GIVEAWAY $50 Amazon gift card + swag & BOOK BLITZ of The Retreat by Kelly ST. Clare

The Retreat

Kelly St. Clare

(The After Trilogy, #1)

Publication date: August 30th 2016

Genres: Science Fiction, Young Adult

Earth is ruined. Humankind destroyed. And it’s old news.
Romy’s life is simple—for a genetically enhanced space soldier; pick up space junk with her four friends, and stave off the invaders fixated on stealing Planet Earth.
It isn’t much. But it’s temporary—only another 850 years to go, give or take.
When her crew tangles with a gulp-worthy alien mothership, Romy’s return to Earth is brought forwards at hurtling pace.
Strength comes from the unlikeliest of quarters.
As does leadership.
…As does betrayal.

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—

EXCERPT:

Romy’s side of the battler must have torn away during landing. Only a few shredding battler walls remained. It was as though her side of the ship had been ripped off like a chunk of bread from a loaf.

The floor underneath her was gone, leaving her legs dangling. Romy herself was suspended by the harness, which dug into her torso. It was the only thing keeping her from falling three metres to the dry grass.
The bottom part of her battler segment had embedded itself into the ground on an angle. Romy’s end of the segment was immobilised in the air, forty-five degrees to the surface. She looked to have landed at the edge of a grassy clearing. Or maybe a forest, she amended, judging by the multitudes of trees before her.
Behind her, the ripped walls were flayed wide open, smoking, sparking, and hissing.
She took in the vast splash of colours before her with unseeing eyes. She was on Earth. Hanging above real ground.
Quite alone. And if her knot hadn’t . . . survived . . . she was quite possibly the only person, or being, on the planet. A numbness set in so deep that Romy could no longer feel the harness. Her head drooped as she struggled to regain her calm. She had to find her friends. That was an absolute. They were alive. She had to believe it was true.
She waited, willing her shaking hands to still until eventually they obeyed.
Inhaling sharply, Romy looked around once more.
The question was: How far did her section of the craft land from the others?
If it were a matter of hours, that would be okay, but anything more and she would require food and water. A post-global-warming Earth meant the food and water here wasn’t safe. The yellowed plant life confirmed that. The battler held supplies, but did she have any in her part? And how much oxygen was in her suit? Romy’s heart began to quicken once more, and she forced the unfamiliar fear away.
First priority was getting to the ground. Under normal conditions she would take the chance and jump the three metres, but the injury to her ankle and the extent of the damage to her head caused Romy to hesitate. If only she could take her suit helmet off . . . but the air conditions had to be terrible. She wouldn’t last five seconds.
No, she decided. She’d pull herself up onto the back of her seat and see if there was an easier way out from the back of the smoking wreckage.
She sighed in weary exhaustion, not sure she had the strength to move a single finger. But that wouldn’t help her friends.
Romy released one-half of her harness. Holding tightly to the strap, she released the second half of the harness—
Something gave. Not the harness, but whatever it was attached to, or attached with. For a moment Romy thought she might be able to salvage the tatters of her plan and still climb up. Until, with a loud ripping, the harness tore free from the rest of the chair.

Author Bio:
When Kelly St Clare is not reading or writing, she is lost in her latest reverie. She can, quite literally, drift past a car accident while in the midst of her day dreams, despite the various police sirens and chaos.
Books have always been magical and mysterious to her. One day she decided to start unravelling this mystery and began writing. Her aim: To write stories she would want to read. As it turns out, this failed miserably. Do you know what it is like to read something you've written? Impossible, that's what. Not to mention, the ending is ruined before you've begun. Never-the-less, Kelly loves it and wishes she had more time to squeeze it in between her day job as a physiotherapist.

Fantasy of Frost, the first title in The Tainted Accords, is her debut novel. It's sequel, Fantasy of Flight, was released on May 24th, 2015. Fantasy of Fire is due for release January 2016!

A New Zealander in origin and in heart, Kelly currently resides in Australia with her soon-to-be husband, a great group of friends, and some huntsman spiders who love to come inside when it rains. Their love is not returned.

Fav quote: Don't tell me the moon is shining; show me the glint on broken glass.
Fav Song: I believe in a thing called love - The Darkness

 Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

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Review of THE DEPARTED written by Kristy Cooper

The Departed

by Kristy Cooper

(The Departed Series, #1)

Publication date: July 6th, 2016

Genres: Dystopian, Thriller, Young Adult

What if someone tried to fake the rapture?

When hundreds of thousands of people disappear in the middle of the night, including sixteen-year-old Gwen’s best friend Lana, no one knows why. Some believe they were taken in the rapture, while others are convinced that it can’t be true. Doomsday prophecies abound that involve horrifying tales of plague, famine, earthquakes, and more.

At first, Gwen doesn’t know what to think. While she is busy mourning Lana, many people around her are getting taken in by the cultish True Believers Temple, including Gwen’s dad and her friend Mindy. It is clear that more and more people are going to be pressured to join this church, as it takes over the media and the government, gaining zealous followers all over the world.

Then Gwen starts receiving emails from Lana. She claims to have been forced into hiding with thousands of others in an underground compound. Gwen is convinced the emails are real and the only other person who also believes her is Isaiah, her moody crush. Together they resolve to find out where everyone is hiding and help set Lana free.

REVIEW

Try as I might to like this book, all it did was leave a bad taste in my mouth. Therefore, thankful it is only 137 pages or I would not have been able to finish reading it. The plot is lackadaisical, foreseeable, and mundane making it hard to stay interested. Of the approximate 7.125 billion humans that exist on earth overnight, three hundred thousand people disappear due to this phenomenon people around the world believe the Rapture happened. Whoops, the author made a mistake by overlooking the fact all babies and small children ascend to Heaven when the Rapture really occurs, therefore, making the plot feel fake from the start. The book emphasizes that you must be a true Christian to ascend to Heaven yet, what about other religions? Jesus was Jewish when he was on earth. In addition to portraying the most negative issues regarding organized religions.  I understand the book is fictitious thought even in fiction, actual facts should be correct. A quote from the main character Gwen: “I decided to keep my paranoid ramblings to myself and not bother Isaiah again. They would seem more real, and hence more likely to happen, if I spoke about them out loud.” Now, I really hate giving negative reviews, but I must be true to myself so accordingly, I try and find a couple favorable elements to insert into my review. A supporting character Isaiah possesses a decent sense of humor. Also, the author does do a good job of explaining the basics of Revelations. Now just because this book is not my cup of tea does not mean you will not enjoy it. I shall conclude that this book is not to be for all readers yet I predict some of you reading this review will enjoy it. PURCHASE: AMAZON | GOODREADS Kristy Cooper found herself often contemplating unusual what-if scenarios and knew it was time to start writing them down. She worked as a librarian for years and is now busy raising small children and writing YA novels. http://www.kristycooper.com | @kristycooperYA | Facebook “I was given the opportunity to review this book by Xpresso Book Tours for my honest opinion”

The Friday 56

Rules:
*Grab a book, any book.
*Turn to page 56 or 56% in your eReader
(If you have to improvise, that's ok.)
*Find any sentence, (or few, just don't spoil it)
*Post it.
*Add your (url) post below in Linky. Add the post  url, not your blog url. 
*It's that simple.

@ 56 %
They found another guy who had made lots of horribly racists posts on his social media accounts who was also considered to be one of the departed.

*I will be posting a review on this book before September 13th. Hope you come back and check out what I think of this book.

25$ Amazon gift card Giveaway & UP IN THE TREEHOUSE Book Blitz

Up  In The Treehouse
K.K. Allen
Publication date: July 19th, 2016
Genres: Contemporary, New Adult, Romance

I wanted to tell him all my secrets, but he became one of them instead.

Chloe Rivers never thought she would keep secrets from her best friend. Then again, she never imagined she would fall in love with him either. When she finally reveals her feelings, rejection shatters her, rendering her vulnerable and sending her straight into the destructive arms of the wrong guy.

Gavin Rhodes never saw the betrayal coming. It crushes him. Chloe has always been his forbidden fantasy–sweet, tempting, and beautiful. But when the opportunity finally presents itself, he makes the biggest mistake of all and denies her.

Now it’s too late . . .

Four years after a devastating tragedy, Chloe and Gavin’s world’s collide and they find their lives entangling once again. Haunted by the past, they are forced to come to terms with all that has transpired to find the peace they deserve. Except they can’t seem to get near each other without combatting an intense emotional connection that brings them right back to where it all started . . . their childhood treehouse.

Chloe still holds her secrets close, but this time, she isn’t the only one with something to hide. Can their deep-rooted connection survive the destruction of innocence?

* * Some sexy time and light swearing * *

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iTunes

*During this Book Blitz, the author will be dropping the price of this book to $1.99 

—

EXCERPT:

My entire body ached the moment I tried to move, so I stopped trying. I groaned and peeled an eye open, trying to understand why this morning felt so different from all the others.

When I saw the matching sets of green eyeballs peering over the ladder, one glaring, and one questioning, I wanted to scream, but the air in my throat went the other direction. I gasped and propelled myself backward into the furthest corner of the alcove.
“Do you think she’s homeless?” asked Eyeballs Number One.
Eyeballs Number Two shook his head as he scanned my body. “Maybe she ran away from home.”
“Yeah, or maybe she’s a troll that lives in the woods. Are we supposed to feed her?”
“I didn’t bring any food. Did you?”
One of the boys threw his eyes around the room, as if afraid to look away from me for long. “No. We should tell dad we need a fridge.”
“And how will we keep it cold, moron?”
“Hey! I’m not a moron!”
While the boys fought, I managed to creep forward until I gripped the edge of the bed with every intention to slip down undetected.
But Eyeballs Number One saw me and placed an arm out across the other boy’s body. “Shh. She’s moving.”
My grogginess cleared, replaced by a rush of adrenaline as I stared back at the twin boys—the boys whose treehouse I’d snuck into the night before. At this realization, I straightened with a jolt. “I-I have to get home.” Panic seized my chest knowing my parents would be frantic looking for me.
Eyeballs Number Two nudged the other. “She has a home, bro.”
I bit my lip to hide my smile, happy they no longer considered me a possible troll. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to—” I didn’t know why I was about to lie, so I stopped myself. I totally meant to fall asleep there. I just didn’t mean to get caught.
“Wait!” one of them called as I headed for the ladder. I turned to see the curious one staring back at me with a sincere expression. “Are you okay?”
All I could do was nod. How could I tell two boys I didn’t know the reason for invading their sanctuary—that I had been watching them for weeks, envious of their home in the woods? Instead of saying another word, I found the ladder and moved down it, missing the last few steps in my haste. The moment I hit the ground, I accepted the impact with a grimace and took off at a sprint through the woods and toward my bedroom window. I climbed inside just as I heard my mom calling me for breakfast.

Author Bio:
Hi all! I'm K.K. Allen, Contemporary Fantasy & New Adult Romance author of the Summer Solstice series (Enchanted, the Equinox, and the Descendants), as well as the short story, Soaring. Look for my upcoming New Adult Romance, Up in the Treehouse, OUT NOW!!
I currently live in Florida with my ridiculously handsome son, Jagger. I've always had a passion for reading and writing, so sharing my work with you all is beyond exciting. Thank you all for checking out my page. I hope you'll give my books a shot, and definitely look out for more from me. This train ain't stoppin'. ;)

 Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

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GIVEAWAY of One ebook of Crimson Sky, a signed paperback of Midnight Sky, and various book swag

Midnight Sky
Amy Braun
(Dark Sky #2)
Publication date: August 2nd 2016
Genres: Dystopian, Fantasy, Young Adult

There are secrets, there are betrayals, and there are sacrifices…

The Behemoth has been destroyed, and the bloodthirsty Hellions seem to have left Westraven. But Claire Abernathy’s mind is not at ease. A terrible disease plagues her sister, appearing to have been brought on the Vesper, the leader of the Hellions beyond the tear between worlds– the Breach.

To save Abby and stop the Hellions for good, Claire must find the machine her parents built before the attacks, and fix it before the monsters return. To do so, she needs the help of her crew, and must ignore the secrets and rivalries between her captain and the man she saved.

Because the Hellions are not the only dangers following Claire. Twisted humans and old enemies surface to stop her and destroy all she loves. While she is determined to endure the trials, a single betrayal could shatter the hope of a better world, and force Claire to make a choice that will cost her dearly…

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Author Bio:
Amy is a Canadian urban fantasy and horror author. Her work revolves around monsters, magic, mythology, and mayhem. She started writing in her early teens, and never stopped. She loves building unique worlds filled with fun characters and intense action. She is the recipient of April Moon Books Editor Award for "author voice, world-building and general bad-assery," and the One Book Two Standout Award in 2015 for her Cursed trilogy. She has been featured on various author blogs and publishing websites, and is an active member of the Writing GIAM and Weekend Writing Warrior communities. When she isn't writing, she's reading, watching movies, taking photos, gaming, and struggling with chocoholism and ice cream addiction.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

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Review of MANAGING BUBBIE- The Most Inspirational Book

Managing Bubbie

Written by Russel Lazega

Published February 5th, 2015 by CreateSpace

Paperback 244 pages

ISBN 1499126298

WINNER OF 20 BOOK AWARDS. Her devoted family only wants the best for their Bubbie. Mostly they want to ensure that their matriarch’s twilight years are spent in comfort, safety, and serenity. But how do you manage an aging, immutably stubborn Holocaust survivor who has risen above the squalor of Poland’s ghettos; fled across the war-torn German wilderness; and survived the winter-ravaged Pyrenees alone on foot with three children? You probably don't.

REVIEW

I have read many books about WWII, but none of them have been like this one. While reading, the same word kept popping up in my head courageous and that is the fundamental of this story how one woman's courageousness never succumbed no matter how atrocious her life became. Russel Lazega the author is her grandson, he calls her Bubbie which is Jewish for grandmother yet her given name is Lea. This is a woman who was born with a great inner strength she fought off the Nazi’s and at 80 is still going strong doing anything she pleases by taking buses and trains all over town.

They say, "a picture is worth a thousand words." Maybe when you've lived such a horrific and wonderful life it's worth a lot more-like the marvel of knowing that one glimpse can make you cry when you need to remember or make you smile while you need to forget.

The book jumps back and forth between the summer of 1987 during holiday brunch with the whole family attending the other half of the story begins in 1911 with the birth of a baby girl named Lea. Her strife started early in life she but Lea always pushed onward always confident and assertive. The prose is nicely written. Therefore, you never get confused jumping around through different eras. During the holiday brunch, I laughed so hard at times my sides started to hurt. It is a blast to listen in to someone else's family gathering, especially with the elderly Jewish ladies arguing over game shows. Managing Bubbie is a captivating book. You will laugh, you will  cry, most of all you will cheer on Lea as she and her children fight for safety. In addition to this, I realized that if Lea could do all that she did in those horrid conditions why am I not out doing more for this world? Yes, I do have multiple health conditions that make everyday life very hard to get through, but if Lea can beat the Nazis I can be able to do something admirable with my life.

Then, it suddenly hits me-this is the world she left behind-a place where killing was an art, and people prayed to be rescued by Bolsheviks. But though she recalls those days with sadness, strangely there's really not a hint of bitterness. It's more like a glowing sense of accomplishment-like deep down she's quelled by the knowledge that survival is sweet satisfaction.

What I took away from this book is that being courageous can inspire others like this book inspired me. You can do anything if you put your mind to it. Thank you, Lea, for giving me a new outlook on life. Who needs a therapist when you have a book like this.

PURCHASE

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Author Russel Lazega is a lawyer living in North Miami Beach, Florida. He is a columnist for the Aventura News and the author of several nonfiction publications, including Florida Motor Vehicle No-Fault Law and Practice (PIP), the nation's leading treatise on Florida car insurance law that stirred tremendous excitement throughout Florida's bustling community of insurance agents and insurance lawyers. Managing Bubbie is Lazega's first foray into creative nonfiction. When he is not writing, or chasing after a pair of fire-breathing, house-wrecking T. rexes impersonating small children, the author can be found kayaking the waterways of South Florida, venturing as far as the tide will take him from his loving, but indescribably overbearing, family.

http://ManagingBubbie.com | @managingbubbie | Facebook

As you read this book you should check out Russels Facebook page also.

It is Hilarious!

"Thank you, Netgalley, for allowing me to give this honest review"

Come along with me on THE HIKE

The Hike

Written by Drew Magary

Published August 2nd, 2016 by Viking

ISBN 0399563857

Hardcover 288 pages

From the author of The Postmortal, a fantasy saga unlike any you’ve read before, weaving elements of folk tale and video game into a riveting, unforgettable adventure of what a man will endure to return to his family.

THE HIKE is hilarious, unexpected, and undoubtedly imaginative. This thrilling novel, starts out as a normal hike in the mountains. It then turns into one of the most mind-blowing quest for finding reality and life. THE HIKE takes readers through a rampage of emotions. There’s not a single chapter that goes by without a new twists or an unforeseen event. There are giant insects, talking crabs, lustful giants, and even Rottweiler-faced killers. The protagonist’s deepest fears are turned into realities, and within split seconds, important decisions are made.

REVIEW

As a reader, it’s fundamental you read THE HIKE. Why you ask, because it will take you on a bizarre and unparalleled journey of your life. It completely blew my mind it is unique and dissimilar to other reads to the point it stands alone in its own genre. To think I almost turned down the opportunity to review this book due to the fact it did not seem like a book for me. Well, that would have been one hell of a mistake. Therefore, I must state this book is for everyone. No matter your age or what you usually read you should not pass up the chance to go along on THE HIKE.

This was the only house in the row that had an extra level, and the path had led him here. Of course, this had been a massive cosmic troll job. Ben fully expected to walk up those stairs and find a giant papier-mache middle finger waiting for him.

Magary did an incredible job writing the prose. As you go along on THE HIKE with the main character Ben you will feel every emotion known to humans, for example, anger, fear, determination, sadness, and at certain points, you shall laugh your ass off. Whereas, his imagination exceeds the normal with his inventiveness and creations and the twists and turns in the plot may make your head spin off. I definitely will be reading this book again and again because it contains, among all the other aspects a great depth to the story and it would be a shame to miss one little thing.  Oh, by the way, I must mention the crab is my cup of tea!

My final Quote is from the psyche of the crab:

“There’s nothing to understand. I’m a crab, and you're a clueless human, and I just like seeing you show your ass to the world. It’s a nice change of pace. Usually when I see humans, they’re waiting for me with a net and a stick of butter. Or some dipshit kid wants to throw me in a pail and poke me with a stick.”

PURCHASE HERE:

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Drew Magary is a correspondent for GQ Magazine, a columnist for Deadspin, and a Chopped Champion. He’s also the author of four books: The Hike, The Postmortal, Someone Could Get Hurt, and Men With Balls. He lives in Maryland with his wife and three children, and enjoys taking long walks.

http://www.drewmagary.com | @drewmagary | Goodreads Blog

Thank you, Penguin Publishing, for allowing me to give an honest review

Sandra Brown GIVEAWAY of a signed copy of STING with a 50.00 Visa gift card and a Coach Tote!!!!

Sting
Sandra Brown
Published by: Grand Central
Publication date: August 16th, 2016
Genres: Adult, Romance, Suspense

When Shaw Kinnard encounters the incongruously elegant Jordie Bennet in a seen-better-days bayou bar, it’s not love at first sight. He’s there to kill her. Instead, he abducts her, eager to get hold of the $30 Million her brother has pocketed from his badly bent boss. Now they are on the run from said boss—and the FBI.

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—

 

Author Bio:
Sandra Brown is the author of more than sixty New York Times bestsellers, including DEADLINE(2013), LOW PRESSURE (2012), LETHAL (2011), TOUGH CUSTOMER (2010), SMASH CUT (2009), SMOKE SCREEN (2008), PLAY DIRTY (2007), RICOCHET (2006), CHILL FACTOR (2005), WHITE HOT (2004), & HELLO, DARKNESS (2003).

Brown began her writing career in 1981 and since then has published over seventy novels, bringing the number of copies of her books in print worldwide to upwards of eighty million. Her work has been translated into over thirty languages.

A lifelong Texan, Sandra Brown was born in Waco, grew up in Fort Worth and attended Texas Christian University, majoring in English. Before embarking on her writing career, she worked as a model at the Dallas Apparel Mart, and in television, including weathercasting for WFAA-TV in Dallas, and feature reporting on the nationally syndicated program “PM Magazine.”

In 2009 Brown detoured from her thrillers to write, Rainwater, a much acclaimed, powerfully moving story about honor and sacrifice during the Great Depression.
Brown recently was given an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from Texas Christian University. She was named Thriller Master for 2008, the top award given by the International Thriller Writer’s Association. Other awards and commendations include the 2007 Texas Medal of Arts Award for Literature and the Romance Writers of America’s Lifetime Achievement Award.

 Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

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The Friday 56

  Friday 56 is a weekly meme hosted by Freda at Freda’s Voice on every Friday.

                                   

 

 Rules:
*Grab a book, any book.
*Turn to page 56 or 56% in your eReader
(If you have to improvise, that's ok.)
 *Find any sentence, (or few, just don't spoil it)
*Post it.
*Add your (url) post below in Linky. Add the post url, not your blog url. 
*It's that simple.

From the author of The Postmortal, a fantasy saga unlike any you’ve read before, weaving elements of folk tale and video game into a riveting, unforgettable adventure of what a man will endure to return to his family.

Pg. 56
"Why do you need Me?" the crab asked.
"I need someone. Anyone, even if it is a hallucination. I'm sorry I got pissed at you, all right? I can't be alone one second longer or I'll go mad. I know I've already gone mad, but I'll swim out into the ocean and never come back if I have to be alone another moment"

The Hike is unlike any book I 've read before. My review will be posted soon here @ Readaholic Zone  

Take a look around since you are here and check out some posts!