Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tour, Review, & Giveaway: Goddess Born (Kari Edgren)



Publication Date: May 29, 2014
Carina Press
eBook; ISBN: 9781426898365

Genre: Historical/Fantasy/Paranormal/New Adult

2013 RWA Golden Heart© Finalist
2011 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award semifinalist
The power to heal is her divine gift, the fear of discovery, her mortal curse.
Selah Kilbrid is caught between two worlds. A direct descendant of the Celtic goddess Brigid, she is bound by Tuatha Dé law to help those in need. Yet as a human, she must keep her unique abilities hidden or risk being charged for a witch. In 1730 Pennsylvania, the Quaker community of Hopewell has become a haven for religious freedom—and fanaticism—and there are those who would see her hanged if the truth were revealed.
For eighteen years, Selah safely navigates the narrow gap between duty and self-preservation, until the day a prominent minister uncovers her secret. Obsessed with her power, Nathan Crowley disregards her betrothal to a distant cousin from Ireland and demands marriage in exchange for his silence. Selah stalls for time, but when news reaches the Colonies of her cousin’s death, time has run out.
Rather than submit to Nathan, Selah coerces a stranger to pose as her husband. It’s a good plan—her only plan—even though Henry Alan harbors his own dark secrets. But when she returns to Hopewell a married woman, the real fight has just begun. As unseen forces move against her, Selah doesn’t know which poses the greater danger—a malignant shadow closing in from outside or the internal fire that threatens to consume her heart.
Book Two in the Goddess Born series will be published in November 2014 and Book Three in June 2015.

Buy the eBook

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Carina Press

Kari Edgren did not dream of becoming a writer. Instead, she dreamed of everything else and was often made to stay inside during kindergarten recess to practice her letters. Despite doting parents and a decent school system, Ms. Edgren managed to make it through elementary school having completed only one book cover to cover – The Box Car Children, which she read approximately forty-seven times. Things improved during high school, but not until she read Gabrielle Garcia Marquez’s One Hundred Years of Solitude in college, did she truly understand the power of a book.
Ms. Edgren aspires to be a Vulcan, a world-acclaimed opera singer, and two inches taller. She resides in the Pacific NW where she spends a great deal of time torturing her husband and children with strange food and random historical facts. Ms. Edgren hasn’t stopped dreaming, but has finally mastered her letters enough to put the stories on paper.
For more information please visit Kari Edgren's website. You can also find her on Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads.
Sign Up for Kari Edgren's Newsletter.

GREAT plot!!! Loved this book! Set in the late 1600's in Pennsylvania this book had it all...witchcraft, romance, and mystery! Selah Kilbrid comes from a long line of "healers". Her grandmother and mother had both meet an early death...now attempts are being made on Selah's life. Why is this happening?! Now that Selah's father has dies all she has left is the staff from her families estate, Brighmor. Can she trust all of them with her secrets?! I loved the ending! Left the reader hanging a little bit and definitely wanting to know what will happen to Selah next! I give this one 4.5 stars!     

Goddess Born Blog Tour Schedule

Monday, September 22

Review at Peeking Between the Pages

Tuesday, September 23

Review at By the Book Reviews

Spotlight at Passages to the Past

Wednesday, September 24

Review at The Readers Hollow

Interview at Manga Maniac Cafe

Thursday, September 25

Review at Book Babe

Friday, September 26

Review at Curling Up With a Good Book

Sunday, September 28

Spotlight & Excerpt at Casual Readers

Monday, September 29

Review at Unabridged Chick

Review at The Mad Reviewer

Tuesday, September 30

Review at Oh, for the Hook of a Book!

Interview & Giveaway at Unabridged Chick

Wednesday, October 1

Review & Excerpt at Book Lovers Paradise

Thursday, October 2

Review at Books, Etc.

Review at 100 Pages a Day - Stephanie's Book Reviews

Friday, October 3

Review at So Many Books, So Little Time

Monday, October 6

Review at Bookish

Guest Post at Historical Fiction Connection

Tuesday, October 7

Spotlight & Giveaway at The Flashlight Reader

Wednesday, October 8

Review at A Bookish Affair

Thursday, October 9

Review at The True Book Addict

Friday, October 10

Review at CelticLady's Reviews

Monday, October 13

Review at Book Nerd

Interview at The Maiden's Court

Tuesday, October 14

Review at I'd So Rather Be Reading

Wednesday, October 15

Review at Let Them Read Books

Thursday, October 16

Review at A Book Geek

Guest Post at Historical Tapestry

Friday, October 17

Review at Historical Tapestry

YA Bound Blog Tour, Review, & Giveaway: Finding Mr Darcy (Erin Butler)

Click here for Tour Page and Schedule!!!

Finding Mr. Darcy: High School Edition
by Erin Butler
Release Date: 09/16/14Swoon Romance

Sixteen-year-old Liza Johnson takes fangirl to a whole new level of crazy when she decides to take dating advice from her literary hero: Jane Austen.
With the help of her best friends, Liza sheds her ancient-speak and complete Austen wardrobe for something a bit more modern in an attempt at finding her very own Mr. Darcy.
Enter Will, the new kid and Liza's Darcy incarnate. Add her BFF's ex to mix and the sexy Brit who kisses with an accent, and Liza is in trouble.
So, what's a girl to do? Without her mom to go to relationship advice, Liza turns to the only person she can truly trust with matters of the heart via her mother's copy of COMPLETED WORKS OF JANE AUSTEN.
It's too bad Austen's heroines have never played Spin the Bottle or Seven Minutes in Heaven. Liza's determined to find her true Austen-esque happy ending, but if she can't trust herself instead of books, she just might end up in her own tragic love story. 

Buy Links:

Amazon 

Erin Butler is lucky enough to have two jobs she truly loves. As a librarian, she gets to work with books all day long, and as an author, Erin uses her active imagination to write the kinds of books she enjoys reading. Young Adult and New Adult books are her favorites, but she especially loves the ones with kissing scenes.Erin lives in Central New York with her very understanding husband, a stepson, and doggie BFF, Maxie. She prefers to spend her time indoors reading and writing, but will venture out for chocolate and sunshine. She is the author of BLOOD HEX, a YA paranormal, HOW WE LIVED, a contemporary New Adult novel, and FINDING MR. DARCY: HIGH SCHOOL EDITION, a contemporary YA.

Author Links:

http://www.erinbutlerbooks.com/

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3273590.Erin_Butler

https://twitter.com/ErinButler

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Erin-Butler/222797011068049

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Blog Tour Organized by:

YA Bound Book Tours

2014 YA Debut Authors Bash, Interview, & Giveaway: Compulsion (Martina Boone)

Welcome, YA Reads America tour readers! My post features Martina Boone's debut novel called Compulsion. I am utterly  and completely obsessed with Compulsion!! It is one of my top favorite books of 2014!! 

Make sure you click on the rafflecopter link at the bottom of the page to enter an phenomenal giveaway!!!  and thanks to YA Reads for putting on the Debut Authors Bash!

Hardcover, 448 pages
Expected publication: October 28th 2014 by Simon Pulse

Three plantations. Two wishes. One ancient curse.
All her life, Barrie Watson has been a virtual prisoner in the house where she lives with her shut-in mother. When her mother dies, Barrie promises to put some mileage on her stiletto heels. But she finds a new kind of prison at her aunt’s South Carolina plantation instead--a prison guarded by an ancient spirit who long ago cursed one of the three founding families of Watson Island and gave the others magical gifts that became compulsions.
Stuck with the ghosts of a generations-old feud and hunted by forces she cannot see, Barrie must find a way to break free of the family legacy. With the help of sun-kissed Eight Beaufort, who knows what Barrie 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. 

Purchase Links

Amazon * Barnes & Noble * Kobo 

Martina Boone was born in Prague and spoke several languages before learning English. Her first teacher in the U.S. made fun of her for not pronouncing the "wh" sound right, so she set out to master "all the words”—she's still working on that! In the meantime she’s writing contemporary fantasy set in the kinds of magical places she'd love to visit. 
If you like romance dripping with mystery, mayhem, Spanish moss, and a bit of magic, she hopes you'll look forward to meeting Barrie, Eight, Cassie, Pru, Seven and the other characters of Watson Island.

Website * Twitter * Facebook 

Adventures in YA Publishing * Tumbler 

Strong Heroines Don’t Always Carry Swords

by Martina Boone

I love strong girls, in life and in fiction. But just as courage requires fear, true strength is forged from weakness. If a girl is raised to believe she can do anything, in a world that lets her do anything and be anyone she wants to be, in theory, there are no impediments to her becoming a strong woman. Unfortunately, that’s not the world we live in.

There are too many girls whose lives are a quiet desperation of confinement, either physical or metaphorical. They are restricted by their environment, their gatekeepers, and even, sometimes, by each other. We think that only happens in other countries, other cultures, and it’s true that women are increasingly at risk in some places in the world compared to others. But its still a universal problem. There’s a reason Sheryl Sandberg, CEO of Facebook, wrote Lean In and started the “Lean In” movement. There’s a reason that Emma Watson is speaking up for women as a U.N. Women Global Goodwill Ambassador and has launched a new campaign asking women AND men to become feminists. One of the reasons she gives is that:

“I started questioning gender-based assumptions when at eight I was confused at being called ‘bossy,’ because I wanted to direct the plays we would put on for our parents—but the boys were not.”

Have you encountered that? I have. And I wanted to create a character who would make us think about what that means.

Even the most progressive societies perceive both physical and mental strength differently in men and women. A woman who charts her own course and stands up for herself is called a bitch—often by other women. A woman who challenges the status-quo is often called unlikeable.

My daughter has a learning disability. I started writing Young Adult fiction because she and I read fiction it together. I wrote Compulsion for her, for real girls, for girls who are afraid when they look outside into the world they will enter when they go off to college or into the workplace. For girls who scrape up their courage to believe in themselves despite their fear and set off to do things they know won’t be easy. Even though people may not like them for it. Even though they may fail.

Strength begins with failure. Having the courage to put yourself out there and fail, having the courage to embrace failure as a path to growth, requires far more strength than playing it safe.

Whatever we do in life, we have to own it. That’s what Compulsion is about.

Barrie, my protagonist, is a girl who has been so sheltered, she has no idea who to trust.  She craves love and acceptance and pursues it, sometimes against her better judgment, but that’s her fatal flaw. It’s the lesson she has to learn, but even when she’s wrong, she pursues her beliefs and decisions with intent. She isn’t afraid to argue with people. She fears losing her aunt’s approval, but she pursues a friendship with her cousin Cassie anyway. Eight is gorgeous and seemingly interested in her, but she risks that by standing up to him when he tries to tell her what to do. She resents the fact that she WANTS to give in to their desires instead of her own, and that solidifies her resolve to go after what she believes is right. She’s often wrong. She makes mistakes. Boy does she make mistakes, but don’t we all when we step out of our comfort zones?

I love Barrie. She’s a grieving, naive, confused mess of a soul when we meet her. Despite having a gift for finding lost things, she’s the one who’s lost. But she’s stubborn and determined to try her wings, even if she makes mistakes. And that makes her strong.

That strength, even more than the magic of Watson Landing, is what lets her find herself. Falling in love with the island, and with Eight Beaufort (who is a bit lost himself), and her Aunt Pru (who is very lost), feeds that fledgling strength and gives her the courage to fight, to grow. She grows so much in Compulsion as she unravels the mysteries of the plantation and her tangled family, but that’s only the beginning of her journey.

Barrie’s strength is forged from doubt and weakness, and as the books in the trilogy progress, she is growing into the kind of young woman who can not only conquer the world, but even more importantly, into the kind who can hold a world together.

Barrie doesn’t carry a weapon. She is a weapon. And so is any girl or woman who thinks for herself and has the courage to stand up for herself.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Waiting On Wednesday: The Girl of Midnight (Melissa Grey)

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

Breaking the Spine

and spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Hardcover, 368 pages
Expected publication: April 28th 2015 by Delacorte Press

For readers of Cassandra Clare's City of Bones and Leigh Bardugo'sShadow and Bone, The Girl at Midnight is the story of a modern girl caught in an ancient war.
Beneath the streets of New York City live the Avicen, an ancient race of people with feathers for hair and magic running through their veins. Age-old enchantments keep them hidden from humans. All but one. Echo is a runaway pickpocket who survives by selling stolen treasures on the black market, and the Avicen are the only family she's ever known.
Echo is clever and daring, and at times she can be brash, but above all else she's fiercely loyal. So when a centuries-old war crests on the borders of her home, she decides it's time to act.
Legend has it that there is a way to end the conflict once and for all: find the Firebird, a mythical entity believed to possess power the likes of which the world has never seen. It will be no easy task, but if life as a thief has taught Echo anything, it's how to hunt down what she wants . . . and how to take it.
But some jobs aren't as straightforward as they seem. And this one might just set the world on fire. 

What book are you looking forward to in 2015???

I Am A Reader Book Blast & Giveaway: Thirty-Two GoingOn Spinster (Becky Monson)

Thirty-Two Going on Spinster by Becky Monson Julia Dorning is a spinster, or at least on the road to becoming one. She has no social life, hates her job, and lives in her parent’s basement with her cat, Charlie.
With the arrival of Jared Moody, the new hire at work, Julia’s mundane life is suddenly turned upside down. Her instant (and totally ridiculous) crush on the new guy causes Julia to finally make some long-overdue changes, in hopes to find a life that includes more than baking and hanging out with Charlie.
But when the biggest and most unexpected change comes, will the new and improved Julia be able to overcome it? Or will she go back to her spinster ways?

Purchase your copy for just $2.99!!

Amazon * Barnes & Noble * iTunes * Kobo

  Praise for Thirty-Two Going on... Spinster   "Oh my, oh my. I have just finished wiping the tears of laughter from my eyes. This is seriously funny." ~Julie Darley (Never judge a Book by its Movie) "This was a refreshing change of pace for me to read. Some good clean romance was found in it’s pages and that is a rare find these days. It was some great chick-lit. I would not have thought this was Becky’s debut book, it was so well done." ~Liberty Ann (SnifferWalkBooks)

  Author Becky Monson By day, Becky Monson is a mother of three young children, and a wife. By night, she escapes with reading books and writing. In her debut novel, Becky uses humor and true-life experiences to bring her characters to life. She loves all things chick-lit (movies, books, etc), and wishes she had a British accent. She has recently given up Diet Coke for the fiftieth time and is hopeful time will last... But it probably won't. Becky runs a large book club on Facebook called "This Chick Reads".  

Facebook * Website * Twitter * Pinterest * Goodreads * Blog

 

BookBlast Giveaway

$50 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash Ends 9/30/14 Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from 

I Am A Reader and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

  a Rafflecopter giveaway

I Am A Reader Blog Tour & Giveaway: For Love and Country (Elizabeth D Michaels)

Tour Schedule

For Love and Country When A Man Is Torn Between Honoring His Country And The Woman He Loves, The Best Option Might Be To Choose Both.   When Maggie du Woernig willfully ignores her parents’ admonitions and entangles herself with Nik Koenig, she is certain he’s the only man who will make her happy. Blind to Nik’s real intentions, she throws herself recklessly into a situation that could not only destroy her life but compromise the safety of her country.   Han Heinrich has resigned himself to working in the castle stables, mostly as an excuse to have contact each day with Maggie. His aspirations for a more fulfilling career seem fruitless, in spite of his father’s position as the duke’s highest advisor. But when Han learns about Maggie’s precarious situation, he is willing to sacrifice everything to protect the woman he loves, and to save the country he would die for. He only hopes that someday Maggie will forgive him.

Purchase your copy:

Amazon * Barnes & Noble

iTunes * Google Play * Kobo

  Praise for The Horstberg Saga: I completely enjoyed this book. The character development is fantastic. The author has a great sense of emotional storytelling that wraps you into the story as if you know,and can fully relate to the characters. This is the kind of story that touches the heart and the spirit. Well done. I look forward to the next chapter in the Horstberg Saga. This book kept me so interested, I had a hard time putting it down. Suspense, love without smut, emotions that so relate to everyday life. This author touched on it all. Such in depth understanding of human emotions with the characters. Firstly, I loved that this was a VOLUME! And what a great story to really sink my teeth into and get settled in with for more than just one sitting! Well written and thoroughly satisfying.

  Author Elizabeth D. Michaels Elizabeth D. Michaels began writing at the age of sixteen, immersing herself ever since in the lives created by her vivid imagination. Beyond her devotion to family and friends, writing has been her passion for nearly three decades. While she has more than fifty published novels under the name Anita Stansfield and is the recipient of many awards, she boldly declares The Horstberg Saga as the story she was born to write, with many volumes in the works. She is best known for her keen ability to explore the psychological depths of human nature, bringing her characters to life through the timeless struggles they face in the midst of exquisite dramas.

Website * Blog * Facebook

  Blog Tour Giveaway

$25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash Ends 10/5/14 Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. 

  a Rafflecopter giveaway

Me, MyShelf, and I Blog Tour, Review & Giveaway: Mistress of Lies (Holly West)

Click here for Tour Page and Schedule!!!

London, 1679
Isabel, Lady Wilde, mistress of King Charles II, has made a good living disguised as fortune teller Mistress Ruby, counseling London's elite. But after the murder of one of her customers, business has taken a downturn, and Isabel is on the verge of accepting the king's offer to move into the palace.
Isabel's plans are interrupted when a beggar girl named Susanna shows up at her home, claiming to be her niece. Isabel always believed that her older brother, Adam, died alone during the plague. When Susanna reveals that Adam was actually murdered, Isabel is compelled to take up an impossible task: discover the truth about her brother's death, twelve years after it happened.
Isabel's investigation leads her through the gamut of London society, from bear-baiting matches and brothels to the realm of wealthy bankers. But as she uncovers her brother's dark secrets, Isabel begins to wonder whether the past is better left buried, especially when uncovering the truth could lead to her own funeral.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22602631-mistress-of-lies?from_search=true

B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/mistress-of-lies-holly-west/1119740520?ean=9781426899058

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Mistress-Lies-Fortune-Holly-West-ebook/dp/B00KV62MPE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1411390105&sr=8-1&keywords=mistress+of+lies

Holly West is a crime fiction writer based in Los Angeles. Her short stories appear in several anthologies and her debut historical mystery, MISTRESS OF FORTUNE, will be published by Carina Press in 2014.

WEBSITE

WOW!!! This book had so many secrets it was hard to keep track! I love a good mystery and I love the setting for this book, London 1660's and 1670's. I am amazed and intrigued by stories of times long ago! This book definitely delivered a great story! Lady Wilde, Isabel was not going to let anyone know she may be falling on hard times. She was still a mistress to the King of England and she had a reputation to uphold! But when I young girl calming to be her niece showed up she knew everything was about to change! Isabel needed answers and she was not giving up until she had them! I would highly recommend this book! Loved it! I give it 5 stars!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

YA Reads Book Blitz & Giveaway: Who We Were (Christy Sloat)

Who We Were by Christy Sloat

Published 9/15/2014

Publisher: Anchor Group Publishing

Purchase from Amazon

“Who we were had washed away with the summer. Who we are was yet to be seen.” Summer school at Alcott High was only supposed to gain Sadie Peters extra credit, nothing more. Her goal wasn’t to make friends, or gain the attention of the most popular football player, yet she managed both. Her life was cruising along on course … until that summer. Could a simple stint in a different school change her identity completely and introduce her to love for the first time? How would that affect her relationship with Lily, her best friend? Hopefully their friendship was strong enough to make it through the tumultuous summer. Sadie learns that great things come with change, but sometimes memories of the past are hardest to part with.

Christy Sloat is a SoCal born girl who resides in New Jersey currently with her husband, two daughters and Sophie her Chihuahua. Christy has embraced the love of reading and writing since her youth and was inspired by her grandmother’s loving support. Christy passes that love of reading, writing, and creativity to her daughters, family, and friends. When you do not find Christy within the pages of a book you can find her being mommy, wife, crafter, and dear friend. She loves adventurous journeys with her friends and can be known to get lost inside a bookstore. Be sure to venture into her Past Lives Series, The Visitor’s Series, and watch for many more exciting things to come. Check out her website www.christysloat.com Blog http://christysloat.blogspot.com/, Facebook: Christy Sloat Author www.facebook.com/christysloatauthor. Twitter: ChristySloat

I entered the lunchroom and met Nash at the same table as yesterday. He gave me a huge smile but that was all. No hug or kiss on the cheek. Okay, fine. I set down my lunch tray that held pizza, an apple and an orange juice. Not exactly healthy but I tried. Nash sat with me and ate his pizza but he didn’t engage in conversation with me. Instead he sat and talked to Oliver and some other kid named Henry, who I learned played ball with them. I was secure enough to realize that Nash and I weren’t a couple. We were just getting to know each other. So, I would just need to cool it and not get upset by his ignoring me. I mean really was he ignoring me on purpose or perhaps just busy with his guy friends? I chose the latter. “Oh, you sit here too?” I looked up to see the shaggy haired boy sit across from me. I scowled at him and said, “I was invited to sit here. Why are you here?” I dropped my pizza on my plate and realized I had an audience. All the boys at my table were now watching me engage in a fight with this rude ass across from me. “Last I checked this was my teams table. Is that okay with you or should I ask Nash for permission?” What a complete jerk-face! “So I see you’ve met Nolan, my brother.” Nash laughed. “Wait! What? This kid is your brother?” I asked confused. Nolan laughed and said, “The one and only Nolan Rylan at your service. Twin brother of the oh so fabulous Nash Rylan. And before you say ‘but you don’t look like him’ it’s because we’re not identical twins.” I found myself with my mouth hanging open and closed it quickly. I couldn’t believe it. Nash had a twin brother. The more I stared at Nolan the more I noticed slight similarities in their appearance. Nash had dark hair and so did Nolan. Their smiles were the same; big white teeth grins. Their eye color wasn’t the same though. Nash’s were crystal blue and Nolan’s were honey brown. Nash dressed casual like his personality, easy going. Nolan was crisp and clean. And from his personality, it didn’t seem to match. He really threw me when he put on his glasses and pulled out our homework assignment right there at the table. He leaned back, ignoring me with ease, and read. I couldn’t help but stare at him. He wasn’t a football player. No way. “You play football?” I inquired. He looked up from his book and I felt a strange sensation. The other guys went back to talking and ignoring me. “Why is that hard to believe? Do I look like a nerd to you?” I looked at his body. No. Not really. He was fit enough. But he was slightly nerdy. Between his well-manicured nails to his brown high end shoes, it was hard to picture him in a football uniform. “You just dress so…so,” I struggled. “So, nicely perhaps? Not like a jock, I know. But thanks for noticing.” He pulled his book higher and did as the other boys did; ignored me. Excerpt from Who We Were by Christy Sloat © Anchor Group Publishing  

The Book Trailer:

1 swag pack open to a US winner 3 ebooks of Who We Were by Christy Sloat open INT

  a Rafflecopter giveaway