Whatever It Takes by Ashley Simone

Whatever It Takes by Ashley Simone 

Publication date: May 2014
Genres: New Adult, Romance

Synopsis:

What would you do if you got a second chance at life? 
Nicky is not having a great year. After her mother’s sudden death, she’s forced to deal with the family finances, move away from the small town she grew up in, and drop out of college. Her bank balance dwindles, her landlord evicts her and she’s just about to become homeless…
 
Could a twist of fate give you everything you ever dreamed of – or make things so much worse? 
When Nicky seems to have won a jackpot, her financial woes appear to be over… until her ex-boyfriend, Aiden Weilz walks into the room and claims that her future is dependent on him.
 
Is he telling the truth, or is this all a ploy to keep her from moving on with her life? How much worse do things have to get before they get better?

Add it to Goodreads

Dumb White Husbands vs. Zombies: The Zomnibus by Benjamin Wallace {Review}

*Received a free copy in exchange for an honest review

Blurb~

John, Chris and Erik are neighbors in the quaint subdivision of The Creeks of Sage Valley Phase II. These three family men happily live the typical suburban family life-their only real problems have been with each other and the draconian rules of the HOA. That all changes when the dead rise from their graves and walk the Earth. Now they must reluctantly join together to survive the spreading apocalypse and find their families. Personal fears, long buried secrets and their own personalities threaten to tear the group apart as they make their way across the zombie ridden landscape in Dumb White Husbands vs. Zombies. This Zomnibus collects Dumb White Husbands vs. Zombies Monday - The Weekend.

Helpful Links: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

My Review

John, Chris, and Erik live in the typical suburban neighborhood where their biggest problems are the HOA and it's ridiculously strict rules and whether or not they should get along. But all that changes when these husbands return home from a night of bowling to find the neighborhood taken over by zombies. In Dumb White Husbands vs. Zombies: The Zomnibus we follow these husbands as they learn to accept the fact that the dead have indeed returned and that their suburban lifestyles are no longer safe. 

John, Chris, and Erik are pretty much the stereotypical  middle-aged, suburban, white, husbands, they work 9-5, Monday through Friday so that they can stay home on the weekends and work on their beautifully landscaped yards, BBQ with the family, and complain about the newest HOA rules. Each of them thinks their house is the best, their job is the hardest, and their families are better than your families. But when the zombie apocalypse comes knocking on their door all become pretty equal.

They all become zombie food, rather they all find themselves trying to prevent themselves from becoming zombie food. But like any sane person, it takes them a little while to accept the fact that the zombie apocalypse is in fact happening. Each one of the husbands has their own way of dealing with the living dead, but the one thing they all agree on, is the fact that they are better off together.

Dumb White Husbands vs. Zombies: The Zomnibus is a beautiful and hilarious look into what the zombie apocalypse would actually look like. Benjamin Wallace does a great job of not only giving us zombies in all their horrid glory, but giving us real life as these men are faced with a reality they thought would never happen. In this week long tale they face more than zombies. They face crazy humans, their own pasts, their weaknesses and their bleak futures. The story is captivating and kept me laughing from page one to page 349! 

With the way that Benjamin Wallace approaches this book you can't help but fall in love and feel personal attachment to each of his characters. In fact I can see John, Erik and Chris as some of my friends. And I think it's that connection that makes this book so freaking awesome. You can't help but live it, see it, feel it, this life could be yours.

Benjamin Wallace painted such a vivid picture that I saw the story as a movie in my mind. If you are a fan of Zombieland or Shaun of the Dead then this is an absolute must for you. Dumb White Husbands vs. Zombies: The Zomnibus has it all, comedy, action, story, great characters, and of course fantastic zombies. 

"Erik, if you're asking me 'are we there yet' I will turn this apocalypse around and go straight home." (Paperback, p. 209).

I have a lot of favorite moments in this book, most of which made me laugh out loud. I chose this one in particular because it reminds me of what my dad always used to say to us on car trips.

Losing Enough by Helen Boswell {Review}

*Received a free copy in exchange for an honest review

Blurb~

When Alexis Lin heads to Sin City for the summer, she wants nothing more than to dive into the clubs, spas, and concerts – the benefits of her father’s high roller lifestyle. On her first night in the city, Alexis gets into trouble at a club but walks away from it with the help of Connor Vincent. Private security guard to the top gamblers, Connor is all charm with his clients, but he's the anti-Prince Charming when it comes to women. Connor doesn’t have time for romance. He has his own problems to deal with, including his wild card of a brother who has come to town to collect on a past debt.

Alexis and Connor's unlikely chemistry heats things up as chance again conspires to throw them together. The stakes become even higher when unexpected tragedy strikes Alexis’ family and when Connor’s brother threatens to ruin the life that Connor has worked so hard to build. To come out ahead of the game, Alexis must be brave enough to listen to her heart, Connor must finally face up to his past, and both must decide how much they're willing to lose.

Sometimes risking your heart is the biggest gamble of all.

Losing Enough is a New Adult Contemporary Romance.

Helpful Links: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Review

Alexis is on vacation in the big city of Las Vegas, ready to let loose and have some fun with her long time friend Elle, but her first night back she finds herself in trouble and her rescuer is a very reluctant private security guard named, Connor. Connor's more than rude and wants nothing to do with Alexis or her life, but he can't resist the pleas of Elle, his only real friend. Connor thinks he's done with her once he drops her off, but the world has other plans. So they throw caution to the wind and stop fighting what the city is trying to tell them and ready themselves to have one hell of a heated summer. 

Connor has set up a nice life for himself as a private security guard for Vegas high rollers. He left his troubled life behind him, but one mention of his brother and Connor is defensive. He let's no one in and carries around his dark past like a shadow. It haunts him. But then Alexis walked into his life and begins to test his protective shields with her bright disposition. 

Alexis is on vacation, determined to have nothing but a good time, but when trouble finds her the first night she's there a shadow is cast on her visit. And that shadow is one Connor Vincent, the man that rescued her against his will, the guy that haunts her thoughts with his tall, dark and rugged good looks and brooding attitude. But she won't let him and his panty twisting attitude ruin her vacation.

Neither of them can stand each other. And neither of them can resist each other. They are thrown together by forces around them and it is a true test of wills to see how long they can resist each other. And when they finally stop resisting and fighting it is definitely explosive and HOT! These two heat up the Vegas strip more than the desert heat. Now nothing can keep them apart, that is until trouble in the form of Connor's brother walks into town. 

Now danger haunts them and threatens their fast and hot relationship. They are both tested and tried. And they both must decide what they are willing to Lose. Can they be together? Do they walk away?

When do they know they have lost enough? In Losing Enough we follow Connor and Alexis as they both decide when enough is enough. We see them as they fight what we know is there, as they resist the temptation we all know they long for and desire. We see their deepest thoughts and darkest secrets. We see the very fiber of who they are. And we yell at them as they make stupid mistakes that we know will destroy them. Losing Enough is a story of heat, passion, temptation, love, hurt, and fighting to keep it all. It is the story of never giving up and never giving in. 

Losing Enough is that perfect fast paced read that will deliver you to happiness and make you beg for more.

Orenda by Ruth Silver {Release Blitz}

ORENDA by Ruth Silver

a Young Adult Fantasy Adventure series

published by Patchwork Press

Blurb~

Join forces with a parallel universe. Dark forces, magical creatures, and the world Lil thought she knew collide when a dream transports her to the strange world of Orenda. Stunned and terrified, Lil comes face to face with her doppelganger, Willow, who possesses the ability to travel between the two worlds. Everything Lil knows logically says that Orenda can't exist, but a small clue may be proof that it was more than an ordinary dream. With the threat of her younger sister in danger, Lil crosses dimensions but it may cost her even more than she bargained for. A sword wielding girl, the eternal suit, and a parallel universe come together in this action-packed Young Adult fantasy adventure that will keep readers of all ages turning the pages. Orenda is the first novel in the Orenda series.

Helpful Links: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Signed Copy

~Excerpt~

Lil stood firm, sword-in-hand, staring at the beast as it flew directly at her. “How do I kill it?” She raised the sword above her head with two hands. Hudson glanced at her. “With what we taught you. The dragon is no different than a man.” “It has wings and is flying at me. I’d say it’s different!”  


About the Author~

Ruth Silver is the best-selling author of ABERRANT, a young adult dystopian adventure series published by Patchwork Press and Lazy Day Publishing, in 2013. Silver attended Northern Illinois University and graduated with a Bachelor's in Communication in the spring of 2005. While in college, she spent much of her free time writing with friends she met online and penning her first novel, Deuces are Wild, which she self-published in 2004. Her favorite class was Creative Writing senior year where she often handed in assignments longer than the professor required, because she loved to write and always wanted to finish her stories. Her love of writing led her on an adventure in 2007 to Melbourne, Australia. Silver enjoys reading, photography, traveling and most of all writing. She loves dystopian and fantasy young adult stories. Ruth has been actively writing since she was a teenager. Upcoming works include Royal Reaper, a young adult series about grim reapers, due for release June 3rd, 2014. She currently resides in Plainfield, Illinois.

Find Her:  Website | Twitter | Facebook | Amazon Author Page | Goodreads

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Tempting the Bodyguard by Jennifer L Armentrout {Cover Reveal}

Congratulations to Jennifer L. Armentrout on what is certain to be another hit!!! Check out the cover for this hot number!!!

Add it to Goodreads

Releasing May 12, 2014

Blurb~

A sexy category romance from Entangled’s Brazen imprint… 
He can protect her from everyone except himself. 
Alana Gore is in danger. A take-no-prisoners publicist, her way with people has made her more than a few enemies over the years, but a creepy stalker is an entirely different matter. She needs a bodyguard, and the only man she can ask is not only ridiculously hot, but reputed to have taste for women that goes beyond adventurous.
 
Chandler Gamble has one rule: don't protect anyone you want to screw. But with Alana, he's caught between his job and his increasingly hard libido. On one hand, Alana needs his help. On the other, Chandler wants nothing more than to take the hot volcano of a woman in hand. To make her writhe in pleasure, until she's at his complete mercy.
 
She needs protection. He needs satisfaction. And the moment the line is crossed, all hell will break loose…

About the Author~

# 1 NEW YORK TIMES and USA TODAY Bestselling author Jennifer Armentrout lives in Martinsburg, West Virginia. All the rumors you’ve heard about her state aren’t true. When she’s not hard at work writing. she spends her time reading, working out, watching really bad zombie movies, pretending to write, and hanging out with her husband and her Jack Russell, Loki.

Her dreams of becoming an author started in algebra class, where she spent most of her time writing short stories….which explains her dismal grades in math. Jennifer writes young adult paranormal, science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary romance. She is published with Spencer Hill Press, Entangled Teen and Brazen, Disney/Hyperion and Harlequin Teen.

She also writes adult and New Adult romance under the name J. Lynn. She is published by Entangled Brazen and HarperCollins.

Find Her: Twitter | Facebook | Website | Entangled Website Author Page

My Not So Super Sweet Life by Rachel Harris {Release Blitz}

HAPPY RELEASE DAY!!!

Blurb~

Cat Crawford just wants to be normal—or at least as normal as a daughter of Hollywood royalty can be. And it looks like fate is granting her wish: she’s got an amazing boyfriend, Lucas; her fabulous cousin, Alessandra, living with her; and her dad planning his second marriage to a great future stepmom. That is, until her prodigal mother reveals on national television that she has something important to tell her daughter…causing a media frenzy.

Lucas Capelli knows his fate is to be with Cat, and he’s worked hard to win her over once and for all. Unfortunately, Lucas has his own issues to deal with, including a scandal that could take him away from the first place he’s truly belonged.

As secrets are revealed, rumors explode, and the world watches, Cat and Lucas discover it’s not fate they have to fight if they want to stay together…this time, it’s their own insecurities.

Well, and the stalkerazzi.

GoodReads

MY NOT SO SUPER SWEET LIFE is a special digital only, fan requested addition to the series!

It's also told in DUAL POV. Woohoo!

TEASER

Read the first chapter...

http://rachelharriswrites.com/books/super-sweet-life

GET YOUR COPY TODAY

 Amazon † B&N † iTunes 

To celebrate the release author Rachel Harris is hosting a giveaway!

US - A Signed RARE paperback copy of MY NOT SO SUPER SWEET LIFE & SWAG PACK
INT - An eBook copy of MY NOT SO SUPER SWEET LIFE

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ABOUT RACHEL HARRIS~

Rachel Harris writes humorous love stories about sassy girls-next-door and the hot guys that make them swoon. Emotion, vibrant settings, and strong families are a staple in each of her Rachel Harrisbooks…and kissing. Lots of kissing.

A Cajun cowgirl now living in Houston, she firmly believes life’s problems can be solved with a hot, sugar-coated beignet or a thick slice of king cake, and that screaming at strangers for cheap, plastic beads is acceptable behavior in certain situations. She homeschools her two beautiful girls and watches way too much Food Network with her amazing husband.

An admitted Diet Mountain Dew addict, she gets through each day by laughing at herself, hugging her kids, and losing herself in story. She writes young adult, new adult, and adult romances, and LOVES talking with readers!

Website † Facebook † Twitter † GoodReads † Tumblr † Instagram

Running in the Dark by Inger Iversen {Book Release Blast}

Running in the Dark
Series- Book # 1
By- Inger Iversen
Publication Date- April 19th, 2014
Published By- Crushing Hearts Black Butterfly

Blurb~

Trace’s job has always revolved around death. Trace is a Watcher, a position created assist to the undead to their final resting place without alerting humans of the vampire race. Whether his job is to witness the death of a fellow vampire or deal it, Trace has learned that being a Grim Reaper isn’t what he thought it would be. After years of killing, he’s ready for a new job, a new life, or to just disappear. When Bessina becomes his new target after she witnesses the death of fellow vampires Sam and Hope, Trace is ready to eliminate her—until a strange course of events turns the tables and has Trace protecting Bessina from his boss and running for his life.

 

Buy it: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Takedown Twenty by Janet Evanovich {Review}

Blurb~

New Jersey bounty hunter Stephanie Plum knows better than to mess with family. But when powerful mobster Salvatore “Uncle Sunny” Sunucchi goes on the lam in Trenton, it’s up to Stephanie to find him. Uncle Sunny is charged with murder for running over a guy (twice), and nobody wants to turn him in—not his poker buddies, not his bimbo girlfriend, not his two right-hand men, Shorty and Moe. Even Trenton’s hottest cop, Joe Morelli, has skin in the game, because—just Stephanie’s luck—the godfather is his actual godfather. And while Morelli understands that the law is the law, his old-world grandmother, Bella, is doing everything she can to throw Stephanie off the trail.


It’s not just Uncle Sunny giving Stephanie the run-around. Security specialist Ranger needs her help to solve the bizarre death of a top client’s mother, a woman who happened to play bingo with Stephanie’s Grandma Mazur. Before Stephanie knows it, she’s working side by side with Ranger and Grandma at the senior center, trying to catch a killer on the loose—and the bingo balls are not rolling in their favor.


With bullet holes in her car, henchmen on her tail, and a giraffe named Kevin running wild in the streets of Trenton, Stephanie will have to up her game for the ultimate takedown.

Helpful Links: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

My Review

Stephanie Plum is the biggest klutz and worst bounty hunter this side of, well, anywhere. It is always by sheer dumb luck or with the help of the uber sexy Ranger that she actually catches any of her skips. But what can I say, the girl does it with flare. 

Over the last twenty books we have watched Stephanie scramble and struggle to be a bounty hunter. She has blown up cars, been kidnapped, shot people, been shot at, caught things on fire, and all sometimes within one book. She has the worst luck when it comes to bounty hunting and is the walking poster for Murphy's Law. One place she doesn't need help? The men department. 

She has two very sexy and successful men chasing her. First, there is Morrelli, the Trenton cop, that would give anything for Stephanie to stop being a bounty hunter. And then there's Ranger, the drop dead gorgeous private security specialist that is always there to rescue Stephanie when she finds herself in a pickle. Both men want Stephanie... Stephanie wants both men, but she can't decide which to have. She knows that Morrelli is the safe way to go, he's stable, sweet, and would no doubt be a great dad. But Ranger... oh Ranger would be hands down steamy. Ranger is dangerous in the best ways. 

In every book there is incredible sexual tension between these three as Stephanie is torn between the sexy cop and the panty dropping security specialist. And with every book I become more aggravated that Stephanie can't make a dang decision or manage to not get her car blown up, stolen or vandalized. Frankly after twenty books the whole story is getting a little old. 

I still love Stephanie and really want to follow this story to the end just to see who she finally ends up with, but when is enough enough? These books used to be laugh out loud funny and now I can predict pretty much everything that is going to happen and I am not laughing nearly as much as I used to. I am saddened to say that these books have become rather cookie cutter... Stephanie chases skip, skip get's away... with her car, it get's blown up, ran over, smashed, destroyed... Ranger has to step in and save her. Morrelli doesn't like it. Stephanie tries again, get's better, does something klutzy... solves a big crime by accident and stumbles over which man to bed with. Yup that's it in a nutshell. 

With every book I hope it will be better. That it will be the laugh out loud riot it used to be, but I am sorry to say that Janet Evanovich just needs to end this series and give us all a little closure. Does that mean I won't be tuning in for Top Secret Twenty-One??? Unfortunately I am a glutton for punishment and think that I must suffer to the end, so yea I will probably tune it... I just hope I won't regret it.

I didn't really have a true favorite moment in this book, but I have to say the moments with the giraffe were pretty priceless.

Uprising by Allana Kephart & Melissa Simmons {Release Blast}

Uprising
The Dolan Prophecies Series Book #1
By- Allana Kephart & Melissa Simmons
Publication Date- April 18th, 2014
Genre- New Adult Dystopian

Blurb~

The year 2102--the world as it was no longer exists. Ravaged by nuclear war and polluted almost to the point of no return, Earth was dying. When the faeries came and brought their healing magic, humanity was grateful at first. Centuries of damage repaired in just five years, and during the course of that rehabilitation, they invaded. Quietly overthrown, the human race is now enslaved. The majority doesn’t even realize they have no free will. Branded, herded and kept only to further the agendas of the Fae Courts, humanity could be facing extinction.



But a resistance is coming…


Fianna Dolan has spent her entire young life preparing herself for an uprising against the Fae. One scorching summer night Fi's parents leave and never return. Thrust into a position of power she never expected, Fi struggles with her new position and the responsibility it entails. When a secretive fae man known only as Flint breaches the city’s defenses claiming he can help, Fi begins to doubt everything she's ever considered truth. As betrayals and deception come to light, will Fi want the answers she’s been seeking, or will trusting Flint lead to her destruction?

   

Cliffhangers: Love 'em or Hate 'em

When I realize that the book I'm reading has a cliffhanger ending I immediately think of that moment in Lord of the Rings where Frodo goes over the edge in Mordor after Gollum dies.... you know the one, this one.

Just like that, usually I'm screaming too, okay and sometimes I'm crying. How could the author leave me hanging like that? How could they get my emotions all wound up and leave them that way? How could they leave me on the edge of a cliff with the unknown staring me in the face? WHY? (usually the why part is cried out like a banshee) How dare they, I want more!!! I have to know what happens!

Yes these are all questions and statements that fly, both, through my head and out of my mouth at the realization that the book I'm reading is a cliffhanger. At this point I immediately message the author and let them know what a terrible state they left me in, they in turn laugh wickedly and say good. Okay, so not all of them do, but most of them. They do find a certain level of enjoyment in my torture. And of course I just come back for more. I am right there waiting, begging, and pleading for the next book to come out.

I think I am more on edge as I wait for the next book in the installment than from the actual cliffhanger ending. The wait is agony, absolute pure torture of the worst kind, but I wait for the author to drop me another bread crumb in the story like it's my life blood. Like it is the only thing that will keep me going.

There is just something about the cliffhanger that makes you want more, yearn for more, NEED more. That's their job, that's what a cliffhanger is supposed to do... make you want more.

And that's why I love them.

I love it when an author masterfully builds up the ending like a volcano ready to rupture and just as the volcano ruptures and everyone's life hangs in the balance they end it. Leaving me on the cusp of the unknown. Of course this doesn't mean I like them to just end it. No I like them to give me a little closure with that cliffhanger ending, I need something to make me feel that the journey was all worth it.

The other day I was cruising, okay stalking Facebook when an author I follow asked the question whether or not we liked cliffhanger endings. I loved the thread and of course commented, sharing my love of them with everyone. Naturally that got me thinking about my own friends, do they love them or hate them? So I asked. I put it out there for the Facebook world to debate... my Facebook world anyways. And you know what I found?

I found that most people have a love hate relationship with them with the reason being....

"I love them because it makes me look really forward for the next one but hate them because I have to wait for the next one." -Megan

This was the most common answer and at first it was pretty much the only answer, but then I got this...

"Love/hate because above. I would add though some use cliff hangers badly and don't really make me want to read the next book. It's like using a semicolon, used right it can be transcendent but used wrong it can be not just superfluous but mundane and amateur." -Debi

Perfect! I think this is the perfect way to look at a cliffhanger ending. If done right it is a beautiful thing, when done wrong it's just stupid. What do you think? Is there a right and wrong way to do a cliffhanger?

Not every book needs a cliffhanger to make you want to read the next one, but they do need to give you something that makes you want to continue the journey. As author Jacob Gowans pointed out in our discussion, Harry Potter 1 and 2 did this nicely. It didn't leave us completely on the edge of our seat, it resolved the issue facing Harry in that immediate moment, but it didn't solve the major story. And that's why you kept reading. Harry Potter had a bigger picture to keep you coming back for more. 

But I remember a time when not everything ending so happily ever after. I remember when season finale's of TV shows used to end in an actual cliffhanger, often times with a characters life in the balance and you would have to wait until the next season to find out what happens! *gasp* Imagine if shows actually did this still... now imagine you having to wait to see if Derek survives the shooting in Seattle Grey's Hospital at the end of the season 6 of Grey's Anatomy, instead of it being mostly wrapped up in an hour? 

Well folks that's how it used to be. But now almost everything wraps up in an hour long show... well not the major plot points, but the immediate danger the characters find themselves in does. We get our happy ending in under an hour, so why should we wait? Well I actually miss the waiting. The guessing, the plotting. I miss sitting around with my friends trying to figure out what is going to happen next. Maybe this is why I like some reality shows.... there is no happy ending in an hour. It takes a whole season... and even then I may be left completely unhappy with the results, but I had to wait.

Enough of my opinions, let's here yours.... Do you love or hate a cliffhanger ending and why?

Embracing Death by D.T. Dyllin {Release Blitz}

Embracing Death
The Death Trilogy #2
By- D.T. Dyllin
Genre- Erotic Paranormal Romance

Blurb~

Samantha’s memories have returned to her. But instead of bringing her peace, they’ve brought her only more turmoil. She now recalls the dark addiction to feeling other people’s deaths, and every day is a struggle to control her urges.

At least she has Austin to help her…or does she?

Even with her memories, Samantha doesn’t know the truth of her past. And her secrets may prove detrimental to everyone she loves. Can she unravel the mystery of who’s been pulling her strings before it’s too late? Or will Austin be the one to suffer from her mistakes?

  

The Unholy by Paul DeBlassie III {Blog Tour Spotlight}

Blurb~

A young curandera, a medicine woman, intent on uncovering the secrets of her past is forced into a life-and-death battle against an evil Archbishop. Set in the mystic land of Aztlan, "The Unholy" is a novel of destiny as healer and slayer. Native lore of dreams and visions, shape changing, and natural magic work to spin a neo-gothic web in which sadness and mystery lure the unsuspecting into a twilight realm of discovery and decision. PAUL DeBLASSIE III, PhD, is a psychologist and writer living in his native New Mexico. A member of the Depth Psychology Alliance, the Transpersonal Psychology Association, and the International Association for Relational Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy, he has for over thirty years treated survivors of the dark side of religion.

Helpful Links: Amazon | Amazon Paperback | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

About the Author~   

Paul DeBlassie III, Ph.D., is a psychologist and writer living in Albuquerque, New Mexico who has treated survivors of the dark side of religion for more than 30 years. He is a member of the Depth Psychology Alliance, the Transpersonal Psychology Association and the International Association for Relational Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy. Dr. DeBlassie writes psychological thrillers with an emphasis on the dark side of the human psyche. In The Unholy, a young curandera, a medicine woman, intent on uncovering the secrets of her past is forced into a life-and-death battle against an evil archbishop. Set in the mystic　land of　
Aztlan, the Unholy is a novel of destiny as healer and slayer. Native lore of dreams and visions lure the unsuspecting into a twilight realm of discovery and decision.

Paul's Website | Twitter | Facebook 

**View the rest of The Unholy Tour HERE**

~ Hosted by Worldwind Virtual Book Tours ~

{Cover Reveal} Guided by Danielle Young

So this is it. Today is the day I get to reveal the cover of my very first book. But before I get to the great big reveal I would first like to take an opportunity to thank my incredible cover designer and friend Katelynne Sherrell, she is absolutely incredible and no matter how much direction I lacked she knew exactly what I wanted, even if I didn't. And she delivered the perfect cover for my story. I couldn't be happier with the way it turned out. I hope you like it too.

I also want to say thank you to everyone helping me reveal the cover today, you are all simply amazing and blow me away. There are seriously no words to express the way your support makes me feel. You all rock my world in the largest way!!! 

Thank you for believing in me and stopping by today to see my cover. I hope you like it!

Releases June 2014

Title: Guided

Series: The Jade Ring Series book 1

Author: Danielle Young

Genre: YA Paranormal

Release Date: June 2014

Book Blurb~

Jo is a descendant from the most powerful Wiccan family the world has ever known and is destined to be more powerful than those before her.

But she doesn’t even know it. As her powers awaken Jo discovers a threat to her family line.


Protected by her best friends, and GUIDED by her Angel protector, Jo must learn to harness her powers and discover her family secrets before time runs out.


More than her life hangs in the balance.

Add it to Goodreads

And now that you've seen the cover and the blurb, how about a little excerpt????

I was in a forest walking along a dirt path, enjoying the beauty of the place, when I saw the same jade eyes appear ahead of me on the trail. I knew those eyes and who they belonged to, the same ones that appeared to me during my English-Lit class. I stopped dead in my tracks, afraid to move. “Show yourself!” Glad that I sounded more confident than I felt, my heart was practically in my throat.

“I know it’s you,” Then right before my eyes, Jasper appeared.

“Nice to see you too,” He said, crossing his arms.

“Excuse me if I’m not exactly excited to see you. Last time I saw you I ended up passed out under a tree,” I crossed my arms matching his look.

“You know, you’re kind of cute when your angry—kitten like,” He grinned.

“Ha Ha, I want answers!”

“Answers to what exactly?” He teased.

“Where are we? Is this a dream? If it’s not a dream, then what is it? And exactly who the hell are you?” I rushed everything out in one breath. I was afraid that he would disappear on me again and so would this place.

“Whoa, slow down,” He smiled, putting his hands up in surrender. “We will get to all of that.”

“Look, just tell me what the hell this is!” I demanded. Man, he was really getting on my nerves.

“A vision,” He stated simply.

 “A vision of what?” I asked.

“A vision of the past, present, or future. Now, all you have to do is figure out which this is.”

“And how am I supposed to do that exactly?” I asked.

“Walk around, look, it will come to you. Feel it—here,” He placed his hand just over my heart, not quite touching me. I could feel energy radiating from him. He quickly moved his hand back to his side.

My heart skipped a beat and I began to get this weird feeling in the pit of my stomach. No, I wasn’t queasy, it was a feeling of calm, a feeling of complete sureness; like I should believe what Jasper was telling me. His eyes had me in a trance and I had to force myself to look away.

“Okay, let’s say that I believe you,” I said a little breathless. “You still haven’t told me who you are.”

“That doesn’t matter, right now you need to focus on the vision. I promise I will let you interrogate me later,” He picked up his pace and continued to walk along the path.

“But what am I looking for?” I implored, running to keep up with the pace set by his long legs.

“Anything—everything. Who’s here, what time of day it is, your feelings. No detail is too small,” We broke through the trees and I realized that we had arrived at the lake. It took a minute to get my bearings, but once I did, I instantly realized we were on the other side. I immediately stopped walking and my eyes scanned the surrounding area. I saw a huge, two story, reddish-brown brick mansion with ivy growing along most of the roof and part of the front of the house. It had a ton of windows; I counted at least twenty and it had two large chimneys that I could see. Directly in the center of the house was a two-sided stone staircase that led to an arched doorway. The door was not visible through the arch, but rather it appeared to be a tunnel.

The more I looked at the house, the more I felt that I knew this place, but that’s impossible, how can I know this place when I could tell that this place existed in another time? Yet even as I thought it, my gut was telling me that I was right, I knew this place. 

“Earth to Jo!” Jasper said, snapping his fingers in my face.

“I.. I, know this place,” I said, confused. 

“Where is it?”

“I don’t know… I mean, I can’t remember,” I was disappointed in myself. Why couldn’t I remember? I closed my eyes but when I opened them again I was back in my room. Great, I lost the vision and my connection to Jasper. I still had no idea who he was. I rolled over, punched my bed and screamed into my pillow.

Well there you have it folks, the first real glimpse of my book, Guided. I hope you all choose to stick around for this ride!

Obsidian Eyes by A.W. Exley {Blog Tour: Review+ Giveaway}

*Received a free copy in exchange for an honest review

Obsidian Eyes by A.W. Exley
Published by: Curiosity Quills Press
Publication date: March 24th 2014
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult

Synopsis:

1836, a world of light and dark, noble and guild. The two spheres intersect when seventeen-year-old Allie Donovan is placed at the aristocratic St Matthews Academy. More at ease with a blade than a needle, she finds herself ostracised by the girls and stalked by a Scottish lord intent on learning why she is among them.

She begins to suspect the underlying reasons when soldiers arrive to see her friend, Zeb, a mechanical genius. On the hunt for answers she breaks into his underground laboratory. There, Allie discovers he is not just constructing sentient mechanical creatures, he is building a devastating new weapon for the military.

The guilds want the weapon and Allie is trapped by ties of blood. She must obey the overlord of the guild and deliver up her friend, unless she can rely on bonds of friendship, to save both their lives.

Helpful Links: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

My Review

In Obsidian Eyes we are delivered right into a world of intrigue, nobles, guilds and danger. Allie, a seventeen-year-old with a big secret is thrust into the world of nobility, at St. Matthews Academy. Where Allie sticks out like a beacon of light in the darkness. In the midst of being bullied by those that see themselves as superior, Allie finds friends in mysterious places and with people who will match her both intellectually and physically. On a mission for the guild, Allie must discover the truth of what is going on, the truth behind her mission and the path she really wants to walk before she loses everything. 

Obsidian Eyes is one of the best stories I have read in a while. From the minute Allie graced the pages I was captivated by her quick tongue and lethal skills with a blade. Allie has a complicated story, one in which A.W. Exley does a fantastic job of unraveling throughout the tale, never giving you all the pieces of the puzzle, but just enough to egg you on. But with her easy to read writing style and marvelous dialogue it is easy to forgive her for not giving you all the pieces of the puzzle. 

There is a lot going on in this story as we deal with the world of nobility, commoners, military, the guild, science and love. Reading Obsidian Eyes was like reading a book where the past and future collided to create one hell of a ride. Allie's entrance to St. Matthews more than shakes up rigid life of the noble students who grace it's halls. Of course most of the students don't want her there, just a mere commoner they think she is far inferior and doesn't deserve to grace their presence. But Allie is not just a commoner, she is intelligent and as dangerous as any male soldier. She comes from a spotted background and a few people at the Academy are more than curious to know the real reason she is there. 

Enter Jared, the son of the Duke of Lothian, and one of the highest ranking nobles at Marquis of Kerr. He is asked to discover the truth behind Allie's attendance at St. Matthews and after sparring with her, is more than eager to get to the bottom of this mysterious girl. As he investigates he discovers that there is more to her than meets the eye and realizes that there is something about her that he just can't seem to forget. As he get's deeper into his mission he realizes that he has some hard decisions to make about his future and what he wants it to be. 

Jared and Allie are cast from the same mold. They are both intellectual, quiet, torn by what their heart desires and what duty requires and deadly-- very, very deadly. Obsidian Eyes is a perfect mixture of suspense, action, sci-fi, humor, and romance. It is a great story that stands strong, but begs to have a sequel written and it's characters have weaseled a way into my heart. A.W. Exley weaved this tale perfectly leaving me both satisfied and hungry for more. I loved everything about this story and it is definitely a must devour!

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About the Author~

Books and writing have always been an enormous part of Anita’s life. She survived school by hiding out in the library, with several thousand fictional characters for company. At university, she overcame the boredom of studying accountancy by squeezing in Egyptology papers and learning to read hieroglyphics.

Today, Anita writes steampunk novels with a sexy edge and an Egyptian twist. She lives in rural New Zealand surrounded by an assortment of weird and wonderful equines, felines, canine and homicidal chickens.

Find Her: Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter