Tuesday, October 15, 2013

ENDLESS BLOG TOUR: Review & Author Interview







Today, I am so thrilled to be one of the blog stops on the Official ENDLESS BLOG TOUR!!!


Endless (The Violet Eden Chapters #4)
By: Jessica Shirvington
Now Available!!!
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Source: E-galley courtesy of the publisher
Endless on Goodreads here.
Synopsis courtesy of Goodreads:
Love will kill us all.

Angels are real. They aren't always kind. Violet Eden is certain of all this because she is Grigori - part angel, part human. She has felt the influence of both light and dark.

When Hell unleashes its worst, Violet must embrace every facet of her angel self to save the people she cares about and the world as she knows it. But death is not the worst thing that Violet will face. For her, the endless question 'Can love conquer all?' will finally be answered.

My Thoughts:
Wow! Just, wow!

To this day, Jessica's The Violet Eden Chapters series continues to confuse me to no end, BUT it also happens to have one of my favourite YA romances as well, so this all balances out haha! Violet continues to be a strong lead and narrator- love seeing the world (and Lincoln) through her eyes!

Quick sidenote: Totally called Dapper and Onyx in Entice!

It was nice to see Violet's Mom and Dad incorporated into this instalment so much, in the past I tended to believe that she was an orphan in earlier instalments, because her father was never "present" but it's really nice to see him making an effort, although I'm not sure I want him to get back together with Evelyn.

Now on to my favourite part- the Romance! Be warned Violet Eden fans, this instalment will break your heart, truly. I thank the stars that this isn't the final book of the series. Lincoln, without a doubt, is on my top 5 list of favourite heros, he has so much character and I love how strong and protective he is over Violet. I don't know about Violet and Lincoln, but I can't take much more heartache between these two!

And Pheonix, well without revealing to much about this character, cause A LOT happens in this instalment, my heart truly went out for him.

Be prepared for a cliffhanger ending that will leave you screaming and wanting to pull-out your hair if you don't get the next instalment right now! Please Jessica, give Violet, Lincoln and me, some satisfaction. Thank goodness we only have to wait til April for book #6 Empower!

If you've already read books 1-4 than you know you need to continue this series, and if you haven't started The Violet Eden Chapters, well you must! But be warned this series is completely addictive, so be sure to keep your schedule opened, because once you start you won't be able to stop!

Happy Reading!!!

About Jessica:


Jessica Shirvington is the author of THE VIOLET EDEN CHAPTERS also known as THE EMBRACE SERIES, and stand alone novel, BETWEEN THE LIVES. An entrepreneur, author, and mother living in Sydney, Australia, Jessica is also a 2011 finalist for Cosmopolitan’s annual Fun, Fearless Female Award. She’s also one of the lucky few who met the love of her life at age seventeen: Matt Shirvington, a former Olympian and current sports broadcaster for FOXTEL and Sky News. Married for twleve years with two beautiful daughters, Sienna and Winter, Jessica knows her early age romance and its longevity has definitely contributed to how she tackles relationships in her YA novels. 




Please join me in welcoming Jessica to the blog today!
1)Why Angels? What inspired you to write about them?
Funnily enough, when I started writing the first book it originally appealed to me because there were hardly any YA books out there that involved the angel theme. It felt unexplored. Now, that seems crazy because there have been so many of them that the market even felt a flooded by angels for a while. 
After first making the decision it was my research that really drove home how much I wanted to write about angels and the mythology that surrounded them. It became a bit of an obsession.
2)How important do you think a love triangle is in Young Adult literature?
Not at all. The story is important and the choices, the consequences, the growth and development of the characters. I think there are often stories that are branded as love triangles that are often not triangles at all. When you look closely you can see it is often not that way and it is driven more by jealousy, or mis communication or by one persons unwillingness to step back.
But I do believe love triangles are a good activator of discussion and action. I think they can drive a story forward and entice interesting confrontation so from that point of view, and from a self discovery point of view, they have a solid function. It really depends on if they are right for the story or not. I don't like them when they serve no purpose other than to see a girl stuck in the middle with a oh me, oh my kind of attitude. (hate that!)
3) Which of your characters do you relate to the most? If any.
I'm not entirely sure. All of them and none of them in so many ways. I know Violet the best. But perhaps I relate to one of the other characters - like Zoe for example, a little better.
4) How far do you plan to take the Violet Eden series?
There will be five books in total. ENDLESS is out October 1 and the final book, EMPOWER, will follow in April 2014. Very excited!!!
5) Lincoln or Pheonix? Light or Dark?
My husband swears that I somehow, magically, took everything amazing about him and split it evenly into two characters - Lincoln and Phoenix. So with that in mind...BOTH!
And as for light or dark...well, I have to say both to that one as well.
6) If you could sum up ENDLESS in three words, what words would they be?
Life changing. Heartbreaking. 
Thanks so much for stopping and for your thoughtful answers, Jessica! Super excited for EMPOWER this Spring!!!
Special thanks to Jessica and Sourcebooks Fire for allowing me to participate in this tour!

Friday, October 11, 2013

Say When Blog Tour: Review & Giveaway

Hello! Welcome to one of the next stops on the SAY WHEN BLOG TOUR!
Say When 
by Tara West 
Now Available!!!
Say When on Goodreads here.
Synopsis:
He told me to say when, but I can’t. Not with Andrés. It’s so hard to say anything when he’s trailing feather soft kisses down my neck, or when his touch sends hot currents of lust rippling across my skin.

Then there’s the way he smiles and offers soft words of encouragement when I’m creating art, almost like he believes I have talent.

He’s not like any guy I’ve ever met. Not like my ex-fiancée. Not
like my father. He’s got me thinking that maybe we can have something more. More than just lust, degradation, and abuse.


And now I’m scared, because that means I’ll have to trust him with more than just my body, but with my heart, too.
Purchase Links: Amazon | B&N

My Thoughts:
Very Intense!

To be completely honest, I had a lot of mixed emotions about Say When. I found Christina a very unlikable heroine, with a huge chip on her shoulder, her narration was a bit off-putting. Don't get me wrong though, she's been through a tremendous amount in her young life, and has every right to be a bit bitter and defensive (especially with her mother), but her constant anger and negativity was borderline depressing.

Andres was a much more likeable character to me, although I found his third person, present-tense narration a wee-bit distracting. He to has been through a lot, and is carrying a lot of guilt with him, but he was constantly striving to better himself and right the "wrongs" he feels responsible for. I thought he was incredibly sweet to Christina, and he's a very sexy and persistent man.

Now I know I've been focusing on a few negatives, but I absolutely LOVED the scenes between these two. They have a great chemistry and there were many a steamy moments to be had though out the book. And once you read about all the trials and tribulations these two have had to overcome (before they even met each other) you'll be rooting for a happy ending for them. 

I believe this is the first of a new series, and I'm excited to see where Tara takes Christina and Andres in the next instalment. Be warned this first instalment has a semi-cliffhanger ending.

I'm very curious to see where this series will go next and if you enjoy an angsty (VERY angsty) New Adult with plenty of steamy moments, than give Say When a try!

Happy Reading!!!
About Tara:
A former Texas high school teacher, I enjoyed coaching the writing team and even the hectic
deadlines that came with running the school publications. After taking a break to raise my baby girl, I now work from home as a cover artist.
In my spare time, I loves to read, exercise and spend time with family and friends. I contribute the cover art for my Whispers Series and have designed covers for over 500 other books.

Connect with Tara: Author Website | Goodreads | Twitter | Facebook


Giveaway Time!!!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tuesday, October 1, 2013

Blog Tour Kick-off: THE RULE OF THIRDS- Review, Guest Post & Giveaway


Today, I am so happy to kick-off The Rule of Thirds blog tour, celebrating Chantel Guertin's YA debut!

The Rule Of Thirds
By: Chantel Guertin
Release date: October 1st/13.
Publisher: ECW Press
Goodreads link: Goodreads
Synopsis courtesy of Goodreads:
Sixteen-year-old Pippa Greene never goes anywhere without her camera. She and her best friend/supermodel-in-training Dace long ago mapped out their life plan: Pippa will be the noted fashion photographer, and Dace the cover girl. But ever since last spring, things have changed for Pippa—and her junior year at Spalding High proves to have its own set of challenges. Not only is Vantage Point, the statewide photography competition, in three short weeks, but her mandatory volunteering placement lands her at St. Christopher’s Hospital, a place Pippa never wanted to set foot in again. With humor and pluck, she navigates her new role as a candy striper (watch out for Code Yellows), her changing relationship with her best friend (goodbye, Honesty Pact), and—perhaps most stressful of all—her new love interests (yes, love interests plural). Will Pippa make it to Vantage Point without having a panic attack? Will either one of the guys prove less sketchy than her last boyfriend? Can she and Dace figure out a way to dream big and be best friends? One thing is certain: real life is a lot more complicated than a photograph.

Purchase Links: Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Chapters/Indigo

My Thoughts:
I feel I should mention that The Rule of Thirds has and will always hold a very special in my heart. I had the amazing opportunity to beta read The Rule of Thirds, when it was still in it's early stages of development, for Chantel, and I loved it then, and I love it even more now!

The Rule of Thirds is a fresh, quick read with a loveable and quirky heroine that everyone will want to be best friends with. Guertin will more than satisfy readers with her terrific blend of friendship/family, life changes, and a blossoming romance/love-triangle.

I loved Pippa and found her quite relatable and a great role model, as she fights for what she wants, and really doesn't take no for an answer, seriously, she'll find her way around anything, haha. It was great watching her mature throughout the story and while I rooted for her success throughout, I had to laugh at her many mishaps that I could totally relate to. She was a great narrator and I enjoyed experiencing everything through her eyes (including Dylan and Ben haha!).

Loved Dylan! He's the perfect blend of boy-next-door with an air of mystery surrounding him. Even though I knew he was keeping something from Pippa, I never doubted that he was genuinely good guy!

And Ben, well I'm going to keep this man a mystery and let you all discover him for yourselves ;)

I am so thrilled that Chantel is turning this into a series and cannot wait to read book #2 as soon as possible!   

Congrats, Chantel on a fabulous YA debut! I want more, right now!

Happy Reading!!!

About Chantel:

Chantel Guertin is an author, beauty expert and magazine editor. Her first novel (written as Chantel
Simmons), Stuck in Downward Dog, came out in 2007, and was a Winnipeg Free Press bestseller, a Chatelaine Best Beach Book and Book of the Month, and a Vancouver Sun Editor’s Choice. Her second novel, Love Struck, came out in 2010, and was also a bestseller in Canada.

Chantel is currently the Editor-at-Large of TheKit.ca, a monthly digital fashion & beauty magazine & weekly print feature in the Toronto Star, Montreal Gazette & Vancouver Sun, a beauty expert on  The Marilyn Denis Show and faculty at Centennial College in the Book & Magazine publishing program, where she teaches magazine writing and editing courses.
Connect with Chantel:
Now please join me in welcoming Chantel to the blog today to share her thoughts on what makes a good YA Leading Man!

Top Characteristics of a Leading Man in YA

1. Cute, cute, cute. Sure, an ugly guy can win your heart, but isn't it more fun to just have a cute leading man?
2. Flaws. Even if he's cute, he should have some flaws. No one's perfect. 
3. Smart. He doesn't have to be  book smart -- he can be witty or funny or have a cool hobby -- but some kind of smarts to make him interesting. Good looks are boring after a while.
4. Romantic. Not every guy in real life is romantic, but this is fiction! Why not go for the dream guy? 
5. A connection with your heroine. He needs to "get" the heroine in a way no one else does. This will give them true love forever! (or at least, for a few chapters). 

Thanks, Chantel for stopping by to share you thoughts!


Giveaway Time!!!
Before you go, be sure to enter the Rafflecopter below to be entered to win one physical copy of THE RULE OF THIRDS! U.S./Canada entries only, sorry International followers!
Good luck to all who enter!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
But wait!!! Chantel also has a great Photo Contest going on Tumblr, go here to enter! Good luck :)
Make sure you stop by all the other great blog stops on this tour for more reviews, guest posts, interviews and giveaways!

THE RULE OF THIRDS BLOG TOUR
October 1stBOOKING IT WITH HAYLEY G – Tour Kick-off, Review + Guest Post
October 2ndBOOK NERD CANADA – Review
October 3rdTHE BOOK LIFE - Review
October 4th – FICTIONATORS - Review
October 5thNICOLE ABOUT TOWN – Review
October 6thBOOK COVER JUSTICE – Review
October 7th – READ MY BREATH AWAY – Review + Guest Post
October 8thCHAPTER BY CHAPTER – Spotlight + Guest Post
October 9th - SEEING NIGHT REVIEWS – Review
October 10thMOOSUBI REVIEWS – Review
October 11thBOOKSHIPPER – Spotlight + Author Interview
October 12thNIGHTLY READING – Review
October 13rdTHE BOOK BELLES – Review + Top Ten List

 Happy Reading!!! 

Special thanks to Chantel and ECW Press for supporting this tour!