Monday, October 30, 2017

Mary Rose Blog Tour


Today on my blog I have the Mary Rose tour. On my stop there is a spotlight, excerpt, review, and giveaway.


Mary Rose Moreland and Simon Blake are the perfect couple: successful young professionals in Philadelphia, attractive, madly in love, and ready to start a life together. When they travel to England for Simon to ask her parents’ permission to marry Mary Rose, he learns an unsettling secret: Mary Rose disappeared when she was a little girl while the family was vacationing on a remote Scottish island. She reappeared mysteriously thirty-three days later in the exact same spot without a scratch on her and no memory of what had happened.

After Simon hears about this disturbing episode in Mary Rose’s childhood, he becomes obsessed with finding out what happened. He proceeds to launch his own investigation and arranges during their honeymoon for them to visit the island where she disappeared. But as Mary Rose’s behavior gets stranger after their engagement, the need for Simon to unlock the truth about her past grows even more urgent. What he uncovers is beyond his most terrifying fears.

Mary Rose is author Geoffrey Girard’s chilling and modern take on a classic ghost story originally written by J. M. Barrie. And for years, master of suspense Alfred Hitchcock attempted to adapt Mary Rose into a film but was never successful. With this novel, Girard taps into the nightmarish fears that inspired both Barrie and Hitchcock, while also bringing the story to the present day with his own unique voice.

Excerpt:
Downstairs, however, was dark and empty.
She saw only the black edges of various-sized frames, the paintings and photos within lost to night, her ancestors going back five generations. Well into high school, she’d too often imagined them reaching out of the frames for her. Their lifeless dirt-clogged claws gripping her shoulders, wrenching her away. Tonight, their faces, and hands, were hidden, and even the bordering that held them had grown darker.
Mary Rose stood perfectly still, holding her breath, eyes drifting closed to help her focus, hoping to hear the sound again. Ten seconds, thirty. Silence. The whole house, too, seemed to be holding its breath. But there was nothing there.
She opened her eyes again, ran her fingers along the railing, watching them trace the snaking lines of polished wood. Here was something real, something corporeal. Her fingers, the banister. Her soft, pale gown and bare cold feet. All objective, all right and true. Everything else was . . .
Nothing at all. Nothing but fantasy. Silly, silly Mary Rose. 
She turned back toward her room. And froze.
At the end of the hall was something large.
Someone. A person. Standing there quietly in the dark.
No, not standing. Swaying almost, as if caught in faint wind.
And it was enormous. Too enormous. Its head almost reached the ceiling. So, not a person—that was impossible—but formed almost like one, shoulders bowed out, arms dangling to its sides, and the smaller ovoid where a head should be. A misshapen head, yet somehow familiar . . .
“Simon?” she called out, but wasn’t sure the word had even passed her lips. Had she called for him to come out of his room, or because it was him standing at the end of the hall? Who else could it be? It was no one. It couldn’t be . . .
“Who is that?” she asked, more loudly. “What do you want?”
Each word issued forth with more power but also more fear.
Her mind fighting to rationalize the shape of what she was seeing. Maybe it was some dresser she hadn’t noticed before, a grandfather clock. Yes, the shape of a grandfather clock was exactly what she was seeing . . .
A grandfather clock that had just stepped closer.
The sound of her breathing, rapid and uneven, filled her ears with its strange and terrible panic. Her own shadow cast terrifying images along the wall beside her, though the light hadn’t changed. She thought again of screaming, waking the whole house. Simon would come and help her. Her parents would come and . . .
She didn’t scream, though. She didn’t. She wouldn’t.

Instead she paced forward, accepting whatever fate awaited down the hall. Each step was quicker, heavier. Mary Rose’s teeth gritted, hands clenched into balls, and her panic fell away, morphing into a surge of desperate, eager certainty. She would fight, yes! 


Review: 


Praise for MARY ROSE

"An exceptional gothic thriller. Girard's literary roots shine through, and the dread rises with every turn of the page. Mary Rose will send a true chill down your spine. A haunting, scary, and beautifully written novel." ―J.T. Ellison, NYT bestselling author of LIE TO ME

"Girard's eerie descriptions exploit the fear of the unknown and the unnatural; and secretive characters, including the enigmatic island, hide their intentions. This is a nightmarish tale of repressed memories and misdirection." ―Publishers Weekly

"The supernatural terror in MARY ROSE is masterfully invoked via a setting that quietly feeds on the past. Yet the novel's most chilling element is its aching and desperate love story. The titular character is as multifaceted as a dark gem, and Geoffrey Girard's genius is in his ability to cause fear of, and for, Mary Rose at the same time. MARY ROSEhas the effect of burrowing under your skin, lodging next to your throat - and then your heart." ―Vicki Pettersson, NY Times and USA Today Bestselling author of SWERVE and SIGNS OF THE ZODIACseries

"Mary Rose is an elegant, classic ghost story that is, at once, truly literate and truly scary. Geoffrey Girard is a storyteller at the top of his game." ―Jacquelyn Mitchard, #1 NY Times bestselling author of The Deep End of the Ocean and Two if by Sea 


Geoffrey Girard writes thrillers, historicals, and dark speculative fiction. His first book, Tales of the Jersey Devil, thirteen original tales based on American folklore, was published by Middle Atlantic Pressin 2005, followed by Tales of the Atlantic Pirates (2006) and Tales of the Eastern Indians (2007). Simon and Schuster published two Girard novels simultaneously in 2013: CAIN'S BLOOD, a techno thriller, and PROJECT CAIN, a companion novel for teen/YA readers which was nominated for a Bram Stoker award for "Superior Achievement in a Young Adult Novel."

In 2017, Carolrhoda Books published TRUTHERS, a YA novel about the 9/11 conspiracy, and Adaptive Books published MARY ROSE, a psychological thriller/ghost novel.

Girard's short fiction has appeared in several best-selling anthologies and magazines, including Writers of the Future (a 2003 winner), Prime Codex, Aoife's Kiss, The Willows, Murky Depths, Apex Horror & Science Fiction Digest, and the Stoker-nominated Dark Faith anthology. The debut collection of his short fiction, first communions, was published by Apex Books in May, 2016.

Born in Germany and shaped in New Jersey, Geoffrey currently lives in Ohio and is the English Department Chair at a famed private boys' high school. Prior to teaching, he worked as an advertising copywriter, web developer and marketing manager. He has a BA in English literature from Washington College and an MA in creative writing from Miami University, where he is now working on an MFA. He has presented and led workshops on creative writing at schools, bookstores and various writers' conventions/events.


Photo Content from Geoffrey Girard 



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Thank you for stopping by my blog today. I would also like ot say Thank you to Geoffrey for letting me review your book and say Thank you to Jean for letting me participate in this blog tour. Don't forget to enter the giveaway below. 

~Sabrina 

Friday, October 27, 2017

Better Off Dead Nerd Blast


Today on my blog I have the Better Off Dead blast. On my stop there is a spotlight and giveaway.

Liz Szabla at Feiwel and Friends has acquired James Preller's Dead (But Cautiously Optimistic), pitched as The Walking Dead meets The Mysterious Benedict Society. In the “not-too-distant future,” a seventh-grade undead boy has to adjust to middle-school life as a zombie, and with three unlikely friends, he navigates a mystery involving global warming, disappearing bees, and billionaire developers... and more zombies.

It's slated for fall 2016; Rosemary Stimola at Stimola Literary Studio brokered the deal for North American rights.


Praise for BETTER OFF UNDEAD

"Adrian Lazarus is a middle school zombie, the result of an accident that left him “as undead as a toenail and not really thrilled about it.” ...This cautionary tale is more than just a brain-eating gross-out. Set in the not-too-distant future when humanity is suffering from numerous self-inflicted woes, this story’s villains are the Bork Brothers, owners of K & K Industries, “the richest, most powerful corporation on the planet” and also the source of much of the planet’s environmental troubles. ...This uproarious middle grade call to action has considerable kid appeal and a timely message." ―School Library Journal

Praise for THE COURAGE TEST

"Preller stirs doses of American history into a first-rate road trip that does traditional double-duty as plot device and coming-of-age metaphor. . . . Despite the many plot threads, the story never seems overstuffed or weighed down by agendas. . . . Additionally, not only does the author slip cogent historical facts and insights into his simply told narrative without disturbing its flow, he offers more detail, plus sources of information, in an afterword." ―Booklist, starred review

James Preller (born 1961) is the children's book author of the Jigsaw Jones Mysteries, which are published by Scholastic Corporation. He grew up in Wantagh, New York and went to college in Oneonta, New York. After graduating from college in 1983, James Preller was employed as a waiter for one year before being hired as a copywriter by Scholastic Corporation, where he was introduced (through their books) to many noatable children's authors. This inspired James Preller to try writing his own books. James Preller published his first book, entitled MAXX TRAX: Avalanche Rescue, in 1986. Since that time, James Preller has written a variety of books, and has written under a number of pen names, including Mitzy Kafka, James Patrick, and Izzy Bonkers. James Preller lives in Delmar, New York with his wife Lisa and their three children.

Photo Content from James Preller 


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Thank you for stopping by my blog today. I would also like to say Thank you to Jean for letting me participate in this nerd blast. Don't forget to enter the giveaway below. 

~Sabrina 

Wednesday, October 18, 2017

Last Chance Blog Tour


Today on my blog I have the Last Chance tour. On my stop there is a spotlight, review, and giveaway.

The Rain brothers fight for the survival of humanity in Last Chance, the thrilling sequel to New York Times bestselling author Gregg Hurwitz's YA debut, The Rains.

The New York Times bestselling author of Orphan X, Gregg Hurwitz, returns to Creek's Cause to follow the Rains brothers as they fight an alien threat that has transformed everyone over the age of 18 into ferocious, zombie-like beings, in this thrilling sequel to The Rains.

Battling an enemy not of this earth, Chance and Patrick become humanity’s only hope for salvation.

Review:
I loved this book so much. It was such a roller coaster ride of emotions. I can't talk about the plot as it will be spoilers galore but if you read the first one or just love zombie books in general then definitely read this book and the first one. I promise you will be hooked on these characters and so invested in them and their fight to survive. I was literally on the edge of my seat the whole time while reading. I highly recommend this book. 4/5 Bloody Fangs 


Praise for RAINS

“The Rains is one of those all-too-creepy-and-believable stories that leaves you looking in your backyard for the next strange weed to poke through the ground. Chilling!”—Ridley Pearson, New York Times bestselling author 

Gregg Hurwitz is the New York Times bestselling author of 18 novels, including HELLBENT (2018). His novels have been shortlisted for numerous literary awards, graced top ten lists, and have been published in 30 languages.

He is also a New York Times Bestselling comic book writer, having penned stories for Marvel (Wolverine, Punisher) and DC (Batman, Penguin). Additionally, he’s written screenplays for or sold spec scripts to many of the major studios (including the upcoming THE BOOK OF HENRY), and written, developed, and produced television for various networks. Gregg resides in Los Angeles.

Photo Content from Gregg Hurwitz 


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Thank you for stopping by my blog today. I would also like to say thank you to Gregg for letting me review your book and say thank you to Jean for letting me participate in this tour. Don't forget to enter the giveaway below. 

~Sabrina

Black Moon Rising Nerd Blast


Today on my blog I have the Black Moon Rising nerd blast. On my stop there is a spotlight and giveaway.

The next fast-paced, thrilling adventure from bestselling author D. J. MacHale! Check out a book and fall under its spell . . . literally.

Marcus is an agent of the Library--a place filled with tales that don't have an ending. Mysteries that won't be solved until Marcus and his friends Theo and Lu step in to finish them. Before it's too late.

Because mysterious accidents are disturbing a middle school in Massachusetts. Windows shatter for no reason. Bleachers collapse at a pep rally. Most of the students think they're just having a string of bad luck, but Marcus suspects something a lot more dangerous. Something like witchcraft. When the black moon rises, this story must come to an end . . . one way or another.


D.J. MacHale is a writer, director, executive producer and creator of several popular television series and movies. As an author, his ten-volume book series: Pendragon: Journal of an Adventure Through Time and Space became a New York Times #1 bestseller.

He was raised in Greenwich, CT where he had several jobs including collecting eggs at a poultry farm; engraving trophies and washing dishes in a steakhouse…in between playing football and running track. D.J. graduated from New York University where he received a BFA in film production.

His film-making career began in New York where he worked as a freelance writer/director making corporate videos and television commercials.

D.J. broke into the entertainment business by writing several ABC Afterschool Specials. As co-creator of the popular Nickelodeon series: Are You Afraid of the Dark?, he produced all 91 episodes. D.J. also wrote and directed the movie Tower of Terror for ABC’s Wonderful World of Disney. The Showtime series Chris Cross was co-created, written and produced by D.J. It received the CableAce award for Best Youth Series.

D.J. created and produced the Discovery Kids/NBC television series Flight 29 Down. He wrote every episode and directed several. His work on Flight 29 Down earned him the Writers Guild of America award for Outstanding Children’s Script and a Directors Guild of America award nomination.

Other notable television writing credits include the ABC Afterschool Special titled Seasonal Differences; the pilot for the long-running PBS/CBS series Ghostwriter; and the HBO series Encyclopedia Brown, Boy Detective for which he received a CableAce nomination for writing.

In print, D.J. also authored the supernatural Morpheus Road trilogy; a whimsical picture book The Monster Princess; and The SYLO Chronicles, a thrilling sci-fi trilogy. He also wrote Voyagers: Project Alpha, the first of a six book science fiction adventure.

D.J.’s newest book series is The Library, a spooky middle-grade anthology about a mysterious library filled with unfinished supernatural tales, and the daring young people who must complete them.

D.J. lives in Southern California with his wife Evangeline and daughter Keaton. They are avid backpackers, scuba divers and skiers. Rounding out the household is a spoiled golden retriever named Casey and an equally spoiled tuxedo cat named Jinx.

Photo Content from D.J. MacHale 


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Thank you  for stopping by my blog today. I would also like to say Thank you to Jean for letting me participate in this nerd blast. Don't forget to enter the giveaway below. 

~Sabrina

Wednesday, October 11, 2017

Berserker Blog Tour


Today on my blog I have the Berserker tour. On my stop there is a spotlight, excerpt, and giveaway.

Are Hanne's powers a gift from the old Norse gods, or a curse?

Her brother Stieg swears their powers are a gift from the old gods, but Hanne Hemstad knows she is truly cursed. It's not Stieg's fault that their father is dead, their mother has left, and their brother Knut has been accused of a crime he didn't commit.

No, the fault lies with Hanne and her inability to control her murderous "gift"--she is a Berserker. When someone she loves is threatened, she flies into a killing state. The siblings must leave Norway for the American frontier or risk being brought to justice.

Aided by a young cowboy who agrees to be their guide, Hanne and her siblings use their powers to survive the perilous trail, where blizzards, wild animals, and vicious bounty hunters await.

Will they be able to reach their uncle, the one man Hanne believes may be able to teach her how to control her drive to kill? With Berserker, Emmy Laybourne, the author of Monument 14, presents her vision of an American west studded with Viking glory. 


Excerpt: 

One moment Hanne was deep in the feather bed, cuddled near her sister, her body heavy with the rich sleep of the hard-worker; the next her bare feet slapped the cold floor and she was upright.
She was propelled to the door. Her hands found the latch. She pushed into the hall. There was danger in the barn. Her heart beat with such urgency and alarm, she had to run. She tore down the stairs, three at a time. Her nightgown caught against the rough hewn wall, but she did not feel the fabric tear.
Then she was outside, striding towards the threat. The barn. She heard the voices of men, three of them, arguing with her father.
“We’ve waited long enough!” came a low voice. It was Nils Paulsen, the gambler from the pub. Hanne knew this instantly.
Her feet went across the mud.
She saw every detail of the dark farmyard. The pitchfork left out by accident. The pots with Sissel’s foxglove plants and wild roses, fallow now, until the springtime. There was a matched team of dun brown horses standing next to the barn, asleep on their feet and still harnessed to a wagon. Her breath made frost, but not much because she moved too fast.
“You wouldn’t shoot me,” she heard her father say.
The heavy barn door was thrown open; it was she who threw it, but she did not feel herself do it.
Four men turned, shocked. At first, she saw only the gun.
“Hanne, no! Hanne!” her father shouted.
Hanne stalked in. Three attackers, this was new. She had only fought animals before, and only one at a time. The man with the gun was in front, his two cronies at each of his sides. Her father had his back to her. The horses were in their stalls, huffing and stamping, displeased. The chickens roosting in the rafters were awake and clucking with alarm.

Hanne inhaled deeply. She felt wonderfully alive. She smiled. 

Book Links: 


Praise for BERSERKER

"Emmy Labourne deftly melds Viking lore with the American West and creates something wholly new, a journey filled with heart-pounding suspense and surprising tenderness. Loved!"―Danielle Paige New York Times-bestselling author the Dorothy Must Die series
"Berserker combines the magic of Norse mythology with the thrill of the American West with staggering results. Startlingly original, unputdownable, and electrifying." ―Kass Morgan, author of New York Times bestseller The 100

"A completely winning, romantic, and heart-wrenching historical fantasy. Your pulse will race from page one of this rich, rugged adventure of a book."―Alyson Noel, New York Times-bestselling author of The Immortals series

"Berserker embraces the beautiful brutality of both Viking lore and Frontier tales, and it does so without resorting to tired tropes or toxic masculinity. This is a brilliantly unexpected fusion of cowboys and old gods―intense and gritty and yet surprisingly tender―but the real strength of Emmy Laybourne's writing is that, for all their superhuman abilities, her characters are so very human."―William Ritter, author of the New York Times-bestselling Jackaby series

Praise for EMMY LAYBOURNE

“Simultaneously terrifying, hilarious, and action-packed, Sweet is a wild ride that holds up a warped mirror to our society. I loved it from the first line to the last.” ―Marie Lu, author of Legend and The Young Elites on Sweet

“Frighteningly real . . . Riveting.” ―The New York Times Book Review on Monument 14

“A tense, claustrophobic, and fast-paced thriller.” ―Publishers Weekly, starred review of Monument 14

“Pretty darn breathless.” ―Booklist on Sky on Fire 


Emmy Laybourne is a novelist, screenwriter and former character actress. She is the author of the upcoming release BERSERKER ("You will love Emmy Laybourne's vision of an American west studded with Viking glory." - Hypable.com), as well as the MONUMENT 14 trilogy ("Frighteningly real… riveting" - NYT Book Review, Editor’s Choice) and the novel SWEET (“A gripping action-adventure survival story” – VOYA, rated Perfect Ten).

Before her life as a novelist, Emmy performed original comedy on Comedy Central, MTV and VH1; and acted in the movies "Superstar," "The In-Laws" and "Nancy Drew," among others. Emmy lives outside New York City with her husband, two kids and a flock of 9 nifty chickens.

Photo credit: Kit Laybourne 


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Thank you for stopping by my blog today. I would also like to say Thank you to Jean for letting me participate in this tour. Don't forget to enter the giveaway below. 

~Sabrina 

Wednesday, October 4, 2017

Horizon Blog Tour


Today on my  blog I have the Horizon tour. On my stop there is a spotlight, review, and giveaway.

A City of living Bone towers crumbles to the ground and danger surrounds. Kirit Densira has lost everything she loved the most―her mother, her home, and the skies above. Nat Brokenwings―once Kirit's brother long before the rebellion tore them apart―is still trying to save his family in the face of catastrophe. They will need to band together once more to ensure not just own survival, but that of their entire community.

Review:
I went into this not having read the previous books so I was a bit lost but with that said I still very much enjoyed this book and I really want to go and get the first two books. I can't really talk a lot about the characters as I don't really know them well but I can say that I enjoyed the author's writing. Her writing made me feel like I was on a vivid grand adventure and I loved every minute of it. I kept turning the pages just to see what was going to happen next. I can't wait to get the other books so I can read them all three and get a better feel for these characters that I am already connected to. I highly recommend this book. 4/5 Bloody Fangs 


Praise for THE BONE UNIVERSE Series

"Wilde’s fantastical trilogy (after Cloudbound) takes on violent political divisions, ecological desolation, and the imminent death of the only world the characters have ever known....Fans of the series will be satisfied by its conclusion." ―Publishers Weekly on Horizon

“A fantastic follow-up to Updraft―I liked it better than its predecessor, particularly for what it says about the politics of fear and prejudice, and how giving people what they want isn't always the best thing." ―Aliette de Bodard, award-winning author of House of Shattered Wings, on Cloudbound
"A thrilling and complex tale about the most difficult stage of a revolution: what do you do after you win? Highly recommended both for the story it tells as well as how it tells that story. Wilde takes risks that pay off hugely.” ―Ken Liu, Hugo and Nebula Award-winning author of The Grace of Kings, on Cloudbound

"A book that’s impossible to put down. [Wilde has] planted herself firmly in the “authors to watch” category." ―Andrew Liptak on Updraft

"The world of the towers grown from bone, where residents strap on wings and soar the air currents, is captivating...Kirit’s journey to find her place is satisfying, but the real draw is a world that readers will be anxious to revisit in future volumes of this exciting new series." ―Library Journal, starred review, on Updraft 


Fran Wilde’s novels and short stories have been nominated for two Nebula awards and a Hugo, and include her Andre Norton- and Compton-Crook-winning debut novel, Updraft (Tor 2015), its sequels, Cloudbound (2016) and Horizon (2017), and the novelette “The Jewel and Her Lapidary” (Tor.com Publishing 2016). Her short stories appear in Asimov’s, Tor.com, Beneath Ceaseless Skies, Shimmer, Nature, and the 2017 Year’s Best Dark Fantasy and Horror. She writes for publications including The Washington Post, Tor.com, Clarkesworld, iO9.com, and GeekMom.com. You can find her on Twitter, Facebook, and at franwilde.net.

Photo Credit: Steven Gould 


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Thank you for stopping by my blog today. I would also like to say Thank you to Fran for letting me review your book and say thank you to Jean for letting me participate in this blog tour. Don't forget to enter the  giveaway below. 

~Sabrina