Cover Reveal: Nexis by A.L. Davroe @entangledteen @aldavroe @NereydaG1003 #YABOUNDBOOKTOURS

Nexis

by A.L. Davroe 

Release Date: 12/01/15

Entangled Teen

Summary from Goodreads:

In the domed city of Evanescence, appearance is everything. A Natural Born amongst genetically-altered Aristocrats, all Ella ever wanted was to be like everyone else. Augmented, sparkling, and perfect. Then...the crash. Devastated by her father's death and struggling with her new physical limitations, Ella is terrified to learn she is not just alone, but little more than a prisoner.

Her only escape is to lose herself in Nexis, the hugely popular virtual reality game her father created. In Nexis she meets Guster, a senior player who guides Ella through the strange and compelling new world she now inhabits. He offers Ella guidance, friendship...and something more. Something that allows her to forget about the "real" world, and makes her feel whole again.

But Nexis isn't quite the game everyone thinks it is.

And it's been waiting for Ella.

About the Author

I write both YA and adult speculative fiction. I prefer revisionist tales in paranormal, romance, Steampunk, and fantasy. I'm the author of Salvation Station (adult psych horror), The City Steam Collection (adult psych horror), For Your Heart (YA Paranormal Romance) and my YA Sci-Fi novel, Nexis, is coming out with Entangled Publishing in 2015!

By day, I live in Connecticut with my two feline hench-creatures.  I'm a terrible blusher, have a weak spot for cuddly animals, love Laffy Taffy and Cadbury MiniEggs, and I'm a huge advocate of alternative healing methods.  I also wear Vibram five-finger toe shoes and corsets...Though not always in the same ensemble.  I'm a Capricorn, a Hufflepuff, and a few nuggets short of a Happy Meal.  I also suffer from Resting Bitchface Syndrome (RBS), so even though I might look like I'll tie you in a knot if you come near me, I'm more afraid of you than you are of me (see blushing problem above).

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Cover Reveal: Always Remembered by Kelly Risser @kar2b @cleanteenpub @NereydaG1003 #YABOUNDBOOKTOURS

Always Remembered

by Kelly Risser 

Release Date: 05/19/15

Clean Teen Publishing

Summary from Goodreads:
One clue… what does it mean?

Ken, the leader of the Blue Men of the Minch, has kidnapped Evan. Before they left, Evan was able to leave a package for Meara-her grandfather's necklace wrapped in a cloth napkin with one word written in blood. Azuria. Unfortunately, Meara doesn't understand it and neither does her dad or Kieran.

When Dad and Aunt Brigid attempt to rescue Evan, Meara and Kieran begin to train the clan on how to fight and defend their home. A war is brewing, and Meara is determined their people must prepare for the battle. The training sessions are long and arduous, but the Selkies work hard to learn.

Meanwhile, Evan wakes and finds himself in Belle Tresor, the home of sirens. He's bound to his blue form, unable to transform to human, and Ken has plans to use Evan's powers to destroy the Selkies. Thankfully, he's not alone. He befriends a siren named Deanna and several Blue Men. Can he trust them to help him escape or do they have ulterior motives?

As both sides prepare for an ultimate confrontation, the stakes are high and friendships are tested. Some will rise to be victorious. Some will be destroyed. But love and loyalty will be always remembered in this exciting conclusion to the Never Forgotten series.

Books in this series:
(covers linked to Goodreads)

About the Author

Becoming a published author is a lifetime dream come true. As a child, I subjected friends and family to my "KellyMark" greeting cards ("When you care enough to make the very best."), poetry, homemade magazines, and short stories. In high school, my short story, "If Only to Escape" was published in the local paper, and I won a writing contest for my children's story, "Televisella." In college, my creative writing tapered off, but I still managed to write the occasional review for The Marquette University Tribune. Once I graduated, I mixed creative writing with business writing, and I've held positions in Advertising, Marketing, and Instructional Design/eLearning Development.

Today, I am busy writing the next book in Meara's story. When I'm not writing, I'm reading, hanging out with my husband and two kids, or playing with our Whoodle puppy

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Release Day Book Blitz: The Thorn and the Sinking Stone by C.J. Dushinski @CJDushinski @EntangledTeen @NereydaG1003 #YABOUNDBOOKTOURS #Giveaway

The Thorn and the Sinking Stone

by C.J. Dushinski 

Release Date: March 2015

Entangled Teen

313 pages

Summary from Goodreads:

Warring families. Forbidden love. And danger they can't escape…

Daggers. Roses. Cowboys. Boat Men. Survivors of Earth's Last War, four "families" vie to rule the dreary streets of Rain City through violence and blood. Valencia Hara, Princess of the wealthy Black Roses, is raised in warrior ways with sharpened steel. But she is no ordinary Rose. She is Cursed-tainted with the ability to see seconds into the future…

To avenge his father's death, Sebastian Leold, of the rival gang Two Daggers, must face off against the Black Princess, he with his dagger, she with her katana sword. Yet a secret from a shared past leaves him unable to kill beautiful Valencia; nor can she kill him. For they once knew each other beyond their blood feud…and they have more secrets in common than they know.

But in a world filled with vengeance and violence, there can be no room for love…

Buy links:

Amazon ~ Barnes & Noble ~ Kobo Books

The Soundtrack to the Thorn and the Sinking Stone:

As with many writers, music is a huge inspiration to my work. I don't generally play music while I write; I tend to require complete silence in order to let the scene come to life the way I truly intended, without outside influence. But, prior to actually putting the words on paper, a lot of my scenes, characters, and elements are completely inspired by music. I've actually had this list of songs in a word document titled Song List since 2009, the year I began writing The Thorn and the Sinking Stone. Every song on the list somehow inspired the story, as you'll be able to see quite clearly after reading. I never intended to share the list, but now that it's all over, it seems like the story can't quite be fully appreciated without the soundtrack that inspired it. Some songs you may know, most you won't, so I encourage you to check them out, because if nothing else, there are some great tunes on this list. For your listening pleasure, here it is…

Rain City - Turin Breaks: Well this one is quite obvious, isn't it? This is how Rain City came to be. Something about this song always captured the city in my head. It was a little haunting, but hopeful too, just like the city where Sebastian and Valencia live.

O' Valencia - The Decembrists: Again, another obvious one. And this is a big one. This song inspired the whole story. There are elements that are taken, quite literally, from the lyrics. Forbidden love, two warring families, a murderous brother… this, folks, is where it all began. This is the song that made me sit up one day and say hey, I should write a story about this, it's so good.

Run - Snow Patrol: I don't think a more beautiful song exists. This song has always given me chills. I could still listen to it all day, every day and never get sick of it. The desperation, the longing…it completely captures how I wanted Valencia and Sebastian's love to feel to the reader-the kind that makes you sad and happy at the same time.

Volcano - Damien Rice: I debated keeping this song on the list because it actually inspired a secondary relationship to the story that didn't make the final cut. But it felt wrong to remove it, since it was very much part of the initial process. A very dark, one-sided type of love. Maybe it can make a reappearance elsewhere, in another story, another time.

The Funeral - Band of Horses: This is the song that inspired the opening scene. I struggled for a long time on the perfect place to begin the Thorn and the Sinking Stone. And then one day while driving in my car this song came on, and I thought, 'Yes, that's it. We'll begin where another story ended…with Lucky's death.' This is the song I imagine playing in Sebastian's head as he watches his brother carry his father's casket to the boat.

Swords - Band of Horses: Another Band of Horses song you say? Well, yes. Because they are awesome. And if you don't know them, check them out. This song really reminded me of the Two Daggers and the Leolds and their bond as brothers. It helped shape them as a family more than a gang, which is drastically different than that of the Black Roses.

Night-watchman - Bell X1: Another stellar Irish band (after Snow Patrol). Something about this song was so, so sad to me and reminded me of how Valencia must feel when she looks out of the city and how alone she must feel in her Curse, hunted and unwanted. And somewhere in there, just the little bit of hope, like how she feels with Sebastian. And now you know why the Watchmen are called the Watchmen.

Simple Song - The Shins: Just a simple song. I love this, because that's exactly what it is. It feels so simple. So peaceful. So loving. And I feel as if this is what Sebastian strives so much to achieve. A way to lead a simple life…

I've Got Friends - Manchester Orchestra: Just a little bit of angst here. But you can't really write about being a teen without a dash of angst. And for me, this song sums it all up. When I listen to this, I feel like I can actually hear Sebastian and Valencia screaming it, while their respective families stand in the background, wanting to tear them apart.

Yellow -Coldplay: Everyone needs a little Coldplay in their writing. To me, this is exactly how Sebastian feels about Valencia. There is nothing he wouldn't do for her, to reach her. To him, she is perfect. She is everything he is fighting for.

Crawl - King of Leon: A little anger to go with that angst. This isn't a perfect love story, as most in real life go. There is a lot of crap these two must go through for even the sliver of a chance to be together. For me, this song really summed up the struggles of their relationship. This is a little bit of both Sebastian and Valencia at their worst.

I'll believe in Anything - Wolf Parade: This song is a rarely known gem. This is mainly for Valencia, when her walls begin to fall and she first falls in love with Sebastian. She is blinded by him and all the beautiful things in him she's never seen in anyone else. She's always been somewhat naïve, and now, in her eyes, he can do no wrong, and she would follow him anywhere.

I Will Wait - Mumford and Sons: Would you wait for the one you loved? Despite distance and blood feuds and loyalties? This song inspired a lot of the challenges Valencia and Sebastian face throughout their growing relationship. I can't listen to it without wishing that all love in the world felt the way this song makes me feel.

Well, that's it! I hope you take the time to listen to a few of the songs that inspired the Thorn and the Sinking Stone and I hope they allow you to imagine the world of Rain City a little more vividly.

CJ

About the Author

While attempting to navigate life as a responsible human being, CJ graduated from university with a B.Comm and worked her way along as marketer, copywriter, and graphic designer to earn a paycheck while pursing her passion for creating fantastical stories set in dark and wondrous corners of the world.  Born amongst the wheat fields and open skies of the Canadian prairies, CJ's imagination has always run wild, taking her on adventures across the world from modeling in Seoul, South Korea to backpacking through Europe and surfing (poorly) in Hawaii.

After wandering through ancient cities and civilizations, learning from diverse cultures, and surrounding herself in new experiences, CJ was inspired and began work on her debut Young Adult novel THE THORN AND THE SINKING STONE, to be published by Entangled Publishing 2014/15. CJ currently resides in Calgary, Alberta Canada - home of the Canadian Rockies - and keeps one hand on her passport and pen at all times, ready to pick up, see the world, and weave her experiences into stories. 

CJ is represented by Marlene Stringer of the Stringer Literary Agency LLC.

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Release Day Book Blitz: Snark and Stage Fright by Stephanie Wardrop @NereydaG1003 #YABOUNDBOOKTOURS #Giveaway

Snark and Stage Fright

by Stephanie Wardrop

Release Date: 03/10/15

Swoon Romance

Summary from Goodreads:

Happily-ever-after isn't as happy or forever as Jane Austen makes it look. Just something Georgia Barrett learns when her sharp tongue costs her the only guy she's ever really cared about: Michael Endicott.

Determined to move on, Georgia lands the lead role in the school's fall musical. But to survive on stage, she'll need to learn to express herself without her protective shield of snark. She soon discovers being honest with others means being honest with herself, and the truth is she's still in love with Michael.

But from the looks of Michael's new girlfriend, Georgia isn't the only one who tried to move on. Apparently, some people are just better at it than others. And when Michael and his girlfriend join the cast of the fall musical, Georgia finds out that snark and stage fright are the least of her worries…

Buy links:

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Excerpt:

We heard Michael's mom calling from the house, "Michael, phone for you!" and he said, "Well, Georgia and I should get back to the house before we miss lunch … "

"But I just got here!" Catalina pouted for a second, then said, "Why don't you go take your call and grab something from the kitchen to bring back so we can catch up? It'll give me a chance to get to know Georgia-and tell her all your dirty secrets."

Michael looked at me uncertainly, then back at the house, then back to me. I nodded, albeit reluctantly, so he got up and started walking away. I wanted to stay on that beach blanket and dish with Catalina about as much as I wanted a Sharknado to shoot onto the beach and bite off one of my limbs. At least I'd have a story to tell Cassie later, one that she would actually want to listen to-my afternoon in the sand with my boyfriend's supermodel summer beach house bestie.

Catalina stretched her impossibly long and tanned legs in front of her and cooed,

"So you and Michael are going out? He makes an excellent boyfriend, doesn't he? He's a little stiff at first, but once you loosen him up … "

I could taste my breakfast in my throat when she said that.

"Michael and I have had a little thing going every summer since I was about fourteen, I guess," she explained, then gave a sharp little laugh, "Guess not this year!"

"Guess not."

She looked at me, all of me, up and down and back again, as if trying to figure out how she'd lost out on her yearly fling to a troll like me. But as uncomfortable as she was making me, I was determined to hold my tongue rather than upset any more of Michael's family, friends, and assembled guests, lest they send me back over the Bourne Bridge to the mainland-leaving Michael here with Catalina.

"So you and Michael … ?" Her question trailed off; it was too ridiculous to ask. I nodded and said, "Me and Michael."

"Wow. I mean, I'm sorry, but … Just-wow. It's a surprise, that's all."

I should have held my tongue. Manually. With both hands. But I just couldn't.

Before I could stop myself, I said, "Well, it's part of his community service."

Her sandy brows drew together over her lowered sunglasses and she looked at me.

"Really?" She drew out the word so that it had about eighteen syllables.

"Yeah. Michael got arrested for passing bad checks. But he was just sentenced to community service since his family knows the judge and all. So he has to take orphan girls with no hope of modelling careers down to the Cape once or twice a summer. And I'm this week's lucky orphan!"

After a few seconds, she snarled, "Michael would never pass bad checks," and eyed me with great indignation.

"That was the part of the story you found unbelievable? Not the orphanage for failed models?" I laughed.

"I'm finding this whole situation pretty unbelievable, to tell you the truth." She shook her head. Don't you find it an eensy weensy bit surprising yourself?" she asked me and then sat there with two fingers poised like pincers a few millimeters apart to indicate the "eensy weensy-ness" of my chances of being with Michael.

"What's that, Catalina? Your cup size before the surgery?" I blurted out-just as Michael showed up.

"Everything okay here?" he asked after he dropped a cloth shopping bag filled with some crusty bread, cheese, and a bunch of big green grapes onto the towel.

I waited for Catalina to burst into wounded tears. But she chirped, "Georgia is sooo funny," as if we had just been laughing and braiding each other's hair in one of history's finest moments of girl bonding.

Interesting ploy.

About the Author
Stephanie Wardrop grew up in Reading, Pennsylvania, a town mostly famous for being a railroad card in Monopoly. After giving up on her childhood goal of becoming a pirate, she decided to become a writer but took a detour through lots of college and grad school and ended up teaching writing and British and American literature. She's the author of the Swoon Romance e-novella series Snark and Circumstance, based on Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, and lives in western New England with her husband, kids, cats, and gecko.

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Release Day Book Blitz: Red by Alyxandra Harvey @AlyxandraH @EntangledTeen @NereydaG1003 #YABOUNDBOOKTOURS #Giveaway

Red

by Alyxandra Harvey 

Release Date: March 2015

Entangled Teen

Summary from Goodreads:

Bad girls burn hot…

Red is the color of Kia Alcott's hair.
It's her temper, which blazes hot and always gets Kia into way too much trouble.
And it's the color of fire. Fires that Kia can start…just by thinking about them.

When her latest "episode" gets her kicked out of school, Kia is shipped off to her grandmother, who works for the wealthy Blackwoods. It's an estate shrouded in secrets, surrounded by rules, and presided over by a family that is far from normal…including the gorgeous and insolent Ethan Blackwood.

Ethan knows far more about the dangers of the forest surrounding the estate than Kia can ever imagine. For this forest has teeth, and Ethan is charged with protecting the outside world from its vicious mysteries.

But inside, even the most vibrant shade of red doesn't stand a chance against the dark secrets of the Blackwood family… 

Buy Links:

Amazon ~ Barnes & Noble ~ Kobo Books

Excerpt from "Red" by Alyxandra Harvey:

The tower room had an iron gate, like something out of a horror movie. It was open at the moment, but I could see the impressive locks even from here.

I wondered what could possibly need to be contained that carefully. Besides me. A tiny shiver danced over the back of my neck as I peered inside.

Spears with decorative beaded bands, arrows, and swords, were all lined up with military, rather than museum, precision. And a lot of stuffed animal heads. There was a stag with chunks of turquoise stones for eyes, a crane standing on a log, a white bull with gold horns, and a horse head with a horn attached to its forehead to make it look like a unicorn.

Rich people were weird.

I was stepping inside when a hand closed tightly around my arm, jerking me to a stop. I shouted something that was definitely not ladylike enough for this house. My pulse thumped in my ears.

"You shouldn't be in here," the person said.

He flexed his hands suddenly, the way people do when they've touched something too hot. He wore a silver ring on his thumb. I tried to concentrate on that instead of the spark of panic smoldering in my belly. Burning down a private museum seemed like a really bad introduction to my new life.

Had he seen the tiny spark that ate a hole in my sleeve? I rubbed it, making sure it wouldn't flare up again. I wasn't even sure if it was a new spark or a burn from an old one.

I'd learned I didn't need kindling-, I was kindling.

My palms itched painfully. I shoved the guy to distract him from the heat coming off of me. "Who the hell are you?"

"Ethan," he replied.

Ethan Blackwood. Of course. Way to make a first impression.

"You must be Abby's granddaughter." He was standing very close. And I'd just known he'd be gorgeous. I assumed he'd have better manners, though. Possibly no one else noticed with that ridiculously beautiful face. His hair was blond, his cheekbones deadly. He was lean and muscular, like someone who knew exactly what his body was capable of. And I was thinking way too much about this.

"Get out of here," he said softly, intently. His mouth was distracting; it belonged to a villain in a movie full of secrets and temptation. "Now."

I was suddenly embarrassed, as if he could read my mind. A little more aggressive misdirection couldn't hurt. "Have you considered taking up yoga?" I asked with patently false sweetness. "You're a little tense."

"Just go," he said. "You-"

"Ethan!" Holden Blackwood interrupted us, sounding shocked and annoyed. "Leave the poor girl alone."

A muscle leapt in Ethan's jaw as he clenched it. He didn't look at his father, just kept staring at me. "Ethan!" Holden repeated, annoyance hardening to anger.

Ethan shoved past me so suddenly I toppled into the door frame. I heard his footsteps stomp down the hall and then the slamming of his bedroom door. "I apologize for my son." Holden sighed. "I fear I've spoiled him."

Yeah, I couldn't exactly picture Ethan with an after-school job. Speaking of which, I was going to have to get one as soon as possible. Abby wasn't the type to give out an allowance, even if she'd been able to afford it. I shrugged awkwardly at Ethan's dad. "It's fine."

"It certainly is not, but it's gracious of you to say so." I couldn't think of a person more opposite to Abby than Holden Blackwood. Or more opposite to my dad, come to think of it. He screamed sophistication and wealth. The Alcotts just screamed. "Perhaps you'll do him good, Kia."

I nearly snorted. He smiled briefly. "Sorry," I said, motioning to the trophy room before I opened my big mouth and told him I didn't do miracles and his brat of a son was beyond my help.

About the Author

Alyxandra Harvey lives in a stone Victorian house in Ontario, Canada with a few resident ghosts who are allowed to stay as long as they keep company manners. She loves medieval dresses, used to be able to recite all of The Lady of Shalott by Tennyson, and has been accused, more than once, of being born in the wrong century. She believes this to be mostly true except for the fact that she really likes running water, women's rights, and ice cream.

Among her favourite books are 'The Wood Wife' by Terri Windling, 'Jane Eyre' by Charlotte Bronte, and of course, 'Pride and Prejudice' by Jane Austen. Elizabeth Bennet is her hero because she's smart and sassy, and Mr. Darcy is, well, yum.

Aside from the ghosts, she also lives with husband and their dogs. She likes cinnamon lattes, tattoos and books.

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Spotlight: A Mighty Good Man By Rebecca E. Neely @RebeccaNeely1 @GHBTours

A Mighty Good Man

By- Rebecca E. Neely

Genre- Contemporary Romantic Suspense

'Hank' Jerry…Her personal and professional life on the skids, a family emergency forces her to return to the small town, and the aunt, she left behind.

Jack 'Gent' Darcy…Fresh out of prison, he's bent on cutting ties with the Creds, but when you're a war counselor in a national gang, they don't let you just walk away.

Injured and on the run, Jack lands on Hank's doorstep, and makes her a proposition she can't refuse: write his story about life inside one of the most powerful gangs in the country. It's simple - she'll get her career groove back, and he'll bury the gang, then disappear - his version of freedom.

Only problem is, they can't help falling for each other, and they've both got something to hide that could blow up in their faces. With time running out and gang enforcers closing in, will the trust they've forged survive the ultimate test?

On Sale NOW for just 99 Cents! 

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Excerpt:

Zip. Zilch. Null. Nada. Void. The empty set.

No text. No email. No electronic communiqué of any kind.

Scowling, 'Hank' Jerry-a woman who wore the self-made moniker the way some might armor-jammed her smartphone into the front pocket of her cargo pants and sucked a drag off her first cancer stick of the day, exhaling into the predawn behind her Aunt Henry's restaurant. The fluorescents overhead cast a harsh glow over this particular piece of real estate in Fiddler's Elbow, Pennsylvania-a throwback hunky mill town where dial-up was considered high tech and people still lived life one pierogie at a time.

From the shadows behind the dumpster, a man emerged and limped toward her, clutching his side, his chest heaving, clouds of his breath hanging in the April air.

"Hide me!" he gasped.

"What the hell?" Heart pounding, Hank retreated a few steps and threw her cigarette to the ground. Blood, bruises, panic-all of it oozed from this man who'd materialized like smoke. Tires squealed on pavement in the alley running the length of the restaurant and hodge-podge of neighboring buildings.

"Will you?" he ground out.

A dozen fleeting impressions swamped her brain. Muscular. Dirty. Unshaven. Murderer? Crazy? Eyes, wild and green, probing and pleading in the artificial light. In the alley, car doors slammed. Feet pounded gravel and shouts cut through the dark. Two people? More?

"Please."

They locked eyes. No, said her gut. Not crazy. But maybe she was.

About the Author-

Rebecca E. Neely was born and raised in a small town in western Pennsylvania. Her father, an English teacher and a writer, instilled in her a love of words, and literature, especially short stories, at a young age. Her mother, a voracious reader, gave her Ballet Shoes by Noel Streatfeild as a Christmas gift when she was nine, and Rebecca's been hooked on reading stories of all stripes ever since.

Rebecca enjoys finding, and reading new authors via her Kindle. Live music inspires her, as do the family and friends she's blessed to have in her life.

In a former life, she earned a B.S. in Accounting, and worked in that field for about a decade. Since 2001, Rebecca has freelanced, writing a wide variety of copy for local magazines, and businesses all over the country. She is a PRO member of Romance Writers of America (RWA), the Western Pennsylvania Romance Writers (WPRW), and is honored to serve as a judge for several writing contests each year.

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