Book Bltz & Giveaway: Nora & Kettle by Lauren Nicolle Taylor

Monday, February 29, 2016


Nora & Kettle
Lauren Nicolle Taylor
Published by: Clean Teen Publishing
Publication date: February 29th 2016
Genres: Historical, Young Adult
What if Peter Pan was a homeless kid just trying to survive, and Wendy flew away for a really good reason?
Seventeen-year-old Kettle has had his share of adversity. As an orphaned Japanese American struggling to make a life in the aftermath of an event in history not often referred to—the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II and the removal of children from orphanages for having “one drop of Japanese blood in them”—things are finally looking up. He has his hideout in an abandoned subway tunnel, a job, and his gang of Lost Boys.
Desperate to run away, the world outside her oppressive brownstone calls to naïve, eighteen-year-old Nora—the privileged daughter of a controlling and violent civil rights lawyer who is building a compensation case for the interned Japanese Americans. But she is trapped, enduring abuse to protect her younger sister Frankie and wishing on the stars every night for things to change.
For months, they’ve lived side by side, their paths crossing yet never meeting. But when Nora is nearly killed and her sister taken away, their worlds collide as Kettle, grief stricken at the loss of a friend, angrily pulls Nora from her window.
In her honeyed eyes, Kettle sees sadness and suffering. In his, Nora sees the chance to take to the window and fly away.
Set in 1953, NORA AND KETTLE explores the collision of two teenagers facing extraordinary hardship. Their meeting is inevitable, devastating, and ultimately healing. Their stories, a collection of events, are each on their own harmless. But together, one after the other, they change the world.
EXCERPT:
I snort, push my sleeves up, and lean back on my forearms. She watches me, her eyes on my bare skin, and I wonder what she’s thinking. “Dances. Really? What’s to miss?” My experience with dances was one forced event in the camps where we watched the grownups awkwardly shift in lines to scratchy music. It didn’t look very enjoyable.
She releases the button she’s been playing with and smirks. “Says someone who’s clearly never been to one.”
“How do you know that?” I say, raising an eyebrow and touching my chest, mock offended.
She laughs. It’s starlight in a jar. I blink slowly. “Oh, I can tell just by looking at you, the way you move. You,” she says, pointing at me accusingly. “Can’t dance.”
The candlelight twinkles like it’s chuckling at me. “I can dance,” I say, not sure why I’m lying to defend myself. I’ve never danced in my life.
She stands up and beckons me with her finger, and I think there’s something wrong with my heart. It’s hurting… but the pain feels good.
She looks like a pirate’s cabin boy, shirt billowing around her small waist, ill-fitting pants rolled over at her hips to stop them from falling down. She points her bare foot at me. “Prove it!”
Shit!
I cough and stand nervously. I don’t know what to do with my hands, so I put them behind my back. She giggles. Touches me. Runs her fingers lightly down my arms until she finds my hands. She grasps my wrists and I gulp as she places one on the small dip between her hips and her ribs, extending the other out like the bow of a boat. Her hand in mine.
I follow her small steps and we wind in circles, avoiding the clumps of debris, painting patterns in the dust.
I stare at my socks and her narrow bare feet, listening to the swish of them across the dirt. “You know, this is pretty weird without music,” I mutter, looking up for a moment and suddenly losing my balance.
She exhales and brings us back to equilibrium. She starts humming softly. It’s a song I’ve heard before, but I pretend it’s the first time. Her voice is sweet, cracked and croaky, but in tune as she gazes at the ground and leads us up and down the back of the tunnel.
This moment is killing me. I don’t want it, but I do. Because I know it won’t be enough and it’s all I’ll get.
The end of the song is coming. It rises and rises and then softly peters out. We look at each other, understanding that something is changing between us, and we have to decide whether to let it. Please, let it.
She sings the last few bars. “And if you sing this melody, you’ll be pretending just like me. The world is mine. It can be yours, my friend. So why don’t you pretend?”
Her voice is like the dust of a comet’s tail. Full of a thousand things I don’t understand but want to.
She stops and starts to step away. She’s so fragile. Not on the outside. On the outside, her body is strong, tougher than it should have to be. It’s inside that’s very breakable. I’m scared to touch her, but I don’t want to avoid touching her because of what she’s been through. That seems worse.
So I do it, because I want to and I don’t think she doesn’t want me to. Her breath catches as I pull her closer. I just want to press my cheek to hers, feel her skin against mine. There is no music, just the rhythm of two barely functioning hearts trying to reach each other through miles of scar tissue.
She presses her ear to my chest and listens, then she pulls back to meet my eyes, her expression a mixture of confusion and comfort. She breathes out, her lips not wanting to close but not wanting to speak. She settles on a nervous smile and puts her arms around my neck. I inhale and look up at the ceiling, counting the stars I know are up there somewhere, and then rest my cheek in her hair.
I don’t know how she is here. I don’t know when she’ll disappear.
We sway back and forth, and it feels like we might break. That we will break if we step apart from each other.
I can’t let her go.
I think I love dancing.


Author Bio:
Lauren Nicolle Taylor lives in the lush Adelaide Hills. The daughter of a Malaysian nuclear physicist and an Australian scientist, she was expected to follow a science career path, attending Adelaide University and completing a Health Science degree with Honours in obstetrics and gynaecology.
She then worked in health research for a short time before having her first child. Due to their extensive health issues, Lauren spent her twenties as a full-time mother/carer to her three children. When her family life settled down, she turned to writing.
She is a 2014 Kindle Book Awards Semi-finalist and a USA Best Book Awards Finalist.

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Cover Reveal & Giveaway: Water's Wrath (Air Awakens #4) by Elise Kova

Friday, February 26, 2016

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Featured & Follow Friday #19: Ten Reasons You Read Your Favorite Genre

 
 
THE FUTURE & FOLLOW IS HOSTED BY TWO HOSTS, PARAJUNKEE OF PARAJUNKEE'S VIEW AND ALISON OF ALISON CAN READ. EACH HOST WILL HAVE THEIR OWN FEATURE BLOG AND THIS WAY IT’LL ALLOW US TO SHOW OFF MORE NEW BLOGS.
 
 
 
HOW DOES THE #FF WORK?
  • The goal is to increase blog followers, make friends and have something to post.
  • You create your own post using the post prompt.
  • You leave your link and thumbnail in the linky list that links back to your post prompt.
  • Once you have your post up and linked, visit other posts and tell them hi. The point is to FOLLOW them not just comment.
  • If you see a post that just hit it to the moon, or just want to show appreciation to a fellow blogger friend, like their name on the linky list to show some appreciation.
  • The person with the most likes gets chosen as the next Feature (you can be chosen every 90 days unless we are in need of features)
  • It is required that if you participate that you have to follow the FEATURE. It is a big no-no to participate and ignore the feature. They are the special snowflake in this little blizzard.
  • As a participant it is up to your discretion on how you want people to follow. Please post RSS, GFC etc if you have a follow of choice.
 
Specific RULES
  • Put your Blog name & URL in the Linky thing. You can also grab the code if you would like to insert it into your posts.
  • Grab the button up there and place it in a post, this post is for people to find a place to say “hi” in your comments and that they are now following you.
  • If you are using WordPress or another CMS that doesn’t have GFC (Google Friends Connect) state in your posts how you would like to be followedFollow Follow Follow as many as you can, as many as you want, or just follow a few. The whole point is to make new friends and find new blogs. Also, don’t just follow, comment and say hi. Another blogger might not know you are a new follower if you don’t say “HI”
  • Follow Follow Follow as many as you can, as many as you want, or just follow a few. The whole point is to make new friends and find new blogs. Also, don’t just follow, comment and say hi. Another blogger might not know you are a new follower if you don’t say “HI”
  • If someone comments and says they are following you, be a dear and follow back. Spread the Love…and the followers
 
 
 
The Post Prompt:

Ten Reasons You Read Your Favorite Genre?

submitted by Parajunkee
 
 
 
 
My Answer:
 
I do read a lot of mix genre's but my all time favorite genre is YA Urban Fantasy or Paranormal Romance!
 
 
 
 
1. I love the different types of paranormal and magical creatures you get introduce in a paranormal or urban fantasy world.
 
 
 
 
2. The three different time periods were these genre can be set in historical, modern, or futuristic periods. I especially love the historical time period!
 
 
 
 
3. Forbidden Romance. The romance between two main characters who are madly in love with each other but there love is strictly  forbidden. I especially love to read a when different magical or paranormal creatures fall in love.
 
 
 
 
4. Love Triangles. I know I am in the less majority but I absolutely love and don't mind love triangles. I love too read the two different characters who is trying to win the love of the main female/male character. I love to read who is truly the right one for the main character.
 
 
 
5. Special Hidden Powers. When a main character find out that they have a special hidden power that they never now the had to begin with. It is a A+ for me that I would have never guess that the main character had that special hidden power. 
 
 
 
6. Boarding School or High School Setting. It is really nostalgic to  me to read this genre in a school setting. It really brings me back some great memories for me when I was in High School.   
 
 
 
7.  The Coming Of Age. The growth of the main character coming into adult hood always fascinates me. To read them learn and grow up too a strong mature adult.
 
 
 
 
8. The struggle the main character goes through with there hidden special powers. I absolutely love to read when the struggle with the main character have with there powers at first but quickly learn fast how to use them probably.
 
 
 
 
9. The Battle Of Good vs. Evil. I never get tire reading books with a great battle scene between Good vs. Evil in urban fantasy or paranormal romance. I really love to read the actions in a battle scenes in a novels. 
 
 
 
 
10. The Villains. Almost all the books I read with my favorite genre have the most evil, cold hearted and vile villains ever, that it really makes my skin crawl when I reading about them. But I absolutely and utterly love reading about them!
 
 
 
How About You?
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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Review: Holding Court by K.C. Held

Thursday, February 25, 2016

 
Title: Holding Court
 
Series: Stand-Alone
 
Author:  K.C. Held
 
Genre: Young Adult, Mystery, Romance
 
Published Date: March 1st 2016 by Entangled Teen
 
Format: e-arc
 
Source: I received this arc by the publisher  Entangled Teen  in exchanged for an hones review.
 
Rating:  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Sixteen-year-old Jules Verity knows exactly what's in store at her new job at castle-turned-dinner-theater Tudor Times. Some extra cash, wearing a fancy-pants dress, and plenty of time to secretly drool over the ever-so-tasty--and completely unavailable--Grayson Chandler. Except that it's not quite what she imagined.

For one, the costume Jules has to wear is awful. Then there's the dead body she finds that just kind of...well, disappears. Oh, and there's the small issue of Jules and her episodes of what her best friend calls "Psychic Tourette's Syndrome"--spontaneous and uncontrollable outbursts of seemingly absurd prophecies.

The only bright side? This whole dead body thing seems to have gotten Grayson's attention. Except that the more Jules investigates, the more she discovers that Grayson's interest might not be as courtly as she thought. In fact, it's starting to look suspicious...
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
*** I received Holding Court by the Publisher in exchanged for an hones review. Thank you so much to Entangled Teen for the opportunity to read and review Holding Court! ***


Where do I start I absolutely and utterly loved and enjoyed Holding Court, that I've been having some heath issues recently that I really needed and pick me up. And Holding Court was the perfect book too pick my spirits up. I was laughing and giggling from the very first page until the very end of the book. I totally love everything about this awesome book, it was a light cozy murder mystery with full of fluffy romance that I absolute love and adore. Especially the writing style was flawless and kind of lyrical to me that I wanted to read more of the story when it ended. Now I really don't read a lot of contemporary books, but this one really stuck too me. Ok I really don't want to go into any details about Holding Court. But Holding Court is about Sixteen-year-old girl name Jules Verity who is trying to buy herself a new car so she won't have to take her bike anymore to go too school. But you see Jules has been fire from a lot of the jobs that she has worked at because of her Psychic Tourette's Syndrome. Yep Jules is a psychic from a long lines of female psychic in her family, but when Jules has a predictions she spontaneous and uncontrollable outbursts says it out loud. Which at first it seems her predictions are utterly silly and ridiculous prophecies, but when you read more into her psychic outburst you can connect her predictions to the plotline. So Jules best friend Cami help her get a great and perfect job interview for her at a castle-turned-dinner-theater Tudor Times. At first Jules didn't want to go too the interview, but after a little persuasion from Cami and her Gran that her huge unavailable crash Grayson Chandler will be working there as well. That she can secretly drool over Chandler from at far so she agree to go too the interview. And she absolutely fit right in a got the job but there is a lot of secrets, mystery and danger surrounding at Tudor Times that Jules is caught right in the middle of it. By the end of Holding Court Jules finally finds out all the secrets and mystery surrounding Tudor Times but will it be too late for her too tell the authorities about what is really going on at Tudor Times. And here is where I am going to leave it of at. I do highly recommend this amazing debut novel because Holding Court really was a very cute, fluffy and adorable book that totally lift my sprits up. I really love and enjoy K.C. Held writing style that I am most definitely going to check out more of her books in the near future!



 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
K.C. HELD was born and raised in California with stopovers in Honduras, Mexico, and France. Married to her high school sweetheart, and mom to two avid bookworms, she holds an MFA in costume design and has worked as a freelance costumer in opera, theater, film and television. Although she once spent a summer working in a castle, there were no dead bodies involved. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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Book Traveling Thursdays #3: Underhyped Book





 
 
 
Today is thursday which means that is Book Traveling Thursdays, a weekly meme created by Cátia @ The Girl Who Read Too Much and Danielle @ Danielle’s Book Blog. This weekly meme consists in picking a book related to the weekly theme that is announced in the group Goodreads page (if you want to join click here) at the beginning of each month. After that you can write a blog post where you explain why you choose that book and choose different covers from different countries. To make it a little bit easy you are going to choose different editions of the original cover, the cover from your country, your favorite cover, and your least favorite cover. This weeks theme is Choose an underhyped book that you think everyone should read.


This week Book Traveling Thursday I pick My Love Lies Bleeding (Drake Chronicles #1) by Alyxandra Harvey. I absolutely love and adore The Drake Chronicles. That I really haven't seen or heard any reviews about this book in other book blogs.
 
 
 
 
 
Original Cover
 
 
I am kind of meh with the original cover of the first book of the Drake Chronicles, To me the model is a little older to  portray as Solange Drake who is a teenager.
 
 
 
 
 
USA Cover
 
 
As you can tell they did changed the title and cover but  I think both title and cover fits perfect with the book. And I absolutely love it much better.
 
 
 
 
Favorite Covers
 
 
1. Italy Cover, 2. France Cover  
 
The Italian cover looks exactly like the USA cover that I really love but the font of the Italian cover caught my eye and isn't the French cover gorgeous the flower is so beautiful! 
 
 
 
 
 
Least Favorite Covers
 
 
Serbia Cover
 
I can't put my finger on why I don't like this cover but I think it is that the cover is at a cemetery and it looks like a historical romance book and not a paranormal romance book.  
 
 
 
 
Other Countries Covers
 
 
 
 
1. Poland Cover, 2. Thailand Cover, 3. Czech Republic Cover
 
 
 
 
   

   
Which Book Do You Thinks Is Underhyped?
 
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Book Blitz & Giveaway: Everlasting (Everlasting Trilogy #1) by L.K. Kuhl

Wednesday, February 24, 2016


Everlasting
L.K. Kuhl
(Everlasting Trilogy #1)
Published by: Clean Reads Publishing
Publication date: February 18th 2016
Genres: Paranormal Romance, Young Adult
Seventeen-year-old Sophia Bandell is scared of boys, and her biggest fear is dying. Boys make her uncomfortable and itchy and dying is …well …dying. She is ecstatic when her long lost friend calls her, inviting her to spend the summer with her on the beach at Charleston, South Carolina.
When a plastic saucer hits her in the head as she’s sunbathing, Sophia has no idea it will forever change the course of her life. It is there she comes face to face with the impressive Tate Forester.
She is scared and …itchy, but he’s gorgeous and she can’t shake him from her mind. They begin dating and Sophia soon knows he’s the one.
But things turn dark when she learns Tate isn’t the person she thinks he is, and the real reason her friend has brought her to the beach will teach her about life after death.
This everlasting summer on the beach gives Sophia a sweet taste of first love—the happiness as well as the heartbreak.
EXCERPT:
We stood there and looked around, an awkward silence playing between us. Then he stepped closer and took my hand in his, sending a bolt of staggering electricity zipping through my chest. “Her hand fits perfectly in mine.” He whispered this, as if confirming it with someone. His gaze locked on it, analyzing, then with a shake of his head, he spoke louder. “Sophia, I’m sorry. I …I lied to you.”
I looked at him—bewilderment crinkling my face—and tried to understand. “Lied?” My voice broke. “I don’t get it.”
“I wasn’t sick that day. Well, in a way I was, I guess. The truth is, I was gut-sick. That guy …he was sitting by you the whole day …and …and he never left your side. I’d check throughout the day, but he was still there. I couldn’t help it. I was insanely jealous.” He looked down, his tone deepening as he flexed his fingers that were still laced through mine.
“What?” His words astounded me. I swiped my brow with my free hand. “You were jealous …of me?”
He released my hand and paced back and forth, the nervousness seeping through as he wrung his hands. “I know it’s stupid, but I couldn’t help myself. I love the way you laugh and …I like you, Sophia …a lot, and it hurt me to see you with someone else.”
He lifted his hair off his forehead, pushing it up. His eyes locked on mine again, captivating me. I couldn’t look away. My self-consciousness took over—heckling me. The way I looked right now—with my hair a matted mess from the mist, and no makeup on—must look ridiculous. I drew away, making myself smaller.
I laughed my nervous laugh and kicked the sand with my shoe. “Who, him? You mean …Brian?” My words wobbled, but I giggled, unable to believe that Brian talking to me could make anyone jealous.


Author Bio:
L.K. Kuhl lives in Nebraska with her husband Gene of twenty-nine years, young son, Nathan, and Greg, their Black Lab dog. She has two older daughters, Morgan and Brittani and son-in-law, Trevor. L.K. has been writing for over twenty years. She first began writing children’s books and poetry, moved on to writing music, and is now writing Young Adult and Adult novels. She loves spending time with her family, vacationing, writing, reading, and taking long walks. It’s the characters who write their own stories in her novels, and she is just their messenger, sharing it with the world.

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"Waiting On" Wednesday #26: The Cresswell Plot by Eliza Wass



"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill At Breaking The Spine , that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating





What too participate? Grab the logo post your own WOW entry on your blog and leave your link below. 




Here Is My WOW  Pick For This Week:
 
 
The Cresswell Plot
 
By Eliza Wass
 
Publication Date: June 7th 2016 by Disney-Hyperion
 
 
 
 
 
 
Synopsis
 
The woods were insane in the dark, terrifying and magical at the same time. But best of all were the stars, which trumpeted their light into the misty dark.

Castella Cresswell and her five siblings—Hannan, Caspar, Mortimer, Delvive, and Jerusalem—know what it’s like to be different. For years, their world has been confined to their ramshackle family home deep in the woods of upstate New York. They abide by the strict rule of God, whose messages come directly from their father.

Slowly, Castley and her siblings start to test the boundaries of the laws that bind them. But, at school, they’re still the freaks they’ve always been to the outside world. Marked by their plain clothing. Unexplained bruising. Utter isolation from their classmates. That is, until Castley is forced to partner with the totally irritating, totally normal George Gray, who offers her a glimpse of a life filled with freedom and choice.

Castley’s world rapidly expands beyond the woods she knows so well and the beliefs she once thought were the only truths. There is a future waiting for her if she can escape her father’s grasp, but Castley refuses to leave her siblings behind. Just as she begins to form a plan, her father makes a chilling announcement: the Cresswells will soon return to their home in heaven. With time running out on all of their lives, Castley must expose the depth of her father’s lies. The forest has buried the truth in darkness for far too long. Castley might be their last hope for salvation.
 
 
 
 
Why Am I Waiting
 
I've have been wanting to read a book with a cult in it for a long time now, and this one looks and sounds amazing and just perfect for me to start at. The cover and synopsis really drew me into the book, isn't the cover kind of creepy?
 
 
 
What Is Your WOW Pick For This Week?
 
 
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Teaser Tuesday #21: Holding Court by K.C. Held

Tuesday, February 23, 2016

TeaserTuesday-ADailyRhythm3



Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of  A Daily Rhythm. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers.
 
 
 
Holding Court
 
By  K.C. Held
 
 
 
 
 
 
My Teasers:
 
 
Teaser #1
 
I'm standing behind the counter of my mom's antique shop, thinking about Greyson Chandler's abs, when the bell over the door jingles and in walks Henry VIII
 
Pg 9 
 
 
 
Teaser #2
 
Gran pokes her head in from the back of the shop. She has packing peanuts stuck in her hair, which is currently dyed pastel pink, inspired by an episode of America's Next Top Model. "I's that lunch I hear? What took you so ..." She trails off when she catches sight of King Henry. "Oh my" She says.
 
Pg 9
 
 
 
What Are Your Teasers For This Week?
 
 
 
 
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