BLOG TOUR - REVIEW: Kiss of Fire (Imdalind #1) by Rebecca L. Ethington

Joclyn Despain has been marred by a brand on her skin. She doesn't know why the mark appeared on her neck, but she doesn't want anyone to see it, including her best friend Ryland, who knows everything else about her. The scar is the reason she hides herself behind baggy clothes, and won't let the idea of kissing Ryland enter her mind, no matter how much she wants to.
The scar is the reason she is being hunted.

If only she knew that she was.

If only she had known that the cursed stone her estranged father sent for her 16th birthday would trigger a change in her. Now, she is being stalked by a tall blonde man, and is miraculously throwing her high school bully ten feet in the air.

Joclyn attempts to find some answers and the courage to follow her heart. When Ryland finds her scar; only he knows what it means, and who will kill her because of it.

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Rebecca Ethington has been telling stories since she was small. First, with writing crude scripts, and then on stage with years of theatrical performances. The Imdalind Series is her first stint into the world of literary writing. Rebecca is a mother to two, and wife to her best friend of 14 years. She was born and raised in the mountains of Salt Lake City, and hasn’t found the desire to leave yet. Her days are spent writing, running, and enjoying life with her amazing family.

Author Links: Goodreads / Twitter / Website / Facebook

My Thoughts:

Once again, the mark had destroyed everything, everything I needed and wanted within my life.

Wow!! Just wow!!! What an amazing start to the Imdalind series. Kiss of Fire was a book that contained everything. Bursting with suspense, action, romance, passion, heartbreak and excitement. This was a book that I had a really hard time putting down because I was desperate to find out where the story was going to take me.

Joclyn Despain has had a mark on her neck since the age of five. Sensing that the mark has something to do with her father leaving she hides it from everyone by hiding under her hair and big, baggy hoodies. Even her best friend Ryland knows nothing of the mark. Constantly taunted and bullied at school, Jocyln appears quite timid and lonely and she really only has Ryland to lean on. And he is there for her. Always making her feel better and calming and supporting her. But things are changing with Ryland. Despite him telling her that they can only be friends he keeps trying to kiss her, and she really wants to kiss him, but she has promised her mum that they will be nothing more than friends.

Then for her sixteenth birthday her father sends her a weird letter and a crazy colour changing stone, she finally has a friend at school when the new girl Wyn takes a liking to her, she has a strange blonde man stalking her and just as she is about to get that kiss from Ryland he sees her mark and her whole world explodes around her. Could the weird things her father talked about in the letter actually be true?

Did I want him, Ryland LaRue, my best friend, to kiss me? I pictured myself kissing him, his hands against my face, his soft lips pressed against mine. I slid to the floor as my legs forgot how to support me. Obviously, I did; I really, really did. This was bad.

Joclyn and Ryland were amazing characters. Ryland has my heart!!! The things that he is put through throughout the book broke my heart. He does it all with such love and strength and determination. And he fights so hard!!! He is the one that is always there for Joclyn, always trying to keep her safe, but as the story progresses we get to see Joclyn grow and begin to change into this amazing and strong girl. And by the end of the book I don't think we've even seen a portion of the girl that she will become. A good chunk of the book was spent in a build up to seeing if their relationship would progress beyond the beautiful friendship that they have and then even longer until we actually got the first kiss. And can I say what a kiss it was. Talk about fireworks!!! Boy oh boy!!! 

Two other charcters that I really liked were Wyn and Ilian. I loved that Joclyn found friendship with Wyn. I loved Wyn's vibrancy and zest. Ilian left me with a lot of questions. I loved his caring nature towards Joclyn. I loved that he wanted to comfort her but I'm also really intrigued about what his intentions are where Jos in concerned. I have some suspicions about his feelings but I'm really interested to see where they've come from.

And there are plenty of evil baddies we get to meet throughout the story and that allows for some really epic battle scenes. Some real edge of your seat stuff. 

And then that heartbreaking ending. As the direction of the story progressed with Ryland my heart got heavier and heavier. That ending pretty much broke it. I have lots of questions still needing answers and am in desperate need to start book two to see if I get the outcome that I want and then ready myself for the release of book three later this month. 

If you're looking for something original and wonderfully written, then you definitely need to pick yourself up a copy of Kiss of Fire.

5/5 Ryland LaRue owns my heart stars!!

RELEASE DAY PROMO & GIVEAWAY: Conjure (Tethered #2) by Jennifer Snyder

Sometimes to understand the present you have to conjure up the past...

The last thing Addison Harmon needed was to become tethered to the broody, often seemingly cold, Theo Van Rooyen, but that's exactly what happened.

Forced to partner up with Theo to figure out a way to break the tether, Addison soon realizes she may have bitten off more than she can chew.

Purchase from Amazon

Catalyst (Tethered #1)

Sometimes who we really are lies buried just beneath the surface…

After learning she’s inherited a house in the beachside town of Soul Harbor, Georgia, Addison Harmon and her best friend decided to take a much needed vacation before the pressures of life after high school suffocate them too heavily.

But what Addison finds isn’t a chance to recoup from a bad break up and hang out with her best friend while she decides what she wants to do with her future. What she finds is Kace Sullivan—a sexy guy she can’t seem to get enough of—someone who with one touch reveals a seductive world full of magick and secrets Addison isn’t sure she’s ready to be a part of.

Goodreads / Amazon

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COVER REVEAL & GIVEAWAY: Colebrook Academy Series

Book One: The Dirty Secrets of Marham Savoy

Release date: August 6th 2013

Author: C.C. Dalton

Synopsis via Goodreads:

Even though he safeguards the secrets of his classmates, Markham wouldn't be caught dead sharing his own, and he never lets romantic entanglements get the best of him. But when Piper Harrington marches into his life, he’s forced to give her something in exchange for her cooperation in his schemes--his very own Colebrook Confession. And that's not the only time Piper brings out an unexpected side of himself. 

Will the dirty secrets of Markham Savoy be his crowning glory...or his undoing?

Book Two: Dane's Addiction

Release date: September 10th 2013

Author: Sorrel Provola

Synopsis via Goodreads:

After a stint in rehab, Dane’s back for his senior year. But just because he gave up drugs doesn’t mean his unsavory friends from last year are willing to let him walk away scot-free. Dane has unfulfilled obligations that may cost prison time—or his life--to meet. Even the son of a Russian mobster needs Markham’s help when blackmail and coercion are the name of the game. And all Dane wanted when he came back was the chance to rekindle his steamy, secret romance with the girl who’s always toyed with his heart. Will he be able to convince her his love is worth the risk?

Book Three: Vivianne & the Quixotic Kiss

Release date: October 8th 2013

Author: Cecilia Gray

Synopsis via Goodreads:

Vivianne Benthurst is a good friend—loyal, caring, and protective to a fault. Especially when it comes to her roommate, Audriana. That’s why she’ll do whatever it takes to keep Audriana away from Dane, the campus burnout. Truly, that’s the only reason. It’s not like she’s jealous. Take one look at Vivianne's gorgeous, rowing captain boyfriend and you'll know he has everything necessary to keep her satisfied. 

Now Audi is in danger of being ousted from Colebrook, and Vivianne looks to her good friend Markham for help. But when it becomes clear that it is the loathsome Dane who actually holds the key to saving Audriana, will Vivianne be willing to step aside? Or will she be forced to face the real reason she can’t let Dane and Audi be together?

Book Four: Asher's Impure Thoughts

Release date: November 5th 2013

Author: John Byrne

Synopsis:

You name it, Asher Van Der Bos “the boss” has it all. Trust fund? Check. Good looks? Check. Gorgeous girlfriend? Check. Olympic rowing future? Check. Steamy sex life?

Uncheck.  For now. 

Senior year, Asher should be all about rowing and hanging out with the team.  After all, he’s Captain.  And Colebrook’s first shot at Olympic glory.  But lately, another extracurricular caught his eye: the abstinence club.  In order to win back his girlfriend, Vivianne, Asher needs to know why she shoots him down at every turn.  So he confesses his impure thoughts to Faith Wilkes, the ultra hot but uptight “abstinence girl.”  And she confesses a few fantasies of her own in exchange.  Soon the abstinence club meetings make Asher think about anything but abstaining and make him wonder if he’d been chasing the wrong girl all along.

For more info visit: www.twistliterary.com

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CHAPTER ONE REVEAL & GIVEAWAY: Creatura by Nely Cab

PRE-ORDER CREATURA ON AMAZON

ADD IT on GOODREADS

Creatura is available for pre-order on Amazon and will be released August 6, 2013. Check out Nely Cab's website for more information about her books. 

ABOUT NELY CAB

Nely Cab was born on December 9, 1974, in Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico. She has lived and resided in a small, quiet South Texas town most of her life. Putting her Computer Accounting skills to use, Cab worked in banking for several years. In 2001, the author relocated to Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico, where she dedicated time to the study of culinary arts and the art of oil painting. After her return to the U.S., Nely resumed her employment in banking and later transitioned to the field of Social Work.

Today, Nely Cab writes from the comfort of her home, where she lives with her husband and son. Her life goal is to check-off Bucket List Item No. 95,623,351: To Conquer the World. While she aspires world domination, Nely continues to work on her debut series Creatura.

Connect with Nely

Website  |  Blog  |  Facebook  |  Twitter  | Goodreads

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*THIS GIVEAWAY IS INTERNATIONAL

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COVER REVEAL: CARNIVAL WORLD by Michael J Lee and Tawny Stokes

I have for you today the cover reveal for the first episode of a 10 episode YA horror adventure called Carnival World. It definitely sounds like something worth picking up!!

For six teens and one young boy, an innocent ride at a summer carnival becomes a harrowing trip into another dimension where everything they've ever known has been destroyed and everyone they’ve ever loved are gone. Now they have to travel a road through a harsh and unreal world where mutated creatures hunt them and a mysterious man with an ugly scar dogs their every move.  Guided by the Barker in their dreams, they each must face their past enabling them to perform a task in the present that will help them find a way home.  Every game played is a piece closer to solving the puzzle.

 

For Darien, the Strong Man, Nicole, the Tightrope Walker, Maddie and Justin, the Siamese Twins, Summer, the Escape Artist, and little Sam, the Fortune Teller, dreams are lost, nightmares are real and Carnival World is the place they need to survive if they want to make it back home.

BOOK BLAST & GIVEAWAY: Losing Francesca By J. A. Huss

Losing Francesca By J. A. Huss
Expected Publication: July 1, 2013
Genre: Mature Young Adult Contemporary Romance

Francesca Sabatini came to America to take in the sights, celebrate her high school graduation, and have fun wasting time before college starts in the fall.

That’s not what happens.

Fresh off the plane and barely on American soil more than a handful of minutes, Francesca’s face is recognized by TSA scanners to be a match for a child who was kidnapped twelve years ago.

Brody Mason remembers the day Fiona Sullivan went missing during a family vacation in Italy and it’s haunted him his whole life. So when Francesca shows up at the Sullivan farm down the road, he’s compelled to figure out if this girl really is his long lost friend.

But Francesca knows she’s not Fiona Sullivan. She knows exactly who she is. At least she thinks she knows – until Brody Mason relentlessly pursues her and she begins to have feelings for him. Maybe being Fiona isn’t so bad?

Reality becomes blurred, secrets are revealed, and life will never be the same when the final questions are answered: Is she Francesca or Fiona? And where does she really belong?

Losing Francesca is a YA/NA crossover contemporary romance. 

What people are saying about Losing Francesca by J.A. Huss!

"A 'you must drop everything and read this' kind of story." - Author Alexia Purdy @ http://alexiaepurdy.blogspot.com/

"...this book is so sweet and full of emotions and I loved it. I couldn't stop reading." - Lola @ Lola's Reviews!

"This. Was. Great!!!!! It was amazing! I loved it!" - Kimberly @ Kimberly's Novel Notes!

I lie back on the beach and put my hands behind my head. "So, we're gonna spend the whole summer hanging out and I'm not allowed to get to know you even in the most basic and simple ways? Is that how this is gonna go, Fee?"

She lies back next to me and turns on her side, her eyes searching mine. "Why do you insist that I am her? I'm not her, Brody. This fact will hurt you if you don't accept it and I don't want to hurt you. You're nice, I like you, but I'm not that girl."

"I want you to be her." I tell her truthfully. "I so, so want you to be her, Francesca. I cannot even explain how much I want to talk to her again. How much I want to tell her about all the days we never shared, to tell her that I thought of her at the end of every single one of them and that I prayed to God for years, every night, on my fucking knees, that she'd come back. I want to give her the Fruit Roll-Up I brought to school that first day back after summer vacation. That stupid Fruit Roll-Up that I still have hidden away, because I had this faith as a kid. This unwavering faith that only a kid can have that one day my friend would be back. And when she finally showed up, I'd give her that stupid snack to show her how much I missed her. And to prove myself to her. Because that little girl was my soulmate."

She frowns so deep it makes me hold my breath.

"I'm sorry," I say, turning my head to stare up at the sky. "I shouldn't tell you this stuff, I'm sorry." I'm projecting, that's what I'm doing. I want Francesca to be my Fee so bad I'm starting to believe it myself, even as she sits here and tells me straight up she's not her.

Her hand touches my cheek and I look back over.

"You can ask me one question, but it can't be about my other life."

I laugh. "What good does that do me?"

"Well, you can ask about things, but not my family, or school, or the places I've lived."

"Give me a for example, because I'm not seeing the difference."

She sighs and turns away, biting on her thumbnail a little. "OK," she says, turning back. "For example, I'll ask you the first question and you answer, then I'll answer the same question for you."

I smile.

She chews on her bottom lip this time. Clearly she is nervous. "All right, tell me about the best day of your life."

I sit up and stare down at her. "The best day of my life?"

She nods.

"Today, Fee. The best day of my life is today."

Get your copy today!

JA Huss is a SF and new adult romance junkie, has a love-hate relationship with the bad boys, and likes to write new adult books about people with real problems. She lives with her family on a small acreage farm in Colorado and has two donkeys named Paris and Nicole. Before writing fiction, she authored almost two hundred science workbooks and always has at least three works in progress. Losing Francesca is her first young adult romance.

Website / Facebook / Twitter / GoodReads  / Blog 

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GUEST REVIEW: Larkstorm (The Sensitives #1) by Dawn Rae Miller

In the years following the destructive Long Winter, when half the world’s population perished, the State remains locked in battle against the Sensitives: humans born with extra abilities.

As one of the last descendants of the State’s Founders, seventeen-year-old Lark Greene knows her place: study hard and be a model citizen so she can follow in her family’s footsteps. Her life’s been set since birth, and she’s looking forward to graduating and settling down with Beck, the boy she’s loved longer than she can remember. 

However, after Beck is accused of being Sensitive and organizing an attack against Lark, he disappears. Heartbroken and convinced the State made a mistake, Lark sets out to find him and clear his name.

But what she discovers is more dangerous and frightening than Sensitives: She must kill the boy she loves, unless he kills her first.

Buy Links: Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Smashwords

Review:

Lark  –  by chapter 6 the main female character Lark is confused and slightly whiney. Doesn’t seem to be a strong person, but relies on others. By chapter 9 there was a lot of character building and the story was starting to bore me. After chapter 9 things started to pick up and Lark seems to understand her situation. Lark loves Beck but is caught up with so much emotion that she doesn’t know what to do? Lark tries her best to learn her new abilities, but with the help of Mrs Channing she is having a hard time learning things.  She comes across a young sensitive that she befriends, but doesn’t know if she can fully trust? 

Beck’s character was quiet. He knew what was going on and kept it from Lark. I think if he had confided in her more than it would have taken a twist and it would have built more character for Lark. 

I enjoyed that it was a paranormal story. Dealing with a hardship between only one male and female. I liked that Lark started getting stronger emotionally throughout the entire story.

What I didn’t like about the book was that Lark seemed clueless or confused most of the time, even though it added to the book. I would have liked to have seen her come to terms instead of acting like the normal teen age girl. I understand that teen age girls have a lot of emotions to deal with, but I felt that her character could have been a little stronger.

What is “deso”?? I understand that there is slang that people use. And it’s hard to keep up with it all. But an explanation of what “deso” is would have helped and I would have probably gotten the joke when they used it. Does it stand for desolate? 

3/5 Stars!!

Guest Review by Colleen for YA Book Addict