Book Tour: Vala Agendas by J.F. Jenkins

Vala Agendas by J.F Jenkins

Blurb:
Cheyenne Loveless was just a boring sixteen-year-old girl. Then Denver Collins bit her and everything changed. Her plants start talking to her, she finds out she’s a Nymph, and a witch and the angel of death show up at her doorstep to take her away to the prestigious Vala School and Seminary. Oh, and she has no choice in the matter.

All she wants to do is blend in and return to being invisible, but the more time that passes, the harder that becomes. Plus she’s a daughter of the Divine, an exclusive secret society which rules the world of myth, and discovers she is a key ingredient to an ancient covenant created before she was born. A covenant that will reshape the order of the world.

Adjusting to a new school is difficult enough, but adding on everyone else’s hidden agendas is the icing on the cake. Cheyenne must learn to see through the lies in order to find her place — and possibly even love — in this new world.

Links:

Amazon Barnes and Noble Astraea Press

Excerpt:

“Can I help you?” she asked, shielding herself protectively
with her arms.

“Sorry, you smell good,” he murmured, practically purring
in her ear as he pulled away. He still maintained his close
proximity.

“I smell...” She frowned and was about to sniff at her arm, but she stopped herself. “…good?”

“You smell good. Kind of like lilies of the valley, actually.

Let me guess—you use that for your scented body wash?”

“I just use Dial.” Her entire body tensed more as he moved in again, his face dangerously close to her neck. “I don’t mean to be rude, and while I’m flattered you’re so fascinated with my body, you’re also making me uncomfortable. If you’re just trying to butter me up so I’ll go home with you, you should stop now, because that’s not going to happen. Back off before I make you.”

He moved away once more with a smug smirk. “I thought I smelled fire, too.” He extended his hand to her for a polite and friendly handshake. “My name is Denver. Yes, like the city in Colorado. Last name is Collins, and I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable. I don’t usually meet someone with that kind of scent. It’s strong. I knew there was a reason I noticed you.”

Is this guy high or something? “Apology accepted. I'ʹm Cheyenne. I'ʹve seen you around school these past few weeks, but I don'ʹt think we'ʹve ever been formally introduced until now. You'ʹre new, right?” Cheyenne shook his hand nervously. He had a strong and confident shake. He seemed to be a genuinely nice person, outside of his odd behaviors. If anything, it made her look good in front of her classmates to be talking to the new cool kid, and a young, attractive male. She felt a little less like a freak.

“I'ʹm temporary. I haven'ʹt been formally introduced to anyone. You'ʹre the first, and it'ʹs only because you smell so nice I can'ʹt stay away.”

“Do you use that line on everyone? It’s unique. A little creepy, but unique.”

“No.” He sat back and proceeded to grab a napkin off the bar and fold it in front of him multiple times. He didn'ʹt have much of an attention span, apparently. “I actually don’t pick up women often. I just made an exception for the blue--‐ eyed beauty in front of me.”

Cheyenne’s face flushed again. “I wasn’t aware you knew the color of my eyes, seeing as how you’ve been staring at my breasts the entire time.” It came out a lot harsher than she intended.

In fact, she wasn’t meaning to say it at all. “Sorry, I—” “You’re right. I was, but I remember you from earlier. I noticed your eyes when you were looking across the school yard at me.”

“You do remember that.” She shrank in her chair a little, officially wanting to hide under a rock.

“It’s a little hard not to when you’re so cute.” He moved closer to her, not quite as close as before, but enough to cause butterflies in her stomach. “You don’t like it here. I don’t like it here. And since we both don’t like it here, maybe we should head out and find something else to do. Maybe we can go someplace we both like.”

AUTHOR BIO:

J.F. Jenkins lives in Minneapolis Minnesota with her husband, son, and two cats. She graduated from Bethel University in 2006 with a degree in Media Communication with minors in both writing and film. When she is not busy writing, she spends her free time playing games, reading, and spending time with her family.

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/jfjenkinsauthor

Twitter: @jfjenkinstweets

 

Book Tour: Desperate Betrayal by Hildie McQueen

 

Desperate Betrayal
By Hildie McQueen

Cynden Frasier (Cyn) is a member of a group of immortal warriors, the Protectors, assigned to protect humans in Atlanta, Georgia, the epicenter of a major uprising in demon activity. When Cyn is approached by a beautiful woman in a dirty alley, he is intrigued by the fact that she can see him for what he is, a terrifying demon slayer, and still dares to approach him.

Emma Blake, a half-demon, has to convince Cyn to help rescue her sister from powerful demons. Terrified that the Protector will kill her if he realizes what she is, she still goes against every instinct and approaches Cyn for help. Despite knowing that she is leading them both into territory so wrought with treachery, neither of them may survive.

Can Cyn and Emma overcome betrayal, the ancient rules that prevent Protectors from taking a wife, unless she is his one true mate? And if they do, will it even matter?

Available now at Amazon and Barnes & Noble

Excerpt:
CHAPTER ONE
Shadows.

Emma Blake always felt at home in the shadows. It was where she lived, always concealing the truth from those around her.

Now as she hid in the doorway of an abandoned building, she couldn’t help but compare the current situation to her life. The dampness of the brick wall behind her seeped through to her skin, as she pushed further into the dark to avoid being noticed. The putrid smell of trash and urine barely registered, as she was mesmerized by the scene unfolding before her.

The scene invoked images of the endless battle forces of dark and light had been waging since the dawn of time.

Although beautiful to behold, the warrior who fought before her wasn’t exactly an angel, but he was as close to one as she would ever get. In desperate need of his help, she took a big chance sticking around; because once he caught her there were only two possibilities for her.

He’d either help her or he would kill her.

The air blew chilly on this damp, drizzly day in Atlanta, a city that for some unknown reason, in the last few years, had become a hotbed for demons. With such an influx of demons, human assaults were on the rise.

Emma continued to watch from the shelter of the doorway, as the Protector fought his aggressors. Ten huge low-level demons armed with medieval-type swords.

She tensed, but didn’t flinch as a demon’s severed arm flew past her and hit the ground next to her foot with a sickening thud.

Emma had no doubt as to whom the victor would be in the end. The fluidity of the Protector’s movements and the speed of the fight enthralled her. Her gaze locked on his biceps. Muscles bulged on his right arm, as he swung his sword in a way that seemed almost effortless. Impressive, for the weapon he wielded had to weigh at least twenty pounds.

He dodged a blow and struck out with his sword to slash through one demon’s chest. A dagger flew from his left hand and found its target in another’s heart.

About the Author:
Hildie McQueen is a whirlwind who refuses to wear anything but jeans and heels.

She grew up on the San Diego/Mexico border, joined the military at seventeen and never returned. After living in Germany, Texas and Hawaii, she finally settled in the beautiful southern town of Augusta, Georgia.

Biracial, half Mexican and half African-American, Hildie’s native language is Spanish, but English is her favorite way of communicating now.

Her mission in life is to make as many people as possible to feel normal. It’s an easy thing to do, for others to feel normal around her, because she’s anything but.

www.hildiemcqueen.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/HildieMcQueen

Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/HildieMcQueen

Blog: http://www.hildiemcqueen.com/

 

Another challenge! NetGalley Reading Challenge

I know I said I am only going to be doing a few challenges this year but I am going to be reading loads of NetGalley Books anyway, why not join the NetGalley Reading challenge hosted by Emily at Red House Books?  I decided to pace myself as it is already the 19th and I am still reading my first book (my life just keeps getting more and more chaotic!  I wasn’t this busy when I was working!  What happened?)  I decided to start at the entry level.

  Blue Star (1 – 10 books) which I will be listing here and linking to Emily’s bookblog every month.

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If you love NetGalley (like we do!) and read a lot of their galleys, come and join us!

Book Tour: Fallenwood by Leslie D. Soule

 

 

Fallenwood—a land where magic is the life force, dragons are sages, and wizards good and evil battle for supremacy. When 23-year-old Ash is thrust into the middle of Fallenwood’s power struggles, she is also forced to face her own inner battles. Life on Earth was hard enough on Ash, who is locked in grief for her stepfather. Now, the fate of Fallenwood rests on her shoulders. She must destroy the Great Crystal—the catalyst for all the land’s magic. As the kingdoms prepare for war, Ash must look inside to find the power to save the world, and herself.

 

 

Leslie Soule lives in Sacramento, California. Fallenwood is her first fantasy novel. She has received her B.A. in English from Sacramento State University and is currently working on her Master’s degree in English at National University.

Website: www.lesliesoule.com

 

Leslie, when did you start writing?
I’ve been writing since I was little. I used to write stories to go along with the things I drew. Then when I was older, I had a word processor that I just loved – sort of the in-between of a typewriter and a computer.

Does your family support you in your writing?
Definitely. My family has always been very supportive of my endeavours.

What would be able to distract you from your writing?
Chocolate, hot blond guys, one of my martial arts buddies wanting to practice…a lot of things, really.

What inspired you to write this book?
When my stepfather passed away, I didn’t know how to deal with the emotions and thoughts that I experienced. Writing became a kind of therapy for me, and Ash’s journey became my own.

What kind of research did you have to do?
I tried writing with a quill and ink on parchment. It was fun. :)

I LOVE the cover - who designed it?
Dara England. She’s amazing!

What is your next project?
I’m currently working on Fallenwood’s sequel and on a biography of my stepfather.

If you could meet any of your characters, who would it be and why?
I would want to meet Will, because it would be fascinating to meet a sorcerer and figure out the details of what living with magic is really like.

A typical day in your life would be . . .
I wake up, go to work for the State, then go and work out at the martial arts studio, stay up for a bit writing or doing things online, and then sleep. Nothing too crazy.

What is the hardest thing about being an author?
Dealing with criticism and rejection is the hardest part, I’d say. You put your heart into the things you work on, and it’s hard to deal with the idea that someone else may not like it or see it the way you do.

Do you hear from your readers much?  What do they say?
I’ve gotten excellent feedback from my readers, about what worked and didn’t work with Fallenwood, and I think it’s really helped. With the sequel, I hope to correct a lot of the errors I made in writing the original.

Who are some of the authors that inspire you?
Maureen O. Betita, Robert C. Roman, Deena Remiel, whom I’ve met and have helped me along.

What is in your own TBR pile?
For the past year and a half, I’ve been working toward my master’s degree, so my TBR pile is absolutely gargantuan.

price: $4.99
number of pages: 194
genre: fantasy
publisher: Decadent Publishing
release date: March 2011

buy links: http://www.decadentpublishing.com/product_info.php?manufacturers_id=26&products_id=226

Expert from Fallenwood:
Tears blinded her. She couldn’t stop and even the rough winds couldn’t scatter the wild thoughts that swirled in her mind—memories of her stepfather, words that people had said at his service, images of her mother and that stupid grin she wore—all she could do was run. Ashley was deeply wounded but was powerless to heal this kind of pain. She’d looked into the face of evil. Her feet hit the gravel, and the wind whipped at her face as she tried to outrun her anguish. She closed her eyes for a split second, and the wind stilled, and she stopped. Ashley looked around her. It had suddenly become night, and she was now in an unfamiliar part of the woods.

Book Tour Schedule:
January 16: Marianne Arkins
January 17: Judge Not By The Covers
January 18: All the Days Of
January 19: Where Fantasy and Love Take Flight
January 20: We Fancy Books
January 23: Reader Girls
January 24: Traditional Romance for Modern Women
January 25: The Character Connection
January 26: The Muse
January 27: Dawn's Reading Nook
January 30: Romance That's 'Out Of This World'
January 31: The Plot Thickens
February 1: Kacey's Kreations
February 2: Good Family Reads
February 3: Where Being Different Is Celebrated
Feburary 6: It's Raining Books
February 7: Book Briefs
February 8: My Odd Little World
February 9: Mother/Gamer/Writer
February 10: All Things Books

I love Audio books

I used to listen to tons of audio books.  I had a long commute to work and it made the time go past so quickly.  Sometimes I had to drive around the block an extra time to finish a chapter!

But since I have been home, I have not listened to one book.  I have been a quarter through ACROSS THE UNIVERSE by Beth Revis for maybe four months now.  I can’t really put my finger on the reason but it must be just that I don’t like having earphones on during my day.

So this weekend (in a wild online shopping spree – don’t tell my hubby) while browsing online, I found this little gadget.

It is a little iPod speaker.  LoL

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now I can plug in my iPod and listen to my books :)  I can’t wait for it to arrive!

So now I need recommendations for your favourite audio books.  Let me know, so I can begin stocking up for when my little angel arrives :)

In my Mailbox (33)

 

The holidays are over and hopefully things will now return to normal here on my blog from this week on.   2012 will be a full year and I am looking forward to reading lots of new books and authors.  Let’s start with a look at IN MY MAILBOX.

 

In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi over at The Story Siren every Sunday. It is a weekly meme that lets everyone see what books you have received in the mail or bought that week.

The following books are free on Amazon Kindle at the moment (please check before you click as it could change hourly – lol)  It is quite a varied selection – a mystery, a zombie book (yay) and the Holocaust.

    

NetGalley has been so kind to me again this week.  I was approved for the following.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What is in your mailbox this week?

Adding to my Wish List: Partials by Dan Wells

Partials by Dan Wells 
Release date:  28 February 2012

Another dystopian release just around the corner and what a beautiful cover. 

Goodreads blurb:
The human race is all but extinct after a war with Partials—engineered organic beings identical to humans—has decimated the population. Reduced to tens of thousands by RM, a weaponized virus to which only a fraction of humanity is immune, the survivors in North America have huddled together on Long Island while the Partials have mysteriously retreated. The threat of the Partials is still imminent, but worse, no baby has been born immune to RM in more than a decade. Our time is running out.
Kira, a sixteen-year-old medic in training, is on the front lines of this battle, seeing RM ravage the community while mandatory pregnancy laws threaten to launch what’s left of humanity into civil war, and she’s not content to stand by and watch. But as she makes a desperate decision to save the last of her race, she will discover that the survival of humans and Partials alike rests in her attempts to uncover the connections between them—connections that humanity has forgotten, or perhaps never even knew were there.
Dan Wells, acclaimed author of I Am Not a Serial Killer, takes readers on a pulse-pounding journey into a world where the very concept of what it means to be human is in question—one where our humanity is both our greatest liability and our only hope for survival.

In My Mailbox (32)

  In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi over at The Story Siren every Sunday. It is a weekly meme that lets everyone see what books you have received in the mail or bought that week.

 

I got this one from NetGalley – it sounds llike a fun read :)

 

I also got a review copy from an author – this one sounds just as much fun!

So two holiday reads for me this week – what is in your mailbox?

Paranormal Romance Challenge 2012

Here is where I will be reading 20 books that is anything but normal :)
 http://www.bittenbyparanormalromance.com/2012/01/2012-paranormal-romance-reading.html

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Just For Fun Reading Challenge 2012

I have joined this challenge where I am planning to read one book every month that is just for myself – no review requests – books read just for me :)

Here is the link to the my official challenge page, although I will also list here :)

http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/715956-chrizette-all-the-days-of

JANUARY

FEBRUARY

MARCH

APRIL

MAY

JUNE

JULY

AUGUST

SEPTEMBER

OCTOBER

NOVEMBER

DECEMBER

Happy New Year!!

Happy New Year everyone! 

May the year ahead be all that we wish for!