Tuesday, March 8, 2016

Book Tour Giveaway:The Awakening (Emerge #1),by Melissa A. Craven



The Awakening (Emerge #1)


by Melissa A. Craven


Release Date: April 1st 2015







2015 Dante Rossetti Awards Finalist

2015 International Book Awards Finalist

2015 USA Best Book Award Finalist



Summary from Goodreads:

Allie Carmichael has always believed life is simple. You’re born. You live. You die.She has no cause to believe that equation works differently for her, but there has to be a reason the world treats her like a pariah.When an unexpected move to Kelleys Island brings Aidan McBrien crashing into her life, Allie is thrown by his reaction. He doesn’t shrink from her touch. He doesn’t stutter or make a quick exit. He smiles and welcomes her into his circle of friends, who aren’t exactly comfortable with Allie, but they seem to get her in a way most people don’t.Finally, Allie has a real shot at normal and rides that high right up to her sixteenth birthday when she wakes in agony—an experience Aidan insists they have all faced. She struggles in ignorance, uncertain of what is real and what isn’t. When she emerges, Allie is different. She has always been different, but even among her extraordinary friends, she and Aidan are special. As Allie struggles to maintain her tenuous grasp on the power that threatens to overwhelm her, she worries she will lose herself in this strange new world. A dangerous world where she will have to fight tooth and nail to defend the power and freedom that is her birthright. …only Allie hates to fight. 


Emerge: The Awakening is on sale for $1.99 during the tour!

Emerge: The Edge is on sale for $0.99 during the tour!


About the Author
Melissa A. Craven (the "A" stands for Ann—in case you were wondering) was born near Atlanta, Georgia, but moved to Cleveland, Ohio at the age of seventeen. She still thinks of Cleveland as home, so it was only natural for Emerge to take place there.
Today, she is back in Atlanta—for some reason she can't seem to stay away from the ungodly heat that makes her long for things like "lake effect snow" and wind that will knock you flat.
Melissa decided a long time ago that the “life checklist” everyone else was clutching so tightly in their fists, just wasn’t for her. She does everything backwards because she is weird like that, but then, she is an artist and artists are notoriously "unique" and "quirky."
She is an avid student of art and design, and received her Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of West Georgia in 2009. She worked as an interior designer for several years, but she's always thought she might like to be a writer when she grows up.
In her spare time, if she has any, she enjoys shopping for derelict furniture she refinishes to exercise the interior design part of her brain.

Author Links:


Excerpt from Chapter Two
Allie’s feet pounded against the hard packed dirt as she ran along the secluded trail, the sound of Saint Saeën’s Aquarium loud in her ears. It was still the middle of the night for most people, but she didn’t sleep much these days. She liked her new home on Kelleys Island, but the whole move to Cleveland, Ohio reeked of unanswered questions. Questions she knew not to ask.
Today was her first day at the prestigious Cliffton Academy, and she wasn’t looking forward to it. She’d changed schools often enough to know what to expect, and she hadn’t suffered from new school nerves in years. She just didn’t know if she had it in her to start over again.
Gavin would want me to try. She’d picked up the phone a dozen times over the weekend, but never finished dialing before she chickened out. She didn’t know what to say to him. In her mind, that door was closed. He was in the past, and as much as she missed him, she knew they both needed to move on. Calling him would only prolong their misery.
As the song changed to Pavane, Allie heard heavy footsteps echoing behind her. She had company. Another runner following at a discrete distance. He was curious and incredibly annoyed with her—if her instincts were right—which they almost always were.
She continued along the path, increasing her pace, but the footsteps grew louder as he left the trail to crash through the woods.
So much for my nice quiet morning.
She felt dizzy. Her head swam and her ears filled with a rush of white noise.
Should’ve had breakfast before I left.
Allie ran faster, hoping to push through the nausea. She looked over her shoulder expecting to catch a glimpse of him, but she crashed into something hard instead. She toppled to the ground in a tangle of tattooed limbs.
“Dammit! Watch where you’re going!” a gruff voice sounded in her ear.
“Sorry!”
“Your knee is crushing my spine, sweetheart.”
“Crap! Sorry!” She scrambled to her feet and reached to help him up.
His hand was warm and his grip, firm and confident. Allie waited for him to pull away with the flustered reaction she’d come to expect, but it never happened. She was completely thrown by his lack of response to her touch.
She met his steely gaze and her breath hitched in her throat. He towered over her—but almost everyone did. He was angry, but only one thought came to her mind.

Friend. 

My review

Melissa Graven’s story “Emerge, the Awakening” is a story that will more than satisfy the fans of YA genre.
An original story that includes just about everything you look for in a book: action, an original and intricate plot, romance and young adult heartache, fantasy and character development.
The reader follows Allie as she evolves from the ignorant, lonely girl to a bas-ass heroine in a way that captures imagination page by page.
What I liked the most in this book: the perfect installments of flash-back snapshots, where the reader follows the heroes in a surprising mix of time-travel and fantasy.
What would make this book perfect for me: I’d love to find more action/bad-ass heroine scenes throughout the book.
My favorite hero: Aidan (of course!)
My favorite scene: The fire scene
My favorite quote: “If living in complete denial makes you happy, go for it.” Aidan
 My rating:






Giveaway!!!






Blog Tour Organized by:
YA Bound Book Tours

Keep being distracted by reading,
Urania

Thursday, March 3, 2016

Blog Tour Giveaway:Desire in Frost, by Alicia Rades

Lots of goodies to distract you today!
Find out about the Desire in Frost story, by Alicia Rades,
Watch the trailer, read the excerpt and the characters' interview, take part in the giveaway...



Crystal Frost just recently discovered she can see ghosts and predict the future, yet the mystery of Hope Ross's abduction still haunts her dreams. While traveling to Florida for Thanksgiving, Crystal's visions of Hope only grow stronger. She enlists the help of her soon-to-be step-cousin Robin, a decision that complicates the entire picture—and her feelings. Can she figure out what happened to Hope and learn why Robin is so guarded, or will her newfound abilities fail her?


Buy Links:
Amazon





About the Author
By day, Alicia Rades is a freelance writer, blogger, and editor. When inspiration strikes, she is also an author. Alicia has been captivated by the YA paranormal and supernatural genre since reading The Seer series by Linda Joy Singleton when she was 12 years old, and most of her stories are born out of the love for the genre. In college, Alicia majored in professional writing. Alicia lives in Wisconsin with her husband and too many fish to count.

Don't miss a thing related to Alicia's books. Sign up for her newsletter at
http://www.aliciaradesauthor.com/news...

Author Links:


GIVEAWAY:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Desire in Frost Excerpt
I used the sounds of the waves coming in my window as an anchor so I’d have something to focus on besides my racing thoughts. The minutes ticked by, and after a long time, colors began swirling in the ball. They became the center of my focus as I fell deeper into the unknown. A faint figure formed in the crystal ball. I almost thought I saw Hope’s face, but then the image washed away as a chill settled over the room.
“Help!” A voice startled me. My eyes jerked up to find a young girl standing in the room.
My head began spinning. I was glad I was sitting down so I didn’t have to find an extra support to keep myself upright. I was starting to understand this feeling all too well.
The girl had long dark hair and big beautiful eyes. For a second, I almost thought she was Hope. My heart sank at the thought that I’d failed her, but the girl standing in front of me was a lot older than Hope, just a few years younger than me.
I wanted to smile at her, to let her know that I wasn’t a threat, that I could help her even. I didn’t when I saw that the ghostly girl had an expression of urgency fixed to her face. My expression transformed to mirror hers when I realized that someone was likely in danger. I couldn’t think of any other excuse for why this ghostly girl would show herself to me.
“You have to help her,” she said. “She’s been scared for so long. I just want to see her happy.”
Now I knew for sure someone was in danger. Calm down, I told myself, but that was always difficult when a ghost was asking for help.
“Who?” I asked, a little bit louder than I intended. “Who do you need me to help?”
The girl looked around the room as if trying to take in her surroundings, and then her eyes fell back on me.

“My sister.”

Crystal Frost Character Interview

Robin: Crystal, our readers have some questions about Desire in Frost. Think you can spare a minute or two to answer them?
Crystal: Oh, sure! I love answering readers’ questions.
Robin: Okay. The first one is easy. What is Desire in Frost about?
Crystal: Well, it’s the story about our trip to Florida. I had just found out I was psychic a few weeks back, and I had been seeing this little girl in my mind. Her name is Hope. I wasn’t making any progress on what had happened to her, and we already had the vacation planned, so of course, I had to make the trip. Turns out it was a good idea. The story is all about how I rescued her from her abductor while we were on vacation.
Robin: Well, I won’t ever forget that vacation. Onto the next question. Some people want to know about the series. This is part of a series, correct?
Crystal: Yes, it is! This is the second in the Crystal Frost series after Fire in Frost.
Robin: Do people have to read Fire in Frost first before Desire in Frost?
Crystal: Not necessarily. The two books work as standalones, but I’d recommend reading Fire in Frost first to get a better idea of my psychic abilities and the history about my mom not telling me about them.
Robin: I’m glad you mentioned that because it leads us into our next question. Why didn’t your mom tell you about your abilities?
Crystal: She didn’t think I had them, and she wanted me to live a normal life. She owns a Halloween-themed shop in town called Divination, but I always thought it was just for fun. I had no idea the paranormal was real, and she just wanted me to be normal.
Robin: What’s it like now that you know you’re not?
Crystal: Not normal? Well, it’s a lot better than thinking I’m crazy! It’s still really confusing for me, to be honest. I’m not quite sure how I feel about it yet.
Robin: I’m sure you’ll figure it out. So, we mentioned Desire in Frost is part of a series. Will there be more books?
Crystal: Yes. The third one, Inspired by Frost, will be out sometime this summer. I’m still working with Alicia on the fourth, and we’re not sure when that will release, but it may not be for a while.
Robin: Well, at least they won’t have to wait long for the third book. But people who haven’t read the books are wondering, who would you recommend the books to?
Crystal: Anyone who likes young adult paranormal. I’m only 15, so it’s good for that age group. I think kids 12 and up would really like it, but a lot of adults enjoy the books, too.
Robin: If they decide they want to read the books, where can they buy them?
Crystal: They’re available on Amazon in Kindle and print format. Fire in Frost is also available on iBooks, Nook, and Kobo, but Desire in Frost is only on Amazon at the moment.
Robin: That’s all the questions for now. Thanks for answering them.
Crystal: No problem! If readers want to stay updated on my stories, they can follow Alicia on Facebook or subscribe to her newsletter at aliciaradesauthor.com. I hope they enjoy my second book!

Book Trailer:  


Blog Tour Organized by:
YA Bound Book Tours

Book Blast Giveaway:Eli’s Coming byDarcia Helle


 photo Elis-Coming-Blast-Banner.png


 photo Elis-Coming.png
Title:    Eli’s Coming
Series:   Chasing the Night, Book 1
Author:  Darcia Helle
Published:  May 11th, 2015
Genre:  Supernatural Suspense
Content Warning:   Moderate violence and adult language

Synopsis:  Eli’s dark legacy holds murder as his rite of passage. They say his ability is a gift. He calls it a curse. A life of violence and heartache leaves him with nothing left to fight for.
Or so he thinks.

Amanda steals his heart, but love makes him vulnerable. He must give her up or accept who he is and fight.

Will he risk stepping into the darkness that could consume him?






Excerpt from Eli’s Coming by Darcia Helle:

The allure of the night is its ability to pull you into its depths, to keep you hidden in its crevices. The darkness wraps around you. Nothing reaches you there.
And you reach nothing.
Have you ever wanted to melt into the darkness? Dissolve into the shadows?
You can lose yourself in the black emptiness. But while you may lose yourself, the night always knows where you are.
Eli Hayes stood alone in the darkness. The night sky was clear, lit by the stars and a perfect quarter moon. Shadows fell across the ground, casting a thick and almost tangible black film. He was aware of the tension in his shoulders and the ache in his jaw. Closing his eyes, he breathed in slow and deep. He stayed that way, quietly meditating, until the pain melted away.
When he opened his eyes again, the shadows followed the path of the gravestones. He squatted in front of a square chunk of marble. He read the name and date slowly, committing it to memory as if he’d later be quizzed on the information. As if it wasn’t already etched in his mind, a permanent fixture there.

He reached out. The stone felt cold against his fingertips. He traced the letters. Deep grooves in cold rock. All that was left at the end of existence.





 photo Darcia-Helle.jpg
About the Author:

Darcia Helle lives in a fictional world with a husband who is sometimes real. Their house is ruled by spoiled dogs and cats and the occasional dust bunny.

Suspense, random blood spatter and mismatched socks consume Darcia’s days. She writes because the characters trespassing through her mind leave her no alternative. Only then are the voices free to haunt someone else’s mind.






Giveaway Details:
There is a tour wide giveaway. Prizes include the following:
  • Faith & Inspiration Sterling Silver Two-Toned Angel Pendant Necklace (US)
  • $20 Amazon Gift Card (INT)

Giveaway Ends March 8th at 11:59 PM ET.

a Rafflecopter giveaway



 photo JGBS Logo.png