Blog Tour: The Botanist

The Botanist by AUTHOR
Age Group: Adult
Genre: Mystery
Release Date: March 31, 2015
Buy Links:

Amazon ♥ B & N

Book Description:

In the heat of the desert, Detective Cody Oliver inadvertently stumbles upon a strange garden adorned with exotic flowers. 

Upon closer inspection, he finds the garden is but a cover for the scores of bodies buried below. Soon, the small town of Mt. Dessicate plunges into chaos as journalists, reporters, and cameramen from across the nation descend upon the tiny, desert town to get a piece of the action.

Along with the media, a mysterious woman appears. She may be the only person who has come face to face with the killer, dubbed the Botanist, and lived to tell the tale. 

If Cody can't piece together a timeline of the land the crime scene is located on, decipher how the woman's mysterious past is connected to the killer, and bring the Botanist to justice, he may lose the people he values most.

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Creating Believable Character Relationships

By L.K.Hill

As writers, we often talk about creating believable characters, but creating believable character relationships is a whole new level of difficult.

You have to start by creating two (or more) believable characters, which means they need to be flawed, human, well-rounded, and captivating. That’s a whole other discussion, but once this is done, you have to get your characters to interact in a way that’s not only believable, but also compelling to your readers.

The short answer is that the relationships have to be gripping, real, and believable. But how do you go about making them so?

There are three things that allow characters to interact believably. If all of these elements are present, your character relationships will be nearly flawless. (There are many kinds of character relationships: romantic and platonic, friend and enemy, strangers and familial. I’ll try to apply to all types.)

Book Blitz: The Ark

The Ark by Laura Liddell Nolen
Age Group: Young Adult
Genre: Science Fiction
Release Date: March 26, 2015
Buy Links:

Amazon ♥ B & N

Book Description:

There’s a meteor headed for Earth, and there is only one way to survive.

With her criminal record, sixteen-year-old Char is never going to get a place on an Ark, one of the five massive bioships designed to protect Earth’s survivors. The Arks are reserved for the real goody-goodies, like Char’s mom, dad, and brother, all of whom have long since turned their backs on her.

With Earth on the brink of destruction, Char must use all her tricks of the trade to swindle her way into outer space, where she hopes to reunite with her family, regardless of whether they want to see her or not.

Once she arrives on the North American Ark, Char discovers that the remnants of humanity haven’t achieved the egalitarian utopia they’d planned for. For starters, the “Officers of the Peace” are anything but peaceful, especially since stealing a spot on an Ark is a crime punishable by death…


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Excerpt:

On the last day of Earth, I couldn’t find my hairbrush. That probably seems like a silly thing to worry about, what with the imminent destruction of, well, everything, but my mom was always after me about my usual ratty ponytail. Normally, I’d ignore her. Or, if I were having a really bad day, I’d tell her what she could do with her hairbrush. But like I said, it was the last day of Earth. And I figured, since it was the last time she’d ever see me, I wanted it to go smoothly. I wanted her to remember me, if not fondly, then at least without anger. A girl can dream.

I slipped out of my cell as soon as the door swung open. I’d done the same every day for the past month, and my family had yet to show up. Their OPT—Off-Planet Transport—took off in eighteen hours, so they still had time. Barely. I couldn’t blame them if they didn’t come. It wasn’t hard to imagine that they’d rather escape to the stars without so much as a backward glance at me, their big disappointment. Even my father’s influence couldn’t persuade the government to give me a spot on an OPT.

Turns out, when humankind is deciding which of its children to save, the last place it looks is in prison. But I was pretty sure they’d come. West had said as much in his last transmission. The thought of my younger brother actually halted me mid-step, like one of those punches in the gut where you can’t breathe for a few seconds.

“Looking for something?” The lazy drawl floated out of the nearest cell.

Against my better instincts, I turned to see Cassa lying on her bunk, her arm draped across Kip. My Kip. Or at least, my ex-Kip. Whatever. In twenty-two hours, I wouldn’t have to think about him anymore.

Book Blitz: Exposed: Laid Bare (Laid Bare #1)

Exposed: Laid Bare (Laid Bare #1) by S.R. Grey
Age Group: Adult
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Release Date: April 5, 1015
Buy Links:

Amazon

Book Description:

A sexy novella where things are not always as they appear. Enter the Laid Bare world only if you dare.

There’s something about Lucien Chambers. Something beyond his amazing success, his good looks, and his uncanny ability to turn everything he touches to gold.

In the eyes of the world, Lucien is a sexy and savvy business man. But when a naïve photographer, Dahlia Vaughn, is hired to take pictures of the hot entrepreneur, she discovers Mr. Chambers may be much more than what he seems.

Volume 1 of the Laid Bare novellas



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Excerpt:

Just as I was taking in a sweeping gaze of the most magnificent Christmas party I’d ever attended, someone snuck up behind me and whispered in my ear, “You are such a little bitch, Dahlia.”

“Veronica,” I huffed, annoyed.

I tried to spin around to confront my verbal assailant—who also happened to be my best friend and cousin who delighted in driving me crazy—but before I could get my bearings, Veronica’s delicate, slender fingers slid over my eyes.

Everything went black, but the smells and sounds of the holidays were still all around me. Eggnog and cinnamon scents punctuated the air, and the comforting lull of classic holiday tunes filled my ears.

Book Blitz: Fools Rush

Fools Rush by Ciara Knight
Age Group: Adult
Genre: Historical
Release Date: April 15, 2015
Buy Links:

Amazon

Book Description:

To avert an impending life of servitude, Bethany Cook seeks freedom on a wagon train bound for gold country. 

Disguised as a young boy she secures work as a travel companion with Thomas Nolan, a rich New Yorker who is on his own quest to distance himself from the nightmare of a fraudulent marriage.

A cross-country journey by Thomas’ side proves more difficult than Bethany anticipated when he becomes obsessed with her true identity—the golden haired beauty he shared one night of passion with. 

Bethany attempts to confess the truth, but a bounty hunter exposes her as a devious woman that lied to Thomas for months for her own evil gain. Her life and her heart now rest in the hands of Thomas, who must decide if he can forgive and marry her or leave her to the fate she’s brought upon herself.


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Excerpt:

He cleared his throat and took on a stern tone. “Listen, I don’t mean to sour your taste for marriage. All I’m saying is, don’t make the same mistakes I did. You’ve been a hard worker and you’re probably the first person I’ve trusted besides Charlie, Henry, and his wife in a long time. Forget the gold, come work on my ranch. You can live in the main house and cook. I’ll treat you like a son.”

“No.” Her breath hitched. Lying in this wagon for one night was enough to melt a girl’s resolve. Besides, she wouldn’t be able to keep up this deception much longer. “I’m off to make my own fortune.”

“I won’t hurt you. It’s obvious your pa was a drunk and used a switch often, but I would never.”

Bethany’s head swarmed with images of a happy home, of confessing the truth and falling into his arms this night.

Book Blitz: Bittersweet

Bittersweet by AUTHOR
Age Group: Young Adult
Genre: Romance
Release Date: March 21, 2015
Buy Links:

Amazon ♥ B & N

Book Description:

Every Sunday Savannah Ray gets an email from her dead dad. She doesn’t know how the emails work and she doesn’t mind either as she’s not ready to let go. 

Now that her mom is fed up of her rebellious behavior, she has to go to the one place she swore she’d never set foot in after he died—Haunted Valley, the amusement park. 

Once there and bullied by co-workers & customers, she is distracted by the charming Dallas and falls hard for him. But Savannah and Dallas both hold secrets that threaten their new relationship. Will Haunted Valley help her move on, or will it destroy her from the inside out?



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Excerpt:

On Monday, Becca sent me to the Headless Horseman. The ride sucked. Especially during the last two weeks of May. School days. The ride stayed mostly empty except for teenage boys who thought it was the one ride in the park where they didn’t have to follow the rules. They laughed when I stopped the ride and kicked them off.

I approached one guy who’d been goofing off. He had a Twins cap on backwards and would probably be cute if he wasn’t my current source of annoyance.

“You can’t stand on the saddle. I thought I made that clear when I said no standing during the ride.” He grinned at his friends, climbed off the horse, and stood about six inches from me.

“Yeah, what are you going to do about it? Kick me out?”

“Not from the park, but you’ll have to leave the ride.”

He looked at me for a second and shook his head. Then he spat on my shoe. Bright cotton candy blue spit on my almost-new white shoes. So gross. I knew the right thing to do. I should walk away, call security, and let them deal with him. I knew that. But for some reason I couldn’t help myself.

Promotional Event: Narvla's Celtic New Year

Narvla's Celtic New Year by Therese Gilardi
Age Group: Young Adult
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Release Date: April 6, 2015
Buy Links:

Amazon

Book Description:

Narvla’s life is as precisely choreographed as the routines that have made her a national step-dancing champion. She has a loyal best friend, a devoted boyfriend, and a lock on admission to her dream college, the University of Notre Dame - until her mother is named U.S. 

Ambassador to Ireland, and her life unravels. First Narvla receives a disturbing picture of her boyfriend and her best friend. Then she struggles to qualify for the Irish elite step-dancing squad, and her grades plummet.

But the biggest obstacle in Narvla’s new life is Dublin Boy, a cheeky musician with a disdain for academics and a distrust of Americans. 

Although Narvla is upset when she’s paired with Dublin Boy for the most important semester of her life, her real concern is the growing attraction she feels toward him. As the Celtic New Year unfolds, Narvla is pushed to abandon her lifelong need for control and embrace the charm of the unexpected.

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Excerpt:

The plane hits the ground so hard I’m not sure the pilot’s going to be able to stick the landing. As my seatbelt cuts into my stomach, he says, “Cead mile failte. A hundred thousand welcomes to Ireland”. Everyone around me claps.

On the edge of the runway the limousine the embassy sent is waiting for us. My mother is the new U.S. Ambassador to Ireland. That’s why I’m here in Dublin instead of back home in Connecticut, hanging out with Derek and Gabby when I’m not practicing for another step dancing competition. I follow Mom to the limo.

I stretch out across the leather seats as we ride along narrow, curvy roads, past tiny pubs and squat houses whose front doors open onto the sidewalk. Every few minutes our driver stops at a traffic light, and people peer into the car. Mom opens her window and waves. Most people wave back or smile, although a few just stare. Finally we arrive at an enormous park in the middle of the city, where we pass under an archway, through a black iron gate, and up a long driveway.

The U.S. Ambassador’s Residence looks like The White House. Tall French windows open onto a long terrace and a lawn that could double as a golf course. There are lots of chimneys, which I hope means lots of fireplaces, and dozens of rose bushes in large white planters. I wonder if I’m going to need a map to find my way around, since the house is the type of building that doesn’t just have floors, it has wings. An American flag so big it can probably be seen from the United States flutters on the roof.

Review: Day 21 (The Hundred #2)

Day 21 (The Hundred #2) by Kass Morgan
Age Group: Young Adult
Genre: Dystopia, Science Fiction
Release Date: September 16, 2014
Buy Links:

Amazon

Book Description:

No one has set foot on Earth in centuries -- until now.

It's been 21 days since the hundred landed on Earth. They're the only humans to set foot on the planet in centuries...or so they thought. Facing an unknown enemy, Wells attempts to keep the group together. 

Clarke strikes out for Mount Weather, in search of other Colonists, while Bellamy is determined to rescue his sister, no matter the cost. And back on the ship, Glass faces an unthinkable choice between the love of her life and life itself.

In this pulse-pounding sequel to Kass Morgan's The 100, secrets are revealed, beliefs are challenged, and relationships are tested. And the hundred will struggle to survive the only way they can -- together.

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I’m speechless.

I am absolutely loving The 100 series by Kass Morgan. Day 21 was the perfect follow up to book one. I loved learning more about the earthbounds. Sasha has me smitten. I find her to be refreshing and playful and I absolutely love the side of Wells that she brings out.

But before I get all “ship” happy, which by the way I totally am with this book, there are so many plot filled things to mention. Day 21 was super-sized on the plot. We learn so much about the characters in this book that my head is spinning.

I kind of wish I wasn’t currently at work so I could start book three because oh my god, drama! I wasn’t Wells’ biggest fan in book one. But I liked him a lot more in this story. I also liked learning more about what things were like for him on the Colony and how his past is tangled with the other characters.