Blog Tour and Giveaway: Hive and Heist by Janine A. Southard

Hive & Heist by Janine A. Southard
(Hive Queen Saga #2)
Publication date: May 2014
Genres: Science Fiction, Young Adult


Synopsis:
Queen Rhiannon and her Hive have found safety on John Wayne Station, but with no way to pay their docking fees or Victor’s medical bills, their debts are racking up quickly. Thankfully, Gavin gets a job with American Space Ranger M3L-15-A, who’s hot on the trail of dangerous criminals.

The teens move in with their Ranger benefactor, but when they revisit their ship to pick up personal belongings, they realize their Alcubierre tensor jet has been stolen!

If Rhiannon and her Hivemates ever hope to leave, they must find and steal back what’s theirs. But far from home and among strangers, who can they trust? Will they be stuck on John Wayne for the rest of their lives?




Goodreads book 1: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17379469-queen-commander
Goodreads book 2: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21566567-hive-heist




Purchase book 1:
--Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Queen-Commander-Hive-Saga/dp/0988646854/ref=la_B00BROXYKQ_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1402934600&sr=1-1
--B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/queen-commander-janine-a-southard/1114792229?ean=9780988646858


Purchase book 2:
--Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Hive-Heist-Queen-Saga/dp/1633270025/ref=la_B00BROXYKQ_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1402934600&sr=1-2
--B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/hive-heist-janine-a-southard/1119365513?ean=9781633270022



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AUTHOR BIO
Janine A. Southard writes and edits speculative fiction in between working on videogame projects. She’s attended more than the average number of universities, which she claims is a FEATURE. (“Oxford educated, but Californian at heart.”) She’s also lived and traveled in Europe, the United States, and Japan. Currently, she lives in Seattle with a husband (and a cat) and sings with a Celtic band.


Author Links:
http://www.janinesouthard.com/
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6935843.Janine_A_Southard
https://twitter.com/jani_s

Excerpt:
Steal back their ship’s engine... or be stuck on this foreign station forever!

Keeping her tone hushed in case a local wandered too close, Rhiannon outlined her plan. “We have seven days till we take back what is ours,” she said.

There was a small cheer. This, this was what she was made for. She could strategize; she could organize; she could direct her people along the optimal paths.

“Gavin.” Her voice was sure, commanding, and he straightened to a near-military posture. “You’ll have the theatre’s production vehicle, so I’ll need you to be the getaway driver.”

He coughed. “Ah, but, the sheep?”

“You’ll bring the lorry to me after you drop off the sheep, so be sure to pick them up early and to take Gwyn with you. She’ll keep the lambs quiet.”

Next. “Alan.”

He acknowledged her with a mumbled my lady, overbright excitement turning his hazel eyes almost entirely green.

“You’ll go along with Gavin and Gwyn to make sure we get all the parts. If the jet’s been dismantled or damaged, determine what to take and what to leave behind. Put the jet in the truck as soon as you have it.”

Trust. “Luciano.” He fixed her with grave, dark eyes. She, the center of his attention. “You’ll keep in touch with everyone. I trust you to be my eyes and ears.”

Luciano went to his knees before her, pressing his forehead to the back of her hand. “I am honored, my lady.”

Soon all four Devoted were on the floor, each bending one knee. “My lady,” they said in eerie unison.

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Cover Reveal: Bound in Blue by H. Hamilton Senter

Bound in Blue by Heather Hamilton-Senter
(Sword of Elements #1)
Publication date: June 2014
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult

Synopsis:


Gods walk among us—all you have to do is See.

High school senior Rhiannon Lynne couldn’t get noticed even if she walked stark naked into the cafeteria and started playing the banjo. While tap dancing. As if that weren’t strange enough, Rhi has synesthesia—she feels in color. It takes being almost drowned by a Celtic river goddess for her to discover she’s been bound by a spell that has hidden her from the world and her own mysterious heritage.

As Rhi starts to see that her colors are connected to magic, she finds herself at the center of a conflict between gods, humans, and the lost world of Avalon. She’ll need to figure things out fast if she wants to be a player in the coming conflict and not a pawn. Each side has a claim on her loyalty, but each one could decide she’s the real threat.

Hopelessly in love with a god of thunder; deeply connected to a boy with no memory of his past; irresistibly drawn to a creature with a taste for flesh—Rhi’s choices could decide the fate of worlds, but their choices could decide hers.

Maybe not being seen wasn’t so bad after all.
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22021271-bound-in-blue



AUTHOR BIO:

No author bio/photo available at this time.

Author links:
http://www.heatherhamiltonsenter.com/
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Heather-Hamilton-Senter-author/317288951753170
https://twitter.com/HeatherSenter
www.heatherhamiltonsenter.com

Book Blitz and Giveaway: Deliver Me by Kate Jarvik Birch

Deliver Me by Kate Jarvik Birch
Published by: Bloomsbury Spark
Publication date: April 15th 2014
Genres: Dystopia, Young Adult


Synopsis:

One People. One Union. One Future.

Wynne’s entire life is dictated by the Union: the clothes she wears, the books she reads, even the genes she inherited. And like every other girl in the Union, Wynne dreams of being chosen as a Carrier on her 16th birthday—one of the elite selected to carry the future generation within her womb. Wynne and her best friend Odessa are certain they will both make the cut, but when Odessa is chosen and whisked off to a life of privilege, Wynne is left behind to work as an assistant, delivering perfectly planned babies for the Union.

As Odessa slips deeper and deeper into the role of Carrier, Wynne begins to see the Union for what it really is: a society that criminalizes the notion of love, and forbids words like mother and family.

For the first time in her life, Wynne is faced with a choice: submit to the will of the Union, or find a way to escape and save Odessa before she is lost forever.


Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20877865-deliver-me?ac=1


Purchase:
--Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Deliver-Me-Kate-Jarvik-Birch-ebook/dp/B00JEWY4BG/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1399648947&sr=8-3&keywords=deliver+me
--B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/deliver-me-kate-jarvik-birch/1119075953?ean=9781619635364

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AUTHOR BIO

Kate Jarvik Birch is a visual artist, author, playwright, daydreamer, and professional procrastinator. As a child, she wanted to grow up to be either a unicorn or mermaid. Luckily, being a writer turned out to be just as magical. Her essays and short stories have been published in literary journals including Indiana Review and Saint Ann’s Review. She lives in Salt Lake City, Utah with her husband and three kids. To learn more visit www.katejarvikbirch.com



Author links:

https://twitter.com/katejarvikbirch
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7159349.Kate_Jarvik_Birch
http://www.katejarvikbirch.com/
https://www.facebook.com/katejarvikbirchbooks

Excerpt:



“And now the time for selection has come,” the Councilman said, opening an ornate leather ledger containing the nine chosen names. “When called, please step forward and take your place behind me.”

Around me, I felt the whisper of a collective breath drawn in by all the girls. We held it deep in our chests, afraid to let it go, afraid to breathe.

The Grand Councilman studied the paper in front of him, “G454-71.”

His voice reverberated through the hall, bouncing off the carefully carved stonework and the dark wooden floors. For a moment we all stood still, letting the number ricochet around inside us.

The girl who stepped forward carried an air of superiority about her that had always bothered me. I didn’t think she was any more beautiful than Odessa or me, and her hair was a strange color, tinged with a bit of orange, but she was taller by at least a couple of inches. I knew she was strong, but I also knew with certainty that she wasn’t any smarter than us. In class her answers always sounded rote and memorized, as if she didn’t really give thought to what she was saying, but had taken great care to repeat things word for word from the text book.

Maybe I was completely off base, assuming I knew what the Union wanted in their Carriers. Maybe it was all about beauty, height and strength, maybe nothing else really mattered. Maybe the rest of the test was simply a formality.

The Grand Councilman watched as the first of the robes was placed over the girl’s shoulders before he turned back to us with an expression of satisfaction on his face. The look sent a chill through me. He looked back down at the ledger in front of him and called out the next number, “G458-89.”

G458-89.

Of course I recognized the number. It was imprinted in my mind, the digits as clear in my memory as they were tattooed into the soft skin of Odessa’s forearm. The breath of air I’d been holding escaped my lips and I turned to my best friend, pushing her forward to the podium.

Odessa, beautiful Odessa.

I knew she would be called. Maybe she hadn’t been first, but she was close. Pride pushed at the inside of my chest and I suppressed a cheer. If only we were allowed to clap at least, but the selection was a sacred moment and I had to keep my emotions contained. Later tonight I could tell Odessa how proud I was of her.

On the podium, one of the elegant Carrier robes was being placed over Odessa’s shoulders. From somewhere deep inside my head a low humming had begun. My fingers and toes felt strange, tingly.. I rubbed my hands together, trying to concentrate on the Grand Councilman’s words.

Six more numbers were called and progressively, as each girl took her place on the stand, I began to see the panic setting in on Odessa’s face. Normally, she would have caught my eye and made a funny face to break the tension, but she hardly looked like herself up there. The color still hadn’t returned to her cheeks and a bit of perspiration had sprouted on her forehead. In her eyes I saw the look of someone desperate, someone hungry. Only one more number left to call. Around me some of the girls were weeping silently, maybe it was because they were overcome with the pressure of it all, or maybe they realized their dreams of being a Carrier were dying out, merely the flicker of a flame remaining.

The last robe hung limply on its form. Beneath the other selection robes the bodies of eight lucky girls fidgeted, waiting to see if one of their friends would be called. I caught Odessa’s eye and tried to smile, but my lips stuck to my teeth, tight and dry. The moments clicked slowly by, an eternity of waiting. What sort of future would I have if it wasn’t as a Carrier?

Finally the Grand Councilman spoke, “The ninth and final Carrier is…D456-06.”

Odessa covered her face with her hands, but I couldn’t move; my body was completely numb.

It wasn’t my number. It wasn’t. My number hadn’t been called.

For a moment things slowed around me. Sixteen years had brought me to this point in time and here I was completely unprepared. The air seemed to vibrate, my mind racing to catch up with the real world. I could almost see the split before me. In one direction was the future I’d imagined, in the other lay the hazy reality I’d stepped into.

I didn’t get to say goodbye to Odessa. One minute she was behind the podium and the next she was gone, swept away from me.

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Review: Severed

Title: Severed
Author: Dax Varley
Publisher: Self-published
Pages: 258
Source: Author
Where to buy: Amazon

Synopsis:
Katrina's still haunted by her encounter with the Headless Horseman-the night he beckoned to her. Now he has risen again, slashing heads and terrorizing the quiet countryside.

Her only joy during this dismal darkness comes when Ichabod Crane, a gorgeous young man from Connecticut, moves to Sleepy Hollow and their attraction turns to romance.

When the Horseman marks Ichabod as his next victim, Katrina, despite dangerous efforts to save him, see no other choice than for them to flee.

But the Horseman awaits. Now it's up to her to sever the horror and alter the Legend of Sleepy Hollow.

What I Think:
With the new Sleepy Hollow show coming out, and Halloween just a few weeks away, this is the perfect time of year for Varney to come out with her young adult romantic mystery novel, Severed. I liked this story. I really wanted to love it, but it just didn't push me to that level. This was a really interesting take on the Sleepy Hollow tale. From what I remember of the original story, there is little left the same other than character names.

There was something about the book that I liked, but it is hard to put my finger on it. I know the reasons I didn't like parts of it, but it still had a certain something in it that made me want to continue reading it. One part of it was that the concept was very interesting and made me want to know more about what was going on. Another part of it was the mystery was so complex and engaging that you want to see if your guesses about who is behind everything was right. Sadly, for me the ending was disappointing and I did not get all of the answers I wanted.

Katrina was a fun character, but she felt a little too modern for the time period. Girls back then wouldn't go around kissing men in semi-public places and being allow with various men. Like with many YA romances, Katrina fell in love with Ichabod at first sight and was willing to put herself and others in danger for this love. Withing days and weeks of knowing him she was ready to turn her back on all of her friends and the only family she has in order to run away with him.

I was excited to reach near the end, so I could finally find out who was behind it all, but the twist felt flat to me. Overall, it felt more like the middle of a story than an entire story. The beginning gave the reader questions that were never answered and the last words of the novel hark back to these questions with no hit that there will be a sequel.

Rating: 2.5/5

Review: The Elephant of Surprise

Title: The Elephant of Surprise
Author: Brent Hartinger
Series: The Russel Middlebrook Series (Book #4)
Publisher: Buddha Kitty Books
Pages: 166 (ebook)
Source: Netgalley
Where to Buy: Barnes and Noble <> Amazon

Synopsis: 
People aren't always what they seem to be. Sometimes we even surprise ourselves.

So discovers seventeen-year-old Russel Middlebrook in The Elephant of Surprise, a stand-alone sequel to Brent Hartinger's landmark 2003 gay young adult novel Geography Club (which has now been adapted as a feature film co-starring Scott Bakula and Nikki Blonsky).

In this latest book, Russel and his friends Min and Gunnar are laughing about something they call the Elephant of Surprise -- the tendency for life to never turn out as expected. Sure enough, Russel soon happens upon a hot but mysterious homeless activist named Wade, even as he's drawn back to an old flame named Kevin. Meanwhile, Min is learning surprising things about her girlfriend Leah, and Gunnar just wants to be left alone to pursue his latest technology obsession.

But the elephant is definitely on the move in all three of their lives. Just who is Wade and what are he and his friends planning? What is Leah hiding? And why is Gunnar taking naked pictures of Kevin in the shower?

The Elephant of Surprise includes Hartinger's trademark combination of humor and romance, angst and optimism. Before the story is over, Russel and his friends will learn that the Elephant of Surprise really does appear when you least expect him—and that when he stomps on you, it really, really hurts.

What I Think:
I got this book from Netgalley, because it sounded interesting and, though it is the fourth book in a series, it promised to be able to be read as a standalone. I have never read any of the other books in the series, so I came to Russel with a pair of fresh eyes late in the game.

There doesn't seem to be a lot of YA books starring a kid under the GLBT umbrella. That was the first thing that made me happy about this book. Finally something for the minority. BUt I was also scared out of my mind on how it would be handled. I was relieved with the humanness of Russell. He was a normal teenage boy. There were no excessive stereotypes or places where the author tried too hard to seem inclusive.

Hartinger was able to strike a great balance between calling out the hypocrisies between  gay and straight culture without bashing either. The assholes weren't assholes because they were gay/straight, no they were assholes because their character was an asshole. Most YA books, GLBT or not, have a hard time not falling into tropes, but this one easily side steps traps everywhere.

Russell and his friends all have the voices of real teenagers. They did stupid things and said stupid things, but they were also quite intelligent. I appreciate that Hartinger did not shy away from cursing. Many teenagers curse and it is absurd that so many YA books refuse to acknowledge the fact. This just seemed to make the characters more believable to me.

Another part that made them seem believable to me was they were aware of only what matters to them. Most people, not just teenagers, unconsciously think of themselves as the center of the universe. These characters do, and seem to know it.

Overall, I really enjoyed the  realness of the book, even though that same realness made some of the characters a little annoying. I wish I could have seen more of some characters and less of others. I totally recommend this book to everyone.

Rating: 4/5

Review: Forty Days

Title: Forty Days
Author: Stephanie Parent
Series: Neima's Ark (Book #1)
Pages: 128 (ebook)
Publisher: Self-published
Release Date: February 10, 2013
Source: From author
Where to Buy: Barnes and Noble Amazon

Synopsis:  

The entire village knows Neima’s grandfather is a madman. For years the old man has prophesied that a great flood is coming, a flood disastrous enough to blot out the entire earth. He’s even built an enormous ark that he claims will allow his family to survive the deluge. But no one believes the ravings of a lunatic…

…until the rain starts. And doesn’t stop. Soon sixteen-year-old Neima finds her entire world transformed, her life and those of the people she loves in peril. Trapped on the ark with her grandfather Noah, the rest of her family, and a noisy, filthy, and hungry assortment of wild animals, will Neima find a way to survive?

With lions, tigers, and bears oh my, elephants and flamingos too, along with rivalries and betrayals, a mysterious stowaway, and perhaps even an unexpected romance, FORTY DAYS is not your grandfather’s Noah’s Ark story.

FORTY DAYS is approximately 45000 words, the length of a shorter novel, and is the first installment in a two-part epic story. It does contain a cliffhanger ending.

Readers looking for a traditional, religiously oriented version of the Noah’s Ark story should be warned that FORTY DAYS may not appeal to them. The novel will, however, appeal to lovers of apocalyptic fiction, historical fiction, and romance, as well as anyone who’s ever dreamed of having a baby elephant as a pet.

What I Thought:

Can I just say I LOVED this book. I saw the author ask for honest reviews on Twitter and I was intrigued by the novel's premise. To be honest, I was not sure I would enjoy the book. At one point, after having difficulty getting the book on my tablet (all my fault, nothing to do with the book or author), I entertained thoughts of giving up and not reading it. Boy am I glad I didn't do that. I actually ended up reading this entire novel in one sitting late one night even though I was bone tired and needed to get up the next morning.

Neima is the granddaughter of Noah, a firm believer in God in a world where there is no single god. Her and the rest of the family are shamed by Noah's crazy ideas of building an ark and filling it with animals in time for a great storm.

Stephanie Parent does a great job of pointing of things you may have never thought about before reading this book and weaving it interestingly into the story. Like how Noah is most likely going to only bring animals that he knows of from his part of the world. She also clearly did a lot of research into where the Noah's ark story likely happened and around what time period. That helped to make the story even more real to me.

The side characters are all unique and entertaining and I was sad when some of them, of course, died in the flood. There was one or two characters I hoped some how made it on the ark, though I knew how improbable that was.

This book if full of remarkable details and unforgettable characters. My only complaint is that I have to wait till later this summer for the next book in the duology. The book is short and, until I see the length of the next book, I am going to believe that they could have been combined. This is the only reason I am not giving the book a 5/5.


Rating: 4/5

Big Decisions

This has been such a hectic week for me, as you may have seen in my last posting. Through all of that I have been in deep discussion with my parents and sister (all of their opinions I trust implicitly) about my future. I came to the conclusion that while getting a Master's degree would be personally satisfying, it is not something I need right now and not something worth putting myself further in debt for. This means I now have the seemingly insurmountable task of finding a job. I would prefer getting a job in the specific area of publishing I am interested in (acquisitions editor) but right now any way to get my foot in the door would be amazing. Honestly this decision lifts a huge weight off of my shoulders and I feel happier than I have in a while.

It is still kind of scaryamazing that I am already 23, about to graduate, and searching for a job in my career field. I still feel too young to be doing all of this. I know no matter what age you consider "adulthood" I have probably been there for a few years but it is hard to consider yourself as an adult when youare still in school and living in your parent's house. The world out there is plenty scary, but I am doing my best to prepare myself for it. It helps that I have an amazing support system.

Another decision I have recently made, though not as big, is to go back to working on my YA fantasy book. I originally put it to the side because one of the first things I was told about publishing is most debut authors do not get picked up with a series. My YA is most definitely a series, but with each book having a smaller arc and the series having an over all arc. I was speaking to a few people in my writer's group on Wednesday about that and they convinced me so many debut authors are debuting with series. This gives me confidence enough to go back to working on Searching For Destiny, which is my favorite of all of my WIPs. Since Song in my Heart is my second favorite, you can rest assured that I will still be devoting time to that one. It will actually probably sill be my main project. I will tell you more about Searching For Destiny and the entire Sunburst series another time.


What do you think about debut authors and series versus standalone novels? Do you remember when you were first thrust into the "adult" world?