivia begins to develop feelings for a tattoo artist who also happens to be half warlock, and no matter how hard she tries to fight it, she can't resist her inescapable draw to him. Olivia's forbidden relationship isn't her only issue though, because once the mystery behind the assassination attempt starts to unravel, she's forced to choose sides when the loyalties still tied to her past life are tested again.
So much for the idea of a fresh start.

BUY THE BOOK NOW:

Amazon ~ Amazon UK ~ Amazon AUS ~ B&N ~ iBooks ~ Kobo

 

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

 

Author T.A. Kunz has always had a fondness for reading thrilling mysteries and action-packed urban fantasies. So, it was no surprise when T.A. decided to write stories that they’d fall into one of those two genres. T.A. lives in Central Florida with two fur babies and a mechanical engineer who also happens to be quite the culinary badass, which there are no complaints about. Being a self-diagnosed caffeine addict, many joke that T.A.’s addiction to Starbucks coffee will likely be their downfall later in life.

STALK THE AUTHOR:

 

Website ~ Twitter