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Friday, 26 September 2014

Bookvie: Men, Women & Children - out October 17, 2014 (USA)


Who's in it:
Kaitlyn Dever, Rosemarie DeWitt, Ansel Elgort

What's it all about (book blurb from Goodreads):
The author of "The Average American Male" and "The Lie" returns with a shocking and salacious--yet surprisingly rich and subtle--new novel of the average American family.

In this, his most ambitious and surprising book yet, Kultgen explores the sexual pressures at work on two different generations navigating the same Internet landscape: junior high school students and their parents. 

Among the families traced in Men, Women & Children: 

•Kent, a recent divorcĂ© re-entering the dating world—and his son, Tim, a football star-turned-World of Warcraft-addict, who learns via Facebook that his mom is getting remarried. 

• Dawn, a single mom who charges anonymous men $12.95 a month to view suggestive online pictures of her daughter, Hannah—who wants to lose her v-card before any other eighth grader. 

• Don, who sneaks onto any available computer for his daily fix of streaming porn—and his son, Chris, whose porn tastes make his father’s look like Disney. 

• Patricia, who is determined to keep the demons of the Internet from preying on her daughter, Brandy—who uses her secret MySpace identity to try on an alternative Goth identity and blog about threesomes she’s never had. 

Whether thirteen or thirty-five, Kultgen’s characters inhabit a world where privacy is non-existent, sex is currency, and information never disappears—yet happiness is still a dream.

Men, Women & Children Official Trailer #1


Movie Stills:







Thursday, 25 September 2014

Blog Tour Spotlight & Giveaway - Kaplan's Quest by Richard Steinitz



Kaplan's Quest
by Richard Steinitz

Book Summary:
The disappearance of his great-uncle Samuel during World War II has shaped the life of the young university lecturer, Shmulik Kaplan. As part of his Master's Thesis on the history of Germany between the wars, he sets out to try and discover what happened to his uncle – an outstanding athlete who managed to leave Germany in 1935, and yet incomprehensibly, returned to Berlin, and then vanished without a trace.

From his book lined office at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, to Berlin and to Mont St. Michel in France, and through the dusty WW II archives of the German army, the quest takes him on a rollercoaster journey of personal discovery and emotion. The search uncovers events and materials that no-one had ever heard of before, or seen, since the days of the German occupation of France.


BUY LINKS:
Amazon US ¦ IN ¦ UK ¦ BARNES & NOBLE ¦ PAPERBACK


Cover Reveal & Giveaway - Rebellion by J.A. Souders

Today J.A. Souders and Rockstar Book Tours are revealing the cover for REBELLION, book 3 in the Elysium Chronicles releasing in June 5, 2015! Check out the gorgeous cover and enter to win the books!


REBELLION
Author: J.A. Souders
Publisher: TOR Teen
Pub. Date: June 9, 2015


Cover Reveal - Four of a Kind by Kellie Sheridan


Four of a Kind
by Kellie Sheridan
Publication Date: November 4th,  2014
Genres: Contemporary, Young Adult

Synopsis:
The odds of giving birth to identical quadruplets: 1 in 13 million.

The population of Fairview, a town so small that all anyone talks about is the Fairview Four returning after fourteen years: 7208.

The chance of Reagan blending in with the crowd after a boy in her new town starts to see her for who she really is: zero.

Following in the footsteps—and all too often, the shadows—of her sisters was nothing new to Reagan. But after fifteen years of fading in to the background, she’s finally finding her own way. Amidst all the gossip and assumptions, one person sees Reagan for what she’s always wanted to be. One of a kind.

Finally feeling like she belongs, Reagan wants to enjoy every possibility her new life has to offer, but things aren’t going as smoothly for her sisters. How can Reagan possibly let herself be happy—or maybe even fall in love—when her family is finally turning to her for support?



About the Author
I have been in love with stories in all of their forms for as long as I can remember. Admittedly, sometimes that means falling into places like Stars Hollow and Sunnydale, but books have always been my true love. In early 2011 I began writing a book blog in order to share my favorite reads with book lovers. From there, the bookish community encouraged me to stop sitting on my own stories and share them instead. Since then I’ve been madly devouring everything I can about digital publishing.

For the past two years I have been mainly obsessed with young adult books, but my favorite stories still come from the adult fantasy genre. As far as I’m concerned, Briggs, Bishop, Vincent and Vaughn are all must reads.

I spent part of my twenties living in Galway, Ireland and swooning after various lilting accents but am now back home in Ontario, Canada. My family includes two Glen of Imaal Terriers and a Green Cheek Conure.

Author Links:


Cover Reveal Organised by:

Book Blast & Giveaway - Life on Hold by Beverly Stowe McClure

Life on Hold
Life on Hold
by Beverly Stowe McClure

Book Summary:
A paper found. A secret revealed. A girl’s life changed forever. Myra Gibson’s life is a lie. For sixteen years her parents have kept their secret, but the adoption paper she discovers while cleaning the guesthouse tells the truth. As the past and present collide, Myra finally stands up for herself and begins a journey she may regret.

Buy Links:






add to goodreads


Wednesday, 24 September 2014

Blog Tour Spotlight & Giveaway - The Haunting of Secrets by Shelley R. Pickens



The Haunting of Secrets
Secrets Series
Book One
by Shelley R. Pickens

Genre: YA Paranormal
Publisher: Fire and Ice
Date of Publication: July 24th, 2014
Pages: 171
Word Count: 60,643
Cover Artist: Caroline Andrus

Book Description:
Are some secrets worth dying for?

Sixteen-year-old Aimee doesn't like to touch people. One touch and she sees their past. One graze over her skin and she can see all the good and bad deeds a person has ever done. It isn't until a bomb explodes during lunch that she realizes exactly how many dirty secrets the students in her school harbor-or exactly how far one of them would go to keep his secrets safe.

In the aftermath of that fateful day of the bombing Aimee is brushed by a fellow student as they are caught in the mob running for their lives. Images of tortured and murdered young girls rise up to choke her. The problem is, Aimee doesn't know who touched her. Somewhere in this school a fellow student is a killer, and Aimee is the only one that can find him before he murders again.

With the help of her friends Aimee must sift through her stolen memories to determine clues. The quest to find a killer unravels the very fabric of her carefully woven life. He won't stop until he silences her- for only she knows all his secrets.

She will have to summon all of her inner strength to decide what she must do: hunt or be hunted.

Are some secrets worth dying for?


Buy Links:


Book Trailer Release Blast & Giveaway - Press Play by Eric Devine





Press Play
Author: Eric Devine
Release Date: October 28, 2014
Publisher: Running Press Kids

Book Summary:
Greg Dunsmore, a.k.a. Dun the Ton, is focused on one thing: making a documentary that will guarantee his admission into the film school of his choice. Every day, Greg films his intense weight-loss focused workouts as well as the nonstop bullying that comes from his classmates. But when he captures footage of violent, extreme hazing by his high school’s championship-winning lacrosse team in the presence of his principal, Greg’s field of view is in for a readjustment.

Greg knows there is a story to be told, but it is not clear exactly what. And his attempts to find out the truth only create more obstacles, not to mention physical harm upon himself. Yet if Greg wants to make his exposé his ticket out of town rather than a veritable death sentence, he will have to learn to play the game and find a team to help him.

Combine the underbelly of Friday Night Lights with the unflinching honesty of Walter Dean Myers, and you will find yourself with Eric Devine’s novel of debatable truths, consequences, and realities.

Buy Links:

Cover Reveal & Giveaway - The Light of Day by Kristen Kehoe


Today we're excited to announce and share the cover of The Light of Day by Kristen Kehoe. The Light of Day is a New Adult contemporary. This is an installment in the Beyond the Horizon series, not a sequel and does not need to be read after Beyond the Horizon.


The Light of Day
by Kristen Kehoe
Release Date: October 2014

The first two chapters can be read at www.kristenkehoe.com.


Cover Reveal - Beautiful Curse by Jen McConnel


Beautiful Curse
Release Date: December 2014
Swoon Romance

Summary from Goodreads:
Sixteen-year-old Mya Jones is cursed.

She is, hands down, the most beautiful creature on earth. But beauty can wound, and Mya finds herself reviled and shunned by her peers. If there is even a chance that she could start over, Mya longs to take it, no matter the risks.

So when the strange Mr. Merk offers her a new life away from home, Mya is hesitant but hopeful. Only she didn't count on the mysterious Ross, or her feelings for him.

BEAUTIFUL CURSE is a contemporary retelling of the myth of Psyche and Cupid.


Tuesday, 23 September 2014

Blog Tour Promo & Giveaway - Stone of Thieves by Diane J. Reed



Stone of Thieves
Release Date: 05/08/14
Pages: 238 pages

Summary from Goodreads:
The Stone of Thieves . . . for centuries its magnetic draw has twisted the hearts of ambitious men and women with the promise of power, passion, and intrigue until it fell into the hands of unlikely thieves Robin and her boyfriend Creek. But can they steal their destiny away from the curse that pursues this magnificent ruby heart?

As the stone begins to spread its sorcery, Robin races to find her long-lost mother in Italy in the hopes of discovering the truth about her unique gypsy heritage and the ruby heart that is rumored to steal souls. Yet when the desire for this stone by powerful members of her family threatens their very lives, Creek decides to take matters into his own hands to protect Robin, his greatest treasure of all . . .

Stone of Thieves is a sensual, stand-alone new adult novel and the sequel to Robin in the Hood in the Robbin’ Hearts Series. Due to mature themes, readership is advised for ages 17+.

Buy Links:

Book Blast & Giveaway - Silvern by Christina L. Farley



Silvern
by Christina L. Farley

Synopsis:
Jae Hwa Lee has destroyed Haemosu, the dangerous demi-god that held her ancestors captive, and now she’s ready to forget about immortals and move on with her life. Then the god of darkness, Kud, sends an assassin to kill her. Jae escapes with the knowledge that Kud is seeking the lost White Tiger Orb, and joins the Guardians of Shinshi to seek out the orb before Kud can find it.

But Kud is stronger and more devious than Haemosu ever was. Jae is soon painfully reminded that by making an enemy of Kud, she has placed her closest friends in danger, and must decide how much she can bear to sacrifice to defeat one of the most powerful immortals in all of Korea.

Buy Links:

Cover Reveal & Giveaway - Hunting in Bruges by E.J. Stevens

It's time for a cover reveal!  Feast your eyes on the cover for HUNTING IN BRUGES, the debut novel in the Hunters' Guild urban fantasy series by E.J. Stevens.

Keep reading for a chance to win a $25 Amazon Gift Card!


Hunting in Bruges
(Hunters' Guild #1)
by E.J. Stevens
Release Date: November 11, 2014
Genre: Paranormal, Urban Fantasy

Book Blitz & Giveaway - Fading Light by Angela Dennis



Fading Light
Shadow Born
Book 2
by Angela Dennis

Genre: Urban Fantasy
Publisher: Samhain Publishing
Date of Publication: September 23, 2014
Number of pages: 279
Word Count: 76,000
Cover Artist: Kanaxa

Tagline: Everyone has a breaking point.

Book Description:
Her hundred-year penance lifted, Shadow Bearer Brenna Baudouin returns to the Earthly plane with her partner, Gray Warlow, to keep the peace between humans and supernatural creatures—and to prevent another apocalyptic war from happening.

The attraction between them is nearing a critical point, but their checkered history has left Brenna unable to trust either her heart or her instincts.

It’s chaotic business as usual until humans begin turning to statues of dust. There is no explanation, no sign of magical foul play or a biological toxin. The humans are convinced it’s the work of a deviant supernatural faction, twisting the knife in the already tense relationship between their species. Brenna and Gray agree—the deaths have a former comrade-turned-rogue stamped all over them.

In a race against time, they enlist the help of both friend and foe to save the human race and stop the impending civil war. Along the way, they are forced to come to terms with their past and decide, once and for all, whether they will come together or fall apart.

Warning: Contains a heroine who knows her weapons but not her own heart, an outbreak of supernatural proportions, copious bloodletting, and a race to save an endangered species—humans. All tied up in a tight bow of sexual tension.

Buy Links:
Amazon ¦ BN ¦ Kobo ¦ iTunes ¦ Google Play

Monday, 22 September 2014

Blog Tour Interview & Giveaway - The Necromancer’s Betrayal by Mimi Sebastian



The Necromancer’s Betrayal
The Necromancer Series
Book 2
by Mimi Sebastian
Genre: Urban Fantasy/Paranormal Romance
Publisher: ImaJinn/Belle Books
Number of pages: 226
Cover Artist: Patricia Lazarus

Book Description:
Her powers have been hobbled. Her enemies are growing stronger.

Old loves challenge her. And her worst betrayer may be herself.

Necromancer Ruby Montagne is battling for her life in the realm of demons. Unfairly branded for the death of a fellow necromancer, she’s got to prove her innocence without the full use of her magic. And the real culprit is still on the loose.

While someone is stalking her friends among the witches, Ruby searches for answers inside the dark intrigues of both the demon and necromancer worlds. Ruby must confront this new, sinister threat while reconciling her feelings for her former lover, a demon warrior. Only it’s difficult . . . because a sexy vampire is making it clear that he’d like to be a lot more than just friends.

The competition for Ruby’s trust heats up as the enemy pushes her toward a dark side that could threaten the entire realm. Yet what can Ruby do when she’s not even sure what she is? With the fabric separating the realms at stake, she must decide whom to trust. But will the ultimate betrayal be her own?

Buy Links:

Blog Tour Character Guest Post - Tavern on the Edge of Time by Peter Darrach



Tavern on the Edge of Time
Author: Peter Durrach
Publisher: CreateSpace
Pages: 366
Genre: Sci-fi
Format: Paperback

Book Summary:
During the year 2125, former asteroid miners Max Cody and Elaine Zhou never get a moment’s rest. No sooner have they doused the flames of war between Earth and Mars or returned from their first trip to the Tavern on the Edge of Time when they are called upon to help fit out the fledging Martian colony orbiting Jupiter’s moon Callisto. In parallel, Earth extradites the war’s fomenter, ex-billionaire arms merchant Xanthus Rex, hoping to gain from his insights into Martian teleportation technology, but he manages to turn Earth’s resources toward private revenge against Max, Mars, and the Callisto Colony. In the meantime aliens are leaking into the Earth-Mars continuum from the Tavern, whose proprietor repaired and upgraded Max after accidentally injuring him during an asteroid mining expedition. Max’s enhancements help, of course, but when strange beings with the power to animate matter—the Assemblers—find their way to Earth, Max, Mars, and humanity are sorely beset. Worse yet, the Tavern itself is becoming unstable, its acquisitive host having overstretched his considerable powers. His prospecting for collapsed neutron matter has also opened portals between continua, inadvertently adding still more aliens to the mix. That’s when the Assemblers’ overlord arrives and Max finally meets his match. Oh, and Elaine is expecting their hybrid baby. Yes, you might say these are difficult times at the Tavern on the Edge of Time.

Buy Links:
Amazon ¦ B&N ¦ iTunes

XENA: Warrior Princess Promo & Giveaway - 20th Anniversary & Billy Bobble Makes a Magic Wand

The 20th Anniversary of Xena: Warrior Princess – From Ancient Scrolls to E-Books.
By RS Mellette aka Xenastaff


Next year is the 20th anniversary of the first airing of the TV show Xena: Warrior Princess, but for me the anniversary is now. I was the writer's assistant from 1994 to 1997. Besides doing normal office work, I monitored the net forum as Xenastaff, wrote any dialogue that needed to be added after an episode was cut together, and wrote The Xena Scrolls for Universal's website. When an episode based on the online characters aired in 1997, it became the first intellectual property to move from the web to television.

Now, 20 years later, I'm about to publish a novel as an e-book. Oh how far we've come. I remember a Xena fan posting on the forum that he discovered the show online when he did a search for "Amazon." I thought, that makes sense. I mean, Xena isn't technically an Amazon, but what else should turn up when you search on that? Someone then explained to me that there was a new online bookstore called Amazon.com. That was 1995.

You would think the anniversary would make me feel old, but that happened the first time I heard a co-worker say, "I loved Xena when I was a kid." Instead, I'm looking back on Xena, and forward to the release of my novel, Billy Bobble Makes A Magic Wand. It might shock some in the literary world, but I learned a lot about being a novelist from my work as an apprentice writer on a TV show.

One of those things was how to write a story for all ages. Xena was "syndicated for broadcast." Syndicated meaning it was sold directly to independent TV stations and Broadcast meaning it had to adhere to FCC rules (unlike subscription channels: HBO, Showtime, etc.).

Independent stations could play Xena any time they saw fit. In some cities it screened at midnight for adults. Other cities showed it on Saturday afternoons for kids. That's a wide age range, and believe it or not, the show's numbers were even across the board. We had as many men & women between 18 and 49 as we did girls & boys between 12 and 17 and 55 & over.

In the publishing world, the insistence to declare what age range a book is targeted to clashes with what I learned on Xena. Every time I hear someone say their book is "Middle Grade" or "Young Adult" all I think is, Why have you cut out the majority of the people on the planet?

Billy Bobble Makes A Magic Wand is a book for the whole family – which is probably why it's being published independently. The majors love to find a book "with crossover potential," but at the same time, don't want to hear that your book isn't targeted for a certain age range. They seem to think that crossover potential is rare, but anyone who knows their literary or theatre history – or who has worked in Broadcast TV – can tell you how to create a crossover work. Stick to these three rules:

1) Include characters of various ages, or follow the life of one character from young to old

2) Keep sex to what one may see in public and language to what your mother would approve of

3) Target age ranges in beats within the story, not for the whole piece.