Friday, January 31, 2014

BLOG TOUR: Wild Things (Chicagoland Vampires # 9) by Chloe Neill

I am beyond excited to be able to be a part of this AMAZING blog tour for WILD THINGS by Chloe Neill.
One of my all time favorite series, I am so happy to be able to share it with all you today!!!
So, check out the book, my review, and of course....ENTER the FABULOUS GIVEAWAY!!!
Thank you so much to Chloe Neill for this AWESOME series and FANTASTIC blog tour!!!
~Kat


Since Merit was turned into a vampire, and the protector of Chicago’s Cadogan House, it’s been a wild ride. She and Master vampire Ethan Sullivan have helped make Cadogan’s vampires the strongest in North America, and forged ties with paranormal folk of all breeds and creeds, living or dead…or both.
But now those alliances are about to be tested. A strange and twisted magic has ripped through the North American Central Pack, and Merit’s closest friends are caught in the crosshairs.  Gabriel Keene, the Pack Apex, looks to Merit and Ethan for help.  But who—or what—could possibly be powerful enough to out-magic a shifter?

Merit is about to go toe to toe, and cold steel to cold heart, to find out.



SQUEEE!!!! Wild Things, book 9 in the Chicagoland Vampires series, absolutely ROCKS just as much as it's predecessors did.  It is the most awesome thing to be able to find a series in which every book captures your intrigue and keeps you captivated.  From start to finish, you are held by the suspense and mystery,  greatly anticipating the HUGE wrap up of the crazy events that Merit, Ethan, and the other Cadogan Vampires find themselves in.
Since I first discovered this series, I eagerly await each release and dive in the minute it reaches my hands.  
I bet you are wondering, "why do I like the Chicagoland Vampires series so much?"
Well, Chloe Neill is a brilliant writer that has built a fantastical world around vampires.  But, it is not just the paranormal factor that makes it amazing.  Each of her characters are intricately designed, connecting you to their story, making you FEEL that this world, this FANTASTICAL world could actually be real.
Falling in to books like this is pure ecstasy for me as a reader.  
So, here I am letting you know that as we have reached book 9, I am still excited to dig right in to some of my favorite characters and laugh, love, fight, and uncover mysteries right along side of them.
So, we pick up in Wild Things where it continues right where Biting Bad finishes.  Everything seems to have settled some and a new direction is arise for the Cadogan Vampires.
But, with unfortunate events and prejudices from the city that they live in, Merit and Ethan have to seek refuge from some otherworldly allies.
I am not going to reveal any spoilers, I just don't like doing that.  I am even trying to keep it as clean for people who have yet to have discovered this awesome series...
Wild Things gives you everything you could want in a book.  You are filled with a plethora of emotions.  I was laughing, angry, worried, shocked, and of course turned on from the HOT romance of my two beloved main characters.  Merit is an outstanding heroine that speaks her mind, is independent yet knows when it is important to rely on others, strong and vulnerable, smart, funny, and truly has a heart of gold when it comes to the ones she loves.  I love reading about her, in fact...I WANT TO BE HER...LOL!!! I mean, come on...her boyfriend is the one and only ETHAN...*fanning myself* Yes ladies...you need to find out all about him if you haven't....
*sighs* Ok...back on track...
Wild Things encompasses many elements that make this a fantastic novel.  I already mentioned the emotions you get from reading it, but tie in a well developed cast and an ingenious storyline that keeps you on your toes; this book is an incredible addition to the superb collection of this series.
A definite MUST READ!!!



The fun doesn’t stop here. Want more chances to win? You can also enter Chloe’s Wild Things Grand Prize Giveaway, which runs January 27  through February 7 on Chloe’s web site.
What is the Grand Prize Giveaway prize?

  • A Kindle Paperwhite
  • A $50 Amazon gift card!
  • A complete set of Chicagoland Vampires Audiobook CDs (graciously provided by Tantor Audio)
  • An autographed Chicagoland Vampires or Dark Elite novel
  • Two Cadogan House Novitiate Luggage Tags
  • A Cadogan House lanyard and BITING BAD All Access Pass
  • Chicagoland Vampires bookmarks, pens, buttons, and swag!
In addition to the grand prize giveaway, which will be given away on Chloe's site, You can get an extra chance to win some of the awesome SWAG from listed above from TSK TSK What to Read....
TO WIN...Merit loves her Chicago foods....tell me...What is your favorite food and why is it your favorite??


GOOD LUCK!! And THANK YOU for stopping by!!  Make sure you check out the other stops on the tour...
Wild Things Blog Tour Schedule
Monday, January 27 – A Book Obsession | Drey’s Library
Tuesday, January 28 – Naomi’s Paranormal Palace | Fangs, Wands & Fairy Dust
Wednesday, January 29 – The Book Swarm | Krista’s Dust Jacket
Thursday, January 30 – Reading RainBlog | Between Fantasy & Reality
Friday, January 31 – Tsk Tsk What To Read | Book Lovers For Life
Monday, February 3 – The Consummate Reader | Me, Myself & Books
Tuesday, February 4 (Release Day) - Vampire Book Club | The Saucy Wenches | Toot’s Book Reviews | Fangtastic Books
Wednesday, February 5 – Book Nympho | Blogging by Liza
Thursday, February 6 – A Great Read | Urban Fantasy Investigations
Friday, February 7 – Where the Night Kind Roam | Reading and Writing Urban Fantasy



COVER REVEAL: The Kylie Ryans series by Caisey Quinn

We have a cool cover reveal for y'all today. The Kylie Ryans Trilogy by Caisey Quinn has gotten a cover makeover- and we get to celebrate. Of course we have the new covers to check, and yes, there's a GIVEAWAY... BUT, that's not all! You can also join in on the Kylie Ryans Readalong. Everything you need to know will be down below so check it all out!
Let us know what you think of the redo, and the series. As for me? I'm sad to see it come to an end. I love these characters so freaking much!!! I was lucky enough to get an ARC of GIRL IN LOVE, and I really just can't wait for you guys to read it too. It was so, so GOOD! Sweet and bittersweet- because it's so hard to say goodbye to Kylie and Trace. Anyhoo, on to the good stuff... Good luck and happy reading! ~Shell

The Kylie Ryans series has all new covers! 

Custom Photography by Lauren Perry of L. Perry Designs
Book Cover Design by E.M. Tippetts Book Design
Cover Model: Teale Murdock


THE KYLIE RYANS SERIES 

A girl with a dream and a guitar...
A troubled artist struggling to hold onto his career...

What they found was each other.



Girl with Guitar




Girl on Tour



Girl in Love 

Coming February 4th! 



*Titles are also available on iTunes & Kobo. 


*Special DELUXE EDITION paperbacks with bonus content will be available for a limited time at http://www.caiseyquinnwrites.com/store.html




Want to join the Kylie Ryans Read Along Happening RIGHT NOW on Facebook? 
Click





GIVEAWAY

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Caisey Quinn lives in Birmingham, Alabama with her husband, daughter, and other assorted animals. She is the bestselling author of the Kylie Ryans series as well as several New and Young Adult Romance novels featuring country girls finding love in unexpected places. You can find her online at www.caiseyquinnwrites.com. 

COVER REVEAL: Deer in the Headlights by Staci Hart

I can't tell you how excited I am to be part of this incredible and FUN cover reveal for Staci Hart's DEER in HEADLIGHTS! I absolutely ADORE the new cover. It fits the story perfectly.
Staci is such an amazing talent. Creative, clever and a kick in arse. So this isn't your every day day reveal. It's a PUZZLE. And we're revealing ONE PIECE A DAY until the full cover is revealed on February 4th. On the 5th and 6th, the new covers for SNAKE in the GRASS and WHAT the HEART WANTS will be unveiled.
We hope you join in the excitement and return for each cover. We'd love to hear what you think. Stay tuned for more news about Staci's Relaunch of DEER in HEADLIGHTS with new extended scenes. There'll be a mini blog tour AND a party!!!
For now, here's your first piece...~Shell 

Title: Deer in Headlights (Good Gods #1)
Author: Staci Hart
Release Date: Feb. 4th, 2013



Aphrodite never loses, not when it comes to love.

Immortality has its perks and its downsides. Boredom, for one, is unavoidable, but instead of playing parcheesi, the gods devised a game that uses humans as pawns. Remember Shakespeare? That was Apollo. Bonnie and Clyde? Aphrodite versus Ares.

Aphrodite is on deck once again, and she’ll defend her domain of love as she works to get the humans together before the clock runs out, while her opponent tries to keep them apart.

Game one is against Apollo, and Aphrodite knows she has her work cut out for her when he chooses Dean, a brooding rock star man-whore who believes women can’t be trusted. Aphrodite decides on Lex, a perfect match for Dean, even though her heart is guarded, locked away tight. She’d never let anyone in. Not ever. Of course, she hasn’t met Dean.

But there’s always more at stake than just the game when you’ve lived for thousands of years. The Olympians are the original dysfunctional family, surviving eons of love and lust, betrayal and lies, as friends and enemies, through feuds and wars. From Ares, the douchebag, who’s forever trying to start a fight and get Aphrodite into bed, to Persephone, her best friend, who she can always count on for a healthy helping of bacon on a bad day, the gods will take you on a lighthearted trip as they mess with humans, laugh and fight, lose love and gain power.




Bloggers Sign up for the Mini Tour HERE!
Come party with us on Facebook on the Feb. 14th!!!


about the author:

Staci has been a lot of things up to this point in her life -- a graphic designer, an entrepreneur, a seamstress, a clothing and handbag designer, a waitress. Can't forget that. She's also been a mom; she has three little girls who are sure to grow up to break a number of hearts. She's been a wife; even though she's certainly not the cleanest, or the best cook. She's also super, duper fun at a party, especially if she's been drinking whiskey. Her favorite word starts with f, ends with k, and there a uc in there. Just saying. From roots in Houston, to a seven year stint in Southern California, Staci and her family ended up settling somewhere in between and equally north, in Denver. They are new enough that snow is still magical. When she's not writing, she's sleeping, cleaning, or designing graphics. But let's be honest, she's mostly writing.




Giveaway: 

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Wednesday, January 29, 2014

COVER REVEAL: Five Ways to Fall by K.A. Tucker

Well this is an exciting new way for a cover reveal...over the next few days you will be given puzzle pieces of cover FIVE WAYS TO FALL...
Make sure you check the sites and piece them all together so you can see what the cover will look like...
Here is my puzzle piece for you guys....Very intriguing indeed....
~Kat




Sometimes you can’t change—and sometimes you just don’t want to. Discover Ben’s side of the story in this fourth novel by the beloved, top-selling indie author of Ten Tiny Breaths, One Tiny Lie, and Four Seconds to Lose.

Purple-haired, sharp-tongued Reese MacKay knows all about making the wrong choice; she’s made plenty of them in her twenty-odd-years. So when her impulsive, short-lived marriage ends in heartbreak, she decides it’s time for a change. She moves to Miami with the intention of hitting reset on her irresponsible life, and she does quite well…aside from an epically humiliating one-night stand in Cancun with a hot blond bouncer named Ben. Thank God she can get on a plane and leave that mistake behind her.
Football scholarship and frat parties with hot chicks? Part of charmer Ben Morris’s plan. Blown knee that kills any hope of a professional football career? So not part of the plan. Luckily Ben has brains to go with his knockout looks and magnetism. After three long years of balancing law school with his job as a bouncer at Penny’s Palace, he’s ready to lead a more mature life—until his first day of work, when he finds himself in the office of that crazy, hot chick he met in Cancun. The one he hasn’t stopped thinking about.
If Ben truly were a smart guy, he’d stay clear of Reese. She’s the boss’s stepdaughter and it’s been made very clear that office romances are grounds for dismissal. Plus, rumor has it she’s trouble. The only problem is, he likes trouble, especially when it’s so good-looking…



Born in small-town Ontario, Kathleen published her first book at the age of six with the help of her elementary school librarian and a box of crayons. She is a voracious reader and the farthest thing from a genre-snob, loving everything from High Fantasy to Chick Lit. Kathleen currently resides in a quaint small town outside of Toronto with her husband, two beautiful girls, and an exhausting brood of four-legged creatures.










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Monday, January 27, 2014

#UTopYA EXCLUSIVE!!!


HELLO EVERYONE!!!!

I am super excited to bring this to you today...

Your help is needed....

A fabulous awesome group of authors have come together to create an anthology of works just for UTopYA...
How fantastic is that??  *Squeeee*


Those authors include:
Amanda Havard
C.A. Kunz
Raine Thomas
Sarah Ross
Amy Bartol
Tiffany King
Heather Hildenbrand
Tammy Blackwell

I bet you are wondering, how am I going to help??
Well, I am glad you asked...


We would LOVE for you all to CHOOSE the title of this AMAZING anthology.
In the poll below, you will see 4 titles that have been nominated and now it is up to you lovely people to decide on the FINAL leading title!!

So, get to voting...this will only last until Thursday at 8 pm when the poll closes.  




 Be sure to follow the rest of the Official UtopYA Bloggers for exclusive content and news!



Heather of SupaGurl Books




Choose your favorite title for the anthology.
Take Me to Your Reader
UFOPYA
Close Encounters of the Written Kind
2014: A utopYA Oddity


Poll Maker




COVER REVEAL: The Fine Art of Pretending by Rachel Harris

As part of The Flirt Squad, I am so thrilled to bring you the cover for one of our most anticipated books of 2014. Rachel Harris' The Fine Art of Pretending has been getting great buzz for months now. Lots of hot teasers and sneak peeks and NOW... this super sweet cover...
I hope you love it as much as I do. I think it's adorbs! I really can't wait to get my hands on this one. We all know Rachel knows teenage angst and romance, so ya know there be cute boys and tons of SWOON! ~Shell

Release Date: September 30, 2014
Author: Rachel Harris 



According to the guys at Fairfield Academy, there are two types of girls: the kind you hook up with, and the kind you're friends with. Seventeen-year-old Alyssa Reed is the second type. And she hates it. With just one year left to change her rank, she devises a plan to become the first type by homecoming, and she sets her sights on the perfect date—Justin Carter, Fairfield Academy’s biggest hottie and most notorious player.

With 57 days until the dance, Aly launches Operation Sex Appeal and sheds her tomboy image. The only thing left is for Justin actually to notice her. Enter best friend Brandon Taylor, the school’s second biggest hottie, and now Aly’s pretend boyfriend. With his help, elevating from “funny friend” to “tempting vixen” is only a matter of time.

But when everything goes according to plan, the inevitable “break up” leaves their friendship in shambles, and Aly and Brandon with feelings they can’t explain. And the fake couple discovers pretending can sometimes cost you the one thing you never expected to want.

Find Rachel Harris Online: 



BLOG TOUR: The Warrior and the Flower by Camille Picott



Welcome to our stop on The Warrior and the Flower Blog Tour. First, thanks so much to Candace at Candace's Book Blog for hosting this tour, and to Camille for providing this phenomenal story to me for review. I only hope I do it justice. I worked very hard at not giving away any details. This is a tale you must fully experience yourself. No sneaks. No spoilers. So with that said, I now invite you to discover Camille's amazing world of Cloud Shamans, warriors, mystical creatures, and the heart of one small girl that challenges them all. I hope you enjoy my review, and don't miss the fantastic GIVEAWAY provided by our wonderful hosts.

Happy reading! ~ Shell

To celebrate Chinese New Year the tour is running Jan. 27th-31st with mostly reviews and only a few interviews and spotlight posts.  Be sure to check out the tour page with additional info and list of tour stops.




Yi, a retired soldier, has lost everything he loves—his wife, his daughter, and his home. He seeks refuge from his heartache by plunging into a secret mission for the World Emperor. The assignment takes him to the doorstep of a brothel, where he witnesses the madam beating a young girl. Drawn by the child’s striking resemblance to his lost daughter, Yi rushes to her defense and negotiates for her purchase—after all, how hard can it be to care for one little girl? But between the child’s inquisitive nature and the dangerous secret she carries, he gets more than he bargained for.






Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | Smashwords  



About the Author: 
Camille Picott is a fifth-generation Chinese American. She writes science fiction and fantasy books with Asian characters and/or Asian settings. Camille grew up reading speculative fiction stories largely devoid of Asian characters and culture. This, coupled with a passion for her heritage, is the reason she strives to bring some aspect of Eastern myth, legend, culture, and ethnicity to all of her writings. To visit Camille, go to www.camillepicott.com.


Website | Facebook | Goodreads





What a magnificent tale. Camille Picott has woven a spectacular fantasy without all the elaborate world building and difficult language. She manages (seemingly) effortlessly to narrate this exciting and thrill packed story without heavy descriptives and complicated terms. Yet she's able to capture the lush scenery, the beauty and ugliness of a society steeped in culture and tradition and on the verge of war, and most of all, the instantaneous and loving bond between a decorated warrior and a mere child.
I found myself quickly absorbed in the story and eager to follow our unlikely, but inevitable companions on their journey. From the moment they meet, it's easy to see Yi and Tulip have a rare connection. Their banter  and inner monologues offer lightheartedness and a bit of laughter to their often dire circumstances. The affection that they share is endearing and left me melting in familial goo.
Tulip's voice is so innocent and bright in such and dark and deary setting. She's the perfect balance to Yi's battle weary and broken soul.

While Tulip often steals the spotlight with her little girl reasonings and warrior-like instincts- and abilities, there is another that was just as fascinating... the kylin. Specifically, Yi's obedient beast Fire Foot, who also immediately falls for Tulip's charms. The kylin are spectacular creatures and Fire Foot shows a tremendous amount of personality, especially when Tulip is astride him and in command.
There is great magic spun throughout the story. And we learn right along with Tulip how these powers work in the different kingdoms. Magic, mystery, mythology and even street gangs, add to the intrigue, mischief and mayhem of this marvelous experience. I found it to be refreshing and unique, and completely captivating.
The Warrior and the Flower is so well written and entertaining that it has carved itself a place among my favorite YA fantasies such as Cinda Chima's Seven Realms, Ellen Oh's Prophecy, and Jay Kristoff's The Lotus War. It does deal with some colorful and adult situations so I don't recommend it for anyone under thirteen, but I do suggest you grab this one if you enjoy an excellent adventure. Warrior will satisfy your need for a well executed storyline, lively, bold, believable and lovable characters, and far off ,otherworldly and exotic lands.
This story captured my full attention and held me it's hostage to the much to soon but incredible ending, and left me eager to continue Yi and Tulip's momentous journey. The sequel cannot come out quickly enough. I need more of these amazing characters ASAP. ;)




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This tour was organized and put together by CBB Book Promotions.