BLOG TOUR - REVIEW & GIVEAWAY: Mutilate My Heart (Mutilated #1) by Emily Godwin

Title: Mutilate My Heart (Mutilate #1)

Author: Emily Godwin

Date of Publication: July 9, 2013

Genre: Contemporary YA romance with paranormal elements

Blurb:

Punk rock band Mutilated Arteries has been seventeen-year-old Becca's world (aka obsession) for the last year. When the band schedules a concert in her hometown, she and her best friend Carli are the first ones in line to buy tickets. The night is everything she expects it to be and more, especially after making friends with the new super-cute bassist, Sketch.

Becca's mom warns her not to fall for a rock star because rock stars are always on the road - or they die in a plane crash, like her mom's favorite band did twenty-something years ago. But after the band's tour bus breaks down and they're stuck hanging out in Roizen Hills for a week, it's hard for Becca not to fall for Sketch and his caricature drawings and toxic green eyes.

Becca knows Sketch is leaving as soon as the bus is fixed, and she can't be his fan-turned-girlfriend anyway because of the lead singer's "No Girlfriends" rule. Plus, there's something strange about the guys that Becca can't quite decipher... like how they won't reveal their real names, their always-changing odd appearances, and the guitarist's obsession with blood and zombies. Still, Becca wants nothing more than for Sketch to mutilate her heart...but it just might not be in a way she expects.

Excerpt:

The bathroom walls are covered in names, phone numbers, and song lyrics. I scan the walls looking for any Depressed Michael or Mutilated Arteries lyrics, but of course there’s not any.

“This bathroom is disgusting!” Carli calls out from behind the puke-colored stall.

I don’t say anything. I’m trying to think of the perfect lyric to add to the wall of words. I pull the black Sharpie from my bag and pop the lid off.

Come dance with me to the drumming of our once-beating hearts, and stay with me forever at this undead masquerade.

Carli walks out while I’m emphasizing the last two words. I half expect her to say something about vandalism, but instead she grabs the marker from my hand and writes in huge letters We’re Already Dead!

Turning my camera on, I back as far away from the wall as I can, so I can get all of it in one shot. Maybe some random girl will go into the Princess’s bathroom, see the words on the wall, and wonder just what song they’re from, and I’ll have broadened the Mutilated Arteries fan base by one. I give our handiwork one last look before leading the way out of the bathroom.

I turn to tell Carli that we could be unknowingly spreading the love of our favorite band, but it’s not Carli who’s behind me.

Author Bio:

Emily Godwin is a Young Adult author. She enjoys writing, painting, and sewing her own line of non-evil voodoo dolls. She's a Slytherin, trying to disguise herself as a Hufflepuff, and wishes she could read herself into books.

Author Links:

Twitter l Facebook l Blog l Goodreads

My Thoughts:

"Roizen Hills! I have one question for you all," he says. His eyes bore into me. This is it. I can feel it. "Can you join us...in our UNDEAD MASQUERADE!?" 

Mutilate My Heart had been on my radar for a little while now. A young adult story about a girl and her favourite band, a good dose of romance and some paranormal thrown in for good measure. Emily Godwin could have written this book especially for me. And after reading it, I'm almost convinced that she did. This super quick read was a winner, from start to finish.

What seventeen year old girl doesn't want to meet the band she's obsessed with and have a romance with their favourite member? Every girls dream right? How many actually get to live that dream? Becca and her best friend Carli couldn't be more excited about their favourite band Mutilated Arteries doing a gig in their home town. The show is everything they expected and then some. But when the bands tour bus breaks down and Mutilated Arteries are in town for longer than expected, romance blossoms.

I turn to find myself face-to-face with the most beautiful boy I've ever seen. His crazy, pale blonde hair falls down his neck and around his face. His toxic green eyes stare back at me like a hazard sign.

The romance in the book was so incredibly sweet. Both couples were so good together. I loved Becca and Sketch. How could a girl not fall for Sketch with that amazing smile of his, along with his super sweetness. But I really loved the ease between Carli and Corpse. Don't get me wrong, there is definitely amazing chemistry between Becca and Sketch, but I think Becca was always conscious of the fact that once the tour bus was fixed the band would be leaving and her time with Sketch would come to an end, where Carli was more of a jump in with both feet kind of girl. 

For the most part Mutilate My Heart reads like a YA contemporary. There are various references to zombies and blood and such throughout the book, but it wasn't until much later that the paranormal element really came into play. I loved Becca and Carli's initial reactions to things. It was just how you would expect two seventeen year old girls to act. Not everything gets explained during this book so I'm really looking forward to the next one and learning more about the guys story.

Emily Godwin had me grinning from ear to ear for such a huge portion of this book. She had me reminiscing about all the boy band crushes I've had over the years. All the times I've gone to see my favourite bands in concert and the times when I've been lucky enough to actually meet one of my idols. I still remember being completely awe struck meeting Gerard Way from My Chemical Romance. Fangirl much!! Mutilate My Heart was a book that just made me feel good. An author that can manage to do that definitely has something special.

He's in a band. He's absolutely perfect!

4.5/5 Fangirl for Sketch Stars

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BOOK BLITZ - EXCERPT & GIVEAWAY: Daughter of Isis (Descendants of Isis #1) by Kelsey Ketch

Daughter of Isis (Descendants of Isis, #1)

by Kelsey Ketch

Release Date: 10/26/13

Cover Designed by: Steven Novak

Summary from Goodreads:

“Her mouth parted slightly, waiting for Seth to breathe life into her own body, just like in the story. She wanted him to awaken her senses.”

Their worlds collide in California’s high desert.

The last thing Natara “Natti” Stone wants to do is to start anew at Setemple High School. She wished she had never left London. Yet the brutal murder of her maternal grandmother has made her life very complicated. The only clue related to her murder is an ancient, encrypted necklace Natti discovered after her grandmother’s death. And if trying to adjust to American life is not enough, Natti is being stalked by a mysterious, charming high school senior, Seth O’Keefe, who is annoyingly persistent in his attempts at seduction.

Seth O’Keefe is secretly a member of the Sons of Set, an order that worships the Egyptian god of chaos. Seth’s blessing from Set, his “charm,” never failed, except with one person: Natti Stone. Her ability to elude him infatuates and infuriates him, and he becomes obsessed with the chase. But the closer he gets to her, the more his emotions take a dangerous turn, and he risks breaking one of the most valued covenants of his order. The punishment for which is a fate worse than death.

The adventure this unlikely couple becomes engulfed in could cost them their lives and their souls.

*Note: Content for Upper YA*

Available from:

  

Daughter of Isis Excerpt 

“She has always protected our family,” Zofia told her. “And we have always been careful to protect her in return.”

 Protected, Natti snorted and picked the box up gently and tilted it upright so she could look at the relief. Then why was her grandmother dead? Murdered in her own home?

She brushed her fingers over the mother-of-pearl feathers of Isis’s wings. Patterns of stars, ankhs, and eyes graced the borders, the mother-of-pearl incasing them in fine lines of shimmering white. Straightening her position on the floor, she leaned her back against the bed frame and studied the figures and images.

As she tipped the box just a bit more, something shifted and clinked against the wood inside. Natti froze. She glanced at her cat, who had stuck her nose over the rim of her fort; her eyes like saucers. Returning her attention back to the cedar box, Natti opened the lid. The maroon, velvet lining greeted her, but nothing more. Natti cocked her head and closed the box again as she thought. She examined the exterior, giving it a small shake. A metallic object scraped and rattled against the wood. A thought hit her, and she looked back inside, this time comparing the interior depth to the height of the exterior.

“Oh shit!” Natti rechecked to make sure her eyes hadn’t failed her. “No, bloody way!”

About the Author:

During her high school years, Kelsey Ketch could always be found tucked away in a little corner of the hall or classroom, writing her fantasy worlds and creating illustrations and maps. Today is no different, except now she’s writing in the break room at her office building or at the tables of the Barnes and Noble Café in Cary, North Carolina. She is also an avid reader, a part-time book blogger at Ketch’s Book Nook, and lives with her two orange tabbies and awesome and humorous flat-mate.Daughter of Isis is her debut novel.
For more information, please visit her site at kelseyketch.com.

***Author Links***

   

GIVEAWAY:

One winner will receive an Anubis Plush Toy and a Tyet Necklace (INT)

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BLOG TOUR - REVIEW & GIVEAWAY: Undertow (Undertow #1) by K.R. Conway

Undertow (Undertow #1)

by K.R. Conway

Release Date: 10/18/13

Summary from Goodreads:
Luckless Eila is unknowingly the last of her kind: Rare. Gifted. Breakable. Stunning Raef is her kind's historic enemy: Soulless. Lethal. Lost. A legendary death 160 years before would set their lives to collide, forcing a beautiful killer to become a savior, a simple wallflower to become a warrior, and ruthless destiny to become a death sentence.

SUMMARY:
High school senior Eila Walker knows that good luck skips over her like an Easter Bunny on Speed. So when she inherits her grandmother's million-dollar Cape Cod home, she is downright shocked. And yeah, her new town isn't perfect: the cheerleaders are heinous clones, the local undertow can kill ya, and her Great Grams was supposedly fried by lightning in the harbor square. Still, Eila is hopeful her luckless days are in the past . . . until history decides to repeat itself.

A self-proclaimed loner and previous-social reject, Eila thinks she's hit the jackpot when drool-worthy Raef O’Reilly becomes her friendly, yet weirdly protective shadow. But being hauled beneath the waves by an unnatural undertow slams the brakes on bliss – especially when Raef storms to her aid with coal-black eyes and iron-like strength.

Eila, entirely freaked, demands an explanation and Raef comes clean, revealing that neither of them are average humans but rather the genetic remnants of an angelic pissing-match gone wrong. Eila supposedly can channel the power of human souls, while Raef is quite adept at stealing them. Even worse, the legend about her ancestor isn't such a myth, since Eila’s grandmother was one kick-ass warrior until her lightning-like power backfired. A power that is written all over Eila's DNA.

Now sought by Raef’s own family for her destructive ability, Eila must trust him to watch her back. But when a quest for information goes terribly wrong, Eila is suddenly left with only two options: become a weapon for the enemy or follow in her Gram’s fearless footsteps to save those she loves. Unfortunately she needs a willing enemy to ignite her suicidal energy and the only one she trusts has been guarding her butt and scorching her lips.

 

My Thoughts:

I was instantly seized with horrific and illogical fear.

It wasn't the quick, superficial burst of scariness that accompanies a spider on the wall, but the absolute certainty of imminent death that unleashed a torrent of adrenaline through my body.

I was really intrigued by Undertow from the minute that I read the synopsis. I'm always looking for something that sounds a little different to all the other paranormal reads floating around. And in that regards, Undertow didn't let me down. It was original but also had elements of familiarity that pulled me into the story.

Eila Walker has just inherited a million dollar home in Cape Cod. What Eila has no knowledge of is the family secrets that the town holds and how her move there will set into motion events that will impact on not only her but also the group of new friends she will make.

Undertow was such an enjoyable read. Romance, friendships, secrets and mystery abound. All of these elements combine to guarantee a story that will keep you invested from start to finish. The writing was great and the pace of the story built steadily throughout.

What I loved most about this book was that each of the characters added their own something to the story. They were all very different to each other but as a group they blended together wonderfully. Eila may not have seemed like a really strong character at the start of the book, but she definitely became one as her story progressed. When the tough decisions needed to be made, she made them. Ana was quite closed off but I found myself really wanting to know what made her tick. At times Raef came across as the quiet brooder, but he had so many aspects to his personality. Kian was self assured on the outside but was so much deeper than first glance. And MJ was written perfectly to fit his part of the story. I could actually clearly visualise him in my head. Despite Undertow being written from Eila's point of view, I felt that by the end of the book I had a really good understanding of all of the supporting characters.

He was more to me than a way to survive. Every last molecule of my design pulled me toward him, illogically, like an undertow, towards salvation...or potential death.

The romance between Eila and Raef was slow building. We know pretty early on that Eila is attracted to Raef, but he keeps his cards pretty close to his chest, so just as Eila questioned his feelings and swayed back and forth between thinking he likes me/he doesn't like me, I too found myself questioning his feelings at times. He was always caring and always protective but for the longest time things never went beyond their great friendship. I really loved that the author built a friendship first. This made the romance all the more deeper when things progressed. 

The ending to Undertow has me longing for the next book in the series. I can't wait to read what is next in store for these characters.

The O'Reilly boys had some serious talent at making females weak.

4/5 Protective Raef Stars

Author Bio:
I have been a journalist for 15 years and serve on the Board of Directors for the Cape Cod Writers Center. I also drive a 16-ton school bus because I am ENTIRELY NUTS.

 In addition to working jobs that should come with a warning label , I hold a BA in Psychos (Forensic Psych), torment the tourists about Jaws, and occasionally jump from the Town Neck bridge in an attempt to reclaim my youth. 

I live on Cape Cod with two smallish humans who apparently are my kids, my fishing- obsessed husband, two canines (adept at both flatulence and snoring), and a cage-defiant lovebird that sleeps in a miniature tent. Nope - that's not a type-o. The bird is quite the indoor camper. 

Author Links: Website l Goodreads l Twitter l Facebook

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Blog Tour Hosted By:

BLOG TOUR - REVIEW & GIVEAWAY: Fire and Ice (Book of Shadows #1) by Lacey Weatherford

Welcome to my stop on the Fire & Ice blog tour. You can check out my review below as well as enter the giveaway. To follow along with the rest of the tour, just click on the banner above.

Title: Fire & Ice

Series: Book Of Shadows Book # 1

By: Lacey Weatherford

Publication Date: September 8, 2013

Blurb:

Time passes . . . sometimes too quickly, other times not fast enough, but that’s not what’s important. The essential thing is what we learn about ourselves during that passage of time and how we apply it. Will we continue to follow the destructive paths we find ourselves on? Will we give in to circumstances that seem completely unchangeable? Or will we desperately fight to hold onto those we love and to what’s good inside us—no matter how terrible the cost?

I only know I would do whatever was required of me to keep Portia, but in a world of witches, warlocks, and demons, anything can happen.

My name is Vance Mangum, and this is my story.

My Thoughts:

Eyes rolling back into my head, I gritted my teeth against the pain and this time I succumbed to my weakness quickly, welcoming the blessed relief of darkness.

I had not read anything paranormal written by Lacey Weatherford before. I knew she could write awesome contemporary but was really keen to see how she would weave the amazing romance that she can write in with the paranormal elements. When I signed up for this tour I didn't realise that it was a spin off of sorts of the Of Witches and Warlocks series. But now I'm desperate to make a start on those books because Fire and Ice sure did not disappoint.

Vance Mangum has been on the run and in hiding for a good portion of his life. Unable to put down roots and form friendships. Always looking over his shoulder waiting for the past to catch up to him. Until he sets eyes on Portia Mullins. Vance has never wanted anything in his whole life as much as he wants her. He will do whatever it takes to stay with her, and vows to do whatever he needs to protect her. But when his past collides with his future will Vance be able to hold true to those vows?

"Vance Mangum, Blessed be.

I give now, My heart to thee."

Fire and Ice is Vance's story. A story from the males point of view is one I will devour every time. They are my most favourite reads. And getting their take on romance is pure perfection. And boy, did Vance deliver. His thoughts, his feelings, his love... Just wow!! I loved all of it!!

For a really good portion of the book, the paranormal almost took on a back seat position to the romance. The first half of the book really focused on the connection between Vance and Portia. I'm not a huge fan of instant love. Instant attraction, yes. But when it comes to paranormal I'm much more inclined to accept it. And while it wasn't exactly instant love between Vance and Portia, that instant buzz and connection was amplified. And I loved it. I loved being inside Vance's head and experiencing all his feelings for Portia. He was committed to those feelings right from the outset.

I need her--want to keep her with me always--want to always feel the way she makes me feel. Happy. I can't recall ever being this happy. I love her.

Portia was a character that I can honestly say that I liked everything about. She was sweet and kind and even though we are in Vance's head, Portia's love for him came through so clear and strong. Fire and Ice. Opposites who fit together so perfectly.

In the second half of the book the paranormal really kicked up a notch. It was exciting and page turning and even had moments of being heartbreaking. it's not all smooth sailing for Vance and Portia. Sometimes the things that you run from will eventually catch up to you. Witches, warlocks, magic, evil and surprising twists will all come into play.

A simply fantastic paranormal romance from Lacey Weatherford. In what I've read of her books so far she has shown me that she writes perfectly the romance that I love to read. I can see her becoming a firm favourite of mine. 

5/5 Need the Next Book Now Stars

Author Bio:

Lacey Weatherford was born in Ft. Meade Maryland while her father was serving in the military. She has been a life long resident of Arizona, spending most of her time growing up in the small rural town of Clay Springs.

It was while she was attending the small country school in Clay Springs, that she read her first "big" book at the age of eight. It was a Nancy Drew novel and Lacey was instantly hooked. She read every book that she could find in the series and decided that she wanted to write stories too.

Lacey spent a lot of time at the library from that time forward, even volunteering in her later teen years and early twenties. She would don a crazy clown outfit for the Friends of the Library fundraisers in an effort to help get the new town library built.

When she and her husband moved away from the area, Lacey took the opportunity to take some creative writing classes at the local college to help further along her interests. Several years later, they were blessed with the opportunity to move back to Clay Springs with their family. The town had finally succeeded in building their library and Lacey had the opportunity to be President of the Friends of the Library for a very short time, before relocating.

Lacey and her family still live in the White Mountains of Arizona, where she continues to write young adult novels that have a fantasy/fairytale or paranormal bent to them, as well as being sure to include a great romantic storyline!

Author Links: Goodreads l Facebook l Twitter l Website l Amazon

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