Review & Giveaway: Oxford Whispers by Marion Croslydon

Title: Oxford Whispers (The Oxford Trilogy, #1)

Author: Marion Croslydon

Release date: October 8^th, 2012

Genre: Paranormal

Age Group: New Adult

Tour organized by: AToMR Tours

Links to find the book:

AMAZON.COM: http://www.amazon.com/Oxford-Whispers-ebook/dp/B0091UKP0K/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1351667730&sr=8-1&keywords=oxford+whispers

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15784247-oxford-whispers

Book Description:

SOOKIE STACKHOUSE GOES IVY LEAGUE!

Madison LeBon is dead set against the dead. She has vowed to ignore her Voodoo-stamped heritage and the psychic gift passed down through her Louisiana family. The world of the living is where she wants to belong.

But her resolution shatters when the tragic lovers in a painting—the subject of her first history class at Oxford—begin to haunt her. The lovers warn her against their own nemesis, a Puritan from the English Civil War.

College becomes more complicated when Madison falls hard for Rupert Vance, a troubled aristocrat and descendant of one of the characters in the painting. With the spirit of a murderer after her, she realizes that her own first love may also be doomed…

FALL IN LOVE FOR THE FIRST TIME... AGAIN

{Upper-YA/New Adult - Recommended 17+}

My Review

I love books set in Louisiana.  I just love that whole Southern Antebellum, Southern gothic type of setting.  Oxford Whispers isn't exactly set in Louisiana but our heroine is from there.  And she has that whole psychic voodoo thing going on, which is also cool. To escape that whole voodoo heritage our heroine, Madison, goes off to college in England.  While she is there she begins to be haunted by the ghosts of a pair of lovers she sees in a painting.  To complicate things more she falls in love with Rupert who is a descendant of the lovers and their relationship may be doomed before it even starts by the spirit of a murderer.

I loved this book, and plan to read all of them in the series.  The characters are likable - especially Madison. I like that she is kind of nerdy but she is also full of spunk.  She's a smart girl, and I like books with smart girls that can take care of themselves and aren't tripping all over themselves and waiting for a boy to rescue them.

The pacing was well done and the story so engrossing that I read it in one sitting, and then read it again more slowly.  Ms. Croslydon is an excellent story teller and as I said, I can't wait to see how this series continues.  It's paranormal, but refreshingly different from all the other paranormal stuff out their right now.  Check it out if you're looking for something otherworldly and amazing.

About the author

In addition to being an author, I work as an entrepreneur, wife and mother-of-one but spend a good deal of time with books, DVDs and listening to my mp3 player; all for the sake of inspiration, of course.

My debut series, The Oxford Trilogy, has been a blast to write because I can indulge in my favorite types of music: Country and English rock.

My main goal as a writer is to make readers dream bigger and cause their hearts to beat a little faster.
Since my writing is all about sharing dreams and stories, I love connecting with fellow readers and authors.

Marion Croslydon | Twitter | Facebook

a Rafflecopter giveaway

eXtasy Books & Devine Destinies Kindle Fire Giveaway‏

Tina Haveman is the founder and CEO of eXtasy Books and Devine Destinies. Tina was born in Europe, left there at age eight, then traveled to several countries with her parents, to finally settle in Australia for many years. She immigrated to Canada in 1973 where she has lived since. After raising a family of five as a single mother, she finally found time to concentrate on her writing. In 2000 she started her own publishing house with a partner but became too busy with eXtasy and Devine to continue her involvement and withdrew to focus entirely on eXtasy and Devine. Tina devotes all her time to her publishing house and authors and is grateful for the success her company is experiencing. “After many years of struggling to keep my head above water while raising five children on my own, I have much to be thankful for,” said Tina. “While the company affords me a comfortable living now and I have quite a staff aboard, I thoroughly enjoy what I do and won’t stop until someone up above tells me it’s time.”

About eXtasy Books

eXtasy Books first opened its doors December 2002 with a small website that was soon revamped into a more business like site. Within a matter of months, eXtasy outgrew that website and had to build another site to accommodate its growing catalog. Since then, the site has been revamped a number of times. Our imprint, Devine Destinies, started in 2008 to accommodate mainstream, YA, inspirational and children's books.

Since eXtasy’s birth, it has seen several upheavals, but with hard work, a loyal staff and a loyal stable of authors, eXtasy managed to survive them, along with the depression that hit our countries hard.

This past years has seen tremendous growth at eXtasy and we have moved our website to our own dedicated server to accommodate its growing readership.

We publish a wide variety of stories ranging from short stories to full books, pricing kept reasonable to accommodate our readers. Prices range from 1.59 to 5.99.

eXtasy Books has always been and is a devout supporter of e-books and e-readers. There are so many print books destroyed every year, it’s unbelievable. Go Green, is our motto. Save our forests! With so many new e-readers on the market, think about the ease of taking books along when traveling, getting rid of dust collecting books in your house, thereby making more room, being able to read a book on your phone or handheld while going to and from work on a bus or train. Think about the many books you can store on your computer. And think about the books you can hide from nosy relatives or children…

We have an attractive reward program in place. Receive 5 dollars on first sign up for an account that can be applied if you spend 20 or more dollars. For every purchase you receive 10% of your total in rewards. These rewards can be saved or you can use them when you come back to buy more books. We're always looking for new ways to make our site a great shopping experience. Come and visit us at http://www.extasybooks.com and/or http://www.devinedestinies.com

Follow eXtasy at Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/extasybooks.

Follow eXtasy at Twitter at ttps://twitter.com/#!/eXtasyBooks.

Follow Devine Destinies at Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/DevineDestinies.

Follow Devine Destinies at Twitter at https://twitter.com/#!/DevineDestinies.

~ ~ ~ KINDLE FIRE GIVEAWAY ~ ~ ~

Pump Up Your Book and eXtasy Books are teaming up to give you a chance to win a Kindle Fire!

Here's how it works:

Each person will enter this giveaway by liking, following, subscribing and tweeting about this giveaway through the Rafflecopter form throughout the tour. The Kindle Fire promotion will run from June 1 - August 31. Winner will be chosen randomly by Rafflecopter, contacted by email and announced on September 1, 2012. Visit each blog stop below to gain more entries as the Rafflecopter widget will be placed on each blog for the duration of the tour.

ENTER TO WIN!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Dark Waters by Shannon Mayer Book Feature & GIVEAWAY!

Two sisters, one of them kidnapped + Two gorgeous men.

+ A legendary prophecy =
Monsters, magic, deception and sensuality. 
Be prepared to dive into Dark Waters! 


What the readers have said
"Right from the beginning this story explodes."
Author of the Vicarage Bench Series, Mimi Barbour

" . . don't expect to be lulled to sleep, this story doesn't stop moving. As fast as it is happening for our protagonist, Quinn, is as fast as Mayer takes us along for the ride."
Kriss Morton, Reader

"The premise is an interesting mix of original and classic . . . the familial bonds and an emerging love triangle are really what drive the story and give it more dimension. Highly recommend!"
Author of The Slave Girl Chronicles, JC Andrijeski

"Whoop, Whoop I loved it! Strong characters, Strong plot, great action. I think I may have found Ms. Mayer's M.O. . . this book is a real page turner."
Amber Spedding (Reader)


Buy Now @ Amazon 

Genre - Urban Fantasy
Rating - PG
More details about the author


Connect with Shannon Mayer on Twitter & Facebook
Blog http://shannonmayer.blogspot.com/
Check out where this author will be talking about her latest release!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Black Satin by Rae Hacton Review & GIVEAWAY

Synopsis:What if you weren’t who you thought you were?
What if your whole life changed in an instant and you were released to a new identity?
What if you were forced to kill the one you love?
What if everything you knew wasn’t real, and you awaken to a new world?
What if love could take you to unknown places?
How beautiful is death really?

 Marcus Marble has disappeared from Ellie’s life, and she needs answers to questions and he’s the only one who can answer them. How is her sister back from the dead, and why is Ellie still alive? When Ellie realizes Marcus isn’t coming back, she is forced to move on with her life the best way she can, in hopes of finding the answers herself, but when people at school begin to be viciously murdered, and Giles reveals to her a life changing secret, she decides to investigate the possible truth of it. What she discovers is more than she thought she would. The only time Ellie feels normal is when she’s around Walter, the new guy at school. And normal is how she wants to feel, now that Marcus is gone from her life. But Walter may not be all that he seems, either, and she just might spiral in to an even more dark world, she never thought possible. And when it occurs to her that Marcus has made the decision to pass on through to the afterlife, during the Risorgimento, she races against time to stop him, while knowing she has feelings for Walter, too. Will she make it in time to stop Marcus from passing through, and if she does, what will she tell Walter? Her heart will have to make the final decision. But will the choice be worth dying for?

  My Review: Black Satin is the second book in Rae Hachton's Pretty In Black series.  For starters, I want to comment on the covers.  Both books have eerie, beautiful covers.  They are what first grabbed my attention when deciding to sign up for the tour.

Rae Hachton writes in a lovely, flowing style that paints pictures in your head of the events happening in the story.  She has a lovely gothic flare that stands out among today's young adult paranormal writers.  The plot moves along at a fast pace and I couldn't stop reading until I'd finished the whole book.



In this sequel, Ellie is lost without Marcus, but makes an effort to move on with her life.  Giles is back on the scene, and as I had hoped when reading Pretty in Black, we learn more about what Ellie is "chosen" for.  We also see much more character development and Ellie feels even more real to me than in the last book.  A new character, Walter, enters the scene and I was left hanging on the edge of my seat waiting to see if Walter's intentions were good or bad.  I won't give any of that away, because I really think you should read the book (and enter below for your chance to win it).

Black Satin will not disappoint.  It's a creepy and lovely and Rae Hachton's writing, characters and nightmare worlds are amazingly well thought out and portrayed.  I hope you will read it, and let me know what you think

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review and GIVEAWAY of Loving Summer by Kailin Gow

Loving Summer by Kailin Gow
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I received an ARC copy of Loving Summer by Kailin Gow as part of her tour with SupaGurl Books. I have a ton of Kailin Gow’s books on my Goodreads list, but this was the first of her books that I have read. I was not disappointed, and I cannot wait to see what else Ms. Gow has to offer.

Loving Summer is a coming of age story about best friends, Summer Jones and Rachel Donovan. The girls have been best friends since they were little girls. Summer and Rachel, and Rachel’s two brothers Nat and Drew spent every summer with Summer’s aunt Sookie at her beach house in Malibu. Sookie owns a theater in Malibu and the kids grew up acting out stories. They were all very close, and Summer has been nursing a crush on Nat since he was her first kiss.

Three years ago Rachel’s family moved to San Francisco and though they haven’t seen each other since then they have kept in touch. In the midst of Rachel’s parents going through an ugly divorce, Rachel and her brothers are invited to get away for the summer and spend time with Sookie and Summer at the beach house. Summer has grown and changed, and has become pretty (where as before she was a little on the nerdy side). She is hoping to make a relationship with Nat now that they’re all older. Life never goes according to plan, and before she knows it Summer has three guys vying for her attention, including teen celebrity heartthrob, Astor.

While Summer is working out her feelings and her changing expectations, the Donovan’s are all facing their own personal struggles as well including their parent’s divorce and the behavior’s each Donovan has developed in response. In the midst of the summer tragedy strikes and Summer and the Donovan’s each deal with it in their own way.
I really like how well developed each character in the book is and how we glimpse each of their personal feelings about the things they are experiencing. The plot is well developed and the story covers some heavy issues, such as suicide. The issues are covered in a way that is well thought out, and as I mentioned, we get to see how each character is affected by the issue.

I really enjoyed the story, and I hope to read more of Ms. Gow’s books soon.


View all my reviews

Special Promotion Announcement from Kailin:
*Included in Loving Summer's Kindle Version, is a full-length Loving Summer Healthy Summer Recipes Cookbook written by Kailin Gow, which will also a book that will release and be sold separately, and valued at $9.99.

Also, for anyone who purchases a copy of Loving Summer from Amazon.com, they get a chance to win one of Kailin's own Gently Used Coach Bag that is SIGNED by her, as well, valued at $500.

About Kailin Gow:

Kailin Gow is the author of over 100 books, with the majority of them for young adults. Her most popular series are: The Frost Series, PULSE Series, Desire Series, Wicked Woods, Steampunk Scarlett Novels, and more. A full-time author, she is also a producer, having worked in radio, television, and film. She grew up in Southern California, lived in Texas and England, and had traveled extensively around the world.

Links:
Website: www.KailinGowBooks.com
Blog: http://KailinGow.Wordpress.com
Twitter: http://Twitter.com/KailinGow
Facebook: http://Facebook.com/KailinGowBooks
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/KailinGow

Purchase on Amazon here

To visit the rest of the tour stops : http://supagurlbooks.blogspot.com/2012/05/loving-summer-by-kailin-gow-blog-tour.html

Giveaway
I am giving away my ARC of Loving Summer that has been signed by Kailin Gow.  It has been read once by me, but is in good condition.  To enter please use the Rafflecopter entry form below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Splash Into Summer Giveaway Hop

I'm giving away a book of your choice $12 or less from Amazon, Barnes and Nobles or the Book Depository. Giveaway runs from May 25 to June 1st. Must be 13 years or older to enter. Giveaway is open anywhere that the Book Depository ships. Please check their website if you are unsure they ship to your country. Please enter using the Rafflecopter below. Don't forget to stop by all the other blogs taking place in the hop.

 a Rafflecopter giveaway

REVIEW & GIVEAWAY: Kings and Queens by Courtney Vail

In the beginning of Kingsand Queens we meet Majesty, a no-nonsense, baseball loving, girl, who has recently lost her father.  Cutting through the woods after baseball one evening, she over-hears two boys in paint ball masks plotting a mass shooting.  The boys notice Majesty even though she is able to escape.  Majesty is afraid to tell the police because she is afraid they won’t believe her – due to the fact that she thinks her father’s death was suspicious and has been hounding them to look into the case further.  She makes an anonymous call to tip off the police.  Soon her life is being threatened on a regular basis – by the killers. 

Majesty and her crush, Derek, and best friend, Alec attempt to find the killers and gather real evidence before the massacre occurs.  Unfortunately, there are so many people in Majesty’s school that fit the build of the would-be killers, making things difficult.  The more investigating that Majesty does the further she gets into this dangerous web. 

I cannot say enough good things about Kings and Queens by Courtney Vail.  I really love Courtney Vail’s writing style.  It’s a refreshing read – different than so many other books I’ve read lately.  Kings and Queens is incredibly suspenseful.  The story unfolds like a well-played game of chest between two masters.  Every time you think you have something figured out, there is a twist or surprise. 

The characters are complex multi-dimensional individuals.  Majesty is a strong female character with moxie, strength and determination.  But she is also human. She has her weak moments.  She needs her friends.  She cares about others.  She has beliefs that she is willing to fight for.  Derek and Alec are also both complex characters, and we learn about their stories as well.  They aren’t simply two-dimensional characters to serve the purpose of a love triangle.  Even the side characters have depth to them.

Out of the 79 books that I’ve read so far this year, I would have to say that this one is in my top five.  The strong characters, well developed plot, twists and turns, and different & refreshing writing style earned it five stars from me.  I will be anticipating further books by Courtney Vail.

COURTNEY VAIL writes totally twisted YA and adult suspense. She enjoys braiding mystery, suspense & romance with some kind of weirdness. Her addictions to crazy coffee concoctions, Funny Bones, Ben & Jerry's, and bacon keep her running and writing. She currently lives in New England with a comedian stud and a wild gang of kidlets.

Twitter @cvwriter

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/kingsandqueensnovel

Goodreads http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4744654.Courtney_Vail

GIVEAWAY

Because I liked this book so much, I would like to giveaway an eBook copy of it to one of my commenters.  The giveaway is open to anyone who can accept Kindle or Nook Books.  Must be 13 years or older to enter.

To enter, please leave me a comment on this post with your name and a way to contact you.

For extra entries (please leave a second comment for each additional entry):

1. Tweet about the giveaway

2. Follow me on twitter, Linky followers, gfc, goodreads or facebook.

3. Comment on any of my other blog posts and then leave a comment telling me which one.

Giveaway runs from now through May 19th.

Destiny Blog Tour - Reviews & Giveaway

I was very excited to be asked to take part in the Destiny Tour for author Heather White.  The book summary sounded really interesting and I was not disappointed.  For the tour I received copies of both When Destiny Knocks and When Destiny Strikes.  I am anxiously awaiting the release of the next book in the series.

 In When Destiny Knocks we meet sixteen year old Karlie.  Karlie was living in New York City until her mother died in an accident.  Karlie moves to Arkansas to live with her father, whom she hasn't had the best relationship.  On her first day of school Karlie finds that she develops easy friendships with a group of teens - but they are dead set on keeping her away from Shane - to whom she has a strange reaction to the first day of school.  Karlie suddenly learns that she is developing strange powers.  But why?  And why does she react this way to Shane?  I'm not giving it away, so pick up the book and read it!

Tension rises as Karlie learns that Shane's father wants him to kill her.  Shane, who is awesome by-the-way, can't do it, struggles with whether or not he can kill Karlie.  Will he do it?  That's another thing you'll need to read to find out. 

The paranormal world that Heather M. White writes is fascinating, and keeps you wanting to read more.  The main characters are well developed and likable.  I find myself liking Alex a lot, even though he seems somewhat irresponsible.  I would like to see more development in the personalities of Karlie's friends aka protectors.

When Destiny Knocks is a fast, fun read appropriate for 13 and up.  I am giving away one eBook copy of When Destiny Knocks.  To enter you must give me your name and email address.  There are extra entries for following on google friend connect or linky follower and for tweeting about the giveaway.  Giveaway runs from now through April 26th at midnight.



In When Destiny Strikes Karlie has achieved her full powers and more and more paranormals are coming to try to kill her.  People Karlie once thought she could trust have turned on her.  People she thought were dead are back.  The author really had me struggling trying to figure out people's motives.  There were a few people I couldn't tell if I trusted them or not.  There are still a few people I think may prove to be untrustworthy in the next book.  When Destiny Strikes is a real page turner.  I read it all in one sitting because I could not wait to see what happened next.

Karlie's arch enemy joins forces with someone she trusted.  Someone she thought was her friend.  Her enemies raise of forces of zombies against her.  In a vision, Karlie sees that she and her friends are headed for war.  They are all anxious because it is their small group against hundreds of zombies, werewolves and vampires.  To top things off, Karlie is almost killed by her former friend.  Towards the end of the war we don't know where Alex's loyalty lies.  I was pretty bummed about this, as he is one of my favorites in the group.

With the help of some new friends, Karlie and her group prepare for battle.  Will they all make it?  You need to read and find out!

I am giving away an eBook of When Destiny Strikes.  Giveaway is from now thru April 26th at midnight.  Follow me on gfc or linky followers and Tweet about the giveaway for extra entries.



About the Author (in her own words):

I am a returning resident to Arkansas. I just migrated south from Saint Louis, MO with my husband. We have a married a year. :)


I love to write. I have been writing since I was a kid - literally. I decided in the 2nd grade I would write a book. I wrote lots of short stories and poems... And did I mention I wrote over 200 songs? (Yeah, I'm a musician too - guitar, bass, drums and vocals). So I wrote my very first novel at the ripe age of 14... My Mom still has it :-/. OK, so maybe it wasn't my best work, but I had a LOT of fun writing it!


When I'm not writing, I am normally reading. I am also a caffeine addict... Dr. Pepper and NOS (the energy drink) are my drugs of choice :)

Review & GIVEAWAY: Hunter Moon by Cait Lavender

Hunter Moon by Cait Lavender tells the story of Shelby Flint, a tough as nails rancher, trying to run her grandfather’s ranch on her own. Her grandfather has died, and her cousins are contesting the will, and her right as owner of the ranch. Amidst all of the family drama, and the daily ranch duties, Shelby is dealing with a pot grower on her land, and a lone wolf that appears on her property.  The incident with the wolf brings the new game warden, Cash onto her property, into her life, and working his way into her heart. 

This is not your typical werewolf story.  Or your typical romance novel.  Shelby is not a damsel in distress.  She is tough as nails, independent and a sharp thinker.  She’s also good with a gun.  Shelby has a quick wit and the ability to laugh at herself.  Cash is a hottie, for sure.  Right as he is making headway with Shelby, his equally hot younger brother arrives on the scene, making waves for Shelby and Cash. 

I wasn’t sure what I was going to think about this book when I first agreed to review it.  I don’t usually read a lot of adult paranormal romances, but I was pleasantly surprised by this one.  I could not book the book down.  I found myself getting deeper and deeper into Shelby’s world – falling in love with her ranch and her friends (and her man – lol).  I loved the book so much that I went online and bought Cowboy Moon the novella that takes place before this book and tells the story of Shelby’s mother and father. 

I cannot wait for the next book in the series!

GIVEAWAY INFO

I will giveaway one ecopy of the book to a commenter on my blog.  Please go to Cait’s guest post and read her list of favorite authors – then come back here and tell me who your favorite author is and why.  Make sure to leave me a way to contact you.  Giveaway runs until April 19^th.  Open to anyone able to accept ebooks.

Hoppy Easter Giveaway Hop

For the Hoppy Easter Eggstravaganza Giveaway Hop I am giving away a book of your choice valued at $10 or less from Amazon or the Book Depository.  The giveaway is open to any country where the book depository ships.

Please enter using the rafflecopter, and be sure to head on over to the rest of the blogs for more chances to win.



Review and Giveaway: Meeting Destiny by Nancy Straight

SUMMARY:  In Meeting Destiny by Nancy Straight, we meet Lauren.  The story starts with an act of courage on Lauren's part.  Lauren puts herself in danger to save her friends life.  As a result of her act of bravery, Lauren meets Max, the boy she has been dreaming about for the last for years.  Max told her in her dreams that he is her destiny.  Lauren struggles to make her destiny with Max a reality while trying to let her high school sweet heart down early. 

Lauren is an unusual girl.  She can "read" people.  She can tell if a person is good or has bad intentions.  As a result of her ability, she becomes entangled in a murder mystery.  Along the way she meets a clairvoyant who knows about her powers and tells her to stay on her bath to destiny.  Will Lauren and Max be able to stay together despite all of Lauren's dangerous experiences and independent nature? 

REVIEW:  I really liked Meeting Destiny.  The book is fast moving, and it really keeps you guessing.  I really like Lauren's character.  She puts herself in danger regularly to protect the people she cares about.  I like her independence and her spiritedness.    Lauren does the things she believes are right, even when others don't agree with her.

Max sounds like a total hottie, but he's still really mysterious.  We don't know that much about Max for a lot of the book.  At times I wondered if he is hiding something.  I wondered if he is some paranormal creature, but we never find out anything of that nature, at least not in this first volume. 

I am left with some questions after reading this book.  For example, Lauren gets a bad feeling about the older man in the coffee shop, who becomes a volunteer paramedic.  We never really hear anything more about him.  I have a feeling (at least I hope) that he will play a part in the second book.  I also want to know more about the clairvoyant, and the "we" that are watching out for Lauren.  The ending was a complete shock to me.  I immediately bought and started reading the second book, Destiny's Revenge, because I have to know what happens with Max and Lauren.

The cover is gorgeous!  I would have picked this book up, even if I hadn't been part of the tour.  What do you all, think?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:  Nancy was born in Sioux City Iowa, left the cold of the Midwest in 1991 and only returns to see family in the summer time. She spent ten years traveling the world as a US Marine and settled in rural SC with her husband, two children and three dogs.  She enjoys RVing with her family, writing Paranormal Romance / Urban Fantasy and reading all types of Paranormal and Young Adult literature. 

Check out the rest of the tour at Supagurl Book Tours

Whispering Hills Book Tour: Review & Giveaway

Alexis Forbes is not your average high school student.  Alexis can hear people’s thoughts – but not in the way you think of when you hear that someone can read minds.  Alexis can only hear people’s thoughts when they have made a decision to do something.   The story starts with Alexis hearing the thought , “I’m going to kill her.”  Right after hearing those words, Alexis meets her new locker neighbor, Chance.  Oddly enough, Alexis can’t hear Chance’s thoughts.   

As Alexis and Chance become closer, she starts to discover that there is something unusual about Chance.  Along the way, she makes friends with social outcast, Summer.  Together Summer and Alexis struggle to uncover what it is that binds the two girls and Chance, while trying to figure out who the murderous thoughts are coming from, and how to stop the killer. 

I really liked this book.  The plot of Whispering Hills is very different than a lot of books that I’ve read.  In fact, of all the paranormal books I’ve read, I’ve never read one that had this books surprising paranormal twist.  And no, I’m not talking about the mind reading aspect – I’m talking about how Chance, Summer and Alexis are all connected and why.  I’m not going to give it way, because I think everyone should read and find out for themselves. 

The plot is unique, and the book thoroughly enjoyable.  The first few chapters start a little bit slow, but after that, it’s a page turner.  I read the whole book in one sitting.  The characters are interesting and dynamic.  I really liked Summer a lot.  There is so much more to her than her hardened, slightly gothic exterior.  I can’t wait to see how Summer’s character develops in the next book.

I am giving away an e-copy of the book, as well as signed bookmarks.  Please check SupaGurl’s Book Tours to follow the rest of the tour.  And be sure to stop back there the last day of the tour (April 12) for the big giveaway.

About the author: 

Taryn Browning writes young adult paranormal romance and urban fantasy novels. Her debut novel, DARK SEEKER, is available on Amazon and B&N. The sequel, DARK RETURN, comes out in late, 2012.

Taryn graduated with a BS in Education from Towson University and went on to earn a MS in Reading from Hood College. She lives in Virginia with her husband, two young sons and their dog. When she's not writing, she enjoys reading, spending time with friends and family, music, movies, and the beach. Visit her at www.tarynbrowning.com, on twitter and facebook.

Review & Giveaway: Little Did I Know by Mitchell Maxwell

GOODREADS SYNOPSIS:  Here is the story of an unforgettable summer. Set in Plymouth, MA in the late seventies, Little Did I Know is the tale of a young man with an outsized dream – to refurbish a dilapidated but historic theater and produce a season's worth of vibrant musicals. A recent college graduate, he fills his cast and crew with people he has come to love and trust in his university life, and with others whose talents and personalities prove undeniable. Yet, while the productions drive his ambitions, a local woman drives his passions, and their romance is fateful, star-crossed, and ultimately more than either of them expected. Told with with, compassion, and the kind of insider's access to the theater that only someone like Mitchell Maxwell can provide, Little Did I Know is a novel about coming of age in the spotlight and embracing one's entire future in a single season.

My Review:  The year is 1976, and main character Sam August is graduating from college with his band of colorful friends. The group is unsure of what to do next, now that they’re adults. Sam finds an advertisement for the lease of theater in historic Plymouth and convinces his friends that this is what they’re next step is. They will go to Plymouth and produce musicals for the summer, restoring the theater to its former glory. The wealthy owner of the theater (and half the town), Mr. Barrows, refuses to make things easy on Sam. Throw in Mr. Barrows’ young trophy-wife, Lizzy, and Sam faces a moral dilemma – over how far he will go to get the theater. To make matters worse, Sam’s love interest Veronica and Lizzy have bad history. Will Sam be able to overcome small town politics and have a successful show? I’m not going to tell you :) The book is worth reading, and one lucky reader will win the ARC copy I was given to review.


Mitchell Maxwell is an excellent writer. His plot is well done, and benefits from his inside knowledge of the theatre. I really enjoyed the language Maxwell uses. I’ve been reading a lot of young adult books lately, some of them about college aged kids, but Maxwell’s story has more substance and more texture.

The characters are well developed and interesting to get to know. Sam dreams big and follows on his up on his dreams. He is a natural leader and good at getting what he wants. Throughout the book his dream is contagious as he sells others on it. He is persistent, steadfast, and charming. I love Veronica, and Mitchell Maxwell does a great job of making her likable, mysterious, and describing this strong female character who has endured much. Sam’s band of friends all bring something interesting and unique to the table. I like Secunda with his designer suits, trust fund, and laid-back, easy personality.

It’s an engrossing read and was hard for me to put down. I hope that you will read it and enjoy it as much as I have. For a chance to win my ARC copy, enter via rafflecopter.