Sorcha O'Dowd's Blog, page 57
November 22, 2013
Book Blitz ~ ‘Alive’ by Megan D. Martin
Alive by Megan D. Martin
(Crave #1)
Publication date: November 22nd, 2013
Genres: New Adult, Post-Apocalyptic, Romance
Synopsis
Flesh-eating zombies, dirty sex, and a shattered past…
What’s more dangerous—the man who broke her heart or those trying to eat it?
Fighting to survive, Eve finds herself alone in the world after the Crave—the only parallel of her former life. On the hunt for her sister, she runs into Gage—the first and only boy to have her heart and break it. It’s been four years and he isn’t a boy anymore, nor is he the same person he used to be. Against her better judgment, Eve agrees to stay with him when he divulges information on a safe haven near the small town they grew up in—but that doesn’t mean she has to like it…
Returning home elicits a myriad of emotions that both Eve and Gage thought they had buried. The past and present collide and they are forced to the face bitter deceits that ruined them in the before and threaten to destroy them now…
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Excerpt
“Come here,” he whispered, barely recognizing his own voice. He heard her movement in the dark, the rustling of leaves against the thick soles of her boots. His hand slipped down her arm and he reveled at the smooth skin.
“Don’t touch me.” The harsh words were a shock to his system. She jerked her arm away and scooted away from him. What the hell?
“Eve—”
“Go to sleep. I’ll keep watch.”
He took a deep breath trying to get his rioting emotions under control. “How do I know you won’t try to kill me while I sleep?”
“You don’t.”
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Buy ‘Alive (Crave #1)’
~ Amazon UK ~ Amazon US ~ Smashwords ~
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GIVEAWAY
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About the Author:
Megan D. Martin is a multi-published author, mother, student and editor. In her spare time she enjoys decorating her house with strange things that do not match, playing her old school Nintendo Entertainment System, and buying fish for her many fish tanks.
Follow Megan
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November 21, 2013
Release Day and Book Review ~ ‘So Fell the Sparrow’ by Katie Jennings.
RELEASE DAY
November 21st 2013 ~ ‘So Fell the Sparrow’ by Katie Jennings.
SYNOPSIS
A skeptic, a ghost hunter, a tech genius, and a medium. Will the spirits win?
After the tragic death of her parents, Dr. Grace Sullivan inherits more than she bargained for. An empty house she’s never heard of, a nosy neighbor, and the restless spirits of a violent, century old murder.
A hard-nosed skeptic, Grace refuses to believe in ghosts despite hearing sounds and seeing things that can’t be explained.
When she unearths antique furniture from the basement, the spirits become agitated and dangerous. Ian Black and Alex Gallagher, a team of ghost hunters, come in to investigate.
Still denying the paranormal events in her home, Grace can’t bring herself to take the ghost hunters or the psychic medium who teams up with them seriously. As Grace struggles with her grief and the feelings she’s developing for headstrong Ian, the disturbing mystery of the house deepens. Now she’ll have to face the unbelievable before the spirits claim her for their own.
Book Review ~ ‘So Fell the Sparrow’ by Katie Jennings.
I always feel a bit apprehensive before reading a ghost story, and not for the reason you might think. Rather than being worried that I’ll find myself too scared to sleep, I often find myself grumbling at how unaffected I am by the ghostly activities. Despite me being very imaginative it always takes brilliant storytelling and the author being able to really set the scene in a realistic way that makes the fear factor so much higher for me. I had no doubt before reading ‘So Fell the Sparrow’ that Katie Jennings with her fabulous storytelling and brilliant characters, would deliver a fantastic and chill inducing ghost story that would have me quivering in the night, and sleeping with my bedside lamp on.
The heroine of our story is Dr. Grace Sullivan, a character who from the first page is incredibly real. I love flawed and bruised characters as it really helps me as a reader connect with the character’s feelings. Grace’s strict scientific philosophy, completely opposite to Ian’s passionate belief in the paranormal, gave a real contrast in how people view the world, and gives a reminder to readers that we shouldn’t be so quick to judge others beliefs. The tension between Grace and Ian was brilliantly done with their stubborn nature having me both laughing and groaning as I longed to bash their heads together, bless them! Such an amazing couple, with great chemistry. I loved them!
Jackie’s character is one that really interests me. I adored getting glimpses into her background and the problems that having a gift can cause when others don’t understand it. I loved the relationship she had with Alex, and really liked having another girl to keep Grace company. The boys with their ghost busting gear, whilst adorable and nerdy as they were, were a bit too ‘boys with their toys’ for Grace’s liking, so it was great to see how her relationship with Jackie kept her both grounded yet skittish, as Jackie’s ‘gift’ became more real to her. It was a brilliant storyline that saw Grace really develop as a character as she began to struggle between being alone, or having friends that she didn’t connect with spiritually.
The way that Katie Jennings wrote the ghost scenes was spectacular. There were times when reading this book that I couldn’t sleep at night afterwards, which gave me a real thrill that I haven’t experienced since seeing ‘The Woman in Black’ on stage (I did not sleep for a week after seeing that). There was one scene in particular that really struck with me, and that was the prologue, where we see young Sally, a dead girl who cries through the window at her parents when they leave the house and her memory behind. This was the perfect introduction to the story, and had me turning the page to Chapter One without a second thought. All other aspects of the ghost story line were perfect. The story had obviously been very well researched, giving enough information to have us clued up on the technical aspects of ghost hunting without making it an information dump. Having Grace’s less than impressed reaction at the hunting display they made in her basement. The mystery behind which spirits in the house are the most restless and feeding off the fear that they cause was haunting and had me in suspense the whole book.
At risk of giving anything away, I will end with just saying that I cannot recommend this book enough. It is definitely a favourite of mine, and is such a wonderful, intriguing and of course romantic read. Katie Jennings has done it again!
5 stars!
Buy ‘So Fell the Sparrow’
Follow Author Katie Jennings
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November 18, 2013
Book Blitz ~ ‘East of Eden’ by Lee Strauss!
~ Book Blitz ~ ‘East of Eden’ by Lee Strauss ~
East of Eden by Lee Strauss
Publication date: November 12th, 2013
Genres: Contemporary, New Adult, Romance
~ SYNOPSIS ~
Regret is a formidable foe. Eden Kelley is the primary caregiver for her mother who’s in the advanced stages of Alzheimer’s disease, and she’s only twenty-four. Not what she planned to do when she left her husband for a new start with her four-year-old daughter in tow. She’d hoped for free babysitting, but instead she found a mystery. The discovery of an erroneous marriage document leads to more questions, and unfortunately Eden can’t ask her mother for answers because she doesn’t remember.
Her mother’s antics drive her crazy, but Eden’s determined to make the best of it. That includes finding the exciting romantic adventure she’d dreamed about. But when trouble knocks, it’s her husband Cade who arrives to help. It’s awkward and tense. And Eden comes to one sure conclusion: leaving her handsome, caring husband was a huge mistake.
Her parents had a second chance at love? Would she and Cade get one, too?
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~ BUY ‘EAST OF EDEN’ ~
~ Amazon UK ~ Amazon US ~ Kobo ~ Smashwords ~
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~ EXCERPT ~
“So how did they—” he cleared his throat stiffly, “—get back together?”
A beat. It had happened for her parents. Could it happen for them?
“I don’t know, but they did. They never did stop loving each other.” It was little more than a whisper. Despite two pieces of gum, her throat was dry and constricting. She sipped her tea, conscious of her shaky hand. The kitchen clock ticked obtrusively, a time bomb about to explode.
Why couldn’t she tell him the truth about how she felt? The invisible fist grabbed her throat again, threatening to cut off her supply of oxygen if she were to admit to any weakness. Because maybe he didn’t feel the same way. Could she deal with his rejection right now?
Cade sat back in his chair. His eyes narrowed to that deep gaze again. Eden’s mind swirled with desire and regret. Was he waiting for her to say she was wrong? She was wrong, but the demon that held her throat wouldn’t let her say it aloud. Even if she did manage to get the words out, what if he blew her off? Told her what was done, was done?
“I guess we should call it a night, eh?” she said with a thin quivering voice.
“I guess.” His tone was challenging. Somehow she knew the ball was in her court. Where would he sleep tonight? She wanted him to reach for her to ask her one last time to come back to him. She would. She would a thousand times over.
But he said nothing, just pinned her down with his eyes. Eden’s heart pounded so hard she was sure Cade could see it beat through her shirt. She stood abruptly, moving away from him to the counter. She grabbed a dishcloth and wiped an already clean countertop.
Cade got up from the table and walked steadily towards her. His eyes were like tractor beams and she couldn’t break his gaze. She gripped the counter behind her to keep from crumbling to the ground. She wanted him to grab her and shake her like a fabled caveman out to claim his woman. Her pulse roared and heat exploded through her body. His mouth was inches away, his breath hot on her cheek. She willed him to kiss her.
The moment passed and Cade stepped back. She should’ve kissed him. She should’ve grabbed him by the back of the neck and lay one on him. She wanted to, but he’d turned away to pluck his jacket from the chair, and the spell was broken. She stared at the floor feeling weak and brainless.
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~ GIVEAWAY ~
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~ AUTHOR INTERVIEW ~
I hear there is a story behind the story of East of Eden? Can you tell us about that?
East of Eden is a back list book meaning it was once published traditionally and went out of print. It was published in 2000 by a German Publishing company in the German language. I made major revisions to the original version including a title change, character name changes. I also deleted scenes, wrote new scenes and moved scenes around. This is the first time it has been available in English and I’m happy to have it out there.
Is that why it’s set in 1990?
Yes. I wrote the early drafts in the 1990s (so the setting is authentic!) I didn’t update it because the mystery involved depends on this time frame.
What’s with the funny spelling?
The story is set in Vancouver, BC and being a Canadian myself I decided with this book I would stick with Canadian/British spelling.
So is this a love story or a mother/daughter story?
Both. East of Eden is a romance with strong themes of regret, forgiveness and second chances. It’s also a family drama where Eden learns how to look beyond her own needs and wants, and what it means to love unconditionally, especially when it comes to her mother.
5. Do you have any personal experience with loved ones and Alzheimer’s disease?
My grandmother passed away from complications due to Alzheimer’s disease. I remember the first time she didn’t remember who I was, what that felt like. How I’d lost opportunity to ask her questions about her past. She kept asking me over and over again if my baby was a boy or a girl. It was heartbreaking.
6. What’s next for Lee Strauss?
I’m really excited about my next project, a collection of stand-alone contemporary romance companion books set in the singer-songwriter world called The Minstrel Series. The first book Sun & Moon is set in Dresden, Germany about a risk-taking singer-songwriter whose world collides with a brooding uptown banker. The books will include mp3 links from songs written by talented Indie songwriters whose songs feature prominently in the books. It’s a unique opportunity to collaborate with the Indie Music scene. Sun & Moon will be out Jan 27. Pre-orders are available on iTunes, Kobo and Barnes & Noble
~ AUTHOR BIO ~
Lee Strauss writes historical and science fiction/romance for upper YA and adult readers. She also writes light and fun stuff under the name Elle Strauss. To find out more about Lee and her books check out her facebook page. Follow her on Twitter https://twitter.com/elle_strauss to find out about new releases sign up for her newsletter at www.ellestraussbooks.com
~ Follow Author Lee Strauss ~
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November 6, 2013
Stone of Destiny By Laura Howard
Reblogged from Krystal Clear Book Reviews:
Stone of Destiny (The Danaan Trilogy #2)
by Laura Howard
Release Date: 12/31/13
Cover is designed by Najla Qamber Designs
Allison thought it was crazy enough when she found out her father, Liam, wasn't entirely human. But now she has to join his magical allies to unravel his former mistress's plans. Aoife wants to keep Allison's parents apart forever.
Despite Allison's efforts to keep Ethan, the only guy she's ever cared about, out of this supernatural mess, fate keeps throwing him back into the mix.
Gorgeous cover revealed for 'Stone of Destiny' by Laura Howard
