BLOG TOUR: Shattered Grace by K Anne Raines

Today we're thrilled to share an exciting debut, Shattered Grace by K Anne Raines. As part of her release tour, our post is jam-packed for your entertainment with an author and book spotlight, a review, a GIVEAWAY- and since we've been on a roll with the rapid fire q&a lately, we decided to put K Anne in the hot seat and make her our next target.

We'd both like to thank Lady Amber and K Anne Raines for having us on this tour.

So let's get started... ready or not K Anne, here we go...

Hero or villain? 

Villain

Mountains or beach?

 WARM beach

Flowers or candy?

 Tulips

Death Cab for Cutie or Soundgarden? (Famous Seattle bands for those that don't know) 

 Death Cab for Cutie for sure.

Early bird or Night owl? 

Night owl...I can never go to bed early. I feel like I’m going to miss something.

Halloween or Christmas? 

Christmas

Levi's or Wrangler's? 

Wrangler butts do NOT drive me nuts. Levi’s.

Ferris wheel or roller coaster? 

Roller coaster

Slippers or socks? 

Socks

Theater or drive-in?

 Drive-in...I miss our drive-in

Spring or Fall? 

I love the flowers of Spring, and the colors of Fall. Both.

Motorboat or sail? 

Motorboat

Dress up or dress down? 

Dress down.

Thunder or lightening? 

I love it when the thunder rolls.

Luck or Love?

 If you have love, you have luck. Again, I’d say both.

We like the way this woman thinks.
Thanks again for stopping by. Make sure you enter the giveaway, and get Shattered Grace on your favorite ereader today.

Seventeen-year-old Grace grows up knowing she’s different,but she always attributed it to a mother who didn’t want her, a father who abandoned her, and a curse that sets her apart. Despite those struggles, her grandfather remained her rock and confidant. Her life irrevocably shatters the day her grandfather dies.

The day of his funeral sets off a chain of events, making Grace question everything she’s ever known to be true, and as a result, who she can truly trust. She inherits his house, part of his money, his Guardian and something that ties them together.

Just before Grace’s 18th birthday, she is thrust into a world she couldn’t fathom existed and does everything she can to thwart the destiny suddenly forced upon her. She’s been chosen for greatness, but at what cost? With eyes now open, she must choose to either be Chosen, or watch those around her suffer the consequences.

Torn between the man who’s come to protect her and the one sent to destroy her,she teeters on the edge of decision, trying to come to grips with who she is,what she wants and what all of that means for her, those she loves and the restof mankind.

“It wasn’t your fault,” Quentin said softly as he came up behind her, touching her briefly on the shoulder before lowering himself to sit on the edge of the coffee table. He leaned toward her, resting his elbows on his knees as he stared into her eyes, his expression conveying his compassion.

Grace raised her tear-filled eyes. “It wouldn’t have happened if I wasn’t in the car with them.” Tears spilled over her lower lids,blurring her view of Emily’s picture glowing from the cell phone she still gripped.

“Look at me.” Quentin lifted her face with a gentle finger.“It was my fault. It’s my job to keep you safe and I failed.”

She heard every word Quentin spoke, but couldn’t cling to them like he intended. Every one of her friends could have died—because of her,not him. Visions of caskets and grieving families had her pulse quickening.Worry festered in the center of her chest—circling and tearing at her until what rose forth was anger. With every beat of her heart, the anger pulsed stronger. No. In her head, she said it again. No. The word ricocheted like a war cry through her cerebral cortex until it owned her, heart and soul. Energy channeled through every inch of her body. A shiver chased behind it. Those she cared for and loved would not pay for what she was.

In that instant, Grace felt the power of her choice thunder through her like an electrical current. Just like Seth in the movie, she chose to be what she was meant to be, and not to shed what she originally thought was a burden. Newly determined, she leveled her gaze with Quentin’s.

“What do I need to do to make sure they never hurt anyone I love again?”

Quentin gazed back at her, his features rearranging themselves into an expression flat and cold—deadly. “You train and you fightback. You let me do my job. And we don’t let them win. Ever.”

Resolve steeled her voice. “We won’t.”

 K Anne Raines is the author of Shattered Grace, book one inthe Fallen from Grace Series. She is a Washington State University graduate andthe senior accountant at a local firm in her home town. K Anne’s impassionedbut regular commitment to chocolate covered raisins inspires creativity athome...where ever the raisins are, there she is with her laptop. A lover ofgreat sushi and other fine food, K Anne prefers coffee in the morning, theright wine in the evening, and her fireplace at all times. A Northwest native,K Anne Raines is the mother of three, cat lover, avid exerciser, and blankethogger.

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Let me just start off by saying Northwest authors ROCK! They just do. I don't know what it is about our area (Oregon and Washington), but it's a haven for creativity, especially for paranormal and fantasy writers. And Shattered Grace places it's author among those VTNWP- Very Talented Northwest People.

K Anne Raines supreme- ha, see what I did there- with a tale wonderfully woven out of  legends not normally intertwined making them fresh and unexpected.

Grace's story unfolds slowly. She doesn't see the gravity of her inheritance all at once. With little help from her remaining family she has a difficult time accepting what she learns, but lucky for her a new Guardian is there to help every step of the way.

I really liked Grace. Her life hasn't been easy with an absent father, a mother that barely acknowledges her existence,  and a curse that forces her to push everyone else away, she's surprisingly smart and endearing. A bit intense and yet quite witty. Distraught over the loss of her grandfather, her lack of support from her ungrateful and spiteful family members, and her self absorbed friends, she quickly discovers the life she thought was hard is about to get really complicated and dangerous. She handles it all quite well frankly- considering her mother that never paid her much attention is now smothering her and her grandfather's attorney, Quentin keeps throwing curve balls of illogical information at her. And then there's the typical teenage angst and peer pressure.

The story is told from Grace and her Guardian, Quentin's perspectives. K Anne's style flows easily and I loved reading both sides simultaneously. Grace grasping at straws trying to make sense of a life that was nothing like she was lead to believe, and Quentin struggling with his duty and the uneasy pull he feels toward Grace that goes beyond being her protector and mentor.

I was quickly caught up in Grace's world and completely captivated by Quentin. But the story goes so far beyond the bond they share. All of Grace's relationships change and evolve. Suddenly she's getting attention everywhere she turns and she's not quite sure how to handle it all. Go with the flow, as her friend Emily pushes? Proceed with caution as Quentin warns? Forgive and forget as her mother begs? It's all a bit much for anyone to take and Grace can't escape fast enough. So if a boy- or two is willing to help her do just that, who is she to question fate? All she wants is to be a normal teenager on the verge of being an independent young adult.

Full of revelations, shocks, surprises and complex twists, Grace finds her life is not her own and nothing what it seemed. I found the world building to be unique and clever. The characters and relationships well developed and portrayed. And the story compelling.

There's so much going on in Grace's world but you never once feel lost or confused. Having Quentin's POV often keeps you a step ahead of Grace, but still guessing as to who she should trust and what's coming next. I was completely caught up in her tale. And surprised by the outcome.

I liked so many of the characters K Anne created, especially Zeke and Darius. The girls played second fiddle to these all too swoon-worthy males. Zeke was sweet and a good friend. Darius- definitely more than meets the eye and very much the charmer. But Quentin with his alpha intensity and inner struggles stole my heart and gained my loyalty.

Shattered Grace was well crafted though I felt the ending to be a small let down. It wasn't bad, just more of a, "so what happens now?" than a, "how could she leave us hanging like that?". Apparently I love and expect major cliffhangers. I myself would have been content with this first installment ending a couple of chapters back. It would've packed more punch and left you begging for more.
Still I highly recommend reading the book and am eager to get my hands on the next. K Anne Raines debut promises the Fallen From Grace series will be a must read on everyone's list. 

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