Book Review & Blog Tour ~ Empty Cup by Suzanne Costigan {Giveaway}

Empty Cup

by Suzanne Costigan

Publication date: November 3, 2014

Publisher: Rebelight Publishing Inc.

Mom’s new boyfriend is creepy.

On the night of her seventeenth birthday, Raven finds out he isn’t just creepy, he’s dangerous. He leaves Raven broken and bleeding, but Mom blames her for what happened. She kicks Raven out of the house with nothing but a blanket to protect her from a frigid winter night.

Alone.

Devastated.

Abandoned.

As Raven struggles with the aftermath of the ultimate betrayal, she seeks solace in her imagination and a teacher who seems to understand her situation. She ultimately discovers that her world won’t change if she relies upon someone else to do it. Real change begins within.

“…Sure to prompt reflection and provocative discussions on important issues.”

-Allan Stratton, author of Leslie’s Journal

“Not an easy story, but an important one. Compelling, powerful, and engaging.”

-Eric Walters, author of Power Play.

Click HERE to add to Goodreads

This is one of those books where it is so hard to write a review because you don't want to give anything away.  But what I will say is that this story will make you mad - really, really mad.  You will want to wish horrific things on Raven's mother's boyfriend and you will be shaking your head at the total insensitivity of Raven's mother.  I mean, the actions of the mother? Who does that to your own child?  There are other aspects of this story that will have you shaking your head, but in the end, this is a story of one girl trying to survive a terrible act with really no support group and in the end knowing that if she wants to change things, it is up to her to make it happen.

Empty Cup is a story like no other.  It's a story that will make you cry and a story that will infuriate you.  At least that is what the story did for me.  Rape is never a fun topic, but the author has taken a very tough subject and created a story that will draw you in from the very first sentence and you can't help but hold on for dear life as you travel this journey with Raven.

This story broke my heart right from the start, and continued right until the very end.  Raven's story will definitely have a place in my heart for quite some time and is one that I would recommend to anyone. 

4 out of 5 stars

Suzanne Costigan is a child welfare advocate, supporting high risk children in her home, and an active member of the Winnipeg writing community. Empty Cup is her first novel.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Chapters Indigo | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | TBD | IndieBound

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Click HERE to follow the tour

Excerpt ~ WHEN IRISH EYES ARE HAUNTING (A Krewe of Hunters Novella) by Heather Graham

Published by 1001 Dark Nights, WHEN IRISH EYES ARE HAUNTING is an Adult Paranormal Romance novella in Heather’s Krewe of Hunters Series  published on February 24th

Devin Lyle and Craig Rockwell are back, this time to a haunted castle in Ireland where a banshee may have gone wild—or maybe there's a much more rational explanation—one that involves a disgruntled heir, murder, and mayhem, all with that sexy light touch Heather Graham has turned into her trademark style.

Up on an elbow, he studied Devin. Her back was to him—long and sleek and provocative. The covers came just below her hip at an angle and it was almost as if he were looking at an artist’s rendering of a stunning woman in an elegant repose. She was sleeping soundly. He really shouldn’t wake her. It was nearing midnight.

They’d already had an incredible time playing in the massive claw-foot tub. He could close his eyes and smile and picture her sitting across from him in a swell of bubbles, laughing as they used their toes to investigate and stroke one another, until she’d come into his arms and they’d slid and laughed and made love in the heat and the bubbles and the steam rising around them.

But now, the clock hadn’t quite struck midnight yet.

Still, cruel to wake her…

Maybe he’d just touch. With a feather-light touch, he drew his fingertip down the sleek and sensual line of her back and spine, just to the place where the sheet hid the rise of her hip. Once…and twice…

And then she turned to him with her brilliant blue eyes, a smile curving her lips, and he knew that she had only been drowsing and that she’d felt his first touch and was laughing inside until she’d decided on mercy.

She rolled into his arms, burying her head against his chest and delivering kisses against his flesh. He was instantly aroused, aware that his every muscle seemed to twitch, that she could awake a fire in him instantly, and that she could tear at his heart with a whisper or a word. He felt her move low against him, felt her hair fall upon him like caresses in silk and his arms wrapped around her as he groaned and then pulled her up to him, meeting her mouth with his own with desire and hunger and love. He meant to play, to tease, to worship the pure beauty of her form, and yet the fire burned so quickly that she smiled as she straddled and set atop him, until they rolled again, entwined, and lay side by side, then rolled again, moving, writhing, making love, laughing breathlessly at awkward positions, their laughter fading as urgency prevailed until they climaxed almost simultaneously and fell beside one another—panting for breath.

Then she curled into his arms again. She whispered that she loved him, more than she had ever imagined possible. He returned the words.

“I love you more than life itself,” he vowed.

For a moment, she stared down at him and the solemnity of his words seemed to encase them as if they were one.

Amazon Kindle ** Amazon Paperback

New York Times and USA Today best-selling author Heather Graham majored in theater arts at the University of South Florida. After a stint of several years in dinner theater, back-up vocals, and bartending, she stayed home after the birth of her third child and began to write, working on short horror stories and romances. After some trial and error, she sold her first book, WHEN NEXT WE LOVE, in 1982 and since then, she has written over one hundred novels and novellas including category, romantic suspense, historical romance, vampire fiction, time travel, occult, and Christmas holiday fare. She wrote the launch books for the Dell's Ecstasy Supreme line, Silhouette's Shadows, and for Harlequin's mainstream fiction imprint, Mira Books.

          

Heather was a founding member of the Florida Romance Writers chapter of RWA and, since 1999, has hosted the Romantic Times Vampire Ball, with all revenues going directly to children's charity.  She is pleased to have been published in approximately twenty languages, and to have been honored with awards from Waldenbooks. B. Dalton, Georgia Romance Writers, Affaire de Coeur, Romantic Times, and more. She has had books selected for the Doubleday Book Club and the Literary Guild, and has been quoted, interviewed, or featured in such publications as The Nation, Redbook, People, and USA Today and appeared on many newscasts including local television and Entertainment Tonight.

          

Heather loves travel and anything having to do with the water, and is a certified scuba diver. Married since high school graduation and the mother of five, her greatest love in life remains her family, but she also believes her career has been an incredible gift, and she is grateful every day to be doing something that she loves so very much for a living.

Website ** Facebook ** Twitter ** Author Goodreads ** Novel Goodreads

So what did you think of the excerpt?  I think it is amazing and can't wait to read the book!  Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.

Blog Tour & Giveaway ~ Fingers in the Mist by O'Dell Hutchison

Fingers in the Mist

by O'Dell Hutchison

Publication date: February 24, 2015

Publisher: Month9Books, LLC.

Sixteen-year-old Caitlyn Foster never believed in the legend of the Redeemers. That was before the trees started to whisper her name. Before a murder of crows attacked the town. Before she and her family came home to find a bloody handprint on their front door, marking one of them as a sacrifice. As Caitlyn’s friends are ripped from their homes, she knows it’s only a matter of time before the Redeemers come for her. Caitlyn has the power to stop the terror, but she’ll have to decide if she’s willing to sacrifice herself to save those she loves.

Click HERE to add to Goodreads

I take a step toward him, and the wind rushes around me. A deep rumbling comes from overhead, and I suddenly realize that what I thought was thunder before isn’t thunder at all. A murder of crows, at least a hundred or more, fly through the sky, the beating of their wings rolling in thunderous waves. All activity in the square stops as all three-hundred-fifty-three townsfolk look up at the sky.

The crows fly in a perfect circle over my head. It’s not the town square they’re circling. It’s me.

One of the birds breaks formation and dive bombs the stage, landing with a heavy thunk and an explosion of feathers. Two more hit the ground, diving at people like miniature missiles. The crows start to fall like rain. Some of them hit the ground and fall silent, the power of their descent breaking their necks. People scream, and I see several of them rushing for shelter in the nearby church, others flocking to their cars as the remaining crows swoop between them. It’s like a scene straight out of that old Alfred Hitchcock movie.

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | The Book Depository

O’Dell was born in a small rural town in Idaho. There were no Redeemers living there (that he knows of). After attending college in the Pacific Northwest, he found his way to the Houston area. By day, he is a Business Systems Analyst and at night you can either find him sitting at home, dreaming of random super powers he wishes he had, or directing plays and musicals at various theaters around Houston.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Click HERE to follow the Tour

M9B Friday Reveal: Author Spotlight with Suzanne van Rooyen with Giveaway #M9BFridayReveals

Welcome to this week’s M9B Friday Reveal!

This week, we are spotlighting Suzanne van Rooyen, author of

I Heart Robot

presented by Month9Books!

Be sure to enter the giveaway found at the end of the post!

• Twitter or Facebook? Twitter
• Favorite Superhero? Morpheus from The Sandman although he’s not always a hero exactly ;)
• Favorite TV show? Tie between Game of Thrones and Penny Dreadful
• Sweet or Salty? Salty
• Coke or Pepsi? Coke
• Any Phobias? Grasshoppers
• Song you can’t get enough of right now? Hozier’s Take Me to Church
• Who is your ultimate Book Boyfriend? Ghost from Lost Souls by Poppy Z Brite
• What are you reading right now or what’s on your TBR? Currently reading Trigger Warning by Neil Gaiman
• 2015 Movie you’re most looking forward to? Terminator: Genisys, and the new Avengers

Suzanne is a tattooed storyteller from South Africa. She currently lives in Finland and finds the cold, dark forests nothing if not inspiring. Although she has a Master’s degree in music, Suzanne prefers conjuring strange worlds and creating quirky characters. When not writing, she teaches dance and music to middle schoolers and entertains her shiba inu, Lego. Suzanne is represented by Jordy Albert of the Booker Albert Agency.

Connect with the Author:  

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Sixteen-year-old Tyri wants to be a musician and wants to be with someone who won’t belittle her musical aspirations.
Q-I-99 aka ‘Quinn’ lives in a scrap metal sanctuary with other rogue droids. While some use violence to make their voices heard, demanding equal rights for AI enhanced robots, Quinn just wants a moment on stage with his violin to show the humans that androids like him have more to offer than their processing power.

Tyri and Quinn’s worlds collide when they’re accepted by the Baldur Junior Philharmonic Orchestra. As the rift between robots and humans deepens, Tyri and Quinn’s love of music brings them closer together, making Tyri question where her loyalties lie and Quinn question his place in the world. With the city on the brink of civil war, Tyri and Quinn make a shocking discovery that turns their world inside out. Will their passion for music be enough to hold them together while everything else crumbles down around them, or will the truth of who they are tear them apart?

I Heart Robot

by Suzanne van Rooyen
Publication date: March 31, 2015
Publisher: Month9Books, LLC.

Available for Purchase:

Amazon * Barnes & Noble

Complete the Rafflecopter below for a chance to win!

The book will be sent upon the titles release.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Review ~ This Heart of Mine by Brenda Novak

This Heart of Mine

(Whiskey Creek #8)

by Brenda Novak

First love. Second chance? 

As the daughter of a hoarder, Phoenix Fuller had a tough childhood. So when the handsome, popular Riley Stinson became her boyfriend in high school, she finally felt as though she had something to be proud of. Phoenix was desperate not to lose him especially once she found out she was pregnant. Yes, she might have acted a bit obsessive when he broke up with her. But she did not run down the girl he started dating next.

Unfortunately, there was no way to prove her innocence. Now, after serving her time in prison, Phoenix has been released. All she wants to do is return to Whiskey Creek and get to know her son. But Jacob's father isn't exactly welcoming.

Riley doesn't trust Phoenix, doesn't want her in Jacob's life. He is, however, ready to find someone to love. And he wants a good mother for his son. He has no idea that he's about to find both! 

Click HERE to add to Goodreads

This Heart of Mine is Phoenix and Riley's story, which starts out with Phoenix getting released from jail after spending 17 years behind bars for a crime she did not commit.  While incarcerated, she gave birth to Riley's son, Jacob, but was never able to hold her baby, so when she gets released, that is her top priority -  getting to know her son.  Riley is hesitant to let Phoenix into Jacobs life, but being the great father that he is, allows it to happen.  As Riley spends time with Phoenix, he realizes that the love he had for her in high school is still as strong as ever, but can he convince Phoenix of that?

Also, we get to see another side of Whiskey Creek and its citizens, and quite frankly, it made me angry and upset on how some of them treated Phoenix.  She has not always had an easy life, with her murder conviction and her mother's hoarding problem, but even after serving her time, Phoenix is still judged by the town folk.  Phoenix does not let this deter her though from getting her life back order and I really admired her for the actions she took.  She is a very strong woman that I instantly liked and cheered on as the story progressed.

Although there is not a ton of romance in This Heart of Mine, it is still a lovely story that kept me turning each page hoping for the best, not only with Phoenix and Riley's relationship, but that Whiskey Creek would give Phoenix the second chance she so deserved.

Brenda Novak has done it once again by giving us, the readers, an amazing story of love, sacrifice and second chances.  But most of all, she has given us a story that is relatable and realistic.  What I really like about the Whiskey Creek series, is that you don't have to read them in order or necessarily any of the previous stories to know what is going on during the current book. 

If you want to read a story of love, second chances and forgiveness, then I would recommend This Heart of Mine.

4 stars

It was a shocking experience that jump-started Brenda Novak’s bestselling author career.

“I caught my day-care provider drugging my children with cough syrup and Tylenol to get them to sleep while I was away,” Brenda says. “It was then that I decided that I needed to do something from home.”

However, writing was the last profession she expected to undertake. In fact, Brenda swears she didn’t have a creative bone in her body. In school, math and science were her best subjects, and when it came time to pick a major in college, she chose business.

Abandoning her academic scholarship to Brigham Young University at the age of 20 in order to get married and start a family, Brenda dabbled in commercial real estate, then became a loan officer.

“When I first got the idea to become a novelist, it took me five years to teach myself the craft and finish my first book,” Brenda admits. “I learned how to write by reading what others have written. The best advice for any would-be author: read, read, read….”

Brenda sold her first book, and the rest is history. Many of her novels have won or placed in contests such as the National Reader's Choice, the Bookseller's Best, the Write Touch, the Award of Excellence and the Beacon Award for Published Authors.

Brenda and her husband, Ted, live in Sacramento and are the proud parents of five children—three girls and two boys. She juggles her writing career with her children’s softball and soccer games, field trips, carpool runs and homework sessions.

When she’s not spending time with her family or writing, Brenda is usually working on her annual fundraiser for diabetes research—an on-line auction held at her website May 1st – May 31st. Her youngest son, Thad, has diabetes, and Brenda is determined to help him and others like him. She also enjoys traveling, watching sporting events and biking--she rides an amazing 20 miles every day!

Website * Goodreads * Facebook * Twitter

Amazon * Barnes & Noble

M9B Two for Thursday Book Blitz: Endless by Amanda Gray and Boneseeker by Brynn Chapman with Giveaway #T4T

Hello and welcome to the first Two for Thursday Book Blitz #T4T
presented by Month9books/Tantrum Books!

Today, we will be showcasing two titles that may tickle your fancy, and we’ll share what readers have to say about these titles!  You just might find your next read!

This week, #T4T presents to you:

Endless by Amanda Gray and Boneseeker by Brynn Chapman

Be sure to enter the giveaway found at the end of the post!

IN A RACE AGAINST TIME, HOW DO YOU KEEP THOSE YOU LOVE SAFE? 

Jenny Kramer knows she isn’t normal. After all, not everybody can see the past lives of people around them. When she befriends Ben Daulton, resident new boy, the pair stumbles on an old music box with instructions for “mesmerization” and discover they may have more in common than they thought.

Like a past life.

Using the instructions in the music box, Ben and Jenny share a dream that transports them to Romanov Russia and leads them to believe they have been there together before. But they weren’t alone. Nikolai, the mysterious young man Jenny has been seeing in her own dreams was there, too. When Nikolai appears next door, Jenny is forced to acknowledge that he has traveled through time and space to find her. Doing so means he has defied the laws of time, and the Order, an ominous organization tasked with keeping people in the correct time, is determined to send him back. While Ben, Jenny and Nikolai race against the clock — and the Order — the trio discovers a link that joins them in life — and beyond death.

Available for Purchase:

Amazon * Barnes & Noble

What Readers are Saying:
“I thought this book was pretty amazing – the characters, the setting and the adventure all came together to create this romantic yet ultimately dangerous story with a perfect time travel twist!” – Hannah – Lemonade Library


“I started reading this not knowing completely what the story was about but there’s an amazing love story as well as a bit of history thrown into the mix along with some time travel and a soul mate and reincarnation!” – Anna – Bound in Ink Books


“This book is a very interesting twist on time travel, history and romance, something I would love to see adapted on the big screen in the future.” – Lyn –Reading Tsinoy

Amanda Gray believes in magic and fantasy and possibilities. She is a team of two bestselling authors who live only miles apart but have never met in person. They talk on the phone and are the best of friends and between them have written more than a dozen novels and novellas and have had their work appear on television.

   

Arabella Holmes was born different and raised different. After it became apparent she wouldn’t fit the role of a proper 1900′s lady, her father, Sherlock, called in some lingering favors, and landed her a position at the Mutter Museum. The museum was Arabella’s dream; she was to become a purveyor of abnormal science. What her father called a BoneSeeker.

Henry Watson arrives at the Mutter Museum with a double assignment–to become a finder of abnormal antiquities and to watch over and keep Arabella Holmes. An easy task, if he could only get her to speak to him instead of throwing knives in his general direction.

But this is no time for child’s play. The two teens are assigned to a most secret exploration, when the hand of a Nephilim is unearthed in upstate New York. Soon, Arabella and Henry are caught in a fight for their lives as scientific debate swirls around them. Are the bones from a Neanderthal … or are they living proof of fallen angels, who supposedly mated with humans according to ancient scrolls?

Sent to recover the skeleton, they discover they are the second team to have been deployed and the entire first team is dead. And now they must trust their instincts and rely on one another in order to survive and uncover the truth.

Available for Purchase:

Amazon * Barnes & Noble

What Readers are Saying:
“It was such a fab idea to take Holmes and Watson to the next generation and to have them on a kind of steampunk/ science adventure…” – Nicky Peacock –Author

“This was a fantastic historical romance, with a huge mystery to solve (and in true Holmes/Watson style!)… with some amazing twists and turns along the way. – Desiree – Reviewer

“The settings are intriguing and the way they are described make you feel as if you are immersed in the story. I could feel the gloom and damp. That is rare in so many books! Boneseeker is a book I highly recommend, and I give it 5 stars!”– Christy – Christy’s Cozy Corners

Born and raised in western Pennsylvania, Brynn Chapman is the daughter of two teachers. Her writing reflects her passions: science, history and love—not necessarily in that order. In real life, the geek gene runs strong in her family, as does the Asperger’s syndrome. Her writing reflects her experience as a pediatric therapist and her interactions with society’s downtrodden. In fiction, she’s a strong believer in underdogs and happily-ever-afters. She also writes non-fiction and lectures on the subjects of autism and sensory integration and is a medical contributor to online journal The Age of Autism.

Author Links:  

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Complete the Rafflecopter for a chance to win!

a Rafflecopter giveaway