Two For Thursday Blitz + Giveaway: Call Me Grim and Into the Fire

Hello and welcome to this week’s Two for Thursday Book Blitz #T4T
presented by Month9books/Tantrum Books!

Today, we will be showcasing two titles that may tickle your fancy,
and we’ll share what readers have to say about these titles!

You just might find your next read!

This week, #T4T presents to you:

Call Me Grim by Elizabeth Holloway and
Into the Fire by Ashelyn Drake

Be sure to enter the giveaway found at the end of the post!

The truck should have turned Libbi Piper into a Libbi Pancake—and it would have, too, if Aaron hadn't shown up and saved her life. The problem? Aaron's the local Grim Reaper . . . and he only saved Libbi's life because he needs someone to take over his job. Now, Libbi has two days to choose between dying like she was supposed to, or living a lonely life as Death Incarnate. Talk about a rock and a hard place. And the choice goes from hard to sucktastic when her best friend shows up marked: condemned as a future murderer. Libbi could have an extra week to stop the murder and fix the mark . . . but only if she accepts Aaron's job as Reaper, trapping herself in her crappy town forever, invisible and inaudible to everyone except the newly dead. But, if she refuses? Her best friend is headed straight for Hell.

WHAT READER’S ARE SAYING:

“Call Me Grim is humor, brilliance and a success altogether.” – Paula, Her Book Thoughts


“Okay, just the story line over all was GENIUS. I have NEVER EVER read a book like this before. It was just so original and plain awesome. MEGA props to the author. I'm still grinning from what I've read.” – Rachelann, Goodreads Reviewer


“Call Me Grim is one of those books that you do not want to put down. At the same time there is something about it that makes you just want to savor it - you want to know what is going to happen next but at the same time you do not want it to end.” – Mike, Goodreads Reviewer

Elizabeth Holloway is a maternity nurse living in Southern Pennsylvania with her two teen children and their pets, Bam-bam the dog and Tinkerbell the cat. In addition to nursing and writing, she’s also an avid reader, an artist, a karaoke singer, a music lover, and a kick-ass Pictionary player. Her debut YA novel, CALL ME GRIM, will be released from Month9Books in Fall 2014.

Author Links: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Chapters Indigo! | TBD | iBooks

Seventeen-year-old Cara Tillman’s life is a perfectly normal one until Logan Schmidt moves to Ashlan Falls. Cara is inexplicably drawn to him, but she’s not exactly complaining. Logan’s like no boy she’s ever met, and he brings out a side of Cara that she isn’t used to. As the two get closer, everything is nearly perfect, and Cara looks forward to the future.

But Cara isn’t a normal girl. She’s a member of a small group of people descended from the mythical phoenix bird, and her time is running out. Rebirth is nearing, which means she’ll forget her life up to this point—she’ll forget Logan and everything they mean to one another.. But that may be the least of Cara’s problems.

A phoenix hunter is on the loose, and he’s determined to put an end to the lives of people like Cara and her family, once and for all.

WHAT READER’S ARE SAYING:

“You witness a major loss to the main character that does not involve a death, and also fully understand just what is about to face the main character. It was such a hook for me and I just had to find out what would happen next.” – Maria, The Paisley Reade


“I love finding series about unique paranormals, and Ashelyn Drake did a really good job with this one.” – Michelle, Book Briefs

“Kelly Hashway aka Ashelyn Drake has created an impeccable story surrounded around mythology, romance, family and deceit.” – Nay Denise, Nays Pink Bookshelf

Ashelyn Drake is a New Adult and Young Adult romance author. While it’s rare for her not to have either a book in hand or her fingers flying across a laptop, she also enjoys spending time with her family. She believes you are never too old to enjoy a good swing set and there’s never a bad time for some dark chocolate. She is represented by Sarah Negovetich of Corvisiero Literary Agency.

Author Links: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Chapters Indigo! | TBD | iBooks

Complete the Rafflecopter below for a chance to win!

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4 For Friday Blitz + Giveaway

Welcome to the 4 for Friday Blitz for Predator by Janice Gable Bashman, Into the Fire by Ashelyn Drake, Boneseeker by Brynn Chapman, and The Emissary by Kristal Shaff, presented by Month9Books!

Be sure to enter the giveaway found at the end of the post.

Predator Description:

“Predator is a fast-paced, creepy page-turner! Bashman had me at the opening sentence and she’s still got me. I want more!”

-Nancy Holder, New York Times Bestselling Author, The Rules

The hunt is on!

Sixteen-year-old Bree Sunderland must inject herself with an untested version of her father’s gene therapy to become a werewolf in order to stop a corrupt group of mercenaries from creating a team of unstoppable lycanthrope soldiers.

When Bree went with her scientist father to Ireland, she thought it would be a vacation to study bog bodies. She never expected to fall in love with a mysterious young Irishman and certainly never expected to become the kind of monster her father said only existed in nightmares. Dr. Sunderland discovers that lycanthropy was not a supernatural curse but rather a genetic mutation. When they return home, her dad continues his research, but the military wants to turn that research into a bio weapons program and rogue soldiers want to steal the research to turn themselves into unstoppable killing machines.

Bree’s boyfriend Liam surprises her with a visit to the United States, but there are darker surprises in store for both of them. As evil forces hunt those she loves, Bree must become an even more dangerous hunter to save them all.

Predator gives the werewolf legend a couple of new spins by introducing the Benandanti (an actual folkloric belief that certain families of Italy and Livonia were werewolves who fought against evil), as well as a modern scientific approach to mutation and the science of transgenics.

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Chapters Indigo! | TBD | iBooks

Janice Gable Bashman is the Bram Stoker nominated author of Wanted Undead or Alive and Predator. She is managing editor of the The Big Thrill (International Thriller Writers’ ezine). Janice lives with her family in the Philadelphia area, where she at work on her next novel. Visit her at janicegablebashman.com.

Author Links: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Into the Fire Description:

Seventeen-year-old Cara Tillman’s life is a perfectly normal one until Logan Schmidt moves to Ashlan Falls. Cara is inexplicably drawn to him, but she’s not exactly complaining. Logan’s like no boy she’s ever met, and he brings out a side of Cara that she isn’t used to. As the two get closer, everything is nearly perfect, and Cara looks forward to the future.

But Cara isn’t a normal girl. She’s a member of a small group of people descended from the mythical phoenix bird, and her time is running out. Rebirth is nearing, which means she’ll forget her life up to this point—she’ll forget Logan and everything they mean to one another.. But that may be the least of Cara’s problems.

A phoenix hunter is on the loose, and he’s determined to put an end to the lives of people like Cara and her family, once and for all.

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Chapters Indigo! | TBD | iBooks

Ashelyn Drake is a New Adult and Young Adult romance author. While it’s rare for her not to have either a book in hand or her fingers flying across a laptop, she also enjoys spending time with her family. She believes you are never too old to enjoy a good swing set and there’s never a bad time for some dark chocolate. She is represented by Sarah Negovetich of Corvisiero Literary Agency.

Author Links: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Boneseeker Description:

Arabella Holmes was born different and raised different. After it became apparent she wouldn’t fit the role of a proper 1900′s lady, her father, Sherlock, called in some lingering favors, and landed her a position at the Mutter Museum. The museum was Arabella’s dream; she was to become a purveyor of abnormal science. What her father called a BoneSeeker.

Henry Watson arrives at the Mutter Museum with a double assignment–to become a finder of abnormal antiquities and to watch over and keep Arabella Holmes. An easy task, if he could only get her to speak to him instead of throwing knives in his general direction.

But this is no time for child’s play. The two teens are assigned to a most secret exploration, when the hand of a Nephilim is unearthed in upstate New York. Soon, Arabella and Henry are caught in a fight for their lives as scientific debate swirls around them. Are the bones from a Neanderthal … or are they living proof of fallen angels, who supposedly mated with humans according to ancient scrolls?

Sent to recover the skeleton, they discover they are the second team to have been deployed and the entire first team is dead. And now they must trust their instincts and rely on one another in order to survive and uncover the truth.

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Chapters Indigo!

Born and raised in western Pennsylvania, Brynn Chapman is the daughter of two teachers. Her writing reflects her passions: science, history and love—not necessarily in that order. In real life, the geek gene runs strong in her family, as does the Asperger’s syndrome. Her writing reflects her experience as a pediatric therapist and her interactions with society’s downtrodden. In fiction, she’s a strong believer in underdogs and happily-ever-afters. She also writes non-fiction and lectures on the subjects of autism and sensory integration and is a medical contributor to online journal The Age of Autism.

Author Links: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

 The Emissary Description:

For hundreds of years, dark clouds covered the skies of Adamah, and an ageless king ruled. Those who emerged with one of six extraordinary Shay powers were forced into the king’s army, an unmatched force with inhuman Strength, Speed, Accuracy, Perception, Empathy, and Healing. With the army behind him, the king—a man who wields all six abilities—was invincible and unquestioned in his rule. To most, serving the king was an honor. But for others, it was a fate worse than death.

When seventeen-year-old Nolan Trividar witnesses the transformation of his brother from kind to cruel after entering the king’s army, he vows never to follow the same path.

So when his own power—the Shay of Accuracy—comes upon him at the Tournament of Awakening, Nolan conceals his emergence instead of joining the king’s ranks. For years, he traitorously hides his power, pretending to be only a gifted scribe. But when Nolan comes face -to-face with a deserter, the man discovers his secret.

To evade detection and a death sentence, Nolan escapes with the deserter and flees into a night filled with dark creatures who steal both powers and souls. He joins a resistance, a village hidden deep in the forest, filled with others who secretly wield a Shay. But his peace is short-lived when they discover that the dark clouds, undead creatures, their own decreasing powers, and even the king, are all connected.

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Chapters Indigo! | TBD | IndieBound

Kristal Shaff grew up with books (and used to drive her mom crazy when she wouldn’t leave the library); her first job was even shelving books at the library. She loves anything creative, and you can often find her exploring strange and fantastical worlds in her choices of movies and fantasy fiction. Kristal resides in Iowa with her farmer husband, numerous pets, and 3 awesome kids (plus one more on the way though the journey of adoption). When she isn’t writing, she is a professional face painter who enjoys making children smile.

Author Links: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Complete the Rafflecopter below for a chance to win!

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Into the Fire Blog Tour: Review + Giveaway

Welcome to my stop on the INTO THE FIRE blog tour! Today I'm sharing my review of the book - and don't forget to enter the giveaway at the end of the post! To follow the rest of the tour, click on the banner above.

Into the Fire

Author: Ashelyn Drake

Genre: YA Fantasy

Release Date: September 9, 2014

Publisher: Month9Books

Description:

Seventeen-year-old Cara Tillman’s life is a perfectly normal one until Logan Schmidt moves to Ashlan Falls. Cara is inexplicably drawn to him, but she’s not exactly complaining. Logan’s like no boy she’s ever met, and he brings out a side of Cara that she isn’t used to. As the two get closer, everything is nearly perfect, and Cara looks forward to the future.

But Cara isn’t a normal girl. She’s a member of a small group of people descended from the mythical phoenix bird, and her time is running out. Rebirth is nearing, which means she’ll forget her life up to this point—she’ll forget Logan and everything they mean to one another.. But that may be the least of Cara’s problems.

A phoenix hunter is on the loose, and he’s determined to put an end to the lives of people like Cara and her family, once and for all. 

Into the Fire is a young adult fantasy novel that puts a new spin on the myth of the phoenix bird. In the book, there is a small group of people, including Cara and her family, who are descended from the phoenix. Among other things, this means that they must go through the rebirth - where they catch on fire and then are reborn from the ashes. Cara's rebirth is coming in about a month, which will mark her as a full Phoenix. Not only is the rebirth scary - but it also wipes the person's memories. After Cara is reborn, she'll forget all of her friends, her memories, and the majority of her life until the rebirth. Since meeting the hot new guy in town, Logan, things have been going perfectly for Cara. Their relationship is growing and she's finally excited to think about what the future might hold. The only bad thing is that she'll forget Logan and what he means to her after her rebirth. As if that isn't enough, there's a phoenix hunter in town who's mission is to kill the rest of the phoenix descendents - including Cara and her family.

I've been enjoying the recent surge of retellings and mythology popping up in YA fiction lately - and I haven't heard of one dealing with the phoenix yet. I was immediately fascinated by the subject and what the author would do with the mythology behind it. There were lots of details about their history and origin, how they live, and the rebirth they must go through. I loved learning everything I could about this myth and ate up everything the author gave me. The main character of the story is Cara - who is one of the descendents of the phoenix. Her rebirth is coming soon and she's scared - especially after falling for Logan, the new guy who moves to town. She's a good main character - smart, devoted to her family and friends, and brave. The rest of the characters - and even Cara herself at times - felt pretty flat to me. There weren't any real characteristics or traits that made them unique or stand out from the others. That held me back from fully getting into the book, along with the sometimes cliched dialogue and predictable plot line. The writing was well done with a quick and easy pace, so I read the entire book in a matter of hours. The story is told from alternating viewpoints - those of Cara and Logan. I think this was a great way to present the story because we get to see a closer side of each of the characters  - their inner thoughts and emotions - than we would with a different point of view. Aside from the issues I had with the story, I thought that the twist on the myth of the phoenix was fantastic and wholly original. I wish the author included more about it in the story though - more of the history, mythology, anything - because I found it really intriguing. Overall, this was a quick and interesting novel with mediocre characters and a kind of cookie-cutter plot with some variations thrown in. It was a fun read and something that fans of mythology and fantasy novels will enjoy.

Ashelyn Drake is a New Adult and Young Adult romance author. While it’s rare for her not to have either a book in hand or her fingers flying across a laptop, she also enjoys spending time with her family. She believes you are never too old to enjoy a good swing set and there’s never a bad time for some dark chocolate. She is represented by Sarah Negovetich of Corvisiero Literary Agency.

Author Links:  Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads 

Buy Links: Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Kobo | Chapters Indigo! | TBD | iBooks 

Giveaway: Five (5) digital copies of Into the Fire by Ashelyn Drake (INT)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

 

 

Cover Reveal: Behind Closed Doors (Campus Crush #2) by Ashelyn Drake

 Behind Closed Doors (Campus Crush #2)

Author: Ashelyn Drake

Expected Release Date: August 6, 2013

Summary from Goodreads:

Julia Monroe is through wishing she had an older guy like her best friend Noelle does. It’s time for her to act on her desires. So when she sees sexy, twenty-three-year-old Darren McEntire eating dinner alone at the pub, she decides to make her move. The attraction between them is undeniable, and even through Julia isn’t looking for a one-night stand, she winds up back at Darren’s place the same night she meets him. Only being with him makes her realize what she’s been missing dating other guys. All she wants is Darren.

But Julia allows Darren to think she’s his age and a grad student at the nearby college. She knows she has to confess the truth, but she’s afraid to shatter what they have. Not knowing what to do, she starts the semester only to discover that her new teaching assistant is none other than Darren. With the lies out in the open and campus policy against them, Julia and Darren know the relationship should be over before it even begins. But the chemistry between them is too strong to deny.

Can they find a way to be together or are they doomed to only see each other behind closed doors?

New Adult and Young Adult romance author represented by Lauren Hammond of ADA Management Group. Look for her upcoming N.A. title, Romancing the R.A. (S.B. Addison Books, 2013).

Where to find Ashelyn Drake:

   



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