Aberrant by Ruth Silver (Excerpt & Giveaway)


Aberrant (Aberrant )
by Ruth Silver
Release Date: 04/17/13

Summary from Goodreads:

In the future Dystopian society of Cabal, the government instills equality for all and offers its citizens the perfect system. There is food, shelter and jobs for everyone. The one requirement is to follow the rules without question, including the government's match in marriage and "The Day of the Chosen", a lottery that randomly selects families to conceive children as natural means hasn't existed in generations. Following her eighteenth birthday, Olivia Parker accepts her requirement to marry her childhood best friend, Joshua Warren, and is eager to start her work assignment and new life when it all comes abruptly to an end as she's arrested and thrown in prison. The only crime committed, her existence. Olivia is unlike the rest of the world born not from "The Day of the Chosen." The truth haunts the government and puts her life in grave danger as one simple fact would destroy the perfect system.

With Joshua's help, Olivia breaks free of prison and is forced on the run. Together they set out to find the promised rebel town in search of a new home and new life together. Their situation seems less than promising as they reach the town of Haven. New rules and customs must be adhered to in order to stay. Leaving would mean most certain death in the large expanse of the Gravelands. Time is running out as the government mounts an attack to destroy Olivia and bury her secret with her. Thrown into a world unlike their own, they must quickly adapt to survive.



***EXCERPT***

Joshua came into my room, ignoring all rules as he helped push the dresser further from the wall, knocking it to the floor allowing me more than enough room to grab the journal and go. I tossed it inside the pack and Joshua put the map inside before we stepped out of my bedroom. I glanced down the hall, not sure what I expected to see. To the right the dormitory had been hit, and a roar of smoke and fire filled the confined space. Jacqueline was gone. Hand-in-hand we ran in the opposite direction toward the staircase.
My eyes burned. Coughing, I refused to let go of his hand as we stepped outside. Drones weren’t the only things attacking Haven. Tanks rolled into town. A few soldiers jumped off, taking over the perimeter, guns drawn. I paused, gripping Joshua's hand as we were shrouded in smoke. Just a few feet away, a soldier lifted his weapon and unleashed fury on a group of innocent people. I covered my mouth with my hand to keep from crying out when a child no older than three hit the cement. His eyes remained open as blood seeped from his head. He didn't move. Didn't blink. It took only a moment to realize he’d died instantly. All I could do was stand there in shock.
"We have to move," I heard Joshua's voice, but it didn't register. The smoke swirled around us and gunfire erupted in every direction. He grabbed my arm. "Olivia, I need you to focus." I nodded once, trying my best to clear the cobwebs from my mind. I couldn't, though. I wanted to run out to the child and protect him, but it was too late. I was too late. They were here because of me, innocent blood on my hands. I felt the heat radiating from the dormitory and my eyes flashed back. "I need you here with me, Olive."
"I am," I insisted, knowing if I didn't focus we'd both be dead. I spotted more soldiers – their standard issue uniform and the Cabal crest on their jacket sleeve told me all I needed to know. The government had come looking for us. "Which way?" I couldn't see the exit. With the smoke enveloping us and the fear coursing through my veins, I forgot the direction we'd come from.


About the Author

Ruth Silver first began writing poetry as a teenager and reading heaps of fan fiction in her free time. She has written under three unique pseudo names and penned well over a hundred stories.

She attended Northern Illinois University in 2001 and graduated with a Bachelor's in Communication. While in college she spent much of her free time writing with friends she met online and penning her first novel, "Deuces are Wild", which she self-published in 2004. Her favorite class was Creative Writing senior year where she often handed in assignments longer than the professor required because she loved to write and always wanted to finish her stories.

Her love of writing, led her on an adventure in 2007 to Melbourne, Australia. Silver enjoys reading YA novels and sharing her favorite books with other readers. She runs her own book blog and also enjoys photography and traveling.

Her favorite YA genre is a mix of Dystopian & Fantasy which is evident in the upcoming release of her latest book, Aberrant. Slated for release April 2013 by Lazy Day Publishing, it is the first in a trilogy.

***Author Links***

***GIVEAWAY***
1 signed paperback of Aberrant (US only)
3 scrabble tile necklace charms & signed bookmark (INT)
3 bottlecap keychains & signed bookmark (INT)



Book Blitz Organized by:


Feature and Follow



Feature and Follow Friday is a blog hop that is designed to provide some much-appreciated exposure to the bloggers participating, and to expand their following. Hosted by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read, each of whom feature a chosen blog for the week, it's an interesting way to get to know one another.

If you would like to follow me, you can do so by Bloglovin, Twitter, email or Linky .

Follow on Bloglovin

Q: If you could only have ONE – one book – for the rest of your life. Don’t cheat…what would it be?

I would have to think Harry Potter Prisoner of Azakaban, which is my favorite book of the series. Mostly because I love Sirius Black. That is really his book.

Speaking of Harry Potter, have you seen the new covers. I really like them.


Shudder by Samantha Durante (Guest Post & Giveaway)

The Highlight Tour with Prism Book Tours
& Samantha's Summer Tour

The second installment in the electrifying Stitch Trilogy, Shudder follows Samantha Durante's shocking and innovative debut with a heart-pounding, paranormal-dusted dystopian adventure sure to keep the pages turning.

Shudder (Stitch Trilogy #2)
Shudder
348 pages
Published June 15, 2013
-- Book 2 in the Stitch Trilogy --

It's only been three days, and already everything is different.

Paragon is behind her, but somehow Alessa's life may actually have gotten worse. In a wrenching twist of fate, she traded the safety and companionship of her sister for that of her true love, losing a vital partner she'd counted on for the ordeal ahead. Her comfortable university life is but a distant memory, as she faces the prospect of surviving a bleak winter on the meager remains of a ravaged world. And if she'd thought she'd tasted fear upon seeing a ghost, she was wrong; now she's discovering new depths of terror while being hunted by a deadly virus and a terrifying pack of superhuman creatures thirsting for blood.

And then there are the visions.

The memory-altering "stitch" unlocked something in Alessa's mind, and now she can't shake the constant flood of alien feelings ransacking her emotions. Haunting memories of an old flame are driving a deep and painful rift into her once-secure relationship. And a series of staggering revelations about the treacherous Engineers - and the bone-chilling deceit shrouding her world's sorry history - will soon leave Alessa reeling...

Also available in the iTunes store, Kobo, and wherever e-books are sold!



POV Perfection

Review at Book Adoration

Since there are quite a bit of main characters in this book, there are quite a bit of point of views that the story is told through. I believe that Durante pulls off the multiple point of views with skill: the transitions between character to character are smooth and never feel unnatural or jarring, each character’s situation has a different aura to it, I could immediately tell which character I was currently reading about, and I never felt bored or impatient with a certain character’s chapters.

Review at Book Jems

Even though I really enjoyed Stitch, Shudder blew me out of the water. The book took a turn for crazy, and dragged me willingly along. It's fascinating watching everything unfold, and getting the background of this society. Seeing it from multiple perspectives only benefit the novel. Usually, it's difficult to keep up with characters in a third person point-of-view story (for me at least), but Shudder did not have the issue in the least. Durante is a fantastic storyteller. She created likable characters, introduced them in a way that made sense and put them into a truly engaging plot that will leave its readers breathless.

Review at Why Not? Because I Said So

The story is told from several different POV's which I really liked and made the storyline richer. We not only followed the couple (Alessa and Isaac), but also two people being held in prison, and an unknown woman who doesn't remember who she is back in Paragon.

Review at Behind a Million and One Pages

The change of "scenes" (not really POV's because it's in third person, but anyways....) was flawless, even though there are multiple scenes to go between, Samantha does not miss a single beat and we pick up right where we left off, as if we hadn't even left those characters for a few chapters. No confusion, no time gap or event gap at all, everything flows perfectly and we love every second we get into a new "scene", just like as if we were the rest of the population watching the Dramas.... All I can really say is, well played Samantha!

Review at Coco's Bookish Adventures:

I really like that we get to know the characters better... Which really helps with the alternative POV's.



Samantha Durante, Author of the Stitch Trilogy
As an avid lifelong reader of fiction of all sorts, there’s nothing I find more engrossing than an epic sci-fi/fantasy/romance series. I’ve whiled away countless weekends of my life immersed in richly-woven worlds that someone else was kind enough to put on paper... about the author

Samantha Durante lives in Westchester County, New York with her husband, Sudeep, and her cat, Gio. Formerly an engineer at Microsoft, Samantha left the world of software in 2010 to pursue her entrepreneurial dreams and a lifelong love of writing. A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania's Jerome Fisher Program in Management & Technology, Samantha is currently working full time for her company Medley Media Associates as a freelance business writer and communications consultant. The Stitch Trilogy is her debut series.



Stitch (Stitch Trilogy, #1)
Stitch
314 pages
Published August 1st, 2012

Her heart races, her muscles coil, and every impulse in Alessa's body screams at her to run... but yet she's powerless to move.

Still struggling to find her footing after the sudden death of her parents, the last thing college freshman Alessa has the strength to deal with is the inexplicable visceral pull drawing her to a handsome ghostly presence... Goodreads




Tour-Wide Giveaway:

5 Winners. August 24 - September 16, 2013. See Rafflecopter for restrictions.
* Signed print copy of Stitch & Shudder for you and two friends (USA only)
* Signed (via Authorgraph) e-book copies of Stitch & Shudder for you and two friends (Int'l)
* Signed Stitch & Shudder bookmarks + e-book copies of Stitch & Shudder (Int'l)
* $10 Amazon Gift Card (Int'l)
* $5 Amazon Gift Card (Int'l)




The Highlight Tour
Sharing Top Highlights from the Summer-Long Tour!

August dates:

24 - The Reading Diaries - Review
The (Mis)Adventures of a Twenty-Something Year Old Girl
Rose & Beps Blog

25 - Chapter Break - Review
Wonderings of One Person - Review
Mortal Moments

26 - A Tiffyfit's Reading Corner - Review
- Kindred Dreamhart

27 - YA Book Addict - Review
The Bookish Daydreamer
Melissa's Eclectic Bookshelf

28 - Library of a Book Witch
Mommasez... - Review

29 - Mel's Shelves - Review
Fundinmental

30 - Green Mountain Couple
Literary Meanderings

31 - Donnie Darko Girl - Review
My Devotional Thoughts

Sept. 1 - The Book Rogue


GRAND FINALE




Blog Tour: Hold Tight by Cherie Colyer


@CherieColyer #HoldTightBlogTour
To see other stops on the tour for reviews, guest posts, and excerpts click HERE or the tour banner

Title: Hold Tight (Embrace, #2)
Author: Cherie Colyer
Publisher: Omnific Publishing
Publication: August 20, 2013
Age Group: Young Adult
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Tour organized by: AToMR Tours

What’s one little spell?

When you’re new to magic, one spell can be the difference between getting what you want...and ruining the lives of everyone you love.

Sixteen-year-old Madison has just embraced her magical powers. The trick now is learning how to control them. She and her boyfriend -and fellow witch- can’t even enjoy a simple kiss without getting shocked when their powers collide. Instead of mastering her new skills, though, Madison is stuck watching her kid brother and doing chores.

But being a witch does have its benefits. With a simple spell, Madison instantly conjures the help she needs around the house. Or so she thinks. Her idea of “help” invites trouble of its own as a pair of dangerous yet enticing beings enter her life. When a classmate disappears soon afterwards, Madison discovers she's the next victim of a threat she's powerless to resist...and there’s nothing it won’t kill to make her surrender.

Caught in the crossfire between two dashing but deadly creatures, Madison must figure out which one to trust and how to rid her world of the other—before one of them destroys her and everyone she cares about.






My Review:

Witches and Fairies and Demons oh my!! Wow this was definitely a sequel that impressed. I absolutely loved it and flew through the pages like it was my job. I think being able to make a second book give you that same feeling a first book does is a great accomplishment. Cherie Colyer really does that with Hold Tight.

I absolutely loved the plot for this book. Madison cast a spell that she doesn’t quite realize the repercussions of. It sends a whole host of issues as the group struggles to close the door into the fairy realm that she has now opened before she herself get’s sucked into the Seelie Court. It’s not just about fairies, demons also enter the picture an interesting form. I loved the way the details were woven together. Taking different myths and combining them as well as dispelling some old wives tales. Don’t be putting that cream out on your counter anytime soon.

Also if you are someone who is like me and read Embrace back when it came out you might need a little reminder. I liked how the whole first book isn’t rehashed but the past story is worked into conversations and Madison’s inner flashback moments. It flowed really nicely into the story.

Wow so many great new characters. I loved the additions of Brea, Reed and Caden. Actually I really liked the addition of Caden. They all added great elements to the story and spiced it up. I don’t want to get into too much detail because it would spoil the story and I enjoyed reading about them so much myself that I would someone else to have the same experience.

I like Madison, she is such a tough cookies. She’s far from perfect and often time makes impulse decisions that can sometimes bite her in the butt later. Sometimes those decisions work out though. She doesn’t give up and always keeps on trying. She loves her family and friends and would do anything for them without even questioning it.

I’m not so much of an Isaac fan. Sometimes I feel like he’s too arrogant and thinks he knows everything. I’m not sure why he rubs me the wrong way but despite that he has a cute relationship with Madison. It actually feels really natural and even though I’m necessarily his biggest fan, I like that he seems more normal. I guess as normal as a guy with powers can be. I’m secretly hoping that maybe she ends up with Caden instead though. :)

One of the great things about this series is the close friendship bonds that exist. Especially between Madison and Kaylee. I love that they have been friends forever and they tell eachother everything. They also can tell when the other is upset. It’s nice to see a main character who is not a loaner and has a really strong support system. It makes sense for witches to have a coven of course and I love that they represent the elements.

I have to say I really enjoyed this book and I need more...more Caden! I have to also say that this book gave me a huge craving for lattes. Anyway who partakes in a Pumpkin Spice Latte is definitely going to be a favorite character of mine. Go Madison!



About the Author

Cherie Colyer is the author of YA paranormal thriller/romance, EMBRACE (available now), and HOLD TIGHT (August 2013), from Omnific Publishing. Check out her website and blog for news on her books and bonus material. Follow Cherie on Twitter and/or Facebook for updates on writing, book and special offers.

Website | Facebook | Twitter


Giveaway:

(2) Print Copies of Embrace and Hold Tight- US/Canada
(10) eBooks of Embrace (emailed in PDF, mobi and epub ePack) – International

US/Canada entries only:

eBook Giveaway Code – International:


Catch up with Madison and her friends in Embrace, book one in the series.
Amazon | Barnes & Noble


Cover Reveal: Without You by Brooklyn Skye


WITHOUT YOU
by Brooklyn Skye  (@brooklyn__skye)
Release Date: 10/22/13

Summary from Goodreads:

*A novella to the best-selling New Adult novel STRIPPED*


I’m the knight on the white horse in her eyes, the one who broke down her defenses after her sister’s death until she realized she was capable of love. To her—aside from my name, Torrin Kingsley—I’m perfect.

But there’s a sliver of my past I’ve never shared with her. One that is now haunting me with every breath I take. One she is starting to raise her brow to.

I’m not certain how much longer I can keep it from her. To be honest, I don’t know that it would make a difference anyway, because it seems no matter which path I choose, they all lead to the same end point. A place without Quinn.

My demons run bone deep. I guess burying them forever wasn’t possible.


Book One:


About the Author

Brooklyn Skye grew up in a small town where she quickly realized writing was an escape from small town life. Really, she’s just your average awkward girl who’s obsessed with words. Her Best-Selling New Adult debut, STRIPPED, is out NOW! Represented by Bree Ogden of D4EO Literary Agency.


***Author Links***
 photo iconwebsite-32x32_zps1f477f69.png  photo icongoodreads32_zps60f83491.png  photo icontwitter-32x32_zpsae13e2b2.png

Feature and Follow



Feature and Follow Friday is a blog hop that is designed to provide some much-appreciated exposure to the bloggers participating, and to expand their following. Hosted by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read, each of whom feature a chosen blog for the week, it's an interesting way to get to know one another.

If you would like to follow me, you can do so by Bloglovin, Twitter, email or Linky .



Follow on Bloglovin




Q: BookSelfie! Take a pic of you and your current read!.

It's not exactly my current read but it's the last paperback I read. So I figure that works. I've been running like crazy because this week is super busy for me. I look like such a dork in this pic




Book Haul: Sunday Post


Hosted by Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer

So for some reason I thought this past week was not going to be busy on the blog. Instead it was very busy. Next week is a little lighter on the blog. I scheduled it that way since it's my son's birthday week (the big 4) and the start of the school year. I work in IT but it gets to be crazy town when teachers come back. My haul is also a little lighter. I'm actually waiting for some books to come in the mail that I won. It's funny I saw on my husband's news show the other day a video of someone stealing a guys package off his porch, so I told my husband I think someone is stealing my books. He just rolled his eyes at me but you never know. 

On The Blog Last Week;

Blog Tours:
Hover by Melissa West (Guest Post)


Cover Reveals:
The Daughter of Isis by Kelsey Ketch
Teaching Roman by Sophia Bleu
Trust in Me by J. Lynn

Spotlights:
Release Day: The Darkest Part by Trisha Wolfe
Recaptured Dreams by Justine Dell
A Tale of Two Centuries Challenge (Time Travel)


eArcs from Edelweiss
(click to pics to learn more)

 
 

I'll mostly be posting reviews this week so stop back for those for sure!

ATOTC Challenge: Where Would I Go On a Time Travel Adventure?


@rachelharrisya #flirtsquad
So if I was walking down the streets of my lovely city and I saw a gypsy wagon sitting on the side of the road, would I go in? Hell ya who wouldn't go into some cool gypsy wagon...
So if Reyna was going to send me somewhere I'm not sure exactly where I would WANT to go but if it was getting in touch of my ancestory there a couple of options. I'm pretty lucky in that my lines are not hard to trace. My mom's grandparents immigrated from Ireland and Poland, my dad's parents came here from Lithuania and so it's easy for me to know my lineage. What has always fascinated me is my Paternal Grandmothers side of the family. Even though she grew up in Lithuania she was born in Russia and a lot of my relatives were, maybe still are spread out in the area. My grandmother had to flee when she was younger. So if Reyna was going to send me back I would hope it would be to explore Russia. I've always had a fascination with it but hopefully it would be far enough back before it became so war torn.
So I could check out the cool onion domes (I have a secret obsession with them)
and drink tea from a samavor

And wear some cool clothes. This is actually an image from a Russian Lacquer Box which I used to collect. They normally depict different Fairy Tales but this one is from a Gypsy Fortune Telling Card.

So that's where I would be interested in Reyna sending me but to be honest, I can't imagine a time travel adventure not being interesting. Unless I'm in a position to that would cause me bodily harm (ya I over think these things)

So what would I hope to have in my backpack if I was able to take it with me?


In my kit I would have a camera so I could of course have pictures of everything. I'm sure that's breaking some space time continuum law. Then of course the essentials so I can at least feel clean. Maybe an ereader stocked full with a battery life of forever just in case I have down time. I hope to be experiencing everything I can instead. Toliet paper because I don't know, seem like an important thing. Then of course a journal because my mind never stops going and without modern distractions I need a place for my thoughts to go. Who knows the quality of paper and writing devices I'll find in whatever era.

Find out about Alessandra's time traveling adventure by reading Rachel Harris's A Tale of Two Centuries (like the segue way there)

A Tale of Two Centuries by Rachel Harris

Alessandra D’Angeli is in need of an adventure. Tired of her sixteenth-century life in Italy and homesick for her time-traveling cousin, Cat, who visited her for a magical week and dazzled her with tales of the future, Alessandra is lost. Until the stars hear her plea.

One mystical spell later, Alessandra appears on Cat’s Beverly Hills doorstep five hundred years in the future. Surrounded by confusing gadgets, scary transportation, and scandalous clothing, Less is hesitant to live the life of a twenty-first century teen…until she meets the infuriating—and infuriatingly handsome—surfer Austin Michaels. Austin challenges everything she believes in…and introduces her to a world filled with possibility.

With the clock ticking, Less knows she must live every moment of her modern life while she still can. But how will she return to the drab life of her past when the future is what holds everything she’s come to love?