Showing posts with label Award Winning. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Award Winning. Show all posts

Sunday, January 26, 2020

THE INCARN SAGA | by Katharine E. Wibell #YA #NAFantasy #AwardWinning #Excerpt #BookReview #Giveaway #Lola'sBookTours

Welcome! Follow the tour here and check out a guest post, excerpt, and giveaway below...

The Incarn Saga
By Katharine E. Wibell
YA, NA Fantasy

Awards for the Incarn Saga book series to date:

Issaura’s Claws:
2018 New Apple Book Awards Solo Medalist Winner for Children’s/Young Adult eBook
2018 Fantasy/Paranormal Fiction Fist Place Winner by Epic eBook Awards
2018 Young Adult Fiction Gold Winner for Dan Poynter’s Global eBook Awards
2018 2nd place winner for the Moonbeam Children’s Book Awards for Young Adult Fiction eBook

Ullr’s Fangs:
2019 National Indie Excellence Awards Finalist for New Adult
2019 November Gold Metal Award by Literary Titan

Crocotta’s Hackles:
2019 New Adult Fiction Gold Winner by Dan Poynter’s Global eBook Award

Issaura's Claws

According to legend, when the world was young, the goddess Issaura appeared among men. Those who treated her with kindness received the gift of the gods—the ability to transform into an animal form. This was a great honor but one that separated this race from other humans. Before Issaura departed the mortal realm, she promised to return if her people were ever at the point of destruction.

Now a threat is rising from a land across the mists of the ocean, a threat that will push this race to the brink of extinction. Responding to the call to war, seventeen-year-old Lluava heads off to find her destiny, one that will carve her name in history.

(Affiliate link included.)

Ullr's Fangs

According to legend, when the world was young, two gods of war — one male, one female — were destined for each other. Yet Ullr, forever unfaithful, lost the love of Issaura, his true match, and was forsworn. His violent anger and bitter rage grew and intensified, poisoning all creation and humanity.

Now that the Raiders’ long ships have faded from sight, the kingdom of Elysia is beginning to recover from the summer’s war with the brutal invaders from across the sea. Yet darker forces have taken root, forces that can alter the future of the land and its people in unthinkable ways. Seventeen-year-old Lluava must discover the means to prevent her world from collapsing. But in doing so, will she succumb to that darkness?

(Affiliate link included.)

Crocotta's Hackles

According to legend, when the world was young, Crocotta, Queen of the Gods, discovered her mate’s faithlessness. She vowed to prevent future threats to all matrimonial pacts henceforward, but for her it was too late. The child born from the illicit coupling was a warrior goddess—one whom Crocotta would seek to destroy throughout eternity.

Now that the Raiders’ elite army is threatening the kingdom of Elysia’s northern borders, seventeen-year-old Lluava must leave the familiarity and safety of her native land to venture into the wilderness. Her mission is to discover others like her who will come to Elysia’s aid; her hope is to unravel the secrets behind what it means to be Incarn. But what she finds could destroy everything.

(Affiliate link included.)

Giahem’s Talons

According to legend, when the world was young, Giahem, King of the Gods, realized that the pantheon was on the verge of self-destruction due to his own actions. To protect his favorite child, he hid the infant and gave her a false name in the hope that she would survive—a name that would forever be associated with the young goddess: Issaura.

Now, the capital has fallen to the Outlanders, the king has been overthrown, and the Raiders have entered the kingdom of Elysia in full force. Eighteen-year-old Lluava must flee in order to survive. After all the losses she has endured, the battles she has fought and won to no avail, she must face the worst fact of all: that she alone is responsible for the kingdom’s demise. Will she ever be able to rectify her wrongs?

(Affiliate link included.)

My Review About the Incarn Saga

I chose this book based on the plot and book cover but kept reading because of just how good it is! This fast-flowing, well-paced plot kept me spellbound as I read this fantasy saga based around teens yet it is not simply a book for teens.  Adults will love it too... so much so that I have purchased the remaining three books!  I love the author's imaginative style and would recommend it to any fan of fantasy fiction.

5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I received my copy of Issaura's Claws with thanks from Ms. Wibell and Lola's Blog Tours. I am voluntarily leaving my review and all opinions are my own.

Excerpt from Issaura's Claws

‘…Suddenly she sensed a presence. Alert, she scanned the landscape. At first she did not see anything unusual, but a second look revealed a form standing in the darkness across the lake, so still it blended almost completely into the surrounding shadows. Only the gleam of its eyes gave it away.

“Hey!” Lluava called out.

The figure slid deeper into the shadows and was gone, leaving behind an uneasiness Lluava could not explain away. It was too late for the men of the camp to be about; she herself should have been back in Thowcelemine by now. Also, whoever had been watching her had done so in secret. And was still out there. She could sense him.

Lluava began to make her way back through the forest. The moon was too new to light the path; the only way to stay on the trail was to use her felid senses. She once again wondered how humans could survive as well as they did without a dual form. She was thankful for her acute night vision.

Twigs snapped in the distance.

Turning around, all Lluava saw was darkness. After a moment, she continued, now on high alert. A soft breeze toyed with the dried leaves around her. A rustling of a different sort made the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end.

Spinning around, she glimpsed movement in the darkness. Without hesitating, she ran after the figure in the woods, bolting past several climbing walls and other training objects scattered about. Sniffing the air, she could not discern any unusual scent.

Just as she was about to give up, something moved in the shadows to her left. Turning, she lunged ahead. As she shifted to her huntress form, her black-striped paws trod the ground. Just beyond sight, she heard someone running.

All of a sudden, the ground seemed to drop away right in front of her. Lluava made a giant leap to clear the wide trench. Her paws barely caught the edge on the far side. Hoisting herself up, she tried to spot the figure, but only darkness and silence greeted her questing senses.

Without warning, there was a hissing sound, followed by an enormous cacophony of crackling bangs. Brilliant white light temporarily blinded her. A gust of smoldering hot air blasted her. The force of the blast slung her across the trench, and she tumbled backward onto the ground…’

About the Author


Katharine Wibell’s lifelong interest in mythology includes epic poetry like the Odyssey, Ramayana, Beowulf, and the Nibelungenlied. In addition, she is interested in all things animal whether training dogs, apprenticing at a children’s zoo, or caring for injured animals as a licensed wildlife rehabilitator. After receiving degrees from Mercer University in both art and psychology with an emphasis in animal behavior, Wibell moved to New Orleans with her dog, Alli, to kick start her career as an artist and a writer. Her first literary works blend her knowledge of the animal world with the world of high fantasy.


Tour-Wide Giveaway

One winner will win a $25 Amazon gift card. Open international.






Have you read any of the books in this series? Do you have any favorite shifter (vampires, werewolves, etc.) books?

Sunday, January 12, 2020

SHADOWED (The Shadow and Moon Series #1) | by Michelle Areaux #RecentPublication #series #ParanormalRomance #YA #BookReview #XpressoTours



Shadowed
Michelle Areaux
Published by: Kingston Publishing Company
Publication date: January 2nd, 2020
Genres: Paranormal, Romance, Young Adult
Sixteen-year-old Henley Abbott is just trying to make it through high school in the small town of Edison, Washington where she has lived her entire life. Constantly feeling alone, she’s surprised when she finds herself intrigued by the new boy in town, Cohen Davenport.
With the entire town talking about the new and secretive family, Henley refuses to join in on the rumors swirling about them and attempts to keep her distance.
However, as Cohen becomes intrigued by Henley, the pair seems to find a spark in a kindling friendship.
As the intensity of their relationship builds, Henley discovers a dark secret plaguing Cohen and his elusive family. He reveals a twisted past that has kept his family on the run…for decades.
Cohen should keep his distance. It is too dangerous to bring Henley into his life, but he can’t stay away from her.
And, Henley doesn’t want him to.
As Henley overcomes her own fears and trepidations, she finds herself engrossed in a battle that could destroy them both. Only their connection could help them all survive.
Intensely romantic and extremely thrilling, this novel will pull readers in from the very first page.
Fans of Twilight, The Guardian Series, and the Marked Saga will instantly fall in love with this new paranormal series.









EXCERPT:
As much as I liked to pretend, I wasn’t completely and totally intrigued by the thought of new people moving here; I couldn’t control myself. I tried to convince myself it was all because of my mom; but as I stood there, whispering the words, I knew there was no fooling myself.
“Henley, don’t you know it’s not polite to stare?” she asked, but her own hypocritical words hung heavy in the air as she raced to join me in the living room again.
Standing next to me, we watched intently as the driver’s side door opened. With large eyes, we strained to get a glimpse of who would be our new neighbor. To our surprise, the rest of the car doors opened and the family emerged.
A tall man with dark hair closed the driver’s side door as a woman emerged from the passenger’s side. The back two doors opened and three teens, roughly around my age, tumbled out. A girl with short, dark hair and legs-for-days gave the house a disgusted look. A boy who seemed to be uninterested in it all, stared down into his phone, which he held tightly in his grip. Finally, a tall boy with the same dark hair stood behind the rest of his family. With his hands tucked deep into his jeans pockets, he seemed reluctant to move any closer to the house.
“Well, they look like a nice family,” my mom said. I turned to look at her and I could see the eagerness twinkling in her baby blues to get to her phone and be the first one to spill the news that the new neighbors had arrived.
It was almost like they had landed in a spaceship and were from outer space!
“Maybe,” I grumbled, still unsure about these people.
Suddenly, the boy, standing alone behind his family, turned and caught me snooping on them. Our eyes connected for a brief moment before he gave me an angry snarl that had me stumbling backward.
What was that?
“I need to go call Susan,” my mom stated, as she rushed to the kitchen to retrieve her phone.
I dared to look back out the window again; and when I did, the entire family was gone.
Just disappeared, like they had never been standing there in the first place.
I blinked, just to make sure I wasn’t dreaming. When I looked again, the SUV was still parked along the curb, but the family was gone.
Lights glowed from inside the house.
“That’s weird,” I said aloud to myself. How did they have time to get inside and turn on the lights? I literally just turned around for a second.
I shook my head, unsure of what to think. Peeking out of the window again, something in the far, second-floor window caught my attention. As my gaze moved up, I felt my cheeks burn and nervous energy flow through me. As my gaze finally landed on the window, I caught a pair of red eyes staring back at me. It was the same boy who had given me the nasty stare just moments before.
I closed the curtains and took a step back. My heart was racing so fast, I feared it might jump right out of my chest. With labored breathing, I slowly walked into the kitchen where my mom was blabbing the news to anyone who would listen.









REVIEW:
I know I always say that I love whatever type of book I have read but it's true and I love Paranormal romances. I did the blitz on Shadowed and decided it sounded so good and so intriguing that when Michelle offered me a copy, I could not turn it down!

Now, it turned out that it wasn't exactly what I expected with some characters I didn't care for but overall, I enjoyed the read. I cannot say which characters I didn't care for as that would be a spoiler but it kept me entertained throughout.  It was a quick read and had a unique spin on some Paranormal characters you don't usually see in this manner.  If you love Paranormal YA reads and are looking for something unique, give it a go!

3⭐️⭐️⭐️

A .big thank you to Michelle Areaux and Xpresso Book Tours for allowing me an advanced copy of the book to read and review.  All opinions are my own.



Author Bio:
Michelle Areaux is a wife, mother, and seventh grade Language Arts teacher.
She earned her Bachelor’s degree at the University of Kentucky and a Master’s degree in Literacy from Asbury University.




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CHAMELEON | by Zoe Kalo #YA #Dark #Thriller #Twisted #BookReview #AwardWinning #SilverDaggerBookTours #giveaway



Chameleon 
by Zoe Kalo 
Genre: YA Paranormal Psychological Suspense


FIVE GIRLS. AN ISOLATED CONVENT. A SUPERNATURAL PRESENCE. A DARK SECRET.

SHORTLISTED for the 2017 Dante Rossetti Awards for Young Adult Fiction!

I can't believe it has come to this. The way things have blown out of proportion. I only wanted to contact my dead father. Ask his forgiveness.
Seven months.
Seven months isn't that long, is it?
I'll go through the motions, no need to make friends that I’ll never see again. When you get close to people, you end up getting hurt.

Puerto Rico, 1973

17-year-old Paloma only wanted to hold a séance to contact her dead father. She never thought she would be kicked out of school and end up in an isolated convent. Now, all she wants is to be left alone. But slowly, she develops a bond with a group of girls: kind-hearted Maria, insolent Silvy, pathological liar Adelita, and their charismatic leader Rubia.

At night, the waterfall’s dark music haunts her dreams of drowning…

When Paloma holds another séance, she accidentally awakens an entity that has been dormant for years. The body count begins. Someone doesn’t want the secret out…

Are the ghost and Paloma’s suspicions real—or only part of her growing paranoia and delusions? 

If you love the vibes in "The Orphanage," "The Craft" and "Pretty Little Liars," you'll enjoy this mess-with-your-head, YA supernatural/psychological thriller! 




TRIGGER WARNING: This book deals with some triggering issues such as rape, mental illnesses, drugging, and psychological manipulation. 

We rarely review books of this sort but my Mom knew I would LOVE this.  I adored Paloma and some (but not all) of her ?friends? The story was fascinating and I felt that Ms. Kalo developed each unique character extremely well.  Of course, they did not remain as they were in the beginning. They dealt with all sorts of secrets and lies, mystery and suspicion, as well as death. Ms. Kalo did an excellent job of keeping me on the edge of my proverbial seat.

I loved the cover but found it somewhat misleading until I read the ENTIRE book. Then I found that it, along with the title, fit the story perfectly.

Nothing was as I expected with this story which was perfect for a thriller.  All in all, it was completely entertaining. I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys dark, twisted, YA thrillers!

5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Many thanks to Zoe Kalo and Silver Dagger Book Tours for providing this book for me.  I am voluntarily reviewing it and all opinions are my own.




A certified bookworm, Zoe Kalo has always been obsessed with books and reading. Reading led to writing—compulsively. No surprise that at 16, she wrote her first novel, which her classmates read and passed around secretly. The pleasure of writing and sharing her fantasy worlds has stayed with her, so now she wants to pass her stories to you with no secrecy—but with lots of mystery… 

She’s had the good fortune of living on 3 continents, learning 4 languages, and experiencing a multicultural life. She holds a BA in Creative Writing and an MA in Comparative Literature. She lives in Belgium with her husband and two evil cats. 






$25 cash paypal 
Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!






Tuesday, August 30, 2016

Award Winning Series The Geneva Project by Christina Benjamin is on SALE for 99 PENNIES!! #Blitz #sale #YA/TEEN #Fantasy @christinabenjaminauthor

This was previously posted on CUDDLES PLEASE and reposted here with permission.  It is an award winning series of books with The Timekeeper's Daughter being the final book.  While TRUTH, the first book in the series is at this time always #free at Amazon as well as other retailers, The complete set of the five books are currently available as an ebook for simply $0.99.
Enjoy!

Geneva Cover FINAL FINAL EBOOK VERSION

FREE


Amazon  |  Amazon UK  |  Amazon AU  |  iTunes  |  Kobo

B&N  |  Nook  |  Nook UK


The Geneva Project - Truth (Volume 1)

Trapped on a flood ravaged island, a young girl named Geneva finds herself enslaved at an orphanage with no future and a past she can’t remember. That all changes when she meets someone who promises her that there’s more in store for her than she ever could have imagined. Her once dull life rapidly spirals out of control as she starts to acquire new magical powers that may be the key to unlocking an ancient legend along with her true identity. But first she must master these powers, all while trying to keep them secret from her friends and the evil head mistress at the orphanage. Before she knows it, Geneva is in over her head and has inadvertently wrapped her friends into her web of magic and lies and now all of their lives hang in the balance once the head mistress finds out her plan to prove that the Legend of Lux may not be a legend at all! Who will Geneva trust and how far will she go to save her friends and find out her true identity?


Amazon  |  Amazon UK  |  Amazon AU  |  iTunes  |  Kobo

B&N  |  Nook  |  Nook UK








The Geneva Project - Secrets (Volume 2)

Geneva finally knows the truth about her identity. The Book of Secrets gave her a name, a sister and a destiny to fulfill, but it also revealed many more secrets she must uncover. Some are dark and mysterious and beyond her wildest dreams. Now she has to decide who she can trust with her secrets and which of them she must keep to herself. Can you keep a secret? What if your life depended on it?


Amazon Amazon UK  |  Amazon AU  |  iTunes  |  Kobo  |  B&N  |  Nook UK






The Geneva Project - Lies (Volume 3)

Can you live a life of LIES?

That’s exactly what Geneva finds herself doing to protect everyone she loves. While Geneva and her friends embark on a dangerous mission to fulfill her destiny, the dark forces that seek her powers are closing in, putting everyone she cares about at risk.  Geneva must lie about who she is, what she knows and her true feelings. Are all these lies worth it or will she go too far and lose everything she’s been fighting for?


Amazon US  |  Amazon UK  |  Amazon AU  |  Kobo B&N  |  iTunes  |  B&N UK






Prequels - Christmas Gift Overview

Kindle Short Reads - 45 minutes (22-32 Pages) Teen and Young Adult 

The first Short Story of The Geneva Project: Prequels is finally here! 

Before the ancient legend of Lux was discovered, before she realized her power, before she had a destiny to fulfill: Geneva was just a lonely orphan at Christmas. Get a glimpse into the early days of Geneva and Remi's lives at the Troian Center. There's always a little bit of high jinx, mystery and magic happening on Hullabee Island and the holiday season is no exception. Discover how Geneva and Remi forged a friendship that bonded them for life and made them “thick as thieves,” in this heartwarming Christmas tale where we discover that sometimes finding true friendship is the greatest gift of all.









Prequels – Timekeeper’s Daughter Overview

Kindle Short Reads - 45 minutes (22-32 Pages) Teen and Young Adult 

The second Short Story of The Geneva Project: Prequels, gives us a glimpse into the magical realm of fairies as Mother Nature, Father Time and Death battle over the powers of a very special family. This prequel introduces us to Mala and her very important role in the series.

She could see the future; he could control time. 
Their love was forbidden, seen as a crime. 
The lovers knew they could not outrace, 
Their future was doomed once Death gave chase. 
No matter how swift or how clever, 
The lovers knew happily ever after wouldn’t last forever. 







Boxed Set is 99 Pennies for a Limited time so don't wait!


     

Meet Author Christina Benjamin...


christinaheadshot03.15_Edited_WEBChristina Benjamin is the Award-Winning Author of the bestselling Young Adult fantasy series The Geneva Project.

Benjamin’s writing hooks fans of mega-hit YA fiction like Harry Potter and The Hunger Games, offering a new series to obsess over. She paints a vivid world where magic and imagination run wild in her epic tale of adventure, courage and friendship.

Benjamin resides in Florida. She’s a proud book nerd, 100% Gryffindor, has entirely too many book boyfriends and loves coffee and tacos!

Christina is dedicated to giving back to the writing community. She speaks at schools to inspire creativity in young writers and has created Page-Burners.com, a site to promote fellow YA authors.

https://www.facebook.com/ChristinaBenjaminAuthor https://twitter.com/AuthorCBenjamin
http://christinabenjaminauthor.com/
https://instagram.com/authorcbenjamin/




Ciao Bellas,

Ashley