Category: blogging

I am so excited that THE PRINCE by Antony Soehner is available now and that I get to share the news!

If you haven’t yet heard about this wonderful book, be sure to check out all the details below.

This blitz also includes a giveaway for a finished copy of the book & a $10 Amazon GC courtesy of Antony & Rockstar Book Tours.
So if you’d like a chance to win, check out the giveaway info below.

About The Book:

Title: THE PRINCE (Prince Theo Saga Book 1)
Author: Antony Soehner
Pub. Date: April 12, 2022
Publisher: Roll15 Publishing LLC
Formats: Paperback, eBook
Pages: 226
Find it: Goodreads, Amazon, Kindle, B&N, iBooks, Kobo, TBD, Bookshop.org

Destiny will always test the greatest of leaders.

“Theo never imagined life outside the king’s castle. But when the queen’s funeral
reveals the king’s true colors, Theo must rely on his sister, her allies, and
his friends to get him to safety. With the help of mercenaries and the native
tribes of the plains, Theo must learn to face his destiny and open his mind to
the diverse world he’s been thrown into.”

The Prince is a High-Fantasy Adventure and the first book in
the Prince Theo Saga by Antony Soehner. A multi-layered story about
a young prince who discovers the diverse, fantastic world around him as he
escapes his abusive tyrant father, King George. Finding himself in the care of
a native tribe thought to be the enemy, Theo begins his long journey of growing
and healing from the traumas he faced back home.

Content Warnings:
Abuse(Physical, Mental), Fantasy Violence

Excerpt:

Chapter 17 “Man in the
Mask”–

The prince started to crawl to his feet but something grabbed
him by the ankle. He fought and struggled against the binding but it
overpowered him. Theo was dragged through the dirt and left at the feet of the
wandering third figure.

Panicking, Theo slashed with the saber still in his hand. The
being shot their hand out and caught the silvery blade in their palm.

A flame roared nearby, illuminating the figure. Theo saw a
man with ash-grey skin and long white hair beneath a dark cloak. He wore a
black mask that covered the top half of his face revealing only his eyes and
mouth.

The man knelt down next to Theo and reached into the breast
of his cloak. He slowly produced a thin, smooth, black wand and pressed one end
forcefully underneath the prince’s chin.

“Here’s the deal, Your Highness,” the man’s icy, emotionless
words sent goosebumps down Theo’s back, “you’re going to come with me. I will
bring you back to your father and we will act like none of this ever happened.”
He twisted the end of the wand with the tips of his fingers and it pinched the
skin on Theo’s chin. “If—” the man
emphasized, “you give me any difficulty, I will paralyze you with a bolt of
lightning through your brain, leaving you barely alive.” He pressed the wand
further into the prince’s jaw.

The man looked away from Theo and over to the three slowly
moving bodies trying to get back up. An evil grin crawled beneath his mask and
he carefully pulled the wand off Theo’s chin. Pinching it between his thumb and
first two fingers, he pointed it at Ta’goda.

“I’m going to let you ponder my instructions,” the man said
greasily, dropping the saber’s blade.

“I have more orders to fulfill.”

With a flick of his wrist, a bolt of white lightning exploded
from the end of the wand and struck Ta’goda’s shoulder.

It sent the chief, a towering orc of muscle, flying through
the burnt husks of homes he once protected.

“I hope you don’t mind, Your Highness,” the man jabbed, “it’s
just business.”

About Antony Soehner:

Raised on a healthy diet of geek and pop culture, I have come
to share my love and appreciation for role-playing games, geek culture, and
fantasy adventure. If it’s random comic book fact, Star Wars trivia, or just
the measly obscure movie reference, I’m there!

antonysoehner.com

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | TikTok | Goodreads | Amazon | BookBub

Giveaway Details:

1 winner
will receive an eBook of THE
PRINCE & a $10 Amazon GC, International.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Info:
Year on Fire by Julie Buxbaum
Genre: Young Adult Contemporary
Publishing Date: April 12, 2022

Synopsis:
What secrets will people keep—or reveal—to protect those they love? This novel, set against the frightening backdrop of an encroaching fire season, sparks reflection about friendship, the allure of romantic love, and loyalty to family.

Can a single kiss change everything?

It was a year on fire. They fell in love. Someone was bound to get burned.

The Spark: Just days before the start of junior year for twins Arch and Immie and their best friend, Paige, a spontaneous kiss shakes the very foundation of their friendship. But some ties run too deep to be broken by accidental betrayal.

The Fuel: Enter Rohan, new to Wood Valley High by way of London, who walks into school on the first day completely overwhelmed by his sudden move halfway around the world. When Paige calls dibs on him—he’s too cute to ignore—Immie is in no position to argue, certainly not after taking the fall for the disloyal kiss. Too bad for Immie that Ro feels like the best kind of familiar.

The Kindling: Former lab partners Arch and Jackson, Paige’s ex-boyfriend, have never considered themselves more than friends. But sometimes feelings can grow like wildfire.

The Flames: When the girls’ bathroom at Wood Valley is set ablaze, no one doubts it’s arson. But in this bastion of privilege, who’d be angry enough to want to burn down the school? Answer: pretty much everyone.

Year on Fire explores the blinding power of the lies we tell others and those we tell ourselves, the tight grip of family secrets, the magic of first love, and the grounding beauty of friendship.

Before I begin my review I quickly have to thank TBR and Beyond Tours for allowing me to be a part of this blog tour and Random House Children’s Books for graciously providing me with an eGalley of the book to read for my stop today.

Year on Fire takes place at an elite private school on the west coast that is centered around four characters twins, Immie & Arch, Paige (their best friend), and Rohan who is the new kid in school from London. They are all juniors.

The book begins on the first day of school, which I love when a book about schools starts then. Immie has confessed to Paige that a few days before she had kissed her then-boyfriend, but in reality, it wasn’t her she is taking the blame to cover up for Arch because he isn’t ready to come out yet. She knows she has betrayed Paige and is trying to make amends with her. She will basically do anything to get back in Paige’s good books so when they spot the new guy, Rohan and Paige call dibs on him she lets her pursue him, even though she has a crush on him. Will they be able to mend this strained friendship?

No sooner are they into the first day of school than the fire alarm goes off and they have to evacuate the school. Someone has set fire to the girl’s bathroom but who did it? The only thing is it’s not a one-off situation, someone keeps setting fires inside the school. As the story progressed you discover who it is and for the most part I was spot on with my guess.

Looking at the group of four you think they have it all but behind closed doors, it’s a whole other story. Rohan is struggling with his father’s affair, Paige is struggling with being perfect all the time, and her parents neglect, Arch is gay and he really likes Paige’s ex and Immie she wants her freedom and independence.

I am sitting here struggling with what to write because I don’t want to give away everything about the book so maybe its best if I stop and say go and read this book.

After reading this all I can say is why haven’t I read any of Julie’s previous books? I definitely have to check out her books. Her previous books are Admission, Hope and Other Punchlines, What to Say Next, Tell Me Three Things, After You, and The Opposite of Love. The books are both young adults and adults. 

Book Links:
GoodReads
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
Book Depository
Chapters Indigo
Indie Bound

About the Author:
Julie Buxbaum is the New York Times best-selling author of Tell Me Three Things, her young adult debut, What to Say Next, and most recently, Hope and Other Punchlines. She’s also the author of two critically acclaimed novels for adults: The Opposite of Love and After You. Her work has been translated into twenty-five languages. Julie’s writing has appeared in various publications, including The New York Times. She is a former lawyer and graduate of Harvard Law School and lives in Los Angeles with her husband, two children, and more books than is reasonable.

Author Links:
Website: http://www.juliebuxbaum.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/juliebux/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/juliebuxbaum/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/843820.Julie_Buxbaum
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JulieBuxbaumNovelist

Tour Schedule:
Clear here to see the tour schedule (blogs and Instagram)

Scout is Not a Band Kid by Jade Armstrong
Genre: Middle Grade Contemporary Graphic Novel
Publishing Date: April 5, 2022
GoodReads link

Synopsis:
A young girl in middle school will do whatever it takes to meet her favorite author–even if it means joining her school band! A contemporary graphic novel about making your dream come true–and the friends you make along the way.

When Scout learns that her favorite author is doing an exclusive autograph session at the end of the year, she’s determined to be there! She officially needs a plan…and when she finds out that her school’s band is heading to the same location for their annual trip, an idea takes shape. Being a band kid can’t be that hard, right?

As it turns out, learning how to play an instrument when you can’t even read music is much, much, MUCH tougher than expected. And it’s even harder for Scout when her friends aren’t on board with her new hobby. Will she be able to master the trombone, make new band friends, and get to her favorite author’s book signing? Tackling everything seems like a challenge for a supergenius superfriend supermusician–and she’s just Scout.

Before I begin my review I quickly have to thank TBR and Beyond Tours for allowing me to be a part of this blog tour and Penguin Random House USA for sending me an eGalley of Scout is Not a Band Kid for my review stop today.

Scout is Not a Band Kid is Jade Armstrong’s debut graphic novel. I didn’t realize that Jade was Canadian until I read about the author. I love supporting and promoting Canadian authors and I need to do more of that.

As I was reading the book I had to google where Almonte was in Ontario as it’s a place I never heard about before.

Scout is trying to figure out how she is going to meet her favorite author who is doing an exclusive book signing at the end of the year. Her father has told her no but she needs to come up with a plan. One day after school she opens up her backpack to show her friend Lou a picture she drew and a bunch of handouts fall out of her bag. She spots one of interest and this could be the answer to her prayers. It’s a handout about joining the band and they will be going to the same city as her favorite author at the end of the year. The only thing is Scout doesn’t know how to plan an instrument and when asked by the teacher she just picks whatever comes to mind. How will Scout pull this off?

I have to say I wish Scout’s two friends would have supported and encouraged her more instead of making fun of her whenever she spoke about band. Thankfully she had Lou, who is her internet friend, who was there to encourage her not to quit because if she does then she won’t make it to the author signing. Lou is also trying to tell her that lying to get what she wants isn’t helping her in any way.

I loved how even though Merrin and Scout were sort of at ends and were told to tutor Scout, she did. Merrin taught her everything she needs to know about music and the trombone. Will they be able to put their differences aside? Or will Merrin tell the teacher the truth?

I think Merrin was the perfect person for Scout to have in her life. Yes, she came off a bit stand-offish at first but she was that way for a reason. She knew what she wanted and how to achieve it and to have someone do something she loves to just use it for either a credit or an end game was tough for her to handle. Plus her explaining why she never hung around made sense.

This was such a fun and quick read that I devoured it in one sitting. I don’t know what the finished product will look like but my eGalley had a mix of black and white illustrations along with various colored ones. I also loved how there was bonus content at the end of the book.

I definitely need to check this out to see what the finished product looks like.

To purchase the book: 

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Indigo | IndieBound

About the author:

My name is Jade Armstrong, and I am a non-binary cartoonist. I was raised in a little town called Almonte, Ontario, before heading off to Toronto to work in comics and animation. I’ve worked as a background painter in television for 4 years. At the moment, I float between Toronto, Almonte, and Montréal.

More than anything I love to make comics. You can check out my full CV here!

My debut middle-grade graphic novel, SCOUT IS NOT A BAND KID, is set to be published by Random House Graphics April 5th, 2022.

I’m also a member of the comics collective HELLO BOYFRIEND. We are a bunch of pals who love comics and make comics together!

Website | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads

Tour Schedule:

Be sure to check out the rest of the tour HERE.

Book Info:
Love From Scratch by Kaitlyn Hill
Genre: Young Adult Romance
Publishing Date: April 5, 2022

Synopsis:
This summer, Reese Camden is trading sweet tea and Southern hospitality for cold brew and crisp coastal air. She’s landed her dream marketing internship at Friends of Flavor, a wildly popular cooking channel in Seattle. The only problem? Benny Beneventi, the relentlessly charming, backwards-baseball-cap-wearing culinary intern–and her main competition for the fall job.

Reese’s plan to keep work a No Feelings Zone crumbles like a day-old muffin when she and Benny are thrown together for a video shoot that goes viral, making them the internet’s newest ship. Audiences are hungry for more, and their bosses at Friends of Flavor are happy to deliver. Soon Reese and Benny are in an all-out food war, churning homemade ice cream, twisting soft pretzels, breaking eggs in an omelet showdown–while hundreds of thousands of viewers watch.

Reese can’t deny the chemistry between her and Benny. But the more their rivalry heats up, the harder it is to keep love on the back burner…

Before I begin my review I quickly have to thank TBR and Beyond Book Tours for allowing me to be a part of the blog tour for Love From Scratch and for graciously providing me with an ebook to read for my stop today.

Love From Scratch is a debut young adult romance book that is currently out. I think if you have to classify the book I would say it’s the higher end of YA into New Adult.

A fun little fact about me but I love watching any kind of cooking show on the Food Network, especially ones that involve competition. Who doesn’t like to watch chefs battle it out?

This falls right into one of my favorite tropes of enemies/rivals to lovers. This is very PG-rated in the romance department. This was a light fun cute ya romance that I pretty much devoured in a weekend. Even though it was a fun light read I should also mention that there are heavy topics being discussed. It’s really sad that in this day and age that women are struggling in the workplace. Why is there still a double standard there? Why do male bosses act the way they do with women employees? Why are we treated so differently?

The book’s two main characters are Reese (marketing) and Benny (culinary) both are interns for Friends of Flavour. One day at work they are asked to fill in and host a cooking video because the original hosts have to be somewhere else last minute. Unprepared they improvise thinking that it’s a disaster they soon realize it’s a huge hit. Which leads them to have their one show called Amateur Hours.

Amateur Hours starts out all fun but then quickly turns into a competition if either of them wants to land that job position in the fall. It’s not really a fair competition because this is Benny’s domain but that won’t stop Reese from trying her hardest to land this job.

You definitely can feel the chemistry between the two of them as they continue to work together. I have to say I definitely could see this be adapted to a movie that I would definitely watch.

Sadly with the rise of their fame online, the haters come out but they are mostly going after Reese. I felt bad for Reese because she was the target of it and the haters were really mean and nasty towards her. This is where real life comes into play because even though this is fiction it’s happening in real life. Anybody who doesn’t like who you are (the way you look, dress, speak, etc) is quick to become a keyboard warrior hiding behind their screens with made-up names to type nasty things about you. Those nasty comments do hurt the person. If you have nothing nice to say to someone then don’t say anything at all. It’s easier to hide behind the screen and say those nasty things when you know full well that in real life you would never say those things to a person’s face.

I have to say that I really like Benny between his puns and cute nicknames for Reese (I couldn’t help but crave Reese’s peanut butter cups while reading this) you can’t help but not love him. To me, this is my idol kind of guy because he is straightforward and says how he feels. Not many guys are like that. He actually listens to Reese and cares what she has to say.

I am definitely planning on buying a finished copy of the book because I really want to reread this again.

Book Links:
GoodReads 

Amazon USA

Barnes and Noble

Book Depository

Chapters Indigo

Indie Bound

About the Author:
Kaitlyn Hill is a writer, reader, and sweet tea enthusiast who believes that all the world is not, in fact, a stage, but a romance novel waiting to happen. Her debut novel Love from Scratch comes out 4/5/22 from Delacorte Press/Penguin Random House.

Kaitlyn has a BA in Sociology/Anthropology and German Studies, which means that she can tell you way too much about the Communist Manifesto in Karl Marx’s mother tongue. Before landing on writing, she worked in roles from city government intern in a small German town to Haunted Mansion Maid at Walt Disney World, and most recently, at her hometown public library.

Aside from books, Kaitlyn’s favorite things are giraffes, ABBA, and excessively long naps. She lives with her real life romance hero in Lexington, Kentucky.

Author Links:
Website: https://thekaitlynhill.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/thekaitlynhill
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thekaitlynhill/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/20525224.Kaitlyn_Hill

Tour Schedule:
https://tbrandbeyondtours.com/2022/02/14/tour-sign-up-love-from-scratch-by-kaitlyn-hill/

Mirrors and Mysteries (Fairy Tales of the Magicorum, #9)
Christina Bauer
Publication date: March 24th 2022
Genres: Paranormal, Young Adult

Rapunzel meets Jane Eyre in the epic conclusion of this fairy tale romance!

Grayson Eyre has left her old life behind. She’s no longer stuck serving Lady R, a sadistic Rapunzel from the Lowood clan of elves. Instead, Grayson now teaches at the Thornfield home for shifter orphans. Even better, her boss is none other than the sexy alpha, Dex. It’s all good until a mysterious witch, Jocasta, appears in a nearby tower, demanding that Dex and Grayson discover the true nature of all Rapunzels. If not, Lady R will return to claim Grayson… and Thornfield will be wiped out by the evil Prism Master. Can Dex and Grayson discover the truth in time? And what will it mean for their growing attraction?

Secrets are revealed and feelings explored in this epic conclusion to the story of Dex and Grayson!

Fairy Tales of the Magicorum. Modern fairy tales with sass, action, and romance
1. Wolves and Roses
2. Moonlight and Midtown
3. Shifters and Glyphs
4. Slippers and Thieves
5. Bandits and Ball Gowns
6. Fire and Cinder
7. Fairies and Frosting
8. Towers and Tithes
9. Mirrors and Mysteries
10. Love and Ether

Before I begin my review I quickly have to thank Xpresso Book Tours for allowing me to be a part of this book tour.

I have been on various tours for this series. Since being on various tours I have to say that I really enjoy reading the Fairy Tales of the Magicorum. It’s sad to see that it’s almost over. All the books in the series are quick and light reads. I always manage to read them in one sitting.

I love reading retellings of fairy tales and ones that bring a new twist to them. This one shows the darker side of Jane Eyre and Rapunzel. I have to admit that I have yet to read Jane Eyre and after reading this I think it’s time I pick it up to read to give more context to this storyline.

Before I begin my review I should mention that you need to read the previous books to truly understand the storyline and what is going on. With that being said I will try to keep my review spoiler-free.

Each member of the Magicorum is either a shifter, a faerie, or a witch.

Mirrors and Mysteries follow Dex and Grayson. Dex is a shifter and he is the future Brutus and Grayson is also a shifter. The book opens up with Lady R (Rapunzel) who is the current Rapunzel. putting a blinding spell on Dex. After Dex is unable to break this spell and is left alone in the middle of the woods and he needs to navigate his way home. His wolf instinct kicks in and he is able to navigate his way. On his way back he stumbles into Grayson. She knows the powers of Lady R all too well and thankfully she is free of her.

Grayson is heading to Thornfield in hopes of landing a job. Dex offers her a position as a teacher to help teach the young cubs. You know that the more time Grayson and Dex spend together you know what will happen. I loved their interactions together. Dex was so patient, caring, and compassionate to Grayson. Grayson is struggling because even though she is free from Lady R, she still hears Lady R in her head. Will Grayson be able to overcome it and finally break free of Lady R? Will she be able to believe in herself?

About the Author:

Christina Bauer thinks that fantasy books are like bacon: they just make life better. All of which is why she writes romance novels that feature demons, dragons, wizards, witches, elves, elementals, and a bunch of random stuff that she brainstorms while riding the Boston T. Oh, and she includes lots of humor and kick-ass chicks, too. 

Christina graduated from Syracuse University’s Newhouse School with BA’s in English along with Television, Radio, and Film Production. She lives in Newton, MA with her husband, son, and semi-insane golden retriever, Ruby.

Be the first to know about new releases from Christina by signing up for her newsletter: http://tinyurl.com/CBupdates

Blog: http://monsterhousebooks.com/blog/category/christina
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorBauer/
Twitter: @CB_Bauer
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/christina_cb_bauer/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christina-bauer-481b12139/
Web site: http://monsterhousebooks.com/authors/cbauer

Giveaway:

Tour-wide giveaway (INT)
A copy of Mirrors and Mysteries and more!

Paste this code in your post’s HTML to share the grand prize giveaway (this giveaway is set up and managed by author, not Xpresso Tours):

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Link: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/f7ec85e742/

Tour Schedule:

March 28th
–A Soccer Mom’s Book Blog>Excerpt
–Life With No Plot >> Review
–Rockin’ Book Reviews >> Guest Post

March 29th
–diary of a wannabe writer >> Review
–Adventures in Writing >> Excerpt
–@chrissie_gerber_reader >> Review

March 30th
–Living in a Bookworld >> Excerpt
–Rants N Scribbles >> Excerpt

March 31st
–Angel’s Guilty Pleasures >> Excerpt
–Cindy’s Love of Books  >> Review

April 1st
–The Reading Life >> Excerpt
–The Avid Reader >> Review
–Westveil Publishing >> Review

—

April 4th
–Aubrey Wynne: Timeless Romance >> Excerpt
–The Book Junkie Reads . . . >> Review

April 5th
–Movies, Shows, & Books  >> Excerpt
–LenniLand >> Review
–Wottaread >> Excerpt

April 6th
–Ilovebooksandstuffblog >> Excerpt
–Books, Tea, Healthy Me >> Review
–Lynn’s Romance Enthusiasm >> Excerpt

April 7th
–So Many Books, So Little Time >> Playlist
–Deborah-Zenha Adams >> Interview

April 8th
–fundinmental >> Excerpt
–Valerie Ullmer | Romance Author  >> Excerpt