mercoledì 25 luglio 2012

Book Tour: The Carny by Brooke Moss;[Excerpt]


Welcome to my stop for The Carny book tour! Todays I will offer you the
possibility to read an excerpt from the book:

One of his hands rested on my arm, closing the space between the two of us. “You deserve better friends.”
I didn’t respond. I just stared up at those two shining eyes that were reflecting my own face back at me. His face was coming closer to mine. My knees knocked together, and I wavered in my spot before his other hand came up to anchor my other arm.
“I think I should kiss you.” He raised his eyebrows. “To really drive the point home.”
His lips touched mine before I could agree with him. They were soft and full, and tasted faintly of the soda pop he’d been drinking. The spin cycle in my stomach came to a sudden and abrupt halt, as did all activity of my internal organs.
Everything froze. The music on the loudspeakers faded away, and the crowd around us melted like crayons, blurring into an undecipherable picture. His mouth parted my lips tentatively, and his tongue brushed the inside of my upper lip, sending a shockwave of catastrophic earthquake proportions up my spine. Every hair on my body stood up and the ground swayed under our feet.
When we pulled apart, both of our eyes opened back up sluggishly, as if we’d both been dreaming. I realized that neither one of us was breathing.
“Whoa…” He stepped back, tilting dizzily. He looked at me like I’d just announced the cure for cancer. “Charlotte Davenport.”
I pressed my fingers to my lips. “Vin Youngblood.”
“Hey, can we get this love story finished up?” A kid in line called out. “There’s a line clear around the ride, and you two are sucking face.”
I was suddenly the wallflower again, embarrassed to be in the spotlight. I squeezed through the gate and tromped along the noisy metal tilt-a-whirl floor for the car where Regina and Kasey watched with open mouths. My hair slid out from behind my ear, and shaded my face once again.

Title: The Carny
Author: Brooke Moss
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: July 7th, 2012
Format: eBook and Paperback
ISBN: Print: 978-0-9851483-1-7
Ebook: 978-0-9851483-2-4

Two people from opposite worlds, one unforgettable kiss. You can't judge a carny by its cover.
At a town fair on the coast of Oregon, handsome Native American carny, Vincent Youngblood, bestows an unforgettable kiss on shy, awkward teenager, Charlotte Davenport. Then disappears without another word, leaving her baffled and enamored.
Ten years later, Charlotte is still living in the small fishing town of Astoria, while being trained to--reluctantly--take over for her philandering hotelier father when he retires. After all, who else will do it? Her two perfect sisters are busy being married to their flawless husbands and having cookie cutter children, while Charlotte remains single, childless, and every bit as mousy as she was a decade ago.
As Charlotte struggles to climb out from underneath her judgmental parents thumb, the carnival rolls back into town, and Charlotte finds herself face to face with Vin again. He's back to run his father's carnival, walking away from a promising career in medicine he started in Chicago. Will her biased and judgmental family accept her relationship with a man who is not only a Native American, but works as a carny for a living? And what unsavory secrets bind the well-educated and seemingly superlative Vin to that ramshackle carnival? After all, you can’t judge a carny by its cover.

About the author:

Brooke Moss lives in beautiful eastern Washington state, with her nerdy husband, four dirty-faced children, and one dim-witted dog. When she’s not changing diapers and spinning tales, Brooke often changes the color of her hair, fancies herself a cheese aficionado, and as the mother of a child on the Autism Spectrum, enthusiastically supports autism awareness. She loves to write stories that are equal parts hilarious and heart-wrenching, and enjoys finding the love story in every ordinary couple’s past. Now…if she could just climb out from under that pile of dirty laundry.
Find Brooke elsewhere on the web at www.brookemoss.com and on Twitter at @BrookeMoss4.

Buy The Carny:
Buy from Publisher: http://www.inkspellpublishing.com/4/post/2012/03/the-carny.html

So, what do you think about The Carny?
I think is a wonderful romantic story, a must read for contemporary
romances' lovers! Have you read it yet? Are you planning to read it?
Leave me a comment! ^^



lunedì 23 luglio 2012

Blog Tour: Take This Regret by A.L Jackson; Guest Post + Excerpt + Give@way!

Take This Regret

Author: A.L Jackson
Published: 28th July 2011 by Sapphire Star Publishing.
Number of Pages: 242 more or less.
Format: eARC
Purchase: Amazon, Smashwords

From Goodreads:
There are some mistakes we make that we will regret for the rest of our lives. For Christian, it was the day he betrayed Elizabeth. ristian Davison has a plan for his life. He is determined to become an attorney and to one day take his place as partner in his father’s law firm. Nothing will stand in his way, not even Elizabeth Ayers and their unborn child. fter Christian cuts her from his life, Elizabeth spends the next five years struggling to provide for her daughter and willing to sacrifice anything to give her child a safe, comfortable life. For five years, Christian has regretted the day he walked away from his family and will do anything to win them back just as Elizabeth will do anything to protect her daughter from the certain heartache she believes Christian will bring upon them. hen Christian wrestles his way into their lives, Elizabeth is faced with asking herself if it is possible to forgive someone when they’ve committed the unforgivable and if it is possible to find a love after it has been buried in years of hate. Or are there some wounds that go so deep they can never heal? hey say everyone deserves a second chance.

My Review:
Take This Regret is a contemporary novel, written by the author A.L Jackson, that talks about the life of Christian, Elizabeth and Lizzie.  Five years ago, before Lizzie was born, Christian thought he had the perfect life, the one he had always dreamed about: he was attending the last year of University for becoming a lawyer and after his studies he would have worked for his father's firm. But most important of all, he has found an amazing girlfriend, intelligent, beautiful and with the same passion for law, Elizabeth, the woman he wanted to spend his entire life with. But when Christian is forced to face his girlfriend's pregnancy he discovers that maybe life wasn't quite as he has imagined it. Becoming a father would mean destroy his dreams and his ambitions and he's not ready to give up on everything he has worked for his whole life. So when he asks Elizabeth to choose between him and their daughter he's certain he has taken the right decision. But nothing is as it seems and when five years later he casually meets his daughter Lizzie, his only desire is to get in touch with his daughter. The mission is a very hard one because Elizabeth is not ready to forgive the man who had hurt her more than anyone;at the same time she's tempted by the vision of the three of them finally together, as a family. Will it be possible for Christian to repair to the mistake he has regretted his whole life? Will it be possible for Elizabeth to forgive the only man she have ever loved?

Well, when I've read the synopsis I thought that it was time for me to give a chance to contemporary romances. I really don't know how to express how I feel about this book because if I say that I didn't like it, that wouldn't be true, but at the same time I didn't enjoyed it as much as I thought I would. When I picked this book, I already knew it was quite an emotional read, full of romanticism, so, maybe not something I could have loved much, but there were some negative points that have nothing to do with my lack of romanticism.
- At first, the story was so slow, with no twists or events that upset the course of events. I felt like it was always the same: Elizabeth's feelings, Christian's feeling and stop, nothing more. There were a couple of unusual events which inverted the story but they were not well-developed or didn't really make a difference in the complexity of the book.
- I found a little bit annoying that sometimes a certain episode was counted by Christian's point of view and then, when the narration passes to Elizabeth that particular episode is retold by her point of view. Personally, I love reading about both the characters who are the protagonists of the story but I think that re-telling about the same episode creates an effect of repetition that I haven't particulary liked.
- Mmm maybe the story sometimes was a little bit too melodramatic, but I think this is completely subjective.

And now I think is really time to say what were the positive things in this book! In my opinion the author has a great talent in writing and I really liked her writing skills: I loved the concentration she took in describing her characters' feelings and emotions. I also think that the BASIC idea for the plot was a good one because in the end I was well interested in knowing about Christian and Elizabeth's future and especially I was really attracted by Lizzie's character; the problem was that sometimes the story was too FULL of emotions and this made it a little boring. As I was saying, I was really focused on Lizzie's character, probably my favourite in the book. I pictured her as an adorable little girl with big eyes with which she expresses all of her emotions; what I particulary liked about her was the incredible maturity she showed during all the struggles between her mother and her father and how she was able to understand them just like an adult would.

And in the end I chose to share with you one of my favourite quote from the book:

"I felt so unworthy of the affectiong she gave. She loved so freely, trusted so easily. Would she feel the same when the innocence of her mind faded away, when she understood the meaning of betrayal?"

Author Bio
A.L. Jackson first found a love for writing during her days as a young mother and college student. She filled the journals she carried with short stories and poems used as an emotional outlet for the difficulties and joys she found in day-to-day life.
Years later, she shared a short story she’d been working on with her two closest friends and, with their encouragement, this story became her first full length novel. A.L. now spends her days writing in Southern Arizona where she lives with her husband and three beautiful children. Her favorite pastime is spending time with the ones she loves. Publisher Website Twitter Facebook Blog
Publisher website
Twitter
Facebook
Blog

Guest Post with A.L Jackson: 10 tips for becoming an author.
Hey all! I’m A. L. Jackson, author of Pulled and Take This Regret.
I spent some time contemplating whether I wanted to focus on the overall picture and lifestyle of being a writer, or if I wanted to focus on craft. In the end I thought I’d give you a little of both.
So here it goes ~ A. L. Jackson’s 10 Tips to Becoming a Better Writer
1. Never give up. Yes, this is a general philosophy that can be applied to almost any passion, but one that is essential to being a writer. If you’ve chosen writing or becoming an author as your passion and aspiration, then expect that there will be a lot of discouragement that will come with it. There will be times when it feels as if it is just not worth it. But there will also be times, like when you hold your published book in your hands, when it feels like the most amazing thing in the world.
2. Outline. If you’re writing your first book, I strongly recommend that you begin with an outline. It’s essential to know where you’re beginning, the direction you’re heading, and your ultimate destination. Be sure that the plot makes sense and you can clearly see how you can take your reader on this journey. You’ll have plenty of space to allow your characters and plot to grow and develop as you write, but an outline will help you to stay on the right track. After that first book, you should be able to tell if you’re a stronger writer with or without an outline.
3. Continue to read. Read the classics, read the bestsellers, and read in your genre. Allow yourself to be inspired!
4. Find a critique partner you trust. I can’t emphasize this enough. A critique partner can help you see the holes in your plot and characterization issues that we, as writers, can’t see. Often these things are clear in our heads, but it may not come across that way to the reader. Plus it’s so encouraging to have another writer friend who we can toss ideas around with and support each other in our writing. On a side note: Be sure this critique partner’s interest is in helping you become a better writer and not in tearing you down.
5. Look for common themes, words, and phrases in your manuscript. Most authors have favorite words and phrases. Identify them and be sure you don’t overuse them.
6. Get rid of those adverbs! I recommend doing a search through all the adverbs in your manuscript. If you can replace an adverb with strong verbs and descriptions instead (which you almost always can), do it.
7. Show, don’t tell. Bet you haven’t heard that before J Don’t tell us your character feels sad, but describe the scene unfolding that made brought on the sadness, the actions of the character in response to it, and give clear descriptions of what the character is experiencing and feeling.
8. Approach editing with an open mind. Our first instinct as writers can be to be defensive of our
work, but open your mind to suggestions given to you by your editor and/or critique partner. Editors are there to help make our books better, not tear them apart. If you disagree with a suggestion, take the time to discuss it with your editor and see if the two of you can work together to create a good solution.
9. Don’t let formatting or punctuation marks tell your story for you. Don’t overuse italics for emphasis or exclamation marks to show excitement. Let your story speak for itself.
10. Continue to write. The more you write, the better writer you’ll become. Plus, you love it, right? So sit back and enjoy what you do.

And now, I have for you an excerpt from the book,
so you can have an idea of wheter you would like to read it or not!

Two hours later, Christian sat at his desk studying for his politics midterm, all the while listening intently for the sound of footsteps outside his door he felt certain he would hear. He trained his attention on the heavy textbook in front of him, trying to ignore the growing anxiety he felt each time he picked up his cell phone to check if he’d missed any messages.
None came.
It was well after midnight when he crawled into bed, convinced she just needed some time to realize he was right. He had to be right. He wouldn’t allow himself to think otherwise, so every time that wave of guilt came, he pushed it aside.
He envisioned her awake, just as he was, tossing uncomfortably in her small bed that rested in the far corner of her studio apartment and slowly coming to terms with what she needed to do.
But when he dragged his unrested body from his bed the next morning, his phone was
still devoid of messages.
He had been cruel—he knew it. He could only hope he hadn’t pushed her too far, but that she would somehow understand he was just trying to protect their future.
Christian ate a bowl of cold cereal and then forced himself into the steam of his shower, desperate to find anything to chase away his fatigue. He found his head in a cloud, both from lack of sleep and from the scenarios running through his mind, ones including a life without Elizabeth.
What if she never came back?
Could he really give her up?
As he rubbed the soapy washcloth over his body, he tried to picture an existence without her. A life void of the perfect pitch of her voice, the way it rang out when she laughed. A life in
which he didn’t touch the softness of her skin or have the right to pull her body against his. A life without a child crying out from the next room as he tried unsuccessfully to study for the bar.
Groaning, he shook his head and forced it all away, telling himself it would not come to that.
He was certain when he saw her in class today, she would take her normal seat beside him in the lecture hall, lean in, and whisper in his ear that he was right.
But when her seat remained vacant, his unease grew, gnawing at his stomach. The moment the professor dismissed class, Christian raced from the room and to the café where Elizabeth and he studied every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. He frantically scanned the room, finding several mildly familiar faces but not the one he wanted to see.
By the time he reached her apartment complex, he was panting, both from exertion from the mile he had run and the constriction fear had placed on his heart. He pounded on the door, giving her no time to answer before he yelled, “Elizabeth!” There was no sound from the other side, no rustling of curtains or faint shuffling of feet. Even then, he wasn’t satisfied. Fumbling with his keys, he found his spare and pushed it into the lock.
The door opened to the quietness, the small studio comfortably cluttered as always. The only thing that seemed amiss was the blankets from her normally neat bed were strewn on the floor. Christian crossed the space to the only separate room. The door to the bathroom rested ajar, that room as empty as the first.
Christian pressed his back against the wall and took a deep breath. He wasn’t prepared for this. He’d never thought it would go this far.
Reluctantly, he forced himself out of the apartment, shutting and locking the door behind him before he left, hating the voice inside his head that kept telling him this was for the best.

And now, for those who can't wait to read "Take This Regret"

a Rafflecopter giveaway
I am a member of Reading Addiction Blog Tours and a copy of this book was provided to me by the author. Although payment may have been received by Reading Addiction Blog Tours, no payment was received by me in exchange for this review. There was no obligation to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are entirely my own and may not necessarily agree with those of the author, publisher, publicist, or readers of this review. This disclosure is in accordance with the Federal Trade Commision’s 16 CFR, Part 255, Guides Concerning Use of Endorcements and Testimonials in Advertising*


mercoledì 18 luglio 2012

Vacation Reads Giveaway Hop!

Welcome to my stop for the Vacation Reads 
Giveaway Hop!

A huge THANK YOU to the hosts

And don't forget to visit the other participants, here.



Since there was not a real theme for this giveaway
I decided to choose some of the best books
that are on my wishlist:






























If you've already read these books we we'll find a good replacement! :)
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Please Pay attention: I'll leave my house from the 10th July to the first days of August; I don't know if I'll have the possibility to connect to the Internet so I will probably announce the winner a little late but, DON'T WORRY! As soon as I get the chance I'll order your prize! :)

Promo blitz: Taken by Storm by Angela Morrison





Synopsis:

Mormon girl Leesie has life figured out until devastated Michael lands in her small town high school. He needs her like no one has before. A rare journey into a faithful LDS teen’s intimate struggle.

"[Morrison] handles the topics of religion and premarital sex gracefully without passing judgment. The message has less to do with religion than learning to respect and cherish others while staying true to one’s own beliefs.” – Publisher’s Weekly, starred review


About the author:

Angela Morrison is the award-winning YA author of Taken by Storm (Books 1-3) and Sing me to Sleep. She graduated from Brigham Young University and holds an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts. She grew up in Eastern Washington on the wheat farm where Taken by Storm is set. She's an advanced NAUI, Nitrox certified scuba diver. The hurricane that kills Michael's parents was inspired by a real-life diving accident. After over a decade in Canada, Switzerland, and Singapore, Angela and her family are happily settled in Mesa, Arizona. She enjoys speaking to writers and readers of all ages about her craft. She has four children--mostly grown up--and the most remarkable grandson in the universe.

Website
 Facebook
 Twitter
 Goodreads
 Contest Link
 Blog
 Opposite poems for younger readers

Links to Buy


And for my beloved readers I also have a short excerpt from the book:
from Leesie's Most Private Chapbook, Prologue, Taken by Storm, "What does it Matter?

What does it matter if
 another jock pinches me
 as I walk down the hall to Physics
 and high fives Troy, celebrating 
like he just scored
 the season’s first touchdown?
 As I stalk past Troy,
 architect of my torture,
 I’m frozen, a block of ice
 not a single drop melts.
 All hail the Mormon Ice Queen.
 What does it matter?
 I know the commandment,
 but I don’t even consider
 turning the other cheek.
 And, yes, it hurts, but
 life without pain
 isn’t much of a test. 
This feeling can’t be lonely—
 I’m not alone. 
I walk with His hand on my shoulder,
 His voice whispering in my soul,
 His love soaring in my heart,
 His suffering
 my
 salvation.
 What else could possibly matter?







domenica 15 luglio 2012

July New Release Giveaway Hop



Welcome to my stop for the
"July New Release Giveaway Hop"
hosted by Book Twirps

After you checked out my giveaway,
please visit the other participants







July is an amazing month, speaking of book releases
and for this reason I've decided to offer to one of you the possibility
to win one of July's new releases.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

domenica 8 luglio 2012

Showcase Sunday #


Showcase Sunday is a weekly meme hosted by Vicky at Book, Biscuits and Tea
               The aim of Showcase Sunday is to highlight our newest books or book related swag
                and to see what everyone else received for review, borrowed from libraries, bought
            in bookshops and downloaded onto eReaders each week.



This week was an awesome week! I received/bought books that I was dying to read!
I found Skarlet on a books' stand and it was impossible not to buy it for only 3 euro!!
I won Divergent in a giveaway hop at Mary's blog, Sweeping Me, Thank you Mary!
And finally, The Unbecoming Of Mara Dyer, I can't wait to read that!! I actually forced my boyfriend
to buy me that book :)


But the awesomeness is not over, here's my ebook haul :



And sadly I think this is my last blogging day :(
Tomorrow my sister is getting married and on Tuesday I'll leave for almost a
month, but DON'T WORRY! I've scheduled some really cool giveaway and tour stops and
I hope to connect to the Internet sometimes to keep blogging.

                                                 

sabato 7 luglio 2012

The Carny Release Day Party!

Hey dear readers! Today, July 7th, we celebrate the release of
The Carny, a romantic novel by Brooke Moss!


"Sweet, subtle, heart-warming romance." --USA Today Bestselling Author, Nicola Marsh
"Brooke Moss is a gifted storyteller. With a compelling plot and characters who will steal your heart, The Carny is a winner." -- Cate Lord, author of Lucky Girl.



Two people from opposite worlds, one unforgettable kiss. You can't judge a carny by its cover.

At a town fair on the coast of Oregon, handsome Native American carny, Vincent Youngblood, bestows an unforgettable kiss on shy, awkward teenager, Charlotte Davenport. Then disappears without another word, leaving her baffled and enamored.
Ten years later, Charlotte is still living in the small fishing town of Astoria, while being trained to--reluctantly--take over for her philandering hotelier father when he retires. After all, who else will do it? Her two perfect sisters are busy being married to their flawless husbands and having cookie cutter children, while Charlotte remains single, childless, and every bit as mousy as she was a decade ago.
As Charlotte struggles to climb out from underneath her judgmental parents thumb, the carnival rolls back into town, and Charlotte finds herself face to face with Vin again. He's back to run his father's carnival, walking away from a promising career in medicine he started in Chicago. Will her biased and judgmental family accept her relationship with a man who is not only a Native American, but works as a carny for a living? And what unsavory secrets bind the well-educated and seemingly superlative Vin to that ramshackle carnival? After all, you can’t judge a carny by its cover.

Special Teaser Quote!

“I think I should kiss you.” He raised his eyebrows. “To really drive the point home.”
His lips touched mine before I could agree with him. They were soft and full, and tasted faintly of the soda pop he’d been drinking."

Want to read more of the toe-curling romance of Charlotte and Vincent? – See the complete list of release day party hosts and enjoy the sweet tid-bits!



EXCLUSIVE BOOK BIRTHDAY DISCOUNT!

Buy the book now at Inkspell Publishing Store and enjoy a special EXCLUSIVE 30% discount! Offer valid only till 14th July!
Oh, but if you thought Charlotte’s life was so easy before she met Vin, then you are mistaken. Read her story “Charlotte’s Wedding” for free! Only till 10th July!


Also, available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and The Book Depository amongst others.





So what are you waiting for! A great number of readers have
already fallen in love with "The Carny", not it's your turn!


venerdì 6 luglio 2012

Pledged book tour: Guest post with Seth&Erin


As part of the Book Tour, today I have accorded to Seth and
Erin, the possibility to sneak into my blog. Don't know who Seth
and Erin are? They are the soul mates protagonists of Pledged,
check out my other post here to know more about them.

I leave you my blog Seth and Erin, I hope I won't regret it!


Seth and Erin write . . .

Erin: “Hi Sara. Thanks for handing us your blog for the day.”
Seth: “We promise we won’t break it.”
Erin: “Seth, you’ll make her make her nervous.”
Seth: “She’s every right to feel nervous. Sara invited us to talk about soul mates and time travel, but we’ve decided to do something totally different.”
Erin: “Great blog guests, we know, but we figured we’d take you to Shenaya instead. And in case you’re wondering, Shenaya was a barbarous civilization that flourished over a thousand years ago in present day southern Africa. The only trace of it that remains is captured in the myth of a Lost City in the Kalahari desert.”
Seth: “Still, trust me, it’s no legend. But only the utterly desperate or the cursed ever choose to go there.”
Erin: “And that’s precisely why we want you to see it – you never know when you may need to escape! So hang with us. Or rather, touch our diamond Seer-Stone. You know the one, it’s hanging on the cover of our book. It knows where to go.”
Seth: “And just a word of warning. Time travel is a bit scary at first. It feels like you’re flying – straight out of your skin.”
Erin: “Once we arrive back in 982AD-”
Seth: “And you’ve shoved your eyes back into their sockets, the first thing you’ll notice are the locals . . . “
Erin: “Seen from our perspective in 2012, everyone in Shenaya is already dead.”
Seth: “That would make sense because they lived over a thousand years ago.”
Erin: “But obviously when we travel back there, most of the people you’ll meet will be very much alive.”
Seth: “Except for the demons and the angels, of course. Although they’re all dead, they still torment the living.”
Erin: “Seth, this must sound very confusing.”
Seth: “Chill. Just about everyone knows people have spirits. And I’m sure Sara’s readers are smart enough to figure that those spirits live on after death. Some just become demons and some angels. How complicated is that?”
Erin. “True.”
Seth: “Anyway, they’ve been at war with each other forever. And they happily drag their living family into their battles. That’s how we ended up there – as recruits of-”
Erin: *shoves Seth in the ribs* “Hey! You’ll give the plot away.”
Seth: “Erin, I’m not that dumb. But they must know that it’s important to blend in.

You wouldn’t want any of the locals to see you because-”
Erin: *interrupts* “Apart from the fact that it would terrify some of them to see a visitor from 2012, they’ll most likely enslave you.”
Seth: “Or sacrifice you to the demon Reuel. They don’t like strangers.”
Erin: “And don’t count on the angels. They only help if you ask for it.” *frowns* Remind me again, Seth, why would anyone want to go there?”
Seth: I know. You have to be really brain dead to want to go to a place where they’ll love to kill you. Still, how else are they going to meet Caleb, Sophia and Jared?”
Erin: “And Talitha. They’re friends of ours. We knew them from before we were even born. But because of a curse and a pledge, they were born a thousand years before us.”
Seth: “And they have their own story, totally separate to ours, which you will read about in Pledged. That’s what’s so cool about our book – it’s actually two stories in one.”
Erin: “Sophia and Jared are soul mates. And so are Talitha and Caleb. But Caleb made some really bad choices and ended up having to marry-”
Seth: “And you say I’m giving the plot away!”
Erin: “True. So what else can we tell them?”
Seth: *shrugs* “I suppose we do what all travelers do – we talk about the food.”
Erin: “Right. Shenayans love to feast. Although Caleb is the Shadow Lord – or in language you would understand, the heir to the throne – he heads up the hunting teams providing meat for the Shenayan elite. They are called Defenders and they live at the Fortress.”
Seth: The rest of the people are Outcasts. That’s just a glorified word for slaves. And trust me, they don’t get to feast much.”
Erin: “No! In fact most of them are starving. They live in prison towns and are guarded night and day by soldiers loyal to Reuel. Did I mention that Shenaya is a barbarous place?”
Seth: “We’re all hoping that as Shadow Lord, Caleb will change things. But right now-”
Erin: “I thought we’d decided to limit this discussion to food.”

Seth: *sighs* “That’s so boring.”
Erin: “We’ll do you have a better suggestion?”
Seth: *shrugs*
Erin: “So if you don’t mind eating loads of meat, worms, crocodiles and locusts, you’ll enjoy a Shenayan feast.”

Seth: “And watch out for the stew. They put baobab leaves in it. All pretty gross really. Give me a burger any day.”
Erin: Well, on that note, should we go?” *winks*
Seth: *smiling* “Hey guys . . . sorry to have led you on. Know that we’d love to take you, but for that you’d have be Custodians of the Seer-Stone, the way Erin and I are. So your next best option for a ride would be to read Pledged. You’ll find it on Amazon and Smashwords. You know all the usual places. And in case you’re wondering, it’s written by this weird woman, Gwynneth White, who we’ve suckered into writing our stories for us.”
Erin: “Seth! She’s not weird. Neither is she a sucker. Well . . . not much. She’s . . . how can I put this . . . accommodating. After all, I can’t think of too many other people who’d let us live in their head.”
Seth: *musses Erin’s hair* “Yeah. That’s because you’re always arguing with me.” *deflects punch* “Okay, okay . . . I love you too.”
Erin: *smug smile* “Finally, before we hand you back to Sara, if you want to get hold of Seth and me, you can find us at: http://todayinshenaya.blogspot.com. And Gwynneth can be befriended at: @GwynnethWhite, or https://www.facebook.com/pages/Gwynneth-White/172095512890074. If you’re into Goodreads, you’ll get her at: http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/7360328-gwynneth-white. Bye for now.”

Finally, I got my blog back, and there don't seem to be
permanent damages!
So guys, stay tuned because in August, 2 of you
will have the possibility to win an e-copy of this promising book!

Everyone has a soul mate.
 But what do you do when your soul mate would rather give his soul to the demons than be with you?

Seventeen-year-old Erin has a problem. Seth has been hers forever, but now an ancient promise is tearing him away. And Reuel, the demon to whom the promise was made, will stop at nothing to force Seth to forsake Erin and to worship him.

How can Erin win against a pledge so binding that it has damned countless others to the same fate she and Seth will face if Reuel wins – an eternity alone?

The answer lies in the past. To find it, Erin and Seth must risk all, travelling back in time to a dangerous world where love is forbidden, and life – and death – hang on a promise.

Follow Erin and Seth as they travel to ancient Shenaya to break the pledge that has plagued their families for millennia. Caught in a war between the Angelic Guardians and the Gefallen, the disembodied dead, they must fight to keep their souls in tact and their love untainted.





giovedì 5 luglio 2012

Summer reads giveaway hop!


After visiting my blog stop please visit the other blogs participating in the hop



So, what am I offering? As the hop is about summer reads I choose
mermaids as the main theme of my giveaway!
Here are the books:



You can also choose a book of your choice
but it has to be about mermaids or summer.


a Rafflecopter giveaway


Please Pay attention: I'll leave my house from the 10th July to the first days of August; I don't know if I'll have the possibility to connect to the Internet so I will probably announce the winner a little late but, DON'T WORRY! As soon as I get the chance I'll order your prize! :)

martedì 3 luglio 2012

Teaser Tuesday #2


Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by MizB of Should be Reading

 Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
My current read is Superheroes Wear Faded Denim by Law Reigns:



"Just as the King was passing her, he paused at her shoulder. His eyes were
glass orbs, not human at all. She wanted to paint his eyeballs. She
wanted to paint them on a big, friendly beast with a dead bear
lying at its feet."
~  pag. 147 

 I'm so curious about this book! The more I read, the more questions I have!

What's your teaser Tuesday?

lunedì 2 luglio 2012

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

"It's Monday! What are you reading?" is a weekly meme hosted by Book Journey
where we share our reading progress, what we've posted during the week
and what we're planning to read next.

Hey Girls (and guys)! I hope you've all passed a great weekend!
It's the first time that I partecipate in this meme so I hope I'll
post it in the right way LOL

What I read this past week:

Book I'm currently reading:


What I'm planning to do next:

What I posted this week:

domenica 1 luglio 2012

Review: Pike's Quest + Guest Post + Give@way!

Pike's Quest
Author: Kevin Bennett
Published: 4th October 2011
Number of Pages: 169
Format: ARC
Purchase: Amazon

From Goodreads:
In a future where horses are revered as gifts of the gods, and sheep and hounds are the beasts of burden, ancient magicks have been rediscovered. But there are those who wish to uncover the technology of the past and take control of the world for their own evil ends. Now, more than ever, the world needs a hero. In the tiny hamlet of Ooze, a hapless, fish-faced, flaky-skinned youth named Pike is about to commence a quest: to win the heart of the fair maiden at the Pit of Zidor, and to release Moorlock the Warlock from the captivity of his mortal enemy. Accompanied by a garrulous sparrow and a belligerent horse, Pike is captured and then employed by the lisping Lord Nairey du Well in his sheep-drawn carriage, and then pursued by the deadly huntress, Scarlet Deadnight - du Well’s partner in tyranny.
Pike soon discovers:
- that fair maidens are not always female,
- that they can prove to be deadly foes, and
- the true value of a good moisturiser! 
This comic fantasy turns the genre on its head and is a must for readers of all ages.



My Review:

Pike's Quest is the work of Kevin Bennet, an emerging author who decided to self-publish his book. I really had no expectations about this book; I know this is completely wrong but I often choose a book from its cover and if the author hadn't offered me a copy of his novel, I think I would have never discovered Pike's Quest. And I would have lost something really magnificent! I was amazed by the author's writing skills, he was so expert in describing landscapes, monsters and all circumstances that it really impressed me. Pike's Quest was an alternative reading for me, because I think it is distinct from other books. 

The plot is kind of ordinary and it re-used the idea of chivalry, common in the Middle Ages; I think is not a coincidence that in the title we find the word "Quest" that symbolises the research for something. The book is set in a magical 
world, even if is not full of common mythological creatures such as Faeries, Dwarfs or Werewolves. The author created a brand new world that had been destroyed in the past by the men's desire of achieving more and more power. In this devastated world, lived people such as Pike and his family; the most precious thing is melon, horses are sacred beasts and men are not allowed to ride them. At his sixteenth birthday, Pike would have never expected to be the One who would have been chosen to save the Warlock Moorlock, the only who can assure to Ooze peace and serenity.In his "quest" he will be helped by a Sparrow, called Robyn, ( and not Robin!!) and Horse, the omonymous animal, that will accept, after a lots of falls, to be ridden by a human being. In their journey they will encounter strange animals, cannibal flowers, giant sabre-toothed worm and one-eyed Winglekrats. At the end of his journey, Pike must win the heart of a fair maiden, but what if fair maidens are not always females? Twist, hilarious scenes and a strong moral will make this book a very interesting reading.

What will immediately comes to your mind, as soon as you start reading Pike's Quest, is the pinch of humourism that the author loves to put here and there. I have never read comic books but I have to admit that sometimes I couldn't stop myself from bursting into laughter! Besides, the humor was always soft and well placed during the course of events .I noticed, during the reading, that for the first time there was not a depth descriptions of the characters, of their passions or feelings toward other people, but I felt like it was not necessary. In other book there are often entire chapters dedicated to a particular character or to the protagonist; in Pike's Quest this is not present: the author succeeded in revealing the characters' features, only by describing their behaviours during certain situations, the way they reacted in front of difficulties. As for Pike, I can't remember a chapter in which he was widely described, even if he was the protagonist. By the way I feel like I know him, and I could see the he had greatly grown up, during the course of events. There was a real evolution of the protagonist: from the beginning to the end, the change was nearly palpable. I really enjoyed the importance that the author gave to animals; personally I'm an animal lover so this aspect of the book really impressed me. I think the moral of the book is simply unique, really. Under all the humorism and the fantastic circumstances the author wrote this book for a purpose, and I'll explain what I mean with a quote from the book, that I really liked:

"Man needed forts and cities, then the cities and forts needed technology so that they could outdo each other and gain power - and this time I mean the sort of power that corrupts, where some men rule over others and expect those others to be totally subservient. Man is unique in this aspect, Pike: once human tastes 
power over just one thing, he wants it over all. One village is not enough: he wants a town, then a city, then a whole continent. Finally, the world."
Pag.129

Rated:



Guest Post – K J Bennett (Kevin) – Author of “Pike’s Quest”


I discovered Sara’s website through a reading/writing community called Goodreads (http://www.goodreads.com) and was taken with her enthusiasm for books. Then I was fascinated by her love of English language. It makes me feel rather humble when I read this site, as my Italian is terrible. So before plugging my own work, let me say this: thank you Sara, for inviting me onto your website. I think that what you have achieved here is quite extraordinary. The standard of your written English is far in excess of that of the average UK student of your age. I work in a job where I read reports written by people of all ages, and if they all met the standards that you have achieved, my job would be easier.
OK, that makes me feel better! Now down to business.

Why I wrote and self-published “Pike’s Quest”
I have been writing fiction all my life (and I’m nearly 55, so that’s a long time). I wrote my first novel in 1998 and, frankly, it was a good idea, badly written. Then I wrote another, and another, and a screenplay, and a few short stories (I’m not good at short stories) ... quite a lot of stuff, really. I sent masses of stuff off to publishers and agents, and no one wanted to read it, let alone publish it.

Then, back in 2008, one of my cousins, Babs, in Australia was running a website for members of my massively extended family to make contact with each other. She suggested that we write an on-line novel: each participant would write a chapter each, and once the last person had written his/her part, it would go back to the first person and the cycle would start again. 

My brother Paul came out with the original premise for a story set in a medieval village in England, and the main character would be called Pike. His father was a fletcher (an arrow maker) and there were a few other bits and pieces that Paul mentioned. I wrote chapter one and changed many things from Paul’s initial idea. The story went off in a very strange direction and I didn’t really like what happened. The upshot is that I used the first part of my opening chapter to start the novel. At the same time, I was writing a short story for a local competition. I used the premise of “Pike’s Quest” as the basis of the short story: it came thirteenth out of fourteen entries – not a good start. BUT, I wrote the first chapter again for another competition and it got 2nd place.

I then spent the next year writing the rest of it. I happened to meet a publisher named Barry Cunningham – he used to work for Bloomsbury publisher and is the man who signed JK Rowling (Harry Potter) to that company. Barry had left Bloomsbury and started a company called Chicken House. He agreed to read “Pike’s Quest” and thoroughly enjoyed it. However, he didn’t think it was suitable for his readership due to the complex word play and humour. He was very supportive and urged me to submit it to other publishers.

In the UK at least, most publishers will not accept book submissions unless they come from literary agents. Most literary agents do not taken on new clients unless they already know them or they absolutely love the book – liking a lot is not enough: it has to be true love! OR, if you are a celebrity with no writing talent whatsoever, an agent may decide to sign you up and do a deal with a publishing house to publish books under the name of the celebrity, using ghost writers to actually do the hard slog of writing.
Anyway, I spent a small fortune in printing and postage costs sending my sample chapters to agents. Unlike my previous attempts, the agents started writing back to me, praising the work but giving me reasons they couldn’t take me on. One agent told me, in writing, that it was the best written submission she had seen for months, but she didn’t like the story! Others told me they really liked it, but they didn’t know which publisher would take on a comedy/fantasy.

In early 2010 I met a lady named Marlene Johnson. She is the managing director of Hachette Children’s Books. I explained the plot and humour to her. She told me it sounded hilarious. Then she asked me what age Pike was supposed to be. He’s sixteen for most of the book. Marlene said that the book would have to be aimed at boys aged thirteen years and therefore she could not publish it, as "You can’t sell books to thirteen-year-old boys!" Apparently, in the UK, reading is not cool, and thirteen-year-old boys don’t buy books. This was news to me: my son was a book addict when he was thirteen, and still is at sixteen! Most of his friends are also bookworms. 

I decided, then, that I’d have to take matters into my own hands. In October 2011 I published “Pike’s Quest” as a Kindle e-book. I don’t know how many thirteen-year-old boys have bought or read it, but I do know that readers of all ages have enjoyed it. Nearly all the reviews on Amazon  UK and US sing its praises. I didn’t set out to write a ‘Young adult’ book. I still don’t regard “Pike’s Quest” to be one. Most of my reviewers seem to be in the forties, fifties and sixties!
I have now published it in paperback. As of 6 July, you should be able to order the paperback version through Amazon – UK, US and all European sites. 

I may never get rich by self-publishing, but at least I have readers!

Contact
http://kjbennett.co.uk
http://pikesquest.blogspot.com
TWITTER - @kj_bennett
FACEBOOK - https://www.facebook.com/pages/Pikes-Quest/217399291625570
GOODREADS - http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5300157.K_J_Bennett
E-mail – pike@kjbennett.co.uk
Google Plus https://plus.google.com/u/0/115147965321366761648/posts

The giveaway
To celebrate the paperback release of “Pike’s Quest” there is a giveaway offer – I will give one lucky reader of Sara’s blog a paperback copy of the book. I can only send it the UK, Europe or the USA. Sara will specify the rules.


a Rafflecopter giveaway
 
Images by Freepik