Katie Hamstead's Blog, page 39

Teaser Tuesday #12

For my Bearville County series. Papina has been out for a year now, and the first of the following novellas, Loving Avery, for six months! 
Papina



Loving Avery

New Summer Reading List!

So I've totally finished my summer reading list already! Crazy! I guess making goals motivates me pretty well. As a result, I'm making a new reading list. But first, my books I chose earlier. Click on my Reviews tab above to see my thoughts on the books.
They were:
Souls EntwinedAltar of RealityFight For MeReasons I Fell for the Funny Fat FriendBroken Forest (coming soon)
Now onto my new list. These books I've selected because... well, they are pdf's, and I don't like pdfs on my kindle! Ha ha! My logic is strange, I know. I also have one that's part of a series I already started. So with no further ado, my new summer reads.



Evade (The Ever Trilogy) by Jessa Russo

I read book 1, Ever, ages ago, so I need to read this to continue the story.

Link by Summer Wier

Summer is all kinds of awesome, and I read an early version of this. So when the ARC came up, I grabbed to to see what it's improved version.

Five: Out of the Dark by Holli Anderson

Holli sent this to me when I was planning on meeting her at UtopYA, before I found out I was pregnant. I think I still need to read this YA adventure.

Rescued by Larynn Ford

Larynn sent this to me after I helped with some promo on my blog. It's been sitting on my kindle forever!

Dangerous Works by Caroline Warfield

Like Larynn, Caroline sent me a copy after we helped each other with some blog promotion. Needs to be read!

This Week's Deceptive Cadence Stops

Visit these blog's for this week's tour stops.

Art Over Chaos - Character Interview with Cadence

Wondrous Books Reviews - Review

Review: Altar of Reality by Mara Valderran

From Goodreads:

Sixteen year-old Madeline has struggled with epilepsy for most of her adolescent life, leaving her something of a social pariah. Things go from bad to worse when she wakes up from her first grand mal seizure in an extremely unfamiliar world but surrounded but familiar faces. Her hometown is in ruins, the aftermath of a Cold War turned hot. 

Thomas, the boy that stomped on her heart a year ago, and his brother Brandon have been hiding her away since the explosion that killed her parents. The Lord Commander, now running the southern territories, believes Madeline died with them and the brothers need to keep it that way. The biggest problem? The explosion happened when she was twelve. 

Madeline isn’t sure what to believe. The brothers insist her memories must be of a dream life she created while in her coma. But when she returns to the reality she knows, they insist this war-torn world must be the dream. She doesn’t know if she’s truly caught in the middle of a brewing rebellion or teetering on the brink of insanity. As she finds herself flipping between the two lives, her heart becomes torn between two versions of the same boy and the lines between her realities begin to blur.

My Thoughts:
I've been meaning to read this book since it released, but my life has been too insane lately, as any of you know. With three books in edits and lined up for release (one that just released) plus having baby on the way, a lot of things slipped by me. But, catch up!
So, I read the first part when this was in submissions to help Mara. Mara is one of the best people when it comes to supporting other writers and being an awesome friend, so naturally I wanted to return the favor. I liked the beginning enough that when it released, I snatched it up.

So my overall thoughts.
This story starts strong, very, very, strong. The premise is intriguing, the characters catch the attention, and the writing is solid. It kept me glued.
But somewhere in the middle, I got a bit irritated with Madeline. During one of her times in the post-cold war reality, she started to bother me, and Hayden got on my nerves too. I think she came across as kind of too much of a pacifist considering her circumstances, and a bit on the whiny, and dangerously headstrong side.
But returning back to her original reality, she seemed to drop the annoying act and I started to enjoy it again.
I kind of saw the twists coming, but that's because I'm obnoxious and can almost always predict them! Ha ha! They were good though, and there are plenty left unresolved for the next installment.
Thomas... I never saw the appeal. But Brandon makes this book worth your time. In both realities he's strong, smart, and loyal to Madeline, even if she's oblivious to his real feelings. There's your typical teenage drama between them, ad I hope they can get over it in the next book.
Austin, I loved this guy from the start. I love the cocky guy in books, especially if he's also pretty nice. If he's awful, no, but Austin's nice and wants to help Madeline. I'm intrigued to find out how deeply he's interwoven into Madeline's life.
A fair warning, this does have a massive cliffhanger ending. If you don't like those, then just wait for the next book.

Blog Tour: Decree of Hope by @bethfred08

Decree of Hopeby Beth Fred Release Date: 09/01/14
Summary from Goodreads:When insecure eighteen-year-old Kailee Hill gets caught tagging Iraq war refugee, Abrahem Yohanna's garage, she's not expecting him to act as her designated driver, hold her hair back when she pukes, or offer to be a shoulder to cry on. But she's failing chemistry and her life is falling apart, so she uses the number Abe leaves her and finds herself with a new tutor.

The two quickly find themselves falling hard for each other. Kailee attacks a local grunt when he calls Abe a "sand nigger" and fights with her veteran brother to be with him. When she learns Abe hasn't told his family about her, she's heartbroken and the couple risks losing everything they've worked to build. To make matters worse, Kailee's previous acts make her the prime suspect in a serious crime. With Kailee behind bars and doubting his feelings for her, Abe must find a way to rescue the girl he loves and win back her affection . And to do that he’ll have to catch a crook… 
Add to Goodreads

Excerpt:
“Come in,” I said. “We’ll call your cab.”“Your dad will freak.”“No one’s home.”“How do you know?”“Do you see a light on?”“It’s late. They’re probably asleep.”“My dad never sleeps. He just works. And if Jackson were home, we’d have heard the music two blocks down the street.”“What about your mom?”
That question would come up. “She’s not here. She’s never here.” The words came tumbling out before I could stop them. His eyes connected with mine, and I knew I’d said too much. He expected the rest of the story. I stared straight ahead because of what I had to admit. “She left when I was three. I haven’t seen her since.”
About the Author
I'm a full time ELF keeper and part time writer/blogger/writing instructor. I'm represented by Kathleen Rushall of Marsal Lyons Literary Agency. I like my tea hot, my romance sweet, and my guys chivalrous. Real men hold open doors, refer to you as ma'am, make promises they keep, and aren't afraid to profess their undying love. It's not breakfast if there aren't carbs(at least, not in the South). Fajitas, carnitas, and churros are just few of my favorite things. Bet you can't guess where I'm from ;)
Author Links:Website│Goodreads│Twitter│Facebook
Cover Reveal Organized by:YA Bound Book Toursa Rafflecopter giveaway

Review: How To Hook a Bookworm by Cassie Mae

From Goodreads:
Getting kissed for a birthday present should not be a big deal. Especially for Brea Mason, who doesn’t think of her best friend, Adam Silver, in any way other than… well, a friend. But after the liplock she can’t seem to get him off her mind. And she has to, because Adam is a senior while she’s stuck in high school for another two years. 

Then BAM, the perfect distraction comes along in the form of a new, hot sophomore who actually seems interested in Brea, despite her anti-social personality. And with the stress at home, stress at school, and ignoring the reality of all her friends leaving come June, Brea welcomes the distraction.

But when she sees four fat Fs on her report card, Brea needs a study buddy, and the best candidate is Adam, book nerd and math whiz. So she enlists his help, hoping the birthday kiss was just a fluke. After all, she has a boyfriend now. It should be easy to ignore the butterflies and fizzy feelings that arise with the bookworm… right?


My Thoughts:
With my kid doing swimming lessons, I have a whole half hour each day to just read! This is so fabulous because I'm chugging through my reading list like never before. This one wasn't one of the fie books I made as a goal for my "summer reading" but having read and enjoyed the first two books, I couldn't resist the pull to slot it in.
So...
Book #3 in this series did't disappoint. Following Levi's younger sister, Brea, (Levi was Zoe's best friend in book #1, and Zoe's sister's love interest in book #2) we see a girl who doesn't think she's worth much due to the rough circumstances of her life. But Adam, her best friend, sees her differently, and when he gives her her first kiss on her birthday, things really start to change between them.
This book deals with more "heavy" issues than the first two books. Brea's life is pretty rough, and things happen to show hers and her family's desperation. She's struggling all around, but refuses to seek help. The only person she feels safe to turn to is Adam.
This story is definitely more about Brea overcoming her personal "demons" with a sweet romance developing on the side.
The thing that prevented me from loving it as much as the first two books is I feel like I'm getting filled in on the what-happened-then aspect of Zoe's life. Not that I didn't thoroughly enjoy Zoe's story, but it felt weird and like a sidetrack from Brea's development.
All up, another enjoyable and fun read from Cassie Mae.

Teaser Tuesday #11

All from Stacey Nash

Review: Fight For Me (The Tate Chronicles #2) by K.A. Last

From Goodreads:

“How can I fight for you when I don’t know what I’m fighting for?” 

When Grace Tate became one of the fallen to protect a vampire, it got her into more trouble than she’d bargained for. She’s angry at Charlotte for hiding the truth, and with Josh living in the city and Seth missing, life is harder than ever. 

It’s about to get a lot harder… 

Grace doesn’t want to leave Hopetown Valley, but when Josh ignores her calls she decides to go and search for him. She doesn’t expect to run into Seth as well. 

When she reaches the city, Grace learns that Charlotte is the most hunted vampire in Wide Island. The city vamps want her blood, and the angels are after her soul. Grace gets caught in the crossfire of a battle she never wanted, but to win one war, she has to fight another. 

Torn between the one she gave up everything for, and the one who sacrificed everything for her, Grace has to face Charlotte, and the past, if she wants to fight for her future. But how can she fight for someone who doesn’t want to fight for her? 

Every choice Grace makes becomes a battle, and in every battle someone has to die.

My Thoughts:
I have read book one, and the novellas K.A. also released, so I was eager to get stuck into this next installment.
To start off, we see Seth stuck in the In-Between with Angelica. It feels kind of jumpy, and a little confusing as Josh is shot up, then sent away. I felt a bit like I missed a chunk where Josh has slept with Grace and is suddenly in Wide Island. Maybe I just need to read the end of book 1 again, or one of the novellas. Either way, I was kind of confused at first, but I did get over it.
The first half, I'd say, is much slower than the first book. As it jumps between Grace and Josh, I feel like we kind of go in circles as they keep missing each other. But when things do finally happen, they really happen. The second half definitely moves along and gave plenty of action.
I'll keep reading this series for sure, and hope Grace and Seth end up together with a nice HEA! Oh, and Archer too, because he's great.

Follow the Deceptive Cadence Blog Tour!

Follow the tour for reviews, interviews, excerpt and even a playlist! And check out the tour giveaway for plenty of great books up for grabs.
So far, you can stop by these blogs for all the fun:
Cassandra Page - Excerpt
Michelle Hoehn - How she met Cadence
Yolanda Renee - Spotlight and Dancing in the Athenian Rain Cover Reveal
Grant Eager - Excerpt
Michael Cristiano - Interview
Melody Winter - Interview
Summer Weir - Playlist
That's it for now! Keep an eye out for more this coming week.

Blog Tour: Not Every Girl by Jane McGarry

Author Interview with Jane McGarry 1.      Where did you get the idea for Not Every Girl?
Stories about knights, castles and adventure were always favorites of mine, so that was the jumping off point. First, I had the idea of this strong female protagonist and what her experience would be in a world full of men. I wanted her to be strong, but have enough self-doubt to resonate with readers as authentic. Of course, both character and plot evolved in different ways as I wrote, and not always in the manner I expected. But, the end result is more or less what I originally imagined.
2.      What inspired you to become a writer?
I’ve always love to read. When I was young, I might imagine a story had a different ending or plot twist. Eventually, I started creating my own stories, but always thought the idea of publishing a book was just a dream. Over the years, I read voraciously and found that I enjoyed the young adult genre. The idea for Not Every Girldeveloped and I finally decided the time had come to give the “dream” a shot. 
3.      Of the writing process, what do you enjoy most?
I love the limitless possibilities to create stories and worlds. The excitement when you start a new project and all the elements are half-formed waiting to be hammered out into something that does the idea in your brain justice. (Of course, that’s when the hard stuff starts!)
4.      What is your top writing tip for new writers?
I am asked this a lot and my answer is simple—write.  There will never be a perfect time, life will always try to get in the way.  But, if you write something—anything—you can always go back and edit it. You can’t edit a blank page.  If you just manage to get a small bit down every day, over time it will add up to something substantial.
5.      What are you working on right now?
Right now I am working on the sequel to Not Every Girl. Now that she has proved herself in battle, Olivia has some new troubles to work through with Liam. It is exciting to be able to continue their story and I look forward to sharing it with everyone.











Amazon buy link :http://www.amazon.com/Not-Every-Girl-Jane-McGarry-ebook/dp/B00WT7DQTY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1430843851&sr=8-1&keywords=not+every+girl Barnes & Noble buy link :http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/not-every-girl-jane-mccarry/1121956265?ean=2940151388603 GoodReads link:  https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13857680.Jane_McGarry Author website :http://www.janemcgarrybooks.com/ You Tube Book Trailer :https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pgI3NW02qgk Facebook link :https://www.facebook.com/pages/Jane-McGarry-Author/712005068914626 Twitter link :https://twitter.com/JMcGarryauthor Instagram link :https://instagram.com/janemcgarryauthor/ Pinterest link :https://www.pinterest.com/janem0378/ a Rafflecopter giveaway