Book Tour and Giveaway: The Evolution Trilogy by Vanessa Wester

Hybrid 
The Evolution Trilogy: Book 1
By Vanessa Wester 
Genre: Paranormal, Urban Fantasy 

Steven Thorn has no trouble settling in at university. He is confident, hardworking and intelligent. When Caitlin Chance catches him off guard he is bemused by the instant attraction, and the more he gets to know, the more he likes.

Yet, Steven has a secret past that is destined to reveal itself, and he is soon to become a stranger to everyone. The wheels are set in motion for his radical upheaval. But first love is a powerful thing, and the connection forged between Caitlin and Steven is not easily broken.

The impossible is only the beginning...

Vanessa Wester's debut novel takes you from the University of Southampton to the depths of the Amazon jungle. An imaginary citadel is waiting to be discovered full of interesting characters,traditions and cultures. There are so many twists and details you will not be able to put this book down.

*~HYBRID has some scenes of an adult nature. It may be considered unsuitable for younger readers~*

Goodreads * Amazon

Complications
The Evolution Trilogy - Book 2

Steven Thorn has had a nightmare year... He finds out he is not normal. His life gets erased. He starts a new life in the amazon, and then he ends up with a debilitating injury. Life could not get any worse - he thinks.

Yet luck is on his side as his injury leads to freedom and his eventual return to Southampton. His new home is a Victorian house on the outskirts of Southampton, a place close to his first love, Caitlin Chance. Now that he is back, he intends to find a way into her life, but he has no idea if she will even remember him.

Caitlin is about to discover the reason for her unexplained sadness over the past year, and will find it hard to resist Steven's magnetic pull. She has never been good at avoiding things that are bad for her, and the return of Steven is about to challenge her willpower in an unimaginable way.

As begun in Hybrid, Vanessa Wester takes you back to the University of Southampton to reveal more twists and turns in The Evolution Trilogy. Life is full of complications, and sometimes it is hard to know if you made the right choice.

Goodreads * Amazon

Return
The Evolution Trilogy - Book 3

Steven Thorn and Caitlin Chance are meant to be together. At least, when they first fell in love it seemed inevitable. But love is sometimes not enough. It makes them act irrationally, it tests family loyalties, breaks and makes friendships, and causes physical and mental pain.

Yet, without love, Steven and Caitlin are lost.

As they return to the community and discover the possibilities open to them, all is not what they hoped. Steven has impacted the lives of many since he was discovered, and the choices he made have led to events beyond anyone's control.

Love brought Steven and Caitlin together and fate is playing with their emotions, constantly undermining their willpower and determination. In the game of love, destiny is always the winner.

As continued from COMPLICATIONS, Vanessa Wester takes you back to the Amazon as Steven and Caitlin return to the community and try to figure out their future. Finally, you will discover the next steps for the community, its inhabitants, and humanity.

Goodreads * Amazon

Emily
Prequel to the Evolution Trilogy

Emily has not changed in fifty years. An accident made her immortal, a vampire freak.

Finally allowed to return to her beloved England, all is not as expected. So much has changed. The past she was holding on to does not exist. Since the Second World War, people have embraced a new age. In this era, people have an obsession with gadgets, strange clothes and weird music.

Added to this her blood-lust has become insatiable and her promise to control herself is torn to shreds. That is until she meets Paul. She never expected to find love after all this time. Fate has never been kind to Emily, and it gives her everything she wants at a cost. She must pay a price for being a murderer.

Within Emily’s twisted heart lies a dark soul.

Goodreads * Amazon

Vanessa developed her writing bug in 2010 and has not looked back since. Her main published work is ‘THE EVOLUTION TRILOGY’, which is comprised of HYBRID, her debut novel, followed by COMPLICATIONS and RETURN. The prequel to the Trilogy, EMILY, is also now available.

In addition, she has written a novelette called FIRST DATE, which is based on her true story. She has also published, and included stories in, six anthologies to raise money for fantastic causes.

Writing is one of her passions, reading the other. The day she decided to start writing her ideas down she found another way to lose herself in a book, whilst finding an outlet for her imagination. It is the best way she can think of to escape from everyday life. She is currently working on a historical fiction novel based on the life of her great, great, grandparents... and is finding the research fascinating!

Readers can find Vanessa Wester online at:

Amazon * Blog * Twitter * Facebook * Goodreads * LinkedIn * Pinterest

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Blog Tour - Guest Post and Giveaway: City of Roses by Donovan Pruitt

Book and Author Details:

City of Roses by Donovan Pruitt
Publication date: May 5th 2015
Genres: Fantasy, Paranormal Romance, Young Adult

Synopsis:
A young man ventures to his lost love’s childhood home in the abandoned city of Pripyat, Ukraine. When a sudden accident puts him off-course, he awakes to discover a lively and vibrant culture living in a nearby village and a woman who reignites his heart. But something sinister lurks in the shadows, and he must face the terror and help defend the village from evil before it is lost forever. Go beyond the tragedy of Chernobyl and discover the magic in the City of Roses.





Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25499622-city-of-roses?ac=1

Purchase:
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/City-Roses-Donovan-Pruitt/dp/1943352003/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1436967703&sr=8-1&keywords=Donovan+Pruitt

AUTHOR BIO:
Donovan Pruitt has a passion for science fiction and fantasy, especially those titles that trend toward young and new adult storytelling. City of Roses was his first standalone book as an indie author, though he has also written for video games and was previously published as a co-author in the fantasy genre. You can visit him online at www.KalaEmpire.com or join the discussion on Twitter @KalaEmpire.

My Amazon book reviews are available here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/profile/A2BE15IF4S23I1


 

Author links:
Website:  http://kalaempire.com/
Twitter:  https://twitter.com/KalaEmpire
Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/12334965.Donovan_Pruitt

Guest Post:
How important do you think it is to have some reality and accurateness in the actual science in science fiction stories? 

How could we have science fiction without the science? I often wonder that as I’m ignoring real science completely. Make no mistake, I think it can be very important to be scientifically accurate and realistic; however, I think it’s more important to be relatable and interesting as a storyteller. I am a fan of science. One of my best friends holds a PhD in astrophysics, and he has instructed me to tell everyone that science is awesome. As soon as he looks away, though, we’re going to cheat and do whatever we want.

For me, real science is a guideline. Science fiction is often based on the possibility that we could achieve these interesting technological marvels and visit these strange, wonderful places, near and far. In my latest book, City of Roses, real science might even explain how my main character, Alex, ends up in this whimsical fantasy world that seems to exist right alongside our reality in Pripyat, Ukraine. Maybe it’s a pocket reality? Maybe some kind of fissure in space/time allowed access to a parallel universe? Maybe, but I honestly have no idea because it wasn’t important for my story as to how Alex arrived in that place. It was more important to work through the mystery of where he was, not how he got there, and what he would do with his new life in this new place.

At the end of the day, I would rather read and write enjoyable stories that open up my imagination to the possibilities of futuristic science fiction, magical fantasy worlds, and alternate histories on our own planet. Real science helps me open the door to the idea of space travel, but when I write a science fiction novel I want my ships to go faster than light and tunnel through artificial wormholes. I want to rewrite history so that alchemy is a magical process of awesome power, where people don’t use wands—they use pocket watches. Oh, and airships. They’ll float with a magic crystal, because science. As long as it’s a fun, enjoyable story that doesn’t break science too badly (like dividing by zero), I think we can all walk away happy.

Giveaway:
Tour-wide giveaway (INTL)

• $50 Amazon Gift Card

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Promo Post: The Wanderers by Kate Ormand

The Wanderers
by Kate Ormand
Publisher: Sky Pony Press
Release Date: September 1st 2015
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Paranormal

Synopsis:

A Unique Twist on Shape-Shifters with Fast-Paced Action, Thrilling Adventure, Mystery, and a Bit of Romance

Flo lives an eccentric life—she travels with a popular circus in which the main acts star orphaned children with secret shape-shifting abilities. Once Flo turns sixteen, she must perform, but she’s not ready. While practicing jumping a flaming hurdle in a clearing beside the circus, she spots a dark figure in the trees and fears he saw her shift. The news sends the circus into a panic.

In Flo’s world, shifters are unknown to humans with the exception of a secret organization—the EOS, referred to as “hunters.” Hunters capture and kill. They send some shifters to labs for observation and testing—testing they don’t often survive—and deem others useless, a danger to society, and eliminate them. To avoid discovery, shifters travel in packs, constantly moving and keeping themselves hidden. Up until now, the circus was the perfect disguise.

Believing she has brought attention to the group, Flo feels dread and anxiety, causing her to make a mistake during her performance in front of the audience—a mistake that triggers a violent attack from the hunters.

Flo manages to flee the torched circus grounds with Jett, the bear shifter who loves her; the annoying elephant triplets; and a bratty tiger named Pru. Together they begin a new journey, alone in a world they don’t understand and don’t know how to navigate. On the run, they unravel secrets and lies that surround the circus and their lives—secrets and lies that all point to the unthinkable: Have they been betrayed by the people they trusted most?

Follow the The Wanderers by Kate Ormand Blog Tour and don't miss anything! Click on the banner to see the tour schedule.

KATE ORMAND is a YA writer represented by Isabel Atherton at Creative Authors Ltd. She lives in the UK with her family, her partner, and a cocker spaniel called Freddie. She recently graduated from university with a first class BA (Hons) degree in Fine Art Painting. It was during this course that Kate discovered her love of reading YA books, prompting her to try a new creative angle and experiment with writing. Kate is also a member of an online group of published writers and illustrators called Author Allsorts. And she writes children’s picture books under the name Kate Louise. 

You can see more about Kate and her writing by visiting her website (www.kateormand.wordpress.com) or on Twitter (@kateormand).

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Cover Reveal: Steam (The Legends Saga #3) by Stacey Rourke

BOOK & AUTHOR INFO:

Steam by Stacey Rourke
(The Legends Saga, #3)
Publication date: September 14th 2015
Genres: New Adult, Paranormal

Synopsis:
A journey through time.

A scarlet letter.

A soul crushing betrayal.

The thrilling Legends Saga concludes in a mash-up of literary all-stars. The works of Washington Irving, Edgar Allen Poe, HG Wells, and Nathaniel Hawthorne come to life in an intricately weaved backstory of love, lies, and deception. The driving force of all involved? Passion. But when that passion is cloaked in darkness, madness reigns.


Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25788343-steam

AUTHOR BIO:
RONE Award Winner for Best YA Paranormal Work of 2012 for Embrace, a Gryphon Series Novel
Young Adult and Teen Reader voted Author of the Year 2012
Turning Pages Magazine Winner for Best YA book of 2013 & Best Teen Book of 2013

Stacey Rourke lives in Michigan with her husband, two beautiful daughters, and two giant, dogs. She loves to travel, has an unhealthy shoe addiction  and considers herself blessed to make a career out of talking to the imaginary people that live in her head. Mark your calendars! Her latest literary adventure, Crane, will release May 26, 2014. She is currently hard at work on the continuations of this thrilling Legends Saga, as well as other literary projects.

Author links:
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/staceyrourkeauthor
Twitter:  https://twitter.com/Rourkewrites
Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5309409.Stacey_Rourke

A to Z April: P Reviews - Past Midnight by Mara Purnhagen/The Pride of the Peacock by Victoria Holt

For the last post this week I've got an old romance novel and a YA paranormal story.  Both are books I really enjoyed, and remember well.

The first book I want to talk about is one that I did actually review on my blog. But it is a series that I don't think gets enough attention.  So I want to bring it back by linking you to my reviews of the first two books in the Past Midnight series by Mara Purnhagen HERE.  And then I'll share the blurb from Goodreads below.  I just loved the ghost story, the characters, the mystery, such a great story!
Let me set the record straight. My name is Charlotte Silver and I'm not one of those paranormal-obsessed freaks you see on TV…no, those would be my parents, who have their own ghost-hunting reality show. And while I'm usually roped into the behind-the-scenes work, it turns out that I haven't gone unnoticed. Something happened on my parents' research trip in Charleston—and now I'm being stalked by some truly frightening other beings. Trying to fit into a new school and keeping my parents' creepy occupation a secret from my friends—and potential boyfriends—is hard enough without having angry spirits whispering in my ear.

All I ever wanted was to be normal, but with ghosts of my past and present colliding, now I just want to make it out of high school alive….

The second book is one that I happened upon by chance.  I had been hanging out with my aunt and cousins for the day because my parents were busy for something I can't remember now. We'd gone over to her grandmother-in-law's house.  I was bored, it was before I always remembered to bring a book with me.  So I saw a book sitting on a table and asked if I could read it.  Or maybe I picked it up and started reading, and the lady who it belonged to actually told me I could take it with me when we left. I'd always thought peacocks were cool, so that is one thing that got my attention. The other thing is that opals were my birthstone, and in this book I first learned about black opals, and probably became really obsessed with all types of opals.   Here is the blurb for it from Goodreads:
Victoria Holt demonstrates her mastery once again in her most exciting novel set in turn-of-the-century England where a young woman grows up in the shadow of the great estate - and privileged way of life - that was once her family's birthright. But a unique inheritance compels Jessica Clavering to marry the owner of a fabled opal mine and leads her to faraway Australia. There she will discover the mysteries - and evil - surrounding the greatest opal ever found. There she must confront the danger that lust for the stone has aroused even in her own husband - and there she must find love.

Actually both books I've chosen today have ghosts in them!  Or seem to maybe have ghosts.  And romance. Have you read either of these?  I am friends with the author of the first one, Mara Purnhagen, on Facebook.  And I've asked her what book is next. Nothing so far.  But I enjoy her writing so hope there will be more soon.  I've tried other books from the 2nd author, but haven't found any I loved as much as this one.

While you're here, enter my giveaway below!

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Review - Enthralled: Paranormal Diversions - A collection of short stories by 16 different authors

I checked this book out from the high school library where I work because I really wanted to read it.  I'm glad I did, as I can now say I have read a story by one of the authors I'll be moderating a panel with in May, just in case I don't get a chance to read her newest book before then.  That author is Kelley Armstrong.  Along with some authors I haven't read before, there were a few of my favorite authors in this book:  Sarah Rees Brennan, Ally Condie, Carrie Ryan, and Rachel Vincent to name a few.  One of my new favorites, Kimberly Derting was also a part of this.

Some of the stories go along with series of books, such as Rachel Vincent's Soul Screamers series, and Rachel Caine's Morganville Vampire series.  Even Carrie Ryan's story fits into the world of her Forest of Hands and Teeth series.  While I haven't read the Morganville Vampire series, and still don't know that I will, I really did like the story in this book, Automatic.  It reminded me a bit of the whole True Blood idea of making synthetic blood.  Only in this story, they were putting the blood into cans, and into a vending machine.  But something went wrong with it.  The recipe/formula was more calculated for the vampires that had been around longer, and caused the younger ones to lose themselves to the monster inside.

I haven't read Claudia Gray before, unless it was another short story, but her story, Giovanni's Farewell, the first one in the book, was one I really enjoyed.  Ravenna and Cairo were twins, who have a very close connection.  But they have kind of grown apart a bit, until a class trip to Italy.  She finds out that the little episodes her brother has are because he can hear/see what everyone around him is thinking, and it is a lot to take in.  At the same time, Ravenna learns while in one of the tombs that she can see dead people.  I won't tell too much more, just wanted to point out that I really liked this story, and now will have to read the other books Claudia Gray has written.

Another of my favorite stories in the book was Red Run by Kami Garcia.  It's based on one of those old stories about there being a ghost on a stretch of road that if you stopped to pick him up, you would die in an automobile accident or something.  I enjoyed the twist on the story that Garcia put to make it different.

The final story I'll talk about is by another author I haven't read before, Jeri Smith-Ready.  It is called Bridge, and is written in a prose sort of way.  It's about a future when people born after a certain time can often see ghosts.  And there is a ghost who wants to talk to his brother, to save his brother from killing himself out of guilt that it was his fault his brother died.

Sixteen paranormal stories, some better than others, but I think everyone will like different ones based on what types of stories and writing they prefer or enjoy.

A to Z April - P: Paranormal

One type of story that has really taken off in the past decade it seems is paranormal. Especially for teens it seems. And it has always been one of my favorites.  For my post I'm considering books about ghosts, vampires, werewolves, angels, etc. to be considered paranormal.  I'll share 5 of my favorite paranormal books below.

1.

Make fun of me all you want, but I will always love the Twilight series.  And honestly, yes, it has vampires, but I really feel it is more of a romance story than a traditional vampire story.  Which for all those who make fun of vampire sparkling, need to really kind of get over it.  As far as we know, vampires aren't real, so who knows what they would really be like.  The author can make them however they want for their stories, and all authors do change them in some way.

2.

This is a book I'd seen on the shelves at the bookstore where I work, but just never got around to reading it until I got a good deal on the first two books at a Scholastic Book Warehouse sale.  Then, I really loved how detailed and creative the ghost story was.  You can read my review of it HERE.

3.

This is a really great ghost series that I found as e-books I believe.  There are 4 books I think in the series. But it is again really good characters, the ghosts are done well.  I've asked the author if she'll ever do any more with the series, and I don't thinks she plans on it.  But the characters and storyline has really stayed with me after reading them.  You can read my reviews of the first two books in this series HERE.

4.

I am a huge Maggie Stiefvater fan, as you know if you've been following my blog for very long.  And I could have shared her werewolves series, but this is a series that I find so creative and different, that I decided to share this one as well.  It includes ghosts, in face one of the main characters is a ghost.  And there are all other sorts of paranormal details.  You can read my review of this HERE.

5.

And this is a story about angels.  But an incredible story, so original, and so different.  I can't even think of any other stories to say it reminds me of them, because of how original it is.  Although, there are some bits that make me think of the Supernatural tv show.  I've got the 2nd book in the series on my TBR shelf, needs to be read soon, because the third books comes out this month!  You can read my review of this book HERE.

So, wow, I could go on forever and ever with all the paranormal books I love. These are all YA books, but I'm not a teen, I'm in my 40's, and I enjoyed them all.  Probably the ones that would be considered younger out of these are #2, and maybe, just a little bit, #3.  The rest would all be very in depth and great reads for any adult who loves paranormal titles.

Are you a fan of paranormal stories?  What are your favorites?  Do you consider what I've listed as paranormal or not?