Category: blogging

Book Blitz/ Killshot

Posted on by Cindy

Liv Banner

Synopsis/Blurb:

When 17 year old Liv Larson and her brother are sent to separate foster homes, she dedicates her every breath to getting him back. After months of solitude and anti-social behavior, her best friend Riley ropes her into a Rooftop Solar Flare Party. Despite the fascinating lights in the sky, Liv finds herself drawn, instead, to Zander- the boy with the crooked smile.

For a few hours, Liv’s troubles finally feel a bit less overwhelming—that is until what should have been a small flare erupts into a massive solar storm forcing them all to seek shelter in the school’s basement. Cut off from the rest of the world and with no signs of rescue, fear and paranoia set in and battle lines are drawn, dividing their ranks. What is left the group must embark on a perilous journey to save one of their own and find their families…but, something sinister awaits them in the shadows and it’s undeniably connected to Liv.

Can Liv keep her promise to reunite with her brother? What are she and her friends willing to do to survive? Will their bravery and determination be enough to save them all from a rogue government, a terrifying virus, and the things that go bump in the night…Or was Icarus, indeed, The Killshot?

Purchase the book:

getBook.at/Killshot

myBook.to/KillshotAudible

Barnes & Noble (paperback only): http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/killshot-aria-michaels/1120584241

AriaMichaelsauthor

About the Author:

Aria Michaels is the author of the Best-Selling young adult dystopian novel Killshot (Icarus Series, Book One) as well as its companion novella, Before the Sky Fell. In addition to her career as an author, Aria Michaels is an avid reader, die-hard zombie fan and enthusiastic lover of bonfires and red wine. When she is not glued to her computer pouring out the voices in her head, Aria can be found playing in the dirt with her boys, painting, or binge-watching The Walking Dead with her husband. Don’t let her mild-mannered smile fool you…this woman has lofty ambitions that include complete global domination. She is determined to live in a world where every pair of yoga pants comes with a free book, an iced caramel macchiatto and a magic force-field that repels the sound of screaming children (of which she has six). In the meantime, Aria is hard at work on the next installment of the Icarus Series, reveling in her role as instigator of literary mayhem and stealth assassin of fictional characters. 

For more information about Aria Michaels and the Icarus Series, be sure to check out her website at www.ariamichaels.com 

“You are never more than one choice away from a different future.” –Aria Michaels

Links for social media and such:

My site: www.ariamichaels.com

My blog: Aria Ever After http://ariamichaels.com/blog.html

My Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Aria-Michaels/e/B00OBJVDSY

Facebook (profile): https://www.facebook.com/aria.michaels.73   

Facebook (Author/Like page): https://www.facebook.com/AriaMichaels.Fiction

Street Team: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ariaeverafter/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AriaMichaelsYA  @ariamichaelsya

Tsu: http://www.tsu.co/AriaMichaelsYA & @ariamichaelsya (linked)

Instagram: https://instagram.com/ariamichaels/  &  ariamichaels

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8573796.Aria_Michaels

Etsy Shop: www.etsy.com/shop/thealternateending

Wattpad: https://www.wattpad.com/user/AriaMichaelsYA

Bath &Body Works Haul #1

Posted on by Cindy

bathandbodyworkshaul

Its been such a long time since I have done a B&BW’s haul and I thought today would be a perfect time to share what I recently bought.

The reason for  me going into B&BW’s was because they announced the 3 wick candles were on sale for $12.50 compared to $22.50. Although as I am currently writing this they seem to have a promotion on for 2 for $24.00. I kind of regret buying them in August but in all honesty I don’t know if they have these particular candles still in stock as this was part of the 2015 Limited Summer Destinations Edition.

Amsterdam Tulips & Windmills smells so beautiful and its like you just walked into a floral shop. This is the perfect spring/summer scent. There is hints of lilac, pink freesia and the site says cooling green. Its a beautiful pink colored candle. I love the picture on the jar as it shows a windmill with tulips.

New York Black Tie is not my typical scent candle and at first I mainly wanted it because it was New York and you all know how much I love New York. I love the image on the jar with the skyline, Statue of Liberty and the bridge. The scent is green sage, sandalwood and Tonka bean. I think this would be the perfect fall/winter candle with the scent and color.

London Tea & Lemon smells exactly like  an ice tea mix I have. Its got a crisp clean scent. I love the image on the jar as it shows the London skyline. I am hoping to make it to London one day.

Paris French Daydream is a pretty pale blue candle with scents of watery notes, moss and mandarin according to the site and for me I know if I smell those but it does have a nice scent that I just can’t place.

As I was looking for information on the candles I discovered that this is a limited edition line so I happy I grabbed them when I did because of the jars but it seems like they are repackaged each year. I really don’t mind because they are new to me. I will definitely have to look for this next year to see what they bring out.

I also picked up these cute Night Owl socks. They are shea infused with non skid bottoms. I personally don’t like the non skid bottoms but otherwise I love the socks and this is like my third pair of socks that I have bought over the years.

Finally the last set of items I bought are the Anti-Bacterial hand gels and they were 3 for $5. I picked up Japanese Cherry Blossom (The irresistible fragrance of seductive blossoms from an exotic Japanese garden), Vanilla Berry Sorbet (A cool blend of vanilla sorbet topped with sweet raspberries & juicy strawberries) and Warm Vanilla Sugar (A sweet indulgence of sheer florals, vanilla absolute & sandalwood). These are perfect to toss in Michael’s lunch bag for school so that I know he has used something to clean his hands with and to have in the purse.

Do you shop at Bath & Body Works?

 

Book Blitz/ The Case of the Washed-up Warlock

Posted on by Cindy

The_Case_0f_The-Washed_Up-Warlock

The Case of the Washed Up Warlock FinalCase of the Washed-up Warlock (Poison Ivy Charm School #2) Release Info and Links

PI1 Amazon shortlink: http://amzn.com/B00LIHGES6
PI2 Amazon shortlink: http://amzn.com/B015JFYE5W

Goodreads Link

 

Short Blurb:

 

When thirteen-year-old Tulip Bonnaire’s super-cute crush, Dexter, is threatened with expulsion from Poison Ivy Charm School, she can’t help but take the case. Someone has put a spell on Garrett’s Levitation skills and all the evidence, which includes the testimony of a sea hag stone, is pointing to Dex. Tulip can’t imagine Poison Ivy without Dex, so she’s intent on proving his innocence. But that means delving into an old secret to find out who turned Garrett into a washed-up warlock.

Patrice_LyleAuthor Bio:
Patrice Lyle has never met a ghost story she didn’t like. She’s been fascinated with the paranormal since childhood. She attributes this fascination to having heard old family stories of ghostly wreaths, ESP, and money hidden in the lining of antique purses. She grew up on the Oregon Coast and has a Master’s Degree in Writing Popular Fiction. Now she lives with her husband and two cats on Florida’s Space Coast, where she’s working on her next novel under an umbrella on the beach. For more information, please visit her website at www.patricebooks.com.

 

 

Excerpt:

“Any news yet?” He sat down on his bed and wedged himself against a mountain of pillows.
I was about to answer when a glint of gray caught my eye. A stone the size of a cookie, with an uneven hole in the middle of it, sat on his bedside table. “Is that your enchanted sea hag stone?” The one that had started all the trouble?

“Yeah. Glad she finally woke up and told me ’bout Dexter busting into my closet.”
I ignored him and approached the troublemaking pebble. Its smooth exterior was cool against my skin when I rolled it between my fingers. Not a sign of life existed until I dropped it – kinda accidentally – onto his table. Thud.

Dark, creepy eyes appeared, lined with spiky, green eyelashes. A tiny mouth with slimy black lips emerged around the hole. And a long, carrot-shaped nose covered in warts jutted out. “Hey, you. Don’t drop me like a bag of dirt.” Her voice screeched like a spider monkey on a rampage.

I laughed. “You talking about Garrett’s Lev performance?”

Garrett cleared his throat. “That’s not my fault. It’s a spell.”

“Don’t you drop me again, you idiotic hooligan.” The sea hag had a ’tude stronger than Alexandria’s.
I wanted to fling the stupid stone out the window, but that wasn’t the best way to get information. If the dumb hag had seen Dexter, maybe she’d seen something else that could help me solve the case.

“Sorry,” I said. “I didn’t mean to.”

“Yeah, right. I know a rock dropper when I see one.”

I stifled a smirk and a smart comment about a rolling stone. “You see anything else suspicious in Garrett’s room?”

She batted her needle-like eyelashes. “Nothing but that nerd ’lock who slipped in here like some moron ghost who hasn’t mastered being dead yet. He fumbled with the door forever before crashing in like a nitwit.”

Anger shot through my veins like an ink pen explosion. First Garrett had insulted Dex. And now some stone with a hideous, old hag face? Who do they think they are? I grabbed the dumb rock with both hands and pinched the sea hag’s ugly warty nose, intent on breaking it off.

But she bit me!

Her moldy teeth chomped down on my fingers, drawing blood.

“Ouch! You stupid sea hag!” I tried to hurl her against the wall, but her grip was like a pit bull’s.
If pit bulls had carrot-shaped noses, spider monkey voices, and moldy teeth.

“Get this thing off me,” I yelled at Garrett. “Or I’ll drop your case.”

The Case of the washed up warlock2

Blog Ahead October 2015 Edition Goals

Posted on by Cindy
blog ahead 2015

Last month I made a blog post about the Blog Ahead October 2015 Edition (click here to see post) and today is the day I begin this 31 day Blog Ahead Challenge. Thanks to  Anna from herding cats & burning soup and the  Caffeinated Book Reviewer for doing this once again.

  • For the next 31 days apart from doing my regular posts and I going to attempt to write up at least 31 additional posts that I can have as back ups just in case something happens and I have nothing ready to post on a certain day.
  • I am hoping that I can squeeze in some posts to cover some of December. I have a few ideas that I am currently working on.
  • I want to get back into posting  Top Ten Tuesdays and Waiting on Wednesdays and since TTT has the list of topics available it will be easy to squeeze this into the challenge as well.

I don’t want to put to much onto my plate because then I will get overwhelmed and feel like I haven’t accomplished anything so I think this is a good start.

Are you taking part in this 31 day Blog Ahead? If so please let me know so I can go and cheer you on.

 

Release Day/ Walk On Earth a Stranger

Posted on by Cindy

 

I am so excited that WALK ON EARTH A STRANGER by Rae Carson releases today and that I get to share the news, along with an awesome giveaway!
If you haven’t yet heard about this wonderful new series by Rae Carson, be sure to
check out all the details below.
This blitz
also includes a giveaway for a set of the GIRL OF FIRE AND THORNS series (in
paperback format). US only. So if you’d like a chance to win, enter in the
Rafflecopter at the bottom of this post.
About The Book:
Title: WALK
ON EARTH A STRANGER
Author: Rae Carson
Pub. Date: September 22, 2015
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Pages: 448
Find it: Amazon, Barnes
& Noble, iBooks, Goodreads
 
The first book in a new trilogy from acclaimed New York Times bestselling author Rae Carson. A young woman with the magical ability to sense the presence of gold must flee her home, taking her on a sweeping and dangerous journey across Gold
Rush–era America.
Lee Westfall has a secret. She can sense the presence of gold in the world around her. Veins deep beneath the earth, pebbles in the river, nuggets dug up from the forest floor. The buzz of gold means warmth and life and home—until everything is ripped away by a man who wants to control her. Left with nothing, Lee disguises herself as a boy and takes to the trail across the country. Gold was discovered in California, and where else could such a magical girl find herself, find safety? Rae Carson, author of the acclaimed Girl of Fire and Thorns trilogy, dazzles with this new fantasy that subverts both our own history and familiar fantasy tropes.
Walk on Earth a Stranger, the first book in this new trilogy, introduces—as only Rae Carson can—a strong heroine, a perilous road, a fantastical twist, and a slow-burning romance. Includes a map and author’s note on historical research. 
Read chapter
1 of WALK ON EARTH A STRANGER annotated by Rae Carson HERE!
About Rae:
Rae Carson is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the acclaimed Girl of Fire and Thorns trilogy. Her next book, Walk On Earth A Stranger, will be available September 22, 2015. She lives in Arizona with her
husband.
 
 
 
 
Connect with the Author: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads
Giveaway Details:
 
1 winner
will receive a set of the 3 GIRL OF FIRE AND THORNS series (in paperback
format). US Only.
Ends on September 30th at Midnight EST!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Blitz/ Queen of Always

Posted on by Cindy

QueenOfAlwaysBlitzBanner

QueenOFAlways

Queen of Always by Sherry D. Ficklin (Stolen Empire #3)
Published by: Clean Teen Publishing
Publication date: September 15th 2015
Genres: Historical, Young Adult

Synopsis:

LONG LIVE THE QUEEN If her time at court has taught Catherine anything, it’s that there is no room for weakness in Imperial Russia. With the Empress’ health failing and rumors of a change in the line of succession, her place in the royal line is once more in jeopardy. Tormented by her sadistic husband and his venomous mistress, Catherine must once more walk the fine line between pleasure and politics—between scandal and survival.

When her young son becomes the target of those rebelling against Peter’s reign, Catherine will have to rise up to protect herself, her child, and her nation from his unstable and potentially catastrophic rule. This means putting herself at odds with the most dangerous man she’s ever known, trusting those who once proved to be her enemies, and turning a nation against its sovereign. In the ultimate battle for the crown, new alliances will be forged, loyalties will be tested, and blood will be shed.

Don’t miss this breathtaking conclusion to the Stolen Empire series!

Queen of Always is a YA historical fiction based on the life of young Catherine the Great. Fans of the hit TV show REIGN will devour this scandalous glimpse into the life of one of the most dynamic women in history.

SherryFicklin

Sherry D. Ficklin is a full time writer from Colorado. She can often be found browsing her local bookstore with a large white hot chocolate in one hand and a towering stack of books in the other. That is, unless she’s on deadline at which time she, like the Loch Ness monster, is only seen in blurry photographs. She is the author of over a dozen novels ranging from contemporary romance to science fiction. In her spare time she co-hosts the Pop Lit Divas radio show and is a contributor for Fangirlish.com.

You can see more about Sherry and her books at her official website, sherryficklin.com

Author links:

http://sherryficklin.com/
https://www.facebook.com/sherry.ficklin
https://twitter.com/authorsherry https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4153170.Sherry_D_Ficklin

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24894733-queen-of-always?ac=1

Purchase:

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Queen-Always-Stolen-Empire-Novel/dp/1634221419/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1441981711&sr=1-1&keywords=Queen+of+Always

Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/queen-of-always-sherry-d-ficklin/1122360699?ean=2940152043785

QueenOfcovers

bookexcerpt

“I have done dreadful things, Dash. I have made mistakes that I will never be able to atone for, and I have allowed myself to be selfish in ways you might never understand.” The bitter memory of sprinkling the poison in the Empress’ tea floats into my mind. I think of every lie I’ve told, of every misstep I’ve made. “I’m not proud of my choices, but neither would I retract a single one,” I say finally.

“Sometimes, the only choices you have are horrible choices,” she says. “But you must still choose.”

I glance at her, admiring her quiet fortitude. She is, in so many ways, like Rina. So wise for her years. Wise and kind and good.

“You are a good soul, Dashka. I wish I were as good.”

She shakes her head, “Don’t say that, Your Grace. You are a good soul as well. Not innocent as or naive as I, but nevertheless good. You will be a good queen.”

“I hope so,” I mutter around another bite. There’s a cup of what looks like pitch black tea. I pick it up, examining the contents. It smells burnt somehow. “What on earth is this?”

She nods to it, “That’s a new drink the cook thought you might enjoy. It’s called coffee. It can be bitter so there is cream you can add to it. She says it’s all the rage at French Court.”

“Coffee? Odd.” I take a sip and nearly gag. It’s strong, so much more bitter and heavy than tea, but, still…

I take another sip.

“It’s quite good, I think.” I say, admiring the warmth of the cup in my hand.

Dashka beams. “I thought you’d enjoy it.”

As we begin the tedious process of dressing and grooming, I sip on the beverage, asking for a second cup soon after the first. Soon I feel my heart speed up, my face flushes, and I feel more awake and alive than I’ve felt in weeks. I let my mind drift. Someday, sooner than later, I will be queen. What sort of queen do I want to be? I know I will have to decide. Will I be loyal? Faithful? Will I be kind or courageous? Will I be content sitting quietly, or will I stand boldly against those who oppose me?

Suddenly, things seem very clear.

“It’s the coffee,” Dashka smirks.

Somehow, I think it’s more than just that.

 

 

xpressobooktours

Product Review/ Roam Mobility USA Travel Sim Card

Posted on by Cindy

roammobility

Before I begin this post I should let you know that this is a sponsored post. I was graciously supplied a free USA Travel SIM Card and a phone plan when I went to NYC for BEA at the end of May for a honest and sincere review.

This year before heading down to NYC for BEA I was researching my phone options because I have an iPhone 5c and I need to stay in touch with my family at home. This is the only way I can travel with a piece of mind.

I have to admit that I was shocked at how much it would cost me to stay connected. The phone plans are ridiculous here in Canada and any add on plans so that I can use my phone in the USA is crazy. I was a little shocked at how much I would have to pay so that was when I started looking around and found out about Roam Mobility.

I looked their site over and I was surprised at how much cheaper it was. The only expense I had to cover was unlocking my phone with my current cell phone provider, Koodo and that was $35 Canadian.

Prices:

I was surprised at what Roam Mobility was offering. The big thing for me was being able to call my family in Montreal and to be able to text them as well as call and text friends in the USA.

I was leaving Montreal, May 26th in the AM and traveling into NYC. I was going to be there for 5 days. Since Koodo is my provider they were offering for a 10 day package with unlimited minutes, 250 MB of data, unlimited outgoing texts and free incoming texts for $40. If I was to surpass the data I would have to pay $5/50 MB and honestly thats not alot so I checked out the next plan and it was basically the same except it was for 30 days with 750MB for $75 which is a little bit much and I knew that I would be traveling to the USA again in about two months and I would have to pay the same thing over again.

So enter Roam Mobility. With Roam Mobility you can purchase a plan for the number of days you are in the USA for. Since I was traveling I needed a plan that would cover me 6 days. I was able to get a Text+Talk+Data for $3.95/day ($24.89 total) and I got unlimited talk (local and long distance), text and data. This was the better deal considering I will be heading to the USA again shortly and all I have to do is top up my account before leaving and pop in the USA Sim card and I am good to go.

Coverage:

Roam Mobility has a map online that shows you their coverage and I never encountered any problems with coverage in New York City or on the way to and from. The only problems were and this happens to everyone is along the Adirondack Mountains where there is no cell phone coverage. You should note that the SIM card doesn’t work in Canada and will only work once you cross into the USA.

Set Up:

You can purchase SIM cards online from Roam Mobility or through your local store which is listed HERE or HERE. Once you have the SIM card all you have to do is create an account to activate the SIM card and purchase your plan. Just remember your phone needs to be unlocked in order for the card to work.

To set up an account and to activate the card was super easy. I can actually say that because I am not very technically savvy and if I say its easy then its easy.

Then all you have to do is insert the USA SIMS card and perhaps add the new APN (and you will be provided with all this information) and you are good to go. Please Roam Mobility will even send you a text just in case. You don’t have to worry about anything.

Overall thoughts:

I wasn’t quite sure how I wanted to review this because its the first time I am doing anything like this for electronics but I hope you find this review helpful. I am completely impressed with Roam Mobility. The representive who contacted me got me all set up with easy detailed emails and when I say that I mean it was all straight forward nothing complicated about it.

Since I am traveling to the USA again in about a month or two my SIMS card will be activate again until 365 days from now when all you have to do is top up your plan. I am sure I will be back and forth to the USA and at this rate it will be the cheapest way to go when it comes to a phone plan.

All you need to do if you choose Roam Mobility is keep your SIM card active within a 365 day period. I highly recommend Roam Mobility if you are traveling to the USA and need to keep in touch with family back home or even to have a phone in the USA.

Thanks to @RoamMobility for keeping me connected while I was in NYC. #RoamFree