{July 13, 2013} {Flash Giveaway} Armored Hearts by Melissa Turner Lee and Pauline Creeden

Authors Melissa Turner Lee’s and Pauline Creeden’s novel, Armored Hearts, is on sale this weekend for just 99 cents, and to celebrate, they’re generously giving away 5 Kindle copies of their novel! The cover is absolutely gorgeous and the synopsis sounds amazing, so make sure you enter pronto because this giveaway ends tomorrow!

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Synopsis:

When a crippled young lord rescues a girl falling from a tree, it reveals a secret about himself and his mother’s side of the family that could put him at the center of a war with beings he thought only existed in fairy tales. Tristan Gareth Smyth lived his entire life stuck at home at Waverly Park, left behind while his Grandfather makes trips to London, all because of his blasted wheelchair. Then an American heiress falls in his lap, literally, and he must find a way to keep her at a distance to protect not only his secret, but everyone around him from an assassin sent to kill him.

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Up to 5 Winners Will Be Chosen!!!

To enter this giveaway, you must:

-Be 13 years or older (or have parent/guardian permission)

-Agree to HONESTLY REVIEW the novel via a blog (if you have one), or Goodreads, or any other media format you use for book reviews (Amazon, Barnes and Noble, etc.)

-Fill in the mandatory question on rafflecopter (extra entries optional)

Click here to go to the Rafflecopter entry form!

This contest is open internationally and will end at 12:01am EST on July 14th at 5pm. Please only enter once. The winner will be announced later on July 14th, and will receive email notification! Please read my giveaway policy and leave me a comment!

{July 13, 2013} The 99 Cent Club–Feature 53–Ten Books for Ten Bucks

Every Saturday I run a feature for the 99 Cent Club, and below are the eBook picks for this week that caught my eye and are currently ONLY 99 Cents on Amazon with most on Barnes and Noble as well. I don’t know if these are permanent prices, so please don’t shoot the messenger, and double check pricing before pressing the buy button. Enjoy! (If you could help give these authors some love by spreading the word, that would be epic.)

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Clicks by Amy Evans

Clicks are the sounds the universe makes when it stops to tell you what’s going to happen next. Truths you hear in your heart that you can’t explain.

For sixteen year old Cami, the clicks won’t stop. They’re telling her to fall in love with the wrong twin, that her family is hiding something, and that Pinhold, her pristine Island home, is in danger.

Born and bred to win, Cami’s family expects her to join a secret society called The Guard, marry one of the two identical twin boys next door, and stay on Pinhold Island for the rest of her life. Home to perfect waves, black sand beaches, and the world-famous Surf Carnival, Pinhold seems deceptively perfect. While visitors are jealous of the few hundred people who get to live there, Cami feels stifled. Thanks to the intense link she shares with her own twin, Mica, she can’t even be alone with her thoughts. While Cami’s more than happy to be a lifeguard, a lifelong commitment to the endless summer feels like a trap.

It should have been a fun summer of surf competitions and beach patrol. But dolphins are washing up on shore and the best swimmers are drowning. Then her twin brother Mica goes down too.

The only thing that can save her brother is the truth that only Cami can learn. But can she trust the clicks?

Find it on Amazon.

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Cold Blood by Heather Hildenbrand

Wood Point Academy is not at all what I expected. For one thing, it looks like a cross between military school and Buckingham Palace. Everyone stares, the floors shine so bright you can see your reflection in them from a mile away, and no one smiles. Unless they’re kicking your butt in the process.

At least I’ve got plenty to take my mind off the fact that my psycho cousin, Miles De’Luca, keeps calling and declaring his love and promising to come for me just as soon as he’s destroyed anyone standing in our way. Wes isn’t going to like that idea. So between Miles, Wood Point’s evil welcoming committee, and the drill sergeant hottie trainer from hell, I just keep asking myself, how did I end up here? Cold Blood is Book 2 in the Dirty Blood series. To read more about the Dirty Blood series visit http://www.accendopress.com

Find it on Amazon.

Book 1, Dirty Blood, is FREE, so scoop that up too!

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Mangled Hearts: Francesca and Cade by Felicia Tatum

Francesca and Cade.

Can two loves find their way back to each other despite an addiction and a hardened heart? Will their love overcome it all?
Francesca Taymon is young, successful, and broken. A tragic accident years ago haunts her to this day, and she blames only one person–the one that holds her heart. When she finally gets her first case, will she be able to handle seeing him again? Can she do her job and keep her heart intact?

Cade Kelling doesn’t take life seriously. He’s reckless and irresponsible, drinking all his problems away. When his parents bail him out for the last time, will he be able to handle seeing Francesca after all of these years? Will he be able to tell her what really happened that night 5 years ago or will he lose her forever?
And the most important question….

Can these mangled hearts be mended?

Find it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

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Cornerstone by Misty Provencher

CORNERSTONE is the story of Nalena Maxwell, a girl who’s been dubbed The Waste at her new school, due to her mom’s obsessive paper hoarding. Nalena desperately needs something to change in her life. But when she receives a sign (and it’s the wrong dang one) that invites her into an ancient community, EVERYTHING changes- what she knew of her family and her life and her future. While seventeen years worth of family skeletons come crashing into Nalena’s life, it is the boy…the one with eyes as clean as Jesus…that steps up to help Nalena figure out what he already knows about her…

Find it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

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Soul Deep by Amy Maurer Jones

In the third and final installment of The Soul Quest Trilogy the Oracles head to the Scottish Highlands in pursuit of Lefu and Etheline. When they finally catch up with the fallen spirits they are unexpectedly met by another mysterious creature, but is this magical being evil?

The spirited teens find themselves faced with loss and betrayal in this epic adventure.

Who will Liv choose to be her soul mate? Will it be Beau or Jedd? Which boy will face a future empty of his greatest desire?

Brayan will be deceived by the one person he trusts the most? Will he ever forgive his betrayer, or himself?

Laith has already lost his sister to the Daevas. Will a complication cause him to lose Drue too?

Meena will find the weight of the world submerging her deep into waters of the Loch Ness. Will she rise against it?

Last but not least, will the Oracles finally rid the Earth of Daeva’s and Aengels?

Afflictions of the soul wade deep. It’s time to sink or swim. Tread carefully…

Find it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

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The Gatekeeper’s Sons by Eva Pohler

Fifteen-year-old Therese watches her parents die. While in a coma, she meets the twin sons of Hades—Hypnos (the god of sleep) and Thanatos (the god of death). She thinks she’s manipulating a dream, not kissing the god of death and totally rocking his world. Than makes a deal with Hades and goes as a mortal to the Upperworld to try and win Therese’s heart.

Find it on Amazon (Free?) and Barnes and Noble.

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Eyes of Ember by Rebecca Ethington

Joclyn is in hiding, hunted by the man she still desperately loves. Ryland is gone, his mind erased; no memory of Joclyn remains, but Joclyn’s heart desperately begs her to hold out hope. Meanwhile the black-eyed monster that possesses him attempts to kill her over and over again.

If it wasn’t for Ilyan, Joclyn would be dead by now.

Ilyan, the man who once stalked her, is now Joclyn’s protector, the only person she has left. He protects Joclyn from the men who seek to end her life, and all the while, she is haunted by dreams where Ryland begs her to break the bond between them.

Ilyan is there. Always there.

Ilyan trains and prepares her, teaching her everything she needs to know in the hope that one day she can avenge Ryland, if not protect herself from him.

And then, there is her father.

The man who has never been there is suddenly responsible for everything. And who he is has made Joclyn into something she never wanted to be:

The Silny.

Find it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

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More than Magic: Semester Abroad by Elizabeth Kirke

Jen is looking forward to spending an entire summer studying abroad on a cruise ship and she knows the experience will change her life. Then she sees something she wasn’t supposed to see, something she can’t explain. Jen finds herself thrust into a world she never knew existed and her life will change more than she imagined. That is, if she can survive the dangers lurking on the ship.

Find it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

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Eternal Hope by Frankie Rose

He loves me, he loves me not, he loves me…

When your friends go missing and you don’t know if they’re dead or alive; when you tie your soul to the one you love; when you kill to protect and your family suffers, there’s only one thing you can do:

Move to Montana.

Farley Hope is special. She was prophesied to kill the forebears of her bloodline- a race of cold-blooded Reavers, men who steal the souls of the living to gain power. The Quorum had counted on Farley ending her own life in the process, but when Kayden came to her aid and helped save both her and Daniel, he undid their plans. Now the Quorum are displeased, not only with Kayden, but with Farley and Daniel too. Though her father is now dead, Farley’s troubles with the Reavers are far from over. An ancient Immortal, trapped for a thousand years, wants Farley for himself, and he will stop at nothing to claim her.

With secrets that lead to anger and pain, that turn friendship to dust, the group must overcome the problems within their own circle before they have a hope of fighting off the powers that threaten their lives

Find it on Amazon.

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Natural Selection by Elizabeth Sharp

Amelia Hoffman was just a normal 15-year-old until she found out the truth. Now ancient myths, supernatural beings, and murder have changed everything. Tests and school dances are no longer the biggest worry in her life–she has to figure out how to save everyone she loves and accept the future in front of her before its too late.

Find it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

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If you could help give these authors some love by spreading the word, that would be epic.

{July 12, 2013} {Review} The Dead and Buried by Kim Harrington

From Goodreads: Jade loves the house she’s just moved into with her family. She doesn’t even mind being the new girl at the high school: It’s a fresh start, and there’s that one guy with the dreamy blue eyes. . . . But then things begin happening. Strange, otherworldly things. Jade’s little brother claims to see a glimmering girl in his room. Jade’s jewelry gets moved around, as if by an invisible hand. Kids at school whisper behind her back like they know something she doesn’t.

Soon, Jade must face an impossible fact: that her perfect house is haunted. Haunted by a ghost who’s seeking not just vengeance, but the truth. The ghost of a girl who ruled Jade’s school — until her untimely death last year. It’s up to Jade to put the pieces together before her own life is at stake. As Jade investigates the mystery, she discovers that her new friends in town have more than a few deep, dark secrets. But is one of them a murderer?

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So, I have this quirk of mine where I like to cozy up in my bed late at night, turn out the lights, and listen to scary books on my Kindle (while the computerized voice isn’t all that scary, the fact that I am listening to potentially deadly situations unfold in the pitch dark always heightens the fear factor for me as opposed to reading in the daylight). I ended up listening to all of Harrington’s The Dead and Buried this way, and let me tell you, there were definitely some instances in which my blood ran cold.

While the beginning of the novel reads like any other YA story in which a teen moves to a new school and is struggling to make friends, the twist is the fact that Jade and her family moved into Kayla Sloane’s house, the resident mean girl who died in the very house Jade now calls home. The fact that it remains unclear whether or not Kayla was murdered makes it all the more chilling, and as Jade begins to uncover the truth about Kayla’s life, loves, friends, and death, a creepy ambiance surrounds the novel.

I loved Jade’s determination to save her family from the wrath of Kayla, and her sleuthing abilities were fun all follow along with, and so was the little romance Harrington added to the mix. However, I will say that I was able to figure out the truth surrounding Kayla’s death fairly early on due to some foreshadowing and “in passing” comments from other characters in the text. This isn’t a bad thing, by any means, but I definitely would have liked it to be more of a surprise. But, what was lacking in the surprise department was definitely made up for when it came to scaring me stiff.

In regards to Kayla, I hold absolutely no love for her, especially as she threatens Jade’s family and the truth about her thoughts and feelings unfold. She was a terrible person in life, and a terrifying entity in death, and even finding out the truth about her death didn’t make me feel sorry for her, but rather filled with anger. Once you read it, you’ll see why, but I can’t say anything else about that without giving away clues, so I’ll move onto the aspects of the novel that scared me to death. While Kayla is new to haunting people, she has no qualms about threatening the life of a five-year-old, and her new-found ability to possess Jade’s younger brother chilled me to the bone. As I laid in my bed listening to the story unfold, there were multiple instances that Kayla did something that made my hair stand on end and my entire body tingle—similar to the feeling you get when a part of your body begins to fall asleep. What was really creepy about this is that the feeling of intense evil would come over me and go from head to toe in a matter of seconds, which in turn chilled my blood and had me turning on the light to make sure I was alone and that no ghost was haunting me in my room. I don’t know that I would have been as afraid had I read this novel during the day, but I’m telling you, if you really want to be unnerved and a little bit frightened, definitely read this novel with minimal light when you’re home all alone. The plot will seriously mess with your feelings of security. Four stars.

Scholastic Inc. has been extremely gracious in allowing me tno read this novel via Netgalley.

{July 11, 2013} {Review} The Eden Effect by P.J. Lincoln

From Goodreads: Eve Adams is envious.

She has raised her family and watched her children become successful. She has also been a top drawer wife to George. But, in her heart of hearts, Eve always wanted something more than the life of a homemaker. She watched as other women found freedom and fought their way from the secretary pool to the board room and knew she had what it took to do the same. So many regrets, at least about that portion of her life.

In The Eden Effect, Eve gets a second chance.

Long ago, George Adams inscribed their names on an apple tree in the middle of an orchard where they met and worked. Now he wants to find out if its still there. After a typical evening out, they stop by the long-since abandoned Culver’s Apple Orchard and find the tree. To their surprise, it is still standing. While all of the other trees in the orchard are barren, George and Eve’s tree has a single apple growing from it. Eve can’t resist plucking it from the branch. Despite George’s warnings, she bites into the apple. It’s perfect in form and taste. Eve convinces George to eat.

And that’s all it takes to turn their world upside down.

Set it suburbia, The Eden Effect answers some of the questions we all ponder about the choices we’ve made in life. The grass is always greener, right? Eve Adams is about to find out…

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This is an interesting novella that stems from the famous Adam and Eve story from the Bible. Readers will note that the synopsis above is a much shorter version of the events that happen within the first section of the novella, but once past this, with Eve and George eating from the tree, the novella begins to pick up and change. Now physically younger and stronger, both Eve and George begin to live anew, but in so doing, their quiet lives are disrupted and irrevocably altered. While it is always fun to play that “what-if” game, Eve gets her chance to actually live it, and in so doing, basically throws her marriage to the wind. Truthfully, I think if we all got a do-over, many of us would change our ways and try different things, but both Eve’s and George’s resentment and inability to really change without separation irked me. Yes, George is set in his ways and he is definitely not my favorite person in the world, a chauvinist for sure, but Eve lost all my sympathy as she charged on ahead, leaving her husband of 50+ years in the dust in order to “live again.” Eve’s actions made me angry and I had no love for her, making it difficult for me to really enjoy the novella because liking my characters tends to go hand in hand with really enjoying a story. It’s one that will make readers think, though. I sit here judging Eve, and yet I can’t say I would act the same should I get a “do over” and my husband did not…

Overall, it’s an interesting story with some great food for thought, but it’s relatively short and the characters aren’t my favorite. The writing is very well done, but the characters just didn’t impress me due to their excessively selfish nature. But if you’re a person who really enjoys “what-if” stories, then I recommend this one to you because, like Lincoln said, it addresses the age old question ” we all ponder about the choices we’ve made in life. The grass is always greener, right?” Two stars.

I received this novella from the author in exchange for an honest review.

{July 10, 2013} {Review} Hush by Stacey R. Campbell (A Lakeview Novel #1)

From Goodreads: For small-town girl Blakely Henry, any hope of finding her biological parents died when she stopped believing in fairy tales and Disney princesses. That is, until she spots her boarding school’s new British exchange student, Max Ryder, staring at her. Why would a boy who looks like he stepped out of the pages of a magazine be looking at her? Because Max knows something Blakely doesn’t.

Following the tragic demise of one of Europe’s most beloved royal families, Max has stumbled upon information he thinks may lead to a lost royal heir, and now he is on a quest halfway around the world to see if he’s right.

Sworn to secrecy by his university professor and the headmaster of Lakeview Academy, Max is admitted into an exchange program with the sole purpose of finding out the truth. But will his personal feelings for Blakely get in the way?

When a stolen email surfaces, Blakely and her friends’ lives are threatened, and Max starts to question what he is really after.

From the exclusive rolling lawns of Canada’s most prestigious boarding school to the University of Saint Andrews’ hallowed grounds, Blakely’s quiet, unassuming life is turned upside down. Is she really who she thinks she is? Can she survive long enough to help Max unearth the truth?

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If you enjoyed any of the Disney princess movies along the lines of The Princess Diaries, then you’ll like Campbell’s novel, Hush. While the story of a lost princess unaware of her heritage is nothing new, this novel presents a different perspective in which no one knows that an heir even exists, but when a young man studying journalism stumbles upon documents that hint at a secret birth, the sleuthing begins. I liked the fact that we knew the truth about Blakely’s heritage from the very beginning as Campbell sets the stage, allowing readers a birds eye view of everything happening in both Canada and the UK. As the reader, we are privy to everyone’s thoughts, giving us the advantage of knowing what’s going to come next. While I usually like to be surprised, I thoroughly enjoyed this omniscient narrative style as it worked well for the story and flowed much like a movie in which viewers are whisked from continent to continent and are able to see witness the “bad guys” hashing out their plans before they even begin. While I might have enjoyed a more mysterious take of the situation, I honestly don’t think it would have worked as well had Campbell attempted it.

The characters were real in their own rights and I enjoyed them, but I didn’t connect with them on a very personal level as I never felt they were completely fleshed out. The story also seemed to speed up a lot towards the end, glossing over months at a time, and I’d really have liked to know more about what happened during that time between the climax and resolution. But, overall, it’s a good story that I think most MG and YA readers will like due to its fast nature and amusing topic. Three stars.

Gemelli Press LLC and Green Darner Press have been extremely gracious in allowing me to read this novel via Netgalley.

{July 9, 2013} {Review} Wide Awake by Shelly Crane

15810336 From Goodreads:

A girl.
A coma.
A life she can’t remember.

When Emma Walker wakes up in the hospital with no knowledge of how she got there, she learns that she’s been in a coma for six months. Strangers show up and claim to be her parents, but she can’t remember them. She can’t remember anyone. Not her friends, not even her boyfriend. Even though she can’t remember, everyone wants her to just pick up where she left off, but what she learns about the ‘old her’ makes her start to wish she’d never woken up. Her boyfriend breaks up with the new girl he’s dating to be with her, her parents want her to start planning for college, her friends want their leader back, and her physical therapist with the hazel eyes keeps his distance to save his position at the hospital.

Will she ever feel like she recognizes the girl in the mirror?

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I really liked the concept of this novel, as well as the two main characters. However, the typos–missing words really, like “the,” “a,” “an,” etc.–in sentences was a little difficult to ignore as it was fairly constant from start to finish and I found it to be quite jarring. At first, I thought it was intentional, like the characters were leaving out words when they spoke, sort of like my students do when they try to talk “hip,” but then I realized that it was happening with too many characters and was, therefore, an editing error.

The timing was off for some of the events, as well, which isn’t a glaring problem, but noticeable. For instance, If Emma’s just learned to walk again, how can she be running with the cheer team just two days after being winded from walking up the stairs in her home for the first time since her release? Or, if her first day of school is a Friday, then how come she goes to school the next two consecutive days, as well? Again, these are just small errors I noticed, but it was enough for me to notice, alongside the typos, which made the read less enjoyable for me overall. A good editing and release of another edition should easily fix all these issues, though.

The novel storyline, on the other hand, was great. I had many suspicions throughout the tale concerning who was at fault for Emma’s accident, and I loved how Crane worked in the drastic change to Emma’s character because there is an explanation for her extreme change before and after the accident. You just have to wait a while for it. Three stars.

I purchased this novel from Amazon.

{July 8, 2013} {Review} L.A. Success by Lance Schafer

From Goodreads: In the black hole of excess and wealth that is Los Angeles, Lonnie Herisson’s life is about to get weird. Forced to find work after his live-in girlfriend stops paying the bills and moves out of his eyesore of a house, Lonnie takes a job house sitting for a private investigator. When a mysterious man arrives looking to hire someone to keep tabs on his supposedly unfaithful lover, Lonnie sees it as a golden opportunity to make easy money. He pretends to be the investigator and takes the case.

The job leads Lonnie into the seedy world of L.A. real estate, where his target, chain-smoking nymphomaniac Gertie Elliot, uses a variety of dubious techniques to sell houses. But as he gets deeper into the investigation, he learns that things aren’t as obvious as they appeared to be at the beginning, and that Gertie Elliot is actually linked to the surprising, secret origins of one of Hollywood’s most cherished films.

With this new knowledge in hand, Lonnie must find a way to make as much money as possible off of an increasingly complicated situation. Funded by rent money he receives from his mysterious foreign renter and accompanied by his side-kick black poodle, Lonnie navigates his way through blackmail, violence, and epic superficiality as he attempts to straighten out his life, win back his girlfriend, and become an L.A. success.

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This is one of those surreal novels that can go one of two ways for readers: they will either chuckle nonstop with the absurdity of it all, or they will find it juvenile and unreal. I’m one who chuckled. L.A. Success is filled with incongruent situations and characters, which pulled me into the story because it’s a refreshing change from all the true-to-life contemporary novels I’ve been reading lately. Lonnie goes from being a lazy bum to pronounced private investigator to real estate agent in this comedy of errors, and I liked the play on E.T. and Steven Spielberg that unveiled itself as this quirky story unfolds.

Initially, I didn’t really care for Lonnie—his girlfriend left him for all the right reasons: he’s a loser. But as he attempts to bring his life back on track and win back the girl of his dreams, everything spins out of control and it’s so outrageous I couldn’t help but smile at his antics and, dare I say, stupidity on some occasions. If you’re looking for a light read with awkward situations that will bring a smile to your face, this is it. Three stars.

I received an ebook of this novel from the author in exchange for an honest review.

{July 8, 2013} Announcing the Winners of Moonbeam and Vampire Shift by Tim O’Rourke

The giveaway for a signed paperback of Moonbeam and Vampire Shift has just concluded, and I’m excited to say that the winners have been chosen via Rafflecopter.

And the winners are…

Laura Carter — Moonbeam

Cassie Sansom — Vampire Shift

A tweet has already gone out to the winners with an email to follow later this evening! If I don’t hear from the winners within 48 hours, I will select new winners using Rafflecopter.

Thanks to everyone who participated, and congratulations to the winners… but don’t despair if you didn’t win this round!

Enter to win my other great giveaways:

Win a SIGNED First or Second Edition Paperback of Jaden Baker–ENDS July 15

Win a Recently Released Book of Your Choice: Ends August 1

{July 7, 2013} {Blog Tour: Review and Giveaway} Endure by M.R. Merrick

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From Goodreads: Wrapped in darkness and woven with defeat, every action Chase has taken since being exiled from the Circle has been met with a devastating response. Now he’s been burdened with a quest that seems impossible, and he needs to evolve into something more, something greater than he ever thought he could be.

Armed with magic, friendship, and an unbreakable will, Chase must build an army and find a weapon capable of defeating the ultimate evil. But he knows that nothing great comes without sacrifice. Blessed by the very gods who have abandoned him and carrying the fate of all the worlds on his shoulders, Chase Williams is about find out just how much one man can endure.

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The final chapter in The Protector series, Endure, is the best yet by young adult author M.R. Merrick. Full of fantasy, romance, and battles of epic proportions, the story captivates its reader from start to finish, lingering in their hearts and minds long after the last page.

Chase Williams is back, as determined as ever to stop his father, Riley, from achieving the resurrection of the god Ithreal, an evil force none will be able to subdue should Riley succeed. And up until this point, Chase has failed, and failed hard, to keep evil at bay and his father away from the artifacts that will help him unleash the worst of the gods upon every dimension in the universe. Weak from the loss of his best friend at the hands of Riley and the dark Brothers, Chase must learn to overcome his own feelings of loss and blame, letting go and realizing that he can’t control others and that sometimes, death is meant to be.

Though there are many passages that wrench reader emotions, Merrick offsets the sad and gloomy with triumphant and blissful, creating a great ambience for readers as this epic saga concludes. Whisked from dimension to dimension, Merrick captivates with his portrayal of these strange worlds where the inhabitants differ so much from those of the human spectrum, painting incredible pictures of the people, or monsters, as some describe them. The worlds themselves differ in vast array, from red grass, to blue moons, each world is unique and unrecognizable to the human eye, and this wonderful creation of Merrick’s is one of the many aspects that I love so much about his writing. Though I am unable to visualize what other dimensions and worlds would look like on my own, Merrick has shown me his rendition in such vivid color and detail that I am able to see his creation with little difficulty, and as the story progresses and readers learn about the inhabitants, their aggressions, and their attempts to aide or hinder Chase on his way to full protector status, the story unfolds into a beautiful tale you won’t want to miss. I highly recommend this novel, and the entire series, for that matter, to any and all who enjoy strong characters, fantasy, world-building, and an all-around good YA read. Five stars.

To read how M.R. Merrick came up with this phenomenal series, click HERE.

Check out the whole series:

Exiled (#1)

Shift (#2)

Release (#3)

Endure (#4)

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Today’s letter is…

Collect all 15 letters as you visit all the stops of the Endure tour (link below). Unscramble the letters to make a 2 word phrase that will get you entered to WIN a $50 AMAZON gift card!

http://www.stuckinbooks.com/p/endure-tour.html

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About M.R. Merrick

M.R. Merrick is a Canadian writer, and author of The Protector Series, four books in all. Having never traveled, he adventures to far off lands through his imagination and in between cups of coffee. As a music lover and proud breakfast enthusiast, he’s usually found at the computer, between a pair of headphones and in front of a large bowl of cereal.

Author Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Smashwords | Kobo

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And now for the GIVEAWAY:

What you can WIN:

2 Grand Prize (1 INT) All four books in The Protector series SIGNED plus swag pack
5 winners Endure eBook (INT)
15 Protector Series Swag packs (North America)

Click here to go to the Rafflecopter Giveaway!

I received a review copy of Endure from the author in exchange for an honest review.

{July 6, 2013} The 99 Cent Club–Feature 52–Ten Books for Ten Bucks

Every Saturday I run a feature for the 99 Cent Club, and below are the eBook picks for this week that caught my eye and are currently ONLY 99 Cents on Barnes and Noble and Amazon. I don’t know if these are permanent prices, so please don’t shoot the messenger, and double check pricing before pressing the buy button. Enjoy! (If you could help give these authors some love by spreading the word, that would be epic.)

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Bridger by Megan Curd

Ashlyn McVean doesn’t believe in fairy tales. That is, until Ashlyn is thrown into the crosshairs of grudges her grandmother created long ago. After finding out she is one of two people able to cross between faerie realms, Ashlyn is faced with trying to understand her abilities, along with navigating a new relationship with her boyfriend, Liam. As if being on a centuries old hit list and dealing with crazed pixies isn’t enough, her new abilities mean trouble for Liam. Knowing her new life puts everyone she loves in danger, Ashlyn must decide what’s most important in her life between friends, family, love, and ultimately, realms.

Find it on Amazon.

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How to Date an Alien by Magan Vernon

High school senior Alex Bianchi’s estranged father gets her an internship at Circe Operations Center to pad her college applications. But Circe isn’t your typical military base. It’s an alien-run operation center and not all of the aliens are friendly, especially the one that tries to kill Alex on her first day. When Ace, a dark-eyed Caltian, enters and saves the day, she can’t help but be drawn to him. Can these star-crossed lovers survive when they’re on the brink of intergalactic war?

Find it on Amazon (Free?) and Barnes and Noble.

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Deus by Nely Cab

It’s the dawn of time and Deus is in charge of creating the entire Universe…only, creating things for no one but him to see is a bit pointless and truly lonesome. Deus molds Starr as a companion, but she could care less about Deus’s creations, being oblivious to the importance of it all. As if he didn’t already have the entire weight of the Universe on his shoulders—literally—now, he has to deal with an irritable and beastly girl. Deus might be immortal, but he fears Starr will be the death of him. In this never-ending love story, the fate of the future is anything but child’s play…or is it?

Deus is a prequel novella that expands and enriches the realms in the Creatura Series by Nely Cab. The story will appeal to present fans and welcome new admirers to its world.

Find it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

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Soul Quest by Amy Maurer Jones

Do you remember how horrified you were about the idea of attending high school? I remember ticking off those last miserable days of my summer vacation following my eighth grade year. Maybe you don’t, maybe you were one of those people. You know who I’m talking about, people like Melissa Small, the distinguished District Attorney, Larry Small’s daughter. She’s popular, gorgeous and absolutely terrifying to someone like Liv Glyn. No, Liv is far from measuring up to the standards required to make Melissa’s crowd. She’s not even close. Liv is just a simple man’s daughter, mostly tolerated by her peers. If this isn’t depressing enough for you, stay tuned, it gets worse.

Liv was commanded with Spirit at birth by the Great Spirit, Hala. I know, it sounds crazy but it’s true. If you think it’s difficult to be a teenager, try being a teenager who was born destined to save the world from soul sucking Daevas and their mutant progeny Aengels. There are four of them. Liv’s companions of Spirit are Laith Lightfoot, Brayan Akin and Meena Sodden.

Find it on Amazon.

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Vengeance by Michelle Madow

How far would you go to get revenge?

When Chelsea Givens discovered that her ex-boyfriend Drew dumped her to be with her former best friend Lizzie, she’d never felt so betrayed in her life. Then her new friend Shannon tells her she can help set things right. Chelsea’s willing to listen, but what Shannon wants her to believe — that she shared a past life with Drew — is impossible. And what she wants her to do to get him back … well, it’s downright crazy.

Could Shannon be telling the truth? And if she is, what lengths will Chelsea go if it means making Lizzie pay?

Find out in Vengeance, the second part of the Transcend Time Saga.

Find it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

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The Shadows by Hunter J. Keane

Alex is forced to start over- new town, new school and new name. This much she knows. It’s what she doesn’t know that could destroy her.

Alex Garretty is just a normal teenage girl until she is yanked from her home in the middle of the night. Her entire family is moved across country and given new identities. Just when Alex thinks it can’t get any worse, she meets Daniel, her mysterious but charming classmate. She quickly learns she isn’t the only one keeping a big secret, and Daniel’s secret could cost Alex her life.

A visitor from her past arrives in town and Alex must quickly learn who she can trust. When she discovers the truth about her own destiny, Alex must find a way to accept it and even more importantly, a way to survive.

Find it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

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Darkride by Laura Bradley Rede

Ander McNair used to be the favorite son of a great monster-hunting family – until he was bitten by a werewolf and the hunter became the hunted. Now anything that makes his pulse race, even a kiss from his girlfriend Cicely, is enough to turn him into a monster. When he finally has his chance to earn his cure by killing a vampire prince, Ander finds he has to choose between his own past and the future of the girl he loves. Can a guy who’s not even human learn what it means to be a man?

Luke Marianez used to be an immortal vampire prince – until the witch he loved betrayed him and cursed him with the ability to die. Now he lives in the world of vampire blood bars where the waitresses are the drinks, and dreams about killing the last of the witch’s line so he can live forever. But revenge doesn’t just mean breaking the curse. He wants to break the girl’s heart, too. Can Luke seduce Cicely without falling in love himself?

Cicely Watson doesn’t believe in werewolves or vampires. She’s not even sure she believes in true love. But she’s about to discover what every werewolf knows: People change.

Find it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

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Hunting Kat by Kelley Armstrong

A riveting stand-alone short story from bestselling author Kelley Armstrong.

Kat is a sixteen-year-old vampire, and she’s not too happy about it. After an experiment-gone-wrong and a bullet to the heart, she now hungers for human blood, and the worst part about that is the guilt. But guilt isn’t the only thing stressing her. Kat is being hunted by the Edison Group, a dangerous Cabal that is responsible for her undead state. Kat is running out of places to hide, and she has no one to turn to—until she meets Chad and Neil. They’re on the run like she is, and they offer to help Kat against their common enemy. But the boys aren’t all that they seem, and for Kat, deciding whether to trust them may be a matter of life or death.

Set in the world of Kelley Armstrong’s New York Times bestselling Darkest Powers and Darkness Rising series, “Hunting Kat” will leave you on the edge of your seat and thirsting for more.

Find it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

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The Green by Karly Kirkpatrick

How far would you go to save your dream?

Seventeen-year-old Ariceli Pisa is a senior at the prestigious Cambridge High School and has her sights set on Northwestern University. She’s a cheerleader, a member of the National Honor Society…and a drug dealer. That’s not the only secret she has to keep from her best friend Naomi–she’s also madly in love with Naomi’s ex-boyfriend, James Bartlett. Trying to balance her life at Cambridge High with her new demanding job keeps her teetering on the edge of disaster.

The Green is a full novel at 53,000 words. It contains strong language and drug references and is advised for ages 14 and up.

Find it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

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The Light Tamer by Devyn Dawson

Jessie Lucente recently moved in with her grandma in New Bern, NC. A cozy town for retiree’s and home of Nicholas Sparks, but not good for a teenage girl. Jessie is reintroduced to Caleb Baldwin, the nerdy boy that rescued her from drowning one summer. Caleb isn’t scrawny and dorky anymore, he is tall, dark, and very handsome. Caleb is a Light Tamer and he needs Jessie for his survival. He is bound to her because he saved her life and now he is falling for her…because she’s almost perfect. Jessie is a Light Tamer with unique abilities, you will learn what 15 seconds do. Jessie is introduced to Amber, a girl that is angry at the world over her brother’s death. Her sarcasm will have you laughing at her boldness. Amber was a loner, until Jessie came along and made her participate in life again. In mythology, Fate is three sisters. The one to begin your life, one to weave your life, and one to end your life. The one that weaves the story of your life needs the Light Tamers to banish Erebus. He is the God of Darkness. Erebus is on a mission to steal an original Light Tamer, but he must be vanquished back to the Underworld. When you challenge darkness, you risk your light being drained. Can true love conquer the Dark Ones. Be a fifteen year old all over again.

Find it on Amazon (Free?) and Barnes and Noble (Free?).

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If you could help give these authors some love by spreading the word, that would be epic.

{July 5, 2013} {ARC Review} In Too Deep by Coert Voorhees

From Goodreads: Annie Fleet, master scuba diver and history buff, knows she can’t fight her nerd status as a freshman at her Los Angeles private school. And she doesn’t care—except for the fact that her crush, Josh, thinks she’s more adorable than desirable. Annie is determined to set him straight on their school trip to Mexico. But her teacher has other plans: he needs Annie to help him find Cortez’s lost-long treasure.

Suddenly, Annie finds herself scuba diving in pitch-black waters, jetting to Hawaii with Josh, and hunting for the priceless Golden Jaguar. But Annie and Josh aren’t the only ones lured by the possibility of finding the greatest treasure ever lost at sea. Someone else wants the gold—and needs Annie dead. In deeper danger than she ever imagined, can Annie get the boy and find the Jaguar, or is she in over her head?

Critically-acclaimed author Coert Voorhees delivers breathtaking romance and non-stop action in his newest novel, the spirited and captivating In Too Deep.

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The beginning of this novel was a bit slow for me. Voorhees spends much time setting up the scene and the characters, so there isn’t much action until about 35% into the novel, when the treasure hunting actually begins. From here, it’s a whirlwind of stop and go action as Annie and Josh embark on a mission to find Cortez’s treasure before those out to kill her succeed. I’m not interested in the specifics of diving, so the details explaining exactly how to do so were a little overbearing for me, but the thrill of the adventure was great once it really got started.

Voorhees has done a great job making the entire story work, since our main characters are high school students. The story begins in California, and our characters, Josh, Annie, and the rest of the gang, attend a private school for the “rich and famous.” There’s a school trip to Mexico for a humanitarian experience, and Annie is an expert diver. Honestly, the set up is perfect because the characters need money, the know-how, and the ability to travel. The family set up is perfect, too, making it so that everything works together, from the high school humanitarian trip to the Hawaii one. Like I said, Annie is an expert diver, her father a history teacher at the private school who loves the treasure hunt, her mother a dive shop owner. Who better suited to hunt for treasure than Annie? Josh is the son of an actress, the golden child, able to make things happen on a whim, such as travel to Hawaii, which is why the story itself is able to flow in a believable manner.

Annie is a bit more naïve than I’d like her to be, though. A freshman in high school, she tends to follow the crowd in order to be close to Josh, and her inability to tell her parents the truth about the people chasing her irked me a bit. I know teenagers don’t tell their parents everything, but I like a good story in which the teens trust their parents, and I’d especially like to see that when a life is on the line. But to make the story work, Annie did need to keep the secret, and it all worked out in the end. Three stars.

Disney Book Group has been extremely gracious in allowing me to read an ARC of this novel, via Netgalley, prior to its release on July 9, 2013.

{July 4, 2013} {ARC Review} Shallow Pond by Alissa Grosso

From Goodreads: Sisters uncover an unbelievable family secret.

Barbara “Babie” Bunting is constantly mistaken for her sisters, but she’s determined not to end up like her family. She doesn’t plan to stick around Shallow Pond after graduation, and she certainly won’t be ruined by a broken heart. That is, until fellow orphan Zach Faraday walks into the picture, and Babie can’t deny their chemistry.

When her oldest sister, Annie, comes down with a mysterious illness—initially dismissed as “love sickness”—Babie and Zach start investigating what exactly killed the girls’ mother and why their late father became so consumed by grief. What they find changes everything.

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This is a very interesting mystery novel in which Babie works to uncover the truth about her parentage while trying to deny her feelings for Zach, a young man drawn to Shallow Pond to find his benefactor. I loved that Babie was a strong female lead for most of the novel, refusing to succumb to her friends’ attempts to fix up her love life and her sister’s inability to leave Shallow Pond. She has set goals for herself to which she adheres, and it’s awesome to see her push on, even though her heart really does belong to Zach. However, she lapses for a time, which, based on the secret itself, is understandable, but was also somewhat frustrating for me as a reader. Babie goes from being a cool, calm, collected person to someone who is falling apart in a matter of minutes, and while I can completely see the validity in this reaction, it irked me a little because I personally don’t see it as such a big, terrible issues like Babie does. I can’t say I’ve ever been in her shoes, and I know all readers will react differently to the big reveal, but I personally didn’t see it as such a big deal, so her complete attitude shift was difficult for me.

So, the secret. I can’t tell you what it is, or it’d ruin the story, but just know that there is a huge secret in this novel, one that I never saw coming. I loved that Grosso kept me guessing and that the foreshadowing wasn’t over the top like it sometimes can be in novels, and I especially loved that once the big secret was revealed to readers (there are multiple small ones as well), everything else just fell into place. However, I’m a little on the fence in terms of the authenticity of the secret itself. It’s a really cool idea, but as the novel has a very realistic feel throughout, this jarred me a bit. It’s extremely interesting, but I’m a skeptic and I feel it’s more on the impossible side than that of reality, but I also don’t pay much attention to the scientific world, and part of me says that yes, it could happen. Advances are being made as we speak, so… perhaps. But secret aside, this is where Babie’s breakdown happens, and her strong shell cracks to the point that she lost a little of my respect.

Zach is a great male lead: he’s patient, kind, compassionate, and he understands Babie like no other. He has no family aside from a mysterious benefactor who has more than provided for him, and he’s content to wait for Babie to come around to his side of things, to learn that it’s okay to fall in love, and that love won’t force her to stay in Shallow Pond. He’s a good guy.

The end of the novel sped up a little too much for my liking, jumping an entire year, and then jumping further again. It felt like one of those movies that ends and then shows pictures of the cast with a blurb telling you what happened to them after the movie, and while I enjoy that very much in my movies, I would like my novels to keep fleshing out the story. It’s a personal thing, though. I could read all day every day, but can only sit so long in front of a TV, so I assume most readers won’t mind the quick succession of the ending all that much. Three stars.

Flux Books has been extremely gracious in allowing me to read an ARC of this novel, via Netgalley, prior to its release on July 8, 2013.

{July 3, 2013} {ARC Review} Quarantine: The Saints by Lex Thomas (Quarantine #2)

From Goodreads: A cross between the Gone series and Lord of the Flies, Quarantine #2: The Saints continues this frenetically paced and scary young adult series that illustrates just how deadly high school can be.

Nothing was worse than being locked in—until they opened the door…

McKinley High has been a battle ground for eighteen months since a virus outbreak led to a military quarantine of the school. When the doors finally open, Will and Lucy will think their nightmare is finished. But they are gravely mistaken.

As a new group of teens enters the school and gains popularity, Will and Lucy join new gangs. An epic party on the quad full of real food and drinks, where kids hookup and actually interact with members of other gangs seemed to signal a new, easier existence. Soon after though, the world inside McKinley takes a startling turn for the worse, and Will and Lucy will have to fight harder than ever to survive.

The Saints brings readers back to the dark and deadly halls of McKinley High and the QUARANTINE series.

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I have been dying to read this next installment in the Quarantine series for a year now, and I’m so very glad I was able to get an ARC of this novel via EgmontUSA through Netgalley as it’s another phenomenal read—bloody, gory, and downright stomach churning, but good just the same.

This second novel in the series follows Will and Lucy as they drift apart and join different groups. The Loners have disbanded, David has graduated, and everything has changed drastically, especially with the addition of a new group from outside the school, The Saints.

As I read this novel, I noted that it has a lot more happy undertones throughout, which was nice because the first novel, Quarantine: The Loners, was extremely dark. That’s not to say that book two isn’t dark—it is. But it juxtaposes the light and dark within the story, drifting from one cringe worthy scene to a happier one that actually sheds light on the evilness portrayed, showing that it isn’t all done to hurt others, but rather to make them stronger. In other words, some of the malicious actions you’ll read about have a higher purpose and are actually fueled by love; the reader just doesn’t know it at the time.

Sam, the villain of book one, is still in the school, but Thomas has given readers exactly what they want: his downfall. However, Thomas takes it to the extreme, and by the end, it’s hard not to feel sympathy for him as we learn his story and why he acts the way he does, not that it excuses him by any means. But I certainly never wanted this to happen…

Will has grown up some. He still makes some terrible decisions and I wanted to slap him on many an occasion, but even so, he’s pulling it together. He’s much more likable in this second installment, caring about others, even his enemies, in a way he wasn’t capable of in the first novel. He’s grown-up quickly due to some circumstances that present themselves early on in the novel, and I’m proud of him.

The Saints are an entirely different entity in and of themselves, though. Their attempts to free the students in McKinley ended with their entrapment, but they’re so laid-back and free that they’re able to change the inner-workings of the school, bringing people together instead of pulling them apart. But underlying it all is the sinister, psychotic nature of their leader, who Will soon learns to fear as events unfold and smack the reader in the face. I was floored, and a little bit sickened, by some of the events, especially those near then end as Thomas throws bloody incident after bloody incident at the reader. This novel will leave you speechless. Four stars.

EgmontUSA has been extremely gracious in allowing me to read an ARC of this novel, via Netgalley, prior to its release on July 9, 2013

{July 2, 2013} UtopYA 2013: What You Need To Know and Why You Need to Go in 2014

UtopYA 2013–let me tell you–was one of the most epic, amazing experiences of my life. Not only was I able to fangirl over dozens of authors I read and adore, but I was also able to connect with them alongside fellow readers and bloggers on a more personal level in a completely laid-back setting. The conference brought us all together, and what amazed me the most was that it really made everyone feel like we were equals, sharing knowledge with one another in order to help everyone from published authors to aspiring authors, readers to bloggers, editors to designers, and the list goes on. It was a wonderful experience and I highly suggest that you come to UtopYA 2014 in Nashville in June—you won’t regret it! And I’ll tell you why:

I’ve only ever been to one other big yearly convention (100+ authors present), and that is NCTE (National Council of Teachers of English). Because I had nothing to compare the convention with, I really thought NCTE was the icing on the cake. I walked around from booth to booth, stood in long lines, purchased books, and got them signed by the authors. But what I didn’t know I was missing at the time was commodore. We, the fans, stood in long lines, but we didn’t talk to one another. It was a very quiet function actually, now that I think back on them. Publicists had us write our names on sticky notes and put them on the title page so authors could quickly sign. We were then ushered away from the table—no time to talk to the authors or tell them just how much their books touched our lives. It was a “get in, get signed, get out” mentality that I thought was normal, and probably is normal in the regular signing world. However, UtopYA is different. Authors and aspiring authors, publicists and publishers, bloggers, and readers alike spend three days in close succession at UtopYA, and everyone is equal. There was never any feeling of authors and publishers on one side and everyone else on the other, and there was never any feeling of inferiority, either. There were relatively no long lines, and authors took the time to talk to their readers, really personalizing their books after getting to know the person they were signing for. We all went to the panels together, picking and choosing which ones we wanted to attend (and there were so many amazing ones), and the best part was that I could sit right next to my favorite authors, and we, as the audience, were asked to interact with those on the panels. It wasn’t a sit and listen to the speakers type deal like so many panel discussion tend to be. The audience not only asked questions throughout, but also offered their own insight as we all had something to bring to the table, and there was no discouraging of it, but rather pure encouragement from the very beginning. Panel rooms were packed to the max, and they were fun! Not only did I learn some amazing things about the authors I love and the publishing world in general, but I also laughed hysterically. I got to see how candid the panelists were—no frills and no cliques, and the fact that they were made up of authors, bloggers, publicists, editors, designers, and readers gave the topics more insight. And then? We ate dinners together, hung out in the hotel lobby together, took hundreds of pictures together, put twitter handles with faces, and all around connected in a very real way. What other book conference can say that? I had all my books personalized, listened to authors, bloggers, editors, and designers speak about their journeys on multiple panels, ate meals and attend gatherings with my heroes, met fellow bloggers I’ve been following, and connected with many people I didn’t know, making long-lasting friendships… it was just amazing, and I cannot, cannot, cannot wait for June 2014, which is going to be even more epic as founder Janet Wallace and her amazing assistants roll out their changes. It’s going to be even bigger, and I just can’t wait.

Now, you might have just read all that and thought to yourself, “that sounds great, but I have no one to go with,” or “I’d love to go, but it’s probably too expensive.” So, I just want to break that mentality right now, because I’ve been there and am so glad I didn’t listen to my inner monologue…

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Event Pricing:

First of all, the conference itself isn’t expensive at all! Right now, there are advanced tickets selling on eventbrite. Here’s the price range you’re looking at to attend some or all of the conference.

$55* (for the awards and after-party ONLY—does not get you into the conference itself) *Pricing may change as we get closer to the conference
$75 February 1 – May 31, 2014 • $90 June 1 – event • $95 at the door
- 3-day pass to the utopYA convention (utopYAcon)
- Fan admission to the Friday Public Signing Event
- Admission to Saturday Pre-Awards Cosmic Cocktails hour (Appetizers included. Cash bar for those 21 and up)
- General Admission to the Third Annual utopYA Awards
- Admission to Post-Awards Dance Party
- Admission to the Sunday Write-in
$105 February 1 – May 31, 2014 • $120 June 1 – event • $125 at the door
- 3-day pass to the utopYA convention (utopYAcon)
- Front-of-line Fan admission to the Friday Public Signing Event
- Admission to Saturday Pre-Awards Cosmic Cocktails hour (Appetizers included. Cash bar for those 21 and up)
- Preferred Admission to utopYA Awards (you enter and pick your seats before General Admission ticket holders are allowed in)
- Admission to Post-Awards Dance Party
- One commemorative utopYA 2013 women’s cut T-shirt (discounted t-shirt price)
- Two lunch tickets – lunch provided on premises both Friday and Saturday
- Admission to the Sunday Write-in

I highly, highly suggest you attend the whole conference, but act fast as these prices continue to rise as we get closer to the conference date!

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Where and When:

Friday, June 20, 2014 at 7:00 AM – Sunday, June 22, 2014 at 3:00 PM (CDT)

Nashville, TN

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Hotel:

In 2014, UtopYA is moving to The Millennium Maxwell House Hotel and the group rates are just $105 a night for a room with a King or two double beds!!! This is even cheaper than this past year’s price at the Holiday Inn Vanderbilt! The group code to reserve this price is 1406UTOPYA. Do it!

Oh, and they offer a FREE shuttle service roundtrip to the airport. Even better!

For UtopYA 2013, I roomed with the amazing Tiffany King, and it was epic. She’s an astounding author, and I’m a blogger. See what I mean about connecting with everyone on a deeper level at this conference? I was ecstatic to room with her and her lovely daughter! And next door to us? Heather Hildenbrand, Heather Self, Angeline Kace, Chelsea Fine! And the next few rooms? Carol Kunz, Adam Kunz, Raine Thomas, Sarah M. Ross… and the list goes on and on. EPIC.

In other words, you won’t be alone in the hotel, and if you need a roommate to help cut costs, you can easily find one! The more the merrier in a room, as I found this weekend, and I’m actually a really quiet, shy person who is socially awkward and doesn’t speak in situations where I don’t feel comfortable. **Are you like me? Then you’ll thrive at UtopYA**. I didn’t have trouble speaking to anyone at all, I loved my roomies, I hung out with the rest of the people on my floor… all around amazing time.

Yeah, so don’t let the hotel situation stop you from coming. Need a roomie? Join the We are Going to UtopYA Facebook Page and easily find one! Think about it: if you split $105 by two it’s just $52.50 a night for three nights, a total of $157.50 plus tax to stay at the hotel where the convention is held! That’s a GREAT PRICE!

OR, find three roommates for a price of $26.25 per night… a total of just $78.75 plus tax for three nights to stay at the hotel where the convention is held! That’s a GREAT PRICE, TOO! Don’t worry, you won’t be spending much time in your hotel room, anyway, so multiple people in a room, though it may sound scary, really isn’t bad at all. Trust me.

So PLEASE don’t let the price of the hotel or the need of roommates, etc., STOP you from coming!

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Travel:

If you can drive to Nashville without getting car sick (like I do), then do it! But, if you’re like me, or if it’s just too far by car, then fly, and by fly, I mean TAKE SOUTHWEST. Why? I’ll tell you:

Southwest is the only carrier I’ve found that doesn’t charge for luggage. This is a book conference, so that means you’ll have LOTS of books to take home. You could mail them, technically, and spend a lot of dollars doing it, OR, you could fly Southwest, which allows you TWO FREE CHECKED BAGS UP TO 50 POUNDS EACH! Yeah. This.

I flew Southwest this year based solely on the free checked luggage. It’s a three days conference, so you don’t need to bring much in terms of clothes and such (which I’ll talk about next). But you DO need lots of space for your books. I checked two bags for the conference, and one was completely empty on my way down to Nashville. Hey, it’s free right? And it saved me a ton of cash when I left the conference because I checked all my books… my combined weight with books, swag, and clothes was about 80 pounds between the two bags. And about 70 pounds of that was book weight. Imagine the price tag on mailing home 70 pounds of books? Yeah. Don’t. Take Southwest. Oh, and make sure your carry-on has wheels. You might want it for the conference to transport all your books and swag (plus, it’s gentler on your body).

ALSO, if you have the chance, do what I did: On your flight home, if they’re asking people to standby and take another flight because your flight is full, DO IT! Southwest asked me to take the next flight out, which was just four hours later than my original, and they GAVE ME A VOUCHER FOR DOUBLE WHAT I PAID FOR MY ROUNDTRIP TICKETS. That means my flight to Nashville next year is ALREADY PAID FOR!

In other words, if you don’t have any pressing engagements, take the voucher on any Southwest flight if they’re offering (free bags, remember), and it’ll add up to some awesome free flights. For real.

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Mailing Books:

If you DO decide to mail books, make sure you send it USPS (regular mail) and tell them it’s MEDIA MAIL (if you’re mailing in the USA–media mail doesn’t exist for international mailing)! I highly suggest avoiding FedEx because it’s mad expensive. USPS is the least expensive, and media mail makes is even less so.

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What To Pack:

Pack light. You’re only at the conference for three days, and you don’t need to change your outfit multiple times a day. I hardly packed anything to wear, and I still didn’t wear it all.

What you need:

1-2 pairs of comfortable pants (or dresses)
1-2 pairs of comfortable tops
Comfy sandals (shoes if you want)
1 “formal” outfit for the awards ceremony with shoes to match (seriously, by “formal” I mean sundresses. You don’t need anything more, but if you want something more flashy, think PROM)
Pajamas (we’re talking pajama parties, here)
Undergarments (socks optional)
Toiletries (shampoo, conditioner, deodorant, toothbrush, toothpaste, nail file, perfume, hairbrush, women stuffs, straighteners, etc.—they have hairdryers in the rooms)
ANY BOOKS YOU ALREADY HAVE THAT YOU WANT SIGNED
Heavy wrapping paper (you will want to double wrap your books in stacks for the travel home so they don’t flop all over the suitcase and end up damaged) ====> Newspaper is NOT a good idea, though, as it leaves black ink on things and is too thin.
Cash for books—some authors take credit cards, but it’s just easier with cash on hand.

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Shuttle:

Just in case you missed it in my hotel information tidbits, the hotel offers a COMPLIMENTARY ROUNDTRIP SHUTTLE SERVICE TO THE AIRPORT. Call ahead to let them know you need them to pick you up, for FREE (but don’t forget to tip the driver). #Epic.

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The Conference:

I’ve already said it in my opening statements, but this conference is epic. I adored it and the laid-back nature of it all. Janet Wallace, the founder of UtopYA, has made it an unforgettable event that you just cannot miss!

In 2013, our keynote speakers were Jennifer Armentrount and Jen Sincero, two amazing authors, and their speeches inspired us all! There were also amazing giveaways to start the morning, so make sure you’re at the conference on time! So many people showed up late, missing the opening statements and, therefore, lost out of their prizes! Hey, more for me! But seriously, you don’t want to be late for the opening announcements each morning.

In June 2014, the keynote speakers are Gennifer Albin and Sylvia Day! Whoot! You don’t want to miss this. Have you purchased your tickets yet? Do it ==> eventbrite

The schedule of events for 2014 is now up…. CHECK IT OUT!

We’ll also have an author signing event on Friday night this coming 2014 UtopYA! This is a great addition for which I can’t wait! This will allow a set time for authors and fans alike to get their books signed, making it easier to pinpoint your particular author’s whereabouts.

I HIGHLY suggest that you bring as many books as you can TO the conference as many authors only bring limited quantities. Though, there will be a bookstore on site this year–a new addition. But, in 2013, I contacted all my favorite authors and asked them if they’d have all their books with them, or if I should bring my own for signing, and most recommended I bring my own to guarantee that I have them. Some authors brought copies just for my purchase based on my query too, so they might tell you they’ll reserve some for you, but I definitely recommend double checking prior to the conference. There is nothing worse than planning on buying a book from your favorite author to find they are sold out. So, plan ahead. Books tend to be about $10-12 on site from authors, FYI, but I’m not sure what things will look like with the bookstore in 2014. So, I’m going to contact my MUST HAVE author’s again for 2014 just to be certain I can get their books…

Likewise, you will acquire much swag and meet tons of authors you haven’t read yet. So bring cash in case you decide you want to buy their books as well—I met so many new authors and after connecting with them and learning about their books, I just had to have them! Set a budget and plan accordingly.

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The Awards:

The awards were phenomenal this year (2013). I loved every minute of it! It’s like a red carpet event and it was so awesome to be a part of it. Right now it’s not a sit down dinner event, so eat a light meal ahead of time, but also keep your ears open as food may become part of the awards at some point down the line.

What to wear? Well, really it doesn’t matter. Since it’s like a red carpet event, most people were dressed to varying formal degrees—from sundresses to prom dresses, I saw them all. I also saw slacks and jeans, so don’t feel like you have to dress up! It’s not mandatory. The only thing that is mandatory is that you have a good time, and that’s a given.

And, in 2014, there will be a cocktail hour AND an after-hour dance party as well… oh heck yes!

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Need to know more about the conference before you commit? Click the links below to learn more and read real testaments from those who attended UtopYA 2013:

UtopYA 2013: What You Need To Know and Why You Need to Go in 2014

UtopYA: A Fantasy Conference Grows in Nashville—From Publisher’s Weekly

UtopYA Official Website

UtopYA: A Note To People Who Don’t Get It

Lift and Pull and Tug For That Spectacular UtopYA View

UtopYA: Why It Should Already be on Your Calendar for 2014

Impromptu Cups Song—You’ll Miss Me When I’m Gone

UtopYA 2013 and Special Announcements!

Quinn Loftis and Tiffany King UtopYA 2013

UtopYA 2013! How awesome was it? This is how awesome…

Why you should attend UtopYA 2014

UtopYA, UtopYA, UtopYA

Reminiscing about UtopYA 2013

UtopYA 2013: Author Sarah Ross: Inspirational Video

Author Heather Hildenbrand talks UtopYA 2013 Video

UtopYACon…My Take Aways

My Trip To UtopYA 2013

UtopYA Con 2013 + Announcement + Ramblings

UtopYA / Quirky Chick Conference Report

UtopYA

What else?

Questions, comments, concerns? Let me know and I’ll do the best I can to answer them, or put you in touch with someone who can. Also, make sure you check out UtopYA online as they’re already updating their site for next year’s event. See you there!!

AND–make sure you pick up a copy of the first ever UtopYA anthology, complete with NEW, original short stories from these authors: Tiffany King, Heather Hildenbrand, Amanda Havard, Amy Bartol, Sarah M. Ross, Tammy Blackwell, Raine Thomas, and C.A. Kunz!

AMAZON | Barnes and Noble

{July 2, 2013} Announcing the Winner of Cupcakes, Trinkets, and Other Deadly Magic by Meghan Ciana Doidge

The giveaway for an ebook of Cupcakes, Trinkets, and Other Deadly Magic by Meghan Ciana Doidge has just concluded, and I’m excited to say that the winner has been chosen via Rafflecopter.

And the winner is…

Jen Greenlees

A tweet has already gone out to the winner, and an email will go out later this evening! If I don’t hear from the winner within 48 hours, I will select a new winner using Rafflecopter.

Thanks to everyone who participated, and congratulations to the winner… but don’t despair if you didn’t win this round!

Enter to win my other great giveaways:

Win a SIGNED paperback of EITHER Moonbeam OR Vampire Shift (International)–ENDS July 8

Win a SIGNED First or Second Edition Paperback of Jaden Baker–ENDS July 15

Win a Recently Released Book of Your Choice: Ends August 1

{July 1, 2013} My Recently Released Giveaway Goodness #26–July–Choose From Eight Recently Released Novels

It’s that time again! For no other reason than that I like giveaways… we’re onto the TWENTY-SIXTH Recently Released Giveaway Goodness Giveaway!

Many of these novels have recently released. I’ve included my reviews below to help you pick the novel you’d like to win. And honestly, there should be something here for everyone!

Interested? Of course you are! I’m offering ONE lucky winner one of these novels:

An Anthem for Jackson Dawes by Celia Bryce
Pretty Dark Nothing by Heather L. Reid
The Loop by Shandy Lawson
The Eternity Cure by Julie Kagawa
Exile by Rebecca Lim
Life After Theft by Aprilynn Pike
WARP: The Reluctant Assassain by Eoin Colfer
School Spirits by Rachel Hawkins

This is an INTERNATIONAL giveaway from the book depository, but you need to make sure they send to your country before entering–check here.

To enter you must:

-Be 13 years or older (or have parent/guardian permission)

-Fill in the mandatory question on rafflecopter (extra entries optional)

Click here to go to the Rafflecopter entry form!

This contest is open internationally and will end at 12:01am EST on August 1st. The winner will be announced later on August 1st, and will receive email notification! Please read my giveaway policy and leave me a comment!

{July 1, 2013} Announcing the Winner of My Recently Released Giveaway Goodness #25–June

My Recently Released Giveaway Goodness #25–June–has just concluded, and I’m excited to say that the winner has been chosen via Rafflecopter.

And the winner is…

Natalie Cleary

Book of Choice:

Stung by Bethany Wiggins

A tweet has already gone out to the winner, and an email will go out later this evening! If I don’t hear from the winner within 48 hours, I will select a new winner using Rafflecopter.

Thanks to everyone who participated, and congratulations to the winner… but don’t despair if you didn’t win this round!

Enter to win my other great giveaways:

Win an ebook of the fabulous Cupcakes, Trinkets, and OTHER Deadly Magic–ENDS July 2

Win a SIGNED paperback of EITHER Moonbeam OR Vampire Shift (International)–ENDS July 8

Win a SIGNED First or Second Edition Paperback of Jaden Baker–ENDS July 15

Win a Recently Released Book of Your Choice: Ends August 1

{June 30, 2013} {Review} Vesper by Jeff Sampson (Deviants #1)

From Goodreads: Emily Webb is a geek. And she’s happy that way. Content hiding under hoodies and curling up to watch old horror flicks, she’s never been the kind of girl who sneaks out for midnight parties. And she’s definitely not the kind of girl who starts fights or flirts with other girls’ boyfriends. Until one night Emily finds herself doing exactly that . . . the same night one of her classmates—also named Emily—is found mysteriously murdered.

The thing is, Emily doesn’t know why she’s doing any of this. By day, she’s the same old boring Emily, but by night, she turns into a thrill seeker. With every nightfall, Emily gets wilder until it’s no longer just her personality that changes. Her body can do things it never could before: Emily is now strong, fast, and utterly fearless. And soon Emily realizes that she’s not just coming out of her shell . . . there’s something much bigger going on. Is she bewitched by the soul of the other, murdered Emily? Or is Emily Webb becoming something else entirely—something not human?

As Emily hunts for answers, she finds out that she’s not the only one this is happening to—some of her classmates are changing as well. Who is turning these teens into monsters—and how many people will they kill to get what they want?

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This is a relatively fast read, but truth be told, I wasn’t all that interested or drawn into the story. The synopsis and concept make Emily out to be an interesting character, but I personally found her to be very mundane during the daytime, and at night her “changes” made her seem more idiotic than “badass.” Yes, she has more strength and can do things that normal humans could never do, but the way she flaunted herself and refused to listen to anyone made me dislike her more than it made me interested in her phenomenon. I also found it quite strange that she ran around all night and did terrible things to her friends, but never got caught and her friends continually forgave her. If you drugged me, our friendships would be over, just saying.

Truthfully, I just didn’t find Emily to be a defining or real-to-life character, and when I found out the big secret during the reveal, I actually groaned a bit. I felt like it was completely out of character with the story and that Sampson just threw the information at the reader. I’m still not sure how it all makes sense, and I feel a bit disappointed, overall. I had high hopes for this novel, but it just isn’t for me. It wasn’t terrible, by any means, but it didn’t snag me and it seemed a little too cliché. And, that’s about all I can say because I don’t want to ruin the reveal for any potential readers out there. Two and a half stars.

I borrowed this book from the school library.

{June 29, 2013} The 99 Cent Club–Feature 51-Ten Books for Ten Bucks

Every Saturday I run a feature for the 99 Cent Club, and below are the eBook picks for this week that caught my eye and are currently ONLY 99 Cents on Barnes and Noble and Amazon). I don’t know if these are permanent prices, so please don’t shoot the messenger, and double check pricing before pressing the buy button. Enjoy! (If you could help give these authors some love by spreading the word, that would be epic.)

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Between Balloons by Kimberly Russell

Between Balloons is the story of Joey Abbott a young girl in the fictional town of Bayberry, Texas. Joey’s life is nearly perfect, until her mother dies unexpectedly. Joey and her mother were uncommonly close, and she is left behind to pick up the pieces.

She is left with a father that she barely knows. She tries to heal with the help of the new boy in town, who is dealing with pain of his own. This is the story of a young girl who is trying to figure out who she is without the person that meant the most to her.

Find it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

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Crossroads by J.J. Bonds

When Katia enrolled at Crossroads Academy she knew things weren’t exactly going to be easy. The sole heir to the worlds’ most powerful vampire, her presence was bound to cause a stir. But nothing could have prepared her for this.

Whispers follow everywhere she goes. So does trouble. Bodies start turning up in nearby Rutland and Katia is sucked into a twisted web of danger and deceit. Haunted by nightmares she can’t explain and a thirst for blood that is never sated, Katia will do whatever it takes to keep her past buried.

Nothing at Crossroads is what it seems and Katia’s secrets may be the darkest of them all.

Find it on Amazon (Free?) and Barnes and Noble.

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Daimon by Jennifer Armentrout

“Love in my world usually ended up with someone hearing ‘I smite thee!’ as she was cursed to be some lame flower for the rest of her life.”For three years, Alexandria has lived among mortals—pretending to be like them and trying to forget the duty she’d been trained to fulfill as a child of a mortal and a demigod. At seventeen, she’s pretty much accepted that she’s a freak by mortal standards… and that she’ll never be prepared for that duty.According to her mother, that’s a good thing.But as every descendant of the gods knows, Fate has a way of rearing her ugly head. A horrifying attack forces Alex to flee Miami and try to find her way back to the very place her mother had warned her she should never return-the Covenant. Every step that brings her closer to safety is one more step toward death… because she’s being hunted by the very creatures she’d once trained to kill. The daimons have found her.

Find it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

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Hidden Gem by India Lee

Lavishly disguised pop singer, Queen Bee, is known abroad for her high-fashion wardrobe and killer vocals. In the states, she’s just Gemma Hunter – shy suburban teenager in her strange new role of high school junior.

Luckily, Gemma is taken under the wing of the fiery and popular Madison, who leads her into the high school life of the charmed. Her world as Gemma quickly becomes everything she ever wanted in a normal life – that is until international teen heartthrob, Tyler Chase, announces his celebrity crush on Queen Bee. Suddenly, Gemma’s alter ego becomes a household name as the handsome singer’s loyal “Tyler Chasers” create a frenzy to discover her true identity.

And just when Gemma thinks she can hide from the celebrity drama in her high school life, Lucas – her next door neighbor as well as Madison’s boyfriend – develops an interest in her that goes far beyond platonic, and Gemma soon learns that rumors aren’t strictly for the stars.

Find it on Amazon (Free?) and Barnes and Noble.

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Sacrifice by Mayandree Michel

War has never been won and love has never been saved without… Sacrifice.

As the new Empress of the Ischero Empire, Cordelia fights for the safety of her divine disciples, including Victor – the only powerless demigod, from the threat of Hades’ Apolluon. While Cordelia awaits her anointment from Zeus, she finds solace in her growing relationship with Evan and believes that everything is falling into place, until the Apolluon increase their attacks on the Ischero and the mortals of Nickel City, and the elders object to the mission to search for her parents, causing division in the empire.

Just when Cordelia believes things can’t get any worse, Victor vanishes, bringing about a new threat to end her union with Evan for good, and the mortals begin to suspect that the Ischero are nothing like them at all. Due to the growing persecution from the residents of the town, Cordelia decides that relocating is the answer.

In the new city, just as the members of the empire begin to find peace, familiar faces begin to emerge and true identities are revealed. In order to guarantee her empire’s safety, Cordelia must decide between saving herself and making the ultimate sacrifice without any help from the gods.

Find it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

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The Dark by Heather Self

Mary Anne Moore doesn’t know what she is. She can’t explain why she has lived so long. Or why she never gets sick. Or why the dreams she has come true. She has hidden herself as a lowly servant to the households of Dublin’s English elite for decades, until the night that changes her life. Now her sole purpose is the child she never expected to have. She will do anything in her power to keep the black-eyed monsters from discovering him and turning him into one of them. For Kieran Moore the dark is an ever-present parasite, waiting to devour his humanity. His mother’s love and the girl in his dreams has kept it at bay for years, but the more time that passes—the longer he has to wait for her—the more it grows. When tragedy strikes, it is all he can do to keep from being consumed by the darkness that infects him. He must continue to hold on to the hope of peace her presence will bring him, because it’s not just his fate on the line, but that of the entire world.

Find it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

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Valkyrie Symptoms by Ingrid Paulson

The enticing world of Valkyrie Rising, Ingrid Paulson’s debut teen novel, is introduced in Valkyrie Symptoms, a prequel short story.

This twenty-page original story introduces the characters from the perspective of the ever-flippant, if undeniably alluring, Tucker Halloway. It also includes a teaser to Valkyrie Rising, a novel in which deadly legends, hidden identities, and tentative romance swirl together into an unexpectedly epic adventure when seventeen-year-old Ellie travels to Norway with her big brother and Tuck, his best friend, and encounters Valkyries: the legendary women warriors of Norse mythology.

HarperTeen Impulse is a digital imprint focused on young adult short stories and novellas, with new releases the first Tuesday of each month.

Find it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

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Dark Return by Taryn Browning

Janie Grey is dedicated to hunting the undead, an inherited duty passed down from her Cherokee ancestors and generations of powerful Seekers before her.

Then, there’s Kai. He’s like no one she’s ever met – cocky, fast, skillful, infuriating and gorgeous. Not only has he become a valuable asset in her fight against the growing population of the vampire/demon hybrid known as Daychildren…

She’s unwittingly fallen for him.

Just when Janie thinks she’s learned everything there is to know about Kai’s mysterious past, there’s a newcomer to Baltimore. Someone who will do anything to make sure Janie loses Kai forever.

Find it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

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The Joy and Torture of Joshua James by Julie Rieman Duck

Girls are difficult for 16-year-old Joshua James – especially the ones living right next door. This pair of sisters is more than he could have ever hoped for, and when both take an interest in Josh it’s all he can do to keep things straight.

Blonde Jordan is an angel, with a perfect body and adoring personality. Goth girl Jessa is the devil and much more than that… or so Joshua thinks. But when things start disappearing from his house, and the sisters wage a war of finger-pointing over Joshua, he must decide which one is crazier before he also disappears.

Find it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

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Curse of the Beast by Ashley Lavering

A dark shadow stalks the night, watching her—waiting to claim what is his.

Seventeen-year-old Tayla Jonas longs for a simple life, but after a traumatizing family loss, she is forced to be both mother and sister to her cousins while caring for her mentally unstable aunt. Moving to her grandma’s quiet town of Cody, Wyoming, Tayla finds some normalcy with her quirky green activist friend, Chel, who spends no time converting her to vegetarianism.

A few weeks into her new school, Tayla catches the eye of Kyle Harrington—the high school quarterback and resident millionaire—who can seduce any girl with his charismatic charm, including Tayla. But Kyle is anything but what he seems.

Walking through City Park, Tayla is unaware that an ancient curse has her in its crosshairs. The silver moonlight illuminates the path to her van, sprinkling shadows like evil twinkling eyes. Tayla’s skin prickles, and she turns. Something—or someone—is watching her.

A powerful werewolf steps from the shadows. An iridescent blue chord shoots from him and slams into her stomach, dissolving instantly. Pain wracks her body, and she tries to scramble to safety, but his silver eyes freeze her in place as the curse binds them together. The chord settles deep inside her body, coiling with dread around her heart.

Dismayed by the prospect of a werewolf for a shadow, Tayla fears for the safety of her friends and family. How will she keep the werewolf’s insatiable hunger in check? Her plans for a vegetarian lifestyle quickly dwindle away, and Tayla wrestles to fit her frazzled life back together—piece by piece. But what she didn’t expect was her attraction to the werewolf or the power of the full moon.

Will Tayla be strong enough to survive the Curse of the Beast? Or will it consume her like so many before? Find out in the first installment of this unique retelling of Beauty and the Beast.

Find it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

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If you could help give these authors some love by spreading the word, that would be epic.

{June 28, 2013} Cover Reveal and Giveaway: Blood Rule by Heather Hildenbrand (Dirty Blood #4)

Blood Rule

Book 4 in the Dirty Blood series

Coming 8/6/13!

Synopsis:

Forty-six.

That’s how many hybrids survived the Hunter attack in the woods after I revived them with an injection of my blood. That’s how many followed me home to Frederick Falls. And that’s how many were now mentally linked to me through a blood bond.

Two days. Three valium. Fourteen hours of sleep.

That’s what it took to realize I wasn’t losing my mind as a result of the noise in my own head.

Sixteen.

That’s how many days have passed since I almost killed Alex. That’s how many days I’ve sat by his bedside, waiting for him to wake up. To ease the guilt, to understand his betrayal, to remember the exact shade of brown in his eyes.

Zero.

That’s my chances of skating by with Gordon Steppe and the Hunter Council. They want me for questioning. I’m afraid what’ll happen if I give them answers.

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SQUEEE! I can’t wait for the release of this one! If you haven’t yet started the Dirty Blood series by Heather Hildenbrand, then I highly suggest you start now, especially since the first book, Dirty Blood, is FREE! This next installment in the amazing series is going to be epic!!

Synopsis:

Up to 5 Winners Will Be Chosen!!!

To enter this giveaway, you must:

-Be 13 years or older (or have parent/guardian permission)

-Agree to HONESTLY REVIEW the novel via a blog (if you have one), or Goodreads, or any other media format you use for book reviews (Amazon, Barnes and Noble, etc.)

-Fill in the mandatory question on rafflecopter (extra entries optional)

Click here to go to the Rafflecopter entry form!

This contest is open internationally and will end at 12:01am EST on July 14th at 5pm. Please only enter once. The winner will be announced later on July 14th, and will receive email notification! Please read my giveaway policy and leave me a comment!

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The giveaway for a signed paperback of Moonbeam and Vampire Shift has just concluded, and I’m excited to say that the winners have been chosen via Rafflecopter.

And the winners are…

Laura Carter — Moonbeam

Cassie Sansom — Vampire Shift

A tweet has already gone out to the winners with an email to follow later this evening! If I don’t hear from the winners within 48 hours, I will select new winners using Rafflecopter.

Thanks to everyone who participated, and congratulations to the winners… but don’t despair if you didn’t win this round!

Enter to win my other great giveaways:

Share this:

Today’s letter is…

Collect all 15 letters as you visit all the stops of the Endure tour (link below). Unscramble the letters to make a 2 word phrase that will get you entered to WIN a $50 AMAZON gift card!

About M.R. Merrick

Links:

Author Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Smashwords | Kobo

And now for the GIVEAWAY:

What you can WIN:

2 Grand Prize (1 INT) All four books in The Protector series SIGNED plus swag pack

5 winners Endure eBook (INT)

15 Protector Series Swag packs (North America)

Click here to go to the Rafflecopter Giveaway!

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Event Pricing:

First of all, the conference itself isn’t expensive at all! Right now, there are advanced tickets selling on eventbrite. Here’s the price range you’re looking at to attend some or all of the conference.

$55* (for the awards and after-party ONLY—does not get you into the conference itself) *Pricing may change as we get closer to the conference

$75 February 1 – May 31, 2014 • $90 June 1 – event • $95 at the door

$105 February 1 – May 31, 2014 • $120 June 1 – event • $125 at the door

I highly, highly suggest you attend the whole conference, but act fast as these prices continue to rise as we get closer to the conference date!

Where and When:

Friday, June 20, 2014 at 7:00 AM – Sunday, June 22, 2014 at 3:00 PM (CDT)

Nashville, TN

Hotel:

In 2014, UtopYA is moving to The Millennium Maxwell House Hotel and the group rates are just $105 a night for a room with a King or two double beds!!! This is even cheaper than this past year’s price at the Holiday Inn Vanderbilt! The group code to reserve this price is 1406UTOPYA. Do it!

Oh, and they offer a FREE shuttle service roundtrip to the airport. Even better!

So PLEASE don’t let the price of the hotel or the need of roommates, etc., STOP you from coming!

Travel:

If you can drive to Nashville without getting car sick (like I do), then do it! But, if you’re like me, or if it’s just too far by car, then fly, and by fly, I mean TAKE SOUTHWEST. Why? I’ll tell you:

In other words, if you don’t have any pressing engagements, take the voucher on any Southwest flight if they’re offering (free bags, remember), and it’ll add up to some awesome free flights. For real.

Mailing Books:

What To Pack:

Pack light. You’re only at the conference for three days, and you don’t need to change your outfit multiple times a day. I hardly packed anything to wear, and I still didn’t wear it all.

What you need:

1-2 pairs of comfortable pants (or dresses)

1-2 pairs of comfortable tops

Comfy sandals (shoes if you want)

1 “formal” outfit for the awards ceremony with shoes to match (seriously, by “formal” I mean sundresses. You don’t need anything more, but if you want something more flashy, think PROM)

Pajamas (we’re talking pajama parties, here)

Undergarments (socks optional)

Toiletries (shampoo, conditioner, deodorant, toothbrush, toothpaste, nail file, perfume, hairbrush, women stuffs, straighteners, etc.—they have hairdryers in the rooms)

ANY BOOKS YOU ALREADY HAVE THAT YOU WANT SIGNED

Heavy wrapping paper (you will want to double wrap your books in stacks for the travel home so they don’t flop all over the suitcase and end up damaged) ====> Newspaper is NOT a good idea, though, as it leaves black ink on things and is too thin.

Cash for books—some authors take credit cards, but it’s just easier with cash on hand.

Shuttle:

Just in case you missed it in my hotel information tidbits, the hotel offers a COMPLIMENTARY ROUNDTRIP SHUTTLE SERVICE TO THE AIRPORT. Call ahead to let them know you need them to pick you up, for FREE (but don’t forget to tip the driver). #Epic.

The Conference:

I’ve already said it in my opening statements, but this conference is epic. I adored it and the laid-back nature of it all. Janet Wallace, the founder of UtopYA, has made it an unforgettable event that you just cannot miss!

In June 2014, the keynote speakers are Gennifer Albin and Sylvia Day! Whoot! You don’t want to miss this. Have you purchased your tickets yet? Do it ==> eventbrite

We’ll also have an author signing event on Friday night this coming 2014 UtopYA! This is a great addition for which I can’t wait! This will allow a set time for authors and fans alike to get their books signed, making it easier to pinpoint your particular author’s whereabouts.

The Awards:

And, in 2014, there will be a cocktail hour AND an after-hour dance party as well… oh heck yes!

Need to know more about the conference before you commit? Click the links below to learn more and read real testaments from those who attended UtopYA 2013: