Billionaire Unknown is Live! #jsscott #newrelease

 

Harper

I was perfectly content with my life. My career was
booming. I traveled. I did as much charity work as I possibly could for
the homeless, and I was perfectly happy with the choices I’d made.

At least…I was–until my sister, Dani, came up missing. As an
international correspondent, she traveled to war-torn countries, and
she’d stepped a little too far over the line. With my sibling kidnapped
and running out of time, I had no option except to approach Marcus
Colter for help.

Seeing Marcus again after having him break my
heart over a decade ago wasn’t easy, but to my relief, the old feelings I
thought I might still harbor for him were completely gone. He was like a
stranger to me. After meeting with him, my only emotion was gratitude
that he was going to try to rescue my sister.

Before I could
relax about feeling nothing for Marcus, I met Blake Colter, and realized
every emotion I thought I’d have for Marcus was suddenly present for
the gorgeous US senator.

It was ridiculous. I hadn’t seen Blake since we were kids.

How could I have given myself to Marcus so many years ago, yet have these feelings for his twin brother, Blake?

The more time I spent with Blake, waiting for my sister to be rescued, the more confused I became about my attraction to him.

Then, my entire world came crashing down when I found out that
everything I thought was true for over a decade wasn’t the truth at all.

What happens when a woman finds out that a man she’d both loved and hated for over a decade never really existed at all?

 Billionaire Unknown – Author J.S. Scott 

B&N http://bit.ly/2eizSjK
iTunes http://apple.co/1UlDi14
Google Play http://bit.ly/1WP2hgK
Amazon http://amzn.to/1Puviqq
Amazon CA http://amzn.to/1sbl0X3 

Amazon UK http://amzn.to/25mXV5g

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

J.S.
Scott is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of steamy
romance. She’s an avid reader of all types of books and literature.
Writing what she loves to read, J.S. Scott writes both contemporary
steamy romance stories and paranormal romance erotics. They almost
always feature an Alpha Male and have a happily ever after because she
just can’t seem to write them any other way! 

 

https://www.facebook.com/authorjsscott

http://authorjsscott.com

 https://twitter.com/AuthorJSScott

#CurseoftheStars Blitz with #excerpt and #giveaway @xpressobooktours @dcompbooks

Curse of Stars
Donna Compositor
(Diamond Crier #1)
Publication date: February 19th 2017
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult

Sabi Perez is the last Diamond Crier, only she doesn’t know it. Not until a crazed ruler from another world comes to collect her priceless tears and won’t take no for an answer.

Living in New York, Sabi’s seen some nasty things, but the lengths to which her captor will go to keep his crown are things found only in the darkest nightmares. Afraid and alone, Sabi finds solace in her cellmate, Anya, and Cabal, a fellow Crier who also has powers, a rare combination that buys his favor from the ruler. Only it’s a favor he doesn’t want.

In a fit of rage, power erupts out of Sabi, the same power Cabal has, and a spark of hope ignites. Together they may have a chance at escape, something no other Crier has done. Except a ruler hellbent on draining them of every last diamond tear isn’t their only hurdle. If they escape they’ll be hunted to the ends of the earth, if they survive the trek to safety. If they stay the ruler will leech them dry. Sabi would rather die trying than lie down and die, even if that means running away into even more danger.

“. . . vividly imagined and deftly plotted dark fantasy . . .” BookLife Prize in Fiction

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / iBooks

—

EXCERPT:

“You must be Sabina,” he said.

Her heart felt ready to explode. Ringing in her ears made it hard to hear but she could have sworn he called her Sabina. She didn’t know whether to answer him or not. She went by Sabi but her birth certificate said Sabina. He wasn’t wrong, but she wasn’t about to admit that.

“Sabina Petris.”

The sound of his voice was soft, almost welcoming. But the way he looked at her, how his gaze bored directly into her eyes, it sent goose bumps across her skin. All she wanted to do right then was leave.

“Sorry,” she choked, the word barely making it out. “You have the wrong house.”

The thin smile that sliced across his face like a paper cut cracked open to reveal gleaming teeth underneath. Sabi couldn’t help but think of a wolf and how he would eat her with his big teeth.

“I don’t think so. But maybe it’s Perez now, yes? At least that’s what my sources say.”

Every thought she had smashed together in her head. He had her name. Her name. But who was Sabina Petris? And why did he say Perez like that wasn’t her real name? Crap, she needed to get out. Now.

“Baby, you okay?”

Sabi jumped and nearly choked on her heart. Keeping her eyes on the man in front of her she called down to Mrs. Wexler in the steadiest voice she could muster, “Fine. I’m fine.”

Nothing about her cracking voice sounded fine.

“Why don’t you come on down? Come sit with me until your Mama gets home?”

Yes! That’s what she’d do. Nothing could happen if she stayed out in the open with Mrs. Wexler. She took a step backward, not daring to turn her back on the man, but she stopped when he spoke.

“Perhaps you shouldn’t. Or your sister, Matti is it? Could feel the effects of that poor decision.”

Bile burned Sabi’s throat and her vision swam. The man took a step closer.

“You are my property, Sabina. Your parents knew this. They knew this would happen. Come with me now and I’ll forgive their indiscretions. I can’t say the same for their people, of course. So many deaths piling up behind your parents. Something like that is hard for people to forgive.”

Everything in Sabi’s head cleared and one thing rang out above it all: Matti. Get to Matti. Whoever this guy was, whatever he was saying, he wasn’t right. In the head, in life, in anything. Except just looking at him Sabi knew he was far from harmless. He was too casual, too confident. He was the wolf and she the prey and she was getting too close to backing into a corner.

With every ounce of air she had in her lungs Sabi screamed Mrs. Wexler’s name and booked back down the stairs. Footsteps thundered up to meet her and Mrs. Wexler mumbled ‘outside’ and nearly pushed Sabi down the rest of the stairs. But she didn’t need any help. And she didn’t stop on the stoop or to see what her neighbor was going to do.

Guilt slowed her down, but the way Matti rolled off the man’s tongue made her pump her legs harder. It was blocks to the school, but Sabi wasn’t about to wait at a subway stop, sitting like a duck with a price on its head. She needed to get to Matti.

 

Author Bio:

Donna has been writing since she was in the single digits when she first realized she needed to do something about all the thoughts in her head. After a stint with bad poetry she finally found her way to novels, mainly of the young adult fantasy variety. When she’s not cranking out more stories she works a regular 9 to 5, reads anywhere from 2 to 3 books a week, drinks copious amounts of tea, eats way too much, and makes her own beauty products because her skin turns into a sentient hive if she uses anything else. This is mostly because she lives in the desert where the air siphons water clean out of her. She lives with a man named Steve and several quadrupeds: three cats named Renfield, Sam, and Dean; and a MinPin named Malfoy.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

 

GIVEAWAY!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
https://widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js

The Dragon’s Gate is another action-packed installment in the Chronicles of the Black Tulip.

Synopsis 

 

An engrossing fantasy, a high-seas adventure, an alternate history epic—this is the richly imagined and gorgeously realized second book in acclaimed author Barry Wolverton’s Chronicles of the Black Tulip, perfect for fans of The Glass Sentence and the Books of Beginning series.

A magical white jade stone and a map inscribed in bone that may be the key to an even greater mystery—this is the treasure Bren and Mouse have found buried on the Vanishing Island.

Mouse is determined to follow the map to a place called the Dragon’s Gate, convinced it will explain who she really is and the powers she possesses. Bren has had enough adventure for one lifetime and would like nothing more than to return to his father in Map. But nothing goes according to plan when the survivors of the Albatross are rescued by Lady Jean Barrett, a charismatic archaeologist with a sense of destiny.

Barrett is on a quest for the Eight Immortals, ancient artifacts she believes are buried in the tomb of China’s first emperor—the location of which has been hidden for nearly two thousand years. The only way for Bren, Mouse, and Barrett to all get what they want is to work together on a dangerous journey into the heart of China, a kingdom long closed to outsiders, where the greatest secrets about Mouse and Bren are waiting to be unveiled.

AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE | BOOK DEPOSITORY
Random Author Ramblings:Things you would change about your high school/college years if you could go back in time.

Things I wish I could have changed:

• I would have had more confidence
• I wouldn’t have been terrified of girls
• I wouldn’t have majored in business administration
• I would have been able to shave (I looked like a 14-year-old boy until I was 24)
• I would have been a great baseball player
• I would have taken my creative side more seriously
• I would have read more poetry
• I wouldn’t have been so skinny

Mama Says:

This was a fun, fast paced adventure story perfect for your middle grade readers!  I liked this second installment more than the first and think the action will continue to build as the series moves along.  Readers will be drawn to Bren’s wanting to get out and experience life outside his ho-hum town, while also experiencing apprehension at all the new and possibly terrifying things he might encounter. It’s a clean series with no cursing and only mild violence related to swashbuckling and mops.  Just everyday life stuff.  Not Guillermo del Toro stuff. Plus the whimsical covers and chapter headers make for a nice visual experience too!  I’d recommend this for 9-10 year olds as much older kids might be looking for something a bit more mature.  That’s not to say that the writing lacks style, in fact it’s got it in spades.  It’s more than tween readers today seem to like more contemporary books or paranormal books than fantastical pirate stories.  I would have been one of the kids who would have absolutely loved this series, even if I was 11 or 12 when I stumbled upon it, though.  Certainly will be adding this to our daughter’s library at home!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

 

I have been writing for children for 20 years, helping create books, documentary television, and online content for Discovery Networks, National Geographic, the Library of Congress, Scholastic, and Time-Life Books, among others. Inspired by authors such as Lewis Carroll and Mark Twain, as well as folk tales and mythology from around the world, I love to combine wordplay and humor with dramatic plots to create rich narrative worlds for readers.

My debut novel, NEVERSINK, was named the Children’s Book of Choice by Literacy Mid-South for their Read Across America program in 2014. The first book in THE VANISHING ISLAND trilogy is available now.

WEBSITE: http://www.barrywolverton.com
TWITTER: @wolvertonhill
GOODREADS: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4934832.Barry_Wolverton
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/wolvertonhill/

INSTAGRAM: @wolvertonhill

a Rafflecopter giveaway
https://widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js

#GetUnderTheCovers for Life is But a Nightmare by #ErinHayes

Life is but a Nightmare
Erin Hayes
(The Elysium Legacies, #2)
Publication date: February 28th 2017
Genres: Adult, Mythology, Urban Fantasy

The sequel to the genre-bending, hugely imaginative Death is but a Dream.

“There must always be a God of Wealth…”

Former police detective Callie Saunders shouldn’t be alive, but she’s been thriving with her new lease on life away from the machinations of the ancient Greek gods and goddesses.

Yet there’s always been someone missing from this little piece of paradise.

When a vengeful god kidnaps her son, she travels back to a world she barely understands to find him. A world where she must face humanity’s greatest enemies and her former lover. If she’s not careful, she’ll lose her soul again. And, maybe, even her heart.

Add to Goodreads / Pre-order

Sequel to:

 

Author Bio:

Sci-fi junkie, video game nerd, and wannabe manga artist Erin Hayes writes a lot of things. Sometimes she writes books.

She works as an advertising copywriter by day, and she’s an award-winning New York Times Bestselling Author by night. She has lived in New Zealand, Hawaii, Texas, Alabama, and now San Francisco with her husband, cat, and a growing collection of geek paraphernalia.

You can reach her at erinhayesbooks@gmail.com and she’ll be happy to chat. Especially if you want to debate Star Wars.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

 

Halfway Bitten is an audiobook you don’t want to miss!

Author: Terry Maggert

Narrator: Erin Spencer

Length: 7h 19m

Publisher: Terry Maggert⎮2016

Genre: Paranormal

Release date: May 23, 2016

The circus came to Halfway, and they brought the weird. When clowns, vampires, and corpses start piling up in town, Carlie has to break away from her boyfriend, Wulfric, to bring her witchy skills to the table- or grill, as the case may be. When the body of a young woman washes up in the lake, it unleashes a spiral of mystery that will bring Carlie, Gran, and Wulfric into a storm of magical warfare. Spells will fly. Curses will rain. Amidst it all, Carlie will make waffles, protect her town, and find out if a man from the distant past can join her in happy ever after. With love and honor at stake, Carlie has no peer.

Buy on Audible⎮Amazon⎮iTunes

 

Left-handed. Father of an apparent nudist. Husband to a half-Norwegian. Herder of cats and dogs. Lover of pie. I write books. I’ve had an unhealthy fascination with dragons since the age of– well, for a while. Native Floridian. Current Tennessean. Location subject to change based on insurrection, upheaval, or availability of coffee. Nine books and counting, with no end in sight. You’ve been warned.

Website⎮Twitter⎮Facebook⎮Goodreads

Erin loves audiobooks!  As an actress, they have allowed her to creatively stretch by playing all kinds of characters, all kinds of ages and all kinds of accents!  She voiced roles in the Audie award winning title, Illuminae and was also nominated for a Voice Arts Award in the romance category.  She has narrated over 100 titles and as an audiobook director has worked on at least 100 more.  She has worked for most of the major publishers and also enjoys working with indie writers who are some of the most talented writers out there! Follow her on Twitter @ErinSpencerLA or find her on Facebook, Erin Spencer Actress.

Twitter⎮Facebook⎮Goodreads

 

 

I can’t say I’m surprised that this was another winner.  Maggert’s writing lends itself to excellent narration at the hands of Miss Spencer, or should I say voice.  She really does a fantastic job with all the characters, making little changes here and there to impart the proper emotion as the books get more intense.  I really enjoy the banter between Carlie and Wulfric, which served to break up some of the tension that seeps in every time they are confronted with a new, um, situation shall we say.  I’m very much looking forward to more pieces of this particular auditory pie!

 

Halfway Bitten Giveaway #1
https://js.gleam.io/e.js

Halfway Bitten Giveaway #2
https://js.gleam.io/e.js

Halfway Bitten Giveaway #3
https://js.gleam.io/e.js

Jan. 16: terrilovesbooks (Review & Author Interview)

Jan. 17: Just Us Book Blog (Spotlight)

Jan. 18: Jorie Loves A Story (Review)

Jan. 19: The Bookworm Lodge (Spotlight)

Jan. 20: Que Sera Sara (Review, Audio Excerpt)
To Read Or Not To Read (Spotlight & Audio Excerpt)

Jan. 21: The Desert Bibliophile (Review, Spotlight, Audio Excerpt)

Jan. 22: Lynn’s Romance Enthusiasm (Review, Spotlight, Audio Excerpt)

Jan. 23: Dab of Darkness (Review)
The Book Junkie (Spotlight & Interview)

Jan. 24: Chapter Break (Review)

Jan. 25: Holed Up In A Book (Review)
Totally Addicted To Reading (Spotlight & Audio Excerpt)

Jan. 26: The Book Junkie (Review)

Jan. 27: Mama Reads (Review)

Jan. 28: Avid Book Collector (Spotlight & Audio Excerpt)

Jan. 29: Book Lover’s Life (Review & Audio Excerpt)

➜Sign up as a host here

Katee Robert releases #TheDevilsDaughter a new #romanticsuspense with a twist. Or three.

THE DEVIL’S DAUGHTER
by Katee Robert

FBI agent, Eden Collins is going home… to catch a killer.  Fans of Audey Harte’s It Takes One and Kendra Elliott’s Bone Secrets series, will devour The Devil’s Daughter, the fast-paced and suspenseful first book, in the Hidden Sins series by NYT and USA Today Bestselling Author Katee Robert.

Title: The Devil’s Daughter
Author: Katee Robert
Series: Hidden Sins #1
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Release Date: January 24, 2017
Publisher: Montlake Romance
Print Length:  316 pages
Format: Digital and Paperback

ISBN: 1503940918

Synopsis:

Growing up in a small town isn’t easy, especially when you’re the daughter of a local cult leader. Ten years ago, Eden Collins left Clear Springs, Montana, and never once looked back. But when the bodies of murdered young women surface, their corpses violated and marked with tattoos worn by her mother’s followers, Eden, now an FBI agent, can’t turn a blind eye. To catch the killer, she’s going to have to return to the fold.

Sheriff Zach Owens isn’t comfortable putting Eden in danger, even if she is an elite agent. And he certainly wasn’t expecting to be so attracted to her. As calm and cool as she appears, he knows this can’t be a happy homecoming. Zach wants to protect her—from her mother, the cult, and the evil that lurks behind its locked gates. But Eden is his only key to the tight-lipped group, and she may just be closer to the killer than either one of them suspects…

Excerpt:
By the time she made it back to the courtyard, it was empty, everyone having gone off to their varying duties. Martha might be a monster of a particular variety, but she had a well-run establishment. But then, she would. Keep her people too busy to stop and wonder about some of the insane shit she preaches. That saying about idle hands didn’t originate with the Greeks, but her mother had never been shy about incorporating whatever dogma she found most useful. No one questioned it.

No one but Eden.

And she’d paid for every question she’d asked.

She stopped next to her car, slowing her movements, because if she didn’t exert total control, she was going to fling herself into the driver’s seat and tear out of here as fast as the car could go. She wouldn’t stop in Clear Springs. She’d just keep driving until she put a few states between her and Elysia.

Not an option. You made damn sure of that.

She noticed the door was unlocked and frowned. Had she locked it when she got here? Eden couldn’t be sure. She’d been so rattled and practically bursting with adrenaline and dread that it was entirely possible she’d headed for her mother’s house without pausing to lock the door.

But she didn’t think so.

She opened the driver’s door cautiously, half expecting something to explode. She only had cursory bomb training, so even if she swept the vehicle, she couldn’t be sure she’d find something. If there was even something to find. Hello, paranoia, my old friend. She turned a slow circle, trying to figure out if someone would have had enough time to plant something. If a person had the know-how, setting up a bomb in a half hour was cake.

Way to be reassuring.

She leaned back into the car, a flash of white and yellow catching her eye. Frowning, she leaned in farther and used the pen in her cup holder to hook the circular wreath of daisies lying on the floorboard of the passenger side. It looked like the kind of thing she’d made when she was a kid and bored out of her ever-loving mind during the summer. She’d weave together the flowers that grew in the fields of Elysia into something very similar to this and wear it while she pretended she was Persephone, just waiting for her Hades to appear and whisk her away to be his queen. Eden dropped it like it’d caught fire. She’d completely forgotten about playing that game. Hell, no one knew she’d done it. She’d always been alone out there.

Or so she’d thought.

She wanted to throw the flowers away, to rip the wreath apart and grind it beneath her boots. But it was most definitely some kind of evidence. Even if there was no trace on there to find whoever had left it, it was proof that someone had been watching her when she got here.

Apparently my instincts aren’t as ravaged as I thought.

She wasn’t sure if that was comforting or terrifying.

Get More information at:  Goodreads  | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Katee Robert learned to tell her stories at her grandpa’s knee. She found romance novels at age twelve and it changed her life. When not writing sexy contemporary and speculative fiction romance novels, she spends her time playing imaginary games with her wee ones, driving her husband batty with what-if questions, and planning for the inevitable zombie apocalypse.
Connect with Katee at: Website | Facebook | Twitter| GoodReads | Instagram

~Enter the GIVEAWAY!~

#ForeverFrenzy is for fans who wanted more after #Fraud #becarefulwhatyouwishfor @authorcaseybond #ladyamberreviewtour

Title: Forever Frenzy

Author: Casey L Bond

Genre: YA Horror

Editor: Stacy Sanford

Cover Design by Cover Me Darling

Cover Photography by Pink Ink Designs

Cover Models: Daniel Wells and Becca Bryant

Hosted by: Lady Amber’s PR

Blurb (*don’t read if you’ve not read the series to this point*):

Everything in Porschia Grant’s world was finally normal; the daily routine peppered with moments of happiness, sadness, and monotony. She longs for those moments now, because her entire world has been wrecked, and she didn’t even see it coming.

An evil escaped the underworld, killing someone she loves. It has to die, and she wants to be the one to end it.

But can Porschia live with herself if she takes on the curse she once hated? Will the consequences of her choice crush her?

How will she feel when someone from her past, someone she loved so deeply, enters her life again?

Tage has been guiding his son from the afterlife. He’s always been a part of Seth’s life, even if Porschia didn’t know the extent of his involvement. He’s watched over both of them from afar. Close, but never close enough.

Now they need him, and he’s about to risk everything to show her how much she still means to him.

For some, love never ends and frenzy is forever.

Mama Says (no spoilers here):
This is a difficult review to write.  The book itself is not so difficult, but my feelings on it are so conflicted, especially compounded by this being one of my favorite authors and series.
Like many fans, I wasn’t one hundred percent thrilled with the way things ended, as far as who Porschia ended up with, but I was happy with the series ending as a book and that served as a new beginning.
Now we have a big time jump, and this can be problematic in longer books, but especially so in a novella where I feel like I’m really missing out on some key details to get the characters where they are.  So that’s the first thing that’s not my favorite.  However, I did like that we are given glimpses of the lives the characters we love have had, and glimpses into what the world is now after all this time, I just wanted more.  I wanted to have all the delicious detail we were given in the rest of the series.  Furthermore, things started at a nice pace but the entire second half of the book was so fast that it was almost rushed, especially the ending.  I realize it’s difficult to juggle these things in a novella, and I’m also a picky reader, so this may not be true for everyone.
One of the things Bond is so good at is making you feel what the characters felt, and boy are we run through the emotional ringer in this one!  I definitely cried.  Again.
Having read the entire series thus far and really enjoyed it, I couldn’t bloody well not read this super long epilogue, now could I? Because that’s essentially what you have here, longer than a chapter, shorter than a book, it’s an epilogue that changes some things, reasserts some others, and reminds us how fierce Porschia is and how loyal and protective she can be.  She’s still one of my favorite characters, and if you have read the series I would say you gotta read this installment too, so that you can know how it really ends.

3.5 stars and my thanks to the author and tour host for the review opportunity!

Award-winning author Casey L. Bond resides in Milton, West Virginia with her husband and their two beautiful daughters. When she’s not busy being a domestic goddess and chasing her baby girls, she loves to write young adult and new adult fiction.You can find more information about Bond’s books via the following links:

Website: www.authorcaseybond.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/authorcaseybond 

Newsletter: http://authorcaseybond.us10.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=e812bbce406a10776c6a28162&id=79850847f2

Twitter: https://twitter.com/authorcaseybond
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7212486.Casey_L_Bond
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/caseyb007
Amazon: http://amzn.to/1PmE0pg

Buy Link:Frenzy: http://amzn.to/1mtcfnF

Frantic: http://amzn.to/2dBLXMW

Frequency: http://amzn.to/2dkjoWU

Friction: http://amzn.to/2dBJ66S

Fraud: http://amzn.to/2fkk9ks

Forever Frenzy: http://amzn.to/2jA6ebb

Keep reading for a sneak snippet of one very angry Porschia Grant …

Surprise lifted her brows.

“I didn’t expect—”

I was in front of her in an instant, backhanding her to the side. She stumbled, grabbing her bleeding lip and staring at me with contempt.

“You didn’t expect me to do what? Protect my family? That was your first mistake.”

She scoffed.

“The second was underestimating me.”

– Copyright Casey L. Bond

A #review of Seasons Within for @LeleIturrioz #xpressobooktour #giveaway #rafflecopter

Seasons Within
Lele Iturrioz
(Acorn Publishing)
Publication date: December 15th 2016
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult

Most teenage girls know their name, where they came from, who they are. Not G, a beautiful redhead with unusual markings on her wrist. She gets her name from a silver locket she keeps around her neck, unaware the engraved letter “G” on its front holds the secret to her past.

G’s life before the age of six has been a mystery to her. Each night for the last twelve years she’s been haunted by the same nightmare—a war. Horrendous beasts, warriors able to wield the four elements, and a boy who saves her by means of blue fire taunt her memory. But on her eighteenth birthday, G’s life begins to unravel. When she meets her new Chemistry professor, a man with an uncanny resemblance to the boy who saves her, she knows there must be more to her dreams.

It’s dangerous not knowing who you are, what you’re capable of, and what future awaits you. Especially when the darkness that slaughtered your entire world, just found you.

Goodreads / Amazon

Mama Says:
I think this is a great start to what could be a promising new YA series.  Although several clichés were present, they didn’t take away from the lyrical quality of the author’s writing.  I often lost track of time while I was reading this, and that, to me, is the best way to lose myself.  If a book engrosses me to the point of time loss, I’m sold.  IF you are a major fan of ya fantasy, magic and mystery, you will enjoy this book!

 

Author Bio:

Major geek by day, hermit writer by night! Love books, sugar gliders and everything that comes in a delicious taco.
I’m the author of the YA fantasy  series, Seasons Within

I spend my time writing,  planning on  writing, reading, drinking coffee like there was no tomorrow, MMA and chilling with my friends and loved ones.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

 

GIVEAWAY!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
https://widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js

A mini-playlist for my first #soundtracksaturday for my current read: #TheNightCircus by @erinmorgenstern #amreading

Another meme I came across in my search for fun new things to do here at Mama Reads is Soundtrack Saturday, hosted by The Hardcover Lover, complete with her beautifully made graphics!  Basically, you make either a full length or mini playlist for a book you’ve read or are currently reading, post your picks along with a bit of explanation, then head over to her blog to comment so you’re linked up! Easy and fun, right?

This week, I’ve made a mini playlist, which is for part I of The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern, a literary gem of magic, mischief and love.  Check it out on Goodreads for more.

Games Without Frontiers- Peter Gabriel ft. Kate Bush
As Sherlock would say, the game is the foot.  Or um, hah actually that’s not it.  But anyway, you get the idea.  As per the back cover copy, the book begins with a game, a wager if you will, though we are not quite privy to all the details, we do know more than the two unwittingly presented players, and I feel like the tone of this song, and even the lyrics, make a good opening statement.

Poupée de Cire, Poupée de Son- Arcade Fire covering France Gall
Translated literally to “doll of sawdust, doll of wax” is nearly perfect to describe our dear Celia.  Slight spoiler of an explanation: For is she not played the fool, only to know she’s being played and going along with it like a doll anyway?

Close Watch- Agnes Obel covering John Cale
As Celia and Marco meet, a pivotal moment that I won’t spoil for you guys, because I love you and somehow I managed to not have it spoiled for me, this would be an apt tune to be playing in the background, although perhaps not as exhilarating or confusing as the moment itself.

Whirlpool-Sea Wolf
As part one comes to a close, the world is only just seeing the beginning of what our two young illusionists can accomplish, and they are starting to learn about themselves and one another along the way.  I feel this is Marco’s song, for this moment anyway.  I haven’t read past this so don’t you go spoiling it for me now!

Beware of your host… #ThisIsNotOver by Holly Brown delivers a powerful, gripping story of two seemingly wronged women #tlcbooktours #review

About This is Not Over

• Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks; Reprint edition (January 17, 2017)

You’ll have your deposit within seven business days, just like it says on Getaway.com. I’ve put through a refund to your credit card for the full amount, minus $200 to replace the stained sheets…

Miranda

When 30-year-old Dawn reads Miranda’s email, she sees red. People have always told Dawn she’s beautiful, and she just hopes they don’t see beneath—to how she grew up, to what she’s always tried to outrun. She revels in her getaways with her perfect (maybe too perfect) husband, the occasional long weekend in luxurious homes, temporarily inhabiting other people’s privileged lives. Miranda’s email strikes a nerve, with its lying intimation that Dawn is so dirty you need to throw out her sheets.

Beware of your “host”

I wouldn’t have left a review at all, if I didn’t feel it was my civic duty to warn others…

57-year-old Miranda thought she’d seen it all, but she can’t believe her eyes when she reads Dawn’s review. She’s a doctor’s wife but she needs that rental money, desperately. People might think her life is privileged, but they don’t know what’s really going on. They don’t know about her son. She won’t take this threat to her livelihood—to her very life—lying down.

Two very different women with this in common: Each harbors her own secret, her own reason why she can’t just let this go. Neither can yield, not before they’ve dredged up all that’s hidden, even if it has the power to shatter all they’ve built.

This is not over.

This is so not over.

Purchase Links

HarperCollins | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Mama Says:

This book starts out full of humor, with moments of pithy, and sometimes controversial, musings on life and status.  Then it gets darker.  And more complicated.  Until it gets to a point where you think, I can’t stand to find out more, yet I can’t stop reading.  In the end, there were numerous gasp-inducing surprises, and some less-than-surprising revelations.  I felt the author really made an effort to give each woman, Miranda and Dawn, their own personality, their own view of the other person, and their own faults.  Neither was right, but neither was wrong.  You kept thinking one thing, along with one or the other of these characters, then second guessing yourself, and what you’d read.  There was quite a bit more moral ambiguity than I expected, which worked rather well in the context of this particular story.  It’s about more than a house, or a refund, or a disagreement.  It’s about what we can stand to lose, what we can’t fathom ever having to give up, and what we are willing to do to keep what we think we deserve.

4 stars and my thanks to Harper Collins and TLC Booktours for the review opportunity!

About Holly Brown

Photo by Yanina Gotsulsky

Holly Brown lives with her husband and toddler daughter in the San Francisco Bay Area, where she’s a practicing marriage and family therapist. She is the author of the novel Don’t Try to Find Me, and her blog, “Bonding Time,” is featured on the mental health website PsychCentral.com.

Connect with Holly on Facebook.