Book Blitz & Giveaway - Strange and Ever After by Susan Dennard

IFB is hosting the promo tour for the third and final book in Susan Dennard's steampunk, zombie trilogy. Continue below for a sample and a cool giveaway.

Strange and Ever After
Series: Something Strange & Deadly #3

Release date: July 22nd, 2014

Publisher: HarperTeen

Synopsis via Goodreads:

In the conclusion to the trilogy that Publishers Weekly called “a roaring—and addictive—gothic world,” Eleanor Fitt must control her growing power, face her feelings for Daniel, and confront the evil necromancer Marcus...all before it’s too late.

He took her brother, he took her mother, and now, Marcus has taken her good friend Jie. With more determination than ever to bring this sinister man to justice, Eleanor heads to the hot desert streets of nineteenth-century Egypt in hopes of ending this nightmare. But in addition to her increasingly tense relationships with Daniel, Joseph, and her demon, Oliver, Eleanor must also deal with her former friend, Allison, who has curiously entangled herself in Eleanor’s mission.

With the rising dead chomping at her every move and Jie’s life hanging in the balance, Eleanor is convinced that her black magic will see her through to the bitter end. But there will be a price. Though she and the Spirit Hunters have weathered every battle thus far, there will be consequences to suffer this time—the effects of which will be irreversible. And when it’s over, only some will be able to live a strange and ever after.

Susan Dennard will leave readers breathless and forever changed in the concluding pages of this riveting ride.

Buy Links:

Amazon | B&N

Read an Excerpt from Strange and Ever After HERE.

Character Recap

Eleanor Fitt: Eleanor is a sixteen-year-old who loves Shakespeare quotes and buttered toast. Though her family used to rank among Philadelphia’s high society, ever since her father died, all the Fitt wealth and status has dried up. All Eleanor wants is for her older brother, Elijah, to come home so the family can go back to normal—or at least get out of their current dire financial straits. If Elijah doesn’t return, Eleanor might have to marry—and that’s not something she’s even close to ready for.

Joseph Boyer: As the leader of the Spirit-Hunters, Joseph is a stern but compassionate man. He believes in doing what’s right—always—and nothing can change his mind once it’s made up. Because of his beliefs, his magical powers, and his voodoo training, Joseph has made it his mission to rid the world of necromancy, ghosts, and walking Dead.

See original post HERE.

About the Author
Susan Dennard is a writer turned marine biologist turned writer again. Strange and Ever After is the conclusion to her trilogy, which includes A Darkness Strange and Lovely and Something Strange and Deadly. Among the traits she shares with her heroine Eleanor are a weakness for Shakespeare quotes, a healthy appetite for baked goods, and an insatiable curiosity. Sadly, Susan does not get to wear a corset or wave a parasol on a daily basis.

Author Links:

WEBSITE | GOODREADS | TWITTER | FACEBOOK

The Complete Series

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Signed trilogy (USA) and ecopy of Strange & Ever After (INT) up for grabs.

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Book Blitz - Meet Me in Barcelona by Mary Carter

Meet Me in Barcelona

Author: Mary Carter

Publisher: Kensington

Pages: 352

Genre: Mainstream fiction

Format: Paperback/Kindle/MP3 CD, Audiobook, MP3 Audo, Unabridged

Book Summary:

A surprise trip to Barcelona with her boyfriend, Jake, seems like the perfect antidote to Grace Sawyer's current woes. The city is dazzling and unpredictable, but the biggest surprise for Grace is discovering who arranged and paid for the vacation.

Carrie Ann wasn't just Grace's foster sister. Clever, pretty, and mercurial, she was her best friend—until everything went terribly wrong. Now, as she flees an abusive marriage, Carrie Ann has turned to the one person she hopes will come through for her. Despite her initial misgivings, Grace wants to help. But then Carrie Ann and Jake both go missing. Stunned and confused, Grace begins to realize how much of herself she's kept from Jake—and how much of Carrie Ann she never understood. Soon Grace is baited into following a trail of scant clues across Spain, determined to find the truth, even if she must revisit her troubled past to do it.

Mary Carter's intriguing novel delves into the complexities of childhood bonds, the corrosive weight of guilt and blame, and all the ways we try—and often fail—to truly know the ones we love.

Buy Links:
AMAZON ¦ B&N

Blog Tour Spotlight & Giveaway - Glimpse of Darkness by Nicole Delacroix

Glimpse of Darkness

Volume 1: Chronicles of the Cursed

Nicole Delacroix

Genre: YA Paranormal/Fantasy

Number of pages: 367

Word Count: 68183

Cover Artist: Javier Charro

Book Description:

Charlene (Charlie) Bennett is a simple waitress in the wilds of Hyder, Alaska whose father has just gone missing. Isolated and alone, her fathers' disappearance is nothing new to her, but this time things are a little different.

For starters, there is a handsome stranger, Daniel that has come to town and while Charlie has never taken more than a passing interest in strangers, she has an immediate and intense attraction to this one. Secondly, she's soon to find out that this stranger isn't what he appears. He's about to throw Charlie's entire world into a major upheaval.

Now Charlie has to decide if she believes this strangers' incredible story and follow Daniel or if she wants to stay in the only home she's ever known for an uncertain future and an absentee father. As she comes to terms with what Daniel shows her, she realizes that he's the only true thing in her life and leaves everything she knows behind to follow the handsome stranger.

Buy Links:

Amazon ¦ B&N

10 Fun Facts

1. My childhood dream is to live in London, England.  I love everything British and even drink imported English tea like a closeted Brit.  (Shhh, don’t tell anyone)

2. I’m fluent in many languages – Sarcasm, Profanity and Double Entendres, just to name a few. (Bet you thought I was serious)

3. I’m incredibly clumsy and have tripped over my own two feet more times than I can count.  Mostly it happens when I’m wearing flat shoes and on even pavement.  I’ve never taken a fall wearing high heels.

4. Speaking of shoes, I spend more money on shoes (preferably platform boots please) than I do on fixing my car, groceries or anything else.  I have multiple pairs that are far too high for me to wear that I still have in boxes.  I refuse to get rid of them, eventually I will wear them.

5. I subscribe to a theory of radical honesty, meaning that I do everything in my power to not tell a lie.  I do however, refuse to tell anyone my correct age, and I never will.

6. I believe in ghosts, so much so that I’m convinced that there was a ghost of a nurse in my childhood bedroom.  I’m still scared to sleep alone in that room.

7. I refuse to eat any food that has feet or face still attached to it.  So peel and eat shrimp, crab legs, lobster, fish, etc., I won’t even eat if it’s on the table.  It just freaks me out.

8. I’m scared of most all bugs, snakes and general creepy crawly things, except spiders.  Spiders are cool and don’t scare me at all.

9. I have the biggest sweet tooth ever!  I keep jars of candy and sweets all over my home, work and car.  I always have something, even if it’s only gum.

10. I hate having my picture taken, and my mother insists that there is more footage of Bigfoot than there is of me. (She’s probably right too)

About the Author

Nicole Delacroix was born in Frankfurt Germany to a German mother and American Military father. Her parents instilled in her a deep love of the written word and a profound respect for literature in all forms. So it's little wonder that from the moment she could first write she knew that writing would always be a part of who she is. From short stories to dabbling in scriptwriting she passes her time with her day job as an IT professional but feverishly writes well into the night. Her passion for literature encompasses many different genres but her heart beats true with fantasy and science fiction. She's fiercely loyal to friends and family and is eagerly awaiting the day when she can move to London England, her childhood dream.

Author Links:

Website ¦ Facebook ¦ Twitter ¦ Goodreads ¦ Google+ ¦ Tumblr

***GIVEAWAY***

5 sets of signed paperback copies with beaded bookmarks.

5 beaded bookmarks.

Open to US Shipping.

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Blog Tour Organised by:

Beach Reads In August Giveaway Hop - Book Of Choice or Amazon Gift Card

Beach Reads In August Giveaway Hop

August 1st - 15th

Hosted by Stuck In Books

Several blogs are taking part, so there's lots of amazing gifts to be won. Check out the rules of the other blogs. I will choose a winner within 5 days following the end of this contest. I will contact the winner via email. Winner will also be announced on this page.

***Giveaway***

My giveaway is for a Book of Choice from The Book Depository (up to $10)) or a $10 Amazon Gift Card.

Ends August 15th (midnight GMT).

International.

Contest is void where prohibited. Entrants must be 13 or else have parent or guardian’s permission to enter. Winners will be notified via email and will have 48 hours to respond or another winner will be selected. The winner will be posted on this page after the winner responds. Winning entries will be verified for authenticity.

My Book Choice

So there you have my recommended beach read. Enter the giveaway and then hop on to the next one.

Thanks and good luck to everyone!

The Rafflecopter Widget appears to be broken.

The Winner is: Ashley J. Abrams

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Book Of The Week: Searching For The Light by VeryVeryMagical

Searching For The Light

by VeryVeryMagical

Click here to read the book.

Blog Tour Interview & Giveaway - The Lost Catacomb by Shifra Hochberg

TOUR PAGE

The Lost Catacomb
by Shifra Hochberg

Book Summary:

An intoxicating blend of Vatican thriller and heart-rending love story, THE LOST CATACOMB is a stunning debut novel set against the backdrop of the Holocaust in Italy. At its heart is Nicola Page, a beautiful young art historian who flies to Rome to assess a newly discovered catacomb of enigmatic provenance. Its magnificent frescoes hold the clues to a centuries-old murder and the existence of a fabled treasure from the ancient Temple in Jerusalem.

Assisted by a handsome Italian archaeologist, Nicola is quickly drawn into a tangled web of intrigue and peril, masterminded by a powerful priest who is determined to destroy those who would reveal the dark secrets of the past. And as Nicola uncovers layer after layer of this deadly past, she is brought face to face with shocking facts about her own family history—facts that will forever change the course of her life.

Buy Links:

Amazon US ¦ UK ¦ DE ¦ FR ¦ ES

IT ¦ IN ¦ JP ¦ AU ¦ BR ¦ CA ¦ MX

BOTW Nominations - Week 63

And the Book Of The Week Nominations are:

Click on the book covers to sample the works.

Stitched (Teen Fiction / Science-Fiction)

Searching For The Light (Teen Fiction / Mystery)

First Kiss & Broken Promises (Teen Romance)

To Frick Frackin' Hell (Teen Romance)

Which book would you title the Book Of The Week?

Cover Reveal - Tess in Boots by Courtney Rice Gager

Tess in Boots by Courtney Rice Gager

Anaiah Romance

Release Date: December 2, 2014

Book Summary:

Tess Dougherty plans every aspect of her life right down to the last detail. But she doesn’t plan on running her boyfriend off by bringing up the topic of marriage before he’s ready. And she doesn’t plan to lose her job on the day she’s set to receive a huge promotion. So when her perfect world unravels, Tess makes a new plan: disappear.

Tess packs her bags and leaves her city apartment for a remote vineyard in North Carolina. At first, she’s put off by the slow pace of small-town life in the South. She’s especially irritated by Thatcher, the vineyard’s smart-mouth, dimple-faced farmhand. But she soon begins to appreciate the area’s charm, and Thatcher’s charm, too. She even swaps her trademark heels for a pair of cowboy boots. As Tess spends more time getting to know Thatcher, she finds herself loosening her grip on her old life little by little. Unfortunately, things on the vineyard aren’t as simple as they seem. There’s a secret here, and when the truth comes to light, Tess is forced to reconsider every plan she’s ever made.

About the Author
Courtney Rice Gager graduated from Virginia Tech with a bachelor’s degree in communication and a minor in creative writing. Courtney is also the author of The Buggy List. She lives in New Jersey with her husband and daughter.

Author Links:
Website ¦ Twitter ¦ Pinterest ¦ Goodreads ¦ Facebook ¦ Google+ ¦ Amazon

Bookvie: Love, Rosie - out October 22, 2014 (UK)

Who's in it:

Lily Collins, Sam Claflin, Christian Cooke

What's it all about (book blurb from Goodreads):

Sometimes you have to look at life in a whole new way...

From the bestselling author of PS, I Love You comes a delightfully enchanting novel about what happens when two people who are meant to be together just can't seem to get it right.

Rosie and Alex are destined for one another, and everyone seems to know it but them. Best friends since childhood, their relationship gets closer by the day, until Alex gets the news that his family is leaving Dublin and moving to Boston. At 17, Rosie and Alex have just started to see each other in a more romantic light. Devastated, the two make plans for Rosie to apply to colleges in the U.S. 

She gets into Boston University, Alex gets into Harvard, and everything is falling into place, when on the eve of her departure, Rosie gets news that will change their lives forever: She's pregnant by a boy she'd gone out with while on the rebound from Alex. 

Her dreams for college, Alex, and a glamorous career dashed, Rosie stays in Dublin to become a single mother, while Alex pursues a medical career and a new love in Boston. But destiny is a funny thing, and in this novel, structured as a series of clever e-mails, letters, notes, and a trail of missed opportunities, Alex and Rosie find out that fate isn't done with them yet.

From the gifted author of PS, I Love You comes this charming, romantic, addictively page-turning novel that will keep readers laughing and guessing until the very last page.

Love, Rosie Official Trailer #1

Movie Stills:

New Book Release - Welcome To London, William Shakespeare by D. Lawrence-Young

"WELCOME TO LONDON, 

WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE" 

by 

D. Lawrence-Young

(Enigma Press New Release!)

BUY LINKS

Amazon US ¦ IN ¦ UK ¦ DE ¦ FR ¦ ES

IT ¦ JP ¦ BR ¦ CA ¦ MX ¦ AU

Synopsis

Will Shakespeare is a young lad, happy to work at school, but happier really when he is writing long love poems and short plays. Unfortunately, his father, having fallen on hard times has to send Will out to earn his own living. 

Eventually managing to convince his family that his pen and education will provide a better living than by making gloves in his father's shop, Will sets off for London and the new and exciting world of the theatre. 

Elizabethan London is like no other place in the world, with its sights, smells, opportunities and constant danger. While Will is forging his career and making new friends in the theatre, including the alluring Dark Lady of the Sonnets, he must also be very careful of those he mixes with. The Tudor capital is a treacherous place at the best of times, and there are ever-listening ears everywhere. William Shakespeare has to be on guard at all times, especially when he is forced to become a government spy.

Based on a wide range of sources, D. Lawrence-Young has written a fascinating novel that helps us answer the question: What was Shakespeare doing during his so-called “Lost Years?’

Author

D. Lawrence-Young has been teaching and lecturing on drama, history and English for many years. He is happiest when researching Shakespeare, English and military history. He has written Communication in English, a best-selling English language textbook as well as a dozen other historical novels. These include three based on the life of Shakespeare. 

He contributes regularly to Forum, a magazine for English language teachers and has also written several articles for Skirmish, a military history journal. He is a member of the local history club and is the Chairman of the Jerusalem Shakespeare Society. He is also a published (USA) and exhibited (UK and Jerusalem) photographer. He plays the clarinet (badly) and is married and has three children.

AUTHOR LINKS

FACEBOOK ¦ GOODREADS ¦ BOOKPAGE ¦ WEBSITE

Blog Tour Excerpt - Birds of the Nile by Nick David

Tour Page

Birds of the Nile
by Nick David
Genre: Literary Fiction
Date Published: September 27, 2013

Book Summary:
British ex-diplomat MICHAEL BLAKE has been blinded and is confined to his flat in Cairo. Every few days a visitor comes to read to him. It’s a year since he took early retirement and booked a long–awaited birding trip on the Nile.

Half way through the voyage he meets LEE YONG and finds himself falling for her. But she’s falling for REDA, their tour guide. He isn’t all he seems either and when the Egyptian revolution kicks off, BLAKE finds himself embroiled in a tangled web of love and intrigue. When REDA is captured and thrown into jail, BLAKE will be forced to decide – to help LEE YONG and join the revolution or stand aside and risk losing everything.

Set against the background of the events of January 2011, BIRDS OF THE NILE is a powerful story of loss and self discovery as three disparate characters, each with their own agenda, seek to come to terms with change. Part political thriller, part love story, BIRDS OF THE NILE reminds us of the complex nature of global cultural interaction and how, as individuals, we try to deal with it.

Buy Links:

Amazon UK ¦ Amazon US ¦ B&N ¦ Kobo

Excerpt from Birds of the Nile

CHAPTER THIRTY–FOUR

It had begun almost immediately after what he called ‘the accident’. As the battle raged around him he had lain for a while, semi-conscious, and his first recollection was of being moved onto a stretcher, the stabbing pain in his shoulder jerking him rudely awake. Later, as he forced himself to focus on it in an effort to bring back the moment, he recalled the dry dusty smell of canvas and, at his side, the cool touch of polished wood.

They must have taken him back to the camp because rather than load him straight into an ambulance, he was physically carried some distance. He remembered that well enough, the bouncing ride performed at the trot, his unhinged shoulder flapping from side to side in agony. When they mercifully came to a halt, he was raised up and taken to a chair where he imagined himself seated as if in a barber’s shop.

Someone was talking behind him, then a woman approached (he could tell by her scent) and she began to apply first aid. As his head was being bandaged, just as he’d seen done before, he reached out for her arm and felt her sleeve between his fingers. And yes, it was a leather jacket she was wearing.

“Are you the same ...?” he asked.

Although as soon as she replied, Am I the same what? her voice told him that it was not the girl he’d met earlier.

And all the time he kept telling himself I will get through this. Don’t panic and it’ll be alright.

About the Author
N.E.David is the pen name of York author Nick David. Nick tried his hand at writing at the age of 21 but like so many things in life, it did not work out first time round. Following the death of his father in 2005, he took it up again and has been successful in having a series of short novellas published both in print and online.

Nick maintains he has no personal or political message to convey but that his objective is merely to entertain the reader and he hopes this is reflected in his writing. Besides being a regular contributor to Literary Festivals and open mics in the North East Region, Nick is also a founder member of York Authors and co-presenter of Book Talk on BBC Radio York.

His debut novel, Birds of the Nile, is published by Roundfire.

Author Links:

Website ¦ Twitter

Blog Tour Organised by:

Book Blitz & Giveaway - Time of Ruin (Ash and Ruin #2) by Shauna Granger

Time of Ruin (Ash and Ruin #2)

by Shauna Granger

Release Date: 07/22/14

Summary from Goodreads:

The world has ended, and hope is the most dangerous thing left.

Battered and bruised after barely escaping San Francisco with their lives, Kat, Dylan, and Blue press north – desperate to reach the possibility of a new home.

But strange, monstrous ravens are tracking the remaining survivors, food is becoming scarce, gasoline is running short, and people are becoming suicidal, making survival almost impossible.

And the Pestas are growing bolder. Somehow, their numbers are growing.

The further north they go, the harder it becomes to ignore the signs that they’ve made a fatal mistake. Kat must face the impossible truth that there is no escape, there is no safe haven, and their worst nightmares don’t come close to their new reality.

Buy Links:
B&N ¦ Kobo

BOOK REVIEW: Destiny by Cindy Ray Hale

Destiny

Author: Cindy Ray Hale

Genre: Young Adult Romance

Publisher: Self-Published

Release Date: November 5, 2013

Book Summary:

Destiny Clark, a young Mormon girl living in Tennessee, is wildly infatuated with Isaac Robinson, the headmaster's son at her Baptist high school. When they're cast together in the school's production of Les Misérables, Destiny is horrified to find that she has to be publicly humiliated by acting out her true feelings of rejection onstage.

As their rehearsals begin, Destiny realizes the unimaginable: Isaac has developed deep feelings for her despite their religious differences and the fact that he has a girlfriend.

But will they be able to find their place amongst the backbiters of their ultra-conservative world?

Weaving around Destiny and Isaac's alternating viewpoints, Destiny is the first book in a series inspired by the characters of Les Misérables and explores heartbreak, self-discovery, intolerance, and love.

Buy Links:

Amazon

Blog Tour Author Interview - In the Mirror by Kaira Rouda

In the Mirror

Author: Kaira Rouda

Publisher: Real You Publishing Group

Pages: 214

Genre: Women’s Fiction

Format: Paperback/Kindle

Book Description:

What choices would you make if you knew you might die soon?

From the multi award-winning, best-selling author of four books, including Here, Home, Hope, a gripping and heart wrenching novel about a young mother who has it all. The only problem is she may be dying.

In her previous works including All the Difference, Rouda's characters "sparkle with humor and heart," and the stories are "told with honest insight and humor" (Booklist). "Inspirational and engaging" (ForeWord), these are the novels you'll turn to for strong female characters and an "engaging read" (Kirkus).

In the Mirror is the story of Jennifer Benson, a woman who seems to have it all. Diagnosed with cancer, she enters an experimental treatment facility to tackle her disease the same way she tackled her life - head on. But while she's busy fighting for a cure, running her business, planning a party, staying connected with her kids, and trying to keep her sanity, she ignores her own intuition and warnings from others and reignites an old relationship best left behind.

If you knew you might die, what choices would you make? How would it affect your marriage? How would you live each day? And how would you say no to the one who got away?

Buy Links:

AMAZON