Thursday, July 9, 2015

Blog Tour - Dare by T. A. Foster | Spreading the Word & Gift Card Giveaway

Today I'm turning my blog over to T. A. Foster author of "Dare," which happens to be the FIRST BOOK in her The Nox Series!!

ALSO -- Be sure to check out Rafflecopter at the bottom of this post to be able to sign up for this blog stop's GIVEAWAY!! [Blog Tour will run on July 9, 2015 & the Giveaway will run from July 9 - 18, 2015]



"Dare"
[The Nox Series, Book 1] by T. A. Foster

Author's Book Description :
    Hey Everyone!

    Dare releases July 9th, so get ready to enter a new world of she-panther shifters. This is my first paranormal novel in a year, which makes me extra anxious to get it in your hands. I've added the Goodreads link for you and I hope to have a few pre-order buttons soon!

    Here's the back cover synopsis for you. #TheNoxAreComing

    Choices should come easily to a queen.

    Especially the queen of panther shifters. But Dare, leader of the Nox, faces the most difficult decisions of her life as she struggles to keep her freedom and keep the Nox safe.

    Destined to marry when she turns twenty-two and give up the magic that is her birthright, Dare fights back, determined to change the course of history. Only along the way she falls for a human who forces her to face the reality that there are some things she can’t resist.

    Zac Morgan has crossed the globe hoping to find comfort after a tragic loss has left him empty. He hopes Sullen’s Grove will give him peace and just a little taste of home. Even though he’s worked hard to keep his heart protected, he can’t stop the attraction he feels for the mysterious green-eyed college girl Dare.

    When Zac is thrust into the middle of a dangerous shifter war, Dare may be the only one who can save him.

    Sometimes the choices we make are the ones we least expect.

This book is available to order on :

Amazon (e-Book) | Barnes and Noble (e-Book) | Smashwords (e-Book) | Kobo (e-Book)

** Be sure to add it to your TBR pile on Goodreads! **


DARE by T.A. Foster -- Read my review here:...
Posted by From Me to You - Video, Photography, & Book Reviews on Tuesday, July 7, 2015



About the Author :

T.A. Foster grew up catching rays and waves along the North Carolina Outer Banks and now resides in the state with her husband, three children and canine kiddo.

She has an undergraduate degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a graduate degree in Educational Psychology from Texas A&M University. When she’s not chasing her two-legged and four-legged children or trying to escape for date night, you can find her reading, writing, or planning her next beach trip.

Want to know more about T.A.? Follow her on Facebook and Twitter.
**Be prepared for updates on books, the Bachelor/ette and the Tar Heels!


My Previous Review(s) for this Author : Dare



Book Excerpt :

I can see the blood trickle faster now that the point of the knife is pressed deep against his skin. His eyes are closed. He doesn’t see me. None of them does.

They are too focused on the fire and the sacrifice they are about to make in the shadows of its flame.

I crouch, the limb supporting me as I edge closer. I am outnumbered. If I pounce now, the Tribe will surround me in seconds. But, if I wait much longer, they will kill him.

There in the center I see everything familiar to me. I know them and somehow the wildness and violence I’m witnessing has stripped away the memories of who I thought they were.

I’m forced to feel my raw emotions spilling around me, consuming my choices, my inaction. How has this happened?

My ears twitch at the low growling sounds that start in the center of the circle, then make their way around until they’re so loud it’s deafening.

My head throbs from the sounds of their celebration. I don’t have time to regret the choices that led us here. Later. Regrets are for later.

The steel blade sinks against his skin, and my eyes narrow.

Now. I need to move now or he will be lost to me forever.

The forest will hear my roar and so will the Tribe. I leap from the branch, landing in the center, scattering the fire and the knife. They growl, their sharp teeth bared at me.

I’ve spent my life fighting for humans, but tonight I will fight until I’m dead.



Giveaways!! :

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Soo .... TWEET about the giveaway!! And you could WIN!! =0)

ALSO -- Be sure to follow the tour around the other blog sites!



Find T. A. Foster :

Tuesday, July 7, 2015

Blog Tour - Idolizing In: Spellbound by Michelle M. Pillow | Review & 4 print book prize pack Giveaway(s)

Today I'm turning my blog over to Michelle M. Pillow, with a review of her novel "Spellbound," which happens to be the SECOND BOOK in her Warlocks MacGregor Series!!

ALSO -- Be sure to check out Rafflecopter at the bottom of this post to be able to sign up for this blog stop's GIVEAWAY(s)!! [Blog Tour will run on July 7, 2015 & the Giveaway will run from July 7 - 9, 2015]



- This is an ARC book - Available Formats through Amazon.com: Paperback - Pages: 184; Kindle Edition - File Size: 2931 KB | Expected Release Date: July 7, 2015 | Publisher: The Raven Books | Obtained: InkSlinger PR

"Spellbound" [Warlocks MacGregor Series, Book 2] by Michelle M. Pillow (aka Natasha Logan, Madelyn Porter & Naomi Kalling)

Author's Book Description : Let Sleeping Warlocks Lie…

Iain MacGregor knows how his warlock family feels about outsiders discovering the truth of their powers, its forbidden. That doesn’t seem to stop him from having accidental magickal discharges whenever he’s around the woman who has captured his attention. Apparently his magick and other “parts” don’t seem to care what the rules are, or that the object of his affection just might be his undoing.

Warning: Contains yummy, hot, mischievous MacGregor boys who may or may not be wearing clothing and who are almost certainly up to no good on their quest to find true love.

My Book Review : 5 out of 5 stars!! All her life Jane has known that she was going to die, because of that she has been distant to others and accepted her fate. Yet, when she meets charming Iain all her best laid plans dissolve and she's left with an unexpected she never imagined before ... a future for herself. Now if only Iain and Jane can prove her worth to the rest of his family everything might just be okay...

Ms. Pillow cast an exemplary spell when she wrote this novel! Funny, thrilling, and destiny finding; this novel was one that had it all. From Jane's mysterious background to Iain dealing with his powers to Iain's family and their quirky ways, I didn't want to put this one down!

I am enamored with Jane and Iain! They're just so cute together. Iain unconsciously stops time to be with her longer. Jane fits into the MacGregors world easier than expected. Add in the slight twisted "Sleeping Beauty" plot and you have a wonderful paranormal romance! I can't wait to see where this series will go next.

I HIGHLY recommend this novel to those who are interested in paranormal and/or fantasy romances!

Purchase This Book and/or The Other Books From It's Series Here : Kobo (e-Book) : Love Potions (Book 1) | Kobo (e-Book) : Spellbound (Book 2)


My Previous Review(s) for this Author : Call of the Sea | Commanding the Tides

Author's Novel Extras : Spellbound - Overview, Reviews, Specification, & Excerpts

Author's Series Extras : Warlocks MacGregor Series - Overview | Love Potions - Overview, Reviews, Specification, & Excerpts


Book Teaser(s) :

SPELLBOUND by Michelle M. Pillow -- REVIEW AND GIVEAWAY TO BE POSTED TOMORROW (JULY 7TH 2015) on http://frommetoyouvideophoto.blogspot.com/
Posted by From Me to You - Video, Photography, & Book Reviews on Monday, July 6, 2015

SPELLBOUND by Michelle M. Pillow -- REVIEW AND GIVEAWAY TO BE POSTED TOMORROW (JULY 7TH 2015) on http://frommetoyouvideophoto.blogspot.com/
Posted by From Me to You - Video, Photography, & Book Reviews on Monday, July 6, 2015
For more information on this book, series, and/or any other books by Michelle, then please check out her website.



About the Author :

Author of All Things Romance
New York Times & USA Today Bestselling Author

Michelle M. Pillow, is a multi-published, award-winning author writing in several romance fiction genres. She has been a #1 Amazon Bestselling Author, on the Amazon bestseller list multiple times, the winner of the 2006 RT Reviewers’ Choice Award, and nominated for the Romantic Times Lifetime Achievement Award 2011. She has a BGS in History/Business with an English Minor, and a Photography Degree. In 2009 she and fellow author Mandy M. Roth started their own highly successful self-publishing endeavor named The Raven Books.

Readers can contact through her website: www.MichellePillow.com

Michelle has titles published with The Raven Books, Pocket Books, Random House, Virgin Books, Adam’s Media, Entangled Publishing, Samhain Publishing, Running Press and more.




Book Excerpt :

Jane meets Iain’s family.


“Iain MacGregor,” she whispered longingly, looking up. The woods were quiet. Strips of moonlight shone through tree limbs that reached like surreal black fingertips across her vision. A single tear slid down her cheek. She touched her mouth, imagining his kiss.

Taking a small pocket knife out of her cargo pants, she looked about. A mystic had once told her that if she left pieces of herself around while she lived, it would expand her haunting territory when she died. Jane wasn’t sure she believed in sideshow magic tricks—or the Old Magick as the mystic had spelled it on her sign. She had no idea what had possessed her to talk to the palm reader and ask about ghosts. Still, just in case, she was leaving her stamp all over the woods.

She cut her palm and pressed it to a nearby tree under a branch. Holding the wound to the rough bark stung at first, but then it made her feel better. This forest wouldn’t be a bad eternity.

The sound of running feet erupted behind her and she stiffened. No one ever came out here at night. She’d walked the woods hundreds of times. Her mind instantly went to the creepy girl ghosts chanting by the stream.

“Whoohoo!”

Jane whipped around, startled as a streak of naked flesh sprinted past her. The Scottish voice was met with loud cheers from those who followed him. “Water’s this way, lads, or my name isn’t Raibeart MacGregor, King of the Highlands!”

Another naked man dashed through the forest after him. “It smells of freedom.”

Jane stayed hidden in the branches, undetected, with her hand pressed to the bark.

“Aye, freedom from your proper Cait,” Raibeart answered, his voice coming through the dark where he’d disappeared into the trees.

“Murdoch, stop him before he reaches town. Cait will not teleport ya out of jail again,” a third man yelled, not running quite so fast. “Raibeart, ya are goin’ the wrong way!”

“Och, Angus, my Cait canna live without me,” Murdoch, the second streaker, answered. “She’ll always come to my rescue.”

“I said stop him, Murdoch, we’re new to this place.” Angus skidded to a stop and lifted his jaw, as if sensing he was being watched. He looked in her direction and instantly covered his manhood as his eyes caught Jane’s shocked face in the tree limbs. “Oh, lassie.”

“Oh, naked man,” Jane teased before she could stop herself.

“That I am,” Angus answered, “but there is an explanation for it.”

“I don’t think some things need explained,” Jane said.



Giveaways!! :

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Soo .... TWEET about this post!! And you could WIN!! =0)

ALSO -- Be sure to follow the tour around the other blog sites!



Find Michelle M. Pillow :

Disappointmentville: The Nox Series, Book 1

- This is an ARC book - Available Formats through Amazon.com: Kindle Edition - File Size: 1702 KB | Expected Release Date: July 5, 2015 | Publisher: Raven Companies Press | Obtained: InkSlinger PR

"Dare" [The Nox Series, Book 1] by T. A. Foster

Author's Book Description : Hey Everyone!
Dare releases July 9th, so get ready to enter a new world of she-panther shifters. This is my first paranormal novel in a year, which makes me extra anxious to get it in your hands. I've added the Goodreads link for you and I hope to have a few pre-order buttons soon!

Here's the back cover synopsis for you.
#TheNoxAreComing

Choices should come easily to a queen.

Especially the queen of panther shifters. But Dare, leader of the Nox, faces the most difficult decisions of her life as she struggles to keep her freedom and keep the Nox safe.

Destined to marry when she turns twenty-two and give up the magic that is her birthright, Dare fights back, determined to change the course of history. Only along the way she falls for a human who forces her to face the reality that there are some things she can’t resist.

Zac Morgan has crossed the globe hoping to find comfort after a tragic loss has left him empty. He hopes Sullen’s Grove will give him peace and just a little taste of home. Even though he’s worked hard to keep his heart protected, he can’t stop the attraction he feels for the mysterious green-eyed college girl Dare.

When Zac is thrust into the middle of a dangerous shifter war, Dare may be the only one who can save him.
Sometimes the choices we make are the ones we least expect.

My Book Review : 2.5 out of 5 stars, this intense novel builds the reader up for an intriguing series. Over the last few years Dare has taken it upon herself to defy the counsel by shaking up protocol and organizing a way for she-panther shifters to choose a life for themselves instead of what is dictated to them, in doing so she created her group called The Nox. However, Chase, the jaguar who the counsel planned for her to “marry,” is determined to stick to the counsel’s plans and will do whatever it takes to become “king.” Fate has other plans for them both by having Dare meet Zac, a history buff wanderer, who makes her question her wants in regards to her personal future. What will they all decide? Will Dare give in to Chase’s demands? Can Dare trust Zac enough to let him into her world?

This novel is a good build up for its series. Intense, highly dramatic, with multiple plotlines, it definitely keeps the reader on their toes. Yet, I found this novel to be a struggle to get through.

My reasons I had trouble with this novel:
  1. The first chapter really didn’t hook me at all. I had to force my way through the novel until I got into its rhythm and liked something about it, which I found wasn’t until I started reading from Zac’s POV in Chapter 3.
  2. Zac and Dare really didn’t discuss anything of consequence through most of this novel and it irritated me. They were both wrapped up to much into themselves (Dare dealing with Chase while Zac can’t get over his tragic past) to really go far in their relationship.
  3. Because of them not talking about magic, she-panthers, etc. when Zac unknowingly falls into getting involved with everything that surrounds Dare he makes some really stupid choices. Those choices made me start not liking him a bit. I mean he was acting desperate and it wasn’t flattering.
  4. For Dare’s part, I got annoyed with her half-effort into her relationship with Zac. I understand that she doesn’t believe it’ll go anywhere but when they have that kind of connection with each other, it was hard reading about her wanting to have him in her life yet still not be willing to share her true self with him. Since if she did share about herself I know, some of the scenes would have been quite different.

With all that being said, the reason I stuck with this novel was because I was rooting for Dare and Zac’s connection. Their connection is explosive and I feel that if they worked on it better, I’d have liked this novel a whole lot more!

I recommend it ONLY to those who are fans of Ms. Foster and/or those who REALLY ENJOY suspenseful paranormal romances.

Purchase This Book and/or The Other Books From It's Series Here : Kobo (e-Book): Dare (Book 1)


Author's Novel Extras : New things are happening

Only 16 days until I release the panthers on you!#TheNoxAreCominghttps://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25780805-dare
Posted by T.A. Foster on Tuesday, June 23, 2015

I wanted to say thank you to Sommer at Perfect Pear Creative for such a gorgeous cover for Dare. #TheNoxAreComing
Posted by T.A. Foster on Tuesday, June 23, 2015

Author's Series Extras : Meet the Nox - Overview

Book Teaser(s) :
"What if we agree for now I'll drop it?" I suggested.
"Really?" She smiled.
"Really." I felt like I had accomplished something monumental. I made her happy. ~ within Chapter 9 - titled 'Zac'

DARE by T.A. Foster -- Read my review here:...
Posted by From Me to You - Video, Photography, & Book Reviews on Tuesday, July 7, 2015
For more information on this book, series, and/or any other books by T. A., then please check out her website.

Saturday, July 4, 2015

Made the Grade: Again, Alabama by Susan Sands

- This is an ARC book - Available Formats through Amazon.com: Kindle Edition - File Size: 978 KB | Expected Release Date: June 12, 2015 | Publisher: Tule Publishing : Southern Born Books | Obtained: NetGalley

"Again, Alabama" by Susan Sands

Author's Book Description : Cammie Laroux is back in Alabama—again.

Dragged back to her small town to help her mother recover from surgery while rescuing the family event planning business should be a cinch. Even for a disgraced television chef, right? Wrong.

Among the many secrets Cammie’s family’s been hiding is the fact that their historic home is falling down. Oh, and the man hired to restore the house, Grey Harrison, is the same high school and college love of her life who thrashed her heart and dreams ten years ago. Yeah, that guy.

Grey, a widower with a young daughter, has never stopped loving Cammie, and when they are face to face once again, the chemistry is off the charts. Cammie may be in full-blown denial, but letting go is no longer in Grey’s vocabulary, even when winning Cammie’s forgiveness and renovating their love may seem like an impossible build even for a master architect and carpenter.

As Cammie finds herself forgetting all the reasons she can’t trust Grey or love again, he finds himself remembering all the reasons he wants her to stay with him in Alabama… forever.

My Book Review : 3 out of 5 stars. This is a riveting tale about a woman who comes home to pick up the pieces of her life while setting to rights her family’s business and dealing with a ten-year-old betrayal by having her ex back in her life.

Ten years ago Cammie and her longtime boyfriend Grey (both being in college at the time) got into an argument, misunderstanding ensue, and Grey made the drunken mistake by having sex with Cammie’s then best friend Deb. Because of how Deb manipulates Grey after their drunken encounter, both Cammie and Grey never got to get over Grey’s terrible mistake and their lives have irreconcilably change from then on. Now ten years have passed, Deb (Cammie’s ex best friend and Grey’s wife) recently died in an accident, and both Grey & Cammie are back in their hometown for personal reasons. With them working and living closely together again, old hurts are back out to play while they find that their interest in one another hasn’t gone away. However, will they be able to reconcile after everything that has happened? In addition, if they can get over the past will they be able to try for a new future together no matter the cost?

Yet, as riveted as I was with the plot I found the pacing slow and hard to stick with at times. I liked both Cammie and Grey. Moreover, while I did root for them to be together it was hard to do so with all the angst that is a constant play in this novel, which at times had me resenting Grey for what he did when he was younger. Then to top it off this novel has secrets galore, which seemed to keep coming out of the woodwork and mostly from Cammie's mother Maureen. A majority of the surprises were dramatic twists that were hard to handle, especially on top of Grey and Cammie’s “relationship.”

While I liked the ending, Grey’s commitment to Cammie by making a relationship and family with her work, and how Grey hopes to improve his daughter’s life by working with a counselor as much as possible, I thought it was very rushed and wrapped up to quaintly after everything the characters go through. In addition, I kind of wanted to read a scene or two between Cammie and Samantha (Sammie) that would show that their relationship was improving.

Overall, this novel was a good read. I would recommend it to those looking for a contemporary romance high on drama.

Purchase This Book Here : Kobo (e-Book) : Again, Alabama


Author's Novel Extras : The Big News!


***AGAIN, ALABAMA RELEASE BLITZ W/EXCERPT & GIVEAWAY*** By Susan Sands! Visit our blog for Synopsis, Excerpt, Social and Buy Links along with a Giveaway! TBP~~~~> http://bit.ly/1KqVtQ9
Posted by Two Book Pushers on Wednesday, July 1, 2015

Book Teaser(s) :

AGAIN, ALABAMA by Susan Sands -- Read my review here:...
Posted by From Me to You - Video, Photography, & Book Reviews on Saturday, July 4, 2015
For more information on this book and/or any other books by Susan, then please check out her website.

Second Sentence Saturday: The Evolution of Emily


SECOND SENTENCE SATURDAY is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by Jess of From Me to You ... Video, Photography, & Book Reviews. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

  • Grab the novel/novella your currently reading
  • Open to the first page of Chapter 1 or its Prologue
  • Share the SECOND sentence from that page
  • Share the novel/novella's title & its author, so that other participants can add that novel to their TBR Lists if they want



MY Second Sentence Saturday :

"The Evolution of Emily" [Kennedy High Series, Book 2] by Kate Scott

The only thing separating me from the world was a worn old pair of running shoes.



PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT to share either the link to your own SECOND SENTENCE SATURDAY post or share the sentence in a comment here (if you don’t have a blog). Thank You!
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