Tuesday, August 30, 2016

Rockstar Book Tours Blog Tour, Review, & Giveaway: And The Trees Crept In (Dawn Kurtagich)


28449150Title: AND THE TREES CREPT IN
Author: Dawn Kurtagich
Pub. Date: September 6, 2016
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Pages: 352
Formats: Hardcover, eBook, audiobook

A stunning, terrifying novel about a house the color of blood and the two sisters who are trapped there, by The Dead House author Dawn Kurtagich

When Silla and Nori arrive at their aunt's home, it's immediately clear that the "blood manor" is cursed. The creaking of the house and the stillness of the woods surrounding them would be enough of a sign, but there are secrets too--the questions that Silla can't ignore: Who is the beautiful boy that's appeared from the woods? Who is the man that her little sister sees, but no one else? And why does it seem that, ever since they arrived, the trees have been creeping closer?
Filled with just as many twists and turns as The Dead House, and with achingly beautiful, chilling language that delivers haunting scenes, AND THE TREES CREPT IN is the perfect follow-up novel for master horror writer Dawn Kurtagich.



Find it:


Dawn KurtagichDawn Kurtagich is a writer of creepy, spooky and psychologically sinister YA fiction, where girls may descend into madness, boys may see monsters in men, and grown-ups may have something to hide. Her debut YA novel, The Dead House, is forthcoming from Orion/Indigo (UK) and Little, Brown Books for Young Readers (US) in 2015.

By the time she was eighteen, she had been to fifteen schools across two continents. The daughter of a British globe-trotter and single mother, she grew up all over the place, but her formative years were spent in Africa—on a mission, in the bush, in the city and in the desert.
She has been lucky enough to see an elephant stampede at close range, a giraffe tongue at very close range, and she once witnessed the stealing of her (and her friends’) underwear by very large, angry baboons. (This will most definitely end up in a book . . . ) While she has quite a few tales to tell about the jumping African baboon spider, she tends to save these for Halloween!

When she was sixteen, she thought she'd be an astronomer and writer at the same time, and did a month-long internship at Cambridge's prestigious Cavendish Laboratories.

She writes over at the YA Scream Queens, a young adult blog for all things horror and thriller, and she is a member of the YA League.
Her life reads like a YA novel.







The first time I read about And The Trees Crept In I knew I had to read it. Everything about this creepy story jumped out at me and I couldn't wait to dig in. Not only was the synopsis of this story intriguing but the cover is amazing as well! What a creepy and  intricate cover that just grabs the readers attention.

And The Trees Crept In is a psychological thriller that will keep readers guessing till the last page.  It is a haunting story about two young girls , Silla and Nori, that go to stay at their aunts house in the middle of  dark, scary woods and learn about a "man" who stays in the woods and whom no one else can see. 


This young adult horror book is so different, creepy, and yet very unique. The story is told from Silla's point of view and also through diary entries throughout the book. I found this very interesting and the diary entries really kept my attention but at some times they became confusing and I wasn't sure who was writing the entries. 

There are so many psychological twists and unexpected turns in this book and when  you think you know what is happening...another twist is thrown in the story. It would be so easy to give away the plot of this story so I will keep it simple..If you like a good mystery with a creepy dark haunted house and a scary mysterious man in the woods ....then this book is for you! I was definitely intrigued by the uniqueness of this story and will be reading future books written by Dawn Kurtagich! 








3 winners will receive a finished copy of AND THE TREES CREPT IN, US Only.






Tour Schedule:

Week One:

8/29/2016- Lisa Loves Literature- Interview

8/30/2016- Curling Up With A Good Book- Review

8/31/2016- Bookish Fangirl- Guest Post

9/1/2016- NovelKnight- Review

9/2/2016- Once Upon a Twilight- Interview




Week Two:

9/5/2016- Pretty Deadly Reviews- Review

9/6/2016- Ohana Reads- Guest Post

9/7/2016- Such a Novel Idea- Review

9/8/2016- Bookish Lifestyle- Interview

9/9/2016- A Dream Within A Dream- Review






Saturday, August 27, 2016

5 Star ARC Review: The Dollhouse (Fiona Davis)

28504574The Dollhouse
Author: Fiona Davis
Publisher: Dutton Publishing
Published Date: August 23, 2016




"The Dollhouse. . . . That's what we boys like to call it. . . . The Barbizon Hotel for Women, packed to the rafters with pretty little dolls. Just like you."

Fiona Davis's stunning debut novel pulls readers into the lush world of New York City's glamorous Barbizon Hotel for Women, where a generation of aspiring models, secretaries, and editors lived side-by-side while attempting to claw their way to fairy-tale success in the 1950s, and where a present-day journalist becomes consumed with uncovering a dark secret buried deep within the Barbizon's glitzy past.
When she arrives at the famed Barbizon Hotel in 1952, secretarial school enrollment in hand, Darby McLaughlin is everything her modeling agency hall mates aren't: plain, self-conscious, homesick, and utterly convinced she doesn't belong—a notion the models do nothing to disabuse. Yet when Darby befriends Esme, a Barbizon maid, she's introduced to an entirely new side of New York City: seedy downtown jazz clubs where the music is as addictive as the heroin that's used there, the startling sounds of bebop, and even the possibility of romance.
Over half a century later, the Barbizon's gone condo and most of its long-ago guests are forgotten. But rumors of Darby's involvement in a deadly skirmish with a hotel maid back in 1952 haunt the halls of the building as surely as the melancholy music that floats from the elderly woman's rent-controlled apartment. It's a combination too intoxicating for journalist Rose Lewin, Darby's upstairs neighbor, to resist—not to mention the perfect distraction from her own imploding personal life. Yet as Rose's obsession deepens, the ethics of her investigation become increasingly murky, and neither woman will remain unchanged when the shocking truth is finally revealed. 







Fiona   Davis
Fiona was born in Canada and raised in New Jersey, Utah and Texas. She began her career in New York City as an actress, where she worked on Broadway, off-Broadway and in regional theater. After 10 years, she changed careers, working as an editor and writer and specializing in health, fitness, nutrition, dance and theater.

She’s a graduate of the College of William and Mary and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism and is based in New York City. She loves nothing better than hitting farmer’s markets on weekends in search of the perfect tomato, and traveling to foreign cities steeped in history, like London and Cartagena. THE DOLLHOUSE is her first novel.







This book had everything I could possibly want in a story!! A historic building in New York, mysterious past, romance and surprising twist! Earlier this month I visited Litchfield, CT so I felt an immediate connect to the characters in this story. I loved how Rose got so engrossed in the history of the building she was living in and the past of the ladies that still lived there. 

I could hardly wait to find out what happened in the year 1952 between Darby, Esme and Sam. Hard to believe this is Fiona Davis first novel. Amazing story line! I would highly recommend picking this novel up! Loved it! 5 stars!!!





PRAISE FOR THE DOLLHOUSE

A TIME Magazine Summer Reading Pick
A Publishers Weekly First Fiction Pick
An August LibraryReads Pick



"Davis's impeccably structured debut is equal parts mystery, tribute to midcentury New York City, and classic love story . . . Darby and Rose, in alternating chapters, weave intricate threads into twists and turns that ultimately bring them together; the result is good old-fashioned suspense."
— Publisher's Weekly, starred review



“Fans of Suzanne Rindell’s Three-Martini Lunch will enjoy this debut’s strong sense of time and place as the author brings a legendary New York building to life and populates it with realistic characters who find themselves in unusual situations.”
— Library Journal



"Rich in both twists and period detail, this tale of big-city ambition is impossible to put down."
—People Magazine, Book of the Week


Wednesday, August 24, 2016

Waiting On Wednesday: Hunted (Meagan Spooner) & Frostblood (Elly Blake)



Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event that is hosted by Jill at 

and spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.



Hunted (Meagan Spooner)
24485589
Author: Meagan Spooner
Book: Hardcover, 352 pages
Expected publication: March 14, 2017
Publisher: Harper Teen


Beauty knows the Beast’s forest in her bones—and in her blood. Though she grew up with the city’s highest aristocrats, far from her father’s old lodge, she knows that the forest holds secrets and that her father is the only hunter who’s ever come close to discovering them. 


So when her father loses his fortune and moves Yeva and her sisters back to the outskirts of town, Yeva is secretly relieved. Out in the wilderness, there’s no pressure to make idle chatter with vapid baronessas…or to submit to marrying a wealthy gentleman. But Yeva’s father’s misfortune may have cost him his mind, and when he goes missing in the woods, Yeva sets her sights on one prey: the creature he’d been obsessively tracking just before his disappearance. 

Deaf to her sisters’ protests, Yeva hunts this strange Beast back into his own territory—a cursed valley, a ruined castle, and a world of creatures that Yeva’s only heard about in fairy tales. A world that can bring her ruin or salvation. Who will survive: the Beauty, or the Beast?







Frostblood (Elly Blake)

Author: Elly Blake
Book: Hardcover, 384 pages
Expected publication: January 17, 2017
Publisher: Little Brown Books For Young Readers


Seventeen-year-old Ruby is a fireblood who must hide her powers of heat and flame from the cruel frostblood ruling class that wants to destroy all that are left of her kind. So when her mother is killed for protecting her and rebel frostbloods demand her help to kill their rampaging king, she agrees. But Ruby's powers are unpredictable, and she's not sure she's willing to let the rebels and an infuriating (yet irresistible) young man called Arcus use her as their weapon. All she wants is revenge, but before they can take action, Ruby is captured and forced to take part in the king's tournaments that pit fireblood prisoners against frostblood champions. Now she has only one chance to destroy the maniacal ruler who has taken everything from her and from the icy young man she has come to love. 

Fast-paced and compelling, Frostblood is the first in a page-turning new young adult three-book series about a world where flame and ice are mortal enemies—but together create a power that could change everything. 









What book are you looking forward to??

Tuesday, August 23, 2016

Release Day Blast for Persuasion Paperback by Martina Boone & GIVEAWAY!!!!






Compulsion (Book One of Heirs of Watson Island)



Compulsion (The Heirs of Watson Island, #1) 

Simon & Schuster, Simon Pulse ISBN: 18732883



Three plantations. Two wishes. One ancient curse.



Three hundred years ago, an ancient spirit cursed one of the founding families of Watson Island and gave the other two magical gifts that became compulsions. Arriving for the first time at her aunt’s plantation home, Barrie Watson finds herself haunted by the ghosts of a generations-old feud and hunted by forces she can’t see. With the help of Eight Beaufort, who seems to know what she wants before she knows herself, the last Watson heir starts to unravel her family's twisted secrets. What she finds is dangerous: a love she never expected, a river that turns to fire at midnight, a gorgeous cousin who isn’t what she seems, and very real enemies who want both Eight and Barrie dead.



RT Book Reviews Top Pick & Editor’s Best ~ USA TODAY Must-Read Paranormal ~ Goodreads Best Books of the Month & YA Best Books of the Month







Persuasion (Book Two of Heirs of Watson Island)



Persuasion (The Heirs of Watson Island, #2) 

Simon & Schuster, Simon Pulse ISBN: 148141125X



As reporters chasing rumors of a stolen shipment of Civil War gold descend on Watson Island, Barrie Watson discovers more is buried at Colesworth Place than treasure. A mysterious, magical man claims the key to the Watson and Beaufort gifts and the Colesworth curse also lies beneath the mansion, and Barrie has no option but to help him find it. While she and Eight Beaufort struggle to make sense of the escalating danger and their growing feelings for each other, Barrie must decide not only whom to trust, but which gift is more reliable—Eight’s or her own. With the fate of the founding families at stake, she has to choose between what she feels deep in her heart and what will keep her loved ones safe.











Illusion (Book Three of Heirs of Watson Island)


Illusion (The Heirs of Watson Island, #3) 

Hardcover, 10/25/15

Simon & Schuster, Simon Pulse ISBN: 1481411306



Caged by secrets all around her and haunted by mistakes that have estranged her from Eight Beaufort, Barrie Watson is desperate to break the curse that puts her family in danger—without breaking the beautiful magic that protects Watson’s Landing. To do that, she must heal the rifts that have split the families of the island apart for three hundred years, unravel the mystery of the Fire Carrier and the spirits he guards, and take control of forces so deadly and awe-inspiring they threaten to overwhelm her.



With the spirits that cursed Watson Island centuries ago awake and more dangerous than ever, she finds an unlikely ally in the haunting and enigmatic Obadiah, whose motivations and power she still can’t read—or trust. His help comes at a price, however, plunging Barrie into a deadly maze of magic and wonder, mystery and intrigue that leads through history to places she never imagined she could go. 

















Martina Boone was born in Prague and spoke several languages before learning English. She’s the acclaimed author of the romantic southern gothic Heirs of Watson Island series, including Compulsion (Oct ’14), Persuasion (Oct ’15), and Illusion (Oct ’16), from Simon & Schuster, Simon Pulse. She’s also the founder of AdventuresInYAPublishing.com, a three-time Writer’s Digest 101 Best Websites for Writers Site, and YASeriesInsiders.com, a site dedicated to encouraging literacy and reader engagement through a celebration of series literature. She’s on the Board of the Literacy Council of Northern Virginia and runs the CompulsionForReading.com program to distribute books to underfunded schools and libraries.She lives with her husband, children, a sheltie puppy, and a lopsided cat, and she enjoys writing contemporary fantasy set in the kinds of magical places she’d love to visit. When she isn’t writing, she’s addicted to travel, horses, skiing, chocolate flavored tea, and anything with Nutella on it.














GIVEAWAY (U.S. ONLY)

Win THE JEWEL and THE WHITE ROSE by Amy Ewing, REBEL BELLE by Rachel Hawkins, and BLOOD MAGIC by Tessa Gratton along with a COMPULSION FOR READING t-shirt and a signed set of COMPULSION, PERSUASION, and ILLUSION charm bookmarks.

Enter by 9/20.





Tuesday, August 16, 2016

Put Me In The Story Personalized Books Blog Tour, Review, & Giveaway: Fancy Nancy Tea Parties (Jane O' Conner & Robin Preiss Glasser)

Book: Fancy Nancy Tea Parties
Author: Jane O' Conner & Robin Preiss Glasser
Hardcover, 40 pages
Publish Date: June 23, 2009
Publisher: HarperCollins

$29.99 Hardcover Personalized Book


You're invited
Join in the fun with hostess extraordinaire Fancy Nancy! With a little imagination, you too can create an exquisite tea party that is perfect for your friends and family.
R.S.V.P. oui, oui, oui!






Jane O’Connor is an editor at a major publishing house and has written more than seventy books for children, including the New York Times bestselling Fancy Nancy series, which is comprised of over 50 titles so far. She resides (that’s a fancy word for lives) in Manhattan with her husband, Jim. Her two grown sons have fled New York, however, and are both living in Los Angeles. - See more at: https://www.fancynancyworld.com/creators#sthash.a3pdMhNO.dpuf



Robin Preiss Glasser wore tiaras and tutus when she danced as a soloist with the Pennsylvania Ballet. Now she happily spends her days in jeans, drawing. She has illustrated many acclaimed picture books, including the now classic and beloved Fancy Nancy series. In 2013, she won the Children’s Choice Award for Best Illustrator of the Year for Fancy Nancy and the Mermaid Ballet. Robin lives in Southern California with her husband, Bob, and two children, Sasha and Ben. - See more at: https://www.fancynancyworld.com/creators#sthash.a3pdMhNO.dpuf







Fancy Nancy Tea Parties is the perfect book for any little girl! The book is full of activities for little girls to do with their friends or even their parents! They can have their own tea parties and it even tells them how to decorate and prepare for their tea parties! 

~ Review by Ava (8 year old girl) ~
 "I like that it teaches you how to make stuff and I like that it teaches you how to talk in French. Thank you so much for getting to review this book!"









Tour-Wide Rafflecopter Giveaway to win a Fancy Nancy Tea Party Kit!

Fancy Nancy Tea Party Kit Includes:
· Personalized copy of Fancy Nancy Tea Parties
· Personlized TuTu Basket
· Feather Boa
· Children’s Tea Set





Release Day Blitz & Giveaway: UNKNOWN (Wendy Higgins)

Today I am so excited to share one of my favorite authors, Wendy Higgins, new NA book called Unknown! This is her first NA book and I am personally SOOO excited to read it! I have loved ALL of Wendy Higgin's books and for her to branch out into the NA world is just so exciting!!

Check out below for more information about Unknown, Wendy Higgins, and an AMAZING giveaway!!


28821675


Amber Tate believes the worst thing she’ll suffer in life is dealing with the unrequited love she feels for her brother’s best friend, Rylen Fite. She also believes war is something unfortunate that happens places far, far away from her rural Nevada town. She’s wrong on both counts.
When an unknown organization meticulously bombs major cities in the United States and across the globe, a trickle-down effect spreads to remaining towns at an alarming speed—everything from food and water sources to technology and communications are compromised. Without leadership, the nation is split between paralysis and panic, but Amber isn’t one to hide or watch helplessly. She’s determined to put her nursing skills to use, despite the danger, even if it means working alongside the man she can never have.
In this first installment of NY Times bestselling author, Wendy Higgins’s debut New Adult series, a frighteningly realistic apocalyptic America is brought to life, entwined with searing romantic tension that will leave you eager for more.


Amazon * B & N  * Kindle * iTunes * Kobo






Wendy Higgins is the USA Today and NY Times bestselling author of the SWEET EVIL series from HarperTeen, the high fantasy duology THE GREAT HUNT, and her independently published Irish Fantasy SEE ME.
After earning a Creative Writing degree from George Mason University and a Masters in Curriculum and Instruction from Radford, Wendy taught high school English until achieving her dream job as a full-time writer.
Wendy lives on the Eastern Shore of Virginia with her husband, daughter, son, and little doggie Rue.




Open International:

Grand Prize: Signed Paperback copy of Unknown with Poster, bookplate stickers, and bookmarks

1st & 2nd Prize: digital copies of Unknown (has to be B&N or Amazon user - will be gifted via their email address) plus signed bookmarks and bookplate stickers






Sunday, August 7, 2016

Rockstar Book Tours Pre-Release Blitz & Giveaway: The Flame Never Dies


I am super excited to be a part of this pre-release blitz to help spread the word that THE FLAME NEVER DIES, the second book in Rachel Vincent’s The Stars Never Rise series, is releasing on August 16th!

For those that are already caught up on this series, the wait is (almost) finally over! For those that haven’t yet met Nina Kane or discovered the dark and dangerous world she lives in, there’s still time to catch up - and a really sweet deal (details below) that will make you want to move this series to the top of your reading pile!

Scroll down to learn more about THE FLAME NEVER DIES and THE STARS NEVER RISE, the author, Rachel Vincent, and to enter the giveaway for a chance to win a signed hardback set of these two amazing books!

And for even more peeks at the fab content being shared throughout the blitz - shareable quotation graphics, excerpts and an interview - look for other blogger participants now through August 15th on social media #TheFlameNeverDies.

AND...


THE STARS NEVER RISE goes on sale!

In anticipation of the upcoming release of THE FLAME NEVER DIES, the publisher is dropping the price for the eBook version of the first book in the series - THE STARS NEVER RISE! So if you haven’t yet discovered this series, now is the perfect time!

Just head over to your favorite online e-tailer to look for THE STARS NEVER RISE with its newly lowered price or visit one of these online stores - AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE | iTUNES | GOOGLE PLAY | KOBO.

Please note that at the time of this post some stores may not yet have updated their sites to the promotional pricing. If they haven’t, be sure to check back for this awesome not-to-be-missed deal!

About THE FLAME NEVER DIES


Title & Series: THE FLAME NEVER DIES (The Stars Never Rise #2)
Author: Rachel Vincent
Release date: August 16, 2016
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Pages: 352
Formats: Hardcover, eBook

Description...

For fans of Cassandra Clare and Richelle Mead comes the unputdownable sequel to The Stars Never Rise, a book Rachel Caine, author of the bestselling Morganville Vampires series, called “haunting, unsettling, and eerily beautiful.”

ONE SPARK WILL RISE. Nina Kane was born to be an exorcist. And since uncovering the horrifying truth—that the war against demons is far from over—seventeen-year-old Nina and her pregnant younger sister, Mellie, have been on the run, incinerating the remains of the demon horde as they go.

In the badlands, Nina, Mellie, and Finn, the fugitive and rogue exorcist who saved her life, find allies in a group of freedom fighters. They also face a new threat: Pandemonia, a city full of demons. But this fresh new hell is the least of Nina’s worries. The well of souls ran dry more than a century ago, drained by the demons secretly living among humans, and without a donor soul, Mellie’s child will die within hours of its birth.
Nina isn’t about to let that happen . . . even if it means she has to make the ultimate sacrifice.


Quotes from THE STARS NEVER RISE

Check out just a few of the awesome quotes from THE STARS NEVER RISE! Feel free to grab and share them on your blogs, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest or other social media outlet using #TheFlameNeverDies!









About THE STARS NEVER RISE


Title & Series: THE STARS NEVER RISE (The Stars Never Rise #1)
Author: Rachel Vincent
Release date: June 9, 2015
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Pages: 368
Formats: Hardcover, paperback, eBook***

***See above for details on the promotional pricing of the eBook

Description...

Sixteen-year-old Nina Kane should be worrying about her immortal soul, but she's too busy trying to actually survive. Her town's population has been decimated by soul-consuming demons, and souls are in short supply. Watching over her younger sister, Mellie, and scraping together food and money are all that matters. The two of them are a family. They gave up on their deadbeat mom a long time ago.

When Nina discovers that Mellie is keeping a secret that threatens their very existence, she'll do anything to protect her. Because in New Temperance, sins are prosecuted as crimes by the brutal Church and its army of black-robed exorcists. And Mellie's sin has put her in serious trouble.

To keep them both alive, Nina will need to trust Finn, a fugitive with deep green eyes who has already saved her life once and who might just be an exorcist. But what kind of exorcist wears a hoodie?

Wanted by the Church and hunted by dark forces, Nina knows she can't survive on her own. She needs Finn and his group of rogue friends just as much as they need her.


About Rachel Vincent


Rachel Vincent is a former English teacher and an eager champion of the Oxford comma. She shares her home in Oklahoma with two cats, two teenagers, and her husband, who’s been her # 1 fan from the start. Rachel is older than she looks and younger than she feels, and she remains convinced that writing about the things that scare her is the cheapest form of therapy—but social media is a close second.



The Giveaway

Courtesy of the author, there is a blitz-wide giveaway for…
  • ONE (1) winner will receive a SIGNED hardback set of THE STARS NEVER RISE + THE FLAME NEVER DIES
Giveaway is US only. Must be 13 or older to enter. Giveaway ends on August 14th at 11:59 PM Pacific.

Enter in the Rafflecopter below...