BookBlast: Emergence by Rachel Fisher

$50 Gift Card Bookblast celebrating the RELEASE of Emergence by Rachel Fisher:

Emergence 

Eden's Root Trilogy #3

by Rachel E Fisher

RELEASE DATE: APRIL 30, 2013

"I promise you, Sean. We're going to stop them."

The pieces on the board are in motion and with both sides gathering strength, each move will be critical. When the Truthers make a play for checkmate, the Seeders are forced to respond. Fi and her companions will face greater challenges and higher stakes than ever before, because this time if they fail, it's for keeps.

Amazon * Kindle * Barnes & Noble coming soon!

Seeds of War #2


The mission of Eden must be fulfilled and Eden’s best Seekers are needed. Forming a new group they dub the Seeders, Fi, Asher, and Sean are joined by a new addition as they set out to bring hope and support to the Topsiders in the form of radios and heirloom seeds. Their experiences Topside prepare them for the threat from marauding gangs they call Lobos, but it is a different, less obvious sort of threat that takes them by surprise. As radio broadcasts begin to reconnect Eden and the Topsiders, the Seeders stumble upon mysterious broadcasts from unknown stations. When two of their own new radio stations go silent within days of each other, Fi and her companions realize that something is terribly wrong. Eden finds itself pitted against a growing and unknown force as their very mission lights the flames of war.



Eden's Root #1

It is 2033, and the world hovers on the edge of explosion as unexplained crop deaths lead to severe global food shortages. In the United States, the Sickness is taking lives slowly, creeping its way into every family. Fi Kelly has already faced the Sickness in her own family, toughening her beyond her years. But a shocking confession from her dying father will push her toughness to its absolute limits. Saddled with an impossible secret and the mission of saving her little sister, Fi sets out to transform herself into the warrior that she must become to survive the coming collapse. Along the way, she will discover that evil can be accidental and that love can be intentional.

Rachel Fisher

I am a wife and entrepreneur living and working in Florida. I am also a graduate of Mount Holyoke College, where I majored in Biology. It was always my assumption that I would end up making research my life. Though it did not work out that way in the end, my passion for Biology remains intact. 



I have always loved biology-based science-fiction and the young adult genre. It is in this vein that I offer my work.

www.rachelefisher.com *  @edensroot * Facebook * Goodreads

GIVEAWAY - Multiple Winners! 

(International)

1 - $50 Amazon gift card Grand Prize 

10 ebook copies of Emergence

5 ebook copies of Seeds of War
5 ebook copies of Edens Root

2 ebook copies of Trilogy

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Book Review: Twerp by Mark Goldblatt

Twerp, by Mark Goldblatt, 2013, 288p, Rating=5 
Source: Free ARC provided by NetGalley
Middle-grade fiction 
Release Date: May 28, 2013 

It's not like I meant for Danley to get hurt. . . .

Julian Twerski isn't a bully. He's just made a big mistake. So when he returns to school after a weeklong suspension, his English teacher offers him a deal: if he keeps a journal and writes about the terrible incident that got him and his friends suspended, he can get out of writing a report on Shakespeare. Julian jumps at the chance. And so begins his account of life in sixth grade--blowing up homemade fireworks, writing a love letter for his best friend (with disastrous results), and worrying whether he's still the fastest kid in school. Lurking in the background, though, is the one story he can't bring himself to tell, the one story his teacher most wants to hear.

Inspired by Mark Goldblatt's own childhood growing up in 1960s Queens, Twerp shines with humor and heart. This remarkably powerful story will have readers laughing and crying right along with these flawed but unforgettable characters. (Goodreads)

This book is written in a journal format. Julian Twerski, or Twerp, is writing it so he can get out of writing a report on Shakespeare. His teacher, Mr. Selkirk, wants him to write about the incident with Danley Dimmel but he avoids it, writing about everything else instead. 

The year is 1969, a simpler time before electronics when kids explored outside and did some crazy things (which does still happen today, just not as often, it seems). He chucks rocks at birds with his best friend, Lonnie, races cars and makes homemade fireworks with his group of friends (yes, that turns out as well as it sounds).

The mind of a 6th grader is highly entertaining. I laughed out loud several times, especially when he wrote the love letter for his friend. That set off a chain reaction of events that ended about how you would expect it to and was fun to read. It also does a good job of showing the relationship between young boys--they can really tick each other off but get over it and come back together as friends. With a son this age, I see it all the time, and within a few days, he's off playing with the boy he swore he'd never be friends with again. Which is a good thing.

At the beginning, Julian doesn't understand how writing his thoughts down is going to help him with the incident and by the end, he learns a valuable lesson. I enjoyed watching his growth as the story went on and imagine his journal writing was a life changing experience for him. This is a book I want my children to read. I was able to read an advance copy and this book isn't actually available until May 28, 2013.

 

Blog Tour: daynight by Megan Thomason

On Tour with Prism Book Tours...

It's time to leave Earth and cross over to the other side... it's not as far away as you think!!

daynight

by Megan Thomason

Paperback, 324 pages

Published November 26th 2012 by Creatspace

Meet The Second Chance Institute (SCI): Earth’s benevolent non-profit by day, Thera’s totalitarian regime by night. Their motto: Because Everyone Deserves a Second Chance™. Reality: the SCI subjects Second Chancers to strict controls and politically motivated science experiments like Cleaving—forced lifetime union between two people who have sex. Punishment for disobeying SCI edicts? Immediate Exile or death.

Meet Kira Donovan. Fiercely loyal, overly optimistic, and ensnared by the promise of a full-ride college scholarship, Kira signs the SCI Recruit contract to escape memories of a tragedy that left her boyfriend and friends dead.

Meet Blake Sundry. Bitter about being raised in Exile and his mother’s death, Blake’s been trained to infiltrate and destroy the SCI. Current barrier to success? His Recruit partner—Miss Goody Two Shoes Kira Donovan.

Meet Ethan Darcton. Born with a defective heart and resulting inferiority complex, Ethan’s forced to do his SCI elite family’s bidding. Cleave-worthy Kira Donovan catches his eye, but the presiding powers give defect-free Blake Sundry first dibs. 

Wow!! I'm really not sure where to start with this one. This book is full of twists and turns and turns and more turns. There's LOTS of secrets, deceit, betrayal, friendship, love, lust, power hungry adults, creepy rules, etc. You name it, this has it (aside from swearing and detailed sex--a plus).

It starts with a party with underage drinking. It's Kira's point of view and she doesn't participate but the party does have a tragic end. After that, the story really takes off. I thought the partying would be done but there are more parties later in the book and they are wild (but again, we aren't privy to graphic details, thank goodness).

The story is told from three points of view: Kira, Blake and Ethan. Each of them have their reasons for keeping secrets from each other and you can definitely see why there are major trust issues going on. Just when I would start to think I had someone figured out, I would learn about a new secret they needed to keep. Yes, they are highly dysfunctional.

Kira is likeable and seems to have a good head on her shoulders. She asks lots of questions. I liked her interaction with both guys, but definitely have a favorite. I was glad we got a glimpse into Blake's mind as he is the hardest for me to figure out. There's still much to learn about him. Ethan is probably in the hardest position because of who his parents are. He's drop-dead gorgeous and Kira meets him at the first party where they hit it off but he disappears and she doesn't find out what happened to him until later.

Megan Thomason has created a very unique world. I can't think of another dystopian book that I've read where the main characters deal so closely with the powers that be on a regular basis and it makes this book more frightening. Each of them are forced to do things they don't want to so they can protect those they love and if they step out of line, the result is tragic. There are some horrific things going on by those who claim to have their best interests at heart, when what they are really after is more power and control while limiting freedom and choice for others.

I started to think it would wrap up somewhat at the end but there's still lots of craziness to come. I really like both Blake and Ethan and I was glad to see that she ends up with my favorite guy...or does she? And I absolutely hate where we left off with the other guy. Still so many questions.

My overall opinion is that it's a great read and will make you think. I'm really looking forward to book 2!

My Rating: 4.5 stars

Introducing...  the new Novella:  FREE for the Tour!

On Smashwords!

clean slate complex

by Megan Thomason

Meet The Second Chance Institute (SCI): Worldwide non-profit and do-gooder organization. Their motto: Because Everyone Deserves a Second Chance at Life(TM). Reality: hidden behind every kind act is a dark agenda designed to gain control and force societal and moral extremes. Currently, the SCI’s pushing Project Liberate, a program to woo the poor and downtrodden into their Clean Slate Complexes—where “everything is provided” from jobs to food, shelter, clothing, and education. Unfortunately, as with all things that sound too good to be true, there’s a catch…

Meet Alexa Knight. Feisty, tough and currently homeless in Los Angeles, Alexa agrees to help the SCI in return for medical care for her sick mother. When she starts to suspect there’s more to the SCI than meets the eye will she believe Adam—the boy who saved her life and the SCI’s biggest champion, or Joshua—the attractive enigma who sings about conspiracy theories and pretends to be someone he’s not?

Full of action, humor, romance, twists and turns, clean slate complex is a companion story to the highly-praised dystopian novel, daynight. It can be enjoyed before or after readingdaynight.

LINK: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CFQY0JY

I actually read this book first and I wish I had waited. There are new characters introduced but some of the characters in daynight play a small role and I didn't understand at the time how they related to the overall story. When I finished daynight, I went back and reread the parts where they appeared in clean slate complex so I could try to figure out what was currently going on with them. 

As in daynight, Alexa is forced to do things to protect her loved ones. She becomes the poster child for the SCI to show everyone how wonderful they are. I like her and am looking forward to read how she fits in with the rest of the daynight characters and what happens with the two guys she's involved with, Adam and Joshua. I loved this novella so be sure to pick it up while it's free!

My Rating: 5 stars

Megan Thomason lives in paradise aka San Diego, CA with her husband and five children. A former software manager, Megan vastly prefers writing twisted tales to business, product, and marketing plans. When she isn't typing away on her laptop, she's reading books on her phone—over 600 in the last year—or attending to the needs of her family. Megan’s fluent in sarcasm, could potentially benefit from a 12-step program for road rage, struggles with a Hot Tamales addiction, loves world travel & fast cars and hates paperwork & being an insomniac. Daynight is Megan's first published novel, but fourth written one.

Find & Follow:

Goodreads

Blog

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daynight Second Chances Giveaway:

Choose what you enter to win wisely. Your stay on Thera may be extended indefinitely.

Highlighting a different giveaway every daynight of the Tour... International Winners will receive a $25 Amazon Gift Certificate and US Winners may choose $25 GC in lieu of Prize Package.

US only. International winners will receive $25 Amazon gift certificate. US winners can opt to receive $25 Amazon gift certificate in lieu of any prize package.Open only to those who can legally enter. 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 on Rafflecopter and Grand Finale posts as well as emailed and the winner 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 Burgandy Ice @ Colorimetry and Prism Book Tours and sponsored by Megan Thomason. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

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Become an SCI Recruit

The Second Chance Institute (daynight's Dystopia)

April   22 - Launch!

                - My Seryniti - Review

                - Little Library Muse

           23 - Tressa's Wishful Endings

                - Buckeye Girl Reads - Teaser

                - Marked by Books - Review

                - Red Headed Bookworm

Welcome to Thera!

Building Thera

           24 - Coffee Books and Me

                  Stressed Rach

                  Snuggling on the Sofa - Review

           25 - Christy's Cozy Corner - Teaser

                - All Fantasy Words - Review

Kira * Blake * Ethan

Character Backgrounds & Posters

           26 - Susie Q-Pons and Giveaways - Review

                - My Passion for Books - Review; Ethan

                - Paranormal opinion - Blake

                - The Cozy Reading Corner - Kira

                - Book, Books, the Magical Fruit - Teaser

                - Bookaroo-Ju - Teaser

           27 - Bookworm Lisa - The Characters

                - Getting Your Read On - Review

Cleaving

daynight's Controversy of "Cleaving"

           28 - Fantastical World of Wonders - Review

                - Pause Time

                - A Backwards Story

                - Beck Valley Books

           29 - I Am a Reader, Not a Writer - Teaser

                - Books Mystify - Review

                - Mel's Shelves - Review

Vacation on Earth!

Escapism

           30 - The Broke Book Bank - Review

                - Letters to the Cosmos - Review

                - Arriane Cruz 

                - Candace's Book Blog

May      1 - Life of a YA Girl - Review

                - Fuonlyknew - Teaser

                - Jack's Junk Drawer - Review

Risking Exile

Dystopian Survival 101

             2 - A Tiffyfit's Reading Corner - Review

                - Lovin' Los Libros - Review

                - Paulette's Papers

                - Becky's Barmy Book Blog 

             3 - Backing Books - Teaser

                - Book Snob - Review

             4 - Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks

                - Living a Goddess Life - Review; Recipe

Clean Slate Complex

             5 - Mortality Bites

                - The Book Eater

                - Deco My Heart - Review

             6 - Passion and Life - Teaser

                - The Reading Diaries - Review

             7 - Grand Finale Blast!!

I Have People Grand Finale!!

Grand Finale Celebration!

On tour with Prism Book Tours

Feeling forgetful? Can't remember where the heck you set down your keys? Your glasses?

We've all been there.

But . . . what if you forgot your life?

What if that life wasn't worth remembering?

In spite of the happy cover, I HAVE PEOPLE deals with the sensitive issue of domestic abuse. It is about learning to recognize a good man versus a bad one. It's about second chances and finding love, real love. 

The overpowering message behind I HAVE PEOPLE is that verbal, mental, and physical abuse is NOT OKAY! EVER!

Check out the tour and then read Holly's story. It will change your life.

The Book:

I Have People

by Taylor Dean

Paperback, 366 pages

Published September 19th 2012 by Create Space

Premise:

Missing any memories? 

Holly Sinclair is happily married to the love of her life, Gabriel. Young and in love, Holly hopes to have their first child soon. Of course, Gabriel wants to wait till Holly’s health is restored, much to Holly’s dismay. She feels perfectly fine. So what if she just woke up from an eight-month coma? So what if some of her memories are missing? She remembers Gabe and that’s all that matters, right?

That is, until HE enters her life again . . . she forgot about HIM.

Smashwords * Barnes & Noble * Amazon

It's been a great Tour, exploring the origins and themes of I Have People by Taylor Dean. In case you missed part of the tour... here it is, one more time:  links to all the great guest posts and reviews with quotes...

The Grand Finale!!

8 –  Launch!

9 – Snuggling on the Sofa - Amnesia

I vividly remember my favorite high school English teacher sadly telling us that his wife had been in a bicycle accident.

-          Sylv Jenkins - The Cover of I Have People

I am a ‘happily ever after’ writer, therefore the happy cover matches the happy ending! I promise!

10 – PauseTime - The Music that Inspired I Have People

I love to share what song goes with which scene in my books. 

11 – TheBroke Book Bank - Ten Things You Don't Know About I Have People

My heroine’s name, Holly Noel, came from a friend who had a Christmas baby and named her Holly Noel. LOVE

12 – Mel’sShelves - Review; The Worth of a Soul

I was excited to get this guest post, The Worth of a Soul. This is one of my favorite conversations from the book, too.

14 – TheReaddicts - Review; Two Kinds of Love

I Have People was not an easy light read I was expecting but it was a good read none the less.

15 – Paulette’sPapers - A Gentleman Who Says "Gosh" Review

The hero of I Have People is a true gentleman and in many ways the perfect man. He’s kind, soft-spoken, polite to a fault, and compassionate.

-          Christy’s Cozy Corner - Review; The Inspiration behind I Have People

I love Taylor Dean's books. They always feel so real...One minute you're feeling giddy with happiness and the next you're filled with dread!

16 – fuonlyknew - Review; The Prologue to I Have People

You’ll cry, you’ll laugh, you’ll want to kick someone, but most importantly, you’ll want to hug someone.

You’ll want to hug “your people.”

17 – Tressa’sWishful Endings - Review; The Locations Featured in I Have People

I also really liked Holly's character. She was sweet and still strong. 

18 – LiteraryWinner - Review

I have to say it’s a bit eye-opening that Holly felt that if she wasn’t actually hit by her abuser, then she wasn’t being abused.  I can imagine that this may be thought by other people in similar situations.  

19 – GettingYour Read On - Review; Soooo Cliche!

I.  Love.  I Have People.  This book kept me engaged the whole way. 

22 –  A Tiffyfit’s Reading Corner - My Favorite Character in I Have People

The main character, Holly, discovers that she does have ‘people’ in her life who are willing to help her out of a bad situation—she just has to let them. 

 - Beck Valley Books - The Title of I Have People

It was at this moment that I realized, I Have People, and I always will!

23 – Deco MyHeart - Review

This is an emotional story of domestic abuse and recovery, wonderfully written with realistic characters, and it will stay with you long after you finish. How I wish women (and men) that are bring abused would seek help and realize they have "people" too.

-          Mrs. Mommy Booknerds Book Reviews - Review

Dean creates a story that is not only engaging, gritty and real

24 – GreenMountain Couple - Review

I cried with Holly and laughed with her too.

25 – icultgen - Friendship

Angela was fun to write. She is funny, blunt, loyal, and loves her ‘girl time.’

  – I Am a Reader, Not a Writer  - When is it Abuse

 - That Girl Reads - Review; Two Kinds of Men

26 – Grand Finale Blast!

The Author:

Taylor Dean lives in Texas and is the mother of four grown children. Upon finding herself with an empty nest, she began to write the stories that were always wandering around in her head, quickly finding that she had a passion for writing, specifically romance. Whether it's paranormal, contemporary, or suspense-you'll find all sub-genres of romance in her line-up. 

Website/Blog * Facebook * Twitter * Goodreads

The Giveaways:

5 prize packs to US winners: 1 signed paperback, 1 tote bag, 2 bookmarks, 1 "I Have People" pencil, and 1 "I Have People" pink dog tag necklace.

10 ebooks to US or International winners

Open only to those who can legally enter. 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 on Rafflecopter and Grand Finale posts as well as emailed and the winner 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 Burgandy Ice @ Colorimetry and Prism Book Tours and sponsored by Taylor Dean. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

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