Title: Breathe, Annie, Breathe (Hundred Oaks #5)
Author: Miranda Kenneally
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire, 320 Pages (July 15th 2014)
Genres: Contemporary, Young Adult
From: the Publisher
Format:  eARC
Add to: Goodreads
Order a copy: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, The Book Depository, Amazon UK, Kobo, iTunes

Synopsis: Annie hates running. No matter how far she jogs, she can’t escape the guilt that if she hadn’t broken up with Kyle, he might still be alive. So to honor his memory, she starts preparing for the marathon he intended to race.

But the training is even more grueling than Annie could have imagined. Despite her coaching, she’s at war with her body, her mind—and her heart. With every mile that athletic Jeremiah cheers her on, she grows more conflicted. She wants to run into his arms…and sprint in the opposite direction. For Annie, opening up to love again may be even more of a challenge than crossing the finish line.

“Breathe, Annie, Breathe is an emotional, heartfelt, and beautiful story about finding yourself after loss and learning to love. It gave me so many feels. Her best book yet.” — Jennifer Armentrout, New York Times bestselling author of Wait for You.

Review: 4 Stars - Breathe, Anne, Breathe is the fifth book in author Miranda Kenneally’s Hundred Oaks series, which all can be read as standalones as each titles focus is on a different character(s) from the same area and high school.

This isn’t my first Miranda Kenneally title and it won’t be my last. She has amazing characters and a strong message with each book and this one was more of the same that I’ve come to love about her books.

Annie is an emotional character who’s trying to deal with and in the end heal after the loss of her boyfriend and first “everything” - Kyle. She’s filled with so much guilt and carries it with her everywhere she goes. This is how she found herself training to run for a marathon Kyle was gearing up to run. She’s doing this for him, to finish it for him and as someone who doesn’t like running or was never good at it she’s got a long road ahead of her.

With her loss comes the loss of huge pieces of herself and her family and friends as she used to know them. It’s changed her and she doesn’t know how to get back to who she used to be or even know if she wants to.

Through the training for the marathon she meets various people who challenge her, make her think and see life differently through her pain and loss. She also meets Jeremiah, her coach’s brother who makes her feel things she doesn’t think she deserves or is ready for.

The story is all about Annie’s challenges and trying to deal with her grief. It’s about her trying to overcome the love she loves and the guilt that’s tying her down. And watching Annie… or rather following her along her journey was a pleasure to read. I loved her as a character; she’s just one you find yourself wanting to give a hug to or to be there for extra support.

And then there’s Matt her coach who was a great secondary character and then I can’t leave out talking a bit about Jeremiah… WOW! He’s got his own issues he’s trying to deal with, but it’s very different than what other characters you might meet are dealing with. He’s funny and crazy and more than loveable and I loved each and every second we had a chance to spend time with him on the page.

In the end, Kenneally has done it again with a pretty amazing story about loss and love and healing and I seriously can’t get enough! I’m already jonesing for her next book and I’m sure I’m far from alone.

I highly recommend each and every one of her books to readers young and old. And while this is considered YA I’d suggest it for upper YA since the characters do swear and there is mention of sex. So, what’s next for Kenneally? The next book in the Hundred Oaks series of course! Set to release in 2015 and I can’t wait! Go read these books. Go get them and read, read, read!

About the Author: 

Growing up in Tennessee, Miranda Kenneally dreamed of becoming an Atlanta Brave, a country singer (cliché!), or a UN interpreter. Instead she writes, and works for the State Department in Washington, D.C., where George W. Bush once used her shoulder as an armrest. Miranda loves Twitter, Star Trek and her husband.

Find Miranda Online:

Website | Twitter| Facebook | Goodreads

GIVEAWAY!!!

-2x 50$ B&N Gift Card

-3x Signed copy of Breathe, Annie, Breathe

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Title: Racing Savannah (Hundred Oaks #4)
Author: Miranda Kenneally
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire, 304 Pages (December 3rd 2013)
Genres: Contemporary, Young Adult
Add to: Goodreads
Pre-order here: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, The Book Depository, Amazon UK

Synopsis: They’re from two different worlds.

He lives in the estate house, and she spends most of her time in the stables helping her father train horses. In fact, Savannah has always been much more comfortable around horses than boys. Especially boys like Jack Goodwin—cocky, popular and completely out of her league. She knows the rules: no mixing between the staff and the Goodwin family. But Jack has no such boundaries.

With her dream of becoming a horse jockey, Savannah isn’t exactly one to follow the rules either. She’s not going to let someone tell her a girl isn’t tough enough to race. Sure, it’s dangerous. Then again, so is dating Jack…

Interview:

Hi Miranda, congrats on your forth Hundred Oaks title – Racing Savannah!! I’m SO EXCITED to have you visiting with me today. Thanks for taking the time out to answer a few questions. How about we get started?

- Thanks for having me!

Can you walk us through a day in the life of an author?

- My life is pretty different from that of full-time authors in that I also work full-time for the State Department, so I try to write whenever I have free time on nights and weekends. I do sometimes brainstorm my books at work and ask colleagues for help with plots. Government people are quite good at problem-solving! I won’t lie and say that having two jobs is easy – I’m pretty tired, honestly. When I write on weekends, I usually drink lots of coffee, try to sneak in a trip to the gym, and then write for 8-10 hours.

Has your writing, how you start writing a book, plot, plan, etc changed at all from writing your first book to now your fourth?

- Every book is different. Catching Jordan and Things I Can’t Forget flowed from page one, but writing Racing Savannah was like pulling teeth until I figured out the plot. I will say that I spend a lot more time on showing-not telling than I used to. I work hard on my metaphors and pulling out the emotion in my book. I think a lot more about plot structure than I used to – which is a good and bad thing. I can’t watch a movie or read a book without fully analyzing the plot and character arcs, and that is ANNOYING.

Also, what’s always been or become the most important part of the writing process for you?

- Having great readers to give me feedback on my drafts. I would be nowhere without them.

What was the hardest AND the easiest part in writing Racing Savannah?

Easiest: Savannah’s sassy attitude.
Hardest: Making Jack sympathetic.

Can you ask Savannah and Jack to describe the other in three words?

Savannah would describe Jack as: Hard-working, smart, and loyal.
Jack would describe Savannah as: Feisty, beautiful, and determined.

What do you hope readers take away from Savannah and Jack’s story?

I hope that readers learn that they should never settle for anything or anybody. They should work hard to get what they want and never give others the opportunity to treat them poorly.

And lastly, can you tell us, without giving too much away what you’re currently working on or what we should be keeping a watch out for from you in the future?

Yes! My July 2014 book, most likely titled BREATHE, ANNIE, BREATHE, is about a girl training to run a marathon in honor of her boyfriend who died. Before he passed away, he had been training for a marathon, and now Annie is going to attempt to finish on his behalf. But it will be hard because she can barely run two laps around the high school track.

Thanks for the visit Miranda! It’s been great! Love the Hundred Oaks series and I’m looking forward to more exciting titles from you in the future!

Thank you for having me!

About the Author: 

Growing up in Tennessee, Miranda Kenneally dreamed of becoming an Atlanta Brave, a country singer (cliché!), or a UN interpreter. Instead she writes, and works for the State Department in Washington, D.C., where George W. Bush once used her shoulder as an armrest. Miranda loves Twitter, Star Trek and her husband.

Find Miranda Online:

Website | Twitter| Facebook | Goodreads

GIVEAWAY!!!

Grand prize giveaway

Prize (open to US and Canada only):
--A pair of Ralph Lauren riding boots. Or another pair of boots at equal or lesser value.

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Title: Racing Savannah (Hundred Oaks #4)
Author: Miranda Kenneally
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire, 304 Pages (December 3rd 2013)
Genres: Contemporary, Young Adult
Add to: Goodreads
Pre-order here: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, The Book Depository, Amazon UK

Synopsis: They’re from two different worlds.

He lives in the estate house, and she spends most of her time in the stables helping her father train horses. In fact, Savannah has always been much more comfortable around horses than boys. Especially boys like Jack Goodwin—cocky, popular and completely out of her league. She knows the rules: no mixing between the staff and the Goodwin family. But Jack has no such boundaries.

With her dream of becoming a horse jockey, Savannah isn’t exactly one to follow the rules either. She’s not going to let someone tell her a girl isn’t tough enough to race. Sure, it’s dangerous. Then again, so is dating Jack…

Review: 5 Stars - Author Miranda Kenneally’s Fourth Hundred Oaks title – Racing Savannah has everything that makes a title by this author amazing to read – characters that you wish you knew growing up, issues that are realistic and true that many can relate to and a story that is equal parts fun and serious.

One thing I can always count on as a reader and fan of Kenneally is that her books are always fabulous and never disappoint. Racing Savannah has become my new favorite of hers and while there are plenty of important issues going on for the characters this title is also about normal and fun teen times that kept a great even keel on the flow of the whole book.

I loved how strong Savannah was. And Jack often was a bit too old for his age. It’s all due to the circumstances with how they were raised – neither was raised bad, they just had to grow up a bit too quick. When the two meet it gives them a chance to see things from a different point of view in some of the most important things in their lives. Watching these two change was one of the best parts of the story because they had to fight for those changes which made it all the more amazing and important to the characters.

The setting for this book and the secondary characters of horses, which had such great personalities of their own, gave the overall book such a refreshing story from beginning to end. And the setting – from the track to the stables gave me a nice visual backdrop for the characters and the horses. It was all so easy to picture.

I loved the characters and the cameos from previous titles always produce huge smiles while reading. It’s always nice to see even a glimpse of people from the past and Kenneally didn’t disappoint there at all.

Fans of Kenneally won’t be disappointed at all with this latest title. I think that this one will become a new favorite of this author and will be just as eager as I am to read what she writes next. I can’t wait for her next title in 2014! Check out the title and description Miranda gives in my interview with her posting later today. If you haven’t read this author’s YA titles in the past and are looking to start they don’t have to be read in order. They are each stand alone titles. The only thing you’ll miss out on is recognizing characters that make appearances here and there in the latest titles. I highly recommend Kenneally’s books to teen to adult readers. Enjoy!

About the Author: 

Growing up in Tennessee, Miranda Kenneally dreamed of becoming an Atlanta Brave, a country singer (cliché!), or a UN interpreter. Instead she writes, and works for the State Department in Washington, D.C., where George W. Bush once used her shoulder as an armrest. Miranda loves Twitter, Star Trek and her husband.

Find Miranda Online:

Website | Twitter| Facebook | Goodreads

Title: Endless (The Embrace Series, #4)
Author: Jessica Shirvington
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire, 470 Pages (October 1st, 2013)
Add to: Goodreads
Order online here: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, The Book Depository, Amazon UK

Check out my review for: Embrace (The Embrace Series, #1)
Check out my review for: Entice (The Embrace Series, #2)

Synopsis: LOVE WILL KILL US ALL
Violet Eden thought she was getting things under control. Then all hell breaks loose-literally. In the war between angels and exiles, she's about to face the biggest baddie of all time. Except she's not nearly ready.
The dark exile Phoenix is still messing with her head-not to mention her heart. And her undeniable attraction to Lincoln has gotten downright dangerous. When Hell unleashes its worst, Violet must embrace every facet of her angel self to save the people she cares about and the world as she knows it. But death is not the worst thing she will face...

Guest Post: Mythology of the series

The mythology of the series is really something that has deepened and evolved with each book. I never had a set rule on how I was going to approach each book, so I felt quite at ease with exploring different mythology each time I began a new story. For me, that was very liberating and in turn became an important element of giving each book its own independent story. As a result, I let the research take me in directions I would have otherwise never travelled in.

In EMBRACE, the story centered around the tales of the Great Flood, of stories from The Book of Enoch, about a time when angels roamed freely amongst humans until they grew bored and started to want for human things. Eventually they took humans as wives and had children. This angered God so much that he sent a legion of fierce angels in the form of a great flood to wipe out the abominations and almost all humanity and to open the pits of hell in the Red Sea - sending the angels to eternal punishment.

In ENTICE, I was able to focus of the story of Judas and the other interpretations of that story. I loved being able to turn biblical folklore on its head in this way and from a fictional point of view. I also was able to delve into other folklore such as the stories of the Stigmata, the Ten Commandments, and the Arc of the Covenant.

In EMBLAZE, I went into more mythology with the All Seeing Eye and stories of the lost city of Atlantis and the Minoan society. I absolutely loved researching this history and mythology and coupling that with what we did know about the explosion of the volcano at Thera whilst also linking that back to the biblical signs of the end of the world. I stumbled across a lot of fantastic material and in the end, it became about peeling it all back to what I absolutely had to use.

In ENDLESS, it is a bit different because it is about the culmination of the previous three story lines, so whilst I use the mythology and delve deeper into the tales of Adam and Eve and those of Lilith and her deceptions, ENDLESS is very much a focus on the characters and what is happening to them. So I tried as much as possible not to introduce to much more by way of mythology. Although, of course, I couldn’t resist completely so I took the opportunity to play around with some ancient Egyptian mythology and tales of the afterlife and its ‘first breath’.

And through all of the books, they have centered around the concept of the angelic hierarchy - something that fascinated me from the very beginning.

All in all, I just have a lot of fun with my research. It is one of the things I love the most about writing and with this series, I had so much scope to work with.

Thanks for stopping by again Jessica! I always love hearing more about the research and back story to the actual writing of a book or series and your post gave me that and so much more! Looking forward to the next visit with you, so please feel free to stop by anytime!

Find Jessica Online: 

Website | Blog | Facebook

Order Jessica's books Online:

Amazon | Barnes and Noble | The Book Depository

Title: TMI
Author: Patty Blount
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire, 336 Pages (August 6th, 2013)
From: the Publisher
Format: eARC
Add to: Goodreads
Order Online here: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, The Book Depository, Amazon UK

Synopsis: Best friends don’t lie.

Best friends don’t ditch you for a guy.

Best friends don’t post your deepest, darkest secrets online.

Bailey’s falling head-over-high-heels for Ryder West, a mysterious gamer she met online. A guy she’s never met in person. Her best friend, Meg, doesn’t trust smooth-talking Ryder. He’s just a picture-less profile.

When Bailey starts blowing Meg off to spend more virtual quality time with her new crush, Meg decides it’s time to prove Ryder’s a phony.

But one stupid little secret posted online turns into a friendship-destroying feud to answer the question:

Who is Ryder West?

Review: 3 Stars - TMI By author Patty Blount is a great example of a few of the dangers of the internet. While most people are smart in what they openly share with strangers far and wide across the World Wide Web it only takes a teen with issues, to get drawn into a dangers game. TMI explores some of the damaging effects and how they emotionally hurt those around them.

Told in alternating chapters between Bailey and Megan; best friends who are high school students and neighbors. They both know secrets about each other, have been there for each other during some hard times and know each other well enough to know when one needs space or the other needs time with her paintings.

Megan leads a structured life. She loves art and that’s pretty much the only way she expresses herself. She’s smart, knows what she wants and will do anything to get it. To me she was A LOT older than her true age. Bailey lives with her mother and grandparents. She is free, kind, smart and wants to find love and a good boyfriend. She’s more the free and easy going of the two. Megan wants nothing more than to take care of Bailey and make sure she doesn’t get hurt by anyone especially a boy.

The ups and downs of the relationship between these two all boil down to the fact that they are high school girls, who want boyfriends and who are polar opposites from each other. Where Bailey is somewhat flighty, Megan is strict. Enter in a boy that Bailey is crushing on via the internet and well, the two don’t exactly see eye to eye. Sadly the girls get petty as things get twisted and turned and words are the worst weapon these two use against each other.

Blount writes about real issues that anyone can find themselves in if they aren’t careful. Do any of us really know who we are talking to when typing from behind a computer? Its questions like this that will make readers ask and Blount tackles this subject by focusing on a couple of issues that everyone should think about when spending any amount of time online.

While the important message in the story is apparent and the characters interesting with a few somewhat shocking twists revealed, there were also moments in the beginning of the book that I wasn’t able to tell the two girls apart, which was a bit frustrating. Another thing that was somewhat irritating was how immature these two girls were, I had to keep reminding myself that they were in high school which was realistically how they would be. Being that realistic is a good thing, I just wasn’t expecting them to be so… I guess the word would be petty. When I remembered back to my high school years, Blount got these two girls and their personality’s pretty spot on and I have to commend her on that.

Once I got past the confusion as to which character was talking and telling her side of the story, it moved pretty quickly. I had an idea on who was behind things early on, but because I wasn’t sure and the story was keeping me interested it didn’t affect my enjoyment. I think that this is a great story for teens to read. Parents with children too because it would be a great conversation starter for something I believe should be talked about often. The internet can be fun and yet dangerous as well. Knowledge is important to every one of all ages and this story just might enlighten future readers. Enjoy.

Also check out my guest post and part 1 of this blog tour from author Patty Blount -

"What Parents Should Know About Social Networking."

Title: TMI
Author: Patty Blount
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire, 336 Pages (August 6th, 2013)
Add to: Goodreads
Pre-order here: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, The Book Depository

Synopsis: Best friends don’t lie.

Best friends don’t ditch you for a guy.

Best friends don’t post your deepest, darkest secrets online.

Bailey’s falling head-over-high-heels for Ryder West, a mysterious gamer she met online. A guy she’s never met in person. Her best friend, Meg, doesn’t trust smooth-talking Ryder. He’s just a picture-less profile.

When Bailey starts blowing Meg off to spend more virtual quality time with her new crush, Meg decides it’s time to prove Ryder’s a phony.

But one stupid little secret posted online turns into a friendship-destroying feud to answer the question:

Who is Ryder West?

Guest Post: What Should Parents Know About Social Networking?

Parents have it so hard today. A decade or two ago, we taught our kids “Never talk to strangers.” Today, if they’re online in any way, talking to strangers is exactly what they’re doing. The internet is a wonderful construct – it’s a research assistant, it’s entertainment, it’s education – all in your living room. But it’s also a sewer – an outlet for dirty, hateful, twisted people. Networks that call themselves ‘social’ often encourage behavior that’s anything but.

How do you tell the difference? Be involved. As parents, we need to treat technology the same way we treat cars. Would you ever simply hand your child the car keys with no instruction on how to drive? Yet many of us do just that with gadgets. Few children understand that cell phones, iPads, and the internet aren’t toys.

They don’t understand the permanence of posting comments online
Video game concepts like reset and spawn new life encourage the belief that all technology is transient and temporary, but a comment on a social network – even if it’s deleted – can have permanent effects because there is no way to control the impact of that comment. If you’re angry now and post a rant, but tomorrow, feel bad and delete it from your account, that’s nice, but you have no way to get your friends and their friends and their friends’ friends to ‘unsee’ that comment.

They don’t appreciate how feelings and opinions can evolve as they age
This one goes hand in hand with the previous example about permanence. My high school senior recently got a letter in the mail. It was from himself – an assignment he did in fifth grade. The teacher held on to it all these years. When asked what he wanted to do when he grew up, my son wrote, “Be a movie special effects designer and attract the ladies.” He read this at age eighteen and blushed crimson. He wouldn’t even keep the letter because it was so embarassing. Imagine if this had been on the Internet? My other son wanted a tattoo of his favorite band’s name when he was thirteen. At twenty-one, he hates that band and is so relieved he wasn’t allowed to get the tattoo. Tastes change, friendships change, relationships change, even our politics change as we get older. Posting your rants about a hot topic at sixteen can have a serious and unintended impact when you’re twenty-six and think differently.

They don’t understand the risks of divulging too much information
My oldest son recently sent a tweet describing how excited he was to be heading on a weekend trip with his dad and brother. When I pointed out to him that he essentially told all of his Twitter followers that I would be home alone, he shrugged and said they don’t know where he lives. I reminded him that his profile shows his favorite sports team. How hard would it be to look up our address?

One of the most dangerous networks is FourSquare, the internet version of Here I Am. Some months back, a literary agent I follow on Twitter was attacked when a disgruntled writer learned of her whereabouts from her social network posts and met her there with a bat. Luckily, she survived the attack but the danger cannot be overstated.

They don’t know that people online may not be who they say they are
Some networks, like Facebook, require that you accept friend requests before you can interact with someone. At first glance, this seems safe. But any profile can be hacked. I recently chatted with a known Facebook friend for about ten minutes before I clued in that it wasn’t really him. Encourage your children to ask questions only real friends would know, like what book they’re reading in Lit class or which period they had lunch – something that can prove the online account is really being used by the person it belongs to.

It’s Not All Bad
Social networks are not all bad. One of my sons met a girl he dated for several years online, on a rock band fan forum. He’s a journalism major and through the people he follows online, he obtained an internship this summer blogging for a local sports site. My advice to parents is to defer your child’s access to social networks for as long as possible. Children don’t need cell phones and iPads and Twitter accounts. Monitor and limit their activities. Know their passwords and who their friends are. Stay vigilant and retain a healthy degree of skepticism.

Do you have any social media advice to share? Comments welcome! 

Patty, thank you for writing such a great post that I think everyone should take the time out to read. It has some extremely valuable information for not just parents, but everyone.

About the Author:

Technical writer by day, fiction writer by night, Patty mines her day job for ideas to use in her novels. Her debut YA "Send" was born after a manager suggested she research social networks. Patty adores chocolate, her boys, and books, though not necessarily in that order.

Find Patty Online:

Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

FTC Disclaimer: I have NOT been compensated at all in any way or means for sharing this promotional post.

Title: Emblaze (The Embrace Series, #3)
Author: Jessica Shirvington
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire, 464 Pages (March 5th, 2013)
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis: Once again Violet Eden faces an impossible choice ... and the consequences are unimaginable.

Violet has come to terms with the fact that being part angel, part human, means her life will never be as it was.

Now Violet has something Phoenix - the exiled angel who betrayed her - will do anything for, and she has no intention of letting it fall into his hands. The only problem is that he has something she needs too.

Not afraid to raise the stakes, Phoenix seemingly holds all the power, always one step ahead. And when he puts the final pieces of the prophecy together, it doesn't take him long to realise exactly who he needs in order to open the gates of Hell.

With the help of surprising new allies, ancient prophecies are deciphered, a destination set and, after a shattering confrontation with her father, Violet leaves for the islands of Greece without knowing if she will have a home to return to...

Interview:

Today I’m excited to welcome author Jessica Shirvington to the blog!

Hi Lisa, Great to be here!

So Jessica, Violet and her friends have been down a rough road or two during their story and with Emblaze, the third book in the series being released here in the US, can you tell us anything about what is lurking down this particular road for them? Without giving too much away of course.

Things are definitely becoming more intense for Violet and her friends. Choices were made in Embrace and Entice and in Emblaze they are beginning to realize just how catastrophic the consequences are. At the same time, Violet is growing more and more and becoming the warrior she is destined to be but, at the same time, her heart is breaking as those she cares about the most seem to be further out of her reach than ever. Emblaze is an emotional roller-coaster for all of the main characters and with a large part of it set on the volcanic island of Santorini...things definitely heat up! ;-)

Can you share with us three things that we might not know about Violet, Lincoln and Phoenix?

Lincoln can dance. His mother used to make him go with her all the time when he was younger.
Phoenix loves little kids - they're his weakness.
Violet ... well, she doesn't have too many secrets at this point!


How about a question or two for Violet, Lincoln & Phoenix? First, I’d love to know they each think of the following words –

First word - Violet
Second word - Lincoln
Third word - Phoenix

Lies - hurtful, necessary at times, inevitable
Love - consuming, driving, painful
Trust - hard earned, complete, never
Promises - frightening, heartfelt, lies
Happiness - taunting, Violet, unattainable

And the second thing I’ve love to know from each of them. If there was one song that means the most to them right now, what would that song be and why?

Hardest of Hearts - Florence and the Machine

It just works for them - especially at this point in EMBLAZE when emotions are running so high.

What has been your favorite experience since becoming published?

I toured America late last year and that was amazing. I loved chatting face to face with readers and taking part in the Brooklyn and Austin Teen Book Festivals!

Could you tell us what a normal day is like for you?

Get up. Drink coffee. Get my kids going, fed, and off to school. Drink coffee. Sit down. Answer emails etc, catch up on social media. Then, depending on where I am up to, I write/edit/plot for the rest of the day. Have dinner with my husband and kids. Put the kids to bed. Go back to work. Or read.

Of the first three books that are out here in the states, do you have a favorite of the three and why? And if so, how about a favorite line or two that you could share with us?

I think of them all in different ways. But really, they rely on one another. In many ways the books get stronger with each release and I wanted it to be that way. This is a YA series so the characters absolutely need to be developing and growing to be true to the genre. If Violet started out as a fierce warrior, what would be the point? She has to evolve into the person she will become and readers want to go through that experience with her. It means, of course, that she makes mistakes and can be trying on our patience, but when she gets is right it is so much more rewarding. So I guess the answer is I like each book in the series a little more than the the one before.

Lastly, can you tell us anything about what you’re currently working on? I saw mention on your website that there might be another two books in Violet’s journey coming?

ENDLESS, book 4, will be out in the US in October. I also have my first stand alone coming out in Australia & NZ in May (release dates in the US are still being confirmed) called BETWEEN THE LIVES. It is more of a psychological thriller and I am extremely excited about it. And I am currently drafting the fifth and final book in the EMBRACE SERIES.

Thanks again for the visit Jessica. I’m looking forward to the next book in Violet’s story – Endless! I hope you’ll be able to visit with us again in the future.

Thanks!

Find Jessica Online: 

Website | Blog | Facebook

Order Jessica's books Online:

Amazon | Barnes and Noble | The Book Depository

GIVEAWAY!!!

ENTER TO WIN A COPY OF EMBLAZE!!!

Rules and how to enter:

Please fill out the Rafflecopter form below to enter this giveaway.
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Giveaway ends: March 30th, 2013 (12:00AM EST)


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"Waiting On" Wednesday is an event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. The purpose of this weekly event is to spotlight a soon-to-be-released book that you are very much anticipating. "Waiting On" Wednesday will also give bloggers an opportunity to share ideas for our TBR lists.

Title: Inhuman (Fetch #1)
Author: Kat Falls
Publisher: Scholastic, 368 Pages (May 1st, 2013)
Add to: Goodreads
Pre-order here: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, The Book Depository

Synopsis: In a world ravaged by mutation, a teenage girl must travel into the forbidden Savage Zone to recover lost artifacts or her father’s life is forfeit.

America has been ravaged by a war that has left the eastern half of the country riddled with mutation. Many of the people there exhibit varying degrees of animal traits. Even the plantlife has gone feral.

Crossing from west to east is supposed to be forbidden, but sometimes it’s necessary. Some enter the Savage Zone to provide humanitarian relief. Sixteen-year-old Lane’s father goes there to retrieve lost artifacts—he is a Fetch. It’s a dangerous life, but rewarding—until he’s caught.

Desperate to save her father, Lane agrees to complete his latest job. That means leaving behind her life of comfort and risking life and limb—and her very DNA—in the Savage Zone. But she’s not alone. In order to complete her objective, Lane strikes a deal with handsome, roguish Rafe. In exchange for his help as a guide, Lane is supposed to sneak him back west. But though Rafe doesn’t exhibit any signs of “manimal” mutation, he’s hardly civilized . . . and he may not be trustworthy.

Title: Things I Can't Forget (Hundred Oaks #3)
Author: Miranda Kenneally
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire, 304 Pages March 1st, 2013)
Add to: Goodreads
Pre-order here: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, The Book Depository

Synopsis: Companion to Catching Jordan and Stealing Parker.

Kate has always been the good girl. Too good, according to some people at school—although they have no idea the guilty secret she carries. But this summer, everything is different…

This summer she’s a counselor at Cumberland Creek summer camp, and she wants to put the past behind her. This summer Matt is back as a counselor too. He’s the first guy she ever kissed, and he’s gone from a geeky songwriter who loved The Hardy Boys to a buff lifeguard who loves to flirt…with her.

Kate used to think the world was black and white, right and wrong. Turns out, life isn’t that easy…

This week I picked two books that couldn't be more different from one another. Mutations and Savage Zones... and Summer camps, kisses and love. See what I mean. However both are oh so "must read" worthy and I can't wait to get them in my hands.

*covers are always subject to change.

Could you tell us a bit about – first as a writer, then as a reader – what the pull is for you when it comes to Paranormal/Supernatural characters & stories?

LRH: I just don’t enjoy stories without a paranormal element. I believe in the paranormal, have had inexplicable things happen to me, and frankly the world makes more sense to me with fantastical things about. I’m so compelled to the divine mystery of all we don’t know, can’t see or understand, the paranormal is a source of endless fascination for me, it is my muse and keeps me writing book after book.

The two main characters in the series are Natalie & Lord Denbury, could you give us first words that describe both characters?

LRH: Natalie is brave, opinionate and feisty and does not let her condition of Selective Mutism keep her from being a true hero. Lord Denbury is dashing, elegant, fiercely intelligent and resourceful. And he’s utterly devoted to Natalie.

And lastly, how about a fun question? Being that it’s the scariest time of the year – Halloween – what’s your favorite?

Scary Book:
LRH: Pet Cemetery
Scary Movie: 
LRH: The Paranormal Activity films
Halloween Candy:
LRH: Taffy!
Costume from Halloween’s Past: 
LRH: The heroine of my first novel, The Strangely Beautiful Tale of Miss Percy Parker, she’s extraordinary. Pictures: http://www.leannareneehieber.com/free-reads-extras-press/

Title: The Twisted Tragedy of MIss Natalie Stewart (Magic most Foul, #2)
Author: Leanna Renee Hieber
Publisher: Sourcesbooks Fire, 336 Pages (November 1st, 2012)
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis: For Natalie Stewart, a normal life has never seemed so far away. Her only solace, Lord Jonathan Denbury, is wanted for murder. To clear his name, Denbury must return to England and assume the role of his demon doppelganger. But Natalie begins to doubt his true motives, especially as a new gentleman begins whispering in her ear. Natalie and Denbury may be able to visit each other in their dreams, but they can't escape the darkening shadows. Amid spontaneous explosions, friends turned enemies and dangerous secrets revealed, there's still a demon who has Natalie's scent, and someone is trying to resurrect the ultimate evil.

Find Leanna Online:

Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook

Order Leanna's Books Online:

Amazon | Barnes and Noble | The Book Depository

GIVEAWAY!

How the Crossroads Tour Giveaway works

All the authors got together and decided, instead of each blog getting one or two titles to giveaway - they'd have a single grand prize - a real doozie. With that in mind each blogger is asked to encourage readers to answer the daily trivia/research question on the tour main page. (http://judithgraves.com/events/the-crossroads-tour/crossroads-2012/) At the end of the tour all answers have to be emailed to judithgraves@ymail.com by midnight on the 29th. 

So, it's your job, to head over to the mail tour page I've linked above, read the question and go find the answer in the posts for that day. Make sure you get your answers in by the deadline - October 29th at Midnight!

Entries will be put in a drawing and a winner chosen randomly.

And I bet you're wondering what the heck this amazing prize is? How about a FREE KINDLE PRELOADED with an eBOOK from each of the Crossroads authors???

The more questions you answer, the better, so be sure to check back each day!

Any questions? Please send them my way!

Title: Stealing Parker
Author: Miranda Kenneally
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire, 245 Pages (October 1st, 2012)
From: the Publisher
Format: ARC
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis: Red-hot author Miranda Kenneally hits one out of the park in this return to Catching Jordan's Hundred Oaks High.

After a scandal rocks their conservative small town, 17-year-old Parker Shelton goes overboard trying to prove that she won't turn out like her mother: a lesbian. The all-star third-baseman quits the softball team, drops 20 pounds and starts making out with guys--a lot. But hitting on the hot new assistant baseball coach might be taking it a step too far...especially when he starts flirting back.

Review: 5 Stars - Author Miranda Kenneally knows her way around fantastic young adult contemporary stories and characters. Stealing Parker is the companion novel to her freshman release Catching Jordan, set in the same school, town and with a mix of characters you’ve met before, Kenneally brings her realistic teen characters to life.

Parker just wants to be a normal teen girl who loves to play soft ball. In a small town it’s hard to do anything without everyone knowing your business. So when her mother comes out as a Lesbian, Parker takes the brunt of the fall-out at school with many of her school mates  making her life a tad on the rough side.  Dealing with bullies, her own self image and trying to find her way in a new family dynamic is rough and even those at her church are making her life difficult.

Parker's at a tough age and while those around her often make her life difficult, it’s her own choices that she’s forced to face that may be even more damaging to her.

I liked reading about Parker. Her inner dialogue was honest and I often felt my heart breaking for her. She questioned things and it was during these times I wished she had someone to talk to about before jumping right into things she wasn’t totally set on. Without her mother in the house she’s closed off and then the isolation she feels at school due to the taunts of others just push her further down into herself. It’s not to say that she doesn’t have friends, she does; some great guys on the baseball team that she’s helping out taking down stats. I just wish she would actually see the friends she really has instead of trying to prove something.

While I really enjoyed Catching Jordan, I loved Stealing Parker. This one had my emotions running a bit deeper for Parker and what she was going through. I felt that while she was dealing with her home life and the changes in her mom’s relationship with her father and her girlfriend, that I was the one who was listening to those inner thoughts. I just wish I could have been there to actually give her answers, some answers that she really needed.

All in all Stealing Parker was a wonderful contemporary novel that I loved. Kenneally is a wonderful writer that, without doubt fans of the genre should welcome with open arms. There’s no question in my mind after now reading two of her books that I will always be excited and eager to read what she has for us next. I’m thrilled to check out next title which is also another companion novel – Things I can’t Forget, March 1^st, 2013. 

FTC Disclaimer: I did NOT pay for this book, nor have I been compensated at all in any way or means for reading and writing this HONEST review.

Title: Entice (The Violet Eden Chapters #2)
Author: Jessica Shirvington
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire, 464 Pages (September 4th, 2012)
From: the Publisher
Format: ARC
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis: Violet Eden is Grigori - part angel, part human. Her destiny is to protect humans from the vengence of exiled angels.

Knowing who to trust is key but, when Grigori reinforcements arrive, it becomes clear everyone is hiding something. Even Lincoln. The only thing Violet does know: Phoenix's hold over her is more dangerous than ever.

The race to find the one thing that could tilt the balance of power brings them all to the sacred mountains of Jordan, where Violet's power will be pushed to the extreme. And the ultimate betrayal exposed.

Review: 4 Stars - Entice is the thrilling continuation of the Violet Eden Chapters by author Jessica Shirvington. In this second installment Violet and the other Grigori (Half Angel, Half Human) are faced with and even bigger problem. With trouble brewing and revenge on a few minds it’s Violets turn to jump in head first and face issues and decisions from not only her past but the past of others close to her as well. It’s a whirl wind of a journey for all involved.

In Embrace Violet had to dig deep and make some choices she wasn’t ready for. In Entice, she’s learned from past mistakes and is trying to deal with the aftermath. She’s finding her footing and learning more than ever; all with the help of her friends, new and old. She might have thought that she’s had a rough time recently, but she’s not out of the woods yet. I can see changes in Violet, she’s growing and learning that what she is and what she’s capable of is bigger than just her. It’s up to her to learn what she needs to do to help keep those around her safe and when Lincoln starts to go down a dark road she needs to figure out what she needs to do to make him see the light before it’s too late.

I enjoyed this second book even more than the first. There were ups and downs and it was thrilling. We had a chance to learn more of the Grigori mythology, along with angels and exiles. It’s often that the second book in a series doesn’t live up to the first, but for me that just wasn’t the case. As often what happens to me when I find a book that I’m absorbed by, I can’t read fast enough because I want to find out what’s going to happen next, yet at the same time I don’t want to read it so quickly that it’s over in the blink of an eye. Which is exactly what happened with Entice – reading way too fast and quickly, hitting the end wondering what the heck just happened?!

Some of the side characters in this book were highly entertaining. Including a new group that came into the mix to help teach and train Violet. I liked all their different personalities and to watch them all come together during some pretty rough times. I’m looking forward to spending more time with these newbie characters in the books to follow. And then some characters that I couldn’t stand in Embrace were there yet again making my jaw ache from gritting my teeth in frustration.

All in all, Entice is thrilling, gripping and a bit emotional. Being one of the better series that centers on Angels, I’m ecstatic that I’ve found this series and I can’t wait for the next installment to be released here in the states in March of 2013 – Emblaze. I recommend this series to anyone who loves a great story about Angels or those who are looking to give a story about Angels a try. You won’t be disappointed!

GIVEAWAY!!!

Enter to win a finished copy of BOTH EMBRACE and ENTICE!! One lucky winner will receive both titles!

Rules and How To Enter:

• Name & Email address are required
• No entries in comments will be counted, however all comments are welcomed
• You MUST be at least 13 years old to enter
• This giveaway is open to US Residents Only
• Giveaway ends:  October 18th, 2012

a Rafflecopter giveaway
 

Thank to Sourcebooks for providing the two copies for this giveaway. 

If anyone has any questions, please check out my policy page or feel free to email. Thanks for visiting and entering and good luck to everyone!

FTC Disclaimer: I did NOT pay for this book, nor have I been compensated at all in any way or means for reading and writing this HONEST review.