Release Week Blitz: Scavenge the Stars by Tara Sim

Have I ever told you all about how obsessed I was as a teen with The Count of Monte Cristo? It all started when my best friend hauled me to see the 2002 movie with Jim Caviezel and Guy Pearce. I loved it! The innocent Edmund Dantés being falsely accused and imprisoned. The friendship with Priest. His escape and finding of his fortune. The revenge plot. The romance. I adored everything about it! So I picked up the book and fell in love with it even though it was different than the movie. This is one of those times where I love the movie more but the overall story was what I become obsessed with.

Flashback to a few years ago when all the YA literary retellings started to be published. I watched and I waited for one for The Count of Monte Cristo. It never happened. And then I read this queer fantasy debut about clock towers and their spirits and fell in love with Tara Sim's writing. Then much to my delight shortly around the time the last book of the Timekeeper trilogy came out, Tara announced she had written a gender-swapped retelling of Monte Cristo and I was immediately sold. I pre-ordered it as fast as I could and it is one of my most anticipated books of 2020. It is currently on my kindle and I'm so excited for the weekend to get here so I can binge read the whole thing!

We have the honor of being able to share an excerpt from the book below and host a giveaway for 3 copies of the book. Go read and enter! You don't want to miss this book!

SCAVENGE THE STARS
(Scavenge the Stars #1)
Tara Sim
Release: January 7, 2020
Goodreads, Amazon, Kindle, Audible,
B&N, iBooks, Kobo , TBD

When Amaya rescues a mysterious stranger from drowning, she fears her rash actions have earned her a longer sentence on the debtor ship where she’s been held captive for years. Instead, the man she saved offers her unimaginable riches and a new identity, setting Amaya on a perilous course through the coastal city-state of Moray, where old-world opulence and desperate gamblers collide.

Amaya wants one thing: revenge against the man who ruined her family and stole the life she once had. But the more entangled she becomes in this game of deception—and as her path intertwines with the son of the man she’s plotting to bring down—the more she uncovers about the truth of her past. And the more she realizes she must trust no one…

Packed with high-stakes adventure, romance, and dueling identities, this gender-swapped retelling of The Count of Monte Cristo is the first novel in an epic YA fantasy duology, perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas, Sabaa Tahir, and Leigh Bardugo.

About the Author

Tara Sim is the author of SCAVENGE THE STARS (Disney-Hyperion) and the TIMEKEEPER trilogy (Sky Pony Press) and writer of all things magic. She can often be found in the wilds of the Bay Area, California.

When she’s not writing about mischievous boys in clock towers, Tara spends her time drinking tea, wrangling cats, and occasionally singing opera. Despite her bio-luminescent skin, she is half-Indian and eats way too many samosas.

Tara is represented by Victoria Marini at Irene Goodman Literary Agency.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest | Tumblr | Goodreads

Excerpt

Revenge. It was a simple word when spoken out loud, but it was so much bigger, like the hidden city under the atoll. It was a word of fire and blood, of a knife’s whisper and the priming of a pistol.

It was a word that consumed her, filled her entire being until she knew that she could no longer be Silverfish. Silverfish’s will was to survive, to simply make it to the next day, and hopefully the day after that. But that was no longer her will.

Now it was revenge.

Captain Zharo. Kamon Mercado. Moray.

They would all pay.

3 winners will receive a finished copy of SCAVENGE THE STARS, US only.

Giveaway ends February 14th at midnight EST.

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Black Friday Book Bonanza

Happy Thanksgiving and welcome to our stop on the Black Friday Book Bonanza Giveaway Hop! It's been a while since we've done a giveaway on the blog so it's a big one.

We've got paperback copies of Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom plus a ton of Grishaverse swag, including bookmarks, buttons, art prints, and Six of Crows socks for one lucky winner. (Not everything is pictured.) This one's US only due to shipping costs. No giveaway accounts or follow/unfollows please.

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Don't forget to check out the rest of the stops on the hop! Black Friday Giveaway Hop Participants

1. Reading Reality (INT) 2. Caffeinated Reviewer (INT) 3. Angel's Guilty Pleasures (INT) 4. Read Your Writes Book Reviews (US) 5. Samantha The Book Disciple 6. Nicci @ Sunny Buzzy Books (INT) 7. Tanya @ Girl Plus Books 8. Gretl@ Goldilox and the Three Weres (US) 9. Ilovebooksandstuffblog 10. Beauty Info Zone (US/Can)

11. The Mommy Island 12. Dashing Bling Read 13. The Attic Girl 14. Maureen @ Maureen's Books 15. Sandy @ Somewhere Only We Know 16. Suzie Olsen 17. Tabatha @Broken Soul Reviews 18. Carol's Notebook (Int) 19. The Kids Did It

Learn more about Black Friday Giveaway Hop here.
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Blog Tour: Unearthed by Cecy Robson

Welcome to our stop on the Unearthed Blog Tour! I'm so excited for a new UF series from Cecy Robson, as well as a new take on the Grim Reaper. And how cute is that cover!

Keep reading for more on Unearthed, including an excerpt, my review and a tour-wide giveaway.

Unearthed
(Death Seeker #1)
Cecy Robson
Release: Sept 24, 2019
Goodreads Amazon B&N 
Kobo iTunes
ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley

Fae was once a flourishing paradise. Until Death turned greedy and destroyed it, targeting the creatures who inhabited it. Those who survived escaped to Earth’s realm, but Death wasn’t far behind . . .

Olivia Finn is just another pixie trying to blend in among humans and hide from the death hounds who devoured her family. Clinging to the talisman that keeps her veiled from those who hunt her, she believes she is safe. . .. Until Death finds her and discovers she’s immune to its grip.

Now that Olivia’s power is unearthed, she is sought by Fae who see her as their savior and stalked by dark entities compelled to destroy her. Can she trust the King of the Dead who has sworn to train and protect her? Or should she obey her instincts that warn he desires more?

Olivia can no longer hide from Death. To survive, she must seek it. 

Excerpt

…in the Glen a nightclub where the Fae like to gather 

Lights flash and magical mist pours across the dance floor, allowing privacy to those desperate for touch. Fae aren’t plentiful, and neither are establishments for us to gather. That’s what makes the Glen fun. It doesn’t just bring my kind together, it frees us. No glamour, no pretending. We discuss magic and the old realm, curse Death for destroying it and celebrate our survival.

With a shimmy and a shake, lavender and silver wings sprout from Dahlia’s back. She stretches, relishing the feel of simply being herself. She winks at me, her glimmering lavender eyes and lips radiant. 

A drunk mountain troll stumbles between us. She releases my hand, allowing him through before clasping my hand and guiding us through the gyrating swarm of bodies. “Let’s have a drink, darling.”

I squeeze her hand. Fae are affectionate beings. In the human world, we cage our need to caress, embrace, and make love. It’s a way to keep our identities secret and another way to prevent Death from finding us. 

Bill’s broken glamour was a result of a stolen kiss. It revealed his form to a human and worst of all damaged his talisman. Our talismans remain the only way to hide from those who hunt us. Without them, it’s a death warrant with our executioners often seconds from being collected.

A banshee sprints away from the bar and through the swarm of Fae. With all the grace of a swan, she leaps into the air and straddles the male who entered behind us. “David!” she screeches. “Sorry,” she adds when we groan and cover our ears.

“David” loses his tiny accountant persona, morphing into a giant cyclops with a long blond Mohawk. He laughs, catching the banshee when her legs break free of his widening waist. 

She screeches. Again. The thought of that voice in the throes of passion makes me cringe. “David is going to need serious earplugs to get through the night,” I mutter.

Dahlia giggles, her laughter like wind chimes in the soft breeze. “Perhaps. But it will be worth it, darling,” she sings.

©Unearthed, Cecy Robson, LLC September 2019

Review

One of my favorite things about Urban Fantasy is that you get things like a law firm staffed by the Fae. That's where we meet Olivia, a pixie who lost her powers when her family escaped to the human realm. It gets even better when one of her co-workers turns out to be the Grim Reaper. But there are other types of Death in the world as well and they are hunting the Fae.

Olivia discovers that she has new powers that can help her fight the hell hounds that are after her people. Enter Ryker, who rescues her and offers to train her. Those scenes remind me of Cassie and Pritkin in the Cassie Palmer series, which I love. Also like Cassie, Olivia is unprepared for the sudden responsibility, in over her head and making it up as she goes along.

I loved the chemistry between Olivia and Ryker. And I liked the supporting characters. Dragons serve the role often filled by vampires in UF of a mob boss type and his muscle, which is a fun twist. And there's a gargoyle, which I love to see. I'm also intrigued by the idea that all these different versions of Death, presumably from different world mythologies, are all in competition for the same souls.

But there a few elements that I liked much less. First of all, first person POV is uncomfortable when the main character is being beaten. And it makes for abrupt ends in the action when that character passes out. I also felt like the villain was scary enough without making threats of sexual violence. They made him seem more human, as opposed to being a monster, which was unnecessary. And then there's this sentient tool/weapon that's just weird and squicky. Maybe its purpose will become clear in a later book?

Still, I enjoyed the book overall. I like where the characters wind up in the end and I'm looking forward to seeing what's next.

Recommended for fans of: The Cassie Palmer series by Karen Chance

    1/2

3.5  stars

About the Author

CECY ROBSON is an international and multi-award-winning author of over twenty-five character driven novels. A registered nurse of eighteen years, Cecy spends her free time creating magical worlds, heart-stopping romance, and young adult adventure. After receiving two RITA® nominations, the Maggie Award, the Award of Excellence, and a National Reader’s Choice Award nomination, you can still find Cecy laughing, crying, and cheering on her characters as she pens her next story. 

Connect with Cecy online:

Website | Twitter | Facebook |Newsletter | Instagram | BookBub

Win a $50.00 Amazon Gift Card.  Ends September 4 at 11:59 pm (EST)

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Blog Tour: Wolf Instinct by Paige Tyler

I love Paige Tyler's SWAT series! It got me out of a major reading slump a few years ago. Paranormal police stories have always been one of my faves. And I love the found family element in this series. The latest installment came out last week and I'm so excited to get back into this series.

Here's a little bit about Wolf Instinct, an excerpt and a chance to win the previous book in the series.

Wolf Instinct
(SWAT #9)
Paige Tyler
Release: June 25, 2019
Goodreads Amazon B&N

Apple IndieBound BAM

He’s a wolf shifter.
She hunts monsters.
How can she be The One for him?

SWAT werewolf Zane Kendrick will do whatever it takes to take down the man who attacked his pack. His search takes him to Los Angeles, but when he meets Alyssa, the smart, sexy agent who comes to his aid, he’s immediately interested in pursuing more than just the next lead. All his wolf instincts tell him that she’s The One.

FBI agent Alyssa Carson has investigated some weird stuff lately, and finding missing people drained of their blood definitely falls into that category. When following a clue leads her to Zane, she agrees to work with him and his team. She’s attracted to the gorgeous Brit, but she doesn’t have time for anything but finding answers.

When Zane and Alyssa discover the sinister truth, it’ll take everything they have to make it out of this mission with their lives—and hearts—intact.

My reviews of other books in the SWAT series:
Wolf Hunt (SWAT #6)
Wolf Hunger (SWAT #7)
Watch for my review of Wolf Instinct coming soon

Excerpt

“Are you?” he asked. “Happy being an FBI agent, I mean.”

“Yeah.” She smiled. “The pay isn’t the greatest and I practically live in hotels, but I love what I do.”

“That’s what’s important.” Zane leaned forward, resting his forearms on the table. “I am curious how you find time for anything resembling a social life since you’re never in one place very long.”

She snorted, remembering how Christine had ragged on her about this same subject. “Social life. What’s that? As far as I’m concerned, if the FBI wanted me to have a social life, they’d issue me one, like my sidearm and badge.”

Zane lifted a brow. “Are you saying that a woman as beautiful as you hasn’t gone on a date with anyone in a year and half?”

Coming from anyone but Zane, that question might have irritated her. But for whatever reason, it didn’t. She especially liked the compliment. “While I’m not going to come out and put an exact time frame on it, I’ll admit it’s been a while. But if we’re going to discuss our social lives, how about you? Don’t tell me a big, good-looking man like you isn’t involved with someone.”

Zane’s gaze turned molten in the sun coming through the window and she felt her stomach do that funny flutter thing that had only started happening after they’d met. “If I were involved with someone, do you think I would have kissed you like I did last night?”

“I don’t know,” she said. “Would you?”

He lifted his mug and took a long, slow sip of coffee. “No, I wouldn’t have. I’ve dated a few women since moving to Dallas. Probably more than a few, I guess. But it never felt right with any of them, and after a while, it didn’t seem worth the effort. Then I met you and everything felt different. That’s why I kissed you.”

She’d just been messing with him about kissing her if he was involved with someone. His response was a lot more real than she’d expected. The part about why he’d kissed her made her warm all over. But the stuff about him not connecting with anyone since leaving London hurt more than she would have thought possible.

“You broke up with your fiancée a long time ago,” she pointed out. “Are you saying that in all that time, you never met anyone you could see yourself falling for?”

He didn’t answer at first, pausing to slowly chew his Pop-Tart. When he did finally answer her question, he kept his gaze fixed on the mug in front of him. “This probably won’t make much sense, but for people like me, it can be difficult finding that perfect person we’re supposed to be with. Some might even say it’s impossible.” The words were so soft she had to lean forward to hear them. “When the woman I thought was the right one for me walked out, I didn’t think it could happen again. But since meeting you, I’ve started thinking maybe I gave up too soon.”

Alyssa didn’t know what to say. It wasn’t a declaration of love or anything, but still…

Picking up her mug, she got up and poured herself more coffee. She held the pot up in Zane’s direction, but he shook his head. She didn’t necessarily want a refill, but it gave her a chance to think about everything he’d said. The guy had just unleashed a lot. It would take a while to absorb it all.

Like those three simple but significant words: people like me. Just that fast, the big, sexy Brit had confirmed he was different. Surprisingly, that acknowledgment didn’t bother her as much as she thought it might. While she’d discounted the possibility of him using some kind of spell on her, part of her wondered if Zane was putting out some kind of supernatural pheromone to attract his victims with and make them easier to subdue. But one look at him sitting at the table chewing thoughtfully on his frosted brown sugar Pop-Tart made her toss that ridiculous idea right out of her head. Zane didn’t need to put out any pheromones to lure her in. All he had to do was look at her.

She shook her head. One smile from him and she was ready to throw caution to the wind. Was she really that easy?

Alyssa walked back over to the table with her coffee, thinking about the other stuff Zane had said—especially the part where he’d confessed he’d given up on the idea of finding someone until meeting her. She’d never thought of herself as the kind of woman who cared about romantic drivel, but when Zane said those words, she had to admit there’d been some serious feels going on. Part of her wanted to wrap her arms around him and hug him. The other part wanted to throw him on the floor and bang him like a cheap screen door—but that part was only making noise because it had been so long since she’d gotten laid.

“So,” she said, ignoring her chair and instead sitting on the edge of the table right in front of Zane. “I’m guessing you think I might be this perfect someone you’d given up hope of ever finding? Do you mind if I ask what makes you think that?”

Zane pushed his chair back a bit to make room for her, his dark eyes meeting hers. “You’re not going to like this answer, but…it’s complicated.”

He was right. She didn’t like it. “You’re going to have to do better than that.”

“Let’s just say the first time I saw you at that club, taking down Stefan’s goon, I knew you were someone special. And even though I’m still not sure if I’m comfortable with the idea—actually, I’m downright terrified—I’m also sure you’re The One for me.”

That sounded so romance-bookish Alyssa almost laughed out loud. The serious expression on Zane’s face was the only thing that stopped her. It might be crazy as heck, but the big, sexy hunk seemed to genuinely believe it.

They sat there looking at each other, Alyssa cupping both hands around her mug, breathing in the warm coffee while Zane seemed to be holding his breath like he thought she might bolt for the door at any second. Which was crazy since this was her room.

“Okay,” she said, setting her mug on the table. “Assuming you’re right and I’m The One for you, what do we do now?”

Zane grinned. “Kissing would be nice, yes?”

His big hands were coming up to wrap around her hips, tugging her forward off the table and onto the chair with him until she was straddling his thighs. As sexy as that position might be, Alyssa couldn’t help laughing. “Seriously? That’s the movie line you’re going with to get into my panties?”

Zane buried his fingers in her hair, tugging her mouth closer to his. Just before their lips met, he flashed her that thousand-watt smile, which made her pulse skip a beat. “I don’t know,” he murmured, his coffee-scented breath warm on her skin. “Did it work?”

Alyssa hadn’t realized exactly what she’d said—about getting into her panties—until right then. But as she gazed down at Zane and his beautiful smile, she decided letting him have his way with her unmentionables sounded like a really good idea. After that, who knew what she might let him get into?

She didn’t bother to answer his question. Instead, she lowered her mouth to his and kissed him hard enough to pull a growl out of him. And what an interesting growl it was, rumbling up through his chest and straight into her open mouth, making little tingles and shivers dance all over her body.

Apparently, she was into guys who growled.

***Excerpted from Wolf Instinct by Paige Tyler. © 2019 by Paige Tyler. Used with permission of the publisher, Sourcebooks Casablanca, an imprint of Sourcebooks, Inc. All rights reserved.

About the Author

Paige Tyler is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of sexy, romantic fiction. Paige writes books about hunky alpha males and the kick-butt heroines they fall in love with. She lives with her very own military hero (a.k.a. her husband) and their adorable dog on the beautiful Florida coast. Visit www.paigetylertheauthor.com

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Blog Tour: Wolves & Monsters by Dyan Chick Review, Excerpt and Giveaway

Welcome to our stop on the Wolves & Monsters Blog Tour! The book is the first in a new Urban Fantasy series about a siren, a werewolf pack and a small town full of various supernatural surprises. Check out my review, along with an excerpt and a gift card giveaway!

Wolves & Monsters
(Siren Problems #1)
Dyan Chick
Release: May 27, 2019
Goodreads Amazon
ARC provided by Rock Star Book Tours

They call me a monster but I’m nothing compared to the other things that go bump in the night.

Sirens have a bad rep. I know that. They say we lure men to their deaths with our songs. But I promise you, I’ve never lured a man. They always come to me willingly. Is it my fault that once they spend the night with me they seem to have bad luck? They make the choice to be with me. At least that’s what I tell myself. If I let myself think about the bodies I seem to leave behind, I would start to feel guilty. And nobody has time for that.

The problem is, I accidentally lured the wrong man to his death. How was I supposed to know the mage who tragically died after having sex with me was the son of the most powerful mage in the supe community? How was I supposed to know that a casual hook up would result in them sending some of the really bad monsters after me?

I’ve only got one shot at staying alive and it’s going to involve finding the one that got away. The only guy I ever loved. The problem is, when I left, I broke his heart. And werewolves don’t take kindly to being dumped. I’m sure nothing about this plan is going to go wrong.

Review:

I've almost finished my Netflix rewatch of Lost Girl and when I saw the blurb for Wolves & Monsters, it felt like it might have the same vibe. Angie is a siren rather than a succubus, but her lack of knowledge about her powers and the supernatural world are similar to Bo's in the show. Other than that, it didn't exactly hit the same buttons since the book focuses on a much smaller group of characters and doesn't give much sense of the world outside the small town where it's set.

However, I feel like the Siren Problems series has a lot of potential. I liked the characters, especially the variety of paranormal creatures. I like the supernatural small town concept, though I'd like to see it developed more. I just felt like this story was too dark and heavy. Angie is so angsty it's hard for her personality to come through. I wanted more snark and light-hearted moments. But since I've enjoyed the rest of what I've read from Dyan Chick, I'll probably check out the next book in the series.

I recently read Chick's Dragon Mage and Dark Fae Mage series and really enjoyed them. There are sirens in those series, both set in the same city, but I'm not sure if Siren Problems is meant to be part of the same world. Neither of those deal with shifters much, so I'm curious about how this series set in the werewolf pack will go. I'm also excited to have discovered a new Urban Fantasy author.

Recommended for fans of: The Gemini series by Hailey Edwards, The Weird Girls series by Cecy Robson

    

3/5  stars

Excerpt

"I'm sorry," I said. 

Jason walked around the puddle and closed the distance between us. He tucked the knife back into his belt and stood in front of me. His eyes searched mine, as if he were looking for answers from me. I wished I had some for him. 

Without a word, Jason grabbed the bottom of my shirt and dragged me closer to him. I didn't resist. 

His arms were around me and his lips were on mine before I had time to process what was happening. His shirt was damp with sweat but I didn't care. I pulled him closer to me, savoring the feel of his body against mine. 

Every inch of my skin felt like it was on fire. This was how it was supposed to be. We were supposed to be together like this. Just the two of us. 

While his lips moved in time with mine, it felt like nothing could touch me. Like there was some way all of this could turn out in our favor. I never wanted this moment to end. 

"Little help here." Draven's voice broke the moment. 

Hesitantly, I pulled away from the kiss and reality struck hard. We were in the middle of the woods. We'd just killed a demon. There was a captive vampire who needed saving and a dead mage still out there. We didn't have time to make out like teenagers. 

Plus, there was that whole curse thing I had to deal with. 

"How'd you get the gag off?" Jason asked.

I elbowed him in the side then jogged over to Draven. "Sorry. We sort of got caught up in the moment."

"I get it, but I'm losing feeling my feet," Draven said.

"You can feel your feet?" Jason asked.

Draven glared at him. 

I quickly untied the vampire. "I'm glad you didn't get eaten."

"Me too. That thing was disgusting. It's not how I imagined I'd go at all." Draven brushed off his clothes. "So what are we going to do about your dead mage?"

I looked at Jason. "I don't need to cause any more trouble here. I can find somewhere else to dispose of it."

"Can't you just burn it like a normal heathen?" Draven asked. 

"She burns it, they'll be able to track his death right to her," Jason said. "Only way to keep her from being linked to the death is to keep the body buried somewhere until it decomposes naturally. Well, I suppose it could be eaten, but I doubt we'll find takers for that."

"Now that we know the guy was cursed for sure, that's not happening," Draven said. "Even our new aswang friend can't help us with this one."

"Maybe she can," I said. "If we buried the body at the cemetery, would the other bodies help hide the scent?" 

"Could be," Jason said. "You think they might be willing to help us?"

"It's worth checking," I said. "Maybe they can point us in the direction of some of the fresher real estate."

"This has to be the most morbid few days of my life," Jason said.

About the Author

My story is probably similar to a lot of other writers out there. As a kid, I was creative, imaginative, and loved to write. I’d write scripts for plays and make my sisters act them out. I got excited about the writing prompts for standardized tests in elementary school. I started writing my first (unfinished) novel in 5th grade. Then started another one in middle school. For a long time, I was a closet writer. I didn’t tell anybody that I had a hard drive full of abandoned stories. After years of not finishing anything, I finally took the plunge and started taking writing, and myself as a writer, seriously. My first novel, Heir of Illaria, published January 23, 2017. Book 2 is right around the corner. It’s gone from closet hobby to full on addiction. Thankfully, I have a wonderfully supportive husband who doesn’t look at me like I’m crazy when I talk about my characters as if they’re real. 

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1 Winner will receive a $10 Amazon Gift Card
(International)

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Check out the rest of the stops on the Blog Tour!

Week One:

5/27/2019- Goldilox and the Three Weres- Review

5/27/2019- K.L. Novitzke – Author- Excerpt

5/28/2019- BookHounds- Excerpt

5/28/2019- Books a Plenty Book Reviews- Review

5/29/2019- TMBA Corbett Tries to Write- Excerpt

5/29/2019- Two Chicks on Books- Excerpt

5/30/2019- Burgandy Ice- Excerpt

5/30/2019- Good Choice Reading- Spotlight

5/31/2019- Parajunkee- Excerpt

Week Two:

6/3/2019- Smada's Book Smack- Spotlight

6/3/2019- Jaime's World- Excerpt

6/4/2019- Owl Always Be Reading- Excerpt

6/5/2019- JB's Bookworms with Brandy Mulder- Excerpt

6/5/2019- Bookbriefs- Review

6/6/2019- Midwest Romantic - Excerpt

6/7/2019- Adventures Thru Wonderland- Review

Blog Tour: Lost Souls by Chelsea Mueller

Happy Monday everyone! We're excited to be part of the release day celebration for Lost Souls by Chelsea Mueller. Keep reading to learn more about the book, including an excerpt and an awesome giveaway.

For more on the Soul Charmer series, check out our review of Borrowed Souls. And watch for reviews of the rest of the series coming soon.

Lost Souls 
(Soul Charmer #3)
Chelsea Mueller
Release: February 25, 2019

Goodreads Amazon 

B&N iBooks Kobo

Get out of Hell free card? Not for Callie Delgado, Gem City’s newest soul charmer. Sin and salvation collide in this gritty and action-packed urban fantasy. 

Callie’s magic is finally her own. She and Derek dispatched Ford. They should have been able to breathe, but layers of sin run deep beneath Gem City. Another mob boss quickly rises, and his sights are firmly set on Callie—and her family.

Mobile soul rental shops begin to bite at the Soul Charmer’s business. His retribution is wicked, but the blowback threatens to crush Callie. If she can’t maintain the tenuous balance of souls in Gem City, more lives will be lost.

Only the more magic she uses, the more danger finds her. A break-in, pools of blood, and bare shelves at the Soul Charmer’s store force Callie to choose the fates of others. But which can she live with? Losing her city, her love, her family …or her very soul? 

Excerpt

“I’ve worked security at four other buildings.” Benton held up as many fingers. His nails were short and black. Whether from blood or dirt, Callie didn’t care to guess. 

She stood behind him and leaned forward to speak into his ear. Stale cigar stench clogged her nose. “You’ve worked jobs, but haven’t paid the Soul Charmer.”

Benton surged closer to the bar. His whiskey sloshed over the lip of the glass and onto his fingers. He slammed his shoulder backward and shifted to face Callie. The wide, milky eyes and taut tendons in his neck eased. Idiot. He licked the spilled liquor from his fingers. “I have experience, but they still won’t even let me take their exam.” 

She gave two fucks about his ability to get a job. “That must suck. You owe the Charmer.”

“What do you mean?”

That’s not how this worked, and he knew it. “Cash or souls.”

“I ain’t got anything on me.”

“How are you paying for that Wild Turkey?”

Benton shot scattered looks in either direction. “It just you?”

It was, and normally she hated that. Her boyfriend Derek typically made these collection calls. He looked the part. Hulking and covered in leather and scars. She hid her wounds on the inside, and wielded dark eyeliner as war paint. Not exactly scary mofo material. Callie needed more from Benton than a simple rented soul, though, and that information need to be acquired alone.

About the Author

Chelsea Mueller writes gritty contemporary fantasy. She founded the speculative fiction website Vampire Book Club, blogs about TV and genre fiction for numerous websites, and is co-chair of SF/F charity Geeky Giving. She loves bad cover songs, dramatic movies, and TV vampires. Chelsea lives in Texas, and has been known to say y’all.

For the latest updates, join her email list at ChelseaMueller.net or follow @ChelseaVBC on Twitter and Instagram.

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To celebrate the release of Lost Souls, Chelsea's Giving away a $50 Amazon gift card and 2 signed copies of Borrowed Souls, book 1 in the Soul Charmer series.

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Deck Your Halls Giveaway

Have you finished decorating for the holidays yet? It seems like I've barely finished before it's time to take everything down again. Wouldn't that process be a lot more fun with some great bookish merchandise to put up when the holiday decorations are gone? We've got you covered!

Our Deck Your Halls package includes:

Ember in the Ashes pillow cover, Miss Peregrine pennant, Raven Cycle wax melts, Infernal Devices tea towel, assorted art prints and the tapestry pictured on the right. (It's actually about 5 feet wide, but I had to tuck the edges under to fit it on my wall.)

Winner must have a U.S. mailing address.

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What's In My Bath Giveaway

You guys seemed to like the What's In My Bag giveaway we did recently so here's a chance to win some more bookish merchandise! If you like to read in the tub, you'll want to enter this one.

The What's In My Bath package includes:

Zelie's Magic bath bomb by Whipped Up Wonderful

Son of Poseidon bath salts and Night Circus bubble bath from The Soap Librarian 

 Jezelia shower steamer from Fairytale Bath Company

Nemesis bath soak from Leelo's

 LOTR elven bread soap by Fizzy Fairy Apothecary

Red Queen soap from Story Scentsations

Kiss of Deception lip balm from Geekfire Labs

LOTR lip scrub from Literary Apothecary 

Princess Buttercup perfume roller from Behind the Pages

and a candle from Muggle Library.

Winner must have a U.S. mailing address.

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YA Mystery Box Giveaway

Are you making any New Year's Resolutions yet? I've decided I need to start the year with a little less clutter so it's time to unhaul some books. I have some other bookish giveaways coming up later in the month too if a big box of books isn't your thing.

One winner with a U.S. mailing address gets as many books as I can fit in a large flat rate box. They will all be YA hardcovers released in 2017 or 2018. Most are signed. Some are Owlcrate exclusive editions. If I have matching swag, I'll include that too.

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Black Friday Book Bonanza

Welcome to the 8th Annual Black Friday Book Bonanza hosted by Marlene at Reading Reality and Kimberly at The Caffeinated Reviewer! I love getting to check out all the blogs on this hop - find the list below and give them a visit.

You've all seen the #whatsinmybag tag, right? I'm calling this the What's in My Book Bag Giveaway because it's full of bookish merch. Here's what you can win:

Sapphire Rose Booksleeve from StoryTimeSleeve
Raven Cycle wallet
Daughter of Smoke and Bone pouch
The Belles mirror compact
Game of Thrones lip balm from Geekfire Labs
I Believe in Stardust hand lotion from Bath and Body Works
Strange the Dreamer notebook
Newt Scamander Funko Pop keychain
Because of shipping costs, this is U.S. only.

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Halloween Guest Post: Kristi Charish on Zombie Love

Happy Halloween! We have a treat for you today - BRAINS! Wait, no that's a treat for the zombies. But we have Kristi Charish, author of the Kincaid Strange series, here to talk about why we love those zombies.

We also loved The Voodoo Killings, the first book in the Kincaid Strange series, and its unique twist on zombies and necromancy. Check out our review here. Book two, Lipstick Voodoo, releases in January but we've got a chance to win an early copy at the end of the post.

Zombie Love: Our Everlasting Obsession and Love of All Things Zombie

Ghosts, werewolves, vampires, aliens. They’ve all had their high moment in entertainment and pop culture. Teen Wolf in the 80s, Interview with the Vampire, Ghost, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer in the 90s, Vampire Academy and Twilight in the oughts and teens. But they all seem to ebb and wane in their popularity. So much so it’s become a predictable, nay, expected cycle of monster roulette.

Not so with the zombie.

From The Walking Dead to Hello Kitty Zombie parties for toddlers, it seems as if zombies have infested and infected every facet of our culture. Many have predicted their demise for what now feels like close to a decade, but much like the shambling hordes on Resident Evil, Shaun of the Dead, and Zombieland, they just keep coming…and coming…

Wait – what’s that group of people doing outside shambling along my sidewalk? They’re awfully pale…and having difficulty moving…Oh my God, is that an open head wound!? Now where did I leave the baseball bat?

Never mind about the horde gathering in my front yard. The point is there’s something about zombies that refuse to be beaten down. They just keep getting back up, the reincarnations are slight. They are always the walking, hungry, ravenous, and (mostly) unthinking horde.

Think back to your last monster nightmare. Was it a vampire or werewolf hunting you through a forest or abandoned warehouse? I know what monster haunts my dreams, and it’s always a zombie.

Zombies are terrifying – they can’t be reasoned with (most of the time), they’re unrelenting, and they want your brains. 

So why is it we can’t get enough of them?

Well, once you peek under the surface, there are some serious and terrifying societal parallels. Twitter, Instagram, FB, YouTube, News, Netflix – even that weather app tucked way back in your pages and pages of apps, all of them are fighting for a slice of your attention, not unlike a pack of zombies are fighting for their pound of flesh (or brains – I’m not a zombie discriminator). And they want your attention. They’re designed to be addictive, to reward some addictive prone section of everyone’s brain. Marketing execs and advertisers swarm over the big data our use creates, building a profile of marketing and sales targets around those algorithms, treating us all a little bit like a mindless horde as we’re filed away into profile boxes. It’s even been suggested that our own free will is compromised, the algorithms so accurate and effective – infectious even – that they can sway our own thoughts and opinions.

Without us even realizing it.

We’re reduced to numbers, a digital notation on an invisible ledger. Watch the people around you the next time you’re on a bus, in a store, out to dinner, even waiting for a movie to start. I’ll bet an awful lot of people are hunched over their phones, zombie like in their obsession and blank features.

Scary. Zombie virus coursing through your veins anyone?

And then there’s globalization, yet again making me feel as if I’m part of a giant, unending, and often mindless horde that’s systematically taking over the planet, eating ourselves out of existence, and burying ourselves under a mass of plastic. Devoid of personality or significant distinctions. And don’t get me started on the political and current social atmospheres. It often feels as if gone are the days of nuanced discussions, friendly discourse, and open minds that formed my youth. Everyone has a voice…provided you share the right voice. No individual descent here, only the large cries of the hordes, a construct created and now fueled by social media. I know how often I feel as if I need to pick a side. My own discordant nuanced opinions aren’t wanted, and I daresay actively discouraged by social media at large.

Pick a side, any side, but the message is clear. Join a horde. 

I find myself seeking out small bands of like-minded survivors with whom to face the onslaught of the horde together, and if the success of Left for Dead is any indication, I’d say everyone is.

Kind of like I wish I had four best friends trained in armed combat now…Oh, dear – is that man who just stepped in my flower bed – is he missing an eye?! Come to think of it a few of them are – and limbs, and patches of skin…

When I sat down to write this I wasn’t certain why zombies were my worst nightmare, but now I see why. Strip the personality and independent thought away, add a number with a digitally calculated set of algorithmic opinions neatly filed into an appropriate marketing box that when applied can alter how you perceive the world, how you react – what you think you want out of life.

Thinking about it and I feel another zombie nightmare coming on…

Or maybe it’s the horde outside. They’ve made it to my window and are banging on the glass to get in. It won’t be long now… All my greatest fears about technology, globalization, and big data rounded into a terrifying, primitive, pathogenic package that my instinctive sleeping mind can process.

I wonder if that’s why I write zombies that are thinking, ones who retain their personalities, their thoughts, their individuality, all the while at constant risk of becoming the horde. But there’s hope that they won’t. That despite the constant risk, the danger of zombifying they haven’t. Yet. They fight it. 

…Then again, it might just be that I really love a fantastic monster. One who scares the pants off me and is always good for an entertaining evening of fear, much like my cell phone is an endless source of entertainment, games, information, videos, monster plants versus zombies…

Take your pick what the zombie means to you, but no doubt about it they’re here… at your doorstep, in all their decrepit, rotting glory. And if the tone of society is any indication the horde is here for a very, very, long, camped out, siege worthy stay.

About the Author

Kristi is the author of OWL AND THE JAPANESE CIRCUS, an urban fantasy series about a modern-day “Indiana Jane” who reluctantly navigates the hidden supernatural world, and THE VOODOO KILLINGS, an urban fantasy/mystery about a voodoo practitioner living in Seattle with the ghost of a deceased grunge rocker. She writes what she loves; adventure heavy stories featuring strong, savvy female protagonists, pop culture, and the occasional RPG fantasy game thrown in the mix.

Kristi is also scientist with a BSc and MSc from Simon Fraser University in Molecular Biology and Biochemistry and a PhD in Zoology from the University of British Columbia. Her specialties are genetics, cell biology, and molecular biology, all of which she draws upon in her writing.

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Twitter: @kristicharish 

Instagram: @charishkristi

Kristi's got an ARC of Lipstick Voodoo for one lucky winner!

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