Blog Tour Review & Giveaway: Wonder Horse by Anita Daher!

Title: Wonder Horse

Author: Anita Daher

Release date: 05/08/2015

Publisher: Rebelight Publishing

About the Book:

Fitting into a new school in a new city isn’t easy, but dreams come true for Sera with a gift from her parents: a gorgeous and spirited American Paint horse. Sera’s bubble bursts when a mean girl, Brittany, tells her that neither she nor her less than well-trained horse belong with the rest of the “reiners” in their riding class. As Sera sets out to prove Brittany wrong, she risks losing her passion for training and the friendship of Dev, another girl who truly understands her.

An earlier version of this story was originally published by Stabenfeldt (Stavanger, Norway) in 2011 as Wager the Wonder Horse and distributed in six languages: Norwegian, Hungarian, Czech, German, Finnish and Swedish.

Review:

★★★


I'll be the first to admit, I never really had a pony phase growing up. Maybe it was because I was a city-raised kid, but I didn't know anyone who had a horse, or who could afford one. We wished for Barbie Jeeps instead. However, my girlfriend loved horses growing up, and was even a rider. She's told me stories about horses that have made me regret not getting into them when I was younger, save for a ride or two at a carnival (which I know is totally not the same). She's kindled an appreciation of horses from me, which is why I wanted to read Wonder Horse.

Overall, I have to say this is a pretty heartwarming and cute read. It's a book about friendship and passions and setting goals and achieving them too, with an added dash of mean girls for good measure. Sera, the main character, struggles with finding who she really is and what she wants to do, which I think is something that we all question at some point in our youth.

I didn't really connect to Sera as much as I would have liked to. Like I mentioned a bit above, I think part of it was simply the fact that I'm an outsider looking in at horse riding culture. But I also didn't always appreciate Sera's tone, she was a bit whiny in places, and I thought the way she referred to her classmates was a bit snobby.

Other than these weak moments from Sera, I rather enjoyed this book. I think it's something a lot of younger girls (and boys too) will be able to connect to more easily than I did. This is a really short read at about 90 pages, so I recommend it to readers who are hesitant or don't necessarily enjoy reading yet. I'd also recommend it to the younger end of the YA spectrum, and to any kid who has the pony love that so many share.

I was provided a copy in exchange for my honest review.

Get it Here:

Amazon | BN

About the Author:

Anita Daher has been entrenched in the publishing industry since 1995, and is (thus far) author of fourteen books for children and teens. Aside from short stints as grave-plot seller, tour guide, and children’s party clown, she’s worked in aviation, publishing and broadcasting. When not word wrangling, she enjoys inhabiting characters on stage and screen.

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Blog Tour Excerpt and Giveaway: Modern Monsters by Kelley York

Title: Modern Monsters

Author: Kelley York

Release date: 06/02/15

Publisher: Entangled Teen

Summary from Goodreads:

Vic Howard never wanted to go to the party. He’s the Invisible Guy at school, a special kind of hell for quiet, nice guys. But because his best friend is as popular as Vic is ignored, he went... And wished he hadn’t. Because something happened to a girl that night. Something terrible, unimaginable, and Callie Wheeler’s life will never be the same. Plus, now Callie has told the police that Vic did it. Suddenly, Invisible Vic is painfully visible, on trial both literally, with the police, and figuratively, with the angry and judgmental kids at school. As the whispers and violence escalate, he becomes determined to clear his name, even if it means an uneasy alliance with Callie’s best friend, the beautiful but aloof Autumn Dixon. But as Autumn and Vic slowly peel back the layers of what happened that night, they realize that while the truth can set him free, it can also shatter everything he thought he knew about his life...

Excerpt:

Knocking? Oh. The front door. I pause, listening. Mom’s footsteps. Answering the door and saying worriedly, “Hello? Is everything okay?” There’s an undercurrent to her voice that draws me from bed to poke my head into the hall. Beyond Mom stand two police officers, a man and a woman, and their eyes immediately move from her to me. “We’re looking for Victor Howard. Is he home?” the lady asks. “Victor is...” Mom turns, eyes wide and worried as she looks at me. “He’s right there. What’s going on? What is this about?” The male responds, “Just have a few questions for him, is all.” It takes effort to force myself slowly out of my room and down the hall. My chest is tight. “U-um, I’m V-Vic.” Stupidly, I offer my hand out to them, unsure what else to do. They glance at each other. Neither of them takes my hand. “I’m Detective Sherrigan and this is Detective Carter, Waverly Police Department,” the man says. “We came to ask you about a party you were seen at Friday night.” My insides are mush and my legs are jelly. I slowly lower my hand, watching Mom from my peripheral. As she steps aside to let the officers in and shut the door, her eyes are so wide that
I’m expecting them to fall out of her head. Oh. The explaining I’m going to have to do after this will be amazing. “Okay,” I say, wringing my hands together. “I-I was th-there.” Sherrigan writes this down in his notepad. Carter remains poised, hands folded in front of her and expression grim. “Do you know a Callie Wheeler?”My spine stiffens. “Is she okay?” “Is that a yes?” “Y-yes. I know her. S-sort of.” While Sherrigan is portly and looks like he’d be a nice guy any other day of the week, Carter is the sort of cop you don’t want to mess with. Short. Hair pulled back into a serious bun, ruby-red lipstick that makes her look like she just tore out the throat of her enemies with her teeth. She doesn’t look impressed by me in the least. “Care to tell us what happened with Callie at the party that night?” “I was at the p-party and she was, was, um, th-throwing up outside.” The words are coming harder, catching in my throat, tripping over my tongue. My hands are cold, clammy, made worse by my inability to get the words out as quickly as I want to. I can picture them in my head, but they’re getting lost somewhere in translation. “S-s-so, I...I...” “Spit it out, son,” Carter says. I breathe deeply. Try to start over. One sentence at a time. “I...took her upstairs. B-because, um, she was...drunk. Put h-her to bed and...and...that w-was it.” I look between the two of them, increasingly unsure if honesty is the best response right now. “Is she okay?” “No, Victor, she’s not okay.” Carter dips her chin and peers over the top of her sunglasses. “She was raped.”
“Raped,” I repeat, because the word doesn’t have any meaning right away. It takes a second to process it, to digest it, comprehend its meaning. Rape. Any act of sexual intercourse that is forced upon a person. The word flow stops all together. I stare dumbly at the detectives. I should have stayed with her. I should have—I don’t know. I should have done something more than what I did. I had just thought...she would be safe there in that room. “I’m afraid I don’t follow.” Mom’s voice is a few octaves higher than usual. It happens when she’s anxious. “Is that all you came to ask him? Obviously he doesn’t know anything about this.” Sherrigan turns to her, but I don’t think his eyes ever really leave me. “Ma’am, your son is being accused of raping Callie Wheeler.”

Get it Here:

Amazon | BN | Kobo | iBooks

About the Author:

"I like unicorns and cats and games...and stuff..." - quality author quote by KelleyKelley York was born in central California, where she still resides with her lovely wife, step-daughter, and way too many cats, while fantasizing about moving to England or Ireland. (Or, really, anyplace secluded.) She has a fascination with bells and animals and Disney. Her life goal is to find a real unicorn. Or to at least write about them. She occupies her spare time with video games,designing covers, playing on Tumblr, and watching anime. Kelley is a sucker for dark fiction. She loves writing twisted characters, tragic happenings, and bittersweet endings that leave you wondering and crying. She strives to make character development take center stage in her books because the bounds of a person's character and the workings of their mind are limitless.

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Blog Tour Spotlight & Giveaway: Sea Glass Sunrise by Donna Kauffman!

Title: Sea Glass Sunrise

Series: The Brides of Blueberry Cove # 1

Author: Donna Kauffman

Release date: May 26, 2015

Publisher: Zebra

Summary from Goodreads:

In seaside Blueberry Cove, Maine, friends are just another word for family, and big-city politics take a backseat to local pride. But the real treasure on these shores is always love…

When D.C. lawyer Hannah McCrae heads home for her brother’s wedding, she’s dragging a lot of baggage along with her—and she doesn’t mean suitcases. Betrayed personally, and humiliated professionally, the last thing she wants is a new man. That’s fine with square-jawed, rugged contractor Calder Blue. He and Hannah may be wildly attracted to one another, but all he wants is to build the town’s hotly contested new yacht club and mend a centuries-old family feud. Yet thanks to resentments old and new, day after day the pair wind up tangled in each other’s business—and maybe soon in each other’s arms.

Every bride needs something “blue”…

Get it Here:

Amazon | BN | Kobo | iBooks | Publisher

About the Author:

USA Today bestselling author of the Cupcake Club Romance series, Donna Kauffman has seen her books reviewed in venues ranging from Kirkus Reviews and Library Journal to Entertainment Weekly and Cosmopolitan. She lives just outside of DC in the lovely Virginia countryside, where she is presently trying to makeover her newly empty nest into something that doesn’t have to accommodate piles of sports equipment falling out of her coat closet (okay, out of every closet...and under every bed....), size 13 cleats and sweaty uniforms cluttering her foyer (and stairwell, and laundry room, and...), and a kitchen that should have come with a traffic light. And a pantry monitor. (Anyone with a clever idea on how to repurpose lacrosse sticks into matching reading lamps, she’s all ears!) When she’s not stripping paint, varnishing an old auction house find, or trying to avoid bodily injury with her latest power tool purchase, she loves to hear from readers!

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Book Blitz & Giveaway: A Date with the Devil by Kira Adams!

A
Date with the Devil

by Kira Adams

Release
Date: 06/05/15

Summary
from Goodreads:

The Monster.



In one moment, my entire life was ripped away from me. I ignored the warning
signs until it was too late. Until I became the victim.



He took my life away from me; my freedom, my courage. I've lived my life in
debilitating fear since that fateful day.



The Savior.



He was there the day it all went down, and he's been by my side ever since.
He's been the only thing that's kept me going.



He's my best friend, but he wants more. I'm terrified to lose him. I'm
terrified he'll leave.



One tried to kill me.



One brought me back to life.



I'll never be the same person again--that girl died when the match was dropped.
Too much has already been stolen from me.



It's time to take back what's mine.

Buy Links: (FREE
June 5-7)

Amazon US│Amazon UK

About the Author

Krista Pakseresht has always been a dreamer. From the first time she opened her eyes. Creating worlds through words is one thing she is truly talented at. She specializes in Young adult/New adult romance, horror, action, fantasy, and non-fiction under the pen name Kira Adams.

She is the author of the Infinite Love series, the Foundation series, the Darkness Falls series, and the Looking Glass series.

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Blog Tour Excerpt & Giveaway: Secret of the Sevens by Lynn Lindquist!

Secret of the Sevens

by Lynn Lindquist 

Release Date: 06/2015

Flux Publishing

Summary from Goodreads:

Everyone at Singer, a boarding school for underprivileged kids, knows the urban legend of the Society of Seven. Decades ago, the original members of the secret guild for elite students murdered the school's founder and then perished in the fire they lit to hide the evidence. Or so the story goes.

Talan Michaels doesn't care about Singer's past. He's too focused on his future and the fact that he'll be homeless after he graduates in May. To take his mind off it, he accepts a mysterious invitation to join a group calling itself the Sevens. 

He expects pranks, parties, and perks. Instead, he finds himself neck-deep in a conspiracy involving secret passages and cryptic riddles about the school's history. Even worse, he's now tangled in web of lies someone will kill to keep hidden.

Excerpt:

I cut across the quad toward the oldest building on campus. Why would they want to see me here? Except for the Pillar thing, I can’t think of anything I’ve done wrong recently. That they know of, anyhow.I open the front door and flash my pass at the security guard. He reads the note over a couple times as I sign in. “Room 07? I don’t see a lot of passes for rooms in the basement.” He hands it back and points to a doorway. “Take that stairwell there.”The muscles in my shoulders stiffen as I ramble down the rickety steps into a dark corridor. The air is humid and musty. There’s a single dim bulb hanging from the ceiling in the center of the long hallway. Unnerved, I squint to read the faded numbers on the old wood doors. The darkness in the narrow hall is starting to trigger my claustrophobia. When my shoes squeak like a bad speaker, I twist around, thinking someone’s behind me. What am I freaking out about? There’s no one else here. I’m alone. Alone. In a strange building. For a meeting I knew nothing about.In an empty hallway... in a dimly-lit basement... that no one ever uses. The hairs on my arm stand up. My eyes shift around, searching the walls for anything familiar. “Hello?” No answer. All the classroom lights are off except for one at the very end of the hall. A strip of light glows from under the door. I drift toward it like an insect to a bug zapper. The door to room 07 creaks as I open it and wander inside. The room is empty, except for a chalkboard on one wall with a message:Yes, Talan. The letter is for you. And it’s real. My breath catches in my throat. What letter? What’s going on? I look around the room and then peer out into the hallway, but there’s still no one around.Scanning the room again, I spot a black velvet envelope with a red wax seal sitting on the ledge of the chalkboard. I go over and grab it, just as a cold sweat starts to collect under my shirt. Inside is a card printed with fancy writing: Master Talan Michaels,You have been chosen for membership in the resurrected Society of Seven. Participation in The Society requires absolute loyalty, a lifelong oath of silence, and a commitment of sacrificial service to the true purposes of our brotherhood. In return, pledges are bestowed the secrets of The Society, including access to fraternal wealth and wisdom. Upon final initiation into The Society, each member is assigned the Great Responsibility and awarded the Great Reward—the use of society resources to fulfill your greatest desire.Choose or refuse, you will have until midnight tonight to decide. If refusing, destroy this card and speak of it never, lest ye choose to invite misery upon yourself. Be warned: Do not take this vow lightly. If accepting, return this invitation by way of the mausoleum of Mary Harper Singer, behind the Chapel ruins in the cemetery off Rucker Road. Slide this card under the palm of the
weeping angel that watches over our beloved matriarch. Noblesse Oblige: “To whom much is given, much is expected.”

“At the end of the day, it’s Talan and his endearing combination of bravado and vulnerability, coupled with the crackling chemistry he shares with Laney, that will keep readers turning the pages. A satisfying read for secret-society fanatics and romantics alike.” – Kirkus Reviews

Buy Links:

Amazon│Barnes
& Noble

About the Author

Lynn Lindquist lives in a suburb of Chicago with two overly-social sons and a mutt named Slugger who wisely hides under the bed most days. The hordes of teenagers that regularly frequent her house (think Panama City Beach during spring break) provide fodder for her young adult novels and growing anxiety disorder. Ever since her sons broke the Guinness Record for Largest-Rager-Thrown-While-a-Parent-Was-Out-for-the-Night, she enjoys spending her free time at home entertaining friends, cooking, reading, and writing. Thankfully, her favorite things in life are her sons, words, and kids, so she wouldn’t have it any other way.  She is represented by Katherine Boyle at Veritas Literary Agency.   

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Review: Fried Chicken by Rebecca Lang!

Title: Fried Chicken: 50 Recipes for the Crispy, Crunchy, Comfort-Food Classic
Author: Rebecca Lang
Format: egalley
Pub. Date: June 16th 2015
Source: Ten Speed Press

Description:

A fun and playful cookbook featuring more than 50 family-friendly fried chicken recipes--including classic Southern, globally influenced, and skillet- and deep-fried variations.

Fried chicken is comfort food at its finest. Served alongside a biscuit, atop waffles, or just on its own, fried chicken is one of the most universally loved foods around. In Fried Chicken, Southern chef Rebecca Lang collects 50 of the most tantalizing, crowd-pleasing variations on the classic. There are perennial favorites like Buttermilk-Soaked, Bacon-Fried Chicken Smothered in Gravy; Tennessee Hot Chicken; kid-friendly Chicken Fingers; and even Gluten-Free Southern Fried Chicken. Also featured are internationally inspired recipes, such as Saigon Street Wings, Chinese Lollipop Wings, Mexican-Lime Fried Chicken Tacos, and Korean Fried Chicken with Gochujang Sauce. All of these recipes are impeccably tested, foolproof, and will have the whole family singing the praises of perfectly fried poultry.

★★★★★

Review:

One of my absolute favorite things to eat is fried chicken. I grew up on it, since I'm not overtly fond of beef and it's something that I could pretty much eat every day without getting sick of it. When I found this book, a cookbook dedicated to just fried chicken, I knew I had to read it. I was definitely not disappointed!

This book is separated into chapters in order of cooking technique, which I think is a pretty effective way of doing so. It makes it easy to find the right recipe for your mood depending on what you want to cook at that moment. These pages are jam packed full of tips which I found extremely useful; as much as I love fried chicken, I very rarely make it for myself so I can use all the help and hints that I can get. The beginning of this cookbook has a really nice introduction that includes how to cook, clean, and cut chickens, complete with step by step pictures.

Speaking of pictures, the photography for Fried Chicken is simply awesome. I had to have chicken the day I got this, because the pictures definitely make you crave the salty, crunchy deliciousness that is fried chicken. There are a lot of pictures in this book, which is really helpful and important to me because I like knowing how my final product should look.

There's also a really wide variety included here. Initially, I did wonder how a book dedicated to one classic dish would be, variety wise. But rest assured, this book includes recipes from all over the United States, and all over the world too. There's something here for everyone (everyone who eats meat, that is), from those who want an untouched classic chicken, to those who want plenty of spice or bold flavors. Lang has got you covered! There are also recipes included for different flour blends, sauces, and breads so that your meal can be completely made from scratch, which I find pretty nifty.

Honestly, I would make all of the recipes in this book, but I will highlight a few of the best sounding ones. The ones that I'm most eager to try include West African Fried Chicken with Sautéed Onions and Peppers, Fried Chicken Skins with Lime Mustard Drizzle, and Chicken Kara-Age.

I'd recommend this book to anyone who loves fried chicken, be you a beginner or a master cook. This to me conjured up images of summer picnics and cookouts, so for me this is a must-buy before the 4th of July, no rhyme intended.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Blog Tour Excerpt & Giveaway: Descent by Tara A. Fuller!

Title: Descent

Series: Kissed by Death #3

Author: Tara A. Fuller

Release date: 06/02/15

Publisher: Entangled Teen

Length: 320 pages

Summary from Goodreads:

He’ll destroy everything and everyone to save her…including himself.

Easton doesn’t believe in love. He believes in death. Darkness. Sin. As a reaper for Hell, it’s all he’s known for more than four hundred years. So when he gets slapped with the job of training the boss’s daughter, an angel that knows nothing but joy, he knows he’s in for a world of trouble.

Though he’s made it clear he wants nothing to do with her outside of work, Gwen will do whatever it takes to get close to the dark and wounded reaper—even taint her angelic image and become a reaper herself. But in all her planning, she forgot to factor in one thing—how far the demons Easton doomed to Hell will go for revenge.

When the dangers of the Hell threaten Gwen, Easton will destroy everything and everyone to save her. But as the darkness closes in, will he be able to save himself?

Excerpt:

“What do you want, Gwen?” he whispered.I stared at his chest, breathing hard, heart beating a frantic rhythm. “I want to touch you. And I don’t want you to stop me.”He hesitated, but when I ran my fingers over the criss-cross pattern of raised white scars that slashed across his ribs, he didn’t stop me.“Are these from when you were alive?”
He tensed, but allowed me to keep exploring him. “Yes.” I looked up. “Why did you keep them?”
 His eyes searched mine. A muscle in his jaw flexed. “SoI would never forget how I got them, why I’m here...what I lost.”“They’re beautiful,” I whispered.He closed his eyes and exhaled harshly. He was struggling, fighting some internal battle to give me this, to accept joy in return.I resisted the sudden, overwhelming urge to close the space between us, to press my lips to his. Something so simple, and yet it felt bigger than the two of us put together. That should have scared me. If I gave in to such urges, I could be cast out, stripped of everything that made me myfather’s daughter. But it didn’t scare me. It exhilarated me. In the back of my mind I could hear Sky’s warning.Aren’t you tempted? Gwen, what if you fall?I was. I wanted it with every fiber of this body. Every part of me felt jittery with want and anticipation. The sweet, addictive desire rolling off him told me he wanted it, too. Easton reached up and touched my chin, his fingers like a magnet drawing me in.“I’m about to kiss you, Red,” he said, voice rough. “You should
probably stop me.”

Get it Here:

Descent:

Amazon | BN | Kobo | iBooks

Amazon | BN | Kobo | iBooks

Amazon | BN | Kobo | iBooks

About the Author:

Tara Fuller writes novels. Some about grim reapers​. Some about witches. All of course are delightfully full of teen angst and kissing. Tara grew up in a one stop light town in Oklahoma where once upon a time she stayed up with a flash light reading RL Stine novels and only dreamed of becoming a writer. She has a slight obsession with music and a shameless addiction for zombie fiction, Mystery Science Theater, and black and white mochas. Tara no longer lives in a one stop light town. Now she lives with her family in a slightly larger town in North Carolina where they have at least three stoplights.

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