Book Blitz + Giveaway: The Wings of War by Karen Ann Hopkins

Embers (Wings of War #1)

Author: Karen Ann Hopkins
Genres: YA Dystopian/Paranormal
Publication Date: March 15, 2015

Description:

There are descendants of angels walking among us. Ember is one of them.

Embers is an epic paranormal adventure/romance about a seventeen year old girl who discovers that she’s immune to fire and any other injury when she’s in a horrific car crash that kills her parents. Following a violent episode with her aunt’s boyfriend, Ember flees Ohio to live with an old relative in the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee. Ember’s exuberance at escaping a bad home life soon turns to trepidation when she learns that she’s a Watcher, a descendant of angels.

While Ember is instructed about her heritage and the powers that go along with it, she strikes up friendships with two teenagers who live in a frightening walled compound in the forest. Inexplicitly drawn to one of the young men in particular, an impossible romance develops. But it’s cut short when Ember discovers that her new friends are fighting on the opposite side of a war that’s been raging between two factions of Watchers for thousands of years. When the compound’s inhabitants threaten the townspeople, Ember takes action, sealing her fate in the ancient battle of good versus evil, and the grayness in between. Ember is up to the challenge, until she realizes that she isn’t only fighting for the lives of the locals and the souls of her new friends. She may be one of the few champions willing to make a stand for all of mankind as the rapture approaches and the end of days begin.

Embers is the first novel in the dark and gritty YA paranormal romance series, The Wings of War.

The complete series:

Goodreads / Amazon

**Grab Embers – book 1 – for only 99 CENTS for a limited time!**

EMBERS EXCERPT:

Sawyer sobered quickly. The obvious hurt on his face made me regret my words.

“You’re right. I’m a monster. I won’t argue on that account. But your kind isn’t squeaky clean either. Just because your ancestors were arch angels doesn’t give you the right to police the world.” His eyes narrowed. “Do you know how many humans have died from wars that Watchers caused?”
 
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I lied.

I was already suspicious about Watchers. Ila scared the crap out of me sometimes with her demeanor and righteous words.

But Sawyer didn’t need to know that I questioned the Watchers myself. His opinion didn’t count.

When I turned back to him, ready to change the subject, I wasn’t prepared for the darkening of his already almost black eyes. He leaned in closer and our breaths mingled. In and out I breathed, allowing his familiar woodsy scent to fill my nose. I know Sawyer. Oh, I know him.

Don’t do it, Ember.

But I couldn’t stop.

When he kissed me, my lips parted automatically.

Deep down, I wanted him, desired him madly, and had from the first time I’d seen him in my dreams.

In that instant, I didn’t care that he was a Demon.

You can visit Karen Ann Hopkins at her website: www.karenannhopkins.com.

Karen Ann Hopkins resides in northern Kentucky with her family on a farm that boasts a menagerie of horses, goats, peacocks, chickens, ducks, rabbits, dogs and cats. Karen's main job is home schooling the kids, but she finds time to give riding lessons, coach a youth equestrian drill team, and of course, write. She was inspired to create her first book, Temptation, by the Amish community she lived in. The experiential knowledge she gained through her interactions with her neighbors drove her to create the story of the star-crossed lovers, Rose and Noah.

Karen grew up about a mile from Lake Ontario in Upstate New York. She was bitten by the horse bug at the age of five, and after diligently taking riding lessons for several years, was rewarded with her first horse at the age of eleven. The feisty horse's name was Lady, a Quarter Horse-Thoroughbred cross, who became Karen's steadfast companion. Through the years, the constant force in her life was horses. Eventually, she found her place as a riding instructor herself. Before accepting her fate in the barnyard, she worked a short stint as a paralegal, traveled abroad, and guided tourists on horseback riding tours in the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee.

Karen is currently working on her Amish mystery series, Serenity's Plain Secrets, along with the YA paranormal/fantasy series, The Wings of War, and the continuation of the Temptation series. Karen is also excited to announce the Temptation series has been optioned for TV by Pilgrim Studios and is available on Audible.

"I loved joining Rose and Noah during their journey in the Temptation series by Karen Hopkins."-Katie McGarry, acclaimed YA author

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

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Embers Blog Tour: Review + Giveaway

Welcome to my stop on the EMBERS blog tour! Today I'll be sharing my review of the book with you - and don't forget to enter the giveaway! To follow the rest of the tour, click on the banner above.

Embers (Wings of War #1)

Author: Karen An Hopkins

Genre: YA Paranormal

Release Date: October 21, 2014

Description:

There are descendants of angels walking among us. Ember is one of them. And she may be the only hope mankind has as the rapture approaches and evils rises.

Embers is an epic paranormal adventure about a seventeen year old girl who discovers that she's immune to fire and any other injury when she’s in a horrific car crash that kills her parents. Following a violent episode with her aunt's boyfriend, Ember flees Ohio to live with an old relative in the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee. Ember's exuberance at escaping a bad home life soon turns to trepidation when she finds out that she's a Watcher, a descendant of angels. While Ember learns about her heritage, and the powers that go along with it, she strikes up friendships with two teenagers who live in a frightening walled compound in the forest. Inexplicitly drawn to one of the young men in particular, an impossible romance develops. But it is cut short when Ember discovers that her new friends are fighting on the opposite side of a war, one that’s been raging between two factions of Watchers for thousands of years. When the compound’s inhabitants threaten the townspeople, Ember takes action, sealing her fate in the ancient battle of good versus evil, and the grayness in between. Ember is up to the challenge, until she realizes that she isn’t only fighting for the lives of the locals and the souls of her new friends. She also might be one of the few champions who will make a stand for all of mankind as the rapture approaches and the end of days begin.

Embers is a dark and gritty YA novel that’s the first book in the series, The Wings of War. 

Embers is the sensational first book in a paranormal young adult series. It follows main character, Ember, as she begins a long and dark journey to fulfill her destiny. Ember's just a normal teenage girl - until the day a priest seeks her out to tell her that the end of days is coming and she is a Watcher, a descendant of angels who protect humans. Seeming pretty far-fetched, Ember brushes aside the priest's message. Years later, Ember finds herself escaping her terrible home life with her aunt to find solitude in the Smoky Mountains in Tennessee. It's here that Ember realizes that the priest was right about her being a Watcher, so she starts to learn all about her heritage and history - along with all the powers she now has. Ember stumbles upon a walled compound in the middle of the woods one day and what she finds inside is something she never would have expected. She meets two gorgeous and mysterious guys, who she becomes friends with. Soon Ember finds out that her new friends are on the opposite side of a war from her - one that has been going on for thousands of years between two different factions of Watchers. The people from inside the compound threaten the townspeople around them, and Ember steps up to defend them. She has officially chosen her side - her destiny - to protect humanity and to possibly be one of the select few who will stand up for mankind during the end of days.

Having read the author's previous books and really enjoying them, I knew that I had to read her new paranormal novel. I wasn't sure what to expect, but my hopes were high based off of her writing in other works. I definitely wasn't disappointed - the story went far beyond any hopes I may have had. The premise of the book definitely caught my attention - a descendant of Angels who has to protect humanity when the end of the world begins? Awesome. It's not a completely unique plot, but I feel that the author added several aspects to the book that makes it stand out from the rest of them. Ember is a fantastic main character. She's a normal teenage girl who lost her parents when she was young. She was in the car accident along with them, but escaped without a scratch. Nobody - including Ember - can explain it. She continues to lead a normal life while living with her aunt, where she doesn't have a very good home life. Things finally go too far when her aunt's boyfriend becomes violent, and Ember heads for the hills - literally. She's a smart, strong - emotionally, mentally, and physically - determined heroine who remains realistic due to her faults and weaknesses, like enduring her parents' deaths and living a bad life with her aunt. She's cautious and level-headed, which makes her question the whole Watcher bit she's told. Once she learns who she truly is and what she's meant to do - Ember takes it head on with determination and strength. I loved watching her character mature and grow through the book and I hope we see more of that in the next book.

The plot was compelling and unique. It contained several different genres throughout the story, ranging from paranormal and fantasy to action and adventure and even some romance. The author effortlessly wove these various types of fiction together to create a one of a kind book that had me completely hooked from the first page. It was easy to relate to Ember, and the author's descriptions throughout the book were vivid and detailed - to the point that I could imagine myself in the story beside Ember while everything is happening. I loved learning all about the Watchers - their history, purpose, the war between factions, the coming rapture and end times - it gave a deeper level to the story and helps to set it apart from others in the genre. The book was definitely fast paced and had me devouring each page to see figure out what was going to happen next. I finished it in one sitting and it left me wanting more. I very highly recommend this book to fans of paranormal fiction along with those who enjoy fantasy, action, adventure, and apocalyptic fiction. I'm already eagerly awaiting the next book's release to see where things will pick up from the end of this book. There's a ton of potential for the storyline and the series, and with an author who has immense talent holding the reigns - I can't wait to read the rest!

A native of New York State, Karen Ann Hopkins now lives with her family on a farm in northern Kentucky, where her neighbors in all directions are members of a strict Amish community. Her unique perspective became the inspiration for the story of star-crossed lovers Rose and Noah. When she’s not homeschooling her kids, giving riding lessons or tending to a menagerie of horses, goats, peacocks, chickens, ducks, rabbits, dogs and cats, she is dreaming up her next romantic novel.

Author Links:
Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Buy Link: Amazon

One (1) lucky person will get a $100 gift card and a second (2nd) winner will receive a signed Temptation Series book set, including Temptation, Belonging & Forever. The author is also giving away (10) ebook copies of Embers.

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Cover Reveal + Giveaway: Embers by Karen Ann Hopkins

Embers (Wings of War #1)

Author: Karen Ann Hopkins

Genre: YA Fantasy/Paranormal

Expected Release Date: October 21, 2014

Description:

There are descendants of angels walking among us. Ember is one of them. And she may be the only hope mankind has as the rapture approaches and evil rises.

Embers is an epic paranormal adventure about an eighteen year old girl who discovers that she's immune to fire and any other injury when she’s in a horrific car crash that kills her parents. Following a violent episode with her aunt's boyfriend, Ember flees Ohio to live with an old relative in the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee. Ember's exuberance at escaping a bad home life soon turns to trepidation when she finds out that she's a Watcher, a descendant of angels. While Ember learns about her heritage and the powers that go along with it, she strikes up friendships with two young men who live in a frightening walled compound in the forest. Inexplicitly drawn to one of the men in particular, an impossible romance develops. But it is cut short when Ember discovers that her new friends are fighting on the opposite side of a war—one that’s been raging between two factions of Watchers for thousands of years. When the compound’s inhabitants threaten the townspeople, Ember takes action, sealing her fate in the ancient battle of good versus evil—and the grayness in between. Ember is up to the challenge, until she realizes that she isn’t only fighting for the lives of the locals and the souls of her new friends. She also might be one of the few champions who will make a stand for all of mankind as the rapture approaches and the end of days begin.

Embers is a dark and gritty YA novel that’s the first book in the series, The Wings of War.

Sawyer sobered quickly. The obvious hurt on his face made me regret my words.

“You’re right. I’m a monster. I won’t argue on that account. But your kind isn’t squeaky clean either. Just because your ancestors were arch angels doesn’t give you the right to police the world.” His eyes narrowed. “Do you know how many humans have died from wars that Watchers caused?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I lied.

I was already suspicious about Watchers. Ila scared the crap out of me sometimes with her demeanor and righteous words.

But Sawyer didn’t need to know that I questioned the Watchers myself. His opinion didn’t count.

When I turned back to him, ready to change the subject, I wasn’t prepared for the darkening of his already almost black eyes. He leaned in closer and our breaths mingled. In and out I breathed, allowing his familiar woodsy scent to fill my nose. I know Sawyer. Oh, I know him.

Don’t do it, Ember.

But I couldn’t stop.

When he kissed me, my lips parted automatically.

Deep down, I wanted him, desired him madly, and had from the first time I’d seen him in my dreams.

And in that instant, I didn’t care that he was a Demon.

A native of New York State, Karen Ann Hopkins now lives with her family on a farm in northern Kentucky, where her neighbors in all directions are members of a strict Amish community. Her unique perspective became the inspiration for the story of star-crossed lovers Rose and Noah. When she’s not homeschooling her kids, giving riding lessons or tending to a menagerie of horses, goats, peacocks, chickens, ducks, rabbits, dogs and cats, she is dreaming up her next romantic novel.

Author Links: Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

 

 

Intrigued by Embers? Then be sure and sign up to be a part of the blog tour running from October 20th to November 7th! Sign ups are open now.

 Giveaway: The author is generously offering a $25 Amazon gift card to one lucky winner! Enter in the Rafflecopter below!

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What do you think of the cover? Leave a comment!