Book Blitz + Giveaway: Swept Away by S. McPherson

 

Swept Away (The Water Rushes #3)
Author: S. McPherson
Genre: YA Fantasy
Publication Date: August 1, 2017

Description:

Elev nos senaremdos: Live on in memories

Milo is gone and Vladimir and the others plan to go after him before he gets himself killed…if it isn’t already too late. But they have no way of making the gethadrox and they are not all working as together as they think.

Secrets hushed and secrets kept are soon revealed when Dezaray gets a package that leads to her taking matters into her own hands and following a path that leads to the unimaginable.

Only Lexovia and a small band of misfits stay behind in an attempt to save the world and Lexovia soon finds herself in a position of power she never truly wanted.

Dive deeper into worlds & war in this thrilling third installment of an epic fantasy. Loved by fans of Cassandra Clare and Sarah J Maas.

Goodreads / Amazon

It’s bloody freezing in the cell they throw me into and they seem in no hurry to bring me that extra blanket I’d asked for. It seems Tinfoil was right. Last night I was free, tonight I am caged. What’s worse, they’ve tossed me into the same cell as some kooky old lady who keeps eyeballing me from her corner.

‘Can I help you?’ I ask impatiently.

‘Come into the light,’ she croaks. That’s a laugh. There’s hardly any light in this place.

‘I’m quite comfortable here thanks.’

‘Come into the light,’ she croaks a little more loudly, causing her to cough. Not wanting her to suffer a heart attack on my account, I reluctantly stroll over to the bars of the cell to be nearer the flickering florescent lights in the corridor

‘Lexovia?’ she says. ‘You are the Elentrice, Lexovia.’

‘No.’ Poor old lady. ‘I am Dezaray Storm.’

She chuckles. ‘You were always such a kidder. You are going to be in a world of trouble once they find you missing from Coldivor. Best you get back to the portal.’

I am about to disagree with this senile old woman but the mention of the portal captures my attention.

‘I am honestly not Lexovino, or whoever you think I am,’ I state, braving a few steps towards her, ‘but perhaps you can tell me more about her, Coldivor and this,’ I shrug, ‘this portal?’

USA Today Bestselling Author & a citizen of the world; S. McPherson was born in England, moved to Saudi Arabia when she was five then on to Dubai at the age of seven. S. McPherson briefly lived in Scotland, she is originally from Jamaica and her mind is often far, far away in lands people have never heard of.

S. McPherson has always loved writing in all its forms and at the tender age of eight, she dreamt of being a member of the next big pop group where she could sing and write songs all day. When that inexplicably fell through (how could she not be the next Beyonce??), she moved on to poems, scripts and eventually novels.

Having met many different people - imaginary and real - along her travels, S. McPherson has a vast array of characters buzzing in her head bursting to be let loose on a page or two of fantasy.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

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Swept Away Tour: Review + Giveaway

Swept Away (Sixteenth Summer)
Author: Michelle Dalton
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Release Date: May 5, 2015

Rating:

Synopsis:

Beachfront love blossoms in this refreshing summer romance, in the tradition of Sixteenth Summer and Seventeenth Summer.

Mandy Sullivan isn’t exactly looking forward to the summer months as tourists invade her seaside hometown on the coast of Maine. Her best friend, Cynthia, has abandoned her for camp and her older brother just announced he’ll be staying at college taking classes for the summer, leaving Mandy with nothing to do and no one to hang out with. Hoping to keep herself busy, Mandy takes a volunteer job at the Rocky Pointe Lighthouse. On her very first day, Oliver Farmingham asks for a private tour. A new—and incredibly cute—face in Rocky Pointe, Oliver seems more interested in Mandy than the lighthouse and its history.

Without her best friend at her side, Mandy is scrambling to act the right way and say the right things when Oliver is around. Cynthia—not Mandy—has always been the confident, flirtatious girl that everyone wanted to be around. As Mandy and Oliver spend more time together exploring the coast, biking through the woods, and attending the local summer festivals, their budding friendship becomes much more. But with Mandy’s insecurities creeping to the surface, can she open her heart to someone who will only be in town for three months?

Swept Away is a perfect summer read for fans of YA contemporary romance. The story follows our main character - Mandy Sullivan - as she faces a long and boring summer alone with her best friend away at camp and her brother staying at college. To help the time go by faster, Mandy takes a job at the local lighthouse. Imagine her surprise when a cute guy requests a private tour on her first day. Mandy and Oliver instantly click, and then proceed to spend more and more time together doing things they both enjoy - like biking through the woods and going to the local festivals. Mandy's doing her best to channel Cynthia's (her best friend) confidence and flirtatious personality, but as the summer progresses and Mandy's feelings for Oliver continue to grow - she'll find herself battling insecurities and trying to keep her heart and mind open to a possible relationship with someone who's only going to be in town for the summer.

Although the story is pretty predictable and you basically know what's going to happen before you even open the cover - this book turned out to be a quick and sweet summer romance that had me smiling until the end. Mandy is a great main character for the story. She's kind, smart, down to earth, and a devoted daughter and friend. She has flaws like everyone else though - she's incredibly insecure (especially when it comes to guys) and lacks confidence. She starts out expecting another boring summer filled with the same routine and the same people she's known for the majority of her life. When her best friends, Sam and Cynthia, start dating, Mandy just doesn't get how they feel. She's never felt that way about anyone and now she's starting to feel like the third wheel. Then Cynthia takes off for camp and her older brother decides he's not coming home from college, Mandy's summer keeps looking dimmer and dimmer. That's when everything in the book turns around. Mandy meets Oliver - and something between them just clicks. She doesn't really know how to act around him, so she relies on how her best friend usually is around guys to help her navigate these new feelings. Mandy can feel herself falling for Oliver - but she's afraid that her heart will get broken when he leaves at the end of summer. We definitely see a lot of character growth throughout the book with Mandy's character. She starts out as a clueless girl who has never been in love, and during the story we see her grow and change in ways she never imagined. I loved watching Mandy and Oliver as they became friends and then so much more. It was sweet and honest, which made it feel incredibly realistic.

The story is told from Mandy's point of view, which is perfect for the novel. We get to experience everything that happens through her eyes while getting an inside look at who she really is. We learn her hopes, dreams, fears, insecurities, and her inner thoughts and dialogue as the story goes on. By the end of the book, I felt like I really knew Mandy - which (again) made the story feel all the more authentic. Since the novel is told from the first person point of view, the pace felt effortless and the flow was completely natural. It wasn't too fast or too slow - it maintained the perfect speed for readers to know what's going on, to feel what the characters felt, and to identify and empathize with Mandy. Reading this book was like reading a journal entry from when I was a teenager in a situation like hers, which brought back a lot of different memories during the story. It also felt like Mandy was telling me personally what was going on - it was very conversational in tone, which was also a factor in immersing me into the story. As I mentioned at the beginning of this review, the plot is not unique or original, but rather predictable. The author sets it apart from the other books in the genre by having a realistic main character/narrator who pulls you inside of the story right away. I think of it kind of like watching a romantic comedy - it's obvious what the ending will be, but the reason you watch it anyways is because you want to see the events and story line that lead up to that ending. This book, along with many others in the genre, are the same as those movies - at least for me. Overall, it was a sweet YA romance that will make the perfect summer read. Definitely recommended for fans of the genre along with those who enjoy chick lit and contemporary fiction as well.

Follow the Swept Away by Michelle Dalton Blog Tour and don't miss anything! Click on the banner to see the tour schedule.

Michelle Dalton is one of the many names Carla Jablonski uses when writing. Her two YAs written as Carla Jablonski (published by Razorbill/Penguin), Thicker than Water and Silent Echoes, were included on the NYPL Books for the Teen Age list, and her graphic novel trilogy Resistance (illustrated by Leland Purvis, published by :01 Books) has won several awards, including the Sydney Taylor Silver Medal. In addition to writing novels she is an actor, playwright, and former trapeze artist. A native New Yorker, she is eternally grateful to her friends who invite her to their beach houses.

Prize: Win (1) finished copy of SWEPT AWAY by Michelle Dalton (US Only)

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Book Blitz + Giveaway: Swept Away by J. Haymore

Swept Away (Volume #1)

Author: J. Haymore
Genre: New Adult Romantic Suspense
Release Date: October 20, 2014

Description:

He is everywhere. He surrounds me, permeates the air, wends his way under my skin. I can’t escape his strength, his intensity, his presence.

I’m trapped.

There’s nowhere to run.

Nowhere to hide.


But even if I could escape…would I be strong enough to leave?

I needed something—something big—to get myself out of the rut I’d fallen into after the car accident that killed my sister. This sailing trip was meant only to mark a new chapter in my life. Until Ethan Williams stepped on board.

Ethan radiated confidence. His darkly handsome good looks and ocean-blue eyes mesmerized me. But it was the way he looked at me that drew me in. He wasn’t looking at my past or at my scars, but the real me behind all that baggage I was trying so hard to leave behind.

But Ethan had secrets—dark, dangerous secrets. I was trapped in the middle of the ocean in a tangle of lies, sex, and violence. The problem was, I was happy to be trapped forever…if it meant I could have him.

Warning: Swept Away is a 4-part serial. This story is messy and twisted and very, very sexy. It is not for people under 18.

A shuffling movement comes from the direction of the navigation area. It’s Ethan, of course. Without trying to—without wanting to—I track his every movement whenever he’s near.

The trampoline grows taut beneath me as he steps on it. He sits beside me and stares up at the sky for a moment. Just having him this close washes heat over my skin.

He’s spoken to me over the past few days, of course. It’s unavoidable. He’s put on the mask of the unflinchingly polite gentleman again. It’s no wonder he’s good in business. He can be hard, terse, and commanding, but he can also be gracious and charming.

He turns to me and asks quietly, “Are you okay?”

This is the most personal question he’s asked me in days.

I give him a tight smile. “I’ve been through worse.”

“Yeah.” There’s a gruff edge of emotion in his voice.

He doesn’t know the half of it. I told him about my parents, but not about Em and the accident and the cause of my limp. He doesn’t know that I was almost killed in a convenience-store shooting, and that the only reason I’m lying here right now is because of a Good Samaritan who took a bullet for me.

Ethan lies beside me, stretching his tall form out next to mine. He’s large, and his weight makes the trampoline dip. My muscles tighten so my body doesn’t roll toward him. “Look at the stars,” he murmurs.

“I know.”

“I never thought I’d find it so peaceful out here.”

“What did you think sailing across the ocean would be like?”

“Dangerous,” he answers. “Uncomfortable. Miserable, actually.”

I turn to him, raising a brow. “Really?”

He nods.

“Then why did you come? I know you said it was something you needed to do. But if you thought it would be dangerous, uncomfortable, and miserable, then why?”

He laughs quietly, but he doesn’t answer.

Fine. By now I know how private he is.

I stare at the stars brightening the sky. Below us, the Temptation dips and rolls. All is silent except for the gentle slosh of water against the hull.

“Tara,” he murmurs. His tone draws my gaze. He turns fully onto his side, propping his head up on his hand as he watches me.

“Yes?”

“Have you ever been on a runaway train?”

I give a soft snort.

“That’s what I feel like I’m on right now.”

My lips twitch up, but they don’t quite make it to a smile. “Then put on the brakes, and you’ll stop moving before you crash.”

“It’s not that easy.”

“Why not?”

“Because… I’ve tried to stop it since I… Since the first moment I saw you on that ramp and every day since then. But it isn’t going to work. I’ve tried, and... And I can’t.” He swallows hard, but his gaze doesn’t leave mine, not for a second.

My heart starts to pound. Emotions grab at me, excitement and fear and hope, along with a sharp edge of anger. “You’ve been doing a fine job of it for the past few days.”

He reaches out and touches my cheek. It’s just the gentlest touch, but it sends a bolt of electricity through me. “No. I’ve been doing a shit job of it. I’m good at pretending, but if you knew what was going on in my head—” He breaks off abruptly. After a quiet moment, he adds, “I can’t stop it. I can’t ignore it. Trying to is only going to make me crazy. So I’m done trying.”

USA Today bestselling author Jennifer Haymore is the author of sexy historical and contemporary romance.

You can find Jennifer in Southern California trying to talk her husband into yet another trip to England, helping her three children with homework while brainstorming a new five-minute dinner menu, or crouched in a corner of the local bookstore writing her next novel.

Author Links:

http://www.jenniferhaymore.com/

https://www.facebook.com/JenniferHaymore.Author

https://twitter.com/jenniferhaymore

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8634517.J_Haymore

Buy Link: Amazon

Blitz Wide Giveaway (Open INTL):  

- A copy of Swept Away #1 (eBook or Print - winner's choice)
- An early copy of Swept Away 1-4 (complete series)
- 20$ Amazon gift card 

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