BOOK REVIEW: Dream Faces by Steve Shanks

Dream Faces

Author: Steve Shanks
Genre: Supernatural Suspense Thriller

Book Description:

We all have a choice. Do we listen to the whisperings of the Angel on our right shoulder, or to the demon on our left?

Mark Stephens’ quiet life as an artist is turned upside down. At age 42 he finally receives the opportunity he has been working for. A national gallery discovers his art and wants to make him wealthy.

At the same time he has big problems. His current series of paintings are based on the vivid dreams he has recently been having about three girls. The trouble is, as the girls appear in his paintings, they disappear from their families, and the police are eyeing him as the primary suspect. On top of that, the real kidnappers, a group of Russians from Detroit, discover his paintings, and believe he is aware of them, endangering him and his family.

There is a silver lining. Out of the chaos Mark discovers he has a gift. He has the Sight. He can suddenly see his guardian Angel and other more sinister beings.

The police think Mark is insane or at best a suspect. So Mark goes after the kidnapped girls to try and rescue them.

Mark is not an action hero. He is an artist. But he does have a Guardian Angel.

Dream Faces is a powerful new debut suspense supernatural novel about everyday heroes, self sacrifice, and the choices we make.

Buy Links:

Amazon US ¦ UK

Book Blitz & Giveaway - Wear White to Your Funeral by Lisa Acerbo

 

Wear White to Your Funeral
Author: Lisa Acerbo
Publication Date: October 28th, 2016
Genres: Mystery, Romance, Young Adult 

Book Description:

Rory is your average high school senior. Or she was, until her mother banishes her to hell, also known as Trumbull, Connecticut. The small suburb with only a mall and movie theater, sure feels like the netherworld until Rory’s first day at her new school. That’s the day she meets Bowen, who begs her to join him on a class project. But when Bowen drags her to a graveyard after dark for research purposes, Rory wants to fly back home to Atlanta, or at least return to her aunt’s house unharmed and unmolested. 

Nothing could go wrong, right? They talk, they laugh, and they wander among the tombstones looking for information on the local ghostly legend known as the White Lady. Then they have to run, but they cannot outrun a ghost. In addition to the ghostly woman, a half buried dead body leads Rory and Bowen into a deadly game of cat and mouse, but who is the killer? Is it human or something long dead and otherworldly?

The police are of little help, Rory’s aunt just wants her to remain safe, and Bowen, who she can’t stay away from, keeps finding ways to get her into more trouble than she has ever known. Whether breaking into a suspected killer’s house, being followed by a menacing ghost, or being stalked at school, Rory hopes finding the killer will put an end to the supernatural haunting. Before Rory can discover the identity of the killer, she is drawn into the mystery of the White Lady, which opens the door for some very real danger.

Buy Links:

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Book Blitz & Giveaway - Concealed by Christina Bauer

Concealed

(Beholder #2)

Author: Christina Bauer
Publication Date: October 25th, 2016
Genres: Paranormal, Young Adult 

Book Description:

As a Grand Mistress Necromancer, Elea’s a witch who commands the ultimate power over spirit and bone. It’s magic that she’ll need in order to stop the Vicomte Gaspard from killing her Sisters by draining their magic along with their life force. 

To find and free her fellow witches, Elea must venture into some of the most dangerous places in the realm. What starts off as a rescue quest could easily turn into a suicide mission. And with the handsome warlock Rowan along to help, Elea may be risking more than her life. Her growing feelings for Rowan might put her heart on the line, too.

Buy Links:

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Book Blitz & Giveaway - The Decision by L.K. Kuhl

The Decision

(Everlasting Trilogy, #2)

Author: L.K. Kuhl
Publication Date: October 20th, 2016
Genres: Paranormal Romance, Young Adult

Book Description:

The guests are invited. The cake is all set. In just a few short hours Sophia Bandell will be saying “I do” to a guy she isn’t sure she loves. But where does she go from here? She feels her life is headed in a downhill spiral. Her first and real true love, Tate Forester, is a ghost. But he’s the man she wants to be with…the one she can’t live without. Sophia is faced with the toughest decision of her life. Does she forget about Tate and marry the egotistical lawyer, Aaron Stuart? Or does she take the plunge and join Tate to be with him for eternity?

Buy Links:

Amazon US ¦ UK ¦ iBooks ¦ B&N ¦ Kobo ¦ Smashwords

CBY'S Saturday Current Reads - Wucaii by Pembroke Sinclair

 MY SATURDAY CURRENT READS IS:

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Release Date: April 10th, 2013

Book Description:

It has been 500 years since Aelana has been home, and a lot has changed in that time--including her. As a half-dragon, half-human hybrid, she has been traveling the universe destroying worlds. Both anxious and excited to return, she wonders what she will find. Her memories of home are filled with pain and loss, especially for her first and only love. She knows he won't be there, but will his memory? Will her anguish remain?

Buy Links:
Amazon US ¦ UK

Blog Tour Promo - Cease and Desist by Stephen David Hurley

Cease & Desist
Author: Stephen David Hurley
Genre: YA Thriller
Release Date: October 10th, 2016

Book Description:
What if the secret to being charismatic were actually a gene you could inherit, and pass along to your children. What if this "X-factor" could make you a star? Welcome to the world of Cease de Menich, a sixteen-year-old actress in New York City who gets cast as Joan-of-Arc in a reality-drama, only to discover her "acting gift" has been passed down through her bloodline for almost six-hundred-years. Cease finds the plot of the drama reveals dark secrets from her past--an abusive mother, a brother who committed suicide--and the reader must decide if she's a reliable narrator or a terrified girl who's succumb to the pressure of fame and the abuse of her past.

Cease & Desist is a dark, contemporary YA thriller with a supernatural twist. Readers of books like I Let You Go and The Girl on the Train will enjoy this coming-of-age story, which struggles with the realities of sexuality, violence as entertainment, and mental illness. Cease & Desist has excellent crossover potential into the adult marketplace.

Buy Links:

Amazon US ¦ UK

Blog Tour Excerpt & Giveaway - One Summer with Autumn by Julie Reece

One Summer with Autumn
Author: Julie Reece
Genre: YA Romance

Book Description:
Seventeen-year-old Autumn Teslow arrives at her father’s job fair knowing she’ll never measure up to the perfect image of daddy’s little girl—her twin sister.

Wearing anger management issues like a second skin won’t help Autumn win her dad’s approval for the big trip she’s been planning—or meet his condition that she successfully complete a summer internship for college.

Autumn’s cool unravels when her sister lectures against disappointing the family again. And when a young, bearded guy steps through the crowd to settle the growing argument between siblings, Autumn lashes out, dubbing him a “Duck Dynasty wannabe.”

At Nineteen, Caden Behr is clueless as to why his man parts are threatened by the fearsome girl before him. He'd only come to find an intern for his recreational equipment company, not break up a girl-fight between two sisters.

Unfortunately, the only candidate left is the girl who just told him off. Without her, he’ll never prove to his CEO mother that he’s ready for more responsibility.

Autumn and Caden agree that if they can keep from killing one another, they can use one another to get what they want and then never have to see each other again. Which is what they want.

Until it isn’t.

Because despite her best efforts to scare him off, and his fading desire to push her into the lake, they’re beginning to enjoy the time they spend together. But pride is a hard habit to break. And if neither will admit their changing feelings, they could lose a whole lot more than one summer.

Buy Links:

Amazon US ¦ UK

Bookvie: The Light Between Oceans - out November 1, 2016 (UK)

Who's in it:
Michael Fassbender, Alicia Vikander, Rachel Weisz

Blog Tour Spotlight & Giveaway - Worthy of Song and Story by Neal Chase

Worthy of Song and Story
Stian the Viking Series
Book  One
Neal Chase
Middle Grade Fantasy
Publisher: Fiery Seas Publishing
Winter 2016

Book Description:
Twelve year-old Stian’s plans to be The Greatest Viking Ever appear to be over before they even begin. He’s captured by Dahlia—a dark elf and a girl. If that wasn’t bad enough, he discovers he may be the son of Loki, the greatest enemy of the Viking gods and the one foretold to bring about the end of the world.

Knowing he is meant to be extraordinary, Stian decides to discover the truth for himself and free Loki from the clutches of Odin. Only then, will he discover who he is and what he is meant to do.

Stian must out-think, misguide, and defeat Thor’s children. To do this he will need the power of Gram—a sword with magical powers. There is one catch, only one pure of heart with the desire to help others, is worthy of wielding it. If Stian succeeds, he will become the world’s most famous Viking, but if he fails he will fall victim to the gods’ merciless justice.

Buy Links:

Amazon US ¦ UK

Book Blitz & Giveaway - The Broken One by Christine H. Bailey

The Broken One
Christine H. Bailey
Publication Date: April 5th, 2016
Genres: Contemporary, Young Adult

Book Description:

What becomes of the girl left behind after the tragic death of her best friend?

Sixteen-year-old Farris Sloan is picking up the pieces after the untimely death of her best friend Kelsey. But even one year later, Farris can’t seem to find “normal” again—not until Lane Evans pops back into her life and pushes her to face reality. When he offers her the chance to find out the truth about Kelsey’s death, Farris fears what will surface. Is it too much too soon or just what she needs to move forward? The Broken One explores a teen’s struggle to overcome loss and her hope to rediscover what it truly means to live and love.

Buy Links:

Amazon US ¦ UK ¦ Barnes & Noble ¦ Kobo

Book Blast & Giveaway - 6th Grade Revengers: Cat Crimes and Wannabes by Steven Whibley

6th Grade Revengers: Cat Crimes and Wannabes
Author: Steven Whibley

Book Description:
Jared and Marcus aren’t like other 11-year-olds…they’re also Revengers. They fix problems and they’re awesome at it-at least, they will be if they ever get a chance to show off their skills. What they need is exposure. Luckily, they have the perfect target in mind: Jared’s sister’s boyfriend. He’s a jerky, wannabe rock star, a relentless bully and he smells like old gym socks.

Enough is enough. The tone deaf jerk’s days are numbered. There’s only one hitch: Marcus already offered their services elsewhere. A stray cat with serious aggression issues apparently has a whole neighborhood boarding up their windows. What the boys think will be an easy-money job quickly turns into a dangerous game of wits. The cat’s a monster. It takes all the ingenuity the boys can muster to deal with this beast.

Two targets at once. It’s time to prove themselves as the awesome after-school problem-solvers they know they are. That is, if their plan doesn’t backfire. Because they’ll either be feared fixers or a couple kids who can’t even take out a kitten.

Buy Links:

Amazon US ¦ UK ¦ Barnes & Noble ¦ Kobo

Blog Tour Spotlight - Bridgebreaker by Joshua C. Cook

Bridgebreaker
The Echo Worlds
Book 2
Joshua C. Cook
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Date of Publication: September 12th, 2016
ISBN: 1536949280
ASIN: B01L4XZ8WG
Number of pages: 238
Word Count: 64731
Cover Artist: S.A. Hunt

Book Description:
The Bridgefinders have won a battle they never expected to walk away from. The Slyph has been pushed back, and now faces open rebellion from Grellnot.

War is brewing on the Echo World, a war that has large implications for us. Within the Bridgefinders something rotten has taken hold, as one of their own starts down a dark path of jealousy, anger, and hate.

When a woman from a mysterious group known only as the Shrouded, comes with a warning, her appearance proves to be a tipping point as the Bridgefinders face a new challenge, the evil within.

Buy Links:

Amazon US ¦ UK

Blog Tour Spotlight & Giveaway - The Wishing World by Todd Fahnestock

The Wishing World

Author: Todd Fahnestock

Book Description:

"Whimsical and imaginative, with just the right mix of humor, heart, and adventure. The Wishing World is everything you could wish for in a story--and so much more!"--Shannon Messenger, author of Keeper of the Lost Cities

In the Wishing World, dreams are real. You can transform into your own hero, find wild and whimsical friends, and wield power as great as your imagination. But Lorelei doesn't know about any of that. All she knows is that a monster took her family.

It happened during a camping trip one year ago. Hiding inside the tent, she saw shadows, tentacles and a strange creature. By the time she got up the courage to crawl outside, the monster--and Lorelei's mom, dad, and brother--were gone.

Lorelei is determined to find her family. When she accidentally breaks into the Wishing World, she discovers a way. It's a land more wonderful than she could have imagined, a land of talking griffons, water princesses, and cities made of sand, where Lorelei is a Doolivanti--a wish-maker--who can write her dreams into existence.

There's only one problem: the monster is a Doolivanti, too. What he wishes also comes true, and he's determined to shove Lorelei out, keep her family, and make the whole Wishing World his. To save them, Lorelei must find the courage to face him, or her next wish may be her last.

Buy Links:

Amazon US ¦ UK ¦ B&N ¦ Book Despository

Blog Tour Excerpt & Giveaway - Silencing The Seam by Kathleen Groger

Silencing The Seam

(Seam Stalkers, #2)
Author: Kathleen Groger

Publication Date: October 18th, 2016

Genres: Horror, Paranormal, Young Adult 

Book Description:

Sixteen-year-old Sam Drake thought she’d left the horrors of spring break and Defiance Castle behind her. But back home, the spirits swirling around her are more demanding, more aggressive. 

Fear of being institutionalized by her skeptical mother drives Sam to follow her dad to New Orleans. There she hopes to take back control of her life. But the French Quarter and the cities of the dead have other plans. Hour by hour they drain her, making it next to impossible to fight off a ghost who is determined to use her for its own revenge.

Ensnared in an ancient power struggle where Voodoo rituals, betrayal, and murder rule, Sam must determine who to trust. One step in the wrong direction will lock her inside the Seam to walk among the dead for eternity.

Buy Links:

Amazon US ¦ UK ¦ iTunes ¦ Kobo

Blog Tour Excerpt & Giveaway - A Criminal Magic by Lee Kelly

A Criminal Magic

Author: Lee Kelly

Publication date: February 2nd, 2016

Genres: Fantasy, Historical, Young Adult

Book Description:

THE NIGHT CIRCUS meets THE PEAKY BLINDERS in Lee Kelly’s new crossover fantasy novel.

Magic is powerful, dangerous and addictive – and after passage of the 18th Amendment, it is finally illegal.

It’s 1926 in Washington, DC, and while Anti-Sorcery activists have achieved the Prohibition of sorcery, the city’s magic underworld is booming. Sorcerers cast illusions to aid mobsters’ crime sprees. Smugglers funnel magic contraband in from overseas. Gangs have established secret performance venues where patrons can lose themselves in magic, and take a mind-bending, intoxicating elixir known as the sorcerer’s shine.

Joan Kendrick, a young sorcerer from Norfolk County, Virginia accepts an offer to work for DC’s most notorious crime syndicate, the Shaw Gang, when her family’s home is repossessed. Alex Danfrey, a first-year Federal Prohibition Unit trainee with a complicated past and talents of his own, becomes tapped to go undercover and infiltrate the Shaws.

Through different paths, Joan and Alex tread deep into the violent, dangerous world of criminal magic – and when their paths cross at the Shaws’ performance venue, despite their orders, and despite themselves, Joan and Alex become enchanted with one another. But when gang alliances begin to shift, the two sorcerers are forced to question their ultimate allegiances and motivations. And soon, Joan and Alex find themselves pitted against each other in a treacherous, heady game of cat-and-mouse.

A CRIMINAL MAGIC casts a spell of magic, high stakes and intrigue against the backdrop of a very different Roaring Twenties.

Buy Links:

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Blog Tour Promo & Giveaway - My Junior Year of Loathing by Jennifer Digiovanni

My Junior Year of Loathing

(School Dayz, Book 2)
Author: Jennifer Digiovanni

Book Description:

Junior year is supposed to be tough. Exams, term papers, homework, college tours, and participation in extra-curricular activities can all add up to non-stop stress. But Melinda Banner has goals to achieve and dreams to make real. This year, she’ll be unstoppable. But even over achievers need a break.

While walking in the woods to take a break from the stress of it all, Melinda meets a boy named Connor. After a few more run-ins, the two settle into an uneasy friendship, if you can even call it that.

But Connor's closed and mysterious. Whenever Melinda asks too many questions, he suddenly has to go or is no longer interested in talking. When they’re together, she’s torn between wanting him to open up and running away as fast as she can. Still she can't seem to shake her budding interest in him.

Connor has his own way of looking at the world, and his views often conflict with Melinda’s practical nature. Can you like someone and loathe them at the same time? Is he even worth the emotional tug on her heartstrings or distraction from all things Junior year?

And, as if she needs another project right now, Melinda starts to obsess over the abandoned estate she passes on the way to school each day. Between Connor and the old estate, Melinda's beginning to think she's taking on too much.

But Melinda's smart. She finds a way to indulge her interest in the estate and fulfill her obligations. She will uncover the truth behind the aging edifice for an epic article in the school newspaper.

But when her investigation reveals a connection between Connor and a tragedy long-since forgotten, Melinda has a choice: put off her junior year achievements to save a local landmark and a boy who constantly pushes her away or put them both out of her mind for good and focus on making the grade.

Buy Links:

Amazon US ¦ UK