Posts Tagged: rockstar

HUNT THE STORM by Cassie Swindon Tour and Giveaway

17 Aug, 2021 by in Uncategorized Leave a comment

I am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the HUNT THE STORM by Cassie Swindon Blog Tour hosted by Rockstar Book Tours. Check out my post and make sure to enter the giveaway!

 

About the Book:

Title: HUNT THE STORM (Golden Chains Book 2)

Author: Cassie Swindon

Pub. Date: August 1, 2021

Publisher: Cassie Swindon

Formats: Paperback, eBook

Pages: 347

Find it: GoodreadsAmazonKindle

Raelyn Bell’s journey started in “Break the Stone,” the first novel in the Golden Chains series. After following the puzzle pieces and escaping dangerous threats, she discovered that her Ma has been alive all these years.

But learning that information came at a cost. In “Hunt the Storm,” Raelyn travels across the world to a desert with the goal to bring her Ma home. While dealing with the grief of what she had already lost, Raelyn pushes people away, including her boyfriend, Kody, who only wants to help and support her. An evil overlord in this foreign land stands in her way of saving Ma. Will Raelyn ever find the parent connection she has always searched for? Will her and Kody last through the obstacles they face in the desert?

Praise for BREAK THE STONE:
“I read Break the Stone as a preliminary beta reader. Even with an unpolished copy, I could not put it down. It’s a fantastic debut for new author Cassie Swindon, full of suspense and romance.” Anna Cackler

“This is a great book that will make you laugh, cry, and keep you in suspense! I’m definitely looking forward to reading the next book in this exciting trilogy!” Marcia Campbell

“This story will make you want to keep reading to til the end to find out what will happen. It’s a great book and you will not be disappointed. It does end in a cliffhanger but it’s well worth the read and you will want to read the next book just find out what will happen next.” Dianna Malone

“A fantastic read from a new author! The mystery and seduction that sucks you in and takes you for an emotional rollercoaster ride. There are many twists and turns that keep you guessing how it will end and leave you wanting more. You will fall in love with Raelyn and join her on the journey to find out what happened to her mother. This is the first book in a trilogy and I cannot wait for book 2.” Catherine Kroeger

“Every sentence Cassie writes serves a purpose, each paragraph is carefully detailed, and each scene leaves the reader grateful for the next chapter. With a strong supporting cast of characters, a deepening mystery, and relationships that both challenge and deepen our cultural understanding, Break the Stone is a fascinating and seductive story that will leave you wanting more!” Natalie Proudfoot


Grab BREAK THE STONE now! Free for Kindle Unlimited members!


Pre-order book 3 STOP THE CLOCK now!



About Cassie Swindon:

Cassie a fiction Indie author with three novels launching in May 2021, August 2021, November 2021. She lives in Raleigh, NC with her husband, two kids and somehow…4 cats. So, she’s surrounded by fur, legos, Disney music, costumes, and goldfish crackers. If she’s not writing or reading, she’s hiking, kickboxing or crafting.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads | Amazon | BookBub




Giveaway Details:

1 winner will receive a $10 Amazon GC courtesy of Rockstar Book Tours, International.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule:

Week One:

8/7/2021

BookHounds YA

Excerpt

8/7/2021

BookHounds

Instagram Post

Week Two:

8/8/2021

Review Thick And Thin

Review

8/8/2021

@review_thick_and_thin

Instagram Post

8/9/2021

Living in a Bookworld

Excerpt

8/10/2021

Rajiv’s Reviews

Review

8/10/2021

Rajiv’s Reviews

Instagram Post

8/11/2021

Books a Plenty Book Reviews

Review

8/12/2021

TLC Book Nook

Excerpt

8/13/2021

Lifestyle of Me

Review

8/14/2021

Jaimerockstarbooktours

Instagram Post

Week Three:

8/15/2021

The Momma Spot

Excerpt

8/16/2021

Reveal + Review

Review

8/17/2021

Fire and Ice

Review

8/18/2021

#BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee Blog

Excerpt

8/18/2021

bookreviewvirginialee

Instagram Post

8/19/2021

Two Chicks on Books

Excerpt


What Beauty There Is by Cory Anderson Tour and Author Interview

31 Mar, 2021 by in Uncategorized Leave a comment

 

Welcome to today’s spot on the WHAT BEAUTY THERE IS by Cory Anderson Blog Tour hosted by Rockstar Book Tours. Check out my post and make sure to enter the giveaway!

 

About The Book:

Title: WHAT BEAUTY THERE IS (What Beauty There Is #1)

Author: Cory Anderson

Pub. Date: April 6, 2021

Publisher: Roaring Brook Press

Formats: Hardcover, eBook, Audiobook

Pages: 368

Find it:  GoodreadsAmazon, Kindle, AudibleB&N, iBooks, Kobo, TBDBookshop.org

Pre-order your copy from The King’s English Bookshop and receive an EXCLUSIVE character art bookmark and autographed bookplate. 

An exhilarating, emotionally powerful and superbly written thriller that’s Winter’s Bone meets The Road

Winter. The sky is dark. It is cold enough to crack bones.

Jack Morton has nothing left. Except his younger brother, Matty, who he’d do anything for. Even die for. Now with their mother gone, and their funds quickly dwindling, Jack needs to make a choice: lose his brother to foster care, or find the drug money that sent his father to prison. He chooses the money.

Ava Bardem lives in isolation, a life of silence. For seventeen years her father has controlled her fate. He has taught her to love no one. Trust no one. Now Victor Bardem is stalking the same money as Jack. When he picks up Jack’s trail, Ava must make her own wrenching choice: remain silent or help the brothers survive.

Choices. They come at a price.

 WHAT BEAUTY THERE IS preorder giveaway! Preorder by April 5, 2021 to receive:

Two-sided art print by @Marymetzgr & @edvargasart

Pipstickers

Bookplate

Enamel pin—while they last!

 

About Cory:

Cory Anderson is a winner of the League of Utah Writers Young Adult Novel Award and Grand Prize in the Storymakers Conference First Chapter Contest. She lives in Utah with her family. What Beauty There Is is her debut novel.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads | Amazon

 






Giveaway Details:

2 winners will win a finished copy of WHAT BEAUTY THERE IS, US Only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule:

Week One:

3/29/2021

Kait Plus Books

Guest Post

3/30/2021

BookHounds YA

Interview

3/31/2021

Fire and Ice

Interview

4/1/2021

Stuck in the Stacks

Review

4/2/2021

Do You Dog-ear?

Review

 

Week Two:

4/5/2021

onemused

Review

4/6/2021

The Momma Spot

Review

4/7/2021

Books and Zebras @jypsylynn

Review

4/8/2021

booksareamagictoo

Review

4/9/2021

Book-Keeping

Review

 

 


Attend the launch party for What Beauty There Is! This free virtual event will be hosted by The King’s English!TKE presents ONLINE | Cory Anderson | What Beauty There Is

They will be giving away some fun book swag, including a $50 gift card to TKE for any books of your choice.


Author Interview

Can you tell us a little bit about the WHAT BEAUTY THERE IS and the characters?

The book follows Jack on a quest to find a suitcase of stolen money as he crosses paths with Bardem, the charismatic, merciless thief who’s hunting the same cash. Jack’s only hope comes in the form of Ava, who decides to help him. But Ava’s secret—that she’s Bardem’s daughter—guarantees devastation.


What are you working on now?

I’m writing the story of a teen girl seeking justice for her imprisoned brother. It is the story of someone driven to right a wrong. It is also an exploration of power and inequity.


Were any of the characters in the book inspired by people from your real life?

Ava and Jack both embody parts of me. Ava’s thinking is mine. Her strengths and her struggles. Then Jack, he’s willful like me, and this gets him in trouble. Writing their hopes and fears felt very familiar to me because their thoughts were intensely personal. Apart from that, Sheriff Doyle was inspired by my father. Like Doyle, he was law enforcement. He spent his life helping people. 


Who was your favorite character to write? What about your least favorite?

I adore Matty. He’s a kid who is easy to root for. He has this pure heart. I love his earnestness. My least favorite—I didn’t have one. I wrote this whole book, and never once did a character bore me. 


What is your favorite passages in WHAT BEAUTY THERE IS?

My favorite passages are Ava’s. These are the parts that I love the most, because they came from my life, so these are the parts that are most intimate and sacred to me. It was brutal to write them, but it was also beautiful. Like looking at old photographs of a loved one who you’ve lost. These passages are almost memory. I feel haunted by them.


What kind of research did you have to do for the story?

I did a lot of research on meth distribution and its impact on rural communities. I looked at the chain of trafficking. Meth is the biggest drug problem in Idaho. It is different from other drugs in that meth has an element of criminality that goes along with it: of abuse, and violence. The number of adult people incarcerated in Idaho is heartbreaking. Writing about its effect on teens and kids was important to me because they are the ones living with the bad choices of adults in their families. They are also the ones making a difference. They see the ruin meth causes and are choosing a different way forward. 


Who is your ultimate book boyfriend/girlfriend?

I just finished The Ones We’re Meant to Find by Joan He. So it is Hero.


What inspired you to write YA?

I sometimes hear people talk about YA as if it is somehow lesser. I couldn’t disagree more vehemently. Young people are complex and layered and amazing, and so should be their stories. I write for young adults because books mattered so much to me at their age. I feel like I have something to say to them. I also want to know what they think. I want to talk and have a conversation.

What are you reading right now? Or what do you have on your TBR that you’re dying to read?

On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous, by Ocean Vuong. It is on my nightstand.

LIGHTING ROUND


Instagram, Twitter or Facebook?

Instagram.


Favorite Superhero?

Black Widow.


Favorite TV show?

I recently loved The Undoing.


Sweet or Salty?

Salty.


Any Phobias?

Dirty dishes.

 
Song you can’t get enough of right now?

I could listen to all of Taylor Swift’s new album, but I’m particularly mad for “evermore.” 


2021 Movie you’re most looking forward to?

Candyman.

RISING STAR by Michele Kwasniewski Blog Tour and Giveaway

21 Jan, 2021 by in Uncategorized Leave a comment

 

I am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the RISING STAR by Michele Kwasniewski Blog Tour hosted by Rockstar Book Tours. Check out my post and make sure to enter the giveaway!

 

About The Book:

Title: RISING STAR

Author: Michele Kwasniewski

Pub. Date: October 20, 2020

Publisher: Rand-Smith LLC

Formats: Paperback, eBook

Pages: 268

Find it: GoodreadsAmazon, Kindle, B&N, iBooks, Kobo, TBD, Bookshop.org

In the first book in THE RISE AND FALL OF DANI TRUEHART series, RISING STAR, fifteen-year-old Dani Truehart is living a life that is not quite her own. Driven by her mother’s desire for fame and fortune, she has spent her childhood dutifully training for a career as a pop star. On the brink of discovery, doubts begin to creep into Dani’s mind as she questions her own desire for fame, and she wonders whether she can trust the motivations of the adults who are driving her forward.

Following a brilliant audition arranged by her vocal/dance coach and former ’80s pop icon Martin Fox, Dani is thrown full-force into the music industry. She leaves her friends, family and scheming mother behind to move with Martin, who has become her legal guardian, into the Malibu compound of her new manager, Jenner Redman. Jenner, the former swindling manager of Martin’s boy band, leverages what’s left of his depleted fortune to launch Dani’s career.

Isolated from her life at home and trying to stay apace with her demanding schedule, Dani struggles to keep in touch with those she loves, connect to her withholding mother and find her voice as an artist. With Martin and Jenner at odds over their rocky past and finding herself unprepared to handle the pressures of her future singing career, Dani’s debut album and future stardom are at risk of falling apart.

 

 

About Michele:

Michele Kwasniewski, is an entertainment industry insider who has seen what the Hollywood machine can do to people – having worked for many years in film and television production on such films and TV shows as Primal FearIndependence DayEvita, Face/OffBig Brother, and many TCL, HGTV, and Discovery series including: Meet the Pandas, Adoption Story, Wedding Story, and Extra Yardage. 

With her book, she shares the glamour and excitement of fame as well as the hard work it takes to achieve success and the price of living life in the public eye.  Everyone wants to be famous, but most people have no idea what that really means.  Michele has seen it firsthand.  She is an active member of the Producers Guild of America.

Michele’s colorful experiences in the industry inspired her to write THE RISE AND FALL OF DANI TRUEHART series. Michele lives in San Clemente, California with her husband, their son, and their disobedient dachshund. RISING STAR is her first novel.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | TikTok | Amazon | Goodreads

 


Giveaway Details:

3 lucky winners will win signed copy of RISING STAR & RISING STAR pencils, US Only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule:

Week One:

1/18/2021

Rockstar Book Tours

Kickoff Post

1/18/2021

JaimeRockstarBookTours

Instagram Post

1/19/2021

BookHounds YA

Interview

1/19/2021

BookHounds

Instagram Post

1/20/2021

Down The Rabbit Hole

Guest Post

1/20/2021

@booknerd84

Instagram Post

1/21/2021

A Dream Within A Dream

Guest Post

1/21/2021

Living in a Bookworld

Excerpt

1/22/2021

Books A-Brewin’

Guest Post

1/22/2021

Books A-Brewin’

Instagram Post

 

Week Two:

1/25/2021

The Scribe Owl

Review

1/25/2021

Three gals and plenty of books

Guest Post

1/26/2021

Wonder Struck

Review

1/26/2021

Jaime’s World

Excerpt

1/27/2021

The Phantom Paragrapher

Review

1/27/2021

The Phantom Paragrapher

Instagram Post

1/28/2021

Pine Enshrined Reviews

Review

1/28/2021

Two Chicks on Books

Excerpt

1/29/2021

Lifestyle of Me

Review

1/29/2021

Jotted by Jena

Excerpt


Treetops by Peter Bremer- Blog Tour and Giveaway

24 Sep, 2020 by in Uncategorized Leave a comment



Welcome to the TREETOPS by Peter Bremer Blog Tour hosted by Rockstar Book Tours. Check out my post and make sure to enter the giveaway!

About The Book:
Title: TREETOPS
Author: Peter Bremer
Pub. Date: September 18, 2020
Publisher: Peter Bremer
Formats: Paperback, eBook
Pages: 443
Find it: GoodreadsAmazon

What would you do if you lost the one thing that matters the most?

Teenager Jackie Ashmore is struggling with the passing of her mother and angry over a cross-country move to Minnesota when she receives an unexpected birthday present that opens up a remarkable fantasy world where creatures from the past and the present coexist. Aided by unlikely animal allies and an aging guardian named Nimbus, Jackie embarks on a desperate rescue mission to save her little brother Dustin who has been kidnapped by a hooded rider and stolen across the clouds. Forced to grow up, Jackie must overcome her own fears and navigate a strange land as she journeys towards a confrontation with a mysterious power named Samuel Flood, who is using the boy for his own hidden purposes. With time running out and unbearable losses mounting, Jackie faces ever tougher choices that will determine not only the fate of her brother, but possibly the Earth below as well.



About Peter Bremer:

Peter Bremer is a librarian at a small college in Minnesota and the author of almost a dozen published professional articles, none of which feature dragons or unicorns or impossibly tall trees. He lives with his wife and furry dog in a very small town and believes that the world, on average, is a far better place with more nature in it, not less.




Giveaway Details:
3 winners will receive a finished copy of TREETOPS, US Only.


Tour Schedule:
Week One:
9/14/2020
Excerpt
9/14/2020
Interview
9/15/2020
Instagram Post
9/15/2020
Excerpt
9/16/2020
Interview
9/16/2020
Instagram Post
9/17/2020
Excerpt
9/17/2020
Instagram Post
9/18/2020
Excerpt
9/18/2020
Instagram Post

Week Two:
9/21/2020
Excerpt
9/21/2020
Instagram Post
9/22/2020
Review
9/22/2020
Instagram Post
9/23/2020
Excerpt
9/23/2020
Instagram Post
9/24/2020
Review
9/24/2020
Excerpt
9/25/2020
Excerpt
9/25/2020
Review


THE JAKE RYAN COMPLEX by Bethany Crandell Cover Reveal and Giveaway

25 Jul, 2020 by in Uncategorized Leave a comment



Today Bethany Crandell, Montlake (Amazon), and Rockstar Book Tours are revealing the cover for THE JAKE RYAN COMPLEX, her new Women’s Fiction/RomCom Book which releases January 26, 2021! Check out the awesome cover and enter the giveaway!

On to the reveal! 



About the Book
Title: THE JAKE RYAN COMPLEX
Author: Bethany Crandell
Pub. Date: January 26, 2021
Publisher: Montlake (Amazon)
Formats: Paperback, eBook, Audiobook
Pages: 258

A teenage movie crush set her standards high. Now a real man needs to meet them. Fast.

Chicago obstetrician Mackenzie “Mac” Huntress set her standards for men very high early on. It’s been over twenty years since she fell for a fictional movie heartthrob, and Mac’s content to wait for the real version to come along; it’s her nagging mother who’s not happy with the timeline. So Mac falls back on her lifelong Mom-surviving skill—lying. The latest fabrication: a handsome neurologist named Michael. Pity he’s too busy to meet her friends and family. Problem solved.

But when Mac’s little sister announces her engagement, Mac is expected to introduce her elusive “plus-one” at the wedding, leaving her with only forty days to find a flesh-and-blood stand-in for the imaginary Michael. And the only potential Mr. Right comes with a big hitch.

However, it turns out Mac’s not the only one bringing secrets to the wedding. With expectations high, and shocking truths to be revealed, Mac’s left to find her own happy ending, which isn’t as simple as in the movies…though it’s definitely worth waiting for.

“The plot is as fun, nostalgic, and romantic as the 80’s inspired title implies. But there’s also an unexpected amount of depth and growth to the characters–especially within the complexities of the familial relationships–that elevates the story to a whole new level of relatable authenticity. I loved it and can’t wait for the world to read it!”- A.G. Howard #1 New York Times and International bestselling Author



About Bethany:
Bethany Crandell, author of the young adult novel, SUMMER ON THE SHORT BUS, lives in San Diego with her husband, teenage daughters, and two destructive puppies. THE JAKE RYAN COMPLEX is her first adult novel, though still carries the heart and humor of teenage exuberance. For more information, visit Bethany online at www.bethanycrandell.com, Facebook, Instagram, & Twitter @bethanycrandell.










Giveaway Details:
10 winners will receive an ARC of THE JAKE RYAN COMPLEX, US Only.



Scorpion Blog Tour and Giveaway

16 Jul, 2020 by in Uncategorized Leave a comment



Fire and Ice is hosting a spot on the SCORPION  by Jeff Sweat Blog Tour hosted by Rockstar Book Tours. Check out my post and make sure to enter the giveaway!

About the Book:
Title: SCORPION (Mayfly #2)
Author: Jeff Sweat
Pub. Date: June 23, 2020
Publisher: Feiwel and Friends
Formats: Hardcover, eBook
Pages: 432

In Scorpion, the sequel to Jeff Sweat’s YA futuristic thriller Mayfly, Jemma, Lady, and Pico all left the Holy Wood to seek answers to the End, and when they find the Old Guys—the only adults to have survived the original wipeout of everyone over the age of seventeen—they think they’ve found help at last.

But there’s a lot the Old Guys aren’t telling them. In fact, some of them don’t seem interested in solving the End at all and just want Jemma and her friends to leave. Meanwhile, war is brewing among the tribes of the rest of the Children. Jemma’s old home has fallen into disorder, and is far from prepared for battle. It won’t be long before the fighting reaches Jemma and the Old Guys, if they even live to see it.

Haven’t started the series yet? Grab book 1, MAYFLY now!


About Jeff:

Jeff Sweat has made a living from words his entire career, starting out as an award-winning tech journalist for Information Week magazine and moving into marketing.

He led the content marketing team for Yahoo and pioneered its use of social media. He directed PR for two of the top advertising agencies in the country, Deutsch LA and 72andSunny. He now runs his own Los Angeles–based PR and marketing agency, Mister Sweat.

He grew up in Idaho as the middle of eight children—seven boys and one girl—and attended Columbia University in New York. Jeff lives in a big blue house in Los Angeles with his wife Sunny and their three kids, two cats, and a racing greyhound.

He loves to travel and writes everywhere he goes, even when there’s not a desk. He likes karaoke, motorcycles and carpentry. He was once shot in the head with a nail gun, which was not a big of a deal as it sounds. But it still hurt like crazy.

Website | Twitter | Instagram | Amazon Author Page | Goodreads

Giveaway Details:
2 winners will receive a finished copy of SCORPION, US Only.


Tour Schedule:
Week One:
7/13/2020
Excerpt
7/13/2020
Instagram Stop
7/14/2020
Excerpt
7/14/2020
Excerpt
7/15/2020
Review
7/15/2020
Excerpt
7/16/2020
Review
7/16/2020
Excerpt
7/17/2020
Review
7/17/2020
Review

Week Two:
7/20/2020
Review
7/20/2020
Instagram Stop
7/21/2020
Interview
7/21/2020
Excerpt
7/22/2020
Interview
7/22/2020
Instagram Stop
7/23/2020
Review
7/23/2020
Review
7/24/2020
Review
7/24/2020
Review

Nocturne Blog Tour and Giveaway

05 Jun, 2020 by in Uncategorized 1 comment



I am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the NOCTURNE by Cheryl Mahoney Blog Tour hosted by Rockstar Book Tours. Check out my post and make sure to enter the giveaway!

About The Book:
Title: NOCTURNE (The Guardian of the Opera #1)
Author: Cheryl Mahoney
Pub. Date: June 5, 2020
Publisher: Stonehenge Circle Press
Pages: 300
Formats:  Paperback, eBook
Find it: Goodreads, Amazon

Set against the backdrop of 1880s Paris and the stunning Opera Garnier, The Guardian of the Opera: Nocturne brings you the familiar tale from a different direction. Meg Giry met the Phantom once when she was twelve years old, a new ballet dancer lost in the Opera’s maze. Years later, when an Angel of Music offers singing lessons to her best friend Christine Daaé, Meg is sure she knows what’s actually happening. But as strange events unfold and the pieces stop adding up, Meg has to wonder if she truly understands the Phantom—or Christine.

Erik is a man of many talents and many masks, and the one covering his face may be the least concealing. The opera house is his kingdom and his refuge, where he stalks through the shadows as the Phantom of the Opera, watching over all that occurs. He never intended to fall in love; when he does, it launches him into a new symphony he’s certain can only end in heartbreak.


About Cheryl:

Cheryl Mahoney lives in California and dreams of other worlds. She is the author of the Beyond the Tales quartet, retelling familiar fairy tales, but subverting expectations with different points of view and new twists to the tales. She is also a co-author of The Servants and the Beast, and its companion piece, After the Sparkles Settled. Cheryl loves exploring new worlds in the past, the future or fairyland, and builds her stories around characters finding their way through those worlds–especially characters overlooked or underestimated by the people around them.

She has been blogging since 2010 at Tales of the Marvelous (http://marveloustales.com). Her weekly Writing Wednesday posts provide updates about her current writing, including excerpts. She also posts regularly with book and movie reviews, and reflections on reading. She has been a member of Stonehenge Writers since 2012, and has completed NaNoWriMo seven times.

Cheryl has looked for faeries in Kensington Gardens in London and for the Phantom at the Opera Garnier in Paris. She considers Tamora Pierce’s Song of the Lioness Quartet to be life-changing and Terry Pratchett books to be the best cure for gloomy days.

Website | Twitter | Goodreads

Giveaway Details:
3 winners will win a finished copy of NOCTURNE, US Only.



Tour Schedule:
Week One:
6/1/2020
Guest Post
6/1/2020
Guest Post
6/2/2020
Guest Post
6/2/2020
Guest Post
6/3/2020
Interview
6/3/2020
Review
6/4/2020
Excerpt
6/4/2020
Excerpt
6/5/2020
Excerpt
6/5/2020
Instagram Post

Week Two:
6/8/2020
History from a Woman’s Perspective
Review
6/8/2020
Lifestyle of Me
Review
6/9/2020
Locks, Hooks and Books
Review
6/9/2020
She Just Loves Books
Review
6/10/2020
Jaime’s World
Excerpt
6/10/2020
Reese’s Reviews
Review
6/11/2020
The Phantom Paragrapher
Review
6/11/2020
A Dream Within A Dream
Guest Post
6/12/2020
Popthebutterfly Reads
Review
6/12/2020
A Gingerly Review
Review

Excerpt


Sometimes I believe the course of my life was set because I got lost one day when I was twelve years old. I got lost often that year, but only once that mattered.
I had first come to the Opera Garnier only three days before, and I defy anyone to learn that labyrinth of rooms and passages so quickly. It didn’t help being a girl from a small village, come to Paris with my mother just a week earlier. The city was bewildering, unimaginably bigger than my little village of Leclair. And the Opera was the heart and center of Paris, stranger and wilder and even more confusing.
I was supposed to be on my way to ballet practice. I was a petit rat, the lowest tier of society among the Opera’s performers. Madame Thibault the ballet mistress presided over us, and she did not tolerate tardiness. I didn’t want to be late. I desperately wanted to be at ballet practice—but I was lost.
Some wrong turn mixed me up somewhere, and from there I could only fly through the maze like a small ghost, unable to find the way back to my intended path. The Opera held too many similar corridors, with their polished marble floors, gilt paneled walls, and long arrays of mirrors. No space in the Opera was plain or generic, until the dizzying amount of detail, the carvings and the gold designs and the patterned grates overwhelmed me, so that I couldn’t pick out one familiar note in the crashing, thundering symphony of it all.
It felt equally impossible to ask for directions from anyone I passed, the looming scenechangers with gap-toothed grins or the elegant sopranos with their noses in the air. By the time I might have built up enough reckless courage to speak to someone, no one was left. I had got below ground level, probably not very far, but low enough for the halls to be deserted, low enough for it to feel cool despite the summer warmth above. I’d left behind the human smells of the upper corridors, the grease paint, perfume and cigar smoke. Down here the air smelled damp, reminding me of the fabled lake said to be even farther down. In stark and jarring contrast, these walls were plain, white-washed stone, unevenly lit by flickering gas lamps.
When I came to a bleak and empty dead-end, I gave up. I slid down to sit against the cold stone wall, one arm around my ankles and forehead against my knees. With my other hand I held tightly onto my small gold necklace, the barest of comforts in the desolation. My hair fell forward like a golden curtain around my face, blocking out the dismal, silent, baffling corridor. I half-believed that I would never get out, that I would die lost in the depths of the Opera.
Part of me found that the preferable option. To stumble in late to ballet practice would mean facing the ballet mistress’ mocking disapproval. She would hate me, the other girls would laugh at me, and my entire life, not to mention dancing career, would be over forever. I’d never earn any money to help Mother afford to stay in Paris, and we’d have to go back to Leclair where nothing would ever happen to me ever again.
So I sat in that dead-end corridor and cried.
“It can’t be as bad as all that.”
The voice that broke the silence was the most beautiful I had ever heard. Perhaps that was a strange adjective for a male voice, but it was a true one. It was a melodic voice, every syllable flowing smoothly into the next while the pronunciation stayed crisply clear. And it was a kind voice as well, sympathetic with a bracing amount of levity. It was a voice I would have had the courage to ask directions from, just a little earlier.
By now, the situation felt too far gone to be salvaged. Ballet practice would start within minutes; I couldn’t imagine getting there in time now even if I knew the way. So I just sobbed out, “I can’t find my way to practice and the ballet mistress is going to kill me.”
Only then did I lift my head to push my hair back, wipe my eyes and look at the man who had spoken. And then—sob catching in my suddenly tightening throat—then I got scared.
The other ballet girls had already taken great delight in telling me about Le Fantôme, the Phantom of the Opera, the specter who stalked the corridors, harbinger of death and disaster. I froze, staring at this strange figure so tall above me.
He was wearing the formal, all-black evening clothes the stories had promised. The legend also mentioned hands covered in blood, which his weren’t. His eyes weren’t the glowing yellow of the tales, but he did wear a molded white mask over the right side of his face in a more mysterious touch, while a broad-brimmed hat cast another layer of shadow.
A mask and evening clothes in the morning were unusual, but we were in an opera house. My instinct that he was the Phantom came from clues harder to define than a mask: a shroud of mystery surrounded him, from the swirling black cloak to the inexplicable way he seemed as much shadow as man, indistinct in the dim light, as though he was so used to blending in that he forgot to stop.
Somehow I thought of the Phantom at once, before he even had time to say, “In that case, I understand why you’re upset. There are many people I would rather cross than the ballet mistress.”
It was a sympathetic remark, made in that perfect voice, with a faint smile as well. However, my mother had warned me often enough not to trust strange men just because they smiled, and this one was stranger than most. “Who are you?” I gasped out, though I felt horribly sure that I already knew.
He fingered the brim of his hat, and I read thoughtfulness in his stance. “I am a sort of…guardian of the Opera,” he said at last, which only confirmed my worst fears. “You seem unfamiliar. Are you new?”
I could think of no answer that felt safe, so I chose the truth and said, “Yes.” In a way, everyone was new. The Opera Garnier had opened in January, and this was only June; I couldn’t imagine learning every face in six years, let alone a mere six months.
“I see. Old hands have no business getting lost, but when new it is difficult to avoid. I will help you.” And he extended one black-gloved hand.
My heart pounded in my chest so loudly he must have heard it, and my fingers tightened, wrapped around my legs. I stared at his hand, unmoving, for so long that he took it back again and said, “Not too new, I see, to have heard of the Phantom.”
So it was true, and only more terrifying that he admitted it. I looked up at his green eyes, at that mask, and squeaked, “Are you going to kill me?”
He crouched down, bringing his face nearly to my level, black cloak pooling around him. Closer now, I could see his eyes through the shadows, greener than anyone’s I had ever seen. “I will tell you a secret, but you mustn’t tell anyone else because it would ruin my reputation. I do not eat girls’ hearts. I have never drenched any walls in blood, at least not in this country. I cannot read minds or send nightmares, and—brace yourself, this one will be shocking—I am not actually a skeleton with glowing yellow eyes.”
He said it with such perfect solemnity that a giggle escaped me in spite of myself. It may have been slightly hysterical.
He nodded once. “I swear on Mozart, Beethoven, and Stradivari that if you come with me, you will reach ballet practice unharmed.”
When he extended his hand again, I took it. Even though I knew it was probably just a trick of voice, I was obscurely reassured by the vow—and I was also acutely conscious that he could kill me whether I went voluntarily or not.
His fingers closed around mine and he rose to his feet, drawing me up. For a supposed ghost, he had a warm and solid hand.
“One story that is true—I walk through walls.” He reached out to the wall behind me, and I turned my head in time to see a panel pivot out, revealing a dark space behind it. How many doors like that existed in the Opera, if one had happened to be right next to me all along?
He waved his hand through the air, a candle appearing between his thumb and forefinger. He lifted the candle and blew lightly over it. I was still noticing that he was a ghost who could breathe when the candle crackled to life with flame.
“How did you do that?” I asked, eyes widening.
His half-smile broadened. “Magic.” He stepped through the opening, candle illuminating a narrow tunnel of bare stones and wooden cross beams, more a space between walls than a proper passage.
Following him was either the bravest or most foolish thing I had ever done.
The Phantom guided me through endless turns and up a multitude of tight curved steps, the candle seeming to cast as much shadow as light. At first I walked stiffly, spine tingling with terrors, but slowly my breathing began to steady and my heartbeat to settle down, as we kept walking and he kept up a pleasant, if mostly one-sided, conversation.
He told me that the ballet mistress, though fearsome, had never actually murdered anyone. He advised me to stay away from the cellars, and if I got lost in the future I should keep going upstairs, never down. Some time when I wasn’t lost, I should go up to the roof to see the excellent view. He also told me I was not to worry if the ballet girls weren’t friendly at first, and I was never to feel that their opinion defined who I was, a statement that at the time seemed absurd and yet became remarkably comforting in later days.
I peeked at him when I dared, though with the shadows around us, the shadows cast by his hat, it was hard to see even his unmasked features. I thought he maintained a friendly expression throughout, rarely looking at me, focusing instead on the path ahead. I couldn’t hazard much of a guess at his age. No gray hair or stooped shoulders, definitely not an old man—but also definitely belonging to the foreign realm of mature adults that any people at least ten years older than me seemed to inhabit.
I had little time to contemplate. That dark walk didn’t last more than five minutes, though I would spend far more time remembering it. That day, he was soon reaching out to another wall. A movement of his fingers and a panel slid to the left. Beyond it, I could see a brightly-lit hallway, empty of people, full of the Opera’s characteristic decorations.
“Turn left, go right at the first intersection, and you should be just in time for ballet practice,” he said, handing me over the threshold.
I stepped out into the light, flexing my newly-released fingers. For feeling so reluctant to follow, I now felt strangely adrift to be sent back on my own. I hesitated, looked back at him in the shadows. “Thank you.” It felt inadequate.
He touched the brim of his hat in acknowledgement, stepped back a pace and vanished into the darkness. The wall slid shut, looking no different from every other panel in the corridor, as if it had never existed. As if he had never existed.
I tentatively reached out and touched the wall, patterned in pale blue with generous gold molding. Nothing moved, and I couldn’t even see a seam amidst the intricate design. I drew my hand back and shook my head, fuzzy, as though I’d just woken out of a remarkably vivid and extraordinary dream.
Here in the waking world, I still had to get to ballet practice, with no minutes to spare. At that thought I dashed off down the hall, spun right at the intersection, and arrived breathless at the mirrored practice room just ahead of my time.
The ballet mistress looked down her narrow nose at me as I came in the door. “Do save some breath for dancing, Mademoiselle Giry.”
But that was nothing; that was harmless. I was on time to take my position at the barre and she wasn’t angry with me, and besides—I had met the Phantom of the Opera and lived to tell the tale. In the afterglow of that, even Madame Thibault didn’t seem so terrifying.

He waited until the rapid beat of her footsteps faded around the corner, then turned to make his way through the narrow passage towards the nearest descending staircase.
He didn’t often intervene so directly. It wasn’t safe. But he found it hard to consider a crying little girl dangerous. She was small and alone. Before she lifted her head, he had thought she was even younger than she was. Helping her had seemed harmless enough—even amusing, to show off that candle trick. Mere sleight-of-hand, but enough to impress a Persian Sultana, and certainly good enough for a little ballet girl.
Nothing was ever unmixed though, and for all he had found the encounter pleasant, it hadn’t been without a pang. He hadn’t liked hearing the fear in her voice. Surprising, when it was exactly what he wanted, what he had spent these past months carefully composing.
He needed the fear. He needed the Opera Company to think that he was the dangerous one, so it wouldn’t occur to them that they, with their numbers and their confidence and their ability to cooperate, were the true dangers, the ones capable of hounding and harrying and hunting down the outcast in their midst.
He ran his fingertips along the rough wall of the passage, mere inches from the busy life on the other side.
Any attack would be more complicated than a raging mob with pikes; France was a civilized country, outside of her sporadic revolutions. But the result would be the same. The guillotine, or even worse—a cage. He was guilty of the crime of being different, the world had convicted him at birth, and he had ample precedent to suggest how they would sentence him.
But not while he possessed the Opera Garnier. Not while he was the Phantom of the Opera, stalking as ruler through its hidden passages, shadowed vaults and lofty catwalks. They would never catch him. They would never cage him.
Not again.
He would do whatever was necessary to ensure that. For all their melodramatic complaints, the Opera Company was happy enough to be occupying a haunted theatre—a high-quality ghost lent a certain prestige—and if Monsieur Poligny the manager was not so happy about paying a salary to a ghost, well…the man should have chosen more wisely than to marry a woman with his wife’s background. The Opera Ghost had recently obtained some very interesting information, and a little judicious blackmail should resolve any further issues with the management.
As for the little blonde girl, likely it would turn out for the best with her in the end. The ballet dancers and chorus girls loved telling tales about the Ghost, and they much preferred blood-curdling horror stories to ones about a helpful specter. She would be absorbed back into the anonymous crowd of little dancers, all much alike. It had been merely an educated guess that she was new—he didn’t really know every face, at least not yet. By the time she was telling the adventure to a dozen giggling friends, it would be about how the terrifying Phantom had nearly abducted her and she’d barely escaped with her life. He wouldn’t waste his time watching that conversation. He knew that was how it would go.
And it was better that way.

Fish Out of Water Blog Tour and Giveaway

21 Jan, 2020 by in Uncategorized Leave a comment


I am thrilled to be hosting a stop on the FISH OUT OF WATER by Jennifer Sommersby  Blog Tour hosted by Rockstar Book Tours! Check out my post and make sure to enter the giveaway!

About The Book:
Title: FISH OUT OF WATER: A Little Mermaid story (The Girl Without a Phone)
Author: Jennifer Sommersby
Pub. Date: December 6, 2019
Publisher: Young Actors Project (YAP)
Formats: Paperback, eBook
Pages: 272

Be who you were born to be …

Marina Andersen’s structured life is ruled by the Three S’s: Swim. Study. Succeed. But all this routine and order leaves little time for what she really wants to do: SING. Try telling that to her overbearing father, a former rock legend whose personal demons keep Marina’s extraordinary musical talents behind closed doors.

After a chance performance at school drops a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity—and a gorgeous young rocker—at Marina’s feet, she’ll have to decide what lengths she’s willing to go to in pursuit of the one thing that reminds her heart to beat.

While navigating the rough seas of managing her father’s expectations and finding her own voice, will Marina summon the courage to show her dad who she really is inside before their family is dashed like a galleon in a storm?

***

Brought to you by the hugely popular YouTube series, The Girl Without A Phone, from the Young Actors Project, in collaboration with YA novelist Jennifer Sommersby, Fish Out of Water is a timeless, heartwarming tale inspired by the beloved Little Mermaid. Join Marina—alongside friends Lily and Sierra—in this fresh new adventure meant to inspire the reader to find their own song.


Review: I enjoyed Fish out of Water, reading it one sitting, start to finish. Marina has a great support network of friends, mentors and extended family to help her navigate her father’s perfectionistic and overbearing control. I love that the author addressed grief and unhealthy dynamics of unresolved issues. I wish we would have seen more in depth interactions between the two love interests. We know they love each other, but it seemed to be wrapped up in a short time frame, with little insight as to why. We had a great opportunity to get a look into their dynamic, but we heard too much about Marina’s swimming career. I would love a follow up or added content which explores a differing point of view and added conversation between the MC and the main love interest. I also sometimes had a hard time telling Marina’s two best friends apart, feeling like we didn’t have a good grip of their differences. I finished in four hours. I appreciated the clean content and the changes which were beginning to surface in Marina’s relationship with her father. It’s a great, safe teen read. Content: sneaking out, child abuse triggers, kissing


About Jennifer:

I am a writer, copy/line editor, bibliophile, and mom of four living in the Great White North.

Represented by Victoria Doherty Munro at Writers House.

Romantic comedies under Eliza Gordon.










Giveaway Details: International
5 winners will receive an eBook of FISH OUT OF WATER, International.




Tour Schedule:
Week One:
1/20/2020
Excerpt
1/20/2020
Excerpt
1/21/2020
Excerpt
1/21/2020
Review
1/22/2020
Review
1/22/2020
Review
1/23/2020
Excerpt
1/23/2020
Review
1/24/2020
Review
1/24/2020
Review

Week Two:
1/27/2020
Review
1/27/2020
Review
1/28/2020
Excerpt
1/28/2020
Review
1/29/2020
Review
1/29/2020
Review
1/30/2020
Review
1/30/2020
Review
1/31/2020
Review
1/31/2020
Review




Scavenge the Stars Release Day Blitz and Giveaway

08 Jan, 2020 by in Uncategorized Leave a comment



I am so excited that SCAVENGE THE STARS by Tara Sim is available now and that I get to share the news!

If you haven’t yet heard about this wonderful book by Author Jewels Arthur, be sure to check out all the details below.

This blitz also includes a giveaway for 3 finished copies of the book, courtesy of Disney Hyperion and Rockstar Book Tours. So if you’d like a chance to win, enter in the Rafflecopter at the bottom of this post.

About The Book:
Title: SCAVENGE THE STARS (Scavenge the Stars #1)
Author: Tara Sim
Pub. Date: January 7, 2020
Publisher: Disney Hyperion
Formats: Hardcover, eBook, audiobook
Pages: 336

When Amaya rescues a mysterious stranger from drowning, she fears her rash actions have earned her a longer sentence on the debtor ship where she’s been held captive for years. Instead, the man she saved offers her unimaginable riches and a new identity, setting Amaya on a perilous course through the coastal city-state of Moray, where old-world opulence and desperate gamblers collide.

Amaya wants one thing: revenge against the man who ruined her family and stole the life she once had. But the more entangled she becomes in this game of deception—and as her path intertwines with the son of the man she’s plotting to bring down—the more she uncovers about the truth of her past. And the more she realizes she must trust no one…

Packed with high-stakes adventure, romance, and dueling identities, this gender-swapped retelling of The Count of Monte Cristo is the first novel in an epic YA fantasy duology, perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas, Sabaa Tahir, and Leigh Bardugo.

Excerpt:


Revenge. It was a simple word when spoken out loud, but it was so much bigger, like the hidden city under the atoll. It was a word of fire and blood, of a knife’s whisper and the priming of a pistol.

It was a word that consumed her, filled her entire being until she knew that she could no longer be Silverfish. Silverfish’s will was to survive, to simply make it to the next day, and hopefully the day after that. But that was no longer her will.

Now it was revenge.

Captain Zharo. Kamon Mercado. Moray.

They would all pay.


About Tara:

Tara Sim is the author of SCAVENGE THE STARS (Disney-Hyperion) and the TIMEKEEPER trilogy (Sky Pony Press) and writer of all things magic. She can often be found in the wilds of the Bay Area, California.

When she’s not writing about mischievous boys in clock towers, Tara spends her time drinking tea, wrangling cats, and occasionally singing opera. Despite her bio-luminescent skin, she is half-Indian and eats way too many samosas.

Tara is represented by Victoria Marini at Irene Goodman Literary Agency.



Giveaway Details:
3 winners will receive a finished copy of SCAVENGE THE STARS, US only.

Giveaway ends February 14th at midnight EST.


Heir of Lies Blog Tour and Giveaway

07 Jan, 2020 by in Uncategorized Leave a comment


I am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the HEIR OF LIES blog tour by Mallory McCartney, hosted by Rockstar Book Tours! Check out my post and make sure to enter the giveaway!


About The Book:
Title: HEIR OF LIES (Black Dawn #1)
Author: Mallory McCartney
Pub. Date: April 21, 2020
Publisher: MM Books
Formats: Hardcover, Paperback, eBook
Pages: 397

“Hope was a dangerous thing. It could consume every dream and make them take flight, becoming wild daydreams in one’s heart and mind. Or hope could incinerate everything you thought you knew, burning you down to your core, leaving you raw and exposed for the world.”

Emory Fae has only known one thing—life at The Academy, a school for those who have special abilities. Following in her parents’ footsteps, the pressure to uphold their dream falls on her and one of her best friends—Adair Stratton. An outcast and feared by most, Adair longs to break away from the expectations dictating his future. With whispers of dark magic spreading across Kiero, Adair starts to doubt The Academy is all it seems.

An unexpected visit ignites new tensions as the roguish king from across the Black Sea, Tadeas Maher of the Shattered Isles, and his heir, Marquis Maher, sail to Kiero. Notorious for their pirating and wrath, for the first time in years, they demand the Faes listen to their proposition for a new treaty. Caught in the middle of politics, Adair and Emory, with the help of their best friends Brokk and Memphis, search for the one thing that matters the most—the truth.

Their world is tipped upside down as unlikely alliances are made, and war ravages Kiero. Through the throes of betrayal, lies, hidden magic, and love, Adair is faced with a life changing decision. Will he fight or bow to the darkness within?
But, Adair’s decision will change the course of Kiero forever, setting in motion irreversible destinies for everyone at The Academy as Emory Fae rises as heir.

Heir of Lies is the first book in the bestselling Black Dawn series.

The Black Dawn series is re- releasing and “Heir of Lies” (book one) is coming April 21 2020! This edition will have an exclusive map and bonus content!

Review
Heir of Darkness is a magical fantasy written from several points of view of students attending the academy for desolates and gifted students. Shapeshifters, fae and royalty form a tight group of friends who become divided by political unrest and familial loyalty. The plot is action packed and picks up from the very beginning. About halfway through it carries a darkness and moderate violence. I enjoyed the richness of the world and the unique abilities of each character, but had a bit of trouble keeping track of each MC since they all have a love interest in the same young lady. Perhaps, if more detail had been introduced about each person would have helped before jumping into their internal dialogue and thoughts. It becomes a bit tricky to juggle what is going on while trying to tease out who is who. Overall, the author held my interest with some world elements similar to Julie Kagawa’s. I’ve always been a fan of fae.

About Mallory:


Mallory McCartney currently lives in Sarnia, Ontario with her husband and their three dachshunds Link, Lola and Leonard. When she isn’t working on her next novel or reading, she can be found day dreaming about fantasy worlds and hiking. Other favorite pastimes involve reorganizing perpetually overflowing bookshelves and seeking out new coffee and dessert shops.












Giveaway Details:

One lucky winner will receive a $10 Amazon Gift Card, International.



Tour Schedule:
Week One:
12/16/2019
Excerpt
12/17/2019
Excerpt
12/18/2019
Excerpt
12/19/2019
Review
12/20/2019
Review


Week Two:
12/23/2019
Excerpt
12/24/2019
Excerpt
12/25/2019
Excerpt
12/26/2019
Excerpt
12/27/2019
Review


Week Three:
12/30/2019
Review
12/31/2019
Review
1/1/2020
Review
1/2/2020
Excerpt
1/3/2020
Excerpt

Week Four:
1/6/2020
Review
1/7/2020
Review
1/8/2020
Review
1/9/2020
Review
1/10/2020
Review

Week Five:
1/13/2020
Review
1/14/2020
Review
1/15/2020
Review
1/16/2020
Review
1/17/2020
Review