Blog Tour: Forsaken Teaser +Giveaway

Today is another teaser for a blog tour by YA Novel Reader! I'm really excited to have time to read and review this one! Lets see what y'all think!



Title: Forsaken A Daughters Of The Sea Novel

Author: Kristen Day

Publisher: Self Published

Pages: 268

Official Blurb:

Once you’ve been touched by darkness, it never leaves you…

Abandoned by her parents as an infant; seventeen year old Hannah spent her childhood wading through countless foster families until being adopted by the Whitmans three years ago. Unfortunately, Atlanta’s high society wasn’t quite ready for Hannah…or the strange events that plague her.

Chilling visions of murder, unexplained hallucinations, and a dark, mysterious guy who haunts her nightmares all culminate to set in motion a journey of self-discovery that will challenge everything she’s ever believed; not to mention her sanity.

Sent to live at The House of Lorelei on Bald Head Island, NC for ‘kids like her’, Hannah quickly realizes things are not what they seem. Her fellow ‘disturbed’ teens are actually the descendents of mythical Sea Gods and Goddesses. And so is she.

But when Finn, the ghost from her dreams, appears in the flesh; her nightmares become reality and her dark visions begin coming true. Inexplicably drawn to him, she can’t deny the dangerous hold he has on her heart. The deadly secrets he harbors will ultimately test her courage and push the boundaries of her love.

She must decide if she is ready to embrace the ancient legend she is prophesized to be a part of. The fate of all the descendents will forever depend upon it.

About Kristen Day:

Kristen Day is a southern belle at heart with a crazy streak that desperately tries to escape at every opportunity.  She loves all things nostalgic, rustic, and quirky.  She’s been told she sees the world through rose-colored glasses, but she prefers to think of them as kaleidoscope glasses - swirling and morphing reality into something she can digest (who hasn't pretended those pasty lima beans were really kiwi strawberry jelly beans?). 

She is the author of the DAUGHTERS OF THE SEA trilogy, which includes FORSAKEN, AWAKEN (Oct 2012), and CHOSEN (Winter 2012).  She loves all books, but really enjoys writing young adult, paranormal romances.  She’s loved to write for as long as she can remember.  Her first published work was her poem RED in second grade (you guessed it - it was a poem about the color red - life altering, right?) that won her 5 gold stars and a spot in her elementary school's poetry book. That's when her addiction to the written word officially began.  She was the only kid in fifth grade that actually enjoyed diagramming sentences. Go ahead and laugh - its okay.

When she’s not writing she’s making jewelry, painting, feeding her addiction to sweet tea, watching the Discovery Channel, or going on random adventures in the mountains of North Carolina with her amazing husband. She was born in Boone, NC and graduated from Appalachian State University with a degree in Marketing in 2001. 

Author’s Links

Buy Link: Nook
Buy Link: Kindle

Goodreads
Blog
Twitter
Facebook

Teaser:

I registered the icy cold first – a slow, painstaking ache felt all the way down to my soul.  The realization that I was swimming at a dangerous depth came next, followed by an absolute and suffocating panic.  The pressure around my body had become utterly relentless, and my lungs screamed for oxygen.  Suspended in the darkness, I couldn’t see anything except for a thin ribbon of silver appearing in my line of sight.  Slithering side to side, twisting and turning, it taunted me.  I froze as it slowly wrapped around my neck, leaving a trail of icy pin pricks across my bare skin.  It continued down my body – encasing me in fear.  All of the sudden, it tightened with such force that the small amount of the air I did have in my lungs was forced out.  As I heard the sickening crack of bones and felt a paralyzing pain searing through my body, I knew no amount of struggling would help.

Unable to do anything but watch the last of my oxygen bubble up to the surface above, I tried to come to terms with what was about to happen.  I was going to die. Completely alone and scared, I was going to drown in this darkness.

Unbelievably, just as quickly as it had locked around me, I was released.  Looking around frantically, I braced myself for another attack, only to find a pair of piercing blue eyes watching me.  The same deep blue eyes I’d seen in so many other dreams glared back at me with something resembling rage.

“Why are you here?” I barely heard his next words as my lungs began burning and my vision blurred. “Your soul will never survive.”

He turned abruptly and my vision cleared just enough to catch a glimpse of the horrors lurking behind him.  Hundreds of silver ribbons quickly morphed and twisted into shadowy human forms.  They turned in my direction in unison and descended upon me.

I bolted upright, my heart relentlessly hammering against my chest.  Warm water surrounded me, but it was of the bubbly, lavender scented sort, not the cold, murky darkness I had just come from.  I was still in my bathtub.  No wonder I had dreamed I was drowning. Shaking my head, I tried to erase the vivid memory of it.  Unfortunately those eyes - his eyes - never fade.  They’ve haunted my dreams for years. 

I rolled my eyes at my own unruly imagination and slid down into the tub, so my head and shoulders were the only things above the thick layer of bubbles.  My heart rate eventually slowed and I began to think straight again.  I closed my eyes and tried to relax…

“Hannah Elizabeth Whitman!!!”  So much for the slow heart rate.  I rocketed back into a sitting position, covering myself with my hands.

“You scared the crap out of me, Dee!”  Doris Whitman stepped all the way into the steamy bathroom.  The smell of baby powder and freesia followed her in.  She shook her head at me, “You’ve been in there so long I swear I can hear your fingers and toes wrinklin’ up.  Now get washed up and get dressed – we’re gonna be late!” 

            “I’m hurrying, I’m hurrying.” I mumbled as she walked back downstairs, already giving out orders to the rest of the family. 

            I decided I’d rather hide under the blanket of soapy bubbles and try really hard to disappear into an alternate universe, instead.  Submerging my body completely underwater, a smile crept across my face as the sound of the outside world instantly became muted.  All I could hear was the faint lapping of the water on the sides of the tub, my own beating heart, and a faint melody tickling at my ear drums.  It reminded me of wind chimes blowing in the wind….wait.  Wind chimes?  I listened harder and heard them again; this time louder and something else… like someone singing… 

With ninja-like speed, I jumped out of the claw foot tub in one swift movement and stared down at the water in shock.  I tried to convince myself I was just hearing things.  There were no wind chimes hiding in my bathtub.  I’d just add that to the long list of weird things that had been happening to me over the last couple of years.  That list was getting way too long for my taste.

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As I'm sure a few of you noticed, Ms. Day has decided to have a giveaway! She's offering the chance for 7 people to win a free e-book copy of Forsaken. Just enter with this Rafflecopter and good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Are you excited to check this one out? Have you already read it? What are you thinking?

Blog Tour: The Mosswoods Teaser

Author Astrid Yrigollen has stopped by with an excerpt from her book The Mosswoods.

Official Blurb:

Poppy Mosswood like most 17 year olds wants to lead a normal life. But the Mosswood family is anything but normal. Keepers protect the land from humans who would exploit it. For in the forest dwell wondrous creatures and dangerous beings. Beings that would love nothing more but to overthrow all of mankind.

Ruthless billionaire Preston Buckthorn moves to town planning to marry Poppy to his son Brad. Brad wastes no time trying to win her heart but his love is warped by the taint that runs in his blood.

As Poppy is taken in by Brad's charms the appearance of a handsome stranger from the forest awakens her heart even though it is forbidden by both their worlds. From his long dark green hair to his piercing eyes, Ashtel is beautiful and powerful. He feels the danger that has emerged to threaten both of their worlds.Torn between pledging herself as a Keeper, Brad and Ashtel, Poppy is unaware of the true identity of Preston Buckthorn and that his sinister plan includes much more then just owning Mosswood forest.

About Astrid Yrigollen:

Astrid Yirgollen is a self published Author of Young Adult and Children's books. Astrid started her writing career when she begun work for the international video game giant, Segaof America. Working her way up the ranks, she began writing companion guides for games. With a love for writing fiction since childhood, she took her short stories out of storage and had her first story ever written published. It was only after that she found out that first stories are never published!

She has resumed writing full time and has succeeded in putting out the titles,

The Doughnut Tree, Mysterious Pootkins, and The Mosswoods to name a few. Her short stories have appeared in the literary "Threshold Press" and Shock and Awe Magazine.

She finds writing for young adults both refreshing and challenging. She always wishes to provide examples of positive role models, conflict resolving methods and communication for young adults with their parents or guardians.

New Release

July 10,2012

Her newest book release, "The Zombie Playground: A Creature Compilation" is a collection of seven short stories geared towards young adults. In no way gory, but more realistic then her other works, Astrid attempts to magnify the human quality that we give some of our monsters and to let us remember that not all 'monsters' are bad.

Future Releases

Upcoming releases this year include two book length young adult titles, "

His Black Wings" and the sequel to "The Mosswoods", "The Uprising" due out in December 2012.

Contact

Astrid Yrigollen

Email:

mikomi6_2000@yahoo.com

Author Links:

Website
Library Thing
Goodreads
Facebook
Twitter
Purchase on Amazon
Purchase on Barnes & Noble

Excerpt:

“Who are you!? You smell like a Keeper but you don’t act like one!” It’s voice sounded like something between nails on a cheese grater and a garbage disposal left on too long. Poppy trembled from her place on the floor but could not answer. Poppy tried to gather her thoughts and what was left of her wits.

                This was surreal. This could not be happening.

                This… this was a Boarman!

                Finally it clicked within Poppy’s mind. This was the thing that her parents had warned her about. It was real. The Boarman bent slightly at the waist, unaware of her internal turmoil. He brought his hairy snout closer to her.

                “I shall eat you or feed you to my herd of piggy’s. “

                It seemed like this statement was made to gauge her reaction. When Poppy remained in her crumpled heap on the wet forest floor, a look of resolve crossed over the Boarman’s face.

                “Keeper or not, I shall eat you.”

                The Boarman reached one hammy fist out to pickup Poppy and presumably eat her when a dark form hurtled out of nowhere and leaped on to the Boarman’s fist. Poppy heard the sound of tearing flesh mixed with furious growling noises. Poppy found her voice.



Blog Tour: First Frost Teaser!

That's right, I disappear for ages, then come back with a blog tour! I had intended to post a review for my stop, but nothing worked and school made my life pretty hectic, so we decided on a teaser! I'm really excited about y'all getting to hear about this book! I hope y'all enjoy it! I hope to review this one (and others I got through later blog tours) sometime in the future!

Official Blurb:

For generations, the Frost family has run the Museum of Magical and Rare Artifacts, handing down guardianship from mother to daughter, always keeping their secrets to “family only.”

Gathered within museum’s walls is a collection dedicated to the Grimm fairy tales and to the rare items the family has acquired: Cinderella’s glass slipper, Snow White’s poisoned apple, the evil queen’s magic mirror, Sleeping Beauty’s enchanted spinning wheel…

Seventeen-year-old Bianca Frost wants none of it, dreaming instead of a career in art or photography or…well, anything except working in the family’s museum. She knows the items in the glass display cases are fakes because, of course, magic doesn’t really exist.

She’s about to find out how wrong she is.

About Liz DeJesus:

 

Liz DeJesus was born on the tiny island of Puerto Rico.  She is a novelist and a poet. She has been writing for as long as she was capable of holding a pen. She is the author of the novel Nina (Blu Phi'er Publishing, October 2007) and The Jackets (Arte Publico Press, March 31st 2011). Liz is currently working on a new novel.

Author's Links:

Website

Facebook

Purchase First Frost

Teaser:

Mother and daughter looked into each other’s eyes for a brief moment. She felt ready to fight alongside her mother and actually be of some assistance. Bianca wanted to argue with Rose, but instead she reluctantly obeyed and went upstairs. She made it as far as the top of the steps.

“Come out, you coward!” Lenore shouted.

If there was one thing Bianca knew for sure, it was that her mother would never, ever back out of a fight. She slowly inched her way down the stairs. Rose stepped out of the house and was far away from the safety of her wards. Bianca tried to call as little attention to herself as humanly possible. She duck-walked across the living room until she was directly underneath the broken window. She peeked every now and then to watch her mother in action.

“Where’s the book?” Lenore asked.

“Where is my husband?” Rose demanded.

“How about we make a trade? Your husband for the book,” Lenore said.

Rose remained silent. Bianca knew that somewhere in her mother’s mind she was seriously considering trading whatever book Lenore was talking about for her father.

“You’re not getting anywhere near that book,” Rose replied.

Lenore snarled and contorted her face in anger as she created a fireball and threw it at Rose.

She created a wall of water around her, and the fireball vanished with a hiss. She then used the water that surrounded her and attacked her adversary.

Lenore used an ice spell and froze the water, and caused it to crash all around her with soft clinks.

“You have to learn to control your brat. I can smell her better now that she’s downstairs,” Lenore said and then cackled.

“You shut your filthy mouth about my daughter,” Rose shouted.

“Want to come out and play, little one?” Lenore taunted.

“Bianca! Stay inside the house. Do you hear me?!”

“Mom, let me help,” Bianca pleaded.

“You do as I say!” Rose snapped.

Bianca’s heart skipped a beat as she ducked underneath the window. She knew she was safe inside the house because of the wards. Bianca risked a peek at the battle, and the witches were fighting viciously. They were both putting everything they had into their spells and doing everything in their power to destroy each other.

Lenore had Rose trapped in a small tornado. Bianca could see her bright red hair whipping in every direction imaginable as her mother struggled to counter the spell. It was enough time for the dark witch to reach in and take something out of her pocket. Lenore pulled out a tiny glass vial and drank a black potion that swam inside the container.

What is that?

Lenore flashed her sharp yellowed teeth at Bianca and then turned her attention to Rose. Bianca turned her gaze to her mother and saw that she had finally countered Lenore’s tornado spell. Lenore took a deep breath and then blew black fire at Rose. The dark flames took on the shape of a sinister dragon.

Bianca gasped; she had never seen anything so menacing in her life. The dragon’s yellow eyes zeroed in on Rose. It chuckled as it looked upon her. It launched itself at her mother and wrapped itself around her body. The dragon pried Rose’s mouth open and shoved its clawed hand down her throat.

“No!” Bianca shouted. The blood in her veins froze, her stomach dropped, and her heart leaped to her throat. She watched in horror as her mother did everything she could to fight off Lenore’s monster…and failed.

“Mom!” Bianca dashed to the front door and stopped herself from running into the front yard.

Lenore had kicked Rose in the stomach and grabbed a fistful of her red hair. The smoke dragon took away Rose’s voice. She was now mute. She looked like a fish out of water as she tried to cast a counter spell, but it was no use. The damage had been done. Her mother had lost her voice and the battle. Rose turned her green eyes to Bianca.

“There, now we can have a little chat…no interruptions. Come on out here and sit with me a while,” Lenore said. The false saccharine in her voice was obvious.

Rose shook her head violently. Bianca knew what her mother wanted her to do. She wasn’t sure she could obey Rose’s request to stay inside the house now that she was in danger of losing her life.

I can’t just sit here and do nothing. God…what do I do? What do I do?

“Come here!” Lenore roared as her face contorted with rage, making her look uglier and older than she actually was. Lenore yanked on Rose’s hair so hard she opened her mouth as though she were screaming…except no sound came out of her lips.

© Liz DeJesus 2012

How does that sound? Do you think you'll check out First Frost? Have you read it? What did you think?

Coexist: A Book Review

Coexist by Julia Crane
Published: June 2011
Buy: Amazon or E-book
Format: E-book
Source: Smashwords

I grabbed this book off Smashwords thinking it sounded like a good idea, so I sad down and read it rather quickly. I wasn't blown away, but it was good and it kept my attention. The plot was a good idea, but I felt the execution was a little lacking as was the character development. There were also a couple of typos, but those could be over looked.

Coexist is the story of a young elf named Keegan. She is living, mostly, seamlessly in the human world biding her time until she turns 18 and can meet her chosen, her one true mate. Little does she know the war between the Light and the Dark is nipping at her heels, her chosen, Rourk, is secretly protecting her, and the war will change everything she ever thought to be true.

As short as that description is, I feel that it is an accurate summary of the events. This novel is less than two-hundred pages with not too much story to it. My initial reaction when finishing the book was excitement and annoyance, but with further thought and calming down from the action, I realized there wasn't much there. The main character, Keegan, was underdeveloped and I felt she was unlikable in her naivety and perfection. The secondary character, such a Keegan's friends, are picked up and dropped as they are needed. I dislike losing characters or character traits simply because it's no longer of use. I feel the story could use a lot more thought and planning.

That's not to say I didn't like the book. I did, while I was reading it. I really did like Thaddeus, Keegan's younger brother. He was interesting and a nice character. I feel he acted responsibly, but not unrealistically, given his age and role in the book and war. I also liked Richard, Keegan's father. And, of course, Keegan's chosen, Rourk. They were all much more developed and likable than Keegan herself. I would love to hear the story from Thaddeus's point of view.

Over all, I'm giving this book a three-star rating because it was decent enough to keep me interested and invested in the relationship between Keegan and Rourk, but I really was not impressed at all by the style or the character development. I probably will not choose to pick up the second book. In truth, I wouldn't have picked this one up were it not free. It's worth the read if you have the time or nothing else to read and you like fantasy novels, but do not expect anything extravagant or well thought out.

Have you read Coexist? What did you think? Think I'm being too critical? 

Do you think the standard for free/self-published e-books is much lower than for printed books?