Friday, February 12, 2016

Review: Eros Element by Cecilia Dominic + Giveaway


Welcome to my tour stop for the Aether Psychics Series by Cecilia Dominic! The tour runs Feb. 8-12 with reviews of both Eros Element and Light Fantastique.  This is a New Adult Steampunk with a sweet romance. Check out the tour page for more information and the full schedule.

ErosElement72lgAbout Eros Element by Cecilia Dominic

Series Name: Aether Psychics
ISBN13: 978-1-61923-000-2
Length: 90k
Genre: PAW: Steampunk, H: 19th Century Theme: Steampunk, Beta Hero, Suspense Elements, International, Psychics Publication Date: August 25th 2015

If love is the ivy, secrets are the poison.
Aether Psychics, Book 1 After enduring heartbreak at the hands of a dishonest woman, Edward Bailey lives according to scientific principles of structure and predictability. Just the thought of stepping outside his strict routine raises his anxiety.

Adding to his discomfort is Iris McTavish, who appears at his school’s faculty meeting in place of her world-famous archeologist father. Worse, the two of them are to pose as Grand Tourists while they search for an element that will help harness the power of aether. 

Iris jumps at the opportunity to prove her worth as a scholar—and avoid an unwanted marriage proposal—while hiding the truth of her father’s whereabouts. If her secret gets out, the house of McTavish will fall into ruin.

Quite unexpectedly, Edward and Iris discover a growing attraction as their journey takes them to Paris and Rome, where betrayal, blackmail and outright theft threaten to destroy what could be a revolutionary discovery—and break their hearts.


Warning: Allergen alert! This book was produced in a facility that handles copious amounts of wine, tea and baked goods. May contain one or more of the following: a spirited heroine, a quirky hero, clever banter, interesting facts both made-up and historical, and lots of secrets. It is, however, gluten free.




Review: I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review

Eros Element is a sweeping steampunk adventure with a myriad of eclectic characters on a mission to find a way to stabilize aether to make it a reliable source of power.

What I Liked
The Characters-- So many interesting characters with intriguing personalities. I loved Edward and Iris, especially Edward. There was just something about his quirkiness that I found endearing.
The Adventure-- It was grand and sweeping once they got underway
The World-- The steampunk world was well-developed and the descriptions vivid enough to help the reader picture the fantasy.

Not as Much
Pacing-- The pacing, especially at the beginning was a tad slow for my tastes. Lots of preamble before they set out on the adventure
Time Jumps-- There were a few timeline jumps that caught me off guard. Had to go back and check the date at the beginning of the section to make sure I wasn't losing my mind.

If you like steampunk, this is definitely one to add to your TBR list.


LightFantastique72lgAbout Light Fantastique (Aether Psychics #2) by Cecilia Dominic

Digital ISBN13: 978-1-61923-329-4 
Print ISBN13: 978-1-61923-218-1 Length: 90k Categories: PAW: Steampunk, H: 19th Century Publication Date: December 15th 2015

At the Théâtre Bohème, danger decides who takes the final curtain call.

Aether Psychics, Book 2

Hailed as the most talented actress of her generation, Marie St. Jean has something more to her ability than mere talent. She loses a bit of her soul to each role. When the ghostly spirit of the theatre promises her an easy fix, she’s tempted by the chance to finally live a normal life.

Unfortunately, the man she’s drawn to is the last one to settle for normal. But with the Prussians surrounding Paris, there’s no escaping that temptation, either.

Violinist Johann Bledsoe thought he’d left his disgrace in England, but a murder outside the Théâtre Bohème makes him wonder if he’s been exposed. Another reason not to stick around once the siege ends, even if Marie fascinates him.

More murders, steam-powered ravens, and past and present secrets bring them closer to discovering just what lurks within the theatre, and who threatens from without. The only way to save themselves is to reveal their darkest shames—and use the Eros Element in a way that has already driven one man to the brink of madness.


Warning:  Processed in a facility where wine is used as currency and dessert is a reward. If you dislike French cooking and attitudes, move along. Things are cooking in this book, and it ain’t Julia Child. 

Amazon | B&N | Google Books | Kobo | Samhain Publishing

***
Coming Soon!

Danger. Love. Lies. 

After tragedy hits and danger moves in, Pauline Donahue flees London, searching for sanctuary and a way to start over. A job at a small university provides the escape she needs. Keeping recalcitrant professor Edward Bailey on task after a shattered heart renders him broken and destroyed becomes her daily routine. But when the same vicious man from her past sets his malicious sights on Pauline, her safe haven comes crashing down. 

Duke of Waltham, Christopher Bailey, never counted on the gentle commoner, Miss Donahue, to save his brother--and himself--from broken pasts and a lifetime of mistakes. But she does just that. As their love blossoms, danger closes in, threatening Pauline and Christopher's lives. Together, they are forced to face their biggest fears, revealing secrets that could ruin them both.

***

Anne_Bartolucci_20150819_0200Tsep-(ZF-6324-63043-1-004)About the Author:


Cecilia Dominic wrote her first story when she was two years old and has always had a much more interesting life inside her head than outside of it. She became a clinical psychologist because she's fascinated by people and their stories, but she couldn't stop writing fiction. The first draft of her dissertation, while not fiction, was still criticized by her major professor for being written in too entertaining a style. She made it through graduate school and got her PhD, started her own practice, and by day, she helps people cure their insomnia without using medication. By night, she blogs about wine and writes fiction she hopes will keep her readers turning the pages all night. Yes, she recognizes the conflict of interest between her two careers, so she writes and blogs under a pen name.  She lives in Atlanta, Georgia with one husband and two cats, which, she's been told, is a good number of each. She also enjoys putting her psychological expertise to good use helping other authors through her Characters on the Couch blog post series. 

  You can find her at:

Web page | Wine blog | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Pinterest |Instagram: @randomoenophile

To buy her books, you can get them in trade paper and all ebook formats from Samhain Publishing.
***



GIVEAWAY:
$25 Amazon or B&N gift card (INT)
Ends Feb. 24th
Prizing is provided by the author, hosts are not responsible. Must be 13 or older to enter and have parental permission if under 17. Void where prohibited by law. No purchase necessary to win.

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This event was organized by CBB Book Promotions.

Thursday, February 11, 2016

Review: The Cupcake Witch by Poppy Lawless




The Cupcake Witch

Poppy Lawless

Fantasy Romance Novella
2015


Julie

Buttercream. Vanilla. Fondant. Dark chocolate. Brown sugar. Molasses. Baking has always been my true love, but it wasn’t until my mother’s death, and the unexpected inheritance of Serendipity Gardens, that my bliss called me. Bittersweet. But Serendipity Gardens has more to offer than just a potential shopfront. An unusual recipe box left to me by a distant relative might be the key to unlocking my dreams.

Too bad the most powerful family in Chancellor has plans that could turn those dreams to ruins—literally.

Too bad the son of that powerful family is just the kind of guy I’ve been looking for.

Horatio

I suppose being heir to the Hunter family’s Blushing Grape Winery should make me happy, but nothing could be further from the truth. With my mother gone, my father has taken me under his wing, and I despise everything about the way he does business. Sour grapes, indeed. Instead of raising money for charitable causes, my true passion, I’m chasing my father’s manifest destiny.

Too bad his dream includes paving paradise.

Too bad the property owner is the sweetest woman I’ve ever met.

They say the course of true love never runs smooth.

But that’s nothing a magical cupcake can’t solve.


Review: I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review

A short, sweet review for a short, sweet novella. This book combines two of my favorite things: cupcakes and a dash of magic.

Both Julie and Horatio have been living a life their parent- for Julie her mother and Horatio his father- want for them. Nothing makes me happier than when people shed that and follow their dreams. Both characters are more than likable and together they are really quite sweet,

A very short read-- I read it in about an hour. I enjoyed the shifting POV between Julie and Horatio. Chancellor seemed like an intriguing town. There's a whole series of novellas set there, so if you like this one you have several more to devour.


About the Author


Romance author. Cupcake connoisseur. Certified herbalist. Beach bum. Fan of all things Starbucks. Holistic healing advocate. Surfer girl wanna-be. Lost guru. Maker of dandelion wine. Counselor. Paranormal buff. Etsy addict. Secretly Jedi. So not a geek girl. Gifted in sarcasm. Hot wife. Ninja mom. And now, I'm ready to share a whole head full of witty, mouthy, smart, lovely, heart-warming, and hot characters with the world. Are you ready?

Poppy Lawless is the author of the forthcoming series Love & Chocolate releasing in 2015 and The Glass Mermaid. Poppy holds degrees in English and Psychology. She is a counselor in the field of mental health and is a trained herbalist. Poppy's new series blends the best of romance with a Practical Magic or contemporary Bewitched appeal.

Author Links:


Tour-Wide Giveaway




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Tuesday, February 9, 2016

Earth's End by Elise Kova - Playlist & Giveaway


Playlist for Earth's End

For anyone who knows me, I MUST have music when I’m writing. In fact, it was the song Clarity, by Zedd, that was the initial inspiration for the entire Air Awakens series! Music helps me get “in the zone” and then find my groove again when I have to stop. Needless to say, I have full-on playlists devoted to every book. To get people excited, and to be used while reading, here is the full playlist for Earth’s End, in order, conveniently made in YouTube!

LINK: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLWGY9OSRPT3-n8zGyprDx9EWmZk2JSL22




Wow! Now this is a playlist after my own heart. Very eclectic and inspiring playlist of music!  ~Kimber



Earth's End (Air Awakens #3) 
by Elise Kova
Release Date: February 11th 2016

Summary from Goodreads:

A woman awoken in air, a soldier forged by fire, a weapon risen from blood.

Vhalla Yarl has made it to the warfront in the North. Forged by blood and fire, she has steeled her heart for the final battle of the Solaris Empire’s conquest. The choices before Vhalla are no longer servitude or freedom, they are servitude or death. The stakes have never been higher as the Emperor maintains his iron grip on her fate, holding everything Vhalla still has left to lose in the balance.

Book Three of the Air Awakens Series



Buy Links




Previous books in the series (click on images for Goodreads links):
 

About the Author

Elise Kova has always had a passion for storytelling. She wrote her first novella, a high-fantasy, in sixth grade. Over the years she's honed her love of literature with everything from fantasy to romance, science fiction to mystery, and whatever else catches her eye.

Elise lives in Saint Petersburg, Florida, where she's currently working on the next installment in her debut YA fantasy series: Air Awakens. She enjoys video games, anime, table-top role playing games, and many other forms of "geekdom." She loves talking with fans on Twitter (@EliseKova) and Facebook (/AuthorEliseKova). Visit her website, EliseKova.com/, for news and extras about her books!

Author Links:
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Monday, February 8, 2016

BlackMyst Trilogy by Kelly Hess




Eyes of the Enemy
BlackMyst Trilogy # 1
By- Kelly Hess
Genre- Middle Grade Fantasy
Published By- Booktrope Publishing 

When a rogue band of the dreaded Sorak attacks his village, twelve-year-old Beynn Firehand escapes into the darkness of BlackMyst Forest to find help. During his quest, Beynn discovers his own powerful magic abilities. The price of his newfound powers, however, may be higher than he ever imagined.


 



The Green Dagger
BlackMyst Trilogy # 2
By- Kelly Hess
Genre- Middle Grade Fantasy
Published By- Booktrope Publishing


Tensions rise between Delvengard and Sorak as the Sorak queen demands the return of the Blade of Torrill. As Delvengard scrambles to locate the mythical weapon, many fear war is inevitable.


Fritz, who secretly possesses the dagger, is tormented by its evil. Eager to take control of its power, he journeys in search of a mysterious being who may be able to help.


The Green Dagger, Book Two of the BlackMyst Trilogy, continues the adventure, five years after the events of Book One, Eyes of the Enemy.


 



The Third Power
BlackMyst Trilogy # 3
By- Kelly Hess
Genre- Middle Grade Fantasy
Published By- Booktrope Publishing


The struggle for the Dagger of Torrill has brought Delvengard and Sorak to war. But a long forgotten third power has risen, scheming to bring destruction to both kingdoms.

Meanwhile, Beynn and Fritz learn the full extent of the green dagger’s third power as they journey through BlackMyst and through time itself in this exciting conclusion to the BlackMyst Trilogy.


  

Excerpt from The Third Power

“Time is like a river,” Etach said as they walked along the edge of a grassy pasture. “And like a river, with some knowledge and effort, one can move up and down its currents as one likes. However, the farther you move, the more effort is required.”

Fritz paused and leaned against a rock. Beynn and Etach stopped as well while Etach gave a brief explanation of time travel. “So I can go into the future too?” Fritz asked excitedly.

“It is possible to move forward in time, but it’s extremely difficult. Just like on our metaphorical river, you can expel a mountain of energy to move faster than the river is carrying you, but you still won’t get much farther than if you had used no energy at all. So in short, stepping into the future is not recommended.”

“How far back can you go?” Fritz asked.

“As far as you can withstand,” Etach said.

“Withstand?” asked Beynn, who was also listening to Etach with exceeding interest.

“Yes,” said Etach. “As I said, it takes lots of energy to step through time. As you are aware, Beynn, magic is tiring, and advanced magic can be exhausting. Well, time travel is about as advanced as it gets.”


About the Author-
Kelly Hess grew up with a love of reading science fiction and fantasy, which inspired him to write his BlackMyst trilogy. Kelly currently lives with his wife and son in Vacaville, California.

Links-



Sunday, February 7, 2016

Greta and the Lost Army by Chloe Jacobs - Excerpt & Giveaway




An Evolution of Reading
by Chloe Jacobs

When I was a kid, young adult books weren’t what they are today. I know that makes it sound like I’m 80 years old or something, but it’s true. And it wasn’t THAT long ago. The options for young kids weren’t bad. I remember reading fantastic books as a small child, like Where the Wild Things Are and Corduroy Bear.


But as I got older, the choices for readers entering that angsty, teenage stage started to get less whimsical and fantastic, and more preachy and trivial. There was Nancy Drew, which was mostly fun and good, but lacked depth and true character conflict, and although Sweet Valley High had a lot of the teenage angst I was looking for, it felt so trivial and sugary that I couldn’t read more than a couple of them.


And so by the time I was twelve, I moved away from books that were supposed to be for my own age, and started reading everything else I could get my hands on. My first Stephen King book was Firestarter, the story about a girl who starts fires with her mind, on the run from the evil government agency trying to capture her and figure out what makes her tick. Then I read King’s Dark Tower books, which is still one of my favourite epic fantasy sagas.


The Stephen King phase lasted a while. I pretty much went through everything there was to read from him.

But I loved reading so much and I was constantly trying to find more. I went from horror to historicals after discovering M.M. Kaye’s The Far Pavillions and Shadow of the Moon, a sweeping romance which takes place in historical India.  


And once I started reading historicals, I was swept away by romance. I started with  my mother’s Johanna Lindsay books and devoured Teresa Medeiros, Julie Garwood, and Christina Dodd.


Reading opened up a fantastic world for me, from a very young age. I’m grateful every day for all of the authors who helped to shape me into the reader I am today. I still love to read in a variety of genres, but I have a fondness for those dark stories, those fantasies, and those romances. I think that’s also why I am the WRITER that I am today.



Greta and the Goblin King
Mylena Chronicles #1

Chloe Jacobs

Published December 11th, 2012 
Published by Entangled Teen
279 Pages
Genre: YA Paranormal/Fantasy

Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | iTunes | Kobo | Amazon UK
Amazon CA | Entangled

While trying to save her brother from a witch’s fire four years ago, Greta was thrown in herself, falling through a portal to Mylena, a dangerous world where humans are the enemy and every ogre, ghoul, and goblin has a dark side that comes out with the eclipse. To survive, Greta has hidden her humanity and taken the job of bounty hunter—and she’s good at what she does. So good, she’s caught the attention of Mylena’s young goblin king, the darkly enticing Isaac, who invades her dreams and undermines her will to escape. But Greta’s not the only one looking to get out of Mylena. An ancient evil knows she’s the key to opening the portal, and with the next eclipse mere days away, every bloodthirsty creature in the realm is after her—including Isaac. If Greta fails, she and the lost boys of Mylena will die. If she succeeds, no world will be safe from what follows her back…



greta and the glass kingdomGreta and the Glass Kingdom
Mylena Chronicles #2

Chloe Jacobs

Published February 9th, 2015
Published by Entangled Teen
320 Pages
Genre: YA Paranormal/Fantasy

Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | iTunes |Kobo
Amazon UK | Amazon CA | Entangled

Once upon a dark time…

Greta the human bounty hunter never quite fit into the shadowed, icy world of Mylena. Yet she’s managed to defeat the demon Agramon and win the love of the darkly intense Goblin King, Isaac. Now Isaac wants her to rule by his side—a human queen. And the very announcement is enough to incite rebellion… To make matters worse, defeating Agramon left Greta tainted with a dark magick. Its unclean power threatens to destroy her and everything she loves. With the Goblin King’s life and the very peace of Mylena at stake, Greta must find a cure and fast. Her only hope lies with the strange, elusive faeries in the Glass Kingdom…if she can get there before the evil within her destroys everything.



greta-and-the-lost-army-1600x2400 (1)Greta and the Lost Army
Mylena Chronicles #3

Chloe Jacobs

Published on February 1st, 2016 
Published by Entangled Teen
Genre: YA paranormal/Fantasy

Goodreads | Amazon | iTunes | Kobo
Amazon UK | Amazon CA | Entangled

After spending the last four years trapped in a place of monsters, demons, and magick, the last thing the fierce teenage bounty hunter Greta expected was to ever be back on Earth. But a rare opportunity gives her and the Goblin King Isaac the opportunity to do just that. Now she’s home. With a boy in tow. And her parents have lots of questions. Although Greta finally has her heart’s deepest wish—to see her family again—every step she takes to reconnect with them drives her further away from Isaac. Greta and Isaac planned for her to return to Mylena and become his queen, but she’s not sure if she can go back to that harsh world, though staying on Earth means giving up the boy she loves. But a powerful enemy refuses to let Greta escape. A demon who will stop at nothing to destroy her and everything she loves. Even if it means following her to Earth and forcing her to face a fate as unavoidable as love itself.


chloe jacobsAbout the Author: Chloe Jacobs is a native of nowhere and everywhere, having jumped around to practically every Province of Canada before finally settling in Ontario where she has now been living for a respectable number of years. Her husband and son are the two best people in the entire world, but they also make her wish she’d at least gotten a female cat. No such luck. And although the day job keeps her busy, she carves out as much time as possible to write. Bringing new characters to life and finding out what makes them tick and how badly she can make them suffer is one of her greatest pleasures, almost better than chocolate and fuzzy pink bunny slippers.

Author Website: www.chloejacobs.com Author Twitter: @Jacobs_Chloe Author Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChloeJacobsAuthor Author Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/chloejacobs Newsletter: http://www.chloejacobs.com/p/contact.html



Read below for an excerpt from Greta and the Lost Army:
The streetlamps cast soft cones of light on the sidewalks all the way through the neighborhood. Greta pointed things out as she remembered them. “That’s where my friend Danielle used to live. I guess she probably still lives there.”
“Are you looking forward to seeing her again?”
She nodded. “And if I remember correctly, she’s more hyper than a Mylean berserker—only less ripping and tearing, and more frenzied hugging and constant talking.”
The rumble of his amused chuckle made her grin. He squeezed her hand. She looked up at him, and it hit her. “You know, this is kind of like a date,” she said, tingles of awareness dancing up her spine.
His smile was crooked, and his eyes warm as he laid his arm across her shoulders, making her feel like he would rather be here with her right now than anywhere else. It probably wasn’t true. They were both too worried about Mylena for it to ever leave their minds completely, but maybe one day it would be true.
“What would be the purpose of a date?” There was such a thing as courtship in Mylena, but she and Isaac had pretty much bypassed anything resembling normal…in both worlds.
What if she was wrong and the portal didn’t open again? What if they stayed here? There could be more nights just like this, and eventually maybe they would get a place of their own and… “You know, so a couple can get to know one another and decide if they like each other.”
“But we already know we like each other.” When they were alone like this and his voice softened because he trusted her enough to let down his guard, it did crazy things to her. Like popping candy hitting her bloodstream. “Even more important, we know that we fit together. In battle together, or planning for Mylena’s future, even while arguing…and definitely when I kiss you…nobody fits me like you do.”

  The Giveaway:

Winner’s choice of $5 Amazon Gift Card or a print or eBook copy of Greta and the Goblin King or Greta and the Glass Kingdom. As well as notebook, a pen with the words "Dream bigger darling," and Hammond's candy.

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