Thursday, August 27, 2015

Resist (Resistance #2) by Tracy Lawson Blog Tour

Resist (Resistance #2)   

Book Two, Resist, picks up this fast-paced dystopian series with the resistance forming against injustice. After their plan to rescue a group of dissenters imprisoned by the OCSD spins out of control, Tommy and Careen are on the run, dodging the quadrant marshals in a headlong dash for the remote mountain headquarters of the Resistance.
Their budding relationship is tested when an attempt to spark a revolution goes awry, and the pair move toward an inevitable confrontation with the forces that terrorize the nation. Will their differing viewpoints drive a wedge between them? And where does love fit in when you’re trying to overthrow the government? 


•What happens when we surrender our civil liberties for the promise of safety and security. 
•Using a dystopian thriller to ask, “What if the government controlled every aspect of your life?” 
•Learning you can make a difference and stand up for what is right when the opportunity arises.


I am fortunate because it hasn't been very long since I have read the first book Counteract (you can check out my review here in my blog). I really enjoyed Counteract and was looking forward to Resist.
Miss Lawson did not disappoint! One of the things I like about this series is how Miss Lawson explores what can happen if the masses give up all liberties to the government-something that I feel is in progress in our world. And she does a great job of showing the horrors of becoming unthinking sheep being led to the slaughter.
Tommy and Careen are two strong characters that willingly put their lives on the line to save everyone. Do they succeed? Well, you'll just have to go get the books to get that question answered.

Resist is a journey through the intricacies of being part of a resistance. It is a journey through taking on a government so strong that the general population has given up all thinking for themselves to that government. Miss Lawson takes the reader into a world where a group of people are fighting for their own minds, the right to make their own decisions, and the right to be an individual. And it is an awesome, eye-opening journey.

You really need to take this journey!!

Can't wait for book 3 next year!!


Tracy Lawson is an award-winning author of two nonfiction books, and The Resistance Series is her first in the

world of young adult novels. Tracy lives in Dallas with her husband, daughter and three spoiled cats.
Tracy Lawson is an award-winning author of two nonfiction books, and The Resistance Series is her first in the world of young adult novels. Tracy lives in Dallas with her husband, daughter and three spoiled cats.

Let's see what Miss Lawson has to say in response to a few questions.

1. What was the inspiration behind The Resistance Series?
     I was mentoring a friend of my daughter’s when the initial idea for Counteract came about. Chase is a pretty sharp guy and an excellent writer—and when he was in high school I had a lot of fun working with him and editing some of his short stories. We had finished working on a story about baseball, a broken nose, and a broken heart, and were ready to start something new, when he suggested we write scenes in response to the prompt: “What if everyone were on LSD and all thoughts were communal?” It was certainly thought provoking! Chase created the characters Tommy and Eduardo, I created Careen, and right away, we knew we were onto something. Obviously, the story morphed and changed a lot before it became the finished version of Counteract—but that was how it all began.

2. What do you enjoy about this series that cannot be found in any of your other books?
     The Resistance Series is my first published fiction. My other book, Fips, Bots, Doggeries, and More, is based on a journal kept by my great-great-great grandfather during his family’s 1838 horse and wagon trip from Cincinnati to New York City.
      I did a ton of research before writing that book, and amassed two filing cabinet drawers full of information related to the 22-page journal! During the publication process, I nearly went crazy double-checking all my facts and citations, and by the time the book went to print, I never wanted to see another footnote. Fiction? Yes, please! Now that I’ve had a little break from footnotes, I’m enjoying writing another nonfiction history book. I’m planning to merge my two favorite genres and write some YA historical fiction sometime after I finish the Resistance Series.

3. What do you hope readers take away from this book?
      First and foremost, I want readers enjoy the story! I hope they relate to Tommy and Careen, and look forward to reading the next installment in the series. Books for young adults often reflect the reader’s need to question authority and rebel against the rules set down by older generations; the Resistance Series looks at what can happen when people surrender our civil liberties in exchange for the promise of safety and security.  I hope readers understand that protagonists in dystopian books are often branded as outcasts or rebels because they question the restrictive rules of their societies—and that individuals who change the world rarely do so by going along with the herd.




#ResistBlogTour        @TracySLawson   @prbythebook

Sunday, August 23, 2015

Nightwalker by Jacquelyn Frank

Nightwalker

Keep reading to not only learn about the book, but to find the link to a giveaway!

Synopsis via Tasty Book Tours:
From New York Times bestselling author Jacquelyn Frank comes the final chapter in the Nightwalkers saga! As the momentous showdown with a powerful demon unfolds, a passionate encounter breaks the ultimate taboo.
Kamen is a Bodywalker, an ancient soul reborn in one human host after another. He’s also a prisoner of his own kind: for it was Kamen who released Apep, the deadly god who threatens the existence of their world. To atone for this grievous error, Kamen accepts an urgent mission: to convince the other nations of the Nightwalkers to set aside their centuries-old conflicts and band together. If he fails, all will be lost. And no tribe presents a greater challenge than the Wraiths, the spectral beings who are feared and despised for their lethal deathtouch.

Kamen makes first contact with a stunning, ghostly pale beauty named Geneviève. Part Wraith and part human, scorned as a half-breed, Viève shares the hunger for redemption—and for connection. Her scintillating touch holds the kiss of death, and yet it makes Kamen feel more alive than ever. Soon his lips are pressed against hers, sending Viève into fits of desire and forging a bond that breaches the divide between them. Now they must unite all the Nightwalkers, from Vampire and Shadowdweller to Djynns, and fast—for Apep is ready for war.

What can I say about Nightwalker? Um, it is freakin' awesome!! I had a hard time putting it down. I love the way Miss Frank combines her supernatural world with the contemporary world. She has a wonderful gift for weaving  so many intricate parts into one story. With Nightwalker, Miss Frank  combines 12 of her worlds together in one story. We get to see a glimpse of so many different characters. In essence, not only is it a single action packed story, but it is also a teaser for most of her other books. We get a little taste of her other characters. This wets your appetite for their whole story. And as I have read Forged, I can tell you that she will not disappoint. 
But, back to Kamen and Vieve. They are definitely not your typical couple. They are both struggling with their own "demons". But when they find each other and realize their attraction for each other, they find themselves in their own little bubble of acceptance. This is so much more than just a story about good versus evil and finding your true mate. If you look deep down you will find the undertone of the story of forgiveness, acceptance, and self esteem. I think that was as important to me as the love story. No, don't worry that it is one of those stories that preaches and preaches about self esteem. It is one of those stories where it all just falls into place.
Kamen and Vieve are character that you want to fall in love with and you want to root for. The action of the skirmishes and the big battle will keep you going as well as the interactions between all the individuals. The fact that Miss Frank has brought all 12 of her worlds together in one book makes it almost impossible for any part of the book to be boring. Yes, this is Kamen and Vieve's story, but all the other characters are an integral part of the plot.
If you have read any of Miss Frank's books, you really can't miss this one. If you haven't read any of her books, read this one as an introduction and then run to the bookstore and get some more!! 

Excerpt:
Isabella Russ, known simply as Bella or Bella the Enforcer, had found herself living in New Mexico for the better part of seven months now. It was necessary for her to be there in order to work closely with Kamenwati, the Bodywalkers’ most learned man. So she had moved and, with great reluctance, brought her children to the compound as well. The god Apep knew where the compound was and had already made an attack on it. It was dangerous to have them there.
But living apart from them for days at a time? Unacceptable. She would not be a ghost in her children’s lives during the most important years of their development. True, Leah was ten now and more than capable of being independent of her mother for short stretches of time, but her son was not. He was just exiting his toddler years, having only recently learned all the basics of walking and potty training and other such milestones for a child of three going on four.
But she struggled constantly with the idea of them being potentially in the line of fire. Luckily their father was there and he had always been able to protect them. And several of their friends from the other Nightwalkers in the First Faction were there as well. There were Sagan and Valera, the former Shadowdweller priest and his natural Witch wife; Jasmine and Adam, the Vampire prince’s most trusted aide and her Demon husband; Windsong, one of the Mistral leaders; and Jinaeri, a Lycanthrope scholar.
Together it meant that every member of the First Faction was represented. As for the Second Faction, so far there were numerous Bodywalkers, a Night Angel named Faith and her human husband, Leo, who often acted as a translator and who came with some mercenary skills of his own. There was a Djynn named Kat and her Gargoyle husband—although the Gargoyles were not technically members of the Second Faction because they were the scions of the Bodywalkers. She’d learned that Gargoyles had been created by Templars to be used as slaves. Other than that, there was no representation of the Mysticals, no one from the Phoenixes and no one from the Wraiths . . . although to hear the Second Faction tell it, this was a good thing.
But Bella couldn’t escape the thought that they needed to have the Phoenixes and Mysticals there. As she got dressed for the night she thought about it more and more. If they were going to get out of this mess they needed all hands on deck.
An idea that was supported only an hour later when she met up with Kamen and he revealed his discovery, via Leo who was interpreting between the two.
“But if what you’re saying is true, then we have to get the Phoenixes and Mysticals on board. And the Wraiths.”
“We’ll have to do this without the Wraiths. Trust me, they are too deadly to be dealt with.”
“Well, we’ll have to deal with at least one of them according to this. I think it means we need a party of twelve to defeat Apep,” Bella said.
“Surely you aren’t thinking of sending just twelve people to fight a god?” Kamen was aghast.
“Of course not! But we have to have at least twelve. One from each nation. That means you have to make nice with a Wraith.”
Kamen thought about this a moment. “Then it seems it’s clear what we have to do here. We have to make contact with each of these groups and get representatives from each to come here.”
“And who are you going to get to do that?” Leo asked. “The last time we met up with Wraiths they almost killed Faith and me.”
“I don’t know, but someone has to try,” Kamen said.
“We should start with the Phoenixes and Mysticals first. Begin with the easy ones,” Bella said.
“Easy? We’ve been trying to contact them and get them to cooperate for months now. They aren’t all that interested,” Kamen said.
“Well then, we need to send someone to make it interesting for them,” Bella said.
Kamen grew quiet then said, “It should be me.”
“You? Why you? We need you here, researching how to break this curse.”
“I have to do this,” Kamen said firmly. “I have to do something other than study books. You can take over doing it just as easily as I can for now. Let me go to the courts of the other three Nightwalkers.”
“So you’re going to reach out to the Wraiths?”
“We have to at least try to approach them. They might surprise us.”
“Or they might kill you. No way. No way are you going alone. At the very least you should take Leo. He’s human and immune to their deathtouch.”
“Or so we believe,” Kamen retorted. “There’s no proof of that.”
“You can’t go alone. It would be suicide.”
“It’s homicide to risk more than one life . . . and it will look less threatening if one is sent as opposed to a cadre of Nightwalkers showing up on their doorstep.”
“He has a point,” Leo added. “One trained man can get in a lot better than six. I just don’t know if I’d call Kamen a trained man.”
“I can take care of myself,” Kamen said harshly. “I was second only to Odjit when it came to Templar power. I can keep the Wraiths off me long enough to get them to talk and I can escape more quickly than anyone else. It would be better if I didn’t have anyone else to worry about in the process.”
“I’m convinced,” Leo said. “I just don’t think you’re going to convince Jackson.”
“If you want to convince the leader of the Politic Bodywalkers to let you do this,” Bella said, “you better meet with him alone. There are too many people here who think the worst of you and will shoot you down before you can say boo about it.”
“I am aware of that,” Kamen said grimly. “But getting Jackson alone will not be an easy trick for me.”
“It would be for me,” Leo said. “He’s my best friend after all. If I ask him to meet me alone, he’ll come alone. Bella, you can stay here and work,” Leo said, indicating the mounds of books that had been brought into the library for her and Kamen to go through together.

She nodded and let them go. She crossed her fingers though. There were too many variables that made it a bad idea all around. But she had a feeling Kamen was going to convince Jackson . . . or die trying.

Author Info
Jacquelyn Frank is the New York Times bestselling author of the Immortal Brothers series (Cursed by Fire, Cursed by Ice, Bound by Sin, and Bound in Darkness), the World of Nightwalkers series (Forbidden, Forever, Forsaken, Forged, and Nightwalker), the Three Worlds series (Seduce Me in Dreams and Seduce Me in Flames), the Nightwalkers series (Adam, Jacob, Gideon, Elijah, Damien, and Noah), the Shadowdwellers novels (Ecstasy, Rapture, and Pleasure), and the Gatherers novels (Hunting Julian and Stealing Katherine). She lives in North Carolina and has been writing romantic fiction ever since she picked up her first teen romance at age thirteen. 

Author Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads





Monday, August 3, 2015

Picture This by Marilyn Baxter

Picture This

Excerpt via Boroughspublishinggrooup.com/books/picture:

SHOOTING FOR THE STARS

When it comes to relationships, Tess Callahan is gun-shy. An ambitious Atlanta divorce attorney, she’s seen the aftermath of relationships gone bad, which is why she has no time in her life for any man except for Nick Russo. Handsome and exciting, he’s the perfect choice to give her all she desires—including the fact he’s never around long enough for things to get complicated. Until suddenly they do.

Nick Russo has the world. His job as a photographer takes him everywhere, and he wouldn’t give that life up for anyone, not even the beautiful and brilliant Tess Callahan. Or so he thinks. An unexpected pregnancy is about to bring everything into focus, a brighter and more colorful world than he ever thought to imagine. The possibilities are endless, and they’re something he can capture not just on film but in reality.

I was introduced to Miss Baxter on a fluke. She posted a question that I answered and next thing I knew I was blessed with a invitation to read her newest book. And it was one of the best moves I have made in a long time.
Miss Baxter writes with a sincerity and pureness that can only come from the heart. This story is full of both sincerity and pureness, but it also has heart. This story will talk to the mother in every reader who has given birth. As a matter of fact, I found myself tearing up at portions of the story. But it will also talk to the romantic in any reader.
I like the way Miss Baxter developed Tess and Nick's relationship without going back years and dragging out the history. She explained it, described it, and brought the reader into it enough to understand it without bogging the story down with history and descriptions. Her introduction and character development of Nick was sincere and just right to engage the reader. The reader learned enough to fall in love with Nick, sympathize with Nick, but never developing a dislike for him. And the same can be said of her character development of Tess. Miss Baxter knows how to develop a character that involves the reader without bringing the animosity of the reader. It's all about falling in love with the characters and wanting them to succeed at whatever is going on in their "lives".
As a nurse, I really enjoyed that Miss Baxter sis her research for the medical portion of the story. It can be very distracting to me to read incorrect medical parts of a story. 
Picture This is a feel good, "see it through" story that you won't be able to put down. So pick it up and check out out! You will be glad you did. 
For me, I have a new author to add to my favorites!

I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to Miss Baxter for this opportunity.