Saturday, August 25, 2012

Tiger's Curse Blog Stop!


A HUGE thank you to Sterling Publishing, Colleen Houck, Jean Book Nerd for putting this together!

Also a VERY Happy Birthday to Ellen and James :)


Tour Stops: * Jean Vallesteros: http://www.jeanbooknerd.com/ 




Colleen Houck’s New York Times bestselling Tiger’s Curse series has received national praise with the fourth book, Tiger’s Destiny, debuting September 2012. Colleen is a lifelong reader whose literary interests include action, adventure, science fiction, and romance. Formerly a student at the University of Arizona, she has worked as a nationally certified American Sign Language interpreter for seventeen years. Colleen lives in Salem, Oregon, with her husband and a huge assortment of plush tigers.

Links: 


Guest Post :  “What fiction most influenced your childhood, and what effect did those stories have on the Tiger’s Saga?”


I’ve always loved books with animals. The Black Stallion, Big Red, and Watership Down are all beloved books that introduced me to wonderful animal characters. Ren and Kishan as tigers and Fanindra the golden cobra would not have been nearly as interesting without my love of animals.

Mythology plays a big part in my series and my fascination with it began in middle school when an English teacher filled every space of her white walls with beautiful posters of the Greek gods. I read voraciously when I was younger and loved discovering the myths of every culture.

The first series my mom gave me was The Little House on the Prairie and my favorite book in that series was when Laura was introduced to her future husband, Almonzo Wilder. The love of romance bloomed in me and I just can’t get enough happily-ever-afters. In fact, I love romance so much that I highly doubt I’d ever write a book without having some form of it.

My passion for reading is what spurred me into writing. I’d just fallen in love with the Twilight series and was desperately seeking another series to sink into when the thought occurred to me to try writing one of my own. I was inspired by the personal stories of J.K. Rowling and Stephenie Meyer. I’d always believed that a person needed to have a fancy college degree to be able to write and these stay-at-home moms brought home the idea that anyone with a love of storytelling can write a book.

There are pieces of everything I love in the Tiger series. References to Star Wars, Star Trek, and Indiana Jones pepper the pages. Magical creatures from Harry Potter, The Lord of the Rings, The Pirates of the Caribbean, and Eragon have breathed life into my own hodgepodge of frightening and fascinating beings. Every author I’ve ever read—John Steinbeck, Orson Scott Card, Madeleine L’Engle, John Grisham, H.G. Wells, Isaac Asimov, Michael Crichton, and many more have unwittingly contributed to the workings of my mind.

Sometimes I like to imagine that their stories are catalogued in the creative part of my brain and that, once in a while, I break off pieces of them. Then I twist, shape, and play with an idea until I fashion it into something new and, yet, at the same time, reminiscent of things past. Or, it could even be possible, that their ghosts stand behind me, looking over my shoulder. Unseen, they fill my mind with whisperings as together we form a tale that has never been—one built upon a foundation of the great stories of the past.


Sypnosis
With three of the goddess Durga's quests behind them, only one prophecy now stands in the way of Kelsey, Ren, and Kishan breaking the tiger's curse. But the trio's greatest challenge awaits them: A life-endangering pursuit in search of Durga's final gift, the Rope of Fire, on the Andaman Islands in the Bay of Bengal.
It's a race against time--and the evil sorcerer Lokesh--in this eagerly anticipated fourth volume in the bestselling Tiger's Curse series, which pits good against evil, tests the bonds of love and loyalty, and finally reveals the tigers' true destinies once and for all.


Review : This book can be summed up by WOW! Knock your freakin' socks off, I love this series, and I recommend it to anyone and everyone and I think this book will be taking the number one spot!

The drama the author brings into this is so real, it feels like you as the reader are Kelsey but just not really there to make the RIGHT decisions! I don't know how many of us talked about this and some cried, screamed, laughed and thought it will work out in the end, or will it?! I about died when I got to the ending of this book as I am sure many of us did! What will happen?

This book is a roller coaster of emotions, and you are just there along for the ride feeling it all. You feel for all the characters and not just the main one. Kelsey is frustrating, smart, stupid, funny, outgoing, shy and most of all loyal to a T! We all know the roller coaster of emotions she feels because we as readers feel the same way! She is going through a whole lot in a little amount of time, is she making some dumb decisions, do I really need to ask? But through it all you just want to snuggle her up and keep her safe from herself, the two boys she loves, and Lokesh.

Then there are our 2 favorite princes, so many words to describe them, sexy, hot as hell, frustrating, stubborn, cute, loving and also loyal to a T to Kelsey and somewhat to each other. History is repeating itself as we all know, and they just keep letting it. I don't know how much more stubborn these two can get, but I am thinking AWKWARD and HIGH TENSION will be there!

Overall this is my favorite book so far, even though I died a million different times it just proves how amazing the author is, the characters and the plot! This book will never let you down, it will make you laugh, cry, scream, punch your pillow and just about rip out your hair but not once will you want to set this series down to do anything but finish it and see what will happen next! I know I am dying for book 5 and the last 2 chapters of this book!

Enjoy this stop, series, author and my amazing friends blog stops!

Where you can purchase YOUR copy :

Amazon
Hardcover: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1402798431/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1402798431&linkCode=as2&tag=jamesval-20

Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008UXL8FA/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1402798431&linkCode=as2&tag=jamesval-20


Barnes & Noble
Hardcover: http://click.linksynergy.com/link?id=OSM9yXwjjU4&offerid=239662.9781402798436&type=2&murl=http%3A%2F%2Fsearch.barnesandnoble.com%2FTigers-Destiny%2FColleen-Houck%2Fe%2F9781402798436

NookBook: http://click.linksynergy.com/link?id=OSM9yXwjjU4&offerid=239662.9781402798443&type=2&murl=http%3A%2F%2Fsearch.barnesandnoble.com%2FTigers-Destiny%2FColleen-Houck%2Fe%2F9781402798443


Book Depository

Hardcover:
http://www.bookdepository.com/Tigers-Destiny-4-Tigers-Curse-Series-Colleen-Houck/9781402798436/?a_aid=jeanbooknerd






RAFFLECOPTER LINKS: a Rafflecopter giveaway

Saturday, August 11, 2012

Blog Tour: Auracle by Gina Rosati (Review and Giveaway)


                                                            

   SYNOPSIS:

                                                                                                                                      

Trapped outside her body, Anna sees and
hears but cannot touch the one she longs
to hold.
Anna has a secret: she can astrally project out of her body. But when there's an accident and her classmate Taylor gets into Anna's body, what was an exhilarating gift threatens to become a terrifying reality. Anna and her best friend Rei form a plan to set things right, but they don't anticipate the feelings that are beginning to grow between them. Auracleby Gina Rosati is an exciting, sensual novel that explores the relationship between body and soul and the power of a single touch.


REVIEW:

 I was in love from the synopsis! I loved everything about it, from the astral projecting (which you NEVER see) to the characters and drama and everything else!
This book is a new take in the paranormal reading world. It will blow you away with how amazing it is.

The characters are hilarious and you can relate with them so easily. You are reading this and you are either laughing hysterically or you are thinking really, is this for real? And it is in a way, Anna is an amazing character with who you can relate to, the girl who isn't popular but isn't an outcast beautiful and doesn't know it and has 2 smoking hot guys as her best friends that she just realized are GUYS! THAT ARE SMOKING HOT! And only one of them know her well enough, know everything about her inside and out and you don't see much of that anymore. Rei is smoking hot, caring, sweet, smart and gentle and knows that it is NOT Anna in that body, and from then on I was hooked and developed my own little crush..

As Anna is watching from outside her body, she is realizing many things about herself, Rei, her family and social life that she didn't before. Rei is not just the lanky boy next door, he is someone that was always there, always her rock, her best friend. And Rei is coming to realize what he feels for Anna, what he wants to do with life.

This book is an intoxicating read and I recommend it to everyone. It is a new take on paranormal, a fun edge of your seat read.
***

I would also like to thank the author for the chance to read this book and review it! And Jean for everything she has done! :D



AUTHOR BIO:


1. I have a husband, an 18 year old son and a 13 year old daughter who are very patient and understanding...it’s not easy to live with a writer. 
2. I used to be a secretary. And a cake decorator. And a PTA mom. And I still volunteer at the middle school library one day a week because I love it there. 
3. On August 7, 2012, I can officially add ‘author’ to my resume...my debut YA paranormal romance, AURACLE, will debut from Roaring Brook Press/Macmillan. 
4. I am forever grateful to my literary agent, Andrea Somberg (Harvey Klinger, Inc.) and my editor, Katherine Jacobs (Roaring Brook Press/Macmillan). AURACLE is a far better story because of their help and guidance!
5. I’m not a fan of politics or organized religion, but I love dogs. And cats. And guinea pigs and bunnies and other fuzzy stuff. 
6. I used to drink too much sugary soda (32 oz/day.) When I gave it up, I lost 20 pounds and kept it off.
 7. Now I drink too much diet soda. I should drink water. From a reusable container.
8. Blue jeans, T-shirts, hoodies, fuzzy socks and sneakers...I’d rather be comfy than classy.
 9. As part of my research for AURACLE, I got a tattoo. Now I have 3 and counting... 
10. I cannot astrally project. I tried. But I am excellent at procrastinating! 
11. I collect glassy things. And fairy things. And rocks. 
12. I believe!

***

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