Infinityglass by Myra McEntire + Contest

Infinityglass by Myra McEntire
"The stakes have risen even higher in this third book in the Hourglass series.

The Hourglass is a secret organization focused on the study of manipulating time, and its members — many of them teenagers -­have uncanny abilities to make time work for them in mysterious ways.

Inherent in these powers is a responsibility to take great care, because altering one small moment can have devastating consequences for the past, present, and future. But some time trav­elers are not exactly honorable, and sometimes unsavory deals must be struck to maintain order.

With the Infinityglass (central to understanding and harnessing the time gene) at large, the hunt is on to find it before someone else does.

But the Hourglass has an advantage. Lily, who has the ability to locate anything lost, has determined that the Infinityglass isn't an object. It's a person. And the Hourglass must find him or her first. But where do you start searching for the very key to time when every second could be the last?"- summary from Amazon

I absolutely love this series and was so excited to get an early look (at the time- I read it in July though the review is just going up now) of the final book. I've been eagerly awaiting it since finishing Timepiece and it's just so good.

My only problem with going into this and Timepiece is that so much happens in each book and each one has a different narrator that it was a little difficult starting the book. Things would be mentioned and I'd be so confused; McEntire does do some background and especially with the addition of a new character, past events are brought up to bring her up to speed, but sometimes I was a little bit lost.

Anyway, I loved the dual perspective and McEntire employs it very well. I really enjoyed getting into the mindsets of Dune and Hallie and reading about their lives and backstories. There's some interesting reveals and wonderfully written action scenes, but there's also a sizzling romance (a bit too insta-love though) and great chemistry between the two. Lots of humor and witty banter as well which I always enjoy.

Overall, a fantastic conclusion to the series. If you've not read this trilogy yet, get on it! I cannot wait to read what McEntire writes next!

Courtesy of Egmont USA and Media Masters Publicity, I have a hardcover copy of Infinityglass and an Infinityglass poster to give away to a lucky winner! US residents only! All you have to do is leave a comment on this post by Wednesday, Sept 11 at 9pm EST.

Myra McEntire has had her nose in a book since she could hold one. She was once caught reading in the shower (true story) and only stopped when her father disconnected the hot water heater. She lives in Nashville, Tennessee, with her husband and two boys. You can visit her online at www.myramcentire.com or follow her on twitter at @MyraMcEntire. You can visit her on Facebook and Tumblr too.

Blog Tour- Thornhill by Kathleen Peacock

Rockstar Book Tours

Mac can’t lose another friend. Even if he doesn’t want to be found.

The ripple effect caused by Mac’s best friend Amy’s murder has driven Mac’s new love, Kyle, to leave Hemlock and disappear from her life forever. But Mac knows that Kyle plans to enroll in a rehabilitation camp, where he can live with other werewolves. She refuses to accept his decision, especially since the camps are rumored to be tortuous. So she sets out in search of Kyle with a barely sober Jason—and Amy’s all-seeing ghost—in tow.

Clues lead Mac to find Kyle in a werewolf den in Colorado—but their reunion is cut short by a Tracker raid. Now Mac and Kyle are trapped inside the electric fences of Thornhill, a camp for young werewolves. As she devises an escape plan, Mac uncovers dangerous secrets buried within the walls of Thornhill—and realizes that the risk to the people she loves is greater than ever before.

Buy the book at: Amazon or Barnes and Noble. Add it on Goodreads.

So apparently I never reviewed Hemlock, even though I absolutely adored it. When I signed up for this blog tour, there was a question asking for the link to a Hemlock review. I spent half an hour trying to find one; for some reason, I never got around to writing one. How weird is that? But I really loved the first book and have been eagerly awaiting this second one. It does not disappoint.

The action picks up pretty much shortly after Hemlock ends. With the way it ends, it makes sense. I loved coming back into this world and these characters and Peacock does a great job of recapping the events of the first book without it seeming out of place. Mac is a strong main character and I was on the edge of my seat throughout the whole journey. A lot happens in this book and it's very suspenseful. There's some interesting twists and turns, and luckily, there isn't a cliffhanger with this book like there was with the first. The adventure is over for now but I'm sure the third book has some fantastic surprises coming.

Overall, a wonderful, unique series about werewolves continues on a great path. I highly recommend this book and its prequel, and I cannot wait for the final book!

Kathleen Peacock spent her teen years crushing on authors and writing short stories about vampires. She put her writing dreams on hold while attending college, but tripped over them when office life started leaving her with an allergy to cubicles. Her debut, HEMLOCK was published by Katherine Tegen Books, an imprint of Harper Collins, with the sequel Thornhill out now, and was published in the UK under the title DEADLY HEMLOCK from Simon and Schuster Children’s Books.

Website/Facebook/Blog/Twitter/Goodreads


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Tour Schedule:
Week 1
9/2/2013- Book Chic- Review
9/3/2013- In the Best Worlds- Interview
9/4/2013- Fall Into Books- Guest Post
9/5/2013- Portrait of a Book- Interview
9/6/2013- The Book Life- Review

Week 2
9/9/2013- The Reader's Antidote- Guest Post
9/10/2013- Auntie Spinelli Reads- Review
9/11/2013- The Book Belles- Review
9/12/2013- Two Chicks on Books- Guest Post
9/13/2013- Mundie Moms- Interview

Demonosity by Amanda Ashby

Demonosity by Amanda Ashby
"An ancient myth + a mean girl + a reluctant warrior = a lively take on good vs. evil

The Black Rose--a powerful ancient force--has been let loose and has taken up residence in Celeste Gibson, popular girl at Cassidy Carter-Lewis' high school. Thomas Delacroix is the spirit of a fourteenth-century knight who is devoted to protecting the Black Rose, but he needs a contemporary living being to take on the challenge. That's where Cassidy comes in. She's a quirky high school junior who just wants to dress in her vintage clothes, hang out with her best friend, and take care of her father, who is recovering from surgery. She's the last person who would ever volunteer for such a task, but no one actually asked her. Now, like it or not, she finds herself training before dawn and battling demons at parties, the mall, and even at school. But hey, no one ever said high school was going to be easy. . ."- summary from Amazon

I love reading a new Amanda Ashby book. I know to expect a fun, quirky paranormal read and it's always what I get. It's a nice break from all the serious paranormal reads, always focused on the battle between good and evil. Ashby's books do deal with that battle, but she infuses them with humor and a fun-loving protagonist. It's also nice to see something new each time I read one of her books; she never sticks with the same creature (aside from the Sophie trilogy, which focused on a djinn). It's exciting to see how she'll deal with the mythology of each one.

In this case, she's focusing on demons who are trying to get at something very powerful. Cassidy has to learn how to fight demons and keep the mean girl from being ripped to shreds. I loved reading her journey- coming to terms with this whole crazy thing, and then following through on it by becoming a warrior. Ashby also throws in a really neat twist at the ending that I really liked.

One thing I was proud of Ashby for including was an asexual friend who stayed asexual throughout the book. I may have hoped/worried that he was only pretending because he was in love with Cassidy and didn't want anyone else- thankfully not the case. I also liked the two romantic leads, though of course one more than the other; Ashby also managed to throw in a twist there too, which may have made me gasp.

Overall, such a good read to end your summer with. Go out and get it, and read her other books while you're at it too!

FTC: Received ARC from author (signed!). Link above is an Amazon Associate link; any profit goes toward funding contests.

Author Interview- Amanda Ashby

1) How did you get the idea for Demonosity?

I was researching something else (I can’t even remember what) when I stumbled across an old secret society called the Rosicrucians and the more I read about it, the more intrigued I was. I then played with the idea for ages and somehow brought the Knights Templar into it, but despite how much I loved it all, I couldn’t get it to gel into a story.

Unfortunately, before I realized that I couldn’t make it gel into a story, I had told my agent about it and a couple of months later I got an email from her asking where this new idea was. Whoops! Anyway, that forced me into action and I spent the weekend pulling together my ideas and coming up with Demonosity. I sent it to her on the Monday thinking that if she okayed it, that I’d star writing. Instead she sent it directly to my editor who bought it. It’s the first time I’ve sold a book entirely on proposal (and strangely enough, it was the easiest book I’ve ever written!)


2) I've noticed you have a new paranormal creature in each of your books, and you've covered angels, demons, djinns, zombies, and fairies. Is it fun writing something new with each story? Where do you think you'll go next?

It is lots of fun. I always want an idea to feel fresh – at least to me – so I try and look for odd things and then figure out a way to weave them into a story. My two current obsessions are birds and science fiction and I’ve written numerous plots to try and pull both ideas together. Not sure I’ve quite managed it yet, but watch this space!


3) You live in Australia. What do you love most about it?

The weather! I spent about eight years living in England and eight years living in New Zealand and after all of those cold winters, it’s been a delight to come back to the land of sunshine! I also love how feral it is. Obviously the urban centres have been tamed and covered in concrete but there is a real wildness about Australia (not to mention lots of snakes, spiders and strange marsupials) which I really love!


4) What book(s) are you currently reading, or are about to start?

I’m currently reading Gameboard of the Gods by Richelle Mead. Her Vampire Academy and Bloodline books are my two favorite YA series so I’m really happy to be reading this new book! I’m also ridiculously excited about the VA movie!


5) What's your favorite snack to have while writing, or as a reward for writing?

My snack obsessions change all the time but I’m currently focusing all of my attention on Dark Chocolate. It has to be over 70% pure (which allows me to convince myself that it’s both delicious and healthy!). I also love coffee – but only nice coffee!


6) You had a three-book middle-grade series released last year, called Sophie's Mixed-up Magic. Was it different writing middle-grade? Will there be any more books in the series?

To begin with it was quite difficult to switch, mainly because I had to have a lot more parent involvement (I also started to understand why we have so many orphans in middle grade fiction!!!!!) But once I got the hang of it, I really enjoyed doing the Sophie books. Especially because I veer toward lighter books and this seems to fit in well with the market. Right now I don’t have any plans to do more Sophie books, but I’ve got a few other ideas that I’m working on, which are keeping me just as amused as Sophie did!

Blog Tour- Confessions of a Hater by Caprice Crane + Contest!

Confessions of a Hater by Caprice Crane
"High school was pretty much like this huge party I wasn't actually invited to, but I still had to show up to every day.

Hailey Harper has always felt invisible. Now her dad has a new job and the family is moving to Hollywood. Just what Hailey needs: starting a new high school.

As she’s packing, Hailey finds a journal that belonged to her older sister, Noel, who is away at college. Called "How to be a Hater," it’s full of info Hailey can really use. Has Hailey found the Bible of Coolness? Will it help her reinvent herself at her new school? Will her crush notice her? Will she and the other Invisibles dethrone the popular mean girls? After all, they deserve it. Don’t they?"- summary from Amazon

This is my first Crane book (I own one of her adult books and have been wanting to read her for years) and I gotta say, I really enjoyed it! Her YA debut is very funny with a lot of heart to it. Hailey's voice is compelling and one readers are going to love, though occasionally there were some places where she goes off on tangents that just didn't feel necessary. The back-and-forth girl fights are interesting, and Hailey and her friends come up with some crazy revenge plans.

Crane does a wonderful job though showing off the high school world and what it can entail and how far it can go sometimes. There's a plethora of diverse, well-developed characters and relationships, and the interactions are very realistic. I also loved that there was a friendship between a boy and a girl with no possibility of a relationship (and not because either is gay or asexual); it was a great touch and there needs to be more of that.

Even though it's not the intent of this novel (or YA novels in general), there's a great lesson here and one I hope readers will take away. It's better to love than to hate. Nothing lasting or substantial is gained from bringing other people down.

Overall, a pretty good YA debut and I'm really going to have to move her adult books to the top of my TBR pile soon!

and here's my interview with Caprice:

1) How did you get the idea for Confessions of a Hater?

I wanted to tell a story where the outcasts were the heroes. I wanted to make "smart" and "creative" and "clever" and "different" what was cool. Normal is boring. Judging people who are different than you is detrimental. I wanted to create a world where all kinds of people can rise up and the lines of what "popular" is would get blurred.


2) What prompted the switch from adult to YA, and was it difficult writing for the different age group? Will you continue to write each, or end up focusing on one?

I feel like there are always struggles with hierarchy in school, and in life, and it was time for an updated version of that story so I switched because that was the story I wanted to tell. I will probably write both but who knows? If someone wanted more YA and that became the focus I wouldn't be mad at it. I love that age and it's certainly not difficult for me to get in that mindset because of my years writing for MTV and my experience writing for 90210. Also, I'm incredibly immature. ;)


3) What's your favorite Jelly Belly jelly bean flavor(s)? Or, if you don't like those, your favorite snack to have while writing or as a reward for writing?

I love Jelly Belly's and can't name a favorite but I can name the worst - bubble gum. Why do we need candy that tastes like other candy? Is the jelly bean so insecure it wants to be more like gum? Be proud of who you are little Jelly Belly! By the way did you know that chewing gum has been banned in Singapore? The more you know...


4) What book(s) are you currently reading, or are about to start?

I'm about to start Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn. I've had it for months and been meaning to read it and kept getting sidetracked but the time has come.

I've also got a hardcover copy of the book to give away as well! If you're a resident of the US or Canada, leave a comment on this post by Monday, Sept 2 at 9pm EST and you'll be entered!

To learn more about Caprice, check out these links:

Follow Caprice Crane on Twitter: https://twitter.com/capricecrane
Become a fan on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/writercapricecrane
Follow Caprice Crane on Instagram: http://instagram.com/capricecrane#
Author website: http://www.capricecrane.com/

The rest of the blog tour can be found here.