Vigilante Nights Blog Tour: Review and Giveaway

Welcome to Unabridged Bookshelf's stop on the Vigilante Nights Blog Tour organzied by Itching For Books. I have a review and there is a tourwide giveaways going too!

About the Book

Publication Date: July 18, 2013

Publisher: Merit Press

Length: 303 Pages

Buy: Amazon

A "good boy" will do anything for vengeance when a gang rite kills his twin sister. Will Lucas win, or follow his sister Silver into the darkness?

After a hideous car wreck, Lucas wakes from a coma to find that his world is gutted. Not only is his beloved twin sister, Silver, gone forever, but Lucas is broken in body and spirit. He will never be a college athlete, and is robbed of what he now realizes was the most important bond of his life. Although they weren't identical twins, Lucas and Silver shared a bond so fierce it defied reason, and was nearly supernatural.

After her death, that bond seems to endure when Lucas sees Silver everywhere he turns. Either he's crazy, or Silver is trying to tell him something about the California gang initiation they stumbled into that cost Silver her life. Lucas is bent on revenge, turning on Raymond, Silver's former boyfriend; the one Lucas never wanted her to date. He forms a posse of vigilantes to take out the gangsters responsible for Silver's death, but he risks not only his own life, but the love of the new girl on his block, who knows more about Lucas and Silver than can be accounted for by mere chance.

About the Author

Erin Richards writes SF&F romance and young adult fiction. Her YA debut novel, VIGILANTE NIGHTS, releases from Merit Press (F+W Media) on July 18, 2013. Erin has also published two adult romance novels: CHASING SHADOWS, a romantic suspense (EPPIE award finalist), now available in print for the first time (July 2012); and WICKED PARADISE, a fantasy romance, was released by Crimson Romance (F+W Media) in August 2012, available in eBook and print format.
Erin Richards lives in Northern California. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, photography, and American muscle cars.

Website | Twitter

MY REVIEW

Vigilante Nights is a story about coming back from losing everything, and taking revenge on those who took it. Lucas loses his twin the night a gang initiation started a spiral of events, which take Silver, his future in football, and almost his very sanity. Trying to cope with the loss of Silver, Lucas begins to hatch a plan to take back the town from the gang violence and crimes that had been plaguing the town. He convinces his friends to help him form their own gang, a vigilante gang bent on revenge and justice for Silver. 

The biggest factor of Vigilante Nights that I really liked is the special, supernatural bond the twins shared, because it contributes to the way Lucas copes and heals after the accident. It also adds a bit of paranormal feel to the story, which I really enjoyed. At times, some of the language used is a bit offensive including using racial slurs, but I think that it is used to show the deep anger felt by Lucas and his friends. 

Lucas goes from being the leader of the jocks, and Mr. Popular to basically nothing after the accident, and he has to learn to move on and figure out a new path. Lucas is in a very dark place at the beginning of the novel, and over the course of the story he begins to change and step back into the light of life. This is what really makes this book more about finding peace with happened then revenge in the end. 

I think Vigilante Nights has a bit of everything for readers there is loss, revenge, action, and even romance. This combination of intense emotional storylines packs a punch and makes for a great story. It is not a book that is going to be easy to forget once it is finished.  

**Unabridged Bookshelf recieved this book from the publisher, in exchange for an honest review** 

US GIVEAWAY:

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INTERNATIONAL GIVEAWAY:

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Found Blog Tour: Guest Post, Review and Giveaway

Welcome to the Found Blog Tour! Today I have not only a review but a small guest post by the amazing author Alyssa Rose Ivy and there is a tourwide giveaway!

ABOUT THE BOOK

Title: Found

Author: Alyssa Rose Ivy

Series: The Crescent Chronicles #3

Publication Date: July 16, 2013

Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Levi might be hot, strong, and have a cool set of wings, but it's not enough to make up for keeping Allie in the dark.
Allie's tired of being left with more questions than answers. She's tired of loving a guy who refuses to level with her. Most of all, she's tired of her life spinning out of control.
Desperate to save Jess no matter the personal cost, Allie has to face the possibility that the only one she can trust is herself.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

 Alyssa Rose Ivy is a New Adult and Young Adult author

who loves to weave stories with romance and a southern setting. Although raised in the New York area, she fell in love with the South after moving to New Orleans for college. After years as a perpetual student, she turned back to her creative side and decided to write. She lives in North Carolina with her husband and two young children, and she can usually be found with a cup of coffee in her hand.

Follow Alyssa

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Goodreads 

10 things you don't know about Allie from the Crescent Chronicles

 1)  She likes that Levi makes up different names for her.

 2) She's been in the best shape of her life since she started working out with Jared.

 3) She could live on strawberries.

 4) If her life actually settles down she really wants a pet (not a bird though). 

 5) She wishes she actually knew how to cook.

 6) Her little black dress collection has been almost completely replaced with little red dresses since meeting Levi.

 7) Believe it or not she doesn't mind college dining hall food.

 8) No matter where she lives, she will always consider NYC “the city.”

 9) She loves going out for breakfast, but breakfast in bed is even better.

 10) She's always wanted to get married in Hawaii.

MY REVIEW

 I have been waiting to read Found since I finish Focus so the night I got my ARC, I decided I was only going to read one chapter because I had to get some sleep. 2 hours and half a book later, I realized I was not going to be getting much sleep, and I had to force myself to put it down for a few hours. The second I woke up the next morning I devoured the rest of the book before doing anything I was supposed to be doing. Yes, Found is just that addicting and that phenomenal. 

I always liked Allie and Levi’s story and that love has grown with each book, especially in Found. New complications arise, and Allie is stuck in a difficult situation. She is trying to find a way to gain some control over the situation and her life, but with every twist and turn, she loses more control than she gains. All Levi wants to do is protect her, but sometimes protecting someone you love does more harm than good. 

The reason I have always loved Allie is that she likes to remain independent, stubborn, and strong. This is harder when The Society is very male dominated, and like to keep their women submissive. Though Levi is not like that, certain traditions and characters reflect that viewpoint. Allie tries very hard to keep her independence, and that characteristic is what makes me root for her. If you loved Allie in the first two books, you are going to be over the moon with her in Found. She just keeps surprising me. 

Alyssa Rose Ivy is an author that I try to read everything she publishes, because she never ceases to amaze me every single time. She is and forever will be one of my favorite authors. If you have yet to read anything by Alyssa The Crescent Chronicles are a great place to start, but once you do you will never stop. 

**Unabridged Bookshelf recieved this book in exchange for an honest review**

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It's the Final Countdown for Dimitri Belikov

Today is the Day!! Calling All Dimitri Lovers!!

**DIMITRI IS THE WINNER OF THE YA CRUSH TOURNEY**
New posting coming in the morning where I will gush my love for everyone 

Dimitri made it to the FINAL ROUND of the YA Crush Tourney!!
Today he is in the very stiff compittion with Will Herondale

Every single vote is going to matter today! So cast your votes, ask your friends, siblings, parents, the girl next door, your archnemsis because today is the day to put aside your differances and stand by Dimitri and win him The Championship!

If you are wondering why to vote for Dimitri:

My Advocate Post

Release Day: Mark of the Dragon

Mark of the Dragon

By

Bill Morgan and M.R. Polish

In a land of warriors and dragons, 

everything is going to change...

Countries are divided and war is raging, but none of that matters to Andra. She knows deep down that she is destined to be a dragon rider. There has never been a woman rider, but that doesn’t matter to Andra either. After her father's death, she trains harder than any man to be a worthy candidate. Even when the Aquastrian leader wants her dead, she fights back. Can she overcome traveling hundreds of miles on foot, surviving hunger, bandits, assassins and wild carnivores?

Liam is just another warrior who hopes he is worthy of the Mark of the Dragon. He must endure the long trek from Aquastra to Santerrian and avoid all people and especially those who may be hired to kill him. Meeting Andra along the way changes everything. He fights to help her and kills to protect her, but will it be enough to get them both to their dragons before it's too late?

Mysts of Santerrian World Map



Mark of the Dragon is available now on:
Kindle
Nook



About the Authors:

M.R. Polish was born in Idaho, a long, long, long, maybe not that long time ago.... Writing has always been there for her. Growing up, her mind was filled with stories, some she shared and others she filed away to write down later in life. It wasn't until 2011 that she decided to publish her stories for everyone to enjoy. Her first award and when writing became more than just an idea was in the 5th grade. She won the scary story contest for the school newspaper. It is one story she still has tucked away for memories. Her teacher told her she could be anything she wanted and that she had a talant for writing, being creative and drawing people into her stories. M.R. took that to heart and continued to write, although mostly in secret until recent years.
Now you can find her enjoying life with her family - wrangling her four kids, setting traps in the house with toys for unsuspecting victims (aka, her husband) and writing down all her crazy and fun stories.
"Life is too short to stand by and watch everyone else live your dreams. The bigger the dream, the bigger the adventure!" ~ M.R. Polish

You can find M.R. here:

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Amazon

Bill Morgan is M.R.’s dad, and if she was born that long ago, You all should shudder at how long ago he was born. He has always been creative. As an amateur artist and an avid woodworker, he always could see the hidden beauty in a blank piece of paper or a piece of wood. He joined the U.S. Coast Guard in 1986 and spent twenty years saving lives and serving his country. He always
had stories running around in his head, but he never tried to put them onto paper until M.R. convinced him to do this book with her. Now he is actively writing two additional sci-fi/fantasy novels. Hopefully she hasn’t created a monster. Bill’s favorite thing is his family. He has a wonderful wife, two adult daughters, four sisters, and more
wonderful nieces and nephews than you can believe. His last count
was over one hundred and he loves them all. One of his favorite
quotes comes from a movie, but it applies to writing a fictional novel
as well:
“Don’t know where we’re going, but there’s no sense in being late.”

You can find Bill here:

Website | Facebook

Thank you for visiting Unabridged Bookshelf!

Dimitri Belikov Needs You!

Today is the Day!! Calling All Dimitri Lovers!!

Go Vote For Dimitri Right Here

**UPDATE DIMITRI WON IN A VERY TOUGH BATTLE**
FINAL MATCH FRIDAY!!

If you are wondering why to vote for Dimitri:

My Advocate Post

Hello everyone! *Waves* Welcome to the 3rd Annual YA Crush Tourney! I am Chandra from Unabridged Bookshelf and I have the great honor of representing the esteemed Dimitri Belikov this year! If I seem familiar, you may have seen me here last year representing another fellow from the Vampire Academy and Bloodlines series by the incrediably talented Richelle Mead, Mr. Eddie Castile. I had a lot of fun last year, and could not be more excited to have the chance to be an advocate again let alone for the gorgeous guardian Dimitri.

Dimitri is the knight is shining armor girls have been dreaming about for years. He is protective, noble, always willing to put his life on the line for those he loves and those he has sworn to protect. He takes his duty as Guardian for the Moroi (good vampires) very seriously, especially after losing his first charge and his best friend to the Strigoi (bad vampires).Dimitri is a true gentleman and most defiantly crush worthy.

Dimitri is tall, dark, and dreamy all wrapped up in a Russian accent. Dimitri stands just over 6’7” with dark soulful eyes, and long dark hair and he is incredibly fit. Don’t believe me, why not find out what Ms. Rose Hathaway has to say about Dimitri’s looks.

“The other problem in my life is Dimitri. He's the one who killed Natalie, and he's a total badass. He's also pretty good-looking. Okay-more than good-looking. He's hot-like, the kind of hot that makes you stop walking on the street and get hit by traffic.

 Rose Hathaway-Frostbite

Dimitri has many talents including making girls melt around him. He is a fierce warrior, and is admired by the entire Dhampir and Moroi world. When we first meet Dimitri in Vampire Academy he already has six Molnija marks which are given every time a Dhampir Guardian kills the evil Strigoi. He is a lethal machine who only softens ups around those he loves.

“Yet, it had been Dimitri’s gentleness and thoughtfulness mixed with that deadliness that made him so wonderful. The same hands that wielded stakes with such precision would carefully brush the hair out of my face. The eyes that could astutely spot any danger in the area would regard me wonderingly and worshipfully, like I was the most beautiful and amazing woman in the world.” 

Rose Hathaway-Blood Promise.

As advocate, I am here to campaign for Dimitri and convince you of why you should vote for my favorite Dhampir. If the above has yet to convince you, then let me leave you with one final quote for you to ponder over.

“Dimitri: Well, you and I will both be Lissa's guardians someday. I need to protect her at all costs. If a pack of Strigoi come, I need to throw my body between them and her.

Rose: I know that. Of course that's what you have to do.

Dimitri: No. If I let myself love you, I won't throw myself in front of her. I'll throw myself in front of you.”

Vampire Academy

Go Vote For Dimitri Right Here

Thank you to the amazing girls at YA Sisterhood for allowing me to advocate for such a crushworthy guy!

Novella Review: Uncharted: An On The Island Novella by Tracey Garvis-Graves

Title: Uncharted: an On The Island Novella

Author: Tracey Garvis-Graves

Series: On The Island #1.5

Publication Date: July 2, 2013

Publisher: Dutton

Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Tracey Garvis Graves - and Anna and T.J. - return in this companion novella to the New York Times bestseller On the Island

When twenty-three-year-old dot-com millionaire Owen Sparks walked away from his charmed life, he had one goal in mind: get as far away as possible from the people who resented his success, or had their hand out for a piece of it. A remote uncharted island halfway around the world seemed like a perfectly logical place to get away from it all. 

Calia Reed wasn't part of Owen's plans. The beautiful British girl - on holiday in the Maldives with her brother, James - made Owen wonder if getting away from it all might be a lot more enjoyable with a carefree girl who didn't know anything about the life he left behind. 

But Owen had no idea how much his carefully detailed plans would go awry. Nor did he realize that a decision he made would have such a catastrophic effect on two passengers who boarded a plane in Chicago. 

And when Owen shows up at Anna and T.J.'s door with an incredible story to tell, everyone involved will learn just how much their lives are intertwined. 

Uncharted includes an early look at Covet, coming September 2013.

MY REVIEW

Uncharted by Tracey Garvis Graves is a must read for fans of On The Island. Uncharted introduces us to Owen Sparks, and tells his story about living on the island. Uncharted reminds me of everything I loved about On the Island and I could not have put it down if I tried. Tracey Garvis Graves has an amazing talent at write stories that a beautiful and tragic at the same time, and leave the reader craving more. 

Uncharted gives us a glimpse of T.J. and Anna’s life while introducing Owen Sparks. Owen Sparks story about his time on the island. It is not a life and death situation like T.J. and Anna, but it is not without tragedy. As I consumed Uncharted, I loved experiencing the island where T.J. and Anna were stranded through different events and with a different perspective. 

On the Island will remain one of my all-time favorite books, and Uncharted has me craving even more of Anna, T.J. and Owen. I am very excited to see where the story will go from here when Isle of Bones is released, because I know that whatever Tracey has planned will have me completely enthralled from beginning to end. I guess Covet will have to hold me over until Isle of Bones. 

**Unabridged Bookshelf recieved this book from the publisher,in exchange for an honest review**

Have you read On the Island?

How excited are you for Uncharted?

Thank you for stopping by Unabridged Bookshelf!

Cover Reveal: Apollo Academy by Kimberly P. Chase

Cover Design: Cliff Nielsen

As the heiress to Titon Technologies, eighteen-year-old Aurora Titon can have whatever she wants—clothes, expensive gadgets, anything money can buy. All she really wants is to escape her pampered, paparazzi-prone life for the stars. Becoming the first female pilot to train as an astronaut for the Apollo Academy is exactly the chance for which she has been waiting. Everything would be perfect if it weren't for her unreciprocated crush on a fellow student, the sexy astronaut bent on making her life hell, and the fact that someone keeps trying to kill her.
The first in a four book new adult science fiction series, The Apollo Academy, is an action packed story of love, discovery, and survival.

Early praise for The Apollo Academy:

"I am obsessed with this book! Suspenseful, sexy, and just a great read!" 

-Cora Carmack, New York Times Bestselling author of LOSING IT. 

“Exquisite worldbuilding, thrilling suspense, and a sexy flight instructor! Chase’s exciting debut novel is one you don’t want to miss.” - K.A.Tucker, Author of Ten Tiny Breaths and One Tiny Lie

BOOK TRAILER FOR APOLLO ACADEMY

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kimberly P. Chase holds a Bachelor's Degree in Aeronautical Science from Embry Riddle Aeronautical University, which basically means she's kind of a geek and loves flying airplanes. Naturally, her books tend to include aviation, hot flight instructors, aviator glasses, and—let's not forget—kissing! When Kimberly's not writing or reading, she's hanging out with her husband, four-year-old son, and two dogs.  FOLLOW KIMBERLY Website | Twitter | Facebook

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Thank you for visiting Unabridged Bookshelf!

Teaser Tuesday: Uncharted by Tracey Garvis-Graves

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly event hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along, just do as following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page
• Be careful not to include any spoilers so as not to ruin the book for others!

Make sure to share the title and the author so other Teaser Tuesday participants can add the book to their to be read piles.

My teaser this week comes from:

Title: Uncharted: an On The Island Novella

Author: Tracey Garvis-Graves

Series: On The Island #1.5

Publication Date: July 2, 2013

Publisher: Dutton

Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Tracey Garvis Graves - and Anna and T.J. - return in this companion novella to the New York Times bestseller On the Island

When twenty-three-year-old dot-com millionaire Owen Sparks walked away from his charmed life, he had one goal in mind: get as far away as possible from the people who resented his success, or had their hand out for a piece of it. A remote uncharted island halfway around the world seemed like a perfectly logical place to get away from it all. 

Calia Reed wasn't part of Owen's plans. The beautiful British girl - on holiday in the Maldives with her brother, James - made Owen wonder if getting away from it all might be a lot more enjoyable with a carefree girl who didn't know anything about the life he left behind. 

But Owen had no idea how much his carefully detailed plans would go awry. Nor did he realize that a decision he made would have such a catastrophic effect on two passengers who boarded a plane in Chicago. 

And when Owen shows up at Anna and T.J.'s door with an incredible story to tell, everyone involved will learn just how much their lives are intertwined. 

Uncharted includes an early look at Covet, coming September 2013.

TEASER:

There was no way this girl was going to me at the dock in the morning. But I had a hard time falling asleep because I couldn't stop thinking about how great it would be if she did. 

Kindle Location 752

Uncharted releases TODAY and if you are a fan of On The Island it is a must read!

My Review will be up Thursday!

Have a teaser for me?

Just leave me a link in the comments

Thank you for visiting Unabridged Bookshelf!

R.I.P. Google Reader and New Ways To Follow

I am sure that most people have heard that Google Reader is being shut down today. That means that you will no longer have access to feeds for all the blogs you follow via Google Reader including Unabridged Bookshelf. If you want to export you reader data make sure to do before the end of today!

Here is an article on the shutting down and how to export your reader list: 

Powering Down Google Reader

With the closing of Google Reader, Google Friend Connect (GFC) is probably not far behind and since that is where a majority of my readers follow, It is time to start a new ways to follow this blog. 

I just discovered Bloglovin' and I really like the interface, and I also opted to have a email list of all the blogs I follow new posts emailed to me everyday, so I can make sure to check them. 

If you want to follow Unabridged Bookshelf via BlogLovin' just click the pretty button below!

**Update**  Thanks to a comment by a reader(Thanks Donna), I decided to check out Feedly and I also like their service.  I am playing around to find out which one I like the most, as I am sure everyone else will too. If you would like to follow via Feedly, feel free to click the shiny green button. 

Other options such as Email, Linky, NetworkedBlogs are all on the sidebar. (NetworkedBlogs is down closer to the bottom) I hope you chose to countinue following, and thank you so much for stopping by Unabridged Bookshelf!