Blog Tour: Escaping Darkness by Theresa McClinton

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Escaping Darkness
She may have spent years in an asylum, but that didn’t make her crazy–just fearless.

Dropped in Moscow with her friends on an impossible mission against underworld forces, Tara is left to her feelings of overwhelming inadequacy. Her boyfriend is a healer, her best friend is “the Guardian,” and everyone else is a powerhouse of awesome strengths. The only thing she has been able to contribute are her memories, which has left her with nightmares of her time spent at the mercy of the evil Sarian–who everyone has gone to fight.

Alone with her emotions, Tara finds herself falling into a city of depravity and corruption. And amidst all this evil is a young man with an agenda of his own, who leads her down a road that will either prove she is a hero at heart, or drag her into a world she’s always feared.

He wants revenge, she wants redemption. And in an underground rings of missing girls and bloody sacrifices, only the fearless can survive…

This book is darker than The Stone Guardian, which isn't surprising since it deals with human trafficking (no details, though). Tara is having a hard time sleeping since her return from Sarian but since she doesn't want anyone to worry about her, she keeps it to herself. She and her boyfriend, Peter, hear a story on the news that a student and gang member got in a confrontation when the student's younger sister was forced into a car. The student died before the ambulance got there and the gang member was in critical condition at a local hospital. 

With her best friend Ashley gone, memories of abuse she endured as a child and feeling like her boyfriend deserves someone better than her, she breaks up with Peter and takes off. She gets involved with the gang member that grabbed the student but he doesn't seem to be what she was expecting. Who is he and is he there to help or hurt her? 

I like Tara from The Stone Guardian and was glad we got to know her better. Her life hasn't been easy and she wants to be able to handle her issues herself. She has a big heart and wants to help those in trouble, even if it means putting her life in danger. She's put through the ringer in this book and it will be interesting to see where that takes her in the next book.

Content: Swearing, including the "f" word a handful of times
My Rating: 3.5 stars

Amazon

Author Theresa McClinton
A long time enthusiast of things that go bump in the night, Theresa started her writing career as a journalism intern—possibly the least creative writing field out there. After her first semester at a local newspaper, she washed her hands of press releases and features articles to delve into the whimsical world of young adult paranormal romance.
Since then, Theresa has gotten married, had three terrific kids, moved to central Ohio, and was repeatedly guilt tripped into adopting a menagerie of animals that are now members of the family. But don’t be fooled by her domesticated appearance. Her greatest love is travel. Having stepped foot on the soil of over a dozen countries, traveled to sixteen U.S. states—including an extended seven-year stay in Kodiak, Alaska—she is anything but settled down. But wherever life brings her, she will continue to weave tales of adventure and love with the hope her stories will bring joy and inspiration to her readers.

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The Stone Guardian
When myth becomes reality, reality becomes a nightmare.

Like any other teenager in America, Ashley just wants a normal life. But growing up in an orphanage for the insane is anything but normal. After endless therapy and increasing medication, her nightmares have only gotten worse.

Probably because they’re not nightmares.

When Ashley’s mysteriously abducted, she finds a reality even less normal than the orphanage. And she discovers something else—she’s no ordinary orphan. Faced with enemies thought to only exist in fairy tales, Ashley discovers she possesses a powerful Maya bloodline. She’s the daughter of an ancient Maya Guardian, whose duty is to protect the Stone of Muuk’ich, an enchanted relic blessed by the gods. But first she must get it back from Sarian, a power-hungry demigod who slaughtered the last guardian—Ashley’s mother. Without the stone, all will be lost.

When she meets Arwan, a hot Belizean time bender, his delicious olive skin and dark eyes make her feel a little less alone. But his gentle whispers and reassuring touch might not be all they seem. How can she balance love and duty when it’s up to her to prevent the rising of the underworld? Especially when the guy she loves might be its crown prince…

I was able to read this book, too! I don't think it's essential to have read it to read Escaping Darkness, but was glad I did because it made reading Escaping Darkness a smooth transition without feeling like I needed to catch up. 

This is the book where we meet all the characters and learn what's going on. Ashley and Tara start out in an orphanage for the insane and, when a fire alarm goes off one night, they chase after a little girl, get lost in the woods, walk into the fog and wake up in Belize. Ashley and Tara are brought up to speed on Ashley's true identity and her destiny. They also learn about the gifts all the others have and what Ashley should have but hasn't ever developed. 

Tara meets Peter and Ashley meets Arwan, who she's interested in and then Jayden appears from her past to stir things up. Her cousin Hawa is someone I hope we get to know a little more about. Hawa and Peter used to date but are broken up and Hawa seems to still be having a hard time dealing with it. There's also Renato, Ashley's uncle, who they look to for guidance and direction, and Marzena, who looks like a child (the same girl they thought was lost in the woods at the orphanage). 

While in the orphanage, Ashley had terrifying dreams where a man always appeared and she learns that his name is Sarian. He's the general of the underworld forces and is trying to get Ashley to join forces with him so he will be all powerful and take over.

They all have to take on Sarian, which is scary but gives Ashley a chance to start figuring out how to use her powers and they turn to someone who they aren't sure they can trust. At the end, something happens which takes Ashley and Arwan away and that's where Escaping Darkness picks up.

I like the story and the way the characters interact with each other. I feel like there's still lots to learn about them as they have just met and are getting to know each other better. I'm looking forward to reading more!

Content: Swearing, including the "f" word a couple of times
My Rating=4 stars

Amazon

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Tour Schedule

May 28th
I Am A Reader, Not A Writer – Interview
Stacy Clafin Author & Reviewer – Review
The Flipping Bookworm – Spotlight
Kindle Obsessed – Tens List
Emma Michaels – Spotlight

May 29th
Community Bookshelf – Review
Bookworm Lisa – Review
Mythical Books – Spotlight
Bookworms’ Avenue – Interview

May 30th
Mel’s Shelves – Review
Laurie’s Thoughts and Reviews – Character Interview
Pretty Opinionated – Guest Post
Rust Read – Tens List

May 31st
alwaysjoart – Review
Bloksiner’s Book Blog – Interview
Promiscuous Diva – Guest Post
Books 4 Tomorrow – Spotlight

June 1st
Book Flame – Spotlight
Vonnie’s Reading Corner – Review

June 2nd
The Bookworm Lady – Review
Spellbindings – Tens List

June 3rd
Dee’s Reads – Spotlight
Curling Up With a Good Book – Interview
MoREADS – Review

June 4th
Clean Romance Reviews – Spotlight
readalot – Review
Books Beside My Bed – Excerpt

June 5th
Crazy Four Books – Review
Jessica Loves Books – Review
Sweeping Me – Spotlight

June 6th
Amethyst Daydreams – Review
Musings of a Blogder – Review
From the Bootheel Cotton Patch – Spotlight

June 7th
Rogue Mission – Review
Ohana Day Academy – Review
The LUV’NV – Review