Blog Tour: Rebel of the Sands

And now, here's 25 things you never knew about author of REBEL OF THE SANDS, Alwyn Hamilton:

1) When I was a kid I was obsessed with pirates and desperately wanted to be one when I grew up.

2) In the same year in High School theatre I played Richard III and Mrs. Robinson from the Graduate.  http://gph.is/XHvOuD

3) I can roll a kayak (Or used to be able to). Conversely I once sank a sail boat. http://gph.is/XKFswD

4) I once wrote and was director of Photography for a short film noire with a detective called Ace Spade. It was my favourite thing that I had ever written at the time. http://gph.is/1a9EMYH

5) My first words were “Goodbye” in English, French and Italian. http://gph.is/1OSq9IW

6) My family and I have a plan in the case of world ending apocalypse. My part involves loading up on water, protein bars and a map of France and walking to the continent using the Eurotunnel. http://gph.is/1FaGOn1

7) I am the least picky eater in the world but one thing that I will not drink under any circumstance is Coke/Pepsi http://gph.is/1b1NnIj

8) I have been to as many countries as I am years old.  http://ak-hdl.buzzfed.com/static/2015-05/18/14/enhanced/webdr15/anigif_enhanced-25912-1431974595-17.gif

9) When I was 10 I was elected as the children’s parliamentary representative for my district in France. I ran against the guy who was my first kiss. When I won I got to sit in the National Assembly for a day.

10) I once worked an entire auction day at work with a power failure, answering phones with no working computers, no lights and losing my voice.  http://gph.is/1bxwicE

11) When I was 21 Jeff Goldblum told me I was the spitting image of a young Mariel Hemingway (Ernest Hemingway’s Granddaughter) from the 1979 Woody Allen film Manhattan. I then watched him play a tiny piano.

12) If I get really stressed out I bake as a form of de-stressing/procrastination. I made a batch of brownies every day when I was studying for my baccalaureate. http://gph.is/1muz7PM

13) I wrote my final year dissertation about depictions of Charlotte Corday, the woman who murdered Marat in the Bath.

14) There’s a scar on my forehead from where I pulled a radio onto my head as a toddler and had to get stitches. In my parents’ words “We only looked away for 10 seconds…”  http://gph.is/NbZRaV

15) I’m not very good at Video Games at all. But I did go through a period of big time addiction to the Sims. http://gph.is/1vlpmY0

16) I am catnip to mosquitoes. I once had to have socks duct taped to my hand to keep me from scratching my legs bloody in my sleep.  http://i.imgur.com/XbKRiLn.gif

17) The first album I ever owned was the Spice Girls. The first Single was Britney Spears “Hit me Baby One More Time.” http://gph.is/1a7nfAv

18) A Qatari Prince once threatened to fire me. I didn’t actually work for him. https://media0.giphy.com/media/102W0riJ3fhGkU/200_s.gif

19) In the town where I grew up, in September, picking grapes was a legitimately accepted excuse to have missed a day of class.

20) I have been told I’m very intimidating by Hugh Grant. I was standing behind a glowing podium in control of a guest list at the time at a charity auction. I have never been so tempted to pretend I couldn’t find someone’s name on the list. http://gph.is/1jZ4x0v

21) I am compulsively truthful. With the exception of once in High School, a newer friend said to my oldest friend “you wouldn’t understand, you’re an only child”. Which is true, but for absolutely no reason, I said, “No she isn’t. She has a younger sister.” And spent the next 2 weeks convincing people that she had a little sister named Margaux.  http://gph.is/1EbiCnR

22) Venice is my favourite city in the world and I sometimes fantasize about moving there for 6 months.

23) I have such thick hair I once broke a hairdresser’s scissors cutting through my ponytail when I was donating my hair. After she got new scissors she went around the salon making the other hairdressers feel it. http://media.giphy.com/media/4SsqeQj2pCyHK/giphy.gif

24) I once spent an entire 2 weeks cooking nothing but pies because I was watching PUSHING DAISIES. http://lovelace-media.imgix.net/uploads/915/9be2ff60-1df8-0133-4698-0a2ca390b447.gif?

25) I hold pens like a left handed person but with my right hand. No teacher in 12 years was able to train this out of me, though many tried.

Blog Tour Schedule:

www.fictionfare.com

Fiction Fare

3/7 - Guest post

http://www.whatsarahread.com

What Sarah Read

3/8 - Interview - QUESTIONS DUE Feb 5

http://www.myfriendsarefiction.com

My Friends Are Fiction

3/9 - Book playlist

onceuponatwilight.com

Once Upon a Twilight

3/10 - Top 10 list

http://www.loveisnotatriangle.com

Love is not a triangle

3/11 - Review & Giveaway

http://www.bookaddictsguide.com/

The Book Addict’s Guide

3/14 – Gif Review

http://www.foreveryoungadult.com

Forever Young Adult

3/15 - Would You Rather? - QUESTIONS DUE Feb 5

http://www.alexalovesbooks.com

Alexa Loves Books

3/16 - Book playlist 2

http://theirishbanana.blogspot.com

The Irish Banana Review

3/17 - 25 Random Things About Me

www.mundiemoms.com

Mundie Moms

3/18 - Review & Giveaway

http://www.twochicksonbooks.com

Two Chicks on Books

3/21 - Guest post 2

http://eaterofbooks.blogspot.com/

The Eater of Books!

3/22 - Interview - QUESTIONS DUE Feb 5

http://itstartsatmidnight.com

It Starts at Midnight

3/23 - Top 10 #2

http://bookbriefs.net

Book Briefs

3/24 - Dreamcasting post

www.iceybooks.com

IceyBooks

3/25 - Review & Giveaway

Medieval Times Spring Break Special

I know, I know - not my usual kind of post, but the past several years I have helped Medieval Times spread the word about their Spring Break specials, and why not this year as well?

Having been to the show, I can attest that it's a total blast and fully immersive experience. It's fun and fascinating and I'm excited because I think my niece might finally be old enough to enjoy this. She's probably still too little for the Junior Knight training, but maybe you have kids that are the right age.

Check out their website for more details: 
http://www.medievaltimes.com/plan-your-trip/baltimore-md/special-offers/junior-knight-training.html?utm_medium=listing&utm_source=certifikid&utm_campaign=knightstraining

For the Spring Break Special, prices are slashed: Prices will be $36.95 for adults and $29.95 for children 12 and under when guests use the code MARWEB.  

Check out their homepage for more details.

*Please note that this info is good for my local (Arundel Mills) Medieval Times; check your local one for their Spring Break deals!

Review: Burning Glass by Kathryn Purdie

Title: Burning Glass

Author: Kathryn Purdie

Publication Date: 3.1.2016

Series: Burning Glass #1

Source:  ARC from publisher

Purchase: Amazon

Rating: 5 Stars

Summary (from Goodreads):

Sonya was born with the rare gift to feel what those around her feel—both physically and emotionally—a gift she’s kept hidden from the empire for seventeen long years. After a reckless mistake wipes out all the other girls with similar abilities, Sonya is hauled off to the palace and forced to serve the emperor as his sovereign Auraseer.

Tasked with sensing the intentions of would-be assassins, Sonya is under constant pressure to protect the emperor. One mistake, one small failure, will cost her own life and the lives of the few people left in the world who still trust her.

But Sonya’s power is untamed and reckless, her feelings easily usurped, and she sometimes can’t decipher when other people’s impulses end and her own begin. In a palace full of warring emotions and looming darkness, Sonya fears that the biggest danger to the empire may be herself.

As she struggles to wrangle her abilities, Sonya seeks refuge in her tenuous alliances with the volatile Emperor Valko and his idealistic younger brother, Anton, the crown prince. But when threats of revolution pit the two brothers against each other, Sonya must choose which brother to trust—and which to betray.

BURNING GLASS is debut author Kathryn Purdie’s stunning tale of dangerous magic, heart-rending romance, and the hard-won courage it takes to let go.

Review:

Whoa. WHOA. WHAT DID I JUST READ AND WHERE CAN I GET MORE?!

This book is AMAZING.

Brilliantly written with complex characters and rich dialogue, it absolutely sucked me in and simply would not stop.

Sonya is a beautiful heroine; I loved her from her very rocking start to the book where she nearly got herself killed and definitely got a dozen other people killed because she couldn't control this power gift/curse. Her empath abilities made you love her - her internal struggle drove the entire book. She is everything you could want in a hero.

Admittedly, I went back and forth between Anton and Valko. From the synopsis it seems like Valko is the evil brother and whole he definitely has his flaws, he's more of a Damon Salvatore (Vampire Diaries) villain - you want him to be better and learn and change. But Anton is no slouch, and I'll take whichever brother Sonya doesn't want.

Or we can share. I'm good either way girl.

Make sure you check out this amazing debut from Kathryn Purdie!

Review: Fighting Dirty by Lori Foster

Title: Fighting Dirty

Author: Lori Foster

Publication Date: 2.23.2016

Series: Ultimate #4

Source:  eARC from publisher

Purchase: Amazon

Rating: 3 Stars

Summary (from Goodreads):

With the life he's led and the muscles he's gained, Armie Jacobson isn't afraid of anything. Except maybe Merissa Colter's effect on him. It's not just that she's his best friend's little sister. Fact is, she deserves better. Women pursue him for one night of pleasure, and that's all he wants to offer. Until rescuing Merissa from a robbery leads to the most erotic encounter of his life. 

Good girl meets bad boy. It's a story that rarely ends well. But Merissa is taking matters into her own hands. No matter how he views himself, the Armie she knows is brave, honorable and completely loyal. And as past demons and present-day danger collide, they're both about to learn what's truly worth fighting for…

Review:

I feel like I've been waiting for Armie and Rissy's story since the beginning of the series and after so much waiting and temptation, this book just fell really flat for me.

Rissy came off as desperate; she basically insinuated herself into Armie's life, giving him no choice. And Armie was just ... there. Very placid and not what I expected.

The romance felt like forcing two mismatched puzzle pieces together. You could force them together, but it was obvious they didn't fit. There was no real relationship: Just a suddenly they were together. The whole book felt very meandering and winding, not very streamlined or well-thought out.

This was the book I was most excited about in the series and it was was my least favorite once I actually read it. I'm sad to see this series go out with a limp pop instead of a spectacular finale of fireworks.

Review: Front Lines by Michael Grant

Title: Front Lines

Author: Michael Grant

Publication Date: 1.26.2016

Series: Solider Girl #1

Source:  ARC from publisher

Purchase: Amazon

Rating: 5 Stars

Summary (from Goodreads):

World War II, 1942. A court decision makes women subject to the draft and eligible for service. The unproven American army is going up against the greatest fighting force ever assembled, the armed forces of Nazi Germany.

Three girls sign up to fight. Rio Richlin, Frangie Marr, and Rainy Schulterman are average girls, girls with dreams and aspirations, at the start of their lives, at the start of their loves. Each has her own reasons for volunteering: Rio fights to honor her sister; Frangie needs money for her family; Rainy wants to kill Germans. For the first time they leave behind their homes and families—to go to war.

These three daring young women will play their parts in the war to defeat evil and save the human race. As the fate of the world hangs in the balance, they will discover the roles that define them on the front lines. They will fight the greatest war the world has ever known.

Review:

Yes, this is the book I have been raving about for months. And once you read it, you'll be raving, too.

FRONT LINES is a brand new series from versatile author Michael Grant. Taking off from the idea that girls and women could be drafted and be allowed to enlist in the military in World War II, FRONT LINES explores issues like sexism, racism, religious discrimination, and confronts the lofty ideals of war with the gritty, dark truth of what it is to find yourself under siege, under fire, and expected to kill other human beings.

Told in alternating POVs, you meet Rio (who is destined for the front lines), Frangie (who's gender is eclipsed only by her race, thus making her have to fight even harder to prove herself), and Rainy (who is brilliant, but female and Jewish) as they each join different sects of the military. It shows these women as girls before they enlisted through the first battle, weaving a rich story with constantly overlapping layers.

Look, this is a BIG book. I know we all like to chant, "I like big books, and I cannot lie..." but when you feel the heft of this book and see the size of it, it's easy to be a little intimidated. I was. I figured they entire war was covered in the book (it's not - we've barely scratched the surface), so I was even more unnerved by the fact that it's the first in a series. But let me tell you, by the time I read the halfway mark, I was engrossed and never wanted it to end. By the last page, I wanted to binge the entire series. I wanted 1,000 more pages in this world with these women.

I need to know how their journey ends. You need to know how it begins. So snag FRONT LINES ASAP!

Review: Dare to Run by Jen McLaughlin

Title: Dare to Run

Author: Jen McLaughlin

Publication Date: 2.2.2016

Series: Sons of Steel Row #1

Source:  eARC from publisher

Purchase: Amazon

Rating: 4 Stars

Summary (from Goodreads):

Lucas Donahue is not ashamed of his criminal past, but after a brief stint in prison, he’s ready to go legit and live a normal life. The problem is, no one leaves the gang without permission—even if he is one of the boss’s top men. Plus someone’s placed a hit on him. And then there’s that feisty little bartender who’s going to cause him even more trouble.

Heidi Greene knows to keep her distance from a ladies’ man like Lucas—even if she can’t keep her eyes off him. When he rescues her from an attack in the alley outside her bar, she’s forced to stay by his side for safety. But the longer she spends time with him, the greater her chances are for getting hurt in more ways than one.

Review:

So I've met Jen McLaughlin multiple times at multiple events. Let me tell you - she is one of the sweetest people. Always smiling, itty bitty petite ... She's the definition of adorable. But I'd never read one of her books until DARE TO RUN.

HOLY CRAP. What the what even happened?! This book absolutely caught me off guard and by surprise in all the best ways.

Lucas is a bit of an ass. Arrogant, commanding, maybe a lot little bossy. Typically that annoys me when I'm reading, but it just worked in this book. The way Jen writes him, with a heart, makes it impossible not to like him. Doesn't hurt that he's hotter than a Miami beach in July. I loved the way he was with Heidi, and watching them butt heads and fall for each other was everything I wanted.

This is a book you'll just enjoy. Just love it for because it's a fun, entertaining book and a great start to a new series.

Blog Tour: A Study In Charlotte by Brittany Cavallaro

REVIEW:

A STUDY IN CHARLOTTE is one of those books that's just fun. I truly enjoyed every bit of it that I read, and I am so freaking glad it's a series. Here's why:

1. Charlotte

Charlotte basically the love child of Iron Man Tony Stark and Dr. Sheldon Cooper with an egg donation by Jessica Jones. She's quirky and super smart and strange and oddly lovable.

2. Jamie

Watson is the heart of this story. He's fantastically written and balances Charlotte perfectly.

3. The Plot

Go Brittany Cavallaro for writing a tight, complex and fascinating mystery on your debut novel. She truly took Holmes and Watson do a whole new level.

A STUDY IN CHARLOTTE is fun, fast-paced and all sorts of twisty. If you like mysteries (or well written books) then check this one out!

ABOUT A STUDY IN CHARLOTTE:

The last thing sixteen-year-old Jamie Watson–writer and great-great-grandson of the John Watson–wants is a rugby scholarship to Sherringford, a Connecticut prep school just an hour away from his estranged father. But that’s not the only complication: Sherringford is also home to Charlotte Holmes, the famous detective’s enigmatic, fiercely independent great-great-granddaughter, who’s inherited not just his genius but also his vices, volatile temperament, and expertly hidden vulnerability. Charlotte has been the object of his fascination for as long as he can remember–but from the moment they meet, there’s a tense energy between them, and they seem more destined to be rivals than anything else.

Then a Sherringford student dies under suspicious circumstances ripped straight from the most terrifying of the Holmes stories, and Jamie and Charlotte become the prime suspects. Convinced they’re being framed, they must race against the police to conduct their own investigation. As danger mounts, it becomes clear that nowhere is safe and the only people they can trust are each other.

Equal parts tender, thrilling, and hilarious, A Study in Charlotte is the first in a trilogy brimming with wit and edge-of-the-seat suspense. 

LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | Indiebound | The Book Depository

ABOUT BRITTANY CAVALLARO:

Brittany Cavallaro is a poet, fiction writer, and old school Sherlockian. She is the author of the poetry collection Girl-King (University of Akron) and is the recipient of a National Endowment for the Arts fellowship. She earned her BA in literature from Middlebury College and her MFA in poetry from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Currently, she's a PhD candidate in English literature at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, where she teaches creative writing, detective fiction, and lots of other things. She lives in Wisconsin with her husband, cat, and collection of deerstalker caps. Find her at her website, brittanycavallaro.com, or on Twitter @skippingstones.

LINKS: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Tumblr

Tour Schedule:

Week 1:

2/29: Lost In Literature - Review

3/1: No BS Book Reviews - Makeup Matching

3/2: A Perfection Called Books - Review

3/3: Across the Words - Q&A 

3/4: The Irish Banana Review - Review

Week 2:

3/7: The Book Belles - Sherlock Shopping List

3/8: Princesica of Books - Review

3/9: Confessions of Carlisa - Q&A

3/10: Live to Read - Review 

3/11: Such A Novel Idea - Playlist

Giveaway:

3 Finished Copies of A STUDY IN CHARLOTTE (US Only)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Blog Tour: Wild Swans by Jessica Spotswood

Uppercase Box

A couple of week ago, I was asked to review Uppercase, a monthly book subscription. I am a huge fan of subscription "boxes" (they don't always come in boxes), but I've really only tried the cosmetic variety (Ipsy, Birchbox, Julep, Beauty Box 5, and Boxycharm) and one for my dog (BarkBox). I've loved all of them - it's so fun to get a box in the mail full of goodies to explore and love. So the fact that now books are being offered in boxes with bookish themed goodies? Yes, please!

So a few days back, I received my first Uppercase:

Everything came inside the Uppercase bag and I quickly tore into it. First I found a copy (signed) of STARFLIGHT by Melissa Landers. I was a smidge disappointed because I already owned a copy of it. It also had with it a matching bookmark and mini-poster.

But the next thing that tumbled out was this beautiful thing:

Ignore the fact that I look, um ... what's the word .... CRAZY. And I do not match. At all. Whatever.

It's a scarf with the words from Anne of Green Gables on it. 

It's real purdy, y'all.

Lastly, there was a gorgeous set of nail wraps with the cover of STARFLIGHT on them (very pretty and galaxy themed and did I say pretty?). 

For $23 a month, this is a great deal - I mean, the book alone retails for $18. 

Here's a little more info about Uppercase:

-The books featured are solely YA books and always new releases (typically books that release that month)
-It was started by a blogger, Lisa from Read. Breathe. Releax.
-There are 2 box options:

          1. The first box, the Expert Plan, includes a brand new book that is either signed by the author or comes with a signed bookplate. It also includes 1-2 new, high quality, exclusive bookish items, reading experience with custom content and a handwritten note. This is $23 USD a month.

          2. The second box, the Book Exclusive Plan, comes with everything above sans the bookish items. That option is on $17 USD a month.

If you're a book lover and enthusiast whole loves fun ways to express your bookish love, then go with the Expert Plan. But if you're simply lost in a sea of new releases and need someone to give you a new book each month, then opt for the Book Exclusive Plan. Either way, you can't go wrong! You can also gift Uppercase to someone (so if you have a bookish friend or family member or #OTSPSecretSister with a birthday, this makes an awesome gift!).

Currently Uppercase ships to the US, Canada and Puerto Rico.

Now for the question I know you're dying to ask: Would I buy it for myself?

Honestly ... no. Not because I don't love the box - I do. But I get so many books (case and point: I already had this month's book because the publisher sent it to me) that it seems a waste. However, if there was a third plan to just buy the exclusive bookish themed items, I would be all over that.

The Forbidden Wish: Q&A w/Jessica Khoury

I am so excited to welcome Jessica Khoury to the blog to chat about her newest book, THE FORBIDDEN WISH.

1. So I have to ask, why Jinni’s? 

They’re one of the most popular supernatural creatures in all of mythology—so why are there so few of them in YA? They’re so incredibly cool! They can have awesome powers, are wonderfully complex, have their own world parallel to ours, their own politics, feuds, and history. They can be monstrous or totally hot. They’re a mine of stories, and I’m so glad to see more and more jinn stories coming out.

2. You mentioned that this story has been tugging at you for years – how long have you been working on THE FORBIDDEN WISH? 

Since before Origin, my first book, came out! So… since 2012ish. Four years now!

3. What was the best part about writing Zahra? 

I really loved her backstory, and how complex she is. My favorite kind of characters are defined by chiaroscuro, the contrast of light and dark. Zahra is one of these characters—with the potential for great good or great evil, and that intrigued me so much.

4. What were the trickiest parts of writing THE FORBIDDEN WISH? 

The romantic scenes! I’ve always dreaded them, and the romances in my three previous books have been pretty light. This book called for more romance than I’d ever done, so I was apprehensive at first. Then, surprisingly, the romantic scenes—though tricky—ended up being some of my favorites.

5. What would be your 3 wishes (and no cheating and asking for more wishes!)?

1) Telekinesis. I aspire to be Roald Dahl’s Matilda in all things. I’d like to think I’d use it to become a superhero, but far more likely I’d just use it to mess with people.

2)  A Siberian husky puppy that would remain a puppy eternally. But also be house trained.

3) To see The Forbidden Wish on the big screen!

Thanks, Jessica!