Top Fantasy/ Sci-fi Book Trailers & Giveaway

Everyone knows I, Kenya Wright love book trailers.

The few bits of free time I have, I go trudging through youtube book trailers for the good ones.

Here's a few that I enjoyed. Please enter the giveaway below where the winner chooses one of the ebooks from the listed book trailers!

My Top Five Book Trailers for October!

1. REBOOT

I love how the heroine looks all cute girl but oddly hard-core at the same time. I've seen many good and bad reviews for it on Goodreads.

Has anyone read this?

2. The Rising

I don't know. This looks like it fits the YA Urban Fantasy formula--kick ass good-looking chick against dominant group of some sorts. I did very much enjoy Kelley Armstrong's Bitten so I may give this a chance.

3. The School of Good and Evil

I know what you all are thinking. . .
Kenya girl you only read sexy books. Not true. 
I'm the biggest Harry Potter Fan ever. EVER!!

Plus, the trailer ROCKS!

4. The Returned

This one creeps me out so much that I want to try it.

5. Spellcaster

So what do you all think? 

Have you already read or heard of any of these books?

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Character Interview: When the World Was Flat (and we were in love)

WHEN THE WORLD WAS FLAT (and we were in love)
by Ingrid Jonach
Publisher: Strange Chemistry
First Publication: September 3, 2013

Looking back, I wonder if I had an inkling that my life was about to go from ordinary to extraordinary.

When sixteen-year-old Lillie Hart meets the gorgeous and mysterious Tom Windsor-Smith for the first time, it’s like fireworks — for her, anyway. Tom looks as if he would be more interested in watching paint dry; as if he is bored by her and by her small Nebraskan town in general.

But as Lillie begins to break down the walls of his seemingly impenetrable exterior, she starts to suspect that he holds the answers to her reoccurring nightmares and to the impossible memories which keep bubbling to the surface of her mind — memories of the two of them, together and in love.

When she at last learns the truth about their connection, Lillie discovers that Tom has been hiding an earth-shattering secret; a secret that is bigger — and much more terrifying and beautiful — than the both of them. She also discovers that once you finally understand that the world is round, there is no way to make it flat again.

An epic and deeply original sci-fi romance, taking inspiration from Albert Einstein’s theories and the world-bending wonder of true love itself.

Two Fantasy Floozies is happy to welcome Ingrid Jonach, author of When the World Was Flat (and we were in love). She's here today as part of her blog tour, with a guest post, in which she interviews one of the characters from her book, Deb Hart. Deb is the mother of the main character, Lillie. Ingrid imagines Deb to be like Sissy Spacek.


Now I'm going to turn the floor over to Ingrid. At the bottom of the post, you can enter her giveaway for one of two prize packages, which each include a signed copy of her book, a pair of earrings, and a bookmark. Enjoy!

CHARACTER INTERVIEW: DEB HART

Thanks for joining us today Ms Hart.

Please, call me Deb. And thanks so much for having me. I have only been interviewed once before, but that was about my past lives.

I have heard a lot about your daughter Lillie. How would you describe your relationship?

We used to be like sisters or maybe more like best friends, because the great goddess knows I never liked my own sister. [Laughs] Lillie even came to the Rainbow Retreat with me one year with her bestfriend Jo. I remember them bathing in the river during the cleansing ritual, covered in mud from head to toe.

But it is like we are worlds apart now. [Sighs] Maybe it is because she is a teenager, but I am starting to wondering whether it is more than hormones. She told me she is having nightmares about dying, which is supposed to mean a new beginning, but... I think it may be a bad omen. I just feel it in my bones.

You seem very different to each other. Do you think Lillie has inherited anything from you?

My eyes. [Smiles] If I was chalk, my daughter would be cheese. She is very practical, whereas I... well, I live for the moment. For example, Lillie often fills in for me at Tree of Life when I want to go fire dancing. Although, last week she told me she was going to call the fire department and warn them I was going to end up burning down the State Forest.

Who of her friends is your favourite?

Jo. [Grimaces] Sorry Sylv. I love you too, but Jo is like another daughter. I think she spent most of her childhood here after her poor mother... you know. But Lillie and Jo seem to be fighting at the moment. Maybe they need to go back to the Rainbow Retreat.

How long have you lived in Green Grove? Do you like it?

I was born here – my mother actually had me in the living room! – and I have lived here my entire life, although I did think of moving before I had Lillie. I had been… [Sighs] I guess you would say I had been unlucky in love and this town is too small for a broken heart. There is no privacy for a start and there are reminders on every corner. But then I started filling my house with friends and I have never been lonely again.

What do you think of Tom?

I would rather not talk about Tom.

Can I ask why not?

[Hesitates] Because I think my daughter is headed for a broken heart too.

Let's move on to a safer topic then. What music do you like?

I like relaxation music, because I meditate three times a day. I like tracks with a melody and I am actually learning the pan pipe at the moment. Did you know it is one of the oldest musical instruments in the world? Listening to it is like listening to stories from the past thousand years.

And what about books. Do you read many books?

I mainly read non-fiction books. I guess you would call them spiritual books, about dreamology and alternative medicines. I would like to write my own book one day. Maybe on fire dancing. I could illustrate it as well.

Or you could have Lillie take photographs.

[Hesitates] Maybe. I just... I know it sounds stupid, but it was a photographer who broke my heart. It brings back bad memories when I see Lillie walking around clutching a camera all the time. I know it makes her sad that I am not more supportive, but I am a woman as well as a mother.

Going back to the fire dancing.... You do seem to have a lot of hobbies. Which is your favorite?

I love them all, but there are not enough hours in the day to do them all unfortunately. I really like wood carving. I carved a duck out of cottonwood bark once. Lillie said it looked more like a dog. [Laughs] It is still on her shelf though. I used to like basket weaving, but I could never get the hang of triple twists. I paint as well. Mainly abstracts. And I am learning Reiki at the moment. I told you there were not enough hours in the day!

Well, thanks sharing some of your time with us today Deb.

Thanks again. Lillie asked me not to do the interview, because I think she was worried I would embarrass her like last time. I am glad I did though, because it was very therapeutic.

GIVEAWAY DETAILS

Enter below for your chance to win one of two awesome prize packages as part of the Around the World in 80 Days Blog Tour for When the World Was Flat (and we were in love), by Ingrid Jonach.

There will be two winners worldwide. Each prize package includes:
· a signed copy of When the World Was Flat (and we were in love)
· a pair of silver plated key-shaped earrings in a When the World Was Flat (and we were in love) gift box
· a When the World Was Flat (and we were in love) bookmark.

The giveaway runs until October 21, 2013, and the winners will be announced on www.ingridjonach.com.

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Ingrid Jonach writes books for children and young adults, including the chapter books The Frank Frankie and Frankie goes to France published by Pan Macmillan, and When the World was Flat (and we were in love) published by Strange Chemistry.

Since graduating from university with a Bachelor of Arts in Professional Writing (Hons) in 2005, Ingrid has worked as a journalist and in public relations, as well as for the Australian Government.

Ingrid loves to promote reading and writing, and has been a guest speaker at a number of schools and literary festivals across Australia, where she lives with her husband Craig and their pug dog Mooshi.

Despite her best efforts, neither Craig nor Mooshi read fiction.

Book of the Month Chat: Gameboard of the Gods, by Richelle Mead

Welcome to our book of the month chat. Like last month, Kenya and I (Alicia) again welcome authors D.T. Dyllin (also known as Dara) and Megan D. Martin to our blog. For July, I chose Gameboard of the Gods, by Richelle Mead. Tune in below for our discussion!

GAMEBOARD OF THE GODS
by Richelle Mead

In a futuristic world nearly destroyed by religious extremists, Justin March lives in exile after failing in his job as an investigator of religious groups and supernatural claims. But Justin is given a second chance when Mae Koskinen comes to bring him back to the Republic of United North America (RUNA). Raised in an aristocratic caste, Mae is now a member of the military’s most elite and terrifying tier, a soldier with enhanced reflexes and skills.

When Justin and Mae are assigned to work together to solve a string of ritualistic murders, they soon realize that their discoveries have exposed them to terrible danger. As their investigation races forward, unknown enemies and powers greater than they can imagine are gathering in the shadows, ready to reclaim the world in which humans are merely game pieces on their board.

Dara: Yay! About time we had this discussion, chicas! :p

Alicia: Some of us have day jobs, ya know.

Kenya: Yes. Alicia works on the streets. The streets are hot now. Corner work is no joke!

Alicia: Not during the day. Business would be too slow.

Kenya: Awww.

Alicia: Okay, so let's kick off this discussion.

Dara: I'm ready! (to get it over with) :p

Kenya: Can I say that our book discussions get around 2000 views on the blog? Pretty cool.

Alicia: For July, I picked Gameboard of the Gods by Richelle Mead.

Kenya: I feel like it's due to me.

Alicia: Can I go on? x-(

Kenya: *waits for you all to thank her*

Dara: Yes, continue...

Megan: Of course.

Kenya: So Gameboard of the Gods, or as I like to say it...constipation of the soul.

Alicia: Throughout the month, there was lots of grumbling about the book on Twitter. So the first thing I wanna know is, besides me, who finished it?

Megan: I did...not...

Dara: I quit as soon as I got to 30%. I couldn't take it. AAAAAHHHH!

Alicia: And if you didn't finish it, how far did you get?

Megan: 30%

Kenya: My doctor said I couldn't finish because it was battering with my insides. 30%.

Alicia: Honestly, I would have quit too, if I hadn't picked the book. Plus, I didn't want us to be on this chat with everyone having quit.

Kenya: Why not?

Alicia: Then we'd just be like an angry mob. Not so great for a discussion.

Kenya: Awww. Richelle Mead suck up.

Megan: I kind of like being an angry mob. With our chain poms.


Dara: I don't DNF very many books and I happen to love Richelle Mead's other series, but...this...ummm... *yawn*

Alicia: I found some good things about the book—kind of. So I will attempt to be the devil's advocate.

Megan: Good luck.

Alicia: I'm gonna need it. So what did you guys think about Mae, the main character?

Megan: Boring!

Kenya: Boring!!

Alicia: And Justin?

Dara: Meh.

Kenya: Meh.

Alicia: Could you be more specific please?

Kenya: Really boring.


Dara: I have no feelings for Mae. I just couldn't...I just couldn't...meh.

Alicia: You ladies do realize that one purpose of these discussions is to inform readers about the book? You're failing at that.

Kenya: She came off cold and one-dimensional. If I was given a quiz about her, I couldn't pass it. What does she like? Does she smile?

Dara: Okay...how about this: I think I fell asleep during the sex scene.


Megan: The first scene at the funeral practically put me to sleep. I just didn't care.

Alicia: Thank you, Megan, for a useful comment!

Kenya: What makes her happy? Sure she can fight, but I can't relate to her at all.

Megan: Lol, I know it's bad when you say my comments are useful.

Alicia: I’m being a cheerleader.

Dara: I just wasn't emotionally invested at all.

Megan: I wish she would have given us a little more background about RUNA and the world.

Kenya: I didn't care if the hero or heroine died. In fact, their deaths would have been an improvement.

Dara: I thought the world building was too much. We get it. Damn...more emotions please.

Kenya: There was no world building, just the placement of insignificant details of futuristic shit!

Megan: I didn't even know what RUNA stood for until I went back and read the blurb.


Kenya: It fucking pissed me off!

Alicia: You know how when it's a home game and your team is getting slaughtered, and it's clear to you why they're getting slaughtered, but it's your job to cheer? This is me. And I have to disagree that there was no world-building

Dara: Ummm...there was tons of world building. Too much. I like to use my own imagination, thank you.

Alicia: But I also think a lot of details about the world that seemed all over the place came together toward the end.

Dara: Well I wouldn't know about the end.

Alicia: Early on, I was thinking: Why do I care about the Cain disease, which has nothing to do with nothing? But it turned out to be relevant.

Kenya: The RUNA is the Republic of North America. I searched it on Goodreads.

Megan: Lol!

Alicia: And all these religious groups, and religions being outlawed, and genetic scores...Why? But it came together.

Kenya: When? At 50% of the damn book?

Alicia: Even though I thought the world-building made sense and was not superfluous, I also thought the presentation of material was not well done.

Megan: I thought the POV of the younger girl was super boring.

Kenya: Dear god, yes.

Megan: I wanted to scratch my eyes out.

Kenya: I mean seriously? WTF, Richelle? WTF?

Alicia: Oh yeah, that chick's POV was totally pointless—that's coming from someone who read the entire book, by the way. It never got better.

Dara: I wanted to quit when the sex scene bored me. I mean...how can a sex scene make me yawn? But it did.


Kenya: Let's discuss what drugs the author was doing at the time of writing it. We all do drugs when we write, right?

Megan: LOL @ Kenya! Yes that sex scene...oh man that was bad.

Alicia: Wait. For a minute there, I forgot I was the cheerleader. Okay..cheerleader's back.

Kenya: I get when you don't want to info-dump the world building, but goodness throw us a bone. And throw the bone in the first 5%.

Alicia: Do you guys know why the sex scene was boring? Why didn't it work for you?

Kenya: Because it had boring characters involved in the sex...

Megan: ‘Cause we are sick fucks?

Dara: I just wasn't emotionally connected to the sexy time she had going on. I'm honestly not even sure why.

Alicia: I'm seeing like a 22% effort from you ladies at providing helpful comments. Can we bring that up to 50% please?

Dara: Hey, hey, I bet our chat is more interesting at 22% than the book.

Kenya: How about you kiss my ass! You assigned this drivel!

Alicia: Yeah...sorry about that. :-/

Kenya: Back to Bukakke and its relation to this book? Anybody?

Alicia: Okay, so I’m ignoring Kenya, and now I am going to say good things...

Kenya: After reading 30%, I felt like someone spurted all over my face! And not just one…many.

Dara: *sigh* Kenya

Megan: I am laughing so hard...my dog thinks I'm nuts.

Alicia: The last 25% or so of the book was actually not bad. It became clear that some gods were struggling for power. Justin got more in touch with his spiritual self. They both interacted with supernatural beings. There was fighting and stuff. So back to you guys: Is there anything at all that you liked about the book? Any redeeming characteristics?

Dara: I liked that I didn't have to read any more after 30%.

Kenya: So can you answer this for me, Alicia? Did you end up being glad you finished?

Alicia: Kenya, if I hadn't picked the book, I would have quit at about 5%. Quitting at 50% would have been the worst-case scenario, because then I would have put in a lot of investment and gotten zero payoff. I did think there were some good scenes toward the end. That being said, did I enjoy the book?...I am the cheerleader...so...I'm gonna pass on that question.

Kenya: Richelle can write, but we all know that. I think she was being more experimental this time, and it just didn't work.


Dara: The concept of the book was good, but my major problem was the snooze fest. The characters just didn't make me want to care about them. I still love Richelle, just not this book.


Kenya: I mean seriously? WTF, Richelle? WTF?

Megan: I can't really think of anything about the book that I liked.

Megan: I didn't get the impression that Justin was a doctor or whatever in the beginning. That just didn't fit how she presented him.

Alicia: He wasn't a doctor. Where did you get doctor from?

Kenya: He was a scientist.

Alicia: No, he wasn't. Wow, people. Wow.

Megan: Yes, but he had a doctorate title is what I mean.

Kenya: Wtf was he?

Dara: He was boring.

Kenya: He talked to people in his head. And he invented shit.

Megan: Lol @ the crows in his head!

Kenya: Oh, they were crows?

Dara: The crows were messengers of the Gods. Or I'm guessing since I didn't finish reading it.

Kenya: I thought they were spirits in his head. The shit isn't clear.

Alicia: You're right, Dara! Gold star,

Dara: Yay! Gold Star! Whoot-whoot!

Alicia: Messengers from just one god, actually.

Dara: See, I didn't need to read it.

Alicia: He's a "servitor." His job was basically make sure religious cults stayed in line, and to take away their licenses to practice as needed.

Kenya: Yeah but before that. He was a doctor.

Megan: I thought he was just nuts.

Alicia: I don’t think he was a doctor.

Kenya: He was so a fucking doctor!

Megan: They called him Dr. Whateverhisnamewas.

Kenya: Thanks, Megan. You tell her!

Alicia: You didn't even read the book. Shush. You know nothing, Kenya Wright.

Kenya: You know nothing, Alicia Snow!

Dara: He wasn't a doctor, guys. Just like, technically, you can call anyone with a PhD a doctor. Smh.

Alicia: Thank you, Dara. He wasn't a medical doctor!

Megan: Right, he had his doctorate though?

Dara: He was an equivalent of a profiler of some sort.

Kenya: That's what I meant.

Megan: Can we start calling me Dr. Megan? I think I am more qualified than Justin.

Kenya: But didn't he invent stuff beforehand?

Dara: Dr. Dara has a nice ring to it. ;)

Alicia: I have a Master's. You may call me Master Alicia. Thanks for your cooperation.


Kenya: So…Bukkake…

Dara: Call me Domme Dara. ;)

Alicia: I think we're done beating this dead horse. We’re not even interested in the book enough to actually discuss it.

Kenya: Yes. Dear god!

Alicia: Star ratings, people. How much did you hate it? I bet Dara declines to rate, ‘cause she's a pussy.

Dara: I'm back to my "no comment" policy. ;)

Alicia: Told ya so.

Megan: I don't really even want to rate it...but I will give it one star.


Kenya: I give this 1 star.


Dara: Don't care. You can call me whatever. :p

Alicia: Okay, pussy.

Kenya: Smdh. So mature, Alicia.

Alicia: That's Master Alicia

Kenya: Dear god.

Megan: Oh hell.

Kenya: What is your star rating, Alicia?

Alicia: 2 stars :-/


Kenya: Smdh. Why a second star? Such a suck up.

Dara: Wow, after all of that only 2 stars?

Alicia: I know *hangs head* worst cheerleader ever.

Kenya: Ever!

Megan: You're off the squad!

Alicia: The squad makes me work too hard anyway. It's tough work cheering for a losing team.

Kenya: Well at least I know you have taste.

Dara: Now we can put this book behind us and forget it ever existed. Except in my nightmares.

MOTHERSHIP: Tales from Afro-futurism & Beyond

Author Bill Campbell has assembled 40 extraordinarily talented writers who represent just a part of the changing face of speculative fiction, new voices presenting much needed diverse characters into the genre.

And there are some pretty big names in that list of 40!! 

N.K.Jemisin to name a few. 

N.K. Fucking Jemisin!!!!!

To fund the project he's started an indigogo campaign, which will be ending this upcoming Wednesday. I beg you to check out this video below and if you're filled with the spirit to drop some funds, go for it. 

If not, then please spread the word out there through tweets, facebook, word-of-mouth, any way you can think of!

Mothership Campagin Link

Review: All Our Yesterdays, by Cristin Terrill (5 stars)

ALL OUR YESTERDAYS
by Cristin Terrill
Publication: September 3, 2013
Genre: Young Adult Science Fiction
My Rating: 5 of 5 stars

Imprisoned in the heart of a secret military base, Em has nothing except the voice of the boy in the cell next door and the list of instructions she finds taped inside the drain.

Only Em can complete the final instruction. She’s tried everything to prevent the creation of a time machine that will tear the world apart. She holds the proof: a list she has never seen before, written in her own hand. Each failed attempt in the past has led her to the same terrible present–imprisoned and tortured by a sadistic man called the doctor while war rages outside.

Marina has loved her best friend, James, since they were children. A gorgeous, introverted science prodigy from one of America’s most famous families, James finally seems to be seeing Marina in a new way, too. But on one disastrous night, James’s life crumbles, and with it, Marina’s hopes for their future. Marina will protect James no matter what, even if it means opening her eyes to a truth so terrible that she may not survive it… at least, not as the girl she once was. Em and Marina are in a race against time and each other, and only one of them can win.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

When the story opens, we find the main character, Em, held captive in a cell, staring at a drain. This may sound dull, but I found the tension to be wonderfully done. As captive, held in a dark room, Em found something to obsess about. It was dark and psychological, and I was immediately hooked. Then she finds a message that a prior version of herself left for her, saying she has to kill him.

Em goes back in time to do as the note says. I figured out pretty much right away who Em goes back in time to kill, but that's fine. I don't think it was meant to be a big secret. I was still invested in the story and in watching it unravel.

You won't find any Mary Sues here. Em was conflicted every step of the way. She was a good person, on a mission to do a bad thing. I found her struggle with her task to be both believable and compelling.

This book had just the right amount of romance—enough that I could latch onto it and root for it, but not so much that I got frustrated with the emphasis on romance as opposed to important, world-saving tasks. I found Em's love interest, Finn, to be likable in both his past and future selves. He was loyal and considerate, but tough enough to give Em a kick in the pants when she needed it.

I will admit though: On a couple occasions, I referred to Finn in my head as "cool Peeta." He has some similarities to Peeta from The Hunger Games, but I liked Finn better. Finn and Peeta are both blond, and both play sidekick to their love interests. But Finn was plenty kick-ass on his own, hence the "cool" label even though I found myself comparing him to a character in a different book.

I think it's a given with a serious time travel story that there will be paradoxes. All Our Yesterdays does a solid job of laying the groundwork with respect to how paradoxes are handled. And this groundwork starts early in the story, which adds some credibility to the resolution of paradoxes after the book's conclusion. I appreciate that.


An excellent book. One of my favorite reads of 2013! I'll be looking for more work by Cristin Terrill.

My thanks to Disney Hyperion for the free review copy.

Blog Tour: The Photo Traveler by Arthur J. Gonzalez - Excerpt & Giveaway

This is a stop on Arthur J. Gonzalez's tour for his young adult time travel novel, The Photo Traveler. There's a giveaway toward the bottom of this post!

Check out the other blogs participating in Arthur's blog tour.

THE PHOTO TRAVELER
by Arthur J. Gonzalez
Genre: YA Paranormal, Time Travel

Seventeen-year-old Gavin Hillstone is resigned to being miserable for the rest of his life. Left alone in the world after his parents died in a fire when he was four, he was placed in foster care, which for him meant ending up in an abusive home with an alcoholic adoptive father.

Gavin’s only escape is in taking and creating images. His camera is his refuge from the unending torture and isolation of daily life in his “family.”

Until he learns by accident that he isn’t alone in the world after all. His father’s parents are still alive and living in Washington DC.

When he takes the plunge and travels 3,000 miles to find his grandparents, he learns that they—and he—are part of something much bigger, and more dangerous, than he could ever have imagined. Something that has always put his family at risk and that will now threaten his own life, while forever changing it.

He learns that he is one of the last descendants of a small group of Photo Travelers—people who can travel through time and space through images. But his initial excitement turns to fear, when he soon discovers that he and his grandparents are being pursued by the fierce remnants of a radical European Photo Traveler cult, the Peace Hunters. What Gavin has, they want!

His adventure will take him to past eras, like The Great Depression and the Salem Witch Trials. Gavin will have to discover who he really is and must make choices that spell the difference between life and death for himself, for the relatives he now knows and loves, and for the girl he will come to love.

For Gavin Hillstone, life will never be the same.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble

EXCERPT
What do you do when a sudden gust of wind forces your boat totally off course and into the unknown? When from one moment to the next, the life that you thought you’d always be living morphs into one you’d never imagined?

Ever since I could remember, I believed there had to be something more to life than the one I’d been thrown into as a child. Even though I sometimes told myself I had to be crazy because just the idea seemed so hard to imagine—given how things had gone so far, anyway.

I would ask myself if it was wrong for me to feel this way. If I was being naïve to think there was something greater out there. Something that really belonged to me. But what do you if you feel an unknown force pulsating through your blood, constantly reminding you of it? Are you just supposed to ignore it?

I suppose that most of the time that’s what they teach us to do. You know, “Forget it. Take the easy way out.” Sure. Never the right one.

That’s what they kept telling me. “You’re kidding yourself if you think you can have a better life. Learn to live with what you’ve got.” Things like that.

Maybe that’s why I started taking photos as soon as I got my hands on my first camera. It was a way I could distance myself from the life I was being forced to live. It let me create images of the world around me, finding life in the most ordinary moments…like when the sun makes a lonely tree sweat and it in turn gives water to a struggling, thirsty grasshopper below. Those things were real. Not the crappy life I’d always been trapped in.

And then, just a few weeks ago, my life took a turn for the unexpected. And now all I have to say to you is—believe in your gut instinct. Intuition is what kept me alive. It’s what made me believe. At the end of the day, it was all I really had that was mine. And you can find what’s really yours, too.


GIVEAWAY!

This giveaway is open internationally. Thank you, Arthur!

a Rafflecopter giveaway 
MEET THE AUTHOR

WEBSITE
FACEBOOK
TWITTER
GOODREADS

My name is Arthur J Gonzalez. I’m 28 years old, born and raised in Miami, FL. I graduated from the University of Florida. I am currently releasing my debut novel, The Photo Traveler. The premise surrounds 17 – year old Gavin, who discovers he is part of a small group, called Photo Travelers, who can time travel through photos and images.

ECHO Book Tour Kick-Off + Int'l Giveaway

ECHO BLOG TOUR hosted by Xpresso Book Tours & Good Choice Reading Blog Tours

Today is the kick-off for the virtual tour featuring my novel Echo, a young adult science fiction adventure. Click on the above image to see the Goodreads page.

Over the next three weeks, Echo will be featured on 50-70 different blogs. Each tour stop will feature a guest blog post written by me, review (not written by me), interview, excerpt, teaser, character highlight, or character interview. It should be a lot of fun, with lots of information being revealed about Echo and its characters.

There will be two big giveaways, offering bookstore gift cards, paperbacks, and ebook copies of the book. Plus, some blogs may hold their own mini-giveaways for one ebook each.

You can find links to this week's tour stops here. These will be mostly reviews. Sometime during the next week, I'll update this post to link to the remaining tour stops. Those will be mostly non-review posts. I intend to visit each blog, so feel free to ask me questions in post comments throughout the tour.

Here's the first of the two big giveaways. It's international.

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Review: Parallel by Lauren Miller (5 stars)

PARALLEL
by Lauren Miller
Publication: May 14, 2013
My Rating: 5 of 5 stars

Abby Barnes had a plan. The Plan. She'd go to Northwestern, major in journalism, and land a job at a national newspaper, all before she turned twenty-two. But one tiny choice—taking a drama class her senior year of high school—changed all that. Now, on the eve of her eighteenth birthday, Abby is stuck on a Hollywood movie set, miles from where she wants to be, wishing she could rewind her life. The next morning, she's in a dorm room at Yale, with no memory of how she got there. Overnight, it's as if her past has been rewritten.

With the help of Caitlin, her science-savvy BFF, Abby discovers that this new reality is the result of a cosmic collision of parallel universes that has Abby living an alternate version of her life. And not only that: Abby's life changes every time her parallel self makes a new choice. Meanwhile, her parallel is living out Abby's senior year of high school and falling for someone Abby's never even met.

As she struggles to navigate her ever-shifting existence, forced to live out the consequences of a path she didn't choose, Abby must let go of the Plan and learn to focus on the present, without losing sight of who she is, the boy who might just be her soul mate, and the destiny that's finally within reach.

Parallel blew my mind.

I went into this book thinking it would be young adult science fiction, which is a genre I love. It was. But it was also a romance novel that was both heart-breaking and heart-mending. I stayed up all night to finish this book because I had to know that Abby would find her soulmate in the end.

The primary complication to Abby's love life is the fact that her world collided with a parallel one a year ago. As a result, her present state is determined by choices her parallel self made in the past. Unfortunately, Abby suspects that her parallel self isn't exactly like her, so her parallel's choices don't always land Abby where she wants to be. She fears that one day she'll wake up and her love life will have been rewritten, and she'll be the only one who remembers how things are supposed to be. In the end, will she find her soulmate regardless of the path she's on?

It was 1:00 in the morning, and I was just about to put this book down after promising myself I would do so an hour earlier. Then this happened:


Yep, Parallel ripped my heart out and crushed it. So I had to keep reading until I finished the book, fighting with myself not to flip to the end to make sure everything was going to be okay.

Luckily, at the the conclusion, I was here:


Otherwise . . . well, let's just say I had a plan to hunt down and harass author Lauren Miller until she rewrote the ending. Lucky for her, I was more than satisfied.

I don't think all readers will enjoy the science babble explaining the entanglement of two parallel worlds. Personally, I thought this was a pretty cool aspect of the book. But even those who get a giant headache from the science babble can still enjoy the intensity of feelings that Abby has for her boyfriend—and that Abby's parallel has for her boyfriend.

The one thing I didn't absolutely love love love about Parallel is that I think I found a small glitch in the rubber science. If Abby and everyone in her world are getting the memories of their parallels, as theorized, then their parallels shouldn't be able to affect their physical properties. Abby shouldn't have scars from her parallel's injuries, and she shouldn't be in Connecticut just because her parallel went there instead of moving to California. This little glitch bothered me a bit. But you know what, Parallel? I still love you.


Most of my favorite books are action-heavy fantasy and science fiction novels. Parallel is now added to my favorites as one of the few romance novels I absolutely adored. I wholeheartedly recommend this book to young adult science fiction readers who like romance, as well as to contemporary romance readers. Just be prepared to put your heart on the line.

Thanks to HarperCollins for the free ARC of this title, provided through Edelweiss.

January Book of the Month: Pivot Point by Kasie West

This year, we've started a new feature—a book of the month buddy read. Each month we pick a book, and Kenya and I both read it. Then we discuss it in an instant message chat and post an edited version of the chat here.

Our January BotM was Pivot Point. Yes, yes, I know it's February now! We'll try to post the BotM argument discussion during the designated month, but we won't always have time for a proper argument discussion before the month's end.

You can read more about our book of the month feature here. And feel free to read along in the future!

Pivot Point
by Kasie West

Addison Coleman’s life is one big “What if?” As a Searcher, whenever Addie is faced with a choice, she can look into the future and see both outcomes. It’s the ultimate insurance plan against disaster. Or so she thought. When Addie’s parents ambush her with the news of their divorce, she has to pick who she wants to live with—her father, who is leaving the paranormal compound to live among the “Norms,” or her mother, who is staying in the life Addie has always known. Addie loves her life just as it is, so her answer should be easy. One Search six weeks into the future proves it’s not.

In one potential future, Addie is adjusting to life outside the Compound as the new girl in a Norm high school where she meets Trevor, a cute, sensitive artist who understands her. In the other path, Addie is being pursued by the hottest guy in school—but she never wanted to be a quarterback’s girlfriend. When Addie’s father is asked to consult on a murder in the Compound, she’s unwittingly drawn into a dangerous game that threatens everything she holds dear. With love and loss in both lives, it all comes down to which reality she’s willing to live through . . . and who she can’t live without.

The Characters
Alicia: What did you think of Addie? And Trevor and Duke?
Addie’s best friend Laila was a throwaway character. Same old outgoing chick who gets into trouble.
Kenya: This is true. She was the cliché I'm-going-to-push-you-to-date-guys best friend. I get that these girls are out there. I'm exactly like this with my friends. But I'd like to see a new best friend character type.
Alicia: So . . . you're a cliché?
Kenya: Yes. But a HOT SEXY CLICHÉ!
Alicia: I don't think clichés can be hot and sexy. “An expression, idea, or element of an artistic work which has been overused to the point of losing its original meaning or effect.”
Kenya: They definitely can. I'm living proof!
Alicia: I'm so turned on.
Kenya: *flicks on gay porn . . .
Alicia: I'm gonna need you to get over the gay porn.
Kenya: Not happening. It's my new love.
Alicia: So what did we think of Addie? She was relatively rational, and you know my YA pet peeve is irrational heroines. So that's a plus for me.
Kenya: To me, she seemed like two completely different people in each path. She runs from Duke in one path, but she's rushing after Trevor in the other.
Alicia: Yeah, but she pursued Trevor as a friend, and it just turned into something more. I actually think that was indicative of the same character trait that made her run from Duke. She didn't want to admit her feelings for Trevor. I also think that, when she was with Duke, she was kind of overshadowed by the popular kids. I liked her better when she was with Trevor.
Kenya: :-o @ overshadowed by popular kids. Good point. Duke was cliché for me.
Alicia: Yes!
Kenya: But I didn't finish the book so . . .
Alicia: There was a little twist with his ending, but it fit within his cliché desire to be the popular guy. I thought her relationship with Trevor was cute. How they started with jokingly passing notes about zombie-killing. Seems like something I'd do.
Kenya: I absolutely loved the zombie killing stuff! That was the best part of the book.

The Plot
Kenya: Truthfully, I stopped at Chapter 15 and still am not sure what the book is about. My assumption of the plot: A girl checks out two future paths to decide which parent to live with after a divorce.
*shrugs and continues watching gay porn
Alicia: I think it was about a lot. In one future, her dad was investigating a murder that seemed to relate to this one guy in particular, and in the other future her best friend kept running into that guy. And it kind of all blew up at the end. I really enjoyed how the plots wove together. Very Sliding Doors.
Kenya: It really is fascinating. (Gay porn, I mean.)
Alicia: I'm just ignoring you now.
And after the search was over, the choice she had to make was so hard because both futures had major downsides. It was a little heartbreaking. I had serious feels!
Kenya: You know what I hated? Addie was so mean to her mom, but not her dad.
Alicia: We're not discussing characters anymore! Stop trying to contribute when you didn’t do your homework! You get an F at reading.
Kenya: Fine! :-/

Favorite Line or Scene
Alicia: So . . . I didn't know we were going to do the fave line thing, so I didn't highlight any good ones on my Kindle.
Kenya: You suck! Let me get my iPad out. I always highlight. It is called Close Reading. As a writer you should be Close Reading.
Alicia: As a writer, you should be kissing my behind. And I think it’s only Close Reading if you actually finish the book.
Kenya: :-o
Alicia: Okay, I have one thing highlighted that I thought was cute, but I dunno if it's my fave. When Duke is trying to get with Addie, and she says they have nothing in common: "We're like magnets, Addie,” he calls after me.
Kenya: :-( You would pick that.
Alicia: I don't like your attitude.
Kenya: Here is my favorite scene: "You sound happy. Why are you happy?" Laila asks.
I start to put away my laundry. "Because I'm going out with Trevor and his friends on Friday."
Alicia: Are you going to type out the entire scene? ’Cause I'm bored right now.
Is this going to take long?
See how much I typed, and you haven't finished yet.
*bored
Kenya: "Aw, I'm like a proud mother bird watching my daughter fly from the nest. Fly, little bird, fly. Oh no! Don't fall. No, that's the ground. Addie, watch out for the ground. Man, tough luck. You'd better come back home."
Done.
(impatient a-hole)
Alicia: Oh, yeah, that was awesome. That definitely gets the best-line award!
Kenya: *returns to gay porn

World-Building
Alicia: World-building?
Kenya: Not bad. Decent. She didn't drag on and drop info dumps. She slipped in valuable info at great times.
Alicia: Yeah, I thought it was integrated well. And right away, she introduced the mental ability to change other people’s perceptions of their surroundings. The mental superpowers were cool.
Kenya: For example: Duke talks to her and says, "Are you a Naturalist? Do you want us to merge with Normal society?" Great slip in without boring me.
Alicia: It seemed realistic—like there could really be a compound where these psychologically advanced people hang out. Good example. I may increase your reading grade to a D.

Would you take it to bed with you?
Alicia: Well, I adored it. I thought it was so unique and fun, and the ending blew me away. So yes! I'm excited to get my hands on the sequel. I want to know what happens with Addie and her love interests because that was left open-ended after she chose one of the future paths.
Kenya: Yes. I would take it to bed with me, but only to prop under my feet as I read something else. I believe the writing and world rocked! But this book just wasn't my thing. I love dark, edgy, action-packed scenes or hot sensual scenes. This simply wasn't for me, but I believe that others will devour it.
Alicia: “Sensual scenes”? Dude, it's YA.
Kenya: Which guy did she pick?
Alicia: I'm not telling you that. If you had done your reading, you’d know the answer.

Interview with Kasie West, Author of Pivot Point

As you may (or may not) know, we've started a new Book of the Month (BotM) feature. For each BotM, Kenya and I will both read the selected book and then post a joint review/argument/discussion.

Our January BotM is Pivot Point, by Kasie West, which is an amazing and original young adult science fiction novel. I read Pivot Point early in the month and, like the fangirl I am, emailed Kasie to request an interview. She agreed—because she rocks! I had a lot of fun coming up with questions, and I just love her answers.

The interview is below, and check back soon for our BotM review.

Pivot Point
by Kasie West
Publication: February 12, 2013

Addison Coleman’s life is one big “What if?” As a Searcher, whenever Addie is faced with a choice, she can look into the future and see both outcomes. It’s the ultimate insurance plan against disaster. Or so she thought. When Addie’s parents ambush her with the news of their divorce, she has to pick who she wants to live with—her father, who is leaving the paranormal compound to live among the “Norms,” or her mother, who is staying in the life Addie has always known. Addie loves her life just as it is, so her answer should be easy. One Search six weeks into the future proves it’s not.

In one potential future, Addie is adjusting to life outside the Compound as the new girl in a Norm high school where she meets Trevor, a cute, sensitive artist who understands her. In the other path, Addie is being pursued by the hottest guy in school—but she never wanted to be a quarterback’s girlfriend. When Addie’s father is asked to consult on a murder in the Compound, she’s unwittingly drawn into a dangerous game that threatens everything she holds dear. With love and loss in both lives, it all comes down to which reality she’s willing to live through . . . and who she can’t live without.

Alicia: If you could be "psychologically advanced," like many of the characters in Pivot Point, which ability would you choose? And why?

Kasie: As you might imagine (considering the book I wrote) I get this question a lot. And every time I want something different depending on what's happening in my life at the time. Ha. So today, since I just got back from the gym, and going to the gym is so much work, I'd love the ability to be able to make myself stronger without having to work out--increase my metabolism, send increased blood flow to my muscles. It's all mind power. Now, if I just think hard enough maybe I can do that without a mental power. I'll let you know if it works.

Alicia: What about a non-mental super power—what would you choose? And why?

Kasie: Flying for sure. I really really want to be able to fly. Why can't I fly?

Alicia: Let's say you live in a secret compound with a bunch of people who have mental abilities—much like the Compound in Pivot Point. What would you do for fun?

Kasie: Ha. I like this question. I'd mess with people's minds, of course. :) No, I think we'd have to have lots of ability v ability competitions. Like with Telekinetics--who could hold the most objects off the ground for the longest.

Alicia: With so many books these days featuring physical superpowers, what inspired you to focus on mental powers?

Kasie: I do love physical superpowers too. But to me, mental powers almost seem attainable. Like they are just one step away from being a reality. If we can figure out how to use our brain more effectively, wouldn't that be the next step? I love that thought. I love supernatural that makes you look around and wonder if it's already happening around you.

Alicia: What's your favorite thing about being a writer?

Kasie: I have four kids so I love that this is a career I can do from home. But I love love love creating a person on paper. I love exploring and learning about that person and telling their story. It is so fun for me.

Alicia: Do you have any new writing projects or upcoming books you want to tell us about?

Kasie: In July my contemporary THE DISTANCE BETWEEN US comes out. I love this story so much and hope others will as well. Then of course, the sequel to Pivot Point will be out next February and another contemporary in the summer of 2014. These books are keeping me pretty busy, but I always like to be writing something new. So yes, I have a few other projects that are in their very early stages.

Lightning round!
Favorite movie? Pitch Perfect
Favorite TV show? American Idol
Favorite food? Mexican
Favorite animal? Kitten
Favorite color? Blue
Favorite book? GAH! That's an unfair question. There are too many. :)
Print or ebook? Print. (But I'm not an ebook hater)

Website
Twitter

I love to write--too much. It's a sickness really. My debut novel, PIVOT POINT, will be published by HarperTeen Feb. 12, 2013. (Followed by its sequel a year later.)

THE DISTANCE BETWEEN US, my contemporary YA novel, will be published in the Fall of 2013 (HarperTeen).

My agent is the talented, funny, and sometimes crazy, Michelle Wolfson.

Book Review: Caught in Amber by Cathy Pegau

Caught in Amber
by Cathy Pegau
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Recently out of rehab, Sasha James is determined to keep her head down, complete her parole and never touch amber again. The chip in her neck controls her cravings for the highly addictive drug, but also tracks her every move. Not that she goes anywhere other than work and the halfway house she calls home—a far cry from her luxurious former life as lover of the mining colony's top drug dealer, Guy Christiansen.

Agent Nathan Sterling has no desire to see Sasha fall back into amber, but his sister has become Guy's latest conquest and the unexpectedly attractive Sasha is the key to getting her back. So in exchange for an introduction, he offers Sasha the one thing she can't refuse—her freedom. From the chip, her parole and even the planet if she wants. Though he would be sorry to see her go…

Torn between her growing attraction to Nathan, fear of Guy and the allure of amber, Sasha accepts. But who will save her if Guy refuses to let her go a second time?

This book is awesome. This is probably the best adult sci-fi I've read since



First we have. . .a bold heroine getting over a captivating drug called Amber.



and also trying to stay away from the hot sexy drug dealer that got her hooked on the stuff to begin with.



Then another guy makes her an offer. One that will have the poor heroine not only around Amber, but around the sexy drug dealer. Oh yeah, did I forget to mention that the other guy is a hottie too.

Put all of that together and you have one sexy book in the set back of great sci-fi world building.



The book won't win a Nebula, but it will keep you on the edge of your seat and heat up your core.