Author Archives: Kristin

Racing Savannah by Miranda Kenneally Pre-order Event

16045296Racing Savannah
(Hundred Oaks, #4)
By: Miranda Kenneally
Publisher: Sourcebooks
Release Date: Dec. 3, 2013
Genre: YA

Goodreads | Amazon | B&N

They’re from two different worlds, but Savannah isn’t exactly one to follow the rules. . . get the next contemporary novel from blockbuster YA novelist Miranda Kenneally: RACING SAVANNAH!

Right before her senior year, Savannah’s father whisks the family off to Tennessee to work as head groom at fancy Cedar Hill Farms. Savannah finally sees it as the perfect opportunity to earn extra money as an exercise rider—no matter how many others don’t want a girl around the barn.  But she’s also caught the eye of Jack Goodwin, the owner’s son. She knows the rules: no mixing between the staff and the Goodwin family. But Jack has no such boundaries. With her dream of becoming a jockey, Savannah is not going to let someone tell her a girl isn’t tough enough to race. Sure, it’s dangerous. Then again, so is dating Jack.

 

 

Sourcebooks has a special offer for U.S. and Canada YA fans for the release of RACING SAVANNAH by Miranda Kenneally in stores in a little over three weeks! If you pre-order the book, they will send you an exclusive horseshoe key chain—perfect for any busy teen on the go! You have until December 2 or until quantities run out.

image001

Here’s how to get your charm:
1. Pre-order the book (print or eBook) through any retailer (Barnes & Noble, Amazon, your local independent bookseller/Indiebound, Books-A-Million, Hastings, etc.)

2. Email your proof of purchase (receipt or picture of the receipt) to teenfire@sourcebooks.com. Put “Racing Savannah Pre-Order” in the subject line. Don’t forget to include your home address (US & Canada only please) so we can send you the horseshoe key chain! If you’ve already pre-ordered this book—not a problem! Send us your receipt!

3. You will get an email back confirming when the items have been sent out.

4. Enjoy Racing Savannah when it comes out in December!

Optional: take a pic of you and your horseshoe key chain and share it with Miranda Kenneally or Sourcebooks Fire on Twitter! You can find Miranda @mirandakennealy and Sourcebooks Fire @sourcebooksfire.

 

Review: Wicked by Nikki Duncan

15734693Wicked
(Whispering Cove, #3)
By: Nikki Duncan
Publisher: Samhain Publishing
Published: Jan. 22, 2011
Genre: Romance
Rating:
PhotobucketPhotobucketPhotobucketPhotobucket

Goodreads | Amazon | B&N

He’s sailed the seas for adventure…and found the sexiest one back at home.

Danica Kent, MD, has settled into her new role as a small-town doctor. She caters to her Whispering Cove patients, especially the rum-drinking, poker-playing, town grandfathers who have their hands in a bit of everything. But when one of those patients brings her face-to-face with her high school crush, the work she’s done to reinvent herself falters.

Braydon Mitchell sails around the world writing freelance magazine articles. With no desire to settle down, he’s successfully avoided his grandfather’s pleas to come home…until now. Returning out of worry for the old man’s health, Braydon finds old friends in town for their high school reunion. And something he hadn’t expected. Danica, the awkward teenage geek who’s all grown up—and filled out in all the right places.

From their first touch, erotic sparks make Braydon want everything he isn’t built for—small-town stability, a strong woman’s love, family. And Danica wonders if Braydon has dropped anchor for good…or if her lover will be gone with the next tide.

 

 

Read More →

Thankful For Our Fur Babies Giveaway Hop

furbabies-hop-200The Thankful For Our Fur Babies Giveaway Hop is a pet themed blog hop.

 

I’m really excited to take part in this giveaway hop since a lot of the time they are for us humans but this time the hop is for our furry babies. I’ve decided to give away a signed copy of Neo’s New Home where all proceeds of sale go to a German Shephard rescue as well as a gift card to Petsmart.

1giveaway

18275414

Neo’s New Home
By: D.T. Dyllin
Genre: Children’s Book
Goodreads | Amazon

Neo may call the animal shelter his current home, but he has bigger dreams… Dreams of finding his forever family and getting his doggie ‘happily ever after’. With the help of Tala, his doggie guardian angel, he may just find what he’s been looking for.

Neo’s New HP1010024ome is a fun and yet heartwarming story that will teach as well as entertain. (Ages 4 & up)

*All proceeds from the sales of Neo’s New Home will be donated to the Middle Tennessee German Sheperd Rescue. (mtgsr.com)

 
 

*This giveaway is a non-sponsored giveaway*

a Rafflecopter giveaway



Review: Kiss of Frost by Jennifer Estep

10421530Kiss of Frost
(Mythos Academy, #2)
By: Jennifer Estep
Publisher: K-Teen
Published: Nov. 29, 2011
Genre: Fantasy/Mythology YA
Rating:
PhotobucketPhotobucketPhotobucket

Goodreads | Amazon | B&N

I’m Gwen Frost, a second-year warrior-in-training at Mythos Acad­emy, and I have no idea how I’m going to sur­vive the rest of the semes­ter. One day, I’m get­ting schooled in sword­play by the guy who broke my heart—the drop-dead gor­geous Logan who slays me every time. Then, an invis­i­ble archer in the Library of Antiq­ui­ties decides to use me for tar­get prac­tice. And now, I find out that some­one at the acad­emy is really a Reaper bad guy who wants me dead. I’m afraid if I don’t learn how to live by the sword—with Logan’s help—I just might die by the sword…

 

1thoughtsIn the second installment of Mythos Academy we pick up shortly after Touch of Frost left off. The kids are getting ready to go to the yearly winter festival at a ski lodge and Gwen is convinced that there is another Reaper after her. Of course, going to the fesitval doesn’t really help matters. The Reaper has seemed to follow her and has pulled a bunch of tricks in order to kill her. However, Gwen’s learned a trick of her own to help her survive.

I was really hoping that once the the first book was out of the way and the ball was rolling that this one would start off with a bang, but that’s not the case. The author does a lot of reviewing about not only what took place in the last book, but about the characters themselves and the world that she created. I found myself skimming over a bit of the book to get to the story. Maybe if I hadn’t jumped from the first book straight to this one, the reviewing of everything wouldn’t have bothered me as much but I felt like I was reading the first in a series all over again.

I liked that the author added in more characters to the forefront. We get more interaction with Logan’s Spartan friends. They actually start training Gwen with weapons and self-defense. Plus there is a change of scenery since the students go away for the annual Winter Carnival at a ski lodge. And there is a potential new love interest for Gwen, who just might help her get her mind off of Logan and the fact that he’s moving on with another girl.

But… it felt very much like Frostbite to me. I know in my last review I said fans of Vampire Academy would enjoy this and they would. There are similarities between the two books that almost feel like it’s a re-telling of the story with a few variations mixed in.

I really enjoy the mythology in this story. I like the characters and the world that the author has created. I even like that it reminds me of VA since that is my favorite series. I will definitely continue with the series.

 

1favequote“Since coming to Mythos, I’d almost been run through with a sword and mauled to death by a killer kitty cat. Dirty looks didn’t faze me anymore.”

 

Previous reviews from Mythos Academy
Touch of Frost

kRISTIN

Excerpt: The Garnet Dagger by Andrea R. Cooper

17364172The Garnet Dagger
By: Andrea R. Cooper
Publisher: Crimson Romance
Published: March 25, 2013
Genre: Fantasy Romance

Goodreads | Amazon | B&N

Forbidden to cross the Elvin barrier into human lands, Brock cannot sate his curiosity. Cursed by a vampyre bite that forces him to feed on the life-essence of others, he is unable to touch another without taking their life. Chained by prophesy, he must find a witch, pierce her heart, and draw her blood for his cure.

Celeste must escape the monks who have held her prisoner for years. Her magic has been kept dormant by her captors. An ancient powerful Warloc craves her powers. If he succeeds in devouring her magic, she and the world will die.

When Brock falls in love with Celeste before realizing her demise is his cure, will love triumph over his desire to be healed? Will he risk everything to save her from a Warloc, an oath breaker, who also wants her dead?

 

Excerpt

I’ve known death. For over half a millennia, I escorted many to death at the end of my sword. In the eyes of the dying, I watched it shroud them. Foolishly, I thought many more eras would pass before death came for me. It came so swiftly that I could not run; I could not escape. At a village, dressed in human clothes, I took in everything.

I delayed my return to my people as I watched human jugglers bounce torches and knifes. It was autumn equinox and the festivities would continue well into the night. Children laughed as they chased each other. A trail of leaves from their costumes twirled after them. It was dark when I reached the forest.

I hiked slower than my normal speed, so as not to startle whatever human called out. My leather boots crunched upon dried, diseased leaves and bark. Horrified, I glanced up. Branches twisted around each other to suffocating. Lifeless limbs cracked in the wind. Flesh of the trees sloughed off in layers, exposing its bones. Gashes hollowed out chunks of warmth. Fragments of leaves clung to finger tips, marking sepulchers of the dying trees. Trees mourned with wails like splitting wood, and I brought my hands over my ears. I must flee before I became infected, they told me. Flee before the stain of this defilement creeps into you, they warned. Trees spoke to my kind, always had. Yet these trees were in such agony of death that I could not breathe. Felt as though my lungs had folded in on themselves, like a moth unable to break loose from its cocoon.

 

 

author

6934877

Growing up in Houston, Texas, Andrea has always created characters and stories. But it wasn’t until she was in her late twenties that she started writing novels.

What happened that ignited the writing flame in her fingers? Divorced, and disillusioned by love songs and stories. They exaggerate. She thought. Love and Romance are not like that in the real world. Then she met her husband and realized, yes love and romance are exactly like the songs and stories say. She is now a happy wife, and a mom to three kids (two boys and a girl).

Andrea writes paranormal and historical romance. When not writing or reading, one may find Andrea dancing in Zumba.

She believes in the power of change and counting each moment as a blessing. But most importantly, she believes in love.

Website | Twitter | Facebook

Review: Born at Midnight by C.C. Hunter

8705784Born at Midnight
(Shadow Falls, #1)
By: C.C. Hunter
Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin
Publisher: March 29, 2011
Genre: Paranormal YA
Rating:
PhotobucketPhotobucketPhotobucketPhotobucket

Goodreads | Amazon | B&N

One night Kylie Galen finds herself at the wrong party, with the wrong people, and it changes her life forever. Her mother ships her off to Shadow Falls—a camp for troubled teens, and within hours of arriving, it becomes painfully clear that her fellow campers aren’t just “troubled.” Here at Shadow Falls, vampires, werewolves, shapeshifters, witches and fairies train side by side—learning to harness their powers, control their magic and live in the normal world.

Kylie’s never felt normal, but surely she doesn’t belong here with a bunch of paranormal freaks either. Or does she? They insist Kylie is one of them, and that she was brought here for a reason. As if life wasn’t complicated enough, enter Derek and Lucas. Derek’s a half-fae who’s determined to be her boyfriend, and Lucas is a smokin’ hot werewolf with whom Kylie shares a secret past. Both Derek and Lucas couldn’t be more different, but they both have a powerful hold on her heart.

Even though Kylie feels deeply uncertain about everything, one thing is becoming painfully clear—Shadow Falls is exactly where she belongs…

 

1thoughtsKylie is sent to a summer camp after being arrested. She thinks it’s a camp for troubled teens but it doesn’t take her long to realize that that is not the case at all. This is a summer camp for supernaturals and even though she doesn’t think she belongs there, her night terrors and the “stalker” that no one else sees are proof that she’s right where she needs to be.

I liked that even though this story focuses on Kylie, we get background information on a handful of other characters as well. So I found myself getting attached to more than just the main character. She has two quirky roommates, one is a vampire, and the other is a witch who seems to have a pet toad, but is later revealed as a spell gone wrong on a sleazy man. There’s a cute guy who instantly takes an interest in Kylie and a bad boy who is of course also interested in her. However, I feel like he gets first dibs since he’s a neighbor from her childhood. Yes, this has the makings of your typical eye-rolling love triangle but I really enjoyed it.

I’m a huge fan of the title and series name. Too many times the series is named after the first book. However, the title comes from the fact that all supernaturals are born at midnight and Shadow Falls is the name of the camp where Kylie realizes that she’s not who she thought she was and will ultimately come into the supernatural that she’s meant to be.

And can I just take a second to applaud the author for not turning this book into a clique teen story. There is no “popular girl” who makes Kylie’s life hell. There really aren’t any cliques either. I liked that all the kids were there to not only learn about who they are but to get to know about other supes as well.

I’m most definitely going to be keeping up with this series. We still don’t know what Kylie is but I have a feeling that we will find out in the next book.

1favequote“I personally think the downside of being able to change into anything is the fear that you don’t know who you really are.”

kRISTIN

Review: Master at Arms by Kallypso Masters

Read More →

Sunday Wrap-Up #26

Sunday Wrap-Up is all about sharing the books and book related items that I’ve picked up recently. I also recap what went on last week and let you in on what’s coming up. I link up my post to Sunday Post, Bought, Borrowed & Bagged, Showcase Sunday, Stacking the Shelves and IMM.

 

Last week on BSA:
Dark Waters by Toni Anderson (Review)
Neo’s New Home by D.T. Dyllin (Review)
Ramblings of a Book Sniffer: Home Sweet Home (Ramblings)
Wolf Protector by Milly Taiden (Review)
The Pieces We Keep by Kristina McMorris (Excerpt)
 

This week on BSA:
The Garnet Dagger by Andrea R. Cooper(Excerpt)
Master At Arms by Kallypso Masters (Review)
Born at Midnight by C.C. Hunter (Review)
Kiss of Frost by Jennifer Estep (Review)
Thankful For Our Furbabies (Giveaway Hop)

 

4review13574417

Alienated
By: Melissa Landers
Genre: YA Sci-Fi
Goodreads | Amazon | B&N

Two years ago, the aliens made contact. Now Cara Sweeney is going to be sharing a bathroom with one of them.

Handpicked to host the first-ever L’eihr exchange student, Cara thinks her future is set. Not only does she get a free ride to her dream college, she’ll have inside information about the mysterious L’eihrs that every journalist would kill for. Cara’s blog following is about to skyrocket.

Still, Cara isn’t sure what to think when she meets Aelyx. Humans and L’eihrs have nearly identical DNA, but cold, infuriatingly brilliant Aelyx couldn’t seem more alien. She’s certain about one thing, though: no human boy is this good-looking.

But when Cara’s classmates get swept up by anti-L’eihr paranoia, Midtown High School suddenly isn’t safe anymore. Threatening notes appear in Cara’s locker, and a police officer has to escort her and Aelyx to class.

Cara finds support in the last person she expected. She realizes that Aelyx isn’t just her only friend; she’s fallen hard for him. But Aelyx has been hiding the truth about the purpose of his exchange, and its potentially deadly consequences. Soon Cara will be in for the fight of her life—not just for herself and the boy she loves, but for the future of her planet.

 

 

18688106

Darkness Awakened
By: Katie Reus
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Goodreads | Amazon | B&N

Years ago he ended things between them to protect her…

As leader of one of the fiercest werewolf packs in the south, Finn Stavros is in full battle mode 24/7. He has no choice—he’s one of the few beings strong enough to fight the Akkadian demons, whose mysterious escape from hell threatens the entire world. With the battle turning bloodier by the second, Finn is ready for anything…until his vampire long lost love shows up on his doorstep in desperate need of his help, sending his heart into a tailspin. He agrees to help her, unaware that she carries a shocking secret that will turn his life upside down.

This time, he’s not letting her go…

Vampire Lyra Marius curses the day she met Finn. The ruthless werewolf promised to love her forever, but he rejected her instead—before she could share her life altering news. Pregnant, kicked out of her coven, and cast aside by the love of her life, Lyra struggled to raise their rare shifter-vampire daughter Vega alone among humans. When the 16-year-old is kidnapped and used to fulfill a frightening prophecy, Lyra swallows her pride and turns to Finn for help. But how long can she fight her feelings for him and keep him from guessing the truth about who Vega really is? As they race against the clock to save their daughter, they must defeat the lethal threat imposed by demons infiltrating the human world and a hell gate that could not only reveal their existence to mankind, but destroy the world in the process.

 

 

17303094

The Learner
By: Alan Nayes
Genre: Sci-Fi Romance
Goodreads | Amazon | B&N

NayéLi has come from the dark side of the universe to learn as much as she can about the third planet from the sun, and to communicate her findings back to her home world. NayéLi is a Learner – and on Earth she assumes the form of a young human female of the indigenous host species.

NayéLi is bound by her rulers’ laws of planetary exploration, which state that there can be no involvement with a member of the host species. But NayéLi is more human now than she realizes. And she is about to fall in love.

 

 

 

18242939

Becoming Alpha
By: Aileen Erin
Genre: YA Paranormal Romance
Goodreads | Amazon | B&N

Tessa McCaide has a unique talent for getting into trouble. Then again, it isn’t easy for a girl with visions to ignore what she sees. Luckily Tessa and her family are leaving California and moving halfway across the country, giving her the perfect opportunity to leave her reputation as “Freaky Tessa” behind.

But Tessa doesn’t realize that kissing the wrong guy in her new Texas town could land her in far more trouble than she ever imagined. Like being forced to attend St. Ailbe’s Academy, a secret boarding school for werewolves.

Even if the wrong guy did accidentally turn her into one of “them” and doom her to attending the weirdest high school ever, Tessa can’t help her growing attraction to the mysterious Dastien Laurent.

When vampires attack St. Alibe’s and her visions pinpoint an enemy in their midst, Tessa realizes that boy drama and her newfound canine tendencies might just be the least of her problems.

 

 

15821658

Theirs to Keep
By: Maya Banks
Genre: Erotica
Goodreads | Amazon | B&N

When Cade Winslow and Merrick Sullivan find Elle hiding in the cabinet of a gun store, they know they can’t just walk away from the fragile woman with no memory of who she is or who tried to kill her. Merrick is training for the title shot in the heavyweight division as a mixed martial artist and can’t afford distractions, but neither can he turn his back on the woman who tugs at his heartstrings.

Elle feels safe with her two protectors, and the longer she spends with them, the more she realizes that she has no desire to remember her past. Not when it could compromise her future with Cade and Merrick.

Cade has his own set of concerns when it comes to Elle, and it quickly becomes clear to the two men that for the first time in their friendship, a woman is coming between them. But what if they just kept her there? Between them. Where she belongs.

 

 

18593366

Asking for Trouble
By: Tessa Bailey
Genre: Erotic Romance
Goodreads | Amazon | B&N

Brent Mason and Hayden Winstead can’t stand each other. She plans exclusive parties for her rich familys charities. He’s a rough and tumble cop who rigs explosives for a living. Could two people be any less suited for conversation? They think not and prefer to keep it that way.

Unfortunately, their two best friends are deeply, disgustingly in love. Forced together, the mutual attraction simmering beneath the surface of Brent and Hayden’s non-relationship grows with every argument until it explodes into a scintillating night of mind-blowing sex. And it wont be the last, as far as Brent’s concerned.

Hayden has a secret, though. Her father’s company is relying on a merger to save them from financial ruin, and only Hayden’s marriage to the CEOs wealthy son can secure the deal. If she’s to protect her family, she’ll have to forget Brent. And he has no intention of being forgotten.

 

 

17971431

Skin Deep
By: Megan D. Martin
Genre: New Adult Paranormal Romance
Goodreads

What would you do to have the body of your dreams?

Kiera hates being overweight and hides behind thick layers of clothing. One night, her friends present an opportunity that seems impossible to believe. With a single spell, she can have the thin physique she’s always coveted.

But all magic comes with a price: no sex or she’ll revert back to her old body. Kiera accepts the cost. It’s not like she has men lined up at her door. Obeying this one tiny rule isn’t difficult at all—until the night she meets Cain, a were-tiger and a soldier with the Eternal Forces.

When a slew of unexplained murders forces Kiera and Cain together, they’ll have to face the horrors of their pasts. Will Kiera realize she is worth more than her outward appearance? Or will she make the wrong the choice and lose everything—including her life?

 

kRISTIN

Excerpt: The Pieces We Keep by Kristina McMorris

17166248The Pieces We Keep
By: Kristina McMorris
Publisher: Kensington
Release Date: Nov. 26, 2013
Genre: Historical Women’s Fiction

Goodreads | Amazon | B&N

Two years have done little to ease veterinarian Audra Hughes’s grief over her husband’s untimely death. Eager for a fresh start, Audra plans to leave Portland for a new job in Philadelphia. Her seven-year-old son, Jack, seems apprehensive about flying—but it’s just the beginning of an anxiety that grows to consume him.

As Jack’s fears continue to surface in recurring and violent nightmares, Audra hardly recognizes the introverted boy he has become. Desperate, she traces snippets of information unearthed in Jack’s dreams, leading her to Sean Malloy, a struggling US Army veteran wounded in Afghanistan. Together they unravel a mystery dating back to World War II, and uncover old family secrets that still have the strength to wound—and perhaps, at last, to heal.

 
Read More →

Review: Wolf Protector by Milly Taiden

17668267Wolf Protector
(Federal Paranormal Unit, #1)
By: Milly Taiden
Publisher: Latin Goddess Press
Published: March 29, 2013
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Rating:
PhotobucketPhotobucketPhotobucketPhotobucket

Goodreads | Amazon | B&N

A woman with a secret…
The Federal Paranormal Unit is an elite squad of supernaturals dedicated to solving missing persons cases. Erica’s gift allows her a special connection with the crime, but it comes at a deep personal cost… Until now, she’s kept her gift a secret, even from the other members of the team. But this case will throw her together with Agent Trent Buchanan. He’s the object of her secret desires, but he’s also a cocky womanizer. She’d rather swim in shark-infested waters with a paper cut than admit she has feelings for him.

A man with one desire…
Wolf Shifter Trent wants Erica more than he’s ever wanted any woman. He’s spent years patiently waiting for her to admit that she wants him too. Working one-on-one in a race to find a serial killer, Trent’s patience and Erica’s resolve wear thin. When Trent discovers the truth about Erica, will he accept her for who she is? And can he protect her from the horrors that her gift brings?

A case that pushes them to the edge…
Erica will have to risk it all if she wants to stop the killer, and when she does, Trent may have to put his own life on the line to make sure his mate is protected…

 

1thoughtsErica and Trent work for a paranormal unit. Their purpose is to find missing people and bring them back alive and find the person responsible. Each member has something to offer to the table. However, their powers are a secret amongst each other.

I liked that this story had suspense, paranormal and romance elements to it. Their team is sent out to find the killer of young woman before they strike again. The bodies are so horribly mutilated that they know the killer takes enjoyment out of what they do and it’s only a matter of time before another woman falls victim. Meanwhile, Erica is having a difficult time with this case. Her empath abilities allow her to see the victim’s last moments of life, which in most cases results in a positive ID of the attacker. However, not only does she not get a good look at the attacker but she’s got to use her power multiple times in a day which really drains her out and takes a toll on her.

The romance was nothing new when it comes to paranormal romance, especially when you are talking about shifters. So I wasn’t surprised that Erica was Trent’s mate. It also was no shocker to read how much of a womanizer Trent was. So of course, when he finally finds his mate and tries to “woo” her, she’s not having it because she’s seen how fast he goes through women. I was a little disappointed in the romance department of this story to be honest. I was hoping for something more than the usual “womanizer finds his mate, his past bites him in the ass, he tries to redeem himself, and they lived happily ever after”. However, the sexy scenes in this story were pretty darn good. So when weighing it out, the romance in bed outweighed the stereotypical romance.

I liked that the story takes place in both Erica and Trent’s point of view. You get two sets of eyes when it comes to the crime solving part. The story flowed great throughout the entire story. There were no huge gaps between time or parts where it lagged. The change in POV’s is very distinguished, so you know when you are switching between Trent and Erica. I really enjoyed the story and look forward to reading more of not only the series, but more from Milly in general.

 

1favequote“Hey, if it gets me some food without spit in it, I’ll gladly smile and wink at anyone handling the stuff that’s going to go in my mouth.” -Brock

kRISTIN