Monday, June 10, 2013

Never Let you Fall by Michele G. Miller Blog Tour {Review+Author Top 10+Giveaway}


Today I am happy to welcome you to my stop on the Never Let You Fall Blog Tour! I am very happy to host this book on my site and would like to say Congratulations to Michele G. Miller on releasing her debut novel and thank you for allowing me to take part in your debut to the world! Today not only do I have my review of this great book, but I also have author Michele G. Miller's Top 10 Book-spirations and a fantastic Giveaway!!! So grab some popcorn, sit back and read on!

*Received a free copy in exchange for an honest reveiw

Book Blurb:



Orphaned at 7, with no memory of her past or the family she lost, 17 year old Skye Martin is tired of being alone and afraid. After a hard night of partying, Skye wakes up alone in an unfamiliar hotel. All she can remember is the deep voice of her rescuer and his promise: “I am safe.”

Xander has been tasked with watching Skye from afar for the past two years, in order to keep her safe from the demons that hunt her. An easy job - until a pair of red glowing eyes reveal themselves to Skye, and Xander, in a moment of weakness, is forced to break his cover to protect her.

Never good at trusting people, Skye is inexplicably drawn to Xander and the immediate bond she feels for him. However, Xander is filled with secrets and ties to her past that threaten to thrust Skye into a world she could never imagine existed…

As she begins to unravel the truth about who Xander is and the details surrounding her family, she discovers that she might just be the key to saving everything...

And, most importantly, she finds that there has always been someone by her side who would never let her fall…

Helpful Links: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Website

My Review

Skye has had a pretty hard life. A life that she has tried to drink away on more than one occasion. One night as she tries to drink herself into oblivion someone steps up to save her. The mysterious stranger promises her she is safe and for once in her life she chooses to trust. But with the appearance of this mysterious man brings revelations about her past and who she is that she may not be ready to handle. Skye will learn there is more to her and the world than meets the eye. As the truth of who she is, what she is, and what is at stake Skye agrees to travel to a different dimension where she will have to face her past, her prophecy and her future.

Skye is the girl that you can't help but feel sorry for. She has had a pretty messed up life. Losing her parents at a young age along with any memories that she had of them she found herself in the system. Prey to the brutal life of watching other children find loving homes while no one seemed to want her, Skye has lived a loveless life and you can't help but feel for her. As she drinks her world away hoping to disappear to oblivion she truly wants nothing more than to be loved. To know that someone will be there for her and will take care of her. Really she wants what all girls want. Love.

Enter Xander, the almost literal knight in shining armor that sweeps in and rescues Skye from her attempts at drinking her life away. From the minute he graces the page I knew I was going to like him. As he takes care of her you discover that there is definitely more to this guy than some random stranger. As you hear him profess his inner struggles you begin to wonder just who this guy really is and when you find out it sort of sends your heart a flutter. Well at least it did mine. I am a hopeless romantic and this story just played right to my feelings of love.

Speaking of the story. The story of Never Let You Fall is definitely one that will speak to hopeless romantics. I love the honesty and openness of Xander as he openly bares his soul time and time again to a girl that he has been forced to love from afar. However much I admired his love for her, I was a little bothered by the quick feelings that Skye had for him. I understand where Xander is coming from and know that it has been there his entire life, but I couldn't help but question Skye's feelings towards Xander throughout the story. 

Part of Never Let You Fall takes place in another dimension. The dimension of Tyalbrook a land of old that literally transports you to a time of things more simple, the days of Kings and Queens. I enjoyed the adventure that was streamed throughout this book, I loved the prophecy and how things played out. I have to say that the ending that Michel G. Miller gave us definitely left me questioning and reeling as the truth of what happened has yet to be discovered. Naturally we will have to wait until book 2 to discover the rest of these little secrets!!! I for one am so there. 

Never Let You Fall was a fun adventure full of love, action, magic, secrets and prophecy that will hook you from the second you open the book. It is a quick read and it is very easy to get lost in the love that is so easily told in this story!


My Ten Book-spirations


I have been a story writer since I was in the 7th grade.  Why?  I started to write when my family moved from Maine to Alabama.  It was a way for me to vent out my frustrations and hurt from a painful move.  I wrote little stories about teens in love and pain.  Very 'Sweet Valley High' like.

As I got older in school I fell deeper in love with literature in the 9th grade.  I joined the yearbook staff and wrote puff pieces for the student section.  I was a closet writer.  I would scribble ideas and poetry or journal but never really focused on anything.  Many many years later I finally found the strength to write stories again.  I'm pretty sure reading sparked that fire back in my belly.

Here are some of the books that I inspired me…

1) Tiger Eyes by Judy Blume
A lovely YA book dealing with loss and love and life as a teen.

2) Flowers in the Attic Series by VC Andrews
I devoured all of the books written by VC Andrews (or her ghostwriters) back in late middle school/early high school.  There were some hefty topics tackled in these suckers!

*side note- High school was a blur of 'educational' reads.  Canterbury Tales, Lord of the Flies, A Separate Peace…reading for fun went to the wayside.

3) Until You by Judith McNaught
This was a book shared with my when I was a senior.  It reignited my reading for joy rather than for school.  It also introduced me to regency era stories.  I bought every Judith McNaught book there is and I have read them all at least three times.

4) While My Pretty One Sleeps by Mary Higgins Clark
 Another writer whom I own just about the entire collection.  She entered me into the world of mystery/thrillers with strong female characters.

5) Harry Potter by JK Rowling
I am cheating here.  I didn’t actually read these *gasp!  I started book one a few years ago 'just because' and then put it down in favor of new books that I had no clue where the story went.  Harry Potter is BY FAR a favorite in our household.  I love the movies and had I not had a newborn when they first come out I am sure I would have read them.  I still count this as inspiration for writing because JK is a true inspiration when you look at her personal story.

6) Twilight Saga- Stephenie Meyer
Love them or hate them these books sparked a reading frenzy with adult woman.  I can be included in that list.  Although I read through the years it wasn't until Twilight came around that I began to crave new books.  I was a busy mom who had spent the last ten years re-reading books I owned and borrowing stories written by Julie Garwood, Linda Howard and Nora Roberts.

*We are getting to modern times now ;)

7) Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Devoured!  One of my favorite parts of this series was it was one I could share with my middle schooler.  It really inspired me to think about writing books that all could enjoy as opposed to more adult fare.

8) Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare
Opened my eyes to writing a historical paranormal

9) Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Everyone has heard of P&P through the years.  I'd seen the movies, the BBC miniseries but I had never read the book until last year.  I had owned it for years too.  Finally I read it and Sense and Sensibility too.  Loved them.  Gorgeous prose.  Loved the love stories.   Inspired me to want to write about deep true love.

10) The Premonition Series by Amy A Bartol
ANYone who knows me knows how much I adore Amy and TPS.  Amy is the reason I fell into self-publishing.  Inescapable was one of the very first e-books I read.  Amy inspires me daily with the amazing series she wrote and with her amazingly personable attitude.  I love her characters and I hate them.  It's that 'hate' that truly amazes me.  In the 'bad' characters that she wrote Amy inspires you to love them despite yourself.  I want to write a bad guy that you can't help but love even though he is doing despicable things.  That is a writer!

How Amy started me writing (it's like six degrees of separation) Long story short…Amy tweeted about a blog that was having 'A week with Amy Bartol' last summer.  I went to that blog and began to follow that week and started posting comments with the blogger.  Soon the blogger and I became friends and I was blogging with that blogger, then I was going to a book fest with the blog and meeting another amazing author- Nancy Straight- who gave me a pep talk about how I could do this.  Next I came home and wrote NLYF. 

It is also because of Amy's books that I have become friends with some of my very best friends!  My writing partners, my daily cheerleaders, my crazy 'Indie Troublemakers' are Amy freaks too. 

See this is why I love writing.  Books bring people together.  It sounds so sappy but it is true.  How many people have you met and chatted with because of your love of a book? A character? I LOVE this book world and am grateful every day that I get to be a part of it.

So there you go, probably not the most interesting book-spiration list out there but it's mine and I LOVE it ;)

About the author

Having grown up in both the cold, quiet town of Topsham, Maine and the steamy, southern hospitality of Mobile, Alabama, Michele is something of a enigma.  She is an avid Yankees fan, loves New England, being outdoors and misses snow.  However she thinks southern boys are hotter, Alabama football is the only REAL football out there and sweet tea is the best thing this side of heaven and her children’s laughter!  
Her family, a doting husband and three awesome  minions, have planted their roots in the middle of Michele’s two childhood homes in Charlotte, North Carolina.
 
Never Let You Fall is Michele’s first novel and she is beyond thrilled to have finally followed up on a dream she has held for over 20 years!  God willing there will be many many more books to follow.
Find Her: Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter | Website

Giveaway Time!!!! 


a Rafflecopter giveaway


2 comments:

  1. Thanks Danielle! I love the review and your little cupcake rating system!
    <3 Michele

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anytime Michele! Thanks for allowing me to take part in the tour! The cupcakes come courtesy of Rachel at Parajunkee Designs! She is so amazing!

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